I do not own anything written by Rumiko Takahashi.

Nabiki groaned as the sounds drifting through her window disturbed her uneasy sleep. Rolling over, she pulled her pillow over her head and tried unsuccessfully to fall back into slumberland. Finally, as the sounds didn't go away and finding that the pillow wasn't enough to smother them, she propped herself up and glanced at her alarm clock, and grimaced. Damn, I haven't woken up this early since Ranma started sleeping over! But then, she didn't last night, did she?

Curiosity getting the better of her, she pulled herself out of bed and looked out the window for the source of the noise that had disturbed her sleep (such as it was). Finding nothing out of the ordinary on her side of the house, she stumbled out into the hallway and down to the guest room where Ranma and Genma had spent the night and peeked in — nobody. That's odd, she thought, and walked over to the window and glanced out, only to freeze at the sight of her fiancé and his father down in the yard beside the pool, in what looked like a life-and-death struggle for supremacy. What brought that on?! she thought frantically as she whirled away from the window, then forced herself to stop. And just what do you think you're going to do, girl? Throw yourself into that kind of fight — get yourself hurt, maybe killed, maybe Ranma hurt or killed if you distract him? And no point in calling the cops, either — by the time they get here it'll all be over, if they even come. They usually stay out of the martial artists' way, anyway. Slumping, she turned back to the window to watch the fight.

It had been a number of years since the pageboy-haired girl had seen a real bout between high-level martial artists, but Nabiki found old memories coming back and soon relaxed as she realized that the pair in the yard were sparring, not fighting for real. With that knowledge, she was able to stop worrying and watch the fight with a careful and soon very respectful eye — watching Ranma perform katas for hours on end was one thing, watching that training put to use something else entirely and Ranma was good.

Genma, however, was better — until he made the mistake of kicking his son into the koi pond. Nabiki laughed at the shriek that followed the splash, as the now cute, redheaded, busty Ranma that only she could see flew out of the pond and Genma suddenly found himself trying and failing to block the attacks of an invisible opponent. Pushing herself away from the window, Nabiki pulled a change of clothes out of Ranma's backpack and headed for the door and down the corridor to the stairs. I'd better fish his clothes out of the pond and get these to the furo for her, she thought with another chuckle. Then we'll see what Kasumi has for breakfast.

/\

Nabiki smiled triumphantly as she walked down the sidewalk beside her black-haired, pony-tailed sister as she thought back to her victories at breakfast. First, there was putting a stop to the food duel between Ranma and Genma by threatening to have her and Ranma eat in her room if Genma continued (the mortified look on Kasumi's face had been priceless), and then overriding Genma's objections to Ranma attending school (and the flash of fear she thought she'd seen cross the fat fool's face when Ranma had sided with her had been more than priceless).

But then, the earth-haired girl's triumphant smile slid away, to be replaced by a thoughtful frown. Perhaps she had pushed a little too hard; while she didn't think Ranma would choose to leave if Genma insisted, that didn't mean Genma wouldn't force the issue by trying to kidnap his son — or attack her. And unfortunately, Genma had had one good point, he didn't have the money to pay for Ranma's schooling. And from the way Kasumi winced when I said we'd pay for it, I doubt the household budget can stretch that far, either. My own savings could probably take care of it, but that would blow a hole in my plans for college. It looks like I'm going to have to contact 'Auntie' Nodoka, whether I want to or not, damn! Ah, well, worry about that later, when you can do something about it.

Determinedly forcing the worried thoughts away, Nabiki glanced to the side and up to the pigtailed boy in a red and black Chinese outfit walking along the top of the chain-link fence beside her. "And just what are you doing up there, instead of down here with your fiancée?" she asked with a smile.

Ranma glanced down and grinned. "Trainin'."

"Training?" Akane asked from where she was walking beside her sister. "And how is walking on top of a fence training?"

"Balance, and when Pop is around, stayin' alert," Ranma said, then suddenly jumped straight up as his father shot through the space he'd just occupied, landing with a splash in the canal on the other side of the fence.

