This is Part 2 of "Tiger Claw".  As usual, C&C is deeply appreciated.

I'm slogging my way through Part 3 at this very moment.

^_^;

====================== 
  TIGER CLAW 
====================== 
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic 
	All rights and privileges to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and 
associated parties.  The characters of her series are used without her 
permission for the purpose of entertainment only.  This work of fiction is 
not meant for sale or profit.                
	All original characters are the creation of the author.  All copyright 
privileges to these characters are reserved for the author.  

---------------
Author's Notes:
	This story is based primarily on a slightly modified version of the 
manga (although it also borrows from the anime series) and takes place 
several months after Vol. 38.  The one major change involves the wedding at 
the very end of the manga storyline.
		 		
---------------
Text Conventions
	(   )  -> thoughts
	>   <  -> sound fx
	<" ">  -> Chinese
	[   ]	-> signs

=======================
PART 2:  DAMAGE CONTROL
=======================

	Nabiki watched Akane and Ranma disappear around the corner of the house, 
then heaved a deep sigh of relief.  The sigh instantly turned into a gasp as 
she felt a sharp stab of pain in her ribs.

	Shampoo gave her a curious look, but Nabiki waved her away.  She briefly 
surveyed the damage to the house, then walked over to the broken tree and 
Ukyo.  Recognizing the naked man lying under the tree trunk, Nabiki slowly 
shook her head and muttered, "Oh, Kuno, you really did it this time, didn't 
you?"  

	"He certainly doesn't look too good." Ukyo said softly, observing his 
pale color and the erratic sound of his breathing.  She suddenly looked 
behind Nabiki.  Turning around, Nabiki saw Kasumi standing in the gateway, 
her arms full of groceries and a vaguely stunned expression on her face.

	"Oh... OH MY!"

	Everyone then jumped in surprise when Akane flung the front door open.  
In a rush, she blurted out, "Kasumi, Nabiki, make sure everyone stays 
downstairs until I say it's okay, all right?"  With those words, she 
disappeared back into the house and they could all hear her running up the 
stairs.

	Kodachi, who had somehow been stared into sullen compliance by Nodoka's 
steely gaze, abruptly sprang back to life.  She snapped her ribbon back into 
the air and shrieked, "Vile temptress, how dare you steal my darling Ranma 
away!"  She bounded past a startled Nodoka and headed for the open front 
door.

	"Stop her!!!" Nabiki yelled.   

	Ukyo had been doing her best to stay calm, but Kodachi's latest antic 
was simply the last straw.  She automatically reached for her battle spatula 
but her hand closed on empty air.  

	(Damn it!  I left it behind at the restaurant this morning!)  

	With a furious gleam in her eyes, Ukyo grabbed the closest throwable 
object and hurled it at Kodachi.  At the same time, she yelled, "JUST... 
GIVE... IT... UP!!!".  The broken tree branch bounced off the back of 
Kodachi's head, knocking the obsessed gymnast out cold.

	Everyone turned to stare at the chef who stood with her fists clenched 
and her chest heaving in barely controlled anger.  When Ukyo finally noticed 
everyone looking at her, she snarled, "IT'S BEEN A REALLY BAD DAY, OKAY!?"

	Nabiki muttered, "Ummmm, right."  

	While Ukyo dealt with Kodachi, Kasumi dumped her groceries on the ground 
and knelt beside Ryoga.  She checked his pulse, frowning at the coolness of 
his skin.

	"Nabiki, hurry and call for that ambulance!  You also need to contact 
Dr. Tofu.  Tell him to go to the hospital right now."

	"Tofu?  Kasumi, why...?"

	"Please, Nabiki!"

	Responding to the soft urgency in Kasumi's voice, Nabiki hurriedly 
stepped over Kodachi's body and went indoors to use the phone.  After terse 
conversations with emergency services and Dr. Tofu, she made one additional 
call to the Kuno residence.

	"Sasuke, this is Nabiki Tendo.  Come to the dojo right now to pick up 
Kodachi."  She hung up before the Kuno retainer could ask any questions.

	She stepped back outside to find Kasumi now examining Kuno.  Nabiki 
asked her sister again, "Why Dr. Tofu?"

	Kasumi looked as worried as Nabiki had ever seen her.  "They're dying, 
Nabiki."

	"What!?"
	
	"That can't be!  They may be hurt but I've seen these guys fight with 
worse injuries!" protested Ukyo.
	
	"Worse physical injuries, perhaps.  But that's not what's killing them, 
Ukyo.  It's like their chi is somehow being...."  She groped for the right 
word.  "...being poisoned."

	Shampoo gasped. 

	Nabiki stared at her sister with astonishment.  "You can TELL?"

	Kasumi blushed and murmured, "Well, I have read some books.  And that 
nice old Mrs. Nikita at the teashop taught me a few things.  I'm no expert 
like Dr. Tofu, but I can tell that something's seriously wrong.  Martial 
artists usually have strong, clear energy patterns in their bodies.  But 
Ryoga's and Kuno's are in terrible shape.  The patterns are all warped and 
twisted."

	Ukyo thought, (Ran-chan couldn't have done this.  He'd never use such a 
vicious attack.  It's got to be some horrible side effect of Kuno and Ryoga's

transformation.)

	Kasumi suddenly blinked, then glanced around in confusion.  "Where's 
Ranma?"

	The girls stared at each other, then looked away in different 
directions.  Kasumi stood up and said, "Oh my!  I hope he's not...."

	Nabiki said, "He's upstairs with Akane at the moment.  I'm sure she'll 
let us know if there's anything...wrong with him."  She muttered under her 
breath, "I hope...."

	Kasumi gave her sister an inquiring look.  "Nabiki, what happened?"

	She shrugged and said, "Don't ask me what's going on.  I managed to miss 
most of it.  All I know for sure is that Ranma went 'cat' on us again.  
That's it."

	They could now hear the sound of rapidly approaching sirens.  Kasumi 
reached into her pockets, pulled out a small notepad, and started to hastily 
scribble a note.

	It was all over in a few brief moments.  The paramedics quickly placed 
Ryoga on a stretcher and wheeled him away.  With Shampoo's help, they pried 
Kuno from beneath the tree trunk and stuffed him into the ambulance, also.  
Before they left, Kasumi handed the note to one of the paramedics.  

	"Please make sure that Dr. Tofu receives this."  He nodded briskly and 
hurried off.

	Ukyo asked, "Kasumi, what's with the note?  Why didn't you just go 
yourself?"

	Kasumi frowned slightly on the bloodstains on her new skirt and said 
placidly, "I need to be here in case Akane and Ranma need me.  And I have to 
take care of Father when he returns."

	As the wails of the ambulance faded in the distance, Soun Tendo and 
Genma-panda rushed into the compound.  The sight of the blood-splattered 
entranceway brought them to a screeching halt.  There was a long moment of 
silence as the two men took in the scene.

	Genma-panda's sign read, [What's going on!?] 

	"ARGHHHH!!!!  WHAT HAPPENED!?  Akane!  Where's Akane?"  Soun stared 
around wildly.  

	Nabiki's lip curled ever so slightly.  (Dad, you're going to be great 
help.  As usual.)

	Kasumi briskly stepped over to her father and tried to calm him down.  
"Akane's fine, Father.  She's upstairs at the moment.  How about some tea?"  
She gently, but firmly, led her father around the house toward the side 
porch.

	Genma-panda had been unaware of his wife's presence until she spoke up 
in a stern voice.  "GENMA!!!"

	The panda's sign read, [W-w-wife?]

	In very even tones, she said, "Do you have ANY idea what I have just 
seen this morning?"

