And Chapter 4! You should now be up to date! And see ya next chaptah!
------------------------------ CUT HERE ------------------------------
wyrm@mail.utexas.edu
<<o-<o>-================-<o>-o>>
Pain.
("Proof? You want proof, Ranma? Here's proof.")
The dull pain of his torso.
(Shampoo blurred, and the next thing Ranma knew, every part of his
body endured the fury rained upon him.)
The throbbing pain of his cracked ribs.
(The Amazon snarled, eyes catlike and glinting with inhuman
savageness, and threw him into the dojo wall like a rag-doll. Ranma
collapsed.)
A sharp pain in his neck.
(She turned to look at him, lightning illuminating her fangs as she
spoke. "Ranma, korosu.")
And there was pleasure; oh so much pleasure.
But Ranma retained his mental balance despite the distraction. His
mind was finely honed, although he couldn't yet do anything about Shampoo
drinking in his blood. Drinking blood from two punctures in his neck.
Punctures made with her own...her own _fangs_!
The realization hit him with the force of a lemon wrapped around a
large gold brick: Shampoo was telling the truth; she had become a vampire,
and she was even now draining his lifeblood. He tried to force himself to
take action, to push her away, but his body refused to respond.
For the first time in his life, Ranma felt completely powerless.
/*Kami-sama, she'll suck me dry...She'll kill me...*/ his whirling
thoughts raged, /*Shampoo! Snap out of it, dammit!...Shampoo, don't you
know what you're doing?!...Stop it now!...
/*Shampoo...stop...*/ the thoughts despaired, /*...please...stop...*/
But Shampoo paid no heed.
Tj/Wyrm presents
A GAC Production
<<o-<o>-================-<o>-o>>
H U N T R E S S
By Thomas R Jefferys
<<o-<o>-================-<o>-o>>
With thanks to J. D. Farber
Ranma 1/2 and associated characters created by Takahashi Rumiko.
Vampire: the Masquerade, the World of Darkness and all that jazz created
by White Wolf Game Studios, HOWEVER....
I don't feel compelled to confine myself to a strictly canon World of
Darkness with strictly canon WoD critters. This is MY goddamn fic! Mark?
Phil? If you have a problem with this, bite me! On second thought... ;)
<Just kidding, guys!>
WARNING (SPECIFICALLY TO THE RED-THROATED ONE): Do not expect very much
humor in this. "Vampire: the Masquerade" is all about personal horror.
Being a vampire is not fun, so don't expect any of the usual horseplay of
the series. You'll get plenty of dry humor sold in large bags, though. If
you don't like darkness in your Ranma fanworks, just delete this fuckin'
fic and forget you ever saw it.
<<o-<o>-================-<o>-o>>
CHAPTER 4: Kiss of Death
"Proof? You want proof, Ranma? Here's proof."
Zero.
Her next motion was almost too fast for Ranma to see, and if he
blinked, he would've missed it. Shampoo had jerked her head up, giving him
a glimpse of a sneering visage, catlike eyes burning with supernatural
light, fangs prominent as they peeked out from beneath her lip, and cheeks
streaked with blood tears.
Point oh three.
Shampoo blurred, and at almost the exact same moment, Ranma felt his
breath painfully explode out of his lungs. He retreated a step, barely
making out the flitting form of Shampoo as she zipped about him. He
answered her speed with his own, deploying his new Extra-Strength Chestnut
Fist (tm) on Shampoo. His arms complained as he pushed his all-too-human
body to the limit, as he surpassed all previous human records.
A malicious grin on the Amazon's face widened, exposing more of her
fangs. To his shock, Shampoo managed to deflect all of his blows with
ease. He jumped back, putting some distance between him and Shampoo. He
grunted with pain.
Three point four eight.
/*Fuck! She played me like a bass drum! Where did she get so goddamned
FAST?!*/ he thought with no small alarm.
Within the blink of an eye, Ranma's gap vanished. "You think you're
hot shit..." snarled Shampoo, as if in answer. Her snarl continued in a
yell of savage rage, "YOU'RE NOTHING, MORTAL!"
Ranma yelped and stumbled back as his torso was pounded ruthlessly.
Ranma decided that up-front attacks were no good; Shampoo was just too
deadly in direct hand-to-hand combat.
/*Now what? She's almost as fast as I am.*/ His ribs added their own
commentary. /*Okay, faster. But what should I do?*/ Ranma concentrated on
his defense as he thought.
Seven point two eight.
The grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakuto quickly reviewed his options.
Ranma had to admit, he had very few. Even pushing his body to the limit,
he could only just barely dodge, and Shampoo didn't even look strained. It
was deja vu of the Reversal Jewel incident, with he and Shampoo switching
places. He didn't have the breathing room to perform a ki blast. Then it
hit him.
