
<It is a dark night. You will note the abscence of the word stormy in that
sentence. Outside of a large building dug into a mountainside, three
figures work laboriously on a strange, antenna-like device. The only
available lights are from the candles one of the dark forms has tied
around his head.>

Guy with candles: Ow!! Hey, watch it with that thing!

Tennage voice: Well then, don't get in my way!

Other voice: Hey guys, knock it off. Mackie, how's it going?

Teenage voice: Well, if candle-boy would move his head a bit closer to
the panel...

Candle boy: I'm trying, okay!

Teenage voice: ... I've almost got it. I can't BELIEVE you built a Fortress
of Solitude and didn't get an adequate power supply!

Other voice: Number one, stop comparing it to the Fortress of Solitude.
It is a command post. Number two, I'm on a budget. Number three,
YOU were in charge of construction!!

Teenage voice: Sure, blame the tech crew. It's not like YOU'VE never
screwed... hey, it worked! The rod's done!

Candle boy: About time. <the shadowy figure head tilts toward the sky>
Hey Merc, I don't see any storm clouds. Where are we going to get the juice?

Other voice: I've got that all taken care of. Wait here.

<One of the shadowy figures detaches itself from the group and darts
into the nearby building. It returns with a human-shaped bundle slung
over it's shoulder. The bundle is struggling and making 'mmmf!' ing
noises.>

Other voice: Guys, right here is our own portable generator.

<He sets the bundle down on the ground, unwraps it enough to reveal a
head, and with a 'ripppp!' pulls a tape shaped strip away from around
the mouth area.>

Arrogant, pompous voice: Curs! How darest you treat me in such a
shabby manner! I shall smite thee! Do you know who I am?! I am
Tatewaki Kuno, Kendoist extradonaire! My name strikes fear into the
hearts of mine enemies! I am known as the BLUE THUNDER OF
FURINKAN HIGH!

<At this time, instead of a peal of thunder, a bolt of lighting rockets down
from the sky and zaps the antenna-like device. Suddenly, the nearby
buildings lights all come on. Muffled cheering can be heard from inside.>

Candle boy, who is revealed to be Hikaru Gosunkugi: Wow. <pinches
out his candles>

Teenage voice, revealed to be Mackie Stingray: I can't BELIEVE that
worked!

Other voice: Of course it worked. It was my idea.

<The remaining figure is revealed to be a young man of indeterminant
age. He has long black hair that flows past his shoulders, caught up in a
pony tail. His eyes are a piercing green. Beneath the ornate doublet,
long cape, and the (somewhat comical-looking on his slight frame)
english rapier he is wearing, he has on jeans and sneakers.>

Mackie: Surrrrrre. We all know how well your ideas work. It's your fault
we were in this mess.

Gos: Well, at least we're done now.

<He looks down at Kuno, who is flopping about on the ground in his
confinement like a caterpillar in heat. He continues to rant, and every so
often an additional bolt comes down from the sky and strikes the
lightning rod with a shower of sparks>

Gos: Hey, what do we do with him?

Man: Leave'im. We could use the additional reserves; every time he
finishes a soliloquoy, we get another 1.21 gigs of power. (small lightning
joke) C'mon, let's get outta here.

Mackie & Gos: Right.

<The trio proceed into the building. Inside, it is revealed to be a bustling,
high-tech facility, full of weird looking gadgets and people running
around carrying reams of paper. They board a 'Star Trek' type lift, which
zips off at high speed into the interior.>

Man (turning to face camera): You're probably all wondering just what
the hell is going on here. Well, this (he gestures dramatically, taking in
the grandeaur that is the turbolift and it's shaft) is the Mattcave, the state
of the art, brand new...

Gos (whispers to Mackie): 'Brand new?' Didn't he have you rip off the the
plans for the Story Command Center and copy them?

Mackie: Gos, your mike is on.

Gos: Son of a....!!!

Man (ignoring them): ... brand-new headquarters for Lunatic Fringe
Fanfic Productions. From now on, THIS is where it's at. (pause) And who
am I, you ask?

Mackie: Why's he talking to the security camera?

Gos: We probably don't wanna know.

Man (whipping back his cape with a flourish): By day, I am mild-manered
fic writer Matthew Giglia, content to labor away anonymously at my
keyboard, cranking out fics for the enjoyment of those less fortunate than
I. But by night <the lights dim, and dark, dramatic music begins playing>
I transform! I become something greater! For you see, I am the Executive
Goofball of LFFP! It's great resources are mine to command! I am the
the eternal foe and enemy of the despot Tybalt! The very foundations of
the FFML tremble at my approach! <Draws sword and brandishes it at
Mackie and Hikaru, who by now are cowering in the corner> I AM MERCUTIO!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!! A PLAGUE 'A BOTH YOUR HOUSES!!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AH!!!!!!!! TREMBLE IN FEAR,
THOSE WHO WOULD OPPOSE ME,FOR MY POWER IS UNMATCHED BY ANY SAVE THE SCOURGE TYBALT WHO IS MY NEMESIS!!!! BEWARE, FOR
MERCUTIO HAS COME!!!!

<The lights suddenly blink and return to normal. The lift coasts to a stop.
Mercutio clears his throat, resheaths his sword, and straightens his
mussed doublet.>

Mercutio: Ahem. Yes. Well. <Turns to Hikaru and Mackie, who are still
dazed and confused> Shall we go?

<The three (after a little coaxing from Mercutio) exit the lift. They are now
inside a large room that contains a big-screen TV with stereo surround
sound, three couches, and two fridges, both within easy reach of the
couches. Mercutio takes his place of honor upon the centeral couch.>

Mercutio: Today, in honor of LFFP's new headquarters, I've decided
christen our MST center. I'm here as reviewer number one because, well,
I'm me. Gos-kun is here because I needed a member of the Ranmaverse,
and he was so pathetic he jumped at the first oppurtunity for attention I
threw him....

Gos:  Hey! You said you choose me because of my excellent grooming
habits!

Mercutio (continuing): ... and Mackie is here because the Lemon Division
demanded equal representation, and I refuse to get within ten feet of
Happosai or Moroboshi.

Mackie (smugly): That and the fact that i'm the only one who knows how
to work the VCR.

Mercutio: Yeah, just gloat why don't you, hentai boy.

Mackie: Hey, I am not THAT much of a hentai.

Gos (jumping in): Oh no? Explain the whole Sylia thing, then.

Mackie (indignantly): That's just a joke on my part! She's my sister! I
would never actually do anything with her smooth... sensuous... <eyes
lose focus and voice goes distant> ... hot... bod. I would never... ever
caress her soft... silky... curves... and her firm... ample... ooowahhhh......

Gos (triumphantly): I thought so.

Mackie (coming back to reality): Hey, you're just as bad with that camera
of yours and Akane! <pauses, thoughtful> Say, you've got some good
shots there. How do you get the resolution that high? I can never get my
cams to...

Gos: Well, first you need to get a good high-density film, and then...

Mercutio (interupting): ENOUGH! We have work to do here! Mackie, start
the film! <turns to the camera> I hope you've enjoyed the pre-show show.
<back to Mackie> Say, what has the honor of being our first-ever MST?

Mackie (leaning back on his couch and popping open a Yoo-hoo): Well,
today the archives came up with...


>  --------------------------------------------------
>  ^_- I L L	M E T	B Y	S T A R L I G H T ^_-
>  --------------------------------------------------
>  by Susan Doenime and Mike Loader
>
>  Based on characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi, and used
>  without knowledge or permission.
>  We ask that you obtain permission from us before printing, posting, or
>  storing this story in any form.
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Previous Chapters At: http://www.humbug.org.au/~wendigo/imbs.html
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  Chapter 9 - A Gathering of Ravens
>
>  Ignacio, lay dying in the sand
>  A single red rose clutched in a dying hand
>  And the women wept, to see their hero die
>  And the big black birds gathered in the sky
>  Mother of our joys, Mother of our sorrows
>  Intercede for him tonight
>  For all of our tomorrows.
>  - The Pogues

Mercutio: Where DO they get those quotes?

Mackie: Dunno, but I keep expecting something from Clockwork
Orange to show up.

>  Nabiki ran.
>
>  He had lived. Akane, _Akane_ of all people had showed up
>  with that strange boy, like a damn knight on a damn white
>  horse, and pulled Ranma to safety. Pulled him to safety with
>  the very rope Nabiki had so thoughtfully provided as an artistic
>  touch.
>
>  She winced. Her own overconfidence had tripped her up, her
>  desire to add insult to terminal injury. Arrogance when dealing
>  with Saotome was fatal; her first attempt should have driven
>  this fact home.
>
>  Still... Nabiki shook her head. Even if the rope hadn't been
>  there, she was pretty certain Akane would have found a way to
>  get him out. It wasn't Ranma she had underestimated, it was
>  her little sister.
>
>  The thought caused her to smile slightly in spite of herself.
>  Hopefully, she wouldn't be the last one to make that particular
>  mistake.
>
>  The downtown bus was just about to leave as she barreled up
>  to the route stop and through it's closing doors. Straightening
>  her toggle coat, trying not to pant, she took a seat by the
>  window as it pulled away from the curb.
>
>  Good and Bad needed totaling. On the Bad side... she winced.
>  Where to begin.
>
>  Ranma was still alive, that pretty much topped the list.
>  Akane was playing a much more active role than she had
>  expected; future ambushes might see her coming again into the
>  line of fire. And a new boy, one with a bladed weapon, was
>  with her. Nabiki had absolutely no idea who he was, which was
>  extremely unsettling. All in all, not wonderful news.
>
>  On the good side, it had been a clean failure. She had left no
>  traces of her presence, and her voice through the speaker had
>  been distorted enough to defy recognition. The speaker itself
>  was now at the bottom of a very deep chasm, along with the
>  straw dummy. No-one had seen her enter or leave, not a empty
>  candy wrapper had been left to mark her stay. Let Ranma scour
>  the grounds; phantoms might have engineered the deadfall for
>  all he'd discover.
>
>  In short, there was absolutely nothing that tied her to the
>  attempt. And the setup - a challenge to an abandoned building
>  that resulted in a trap - was very similar to Tsen's try. If she
>  was the one putting the pieces together, the Amazon would be
>  the first suspect on her list.

