This is the final part of chapter 3.  Chapter 4 will be something
of a wait.  All previous parts are available by emai or on my web page at:
http://www.emich.edu/public/llb/wisc.html

	I'm kinda looking for serious comments on this because I didn't
go over very thoroughly, but they're not necessary.  Enjoy.






{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to 
claim them as my own. This story may not be used without my 
permission, and may not be used to make money in any way, shape or 
form. Characters and certain situations were created by Rumiko 
Takahashi, so don't try any funny stuff!}


                      A Wolf in Samurai's Clothing

                            by Lara Bartram
                            ---------------

Part 3, Chapter 3


	
	
	Gathering her school uniform, she was gone, closing the door 
behind her. Kuno looked at the door, still surprised. That had been a 
very odd response from her, but one that he had rather enjoyed. In 
fact, Kuno hoped Nabiki would act that way more often.

***

	"Damn! Where did that worthless mutt go?" Anatoly was beginning 
to realize he needed to feed e hadn't expected to be trapped in the 
damned house for a day and a half.
	He would wait, one more night, and then conduct his own 
investigation.

***

	So maybe, sometimes, he was a little slow, but he refused to 
believe it was all his fault. Was it so surprising that a beautiful 
girl could make him forget about everything else? Especially when she 
was naked and had given him one of the most pleasurable since he had 
been attacked. Actually, it was the most pleasurable experience of his 
life, since he hadn't known any before the attack.
	When the door opened and a lithe female figure in a school 
uniform walked in, Kuno didn't stop himself from grabbing her. Of 
course, when Akane screamed and unleashed her elbow on Kuno's gut, he 
realized he had made just one tiny mistake.
	"Just what do you think you're doing, pervert?!" Akane yelled, 
turning on the wounded Kuno, her face red with rage.
	Kuno, now sitting against the wall, holding his stomach, managed 
to wheeze out, "Pardon me."
	There was a click from behind Akane, and she turned, ready to 
lash out again.
	"I think I'll keep this in my scrapbook. That look on your face 
is priceless, Akane," Nabiki said, smirking, a camera in her hand. She 
was in her uniform, almost ready to go. Akane looked somewhat 
horrified, and also plenty angry.
	"Nabiki!"
	"Don't worry, Akane. He's completely harmless. Right, Kuno-
chan?"
	Kuno nodded weakly, still trying to recover his breath. 
"Accident..." he wheezed.
	"There. Now did you want something, sister of mine?" Nabiki went 
to put her camera away while Akane tried to figure out what was going 
on.
	"I was just... I... Never mind." Akane turned around and quickly 
left the room. Her footsteps were heavy as she descended the stairs.
	Nabiki shook her head. "You'd think she'd learn. Anyway..." She 
looked over at Kuno. "Aren't you ready yet? No wonder Akane looked so 
mad. Why don't you get your clothes on?"
	Remembering what Akane's face looked like when she walked in, 
and just imagining what had happened, Nabiki couldn't help but 
chuckle. It was just too funny. "Come on, Kuno-chan, I'll wait for 
you."

***

	"What happened to you?" Anatoly couldn't believe the pathetic 
sight before him.
	Karl shrugged. He wasn't able to talk at the moment as he was in 
his wolf form and his lower jaw was still in a lot of pain. He sat 
down on the floor, grimacing; his stomach wasn't too great either. 
Changing to a wolf had been the only way he had been able to make it 
back to the house, and it had hurt more than anything.
	"Damn it, you stupid mutt! Change back!"
	Karl shook his head again. The simple fact was that he couldn't; 
it just wasn't possible and he didn't know why. His body refused to go 
back no matter how hard or how long he willed it to. That female had 
done it, she had really messed him up. How, he didn't know, but she 
would get it all back in spades.
	"Well, you look like you're half dead. Did you find the book?"
	Karl nodded.
	"But you didn't get it?"
	Karl shook his head; he had been a little distracted. He vowed 
that he wouldn't let that get the best of him next time.
	"But you DO know where it is, right?" Please just let one thing 
go right.
	Karl nodded. Anatoly really had no faith in him.
	"Shall we go out for a visit tonight then?" Anatoly had a 
pleased little smile on his face.
	Karl felt the scarred and pitted surface that used to be his 
lower jaw and nodded slowly.

***

	"I told you we were going to be late!" Akane yelled at Ranma as 
they ran to school.
	"I told ya, it's not my fault Kuno attacked me!"
	"You're always making up excuses!"
	
	"We shall be tardy."
	"Do you really think so?"
	"Unless we make great haste."
	"So let's make great haste then, Kuno-chan." Nabiki grabbed her 
bag and walked quickly out the door.
	Kuno looked a little bewildered, but soon followed. Going 
outside and heading down the walk, he couldn't figure out where Nabiki 
had disappeared to. Maybe it was time to stop playing innocent and 
just let everything go... He opened himself to the full extent of his 
senses, not holding anything back, allowing everything through.
	The sensation was exhilarating and amazing. What had frightened 
him before was a thing of beauty now. Right away, without any effort 
he smelled her down the street. Immediately he was off and running.
	
	Nabiki hadn't run that fast. He would most likely be catching up 
with her... She suddenly started sprinting and heard the loud thump 
behind her. "Sorry about that, Kuno-chan. I had no idea you were back 
there," she called out teasingly.
	Kuno growled behind her and she quickly cut to her left. "You're 
far too predictable, Kuno-chan," she said loudly.
	Then he was directly behind her and he was about to... She 
feinted left and dodged right. She planted her hand and pushed off a 
little, hurdling a post office box without breaking her stride. Nabiki 
laughed aloud suddenly. She had just jumped over a post office box and 
hadn't thought anything of it.
	"What is it that you find..." Kuno started to say.
	Nabiki used a burst of speed to break away from Kuno and 
continued at that pace until she saw Ranma and Akane. "Hi, you two. 
Don't want to be late," she said, slowing down momentarily." Then she 
was off again, running at the pace of an Olympic sprinter.
	Ranma and Akane looked at each other, then at Nabiki's 
retreating form.
	"Hold, woman!" Kuno yelled as he blew past them, trying to catch 
up to Nabiki.

***

	It was about one hour before lunch when the feeling struck 
Nabiki somewhat suddenly. She had been listening to the lecture, 
taking notes when she had abruptly stopped writing.
	For the next hour, Nabiki sat uncomfortably, waiting for lunch 
to arrive. And this was the review for the test the next day. How 
annoying. And all for a little...
	The bell rang and like a shot, Nabiki was up and on her way with 
Kuno in tow. "Where, where, where?" she wondered aloud.
	"Where are we going?" Kuno asked.
	She spied an empty classroom. "Right in here," she said going in 
and closing the door. She tossed her books over by the desk, closed 
the windows and locked the door. Turning, Nabiki knocked the books 
from Kuno's hand and shoved him against the desk.
	"Nabi..." Kuno's question was cut off as Nabiki crushed her 
mouth to his. She ran her hands down his back as he made soft 
murmuring sounds, melting beneath her touch. He was quickly immersed 
in the sensation, running his hands down her back and lifting her 
dress up.
	Nabiki finally broke the kiss. "I've been waiting for this for 
an hour," she said breathlessly and began undoing Kuno's pants.
	"No. We can not," Kuno said, pushing away Nabiki's hands.
	"Just real quick. Come on. I know you want to," Nabiki answered, 
hands back at his pants.
	"I insist that you stop this." Kuno grabbed Nabiki's wrists and 
meant to pull them away, but she used her own strength to resist. Kuno 
sighed, knowing it was useless. "It is even more difficult to deny 
that which you desire now," he said, sounding tired.
	Nabiki grinned. "I know." She pulled her wrists from Kuno's 
grasp and continued to get his pants undone. "Don't worry; we can make 
this quick."
	"Your generosity knows no bounds."
	"I know, now do your part." She yanked down his pants, then 
lifted his shirt and began to kiss his chest. Slipping her hands into 
his shorts, Nabiki began to gently squeeze his butt. She felt his 
entire body stiffen under her touch and knew what was about to happen.
	"Not here, Kuno-chan," she whispered to him. "Not all the way." 
The flesh rippled beneath her hands and she felt the fur begin to 
escape from his skin. "Not so fast... Take it easy..."
	She was a master manipulator. As she spoke soothingly, 
seductively in his ear, Kuno's entire body relaxed. His change slowed, 
then finally stopped as he was caught, perched, settled somewhere in 
the middle. Kuno groaned and began removing enough of Nabiki's clothes 
to get the job done.
	Kuno suddenly lifted Nabiki and turned around. He set her on the 
desk, moving things aside with his arms. Lowering his shorts, he 
positioned himself, knowing it would be short and sweet for the both 
of them.
	As soon as Nabiki felt Kuno position himself, she also felt her 
own change begin. Instead of it starting at her feet as it normally 
did, it seemed to be rippling out from her stomach, out from the point 
where everything had started. Far from being painful, it only 
heightened the feelings in her at the moment.
	Before she could really comprehend what was happening, the 
switch from pleasure to pain, it was too late. Nabiki's mind was 
tripped up by the extreme pleasure and feeling of... rightness. 
Holding down the want to cry out, she suffered her pleasure in 
silence.
	A few minutes later, the feeling had faded for the both of the, 
the stars faded, the earth stopped moving, and they were simply two 
messy teenagers, one with an overabundance of body hair.

