Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ Master of Shadows... ( Chapter 103 )

Nabiki 1/2

(A Very Scary Thought)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Based Upon the Altered Destinies Storyline

Inspired by the works of such fans as

Wade Tritshler

Richard Lawson

James Jones

And Many Others

Standard Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko and is not my original creation. All characters belong to her. This is only a fanfictional work, and is not intended to compromise the rights of the original owners, distributors and publishers of the Ranma series. I have no money to spare and would very much appreciate if no one tries to sue me.

"You know, this was a great idea you had, Nab-chan," Ukyo complimented, "A night out at the circus is just the thing we need to raise our spirits, right?"

"Ah…right," Nabiki said, "A great idea…just the thing we need, right, Sham-chan?"

"What you mean, Airen?" Shampoo asked innocently, "You is one who in dumps lately. Shampoo and Lylac very happy to see Airen cheer up, is good get out house and restaurant for evening, yes?"

"Good for somebody anyway," Perfume remarked, "Though this smelly, noisy place has way too much going on for my liking, and the scent of all those animals...ew! Hasn't anybody thought about changing their cages lately, or at least cleaning up their litter boxes…?"

"Down, Kitty," Ukyo smiled, then turned a glance to the most morose looking member of their party, "Hey, Akane, where are Keiko and Kodachi about right now? Didn't you invite them to come along and join us?"

"Ah…well," Akane said reluctantly, "Keiko's parents just got back into town and they wanted to spend some time together, and Kodachi wanted them to get to know her better, so…they said they might be along a lot later…"

"I wonder how her father will take to the news that lady Kuno is virtually his daughter-in-law," Natsume wondered, turning a glance at her lordly male companion-who for once was not dressed in his samurai-styled hakama, "Your sister, if I dare to say so, has certain made some curious choices…"

"Some for the better, I think," Tatewaki replied, "I wish her well in the lifestyle that she had chosen, though I feign not to understand the exigencies and particulars of that strange relationship, much of which I fault upon that Madam Lao woman and her peculiar influence. In truth, my sister has changed much of late, and I remain undecided if it is entirely for the better, but…given all else, and the curse that she must bear, I think Kodachi may be allowed her eccentricities…at least for the present."

"Why can't you just say she's weird and leave it at that?" Kurumi asked, then sighed, "The two of you are impossible! When you get locked in a conversation, it's like listening to characters out of a gothic romance novel."

"Sister dear," Natsume smiled, "Though I love you dearly, please kindly shut up about it."

Nabiki chuckled as they circulated among the crowd attending the circus, joining a line that was forming to enter the big tent, her small circle of friends and family making her feel special and her heart much lighter than the endless days that had been spent fretting over the whereabouts of the missing Ranma and Ryoga. In truth, Akane needed this as much-if not more-than she did, having come to rely heavily on her friends to liven her spirits with the absence of her boyfriend. It reminded one overmuch of how fragile was her younger sister's self-image, and how much she depended on others and their regard for her to bolster her own spirits. Akane was a very social kind of person, not so introspective as Nabiki herself and certainly no where near as much of a habitual loner. For Nabiki, it was unusual to find herself surrounded by loving and well-trusted people, but for Akane it was second nature, and without Kodachi or Keiko around to cheer her up over Ryoga…

She smiled as she felt Shampoo gently squeeze her hand, her wife who had come to mean so many special things to Nabiki, one of whom was sleeping soundly in the papoose-like backpack that Shampoo carried across her shoulders. Lylac was sleeping like a little purple-haired angel as if comfortably aware that her mother was always near at hand. The noise of the crowd did not seem to bother her at all, and in a way looking down at her gave Nabiki a strangely warm feeling of security and trust. It was like looking down at a miniature version of herself who had parts of Shampoo mixed in for exotic flavor. The best of both worlds, she thought wryly, and yet still innocent of so many of life's subtle mysteries just waiting to be explored…

"Imoutochan," a gentle voice greeted her, and Nabiki turned around to see her older sister approaching from the side, along with Aunt Nodoka, her father, and a fully adult Miss Hinako. That combination made her blink in surprise as she saw the unpleasant way her aunt was eyeing her spectacularly well-endowed teacher as if daring the younger woman to try anything untowards with Soun. It was strange how much Nodoka seemed to resent Hinako's fawning affections towards her father, in fact, if Nabiki did not know any better…

"Nabiki-chan," Kasumi called her attention back her way, and to Nabiki's surprise her older sister handed her a pair of cotton candy cones, one for herself and the other for Shampoo, "I thought that you would like these, so I bought them for you. I know how much you love sweets, Imoutochan."

"Ah…yeah, thanks Oneechan," Nabiki replied, disturbed as always by the undercurrent of sexual tension that seemed to radiate from Kasumi of late (though extremely grateful not to see any cup of water in the hands of her Kaneda-infatuated sister), "You're not having one for yourself?"

