Subject: [FFML] [Ranma][alt][fusion]MA&M: 3rd Edition [5]
From: Thryth
Date: 11/10/2000, 10:49 PM
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   "Nabiki Tendo I...have need of your services," Kuno

said reluctantly.

   "Oh really Little-Kuno?" Nabiki asked without

looking up from the tome of beauty secrets she had

taken borrowed from the Hall's library.  "What do you

need this time?"  

   The last time Kuno had hired her it was to identify

the "demonic beast" that had been "ravaging the Kuno

stores."  It had taken Nabiki all of two minutes and

no magic to find the raccoon tracks.  Moderately

insulting, but at least it was an easy job.

   "Yesterday I found myself presented with a fierce

demoness," Kuno started.  The Xellos priestess

immediately started choking.  "Is something wrong,

Lady Tendo?"  Nabiki took a big breath to clear her

throat and assembled herself to answer the swordsman.

   "I just breathed in some dust is all," Nabiki

assured him.  "Which demoness was this Little-Kuno?"

   "She had crimson hair, like blood pooling in the

darkness," Kuno explained.  "Worn short in a pigtail,

with an elegant sleeveless tunic that left her dark

wings free to move."

   "Oh that demoness," Nabiki said.  ~I'd have thought

he'd forget that part.~  "I know her."

   "Nabiki Tendo," Kuno declared.  "Can this be true!?

 Do you also make a practice of summoning fiends for

your purposes?"

   "Let's not leap too far here Little-Kuno," Nabiki

insisted.  "I've seen her once or twice, I know where

she...lairs why?"  Kuno sat down, unrolled a scroll,

and hastily began writing.

   ~If she thinks that she can defeat the great Sir

Kuno and simply walk away,~ Kuno thought while

chuckling evilly.  ~Then she thinks wrongly.~  He

stood up sharply and presented the newly written

message.  "Here..."

   Nabiki looked at the message and considered it

briefly before taking the envelope, and a few coins

besides.

*******

   "This is for me?" Ranma blinked as he held the

message.

   "To the 'fierce demoness' he said," Nabiki

clarified.  "You've really got is imagination working.

 I don't even think he knows you're the same person."

   "'Meet me in the second field of Furinkan Hall,'"

Ranma read aloud.

   "Sounds like a duel, huh?" Akane said calmly from

behind Ranma.

   "Little-Kuno just hates to lose!" Nabiki added. 

She had suspected something like this, it was a good

chance.  She still didn't want to risk casting a spell

directly over Ranma to detect anything, it might tip

him off, but she could always examine behavior.

   "Vengeful, hmm?" Akane said, trying not to sound a

little concerned.  If Ranma wanted to rush his way

straight into trouble it was no problem of hers. 

Ranma crushed the letter and tossed it back with a

determined look on his face.

*******

   Nabiki stretched as she stood up and started to

walk for the monastery exit.

   "Oh, Nabiki," Kasumi's voice called out.

   "Yeah?" the middle Tendo turned to face her sister.

   "I need you to do a small favor for me," the

priestess of Belldandy told her.

   ~Well its a couple of hours yet until Ranma's

duel,~ Nabiki considered.  "Sure, what is it?"

   "I need you to check the wards about the grounds."

   "B..but that'll take all day!" Nabiki protested. 

"If I start right away!"

   "I know," Kasumi said regrettfully.  "But it needs

to be done, and I have my own duties to attend to."

   "What about Akane?" Nabiki suggested.  Kasumi

looked at her.  "Right, forget I suggested it.  I'll

get started."

   "Thank you, Nabiki," Kasumi said cheerfully before

walking out, on her way to her goddess's temple.

   "What wonderful timing," Nabiki muttered.  She

considered just leaving to see Kuno's duel with Ranma

anyway, but that would leave her caught in a direct

lie, probably the worst thing she could do.  ~I wonder

if Kasumi even knows how neat a little trap this is.~

*******

   Ranma-chan stood in the middle of the training

field dressed loosely in her fighting clothes.  A cold

wind blew through the field and ruffled her hair as

she waited.  Ranma absently reached up to push the

strands away from her face and straighten her hair out

a little.

