Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Two Wallets ❯ A Victory Premature? ( Chapter 115 )

A Tale of Two Wallets

(An Altered Destiny)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Cybelle was in her element, and like any halfway decent melodramatic villainess she was entitled to gloat, and so took full advantage of that option.

"You clowns have no idea what you've just done, have you?" she crowed, "In dispatching my adversary, you clear the way for me to take over the whole franchise! This is exactly what I wanted, and you played your parts to perfection!"

"Our parts?" Ranma sniffed, "No way! It was Ryoga's doing, smashing up that stone thingie like a doofus!"

"I said I was sorry," Ryoga's shoulders slumped, "I didn't know this would happen…"

"Only because she put you up to it, Boy," Cologne eyed the blonde sorceress as one would a cobra, "You are saying that you consider that Oni to be a greater threat than the rest of us combined?"

"When have you ever been a threat to anyone but yourself?" Cybelle scoffed, "Living off in the hinterlands, keeping your people apart from the modern world, insisting on living a rudimentary existence without technology, as if the modern world were something you could keep forever out of your borders! You Amazons pride yourself on your strength, but you're weak in every way that truly matters! Your time has come and gone…it's now the world that I am creating which will hold sway over every mortal life on the planet!"

"Don't be so quick to dismiss Amazon lore and might," Siren cautioned with a dangerous hint in her own voice, "You could get your fingers burned from trying."

"Don't worry," Cybelle scoffed, "If I even suspected that you backwoods barbarians could prove a threat to my plans, you would have been gone a long time ago. You think you have influence over the Chinese government? You forget how paranoid and obsessive the 'Long March' crowd of that poetry spouting idiot, Mao, can be when it comes to clinging to power. If I give one word as to the possible threat you may pose to their future they'll bomb you back to the Mesozoic age as fast as I can snap my fingers!"

"And you think we're going to stand by and let you get away with this?" Soun reared to his not inconsiderable height, "After what you did to my dojo?"

Cybelle just smiled and snapped her fingers, and suddenly the Tendo patriarch was picked up and hurled across the room, to collide with a wall panel and create a noticeable impression.

"Like I give a damn about you and your stupid dojo?" Cybelle sneered as Soun slumped to the floor, then with an almost casual back-hand she sent Yumi flying into the ceiling when the latter attempted to plant her baker's peel on the sorceress's noggin.

"Mom?" Atsuko cried in shock, even as her father hovered at her side with conflicting emotions plain in his expression.

"Dad!" Akane cried as she and Silk moved to assist him, followed in short order by Kasumi and Kodachi.

"Aunt Yumi!" Ukyo called out in dismay as she and Makoto similarly went to the aid of their fallen elder.

"Nobody move!" Cologne called out, moving hastily to avoid a rush by the various martial artists, "Until we know what we are dealing with it is best to hold back and rein in your anger!"

"Easy for you to say," Ranma growled as he bunched his fists and tensed as if ready to strike at any moment.

"You think you can take me, Nexus, go ahead and try it," Cybelle scoffed, "You're not dealing with just a simple hologram this time…I've made a few technical improvements so that I can level more of my real power to this area and location. None of you-not even Blondie over there-can fathom my true power and resources. I command all of the wonders of Man's technology at my disposal, and if you want to know what that truly means, just keep on coming…you won't live to regret it!"

"Hey!" Siren reacted at the slight hurled in her direction.

"You boast of your power," Kachu growled levelly, "But you have yet to taste the full power at my disposal…"

"Don't think you'll take me as easy as the last time, Exorcist," Cybelle sneered, "I've taken precautions to safeguard against a repeat performance…and besides…it's not just my safety you need to be thinking about. You're with child, remember? That gives you something to lose if you further try my patience."

"I would rather my child never be born than to have her grow up in the sort of world that you would create!" Kachu raised her Chi-C'hi as if preparing to use it.

"And does the same hold for your stud of a husband?" Cybelle hinted darkly, "Would you risk his health and any possible future you might have together?'

"I…" for the first time there was clear hesitation in the Devil Hunter's expression, but Tofu stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand upon her shoulder.

"My wife speaks for both of us," Tofu declared, "Better to end it now than to live forever afraid of your shadow."

"Airen…" Kachu's voice caught for a second before she hardened her resolve and gave the demoness her most contemptful and haughty of expressions.

"Gee, this is just so romantic," Cybelle dabbed a finger at her eye as if to wipe a mock tear away, "Going down together, just like deCaprio and that blonde floozy in Titanic…"

"So proud of yourself, are you?" a new voice was added to the mixture, and heads turned to see the ancient Lotion hobbling in on her staff, looking tired but otherwise quite imposing, "Playing games with children, threatening the future of those yet to be born. You've quite a lot to show for all your planning…"

"So," Cybelle mused, "You finally show yourself after slinking off in the middle of that card game. Just as well, having all the pieces to this game finally be assembled on the playing field, and with the Queen herself removed from future play…"

"Tell me one thing," Lotion urged, "I understand why you used the Gambler King and your other minions to detain these people from interfering in your schemes while you selected your grandson to use as a weapon against the Oni…but why precisely did you wish to have Ganglot eliminated? As powerful as she is, she operates under greater restrictions than you and can only influence the lives of others through indirect manipulation."

"That can be more than enough sometimes," Cybelle said darkly, "She was the only one who had the insight and experience needed to know where to interrupt my plans, and she was clearly acting to shield and protect these others against me. I cannot stand to have any agency or power that acts contrary to my interests, or who would nurture others who might one day pose a greater threat to my long-ranged plans, running loose without my knowing what they are about. My calculations are very precise and delicate, and to have that wild card running loose generating random factors that undo my equations is more than I can stomach!"

"I get it now," Nabiki spoke up, "You knew what everyone else in Nerima would do except her, and she's the only one who could keep you guessing."

"Not the only one," Cybelle gave a nasty glance in the middle Tendo sister's direction, "But she was the only one who really mattered. I happen to know that she had her eye set on watching your development, and as a junior Lore Master you could have proven valuable to her schemes…but no more! That threat, and your effectiveness, are now ended."

Ranma and Shampoo tensed together, once more interposing themselves between the Sorceress and a much-surprised Nabiki.

"You fiend," Genma declared, and sounded like he actually meant it.

"How dare you call Nabiki ineffective!" Soun rallied as he picked him self off of the floor, refusing to rely on either his fiancée or daughter for assistance.

"I think he means that she is no longer considered a threat by her, Soun-chan," Silk murmured into his ear at the level of a stage-whisper, "And so she intends to ignore her."

"Oh," Soun's expression was comically torn between protectiveness and fear for his daughter, while Nabiki felt something prick along her spine, and her eyes narrowed sharply.

"Indeed, I've wasted far too much time with you losers already," Cybelle sneered in evident contempt, "But of course I could not have done this alone without help…as clever as she was, Ganglot had me foxed on several levels, not least being my inability to locate her lair…until I was clued in by one who hated my mother-in-law far more even than I do…"

And with that she grinned in Cologne's direction.

