A Ranma 1/2 fanfic 
All Ranma 1/2 characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi 
and are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes 
only 
Doors Best Left Unopened 
Part 12: Hunger 
by Mark MacKinnon 
  
     The supper rush had died down by the time Mousse arrived at 
Ucchan's.  Ukyou looked up from behind the counter and beamed 
when she caught sight of him. 
     "Mousse!  Come on in!"  He couldn't help but smile back at 
that expression.  It made him feel warm inside. 
     I wish Shampoo would have looked at me that way, he thought 
wistfully.  Just once.  Then he sighed inwardly.  He was trying to avoid 
thinking about Shampoo and had been ever since their little talk, 
although without as much success as he would have liked.  It wasn't a 
very good coping strategy; unfortunately, it was the only one he could 
come up with. 
     He slid onto a stool and nodded to Ukyou as she twirled her 
spatula neatly, beginning to assemble an okonomiyaki in front of him. 
     "So, how's everything going?" she asked as she worked. 
     "Not too bad.  We'll be opening the Nekohanten again 
tomorrow, so I'll have less free time on my hands," he told her.  "Still, it 
will be nice to have something to keep me busy."  She peered up at him 
with a sympathetic gaze. 
     "I guess it must be hard, being around Shampoo all the time," 
she said quietly.  He sighed, pulling his glasses off and rubbing his nose 
wearily. 
     "Yes and no," he said finally.  "I mean, she hasn't been treating 
me badly or anything.  Whenever she has to talk to me, she's polite 
enough.  Somehow, though, I feel like it's finally over."  He laughed 
then, a small, self-deprecating chuckle that almost succeeded in hiding 
his pain.  Almost. 
     "Over," he repeated sourly.  "I guess it was over before it 
began.  I was just the last one to figure it out." 
     "Mousse ..." Ukyou began.  He shook his head. 
     "Sometimes, you know, I wish she would get mad at me again, 
like before all this started.  At least then, I could get a reaction from 
her.  Even that was better than the way it is now." 
     "I know it's tough, Mousse," Ukyou said, checking the food as 
it cooked.  "But maybe it's better this way.  There's no sense in 
dragging this out, is there?  You said yourself that Shampoo made 
things absolutely clear to you.  You don't believe she'll change her 
mind."  It wasn't a question, but he answered anyway. 
     "No.  No, I suppose I don't." 
     "Then trust me," Ukyou smiled.  "Just get it over with, then try 
to get on with things.  I think that's the only way to go."  He nodded. 
He'd told himself the same thing many times, but it was somehow better 
to hear it from someone else. 
     Finally, Ukyou scooped up his okonomiyaki and slid it onto a 
plate, plopping it down in front of him. 
     "You know what's good for a broken heart?" she asked lightly. 
     "No, what?" 
     "Okonomiyaki." 
     "Really?" he asked with a small grin. 
     "No, not really.  Now eat up."  His grin widened and he dug in. 
Ukyou wandered down the counter to attend to another customer, then 
made her way back.  Mousse glanced around. 
     "So where's Ryouga?" he asked.  "I expected to see him 
here." 
     "He said he had to go out, and I let him go a little early since things 
were slow," Ukyou explained.  "He figured he'd need the extra time to 
get where he was going."  Mousse laughed out loud. 
     "That's true," he sneered.  "What a loser ..."  He broke off at 
Ukyou's glare. 
     "Mousse."  Her tone was cold as she leaned across the 
counter, glaring into his eyes.  "That's not nice."  He blinked. 
     "Sorry," he mumbled.  "I just meant ..." 
     "I know what you meant," she said tersely.  She pulled back 
and sighed, a little of the tension going out of her.  She glanced at 
Mousse out of the corner of her eye, and he felt a pang of guilt at the 
disappointment he saw there. 
     "Mousse, I like you guys.  I want to have you both around.  It's 
important to me.  Why can't you guys get along?"  Mousse's guilt 
increased, and he bowed his head abashedly. 
     "We get along," he mumbled. 
     "You guys are always growling at each other, ever since that 
day you fought in the park," she argued.  "I don't see why you can't 
put that behind you.  Please, Mousse, at least try."  He nodded, 
meeting her beseeching gaze with determination. 
     "Very well," he said solemnly.  "I can behave if he can."  Her 
face lit up and she bounced slightly in place. 
     "Thanks, sugar," she beamed.  "There's been enough trouble 
for everyone lately.  I'm looking forward to finally having things 
peaceful around here for a while."  He smiled politely. 
     Peaceful, he thought.  A nice dream, if it came to pass.  Somehow, 
life in Nerima never seemed to stay peaceful for very long. 
     And as for Ryouga, well, Mousse could make nice with him for 
the sake of Ukyou's cherished peace.  Assuming Ryouga was willing to 
do the same, of course.  Still, Mousse wouldn't mind a chance to finish 
their fight.  No, he wouldn't mind that at all. 
     After all, it wouldn't do for Ryouga to go around thinking he would 
have 
won. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
     Kasumi stood still, head slightly bowed, vaguely aware of what 
was going on around her.  The firefighter's boots clumped on the floor, 
tracking the small puddles of water that had leaked from the hose.  The 
hose hadn't been necessary, of course, but they hadn't known that until 
after they'd broken down the door and gotten a look at the kitchen. 
     With all the windows open the smoke was dispersing nicely, 
but the inside of the apartment still reeked of it.  She was dimly aware 
of Tofu conversing in low, rueful tones with one of the firefighters 
somewhere close to the door.  Then, with a final cheery admonishment 
and a slap on the shoulder, the men were gone, the door banging 
hollowly behind them.  It wouldn't latch, of course; they'd broken the 
jamb on their way in. 
     She didn't hear Tofu come up behind her, so she started a bit 
when he spoke. 
     "Well, I did end up finding the super," he said, a tad sheepishly. 
"Even if it did turn out to be too late."  She nodded silently, not turning 
to face him, and the silence that followed was painfully awkward. 
     "Uh, he says I can wedge the door shut from the inside tonight. 
He'll fix the jamb first thing in the morning.  So that's ... uh, pretty 
good."  She just stood there, unable to think of anything to say that 
wouldn't sound terribly inadequate. 
     "Um, Kasumi?" Tofu asked finally.  She stared at the burnt 
remains of dinner and tried to reconcile the sight with her worst 
expectations of how her first date with Tofu might go.  She simply 
couldn't, though, no matter how hard she tried.  Her earlier certainty 
that she only needed to guard against his clumsiness seemed terribly 
arrogant now. 
     Who would have though things would turn out like this? 
     Taking a deep breath, she stepped towards the sink, stooping 
to open the cupboard beneath it.  Inside, she found a dish towel 
hanging from a hook, a sponge, some dish soap and some cleaner in a 
spray bottle.  She gathered all these up and set them on the counter, 
arranging them neatly, taking some small comfort in the familiar 
motions.. 
     "Kasumi?" Tofu repeated. 
     "What a terrible mess," she said softly, not turning around.  "I'd 
better start cleaning up." 
     "Oh, you don't have to ..." 
     "Please, go sit," she continued blithely.  "I'll take care of this." 
She turned to reach for one of the encrusted pots on the top of the 
stove, but clumsily knocked the bottle of spray cleaner to the floor as 
she did so.  Her eyes watered inexplicably at this insignificant setback, 
and she swallowed hard, telling herself not to make the evening an even 
worse debacle by crying.  Instead, she turned to get the bottle. 
     Tofu was right there.  Funny, she'd never noticed how quietly 
he moved.  He was also starting to stoop to retrieve the bottle, and she 
collided lightly with him, her hands coming up reflexively to steady 
herself.  That was how she found herself slightly off-balance, her hands 
braced against Tofu's chest.  She blinked, staring down at her hands as 
if they belonged to someone else.  His chest felt broad, and strong, and 
warm.  A breathless tension began to wind tightly within her belly as she 
had a sudden desire, almost primal in its intensity, to let her head fall 
forward across the few inches separating them and rest on that chest. 
