{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to claim them as my own. This story may not be used without my permission, and may not be used to make money in any way, shape or form. Characters and certain situations were created by Rumiko Takahashi, and by Mike Loader and Susan Doenime, so don't try any funny stuff!}
"I don't think you should. She only knows the house..."
"And look at her. She can't, not any longer. This is as much my fault as anything."
Nabiki listened to the two of them talk quietly. They were going to take her away. To where, she didn't know, but she didn't like it either.
"If you think it's best for her..."
"I am not sure, but nothing I else I can think of..."
Nabiki entered the room and all conversation stopped. "I'm not going. You can't make me go," she said, her voice completely neutral. She crossed her arms and looked at the two.
Irina was first to react, trying to usher her out of the room. "You don't need to worry. You'll be just fine."
Nabiki resisted, looking first at Irina, then at Tatewaki. "You can't make me go. I'm staying here."
Tatewaki waved Irina away, who left after glancing at him, then approached Nabiki. He put a hand on each of her shoulders, careful to avoid the wound. "Nabiki-chan," he began, speaking softly and looking in her eyes, "being here is not helping you. I'm afraid it is simply making you worse. I've done an unforgivable thing to you, and I think you..."
"No!" she snapped at him. "You're _not_ sending me back! I'm not going!"
Tatewaki looked stunned for a moment, then realized what she meant. "No, Nabiki-chan, I shall not make you go back. I only want to have you stay where you can be taken care of properly." Until the time came when she did go back.
"Not a hospital."
"No, not a hospital. We're just going to take you... home. Kasumi will make sure you're safe."
"Kasumi? Home?"
"Yes, Kasumi. Your sister. She will make sure you're safe. Better than I can. Better than I have."
Nabiki turned thoughtful. Home... a family she hadn't seen in what felt like forever. Kasumi's cooking, Akane, her father... "That's it? Nowhere else?"
Tatewaki shook his head. "I have already called ahead. Your sister is expecting you," he replied, looking at her closely to make sure she was really fine with the decision.
"And she... knows?"
He nodded.
Taking in a deep breath first, Nabiki nodded once. "Right. When am I going?" She tried to make herself sound confident, but she was quite nervous, even though she figured it was probably for no reason.
"She has arranged for the other family members to be gone tonight so it will be easier for you to... assimilate." But it had seemed more for Kasumi's benefit than Nabiki's, so she could get used to a situation that might never change.
His leg throbbed and that put him in a grumpy mood. One of the doctor's glorious little pills before bed would help with the pain though.
Kuno tossed back just one pill and a swallow of water. It usually took about ten minutes for the pain to fade enough for him to relax, and another ten for him to be in very high and pleasant place.
He yawned and headed back to his room. He didn't see Akane much at school any longer. She was so elusive, hiding behind her sham of a fiance, Ranma Saotome. It surely wasn't that he was avoiding the two... the one that had hurt him worse than he had ever been hurt before.
That was most certainly not it. In his room, he slid under the covers and closed his eyes. Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, the... Pain lanced up through his leg as the thunder rolled outside. How he hated the rain, hated bad weather.
Soon, the weather was the last concern in his mind, floating feather-like on a gentle pillow of colors...
It was stupid and insane and pointless and stupid. It was so stupid, stupid to the point of being the dumbest thing she'd ever done. But it was warped curiosity, a dangerous need to know, a perverted quest for some sort of real identity, to see if she was really herself.
That didn't even make sense in her mind, but she had so many doubts, doubts that went deeper than she could fathom. She couldn't be lying to herself about things. Hadn't she changed, right in front of Ranma? There was no way to lie to herself about that, and hadn't Ranma been... Something frightening was happening to her, and it didn't seem that it was going to stop until...
Everything she knew, all her memories weren't just something she had made up to escape. She wasn't hiding in her mind. Or was she? It was getting to the point where she wasn't sure how much was true and how much was just her imagination.
That just meant she had to get out of this screwed up place as soon as possible. But at the moment, she had to know, had to find out.
She had never harbored some sort of secret love or even lust for Kuno, and it had only been because of... his little problem that her own problems had started. This test would tell her she was still sane... maybe.