"Hah, too fast fer ya, old man! And you're gettin' noisy, too!" Ranma jeered at the panda crawling out of the water from where he'd landed on the fence, then shouted "Clear out!" to the two sisters as he leaped down to the sidewalk, Nabiki and Akane scattering to either side. The panda cleared the fence with a single leap, landing where the pigtailed boy had just been crouching, but Ranma was already cartwheeling away, easily landing on his feet and bracing for a countercharge. "Check this out!" he shouted gleefully, just before a splash of water caught him full in the face and his suddenly empty clothes dropped to the sidewalk.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Akane said snidely, as she turned her attention from the clothes at the feet of the naked red-haired girl she couldn't see and watched the panda take off at a run. Nabiki, too, watched in amazement as Genma leaped up onto a fence, then from the fence to the roof of the house belonging to the old, white-haired lady that had just turned her fiancé into her fiancée. "Wow," she murmured, then grinned as she turned her attention to the cute girl floating above her pile of clothing.

"Yeah, ya better run, ya loser!" Ranma was shouting with a high-pitched shriek after her disappearing father, and as Nabiki bent down to pick up the clothes she murmured, "Ranma, you aren't disguising your voice."

"Oops!" Ranma muttered, abashed, and Nabiki sighed and straightened with the damp clothing clutched to her chest.

"Akane, why don't you go ahead and deal with your admirers while I get Ranma some hot water?" she said.

Akane frowned — there was something about the whole situation nagging at her, and it had just gotten worse. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course," Nabiki replied with a laugh. "I doubt my virtue's in danger from a ghost, unfortunately. Still, there'll be future opportunities," she finished with a leer, and Akane flushed as a memory of an afternoon several days ago surfaced...

Determinedly, she shoved the memory back and nodded. "All right, see you at school," she said, and headed down the sidewalk at a trot.

/\

As Ranma floated alongside her fiancée, she examined the other girl and frowned. Looking around and not seeing anyone within earshot, she asked, "Nabiki, ya feelin' all right? Ya don't look so good."

Nabiki smiled tiredly. "And how do I feel?" she asked back.

The red-haired girl struggled for words, finally saying, "Kinda, well, dull, I guess. Like yer not as alive as normal."

"That's a fair way to put it," Nabiki agreed with a chuckle. "I'm just tired, Ranma, I didn't sleep well last night and got up too early."

"Is something wrong?" Ranma asked, concerned, but the older girl just shook her head and grinned.

"No, just missed snuggling with my favorite redhead, that's all, but thanks for caring. And the morning show you and your father put on in the yard was nice, too — especially where you ended up in the pond," she added with a hint of a leer, giving the naked girl beside her a thorough looking over and chuckling at Ranma's blush. The intensity of her blushes is falling off, good, Nabiki thought to herself, then nodded at the building just ahead with signs out front advertising acupressure, acupuncture, and moxibustion services. "And there's where we can get some hot water for you."

"A kanpo?" Ranma asked as her blush faded, and Nabiki nodded.

"Yes, Dr. Ono Tofu. He's been taking care of Akane's injuries for most of her life." Then, approaching the door, she said, "Now be quiet while I get the water."

Ranma fell back slightly as Nabiki stepped inside and talked to the elderly woman that apparently helped out the doctor, and looked around. There was something wrong — something right on the edge of her awareness, like she should be seeing something that wasn't there. But however hard she looked, through the building walls and the fence around it, there was nothing to see — just Nabiki, the doctor's helper, and a few patients sitting in the waiting room .the last, she did her best to ignore, naked elderly people wasn't high on her list of favorite things — there were times she didn't care for how much trouble she had seeing dead things. Finally, seeing Nabiki approaching with a kettle of hot water, Ranma shrugged and drifted over to rejoin her friend.

Nabiki led the busty nature spirit around the building behind the fence surrounding the building, out of sight, then suddenly turned and splashed the water on Ranma.

"Ow! Hot! Hey, why'd ya do that?!" he demanded, dropping lightly to the ground, and she chuckled, giving his muscular nude form an appreciative once over.

