Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ Posse on Ice... ( Chapter 44 )

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.

"Ucchan!" Perfume's voice cut through the red haze of pain that dulled her senses to everything but the ringing in her ears after having absorbed the equivalent kinetic force of a thirty meter drop on her backside, which by rights should have shattered every bone in her body.

"It's no use," Mikado sighed, "That blow must have shattered every bone in his body. Too bad, I was hoping he could give us more sport. And after I went to all that trouble capturing the Kuno woman to serve as both bait and added incentive…"

"You kidnap Stupid Rose girl?" Perfume gasped in surprise, "Thought other stupid girl do that!"

"Oh please," Mousse snorted, "As if the Kawaii ribbon girl over there had enough of a mind to set things up as I have. A pity it was all for nothing…"

"Why didn't Kuonji let go when he could have? Azusa doesn't understand that."

"Quite simple, really," a definitely masculine voice with a slight Chinese accent replied, "Kuonji is a devoted friend who would sooner sacrifice herself than risk bringing harm to another."

"Her?" Mikado sounded surprise, "You must be mistaken, whoever you are. I've known Kuonji from brief clashes in the past and he most definitely is a he…"

"Then you are the one who should have their eyes checked," the other male voice sounded amused, "Kuonji Ukyo is a woman and always has been."

"Let Perfume go, Mousse! Perfume wants to help her Airen!"

Perfume! Ukyo suddenly felt a jolt of serious emotion, hearing the distress in her partner's voice. She recognized the other voices, of course, as belonging to Mousse, Azusa and Mikado, but it was Perfume's that helped her clear her mind and recover sensibility, that and a sudden jolt of anger at the smug confidence of Mikado.

"To what avail would that be?" Mousse said sadly, "She gave a noble sacrifice of herself for your welfare. Let us honor her and move on, anything less would be pointless."

"Shut up, Mousse!" Perfume was now quite noticeably angry, "Ukyo is no dead! She needs Perfume be at side…"

"Hold it," Mikado urged, "Am I given to understand that Kuonji Ukyo is really a…"

"A young and stalwart girl?" Mousse replied, "She is that, or have you been taken in all these years by her little pretense of masculinity? Kuonji Ukyo has hidden her womanhood behind masculine garb for years for personal reasons that I would prefer to respect rather than divulge, even though she has been my chief rival for the hand of the fair Perfume…"

"Azusa thought so!" Azusa suddenly cried out, "Ukyo felt like a woman to Azusa, much too pretty to be a boy, just not as pretty as Azusa. But why does long-haired boy say that she's your rival, and why would you respect her for that?"

"Kuonji Ukyo is betrothed, through no fault of her own, to the woman that I love," Mousse replied, "In spite of this I respect her fighting spirit, though I would gladly have crushed her to win the hand of my beloved."

"Perfume show you how much beloved she is when she get loose from this ribbon…"

"I see!" Mikado suddenly spoke up, "So Ukyo is a woman, and she hid herself from me all of this time? The poor thing must be shy indeed! This changes everything…"

"Mikado," Ukyo growled as she slowly rolled over onto one side in order to leverage herself into a sitting position, "You just love the sound of your own voice, you egomaniac…"

"Ucchan!" Perfume cried out while the others fell silent.

"You live," Mousse remarked in surprise, "I did not think even you could manage that."

"Hah!" Ukyo scoffed, "As if I'd let a little thing like that stop me," she glared at Mikado and said, "Sensenin, get ready for round two! I'm gonna pound you flatter than uncooked Okonomiaki!"

She slowly got to her feet as she said this, shaking inside with the effort but too angry to care. All she wanted was to carry out her threat not only on Mikado, but Mousse himself, in spite of his claims of non-partiality in her direction.

"I see," Mousse remarked as he adjusted his thick glasses, "The old woman trained you better than I had imagined. You absorbed the energy of that throw into yourself by willing your body to its most fluid state. However, the effort has plainly cost you, and I doubt you have the energy to even remain standing for more than a few seconds."

"That's long enough to take care of the three of you," Ukyo growled as she balled her fists and willed herself to be as solid as ice, "Let Per-chan go now or you'll be sorry."

