Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ Another Day and Night with the Tendos... ( Chapter 137 )

Nabiki 1/2

(A Very Scary Thought)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Based Upon the Altered Destinies Storyline

Inspired by the works of such fans as

Wade Tritshler

Richard Lawson

James Jones

And Many Others

Standard Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko and is not my original creation. All characters belong to her. This is only a fanfictional work, and is not intended to compromise the rights of the original owners, distributors and publishers of the Ranma series. I have no money to spare and would very much appreciate if no one tries to sue me.

A knocking at the door at two in the morning might produce a rude result in most parts of the country, but in the Shido detective agency nighttime visitations were a standard trade in practice. Of course the face of the preternaturally cute redhead who answered the knock at the door was a surprise to the one doing the knocking, as was the immediate reaction as jealousy flared, along with the tell-tale flash of crimson in the eyes of the looker.

"What do you want?" the words were out of Riho's mouth before Lenore had a chance to get a word in edgewise.

"Uh…is Shido here?" Lenore asked of the kid vampire (who looked even younger than she did).

"And why do you want to see Shido?" Riho demanded, getting in the other girl's face and backing Lenore up against the opposite wall of the corridor, showing off quite a bit more fire than the Loire vampire was prepared to handle.

"Um…" Lenore considered using the "Old Friend" line, but reconsidered it immediately as experience and instinct warned her that would be a tactical mistake in regard to female relations.

"Well?" the other redhead snarled, showing off her fangs in a manner that might have been cute were it not for the obvious feral quality that lay behind ordinary feminine temper, and for an instant Lenore wondered if her jugular were in immanent danger.

But then another feminine voice called out, "Who is it, Riho-chan? Are you snarling at another one of your clients?"

Yet another voice answered the first one by saying, "Oh, you know how Riho goes off whenever she feels like it. It's probably just her period or something…um…vampires do have periods, right?"

"Uh…who's that?" Lenore asked, hoping to steer matters towards a safer, more neutral target.

Then relief came in the form of a familiar male voice asking, "Riho-chan, please don't frighten off my guests like that. You know that business has been rather slow of late, and if it's not Cain or one of his emissaries…"

"Shido-san?" Lenore tried not to let her gratitude show through as she called out towards him, "It's me, Lenore X. Remember me, ten years ago, from Venice?"

"Of course I know who you are, Lenore-chan," a tall and pale haired man replied as he appeared in the doorway, dressed in black with trench coat hanging about his shoulders like a mantle. He smiled at Lenore in a way that made the other redhead bristle, but then he added, "And Chloe…how are you doing?"

"Chloe?" Riho swerved her attention about in time to see the snarling beast-woman standing in the hallway glaring daggers in her direction, and-further on beyond her shoulders-a pale apparition who seemed to be hovering more than standing on the floor of the hallway.

"Down girl," Lenore spoke promptly, hoping to head off a worsening of the situation, "Easy, Chloe, nothing to get excited about here. And you…um…what did you say your name was again?"

"Yamazaki Riho," the redhead in question replied, "Assistant to Detective Shido…"

"Detective?" Lenore glanced at the long haired man, "Oh yeah…that's what you're into these days, I almost forgot…"

"Now there's an interesting line if I ever heard one," a sultry voiced older woman with long dark hair remarked, appearing in the doorway behind Shido with a sensuous manner about her that was accentuated by her leaning against the tall man in a meaningful manner.

And-just hovering over the shoulders of Shido and the mysterious dark haired siren-was an oddly colored humanoid form hovering on wings like a Fairy, but like no true fairy that Lenore had ever encountered before, leading her to suspect that this one was a breed apart from other types with which she was acquainted.

"Er…" Lenore swerved her attention to take in the stunning looker, and at once her heightened senses perceived the fact that she had recently given blood, and that there was a distinctive scent about her scarf that betrayed the fact that she was a donor, ergo a "Familiar."

"My name is Inspector Matsunaga Yayoi," the tall woman replied, anticipating the unvoiced question, "And you, I take it, are an old friend of Shido-chan come calling…with other friends of yours in tow?"

"Er…yes," Lenore admitted, then hastily added, "But I'm not an ex-girlfriend or anything like that. Shido-san and I are…old friends…"

"That's right," Chloe said as she reverted back to her normal (mostly) human appearance and stalked up to the side of Lenore, taking her arm and glaring at Riho in a forcefully assertive manner, "She's with me, get it? And if you don't, then I'll be happy to kick your vampy butt all over the premises, you got it red-eyes?"

"Whoa," the hovering fairy remarked, "Who spit in her kibbles'n bits this morning? And is she always this much of a…?"

"Guni," Shido chided.

"Ah…um…into fur?" the winged character asked by way of quick recovery.

"Chloe-chan?" Lenore blinked, surprised to see her closest friend acting so…territorial around her.

Riho actually blinked at the threat that the female werewolf had leveled, but rather than contest the point she backed away and said, "Okay…if that's the way it is between you…ladies…?"

"It is," the ghostly figure of Kiima responded, "And I can well testify to the fact. And may I ask if you and Shido-san here have a relationship of your own going on, which prompted your leaping to an erroneous yet totally understandable misassumption?"

"Ah…" it was Riho's turn to appear somewhat uncertain and taken aback, regarding the ethereal Kiima with a wary expression.

"Aw, don't let Riho get to you," the fairy figure remarked, "She's really a nice person, at least most of the time, but when it comes to smelling competition in the water…"

"Why don't you zip it you annoying…bug?" Riho snapped, this time venting her wrath upon an entirely different target.

"Riho-chan, be nice to Guni and Shido-chan's guests," Yayoi chided, "They've come here for a reason, haven't you, young people?"

"Er…yeah," Lenore swallowed, "Shido-san…I'm sorry to bother you, and I know it's an imposition, but…well…my friends and I were in the area and we…um…kind of need a place to crash…just for one night. We planned on renting a place, but at such a late hour and on such short notice…"

"And besides," Kiima added, "There is the pet deposit many places insist on imposing when they see Chloe-chan in her lupine form."

"I see," Shido replied, "Well, we don't have much room, but I suppose for one night would be all right, provided you find a better place for you and your…friends to stay the following day. I know that you have connections, and to some very important characters on the Darkstalker circuit…"

"Yeah…but who wants to live on an expense account all of the time?" Lenore responded, "I've been a street kid for most of my life…uh…well, most of the time since I turned, and Chloe's people are nomads by nature, while Kiima here doesn't really have any place that she can call home…"

"I see," Yayoi smiled, "In other words you're independent free spirits, though you sometimes act as agents for that mysterious organization you work for, the one that's supposedly headed by the Monster of Mary Shelly's journal…"

"Don't let him hear you call him that," Shido cautioned, "Frank is rather sensitive about the way he's been misportrayed in the media, and who could blame him?"

"Yeah, well, who believes anything they see in the movies these days?" Lenore shrugged, "Most horror flicks are special effects schlock fests…I mean, would it kill them to every now and again give us a decent portrayal instead of making us out to be a bunch of blood crazed parasites who can't think of anything beyond our next meal, like…like…"

"Goya?" Kiima suggested.

"Exactly," Lenore replied, then paused, "Wait a minute…"

"How exactly are you any different from the kinds of Darklings that we have to deal with every day?" Riho asked in a more practical tone of voice than she had used earlier, "I mean, a vampire, a werewolf and a…whatever?"

"Don't look at me," Guni shrugged, flapping her wings as she hovered out of reach of the pale apparition, "Can't feel if she's alive or dead…a kind of in between states kind of thing, like a ghost or…maybe even a Banshee…"

"Hey," Lenore responded, "It ain't what you are, it's what you do with what you are that counts, and whether you're a friend or foe of humanity is all in how you treat the people around you. Isn't that right, Shido-san?"

"Exactly," Shido replied, turning to Riho before adding, "She's from a different tribe than us, Riho-chan, but Loire vampires are hardly in the same class as Nightbreed. They're kind of intermediately powerful with a controllable thirst for blood, but they have a wide range of similar abilities to our class of Vampire…"

"Cain tribe, am I right?" Kiima asked, "Founded by an Immortal lord whose tribe is said to be older than the Jezril line of Lord Drakul."

"Exactly," Shido acknowledged, "Cain was my sire and mentor, but I've broken off from him in a great many ways, not the least of which is that I seek to protect humanity while he considers human beings to be weak and inferior creatures…"

"You know, I've never really understood that line of reasoning, Shido-chan," Yayoi remarked, "Most vampires started out as human beings, except for those who were born to vampiric parents…"

"And the half-breeds who bear some demonic taint, such as lord Dimitri," Kiima further noted, acknowledging the hovering creature beside her with a curiously ethereal expression.

"Indeed, which brings me around to a point I wanted to raise when you showed up just now, Lenore-san," Shido noted, "I've been hearing a lot of wild rumors all night about some kind of intertribal war breaking out with Goya and undead leading an attack against a conclave that was meeting in the Nerima district…and then an outbreak of Rakshasa that needed to be contained by an elite squad of Darkstalkers, and on top of that the rumor of the birth of a new Queen vampire, and that Dimitri Maximoff was somehow at the source of all these problems…"

"Dimitri Maximoff?" Guni shuddered, "Is he also going to be paying us a visit?"

"Oh, that's old news by now," Lenore replied, "Tell you all about it in the morning…um, after sunset, I mean, but right now…my friends and me are awfully tired, so if it's all the same we'd like to rest first, then tell our story."

"But what about Maximoff?" Yayoi insisted, "My own superiors will want to know if that renegade will be tearing up the district…"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about him," Chloe insisted, "Dracula and the Enforcers took him into custody, and we don't think we'll be seeing much more of him in the future."

