Perhaps he should not have come here, he thought. Being in the
place posed the kind of danger that a drink did to a reformed 

alcoholic.

For a moment, he imagined demons lying in the shadows of the darkened
estate, ready to leap out at him during a careless moment and drag him
back to being what he once was. He dismissed the thought as the effects
of insufficient sleep, and walked toward the exit.

*Fortunately for him, this wasn't one of _those_ fics, so he didn't 
really have anything to worry about.*

	Kodachi leapt up onto a taller building, and looked down at the
passers-by on the street below. Many years ago, she had read a story
called "Flatland". It described a people who existed only in a flat,
two-dimensional universe. The people below reminded her of the ones in
that story. They walked along, confined to their two-dimensional
sidewalks and roads, while she was free to go where she wished.

	But it was not merely a matter of physical travel. Some called
Kuno Kodachi insane, but the truth was that she simply thought in
different ways than the Flatlanders, whose thinking was confined to
narrow, predictable paths.

*This is one of the best accounts of how KK/TBR views herself I've read 
yet. Kudos.*

	"Ey, sista!" The Principal sat in his big desk chair, smiling
his absurdly wide smile. "I know you. You de mudda o' dat wise guy
Ranma. Name Saotome Nobaka, yeah?"

*I hope you will understand when I shamelessly steal this gag for 
virtually every fic I write from here on out, won't you?  ;)*

	"But that's different! I..." Ranma paused, trying to think of
something he could say without getting the shogi board broken over his
head.

*Wow!  He paused... he really is learning!*

	"What does that have to do with anything?" Akane asked angrily.
Maybe Kodachi *was* better built than she was. So what?

*We have a pun alert!*

	Suddenly, Ranma's eyes opened fully, as he sat straight up.
"I've got it! I know what to do."

*Cue theme form "Jaws"....*

	Of course, with Nabiki already gone. that would leave Kasumi

*Hey, a Kleppe typo!  A true rarity, folks!  Get a good look, you won't 
see many others!*

alone with Father. Much of her life so far had been spent looking after
her two sisters. What would she do after they were gone? She was still
only twenty-two, young enough to do something else with her life. But
what?

	Soun took the microphone. "The rules are simple. The Principal
and I have agreed on a judge for the contest, whose identity will 

remain

our secret for now. Our daughters will each do their cooking in the 

home

ec rooms. The judge will then choose the one that he or she likes 

best."

*"... will choose the one..."  Hmmm... if Ranma's the judge, then all he 
has to do is choose the "one" he likes best--not her cooking, right?*

	Surprised looks greeted this last revelation. "Y'see, I don't
trust that everybody is planning to go along with the terms of the bet
if they lose." Ranma gave Kodachi a dirty look. "So I'm changin' 'em.
The new bet is that the loser has to leave town. Whichever one of you
loses can't be seen around here for the next four years. Everybody 

agree

to that?"

*Alternately, if Akane loses, Ranma just leaves with her--to college.  
No prob.*

	Then she noticed the piece of paper next to Akane. Looking
closer, she saw that it had some sort of instructions on it. A written
recipe! That *cheater*!!

*Hm... Probably to Kodachi, that's true.  To her way of thinking, a 
_true_ gourmet should be able to master the art without a written 
recipe.  Too bad she didn't run over the proposed rules with her 
father....*

	Akane's gaze turned. Kodachi's pen flashed out of her pocket. A
numeral that had been a three on the recipe was instantly transformed
into a nine.

*I take it this is something that could be done in kanji?  Is that even 
the right word?*

	She smiled.

*Awww....  :)*

	She almost had to feel sorry for her dear brother. All those
years in training, and she still beat him as if he had been a novice.
Not that he hadn't improved -- but he was no match for the new Kuno
Kodachi. Not even Ranma would be that. She couldn't wait to see him
again.

*Ah, so at least one of the Nerimites is not going to be part of the 
heroic drive, I take it?*

	NEXT: Ryoga and Akari in "The Gift".

Looking forward to it!

--Freemage

Gary Kleppe
http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics

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