     It isn't fair, she thought helplessly.  All I wanted was to have a 
nice dinner together.  That was all.  Just once, I wanted something for 
myself.  Is that so much to ask?  I wanted so little, and I can't even 
have that.  And now I'm going to cry like a little girl in front of him and 
it just isn't FAIR! 
     "I just wanted things to be nice," she whispered aloud, her 
lower lip trembling as she drew a shaky breath.  "But I ruined 
everything.  I'm sorry."  Still unable to raise her eyes to his, she 
watched her hands clenching Tofu's shirt, blinking back hot tears.  She 
knew she'd remained in this posture too long to comfortably attribute it 
to her stumble, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away just yet. 
Tofu's chest felt solid and reassuring, and if she let go she was 
convinced she would just crouch on the floor and stay there.  Oh, what 
Tofu must be thinking of her by now, acting so immature and foolish ... 
     The gentle sensation of hands on her shoulders made her breath 
catch in her throat.  Their weight was comforting, soothing, and then he 
said her name softly, just once, and she couldn't help it.  The next thing 
she knew, her forehead was thudding lightly against his chest.  Her 
vision blurred, and she inhaled his scent, clean and masculine, and tried 
to think of the right thing to say. 
     "I'm sorry," she managed to say through the hot lump in her throat. 
     "What for?" he asked lightly, his large hands gently kneading 
her shoulders.  "Heck, the kitchen always looks like this when I cook." 
Her body shook with a sudden convulsive motion, half-laugh and 
half-sob. 
     "And the fire department?  Here all the time," he went on, his 
voice rumbling pleasantly in his chest and directly into her.  "I've had to 
replace that door 86 times since I moved in."  She sniffled, trying not to 
be obvious about it. 
     "You're a terrible liar," she mumbled at last.  His hands 
continued their gentle ministrations, and she wondered how it would 
feel if his arms were around her, holding her tight against this warm, 
broad chest. 
     "Well, I don't get enough practice," he admitted lightly.  "Come on, 
Kasumi, it isn't that bad.  I mean, it was just a silly mistake.  There'll be 
other dinners." 
     "There will?" she asked before she could stop herself.  She felt 
his breath stirring her hair gently as he chuckled. 
     "Of course," he scolded her.  "How can you even ask that?" 
     "It's just ... I was so stupid," she muttered miserably.  He 
laughed again. 
     "Stupid?" he asked incredulously, pushing her back so he could 
look into her eyes.  She stifled a sense of regret at the loss of contact, 
but returned his gaze gamely. 
     "Stupid," he repeated, shaking his head.  "Kasumi, this was 
nothing.  You want to hear about real stupidity?  Let me tell you a story 
or two ..." 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
     "Ready?" 
     "Uh-huh." 
     "Then ... GO!"  Ranma-chan fired the chestnuts at Akane, her 
fingers a blur.  She watched with satisfaction as Akane's hands 
snapped out again and again, snaring the tiny projectiles before they 
could get past her.  Then Akane winced as one of the chestnuts 
streaked through her guard and ricocheted off her shoulder.  The 
distraction caused her to miss the next one as well. 
     Finally, Ranma-chan ran out of ammunition, and walked over to 
check Akane's score.  Akane was grimacing and rotating her shoulder 
gingerly. 
     "Those things really hurt when they get through," she 
complained.  Ranma-chan felt a twinge of guilt, but quickly suppressed 
it.  Akane had insisted that she didn't want to be treated with any 
special consideration while they were training, and Ranma-chan knew 
that she had a point.  She was only improving because she was being 
pushed. 
     "That's the point, Akane," the red-head pointed out bluntly.  "It 
gives you some motivation to catch them all."  She looked at Akane's 
open hands and allowed herself a small grin.  "And it seems to be 
working.  You only missed three that time.  That's your best yet.  Your 
speed is really improving." 
     "Well, it's nowhere near yours," Akane demurred, but Ranma-chan 
could tell she was pleased. 
     "Just wait.  I'll have you snatching those out of a raging fire in 
no time," she said lightly.  The way Akane's eyes lit up at that gave her 
pause.  Akane really did want to become a better martial artist, but 
Ranma-chan was worried she might try to push things too fast. 
Akane's enthusiasm sometimes caused Ranma-chan to worry for no 
reason she could adequately articulate. 
     "Again," Akane suggested.  Ranma-chan looked at her 
fiancee's flushed face and slightly tousled hair and felt a sudden wave of 
affection. 
     "Okay," she said with a mischievous grin.  "But first, I think you 
deserve a reward."  She leaned close, her tongue wetting her lower lip 
absently as she tilted her head and went to give Akane a kiss. 
     "Ranma!" Akane blurted, her eyes widening.  Ranma-chan 
stopped, puzzled. 
     "What?" she asked.  "There's no one around, Akane."  Akane 
blinked, then scowled and poked Ranma-chan lightly in the breast with 
her finger.  Ranma-chan yelped at the contact, which felt strange.  She 
looked down at her body, suddenly realizing the problem. 
     "Oops," she said sheepishly.  "I forgot." 
     "You FORGOT?  Ranma, how do you forget that you're a 
girl?" Akane asked irritably. 
     "Hey, if you could change bodies you might sometimes lose 
track, too!" Ranma-chan shot back defensively.  "I was thinking about 
something else and forgot all about what body I was in." 
     "Yes, I saw what you were thinking about," Akane said, 
peering at Ranma-chan suspiciously.  The red-head noticed that 
Akane's cheeks were pink again, and this time not from exertion. 
     "Look, Akane.  I feel the same way about you no matter 
WHICH body I'm in.  It gets confusing sometimes, that's all." 
Ranma-chan really didn't want to fight about this, mostly because it just 
seemed stupid to her.  Still, she could understand why it would bother 
Akane. 
     "Well, try to keep your hormones under control, would you?" 
Akane sniffed.  Ranma-chan crossed her arms, knowing it would make 
her breasts jut out ... and knowing how Akane hated that. 
     "Huh.  You should be glad that such a beautiful girl is in love 
with you," Ranma-chan said petulantly, striking a provocative pose. 
Akane's face turned a deeper shade of red. 
     "Ranma!"  Ignoring Akane's protests, Ranma-chan grabbed a 
few chestnuts from the floor and looked gazed at Akane with large, 
innocent eyes. 
     "Oh, Tendou-sempai!" she said breathily.  "I ... I've always 
admired you!  You're so strong, and athletic!  I know I must have a lot 
of competition, but please ... take these.  I ... made them for you!"  She 
bowed her head and thrust out her hands, cradling the chestnuts gently. 
     "Ranma, cut it out!" Akane cried, seemingly caught between 
consternation and amusement.  Ranma-chan raised her eyes slowly, 
blinking. 
     "You ... don't like them?" she asked, letting her lower lip 
quiver.  Akane scowled. 
     "Knock it off, you weirdo!" 
     "Don't ... don't you understand my heart?" Ranma-chan cried 
theatrically, throwing herself into Akane's arms.  Akane tried to shove 
the other girl away, but their feet got tangled up together and they fell to 
the floor heavily.  Ranma-chan found herself lying on top of Akane, 
their limbs tangled intimately, staring into her eyes from only inches 
away.  She grinned disarmingly. 
     "Guess the direct approach works better with you, huh, 
sempai?" she asked with her normal voice.  Akane sighed. 
     "Jerk," she said with a small smile.  "Get off of me."  Ranma-chan 
pouted. 
     "Aw, do I have to?" she asked innocently.  "I'm kinda enjoying 
this position."  Akane scowled. 
     "Ranma, you'd better be thinking about baseball," she warned. 
Ranma-chan sighed. 
     "Yeah, yeah."  She propped herself up, taking her weight on 
her hands while trying not to notice the intriguing manner in which 
Akane's gi had become disarrayed.  She moved to the side so Akane 
could sit up, wrapping her arms around her knees as she did so. 
Akane glanced at her sidelong with a wry grin. 