"Oh, I couldn't," Kasumi flushed modestly, "I am trying to watch my figure, but you two work so hard to keep in shape that I'm sure you won't mind a few extra calories…"

"Not to mention a good sugar rush," Ukyo chimed sweetly over Nabiki's shoulder, "Too bad Lylac's too young for that stuff, huh? Of course, knowing her parentage, she's bound to pick up her poppa's oral fetish…"

"Stuff it, Kuonji," Nabiki murmured back, albeit sweetly.

"Well, it seems like we all made it," their father said brightly before taking a brief head count and noticing the less-than-pleased expression of Akane, "Or…mostly, any way. Ah well…it's good to be out and enjoying ourselves, just like you young people…"

"I certainly agree with that," Nodoka relaxed slightly into a more guarded smile, "It seems like ages since I've even been to a circus…it does bring back memories of the old days. Do you remember back then, Soun-kun? Back when my husband and I were still dating, and the owner of this circus had that lovely daughter, Sakura, for which he named it."

"Why, yes," Soun looked surprise, "I'd almost forgotten…the Cherry Blossom Circus…I'd wondered where I'd heard that name before. It all comes back to me now…my word! Has it been twenty years already?"

"I wonder how little Sakura is getting by these days," Nodoka mused, "Or if she ever found a husband…"

It was Hinako's turn to look semi-annoyed, but she brightened up at once by saying in a sultry tone of voice, "Oh my…this does seem like fun. I've always loved the circus, it makes me feel almost like a little girl again…"

"Just wait a few minutes," Natsume growled, eyeing the teacher like the energy vampire that she knew her to be, and determined this time not to allow her own ki-force to be leached into preserving her illusion of maturity.

"Hinako-Sensei," Tatewaki bowed his head respectfully, "I notice that you lack in hand some of the sweets that this carnival offers to its patrons."

"Why…yes…" Hinako's eyes got very round as she took in the half-eaten cotton-candy held by Shampoo and Nabiki, then she turned to Soun and said, "Soun-chan…I would love it ever-so-much if you would get me some cotton candy…and some popcorn, and some iced tea, and some…"

"Um…well…" the Tendo elder looked like his resolve was melting before the luminous focus of Hinako's eyes, while Nodoka appeared on the verge of an apoplexy.

"By all means, allow me to be so gracious as to procure those items for you, Sensei," Tatewaki smiled, "It would be but a trifling gesture for my part since I was about to acquire some sweets for the fair Natsume and her ravenous sister."

"Why, what a kind gesture, Kuno-kun," Hinako beamed, "It's nice to see that at least one male member of your household has the proper respect for a lady. I'll come with you…Soun-chan, will you wait here for me and save my place in line?"

"Ah…well…" Soun replied, his mind now completely befuddled under the spell of the voluptuous teacher.

"And you, my sweet," Kuno took Natsume by the hand and kissed it, "Will you be so kind as to reserve my place while I tend to this important errand?"

"Ah…" Natsume was torn between gratitude that her man was momentarily distracting a pest away from her adopted father, but even more concerned about leaving Tatewaki in the presence of Hinako, who might well eye him as a snack for her energy absorption. Caught by indecision, she had no choice but to watch as he walked off with Hinako in search of the concession stand. At her side she felt Kurumi also tense up, but for slightly different reasons.

"Maybe I should go with them to keep that baka out of trouble, do you think, Sis?"

Natsume gave her sister a grateful smile and said, "If it's not too much of a burden, Imoutochan…"

"Right," Kurumi replied, and loped off in the direction of Tatewaki and Hinako.

Unseen by them, a pair of glasses gleamed off of the moonlight, but that one factor did catch the eye of the most alert among them, who cast her gaze about with narrowed eyes and sniffed the breeze as if to catch a familiar scent, a gesture that drew an immediate glance from her closest companions.

"What is it?" Ukyo asked, "Is anything wrong?"

"Ah…not quite," Perfume replied, finding no further trace of what she was after.

"Don't give me that, Kitty," Ukyo frowned, "If you were in your cursed form, I'd say your ears just flattened."

"It's just…I think there's someone here watching us," Perfume replied, "We ought to be on our guard…just in case…"

"Just in case?" Nabiki's own ears pricked up, "You mean…Mousse?"

"Shampoo thought she smell hairy Ape somewhere in area," Shampoo murmured back, "Is perfect hiding place for him, yes?"

"What does that jerk want now?" Akane growled.

"What does he always want?" Perfume sighed, "I wish for once he would just get a clue and…huh?"

"Huh?" Ukyo repeated, "Huh what?"

"That's…strange," Perfume frowned as her eyes tracked a certain shadow, "I think I spotted Mousse all right, but he's not heading our way…he's following the same path as Uncle Soun and the others."

