Tears of a Dragon Extra

The following is a alternate version of the cheerleader fight that I had originally written, intending to place it the day after the change by Akane and Shan Pu outside the Principle's office. Instead, I decided to give Kodachi a little more airtime, and give the whole "Ai starts to realize her girls are youkai" plot some more time to develop. That of course lead to the whole karaoke event, and by the time I got to the fight, this whole segment no longer fit the developing story. While there are some elements I liked about it, such as the interplay between Ying-Ying and Ayeka, to be honest, it feels too... contrived.

Anyway, as a bonus treat for all my loyal fans, enjoy!

"You want to challenge us?" Ying-Ying asked in disbelief. "Why?"

Ai shrugged. "You're a disruptive element. Since you got here, our fan club standings have dropped, you are making the hentai squad chase after you instead of us, and since you're Zhu Shu's 'fiancées', we've started hearing rumors to the effect that we've not challenged you out of fear of her. I will not stand for that. We're challenging you to a duel of honor. And when we defeat you, you must become members of our cheerleading squad, our 'mascots', so to speak." Ai said with a lascivious smile.

Konatsu blinked in bewilderment. "But, I have no wish to be a cheerleader. I am happy to be allowed to come to school and to have friends. Do I have to join your club?"

Ying-Ying sighed. "Ai, I know you have chosen to make Zhu Shu your rival, but neither Konatsu nor I bear you any ill will. Nor have we sought the popularity which you claim we have. Can we not settle this some other way?"

"Why, you afraid to fight?"

Ying-Ying sighed. "I am a spirit guardian, Ai Konjou. Are you truly sure you wish to challenge me?"

Ayeka gave her a smile that bordered on predatory. "I'll take you on any day, ghost."

Konatsu shrugged, the motion doing all sorts of interesting things to her anatomy. "Well, I still don't understand, but I will accept your challenge."

Ying-Ying gave her a look. "Ko-chan! Something isn't right here."

"Well, we're not going to lose, so what ever the trick is, it doesn't matter, right?"

0

It took all of five minutes for the word to get around that the Cheerleaders had challenged someone again, and despite Nabiki's absence, her network was immediately at work handling the betting. By the time Lo Shen and the others arrived, the antagonists were facing each other over the length of the athletic field.

Ying-Ying frowned. "Alright, in the interest of safety, I'm setting a boundary to this fight!" She muttered under her breath as she made a few passes with her hands and glowing wards sprung up around the field. "Nothing comes in or goes out until this is settled!"

Kyoko looked at the wards nervously, but Ayeka shrugged. "That just means you can't run away."

Konatsu had finished loosening up, oblivious to the reactions of the hentai squad that her stretches had produced since she was still in her too small old school uniform. She cracked her knuckles as she nodded. "Ready when you are."

Ai nodded as well, then stepped into the cradle of Megumi and Ayeka's hands and launched upwards…

Konatsu tracked her and was about to jump up to meet her when the pom-pom boleros wrapped around her ankles. She turned the fall into a handstand, dodging Ai as she managed to slid one foot out of its shoe and loosen the wire enough to slip free, twirling the bolero around her foot before throwing it at the head cheerleader. She tossed herself upwards with her arms and dodged Ai's baton swing.

Ying-Ying meanwhile had moved to the side and her hands were glowing as she prepared to hurl a spell at the tall cheerleader who had made a bee line towards her.

"You better have better tricks up your sleeves than that, ghost." Ayeka said as her eyes shifted from dark brown to a deep red that almost seemed to glow. "Mana bolts and fireballs are pretty weak stuff."

Ying-Ying smiled and muttered a phrase under her breath as she made a tossing motion. Ayeka came to a halt as she found glowing rings around her arms and legs holding her in place.

"I don't want to hurt you, Ayeka."

Ayeka's eyes began glowing brighter as she struggled. "Your very existence is hurting us, you bitch! Ai never ignored us until you and your precious Zhu Shu came along!"

The rings shattered as Ayeka screamed in rage, and she lunged, the nails on her hand extending slightly into claws as an orange light played around her. Ying-Ying dodged, her hand snapping out as an ofuda materialized in it to be deposited on Ayeka's back. The tall girl howled as the ofuda burst into fire and she whirled.

