Inner Child
by Darth Wraith

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and KOF is not mine.

' ' - thoughts | " " - speaking
[ ] -Ranma's thoughts, heard by Akane

"Onee-chan! Come and look!" Akane excitedly waved at Kasumi, motioning for her to take a look at the koi bowls. A bunch of kids were busily trying to catch a few home. Some kids walked out happy, others either pouting or just plain sad.

Kasumi walked over to Akane. "What is it?" she asked.

Akane's eyes fluttered, reflecting the shining stars above, giving them a glazed look. "Do you have 100 yen? I want to take a stab at catching those fishes. Don't you think they'll make a nice addition to our koi pond?"

"Sorry Akane. But you know I wasn't really planning to do anything. Just to enjoy the spectacle, that's all. Besides, wouldn't Nabiki-chan have the money? I mean, wherever she goes, money follows." Akane and Kasumi giggled slightly. Meanwhile Nabiki came back, holding a large stuffed bear.

Akane grinned. "Onee-chan, can I borrow 100 yen? I want to catch some koi," pointing to the bunch of cute koi, inwardly jumping in excitement. Nabiki raised an eyebrow, but seeing that she was after all her sister, she smiled and complied. Taking the 100 yen, Akane proceded to pay the fisherman guy when a hand grabbed her shoulder. If she was some regular person she probably would have screamed in shock and jumped about like a...typical girl. But this was Akane Tendo. Practitioner of Anything Goes. Such situations were babyish compared to what she's experienced; especially her near death experience in Jusenkyo. Akane turned swiftly around, caught the meddling arm, and twisted it to a highly uncomfortable situation.

The owner of the arm yelped in surprise. "Ah! Stop! I not here to hurt you, honored lady!" Akane instantly let go and looked at the person's face. He seemed oddly familiar, she wondered, but nevertheless her suspicion was still apparent in her face, and it never relented. Finally she demanded, "Who are you?"

"I be Eggplant, honored guest. Mastermind, people call me, yadda yadda..." Eggplant yawned after making his introduction.

Akane's curiousity finally won over hostility. "You wouldn't happen to be related to the Jusenkyo guide or something?"

Eggplant's eyes widened when he heard 'Jusenkyo'. "Why yes, honored guest-"

"Please, just call me Akane."

"...honored Akane," Akane rolled her eyes, silently admiring and laughing at Eggplant's formality, but Eggplant took no notice and continued, "I be the brother of the guide. He comical fellow." Eggplant laughed, seemingly recollecting memories of him and the Jusenkyo guide.

"So Eggplant-san, why do people call you Mastermind?"

"Ah, I be the one who knows everything about the mind. Is very unique, you know, and always truthful. Example, if you be a teacher, and your student did not come with homework. When teacher ask why you forget, and student give excuse, the mind always be thinking about what really happen. If truth, body and mind are at ease, otherwise they be at conflict. Got it?"

"What do you mean by body and mind at ease?"

Eggplant thought for a while, and gave a simple question, "When you lie, you don't feel...right, right?"

Akane nodded, "Most of the time. Actually, all the time."

Eggplant smiled. "So I have power to give mind reading abilities. Very benefical to see through lies, literally. Another good example be if husband cheats on you....well you know what I be meaning."

Akane shook her head. "No thanks, Eggplant, but that explanation was quite interesting." She was about to leave when suddenly an idea flashed across her mind. 'Hrm,' she thought, 'maybe this *is* a good way to figure out what the heck Ranma's up to whenever he's not home. This time the baka cannot lie to me. And...' she sighed, '...maybe I might know how exactly he feels about his fiancées, including me.' A part of her desparately wanted to know the truth, and another part told her that she may regret it for the rest of her life. Being the martial artist she was, never backing away from an obstacle, she chose the former. "On second thought, gimme the ability."

Eggplant grinned. "That be 500 yen, but since you know my brother, I discount you to 100 yen. Indeed it be good for knowing Ranma's true self" Akane gasped, but wasn't heavily surprised since Eggplant already said that he could read minds. She gave him the money. "Now close your eyes," he instructed, "and relax." Akane listened, closing her eyes and relaxing.

