Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ The Dragon Orb... ( Chapter 66 )

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.

"This way, Father," Keiko urged as she led the way towards a certain area near the rear of the ship.

"Where is this we're headed?" Guile asked as he and the others trotted alongside his semi-clad daughter.

Keiko thrust out her arm suddenly, forcing Guile to an abrupt halt at the unexpected strength in that supple limb as it collided with his mid-section. Then Keiko took two steps forward and spun about to deliver a heel-kick that went right through two Undine warriors that had suddenly sprung up in their path, moving so fast that she did not even get wet as she splashed them. The elementals collapsed into puddles that were absorbed into the floorboards, then Keiko motioned forward again and said, "Towards the main engine room, or I guess that's what you could call it. It's the chamber of the Dragon Orb, the source of most of the magic you guys see at work all around you."

"Dragon orb?" Ken marveled, "And how the heck do you do that thing with the kick to these Water Women?"

"A special technique I know," Keiko replied, "I used to train with these guys, sparring to learn to be a better Kickboxer. You've got to know how to hit them just right to temporarily disperse them…"

"Not to mention avoid being transformed into a vulture," Kodachi noted, evidently impressed.

"Temporarily?" Akane asked, focusing on that part of her friend's statement.

"Yeah," Keiko replied, "It's complicated, but basically these Undines are my friends and the permanent crew of the POJ. Everybody else is just a transient but the Floating Piece of Junk is their home in more than just one sense. They're kind of like a part of its makeup, and as long as it survives they're pretty much immortal."

"Can they be killed?" Chun-Li asked practically.

"Oh yeah," Keiko replied, "Problem is I don't want to see them permanently hurt. Like I said, I've got friends here from way back…"

"I'm sure that there will not be any need for something so drastic as killing," Kodachi pointed out, "As long as you seem to know other ways to incapacitate these servants. I confess that I, too, would not wish to see such supple beings harmed in any permanent sense."

"You don't?" Akane looked at her friend, recalling vividly what it was like to have the aqueous creatures flowing over and around her body, probing and stimulating in ways that made her blush just to think about it.

Kodachi favored Akane with a knowing smile, "Don't you? Granted they do Lao's bidding in a way that is quite…overwhelming…but neither one of us was harmed, and if anything I owe them for allowing me to finally put to rest the source of my long time troubles. Besides, I did not sense any malevolent intent on their part, did you?"

"No, but…" Akane was still searching for the right words when Keiko abruptly leaped forward again and executed an aerial double-kick that reduced two more Undines to puddles, still managing in the process to remain quite human.

"This way," Keiko indicated the door that the Undines had been guarding, a door that had no handle and no obvious locking mechanism, but which Keiko easily bypassed by placing her hand over a hidden panel to the right of the door.

A moment later, the sound of a clicking noise could be heard, just before the panel slid to one side, revealing a second door that had not been as visible as the first one.

"Tricky," Bison remarked, "And what happens if you try getting in through that door?"

"Trust me," Keiko flashed the huge black boxer with a slight grin, "You don't want to know. The traps on this vessel aren't lethal, but…well…they can get pretty embarrassing…"

They followed her into a darkened chamber that was unlike the others they had passed, in that there did not seem to be any phosphorescent glow emanating from hidden sources near the ceiling. This chamber was so dark that it stood in stark contrast to the rest of the vessel, though by straining their eyes to better focus a few members of the party made out the pedestal located in the very nexus of the chamber.

"What's this?" asked Blanka, the least effected by the darkness of any member of Guile's party.

"Like I said," Keiko walked up to the brass-covered podium on top of the pedestal and turned to the others, "This is the source of most of the magic you see on this vessel. Under that covering is the Dragon Orb that Lao uses as a power source. The Undines won't dare attack us here since it also gives them life, so we should be safe until Nab-chan or Lao can come negotiate for our release and safe conduct."

"Safe conduct?" Cammy mused, "You mean we're going to hold this whole ship hostage until they agree to meet our demands?"

"Why don't we just blow the damned thing up?" Ryoga asked as he started forward, "That would leave Lao helpless…"

Keiko's arm shot out to block his forward movement, "NO! Blowing things up in here is NOT an option. I didn't bring you guys this far to see you smash things up like a bunch of Luddites."

"Lao has to be stopped, Keiko-chan," Guile replied, "You have to know that…"

"Why do I have to know that, father?" Keiko looked up at him with a hard expression, "Because I was her personal slave for three years? Because Lao is a Pirate Slaver too dangerous to be allowed to live? You don't have to spell it out for me, I know all your objections and I still say we do things my way."

"Why are you defending her?" Chun-Li asked, "Don't you know what that…that…"

"Trollop?" Cammy suggested.

"Yes!" Chun-Li spat, "Don't you know what she's put us all through? She tortured…she…Cammy and me…" she started to flush crimson all over her body.

"What you went through," Keiko said coldly, "Was nothing. I went through all that and worse on my first few days here. That's just the way Lao reconditions people to make them more receptive to her programming. I won't defend her behavior to you, but if anyone here has a reason to resent her for all of that it's me, and I don't really hold it against her."

"You don't?" Honda asked in surprise.

"Lao isn't evil," Keiko replied, "I know you may find that hard to believe, but I know her better than any of you and I can say that without reservation or hesitation. Yes, she's a ruthless Amazon who has been trained to be the best of her tribe, and yes, she's capable of things the rest of you wouldn't be able to live with if you were in her position, but no, she is not totally evil. She's utilitarian, a pragmatist, someone who sees the ends as justifying the means and will go to any lengths to defend the things she values. Her methods are an effective tool for insuring that her will is supreme on this vessel, but she does have a sense of personal integrity and she does respect her limits."

