Jedi Kasumi


(A Ranma/Star Wars Crossover)


by
Jim Robert Bader


(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi
 and George Lucas, with ideas and inspiration 
provided by my good friends Brandon Kelly
and Bill Guiroff)



Episode 24/7:



Having resolved the
challenge posed to them
by Kaori Daikoku, Ranma
and the Tendo sisters resolve
to enjoy some quality time, while
Akane and her cohorts, Shampoo and
(a somewhat reluctant) Ukyo attempt to
return to a fairly "normal" routine, unaware
of the terrifying fate that awaits them come the
following morning...






In his young but active life, Saotome Ranma would NEVER have 
imagined that there would ever come a time when he would be grateful 
for something as common as a regular school day.  Granted that he had 
not seen a lot of schooling while on the road with his old man, and that 
the last one that he had attended before his disastrous trip to China had 
been that Middle School where he had last encountered Ryoga, and 
what a mess that had turned out to be.  It made Ranma wonder how, 
with his academic record, he had ever been accepted into Furinkan, 
even given that the place was a far cry from a "normal" High School.


But still, with all the excitement of the last few days, he was glad to be 
doing something fairly ordinary like attending class, even though he 
thoroughly expected it to be as boring as he could ever remember.  In 
fact "boring" was sounding mighty good these days, a dark sight 
preferable to what passed for "excitement" in his life.  Boredom would 
at least allow him time to think for himself (as difficult as that act 
tended to be on most occasions) since he had a lot to think about and 
did not need too much more distraction.


The race with Kaori had given him a lot to consider, after all, 
especially since the outcome had given him a lot of traction on the 
subject of his tentative "engagement" to one (or both) of the older 
Tendo sisters.  By intervening as he had to assist both Kasumi and 
Nabiki he had all but stated a preference for the two of them, a semi-
commitment that his parents both encouraged and applauded.  In truth 
he had done it as much to prevent the engagement of Kaori from 
interfering with his sort-of relationship with the other two girls, as 
perplexing as it was at times for him to try and figure out what made 
most women tick, let alone understand why they all seemed so intent 
on claiming him for their husband.


As proud and haughty as Ranma could be in all things relating to the 
martial arts, it was the marital arts that left him confused and feeling 
totally out of his depth, and not just because he felt way too young to 
be settling down with a wife and family obligations.  In truth whenever 
a girl got too close to him in the "scary-uncertain" domain of 
emotional contact he felt a kind of terror come over him that was very 
different from his ailurophobia, but nonetheless tended to make him 
react to a girl as though she were a human cat-type person (he 
shuddered a bit as Ukyo's cursed form briefly passed through his mind, 
grateful that his former best friend had seemingly given up on her 
claims in this matter, though even still he felt strangely confused and 
awkward about that).


Thinking about Nabiki he found himself liking her a great deal, 
especially since she was so approachable and reasonable in most 
things, very outgoing and friendly towards him and not at all afraid to 
explain things in careful detail that he could actually understand, not 
condescending towards him for being mentally "slower" than herself 
in technical matters.  She was nice, pretty, very much attractive to him, 
and a surprisingly good friend whom he was learning to count upon, 
finding it easy to confide in her without fear of having his trust be 
betrayed or his confidence in her be broken.  He also was discovering 
that there were depths to her personality that she usually kept to 
herself, an even nicer person whom he was coming to respect the more 
time he spent around her.  Around him she seemed willing to open up 
as she seemed to do with no other person, and Ranma sensed that this 
was very unusual for her as though such trust did not come easy, and 
for which he felt oddly flattered.


She also tended to scare him a lot whenever she smiled in a certain 
way, or gave him a coy look that seemed to imply something else was 
at work in her regard of him which he could not understand beyond a 
vaguely instinctual level.  Being closer to her made him 
feel...funny...like butterflies were holding a tournament in his stomach, 
and at times like that he found himself doing something extremely 
hard for a young man with his casual nature...which was to actually 
think about what he was saying lest he use an improper comment that 
might inadvertently hurt her feelings.


In truth he enjoyed sparring with her a lot more than he would have 
ever expected with a girl, enjoying the way she would try and go all 
out against him, both with the Force and just relying on her physical 
skills as a fighter.  In the one field she had a clear advantage, but in the 
other the advantage was his, and so they were learning a lot from being 
around one another, and he was coming to respect her as a fellow 
student of the Art, even as he was her junior in the Jedi arts that Trieste 
was teaching them both.  In battle against her there was a kind of 
competitive joy that surpassed all questions of their relatively uneven 
skill levels, as though being engaged in combat with her were a kind of 
a game that they were playing with each other.  He felt strongly 
attracted towards her and could admire her poise, grace and balance 
when she seemingly floated across the wooden floor of the dojo, a 
picture of beauty who reminded him very much of a gazelle in flight, 
and watching her move could sometimes affect in a very odd way that 
he had rapidly discovered had very little to do with matters of conflict.


He knew that she wanted to be closer to him, had raced in the match 
for the singular honor of becoming his sole fiancée, but anything 
beyond this tended to make Ranma's brain freeze up as his imagination 
refused to supply any speculative details.  Just what she wanted from 
him, other than to be his wife, he could not actually say, his ignorance 
in such matters so abysmal that he was afraid to ask directly of either 
Trieste or his mother for dread of knowing the details.


And then there was Kasumi, the older of the two siblings, a puzzle in 
more than one sense of the word since she also made him feel 
extremely funny whenever she was around, especially when she 
smiled in his direction.  Taller and even more beautiful than Nabiki, 
with a gentle manner that was even more feminine and a kind of 
hidden inner strength that could astonish him at times, considering 
how the appearance that she presented to the world did not even hint at 
the power she possessed.  She was strangely calm and entirely 
unassuming, the very opposite of what he would have expected from a 
woman with her astonishing gifts.  She was easily the most powerful 
young woman that he had ever encountered, her command of the 
Force, coupled with her combat skills, giving her a considerable edge 
in sparring matches that Ranma had come to respect after being on the 
receiving end of some of her more powerful combinations.


Beyond her strength and beauty there was something else about 
Kasumi that made Ranma feel strangely calm and powerfully attracted 
towards her, like a moth to the flame of a candle.  Kasumi was not just 
a very nice and overly polite person, she was wise and courageous and 
compassionate beyond anything in his experience, as understanding as 
she was forgiving...and yet somehow very lonely in spite of this, very 
much set apart from others by the very uniqueness that made one feel 
around her as though they were in the presence of a Kami.


In truth Kasumi was both nurturing and needful, having walked a path 
nearly all of her life that had given her few companions and even 
fewer friends who could understand her.  Being around her made 
Ranma aware that her strength was not absolute, that she had desires 
of her own that very much made her like any other young girl who 
wanted a husband who could feel for her what she felt and who could 
make her feel special.  Just why it was that she had settled upon him 
was beyond Ranma's understanding, but he knew implicitly that she 
needed him, and that he liked to be needed by her, that she could ask 
anything of him and he would gladly accommodate her.  She deserved 
only the best, after all, and while he hardly felt worthy or anywhere 
near to being in her class, he was more than willing to try.  It was 
nothing less than what he owed her, being in her debt for having 
rescued him a few days back, even as she had taken injuries for his 
sake that had wounded him (on an emotional level) almost as deeply.