"You mean he's stalking someone else for once?" Nabiki asked, "But who?"

"Kurumi!" Natsume spoke up with alarm, "She's been thwarting him almost on a daily basis the whole time that you were gone, maybe he has come to view her as an obstacle that needs removing…"

"Obstacles always need removing to Amazon thinking," Shampoo gave a concerned glance towards Natsume, "Mousse very dangerous when crossed…him maybe do something to you sister?"

"Like what?" Akane asked, "Kurumi can run rings around the guy in her sleep!"

"But Mousse does not always fight fair, and he can be quite cunning when he has to," Perfume replied, "Airen…wait here, I have to put a stop to this."

"Not without me you won't, Sugar," Ukyo replied in tones that did not brook contradiction.

"I'll go with her," Nabiki said, "You stay here with Shampoo…"

"Shampoo come with you, Airen," Shampoo also insisted.

"Hey, I'm coming too!" Akane protested, "She's my sister!"

"And that goes double for me," Natsume avowed, "Aunt Nodoka, please hold our place, we will only be a moment in dealing with this interloper."

"Ah, well…" Nodoka began, only to find that she and Kasumi were alone. The both of them exchanged looks then as one they gave up their place in line and started to follow.

And from the concealment of a nearby tent, yet another pair of eyes gleamed with thinly veiled amusement before a softly feminine voice chuckled, "Oh my…I do so much enjoy following the antics of these young people…"

Happosai was fuming to himself a bit as he stalked towards the trailer where the boys were getting suited up for their nightly performance. For some reason he just did not feel in the mood to indulge in one of his nightly excursions, as if raiding pantyhose from the ladies had somehow lost its luster for the evening…and all because this talk of nostalgia was making him feel moody.

[Ah, Cologne,] he thought to himself with a wistful sigh, [You were so pure and innocent in those days, like an untrammeled flower growing wild in the mountains you so loved. If only I had not been such an impetuous and foolish young man, we could have been so good for each other…]

Of course, in his fantasies he stood considerably taller and had lustrous blond hair, a powerful physique and manly features that would have made Ranma look like Gosunkuji. The mere fact that such handsome looks had never truly been his to begin with hardly factored in at all to his thinking. It was Cologne who truly mattered, Cologne who had been the most stunning and radiant beauty that he had ever set eyes upon, even the woman he had married barely holding a candle to her exotic glory. Cologne had been a precious child whose innocence had been tainted when Happosai callously and cruelly abandoned her to resume his travels as a wandering student of the martial arts..

Well…at least that was how he wanted to remember the events at the time of their parting. It was about the same time that he had encountered the demoness Ganglot, who had given him the means of achieving his dreams of martial arts glory (well, that and another demon he once wrangled with, then that rude Immortal fellow from whom he had managed to steal the precious quickening power that sustained his life to this day, but all of that was another story). It still revolved around the girl he had left behind, the first woman to capture his heart. He could not forget the Cologne who was even in the light of knowing what she had become in the bitterness of long abandonment. It was Cologne who…

Who…

"Who…" Happosai whispered aloud, "Is that?"

A womanly shape was gliding through the darkened areas between well-lit tents, like a flitting shadow seeking its prey like a wandering ghost or some stalking predator. A thin ray of moonlight did, however, briefly play across her face, and in that moment Happosai felt the ground nearly give out from underneath his feet and swallow him whole, for it was a radiant vision borrowed from his most fervent dreams…or nightmares.

"C-Cologne?" he managed to gasp, but already the shadowy form had moved on beyond hearing.

For a moment he stood there, not daring to believe, but then the wizened old man said, "It-it can't be…but if it is…"

He hurried up the pace, hoping to catch another glimpse of the elusive beauty. A hunch was forming in his mind and he had to find that girl in order to confirm it. It could all prove to be just an illusion or hallucination on his part, or possibly even an amazing coincidence, but either way he just had to find that girl, and (if possible) to squeeze her to be certain that she was real. It was too much to hope that he might be granted another chance, but he could not pass up on the hope of trying, and if it really was true…why…who was he to overlook a gift of the Kami?

Predator stalked predator, and the race was on to ignite a long buried and almost forgotten passion, and if he failed to find her now…why, he would have trouble forgiving himself, but somehow Happosai knew that destiny was with him…one way or the other…

"I wish to thank again for your kind generosity, Lord Kuno," Hinako said merrily as she munched happily down on her cotton candy, her arms laden full of extra sweets, "Kurumi-san and I could never have afforded so much at the prices they charge in such a place as this. You truly are the man of your household."

"I thank you, you are too kind," Kuno replied, holding a single cotton candy wand uneaten in his own hand as they began to trace their way back to where they thought the others were waiting, "I know that my father must vex you greatly, Hinako-Sensei, and for that I do apologize. He was not always the man he is today, but he seems to have adapted to life as the principal of a high school, however much he tends to annoy his students."