	[Uhhh.  Nope!]

	"What have you DONE to our son!?"

	[????]

	"The cats, Genma!  The cats!"

	[Ohhhhh....]

	"Is that all you can SAY!?"  With her sword clutched in a white-knuckled 
grip, Nodoka advanced on the panda, grabbed a furry ear, and dragged her 
husband away toward the kitchen.  "We're going to have a long talk and you're

going to face it like a man!  AS A MAN!"

	Nabiki, Shampoo, and Ukyo remained in the entranceway, along with the 
still unconscious Kodachi.  Ukyo started to say something but Nabiki halted 
her with a raised finger.  After a minute or two, there was a flash of black 
and Sasuke landed several feet away from them. 

	He took a quick look around and yelped, "Ahhh!!!  What's this!?"  With 
Kodachi sprawled on the ground and two of her rivals for Saotome's affections

standing over her, the little ninja assumed the worst.

	"What have you done to Mistress Kodachi!?"

	Nabiki snapped, "Cool it, Sasuke.  She's just been knocked unconscious.  
I'm sure it's happened plenty of times before.  Just get her the hell out of 
here."

	The ninja blinked.  Faced with some irate martial artists -- female 
ones, at that -- he opted for a strategic retreat.  He heaved Kodachi over 
his shoulder, then staggered a bit under her weight.

	"Oh, and Sasuke...."

	"Yes, Ms. Tendo?"

	"If you want her to stay healthy, you'll do everything in your power to 
keep her away from Ranma for at least 24 hours."

	"Did Saotome do this to her?  Master Kuno will...."

	Nabiki coolly said, "Kuno's being taken to Central Hospital at this very 
moment.  He might not live."

	"HE WHAT!?"

	Ukyo stalked up to Sasuke and said, "You heard her.  He challenged Ran-
chan this morning and Kuno lost, big-time."  She moved even closer.  "You 
won't know anything about that challenge, would you?  Or rumors about a 
secret wedding, huh?  Or about THIS!?"  She waved one of the tattered, blood-
stained tiger skins beneath Sasuke's nose.

	"Oh... oh, no...."  The little ninja went pale.

	"What!?  You little toad, you DO know something!"  Ukyo looked like she 
was ready to pounce on Sasuke. 

	"Uh, well....  I mean, no!  I can't....  I've got to get Mistress 
Kodachi back to the house!"

	Nabiki eyed him coldly.  "Sasuke, I WILL be talking to you and I will 
expect answers.  Got it?"

	"Um.... yes."

	"Then don't stand there.  Get moving."

	As Sasuke trudged out the Tendos' yard, he struggled to keep Kodachi's 
hair and feet from dragging on the ground.  After he left, Nabiki bent down 
to pick something that had caught her eye.  It was a sword lying forgotten in

a puddle of blood.  Its scabbard lay nearby, amid Kuno's torn clothing.  She 
carefully wiped the blood off the blade with Kuno's shirt as she took a good 
look at it.

	(A real sword.  Kuno certainly wasn't fooling around this time.  This 
sword is quite a beauty.  And valuable.  Hmm.  I've seen it before, but 
where?)  As she carefully slid the sword back into its sheath, Nabiki's eyes 
abruptly widened.

	(Of course!  I've seen its picture all over Kuno's house.  This isn't 
just any old katana.  This is THE Kuno family honor blade.  It's been in 
their family for centuries.  This sword is so valuable that the Kunos keep it

locked up in the family shrine.  For Kuno to even consider using it...!)  

	"Nabiki?  You okay?" Shampoo asked.

    She started.  "Oh!  Yeah, I'm fine.  Come on, ladies.  I think we all 
need to have a long talk."  

	The girls joined Soun, a damp-looking Genma, and a quietly enraged 
Nodoka in the living room which over looked the koi pond.  As Kasumi deftly 
served everyone with tea, Nabiki said, "Now, if you ladies can tell us what 
happened out there this morning?"  In a slightly more empathic voice, she 
added, "Mrs. Saotome, why don't you start off?  Ukyo?  You and Shampoo can 
fill in the details."

---------------------------
Part 2b:  WAKING NIGHTMARES
---------------------------

	Akane sensed the familiar muscle twinge that warned her that a severe 
leg cramp was on its way.  She then looked down at Ranma who was peacefully 
snoozing in her lap.

	(I don't want to wake him up but I've got to do something before that 
cramp gets any worse.  Maybe if I move slowly enough....)

	Trying to keep her movements to a minimum, Akane slowly straightened her 
leg.  As she leaned forward to massage it, Ranma started to stir.  Akane 
waited nervously for him to wake up. 

	(Will he be okay?)

----------------

	His pillow was moving.

	Ranma drowsily opened his eyes and stared at the blue cotton fabric 
brushing his nose.  He frowned in confusion.  

	(Blue?  My pillow's not blue.)  He then grimaced at the sticky, metallic 
taste in his mouth.  
	
	(Ugh.  Where have I tasted THAT before?)

	He slowly lifted his head a few inches and struggled to focus his eyes.  
After blinking once or twice, he gradually recognized the bright yellow-on-
blue patterns hovering just beyond his nose.  

	(Umm... flowers.  Just like the sunflowers on Akane's favorite T-shirt.  
Hold it.... they ARE the sunflowers on her....)  

	At that moment, Ranma suddenly realized that his face was snuggled 
between two soft, warm mounds.  Mounds that were moving in time with the 
quiet, breathing noises....   

	(Moving?  Two of them?  Akane's T-shirt!?)

	(Oh no....)

	Ranma looked up VERY slowly and saw Akane staring down at him with an 
intense frown on her face.  There was a deep flush in her cheeks.  He 
realized with a horrified start that he was in a very Happosai-ish pose --  
his arms tight around her waist, his face crammed between her breasts.

	His immediate thought was, (I am going to DIE.)

	Ranma flung himself off Akane and was up against the far wall in a 
flash.  Wrapping his arms protectively over his head, he babbled, "No!  It's 
not what you think!  I wasn't....  I don't mean to....  It was an accident!"

	(Oh, give it up.  She's never going to believe you....).  Ranma sighed 
and waited for the full wrath of Akane to fall on him.

	And waited.  And waited.

	When nothing happened, he slowly lowered his arms and snuck a cautious 
peek in Akane's direction.  She hadn't moved at all.  Akane continued to sit 
on the floor, staring blankly at him.  As he watched, she slowly placed her 
hand on her chest where his face had just been.  Amazingly, she didn't look 
angry at all.  

	She looked nervous, almost... frightened.

	Ranma stared at her in bewilderment, then gasped when he saw the reddish 
brown splotches all over Akane's skin and clothes.  But it was the metallic 
smell that really clicked in his brain.  

	It was blood.  Akane was covered in BLOOD.

	"Akane!"

	Horrified, he lunged to his feet and reached out to her.  Then he 
noticed the same reddish brown stains all over his own hands.  And his arms.
 
Ranma froze. Looked down very slowly.  Numbly watched his hand as it slowly 
picked at his torn clothes.  Saw little dark flakes fall off the blood-
encrusted cloth.  

	(That taste in my mouth....  What's going on?) he dazedly wondered.

	Ranma's knees hit the floor as he frantically went over his memories of 
the last few hours.  He had been practicing in the back yard.  Then his 
mother and his fiancees had showed up.  Then Ryoga and Kuno had arrived to 
challenge him over some crazy rumor about a wedding.  And... and... and then 
nothing.  

	He could remember NOTHING before waking up in Akane's room.  

	Staring at the dried blood coating his hands, he wracked his brain.  
There had to be more.  There had to be some scrap of memory that would tell 
him how he got into this state.