"Holy seals are pretty meaningless too, ghost. They just hurt like hell."

"I'm serious, Ayeka, don't force me to do something we'll both regret!"

"I'd kill you if you weren't already dead! Ai's barely even noticed us since that damn dragon girl kissed her! If we don't defeat you, we can't redeem ourselves!"

"You can't even tou-" Ying-Ying started only to stop as she felt the wind knocked out of her as Ayeka's glowing fist connected with her stomach.

She landed several feet away as the girl laughed. "Can't touch you?!" Her eyes blazed from within as she raised her hand. "That's why I'm fighting you, you fool. Undead to undead. You're not intangible to me."

Ying-Ying picked herself up. "You are willing to go that far, Ayeka?"

The look Ayeka gave her was almost pure madness. "For Ai, I would do anything!"

Ying-Ying sighed as she reached behind her back and pulled out a round object. Ayeka blinked as the Chinese ghost dusted off the round Mandarin style hat and untucked a long silk ofuda from inside the rim. "This is your last chance Ayeka."

Mad laughter came from the girl as a wind blew her hair madly. "You're going to stop me with a hat?"

Ying-Ying shook her head and sighed. She lifted the hat and placed it on her head, the ofuda dangling down the side.

Ayeka shielded her eyes as Ying-Ying suddenly flared into brilliance and dimmed, then blinked at the changes in her appearance. The short cheongsam was still the same, but long angel sleeves had been added and a long staff with a large ring on the end of it was now in her hand, the edges of the ring looking to be as sharp as a razor. Smaller rings looped around the larger ring, chiming softly as they rang against one another. Ayeka nodded as she recognized it as a priest's staff. She gave an evil grin as she met the burning blue eyes under the rim of the hat.

"So, you show your true form, Priestess." She gave a wide grin, the fangs in her mouth showing clearly. "It will still take more than you to defeat me. And when I have redeemed our honor, we will win back Ai's love!"

And with a blur of speed, she attacked.

Ai meantime had maneuvered the agile ninja girl into a three way fight between herself, Megumi and Kyoko. Konatsu was too busy dodging the fast twirling batons to effectively fight back, and when Kaede tossed two pom-pom boleros, the kunoichi found her arms and legs bound to her side as the nimble redhead vaulted onto her back and immobilized her with a baton around her throat.

"I've got her." Kaede said, "Go help Ayeka!"

Kyoko and Megumi nodded as Ai knelt and stroked her hand along Konatsu's face. "Good fight, but not good enough. I'm looking forward to your training, my pet."

Kaede smiled as Ai turned to go. "I am too, my little ninja girl. I bet you taste as sweet as you smell."

Konatsu seemingly didn't hear her, her eyes focusing on where Ying-Ying and Ayeka still fought.

The ghost had burned away most of Ayeka's top, but had lost most of hers as well, their fight having degenerated into a fast paced brawl. The onlooking crowd was cheering for more exposed skin, their voices muted through the wards, and it wasn't going to take much more before Ying-Ying lost the rest of her cheongsam to the much faster cheerleader.

"What's the matter, little priestess? Having trouble keeping up?"

Ying-Ying dodged another claw swipe. "I told you I don't want to hurt you!"

"Well we want to hurt you!" Megumi cried as she tried to jump Ying-Ying from behind, but she passed through the ghost and collided with her staff, ripping it from her hand.

"Keep that away from her!" Ayeka yelled. "It's her holy item!"

Megumi blinked, but tossed the staff as far away as she could.

Ying-Ying growled in frustration. "I don't need it to defend myself against you."

Ayeka smiled as she reached into her bra. "No, but it was the only thing that might have saved you from this!" The tall girl was smiling even more broadly as she took a small bottle out of her bra and showed it to the ghost. "I was waiting until I could be sure you couldn't cast a countercharm."

Ying-Ying looked at the bottle, at first in confusion, then in shock. "You can't!"

Ayeka gave her a toothy grin and pulled the stopper from the small charm covered bottle.

The entire field stood in shock as Ying-Ying screamed, and like vapor, was sucked into the bottle.

Ai stopped next to Kyoko and Megumi. "Nice. I was a little dubious when you told me you had a ghost trapping jar, Ayeka, but it seems it worked."

