Yes, already!  I've been on a writing tear this past couple of weeks. 
Episode 02 of my Patlabor fic should be out either tomorrow of Thursday,
because by the time I was finished making my prereaders' revisions, I'd
pretty much come close to finishing it.  C&C welcome, flames will be
laughed at.  (by the way, my third prereader hasn't responded to either of
the last two chapters... while it might just be that he's working slowly, I
still want another prereader or two until he catches up.  Any volunteers?

Chapter 4
Dedicated to the three people who all had the identical comment:  "I was
hoping Akane's possession would be more drawn out."

Ranma closed his eyes and leaned against the door frame into his room. 
Akane had kissed him!  And for the second day in a row, they had gone out,
had a great time, and not gotten into any fights!  For the first time since
he'd been cursed, life was good.

His brief reverie was broken by a scream emanating from Akane's room that
broke off abruptly.  Without any hesitation, he darted down the hall,
slammed the door to his fiancee's room open, and burst inside her room.

There, he saw Akane, sitting up in bed, looking very... strange.  At first,
Ranma couldn't place it- then he noticed the horns on her head.  'Oh, gods!
 She's been possessed!'  Not taking his eyes off her for a moment, he
waited until he heard others approaching.

"Go, get some of the spirit wards Pop was making!  We have to get this
thing out of her, fast!" he shouted.

"Your father got drunk and passed out before finishing even one," Nabiki
replied.

"Then someone make one!  Hurry!"

"What, and get my hands dirty?" Nabiki continued.  Ranma clenched his fists
angrily, but couldn't break his eyes off of the girl already in front of
him.

"I'll do it," Kasumi's terrified voice echoed back.

"Ranma, what's going on?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma continued to study Akane, ignoring his mother.  The oni horns
sometimes grew larger, and sometimes grew smaller.  Her eyes sometimes
looked like her own, and sometimes grew devilish- and sometimes seductive. 
Frowning, he knew he'd seen that expression on her before, but she hadn't
been possessed by the oni last time.  What was going on?

*	*	*	*	*

Inside Akane's head, three separate powers clashed.  Akane was very
confused- she seemed to be in a very dark plane. On one 'wall' was a
picture of Ranma standing in her room, shouting something she couldn't
hear.  To her left, a being which was obviously the Oni stood, looking like
the beach ball with horns she remembered.  On her right, however, was a
figure she didn't recognize.  In fact, she could hardly see it- it looked a
bit like a beautiful female body, but it was so obscured by mist that
nothing distinct could be made out.

"I really wish you'd been listening to me, Akane," the mist-like figure
sighed.

Akane recognized it right away.  "You're the Voice!  Well, it's about time
I got a chance to see you... but apparently, I can't do that- I can't see a
thing through that mist.  What's going on?"

"Yes, that is what I want to know," the Oni growled, turning towards the
Voice.  "What IS going on, and who are YOU?"

"Don't bother," Akane snorted.  "I've been trying to get her to tell me
that for months now, and she still wouldn't tell me."

"Well, actually..." the Voice began.  "Yes, I will. My name is... was...
Iria.  You have heard of fallen angels becoming demons?  Well, when a demon
falls, he or she does not become an angel- they become something like what
I was.  A vengeful spirit."

Akane's eyes widened.  "You were the-"

"Yes, I was the doll at the inn," Iria admitted.  "I am sorry for what I
did to you- I was not then what I am now.  Now I am... well, I suppose you
could call me your guardian angel- but like I said, I am not truly an
angel.  Perhaps you could call me a guardian demon."

"What class?" the Oni demanded.

"Eh?"

"What class of demon are you?"

"I WAS a succubus... and it was as a succubus that I fell.  I grew to love
one of my assignments, and could not betray him to the horde of Jigoku.  In
return, I was banished to the become the Curse of the Vengeful Spirit Doll.
 The only way to break myself from that curse would be to find a target who
did something worthy of forgiveness."

"A former succubus, eh?" the Oni said.  "Do you still have any of your old
traits?"