"That's kind of hard to believe," said Ukyo, who was still cradling Perfume in her arms as the cat swished her tail in agitated agreement.

"There's more than just Lao to think of here, you know," Keiko continued, "A couple hundred Undines and the rest of the human crew will die if this ship sinks while we're this far from the shore. I know they're technically Pirates, but they're not the cold-blooded murderers you read about plying their trade along the Asian coastline without magical ships that defy conventional physics. Not only that, but there are the other passengers to think about, as well as the children…"

"I tend to agree with you," Kodachi nodded, "If we count the number of lives that would be lost should this ship go down all at once, we might be talking about as many as a thousand people, given the broad hints we've heard regarding the number of slaves Lao possesses in the majority of those chambers we passed by on the way here. Need I add that we are also at risk here?"

"So this is the Love Boat from Hell," Chun-Li frowned as she regarded the brass covering, "Why would damaging that lead to the destruction of this ship?"

"Because whatever's under that covering's big," Blanka replied in his grating voice, "I can feel the energy surrounding us…it's incredibly intense! I think we've just found the magical equivalent to a Nuclear reactor."

"I don't feel anything," Cammy shrugged.

"You need a nervous system like I've got," Blanka tersely explained, "See that pillar? It's got some kind of cable connection leaching the power down under the floor, where it's probably stored and converted by some weird Alchemical process that keeps this ship running. I mean, it has to make sense, all the magic we've seen, the compression of dimensions…no way is this thing as big on the outside as the size of all the corridors and chambers we've seen."

"So what if we don't smash it up?" Guile asked, "Can we turn it off?"

"Oh sure," Keiko said grimly, "Only then the magical fields will collapse and we'll suddenly know what it's like to get compressed between two differing fields of expansion and contraction. Can you say Thermonuclear Megatonage boys and girls? Compared to this, that's only a firecracker."

"Dimensional implosion," Blanka said with a look of dismay, "We'd all get very tiny for a fraction of a millisecond, and then the inevitable submolecular reaction would to the rest."

"If it's that dangerous, then what are we doing here?" Ken wondered.

"I know my former Mistress well enough that she won't do anything that could accidentally risk damaging the Orb," Keiko replied, "We don't have to threaten to blow the place up, our simple presence is enough to make it a potential nightmare. Lao knows me well enough to know I won't do anything rash but I won't back down without guarantees either. Safe passage off this ship in exchange for all of our lives. I don't think she'll find it that hard to agree to terms…assuming she wins her fight against Nab-chan."

"And what if Oneechan wins anyway?" Akane asked.

"Then we've nothing to worry about," Keiko replied, "This will just keep her minions off our back until its settled."

"You mean to say that you think Lao will keep her word?" Chun-Li asked her.

"Within reason she can be trusted," Keiko replied, "She's not a totally honorless person, not that I'd trust her beyond her given word, of course, but she usually does what she has to out of her own personal code of ethics. She's an opportunist and a pragmatist, and she never does anything that's against her own best interests. Fighting with us is just a waste of her time if she can't get any profit out of the venture."

"I still don't trust her," Ryoga growled, "And she hurt Akane. She has to pay for that."

"One thing at a time, Ryoga-kun," Keiko urged him patiently, "First we get off this ship, then we can deal with my former Mistress. On land, Lao's much easier to beat because she won't have the limitless reserves of the POJ to back her, lacking direct contact. If we continue to fight her on board, we're just going to wind up getting trashed again. She's almost unbeatable on this ship, and she holds all of the Aces."

"I could almost get to admire the lady," Bison nodded grimly, then when he saw the looks the others gave him he added, "Well hey, compared to Vega she's nothing more than a fancy Pimp, right? It's not like she invented the Slave trade, and I think I've got a little perspective on that if you know where I'm coming from."

"And it doesn't hurt that she's mostly dealing in Asian and White women, right?" Honda asked.

"Uh…well, I didn't say that…" Bison hesitated, seeing the looks Chun-Li and Cammy shot in his direction.

"So what do we do?" Ukyo asked, "Wait it out until we hear from Nab-chan?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Guile grumbled as he looked at his daughter with a mixture of vexation and admiration, "You really don't hate her for the things she's done to you?"

Keiko had to give her father a patented Arigami smile, "I don't hate her for what she's done…she didn't hijack the yacht Momma and me were on, and she didn't command the pirates who did the really awful stuff to us both. She did liberate me from my captors, and she avenged herself on those men for past dealings that went beyond her usual competitive interests. I owe her for helping me through a really bad crisis, and for taking the time to teach me a lot of things about myself that I'd never have found out without her guidance. She helped me to become a better person, as well as a better fighter, and while she took quite a few liberties with me, I can't say the whole thing was entirely unpleasant…"

Bison leaned over to Honda and murmured in English, <"You buying this, man?">

<"Sounds to me more like Stockholm syndrome,"> Honda replied, <"Same stuff they used on you guys to make you loyal to Vega.">

"It's not Stockholm syndrome, you morons!" Keiko glared at them, clearly having caught their stage whisper act in spite of talking in another language, "I'm not identifying with the Captor, or whatever the hell it is you guys think happens when somebody brainwashes you. I know perfectly well why I still feel I owe something to Lao in spite of everything else she's done to you guys."

"It's still wrong," Ryoga said insistently, "Just because she made you like it doesn't mean she had any right to do it to you in the first place."