Mercutio: Ah, but it’s NEVER the most likely suspect.

Mackie: Actually, in ninety percent of all cases it is the
most likely suspect. The rest of the time it’s usually just some
nutball who did it for no apparent reason.

Gos: And Ranma has THAT job for this fic.

>  She shivered slightly. Not that Ranma wouldn't suspect her;
>  on the contrary. She knew with a sort of sick certainty that he
>  wanted her to be the guilty one, wanted her to slip. He would
>  probably arrange to talk to her some time when no-one else
>  was around...
>
>  A wave of sudden nausea swept over her, and she doubled
>  over, gagging as her lunch threatened to come up. Forcing
>  herself to straighten in her seat, she firmly shoved the panic
>  aside, making her mind run through account balances, debts
>  owed, anything but the bile in her throat and the fear in her
>  soul.
>
>  Someone chuckled, and rustled a newspaper. Two women
>  bickered over their husbands a few seats away. A thin man in a
>  black coat sadly stared out the window, gaze fixed on
>  something only he could see, while the woman sitting next to
>  him chuckled over something in her paperback and absently
>  folded an origami crane with her free hand.
>
>  Nabiki sat, a slender girl with an impassive expression, and
>  waited for her stop. She looked very fragile, one passenger
>  thought.

Gos: I’ve heard Nabiki called many things...

Mercutio: Creep, scum, money-grubbing bitch...

Gos: ...but never fragile. It’s not like her.

>  It was time to see the Hibikis. She had made her solo
>  attempt, and it had been a good idea, but she saw now that she
>  should have involved them from the start. Had Koji been there,
>  he could have prevented Akane from reaching the chasm until
>  it was too late to help.
>
>  Well. No use crying over spilled milk. Ranma was going to be a
>  lot less eager to walk into traps from now on, which meant
>  that motivation would have to be provided in the future.
>
>  About the only thing that she knew he would go after was
>  Akane, and that was out of the question.
>
>  Wasn't it?
>
>  Nabiki bit her lip. If she could trick her sister somewhere,
>  lock her in... It wasn't as if she were actually going to _hurt_
>  Akane. Not knock her on the head, like Tsen had. A few hours in
>  a locked room would do no harm, right?
>
>  She closed her eyes tightly. Not so long ago, she would have
>  laughed at the idea of kidnapping her little sister in order to
>  murder a houseguest. The idea somehow didn't seem very funny
>  at the moment.

Mercutio: Kidnapping Akane. Now WHERE have we seen this
before, hmm?

Mackie: Well, the Taro thing, the Kirin thing, the Toma-

Mercutio: I was being sarcastic.

Mackie: Oh. Right.

>  Well. She would meet with Koji, and see what she could see.
>  Maybe they had news, or ideas, or at the very least might know
>  who the boy with Akane had been.
>
>  The bus pulled up to Tai Park, and Nabiki stood to get off.
>  Someone's elbow jostled the arm of the woman across the
>  way, and the delicate paper crane tumbled to the floor.
>  Unseeing, Nabiki's shoe came down on it as she left, the
>  colored paper crumpling.
>
>  The sad-faced man tsked. His seatmate smiled, winked, and
>  resumed reading her paperback, right hand already fumbling for
>  a fresh sheet of paper.
>
>  Unnoticed, the broken crane slipped from the bottom of
>  Nabiki's shoe to fall, forlorn and discarded, in the gutter.

Mercutio: Really laying the imagery on thick today.

>  ^_-
>
>  "Hello, Ranchan."
>
>  Ukyou watched as her old friend blinked, his face moving into
>  something between a smile and a puzzled frown.
>
>  He laughed, the sound thin and confused, and then slumped to
>  the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
>
>  Concerned, she quickly walked over to kneel beside him,
>  Akane a few steps behind her. He looked so different...
>  something in her mind had expected to find the same six year
>  old, wearing a white gi and a mischievous smile, waiting to
>  snatch an okonomiyaki from a portable grill. Instead...
>
>  Her hand moved to his side, measuring the rise and fall of his
>  breathing. A bit shallow, but regular.
>
>  He had kept the tail, she saw. It looked good on him.

Mercutio: Oo! Plot hole!

Gos: Really?

Mercutio: Well, kinda. Ranma didn’t have the pig-tail when
he knew Ukyo. All he had was this tiny little scrap of hair that 
could BARELY be called a rat-tail. It didn’t get long until his
teenage years, and didn’t become the pig-tail until sometime
between the Amazons and arriving in Nerima. It looks
completely different from anything Ukyo would remember.

Gos: You actually took the time to research that?

Mercutio: Um.... well... yeah.

Gos: It’s official: He has no life!

>  "Hey, Ukyou. You, um, should probably take your hand off
>  really slowly."
>
>  Frowning, she looked up at the other girl. "Excuse me?"
>
>  "Ranma's... got these reflexes. It's probably not a good idea to
>  touch him when he's asleep."
>
>  Oh. Carefully, she slowly drew back her hand. "What's wrong
>  with him? He doesn't look hurt..."
>
>  Akane bit her lip, worry plain. "I think it might be a healing
>  trance. He once told me that you can push yourself further than
>  most people think, but that the body always demands you to
>  pay for it. I'm wondering just how long he had been hanging
>  there."
>
>  Nodding, Ukyou stared at Ranma's prone form. "It couldn't
>  have been for more than ten minutes; not if he was holding on
>  with one hand."
>
>  "I wouldn't be surprised if it was half an hour." Akane's voice
>  seemed unnaturally calm in the ruined chamber. "He has a way
>  of surprising people."
>
>  "So what do we do now? If we shouldn't touch him..."
>
>  Akane shrugged. "I guess we wait. I don't know how long he'll
>  be like this, but it's not going to hurt us to stick around for a
>  bit."
>
>  Nodding agreement, Ukyou sat down beside Ranma, taking
>  care to keep out of his aura. She could feel it even from where
>  she sat, a charged, tingling quality in the air; the sign of
>  someone skilled in the art.
>
>  Akane had moved to stand by the pit, a coldly angry
>  expression on her face as she stared into the black. She almost
>  looked, Ukyou thought, as if she expected the cause of the
>  ambush to rise from the chasm like a demon from a fable.
>
>  "Tsen," the Tendo girl finally said, pronouncing it like a
>  curse. "Again. Why don't they just leave him alone?"

Mercutio: Well, there’s the whole eye-gouging thing, the whole
has to marry him thing...

>  Ukyou blinked. "Who?"
>
>  "Tsen Wu. The Chinese maniac I mentioned earlier. This just
>  reeks of his style." Moodily, Akane walked over to examine her,
>  eyes full of a sort of hard intensity. "How serious are you
>  about this visit, Ukyou-kun? If you don't want to fight, you
>  should probably keep it short. This sort of thing is almost
>  normal around here."
>
>  Ukyou glanced at the sleeping form next to her. "I was his
>  best friend. No-one's going to hurt him until I get a chance to
>  catch up on old times."

Mercutio: And we all remember what happened to the last person
who was Ranma’s best friend.

>  The other girl smiled slightly. "I'm glad. The way the crazies
>  have been pouring in, I've been beginning to feel a bit
>  outnumbered." She paused, her gaze moving to the bandoleer of
>  throwing spatulas. "Uh... I'm almost afraid to ask, but what
>  sort of martial art form involves spatulas?"
>
>  Boy, Ukyou thought ruefully, if I had ten yen for every time
>  someone asked me that question. "It's a family school. The
>  Kuonjis were a sort of local legend in the old days... we made
>  the best okonomiyaki in that part of Kansai. Then times got
>  difficult; bandits, Ronin, desperate people... for a line that
>  depended on sitting by the side of the road and collecting
>  money as the day went on, it was a bit of a problem. Luckily, a
>  solution came along in the form of Masamune Shiri."
>
>  Akane blinked. "THE Masamune Shiri? Founder of the
>  Tetsutakido-ryuu schools?"
>
>  She nodded, only slightly surprised that the other girl had
>  heard of the long-dead master. "This was before he set down
>  his Rules of Steel Water, or founded any of the schools he
>  started. At the time, he was simply wandering Japan in search
>  of enlightenment, wisdom, and a good fight. He and Shin Kuonji
>  struck a deal - Shiri would teach his art, and Shin would feed
>  him for as long as the training lasted."

Mackie: You know, I think they’re making too much of that one
Anime episode where Ukyo mentions that her spatula was
‘hand forged by the great Masamune himself.’

Gos: I think she was referring to the OTHER Masamune; the
swordsmith and not the martial artist.

Mackie: Oh yeah, him.

Mercutio: You two just wanted to show off your knowledge of
Anime and obscure weapons, didn’t you?

Mackie & Gos: Maybe....

