Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ Blood Sisters... ( Chapter 127 )

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.

Once again Ranma found himself in a strange, dark place surrounded by a haze that made it impossible to tell one direction from the next, though he had the distinct impression that he was right back at the crossroads where he had met that ethereal version of Kaoru, his sister. As he lay there attempting to get back his bearings, oddly familiar voices filtered into his waking consciousness, familiar in the sense that he was coming to accept their occasional voices in his head, though hearing them externally was just as likely to be interpreted as a sign of encroaching madness…

"…stupid, brainless, immature…irresponsible…" were some of the words he managed to make out, along with the unmistakable sense that the person speaking these words was greatly agitated about something.

"I said I was sorry," another familiar voice said, "How was I to know that my voice would be so distracting?"

"That's no excuse and you know it!" the first speaker snapped, and all at once Ranma knew who it was as he turned his head to see a trio of feminine shapes arguing with one another, "Talking to the Master at a time like that was amateurish and irresponsible. You ought to know better than that…your mother should have taught you to have better restraint for your impulses!"

The third party chose to speak up right then, "Lay off her, Latisha, you know Karina only meant to be helpful…"

"You keep out of this!" Latisha snapped, "I've known the master longer than either of you and I know how hard he is working to better master his new abilities, but he has to learn on his own! You cannot kibitz and help him by suggesting new ways by which he can utilize our powers. He has to develop his own skills and abilities based on his remarkable combat genius. Giving him suggestions is tantamount to interfering with his growing development as both a Sorcerer and a Martial Artist."

"A Sorcerer?" the third speaker-whom Ranma now identified as Sharil-remarked, "I thought he was a Martial Artist, and a young Master at that. Are you telling us that you mean on shaping him to be something even more ambitious than this?"

"It's in his nature and his destiny," Latisha replied, "He has already begun his journey on the Way of Return, he has come farther much faster than any other human youth whom I have previously encountered. He will need guidance from us in time, true, but only when he is ready to heed out counsel. Until then he must progress on his own, learning to utilize our talents in the unique style that is distinctly his own, and only when he is ready to progress on the path of spiritual evolution will he be prepared to acknowledge us as his familiars and to summon our power as a Master of the Elementals. That is why we must restrain ourselves and give him a chance to develop his own powers, not to shape him in accordance with our own desires."

"But I wasn't trying to do that, honestly!" Karina protested, "I only wanted to serve our Master, to give him the benefit of my abilities…"

"In other words you jumped at the chance of attaching yourself to him, and like an Air-headed Sylph you had to go and try and coach him in the middle of a battle," Latisha snapped.

Karina cringed, "I was only trying to help…I didn't know the succubus still had some fight left in her."

"Well, anyway," Sharil sighed, "The damage is done, so what are we going to do about it? The Master needs our help once again, but until he regains consciousness and learns to summon us more effectively…"

Latisha sighed, "What else can we do…now that this twit has left a distinct imbalance within our Master's elemental nature? Honestly, I ought to tell your mother about how immature her daughter was behaving…"

Again Karina cringed, "I was only trying to help! And besides, the Master did pretty good with my help against the Bee lady. If he had a little more experience to get the hang of my Wind abilities…"

"Time we have in very short supply," Latisha noted.

"Maybe so," Sharil replied, "But all three of us know what needs to be done in order to restore balance. The Master has to gain another one of us from the C'thonic zone in order to ground his power and give us all a stable platform. He needs to find, tame and master an Earth elemental, either a Gnome or a Troll, and preferably of a high enough nature to balance the three of us out, which means that she has to be of royal extraction."

"Um…" Karina timidly said, "I…er…know how to find one."

Both Sharil and Latisha turned to regard their airy counterpart, and now had a better appreciation of the differences manifested in all three women. Sharil was blue skinned and blue haired, exactly like one of Madam Lao's ethereal servants, while Latisha was reddish-hued with a distinctive flame-like cast to her otherwise long, dark mane of hair, and Sharil was a blonde now with a willowy (but well curved) figure, but each of them strongly resembled their elemental affinity, and he could feel the power radiating out of all of them as though he were reading their battle auras without seeming effort.

"Er…" Karina was saying, seeing that she had the full, undivided attention of her fellow elementals, "Back when Dimitri…my former Master…trapped me down here to be his servant, he also captured another elemental to serve as a resting source for regenerating his power. She's trapped under the sarcophagus that he's using now as a bed, something that Anakaris guy provided for him. It allows him to restore his C'thonic energies after ever fight so he can heal back quicker, or something like that. All the Master has to do is find and rescue her then she can join us and help restore the balance."

"Just like that," Latisha sniffed, "And just how powerful is this Earth Elemental anyway?"

"I'm not sure myself," Karina replied, "All I know for sure is her name…Nagisha."

Latisha's eyebrows shot up and she swore, "N'gsha? I know this one…she would never help us."

"How can you be so certain of that?" Sharil replied.