"Are we talking ethics here, Ryoga-kun?" Keiko asked him, "I'm talking survival. You do a lot of things to stay alive that maybe you're not proud of it afterwards, but I accept what I did when I lived here on a full time basis, and if I can live with myself then maybe the rest of you should try reserving your judgement until we're in a better position to make instant snap judgements."

"Calm yourself, Kei-chan," Kodachi urged soothingly, "Ryoga-kun merely states what the rest of you genuinely feel regarding Madam Lao and her criminal enterprise. We're on your side just the same, and I for one agree that it is more important to escape from here than to seek some form of vengeance over what we have experienced and witnessed. I find that I myself am less than inclined to pursue the matter any farther than is needful."

"'Dachi-chan?" Akane blinked as she looked at her friend, unable to grasp how reasonable and sane the Black Rose was sounding at the moment.

"I am all right," Kodachi smiled, "In fact, better than all right, and I may even owe this fact to our Hostess for allowing me to come to terms with some deep-rooted emotional problems that I was facing. In fact, I may even owe her a great favor…"

"Well, that's just fine for you," Ukyo snorted, "Truth is, I don't even want to know what that Lao character did to me and Perfume here. But can we really be sure she'll let us go without a fight?"

"We'll just have to wait and see, Ucchan," Keiko replied, "Right now that's our best option."

"You wait," Ryoga took a step forward, "I want to see what she'd been hiding here under that brass cover."

"No!" Keiko cried and shot a foot out that clipped Ryoga in the back of one knee, causing him to stumble forward with his hands outstretched. Unfortunately Ryoga had been concentrating on his Breaking Point technique, so when he toppled forward his main index finger was pointed at the brass covering and he shattered it like a glass casing.

All at once light flooded the room as the source of an enormous power was exposed to full view. Everyone in the chamber froze in astonishment as rays of energy reached out to probe them all, and then the object--which was shaped like a marble the size of a bowling ball, began to snake out with more focused beams that struck everyone in the forehead--including Perfume--and induced instant paralysis while the world dissolved into an incoherent array of image and impression…

Outside, just down the corridor, Lao and Cologne halted in mid-rush to see light pouring out from the open doorway and then Lao groaned, "Oh no…we're too late!"

"They have exposed the Orb to light," Cologne agreed, "I can feel its hunger from this far away. Such incredible power…"

"It's not too late," Lao said resolutely, squaring her shoulders as she resumed forward momentum, "We still have time to avert a tragedy. You'd better remain here, Great-Grandmother, I have some natural resistance to the orb since I'm attuned to its great power."

"You cannot do this task alone, my child," Cologne said as she, too, started forward, "You will need my help to recontain that level of Matrix."

"I appreciate the offer," Lao smiled, "But the danger is too great. The orb will be probing their minds and begin reading their thoughts, and there's no telling what kind of thirst it will have for the memories of an Elder."

"It is a risk I am willing to take," Cologne replied, "And do not presume you know what resources I have at my disposal. Besides, I abandoned you to your fate once before, I refuse to make it a habit."

Lao did not know what to say to this, so she just pushed forward, encountering slight resistance as she sought to penetrate into the now blindingly white chamber. Had she been able to see her great grandmother's face, however, she would have been shocked to discover that Cologne was actually smiling…

"Nab-chan?"

"Hmmm?" Nabiki wondered as she slowly started to sit upright, discovering that she and Ranma were under an open sky on the deck of a sailing ship that had the distinctive lateen bamboo-laced sails of a Chinese Junk, albeit a larger Junk than she had ever known was in existence.

"Are you feeling all right now?" Ranma was holding her and looking very concerned into her eyes. Nabiki found it a very nice way to wake up, comforted by the strength of his manly embrace, only there was something that felt a bit…odd about the matter.

It took less than two seconds to puzzle it out. She was naked under an open sky with Ranma, and he did not appear to be experiencing any nosebleeds. She blinked her eyes and looked at him again, then said, "How did we…?"

"Uh, kind of a long story," Ranma said sheepishly, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well," Nabiki frowned, "We were fighting against Lao, you and me, and we had just knocked her for a loop, only I heard a splash and…Oh gods! Don't tell me I…?"

"Freaked out?" Ranma supplied to her, "More like you kind of went berserk and fought Lao all the way out here using the Nekoken. I, uh…can see now why Dad thought it was a pretty good system. I guess he just never thought about the consequences…"

He let the point dangle as Nabiki ruefully sighed, "This always happens when I get backed into a corner by the furry beasts, I turn into a cat myself, Ranma. It's not a pretty picture, is it?"

"No," he repeated, "Um…how much can you remember?'

Nabiki shook her head with a sad look, "I can't remember anything when I'm in that state. It's like I become an entirely different person, a real Jeckle and Hyde. I act purely on instinct with no reason involved, and when it's over all I know is how exhausted I feel, and that I've torn up a lot of things. Sometimes I've even hurt people. The only way I can calm down is if I find somebody I'm comfortable with that I can just crawl up and…" she started to blush furiously, aware of how much she was admitting.

Ranma smiled a little at that, but then he was serious again, "You had Lao on the ropes for a while there, then Hinako-Sensei broke things up and we changed you both back, then Lao said something about an orb and went running off with Cologne in a real hurry. I stayed with you to see if you were all right. I ah, kind of thought you might need me…"

Nabiki found herself smiling as she contemplated that admission, "Why Ranma-kun, that was such a sweet thing for you to do. I guess maybe all I needed was a little rest and…" she paused then frowned, "Er…just what all did I do while I was in my Neko phase? I didn't…do anything too drastic, did I?"

"Ah, that depends," Ranma said evasively.

"Depends on what?" she asked him.