***

	"Good afternoon, Akane, Ranma," Nabiki said smoothly as she sat 
down next to them.
	"Uh, hi..." Akane wasn't sure what to say. Nabiki had been 
acting so strange lately, and on the way to school that morning... 
"This morning..." she finally gathered the courage to say.
	"Over here," Nabiki called out, interrupting Akane.
	Ranma and Akane followed Nabiki's gaze and cringed when they saw 
Kuno approaching. "Oh no," Ranma said quietly.
	"Have a seat, Kuno-chan," Nabiki offered, eyeing his lunch 
hungrily. "And what did you bring today?" she asked as he sat down.
	Kuno glared darkly at Ranma before answering Nabiki. "The finest 
cuisine your sister could prepare." Kasumi had generously fixed him a 
lunch, not that he couldn't prepare his own. He wasn't great, but he 
wasn't bad either. When it was a regular occurrence that your sister 
poisoned your food, you quickly learned how to fend for yourself.
	"I bet. Let me see."
	"No, ladies first."
	"No way. I want to know what you've got."
	"Until I have discovered what you are hiding from me, only force 
shall reveal the contents of my lunch."
	"If that's the way you want it." Nabiki promptly made a grab for 
Kuno's lunch as he pulled it just out of her reach.
	"Foolish woman. Did you think it would be so easy?" Kuno teased, 
moving his lunch away from Nabiki each time she grabbed for it.
	Ranma and Akane were watching, both stunned for the second time 
that day, as Nabiki and Kuno wrestled over his lunch. "What's going 
on? Didn't Kasumi make us all the same lunch?" Ranma whispered to 
Akane.
	"I thought so," Akane whispered back.
	Ranma watched for another moment then decided it was time to 
vacate the vicinity. "I'm going to eat with Hiroshi and Daisuke," he 
said, standing up quickly. He really wanted to get away from the 
strange display going on before him.
	"But Ranma..." Before Akane could finish her question, Ranma was 
long gone. She looked disgustedly at the two combatants, wondering 
just how Nabiki could stand it. She had finally pinned Kuno, holding 
down both his arms. He still held his lunch, and Nabiki couldn't get 
it without breaking her hold.
	"Do you give up?" she asked, breathing heavily.
	"Never. I battle to the las... Ergh!" The sudden proclamation of 
something not so noble and heroic sounding was due to the fact that...
	"Give up?"
	"Ne... Ergh!"
	Nabiki had lodged one knee in Kuno's groin and was sending him 
subtle hints that he should give in.
	"One more time," she said, grinning down at him.
	Kuno nodded and released his lunch to her. His entire body 
shuddered as the pressure was lifted from his groin. Once was MORE 
than enough; he wasn't about to let it happen again just because of 
lunch.
	Grabbing the prize, Nabiki returned to her seat by Akane. She 
opened it and looked with interest at the still warm beef and chicken 
over rice. She picked out one piece of beef that looked like it might 
have been a little less done than the others with her chopsticks. She 
popped it in her mouth and swallowed it whole.
	"To the winner, the spoils." Nabiki smiled, then started on her 
own lunch, which was indeed the same thing. "You should bring 
something like that tomorrow."
	"So you may have the pleasure of eating it yourself?" Kuno 
asked, sitting up and starting to eat finally.
	"Of course not, Kuno-chan," Nabiki said, sounding hurt. "Would I 
do something like that to you?"
	Akane and Kuno answered in unison, "Yes."
	"Well aren't we the comedians today?" Nabiki replied.
	
	It had been hard since he hadn't actually been able to visit the 
place himself, and Karl couldn't give a very good description when he 
couldn't talk. Yet, Anatoly had somehow muddled through Karl's hand 
signals and put them where they were at the moment, which was in the 
Gosunkugi house.
	"That boy has the book and you couldn't get it from him?" 
Anatoly asked in a quiet rage as he watched through the little portal. 
"Stop thinking with your little doggie hormones and just follow the 
plan next time!"
	Karl growled at Anatoly. Just because the thin, little snot was 
right didn't mean Karl had to admit it. Besides, he had accomplished 
more than Anatoly had; Anatoly hadn't even left the house. The nerve 
of some people...
	"Anyway," said Anatoly, recomposing himself, "this should be a 
very simple task now. We just have to wait until tonight."

***

	"I would wager, Nabiki Tendo..."
	Wager? That got her attention. "Yes?"
	"That your delicate constitution leaves you before the well of 
my strength is dry," Kuno said a bit uncomfortably.
	"Why, Kuno-chan, is that pillowtalk?" Nabiki asked, grinning at 
him.
	"'Tis a wager. You managed to best me at lunch..."
	"Sore loser. How much?"
	Kuno cleared his throat. "A single yen."
	"A whole yen? Kuno-chan, I didn't know you had so much to spare. 
Look here, I'll go as high as five." Nabiki pulled out a five yen 
coin.
	Kuno pulled out his own. "Then it is settled." With a growl, he 
lunged forward and scooped Nabiki into his arms, then sprinted off 
toward his home.
	"Kasumi, I'm a little worried," Akane said, walking into the 
kitchen.
	Kasumi was preparing the usual afternoon snacks. "About what, 
Akane?"
	Akane hesitated for a moment. Kasumi knew, she just had to. 
"It's about Na..."
	A knock on the door interrupted her. "Akane, could you please 
see who that is?" Kasumi asked.
	Akane nodded and went to the door. When she opened it, it was 
the strangest thing. "Yes?" she said, not sure what to make of the 
person standing in front of her. "Can I help you?"
	"Yes. I'm looking for your sister," the man said, his voice 
sounding strained. "The short-haired one."
	Akane barely heard what he said, as she was too busy staring at 
him. The man was dressed in a long black coat, floppy hat, scarf, 
sunglasses and gloves. He looked like he was waiting for it to snow. 
"Uh... um, she's... not here right now," Akane finally stammered.
	"Oh, that's unfortunate. Do you know when she will return?"
	Akane shook her head slowly.
	"Very well then. I apologize for taking up your time." Saying 
that, he walked away, stiff-jointed, almost hobbling.
	Akane watched him make his way down the walk and out of her 
sight. She closed the door, still looking out to see if the man would 
reappear. She shook her head and went back to talk to Kasumi.
	"About Nabiki," she said, back in the kitchen.
	
