A Ranma 1/2 fanfic All Ranma 1/2 characters copyright Rumiko Takahashi and are used without permission Doors Best Left Unopened by Mark MacKinnon Part Nine: Legacy Nabiki was afraid. This fear wasn't like what she'd felt earlier. It wasn't urgent and immediate. This was a deeply rooted sensation of dread, as if she'd looked up at the sky only to see four moons in a purple sky. She wasn't certain where she was or how she'd gotten there. All she knew was that she wanted to leave, and right away. The strange gray plain stretched away from her on all sides to the featureless horizon, unnaturally flat. She had the sensation of turning without seeming to move, and something slowly came into view. A tower. It was hard to judge how far away it was with no landmarks, but it seemed to reach impossibly high into the dull dead sky. There was a sound now, carried to her on the flat, used up air. A faint sound, high-pitched and unnerving. She could barely see, around the base of the tower, tiny figures capering and dancing. They appeared lost in some mad ritual, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She couldn't make them out clearly, but something about them shouted to her of wrongness, of otherness. Then she heard another sound, rhythmic and regular, beneath the first. Faint but growing stronger, it thrummed in her very being like a taut wire in a high wind, and the fear that pervaded her began to intensify. The sound was somehow familiar, like a drumbeat, or footsteps ... No. A heartbeat. The thrumming ba-dump of some titanic black heart. As soon as she had the thought, she was certain it was correct, and her fear grew even sharper. There's something here, she said, and the cold dead wind carried her words away to some dread place where no sun ever shone, consigning them to the darkness forever. The dancers spun with eerie grace around the base of the tower, and as their tempo increased, the sleepy rhythm of the heart kept pace, growing steadily louder. And faster. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-DUMP. Ba-DUMP. It's waking up, she said, uncertain who she was talking to. The dancers spun even faster, unnaturally long arms clutching the air as they moved, and their unearthly laughter drifted to her, strange and mad and somehow almost seductive, calling ... They're calling it, she realized. They're waking it up. Ba-DUMP. Ba-DUMP. The fear and dread rose up in a dark wave, smothering her, and she cried out in panic. No! Don't wake it up! You're not supposed to do that! Ba-DUMP, ba-DUMP, ba-DUMP ... You're not supposed to wake it up! Stop! Ba-DUMP, ba-DUMP, ba-DUMP, BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP BA-DUMP BA-DUMP BA-DUMP ... Please stop ... please ... don't ... BA-DUMPBA-DUMPBA-DUMPBA-DUMPBA-DUMP Then a wave of terror swept over her, one thought rising above her panic with crystal clarity. It's awake. And it knows we're here. The tiny forms stopped their dance, falling silent and still, and in the ensuing calm Nabiki wanted nothing more than to run away, but she couldn't seem to move, not even to turn her head. The moment stretched out, gravid with terrible anticipation, and she wanted to scream, to cry out, to do anything. Then she saw it. A smooth blue sphere burst silently from the flat top of the tower, hovering with strange menace above the dark finger that had held it. The forms at the tower's base stood still and silent, as did she, as it rose slowly into the barren sky. Higher and higher it went, but instead of getting smaller it seemed to grow, until it dominated the sky above them. Finally, it stopped, looking like some impossibly huge moon, featureless and glowing with a soft light that bathed the unnatural landscape below, yet cast no shadows. Then, as Nabiki stared in horrified fascination, a line appeared, bisecting the sphere along the surface facing them. The figures at the tower's base began to call out again, but now they were wailing in fear, huddling on the ground or running aimlessly about, clawing at each other in a mad frenzy. The line continued to spread until it stretched from one edge of the sphere to the other, then, with exquisite slowness, the line became a crack. And the crack began to widen. And Nabiki knew. It was an eye. It was *the* Eye. The Eye that Sees. The Eye that Knows. The wonderful, terrible Eye. It was looking straight down upon the tower, and the creatures there began to scream in earnest, clawing at their faces as they fell. Nabiki closed her eyes, but somehow she could still see. She looked down at her feet, but that didn't help. She could *still* see. The Eye's regard fell upon the dancers, and they screamed and screamed. Then they stopped screaming, and somehow that was worse. The Eye began to shift its attention, its gaze sweeping over the plain. it knows i'm here it knows i'm here and it's looking for me Where the Eye's gaze fell, the flat gray ground broke up in strange silence, large chunks of it rising into the air as if suddenly released from gravity's bonds. Only the silent, brooding tower remained unaffected. Nabiki noted with dull mute terror that where the ground was torn away, only a terrible void remained. The Eye's gaze swept the plain, rushing unerringly towards Nabiki, and she thought she screamed then, although she could hear nothing but a hammering heartbeat, whether hers or the other's she no longer knew. it's going to see me oh no it'll see me please don't see me She was frozen with the atavistic fear, the need to hide like an itch in her belly, but there was no place to hide from the Eye. Except for the tower, there was nothing, and it's gaze swept closer. Nabiki was seized with the certainty that when it's gaze fell on her, she would be driven irrevocably mad. Already she could feel its presence like white hot spiders in her head. It's gaze swept closer, tearing away the very ground itself, and she watched helplessly, her fear turning raw and savage, sweeping away all rational thought. I don't want to see I don't want I don't look at me don't see me oh please it's the eye the eye the eye that sees and it sees me oh please don't see me don't see don't oh please DON'T SEE ME DON'T DON'T DON'T DOOOOOON'T "DOOOOOOOON'T!" It was dark. Nabiki gulped huge breaths, feeling ice cold sweat trickling over her skin, cloth clenched in her fists, and trembled against the strangely solid warmth. At least it was dark. In the dark, the Eye wouldn't see, it wouldn't ... She leaned against the comforting warmth, feeling her heart pounding stupidly against her ribs, and tried to make it slow. The helpless panic, the need to run, the need to *hide* ... Her whole body was trembling, and she swallowed and made an attempt to slow her breathing. She was okay now. She was safe. Somebody said so. She felt some of the frantic tension drain out of her body at last, sagging against her support, her lifeline. She breathed deeply, taking in the slightly musky scent of ... of ... Wait a damn minute. She was sitting up in the dark, her body cradled in someone's arms, her face nestled against someone's chest. The Eye ...? A dream? A voice ... "It is over. You are safe now ..." The voice rumbled in her ear where it was pressed against the warm solid chest, and large hands gently stroked her back. A voice, somehow familiar ... Kunou? She thrust herself back to arm's length, her hands still clutching at the front of a dark robe. She looked up, able to see now in the dim light, and blinked. Kunou's dark, sombre eyes gazed back, unreadable for once. "K-Kunou? What ...?" She suddenly realized how close she was to him and jumped back reflexively, releasing her death grip on his robe and sliding across the bed, crossing her arms defensively across her chest. He watched her, his posture becoming stiff as she glared back at him. Kunou was in her room? No, not her room. The night came flooding back and she remembered where she was. A guest room in the Kunou estate, yes. She remembered now. She realized that she was still shaking, and that Kunou could see. He saw her afraid, vulnerable. That wouldn't do. "Dammit, Kunou, what are y-you *doing* in here?" she blurted, hating how high and shaky her voice was. He was perched on the edge of the bed, drawing his arms back, his gaze becoming stony as he looked at her. "I apologize," he said stiffly. "You cried out. I merely sought to assist you." She glared around as he snapped on the bedside lamp, wincing at the sudden flare of warm yellow light. The terror of the dream was beginning to recede somewhat, and Nabiki struggled to reassert her characteristic control. "Yeah, about that ... I, uh, I'm sorry about that, Kunou. Had a bad night, y'know? But anyway, that doesn't explain why you're in here ..." And Kunou said expressionlessly, "You dreamt of the Eye." She stopped dead. It seemed even her heart stopped beating for a moment. How? How was it possible that he knew that? How ... Then she remembered. Sleep, he'd said. When you wake, if you still wish to, we will discuss it. A final test, a pre-condition. "You knew." Her voice was hoarse, bewildered, tinged with wonder and anger and other unnameable emotions. "Didn't you? How? How could you know?" He didn't move, keeping his gaze locked to hers. "That dream is always the first. Not the worst, however. To answer your question, yes, I knew. I knew you would have it." She realized that she was still huddled against the wall, staring at him across the expanse of the bed. The sheets were all pulled loose and twisted, she noticed with a sense of detachment. I must have done that in my sleep. Wow. Aloud, she said, "You bastard." She said it like she still couldn't believe it. He smiled then, a thin, dark smile that was painful to look at, and some terrible dark knowledge lurked suddenly behind his eyes. "Yes," he said simply. "Words are insufficient, are they not? This was my final chance to dissuade you from the course you have chosen. Now I know that you finally understand. This is not merely about secrets and lies and shadows. It is also about madness and terror and incomprehensible forces that lurk just below the surface of our world. I would not have you proceed without understanding that. I dare say you understand it now, better than you would wish. I certainly do not blame you for what you are thinking about me right now." She just stared at him, feeling like a blind woman at the edge of an abyss where none had existed before. One wrong step could send her screaming into the darkness. One wrong step. "What was that, Kunou? It didn't feel like a dream, not really, but it wasn't like being awake either ..." He held up his hand as she began to interrogate him. "Nabiki Tendou. We had an agreement, and now the time has come. You have one last opportunity to turn your back on this matter. You may return to your life and never face this madness again. You have felt it for yourself. I can make no more compelling argument than this. Please, consider carefully. After this, there is truly no turning back." She stared at him for a moment, then sat up, straightening her borrowed pajamas with fussy little tugs as she thought. One last opportunity to turn back. But that wasn't so, not really. She had already passed the point of no return, although she was no longer certain when it had happened. It might have been when the foul things had used the memory of her mother against her, but she didn't think so. It might have been when she'd seen Kunou and his mother in the garden that day. But thinking about it, she began to wonder if it mightn't have been her confrontation with Ranko that had really started things. All she knew was that, since Ranko's appearance, nothing had been the same. Now, she had a decision to make. Choose the known, the comfortable, and look back on her life one day wondering wistfully what might have been. Choose the unknown, and ... what? She was afraid now, she couldn't deny that. But there was more to it than that. She still wanted to know. She *needed* to know. This was big, this was important. This was ... It finally hit her. This was the first thing she'd ever really wanted. The first thing she couldn't coast through with minimum effort. The first thing in her life that grabbed her and shook her and wouldn't let go. It would cost her too much to turn her back on it. "Kunou, I've taken your worst shot. I'm in." She didn't realize until he drew a deep breath that he'd been waiting, frozen. She thought she saw relief on his face for a second before he slammed down a mask of control. "So be it," he nodded. He stood with easy grace, looking down at her soberly. "In the morning, we will speak more of this. I will ..." "Uh-uh," Nabiki said, climbing off the bed. "There's no way I'm going back to sleep, Kunou-baby. I'm not going through that again tonight." "It is unlikely you would have another tonight," he said. She glared at him, running her fingers through the sweat-dampened tendrils of hair on the back of her neck. "Unlikely? Thanks so much. Are *you* going to bed?" He grimaced. "No." She grinned, enjoying putting him on the spot. As usual. "Then let's start now. I ask, you answer." He stared at her, then sighed, apparently convinced that she would not be put off. "Very well. We shall talk. What would you like to know?" Nabiki felt a warm flush rise in her body. "Everything, Kunou-baby. I want to know ... everything." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reiko was puzzled. She'd sensed the flaring magic in the distance and had been drawn to it. Her instinct had proven correct; the source of the emanations had been the Kunou estate. She'd sensed the ward energy still hanging in the air like a haze, clear to her mage senses. And from within the estate she'd sensed something else, something powerful yet unfamiliar. Before she could decide if it was worth the risk of intruding, however, she'd sensed something else. Something dark. She'd hidden, and something had come over the wall nearby, cloaked in shadows but definitely not human. A low level demon, by its aura. The first puzzle had walked up to the demon from a point of concealment nearby just then. A beautiful woman wearing a tight dress sauntered towards the thing fearlessly, running one slim hand through her thick, caramel coloured mane, the sharp sound made by her high heels echoing through the quiet night air. Reiko nearly called out to the woman instinctively, but something stopped her. She studied the woman for a moment. Her aura was ... strange. Very strange. She'd seen a lot of weird things, but this was a new one on her. Still, she wasn't terribly surprised when the gorgeous woman stopped and spoke casually to the shadowy form. She was too far away to hear what they said, but moments later they vanished into the trees opposite the wall. Reiko sat still, making herself inconspicuous to both mundane and magical searches while she thought. She was smart to be cautious approaching the estate. For starters, that woman and her pet demon and who knew what else were interested in it. And that magic she'd sensed from within had been strong, tightly focused, and unfamiliar. Characteristic of an enchanted weapon or artifact ... She frowned then. Could it have been the damned pendant? But how would they use it? Unless the old man had lied about it. No. The old man had had many faults, but when it came to her training he'd never lied. Not once. Okay, except for that very last time, and she didn't intend to ever forget about that, or to forgive him either. Like he cared. Being dead and all. She sighed and turned her attention back to the wall of the estate. Why, she wondered, if they had such powerful magic at their disposal, didn't they do something about their wards? A low-level demon like that could never have gotten in had they bothered with even the simplest of defensive wards. Several places on the wall were still actively protected, but there were too many holes. This whole thing was just so strange, and if it hadn't been for the old fool's dying wish, she'd listen to her common sense and get the hell out of there. But she didn't have that option, or at least she wouldn't let herself have it. Gotta draw the line somewhere, she thought glumly. Damn it all. She decided to hang around for a little while and see if anything else developed. If nothing did, she'd have to start thinking about some way to find out about the occupants of the estate. Particularly that servant the old man had mentioned in his letter, what was his name? Oh, yeah. Sasuke. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nabiki faced Kunou across a low table in one of the mansion's smaller rooms. Small, expensive-looking lamps cast a low warm light that held back the darkness without appearing harsh. Kunou poured the tea he'd prepared, placing one cup in front of her and the other by his right hand. She was fairly certain that he'd gone to the trouble of making tea more out of a desire to marshal his thoughts than out of any real desire for it. Now that the moment was at hand, he seemed more than a little reluctant to begin. Still, that was all right with her. She wasn't going anywhere while it was still dark, and she had no desire to go back to sleep. She had all the time in the world. And besides, it was very good tea. Kunou ran out of things to fuss with and straightened his shoulders at last, a slight wince telling of the pain from his wound. "Understand one thing, Nabiki Tendou," he said gravely as she sipped her tea. "I have assumed my present position in light of my father's total abdication of his responsibilities. Never before have these circumstances existed in our family's history, so I must tell you that this is unfamiliar ground." She just raised one eyebrow and waited for him to continue. The events of the night had chewed away at her composure, but she was determined not to let that show. Whatever Kunou told her, it could hardly be stranger than the conjectures she'd entertained along the way. Or so she thought. "Meaning you're not sure how to proceed?" she asked archly. He sighed, cupping his tea and breathing in its scent. "Exactly. I suppose I am committing a fairly serious breach of our rules, but under the circumstances ..." "Kunou, you keep mentioning the circumstances, but you still haven't gotten around to telling me what they are." He just looked at her for a time, then nodded. "Before we proceed, I must make it clear to you that what you learn here is not to be spoken of to anyone." She frowned then, studying him closely. "What if there's some danger to my family?" He blinked. "What?" "If my family was in danger, Kunou, and something you told me here ..." "The danger centres on the estate and its occupants," he said firmly. She cocked her head, her hair brushing lightly over her shoulder with the motion. "Oh really? Are you sure? Remember Furinkan, Kunou? You didn't anticipate that, did you? I couldn't keep quiet if something like that happened, Kunou. Not after what happened before." Mention of the fight at Furinkan made him wince, and he put his cup down carefully. "What do you suggest?" "I suggest that if the time comes that something you tell me here tonight can protect a member of my family, I need to be able to use that information." "And you alone would determine if circumstances warranted disclosure?" he asked, sounding tired. She rubbed the side of her nose with her thumb. "I would endeavour to clear it through you, Kunou, but if circumstances ended up being ... extreme, then I would have to be free to act. I won't compromise the safety of my family, Kunou. That's non-negotiable." She wondered if he would try to take advantage of the situation, but he merely nodded as if he'd expected no less. "Very well," he said. "If extreme circumstances should arise, you would have leave to reveal just enough to guarantee their safety ... without revealing the source. And I only make that provision because I am certain it will be unnecessary. Otherwise, you are sworn to secrecy. If you do not agree, I may not tell you anything further." "Fine," she agreed. "Do you want me to sign a non-disclosure agreement or what?" He watched, puzzled, as a small but genuine smile creep to his lips. "Your word on the matter will suffice," he said quietly. She stared at him, dumbfounded. "No, seriously," she said. "A contract, something legal, outlining each party's responsibilities ..." "Your word," he repeated. She began to wonder if he was taunting her. "Kunou-baby, stop messing around, would you?" He steepled his fingers carefully, and met her gaze, his face serene. "If your word is no good, then I have no business speaking to you of these things. You are many things, Nabiki Tendou, but I think that a liar is not one of them. Your word will be good enough for me." He was serious. He was willing to take her word. But perhaps that was the smart way to go. Nabiki's pride might let her, nay, *require* her, to seek out the loopholes in any legal document, but it would also mean that she would be bound by her word. And by agreeing to keep his secrets this way, instead of being compelled by a contract or complex agreement, the matter was simple. She agreed to keep his secrets. He agreed to let her use the knowledge she gained in cases of extreme need. Maybe he wasn't so dumb, after all. "All right, Kunou. You have my word that I will not reveal anything you tell me here tonight, except under the circumstances we previously outlined. Or unless you give your express permission." He nodded solemnly. "Very well. Then where would you like me to begin?" She smiled then, not a grin or the wry twist of the lips that was her trademark, but a genuine smile. "At the beginning," she said simply. "That's usually the best place." He nodded. "Very well. At the beginning." He took a deep breath and began to speak. "You must understand that I do not know everything. It may be that there is no longer anyone alive who knows even most of the mysteries of this place, but I will tell what I know. To begin with, there are unseen forces in the world. Call them magic, if you like. You've seen examples of such forces, of course. My sword, for instance. And there are places where these forces ... come together, to form a natural nexus. Such a nexus is a place of power, and to control it would be to gain great power over the forces of magic." He paused to take a drink of tea, glancing up to see if Nabiki wanted to interrupt. When she said nothing, he went on. "The estate is built on, or rather over, just such a nexus of power. For centuries, my family has been charged with defending this place against any who would seek to defile it. It is a great honour, and many have fallen in the service of our duty." "If it's such a great honour, how come you're the only one here?" Nabiki asked. She figured it couldn't hurt to cut to the heart of the matter. "A fair question, but the answer will be revealed," he told her without rancour, turning to gaze off into the shadowed corners of the room. "The forces of darkness have sought to take this place at times throughout history, and always they have been repulsed. But ..." He paused, seemingly trying to separate the threads of the story in his head, uncertain of which to begin with. "Things are not as they once were," he said finally. "There are several reasons for the black times that have fallen upon House Kunou. The first, I suppose, happened nearly thirty years ago. My father was a mere boy then." He gazed off into space, the expression on his angular face oddly wistful, as if for a past that was simpler somehow. "House Kunou did not stand alone against the darkness then," he continued after a time. "There were other families, other allies in the fight against the dark. Names like Masakazu, Kanzaki, Mikami, Mano ... and others. Wielders of magic, warriors, scholars. Together these people were the core of a secret organization that kept track of the ebb and flow of the darkness, acting to keep the populace safe from a threat most were never aware of." He stopped, and the wistful expression was gone, replaced by one harder, and sadder. "And then came one night when we lost it all. The forces of the dark had been quiescent for quite some time, but suddenly there were portents of disaster. My grandfather, I am told, summoned all those of the inner circle here on that night, all of our leaders, our strongest and most learned, to hold council." Nabiki started suddenly, something niggling in her memory. "Thirty years ago?" she asked suddenly. "Wait a minute. When I was checking your history, I remember something ... an explosion. And a fire. It was a horrible accident, flattened half the main house, a lot of important people were killed ..." She trailed off as he gave her a tight smile. "Ah," she said, understanding. He just nodded, acknowledging her sudden insight. "The events of that night could not be covered up or dismissed," he said softly. "They had to be explained. I know little of what happened. Even when he was still ... capable, my father spoke of it only once. That night there was some sort of conjunction of forces favourable to the dark. There had been no trouble for so long, so very long, that perhaps they didn't truly believe anything would happen. Nevertheless, all of the inner circle were present. If something did happen, they would of course be able to deal with it." His tea sat on the table, cold and forgotten, as he clenched his fists carefully. "I take it they weren't quite as capable as they'd believed," Nabiki said softly. This story was strange, but she was inclined to believe it. It explained a lot of what she'd found in her investigations. "You take it correctly," he said wearily. "You've seen the reports. It is so much history now. A terrible battle took place here that night. It cost my father his parents, and his sister. He was the only survivor of the Kunou family. And so many others died, so many of the inner circle upon whom everything depended so heavily. But it was no explosion, no fire, that killed those people. THEY came that night, overwhelming the estate's defences, killing and laying waste to everything in their path. And though it cost them dearly, they nearly gained their goal, being stopped only at the final barrier, at great cost to the defenders. But although they were denied their final victory, they accomplished a feat never before managed in our family's history. They crippled the forces of the light. The dark struck us a blow that night from which we never recovered." "How?" Nabiki asked. "If this inner circle was so powerful, how did it happen?" Kunou met her eyes briefly, then looked away. "Who is to say?" he asked softly. "Perhaps they were lulled into a false sense of security. Perhaps the enemy was simply stronger." His words rang false suddenly, and she had the sense that he was holding something back deliberately. She set her nearly empty cup down gently and leaned forward, staring at him until he finally met her eyes again. "Don't hold out on me, Kunou. What else?" He stared back, then sighed and shook his head ruefully. "There was, apparently, the faintest hint, just a whisper, of deeds dark and foul," he said at last, the words emerging reluctantly. "Treachery. But nothing was ever proven to that end, and the one time I braced my father on the topic, when I was young and took a great interest in these things, he struck me. The blow hurt, it knocked me down and cut my lip, but what I most remember was that I was frightened of him then. He glared down at me and told me that it was dishonourable to repeat such base rumours. I never had the urge to ask about that night again." He stared down at his hands, apparently surprised to find them clenched tightly. He carefully placed them on the table and spread his fingers, flexing the wrists idly. When he continued, his voice was low and even. "Whatever the cause, although the dark