"Dracula?" Riho blinked, "He really does exist?"

"Interesting," Shido remarked, "I wonder what Vlad will do with his nephew considering the great family embarrassment he's become to the Jezril. What ever the Vampire King is planning, I'm willing to wager that it won't be any too pleasant…"

"Welcome back to consciousness, Nephew," Drakul said to a revived and restored Dimitri as the latter slowly came back to his full senses, "Don't bother trying to struggle, those chains you are wearing are quite capable of holding you fast as I pronounce sentence upon you, so feel free to rant and curse if you like, since anything you say now can and will be held against you."

Dimitri tested his chains and found that they were quite solid, so he bared his fangs and snarled, "Do you think these paltry things are enough to hold me, Uncle? Do your worst, you will not hear Dimitri Maximoff plead for mercy!"

"I never suspected that you would," Drakul assured him, nodding to the brawny enforcers and the stolid Eve who stood nearby as silent witnesses to the enfolding drama, along with a taciturn and moody looking Morgan, "But they might find some small satisfaction in seeing you suffer…all save lady Morgan, who appears to be quite concerned about your welfare."

"Morgan?" Dimitri snarled, "Are you a prisoner too of this…sham-trial?"

"By no means," Drakul insisted before Morgan herself could speak, "She is my guest and under my protection…in fact, her presence is a key part of my intended punishment for your many crimes against the Vampire Nation. As exiled Queen of Makai she is well acquainted with the concept of summary justice, and of being tried in absentia by a less than sympathetic court. There is such a sentence hovering over your head, I might add, dear Nephew, only I will see fit to name the nature of your undoing, so think well before riling me since the greatest sin you ever committed was in betraying my trust and the memory of your blessed mother."

"Leave my mother, your sister, out of this!" Dimitri snarled, "I am ready to pay the price for my failure, but I will not have you sully her memory…"

"It is you who sully her memory!" Drakul declared with a swift gesture of clawed hand, and all at once Dimitri felt the marrow in his veins boil over, only to subside agonizing moments later as his uncle slowly regained control over his legendary temper.

"Forgive me," Drakul began again, "I did not mean to do that. Indeed, I tend to forget that your reckless and impulsive youth often leaves you more than a bit shortsighted, Nephew. You tend to think in grandiose terms of your own glory and honor before you think of the welfare of another, so what to you is the fact that you have sought to undo centuries of communal relations between humans and vampires and very nearly brought both races to the brink of extinction?"

"I am bored already," Dimitri sneered, "Is part of my punishment to be verbally abused for being less than what you desired of me, Uncle?"

"Perhaps," Drakul conceded, "Believe it or not, Nephew, I am not truly angry with you for being the thing that you are. Anger is for lesser men, the kind who let their feral nature assume command over their judgement. I am a bit annoyed, however, so try not to try my patience too far or it will go worse for you than you could possibly imagine."

"Worse than death, Old Man?" Dimitri sniffed, "I doubt it."

"Never be too certain of anything," Drakul replied, "It is a sign of weakness. Indeed, your Rakshasa blood has blinded you to certain truths that would have been self-evident to the lowliest child had you been but willing to listen to me all those decades ago when I said that you had potential. Chief among your mistakes is the belief that your unique nature makes you special and better than other men because it is such arrogance that has perpetually contributed to your endless string of failures in the past. You plot big, Nephew, but you never see as far ahead as your own avarice and lust for power will permit you to imagine."

"And I would not be so self-assured over that score, Uncle," Dimitri sneered, "For I can imagine things the like of which you can hardly…"

"Arrogant pup," Drakul snorted, "Did you think becoming a god would give you the satisfaction that you have always wanted? No, you only let your Rakshasa side betray your judgement and lead you towards the path of grievous error. In seeking to confront your own paternal sire, to steal his power away into you in the thoughts of becoming more powerful than I, you only left the door open for your Rakshasa half to guide you to your folly. You thought yourself strong, clever and capable when in reality you were but a tool that your father manipulated into fulfilling his own dark desires. Worse still, you contributed to the deaths of many of our kind and conspired to overthrow the council itself without realizing that we alone stand as a barrier between the human and Rakshasa worlds and that you-no matter how powerful you became-would have been helpless before the tide of a force that has ravaged many planets beyond the Earth without relent. It is for a certainty that you would either now be dead or in thrall to your father but for the timely intervention of outsiders, which further compounded the extent of your transgression."

"If you are referring to the code once again…" Dimitri started to protest, only to once more be cut off in mid-sentence.

"Exactly…the Code," Drakul insisted, "Never kill without strong reason, never risk exposure of our existence to the humans, and never involve outsiders if it can be avoided. You violated all three tenants this night, Dimitri, and that means that you must become a prime example of what it means to defy the will of the council…"

"Will of the council…it is your will, your rules that you name, dear Uncle!" Dimitri shouted, "Your pitiful sentimentality towards the humans nauseates and disgusts me. Who is the embarrassment here old man? Me…or you who side with the humans against your own kind?"

"And what kind to you side with, Dimitri?" Drakul shot back, "I was human once, as were many of our kind. My father was a noble of the Order of Drakul, and while he was a man of intemperate nature and unsurpassable cruelty, he was still a man until the day that he was slaughtered by the Turk…before my very eyes, I might add, as I cowered in hiding with my sister. I made that pact with the dark powers to gain my vengeance, but it was my father, risen from his grave, who made me what I am today, and that is why I side with humanity, Dimitri…because the memory is strong within me of what it was like when I was breathing and walked in the full light of day without flinching..."

"This nostalgia avails us nothing," Dimitri said, "Your father was a greater man than you could ever dream of being! He understood the value life as it is bled out of the humans!"

"He understood how to take life, not how to give it back, Dimitri," Drakul said sadly, "He knew strength and mercy balance each other out, yet he chose the cruel path that you are now taking, and it is the memory of all that our house has ever stood for that you have shamed by your rejection of our values. That is why I must now take steps to insure that your crimes are not continued into the future."

"What do you plan to do with me?" Dimitri asked with deceptive calm in his voice.

"That is the question, is it not?" Drakul remarked, "And in truth I have had a great deal of time on my hands to plan this very thing. After all, what does one do with the greatest traitor to the vampire nation that the tribes have known in over a millennia? Death is obviously too swift and kind a penalty to pay for your numberless transgressions, yet anything less…would be highly ineffective. Your constitution and resilience are quite phenomenal, almost on a level with my own, and simply entrapping you in a conventional snare risks the possibility that you will one day break loose and renew your rampages…so I have chosen, instead, a path that should satisfy all concerned parties and make certain that you do not trouble us again with your childish tantrums and pathetic schemes to become ruler over both the human and vampire nations."

So saying this, the Lord of the Vampire nation reached into his long sleeve and drew out a curious object, shaped like a sphere only dark around the edges, a faint glow discernable within its center, giving it the appearance of a grapefruit-sized eyeball.

Despite himself Dimitri could not help saying, "What is that?"

"Surely you must recognize it from the description found in ancient tomes and ledgers, you who have plundered the world in search of such artifacts from times beyond even our recollection," Drakul smiled, "It is the Eye of Dagon, said to be a prison for all of the darkest and most unwholesome beings who have ever troubled this sad blue planet we tread upon. Within its depths exists a dimension entirely unlike anything that you have previously experienced, Dimitri, a Hell of a different sort where evil things are confronted by their mirror opposite and are forced to relive significant events within their lives, both good and ill, until they either overcome their own inner demons or are driven mad by their encounters. It is a purge stone, very rare indeed, a Siege Perilous-if you will-where your own ego is the jailer and the only means of release is by conquering the monster that lurks within you. Once trapped within its mirrored depths the only way out is to become a better man than you have ever dreamed of becoming, so either you will remain here for all eternity or you will emerge much changed from what you are. Either way, this will be the end of the old Dimitri, and the family shame that you have become through your own actions."

Once more Dimitri struggled against his chains, but again he found them quite solid and resistant to his worst efforts. Instead he snarled and said, "Do you think that alone will be enough to hold me, Old Man? I will yet emerge triumphant, and then I will celebrate by feasting on your bleeding heart…!"

"Undoubtedly you will try," Drakul remarked, "But only one other has ever achieved such a miraculous thing, and you are looking at him now. I well know the perils that lay in store for you, Nephew, and once within its depths you will know them as well…to your eternal sorrow."

"Wait!" Morgan spoke up before she had a thought of doing so, then she hesitated as eyes turned towards her before she managed to say, "Is...this cruelty truly your idea of justice, Lord Tepesh?"

"Ah yes, the other part of my sentence," Drakul turned to regard the Succubus Queen, "You have an interest in what becomes of this wretch, do you not? In spite of the pitiable, contemptible thing he is now you still care what happens to him…to the man you wanted as an ally to regain your throne from your wicked father?"

"I…" Morgan glanced down and did not answer the accusation, could not bring herself to do so as it would mean betraying her own inner turmoil.

"Leave her out of this, Uncle," Dimitri hissed, "Your quarrel is with me, not Morgan!"

"So," Drakul mused, turning back to regard his captive, "The opposite is also true…you care what becomes of her. Indeed, the both of you do make quite the pair, so I will ask this once…do you love this woman, Dimitri?"

"Eh?" Dimitri balked, "What…what does that have to do with…"

"Everything," Drakul smiled in a way that caused even the grim-faced Enforcers to take a back step, "Don't you see? She is in love with you, fool, and you are in love with her, and despite your pretence to merely be using each other in the furtherance of your mutual schemes. The plain truth is that neither one of you can bear the thought of living without the other. You are practically made for one another, and your weak attempts to deny the obvious disgust me."