He subtly changed his pattern of dodging. Ranma's soul became ice as
he dodged, just barely avoiding Shampoo's attacks. He couldn't avoid
Shampoo forever, but it would be long enough. Within seconds, the two
fighters had traced a spiral path around the yard.
/*Sayonara, sucker!*/ Ranma thought triumphantly.
Even in her frenzied state, Shampoo had enough presence of mind to
know what was coming next. She instinctively called the power of the
Blood.
"HIRYUU SHOUTEN HA!" Ranma bellowed, releasing the dragon's roar.
* ** D W O O O O M M M M ! ! ! ** *
/*Hah! I showed... huh?*/ Ranma blinked away the dust that the Hiryuu
Shouten Ha stirred up. A figure resolved itself as the loess cleared, and
Ranma's mouth dropped completely open. "Masaka!"
Shampoo stood in front of him no worse for wear, her fist held proudly
high, and with a menacing grin on her face as her hair swayed in the
remains of the Dragon Ascention Blast.
Twenty-five point nine four.
/*She... She defeated my Ascension blast!*/ Ranma's brain thought in
panic, but in the heat of battle, such little things would not distract
him. Ranma instinctively went for a roundhouse kick. Shampoo merely leaned
back, and just after his foot passed, she moved in for some head-to-head
action.
*CRUNCH!*
"NYAAHHH!!" screamed Ranma as he was hurled halfway across the yard
into one of the trees. Or to put it more precisely, _through_ one of the
trees. /*SHIT! That really hurt!*/ he thought, clutching his nose; it felt
broken from Shampoo's billy-goat impersonation. Ranma couldn't allow
himself to remain on the ground; ignoring his protesting body (especially
his honker), he bounced up just as Shampoo came within his range.
Ranma's sudden recovery actually caught Shampoo off guard. Ranma
bellowed and thrust his fist at Shampoo.
*SMACK!*
Shampoo caught his fist quite soundly, but Ranma was a step ahead of
her this time. His punch was a feint for a kick to her solar plexus.
*THUNK!*
Shampoo was forcibly relieved of her breath (not that it mattered to
her), but Ranma released his in a scream. "ITEE! What the *hell* are you
made of, Shampoo?!" Ranma blinked as the second surprise registered.
"NYAGH!! Cold!" he yelped as he ripped his captured fist from Shampoo. His
entire hand was chilled numb, as if he had dipped it in liquid nitrogen.
Thirty-four point seven five.
/*Hell!*/ swore the pigtailed martial artist internally, shaking out
his numbed hand. It was time to do what his school did best: improvise!
"OUKU NO MOUKOU TAKABISHYA!!" he shouted and let loose a swarm of three
dozen ki bolts on Shampoo.
Although not nearly as powerful as his full Moukou Takabishya, each
bolt of the swarm was still a far sight more powerful than the
single-shots he could manage twenty years ago. Several sharp reports
cracked in the air as a thick cloud of debris billowed from ground zero.
"YEAH!" Ranma whooped. /*And the crowd goes wild! Once again, Ranma
wins!*/ "I am the greatest! I am the--*GAACK!*"
A pair of hands gathered two fistfuls of his shirt, and an extremely
sooty, disheveled and pissed-looking Shampoo lifted Ranma two feet off the
ground effortlessly. More frightened than combative, Ranma struggled in
Shampoo's grip as he saw her face. The Amazon snarled, eyes catlike and
glinting with inhuman savageness, and threw him into the dojo wall like a
rag-doll. Slamming into the wall with a sickening *crunch*, Ranma
collapsed. Along with the wall.
Forty-six point eight two seconds.
Shampoo stalked over to the fallen form of her former fiance with the
light grace of a cat. Ranma stirred, coming out of his short
unconsciousness. He opened his eyes to see Shampoo standing over him.
Shampoo knelt down and cradled his chest to her, leaning his head on her
shoulder. She turned to look at him, lightning illuminating her fangs as
she spoke. "Ranma, korosu."
The vampire lunged.
-=<oo>=-
"SHAMPOO!!!!!"
Calvin was suddenly set reeling by a smack on the back of his head. He
pitched forward over Shampoo and rolling head over heels before laying
sprawled on his back. Mousse vanished the training potty that constituted
the Swan's Fist and knelt over his fallen love.
"Bastard! What have you done to her?!" Mousse roared.
Calvin was on his feet instantly. "Nothing you should be worried
about," he sneered back.
"Damn you..." Mousse gathered up Shampoo's limp form, holding her
upright, and jumped away from the vampire. Cal did not follow his
movements, merely crossing his arms. "Shampoo, are you okay?" Mousse asked
frantically, risking taking his eyes off of Calvin to ascertain her
condition.
Shampoo groaned weakly, wrapping her arms around his neck and under
his left arm. Mousse smiled with relief. "Don't worry, Shampoo. I'll
protect you," the master of hidden weapons assured his love.
