Tsundere10

Thunder in the Mountains

By

Jim R. Bader

DISCLAIMER: Ranma 1/2 cast members were created by Rumiko Takahashi and remain the sole property of both her and those to whom she leased out the creative rights. This fanfic is not intended for the purpose of monetary gain and so is purely the work of the author using characters from Takahashi-dono's series. I am not getting any compensation or royalties for this, so please do not sue me…

Kasumi heard the door knock and said, "Ranma-kun, would you be a dear and get that?"

"Sure thing, Kasumi," Ranma said as he finished drying off the plate that she had just handed him, surprised at finding how much fun it cold be and how pleasant it was to do kitchen work with his iinazuke, which his father snidely referred to as "Women's work."

Ranma had fewer issues with it, however, as it gave a great pretext to spend more time around Kasumi as he was coming to find her soothing presence a welcome relief from the turbulence in his life and the anxieties that, of late, were plaguing his existence.

Not least because he felt inherently guilty about what had become of Kasumi's younger sister, a girl he had been coming to like for very different reasons. While Kasumi was gentle mannered yet surprisingly strong in her quiet, unimposing way, Nabiki was sassy and intelligent and gave Ranma the impression that she could be a powerful ally to cultivate if they could become actual friends, which would be a welcome contrast to the way his life had run as typified by the antipathy of the boy named Ryoga.

The thought of someone messing with Nabiki filled him with a sense of anger that was unlike anything he had previously experienced. Tampering with her head was a low blow even for someone who kept a stupid grudge alive for two whole years, and if it turned out to be the fault of that clueless, diirectionles idiot…well…then Ranma would not wait two whole days to have an accounting.

A sentiment he knew was shared by the youngest Tendo daughter, a girl whom Ranma found he liked as something of a playmate and potential sparring partner, once she honed her sills a bit and became a more serious challenge as a Martial Artist.

The Tendos had so far shown him every courtesy and had taken him in, a penniless vagabond, all on the promise of what he might become if he married into their household. The thought of someone from outside hurting any one of them made Ranma suddenly take serious all of his father's pompous talk about the so-called "duties" of a martial artist. For what other reason did you train so hard if not to hone your body so that you could protect the people that you cared about? Certainly not just so you could be a useless thug who threw his weight around and bullied other people to get your way, like Kuno Tatewaki.

Or become revenge-crazed idiots who blamed everyone else for your problems and refused to face up to the fact that you were essentially a useless bastard and a general nuisance.

But…what if that other thing that had been hinted at were true? What if he and this Ryoga had more in common than just a superficial resemblance that got pointed out to them by that Kodachi girl? It was easy to imagine all sorts of evil things surrounding his father, but fathering a kid by a woman not Ranma's mother was a new one, and if true then what did it mean about his possible relationship to this boy who seemed fixated upon Ranma and was intent on causing trouble, even if it meant involving innocent bystanders not connected to his business?

Ranma did not know the answer to that, and rather doubted if he ever would, but no way did he want to get Kasumi mixed up in one of his messes, especially since Nabiki had already been affected, ane who knew what was next on that idiot's agenda?

He got to the door and opened it, then said, "Yeah, can I…"

He stopped right in mid-sentence and gaped, finding a pair of violet colored eyes gazing back at him with a mingled sense of speculation and amusement.

"I believe the proper address, Saotome-san, is, 'Can I help you?'" asked Kuno Kodachi.

Ranma scowled, "What do you want?"

"Indeed, that is the question, is it not?" she leaned forward and Ranma instinctively backed away a half a foot, "You are impertinent, but there is something refreshingly barbaric about you, Ruffian. You are a man who is used to acting on his impulses and speaking your mind, are you not?"

"Uh…well…" Ranma fumbled, aware that this girl had just put him on a defensive footing with that question.

"If you had manners you would invite me inside," Kodachi mused, "After all, I am given to understand that it is better than on the outside. But, then again, I suppose you could be forgiven a certain crassness as you have had a hard life and a difficult upbringing, something to which I can somewhat relate."

"Ah…huh?" Ranma said, finding himself increasingly confused as he was pressed further back by the inquiring gaze of the pretty girl before him.

"Ranma, what are you doing standing there in the doorway?" Akane asked as she came up, "Invite whoever is out there inside and…" she stopped in her tracks as she saw Kodachi and instantly her tone changed as she asked, "What do you want?"

"Ah, I see bad manners runs through some aspects of this household," Kodachi mused, "What I want should be obvious enough. I want to come inside and talk with you, and if you say yes then I may be able to help shed light on certain matters relating to your sister, Nabiki."

"You know about Nabiki?" Ranma gasped.

"I know that something untoward befell her this afternoon," Kodachi said, "And while normally I would not trouble myself with what befalls that mercenary harridan who sponges off my idiot brother, in this one instance I feel compelled to raise a few objections."

"You know something?" Akane gasped, "Then spit it out!"

"Hmm…perhaps I should come back later," Kodachi said, "You appear to be a bit agitated and I would not dream of intruding…"

"Hey," Ranma said, reaching out a hand and gripping Kodachi by the wrist, "Don't be like that. Come on in and tell us what you know."

And with that Kodachi found herself being drawn in rudely by the boy, yet with not so much force as persuasion since she felt tremendous power in his grip that-oddly enough-did not grip her too tightly or actually pain her, though he might easily have pulled her arm out of its socket had he a mind to.

