I do not own anything written by Rumiko Takahashi or Kosuke Fujishima or Kosuke Fujishima.


"Kazuki, we need to talk."

Kazuki winced at the voice and turned to face the approaching earth-haired girl with a page boy haircut as he dropped his lunch bento back into his school bag. Great, the Ice Queen is back, he thought. However Nabiki may have been acting recently, and whatever rumors had been swirling around her because of it, now her gaze was as sharp and focused as a scalpel, and if she was feeling any emotion at all he couldn't see so much as a hint on her face.

"S-s-sure, Nabiki," he stammered.

"Privately," Nabiki responded, and stared at his friends nearby. With sympathetic glances toward Kazuki they moved out of earshot. Nabiki glanced around, then lowered her voice. "Do you have them?"

"Yeah," a suddenly sweating Kazuki said. "Nabiki, are you sure about this? I've already broken laws getting these records, but the chances of me getting caught are infinitesimal. But giving them to you will break even more laws, and not just for me — you'll be on the chopping block, too, if we're caught. And with the data out of my protection the odds of getting caught jump, a lot."

"No," Nabiki responded, "I'll drop by your house sometime in the next couple of days with a flash drive for you to put the records on, then once I've verified the data's good you can wipe your copies — thoroughly. If I get caught I won't tell anyone how I got them, you're in the clear."

Kazuki looked doubtful, but finally shrugged. It wasn't like he could do anything about it. "And the photos?" he asked.

"I'll keep them for defensive purposes, but only that — all payments stop as soon as I verify that the records are good. So long as you don't try and get back at me, we can both forget they exist." Nabiki chuckled as Kazuki's face fell. "What did you expect? You're the best hacker in the school and you have reasons to really not like me. You could do some serious damage to me and mine, so I keep the photos and you leave me alone. But don't worry, unless you do something stupid your current girlfriend isn't going to know how far you got with your last one."

Smiling cynically, Nabiki turned and walked away toward her desk, but inwardly something was — different. She felt ... Light. I feel like a weight's come off my shoulders, or like something inside's relaxed. Weird.

/oOo\

Gosunkugi smiled viciously as he completed the summoning ritual and the imp he'd tasked with spying on Nabiki appeared inside the circle. It meant skipping his lunch, and it hadn't been easy maneuvering to make sure he could approach the school shed without being seen by Nabiki eating her lunch in her corner of the school wall with her plaything for company (a surprise, that, he'd expected her to disappear for a different kind of lunch), and he wasn't sure how well his ad hoc 'don't notice me' ritual had worked on everyone else, and he was going to smell of incense for the rest of the day, but he was sick of waiting.

"So," he snarled at his minion, "what have you learned and why haven't you reported back?"

"A thousand apologies, Master," the imp quavered as it groveled inside the circle, "but your servant hasn't yet completed the task you set, and you commanded that I report back only when the task was complete."

Gosunkugi frowned, trying to remember what he'd said a week earlier. Had he left out instructions for regular reports? "And why haven't you fulfilled the simple task I set you?"

The imp shrank down even more and with a shaking voice said, "It was simply impossible, Master! Nabiki's ward covers the entire property without a break, there are no holes to slip through. And the ward is too strong. If I was three times — thirty times — stronger, I still wouldn't be able to break through. And even if I did it would be pointless, I would simply alert her to my presence!"

Keeping its eyes downcast, Gorash looked up out of the corner of its eye and grinned viciously at the ground to see Gosunkugi stiffen and hear his grinding teeth. Didn't like that little reminder of how badly Nabiki outclasses you, did you, 'Master'?

Gosunkugi took a deep breath and managed to keep his voice steady. "Did your incompetence keep you from learning anything at all?"

"No, Master, I did manage to overhear the nature spirit's use-name. Nabiki called her Ranma."

Gosunkugi waited, but the cringing imp said nothing more. "That's it? A solid week of spying and all you learned is a useless use-name?!

"Yes, master, the only identification your useless servant was able to learn was her use-name."