Ayeka nodded as she held up the clear bottle and looked at the miniature Ying-Ying inside.

Then the ground started shaking as Kaede flew into her and sent her flying against the shield around the battleground. The bottle fell to the ground and rolled to the side as the other cheerleaders turned to look at Konatsu.

The ninja girl was standing erect, a shimmering black aura around her as emerald green eyes burned in the shadows under her lowered bangs. Then the pupils drew in to become slits and Konatsu smiled as she raised her arm and revealed that her nails had grown into long claws and her hand burned with dark fire.

"Now… you die," the ninja said softly

Ai was transfixed as the fireball arrowed through the air towards her. She couldn't move as she felt the sheer pressure of Konatsu's battle aura, and she realized she was really about to die.

Then Kyoko was there, and she felt as the smaller girl thudded against her, the fireball exploding against her back instead of Ai's heart. Ai collapsed, the smaller girl falling with her as time seemed to stop and she cradled the diminutive brunette.

"Why?"

Kyoko turned pain filled eyes towards her, and as they met hers, the pain faded and Ai could see as they seemed to fill with swirls of light.

"Because I love you Ai-sempai…"

Time returned in a rush as she heard Megumi's scream of terror. She looked up to see the girl kneeling in front of her, ice coating the ground around her as she struggled to keep up a shield of ice between Ai and the berserk ninja. Ai blinked as she saw Megumi's hair harden and turn to icicles as she strove to keep back the black fire.

Then the ice collapsed as Kaede was hurled through it, her wings wrapped around her head as she tried to absorb the impact. She crashed into the ground and flipped, coming to rest on her hands and knees, her long tail lashing in rage.

"Dammit, she's insanely strong!"

Ayeka charged past them, her aura gone to full orange as she launched herself at the laughing ninja, and Ai blinked to see her hair had gone a pale grey and that she had both fangs and claws. Then she screamed as half a dozen spears of fire ripped though the running girl and she stumbled.

But she didn't fall. She laughed bitterly as she stood, blood streaming down from the holes that pierced completely through her. "You're going to have to do better than that you, bitch!"

Konatsu had changed as well, her ears having grown longer as her hair had come loose from its ribbons. As Ai watched, her hair started fading to a lighter shade and fangs extended in her mouth

Konatsu smiled at the cheerleader. "A vampire. How quaint." She reached out her hand and made a flicking motion, a wave of force spreading outwards to hurl the vampire girl away. Dark fire burned around her as she turned towards Ai again. Megumi and Kaede both stepped forward to block her.

"You're going to have to kill us before we'll let you touch our Ai!" Megumi said, her breath coming in short gasps. She crashed to the ground as she desperately threw up another ice shield against the wave of fire Konatsu launched.

Ai felt a tug on her sweater. She looked down to see Kyoko still conscious. "Leave us, Ai. Run! She is too strong for us."

Ai shook her head. "No! I can't."

"But we're just monsters, Ai. We're not worth dying for. Run, my love!"

"I won't, Kyoko. I won't leave you all."

Megumi screamed in pain as her icewall shattered and Kaede barely moved her out of the way of the black fire.

Then Ayeka was back. Leaping over Ai and Kyoko, she intercepted the black flames, her orange aura flickering as she strove to push forward and get to the ninja girl.

Then Ai found her head held in Kyoko's hands and she turned to face the brown haired girl. "If you will not leave us, then let me give you my power…"

There was a tingle as her lips met Ai's, and then a rush as Ai felt her whole body almost ignite as Kyoko glowed and vanished.

Then she blinked in surprise as she grew fox ears and a tail.

Together, Ai. Together our power is multiplied!

"Kyoko?"

I'm a kitsune, Ai, and I'm possessing you. Now let's use our power to save everyone!

Ai nodded, letting Kyoko guide her as she stood, finally able to shake off the paralysis that the ninja girl had evoked in her, and she yelled at Ayeka in Kyoko's voice, "MOVE!"

Ayeka hurled herself aside as the massive fireball erupted from Ai's hands and shot across the field to envelop the ninja…

Then it was ripped apart as Konatsu's green eyes started glowing in truth. Ai blinked as Konatsu raised her hand and she realized that even with Kyoko's powers, they were still no match for the berserk girl.