     "We do have problem that other couples don't, huh?" she 
sighed. 
     "Couples?" Ranma-chan blurted.  Akane frowned. 
     "Well, yes, Ranma.  Aren't we a couple?"  Something in her 
posture and tone warned the red-head that she'd strayed into sensitive 
territory, and she cursed herself.  Talking about feelings and 
relationships still wasn't her strong suit, and probably never would be. 
     "Well, yeah.  I mean, of course, Akane.  It's just that I never 
thought of us exactly that way is all.  I mean, using that exact word.  Is 
all."  Akane just looked at her for a moment, then glanced away, her 
expression carefully neutral. 
     "Well, I suppose that makes sense, doesn't it?" Akane asked 
quietly, her fingers absently smoothing her ruffled hair back into place. 
"I mean, we can't really talk about it much since we're still keeping it a 
secret." 
     "Some secret," Ranma-chan snorted.  "Your sisters know, and 
my mother.  Plus my ex-fiancees and Ryouga and ..." 
     "Yes, Ranma, but we're still keeping it a secret from everybody at 
school.  We have to act like nothing's changed when we're there ... 
and what about here?  We spend half the time checking to make sure 
our fathers aren't watching us," Akane pointed out. 
     "Well, of course.  If our idiot fathers find out, they'll push us to get 
married!" Ranma-chan retorted.  Akane said nothing, just looking off 
into space again, and the red-head frowned.  Something was bothering 
Akane, she realized belatedly.  She was missing something here, 
something important.  What ... 
     "Ah, Ranma.  Here you are."  She snapped out of her reverie 
to see her mother in the doorway of the dojo. 
     "Mom.  Hi."  Ranma-chan and Akane got up as Nodoka came 
in.  She smiled at them, then looked around quizzically. 
     "What have you two been up to?" she asked with a trace of 
amusement. 
     "Wh-what?" Akane stammered. 
     "Nothing!" Ranma-chan blurted at the same time.  Nodoka 
cocked her head slightly. 
     "Then what are all those chestnuts doing on the floor?" she 
asked.  Ranma-chan blinked. 
     "Oh, those," she said.  "Um ... training props." 
     "Of course," her mother answered in a tone that indicated she 
wasn't about to inquire further.  "How is it going?" 
     "Well, Akane can definitely defeat nuts," Ranma-chan grinned. 
"I'm thinking of moving her up to fighting vegetables next." 
     "Hey!" Akane protested.  Ranma-chan stuck her tongue out 
playfully, and Nodoka laughed. 
     "Ah, to be young again," she murmured wistfully.  Akane shot her 
fiancee a look and excused herself to go get cleaned up, and 
Ranma-chan followed her mother out into the garden. 
     "Is everything all right?" Nodoka asked as they walked.  "I mean, 
between you and Akane."  Ranma-chan tried to hide her surprise at the 
question. 
     "Well, sure.  I guess.  Why?"  Nodoka stopped, looking at the 
reflections of the dying light in the pond. 
     "She seemed somewhat preoccupied when I came in, that's all. 
You two must have been having a serious conversation."  Ranma-chan 
waved her hand negligently. 
     "Oh, that.  That was nothing," she assured her mother.  "We 
were just talking about things.  Akane called us a couple, y'know, and it 
kinda caught me off-guard a little." 
     "Oh?" his mother asked neutrally. 
     "Yeah, you know, she said how it was hard to think of us as a 
real couple sometimes, since we hide it so much, but I told her we had 
to, cause otherwise Pop and Mr. Tendou would make us get married." 
     "Ah."  Her mother nodded sagely, then turned to regard 
Ranma-chan placidly. 
     "Ranma, you are truly your father's son sometimes," she said 
sadly.  Ranma-chan stared at her mother in amazement. 
     "Hey!  What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded. 
Nodoka turned to face her fully, resting her hands lightly on 
Ranma-chan's shoulders. 
     "Ranma," she said patiently, "from what little you've told me, I think 
that there may have been more to your conversation that you were 
aware of."  Ranma-chan stared up into her mother's eyes, feeling a 
nagging doubt worm its way into her belly.  She had felt like there was 
something she was missing while talking with Akane, but ... 
     "Mom," she began. 
     "Ranma," her mother interrupted, squeezing her shoulders 
gently.  "Sometimes people can read a lot into what you say, even 
things that you don't really mean.  For example, your reaction to being 
called a couple may have hurt Akane's feelings." 
     "What?  But ... well, we are.  I just never heard her use that word 
before," Ranma-chan objected.  "It was funny, that's all.  I didn't 
MIND it." 
     "Yes, but she may not have realized that.  And when she brought up 
the fact that you are keeping your relationship secret, she may have 
been trying to get you to talk to her about that ... about how you feel 
about the relationship, and about her." 
     "Really?" Ranma-chan asked tentatively.  Her mother nodded. 
     "And she may well have interpreted your comments about 
avoiding marriage, along with your previous ones, as signs of doubt," 
Nodoka finished quietly.  Ranma-chan was speechless for a moment. 
     "B-But that's crazy!" she blurted at last. 
     "Is it?" Nodoka asked gently.  "Listen, son.  Have you and 
Akane talked much about the future?"  Ranma-chan stared at her 
mother blankly. 
     "The future?  Well, no, not really.  I mean, after everything that 
happened, we've been just trying to enjoy being together."  Her mother 
smiled tolerantly. 
     "That's completely understandable," she said.  "However, have 
you ever told Akane that you want to marry her?" 
     "Of course I want to ... to m-marry her, Mom!" Ranma-chan 
spluttered.  "I mean ... I mean, why else do you think I went through 
everything with Uc-chan and Shampoo?  Akane's the one I want!" 
     "Oh, you are such a man," her mother sighed with a mixture of 
amusement and exasperation.  "Of course, you think that your deeds 
should show your true heart.  And they do, make no mistake.  But 
Ranma, have you told her?"  Ranma-chan thought about that, a strange 
feeling of apprehension stealing over her. 
     "Well, not in so many words," she said weakly.  "But she 
should know ... I mean, how could she doubt it?" 
     "Ranma."  Her mother pulled her close, her beautiful face 
reflecting a certain melancholy wistfulness that seemed to resonate in 
Ranma-chan's heart, even though she wasn't totally sure she 
understood why.  "Love is precious but also fragile.  A girl needs to 
hear the words.  Tell her you cherish her, you love her, and you only 
want to be with her.  It can't hurt to tell her, can it?" 
     "Do you really think she's worried about this?" Ranma-chan 
asked in a small voice.  Nodoka smiled. 
     "If there's even a chance that she is, isn't it worth talking to 
her?" she asked.  "Reassure her.  Girls like to talk about their feelings, 
and about things that matter to them.  After all, you do want to marry 
her, don't you?  Even if you've never said it."  Ranma-chan swallowed 
hard and nodded. 
     "Yeah," she muttered, looking away.  "I mean, not right now, 
but when we're out of school and all.  It's just that if Pop and Mr. 
Tendou found out about us, they'd pressure us to get married right 
away, and ... and I want it to be for US, how WE want it, not for them. 
You understand, right?" 
     "Oh, Ranma," her mother sighed, placing one of her palms 
against Ranma-chan's cheek and turning her gaze back until their eyes 
met.  "Of course I do.  And you are right, you shouldn't have to worry 
about being pressured.  That's why I'm going to take care of this 
problem for you." 
     "What?" Ranma-chan asked, her eyes widening.  "What do 
you mean?" 
     "I mean that I will ensure that your father, at least, understands 
he is not to push you and Akane.  And I believe I can enlighten Soun as 
well."  She gazed fondly into Ranma-chan's eyes.  "Yes, I think it is 
high time you and Akane stopped having to sneak around." 
Ranma-chan's stomach started doing somersaults as the import of her 
mother's words sunk in. 
     "You really think you can do that?" she asked, wondering if she 
dared hope.  "I mean, Pop's pretty stubborn.  He and Mr. Tendou 
have always tried to get me and Akane married on the spot anytime 
they thought they could get away with it." 
