OK, so after 2 requests I continued it.  I knew Kuno would
get someone scared.. MUHAHAHAHA... anyway..  If someone finds something
insanely wrong with the Sazan Eyes retelling in this part, let me
know so I can fix it!!!  And I really don't mind C&C or just C (you
pick which).



	    Twisted Destiny 2 (still working title)

{insert ALL disclaimers and remember no running in the halls}


Nabiki woke up in an ambulance; she hadn't even realized she had
passed out.  She exhaled heavily.  Seeing a ghost would probably
make anyone pass out.  She put a shaking hand to her forehead.

"I see that you have reawakened.  I felt a bit faint at the
prospect of your sister being injured, myself."

Nabiki's eyes snapped open fully at the sound of Kuno's voice.
She looked to her right, seeing she was on a bench in the back of
the ambulance and she was leaning against...  She let out a small
shriek and scooted as far down the bench as possible.

"Miss, you'll have to keep quiet.  We're still examining your
sister," a slim man holding a stethoscope said.  He was itting on
the other side of Kuno and attempting to take Akane's blood pressure.

"S.. sorry," Nabiki stuttered.  Her eyes returned to Kuno, who
was looking intently at Akane.  Apparently he wasn't a ghost, but
she was sure he shouldn't be alive.  Then she saw something she
hadn't noticed before: beneath his bangs, on his forehead, there
was a character.

She looked closer, trying to read it.  It looked similar to that
first day of school when Ranma had decorated Kuno's forehead.
That had been cute.  This was...  Well, this was freakish.  Wu?
How did it get there and what did it signify?

"Careful, cur!  Your oafish hands will injure her if you do not pay
more attention!" Kuno commanded the medic, who had attempted to
take a blood sample.

The medic gave Kuno a disbelieving look.  "Don't yell in my ear
and I'll be sure nothing happens.  IF you don't yell in my ear."

"Very well.  You may proceed."  Kuno continued to watch the medic
like a hawk.

And Nabiki continued to watch Kuno.  There didn't seem to be
anything different about him aside from the tatooing.  He wasn't
acting a whole lot different, but if anyone were to remain
unaffected by death it would be Tatewaki Kuno.  On second
thought, he did seem to be a bit more subdued.

She was still looking at him when he turned.  "Is there a
problem, Nabiki Tendo?"

Nabiki shrunk back and hook her head.  "Nothing.  Nothing's wrong."

"You look disturbed.  Are you confident you are well?"

Nabiki nodded, still staring at the character on his forehead.

"You claim you are sound, yet your actions speak the contrary.
Please tell me what is troubling you."

She didn't like him looking at her like that; it was disturbing.
Instead of speaking, she pointed one shaky finger at his forehead.

Kuno wiped his hand across his brow then looked at it.  Nothing.
'There must be something wrong with herself that she is not aware
of.  There is nothing on my forehead,' he thought.  He turned to
the medic.  "Can you examine Nabiki Tendo as well?  I believe she
has injured herself."

"Sure.  When I'm done here, I'll look at her too."  The young man
seemed to be the only one unharmed in the entire mess, though his
clothes looked like they had been through a shredder.  He would
have given a large amount of money to know exactly what had happened.

***

"My little girl!"  Soun rushed down the hospital hall only to be
stopped by a large orderly.

"I'm sorry, sir.  Only doctors are allowed past this point."

"How could this have happened?" Soun wailed.  'My precious
daughter hurt in an attack by a fearsome creature!"  Soun was
calmly escorted to the waiting room, crying the entire time.

"My little girl!  I only hope she survives!"  Soun dropped into a
chair and covered his face with his hands.

"Gee, Daddy.  I'm really fine.  There's no reason to be concerned
about me," Nabiki said flatly.

"So Kuno, what'd you do to Akane this time?"  Ranma asked, ice at
the edge of his voice.

Kuno, who at some point obtained a change of clothes, gazed at
Ranma.  "I only did my best to see that she was unharmed.
Apparently it was more than you could achieve."  Oops, Kuno had
hit the wrong button.

With self-control the likes of which no mortal has ever seen,
Ranma kept himself from beating Kuno into a smear.  "Yeah," he
answered through gritted teeth.  "Then why is she passed out and
you're OK?  Huh?  Tell me."

Amazingly, Kuno seemed to be at a loss for words.  "That I can
not say.  Though I am sure that the fair Akane would be gravely
injured without my intervention."