Hopping the wall easily, the same way she had done countless times before, she walked stealthily through the yard and around the house until she ended up under the window to his room. Looking up, she smiled ruefully to find that some things never changed. Window open, as usual, Nabiki started to leap up, but stopped herself.
She couldn't very well go in there and take the chance that he would see her. That would either lead to him thinking she was some sort of criminal or that she was one of the countless girls in love with him. That was something that didn't need to be spread around school even if she didn't plan on staying.
Nabiki didn't know any better way to disguise her identity than to not be human at all. Then if he wanted to go blabbing around school, who would believe him? He'd probably be tossed in an institution of some sort, but that was probably best for him considering the Ranma that was loose in the area.
Shedding her clothes and leaving them in a tidy pile, she crawled through the window moments later. Clearly, her eyesight cutting through the darkness, she could see him asleep. A sigh of relief escaped as none of the familiar feelings washed over her.
As far as Nabiki was concerned, she was perfectly sane, and she was definitely herself. This wasn't a dream or an elaborate hoax she had conjured up in her mind. She was someplace she did not belong, did not want to be.
She was about to leave, curiosity satisfied, when Kuno awoke suddenly, his eyes snapping open in the dark. Nabiki froze, unsure of what she should do in the current situation. Not all of the abilities that she gained in her current form were ones she considered using. They weren't really second nature; her entire body wasn't second nature yet.
"Intruder, show yourself," Kuno commanded, his words slurred from the heavy hit of the drugs.
The only response he received from whoever was in his room was a soft growling. An intruder with a dog. No problem. He could take care of that; all he needed was his weapon and...
Floundering, unable to even sit up without bright, multi-colored lights flashing in his vision, Kuno fell back against the pillow. "Do not force me to visit my wrath upon you," he said, unable to keep his eyes open for more than a few moments at a time.
Nabiki wrinkled her nose. The smell on him, the stink of medication... Not a large dose, but something strong. That would account for the way he was talking and his even more than usual incompetence.
Instead of worrying now, Nabiki stood right next to his prone figure and looked down, shaking her head.
His eyes closed and stayed that way for a moment before they opened again and stared up at her. "Foul demon..." This time, he made more of an effort to reach back for his trusty weapon, but it was just out of his reach.
Snorting at his fumbling, maybe a stray sexual thought or two running through her brain, Nabiki figured it was the only action he'd ever get. It might help take the edge off off the whole situation. And not really caring one way or the other, she pinned his thrashing figure down, catching his desperate gaze and holding it.
"Release me..." Kuno started to demand, but trailed off as the power of her gaze overwhelmed him.
Baring her teeth in a predatory grin, Nabiki figured he wouldn't have any clue what was going on anyway. For all his posturing, she had often wondered if he understood the concept of sex. He was about to find out.
Nervousness settled in her stomach. The entire day she had paced around the house, waiting for the time to come that she would see Kasumi and the rest of her family again. And without the taint of Ranma this time. To see them the way they were before that disease had invaded their home...
She spent her time waiting wandering around the expansive Kuno estate, going from room to empty room. To have enough money to afford such a huge house, but then not to have anything to do with it... It was such a waste in her eyes.
Always idle thoughts, they were now at the forefront of her mind. It would have been better to have a house the size of hers maybe, and then just keep the rest landscaped. Once outside, there was no way to deny just how nice the yard was, how nice all that space really was.
Nabiki gave a wide berth to the innocent looking pond that housed Midorigame. She had seen the huge reptile in action, snapping up marshmallows like she might eat an M&M. Kuno-chan had told her they were treats for the beast's good behavior.
The ferocity with which it ate a marshmallow was enough to keep Nabiki from ever wanting to see how it would devour live prey. Even as she passed the pond, her eyes watching the surface of the water, she could see the dark shape in the water, and her pace quickened.
Breathing a sigh of relief once the water was out of sight, Nabiki continued her stroll in the yard. Sometimes, the peaceful quality of it all just made her want to scream, and other times, she just wanted to stay there forever and not deal with anything ever again.
Around toward the back corner of the house, she heard noises, snarling, growling noises. Curiosity and fright gripped her, forced her to investigate. She had seen Kuno very briefly that very first night in that state and not since then. It was obvious that he was hiding it from her, but... Curiosity would not be denied.