	(The Neko-ken?  Got to be it....  But what....)

	He'd blacked out before.  He had woken up in weird and embarrassing 
situations before.  But nothing like this.  He shivered.  His body had been 
running round and he had NO idea what it had been doing.   

	One expected at least a little blood during a fight.  But this time, 
Ranma looked like he had been in a bloodbath.  Literally.

	Ranma desperately hoped that at least some of the blood was his.  He 
could deal with that.  But after he hurriedly checked himself out, Ranma knew

that it couldn't be his own blood.  He had no injuries.  He felt okay.  
Except for some minor soreness, he actually felt... pretty good.

	For some reason, the picture of lions came to mind -- lions fresh off a 
kill, lazily cleaning the blood off their fur.

	(No.  That's impossible.  It couldn't be.  I couldn't have!)

	In a sick voice, Ranma whispered, "What... what happened?  What... what 
have I done!?   I... I can't REMEMBER!"

----------------

	Akane barely had a chance to realize that Ranma was back to his normal 
self.  The next thing she knew, he was up against the far wall, babbling 
incoherent excuses.  

	At first, she couldn't quite figure out what he was talking about.  Then 
she understood.  

	(He's scared that I'll bash him for acting like that pervert Happosai!)

	She nearly burst into hysterical laughter.  She wished it was something 
so simple.  And under normal circumstances, he would have been right.  She 
would have clobbered him in an instant, just like he expected.    

	But Akane quickly sobered when she saw Ranma's face when he finally 
noticed the blood covering his body from head to toe.  She could see his face

go stark white.  Then she became really frightened when he collapsed to the 
floor.  And that terrifying blankness in his eyes.  She could sense him 
retreating deep inside his own mind, either seeking something... or trying to

escape something.  His anguished whisper told her exactly what was going 
through his mind.  

	She jumped to her feet and ran over to him.  Grabbing his shoulders, 
Akane shook him as hard as she could.

	"Ranma!"

	There was no response.  She shook him harder, then slapped his face 
hard.

	"Ranma!!!"  

	The barely suppressed panic in her voice finally reached him.  He 
blinked, then grabbed her arms.  He frantically asked her,  "Akane!  Are you 
all right!?  You aren't....  I didn't...."  He couldn't make himself say the 
words.

	"No, Ranma!  I-I-I'm fine.  None of this blood's mine!  I'm not hurt at 
all!"

	He sagged with relief, then he looked even more confused.  "Then... then 
whose blood...?"

	Akane bit her lip and didn't immediately answer.  Ranma's whole body 
tensed.  "Akane!  Whose blood is it!?  Tell me!"  His grip tightened and 
threatened to leave bruises.

	She suddenly realized that Ranma must be assuming the worst from her 
silence.  Akane hurriedly blurted out, "It's yours...."

	He instantly shook his head.  (No way!)

	"... and the... the creatures' that tried to attack us."

	"Creatures?  WHAT creatures!?  You're sure?"

	"Yes, yes, I'm sure!  The other girls and your mother are fine!"

	"What about Ryoga?  Kuno?"  He sounded surprisingly concerned about two 
guys who had just been hell-bent on killing him.

	"Ranma, it's a bit hard to explain."

	"Akane, what's going on!?"

	She took a deep breath.  "What do you remember?"

	Ranma froze.  (Why don't she just spit it out?)

	He whispered, "Facing off against Kuno and Ryoga.  And then... nothing."  
He paused.  "The Neko-ken, right?"  The torn expression on his face indicated

that he didn't know whether he wanted a 'yes' or 'no' answer.

	She nodded and chose her words with exquisite care.  "Ryoga and Kuno... 
suddenly changed into these big, horrible cat creatures.  Giant tigers, 
really.  They tried to attack you and the rest of us.  That made you to go 
into your 'cat-mode' and you managed to fight them off.  Barely."

	Ranma slowly released her arms, looked away briefly, then turned back to 
her.  "Did... did I...."

	"They're not dead.  I'm pretty sure they're still alive."  She couldn't 
quite met his eyes although she tried.

	He closed his eyes, then whispered, "You're 'pretty sure'?"

	Akane reluctantly answered the unspoken question.  "They were... badly 
hurt.  I heard the ambulance take them away."

	Ranma jerked his head down to stare fixedly at his blood-covered hands, 
but not before Akane caught a glimpse of the fear and self-loathing in his 
eyes.

	She shook him slightly.  "Ranma, listen to me!  I'm not entirely sure 
what went on out there but I do know this.  What happened to Kuno and Ryoga 
was NOT your fault!"

	"Not my fault...." he echoed dully.  

	"Ranma, if it hadn't been for you -- me, Ukyo, your mom, and everyone 
else would probably be dead right now!  Ryoga and Kuno... they turned into 
some sort of unstoppable killing...."

	He interrupted in a shockingly bitter voice.  "Sounds just like me and 
the Neko-ken."

	She shouted at him furiously, "Don't say that!  That's completely 
different!  You never made an unprovoked attack on people!"  Akane struggled 
to calm herself, then continued.

	"The other girls tried to fight them off but couldn't even scratch them!  
You going 'cat' was the only thing that saved our lives.  And even with the 
Neko-ken, it was so close.  They nearly killed you!"

	He shook his head in bewilderment.  (What is she talking about?  I 
haven't got a scratch!)

	Akane's gaze flicked to the rips and tears in his clothes, places where 
the cat creatures' claws had nearly sliced his flesh to the bone.  How could 
he understand if she couldn't?

	He opened his mouth to say more but Akane cut him off.  "Please Ranma, I 
know I'm leaving out a lot of details but... I'll tell you about them later.
 
I promise."  

	Ranma slowly nodded, then mumbled, "Bit of a switch, huh?  You're always 
telling me that it IS all my fault.  You... and Ryoga...."

	Akane could find nothing to say.  It was sad but true.  A uncomfortable 
twinge of guilt made her stare at the floor and mutter defensively, "Well, it

usually is...."

	He flinched.

	"...but not this time," she hastily added.  
	
	(Oh, that was smart!)  Akane nervously realized that she would have to 
be very careful about what she said and did.  Physically, Ranma seemed okay.
 
But he looked so badly shaken.  Akane wasn't sure if she could cope with an 
emotionally fragile Ranma.  She was so used to Ranma being strong.

	Ranma clenched his hands, felt the tightness of blood on his skin.  He 
shuddered and said, "I can't STAND this.  I've got to get this stuff off of 
me."

	"Okay."

	Akane stood next to Ranma as they both rose to their feet.  Unlocking 
the door, she unhesitatingly took his hand and led him out of her room.  
Ranma froze momentarily as he saw evidence of his earlier dash to Akane's 
room -- a trail of bloody handprints and footprints leading up the stairs and

down the hallway to her door.  She gently tugged him forward and pulled him 
toward the stairwell.

-----------------------
Part 2c:  DARKEST FEARS
-----------------------

 	Nabiki's expression got noticeably grimmer as she listened to the 
description of Ryoga's and Kuno's physical transformation, Ranma's mental 
transformation, and the events that followed.  Considering what she had seen 
that morning, Nabiki had expected the story to be bad.  But it was worse than

she could have imagined.  It wasn't the sheer violence that bothered her the 
most, although that was gruesome enough.  No, it was the other sorts of 
details that really alarmed her.  

	...the messages that 'conveniently' got the fiancees and Mrs. Saotome to 
the house...
	...the message which 'conveniently' got her father and Mr. Saotome OUT 
of the house....
	...Kuno and Ryoga showing no surprise at -- or rather, EXPECTING Ranma's 
sudden panic attack...
	...and finally, the perfectly timed appearance of that mysterious 
forcefield around the porch....