"But…" Morgan attempted to protest, only to find that she could not.

"You…you are insane," Dimitri sputtered, "I…I care for no one but myself, I…"

"And still you think to lie to me, Dimitri?" Drakul said with an almost pitying expression, "To me, who can read you as plainly as a scroll? Your heart is bare to me…as is hers. You are in love, so do not insult me by pretending otherwise. And you, Woman…on your honor as a Queen, speak the truth now or forever hang your head in shame…do you love Dimitri?"

"I…" Morgan glanced down, and unknowingly received a sympathetic glance from the silent Eve, "…Yes…I…care for Dimitri…"

"And you care what becomes of her, do you not?" Drakul asked of his prisoner as he raised the Eye of Dagon and pointed it in Morgan's direction.

"No-stop!" Dimitri cried before thinking, then grit his fangs and said, "I mean…yes!"

"Very good," Drakul lowered his hand, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it? And before these witnesses I recognize and acknowledge your ties between our two clans, and by the power invested in me by my office I hereby invoke my right as King to declare the both of you to be henceforth and hereafter known as legally married."

There was stunned silence from all around, but then Dimitri managed to stammer out, "M-M-Married? To Morgan?"

"To him?" Morgan reacted, "Ye must be joking!"

"I am not famously known to have much of a sense of humor," Drakul admitted, "And I am quite serious, as it is within my authority to declare marriages as it is to annul them. You are married if I say that you are married…"

"You cannot be serious!" Dimitri spat, "Do you think to declare us in a union to which Morgan and I have not agreed? You think that your authority is so great that you can overrule us like…?"

"You are welcome," Drakul bowed, "No need to thank me, Nephew, just consider it a courtesy that comes with my office. And you, Lady Morgan, surely you are not opposed to having a strong husband in total defiance of the will of your own father?"

"Ah…well…" Morgan reluctantly conceded.

"Besides which," Drakul continued, "If it were left to this fool to propose, then you could live another thousand years before he actually works up the courage."

"I…what?" Dimitri bristled, rattling his chains as he declared, "Uncle…for that insult alone…"

"No, do not waste further words on such filial endearments, Nephew," Drakul replied, "Just become a better husband to your wife. After all, she is a queen, and a gentleman should treat all women as royalty, or else he is no better than a common lout. Now, to carry on with the rest of your sentence…"

"This is not over-GROWLF!" Dimitri growled, only to halt himself in mid-tirade as he felt the change come over him once again and glanced down to find that he had been converted back into the form of a giant panda.

Eve lowered the bucket in her hands and smiled, "You know, I actually think this form suits him better. He may lack for supernatural powers, but they often said he was a bear of a man, and you do like fur once in a while, do you not, lady Morgan?"

The succubus Queen glared at the towering lady monster, but she seemed to reconsider making a point of the matter…at least for the moment.

"Enjoy your cursed form, Nephew," Drakul urged as he raised his outstretched hand again, "It should teach you much about humility, just as another I well know had to learn the hard ways the lessons of Jusenkyo. We will speak again should you manage to free yourself from both it and your prison, and by then I expect you to be a better man than the fool that you are at present. And now…" the lord of the vampires aimed the eye of Dagon and pronounced words of a strangely unearthly nature, and all at once the eye seemingly expanded to snake out with tentacles that latched onto the panda form of Dimitri, drawing him into the gaping maw that was its iris, at which point the renegade vanished from mortal sight all together.

"Dimitri!" Morgan started to lunge forward, only to encounter the immovable arm of Eve as the latter thrust it in the path of the succubus to block her attempted movement.

"It is done," Drakul remarked as the eye returned to normal size, then with an ease that bordered on casual disdain he tossed the eye to Morgan and said, "Here, you keep it. You are now your husband's jailer."

"I…what?" Morgan asked as she held the orb and stared at it in amazement, finding it warm to the touch and disturbingly…quasi-organic.

"Keep it safe and protect it well should you wish to see Dimitri once again," Drakul replied, "I leave it in your care, Lady Morgan, as it is his sole means of returning to this world. Let the fool struggle with its many riddles to find his way back to the earth, if he is capable of achieving such transcendence. If he succeeds then he will be a much changed man and will need the love of a good woman to guide him, but if he fails…then he will remain there forever and you would be better off forgetting all about him. Either way he is your responsibility now. I wash my hands of the matter, for he is Jezril no longer."

With that the lord of the Vampire nation turned and strode out of the chamber, the grim-faced Enforcers falling into line behind him, as did Eve, who leaned in close to her husband and murmured, "You enjoyed that."

"Not entirely," Drakul admitted in a low murmur, "She suffers greatly for the fool, and were he worthy of her love then he would never have brought himself to such a fate. It was a grim task that needed doing…but…I would be remiss if I did not say that I found a measure of satisfaction in seeing Dimitri's face when I told him they were married."

"My lord," Mathais spoke up, "You know that my brother and I would never dream of contradicting you but…was this wisdom? It was cruel and necessary, indeed, and when word of the fool's punishment is made common knowledge…"

"I would prefer it if the details are kept confidential, old friend," Drakul said simply, "Let it be known that Dimitri has been punished with banishment to a Hell plane, but not the means by which this was effected. The other thing, yes…that can be made common knowledge."

"Yes my lord," the other Enforcer shuddered, "But…married…to Morgan? Wasn't that a bit…excessive?"

"Perhaps," Drakul shrugged, "But you will admit that the two of them deserve one another, and who better to make the rest of their immortal lives miserable than they who delight in tormenting and usurping one another? Even apart they will hear the echo of old taunts and barbs spoken rashly, and that will add to Dimitri's torment when to even recall such things will bring tears of longing to his eyes, and when Morgan weeps for him whom she once did loathe others will know that they are truly punished and will take pity on them both."

"You mean to assuage the Chiefs of the various tribes by such thinking," Eve said, quite notably impressed with her husband's reasoning, "Very clever, Darling, and a justice worthy of the Impaler."

"I do have my moments," Drakul replied as he reached out to take Eve's hand and kiss it, "But know that I do not regard marriage alone to be the worst sort of torture, Eve-chan. When one finds the perfect mate it is best to embrace your destiny rather than oppose it…and in that respect I stand a far wiser man than Dimitri."

"Flatterer," Eve smiled, not bothering to add that it was also the smart thing to say when in her immediate presence, otherwise she might have to "punish him," and in that one regard the Lord of the Vampires knew himself to be the one at a distinct disadvantage…

"So, how do you feel about your new responsibilities, my sister?"

"To be honest, I am a bit overwhelmed by it all," Kasumi admitted, "So many things to learn, so much yet to know, and yet…I find myself quite excited at the prospect of being able to help so many people who need my aid. It is nice to feel appreciated and valued once again…and I owe it all to you for sharing your essence with me, my sister-mother."

"Nonsense," Belldandy smiled benevolently, "I only gave you that which I knew would help complete your transformation. You did the rest by yourself, and I am greatly proud of you for the way things turned out, Imoutochan. Your true mother would be as proud of you were she here in my place, and now you have a greater destiny ahead of you. You are on an endless journey that will take you farther than you could possibly imagine."

"Yes, I know," Kasumi agreed, giving Belldandy a warm look before adding, "But still…there will be many hardships and trials ahead of me…I know this as well."

"There are always trials that must be taken on the road of life," Belldandy conceded, "But I think that you will agree that the rewards make the journey all the more worthwhile. There is no single destination at the end of this road…it goes further than the farthest horizon…"

"Yes, I see that," Kasumi nodded, then paused before adding, "But will my thirst return? I fear the cravings might return at some future time, at which point…I may find it difficult to control my hunger."

"You will be safe so long as you wear the Bloodstone in your earring," Belldandy assured her, "It will replenish your needs constantly, even as the seal it marks will keep your full powers at bay so that they do not overwhelm the planet. There is much to know about being a goddess, after all, and you must allow yourself the time it will take to fully assimilate your new nature…"

"Yes," Kasumi bowed, "There are so many things I have yet to discover about myself…but I do not fear my future any longer, I embrace it. I am enriched by knowing so many interesting people who remind me of what humanity means to me, and as long as I remember this I know that I will always be at heart Tendo Kasumi, both a woman, a goddess and a vampire."

"Then you are already on your journey," Belldandy softly applauded, "I look forward to speaking with you again when you are further evolved on the path that you have chosen. Be well my sister…until we meet again."

"And good fortune to you, my mother-sister," Kasumi smiled back before moving herself off of the cloud upon which they both had been perched, dropping back down towards the earth as golden wings spread out from her back to catch her in mid-fall as she guided herself back towards the province of Nerima.

"And to you, my sister-daughter," Belldandy beamed proudly before allowing herself to descend back towards a certain temple and the anxious young man who was waiting once more to greet her…

"I don't know what else to tell you, Tendo-san," Tofu remarked, "But you are in remarkably good health considering the ordeal that you and your husband went through. As for your condition…well…are you certain that you only became pregnant a couple of weeks ago? Because, if this Ultrasound is right, then you are much closer to two and a half months gone into your pregnancy, and already your body is nurturing a tiny little bundle that is well on the way to becoming a fully functioning baby."

"Actually, Doc," Nabiki replied, "I'm not all that surprised that the little rugrat is holding on firm in there," she patted her abdomen, "Considering who his father is, and what Beiko did to ensure that the kid would be a natural survivor."