was driven back at the very last moment, our forces were in chaos, our leaders dead. My father was forced to assume the mantle of guardian of this place at a tender age. The remnants of the allied families, such as they were, advised him, but fortunately it was as though the enemy had expended their full strength. They also suffered horrible losses, and appeared unable to mount another attack. They did not come in force again, not in all the years since. Not until that day at Furinkan, and even then they were not the same enemy that bedevilled this place in years past, if I understand correctly." "And the ones tonight? The ones that chased me?" Nabiki asked. "I am inclined to believe they were survivors of the invasion from the other realm. I cannot say for certain, but at any rate, they were easily dispatched. They were no real threat." Nabiki snorted. "Well, I'm glad *you* think so, Kunou! I thought they were plenty threatening!" she snapped. "And tell me something. Where are the rest of these people who fought the darkness with your family? Some of them must have survived." He nodded slowly. "Oh, yes. Some survived the assault, not many, but a few. And others, foot soldiers in the struggle, lesser talents, were not present that night. But soon afterwards, a curious thing began to happen. People began to die." "Oh," Nabiki said. Her skin prickled with a premonitory chill. Suddenly, she understood all too well what was coming. "Accidents, death by misadventure ... a hit and run accident here, a swimmer found floating face down in a pool there. Nothing you could point to at first, but it soon became obvious that the survivors were having fatal accidents at a rate that could not be considered a mere statistical anomaly. And so the few remaining survivors went underground. The shattered remnants of our enemy could not assault our stronghold, but they no longer needed to. They could afford to bide their time, winnowing out the weak and unwary at their leisure. We no longer had the resources to hunt down the enemy, or to strike back. My father was the only one who could not disappear in such a manner, although once upon a time he would not have even considered such a course. Oddly, the enemy did not return here even while the others were running for their lives. We were left in peace for quite some time. But when they returned ..." He trailed off, something dark showing in his eyes, and suddenly he feigned a cough to hide what Nabiki was certain was a near loss of composure. "Kunou?" Nabiki asked cautiously. "You okay?" He waved her off. "Nothing," he assured her, but his voice was hoarse, thick with repressed emotion. Whatever was coming next, it was no history lesson, she knew. It was something terribly personal. "Now where was I? Oh, yes. I told you that they did not return in force after the night my grandparents died, but they did occasionally probe our defences. And there was one night in particular when they managed to wreak havoc in this very house. Can't you guess when that was?" She stared at him, confused, then a slow realization dawned on her, and a feeling of dull horror crept into her flesh and made itself right at home. "Dog attack," she whispered. He frowned. "I beg your pardon?" She shook herself mentally. "Your brother, Kazuhiro, died of severe physical trauma. Cause was listed as a dog attack." He shrugged his uninjured shoulder slightly. "I think I will not ask how you know that for the moment," he said, his fingers drumming nervously on the tabletop. "However, I see that you understand. The night my brother died, it was those foul things which killed him." Nabiki leaned forward, noting how his eyes were dark and fathomless in the low light, and she opened her mouth to speak. "We shall speak no more of that night," he said roughly, before she could say anything. "I would not even have mentioned it save it bears on what happened after, for that was the beginning of the final slide into madness and despair for this family." He stopped, breathing deeply as he fought back some private anguish, and for once Nabiki decided not to push. She fiddled with the tea, pouring more for both of them, averting her eyes while doing so and giving him a chance to regain control. "Tell me the rest, Kunou," she said softly after she was finished and his mask of control was firmly back in place. "Finish it." He nodded. "The madness began to claim us all, so slowly at first that it was barely noticeable. If you live with such every day, then you become accustomed to it, I suppose. After my mother was ... gone, my father struggled on for a while. Even with his few remaining advisors, however, he was truly alone." He stopped, looking directly into her eyes. "And eventually, he broke." He spoke with a bitterness that shocked her in it's intensity. Always before, she'd merely considered the principal to be just another eccentric Kunou, but now she was coming to understand there was more to it than that. "You've seen him. He broke utterly, abandoning his duty, his children, and his entire life without warning one day. Better he had never returned from Hawaii, I believe, than we should be forced to see him as he is now. A bad joke." Kunou's hands clenched again, and this time he didn't bother trying to control them. "But then, I should talk. Isn't that what you are thinking?" She had the good grace not to deny it, and he laughed bitterly. "That is the final indignity, Nabiki. I hated my father for abandoning us, but by that time we lived with madness as if it were an old friend. The dreams would come as they wished, and no defence could keep them out. In such an atmosphere, the mind finds ways to cope. Kodachi and I, we found different ways, but for both of us coping meant finding ways to deny reality. You have seen the results of that. Everyone has. It was not pretty, I suppose, but it did allow us to continue. Unfortunately, it also meant that much of the time the truth of our history, our duty, was forgotten. I mean literally forgotten. There would be times when I would have managed to convince myself that reality was what I wished, that I was sought by your sister and the lovely pig-tailed girl, that I was a noble champion and not a total buffoon. And whenever the truth might intrude upon my comfortable world of escape, I resented it. And I did my best to ignore it, until it would retreat into the back of my mind, safely out of the way, so that I might be untroubled by the reality of life. Had it not been for noble Sasuke, who kept in touch with the last of the known survivors of the old circle, we might have drifted beyond redemption." He stared at his fists, and she felt obligated to fill the growing silence. "Kunou ..." "I believe I hate my father all the more because I am so much like him," he said then, so softly she had to strain to hear him. "I hated him for leaving us, for not being strong, and yet I was truly my father's son, was I not? And yet, I still cannot forgive him. Had he come home for Kodachi's funeral, had he shown that he was not beyond being dragged back by such a tragedy, then perhaps I could. But to do that would be to acknowledge his failure, and so he remains lost. And at times I ..." He trailed off, looking like a lost little boy, and Nabiki leaned forward, her borrowed robe rustling softly. "Kunou?" "I still want to join him in denial," he whispered, self-loathing dripping from his words. He banged his fists on the table, causing the tea service to jump. "Some days I long for that comforting madness, oh how I long for it, and ... that shames me." He met her eyes, his gaze dark and terrible, and she felt a lump forming in her throat. "But you haven't gone back," Nabiki pointed out. "You picked up that sword when you found out those things were coming through at Furinkan. And you picked it up tonight, when I was in danger. I say that's what matters, Kunou. As long as you keep fighting, you won't be like your father." She narrowed her eyes, trying to make him believe what she was saying. He swallowed and nodded slightly. "Perhaps," he said at last. "At any rate, all the responsibilities of his office are mine now. Mine to carry alone." Alone. He made the word sound hollow, empty, like a ruined city where no human had trodden for centuries, ruled only by the barren winds. Alone. "Hey, what about that little spud, Sasuke?" Nabiki broke in. "You said he was involved in all this. Where the heck is he, anyway?" Kunou looked down into his cup, and whatever he saw there gave him no pleasure. "Sasuke has ... left my service," he said quietly. Nabiki snorted. "After all this, he quits now? I don't by that. Anyway, I thought this family ninja thing was supposed to be for life!" He looked up slowly, and her heart sank as she realized the implications of what she'd just said. "As I said, Sasuke has left my service." She sat back, a strange uncertainty overtaking her. Kunou just sat there, stoic again, and she cursed herself for not seeing this sooner. "I'm sorry, Kunou. I didn't know ... I mean, you never said anything ... how? When?" Something about the way he stared at his hands chilled her. "After my sister," he said simply. "You are the only other person who knows. He had no family left, he had ... nothing. Only his duty. Only us." The thought of Kunou bearing the knowledge of Sasuke's death alone made her angry, although she was uncertain where she should direct that anger. "I wish it known that ... he died trying to fulfill his duty to us, regardless of the risk. He was loyal to the e-end ..." He bowed his head then, and a hot tear escaped to course down his cheek. He swallowed with difficulty, swiping his sleeve across his face roughly, then forced himself to meet Nabiki's gaze again. She gazed back, careful not to let anything that he might mistake for pity show. Something that might have been gratitude showed briefly on his face, then he took a deep breath and continued. As it turned out, he only had a little farther to go. "And so now you know the story of this place. I suppose you find it quite unbelievable." She took a careful sip of her tea, then set the cup down on the table with a soft click. "That's an incredible story, Kunou, and if I hadn't been through the things I've gone through in the past month, I'd think you were nuts. But I don't see how I can draw any lines in the sand, especially after tonight. So if you're asking me if I believe you, the answer is yes." He nodded as if he'd expected no less. "Do you recall that earlier, I asked you about your destiny?" he asked her in a soft voice. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Of course. You said something about making me an insider, that there was some precedent." He nodded. "You know what you wished to know. You could simply walk away now, keeping secret what you've been told, but ..." She raised her eyebrow. "But?" "In times past, the inner circle, acting together, could decide to bring an outsider into their confidence, whether partially or fully. That happened rarely, but sometimes they would find an individual who possessed some skill or knowledge that they needed. There is no inner circle to decide now. There is only me. But I must admit, I could use you. Your talents ... there are problems, mysteries yet within this house that I cannot penetrate. You seem to have a penchant for such problem solving." A tiny smile began to play at the corners of her mouth. "Are you offering me a job, Kunou?" she asked with a tone of mixed amusement and astonishment. "After a fashion, I suppose I am. You would be kept as far away from events like this night's as possible, of course, but there is still some small element of risk. You would appear to an outsider to be merely a highly placed employee of the estate ..." Nabiki named a figure. He stopped. "I ... excuse me?" "My salary," she said simply, enjoying the was the blood drained from his face. "W-what? I ..." "If you're hiring me, then I get a salary, right?" He nodded, dumbfounded. "Well, yes, all of the inner circle drew on house accounts ..." "Exactly," she said, cocking her head and pinning him with a happy grin. "But that figure is ... outrageous!" She shook her head sadly. "Kunou, Kunou, Kunou. Whatever will I do with you? Look. You forget I've seen the house accounts. I know you can easily afford what I'm asking. And of course, you keep telling me how dangerous this all is. I have to be compensated for that element of risk. And their isn't any competition for the position, right?" He seemed to completely forget his troubles as he looked at her. His sombre demeanour was replaced with an almost exhilarating expression of outrage. Nabiki hid a grin. Now *this* was the Kunou she knew. "You ... but ... I don't ..." "And I'll need a title," she added in her most self-important tone. "Hmmm. Ah. Got it. "Nabiki Tendou, Head Troubleshooter". No, wait, that makes me sound like a shrink or something. How about, "Nabiki Tendou, CHIEF Troubleshooter? Yes, I like the sound of that. I'll need a nameplate for my desk, of course ..." "N-name ...?" "And personalized stationary ..." She peered at him out of the corner of her eye to gauge his reaction. It was gratifying, to say the least. His mouth worked silently for a few moments, a flush rising to his cheeks. "Yuh-Yuh-YOU! Are the most MADDENING! WOMAN!!" She grinned disarmingly. "Aw, you love it, Kunou-baby," she said. And the strange thing was, he clearly did. It felt almost like old times again. He crossed his arms, wincing as his shoulder reminded him to take it easy with the sudden arm movements. "Very well," he said stiffly. "I will meet your demands, outrageous as they are. We are agreed." She looked at him, innocence personified. "What? Don't you want to haggle?" He growled. "Haggling is beneath a Kunou," he informed her. "Damn! Then I should have asked for double!" She watched his face twitch again. "You are ... you ..." She waved him off. "Yes, yes," she said