Then the black fire shattered against a glowing blue wall springing from Ying-Ying's hand as the ghost interposed herself between them. Ai and her squad were knocked off their feet from the concussion that roared back from the impact.

"ENOUGH!" Ying-Ying said in a voice that shook the entire field. "I will not let you harm them."

Konatsu blinked. "Why? They sought to hurt and humiliate Konatsu and you as well."

"Because I swore to help you when the black dragon's rage had possessed you. Have you forgotten that already?"

The ninja girl's hair was starting to rapidly change to black again as she frowned. "I have not, Ying-Ying. But they deserved chastisement. That damn succubus's head was filled with all sorts of perverted thoughts directed at both you and Konatsu."

"Chastisement has been delivered. Death is too extreme." Ying-Ying sighed. "Even as mad as I am that they locked me in a spirit trap, they're not evil, they don't deserve to die."

"Even the succubus and vampire? The kitsune and the yuki-onna are harmless enough, but how many will those two prey on if left alive?"

"None. They live by the Accord or they would not attend a human school."

"Accord? What accord? There has always been war betwixt youkai and mankind!"

"Not anymore. Please, I know it must confuse you, but much has changed in three hundred years. The Youkai Accord has stood almost as long. It has brought peace betwixt youkai and human."

Konatsu waved at Ai. "And is even possession tolerated? The kitsune sought to increase her strength by using the sole human as a tool."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Ai shouted in outrage. "She did no such thing! She offered to give me her powers to fight you!"

Konatsu snorted, but Ying-Ying nodded in agreement. "She freely offered, and the human freely accepted, or else Ai could not have taken the form of a fox. Only if she truly accepted out of love could she have done so."

Ai blinked. "What?"

It was all I could think of to save you. Kyoko said in Ai's head. Then Ai felt as she separated and was surprised at the emptiness she suddenly felt. She turned to see a naked Kyoko gloomily standing behind her, her brown fox ears tipped with black lowered while a fluffy brown foxtail hung sadly at her back. "I – I guess we should go now." She said as she bent to pick up her clothes and Ai noted the burns on her back.

"Go?" Ai said, her voice forlorn.

Ayeka was helping Megumi to stand. "We broke the accord and revealed our true forms. We'll find some other school to be sent too. You – you won't have to see us again."

Kaede collapsed to her knees, her wings quivering as she sobbed. Kyoko finished putting on her shirt and patted the succubus on the head. "We – we'll be okay, Kaede. It's better this way. This way we won't have to hurt Ai anymore."

"JUST WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE ALL GOING?" Ai yelled.

"But it's the policy, Ai." Ayeka said sadly. "We've been outed to the entire school as youkai."

"Do you think I care?" Ai stood and faced the ghost. "You! You know what the fuck is going on. Why should they have to leave? I don't care that they are youkai. I knew that about Kyoko at least already. It doesn't matter to me!"

"They have revealed their true forms to the entire school, Ai. They can no longer hide."

"So because they had to reveal their true forms to save my life, they have to leave?"

Ying-Ying shrugged. "I think that that very much depends on you, Ai."

"On me?"

"Yes. You were the sole reason Kaede released me from the spirit trap. Those were the only words she had to speak to me. 'Please, save Ai'."

Ai turned to look at the succubus, whose head hung as she refused to meet Ai's eyes.

"Why?"

Konatsu laughed. "Because they love you, you stupid bitch. They love you so much they dared to face a berserk dragon to save you. They love you so much they were willing to die for you." The ninja girl leaned on Ying-Ying's arm as her knees grew unsteady. "And in my rage I was ready to kill them for daring to love you."

"Yet you did not." Ying-Ying tried to console the distraught girl.

"If you hadn't stopped me, I would have, Ying-Ying. I would have."

Ai's knees were trembling as well as she was looking from one face to another of her squad. Then she took a step towards them, her eyes filling with tears. Then another step, and then she was running to throw her arms around Ayeka and Megumi. "You can't go! Please! You can't! I can't lose you! I won't!"

Ayeka looked at her in shock. "But-but-"

"I don't care if you're youkai or demons or whatever! I don't want to be without you! Any of you!"