"I?" the former Matriarch was clearly taken aback, "But I never…"

"You didn't have to do a thing," Cybelle declared, "Your thoughts betrayed you and gave me a clear mental picture of where this studio was located. I had you bugged with a low-level tracer-spell, one keyed to go off the moment you came anywhere near my enemy's stronghold. All I had to do was to relay those coordinates to my grandson and then implant a strongly conjured image of doom to provide sufficient motive, and away he went like a guided cruise missile. I knew she wouldn't dare attack her own flesh and blood, and that he would ignore her petitions and entreaties to do what I planted into his mind…it was like shaping clay between my fingers, and now because of you both the threat posed to me is ended and Ganglot is banished!"

"Me?" Ryoga paled, "But…but I never meant…!"

"Your own great grandmother," Ukyo frowned, "I hope you're proud of yourself."

"It's not his fault!" Atsuko declared, "I…I never told Ryoga the full story…I never raised him to understand the difference between a good and an evil Oni. I wanted to shelter him…I didn't know that Momma would exploit his ignorance like this…"

"Cybelle," Razor shook his head sadly, "How could you do that to my grandson, to my mother?"

"Excuse me but I'm not listening to you," Cybelle turned her back on the big man, "We've said our parts to one another, now you can go back to wandering lost in a haze for all I care! You haven't any right to judge or condemn me after abandoning me like you did…"

"That's not fair!" Ryomi spoke up, "Grampa never meant to forget about you!"

"Yeah!" Aki seconded, "It's not his fault he gets lost and forgets stuff, he's been under a bunch of curses for longer than any of us have even been alive!"

"Speak for yourself," Cybelle declared, "I could have cured him long ago…I was well on my way to researching the means of doing just that when he went and got himself lost completely! And then I started hearing the stories about his adventures…the people me met, the lives he saved, the WOMEN he seduced, one of them being your grandmother!" she added with an acid not in Akiko's direction.

"So you've had a rough time of it," Yumi shrugged as she regained her own footing with Ukyo's assistance, "Lots of marriages go through worse."

"Oh, like you're any kind of an expert?" Cybelle rounded on the ninja, "The kind of relationship you've had with your own brother?"

"Hey!" Yumi protested.

"What?" Ukyo turned to regard her aunt with a puzzled expression.

"What a foul, vile creature you are," Kachu declared, "Tormenting others with words and acts of unspeakably evil."

"Not least of them being the corruption of my brother," Kodachi glowered darkly.

"How very…un-nice," Kasumi frowned in disapproval.

"Bad womans!" Shampoo agreed succinctly.

"You think we're weak and ineffective?" Akane demanded.

"You wanna know how ineffective we can be?" Ranma cracked his knuckles, "Just keep talking…"

"I've heard about all the talk that I can stomach," Makoto glanced at Minako with a knowing smirk, "Right Venus?"

"You said it, Jupiter," Minako replied back, "Let's show her how effective Senshi power can really be!"

Kennou could only growl in agreement, but her tone easily conveyed her darker meaning.

"Careful," Shirokuro cautioned from the rear of the party, "My former Mistress is not to be underestimated."

"And neither are we," Aki declared acidly, "And I doubt she's tough enough to take us all on if we rush her."

"Oh my," Cybelle drawled, "The lot of you pitted against little old me? Whatever shall I do?" and with obvious intention she brought her hands together as they began to crackle with the building radiance of electrical fire, "I've changed my mind about leaving you for later…I'm going to get rid of all of you in one fell swoop, and you'll never even see it coming…"

"You know," Lotion murmured with a glance to one side, "I'm beginning to agree with you about her penchant for cheap melodrama."

"You're telling me?" a familiar voice replied as a figure stepped out from the shadows of seeming nowhere, "She's sounding more and more like some character out of an anime, right down to the bad dialogue and empty threats against the heroes."

The crackle of lightning died from between Cybelle's fingers and her expression went noticeably pale, "WHAT? NO FAIR! How could you still survive! I smashed your capstone!"

"Actually you used Ryoga as a weapon to get at me," Ganglot replied with an ease in her manner that was altogether surprising, striding out into the open as though she owned the place (which, of course, was the obvious truth of the matter), "Shame on you for that. Of course your mistake was in making your intentions so obvious to me...it gave me time to prepare a little surprise, and now that you've reverted to type and revealed your grand master plan it's time for me to let you in on the jest…"

"The jest?" Cybelle declared, "You all this a joke?"

"Not really," Ganglot kicked a piece of stone with a bare foot and replied, "I call it a mess…but then again, it was one of my finer works, forging a perfect replica of my capstone for my great grandson to destroy, and you fell for it hook, line and sinker."

"A replica?" Cybelle was clearly appalled, "You fabricated a phony capstone? That's cheating!"

"Well duh," Ganglot grinned, "Why not summon up your lawyers and try to sue me…I double dare you."

"But…what about that scream you made, Grandma?" Atsuko asked, "It sounded real to me…"

"Method acting, dear child," Ganglot grinned and conjured up a miniature gold statuette, "And the winner for 'Best Convincing Imitation of an Oni Being Sucked back to Hell' goes to…ME! Thank you, thank you everybody…" she bowed with a smirk of false modesty upon her face.

"But how?" Cybelle was almost screeching now, "My spell should have detected a fake capstone, no matter how well you carved it to look like the real thing!"

"Actually, I did have a little help there," Ganglot turned an appreciative smile in Lotion's direction, "My associate was clever enough to divert the energy signature into the faux stone so that it would appear to be the real one on even a magical level. I knew Ryoga was too single-minded to question the appearance of such an obvious target, and-with a little creative play-acting on my part-I was able to convince you that he had indeed destroyed the real thing, at which point I knew you would release him and reveal yourself before these others. You can be sooo predictable when you're being melodramatic."

"You sided with this creature and helped her?" Cologne rounded on the ancient Lore Master.

"The enemy of my enemy is my ally, Matriarch," Lotion replied in an unaffected tone of voice, "And unlike some parties I could name, I do know who my true enemies are, and who are better served as my allies."

Siren noticeably put a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, though Cologne eyed her warily as though accusing the Archmage of taking amusement at her expense.

"You…you tricked me?" Cybelle glared at the Lore Master, "That was truly a bad career move…you alone should sense just how unwise it is to get on my bad side, Shaman!"

"And you should know better than to make threats of this nature while you are presently a guest in someone else's demesne," Lotion smiled in a way that was altogether insinuating.

"Oh yes, that's right," Ganglot snapped her fingers, "Congratulations on projecting a portion of your conscious intelligence to these coordinates. I thought I'd prepare a little surprise for you to show my appreciation, Daughter-in-law."