	Nabiki stretched out on the bed, her arms spread out, taking up 
the entire thing. It was very cool and relaxing, even though she 
didn't need any relaxing. In fact, it was the last thing she wanted. 
Even after what had happened before lunch, Nabiki was anxious for 
more.
	It was somewhat embarrassing that she was, as Kuno had called 
her, insatiable, but it wasn't her fault, right? She wouldn't be 
having sex with the most convenient guy if she didn't turn into a wolf 
periodically. That much she knew, she was confident of it. At the 
moment, that wasn't too big of a concern though. "What's taking you so 
long, Kuno-chan?"
	"Pardon my tardiness," Kuno said, coming into the room. "I 
thought you might be hungry after you lose our wager." He was carrying 
a large tray with just about every bit of food out of the 
refrigerator.
	"Was that meant to be funny, Kuno-chan? Because if it was, I 
don't want you to be too embarrassed when you're passed out on the 
bed," Nabiki countered.
	"We shall see." He set the tray down on the dresser then closed 
the door. "We shall see." Kuno pulled off his clothes and left them 
scattered on the floor. The pride of a tidy room was nothing compared 
to what he was about to feel.
	He stood at the foot of the bed, a hint of a smile on his face. 
"Roll over," he said.
	"Why?"
	Forgetting everything he knew and seeing only that which he 
wanted, he gave in to the animal urges in him, the ones that made him 
forget how to act like a gentleman and speak properly... "You'll like 
it. You know you will."
	"What makes you think so?" Nabiki asked warily.
	"You're not accepting the terms of our wager... And I know you." 
The look she gave him was pure poison. "I know your nature. I was the 
one that gave it to you." He leered at her then. "Now roll over."
	Hmm... Nabiki considered the prospect; it did seem... inviting. 
It wouldn't be... bad... It might be fun even. She rolled over slowly 
and felt Kuno get on the bed behind her.
	He forced her legs apart and kneeled between them. Grabbing her, 
Kuno lifted Nabiki's rear end, gauging its position in comparison with 
himself. When he had her at the acceptable height, he stroked her 
lower back. "Shall we let the contest begin, my love?"
	Nabiki decided to let that one slide and nodded, suddenly 
grabbing a pillow. She buried her face in it, not sure what to expect. 
Which was silly, because they...
	Kuno didn't give her a chance to finish her thought, and the 
contest had begun...

***

	"Akane, could you set the table? Dinner is almost done," Kasumi 
called from the kitchen.
	Akane was looking outside, still thinking about the mysterious 
visitor. Ever since Gosunkugi, things had been... well, definitely not 
the same, but very foreboding. The air around and in the house had 
seemed dark and unpleasant, even with Kasumi's eternal cheerfulness.
	"Akane."
	"Sorry, Kasumi. I'll do it right away."

***

	"Thank you for helping with the dishes, Ranma."
	"'S'no problem," Ranma answered, drying the last bowl.
	"You shouldn't be so hard on your father though."
	Ranma rolled his eyes. A little punch-kick combination into the 
pond wasn't being hard on the old man; it was simply what he deserved.
	"Sorry, Kasumi," he apologized anyway.
	"Now, about Akane..." When Kasumi looked next to her, Ranma was 
long gone.

***

	"Good night, Akane."
	"Good night, Kasumi."
	"Good night, Ranma."
	"G'night, Kasumi."
	Silence, then a polite throat clearing.
	"G... g'night, Akane."
	"Good night, Ranma."
	
	"OK, you win. I give up, Kuno-chan," Nabiki said tiredly. She 
tried to pull away, but Kuno held her tight.
	"Not yet."
	"Damn it. You won, now let me go." She tried to collapse from 
exhaustion, but Kuno continued to hold her up.
	"If you give up, then it's my turn now."
	"What are you..."
	Kuno gripped Nabiki's hips almost painfully tight, and two 
forceful thrusts later was finished. The abruptness wasn't surprising 
considering her had held off the entire time and was nearly at the 
point of serious pain. Almost. He released Nabiki and fell back on the 
bed. "My knees are pained."
	Nabiki fell to her side and almost passed out right then. She 
couldn't make her eyes open, could barely make her body move; she had 
lost big time. There was no denying it.
	"Wh... where's my f... five yen?" Kuno managed to say. He 
started to sit up then fell back down. "Never mind... it's not worth 
it."
	Nabiki forced herself to retain consciousness, though moving was 
still out of the question. Slowly, she managed to turn her head to 
look at the tray on the dresser. Things were kind of dark and blurry, 
but her nose wasn't lying to her. The food smelled delicious and she 
was rather hungry.
	"Kuno-chan," she tried to say, but her throat was too dry. 
Nabiki conjured up some measure of saliva, then tried to speak again. 
"Kuno-chan."
	He must have been asleep because he didn't respond except with 
unintelligible mumbling and growls.
	Nabiki forced her body to sit up, her muscles feeling barely 
existent. They weren't sore or hurt, they were just completely 
exhausted. She tried to nudge Kuno with her toe, but her leg didn't 
both to comply with her wishes.
	"Damn it, Kuno-chan. This is your fault. Get me some food."
	Kuno didn't move.
	"Figures. I should've known it wasn't just a stereotype." Nabiki 
forced herself to move, swinging her legs out of the bed and letting 
her feet touch the floor. Nabiki stood up slowly, carefully, surprised 
that she was actually able to stand at all, let alone without any 
assistance.
	Walking with small, even steps, she went to the dresser and 
started eating off the tray. Slowly at first, then faster until she 
stopped and realized it was almost all gone. She looked down at the 
few scraps remaining and smirked. 'Serves him right.' She carried what 
remained over to the bed and sat down.
	Sitting by Kuno's head, Nabiki rolled him over and opened his 
mouth with one finger. Still wearing the smirk, she stuffed some food 
in his mouth. That seemed to do the trick, bringing him to near 
wakefulness.
	"Wake up, Kuno-chan. You need your strength." Surely not for 
another round since she could just imagine what she looked like at the 
moment. Hair a mess, tired smirk, sleepy, red-glowing eyes...
	Kuno's eyes opened, revealing something very similar. He chewed 
slowly, smiling gently up at her. He swallowed and waited patiently 
for her to feed him more.
	Nabiki looked at him, a half sandwich in her hand, her stomach 
twisting in knots and she didn't know why. Maybe... maybe it was...
	"You're starting to show," Kuno said quietly.
	Nabiki blinked, not fully comprehending the meaning of the words 
he had just spoken. As they slowly sand in, she looked down at 
herself, almost afraid of what might greet her. What she saw woke her 
up very quickly. Indeed, she was showing, seeing an extra roll of 
flesh that hadn't been there before. And hadn't... hadn't her bra 
seemed rather tight the past few days. Oh no. Had anyone else noticed?
	Kuno noticed the near panic on her face. "Don't worry, I think 
you look wonderful."
	Nabiki looked at him, the disbelief shifting to anger. "You 
don't have to live with it! I don't believe this!"
	That seemed to break the mood and each of their masks were 
replaced. Kuno looked away sadly, keeping the bitter comments to 
himself. He would do anything to make Nabiki happy, but never could he 
let the two innocent children come to harm.
	Of course, Nabiki couldn't voice how worried this was getting 
her. What would happen when it was that time? Who would she turn to? 
She should have been able to talk to her mother about it, about 
everything, but... It was too late to be acting like a child again.
	Kuno didn't see, but he felt Nabiki get off the bed. Out of the 
corner of his eye he saw her put her clothes back on, then he watched 
her leave the room, still keeping his silence.