     "Don't you worry, dear.  I can handle your father," Nodoka 
said, her tone becoming somewhat cooler.  "He won't give me any 
trouble if he knows what's good for him."  Ranma-chan seized the 
sudden opportunity and leapt into the breach before she could chicken 
out. 
     "So what's going on with you guys anyway?  You guys have hardly 
spent any time together in the last couple of weeks."  The words came 
out all in a rush, not casually as Ranma-chan had been hoping for.  Her 
mother seemed caught off-guard by the question momentarily, then it 
was her turn to look away. 
     "Your father and I have been apart a long while, Ranma," she 
said at last.  "There are ... adjustments to be made.  Things aren't the 
same as they were."  Ranma-chan felt a cold lump forming in her 
stomach. 
     "Come on, Mom," Ranma-chan said plaintively.  "I know he's 
a jerk sometimes, but ... but you married him!"  Her mother looked up, 
startled, then laughed. 
     "So I did," she said dryly.  "Don't worry, dear.  Things will 
work out.  It will just take some time.  I'd much rather you 
concentrated on your relationship with Akane than worry about your 
father and me." 
     "Should I be worrying?" she pressed.  Her mother sighed. 
     "Now, that's enough of that," she said sternly.  "You have to think of 
a way to reassure your girlfriend.  Well, fiancee, actually ..."  She trailed 
off, her eyes lighting up. 
     "What?" Ranma-chan asked suspiciously, wondering if her 
mother was just trying to distract her again. 
     "Oh," her mother said with a dazzling smile, "I believe I have 
just the thing to help you show Akane how you feel ..." 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
     "... so there are the pictures that I managed to take of our idol, 
and they're all black.  Completely black."  Tofu paused to take a drink, 
and Kasumi leaned forward a bit, the chair creaking as her weight 
shifted.  "We're baffled," he continued after a moment.  "After I hid in 
the bushes for hours waiting to snap these pictures of her, this is 
supposed to be our great triumph, right?  So we check the negatives, 
and THEY'RE all black too!  And as we're standing there with the 
pictures we promised the whole fan club, Toshiro just shakes his head 
and says, `Ono, I don't get it.  What could have gone wrong?'  And I 
say, `Dunno.  I did everything you told me to.'  Then a really strange 
expression comes over his face.  He looks at the pictures, at the 
camera, then at me.  And he says, `You did remember to take off the 
lenscap, didn't you?'  Tofu paused for another drink, and Kasumi 
cupped her wineglass gently, rolling it between her palms. 
     "And?" she asked finally.  Tofu grinned boyishly. 
     "And I said, `Uh, lenscap?'"  They both burst out laughing.  In 
fact, Kasumi's cheeks were sore from laughing so much, but it was a 
good feeling, so unlike the serenity she tried to project at home. 
     "Oh, you made that up," she gasped at last.  Tofu placed his 
hand over his heart solemnly. 
     "I wish I was making it up," he said.  "To this day, Toshiro 
hasn't let me forget that little blunder."  She giggled again, turning away 
to gaze contentedly out at the blazing colours of the dying sunset. 
     They were sitting on Tofu's balcony, the remnants of dinner on 
the small plastic table between them.  The salads had been salvageable, 
and they'd had those along with some instant ramen.  Tofu had 
produced a bottle of white wine from the fridge to top off their 
impromptu picnic, and Kasumi had decided to indulge in a glass.  She 
barely remembered how dinner had tasted, as Tofu had been funny and 
charming the whole time, regaling her with tales of embarrassing gaffes 
and blunders from his past.  She couldn't remember when she'd 
laughed so hard. 
     She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as the warm breeze 
feathered its way along her face, toying with the end of her ponytail. 
She took another small sip of the sharp, cool wine and sat back in her 
chair, savouring the giddy feeling of well-being that suffused her.  She 
highly doubted that the wine alone was responsible for that feeling. 
     Tofu had been incredible.  It appeared that his protective 
instincts had been aroused by her distress, as had happened after 
Shampoo's attack on the dojo.  Instead of treating her with clumsy 
reverence, like she was some sort of untouchable goddess, he had 
talked easily with her for the first time she could remember.  The 
evening had flown by, and Kasumi's earlier distress had soon faded like 
mist in the radiance of their rapport.  She felt at ease, content.  She 
didn't want the evening to ever end. 
     The sun had almost completely disappeared, though, and she 
opened her eyes and sighed.  It was getting late, and she had to get 
home.  She turned to see Tofu watching her with a lopsided grin, the 
last golden rays of the sun reflecting off his wire-framed glasses. 
Instinctively, she smiled back. 
     "What?" she asked softly. 
     "I was just thinking that I like you better this way," he 
answered.  "Having you almost in tears was not the way I envisioned 
our date."  She ducked her head, finishing off the wine in one go. 
     "I'm sorry I got so emotional," she murmured.  He waved her 
off. 
     "Don't worry about it.  After all, things worked out okay, 
didn't they?"  She looked back at him, surprised. 
     "Yes," she said.  "Yes, they did."  They smiled at each other, 
the growing silence between them taut with something unspoken, an 
almost tangible intimacy that was thrilling and frightening all at once. 
The moment made Kasumi feel like she'd been neglecting an important, 
vital part of herself for a long, long while.  It made her feel ... alive. 
Aware, in a way she hadn't been for far too long. 
     Finally, she broke the spell by getting to her feet with a sigh. 
     "I'll have to be going soon," she said apologetically.  Tofu rose 
as well, an expression of regret on his face. 
     "I suppose it is getting late," he conceded.  In companionable 
silence, they gathered up the remains of their meal and went inside.  The 
pots involved in the unfortunate dinner incident were still soaking in the 
sink.  Kasumi checked them, but judged that they should soak at least 
overnight if there was to be any chance of getting the burnt food off 
without using a chisel.  She straightened the rest of the kitchen over 
Tofu's objections, then gathered up her things and went to the entryway 
to get her shoes. 
     The sight of the broken door jamb stopped her momentarily. 
She slipped her shoes on, feeling guilty again. 
     "Your superintendent must have been angry," she said timidly. 
"About the door, I mean."  Tofu shot her an engaging grin. 
     "Oh, he'll get over it," he told her.  "Anyway, I've been a 
model tenant.  I figure I was about due for something like this."  She 
tried to smile back, but suddenly she was feeling awkward and 
uncertain again.  Standing stiffly, her hands clasped together in front of 
her, she fidgeted as the silence stretched.  Ironically, after all that had 
happened Tofu finally seemed at ease in her presence, while she was 
the one who was nervous. 
     "Well, then ..." she said softly, suddenly unable to meet his eyes 
again. 
     "Well," he acknowledged. 
     "I suppose I ..." 
     "I had a really good time," he blurted.  She looked up, 
surprised, and he blushed slightly. 
     "Did you?" she asked, her heart thudding.  He nodded. 
     "I'm glad you came," he said, shuffling his feet slightly.  "We 
should, um, do it again.  You know, except for the part where the fire 
department breaks down my door."  They both laughed, easing the 
tension a little. 
     "Yes, next time we shouldn't invite them," she agreed, a trifle 
giddily.  He grinned that engaging grin again. 
     "Deal.  Of course, that part wasn't all bad.  After all, you still owe 
me dinner, so it ensures a second date."  She felt a strangely exciting 
heat spread through her at that word. 
     "Date," she repeated dreamily.  He blinked. 
     "Well, I mean, it was ..." he began nervously.  She beamed. 
     "Yes, it was.  And it was the best first date I've ever had."  A 
pleasantly dazed expression stole over Tofu's boyish features. 
     "Really?" he asked breathlessly.  "Even with ..."  He made a 
motion with his hand that loosely encompassed the broken door and 
the kitchen.  She giggled. 
     "Yes, even with that," she confirmed.  "You'll be hard pressed 
to be more charming next time." 
