Permanent part 15. Little boy lost.

	Ryoga stood and stared at Ranma awaiting an answer. A small smile
formed on his lips. 
	"Ryoga, If you really want to stay you can, but I still think you
should take some time off before you tie yourself down like this, you'll
have to follow me around all the time again,� said Ranma with a worried
expression.
	"Ranma stop it. Don't you see?" said Ryoga with his grin widening
even more.
	Ranma just looked at him oddly. "What?"
	"The pill had the power to cure any curse, including a family
one. I haven't gotten lost since I took it,� said Ryoga as he practically
beamed happiness.
	Ranma just blinked, "That's great Mr.P," she said with a smile.
She hadn't expected this to happen. This could make her life allot
easier, she was constantly keeping him from wandering off before. Often
leading him around by the hand, most people just assumed they were
dating. It made her very uncomfortable, besides she wasn't sure how long
she could keep him around. It was allot easier to keep a pig from getting
lost. "Now you can get a job,� said Ranma coolly.
	Ryoga froze up.
	
	Gosunkugi just sat on the chair they had given him and looked on
as Kodachi blasted another fireball at a practice dummy. She was learning
at an amazing rate, not that it was a good thing. He idly played with his
chains and sighed as he was forced to clap by the ninja. They had allowed
him allot more comfort since he had become more  helpful. He was
correcting Kodachi occasionally and giving her small tips on spells, the
corrections often got him a snide remark or a swipe from her ribbon. She
never really hurt him and usually listened, she had also seemed to forget
about the demon summon spell as well. He had to play along until someone
noticed he was missing and figured out where he was. That could be quite
a while. "At least I'm not chained to the wall anymore." 

	Kodachi glared at the smoldering remains of yet another practice
dummy. She wiped her brow and frowned as she noticed the looks her
'teacher' was giving her. She wondered whether or not he would want to
leave when she had no need of him any longer. "Perhaps I will keep him,
one can always use another lackey, I feel Sasuke seems to enjoy working
for my brother as of late, perhaps I should accept another servant,"
Gosunkugi seemed to notice her attention was on him and he turned away.
She smiled, it seems it may be to my advantage to wear my gymnast uniform
when I practice from now on. Currently she was dressed in her black
school dress. She smiled as she turned back to find Sasuke setting up
another dummy. "Perhaps you could have a little accident later, I won't
have such insolence. My brother's servant indeed,� she thought. The ninja
looked at her nervously and backed away from the dummy. She smiled as she
noticed Gosunkugi was staring again.
	
	Sasuke was glaring as well, but at the prisoner. His honor had
not yet been satisfied. He was beginning to see that he may not ever have
the chance to face him again. If Kodachi decided to keep him around as it
seemed, then she would not allow a battle between the two. He had to find
a way to break them up. Anger her enough to dismiss him, but not so much
as to kill him herself. A challenge indeed for one of his skills.

	Ranma stood in the kitchen at the counter with her nose in one of
her books again. Near by Akane stood over the stove. Ranma glanced over
as Akane began to pour a large amount of sugar into the pot. She pointed
her finger at her and a small bolt of electricity shot out.
	Akane yelped in pain and surprise, she turned to glare at Ranma
and frowned. "Wha'd ya do that for?" she cried.
	"Read the labels Akane,� said Ranma simply without looking up
from her book.
	Akane quietly looked at the sugar and blushed as she corrected
herself. She was about to pour the salt in when she felt another shock.
	"Wha?" she gasped.
	"Measure,� said Ranma without moving again.
	"I didn't ask for your help ya know!" grumbled Akane.
	"No, but your father did, besides, you need it," said Ranma
lazily.
	Akane growled and returned to her cooking. She would have a few
words with him later.
	Another shock came. "Now what?!"
	"Akane, why are you putting that in curry?" asked Ranma.
	Akane was holding a jar of Mayonnaise, a jar of peanut butter,
and a jar of honey. "Well it seemed a little dull, so I thought I'd liven
it up a little," said Akane cheerfully.
	"Get it right first, then liven it up a little. Cooking is
supposed to be a little dull," said Ranma with a frown.
	Akane hung her head and returned the items to their places.

