Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Two Wallets ❯ Through a Mirror Dorky ( Chapter 106 )

A Tale of Two Wallets

(An Altered Destiny)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Valhalla, the Lounge Area.

In al the bright and shining realm of Gladsheim, there was no more sacred place, no more revered and hallowed area than that neutral space surrounding the Cross-Dimensional Portal, which served in lieu of a mortal TV (the wide-screen HTDV Holographic edition, that is), this owing to the fact that regular battles between multi-dimensional beings tends to play havoc with the reception, to say nothing of repair costs to furniture and personnel. As such a state of Truce was in force around this area, violations of which were on pain of having to buy the beer kegs for the next millennium, a steep price to pay for relative peace, of course, but there you have it.

Here the gods sat down to watch their favorite sport (RE: Entertainment) transpiring on the sphere of their Mortal retainers, and in this area frequent arguments over who has the remote would often lead to the contending parties having to take it outside to settle things with a little divinely inspired mayhem. The Portal was capable of Multi-channel interactions so it was possible for them to view a multiple number of planes and dimensions simultaneously, which did a lot to help cut down on the brawls that might otherwise distract from watching the fun going on with the mortals.

Contrary to popular myth, gods were very rarely of the "All-Seeing and All Knowing" variety, and those few who were gifted with divine knowledge and wisdom generally tended to keep it to themselves so as not to incur too much resentment from their peerage. Most Gods had fairly limited perceptions, (albeit they certainly ranked a good deal higher on the perceptiveness level than most mortals) and as such had to depend on artificial means for keeping tabs on their worshippers. Most were plugged into the Yggdrasil relay net with standby protocols to let them know whether their names were being invoked in prayer or in vain, in which case their Pagers would go off and let them know if they had to put in a personal appearance or just do some plain old fashioned smiting.

The portal was an easier way for them to pass the time when otherwise not engaged with their Godly offices, and so it was not uncommon for them to rub shoulders with beings from rival pantheons with whom they did not exactly share a love of mutual co-existence. Some had grudges going back almost literally to the dawn of time while others were merely suffering from petty snits that often divided them even from close kin for a few centuries. No one could hold a grudge or nurse a pet peeve like a divinity, of course, so the explosive tensions that often singed the air between mortals enemies went a good deal towards explaining why the ban on violence had such strict enforcement.

The one eternal problem facing nearly all Immortal beings is boredom. The quest for novelty, for diversion and the sublime ascendance of mortal passions consumed their waking hours both night and day. Mortals were the answer to the problems faced by gods who had outlived the shifting of the continents and the destruction of the fifth solar planet, who had otherwise literally seen and done it all and were far too jaded to be impressed with the petty, ordinary cares of life, so they often resorted to the use of heroes to brighten up the tedium and ennui with which most were ordinarily confronted.

So it was that the discovery of an obscure suburb on the fringes of one of the Earth's largest metropolitan city had been a literal godsend when it happened to be noticed that there was a Temporal Nexus living there by the name of Saotome Ranma. This Ranma embodied all that was best and worst in humanity, all of the positive and negative traits most favored by divinities when they were searching for a toy or plaything. A hero, in their collective opinion, should be capable of forcefully asserting himself in the most impossible of situations while acting randomly and unpredictably so that you never knew which way he would jump if you prodded him with a test or a challenge. Beings who thought nothing of quirking events to bring more and more powerful challengers together (the literal equivalent to shoving a stick into an anthill to see how much excitement you can stir up) were quick to provide incentive for the boy to constantly leap from one crisis to the next just for the thrill of seeing what would happen, and how much it would hurt when it was all over. This Ranma had proven to be a virtual gold mine of interesting moments, and not a few of the more ecchi of the gods privately lusted for him in either of his aspects.

Of course, presently, one of their favorite alternate timelines was currently undergoing a kind of bifocal dislocation, meaning that the screen covering events there had split into two halves running parallel to one another. This produced more than the usual number of complaints, but after calling in a repair team it was determined that the fault lay not within the portal but with the dimension itself, which was currently undergoing a Maintenance Review at the Main Office.

"What, again?" complained Heimdall, who was enjoying some off-duty time from his regular post at Bifrost.

"Look" Hephaestus said patiently, "I've already told you it's not in the equipment. Everything checks out, and the anti-bugging software hasn't turned up any glitches."

"I've run those tests twice myself," Skuld insisted, "It's not in the program either. As near as I can tell the dimension is being duplicated with a backup copy made from the original template even while the current program is still in operation."

"Then what could be causing this, Sugar?" asked the Love Goddess, Freya, whose southern Vanir drawl gave her sultry voice a certain quixotic down-home country flavor.

"Unknown at this time," responded Anubis, who was also enjoying some off time from his Underworld Guardian position, "But I suspect someone may be placing a bet right now and forgot to inform us."

"OH," came the collective response from the host. They all knew what happened when one placed "Bet" entries in an already existing program. It tended to spit out random alternate pathways that tended to spiral off into their own separate dimensions.

"Apparently someone is doing an inquiry into cross-temporal randomization," hypothesized Athena.

"Would you mind explaining that in Aetolian Greek, Sis?" Aphrodite winced, hating it when she came off looking like the "Dumb Blonde" in this outfit.