A nicely open area, blocked by trees from the view of the wall around the property, was bathed in sunlight where the three... less than human occupants of the house were. Nabiki stood behind a tree and observed while the three continued to play.
Her heart seemed to leap in her throat when she saw them, saw Kuno. His massive form moved with alarming ease, with an ability that something of that size shouldn't have.
Kuno turned slowly, trying to keep both children in his sight. They knew the game though and kept opposite of each other, moving as if they were about to bring down prey.
Reichi moved in as quickly as his short legs would take him and snapped at his father's right flank. He retreated as Kuno spun around and snapped threateningly at him, leaving an opening for Aichiko to do the same as her brother.
She closed her mouth on Kuno's tail and caused him to cry out in pain. Like lightning, he was turned and growling at her, but she refused to let go.
Reichi took the opportunity to leap up and attack his play enemy's back. Growling fiercely for being so small, he clutched the long, course fur of Kuno's back and nipped at the skin. If it had been a real fight, his little nips to the back would have been killing blows, attempts to crush the spine and sever the spinal cord.
Kuno spun in circles, trying to shake off his two miniature attackers. Aichiko was being whipped around, almost to the point of sending her flying, but her grip was iron. And Reichi was aggravating things by continuously taking little bites out of Kuno's back.
One violent snap of his tail and Kuno sent Aichiko flying through the air to land in some bushes ten feet away. He dropped to his side and rolled on to his back, bringing a cry from the observing Nabiki.
"You'll crush him!" she yelled and ran out from her hiding spot.
Kuno sat up abruptly, startled by her presence. He had been so involved with the children, he hadn't even noticed her arrival. He hushed Reichi's squeal of protest as the game was ended.
"You'll hurt... him..." Nabiki said, trailing off as she saw the unharmed condition of the boy.
Kuno bent down and grasped Reichi gently in his jaws by the thick, loose skin around the boy's neck. Slowly approaching Nabiki, staying low to the ground to avoid intimidating her, he held a squirming Reichi up to her.
He was most definitely not happy with being offered up to the stranger, and not in the manner it was done either. Reichi whined loudly and started to struggle in earnest.
Nabiki took a step back from the protesting child. It was obvious she was supposed to take him, but if he didn't want her to hold him, she didn't want to make things any worse.
After a moment of terrified hesitation in which Kuno thrust the child at her again, she took hold of the him gingerly. Her eyes met his small, bright ones, and she could see the distrust, the pure disgust in them. Yet she could see a yearning in them as well.
Even though he protested, Nabiki took him in her arms, cradled him to her body and rocked him slightly. She was forced to hold him somewhat tightly at first as he attempted to free himself from the grasp of the fake mother.
"Reichi, you're a good little boy," she said quietly, in a voice that again didn't sound entirely sane. "Soon it won't matter. You won't care..."
Reichi fought her. He refused to allow her to touch him, to convince him that she was really his mother, but her soft, soothing words were hard to fight. That was it, that was all he could resist in his position.
Nabiki smiled down at the child in her arms, knowing that his adjustment would be just as easy as everyone else's. It wouldn't be her idea of a holiday, but she thought she could take care of the kids without too much trouble. After she had gotten used to them, they were kind of cute.
Gasping, she had to resist throwing him to the ground when he clutched at her chest and tried to nurse through her shirt. That was something she could not do, would not do.
"Whatever you are, I don't want you near me."
"She's my sister. I have more right to be here than you, no matter what you think in that twisted little brain of yours."
Ranma glared at Nabiki while she glared back. "I can hurt you," he warned.
"Don't think I won't return the favor." She was pleased to see him look away, however innocently he made it look, when she felt that little bit of animal spill forth, her eyes glowing faintly.
"My first concern is Akane. You get in my way and I'll shove you aside."
Ranma looked back at her, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You know, I was about to say that to you," he said and grinned darkly.
"I won't feel bad about it when you're gone," Nabiki replied emotionlessly.
"Really? I'm starting to realize just how happy I'll be when you're finally out of the picture."
"Don't count on it. I'll be here, I'll be the one that makes sure you don't touch my family. And Akane..." Nabiki leaned in as close as she dared. "If you lay a hand on her, you had better leave the country because I will hunt you down, rip open your gut and eat your stomach." Nabiki's lip twitched once in a snarl.