	On the other hand, Soun and Genma looked as if they couldn't quite 
believe what they were hearing.
	
	Ukyo said, "Akane managed to keep Ranma from ripping out the yellow 
tiger's... Ryoga's throat."  She stared down, watching her fingers nervously 
drawing patterns on the table top.  

	"But he wouldn't let the rest of us get near him.  Only Akane.  He just 
growled and hissed if anybody else approached.  His eyes were so... empty."  
Ukyo's voice trailed off and she shivered at the memory. 

	Nabiki could understand completely.  The predatory hunger in Ranma's 
stare would probably follow her into her nightmares. 

	Nodoka sat still and quiet, an expression of stony calm on her face.  
However, Nabiki suspected that it was just a brittle facade. 

	Shampoo was the one to finish the story in her broken Japanese.  

	"... then Akane take Ranma into house."

	Nabiki murmured to Kasumi, "That's pretty much when you and Father 
walked in."

	The middle Tendo daughter found it interesting that Shampoo's occasional 
observations proved to be the most useful -- her comments about Ryoga's and 
Kuno's reaction to Ranma's fear, for example.

	(Of course, Shampoo's had the opportunity to see the Neko-ken several 
times before.  She and Akane would be the two people best suited to notice 
any changes in Ranma's 'cat' behavior.  Much darker, she said....)

	(But something's going on with Shampoo.  I don't know what it is, but I 
can feel it.)  Nabiki sighed wearily.  (I suppose that I should be grateful 
that at least one person could give me some objective information!  As for 
the other guys,....  Ukyo's in a state of denial.  Mrs. Saotome's an 
emotional mess, even if she doesn't show it right now.  Forget Kodachi.  That

girl's gone totally bonkers, this time.  The only people left are Akane and 
Ranma.  And I doubt Ranma will be able to remember anything.  He never does.)

	While Nabiki was caught up in her thoughts, Nodoka had turned to her 
husband.  In an icy voice, "Akane told me that Ranma's fear of cats is the 
result of one of your 'training' exercises, husband.  Is that CORRECT?"

	Genma rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled feebly.  "Well, it's not 
exactly like...."

	Nabiki was not about to let Genma wiggle out of this mess.  She was just 
about to explain in glorious detail about the whole Neko-ken training fiasco 
when Kasumi looked at Mr. Saotome and cheerfully spoke up.

	"Why, Mr. Saotome!  Didn't you tell us about giving Ranma some fish 
sausage and sending him into a pit full of starving cats when he was six 
years old?"  

	Kasumi then turned to Nodoka.  "And he kept sending Ranma back into the 
pit over and over again to feed the hungry little cats with fish cakes, dried

sardines, and all sorts of treats.  How thoughtful of you to think of the 
poor cats, Mr. Saotome!"  Kasumi gave everyone that vague, pleasant smile of 
hers and drifted out the room, carrying the tea tray.

	Nabiki felt like applauding that masterful performance.  (Way to go, 
Sis!)

	Nodoka stared blankly for a moment, then turned on her husband with a 
vengeance.  
	
	"You did WHAT!?"
	
	"Well, I...," Genma stammered.
	
	Ukyo slammed her hand on the table and snapped, "Ha!  Kasumi's being too 
damn nice about it!  What he really did was strap the food on Ranma's body 
and TOSS him into the pit!  Again and again!  He begged you to stop but you 
KEPT ON DOING IT!"

	Nodoka growled, "Let me understand.  You strapped fish sausage to our 
son and threw him in a pit full of starving cats?  And you did it more than 
once!?"  Her hands flexed, as if she was about to strangle Genma with her 
bare hands.

	"Well... well... that's what the training manual said!"
	
	"'What the training manual said....'  Is that your ONLY excuse!?" Nodoka 
shouted.

	Genma shrugged and muttered, "So I didn't expect the minor,... okay, 
major side effect.  It's not MY fault if Ranma's too weak-willed to forget 
about a few bad experiences!"

	The women all glared furiously at him.  Even Nabiki was rendered 
speechless at this display of sheer gall.  

	"A... few... BAD... EXPERIENCES?" Ukyo choked out.

	Genma stubbornly continued, "Anyway, the method worked.  I mean, Ranma 
DID actually learn the Neko-ken."  His voice turned pompous and self-
righteous.  "And a true martial artist would happily go through the rigors of

hell itself to learn a superb technique like the Cat-fist.  Isn't that right,

Tendo?"

	Soun looked acutely uncomfortable and muttered, "Well,... I...."  

	Nodoka lunged to her feet and hissed in fury, "An adult martial artist 
may chose to do so, perhaps, but Ranma was only a child!  A SIX YEAR OLD 
CHILD!!!"  

	With a swift, practiced movement, she unsheathed her sword.  Grabbing 
Genma's gi, Nodoka hauled him forward and shouted into his face.  "I was such

a FOOL to let you take Ranma away from me!  Look what you've done to him!  
FIRST, I find out you that you managed to get him cursed with a girl's body.
 
THEN, I find out that you've managed to saddle him with untold numbers of 
fiancees.  And for what?  The sake of your stomach?"  

	Unnoticed by Nodoka or the other women, the hallway door slid open 
behind her.

	Nodoka relentlessly continued, "And now... NOW I find out that you've 
managed to turn our son into a murderous, blood-crazed ANIMAL!"  She fiercely

shook her husband back and forth.  "And I was worried about Ranma behaving 
like a man!"

	Genma babbled, "But Nodoka, the Neko-ken makes Ranma unbeatable!  And 
what harm...."  His voice abruptly trailed off.  His eyes nearly bulged out 
of his head as he saw Ranma silently standing in the doorway.  Soun goggled, 
utterly speechless.  Both men had convinced themselves that the women had 
been exaggerating.  Females always exaggerated.  However, after seeing the 
blood covering Ranma, the two men realize that, if anything, the women had 
understated the morning's events.

	Nodoka, completely unaware of Ranma's presence behind her, shouted, 
"What harm!?  How can you possibly say that!?  Haven't you been listening!?  
He nearly killed both those boys!  They could be dead right now for all we 
know!  And what about that Chinese boy called Mousse!?  What about Kodachi 
Kuno!?  Don't you realize, if Akane hadn't have been there, he could have 
easily turned on the rest of us, too!

	"And what happens the next time he sees a cat?  What happens the next 
time his mind snaps and Akane isn't around?  Is he going to attack or kill 
some poor bystander who has the bad luck to be in the wrong place at the 
wrong time!?"

	Shampoo leaned over the table and protested, "Ranma no attack without 
good reason!"

	Meanwhile, Ukyo sat frozen during Nodoka's outburst.  She was torn 
between her desire to defend Ranma and her fear that Nodoka was right.  After

all, she had seen it herself -- the vicious, predatory THING that existed in 
Ranma's body just an hour or so ago.

	Nabiki had been concentrating on the confrontation between Nodoka and 
her husband when a soft noise caught Nabiki's attention.  She quickly turned 
to see Ranma standing frozen in the doorway.  The anguish in his eyes told 
her that he had heard all too much.  

	(SHIT!) swore Nabiki.  She jumped to her feet and grabbed for Nodoka's 
arm.

	 Alerted by Nabiki's abrupt movement, Shampoo and Ukyo both turned 
around.  They saw Ranma as he stood utterly still, staring blankly at his 
mother.  Akane suddenly peered over Ranma's shoulder with a furious look on 
her face.  

	"Ranma!"
	"Ran-chan!"
	