Neither of the two verbal combatants saw the look on Nabiki's
face.  Undisguised horror and disgust.  Anger too.  None of them
had seen what she had, they didn't know, couldn't understand.
"Shut up!  Both of you shut up!  Neither of you know anything!  I
saw him die"  She pointed at Kuno.  "I saw his body!  He should be
dead!"

Everyone in the waiting room stared at her.  How could a live
person be dead?  It was completely absurd.  Undead and immortals
were just things made up in the movies and comic books.

"Geez, Nabiki.  Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"  Ranma was
trying to look at the back of her head for bumps.

"I asked the medical professional to examine her; he assured me
she was completely fine," Kuno answered.

Nabiki shot Ranma and Kuno deadly looks.  She didn't appreciate
either one's idiotic conversation.

Conversation died down after that and silence descended on the
waiting room.  Ranma and Kuno glared at each other but held their
tongues.  Nabiki, to her credit, was doing her best not to
completely lose it.

The doctor helped her out a bit by striding into the waiting room.
"Family and friends of Akane Tendo?" he asked, looking closely at
his clipboard.

Over half the people in the waiting room immediately responded.
"Yes?"

The doctor looked up, startled at the sound of so many voices.
"Oh, well, you can go in and see her IF YOU'RE QUIET."  That
doctor glared at each of them.  She'll be waking up momentarily."

Before the doctor could move, he was trampled.

***

The entire mob crowded around Akane's bed, waiting for a sign of
consciousness.  The only sound in the room was that of Akane's
breathing; everyone else seemed to be holding theirs.

Akane groaned once and moved her head, causing everyone to gasp
and lean forward in anticipation.  The only other person that
could cause such an extreme reaction was Kasumi, and she was out
shopping.

Akane groaned again and her eyes fluttered open.  There was a
great intake of air from the people around her.  She looked left
and right at their faces, still a bit groggy.  "What happened?"
she asked.

That, of course, sent Soun into fresh hysterics.  He was
practically dancing around the room, tears gushing from his eyes.
Fortune was surely smiling on the Tendo clan that his daughter
would be unharmed.

"Yo, Akane.  Do you remember what happened?" Ranma asked, trying
to sound nonchalant and not give away how worried he was.  "I
heard you got at..."

Kuno pushed Ranma out of the way and grasped Akane's hand.  Like
Soun, he was in tears.  "Akane Tendo, how my heart is filled with
joy upon your wakening.  Like stars..."

*CRACK*

Ranma was pissed.  He had been on edge ever since learning Akane
was in the hospital and his thread of control was severely frayed.
Just as he was about to see how she was, Kuno had shoved him aside
and started babbling.  No more!  He refused to take it!

In one fluid motion, Ranma had spun Kuno around and delivered a
particularly vicious roundkick to Kuno's cheek.  Then another, and
another.  The last one was just a bit too much for Kuno to handle
with Ranma's anger fueling his kicks.  As Ranma's foot snapped
Kuno's head to the side, slightly too far, there was a popping,
cracking noise and Kuno slammed limply against the wall.

Everyone stared at Ranma, whose chest was heaving, then at Kuno on
the floor.

The anger on Ranma's face slowly faded as he looked down at Kuno.
"I killed him," was all Ranma said.  He had lost control and
killed someone.  Honor and martial arts prowess meant nothing when
you were a convicted murderer.  Ranma could almost picture the
cell...  Or worse.

Nabiki let out a choked sob.  The whole day had just been too much
for her.

"Ranma, what are you doing?" Akane asked, full awareness
returning to her.  "Why did you do that?"  Akane seemed
reasonable, she felt reasonable, considering what she had been
through that day.

"I killed him," Ranma said again, unable to remove his eyes from
Kuno.

Akane looked at Kuno's body.  There was something she was
forgetting, something that had to do with Kuno.  She thought back
to earlier; walking down the street, seeing Kuno, the monster...
Then the hospital.  She couldn't remember anything between seeing
the monster and waking up in the hospital.

"I killed him," Ranma said yet again.  He could tell by the was
Kuno's body was twisted, the little smear of blood on the wall,
the fact that Kuno wasn't breathing...  "I killed him."

Kuno sat up suddenly, shaking his head.  He looked up at Ranma.
"That hurt, you know."  He got to his feet just as Ranma left his.
Nabiki wasn't far behind.

***

Why'd we have to bring that idiot with us?" Ranma asked no one in
particular.

"Because there is something very strange going on here," Genma
answered, showing uncommon insight.  "And it looks like it may be
linked to your finacee.  So deal with it."  Genma attempted to hit
Ranma on the back of the head and received a kick in the gut
instead.

"Give it up, Pop.  You're too old and too slow."  Ranma kicked his
father off into the canal.