"Because I know…or knew her mother…a very long time ago," Latisha frowned, "We were rivals, blood enemies, and N'gsha was then her loyal teenaged daughter. It had to do with a fire my people were waging against an abode of the humans…a private study belonging to some alchemist, and some ancient artifacts got damaged, priceless scrolls consumed, or something of that nature. Urg'hdnah took it rather badly and held me personally responsible for that, as if I could be blamed for my subjects doing their duty to consume the trash that mages leave lying about! We shared some words and it began a feud between our two peoples that has lasted for over two centuries, and the last I saw her, N'gsha was continuing that tradition."

"But maybe she's changed since then," Karina suggested, "She got along well enough with me, and she's an Earth elemental, my opposite! Way I hear it she's in rebellion against her mother."

"That…doesn't sound too likely," Sharil frowned, "Earth is conservative by nature…change is gradual, not swift as it would be for us. To have an attitudinal shift that abrupt…"

"Look, I don't know too many details about her story," Karina said, "But I think she had a falling out with her mother over…something, a boy maybe. It's kind of made her bitter and difficult to talk to, but ever since we both got enslaved by Dimitri…well…we didn't have much else to talk about, or to for that matter."

"So," Latisha said, "We have to somehow convince the Master to find and contact this N'gsha…and to free her from her prison? But how are we to do that while he's chained up in heavy iron?"

"The Master can break free from heavy iron," Karina said, "It's too old to maintain a strong magnetic charge, so it's not interfering with our powers. Or you could melt the chains without burning the master…or he could become as fluid as Sharil and slip free from his bonds like water…"

"You're suggesting techniques that the Master has yet to master," Sharil pointed out, "He may be woefully naïve about a great many things…the way you tricked him into absorbing you is proof enough of that…"

"But he is no great fool who can be molded to fit our liking," Latisha said, "And how are we to reach him while he is unconscious?"

"You're forgetting something," Karina suddenly smiled, "The Mind is the province of Air, and thought is within my nature. I've already established a bond with the Master's psyche, so it's not that hard to convey my thoughts to him and to create a realistic mental environment in which he can frame a coherent understanding of our thought patterns."

"You mean…?" Sharil lifted pale blue eyebrows.

"He's listening in on us right now," Karina turned and smiled at Ranma, "Isn't that right, Master?"

"Ah…" Ranma slowly sat upright, deciding it no longer suited him to "play dead" anyway, "Sorry about this, guys…didn't mean to eavesdrop, but…"

"You heard?" Latisha exclaimed in disbelief, shooting an accusing stare at the ethereal Karina.

"Yeah, I heard all right," Ranma said as he got to his feet (or seemed to anyway since he knew by now that this was some kind of weird dreamscape, like a holographic room from one of his favorite Sci-Fi American-produced imports, "So…you guys think I should take on another one of you? You know, of course, that Nabiki ain't gonna like sharing me with you as it is."

"She has no cause to feel jealous of us, Master," Karina said, "You are only doing what you need to do in order to gain the powers that you need to defeat Lord Dimitri."

"Yeah…I think I'm on to that page," Ranma said as he stared at the blonde elemental, who now only vaguely resembled his sister, Kaoru, "You were a prisoner here?"

Karina nodded, "Lord Dimitri captured me and was using me to do his bidding, but you broke his influence over the both of us, and now I loyally serve you, my far more worthy Master."

Latisha rolled her crimson eyes and seemed to beseech the very heavens, "Could you possibly behave any more like a groupie than that? You happen to be a Princess of royal elemental extraction…"

"So?" Karina shot back, "Dimitri still conquered me in spite of that, put his mark on me and turned me into his slave, the same as with Nagisha. But you can help me to liberate her, Master, and if you prove strong enough with her, as you did with me, then…"

"What do I have to do?" Ranma asked.

Sharil gave him a curious look and said, "You mean to follow through on this suggestion?"

"Sure, why not?" Ranma shrugged, "It may be kind of crowded in here, what with the three of you and all that, but I don't mind the extra company if you don't. And besides, I wouldn't leave a dog in the care of that Dimitri creep, why the hell would I want him to enslave any one of you girls?"

"We're not 'girls' as you so quaintly put it, Master," Sharil informed him, "We are Twelfth Grade elementals of royal extraction, and we are a proud race in the best of times. Gaining the allegiance of a Gnome princess may not be quite so easy as knocking on her prison and asking if she would like for you to liberate her."

"So?" Ranma said, "I had to pass a test to earn the services of the three of you, right?" he held up both arms and revealed his tattoos from beneath his rolled sleeves, "I'll do whatever it takes to free her from this place, if you guys agree to help me."

"It is noble of you to say so, Master," Karina said, "But…there are likely to be many trials and dangers that come with gaining Nagisha's allegiance."

"So?" Ranma said again, "I ain't afraid of no dumb test."

"No," Latisha smiled, "But you will be…you will be…"

"Bloody 'ell," Raptor softly murmured, seeing the dark shapes who had just entered the Tendo compound, "The Fuzz has arrived…"

Off by the house Natsumi and Miyuki were also staring in dismay and disbelief at the new arrivals, both the two dark-cloaked men and the lone cloaked one who seemed to travel all in shadow, and whose effect upon the setting was oddly chilling.

"Oh my," they heard Nodoka murmur, "So many new guests are arriving at such late hours. You would think at least one of them would call ahead for a reservation."