Thinking all of this in the minutes before class began, he almost failed 
to miss hearing the more annoying tones of the *other* Tendo sibling 
for whom he felt nothing more than an acute sense of annoyance.  In 
tones which grated upon his nerves he heard her declare, "...But 
honestly, Ucchan, I wasn't serious about Kaori.  So I got a little 
distracted by her, it doesn't mean that I care any less about **You**..."


"Yeah, right," Ukyo snorted, "Pull the other one why don't you?  
Admit it, Tendo, you tripped yourself up but good that time, or are you 
gonna try and con me with that line of bull about you being betrayed 
by your own baser instincts?"


"Ah...well," Ranma could all but feel Akane wince without turning his 
head to confirm his suspicions, "It was...just a reflex, I mean...you saw 
what she looked like.  Okay, so she had a crappy personality and was a 
real bitch where it counted, and I'm glad she lost since even *Ranma* 
doesn't deserve to be forced to marry someone like that..."


Ranma winced slightly in annoyance.  Why was that Akane always so 
mean-spirited towards him?  Just because of a little mistake in the 
furo, and later on when he had accused her of being a Tomboy, it just 
seemed to set some kind of a pattern between them and ever since they 
had been unable to speak two words in a civil tone towards one 
another.  He was getting thoroughly tired of the matter and wished that 
she would give it a rest, especially in light of the fact that Ranma knew 
he was innocent of the charge of being a "Hentai."  Heck, if anyone fit 
that term around here it most definitely was Akane!


"On that we do agree, Sugar," Ukyo was just then responded, 
"Ranchan deserves a lot better than some noodle-tossing witch who 
wants a trophy husband, though why it has to be your sisters that he's 
engaged with I'll never really understand..."


"Why?" Akane shot back, "What's wrong with my sisters?"


"You wanna list?" Ukyo sarcastically responded, "First off, there's 
Nabiki, the smart-mouth, the only one in your family knows how to 
balance a checkbook.  There's something about her that's always set 
my teeth on edge, though I'm hanged if I know what it is.  I just know 
that she treats Ranchan like she owned him, and maybe she does since 
he's been nicer to her than he ever was around me.  And then there's 
Kasumi...I mean, honestly...do you think it's natural for somebody to 
be that *nice* all of the time?"


"Well, what's wrong with being nice?" Akane reasoned, "I know 
Kasumi can be a little...airy at times, but she's wiser than the both of us 
put together and she's never gone out of her way to hurt anyone that 
I've ever heard of.  Are you saying you'd like her better if she were the 
complete opposite?"


"I never said that," Ukyo sounded slightly ruffled by the question, 
"'Cause one of me's enough around this place.  I'd just prefer it if she 
had a few flaws, some character defects or something, anything to 
make her seem less...perfect."


"Aiyaa," Shampoo spoke up in tones of mild exasperation, "You is just 
being silly.  Spatula Girl still think she rival Sith to big sister Kasumi's 
Jedi?  Try look in mirror, you no that evil."


"Yeah, and you never were either, Ucchan," Akane assured her, "You 
were bad but not that bad.  I mean...if you were that bad then we never 
could have become such close friends..."


"Friends?" Ukyo arched her eyebrows at this, "I'm not sure exactly 
what we are, Sugar, not unless your definition of a friend is someone 
who two like to ambush whenever you're horny.  Oh yeah, and while 
we're on the subject, did it ever occur to you two Horndogs that some 
people actually like to use a shower to clean themselves up before 
getting ready to attend classes?"


"Aiyaa," Shampoo repeated again, "That too boring."


"Hey," Akane protested, "What have you got against sharing a shower, 
Ucchan?  Don't you believe in conserving water?"


"I believing in conserving the bullshit," Ukyo snorted, "I can't believe 
how dirty I feel after letting you two clowns give me a full-body rub 
down, and for your information a bar of soap is supposed to go on the 
shower rack, not up my ass!"


"Hey, if it cleans you out, why complain?" Akane responded without 
the least degree of shame in her expression, "You don't want us to miss 
a spot like that, do you?"


"Why do I even bother?" Ukyo rolled her eyes, "I give up, you win.  I 
might as well consign myself to never getting a full night's sleep again 
for the rest of my life..."


"This one think Spatula Girl protest too much," Shampoo said smugly, 
"If no like being with Akane and Shampoo, then you only need 
complain to great grandmother."


"I didn't say that I don't **like** you two coming onto me, Sugar," 
Ukyo sighed, "It's just...well...you ought give it a break once in a 
while.  Most people aren't horny twenty four hours a day you know..."


"Aiyaa, how sad," Shampoo averred, "Shampoo pray for them to 
ancestors, hope they learn from error."


"Yeah," Akane smiled, "I feel sorry for people like that, they don't 
know what they're missing."


"Give me strength," Ukyo murmured faintly, though even Ranma was 
unable to tell if she meant that as a curse or in simple, tacit resignation.


Just then they saw the assistant principal appear at the door to their 
homeroom, and at once the restless mood of the class fell into line as 
they sensed that something was up this bright Monday morning.  There 
was no sign of their regular teacher, which could mean a number of 
things, a substitute teacher being the likely logical outlook.


"Class," the Vice-Principal began, "If I might have your attention?  
Thank you.  As you can see, Mr. Muhara will not be attending your 
class today.  Instead, I would like to introduce you to your new 
Homeroom teacher, a lady who has demonstrated admirable talent as a 
disciplinarian who has helped to reform three other schools at which 
she previously taught.  May I introduce to you Miss Hinako 
Ninamiya."


Ranma almost fell out of his chair, his elbow slipping off the edge of 
his desk as recognition hit home like the proverbial ton of bricks, 
causing him to start in disbelief as a young brown-haired girl walked 
into the room, all of maybe twelve years old and no more than a meter-
plus-a-foot in height and wearing a yellow dress that looked a bit 
ridiculously large on her petite, girlish figure.


"Ohiyo!" she chirruped brightly as she took her place at the lead of 
their class, "I am Hinako Ninamiya, bad students and delinquents had 
better watch out because I'm on the job and intend to enforce school 
discipline and order."


There was a collective start, followed by blank disbelief, as the entire 
room took in their new Homeroom "teacher," Ukyo being the first to 
break the silence with a sharp, "What the hell...?" followed shortly by 
an "Aiyaa" from Shampoo's direction.


"What a...cute teacher," Akane said as diplomatically as she could 
manage.


"Ain't she a little young for you, Sugar?" Ukyo asked.


"Come on, Ucchan," Akane flustered, "You know I didn't mean it like 
that..."


"It's her?" Ranma murmured aloud, recognition sending alarm bells 
ringing in the back of his mind.


"Aiyaa?" Shampoo reacted once again, "You know child-teacher, 
Little Brother?"


"Ah...kind of," Ranma replied, staring at the young girl with his newly 
expanded perception of such things and discovering an irregularity in 
her aura that he found both alarming and disturbing.


"The reason why we have hired Miss Hinako is to bring order and 
discipline back to Furinkan High School," the Vice Principal informed 
them, "As recent events have proven an alarming increase in the 
violence attending this school, this was deemed necessary, so show 
your new teacher the proper respect and all will be well for the 
remainder of the semester."


"Discipline problems?" Ranma heard one of the mail students---
Daisuke, he believed his name was---asked in mild dismay.


"Is he talking about those guys who attack Akane every morning?" the 
student next to him murmured softly, "But...what can a little kid like 
that do?"


