Permanent 10: A battle of wits.

Ranma snorted as she stood outside the window of
the small shop in the shopping district of Nerima. Akane
stood nearby with her friends and looked at some jewelry in
the window of a nearby store. They talked excitedly and
giggled amongst themselves.

Ranma merely stood in disbelief
and glared at the window of the much smaller and
inconspicuous store. "I don't believe it, the nerve!" she
whispered angrily.

"What is it Ranma?" asked Akane noticing Ranma's
agitated state.

"I'll be right back," muttered the red head as she
stormed into the store.

"Hello miss can I help you?" said the elderly man
inside pleasantly.

"Yeah," said Ranma as she surveyed her surroundings
calmly. "You can tell me what you think your doing selling
that book," she snapped as she indicated the black book
sitting in the window.

"Pardon? This is a magic shop my dear we cater..."
started the man smugly.

"How about if I report this to the counsel?" said
Ranma calmly.

The man became white as a sheet. "You wouldn't," he
said as his voice seemed to give out on him. "You can't."

"I can and I will, that book is one of the most
evil things on this planet and I want to know how you got
it, now," said Ranma as she leaned over the counter and
looked the old man in the eyes.

"Please! A man sold it to me! He didn't want much
for it and I could sell it to some deviant high school
kids for a good price. They wouldn't know how to use it
anyway. So I figured..." stammered the man in hysterics.

"I'm taking it off your hands, I want this store
gone by tomorrow and I never want to see you in business
ever again. If I do I take this straight up to the top,"
sneered Ranma as she walked over to the window and lifted
the book off the shelf.

"Yes Ma'am," said the shopkeeper as he backed away
from her gaze.

+++++++++

A few moments later she walked out into the street
with the book under her arm and sighed. Akane was in a
dress shop across the street and smiled and waved at her as
she noticed her. "Hey Ranma, what do you have there?" asked
Akane cheerfully as she noticed a small bag in Ranma's
hands. The book was held tightly under her arm. She felt
her skin crawl as she held it tightly.

"It's a Phoenix egg, I've always wanted one." said
Ranma as she shook the bag.

"What? That's silly," said Yuka as she placed a
dress back on the rack.

"It a real one," said Ranma calmly as she walked
off.

"What?" said Sayuri dumbly as she turned from her
own shopping. "That's ridiculous."

"If Ranma says its real then it is," said Akane as
she frowned and watched her friend walk off.

"Do you think we should go after her?" asked Yuka.

"Nah, she does this sort of thing all the time."
said Akane as she picked up an outfit that seemed to suit
her.

++++++++++

Ranma entered the Tendo home
and walked up to her room. She threw the book down
violently and fell to the floor clutching herself in
disgust. She crawled over to a large chest she had in the
corner. It had markings she had carefully painted on it
when she had arrived in Japan. It was very special and
important to her. She knelt before it and muttered
something as her hands began to glow. The lock on the box
snapped open and she gasped as the dark power sealed inside
it overwhelmed her, she shielded her face against it and
picked up the book she had 'acquired' throwing it into the
box with the other assorted books before slamming the lid
shut again. The seal returned and the evil energy that had
filled the room was sucked back into the box. She turned
and looked at a small pile of books next to the chest and
frowned. All of them were Necrinomicon Exmortum.

Gosunkugi appeared in the back of her mind. "Worse? Is that
possible?" he said.

"Yes it is," she answered bitterly.

+++++++++++

Cologne stood outside the Dojo with a frown on her
face. "So that is why they sent this to you my dear, You've
been saving them a great deal of trouble. I thought it was
a bit much to give you something like this just for playing
doctor." she turned away and bounded into the night.

++++++++++

Mousse stood and glared into a mirror. He looked at
his hands and frowned as they shook uncontrollably. At his
feet Shampoo purred and rubbed his leg happily. He had just
fed her. "Oh Shampoo, if only you had been so affectionate
with me when you were still human," he whispered. "Still, I
cannot face that monster again yet; I must find a way do
defeat her!" he muttered as he collapsed on the small mat
he had been sleeping in. He held his head in his hands and
just sat. Shampoo worked her way on to his lap and simply
sat with a satisfied purr. "You aren't really Shampoo any
more are you? You're just a cat now. Even if I were to find
a way to bring you back you would never be my beloved
again," he sadly stroked her fur affectionately.

