Duck Lake
For the memory of humanity, the story of the Yaazu-niichuuan is a simple one. A duck drowned there 1300 years ago. Drowning tragically and ironically, in a pond no less. A duck; a creature of water, born swimming in the watery embrace of the pond and stream. The Yazhu-chuan is indeed a beautiful place. It is a still and beautiful pond, the edges of it slippery with brilliant moss and it has some of the freshest water of the springs. This is the story of the Yazhu-chaun.

Once upon a time there was a king with two children: a son and a daughter. When they were of a decent age, four, he set off to the foreign kingdom of Hawaii. He never returned to the realm, leaving the kingdom in chaos, till the young prince, Kuno, became a man and king of the realm.

In his stead the Lord Tendo rose to power and ultimately he and his entire family were advisors to the young crown prince. Even the King's grand vizier, Nabiki, was one of his daughters.

The Prince was a handsome if talkative young man, who excelled above all in the art of sword craft. He also had a predilection for fine poetry. He had many admirers (though much less than the proud young prince imagined, and less of them being female than he imagined as well.) It was approaching the eve of his 17th birthday*1. The prince had the desire to go hunting. (Of course hunting was usually a double entendre for getting nekkid in the woods with a bunch of girls and having a good excuse to sneak off, but Kuno was a bit oblivious.)

So his minions, Ryouga the Houndsmaster, and Tsubasa the Falconer and Gosunkugi the creepy guy, were quite bored as their prince looked for something worthy of his interest.

"What about a stag with a black hide, my lord? Truly that is noble for thee." Ryouga, Master of the Hounds, said. "You could mount it as a trophy."

"Indeed, but black is a cursed color. I will not hunt anything unlucky."

"Perhaps a fox with fur as red as blood." Tsubasa, Keeper of the Falcons, said, straightening his beautiful dress. "You could make it into a coat for Princess Kodachi? Or for your Fair Advisor, Nabiki."

"A fox is a predator. We will not hunt the hunter."

Gosunkugi smiled. "I have it, let's kill a bunny." The huntsmen looked at him. Gosunkugi had never been right in the head. "We'll smash it with a rock."

Every animal in the woods, from stoat to hummingbird, was not worthy of his majesty's interest. And his minions were getting tired of hearing that. In fact they were getting tired of the prince in general.

It was not long before they had found a cabin in the woods. Since the woods were so deep they decided to stop, for they would have to camp out for a long time until the Prince found his prey.

The door was answered by a beautiful woman. She had long dark hair and wasn't entirely feminine but still striking. She was in the middle of cooking Okonomiyaki for her grandmother. Tsubasa fell over when she answered the door. The beautiful girl welcomed them eagerly into her home, making Okonomiyaki with such flare, even the prince had to admit he enjoyed the simple fare. But Tsubasa was nearly speechless staring at the Okonomiyaki maiden.

Ukyo, the maid's name, then made a final Okonomiyaki, with the leftover batter. Ryouga was about to grab it when she threw a razor sharp spatula at his hand.

"That is for Shampoo, guardian spirit of the forest. She does love when we leave her food."

"What an amusing superstition! To think these folk believe in faeries," Kuno thought to himself. Unfortunately Kuno didn't really have a good sense of what he said and what he thought. In fact he said everything he thought.

"You are a fool if you do not believe in her power. She watches us now. Be careful what you hunt in the woods, Prince Kuno. For this is a cursed land."

Ukyo made the prince and his minions wash all the dishes by threat of her spatulas. Of course the prince complained at his being forced to manual labour. The minions and their prince soon fell asleep. Well, the prince did...

"This is just fabulous. We are stuck here with that loudmouth. I really can't stand this," said the Keeper of the Hounds.

"Cheer up, maybe tomorrow we'll find something he'll shoot, then we can go back home," Tsubasa said comfortingly.

"Or we could leave him here at Ucchan's and go back anyway."

"Yeah. He'd probably get lost…"

"But leave the Prince with Ukyo. Oh that is horrible. Ukyo is so sweet." Tsubasa got little hearts in his eyes.

Ukyo scratched her chin. "Unless I came with you."

Tsubasa said, "That's a good idea."