"On what you mean by drastic," he lamely replied with a sheepish expression.

"That bad, huh?" Nabiki said faintly, looking down to make certain that Ranma's clothing had not been torn or undone as her first thoughts were what she would have done to him during the Neko.

"Ah, well, actually," Ranma said, "It's Lao you'll probably have to discuss this with. She seemed to be in pretty good spirits when she left here…"

"You mean…what?" Nabiki blinked, "Lao and me…? But…!"

"Ah, things didn't go too far," Ranma tried again to reassure her, unwittingly making things worse in his attempted reassurance.

"Saotome-san, Tendo-san," Hinako came running up to them, still in her adult form and breathing heavily, "We need you, come quickly!"

"Hinako-sensei?" Ranma looked up in surprise.

Nabiki tensed slightly, half expecting a lecture on her immodesty, but to her surprise Hinako did not even glare in her direction as she said, "The Captain and Elder Cologne are attempting to do something to save the others. It seems that they went somewhere on the ship where they were not supposed to go and now they're in some sort of danger."

"I guess that means they need our help," Nabiki sighed and removed herself from Ranma with great reluctance, careful to place her hands strategically over her private areas lest Hinako think her too brazen, "Unless I miss my guess it's probably got something to do with the magic field surrounding this ship."

"What makes you say that?" Ranma asked.

Nabiki nodded to the sky and said, "That for one thing."

They both saw what she meant, how the misty area that was all around the ship like a perpetual fog was flickering with sparks and electrical flashes that briefly colored the sky pink or yellow. It looked like the random discharge one normally saw in a Tesla sphere and--far more ominously--the phenomenon was growing worse by the second.

"Oh that," Ranma replied faintly, then belatedly remembered something as he glanced towards Nabiki, then he quickly removed his shirt and handed it over to her, "I think you'll need this more than I will."

Nabiki blinked in surprise before accepting his offer, oddly touched by his thoughtfulness, even though the shirt barely came down to the level of her crotch. She put it on just the same then said, "Let's go find Lao and the others…um, something I can do for you, Hinako-sensei?'

Hinako was looking at Nabiki in a very curious say, "You changed into a man and back again…just as the captain changed into a Tiger."

"Ah…yeah," Nabiki said, uncertain what Hinako meant by her continuing stare, "It's kind of this curse I got while traveling through China…"

"Jusenkyo?" Hinako inclined her head with a very curious expression.

Nabiki had to smile at that, "You've heard the legends too, huh? Just wish my Uncle Genma had heard of them before we went there…"

"And your other self," Hinako continued in that same curious state, "He is Kaneda?"

Here it comes, Nabiki winced inwardly, but forced herself to remain calm as she nodded, "Yeah…I'm also Kaneda. Why, is this important?"

"I think it is," Hinako smiled, "I've never had a sister before, let alone someone else who shares a curse. We will have to talk about this more at the proper time, but for now your friends need you. This way, I will take you to them."

It took several seconds for Ranma and Nabiki to reply, both standing there with mouths hanging open, then Nabiki shook her head and sighed, "I am never going to understand that lady…"

"Honey, I'm home," said Captain William Guile as he stepped across the threshold of the small apartment that he shared with Akiko Arigami, careful to remove his footwear before entering the room proper.

<"I am here!"> Akiko called out in heavily accented English, <"How was your day, Guile-sama? Was it fulfilling?">

<"Oh yeah,"> he replied in his native speech, <"Loads of fun. Those Army Ranger types can be real wusses when it comes to a little training exercise. I swear, each new group they send me to train is younger and greener than the last bunch of farmboys.">

<"Are you still looking to transfer?"> Akiko's tone was light, and though Guile could not see her he could almost feel the tension in her voice, <"I know you miss doing active service…">

<"I'm a soldier, Aki-chan,"> Guile said with a slightly weary edge to his tone, <"I go where they send me. You know that as well as I do.">

<"I know,"> she replied, <"But still…">

All of a sudden Guile saw a streak of red hurtling towards him and barely had time to get his guard up before a laughing child no more than seven years of age all but tackled him off his feet, laughing as her father heaved her up into his arms so that he could meet her at eye level.

"Not bad, you little squirt," he said in fairly good Japanese, "You almost nailed your old man that time. Keep it up and you'll be a real fighter."

"I'll be the best, just like you, Daddy," grinned the cherubic imp with a face full of freckles, "You'll see, one day when I get older…"

"Just be sure you're strong enough to take care of your mother if I'm not around to do it for you," Guile nuzzled the little girl with his forehead, ruffling her coppery hair with parental affection before setting her down and assuming a pose of mock sternness, "All right, Pumpkin-head, show me what you got."

"You asked for it, Daddy," the girl smirked as she hauled off and launched a roundhouse kick aimed at his mid-section. He blocked this, of course, but rather than retract the leg she curled it and made a second strike closer to his chest, then pulled that at the last second and made a third kick at his groin region.

Guile barely managed to block the last one in time, but he pretended that it had connected as he doubled over and put on a mock pantomime with his face making goofy expressions that brought a squeal of laughter from the little imp who had tried to groin-kick her father.

"Oh!" he deliberately pitched his voice high, then pretended a dry rasp, "Do that to some guy and he'll be walking funny for a week…" he dropped the act and scooped her up again with a growl of mock irritation, "Think that's funny? Think that's funny? You know what happens to little girls who beat up on their fathers?"

Keiko squealed as Guile tickled her under her arms and held her aloft. They were both enjoying this exchange so much that they almost missed the sight of Akiko passing them by on the way to the front door.