	The stunned expression on Genma's face and Nabiki's hard jerk on her arm 
finally penetrated Nodoka's rage.  She looked up only to see Akane dragging 
Ranma out of the room.  The door slammed shut behind them.  

	Nodoka stared blankly at the door for a moment, her sword slipping from 
her slack fingers.  She then realized that Ranma must have heard everything, 
or nearly everything she said.  Nodoka uttered a horrified whisper.

	"No....  I-I-I didn't mean...."

	Nabiki rubbed her forehead if trying to fend off a headache and 
muttered, "Way to go, people."

----------------

	Ranma numbly allowed Akane to hustle him away from the living room.  As 
for Akane, she scolded herself furiously.  If only she had been paying closer

attention....  If she had only acted faster....  She had left him alone for 
just a moment to grab a few extra towels.  But that moment had been more than

enough.

	(How could his mother say such things!?  Doesn't she have any idea what 
Ranma's going through!?)

	Once they were in the outer part of the bathroom, Ranma slowly began to 
pull off his shirt.  He was oblivious to Akane's presence.
	
	(I can't leave him alone.  Not like this.)
	
	Crumpling his torn shirt in his hands, Ranma finally noticed Akane 
lurking near the door.  He blinked, then said in a faintly bewildered voice, 
"Akane, what are you still doing here?"

	"Ranma, I... didn't want to...."  She stopped, then frowned at him with 
a deeply concerned expression on her face.

	He vaguely noted that Akane was very, very angry.  Angry at what, he 
didn't know.  But for once, she wasn't mad at him.  That was all that 
mattered.

	A sad little smile appeared on Ranma's lips.  "Don't worry, I'm not 
going to do anything stupid right now.  I just need to get myself cleaned 
off."  His eyes contained an unspoken plead for a little solitude.

	She hesitated, then said, "You promise?"
	
	"...Huh?"
	
	"Do you... promise that you won't do anything stupid... or drastic... if 
I leave you alone?"
	
	"Akane, I just need to take a bath," he said quietly.

	"Promise me!  Or I'm not budging!"  There was fierce determination in 
her voice.
	
	He took a deep breath.  "I promise I won't do anything stupid.  Or 
drastic.  Okay?"

	Akane touched his shoulder and whispered, "Okay."   She gently closed 
the door behind her, then stalked back toward the living room and Nodoka.

----------------

	Ukyo's first impulse -- to go after Ranma -- was blocked by Shampoo, of 
all people.  The Amazon adamantly refused to allow Ukyo to leave the room.
	
	Finally, Ukyo shouted, "Damn it, you hussy, get the hell out of my way!"
	
	"No."  Shampoo folded her arms and did an excellent imitation of the 
Great Wall of China.  
	
	Ukyo glared at Shampoo.  "What's with you?  Don't tell me you're just 
going to leave him to Akane?"

	Nabiki said, "I think Ranma has more than enough to deal with at the 
moment.  And he's certainly in no shape to deal with his usual fiancee 
problem."

	Turning on the middle Tendo daughter, Ukyo snapped, "This has nothing to 
do with that!  Don't you get it?  Ran-chan really needs someone to talk to 
and Akane's just not the understanding type!  You KNOW how she treats him.  
Do you really think that Akane's up to taking care of Ranma right now?"

	"At least Akane better than spatula girl!  She not scared of him!"
	
	Ukyo glared at the Amazon.  "What do you mean by that crack?"
	
	"Shampoo can tell spatula girl scared of Ranma and Neko-ken.  Spatula 
girl also upset Ranma-cat no care for her.  Scared and jealous girl no good 
for Ranma right now."

	"That's... that's not true!"

	Shampoo sniffed in disbelief.

	"Why you...."
	
	Nabiki quickly cut in, "Ladies, this is not the time, nor the place, for 
this sort of discussion."

	Ukyo could tell that Shampoo was not about to let her leave.  And 
without her battle spatula, her chances of forcibly removing the Amazon were 
not good.  Badly frustrated, she turned on the other only available target 
for her wrath -- Ranma's mother.  Genma, the cunning old bastard, had long 
since fled the living room and his irate wife.   
	
	Before Ukyo can start yelling at Nodoka, the door slammed open.  Akane 
stormed into the room.  She stood, gasping for air, before shouting, "How 
could you say that!?  Do you have ANY idea how upset he was when he woke up 
just now!?  When he saw all that blood and thought that he might have hurt 
you?  Or Ukyo?  Or Shampoo?  And then, to hear his OWN mother calling him a 
'murderous, blood-crazed animal'!"

	Her voice trembled in fury, then steadied.  "He's your SON!  Do you have 
any idea how much he cares about you?  About what you think of him!?  And to 
find out that his own mother is scared of him!

	"Kuno and Ryoga got hurt because they were trying to kill him!  And he 
could have hurt Mousse and Kodachi if he really wanted to!  But he didn't!"
	
	Nodoka whispered miserably, "If he had only told me about this 
earlier...."

	"What is he supposed to do!?  Tell you, 'Oh, by the way, Mother, not 
only do I turn into a girl when I get wet but sometimes I go crazy and think 
I'm a cat?'  With all the fuss you've been making about being MANLY?"

	Nodoka cried, "That would have been the honorable thing to do!  I try to 
make allowances for Ranma's upbringing, but this is the SECOND time that 
something like this has happened!  He should have told me about his Jusenkyo 
curse when we first met.  Instead, he tried to trick me into thinking he was 
Ranko!  And now I find out that he's been hiding this... this insanity from 
me all along!"

	"You mean to tell me that you consider Ranma a dishonorable person 
because he didn't want to tell you about his curse?  And about the Neko-ken?"
 
Akane clenched her fists and yelled, "He was scared to tell you!  With the 
way you keep waving that sword around, who won't be scared!?"

	Soun sputtered, "Akane!"

	In an anguished voice, Nodoka said, "My son was supposed to become a man 
among men.  But after all these years, what do I find?  Someone who's 
constantly trying to deceive me.  And to have him end up like THIS -- part 
boy, part girl, AND part animal...."  

	Akane shouted back, "I don't CARE what Ranma is!  What's important is 
that he's just as honorable as you are -- if not more so!  Considering how 
his father behaves, you should be grateful he has any sense of honor at all!
 
Ranma may do some stupid things but he keeps his word, no matter how much it 
costs him!"

	Nabiki was surprised to see her father making a barely noticeable nod of 
agreement.  In the meantime, Akane continued speaking.

	"Regardless of what you seem to think, Ranma does NOT like hurting 
people, not even his enemies!  And I can't count the number of times he's 
risked his own life trying protect others!  If you've managed to convince him

that he's a danger to everyone, you're going to find out just how honorable 
that idiot can be!"

  	Nabiki's calm, even voice said, "Akane?  Where IS Ranma?"
  
  	Akane, still shaking in barely controlled rage, muttered, "He's taking a 
bath."
  	
  	Ukyo had been rather stunned by Akane's whole outburst.  She hadn't 
expected her rival to understand Ranma so well.  However, Akane's last 
statement shook the chef out of her brief daze.

	"And you left him alone!?" Ukyo shouted.  

  	"He promised that he won't do anything stupid.  For the moment." Akane 
glared at Nodoka.  "Unlike SOME people, I believe in his honor."  

	Akane was about say more, but Kasumi suddenly appeared behind her.  In a 
gentle but firm voice, she said, "Akane, you must be tired.  You should go to

your room and rest."

	Akane looked up at her oldest sister.  She saw the quiet determination 
and concern in Kasumi's eyes.  Akane give Nodoka one last furious look before

storming down the hallway toward her room.  