     "Oh, I'll think of something," he promised.  Kasumi looked at him, 
just looked, for a long moment, a bold impulse coming over her without 
warning.  Feeling a warm tingle rush through her belly, she closed the 
distance between them with one quick step and, rising up on her toes, 
brushed her lips against Tofu's cheek lightly. 
     "Thank-you," she whispered.  "For everything."  She stepped 
back, biting her lower lip, and cocked her head slightly. 
     "Are you free Friday night?" she asked, trying to ignore the 
pounding in her chest.  Tofu was standing stock still, one hand half 
raised toward his cheek. 
     "Huh?" he asked intelligently. 
     "Friday?" she prompted gently.  He nodded eagerly. 
     "That would be ... just ... yes.  Good.  Same time?"  She nodded as 
she backed out the door, practically quivering with nervous energy and 
trying not to show it. 
     "All right," she agreed.  "See you then." 
     "Yes.  Uh ... good night, Kasumi." 
     "Good-night, Ono."  The door closed softly, and Kasumi let 
out a huge sigh as she glided over to the elevator, her feet seeming to 
not even touch the ground. 
     That had been quite unlike her.  But then, she thought giddily, 
maybe that was the whole point.  Whether it was the sunset, the wine, 
or just being with Tofu the way she had been, she felt different.  Daring. 
Bold.  Confident. 
     When that door had locked behind her, she'd been certain that 
the night would be a disaster, and yet ... 
     And yet now she wondered if things would have gone so well if 
it had just been an ordinary, mundane dinner.  The elevator pinged and 
she walked inside, still awash in her warm tingling glow.  Somehow, 
everything had worked out.  Finally.  Tofu had been forced to 
overcome his debilitating nervousness by the circumstances, and she 
had been forced out of her usual narrow range of behaviour.  She 
leaned back against the cool wall of the elevator and smiled at nothing, 
touching her fingertips lightly to her lips.  The memory of his cheek 
against hers as her mouth brushed at his warm flesh brought a delicious 
rise of warmth, and she savoured it shamelessly 
     Sitting on cheap plastic furniture, eating instant ramen and 
drinking wine while watching the sun go down, swapping embarrassing 
stories with Tofu and laughing.  Laughing a LOT.  Had someone asked 
her what she envisioned as the perfect first date with him, she would not 
have conceived of anything remotely like that.  And yet now, she was 
glad things had turned out that way. 
     It had been a lot of fun. 
     She couldn't wait for Friday. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
     Unbelievable.  Her luck was just unbelievable. 
     First, that idiot Ryouga had stood her up.  Reiko took that 
personally.  Her plan had been to get Ryouga alone and charm him into 
helping her with this Kunou character.  It had never occurred to her that 
he might not bother to show up at all. 
     She'd waited almost an hour, unable to believe he wasn't 
coming.  But he never showed, and she was forced to admit that she, of 
all people, had been kept waiting by a GUY, when it was usually the 
other way around.  It had been almost dark by then, and when she'd 
come across the vending machine full of beer she'd decided to indulge 
herself.  Three beers later she had a mild buzz, but her temper hadn't 
improved at all. 
     And now, to top things off, this jerk had showed up. 
     It had gotten dark, and she didn't see him until he was almost 
on top of her. 
     "Hey, gorgeous," he grinned.  She cursed sourly to herself. 
Great.  Another loser who thought he was the universe's gift to women. 
Why did she always attract that type? 
     Simple, she told herself wearily.  Because all guys were that 
type.  They only wanted one thing.  She hopped down off the bench, 
lobbing her empty can at the nearby trash can.  It struck the rim and 
clattered to the pavement, the sudden noise reminding her of how 
isolated this end of the park had become. 
     "Oh, too bad, babe," her admirer said insincerely.  "You don't 
score."  Then he grinned widely and added, "But you still might." 
     "Lucky me," she yawned.  The guy was tall and broad through 
the shoulders, and his unbuttoned shirt showed off his muscular chest. 
He looked like he worked out, and Reiko was sure he was the type 
who used his size to intimidate others.  He wasn't really bad looking, 
either.  He was probably used to getting attention from the opposite 
sex. 
     Well, not tonight. 
     He strutted over to her, combing his short hair with his fingers 
as he gave her yet another grin. 
     "Looks like you've been having a party, babe," he noted, 
glancing at the empty beer can.  "Mind if I join you?"  It wasn't really a 
question, but she answered it anyway. 
     "Yes."  He frowned at the unanticipated response, then 
laughed. 
     "Hey, good one," he nodded.  "I like you already." 
     "The feeling isn't mutual," she assured him.  A gentle breeze 
blew up, causing her long, unbound hair to flutter silkily over her 
shoulder.  She pushed it back impassively as her new friend grinned. 
With her short skirt and sleeveless top, she probably looked like the 
catch of the day to this jerk.  Well, too bad for him. 
     "Come on, babe.  Let me show you some real action," he 
urged, stepping closer.  She sniffed. 
     "Not interested," she informed him, starting to walk past.  She 
was startled when a large hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back. 
     "Where ya going, huh?  I was gonna be nice, babe, but if you 
give me attitude, then maybe I won't be so nice."  His grin was ugly 
now, his eyes full of malice.  She knew that look.  He wanted an excuse 
to be rough with her. 
     She knew she should be subtle, but she'd had a bad night.  Her 
temper was frayed, and the beer hadn't helped at all.  She smiled 
sweetly up at him while holding her free hand behind her back. 
     "Well, why didn't you say so?" she asked demurely.  "I was 
just playing hard to get, stud."  Through her haze of anger, she began 
assembling a spell, trying to order her quicksilver thoughts. 
     "That's better, babe," the muscular stranger said with a grin. 
He didn't let go of her arm, though, and the glint of sadistic pleasure 
didn't leave his eyes.  She held the spell in her mind, summoning the 
power to fill it.  An answering heat blossomed in her palm, and her 
smile widened. 
     "In fact, I have something for you," she said softly, wetting her 
lips.  Her new friend bent down towards her, his eyes narrowing with 
pleasure. 
     "Well, that's more like it," he rumbled.  "I knew you just 
needed a strong hand, babe."  Still smiling, she brought her hand out 
from behind her back and placed it lightly against his chest. 
     "You know me so well," she said sweetly through gritted teeth.  He 
let go of her arm and raised his hands to cup her face. 
     "Sweet," he grinned. 
     "Concussion wave," she answered gleefully.  He only had a moment 
to look confused before a blaze of light erupted where her palm was 
pressed against his chest.  He howled in fear as he was thrown back 
viciously, his feet not even touching the ground.  He flew several feet 
until he slammed full-tilt into the beer machine.  The machine rocked 
back, overbalanced, and fell heavily to the ground with Prince 
Charming sprawled on top of it.  Reiko walked over, wondering for a 
moment if she'd put too much power into the spell. 
     Prince Charming was out like a light.  Reiko groaned.  With the 
machine broken, he was lying in a pool of loose change and surrounded 
by beer.  She shook her head sadly.  When he woke up, he'd think he 
was in heaven! 
     Things just weren't going well for her tonight. 
     With a sigh, she leaned down and retrieved one of the cold 
cans.  Popping the tab, she raised it in silent salute. 
     "Better luck next time, BABE," she growled.  Then she turned 
and walked away, sipping at the cold bitter drink as she went. 
     I should take it easy with this stuff, she thought.  It took longer 
than it should have to get my head together for such a simple spell. 
Then she remembered one of the last arguments she'd had with the old 
man. 
     You're just running away, he'd said.  Hiding.  Drinking too 
much, staying out too late.  Until you can admit to yourself why you feel 
the need to run away, all that I've taught you will be useless. 
     Bah.  She took a long drink, the cold liquid burning in her 
throat.  Mr. Know-It-All.  If he was so smart, how come he was dead? 
     She let out a long, shuddering sigh and held the cold can against 
her cheek.  It felt nice. 
     "Well," she said aloud, "at least this night can't get any worse." 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
     Wynneth welcomed the setting of the sun. 