"And now," the "little kid" in question resumed, "I should like to 
introduce a new classmate who will be attending your homeroom.  He 
is a very bright but sensitive young man whom I expect you all to 
show the proper kindness.  His name is Hikaru Gosunkugi.  
Gosunkugi-san?"


Ranma turned with a start and saw the young man from the other day 
timidly step into the room, a youth approximately his own age but as 
far down the ladder of physical development as you could get without 
being in a wheelchair.  He was not only slightly built, he was 
downright scarecrow-ish, and with sunken features on a too-pale face 
that suggested that he was not in the best of health.  His eyes looked 
haunted as they shifted about the room before turning inexorably 
towards Ranma, at which point there was a brief flash of recognition.


To the other students it was as though a ghost had just walked into the 
room, either that or the walking dead, and not a few made warding 
signs as if expecting him to be a Youma.  With exaggerated self-
consciousness the new student took his seat near the back of the room 
and huddled down with shoulders haunched, looking gaunt and 
vaguely like a vulture perching, only one who was afraid that he might 
wind up as carrion to the predators who might be looking on from all 
directions.


"Now then," the Vice-Principal clapped his hands together, "With that 
business settled, I will leave you all to become better acquainted..."


As if on cue the sounds of pandemonium were heard to ring out from 
the window off to Ranma's left, causing him to flinch as he recognized 
one particular voice raised up in a cheerful, "WHAT A HAUL, WHAT 
A HAUL!"


"Eh?" Miss Hinako moved to the nearest window and stared down in 
time to see the little man holding the large sack of lingerie, followed 
by a large swarm of angry female students, all of whom were 
brandishing weapons ranging from rakes to brooms to bo-staffs.


"Aiyaa," Shampoo said as she and the other students left their seats 
and crowded up towards the window.


"Not that old man again?" Ukyo groaned.


"Grandfather Happosai is on the rampage once again," Akane growled 
softly, "What say we go down there and teach that pervert a lesson?"


Hinako, however, did not wait around as she cried out, "That 
delinquent!" and without hesitation vaulted out of the window.


Ranma could hardly believe what he had just witnessed, and 
immediately he dove out after his new teacher, hearing the cry of the 
boy named Gosunkugi raised in alarm, along with several others.  He 
was just able to catch up with the hurtling girl, at which point he 
wrapped his arms around her and got his legs down underneath him, 
catching and breaking their fall with as much ease as a regular landing, 
a three story fall being hardly sufficient to bother a martial artist of his 
caliber, of course, especially since he had timed his landing to place 
Happosai directly underneath them.


"Are you crazy?" Ranma asked as he vaulted off the prone old man 
and set Hinako down on her feet, "You could get hurt doing a fool 
stunt like that..."


"How dare you talk disrespectfully towards your teacher?" the young 
girl angrily declared, flashing eyes on him that were full of childish 
fury, "I knew what I was doing!"


"Yeah, sure," Ranma scoffed, "Look, Teach, the old man is kind of 
like a family problem, and if it's all the same to you I think I'm better 
suited to handle him..."


Even as he said this he heard the women catch up with their fallen 
tormentor, and with gleeful wrath proceeded to pummel the old man 
with their chosen weapons, giving him added kicks to further punish 
his misbehavior.


"...Or not..." Ranma could not help smiling slightly, "Looks like 
Gramps got what was coming to him.  Poetic justice if you ask me..."


"Eh?" Hinako looked up at him in surprise, "You mean...that old 
gentleman is your grandfather?"


Ranma winced, "He ain't kin to me if that's what you mean, but he's 
kind of like my old man's Sensei, not that the fool panda needed much 
help to learn how to be a total jerk as a father..."


Hinako kept on looking up at him, then asked, "What is your name, 
Student?"


"Huh?" Ranma replied, "Ah...Saotome Ranma."


"Ranma is it?" the little girl said primly, "Well, I can see that you 
certainly lack for manners, but...then again...I suppose you did think 
that you were coming to my rescue.  Just the same, that does not 
excuse you for interfering in my duties as your teacher."


"Duties?" Ranma waved a hand "Teach, it's a three story fall!  I could 
handle it easy, but I don't think the same is true for you..."


"Much as I hate to say it," Akane noted as she, Ukyo and Shampoo 
landed beside them, "But Ranma right for once, Teacher.  It's 
dangerous to underestimate Grandfather Happosai."


"Yeah," Ukyo agreed, "The old man may be down for the count for 
now, but he's tougher to kill than your average cockroach."


"Is powerful but evil old Elder," Shampoo confirmed, "Even great-
grandmother no think she can take him easy."


"I see," Hinako stared at the trio with curious scrutiny than said, "You 
have all had dealings with this fellow in the past I take it?  Well, never 
mind all that.  While he is here on school grounds, he is my 
responsibility to handle..."


"Teach, I don't think you're listening too good," Ranma said, "Didn't 
you just hear us tell you that the old fossil's a dangerous..."


"RAN---MAAAAAAA!!!" said 'old fossil' declared, angrily pushing 
himself back up to his feet with ancient eyes blazing, "This is all your 
fault, spoiling my fun and causing me to lose my treasure!  This time 
you've gone too far!  It's time you learned to respect your betters!"


Even as the old man spoke these words his battle aura flared to life, 
taking on a terrible glow that expanded out from his form like a 
hovering shadow that congealed a terrible wave of dark "Ki" power.


"Wow...what an aura!" Akane reacted.


"Aiyaa..." Shampoo implicitly agreed.


"That old creep is doing that?" even Ukyo sounded dismayed, her eyes 
getting very round as she took in the strength of the Force that the old 
man was generating.


"Oboy," Ranma braced himself and said, "You guys better move 
back...this ain't gonna be pretty."


"RIGHT YOU ARE, RANMA MY BOY!" Happosai declared, 
moving his hands up in preparation to release the power of his Ki in 
one massive discharge, "GET READY TO BE FLATTENED---!"


All at once Hinako went into action, and before anyone could say 
anything to the contrary she pulled a coin out of thin air and cried, 
"ANYTHING GOES GOOD-GIRL FINAL ATTACK---PAIN, 
DEATH, ILLNESS, MAGIC!"


Ranma flinched out of the way barely in time as the solid wave of 
negative Ki energy swept past him, causing his Force-sensitive 
perceptions to go off the scale with alarm bells ringing.  The others 
were already clear of the radius of the attack that was aimed towards 
Happosai, and suddenly the old man's battle aura was sucked away, 
snuffed out like a candle, the ancient pervert falling to his knees as the 
rest of his Ki was absorbed into Hinako, who began to expand in form 
and dimensions, gaining a foot in height as the rest of her filled out 
until her yellow dress no longer seemed quite adequate to contain her.


Seconds later Happosai collapsed, looking like a deflated balloon that 
could blow away in a stiff wind.  Miss Hinako, on the other hand, 
tossed her long brown hair over one well-formed shoulder and gave a 
sultry look at the four round-eyed students eyeing her, and with a 
sultry purr she said, "Well now...do you still doubt that I am ably 
equipped to enforce discipline as your new homeroom teacher...?"





"I don't believe you sometimes," Ukyo growled several hours later.


"Huh?" Akane blinked, "What did I do now?"


"You know very well what I mean," Ukyo let her voice drip venom, 
"You were all but drooling over the new teacher the whole morning!"


"I was not!" Akane insisted, then shrugged, "At least...not after she 
reverted back to her child form.  But you've gotta admit, for a while 
there...she really did look like something."