"Once again I must admire your spirit," Mousse sighed as he once again assumed a one-legged stance, "A pity we must be enemies, but to win Perfume as my wife I must crush you utterly and without mercy!"

All of a sudden, Mousse was struck from behind by a hurtling form no one else had seen coming towards them. A shrill, manic laughter was heard as a new figure turned around on the ice and glared haughtily at the toppled Amazon boy. Ukyo was astonished to see that it was Kodachi wearing oddly male dress for a change, her hair done up under a shorter wig that diminished her feminine presence.

"Sorry to cut in," Kodachi mused as gruffly as her deep voice would allow, deliberately coaching her speech to assume the different quality that male Japanese used from the more feminine version, "But you were not invited to this little party. Our star performer has been humbled but is not down. It falls to her alternates to take her place on the field of battle."

"Alternates?" Mikado asked, "You're substituting for Kuonji?"

"And not alone," Kodachi replied as another form skated up to her side, "Meet my partner, Tendo Akane, also of Furinkan High School, which we will hereby represent in this match against you and your little partner."

"Hey!" Ukyo protested, "I'm not out of this yet!"

"I beg to differ, Kuonji," Kodachi smiled as she skated up alongside her, then casually touched a finger against Ukyo's body, which sent a wave of pain coursing all the way through her, "Hydrostatic shock has caused considerable internal dislocation. If you persist in skating now you could risk permanent injury. Let those of us still in a condition to fight take up your cause, and besides…I owe Mikado and his little slut even more than you do."

Perfume had wasted no time taking advantage of Mousse's having released his hold on the ribbon, and now she at last managed to untangle herself to come to Ukyo's side as she said, "Perfume think Rose girl make sense this one time, Airen. You fight well, but Perfume no want you badly injured! Let Rose girl fight, Perfume take you to safety."

Ukyo wanted nothing less than a chance to heal and recover, the pain numbing parts of her that she never even knew existed, which were now all screaming at her in chorus.

But still her pride would not let her surrender so easy. A girl might do it as a practical matter, but Ukyo had spent enough time around boys to realize why they often let pride demand that they ignore simple pain in order to act Macho. It was more than simple foolishness, she realized, it was how they proved their courage and worth before others.

"I'm not done," she said simply, "I will not surrender."

"And I would not hear of it either," Mikado replied, "I'll gladly fight one or all of you at once, it matters little to me. Whichever of you wants to take their best shot, come right on ahead. Azusa and I will be waiting."

Kodachi reached down to pick up her ribbon then twirled it around her body in concentric circles, "I'll make you eat that boast! You have kissed your last trollop, now prepare to meet the revenge of one you have wronged, enemy of all women!"

Her ribbon snapped out, but Mikado easily caught it and said, "Not exactly a traditional weapon of this sport, but I suppose they do things differently at your High School…"

"Martine, Martine!" Azusa suddenly cried as she snatched the ribbon out of both their hands, her face set in a most Kawai expression, "Oh, Azusa wants her Martine! She's so lovely!"

"That girl is totally deranged," Mousse grumbled before Perfume casually kicked him into semi-consciousness.

"How about it, Sensenin?" Akane asked, "Not afraid to go up against the pair of us, are you?"

"Not in the least," Mikado replied, giving Ukyo a respectful nod as he addressed himself to her, "You have my deep admiration, Kuonji. No one has ever withstood my special technique before. You must indeed have special feelings for this girl to risk injury on her behalf, but I will still have my way…with the both of you, after we dispense with this new challenge."

Ukyo paled, then felt a sudden new surge of anger, but Kodachi was already moving off with Akane as they circled the Golden Pair, while Perfume remained close by Ukyo's side. She almost did not see the other form circling to approach them until she heard Ranma said, "Hey, Ucchan, how's it going?"

"Ranchan?" Ukyo gasped, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing much," Ranma mused nonchalantly as he came to stand beside Ukyo and Perfume, affecting a casual air as he added, "Just wanted to know how you're doing…not that I don't think you're doing just fine or nothing like that…"

In spite of herself Ukyo found herself smiling, "Thanks for worrying, but I'm feeling a lot better. I just need a few more moments and I'll be ready to mop up the place with that arrogant bastard."