     The sun held no power over her, unlike some of her blood-drinking 
brethren.  However, it was stark and bright and unforgiving.  The night, 
on the other hand, was deep, full of gorgeous, concealing dark.  The 
night was a time for deeds best hidden from the light: for the slow 
languid corruption of the willing and unwilling alike; for the unleashing of 
hidden desires and shameful hungers; for the throbbing of hot blood and 
the sound of quickened breath; for the exquisite dance between 
huntress and prey, anticipation drawn out like warm taffy; for the final 
consummation, the conquest, the taking. 
     Humans feared the night, and rightly so. 
     It was her domain. 
     She slipped through the deeper pools of darkness, unseen by 
the few humans that ventured near her.  She felt truly alive on nights like 
this, when she was on the hunt.  All the intrigues could be allowed to 
fade to the back of her mind as she stalked her prey, all troubles 
forgotten. 
     At least, usually.  Sadly, that was not the case tonight. 
     Wynneth didn't know why Riana had given her such a ripe 
plum as this girl.  She must have known the risks in letting her rival have 
her way with a sorceress.  Wynneth was uncertain whether she could 
absorb a human's powers the way she could with her own kind.  Even 
if she could, there were dangers inherent in the process.  She'd 
achieved a precarious balance within her mind, but the memory 
phantoms of Vaxe and the Shadowmistress Kimn still rattled the bars of 
their mental cages from time to time, howling for release. 
     Such a thing was not to be undertaken lightly. 
     Still, she could draw the girl under her spell if given the chance. 
She might even turn her.  Both options would give her a loyal sorcerous 
weapon that she could use against her rival. 
     And Riana knew it. 
     That alone had made Wynneth suspicious; the fact that Riana 
had almost certainly made the girl harder to find by withholding some of 
the information in the file she'd compiled didn't assuage those 
suspicions at all.  Riana obviously didn't want her to find the girl TOO 
quickly, which meant she was being kept busy.  Still, she was very 
good at getting what she wanted.  Riana couldn't count on the girl 
eluding her forever. 
     Unless the whole thing was not a diversion, but a trap. 
     That possibility didn't concern Wynneth much, though.  Riana 
was powerful, but Wynneth's years of exile had enforced the lessons 
she'd learned as a girl, dodging ravenous Borgunma and decadent, 
slumming Aerkinma in the blasted ruins of her home.  She'd learned 
well how to overcome superior strength with treachery and her not 
inconsiderable wiles.  She would pit her subtle cunning against Riana's 
bold machinations any time. 
     She just wished she knew what the stakes were. 
     Tragus might be of some help there.  Wynneth was certain she 
could get the lowlife to spill all he knew.  His price was, after all, 
painfully obvious.  No subtlety there, she thought smugly.  Still, he/she 
might prove to be a diverting plaything as well as a source of 
information. 
     Then she frowned, stopping in the cool shroud of darkness 
nestled under the arcing branches of a huge old tree.  Thinking of 
Tragus made her remember the fleeting contact she'd had when she'd 
kissed him.  The tiny bit of blood she'd drawn wouldn't allow her to 
control even a human, but it should have given her a glimpse of his 
spirit.  For some reason, though, she hadn't gotten a clear impression. 
There'd been a strange duality there that she hadn't understood ... 
     She sighed, brushing a thick strand of midnight hair over her 
shoulder with the back of one slim hand.  Perhaps she was wasting her 
time here tonight.  She'd penetrated deeper into Nerima than she was 
supposed to have in the hopes of spotting her quarry, but so far 
nothing.  Hardly surprising, of course.  Having been given such a wide 
area to cover, it would be a matter of sheer  luck to find the girl just by 
wandering around, and Fortune was a bitch goddess whose favours 
were bestowed upon her rarely of late. 
     She turned her attention lazily to a couple who'd ventured into 
the sheltering darkness of the trees not far from her.  Unaware of her 
presence, they sat together on the cool grass.  Her nostrils flared as 
their fresh scents reached her on the gentle breeze.  Their breathing 
grew deeper and more laboured and they moved hesitantly toward 
each other, reaching out inexperienced hands to stroke and hold and 
caress.  And beneath it all, the thundering of twin hearts, faint even to 
her ears but growing louder. 
     Ah, she thought.  Just what I need.  It has been a while since ... 
     She froze as a new sensation washed through her, leaving a tell-tale 
tingling in its wake.  Holding her breath she spun in place, like a 
hound scenting the wind. 
     Magic.  No doubt about it.  The spike of power had been short 
and not terribly powerful, but there was no background magic here to 
screen it out.  And it was close.  Very close.  Close enough that she 
could pinpoint the direction it had come from.  Silently, she slipped off 
through the dark, the young couple already forgotten as she felt her 
blood race, spiced with anticipation. 
     A spellcaster.  It had to be that girl.  And she was CLOSE. 
     A predatory smile touched Wynneth's ruby lips.  Perhaps the 
bitch goddess was smiling on her after all. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
     Reiko drained the can and tossed it into a nearby garbage bin. 
Then she stretched her arms over her head, groaning as she listened to 
the pops and cracks of her shoulders. 
     The whole night was a write-off.  First Ryouga had stood her 
up, then that lout tried to get pushy with her.  Typical of her luck with 
men.  Just typical.  Now she had to decide if it was worth chasing 
Ryouga down again.  Of course, she had no other sources of 
information on the Kunou estate to turn to, so her options WERE kind 
of limited. 
     Damn it. 
     She sighed resignedly as she passed between oases of light on 
the path through the quiet park.  Maybe she could find a club with lots 
of loud music where she could fritter away the rest of the night, while 
forgetting about the first part.  Now, THERE was a good idea. 
     A muffled sound caused her to freeze in her tracks.  Startled, 
she peered around, but the trees in this part of the park were close 
together, and the illumination from the lights along the path didn't 
penetrate very far into the gloom.  Her shoe scuffed the path lightly as 
she turned, and she heard the sound again, like a muffled sob. 
     "H-Hello?  Is anyone there?" a soft voice came from the 
shadows.  She relaxed.  The voice was female and timid.  Following the 
source of the sound, she thought she could make out a figure crouched 
in the concealing mantle of darkness cast by the intertwined branches of 
two large trees. 
     Dammit, a little voice told her, just walk on.  You've got 
enough problems of your own.  But she hesitated, torn. 
     "Are you okay?" she called back. 
     "No," came the barely audible reply.  "I mean, my boyfriend ... 
we had a fight and he ... I ran ..."  That tore it.  Men!  What the hell 
was it with them, anyway? 
     She stepped off the path, her shoes silent on the grass.  As she 
slipped into the pooled shadow, her eyes began to adjust and she saw 
that the girl was sitting with her legs together and out to one side, her 
hands pressed against the ground and her head bowed.  She didn't 
look up until Reiko was standing over her. 
     Reiko stifled a gasp.  This woman was gorgeous!  Her pale, 
high-cheekboned face was dominated by huge dark eyes and full 
crimson lips.  Her hair was so dark that it seemed to blend into the 
night, flowing down over her back and arm like liquid silk to pool on 
the ground around her.   She was wearing a tight leather skirt and a 
matching, high-collared top that left her narrow waist and arms bare. 
Reiko crouched down, puzzled.  This woman didn't seem the sort to be 
either timid or easily frightened. 
     "Are you hurt?" she asked, unable to see any injuries on the 
flawless pale skin. 
     "He was getting rough," the woman replied tightly.  "I ran into 
the park to get away, but it was dark and I twisted my ankle."  Reiko 
looked at the woman's high-heeled boots. 
     "I'm not surprised," she said dryly.  "Those aren't really made 
for running."  A faint flush appeared on the woman's pale cheeks and 
she bowed her head. 
     "He likes them," she whispered.  "And he gets upset when I don't do 
things he likes."  Reiko felt her temper rising again.  This guy sounded 
like a real winner.  Maybe if she was lucky, she'd get to meet him. 