The next morning Kuno woke up to find his minions had long since gone ahead. Even the maiden in the cottage had packed up all her possessions and put out the fire.

"How nice! My minion's have decided to go ahead to flush out the prey. I shall catch up to them on my brave stallion."

Of course he didn't realize that Tsubasa had borrowed his brave stallion out for a joyride, trying to impress the maid Ukyo.

Kuno wandered around the woods with his pack on his back, enjoying his time alone in the woods. Finally he heard his horse. He followed the sound. His horse was next to tree, grazing.

"Noble stallion. Did you run away? Oh well, I have found you. Now we can find something to hunt."

In the clearing he saw his Falconer Tsubasa and the Maiden Ukyo, but Tsubasa was chasing her. "My dear Ukyo, I would give my entire life of falconry, my position in the Prince's court, my frilly pink dress with the blue bows!"

"Go away."

"I would do anything for you, Ukyo!"

"Good, then you can go away," Ukyo said.

"Oh Ukyo! I love you. I know I love you…"

Kuno watched the hapless minion from behind the tree, silently. He was envious of Tsubasa's torment. He had been smitten by the beautiful maiden, so utterly, so quickly. It must be wonderful.

"That I would be filled with such ardor and passion. Oh, that I could find some fire within myself, not cold dread for my nascent manhood-"

"Damn, he caught up to us," Ukyo swore. "Stupid prince. Does he have to say everything he thinks?"

"I hope he isn't mad we tried to ditch him," Ryouga whispered. "Hey, at least you aren't going to be charged with Grand Theft Equine," Tsubasa said.

Their prince was still reflecting on the emptiness in his life. He plunked down desperately in a patch of grass. "And yet love, most treasured prey of all, is not something to be hunted. That I could find love!"

Then it happened. He heard the quack of a herd of ducks. They were arriving at these northern climes after months afar, though the snow still lay wet and silver on the March ground over black trees and shoots of green grass.

He had always seen wood ducks before, in his koi pond at the palace, but these were different. Among the brown and graceful wings splashing upon the pond, another slowly descended without a ripple on the water: a graceful and perfect landing among the clumsy and awkward ducks.

Kuno stared in awe. This duck was white. Whiter than the silvery snow melting under the trees. Yet his eyes were as luminous as the mud draining into the river to clean springtime water. Eyes that caught silvery beams of beautiful light and devoured them with intelligent comprehension. Kuno almost swore he saw the duck looking back.

"Look, my Huntsmen, Ryouga, Tsubasa, Gosunkugi!" The three minions looked at the flock.

"Wow. Is that duck wearing glasses?" Ryouga asked.

"Hmm." Kuno hummed. At once the strains of a hidden melancholy tune droned through his head. The song of night was in the duck's eyes, he could hear it coursing through him. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

"Prince Kuno?" Ukyo poked him

"What?" The melancholy prince sprung to life.

"Where do you think he got them?" she asked. "I don't know."

"Maybe he stole them from a beautiful princess. Hmm. I'll bet she'll be grateful to get them back." Ryouga needled him.

"Aye, mayhap..." Kuno said, shaken by the sight. Ryouga took out his bow.

"Well, let's go shoot it down."

"I beg your pardon?" Kuno demanded.

"Well, you must admit, my prince, it is an interesting target, even for you. A duck with glasses."

"But…"

"It's not like it's a swan or anything important. It just looks like some stray duck, probably just escaped from a farm."

Kuno did not want to appear foolish among commoners. He lifted his crossbow. He took aim at the white duck. His finger itched along the trigger. He closed his eyes. The arrow flew with perfect accuracy towards its target. Kuno winced at the thought of killing something so perfect out of spite.

The duck leapt into the air and caught the arrow in his bill. The prince stared. Kuno watched the duck break the arrow in half. Its virgin white wings flapped beautifully in the air. Kuno was transfixed.

"You missed." Tsubasa bowed. "Should I send the falcons after it, my lord?"

"Yes, I suppose."

Tsubasa unhooded the violent razor-clawed birds. "Go get the ducks."

The falcons took flight.

Their grey wings cutting like knives through the air. The ducks broke out of their proud V to flee the oncoming terror. But the white duck stood his ground, or air, as it was The falcons made it their business to attack the stragglers in the flock. The falcons screeched triumphantly.