>  "And so he developed a style based around cooking
>  okonomiyaki?"
>
>  "Yup. Actually, a lot of the groundwork had already been laid;
>  a oversized spatula isn't that much different from a naginata
>  in form." Although the thing was a damn sight trickier to
>  reverse in midswing, she mentally added. "We like to think that
>  he developed many of his later ideas from building the Kuonji-
>  ryuu. In any event, none of our family ever had trouble with
>  bandits again. We sold our okonomiyaki in places no sane cook
>  would dream of going, and the family prospered from it. At
>  least, until recently."
>
>  "What happened?"
>
>  She winced. Over the years she had gotten a pretty good idea
>  of why the family had gone into decline. "Times turned good,
>  that's what happened."
>
>  Akane looked puzzled. "Good for Japan," Ukyou hastened to
>  add. "There's a distinct shortage of bandit gangs and feudal
>  wars going on. Everywhere's safe, so there's no real business
>  benefit in being a martial artist. All we had left was our
>  culinary skill, and even that wasn't enough, with the food
>  chains stealing away business. We were making just enough to
>  eat and buy the essentials, and that's when Saotome Genma
>  came along." The familiar rage rushed over her, and she felt
>  her face twist into a snarl.
>
>  "What did he do?" Akane asked, taken aback by her
>  vehemence. Ukyou mentally froze... should she tell Akane the
>  truth? More to the point, should she tell Ranma that his
>  childhood friend wasn't really a boy?
>
>  She remembered Akane saying that he didn't like 'sudden
>  moves'. Perhaps it would be best to go gradually; slowly
>  revealing things to him over time.
>
>  "My father was getting a little desperate, and when Genma
>  showed up, a wandering martial artist of great skill, with a
>  son my age who showed even greater promise... I guess it
>  seemed to him like Masamune Shiri all over again. He made a...
>  pact with Genma, giving him the yattai in exchange for certain
>  assurances. Only Genma didn't live up to his end of the bargain;
>  he took the cart and ran away with it. It was like the end of
>  the world." And, in a way, it had been. It was the end of her
>  femininity, her self-identity. Ucchan is dead, long live Ukyou-
>  kun, strapping young fellow.
>
>  The other girl winced. "I can see why you were upset at him.
>  Did Ranma...?"
>
>  She shook her head. "Ranma didn't know. I thought he did, for
>  a long time, but I finally beat the truth out of Genma. It was
>  all the old man's fault." She laughed suddenly, a funny thought
>  striking her. "Y'know, I was almost to the point where I was
>  ready to seek them out and make them pay for what they did. If
>  Genma hadn't blundered into my backyard, I might have shown
>  up looking for revenge, just like the others."
>
>  Akane shook her head. "Not like the others. You wouldn't want
>  to kill him. The others do."
>
>  "Yeah. I guess." She glance over at her old friend, watching
>  the almost hypnotic rhythm of his breathing. "I don't
>  understand how Ranchan could get so many people that mad. He
>  could rub on my nerves some times, but you could tell he didn't
>  mean to. He's just... insensitive."
>
>  To her surprise, the other girl chuckled. "He's changed, then.
>  Ranma's many things, but not insensitive. Blunt, at times, but
>  he always knows exactly what he's saying." The chuckle faded,
>  and Akane's expression turned thoughtful. It was not, Ukyou
>  felt, a pleasant thought that was being mulled over.

Mercutio: Maybe she’ll finally get a clue

Gos: You think so?

Mercutio: No, probably not.

>  "As for mad," Akane finally continued, "that's an
>  understatement. These people are obsessed."
>
>  You don't exactly seem uncommitted yourself, dear. "Who
>  exactly is after him?"
>
>  "The Hibikis, Koji and Mariko. Nice people, really. They just
>  want to kill Ranma. Mariko tried to blow a hole in me a few
>  weeks ago with a shotgun."
>
>  Ukyou froze, brain temporarily locking up. "She WHAT?"
>
>  Akane shrugged with studied indifference. "Yup. She saved my
>  life a little later, which pretty much makes us even."
>
>  Had she wandered into some weird schoolyard version of the
>  Old West? Ukyou got the impression that the other girl, faced
>  with a choice of treating it casually or panicking, was
>  choosing the former. With difficulty. "Okay... they martial
>  artists?"
>
>  "Good ones. Style focusing on endurance and strength.
>  Another odd family school; uses umbrellas as a weapon. Good
>  unarmed ability as well."
>
>  She nodded, mentally filing the information away. "Slow,
>  though?"
>
>  Akane winced. "Not exactly. Just... not really fast. It's more
>  of a lack of speciality than a weakness."
>
>  Ukyou snorted. "Heh. Okay, so what are their weaknesses?"
>
>  "They don't have any that I've seen. Hit them hard enough,
>  repeatedly, and they fall down. Don't trade hits with them;
>  they're stronger and tougher."
>
>  "Great."
>
>  "Yeah."
>
>  They sat in silence for a while, gazes slipping from Ranma to
>  each other.
>
>  "Hey, Ukyou-kun?"
>
>  She hated that appelation. Just one more reminder of what
>  she wasn't. So many boys who had called her that in
>  cameradrie, so many girls who had tried to use it flirtingly
>  with the handsome young Kuonji son. At least Akane was
>  already in love with someone... the kami had an ugly sense of
>  humor when it came to other girls and her. Perhaps she was an
>  ugly girl... she suspected that that was why Genma had left...
>  but she was a rather attractive young man.
>
>  "Yeah, Akane?"
>
>  "Could you tell me a bit more about what Ranma was like?"
>
>  An easy request. "Sure," she slowly replied, inspiration
>  striking her, "if you tell me about that he's like now."
>
>  "Fair enough. You first."
>
>  With a final glance at her old friend... who was really quite
>  attractive, lucky girl, Akane... Ukyou leaned back against the
>  wall, settling herself. "I first met him on a rainy day in June.
>  He loves the rain, you know...."

Mercutio: Not anymore. Ranma and water don’t mix now.

>  ^_-
>
>  Nabiki had worn canvas running shoes that day. It was, she
>  reflected sourly, probably a bad choice. The hidden stones
>  under the water were far enough down to thoroughly soak the
>  lower part of her shoes before she finished crossing.
>
>  Still, she glumly thought as she stared irritably at the island
>  in the lake, it had to be done. And never mind that the scummy
>  water would probably ruin a rather stylish pair of footwear.
>
>  The balancing pole was in the clump of underbrush where she
>  had left it. That was a relief; she still had a bruise on her hand
>  from breaking it off the tree. Destroying inoffensive objects
>  was really more Akane's forte.

Gos: Hers and damn near everybody else’s in that crazy town!!!

Mackie: Calm dow, Gos.

Gos: Oh. Sorry. You get bowled over and have your head used
as a stepping stone enough, you become bitter.

>  Tensing her leg muscles, Nabiki jumped to the first stone. It
>  was almost deceptively easy, actually. After making the
>  crossing several times, she knew exactly where the stones
>  were. The tricky part was the algae that had been steadily
>  forming on the tops of the rocks; the scummy water was a
>  natural breeding ground, and the slimy green stuff made the
>  stepping stones slippery.
>
>  Luckily, she had excellent balance. And a nice long pole to
>  use as a support if her balance turned out to be unequal to the
>  task of landing on slick moss.
>
>  Her foot skidded a bit as she landed heavily on the fifth rock,
>  and her free arm windmilled frantically has she fought to keep
>  from falling. Digging the pole firmly into the lake bottom,
>  Nabiki leaned into it, using it to steady herself.
>
>  She paused for a moment, catching her breath. Why the hell
>  did they have to make camp in such an inconvenient place? It
>  wasn't like a shallow lake would stop Ranma if he wished to
>  pay them a visit.
>
>  Sighing, she nimbly leapt to the sixth and last stepping
>  stone.
>
>  Her foot entered the water, which she had expected.
>
>  It kept going, which she hadn't.
>
>  Yelping, Nabiki gracefully plunged into the scummy water.
>  She surfaced a second later, spitting out lake water and
>  curses. The stone was gone. Someone had removed the damn
>  sixth stone. Someone was going to DIE.
>
>  She quickly trudged the few feet out of the lake, and
>  surveyed herself. Her clothes were soaked and stained, her hair
>  was coated with a thin sheen of algae, and her wallet...
>
>  After feeling about frantically in her pocket for a few
>  seconds, she confirmed that her wallet had indeed taken it's
>  leave of her. A week's allotment of cash, her ID, a almost full
>  phonecard...
>
>  She stamped her foot angrily. The squishing sound it made
>  was less than impressive, and did nothing to improve her mood.
>
>  It was hard to decide whether to scream or cry. In the end,
>  she did neither; muttering angrily, she stomped through the
>  underbrush towards the campsite.
>
>  The two Hibikis were in the middle of it, scraping something
>  off the top of a rather large boulder. At least, she thought they
>  were; it was becoming rather hard to see through the red haze
>  obscuring her vision.
>
>  Koji looked up as she stepped out of the trees. "Good
>  morning, Nabi... uh oh."
>
>  His sister glanced up and blinked. "Whoops."
>
>  Nabiki counted to ten under her breath, and reminded herself
>  that these people were not only her allies, but capable of
>  bending metal bars with their bare hands. Trying to strangle
>  them would be counterproductive.
>
>  That didn't stop the thought from being extremely attractive,
>  though.
>
>  "It's been a bad day," she finally said, picking a strand of
>  algae from her sleeve.
>
>  "Er," Koji managed. "The boulder was getting all slick, and so
>  we decided to clean it so that no-one would, uh, fall in..."

Mercutio: Poetic justice. Gotta love it.

>  "Thank you so very much."
>
>  Mariko winced.
>
>  Koji flushed bright red. "Er. Sorry. Would you like some dry
>  clothes?"
>
>  "Yes, I _would_ like dry clothes. My own. Sorry to disappoint
>  you, but I really don't feel like stripping for your amusement
>  today." Perhaps she was overdoing the amount of frost in her
>  voice, but she didn't give a damn at the moment. Life was
>  giving her lemons, so Nabiki was making lemonade and
>  throwing it in people's faces.

Mackie: Ohhh. No stripping, she spilled all the lemonade, and
there hasn’t been any exposed flesh all chapter. Why do I
bother hanging around?

Gos: The ever-so-slight possibility that there WILL be exposed
flesh?

>  "There's a clump of trees over there that do perfectly well
>  as a screen, y'know. And," Mariko tactfully pointed out, "you
>  ARE wearing a white T-shirt under that coat. Light-green
>  translucent at the moment."

Mackie: Hello nurse!!

Mercutio: Oh, good lord. I’m MSTing with an Animaniacs fan...

>  Nabiki turned a deep shade of red. Koji quickly moved his
>  gaze elsewhere. Mariko carefully kept a straight face.
>
>  "Right," Nabiki finally said. "Do you have a spare change of
>  clothes, Mariko-san?"
>
>  Digging about in her backpack, the girl tossed her a scuffed
>  pair of jeans and a grey sleeveless shirt. "Sorry, but I make it
>  a point never to loan my undergarments to strangers."
>
>  "No problem," Nabiki muttered sourly, glancing towards the
>  copse of trees surrounding the clearing. On a whim, she
>  removed her waterlogged toggle coat and began to pull off her
>  shirt.