She'd enjoy giving him some of what Prince Charming had gotten. 
     "How bad is your ankle?" Reiko asked.  "Can you stand?"  The 
woman looked up at her again, smiling in gratitude. 
     "I ... I think so.  If you help me."  Reiko nodded.  She shuffled 
closer and slipped her arms around the woman's tiny waist, marvelling 
idly at how cool her skin was.  The woman wrapped her arms around 
Reiko's shoulders, and together they slowly rose until they were 
standing.  When Reiko went to move away, however, the other woman 
tottered, her ankle obviously unstable. 
     "Oh!" she cried, falling heavily into Reiko, who had to tighten her 
arms around the other woman to keep them both from falling.  Her hair, 
revealed to be ankle length now that she was standing, flowed against 
Reiko in a  fragrant, silky wave, and her arms wound instinctively 
around Reiko's neck.  That left them pressed together in a slightly 
awkward position, and Reiko blushed at the intimate sensations in spite 
of herself. 
     "I'm sorry," the woman said, pulling back slightly so she could 
look Reiko in the eye.  Reiko's senses were filled with the beauty's 
nearness, the slightly musky perfume of her hair and skin, the cool feel 
of her alabaster skin, the silken sensation of that luxuriant mane against 
her bare flesh ... 
     "What's a woman like this doing with a loser?"  Reiko didn't 
realize she'd spoken aloud until the other woman's lush lips curved up 
in a shy smile. 
     "Why, how sweet," the raven-haired beauty breathed.  Her voice 
had a sensual, husky undertone that Reiko hadn't noticed before. 
     "I, uh, just meant that a woman like you could do better," she 
stammered.  She cursed herself for saying something so stupid, 
supporting the woman around the waist as they hobbled over to a 
nearby park bench.  The beauty leaned against the raised back of the 
bench, taking the weight off her injured ankle with a sigh.  Reiko started 
to back away, but the woman caught her wrists with slim hands, tugging 
her gently back. 
     "Don't go," she urged in a low, husky voice.  "Please."  She 
lowered her eyes demurely, her long lashes sooty against her pale 
cheeks, and Reiko hesitated.  Her inner voice was still telling her not to 
get involved, but there was something strangely ... compelling about the 
woman.  An allure, subtle yet insistent, that fascinated her and drew her 
in. 
     Perhaps it was the incongruity between her striking beauty and 
her oddly appealing vulnerability.  Reiko would have expected a 
woman who looked and dressed like this one to be much more 
aggressive, much more confident.  But of course, she'd often been 
judged on surface factors herself, and told herself she of all people 
should know better. 
     For whatever reason, the woman managed to overcome Reiko's 
usual defensiveness, which was definitely unusual.  She smiled 
reassuringly at the apprehensive beauty. 
     "All right," she said.  "I'll help you out to the street.  There's a 
phone there, you can call a cab."  The woman smiled back. 
     "Thank-you ...  I'm sorry.  I don't even know your name!" 
     "Reiko." 
     "I'm Wynneth."  The name was strange, exotic.  It suited her 
perfectly.  Wynneth was still holding her hands, and Reiko pulled her 
upright easily. 
     "Okay, Wynneth.  Let's get you home so you can take care of 
that ankle."  Reiko slipped her arm around Wynneth's narrow waist 
while Wynneth slipped her arm across Reiko's back, hooking her hand 
over the opposite shoulder so Reiko could take some of her weight. 
Together they began to make their way slowly along the path.  The 
park was pretty deserted, and Wynneth's boot heels clicked loudly in 
the silence, creating a strange stuttering rhythm as she limped along.. 
     "I'm sorry to be so much trouble," Wynneth murmured as they 
walked.  "Things just got out of control so quickly, and I became 
frightened."  She peered at Reiko out of the corner of her eye. 
     "I'm not usually like this," she confided, her tone intimate.  "It's just 
that ... I thought this man was different.  I thought he wanted me for 
ME, but lately he started to change."  She leaned into Reiko for a 
moment, sending ripples through her hair as she shook her head slowly. 
     "If I hadn't gotten my hopes up, it wouldn't have been so bad," 
she sighed, almost inaudibly. 
     "Believe me, I understand," Reiko told her.  Wynneth gave her 
a small, secretive smile. 
     "Yes," she said softly.  "You do, don't you?"  This is weird, 
Reiko told herself.  Why do I feel so comfortable with this woman? 
It's like I've known her for years.  Her puzzlement, though, seemed 
distant and unimportant somehow.  As they walked, Wynneth leaned 
her lithe body a little more against Reiko, her long hair brushing lightly 
against Reiko's bare leg.  Normally, Reiko would have protested the 
familiarity, but she was beginning to feel quite at ease with Wynneth 
somehow.  Maybe it was a sense of kinship, she told herself wryly. 
We've both had guy problems tonight.  Who knows, if I didn't have my 
magic, maybe Prince Charming would have scared me like her 
boyfriend scared her. 
     They came to a bend in the path, where heavy trees on both 
sides screened out the light, leaving a patch of deep shadow.  Wynneth 
tightened her grip on Reiko's shoulder. 
     "Stop for a moment," she urged.  "Let me catch my breath."  Reiko 
stopped and Wynneth moved so they were facing each other, Wynneth 
leaning with her hands on Reiko's shoulders, head bowed and breathing 
heavily.  Reiko kept her hands balanced lightly on Wynneth's waist in 
case she lost her balance, feeling vaguely concerned.  As they stood 
there a gentle breeze came up, blowing Wynneth's hair against 
Reiko's skin again, carrying her musky, mysterious scent like a 
promise.  Reiko shuddered at the intimacy of the contact, a faint thrill 
racing down the tender flesh of her nape and spine.  Wynneth looked 
up, her dark eyes wide against her pale face. 
     "What's wrong?" she breathed, her voice a throaty purr which 
made Reiko shudder again.  She laughed her reaction off, telling herself 
that if Wynneth was having this sort of an effect on HER, she must have 
men throwing themselves at her feet. 
     "I was just wondering why you were putting up with such a jerk," 
Reiko said, her mouth strangely dry.  "I mean, look at you.  You could 
have any guy you wanted."  Wynneth cocked her head lightly, her lush 
red lips curving into a sensuous smile. 
     "I'll tell you a secret," she whispered, holding Reiko's gaze with 
her own.  "I suffer from bad judgement when dealing with men."  Reiko 
grinned wryly. 
     "Me, too," she said, feeling a detached wonder that she had 
confided such a thing so easily.  A strange sense of intimacy was 
growing up around them, counterpointed by a distant sensation in 
Reiko's consciousness, almost like a high-pitched thrumming.  That 
sensation was familiar somehow, but she couldn't seem to focus on it ... 
     "We deserve better, don't we?" Wynneth asked softly.  Reiko 
noted how, even in the dappled moonlight under the trees, she could 
see Wynneth clearly.  Her red lips stood out starkly against her ivory 
skin, and those gorgeous, light-drinking eyes seemed huge, exerting a 
subtle yet inexorable pull.  A woman could drown in eyes like that ... 
     Man.  A MAN could ... 
     The thrumming sensation.  It was important, wasn't it?  Why 
couldn't she ...? 
     "Mmm-hmm," Reiko answered softly.  Wynneth was standing 
even closer to her now, so close that Reiko could feel warm breath 
against her face. 
     "You have beautiful eyes," Wynneth crooned.  "Blue, like a summer 
sky.  Has anyone ever told you that?"  Had anyone ever told her that? 
She couldn't think ... 
     "And this," Wynneth continued.  She brought one hand up from 
Reiko's shoulder, tracing the tiny black mole at the corner of her mouth 
with one long, blood red nail.  "I like it."  The sensation sent languid 
waves of heat rippling through Reiko's body, and she drew a shaky 
breath.  Making a purring sound deep in her throat, Wynneth traced the 
nail up from the mole and drew it teasingly across the sensitive flesh of 
Reiko's lower lip.  Reiko wanted to stop her, but her will seemed to be 
weighed down, held in sweet bondage to some dark need.  Things 
were slipping out of her control, and she ... she couldn't ... 