	Soun looked on from the kitchen doorway with Kasumi and both his
daughters.
	"Electro shock therapy? Very clever," said Nabiki.
	A shock came from the room and Akane gave another little yell.
	"Watch the food Akane, you don't want to burn it," said Ranma's
voice.
	"I think it's a bit much," said Kasumi as she looked on with a
worried expression. So far her kitchen was in much better shape than it
usually was in when her sister was cooking, or trying to anyway.
	Another zap, "Don't microwave raw eggs Akane."
	"Don't worry sis, she's only using little shocks," said Nabiki.
	"Please, save my Akane," sobbed Soun. "You've got to save her
Ranma!"

	About two hours later the family sat gravely around the table.
Nabiki had to be headed off at the door three times before she finally
gave in. Kasumi just sat and looked worried. Ryoga had no idea what was
going on and sat cheerfully. Soun was crying as usual.
	Akane emerged from the kitchen and a large column of smoke rose
from the door. Every one relaxed as she came into view. 
	The smoke was from her, all her hair was standing up strait and
her clothes were smoldering. She had a large grin on her face and a tired
looking Ranma walked behind her with her finger in a bandage. Akane
proudly placed the curry pot on the table. 
	"Eat up!" she chimed. Ryoga waited a moment while everyone stared
at it in frozen fear.
	"Well?!" growled Akane.
	Soun started to cry again.
	"I'll try it," said Ryoga as he glanced oddly at everyone around
him, he was beginning to suspect that something was wrong. He quickly
shoveled some of the food into his mouth and looked at everyone. "Aren't
you guys hungry?" he asked with his mouth full.
	Ranma had already started eating as well. The Tendo's just looked
at them in shock and cautiously took some of the food.
	"Why Akane, this is good!" exclaimed Kasumi.
	"You really think so?!" cried Akane excitedly.
	"You saved my Akane!" cried Soun as he grabbed Ranma and pulled
her into a tight embrace.
	"Hardly, I wouldn't trust her on her own just yet Mr. Tendo,"
muttered Ranma as she rubbed at the bandage on her hand. "It'll take
quite a while to get her good enough for that."
	Akane smiled as everyone ate and no one complained for once. She
turned to Ranma and blushed. "Thanks," she muttered quietly.
	"No prob," said Ranma as she glared at Ryoga.
	He was having a fit trying to keep the laughter in, Ranma had
helped a girl learn how to cook?!
	Ranma just glared at him and the rest of the evening passed
peacefully.

	Then next day was a Sunday, Ranma was sitting on the porch
enjoying the morning. Her father was lazily playing Shogi with Soun
again. She sighed and looked over at the wall. There were several small
children sitting out side the gates to the Dojo. She smiled and walked
over to a familiar scene, one that she never thought she'd see.

	"That's where the witch lives," said the largest child. He
grinned proudly and looked as if he was showing off his prized
possession. The other children stood around and gaped in awe. There were
about seven of them ranging from ten to about seven years old. Two of
them were girls.
	"There's no witch in there, it's just some stupid old dojo," said
one of the older kids.
	"Yea, my mom said there's no such thing as a witch," agreed one
of the girls.
	"Sure there is," said a new voice.
	The children turned to see Ranma sitting on the wall watching
with amused interest. She jumped down and assessed them, the oldest boy
was drooling a bit and watching her chest. She frowned and ignored him,
turning instead to the girl.
	"What makes you think there isn't?" she asked her.
	"Yea, there's always weird lights coming out of that room, and
the man who lives here talks about a demon. My dad said he says he used
to be tormented by one a long time ago," said a boy with his finger
plugged up his nose.
	"I don't know about a demon, but there is definitely magic in
this house," said Ranma with her grin widening.
	"Yea, the magic of a TV in the middle of the night. There's no
witch in there," said the oldest boy, he was becoming indignant from
being ignored.
	"Well, that depends on how well you know Nabiki," said Ranma to
herself with a chuckle. None of the kids seemed to notice.
	"How do you know so much about witches?" asked one of the girls
in a tone that said she didn't believe her.
	"I just do, have you ever seen one?" answered Ranma.
	"No," said most of the kids, the ones who didn't were obviously
lying.
	"What makes you so sure you haven't?" asked Ranma simply.
	"Well they're old and really ugly, they have moles and cats and
all kinds of creepy hair and ..." said the older boy as he ticked off his
fingers at each new feature he made up.
	"Well, I guess they couldn't be young and pretty and about five
three with long red hair?" asked Ranma mischievously.
	"Of course not!" answered one of the girls. "Witches are evil!"
	"That's like saying old people are evil kid. Witches are
dangerous, but not necessarily evil. There kind of like dogs, you
shouldn't mess with one if you don't know for sure if it will bite you,"
said Ranma as she leaned against the wall.
	"How do you know?" asked the eldest boy with a confident smirk,
he seemed dead set on disproving her and impressing his friends. It
probably wouldn't hurt if he impressed her while he was at it as well. 
	"Ranma! Time for lunch!" cried Kasumi from the other side of the
wall.
	"Coming!" answered Ranma. She turned and smiled at the children. 
	"You live there?" asked one of the little boys in shock.
	The other kids were shocked into silence as well.
	"Sure I do," said Ranma.
	"Then you know the witch?!" cried the youngest of the girls.
	"Better than you think, ja!" said Ranma as she walked through the
wall and smiled at the screams that came. The sound of running feet
filled the streets and Ranma turned to see Kasumi glaring at her.
	"That wasn't very nice Ranma," she chided.
	"I'm sorry Kasumi, I just couldn't pass that up," said Ranma as
she hung her head. 
	"Just for that, no cookies for you after lunch!" scolded the
older girl.
	"What? No fair Kasumi!" cried Ranma in a panic.