She stumbled a bit off balance but righted at once and was about to issue a protest when Kasumi came into the room and said, "Oh, is that Kodachi? What a surprise. I wasn't expecting you to come by this late in the evening."

"Ah…:" Kodachi's aristocratic bearing dissolved as her cheeks flushed crimson and she gazed at the eldest Tendo daughter with worshipful eyes, and suddenly she seemed many years younger than her apparent age as she glanced down and said, "Well…it seemed important enough…and while I would not dream of intruding on your evening…"

"Nonsense," Kasumi smiled, "It's always good to see you, Kuno-san. You're looking very well this evening."

"Why…thank you," Kodachi had to resist the urge to primp her hair with a hand as it might have contrasted with the image of maturity and sophistication that she wished to convey, "I'm sorry to trouble you, but…it concerns Nabiki."

"Oh?" Kasumi's expression changed, "You know something about Itomo-chan?"

"I do," Kodachi confessed, "Ah…may we speak somewhere privately?"

"We can go to my bedroom," Kasumi said, "Father and Uncle Saotome are playing shogi in the living room and I don't think they will be disturbed if we talk softly."

"The bedroom?" Kodachi's eyes went round, "Ah…well…I suppose…"

"Hey," Akane frowned, "Just what are you planning to do with my sister?"

"Nothing," Kodachi answered a bit hastily, "What is it to you?"

"That's what I was thinking about," Ranma grumbled, "Kasumi, I think I'll join you. I want to hear about this if it's about Nabiki, and if it has anything to do with Ryoga…"

"Your brother you mean?" Kodachi asked, causing Ranma's eyes to gog, which prompted her to ask, "Or did you already suspect this?"

"Ah…" Ranma said, glancing down and softly vowing, "Me and the old man are gonna have a talk about that one…"

"I would be only too happy to have you along, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said, "You've never been inside of my bedroom before, have you?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, then said, "Ah…"

Akane just smirked at him then said, "I'm coming too. Someone is going to have to chaperone you two, and it's not good if you get all Hentai before you even get near to setting a date for the wedding."

"Say what?" Ranma's voice rose up an octave, and if Akane did not know that he was still in his male form she would have suspected he had just been doused with a face full of cold water.

"As if anything untoward could possibly occur when I am around," Kodachi said, though not very convincingly as she averted her face to conceal the blush that she was wearing, "By all means, Kasumi-dono, let us convene in the sanctuary that is your room, a place that I also confess has never been host to the likes of Kuno Kodachi."

"Yeah, right," Akane said skeptically, convinced more than ever that there was no way this side of Hell that she was leaving her sister alone in the company of this woman. And if what she suspected were true, then she rather doubted that Ranma's presence would be enough to deter the Black Rose from giving in to her own baser temptations.

Moments later they were in Kasumi's room, and Ranma could not help but be self-conscious of the fact as it reflected a simple but elegant décor with a rolled out futon bed and sparse furnishings that contrasted with the more indulgent and Westernized influences of the rooms of her two younger siblings. Kasumi lived more in accordance with the image of a Samurai than Ranma would have expected with silk tapestry-like wall hangings adorning two of the walls and a shrine with the picture of a woman who looked like an older version of Akane on display. He supposed it was the late mother of the Tendo sisters but felt too intimidated to ask, conscious of the fact that where he was seemed like a shrine dedicated to the lifestyle of a practitioner of the Art.

There were even a set of traditional swords at the far end of the room, and Ranma wondered if it contained an actual katana as was rarely found in most households of this day and time. It made him wonder about things like just how dedicated was his iinazuke to the disciplines of the art? And how traditional minded was she really?

Kodachi, by contrast, seemed to drink in the sight of the room as though she were in a Temple meant for worship. Her face all but glowed as she beamed at Kasumi and listened raptly to every little gesture and breath. It both disturbed and intrigued Ranma to see the snooty girl act so intimidated and childish as if afraid to do or say anything that might reflect upon her badly.

At least as far as it actually concerned Ranma.

"So," Kasumi said, "What did you wish to share with us, Kodachi-chan, and how does it affect my little sister, Nabiki?"

Kodachi looked at Kasumi directly and said, "My apologies for not coming to you earlier. When we parted company earlier in the day it was on the understanding that there would be a match between champions held in two days with your iinazuke squaring off against that curious boy we met earlier. Of course I did not know at the time that you would allow him to wander off in the company of your charming younger sister."

"Did Ryoga do something to Nabiki?" Akane asked, "He didn't seem like the type."

"That is difficult to ascertain, even for me," Kodachi said warily, "But I somewhat doubt that the boy is capable of a complex feat as blocking a person's memory…would you not agree?"

"Maybe," Ranma said warily, "But I don't really know much about the guy, other than the fact that he can't find his way out of the bathroom, and he holds a grudge like nobody else I've ever met."

"A fact that I believe runs in his family," Kodachi said, "Or so I am given to believe from some vague references that I recently discovered in the journal of my late mother."

"Your mother, Kodachi-san?" Kasumi asked, "What would she know about Ryoga?"

"It was the family name of Hibiki that caught my eye," Kodachi replied, "Mother reports meeting a very odd woman who often competed with her in squabbles during their high school year. She used a lot of rather unflattering terms to describe this person, but among her favorite terms is, 'The Oni.'"

"The Oni?" Ranma asked.

"Atsuko the Oni," Akane said, "You mean…she was some kind of a demon?"