"What…?" Cybelle started to say when the floor all around her began to move, square panels lurching up from concealment to form a cage that surrounded her and lifted her above the level of the floor, giving her only a moment to react before said cage erupted in a golden coruscation of golden radiance. The Sorceress screamed briefly and then her image dissipated, leaving an empty cage in passing.

"Well," Nabiki said into the ensuing silence, "That was anti-climatic…"

"How shocking," Siren commented, grinning at the exultant Oni, "I must remember that spell sometime…it could prove very useful."

"I'll be happy to share the recipe," Ganglot flexed her arms and said, "Ah yes…that did feel good."

"Did you…?" Razor hesitated, "Mother?"

"Oh, don't worry, Son," Ganglot waved a hand dismissively, "She'll just have a bit of a headache when she recovers in her stronghold. I couldn't really hurt her more seriously than that if I tried…there are rules about one Demon doing things like that to another."

"She's gone then?" Genma asked, fulfilling his role of stating the obvious for the sake of others.

"But not forgotten," Ganglot replied, "I'm afraid it is up to you people to keep her at bay in the near future. Mortals must wage their own battles, after all, but I'll gladly be of help wherever I can intercede to provide you means and council."

"I could have taken her," Ranma growled, "I didn't need no help…"

"Keep thinking that, dear boy," the tall Oni-woman smiled as she touched his nose with a clawed finger, "You have it within you to deal with the likes of her and many others, but you still lack for training, and to that end you will have to rely on someone else who is more knowledgeable in that department," she turned a knowing smirk towards Cologne, "Well, Elder?"

"Well what?" Cologne replied with an indifferent snort.

Ganglot just smiled until the youthful Matriarch could no longer match her gaze and instead glanced away as if to silently concede a point that she did not want to confess to in a verbal manner.

"Does this mean you're staying, Grandmother?" Atsuko asked.

"Try getting rid of me," Ganglot grinned, "I'm having way too much fun in this province called Nerima, and I find the people who live here infinitely stimulating. Besides…I have a lot of catching up to do with my son and many others."

"Ah…" Ryoga reluctantly approached the Oni, "I'm...I'm sorry…"

"Oh?' Ganglot turned to regard her great grandson with a lifted eyebrow, "About what?"

"About…trying to get rid of you…" Ryoga hesitated a bit, glanced at his mother, then his grandfather before turning a questioning look at the Oni and saying, "Great Grandmother?"

"Think nothing of it, Ryo-chan," Ganglot said with a wave of her hand, conjuring up a pitcher full of water, "Just don't let it happen again. Now…as for you, young lady…"

She poured the water over the lupine Kennou, who instantly changed back into a form that was noticeably less hairy.

"GAH!" Ryoga covered his nose and looked away, earning an amused glance from Minako's direction.

"I'm back!" Kennou exulted, then glanced down at herself and hastily covered herself with her hands, "GAK!"

"Here," Ganglot waved a hand, dismissing the pitcher and causing robes to drape down about the blonde Hibiki's shoulders, "That should keep you modest until you find some decent clothing…although I rather imagine that Ryo-chan is overdoing it in the bashful department."

"Grandma," Ryomi growled in mild exasperation.

"And now for you two," Ganglot turned to where Romeo and Julian were standing off to one side, trying to avoid making eye-contact with Cologne and the others, "I'm so sorry you were hurt, however momentarily, in your attempts on my behalf. I'll find a way to make it up to you…and I won't even call it official that Ryo-chan defeated you both in combat."

"GAAAH!" Ryoga responded, his mild reeling as he saw the blonde Amazon turned a dismayed look in his direction.

The touch of a Chi C'hi against her arm next drew the Oni Princess's attention and all heads turned as if waiting to see how the Devil Hunter would react in the presence of a Demon.

"You…" Kachu hesitated, "You have appeared before me twice…you called yourself Garimel…I thought you one of the celestial host…"

"A slight exaggeration on my part," Ganglot replied, "Garimel is the name of my cousin, and while she is many things I would hardly classify her as an angel."

"But the fact remains that you deceived me," Kachu replied with an unreadable expression, "You are not a servant of the Celestial Powers but are in fact nobility from the dark realms of the Oni."

"I am an Oni," Ganglot replied, "And of noble birth…but who is to say that I do not serve the Powers in my own way? I am no enemy of Heaven, and if anything I count some of my relations as being of the Host. Would you dispute this?"

For a moment no one moved as Kachu regarded Ganglot frankly, then slowly bowed her head in token acknowledgement, and surprised the hell out of everyone who knew her by declaring, "One is judged by their actions as well as by their lineage, and this day you have proven to be a friend to my House, and an ally to be valued. You have also acted to protect the life of my husband and unborn child, and for that reason alone I owe you a debt of honor.""

"You owe me nothing," Ganglot smiled, "But I would gladly accept your friendship. Besides…you're pretty handy with that pig-sticker of yours, Kid. Could be that we'll both have a use for one another…if there are no objections from the Elders who are present?"

"None from me, obviously," Lotion replied, giving Cologne an amused smirk, "What say you, Matriarch?"

Cologne preferred to ignore the question, but neither did she voice a negative opinion.

"I'll take that for a yes," Ganglot sighed, then turned to the blonde Archmage, "And would you make it unanimous?"

"Who are you calling an Elder?" Siren grinned in an unabashed manner, "I like your style, though. I certainly don't see anything wrong with letting you have some fun on an extended vacation."

"You would," Cologne turned away and began to head towards the exit, only to pause before adding, "The warrior named Ro-Mano…I believe that there is some controversy about her choice in a mate. I personally do not see any fault in marrying a scholar, should this be what she fervently desires. Of course her family would have objections, but it is no concern of mine so long as they are discrete in their actions."

"I beg your pardon," Ganglot smiled, "My servant's name is Romeo, and of what possible interest would it be to any of the High Council?"

"None that I foresee," Cologne replied as she started forward once again, "Nor will any hear of it from my direction."

Julian and Romeo released a collective breath that they had not even known that they were holding as they watched the youthful-seeming Elder take her leave in an almost dignified manner. They turned questioning looks towards Lotion and Siren, however, as well as the other Amazons who were now staring in their direction.

"Aiyaa…" Shampoo murmured softly, "Ro-Mano and Ju-Lan…here in Japan?"

"No," her mother contradicted, "You heard Lady Ganglot, her name is Romeo, and the youth…?"

"Julian," the boy responded.

"Julian," a very amused look briefly crossed the face of the Healer before Comb continued, "If either of you require medical assistance, I hope you will not hesitate to call upon my services…"

"Especially if it's a girl," Silk added with an openly amused expression.

"Thank you," Julian replied, sharing an open grin with the woman beside him.

"Romeo and Julian?" Nabiki exchanged looks with an equally puzzled Ranma.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Akane said, "That's my favorite play by Shakespeare!"

"Young love is such a beautiful thing," Siren heaved a sigh that had much wistfulness in her expression.

"Indeed," Ganglot noted in a conspiratorial tone of voice, "But there's still hope for us old-timers, I think…provided certain parties are willing to see reason."