"I am glad that you're taking this in as good spirits as you are, Tendo-san," Tofu smiled in his usually affable manner, "Considering everything that your wives went through during their pregnancies…"

"Don't remind me," Nabiki rolled her eyes, recalling all too vividly the strains that both Shampoo and Ukyo had been under the further along they came in their own mutual pregnancies. Just the cravings alone had been enough to drive Nabiki mad…and that was well before she had even begun to suffer such cravings within her own body.

Instead it was left to Shampoo to say, "Airen always think she the tough one in family, but now she know what Spatula girl and Shampoo go through, so she not so big with her boasting."

"Hey, I never boasted about anything like that when I was looking after you, Sham-chan," Nabiki protested, only to see her Amazon wife turn a knowing smile her way, which clearly said that this was far from the last word on that particular subject.

Knowing better than to wage a fight she could not win, Nabiki just sighed and said, "So, tell me, Doc, how's Natsume coming along with her training?"

"Rather well," Tofu replied, "In fact, even Reiko thinks she's well on her way to becoming a great fighter. I dare say she might well replace you as the top dog in the family at the rate that she's progressing…"

"Oh yeah?" Nabiki sniffed, "Well, we'll see about that. After I get done having the kid I'll be back in training full time, and then let my Slayer sister beat her chest all she wants, 'cause I'll be showing her who's the top dog of the Anything Goes Ryu."

"Do not push too hard, Airen," Shampoo cautioned, "Remember what Great-grandmother say when she coach Shampoo to get back girlish figure."

"Like you and the old Ghoul would ever let me forget…?" Nabiki caught herself as she saw the look Shampoo turned her way and instantly amended, "I mean…the Elder who looks even younger than us when she ain't hiding her real age behind that illusion she adopted? Oh yeah, talk about your great role models…"

"Ranma say he back later today from training," Shampoo said brightly as she tactfully again changed the subject, "And evil pervert Master promise he be in full control over elemental spirits, so maybe they no try to burn or drown Airen in jealous fit like last time?"

Nabiki winced as she recalled vividly that one particular occasion where she had dared call out the Elemental spirits in Ranma's body in a challenge match to prove which of them had top claim to her husband. In spite of Ranma's warnings Nabiki had felt confident that she could handle all four elementals at once, only to discover the hard way what a struggle it was for Ranma to control them, let alone the folly of fighting four elemental beings at the same exact time WITHOUT full knowledge of his Senken maneuvers.

All at once her attention was drawn to the muscular and broad-shouldered figure who appeared at the entry way to Tofu's examination room, and then Hurada Reiko---Tofu's brand new fiancée---said, "Tofu-chan, are you done giving Tendo-san a clean bill of health? Because there are some well-wishers crowding up the waiting room eager to see how she's doing and…"

"Tell them I'm on my way out, Hurada-san," Nabiki said as she hopped off the examination table and at once accepted the garments that Shampoo offered to her in lieu of the cotton robe that she was presently wearing, "Well, back to front lines of the family group. Gotta admit it's good having everyone back in the same place settling down into our new lives as a married circle…"

"You do quite remarkably well keeping them all in line," Reiko admitted, "Married to four other people, and at your age, and clan head of your family at that…quite a lot of responsibilities for someone who's only just recently graduated from high school."

"Actually I've got another year to go before I'm fully graduated," Nabiki corrected, "Too many years on the road to make up for academically, though my senior year looks to be no less interesting than my last one. Since Ranma's going to be helping me run the dojo we ought to be financially well off for a while, but at the rate our family is expanding…well, it's a good thing that I have my other outside interests to provide a lucrative income or we'd doubtlessly be forced to make a few sacrifices and concessions."

"Just the same, you are a remarkable young lady, isn't she, Tofu-chan?" Reiko asked as she smiled at her iinazuke, receiving a warm smile in turn from Tofu-Sensei, who seemed quite taken with his future bride…a woman who was considerably larger and better built in all dimensions.

Indeed, Nabiki found it remarkable that Tofu could have switched overnight from his hopeless infatuation with Kasumi to trade her gentle sister for this…total Amazon (she winced a bit and was grateful that Shampoo was not telepathic), a woman who had won a Miss Kyoto World Wrestling Championship for three years running and who seemed as broad and sturdy as an oak, not svelte and trim like a proper martial artist. Reiko was certainly a very nice person and as warm hearted a human being as you could ask for (in spite of her fearsome reputation in the ring and overall appearance) but she was no Kasumi on the domestic home front. In fact, Nabiki privately thought that Tofu was better defined as the family domestic here and would doubtlessly be preparing his own meals in the future since the only one who was even less domestically inclined that way was Akane.

Not that Nabiki had much difficulty drawing parallels between Reiko and her own beloved younger sister. Both were rugged and tomboyish sorts who were quick to anger but who also found it easy to forgive most slights against them, whether intentional or not, and both could be extremely demonstrative of their feelings, though to her credit Reiko demonstrated a degree of maturity and restraint that Akane had yet to fully master.

With Kasumi there was far more of a contrast as the oldest Tendo sister was generally restrained and modest to a fault, to say nothing of being extremely feminine in all significant aspects. Reiko might effect a feminine quality or two, but nothing like Kasumi's self-effacing manners and general air of benevolence that belied the character of what she had become during their encounters with the Darkstalker set. Kasumi was notably more self-assertive these days, yet she retained the innocent sweetness that endeared her to most people whom she encountered, Reiko included since the both of them had become fast friends from the moment that Reiko had turned up and announced herself as Tofu's new girlfriend.

To be certain there were some similarities that belied the overall contrast of images that these two presented. Both were genuinely nice people with surprising depths who sincerely cared about the people around them, and both had met with the personal approval of Tofu's mother, who rated women on the width of their hips as an indicator of their ability to deliver strong and healthy offspring.

Nabiki had somewhat narrower hips than Kasumi, but that was hardly the issue at stake here. The fact remained that they were two very different people in every other respect, Reiko being more physically in displaying her affections while Kasumi remained a fairly ethereal presence, more noticed in the background than the foreground, yet deeply appreciated for the work she did in keeping their family house in neat and polished order. Granted Kasumi was seen more at night than the day in these times, but the family had begun to adjust to these little changes, and no one complained about her tendency to sleep in much of the day since they knew that she would be around whenever she was needed.

Nabiki was not entirely happy about the changes that had come over her sister, but she had to privately concede that Kasumi seemed quite happy and at peace about it all. Being turned into a vampire had seemed like such a death sentence before, but with little evidence to show for all her changes it was easy to forget how truly powerful she had become and the things which she was now capable of doing. Just seeing Kasumi take an interest in the martial arts again was a phenomenon in itself, and the one time Nabiki had tried sparring with her…well…that was a revelation and a half.

Even knowing that she was part of the reason Kasumi had gotten so good with the skills that she had "borrowed" hardly prepared Nabiki for discovering first hand the sort of art and raw power that Kasumi had at her disposal, and what it took to keep it under control when it came to handling normal objects.

Not to mention people.

"Hey, Earth to Nabiki, you in there, Nab-chan?"

"Huh?" Nabiki was startled out of her reverie by the sound of Ukyo's voice, and at once she became aware of the fact that she had wandered out into the reception area with Shampoo guiding her way while immersed in these reflections. With a sheepish grin she returned to greeting that Ukyo had given her with a nod of her own before sweeping her gaze across the faces of her various well-wishers.

Perfume, as always, was standing by Ukyo's shoulder in the manner of a loyal retainer, though Nabiki supposed it was just the Enforcer's way of signifying her close connection to her wife and the mother of their infant daughter, Fragrance, whom Ukyo carried with her in a kind of papoose that she had slung over her shoulders in place of her traditional spatula. Perfume was similarly holding baby Lylac in her arms but gladly passed her over to Shampoo when the latter went to claim her, thus completing their family grouping with the sole notable exception of their mutual husband, Ranma, who was the hub to their wheel and the center of their collective existence.

The void left by his absence was acutely felt by all four women, yet they knew he would be returning soon and thus made allowances to bridge the gap through mutual support and reassurance. By this means they found a comfort that was unique to their five-way arrangement, the strength of their unity binding them in a sisterhood of love and filial affection that no mere monogamous relationship could even hope to equal.

Also present were her good friends Alison and Beatrice, her sister Akane, her sister's fiancée, Ryoga, Keiko and Kodachi, and her other sisters-Natsume and Kurumi-with their mutual respective mates, and-of course-her ever-faithful lieutenants, Ryonami and Gosunkuji. They were all looking eagerly on as though to hear the latest word of Nabiki's condition (as if anything significant might have changed for her besides a few odd cravings in her diet).

"Ah, nothing to report about, guys," Nabiki tried to reassure them, patting herself on the abdomen before adding, "The little nipper's doing fine in there, so there's no need get all excited…"

"No need she says," Akane huffed, "You all but collapsed a couple of hours ago in the middle of a class…and you call it nothing, Oneechan?"

"You have been taking it a bit hard of late, Sister," Natsume agreed, "There is no need for you to prove yourself all of the time, and we are well aware that you still remain in top form in spite of your…condition."

"Yeah, and even I had to cut back for a spell when I started to feel real pregnant," Alison snorted, "You think we don't know what you're having to put up with?"

"Aiko is right," Beatrice agreed as she cradled their own daughter in her arms and added, "No matter how much you wish to retain your edge as the premier student of the Anything Goes tradition, you are going to have to cut back and delegate more responsibility to Natsume and Kurumi-chan. Allow instead your resources to be channeled towards the nurturing of new life, as nothing should be more important to a mother than the welfare of her offspring…I well know this."