"I really should not complain," Hinako sighed, "He is the man who hired me as a homeroom teacher for your classroom, though nominally to keep an eye out for such delinquents as Nabiki and your former self. Things seem to have quieted down a bit at Furinkan, however, and I have been wondering of late if my services are still required. I do love the job of teaching…but…lately I have started to wonder if my destiny might not lay elsewhere…"

"You mean as a housewife?" Tatewaki asked with a glance towards Soun, who seemed oblivious to their conversation, "Forgive my forwardness and lack of proper manners, but may I presume to ask if you have already in mind some fortunate soul to be your husband?"

Hinako colored brightly and replied, "My lord…you are much too forward. But…still…it is true that I have been…considering my options…"

Kurumi rolled her eyes at the circumspect way in which Kuno had asked such a question. His flowery speech patterns hardly impressed her as much as they did Natsume, but she had to grudgingly admit that his charm was also effective on someone like Hinako. Either way, she was too busy polishing off her snacks to pay their banter much attention, satisfied by now that Hinako was not about to leach the guy who was putting the moves on her sister. (And too bad about that, because she really had wanted to see that happen…)

All at once Kurumi's finely-honed combat reflexes came to the fore and she turned her body to the side in time to miss being struck by a number of hurled projectiles. Said projectiles carried on and struck a telephone pole behind her, but then she belatedly realized that they had been aimed to miss her, and that the one who had hurled them had been merely intending to get her attention.

It worked as Kurumi immediately stood on her guard, even as Hinako pulled out a coin and Kuno stood himself at the ready, snarling a very low, "Who dares?"

"I do," said Mousse, who every calmly stepped out into the open from between a pair of tents, smiling confidently in a way that seemed uncanny to his nominal intended target.

Soun halted in his tracks, alerted to the sense that something was amiss as his eyes fell upon Kurumi and the figure of Mousse, who clearly was issuing a challenge of some sort.

"You?" Kuno's eyes narrowed, "What do you want you Occularly impaired simian?"

"I'm not here for you or the teacher," Mousse replied, keeping his focus deliberately on Kurumi, "You're the only one I've come looking for. Tendo Kurumi I challenge you to a match to determine once and for all which of us is the better fighter."

"You mean…here?" Kurumi asked in surprise, "And now?"

"Do you know a better time for it?" he countered, "Just you and me, right here, right now."

"Okay," Kurumi straightened out, "If that's the way you want it…"

"Oh I most certainly do," Mousse smiled, "But not the way you expect it…not this time."

Soun opened his mouth to say something, but it was the young Lord Kuno who beat him to the punch.

"Be careful," Tatewaki warned, "I sense something different about this fool…his posture and bearing are not the same as with his usual attacks."

"This is disgraceful behavior," Hinako declared, "Finish him off quickly or I will be forced to take action."

"You'd like that, I'll bet," Kurumi murmured to herself as she readied to dodge one of Mousse's hurled attacks, at which point she would use the opening to close the distance between them to finish him off in one blow. He always gave her the same opening…and just for once she wished that he would try something…

Mousse's outline blurred, and then he started to divide and multiply before her very eyes as if he were encircling her in both directions.

…Different? she thought to herself with a wide-eyed expression.

Soun began to tense, and in a tight voice he said, "Kurumi-chan…?"

Just then Nabiki and the others arrived at a dead run, just in time to see Mousse seemingly surround the shorter girl in a ring that had Mousses fanning out in a complete circle. Kurumi was turning her head wildly around as if trying to discern which Mousse was real and which were the illusions, but as she watched in amazement the Chinese boy's form blurred even more into a darkened outline, and then shadows seemed to form all around her, engulfing her in all directions.

"What the heck is that?" Ukyo wondered.

"Is like splitting Cat hairs," Shampoo remarked before sensing Nabiki's involuntary shudder, at which point she hastily added, "Shampoo sorry, Airen…"

All at once the attack came at Kurumi and she found herself literally buffeted on all sides by a hundred punches and kicks that came at her from all directions. As fast as she could block a few, the rest proved overwhelming, and while no single punch by itself proved telling, a thousand of them at once was enough to make her head spin, and in next to no time she hit the ground like a nerveless puppet.

"Kurumi-chan!" both Soun and Natsume said together in the same instant.

Mousse stepped away from his own shadows and took a position not far away, saying simply, "That was my new Shadow technique, the dance of a Thousand Dark Punches. I deliberately kept the power down real low so that I wouldn't really hurt you. Did you like it?"

"Gah…" Kurumi sat upright and pushed against the ground growling, "That-that was nothing…"

"Kurumi!" Natsume started to rush forward, only to be warned off by a hasty gesture from both Soun and Kuno..

"Stay where you are!" Mousse declared dramatically, "This is between me and your sister, no one else gets involved, not until I hear her surrender."

