I do not own anything written by Rumiko Takahashi.

"Good, I'll be by to pick them up tonight. You said you'd be home by seven?" Nabiki said into her cell phone. "Thanks so much, Auntie Nodoka, I'm sure the books will be a big help in figuring out more about what Ranko is ... Right, just Nodoka, I guess 'Auntie' isn't quite appropriate any more ... Yes, Ranma and I will be by Saturday morning, say around ten? ... Great, see you tonight, and thanks again."

She closed up the phone and put it in her bag with a happy smile, in spite of her splitting headache — the visit with Ranma's mother last night had been even more fruitful than she'd hoped. Then, when a spike of pain hit her with Ranma's shouted greeting, she sighed and rubbed her head as Ranma sat down next to her under the tree and handed her a bento. "Here ya go," the ponytailed boy said, then looked closer at his fiancée's pinched expression. "Somethin' wrong?" he asked concernedly.

"No, not really," Nabiki replied even as she felt herself relaxing and the pain beginning to fade under the soothing caress of Ranma's love and concern. "I'm just learning that there's a downside to being an empath when nobody likes you much. Don't worry, now that you're here the headache's already fading." Then she frowned at Ranma's spike of fear and regret at her words. "Okay, Ranma, it's my turn to ask what's wrong — you don't regret me becoming an empath, do you?"

"No!" Ranma quickly insisted. "It's just — what if you're becoming like me? Ranko, I mean," he hastily corrected, glancing around to make sure nobody could hear him.

"Don't worry, I'd know if anyone was close enough to listen. And for me becoming a succubus, not likely," Nabiki replied. "I'll know more soon, but I suspect that isn't how succubae reproduce. Speaking of Ranko, you weren't in my dreams last night, but you were still next to me when I woke up this morning. Did you spend the entire night awake?"

"Nah," Ranma said, "I was there. I just ... kept myself out a' the picture — watched from the side."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at that. "Hmm, that's new. Did you choose to do that, or did it just happen?"

"I chose to stay out," Ranma said.

"Good, your control is getting better," Nabiki said with a smile.

"Yup," Ranma replied with a satisfied smile, then leaned back against the tree and stiffly put an arm around Nabiki's shoulder only to relax when she leaned into him.

"Why so stiff?" Nabiki asked, her head against his shoulder.

Ranma grimaced. "I ... I wasn't sure you'd want me to — in front a' everybody, I mean. I miss not bein' able ta feel people's emotions when I'm human," he admitted. "It's like losin' yer eyesight with a splash a' water."

Nabiki frowned. That's not all you're missing, is it, love? she realized as she thought over what she'd picked up from Ranma that day, and what she was feeling now. Or rather, wasn't feeling now — not a hint of lust in Ranma's emotional mix. She thought back over what she'd picked up from the other boys she'd encountered that day, and her frown deepened. I'm not a raving beauty, but I'm not bad-looking, either — even the boys that hate my guts had at least a tinge of lust when they looked at me, but nothing from Ranma at all. This could be bad. Nabiki found her mind racing in all directions, coming up with multiple half-baked plans to change that, and sternly brought her mind to heel. Relax, girl, you still have a week and a half before it'll become obvious to Ranma, so you have some time to work things out.

Missing Nabiki's concern, Ranma just sat for a few minutes enjoying the moment, then said, "I think I have an answer to our problem."

"Which problem?" Nabiki asked with a chuckle, and Ranma grinned.

"I should a' said Akane's problem — the Hentai Horde an' Kuno."

"You do?" Nabiki asked, sitting up. "Well, don't just sit there, spill it!"

"I train her after school, an' join her in fightin' the Horde and Kuno," Ranma said with a grin. "Should be fun."

"And how do you think this will solve Akane's problem?"

Ranma shrugged. "Half her problem is she's fightin' alone. Sure, she's better than all a' those perverts put together, but what if somebody gets lucky one day? And goin' against Kuno is even worse — I'll bet she knows Kuno's holdin' back, he could beat her whenever he wants. What if one day he decides to stop holdin' back? But if I'm fightin' beside her, even if one a' the Horde gets lucky I got her back, and I can take Kuno any day a' the week."

"Hmm." Nabiki leaned back against Ranma and stared thoughtfully up at the leaves blocking her view of the sky. "You know, that just might work. The hard part will be convincing Akane to go along, but if she does the Hentai Horde just might give it up, even if Kuno doesn't." And if it doesn't, there's always my video camera. I don't want to press charges, but I will if I have to.