"Half demon more like," Kodachi said, "There is a similar legend about a boy who was half demon who lived five hundred years ago in a valley not far from here and married a girl who came from another time and world. A very romantic legend, to be certain, but hardly relevant to our time."

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "You know so many interesting and wonderful stories, Kodachi-san."

The ponytailed Aristocrat seemed to glow at the praise, but then she coughed politely and said, "Ah…well…it does pay to do research. And there were many things in my mother's journals that compelled me to study hard from other sources and historical records that exist about this region of Nerima. For example, did you happen to know that this ground was once grazing land for the horses of the Shoganate, before the town of Edo blossomed into the Tokyo we know of today?"

"Fascinating," Ranma said drolly, "But what does any of that have to do with that Ryoga did to Nabiki?"

"The Boy is only one factor in all of this," Kodachi replied, then took a moment to pause before adding, "I cannot divulge everything that I know as many of my sources have requested anonymity, and I am compelled by honor to refrain from sharing all of their secrets."

"We certainly wouldn't ask that you do anything that was unethical, Kodachi-san," Kasumi smiled, "And it's a wonderful thing to meet a young person, such as yourself, who possesses such a high degree of ethics."

"Yeah, right," Akane said skeptically, "You just like playing the mysterious angle a little too much for my thinking."

"Actually, I think I understand you," said Ranma.

"Oh, you do?" Kodachi looked at the boy, mildly intrigued.

"It's about Bushido," Ranma said, "Your family's related to the Samurai, the same as with me and the Tendo family. You have an honorable obligation not to tell something that you promised you wouldn't share."

"You do understand," Kodachi smiled, "I want more than anything to unburden myself of all my knowledge to you, Kasumi-dono. But in doing so I would go against my spoken word, and I know you would understand that even for the sake of your sister I cannot honorably do that."

"But you're here anyway," Kasumi replied, "So there must be things that you can tell me that won't compromise you and will be of benefit to Nabiki?"

"How beautiful, intelligent and virtuous you are, Kasumi-dono." Kodachi's eyes gleamed with shining emotion. Then she demurely closed her eyes and said, "There are things I intended to share with you and no one else…but as these others are involved, I suppose it cannot be helped if I let slip one or two rather trivial, innocent things concerning this boy you will be facing…"

"You mean like the fact he's got a Jusenkyo curse?" Ranma asked, "I already know that."

"But do you know the thing he turns into when he gets wet?" Kodachi asked, "I must say it astonished me to learn that such things as curses do exist, and that you possess one as well."

Ranma was very still, "Say what?"

"Somebody told you about Ranma's curse?" Akane asked.

"Yes, but until I behold it with my own eyes…" Kodachi suddenly pulled an object from beneath her shirt and tossed it at Ranma, who reacted with a startled, "GAK!" and immediately transformed into his "cursed" form of a buxom redhead.

"Oh my…" Kodachi said as she stared at the transformed man before her, then leaned forward and touched a finger to Ranko's bosom, saying, "These are real? They feel…so firm…"

Ranko put her hand to the finger of Kodachi and growled, "Why does everybody feel like doing that? Of course they're for real! I…"

Suddenly she found Kodachi's face just a couple of inches from her own, and she stammered, "Ah…what are you…"

"Such beautiful eyes," Kodachi said, "I can see why my witless brother is so enraptured by them."

"Oh my," Kasumi said, surprized by this unexpected reaction.

Kodachi pulled out a second object that she poured over Ranko's head, and all at once he was restored to his proper gender.

"Now this is even better," Kodachi grinned, her long dark hair draping over his eyes, "To go from attractive feminine shape to such a virile young man…you're like a two for one package deal. How very economical."

"Ah…" Ranma said, finding himself unable to move away for the fact that he had a wall directly behind him, and the presence of the violet-eyed girl was causing him to sweat in places that he did not know had perspiration.

"Kodachi-san…" Kasumi said, "Could you…please back away and give Ranma-kun some breathing space?"

"Oh?" Kodachi turned then backed away, "I am so sorry. I forgot myself for a moment there. You have such an interesting fiancé and I wanted to examine her…ah…him up close and personal."

"Yeah, I could tell," Akane said drolly, "Any more up close and personal and you'd have to check out a room together."

"Hey, that's not helping!" Ranma protested, turning to say, "Kasumi…it wasn't my doing!"

Kasumi's expression was actually cross, but then she softened and said, "It's all right, Ranma. I suppose Kodachi-san is right. You are much too attractive a young man for any woman to resist you."

"Ah…?" something about the way she said that worried Ranma, and far more than the amorous advances that the Kuno girl had just put upon him, as though there were trouble brewing beneath the calm, unfurrowed brow of his fiancée…

Meanwhile, directly above them, laying on her bed, Nabiki heard the outburst of a moment before and said, "What in the world? That sounded like…Ranma…"

It was still difficult for her to speak his name or even think it without difficulty, but she was coming along to gradually circumventing the memory blocks and restore her full awareness of the boy, and now that she had come this far she was actually hearing his voice as though it were coming out of Kasumi's room.

Which it very well could be, considering that the ventilation system often acted like an unintentional PA system in linking their two rooms together.

It had often amused Nabiki to think that if her sister ever had a boyfriend over then Nabiki would get to eaves drop. But as her sister got older and remained clueless about men it had begun to seem as if that day would never happen.