   "So you have come," Kuno said as he strode forward

to meet her.  "My fierce demoness."

   "You don't learn very quickly," Ranma noted

irritably while looking over the swordsman.  "Do you

pal?  Well, where's your sword?"

   "Heh," Kuno snorted arrogantly, looking down

towards the ground and inclining his face away from

her.  "I have no need of a sword."

   "Yeah?" Ranma asked dryly.  "Pretty confident, I 

guess."

   "Confident enough," Kuno said.  "To

give...you...THIS!!"  Kuno shouted as he tossed

something at the red-haired girl.  Ranma, a confused

look on her face reached up and snatched the object

before looking at it and seeing a bouquet of roses.

   "I love you," Kuno said simply, turning away from

Ranma and walking.

   "HAH!" Ranma said aloud, stopping the swordsman in

his tracks.  "Sorry, but that's just gotta be the

funniest thing I've heard in a long time."

   "Tis true, nonetheless," Kuno protested.

   "Give it up pal," Ranma smirked, he channeled a

small stream of power into the roses.  The vibrant

colors of the plants faded and withered in moments as

the cold energy surrounded Ranma's hand.  "A pervert

like you ain't got a chance with me that way."  She

resisted the urge to shift out of human form, here,

where anyone could see her.

   Ranma tossed the browned flowers at the swordsman,

the roses distintegrated before reaching him.  Then

Ranma left, leaping away before Kuno could react.

   "Such is the nature of the spell binding her to

this place," Kuno sighed as the wind continued to

blow.

*******

   Master Tofu walked away from the home of his last

patient and rubbed his chin.  The condition of the

young man wasn't serious, and he had quite honestly

told a concerned parent that he would be fine with a

few days rest.  It was the apparent cause of the

patient's weakened stupor that bothered him.

   His life force had been drained, and that meant

problems.  The draining had been fairly gentle, and

only a small amount had been taken.  In fact it seemed

as if whoever had done was trying to avoid seriously

hurting the victim.  That might change, however, if

whoever or whatever was doing it felt safe.

   Tofu remembered a small redhead that had been

walking with the two younger Tendos.  He had been

meaning to talk to her about dangerous studies

already.  Now he wondered if the power she was drawing

was more a matter of nature than education.

*******

   Ranma-succubus stretched her bare body up and

outward, the great wings on her back mirroring the

movement of her arms.  Then she sighed and looked down

at the lifeless husk that had been her lover.  He

should never have pushed her.

   "Told you," Ranma said, only half-regrettfully. 

"Nothing but a snack."

   "I love you," the corpse whispered.

   "Nah, you're just a pervert," Ranma said

carelessly.

   "What have you done!" Ranma turned to see her

mother.  "You have drained the fool to death!"

   "But you said I should..."

   "RANMA!" Ranma whirled to see Akane standing in the

doorway, holy symbol presented.  "A demon in my home!"

   "Oh my!" Kasumi's face and voice took on a hard

tone.  "We have to do something about this!"

   "Of course we do," Nabiki agreed.  The three

presented their holy symbols.  Ranma nearly laughed as

he heard them chanting to banish evil.

   "But I'm not..." Ranma stopped short and screamed

as he felt herself ripped to pieces and put back

together again.  Before she could catch her breath

something grabbed her from the ground.

   "Welcome home at last, Ranma," a guttural voice

growled out as Ranma glanced about and recognized,

from description and ancestral memory, the Abyss.  "We

have a lot of work for you to do..."

*******

   Ranma-Chan snapped awake screaming, a sound that

was quickly shut off as he recognized her

surroundings.  The panda was even asleep next to her,

never even having heard his daughter.

   "A..a dream," she realized trying to catch her

breath.