"Of all the stupid, lazy, useless —" Gosunkugi again fought his temper under control, and in a cold voice said, "Begone, back to rot in the hellhole I pulled you out of. You are released from your duty."

The imp vanished in a puff of smoke, and Gosunkugi sighed and started cleaning up. What a waste of time. Well, it looks like subtlety isn't going to get me anywhere. I'll have to see what names I can get from Dad's list that could break through that uppity bitch's wards. Maybe one of them would like to play with her toy in front of her before it deals with her? It isn't like the spirit isn't already well used, and maybe the experience will make it grateful for a more gentle master ... something to think about.

/oOo\

Nabiki sat on the park grass with her back to a tree, her crossed legs stretched out in front of her, the late afternoon sun warm on her face, her fingers running through the hair of her favorite redhead lying beside her with her head in her lap and gazing up at her with a contented smile on her face. Nabiki's gaze wandered down from Ranma's face to pause at her firm, somewhat oversized breasts (oddly unflattened by gravity, as would have been the case for any human woman in her position) before drifting further downward. Nabiki felt herself getting warmer than the sun could explain and her mouth began to water ... then she felt Ranma stir uncomfortably and her eyes snapped back to Ranma's face and with an effort she banished thoughts of the view she'd just been enjoying from her mind. "Sorry about that," she murmured.

Ranma relaxed again and smiled ruefully up at her friend. "Don't be sorry, just don't do it again." The feeling coming from Nabiki now that she was looking at her face instead of lower down ... Oh, that feels good — like standing in sunshine, or sinking into a warm furo, or ...

Nabiki laughed at hearing her own words from that morning paraphrased back at her, and Ranma added her own chuckles, then sobered. "Ya know, I still don't understand what this Kuno guy is thinking — what he's doing to Akane isn't a challenge, it's an outright attack. Sure, the training she's gettin' in crowd fighting is great, but doing it every morning ... not even Pop did something that stupid. Though I'm surprised he didn't think of having us fight back against the shopkeepers instead a' just running. Maybe 'cause he wanted to be gone before the cops showed up..."

"Shopkeepers? Do I really want to know?" Nabiki asked dryly.

Ranma grinned up at her. "Mobs of shopkeepers are almost as good as wolf packs for speed and endurance training."

Nabiki winced and chuckled ruefully. "Every time I think your father can't be any more of an idiot ... So are you going to go along with my suggestion at lunch?"

Ranma grimaced. "I dunno — it just doesn't feel right to run out on Pop like that ..."

"Ranma, what he's put you through — you may not think it's as bad as what Akane's going through, but you're wrong. And it isn't just the physical danger, though how you've survived till now is beyond me. You, my friend, are almost certainly very poorly socialized."

"Huh?" a bewildered Ranma queried.

"I mean, you don't really know how to act around people, do you? Constantly on the move with only your father, of all people, for company, how could you? And I'll bet you haven't gotten much schooling, either."

Hey, I'm a martial artist, I don't need schooling!"

"Really?" Nabiki quirked an eyebrow. "Didn't you tell me you want to run a dojo, teach students? Well for that, you need more than just skill in combat. You need to know at least enough math to make sure your students or their parents are paying you properly, figure out the taxes ... and you may need a college degree in physical education to get the license you need, I'll have to check."

"License? Ya need a license to teach the Art?"

"I think so, at least if you want to be paid. You should probably also spend some time with more normal teachers, and think back on how your teachers other than your father taught you. You may have survived your father's teaching, but I don't think other parents are going to allow their kids to go through what you did. Besides," Nabiki said, her voice and smile softening, "I'd like to meet my best friend's other half."

Ranma sighed, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Things must'a changed since Pop trained. All right, once Pop gets to shore, I'll find out where he's planning to go and stick with him 'til we're as close to Nerima as we're going to get, then get away and come here."

Nabiki sighed in relief and smiled broadly, then frowned when Ranma grimaced and curled up a little. "Ranma, is something wrong?"

"Nah, nothin' I can't handle."