	Kasumi turned her attention to Ukyo and Shampoo.  In a placid voice, she 
said, "Well, Ranma will probably need quite a lot of rest after all that 
excitement.  Why don't you drop by tomorrow and see how he's doing."  It was 
a perfectly pleasant, but unmistakable, dismissal.

	Before Ukyo could object, Kasumi had ushered her and Shampoo out of the 
living room, through the house, and onto the front porch.  The eldest Tendo 
daughter murmured a polite goodbye and closed the front door.

	Ukyo briefly thought about sneaking back into the house to see Ranma.  
However, Shampoo's grim expression warned her not to try it.  She gritted her

teeth and stalked back to her restaurant, followed by Shampoo.

	(Everyone in that damned household seems to be trying to keep me away 
from Ran-chan.  It's a bloody conspiracy!  And what's with that stupid 
Amazon?)

	It was times like these that Ukyo really felt alone.  Akane had 
everything -- plenty of friends, a supportive family.  She even had Ran-chan 
living with her.
 
	And what did Ukyo Kuonji have, aside from an estranged father who would 
barely look at her and relatives whom Ukyo hadn't seen for years?  Not much.
 
She did have a few casual friends in Nerima but they were all connected to 
Ranma or the Tendos somehow.  She really couldn't confide in any of them, 
especially about Ranma.  

	He was HER fiance, but nobody cared.  Nodoka Saotome was the only person 
in Nerima who took her claim seriously.  And at the moment, Ukyo positively 
hated the woman for hurting Ranma -- and for expressing Ukyo's own fears.

	Now it seemed that even Shampoo was now on Akane's side.  
	
----------------
	
	Back in the living room, Nodoka slowly retrieved her fallen sword and 
slipped it back into its sheath.  Remaining on her knees, she turned to face 
Soun and bowed very low.

	Soun babbled nervously, "I hope you'll forgive Akane for her outburst.  
She's so young and she loses her temper so easily.  I'm sure she didn't 
really mean to...."

	"No, please forgive ME for bringing such disharmony into your household.  
This incident was entirely my fault.  Akane wouldn't have been so upset if I 
hadn't completely forgotten my manners and started that argument with my 
husband.  And she was quite correct that my first concern should have been 
Ranma, not myself."

	She paused, then added, "I think it would be best if Genma and I go back 
to my house with Genma.  I don't want to distressing Ranma any further.  
There are... also some issues that Genma and I must discuss immediately."  

	Her fingers worried at the fabric of her kimono.  "Ranma probably has no 
desire to see me at the moment.  But please tell him that... I'm very sorry 
for what I said and I didn't mean to...."  She gestured vaguely.  "And could 
you also please tell him that I would like the opportunity to discuss this 
and other matters with him soon?" 

	Her last words appeared to be directed to both Soun and Nabiki.

	Nabiki merely nodded while her father said, "Of course, Nodoka."  

	Ranma's mother rose to her feet and stepped out onto the porch.  Gazing 
around the yard, she said in a very firm voice, "Genma, I know you're around 
here.  Don't make me go looking for you."

	Genma sheepishly emerged from a nearby mass of shrubbery and stood 
nervously in front of his wife.  Nodoka bowed to the Tendos, then turned to 
leave.  Her husband reluctantly followed.

----------------

	After Akane reluctantly left him alone in the bathroom, Ranma began 
stripping off the rest of his clothes.  He dumped them haphazardly on the 
floor as he slowly made his way toward the inner bathroom.

	As soon as he closed the door, the churning nausea that he had been 
suppressing finally got the better of him.  Ranma collapsed to his knees and 
threw up.  When there was nothing left in his stomach, he opened his eyes 
briefly.  

	(Oh shit....)

	Quickly closing his eyes, Ranma blindly groped for the faucet and let 
the steaming hot water rinse the dark red mess down the drain.

	He then sagged to the tiled floor and allowed the water pour all over 
him.  Ranma numbly watched the pinkish waste water make its way to the drain.
 
The blood had soaked everywhere, even into his pigtail.  He yanked the braid 
loose and began to scrub himself from head to toe, over and over again.

-------------------------------
Part 2d:  DEBTS AND OBLIGATIONS
-------------------------------

	Kasumi returned to the living room to see Nabiki walking toward the 
bathroom.  She called out, "Nabiki, where are you going?"  

	"I just wanted to check up on Ranma."  
	
	Kasumi murmured, "I see," and disappeared into the kitchen.

	As she slowly walked toward the back of the house, Nabiki thought about 
Ranma's probable state of mind.  From her brief glimpse of Ranma, she knew 
that she would probably be facing a person drowning in an emotional morass of

horror, guilt, and fear.   

	Unfortunately, Akane was quite right.  Ranma, for all his faults, was an 
excessively honorable sort of person.  If he considered himself to be a 
danger to his family and friends, there was no telling what kind of stupidly 
noble measures he might take.  Running away from Nerima and suicide were both

likely options.    

	A part of her asked, (Why not let him do it?  Why even bother?)
	
	However, Nabiki had two very good reasons for getting involved.  (For 
one thing, if my instincts are right, serious trouble's brewing.  We're going

to need Ranma.)  

	There was no question that Ranma was one hell of a trouble magnet.  Most 
of the turmoil inflicted on the Tendo family could be traced either directly 
or indirectly back to him.  But it was equally undeniable that Ranma was 
usually instrumental in getting everybody OUT of trouble, too,... often at 
risk to his own life.    

	As for the second reason....

	(Nabiki, just admit it.  You hate to see Ranma agonizing over something 
that really isn't his fault.  He might be the cause but that doesn't mean 
that he should take the blame for everything that's happened.)
	
	Stepping into the front room of the bathroom, Nabiki noticed Ranma's 
clothes lying all over the floor.  She gingerly picked up his blood-stained 
shirt and carefully noted the tears and holes, matching them in her mind with

the story that Nodoka, Ukyo, and Shampoo told.  Yes, there was the shoulder, 
the hip,....  

	She shivered as she slid her middle finger through one of the gaping 
holes in his shirt.  Nabiki tried to visualize the size of the claw that made

the hole.  

	(Has to be longer than my finger.  Claws like knives....)  

	Nabiki frowned as she subjected the pants to an equally thorough 
inspection.  It was pretty clear that Ranma had been badly hurt during the 
fight.  But aside from the obvious emotional trauma, he looked perfectly 
healthy.  She put aside the puzzle for the moment.

	(I need to find that old Neko-ken training manual of Mr. Saotome's.  
Maybe there'll be some clues about what's going on with Ranma.)

	Nabiki paused in front of the sliding door leading to the inner 
bathroom.  She took a moment to center herself, much like a fighter preparing

for a duel.  In a way, she doing exactly that.

	(Here it goes.)  She briskly slid open the door without knocking.
  
	Ranma sat hunched in the bathtub, blankly staring down at the water.  
She almost didn't recognize him with his hair unbraided and hanging loose 
around his face and shoulders.  The click of the door sliding shut finally 
caught his attention.  He slowly lifted his head to look at her.

	She controlled her impulse to retreat in the face of the quiet 
desolation in his eyes.  Nabiki could clearly see moist streaks running down 
Ranma's face.  They could have been bathwater from his wet hair.  They could 
have been tears.  They could have been both.

	Ranma barely reacted to her intrusion.  Perhaps he couldn't summon up 
the energy to be outraged at the invasion of privacy.  He simply looked at 
her and waited in stoic silence for her to do her worst.

	"How do you feel?" she said calmly.

	He looked away.  How could he describe it?  In heart and mind, he felt 
terrible -- battered to the absolute edge of endurance.  He was sickened, 
scared,....  