lightly. "Maddening, woman, and so on." She looked at him and realized that his dark mood had been chased back to its shadowed recesses. She wondered if that had been intentional on her part, then immediately dismissed the thought as ridiculous. Simply ridiculous. "I suppose I shall have to put up with your casual insolence on a much more regular basis now," he grumbled, and to her ears he seemed to be striving hard to sound put out. "I suppose you shall," she mimicked. "I don't know which of us I feel more sorry for." He snorted, but some animation had returned to his features. He straightened his back and sighed. "I do hope neither of us comes to regret this decision," he said at last. Nabiki chuckled. "Kunou, I'm a big girl. I made my decision and I'll live with it. Anyway, I'll be the investigative troubleshooter, you be the monster slayer. We'll have this whole thing back under control in no time. You'll see." He nearly laughed aloud at her presumption, and she grinned wryly. There'd been enough seriousness for one night, she figured. "There will be much for you to do," he warned. "There are piles of paperwork, files in incredible disarray, dossiers that are years out of date. You will be earning every yen of that outrageous salary you bestowed upon yourself." She stretched, yawning hugely. "My first duty will be to close the back doors that let me find out so much about your family," she informed him. "After all, I can't have somebody snooping around and making me look bad, can I?" "Absolutely not," Kunou agreed. "Snooping into things that are supposed to be secret is apparently solely your prerogative." She grinned again. "Exactly." She turned to glance out the window. "Sun'll be up soon." He nodded. The night had been long, but the comforting light of day would come again soon, as it always did. Always, even after the darkest night. She turned to regard Kunou, letting some of the humour slip away. It was hard to believe that so much could depend on him, yet she knew now without a doubt that his sister's death had changed him, brought him out of his comfortable fantasy world. He was different now, although just how different remained to be seen. Whatever the case, he now stood alone against an unknown threat. She smiled then. No, not alone. Not any longer. He had Nabiki Tendou, Chief Troubleshooter, on his side. And she would soon ensure that he knew everything there was to know about the threat he faced. And, when the time was right, she'd sound him out about accepting more help. She already had ideas about this inner circle thing. But that was for later. Right now, there were more pressing concerns. "So, Kunou-baby. How are you with breakfast?" He blinked. "Breakfast?" he asked blankly. She sighed. "Can you at least find the kitchen?" she asked, exasperated. He gave her an amused little half-grin, some of his old poise returning. "You expect Tatewaki Kunou, Guardian, heir to the Kunou fortune, to cook you breakfast?" "And people say you're slow," she yawned, hiding a grin. "Here's how I like my eggs ..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ryouga looked up as Ukyou emerged from the living area of Ucchan's into the serving area. She had a ribbon dangling from her clenched teeth as she gathered her hair back in a ponytail. She muttered a greeting around it as she worked, finally snagging the ribbon with one hand and tying her hair back. Then she slipped behind the counter and began fishing out some ingredients for breakfast. The sun shone brightly outside as the streets began to stir. It was early yet, but Ryouga was accustomed to rising with the sun. "You must be tired," he said lightly. She looked up at him. "Why's that?" "Well, you weren't back when I went to bed." She gave him a smile, and he noted something about her, an almost carefree air, that surprised him. She hadn't been that way for some time, and then it had generally been Ranma's presence that had elicited such a response from her. "Checking up on me, Ryouga?" she asked in a teasing voice. He blushed. "No!" he denied hotly. "Just ... you don't have to get up early just because I'm here. That's all." She grinned at him. "I get up early anyway, hon. I'm a morning person." He nodded absently. "So, uh, how was it last night?" he asked. She beamed at him, and he fancied he could actually feel the warmth of her smile on his skin. "Oh, it was fun!" she enthused, her gaze becoming a little unfocused. "I really had a good time, Ryouga. Nabiki was right about it being a good way to take my mind off things." "Well, good. I, uh, I didn't know you liked that sort of thing, though. You know, dancing and stuff." She shrugged, her green eyes dancing with merry light as she worked. "I've never really done it much. Never taken the time to just do something like that for the sake of doing it, you know?" He made a noncommittal noise, and she paused, then began concentrating intently on the batter she was mixing up. He stared at her profile. She seemed to be paying much more attention to the batter than it warranted, as a matter of fact. "Did you really think I looked good in that dress, Ryouga?" she asked at last. He was taken off guard by the question, as well as the shy tone with which it had been delivered. He remembered the vision of loveliness that he'd seen leaving with Nabiki the previous night, and felt blood rush to his face immediately. As long as he'd known Ukyou, he'd always considered her to be one of the guys. He'd never felt the awkwardness and discomfort around her that he felt around most girls, and after a time he'd ceased to even think about that fact. But the previous night had shown without a doubt that Ukyou was, in fact, a girl. A very pretty one. And the fact that she'd spent the night in a dance club dressed to attract attention caused Ryouga some odd disquiet he couldn't name. "Yeah, uh, I mean ... yeah. You looked really ... nice." He winced and cursed himself inwardly for sounding like an idiot, but she just smiled slightly, not looking up from her stirring. "Thanks," she said softly. "I was kinda nervous about the whole thing, you know? But once I was there, it just felt natural." "So, um, did you get asked to dance a lot?" Ryouga asked. A faint blush appeared high on her cheeks and across the bridge of her pert nose. "Some," she admitted. She stopped stirring and looked up at the ceiling, grinning a little. "A couple times," she murmured, the far away look returning to her eyes. Ryouga smiled stiffly. "Well, uh, good. Because, I mean, well, you seem happier today. More cheerful." She looked at him, mildly surprised. "Do I really?" she asked, blushing prettily again. He nodded. She did indeed. In fact, she was acting downright ... girlish. "Oh, Ryouga," she said suddenly. "Here I am going on about my night when you were stuck here alone! I'm so rude ..." "Hey, no! Don't worry about it!" Ryouga assured her hastily. "I spend a lot of time alone, remember? I can keep myself amused for a night. I'm just glad you had a good time." She grinned at him again, then turned back to mixing the batter. "Oh, I did," she assured him. "All that attention was flattering, you know? It really makes you feel special. I'll tell you something ..." He leaned forward a bit at the warm, husky tone in her voice. "What?" "I can't wait to go again." He smiled politely, not that she noticed. He was happy that she was feeling better, but as she started breakfast, humming a jaunty tune under her breath, that strange feeling of disquiet wouldn't leave him alone.. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mousse wasn't surprised to find Cologne already up and about. The old woman hardly seemed to sleep at all. He was somewhat surprised, however, to find that Shampoo was not with her. "Ah, Mousse. There you are," Cologne said, not bothering to turn in his direction. She couldn't see him, after all, so there was hardly any point. "Shampoo is on the roof." He paused, trying to process this information. "She's ... where?" "On the roof. She wants to talk to you." He frowned. "Should she be up there?" he asked cautiously. "Her injuries ..." "Do us both a favour, boy, and don't mention her injuries. They are, pardon my saying so, a sore point with her." The old woman seemed amused about something, and Mousse sighed. As usual, it seemed he would be the last person around the Nekohanten to know what was going on. "Well, are you sure she said she wanted to talk to me? Because that's the last thing she's wanted to do recently." Cologne heaved a sigh, settling herself at a newly repaired table. "I'm sure, Mousse. And before you ask me what she wants, I don't know. Why don't you just go talk to her?" He still hesitated, and she sighed again. "It never used to be this hard to get you to talk to Shampoo," she said with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He set his jaw stubbornly. "Well, things have changed, haven't they?" he asked sourly. But he still went, because frankly he was curious. Whatever Shampoo had to say to him at this juncture, he was fairly certain he wouldn't like hearing. Still, it was best to get this over with. The tension around the Nekohanten recently was beginning to seriously get on everyone's nerves. He found a ladder around the back, leaning against the wall. A telling sign, that. Under normal circumstances, Shampoo wouldn't have required anything like that to reach the roof. This was proof that she wasn't fully recovered, no matter how much she insisted otherwise. Mousse gathered himself to spring, then thought better of it. Shampoo was very proud, and might take his jumping to the roof where she could not as an insult. And while he knew he shouldn't care what she thought, he found he still did. So he stepped onto the ladder and began to climb. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shampoo heard him coming up the ladder and sighed, breathing in the still cool morning air. The sun was barely up, but it was already promising to be a marvellous day. And here she was getting ready to ruin it. Well, not necessarily, she told herself firmly. She didn't expect this discussion to go particularly well, but she'd taken her great-grandmother's words to heart, and was determined to go through with it. It was far past time to lay things out for Mousse. Whether he would accept what she had to say was something else again. She sat with her back to where he would appear, her legs dangling over the front edge of the roof, watching the early morning risers beginning to stir. Her ribs still pained her a bit, but she knew that within a few days she'd be back in fighting trim again, and ready to begin her quest in earnest. That knowledge seemed to add extra vibrancy to the colours of the newly minted day. "Shampoo?" She didn't turn. "Come, Mousse. Shampoo want to talk to you." She heard him hesitate, then come padding gently over the roof to where she sat. "" she said as he hovered indecisively behind her. With a sigh, he sat gingerly beside her. Since she'd resolved to have this talk, she was anxious to get it over with. Sensing Mousse's confusion, she jumped right in. "" "" he asked bitterly. "" She sighed. This was going to be as difficult as she'd expected. Still, there was nothing to be gained by losing her temper. At least, not yet. "" He snorted. "" She began to reassess her policy on keeping her temper, only keeping from snapping at Mousse by remembering her great-grandmother's words. She gazed out over the city that had come to be her home over the last year and when she spoke at last, her tone was low and even. "" She could feel his stare on her face as she kept looking out over the city. The light breeze ruffled her hair slightly, and she gave Mousse her best profile, hoping that would soften his resistance a little. She knew that resentment was now mixed in with his feelings for her, and she had to cut through that to make him understand. "" he said at last. She nodded. "" If she expected a response, she was disappointed. Undaunted by his silence, she pressed on. "" He snorted and she felt her temper rise up instinctively. "" he said sourly. She turned and faced him, trying to keep from lashing out at him. That was the pattern that had gotten them to this point, and as great-grandmother had pointed out, repeating that behaviour would not help anything. "" she snapped. His eyes flashed angrily, but she didn't give him a chance to interrupt. "" His expression was so shocked that, had the circumstances been different, she might have laughed. Instead, she waited for the inevitable. "" he asked plaintively, torn between anger and anguish. "" She looked at him, wishing she knew if her words were reaching him. "" He looked away from her, the rising sun flashing dully of his thick glasses. "" he said, his voice tight. "" "" She idly tucked a stray lock of purple hair behind her ear and stared intently at him, willing him to listen. "" "" he echoed hollowly. She nodded, kicking her dangling feet idly and staring out over the rooftops. "" She stood, her ribs twinging only slightly as she moved, and looked down at Mousse, who was staring out over the closely packed buildings of the neighbourhood. "" He didn't look up at her. "" was all he said. She nodded. She'd done her best. If he chose to ignore her this time, then more drastic measures would be required. She looked over her shoulder as she walked away. Somehow, she thought she'd gotten through to him. She hoped she had. She felt a tiny blossom of sympathy for the boy and crushed it immediately. Showing sympathy at this point would undo all her good work. Mousse's problems were of his own making; only he could solve them. Sighing, she swung nimbly onto the ladder and went down to help her great-grandmother set up the kitchen for when the Nekohanten reopened. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was midmorning by the time Nabiki arrived back at the dojo. Kunou had assured her that he would see to getting her official access to everything she would need in order to do her job, although he felt that would take a couple of days. He'd seemed a little ill at ease by the time she'd left, as if he was uncertain about his decision to confide in her. Well, too bad for him. It was a done deal, and soon he'd come to see how indispensable she could be. She felt a chill as she walked through the gates, a shadow of the previous night's fear, and shook it off. Ignorance hadn't protected her, but she was determined that awareness would. But she didn't want to think of that any further; the dark had been banished for the time being. Nabiki slipped into the house after making a quick detour to the dojo, smiling wryly at the silence. Once again, the threat of Akane's cooking had proven sufficient to drive everyone out for the morning. She moved as quietly as she could towards the kitchen, hearing voices as she drew closer. " ... and I say we put some in," Akane was saying. There was a metallic clatter, and Ranma's voice came in reply. "Well, grasshopper, I am the master, and I say we don't. And that's that." "Oh, really? Look, don't make me use this, tough guy." Grinning in anticipation, Nabiki reached up and triggered the hidden switch that activated her concealed camera. She was well prepared for the morning's festivities, if a bit late. She hoped she hadn't missed anything good. "A wire whisk? Exactly what do you think you could do with thaaaAAHYIKES!" Ranma's startled yelp caught Nabiki's attention, and she dearly hoped that whatever had just happened had been caught on tape. "Oooo, not talking so tough now, are we, Mastah?" Akane taunted. "Don't put that thing there!" Ranma spluttered, outraged. "What, here?" Akane taunted. "No! Well, there either ..." "Or ... here?" "Gaah! Grasshopper, never abuse the tools of your training that way!" "Never?" "At least almost never ..." "Aw, come on, Mastah. You know you waaaant it ..." "No spices, and that's final!" "Beg for it, big boy. Come on, beg like the dog your are!" "Behave yoursellllAAHHGEEZ! Look, you!" "I can do more with this thing than beat eggs, Mastah." "Gah! Okay, *one* spice!" "Three." "One! That's my final word on the matter!" "Sounds like somebody needs some ... convincing." "Hey! Don't make me come over there! I've got an egg flipper, and I'm not afraid to use it!" "Big words, chump ... HEY! Watch it!" "Oooh, you can dish it out, but you can't take it, eh, grasshopper?" "Now you're gonna get it. Stand still!" "Nyahhh!" Crashes and shrieks of laughter came from the kitchen, and Nabiki retreated to the safety of her room, her cheeks burning in spite of herself. But she was grinning madly as she went. Her little sister. Who would ever have thought that the girl that had once grimly fought her way through anxious suitors every day as a matter of course would have such a playful side? And who would have thought that Ranma, of all people, would bring it out in her? They certainly had found a creative outlet for their passions, she had to admit that. And they had happened across a pretty good scheme for getting some time alone. Nabiki supposed they were making up for lost time, and for the fact that most people still didn't know they were a couple. Still, Nabiki was sure that they wouldn't be able to keep a lid on that much longer. Keeping their idiot fathers in the dark was one thing, but they hadn't fought at school for weeks now, and people were beginning to notice. Well, the whole thing should prove entertaining, at the very least. She stripped off her outfit, pulling out some more sedate clothes to wear. Then she flopped back on her bed with a heartfelt sigh. She needed this after the night she'd had. Stubbornly, her thoughts returned to her heart stopping flight through the dark streets. Parts of it seemed unreal now, but she knew it had been all too real. She'd been chased by those things, and if they'd been a little more determined, or if she'd fallen just once, she was certain she would not be here now. Somehow that fact should have felt more significant, but she just couldn't grasp it. She sat up and fished in her purse, removing the tape she'd retrieved from the hidden recorder in the dojo. That machine was voice activated, so she knew she would have gotten any conversation that Ranma and Akane had shared there the previous night. She fitted the tape into her machine and settled the headphones over her ears, lying back on the bed. Eavesdropping was something of a guilty pleasure with her. She knew the others would be angry if they found out, but really ... she just hated to miss anything. She listened to the tape idly, hearing nothing really juicy, just a bunch of talk about training. Then they stopped. Apparently, Akane was having trouble concentrating. Then she revealed why, and Nabiki's internal radar sprang into action. Akane revealed the rumours about Nabiki and Ukyou to Ranma. He hadn't known, and some discussion of the matter followed. Then Ranma suggested just asking Nabiki point blank. "No way! I can't do that!" Akane's voice came, slightly tinny in the earphones. "We need to find another way to discover if Nabiki might really like girls." "Okay, like what?" Ranma's girl voice responded. "Well," Akane said at last, "I do have one idea. Kinda. But I'll need your help ..." Nabiki listened to Akane's half-baked plan as it was revealed. She was torn between exasperation and amusement. The plan was completely stupid, and she was sure that only the fact that Akane was asking very, *very* nicely had convinced Ranma to go along. But he had agreed to go along. An evil grin crept stealthily to Nabiki's lips. Oh, this was just too good an opportunity to pass up. Really, they were just asking for it. Nobody could blame her for taking advantage of this chance, could they? This was going to be fun. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ucchan's had filled nicely as lunchtime approached, and Ukyou hummed under her breath as she kept up with the orders. The lunch rush was nearly over now, and keeping up with things was much easier now that she had Ryouga taking orders for her. He was doing quite a good job, too. She watched him working, scribbling orders on a pad before making his way back to the counter, and grinned. Whatever doubts she'd had about letting Ryouga stay with her were more than assuaged by the enthusiasm with which he seemed to be taking to his new job. She took two orders from him, shaking her head as he went to wipe down a newly vacated table. Having something to concentrate on seemed to have lightened his mood a bit, and her regular customers had taken to him readily. And why not, she asked herself. Ryouga could be sort of charming, in a guileless way, when he set his mind to it. She turned back to the grill, using a spatula to slide a just finished okonomiyaki onto a waiting plate, then placing the order on the end of the counter. "Order up!" she called, and Ryouga came to fetch it. Business was brisk, the weather was lovely, and she was still nursing the unfamiliar pleasure of her outing the previous night. This was a state of mind she could get used to. She turned as someone walked up to the counter, a delighted smile spreading across her face as she took in the glasses and white robes. "Mousse! Hey, how are you? Sit, sit!" He gave her a small, shy smile and eased himself onto a stool at the counter. Watching him, she felt a warning bell go off in her head. Something was on Mousse's mind, that much was plain. Before she could say anything, however, Ryouga marched up to the counter. "Here's the next ord ..." He broke off as he realized Mousse was sitting at the counter. Mousse turned at the sound of Ryouga's voice, and the two boys glared at each other, instant tension arcing between them. This, Ukyou thought in exasperation, just will not do. She leaned over the counter so she was between the two of them and clapped her hands sharply. "Boys!" she snapped. "If I could have your attention!" Both turned to her, startled by her manner. "Thank you. Now. I don't think I've ever seen two guys that have no reason to fight look harder for one than you two. As to your most recent encounter ..." She turned to Mousse. "Mousse, Ryouga had just returned to town and didn't know about what happened between you and Shampoo. And Ryouga ..." she continued, turning to him in turn. "Mousse jumped to conclusions because he was upset. He didn't mean anything by it. So here it is. There's been enough of pain and misunderstandings lately. I want you two to shake hands and make up, because I like having you both around and I don't want to have to use this." With that, she caressed her big spatula menacingly. "Whaddaya say, boys? Truce?" They both looked at her, startled, then at each other. She saw that they were both wary and uncomfortable, but her brief lecture seemed to have made an impression. "Well ..." Ryouga grumbled. "I suppose ..." Mousse returned. Ukyou sighed. "Restrain your enthusiasm, guys. Now shake." Slowly, hands moving in tiny increments, they finally managed to meet somewhere in the middle for a brief clasping of hands. Before they could release, however, Ukyou dropped her hand on top of theirs and grinned. "There! Now let's put all this foolishness behind us, okay?" They both looked at her glumly and nodded. She released their hands and pulled back over the counter. "That's more like it," she told the tongue-tied twosome with a smile. "I want only harmony in my restaurant from now on. Hey Ryouga, you've got a customer." Ryouga blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, uh ... okay." He scurried away and Ukyou turned her determined grin on Mousse, who seemed to shrink slightly under the force of her cheer. "So, Mousse. Hungry?" He opened his mouth, closed it. "Ah, no, I ... I just came by to ... but you're busy. I should go." She reached out and snagged his sleeve before he could get up, tugging gently. "Hey, you." She lowered her voice, speaking gently. "Stay, okay? I want to talk to you." He looked torn, and she grinned again. "Come on, we haven't had a chance to talk for a while. I'll make you some lunch. I can cook and talk at the same time, y'know." He sighed at last and settled back on his stool. "All right. Thank you." "Ah, don't mention it." She began assembling a deluxe okonomiyaki for Mousse and put it on the grill next to the order Ryouga had just brought. "So, Mousse, when are you guys finally going to get the Nekohanten opened again?" she asked, trying to draw him out. She put a glass of water in front of him and he nodded his thanks. "Next week, we hope," he sighed. "Even then, it's hard to say how things will go." She nodded sympathetically. "So, how have things been going otherwise? With Shampoo and all, I mean." The look on his face told her all she needed to know on that front. "Well, she talked to me today," he said, carefully tearing a strip off his paper napkin. "Really? About what?" "Oh, things," he said vaguely. She checked the grill quickly. "Come on, Mousse. What's going on?" He slid his glasses up on top of his head and started fidgeting with the hem of his robe nervously. "Let me ask you something," he said suddenly. "Do you think I deserved to be abused by Shampoo?" She blinked. "What? Of course I don't, sugar! Why would you ask that?" He sighed. "She wanted to make sure I knew she didn't love me," he said dispiritedly. "I mean, I always used to think that one day ... but lately, things have changed. After our fight, I was pretty sure she would hate me, but then, when she was released from having to marry me, I thought ... I *hoped* ... that maybe there was still a chance. Deep down, I guess I knew it wasn't going to happen, though." "I'm sorry, Mousse," Ukyou said sympathetically. He looked down at his hands, which were busily tearing apart the napkin again into slim, even strips. "The thing that really got me, though, was when she said that ... that we could have been friends, but she was always afraid to be nice to me because I'd think that meant she loved me. I mean, is that true? Could that really be true?" He looked up at her, raw anguish and confusion in his dark eyes, and Ukyou felt an overwhelming need to offer him some comfort, however small. "Look, Mousse. I could easily give you a run for your money in the category of falling in love with a person who doesn't return the favour. And I'm not sure that it would be any easier for you if Shampoo had been nice to you all this time, just to dump you in the end. Believe me. But what's done is done. Your feelings were real, right?" He nodded dumbly, and she smiled, leaning close. "And all you wanted to do was show Shampoo you really cared, right?" He nodded again. She sighed, chewing lightly on her thumb for a moment. "Look, this is how I see it. You were in love with someone. So you set out to let her know how you felt. And when she acted like she didn't care, well, you thought maybe you just weren't showing her enough attention, or weren't saying the right things. You would have felt like a fool or a loser if you gave up, only to discover later that she wanted to see how devoted you were, right? All you really needed to do was show her how deep your love was, and eventually you were sure that he would come to see that you cared the most, that you really, really cared ..." "He?" Mousse asked. She blinked. "Uh, I meant she," Ukyou said, feeling slight blush rise to her cheeks. Mousse gave her a crooked grin. "Right," he said, and for a moment she felt a powerful bond between them. "Anyway," she sighed, "you did what you thought was right. You know, sometimes pursuing someone that way works. Sometimes it doesn't. I don't think Shampoo understands that you were only trying to be worthy of her. People in love do strange things, Mousse, we all know that from experience. Hell, she chased Ranma at least as hard as you chased her, if not for as long, so I think she could show at least a