"It means we'll have to wait until things clear up," Hephaestus shrugged, "Might as well enjoy the show, looks like something pretty interesting is about to happen on one of these parallel timelines…"

Nabiki's Journal Resumes:

I've often had that peculiar feeling that someone is watching me, but on this occasion I chose to ignore it. Approaching the Nekohanten left me feeling more than slightly anxious…I mean, this was a different world with different rules, right? How much of what I knew from my own timeline could I rely upon as being consistent? Would Cologne even acknowledge me or be willing to cooperate knowing as much as I did about what motivates my great-grandmother-in-law on my timeline?

So you can see what an anxious state of mind I was in when we entered the restaurant (which is rarely locked even this early in the morning…I mean, can you imagine the thief hapless enough to try and knock off THIS particular restaurant?) and were greeted to the sight of the old woman calmly cleaning some articles of jewelry on one table, as if she were as safe as in the National Vault. The sight of all those expensive looking articles definitely raised my eyebrows, but this was not a time to think about that kind of business. I had something way more serious to discuss here and no way was I letting myself be distracted by all that fabulous wealth (even if the idea of ogling alone was rather tempting).

Of course no sooner had I set foot in the restaurant then Cologne reacted to the sight of me as if a horde of screaming Mongols had just invaded the place. Almost too quick for even my eye to follow she scooped up her valuable trinkets and whisked them away to some pocket space as thoroughly as if we had only just imagined it being there in the first place. She then became the gracious hostess and said, "If you are looking for Shampoo, Son-in-law, she is out making deliveries and won't be back for at least a few more minutes."

"I ain't looking for Shampoo, old Ghoul," Ranma immediately snapped, causing me to wonder just how great a separation existed between them on this world, and how hard that must be on Sham-chan, "Nabiki's gotta question for you, and she ain't actin' like herself, so she thinks maybe you could explain something, like what's suddenly so weird about her."

"Weird do you say?" Cologne fetched those owlish eyes of hers in my direction, but in reply I ignored the gnarled old troll who confronted me and turned my attention to a shadowy outline that I saw framing around me, which I knew to be her actual "Shadow" presence.

Akane, who had insisted on tagging along once she had revived from the brief nap I'd given her, responded before I could, "She's been acting really strange and calling herself Ranma's fiancee! We want to know if she's possessed or something…"

"Possessed?" Cologne was giving me a curious scrutiny, as if recognizing on instinct that I was not the same Nabiki with whom she was accustomed.

"They don't accept that I come from another reality similar to this one but very different," I replied, "I'm not the Nabiki they think I am…but I am Tendo Nabiki, and I can prove it if you'd like to test me."

Cologne nodded her head thoughtfully and said, "Your aura is definitely stronger than before, and I sense an inner strength and purpose unlike what I've known in your presence. You say you are from another world? Describe for me what is essentially different about it?"

"Where would you like for me to begin…Old Woman?" I arched my tone with a cunning smile that got her attention, "Or should I call you 'Mother-in-law,' since I was officially adopted into your family by Shampoo shortly after she declared me as her second airen."

"Say what?" Ranma looked at me once more with that "Who the heck are you, Lady?" expression, while Akane just seemed puzzled as if not understanding to what it was that I was alluding.

Cologne's own response was poignant as she stared at me with both eyebrows climbing dangerously near to her hairline. In a studied tone of voice she said, "I see…you mean Shampoo took you for a wife…and Ranma for her husband?"

"Bingo," I winked, "Got it in one…and before you ask how I rate Warrior status, my official title is Apprenticed Lore Master."

"Lore Master?" Cologne repeated the word with hooded eyes, then like a cobra her staff leaped out at my face, only to be caught and deflected by my hand as though her rapid thrust had been aimed in slow motion. I knew she intended to pull up short of me by a few inches, but the mere fact that I had been able to intercept her feigned attack was enough to confirm that I wasn't all that ordinary.

Of course the mere fact that I had been challenged inspired me to show off a bit more of my raw talents. Ever since confronting Kirin in his stronghold, and all that stuff that went on in Pangea, I had become increasingly aware of my ability to tap into the random free ions of Manna energy that normally circulates all around us, and now it was simplicity itself for me to draw upon this flow to increase and surround my aura, manifesting my Ki levels so that I must have seemed to be glowing with power. I could unleash that force as a weapon had I wished to, but I wanted merely to demonstrate to Cologne that I was a capable student and worthy of my mentor's teaching.

My demonstration had the effect desired as I saw recognition register in Cologne's ancient eyes, even as I could almost read her thoughts, which ran something like, "Such power…so much power in one so young? This is Lotion's doing beyond question!"

Aloud what I said was, "I don't want to waste time on games, Matriarch. I know things other people can only guess at, and if you want to test me there you won't find me wanting."

"Whoah…!" I heard Ranma gasp, obviously seeing the intensity of my aura.

"What is that?" Akane seemed to feel my presence more than actually see the life energy with which I was currently surrounded.

"You know of things without needing them to be spoken?" Cologne asked without giving a hint in her voice of how disturbed she was at my very presence.

"I do," I replied, "For example…I know about the deal you made with Shampoo's mother in order for her to study medicine and give up being a warrior. I know why you've been training Shampoo to be your successor, and the price she's paid on account of that training."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked at me, "What price?"