"Bitch, you have a lot of nerve. I'll kill you before..."
"That won't stop me."
That caught Ranma by surprise. She obviously wasn't intimidated, and that she would... He put on a cocky smile to hide his sudden, worrying doubt. "Watch that first step. It's a big one," he said instead.
"Isn't it though?" Nabiki replied, bringing her hand up slowly to caress Ranma's cheek with a set of long, pointed claws.
Scowling, Ranma knocked her hand away. "Touch me again and you die." With that said, he bounded away toward the Ichishi building that loomed in the darkness of the night.
"It's scary how much we think alike," Nabiki said softly to his retreating form. Seconds later, she followed.
For the first time since appearing in this... otherworld, she was concerned for someone beside herself. Directly concerned. She was worried about Akane and the kidnapping, of course, but not only had what she'd done been foolish, but dangerous as well.
If Ranma had been even a third as perceptive as she was, he would have been able to see that there was something different about her. Maybe if he had been awake when she had arrived back home, he might have been able to figure out where she had been.
If either one of them had seen Kuno in school, they might have seen him confess dazedly to one student or another what had happened to him in the middle of the night.
But none of that had happened. None of that had happened, and that meant Nabiki had to sit with the guilt of endangering someone who couldn't even _pretend_ to defend himself. That just meant she would have to see things on as close to the finish as she could.
As Ranma moved through the darkness with her following, Nabiki maintained a respectable distance between them. Ranma was not someone she considered an ally, and he certainly wasn't someone she trusted. For now, however, she had to tolerate him, had to deal with him.
If she wanted to get Akane out of whatever Ranma had gotten her into, that meant keeping Ranma around, though preferably in her sight at all times.
The imposing structure of the Ichishi building didn't intimidate her at all. She couldn't allow herself to be in the situation; things were bad enough without her breaking down.
Ranma looked back once, his eyes glittering like black diamonds under the cold starlight. Nabiki wasn't sure if that was hateful glee that she was still there or deadly uncertainty. Either one meant that she had, in effect, two enemies to deal with. Not that it was anything new.
He had come and a grim smile stole across Tsen Wu's face. This wasn't revenge. Revenge was for those who were weak and jealous. This was about honor, Amazon honor, his... her honor. This wasn't revenge, but redemption.
But... There, in the fleeting flash of a flickering street lamp, another figure. This was unexpected. Who would be foolish enough to become an ally of the one that... Tsen's single remaining eye narrowed.
Surely that couldn't be... Stupidity. And foolishness. One more body if necessary. Tsen shook his head. This wasn't what he wanted, not more death than necessary. Yet, if this person, who he assumed to be that other sister of his bait, wished to die in a battle, Tsen would not discourage it.
Family was... had been an important thing to him as well. He watched Ranma approach the door and the other figure fade into the darkness. This was a problem, but he had to concentrate on Ranma. This was what he had been waiting for.
Nabiki watched Ranma enter the building, but did not follow. Instead, she waited in the shadows for a minute, pondering whether she should change or not. That was a comfortable measure of security when she was frightened. It was the easiest way out she knew, but this was something she needed to go through with.
The only easy way out of this was when she was dead. Even if she saved Akane, that wouldn't be the end of things. Even if Ranma was removed from the picture, that wasn't the end of things. Only when she was dead would that be the end of the matter, and that was no easy way out.
Nabiki held her hand up and looked at it. A little push, that was all it took. Her fingers lengthened impossibly and her skin took on a dusky tone. The claws sprouting from the ends of her fingers were what she looked at before she clenched her hand into a fist.
"I don't mind."
He looked at her somewhat sharply. "I noticed you were not afraid."
"I could tell he was afraid and he missed... her." Nabiki shrugged. "I know how that feels. They just take some getting used to. That's all."
They walked along slowly in the rapidly fading twilight. "They are not just things for you to get used to," Kuno said, somewhat sharply. "They are children."
"I know." She wasn't sure what more to say since she had already said the wrong thing. Getting used to them... He knew there was something going on because of that. Yet, he didn't really have control over things. If things were going to stay as they were, if she could force things to stay that way, then...