Gos: Mackie, you’re, um, drooling on the leather couch...

Mercutio (muttering to himself): Grandma offered me the plastic
coverings, but noooooo, I was too cool for that. <glares at Mackie>
I just hope he never discovers the IMBS lemon. Sylia would kill me.

>  Mariko blinked. "Er, I did point out the trees, right?"
>
>  Tossing the damp T-shirt on the ground, Nabiki slipped out of
>  her jeans. "So? Your brother isn't watching. Much. Besides, I
>  got a good look at him the other day; only seems fair to return
>  the favor."
>
>  Smirking, the other girl glanced over at her redfaced brother,
>  who was resolutely staring in the opposite direction. At the
>  shiny metal coffeepot. "Koji, thank the nice lady."
>
>  "Shut up, Marichan."
>
>  Nabiki smirked slightly in spite of herself, and pulled on the
>  dry clothes. The fit wasn't the best; Mariko's frame was
>  considerably bigger than hers. Still, it was dry, which was
>  what counted.
>
>  Picking up some dry reeds from a neat pile next to the
>  cooking gear, Koji carefully placed them in the smoldering
>  embers of the campfire. They caught; and he added sticks and
>  branches to feed the fire, heaping a thin layer of sod over it to
>  mask the smoke. "You can set your things over here to dry," he
>  mumbled. "Shouldn't take more than half an hour, although
>  you're going to have to get the stains out with detergent or
>  something."
>
>  She carefully wrung out each article of clothing, noting with
>  amusement the flush that appeared on Koji's face when she
>  reached the undergarments, and draped them over one of the
>  logs by the fire. "There. Now we can talk business."
>
>  "Right," Mariko said cheerfully. "We have a job for you."
>
>  Joy. Now she was playing hired lackey to an overmuscled
>  jock and his psychotic sister. Heh. Well, she supposed it beat
>  working for the Kunos. The more things change...

Mercutio: You know, everytime somebody uses that phrase in a
fic, there will be inevitable comparison to TMTC. RpM has ruined
a perfectly good cliche.

Gos: Hey, lay off TMTC, Merc.

Mercutio: Oh, hush up. You just like it because you get cool
magical powers and a girlfriend.

Gos: Touche.

> "And what, pray tell, is this job?"

>  "Keeping your sister home tomorrow," Koji said bluntly.
>  "We've made an arrangement with Tsen. Saotome will not reach
>  the gates of Furinkan High alive."
>
>  Nabiki slowly nodded, mind racing. "You're going to triple-
>  team him, then?"
>
>  He nodded. "It isn't the most honorable tactic, but we're
>  running out of options. He is good, but not good enough to stand
>  against three skilled practitioners of the Art."
>
>  "We'd really like it if Akane were to stay home that day,"
>  Mariko added. "You know, safely out of harm's way. Somewhere
>  where she won't try to stop us, and where she won't have to
>  watch us killing her boyfriend."
>
>  It was a good plan, Nabiki thought. It was a simple,
>  uncomplicated, reasonable plan that would probably succeed if
>  one certain little variable didn't get in the way....
>
>  "Akane may not be the only person we need kept away," she
>  said slowly, carefully keeping her face impassive. "Someone
>  else has entered the picture."
>
>  "Oh joy," Mariko muttered. "Does this one change genders
>  with water too?"
>
>  She blinked. "You knew about that?"
>
>  "Just found out recently. You could have told us, you know."
>
>  Nabiki shrugged. "Would you have believed me?"
>
>  The other girl grinned mirthlessly. "Probably not. I still don't
>  quite believe it. Okay, so who's this mysterious newcomer, and
>  why should we care?"
>
>  Wincing, Nabiki began running over the story in her head. "I
>  tried to kill Ranma this morning. Akane and some boy with a
>  bladed weapon saved him."
>
>  Mariko coughed. "Excuse me, I thought I just heard you say
>  you tried to kill an incredibly skilled psychotic martial artist."
>
>  "I lured him into a deadfall. If my sister and her new pal
>  hadn't shown up, he would have fallen about half a mile to his
>  death." You didn't have to be a martial artist to get things
>  done, she thought fiercely. She had come closer than any of the
>  others, even if she couldn't stand against any of them in
>  combat. It was the quicker mind that inevitably won; that was
>  why humans ruled the planet instead of lions or bears.

Mercutio: Lions and tigers and bears. Oh my!

Mackie: You are not Kasumi.

>  She wasn't finding Ranma's death inevitable at all, though.
>  Did that mean that _he_ had the quicker mind, or that he was
>  simply a very, very good predator used to taking down more
>  intelligent prey? Neither was a particularly attractive answer.
>
>  The Hibikis stared at her in shock.
>
>  "Er, when you say 'almost had him'...." Koji began.
>
>  "I mean he was hanging by one hand over a crevice for about
>  45 minutes. And I think he was starting to lose his grip."
>
>  "Yeah, that sounds like an almost to me," Mariko finally said.
>  "So you're going to need some protection, huh?"
>
>  Nabiki shook her head. "He doesn't know it was me. I'll be
>  fine." Please, God, please let him not guess.
>
>  Frowning, Koji leaned forward slightly. "Are you sure,
>  Nabiki-san? You know what he'll do if..."
>
>  "Yes, damnit, I know!" she snapped. "He'll kill me or rape me
>  or both! Believe me, I know that I'm walking a thin line. I'll get
>  out when and if the time comes, and I don't need you reminding
>  me how close I am!" She sagged, and slumped down on the log.
>  She wasn't going to cry. Not in front of people, not in a
>  borrowed shirt and jeans.
>
>  "He scares you, doesn't he," Mariko said quietly.
>
>  She nodded, the motion almost imperceptible. "Yeah. He does.
>  Not you?"
>
>  The other girl shook her head. "No. I hate him, I recognize
>  that he's better in the Art than me and dangerous, I see that
>  I see that he can do a lot of harm to people I care about. But
> I don't fear him.  I wouldn't give him the satisfaction."
>
>  The satisfaction. She knew that he was aware that she was
>  terrified of him, and she also knew with a horrible certainess
>  that he enjoyed this, savored it.
>
>  "Well, I'm not you, and he scares me. I can't help it, and the
>  worst part is that I think he knows it. I'm not a fighter like
>  you two. If he decides to get rid of me, he can take his time
>  and _enjoy_ himself, and there's not a damn thing I can do
>  about it."
>
>  The image of just what he might do rose again, and the
>  cramps in her stomach returned with unnatural speed. Choking,
>  she stumbled towards the underbrush, the mochi Kasumi had
>  packed for her surging up. She stood doubled over, eyes burning
>  with tears as she brought up everything in her stomach.
>
>  She could feel the two pairs of eyes on her, and that
>  awareness helped pull her out of it. Dabbing at her lips, and
>  spitting to lessen the bitter taste in her mouth, she
>  straightened and glared at the worried looks she was getting
>  from the Hibikis. "Something in the food was a little off this
>  morning. I'm fine, okay?"

Mercutio: Off? In KASUMI’S food? Not bloody likely.

>  "Glad to hear it," Mariko commented mildly. "Lots of that
>  stomach bug going around these days."
>
>  Koji just looked at her sympathetically, a hard edge hidden
>  close beneath the concern.
>
>  The defiant posture vanished. She wasn't fooling anyone.
>
>  "It's stupid," she mumbled. "He'll die tomorrow anyway,
>  right?"
>
>  They nodded, and she forced a smile. So many things that
>  could go wrong, so many things that could happen between now
>  and tomorrow morning. Perhaps she should just stay away,
>  come home late that night....
>
>  No. For one thing, it would certainly make him suspicious.
>  For another, well... she needed all the information she could
>  get on this stranger, and the best source of information would
>  be Akane.
>
>  Besides, she didn't think she could handle coming home to
>  find him waiting, standing in the darkness of her room.
>
>  "I'm gonna go back and change now," she finally said. "I'll
>  make sure Akane stays home. I'll keep her there if I have to
>  break her ankle."
>
>  Mariko nodded. "Good. I don't think we could make an attack in
>  her presence without putting her at risk."
>
>  She almost sounded concerned, there. "I'm glad to hear you've
>  got such regard for my sister's welfare."
>
>  The other girl winced. "Yeah, well, we had a talk, and I've
>  been thinking. And I like her, and she doesn't deserve this. None
>  of us do."
>
>  "Right." She pulled off the shirt, causing Koji to once again
>  gulp and avert his eyes. Repressing a smile, Nabiki quickly
>  dressed, her spirits rising slightly. The poor guy was cute
>  when he turned red like that. Her own clothes were still a bit
>  damp, but were suitable to wear until she got home.
>
>  On an impulse, she turned to him after pulling on the last
>  article of clothing. "Hey, Koji, after this is all over... care for
>  lunch?"
>
>  "Huh hah uh sure?"
>
>  "Cool. You're buying, right?"
>
>  "Yes, um, of course...."
>
>  Mariko rolled her eyes. "That's my brother, Mr. Suave. Try not
>  to completely crush his will, ne?"
>
>  Nabiki smirked. "We'll see." Her face sobered suddenly. "I
>  expect this to end tomorrow, one way or another. I'll do my
>  part."
>
>  "And we'll do ours," replied Mariko. "Just be careful."
>
>  "Careful enough." And with that, she strode briskly off,
>  trying not to wonder about what waited at home.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  "...so the agreement with my Dad and Mr. Saotome was
>  made..."
>
>  Akane broke off, noticing Ranma stirring. Was he waking up?
>
>  His eyes flicked open.
>
>  "Akane?" The tone was questioning and unsteady, yet
>  strangely relieved.
>
>  She felt a warm feeling come over her. "I'm here. What
>  happened? Was it Tsen?"
>
>  A faint smile moved across his face, and he sat up. "Dunno. I
>  never saw the person who...."
>
>  He froze, staring in shock at Ukyou.
>
>  The other boy smiled, somewhat shyly. "Hello again,
>  Ranchan."
>
>  Akane watched as Ranma's face slowly moved into an
>  impassive mask. "Hi, Ucchan. Long time no see."
>
>  Ukyou looked slightly hurt. "Boy, you sound happy to see me."
>
>  The mask gave way to the crooked smile. "Sorry. Attempts on
>  my life make me impolite. So... what brings you to Nerima?"
>
>  She could almost feel the tension rolling off him, crackling
>  in the air, and for a second she was sure that he was going to
>  attack Ukyou.
>
>  The okonomiyaki chef gave him a strained smile. "I came to
>  visit you, actually. Your father passed through Kansai not long
>  ago, and I... persuaded him to tell me where you were staying."
>
>  Ranma nodded, watching him carefully. "I thought you might
>  be upset. Over the yattai."
>
>  "I thought you didn't know," Ukyou said, his voice shaken. The
>  crooked smile bent further.
>
>  "I didn't, at the time. When I got a little older,

Gos: and wiser...