"She'll come around," Siren predicted, "I know her well, and even when she's being stubborn she can still be talked into seeing reason."

"Indeed," Ganglot remarked, "In which case allow me to apologize to you."

"For what?" Siren asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"For trying to match Happosai to Cologne instead of you," Ganglot replied, "Looking back I can see what a mistake that was, and who could truly make my sister-in-law happy."

For once Siren actually blushed and lowered her eyes, murmuring a faint, "Perhaps…I live in the hope of it…someday…"

"Are you really sure that this is what you want?" Ganglot inquired with an amused expression, "After all, we both know how pig-headed, willful and stubborn she can be…"

"I wouldn't change a thing about her," Siren replied, "I'll take her as she is, no questions asked or prior conditions."

"Whatever flips your light switch," Nabiki shrugged, "Thing is, I can't figure out whether you want to card her or date her."

To her surprise she heard the old woman named Lotion chuckle at her jest, "Ah me…my counterpart is going to have real fun with you when you return to her world."

For some reason Nabiki did not find that idle comment reassuring.

"So," Nodoka glanced around, "Would it be safe for anyone to ask if this matter has been brought to a successful conclusion?"

As if by reflex everyone tensed and stared at the empty space around them, and only when nothing materialized or happened did they collectively relax and draw easy breath over the implications.

"It's over for now," Ganglot replied with a shrug, "But as for the future…well…I'm afraid that's out of my jurisdiction"

"Good," Ranma declared, "Guess all that's left to do is go back home and fix the dojo."

"That and find something to eat," his father remarked, "I'm starving…"

"Gee, what a surprise?" both Silk and Yumi chorused together, only to turn bemused looks on one another.

"I'm afraid that there is one matter that must be resolved before you go," Ganglot turned to Nabiki, "And that concerns you, young lady, and getting you back to your proper time and place so that there can be a wedding in the morning."

"A…wedding?" in the midst of all the excitement Nabiki had managed to forget that little detail, but now she turned a worried glance at Ranma and Shampoo, who were each looking back with concern plain in their expression.

"I know it must seem cruel to bring it up now," Ganglot replied, "But there is another version of you who has fought long and bravely to see the day when she joins her hands to young Saotome and your blushing bride of passion, Shampoo here. It would be most unfair for them if the woman whom they truly love was not the one to meet them at the altar. I'm sure this has been a most enlightening event for you, but all things must come to an end, and it's time for you to go back to the life you knew, young Lore Master."

"I…" in spite of everything else, Nabiki was hesitant to submit to this logic, for there were many things about this world that so intrigued her, and the contrasts from her own less event-filled life made her wonder if she really were getting the better of the bargain.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Lotion informed her, "Young Saotome and Shampoo will come to know you all over again if you choose to remain, and your counterpart will no doubt be a good influence on their counterparts from your world."

"Ah…" Nabiki felt confusion rise within her. She was not by inclination either a noble or selfless person, but the thought of displacing her counterpart, of living a life that was not her own, made her doubt if the results would be everything for which she hoped and desired.

"Excuse us, please," Ganglot glanced apologetically to those around them, then stepped forward and placed a hand on Nabiki's shoulder, "We need to talk, you and I, little lady, and I think we can better do so in private."

Nabiki blinked her eyes, and then suddenly they were alone in a different room, a chamber that seemed oddly more like the dojo than the art studio where they had been. It was only with a slight jolt that she recognized it as her own family dojo, but different in some manner, as if perceived in another era.

"Make yourself at home," Ganglot remarked as she stepped away and made a sweeping gesture to indicate their change of surroundings, "I thought these surroundings might help you to better relax so that you can make a proper decision. I know how anxious you are to have this matter resolved, and I thought I would play the part of a helpful intermediary."

"An intermediary?" Nabiki repeated.

"Like a family councilor," the Oni Princess winked, "After all, I've been a friend to your family in more than one sense of the world for a lot longer than you would imagine. After all, I raised Happosai to his current station as a martial arts master, and he taught your father, which in a way makes you as much my charge as any kinswoman."

"Like that's supposed to reassure me?" Nabiki asked with a slightly self-conscious expression.

"Not in the least," Ganglot chuckled, "But then again, I suppose the honor truly belongs to me for having this opportunity to meet with you directly…or rather I should make that the both of you together."

The Oni made a two-fingered gesture and suddenly Nabiki felt her mind and body seem to bifurcate, as if she were suddenly standing in two separate places. There was little pain, other than a slight wrenching sensation that passed right down her center, but then the moment passed and she seemed perfectly normal again…

Normal, that is, except that she no longer had that annoying echo-resonance in her head, as if her thoughts had been duplicated or repeated, like in an echo chamber. Then she chanced to glance to her right and suddenly had the answer for why she was feeling somehow…lesser…

The term "beside herself" suddenly came to mind, for the face gazing back at her with a matching look of astonishment was not a reflection and most definitely was herself seen from an outside angle.

"What the…???" the both of them echoed in tandem.

"Oh, don't be so formulaic," Ganglot chided, "I thought you two could do with a little space. After all, it must have been getting awfully crowded sharing the same skull."

"No kidding," one Nabiki replied.

"Good to be back in my own body," the other spoke as if to conclude the thought for the other, and then the two Nabikis exchanged glances before both added, "Sort-of…"

"Well, it's not exactly the same thing as the two of you being here," Ganglot smiled, "At least not on a physical level, but illusion or not, when this ends you will each be returned to your proper places and bodies. It's the very least that I can do to make things right after all the inconvenience the both of you have been through due to that little shake up in the realities that started this whole matter."

"Oh?' one of the two Nabikis replied, "And what precisely would you happen to know about it?"

"Why…just everything of importance, of course," Ganglot replied, "I didn't cause the divergence, but I was aware of it when your soul-mother, Peorth, cast that wish into the Well of Mimir."

"Well of Mimir?" the other Nabiki repeated, "Isn't that supposed to be something out of Norse legend?"

"Mythology has a basis in reality, sweet child," Ganglot smiled, "And you must have seen enough of the supernatural on your timeline to know that gods and demons are a reality outside of mortal imagination."

"Yeah…well…" that Nabiki conceded reluctantly, while the other Nabiki was less hesitant as she asked, "You say she made a wish? What kind of wish?"

"The kind that the kami make all the time to test out their theories on Fate and Random Chance," Ganglot replied, "There have been quite a few games being played recently on the subject of you mortals, and as Immortals find great sport in observing your brief lives and how you fill them with such adventures…well…I don't exactly blame Peorth for being curious, especially as she has recently taken such a fervent interest in the welfare of your little sister."

"Akane?" both Nabikis repeated, then one continued, "You mean like her recent string of attempts to hitch her up with Kuonji?"

"Say what?" the other Nabiki reacted, "Ukyo and Akane? And what's this stuff about her being our spiritual mother?"