***

	Nabiki sat under the bridge in the darkness. She no longer had 
any of the simple fears of the people that roamed the night. Even if 
she actually allowed them to get close enough to her, they would 
discover exactly who was the hunter and who was the hunted.
	At the moment however, she had her mind on the violent ups and 
downs she was going through, lunchtime rendezvous not withstanding. 
Well, she was definitely afraid. That much she could admit to herself 
if no one else. But of what was she afraid? Shit, she practically had 
to count.
	Having a baby... well, two. That scared her. Understandable 
really, but it was still scary. And then what to do with them after 
they were born... assuming they weren't taken away from her because 
they were... deformed. Nabiki's face twisted in a snarl. She wouldn't 
let anyone take them away. If she was going to go through the trouble 
of giving birth to them, then she was going to keep them.
	That was one thing, and as silly as it might sound, she was 
afraid of Kuno. She was afraid of the way he seemed to know these 
things about himself, and things about her, that she hadn't been able 
to come to grips with. And he seemed to like turning into a wolf. That 
was scary because Nabiki thought that she just might like it too.
	Then there were all the problems. Not current problems, but 
problems in the future that she couldn't predict. So that was a little 
worrisome, but not too bad. Nabiki Tendo had always been good at 
coping with those problems that popped up unexpectedly. Except Kuno 
and getting pregnant and turning into a wolf.
	And the last thing... She couldn't or didn't want to admit it, 
didn't even want to bring the idea into her conscious thought. She 
knew it wasn't her fault and that provided some comfort, but she kept 
it all carefully buried. Deeply and carefully buried, tucked away 
where she didn't have to think about it... Until she had been sitting 
on the bed and Kuno had looked at her and smiled... Her stomach had 
practically yanked itself inside out and she had felt so light-headed.
	Nabiki forced the remembrance down very quickly. She didn't want 
to know what was making her feel that way, even though she already 
did. Then again, being worried about it wasn't helping at all, which 
meant she should just... let it go. Yet, Nabiki Tendo never had a 
penchant for just going with the flow. She didn't follow the current, 
she made the current. Things were just too uncertain; she was just too 
uncertain.
	Nabiki stood up and decided it was time to go home. Walking out 
form underneath the bridge, she headed toward home slowly, her mind 
thankfully empty of worries and concerns. At one point she stopped and 
looked around her.
	Sighing, she said, "You can come out now. I'm not mad at you."
	Out of some shadows, Kuno walked silently, his eyes luminescent 
in the darkness. He walked timidly up to her, keeping his face 
passively neutral.
	"Come on, you can walk me home," Nabiki said, just wanting to 
get home with as little confrontation as she could manage. She began 
walking again with Kuno at her side. "Shouldn't you change? What if 
someone sees you?"
	Kuno shrugged. Being caught was the farthest thing from his 
mind. He had done something stupid again; a habit which he couldn't 
seem to break himself of. He hung his head, wishing he could stop 
being stupid and stop hurting Nabiki.
	
	"So we grab the girl, since you say they're attached at the 
hips, and then he doesn't have a choice. He'll have to do what we tell 
him... bring what we want." Anatoly grinned. "You were right, Karl. 
This is more fun than I had anticipated."
	Karl was standing by the door looking more than just a little 
annoyed. 'Stupid shit Anatoly might think it's a game, but I've had 
enough of this,' he thought.
	Anatoly was still smiling to himself. "Well, don't be a grouch, 
Karl. Let's go!"
	'Asshole.'

***

	"Whatever you think I think..." This would be tough. "Well, I'm 
not upset, and I did enjoy this afternoon." Still stalling, still 
harder than hell to say. "And I'm..." Nabiki looked down at her feet. 
"I'm... not unhappy... with you," she finished lamely. It sounded 
sentimental and sappy and all around pathetic. She WAS pathetic!
	Kuno nodded slowly, obviously unhappy with what Nabiki had just 
said. He should have felt some modicum of joy, but that bitter pill 
stayed with him at all times. It was the one that said she never liked 
him and thought he was a joke and a loser, and she was only saying 
these things because she didn't have a choice any longer...
	Kuno suddenly shook his head vigorously. He needed to leave, he 
needed to be away from her and clear his mind. It would be easier in 
human form, but more difficult at the same time. There were words 
associated with being human, words he didn't want anything to do with. 
'Another duty to perform...'
	He changed quickly, efficiently, the process becoming no more 
than an act of daily grooming. Should he comb his hair or change into 
a wolf? "I must take my leave. The situation is becoming too..." Kuno 
breathed deeply. What was the situation becoming? He obviously just 
couldn't drop everything and go; it was all his fa... responsibility.
	"What? The situation is becoming too what? Too big of a cramp on 
your pompous, over-inflated ego? You know this is all your fault!"
	"No. It is not that at all." He looked down at the floor, the 
hot flame of anger usually reserved for Ranma coming to life in him. 
When he looked back up, ready to say how mad he was, that he didn't 
deserve to be treated like a floor mat, that he felt like dying when 
she was mean to him... the flame sputtered and died.
	"I am needed at my home," he said evenly then started to leave.
	Nabiki watched him start to go. "Idiot," she said sourly, 
annoyed that he was acting like this. But as the word left her mouth, 
she saw his body jerk, as if he had been struck.
	That... that had really hurt. Hitting him with that shinai again 
wouldn't have been as painful as that. "I am sorry for being too 
stupid to live up to your standards. But even stupid people have 
feelings. Even I have feelings," he said bitterly before walking out, 
out of the room and down the stairs.
	Nabiki stared at the empty doorway. Maybe, just this once, she 
had been too smart for her own good. Maybe, just this once, she had 
taken things too far. And maybe, just this once, she was truly sorry 
for it. Nabiki sat on her bed and drew her knees to her chest. It was 
time, she figured, to take stock of her personal assets and 
liabilities. She wasn't too happy with what she was finding.
	
	This would only work if he could get her by surprise. If it 
wasn't a surprise, then she could likely overpower him. Sad, but true. 
The small ones always managed to find some hidden store of strength 
when they knew they were in trouble.
	Anatoly toned down his aura until he was invisible to the naked 
eye, then slowly levitated, forcing himself to rise until he could see 
into the window. And there she was, her back to the window, apparently 
lost deep in thought. So much the better. Now all he had to do was 
dive through the window and subdue her before she managed to do to him 
whatever she had done to Karl.
	Shifting the flow of magic around him, Anatoly prepared to 
strike. There was a point on the back of the neck that was guaranteed 
unconsciousness; that would probably work best. Speed was the most 
important thing though. Any hesitation or even the slightest 
interference would most likely mean a heap of trouble for himself.
	With a sudden burst of power, Anatoly flew into Nabiki's room, 
breaking through the window, and landed next to her bed. Before Nabiki 
could fully turn to see what the hell had caused all the noise, 
Anatoly was touching a point on the back of her neck; it was an 
effective human off switch.
	Feeling the cold finger on her neck, Nabiki jerked away, but it 
was already too late. She struggled against the encroaching darkness 
for a moment before it overtook her.
	Anatoly lifted his unconscious prisoner and left the room the 
same way he had entered it. As his feet touched the grass, he 
immediately gave the agreed upon signal to Karl, but received no 
response.
	Making a sound of annoyance, Anatoly glided silently around to 
the front of the house to see what girl Karl was drooling over this 
time. Anatoly stopped at the corner of the house. It seemed he had 
been only a few seconds from trouble when he had made his move on the 
girl.
	