Then the white duck broke out of formation and threw himself upon the falcons. Tsubasa stared as the duck tossed the falcons in the air, kicking them like a martial artist, accept all in the air. The falcons desperately slashed their claws against him, but the duck's speed and skill was too much for them to handle. The falcons screed helplessly, flying back to Tsubasa bruised and defeated.

"Did you see that? The duck beat up my falcons." Tsubasa petted his bruised birds. The duck quacked defiantly and helped herd his fellows back into a "V".

"Nonsense. They just didn't find him. A duck wouldn't scare off a falcon," Ryouga said.

"Well, we will just have to do this the simple way." Gosunkugi took out a rifle, lining the duck in his cross hatch.

"Hey, wait a second, that's an anachronism," Ukyo bellowed. Gosunkugi was thrown back by the kick of the shotgun and sprawled on the ground. The duck dodged, flying in fast tight patterns. How could the prince's doltish minion dare to scare such a bird away? For there was no doubt in his mind that this was an enchanted bird, this glorious duck.

"You scared it away with that… fire stick."

The duck flew in an arc.

"No I didn't. See, it's coming back. What a stupid bird. Doesn't it realize we are going to kill it?" The duck made his wide circle in the air. Kuno looked up at it. He stared deeper. If he didn't know better, the duck seemed to have eyebrows. And those eyebrows were furrowed in rage.

He was startled. "My word. I do believe we didst vex this fowl."

"It's only a duck."

"His eyebrows are furrowed in rage."

"Ducks don't have eyebrows," Tsubasa said. "Most animals don't."

"It's only a duck. I mean, what could it…"

The duck descended from the sky, somehow dropping a smoke bomb. Prince Kuno coughed and his eyes teared up. He looked through the mist but saw nothing.

"Ryouga? Tsubasa? Gosunkugi? Miss Ukyo?"

"Ow. How dare he? TSUBASA! Let go of me." Ryouga snarled. "The duck bit me. When I get my hands on you… Ow…"

Somehow the white duck was attacking Ryouga. "This duck is a warrior," Kuno said.

"No duck is gonna embarrass me."

"Ouch. Tsubasa, you hentai, the duck pinched my butt."

"Yes rigth the duck."

"Ouch! Stupid duck!" Ukyo said.

"But that was," Tsubasa whispered. "What did you say?"

"I-"

"You cross-dressing freak!" The smoke cleared.

Ryouga was lying on the ground and had a black eye, or at least an ink ring around his eye. Ukyo had a thousand purple ribbons tied in her hair and Tsubasa had the first five letters of the English alphabet on his face. Ukyo was strangling Tsubasa.

"That duck may be our rival. Now we must fight it. We will defeat it. I must capture this wonderful animal."

The duck quacked in a loud mocking tone.

"Stupid DUCK!" Ryouga howled. The Lost Boy growled and ran after it. All of a sudden a huge net swept Ryouga up. He screamed.

"How did he get a net?" The duck quacked and chuckled and flew away.

The other huntsmen began to help Ryouga get out of the net. Ukyo grabbed a spatula.

"You guys are the royal hunstmen? It's only one duck." Ukyo looked at the enraged and frustrated boys trying to get Ryouga out of the duck's net. She curtseyed. "Your majesty, may I try getting the duck?"

"Well I…yes go ahead." Ukyo flung her spatula in the air. The duck wasn't looking. The metal cut into his leg and bruised his wing. His glasses fell off.

"Ooh, lucky shot," Ukyo said. "The *evil* duck wasn't looking."

Kuno smiled. "Well done, my fair young maiden. I shall award thee in gold. Ryouga, send forth the hounds to retrieve our canny prey."

"Oh yeah. Checkers, Backgamon, Parchesi, Shogi, Chess, Monopoly, Fred!" A herd of black and white dogs appeared. "Get the duck, girls."

Kuno sighed, regretful that the duck was dead. "Never have I seen such canny and indomitable prey. Such a hunt I will never forget."