The bell rang, calling students back to class, and Ranma sighed as he stood up. He offered a hand to Nabiki, but she shook her head with a smile. "I have something I need to take care of, you go ahead. I'll see you after school, okay?"

"Ya sure ya don't need any help?" Ranma asked hopefully.

Nabiki laughed. "Forget it, Ranma, I can afford to miss a few classes, you can't — not yet."

Ranma pouted, but nodded and headed for the school. Nabiki watched him go with a fond expression, then, as her fiancé disappeared into the school, looked up into the leaves above her. "You might as well come on down," she said, "it'll be easier to talk that way."

For a moment nothing happened, then the leaves above her stirred and a slightly younger purple-haired teenager dropped down next to where Nabiki sat. "Aiyah, how girl know Shampoo there?" the newcomer asked.

Nabiki smirked. "Actually, I've known about you following us and haunting the dojo for awhile, and so has Ranma," she said, and patted the ground beside her. It's a little difficult to hide from someone able to see through walls, especially when you don't know she can. "So why don't you sit down and tell me why you're hanging around?" Nabiki invited.

Xian Pu gazed at her for a moment, then nodded and sat down.

A long explanation later, Nabiki sighed and shook her head. "Girl, if you didn't have bad luck you'd have no luck at all — Genma may be a fantastic fighter, but he's no prize."

Xian Pu nodded sadly in agreement. "Shampoo know, but law is law, and panda is Airen."

"So why are you following Ranma?" Nabiki asked with a sharp look. "You aren't thinking of him as a replacement for his father, are you?"

"No," Xian Pu said with a shake of her head. "Shampoo be happy with Spirit Boy, but law not allow because of curse."

Carefully hiding her relief, Nabiki studied Xian Pu for a time, then smiled. It was obvious that Xian Pu had tried to keep clean, but she'd failed to stay neat — her hair was stringy, her clothes dingy, and she faintly smelled. Perfect. "So, Shampoo, while you're waiting for the husband hunting party to show up, how'd you like to get to know your future in-laws, by marriage at least? It would be a chance to get really clean." And a chance to play with Genma, she added to herself with a hidden smirk.

Xian Pu looked down at herself, took a surreptitious sniff, grimaced, and finally nodded. "Shampoo like to be clean again — dirt itches!"

"Great, it's settled!" Nabiki said, standing up. "Let's head back to the dojo — you'll love Kasumi, everybody does."

/oOo\

Nabiki sighed and rubbed her temples, trying to massage away the building headache, leaning back against the dojo wall. Getting away from school had been good (all those negative emotions aimed at her were no fun), introducing Xian Pu to Kasumi had been a joy (as had been watching Genma sweat when he realized where she was from), and basking in Ranma's love when he got home from school had been divine (even if she'd had to go out and collect his — or rather, 'her' at the time — clothing and book bag from by the fountain in the park).

But now Xian Pu had turned down Kasumi's offer to stay the night and left for her camp, Nabiki's part-time sort-of lover and little sister were ruining what had been a wonderful afternoon, and she had to leave soon to pick up the books she was borrowing from Nodoka.

"I said no!" the aforementioned little sister shouted at the top of her lungs. "I don't need someone fighting my battles for me! And I definitely don't need some pervert using training as an excuse to grope me!"

Nabiki shot upright, shocked at the emotional mix she'd picked up from Akane — anger and revulsion were no surprise, but shame? But why — "Akane, have any of the Hentai Horde been using the morning fights as cover to try and grope you?" she asked in a tightly controlled voice.

Akane fell silent and looked away, but the blush on her cheeks and the intensification of her shame and revulsion answered for her.

Ranma growled, hands clenched into fists. "You just point out the boys, and I'll see to it that they never bother you again!" he ground out.

Akane shrugged uncomfortably, now staring at the floor. "It was only a few, at the very beginning. After that I was on guard, but they won't stop trying!" she responded, her voice starting barely above a whisper and rising to a shout.

Nabiki strode over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Alright, that's it, nobody messes with my little sister like that. Either you let Ranma fight with you, or I fight for you! Your choice."

"And how are you gonna to do that? I can take you down without breaking a sweat," Akane said.

"There's more ways to fight than just your fists," Nabiki replied. "In this case, I think a few mornings with my video camera, and then if the Horde doesn't take the hint a call to the police."

Akane stiffened and look up — that might actually work! "But ... why haven't you done it before?" she asked.

