The Importance of Rules
By: Taiteki Kagato
Chapter 3



As the sun rose, slowly and inevitably over the Nerima ward of Japan All 
around Nerima, various Mogwai acted similarly as they watched the curtains, 
blinds, and shutters glow as the sun's light struck them on the outside. 
Nerima's premier Martial Artists, hoping to sleep in on the (intended) lazy 
Sunday woke to the cries and warbling of Mogwai, and the noises they made to 
awaken the heavy sleepers. 

At least, that's how it was for most of the Mogwai.

The Kuno Estate was huge, and within it's many corridors sat many traps, set 
to protect the house from the lowborn subhuman members of society not born 
into Kuno nobility. Or so they said aloud. In truth, the pair had set the 
traps after their father had left for Hawaii, in hopes of keeping him out 
were he ever to return. Their father returned, but the traps stayed, and over 
the past evening, most had been exhausted (those that required ammunition or 
were alive) by the endless supply of creatures that would trigger them.

After Chibi-Thunder had fallen into the pond, a bizarre lightshow of sorts 
had started, and soon enough, Chibi-Thunder had hopped out to rejoin his 
friend and mentor. Or so Tatewaki Kuno had thought, until another Mogwai had 
emerged from the fog.. and another and another... Mr. Turtle did what he 
could, eating the ever-growing food supply as quickly as he could, but in the 
end, He'd filled up long before the supply of Mogwai had run out. Now he 
floated lazily on the surface, hoping to grow hungry again. Whatever he'd 
been fed was easy to eat, and didn't fight back, as some of his owners other 
meals had.

Kodachi prided her rose garden, and when a small army of the creatures she'd 
fed to her pet had started in that direction, she'd leapt to their defense, 
attacking the creatures with her ribbon. The slaughter was rather one-sided, 
since the Mogwai had no real way of fighting back. Still, what they lacked in 
fighting skill they made up for in numbers, and Kodachi's arm grew tired 
before the Mogwai had stopped advancing. Her plants, however, picked up where 
she left off.

Tendrils, green with chlorophyl, reached out to snare the creatures, and feed 
them to the podlike mouths hidden in the underbrush. The plants, however, 
soon grew full, and decided to tear the Mogwai apart, once they couldn't feed 
on them anymore. Still the Mogwai Army advanced. 

Tatewaki fared similarly. He'd found Chibi-Thunder, and was now holding him 
in one hand, while posing heroically. "

"Foul dopplegangers of the pure Chibi-Thunder, return to the Netherworld from 
which you crawled, or suffer the divinely empowered Blue Thunder of Furinkin 
High!" The Mogwai ignored him, as they made their way to the mansion. 
Tatewaki sighed once, before raising his bokken. "So be it, foul vermin."

Amid swings that dismembered, disemboweled, and beheaded the Mogwai by the 
dozens, Tatewaki was slowly backed up towards the corner his sister had 
landed in to recuperate. The fog and light show from the pond was starting to 
die off, but the Kuno sibling's had fallen to exhaustion by then. The Mogwai, 
no longer under attack, worked together quickly, tying both siblings together 
with Kodachi's Ribbon, and hanging them from a sturdy tree.

Then, for the rest of the evening, the Mogwai took turns using Tatewaki's 
Bokken to beat the unconscious pi�ata, Chibi-Thunder making sure everyone got 
a few good whacks in each time.

****************
Ranma Saotome awoke to the nonsensical warbling of a worried Mogwai. He'd 
placed it on his dresser the night before, but now, it appeared to be 
cowering in the immense shadow of Genma-Panda. Sitting up, he looked around 
for anything frightening,  Not spotting any cats, he sighed, and went to pick 
the creature up. The Mogwai cowered in Ranma's arms, but was protected by the 
fingers of sunlight reaching through the window by Ranma's body.

Thinking about what he knew, he surmised (correctly) that the creature was 
afraid of the sunlight, and moved towards the door, hoping to find a room 
without windows. 

***************

Akane Tendo awoke slowly as someone or something shook her away.
"goway, Ranma." she muttered in the twilight of sleep. Whatever it was shook 
her again. She frowned, but didn't open her eyes. "I said go away, idiot" she 
said, a little louder. Again, she shook. 

***************

"JERK!"

<Thud>

"AUGH!!! M-Chan! I'm so sorry!"

Nabiki peeled one eyelid back slowly to glare at the wall dividing her room 
from her sisters. Then she closed it, and rolled over, away from the light 
seeping in through her window.

***************

Breakfast at the Tendo's was usually entertaining to those who didn't have to 
participate in the odd rituals. Today being a Sunday however, meant that 
Kasumi had made a light breakfast that would last, and left it out for the 
members of the house to eat as they awoke and made their ways downstairs.

Soun Tendo sat out on the porch, watching the sun rise, and sipping a cup of 
tea. He rarely had the chance to peacefully watch the sun rise, and hoped 
today he'd be able to just sit here and do just that. 