***

The duck managed not to crash into the earth. He knew he shouldn't have been so cocky. He was out of bombs for sure. And if these men had dogs, they would find him soon. Would have thought a spatula-wielding maiden would be his death? He tried to find his glasses as quickly as possible. All at once the duck couldn't see. He tumbled into a hole. The dogs swarmed around it.

In the tree appeared a strange cat. It moved so silently yet the dogs looked up to it. The cat sat meowing strangely

"Mow ssss. Mreuiw sss."

The dogs looked up at the cat fearfully. Their attention was split between their injured prey and the cat in the tree. The dogs ran fearfully back to their master. The purple cat smiled.

***

Tsubasa laughed as the dog returned with their tails between their legs. "The duck beat up your dogs?" Tsubasa said in a sing song mocking tone.

"No. They are. What's wrong girls?" The dogs whimpered and cuddled.

Gosunkugi shook his head "This duck is cursed."

"I can't believe this. We are the greatest huntsmen in the kingdom and we can't stop one duck?" Ryouga said.

"Look boys. I don't know how to break this to, but you lost. The duck defeated the falcons, the bows, the guns, which was an anachronism by the way. Go-chan and it frightened the dogs. Don't tempt this creature anymore."

"I will not be beaten by a duck." Ryouga said, throwing his pack down onto the ground.

"Mayhaps Ryouga thou art taking this a bit too seriously?" Kuno said shyly. "My Prince I must get my honor back."The young hound master stood in the center of the woods "SHI SHI HODOKAN."

Kuno jumped onto the ground tackling Ukyo just in time. The huge blazing fireball evaporated the trees sending smoke and fire everywhere. Kuno brushed the layer of dust and debris off his robes. Ryouga stood there blackened and panting."

The duck moved. Trying to pull it self up and waddle away. Ryouga chased after it.

Then all of a sudden the cat returned into the woods. "Hey moron. Do I go blow up you home Lost boy? Maybe I should." Kuno swore the cat said that.

"Bad hunter go away! No hunt in her woods." In the tree the cat jumped down. Ryouga gasped, for from such a height the tiny thing would break her neck. A gorgeous slim faery creature landed on both feet. Her hair was violet in two long odenki pig tails. She was clad in an impenetrable morning fog which soon changed to blue and green silk.

"That looks like Shampoo the spirit of The forest." Ukyo said "I Shampoo. Bad hunters no blow up Shampoo forest."

The huntsmen fell to their faces at the creature. Even the prince kneeled. "Stupid Mans prince. Think I no real."

She looked at Ukyo. "Hey Spatula girl. You make Shampoo food. You can stay."

"I swear I will never harm another animal or chop down another tree Shampoo."

Shampoo pet her "Good womans. Shampoo so happy." The faery turned to the others. Lightning struck behind her.

"Baka. No hurt Mumu-chan or I no help you anymore. Get lost before too late and he…"

All of a sudden the woods quaked.

"Oh no too late." Shampoo shrugged.

"It is only two o'clock in the afternoon." Ryouga said.

"Who disturbs my woods?" A black owl on cloud like wings of quiet darkness. If the duck's flight was beautiful and uplifting, then this owl's flight was indeed terrible.

"Too late. Stupid Mans."

"Shampoo. I hear some mortal is making a disturbance in our forest."

"My forest." Shampoo said strongly, "You just old mans. Not live forever.

The owl chuckled he flapped his wings. He opened his wings and his bird form vanished. In its place was a figure clad in a night blue cape and a turban with antennae. He was a young man, with a one long pigtail. He chuckled.

"He no bother your side of lake. I punish." She was as dangerously beautiful as the owl-boy. But she seemed genuinely unnatural. Unlike the black haired boy, he possessed a beauty that was all to believable and attainable. Blue sapphire eyes and a wicked smirk.

"But you have no say. These people attacked what was mine. Mousse is mine." "I punish Hunstmans, Baka. This wood is Shampoo" The wizard looked at the huntsman.

"Well I won't have you hunting what is mine." The wizard turned his head. "All are punished."

"Listen Buddy these woods are…" Tsubasa said The wizard touched him.The huntsman began to quiver.

"No fair-" His feet had turned to stone.

Gosunkugi tried to run, but the wizard grabbed him and he turned into stone. The Two huntsman frozen for eternity in fear.

