Suggested changes: {before : after}
On Sun, 9 Jun 2002 09:08:37 -0400 Nuki_mouse <Nuki_mouse@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Nabiki {laid : lay} on her own bed, her eyes red from crying and her pillow wet
from tears. She had been soul searching, examining her life and found
herself lacking. <Just when did I become such a cold-hearted bitch?> she
asked herself. "All I care about is money..."
Soul searching and not finding any.
"Well I guess Akane woke up" Nabiki said to herself with a smirk,
restoring her facade of detached indifference. <Although I would love
to see {sis : Sis} kick her ass, Shampoo can't really defend herself right now.>
{ :}Nabiki knew Akane would enjoy beating the living shit out of Shampoo
but she also knew her little sister. Once Akane calmed down and found
out just how weak and ill Shampoo was, it would fill Akane with shame
and remorse for hurting a defenseless invalid, <even Shampoo!>
She {slowly strolled : hurried} down the hall, headed for the guest room, ready to
intercede on the behest of the "gaijin slut."
She may not like Shampoo, but if she's too slow, all she'll find is a red
stain which would hurt Akane terribly afterward.
But today that was not working and she was also busy examining her life.
{ :}<I had to forget my own plans, my own dreams. As I got older, I could
sometimes "feel" how other felt. I wanted to help them, to be a healer
like Ono. He always knew just what to say, how to help...>
Something like a faint scent in the air too weak to identify or a sound
too low and quiet to really hear brought Kasumi a feeling of remorse and
sadness. <Some thing to do with Nabiki and Mother...> and it brought up
her own sad memories of that time. <It hurt so much when mother died,
listening to my sisters crying in the night while fighting back my own
tears. Father just cried himself sick and hit the sake, doing nothing to
help. I had to be the "adult," to be "mother" and hold the family
together.> she sighed. <I had to {up : defer : delay : end} my childhood, as well as my
dreams...>
"Oh my!" Kasumi cried out, dropping her duster. Kasumi could "feel" the
rage and anger boiling out of Akane. The duster {laid : lay} forgotten on the
floor as Kasumi rushed up the stairs, hoping to stop Akane before she
did something unwise and brought dishonor to the family.
Neko-Ran paused in her attack for only a moment, to sniff Ukyou's body
from groin to chest, then to nudge Ukyou with her head. The cook's body
stirred, moaning slightly, and it was enough to reassure Neko-Ran that
her friend was still alive, and "untouched." That did NOTHING to lessen
the murderous rage in her body and she {pounce : pounced} once again on
the ninja.
<I could move my right arm a little, it might not see that...> With her
right hand, Ukyou slowly search the ground around her for a weapon, her
dropped battle spatula, a rock, a sharp stick, something, ANYTHING! but
found nothing. Finally she felt a small cloth bag that fit snuggly into
her hand. <Is it Konatsu's? One of his poison bags? Is{. : ... : --} is
he ok?>
With a cry of sheer rage and hatred that made her blood freeze and heart
miss-beat, Nodoka watched as the demon driven Ranko leapt to attack the
two {"girls." : girls.} In a flash Ranko was on top of the slender, pretty girl
in the flowered kimono, as the other girl {laid : lay} dazed on the ground.
<Kami-sami!> Nodoka gasped as she saw Ranko biting and slashing the
girl's lower torso, <is she trying to gut the girl?>
<What the kami am I doing just standing here like a baka!> Nodoka cursed
at herself and raised her sword, rushing to aid of the two {"girls." : girls.} She
quickly closed in on Ranko from behind, mumbling out the phrase
"May-The-Silent-Dragon-grant-you-peace!" A flash of neon blue foxfire
blazed and crackled along the katana's length as Nodoka drove the flat
of the blade hard onto Ranko's back.
"YYEERROOOWWLL..." Nodoka heard Ranko screech out from the touch of the
sacred blade and she twisted and writhe as if in agony. Nodoka never
banished an Oni before, but she knew this wasn't right. <It should have
driven the evil from her soul and {banish : banished} it to the spirit-world!> Nodoka
thought <But it seems to be doing something...!>
Witnessing both Ranma's injuries and her Neko driven attacks on Ukyou
and Konatsu, Cologne's sense of duty and honor cried out to do
something, anything to help. But this urge was tempered by the
knowledge and wisdom she developed over her many years of life.
<Son-in-l..., Damn it ya old stupid woman!> She cursed herself, <{here ya : Here ya are}
still thinking he'll be a worthy husband of Xain Pu. Xain Pu has proved
herself unworthy of him!>
<RANMA is in "Cat Fist"> Cologne continued her thoughts. <I'm afraid
her "cat" persona doesn't like me very much, She'll kill me as soon as
lay eyes upon me or at least try to.> Cologne remembered her previous
encounters with Ranma while he (or she) was under the sway of Neko-Ken.
<That {swords woman : swordswoman} better be good, or Ranma will make mince-meat outa
her!>
<By the seven gods> Cologne exclaimed to herself as the mysterious
{swords woman : swordswoman} evoked her chi once more and blue foxfire erupted from the
blade and envelope her in a protective mantle. This was not normal
battle chi, the chi was too precise, too controlled and that {bother : bothered} her.
Something must be helping her, focusing, directing her chi, an artifact
or sacred weapon of some kind.