"Don't play so rough, you two," she said in her native tongue, "Kei-chan, mind your father. Don't let her stay up too late watching Gatchaman reruns."

"Hey!" Guile protested as he saw that Akiko was wearing one of her best dresses and had her purse in her hand, "I just got back, where are you going?"

"I'm very sorry, Guile-chan," she said as she stood on tip-toes to kiss him in passing, "I've got an interview in another hour and I simply must attend this one if I'm to find that new job I'm after."

"But…" Guile tried to frame his protest, but she just flashed him her winning smile and said, "Don't worry, I've already made dinner for you and Keiko-chan. I'll be back in a few hours, you don't need to wait up for me or anything like that."

Guile reached out and gently took her by the wrist as he said, "Don't go. I've got something I wanted to talk to you about…something important, more important than any job interview."

She gave him a sad look but continued smiling, "It you're thinking about proposing to me again, we've already been over this. I don't need to make things legal, I wouldn't want to tie you down, and besides, you're already here often enough that most people think we are married."

"But…" he protested once again.

She raised her hands in a warding gesture, "If it's about my family again, I'm also set and determined about that. If they can't accept that I love a Gaijin giant like you, then they cannot truly accept me. Sooner or later my uncle must recognize this fact, and until he does I will not dishonor myself by marrying without his approval. I owe my late mother for the promise I made to respect the family, even if it does not respect me or my daughter."

Guile made a helpless gesture with both hands, "Look, it's all my fault they kicked you out, Akiko. If I go over there and straighten this out…"

"That would be a very American thing to do," she replied, "But not effective in this case. You do not fully understand our traditions if you think my uncle can be bullied into admitting to the obvious. In a great many respects, Japan today is governed by the traditions of older times. I knew what I was getting into when I chose to become involved with you, so it's not like you went out to cause trouble."

"But if you came home with me to the states…" Guile tried an angle once again that had failed to work every other time he had raised it, "I make enough on my salary…"

"Then I would be the foreigner struggling to get by in a strange culture that I barely understand," Akiko pleasantly countered, "It is not a question of pride, honor or even money that keeps us here, Guile-chan. I want Keiko-chan to grow up in Japan, in the land of her ancestors, not be some half-breed child of yet another GI parent struggling to find acceptance among occidentals…"

"It's not all like that," Guile protested, "And what about the way other kids treat her here? You think prejudice is any worse in the States than here in Okinawa?"

"But you are teaching her to defend herself, which is good because children can be very cruel at times," Akiko turned around and headed for the door again, "We'll talk more about it later, Guile-sama, after I get back from my meeting…"

Before she could slip on her shoes and open the door, however, there came a knocking from outside, which caused Akiko to freeze with a tense expression.

"Let me see who it is," Guile said as he eased around her to peer through the peep-hole, then slide the door back to reveal a uniformed officer standing on their porch at full attention.

<"Captain Guile?"> the man said as he made his salute, which Guile returned automatically.

<"Yes?"> Guile replied in neutral tones.

The man handed over a folder then returned to attention, <"I was instructed to give this to you, sir. It's classified, Eyes only. You're being recalled to the states.">

<"What?"> Guile responded, unaware of the stricken look that suddenly crossed Akiko's fair features, <"But why?">

<"The details are in that report, sir,"> the officer said, <"I've only been instructed to come find you and escort you to the air field where they have a plane already waiting. You'll get a full briefing once you're back in Washington…">

<"Washington?"> Akiko gasped as though hearing the fulfillment of a nightmare.

Guile opened the envelope and took a quick scan of an official-looking document that came with several six-by-eight photographs that he studied in more detail before looking up and saying, <"Can I have a moment, Lieutenant? I need to talk with my lady.">

<"Don't take too long, sir,"> the man saluted once more before turning crisply about and heading back down the walkway.

Guile watched him go before turning to the woman at his side and saying, "Aki-chan…"

"Your country has need of you," she was smiling in a way that made his heart ache in his breast, "That is a great honor. Of course you must answer."

"Marry me," he whispered.

"I…again, I cannot," Akiko had actually hesitated this time, but she was still wearing that forced smile while her eyes seemed tighter than usual, "We always knew a day like this would come. It is Karma, we must accept it."

"This assignment comes with a promotion," Guile held up the envelope, "That means more money. I can send it to you. You and Kei-chan won't ever have to go without…"

"You can barely afford to feed yourself at Japanese prices," she made a rude attempt at a joke, eyes watering with unshed tears as she said, "You must go. That is the way of it. And if you can return, I do not doubt that you will try."

"I…" Guile turned to see Keiko looking up at him with wide blue eyes and a petulant expression, "Kei-chan…"

"Don't go, daddy," she whispered.

Guile knelt down and looked her hard in the eyes, "I want nothing more to stay, Pumpkin, but…your father has a duty to his country. You're part American, you'll understand yourself someday. In the mean time, while I'm gone, I want you to do something for me, something very important."

"Like what?" Keiko asked.

Guile poked her in the stomach with a finger and said, "Train real hard, make your old man proud, and take care of your mother. I'm expecting you to be a big girl around this place while I'm gone, and I'll be back as soon as I'm able. Can you do that for me, kid?"