Nabiki stopped stroking Ranma's hair and rapped her on the forehead. "Ranma, being a tough guy is one thing, being an idiot is something else. We don't know that much about what you are, and every little bit helps. So, what's wrong?"

Smiling sheepishly, Ranma answered, "I dunno, I just feel a little ... empty, I guess. Like there's a hole in me pulling on me, that needs filling or somethin'."

A hole, filling, what could ... oh, please, no. Nabiki tried to act casual, but Ranma stiffened and sat up at the harsh feel of the fear that began rolling off of her friend.

"Nabiki, what's wrong?"

"Ranma, that dream the second night, the one that freaked you out — did you feel anything like this then?" Nabiki asked.

Ranma frowned thoughtfully, thinking back. "Yeah, you're right, I did. What's it mean?"

Shit, shit, shit! I really didn't want to tell her this yet ... ah, well, needs must. Nabiki sighed and spread her arms. "Ranma, come here, sit."

A Ranma made increasingly frightened by the emotions of fear and resignation radiating from Nabiki that she couldn't recognize but didn't like the feel of moved over and sat in Nabiki's lap, and Nabiki enfolded her in an embrace. "Come on, Nabiki, you're ... you're makin' me nervous. What's wrong?"

Nabiki thought for a moment, then said, "Ranma, I have something to tell you, something I've known since that morning after the dream. I didn't tell you then or since because I didn't know enough, still don't really, and I was half-hoping that I was wrong. Ranma, your problem right now is that you are hungry, and what you need to satisfy that hunger is sex."

Ranma stiffened. "No. No, ya must be wrong, I can't need that, I can't ..."

Nabiki tightened her embrace, pulling Ranma harder against her. "I'm afraid so. That day you didn't eat very much while with your father, did you?"

"Well, no ..."

"I didn't think so. The food you eat when in human form must transfer across when you turn into a spirit, keeping you from needing to feed as a spirit. But you didn't eat that day and transformed hungry, then went to bed with me ... and your new instincts kicked in. And now it's been at least a day since you last ate ... when did you last eat?"

"Yesterday noon, some. Pop's splashin' me at meal times sometimes," a slightly confused Ranma replied. She hadn't understood everything Nabiki had said, but she'd gotten the gist of it and ... she started to curl into a ball.

"Yesterday noon, right," Nabiki echoed. "Over a day and a quarter. You definitely need to eat, and that means sex."

"No!" Ranma shouted. "Listen, I'll just get some hot water and —"

"— and end up right back here," Nabiki finished. "Or will your father have finished his little swim by now?"

Ranma deflated. "No, he'll still be out there. I'd just end up in the water and ... yeah, you're right. But that doesn't mean I hafta ... feed ... I can just wait, it won't be more than another couple'a days 'fore he's here an' I can eat then."

Nabiki shook her head. "No, Ranma, we can't wait. We don't know what your spirit body can handle, you could starve to death before then. I'm not losing the only friend I have out of ignorance!"

Ranma was shaking like a leaf. "No, there's gotta be another way! I can't ... I'm not ..."

"Ranma, why does the idea of sex terrify you so badly?" a now deeply concerned Nabiki asked. "Did ... something ... happen to you when you were younger?"

"Huh?" Nabiki's question and rising fear startled Ranma out of his own rising panic. "What're ya talkin' about?"

"Ranma, has anyone ... has anyone had sex with you before?" Nabiki got out through the lump in her throat.

"Huh? No!" a now thoroughly confused Ranma shouted.

Now Nabiki was the relieved but confused one. "So why are you so afraid of sex?"

"I'm not afraid a nothin'," Ranma insisted. "I'm not! It's just ... Nabiki, I'm a guy! What if ... what if I like it more as a girl? I can't start ... start ..."

A light went on in the back of Nabiki's mind. "Oh damn, this has to be the worst possible case of gender dysfunction imaginable."

"H-Huh? Wh-what?" Ranma stuttered.