Ayeka motioned to the edge of the field, where a small group of teachers stood, looking at the group dispassionately. "It's not up to you, Ai."

"I don't care what they want! I'll fight them all if I have to!"

Ying-Ying sighed. "They are about to take down my shield."

Ai nodded and moved to between the teachers and the members of her squad as the shields around the field collapsed.

And the entire school body could be heard yelling "LET THEM STAY! LET THEM STAY!"

Ai blinked, and looked around at the crowd, and blinked again.

"LET THEM STAY! LET THEM STAY!"

Several dozen students had run to the front of the crowd, and she was shocked to see almost all of them had various tails and ears, from raccoon eared tanuki to kitsune to wolf eared okami. She even saw a couple of bakeneko who were very obviously not the purple haired Amazon.

And leading them on, yelling louder than any of them was a redhead with a long braid.

The teachers had arrived, the two males following the shorter spectacled form of the principal's secretary. She stepped up to Ai and adjusted her glasses as she looked coolly at the head cheerleader.

"Please, Tsuchigumo-sama. My squad was simply following my orders. If you must punish someone, let it be me." Ai said as she fell to her knees. "Please don't send them away."

The secretary's glasses glittered as she looked down through them. "You'd never remember them, Ai Konjou. We'd erase your mind and you'd never even know they existed." she said harshly. "They've broken quite a few rules you know. Possession of a human, endangering the life of a human, revealing their true forms to humans, even using their youkai abilities in public. The entire student body now knows that youkai attend this school. That is not something I can just overlook."

"Come on, Tsuchigumo-sama, give 'em a break." Ranma said as she arrived with two older women in tow. Ai looked at the pair and blinked. What were Mara and Urd doing here?

"And why should I not include you in on their punishment, Mister Saotome?" Miss Tsuchigumo was asking. "Inciting other members of the student populace to break the accord is a serious crime."

"Yeah, and look at how calm the entire school is about it! No-one here is really that surprised, and from what I heard a lot of the non-youkai are perfectly happy with the fact they attend a human youkai mixed school. Hell, I just discovered the fact today and I'm perfectly happy with it!"

The secretary gazed around at the gathered students as Urd stepped forward and handed her a business card.

"Hi, Urd, goddess, second class. I should probably tell you that I'm here on assignment, fulfilling a wish. What is currently occurring is part of that wish, and the likelihood you can stop this is somewhere between zero and none."

The look the secretary gave her from behind the glasses showed amusement. "Who ever said I wanted to?"

Urd blinked as she straightened, then laughed as she turned back to Mara.

The secretary turned back to all of them. "Alright, Miss Konjou, Miss Fei, and Miss Kenzan, you are all given a week's detention for magical dueling. Your squad is also joining you, Miss Konjou. Please strive to guide them better in the future. Miss Fei, and Miss Kenzan, I trust we shall refrain from use of high level magic in the school grounds from here on?"

Ying-Ying, and a thoroughly subdued Konatsu nodded. Miss Tsuchigumo turned to Ranma. "And to you, you confusing boy, you are also given a weeks detention for inciting a near riot. And the only reason I am not including your two delinquent fiancée's as well for skipping out of school yesterday is they had a valid reason. Next time though, please find somewhere else to conduct such activities other than directly under my office window."

Ranma blushed.

The secretary turned to go, then stopped and turned back to Ying-Ying. "Oh, and Miss Fei, if you've finally learned how to fully materialize, please refrain from using your ghost form in school. And put some clothes on before the half the students die of nosebleeds."

Ying-Ying looked down at herself in surprise as the secretary walked away, the two men following her.

"Wow, Ying-Ying, she's right, you look absolutely solid." Ranma said as Mara started shrugging out of her jacket to give it to the ghost girl.

Konatsu, who was currently half laying on Ying-Ying's bosom nodded. "She has been since she got out of that trap."

Konatsu's eyes closed and when they re-opened they had shifted back to brown. Konatsu looked up at Ying-Ying and blinked. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Ying-Ying nodded and stroked the kunoichi's hair as Ranma blinked. Ying-Ying looked at him and shook her head, mouthing "not now."

Ranma shrugged and turned to where Ai was talking to her squad.

"I'm really glad you all don't have to get expelled." Ai said, tears still in her eyes. "I wouldn't have been able to bear it without you."