<The only artist I'd ever knew that could learn that fast or well was
Ranma.> Suddenly Cologne both mentally and physically smacked herself
on the head! <Of course the swords{- :}woman was skilled! Dark red hair,
very well endowed figure, beautiful face and blue eyes, she must be
Ranma's mother!> Cologne realized, <I always found it hard to believe
Ranma inherited his skills from that damn Panda!>
"Wait!" spoke a voice of command in a near whisper, a voice Ryouga knew
only too well. <Cologne! Where did she...?> Ryouga thought as his eyes
moved down the length of the elder's staff, up {cologne's : Cologne's} arm. to the
grim look of determination and..., regret? on her face. <Does she want
Ranma to die? Why?> Ryouga wondered, although there was one reason
<Revenge for not choosing Shampoo....>
But before Ryouga could even finished this thought, the elder's staff
fell away from his chest and he heard Cologne speaking again. "Damn! I
hoped she could stop Ranma! Why didn't she use sleep or calming...?{> :"}
Looking up from Cologne, Ryouga was just in time to see a rock or ball
of some sort strike Nodoka dead center right between her Um... bosom...!
Ryouga notice, blushing slightly. <I think Ukyou was really aiming at
RANMA!>
Neko-Ran's body was in agony as she {twist : twisted} and turned away from the
?claw?, her only thought was escape. <Males catch me! Must run, hide!
No hurt again, die first.> and she forced her tired limbs into motion
once again. Then as suddenly as it struck, the claw was gone and the
burning fire with it.
After staggering a step or {to : two} away, Neko-Ran was finally able to look
behind her and was surprised to see only her Mother/Pride leader, just a
step or two behind her. <Mother! Males hurt attacked you?> noticing her
mother's torment from the dust. <Where Male? It gone/hide again> then
she saw her mother's sword.
Ryouga bore down on the girl and realized just how {weaken : weak : weakened} Ranma-chan had
become. <Ranma isn't even trying to defend herself anymore, just
escape...> Ryouga thought as he scooped her up on the fly and jumped
head first into the swift cold waters of the canal.
Unfortunately, there was still that one tiny little hole in Ryouga's
plan, a hole about the size of say, the Grand Canyon. Because of
P-chan, Ryouga was prone to thinking that cold water meant becoming an
animal and hot water meant returning to human. But Ranma was human in
BOTH forms and in the heat of battle Ryouga had forgotten that
Ranma-chan was already in her cursed form and the cold canal water would
have no effect on her.
Well, it _will_ annoy her a lot.
Still coughing and trying to overcome the lingering effects of the dust,
Nodoka more felt the rush of air than {see : saw} the speeding form as it raced
past her. <Who's that, the boy? That hentai is still here? No, RANKO!>
She thought as the hentai boy grabbed Ranko in his arms and leap into
the black waters of the canal.
"LEAVE HER ALONE YOU DAMN ETCHI......Eppp?!" Nodoka broke off in shock,
unable to believe what she had seen, although the irony of such a "fate"
appealed to her own sense of divine justice. <It must be the dust, some
kind of hallucinogenic drug in it.... He didn't, couldn't just turn
into a pig! I must {of : have} imagined it,> a startled Nodoka tried to
{rationalized : rationalize}. <He must of just... what?, disappeared?>
"MER...A-Ack HAK! YEROLL-ACK!" Spat and coughed a very wet and {madden : angry}
Neko-Ran. Cats and water mix about as well as oil and vinegar, though
the shock of the cold fluid seemed to re-energize her somewhat. <Male?
Where Male/Foe? It hide, wait/soon attack again!> she thrashed and
flailed her fore-limbs about her, anything to keep the males at bay.
<Now she looks more like an upside down turtle than a cat!> Ranko tried
to resist, but lacked the leverage or the flexibility to reach Nodoka
while on her back. <If she {: would} only stop struggling, this would be so much
easier.> Nodoka silently wished. Ranko suddenly arched her spine and
rigidly locked her limbs straight out from her body, as if frozen in
place. Ranko tilted her further back and Nodoka could feel the piercing
angry gaze as Ranko stared defiantly at her.
"GRROO-...! Meow?" Ranko's vocal assault on Nodoka's eardrums suddenly
stopped with a very submissive and kitten like meow. A look of <What...?
{ :}Peace?, Relief?,> seemed to sweep over Ranko's face, although it was
very hard to tell for sure with all her injuries. Ranko's whole body
relaxed and she curled herself up in to a fetal position. <Kami, what
{happen : happened}? She's gone totally limp! Has the demon fled from her?> Nodoka
asked herself. <No, she still has a cat aura and I can still hear, or
rather feel her growling very quietly, almost a... purr?>
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
<NOOO! Males! No honor! Strike/attack behind!> Neko-Ran raved as one
of the hidden Male tormentors latched onto her long {fur :} mane. Neko-ran
cried out in pain and anguish as the evil monster {wrench : wrenched} her head by the
fur and rolled her over to expose her vulnerable belly and groin. IT
<Male/Foe?> had her, could gut her, could feast/feed on her flesh,
could... <NO! Not THAT! No hurt... Not force mate again!> as Neko-Ram
remembered another, more common reason for a Male to grab or bite the
back of a Female's head/neck.