"blahdiblahdiblahdiblah," Eggplant muttered incoherently. A bright yellow glowed on his palm. Kasumi and Nabiki watched in silent amazement as he placed his hands on Akane's head. Akane suddenly felt herself lighten up, and after a while the feeling subsided. She sighed, enjoying the lightness, silently pouting that it ended so quickly. Eggplant smiled, and gave Akane her instructions. "Now, all you do is look at the person and say this, 'cha ching!' and you are now mind reading! But this last only 3 day, so make good use! Only works within 1 mile radius."

Akane digested the information. But Eggplant was still not finished. "Also, you will be dreaming Ranma's dreams. And you will basically feel what he feels when dreaming. It may not be pleasant, but nothing I can do about that." Akane didn't care; such a small side effect was nothing compared to the benifits.

Eggplant turned to Akane's sisters, "What about you two?" Both shook their heads.

"We don't need it," Kasumi smiled. Nabiki said the same thing. Eggplant then waved and walked away from the three girls, going in some weird tent-looking thingy.

Nabiki looked at the two sisters. "Well, wanna go home?" Kasumi and Akane nodded.

"Nabiki, Kasumi," Akane suddenly said. "Don't tell ANYONE about this, please?" Actually Akane knew that Kasumi wouldn't tell, but just in case. Nabiki was a different matter. If a person must go stark naked in a public place so she can make money, she would do anything in her power to have that happen.

Thankfully, Nabiki thought that this idea was nothing more than a fraud. "Sure whatever. I think that the glowing hands were some light show or something. Bleh! A waste of 100 yen! But then, this is Nerima, but this is just too stupid to believe. I won't tell, but that's because it's not worth telling."

Akane sighed in relief. They headed back home.

"Oyaji! Get back here and fight me like a man! Or panda!" Ranma, seething, was chasing an irritable looking panda, fists clenched ready to flatten the panda out for rugmaking.

Genma Saotome, currently a panda, was running around with a pair of chopsticks holding a hunk of juicy-looking sukiyaki beef, 'brwf'-ing with a smirk on his face. Suddenly Ranma gained a burst of speed and knocked Genma towards the gate. At this moment, the three Tendo girls were at the gate after enjoying the carnival. They jumped in shock, barely dodging the 1000 pound (er...pandas are this heavy right?) panda who seemed to squelch when it landed. Ranma then quickly grabbed the chopsticks away and stuffed the sukiyaki into his mouth (yes, the sukiyaki survived, don't ask me how, it just did ^_^). Swallowing, Ranma sighed, thinking, 'this was good. If only Akane can cook like Kasumi. Feh, what am I thinking, as if that'd ever happen.' Suddenly his thoughts of food was cut short with a loud shout from Akane.

"Hey you! Watch where you kick the panda around!"

"I'm sorry Kasumi and Nabiki; I didn't know you were at the gate. Akane...you on the other hand are a martial artist. You should've dodged," Ranma sneered, sticking his tongue out. Akane was visibly mad, especially when he was so polite to her sisters and not her.

"Wait what am I saying?" Ranma said,"it's not like your body's fast enough to dodge."

Akane said softly, "Are you implying I am fat?"

Ranma suddenly started sweating. That tone of voice was clearly disaster for him. He gulped. However his pride went in his way. "Hah! Of course! You're such a fat, uncute tomboy. You just figur-"

Akane took a nice golf swing with her famous wooden mallet, but not before looking at his eyes and saying, "Cha ching!"

Ranma, meanwhile was watching the stars from a nice view in the sky. A flock of migrating ducks flew past him.

Duck 1: Hrm, what kinda bird you think that is?

Duck 2: I'm not sure. But I'm pretty sure that I see them on the ground. Uh...human I think is what they're called

Duck 1: That's odd. How can he fly?

Duck 3: Oh he's just Ranma Saotome. He frequents the skies quite a lot. Got this info from some weird duck...it wore glasses. How nerdy can he get?

Duck 1 & 2: (laughs) Oh well. Let's go.

NOTES: R & R! Thank you! (Bad grammar on Eggplant's dialogue was intended...trying to emulate bad accent :P) Attempted humor at the back. Please don't flame me for that :P