It was Nabiki's turn to stare at the floor in shame as her hands fell away from Akane's shoulders. "Because I was enjoying watching Daddy's favorite daughter get attacked every morning," she mumbled. "It wasn't until I noticed what it was doing to you that I started getting worried. I'm sorry." Then, not giving her stunned sibling a chance to respond, she straightened up. "Anyway," she said firmly, "those are your choices — Ranma trains you and fights with you, or I and my video camera shut it down for you."

Akane stared at her for a long moment, then reluctantly nodded. "Alright, I'll let Ranma train me, and join me against Kuno and the Horde."

"Good," Nabiki said, then turned to Ranma. "Ranma, I have to leave, to pick up some research materials. Go ahead and get Akane's training started, but don't use your father's training methods — you survived them, but Akane might not be so lucky. Instead, think back to how your other teachers did it, okay?"

Ranma chuckled and nodded. "Right, she's a bit old for the C-C-Cat Fist, anyway. And after the way you and Mom reacted, I'll leave that ta Pop — I wouldn't want you guys mad at me!"

Nabiki winced, then shook her head, smiling wryly, while Akane looked back and forth between the two in confusion. " 'Cat Fist'? 'Mom'?" she asked.

"Right, I'll explain later," Nabiki replied with a nod. "Just take it that Genma put Ranma through pure hell for ten years, not just a few weeks, and that he'll get his. Oh, and don't tell Genma that we've found Ranma's mother. Later, kids, have fun!" And with that and a wave the middle Tendo walked out of the dojo. Okay, so Ranma's problem with keeping secrets isn't just an inability to act, something to remember.

/\

The two watched Nabiki disappear through the door, then turned to look at each other. "Okay, now what?" Akane asked grumpily, defensively folding her arms across her chest.

Ranma frowned thoughtfully, scratching the back of his neck. Great, ya got your first student, and she really doesn't want ta be here, thinks she already knows it all. Reminds me a' Pop, he thought with a snort of amusement, then stiffened. That's it! That time that Pop got a good thumpin' from that sensei in Fukui ...

Akane had stiffened at Ranma's snort, and was now glaring at her erstwhile sensei. "What's so funny?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just thinkin' how ya resemble Pop," Ranma said,shrugging.

"What!?" Akane roared. "There's no way I'm like that lazy no-good pervert!"

Ranma shrugged. "Can't disagree with yer description, but ya both think ya can't be taught. So, let's do somethin' about that — attack me."

"What?" Akane asked, her anger replaced by confusion.

"Attack me," Ranma repeated, "pretend I'm one a' the Hentai Horde, one a' the ones that groped you, gimme yer best shot."

"Okayyyy," Akane said uncertainly. She took her basic stance, turned sideways with one arm forward ready for quick strikes or blocks, then frowned at Ranma, standing in front of her with his hands lightly clasped behind his back, bouncing on his heels. "Well, aren't you going to get ready?" she asked.

Ranma shrugged. "I am ready," he said. "Go for it whenever you're ready."

Alright, if that's the way he wants to play it, let's get this over fast. Akane approached him carefully and threw what she thought to be a lightning-fast punch only to have him avoid it easily, bouncing straight up with his legs tucked underneath. Quickly, trying to take advantage of his hang time, she side-kicked up only to have Ranma again avoid what should have been a sure hit with a mid-air splits. She fell back as Ranma landed, then charged forward with a flurry of punches and kicks, only to have Ranma avoid them all easily, this time with his feet staying in the same spot as if nailed there.

Finally, a now sweating Akane again fell back and glared at the boy in front of her — he still looked as fresh as when they'd started! Okay, that's it, no more going easy on him, she thought through the familiar anger building up. If he wants to play games, let's see him shrug this off! And she again slowly moved forward toward her tormentor.

Ranma carefully kept the smile off his face as he watched Akane's slow approach. Good, she's gotten angry and finally decided to get serious, he thought. Wait for it, wait for it... Then Akane again struck like a viper, only to wince as her punch smashed through the wall, as Ranma again bounced straight up, then pushed off the wall to land behind her and lightly tap the back of her head.

"And you're unconscious or dead," he said, and stepped back as Akane turned and stared at him in shock. "You're fast enough," he continued, "but I'd say you haven't had a decent sparring partner in forever — you're telegraphing yer attacks and putting so much effort inta them that you're leaving yourself wide open ta counterattacks. Against the Horde, or your average martial artist, that's not a problem — you're moving fast enough that they can't catch up ta ya even if they see ya comin'. But against someone like Kuno that really knows his stuff you're toast."