The elder vampire grinned at that; after all, this kine was about to
get the biggest, and last, shock of his life. He leaned casually against
the wall of the apartment. "No, Mousse..." Calvin chuckled, "She ain't the
one who needs protection..."
Mousse frowned, "What are you talking about, sicko!"
The vampire just grinned.
Mousse was about to grill him for an answer when he remembered
Shampoo, and knew he had to get her to safety. He darted back,
somersaulted over the couch and fled out the door. "I gotta feeling you'll
soon find out!" he heard the vampire say as he rushed out with his charge.
After a short run away from the hotel, he hid himself and his charge
behind a corner. Mousse pulled back from Shampoo, all the while keeping a
wary eye out for Calvin. Shampoo stirred, blinking open her eyes.
"Shampoo! Are you all right?" Mousse asked urgently, making sure his
glasses were set firmly on his nose. As it turned out, this is exactly
where his glasses fully corrected his blurry vision.
It was obvious to him that Shampoo was clearly disoriented. Her eyes
drifted without focus, and her body swayed as her mouth mumbled unknown
languages. Additionally, she looked not at all well; her skin seemed
clammy and abnormally pale, and faint bruises had formed under her eyes.
What had that bastard done to her?
Mousse gently shook her. "Shampoo!" That stiff vocative seemed to give
her focus, as her eyes locked onto his own. Shampoo swaying dampened, her
balance restored, and her mouth stopped its chant.
A smile of joy formed upon Mousse's face. "Shampoo! You're alright,
aren't you!" Mousse proclaimed, ecstatic and relieved. "I saved you from
that evil man back at the hotel!" Mousse thought, /*She'll love me now!
Ranma and Akane always seem closer after he rescues her! Please! Please
say you love me, Shampoo!*/
But Shampoo had not glomped onto him, hugging him tightly and
proclaiming her love. Nor was she bellowing in outrage and booting him
into Low Earth Orbit (tm). Shampoo's eyes narrowed, Mousse still locked in
her gaze. With a growing dread, Mousse realized that Shampoo was staring
at him as would a tiger staring at a savory antelope dinner.
With lightning speed, Shampoo's arms grasped Mousse's own, pinning
them to his sides. His back slammed against the wall as Shampoo propelled
Mousse powerfully against it, slamming him against the masonry. Seeing the
deadly smile on her face, Mousse found it difficult to speak. "Sh-Shampoo!
Wha-What a-are you...?"
Shampoo's jaw dropped, her lips stretched back to let out a harsh
cackle somewhere between a snake's hiss and a hyena's mocking laugh.
"Surprise!" she chortled, pressing close to him. For that instant, Mousse
regretted that his glasses had brought his vision into perfect focus, for
the sight of Shampoo's fangs at full extension told him more than he cared
to know.
The unpleasant fact was that _HE_ was the one who needed rescue, from
a newly-created and very hungry-looking vampire... named Shampoo.
And with that last horrible coherent thought to accompany Mousse,
Shampoo baptized her fangs on his blood...
-=<oo>=-
*CRACK-AKLE-CRACK-BOOM!!*
With a final thunderclap, the heavens opened up. Torrents of rain came
crashing down to the earth.
It wasn't so much the water pouring down on her that enabled Shampoo
to regain her senses, but rather the changes that overtook her vessel. Her
Beast had been startled by the Jyusenkyo change for but a moment, but it
was enough. /*An opening!*/ Shampoo crowed and clocked the Beast smartly
on the proverbial noggin with her Mental Multi-ton Monstrous Magnanimous
Mega-Mallet. The Beast crumpled to the cognitive ground.
Shampoo's head snapped back from her victim's neck. Ranma whimpered at
the loss of her fix, but was in no condition to force the vampiress to
continue. Shampoo took in the redheaded woman/man's serene face. The
now-familiar sweet taste of blood filled her mouth, which sated her Hunger
as it it was swallowed. She put two and two together, came up with two
hundred fifty three, and resolved to have her math coprocessor checked.
/*Ohh, Ranma... I'm so sorry...*/ Shampoo thought sadly as the vampiress
felt another small bit of her humanity slipping away.
/*But what snapped me out of my frenzy?*/ she asked herself, and was
answered as she noticed that the space between their bodies had became
quite crowded. Looking down, she realized that Ranma's chest had busted
out and was now competing for space with Shampoo's own substantial bosom.
Shampoo finally registered that it was raining.
Shampoo threw her head back, laughing into the downpour as it washed
away blooded tears of joy. She crushed Ranma's unresponsive body to her
own in a hearty bear hug, for once thankful for a certain training ground.
"The Curse of Jyusenkyo just saved your mortal skin from the Curse of
Caine, Ranma," Shampoo whispered into Ranma's ear. "You *sure* you want to
be cured now?"
/*At least you're okay, Ranma...*/ Shampoo thought as she glanced over
Ranma's altered form. She found the two punctures that were her fangs'
entries. Shampoo licked up the remaining traces of blood, and healing the
wound along with it.