Nabiki had to silently concede that her genius friend had a valid point in this, one that Beatrice was willing to back up with deeds since she had somehow arranged to get herself pregnant this time with Alison's seed, reversing what she had done to her own girlfriend through the use of her Nanobots. Beatrice had once again circumvented the normal impediments that ordinarily prevented a woman from impregnating her girlfriend-slash-wife…which pretty much meant that they were in good company hanging out with the Saotome-Tendo clan, who had set the marker when it came to such arrangements.

In point of fact Nabiki had to remark to herself that an epidemic of pregnancy sweeping through their ranks was largely due to the events that she had sent into motion with Shampoo a whole year back. Not only were Akane and Keiko both due to bear offspring at roughly the same time that Nabiki would have her own baby but now Shampoo herself was confirmed to be with Ranma's child, further expanding the size of their clan's next generation. Of all the females currently pregnant only Ukyo, Keiko, Natsume and Kurumi were presently barren, and at the rate that things were going it was more than likely that her younger sisters would be doing their part to be fruitful and multiply with their respective love interests.

As for Keiko herself…well, Nabiki wasn't placing any bets against the inevitable happening there given the Kickboxer's predilection for messing around in other people's rhubarb. In point of fact, since Keiko and Kodachi were very much an item these days, she would have placed it as a given that one day they would conspire to find a way of having a baby together…assuming, of course, that Kodachi's current child belonged to Ryoga (as everyone more-or-less suspected) and not Keiko (which was another given since they had been on Lao's ship when the conception happened).

Again forcing down these thoughts on the future size of their maternity ward, Nabiki just smiled to her mates and said, "Hey, I'll take it easy in the future, no sweat. Gotta keep up appearances, though, unless I want to concede my edge to you, Nat-chan."

"Sempai," Ryonami scolded, her expression unusually stern for the normally demure and soft-spoken girl, who of late had been spending much of her time seeing a certain boy named Gosunkuji (who correspondingly had been demonstrating more of a backbone as a consequence of this singular romantic foray between the svelte girl and the skinny boy whom many now considered her shadow).

"You won't win any points by inducing yourself into a miscarriage, sister," Natsume said without smiling, "This may be the only child that you and Ranma will ever be able to have by normal means, so I would take steps to protect such a precious cargo, if for no other reason than that the Tendo clan will need strong heirs to safeguard the future."

"Besides," Kurumi added, "You think Ranma will be happy to hear that you worked yourself up into a fainting spell, Oneechan? Knowing him, the guy will flip the moment he…"

"I think we can all safely assume how Saotome will react to this news, Kurumi-chan," Mousse assured his wife, "In the meantime…we should not impose too much more pressure on Nabiki since she has the old…um…elder to ride hard on her should she overdo things."

"Oh yes indeed," Tatewaki sagely nodded, "And were I you, fair Nabiki, I would struggle hard to remain on that one's good side."

"Assuming that she has one," Perfume sniffed, demonstrating once again how hard it was for Amazons to forgive those who had long practiced deception against their trusting nature.

"Shall we be going now?" Kodachi asked brightly, being sensible enough to know that Nabiki was becoming uncomfortable by this discussion of her condition, "Ranma will indeed be coming home soon, and it would be best for all concerned parties if he found his family waiting eagerly to greet his arrival."

"Oh yes, Mistress," Keiko nodded, "By all means, can't keep the stud waiting to see how much his wife is blossoming without him."

The slight sarcasm in the redhead's voice belied a soft note of affection that Nabiki had discerned in Keiko's tone of late when referring to Ranma, a market contrast from the way she used to bait him at every opportunity. Indeed, Nabiki had to concede that Keiko's attitude towards Ranma had improved noticeably after the latter had insisted on a private…three way encounter…just the three of them after the conclusion of the Darkstalker matter, where Keiko had willingly and eagerly demonstrated how well trained she was in the arts of pleasure, and had experienced the full range of the Kamasenken as both a punishment and reward for having flirted so outrageously with Nabiki as to leave even Ranma in a state where he knew that such a thing was needful.

Of course, bright and early the next day, Kodachi and the others had showed up upon their doorstep like the cavalry riding in to the rescue, Akane and the rest of their tight-knit group having been too anxious with worry and uncertainty to remain back on the fringes as commanded by Nabiki. They had showed up looking for trouble, only to find out, belatedly, that the matter had been dealt with and only peace remained in the Tendo-Saotome household, with only the shocking news that Kasumi had been the one who saved the day being left undelivered until all of their other frantic questions had been answered.

Of course, once explanations had been tended, Kodachi had then singled out Keiko and sternly looked at the redhead before asking, "Have you behaved yourself during your absence from me, Kei-chan?"

To which Keiko had licked her lips and responded, "Mistress…I only have acted in accordance with your wishes…and I have accounted myself very well, as might be expected."

"That's what I thought," Kodachi said with a slight arch in her tone before declaring, "We will…discuss the matter in private, and then you will spare from me no juicy details of everything that has happened to you since leaving my company a mere seventy-two hours ago. Is this clear enough to you, my Pet?"

Keiko swallowed a thick lump in an audible manner and replied, "Yes, Mistress…it will be as you command."

Nabiki decided she was better off not thinking too hard over what might have happened next when the both of them were alone together in the privacy of the Kuno mansion, but she had noticed the following day that Keiko was having difficulty sitting down within the dojo and had to take the day off early from teaching her regular Mu-Tai classes.

Again she was disturbed out of these private reflections as she and her group exited the clinic and began walking the two kilometers leading back towards the dojo. She turned towards the one who had just spoken and said, "Excuse me again?"

"Man, you are spacing it today, Nab-chan," Ukyo chided as they walked side-by-side together, "I said that Ranchan better be ready to take up his share of the household chores if he knows what's good for him, and it's about time he did his share of changing the diapers."

"Don't I know it?" Perfume rolled her eyes, indicating the pouch she carried that was full of disposable replacements.

"Heh, blame it on the greedy little tykes that they're always so hungry to get a taste of Momma," Alison chuckled as she took back her own daughter from a reluctant Beiko and prepared to breast-feed little Eileen, only to pause and glare at Tatewaki before growling, "What are you looking at?"

"Er…nothing," Tatewaki stalwartly forced his eyes straight forward rather than stare at the breast that the redhead was baring so brazenly in public, all too aware of the look his own fiancée was giving him at the moment.

Nabiki had to chuckle at this, saying aloud the words she knew were in Natsume's mind, "Eyes front, boyo, if you want to keep them. A kid's gotta feed when she's gotta feed, and it beats hearing them howl in hunger all the way home…"

"Little Lylac never howl for food," Shampoo cooed as she cradled her own babe in her arms with protective affection, "And neither do Fragrance. Such well behaved little warriors, so much braver than their poppas."

"Hey!" both Nabiki and Perfume cried out in annoyance.

"You guys are so lucky," Kurumi sighed as she glanced sidelong at the three sleeping infants, "I wanna have a baby too when I get older…"

"Er…should we be rushing things like that, Kurumi-chan?" Mousse asked nervously, "I mean…if all you women get with child at the same time, then who'll be left to run the dojo?"

"I'm sure you men will manage well enough on your own," Nabiki confidently predicted, not bothering to add that she was definitely NOT looking forward to being sidelined for the months it took to have her own baby, "But don't be in such a rush to become a mother, Kurumi-chan. It'll be another two years or so before you're old enough to graduate from high school, and even for Akane getting pregnant at seventeen is bound to be a burden…"

"Oh, I don't mind it at all, Neechan," Akane reassured her older sister, "Kodachi-chan and I are planning on working something out with the School Administrator when we come back in the fall, and I'm going to be taking a lot of home classes so that I can keep up with the rest of our schoolmates, so we won't lose any time and can still qualify for college exams next year, by which time I'm probably going to need a lot of help from you guys balancing motherhood with schoolwork."

"Hey, anything we can do to help out, Akane-chan," Keiko reassured her, "You know we'll be there for you, though I think it's Ryoga who'll wind up doing the lion's share of supporting his wife after you deliver his baby."

"Hah?" Ryoga asked, only to color abruptly at the thought of what the redhead was implying.

At that Ryonami could not help but lean closer towards her own romantic interest and murmur, "Talk about clueless," to which Gosunkuji could not help but glance towards the volatile Ryoga with an understandably nervous expression.

Nabiki could not help grinning at the weird sight that her clan must have presented there and then while they trooped on home to her family dojo, but when they got in sight of the gates her mind abruptly banished all thoughts of what an unconventional assortment they were as her eyes fell on the young man who was waiting there to greet them.

He stood a bit taller than she could remember, which was odd since he had only been gone for about a week for special training, yet somehow Ranma appeared even more handsome and manly than when he had followed his father and Master Happosai up into the hill country. There was a calm and confident aura about him that much appealed to her, and when he smiled her way her heart skipped a beat, almost as if they were still newlyweds and not happily married for the better part of a month now. She could not help grinning like a sky schoolgirl as he returned her look and said a hesitant, "Hey," as soon as they were within earshot.

"Hey yourself, Nabchan," Ranma returned before sweeping his gaze over the rest of his eager wives, "Ucchan, Perchan, Sham-chan…how's it hanging?"

"Nihao Ranma," Perfume smiled back before turning a saucy look towards her fellow wives, and then surprising them all by leaping into his arms with a hug and a big kiss by way of additional greeting.

"Whoah!" Ranma said as soon as their lips parted company and he could stare up into the face of his blue-eyed Amazon co-wife, "What was that for?"

"I just thought I'd be the one to do it since everyone else seems to have their hands full at the moment," Perfume chuckled as she lowered herself back down and added, "But just wait until they get their arms free, then you'll see some affectionate hugging, right Ucchan?"