"Surrender?" Kurumi forced herself to stand on wobbly legs, "That's a joke, right…?"

"Kurumi-chan," Akane said in immediate concern, feeling her own urge to charge forward in the defense of her adopted sister.

"I thought that would be your answer," Mousse replied, "In which case…have a taste of my second new attack…Engage, Engulf and Bind!"

He threw back both arms and launched a series of chains that flew from his sleeves, but instead of aiming for Kurumi the chains lanced out at the space around her, leaving the short-haired girl momentarily confused at to what he was up to, right up until Mousse made a small circling motion with both arms that caused the chains to curl back and wind in around Kurumi's body, not actually touching her but encircling her in a cocoon-like binding. With another flick of his wrists he caused those chains to constrict about her, only this time Kurumi did not wait passively to learn what he was about.

Those who had been about to cry her name saw Kurumi rocket skyward, leaping out of the binding chains like a cannon shot and briefly going airborne in an arching curl that she turned into a dragon-stamp kick aimed in Mousse's direction. In spite of this audacious counter-offensive, Mousse smiled to himself as if sensing triumph.

Kurumi's foot hit the spot where Mousse had been standing one second later, but Mousse had vanished entirely, while his chains snaked around and coiled about her without warning.

"HEY!" Kurumi cried, suddenly finding her arms pinned to the sides of her body.

"Now behold my ultimate maneuver!" Mousse declared from seemingly all around her, "Blind Style Fighting Reverse Containment!"

"Wha-?" Kurumi gasped as her eyes went wide and she momentarily staggered, and those who were sensitive to Chi forces all around her felt the shadows closing in on her, surrounding her in a gray haze that lasted but a moment, yet which caused the young girl to fall to her knees, gasping in real horror.

Mousse reappeared from behind her, holding the chains that he had used to trap the girl's arms, and very calmly he asked, "Do you surrender?"

For a moment Kurumi could not speak, but she nodded her head, conceding the fight without a second thought, at which point Mousse did something with the chains that made them release her, and then they retracted back into his sleeves altogether.

"Whoah," Nabiki softly murmured, her own eyes by now as wide as saucers.

"I WON!" Mousse declared, "I finally beat her!"

"What did you do to Kurumi?" Natsume demanded hotly, a makeshift staff held up in both hands as she had been convinced earlier in the evening to leave at home her trademark rug-beater.

"Why…nothing of course," Mousse smiled, "She's not really hurt, and you won't find a mark anywhere about her. I won this fight fair and square, and now even Kurumi has conceded that I am the better fighter."

"Indeed," Kuno frowned, "But by what foul art of enchantment have you worked this?"

"It was a Chi-attack," Perfume exclaimed, "But…how? Where did he learn such a powerful maneuver?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Mousse smiled, "And now that I've removed her interference…"

"Let me guess," Ukyo growled, "You're gonna come after me next to get to Perfume, right?"

"Not this time," Mousse replied, "I think I've shown you enough of my new system for one night, and it would be foolish for me to try and take all of you on by myself. I only wanted to face Kurumi and prove to her once and for all that I'm a man worth respecting…"

"Indeed," a pleasant voice remarked, "And you defeated her most admirably. A worthy challenge met and accepted as befits a son of the Nyanchiczu."

"Huh?" Mousse whirled around, only to find himself confronted by a dark haired girl of indeterminate age and indescribable beauty, "W-Who are you…?"

"A friend," said this girl, who was wearing a fancy Chinese silk dress, "I was simply admiring the way you used shadow and illusion to defeat this girl. A new technique, if I am not mistaken, created by you for this very purpose."

"It's my own creation," Mousse replied cautiously, "But I don't quite know what business it is of yours, Miss…?"

"Call me Bha-alm," the radiant beauty smiled a dazzling smile, "It was the name of an honored ancestor of mine, and of a cousin who once hailed originally from your village. I am myself an exile from the Nyanchiczu tribe, which is why I was drawn with such interest to witnessing your spectacle. Most well played indeed, and the young warrior there never even saw it coming."

"You claim to be the cousin of Balm from our village?" Perfume immediately challenge, "Prove it!"

"You are Pur-Fum the Enforcer, correct?" the gentle-voiced girl replied, "I have heard stories of you, how you caused three girls to be exiled for a crime committed against my cousin, Lo-Xion. Surely you have heard of Poul-Tice, my mother?"

"Poultice the Healer?" Perfume arched an eyebrow, "She lived in one of the neighboring villages in the Valley of the Willow Weavers. They are Amazons of an entirely different cast, complete renunciates who live without husbands. They mate twice a year with the men of their rival village, and only to have children. But I heard that they cast out their Healer because she violated one of their rules…"

"She dared to love a man and to keep him with her," the young-seeming girl before them revealed, "She declared him her husband, and he became my father."