	"You again. What is it this time? I have already warned you 
about Akane Tendo, have I not? And yet you still dare to cross me." 
Kuno was putting up a pretty good show if he did think so himself. He 
was definitely confident in his abilities, but the intruder, the 
interloper... he obviously had so much more experience.
	Karl growled, his eyes glowing like Christmas lights. He had had 
enough of the boy and his bitch, and even though he was only supposed 
to run a little interference if someone tried to stop Anatoly... Well, 
this would be more than just some interference.
	Things would work either way really. If the boy was alive, he'd 
bring the book. If the boy was dead, Karl would just have to find the 
book himself, and he much preferred to do things himself.
	Karl suddenly lunged at Kuno, who barely managed to dive out of 
the way. Landing just in front of the door, Karl turned and made to 
lunge at Kuno again when Anatoly called out to him.
	"You idiot! I have her!"
	Kuno's head turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. The 
sight of some other obviously unpleasant character carrying Nabiki 
made something in him snap. This wasn't some little schoolyard fight 
with Ranma and this wasn't a challenge of his honor... This was 
something really serious.
	"Leave the boy and let's go!"
	It was then that Kuno lurched to his feet and tried to get at 
Anatoly. That involved turning his back on Karl though, which was a 
huge mistake. Karl took immediate advantage of the opportunity 
presented to him.
	Before Kuno could get close to Anatoly, he was knocked to the 
ground by a vicious swipe of Karl's claws. Hitting his chin on the 
ground and getting a mouthful of grass, Kuno could feel the blood gush 
down his leg from the deep and brutal cuts.
	Anatoly backed away just a little, enough to be safely out of 
Kuno's reach. "Now," he said, looking down at Kuno, "if you value this 
girl's life, which I think you do, you'll bring the book back to the 
house. Then we'll consider an exchange." Anatoly smiled and glided 
off, carrying Nabiki over one shoulder.
	Kuno tried to stand up to go after him, but Karl hit him hard 
between the shoulder blades, driving him back to the ground. "It would 
facilitate my retrieval of the book if I was allowed to stand," Kuno 
said, his face against the ground.
	Karl made a little tsking noise then slapped Kuno across the 
back of the head. Placing one foot on Kuno's lower back, Karl began to 
exert pressure, increasing slowly. Karl snarled as he felt Kuno fight 
him and tried to crush the boy beneath his foot. 'This is for what 
your bitch did to me!'
	Kuno struggled under the pressure and the pain. His body 
couldn't take much more of it; the next thing to give would be his 
spine. Flat-out resisting would only get his back broken that much 
quicker most likely. If only Nabiki had been there to smack the 
bastard in the nads with that shinai and really give it to someone 
that deserved it.
	Kuno felt his vertebra about to snap when he heard a very 
distinctive clang sound and the pressure was lifted from his back. 
Before he could think about reacting, his body was reacting. 
Scrambling to his now wolfen feet and turning, Kuno saw Karl 
threatening Kasumi, who had a heavy pot in her hand.
	Karl was advancing on her slowly with one claw raised. Kasumi 
was holding the pot in front of her as protection. Kuno knew the pot 
would be a pile of scrap if Karl decided it was in the way. That could 
not be allowed to happen.
	Grabbing Karl, putting him into a modified full-Nelson, Kuno 
locked his jaws on the vulnerable neck in front of his face. Karl 
obviously knew how quickly death could sweep down when in such a 
vulnerable position and held himself still.
	Kasumi looked at the two. "I heard that man... What book was he 
talking about?"
	Karl growled at her, for which Kuno clamped down a little 
harder. Karl quieted immediately.
	"I... I want to know what's going to happen to my sister," 
Kasumi said, her voice firm and unwavering. "Where is she?"
	Karl shook his head slowly, mindful of the deadly hold on his 
neck. He would rather die than help any of these people, preferably 
taking as many as he could with him. The longer they stood there 
though, the more he could feel the boy's strength wane. Very soon...
	"What is this book, Tatewaki?" Kasumi asked. If this book was 
the source of the problem, then returning it would be the easiest 
thing to do.
	If Kuno could have screamed, he would have. If the book was that 
important to them, he couldn't just give it back, and that was what 
Kasumi wanted to do. So far, this position wasn't getting him 
anywhere. He was getting tired and he could tell he wasn't going to 
get the information he wanted. Namely, what was the big deal with the 
book, and where had these... people come from?
	Suddenly, Kuno shoved Karl away, tearing away enough flesh from 
to leave the taste of blood in his mouth and deep furrows in Karl's 
neck. They each assumed a fighting stance, snarling at each other, 
Kuno's black fur melting him into the shadows and Karl's silvery fur 
making him look like a ghost in the night.
	The blood was clearly visible running down Karl's shoulders 
while Kuno's leg felt like it was on fire. Neither noticed when Kasumi 
disappeared back inside the house.
	She would stay up, but what she would do if Kuno lost... And she 
could hear them fighting, so violently, and if she hadn't been cured 
then she could do something to save her sister...
	
	Anatoly set Nabiki on the floor of the room, making sure she was 
still out. The portal waiting, cats its eerie glow about the room, 
pulsing softly. Anatoly looked at it. Maybe he should just say to hell 
with Karl and go back. It would be bad without the book, but... He 
looked down at Nabiki. He did have an alternate offering, and he did 
have an excuse...
	
	Karl was surprised momentarily as Kuno disappeared into the 
darkness. Damn the foreigners. It was so much easier when they were 
all lightly colored and stood out in the darkness. But this one... He 
was sneaky, but not quite sneaky enough as Karl pinpointed the source 
of his scent... laced with fear.
	Kuno braced himself as Karl came leaping at him, fangs and claws 
bared. Catching Karl's hands in his own, Kuno fell back, landing hard 
on the ground and almost getting his throat torn out. With a shift of 
momentum, Kuno managed to roll back a little and catapult Karl away 
with his legs.
	Karl did an acrobatic flip in the air to land on his feet, 
looking angrier than ever. Battling was out; this would be a brawl, 
plain and simple. If only he had been taught the more advanced 
techniques, incorporating the use of magic into his attacks. The fight 
would have been over long ago if he had. As it stood, his only real 
advantage over the boy was his experience.
	Kuno rolled to his side then stood up as quickly as his body 
would allow, which was significantly slower than it had been just ten 
minutes ago. With that realization, he was suddenly very angry, more 
upset than he could ever remember feeling before. The pain in his leg 
was soon forgotten and all he could think about was the pain he wished 
to inflict on the monster standing in front of him. And then the 
destruction he would reap on the other one, the one that had walked 
off with Nabiki.
	Standing straight up, raising his head to the sky, bringing his 
height to well over seven feet, he let loose his battle cry: a loud, 
blood-curdling howl. His howl was joined by the rumble of thunder and 
several streaks of lightning ripping across the sky.
	More posturing. Karl had seen it all before, though the thunder 
and lightning was an interesting new trick. Then the boy was moving at 
him, charging him, almost a blur. That was a new trick too. Karl tried 
to leap back and give himself more room, but the boy was too fast, too 
incessant. There was no time for retreating, only fighting, so Karl 
swung at his approaching adversary. His claws sliced through the flesh 
and warm rivulets of blood flowed down his arm. It was like slicing 
through so much butter, and gave Karl a warm feeling inside.
	At least, that was how things should have happened. That was how 
things would have happened if he had actually hit. Unfortunately for 
Karl, Kuno came in under his swing with a slash that would have ripped 
him open from gut to gullet. Kuno was too low for his claws to go that 
deep, so he only left four deep gouges in Karl's stomach.
	That wasn't anything close to the worst injury Karl had 
experienced, but about five of those type of injuries came real close. 
Karl tried to block, dodge, counterattack, anything, but the boy's 
speed was simply phenomenal. A slice here, a slash there, a bite in 
the back, a kick to the back of the knee that dropped Karl when 
several tendons were severed, and soon the world was a gray haze.
	Then, the cuts stopped coming and he was simply being beaten. 
The cuts were being torn open wider, and it was his turn to feel the 
his own blood running out of him. What had happened? How... how he 
have been defeated by a pup not even past his first spring of life? 
His head was jerked around so he was looking up, and that was when 
Karl realized the beating had stopped.
	"Where is she?"
	Karl stared up, not seeing. He was trying to form some sort of 
plan, but his mind was coming up completely blank.
	Kuno swatted him across the muzzle. "Where did he take her? What 
is the importance of the book?" Not receiving any answer, Kuno put his 
hand on Karl's windpipe and began to squeeze.
	Black spots began to appear before Karl's eyes and his body 
finally gave up on its hold on the alternate form, depleted of energy. 
His eyelids fluttered and he finally gave in. Beaten by someone who 
had more purpose than he... Figures.
	Kuno saw the light in Karl's eyes begin to dim and released his 
throat. "Tell me what I wish to know," he said menacingly.
	Karl's eyes opened widely. He coughed then attempted to speak. 
"Book?" He laughed hoarsely, breaking out into more coughing. "Book... 
House... That bastard." Karl's eyes narrowed. "He'll kill her, then 
what will you do?"
	Kuno inhaled sharply, his face becoming a mask of hatred. "Who 
are you?"
	"Just like you... Wish they had given me the cure... I could've 
been cured..." Karl seemed to fade then snap back to reality. "I only 
wish I could watch her die, then have her sister..." His blood covered 
lips curved upward in a smile.
	What sounded like an explosion occurred overhead as the broiling 
clouds that had moved in crashed with thunder. It managed to drown out 
the sound of Kuno's scream as his fist rammed into Karl's face and 
caved it in. There would be no recovery, no chance for revenge.
	It was that point that Kasumi came scurrying out in her 
nightgown and robe, looking more than frightened. Kuno looked back at 
the house and saw that at some point he had gained an audience. He 
could make out the silhouettes of all the members of the household, 
standing quietly, watching him.
	Kasumi stopped short when she saw the mess Kuno was crouching 
over. "Tatewaki, come inside so your leg can be bandaged." She touched 
his shoulder gently.
	"No!" he said, a mixture of blood and saliva flying from his 
mouth. "I have to go!" Kuno started to stand, then wobbled and nearly 
collapsed.
	"Come inside. Your leg needs to be bandaged and you can have 
some tea." Kasumi was just as stubborn in her own way. She pulled on 
his arm and expected him to follow. "They're going to be waiting for 
you so you have some time," she reasoned, speaking in soft, gentle 
tones.
	Kuno looked down at Karl's body. "You are not like me, and I 
shall never be like you." He stared at the body for a few more 
moments, and when the rain started pouring down, he followed Kasumi 
back inside.