	Outside the gates to the dojo two of the kids sat staring at the
house in shocked awe. One was a boy of about nine years old, the other
was a girl of about seven. �There really is a witch, we have to see her.�
said the boy.
	�You heard what she said! I�m scared!� cried the little girl.
	�But we haf�ta!� cried the boy. �If we don�t, I don�t want to
think about what could happen!�

	Tatewaki Kuno strolled down the halls of the Kuno mansion. He had
just returned from his morning flight and had a towel draped around his
shoulders. After a few moments of walking he passed near his sisters
chambers. An explosion echoed from beneath him, not all that uncommon in
the home really. What was unusual was the voices that followed, Kodachi
never allowed anyone to see her work, not even Sasuke was permitted
inside while she was experimenting with new drugs and chemicals.
	"This cannot go unchecked," he said to himself as he removed the
towel and snuck into the hall that lead to her private quarters.
	The halls were long and dark wooden hallways like the ones you
often see in old horror movies. This was exactly what Kodachi had been
going for when she designed them, to unnerve intruders. There was a large
labyrinth of identical hallways beneath the home. Not even Kuno knew his
way around them completely. Fortunately her lab was near to the front, he
had often visited it to call her to meals or otherwise fetch her. He had
never seen the inside for more than an instant in the doorway. Sasuke
spent a good deal of time in there with her when she was not creating new
concoctions. He had mentioned that he never had really liked the place.
Most of his duties in the lab were watering the various plants and herbs
she grew. The lab itself was really a green house that was built onto the
back of the home. It's roof was made of glass and poked out from the
ground letting in sunlight.
	He edged near to the wall pulled his wings tight against his
back. The door was slightly ajar, another unusual occurrence. He peered
into the room and frowned as he saw a boy tied to a chair inside.
	"Why brother dear, who would have though you would sink so low as
to spy on your sister? Is your pursuit of the Tendo girl going so
poorly?" said a voice from behind him.
	"Impossible! She could not have snuck by my eyes!" thought Kuno
as he whirled around to face her.
	She smiled at him as she held her arm up and formed a ball of
light in them. "You have given me allot of trouble lately brother dear,
you should be more careful." 
	"What? How?" stammered Kuno as he backed away from his sisters
new found talent. He held his bukoten up defensively.
	"Fool! Mere weapons cannot defeat me now brother!" she said with
a smile as she pushed the ball of blue light and sent it flying at Kuno.
He sidestepped it and it exsploded sending wood pieces in every
direction. She stood between him and the exit and forced him back into
the labyrinth of halls beneath the home. 
	"Come brother, we can't have you telling people about my new
hobby just yet. I only want to keep your silence for a while," said
Kodachi as she carefully followed him. A shadow moved and she sent out an
orange ball that vaporized a rat instantly. "Such vermin in the house of
Kuno? Unthinkable," she commented.
	Kuno stood with his weapon held up to his side as he waited for
his sister. It seemed as though she had finally fallen off the deep end.
If he was not careful now he could lose his life. In the back of his mind
he wondered about the boy in the lab. He pushed it away quickly, there
was nothing he could do until he escaped himself. 
	"The blue thunder runs from no woman," he chided himself. He
hardly thought of himself that way any longer, but it's porpouse was
still the same.
	"Sister, you will not fight me honorably, You are a woman and I
cannot strike you. Why do you persist in this?" he asked, he awaited her
answer expecting her to call out her position to him as well.
	"You know too much brother, I cannot allow you to leave these
halls just yet. If you had not seen I would not have to hold you," came
her answer. It sounded as if her voice echoed off the walls and floors.
He could not place it, and she knew it.
	"That was a trap sister. Do not try to say otherwise," said Kuno
belligerently.
	"Well it seems this young 'Ranma' girl has made you smarter as
well," said Kodachi from all around him again. "Yes it was a trap brother