Mackie: and crazier...

>I figured out  that he had stolen the thing. And that led to the
>thought that Ol' Ucchan wasn't running after us to say goodbye."
>The smile twisted. "A real nice cart, your yattai was."
>
>  "Yeah. It was," Ukyou replied flatly. "I had a nice long talk
>  with your father over it."
>
>  Ranma raised an eyebrow, and Akane almost shuddered at the
>  somehow eager expression on his face. "Didn't kill him, did
>  you?"
>
>  The other boy just stared at him. "No, of course not. Does
>  everyone kill everyone else over trifles around here?"
>
>  Chuckling slightly, Ranma smiled. "Only on weekdays. So.
>  You've grown."
>
>  "Well, it _has_ been ten years," Ukyou returned, beginning to
>  relax again. "You didn't expect me to stay six years old, did
>  you?"
>
>  Ranma laughed, and she was pleased to note the actual mirth
>  in it. "I suppose I did. Something in me thought that you'd be
>  there by the side of the road forever, getting an okonomiyaki
>  ready for me..." His voice trailed off. "Silly of me."
>
>  "Not at all," Ukyou said, shaking his head. "I was a little
>  surprised to find, well, you. As opposed to a six-year-old in a
>  gi."
>
>  "Oh, that little fellow. He met a bad end some time ago."
>  There was amusement in his eyes.
>
>  This was not going quite as well as Akane had hoped. Or
>  maybe it was. For the hundredth time, she wished that she
>  could read Ranma more accurately.

Mercutio: And Akane ignores subtle hint number 413 to crazy
boy’s true nature.

>  "Why don't we all head home?" she suggested brightly. "This
>  isn't exactly the place I'd pick for a reunion."
>
>  Ranma glanced at the chasm and shuddered. "Yeah. Good idea,
>  Akane."
>
>  She smiled, and headed for the door. "We can follow the same
>  path we went in with, and avoid the pits that way." At least
>  the physical ones, she mentally added.
>
>  Ukyou followed. Ranma took a last glance at the blackness,
>  stared speculatively at the okonomiyaki cook's back, and
>  walked after them.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Nabiki heard the front door open, heard the familiar and
>  unfamiliar voices raised in conversation. Ranma was home.
>
>  She had been unmeasurably relieved to discover that she had
>  made it back to the house first. Not that it really made that
>  much difference, but there had been something about the
>  thought of him waiting for her that just... wasn't pleasant. Nor
>  did she want to have to explain the waterstained clothes; at
>  least now she had been able to change into a dry outfit.
>
>  Kasumi's voice floated up, saying something about lunch.
>  Gritting her teeth, Nabiki closed her laptop, and leaned back in
>  her bed, thinking furiously. Her initial plan had been to hide out
>  in her room and hope that he wouldn't come in, but on second
>  thought... on second thought she could see that her "plan" was
>  no plan at all, just instinct and wishful thinking. The absolute
>  safest place for her to be was right next to Akane, and the
>  most effective place for her to be was talking to the stranger.
>  In fact, cowering here in her room was isolating herself and
>  giving Ranma a nice, private place to trap her in...
>
>  Nabiki quickly got up, furious with herself. She was letting
>  fear blind her into making stupid mistakes, which was not a
>  luxury she could afford.
>
>  She walked to the door, and had almost put her hand on the
>  knob when it opened. She took a step back. Ranma took a step
>  forward, and carefully shut the door.
>
>  And he smiled.
>
>  "What is it now, Ranma? I've got a test this Tuesday, and I
>  need to study." The tone was mildly exasperated, slightly
>  sarcastic, without a hint of sheer, blind panic. She wasn't sure
>  how she was managing it.
>
>  Ranma's smile grew. "I've had an interesting day, Nabiki-
>  chan. It's been very busy, and I felt like sharing it with you."
>
>  "I feel so privileged."
>
>  He pretended to wince. "I'm touched by your interest." His
>  voice grew softer, a velvety whisper. "Someone tried to kill
>  me today. It was a very clever little trap, and I fell right into
>  it. And... they could have finished me off. But they didn't. They
>  waited. Now, why do you think that is, Nabiki-chan?"
>
>  She shrugged. "I'd have killed you right away. If I intended
>  to."
>
>  "Hmm, yes, I really think you would." He smiled at her, and
>  she shrank back, the feral glow of his eyes overcoming her
>  careful pretense of boredom. "Except even if I was hanging
>  over a PIT with one hand, I don't think you COULD, and so you'd
>  have to WAIT." His voice had risen to a snarl, and he stepped
>  forward.
>
>  "You're crazy. Whatever it was, I hadaaaugh...." Her voice
>  choked off as one hand clamped around her throat, and she felt
>  her feet leave the floor. Seconds later, her back slammed into
>  the wall, his fingers never leaving her neck.
>
>  "I think you did it, Nabiki-chan. And even if you didn't, I think
>  you know who did." She stared at his smiling face, saw the
>  horrible eagerness in it, and tried to scream. All that came out
>  was a low gurgle.

Mercutio: Oh, THIS is original...

>  "Akane and Ukyou are downstairs. I told them I was coming
>  up to change, and then to ask you about the calc test. If I were
>  to yell, and they were to find me standing, horrified, over your
>  dead, gutted corpse, with a message of challenge scrawled in
>  the blood... well, that sort of thing has been happening a lot
>  lately, and I don't think they'd doubt me for a second."
>
>  His left arm twisted, and a familiar-looking Chinese knife
>  slid down into his hand from a resting place in his sleeve. The
>  light glinted off of it as he slowly raised it to her breastbone.
>
>  Nabiki stared at the blade, fascinated, and again tried to
>  scream.
>
>  There was a prick as the tip broke the skin. A thin trickle of
>  blood slowly began to creep down her chest.
>
>  She looked up from the knife to his face, desperately trying
>  to find even the slightest hint of mercy.
>
>  And the part of her mind that wasn't screaming in terror was
>  very surprised to see the raw fear in his eyes, directed at her.

Mercutio: Well, DUH. Anybody not afraid of Nabiki is either
stupid or cra- Oh. Never mind.

>  Slowly, almost carefully, he set her down. Removing the
>  blade from its place at her chest, he wiped the tip along her
>  hair, carefully cleaning off every particle of blood. The fear
>  still shone in his face, even as he kicked her legs out from
>  under her.
>
>  "Find out who it was, Nabiki. You have three days."
>
>  And then the door opened, closed, and he was gone.
>
>  She lay there, arms and legs at an angle, for what seemed
>  like a long time, trying to get her heartbeat back to a normal
>  rhythm.
>
>  And then she mechanically stood up, daubed at the small cut
>  on her chest with a tampon from her dresser, and sat back
>  down on her bed to regain her composure.
>
>  Choking back a sob, she flicked on the radio, and listened to
>  the cheery plastic pop music. Oddly enough, it made her feel a
>  little better.
>
>  It was time to run.
>
>  It was time to run because he had wanted to kill her, wanted
>  to so badly she could feel him almost shaking with the
>  eagerness to do it. He had wanted to slowly, painfully gut her
>  like a fish, savoring every minute of it, and the only reason he
>  hadn't was because something had scared him off. Nabiki
>  wished to hell she knew what it was. Ranma had looked almost
>  as scared as she had.
>
>  And so she really had no choice, did she? It wouldn't do
>  anyone any good to remain here and die, and at the moment she
>  really, really wanted to stay alive. So the only intelligent
>  thing to do was to go down to the train station, buy a ticket to
>  Osaka, and get a one-room to live in while she waited for
>  Ranma to be killed.
>
>  o/~ Warm bodies, I sense, are not machines that can only
>  make money o/~

Mackie: Ah, KRNY, the ironic radio station. Providing thoughtful
background music for all your fanfic needs.

>  After all, it wasn't as if she was going to spell the
>  difference between her sister living and dying. Koji and Mariko
>  and the Chinese fellow who had kidnapped Akane were there
>  to save her.
>
>  Except she was the only one who really gave a damn about
>  Akane's life, and if she ran away they might not mind killing
>  Ranma's girlfriend if it meant they got him in the bargain.
>
>  o/~ Cold dead eyes, almighty fear o/~
>
>  And if she ran away now, there'd be no-one to keep Akane out
>  of harm's way tomorrow. Which might foul everything up, get
>  her sister killed, or give Ranma the time he needed to get out
>  of the ambush.
>
>  Nabiki swore under her breath. This was stupid. She had to
>  get the hell out of Tokyo right NOW, and none of this worrying
>  over whether or not her little sister was going to become the
>  prey of a sadistic killer...
>
>  Yeah. Who was she kidding.
>
>  o/~ The shepherd won't leave me alone
>  he's in my face and eyes
>  the shepherd haunts my days o/~
>
>  One more day, and then Ranma was dead or she was on a train
>  to Hokkaido.
>
>  o/~ I make my stand here
>  with my heart and my head
>  I can't stop 'til I'm dea
>
>  She clicked off the radio.
>
>  One more day, one more day...
>
>  She really had no choice, did she? Her little sister, who she
>  insulted and photographed and took advantage of and lied to
>  and profited off of and loved... needed her here. And duty to
>  family had nothing to do with the silly, outmoded concept of
>  honor, and Tendo Nabiki would _not_ give in to some grinning
>  madman.
>
>  One more day. One way or another, it all ended tomorrow.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  "Hey, Ucchan."
>
>  Ukyou turned, smiling. "Hi, Ranchan. Did you talk to, uh..."
>
>  "Nabiki. Yeah, I did."
>
>  Watching him descend the staircase, she couldn't help but
>  notice how pleasingly his form had turned out. Different, yet
>  the same. Just like his personality. She could see her old
>  friend in every movement, hear him in every inflection, and
>  yet...
>
>  And yet there was something wholly alien about him,
>  something that was completely different than the boy she had
>  played with ten years ago.
>
>  "Where's Akane?"
>
>  "Kasumi sent her to the grocery store." She almost giggled
>  before catching herself; boys don't giggle, they laugh. Except
>  for six-year-olds. "Is it just me, or is Kasumi-san a little out
>  of it?"