But though Kasumi was obviously a late bloomer the chances were now very great that she would be having a boy over, and even more likely that they would not simply be talking or holding hands or comparing notes about medical tests. Though anatomy lessons were hardly out of the question…

"ANATOMY LESSONS?" Nabiki gasped as she sat bolt upright in bed, "Ranma and Kasumi? No way…!"

But then she heard another voice and her attitude changed completely.

"Kodachi?" she blinked, then added, "Akane? What the heck is going on here?"

She got off the bed and went over to the ventilator, then bent down and listened as she heard Ranma said, "Kasumi…you gotta believe me…"

"I do believe you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said, "But I suppose that I should keep better watch over you just in case this becomes a continual problem."

"Say what?" Nabiki reached over to her desk and grabbed the empty glass that she had drunk from after taking several aspirin to put it up to her ear for better acoustics.

"You are as wise as you are brave, virtuous and forgiving, Kasumi-dono," that from Kodachi, "You would be well advised to cling to such a prize. I so envy you having such a kawaii and handsome boyfriend."

"Yeah, I can tell," Akane's voice was so sardonic that Nabiki almost thought her sister was channeling her.

"But surely there is someone who can appreciate you for you, Kodachi-san," Kasumi said, "Someone as beautiful and wise as yourself must surely have to beat them off with a staff when they come calling."

"Ah…yes…well…" Kodachi was actually stammering, and Nabiki's eyebrows rose in accordance, "Spending the past few years in a girls only exclusive school like Saint Hebereke has not afforded me many opportunities to arrange to have assignations with young men, you know…though I have found ways of…keeping myself amused in the interim…"

"I'll just bet," Nabiki stated flatly, but kept her tone down to a low murmur as she continued eavesdropping.

"Plus I…lost some time when my guardians insisted I do therapy to relieve some anxiety problems that I was having over my gymnastics training…"

"Therapy?" Akane asked.

"It's the reason that I haven't been around more often of late," Kodachi replied, "When I would gladly come most any day to spend time with my dear friends here at the house of the Tendos."

"Wait a second," Ranma said, "You had therapy?"

"It happened a short time after my last match against a rival high school," Kodachi replied, "Shortly after I met with you, Kasumi-dono, when your sister here kindly introduced the both of us."

"I remember that time," Kasumi said cheerfully, "I thought at the time that you were a very charming young lady. But Akane said that you were picking fights with other girls, and I didn't think it was appropriate for one so refined and ladylike as you, Kodachi-san."

Nabiki heard a sigh and felt momentarily sick to her stomach, "Oh boy…way to lay it on thick, Sis."

"I remember well," Kodachi sighed, "I committed every word to memory and sought the help that you advised, and after two months of working closely with a professional counselor who helped me get in touch with my inner feelings I was prepared to see you out again so that I could thank you in proper earnest for the kindly words you spoke to me that evening."

"Oh brother," Ranma said, "This wouldn't have anything to do with you taking meds or stuff like that?"

"Pressure point therapy and strict routines of meditation," Kodachi replied, "I got in touch with my inner me, and afterwards I felt ever so much happier with myself. In fact, it opened to me a whole new world of possibilities, and I have been practicing diligently with the help of the other students at my high school."

"Oh, I can just imagine how much more popular you've been with your classmates," Akane said so dryly that Nabiki could almost feel the ice.

"Not just with my classmates," Kodachi said, "With my competitors from rival high schools. And other girls who come to complain about it. And sometimes their close female relations."

"Oh brother," Nabiki said, trying hard to imagine how much "hush money" the Kuno estate must have been issuing out to keep silent the controversies that Kodachi's behavior was causing.

"But all of that has merely been practice for the big event that comes when I at last fulfill my dreams and become united with my true beloved," Kodachi said, then her tone turned and became deeper, "So for the sake of that I am willing to help you out this one time, Saotome Ranma."

"Ah…help me out how?" Ranma asked, understandably nervous.

"Now that I have confirmed that these curses are real…would you care to know what form your opponent wears when he is doused with cold water?"

"No," Ranma said, "Not really."

Nabiki almost facefaulted, and from the sound of things Akane and Kodachi must have done so together.

"Ranma?" Kasumi asked, "Are you being serious?"

"Hey, look, it's not that I don't appreciate the offer or nothing," Ranma said, "But what you were saying earlier applies both way. And telling another guy what a guy's weakness…it just ain't manly. It goes against the whole concept of Budo, which you ought to know seeing as you believe in that stuff, the same as me."

"You are saying that you would prefer ignorance to having your enemy's secret be divulged by a third party such as me?" Kodachi asked, and for once Nabiki could not blame her tone of incredulity.

"Hey, I don't accept that I'm the one to blame for Ryoga going to Jusenkyo and getting cursed and all of that," Ranma said, "But the fact remains that Ryoga does blame me for it, so trying to get an unfair advantage over him would be like saying I was guilty. And I'd be admitting I was scared of him before we even got down to fighting."

"Ranma," Akane said, sounding actually quite impressed with the statement.

"Ranma," Kasumi said, "What you say is true. It is dishonorable to seek an unfair advantage over an opponent. But…Nabiki's mental health is at stake here…"

"I know," Ranma said, "And I'll do anything to restore your sister back to normal. Nabiki's a friend, and she's always been nice to me, and it tears me up to think that jerk, Ryoga, could do something like that to a girl…"

"Oh my," Kodachi said, "You are an interesting person. I can certainly respect your reasoning on this, but are you sure that you truly know your enemy? After all, Hibiki Ryoga may not be entirely a human mortal."

