DISCLAIMER: Rumiko Takahashi, quite rightly, owns
the rights to Ranma and Co.'Diamonds Are Forever' is a
James Bond theme song and is reproduced here without
permission.
       
       Notes: Hm, this is not an AU�whew! It's a
what-if continuation fic. I just wanted to try a
different flavor today!
       I should ask for some leeway, as I've never
tried writing anyone in first person before. 
       Onwards...
      
*******************************************************
      Diamonds are forever,
They are all I need to please me,
They can stimulate and tease me,
They won't leave in the night,
I've no fear that they might desert me. 
       

Prologue~
        
       "It's over," Ranma said in a dead voice.
"Goodbye, Akane." 
       I watched as Ranma Saotome turned and walked
out of my life. 
       At last everything will go back to normal, I
thought. I'd really been worrying about my studies for
a while now. All that fighting and all those
women-hunting princes could really take their toll on
a girl.
       I sighed. What a relief.
       A lone maple leaf drifted down to land near my
ankle. I stared down at it. And then I broke into
tears.
       	*  *  *
       Eight Years Later ~
       
       I exhaled as the maple leaves swirled down
around me like a shower of blessings. I wanted to shut
out the sight, but, though it sounds odd, I never
closed my eyes if I could help it anymore. I always
flashed back to that scene when the maple leaves fell.