"Oh, you bet," Ukyo grinned back, even as Shampoo adopted a minx-like expression.

"You guys," Nabiki shook her head in merriment and felt a warm feeling come over her, extended to the rest of her family group, even as she turned back to their mutual husband and said, "So…all done with training for now, Husband?"

"Heh, well…the old freak seems to think I'm ready to get back to decent society," Ranma replied, adding with a sidelong glance at Perfume, "Not that I know that many decent folk around here…"

"Oh you," Perfume playfully punched his arm then stood back and said, "All right if I hold Fragrance while you beat him up for me, Ucchan?"

"I've got a better idea than that," Ukyo leered, "Why don't we save the rest of our greetings for when we're in private, then you can show us how much your stamina has improved…Husband."

"Uh…right," Ranma replied with a faintly nervous expression, "Stamina…gotta build it up through lots and lots of practice…"

"But Ranma," Shampoo more reluctantly said, "What about…elemental problem?"

"Oh, these guys?" Ranma took a moment to concentrate then raised both arms and projected outward, and like that a flash four different colored lights appeared, each taking the form of a woman in a different ornamental kimono, all four recognizable as his Elemental servants Latisha, Sharil, Nagisha and Karina, all four of whom bowed at the waist like proper ladies towards their respective Mistresses, who blinked back in return in surprise at their good manners.

"We kind of came to an agreement of sorts," Ranma explained, "The girls and I are on better terms now, and they promise not to get out of line like they did during that sparring match you had, Nabchan."

"Ah…good," Nabiki replied, "After all, I wouldn't want to have to fetch my big sister on you if things get out of hand again, right?"

All four elementals shuddered at the implied threat, and Karina hastily spoke up, "No need to worry on that score, Mistress Nabiki. Our Master has utmost confidence that we will…behave ourselves with proper decorum in the future."

"And does that hold for the rest of you?" Nabiki asked as she swept her eyes over the ranks of the four elementals, resting with particular intensity upon the fiery Latisha, who met her gaze and bowed with firm resolution. "Good…then I guess we can all be friends from now on. Just remember that us poor human beings may be weak and fragile creatures-and that goes especially true for our children-but we're not to be underestimated, understood?"

"Hai!" all four feminine voices said in response, and then Ranma summoned them back into himself, and once more a calm settled over the dojo, though a lingering hint of their potency remained in the air like a fine mist aroma long after they had vanished.

"How did you ever get those four to tow the line, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked in frank amazement.

"Much better behave than last time Shampoo see them," Shampoo added.

"My guess is he used the Senkens to teach them proper manners," Perfume slyly deduced, seeing the nervous regard that Ranma turned back in her direction, "Or maybe just the Kamasenken…that would do the trick, Hai?"

"Ah…let's just say I did what needed doing and leave it at that, okay?" Ranma asked, fingering his collar.

"I see," Nabiki purred softly, "Well then, we'll discuss the details later, shall we? Just for the record, though, you owe us big time for this indulgence, Ranchan, and I, for one, am planning to collect on my marker."

"Gulp…right," Ranma hastily agreed, knowing better than to show fear or hesitation in the face of the amorous glares that he was receiving from his altogether human ladies.

Just a short distance apart from all of this, Tatewaki and the others shared a collective smile at the discomfort of the Saotome heir, and in low undertone the Kuno heir remarked, "At times I do envy Ranma-kun for his stalwart character, and at times I do almost pity him for having such demands for his…performance."

"You ask me the guy has it coming for being such a stud all of the time," Keiko mused, "Lucky bastard."

"Yes, I am certain that you would delight in having a harem of your own to play with on a regular basis, my Pet," Kodachi sympathized.

"Oh, but you know that you are all the woman that I need to make my life fulfilled, Mistress," the Redhead murmured back in a sensuous, suggestive tone of voice.

"I know of no such thing," Kodachi said aloofly, adding with a smile, "But I shall try to accommodate you by keeping you well fed and cared for so that you never feel neglected, eh Akane-chan?"

Akane grinned back at her two best friends while Ryoga looked on and seemed only mildly uncomfortable, as if fearing that he was about to get roped in on another sexual adventure.

"You ask me, one partner at a time ought to be enough for anybody," Alison mused, giving Beatrice a sidelong glance before adding, "And some I know are more than a handful."

"But we still manage to get by," Beatrice said serenely, taking Alison by her free arm and leaning their bodies together while they stared at their nursing infant and shared a moment of pure maternal bliss together.

"I guess we'd better go in and see if the folks have dinner ready," Kurumi remarked for the sake of making small conversation that was not laced with double-entendres.

"Indeed," Natsume, the apprenticed Slayer, said with equally aplomb, "Aunt Nodoka and Neechan will no doubt chide us if our food gets cold while we chat here for the rest of the coming evening."

By turns the Tendo family (and guests) filed in past the front gates and into the yard, heading for the main house through the rear entrance, only to come to a complete halt as they were greeted by the sight of a singular phenomenon, one not entirely new to their experience yet still somehow unearthly as a radiant aura of peace and ultimate bliss filled the whole of the Tendo compound.

There was Kasumi sitting on a rock beside the koi pond with a white bird perched upon one outstretched finger as she sang a song whose melody was as sweet as any Nightingale, and the vision of her sitting there was like of something pure, perfect and otherworldly.

"I don't know what words I can say,

The wind has a way to talk to me…

Lovers sleep, a silent lullaby,

I pray for reply…I'm ready…

"Quiet day calms me, oh serenity, someone

Please tell me-oooh-what is it they say?

Maybe I will know one day…"

In spite of herself Nabiki felt oddly moved as she listened to the melody of her sister's perfect voice, and the song that she was singing had a haunting quality that was strangely compelling, and quite apart from the curious charisma that Kasumi had acquired of late. The song had a traditional air of old Japan about it that hinted of a childhood lullaby, yet spoken in mature and vibrant tones off innocence and yearning. The song left the listeners quite spellbound, and not just because a curious light seemed to surround Kasumi, while small animals were sitting in rapt attention all around her, even the koi in the pond seeming to bend an ear to drink in her aura.

It was an amazingly transcendental moment in Nabiki's mind, though quite typical of the changes that had come over Kasumi since the conclusion of their battle with the Darkstalkers. There was a calm and confident self-possession to her older sister that had been absent in the Kasumi of old, and a sense of inner peace that stood in stark contrast to the changes that she had undergone. While everyone in the family now knew that she was a drinker of blood, Kasumi was still beloved by one and all who knew her, and the sense one had from being around her was anything but unholy.

Quite the opposite, in fact, and at moments such as these…well…one could quite easily accept the claim that Kasumi now had friends in some very lofty places…

The singer brought her song to a close then gently rose from the rock and smiled at her audience, eliciting a soft and heartfelt sigh from all around her. Whether by accident or intent Kasumi's eyes came to rest upon a deeply moved Nabiki, and for an instant the latter came to appreciate how truly beautiful Kasumi was, and not just in a physical sense, though there was that about her older sister that transcended the limits of beauty, making it seem as if Kasumi embodied the best in all that was humanity, a concept that laid bare the depth of all that she now embodied as both a woman and a goddess.

Then the goddess spoke and the scene returned to something like what passed for normality these days in the Tendo household, "Welcome home everyone. I have an important announcement, and I wish all of you to be present to hear me deliver it my family, my loved ones."

"Announcement, Oneechan?" Akane asked in a breathless voice, helping to break the spell that held everyone else speechless.

"Yes," Kasumi nodded gently, "As you know I have been studying to take my exams for medical school, and tonight I am leaving on a trip to the examination place so that I may appear there bright and early in the morning."

"Leaving?" Soun Tendo broke his own silence with a start, "Leaving tonight? But…Kasumi…!"

Genma (who was in panda form at the time) held up his ever-handy sign, which read, "This is all so…sudden…"

"Now Soun-chan," Nodoka chided, "We discussed this before and you agreed that it was time that Kasumi continued with her education, and we should all be very proud of her and what she is attempting to accomplish. To become a medical student is a very important and meaningful career choice, and it will take many years of hard dedication for her to achieve her license, so let's all encourage her and give her our support. We all love you very much, Kasumi-chan, and you know that you are in our hearts no matter what roads you travel in the future."

"Thank you, Auntie Nodoka," Kasumi said brightly, "And you don't need to worry about me leaving here for very long, Father, it will only be for a day and a half before I return. I have to leave now, however, since the testing is at eight and I have a long distance to travel before I can arrive there fully rested."

"But where is this place, Oneechan?" Ranma asked, "And…will you be leaving us for good if you get accepted?"

"Not at all, little brother," Kasumi reassured them, "I will be visiting you regularly, as often as I can get away, for my home is here and always will be. But…if I do pass my exams and get accepted, then a whole new life will be open for me, and I intend to explore it around people much closer to my own age, my peers, whom I have not been with since leaving high school and devoting myself to helping Auntie take care of things around the house. It would be very good to return to an academic life…and I had forgotten how much I missed school during the past few years, or the friends whom I used to know when I, too, was about your own ages."

"You actually miss school?" Kurumi asked, sounding more than a little stunned at the concept.

"But Oneechan," Natsume started to say, "Is it wise leaving here at this time? I mean no offense, of course, and I support your desire to be a healer, but…given what we know about the forces of evil, and how they might seek to turn you to their nature…"

"It might not be wise to leave our company just yet," Tatewaki finished for his iinazuke, "For we are more than just your friends and family, fair Kasumi…we are your sworn protectors who would defend you against any and all who might seek to gain advantage against your benevolent nature."