***

	No matter how many times he washed himself, there still seemed 
to be blood on him. He had managed to get the blood out from 
underneath his toenails finally, but there it was... clinging to his 
hand now. Kuno scrubbed desperately at it until it disappeared, but... 
When he poured the water over his head, he could see it wash away red 
still.
	At least the taste was gone from his mouth. The tea Kasumi had 
given him had helped that, and even now, she was making him something 
to eat. Now if he could only get the blood off to make himself 
presentable. And if he concentrated on that, then he wouldn't have to 
think about what he would do if Nabiki was dead.
	A knock on the door shook him a little. "Tatewaki, the food is 
done." Kasumi had gotten bold ever since... the incident.
	Kuno stood up, the problem with the blood forgotten; he didn't 
notice the bloody mess his leg left on the stool, didn't feel the dull 
pain that was still throbbing, he could only concentrate on making 
himself presentable.
	He stood in front of the mirror and lifted the comb by the sink 
with one shaking hand. He didn't notice the tremor as he dragged the 
comb through his hair, slicking it back while it was still wet. Seeing 
his hair in place, Kuno dropped the comb and went into the changing 
room.
	"Presentable... must be presentable..." he mumbled as he slipped 
on the robe so graciously provided by the Tendos. Kuno was about to 
leave the changing room when Kasumi came in, not even bothering with 
knocking.
	"Good. Now let me fix your leg up," she said in her special way 
of getting anything she wanted. Without giving Kuno a chance to 
answer, Kasumi kneeled down behind him and lifted the robe. Seeing the 
ugly gouges in his left thigh, she began applying bandages while he 
stood docilely for her.
	"Tatewaki," Kasumi said as she finished up, "you have to do 
something for me." She let the robe fall and stood up. She looked Kuno 
in the eyes as he turned to face her. "Tatewaki, there's something you 
have to do for me," she repeated.
	Kuno looked at Kasumi, wondering if there was something wrong 
with his appearance; he couldn't be unpresentable. "Is there something 
wrong?" he asked.
	"There's nothing wrong with you, Tatewaki. I just want you to do 
me a favor." Kasumi began straightening the changing room. "I want you 
to..." Kasumi refolded some towels. "I want you to bring Nabiki back 
safely," she said quietly, looking tired.
	Kuno looked at her somewhat blankly, then nodded. "Or I won't 
come back at all."
	"I know you will," Kasumi said, stacking the towels neatly. "You 
need to eat something now." They both left the bathroom and went to 
sit at the table.
	Kuno looked at the food set before him. "I can not eat," he 
said, shaking his head slightly.
	"You must. That fight must have drained you; eating will help." 
Kasumi poured him a cup of tea.
	Kuno sighed then began eating slowly.
	Kasumi watched him, sipping her own tea. "You'll need some 
sleep, I imagine."
	Instead of resisting, Kuno simply nodded.
	"It can wait until morning; they won't do anything to her so 
soon, right, Tatewaki?" Kasumi was almost panicky.
	Kuno nodded again. "Morning," he said.
	
	Anatoly frowned. Why couldn't Karl ever follow the plan? It had 
been a big mistake in not protesting the appointment of such a fool to 
assist him on this mission. He stared at the portal almost longingly. 
He was tired of being there, tired of waiting in the tiny house, tired 
of not having any freedom while he was banished to this worthless 
little world.
	Nabiki stirred on the floor, but remained unconscious.
	She was fighting hard. Even if Anatoly decided to return without 
the book, she would make a nice consolation prize. Still, all he could 
do was wait...
	
	Kuno woke up in the darkness of early morning. He had only 
gotten a few hours sleep, but it made all the difference in the world. 
Instead of getting up right away, he pulled the pillow to his face and 
inhaled deeply. She was still alive and she would remain so. He would 
make sure of it.
	Feeling much better, Kuno got out of Nabiki's bed, trying to 
form a plan. Only, he wasn't so good at making plans, and while his 
body changed, that hadn't. The house. There was only one house Kuno 
knew with the sense of foreboding those two words carried. The cure. 
The man he had killed... He knew someone with a cure. It was finally 
his chance to cure... Nabiki. Stretching, Kuno knew he had to jump at 
what could be his only chance to get a cure for... Nabiki.
	Sitting on the desk was a note and some clothing that caught his 
eye. Kasumi had written it.
	'Please wear this. I'm afraid your own clothing is far too dirty 
to go out in. Please don't forget what I asked you.'
	Kuno nodded to the note and looked at the clothing. A large, 
off-white gi was folded neatly, waiting for him to wear it. He smiled, 
somewhat vaguely, that the black belt that was also there.
	He put on the top, knowing he would end up discarding it or 
ruining it later, then picked up the pants. Underneath them was the 
book. Kuno couldn't even remember bringing it with him, but there it 
was. He pulled on the pants, his eyes never leaving the book. The book 
was the key to everything. But exactly how much could it unlock?
	His mind still on the book in his hand, Kuno went downstairs 
quietly, stopping in the kitchen. He scribbled his own note for 
Kasumi's peace of mind.
	'I thank you. The house is the Gosunkugi home, of that I am 
sure. If I do not return...'
	He didn't bother to sign the note he had left on the kitchen 
counter as he walked off into the night.