"Doesn't matter to me what he is," Ranma said, "I'm facing him as a guy and I won't use no cheap tricks like getting him wet to beat him."

"How interesting," Kodachi said, "So though you practice an art that is said to rely on trickery, stealth and evasion as part of the Anything Goes philosophy…you refrain from using the one thing that would give you an assured victory."

"Ranma-kun believes in behaving honorably in a battle, Kodachi-chan," Kasumi smiled, "Taking advantage of someone else's weakness would compromise that honor."

"Chan?" Akane asked.

"Oh my," Kasumi gasped, "Was I being too familiar?"

"Ah…no, that was…perfection," Kodachi sighed, and Nabiki felt a bit ill to her stomach, "But I meant it as a compliment. Yes indeed…you are a very interesting may, Saotome Ranma. I am even more looking forward to see you in battle with this boy who may well turn out to be your brother."

"Ah…I don't know what to make of that," Ranma said, "I can believe almost anything of the Old Man, but that…definitely would be a low point."

"There is something else that I think you ought to know," Kodachi said, "According to this boy, Hibiki Ryoga, the one who knocked him into a pool of sorrow was a strange girl that he encountered while in China…a redhead chasing a Panda. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"Ah…urk…" Ranma urked, "Ah…well…maybe…"

"I see," Kodachi said, "Well…I have had my say. A very interesting meeting this has been. Now more than ever I lok forward to seeing you in action. Thank you so much for the hospitality, Kasumi-chan."

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "You don't have to be a stranger here, Kodachi. Come by any time you like."

"Thank you, I believe that I will," Kodachi said, but then added in a more dramatic tone, "One more thing. I do not believe the boy is working entirely by himself. Someone else was watching the fight and appears to have taken an interest."

"What?" Ranma said, "You mean…?"

"Doctor Tofu?" Akane asked.

"Tofu…" Nabiki's eyes went round, more pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

"I've said too much," Kodachi replied, "But he was not the one specifically to whom I was referring."

"What?" Kasumi asked, "There is…someone else?"

"While in China," Kodachi said ominously, "Was there, perhaps, a humble rustic village that you happened to visit along the way?"

"Urk!" Ranma said, "You don't mean…?"

"Good day to you, Saotome-san," Kodachi said pleasantly, "I will be eager to see how you fare in your battle two days hence."

There was much mumbled conversation, but Nabiki knew that the conversation had concluded and Kodachi would be taking her exit, having saved her last bit of dramatic news until the end.

But she had revealed something very significant to Nabiki that the others had most probably missed. The only way that Kodachi could known most of what she revealed was if she had that knowledge from an intimate source. Which meant that she was working in league with Doctor Tofu and Ryoga.

And someone else by the sound of things, and by Ranma's reaction that one was by far the most dangerous element, the one to watch out for.

Her memories were still a bit fragmentary, but she recalled Ranma mentioning an event during his trip to china where he earned the wrath of a certain girl. And if that person had followed him all the way from China to Japan, then it might make sense that she was someone to be frightened about.

But the one who worried her the most was Tofu. The man had definitely gotten the better of her in a match of wits, and he possessed skills that made him formidable. Plus he was definitely becoming unhinged and was likely to do something that they all would regret to tip the balance of the next battle in favor of Ryoga.

And the worst part was that Nabiki could not warn Ranma of her suspicions without giving away the fact that she had made a partial recovery of her memory. The clueless dolt would never be able to conceal it from Tofu, who would be alarmed and no doubt take other kinds of action against Nabiki to silence her. Perhaps even the kind that could not be reversed at a later juncture.

She had to lay low and pretend to have lost her memories until the moment came when she could reveal the truth to everyone. Kasumi needed her, and so did Ranma, and if Kodachi were sincere about taking a neutral role in all of this then perhaps she might be the key to tipping the balance of the odds back in their favor.

She knew Kodachi had undertaken special therapy to curb some of her more extreme personality quirks, but by all accounts the effect have been to moderate her craziness and give her more self-control over her demesne. The girl was an unstable basket case, but she was clever and cunning and as dangerous as anyone whom Nabiki had crossed paths with lately, and many times more formidable as an opponent than was her brother.

But she could also be a potential ally since her affections towards Kasumi appeared to be sincere. Kodachi would do nothing that would bring harm to Nabiki's older sister, and while she might be willing to play along with Tofu's schemes in order to mark out what his true intentions were, Nabiki sincerely doubted that they were so sinister that she would allow Ranma to fall victim to his plotting.

But that would wait until later. For now she needed her beauty rest to help bring the last traces of her headache under control. Somehow by allowing her mind to focus upon things other than Ranma she had been able to reconnect pathways in her memory to compensate for the blockage. It was an instinctual thing, and she would be hard pressed to explain it, but somehow she was being guided by this inner feeling that she had that was telling her to trust her own instincts.

And she had to get batter for the sake of Kasumi and Ranma…even if thinking of the two of them together caused a pain to appear within her chest that felt much like a stab wound, yet had a kind of sweetness to it that made her grateful for the feeling. Whatever this thing was that bothered her it was a nice sort of agony and it helped her to build focus and concentration. It was a feeling that made her feel a strange kind of connection to Kodachi as the girl was pining for what she dared not have for fear of rejection by her intended.