	And yet, physically, he felt pretty good.  No, that wasn't right.  He 
felt GREAT.  Actually, he had never felt quite so... alive.   There was an 
eerie sense of completion, like the last piece of a puzzle finally sliding 
into place.  

	(What the hell am I thinking?)  He quickly buried the disturbing thought 
in a distant corner of his brain and tried his best to forget it.

	"Okay," he muttered.

	"Do you know what happened?  Did Akane tell you anything?"

	"A bit.  I probably know less than you do."

	Nabiki frowned slightly.

	A faintly bitter smile crossed his face.  "I don't remember anything 
when I go 'cat', you know."

	She gave him a hard stare. "So, what do you recall?"

	"Facing off against Kuno and Ryoga," was Ranma's terse reply.

	"Ah."  She paused, then said, "Do you want to know what happened?"

	He hesitated, then nodded sharply.

	In a flat voice, she said, "You suddenly started acting absolutely 
terrified of Kuno and Ryoga.  For some reason, you seemed to think that they 
were cats.  The guys then transformed to giant tigers.  You ended up huddled 
up on the porch moaning and quivering in fear.  When the guys came after you,

the girls tried to drive them off but failed.  Shampoo managed to wound Kuno 
but those tiger forms have incredible.  Everyone ended up trapped on the 
front porch.  They were boxed in by the tiger creatures and by some sort of 
invisible forcefield cage.  You then went 'cat' as you call it.  But because 
of their healing ability, you didn't have any better luck stopping Kuno and 
Ryoga than the girls did.

	That got a slight reaction out of Ranma.  He stiffened and sat up a bit 
straighter in the tub.

	Nabiki continued, "That's right.  In their tiger forms, Kuno and Ryoga 
just shrugged off your Cat-fist attacks.  However, you weren't as lucky.  
Kuno and Ryoga ripped you up pretty badly."

	Ranma gave Nabiki a decidedly curious look

	"Then how did I...?"

	"Well, when Ryoga suddenly turned on Akane and the others, you tried to 
stop him.  Kuno pounced and really dug his claws into you.  Suddenly, you 
somehow generated an incredibly powerful cat-form battle aura and took both 
of them down in no time flat."

	"How?"

	Nabiki's voice was still perfectly calm as she said, "You slammed Kuno 
into a tree -- broke both the tree and Kuno.  Then you slashed up Ryoga's 
face and disembowelled him."

	Ranma clenched his teeth and shuddered, fighting down a surge of nausea.

	"After they both collapsed, Kuno and Ryoga changed back into human 
form."

	She paused and he glanced up at her.  

	Nabiki's voice softened slightly.  "It seems that their tiger forms 
somehow managed to absorb most of the damage.  The physical injuries on the 
human side weren't nearly as bad as the injuries on the tiger creatures"

	Ranma sagged back against the side of the tub and heaved a great sigh of 
relief.

	(Those two idiots better be okay.)
	
	"You want to hear the rest of it?"

	He looked sharply up at Nabiki.  Her grim expression warned Ranma that 
the story was by no means finished.

	He shivered.  "There's... more?"

	She nodded sharply.
	
	Ranma thought back to his mother's words.  (Didn't she say something 
about Mousse and Kodachi?  Oh please, no....)  Part of him desperately wanted

to tell Nabiki to stop but another part knew that he had to learn the worst.
 

	He took a deep breath.  "Yeah.  Let's hear it."

	"Ryoga and Kuno were both wounded and unconscious, but you apparently 
weren't satisfied with that.  You tried to finish off Ryoga.  Akane had to 
literally stick her hand in your mouth to keep you from ripping his throat 
out."

	His eyes widened in shock.  

	"And when Mousse showed up spouting his usual stuff about Shampoo, you 
tried to attack him."  There was a subtle change in her voice.  Previously, 
it had been completely calm but now there was a faintest trace of emotion.  
What kind of emotion, Ranma wasn't sure..  

	She added, "If it hadn't have been for Shampoo knocking me out of your 
way, well...."  She shrugged.

	He winced.  (Yeah, I can guess what might have happened.)

	"Did I.... Mousse?"

	"Shampoo threw Mousse out into the street and made him leave.  She and 
Akane managed to keep you from pursuing him."

	Ranma didn't relax one bit.  "And... Kodachi?"

	Nabiki sighed wearily.  

	"Nabiki, what did I do to her!?"

	"It seems that seeing you in your cat-mode only made Kodachi more... 
interested in you."

	That was apparently the last thing Ranma expected to hear.  He looked 
utterly horrified. 

	"She's more WHAT!?"

	"Let's face it Ranma, Kodachi's always had a thing about power and 
strength.  That's one of the reasons she's so obsessed with you.  And this 
morning, you were more powerful and stronger than ever before."  Nabiki 
shrugged.  "I guess she found it quite exciting."

	"But... but... I was acting like a... c-c-cat!  A CRAZY one, at that!"

	She raised a skeptical eyebrow.  "You think a minor detail like that 
will bother Kodachi?  I'm sure all that 'primal' ferocity just makes you more

desirable to her."

	Ranma dropped his head into his hands and groaned softly.  "I think I'm 
gonna be sick...."

	"Well, your cat side seemed to feel pretty much the same way.  You 
threatened to attack her when she tried to cuddle up to you."

	There was a trace of humor in Nabiki's voice.  "Of course, you weren't 
too happy about Kodachi's attack on Akane, either, so you had plenty of 
provocation.  Fortunately, your mother managed to stop her long enough for 
Akane to take you into the house."

	She gave him a long look.  "But all joking aside, if her behavior this 
morning is any indication, Kodachi's going to become a REAL problem.  Much 
more than before."

	Ranma was silent for a long moment, then said tentatively, "Shampoo and 
Ukyo both looked okay...."

	"Shampoo's fine.  You might be pleasantly surprised at her new attitude 
the next time you see her."  

	She paused briefly.  "As for Ukyo, she seems to be having some real 
problems dealing with what you did.  Unlike Shampoo, she's never seen you use

the Neko-ken before, so she was understandably... horrified by what happened 
this morning."
	
	"I... see."
	
	(First, my mom.  And now Uc-chan....)

	He stared down at the water.  She took advantage of his distracted state 
to move closer.  When she lifted his long black hair away from his body, 
Nabiki could only see the faintest trace of scratch marks on his shoulder.  
And on his back, there were several reddish marks that could easily be insect

bites or bruises.  

	She thought, (Incredible.  His injuries are nearly gone.)

	Ranma said, "Then... Ryoga and Kuno....  Mousse and Kodachi...."
	
	"Ryoga's and Kuno's physical injuries don't appear to be life-
threatening, although there could be other complications.  As for Mousse and 
Kodachi, you didn't touch them."

	"But my mother said...."  He could still hear his mother's voice 
shouting, 'a murderous, blood-crazed ANIMAL!'.
	
	Nabiki quietly said, "Ranma, you have to remember that like Ukyo, she's 
never seen you in your 'cat-mode' so what happened this morning was a 
tremendous shock to her.  She simply got carried away by all the stress and 
the argument with your father.  Your mother certainly didn't mean for you to 
hear any of it.  And I'm not putting words into her mouth, either.  She 
specifically wanted you to know that she's sorry about what she said."

	Ranma's face was still.  He seemed oddly unmoved by Nodoka's expression 
of remorse.  Instead, he simply said, "Okay.  Where is she now?"

	"Your mother and father went back to her house to finish their little 
discussion.  She wants to talk you later, though."

	Ranma sighed quietly, then went back to staring morosely at the water.  
He thought, (Well, now I have a pretty good idea how Mom... Mother REALLY 
feels about me and the Neko-ken.)  

	Aloud, he murmured, "But she's right, you know."