She paused as she remembered a snippet of their conversation:
("Because I'm a *VAMPIRE*!!!")
"*urk!*" Shampoo gulped. /*Man, I hope no one heard that, or I'd be in
deep-shit trouble!*/ Her eyebrows narrowed in thought. /*On the other
hand, I think I can deal with being hit with Yet Another Blood Hunt...*/
she thought wryly.
Shampoo gathered Ranma in a fireman's carry, and made her way to the
house. An accusing voice whispered from within...
/** fiend. **/
-=<o--o>=-
Akane checked the dinner-makings again for the umteenth time. She
remembered the primary lesson that Kasumi drilled into her:
("Cooking is not something to be done haphazardly; in preparing a
successful meal, precision is what counts, not speed.")
/*That was, I think, the most important lesson that Kasumi taught me.
Before, I always relied on my natural talent for cooking, letting my
instincts guide my moves.*/ Akane grinned privately. /*Now I know better.
I shouldn't rely on my natural cooking talent, because there's no such
thing. Even Kasumi had to start with boiling water.*/
/*Kasumi-oneechan, I can never thank you enough for teaching me how to
cook.*/
It was here that Ukyou stepped into the room. "Akane? Can I have a
word with you?" asked the okonomiyaki chef.
"What's wrong, Ukyou?" asked Akane.
Ukyou let out a sigh. She hated to feel like she was betraying
Shampoo's trust, but it was either Shampoo lose her trust in Ukyou, or her
life. "What did Shampoo tell you about Mousse?"
Akane frowned. "Not much. At first, we guessed that he and Shampoo
eloped, but then we found out that Mousse died," she said sadly. "Poor
Shampoo..."
"She didn't happen to tell you _how_ Mousse died?" Ukyou asked
rhetorically, arching an eyebrow.
Akane looked up from her cooking. "Uh, no..." Akane replied, and
having the precognition to tell that Ukyou knew, and was about to tell
her. Akane didn't have to be psychic to tell this was not a Good Thing.
"Akane..." Ukyou said softly, almost in a whisper, "...Shampoo killed
him."
Although Akane had braced for something like this, it didn't prevent a
mental weaverling from doing a tapdance up and down her spine.
"Wh...what?"
"Shampoo killed Mousse," Ukyou elaborated.
Akane turned to Ukyou, eyes wide with shock. "Killed... Mousse?"
Ukyou nodded. "She's real broken-up about it, too... Akane... I'm
afraid for her," she said, her voice full of worry. "If this continues
much longer, she might... do something desperate." She left it no more
specific than that, but all those with intelligence knew what she meant.
"So what do we do?" Akane asked.
Ukyou could only shrug. Several minutes passed before a buzzing sound
told Akane that she should return her attention back to preparing the
meal, distracting her temporarily from Shampoo's problem over the death of
Mousse.
It was a tried (although not neccessarily true) method of the Saotome
clan: ignore the problem and hope it goes away.
The okonomiyaki chef watched Akane cook for several more minutes,
marveling at the fact that the girl could actually cook a decent meal.
Then, realizing she was bored, she stepped up behind Akane.
"Can I help?"
"Sure."
And the cooking continued.
-=<o--o>=-
"Akane-san!" Shampoo called.
As if on cue, Akane opened a door, stepping into the room with Ukyou
close behind. Then she looked up and saw Shampoo carrying Ranma. She
gasped as she saw her husband (so to speak) currently doing a very
convincing impression of a corpse, his/her body looking very much like she
had the living shit beaten out of her. Since this is exactly what had
happened, this fact should not be surprising.
"Ranchan!" gasped Ukyou.
"Ranma!" Akane yipped with concern at the same moment. "Shampoo, what
happened?!"
Shampoo blinked incredulously. "What do you _think_ happened? We had a
fight. I mean, didn't you hear the Hiryuu Shouten Ha?"
Akane shook her head. "Of course not. We had the place soundproofed."
Shampoo facefaulted, "Soundproofed?!?"
"Ranma makes a lot of racket working out, so we had the whole house
soundproofed," she explained. A conspiratorial grin spread across her
face. "It also keeps certain nosy fathers from eavesdropping on others."
Shampoo merely fretted.
"uhhhnn..." came a soft moan from Shampoo's back. The four realized
that a certain aquatransexual was still held aloft by Shampoo. Without
further prompting, Akane broke out her father's favorite fainting futon.
The Amazon was about to ask why the Saotomes kept a futon in a nearby
closet, then remembered the Tendou family elder.
"Ukyou, lend a hand and get the blanket, please," she said, pointing
to the bundle next to the futon Akane pulled out.
"Un," complied Ukyou and gathered up the comforter. The two carried
their wares back to Shampoo. Akane silently spread out the futon, and
without further delay Shampoo carefully laid her passenger on the futon.