"Is forbidden love of renunciates," Shampoo declared, "Great-grandmother say she go to village of Weeping Woman, but no find happiness there, move on with man and leave lands of Amazons. Go to foreign parts, but no know they go to Japan."

"They went to lots of different places," the young girl replied, "But nowhere did they find a place to call their home. I grew up on the road as a wandering gypsy, of sorts, and then I came here where I earn an honest living. If you have any doubts about my story, ask your great-grandmother, she was the only Elder of the ruling council who spoke out in my mother's favor."

"Wait a minute," Nabiki spoke up, "How can you know that Shampoo is her great-granddaughter…and how can you even know Perfume if you grew up outside of her village?"

"I know lots of different things," the dark-haired girl replied, "For example…I know where this fool learned the secrets of his new fighting techniques. Would you care to know the answer?"

"Sure," Nabiki said, "Fire away…let me have it."

"Not here," the dark haired girl replied, nodding towards the big tent, "The answers you seek is in there…inside the circus itself where a performance is being readied at this very moment that will amaze and surprise you. Once you see with your own eyes you will know what you need to know."

"Really?" Nabiki sniffed, "Sounds like fortune telling mumbo jumbo to me…"

"Oneechan," Akane spoke up, "Supposing she's right? Mousse must be a part of this circus, right? That means somebody here must have taught him something that helped him learn how to defeat Kurumi."

"Oh, there's something in there all right," Mousse chuckled, "And you'll definitely get a real surprise if you go in there."

"What are you up to?" Tatewaki asked, "What foul game are you playing?"

"No games," Mousse said, sounding surprisingly sober as he looked upon the woman who called herself Balm, "Save those played by others, who shall go nameless. I did what I had to do in order to secure my way clear of obstacles, and now that I have defeated Kurumi…"

"Ah yes," the dark haired woman said, "Congratulations…I'm sure the both of you will make a wonderful couple."

"A wonderful…huh?" Kurumi blinked as she finally recovered from her battle.

"When an Amazon is defeated by an outsider girl, she must either kill or marry that girl," Cologne replied, "But if a man should defeat her, that man becomes her husband. He defeated you in a formal challenge match and you concede that you lost, which means that the both of you…"

"WHAT?" Mousse reacted, then he and Kurumi chorused, "NO WAY!"

"How can this be?" Soun asked, "My daughter is not an Amazon!"

"Excuse me for contradicting you, Elder of your House," the dark haired girl replied, "But did your middle daughter not marry an Amazon and take her for a wife? And did not the Elder of the High Council herself declare your entire clan as honorary Amazons, and thus by adopting this cousin as a member of your house…"

"All right," Nabiki declared, "Now I know that you couldn't have found any of that out without some inside information…"

"Unless she is Seer," Shampoo said warily, "They know many things, Airen, and things only Lore Masters know. Is very rare and special talent."

"That's true," Perfume affirmed, "A Seer would know things by clairvoyant vision, but is she such a Seer? I have this…odd sense that we have met before…"

"As I have said," the dark haired girl replied, "I've been to many different places. Do you wish to have answers? Enter the Big Top and you will have them."

"And meanwhile…" Ukyo said, "What about this business about Kurumi being married to Mousse? She's not really bound by those stupid Amazon rules…is she?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Soun thundered.

"Stupid?" Perfume gave her wife a sobering look, "As stupid as when I made you my Airen?"

"Uh…well…that is…" Ukyo winced, "Oboy."

"No way!" Kurumi said, "I've got a say in this, right?"

"So do I!" Mousse declared, "And that isn't why I-!"

"You can make your excuses to each other," the dark haired girl said as she started to turn around, "I have no part to play in any of this, other than wishing you both a long an happy life with strong warriors for your children. The rest is up to you, I fear, the gods pity you both."

"And in the meantime you can stop bothering Perfume-chan," Nabiki smiled, "Unless you want Kurumi-chan to get upset about it."

"But that…" Perfume blinked, "That's right…first come, first serve…"

"You mean that rule about only one challenge being legitimate at a time?" Ukyo blinked, "Oh…yeah…yeah…now I get it…"

"Shampoo do too," Shampoo smiled, "And very happy that adopted clan-sister get strong and able husband. Maybe weak in head, but he just need strong wife to guide him."

"What?" Natsume said, "I can't believe what I am hearing here…are you so quick to be rid of this fool that you would dare to inflict him upon my very own sister?"

"Well…not to be too blunt about it," Perfume replied, "But…hell yes!"

"Couldn't have put it better myself, Sugar," Ukyo said as she turned to Kurumi, "Wish you all the luck in the world 'Cuz, but…he's all yours with my blessings."