"Saotome, why do you treat your father with such disrespect?"
Kuno asked, walking a few steps behind Ranma.  He had been
delegated to carrying the still unconscious Nabiki, as Soun was
helping Akane.  If Nabiki had known who was carrying her, she
probably would have slipped right into a coma.

"What does it matter to you?  At least my dad isn't some loony,
hair freak."

A panda came up and swatted Ranma with a sign that read 'Show a
little respect, boy!'

"What's your problem, Pop?  I was sticking up for you!"  Ranma
rubbed the back of his head.  "Stupid panda," he muttered.

"Yeah, Ranma.  At least your dad's not a hair freak," Akane
chirped.  She was apparently fine and in high spirits.  Though no
one could be sure if Soun was helping her or if she was helping
him.

"He still engaged me to a violent tomboy," Ranma said annoyedly,
hitting his father on the head.

"Saotome," Kuno growled, but was unable to take action.  Then it
struck him (figuratively): they were referring to a panda as
Ranma's father.  That was odd, to say the least.  He had seen
Ranma's father.  Genma Saotome was a larger balding man in
glasses.  He was most assuredly NOT a panda.  And this panda
looked nothing like Ranma's father...  Except for those glasses.
And the gi stretched over the black and white fur.  What was going
on?  His mind was in a confused whirl.

***

The group arrived back at the Tendo home without further incident.
Kasumi greeted them all with a warm smile.  "I'm happy to see
you're safe, Akane."

"Thanks, Kasumi.  I'm perfect," Akane answered brightly.  And, in
fact, she felt perfect.  Even fabulous.

"Oh my.  What's happened to Nabiki?" Kasumi asked, seeing her
sister limp in Kuno's arms.

"She passed out in the hospital," Akane said.

"Oh my," Kasumi repeated, her hand at her mouth.  "Tatewaki, could
you take Nabiki to her room?"

Thinking himself always the gentleman, Kuno answered.  "But of
course.  However, I am unfamiliar as to the location of said
room."

"I'll show him," offered Akane.  "I want to change anyway."

"Thank you, Akane.  Dinner will be ready shortly so don't take too
long."

"I won't, Kasumi.  Come on, Kuno," she said and waved her hand,
heading up the stairs.

Ranma scowled in their direction before turning his attention to
his father.

As Kuno ascended the stairs he could hear Ranma talking.  "Geez,
Pop.  You gonna stay like that all day, or are you gonna change?"
Then the panda responded with some growling noises.

It was all most curious.  Could it be that the entire Saotome line
consisted of foul magic users?  Could Ranma's father be cursed to
turn into a panda?  Or did he choose to?  These were questions he
would have to ask later.

"That's her room, right there," Akane said, pointing.

"Thank you," Kuno said, and took a step towards the door with the
duck on it.  "Akane Tendo," he asked, turning back around.  "Would
you be kind enough to answer a question?"

Akane had almost made it into her room, but not quite.  She faced
Kuno.  "What is it?"

"Why does Saotome refer to that panda as his father?""

Akane choked and tried to hold back her laughter.  "It's a long
story, Kuno-sempai."

"Mayhaps you would tell it to me one day."

Akane nodded slowly, then disappeared into her room.

Kuno went into Nabiki's room and laid her on the bed.  There was
something not quite right about the Saotomes and Tendos he
decided.  He couldn't put his finger on it, but they just weren't
quite normal.  Under usual circumstances, he would ask Nabiki, but
she seemed to be having trouble speaking to him.  A thought
occurred to him.  Could it possibly be that Nabiki Tendo  was
smitten with him?

He almost burst into maniacal laughter before remembering the
unconscious girl.  How fate liked to play games; dangling
beautiful girls before him only to pull them away when he reached
out.  Then to tempt him with others that he was forced to push
away.  How ironic.

At this point, Nabiki began to mumble.  "Kuno-chan..."

Ah, she was even dreaming about him.  He knew it would hurt her to
know that he could not return her affections, but love was
sometimes painful.  He knew that from experience.

"Give me more, Kuno-chan...  More..."

It seemed her dreams were... less than pure.  But that was his
affect on women.  He could not be faulted for the charms he was
born with.

"It's big, but it's not enough, Kuno-chan..."

Kuno's eyes got very wide upon hearing Nabiki's sleeptalk.

"At least 200,000 yen, Kuno-chan...  More..."

Kuno frowned.  It seemed there was only one thing Nabiki Tendo
ever thought about.  He never liked her anyway; what did he care if
she was only interested in his money?