Mercutio: Now THAT is the understatement of the millenia.

>  "Kasumi sees good in everything. She's a nice person. I like
>  her." He smiled faintly. "So, did you become a great
>  okonomiyaki chef, like you told me you were going to be?"
>
>  "Yes." She said it proudly, knowing that it was no idle boast.
>  "I'm one of the best in Japan."
>
>  Ranma grinned. "Doesn't surprise me. I thought you were the
>  best ten years ago... not that I would have said that in front of
>  your dad."
>
>  No, not that anyone would ever say that in front of Shin
>  Kuonji, who's parents had gifted him with an auspicious name,
>  a declining heritage, and very little natural talent in the
>  making of okonomiyaki. Practice goes a long way. Talent goes
>  further. Ukyou had both. Shin only had one.
>
>  "How is he, anyway? Doing well?"
>
>  No, he was half-insane, and believed his 'son' really _was_
>  male, and stayed up nights worrying that his handsome boy
>  would get a girl pregnant. "Father's doing fine. He works in a
>  restaurant, as the head chef." Although that was a bit too
>  glamorous a title, really. Him and three others in a place
>  somewhat fancier than a roadhouse.
>
>  Ranma tsked, the smile still firmly in place. "Never got
>  another yattai, then?"
>
>  "No." There _was_ no other. It had been in the service of the
>  Kuonji line for hundreds of years. The grill had been made by a
>  master craftsman, the wood carved with symbols of fortune
>  and skill. It was a shrine to their art. "No, we never did."
>
>  "It got bogged down in the mud, in the bad part of Nagasaki,"
>  he said, shaking his head. "I don't know why the old man took it
>  in the first place; he can't cook very well, and he certainly
>  can't do okonomiyaki. He spilled hot oil over the wood the first
>  time he tried, and ignited it." He laughed. "So it got bogged
>  down in a vacant lot, and sunk halfway into the muck. I guess
>  he had gotten tired of it by then."
>
>  "And did he sell it, then?" Ukyou said, keeping her voice
>  calm, her tone even.
>
>  "Not really. He was going to leave it there to rot. But then he
>  remembered the eta."
>
>  "Burakumin," corrected Ukyou numbly.
>
>  "So he found the poorer ones of them, the ones who dealt in
>  firewood and scrap metal, and he brought them to the yattai."
>  He smiled slightly at her look of horror. "And they took their
>  axes, and they broke it up. I think father made a few hundred
>  yen off of the deal..."
>
>  "Shut up!" she snarled, turning away. The pride of their
>  family, the symbol of their art - firewood to be pawed over by
>  scavengers. She felt like killing someone.

Mercutio: Hey, maybe SHE’ll get to be the one to whack Ranma!

>  "He used the money to get drunk for a day, so I suppose he got
>  some use out of the yattai after all..."
>
>  The combat spatula whipped from its sheath as she spun,
>  enraged. "I said, shut UP!"
>
>  And he had the gall to chuckle. "Upset, _Ucchan_?"
>
>  Every muscle in her body was screaming at her to swing. "You
>  make light of my family's..."
>
>  "Firewood."
>
>  Disgusted, she lowered the spatula and headed for the door.
>  Her old friend could rot in Hell for all she cared.
>
>  As her hand touched the doorknob, she suddenly turned,
>  knowing in a flash of insight what she would see.
>
>  Ranma, a hopeless look in his eyes shining through unshed
>  tears.
>
>  Returning, Ukyou sat down next to him. "That's not really
>  what happened, was it?"
>
>  "It was," Ranma whispered. "I knew it was wrong. I didn't say
>  anything."
>
>  "Even so. Ranchan, why are you trying to get rid of me?"
>
>  He looked at her. "People die here, Ucchan. Or will."
>
>  Shrugging, Ukyou replaced the combat spatula. "'Be prepared
>  to lay down your life for the training' was drilled into me as
>  well, you know."
>
>  "This isn't training. This is the real thing. They want to kill
>  me, Ucchan. I want to live. I don't want to hurt them, but so
>  help me, if they threaten Akane or me I'll make them _suffer_."
>  A ugly sort of expression moved across his face. "Akane's
>  nearly been killed twice, y'know."
>
>  "She mentioned that. Apparently someone called Mariko was
>  involved in both attempts."
>
>  Ranma laughed briefly. "I have a special place in my heart for
>  Mariko. Can you believe I once didn't like to hit girls? I'm a
>  real goddamn feminist now."
>
>  Ukyou desperately winked at him, attempting to insert some
>  levity. "Speaking of girls, nice catch with Akane. You're a lucky
>  guy."
>
>  He smiled, and it almost looked like the Ranma she
>  remembered. "Yeah. Real lucky. Akane's... she's..."
>
>  "Special?" The core of your life, and you didn't know it until
>  he left? She, of course, and she hadn't left him.
>
>  "Yeah." He smirked. "So don't get any ideas, okay, Ucchan?
>  You've got one of those faces the women go nuts over, like one
>  of those bishonen guys."
>
>  Yeah, she was a real ladies' man. "Don't worry. Akane's nice
>  enough, but she's not my type." She was female, for one thing.
>
>  "Heh. So. What now?"
>
>  Ukyou rubbed her chin absently; it was a very male gesture
>  she had purposely learned. "Remember our shogi games?"
>
>  He laughed, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "Yeah. We had
>  no idea how to play."
>
>  "But we made up some pretty interesting rules, you have to
>  admit."
>
>  "Oh, definitely. I always liked the one with the ants and the
>  creek."
>
>  She laughed. "Your dad gave us hell for getting mud on the
>  board. Anyway, I eventually did learn how to play, for real. Did
>  you?"
>
>  Grinning, Ranma stood and walked towards the dining room.
>  "The board's over here."
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Akane got home to find Nabiki waiting for her at the door.
>  "Hi, Oneesan. Care to give me a hand with the groceries?
>
>  Her sister said nothing, but took one of the brown cloth bags
>  and moved towards the kitchen. Frowning slightly, Akane
>  followed.
>
>  They set the bags down on the kitchen counter, and began to
>  unload the groceries. Soba noodles went in the cabinet, slices
>  of beef in the refrigerator, bread in the bin by the counter...
>
>  "So. Who's the new guy?"
>
>  Akane glanced at her sister. "Ukyou? He's an old friend of
>  Ranma's. They were kids together."
>
>  Nabiki frowned slightly. "Really. What's he doing here?"
>
>  "Just visiting. They haven't seen each other in ten years, and
>  they're catching up on old times." A thought struck her. "Did
>  they go somewhere?"
>
>  "Unfortunately, no. Both of them are sitting at the shogi
>  board sipping tea and smirking."
>
>  She knew Nabiki didn't like Ranma. Apparently that dislike
>  extended to his friends as well, which was intolerable.
>  "Nabiki, leave them alone, okay? I imagine seeing an old friend
>  after years apart is very special."
>
>  Her sister stared at her incredulously. "Me. Leave Ranma
>  alone. Why, sure, Akane, I'll do that. Make sure you tell him the
>  same thing." The bitter tone in Nabiki's voice surprised her.
>
>  "Nabiki, why do you hate him so much?"
>
>  "He's insane, Akane." It was said flatly, as if it were a
>  proven fact. "He's an insane monster using all of us for some
>  private little game. And he's using you more than anyone."

Mercutio: Oooo, a confrontation. This’ll be good.

>  Akane turned away in disgust. "He's hurt. What he's been
>  through... I don't think you can imagine it. Ranma's not using
>  anyone, Nabiki; he's trying to keep his head above water."
>  Imagine, Nabiki having the gall to accuse someone of
>  manipulating people! Nabiki! "I've only seen one person in this
>  house playing games, and it isn't Ranma."

Mackie: You know, you almost have to admire Ranma. He’s pulled
off a damn fine snow job with Akane.

>  Her sister winced. "I'm not doing..."
>
>  "Oneesan, you've been manipulating and taking advantage of
>  me for as long as I can remember. Don't bother denying it,
>  because we both know it's true. Just like it's true that you'll
>  rip off anyone you meet, with no regard to how they might feel.
>  You lie, you con, you use me and my friends and everyone you
>  know like they were some kind of private bank account. So tell
>  me, Nabiki, why the hell do you expect me to believe a word
>  you say?"
>
>  Nabiki looked as if she had been slapped. Part of Akane's
>  mind felt guilty for the harsh words, but... enough was enough.
>
>  "I'm your sister, Akane. Doesn't that count for anything?"
>
>  "Yes. Yes it does. I would have put anyone else who did the
>  things you've done in the hospital." Years of something that had
>  been buried deep inside her swelled, rose up, burst. "Do you
>  have any idea how much easier my life would be without you? I
>  know who got Kuno interested in me to begin with. I know who
>  humiliated one of my best friends and caused her to have to
>  transfer to another school! And I know all about the
>  photographs and the rumors and the information about me that
>  you sell, and you don't give a damn what it does to my life!"
>  Enraged, she locked eyes with her sister, almost oblivious to
>  the agonized gaze she was meeting. "I've put up with it all,
>  _sister_, because we're of the same blood. But so help me, if
>  you do anything to break Ranma any further I _will_ make you
>  pay. He doesn't need you blackmailing him. None of us do."