"Look at it this way," Nabiki smiled, "There's no real obligation here, other than what you two decide for yourselves…that and you're Amazon equivalent of honor, or pride, or whatever it is you hold sacred, Mousse. She's my sister, so you'd better treat her right, but…Kurumi…if you didn't want to get involved with him, then you should have left him to me and Ucchan. I appreciate you for everything that you've tried to do, but…well…you got yourself into this, and even you have to admit that, Natsume-chan."

"True…Natsume said reluctantly, "But the thought of my sister wed to this…fool…"

"HEY!" Mousse protested.

"Fair Nabiki speaks true, Churl," Tatewaki said, "Your blind obsession is what got you into this…you chose to utter challenge to this girl in the presence of three witnesses, and now do you deny that you fought with her honorably and defeated her fairly? Still and all, if you hurt her in any way, you will answer to me."

"Hey, what's everyone going on about?" Akane asked, "Kurumi…you didn't plan on this, did you?"

"Huh?" Kurumi blinked, "No…I…"

"I won't allow this!" Soun declared, "No daughter of mine should be compelled into a marriage against her choosing…"

"Excuse me, Daddy?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow.

"Seems to me I've heard differently somewhere before," Akane grumbled.

"Soun-chan," Nodoka said gently, "Perhaps we should let Kurumi decide for herself whether she wants to be involved with this boy…"

"It would be preferable to having Mousse continue to bother Ukyo, father," Kasumi added in, "And Kurumi-chan does seem to be interested, so I suppose there wouldn't be anything wrong in allowing them to date."

"I agree with your daughters, Soun-chan," Hinako spoke up, "Young people are always in such a rush to jump into things, but if you give them time to decide for themselves, with the correct amount of guidance, they can often make intelligent choices."

"Now she figures that out," Ukyo muttered in a low undertone of voice.

"Then it is decided," Tatewaki said, "Natsume-chan…she is your sister. I would counsel her to make no haste or jump to any premature decisions, but as she has been pressing this man to acknowledge her pursuit…"

"Yes," Natsume said reluctantly, "I suppose it is up to Kurumi…"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Kurumi protested, "I wasn't trying to get him to…"

"Marry you?" Perfume smiled, "You are right…you are absolutely right, Cousin…no one should be forced to marry a man like Mousse…in fact, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, let alone on an in-law, but you can make your own mind up about that. No one is forcing you to do anything that you don't want to do, and if you want to kick him out into the cold, go right ahead, in fact, I double dare you."

"Perfume!" Mousse said plaintively, "How could you?"

"Very easy," Perfume sniffed, "In fact I have a lifetime of reason to feel sorry that I ever knew you."

"Brrr…that's cold," Ukyo shivered, "Sure glad I'm not in your shoes, Guy. Now if you could only take a hint and buy a clue here, you'd know that Perfume's been telling you for years to take a hike…"

"I wasn't talking to you, Kuonji!" Mousse snapped.

"Yes you are!" Perfume got up right in his face, "Listen to me now, Mousse…I am TIRED of you constantly chasing after me and harassing me! I am sick to death of your telling me that I need your protection, of you getting in the way of me having any normal friendships, and now you threaten the woman that I love, the woman who is going to have my baby, and all for what? To soothe your fragile ego? Well, I'm sorry you had such a hard life, that people in our village treated you so badly, but give me a break! You don't control my life and you don't own me! You think you can master a new skill and use it to change my mind? WELL THINK AGAIN! I'd sooner renounce my Amazon heritage than accept a life with you! SO STOP FOLLOWING ME AROUND AND TRYING TO CONTROL MY LIFE, OR SO HELP ME, I'LL BURY YOU WTH BOTH OF MY AXES! Do you have that now? Well-DO YOU???"

Mousse started to cringe, looking like a whipped dog facing its angry master, and the sight of that did something to Kurumi that made her suddenly interpose herself in the space between both him and the Amazon male looking Perfume in the eyes as she declared hotly, "BACK OFF! You've said enough already!"

"Excuse me?" Perfume asked with raised eyebrows.

"I know he's an idiot, and I know he's given you nothing but grief," Kurumi replied, "But he's a human being too, and you don't need to beat him into the ground to make your point either. He's done a lot for you, even if he's been a blind idiot for harassing you, but there's no reason why you have to stomp up and down on his feelings."

"Fine," Perfume said, "You want him, he's yours, and thanks for the sacrifice," Perfume turned around and said, "Come on, Ucchan, I'm going to the Big Top."

"Kurumi-chan," Soun said to the younger girl, "If this is what you want…then I'll give my blessings."

"Huh?" Kurumi said faintly, "Hey…wait…!"

"I don't know about you," Nabiki sighed, "But I'm tired of all this. Kurumi…you do what you like and I'll back you up on it, but if it's all the same, guys, I wanna see what's so special that's going on inside this circus."

"Then I with you, Airen," Shampoo affirmed, and fell into step alongside Nabiki.

"Kurumi-chan," Natsume said, "It is up to you, my sister, but…you did ask for this…even you must admit that."

