Nightelf presents...

                         Honor Among Devils

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     11:15 am, local time

     Ranma Saotome basked in the cool breeze of the morning, enjoying the 
feel of the wind swirling around his recently reacquired masculine form, 
the excitement in his soul throbbing in his head as he waited for the 
end.  Eight years of being stuck in a cursed form, mourning the loss of 
Akane and the others, fighting to learn, learning to fight...no more.  
Once Ukyou arrived, they could go on, put the pain behind them, and 
_live_.  No more Blossom, no more Herb, no more meddling Nightelf playing 
the puppet master...

     "Hello, Ranma."

     He turned around, startled at the silent intruder into the place 
so innocently called Jusenkyo.  She was small, barely reaching above five 
feet in height, with rather short black hair, hazel eyes that betrayed a 
powerful wisdom, and a smooth face without the warpings of age.  She wore 
local clothing, a black silk button-down shirt, slacks, and ti-chi 
shoes.  Although he had seen "her" only once before, the Niichieju warrior 
recognized her instantly.

     Nicholas Leifker.

     Nightelf.

     "Hello, Nick.  I trust you found my revenge to be to your 
satisfaction?"  

     The look on Nick's face could melt steel.  She placed herself in a 
fighting stance, her eyes in dangerous focus.  "Come on."

     This was not quite what Ranma had expected.  When last he saw Nick, 
only a few days ago by his own personal reckoning, he/she was an 
out-of-shape, nerdy college student who couldn't fight his way out of a 
paper bag.  Still, he could see the changes wrought in the young woman, 
beyond the purely physical ones.  "Very well.  Revenge, then?"

     A small, predatory smile crept up on the Nightelf's face.  "Of a 
sort.  This is for honor."

     Ranma nodded, trying to wipe the smile off of his face.  "For 
honor."  He leapt at Nick, ready to deliver a flying kick, to knock the 
young lady out with one blow.

     It didn't happen.  The martial arts master found himself suspended 
in midair, helpless as strange energies swirled from his adversary to 
surround him.

     "What the...Put me down!"

     Nick simply looked up at him, sadness reflected in her dark eyes.  
"You don't understand, do you?"

     "Understand what?"

     The former fanfic writer sighed, letting the slight exasperation 
building within her escape.  "I can only be here for one hour.  Since 
your little section is an out-of-the-way place of the multiverse, only I 
can come, and only I can fight here."  She flashed a wry smile.  "I'm 
here to make you a deal, just like you made me.  Sometime around noon, 
you're scheduled to meet Ukyou here, right?"

     "Yes..." Realization dawned in the man's face.  "No.  Please no.  
Haven't you done enough?"

     "No."

     A sigil from the Nightelf's hands froze Ranma's vocal cords, 
silencing any future protests as the two waited for their guest to 
arrive.  Ranma said a silent prayer in his mind, pleading with whatever 
beings were controlling this confrontation, that they would please be 
merciful... The passion of Ranma's pleas were interrupted by tears coming 
from the Nightelf.  Sensing his concern, she managed a weak smile, and 
stared up at him.

     "I'm sorry.  My training has given me empathic abilities.  I only 
wish...someone would feel that way towards me.  Unfortunately..."  She 
gestured down to her transformed body, indicating the source of her 
dating problems.  

     "I'm sorry." Ranma thought, hoping she'd hear his apology.

     She smiled - a little more strongly than before.  "Thank you."

     The rest of the time was spent in silence, waiting for the hand of 
fate to play its final cards.  Ranma's heart fell as he heard the cheery, 
welcoming voice of his soon-to-be bride.

     "Hello, Ranma...Ranma?"  Ukyou stared at the still-floating warrior 
for a second, then found herself in the same predicament, her strong form 
struggling through the same spell that Nick had cast on Ranma.  Her form 
drifted for a minute or two, into the heart of the training ground, until 
it came to a stop over one of the springs.  The magician put Ranma down, 
but still held him immobile, wanting his undivided attention for a moment. 
The Nightelf took out a tanto blade, and threw it at Ranma's feet.  His 
vocal cords freed, Ranma looked at him curiously.

     "What's this?"  He tried to gesture down to the knife, without much 
success.

     The voice that emanated from Nick was cold as ice.  "Your life."

     There was no reaction from Ranma.  He knew precisely what she was 
asking for.

     "Do you remember when you defeated the Musk?"

     Ranma nodded his head.

     "What did you do with them?"

     "Killed most of them, then dunked the survivors in..." The martial 
arts master's vocal cords failed him for a moment.

     "When you came to my universe, to curse me, what did you do to Erik 
and Jane?"

     Ranma was silent, realizing the nature of his sin.

     The cursed bard nodded thoughtfully.  "I'll be honest: I deserved my 
punishment.  To be honest, I probably deserved to be cursed, stuck in the 
form, raped by Ryouga, and forced to have a kid who inherited my curse.  
But they...they were innocent bystanders.  They did _nothing_ to you, yet 
you took away one's love, and took away another's life.  Last I saw, 
_Erica_ was working at the local McDonald's in College Station."

     With a subtle move of her hands, Nick moved Ukyou away from the 
springs, and set her down gently on the grass.  She also released the 
spell around Ranma, allowing him to collapse to the earth.  Ranma 
nervously picked up the blade, sadness and anger etched onto his face.

     "Ranma...this is my lesson to you.  You tried to help me before, 
albeit in a skewed way.  You have the heart of a truly honorable being, 
and now have the chance to live your own life, free from the directions I 
take you.  You can go on as you did, striking indiscriminately like some 
mad god, or you can use the gifts _I_ gave you through your trials to 
help the world.  You've already stained your honor enough.  Don't stain 
it anymore."

     Nick looked at the place, went over to a certain spring, and 
carefully filled up a small jug.  "For Chris."  She turned back to Ranma, 
who was still staring intently at the tanto.  

     "Ranma...one last thing.  Honor is never won through needless 
death.  Honor is only won through a celebration of life."  With that, she 
vanished, leaving two warriors very scared...not for their lives, but for 
something much deeper.

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     Hello.

     This is my last installment in the Revengefic stories.  I've delayed 
my own projects enough as it is.  If others wish to use me to assist 
their revenge, they may do so, keeping in mind that I would prefer that I 
be kept in character.  I will help others to defeat a foe, but I will not 
harm an innocent bystander or friend of the character.  If they have done 
something, though...

Nicholas Leifker
"Nightelf" 
October 4, 1996