"Aiyaa," Shampoo shook her head in dismay, "Even great-
grandmother never teach this one about technique that could do that.  
Is very powerful attack style, absorbing Chi energy, but Shampoo no 
think it a very good power.  Is too much like Dark side..."


"I hear you there, Sugar," Ukyo shivered, "I don't think even Master 
Purge could pull off a Ki-suck like that if he tried.  It just don't seem 
natural..."


"Is no natural," Shampoo replied, "Can only be done by manipulating 
Chi-flow throughout body.  Only very high-skilled Elder know how do 
that, is very forbidden technique lost to Amazons many age ago."


"Well, somebody obviously discovered it," Ukyo replied with a frown, 
"But why do you suppose the new teach wanted to keep Ranchan late 
after class like that?"


"Who knows?" Akane sniffed, "Maybe she was giving him detention 
for general rudeness.  At least it wasn't us.  Say, you guys wanna go 
skating?"


Her two companions turned looks on Akane that would have been 
more appropriate if she had grown a second head.  Shampoo turned 
her gaze from the cafe booth in which they were presently sitting to 
stare at the ice rink sporting arena at the center of the building in 
which they currently resided, then turned another look towards Akane 
and said softly, "Is you crazy?"


"Ah...skate?" Ukyo asked with a somewhat uneasy expression.


"What?" Akane glanced at her two friends, "Don't tell me neither one 
of you knows how to skate?  It's easy!"


"Easy?" Shampoo reply with maximum skepticism in her voice, "Is 
where you strap on metal blades and walk out on frozen lake?"


"You mean they don't have skating out in China?" Akane grinned, 
"Come on...don't be like that, Shampoo-chan.  I'm sure a martial artist 
like you could pick it up in no time."


"Ah..." Ukyo shifted her weight on the bench upon which she was 
presently seated, "I don't think I've put on a pair of skates since I was 
six years old, Sugar, and the last time I skated was with my old man."


"Hey, once you learn you never forget," Akane assured them, "It's like 
falling off a bicycle, nothing could be more easy...what are you 
doing?"


"This one is checking little sister Akane for temperature," Shampoo 
explained as she held her palm up to Akane's forehead, "Maybe you 
catch fever from head cold, can never be too careful."


"Hey, Nihao!" someone cheerfully called out, causing all three girls to 
turn their heads in time to see two of their fellow students 
approaching.


"Yuka-chan," Akane brightened, "Sayuri-chan...what's up?"


"What's up with you guys?" one of the two schoolgirls replied as she 
and her companion eyed both Ukyo and Shampoo with more than 
speculative interests, "You took off after class so fast that Yuka and 
me were wondering if you'd been scared off by the new teacher."


"Yeah," Yuka agreed, "And what's with the clannish way you've been 
behaving lately, Akane?  Too good to share the wealth now that you've 
got yourself some new best friends to fool around with?"


"Ah...guys," Akane blushed slightly, "Sorry if I've been a bit 
busy...you've met Ucchan and Shampoo, right?"


"Only a few times coming and going," Sayuri replied, giving Shampoo 
an especially curious look, "Your hair..."


"Is natural," Shampoo promptly replied, having grown a bit tired with 
having to answer that question with nearly everyone whom she 
encountered.  Nonetheless she leered back at the other girl and made a 
point to thrust her chest out as she added, "These natural too...you 
want this one show you?"


"Hey, would you?" Sayuri all but drooled at the prospect, "Gosh, 
you're so pretty.  Are there many more like you in China?"


Shampoo was so surprised at having her flirtatious comment be 
returned that way that it took her a moment to answer, "Ah...yes...is 
whole village of Chinese Amazons..."


"Cool," Sayuri slid into the booth next to Shampoo and made a point 
of snuggling up close beside her, "My name's Sayuri...and you're 
Shampoo?"


"Xian Pu," Akane sounded amused as she replied, "It means Mountain 
Girl in Mandarin.  She staying in the Furinkan Financial district with 
her great-grandmother and Ucchan here.  Guys...meet my other best 
friends, Yuka and Sayuri."


"So, you're really a girl, huh?" said the one named Yuka as she 
snuggled in close to Ukyo in her booth, "I should have guessed...you're 
much too pretty to be a boy under all of that.  I'm Yuka, by the way, 
and I'm very pleased to meet you."


Ukyo saw the hungry gleam in the other girls eyes and blinked her 
own once before turning to Akane and growling, "How did I guess that 
these two were YOUR friends?"


"Hey," Akane shrugged, "We've known each other since we were very 
little, and we've always been very...close friends.  You mean you find 
that surprising?"


"Not really," Ukyo said, only to stiffen as she felt Yuka rest her head 
against Ukyo's shoulder, leaning closer to sniff and say, "You smell so 
nice..."


"Same here," Sayuri was leaning so close to Shampoo that the latter 
could only stare back with a transfixed expression, "You not only 
smell nice, you feel nice.  No wonder Akane came onto you, you're 
just her type...and mine too, when you come right down to it."


Shampoo only blinked once and said a very soft, "Hiyaa..." unused to 
being this boldly propositioned.


"So," Yuka purred as she snuggled in even closer to Ukyo's flank, 
"You guys catch the new teacher?  Kind of freaky the way she 
expanded out like that..."


"I know," Sayuri agreed, "But what a babe!  I'll bet she could model 
with a body like that..."


"If she could stay adult long enough to model," Akane sighed, "Sure 
took down Grandfather Happosai, though...bet it'll be a while before 
he bothers anyone, the pervert."


"Excuse me?" Ukyo asked somewhat stiffly, "You're calling him a 
pervert?"


"Well yeah," Akane replied, "I mean...look at the old creep.  All he 
ever does is chase and molest women...some martial artist he is."


"You don't say?" Ukyo replied with the maximum level of sarcasm in 
her voice, trying very gently-but-firmly to pry the girl named Yuka off 
her shoulder, "Ah...look, no offence, but this booth is getting kinda 
crowded, and I kinda like to breathe, if you know what I mean?"


"Sure thing," Yuka moved away a short distance but did not quit the 
booth altogether (nonetheless even that slight distance surprised Ukyo, 
who was expecting the kind of persistence that she was growing to 
expect of Akane), "So, you're new around Furinkan, what do you make 
of the place?  Kind of a mad house until you get used to it."


"Get used to it?" Akane sniffed and rolled her eyes, "With my fan club 
always ready to let me know how much they like me every morning?"


"Oh yeah," Sayuri smirked, "Half those guys want to date you, and the 
other half wants to beat the crap out of you for messing with their 
girlfriends."


"And I don't know which is worse," Akane sighed, "They both tend to 
be soooo annoying..."


"How's that a gain, Sugar?" Ukyo asked, "You mean they aren't all out 
to date you?"


"Hardly," Akane rested her chin on the palm of one hand, "I can 
usually tell which is which by reading their auras.  It's bad enough that 
some guys think they can 'convert' me, but the ones who can't get a 
clue about just why their girlfriends dumped them to go out with me 
are the ones I really can't stand to be around.  And exactly why do they 
think that beating up on me is going to change that?"


"Boys fighting with girls sound perfectly normal to this one," 
Shampoo remarked, "But this one no think boys at Furinkan is very 
good fighters, little brother being exception."


"Little brother?" Sayuri blinked, "You mean Saotome Ranma?  Is it 
true that he's dating both Nabiki AND Kasumi?"


