formerly "Nabiki: Traveler"

Hello.  

I know I said I would have this out on the 14..no...the
15...well whenever.  But the mail server went down and 
then I left for spring break where I had no computer 
access.  You get the picture.  So here it is.

Disclaimer: I didn't do it!

C&C very welcome.  Also flames, mail bombs and death threats

Enough talk - Fanfic!!

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Nabiki: Traveler
Chapter 2

	There was a bright flash of light.  For a moment time seemed 
to be frozen, trapped between one second and the next.  Somewhere 
something changed.

	Nabiki groaned from her prone position on the ground, 
wondering not for the first time, why the jump couldn't be just a tad 
more pleasant.  No matter how many times she traveled it never seemed 
to get any easier.  There was just something about having your whole 
body torn apart molecule by molecule, then put back together again bit 
by bit, that tended to give her a major headache.
	Grumbling to herself, she stood up carefully; the throbbing in 
her head receding ever so slightly.  Almost automatically, she began a 
quick inventory of her situation.   She was in a small alley.  Close by 
was an industrial size garbage bin, the smell emanating from it 
suggesting that it was currently in use.  To her left was a wall where the 
alley dead ended, and off right she could see what looked like a very 
busy street which was currently occupied by quite a large number of 
pedestrians.  
	Quickly checking her wrist chrono, she determined that it was 
approximately one o'clock in the afternoon, which, judging by the sun, 
was probably pretty close to local time.  Her pack was currently lying 
at her feet where she had landed.  Suddenly, she heard a groan from 
directly behind her.  Spinning instantly into a defensive stance she 
searched for the intruder.
	"Jeez!  What happened!?" Ranma asked as he slowly got up 
holding his head in his hands.  Nabiki stared for a second as those final 
few seconds returned with crystal clarity.  Slowly she dropped out of 
her fighting stance, almost unconsciously, and stared at the newest 
addition to her already large collection of problems.  
	This is bad, she thought.  Deciding that that did not fully 
convey her feelings at this moment she tried again.  This is really bad.  
That didn't work either.  She continued to stare.  She counted to ten.  It 
didn't seem to help much.
	"Ranma?" she asked softly, closing her eyes and trying to will 
him away.
	"Yea! Who'd you think it was?" the ever tactful martial artist 
returned still rubbing his head.  Suddenly Nabiki became very, very 
angry.  She had almost made it, was almost there, and then this moron 
had to go and ruin everything!  Now she had have to spend who knows 
how much time trying to get him back.  It was just like Ranma to do 
something like this.  He was such a complete looser!
	"Why couldn't you just leave me alone!" she yelled sending 
the still disoriented Ranma back a few steps.  "Now you've gone and 
ruined everything!"  Ranma, still reeling from Nabiki's unexpected 
verbal assault kept backing up until he reached one of the walls of the 
alley.  Surprised, he looked up, then, his eyes widening in shock, he 
quickly began to look around to see where he was.
	"Wha." he began, completely forgetting about Nabiki.  
"Where the heck are we?  How'd I get knocked out?!" he asked Nabiki 
almost accusingly.  
	"Right now, I have no idea what universe we're in, much less 
where we are." she said trying to gain control of herself, "As to how 
you got knocked out.  That's because of the jump," she spoke slowly, 
her eyes closed.  She was so close.  So very close.  Deep down, she 
knew it couldn't all be blamed on the boy standing before her.  
Actually, it might be said that none of it was his fault, but right now she 
desperately needed someone to blame for this, and., apart from herself, 
he was the best candidate she had.
	"Why couldn't you just leave me alone!" she yelled, again 