"I also know of her interest in motorcycles," I continued, amused upon seeing the fleeting hint of annoyance in Cologne's expression that signified her memory of her young ward taking time away from her training to tool all over the Chinese countryside with that "damnable machine" that had belonged to her father, and felt a twinge of sympathy, recalling my own rides on Shampoo's monster. Aloud I continued, "I know her father is the village handyman-slash-engineer, and I know how he won Comb's hand in marriage. I also know about the mission you sent your granddaughter here a generation ago, and what happened as a consequence of that failed mission. I also know what fate awaits Shampoo at the end of the year should she fail to win Ranma's affections…"

"Huh?" Ranma reacted again, "What do you mean? What's gonna happen to her…?"

"Like you don't care, huh?" Akane snorted.

"I also know about the prophesy of my sensei," I resumed, "About who is destined to succeed you as the leader of your people, and it's not Shampoo, despite your fervent desire that she succeed you…should I name the one who is fated to replace her?"

"Ah…that will not be necessary," Cologne withdrew her staff and I allowed my Ki levels to subside to normal, "Clearly your are Lotion's Apprentice, though it amazes me to think that I never even suspected that you had the potential within you."

"Really?" I asked, "Are you sure it's not because the me who lives on this timeline is a greedy, money-hustling mercenary who might make a less than idea candidate?"

"Well, that too…" Cologne conceded.

"I'm my mother's daughter," I said simply, "What she could have been I am…I'm the fulfillment of her potential, and if you want me to make further demonstrations…"

"I am certain that I would be fascinated to learn the range of your present abilities," Cologne replied, "But what exactly is it that you wish from me that you cannot do for yourself?"

"That is the question," I sighed, "I need to get back to my own world…I don't belong here, and I'm supposed to be married to Ranma in the morning."

I heard the double-gasp flanking me from either side and rolled my eyes towards the ceiling, wondering how many times I would have to explain this to my companions before Ranma and Akane got used to the concept.

"And Shampoo?" Cologne inquired.

"She's officially Maid of Honor," I replied, "Unofficially…well…it's more like a double ceremony. We plan to do it Amazon style after I assume the official title of Ranma's wife. Technically we're both already married, but I want that document that says I'm Ranma's wife so I can share in his inheritance even as I give him the dojo as my dowry, thus merging our two Houses."

"I see," Cologne nodded, "A good strategy, and worthy of one with your cleverness…but am I given to understand that Ranma on your world is due to come into an inheritance?"

"Five hundred million yen's worth," I replied with a quirk, "But that's not why I'm marrying him. I love my Ranma, and I was going to marry him even when I thought he was just a pauper."

"Say what?" Ranma responded, "Where the hell does that kind of money come from?"

"From your great uncle on your mother's side of course," I turned to regard the poor boy with a wry expression, "It's part of the Tsukino fortune. You Dad knows all about it."

"And how come he never told me?" Ranma's eyes darkened to an appropriate shade of outrage.

"The same reason my daddy never told me," I replied, "Your great uncle hates your father and considers him little more than a petty thief, so he wrote into his will that you wouldn't receive a dime of that money until you turned eighteen and had officially married. He wanted you to be old enough and mature enough to control your own fortune and see to it your dad never got the chance to squander it, fancy that. I guess one out of two isn't all that bad…"

"That-that-that BAKA!!!" now it was Ranma's turn to manifest a potent battle aura.

"Your point being?" I responded, only to hear Akane's grating voice say, "I KNEW IT! I knew there had to be a reason why you were after him, Nabiki!"

"I beg your pardon?" I replied, turning to regard my outraged little sister.

"You want him for his money and this whole thing's a plot by you to try and con your way into inheriting his fortune!" my sister accused, "You don't really love him, you're just pretending, like the last time!"

"Excuse me?" it was my turn to arch eyebrows, "The last time I what?"

"The last time you became engaged to him, that's what!" Akane spat, "You tricked me into giving him up, then you exploited him and put Ranma through hell to fatten up your profit margin, selling him off on dates to his other fiancées before you got tired of him and dropped poor Ranma like a hot potato!"

"I did all that?" I was frankly appalled, though it certainly sounded like something I might have done if I were the cold-hearted mercenary bitch that everyone seemed to think I was in this dimension.

"Yes!" Akane snorted, "Well, it's not gonna work this time, Nabiki! You had your chance and you blew it! Ranma's engaged to me and I'm not letting you have him…"

"Oh?" I asked in arched tones, "You mean you're in love with him, little sister?"

"Huh?" I saw her blink in dismay at my question, almost as if it were an accusation, "Of course I don't love him! He's rude, obnoxious, inconsiderate to others, violent, arrogant, makes fun of my cooking…"

"Ahuh," I replied, "And except for that last part how does he differ from you, pray tell?"

"Huh?" Akane blinked, then her temper flared again, "You just keep away from him, you got that! I don't know what's gotten into you, but…"

"Answer me something, little sister," I said, "Why do you want to marry him?"

"Hah?" she said again, "Who says I want to marry him!"