     "You're carrying around a lot of pain, aren't you, blue eyes?" 
Wynneth whispered softly, the words brushing against sensitized skin 
enticingly.  Reiko's world had narrowed to the feel of the seductive 
woman's body against hers, the mesmerizing gaze of those impossibly 
dark eyes, the hypnotic rhythm of that throaty voice.  "I can help you 
with that.  I can take away all your troubles and woes ... if you let me. 
Won't you let me?" 
     That sounded nice.  Not to have to worry any more, to finally 
let go of everything ... 
     (hey) 
     ... and just be at peace ... 
     (hey, that's not right) 
     "Uh-huh," she heard herself say from a distance.  Wynneth 
smiled, slipping one hand behind Reiko's head, her long nails gently 
scoring the flesh there.  The sensation was quite 
     (wrong) 
     nice, but something was distracting her ... that faint but insistent 
thrum in her head, now risen in pitch ... 
     (think what is that feeling think please) 
     ... and she didn't need this distraction now.  It was wrecking 
the peace she'd found under Wynneth's gorgeous spell ... 
     (spell) 
     ... under ... spell? 
     (yes YES DAMMIT) 
     A spell? 
     Suddenly, her perspective seemed to shift subtly, like someone 
looking at a bunch of coloured dots who suddenly sees a picture of a 
boat.  That sensation that had been nagging her, it was her awareness 
of magic.  Someone was casting a ... spell ... someone was ... 
     Wynneth?  Casting a spell ... on her? 
     Oh, damn. 
     "Ah," Wynneth breathed.  "Suddenly, the light dawns.  But too 
late, blue eyes.  Far, far too late.  You're already mine."  Reiko tried to 
resist Wynneth's influence, but her body felt pleasantly heavy, her will 
ensnared in an intangible web, silken but insistent.  Wynneth's long, slim 
fingers wound themselves languidly into Reiko's hair, drawing her head 
back slightly.  Reiko gasped at the sudden heat as Wynneth's mouth 
closed lightly on her mole, lingering there for a moment before beginning 
to trace hotly up over her cheek. 
     Even though she could no longer see Wynneth's eyes, it was as 
though they still held her.  Her faint awareness of alarm began to turn 
into panic as she realized just how well and truly caught she was ... 
     (no if you panic you're done hold on) 
     What do I do? She wondered drunkenly.  There must be ... 
     (Fight her idiot) 
     ... something ... yes ... a spell ... cast her own spell.  Cast ... 
     She reached for a spell, ANY spell, but her thoughts were like 
viscous mercury, slipping away as she tried to grasp them.  Her blood 
burned with unwholesome fire in her veins, and her captor's lush mouth 
against the ticklish shell of her ear wasn't helping ... 
     "You disappoint me, Reiko Hisakawa," her tormentor whispered, 
her voice trickling maddeningly directly into Reiko's ear.  "I'd expected 
you to pose far more of a challenge."  Reiko tried to speak, but could 
only whimper helplessly.  Wynneth chuckled, sending another tingle 
down Reiko's spine. 
     "Ah, blue eyes.  Don't fret.  You are going to love what I do to 
you.  When I'm done, you won't even remember how you were 
before."  She gently, almost tenderly, pulled Reiko's head back further, 
exposing her throat.  As  Wynneth pressed her lips against the taut skin 
there, they parted and Reiko felt twin pinpricks nestled in the lush 
softness, pressing tauntingly against her vulnerable throat. 
     No, she thought desperately as she finally realized just what 
sort of creature had snared her.  Not that.  I don't want to come back 
as ... no ... please ... 
     Panic consumed what little awareness she had left as salvation 
continued to dance maddeningly out of reach.  She needed more time. 
     And she didn't have it. 
     She cried out as twin points of fire blossomed on her neck, 
sending an irresistible wave of pleasure/pain through her, smashing all 
remaining resistance before it, leaving only delicious surrender in its 
wake.  The tide rose up in her, and she had time for only one last 
coherent thought. 
     Sorry, old man ... 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
     Wynneth drew her mouth slowly down to the girl's exposed 
throat, smiling wickedly as a helpless shudder wracked her captive's 
body.  This was what she lived for, the moment when her savage kisses 
enslaved even the strongest adversary with their sweet corruption.  Let 
others of her realm rend their enemies with tooth and claw.  Her way 
was so much more ... satisfying. 
     She drew out the moment of consummation, of final abject 
surrender, with a skill honed by many such encounters.  Her senses 
were filled with Reiko now, her fangs aching sweetly as they extended 
in response to her need.  The pounding of the girl's racing heart filled 
her ears, merged with Wynneth's own.  The scent of her skin and, 
under it, her blood, was maddening. 
     Wynneth felt the young sorceress's will struggling feebly under 
the layers of her mental domination.  They were, however, merely the 
final struggles of a drowning swimmer before she succumbs to the 
seductive peace of the ocean's cool dark depths, just before she 
realizes that her strength is spent and her fate is sealed.  In the end, she 
knew, her victims always embraced the rising darkness as they finally 
realized that it would take away all their fear. 
     Wynneth tasted the faint salty tang of the girl's skin as her lips 
parted, savouring it for a moment while she let her aching fangs press 
lightly against the taut, vulnerable flesh.  Then, with exquisite slowness, 
she let her fangs break the skin.  Just barely. 
     She tightened her grip on Reiko instinctively as the girl cried out 
sweetly and her body tensed.  Wynneth growled softly like a great cat, 
letting the hot sweet blood seep slowly into her mouth.  The first 
moment of contact made her draw in a sharp breath through her nose 
as she made intimate contact with the girl's essence through her life's 
blood. 
     So powerful!  This one had so much potential, such raw power 
buried within her!  And now, all that power would be ... 
     "Oops!  Uh, sorry!"  The voice smashed into her awareness, 
and she pulled back instinctively, flashing her fangs with a feral snarl. 
The girl had been much harder to snare than an ordinary human, and 
she'd allowed herself to become lost in the moment, tuning out the 
world. 
     A careless mistake. 
     The young man had come straight through the bushes behind 
them, and apparently had thought he'd stumbled upon a romantic 
assignation.  Understandable, under the circumstances.  Now, 
however, he was staring in horror at Wynneth's bared fangs and the 
limp girl in her arms. 
     He would have to die, and quickly; she couldn't afford any 
distractions now.  She'd only just tasted Reiko's blood, which meant 
there was still a chance the girl could break free of Wynneth's control. 
And this girl was a prize Wynneth didn't intend to let slip through her 
fingers. 
     Before she could act, though, the boy blurted out, "Reiko?" 
     The bitch goddess strikes again, Wynneth thought darkly.  He 
KNOWS her?  At the sound of her name, Reiko stirred, her eyes still 
glazed and unfocused.  Secure the prize first, Wynneth told herself, 
fighting to reign in her hunger.  Then take care of bandanna boy. 
     Smiling, she began to back away slowly, senses questing for the 
deepest part of the comforting dark, the place where she could slip into 
Shadow. 
     "Sorry, handsome," she said with a sly smile.  "She's mine 
now, and I don't share."  He growled, and she noted with amusement 
that he had tiny fangs himself. 
     "Let her go, you ... monster!"  She pouted, still backing away. 
     "Monster?  You won't still think that after we've ... gotten to 
know each other better."  Ah!  There it was.  Her eyes narrowed as 
she let the smile slip away. 
     "See you later, handsome," she promised.  Then she began to 
sink into the embrace of Shadow, pulling Reiko along with her. 
     "Reiko!"  The boy was caught off-guard, realizing too late what 
was happening, lunging forward. 
     "Ry ...ouga?"  Reiko's voice was barely audible. 
     "Shhh, blue eyes," Wynneth whispered.  "It's no one.  No one 
at all." 
     Together, they sank into the comforting dark. 
  
  
End part 12