"So you wouldn't have time to get bashful on me like you did in the furo this morning," she said as she handed him his clothes. "I don't know why you're being uptight about me seeing you naked as a guy — after all, not only did I get a good look at you last night, in those first few dreams I did a lot more than look!" Seeing Ranma's blush covering him from chest to hairline for a moment before his shirt covered most of the view, Nabiki chuckled again and turned him around to head back to the corner to the street. "Come on, let's get to school."

Ranma nodded a little sulkily and walked ahead alongside the fence, turned the corner and found himself face to face with a skull. With a shriek, he leaped back and up to the top of the cement pillar at the fence's corner, taking a defensive stance, only to relax at the sight of his fiancée doubled over with laughter and a young man holding a skeleton looking up at him, nonplussed.

"D-Dr. Tofu, that was great!" Nabiki gasped out, and the young man shook himself and smiled up at Ranma.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to startle you that badly."

"That's all right, doc," Ranma replied, dropping down from his perch. The two exchanged bows, and after Nabiki was able to get her laughter under control and told the doctor that Akane hadn't been by lately because she'd actually been able to avoid any injuries needing his attention, the two said their goodbyes and headed off toward the school.

"He's like you, isn't he?" Ranma asked when they were alone again.

"Like me?"

"A summoner, a — what was that word ya used, an Awakened?" Ranma clarified, and Nabiki nodded, frowning thoughtfully.

"I don't know if he actually summons anything, but yes, he is an Awakened, though not as powerful as I am. How did you know?" she asked.

" 'Cause he was able ta sneak up on me," Ranma explained. "Before ya threw the water on me I'd taken a good look around and didn't see him anywhere, but when I turned the corner, there he was! And I looked around so carefully 'cause it felt like somethin' wasn't right — like I was missing somethin'. Turns out I was, him. Somehow, he was keepin' me from seeing him."

"I see," Nabiki murmured. "Interesting, I didn't know that was possible. I'm going to have to have a talk with the good doctor, see if he'll teach me how to do that." Then she sighed as the gates leading to the school grounds came into view and the sound of combat became audible. "Looks like little sis is finishing off Kuno, we aren't late. Let's get to class."

/oOo\

Kuno lay groaning facedown on the concrete walkway around the outside of Furinkan High School, face toward the feet of a cracked man-shaped outline in the school's brick wall, as joy filled his heart. My wondrous love left me conscious this day, her blows have lightened! Surely the glorious Akane Tendo is coming to realize her true feelings for the only man worthy of her!

"So, sis, enjoy your morning workout?" came the voice of the unnatural creature in female shape that his love was forced to claim as a sister.

"Same old, same old," came the clear ringing voice of the sun in his sky, "what a drag."

"Hey, at least you're gettin' plenty a' practice at crowd fightin'," an unfamiliar male voice said. "There ain't a dojo in all a' Japan that would give ya the same trainin'." A male voice? Kuno slowly flopped over so that he could look toward the speakers, to see that demoness in human flesh approach his shining epitome of womanhood with a strange raven-haired boy in red and black Chinese shirt and pants at her side. Enraged that any boy would dare to so cavalierly approach his chosen woman, Kuno struggled to rise to his feet only to find Akane's response fading into incomprehensibility as the world around him darkened and he finally faded out.

When next the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High was aware of his surroundings, he found himself staring at the all-too-familiar ceiling of the school nurse's office. Staggering to his feet and ignoring the usual pro forma protestation of the nurse, the tall kendoist took off his robes to reveal a Furinkan boy's school uniform, packed the robes in his school bag, and slowly made his way to his classroom to sit in his most unfortunately assigned seat.

"Well, Kuno, did you enjoy your usual morning workout?" the pageboy-styled archfiend sitting at the desk to his right asked.

"I detest you," Kuno ground out.

"I'm so glad," Nabiki replied with a smirk.

"So, who was that mannerless peasant with you?" Kuno asked as he squirmed, trying to find an unbruised part of his back to rest against the back of his seat.

To Kuno's amazement, the Ice Queen's smirk seemed to soften a bit around the edges and her eyes went slightly unfocused. "Oh, he's Ranma, my fiancé," she replied almost dreamily. "Our fathers made an agreement while we were children to unite the schools by marrying his son to one of father's daughters, and Ranma and I agreed to fulfill it. He and his father are living at the dojo, now."