***

	"Don't struggle now. That will only make it worse," Anatoly said 
pleasantly. "And I don't really want you hurting yourself. You're my 
backup plan, you know? If I don't have the book, at least I'll have 
you." He smiled and Nabiki's stomach suddenly wanted to rid itself of 
all contents.
	She tested whatever was binding her hands, tugging at the bonds. 
There was no give to them at all.
	"Come now. Don't bother; my magic is strong enough to hold you, 
so you might as well save your energy. You're most likely going to 
need it." Anatoly tried to settle back into his chair after giving the 
magical bonds he had constructed a cursory glance.
	'So I know Kuno-chan changes when he wants to, but how do I do 
it?' Nabiki thought, relaxing for a moment. But changing didn't mean 
she would break her bonds; she might just end up giving away an ace up 
her sleeve... If she could actually make herself change. She couldn't 
make herself stop, so how could she make herself go?
	While pondering these questions, Nabiki didn't notice Anatoly 
sit up like there was an electric current running through him. 
Conjuring up one of his little viewing portals, Anatoly checked to see 
what had tripped his alarms. The blurry portal showed a huge, lightly 
colored wolfen figure entering the house. "Well well," the vampire 
said, rubbing his hands together. "I guess we'll get to hear what Karl 
has to say." He looked down at Nabiki. "You had just better hope your 
boyfriend brings the book. It'll make things easier on both of you."
	What the hell was going on? That was a question Nabiki seemed to 
be asking a lot lately, and she didn't like it. For the moment, she 
put on a show. "He's not my boyfriend," she said tersely.
	Anatoly arched an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face. "Didn't 
look that way to me when he tried to rip my throat out."
	Nabiki wasn't sure why, but that surprised her. "He... did?"
	"Yes, that is, until Karl politely discouraged him from doing 
so." Anatoly's smile turned cruel. "He should be in good enough shape 
to bring us the book, then we'll dispose of him."
	Oh no. He did have that humongous ego that was as likely to get 
him killed as anything. Kuno was probably lucky if he wasn't dead 
already.
	"You, on the other hand," Anatoly said, interrupting Nabiki's 
train of thought, "I think we'll keep you around. I know someone that 
would be very interested in... meeting you."
	Nabiki actually managed enough force and accuracy to spit in 
Anatoly's face. She had no vocal reply though, because if Kuno was 
dead or hurt... Well, she was in a whole lot of trouble then.
	"Don't worry. I imagine you'll live a very long, very... 
productive life as long as you don't anger anyone."
	The evil smile Anatoly was wearing... It made Nabiki even more 
sick and angry. She scowled and felt it starting, brought about by her 
intense emotions. Nabiki stifled her gasp as she felt the pain surge 
through her, and tried to keep the change from happening. She had 
never been able to stop it before, but this time, she had to; she 
couldn't let her captor know.
	"What seems to be the matter?" Anatoly asked. "There's no need 
to be so distressed over all this. Once I've taken care of this mess 
and handed you over, you won't remember a thing about all of this. It 
will just be a dream."
	Nabiki couldn't stop it, couldn't hold it back. And once the 
piece of crap in front of her found out, he'd probably think of 
something more humiliating, and her one chance of escape would be 
wasted.
	Her hands were the first parts to go for a change; lucky that 
they were behind her back. Lucky until she could feel her feet and the 
rest of her body all want to change at once. That would be impossible 
to hide. And Nabiki couldn't see the strange looks Anatoly was giving 
her because her eyes were closed tightly and she was grimacing.
	"What's..." Anatoly started to say before the door opened 
slowly. He looked up, now annoyed. "Karl, it's about time you..."
	The door was flung open all the way suddenly, and for an 
instant, Anatoly could see the hulking silhouette that was not Karl. 
Since he hadn't completely shed his human instincts, Anatoly froze in 
fear for one second too long.
	Kuno saw him, saw him freeze, saw that he was so confident and 
leapt at him. Driving Anatoly to the floor, Kuno sunk his claws into 
the thin bony chest and snapped his jaws shut on Anatoly's neck. 
Bitter blood gushed into his mouth as his teeth ripped through every 
tissue and met in the middle.
	"Kuno-chan!" Nabiki's change had stopped when the door burst 
open and she had seen who it was. Happily, whatever bonds had been 
restraining her had disappeared too. As Kuno lifted his head and 
looked at her, Nabiki turned away. She didn't want to see any more 
blood. It may not have been a big deal when she was angry, but not 
now.
	Looking at Nabiki quizzically, Kuno licked the blood from his 
muzzle. He couldn't fathom why she had her eyes shut like that. A 
gurgling noise from beneath him made him look down. Apparently, the 
bastard was still alive, and he had fangs. That made Kuno snarl at the 
mostly decapitated vampire he had pinned down.
	"Kuno-chan, do something with that. It's going to make me throw 
up," Nabiki said, the smell itself making her a little green.
	Kuno looked at the mess, then around the room. Seeing 
Gosunkugi's school jacket, he grabbed that and draped it over the 
mess; it was still gurgling. He stood up and grunted to get Nabiki's 
attention, standing between her and the body.
	Even though the smell was making her stomach roll dangerously, 
at least she didn't have to look at it too. Nabiki swallowed heavily, 
trying not to look past Kuno at the blood oozing out over the floor. 
"Good. Now get me the hell out of here!"
	Kuno pulled the book out of his gi and looked at it. Gosunkugi 
knew there was a cure and the one he had killed knew there was a cure, 
so maybe... As Kuno changed back to human, the gi sagged on his much 
smaller body.
	"This book..." He held it up for Nabiki to see. "This book can 
be our... your salvation."
	"Salvation? What are you talking about?" Nabiki got to her feet, 
the nausea subsiding. She looked at the book, her eyes narrowed. "What 
about that book?"
	"I am speaking of a cure. They desired this book desperately. 
Yet, now... we hold power over them. They must do what we wish them 
to. This fiend can cure you, as Gosunkugi did with your sister."
	"Where did you get that book?"
	Kuno looked at her blankly. Why wasn't she happy about this? She 
could be cured, so why was she giving him that funny look? "I found it 
here. It was hidden." Something was wrong; things were going all wrong 
again.
	"How can that book be a cure?"
	The mess on the floor gurgled louder than before.
	Kuno blinked twice. "They know how to remove the curse of this 
condition. You can be cured in exchange for this book."
	"What about you?"
	Looking at the wall to his right, Kuno shook his head. "No, it 
is more important that you..."
	"You don't want to be cured." It was not said as a question.
	Kuno couldn't answer; he didn't know how to respond to the 
truth.
	"Why?" Nabiki asked, not really surprised by his non-answer.
	"What do you think of me now?" he asked quietly, ignoring the 
gurgling from the floor.
	"What do I... I don't know," she answered defensively.
	"No, not how do you feel about me... What do you think of me? Am 
I still the fool? Am I still the incompetent? Am I still an object of 
humor and amusement at school?"
	Nabiki shook her head. This was exactly what she was thinking 
about before. It wasn't a curse, but a supreme temptation.
	"Then why should I be happy with the way I was before? Why 
should I go back to having nothing when I have everything now? Maybe I 
didn't realize why they were laughing at me, but I know that they 
were. No one laughs at me now.
	"I had no respect, I had no friends, I had no..." He looked back 
at Nabiki. "Well, my life was unfulfilling for a number of reasons. 
But now..."
	"Now what? You don't have respect. Everyone's just afraid of 
you! You still don't have any friends..."
	Kuno stood a little straighter and gave Nabiki a sneer that 
would chill even old man winter. "I have never needed friends," he 
said haughtily.
	"Cut the bullshit!" That had been the absolute last straw. "Look 
here, you may think you're the only one who can see and hear things 
other people can, but you're not. I can too. And you might think that 
you're the great 'samurai wolf' of Japan, but you're not! Do you know 
what I see?" Nabiki wasn't stopping; she was on one rather angry roll. 
"I see a little boy. A scared little boy so socially dysfunctional he 
wouldn't have made it through high school without ME!"
	Nabiki hmphed a little and folded her arms across her chest, 
returning to her normal confident and mentally aloof self. "Think 
anything you want, but I do want to get rid of this mess."
	For no more than a second, Kuno looked frightened, very 
frightened. "Do you mean..."
	"Will you stop harping on that! They'll probably come out to be 
a couple of mutants anyway."
	For once, Kuno barely managed to control his rage. He said in a 
calm and quiet voice, "Don't you dare say that." The muscles in his 
jaw visibly clenched.
	"Spare me the maternal instinct. I just want to put an end to 
all this garbage as soon as possible." They stared at each other, the 
gurgling coming from the floor still being ignored.
	"The only think I want," Kuno said quietly, "is for them to be 
safe. I know this causes you... discomfort, but that is how I feel."
	Nabiki looked down at herself, her anger dissipating. "Yeah, I 
suppose I understand how you feel. But I still..."
	Kuno nodded. "The tempest has engulfed you, and I have only..."
	"Don't say it." She didn't want to hear it again; she already 
knew. Her stomach gurgled again just to make sure she didn't forget 
it. "So... what do we do now?"
	Kuno looked at the book, then at the portal. He could always 
just go through it... And end up where? Do what? How would he get 
back?
	"You're not going to do that. That's suicide," Nabiki said 
incredulously.
	"It is the only way." Kuno's voice seemed wistful, far away as 
he stared at the portal, hypnotized by the pulsing light.
	"I don't think so. What about him?" Nabiki pointed at the 
covered figure on the floor. "Didn't you say he could..."
	Kuno shrugged. "Gosunkugi did, but only against his will. We 
might be able to force this one to do the same, but I would not trust 
him." He nudged the figure with his toe, watching it jerk.
	Nabiki stared and started shaking her head. "You can't go 
through there. You're not going through it. I don't care." Something 
very heavy was starting to build up in her chest and she didn't like 
it at all. "I won't let you."
	"But I thought you..." Now Kuno was completely confused.
	"It's not that important. I wouldn't ask anyone to risk their 
life over this. I'll just..."
	The gurgling at their feet intensified then, drawing their 
attention. Kuno leaned down and pulled the jacket away.
	The vampire had made some admirable progress in pulling himself 
back together, the neck actually looking like a whole neck. The mouth 
moved and blood could be seen bubbling up through the still visible 
veins and arteries. There was also a hissing sound.
	"What is... that trying to do?" Nabiki asked, barely able to 
stand the sight.
	"Perhaps he attempts to speak."
	The bubbling blood and hissing continued, and it appeared that 
Anatoly was attempting to move.
	"The sunlight will destroy you," Kuno said simply.
	Nabiki glanced up at him. "How do you know that?" Before the 
words had fully left her mouth, she knew it to be true as well.
	"Sunlight will kill you and your overconfidence is your 
weakness. Your reliance on magic and deceit will be your downfall. 
There is only one chance for you to survive." Kuno was staring down at 
Anatoly with naked hatred.
	As he spoke, Nabiki was starting to feel uneasy. She was getting 
a bad feeling about things. "Just forget him. Let's go; I don't feel 
comfortable here." It was like they were being watched. Watched by 
hostile eyes.
	"No. This is what you wanted. You will have your cure at 
whatever cost." Kuno never removed his eyes from Anatoly, who, 
creepily enough, was looking back.
	There was a nearly audible popping sound, and Anatoly took a 
deep breath. The blackish blood dribbled from his lips again and he 
began moaning.
	Watching Anatoly warily, Kuno could see his eyes start to glow. 
"Do not try any of your tricks; they will not work," he warned.
	The glowing in Anatoly's eyes faded as a sign of understanding. 
He had been defeated. He wasn't too proud to admit that. So now all he 
had to do was take the two of them with him. He could not be denied 
some measure of revenge.
	"Will you give us information?" Kuno asked, not that he planned 
on really believing anything said by the deceitful vampire at his 
feet.
	Anatoly's mouth moved, ichor gushing out of it, but no sound. 
His arm moved slowly, fingers twitching, toward Kuno's ankle.
	Stopping it by stomping his foot down on it, Kuno pinned it to 
the floor. "I know you can speak. I suggest you do so." There wasn't 
going to be any game playing at that point. He had done enough of that 
before.
	"Ne... ver," Anatoly wheezed, regaining his strength slowly.
	"Kill it."
	Kuno looked at Nabiki and shook his head. "No. This is your only 
way. He is the only one who knows how..."
	"You can't trust anything he says if he doesn't try to kill us 
first!"
	"I am aware of that, but..."
	"So kill it. Get rid of it." Nabiki glared at Kuno, who simply 
looked back at her. "If you don't then I will."
	"You... can't. Fools." Closer, just a little longer. "I could... 
cure you... but not..." Anatoly wheezed. "Not your... runts." 
Anatoly's gaze became darkly playful. "Tear you open... if you're 
cured."
	Kuno looked horrified and Nabiki looked totally pissed. "Shut 
up," she said flatly.
	"Can't cure them... In too deep." His neck may have been in bad 
shape, but that was fine because he could still blow them all brats to 
smithereens.
	"I said shut up!"
	Anatoly began to laugh, a deep, hoarse cackle that grew in 
volume until Nabiki couldn't stand it.
	With a strangled cry, Nabiki shoved Kuno aside and grabbed 
Anatoly's head, pulling and twisting it. Kuno held her arm, trying to 
stop her, pull her away, but she would not let go.
	Anatoly's hands flew up to try and stop what was being done to 
him, but as the tenuous attachment between body and head began to 
separate, he lost control. There was an explosion of blood from the 
neck and mouth as the head pulled free of the body.
	Holding it high like a trophy, Nabiki stared at it hatefully, 
squeezing it, meaning to make pulp of it. She turned, growling at Kuno 
as he began to move the body. "What are you doing?"
	"I am disposing of this. You would do well to do the same with 
that." he said, gesturing with his head at what she was holding. 
Ignoring the looks she was giving him, Kuno moved the body out of the 
way then lifted it carefully, not getting any gore on himself.
	"How..."
	"I am sending him back from whence he came." Kuno heaved the 
body at the portal and watched it disappear through the portal of 
light.
	Nabiki looked at the head in her hands, then suddenly hurled it 
at the window. It crashed through the shade, broke the window and 
landed in the middle of the small yard.
	The sky was gray with the earliest morning light, but even that 
was enough to set it to smoking.