loosing control as the imbecile just continued to stare at her.   "You just 
had to mess with my stuff!  Now look what you've done!  I didn't need 
a traveling companion you know.  And if I did it certainly wouldn't be 
some sort of mult-gendered freak!"  there was complete silence.  After 
a few seconds Ranma spoke, confusion evident in his voice.
	"Traveling companion?" his voice was tentative, almost 
nervous.  
	Nabiki's anger slowly began to dissipated.  Seeing the look of 
confusion on Ranma's face brought it all back.  The fear, the hope, the 
despair, everything.  She suddenly realized she was doing just what He 
had done to her.  With an extreme effort of will she forced her body to 
relax.  She slowed her breathing, breath by breath, then, once again in 
control, began again.
	"I'm sorry Ranma," she tried not sounding sorry at all.  
Concentrating, she tried again.
	" I shouldn't have yelled at you.its my fault.  I should have 
gotten rid of you earlier," she spoke softly, admitting error was not 
something she did easily, or often.  Looking up at him she made a 
careful study of his features.  He was confused, and a little nervous.  
She didn't blame him, but knew better than to comment.  Walking to 
the nearest wall she dropped her pack and sat down.  She motioned for 
Ranma to follow.  After a few seconds he did.  
	Sitting across from the teenage shapeshifter Nabiki was once 
more her calm, calculating self. 
	"We traveled Ranma," she said, still watching his face closely 
as she spoke.
	"You mean," his eyes opened in wonder, "we're in another 
world."  He paused, a little nervous. Ranma wasn't often in the habit of 
thinking, but he wasn't exactly stupid either.  
	"What world is it?" he suddenly became very excited, "Do 
they have a cure for my curse?"  
	"Ranma, there's something else you need to know first," 
Nabiki paused.  Once she regained the errant young martial artists 
attention she took a deep breath and continued.  "I can't take you 
back."  Ranma stared, suddenly he started to become angry in his own 
right.
	"Why not?!" he asked staring straight at his companion.
	"Because you can't pick where you want to go," she said, her 
own anger flaring again in response to his.  Realizing she was loosing 
control yet again she began to take several long deep breaths.  She had 
to keep control of herself, her temper had gotten her into enough 
trouble already, she didn't need anymore.  
	After a few seconds she continued, once again her old self, "I 
can't direct the travel, but I can control it a little.  I am able to regulate 
the power of the jumps so that we don't stray to far from the universe 
we start from.  But I have absolutely no say in where we end up.  The 
best we can do is see how close we can get to your universe.  As we get 
closer I can reduce the power until we reach the exact one we left 
from,," she tried not to consider the possibility that they might never 
find it.  
	It is possible, she thought fiercely fighting back the despair as 
she always did.  I will get back. 
	"It may take some time." she trailed off, the look on 
Ranma's face telling her she'd lost her audience long ago.  
	"Let's just say, the best I can do is try.  We'll probably get 
back.in time."  She almost winced as she spoke those words.  Words 
she had heard before, and not from herself. 
	"How long?" Ranma asked, sounding not at all as disturbed as 
Nabiki felt he ought to be.
	"I'm.not sure.," Nabiki trailed off as Ranma stood up.
	"Ok, let's go find out if they know a cure for my curse then," 
he said missing the look that crossed his companion's face.
	Nabiki wanted to scream.  The idiot thought this was some 
kind of game.  Didn't he know how long it might take to find his way 
back.  She so desperately wanted to beat some sense into the looser but 
restrained herself.  Besides, who knows, this Ranma might even be able 
to beat her.she almost laughed at that thought.  Yea right, and Akane 