"Uh…Miyuki?" Natsumi asked.

"Yes, Natsumi-chan?" Miyuki replied.

"Why do those two guys remind me so much of Internal Affairs?" the first policewoman asked.

"They do seem to carry the weight of some sort of Federal Authority about them," her partner agreed, "But the third man…he carries himself like a prince…"

"Yeah, but Prince Charming he ain't," Natsumi swallowed, "It's so eerie how they just popped up like that, like they…flew in or something…"

"I wouldn't worry to much about them if I were you, girls," Nodoka smiled, only to frown and glance to the side as a pair of familiar figures entered the living room area, to which she replied very softly, "I thought I told you two to lie down and get some rest."

Both Soun and Genma reacted to the gentle reproof in the Saotome Matriarch's voice by cringing slightly, but then Soun straightened up and said, "Nodoka…you know I can't abide sitting back and doing nothing while my children are in danger, and Saotome's leg is healing back rather nicely…"

"Is that a fact?" Nodoka half turned to regard them, "Then why is my husband leaning with his arm across your shoulder, Soun-kun?"

"Er…" both men said together, only this time it was Genma's turn to show some backbone, "Wife…I'm not going to be idle while our son is in mortal danger. A little scratch like this isn't enough to keep me down, you know that."

"I see," Nodoka stared straight ahead once more and said, "Master Happy put you up to this, didn't he?"

"Urk!" the two men said in chorus, as though caught dead to rights.

Miyuki smiled as she looked from the comedy team of Soun and Genma to the stern face that the normally pleasant Nodoka was wearing and she silently appraised who was the real power to be reckoned with in this family. But then she turned back to examine what Natsumi was doing and said, "By the way, what are you doing, Natsumi-chan?"

"Carving crosses into the tips of my bullets," Natsumi replied as she carefully aligned yet another shell with her diamond mini-saw from her portable tool kit being used to carefully etch the tip of yet another bullet.

"That won't work all by itself," Miyuki chided, "Didn't you hear Donovan-san get through explaining that crosses won't work unless you believe in what they stand for…and I happen to know for a fact that you're not a Christian."

"So?" Natsumi replied, "When they hit they're gonna fragment, and the guy also said that they'll work best if you magnetize them. Just so happens I've got a bar magnet in my kit, so…"

"Oh," Miyuki smiled, "Now I see. You're charging them up so that they'll be more effective against the vampires."

"Bingo."

"So," Miyuki leaned closer to where her breath could be felt on Natsumi's earlobe, "What can I do for you to get you to do the same thing for my bullets? Will you take a check or…can I pay you back through other methods?"

"Ah-hah?" Natsumi blinked, and all at once she felt her body tingle with anticipation and she abruptly colored an appropriate shade of crimson.

"Er…Nodoka-chan," Soun spoke up, "Who are these men…and why are they here?"

"They're obviously not here to fight with us or they'd already be doing it," Genma reckoned, "But…what are they saying to each other? Nabiki seems fairly agitated about something…"

"I see," the dour-faced cloaked man known as "D" remarked, "So you were attacked and Queen Ling-Ko was taken hostage while the rest of you barely survived the encounter. And the enemy, you say, is Lord Jeddah, not just Dimitri?"

"They have Pyron helping them too," Julian informed the shadowy man, "And we think they're going to use her to craft some kind of spell that will resurrect a Rakshasa Prince known as Mor'ghul."

"Is this speculation…or fact?" one of the two dark robed figures flanking "D" asked simply.

"It's what we overheard them saying, Sir," Nagi replied, "The rest of us were pretty badly shot up…and…not everyone made it…"

"Then this has gone beyond a mere murder investigation," the other dark figure stated with a tone of authority, "As such it comes under our jurisdiction and is no longer of any concern to you. We will take charge of things from this point onward."

"The hell you will," Frank snapped, "There's more involved here than you guys realize. This lady here is gonna get her husband back from Dimitri, and I warn you, it wouldn't be too smart to try and stop her."

"This is an official matter for the Enforcers, Doctor Steinberg," the dark robed figure from before insisted, "You cannot countermand our authority, which comes directly from the Council."

"Yes, but the Council ain't here and we are," Talbain insisted, "So back off a bit and don't be so territorial about it."

"A Were has no business lecturing us about our duties," one of the robed giants pointed out, "This is a crime scene and you are obstructing our investigation."

"A crime scene?" Nabiki flared, "This is my house and family we're talking about here. Don't try and tell me it's none of my business!"

"Indeed?" the black-cloaked D remarked, "You claim clan privilege because your husband is involved?"

"Yeah, and because I'm one of the only people who can stop Dimitri cold," Nabiki replied, "I did it once before, only this time I'm gonna stomp his face into the dirt and grind it until he's dusted."

"Such vigilante action is frowned upon by the Council," one of the two Enforcers stated sternly, "The jurisdiction of the Vampire Nation knows no international boundaries, but neither will we tolerate interference by outsiders. The will of the Council must be enforced, and if we must place the lot of you into protective custody for your own sakes…"

"Try it," Natsume said with quiet resolve, "Just try it and you will find that we are not without our own resources."