"Oh," Ranma said with that same casual air, "Sure, I believe you."

"You do?" she asked suspiciously.

"Hey, I've seen you skate," Ranma smiled, "You really had Mikado on the edge there. I don't think anybody's ever rattled his cage as much as you have, including the last time Akane and me went up against him."

"You really think so?" Ukyo asked, finding it a little easier to stand upright.

"Oh yeah," he nodded, "Don't forget, I've been where you are now. I took the fall for Akane just like you did for Perfume here, only she's never been able to forgive me."

"How so?" Perfume blinked, "Akane no like boy standing up for her?"

"Ah, it's always been like that with us," Ranma shrugged, "She's real competitive, you know, and hates it when boys do special favors that make her look weak. Well, most boys, that is…she doesn't seem to mind it when Ryoga treats her special."

"Sure you're not jealous about that, Ranchan?" Ukyo smiled, "You were engaged to her for ten years, she's got to feel something more for you than hostility and resentment."

"Maybe," Ranma said, "But after all these years we're more like brother and sister than potential life-mates. I'll stick to the engagements I have now, thank you. Besides…it looks like Akane has her own suitors looking out for her welfare."

He nodded towards where Akane and Kodachi were trading shots with Mikado and Azusa. Kodachi was trying to snatch back her stolen ribbon while Azusa fought her off, while similarly trying to fend off Mikado's attempts at cornering Akane into a clinch, making their back-and-forth acrobatics all that much more entertaining to the enthusiastic crowds of onlookers.

"Wow," Ryonami was saying at Nabiki's side as they stood with Shampoo and Keiko on the sidelines, "You weren't wrong about betting against the odds, Sempei! Wish you'd told me about this substitution, though, I could have gotten more side bets going."

"I just wish somebody had told me about Mousse's involvement," Nabiki said in a worried tone, "Ukyo looks okay, and with Perfume and Ranma at her side she ought to be well out of danger."

"Shampoo hope so," Shampoo said, "Spatula girl took hard hit defending Perfume-cousin. No want Perfume have grieve for injured Airen."

"Ukyo's a fighter, Shampoo-chan," Keiko nodded, "I think it's pretty romantic, though, her wanting to sacrifice herself like that. If only Ukyo would wake up and smell the Cha she might realize what those two have going there."

"Am I too late?"

They turned around and found Ryoga stumbling forward, looking as though he had just walked through an obstacle course that included a generous amount of barbed wire.

"Where have you been, Ryoga-kun?" Nabiki asked, "You've been missing for three days this time!"

"I know," he groaned, "Where haven't I been? Would you believe I had to catch a plane back from some place called Gnome, Alaska?"

"Well now," Ryonami took out her ledger and made a few notes, "That's another bet cinched. Odds were fifteen-to-one against you making it, Ryoga-kun. I hope you guys appreciate that you're making me awfully rich today."

"I'm glad to see you know what side to bet on," Nabiki smiled in approval.

"No problem," Ryonami smiled, "I've just learned it's never safe to bet against your Posse."

"That may not be an ironclad rule here," Keiko nodded, "Take a look!"

While this had been going on Kodachi had persistently tried to corner the fleet-skated Azusa, snarling, "Give that back, you little brat!"

"Why are you so mad at little Azusa?" Azusa asked her as she avoided Kodachi yet again, "What have I ever done to make you so angry?"

"I'll give you a taste of what you did just as soon as you stand still for five seconds…" Kodachi growled as she launched herself forward, only to have Azusa slide right out from under her reach, then pause to look up before pointing a hand and smiling.

"Charlotte! I knew you were Charlotte!"

"Eh?" Kodachi froze, staring down at the girl in dismay.

"You have Charlotte's collar!" Azusa grinned, "Azusa knew you were Charlotte!"

Kodachi lurched back in dismay and growled, "What did you call me…??!!!"