is isn't a violent tomboy.  Ok, explanations would have to wait, but 
there was something she had better give him now before he ran off and 
did something stupid.  
	Quickly she opened up her pack and, rummaging around 
inside found another small wrist device like the one she was wearing.  
Quickly grabbing his arm she strapped it on him
	"You'll need this.  It's synched with mine so when one of us 
ports, we both will, and to the same world.  I'm turning off both 
timers," she said as she did so, wishing she had thought to do that 
yesterday. 
	"It shouldn't go off unless you set it to," she finished tying on 
the elaborate wrist strap, and released his arm.   
	"If we have to jump I'll try to give you some warning so try to 
get some distance between you and everyone else.  And one more 
thing," she said looking him directly in the eye and using her most 
threatening voice, "Don't touch anything."  Ranma rolled his eyes but 
nodded.  He then  began walking out to the street.
	Cursing under her breath Nabiki quickly repacked and once 
again hefted her pack.  She desperately wished she could trust Ranma 
with it, it would sure be easier than carrying it herself, but knowing him 
he would probably loose it or damage it within an hour.  Soon she 
caught up with the errant martial artist.
	"Where do you think your going?" she asked in a particularly 
sarcastic tone of voice.
	"I'm going to find out if they've got a cure for my curse," he 
replied, sounding slightly annoyed.  The fact gave Nabiki an almost 
sadistic pleasure.  After all, he was the one who had just lost 
everything, he should be at least upset as she was.
	"Oh, and how exactly are you going to do that?" she asked 
sounding deceptively sweet.
	"I'll just go home and ask," Ranma replied with absolute 
confidence.
	"Well I'm not going with you." Nabiki said, more annoyed 
than ever by the way he was taking this.  She'd just told him that he 
was lost in a parallel universe, he wasn't supposed to be nonchalantly 
headed home.  Besides, she wasn't going back, meeting herself once 
was bad enough, there was no way she was doing it again.  
	"So?" he asked, seeming almost genuinely puzzled.  So you'll 
be completely helpless, she wanted to yell at him.
	"I don't think it's a good idea for us to get separated." She 
said, surprising herself by sounding calm and reasonable.  "Not until 
we know what type of universe this is.  It might be dangerous," she 
tried to ignore his almost arrogant look.  No, strike that.  His definitely 
arrogant look.
	 "Later you can do whatever you want, if its not too bad."
	"Where do you want to go then?" he asked throwing his hands 
in the air.
	"Ucchan's Okonomiaki," Nabiki said as she quickly removed 
her pack and removed a small black device.
	"Ok.I guess I could use something to eat," he replied as he 
tried to determine what exactly she was doing.
	Nabiki ignored him as she activated the MAP.  Leave it to a 
Hibiki to come up with something that could not only tell you where 
you were, but where everything else on the planet was as well.  `Locate 
anything anywhere' was their slogan, and it was accurate to a fault.  
She still found it amazing that it worked in every universe she'd been 
in. She wasn't complaining though, and just because she didn't 
understand it didn't mean she wouldn't use it.
	"When we jump there is usually a small spatial shift.  If we 
aren't close enough to each other we'll probably be sent to random 
locations every time.  So be ready just in case," as she spoke she began 
typing into the device.  She almost never used the verbal interface 
unless she was near the point of collapse.
	She got the location, and turned off the MAP.  Almost as an 
afterthought she added, "If we get separated meet at Furikan, that's 
there in almost every universe I've been to."  She paused as she once 
again hefted her pack, "Come on" she motioned Ranma to follow as 
she set off, once again that familiar hope rising within her.