little understanding." "Maybe," Mousse sighed morosely. "But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if maybe she's right. Maybe all I really accomplished was to push her away from me." "Mousse, you chased your dream. How would you feel if you hadn't had the courage to at least try?" Ukyou asked in a low, insistent voice. "And if you made a mistake, well, welcome to the club. Nerima is full of members of that particular club, let me tell you. She's not the only woman in the world, Mousse. If you're absolutely sure that she won't change her mind, then ... then feel bad. Cry, if you want. Brood over what might have been. And then ..." She straightened up, retrieving Mousse's food from the grill, slipping it onto a plate with a practised motion. "Then?" he asked, sounding curious in spite of himself. "Then, move on." She set the plate in front of him, moving to place the other order at the end of the counter for Ryouga to pick up. "Just like that," Mousse said sourly. Ukyou came back over to stand in front of him. "No, not "just like that", Mousse. It takes time, but it can be done. I know what you're going through, remember?" He looked a little chastened at that, and she smiled. "I guess. I just didn't like the way my talk with Shampoo went. She got to do all the talking, and I just got to react to it." "Well, then, next time you do the talking," she suggested. "That's only fair, even though it won't change her mind. Now let's not talk about Shampoo any more, okay?" He managed a small smile. "Deal." "Good. Now eat your lunch." He dug in dutifully, and soon had eaten almost the whole thing despite his claim of not being hungry. The restaurant had cleared out quite a bit, and Ukyou soon had more time to talk to him. "How'd you get Ryouga to wait tables for you, anyway?" he asked as she returned. She grinned. "In return for room and board," she told an astonished Mousse. "What? He's ... living here?" She shrugged. "It's a long story. He's trying to stay away from the dojo and Akane, you know? But it's working out well for both of us." Mousse looked over to where Ryouga was standing. "Better for him, maybe. I think Akane's probably the last thing on his mind now," he said. Ukyou followed his gaze, puzzled, to see Ryouga leaning on a table talking to a very pretty blonde. And, in Ukyou's estimation, he seemed to be enjoying himself far too much to just be taking her order. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ryouga concentrated on clearing the last couple of tables, trying not to look at where Mousse and Ukyou were talking. His irritation with Mousse had been allowed to fester since their first scrap, and their second hadn't improved his grudge towards the other boy at all ... not to mention the fact that he hadn't gotten a chance to finish the job either time. Still, he was a guest here, so he supposed he shouldn't complain. He caught sight of Ukyou and Mousse talking as he worked, and frowned. They were awfully close, and whatever they were talking about was certainly weightier than the menu. He felt that odd feeling of disquiet again, stirring in his gut. Since when had those two become so close, anyway? Of course, that was the sort of thing you missed, he told himself, when you wandered off all the time. He glanced over again, wondering what they could be talking about. Then someone came in and sat at one of the tables near the door, and he hurried over, glad for the distraction. He snagged a menu on the way and tucked it under his arm as he made his way to the table. "Hi, can I take your order?" he asked politely. Deep sky blue eyes met his, and he felt a tiny shock of recognition. For a second, he couldn't quite place her, then remembered. She was the girl who'd asked him for directions to the Kunou place when he'd first gotten back to the city. She had changed from her nondescript clothing, though, and was dressed in a loose blouse, open in the front and tied under her breasts, showing a tight black top underneath. What he could see of her skirt indicated that it was tight and fairly short. She cocked her head, flipping her long blonde braid back over her shoulder, and smiled up at him. Ryouga instantly felt his cognitive centres beginning to overheat. "Well, we meet again," she said breezily. "I suppose you'd like me to tell you we're not in an okonomiyaki restaurant?" He blinked, then remembered their first conversation, and laughed self-consciously. "Oh, ah, no, nothing like that," he said somewhat giddily, cursing how stupid he sounded. "I'm sorry about all that. I mean, before. I just have a bad sense of direction, and so I couldn't ... not that I didn't want to, but I just ... you see ... um, menu?" He held the menu out, feeling the heat in his face. She glanced at it casually. "Yes, it is," she acknowledged. He felt even more foolish and tongue-tied, and laughed to try to cover his nervousness. She smiled back, only increasing his agitation. "What do you recommend?" she asked, holding his gaze boldly. A cold shower, he thought woozily. "Um, well ... the okonomiyaki's very good," he said at last with a weak grin. She stared at him for a moment, then began laughing out loud. Ryouga joined in after a second. "Maybe I should check this out after all," she said, her eyes dancing with amusement as she took the menu from Ryouga's hand, lightly brushing his fingers as she did so. He had to stifle a gasp at the slight, charged contact, and felt a hell of a nosebleed coming on. She surveyed the menu while he stood uncertainly nearby. Her bold manner was really getting to him, and he swallowed hard, feeling clumsy and stupid. Finally, she looked up. "Well, how about one deluxe okonomiyaki and a Coke?" she asked. He just stared at her for a second, then realized he should write her order down. She stared at him as he did so, a wry smile on her lips. "Listen," she said as he finished. "You said you'd been to the Kunou family estate, right?" He fiddled with his order pad, meeting her disconcertingly direct gaze. "Uh, yeah. I mean yes." "So you know the Kunous, then?" He shrugged. "Well, yeah, you could say that. Although I guess only Tatewaki lives there now that his sister's dead." Something flashed through her eyes at that. "Dead? Really? Was this recent?" He nodded. "Yeah, pretty recent." He leaned on the table as she chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. "What happened?" she asked casually. He blinked. He had no idea what the official story was, and he knew that this girl would never believe the truth even if he'd been dumb enough to tell her. "Uh, I'm not sure of the details," he lied. "Anyway, there's just Kunou and the servants there now, I guess." "Servants. One of them wouldn't happen to be named Sasuke, would he?" "Yeah. He's kind of the family ninja. Short guy, sort of incompetent if you ask me. Why, do you know him?" She shook her head. "Oh, no. Just an old friend of the family, sort of. I'm supposed to look him up while I'm in town if I get a chance, that's all. I don't suppose you know where he hangs out?" Ryouga frowned. "Well, at the estate, I guess. I don't think he gets out much. He sticks pretty close to the Kunous ... well, I guess to just one Kunou now. Haven't you found the estate yet?" She smiled brightly, and made Ryouga want to smile back. "Oh, no, but don't worry. I've got time. I just thought I'd ask." He stood there for a few seconds until she cleared her throat. "Are you thinking of taking my order to the chef anytime soon?" she asked innocently, and he realized that he still had her order in his hand. "Oh! Yeah! Um, sorry!" he grinned apologetically, backing away. She waved with her fingers as he turned, nearly tripping, and made his way over to the counter. He stopped as he realized that Ukyou and Mousse were both watching him. "Friend of yours, Ryouga?" Ukyou asked archly. "Uh, no, not really," he blurted, feeling for some odd reason as if he'd been caught doing something wrong. "I mean, we've met before is all." She looked surprised. "Really? You two seemed pretty friendly." She held her hand out, and he looked at it for a moment before remembering that she wanted the order he'd written. Grinning abashedly, he tore off the sheet and gave it to her. "She sure is a flashy dresser," Ukyou remarked with studied casualness as she began assembling the ingredients for the girl's order. "Uh-huh," Mousse and Ryouga said together. Surprised, they stared at each other, then looked around to see Ukyou glaring at them. "Well, if you're finished ogling her, you can clean table three, Ryouga," she said shortly. Flushing, he hurried to comply. But every time he looked up, the blonde seemed to be looking at him. And smiling. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "You know, Saotome, you've been awfully quiet." "Nice weather, eh, Tendou?" "All I asked was how things went with your wife last night ..." "Getting rather warm, too. Summer's heat will be upon us soon." The large man nodded as if this observation had been particularly profound, and Soun sighed. His old friend was not making this easy. "Look, Saotome. How are we ever going to get our children married if you can't even reconcile with your own wife?" Genma leaned back in the shade of the tree, ignoring the shogi board for a moment. "Oh, don't you worry about that, Tendou," he said expansively. "She's just being difficult. You know how women are." Soun sighed heavily. "Unfortunately, living in a house full of them has given me some insight into their moods," he acknowledged. "Still, she has seemed ... rather cold recently." Genma nodded glumly. "It seems," he rumbled, cleaning his glasses on his gi, "that she's been talking to someone or other about the things that went on when Ranma and I were on our training trip." "Ha! Is that all?" Soun asked. "She already knows that you got your only son cursed to turn into a girl! What could be worse than that?" Genma waved one large hand dismissively. "She's a sensitive woman, Tendou. She doesn't understand the sorts of compromises we came to accept as necessary under the master's tutelage." They both paused, as if expecting their demented master to leap out of the bushes as soon as he was mentioned, but thankfully no such thing happened. "Well, that's all history, right?" Soun asked heartily. "Exactly!" Genma growled. "But now she's furious about something that happened ten years ago! I mean, it's not even my fault! Ranma *said* he preferred okonomiyaki to Ukyou!" Soun froze. "She ... ah, found out about the okonomiyaki cart?" he asked. Genma sighed and nodded. Soun crossed his arms, an expression of commiseration on his gaunt features. "Saotome, you'll always have a place to stay as long as I live," he said magnanimously. If Nodoka had found out about that incident, of course, Soun knew his friend might just have to take him up on that offer. "How long before you figure it's safe to go back?" Genma asked at last. Soun thought. "Another hour or so, just to make sure all the noxious vapours have cleared the area. Poor Ranma." They nodded in unison. "I brought him up right, though," Genma asserted. "Sacrificing himself so that we could escape. Oh, how he must be suffering! It warms a father's heart!" "Indeed! Saotome, our children must be bonding over a terrible ordeal such as this, it's just human nature. Look at it this way, perhaps this will bring them close together. Marriage would only be a short step from that point!" They laughed together, gleeful at the thought of finally getting their stubborn offspring married. Finally, Genma leaned forward, hands on his crossed legs. "An hour, eh? Well, in the meantime ... hey. Where are all my pieces?" "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Tendou ..." "Looks like I win," Soun said with a grin. "Play again?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reiko stretched her arms over her head, fingers interlaced and palms facing outwards. She didn't need to look to see that the guys at the counter were watching appreciatively, or that the female chef was glaring again. Like she cared. It was no crime to show off what you had, after all. The okonomiyaki had been excellent. That she had to admit. Stopping in here had been a good idea after all. Of course, besides the food she'd gotten to tease that hunky waiter with the bandanna. He was kind of cute, and shy besides. And luck was with her for once, because he was familiar with the Kunou estate. She now knew that this Sasuke was indeed still a servant there. He was the one she was supposed to contact, after all. Still, she wasn't certain how to go about finding him without attracting the wrong kind of attention. She cast her mind back to the night before. Whatever else that place was, it seemed to be the focus of all sorts of trouble, and she didn't need to get involved in anything like that. Once she had what she'd come for, she could leave this sort of nonsense behind her for good. And if that meant taking a little extra time to make sure she stayed uninvolved, well that was time well spent. She grinned to herself as her waiter ventured back over to the table. Now this one was fun to play with. He was already blushing slightly as he fished the bill out of one of the pouches of his apron-like belt. "Here you go," he said, handing her the folded bill. She took it, being sure to let her fingers brush his gently as she did so. His face turned beet red, and she stifled a laugh. Just like she'd thought. She fished out enough money to pay the bill, then scribbled something on it before handing his copy back. She stood, giving the waiter a wink. He scratched the back of his head nervously and tittered, and she could feel the eyes of the two guys and the chef on her as she went to the door. Then she stopped and turned around, catching the waiter's eye. "Hey, handsome," she called. "What's your name, anyway?" He pointed at himself, looking dumbfounded, and she laughed. "Yes, you," she