"You just did," I pointed out, "I'm just asking why you'd want to do that. I mean…not to be cruel or anything, but I just don't see how you two could ever work out as a couple. You're just not right for each other, bad chemistry, incompatible personalities, too many of the same vices and not enough shared virtues…do you really think the two of you would be all that happy together? And just think of the children…"

"Hey," Ranma complained, "Where do you get off talking like that, Nabiki and…what children?" I heard the TILT button go off inside his head, clearly proving to me that this was very much like my version of Ranma, only under the horrible delusion that he was in love with my sister.

Before I had the chance to answer him, though, a cheerful voice called out, "I home!" followed in predictably short order by an enthusiastic, "Ranma! NIHAO!!!"

I was amused to see a bouncy Chinese Amazon glomp onto Ranma with the passion of a starving bear who has just discovered a tree full of honey. Ranma's face showed both dismay and discomfort, though, which told me at once that this was not a welcome gesture and certainly not reciprocated.

"Shampoo-get off me!" Ranma protested, and tried to pry himself loose, to no avail, though Shampoo hung on to him with desperate strength, clearly not wanting to release him. I felt a twinge shoot through me at the sudden realization that Shampoo knew her love was not being returned but did not want to acknowledge this truth, being desperately afraid of being abandoned and rejected.

Akane, predictably enough, saw something entirely different in the situation and at once surged forward, "RANMA-YOU LET GO OF HER THIS-!!!"

She got no farther than two steps before my foot shot out and tripped her to the floor. Akane landed with remarkably poor grace for a martial artist, even banging her nose on the floor, which showed me just how pathetic her reflexes were on this timeline.

"This is your idea of love?" I asked my sister, "Another woman makes a pass at him and your first instinct is to blame Ranma for being unfaithful?"

"Akane…let me go, Shampoo!" Ranma finally prevailed as Shampoo reluctantly let go of him, and at once Ranma knelt down to try and help Akane back to a sitting position, only to get a slap in his face for his troubles.

"OW!" he reacted more in surprise than pain at the gesture, "What did you do that for?"

"You delight in humiliating me, don't you!" Akane backed away without getting back to her feet, misery plain upon her features, "You're all against me, every one of you! And you're the worst, Nabiki! How could you do this to me?"

"You did it to yourself," I retorted, then sighed, "Akane…this isn't good for you. Look at the way you're acting…do you think mother would look down at you from heaven and be pleased at the way her little girl is turning out?"

"You…what do you mean?" Akane blinked at me, "Since when have you suddenly gotten religious?"

"Since I want to the Astral Plane and saw the ghost of our true mother," I replied, "She knows what we've been doing with our lives, Akane…she knows what kind of a person you're turning out to be. Do you think she could be happy knowing that the one of us who's turned out to be the most like her tries to solve all of her problems with her fists instead of giving other people the benefit of the doubt? You let your fears run away with you and it's turning you into a very unpleasant person to be around. You've got to learn to let it go and be less angry all of the time, especially around Ranma."

"Aiyaa…" I heard Shampoo exclaim, "What make Nabiki talk this way? Great-grandmother, is she like time family visited by Oni?"

"Why does everybody ask me that?" I sighed, "Sham-chan…ah…Shampoo…I'm not quite the same Nabiki that you remember. I…ah…well…" I found myself looking into her beautiful reddish brown eyes and for a moment my courage faltered.

"Nabiki is not the same person that we have known, indeed," Cologne remarked, "I am beginning to suspect that the differences both within and without are even greater than I could have imagined."

That was about the point when Mousse put in an appearance, coming in from the back of the restaurant and at once focusing on Shampoo, which put me on my guard, only to see him react with hostility when he caught sight of Ranma.

"Saotome!" the clueless wonder declared, "PREPARE TO DIE!!!"

I reacted before anyone else would have imagined possible, having already built back up the charge that I had drawn before as I had anticipated the Chinese boy making a play for my Ranma. Had I taken a moment to think about it I might have allowed Ranma to fight his own battles, but I was feeling more than a bit on edge and needed to take it out on somebody, and you have to admit that Mousse makes a pretty tempting target.

My ki-attack caught the boy completely by surprise, striking him down like a spitting cobra and singing the fringes of his clothing as he landed in a sprawl amid some chairs and a table. I heard him groaning, "What happened…?" just before he slumped into unconsciousness, even as I took a deep breath and allowed my ki levels to flow back to their normal level.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured into the ensuing silence.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, "That was reflex."

"Kami-sama," Akane whispered, "How did Nabiki do that?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Ranma replied, "What an attack that was…I bare felt it coming!"

"I think, young lady, that we should have that talk now," Cologne said in a dry tone of voice, "For one thing I'd be very much interested in hearing more about the world you hail from."

"I am at your disposal, Matriarch," I replied, hoping against hope that I was now one step closer to finding my way back home, and hopefully before my match with the Gambler King was scheduled to happen…

"I think she's coming around now," were the first words that Nabiki recognized as consciousness did indeed return to her, followed closely by the words, "We need to talk, you and I…and I think you had better take a moment because what I have to say will not be easy for you to handle."

Nabiki opened her eyes and found the purple haired woman named Comb leaning over her with a concerned expression on her handsomely mature face. Taking a moment to think about it, Nabiki responded to this by saying, "That's putting it mildly, Lady."

"It's doctor to you," the Chinese Amazon replied, "I am Shampoo's mother, Comb of the Joketsuzoku, and you are Tendo Nabiki…and yet you are not, I take it?"