Iria glanced at Akane briefly.  "Well, I was nearly able to use Akane's
body to seduce the man who loved her when I was still a vengeful spirit,
but I'm-"

"Good!  Then you can help me."

"Help you?!" Akane screeched, not quite believing all that was going on.

"Help you?!" the one-time succubus echoed.  "I was planning to stop you
from possessing this girl!  After all, I am her guardian!"

"Well," the oni explained, pointing to the view of the outside world on the
wall.  "I was thinking you might want to help me stop that!"

*	*	*	*	*

Kasumi rushed into the room, waving a strip of paper.  "Ranma, here!  The
ink's still wet, but I think you can use it!"

Ranma grabbed the ward without looking.  "Okay, Akane... hold on for just a
second."  With a swift motion, he sped the ward at Akane's head.

An arm reached out from Akane with speed he had previously not seen and
grabbed his hand securely by the wrist, stopping his motion.  Ranma's eyes
widened.

"Ranma..." Akane answered, her eyes momentarily becoming the seductive set
and one of the horns momentarily growing larger.  "Please... not yet.  Let
me... try... and handle things on this end first."

"Why should I listen to the thing which is possessing Akane?" Ranma cried,
trying to jerk his hand free.  Akane's grip held fast.

"If you use that ward, you will harm more than the Oni... please, trust
me!"

Ranma looked into Akane's eyes.

*	*	*	*	*

"What're you doing!?" Akane, pinned by the oni, cried out to Iria.  "I
thought you were trying to help me!"

"I am, but..."  The misty figure turned towards her and gestured for the
Oni to release her.  To Akane's surprise, it did.  "If you let Ranma put
that ward on your body, the oni will be chased away, yes... but, with
nowhere to go, I will be destroyed.  So, please... help me get Ranma to at
least give us a few minutes to figure out what to do?"

Akane looked at her guardian demon, looked back at the oni, and sighed. 
"Can we control him enough to let Ranma do this if we can't figure out what
else to do?"

Iria nodded.  "Probably."

"Okay, then..."

*	*	*	*	*

Ranma saw the transformation take place as he watched- the horns receded
and the eyes became their normal selves.  Suddenly, he wasn't sure if he
should use the ward or not.

"Ranma... I'm in control at the moment... hold on to it, I may need you to
slap it on me later, but if you use it now, a... friend... will die.  I am
talking to it now... we might come to some agreement soon.  Unless you want
to hit me, though, that's all we can do for now...."

"Well, if that's our only option," Nabiki's voice surprised Ranma from
behind him.  A feminine fist sped its way towards Akane's head.  With
astounding ease, Ranma caught it before it could hit.

"Nabiki, no-one is going to hit Akane.  You got that?  Not while I'm
around," he ordered.  "I can't sit around while Akane's body is hurt when
there's something else we can do.  If there's no choice... then maybe."

"Oh?  Then there IS another choice?  What is it?" the middle sister asked.

"Do nothing, at the moment, and let her try whatever she has planned," he
said, ignoring Nabiki's protests as he pushed her back slightly before
releasing her and turning back to Akane.  "I'm going to give you five
minutes... if you can't settle things by then, I'll have to use the ward. 
Okay, Akane?"

Akane nodded.  "Okay, Ranma... and thank you."

Akane's eyes went blank and the horns receded even further.  Akane's
breathing slowed, and Ranma began to fear he'd just made a deal with a
devil- literally.  But he said he'd trust her for five minutes, so five
minutes it was.

"Nabiki, start timing.  Let me know EXACTLY when five minutes is up."

"Five minutes, no more.  Got it, Ranma..."

*	*	*	*	*

"Okay," Akane said, turning away from the wall and walking towards the
other two beings.  The images of the outside world slowed and faded behind
her as she approached Iria and the Oni.  "It seems he won't try to knock
you out of me with a punch, but I got him to give us five minutes before he
uses the spirit ward.  Now, can we try and reach some agreement before our
time is up where you'll leave us alone?"