"Like I have any say about it?" Akane huffed, "Yeah, it's true, but 
don't ask me what they see in the baka, it's completely beyond me..."


"So..." Yuka changed the subject, "How close has you guys gotten so 
far?  You've only known each other, what?  A week or two, or more?  
Have you done the nasty with Akane here yet?"


Ukyo was about to say that it was none of their business when 
Shampoo replied, "Is big surprise, yes?"


"Not with you it isn't," Sayuri openly leered at the Amazon, proving 
that Akane did not own exclusive rights to the expression, "If Akane 
hadn't bedded you both yet we'd think she'd gotten sick or something."


"Either that or been replaced by one of the pod people," Yuka 
cheerfully noted, "So...how are they?  Is Ukyo here a groaner or a 
screamer?"


Ukyo got an extremely alarmed expression as Akane replied, "Oh, 
definitely a groaner, but, if it's all the same with you guys, I'd rather 
not go into any details."


"Awwww...come on, Akane," Sayuri urged with a girlish pout, 
"You've never been afraid to share with us before..."


"We like hearing all the juicy details," Yuka gave Ukyo a good 
impression of a hungry cat sizing up its dinner (or was that the Canary 
about to eat the Cat?), "And she looks really, really juicy.  Is it true 
that you're the best there is at whipping up an okonomiyaki?"


"Ah...sure," Ukyo replied tentatively, "It's a family trademark..."


"I love okonomiyaki," Yuka licked her lips and made it very obvious 
that it was NOT okonomiyaki that she was considering for a meal, 
"Maybe you could let me try a sample sometime...Ucchan."


Despite herself Ukyo swallowed thickly, but to her complete surprise 
the other girl chose that moment to slide out of the booth and stand up 
again, the same as a more reluctant Sayuri.


"Well, it was nice chatting with you," Yuka cheerfully remarked, "But 
we're heading for the skating rink.  Like to come along and bring your 
friends, Akane-chan?"


"Maybe a bit later," Akane declined, "We're still waiting for our 
lunches."


"Suit yourself," Sayuri winked at Shampoo and added, "Look you up 
later, Cute stuff.  I love the cute way you talk, by the way, so many we 
can have an exchange of...foreign tongues, do you think?"


"Aiyaa?" Shampoo looked seriously intrigued at the prospect.


Akane waved to her friends as they left then said, "Nice guys, taught 
'em everything they know..."


"Why don't I find that too surprising?" Ukyo gruffly snorted.


"Hey, they're okay girls when you get to know them," Akane assured, 
"And they mean well enough, but you don't have to look like they 
were about to pounce on you, Ucchan.  I know it bothered you, but 
Yuka really isn't as bad as she pretends..."


"Really?" Ukyo let her tone drop several degrees Celsius, "And are all 
your friends like those two?"


"Naw," Akane chuckled, "They're just a couple of flirts I like to hang 
around with.  Yuka and Sayuri are really tight with each other, but 
they like to sometimes take on a little variety by adding another girl 
into the mix, so you pretty much get one if you say yes to the other."


"And that's supposed to reassure me...like, how?" Ukyo wondered.


"Hey, they know me, and if I tell them to back off and leave you alone 
they will," Akane assured her, "But they're my friends and I just 
couldn't tell them to get lost right now, could I?"


"Aiyaa," Shampoo replied without elaboration, her expression still 
distant and thoughtful as she stared in the direction to which the other 
two girls had just left.


"Riiiight," Ukyo growled out the world, her ruffled dignity making her 
lash out with the words, "And of course you wouldn't mind sharing me 
with them if they asked, right?"


"Ah...well, not if you were against it, no," Akane said with a faint hint 
in her tone that as much as implied that she would not have opposed 
such dalliance outright, "But that's up to you, really.  I'd never force 
you to participate in a thing like that if you didn't want to do it, 
Ucchan."


"Why don't I feel better on hearing that?" Ukyo frowned, "Just how 
many other girls in our school are as brash as those two?"


Akane glanced away, her expression momentarily hurt, which did 
vaguely surprise Ukyo, "Ah...well...not everybody.  Fact is...only a 
few girls are really comfortable with the whole Bi-scene.  Most girls I 
know would deny it to your face if you asked them if they ever slept 
with me, but the ones who do admit to it are the ones who are the most 
comfortable bedding down with other women.  I happen to know of a 
few who are secretly Bi or Lez, but they won't own up to it because 
they're afraid of what their parents might do, not to mention the faculty 
and the other students..."


Ukyo was puzzled by that reaction, "You mean some girls don't like 
owning up to the idea that you came onto them like you did with me?"


Akane sighed, "I mean that once in a while a girl will take things the 
wrong way, and then I have to explain things to my parents or whoever 
makes a fuss about it.  One time a girl I knew really got into the 
Lesbian scene and started spending all her time bedding down with a 
fellow classmate, only her parents caught them in the act and raised 
holy hell about it, and the next thing I know I'm being blamed for 
corrupting the morals of their daughter.  Took a while to sort that out, 
but for a month or so I was officially suspended.  It still hurts to think 
about it."


"But that didn't warn you off from trying again?" Ukyo asked.


"Hey, I'm always hopeful that I'll meet the right girl sometime...like 
you, Ucchan," Akane smiled at her in what was meant to be a 
reassuring manner, "I've had a few close calls but nothing permanent 
just yet.  It's not all that easy getting some people to let go of their 
social prejudices, to let it all hang out and enjoy the company of other 
women.  Most of the time I never get beyond the dating stage, and it's 
a big event if a girl actually lets me kiss her."


"But you're the big, bad Tomboy on campus," Ukyo pointed out, 
"Aren't other girls afraid of what you might do to them if you get 
rejected?"


"Hey, I'd never force myself on anyone!" Akane protested, only to see 
the look that Ukyo gave her, to which she amended, "Um...I 
mean...anyone who couldn't fight back.  I really don't like bullies, 
Ucchan, which is why I won't use my Jedi powers to 'convince' anyone 
to go out with me.  It's a matter of pride, I want them to like me as a 
person, to get to know me better because there's something there that 
can make us both special."


"Yeah?" Ukyo asked, "So why don't you and Shampoo here go steady?  
Seems to me the two of you get alone famously, like two peas in a pod 
and all that."


"Um...well..." Akane turned a questioning look towards Shampoo and 
conceded, "That...is a good question..."


"This one likes her little sister very, very much," Shampoo 
acknowledged, "No mind spend much time with Akane...but this one 
still have Lotion and Perfume back home in China.  No want to give 
up on cousins just yet even if Japanese girls very nice, soft and tasty."


Ukyo wondered how someone could put so much of a leer onto the 
word "tasty," but she was coming to suspect that the Amazon was the 
kind of girl who could make reading off the ingredients of a food label 
sound sexy.


"Anyway," Akane said seriously, "I've kind of got my heart set on 
someone else who's very special, and no matter what you may think of 
me, Ucchan, when I know what I want I can be very committed."


"Until the next cute thing comes along to attract your roving eye you 
mean," Ukyo scoffed, "Like with Kaori..."


"Not that again," Akane rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Ukyo...I 
know I can be tempted to look, but that's not to say that I want to go to 
bed with just anybody I happen to meet for the first time..."


"Oh yeah, Sugar?" Ukyo drolly responded, "Seems to me like you're 
ready to bed just about anything on two legs in a skirt at the drop of a 
kerchief."