"So say we all," Tatewaki said as he stood resolutely beside his lady.

"Um…what are you guys doing?" Lenora asked nervously, "Those are Enforcers you're talking to…trust me on this, you DON'T want to make them angry…"

"Anger is an emotion we are not permitted to possess while on duty," the other Enforcer related, "However, it would be unwise to provoke us into taking summary action. We are given broad latitudes in these matters and have the authority to do whatever is necessary to restore the balance of Justice. A Queen of royal blood has been taken by a known enemy of the state, and if anyone either aids or abets in this crime, or gets in the way of our investigation…"

"Just the two of you…against Dimitri and his allies?" Miyu asked, "Even for Enforcers you speak rather boldly of your prowess."

"And with good reason, Princess," one of the two figures said before reaching up and pulling back his hood to reveal a broad and craggy face that was strangely handsome and rather dusky.

The other man did likewise, revealing his square jawed, well tanned features that bore a curious set of tattoos upon his face, at which point Leguire hissed and said in a low tone of dismay, "No…it cannot be!"

"Arkadians," Yasmina breathed, "But I thought your tribe was all but extinct…"

"We are among the last of our people," the first of the two men said proudly, "But still we serve the Council proudly."

"Arkadians," Larva softly exclaimed, "Among the deadliest of Night Breed, trained in the full warrior arts and armed with arcane spells that make them many times more lethal than any Jezril."

"Oh my," Kasumi spoke up, drawing attention back her way.

"You," the first of the two Arkadians remarked, "You are the new Queen whom has been mentioned? Yes…I can feel your power radiating softly…different from other Queens whom we have known, but…"

"But still of interest to the Council," the other Enforcer remarked, "You will come with us when this is over so that we may present you to our Masters and see that you are briefed and fully integrated into your duties as full fledged Blood Mother."

"In a pigs eye," Keiko said softly as she moved to stand closer to both Kasumi and Nabiki.

"She is not going anywhere with the likes of you," Natsume vowed softly as Kurumi moved to flank her while Tatewaki and Mousse prepared to back them both..

"Oneechan belongs with us," Nabiki said proudly, "And if you want her then you're gonna have a fight on your hands."

"You would defy the will of the Council?" the first Enforcer said rather sternly, eyes blazing with crimson light from within.

"Please," Kasumi stepped forward, gently pushing her way from between the linked shoulders of her sisters and closest friends, looking directly at the two Enforcers and saying, "Don't fight over me. I have no objection to going and visiting with your Council, but first I have to find and free my little brother. I can't go anywhere until I know that he is safe, so please don't prevent us from helping him. It's very important to me, and it's my duty as a sister to give my family the love and support that they require."

For a moment the two burly Enforcers just blinked at her and stared into the softly radiant features of the novice Queen, and for a moment they felt the force of her Influence take them over and rebuff their resolve…but then discipline and training came to the fore and the lead Arkadian said, "You are…formidable, dear lady…but the will of the Council is absolute…"

"Hold on a minute there, Mathaius," the robed man known as D spoke up, "This lady interests me. I will take full responsibility onto my shoulders and explain things to my father, but I suggest you ease up a bit and hear what the lady has to say before taking summary action."

To everyone's amazement (save for the Darkstalkers and Vampires) the two burly men bowed in respect of the slighter man's authority, and the one identified as "Mathaius" said, "If you wish it so, my Prince…but we still must fulfill our duties."

"Fair enough," D noted before giving Kasumi his full, undivided attention, "Now then, Tendo-san…why do you wish us to permit you, your family and friends to go into danger facing down the Dark Pack…and with the possible fate of the world hovering in the balance?"

"Because we can defeat Dimitri and free my brother, Ranma," Kasumi replied, "And without anyone getting hurt…um, except for the bad people. We were just about to take steps that we hoped would assure us victory and…"

"Is this so?" D turned to regard Frank and Donovan.

"Yeah," the big man-monster answered forthrightly.

"It was my suggestion that they were going to put into effect," Donovan explained, then went on to elaborate, detailing his plan and the effects that he was hoping to create.

Even the brawny Enforcers registered alarm when they heard this, but D only stared from beneath the lip of his broad-brimmed hat and said, "A bold plan to be certain, but risky. You are truly willing to risk this, Donovan? I would never have imagined such a thing of you…"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Donovan replied, "And Miss Tendo has agreed to this, as have her two sisters. If you will permit the exchange of blood to commence, then you will see why I believe that this is the best course that could lead us to victory over Dimitri."

"This is outrageous!" Mathiaus declared, "The Council will never permit…"

D raised his hand and the giant man fell silent.

"You have intrigued me," D remarked very sagely, "Were anyone else but Donovan Bane to come to me with such a suggestion I would declare him mad…but if you truly believe that this is for the best…"

"I do," the powerful Exorcist responded.

D nodded slowly, "Then I will permit it."

The Enforcers both hissed, baring fangs, but one look from D and the two of them fell silent.

"I will assume full responsibility and explain things to my father," D informed them, and this seemed to bring a quiet resolution to the matter as he turned to regard Kasumi and said, "You may proceed as you intend, Miss Tendo."