The Oni shrugged.  "Maybe.  Are you willing to help me break a curse that
Happosai placed on me?"

Akane blinked.  "Happosai placed a curse on you?  And it worked?!"

"I cannot gain strength from possessions, like I normally can," it
explained, "And, when in a male body, I feel an irrational fear of women
that will make me run from them in terror.  Why it doesn't effect me when
I'm in a female body, I don't know, however."

Iria snorted.  "That isn't a curse- being forced inside a little doll as a
vengeful spirit for over a thousand years, now THAT'S a curse."  She shook
her head.  "So, if we help you lift this curse, will you SWEAR to leave
Akane's body, never to return?"

The Oni smiled.  "Oh, yes..." it hissed.

"AND would you swear that, regardless of what happens, you will never harm
myself, my family, or Ranma?" Akane added.  Iria nodded- that was always a
good addendum to include in any bargain with an Oni such as that one. 
That, and she seemed to be willing to protect Ranma from this thing, as
well- a good sign that their relationship was progressing well.

"Er..." it hesitated.  "Suppose what was involved with the cure were to
cause some small degree of harm?  The cure may cause you some small degree
of pain, but it is something you would need to agree to of your own free
will, anyway."

Akane blinked, and looked at her guardian.  "Um... you're more experienced
at this, what do you suggest?"

Iria thought about it for a minute.  "How about if it promised not to harm
them without their freely given consent, and ONLY for what they give their
consent on?"

Akane frowned.  "Well, that might work... then again, it IS a demon.  Can
we trust it to keep its word?"

Iria nodded.  "Yes... a demon may not break its word without a severe
punishment which even the more masochistic of them would not dare to risk. 
It WILL, however, try and twist its promises as much as can be allowed
without breaking them."

"Well, that's not too much of a surprise."  Akane seemed to think it over
for a few minutes before turning to the Oni.  "Make your oath, and I will
see if it is strong enough for me to be willing to help you."

It nodded.  "Very well.  Akane Tendou, I hereby swear that, if my curse is
lifted and you try to help me do so, I will leave your body forever, and
never harm you, your family, or Ranma Saotome without their direct, freely
given consent for the abuse received from the one who I am to harm."

Akane blinked, and turned to Iria.  "Well?"

"Interesting," she said, still facing the Oni.  "Are you that desperate?"  

The Oni shrugged.  "Not really- it doesn't have to be Akane- or anyone in
particular, for that matter.  But if Akane were to help me, then it would
destroy Happosai, for I would have used his curse to do something he could
only dream of. 

Iria turned to Akane.  "He was very careful to fill any loopholes I might
find.  It seems he feels he cannot afford to do without your help."

"Hm...  Oh, okay.  I suppose I can bring myself to help an Oni who's down
on its luck, if it means saving a friend.  What do you need me to do?"

"Oh, it's a very simple task- one which I suspect you've wanted to do for a
long time... and one which your ex-succubus friend should have no trouble
helping you with."

Akane waited patiently for a full half-second of time before snapping out,
"Well?  What is it?"

The Oni grinned.  "I need you to have sex with your fiance."

"WH-"

*	*	*	*	*

"-AT?!"  Akane suddenly shouted, startling Ranma.  Her eyes were still
completely empty, and the horns on her head were still at their smallest.

Ranma twitched.  "How much longer, Nabiki?"

"NO!" Akane shouted, making Ranma jump again.

Nabiki's arm and watched appeared in his view.  "Four minutes thirty
seconds.  Relax, Ranma- if you're going to be so nervous that you'll ask
every thirty seconds, then find another time keeper, because I can't handle
that."

"What?!"  He shouted, turning on her.  "She's your sister, dammit!  Aren't
you worried about her, too?"

Nabiki snorted.  "Oh, please.  Just be thankful I'm not charging you for
helping her out, this time.  You've dealt with worse, and always managed to
pull her through.  This is something anyone could solve, just by tapping
her on the head once.  Maybe I will charge you for this, after all."