"Of course," she bowed her head, then in English said, <"I will make you very proud of me, daddy.">

<"I already am, Sprite,"> he ruffled her hair once again and smiled, <"Do something else. Next time you see me, I want you to haul off and belt me as hard as you can, just to show me how much stronger you've gotten. Can you do that?">

<"No problem,"> Keiko smacked her tiny fist into the palm of her other hand and made a boxing salute, <"I'll be as strong as you are some day, Daddy, you'll see.">

<"I'm counting on it,"> Guile straightened up, turned to Akiko, then forgot all about what he was going to say as she threw her arms around him and they kissed. It was the kind of kiss that went on for several minutes, by which time he had to leave, vowing to himself that he would return once his mission was over…

The mission was not over yet. This grim thought recurred in Guile's mind as he flew on yet another transport plane getting ready to parachute over dense jungle terrain with a hand-picked team of operatives during a night operation that would not even have the advantage of moonlight. The tension was mounting as Guile stared over and over again at a fading photograph that was worn and brown around the edges. He put the photograph away in a pocket-flap of his flack jacket then turned his mind to the mission at hand.

Another drug interdiction run, only this time the Opium fields were in Communist held territory, what used to be the country of Laos, still run by Hmong tribesmen who had learned their drug trade back when the CIA had been training them in anti-Viet Cong activity back when Guile was still a wet-nosed kid from the Pokinos. Now it was up to men like him to clean up yet another mess left by the Choirboys at Langley.

Just another drop in what some laughingly called a Suicide mission, only this was different from what was usually termed Black Ops. This was a Shadaloo operation, the secret organization allied with world terrorism out to subvert the free world with poison that brought only misery wherever it touched. Some maniac was lacing the stuff with a lethal strain of an AIDS-like virus that took a full two years to mature and threatened to wipe out entire populations through their addicts. Unlike normal HIV, this virus did not need cofactors to mature and could be spread through contact involving infected saliva. No doubt the loudmouthed Conservatives back home would screech about Homosexuals and Damnation once again, but if Guile put his money on the cause of this plague it would neither be the fault of God or the devil.

Or rather it would be the work of one devil…a two-legged snake who went by the name of General Vega.

<"Major,"> Tech Sergeant Carlos Blanka called out, <"Any reason why this Lab is in such a remote area? I thought they had government protection.">

<"Communists can be bribed to look the other way, the same as most politicians,"> Guile replied, <"But even a corrupt official would have a hard time explaining the kind of lab equipment that's said to be out there. Somebody's got a major operation going, and I'll bet my last dollar that Vega's personally overseeing this outfit.">

<"You think we'll nail the big man himself this time?"> Carlos asked him.

<"Could be our lucky day, Charlie,"> Guile leveled his rifle and checked the ammo-clip again before leveling it in a meaningful fashion, <"Listen up, team! I want you all to stay frosty! We hit this one by the numbers and we don't stop hitting until nobody can hit back. Are you with me?">

A dozen black-suited figures acknowledged his rallying cry as the warning light flashed green, meaning that they were over the drop zone. Guile was the first to rise, Carlos Blanka was second, and the other men in the unit all lined up as the back end of the modified C-130 Hercules opened up to allow them to exit.

A real pity that only a few would ever make it home again, Guile among those "lucky" few, and those left behind were quite lucky to be dead…all save for Blanka, who had the misfortune of being taken alive by none other than Vega…

Guile started as the memories continued to replay in his mind, as though someone or something were draining his thoughts and sifting through the details to bring him up to the present. He tried to focus on what or who could be doing this to him, but instead he became aware that there were other thoughts beside his now in the mixture.

A glance to his side and he recognized Keiko's memories as the young girl grew into a larger version of herself as she and her mother were next seen sunning themselves on the deck of a thirty-foot yacht. Keiko had just turned thirteen and was looking to be a real heartbreaker as she got older, already wearing her red hair in the braided pig-tail manner she had started adopting at the age of seven. To see her wearing a two-piece bathing suit that she could barely fit into brought a wistful smile to Guile's face, along with a jolt of dismay as he slowly put together the implications.

Guile saw a man coming out of the hold with a bottle of champagne and two glasses and found himself tensing slightly. The man looked like an average Japanese business executive in his mid-to-late thirties, not overly handsome, but certainly possessing reasonably good features with a well-trimmed mustache neatly covering the space above his upper lip. The man radiated money, and one look at him was enough to make Guile squeeze his fists until his knuckles whitened.

The man came to sit besides Akiko, and this made Guile glare all the more lethally as he looked ready to punt the guy into orbit. Akiko skillfully fended off his advances, but the man seemed to be the persistent type who did not take no for an answer.

Of a sudden their boat seemed to jolt and run aground. The man looked up, then started insulting the driver, who in turn protested having done anything that would cause an accident.

That was when Keiko realized that there were frogmen attempting to board their yacht and she tried to cry out a warning. Four men managed to scramble on board while the Executive tried finding a pistol hidden among his folded clothing. Long before he could find it, a spear-gun silenced him and then the men in the frogman suits were on the two women, grabbing and overcoming Akiko while Keiko tried to defend against them.

She tried, as much as a thirteen year old girl could try, and managed to knock one of the men overboard and shatter a second man's mask before the other two were able to subdue her and beat her senseless. She would wake up hearing the screams of her mother in her ears and found herself tied up in the hold of the yacht with the engine running. It would be some hours before they came to get her and would drag her back onto the deck, where the men would present her to an odd figure who--she would later find out--bore the mark of the Sang brotherhood, a cold-eyed man who would look her over like the proverbial piece of meat, and all the while Keiko was silently asking herself, "Where is Mother?"

She would exchange hands at least two more times before being offered to Madam Lao like a prized token of affection, and in between that time she would endure the worst days of her life, made all the more terrible because of the uncertainty of what had happened to her mother. And then Lao came and made all the bad memories fade away, slowly helped to nurture her past the crisis, then gradually started to rebuild her shattered psyche until Keiko could accept everything that had happened. Lao all but adopted her as a daughter, taking her under her wing, teaching her the basics, patiently cultivating her charms until Keiko was ready to be treated like a Sex Slave. Her memories reflected one indelible fact: Lao had never brutalized her, had only gone as far as necessary to condition her to be an obedient pet, but had hardly needed to work that hard in order to earn the devotion Keiko gave her.