Azusa just smiled and grabbed Kodachi's ankles, then Mikado came up behind Kodachi and grabbed his partner by her ankles, topping the Black Rose forward.

"Hey!" Kodachi protested.

"Dachi!" Akane rushed to her aid, grabbing Kodachi's hands without thinking.

"Again another couple falls prey to our special technique," Mikado mused before he suddenly gave a heave and lifted Azusa to his shoulders, who in turn drew a squawking Kodachi, who unwittingly pulled Akane after her as the Golden Pair once more effected their Couple Cleaving technique.

"Akane!" Ranma cried.

"Akane-chan!" Ukyo lurched forward, ignoring the pain that stabbed through her body.

"Oh no!" Nabiki groaned, "Not this again?"

"Hey, the Golden Pair are nothing if not consistent, Sempei," Ryonami said in a tone of resignation.

"Akane-chan!" Kodachi winced as she felt her arms being pulled loose from their sockets, "Hold on!"

"Kodachi!" Akane cried, "Let go or you'll be hurt!"

"And let you get hurt instead?" Kodachi growled, "That's your idea of an improvement?"

"Sooner or later you'll have to let her go," Mikado called up at them, "The longer you delay, the greater will be the sense of betrayal, but if you resist you'll both pay the consequences!"

"You…unbelievable jerk!" Kodachi groaned with the strain as her wig flew to reveal her long black hair whipping free in the face of Akane.

"A--chooo!" Akane sneezed, an action that broke one hand loose from Kodachi's, causing her to flail one-armed as Kodachi tried desperately to hold her.

All of a sudden, Ranma's knee collided with Mikado's face, causing him to lose his grip on Azusa, who flopped flee and flipped like a sling-shot as Kodachi's body tumbled her into the distant bleachers. The raven haired duo started to fly when a form came moving like a shot to intercept them both and pluck them from mid-air, much to the astonishment of all onlookers.

Ukyo came to a grinding halt as she gasped, "Kuno Tatawaki?"

"I have you both," the older Kuno sibling replied as he uncurled from his landing with Kodachi clinging to her brother on one side, Akane tucked snugly under his other arm as he stood barefoot upon the ice, "Relax, my sister, fair Tendo Akane, you are safe in the protective arms of the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."

"Brother?" Kodachi gasped, surprised to find who had come to her timely rescue.

"Tatawaki-kun?" Akane said in no less astonished a reaction.

"hey, Kuno-Sempei!" Ranma cheered, "Sharp moves there, good buddy!"

"But of course, Saotome-kun," Kuno smiled as he released his sister and Akane before straightening up in his dark Samurai attire, "Were you expecting something less?"

"Saotome," Mikado growled as he slowly got back to his feet, "You've meddled in my affairs one time too many. Prepare to pay the consequences!"

"I would beg to differ, Cad," Kuno said somberly as he reached over his head and pulled out his trademark bokken, "You, sir, are an affront to all men. How dare you treat women as little more than objects for your fancy!"

"Under any other circumstances I'd ask who's talking," Nabiki noted grimly.

"Great show, eh Tendo-kun?" Genma asked as her finished off another rice ball, "Go get him, Boy! Make your father proud by cleaning up the rink with that pervert!"

"Have some dignity, Genma-chan," Nodoka said with serene composure, "Ranma is perfectly capable of laying that womanizing jackal out without you needing to distract him…"

"Enough!" Mikado cried, seeing himself surrounded on all sides by hostile antagonists, "I can see which way the winds are blowing now, but you will find that Sensenin Mikado is not so easily beaten! I can see that I am now forced to call upon my most devastating technique. Prepare now to witness the Sensenin super-secret maneuver, 'Bladestorm Attack,' which will bring this farce to a final end and prove once and for all that I am invincible upon the Ice-rink."

He brought his hands down and stood resolute as though he were standing in the spotlight, rising up onto the foreword tips of his skates as he lowered is hands and seemed to remain unmoving for several long moments. Very slowly he brought his hands up above the level of head and brought his chin up as his gaze grew firm and his body seemed to radiate power.

"Uh oh," Nabiki averred, sensing a familiar tingle along her skin and spine as she sensed the gathering of Ki power.