Ukyou flapped out the comforter, and then handed it to Akane. After
pulling the comforter over her husband, Akane started checking the vital
signs of her now-female spouse. Shampoo felt the crushing guilt of her
feeding off Ranma pressing down on her.
/** wild. no control. broke loose. hurt ranma. **/
Shampoo shuddered as the small voice accused from within her.
Akane saw Shampoo's discomfort. "Something wrong?"
Shampoo started, looking at Akane. She mustered up the most
sincere-looking falsetto smile she could manage. "Uh, no! Nothing!
Nothing's wrong!" She turned away to keep Akane from seeing the fear and
shame welling up within her.
"Bullshit, honey!" said Ukyou in a low voice, right into Shampoo's
ear.
The Amazon jumped, and then gaped at her friend suddenly standing
right next to her. "Ukyou! What--?"
"I know you better than that, Shampoo," Ukyou pressed. "I can tell
it's something more than just beating up Ranchan." She leaned in closer.
"Was Ranchan being a jerk again?"
"Yeah. He wanted the cure for the Jyusenkyou curse," replied Shampoo.
"I wouldn't give it to him; the cure's worse than the curse. He kept
pestering me and pestering me until I snapped."
Ukyou nodded knowingly. "That's Ranchan for you. When a possible cure
turns up, he goes apeshit over getting it." Ukyou giggled a bit. "I can
swear that he can almost smell 'cures' miles away, like a shark in a
feeding frenzy!"
/** frenzy. on purpose. anger. anger of ranma. **/
Shampoo shut her eyes tightly, concentrating on blocking out that
accusing voice. "Shampoo?" She didn't see Ukyou become perplexed at the
reaction she got.
/** monster. killer. predator. wolf among sheep. shark. serpent.
inhuman creature. **/
"Shampoo!" Ukyou shouted. Startled out of her emotional pit, Shampoo
looked up at her. "You there? I've been trying to get your attention for a
good five minutes!"
/** devil. demon. **/
"Uhh," Shampoo whispered, mustering up the most sincere-looking
falsetto smile she could manage. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"You were just comatose, more like," Akane observed dryly. "Listen. Go
make yourself useful and go fetch the first aid kit."
"Uh, sure..." Shampoo got up and paused.
/** animal. **/
"The first aid kit, Shampoo," Akane instructed. "In the bathroom."
"Thank you..." Shampoo nodded and stepped out of the room.
/** an opportunity. take it. run, you cur, run. **/
"No... Must stay and help Ranma..." Shampoo whispered in affirmation
her conviction as she left earshot. "...must repair the damage... must
protect Ranma from my fate..."
Akane watched Shampoo leave, then looked to Ukyou. The okonomiyaki
chef looked right back at her. "So what do you think?" Akane asked.
Ukyou sighed and sat down by Ranma, opposite to Akane. "I don't know,
Akane-chan. Mousse's death has her very shaken. *VERY* shaken, and tonight
I accidentally stirred up all that old grief." Ukyou indicated Ranma. "And
then Ranma comes out demanding the cure, which is exactly the wrong thing
to do when Shampoo is like that."
Akane turned back to her female husband. "Oh, Ranma. You're such a
baka sometimes..."
The redhead moaned, her face twisted in a mix of terror and horror,
pain and agony. They watched onna-Ranma gasping for breath, skin dripping
with cold sweat, and whimpering like a wounded animal. It was as if she
was having a nightmare.
Ranma let out a small cry of pain. Her left arm suddenly twiched,
pressing against the side of her neck. "Shampoo... s-stop..." mumbled
Ranma, as her terror seemed to escalate. The only time Akane saw a terror
rivaling this one was when Ranma was exposed to cats.
/*Stop? Stop what?*/ Akane thought, and frowned. /*Shampoo better not
have come onto him...*/
Then her husband fell limp, seemingly peaceful, but it would not last.
Ranma tensed up, and her face pulled into a ghastly grimace. "F-fangs...
drinking..." A shiver ran through the small girl's body. "...c-c-cold..."
"It's okay, Ranma," Akane cooed as she carefully stroked onna-Ranma's
hair.
Ukyou fretted with worry. "I feel so useless," she said.
Ranma's mouth opened to speak again. "Yuh...hurrra..." the
half-man/half-woman's fear-paralyzed voice whimpered, "...ba... n...
pai... re..."
Akane and Ukyou looked up at each other. "Banpaire?" They querried at
the same moment. What did that mean?
Akane steeled herself with a resolution. "Right. Time to bring in the
heavy artillery: Kasumi and Nabiki!" She stood and struck a pose.
(*DA-DAN!*)
Ukyou blinked, gazing at the glow of determination around Akane.
"Sugoi..."
*BREEEP-BREEEP*
*BREEEP-BREEEP*
*BREEEP--* *CLICK*
//Moshi-moshi, Tofu residence,// answered a voice on the other end, a
voice that Akane recognized as Tofu-sensei.