	The two travelers proceeded in almost complete silence as 
they walked.  Ranma was scrutinizing everything.   Almost eagerly, 
Nabiki thought with no little annoyance.  For her part, she was 
uncomfortable and a little unsure of what, if anything, to say to this 
Ranma.  She really didn't know all that much about him.  Suddenly he 
disappeared from her side.  Looking up she instantly located him 
casually walking next to her on the fence post.
	"What are you doing?" she asked, annoyance beginning to 
overcome her extremely limited self restraint.
	"Nothin'," he said in that tone which was really beginning to 
bug Nabiki.  Though she had to admit, his feat was impressive.  Her 
Ranma couldn't have done it.  Obviously the differences between the 
two were somewhat less than superficial.  That thought did nothing to 
reduce her unease.
	"Ok, if you want to make a fool of yourself, go right ahead," 
she spoke offhandedly trying to get him flustered, but he just ignored 
her.  She decided to ignore him right back.  How could he be such a 
freak anyway, here she was trying to help him, and he didn't have the 
decency to at least be polite.    
	It was less than a minute later that two walked into Ucchan's 
Okonomiaki.  It was mid afternoon so the small restaurant was almost 
empty.  Upon entering Ukyou looked up from her place behind the 
grill, and, seeing Ranma, was suddenly all smiles.
	"Ranchan!  I'm so happy to see you," noticing his look she 
added, still smiling, "Would you like some Okonomiaki," as she spoke 
she began to get out some ingredients not even needing his answer.
	"Ukyou, you're the best!" Ranma returned almost instantly 
sitting at the table.  Nabiki took a place beside him.  Once sitting down 
she slug off her pack and began looking around.  She had to fight back 
the excitement beginning to rise within her.  It was almost exactly the 
same restaurant she remembered. 
	"Hi Nabiki.," Ukyou said giving her a strange look as she 
stared at her, "what's with the outfit?" the question took Nabiki by 
surprise.  Almost self-consciously she fingered her bandanna and did a 
quick once over.  Black pants, dark brown shirt, leg-bindings, 
everything normal.  She could almost taste her disappointment as she 
realized that this universe was another dead end.
	Ignoring the hollow feeling within her she tried to smiled back 
pleasantly, "Just trying something new," Ukyou gave her a nervous 
look but said nothing.  
	Soon the spatula wielding martial artist was too caught up in 
her Okonomiaki to pay much attention to the strange attire of her 
schoolmate.  In less than a minute she had produced a culinary 
masterpiece of Japanese cuisine.  The two hungry travelers dug in.  
Nabiki could hardly believe how good it was, she hadn't had food like 
this in far too much time.
	Never forgetting her reasons for coming, she was just as she 
was about to try some surreptitious questioning when the door opened 
and someone new entered.  Nabiki turned around to see a rather short 
red hared girl in a Chinese outfit enter the shop.  Nabiki studied the 
girl, becoming uneasy.  It was Ranma alright.  She prepared herself for 
a confrontation.
	The girl, much to Nabiki's surprise, did not share her unease.  
As soon as she entered the girl made a beeline for where they were 
sitting.  Quickly jumping onto a stool next to the boy currently gorging 
himself on Okonomiaki she gave them all a warm smile.  
	Ukyou returned the smile with a tiny salute and a greeting, 
"Hey Ranko."
	"Hi Ucchan.," the new addition said gleefully with that same 
ravenous look that was only now starting to fade from Ranma's eyes.  
"Hey, guys," she greeting Nabiki and the still oblivious Ranma without 
even so much as a flinch.  Ranma took a short break from his eating to 
look up at their visitor.  Suddenly, he froze, some Okonomiaki hanging 
from his mouth.
	"Whatya starrin' at?" the tiny girl asked, helping herself to the 
rest of the food on Ranma's plate.  Ranma continued to stare, still in 
too deep a shock to respond.  
	Nabiki did some quick thinking.  So she looked like Ranma's 
girl side.  So what?  She obviously was not Ranma, obvious both from 
the name and the fact that she was not shocked to see the boy sitting 
beside her.  Solution: a relative, probably a sister.  She almost let out a 
sigh of relief.  Ok, everything figured out, simple as taxes.  
	"Hey, Nabiki," the red head continued, her mouth slightly 
filled with food, "what's with the Ryoga look?" she asked, completely 
missing the flash of pure rage that appeared for an instant in the 
bandanna girl's eyes.
	"Just.trying.something.new," Nabiki said extremely 
slowly as she once again struggled with her temper.  
	"Mpphh," the small girl returned ever so profoundly.  Ranma 
still hadn't moved from his position as he stared at her.  After a few 
seconds more of this she began to stare back, eating slower and slower 
as confusion began to show at his complete stasis.
	"Hello!  Ranma, are you ok?" she finished off the last of her 
food and was starting to sound worried.  As she spoke she tried waving 
her hands before Ranma's face.  Nabiki realized that he must think he 
was seeing himself, the moron.