"Long story," the other Nabiki replied, "Look…I know she's been worried that things aren't going too well for my little sis in the romance department, but what gives her the right to screw up my life on account of that?"

"Well, as I believe she may have already told you," Ganglot explained, "It was an accident…an unintended side-effect or resetting the original template for this Timeline to create a parallel slot based on how things were originally going to progress. Your companion's reality was the one fated to be before a wish cast by your future self remade everything along a different pathway. Now that your timeline has stabilized and become somewhat permanent, she thought to discover something in the contrast that would give her a clue on how to arrange things in your sister's future that would lead to a more-or-less satisfying outcome. Of course her intentions were pure but her methods were somewhat less than sterling, but that's usually the way things go whenever Peorth is on the scene. She's a sweetheart, but honestly, you'd think she'd get a reality check and tone down her enthusiasm."

"I'm sure she says nice things about you too," the Nabiki whose attitude seemed more confident responded.

"Actually no," Ganglot sighed, "If she were here she'd no doubt want to clean my clocks for saying something like that about her, even if it is totally accurate. I'm afraid she lacks a certain objectivity when it comes to her own behavior…and besides, she still remembers me from what I used to be like in the bad old days, before I learned to be so mellow."

"Okay," the other Nabiki averred, "I know I'm the yokel from the poor, backwoods dimension here, but I think I'm entitled to a few explanations, like bringing me up to date about a few of the basic details, like…who is this Peorth character, and what has she got to do with me, Akane and the rest of my timeline?"

"I know you're dying to find out, dear," Ganglot explained, "But I honestly don't know how much it would be safe to share with you…after all, things are different on your world, and too much knowledge can be dangerous. After all…there is a Cybelle on your world who would be every bit as troublesome as the one in this world if she were drawn to pay attention to your particular version of Nerima. Fortunately for you, she has been far too obsessed with other interests and has yet to notice the presence of her grandson in the Tendo household. Telling you something that might draw her attention would definitely NOT be in your best interest, any more than you learning the secrets of the Lore Masters before you have effectively undergone the sort of training you will need to understand and grasp the basics. Your counterpart from this timeline has had to go through a lot of mental and spiritual changes to arrive at where she is today, while you...sad as it is for me to admit...are not quite ready to use your hidden talents wisely. You will have to undergo your own trials and tribulations before the understanding of your power awakens within you."

"Power?" the one Nabiki remarked, "I have power?"

"You've been running around in my world for how long and you can still ask that?" the other Nabiki reacted with a rolling of her eyes.

"Power is nothing more than the potential that allows you to achieve a goal or objective," Ganglot explained matter-of-factly, "It's knowing why and what to do with it that truly matters."

"Yeah," one Nabiki glanced at the other, "I think I know what you mean…like remembering the kind of person I used to be, and what I'd probably have done with my powers if I'd gotten them before I was ready."

"Hey!" the other Nabiki protested.

"Power without understanding has no meaning," Ganglot explained, "You can take my word on that, and it comes directly from the source of everything. Understanding is what gives you your power, and as long as you continue to grow on a spiritual level you will eventually become the master of your own fate and won't even need a wish-granting genie like me to help you out. People like you are of more value to me as allies, not patsies, much like Kuno is to Cybelle…"

"Kuno?" both Nabikis said together.

"You may think the boy is being used by my daughter-in-law," Ganglot explained, "But the truth is that they have more of a symbiotic relationship with each one using the other to obtain their personal objectives. Since Tatewaki awoke from his drug-induced stupor…"

"Drug induced?" one Nabiki repeated.

"His sister's doing," the other Nabiki replied, "That Black Rose-derived narcotic the both of them have been imbibing since childhood. It tends to induce a heightened state of psychotic self-delusion, only they've both been in rehab for quite a while now…"

"Oh," the first Nabiki replied, then her eyes widened noticeably as she considered the implications, "Oh…"

"You've seen what it did to their father, right?" the other Nabiki continued, "He's currently in the booby hatch, with Kuno-kun taking over the family business. He and Kodachi are barely on speaking terms these days, and she tends to spend most of her spare time these days hanging out with our sister."

"Kasumi and…Kodachi?" the first Nabiki said incredulously, shaking her head in disbelief, "I can barely even fit the two of them in the same sentence! Wait…are you saying that they…? Ew!"

"Tell me about it," the other Nabiki nodded.

"Don't be so hard on those two," Ganglot chided, "Your sister has always needed someone who would pay attention to her needs and teach her how to live for herself and not just exist for the sake of others. Kodachi's needs are very similar, only for her it is the joy of learning to care for someone other than herself that has caused her transformation. Granted the two of them have been getting a little…kinky on the sides, but that sort of thing tends to happen when you take the lid off of a repressed libido and open the floodgates to unrequited passion."

"I know, but…really!" both Nabikis said in chorus.

"We all have needs that are often unexpressed within us," Ganglot continued, "A man needs a woman, a woman needs a man, or maybe another man and a woman respectively. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to relationships, there is only the basic need we all share to be close to someone who makes us feel special. Or, in your case, more than one special someone…more's the merrier in my opinion, and you've definitely got the best of both worlds in your fiancées."

"I know," one Nabiki smiled in a way that caused the other Nabiki to eye her with raised eyebrows.

"I know what at least one of you is thinking," Ganglot smiled knowingly, "'Love is nothing but a trick of biology, a biochemical reaction caused when hormones interact.' That's your textbook definition of love, is it not? Only your counterpart knows better…there's a lot more to love than you can define by simply thinking of it as an excuse to make babies."

"Ah…well…" the one Nabiki colored and appeared more than slightly flustered.

"You've been where she is already," Ganglot spoke to the other Nabiki, "Why don't you explain it to her?"

"I wouldn't know where to begin," that Nabiki replied, but eyed her counterpart and said, "I used to think love was a trick for suckers and saps, before I met Ranma. The guy changed my outlook in a lot of ways, even before Shampoo was in the picture."

"There's more to it of course," Ganglot resumed, "You've been afraid of getting involved in any relationships for most of your life, which is why you insulate yourself against others. You're afraid of being hurt, as if pretending you didn't have any feelings would somehow protect you from the pain of loss you once experienced long ago. Surely I don't have to go on any further than that to clue you in to what I'm really talking about. You're smart enough girl, you can figure out the angles."

"Angles?" one Nabiki repeated.

"She's talking about Momma," the other Nabiki explained at the level of a murmur, "She left a big hole in all of our lives, and it's taken me this long to be able to admit it."