Ranma came downstairs a few minutes later, and grabbed some fruit from the 
table, munching on it slowly as he looked around for something to do. Being a 
Sunday, there was no school, so he had all day to do what he wanted. After 
Jusendo, he'd received less death threats and random attacks, and hoped that 
today would be similar. Sure, he enjoyed the fights, but there was a limit 
even to his patience. Deciding he'd go for a jog, he stepped outside, and was 
about to leave, when Kasumi called him.

"Ranma-kun? Is that you?" she asked from the kitchen.
"Yes, Kasumi."
"Ah. If you're going out, could you go get some things for me from the 
market?"
"... are they even open this early? It is Sunday." he asked.
"Not yet, but you look like you might be out for a while, so I thought I'd 
ask you to get a couple things on your way back."
"Oh. Umm.. sure. I guess I can go. What do you need?" He responded, watching 
her. She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, then returned with a 
small sheet of paper. 
"Just this. Thank you, Ranma!" She said, smiling.
"No Problem, Kasumi.. Oh! I almost forgot. The Mogwai seem to be afraid of 
sunlight. Knowing that uncute tomboy, she'll probably try to take her 
'M-chan' sunbathing or something. Could you tell her that they can't be 
exposed to sunlight?"
"Sure, Ranma-kun. Have fun!" Kasumi called, as she watched him walk out and 
leap over the wall.

************

Akane walked down the stairs slowly, a trembling M-chan cradled lovingly in 
her arms. After retrieving the shaken and abused M-chan from the far side of 
the room (having landed on the floor in a daze after Akane'd knocked him into 
the wall with a forceful backhand.)

"Kasumi?" Akane asked, grabbing a couple bites off the table.
"Yes, Akane?"
"Where's Ranma?"
"Oh, he went out this morning to get some things from the market. He'll be 
back a little later."
"Oh... Is it okay if I Cook him a big breakfast to come back to?"
"... Okay, Akane. Want me to help?" Kasumi asked, crossing her fingers behind 
her back, and wondering if she should have added a new set of pots and pans 
to the list she'd given Ranma.
"No, I want it to be a surprise. M-chan can help me, see!" she said, holding 
M-chan up to Kasumi proudly. M-chan, however, looked terrified.
"Akane, before I forget, you should probably keep M-chan out of sunlight, 
since bright lights hurt him." Kasumi said, carefully. She'd left out the 
fact that Ranma had told her this knowing she'd most likely defy him the 
first chance she got. Akane digested the information, frowning in thought, 
and M-chan looked at Kasumi almost thankfully. 
"Hmm.. you're probably right. Ranma probably never thought about that. I 
should go rescue his Mogwai too." Akane turned towards the stairs, and Kasumi 
turned towards the kitchen, deep in thought. 

Soun let the breath he'd been holding since Akane'd offered to kook go as he 
heard Kasumi mumbling to herself quietly.

"...Quickly find a way to sabotage the kitchen..."

************

"Granddaughter... I left yesterday looking for something, only to come back 
and see you've found it. I'd be pleased, but from the looks of this, I'd say 
things in Nerima just got worse." 
"Shampoo fix problem, no?"
"No.. you've not hastened it, wither, but once the cycle starts, all we can 
do is wait. Let us hope that Nerima is prepared. I'm going to get some 
paperwork started, child. Keep this creature out of the sunlight, and if I'm 
not back by then, whatever you do, you MUST NOT Feed it after midnight. 
Understand me, Granddaughter?"
Shampoo nodded, staring at the creature, who seemed to glare at the Amazonian 
Matriarch knowingly.

**************

Ukyo Kuonji slept, oblivious to her pets warbles and banging. The little box 
she'd placed him in wasn't letting the sunlight anywhere near him, but he was 
kind of hungry. The Mogwai knocked again, but the only response he got was a 
light snore as Ukyo rolled away from the box on the nightstand. She had a 
couple hours to sleep, still, before she'd open her restaurant at noon. And 
she'd be damned if she'd let some furball keep her from her dreams of Ranma. 
And Okonomiyaki. 

**************

Ryouga Hibiki, the night before, had totally left Nerima. His bizarre ability 
to get lost, combined with the presence of a being that was metaphysically 
misplaced (though theoretically possible in his, and any reality) had caused 
him to wander straight through a barrier he'd normally never come across. As 
he stared uncomprehendingly at the sign that said "Welcome to Juuban, Tokyo's 
most Famous District." he frowned. Under the big letters, the sign continued 
"(Presumed) Home of the Sailor Senshi!"

Ryouga blinked. 

"WHERE THE HELL AM I, NOW?!?" he cried to the slowly brightening sky. Then he 
walked into a large drainage pipe, and got lost in the sewers.

*********

Authors Notes: And.. once again, I've finished. Hopefully you all are still 
entertained, though this chapter didn't do much but get em through 
half-a-day. Obviously, Ryouga isn't in Kansas anymore. I originally intended 
to write a story that took place in Tokyo, with Gremlins forcing the Senshi 
and Wrecking Crew to work together. Now, instead, I can just elude to 
Ryouga's fights with the Senshi here and there, and focus in the NWC. If 
you'd like to write the Juuban happenings, just drop me a line. I'd be hard 
pressed to turn you down. Anyway... Ja, for now!


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