"And as for you." Kuno drew his blade, but the wizard walked past him and addressed the dogs

"I think I have it." The Wizard smiled unwholesomely. The dogs whimpered in fear. They started scratching. They started twitching. There cries became more human. Soon their fur was gone. Soon their beautiful muzzles began to shrink. They became humans.

The dogs or humans wailed. "We're cursed cursed. We have to be human." The fearful cursed dogs ran naked to the local witch to remove this most vile of all curses.

"My poor dogs. You sick fiend! It was all my fault I-"

"Silence!" the wizard pointed at him and he froze into stone "Darn I wanted that to last longer."

Kuno and and the brave Ukyo stood their ground, waiting for the wizard to attack

"And as for you."

"I will-" Kuno said trying to draw on the wizard. The wizard shoved him aside. "You are one hot babe. What say you and me go out on a date?"

Ukyo glowered "You changed my friends into stone and then ask me to go out on a date with you. Who do you think you are?"

The wizard stood up and laughed. "I know who I am, cutie." He chucked her chin. He pointed and the sound of lightning filled the air "I am Ranma-bart Saotome the Great. The greatest sorceror in the World."

He glomped Ukyo. "So where would you like to go on our date."

"EEK!" she ran off Kuno stood in front of her, protecting her feminine weakness.

"Ranma-bart. My friends will not go unavenged." He drew his sword. "Stay behind me Ukyo so I might…"

Ranma-bart glared at him and sent him flying into the lower stratosphere. He landed so hard his head smashed through a log.

"What? So you can get smacked first?" Ukyo said.

Ranma-bart pointed his finger at Ukyo. She changed into a beautiful white mouse.

"Oh well we can talk when you aren't PMSing." He grabbed her and put her in a pouch. Ranma-bart tied the pouch shut and looked at his handywork.

Without a doubt Ranma was the most powerful warrior or mage in the land. He was nearly undefeatable. Kuno cringed as the wizard approached him smelling his evil. But the young prince's gaze was cold and haughty, and still pretty kawaii.

"You are a brave and foolish. What is your name?"

"I am Prince Tatewaki Kuno."

"The Blue Thunder of Furinken?" Ranma-bart gasped. For even a wizard as vile and powerful as him had heard that name. "Human prince. Go to your people, say as long as they are here they are mine. They belong to Ranma-bart the Wizard."

"Foul Sorceror. Return so I may-" But Kuno was trapped. The wizard resumed his owl form and flew away.

A thin stream of light fell on the statue of Ryouga. "I shall avenge the Directionally misguided hound master… my Crossdressing Falconer… my psychotic voodoo practicing Peter Lorre type friend. I shall not rest until this sorceror is dead and I have rescued the maiden Ukyo."

***

In the woods Kuno came to a clearing. He was hopelessly loss and already the woods was nothing but moonlight and darkness. He tried to follow the patches of moonlight. But there was no path.

"My word." The Prince swore, hacking away at the branches of trees. When he heard a scuffling noise. He paused. Could it be a bear? Or a wolf? Or maybe a chipmunk? He cringed at that thought.

He stood in a beam of moonlight. It was a boy. His dark hair fell past his shoulders. He was crawling around on the ground.

"Are you all right?" The boy had an unearthly quality and looked up at the Prince completely shocked.

"I know you…" he muttered as if to himself. The boy's expression changed from pain to dread. When Kuno made even one step towards him he jumped back.

"Can you speak?" Kuno asked him. Perhaps they boy had hit his head and his wits were addled.

"Get away. I won't let you get me."

"Why wouldst I want to capture you. I mean thee no harm as my honor as a prince." The boy turned his dark eyes away

"He doesn't know me…"The boy looked at him. "Yes. I just don't normally talk to people."

"You're hurt?"

"It's just a cut. I was fighting of a group of invaders. Someone threw a fireball at me. It's lucky it didn't burn my tail feathers off." The boy said. "Right now I'm resting and looking for my glasses. I can't see very well other wise and I might as well just stay here."

"My hounds master could probably take lessons from you in getting lost. How are you so far away from home in these woods?" Kuno laughed.

"I am home. I live in the fortress across the lake."