Nabiki sighed and freed one hand to stroke Ranma's hair. Ranma slowly stopped shaking and relaxed at the feeling, along with the emotions radiating from Nabiki, warm and soft on one hand and warm and ... sharp? ... on the other. "Never mind," Nabiki sighed. "Listen, Ranma, you probably will enjoy it more as a ... nature spirit ... than as a human. But that isn't because you're a girl as a nature spirit and a guy as a human, it's because it's your nature as a ... a sex spirit."

Seeing that Ranma hadn't understood a word she'd said, she tried again. "Ranma, if you turned into a wolf instead of a nature spirit, would you be surprised if when you were a wolf you enjoyed chasing down and killing and eating rabbits?" Ranma shook her head. "And would you be surprised if you enjoyed hunting rabbits more as a wolf than as a human?" Ranma shook her head again. "It's the same thing here. Your type of nature spirit is supposed to feed off of sex, of course you're going to enjoy it more as a nature spirit. Is that so bad?"

Ranma was beginning to shake again. "Yes! I'm a guy, I can't ... Please, Nabiki, I know yer smarter than me. There's gotta be a way ..."

Nabiki stopped stroking Ranma's hair and pulled the red-topped head against her shoulder and stared thoughtfully into space, thinking back to the dream, the sequence of events, what she'd done, what Ranma had done ... and slowly nodded. "Okay, I think I know a way. You aren't going to like it much, but it'll be better than having sex you don't want or starving." Gathering the petite, and weightless, redhead into her arms, she stood up, then paused as she looked out across the park — the occupied park. Damn, no way I can carry her home, it would just look too weird. "Come on, Ranma, we need to get home for this and I can't carry you."

Ranma slowly uncurled, then when Nabiki let her go floated out beside her and the two started back toward the dojo.

/oOo\

Mara stalked into her Niflheim apartment, and with a growl kicked a floor pillow across the room. Argh! And things were going so well, too. Flopping into the comfortable reading chair beside her bookshelf, she leaned back and indulged in a long string of curses, from modern languages to ones so long dead that their very existence had been forgotten. Finally running down, she sighed and, straightening up and focusing a small thread of summoning power, snapped her fingers.

Instantly, an imp appeared in a nearby permanent summoning circle. Glancing around, it located Mara and bowed. "Mara, I've been expecting your summons. How may Gorash serve you tonight?"

Motioning for Gorash to take a seat, Mara said, "Gorash, your initiative in bringing the relationship between Nabiki and Ranma to my attention was well done, no fault to you that I was too busy to read it immediately. The report was also well written. I've written a note of appreciation and had it placed in your file."

Gorash stood on its seat and bowed. "Your approbation for your servant's service is much appreciated."

Mara smiled knowingly as Gorash again sat down. "Very pretty! Your 'service' under Gosunkugi getting frustrating?" Her smile turned to an outright laugh at Gorash's growl. "When I was watching Nabiki and Ranma I didn't sense you anywhere around. Are you finished with your assignment to Gosunkugi?"

Gorash nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, he summoned me during his school's lunch break. He was most disappointed when all I could give him was the nature spirit's use-name and told me not to darken his doorway again," it said with a distinct lack of dejection at its 'failure'.

"Great!" Mara responded. "From now until I tell you otherwise, consider yourself attached to my service."

Gorash again stood and bowed, this time with more sincerity. "My thanks, Mistress, I'm gratified that you want me in your service."

"You earned it," Mara asserted. "However, I'm afraid you aren't going to like your first assignment very much. First, do you think that Nabiki noticed your spying?"

Gorash frowned thoughtfully. "I can't say for certain — from what I've heard she's usually very good at keeping control of her face and body language, but she seemed distracted this past week. Still, I'd say the odds are good that she noticed me and was simply too good to let me know it."

Mara nodded. "About what I expected. I want you to take another two imps of your choosing and resume your shadowing of Nabiki — however, I want you to allow her to know one of you is there, if she doesn't already, without letting her know that you know she knows. While you are watching her, keep an eye out for any other supernatural creatures spying on her. If you notice any, have one of your companions report immediately and the other stick with Nabiki, while you shadow the shadowers yourself — report every other day regardless, and if anything sufficiently unusual to warrant my attention occurs."