"Ukyo, how can you say that?" Akane pleaded.


"Easy," Ukyo sniffed, "You've had, what?  Seventeen girlfriends 
you've bedded in as many months?  Sounds like the flavor of the 
month club to me.  So what flavor am I, huh?"


"Okonomiyaki," Shampoo promptly answered with a smirk.


"It's not like that with me, Ucchan," Akane protested.


"Oh yeah?" Ukyo sniffed, "I'll bet you can't even name half the girls 
you've slept with!"


"Yes I can!" Akane said more passionately, only to calm herself down 
with some effort, "I remember my first girl...it was my cousin, Ami."


"Ami?" Shampoo asked with a raised purple eyebrow.


"Oh yeah," Akane grinned, looking off into the distance, "She was a 
sweet young thing, very bookish and innocent, and we did it one night 
when we were alone and she was sleeping over at my place.  My 
parents and Nabiki were out, Kasumi was on the road with Trieste, and 
I was feeling bored out of my skull, even thought there was a storm 
raging outside, and I got a bit...ah...nervous about the lightning..."


"You?" Ukyo blinked, "Scared of lightning?"


"Hey, I was fourteen and a half," Akane protested, "I didn't know any 
better, but Ami was so calm and in control as she explained to me why 
there was no real chance of lightning striking our house.  She was kind 
of technical and nerdy and used a lot of big words that I didn't really 
understand, but at least she didn't have her nose buried in one of those 
damned books of hers, so we kind of started to chat and...well...one 
thing led to another, and before I knew it we were going at it like a 
couple of rabbits."


"You did it with your own cousin?" Ukyo said, sounding slightly more 
intrigued than disgusted at the concept.


"Sure did," Akane grinned, "And boy was she something else!  Who 
knew under that bookish exterior of hers that she was such a hot-
blooded hentai?  I'll bet she thought about making out with other girls 
a long time before we actually did it.  Funny thing is we look a lot 
alike and people sometimes mistake us for one another, like we were 
twins separated at birth or something.  Of course she has blue eyes and 
mine are brown, but other than that you couldn't tell us apart if we 
dressed alike...ah, except she wears her hair short and mine is long and 
all that..."


"So what happened to her?" Ukyo wondered.


"Last I heard from her she was dating some girl from her school by the 
name of Makoto," Akane answered.


"Makoto?" Ukyo blinked.


"Aiyaa?" Shampoo reacted, "You know name of girl?"


"Ah...kind of," it was Ukyo's turn to glance away, "I knew a girl in 
Middle School by that name, but...it's probably just a coincidence..."


"Oho?" Akane perked up, "You mean you dated a girl before you 
knew us?"


"Hey, I never dated her...ah...I mean...not seriously," Ukyo winced 
before confessing, "Okay, maybe we did go out one or two times, but 
that was just to make sure that the other guys in our school didn't start 
talking about me being gay or whatever...I mean...when they thought I 
was a guy, just because I didn't dress in front of them in the lockers or 
try going out with other women..."


"But you make exception for this Makoto?" Shampoo mused.


"Ah...yeah...well...she kind of had this crush on me," Ukyo explained, 
"Not that I ever did anything to encourage it, but...well...one day I 
finally had to admit the truth to her, even though I think I broke her 
heart.  I thought it was for the best.  I had my duties to my Master and 
my training as a Sith, and...well..."


"And Sith don't care about the feelings of others, right?" Akane asked 
gently, "But you did...I can feel it."


Ukyo wondered why she did not feel more resentful at being forced to 
confess a story that was quite painful in her memories, but before she 
could think of anything coherent to say something else drew her 
attention, a pair of dainty hands that snatched her combat spatula up 
from where it was resting, crying aloud, "Georgette!  Georgette!  I've 
found you at long last!"


"Whaa...?" Ukyo spun about in time to see a frilly-haired girl holding 
her spatula in both hands and spinning about in delight as she all but 
danced with the bloody thing, to which she could only say, "Nani?"


"Hey!" Akane reacted more emotionally, "You let go of that!  It 
belongs to Ucchan!"


"No!" the girl clutched the weapon to her chest and made a face at 
Akane, "She is Georgette, and she belongs to little Azusa!"


"Georgette?" Ukyo blinked, "Azusa?  HEY...!"





"Oh man," Ranma groaned as he was finally allowed to leave 
detention, "What was that all about anyway, and why's the new teach 
picking on me...?"


"I don't know, Ranma-kun, perhaps you might care to tell me?"


Ranma spun about and said, "Nabiki?"


"You were expecting somebody else?" the older girl remarked with an 
affectionate smirk on her lovely features, "So, what is the story 
between you and the new homeroom teacher, Ranchan?  And should I 
be jealous?"


"Hey, I'm not like that!" Ranma started to protest when he saw her 
smile and knew that she was pulling his leg, "Okay...so...you waited 
for me all this time."


"I wanted to have a chance to talk with you," Nabiki assured him, "But 
don't worry, I kept myself busy.  I knew sooner or later they'd have to 
let you out for good behavior...um...well...sort of."


"Ha-ha," Ranma snorted, but then he brightened again, realizing that 
he really was glad to see her, "So...what did you want to talk about, 
Nabiki?"


"Oh, just general things," Nabiki replied with a coy look that had a lilt 
that Ranma found both intriguing and alarming, "Oneechan wants us 
both to attend a session with her at the dojo, but I thought we could 
spend some time together before then, and after all that's been 
happening these last few days..."


"Oh yeah," Ranma chuckled nervously, "Guess we could all use some 
time to relax, huh?  I mean...what with the race and that stuff with the 
Sith and the new teacher I got in homeroom..."


"Yes," Nabiki purred with a curious gleam in her eyes that made 
Ranma feel even more nervous than before without quite knowing the 
reason, "I caught the show from my homeroom...very interesting 
indeed, especially the way she dealt with the old buy and expanded out 
a bit.  But you were right there next to her, weren't you, Ranma-kun?"


"Ah," Ranma wondered why he felt like taking cover as she said this, 
"Kinda.  I mean...it was weird.  One minute she's just a kid, the next..." 
he made a vague gesture, hoping she would not ask for him to 
elaborate.


Nabiki gave him a cool appraisal before glancing off to the side and 
slyly noting, "You know, Ranma-kun, most girls would not be too 
happy about having their boyfriends ogle another girl, even when she's 
older and...pretty well developed.  You're lucky I'm a more 
enlightened girl than that or I might be very cross with you over 
spending time around such a sexy teacher.'


"Hey, give me a break!" Ranma all but pleaded, "Most of the time 
she's just a kid, and it ain't my fault if she's got some weird condition 
that makes her spurt out like that.  You ask me it smacks of magic or 
some kind of Ki manipulation..."


"Yeah," Nabiki dropped her aloof act and said, "Set alarms bells off 
for me too, and I wasn't even near to the attack when she sucked the 
life out of the old prune.  I checked to see if Grandpa Happy was all 
right and he was just starting to recover, even tried to cop a feel off of 
me, which is how I know he'll live, much how some of us would wish 
it to the contrary."


"Yeah, that's too bad," Ranma replied with a shrug, only to frown and 
add, "If that old freak does try anything with you..."