	That was one reason I preferred to be out of the
United States during the fall. It was a bittersweet
season for me.
      It was eight years ago, I reminded myself. Get
over it. New life, new memories. He's probably some
isolated hermit teaching some mountain kid the tenshin
amaguriken in those mountains of his, where he and Mr.
Saotome used to train.
       I shifted my grip on my J&B leather briefcase.
I was comfortable with it, but it was only part of the
act. It matched my navy blue silk business suit, my
slim gold watch and the elegant Italian pumps. The
ensemble belonged to a woman walking on Fifth Ave in
New York, as I was doing right then. It helped me fit
in. 
       I didn't even have to check the address as I
turned into the entrance of a tall building and
allowed the smilingly appreciative doorman to usher me
through the huge glass and chrome doors into the
marble foyer.
       The flight back from Thailand had been late.
I'd have to check on Shampoo when I got back to my
apartment. The vain little cat I'd named after my
one-time nemesis was sure to have missed me.
              The elevator doors opened smoothly and I
stepped in. It took me up to the 78th floor, in a
smooth glide, the subtle speed making my ears ring. I
stepped out and a pretty young receptionist behind a
huge cherry wood desk smiled at me inquiringly.
	I flashed my card. "Akane Tendo."
       "Right this way, miss."
       I was led into a plush, gleaming office. The
man behind the polished desk was tall and
silver-haired. Behind him, a large window gave out
onto the harbor front. He rose as I came into the room
and offered me his hand to shake.
       "At last we meet, Ms. Tendo." His sharp grey
eyes didn't dip below my chin, yet I could have sworn
he had sized me up. I could appreciate a guy who
didn't look me up and down. 
       I had to tilt my head to look up at him, but
I'm not a tall woman by any means and I'm used to it.
       I came forward, shook hands smilingly. "A
pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bartlett." Politeness is
free, after all. 
       "The pleasure is certainly mine, Ms. Tendo," he
said, motioning me to sit. "Your employer certainly
impressed on me that you were capable, but he made no
mention that you are beautiful as well."
       "You flatter me, sir. My employer likes his
fun." I gave him a quick, wry smile.
       "That may be. You have a package for me?" He
motioned to my briefcase.
       I snapped the locks open and raising the cover,
took out a small velvet-covered box and placed it on
the table.
       "Ahhh....here we go." Bartlett got a happy
shine in his eyes as he picked up the box and opening
it, examined the contents. He pressed a button on his
desk. "That ensures that payment will be made to the
specified bank account, Ms. Tendo. Thank you for
delivering this."
       I inclined my head. It was my job. I made a
living by transporting things on an international
level, tricky little things that you wouldn't exactly
want to send through DHL Express.
       "Now, what do you know of diamonds, Ms. Tendo?"
he said. I gave him a long, slow blink at the sudden
change of subject. It gave me time to think. I'd
learned it from Nabiki.
       "I hear they're a girl's best friends."
       Bartlett burst into laughter. "Yes, indeed, Ms.
Tendo! Have you heard of the Great Mogul diamond?"
       I paused. "It's an Indian diamond isn't it? The
third largest diamond in the world. I think it weighs
about 300 carats or so. It used to belong to the King
who built the Taj Mahal. But it's been missing for a
long time."
       "Well, it's not missing any longer. How would
you feel about delivering it?"
       I sucked in air sharply. I'd feel a little
apprehensive. Well, make that a lot. I'd seen pictures
of the Great Mogul, and it was a honking big diamond.
Ugly, too. Not the easiest thing in the world to hide.
        "Do you really have it?" I said.
       "I do. It's not mine. In fact, I am acting as
an agent between two private businessmen. I need you
to deliver this diamond to an English gentleman. He's
my contact for the buyer. The problem is..." Bartlett
folded his arms. "The problem is that I don't quite
know where he is."
       "I see."
       "The last I heard, he was in Shanghai. There
are a lot of people who would like to get their hands
on the stone, Ms. Tendo. It's an infamous jewel. Sir
Blaine was forced to disappear. I want you to find him
and turn the stone over to him." 
        Sir Blaine? Why was an English knight acting
as a contact for someone else?
       "Who's the buyer?" 
       Bartlett opened his desk and took out a large
rose-colored diamond. He gave it to me and I was
immediately distracted. Holy Christmas. The diamond
lay like a condensed star in my palm, winking and
gleaming and refracting a million rays of light. But
honestly, it looked like an egg.
       I forced my eyes away from it. Not Bartlett. He
looked like he could drink up the sight forever.
       "And the buyer is...?"
        "Some one I don't know," he glanced up. There
was an odd look in his eyes. "A friend of Blaine's,
but unable to get the stone himself for some reason."
        "It must be delivered to Sir Phillip Blaine
within two weeks. His employer is expecting the stone
in a month. That's it. That's all. It's up to you to
find Sir Blaine. Not a soul in the world knows where
he is, not even his secretary. He's an adventurer, you
see. Sometimes he goes off on expeditions. And now
he's hidden himself somewhere. I can only give you the
vaguest idea. Last week, he was known to be in
Shanghai. But he's left the province, we believe."
       "I see," I stood. "Then I'll get to it with
haste, sir."
       Bartlett gave a short cough. 
       I looked around. "Yes?"
       He looked uncomfortable for the first time
since I'd come into the office.
       "Ms. Tendo..." he cleared his throat. "I'm not
one to believe in esoteric practices, beliefs...I'm
certainly not superstitious. I don't believe in curses
and all that."
       I did my slow blink again. He'd managed to
surprise me twice now. But if he thought I'd laugh at
his talking of curses, he was talking to the wrong
girl. Or the right one.
       "Is there some curse you're aware of, Mr.
Bartlett?" Polite, neutral, neither believing nor
disbelieving.
       "They say that the diamond is cursed."
       "How?"
       Bartlett wiped his brow with a silk
handkerchief.
       "When it was stolen from the Taj Mahal, a curse
accompanied it, that's all I'm aware of. And it's said
to have strange powers, as well."
       "I see. I'll keep it in mind." I turned to go.
       "Just a minute, Ms. Tendo. It's very important
to me that Sir Blaine gets this package. You are the
carrier of the package. I am making an investment in
you."
       I stared at him.
       "I believe in protecting my investments, Ms.
Tendo."
       I understood what he meant. He wanted me to
take on hired muscle. I started to shake my head.
"Believe me, Mr. Bartlett, you'd just be slowing me
down."
       "There are a lot of people after this package,
Ms. Tendo. I think they will slow you down even more,"
the old man said dryly. He leaned forward. "I will
send you one bodyguard. Just one. I've picked the
best. I know you prefer to work alone, but in this
case, that would be inadvisable."
       I sighed. "All right." The customer was always
right, after all. And it would be fairly easy to slip
by this guard if I really needed to.
       "Thank you, Ms. Tendo. The man had an earlier
appointment but he's waiting for you at the Capital."
*******************************************************
Notes: Okay, was it edible? Sickening? Y'all like/hate
Akane in first person? Let me know! 


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