Nabiki shivered a little, wanting more than anything to to go back to the point before Ranma had arrived, somehow get a gun, and shoot that bastard as soon as he walked in their house.
"There is something you are considering. What is that?"
"Nothing you need to worry about. Things I have no control over." Wishful thinking wouldn't hurt, because there sure wasn't any way she was going back in time.
"I am curious, if you would tell me, what was your home like before you ended up here?"Kuno asked, almost tentatively. There was something certainly not right with her, and he didn't think it was solely from her "trip".
"No." The tone she answered with left no room for bargaining. She would not answer, could not be convinced to answer. There was no way in hell she was going to even say it if she didn't have to. It was bad enough that she had gone through it.
Settling for her negative answer, Kuno nodded.
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
At the house, the house that Nabiki felt like she hadn't seen in a lifetime, Kuno entered through the gate quietly. At the door, he knocked and entered without waiting for an answer; a most impolite thing to do in Kasumi's eyes, Nabiki was sure.
Stepping inside, the warm glow of the place made Nabiki shiver. Finally, home like she remembered. The urge to just collapse was nearly overwhelming. That was held off momentarily when Kasumi stepped out of to greet them.
She tilted her head to the side slightly. "Hello. Are you hungry? I've made something to eat. And there's tea." A smile touched the corners of her mouth. "Would you like to stay, Tatewaki? There's plenty."
"I would be grateful."
Kasumi nodded. "And you, Nabiki-chan?" She had never taken her eyes off her younger sister. For Kasumi, and probably everyone else in the house, the change would be obvious. This was obviously not the same person. She looked mostly the same, but it was all in the way she carried herself.
It had always been Akane that Kasumi had felt sorry for. The engagement, the situation at school, her own insecurity... But here was someone who looked to be a living rag doll. Her smile grew when Nabiki nodded.
"I'm glad to hear that. I wouldn't want all this food to go to waste." She walked away, heading back to the kitchen
Nabiki almost allowed herself to smile; Kasumi was Kasumi. That would never change. That was the time her stomach made it known that it was quite hungry and demanded to be filled.
Things could get back to normal. She wouldn't mind staying there, where it was safe, with a family that wasn't blinded by some idiotic engagement to a psychopath.
The entire building was dark, save a room on the second level that had a light on. Nabiki snorted. Probably a trap; it didn't make much sense to leave a beacon like that. This person, man or woman, seemed a bit brighter than that.
Though picking a fight with Ranma by kidnapping Akane didn't seem quite that smart. Well, whatever happened with Ranma, she would stay as much out of his way as possible. Akane was her only concern, not if he lived or died.
Having snuck in through the cargo entrance, hoping she hadn't made too much noise, Nabiki crouched in the darkness. It was still and silent, and she didn't like it at all.
Testing the air, she could smell them all. Akane, Ranma, and the stranger. The stranger was inconsequential; she could understand the motivation to kidnap Akane to get at Ranma, so as long as her little sister wasn't hurt...
A noise on the other side of the building, the great open courtyard, caught her attention, and for a moment she watched Ranma. It was plain to see that this Ranma wasn't the oafish, laid back guy she was used to. She had never seen Ranma move like that, with his body in such a state of tension and readiness.
This Ranma was deadly serious at all times, though it was too bad he couldn't see as deep into the dark as she could, or know that his would-be assassin was waiting up above him. Again, finding Akane was her main goal, so she hunted for some stairs to go up.
Her footsteps, silent as they have been, sounded loud to her, and she just knew that Ranma could hear her, and probably the kidnapper too. Doubt about what she was doing speared her. Her presence was probably jeopardizing Akane's life, being an outsider to the matter.
While in the stairwell, there was a sound like the ceiling was caving in, and the entire place shook around her. Nabiki grabbed on to the handrail as tightly as possible while the quake took place. It'd be just her luck to be tossed down the stairs and hurt just as she was ready to save Akane.
After a few moments, the noise and the shaking stopped, and Nabiki waited. For some reason, she expected the stairwell doors to burst open and Ranma to come charging at her, but there was nothing.