"Well," Nabiki glanced around and saw many other anxious faces hovering close nearby, not least of which were Ranma and Shampoo, "I'm Tendo Nabiki…but I'm not sure about the rest of this set up."

Comb nodded to that, "It seems that Silk was right about you…you are not the Nabiki that we remember. My daughter-in-law is made of sterner stuff than this, not that I can blame you for fainting, given how unprepared you must have been for so many revelations."

"Ah…you could say that…Doctor," Nabiki slowly sat upright, encouraged that the purple haired woman did not deter her, "Did you…just call me your daughter-in-law?"

"The Nabiki I know is married to my daughter," Comb replied, "She is Amazon by adoption, and co-wife to my son-in-law. I tend to think of her as yet another daughter, though I'd be happy to be your daughter, were it not that someone else is angling for the position of your mother."

"Er…about that," Nabiki said, "Who was that with Daddy? She…she looked a lot like my mother…"

"That would be Silk," Comb sighed, "My best friend and a junior Lore Master who just happens by some amazing quirk of fate to bear a strong resemblance to your late mother. We used to joke that they were twins separated at birth, though at times I have wondered if we were really joking about that."

"Excuse me?" Nabiki said, "Would you mind running that one by me again? This Silk character is my mom's long-lost twin sister?"

"Ah…something like that," a voice hesitantly ventured as the woman in question moved forward from the hallway, "Would it be possible for the two of us to talk alone, Comb? I know you want to be on your way seeking out your grandmother…"

"Just don't push too much onto her at once," Comb rose to her formidable height, "Too much of a shock won't be good for her system. I do need to leave at once, but I want to have your word that you won't try giving her a crash course in everything that is different from our world and the one that you say she comes from."

"I promise I will be gentle," Silk nodded to the purple haired woman, "Now be on your way and let me explain myself to Nabiki. I'm sure she's a very capable young girl, just like my future stepdaughter. Now then, young lady…you gave your father and me quite a fright. How are you feeling?"

"Er…well…" Nabiki considered the point, "Under the circumstances…"

"Shampoo not understand," Shampoo blurted out, "Is Nabiki really Nabiki?"

"Yeah," Ranma said, "What gives? Is she our Nabiki or what?"

"That is what I intend to get to the bottom of, you two," Silk shoed them out of the room, along with the others, "Now wait in the hallway and I'll let you know when she's ready to receive you."

The Amazon closed the door on the faces attempting to peer past her shoulders then turned around and sighed, giving Nabiki an apologetic nod before saying, "I'm very sorry about all this…it must be quite trying for your nerves. I'm not surprised you tried to cover for yourself, but you knew that it had to come out sooner or later that you are not in your correct timeline."

"That's what I want to ask you about, lady," Nabiki frowned, "Just how the hell did I get here?"

"You mean you don't want to ask me about how I've come to be engaged to your father?" Silk raised her left hand and displayed her ring finger.

"Well…" Nabiki winced, "That too…"

"First of all," the woman sat down in proper Japanese fashion and composed herself with such dignity that Nabiki had no trouble thinking of her as a proper lady, "You do seem to be aware that there is more than one universe in existence, and many possible timelines that exist parallel beside one another."

"Well…" Nabiki shrugged, "I've seen enough science fiction that I can at least get with the program on that. So…this is a different world, huh, one where I'm somehow engaged to marry Ranma…and Shampoo's a part of the package?"

"You are bisexual are you not?" Silk inquired, "Or are you telling me that the thought of a physical relationship with another woman is beyond your nature?"

"Ah…well…" Nabiki squirmed uncomfortably at the playful, teasing tone of the older woman, "I've never…done it with anyone, if that's what you mean…either a guy or a girl…"

"I wasn't asking if you are a virgin, dear," Silk smiled, "I merely ask if the thought of marrying Shampoo upsets you more than sharing her with Saotome Ranma."

"Er…" Nabiki glanced away, "Truth to tell, the idea's never really crossed my mind, you know what I mean?"

"Does it surprise you to know that Shampoo cares for you that way?" Silk asked in a gentle manner.

"Frankly…yes it does," Nabiki replied, "She's never seemed to care about anyone but Ranma…though now that I think about it, she's never been reluctant to glomp onto him in either of his aspects…"

"Shampoo had a lover in China whom she had thought had died at the hands of an enemy," Silk revealed, "She grieved for two years before encountering your husband-to-be, and only recently did she discover that her loved one had survived and had taken another for her lover. She revealed this to your counterpart and it brought you closer together with your husband."

"So Shampoo got a little on the sly before Ranma, huh?" Nabiki filed this away as potentially useful information, "What was her name, by the way, just in case anybody asks?"

"Lotion the Younger," Silk replied, "Not to be confused with her great grandmother and your mentor, Lotion the Lore Master."

"My…mentor?" Nabiki blinked, "Wanna run that one by me again?"

"Your counterpart is apprenticed to become a Lore Master, much like I am," Silk replied, "Grandmother chose your other self as her student after Shampoo discovered your potential and ever since you have been Grandmother's favorite teacher's pet, for which you have my sincerest condolences and pity."

"So this training…what does it do?" Nabiki wondered.

"Oh…all sorts of interesting things," Silk smiled and brought her hands up to face one another, separated by less than a foot, and as she concentrated on that space between them it eventually was filled by the crackle of luminous energy passing from one hand to the other.