   Ranma hoped nobody had caught her transforming in

the middle of the dream, but thought she was probably

safe.  She recalled the nobleman's confession

yesterday and shivered.

   Somebody like that might just piss her off enough

to do it, and then where would she be?  What would

make her different from all the soul-sucking monsters

that she was related to?

*******

   "Hey!" Akane snapped at Ranma.  "Save some for the

rest of us!"

   "You have quiet an appetite this morning,

Ranma-kun," Kasumi noted as Ranma started on his third

rack of lamb.

   "I skipped a meal yesterday," Ranma noted.  Nabiki

arched an eyebrow.

*******

   "You look tired," Akane commented to Ranma-Kun as

they began to near the hall.  "Starting to get a

little sick?"  

   "I don't get sick," Ranma answered shortly.  "I

just didn't sleep very well."  He added the last

quietly.

   "Bad dreams, Saotome?" Nabiki asked.  Ranma looked

to her and narrowed his eyes.  Did she know, and if so

why hadn't she said anything?

   Ranma was saved from answering by the dull roar

that introduced the oncoming morning horde.

   "Akane Tendo's here!" "With her fiancee!" "Saotome,

get away from Ak-"  The mob was quickly dispatched as

Akane waded through them.  Ranma followed still at her

side and taking out his own mass of assaulters.

   Kuno suddenly jumped into view and charged forward

yelling "Attack."  

   "Kuno," Ranma said, sounding a little nauseous. 

Akane leaped up and came down in a kick to Kuno's

face, taking him down.  Ranma, on the other hand,

simply vanished.

   "What..." Akane asked, looking around.  "Did he run

away?"  She began to growl.  "When I get my hands on

him, he's going to wish he was never born!  What a

coward!"  Akane stomped her way into the hall.  

   Nabiki watched from an upper window and tapped her

chin.  From what she knew, Ranma could handle Kuno

easily, however effective Kuno's ring was.

   "Very interesting," Nabiki said to herself.  "What

did happen at that duel."

*******

   Ranma chided himself for teleporting like that, not

only did it attract attention, it was damn tiring.  He

did have to avoid Kuno though.  He couldn't trust

himself not to get angry around the nobleman.  He

didn't want to deal with those problems at the moment,

he didn't want to risk the chance that the nightmare

was more accurate than other dreams.

   The martial artist left his temporary shelter and

glanced back at the unconscious form of Kuno before

moving to catch up with Akane.  The girl turned to

glare at her as came up to match her pace.

   "If you're going to get into my fights," Akane

snapped.  "Don't leave when the real trouble starts."

   "I'd rather not see Kuno right now," Ranma

grumbled.

   "Oh, did you lose your duel?" Akane asked sharply.

   "There wasn't a duel!" Ranma retorted.  "He gave me

flowers and confessed his love for me."  Ranma

shivered at the thought.

   "Kuno is in love with your girl side?" Akane asked

before breaking out in laughter.

   "Hey, what's so funny about that?" Ranma demanded,

not really understanding the joke at all.

   "Well you're a man," Akane said.  "Aren't you?"

   "Uh...yep, that's right," Ranma nod quickly. 

"What, do I look like a girl to you?"

   "Not at the moment," Akane smirked. ~But I'm

beginning to wonder.~

*******

   Nabiki leaned back to sip the wine from her goblet

before leaning forward to begin reading again.  Before

she could, a stuffed panda toy landed on the book in

front of her.  Nabiki sighed and wondered if Kuno

would ever learn humility and manners before various

people and gods finally got fed up with him.

   "What's this?" Nabiki asked.

   "A present," came the simple answer from behind

her.

   ~A present?  These things are hard to come by,~

Nabiki thought.  She felt the cloth, filled with some

soft material to give form and make it cozy as a

pillow.  ~Generally people like me have to settle for

carved wooden dolls.~  "Why thank you, Little-Kuno. 

That was..."

   "Did I offer it to you Nabiki Tendo?" Kuno

demanded.