"That is correct, It is best if she remains as she
is," said a voice from behind Mousse. He showed no signs of
being surprised.

"It wouldn't matter, I know even if her mind didn't
leave her she would have to remain as she is to retain her
honor. I am glad she did lose it and could find happiness,"
replied Mousse as he turned to face Cologne.

"Why did you take her?" asked the Amazon elder.

"I didn't want to; She followed me, I don't think
she truly became a cat until we arrived here," said Mousse
sadly.

"I see," said Cologne simply.

"I wanted to have our revenge together and give her
at least that comfort, but now I must have it alone," he
lay down and looked at the sky.

"Let it go Mousse, you know you have no place in
this," sighed Cologne.

"I cannot," Replied the boy simply.

"Then you must be punished," she replied simply.

"There is nothing you can do to me that can be
worse than losing my Shampoo," he said simply.

"I know boy but the punishment is fitting of
someone of your loyalty," she gave a withered and cold
smile. "You will be her guardian forever, you must care for
her always. You may never marry another. Constantly you
will be reminded of her condition, when she dies you will
perish with her, and finally you will never have your
revenge on Ranma Saotome. She is your superior, your
better."

Mousse felt a chill run down his spine as her words
drove a knife into his heart. "You mean?"

"Yes, the others are already preparing their
assault," she said with a smile.

"No you can't deny me this! I won't allow it!"
cried Mousse as he threw a volley of weapons at the old
woman. She dodged easily and poked his neck with her staff.
Mousse felt his body grow cold as he collapsed. He fell
into a puddle that had formed at his feet. "Bah, I am no
longer a man, I could not even control myself. I don't
deserve Shampoo," he thought as he passed out.

++++++++++

Tatewaki Kuno stood at the edge of the bath and
stepped inside. He sighed as he felt the warmth surround
him. His wings ruffled instinctively as he bathed and sent
strange but not uncomfortable sensations down his spine.
His day had not been unpleasant. He had lost his daily duel
with the young Ranma again. It seemed to be getting easier
for her to defeat him and he had to work something out. He
had endured the stares of others on the streets and smiled
at the memory. It seemed that others were afraid of him or
simply in awe. He wore gloves to hide his clawed hand, but
the wings were a different problem. It was the summer and
the heat made it difficult to hide them in public. It was a
problem he would deal with however since the added bonus of
flight made the stares well founded and worthwhile. He felt
liberated when he took the skies, it was amazing and he had
never felt so free.

His sister seemed strangely absent for the past few
days and had commented several times on the foolishness of
wearing such fake looking decoration. He saw no reason to
enlighten her. He stood from the water after a while
wrapped a towel around his waist. His wings ruffled again
and he sat down and preened them carefully. It was another
strange habit he had acquired. "I suppose it is instinct,"
he thought to himself. He finished and walked out into the
hallway and towards his room after half dressing himself in
a pair of loose pants. He glanced in a mirror vainly and
smiled as he noticed his now golden eyes. "I do look
devilishly handsome don't I?" he asked the reflection. With
that he simply walked into his room.

Kodachi Kuno stared from her doorway in disbelief
as her brother walked by without his shirt on. She gasped
as he passed her in the hallway. "Those foolish wings my
brother has been wearing...are real?" she thought. "This
cannot be left unattended."

++++++++++

Ranma Saotome sat up in her bed. She stood and
glared out the open window in her room. "I didn't open
that," she muttered as she turned and looked at her father
who was snoring loudly on the ground beside her. "Who ever
you are come out!" she called quietly. Two figures seemed
to melt out of the shadows, both held spears at their sides
and one of them obviously did not know how to use it
properly. Ranma recognized their dress
immediately. "Amazons," she whispered in silent horror.

"We greet you Ranma," said the one on her left. "I
am Ko li and this is Talcum." The other girl smiled darkly;
Ranma only frowned.

"We'll go out to the dojo and settle this, this is
not my home and I don't wish to disturb them," said Ranma
as she leapt out the window. The two girls followed.

TbC...