"What's he trying to do?" Ryoga asked.

"Him do dangerous technique," Shampoo said in confirmation of Nabiki's suspicions, "Other skaters in big trouble!"

Nabiki shifted her vision the way that she had been learning to do through Happosai's training and saw the curvature of the Dragon Liens that surrounded Mikado. The boy was making an elemental summoning and drawing on the power of the ice all around him as he started to spin once again, slowly generating more and more speed as the lines curved inward towards him and began to branch out to incorporate the entire ice rink.

"Interesting," mused Cologne, who had come to stand beside them, her ancient eyes very wide as she studied Mikado's tactics, "The boy has had some training, though I would very much like to know where he learned to master such a difficult maneuver."

The other players in the rink were only just then discovering the danger with which they were confronted. Ranma and Ukyo had their arms raised defensively before their faces as gale-force winds tore at them while Perfume--who stood somewhat farther back--was watching Mikado in a manner very much like that of her Great Grandmother.

"What's happening?" Ukyo gasped, "I can't move!"

"He's never been this powerful before!" Ranma cried out over the howl of the winds, "When did he learn to do this?"

"Ohhh!" Akane cried out in dismay as she felt the wind going up between her legs and brought her hands down to keep her dress from exposing her panties, unconsciously doing a Marylyn Monroe impersonation.

"Akane!" Soun cried out in distress, "Show some modesty while you're up there! Everyone is watching!"

"Oh father," Kasumi sighed in mild exasperation.

Kodachi and her brother were likewise stymied by the wind-blast, which now had an icy feel as if flakes of condensed water were pelting them like a thousand tiny needles. Mikado continued to pick up the pace until he had created blizzard-like conditions that picked his attackers up one-by-one and whirled them in the air as though gripped by a frosty tornado.

"Ucchan!" Perfume cried out, the only one not grabbed by the cyclone.

"Quickly, child!" Cologne had to shout to be heard over the tempest, "You must summon up a counter vortex at once!"

It was doubtful that any other set of human ears could have picked up her words clear enough to understand their meaning, but Perfume had ears as sharp as those of her cursed shape, and she was well schooled in obedience to her Great Grandmother's voice. Besides, this the notion had already been taking shape in her mind from the first time she had witnessed Mikado using his Dance of Death technique. She had been thinking about that maneuver and what she knew about such attack styles, and now that Ukyo was threatened by a more advanced attack form she was determined to break through this Ki attack, and so she nodded in compliance.

<"Yes, Great Grandmother,"> Perfume replied more to herself than anyone else, then spread her arms wide and concentrated, using the Dragon Fang Attack to form the basis for her counter maneuver.

Mikado's spin was now creating larger and sharper flakes that bedeviled the victims of his attack, who each were flailing helplessly in the wind, unable to gain orientation or purchase as they were lifted higher and higher above the floor of the ice rink.

"I've got to do something!" Nabiki said, "Ranma and Ukyo won't stand a chance, and Akane…"

"There is nothing you can do, Daughter-in-law," Cologne grimly informed her, "This must be done by Perfume alone. She has the training and the will to carry this off against the awesome power of the Sensenin boy's attack."

Perfume was starting to spin her own dance in counter-motion to Mikado's own vortex, increasing in her velocity as she assumed a one-legged stance and called on the power of her inner Ki to affect the Dragon Liens passing all around her, disrupting Mikado's vortex as her own grew stronger by draining his efforts. Perfume's speed was phenomenal as she became almost invisible, her pirouette grinding ever sharper as Mikado's wind decreased in volume.

But Cologne was not reassured by this and said, "No, that is too much force! Ease up, child! You don't need that much effort to win this!"

"Oh no," Nabiki said, "I think we've got trouble!"

Indeed, Perfume herself was only just becoming aware that the vortex she had erected was creating such a forceful counterwave that it was generating shock waves all through the arena. She tried to ease up, but the ice under her feet was already shaking uncontrollably with the forces that had been unleashed slipped out from her control and beginning to take on a life of their own.

"Daughter," Cologne said, "You must go out there and stop this before it is too late! Have Shampoo help guide you, this is a technique she has been trained for."