   The world suddenly blackened around the priestess

of Xellos, the few people around noticed her sudden

change in mood and discreetly found somewhere else to

be.  The few people with intelligences beyond that of

a goblin idiot anyway.

   "This gift is for the pig-tailed demon," Kuno

declared.  Nabiki's eyes popped wide as she spit her

wine in Kuno's face.

   "Now look at what you made me do," Nabiki growled.

   "What I made you do?" Kuno repeated in disbelief. 

   Nabiki smirked and plopped a small square of

embroidered silk on the table.  Kuno frowned and

picked it up in curiousity.  Immediately he was

greeted with a minirature image of Ranma-chan bathing.

 Of course the action was bolstered by Nabiki's

imagination to boost the sellability of it.

   "It'll last about a week," Nabiki said.

   "Ohhh!" Kuno gasped as he watched the illusion

sensuously clean herself.  "She is

so...so...so...thorough."

   "She really does love those hot baths," Nabiki

snickered.  "Three hundred gold, you want it?"

   "For a mere week you charge three hundred!" Kuno

demanded.

   "You want something permanent," Nabiki said. 

"You'll have to pay me a lot more than that."  That

was a lot more effort.

   "Done!" Kuno said, he set a small jewel on the

table and continued.  "I'll buy this one for now."

   "So what are you planning to do about my sister?"

Nabiki asked.  

   "What is there 'to do' about her?" Kuno asked,

seriously.

   "You can't be thinking about copying Tenchi,"

Nabiki asked, eyes narrowed.

   "Of course," Kuno said in rebuttal.  "Imitation is

the greatest form of flattery.  And both women are in

desperate need of rescuing from the vile Saotome,"

Kuno declared.  Nabiki stared at him for a moment.

   "Let me get something straight, Little-Kuno,"

Nabiki said.

   "Certainly," Kuno nodded.

   "You know she is a demon," Nabiki started, Kuno

nodded.  "She tried to put you in coma the last time

you saw each other."  Kuno nodded again.  "And you are

STILL want her?"

   "Of course," Kuno answered.  "She is bound to this

world to do Ranma Saotome's bidding.  In truth she

seems to me merely a demon in skin and not soul. 

Certainly she shall see my greatness for what it is

and take her rightful place with Akane and I, as soon

as I have brought the demoness to understand the power

of the light."

   "And you think a stuffed panda is an appropriate

gift to do that?" Nabiki asked.  ~I didn't even know

he knew what a panda was.~

   "Of course," Kuno insisted.  "It is the heart of

the matter that is important, not the body of it.  At

any rate, it is bear, I know not what manner of beast

a panda is.  The artisan made a similar mistake

though."

   ~Ah, that explains that.~ "And you STILL want my

sister as well," Nabiki added.  Most people would have

noted the dangerous glint in her eye and the ice in

her voice.  Then again, this was Kuno.

   She smacked another square of silk on the table. 

Kuno picked it up and saw the image of Akane going

through her "daily observances."  Ever since Ranma had

arrived, said observances had been the doom of more

brick and wood than Nabiki had thought they owned.

   "Three hundred gold for one week," Nabiki said.

   "Sold!" Kuno shouted.

*******

   "Ranma," Nabiki called out as she found her

family's guest, as usual, in the audience hall.  He

never did go much deeper into the keep than that. 

"Can I speak to you for a moment?"

   "About what?" Ranma asked supiciously.  Akane

turned toward the conversation as well.

   "I noticed you didn't go out last night," Nabiki

said.

   "What's the big deal about that?" Akane wondered. 

Though she noticed Ranma freeze.

   "Maybe you're feeling a little peckish?"  Nabiki

smirked as Ranma winced.

   ~Now I definitely know something's going on here,~

Akane thought and excused herself from Yuka and

Sayuri's company to follow her sister and Ranma.

*******

   "What do you want?" Ranma asked.

   "You seem to be starving," Nabiki said.  "So I

wondered if you'd be interested in a hunt."  Nabiki

shrugged.  Ranma paused in confusion, did she know or

didn't she?  The Tendo's thoughts weren't any clearer,

reading Metalliums always gave him a headache anyway.