"Hi. It's Akane," she replied.
//Akane! What made you call this late?//
"I don't know. I need to talk to Kasumi-oneechan."
//Uhhh... That's not such a good idea. You see, Akane, she ran out of
her prescription--//
//Maa, eat lead! *BRAAAAAAP!!*//
//Oh damn! She found the keys to her gun cabinet again!// Akane's eyes
bugged out; Kasumi with a _gun cabinet_!?! //I'll have to talk to you
later. I got damage control to do.//
"Oh. Thanks anyway."
//Sorry. Bye.//
"Bye." Akane replaced the receiver on its cradle and sighed as she
thought of her dear sister Kasumi. /*My, things have changed in the last
twenty years...*/ Picking up the receiver again, she punched the
particular permutation of digits that made up her other sister's phone
number.
//This is the Hibiki residence, Hibiki Nabiki speaking, and you better
have a _DAMN_ good reason for calling this late!// came the slightly
groggy voice of her sister. Akane stiffled a chuckle at the name. She
found it odd that Nabiki and Ryouga would fall for each other. Akane put
thoughts like that out of her mind; now was not the time.
"Hi, Nabiki. It's Akane," said Akane.
//Akane? What's the matter?// Nabiki's voice instantly lost all traces
of fatigue.
"It's Ranma!" Akane said in a voice she struggled to keep under
control. "He's lying passed out on Father's Futon. I think he's in mild
shock, but he doesn't have any injuries."
There was a few seconds of silence. //How was he a short while ago?//
Akane thought a bit. "He was fine up to fifteen minutes ago. Do you
know what's going on?"
//I might,// Nabiki said, her voice suddenly concerned, which
frightened Akane. //I'll be there shortly, Akane. Bye.//
"Bye," Akane said, then replaced the receiver. She smelled doom as the
word Ranma muttered, "Banpaire," echoed in her head.
-=<oo>=-
Cologne glanced at the wall clock yet again.
1:26 AM, and Shampoo and Mousse were nowhere to be found.
The old woman sighed, beginning another sweep-up pass across the
floor. Normally, this was Mousse's job, but as Mr. Part Time was AWOL, she
had to do it herself. She murmured dark things to herself, resolving to
put Mousse's ass in a sling tommorrow.
Shampoo was someone she expected to be out this late. After all, her
objective tonight was to get Ranma by any means possible, and that
included certain... ahem... endurance trials. Hehheh. But still, she
expected Shampoo to contact her regardless.
"Great-grandmother..." whispered a familiar voice.
Cologne spun to face her great-granddaughter. The old crone gasped as
she examined Shampoo's attire. Her cheongsam had become a designer's
nightmare. The seams showed signs of being overstressed, smudges of dirt,
grass and oil blemished a skirt that was not so much split as shredded. A
dark, stain-inducing fluid soaked most of her bosom and up to the mandarin
collar.
"By the Ancients! What happened to you, child?!" Cologne asked, almost
shrieking.
Shampoo's eyes seemed to be locked open, possessing the glazed look of
one who had been overwhelmed. Her hair was now in general disarray, to the
point of having lost one of the buns. Her mouth was barely open, turned
down but with lips held lax. Using these cues, Cologne's assessment of
Shampoo's mental state was right on the money; the girl felt numb, her
mind still sorting out the various disturbing images that were no doubt
plaguing her.
The young woman hobbled in, as her right high-heeled shoe had been
lost somehow. Stains similar to the ones on her dress had not left her
skin untouched. Like a zombie, Shampoo shuffled toward the old woman, and
finally fell to her knees in front of her great-grandmother.
"Shampoo..."
The distraught Amazon shuddered as she stared at Cologne with that
same disturbed look. "<I... I met a man today... He... he... Oh
great-grandmother, it was so horrible!!>" Her voice was but a whisper, yet
to Cologne it was as loud as a siren.
"<Shampoo... Did this man... rape you?>" Cologne asked pensive.
Shampoo shook her head mechanically. Cologne breathed a sigh of
relief. The girl let out a brief, quiet chuckle as she explained, "<No.
This... it's far, far worse.>"
Cologne didn't like the tone of Shampoo's voice, the depth of bitter
dispair that dripped from her words. No, she did not like that tone. Not
one bit. "<Shampoo. What happened?>"
Shampoo stared at her quaking hands for a long moment. "<The
blood...>" Shampoo started wiping her hands as if to get something
disgusting off them. "<...it won't come off... their blood... on my
hands... Mousse...>"
"<Stop babbling, child. Just tell me what happened,>" Cologne scolded.
Almost as an afterthought, she added, "<...and where's that idiot
Mousse?>"
Shampoo choked at the mention of the boy's name. "<Oh, Mousse! You
were my first, weren't you?>" Shampoo's eyes shimmered as she
apostrophized to the absent boy. "<Forgive me!!>" she wailed and burried
her face in her hands.