Nabiki's eyebrows climbed as she wondered what her counterpart was capable of doing.

"Mainly being a Lore Master means that we have the potential to know and learn things, for we are the trustees and guardians of Knowledge," Silk remarked as she lowered her hands, the energy crackle vanishing as swiftly as it had been summoned, "Information is our tool and our weapon, though we are bound by rules in how we may apply our knowledge. Knowledge is power, you see, and the ability to manipulate power has consequences farther reaching than the average mind might expect. Being essentially the same person as my prospective stepdaughter, you naturally have this potential within you."

"Wait a minute," Nabiki said, "You don't mean to suggest that I should study this stuff too? Sorry, but I don't do magic…"

"But what if you could?" Silk wondered, "You must at least concede that the prospect would be most tempting."

"Well…" Nabiki had to privately concede that the possession of some kind of a power would have many interesting applications, but so far her experiences with magic had warned her off from dabbling in the unknown and dangerous stuff that usually surrounded Ranma.

Silk smiled and said, "I am gratified to see you hesitate, it shows intelligence and caution. Too many are blinded by power for its own sake and fail to realize that power is a two edged sword that cuts both ways. Abusing one's power can have potentially lethal consequences."

"Er…can we go back to the bit about you being my mother's twin sister?" Nabiki pleaded.

"Certainly," Silk nodded, "Only I wouldn't go so far as to say that Kimiko and I were sisters…though in a very real sense I suppose we were. In truth we were rivals for your father's hand in marriage some twenty years ago, and for a time your father even considered marrying me instead of your mother. I chose to decline the honor and returned to my homeland…though not without consequences, as it turned out…"

"Whoah, whoah, WHOAH!!!" Nabiki waved her hands frantically, "You're going way too fast! What do you mean you and Mom were rivals? Twenty years ago? What's that all about?"

"Forgive me," Silk nodded, "I was trying to be brief because time is not being very kind to us and we have a bit of a deadline to consider. Simply put, twenty years ago Comb and I were sent to Japan by our Matriarch in search of Happosai with the intent of recovering the long lost treasures he once pilfered from our village…are you with me so far?"

"You and that…Comb?" Nabiki blinked.

"The very same," Silk nodded and continued, "We found Happosai but ran afoul of his two apprentices…"

"Let me guess…and they defeated you in battle?" Nabiki wondered.

"Would that it were so in my case," Silk smiled with a wistful expression, "No, we fought them to a standstill then called a truce. Eventually we became close friends…or at least I did with your father. Comb denies that she has ever had such feelings for Genma, not that I can blame her for considering that subject too embarrassing…"

"Wait, wait!" Nabiki pleaded, "Ranma's father…and Shampoo's MOTHER???"

"Nothing came of it, and Shampoo isn't Genma's if that is what you are wondering," Silk assured her, "Comb returned to China and married Hairbrush, her husband, and has had three beautiful daughters, Shampoo being the oldest. I, on the other hand, slept with your father and bore him a daughter, your older sister, Kachu…"

"HOLD IT!!!" Nabiki's nostrils flared, "Are you saying Daddy cheated on my mother?"

"No," Silk replied calmly, "He wasn't married at the time. We were in love, but I knew he loved another as much as he did me. I surrendered him to your mother and went home to China, only to discover that I was with child. Your father never even knew about it until quite recently, and now Kachu has found a husband of her own by the name of Tofu Ano…"

"DOCTOR TOFU???" Nabiki exclaimed in disbelief, "And what does Kasumi think about this?"

"Kasumi…is in love with someone else, not Tofu," Silk replied delicately, "She wishes her sister quite well, and I am delighted to announce that my daughter's marriage has proven fruitful as she is about to make me a deliriously happy grandmother."

Nabiki just stared for a few seconds before saying aloud, "Tofu…and this girl's name is Kachu?"

"I named her for the technique, Tenshin Kachu Amarugiken," Silk shrugged, "I thought at the time that it sounded like a strong Amazon name…how little I suspected just how strong she would turn out to be. She is trained as a Devil Hunter and her temperament…well…let's just say in most respects she is the opposite to Kasumi."

"And now you're back in Daddy's life…and you want to pick up where you left off…as it nothing has happened?" Nabiki said slowly.

"Well, give your father a little credit, dear," Silk smiled, "He's had ten years to grieve…don't you think he's entitled to a little happiness? I'm not trying to take the place of your mother, any more than she took my place in Soun-chan's heart twenty years ago. I consider it an honor to even be considered for the role of his second wife, and I will do all that is in my power to honor your mother's memory and never take her place in anything but a physical aspect."

"Yeah, right," Nabiki frowned, "I hope you don't take this personally, but I'm not too cozy on this. Are you telling me my counterpart is okay with this concept?"

"Not entirely," Silk sighed, "But I hope one day to win a place in her heart so that I don't always come across as her 'Wicked' stepmother."

"Somehow you don't seem all that wicked," Nabiki admitted frankly.

"Never judge a book by a cover, dear," Silk flashed a charming smile, and Nabiki found herself oddly warming up to this strange woman who looked so much like her mother.

"So," Nabiki said, "Other than you screwing around with my father, what else should I know about my counterpart and what she's been up to?"