   "You're going on a hunt?" Ranma asked.

   "Yes," Nabiki said.  "But I need to do something

first, the other member of our party should be along

any moment."

   "Uh huh," Ranma nodded and looked around cautiously

as Nabiki walked away.  "So who else is going on this

thing?"

   "Saotome," a voice behind him drawled.  Ranma froze

and turned around slowly.

   "Kuno, I don't want to..." Ranma caught the stuffed

panda as Kuno and stared at it.  "Hey, this is kind

of..."  Ranma stopped himself, remembering that guys

generally didn't go around calling things kawaii.  He

didn't particularly understand that, but he didn't

particularly understand a lot of things that men and

women did.

   "Tell me where you keep her!" Kuno demanded. 

"Answer me!  Where!?"

   "Say again?" Ranma asked.

   "'When I want to talk to the pig-tailed demoness, I

talk to Ranma,'" Kuno continued.  "Quoth Nabiki Tendo.

 Now tell me what magical device you keep her in?"

   "I'd forget her if I were you," Ranma snapped,

angrily tossing back the bear.

   "What?!" Kuno demanded.

   "Keep chasing m...her, and it'll get painful,"

Ranma walked away from the shocked swordsman.

   ~What...What...?~ Kuno stood in complete shock for

several seconds.

   Ranma reached the structures of the keep a few

steps away and turned a corner.  There was a sudden

splash of water as a servant emptied a soap bucket.

   "Oh, sorry, sir," the man said nervously, backing

away cautiously.  Ranma waved his hand dismissively.

   "No problem," he said shrugging.  ~Damn, that

almost hit me,~ Ranma thought.  ~That would have

been...~ Another splash of water dropped onto him and

Ranma, now female, groaned.  She took a moment to way

off keeping the act up and then imagined what Akane

might do to her if she found out.  ~This is just

annoying, I can handle it.~

   ~Never see her again...~ Kuno continued thinking,

on the edge of processing the sentence.  He rushed

after the man he perceived as the tormentor of his

loves.  "What do you mean?!  Ranma Saotome!"  The

pig-tailed adventurer was no where to be seen.

   "So!  Quick to run, are you?" he slashed out and

struck down a a tree.  He turned at the sound of

someone thumping into the ground.

   "Ohhh!" Ranma-chan shouted in surprise, as she hit

the ground, presenting warding figures with her hands.

   "You...you're...the demoness!" Kuno gasped in

surprise.  He dropped to his knees, arms extended to

hug the red-headed girl.  "How I've missed y-*"

   "Back off!" Ranma snapped from her seated position,

fist in the jerk's face.  It stopped Kuno for all of a

second.

   "I shall never let you go!" Kuno shouted as he

glomped onto the irritated young woman, who briefly,

valiently and futilely fought against fainting.  Kuno

held her out as he felt her go limp and then shook

her.  "Oh she is overcome by the power of my

presence."

   ~Can't have that now, can we,~ Nabiki thought as

she walked up behind Ranma, Kuno didn't even seem to

notice until she upended a kettle over the redheads

head.  When there was no sudden cry of pain.  ~I would

have thought that would be hot enough, he seemed

interested in avoiding getting burnt when he showed

up, hmm.~

   Kuno looked up and then, when he looked down, the

red-haired demoness was gone to be replaced by a very

cross looking Ranma.

   "Hey! Leggo!" Ranma snapped a quick kick into

Kuno's face.  "Got the picture now, idiot?  I'm

leaving."

   "Hold, Saotome!" Kuno shouted.  "Return my demoness

at once!  Sir Kuno shall not be decieved by the tricks

of such dark sorcery."  Ranma flinched in complete

disbelief before whirling back to face Kuno.

   "Listen, you idiot!"