Gorash sighed but nodded. "Yes, Mistress, it will be done."

Mara grinned at her new servitor. "I know, it'll be boring. But at least you'll be spying for someone that can make decent use of what you've learned. And eventually, I expect things to get rather exciting."

Gorash brightened at the thought. "There is that. Very well, Mistress, with your permission I'll get started right away." And at Mara's wave of dismissal the imp walked over to the summoning circle and vanished.

Mara leaned back in her reading chair again as a pensive look crossed her face, and stared at the ceiling for several minutes, only to jerk up straight at a knock on her door. Getting up with a sigh, she opened the door and stared at the figure standing there.

It was Calise, dressed to the nines in knee-high boots, black net stockings, a leather extra-wide belt doing duty as a miniskirt, and a black leather halter top with gold calligraphy embroidered around the breast panels. Mara whistled as she motioned her friend into the apartment. "Looking good, girl, expecting a party?"

"Eventually," Calise said with a wink. "But first, I noticed you summoned Gorash and thought I'd see how your day went."

Chuckling as Calise sat down on the couch and Mara again leaned back in her reading chair, Mara asked, "Curious about Ranma, are you?"

"Well, she is something of a mystery," Calise agreed. "Plus, I was wondering about the Nabiki situation."

Mara sighed and stared at the ceiling. "This afternoon I watched and listened in on what's going on with Nabiki, and my plans for her are, quite literally, completely fucked. I'm now in salvage mode — simply waiting until one of her blackmail victims kills her and recruiting her when she shows up in Niflheim is no longer an option."

Glancing back at Calise, Mara said, "It turns out that there's a good reason Ranma's name didn't come up in your record search — Ranma's not actually a succubus, or at least not one all the time. Could you check Records for any file we might have for a male, probably human, named Ranma?"

Calise stared at her friend. "You mean Ranma's a man that turns into a succubus? How did that happen?"

Shrugging, Mara said, "I don't know how it happened yet, and from what I overheard I'd say he's a boy rather than a man, though already a skilled martial artist. He's been trained by his father, among others. Apparently, cold water activates the change — I'd say that the flashes of summoning magic your observers were picking up were a summons reactivating whenever the change took place. So, can you do the records search for me?"

"Sure, no problem, now my curiosity is fully engaged. So what are your plans now?"

"It's simple enough." Mara responded. "Since we can't wait for Nabiki to continue to develop the way we want until she dies and go with the 'better to reign in Hell' offer, we'll have to go with 'the end justifies the means' offer, instead. She doesn't know it, but she's made an enemy that can squash her and hers like a bug, or at least his family can. And daddy dearest probably will in order to maintain family unity and position, even if he sits on Hikaru at the same time to keep him from doing anything else stupid. So we keep her alive long enough for her to get desperate, then offer our protection for her and hers in return for her sworn service."

Calise nodded thoughtfully. "Not bad, for an off-the-cuff improvisation. Do you think it will really work?"

Mara shrugged. "We'll see. I certainly hope so, because there is no plan C. Anyway, that can wait until tomorrow, no need to skip the party you're headed to."

"The party we're headed to, girlfriend," Calise responded with a saucy smile.

"Huh?"

"I know you, girl. These little adventures of yours with the Norns, especially Urd, always end the same way — you getting a pity drunk on in your apartment and going to work the next morning hung over and frustrated. Well, not this time! You're going to get cleaned up, dressed up, and dolled up. Then we're going to hit a club and show them how it's done, and pick up a couple of studs, or three or four, and let them show us how it's done. You'll still be getting to work without much rest, but for a much better reason."

Mara stared at her friend for a moment, then straightened up, hopped out of her chair and headed for the bedroom. "Calise, when you're right, you're right. Make yourself at home while I get ready, and we'll go make some lucky guys very happy and let them return the favor."