"Who is this guy?" Kurumi whispered sidelong to Lenore, who had been hovering in the background with her own friends, hanging close to the side of Raptor.

"D?" Lenore whispered back, "He's a legend among vampire hunters…a powerful Vampyr who hates the Dark every bit as much as Donovan, only his real name is kind of a private joke. You see…"

"Silence please," Donovan urged, "Tendo-san needs to concentrate. She must have absolute control over her blood lust when she bites into her sister. Too much blood and she might weaken our strongest warrior or cause her to pass out at a critical point…not enough and the effect will be only incremental."

"Go to it, Kids," Frank nodded, "Just remember who you are…and for pity's sake, don't let the hunger consume you."

"I will remember that, Doctor," Kasumi nodded, turning to Nabiki, "'Neechan?"

Nabiki swallowed a thick lump in her throat and said, "I can't believe I'm doing this…but…all right, let's get it over with."

"Just for the record," Talbain said, "I'm still officially against this."

"So noted," Julian replied without taking his eyes off of the two reluctant sisters.

Kasumi looked Nabiki in the eyes and her sister stared back shyly, a kind of natural hesitation coming over both of them as they moved closer together, until Kasumi could reach out and gently grip Nabiki by her shoulders. Feeling the warmth of personal contact thrilled the older Tendo sibling to the core of her being, but there was sadness in her eyes as she allowed her deep affection to shine forth, the realization of her need for Nabiki overshadowing the other kind of hunger that touching a warm body tended to inspire in the older sister. She saw the wonder in Nabiki's stare, felt the barriers between them start to crumble, and of a warmth that flowed between them like the flow of blood, only in two directions. A rosy hue filled both of their beings and gave Kasumi the strength that she needed to proceed with her newly perceived duty.

She brought Nabiki closer to her, feeling only a slight resistance as the younger girl still felt a twinge of reluctance over taking part in this, yet both of them knew what was to follow, and with no great effort on her part Kasumi brought Nabiki into her embrace and held her in her arms, pressing their bosoms tightly together.

"Imoutochan…" the older girl sighed, "Nabiki…my dear, beloved sister…"

"Oneechan…" Nabiki sighed, "I'm ready."

Kasumi felt an odd thrill of anticipation as she brought her mouth down and kissed Nabiki on the lips, then felt as though a part of her being was being exchanged in that passionate surrender. Their kiss was brief yet intense for all the pent up longing that it represented, and Kasumi even surprised herself by flicking her tongue into Nabiki's mouth, eliciting a gasp of amazement from the younger girl, at which point Kasumi parted lips with her and began to paint a line of loving kisses down the cheek and throat of the sister whom she so dearly loved, allowing herself to sense the pulse of warm fluids in carotid arteries before moving further down and selecting a spot where she might place her bite without causing Nabiki too much discomfort.

Nabiki sighed and melted into the arms of her older sister, wondering just why her body seemed to go limp and soft with a need that had been so long unrequited. Had she been longing for this without knowing it all of this time? This was her sister who was making her feel this way! This was wicked, so improper…and yet…so nice at the same time that she wondered why it had taken this long for her to agree to such intimate gestures. After all, Nabiki had made love to relative strangers in the past like Shampoo and Keiko…and before even knowing about Saotome Ranma. Why then not respond in kind to a pretty girl (who was still very much like a stranger after ten years of separation) who so willingly made herself available, and who had so obviously fallen in love with Kaneda, her masculine aspect? Social taboos and restrictions be damned, this was Kasumi, a warm and loving person, very much deserving of affection, and had she really been suffering this much because of their mutual dread of the Incest thing? It was very hard to remember at the moment just why that had seemed so important, but now that she was actually giving in to the advances of Kasumi…

Her mind a whirl with such thoughts, she hardly even noticed when Kasumi parted the upper top of her Chinese-styled vest to bare one shoulder to full view…but as the moment approached Kasumi found that she was not yet ready to bite in…so instead she continued to paint little kisses down to the hollow of that shoulder, causing Nabiki to gasp as she had not expected Kasumi to go any lower than her neckline…in fact, it almost felt as if Kasumi was baring one of her bosoms and was squeezing and fondling it with delicate fingers that touched and caressed her nipple, causing the breast to harden like ripened fruit.

"Um…maybe they should get a hotel room before doing that?" a strange voice floated in from some distant horizon, hardly more than a faint whisper and easy not to notice.

Kasumi felt her urgent need building up inside her, and so she selected a vein that felt rich enough for her to sample, and without further adieu brought her lips down to encircle Nabiki's right nipple, suckling in the teat with a raw hunger that surprised both sisters every bit as much as it felt natural and instinctive…and then Kasumi brought her fangs down and bit in, eliciting a gasp from Nabiki as the warm, rich fluid filled Kasumi's mouth and gave her a sense of drinking in the raw essence of Nabiki.

For a brief moment their worlds came to a halt and time itself lost all true meaning. In that moment Kasumi relieved the memories that flowed from sister to sister as Nabiki yielded to the kiss and allowed Kasumi to know the real her, the person whom she truly was, and how she had gotten to there, the path that she had walked, both before and after undertaking her training mission with "Uncle Genma."