"Not to worry, Ranma-kun," Nabiki gave him a knowing look, "I can 
handle myself when it comes down to it, but I'm glad to know that I 
can still count on you as backup.  Anyway...whoever this Ninamiya 
Hinako is, I think we'd all better treat her with kid gloves until we can 
get a handle on how she does that Ki-such thing.  I just wanted to 
make sure that she didn't try to make a light snack out of you, older 
women sometimes being predatory sorts and all that."


"Ah...no problems here, Nabiki," Ranma assured her, "The teach just 
held me after hours and made he write some boring essay about school 
discipline, then she gave me a lecture and let me go.  I wasn't about to 
start nothing until I know how she does that magic coin trick of hers, 
and she's just a little kid for Kami's sakes.  Ain't like she was gonna 
start nothing..."


"You'll forgive me if I don't take that on faith, Ranma-kun," Nabiki 
said as she boldly stepped forward and then very pointedly took his 
right hand into her own and drew him along as she gave him another 
sultry look and said, "Shall we be going?"


"Uh...right," Ranma said with a certain tightness, feeling both 
awkward and embarrassed at such a public display of proprietary 
interest on Nabiki's part, and yet at the same time very grateful to her 
for taking the initiative here as he would have lacked the nerve to do 
this on his own.


They began to leave the Furinkan campus with a lightness in their step 
that had not been there for many days, and Nabiki did seem to be 
enjoying the moment as she moved alongside Ranma casually holding 
his hand and acting as if she did not care if anyone saw them doing it 
or not.  Ranma was pointedly reminded of how slender and soft her 
hand felt between his own more callused fingers, the differences 
between them being brought home rather pointedly so that he felt like 
swallowing past the lump that seemed to be blocking his throat, even 
as he cast sidelong glances at her and admired her comely profile.


"So," Nabiki began out of the blue, "What did you think about the race 
yesterday, Ranma-kun?"


"Ah...well...I'm glad you and Kasumi won instead of that Kaori," 
Ranma admitted bluntly, "I mean, sure she was nice to look at, but she 
doesn't hold a candle to either of you..."


"Really?" Nabiki sounded both surprised and pleased at one and the 
same moment.


"Yeah," Ranma replied, "I mean...um...well...you're you, and you're 
nice, and...well...I kinda got to know you and Kasumi over the last few 
weeks, and...well...um...you're..." he glanced off to the side and 
wondered if his cheeks were burning because it sure as heck felt like 
they were on fire at the moment.


"Ranma-kun," Nabiki sounded genuinely pleased, "I do believe you 
are trying to say that you find me attractive, and that's the nicest thing 
anyone has ever said to me, ever.  After all, I know that Kaori was 
much better looking..."


"No way," Ranma said flatly, "Looks like that don't mean much, it's 
what you're like on the inside that counts, right?"


"So," Nabiki mused, "You find me more attractive inside than outside, 
do you?"


"What?" Ranma blinked, "Ah...that ain't..."


"I'm just joking, Ranma-kun," Nabiki chuckled, "Try not to take 
everything so literally, especially when it comes from me.  So...does 
the same hold true for Kasumi?"


"Huh?" Ranma blinked, wondering how in the name of the Kami they 
had gotten onto this particular subject.


"You do find Kasumi attractive...yes?" Nabiki prodded him very 
gently.


"Ah...yeah..." Ranma felt that tightness again as though he were being 
trapped into another fateful admission.


"More attractive than me?" Nabiki added with a quiet note of inquiry 
in her voice.


"Ah..." Ranma blinked, "Well...uh...kinda---I mean!  How can I say 
that, Nabiki?  I mean...you're both...and I...and..."


"Never mind," Nabiki sighed wistfully, "It wasn't a fair question.  I 
guess what I'm really trying to ask is...do you like both of us, Ranma-
kun?  Equally?  With no hesitation?"


"Uh...sure," Ranma confessed, "I like you both...a lot..."


"That's very good to hear," Nabiki mused, "Because, while Oneechan 
said that you should have the right to choose, and she did come in first 
place during our match, it is beginning to look as if you may be stuck 
with the both of us if our parents have anything to say about it, 
Ranma-kun...so I suppose the real question is...do you have any 
objections to dating two women at the same time, both me and my 
sister?"


"Both?" Ranma gulped, seeing the inquiring look in her eyes and 
finding his mind turn into limp ramen noodles, "Ah...I guess..."


"I see," Nabiki mused more coyly, "Then maybe Oneechan and I 
should take you out for a test drive just to find out if a three-way deal 
is feasible for the both of us, right?"


"Hah?" Ranma said blankly, his mind utterly refusing to process the 
words "test drive" to fathom what his sometime-fiancée was implying 
in that statement.


"Ranma-kun," Nabiki sighed again, "I want you to know that I respect 
you very much, that I've come to have a very high appreciation for you 
as both a friend...and an iinazuke.  But there are times, I swear, when 
you can be as slow and as dense as Akane..."


"Hey!" Ranma protested, the thought of being compared to her 
younger sister being both disturbing and objectionable on a highly 
personal level.


"I'm just saying, Ranma-kun," Nabiki continued once again, 
"That...what happened between us yesterday has convinced me that we 
need to reevaluate our relationship in view of the fact that your father 
may have engaged you to other potential suitors besides Kaori."


"Uh...yeah?" Ranma swallowed, "You think?"


"Let's just say that I'd rather not take any more chances than we need 
to on that front," Nabiki assured him, "And I'd feel a lot safer if you 
could formally declare for one of us to nip any more nonsense in the 
bud before it happens.  In all honestly, I want to be your iinazuke, but 
if it comes down to a choice of which of us should be officially 
engaged to you, then it's logical to pick Kasumi since she's the oldest 
and the one who should logically inherit the dojo.  I'm willing to give 
Oneechan the lead and title as your legal wife if...the both of you don't 
mind allowing me to share in certain concessions..."


Ranma rapidly blinked his eyes and said, "Uh...excuse me, Nabiki, 
but...I think you lost me somewhere there.  I mean...wife?  I..."


"Oh?" Nabiki asked, "Do you mean to say that you're not interested in 
marrying Oneechan?  Because if you're not..."


"That ain't what I mean..." Ranma gulped, "Ah...I mean...Kasumi...a 
wife?  She's...ah...I mean...is that what she wants?  Ah...because I 
wouldn't want to force her..."


"You can't be serious," Nabiki said dryly, "You mean you don't know 
how Oneechan feels about you after all this time of training with her, 
Ranma-kun?  She loves you, you know, and if you didn't care about 
her, then you didn't have to give her that fish sausage..."


"But...I mean...what about you?" Ranma blurted, then got round-eyed 
as he realized his own admission.


"Me?" Nabiki gave him one of her more inscrutable looks and said, 
"I'd be happy to be your wife, Ranma-kun.  You only have to ask me."


"But...um...really?" he gulped, wondering if he were imagining things 
or if she really was serious this time.


"I am totally serious," she said, proving once again how hard it was to 
keep anything from someone who was also a gifted telepath, "I'll be 
your wife if you want to marry me, but I'll be almost as happy to give 
that honor to Kasumi, depending on which of us you'd more want to 
marry."


"But...how can I choose?" Ranma asked, "You're both so...um...I 
mean..."


"Oho?" Nabiki arched and eyebrow, "You want to marry both of us?  
You're quite the Lothario, Ranma-kun, and I never suspected you had 
it in you."