On the second level, Nabiki came out right next to the elevator just in time to hear Ranma and their mystery host threatening each other. The scent was strongest there, and an unpowered elevator would be a pretty effective cell, even for her sister.
She might have to watch herself with this unknown adversary around though; he sounded close by, and she wasn't exactly looking for him. There was no telling just how dangerous he was, but he seemed to have his plan worked out.
At the wide cargo elevator doors, Nabiki forced them with as little noise as possible, and looked in the darkened shaft. The car was stopped between the second and third floors, and she could hear slight sounds from it. Akane was definitely in there. She was probably pissed too.
Nabiki went back to the stairwell, tuning out the sounds of Ranma and the person she learned was named Tsen out. Taking the steps two at a time, not caring about the noise she made now, not when they were so close, she went as quickly as she could.
Up to the third floor and to the elevator. She pulled the doors open, hoping the squeal of metal didn't anyone running, and looked below to the roof of the car. It would be no problem to jump down, get Akane out and then... Well, getting her out of the building might be a bit more difficult.
Akane felt the car shake and knew that was her clue to make the effort to get the hell out of there. Her bonds were annoyingly tight and rubbed her wrists painfully. But not so much so that she wouldn't try to get them apart.
She had been at it ever since she had been locked in the elevator, and her hands were sticky with the blood from her raw wrists. Yet, she could feel the give that hadn't been there before. Slowly but surely she was working her way free.
In fact... Akane twisted her wrist to the left and pulled. After a moment of steady force, she managed to yank her hand free, letting out a gasp of pain.
Nabiki was about to hop down when a cry of "Bakusai tenketsu!" almost made her scream. The entire walkway she was standing on shook, and she had a pretty good idea just what had happened. Torn between rescuing Akane and investigating, Nabiki wasn't sure what to do.
She took a few steps away from the elevator doors, but turned back. Akane was her priority, and she couldn't forget that.
The footsteps behind her were too light, too quick for her slightly frazzled mind to react to in time. She turned too slowly to catch a glimpse of a young man in an eyepatch before his arm moved in a blur and there was something embedded in her side that felt like fire made solid.
Grunting, hands clasping her side to feel the weapon there, Nabiki turned fully and glared at the man. Her lip curled into a sneer and she growled at him. Grasping the handle of the dagger, she pulled it free of her flesh and tossed it away. She took a step forward, head lowered and eyes glowing.
Tsen was caught by surprise by this. After seeing the interloper investigating his prison, he was ready to kill her, and then kill his prisoner. Things hadn't gone quite as he'd planned though.
She stepped forward again, and Tsen knew he was beaten this time. He was outmanned and outgunned. Ranma was a superb martial artists, and this woman... He wasn't sure what she was, but she had been barely affected by a knife to its hilt in her side. Better to retreat and form a new plan.
He ran to the side, hurdled the rail and disappeared into the darkness. The only sound was that of his landing in the water and the few splashes as he ran.
"Tsen! Coward!" Ranma yelled from the walkway below the one Nabiki was currently on.
She watched as Ranma jumped up and stood in front of her. "You let him get away?" he asked, snarling.
"I let him go. I just want to save Akane, not help you kill people your probably hurt in the first place," Nabiki answered crisply, feeling distinctly uneasy.
"Idiot! Didn't you consider he might try it again? What're you going to do then?" He took one step forward, hand up, balled into a fist.
"Then I'll save her again. You won't stop me. Ever."
Akane broke free completely, and stood on the chair. She could just barely reach the ceiling of the car, and pushed the hatch there. It gave a little, but not much. Taking a breath, Akane knew this was going to be rough.
It turned out to be not as tough as she thought though, as on the fourth push, whatever held the hatch shut broke free and the thing flew open.
She jumped, caught the edge of the roof and somehow managed to pull herself up, even though her arms felt like she couldn't carry a bag of groceries. Looking up, she could see the doors to the floor above were open, and if she could just get up there, she'd be home free.
In fact, she could hear Ranma's and Nabiki's voices up there. "Hey!" she yelled, hoping they would hear her. "I'm down here! Help!"
Their voices continued, almost to the point of yelling, and they did not hear her.
Frowning, Akane shook her head and realized she'd have to do it by herself. It wasn't actually too far up, which she was happy for because she was feeling that she needed someone to carry her home.