Cologne's patience was at an end; Shampoo had suffered some terrible
experience but she couldn't help her great-granddaughter if the girl
didn't tell her what was the matter. "<Shampoo, you will tell me what
happened to you and Mousse. Now!>" she snapped.
The harsh tone cut through the confusion within Shampoo's mind.
"<Mousse was my first... my first...>" She'd been dreading this moment
since she found out about Mousse. Her hands pulled away from her face, and
she finished, "<...my... first... kill...>"
Cologne saw the maroon tracks of blood first, and then actually gasped
in shock as a pair of fangs protruded from underneath her descendant's
lips. It didn't take very much imagination for her to understand what had
happened to her charges.
Both Mousse and Shampoo were dead, only Mousse had won his final rest,
while Shampoo never would.
/** first kill. **/ whispered a new voice within Shampoo's head. /**
you monster. **/
For the first time in her three hundred years of life, Cologne truly
felt old.
-=<oo>=-
Shampoo shook herself free of her memory replay. /*Gods, but this
flashback crap is annoying.*/ She mentally sighed, /*Then again, I've
learned that this remembering is my brain trying to tell me something.
Though I'd be damned if I knew what!*/
She looked up, thinking, /*Of course, it might just be some higher
power is having fun with me.*/
--- O_O -- O_O ---
"*HA-CHOO!*" sneezes a sweatshirt- and jeans-wearing bespectacled man
as he was sitting before a computer, his metal-rimmed glasses thrown off
with a clatter.
--- O_O -- O_O ---
Shampoo sighed, reviewing her situation. Ranma's mother, Nodoka, had
been kidnapped, no doubt by the Sabbat. /*But WHY!?!*/ her mind screamed.
/*She has no particularly strong connection to the Dao.*/
<<Oi! Shampoo!>>
"YEAHHHGH!" Shampoo let out a shriek as the wraith startled her. She
clutched her chest, which pulsed lightly. Her heart had started, she
realized, and even as she thought that, the pulsing stopped. Shampoo felt
a shudder ripple through her; the idea of a heart beating within her chest
was now as foreign to her as was the feeling of her fangs extending was
twenty years ago.
Shampoo looked up at the apparition before her, and frowned in
annoyance. "Dammit Mousse! You nearly scared me the remainder of the way
to death!" she hissed.
Mousse managed a wraith approximation to an embarrassed blush, and
started scratching the back of his head. <<Sorry, Shampoo. I forgot.>>
"Baka," snorted the vampiress. "So what took you so long? I've been
waiting all night."
Mousse managed to look sheepish. <<There was a sale at Soulway...>> he
confessed. Shampoo facefaulted for the second time in ten minutes. <<The
prices they had for some of their fetters were a bargin.>>
Shampoo failed look impressed. "Never mind. What did you find out
about Saotome Nodoka?"
<<Well...>> the wraith began, <<As you suspected, Saotome-san was
kidnapped by the Sabbat. I also found this...>> Mousse produced a sheathed
sword. A _solid_ sheathed sword. <<The Saotome family sword.>>
Shampoo stared bug-eyed at Mousse holding the sword. "How the hell can
you do that?"
<<Do what?>>
She pointed at the sword. "THAT! You're a wraith, Mousse! You
shouldn't be able to carry that! How do you do it?!"
Mousse looked at the sword, then back at Shampoo. Understanding, the
spirit grinned and quipped, <<With difficulty.>> He laughed at his own
joke. Shampoo didn't. Though she had gained a certain respect for him, a
corny joke is a corny joke. <<Normally, I wouldn't. However, for those
with certain Arcanoses, carrying solid stuff is indeed possible. Or is
that 'Arcani'?>>
"This is no time to be arguing Greek inflection, Mousse!" snapped
Shampoo. Sighing with chagrin, the ex-Amazon rubbed her temples as she
felt an Excedrin headache coming on. "Let's get back to the subject. Did
you find out where they're keeping Nodoka?"
<<Yes. The Sabbat's keeping her in the basement of an upscale hotel on
the edge of town.>>
"Upscale hotel?"
<<I guess they were tired of the 'old abandoned warehouse' cliche. I
agree with them; why hole up in some dump when you can get room service?>>
"Cut the crap, Mousse! What does the Sabbat _want_ with
Saotome-san!?!" growled Shampoo. "I know why they want *Ranma*, but where
does Nodoka fit into all of this?!"
Mousse thought a bit. <<Bait, maybe?>>
"Nahh, too simple," Shampoo dismissed the idea. "The Sabbat may be
little more than a herd of animals, but they're still vampires; 'wily' is
a Kindred's middle name, so to speak."