But exactly how did Kasumi feel about Kodachi? That was the unknown and disturbing element about it all. She had opened up her heart to Ranma with surprising ease and become truly close to the boy in a remarkably short span of time, but she certainly did not seem to be rejecting the Kuno girl as a possible alliterative suitor, unlikely as it was for Kasumi to think along those channels.

And was Kodachi sizing up Ranma in a similarly predatory manner? She sure was coming on to him in a way that suggested such a thing as possible. But did that mean she was holding out the possibility of not winning over Kasumi? Or…

And this was the truly disturbing thought, what if Kodachi wanted to have them BOTH, much as Kuno went on about having both Akane and Kasumi, and adding the redheaded "Pigtail girl" to his fantasy harem? Kodachi certainly was kinky enough to think along those lines, but how exactly did she plan to win the both of them over?

So many questions to have resolved, and at a time when she was not suffering from a migraine that was making it difficult to think at all. She needed rest and time to recover, and then, maybe, to act in the best manner that she could deduce for this situation. Whatever she decided, though, would have to be completed by the day right after tomorrow, which might well spell Armageddon for more than just Ranma but the whole entire dojo itself and with Kasumi caught in the middle and the honor of their family to be decided, one way or another…

Bright and early the next morning Akane was heading into town, it being a non-school day and her finding an excuse to drop by Tofu's clinic, and without Ranma being present to complicate matters she could get down to the bottom of this business with Kodachi.

She did not trust the self-styled "Black Rose" any more than she could throw her. The memory of their first meeting some months ago was still too fresh in her mind, how seeing Kodachi whip those girls from a rival gym school with her ribbon. It just offended her sensibilities as a martial artist.

Of course Kodachi had humiliated her in the subsequent fight that had ensued, but Akane immediately went to Kasumi and intensified her training so that the next time they met it would be on a more-or-less equal footing.

Well…almost equal. Akane never did quite achieve being as graceful with a ribbon and the other equipment that were required of their duel, but by sheer persistence she had prevailed, even though Kodachi had cheated with just about every dirty trick imaginable.

Kodachi was also a lot more perverted than Akane had remembered, having popped up in Akane's room of all things to attack her in the dead of night with one of her paralytic agents disguised as a single Black Rose that she had attempted to force upon Akane's nostrils.

By sheer luck their fight attracted the attention of Nabiki, who had stormed in demanding to know what was going on in the room next to hers, especially since she was trying to concentrate for a test on the morning. By sheer luck she opened the door and nailed Kodachi when the girl had Akane wrapped up in her ribbon and was about to do something unspeakable to Akane's lips. Kodachi had been knocked cold, and the two Tendo sisters wrapped her up and called the cops to report the intrusion.

Kasumi had been away at the time and knew nothing about it. Three days later a challenge letter appeared demanding satisfaction, and…well…the terms Kodachi used were more implicit than explicit, but it seemed that she had formed the intention of humiliating Akane and forcing her into abject sexual slavery, the idea of which nauseated Akane to no end.

Fortunately this time Kasumi was present when the challenge letter arrived by means of an arrow, and she chose to intervene by presuming her familiarity with Kodachi's older brother, her former Kendo Team Lieutenant. Tatewaki was only too pleased to grant an audience to the Tendo siblings, and there took on the role of a presiding lord while hearing out the complaints lodged against Kodachi.

To their surprise Kuno eagerly took their side over that of his own flesh and blood, but when Kodachi objected Kasumi took the lead in remonstrating her. Speaking gently but authoritatively as the defacto Matriarch of the Tendo household, Kasumi acted every inch the regal lady Clan Lord and intimidated Kodachi into silence. From then on the Black Rose was rapt and attentive as Kasumi's tone went from stern to gentle, insisting that peace should be maintained between their families, and no doubt creating such a huge impression in Kodachi's mind that she all but swooned when the eldest Tendo sister went from scolding to praise for such an obviously well refined young lady.

And then she had extracted from Kodachi a promise to "seek help," which she obviously had taken to heart.

Even if the net result was that she was a much calmer and well-controlled psycho.

Kodachi was certainly a lot calmer than before, but no way did Akane thing that she had changed that completely overnight. She was definitely up to something, and hiding a lot behind that cover story of "Bushido" that Ranma had brought into. And what was the deal with that guy? Was he really so naïve as to believe that people actually behaved in this world through a sense of honor and morality?

And where exactly had he learned about that? Surely not from his father, who seemed the very opposite of a role model, and hardly the guy with the best parental skills that Akane could imagine. Compared with "Uncle Saotome," their own father was a model of emotional stability and respect, which was saying a lot seeing how the man cried over just about everything, often to the embarrassment of his three daughters.

And that was another thing that Akane found herself fuming about. Their fathers. Every time someone mentioned something about "the old days" they got all goofy and evassive, as if genuinely embarrassed about things that had happened in their past, like this mysterious Atsuko woman, who might well be the mother of this Ryoga. And then the mention of another name from their past…a Kuonji-something. When Genma mentioned that name her father immediately clamed up and became unusually thoughtful, as if he had some secrets from his own dark past that he did not feel like sharing with his own daughters.

Akane wished that she could do what she normally did at times like this and consult with Nabiki, but her sister was behaving even more weirdly than before, what with that incident that happened after their morning practice session when she had walked in on Ranma while he was taking a hot bath in the furo.

Akane had been alerted to that by the scream that Ranma uttered and came rushing in immediately to check out what was the cause of it. She found Nabiki standing there with a towel wrapped around her body and Ranma in a stiff pose of near paralysis, one leg in the furo, the other still outside, and his expression as blank as it was that previous time when it had been Kasumi who walked in on him.