Kuno simply stared. Could it be true? Could the ice sculpture in human shape truly be warming to another human being? No surely this was an act, a trick for some unknown reason! Then the last of Nabiki's statement registered, and all was clear. Without thought, Kuno found himself on his feet, reaching for the robes in his school bag under his seat and the bokken slung around the backrest. "No," he shouted furiously, "you lie! You and that unlettered cur have conspired to pretend to be fiancés while he courts the fair Akane! What man, given a choice, would choose you over such a marvelous example of womanhood?!"

At the head of the class, the teacher leaned on his arms, shaking his head. "Kuno, buckets, hallway, now!" he called out, and Kuno quickly finished dressing in his robes, slung the bokken over his back, grabbed the buckets full of water, and ran for the door.

Nabiki stared as he disappeared out the door. Oookay, that was more bizarre than usual, she thought, then suddenly realized that the sound of footsteps hadn't stopped when he'd exited — that Kuno had continued down the hall toward Akane's class! Oh, that's just great! she thought with a groan, and rose. "Sensei, Kuno headed toward my sister and fiancé's classroom. May I leave and make sure he doesn't do something too spectacularly stupid?" she asked the current teacher.

The teacher sighed and nodded. "Of course, Nabiki, you are excused. Please return as soon as possible."

"Thank you, sensei," she politely replied, walked out of the classroom, and as soon as she was out of sight of her classmates broke into a run.

/\

Ranma jerked his head upright and sighed. I know I promised Nabiki I'd take school seriously, but is this ever boring! he groused to himself. Glancing at Akane in the seat next to him, the pigtailed boy leaned over slightly. "So ya fight that nutcase every morning?" he whispered.

"Yes, I do, and I always win. Now be quiet, I'm trying to listen!" Akane hissed back, and Ranma turned his attention back to the teacher pontificating on the Warring States period, struggling to stay awake and wishing that something would happen to rescue him from his boredom.

His wish was granted.

Suddenly, the classroom door slammed open, and Ranma threw himself out of his seat as a bucketful of water passed through the space he had just abandoned and drenched Akane, plastering her blouse to her chest (much to the delight of the boys in the class). "Villain! How dare you dishonorably seek to disguise your pursuit of the fair Akane with a false engagement!" the robe-clad upperclassman shouted as he dropped the now-empty bucket and drew his bokken from over his shoulder, so angry at his supposed rival that he didn't even notice who he'd actually hit with the water.

"Hey, watch it, you're gonna hurt somebody!" Ranma shouted as he rolled away from Kuno's first strike, and the bokken's downward stroke split another student's desk in half. The pigtailed boy sprang to his feet, then dropped to a crouch and the windows behind him shattered from the air pressure alone of Kuno's follow-up cross-swing.

Ranma glanced around at his fellow students, most wise enough to take cover crouching behind their desks or lying on the floor, and grimaced. Smart kids, but it ain't gonna be enough. I've gotta get this outa the classroom. Focusing back on the kendoist, Ranma leaped over the downward thrust that punched a hole through the floor, ran up the back of the bokken, flipped over Kuno's shoulder and dove for the classroom door, knocking a breathless Nabiki just running up to the door on her ass in the process.

"Sorry, Nabs!" Ranma yelled as he took off down the hall, Kuno leaping over Nabiki in pursuit. At the sound of running footsteps behind her, the middle Tendo glanced back into the classroom and hastily rolled out of the way as the rest of the class thundered after the racing duo, a soaked Akane in the lead. Nabiki quickly regained her feet and ran after the mob.

Ranma glanced back over his shoulder as he ran, then ducked and rolled as a gasping Kuno swung his bokken, slicing into the wall beside them. Surprised shouts came from the students in the classroom on the other side of the wall suddenly showered with shards of brick and rock dust. This isn't workin'! Ranma thought, then grinned at the sight of an open window ahead of the racing pair. "Let's take this outside, follow me!" Ranma shouted, looking over his shoulder as he threw himself through the open window.