   ~Not quite surprised,~ Nabiki sighed.  "I guess

we'll have to spell it out to him.  Okay, Little-Kuno,

this is the facts.  That demon-woman, Her body, her

soul, belong to him.  Do you know what I mean?"

   There was an audible sound as Kuno's mind leaped to

various conclusions.

   ~I knew about the spell,~ Kuno thought.  ~But her

soul AND her body!?~  He whirled on Ranma, slashing

outward with a strike Ranma almost casually leaped

over.  "TYRANT!!"  This time Nabiki saw a flash of

black power as Ranma landed on the nearest tree, and

crouched, as if the tree were a level floor.

   "I don't think you've got it!" Ranma shouted.

   "Silence!  I can see it, though demon."

*******

   A scantily clad Ranma-succubus abased herself

before a bestial Ranma-kun.

*******

   "HEY!  I don't look like that!!" Ranma shouted. 

"And HOW could ANYONE mix THOSE colors?!"

   "Don't break in on my imagination!!" Kuno demanded.

*******

   "I have a special task for you, my pretty,"

Ranma-kun leered.

   "Yes, master," Ranma-succubus sighed reluctantly.

Then Ranma carried her behind a throne.

   "You are mine to do with as I please!!" Ranma

growled.  Ranma-succubus cried out, and the bloom of a

nightshade broke off and fell to the ground.

*******

   "Oh, how terrible!" Kuno moaned.  "DIABOLIST!!" 

Kuno swung out, and took another swipe, cutting down

another tree.  Ranma leaped away from his falling

perch.

   "What the hell are you talking about!!" Ranma

shouted.  Nobody noticed Akane come around the corner.

   "What's this?" Akane wondered.

   "I shall free her, I shall fell you!!" Kuno was

ranting, as Nabiki watched with a curious look on her

face.

   "Oh yeah!" Ranma shouted, still in the air.  "So if

you lose you'll forget her!  Right?"  Ranma caught

Kuno's bokken, and then used it for leverage to kick

the swordsman.  As Ranma flipped back and landed he

saw a couple pieces of cloth fly out of Kuno's tunic.

   ~Uh oh,~ Nabiki thought as Ranma snatched the

cloths out of the air.  ~At least I got paid.~

   "What's this a handk..." Ranma's jaw dropped as he

watched an image of himself, well herself anyway,

bathing.  At least the actions the illusion of her

were taking resembled bathing.  "HEY!!!" Ranma was cut

off as Kuno's bokken slashed in under his guard.

   Akane gasped as Ranma staggered backwards from the

blow.

   ~He felt that?~ Nabiki gasped as Ranma regained his

feet, standing wobbily.  ~That weapon has no

enchantment!  Perhaps...~  She appraised Kuno again. 

Nabiki quietly called on Xellos, a soft purple glow

suffusing her.

   Ranma meanwhile was again snatching the two squares

of cloth out of the air, while neatly dodging Kuno's

strikes.

   "This, This..." Ranma muttered staring at the

illusion his female form doing her act, still dodging

Kuno.  ~Just what I need, something to encourage

Mother.~  He briefly considered letting out his full

power and changing to his natural form, that wound

would heal faster for one thing.  Nabiki probably

already knew about him anyway.

   "You look elsewhere in the midst battle!" Kuno said

quietly and launched forward.  "You do not take me

seriously!"  Ranma dodged backwards, rolling to a

headstand just in front of Akane.

   ~Akane?~ Ranma blinked as Akane stared down at him.

 For a brief moment she looked worried, then she

started to frown.  ~She was worried about me?!~  Ranma

resisted the urge to preen, any more than usual

anyway.

   "I think you should know, that..." Akane paused

irritated by the information she was about to give

him.  "...when Sir Kuno fights a male opponent, he is

very skilled."  

   ~What, she thinks I can't take care of myself?~ 

Ranma forgot that she had been worried about him as

his mind processed an appropriately sarcastic remark. 

"And I think you should know that the crotch in your

armor is giving out."