In fact, Keiko's conditioning had been so thorough that when the opportunity to escape was presented to her several times she refused to undertake it. In fact, she had come to accept her fate as natural while Lao trained her to become a gladiator in the Pit Fighting tournaments conducted underground, honing her already considerable skills into full fledged fighting arts that won her victory after victory against older and tougher opponents. And there was pride in winning, in being the victor, a pride that came with a sense that she was fulfilling her promise to her father to be the best that she could be in the arena. The only sour note in the whole affair was the belief that she had failed her mother, a belief that refused to go away even after she had worked past the phase where she had come to believe that Lao was like a second mother, also like a big sister, close intimate friend, and--yes of course--an older and wiser lover…

And then the day when they both had been betrayed, after winning her latest victory against a local favorite in Hong Kong when a local Gang Lord named Chu Wan Phat had cornered Lao and Keiko into a devil's bargain in which Phat demanded Keiko as a trade over some sort of debt which he believed Lao owed him. It was a terribly tense time with guns being leveled on all sides and Keiko half fearing her Mistress would make a fight out of the matter. The odds were hopeless and the trade was made, but the bitter sense of betrayal was felt on both sides as Keiko entered the service of the brutal gang lord.

Her fate at his hands was anything but pleasurable as Phat had no compunctions about bruising his pet prize, sparing her only when sending her out into matches and punishing her severely if she failed to deliver a comfortable point spread. He began making a lot of money with her, more money than he claimed Lao had owed him, but if anything his treatment of her became more intensely personal, as if the very idea of someone so young, strong and powerful was a threat to his masculinity, as though by diminishing her he could inflate his own manhood.

But one day she was paired off against an opponent in her exact size and weight class. In fact, by the strangest of coincidences, it turned out to be someone whom she personally knew from a school they had both attended years earlier, before everything in the prior three years had even begun. Tendo Nabiki was her challenger, and a tougher opponent she had never before faced. Nabiki won easily, the first upset victory that Keiko had ever known. Worse by far than losing was the knowledge of what would happen afterwards when Phat got his hands on her for the huge financial loss he had just taken.

But as matters turned out she need not have worried, for Nabiki came to her aid once the facts were made plain to her, and together they trashed Phat's henchmen and left the gangster in such a sorry state that it was not very surprising that he posted a very large reward on both of their heads shortly thereafter. With Genma as their chaperone they soon found refuge at the far edge of the town in an area that even the Communist authorities would not trouble to go into and there spent a night alone in the dark during which Keiko showed her appreciation by seducing the inexperienced Nabiki with the techniques Lao had taught her, treating her old schoolmate to an unending stream of orgiastic experience…

"WHAT???" Guile reacted in the present.

"Oops," Keiko came back to the present with a sudden jolt, "That part I didn't want to have to share with you, Daddy…Daddy…?"

She blinked and looked around, finding everyone else in the room was still frozen as rays of what seemed like coherent light continued to shoot out from the Dragon Orb to probe the memories of their friends and colleagues. Her father exchanged curious looks then read the varied expressions on everyone else's faces, seeing the full gamut of human emotion played out as they relived past events from their lives, the same as she and her father.

Only one figure was not frozen in motionless apprehension, Madam Lao herself, who was struggling to push her way forward through great resistance, face set and determined with a look of intense concentration.

"My lady," Keiko called out in the eerie silence of the chamber, "I'm so sorry I…"

"We will discuss it later," Lao grimaced as she continued to press forward, "You and your father must stand by to assist your friends as this could become quite traumatic."

She had almost reached the podium when Guile asked, "About what you did for my Keiko…"

"Please, Colonel," Lao said tightly, "This is not as easy as it looks. The orb is hungry to feed off your experiences. The only way to prevail is to not give into its temptations."

She finally reached the podium, her body blocking the radiance leaching out from the orb to several of their people, who were just then staggering and beginning to come out of their trances. Lao touched a hidden stud and caused a secondary bronze covering to slide over the dish, cutting off the rest of the light so that everyone else in the room began to recover their senses.

"Ohhh," Lao turned and sank back into a sitting posture in front of the pedestal, "That took a lot more out of me than I had thought. The Orb was restless this time and fought more tenaciously than usual. I don't suppose that any of you might be willing to own up to smashing the cover?"

All eyes turned towards Ryoga, who looked back at them somewhat defensively in the dimming light, "Hey, it was an accident! Kei-chan tripped me…"

"You need to watch your footwork better, Sonny boy," Cologne said as she hobbled in on her staff until she was a few feet away from Lao where she looked down with no small amount of compassion, "You handled that well, child. I am glad to see that you haven't entirely forsaken your lessons when you became this person you now posture yourself as. Still, you are young to be controlling such forces. The danger is vast that they will wind up controlling you in the end."

"Tell me something I don't already know, Great Grandmother," Lao laughed without humor before forcing herself back onto her feet. She then regarded everyone in the room with a level stare, "I trust you are sufficiently chastened by this experience that next time I tell you not to go somewhere you will listen?"

"But…" Akane's voice quavered, "You never told us not to come here in the first place."

"A minor detail," Lao waved the point away before nodding to Keiko, "And it goes double for you, young lady. I thought you knew better than to openly defy my warnings, now see what you almost did because of your recklessness?"