Her loves, her life, her passionate encounters with Keiko and Shampoo, the moment when she got to know Ranma as a person and started to think of him as her iinazuke, all of the adventures that they had shared together, her love of the martial arts, and the Honeymoon that they had shared together, interrupted only briefly by Madam Lao and her privations…

As she experienced all of this in a rush, Nabiki in turn got a sense of what life had been like for Kasumi living as a fairly normal high school girl, helping out around the household, doing chores, cooking and cleaning, socializing with occasional school friends while sharing her private thoughts with her "Aunt Nodoka." A regular, steady, stable routine that would have bored Nabiki to tears brought joy and fulfillment to Kasumi and filled each waking hour with love for her family and the people whom she cared for, sometimes amusing herself by visiting with Tofu-sensei, from which she borrowed many an interesting and informative book. Without a single complicating thought to mar her life she had gone on for years since getting over the death of their mother, playing the part of the big sister, watching Ranma and Akane grow up and sometimes even having to play surrogate mother when Nodoka was too busy…

And then came the day when Kaneda had walked into her life, and nothing had ever again seemed so routine or peaceful in her life as Kasumi felt herself drawn into loving her own sister with unrequited passion. The days watching Nabiki grow closer to Ranma, even as the latter grew away from Akane, the occasional disruptions in family order brought about by a string of visitations that became permanent fixtures in their lives…first Ryoga and then Keiko, followed by Shampoo, Ukyo, Perfume and then Kodachi. Moment by moment their house became more full and active than Kasumi had ever known before, and she found herself sometimes being drawn into the action as her lust for Nabiki's male aspect caused her to arrange little "accidents" that would trigger her transformation. Just a single glance at Kaneda's strong and manly figure was enough to send Kasumi reeling with unexplainable desires that would fill her mind for hours, and often she would cry herself to sleep at nights thinking of what it would be like to be held within his arms, to feel his strength nurturing and protecting her, giving her the comfort that she so desperately needed and could find in no other way that her inexperienced mind could consider.

Had she known what masturbation was, or even what one had to do in order to "self-stimulate" into a climax, then she might well have done it early on and gradually worked her lust out of her system. Nodoka had broadly hinted about doing just that and had often left objects for Kasumi to find or "notice" during her housework, but lack of familiarity with such strange objects as a dildo caused her to put such things away without using them in the manner which was intended. Even the title of a book that Nodoka had tried to get her to read seemed so…improper…and she blushed at the very title of, "Self Love, a Hand-Book for Women," which seemed to her mind to imply something distinctly Narcissistic, and therefore not for "proper" young ladies (Nodoka's opinions upon that subject notwithstanding).

But now Kasumi understood implicitly what her loving Aunt had tried to tell her, and in a not-very-subtle manner. She understood what sex was as she opened up to Nabiki's memories and briefly flashed over the many moments when her sister had been intimate with one of her ladyloves and/or Ranma. She even knew what a rim-job was and comprehended at last the basic concept of the Kamasenken. She marveled at the realization of what men and women could do together to make babies…or what women could do for each other to bring themselves to mutual fulfillment. It was all there for her to access, and yet as tantalizing as the idea was, Kasumi understood that she could not delve too deep at one sitting without severely risking the health and clarity of mind of her beloved younger sister.

So Kasumi withdrew he fangs after obtaining little more than a mouth full of blood for her troubles, which same she reflexively swallowed. She licked the wounds caused by her fangs and kissed the nipple one last time before reluctantly surrendering her purchase, and then she withdrew her mouth altogether and rose to her full height, staring at Nabiki with a shining expression of love and contentment that was truly beatific.

"Nabiki," she sighed sweetly.

Nabiki opened her eyes once again, stared up at Kasumi and said an almost plaintive, "Oneechan?"

"It is done," Donovan spoke up, intruding upon their private world to ask, "How are you feeling now, Miss Tendo…and Mrs. Saotome?"

"Ah…" Nabiki felt her face blushing and was amazed that she still had blood enough to do that.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "It was…truly indescribable. Thank you for sharing with me, Nabiki."

"Er…yeah, no problem, Sis," Nabiki reluctantly replied, feeling her head swim for reasons that had nothing to do with simple blood loss.

"Whoah," Keiko exclaimed, "Now that was a hot number…"

"I about creamed my shorts," Talbain said before adding, "If I was wearing any, that is."

"Um…Oneechan?" Kurumi nodded to Nabiki.

"Eh?" Nabiki blinked, then followed the line of stare by her youngest sister and saw the ruby bite marks over one nipple, and she hastily pulled her bra back into place and buttoned up her shirt saying, "Kasumi!"

"Why complain?" Himiko asked with a grin, "The breast is the place where I like it best myself, especially when Miyu-chan is the one doing the biting."

"Is it safe to look yet, my love?" Tatewaki asked as Natsume continued holding her hand over his eyes.

"Not quite," Natsume lowered her hand and then turned to Kasumi before saying, "Now…It's my turn."