"I thank you for that, Tatewaki-kun," Kasumi replied, "But I don't intend to live my life a prisoner of what might be, and I've been preparing for this for quite some time now. Besides, I have another who has offered to be both my sponsor and companion, and he's picking me up right now, so…"

"That's right," a familiar gruff voice assured them, "And anybody who comes at her has gotta go through me, and I give you my word that no harm will come to Kasumi while she's in my presence."

"Frank-san?" Kodachi asked, turning to see the giant man-monster standing on the edge of the yard in his usual biker leathers.

"Hey, big guy, how's it hanging?" Keiko asked affably, acting not the least surprised by his appearance.

"Doctor Steinberg, what a pleasant…um…surprise," Beatrice remarked somewhat lamely.

"Oh yeah, sure it is," Alison sniffed under her breath.

"But for who?" Ryonami added with a sly look towards Soun Tendo.

"Hello, Steinberg-Sensei," Kasumi addressed the towering man in a voice that was warm and laced with considerable affection, "I have been waiting for you…"

"Yeah, sorry about being so late, Miss Tendo," Frank said with unusual politeness and respect in both is tone and bearing, "Traffic was murder getting out here. Ready to go and get tested?"

"But of course, Sensei," Kasumi said as she stepped from the rock and slipped her feet into a pair of waiting sandals, then sashayed up to the side of the huge man with a spring in her step that was almost girlishly eager.

"But…Kasumi…?" Soun managed to stammer out, before glaring at the sign that panda-Genma was sporting that read, "Don't forget to wear protection!"

"Saotome," Soun growled, "That isn't helpful…"

The panda hastily turned his sign around so that it now read, "I mean…riding on his motorcycle…"

"Motorcycle?" Soun blinked, his face further draining of color.

"Only part of the way, Sir," Frank assured the Tendo elder, "We'll be taking the Limo out to the Kyoto area, but I thought we'd make good time on the bike getting out of the suburbs to the airport in time to catch our flight."

"Flight?" Ryonami asked, voicing for the sake of everyone present the thought of what sort of trip Kasumi was actually in for, which hinted at a world of wealth and privilege beyond the limits of their collective imagination.

"Oneechan?" Nabiki asked, finally overcoming the paralysis that seemed to have come over her upon hearing Kasumi's announcement.

Her sister paused and looked towards her, and for an instant her eyes reverted to their blood red coloration, and a thought passed through the space between the sisters in which she could clearly hear Kasumi's voice in her mind as the older woman projected, **Please, Imoutochan, it has to be this way. Your happiness with Ranma means as much to me as I think it does to you, and I would do nothing to imperil that. I owe so much to you for what I have grown up to be, and I will always love and cherish you in my heart, both as Kaneda and as the sister I most look up to. You are and will always be in my heart, Nabiki-chan, but my life must mean more than just to live in another's shadow. I pray that you will understand this in time and accept what I am today, and when our paths cross again we will both be stronger and wiser for our adventures.**

And then the moment passed and Kasumi's eyes released her, and then she was past the others and exiting the gates of the compound with the hulking man-brute named Steinberg at her side, who was helping her to find a seat on the back of that humungous motorcycle that he affectionately named, "The Monster" before straddling it between his powerful thighs and starting up its engine.

Just before Frank took off, however, he paused to say, "Something on your mind, Kid?" to a somewhat reluctant Ranma.

"Yeah," the Saotome heir replied, "I mean…I know you won't do nothing bad or let anything bad happen to my big sister…but…"

"I'm sponsoring her through medical school, Kid," Frank replied, his gruff voice easily heard over the roar of his machine as he turned to regard the youth with pale eyes full of sympathy and understanding, "Some Deans I know owe me a few hundred favors. Don't worry, it's all been covered, and besides, you know I'd never do anything to risk getting on the bad side of an up and coming Wizard like you…"

"A what?" Ranma blinked.

"Just what I said," Frank replied, giving Ranma his full attention, "A Wizard's the rank that's one rung up the ladder above a regular martial artist…kind of like a guy who's on a spiritual quest towards self-completion and perfection. I've been watching you from the sidelines and I know what kind of road you're heading down. Fact is I've been down it a long time before you were even a gleam in your momma's eye, and while there's no way this side on the grave that you could ever take me in a fight, given a few more years the same'll be true in reverse, and at the risk of giving you a swelled head, I'd say you've made some pretty good choices that'll carry you through to the end. Besides which, you've got four extraordinary women who'll be at your side come hell or high water, and most guys in life are lucky to find just one woman like that, so be grateful."

"Um…yeah, I am," Ranma sheepishly responded.

"Take care, little brother," Kasumi winked at Ranma, then added on a sly note, "And look after Nabiki for me. You know how fond I am of her, and I'm expecting to hold your son by her in my arms before the end of the next semester."

Ranma blinked at that while Nabiki just blushed crimson and murmured the word, "Son?" in tones of wonder, then Frank gunned his engine and started to take off, Kasumi clinging to him with ease as though the ride did not frighten her (and indeed, Nabiki reasoned, it was difficult to imagine anything so trivial as a spill at high velocities being a threat to either passenger or rider).

She also noted that neither rider was bothering to so much as wear a helmet.

She saw Kasumi turn and wave at the familiar faces watching her depart towards an unknown future, and in her parting made everyone aware of what was leaving with her…the center of peace and stability that Kasumi manifested.

"Well, how do you like that, Sugar?" Ukyo asked at length, "Looks like things are really changing all around us…"

"Life tends to be like that, friend Ukyo," Kodachi softly agreed, "No matter how much one wishes things to remain static, change is one of the constants of the universe, and nothing remains the same forever."

"Unless we wish to hold onto the moment that is the present, Mistress," Keiko insisted, "The future is forever beyond our grasp, and only the moment we are living is meaningful to our existence."

"Well spoken, Arigami-san," Beatrice agreed, squeezing Alison's hand before adding, "The moment is what matters, and this one will never come again, so let us treasure the gift of insight that has been given to us, that Kasumi is destined for great things and may accomplish much that has yet to be written."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo nodded, seeming content to let that stand as her own concise observation.

"But…Kasumi…!" Soun persisted, looking close to tears as he imagined losing his precious child to a fate beyond his scope and vision.

"Hey, look at it this way, Daddy," Nabiki smiled as she felt a curious kind of peace and contentment settle upon her, "At least he's a doctor."

"Oh yeah," Ranma agreed, "Even made for the part. Hey, c'mon guys, let's get inside and have something to eat. Oneechan'll be back soon enough, and it's not like we're saying goodbye to her forever."

"Very true, Brother-in-law," Natsume agreed, though for her own part she could not entirely shake a certain unease that had settled upon her, as though she sensed something else extraordinary abroad in the night besides Kasumi, but what it was that could trouble her this way was beyond her inexperienced perceptions…

Epilogue:

The hunger was still upon it and though it had tried to contain its rampages it knew that it had to feed or else succumb to starvation. It had been looking for suitable prey to sate it's all-consuming hunger but had found nothing so far that could sustain it for very long, and it was growing desperate by the minute. It had to feed now or else expire and discorporate, as had been the lot for many of its cretch-mates.

The Rakshasa was, to the best of its knowledge---the sole surviving member of the horde that had attempted to breach the gates into the Earth system, the rest of its clan having perished at the hands of the indomitable She-monster known as Eve, who seemed to be everywhere with that sword of hers, slashing and hacking through ethereal bodies as though she did this sort of thing for a hobby. The only reason that it had survived the onslaught was because it alone refrained from attacking, choosing instead the better part of discretion.

It had watched the others die for nothing and felt a passing sorrow unlike anything typical for its own breed, for it was different from other Rakshasa in that it had feelings and emotions quite unlike those of its cretch-mates. They all were loyal drones doing the bidding of their dark master, mere soldiers leading the charge of the invasion, but it was different in that it had learned to question and think upon its own, to wonder why they were attempting to take over the realm of the humans when their own ravaged world was a place of barrenness and desolation. What had they to offer the Earth that was so different?

These humans might seem puny, frail and fragile creatures, but they were different enough from Rakshasa to intrigue it, and rather than bare contempt for these slow-witted and rather unimaginative creatures, it had grown to be fascinated with what it saw and was moved enough to regret the necessity of its own desperate actions. Yet when the moment had come it had not hesitated to take the course of least resistance in order to escape the fate that had awaited the others, and when the abortive invasion force failed, it felt a measure of justification for its cowardice and desertion, reckoning that it was alive while all who had followed Lord Mor'ghul were either dead or abandoned to the lonely void of Limbo.

Yet the Earth was a hostile place to its kind, the nature of this world being so radically different from what the Rakshasa viewed as normality that it invited comparisons to the human word for "Hellish." It was hard and bitter tasting, not at all the paradise that it had envisioned, but at least it was not populated with Rakshasa and it had an abundant source of life to draw upon for sustenance. All it had to do was feed and it could draw enough of the substance of this world into itself in order to stave off extinction, but to do that it had to find a victim, someone whose life essence and intelligence were rarified enough to provide the energy that Rakshasa needed for proper feasting.

It had to be the right kind of energy, too, for animal level intelligence would not suit it in the least. Only humans seemed capable of generating the sort of energies that Rakshasa liked to feed upon, but the thought of slaying a human in that manner was…disturbingly unwelcome. It lacked the vicious killer instincts of its kind, a trait that had earned it ridicule and scorn among its clan and cretch mates, and it wanted to know humanity on a level very different from that of a predator regarding a central food source. It wanted to be among the humans, for there was such a feeling about the human world that drew it forward as it floated out from the graveyard to explore the nearby city.