"I…I…" Kurumi faltered, and then she and Mousse turned to one another and simultaneously said, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"Yeah, whatever," Akane rolled her eyes, "I'm going in the tent, guys…you coming?"

"Might as well," Nodoka mused, "Nothing here that needs to be settled, except by these young people."

Cologne watched as the party headed off to the main big top tent at the center of the circus complex and smiled to herself, pleased that the steps that she had taken to guard against Perfume's hypersenses had proven effective. She had sown the seeds for future contacts, created a false identity (based on a real person she had known, gone many years from the lands of the Amazons, sadly) and had taken the name of her own mother as a means by which to approach her great-granddaughters. Now all she had to do was nudge Nabiki in the right direction, once the revelations inside the tent did their work in properly motivating the girl to want to do much better. She chuckled softly to herself, anticipating the surprise that would greet her chosen heir once Nabiki saw what Ranma had been up to.

She started to turn away, intent on putting phase two of her plans into motion, when something latched onto her chest and began to fondle her in an altogether familiar manner.

"COLOGNE!" he cried, "You're back! I don't know how or why, but you're finally back to-AAAWKPHHH!!!" he finished with his face buried a foot into the dirt.

Cologne huffed and puffed very hard, almost having forgotten the one teeny-tiny little drawback to her plans…that there was at least one person living who knew what she truly looked like! It would figure that the miserable dwarf would have just enough wits about him to deduce the truth from the evidence that he was provided.

Predictably, of course, he recovered almost immediately from his pounding, springing up bright and chipper as always as he beamed up to her brightly and said, "I KNEW IT WAS YOU! Nobody can ram it down the way you can! You really are back…it's a miracle! Or…something like that…"

Cologne thought fast and altered her voice slightly, "Oh sir…you have made a tragic mistake, I am not this person you have named…I am Balm, an exile from China…"

"Yeah, and I'm the King of Mongolia myself," Happosai snorted derisively, "Come on, Old Woman, fess up…how did you do it? How did you get yourself to look so young again? Was it some kind of magic? Maybe you got yourself some Nyaniichuan water…?"

"Nothing like that," Cologne decided to drop the act as it obviously was not working, "And it's nothing a fool like you could use even if I told you the truth about me. I don't need to tell you that I've been having some problems recently with my great-granddaughters…"

"Yeah, I kind of wondered about that," Happosai mused, "You must have done something to really tick them off, because I think I heard a little bird telling me on the way here that you got thrown out of both the restaurant and the dojo. Must've been a doozy if both Shampoo and Perfume are mad at you at the same time. They're usually such obedient girls…I wonder if I should ask them about it…"

"Don't you dare!" Cologne hissed, "And it's none of your business anyway!"

"The hell it's not," Happosai snorted, "You're up to something…and it's never just small potatoes with you. You tend to think in LARGE issues, Honey-bunch. Maybe I should go look up Nabiki and see what she has to say about the matter…"

Cologne grit her teeth and growled, "What do you want for me to buy your silence…or is that too obvious a question?"

"Take a wild guess," Happosai smiled, "You know me well enough that you shouldn't have to ask."

Cologne stood very still, but at last she shrugged her shoulders and said, "As the younger people say these days…whatever…"and with that she unbuttoned the top part of her shirt, reached into her cleavage, and a moment later pulled out a thing that she would have sworn that she would never give up to such a pervert of her own free will. Happosai accepted the offering as a gift and stared with large, round misty eyes, eyes that formed with tears as he held the bra up to his face and sighed with absolute and complete blissful contentment.

"Cologne…oh, Cologne, honey…if you only knew…it's been so very long…"

The Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku took a deep breath and exhaled it, rolling her eyes to the heavens before saying, "I don't think I want to know. But Happy…if I find out you have betrayed my secret…I will curse you with the Hohoemi Sannen Goroshi Technique…you know the one that is?"

Happosai paled, "Uh…yeah…sure…no problem. You've got a deal, then. Well…nice to meet you…Balm…hope you pull it off somehow. Be a shame if they kick your ass back to China, now that you've decided to live a little."

Cologne closed her eyes and silently resolved to do penance for whatever series of crimes had caused her to be burdened with so much negative Karma. The deception over Lotion alone did not seem sufficient to warrant this…but then again, one never could tell with the humor of the gods. They could be a rather vindictive and inventive bunch, but…then again, so could a Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku.

Whatever the case, the next move was up to Nabiki, and-depending on how she reacted to certain revelations regarding her fiancé-the next few hours were bound to get very interesting, and whatever came about as a consequence, Cologne intended to be near the thick of the action to seize the advantage just as soon as she was able…perverted dwarves notwithstanding. It was a duty she owed to her heir to see that she put in a better showing in the next few days, but from all she knew about Nabiki…she somehow doubted that this was going to prove to be that much of a problem…

Continued

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