"Momma?" the other Nabiki looked more than slightly haunted.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Ganglot chided, "A lot of beings do foolish things when they get hurt emotionally. I know I sure did when I lost my beloved husband, and I'll probably be spending years yet to come paying for those errors. You children are young, you have time to recover, to learn from your mistakes, to make new ones and to keep on learning. Even an old bat like me can learn to change her evil ways and turn over a new leaf…why, I'll bet there's even hope for Cologne someday, but then again, I've always been a dreamer…"

"I hope you're right about that," the more experienced Nabiki replied, "A part of me wants to trust Cologne, to believe that she means well and wants to do the right thing by Shampoo and Ranma. But…well…given her track record and past behavior…"

"I can't believe that she's going to be your mother-in-law," the other Nabiki shook her head, "I can't believe half the things I've seen through your eyes! This whole experience has been…really weird…I mean…you're marrying Ranma in the morning?"

"Oh yeah," her counterpart nodded sagely.

"And you've already been sleeping with him and Shampoo?" the original Nabiki continued, "And she's gonna have Ranma's baby…and you're okay with this?"

"I plan to have a baby with him too," Nabiki replied, "Someday…maybe after I finish a couple semesters of college."

"And that's the other thing," the first Nabiki resumed, "You're whole life is like a dream to me…you've got the house in a sound financial footing, you're helping run the dojo, and you plan to continue your education…why do you have it so good and not me?"

"Maybe because I accepted my role as a part of the family and didn't try to run it all myself," her counterpart shrugged, "I could ask you why you just sit back and let everybody stumble around while you try and profit on the sidelines running scams and undermining everyone's trust in you. How is that any better?"

The first Nabiki made a rude noise and growled, "At least I don't go around letting everybody know how much of a slut I am sleeping around before my wedding…!"

"LADIES!" Ganglot raised her voice sharply, cutting off the other Nabiki's harsh response to that barbed comment, "We're not here to toss around recriminations or make insults…we're here to resolve the main issue of getting you both back to your respective timelines. Wouldn't you rather take this moment to compare notes and wish each other well rather than act like a couple of school kids with nothing better on your minds than to snipe at petty details?"

"Ah…" there was a momentary exchange of glances between the two Nabikis, then each one lowered their eyes in token acknowledgement of the wisdom of that statement.

"Thank you," Ganglot sighed in relief, "The last thing I want to have to put up with is the both of you behaving like the Ranma and Akane of your world…"

"Surely not!" the first Nabiki reacted in mock-horror.

"I can't believe those two are even engaged on your world," the other Nabiki shook her head, "Or that you'd even allow it."

"Hey!" the first Nabiki snapped, "It's not like it was my idea to hook them up in the first place!"

"Actually it was," Ganglot corrected, "You and Kasumi both thought it was a better idea to foist a sex-changing fiancee on your boy-hating younger sibling, which is-of course-the crux of where things changed on our two timelines."

"Er…well…" the first Nabiki colored slightly.

"Akane," the other Nabiki shook her head in disbelief, "If I'd even known back then that I was right in my suspicions about her sexuality…"

"Uh…yeah…" the first Nabiki looked sheepish before hastily amending, "But I can't believe she'd go after Ukyo either…"

"Hey, stranger things have happened," her counterpart philosophized, "I at least know that Ukyo does care about my sister, even if she can't make up her mind between her and Makoto."

"Which brings us back to the point I wanted to raise," Ganglot smiled, "Now that you've each had a look at how the other half lives, what are the both of you going to do with that information?"

There was a slight pause before the first Nabiki replied, "That's…a pretty good question. I mean…I've learned a lot of stuff I never knew before…things I couldn't find out on my own, and it's gonna take me a while to sort it all out."

"Same here," the other Nabiki replied, "No offense to you, 'Sis,' but taking a hard look at your life has made me appreciate how good I seem to have it."

"Yeah," the first Nabiki replied sourly, "Your daddy's gonna marry a woman who looks like Momma, a woman who gave him and us a sister I'd never even heard of before, a sister who looks just like Akane and got shacked up with Doctor Tofu."

"Well…" the other Nabiki winced slightly.

"Your Akane's got a curse that turns her into an Angel," the first Nabiki continued, "Your Kasumi's shacking up with the local nut-job of both our worlds. You're in training to become some kind of a witch, and you've got the Amazons for your in-laws…oh yeah, and Ranma's Ryoga's half brother, and a whole bunch of Hibikis are wandering loose in Nerima…"

"Yeah," the other Nabiki laughed softly, "Almost a herd of half-breed Oni…will the town be left standing in time for my wedding reception?"

"I'll see what I can do to tone things down a bit there," Ganglot reassured, "My clan can get a bit rowdy, but they generally mean well…"

"So did Attilla the Hun," the first Nabiki snorted, "You've got an Uncle Genma whose love-life looks a lot like the fore-runner of Ranma's, while Daddy's former girl-friends seem to be making life interesting on that end. Cologne is looking like she's young enough to be in our class and has a cute 'I Dream of Jeannie' type chasing her ass, and I'm not even gonna ask what Grandfather Happosai is doing…I don't think my sanity could take it!"

"Ah…" the other Nabiki started to say, then thought better of it, "Never mind."

"So…yes, I can see that life for you is just terrific," Nabiki rolled her eyes, "Thank the kami all I ever have to worry about are occasional bank foreclosures and finding enough money to put food on the table…"

"You're leaving out the best part," Ganglot added slyly, "She also has Ranma."

The original Nabiki turned to regard the Oni with a brief look of dismay that betrayed her vulnerability on that issue before she stoically turned away and declared, "I told you guys before…I don't have a prayer of getting him…I burned my bridges there a long time ago. Besides, he loves Akane, and she loves him, even if the baka can't bring themselves to admit it…"

"But love isn't a guarantee of happiness," Ganglot noted, "Nor can it make up for a fundamental incompatibility between those two…unless they have someone acting as a buffer who can also provide the glue binding them together. If that someone isn't you, then perhaps you ought to consider someone else who can do the task for you."

"Like who?" the first Nabiki asked.

"Like Shampoo," the other Nabiki answered with an odd expression on her face and a far-away look in her eyes, "I should have seen it earlier…she's the key to insuring happiness, and unless she marries Ranma…things won't be too good for her. She's coming up on the end of a deadline, and if she doesn't satisfy that Amazon honor of hers soon…then she won't be around to worry about too much longer."

"What?" the first Nabiki reacted in shock, "What do you mean…?"

"Ask her about those Amazon rules of hers," the other Nabiki replied, "She might not tell you at first, but believe me…it's important that you help her."

"Important…like how?" the first Nabiki asked, "Like whatever it is that brought you guys together in a threesome? I can't believe you went in for a three-way Amazon marriage…"

"Hey," the other Nabiki smirked, "You haven't felt one of her kisses…I guarantee it will blow your socks off."

The original Nabiki just stared at her with eyes as round as hundred-yen pieces.

"The details are on that disk you made," the other Nabiki pointed at her counter part, indicating the hidden pocket, "Those files you stole from me. You wanna know all the details? It's all there…and I hope you put it to a good use because I'm the one who had to sweat it…"

"Ah…" the first Nabiki felt the Zip disk hidden in her pocket with just a tiny twinge of guilt betrayed in her expression.