"Not so hasty, Slayer," D spoke up suddenly, "Miss Tendo must allow her borrowed memories to settle in before she shares her blood with you…and Mrs. Saotome needs a moment to regain her bearings as that was a most intense form of sharing, the kind you just don't brush off very lightly."

"It is all right, Sir," Kasumi said with a gentle smile, "I am feeling much better now…and I feel more than ready to share with Natsume-chan…if my sister also feels ready."

"Ummm…what?" Nabiki blinked, "Oh…sure, go ahead, Oneechan…"

Natsume allowed her reluctance to show upon her features but said, "I mislike having to do this…but…if you are certain that it will help to bring us victory…"

"Anything goes isn't just a slogan I cooked up, Natsume-chan," Happosai called out from where he had been sitting on a rock smoking a pipe the full time that this had been going on, "It means using any and all means at your disposal to achieve victory, and if you don't understand that then it means I failed you as your trainer."

One of the two Enforcers said to the other, "There is something about that old man…"

"Yes," Mathaius said, "I find him equally…disturbing…"

"So…what do I need to do this time?" Kasumi asked, only to stare in wonder as D handed her his belt knife.

"Simply cut across your palm, then allow your sister to drink of your life essence."

"Cut…Kasumi's palm?" Nabiki felt a queasy sense of reluctance.

"Man," Talbain winced, "I'd feel like the lowliest cur in a kennel if I had to do that…"

"I hate to say it, Kid," Frank said, "But I don't see another way of doing this…do you?"

Kasumi only hesitated a moment before accepting the knife from D, then she brought the sharp edge across her palm and winced very slightly, then held up her now-bloodied palm and offered it to Natsume, saying simply, "Do as you must, my beloved sister."

Natsume showed an equal amount of reluctance and fascination as she took the proffered hand between her own and studied it for a moment, then with great hesitation brought her mouth down and began to slip the pooling dark fluids, tasting of their strangely bitter flavor that was mixed with salt and other spices that made her head swim…as though it were a powerful wine from which she was drinking…

All at once she stiffened, going numb with her eyes turning almost silver as she stared out into space, and for a moment she seemed to become like a statue before sighing and falling back into the ready arms of her fiancé, Tatewaki taking her into his arms and saying, "Natsume? Natsume?"

"She is well," Donovan revealed, "But she has entered a trance-like state from which she will emerge very shortly. The act has joined you three together…now only time will tell if you have gained as much from this act as I believe has been the case."

"Nothing better be wrong with Oneechan," Kurumi glared up at the huge exorcist, then on impulse she darted ahead and took Kasumi's palm between her own hands, bringing her mouth down before anyone could think to stop her.

"Don't…!" D cried out, but much too late.

"Oh my," Kasumi said as she felt Kurumi's tongue lap her palm, then draw away as the younger girl seemed to stiffen with a stunned expression, and this time it was Mousse's turn to come to her rescue before she fainted.

"Why in the hell did she just do that?" Lenore gasped.

"She must want to be with her sister in the Dreamscape," Chloe suggested.

"How very reckless of her," Kiima agreed.

"Reckless isn't the word for it," Talbain said, turning to Donovan, then D, "I thought only one person at a time was supposed to be able to undertake this trial…"

"That is so," Donovan said, "But these sisters share an unusually close bond, and the thought of one going into danger without the other was clearly against young Tendo-san's very nature."

"That stupid, brainless, irresponsible…" Frank broke off then sighed, "Well, no use crying over spilled blood…I just hope the kid's got what it takes to deal with the consequences. Won't do at all if she winds up turning Vampiric. Way I hear it she's already got a bottomless pit, and there's no telling how much blood it would take to keep her satisfied if she Turns instead of triumphs."

"Triumphs over what?" Mousse asked, "What's going to happen to my Airen?"

"We do not know the answer to that…yet," D replied, "Time itself will tell the story, but for now she has elected to become her sister's Protector, a burden I would not wish upon one so young if it were within my power to deny it."

Kasumi looked at her fallen sisters, then at her own palm and marveled to find that the wound had already closed, save for a red stripe that marked the place where she had used her borrowed knife. She reluctantly handed the bloodied thing over to D, who was careful to wrap it in a white silk kerchief before putting it away, not bothering to clean the blade in passing.

"So it is done now," one of the Enforcers said.

"Evidently," the other agreed, "For good or ill…one way or another."

"Natsume!" Soun suddenly appeared at their gathering, along with Genma and Nodoka, "Kurumi-chan? What has happened to my daughters?"

"Now he asks," Talbain sniffed.

"There is nothing to concern yourselves about, Humans," Leguire spoke up, "They have merely chosen to join themselves together and-OOF!"

"I think you've said quite enough for now, Jean," Yasmina said as she removed her elbow from the Loire vampire's stomach, "The rest is up to those brave and valiant children, and my heart goes out to them. I wish them well indeed as they struggle to overcome their trial. May they emerge from this the stronger for their union."

"Oh my," Nodoka said, seeing the way the two Enforcers were suddenly glancing her way.

"You bear the mark of a Queen!" Mathaius exclaimed in surprise.

"You are under Ling-Ko's protection," the other added, "And by extension your whole clan and family are now a part of the Tsiel tribe."