"That might take quite a while to cover, and we really don't have much time before we have to get over to the dojo in order to win the place back from those who are trying to take it from us," Silk replied, "It was agreed last night that you had the best chance of prevailing at cards, only now it looks as if we may have to come up with a new strategy since you are not a trained Lore Master and the Gambler King cheats in ways no ordinary opponent could counter."

"Who says I can't win at cards?" Nabiki reacted, "Who do you think is going to go in my place, Ranma? He's got the worst poker face of anybody I've ever known, including Daddy."

"A good point that," Silk mused in a thoughtful tone of voice, "Perhaps I should have another go at it. Now that I'm aware of the King's nature, I'm sure I can make a better accounting of myself…"

"No," Nabiki got to her feet, "This is my house we're talking about, so if I've got a stake in it, then I ought to be able to defend it…ah…does that sound as funny to you as it does to me? I mean, normally it's Akane who says stuff like that, but…"

"You're winging it as best you can, dear," Silk smiled encouragingly, "Still, it is good to know that you have as much family spirit on your timeline as you do over here. Hmmm…perhaps we should consult your journal notes on your computer. Perhaps your other self wrote down some ideas that you might be able to find useful…"

She stopped when she saw the shocked expression Nabiki was wearing, and then in a voice oddly drained of tone Nabiki asked, "I have a computer…?"

Naomi was unusually subdued on the ride home in her limousine with Kento and Rachael, her daughter fast asleep from all the excitement of the meeting taking place in the Oni dimension. Naomi envied her daughter's innocence, untroubled by the sorts of tormented thoughts that would probably prevent Naomi herself from enjoying a decent night of untroubled sleep. The things that Ganglot woman had told her were more than somewhat disturbing, about Naomi's employer, his real intentions and what was truly at stake in the real estate grab that was going on under the cover of a corporate expansion. Some of what was said was bordering on the fantastic and unbelievable, but lacking any evidence of a fraud, it was the sense there was more truth than fairy tale to the story that Oni woman had told her.

The idea that there was more than one person in the world who shared her (supposedly) unique problems with directions was disturbing by itself (and not just because of what it would mean to the tourist agencies the world over). In a way it did make a kind of sense, though, as Naomi had always known the problem could not be hers alone, being that she had never done anything in her own life (Well, other than the mergers, hostile takeovers and forced acquisitions of her later years) to earn this thing with dimensional dyslexia that had plagued her since infancy. Bad karma was not retroactive (or at least so her guru had always insisted during yoga classes) so the fault could not be with her alone but was in her stars (or maybe her genetic code, assuming there was a biological reason why curses could be inherited).

That Rachael also had her problem with directions was a strong indication that there was a family correlation (it also might explain why she had lost touch with her parents shortly after being born, which did lead to the more interesting speculation of where they had gotten off to, and would they be turning up due to the summons that Ganglot had arranged?). Rachael had also acquired Naomi's odd facility with comprehending languages, and that peculiar strength that Naomi herself had known from infancy that made her so much stronger than other girls her age, and never mind all those tests she had to go through when her strength was discovered during pre-school. Then of course there was Naomi's robust health, which also was a trait that thankfully seemed to be a part of Rachael that made them seemingly impervious to most ordinary diseases, which had saved them both a bundle when it came to basic medical costs all around, though Naomi still tended to go into panic attacks should her daughter even display a case of the sniffles.

The fact that these unique gifts might be due to their heritage including alien blood was certainly at least within the realm of possibility, or so Naomi had reluctantly concluded (though it did remind her a little too much of that girl she had known in college who'd claimed to have been routinely kidnapped by aliens for medical experimentation). Ganglot had gone to great lengths to explain that most of the humanoid alien races directly concerned with Humanity (or at least within this branch of the Galactic Arm) had a common ancestry due to the influence of the Star Tribes (progenitors to both Gods, Demons and Angels), which in turn would explain how they were even able to interbreed since two completely separate sentient species evolving independently would logically have as much chance of producing offspring as the mixing of an Ape with a Carrot. (Or a Cat with a Rabbit, though why that thought suddenly popped into her head she had no idea whatsoever) The Jurai and Oni both had representatives living out among the stars, each gifted with their own peculiar talents…and who knew what else might have made its way into the mixture to produce Naomi, not to mention Rachael?

Naomi did not feel like an alien, but she had always known that she was different. Being partly non-human did feel a little weird, yet somehow it felt right to accept this as a basic fact underlying her existence. The bit about a war between Good and Evil, though, sounded a bit too much like one of Kento's bedtime stories, and being told that she-meaning Naomi herself-was at least technically allied with the side of Evil was many levels beyond disturbing. It meant that many fundamental things that she had always more-or-less taken for granted needed serious rethinking, not least of which being her place in the corporate structure of her company and its intentions for the world itself. It also meant having to seriously question the intentions of the Chairman, whose motives for sending her here had to be seen as at least ominous, to say nothing of what Ganglot had said was his conception of the future.