"We're glad we don't have to go too," Megumi said softly. "We love you, Ai."

Ai nodded. "I've been an utter fool not to see that, Megumi-chan. I've been driving myself crazy for weeks trying to figure out how to tell you all I love you!" She broke down sobbing. "I've been terrified if I told any one of you that I loved you it would destroy all that we've worked so hard to build!"

Ayeka wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, Ai. We've been driving ourselves batty too. The way you've been acting, we feared you had lost interest in us."

Ai shook her head. "Never!"

"Even though you know what we truly are?" Kaede asked. "Even though you know we aren't human?"

Ai waved at Mara. "She told me all about the Accord yesterday, and what it means. I already believed Kyoko was a kitsune. Why should I care what the rest of you are?"

Mara smiled. "I should probably confess I'm not really a kitsune, Ai. I needed to prepare you for this."

Ai blinked. "Prepare?"

Ranma laughed. "Hey, don't tell me this is part of Shan Pu's wish?"

Urd nodded.

Ai blinked as her eye's sought out the Chinese Amazon, who was busily selling cups of ramen to the crowd of still cheering onlookers, who were waiting as Miss Tsuchigumo was checking the controls on a megaphone. Why would she wish for me to find love?

She turned to look at Ranma, and shook her head. "Why would you defend me?"

Ranma shrugged. "I donno. When Lo Shen told me what was happening, I couldn't just stand by. I watched them fighting so hard for you, and I knew there was only one reason they would risk everything to save you. Call me a sucker if you want, but I don't want to see anyone lose their loved ones. I've learned too recently what love is myself. "

"I - I thought I was going to die, and they saved me. What is that within your friend?"

"Konatsu? She's a sweetie, Ai. A sweetie who happens to be a fully trained ninja assassin and the soulmate of the Daughter of the Dragon. You woke the Dragon when she thought you hurt Ying-Ying. That's been Zhu Shu's biggest fear about fighting you, Ai, losing herself to the black dragon's rage inside her.

Ai nodded. "I shall not make that same mistake again."

Ranma shrugged. "You will if you keep fighting Zhu Shu, Ai. When you gave her the dragon wine, you only made her a thousand times stronger than she was before. Black Dragon's are notoriously mean tempered, Ai. Keep playing in the dragon's mouth, and sooner or later, you're going to get eaten."

Ayeka sighed. "Ai… maybe she's right. We're a great cheerleading squad, and we've got a reputation as winners. But even we have to admit defeat occasionally. If Zhu Shu joins a cheerleading squad and meets us in a competition, that's one thing, but I'm tired of fighting magic. I've never been that good with magic anyway. I'm just strength and blood thirsty rage. As vampires go, I kinda suck."

Ai laughed softly. "Well, we're going to have to find out about that later, Ayeka. But I'm surprised to hear that from you."

Ayeka shrugged and smiled shyly. "I don't have a reason to be jealous of her anymore." she said softly. "I have only thing I ever wanted, the only thing that I was afraid I had lost to her."

Ai blushed. "Me?"

"You."

The crackle of the megaphone called their attention to Miss Tsuchigumo.

"Attention students of Furinkan high. Due to recent events, there is going to be a change in policy. However, please be aware this policy will be under close observation, and abuses will not be tolerated. As you are no doubt aware, this school is attended both by human and youkai. It was not intended that the general human population of this school be aware of this, but that cannot be helped due to the actions of the participants in this little debacle. Miss Konjou and her squad, as well as Mister Saotome, Miss Fei, and Miss Kenzan have received a week's detention. Further altercations of the magnitude of today's incident will result in permanent expulsion without appeal. Additionally, to all students who have broken the Accord and revealed themselves today, you will be on classroom cleaning duty for a week for the breech of standing school policy at the time. Do I make myself clear?"

There was a sigh from the crowd with ears, but no other protest.

"Now, as to the change in policy. On school grounds, and only on school grounds, any youkai who wishes to attend classes in their true form will be allowed, with the condition that said true from must be capable of interacting normally with the classroom environment, so for some of you that does mean you will only be able to assume half forms. Additionally, to the human students of this school, I must request that you refrain from discussing your classmates with your parents. These are your friends and fellow students, and I'm sure you would not wish to cause them undue difficulty. Again, be aware this is an experimental process. Abuses will not be tolerated, and it is subject to revocation at any time. That is all."