Ranma sighed.  "Nabiki, I know you hate me.  I know that the REAL reason
you stopped the wedding was because you shuddered at the thought of me
being an actual part of your family.  I know you keep the never-ending line
of would-be suitors coming after us night and day because you don't care
what it does to me and you want to try and break Akane and me up.  But does
your hatred of me extend to not caring what happens to your own sister?"

Nabiki twitched.  "I don't know where you're getting that ridiculous notion
from, Ranma.  Everything I did in those cases, I did for money."

"Bullshit," Ranma said evenly.  "Even Kasumi can see that you hate me for
some reason."  Nabiki blinked when the woman who Ranma mentioned made no
move to correct him.  "Why do you think she helped me out on that napkin
thing?  She got tired of seeing you take advantage of me for no reason. 
She got tired of seeing you hate me just because of who I am.  And I can't
even talk to Akane about it, because it would just hurt her.  Why would it
hurt her?  Because you're letting your hatred of me turn on her, as well. 
Remember the fake cure for her coma?"

"B-but-" she started.

"Shut up.  Just keep an eye on that watch, and let me know when the five
minutes are up."

With that, Ranma turned back to his vigil on Akane.  Not knowing what to
say, Nabiki started watching the time again, just like Ranma had asked. 
Three minutes to go.

*	*	*	*	*

"-AT!  Have sex with THAT pervert?!" Akane shrieked, stunned.  "Nuh-uh, no
way, deal's off!  Possess one of his OTHER floozies and do what you will
with the idiot, but you are NOT getting me into bed with him!"  She paused
for a moment.  "Or any other guy."

Iria sighed.  "Akane, maybe you're not ready for sex with him yet, but you
don't have to insult him like that.  He doesn't deserve it."

"Who's side are you on, anyway?" Akane growled angrily.  "And he most
certainly does deserve it!  Maybe he's been getting better lately, but that
still doesn't excuse all the times he walked in on me in the bath, or all
the times he's snuck into my room at night!"  She looked thoughtful for a
moment.  "Maybe when I'm sure he's over his perverted streak, but not until
then."

A weird noise vaguely resembling stifled laughter erupted from the Oni. 
"Oh, really?  Suppose I were to convince you that he had no perverted
intentions most of the times he snuck into your room or walked into your
bath?"

Akane snorted.  "That would take a LOT of convincing."

Iria looked from her to the Oni and back again.  "Oddly, Akane, while I
don't approve of his motives or methods, I want you to take the Oni's
challenge.  If it is able to convince you that Ranma is not the pervert you
accuse him of being, would you promise that you would make love to him?"

Akane's eyes bulged.  "Wh- what?  You're asking me to PROMISE that I
would... sleep with him?" she stuttered.

The misty figure looked at her sternly.  "Akane, you DO want to marry him
eventually- even you can't deny that.  When you do, you will need to sleep
with him probably most of your nights.  If you were convinced that Ranma
was not such a pervert, that one of his worst qualities in your mind was
not nearly as bad as you thought, wouldn't that mean that there was one
less thing you needed to worry about before you are ready to marry him?"

"Uh, well...."

"And if you DO get closer to marriage, aren't you going to want to find out
what marriage is like?"

"Well, maybe...."

"So just think of it as finding out what marriage to Ranma would be
like...."

"But this is such a big step-" Akane began.

"And that kiss YOU initiated wasn't?  Okay, maybe you'll be going pretty
fast, from first kiss to passionate sex in less than an hour, but you're
doing it to save me... and besides, I happen to know you've fantasized
about him before, so it's not like you'd be doing something you didn't want
to do in the first place...."

Akane was silent.

"Well?"  The Oni growled.  "Will you accept my challenge or not?"

She looked down.  "It would take me a long time to build myself up to...
doing something like that."

"Well, that's no problem- Iria can take over, and she'd give your Ranma a
night he would never-"

"NO!" Akane snapped.  "If Ranma is going to be... with my body... then I'M
going to be the one in control."  She steadied herself and continued.  "It
just might take some time before I'd be able to do it, is all.  A day or
two, maybe."