"What do you suggest I do, Elder?" Nabiki asked anxiously, earning a studied look from Cologne, who could read her uncertainty and desperation.

"Follow your Master's training," Cologne replied, "Whatever else he is, Happy knows the art beyond the standards of a mere practitioner, and you have already learned to read the way of the Dragon."

"Right," Nabiki nodded, "Let's go, Sham-chan!"

"Hai," Shampoo agreed as the two vaulted into the ring, even as huge cracks began forming everywhere in the ice.

"Anything we can do to help" Ryoga asked.

"Pray," Cologne replied, then turned a sharp look towards Keiko, "Except for you…I have a special task that fits your talents…'

Meanwhile, deep under the Kolhotz sporting arena, the tremblers being felt up above were starting to affect the pipes and generators in the basement as the boiler room began itself to shake ominously, promising immanent eruption.

Up above that, the eruption was already well under way, as Perfume discovered when the ice around her began to crack and splinter and suddenly geyser upwards, even as she finally managed to regain control over her own spinning momentum. She brought herself to an abrupt halt, but it was far too late to relax her control over the still out-of-control vortex. A jet stream of water broke through the ice directly in front of her and made her yelp in dismay at the sudden realization of her own vulnerability.

"Per-chan!" Ukyo cried as she fought to get some kind of control over her orientation.

"Hey, what's Nabiki up to?" Ranma asked as he spotted his other iinazuke landing on a still undamaged block of ice with Shampoo right behind her.

Nabiki was wondering much the same thing as she felt the powerful lines of force all around her that were creating the chaos that surrounded them all, but as Shampoo placed her hands on Nabiki's shoulders from behind she suddenly knew exactly what she had to do. Without a word needing to be spoke she reached out with her mind and felt the warm spirit of the Amazon lend her strength and much-needed guidance. Nabiki braced her legs in a classic horse stance and brought her hands out to either side, letting herself merge with the power as though the force of her own Ki could regather them in her embrace.

And in response, she began to feel the vortex lose some of its fierceness, becoming less menacing than the eruption of the geysers.

"If we can only break free of this!" Ranma grunted, "Akane--!"

Akane turned in time to see the slab of ice that was heading straight for her from beneath and managed to roll with the impact, getting her legs back under her in time to regain her balance while Kodachi called her name helplessly and Kuno just lay flat on his back against the slab that had claimed him.

"What have you done?" Mikado looked around himself in terror as the reality of his own situation began to become more obvious with geysers springing up all around him.

"Ohhh!" said a wobbly Azusa from far off in the bleachers, "Azusa feel so dizzy…what happened to Mikey?"

One of the boys who had spent the past five minutes attempting to revive their idol just pointed back at the arena, and Azusa suddenly sat upright as a slice of reality suddenly penetrated the dizzy fog that was her brain.

"Mikey!"

Ukyo found a solid slab of ice directly underneath herself and managed to get her skates down on it, as did Ranma behind her. They balanced precariously from a lofty height while all around them the ice storm started to subside. Only then did they become aware of the numberless scrapes and scratches they had suffered from the razor-sharp ice crystals that no longer pelted them mercilessly. They could see to one side that Akane was helping Kodachi climb up on their own slippery purchase, but now the little matter of what to do next became the unvoiced concern in everyone's thoughts.

"Ucchan!" Keiko's voice cut through the diminishing noise of the dying vortex, causing them to turn in time to see the kickboxer vaulting towards them with the baker's peel in one hand. Keiko's leap was not sufficient to carry her all the way, but she threw the giant spatula the remaining distance and Ukyo managed to catch it, feeling suddenly more confident about herself grasping the handle of her trademark weapon.

"KUONJI!!!" another voice cried in murderous fury, giving them scant preparation for the sudden attack of an angry Mousse, who was using his chains to keep him above the floor while he swung at her with a sword in his free hand.

Ukyo instantly brought her spatula up to deflect him, but the effort almost cost her precious balance and she nearly skated off the edge, only to be pulled back at the last second by a desperate Ranma.