The crowd erupted into massive cheers as Miss Tsuchigumo handed the megaphone to one of her henchmen and headed towards the school building.

Ai turned to look at her team, to Ayeka's red eyes and fangs, Kyoko's ears and bushy tail, Kaede's wings, and even Megumi's hair, which while it no longer looked like icicles, did still seem to be frosted with snow. She smiled shyly. "You mean to tell me I can see you looking this beautiful all the time?"

Ayeka laughed. "You really think I'm pretty like this?"

Ai nodded. "How long have you all known about each other?"

Kaede shrugged. "Youkai can usually tell another youkai pretty easily, Ai-sempai."

"So I'm the only one who hasn't known?"

Kyoko nodded. "We've wanted to tell you for ever so long."

Ai sighed. "And we have detention today so we can't even go to the clubroom after school."

Kaede gave her a sly grin. "My mom is visiting her lover in Osaka this week. I'm home all alone."

Urd laughed. "That sounds like an invitation to me, Ai-chan. Better take her up on it and quick. Succubae hate losing out on an opportunity to play."

Ai smiled and reached out to take Urd and Mara's hands. "I don't what all you might have done to make this happen, but thank you."

Mara smiled. "We just gave you little bit of info and a push in the right direction, dear. You won their hearts long before we ever came along."

The crowd was finally starting to break up, and as Mara and Urd turned to go, Akane came up, in her Furinkan uniform, but with some suspiciously familiar red and gold bows in her hair. "So did everything get worked out? Sorry I was calling some friends and missed the announcement."

Ying-Ying nodded. "Yes, Akane-chan. And you may let your students know everything with Ai is finally settled." She looked at the head cheerleader. "For good I hope?"

Ai nodded. "Yeah. This new situation is going to throw all the fan ratings into a spin. It's going to take months to get accurate standings again. I got no real reason to fight Zhu Shu any more I guess. We'll see how things go when she gets back from her trip."

Akane nodded, her long braid lashing. Ai gave her a tilted headed look. "Damn, Akane, since when did you get to be so hot?"

Akane did a doubletake. "Huh?"

Ai laughed. "You might have been the strongest fighter in the school until Ranma came, but you never bothered to look pretty before. That's the only thing about you that kept me from chasing you. You don't look like a tomboy anymore."

Kaede took Ai's arm and looked Akane up and down. "Humm. And I can smell she's not a virgin anymore." She licked her lips. "So, think we should invite her and her harem over to visit sometime?" she asked Ai.

Akane and Ranma both blushed to their necklines as Ai laughed. "Not tonight Kaede. I plan to spend my time investigating a few things."

Ayeka had draped herself on Ai's other arm and her finger traced down Ai neck softly. "Investigating?"

Ai nodded. "I've got four deliciously sexy youkai to explore," she said as she tilted her head to the side invitingly.

"Ayeka!" Megumi chided. "We've got to go get cleaned up and ready to go back to class. We can't have you stoned out of your head on blood for a few hours. Wait till we get to Kaede's."

The vampire pouted, but merely kissed Ai's neck. She looked down at her destroyed sweater, ripped and shredded by fighting Ying-Ying, and scorched and bloodied futher by Konatsu. "Looks like I'm going to be wearing normal school garb the rest of the day."

Kyoko fluffed out her skirt over her fox tail as she finished dressing. She stood before Ying-Ying and Konatsu. "Please forgive us. We really didn't mean for it to get this out of hand."

Ying-Ying shook her head. "I can understand all of your fears, Kyoko. So can Konatsu, since those very same fears are what drove her to such extremes."

The solemn moment was shattered as Shan Pu wandered up, busily counting yen notes. "Nyah! Look! Shan-kitty make many yen on Ying-Ying and ramen!"

0

As you can see, the events as they turned out made for a much better, and less "easy solution" to the whole plotline.

Besides, if I had used this, one of my personal favorite scenes would not exist. Ai's little nude performance would have never happened.

What can I say. Things never really turn out the way I plan. Somehow, the characters always find a way to write themselves...