"But...what...I...?" by now Ranma was totally bewildered, and his 
emotions were in an even more knotted state than his thoughts as he 
tried to get a grasp over what Nabiki was saying to him.  Once again 
he was convinced that women were an entirely different species from 
men who used very different logic circuits to process information, 
either that or he really was as dense as Akane.  It reminded him of how 
much smarter Nabiki was than him in most respects, and what a 
mistake it was trying to cross wits with her since he always felt like an 
unarmed opponent.  About the only thing he did make sense of the 
whole affair was that she had stated plainly that she wanted to marry 
him, but that somehow she did not want to exclude her older sister 
either, which seemed to suggest...


Just then Ranma felt something impinge upon his senses, like a 
painfully sharp blow to the side of the head, but a second later he 
realized that it was not his own head that was being struck by an 
unknown assailant.  He turned about and glanced down a darkened ally 
even as Nabiki copied the gesture, no doubt having perceived the exact 
same disturbance in the Force, which came from somewhere just a few 
blocks away, close enough that they could almost hear the sounds of 
an uneven battle, which set them both on edge in an instant.


"Nabiki..." Ranma started to say.


"I'm on it, Ranma-kun," she turned and let go of his arm, "It's coming 
from that direction."


Without a need to voice the thought between them they both took off 
at a run and vaulted over a wall before landing on the opposite side of 
the ally, and there they found the source of the disturbance in the 
person of one boy being assaulted by four others wearing animal 
masks.


"How do you like that now, Punk?" one of the quartet demanded, "Not 
so hot without your momma standing over you to hold your hand..."


"Yeah," a second punk belligerently shouted, "On account of you our 
Boss got sucked like a mummy.  We lost our jobs on account of you 
leading her there, and now we're gonna get even!"


"And we ain't gonna rush things neither," a third punk nastily informed 
their victim, "We're gonna take our time with you and really make you 
suffer!"


"Leave him alone!" Ranma shouted as he and Nabiki approached the 
masked trio.


"You stay outta this!" a forth Punk demanded, pulling out a Tanto 
knife from concealment and holding it up in a threatening manner, 
"This ain't none of your---!"


That was all he got to say before his face was driven into the nearest 
wall, his knife falling from nerveless hands as Ranma casually side-
stepped the punk with eyes set levelly upon the others.  A second punk 
took a swing at him and did not get the chance to regret his error 
before a single punch sent him sprawling down the length of the ally.  
Ranma spun on his own momentum and knocked the leg out from 
under a third punk who tried to kick him, then casually caught up the 
creep and tossed him over one shoulder, sending him sprawling in the 
dirt almost at the very feet of Nabiki.


"Who the hell are---?" the last remaining Punk demanded as his hand 
went into his jacket and came out holding a handgun.  He might as 
well have been reaching for the room, however, as Ranma stepped 
inside his guard and smashed him into unconsciousness with an elbow, 
the caught the gun in one hand, giving the nasty looking object a 
contemptful flare seconds before reducing it to its constituent 
components.


"Very nicely done, Ranma-kun," Nabiki complimented, only to give a 
sharp kick to the prone man attempting to grab her by the ankle, 
sending him all the way over into unconsciousness, "No wasted 
motion, and very efficient."


"Thanks," Ranma said with faint disgust in his voice, "But these guys 
were nothing, and a martial artist shouldn't have to pick on weaklings, 
even if they are Yakuza."


"Yakuza?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow at that, "Are you certain?"


"I've dealt with punks like that before," Ranma hooked a thumb at his 
prone victims, "And only Yakuza guys could smuggle a handgun in 
past customs.  Most places guns are harder to find than honest 
merchants."  He turned and stared at the huddled boy on the ground 
and said, "You okay now, Man?  They didn't hurt you too much, did 
they?"


Gosunkugi took a risk of uncovering his face to stare up at the face of 
his most recent benefactor, and then he blinked with recognition and 
amazement, seeing only open concern in the expression of his newly 
acquainted classmate.


"Man, twice in one week," Ranma tossed a glare at the unconscious 
hoods, "These low-lifes must really have it in for you.  Gosunkugi, 
right?  How you doing?"


"Ah..." Gosunkugi sat partially upright and looked around, surprised to 
see his tormentors were now in even worse shape than himself, 
looking very much as though they had just taken a tangle with cyclone.


"You know this guy, Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked.


"Just met 'im the other day, Nabiki," Ranma explained, "Kasumi and 
me ran into these creeps trying to pick on this guy, only before we got 
there they had a little encounter with Miss Hinako.  I think you can 
imagine how that turned out."


"Right," Nabiki knelt down and examined Gosunkugi's injuries, 
"That's a nasty gash you've got over one eye, and those bruises are 
gonna need some attention.  Good thing Tofu-Sensie's clinic is close 
nearby, he can have you fixed up in no time.  By the way, my name 
is..."


"Tendo Nabiki," Gosunkugi said, then gave a start as he looked up and 
said, "And you're...Saotome Ranma?"


"Yeah, what about it?" Ranma asked.


"I..." all at once Gosunkugi's eyes became unfocused and he stared off 
into space with a startled expression, saying the words, "I...I see 
danger...darkness looming over the both of you...and death in the 
wings...darkness holding fire...I..." and then he sagged, gasping aloud, 
"It's gone...I almost saw it..."


"Huh?" Ranma asked in confusion.


"He had a vision," Nabiki said excitedly, "I could almost see it in his 
mind.  You're...clairvoyant?"


"Yeah...I guess," Gosunkugi seemed to be visibly sweating, "I want to 
thank you for...for coming to my rescue...but...but there's 
something...that you have to know..." and then he sagged back against 
the wall and slumped into unconsciousness.


"What the heck?" Ranma blinked.


"He's just exhausted, Ranma-kun," Nabiki replied with a sniff, "And, 
typically, right in the middle of when he was about to tell us something 
important.  Come on, let's get him over to Tofu's place then we can 
find out what else was in his vision."


"I hope it ain't nothing bad," Ranma said as he easily lifted the slighter 
boy into his arms, "But it sounded like he was seeing some kind of 
danger."


"Sounded like that to me as well," Nabiki pondered, "He's obviously a 
sensitive, someone naturally gifted with psychic abilities, and quite 
obviously the use of his powers takes a lot out of him, and it doesn't 
help that he's obviously been treated very poorly by someone.  I'd like 
to learn more about his story, and if there's anything that we can do to 
help out..."


"Right," Ranma implicitly agreed as they headed for Tofu's clinic, the 
sense of urgency growing within him that warned that their too-brief 
respite might be coming to an end a lot sooner than expected, but that 
the thing that worried him most was not any fear that the trouble might 
be directed towards him.  It was the vague sense that Nabiki might 
herself be in some kind of danger that made him feel anxious.  He was 
only just getting used to the idea of being around her, after all, and the 
idea that someone might try to hurt her, like Darth Purge, was enough 
to cause a tightening in his chest that further spurred him onward, very 
much wanting to know the rest of Gosunkugi's vision...




Continued.


Comments/Criticisms/Psychotic's Hotline: shadowmane@ridgenet.net


What is the meaning of Gosunkugi's vision, and how does it relate to 
the impending fate of Ranma, Nabiki and Kasumi?  What new menace 
looms in the background as they try to make a go of their odd three-
way engagement, and are the Sith behind it once again...or is there 
something else out there that's nastier than Darth Purge?  And what 
about Akane's group when they meet a certain golden pair at the ice 
rink?  Be here next time for these and other important questions: 
"Menagerie a Toi," or, "La Cage Ice Follies!"  Be there!






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