teased. He cleared his throat. "Ah, R-Ryouga," he stuttered. She touched the first two fingers of her right hand to her lips and blew him a kiss. "See you around, Ryouga," she said sweetly. Then she was out the door, striding through the warm spring sunshine and glorying in the appreciative looks she was getting from the locals. Well, she thought as she went, that was diverting. But there's still the problem of how to get in touch with this Sasuke. Just why the old man had specified this servant over anybody else, she didn't know. But she needed to talk to him, so talk to him she would. Tomorrow would be soon enough, though. She was starting to feel hemmed in, and she'd hardly taken any time to check out the city. Tonight might be a good night to cut loose a little. Yes. That might be just the thing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ryouga carried the money back to the counter so Ukyou could put it in the register. He knew he was still blushing, but he couldn't help it. Her flirting had been so ... bold. Absently, he handed the cash to Ukyou. As he went to give her the store's copy of the bill, he realized that something was written on it. A name. Reiko. And a little heart. And ... "Is that a phone number?" Mousse asked incredulously, peering over his shoulder. Ryouga felt his blood pressure skyrocket. He could feel the hot pulsing of blood in his cheeks, barely noticing as Ukyou snatched the paper away from him. She looked at the bill, her lips compressed in a thin line, and stuffed it into the cash drawer with a short, sharp motion. "She really thinks she's something," Ukyou grumbled, staring daggers out the door where the girl had disappeared. "What kind of girl is she, anyway? I mean, guys don't really go for that sort of outrageous girl, do they?" The disapproval in her voice was plain, and Ryouga blinked. "No way," he blurted. "Absolutely not," Mousse affirmed simultaneously. She glared at both of them for a moment, then reached under the counter and held out a paper napkin to Ryouga. He stared blankly. "What's that for?" he asked. She just gave him a dispassionate stare. "Nosebleed," she said shortly. He grimaced as he felt the telltale tickle on his upper lip. Ruefully, he took the offered napkin and staunched the trickle of blood as Ukyou turned back to the grill. Mousse snickered at his embarrassment, and Ryouga went to clean one of the tables before he gave in to the urge to punch the guy out. "Men," he heard Ukyou mutter disgustedly under her breath as she cleaned the grill. Ryouga sighed. Well, it wasn't his fault that a pretty girl could get him flustered so easily. What the heck was she so upset about anyway? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ She padded softly down the hallway, her bare feet making no sound as she moved across the floor. She was very accustomed to this body, and could move with uncanny grace, a fact which had served her well many times in the past. She came to where one hallway split off and eased up to the corner, sneaking a quick peek. The hall down which her quarry awaited was deserted. She tensed slightly, preparing to slip around like a wraith and ... "Yes, Tisa, she's still in there," a low, husky voice came from behind her. She jumped involuntarily, cursing herself for being caught unawares, and turned to see Callie regarding her with a knowing smirk. The tall Baenma sighed, running one bronzed hand through her honey streaked dark gold hair. "I was just ..." "You were just going to disobey our Lady's direct order, weren't you, Tisa?" "Jubei," she said firmly. Lilla padded up behind Callie, her glossy black bob dishevelled as if she had just gotten out of bed. She tucked a lock behind one long, tapered ear and fixed Tisa with a mocking stare. "Oh, come now, Tisa. You know we won't use that stupid human's name," she said in her usual, teasing tone. "Yes, even though you hardly ever come out of that body anymore," Callie chided, the slit pupils of her strange amber eyes wide dark pools in the dimly lit hall. "That's because she has to serve our Lady, staying close to her at all times," Lilla said with mock seriousness, slowly swaying up behind Callie. She leaned against the taller girl from behind, wrapping her arms slowly around Callie's narrow waist and leaning her cheek against one bare, bronzed shoulder. "And of course that means mastering that body to establish a presence and avoid any suspicion from the humans," Callie added, the mischievous light dancing in her eyes belying her grave tone. "Yes, I'm certain that the fact our Lady once remarked upon *Jubei's* comeliness has nothing whatsoever to do with it." "Nothing," Callie agreed. Tisa just stood and let them go. She'd heard this enough times that she could have recited the entire dialogue herself. Lilla pouted and ran her hands up the front of Callie's sleeveless shift, letting her fingers rest easily over the taller woman's shoulders. Callie smiled gently and let her hand stray to stroke Lilla's dishevelled hair as the pair gazed with naked challenge at their comrade. Tisa had to admit they were a striking pair, Callie with her dark bronze skin and masses of hair falling to her waist in soft waves, and the more petite Lilla with the pale skin, glossy, shoulder length bob dark as a raven's wing and mocking blue-green eyes. Both shared the features common to the Baenma: long, tapered ears, fangs and retractable claws, as well as the slit-pupilled eyes. They also possessed unearthly beauty and the ability to possess the bodies of others, abilities that made their type prized amongst the lords of the demon realms, even though they were only considered of the Lesser Courts, not the Upper. "Well, I won't be able to check on her with you two hanging about," Tisa sighed. "In my capacity as her bodyguard," she added sternly as the lovely pair regarded her coolly. "She doesn't need guarding from our resident mongrel," Callie said lightly, her eyes fixed on Tisa. "She's the only one we can be certain he would never harm." "Last night, when he came in here covered in blood, I thought he'd finally come to kill us all," Lilla added breathlessly, tightening her grip on Callie. The taller Baenma reached up to stroke Lilla's hand in an absent gesture of comfort. "His rages are something to behold, as we all recall," Callie acknowledged, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Come, Tisa. You know our Lady would be cross if you interrupted her. I'm only thinking of you." Tisa scowled, not wanting to hear this. "No good can come of her consorting with that ... half-breed!" she spat. Callie cocked her head. "Tisa, she plays with you," she said, all sign of playfulness gone from her eyes now. "You know how she is. She uses your devotion for her own purposes." "I'll not hear you speak against her!" There was silence for a moment as Callie and Tisa glared at each other, eyes human and inhuman locked in a struggle of wills. "Don't be a fool. She will never love you, Tisa. You are below her station. She uses the mongrel boy as her sword, and she uses you as her shield. Only our Lord could ever bring her to heel. That is why she rules in his absence. Your devotion is wasted on her, darling." Tisa swallowed bitter rage but said nothing. Because there was nothing to say. Because, night after night, she'd told herself exactly the same thing. "Tisa," Lilla whispered huskily, rubbing her cheek against Callie's arm, her eyes half-closed in pleasure. "Leave that body for a while. Come play with us again. All of us, like we used to." Once, Tisa wouldn't have needed any urging, but now that path felt strangely empty. "Play," she said sourly. "All you ever want to do is play." Lilla smiled, her ruby lips curling up lazily. "Of course," she purred. "That was why we came here, remember? When we rule this place again, like our kind did long ago, we will have whatever pleasures we desire. Sweet pets to play with, and so much blood that we can bathe in it, drinking until we are sated for long, endless days. So it was promised ..." She broke off, pouting again. "A long time since, those promises. Until then, we make do. As you used to, Tisa." "Things will change when our Lord is returned to us," Callie said simply. "Those promises will be kept. We have faith, Tisa." "Oh, Tisa, our Lord will be most put out if you insist on wearing that body when he returns," Lilla breathed. "You know he chose all us of his inner circle for our beauty as well as our power. He will not tolerate you hiding your lovely self in such a plain mortal." "When our Lord returns, he may command me," Tisa said stiffly. "Until then, our Lady commands, and my appearance seems to please her." Lilla sighed and stuck out her tongue, while Callie simply nodded. "Then come with us now, Tisa. Our Lady shall summon us if she has need. The day is long, and it will pass more ... pleasantly in company. You can demonstrate your mastery of that body you insist on wearing." "Tisaaaa ..." Lilla crooned enticingly. "Jubei," Tisa said firmly, shaking her head. The others stared at her for long moments, then Callie finally sighed. "So be it. You know where we'll be if you change your mind. But if you're smart, you won't go down to his room unless summoned. She really will be angry if you do." Reluctantly, Lilla followed Callie away, glancing back once or twice. Tisa stood, impassive, and watched them go. After they were gone she turned back to look down the hall that lead to where her Lady was closeted with that punk, Keisuke. Why she needed him when Tisa stood ready to serve was beyond her. Riana *had* once commented on this body's physical charms, true, but it was just foolishness for Callie to imply that was why Tisa stayed in it so much of the time. Foolishness. Crossing her arms across her broad chest, she headed back to her own rooms to wait for a summons from her Lady. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nabiki sighed. She'd spent too much of this beautiful spring afternoon thinking about strange and disturbing things. That was to be expected, of course, considering just what she'd gotten herself into. There would likely be more days like this before she was through. However, Nabiki was nothing if not confident of her abilities. Kunou was stuck with the status quo, such as it was. He didn't seem to have any plan beyond waiting for the enemy to come to him and then, if he was lucky, dying bravely. But at least he'd been smart enough to bring her on board. She'd find the knots in the twisted skeins of the affairs of House Kunou, and she'd find where they led. Order could be wrested from chaos, sense made of nonsense, light shined in the dark corners where vermin scuttled. They'd chased her. They'd frightened her. They'd soiled the memory of her mother. And they'd laughed all the while, for what did creatures of darkness have to fear from Nabiki Tendou? What, indeed? She smiled then, and had anyone seen her, they'd have been stricken dumb by her expression. Her smile was thin and hard, and her eyes shone with a deep resolve. There was no place in her world for Kunou's dirty little monsters. They just had to go. And go they would. Her smile faded slowly, and she sighed again, stretching slowly and listening with satisfaction as her neck popped loudly. All she had to do was find out everything there was to know about the problem, and she'd be able to find a solution. She was sure of that. And finding out everything meant not depending exclusively on Kunou. He'd held some things back; that she didn't doubt one little bit. Still, she had an idea of who to talk to about the family history. She'd know better what questions to ask this time, and she'd know to pay attention to the answers. But that was for another time. Right now, she needed a strong dose of normalcy. She got up and walked to the door, stopping as a thought struck her. "When did I start considering life around this house normal?" she asked aloud, amused at the thought. Shaking her head ruefully, she headed downstairs. She'd almost reached the bottom when a wonderful smell reached her. It was warm and intimate, a smell that spoke loudly of a cluttered kitchen and licking batter off of mixing spoons. Someone was baking. She followed the scent like a hunter tracking her prey. Ranma and Akane had adjourned earlier to the back yard to enjoy the fruits of their labours. Nabiki seriously doubted that they enjoyed the fruits as much as they'd enjoyed the labours, but that was another story. They'd eaten everything, so it must have at least been edible, and then they'd disappeared for a walk. No, not even Ranma's inspired lessons could coax this smell out of a kitchen that contained her little sister. Kasumi was home. She entered the kitchen to find Kasumi humming under her breath, wearing an apron and oven mitts and looking every inch the domestic goddess. She opened the oven as Nabiki watched, fishing out a pan and turning to set it on the cooling rack. She smiled beatifically as she caught sight of Nabiki. "Oh. I didn't realize you were home," she said. Nabiki shrugged. "I didn't know you were home either." She peered at the pan, her eyes widening as she recognized the contents. "Hey, are those ...?" "My special brownies?" Kasumi asked innocently. "The ones with chocolate icing and nuts?" "Really?" "Yes. And so are these." She bent down and fished out a second pan, setting it gently next to the first, the warm scent of chocolate making Nabiki's knees weak. "Oh, man," she breathed. Then she blinked. "Wait a minute ..." she said slowly, realization dawning. "Hey, something smells good," Akane said, striding into the kitchen. "Wow! Brownies!" Kasumi smiled at Akane. "Yes," she said cheerfully. Akane made a bee-line for the far counter, snagging the empty mixing bowl and hugging it tightly to her chest with one arm. She stuck her index finger into the bowl, scooping a large glob of chocolate batter off the side and popping