Mousse sailed around for yet another attack when Ukyo reached beneath her shirt and pulled out a hidden throwing spatula, which she hurled with great force at the chain, snapping it before Mousse had completed his arc.

"KUOOOONNNNJIIIII!!!" he screamed all the way down until he landed with a splash in the icy water.

"Brace yourself, Ranchan!" Ukyo cried, raising her baker's peel above her head once again and brought it down with the force of her Ki behind it.

The ice pillar split evenly down the middle, then fragmented into much smaller blocks, clearing a path down the center that they could use to brake their fall, leaping and vaulting to the nearest solid block of ice that they could manage.

"Whew!" Ranma sighed once the block stopped bobbing under their feet, "Well, that was sure something! Nabiki?"

"Over there," Ukyo turned around to see Nabiki calmly standing with Shampoo behind her, the middle Tendo daughter slowly bringing her hands together as though to cup the air, then she clapped and made a prayer-like motion.

And finally there was silence.

They looked around at the shattered ice floes that were all that remained of the rink. Ice cold water surrounded them but they did not appear to be in any more immanent danger. There was, at first, no sign of Keiko until they saw a vulture flap its wings, having emerged from the water with a furious beating of wings as it sought to rise up to the pillar that held Akane and Kodachi. Ryoga was edging along from block to block trying to reach them in his own style, while Azusa seemed to staring at a frosty statue that looked something like Mikado.

There was only one figure that neither of them saw, and at once Ukyo was worried as she said, "Perfume? Perfume, where are you?"

"She…" Ranma hesitated, looking at the water and suddenly remembering the Amazon's curse.

"Oh no!" Ukyo was about to leap into the water when Ranma stopped her, risking unbalancing their platform.

"Ucchan, no!" he cried, "That water's ice cold! You could freeze to death in only a few minutes!"

"The boy is right, my child," Cologne remarked as she hopped onto their platform, "Besides which there is no need. My Great Granddaughter is this way, if you will but follow."

Ukyo saw the risk in trying to copy the Elder's movements but had no choice as her distress over the possible fate of Perfume had already turned her blood to icewater.

It took only a few tense moments for Ukyo and Ranma to arrive near the center of the icy pool where they found a smaller pillar than most dominating the floor there. The ice was nearly opaque, but a small object was at least partially visible, and it was to this that Cologne directed her concern, saying simply, "Perfume is in there."

"Oh no," Ukyo almost whimpered, "You don't mean…?"

Cologne stabbed the pillar with her staff, shattering it to dust, which revealed a small ice-sculptured cat that dangled in the air for several instants before Ukyo managed to catch it upon the flat edge of her spatula.

"Perfume!" she said in horror.

"There is no time!" Cologne said sharply, "We have only moments to act if we are to save her life! Follow me at once, and by all the gods you worship--WATCH YOUR STEP!"

Ukyo did not even voice her reply as she dutifully felt into step behind Cologne, cradling the frozen cat in her arms with her baker's peel once more slung across her back. Ranma started to follow, but he heard Nabiki said, "Ranchan…over here! We still need you!"

"But…" Ranma started to protest.

"Kuno is in trouble!" Nabiki clarified, pointing at another one of the pillars where they could see the unconscious Tatawaki was beginning to slide off the edge of his ice block.

"Kuso," Ranma breathed in uncharacteristic frustration and at once hopped to the nearest ice platform, trying to position himself to catch the endangered Kuno.

Out of one corner of his eye he saw Ryoga scaling up along the side of the pillar that still held Akane and Kodachi. When he finally did reach the top Akane offered him a hand, but he just smiled up at them and said, "Do you ladies want a ride down? You can climb onto my back, it won't be any trouble."

"Ryoga-kun," Akane smiled, "You didn't get lost this time."

"Of course not," Ryoga said, "You were in danger, Akane-chan. I knew I had to protect you."

A vulture settled down gently on Kodachi's shoulder--careful not to pinch with its claws--and made a noise like a squawk. The Black rose just smiled as she stroked the bird's feathers and replied, "I quite agree, Kei-chan, the boy does have his uses…"

Continued

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