"Don't worry," Ganglot said, "It's all intact and readable. Use the knowledge well, you have on that disk enough information to change your world…or doom it. The choice belongs to you and whatever you decide to do once you return to your own timeline."

"I…I'll be sure and keep it in a safe place," Nabiki hesitated before adding, "I don't actually have a computer…but I know where I can find one that's pretty secure so no one else has a chance to read them."

"Don't underestimate your adversary," Ganglot warned, "You're a leaf blowing in the wind to someone like Cybelle as things stand in the here and now, but that could change if she were to learn of your potential. What you need to do is change a few of your habits, start taking your life a little more seriously, and your place in the world. You should also consider making allies where you can…just in case they may prove useful. Don't confide too much in someone like Cologne, but don't turn her away either. If you keep your eyes open and your ear close to the ground you may discover enough parallels between our worlds to know where you have to turn in order to protect yourself and your loved ones against a future that even the kami may find daunting."

"Allies like you?" the other Nabiki asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Why…what a novel idea," Ganglot smiled as if the idea had not previously occurred to her, "There is another version of me on your world, and she is just as aware of the events surrounding you as I was when my faithful servants helped free me from my prison. Just imagine how grateful that other me would be…why…I might even be convinced to grant a wish to the person who awakens me from my pyramid tomb in China…"

"A wish?" the first Nabiki raised both of her eyebrows.

"I thought those pyramids weren't supposed to be tombs?" the other Nabiki smirked in a sardonic manner.

"They certainly weren't designed with that intention in mind," Ganglot snorted, "No creature comforts like indoor plumbing, no food or mineral water in the 'fridge, and no room service. Nothing to do but be bored and sleep all day watching mental television, surfing the Yggdrasil Internet system…you just cannot imagine how good it is for me to be free to enjoy the pleasures of this century. You Mortals have created a world where even a peasant can live better than a prince of the Edo dynasty, and I just cannot get enough of this world! Just imagine how happy I was the day Romeo and Julian came along my temple grounds and disturbed my ages-long slumber…"

"I get the hint," the first Nabiki frowned, "I suppose I could always consider it…if I ever manage to make it out to China."

"That's all I could ask," Ganglot made a solicitous gesture, "Not that I would ever dream of imposing on your good graces…"

"Yeah…right," the other Nabiki snorted, "You'd make a hell of a corporate trader with those negotiating tactics of yours…"

"What do you think I was doing for a living back when I lived on the home plane of the Oni?" Ganglot chuckled, "Hell pioneered Corporate Raiding long before you humans had even worked out the basic theory of barter."

"Somehow I find that easy to believe," the other Nabiki murmured with sardonic appreciation.

"Well…" Ganglot sighed, "As fun as this is, it's about time you two were getting on with your lives. One word of advice, though, for the you who wanted to live her life alone on her own terms, to win her place in the world without having to give her heart to another."

"Yeah?" the first Nabiki asked.

"Don't be fooled into confusing strength with solitude," the Oni Princess cautioned, "We're all alone within these fragile shells we call our bodies. True strength isn't just found in knowing who and what we are, it's in finding that common link we all share, the line of our destinies stretching back to the ultimate beginning."

"The lines of our…" one Nabiki began to say.

"Destinies?" the other finished for her.

"Don't act so surprised," Ganglot gave them a haughty smile, "The purpose of life itself is self-discovery and evolution. Every generation of man struggles to reach for the stars, to edge a little closer to the paradise of Heaven through total mind and body integration. Sometimes we catch a fleeting glimpse of that ultimate unity that all souls yearn to achieve, that moment when our solitude ends and we become as one with all life, past present and future. It's not just some romantic fable told by poets and madmen, it is the destiny of life itself, both human and Oni."

"Both human…" questioned one Nabiki.

"…And Oni?" concluded another.

"Yes," Ganglot noted, "My race aspires to the same goal as yours…but because our lives are longer we tend to evolve a little differently. The people of my world are still mired in the morass of primal emotion, which is the source of our strength and the tragedy of our existence. Because human lives are short your evolution is quite astonishing to our way of thinking, one of several reasons why your race remains an infinite source of perverse fascination, even to the gods themselves, who make a pretence of being above it all but are very much like us when it comes to viewing your lives through the lens of Heaven."

"I'm not sure how to take that," one of the two Nabikis replied.

"Well, I for one don't like the thought of being somebody's comic soap opera," the other Nabiki snorted.

"You two should take that act on the road," Ganglot grinned, "But seriously, consider this fact before we go our separate ways…you both recall what it means to lose your mother…but your mother lives on in the both of you, and that part of her which gave you life can never die as long as you survive. You are the heirs to a long and unbroken lineage whose beginnings was born in the stars. You carry within you the promise of future generations yet unborn. Every generation before you was a winner, and that's a heavy responsibility and tradition to maintain if your mothers are to continue living within you, and to survive in your children and beyond."

"In our…children?" the first Nabiki questioned.

"Assuming we have any," the other Nabiki replied, then added, "But that's what you're getting at, aren't you? It's up to us to insure that we even have a future."

"Bingo," Ganglot nodded, "You got it in one. I knew you had potential."

"I guess she has a point," the first Nabiki said with clear reluctance.

"At least life won't be dull with her around," the other Nabiki turned to her counterpart and smiled, "Guess we can both shake on that. Good luck with you and your Ranma."

"I should be telling you that," the first Nabiki replied as the two of them brought their hands together for a handshake, only to experience a strange electrical sensation at the contact that caused reality itself to fragment, and then invert as time and space seemed to experience a massive reset.

"And so things return to normal," Ganglot sighed, "Or the next best thing anyway…until the next time somebody upstairs decides to play dice with the cosmos."

And then she dispelled the illusion and returned to her studio, where she found Nabiki already being warmly greeted by an enthusiastic Amazon, whose hug was dangerously close to doing damage to the object of her affection.

"Hiyaa!" Shampoo was cheering, "You back, Nabiki…you really back with Shampoo now!"

"Urk!" was all Nabiki managed to reply, convinced that several ribs were within a hairs breadth of cracking.

"Ease up, Shampoo," Ranma urged, "You don't wanna hurt her now that we've got her back. Ah…this is the real you, right, Nab-chan?"

"It's me," Nabiki managed to wheeze, "Shampoo…"

"Oh," the purple haired girl registered the excess of her enthusiasm and with some reluctance eased back on her embrace, "Shampoo sorry, Airen…no mean to squeeze so hard…"

"It's…okay," Nabiki resolved herself to being warmly held by the bouncy Amazon and instead smiled with affection, "It's good to have you back, too…what a weird experience that other world was…"

"Yeah, I can imagine," Ranma sniffed as he touched Nabiki's arm with what for him was a rare display of outward emotion, "Imagine some place where I'm engaged to the tomboy instead of you guys."

"Shut-up, Ranma," Akane growled, "As if I'd want anything to do with a pervert like you."