	"Ranma!  Don't just sit there say hello to your sister," Nabiki 
said testily.
	"Ranma, you haven't been eating at the Nekohaten again have 
you?" Ukyou asked sounding extremely worried.  Suddenly Ranma 
seemed to snap out of his trance.  Swallowing his food he laughed, 
rather nervously, and  finally responded.
	"Haha, just feeling a little strange.it must have been 
something I ate," he finished none to wisely.
	"RANMA!" a very annoyed chef began from right behind the 
unlucky boys back.  With practiced ease she unslung her powerful 
battle spatula from behind her.  With skill only a true martial artist 
possessed, she sent the unfortunate boy across the room and about two 
hundred feet down the street.  Turning, her nose in the air she non-
chalantly walked over to some very nervous customers at the other side 
of the restaurant.
	After a few seconds Nabiki shrugged, he had had it coming.  
She once again hefted her large pack and walked out to the prone figure 
on the street outside.  Soon she was followed by a very attractive red 
head carrying the last of their meal and eating as she went.
	Upon reaching the greasy spot currently groaning in pain on 
the road Nabiki took a brief moment to ask `Why me?' of the universe 
in general and began to help the battered figure off the ground.  A few 
seconds after getting up he was almost like new.  Nabiki marveled at 
his recovery time.  Definitely not the same as her Ranma.
	"One thing nice about being a girl," the red head said in an 
almost gloating tone, "I don't have to take half the abuse."  Nabiki 
cocked her head as she stared at the girl trying to figure out what the 
she could possibly mean by that.  There was something here she was 
missing.
	 Reaching up to adjust her braid the girl continued, "So what 
you guys up to?" 
	"Umm.we're.uhhh," Ranma was obviously trying to think 
of an excuse, Nabiki decided she'd better step in quickly before he said 
something really stupid.  
	"We were looking for Ryoga, we wanted to do a little 
sparring," he said, a split second before Nabiki could stop him. She 
suppressed a groan.  What the heck was wrong with this freak, surely 
he could have come up with something better than that!  Still, they 
were probably safe, the chances of anyone finding that directionally 
impaired looser anytime within the next week were probably a billion 
to one.
	"Ryoga-kun is at the house, Ranma," Ranko said looking 
slightly confused, "You saw him this morning," she continued even 
more puzzled turning to Nabiki, "And since when did you know martial 
arts?"  
	"Well, Ryoga got a little lost, and.I've been trying to learn 
some martial arts.  Ranma meant to say training," Nabiki mentally 
congratulated herself on a quick save.  
	"What!" Ranko said furious.  "He promised me not to leave 
until our date tonight!" She closed her eyes and almost screamed to the 
sky, " I can't believe he'd do something like this on our anniversary!," 
the girl yelled.  Ignoring the two confused martial artists in front of her 
she took off at a run. After a moment, Ranma followed a look of 
confusion evident in his features.
	Nabiki reluctantly followed, she knew that look.  She had 
worn it plenty of times herself.  It was one of those `I'm going to get to 
the bottom of this' looks.  And what she had said to Ranma earlier was 
the truth, they needed to stick together, finding a randomly displaced 
person wasn't the easiest thing in the world. Besides, who cares that 
Ryoga would be there, it would be this world's Ryoga, not Him.  She 
tried repeating that to herself over and over as they ran toward the 
Tendo dojo.    Soon, she almost believed it.
	She was hard pressed to keep up with the two Saotomes given 
that they had a slight head start, however her pride would not allow her 
to slow, and within minutes the Tendo school came into sight.  Seconds 
later they were all three inside the front room of the Tendou house.
	The three runners stopped almost instantly once they entered.  
Each starring at the scene before them with varying degrees of shock.  
Sitting around the table in the Tendou dinning room was the entire 
Tendou household.  Akane, Soun, Genma, Kasumi, Nabiki, Ranma, 
Ryoga, and another Ryoga.
	Nabiki went white with shock.  She had expected all of the 
others.  Not gathered around the table waiting for them, no.  But she 
knew they were there.  What stopped her cold however was the second 
Ryoga.  The one currently looking dead straight into her eyes.  She 
wanted to turn and run but couldn't.  It wouldn't do any good anyway.  
For a second she stared at his black and yellow bandanna, his yellow 
shirt and tan pants.  However, her eyes kept returning to the small 
futuristic looking device he wore on his arm perfectly matching the 
ones she and Ranma were wearing.  His chronometer
	"Hi Nabiki.  Good to see you again."

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There it was.  Hope you liked it!

I am going to try to get about one of these chapters a week (really) but I
also am going to try to get back on track with Possibilities.  Expect the two
to alternate and both have approximately one chapter every week.  I promise
I'll try. :]

						Cat
						travis.mcintosh@student.oc.edu