"Oh, so you are agreeing to the challenge?  If you kept it under a week,
that would be perfectly fine," the Oni grinned.

"M-maybe," Akane stuttered.  "What would you do to convince me that Ranma's
not a pervert?"

"I'll do more than show you he's not a pervert.  The last time I was here,
I possessed a number of people.  His father, your oldest sister, and two of
his rivals all hold many memories of him- memories which I can show you,
and compare to your own memories.  I'll show you him from a different point
of view... and I'll show you secrets he had no choice but to keep from
you... AND I'll show you some of the things your families have kept secret
from the both of you."  It chuckled.  "Ranma's self control is amazing.  If
you had put Ryouga through what you put him through, he'd have killed you
by now."

"Hey!" Akane protested.  "Ryouga wouldn't hurt anyone....  Well, maybe
Ranma, but only because Ranma deserves it for picking on him so much."

"He DESERVES it?" the Oni laughed.  "All Ranma does is tease him.  What
Ryouga does is far... FAR worse."

"Oh?  What does he do?  Why do they fight all the time?"  Akane asked,
anxiously.

"Do you accept the challenge, then?"

"I...."  Akane was still uncertain.  She REALLY wanted to know what the Oni
could tell her, and she wanted to chase it out of her body without hurting
Iria... but was she willing to lose her virginity to do so?  She needed
more time to think... TIME!  "Aren't we about to run out of time?  Ranma
only gave me five minutes."

The Oni laughed.  "We're having this conversation FAR inside of your
subconscious.  In real time, only about twenty seconds have passed so far-
and time for us is slowing.  Much like you can have a dream which seems to
be many hours when in fact it is only a few seconds, our discussions here
can last days with only minutes passing in the outside world.  We have
plenty of time."

Akane was out of ideas.  She looked desperately at Iria, but the former
succubus only nodded at her.  Akane nearly kicked herself when she
remembered the spirit wanted her to agree to this challenge, anyway.

"I give up.  Yes, I accept your challenge- if you can show me that Ranma is
a significantly better man- meaning at least less perverted- then I
currently believe him to be, I will... I will seduce and sleep with him in
order to lift your curse... after having some time to prepare myself for
it, which will not last more than a week."

The Oni grinned.  "Excellent.  Shall we begin?"

"Remember your promise not to harm her...."  Iria eyed the Oni warily.

"Or her family, or Ranma.  Yes, I know... I will be careful," the Oni
sighed, obviously annoyed at the continued delay.  "It's not like I'm going
to dump their entire memories on her- I'm just going to show her scenes of
Ranma's life from some of the people around him.  I'm not even going to do
it too quickly.  In fact, I'm not going to show her any of Kunou's
memories- his mind is so demented that it might hurt her.  Satisfied?"

"For now," the guardian demon nodded.

"Okay, I believe we should start with Ranma's childhood, as remembered by
Genma."

The world around Akane slowly melted into... Kansai?  "Huh?  What's going
on?" she asked, astonished.  "And how are memories of Ranma's childhood
going to make me think him less a pervert?"

"I thought you said to show you Ranma was a better PERSON than you believed
him to be... I'm showing you his past relations with the other women who
claim him, in order to demonstrate why he has had such a hard time breaking
up with them.  Now hush, or you'll miss something important."

A slightly younger Genma appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.  "Where is
that idiot boy?" he growled.  "If he doesn't show up in the next five
minutes, maybe I'll give him a refresher course in the cat fist."

"Huh?" Akane began, startled.  "I thought he stopped training Ranma that
technique when he found out about it being banned.  Why is he threatening
it again...."

"Well, he only did it once or twice after that.  He used it as a severe
punishment."

Akane clucked.  She knew Genma treated his son pretty harshly when he was
growing up, but that was even worse than she thought.