dear, but I only need you out of the way for a while, do you really think
I would kill my own brother?"
	Kuno frowned, he knew this was because he had not told her how he
had acquired his wings. This was exactly why he had not said anything to
her. Now she was trying to play off his once twisted sense of honor. "My
mind is no longer so weak sister, I have freed myself from the lies. Join
me!" he cried as he turned and slashed at he air behind him. He stopped
when he realized that no one was there.
	"Ho ho ho, Won't hit a woman will you? I do apologize but I am
not there brother," said Kodachi, she was playing with his mind somehow. 
	"Perhaps you should face me sister, this cowardess does not befit
the house of Kuno!" cried the nervous boy. He gripped his bokuten tighter
as he heard the footsteps all around him.
	"Perhaps I already am," said Kodachi from directly behind him.
Kuno spun around and jumped back. A ball of blue light shot from her
hands impacted against the wall sending wood flying in every direction
again. Kuno seemed to vanish into the shadows above her. Kodachi frowned
and formed another of the light balls in her hands. She gazed around the
ceiling and saw nothing. "My brother does not know such a spell," she
muttered in confusion.
	She walked around for a moment and cursed. She didn't see the
figure move from behind one of the support beams on the ceiling and lower
itself behind her with it's arms. It reached for her with it's clawed
hand and Kodachi smiled.
	"You don't really think I'd allow you to capture me in my own
domain do you brother?" she said with a small chuckle.
	Kuno growled and reached for her. He grabbed her shoulder and
screamed as bolts of energy passed through him and blasted his grip away.
He collapsed on the ground and leaned against the wall clutching his
burnt claw in agony.
	"You see brother, you are not the only one who can become
stronger," she said with a smirk that he could not see. The light in the
hallways was next to none and he realized that she could see better in
them than he could. That could not be possible. She had to be using some
sort of spell for it. His mind raced, and he regained his senses while
she stood gloating over him. He quickly spread his wings and flapped them
as hard as he could. The wind created shoved his sister back into the
wall and she fell to the ground. Kuno jumped over her and ran back
towards the front of the home, if he could escape the halls his sister
would not follow. He could not fight well in such a cramped area and
Kodachi knew it.
	 "Sasuke! capture him!" she cried to the rafters.
	Kuno tensed up as the ninja landed in front of him and stood
silently. He watched Kuno run by him and did nothing.
	"What are you doing fool?!" screamed Kodachi in her rage.
	"I am to protect the house of Kuno, that means I cannot harm you,
or your brother," he said simply.
	Kodachi screamed in anguish as she charged after Kuno. He ran out
into the home and she stopped. With his wings she had no chance of
catching him.
	"Worm! How dare you disobey me?!" she screamed at the ninja and
sent one of the blue balls of energy into his chest. Sasuke was blasted
into the wall hard and he screamed. She shot two more before he could
recover and kicked him in his side as he staggered form the hole in the
wall she had created. 
	He gasped and coughed in an attempt to regain his breath. He
strained as flashes of light filled his vision and a pain unlike any he
had ever known burned at his torso. "Get up fool, you are very fortunate
I still have need of you. If you ever disobey me again, I -will- kill
you," she said coldly before she turned back into her lab.
	The loss of her brother was unfortunate, but it was of no real
consequence to her plans. That was just a personal bonus for her, she
could always make up for it later after she had learned more and became
strong enough to face him on open ground.

TBC....

C&C to Catbert25@juno.com

	Things are speeding up, Kodachi is growing stronger and more
dangerous.
	What will Kuno do about it? Will Ranma find out? What will this
do to Gosunkugi? What kind of job will Ryoga get? And what the hell is
with those two kids? 
	Quite a bit of foreshadowing in this one, I'm willing to bet you
won't spot all of it, Sweeto!
Until next time, Ja!

 Catbert25



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