A few moments of silence passed. Then Mousse started again. <<How are
you holding out?>>
"As well as can be expected..." Shampoo replied. "Ranma asked me for
the cure, and--"
<<You fed from him,>> finished Mousse.
Shampoo started. "How did you know?"
Mousse smiled. <<What else could it be? I saw Ranma on the futon,
nursed by Akane and Ukyou. He was muttering about vampires.>>
"Shit," swore Shampoo as she started for the door.
-=<o--o>=-
*DINGDONG*
"I'll get it," announced Akane as she stopped listening to the mad
rantings of her husband and traced out the geodesic from Ranma's side to
the front door. She pulled the door open to reveal Hibiki Nabiki (formerly
Tendou Nabiki) in a rain poncho.
Even after almost twenty years, Akane still had trouble believing that
her mercenary sister and Ryouga could ignite a flame of love. They had
disappeared for a couple of months, and the next thing she knew, the two
were married. The circumstances surrounding their marriage was something
the Hibikis refused to talk about.
Still... "Oneechan!" Akane greeted her sister, putting on the most
welcoming face she was able under the circumstances. "Come in, come in!"
she baded, leading Nabiki into the foyer. "Um, where's Ryouga-kun?"
Nabiki, who had started removing her shoes, froze. She looked back
into the rain and let out a strangled growl of chagrin. "Lost again!" she
snarled, "How the HELL do you *do* that without Correspondance, Ryouga?!"
"Sorry?" Akane asked.
Nabiki let out a frustrated sigh. "Never mind. So, what's the story,
Akane?"
"Well, Ranma went out to speak with Shampoo as I was cooking dinner,"
Akane began, "but not ten minutes later, Shampoo called to me. I came and
saw her carrying Ranma on her shoulders. She said that they had a fight."
Nabiki nodded as she pulled off her poncho and hung it on a hook.
"Anything else?"
Akane thought about what Ranma had mumbled in her sleep. "He's
delerious," Akane said finally. "He keeps mumbling about... 'banpaire,'
was it?"
At the word "banpaire," Mrs. Hibiki snapped to attention.
Akane noticed this. "You know what that means, don't you." It was not
a question. "You know what happened to Ranma?"
Nabiki looked at her gravely. "Maybe..." the older sister murmured,
tension tight in her throat. "I can only hope I'm wrong..."
If this was meant to comfort Akane, it wasn't helping.
"Ranma's in the living room," she declared. "Follow me." Although
Nabiki knew the way perfectly well, she followed Akane as she lead the way
into the room, where onna-Ranma was lying on the Futon. Shampoo looked up,
standing to greet the new guest whom she hoped could help.
"Ah, minna, Nabiki's here," Akane declared, and with a small smile,
stepped to one side. Nabiki stepped through the portal into the room.
For a split second, a brief, almost unnoticed exchange took place.
Nabiki saw the Amazon standing across the room, her eyes widening as her
magickal sight showed her things ordinarily hidden from Sleepers...and saw
the inhuman soul inhabiting the Amazon's undead corpse.
Shampoo locked eyes with Nabiki as well, and her own eyes widened as
she saw the sparkles in her aura. Nabiki was using magic...no, not just
magic, True Magick. Suddenly, Nabiki's aura turned to crimson rage. Nabiki
was a mage, she realized, and she probably knew what she was.
"*MONSTER!!*" Nabiki barked; Shampoo watched in almost facination as
Nabiki's hand flew up. On her finger was a ring set with a ruby -- or what
appeared to be a ruby. Either way, it sparkled angrily. A bright flash
came forth, accompanied by the sound of what can only be described as a
very big furnace going on.
To Akane's great surprise, a fireball leaped out from the crystal and
curled lazily as it rushed through the air, forming a neat helix in space
and throwing off sparks as if it was a grinding wheel. Ukyou ducked,
letting the fireball pass overhead without damage to herself. Akane felt
the heat from the ball of fire even from her position as it made its way
to a very off-balance Shampoo.
-====||====-
End Note: I know what you're saying: Nabiki a Mage has already been done,
by Jon Farber, no less! Well, guess what! My Nabiki is exactly the same
Nabiki as in "Awakenings and Journeys". We decided to meld the two into
one. I mean, why the hell did you think I mentioned Jon Farber in the
credits?! :)
BTW, somewhere within this chapter is a tip o' the hat to Mike Loader-san.
If you find it, you win a no-prise. ^_^
<<o-<o>-================-<o>-o>>
---------------------
## ## ## ## ####### ## ## AKA Tom Jefferys, Time Lord for Hire
## ## # # ## ## ### ### "Have TARDIS; Will Travel."
## # ## ### ##### ## # ## Wielder of ANVIL and SPAM!
### ### # ## ## ## ## [ Will code for food! ]
## ## ### ### ## ## ##_of_UT haunts <wyrm@mail.utexas.edu>
"Don't make deals with Dark Lords."
-- Wyrm's 34th Law (Inverse's Law)