"Ah, there he is!"  Genma's voice attracted Akane's attention.  The scene
had changed a little- they were now just outside an alley in Kansai.  "Oh,
this looks interesting... might be good to see what the boy will do when
challenged."

Akane saw a six-year old Ukyou holding a pair of mangled little spatulas, a
bruise on her eye, as a man dressed in dark clothing towered over her.  

The man laughed.  "I told your father to keep his little okonomiyaki stand
off of that corner, and he didn't listen to my warnings!  Now he'll see
what defying the yakuza means!"

"The YAKUZA?!" Genma gasped as he (along with Akane and the two spirits)
watched his six-year old son approach the attacker from behind.  "No, boy,
don't stop him!  I don't want the yakuza after our family!" he whispered.

Little Ranma, however, didn't hear his father.  "HEY!  Don't pick on people
who can't fight!" he shouted, jumping at the man with a flying kick.  The
man spun around and caught Ranma by the foot.

"Oh-ho!  What's this?  Another little child, interfering in things he
shouldn't!"  The Yakuza man slammed Ranma into the ground.  "Get away from
me, little child, before I decide to kill you, too."

"NO!" the little boy shouted defiantly, leaping and sending another kick to
the man's knee.  A crack was heard as the kneecap shattered.

"ARGH!  Now you DIE!"  Akane was horrified as little Ranma was picked up
again, and slammed back into the ground several times.  

Ukyou, recovering, saw what was going on and went running, screaming,
"DADDY, DADDY!  HELP!" as Ranma was battered more and more.

"Damn!  The boy's a goner," Genma lamented.  "I'd better get out of here!"

The scene slowly faded around them.  Akane blinked.  "Oh, my god...."

"According to what Genma was told, Ranma was rescued by Ukyou's father.  He
lived with Ukyou and her father for several months before Genma found him
again.  By the time he got back, Ranma had practically been adopted by
Ukyou's family, and even Genma saw he thought of her as his sister... er,
brother," the Oni narrated.  "Which is probably a big reason Ranma couldn't
hurt her when she showed up again."  Akane was silent.  "Incidentally,
before this incident, Genma recalls Ranma as always asking where his mother
was.  After it, Ranma didn't even seem to remember his mother when Genma
brought her up."

"I knew Ranma and Ukyou were childhood friends, but this...."

"Ukyou probably saved Ranma's life, Akane," Iria intervened.  "Now,
remember how you actually ran away from him in order to show your gratitude
to Shinnosuke, just because the forgetful boy saved yours, despite that
incident happening years ago?  Ranma has yet to leave you for Ukyou."

"I...."  Akane didn't know what to say.

"The next incident I think you should see," the Oni continued as the world
changed again into that of the Tendou dojo from right after Ranma showed
up.  "Is from nearly ten years later.  It's very short, but shows how often
he's been tricked into walking in on your bath.  This was shortly after you
hit him over the head with a table...."

She was transported to the guest room, where a female Ranma was lying on
his front while Kasumi and Nabiki sat nearby.  Moaning, Ranma started to
rise to his knees.

"Oh, she's awake," Kasumi began.  "Are you okay?  Don't think too badly of
Akane- she's really a very sweet girl.  She just a little... high
spirited."

"Oh, good, Kasumi- like that explains everything," Nabiki said
sarcastically.

"Don't you want to take a nice hot bath right now?" Kasumi continued.  "Or
maybe I should go and boil another pot of water..."

"No... a hot bath sounds great... maybe it'll help me with this headache,
too," Ranma groaned, slowly getting up and leaving the room.

Nabiki watched him go and then turned to her older sister in surprise. 
"Isn't Akane supposed to be in the bath?"

"Yes, she is.  You know how nervous she gets around men- I think if she
were to be seen naked every now and then by the man she's supposed to
marry, she might be able to deal with him better.  As long as she doesn't
take it too far- and I think there's no danger of that happening for a long
while- it will probably do her good.  And it will just make it more certain
that he's the one that marries her and not us... but we have to be careful-
they aren't married yet, after all...." Kasumi's voice, and the world
around them, faded away.