"This changes everything," Mathaius turned to his partner and said, "We must report it at once to the Masters."

"Do what you have to," D remarked, "I'm staying around here to see how this comes out. But be ready to move against Dimitri. We have until the stroke of midnight to prevent him from resurrecting his dark father."

"Have a care until then, my Prince," Mathaius turned and said, "Come, my brother."

With that the two vampire cops rose up into the night air, levitating as though on invisible wires, and vanished into the darkness.

"Thought they'd never leave," Happosai sniffed, "Cops always give me the willies…"

"Um…hey there," Raptor suddenly spoke up, "If you guys are through getting yourselves ready for the war and all that, maybe one of you might likes to unties me. I could be useful too, y'know…"

"As what?" Lenore asked, "Target practice?"

"The Zombie is as useless as he always was," yet another voice replied, "But I…I can be very helpful to the lot of you, if you're willing to agree to my terms."

"You?" Donovan evidenced surprise as he turned to regard the new arrival.

"What the hey…?" Keiko whirled about with dismay written large upon her features.

"What is SHE doing here?" Miyu hissed in a sudden deadly tone of menace.

"I don't believe this," Talbain growled, "What next is Dimitri gonna try? Spamming us by E-mail?"

"Dimitri wouldn't even know what a keyboard was if you used it to serve coffee," the speaker said as she made herself known to the gathering of Darkstalkers and Tendo Posse, "I offer you a truce, if you be willing to hear me out. If not…then I'll be forced to take matters into me own hands, and you can bet that I'll be none too gentle with the likes of your boy, Saotome Ranma."

"Ranma?" Nabiki started to move forward, only to find Keiko's palm against her chest, preventing forward movement.

"Don't make the mistake of letting her touch you, Nab-chan," Keiko urged, "The lady is not to be trusted."

"Well now, that's a fair crop," the feminine form of Morgan Anslat remarked as she stepped more fully into view, "I'd be asking how you survived our last encounter…but then again, I suspected that there was more to you than just another pretty set of tits. Getting me drunk with your life essence was tip enough that you be the one nay to be underestimated."

"What do you want here, Morgan?" Frank growled.

"Why, the same thing you want, me old friend Stein," Morgan smiled, "I be wanting to stop Dimitri from going ahead with his plot to take over the Vampire nation."

"And why should you want that?" Talbain asked, "Thought you wanted your boyfriend to help you get back your throne of power in Makai."

"That was before…before he got that blasted Kamasenken," Morgan hissed, "And now…he's gone too far! Do you realize what he's become like because of that accursed technique? You obviously do since you're the slut who married that pretty boy, Saotome."

Nabiki bristled, "If you've done anything to my husband…"

"Nay I," Morgan said, "'Twas Dimitri put the bite on him, only now my Lord has gone mad and is drunk with the power this stolen knowledge has bestowed upon him. For the past hour and a half I have been subjected to his merciless efforts, and the feel of that be enough to caution me as to what yet more power will mean in the hands of Dimitri!"

"Meaning he'll become a god…then what will he need you for?" D noted.

"Hate to say it, Morgan," Frank averred, "But that's what you get when you wind up sleeping with your own worst enemy."

"Don't remind me," the succubus winced, "With the powers that will be his to command he'll easily be able to take over both the human and demon realms, and then he'll have a world full of women to pick from besides me! What's to keep him from picking out an entire harem full of radiant beauties, like that slut Queen he so desires over there? And worse…like me, he'll have the means of turning us all into his obedient slaves with only a touch of his hand and a caress of his fingers!"

Nabiki suddenly shuddered then said, "You're right…we can't allow that to happen. The power of the Senken in the hands of that…monster!"

"Then it is time for the last gesture that I intended to use to give us the advantage," Donovan said, turning back to Kasumi, "Miss Tendo…I found this among the personal effects of Doctor Tofu…it is a very rare find indeed, but I believe that you should have it…it may be the final key that you need to effect your transformation."

"Transformation?" Nagi asked.

"What, you mean she isn't finished growing already?" Himiko asked.

Donovan produced the stone that he had taken from Tofu's clinic, a fist-sized chunk of ruby-like teardrop-shaped crystal, which he handed to Kasumi, who reluctantly took it with a puzzled expression.

"A bloodstone?" Larva gasped, "A mortal had that in his possession?"

"Holy AC/DC season concert tickets," Lenore murmured.

"Bloodstones actually exist?" Chloe asked.

"Apparently so," Kiima murmured.

"Oh my," Kasumi stared at the gem held in her hands, seeing the light of the moon reflected in its faceted depths, "I think…it's full of stars…?"

"What are ye doing?" Morgan suddenly cried out, "What are you giving her that for, you fools? Don't you know that a Bloodstone in the hands of a Queen under a full moon means…?"

All at once light exploded in the palms of Kasumi's hands, and as she and the others gasped and looked on in amazement the thing came to life and expanded, and all at once its radiance burst forth and bathed the entire Tendo yard in the pink-hued glow of an exploding star as Kasumi rose up into the air, suddenly transfixed in the light of a holy radiance that transported her beyond all time and spatial conception…

Continued

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