It did not take long, however, for it to discover that the human world was fraught with perils of a kind very similar to what existed in the world of the Rakshasa. There were many scenes of the strong ravishing the weak to be found on every world, and here was no exception as the Rakshasa encountered a group of street-toughs who were circling around a helpless female of their species. The air of menace and danger was as familiar as it brought a sense of sorrow to the ethereal demon, for many times it had been the victim of bullies and brutality of just this sort, and it made the demon feel a twinge of sympathy towards the victim as though they shared a common identity, and that was why it chose to act, to sate its hunger on the ravagers rather than merely hovering aloof like a common observer.

The gang leader had no sense of the dangers facing him as he held the knife in his hands and leered at the slut who had dared to shame him in front of the others. He had approached her in a friendly enough manner, offered to show her a good time and maybe light up her night, but the bimbo had dared to snub him…and worse, to kick him in the balls and try to run away screaming bloody murder. If not for the rest of his gang she might have even gotten away, and his eyes were still watering from the pain that she had caused him, this flirt who had hung out with one of the rival gang leaders, and who now had to be taught proper manners as she paid for her transgressions.

Akemi knew that she was in a very bad place and could not think of anything that she might do or say that might save her from the inevitable. Derrick looked real bad and was obviously jacked high on something, and the glaze in his eyes informed her that he was deadly serious about using the shiv that he had pulled out of concealment. She very much doubted that he wanted to kill her outright, though, since it would serve his sick, twisted nature far better if he merely cut her up and left her bleeding on the sidewalk. It would cause trouble with her boyfriend that would likely lead to a rumble, but Derrick hardly seemed to be thinking at all of the consequences to his actions. He just wanted to hurt something, and she just happened to be the target that he had selected.

Meeting him in that club had been a piece of bad luck to rival getting caught holding someone else's stash while the cops raided the joint, only worse since the cops would rough you up, not try to gut you like sushi. She glanced at the other members of Derrick's gang but found no help there since they all seemed pretty high and were viewing her as nothing more than an object of disdain, not even human since she belonged to an enemy gang member. In their brutal world all disputes were settled by violence, not reason, and the penalty for being caught in a rival's territory was to be made an example for others, so it was very unlikely that anyone would try and restrain Derrick even if the half-Gaijin boy really did mean to kill her.

He was taunting her in his badly accented Japanese when something very strange began to happen, a mist seemed to settle over them that caught and reflected a bit of the moonlight. At first nothing seemed to happen other than this, and Akemi wondered if the fog were rolling in, which might afford her a chance to escape unharmed if she could stall Derrick for time and maybe find an opening in the ring of street-toughs that presently surrounded her.

But then the first of the gang members began to choke and grip his neck as semi-invisible tendrils of mist surrounded him, and all at once he was lifted into the air writhing and struggling against a translucent body that enveloped and contained him. Before the very eyes of the other horrified gang members they watched as their fellow gang-banger started to come apart before their very eyes, dissolving in a rush of chemicals that filled a hungry void and reduced the youth to his constituent nutrients within a matter of mere seconds.

The Rakshasa had not intended to kill that swiftly, but the aching hunger that had wracked it for what seemed like an eternity had caused it to act imprudently, flooding its victim with powerful stomach acids that did their grim work in the space of a full minute, during which it feasted upon the life energies of its victim. Muscle, bone and cartilage were broken down and absorbed into itself with a greedy haste that was born of desperation. Thus granted a measure of slight satiation, the Rakshasa gained a measure of solidity and manifested in a visual frame as its true and terrifying aspect, all of eight feet tall with multiple limbs and tentacles sporting from a body that was faintly bird-like yet horrific.

The gang members all reacted to this with varying degrees of shock and amazement, and so petrifying was the fear that collectively settled upon them that they at first did not behave in a manner that would be consistent with their own survival, and so the Rakshasa was able to ensnare two more of these street-toughs within its tendrils, drawing them into its body before they could even think of putting up resistance, and thus terrifying the rest of the gang into the smarter course of turning about and running off screaming in naked terror.

Only two remained behind, unable to do otherwise for perverse and ignoble reasons, Derrick being too high on Ecstasy to behave as if the nightmarish apparition were just some figment of his imagination. Akemi, on the other hand, was just too terrified to want to make any sudden move that might attract the creature's interest, and so she looked on as the other two boys were dissolved within the creature's body, this time taking longer to expire since the Rakshasa was not in as much of a hurry to consume its meals and could savor a bit more of the life essence of its victims.

In doing so, however, the creature also became aware of the minds and memories of the humans it was consuming, gaining insight into what demons drove them to behave like bestial brutes, so much like Rakshasa. It briefly relived the joys, hurts and sorrows of humanity and found a common source for their anti-social natures: basic alienation from society and its restrictions. The Rakshasa could well identify with these emotions and felt immediate regret over its own actions, sorrowing that it had chosen the way of biology over reason and intelligence. It would rather have approached these others as a friend rather than an enemy, and in slaying them had doomed any chance of being accepted among the humans.

As it paused to consider its next course of action, however, Derrick was not so slow and reflective as to miss the point that he could be the next one on the menu. Rather than attacking the source of his fear, however, the slow-witted youth choose to renew his previous hostility by venting his wrath upon Akemi, leaping to the erroneous but typical assumption that the demon's appearance were somehow of her doing.

"YOU!" he declared, "You summoned him, Witch! You're gonna pay for that, for sicking your pet monster on us, Bitch-doll!"

Akemi was too shocked by the accusation to even raise a hand in her own defense, but even as Derrick surged forward and began to shove his knife in her breast she heard the demon cry out in a frighteningly inhuman voice, "NOOO!"

As fast as the Rakshasa was it moved too slow to stop the human from jabbing the knife blade into the helpless girl before him. Like a shot it wrapped itself around Derrick's body as a human might try to restrain a fellow human, only the Rakshasa's body was still primed to feed, and so it wound up enveloping the maddened gang leader, and in doing so began to feast on Derrick's soul, uncovering his memories, his loves and hatreds, all seen through the addled mind of an addict who was pumped too high on chemical nightmares.

Akemi saw the knife protruding from just below her breastbone and stared at it in disbelief and amazement. The blade had just missed nicking the Aorta and had gone under the heart, so the wound was not instantly fatal, as intended. It felt more like having the wind get knocked out of her and there was no immediate sense of pain, just a slow and creeping numbness. As such she missed seeing what happened to Derrick, though the sound of his parting scream registered faintly the background as Akemi found her knees turn to jelly and the pavement rushed towards her, much as if she were some puppet whose strings had just been clipped.

She did not even remember hitting the street with her forehead as she rolled over onto her side and bled both internally and externally, but gazing up at the night sky she could still make out the creature looming over her, could even make out its face after a fashion, and for some strange reason felt no terror in its regard, only a certain sense of wonder that anything so horrible could almost possess a kind of quasi-aesthetic beauty. Predators had always fascinated her, being long, lean and lanky, much like her in a way, though at times she felt more like a deer being stalked rather than the one doing the stalking…

The Rakshasa sensed that the remaining human was dying but did not know what could be done about it. In one sense a meal was fading away before it, and it would be a great shame to let it go to waste, yet at the same time it felt moved by strange emotions entirely alien to its kind, emotions that were born of humanity, that had been absorbed from the humans it had eaten (albeit that they had been very poor at comprehending such soft passions).

With no sense of what it was about, the Rakshasa reached down with gentle tendrils and drew the human woman into itself, extracting the knife from its body and ejecting it back out onto the pavement. With no great urgency or hunger now fueling its actions the ethereal demon cradled the girl within its tendrils and began to fuse with her body, merging as one to effect internal repairs that halted the approach of death and preserved what life was left to her, even as the Rakshasa opened itself up and began to experience the wealth of the female's emotions.

Of course, still affected by the Ecstasy that had been in Derrick's system, the Rakshasa had no way of knowing the consequences of its actions as it opened itself completely to the girl, a heightened sense of arousal making contact all the more acute so that the slightest brush of a tendril against bare skin was like the raw awakening of heretofore previously unknown emotions. The discovery of Akemi's life and nature was mesmerizing to the creature, such a stark contrast to the brutality and alienation of the four youths that it had devoured, and of a sudden their minds and memories began to merge and flow together so that Akemi briefly knew what it had been like to be a Rakshasa, to grow up in a world desolate and foreboding with no real friends or a home to call one's own, privileges that humans seemed to take for granted as their natural birthright.

As such something very strange began to happen, and then Akemi awoke to herself with no sure sense of time, only a vague and ill-defined awareness that something very extraordinary had just happened. She pried herself up off the street and looked around in dull amazement, feeling the sun begin to rise over the horizon…and why did the sight of the golden orb briefly send a wave of panic sweeping through her, to be replaced mere instants later with the certain realization that the sun's rays were not painful.

"Weird," Akemi remarked, wondering what the odd taste was in her mouth, and why did she feel as if she had just been gang-banged by a herd of rangy Rugby players? She was aching in many parts and felt sore in her neck and abdomen but otherwise was remarkably quite fine. Better than fine, as a matter of fact, and almost as strong as a rhino, though why she should think that just then and there was a mystery (and why did another part of her mind ask what a rhino was in the first place?).

"Guess I'd better get home or the guys'll start to get worried," Akemi said to herself when she accidentally discovered the knife that was laying on the ground near to her body. It was a strangely familiar looking object but she could not quite place it, only that the sight of the thing filled her with a sense of dread even as she reached for it and took it into her possession…

Continued

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