"My sisters were trying to get him to see me naked?  But...."

"Akane, even you saw that Nodoka was doing the same." Iria said.

"But that's different!  Ranma's mom is weird!"

"Well, I won't argue with you there, but that just goes to show you it
isn't THAT unbelievable."

"Still...."

"Now for some of the biggest questions you've had regarding Ranma.  Why do
he and Ryouga fight so much?  Why does he pick on your little pet?  Why did
Ranma really try and sneak into your room those times, if he wasn't trying
to do something 'perverted?'  And how are all these things connected?"

"They're connected?" Akane asked, surprised.

And the world dissolved again, and the first of many similar scenes began.

*	*	*	*	*

Ryouga fell into a Jusenkyou spring, and Akane blinked.

*	*	*	*	*

A female Ranma, in the bathroom with a naked Ryouga, tells of his promise
not to reveal the secret of P-Chan.

Tears started to form in Akane's eyes.

*	*	*	*	*

The first night Ranma snuck into Akane's bedroom with the teakettle ended
with Ranma flying out the window.  A single tear dripped down Akane's
cheek.

*	*	*	*	*

Many scenes of Ryouga, as P-Chan, using his closeness to Akane to annoy
Ranma, such as the time he rubbed his head against her breasts as she held
him following the Bakusai Tenketsu training, flashed in front of the girl. 


"Ryouga no baka," she whispered.

*	*	*	*	*

The final scene the Oni showed her, where she hit Ranma hard for trying to
stop Oni-Ryouga from raping her, caused Akane to collapse onto her knees. 
"I hit him for... that?" she asked, tears now covering her face.

Iria came over to her and hugged her.  "Shh...  you didn't know.  It's not
your fault...."

"Yes it is!" Akane cried.  "Ranma's been trying to tell me for so long, but
couldn't because of his promise....  All those times he's called him
P-Chan, and that bandanna... oh, sure, I didn't have any way to know about
Ryouga trying to rape me, but still, all those other times...."

The Oni didn't care about her tears, though.  She wasn't really harmed-
this was something she needed to have seen.  And it had never promised to
keep Akane happy.  "So, are you convinced Ranma is a better person than you
originally believed him to be?"

"I... yes, I am," Akane admitted.

*	*	*	*	*

Ranma turned back to his vigil on Akane.  Not knowing what to say, Nabiki
started watching the time again, just like Ranma had asked.  Three minutes
to go.

Intelligence returned to Akane's eyes just as he turned back- and they WERE
Akane's eyes that Ranma saw.  A second later, tears formed in those same
eyes.

"Ranma," Akane sniffed.  "The Oni has made a deal.  You and I need to
talk... privately.  The Oni will cause no trouble for now."

Ranma looked at her for a moment.  Something- maybe it was her eyes- made
him believe her.  "Okay.  Nabiki, will you please leave for a bit?"

"What?!" Nabiki screeched, not believing her ears.  "You mean to tell me
you still trust her when she's po-"

She collapsed on to the floor as Ranma tapped one of her pressure points. 
"Kasumi, can you take Nabiki away for a little while?"

"Oh, my!" she exclaimed.  "Yes, Ranma, but do be careful!"

Kasumi dragged her unconscious sister away, and shut the door behind her. 
"Okay, Akane," Ranma began.  "What deal is this, and why did you need to
make it?"

*	*	*	*	*

"You really painted an unfair portrait of Ryouga, you know," Iria said,
still deep in Akane's subconscious with the Oni.

"Yeah, I know.  I didn't have much choice- if I didn't give Akane a target
for her anger, she would have taken it out on herself much more, which
would have caused her serious harm.  I would have broken my oath."

"That, and you wanted to get her to seriously hurt Ryouga when she sees
him," the former succubus guessed.  "You just love to cause trouble, don't
you?

"Well, yes, of course.  I AM an Oni, after all."

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---
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee
                             desaix@sysnet.net
    http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872
                           fanfics available at 
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872/fanfics.htm