Mercutio: Nice speech. Thumbs up.

>  "Damnit, Akane!" Nabiki's voice was a tortured whisper. "He's
>  going to kill you! Don't you fucking get it? He's going to rape
>  and..."
>
>  She wasn't sure whether to feel pity, disgust, or sadness.
>  "Give it up, Nabiki. I remember how you "warned" me about
>  Yuki. I thought he was some sort of pervert! I even warned my
>  friends, and that rumor spread until he was practically a
>  pariah in Furinkan. And it wasn't until almost a month later
>  that I found out that it was all a lie, you just wanted me to
>  stay away from him in case I let slip that you were conning his
>  girlfriend. Do you have any idea how guilty I felt? And the
>  worst part is that _no-one_blamed_me_. I ruined his teenage
>  life, Oneesan. I think he eventually had to transfer to another
>  school too." She glared at her sister, who looked away. "Sorry,
>  Nabiki, but you've been handing me the same lies for sixteen
>  years. You can't fool me any more."
>
>  "Please, Akane. If you ever trusted me in your life..."
>
>  "I haven't, Nabiki. I haven't trusted you since I was old
>  enough to know better. Because you've spent your entire life
>  selling me out, and I don't see any reason to doubt that now. If
>  you'll excuse me, I've got English homework to do."
>
> The tide of rage faded halfway up the stairs, and for a
>  moment she considered going down and apologizing. Nabiki had
>  looked as if someone had punched her in the stomach.
>
>  But the simple fact of the matter was that everything she
>  had said had been true. And she should have told her sister that
>  a long time ago.
>
>  All the same, it hurt. A lot.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Nabiki found dinner that night to be a slow form of torture.
>
>  Of course, Ukyou was staying for dinner. He and Ranma and
>  Akane chatted idly back and forth about things of no
>  significance, while Soun and Kasumi smiled pleasantly. It was
>  almost frightening how normal Ranma appeared.
>
>  And then it was discovered that Ukyou, as of yet, had no
>  place to stay. And so of course he was offered the second
>  unused room.

Mercutio: If Happy shows up, he ain’t gonna like that.

>  She was unsure about Ukyou. He _seemed_ like a nice guy,
>  but then Ranma often seemed like a nice guy. And she could tell
>  that he was a martial artist, and that there was some sort of
>  tension buried under the smile and the conversation.
>
>  Nabiki finally concluded that Ukyou was a lot like Akane;
>  unable or unwilling to see what his friend was. But a lot more
>  dangerous than Akane. When her sister got mad, she yelled and
>  snarled and shouted, and then forgot about it. Ukyou, though...
>
>  Ukyou struck her as the type who got mad, and waited, and
>  planned, and prepared. And then settled the perceived score.
>
>  Was the boy an asset or a liability? Liability, at the moment.
>  She had little doubt that he'd fight at his old friend's side.
>
>  But Ukyou wasn't blinded by love, as Akane was. Give him
>  enough time to get to know the real Ranma, and then... even if
>  he didn't see the need to get rid of Saotome, he might at least
>  stand aside and not interfere.
>
>  Time, damnit, was the trouble there. Ranma was due to die
>  tomorrow. Hopefully without Ukyou anywhere near him. Or
>  Akane.
>
>  She sighed. Her sister had refused to so much as look at her
>  during the entire meal. Akane was really pissed.
>
>  And the worst part about it was that everything she had said
>  about Nabiki was the truth.
>
>  She didn't mind some of it. She knew that what she did hurt
>  other people. Tough. That's how life works. The people she
>  conned had it coming for some reason.
>
>  Yuki had been an arrogant bastard who deserved to fall from
>  his place in the sun. His girlfriend had been a snobbish bitch
>  with more money than her limited mind could handle. They
>  deserved it.
>
>  And Akane... she wasn't the only one who had troubles. Akane
>  had friends and was popular and liked, Akane had boys chasing
>  her by the truckload, Akane didn't have to worry about
>  anything, and so Akane deserved it for being everything that
>  Nabiki...
>
>  That thought was carefully buried.
>
>  No, Akane had been right about everything. But Nabiki had
>  already known it for a long, long time. Her deals caused Akane
>  pain and distress: boy, who'd have guessed. She was just sorry
>  that she had allowed the rift between her and her sister to
>  open so far. Because it was putting her sister in a lot of
>  danger, and because it hurt.
>
>  Too bad. Do the best with what you have.
>
>  Dinner ended, and Kasumi showed a yawning Ukyou to his
>  room. The poor fellow apparently hadn't had any sleep in 36
>  hours.
>
>  Ranma and Akane headed for the dojo. More 'training'. She had
>  seen the way Akane had moved after their last session.

Mercutio: You know, you’d think Soun would have noticed, even if
Akane didn’t ave any visble injuries. He strikes me as the type to
keep a very close eye on his daughters.

>  That was fine with Nabiki, though, tonight.
>
>  Sneaking upstairs, she crept into Akane's room and turned
>  the volume on the clock radio down to nothing. Her little sister
>  was going to oversleep tomorrow.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Akane sprang forward in a kick, shouting. A hand almost
>  lazily clamped around her ankle and swung, sending her flying
>  into a wall.
>
>  Without waiting for the ringing in her ears to fade, she slid
>  to one side seconds before Ranma's foot passed though the
>  place where her head had been. Executing a flip, she thrust out
>  in a series of straight punches at his midsection.
>
>  To her vast surprise, one of them connected, causing a grunt
>  of pain. She began her backwards dodge even before the attack
>  pattern had finished.
>
>  Not quite fast enough. A feint with one arm put her attention
>  in exactly the wrong place for a split-second, and then his foot
>  slammed upwards into her stomach. Gurgling, she doubled over
>  and a elbow pounded into her from above...
>
>  She lay on the ground for several seconds, retching, gasping
>  for breath, using all her self-control not to scream in agony.
>  Finally the pain receded to managable levels, and she pulled
>  herself to her feet.
>
>  "What did you do wrong?"
>
>  A wave of white hot fire ran across her nerve endings, and
>  she almost passed out. "I didn't... I used the aerial jump, which
>  I didn't know very well, against an opponent who is very good
>  at such attacks."
>
>  "What else?"
>
>  "I failed to view the entire person, instead of parts of the
>  person."
>
>  "Try again."
>
>  She screamed and charged, envisioning Tsen collapsing under
>  her onslaught, Mariko falling to the ground with a bloody nose...
>  Seconds before she met his defense, she snapped into
>  another form altogether, and launched a series of spinning
>  kicks.
>
>  And before those could connect, she dived forward and
>  crashed into him.
>
>  One fist pummeled down, hitting him in the stomach, while
>  her other hand blocked the palm strike at her face.
>
>  When she woke up, she was lying face down on the mat, a
>  thin trickle of blood running from one nostril.
>
>  "Very good. What did you do wrong?"
>
>  With great effort, she turned on her side to look at him. "I...
>  don't re... member..."

Mercutio: That probably means something, but i don’t know what.

>  Ranma smiled at her, and she noticed with pride the bruise
>  on one arm. "Never mind. You did well. Real well. Your speed is
>  up a lot, and you're actually using your head instead of relyin'
>  on what you were taught."
>
>  She grinned raggedly. "What time is it?"
>
>  "About one o' clock."
>
>  Without warning she sprang, and the kata she had laboriously
>  planned out over the last day leapt to life.
>
>  Her foot caught him in the chest, and as he compensated and
>  struck she swiveled around, twisted and pulled him forwards
>  in a throw as her fist shot forward.
>
>  Except that he didn't fly over her and into the wall, but
>  landed heavily atop her, his elbow impacting her side.
>
>  She gave a sharp cry of pain, and then their eyes met.
>
>  Suddenly, she was aware of every twinge, every ache, every
>  bruise, and aware of his weight on her body.

Mackie: I do believe we’re heading for a..

>  He opened his mouth to say something, and she surged
>  forward and kissed him fiercely, her arms tightening around
>  him. His weight fell more heavily upon her, pushing her back
>  down. She mewled slightly as his lips eagerly pressed against
>  hers, his tongue flicking out as his hands slid against her torso
>  and began to roam...

Mackie: YES!! We have achiened Lemon! Woo hoo!!

>  The world seemed curiously hazy, dreamlike, and her nose
>  was filled with the smell of blood and his scent as she
>  fumbled with buttons, ripped open his shirt. Those wonderful
>  hands pulled open the fabric of her gi top, cupped her breasts
>  through the thin undershirt, and she felt as if she was going to
>  faint from the sheer intensity of the feeling washing over her..
>  His tongue thrust into her mouth as one hand tore the
>  undershirt open, freeing her breasts, and another gently,
>  slowly pulled down the pants of her gi...

Mackie: Ohhhhh yeah..... c’mon, babee...

Mercutio: Note to self: Get Mackie neutered.

Mackie: Oh yeah, as if!!!

Mercutio: Your sister offered to do it for free, y’know. And she’s
been upgrading that vibroblade of hers...

Mackie: I’ll be good.

>  And then he ripped free from her embrace, a wild look in his
>  eyes replacing the warm glow, and lurched away unsteadily.
>
>  "Wait, please, I want..." she slurred, struggling to raise
>  herself.
>
>  "The training is over for tonight," he whispered, face
>  contorting, and then he fled.
>
>  Akane sat up, numbly pulled her gi shut to hide the torn
>  undergarment, and slowly began to cry.

Mackie: Damn! Coitus inter-

Gos: Please GOD don’t finish that sentence.