And that was where Naomi had the hardest time reconciling herself to the truths that she had been given. The Shohan project was her baby, her pet project and ideal for the future of humanity living among the stars and colonizing other planets. Since she was a little girl Naomi had dreamed of being an astronaut, or being a member of "The Federation" (though these says she was a bit reluctant to admit to ever having been a "Trekkie"), or being Captain Janeway and commanding her own starship (she could really identify with the part about being lost in the "Delta Quadrant"). The fact that she had poured her time and energies into a project that could pave the way for the industrialization of space (her practical contribution to the cause of eventual space travel) made her extremely reluctant to accept what the Oni princess had said about Chairman Quincy's own vision for the future. Her lifelong dream had been of helping humanity advance to the next evolutionary level, not seeing humanity be replaced by its artificial progeny should the Bio-Tech industries prove successful in their goal of Cybernetic replication.

Investing your dreams in a plan that would benefit others was a far cry from exploiting human suffering and weakness in a plot at world domination, and Naomi would have refused to believe any part of it if not for Rachael. Being a mother, however, tended to make one err on the side of caution, at least where it concerned things of the near or immediate future.

And what precisely was she supposed to do with this information? Learning that her company had a "silent partner" in the form of an internet-friendly demonic dryad certainly cast everything that Naomi had thought that she had known about her company into serious disrepute. Coping with this dramatic revelation was another thing entirely, and what did Naomi know about battles between heaven and hell anyway? She had an MBA in Business and Engineering with ten years standing in the company that she represented, not "Xena, Warrior Princess," able to join in the fights between Angels and Demons, her martial arts skills and Oni heritage notwithstanding.

At times like this she really wished she had given into her childhood dreams of running away to join a circus. At the very lease her life would not be this complicated, nor would she be forced to make such difficult decisions that were bound to have an affect on her career-to say nothing about costing her any hopes of a future promotion!

Staring out the window of the limousine and seeing the ordinary people of Japan going about their business without a thought or care in regards to what her company might do to them over the next four decades, she was surprised on hearing Kento address her with surprising sympathy, "Sucks doesn't it? Knowing what the rest of the world doesn't even suspect…makes you feel like a virtual outsider."

"Excuse me, Kento-san?" Naomi looked at the younger man and seeing his eyes study her with complete acceptance and tacit understanding.

"It ain't easy knowing that there's another world that few people even imagine is out there," Kento replied, "A world of darkness and evil that wants nothing more than to prey on the innocent and make slaves out of humanity. Most people think the whole idea of a moral right and wrong is a pretty abstract notion, and how many even believe that there are consequences to our actions, let alone that it matters what we do and say to the people who are around us?"

"Why, Kento-san," Naomi gave him a faint smile, "You're quite the philosopher deep down, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't go that far, lady," Kento smiled back, "But I've had more than my fair share of brushes with the other side, and I know the darkness is out there. I've felt it, I've experienced my own inner darkness, seen what evil there is in all of us, and I've had to win back my soul from those evil forces which tried to make me one of their own. Believe me when I say that I know what it must feel like to know that the line between us and the dark side is a lot thinner than we'd like to imagine. The way to beat it, though is to not give up on yourself, to remember the things that are important and to know that we have a choice, it's up to us to decide which way to turn at every moment."

Naomi regarded the man frankly and said, "Those stories you've been telling Rachael…they're not all just stories, are they?"

"Afraid not," he nodded sadly, "A little while back some friends of mine and I…well…we had this experience that made us into better people. I still have what I gained in that ordeal, but I only call on it when there's a need for the power. Doesn't help much for boning up on finals, but it sure is handy to have if I run into something a bit more gnarly."

"Someday you really must tell me the full story about your trials and ordeals," Naomi's expression softened, "I think I'd very much like to hear all about it."

"I don't know about that," Kento chuckled, "Not all of it's as pleasant as a fairy tale, but it does have a happy ending…or at least enough of one that we're still here and the bad guys aren't."

Naomi nodded softly, "It has been a very good experience knowing you, Kento-san. No matter what else has happened, I want you to know that."

"Ah," the man blushed in a way that made him seem more boyish, and Naomi started to revise her opinion about his attractive qualities. True he wasn't the most handsome man she had ever met, but there was something charmingly honest and good-natured about this Kento that appealed to her greatly. At the very least he was a good friend to have around, and she suspected he was probably gifted in other areas (though why that thought had just popped into her mind was another concept that bore later reflection).

Naomi glanced down at the sleeping Rachael, so innocent and unsuspecting. Her daughter meant the world to Naomi, and if there was any decision to be made regarding the future, it would be decided with Rachael's welfare in mind. Naomi wanted her daughter to be proud of her some day, just as she was proud of the little girl as her most singular accomplishment in this life. A family was more important to her than Naomi would have ever previously considered…

And that triggered a thought concerning the other family who had recently come to her attention, which jarred Naomi's attention and reminded her that it was now morning once again. She had spent the entire night in that Oni-woman's world, resting and reflecting on what Ganglot had told her, and that meant…

That meant that it was the day of the poker match, and with the fate of the Tendo household hanging in the balance!

"Driver!" she called out, "Change of direction. Take us to the Tendo estate, we'll go by the hotel later."

"What's up?" Kento wondered.

"I don't really know," Naomi replied, "But…I've just had the weirdest feeling…"

"You should trust those," Kento nodded, "I get them myself from time to time, and they always mean trouble."

That was what Naomi was dreading, and somehow she knew that she had to get to the dojo at once, though what she would do when she got there…well…she would figure that one out when it happened…

Continued

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