   "Go back and die!!" Akane shouted, booting Ranma

back at Kuno.  Ranma flipped around in air, almost as

if he were born to maneuver in the air, and angled

down at Kuno.

   "This game ends now!!!" Kuno shouted, a glow of

power surrounded him.

   "Huh?" Ranma hesitated a moment as he saw the magic

build around Kuno, a soft purple eating away at some

magical layer about him.  First that ring got

brighter, then he began picking out more magic.

   "I was right!!" Nabiki shouted.  "A cloaking

spell!"  As the cloaking spell faded away Ranma

watched a sudden surge in power, then the bokken

launched forward in a sudden burst of out and out

speed.

   "Yikes!!" Ranma desperately dodged, feeling the

passage of the blade just moments after he moved. 

Behind him the corner of the building Akane was

standing by began to crack and shatter.

   "Akane, he's going to bring that building down!"

Nabiki shouted.  Akane dodged to the side as Nabiki's

prediction proved true and the small stone shed

crumpled, almost on top of her.

   "Akane, get out of the way!" Ranma shouted.  Akane

turned away from the rubble that nearly collapsed atop

her to see Kuno smiling victoriously as he slashed

down.

   "Eyes front, idiot!!" Akane shouted.  Ranma dodged

the now virtually glowing bokken and inclined his body

as he turned to face Kuno.  His foot seemed to pass

along inches from Kuno's body.  

   Kuno gave an amused smile as Ranma followed the

kick into a leap and landed firmly on his feet.  The

moment Ranma touched the ground Kuno fell over.

   ~Pain,~ Ranma thought quietly as he stood standing

stoically.

   "I didn't see any magic there," Nabiki said,

impressed.  "How did you...?"  Akane walked over and

flipped the unconscious man over.

   "Oh my," Akane said.  "Each blow has hit a

vulnerable spot."

   "You kicked him," Nabiki gasped.  "I never even saw

it!"

   "I guess Sir Kuno didn't have much," Ranma

suggested as he stretched to try to work some of the

pain out.  "Did he?"

   "What do you mean?" Akane asked levely.  "You took

a hit too, didn't you?"

   "Oh that," Ranma said, trying another trick and

placing his hands back behind his head.

   "Right here," Akane indicated the tear in his

shirt.  "Is it really all right?"

   "Doesn't even itch," Ranma lied, just before Akane

poked him.  Funny thing about overly reactive senses,

they generally work both way.  Akane flinched backward

as Ranma cried out and dropped to his knees crying.

   "Sir Kuno doesn't have much, eh!?" Akane snapped

angrily.

   "Except a blessed weapon, magical vestment, and one

really nice enchanted ring besides the enspelled

items," Nabiki listed off.  "Must be from his sister."

   "Anyway, what distracted you from the fight?" Akane

asked calmly.  Ranma paused before handing Akane the

cloth holding the Tendo woman's illusion.  "What

the..?  What are you doing with this!!?"

   "What am I do...?  KUNO had them!" Ranma shouted

back angrily, he wondered if he had imagined the look

of worry on her face earlier.

   "Nabiki!" Akane snapped.

   "Just making a little money on the side," Nabiki

said in a disarming manner.

   "My own sister," Akane continued in disbelief.

   "At least its not as bad as this other one," Ranma

said.  Akane froze and growled, before rounding on

Ranma holding another square of cloth.  He shivered as

he furtively tore the square apart.  "There that

horrible image gone forever."  Ranma's back was turned

so he couldn't see Akane growling.

   "Akane," Nabiki started.  "That one

wasn't...nevermind."  The air was filled with

screaming as a red glowing hammer began bashing Ranma

and a raging priestess helped it by folding him about.



=====

"Caffeinated Kender?  What's that, a berserk spell?" - 

Tribble, Kender Warrior of the Celestial Kingdom

"God has to have a sense of humor, it's the only explanation for sex." - my father

"I have to write a how-to paper for class, so I'm writing a paper on how to be psuedo-evil." - my brother



http://members.aol.com/thrythlind/snake.html



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