"Well I'll help you home."

"No." The boy said fearfully. His head shook as if it was full of broken seeds.

"Why? I would not harm you. I swore by the crown." Kuno said.

"You can't come to my home. You should leave now before he… She can only protect me. She doesn't care about humans like- just leave before he catches you." The boy shook his head frantically

"Let me tend to your wounds then. I would not have you go to your home in such a state." The boy found his glasses under the leaves. He looked into Kuno's face.

"You have honest eyes. Strong eyes."

"But they are not beautiful like yours." They sat trapped in each others gaze, seeing each other for the first time.

"I am Mousse."

"I am Kuno."

Mousse's gaze softened to curiousity. He held out his hand. Mousse's hands were feathery soft, not like a warrior's hands. But that's what he was. He had strength in that young body. Kuno could feel it, perhaps even more skill than his own. He was clad in white robes. Like a groom. He was very handsome as if he were at the cusp of his life, when something truly beautiful could happen. Like falling in love.

"My master is cruel. He won't like you helping me. He'll take it out on you."

"You have a master?" Kuno asked. He had not imagine this beautiful boy the slave to someone else's whim. "Yes. I am his as long as I live." Kuno was sobered.

He knew what it was to be enslaved into a fate for one's life. But he was a prince. This boy was slave. This beautiful creature too afraid to reach out his hand and touch him, now holding his hand like a friend.

"I am a Prince. I can free you. You would not need to return to your master. I would protect you. And if he defied me I would send the law against him."

"It wouldn't matter. I'm a Prince too."

"You are a prince?"

"Yes. I am a Prince of an old kingdom, maybe older than mankind itself. But I am still a prince."

"Where are your wounds?"

"It's just a silly cut. A girl threw a blade at my leg when I wasn't looking. It looked like a kind of kitchen tool."

"That sounds like some battle."

"Most hunters give up so easily. They fire a few arrows. But these hunters must have been insane." Mousse looked at the bandage and poked it, as if he had never seen a bandage besides it.

"Maybe it is better for you that you do not follow me, my bespectacled bishounen. For I am lost here too."

"Lost. What is lost?" the boy asked him.

"We don't know where we are, and we can't leave."

"Lost. That is a strange thing. We are always here."

"Yes but. I need to get back to my home. To tell everyone what happened to the others."

"You want to leave the forest now. Well the humans leave on the road. That is why Shampoo likes it. It makes the humans go away." Kuno wasn't listening. "I know every tree in the woods, every leaf. I can find you the road."

Kuno looked at him. He tested his leg. "Careful you won't hurt…"

Mousse smiled and sprung up. "That feels much better. Thank you Prince Kuno."

Kuno smiled "You're welcome."

"Well just to show you my thanks I can lead you to the road, and you can go where you want to go."

Kuno stood up "Thank You Mousse." Mousse smiled and began walking.

It was a good thing that he was wearing white. The boy moved quickly through the woods, thriving in his natural environment, whipping through the trees graceful and soft as mist. He didn't even bend the branches of the trees as he moved through them. Kuno trudged ahead. He followed behind as well as he could. Watching the white form in stripes of darkness and moonlight. And then nothing.

"Mousse. Where are you?" Kuno tripped over himself. "Kuno. Are you hurt?" "No, friend, just tired. Mayhaps we should stay here until the dawn."

Mousse's eyes grew, once again that look of dread came over his face. "Oh no. I forgot. How could I- Get up. GET UP! …"

Mousse grabbed him around his waist.

Kuno cringed. "How dare you grab me? I am the prince."

Mousse flared with anger in him for a second. But then they began to warm against each other. The chill of the night that had been in their bones warmed them both. Kuno settled in his arms. Mousse was completely powerless. His hair swept by the breeze coming from the clearing. Then it came like an arrow piercing the moment.

"We must get you to the road before dawn."

"Why? It is pointless without any light. I'll never find it."

"Please Kuno, get up. I can't help you after dawn." Mousse said fearfully. "But…" "Kuno, it will come and…"

"It's coming any moment. Now I can finally see you in the daylight." Kuno smiled. Mousse looked at him once, touching his face.

"Goodbye Kuno. Be happy." "Mousse." He turned around to the road

"Fare well Mousse."