"I've held my own against Kuno so far," Akane ground out, "and I didn't see you doing so well when he was chasing you through the halls — you actually dove out of a window to get away from him!"

Ranma just shrugged. "I was fightin' a nutcase splittin' desks and knockin' holes in walls an' floors without caring about all the civilians around us — I was lookin' fer a place ta fight him where everyone else would be safe. Besides, he couldn't hit me, could he? Ya have to know he's been pulling his punches with ya — don't ya?"

Akane continued to glare at Ranma for a long moment, before her gaze faltered and she looked away. "Yes, I know," she whispered.

"So how'd ya like ta be good enough that he isn't pulling his punches and still losing?" Ranma asked. "It'll take awhile, but there's no reason ya shouldn't get there — Kuno focuses too much on looking good instead a' winning. So, ya ready ta actually learn instead a' showing off?"

Akane continued to stare at the dojo wall, but finally gave a quick nod.

Ranma gazed at his first student for a long moment and thought back to what had followed his father's ass-whupping, then said, "Good enough — for now. Let's start with your stance..."

/oOo\

Nabiki closed the tome she'd borrowed from her future mother-in-law, placed it gently on the bed next to her, then lay down and stared at the ceiling, frowning thoughtfully. The book had been informative, and the information matched what she'd observed so far from living with Ranma, both before and after her/his arrival at the dojo, but there was something ... off ... about the way it felt.

Maybe it's the way it reads like a nature documentary, she thought. It's like the writer is studying some rare species of wolf, or lion, or something — all instinct and behavior patterns and nothing about culture, ways of thinking. And there's something missing ... She carefully reviewed what she'd read and compared it to what she'd observed herself, and finally nodded. It's Ranma's ability to influence dreams — the book only talks about it in the context of arousing dreamers, feeding off of them, nothing about the adventures we had after the first few nights when Ranma steered us away from bedrooms — darn it — or even of a succubus just spending some quality time with the dreamer. Surely feeding isn't the only way succubae have used that ability, it's too handy. It's like the writer based this on pure observation, and didn't bother to talk to any succubae at all. Which means it's all about outward actions and has nothing about inward motivations. Sloppy. I just hope that means he got it wrong about their mating instincts.

Idly, she glanced at the clock on her desk next to her computer, then shot bolt-upright. It's after two in the morning! And there's school tomorrow — today — and Ranma and Akane are going to be taking on the Horde together. I have got to get some sleep. Better get Ranma up here.

Turning, she looked out the window by her bed and down into the strip of yard between the house and the wall, and smiled — there was Ranma, of course, the naked nature spirit floating a little above the grass, once again running through katas as she continued adapting her old forms to her new capabilities. All that drive, Nabiki thought. Now, if I could just get her — him, really — to apply it to schoolwork and learn to think ahead a little, he'd take the world by storm. Then her smile broadened, and turned slightly lascivious. And she's cute as a button in the moonlight, good enough to eat, and sooner or later she's going to let me do that!

Ranma broke off the kata and looked up at the wave of love/lust from above to smile and wave at the earth-haired girl looking down at her. Floating up to her level, she asked, "Finally ready to call it a night?"

"Yes, I am," Nabiki said with a mock-frown, "and why didn't you say something hours ago?"

Ranma just shrugged and passed through the wall into the room. "I did, ya just grunted and waved me off, so I figured it must be somethin' important."

Nabiki sighed and stood up to strip off her clothes and slip into a nightgown. "Ranma, I was just brushing off a distraction, it had nothing to do with how important whatever I'm studying was. When I'm like that, you have to get my attention. Now, no feeding tonight — as late as it is, I'll need all the sleep I can get."

The cute redhead nodded, tensing slightly and glancing away. "Yeah, I'll leave ya alone tonight."

Nabiki looked up at the sensation of shame-tinged uncertainty coming from her sort-of lover, then reached out and grabbed Ranma by the shoulders to pull her into a searing kiss that quickly had Ranma squirming. "That's regret I was feeling, not relief, you are not imposing on me," she said firmly when she finally broke it off. "You know I can't get enough of you."

Ranma nodded again, but more relaxed (if somewhat breathless) and smiling. "Yeah, I know, but I like ta hear ya say it. I'll just practice some more till time ta get ready for school." With that, she floated through the window to the outside and sank down out of sight.

Nabiki shook her head with a smile and turned out the light. Slipping into bed, she thought, It's going to be an interesting morning, if I can see anything through the yawns. Then sleep rolled over her like a blanket and she was out.