Had it been anyone but Nabiki Akane would have slapped the guy and called him a Pervert, but as it was she ordered him to sit down, which he did so fast that he practically fell into the rub face first, and then stayed there, refusing to come up even after Akane assured him that the coast was clear.

She confronted Nabiki in the hallway and saw that the sign had been turned around to "occupied," so that lame excuse would not count for anything, and then she demanded to know what Nabiki thought that she was doing.

"Ranma?" Nabiki asked, "Who is that? Hey, do you know that there's some strange guy taking a bath in our house, Akane?"

Akane might have bought that line if she had not noticed a trail of drool running down her sister's chin. There was something definitely weird going on with her sister, and Akane liked to think that she could usually tell when she was lying because "innocent" did not appear natural on her features.

What was going on? Was Nabiki starting to recover some of her memories? Which brought back to the fore the question of how she had lost them in the first place. As Akane headed into the Furinkan Financial District, intending to seek out the clinic of Doctor Tofu and confront him with his own odd behavior of late, she thought to herself that things had certainly gotten to be a lot more lively in town since Ranma had hit the scene.

Unfortunately for her, it was about to get a whole lot livelier.

Her only warning had come when a wall exploded to one side, and Akane had instinctively jumped back in alarm and fell into a martial crouch as bits of stone and mortar rained against her side. She stared with squinted eyes at the cloud of dust that surrounded an area of the wall that had inexplicably collapsed, forming a gap sizeable enough for a shadowy figure to step forward, about her own general size and dimensions, and sporting a pair of ominous round objects that looked like maces as the mist parted to reveal the shape of her newest opponent.

And then Akane blinked, then stared…gaped more like, for as large as life before her stood a young girl with a flowing mane of bluish-purple hair, wearing a form-fitting pink silk Chinese style Cheosang and looking at Akane with crimson eyes and a smile that was definitely predatory.

"Nihao," she said in a light, high pitched, sing-song tone of voice, "You is Akane Tendo?"

"I'm Tendo Akane," she said, raising her guard, "What about it?"

The girl lunged at her with one of those huge maces. Akane instinctively fell backwards and ducked below as the mace passed right over her, then straightened up and caught the second mace with both hands, stopping it in mid-thrust, though the palms of her hands went numb.

The girl attacking her looked quite surprised, "You block? You have some skills. But Shampoo much-much better than stupid Japanese girl."

"Shampoo?" Akane blinked and backed away, thinking to herself, (is this the girl who terrifies Ranma so much? I can certainly see why…but…)

"Hey, wait a minute!" Akane shook her hands to restore some feeling, "What is this all about?"

"Shampoo hear you give shelter to her enemies," the girl struck a pose, "You tell Shampoo where she find Ranko Saotome!"

"Ranko?" Akane blinked, backing away and looking for a way of avoiding this girl, and hopefully a fight as she clearly was not ready to handle this.

"You no act dumb!" the purple haired girl snarled, "Shampoo hear that Saotome family reside in Tendo House. Is true?"

"Ah…maybe," Akane wanted to stall for time, wondering if she could outrun this crazy girl who seemed intent on smashing her into a bloody pulp with those maces, "What about it?"

"Saotome enemy!" Shampoo struck a pose, "Girl-type-Ranma humiliate in front of whole entire village. Now Shampoo come to avenge honor. Now you tell where to find or…die!"

And against the foreign girl lunged with those maces, only this time Akane could see them coming and moved instinctively to avoid them. The first two strikes went wide of the mark, but they were merely feints and the third was the actual attack that came crashing down at the place where she had been standing an instant earlier. Akane somersaulted backwards, caught her weight on her hands, and righted herself, putting meters of distance between her foes, while managing to actually surprise her opponent.

"Aiyaa…you faster than Shampoo thought you were," the purple haired girl marveled.

"That's right," Akane fell into a ready crouch, "I'm a Martial Artist. I'm Tendo Akane, student of the Tendo Family Anything Goes School of Indiscriminate Grappling."

"Whatever," Shampoo assumed a pose on one leg, her other leg curling elegantly as she held her Bonbori Maces out in a classic pose that Akane would have marveled at had she not been desperately fighting for her life, "Shampoo no speak that good Japanese yet, but know you stalling. You think run away, but Shampoo no let you!"

(She saw right through my defenses) Akane thought to herself in worried, hasty reflection. (I'm all alone out here, and there's no one to defend me, and somehow I get the feeling this girl won't quit until she's clobbered me, and running away from her does not look like a very good option either…)

The attack came, but though she thought herself ready for it she found her opponent moved with a speed that was superhuman. If Akane had not turned her body to the side at the last possible instant and blocked the other girl's wrist with a passing blow she might have been nailed that time, and who knew how far this girl was prepared to go in order to extract the information that she was obviously seeking?

(I'm in serious trouble here!) she thought as she once again stepped away to put distance between herself and the girl coming at her, (She's way too fast and strong! And if she connects with those things then I'm a gonner! Ranma, this is all your fault! Why aren't you here to fight her for me?)

"You thinking of giving up?" Shampoo asked as she tried again to corner Akane with her maces, "Or maybe you coward girl like call for help?"

The arrogance of that taunt angered Akane, and suddenly she snarled, "I don't need somebody to do my fighting for me! I don't need anyone, let alone some stupid boy!"