And no one was behind him." **

Kuno returned to the palace, to impart the horrid news to his chancellors.

Vizier Nabiki scratched her chin. "Maybe it's not as bad as we think?" "Not as bad as we think?"

The poor statue stood as the birds perched on it.

"The sorceror turned our bravest huntsmen into stone, without even breaking a sweat. And he dispatched our prince without..."

Kuno coughed "Yes well. He used base trickery to-"

"He threw you into a tree." Nabiki held her pointy pillbox hat. "Your majesty, I fear we cannot defeat this sorceror alone. We must find a champion to fight the force of Ranma-bart. A man who is a warrior and has magic."

Kuno looked listfully out the window. The strains of the melody haunting his head. "We must appease the wizard so he will not destroy us…" Kuno thought of feathers in the moonlight.

The sounds of the council drowned away, all for the two images that occupied his mind. The duck that got away, and the boy in the woods. Even vengeance didn't need as much. Nabiki was a fine grand vizier and would figure it all out. He sighed.

"So it's all settled. We shall find the greatest champion in the land and marry his sister then make him a duke in your court. I got the digits of some really great candidates. Dilandau of Gaea, Duke Trowa, Oooh maybe I can call Sheik Rabera. He has lots of sisters." Kuno was brought crashing to reality

"Marriage?"

"Come on. Who wouldn't kill to have their sister married to you? You are the Prince. Besides you aren't sore on the eyes either. "

"But marriage? I'm too young. I'm not ready. There is no woman I love"

"Well then get ready. We need allies to get sorceror boy." "But." "Look let me handle the marriage thing. Don't worry your pretty little head. I'll make sure they only bring their hot sisters."

"But Nabiki."

"Look unless you know someone who can fight Ranma-bart, you have to get married at the Coronation ball," Nabiki shrugged "It's the only way we're gonna survive. We can issue the invitations and have warriors from everywhere in a few weeks?"

"Weeks?"

"Then you will be king, and have your bride."

"Kuno baby. Look I'd like to see you fall head over heels. Some people get off on that. But you are the prince. This is the only way I can think of to stop this. If I could think of anything else."

"Nabiki, How can I get married?"

Nabiki shook her head and turned away. "My father was your father's advisor. It is my obligation to the throne to make sure our king is happy and safe."

"It's all so much. Perchance I need to take in the night air." Kuno said.

"Don't get yourself killed. You are a prime piece of matchmaking real estate. N'est pas? It's too bad I couldn't find you the right one, or you couldn't. But remember this is for the good of the peeps, you know."

"Yes Nabiki."

%%%%%%%%%%%

TBC

Post script Princess Kodachi comes into the room. "There is only one solution" Princess Kodachi stands up "I must sacrifice myself to the Fowl Sorceror. That way my brother will"

"That never happens in this story." "I will give myself to the cruel fiend. And maybe change his heart.

"But Kodachi."

"Come on this is a faery tale." Kodachi whined "Shouldn't I have to-"

"Look Kodachi try to keep in the storyline of the ballet."

"Maybe I'll turn him to an honest and beautiful-"

Draq-sama comes into the room "This is not Beauty and the beast. Ranma has to be evil it's Kuno's perspective."

Kodachi whistles "Sasuke. Get me my kidnapped and ravaged by Ranma outfit."

"Yes Madam. The one with leather of the one made out of sackcloth." "Leather"

"Listen to me Kodachi…" Draq grabs a magic microphone ala Rumiko Takakashi. Nabiki pats Draq-sama. "Okay but poor Gosunkugi."

"Poor Gosunkugi?"

"The poor boy has the hots for you. Just yesterday you should have heard him…"

"Gosunkugi loves me?"

"Yeah he's always taking pictures of you." "He takes pictures of everything."

"Gosunkugi. Why I… I… I shall ask him myself?" Kodachi runs down the hall.

"That was mean Nabiki." "Hey it's not like he can do anything about it. He's a statue. Besides Ranma has to remain evil."

"Oh… but it's still mean. Can you imagine what their children would be like."

"Sometimes I scare myself." Nabiki shrugs, "But then I remember I don't feel emotions like you or Akane."