"Fear not!" Kuno yelled as he unthinkingly followed the pigtailed boy.

"It's the third floor!" a student shouted as the windows filled with gawking teenagers and a suddenly wide-eyed Kuno in free-fall stared down.

"No sweat, I'm —" Ranma got out before looking down at the rapidly approaching pool. Oh, that's just great! he thought just before he splashed down. Right above the sudden redhead, the Blue Thunder smashed down onto the surface of the pool and the clothes the now naked nature spirit had left behind.

Ranma looked around at the sides of the pool under the surface. Odd, she thought, I'm underwater but I'm breathing just fine. She glanced up to find an unconscious upperclassman floating facedown a foot over her head, and sighed. Guess I better do something 'bout that, she thought, I hope this works. Flying up, she braced her back against Kuno's chest and pushed upward, lifting the kendoist until his face rose from the surface of the pool, his legs and arms hanging down on either side of his rescuer. Then, just as they were approaching the edge of the pool, the 'Blue Thunder' woke up.

/\

Catching up to the back of the mass of students at the windows, Nabiki forced her way through the mob to the front just in time to wince on seeing her fiancé splash down into the pool, red hair flashing into existence just before Kuno smashed down right above her. Oh, this is just wonderful! she thought in horrified awe. How do we hide the curse now? What do we say?!

Then things just got worse as an obviously unconscious Kuno lifted out of the water and began to float toward the edge of the pool. Nabiki was able to see flashes of the smaller nature spirit under her burden, but the other students couldn't. Nabiki dropped her forehead onto her arms on the window sill as she listened to the confused questions on all sides.

Suddenly, a shout came from the pool below — "Saotome Ranma, I fight on!" — and Nabiki's head shot up to see the kendoist's arms circle around and grab onto the nature spirit beneath him. The earth-haired girl winced in sympathy as she realized just what Kuno was grabbing at — sure enough, a shriek of feminine pain and outrage rose up, "Kuno, you pervert, that hurts!" and she watched as otherwise invisible hands rose to grab Kuno by both sides of his head and the redhead's body whiplashed up to give impetus to the flipping throw that smashed the older teenager back first onto the tile around the pool.

Turning from the window, Nabiki put her back to the wall and slid down to sit on the floor, desperately holding in a giggling fit. This is going to be one hell of a cover story, she thought half-despairingly, looking around at the confused students on all sides. Ranma, you idiot, you still aren't disguising your voice! She stood back up with a sigh, glanced out the window at the fuming redhead floating above the pool with her arms across her chest as Kuno shot up to a sitting position and shouted about Ranma not escaping him, then turned to the students around her and put on her best Ice Queen expression as she announced, "All right, the floor show's over, time to get back to class!" Protests rose from all sides, but her best glare silenced them quickly enough, and the mass of students reluctantly began to head back to their classroom.

As she herded the students into class, Nabiki realized that her sense for the presence of other Awakened was screaming at her and groaned inside as she noticed the particularly stunned expressions on the faces of Gosunkugi and — Miyako? Miyoko? That's right, Akane has a couple of mid-ranged Awakened in her class, the cover story just got even better. Sighing, she headed down to the pool to collect Ranma's clothes for the third time that morning.

/\

On the roof of the school, a couple of imps were laughing so hard they couldn't even stand, while in a tree on the school grounds in sight of the pool another imp was barely able to hold onto the branch it was lying across for its own laughter. Finally, on the roof Gorash sat up and wiped at its eyes. "And Mara thought this assignment would be boring!" it chortled, and its companion collapsed into laughter all over again, setting off Gorash in return.

As they calmed down a second time, Gorash looked over at the earth-haired girl fishing clothing out of the pool while studiously ignoring the cute red-haired nature spirit circling her with an abashed look on her face. "Well, that was probably the high point of the day, but at least we'll have something for Mara tonight. I don't know if it's anything she'll be able to actually use, but from the way she's looked lately she could use a good laugh and this should certainly do that!"

Then, on seeing the human Adept head back into the school with her spirit companion floating along beside her, the imps split up to cover the separate exits from the building.