And this time when Shampoo lunged instead of deflecting the attack she kicked forward with a foot and knocked the mace sailing skyward over both their heads. Shampoo staggered backwards, surprised by the very aggressiveness of that maneuver as Akane lunged in to press her advantage with a spinning round house kick that actually forced the other girl on the defensive.

Her foot missed its target but it caught on one of the buttons of her Cheosang and tore right through the silk. Shampoo paused to stare down, then looked up at Akane as though to accuse her of giving her a deliberate wardrobe malfunction as two substantially large breasts poked out from the sundered material.

"Ah…" Akane stepped backwards, "That was an accident…"

To her surprise the other girl made a calculated leer and said, "You pervert girl, want get good look at Shampoo?"

"No I-awk!" Akane moved instinctively to dodge as something came crashing down at the place where she had been standing, and by the narrowest of margins she avoided being knocked unconscious by the mace that had finally completed its upward and downward trajectory. She stumbled and fell backwards, knowing that a wall was directly behind her.

Shampoo lunged at her, sensing an opening to which she could press her advantage. But this time something was different about her motion…as though time were slowing down to a crawl as Akane saw their movements as though they were in slow motion.

It was as if her mind were suddenly full of images that gave her a perfect three dimensional layout of the battle scene in her head. She saw herself as though from an external view, saw the position of the woman attacking her, and saw the wall with her mind as her head was moving directly for an impact. If allowed to play out as it was she would knock herself cold and be finished off by the single remaining mace in the hand of her attacker. Shampoo had obviously planned her attack with ruthless precision and efficiency and was likely to succeed in her attack unless Akane did something immediately to reverse the entire situation.

She moved to twist her body, reaching out and grabbing the handle of the mace and used it as leverage to pull herself around as she altered her momentum and added to the force of the lunge, so that it was Shampoo who went tumbling directly into the wall with her made, with the subsequent result that another huge explosion rang out, this one with the purple haired girl caught at its very center.

Time was still moving slower than usual as Akane righted herself and saw this blast begin to happen. But she sensed instinctively that this explosion was a less controlled sort than the first one, and the entire wall started to fracture and crumble, going up to the second floor with hundreds of chunks amounting to several tones of stone set to come plummeting down on top of the helpless girl who had fallen squarely into the midst of an impending landslide.

No matter how tough this girl was she was still flesh and blood and there was no way she was going to survive that. She would be killed instantly, crushed under the weight of her own destructive attack, and without even thinking about it Akane realized that this was not something that she wanted to let happen.

So she moved again, grabbing the strange girl by the waist and catching her, then yanking her back as hard as she could, pulling Shampoo to literal safety as the side of a building came crashing down onto the sidewalk.

Akane and Shampoo lay on the sidewalk with matching expressions of blank-faced, wide-eyed dismay. And then very slowly the purple haired girl turned around and looked up at her nominal rescuer.

Who was holding the remains of her shirt in her hands, leaving Shampoo entirely bare-breasted and naked from the waist up.

"Ah…" Akane looked at the thing in her hands and her expression went from terrified to dismayed, "I…ah…"

The girl rolled over. She had lost her other mace in the landslide and so now used both hands as leverage as she got up on all fours and said, "You safe Shampoo life? Why?"

"Ah…because it…felt like the thing to do," Akane said, handing her the ruined outfit with a contrite, "Sorry about this. Don't be mad, I just…did what I had to."

"You strange girl," Shampoo said, "Shampoo attack and you save her. Why?"

"Ah…well…I couldn't let you just die," Akane said, paralyzed as she suddenly found the girl was moving in closer to her, their faces only a foot away…and…and what beautiful eyes she had. The kind above her chin, that is…

"You like Shampoo?" the other girl asked, her voice much softer than before, and much less sing-song.

"Ah…well…I don't…dislike you," Akane stammered, "Even if you did attack me…"

The other girl closed her eyes and sighed, "Is very difficult. Shampoo is Amazon. Follow law of tribe, come to Japan, seek girl-type-Ranma, one called Ranko. Find you instead. Is funny joke, no?"

"Ah, yeah, right, a joke," Akane laughed nervously, wondering why this girl was not trying to cover for her modesty, and did she not mind that people could look at her body like that? Not that there was anything wrong with her body, of course. It was just…

Shampoo glanced away, "Is law of Amazon that outsider girl who defeat Amazon must kill to avenge dishonor."

"What?" Akane blinked, "But I just…"

"You save Shampoo, no defeat her," the girl suddenly looked up into Akane's face from such a close proximity that their noses were almost touching, "But Shampoo think she lose to you anyway. So…one thing only must do to make right this."

Akane was about to ask what that thing was when-all of a sudden-she felt the press of soft lips against her own, and their faces were no longer parted as she also felt the touch of gentle, callused hands caressing her by her shoulders.

The kiss was electric, and it almost blew the fuses in Akane's mind as it was her first kiss ever. Her mind went blank and her body was numb, but somehow through the fog that filled her from ear to ear she heard the words spoken clearly, "Wo ai ni."

"W-W-Whu…?" she asked blankly.

"Wo ai ni," the girl gently replied, "I mean…You I love. Is Amazon vow to girl who save Shampoo life. This moment forward, Tendo Akane…you and Shampoo married."

There was a very long pause this time before Akane replied, "Say what…?"

Continued.

Next time up: "Tender Hooks and Tenderloins," or, "The Marriage Entrapment/" Be there!

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