"I guess this means the wedding is on again?" Ukyo asked.

"Of course it is," Soun said firmly.

"Just try keeping my boy from greeting his brides at the altar," Genma chuckled with enthusiasm.

"Is it really over?" Ryoga asked.

"For now…I guess," Kennou turned to regard Ganglot with a questioning expression.

"Is that right, Grandma?" Atsuko asked of her elder, "Do we get a break this time, now that Momma's latest schemes are thwarted?"

"You can breathe easily on that score, Dear," Ganglot reassured her, "We should have at least a half a day of peace and quiet, only I think it would be a good idea to shift the wedding to someplace else since the dojo needs a bit of renovation."

"My…dojo?" Soun seemed to suffer a delayed reaction as the thought of its destruction finally hit home, at which point he promptly fainted.

"Oh father," Kasumi sighed, even as she, Silk, Kodachi and Yumi all moved to help prevent his injuring himself through falling.

"What about the other girl calling herself Nabiki?" Comb asked.

"Gone back to her own world, I believe," Silk replied, "Is that not correct, Grandmother?"

"You may indeed conclude this," Lotion responded gravely, "She is back in her own world, returned to the life she left, for both good and ill, I fear."

"Will she be all right?" Nabiki asked, unable to help thinking of what her own reaction would be if trapped in that world she had glimpsed all-too-briefly.

"She will be as well as can be expected," the Lore Master answered somberly, "Like you she is a survivor, but she will have to sleep in the bed she has made for herself, and it will take time for her to change her ways for the better."

"But she knows it's possible now," Nabiki balled her fists and glanced down at the floor, "For her sake I hope she does the right thing. I'd hate it if she spends the rest of her life regretting a choice she never even knew she was making."

"She will adapt and make what choices she deems to be for the better," Lotion's inscrutable expression registered a brief flicker of humor, "I'll save my sympathy for my own counterpart, who now has the unenviable task of guiding her footsteps, as I did for you."

"Then there's hope for her after all," Nabiki lifted her eyes and glanced at Shampoo, then Ranma and shared with them a moment of reflection for the path not chosen, and what it would mean to one who was trapped in such a place, forever confronted by the knowledge of what might have been, and the difficulties that lay in store for her if she was ever to find a happy resolution…

Nabiki drew a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes, glancing around at her surroundings, finding that she was still in the dojo surrounded by familiar faces, including the old woman from before…and one who was staring at her with obvious concern written plain in her expression.

"Nabiki-chan?" she asked hesitantly, "Are you well?"

"M-M-Mother?" Nabiki felt a strange deja vu for her first meeting with Silk, knowing as she spoke this that the woman before her was somebody other than a woman named Tendo Kimiko.

"Ah…not quite," the woman replied with clear reluctance, "I'm known as Peorth…and since you ask, I take it to mean that you're the version of Nabiki who belongs in this timeframe?"

"I guess…" Nabiki forced herself not to faint by staring long and hard at the stranger before her, unable to help recognizing a more-than-passing familiarity, as if she did not merely resemble her mother but had some aspect of her mother inside her. "Peorth, eh? Nice to meet you."

"And nice to meet you," the old woman who stood to one side spoke in an almost friendly manner, "Tendo Nabiki…well met indeed, and such a promising young lady you're already proven yourself to be."

"Indeed," Cologne murmured from the side (the old Cologne, Nabiki noted, though now she had cause to wonder), "I have always suspected as much, but it's nice to have confirmation."

"Nabiki?" she immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Ranma.

"Oneechan?" that definitely sounded like a much-concerned Akane.

"Aiyaa…?" the questioning voice had Shampoo's distinctive flavor and accent.

"Oh my…" said a voice that was Kasumi beyond question.

"Nabiki?" that from her father.

"Are you feeling all right?" said a concerned voice that sounded oddly like Genma.

Nabiki took a moment, drew a deep breath and slowly resolved herself to adopting her usual stoical demeanor. Only then did she turn to regard the people who were so anxiously seeking to know as to the state of her welfare. Her eyes lightly graced the two adults and Kasumi before zeroing in on the trio of much-concerned faces regarding her with clear and hesitant interest…the reason for which was not difficult at all for her to fathom.

"Ranma," she said as even and detached as she could, "Akane…Shampoo…anything happen while I was away?"

The reactions to this simple question ranged from relief to deeper concern to confusion, but Nabiki would not give up an inch of the emotional turmoil that was presently churning deep within her, intent on maintaining her dignity until she had time to sort out her true thoughts and feelings on the issues raised by her recent encounters.

"Nabiki…" Akane sighed, "You're back."

"Is true?" Shampoo asked with more hesitation in her voice.

"You sure this is the real you?" Ranma asked, "That other girl who looked like you…?"

"What about her?" Nabiki replied as if discussing the weather, "She's gone, I'm back. She's got her own life to live, and so do I."

"But Nabiki," Kasumi asked, "What was it like for you to be in that other world…?"

"Yeah," Ranma agreed, "And what about the rest of us? Were we there with you?"

Nabiki wondered how best to respond to that, then decided some secrets were not worth sharing aloud without further reflection on the subject.

"You were there," Nabiki replied aloud, "You were all there…things pretty much like they always are in this district."

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo sounded dismayed, "Is that bad?"

"Oh yeah," said the tall blonde known as Siren, "This definitely sounds like a place I'd like to stay around and check out for a while. Shame on you for not telling me about it before, Cologne darling."

The Leader of the Amazons did not verbally respond to that, but from the way she shifted her eyes without turning her head was enough to tell Nabiki that there was definitely something going on between those two, and the secrets were most probably contained on the disk that she fervently hoped she still had on her person.

"Look guys," Nabiki sighed, "I've had a long day and I'm tired, so excuse me if I go up to my room and chill out for a while. See you guys around dinner time?"

"Of course," Kasumi replied with her usual buoyant cheerfulness, "And it's good to have you back, 'Neechan."

"You said it," Akane agreed, "No offense, Nabiki, but…that other you kinda scared me…"

"Scared you?" Ranma sniffed, "What's a macho chick like you gotta be afraid of? I'm the guy she called her fiancé."

Nabiki was torn between keeping up her mask and a desire to slap the boy silly for that remark, but fortunately for her Akane did the task for her in her usual brutal manner. Shampoo kept looking at her with rounded eyes as if she noticed something different about Nabiki that was not detectable by the others. She decided it was for the best not to meet that questioning gaze and instead take her leave of the dojo, casting only a sidelong glance at the woman named Peorth, who was watching her in a way that was most unnerving. She didn't notice the Amazon Lotion hanging anywhere about, but for the moment attached no special significance to this curious factor.

She waited until she was fully in her room with the door secured behind her before allowing the mask to fade and her true emotions to well up from the surface. She promptly cried herself to sleep and would not rouse from her room until long after dinner was ended…

Continued

Comments/Criticisms/Karaoke Night at Disney: Shadowmane@msn.com