it into her mouth. Her eyes closed languorously and she let out a sigh of ecstasy. "Mmmmmmmmm," she pointed out. Nabiki shook her head at the sight. "Were you thinking of leaving any of that for me, Akane?" she asked dryly. Akane clutched at the bowl possessively. "Rou c'n lick da shpoon," she muttered. Nabiki winked. "Not necessary, sis. After all, these are my brownies." Akane blinked. "Wraht? Wry yers?" she mumbled in outrage. "For services rendered," she said smugly, turning to Kasumi. "So it worked?" Kasumi's smile, already large, spread even further until it seemed her cheeks would burst. "Just like you planned," she sighed, stripping off her over mitts and gazing at them as if they were made of solid gold. Akane looked from one sister to the other, confusion plain on her face. "Hah!" Nabiki crowed. "I knew it would work, Kasumi. So he asked you?" She blushed prettily, crimson spreading from her cheeks across the bridge of her nose, and she gently set the mitts on the counter, concentrating on that simple task a good deal more fervently than actually seemed necessary. "Well, actually ..." "Hey, what's going on?" Akane demanded, her gaze bouncing between the two. "Well, actually?" Nabiki prompted. "Um, guys ...?" "I asked him." Kasumi stood, hands clasped tightly together in front of her apron, elbows turned outward, the very portrait of prim and sweet. Then she smiled again, the colour high in her cheeks, her eyes seeming to shimmer with an inner light as she peered up shyly at her sisters. Akane's jaw dropped. "Oh! Oh! That smile! I know that smile!" she blurted. Nabiki grinned wryly. "You ought to. You've worn one just like it lately." Akane ignored her, staring intently at Kasumi's face. "That can only mean ... asked him? Doctor Tofu? Kasumi, you asked Doctor Tofu on a ... DATE?!" Kasumi flushed with pleasure at Akane's enthusiastic response. "Well, yes, I suppose I did ..." Kasumi began timidly. Akane bounded over, quivering with anticipation. "Well it's about time! But how did ... wait, wait. Start at the beginning." Akane scooped up another glob of left-over batter as Nabiki watched, amused. "Well, I was following Nabiki's plan ..." "What? *Nabiki's* plan?" "That's right," Nabiki said as modestly as she could, which frankly was not very. "Apparently I'm something of a genius." She studied her fingernails casually as Akane glanced back and forth between them, looking both delighted and befuddled. "Nabiki suggested I try to talk to Doctor Tofu while he was treating me, so he'd be forced to keep his ... impulses ... under control." "But as I envisioned things, he'd finally have the chance to ask *you* out," Nabiki pointed out. Kasumi fidgeted. "It didn't seem that he was going to manage to do it, so I helped things along," she admitted sheepishly. Akane shook her head in admiration. "Wow, you really just asked him? I never knew you had it in you, Kasumi!" "Ah, Akane, don't underestimate our big sister," Nabiki scolded. "Just because she never had much time for dalliances when she was in high school, don't think there weren't plenty of guys who didn't chase after her." "Not plenty," Kasumi said modestly. "Dalliances?" Akane asked. "Sorry. Been hanging around Kunou too much," Nabiki apologized. Just then Ranma wandered in, his face lighting up as he spied the brownies. "All right!" he exclaimed. "They're mine, Saotome," Nabiki informed him before he could get near the cooling treats. "But you might convince me to part with one ... for the right price." She let her voice trail off casually, and he grimaced. "Sorry," he said sourly, "I still need both my kidneys." Then noticed the way they were standing close together, and smiling. "Uh, what's going on?" he asked tentatively. "Girl talk," Akane said primly. He winced. "Yikes. I'm outta here." "Smart man," Nabiki grinned. Ranma snagged the mixing bowl out of Akane's arms deftly and dashed out. "Thanks!" he called to his startled fianc‚. She gaped, staring at her empty hands. "Wh-what the ... Ranma!" She started after him, then realized that she would miss hearing about Kasumi's encounter with Doctor Tofu. She stared longingly out the door. "Ranma, you're a dead man!" she shouted. Kasumi reached around her back and fished another bowl off the counter. "Icing," she informed a delighted Akane, who immediately took possession of the bowl. "I love you, sis," she said sweetly. Kasumi and Nabiki both laughed as she stuck her finger in the bowl and came up with a glob of chocolate icing. Soon all three sisters were savouring the sweet remnants from the sides of the bowl. "Shouldn't you be telling us to stop or we'll ruin our dinner?" Nabiki teased. Kasumi nodded. "Yes, I should," she admitted, promptly scooping out more icing as she related the details of her trip to the good doctor's office to the delight of her sisters. "So, Kasumi," Akane said when she was done, her eyes glittering. "What are you guys doing for your first date?" "Not a movie?" Nabiki asked. "Tell me you didn't suggest a movie?" Kasumi opened her mouth to answer. "What's wrong with a movie?" Akane asked. "It's cliche." "It's a first date!" "It's still cliche." They turned to Kasumi expectantly. "Actually, I'm going to cook him dinner," she smiled. "Great idea," Nabiki nodded. "What? *That's* not cliche?" Akane asked pointedly. Nabiki shook her head. "Look, Akane, she should go with her strength first time out, and that's cooking. And afterwards, plenty of time for talking ... I assume you'll be at his place?" Kasumi blushed slightly but nodded. "What are you going to cook?" Akane asked breathlessly. Nabiki snorted. "Akane, this is Kasumi. Whatever she cooks will be wonderful. No, the important question here is what is she going to *wear*?" Kasumi looked startled by the question as her sisters sized her up. "Hmmm," Akane said, reaching out to pluck at Kasumi's apron. "I don't know about this apron." "Mmmmmm," Nabiki agreed. "It's kind of ..." "Dull." "Matronly." "Ooo. Good one." "Thanks." "Um," Kasumi interrupted, "I have to wear an apron if I'm cooking." Nabiki and Akane continued to examine her closely. "How about one of those tiny aprons that go with a little French maid outfit?" Nabiki asked slyly. "No, wait, how about the *whole* outfit?" "Nabiki!" Akane blurted as Kasumi blushed again. "That's for *after* dinner!" They all laughed at that. "Mmmph," Nabiki grunted suddenly, licking some wayward icing off her lower lip. "But you want to wear something that sends the right message." Kasumi looked at her, and Nabiki was happy to see a sparkle in her older sister's eyes that had been absent for far too long. Kasumi had spent so much time taking care of them and the household that she'd had less and less time for herself as she'd progressed through high school. "And exactly what message would that be?" Kasumi asked archly, sucking some icing off her index finger. "Oh, a look that says, "You can have me. Eventually. But you're going to have to work for it first." That kind of look." "Yeah," Akane added. "Interested. Available without being desperate." They looked at each other. "Like he'll need much convincing," Nabiki chuckled. Akane giggled in agreement. "Or ANY convincing!" "Anyway, I'm not even sure I remember how to do this," Kasumi sighed. Nabiki shook her head sadly. "Nervous?" she teased. The corner of Kasumi's mouth tugged up into a tiny smile. "A bit," she admitted. "Aw, you'll be fine," Nabiki assured her. "Akane and I will help you pick out something fabulous to wear. The doc won't know what hit him." Kasumi pulled her hair over her shoulder and began toying with it nervously. Nabiki put a finger against the side of her jaw thoughtfully. "You know, maybe you should wear your hair loose," she suggested. "No way," Akane cut in. "Tie it up. Guys love that. I think it makes them want to untie it and run their fingers through it." She sighed, fingering her own short locks lightly. "Sometimes I miss having long hair." "You always said it was a pain to take care of," Nabiki said absently, moving around Kasumi. Akane sighed again. "Yeah, true, but I could do a lot with it." Nabiki took Kasumi's hair and lifted it up on top of her head, pinning it there with her fingers, regarding it critically.. "What do you think?" she asked. Akane grinned. "Oh, yeah! Definitely up. A sexy, sophisticated look ..." "I don't want to make him too nervous," Kasumi said, turning slightly to try to catch her reflection in the window. "I think I should go with something basic, not too fancy." "True, you don't want to blow the poor man's fuses," Nabiki said smoothly. "At least, not right away. When's this date taking place anyway?" "Tuesday." "Great! Lots of time! We'll have you all set up by then!" "Yeah," Akane added. "You've waited a long time for this, Kasumi. We'll help you make it special." Kasumi smiled, looking a little misty-eyed to Nabiki. "Thanks, you two," she said softly, her face lighting up with pleasure. "I don't know who's more excited about this, me or you." "It's a close contest," Nabiki admitted with a grin. "Now, let's talk accessories ..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kunou moved easily through his practice forms, his muscles burning pleasantly as sweat trickled down his back and arms. Ordinarily working out this way gave him some peace of mind, but today he simply couldn't escape the maddening buzz of his thoughts. It was unusual for him to second guess himself once he'd made a decision, but he'd spent most of the day doing just that. He was certain that Nabiki Tendou could help him make some sense out of the confusing mounds of files his father had left behind. He was also certain that he could keep her away from the more dangerous aspects of the family's dark legacy. So why was he so unsettled? He stopped in mid-swing, lowering his bokken and wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. His breathing only a little laboured by his exertions, he walked over to the bench where his things were laid out. His injured shoulder still throbbed, but he'd worked around it and the wounds had not reopened. He'd had the family physician make a house call earlier. He was not privy to the secrets of the Kunou clan the way his predecessor had been, but the man was not unaccustomed to the strange sorts of injuries Kunou managed to acquire on a regular basis, and he hadn't asked too many questions. He'd inspected the wounds, re-bandaged them, and advised him to take things easy for a couple of days. Which was easier said than done. He towelled the sweat from his naked upper body, favouring the tender shoulder, and then hung the towel around his neck and headed for his bath. The sword that was his legacy he kept close at hand. Just in case. After washing himself, he sank into the hot water with a sigh. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back and let the warmth relax his tired muscles. Inevitably, though, his thoughts turned back to Nabiki. He'd half expected some divine retribution to strike him down after he'd revealed so many of the secrets that had remained within his family for so long. After all, it had been drilled into his head from childhood that these were things not to be spoken of to outsiders. He was finally coming to accept, though, that there would be no retribution ... because there was no one to deliver it. He *was* the inner circle now. The decision had been his to make, and he'd made it. All the consequences of his act, whatever the eventual results, would be his to bear. And although that was a heavy responsibility, he was beginning to understand, to truly understand for the first time, what it meant to be in the position he was in. Yes, he had terrible responsibilities, but as Guardian he had power and authority as well. In the end, he had the right to act as he saw fit. Now he just had to hope he possessed the wisdom to make the right choices. He sighed deeply, fatigue weighing on him. Suddenly, he was very conscious of just how young he was. And just how alone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Enough!" Tragus stumbled into the kitchen, snapping on the light. It was dark out, the warmth of the day fading easily into a cool spring night, but there was no rest to be had, at least not for him. He pulled a bottle of something from the cupboard, not bothering to check what it was, and poured himself a stiff drink. He plodded into the living room, throwing the once more diminutive body into a soft chair and downing half the drink in one go. The burning liquid made him gasp out loud, and finally he felt himself beginning to relax. That damned little human bitch, Ninomiya Hinako, was still managing to cause him trouble. Her spirit had been driven deep inside, but it was still restful, still trying to reassert control whenever he slept. And that just would not do. Unfortunately, he knew of no way to squash the little twit's spirit for good. He just had to hope it would wither and fade with time, like with a long term possession. Since his situation was unique, though, he couldn't be sure just what would happen. And the boy, Tatewaki Kunou. Not only had he not shown her anything good the previous night, he'd killed all those sent against him, save Gruundi. And while that wasn't a great loss, Tragus wanted something to show for the effort. He had convinced himself that Riana had been telling the truth about the pendant, and he was already impatient for results. What the hell, he decided. The subtle approach wasn't working. He'd just have to try to be more direct. A young man would do a lot of favours for a seductive older woman, he was sure, including giving her a tour of his estate. And it would only be natural for him to want to bestow trinkets upon her as tokens of his affection. Like, say, a pendant. And if he refused to cooperate, well, Tragus would just have to kill him outright. It wouldn't be hard. The poor besotted fool would never even see it coming. End part 9