>  ^_-
>
>  Ukyou stumbled into the kitchen, yawning and squinting her
>  eyes in the morning sun. Ranma was already at the table,
>  poking at his food with an empty expression.
>
>  She waved to him. "Good morning, Ranchan."
>
>  "Morning, Ucchan. Sleep well?" His tone seemed to indicate
>  that whether she had slept well or not was all the same to
>  him.
>
>  "Yeah, I did. I guess I was tired." She glanced around; Kasumi
>  was cleaning up, the other sister - Nabiki? - was just getting
>  ready to leave. "Where's Akane?"
>
>  "She's not feeling well today," Kasumi said brightly. "I think
>  she's going to stay home and sleep."
>
>  "Oh." She had seemed fine last night... Ukyou shrugged. "So,
>  are you going to show me your school, Ranchan?"
>
>  He smiled wanly. "Sure. It's very... schoollike. Maybe I'll
>  introduce you to Kuno."
>
>  "Kuno?"
>
>  "Yeah. You're going to love this guy."
>
>  "Oh? Witty?"
>
>  "Not that you'd notice. But he's funny as hell."
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Nabiki swore, and hurried on her way.
>
>  Ranma was walking to school with his old buddy Ucchan.
>  There wasn't going to be a three on one fight. It would either
>  be three on two, or nothing.
>
>  At least Akane wasn't going to be in the middle of things.
>  She permitted herself a slight smile. Ranma seemed to like and
>  trust Kasumi for some reason; and so when Oneechan had told
>  him Akane was sick he had accepted it as a statement of fact.
>  He had never even thought to ask _why_ Kasumi thought this.
>
>  If he had, he might have found out that Kasumi thought Akane
>  wasn't feeling well because A) Akane was still in bed, asleep,
>  and B) because Nabiki had told her older sister that Akane was
>  unwell, and would be missing class today. And Kasumi believed
>  everyone.
>
>  Ranma would have been alone and isolated if it weren't for
>  that damn Kuonji boy.
>
>  Cursing again, she dashed through the gates of Furinkan.
>  Perhaps Hikaru's news would help solve things.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Koji watched as Ranma and the other boy walked to school,
>  one on the fence and one on the ground. Damn.
>
>  He turned to face Tsen and Mariko, both concealed further
>  back in the trees. "He's got that newcomer 'Azusa' mentioned
>  with him. And I can tell just by looking at him that he's a
>  martial artist. What do we do?"
>
>  Silence. His sister scowled, and absently swung her
>  umbrella. "I could shoot one of them in the leg."
>
>  "No," he said flatly. "Tsen?"
>
>  The amazon shrugged expressively. "Is no hurry. Today Ranma
>  with strange boy. Tomorrow, maybe he not. Ranma not can be
>  with other people every minute of day. Is time."
>
>  Koji sighed. He wanted to end this, to finish the job once and
>  for all. But while an attack now might very well finish it, the
>  outcome probably wouldn't be one he'd like.
>
>  "Okay. We wait. But not much longer."
>
>  Mariko smiled sourly at him, and hefted her umbrella
>  meaningfully. "That's right, brother mine. Not much longer at
>  all. You have one week."
>
>  ^_-
>
>  School passed slowly for Nabiki Tendo. Finally, just after
>  fifth hour, she snuck into the Furinkan computer lab. Seating
>  herself at a run-down terminal, she logged on to her account
>  and waited.
>
>  --
>
>  Message from Talk_Daemon@furnkn at 09:47 ...
>  talk: connection requested by hikarut@LOCALHOST.
>  talk: respond with:  talk hikarut@LOCALHOST
>
>  ntendo@furnkn8%: talk hikarut@localhost
>
>  [Connection Established.]
>
>  :: hello, nabiki. i'm afraid i haven't got much time, this netcafe
>  :: is expensive.
>
>  >> Any news on Saotome? Or on this newcomer?
>
>  :: yes. it seems ranma is suspicious of you. his friend is
>  ::harmless, from what i've seen.
>
>  >> Suspicious?
>
>  :: he seems to think you tried to kill him.
>
>  >> Well. What a suspicious little prick he is. ;) Why do you think
>  >>Kuonji is harmless?
>
>  :: i've seen him speak to saotome.
>
>  :: he's a nice guy. just a nice guy looking out for a friend.
>
>  >> Well, he picked the wrong friend.
>
>  >> Do you think he can be steered away?
>
>  :: oh, i'm, certain i can get him moving in the right direction. no
>  ::worries on that score.
>
>  >> Good.
>
>  >> What about Tsen?
>
>  :: no idea, i'm afraid.
>
>  >> Damn.
>
>  :: nabiki, i saw you try to kill saotome yesterday.
>
>  >> Really.
>
>  :: mmmmmm-hmmm.
>
>  >> It doesn't concern you, Hikaru. And don't even think of trying
>  >>to use this as blackmail.
>
>  :: blackmail?
>
>  :: you have a one track mind, nabiki-chan.

Mercutio: Oh! Damn! I didn’t see that coming at ALL!! Cool!

>  >> Hikaru?
>
>  :: oh, i'm sorry, did you think this was hikaru?
>
>  :: he's occupied at the moment.
>
>  >> Is he okay?
>
>  :: not really. nabiki-chan, i warned you.
>
>  :: remember what i said?
>
>  :: too late now.
>
>  :: goodbye, nabiki-chan. see you real soon.

Mercutio: It’s official.

Mackie: She’s screwed.

Gos: And guess who’s holding the screwdriver.

>  [Connection interrupted.]
>
>  ntendo@furnkn8%:
>  --
>
>  Nabiki stared in horror at the screen for a minute, then
>  turned the machine off, grabbed her bag, and ran.
>
>  The game was up. Ranma knew to his satisfaction that she
>  had tried to kill him; it was no longer possible for her to stay
>  in Nerima. She would die if she did.
>
>  The halls were empty; classes wouldn't get out for a few
>  more minutes. Her feet slapped against the tile floor, the
>  echoes ringing like gunshots in her ears.
>
>  So many alcoves, so many doorways, so many places for him
>  to be hiding, waiting for her, smiling...
>
>  She turned the corner, and ran smack into someone.
>
>  She frantically backpedaled, opened her mouth to scream,
>  and then swallowed and ran past the puzzled student she had
>  just knocked down.
>
>  There, just ahead, the gate! Panic seized her completely, and
>  she fled out the door, expecting at any moment for Ranma to
>  jump out and drag her into the shadows. Drag her away to some
>  place private, where it would be a long, long time before she
>  was allowed to die.

Mackie: I’m surprised she doesn’t have a cyanide suicide pill ready.

>  She cleared the door, and burst out into the open air. The
>  schoolyard had a few people in it, and she felt slightly easier.
>  But she didn't slow.
>
>  Running, she turned left and charged up Ogawa Street,
>  pushing through the crowds of shoppers and salarymen. The
>  train station was only a few blocks away; if she could just
>  reach the station she would be home free. The people, the
>  noise, the roar of the cars all comforted her; she was
>  surrounded by witnesses.
>
>  And it wouldn't be over, either. She could use the net
>  terminals in Osaka or Kyoto or wherever she wound up to use
>  her remaining spies against Saotome. And the very fact that
>  she had fled the city might help convince Akane that this was
>  real, and that Nabiki really was afraid for her life and that of
>  her sister.
>
>  The crowds thickened, and Nabiki saw the gate of the station
>  just ahead. Elbowing and pushing her way through the mass of
>  people, she made for it.
>
>  She had given it her best shot. Akane would have to do the
>  best she could, too. Which probably would be considerable. Her
>  little sister could surprise. Certainly she had never expected
>  Akane to save...
>
>  Her foot caught on something, and a push from her left sent
>  her staggering off the curb. The concrete bit into her knee, and
>  she picked herself up, irritated at...
>
>  The scream of brakes became the world, and Nabiki stared in
>  fascination at the silverglinting radiator grill, shining cold in
>  the sun. Movement off to her left but that didn't oh my god...
>
>  Impact, and she felt her rib cage shatter as she flew through
>  the air. Blue sky, and sun, and it was so light....
>
>  Back to earth, and her arms and legs flew in crazy patterns
>  as she skidded. Oh, no. Oh no. No...
>
>  She was hurt, fuck, bad, oh God, she couldn't move.... her left
>  arm was flopping like a fish, and she didn't want it to... why
>  was it doing that, oh no, no, no...
>
>  Her chest hurt, and she coughed, and it was painful to do. An
>  odd sinking feeling rose in her mind, and her vision turned red,
>  and oh God, she was going to die, no, please no...
>
>  She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out, just
>  a red, bubbling froth that welled up, choking her. No, please,
>  no...
>
>  The muscles of her neck seemed to turn to jelly, and her head
>  slipped to one side as the red mist in her eyes began to grow
>  deeper, deeper... Ranma, there he was, just a few feet away,
>  with that odd expression...
>
>  The red of his shirt blended with the red in her vision and
>  faded to purple, then black, she couldn't see, no, no...
>
>  Her sense of self wavered, no, she didn't want to, God, no,
>  she was afraid, please no, it rippled and rushed up at her, no,
>  please no...
>
>  Oh God, I don't want to die, please, I don't want t

Mercutio: Oh. My. God.

Mackie: They actually killed her off. I don’t believe it.

Gos: Damn.

Mercutio: I’m feeling oddly conflicted. On the one hand, she’s dead
or a reasonable facsimile thereof. That’s upsetting and disturbing.

Mackie: And on the other hand?

Mercutio: It IS Nabiki. I’m having to resist the urge to jump up and
start singing ‘Ding-dong the Witch is Dead.’

>  ^_^

Gos: As if the damn winks weren’t creepy enough, now we have
smiley faces. I’m guessing that’s not a good thing.

>  "How was Mrs. Ikuse, Kasumi?"
>
>  "Fine, father. Her flowers are doing nicely."
>
>  "Good, good. She gave me one of her figs once. Very good.
>  Very tasty."
>
>  "Her husband used to raise them, as a hobby. He was very
>  proud of them."
>
>  "He should have been. It was very good. Do you know any
>  recipes with figs, Kasumi?"
>
>  "I think I do. I'll look."
>
>  "I might do a little work in the garden today. There's an
>  arrangement of rocks that needs work."
>
>  "The one in the northern corner?"
>
>  "Yes, that's the one."
>
>  "I think it looks a bit crooked."
>
>  "Yes, exactly. It may take some work."
>
>  The phone rang.
>
>
>
>  -< End of Chapter 9 >-
>

Mercutio: Well. That was... something. To say the least.

Mackie: Yeah.

Gos: No kidding.