He left her room, closing the door quietly behind him, and headed
downstairs.

***

Kuno sat down at the table.  Nabiki, Akane and Ranma's father were
still absent so Kasumi was hesitant to begin serving.

"But Kasumi, I'm starving," Ranma whined.

"We should really wait for the others.  What would they say if
there was no food left for them?"

"Probably something like 'I'm hungry'."  Ranma snickered at his
own lame joke.

Kuno gave Ranma a dirty look.  Ranma was always so rude.  How
could he think of denying Akane Tendo the food that she needed to
survive?  How could he think of laughing at her in her time of
need?

A few moments later, Nabiki came downstairs, looking a bit bleary.
She gave Kuno a fearful glance before sitting down as far away
from him as possible.  No one seemed to notice, though.  The same
way no one seemed to notice the character on Kuno's forehead.

Ranma drummed his fingers impatiently on the table.  "Hurry up,
Pop!" he yelled in the direction of the bathroom.

Genma walked out, water still clinging to his face, and sat next
to Ranma.  "No need to shout, boy."

Kuno studied Genma.  Ranma had called out and this man had
responded.  It was the man Kuno had originally thought was Ranma's
father and most definitely NOT a panda.  But there were the
glasses and the gi...  Kuno's interest was heightened.

"How..." he began to ask.

Before he could continue, though, Akane came down the stairs.
Well, who they thought was Akane.  She looked like Akane except
for the third eye staring at them all.

"A... Akane?" Ranma stuttered, not quite believing what he was
seeing.

Akane didn't speak.  She silently floated behind Soun and stopped.
Everyone stared, she stared back.  She hovered a few inches off
the ground, her aura casting an eerie blue glow over the table.
She began to speak.

"I am not the one you know as Akane Tendo."  It was Akane's voice,
but with a more ethereal quality to it.  "Before you act, Ranma
Saotome, allow me to explain."

Ranma bit back the questions, the shouts, the accusations and
settled for listening.  For the moment.

"So not fear.  Akane Tendo is alive; her consciousness still
resides in this body.  As do I.  I am Kamiko Kuraii and I am
immortal."  She stopped, expecting someone to say something.  They
all remained silent.

"I can not say what awakened me; only that for 16 years I slept in
this body.  And now I exist in a state of half-being.  Only when I
have sufficient energy may I make my presence know.  The way I am
doing now."  She stopped again.  The questions would begin soon.

"But what do you want?" asked Genma.  This little development
could ruin the entire engagement.  Then who would carry on the
school?

"What do any of you want?  I wish to only continue my existence.
And that is part of the reason I did what you may have witnessed
earlier."  Kamiko looked directly at Nabiki.

"You mean with the light and that orb against that monster?"
Nabiki asked, the image of Kuno splatted against the ground back
in her mind.

"Correct.  In this form I have great power.  Great power that is
easily used up.  When my power is exhausted, I must rest.  This is
when Akane returns with no memory of what has happened."

"So you're just taking over and you'll let out Akane when you get
tired?" Ranma asked angrily.

"No.  My power is quite limited.  I can not maintain my presence
for very long.  That is why I exist in a state of half-being.  And
that is why what I have to say is important to you all."  She
looked at each of them.

"I have made my presence known once.  That is enough; there are
those who will seek me out.  And whether it is Akane Tendo or
myself makes no difference to them."

"Fine.  Then when they come around, we'll just pound the tar out
of them," Ranma said, smacking his fist into his open hand.

"I am afraid that their power exceeds even your own, Ranma
Saotome.  That is why I am forced to choose a guardian who will be
able to withstand their attacks.  A guardian who will protect
Akane Tendo while I regain my power."

"I'll do it.  I'll be your guardian.  Just tell me what I..."
Ranma volunteered.

"It is too late.  I have already chosen."  She noted the angry
look on Ranma's face.  "It was chance and nothing more.  It was a
soul in need.  I saved it and now that person will serve as my
guardian, my wu."

Nabiki's head whipped around to look at Kuno.  "Wu?" she asked.

"Yes.  My wu protects me while I am defenseless.  In return, I
have taken that soul and merged it with my own.  My guardian is
immortal until that time that I am destroyed."

"And the soul is released?" Nabiki questioned.

"The soul is destroyed then."  Kamiko looked cooly at each person,
letting her gaze rest on Kuno.  "Tatewaki Kuno.  You are my
guardian.  Do not fail in your duty."

"No!" yelled Ranma as the third eye began to close and Akane's
aura faded.

...........
-- 
Lara

o------------------------------------------------------------------o
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