"I'm sorry," Keiko said sheepishly as she scuffed one bare foot upon the floor in a little-girl posture, "Forgive me, lady?"

Lao smiled, "When have I ever failed to forgive you for anything? Now, what was that you were saying to me a moment ago, Colonel Guile-san?"

Guile just shook his head slowly, "I don't know what to make of you, lady. There's so much about you that I just can't stand to look at, but what you did for my little girl…"

Lao raised her hand and said, "Don't embarrass yourself in front of these others, William Guile. You don't owe me anything, just as I don't owe you an explanation. Obviously, exploring your mutual past has helped you overcome the ten years separation you and Kei-chan have suffered through no fault of your own, which is a very good thing, but now we have other matters to settle, is that not correct, Elder?"

"Indeed," Cologne replied, leaning on her staff, "The time for games has come and gone. You've had your fun, but now is the time to come clean and talk serious for once about your real intentions."

"You're right, as usual, Grandmother," Lao smiled, "All this playing around is wasting valuable time that could be spent in resolving matters more directly."

A flash of light suddenly filled the air, and when it was past they all found themselves hanging from individual cages. Lao stood at the center of a stage looking at them all while bathed in the limelight. As everyone started to react to their new surroundings--which seemed to be some manner of huge auditorium--with unseen walls that hovered seemingly at a great distance--Lao raised one hand and a microphone appeared between her fingers.

She smiled at them all and said, "Don't be alarmed, the cages are just there to make certain you don't cause me further mischief. I need to explain a few details, and I find it is best if some restraint is imposed on you hotheaded types. When I'm done you will be released, then we can go about discussing my new proposal like good boys and girls are supposed to be able to do outside of a playground."

Guile found himself in a cage alongside Keiko and Kodachi, while Akane was with Ryoga and Ukyo still held Perfume. Cammy and Chun-Li were disgusted to find themselves sharing one cage, while Bison and Honda were no less surprised at finding themselves crowded into the same cramped space. Blanka and Cologne were similarly sharing the same quarters while Ken was hanging solo, much to his surprise and disappointment.

"Now then," Lao resumed, "As you have just discovered, the Dragon Orb is the central power source of this ship, but it also has an intelligence behind it and it is starved for ideas and imagination. Han Bolo--the original creator I may have mentioned--designed this container as a prison to entrap that intelligence and hold it in abeyance so that it would suffer sensory depravation and willingly serve the interests of the Ships Master…which is presently yours truly, of course. Released from its container the jewel immediately sought you all out and probed your memories seeking to find a resonance it could link up with. Had I not intervened, it might have ensnared you into a permanent link wherein you would serve its will rather than the other way around. It is fortunate that there were so many of you at the time as this defused its energy, leaving it without time enough to forge such a central focus. But now that I have re-established control, things have more-or-less returned to what passes for normalcy here. The orb serves my will, and what I envision it will create, whether of real or illusory substance."

"Illusion?" Cammy gasped, "You mean none of this is real?"

"Define reality," Lao smiled, "If you experience an illusion as real, does it not have the same effect? For example, my dear cousin over there…I think she would much rather enjoy herself in her natural shape."

Lao made a hand gesture, and water splashed against Ukyo and her cat, and almost instantly a naked Perfume was glomming onto her as the two surprised women fought for balance.

"There now," Lao smiled, "That was real enough, wouldn't you say?"

"LAO!!!" a voice rang out.

"Ah," Lao turned to the source of the new cry, seeing what appeared to be a doorway thrust open as a female form stood framed from the outer light, "The last of our wayward players have finally shown themselves on the scene. By all means come in and let us step up our mutual agenda."

"I'm tired of your games," Nabiki said as she stalked forward down a rap that appeared from amid the gloom, leading her to where Lao was standing, "Tired of your illusions, your riddles and your stupid quirks. Most of all I'm tired of you! This ends now, just between the two of us, exactly as we agreed to before…"

"Before you attempted to ravish me, you mean?" Lao smiled sweetly.

Nabiki paused in mid-stride, her expression blank, and then her eyes narrowed as she murmured under her breath, "I'm going to kill Genma when I get home…"

"Just be glad I'm not very traditional-minded," Lao resumed, "Otherwise I'd either be forced to give you the Kiss of Death or we'd have to get married, and I think you already have enough fiancées. Speaking of which, is that your beau I see standing with Miss Hinako-Sensei? By all means come in and join the party."

Ranma and Hinako had followed Nabiki into the room, only to find themselves sharing yet another hanging cage suspended over an infinite darkness. With helpless expressions they clung to the bars and looked towards Nabiki.

"What are you attempting to accomplish here, Lao?" Nabiki asked with narrowed eyes as she came within ten paces of the Pirate Queen before halting, "You think trapping Ranchan like that is going to weaken my determination?"

"Not at all," Lao replied as she banished the microphone to whencever it had been summoned, "I just thought we would make the stakes more interesting while keeping the others out of the way. After all, this is just between the two of us this time. No holds barred, all spoils going to the victor."

"Whatever," Nabiki assumed a fighting crouch, "I'm taking you down no matter what kind of fancy tricks you still have in your arsenal. After what you've put us all through I'm having my vengeance!"

"No!" Keiko called out, "You don't have to--mmph!"

Suddenly she was sporting a gag over her mouth, which same Kodachi tried to help remove but found too elusive upon which to get a proper grip.

"I'm sorry, my dear," Lao replied, "No comments from the peanut gallery. She we rumble together Tendo-san?"

"Let's dance," Nabiki replied, and at long last their fight got down to serious business…

Continued

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