***

	The portal flared to life and a body came flying out. It landed 
on the ground with a splat and rolled to a stop.
	"What the..."
	The body burst into flames and burned until there was nothing 
left except a pile of ashes.
	"What... who was that?"
	"I think that was Anatoly, but where's Karl?"
	The two looked at each other.
	"You don't think Karl..." the first one said.
	The second man shook his head. "No. Karl was too well trained. 
He wouldn't have."
	"Fine. So you tell Dmitri what happened."
	There was more verbal argument and almost some physical before 
the two came to an understanding. They would wait longer and see what 
else happened. Procrastination always worked...

***

	"I must go."
	"Damn it. Didn't you hear him? He said it can't be done."
	"And you believed those words? Were you not the one who said he 
would lie to us?"
	"Yeah, but he..."
	"It makes no difference. I am going. You can not sway me against 
it." It was almost like there was something calling out to him, 
beckoning him beyond the portal. "I must go," he said softly.
	"What are you talking about?" Nabiki knew this was the end; he 
had finally lost it.
	"I am not sure. I would gladly go to give you want you want, but 
I am going either way." He turned to face her and put his hands on her 
shoulders. "Do you want to be cured?" Kuno asked seriously.
	Nabiki was suddenly frightened by his intensity and her own 
indecision. She tried to keep her fear from showing and nodded.
	"Very well. A cure I will seek, even if you are undecided."
	That got Nabiki angry. "Don't even try that on me. What I want 
is..." She cut herself off. She couldn't be cured because she didn't 
want to die, but as for the two fetuses... When she spoke again, her 
voice was quiet. "I want to live, and I want them to be safe."
	Nabiki ran her hands across her stomach, feeling the swell that 
hadn't been there a week ago. "I want them to be safe and I want them 
to be human. I want them to be safe and I don't want to do this 
alone."
	Kuno seemed completely impervious to what she was saying. "What 
makes you think that they are not?" he asked. She was dredging up his 
own worries, the ones he couldn't admit to because everything had been 
his fault.
	"You know it! You know they aren't! I don't want them to be 
freaks!"
	"They are not! I told you not to call them that!"
	Nabiki just didn't know what to say after that. The things she 
was arguing for were contradicting each other. She didn't want him to 
go, but she needed the cure. And that meant going through the portal, 
wherever it led.
	"I'm going."
	Kuno blinked. "You're what?"
	"I said I'm going. Don't try to stop me. I have to do this."
	Kuno didn't say anything for a time. "There are preparations to 
be made," he said finally. "I do not know what lies beyond that 
portal; only that the two that wanted to kill me and kidnap you came 
from it."
	Nabiki walked over to the portal and reached her hand out.
	"Do not touch it!"
	Not listening to Kuno, Nabiki touched her fingers to the light. 
It flared feebly as it encased her fingers in small ripples of 
shimmering white light. "It's like it's not even there. I don't feel 
anything." She thrust her hand in to the wrist and wiggled her 
fingers. Pulling her hand out, Nabiki looked at it and found nothing 
different.
	Watching her, Kuno didn't feel so confident all of a sudden. 
Something felt wrong about it, but he knew he had to go. The danger of 
it was something he had to face. "There... there is much to do."
	Nabiki heard the hesitation in his voice and faced him. "You're 
not chickening out on me now, Kuno-chan. You can't."
	Kuno shook his head slowly. "I would do no such thing."
	"Good. We have plans to make and I don't want you getting cold 
feet at zero hour."
	Kuno nodded and silently considered the portal. The decision had 
been reached and there was no going back now.
	Nabiki looked as well. "What do you think's over there?" she 
asked. But no way was she getting second thoughts. This was something 
she had to do.

End Chapter 3