	"Meaning?" Nabiki casually asked.

	"Mother was right."  His voice became tense, sharp.  "Don't you get it?  
Maybe I didn't kill Ryoga and Kuno.  THIS time.  Maybe I didn't hurt anyone 
else.  THIS time.  But it was all just dumb luck.  What would've happened if 
Akane hadn't have been there?  What if she or Shampoo had been a bit slower?
 
What if this happens again?" 

	"You don't know that it will."

	"I can't be certain that it won't.  Damn it, Nabiki.  How can you, of 
all people, just ignore this?"

	"I'm not ignoring it.  But before you make any momentous decisions, I 
want to make sure you understand the full scope of the problem."

	"Huh?"

	"Ranma, what happened this morning was no accident."

	He blinked to hear the carefully controlled anger in her voice.

	"You were SET UP.  Someone deliberately arranged this whole miserable 
scenario.  And the person -- or persons -- who planned it knows way too much 
about you and everybody else around here."

	He started to shake his head.  "That doesn't...."

	Nabiki ruthlessly interrupted him.  "LISTEN TO ME.  After the last two 
years, I can accept quite a lot as coincidence.  I suppose I could accept the

idea of Kuno and Ryoga both picking up the same weird shapeshifting magic.  I

suppose I could accept the idea of those idiots working together."  

	She shrugged.  "Transforming into monsters which just HAPPEN to be the 
one thing you're terrified of and which just HAPPEN to be able to stand up to

the Neko-ken -- well, we've all seen weirder things occur around here."

	She suddenly leaned forward.  "But those messages are a completely 
different matter."  

	Ranma blinked.  (Of course.  The messages...,) 

	"Someone took the trouble to send those notes to your mother and your 
fiancees in order to get them here at just the right time.  Someone also sent

a note to our fathers getting them OUT of the house at just the right time.  
Somehow, I just can't see Ryoga or Kuno coming up with such a complicated 
scheme.  At least, not on their own.  And why would they bother?  They don't 
give a damn about your mother, Shampoo, or Ukyo.  And let's face it, our 
fathers' presence have never bothered Kuno and Ryoga before."

	Ranma nodded slowly.

	"Those two certainly couldn't have managed that thing with the 
forcefields on the porch.  I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if our 
mysterious enemy -- he, she, it, they, whatever -- started that crazy 'secret

wedding' rumor just to provoke Kuno and Ryoga into challenging you." 

	Ranma's eyes began to narrow ominously as he began to realize what she 
was getting at.  He chuckled bitterly.  "There's a mysterious enemy out to 
get me.  So what's new?"

	"Plenty," Nabiki said curtly. "This time is very different.  This enemy 
isn't out to challenge and defeat you, Ranma.  This enemy isn't interested in

simply killing you, either.  No, I suspect this person has something much 
worse in store for you."

	"Which is?"
	
	"I don't know.  We won't know what this guy wants until we find out why 
he's doing all this."  

	(It has to involve the Neko-ken somehow.  I'm sure of it.  But what's 
the connection?)  Nabiki had no answers, only a lot of unpleasant 
speculations.
  
	In a bleak voice, Ranma said, "This mess is my fault.  It's because of 
me that Akane, you, and the others are mixed up in all this.  Damn it, I 
should know better by now!  As long as I'm here, it'll never stop."

	"Ranma, I know what you are thinking about.  But you won't doing Akane, 
the rest of us, or yourself any favors by running away...."

	Nabiki watched him carefully.  (Don't disappoint me, Ranma.)

	He snapped, "What kinda coward do you think I am!  Do you really think 
that I'd just desert Akane and the rest of you guys with this wacko running 
around loose!?  As if this enemy of mine will leave you guys alone even if I 
did leave."

	(I'm glad that I haven't misjudged you completely,) she thought, 
suppressing a smile.

	Aloud, Nabiki said, "Then I hope you can apply that very same reasoning 
to the idea of killing yourself." 

	He twitched guiltily.  "What are you talking about?"
	
	"Ranma, I'm not stupid."  Nabiki gave him a long, meaningful look.  "I 
haven't hung around martial artists all my life without picking up the 
'Code'.  Suicide, however you do it, is just the type of thing a 'honorable' 
marital artist would think of doing in a situation like this.  You know, 
trying to spare us weaker mortals from dread peril and all that crap.  Well, 
I don't think that's going to work.  Not this time."  
	
	"...."  
	
	Ranma looked a bit stunned at the scorn in Nabiki's voice.  He 
hesitated, then whispered quietly, "But it would solve a lot of problems.  
The Neko-ken, this mysterious enemy,... a lot of things." 

	"Maybe it will.  But maybe it won't.  Considering all the trouble this 
enemy's gone through, killing yourself could just make the guy mad."

	He clenched his fists.  (Shit!  If she's right, this bastard's got a 
real cruel streak.  There's no telling what this guy'll do if he feels 
'cheated'.  He could go after Akane and the others....) 

	"Ranma, I'm not saying that I don't believe in sacrifice or an honorable 
death.  Everybody makes sacrifices, one way or another.  But it shouldn't be 
some knee-jerk reflex.  A person needs to pick the right time and the right 
reason.  Otherwise, it's just a big waste.  

	"And in my humble opinion, now is not the right time.  There's too many 
unanswered questions."  Nabiki sighed heavily and propped her hip on the rim 
of the tub.  

	"The point I'm trying to make is that everyone is a lot better off if 
you're here AND alive.  Regardless of how this trouble started, we're all in 
this together.  The family NEEDS you.  The first priority should be to find 
and get rid of this mysterious enemy.  Someone like that isn't going to just 
go away.  As for what happened this morning with the Neko-ken... well, we'll 
worry about it IF it becomes a problem."

	Ranma was very still, then said softly, "You've got it all worked out 
haven't you, Nabiki.  But tell me.  What if I become more of a danger than 
this... this enemy?"  He gave her a hard stare.  

	She calmly met his eyes.  "I'll deal with it if I have to. One way or 
another."

	Something told him that Nabiki would do whatever was necessary to 
protect Akane and the others.  That was fine with him.

	Ranma and Nabiki looked at each other in a brief moment of perfect 
agreement, then he gave her a faint grin.  It wasn't his usual cocky 
expression but it was infinitely better than the fear and despair she had 
seen earlier.  

	"Okay, you made your point, Nabiki.  You'll get what you want.  As 
usual."  

	She shrugged and got up to leave.  "I'm just doing my best to keep Akane 
and the family from getting hurt."

	"Yeah.  I know."  He sighed quietly.  "Well, it's nice to know that I 
can be of some use around here."  

	Nabiki froze with her hand on the door.  She spoke without turning 
around to look at him.  Her voice was cool and perfectly even.  

	"Listen to me, Ranma.  When I said that we were all in this together, I 
meant it.  You're part of this family, too.  And I did NOT spend all this 
time trying to drag you out of the pit of despair just because I think you're

USEFUL."

	With those words, she walked out of the bathroom.  The door quietly slid 
shut behind her.
	
	Ranma stared at the door, a stunned expression on his face.
	
	"Nabiki...."

(To be continued in Part 3)

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Author's Notes:

Tentatively scheduled for upcoming sections of Tiger Claw...

Parts 3-4 -> A bit more damage control.  Shampoo puts her foot down with 
Cologne (at least she gives it her best shot) but an old acquaintance 
interferes with the best intentions.  Ukyo gets a strange package, has a 
painful encounter, and makes a new friend.  Ebon finally makes his presence 
known.  Sinister things are definitely in the works.  More than one person 
is going to have a VERY BAD night.

^_-

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madamhydra@aol.com       /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E