She pulled herself up, getting her arms up on the floor of the third level, and waited for a moment, breathing heavily. The blow to the back of her head must have been affecting her more than she knew; it should have been a simple task to pull her own weight up, but...
Akane looked to her right, toward the area she heard the voices coming from. There was Ranma yelling at Nabiki, and her older sister's back was to her. Even with the absence on light, she could see a dark stain spread in her sisters clothing, and that made that tiny grain of doubt wriggle in her brain.
"I warned you, you... you freak," Ranma said, and Akane heard him quite clearly. "Akane is mine, I warned you. I'm going to take care of her, without your help. You're _not_ going to influence her again."
"I'm over here," she called out again. She was rewarded when Nabiki turned to look at her. But Akane could only stare as Ranma took the opportunity to actually hit Nabiki and sent her flying.
She hit the railing, winded, giving Ranma enough time to get behind her and force her over the edge, head first into the the floor three stories below.
Akane screamed as Ranma whipped his head around to stare at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. The scream drowned out the sound of Nabiki hitting the floor.
"Why don't you head up to bed now, Nabiki-chan. It's very late."
Nabiki stifled a yawn and nodded. "Right, Kasumi. G'night." She gave a short wave to her sister and Kuno, and headed upstairs. This was definitely a place she could get used to. It felt just right; the proper amount of concern and hands-off...
Smiling, Nabiki went to "her" room. She stripped with nary a worry and put on a pair of pajamas that looked just like ones she had owned a long time ago, a life ago.
Getting into bed had never felt so good, the sheets cool against her skin, and the darkness comforting, not frightening. Oh yes, this was a place she would like living in.
"She really is different, isn't she?" Kasumi asked once she was sure Nabiki was in her room.
"I asked her what happened, but she refused to answer. It seems that she was severely damaged by whatever it might have been."
Kasumi nodded and took a sip of her tea. "Would you like to spend the night, Tatewaki?"
"If it would be acceptable. I am still not convinced she is as happy as she seems to be," he answered, looking toward the stairs with a troubled gaze.
Kasumi didn't answer, not sure what to make of her replacement sister. Tatewaki was right though. There was a lot of pain there, more than she had ever seen. And it went so much deeper than physical injuries. "You could sleep in Father's room. He's out with Uncle Saotome tonight."
"The offer is appreciated." The two stood simultaneously from the table, carrying their dishes. "How is your... engagement?"
"Marriage. We were married while you were gone."
"Ah. Then why are you still here?"
Kasumi shrugged, not even sure herself. "I want to take care of my family. I like doing that. But I love Tofu and want to be with him. I just feel like I'm letting them down if I go and leave my family when they need so much help..." She certainly couldn't imagine Akane in charge of the household even if she and Ranma did get married, and Nabiki...
"Things will work out in time. Rest assured."
"I hope so."
Nabiki awoke to sun and birds and contentment. She stretched and yawned before sitting up in bed and putting her feet on the floor. Finally things were back to normal. One day at a time; that's all she needed to think about. Just take things as they came.
Gathering some clothes, she thought a morning bath would be really nice. The perfect way to start her new life, cleansed and refreshed. To get the contamination of Ranma off her skin...
Downstairs, Kasumi was in the kitchen, humming as she cooked, Kuno was sitting on the couch, staring at the television... It was weird, but nice in a way. Whistling a little, she went to have her bath.
After soaking for about half an hour, she removed herself from the tub and dried herself off a bit. In the changing room, she dressed quickly, anxious to get to breakfast.
Emerging, she said loudly, "Kasumi, that smells great. I'm starving!"
"It'll be ready in a moment, Nabiki-chan."
That gave her a little time. Passing by Kuno in front of the TV again, she wondered what was really going on with him that he could sit there and stare at it. Things she wouldn't ever know probably, and considered it no more.
Up the stairs she went, humming to herself. At the top of the stairs, she could hear Akane's voice in her room. She must have gotten back while Nabiki was resting in the tub.
"Ranma!"
That word. That combination of sounds. Nabiki froze.
"What? I didn't do nothin'!"
The voice. It was him.
"Get out of my room, Ranma!"
"But I just wanted..."
"OUT!"
Akane's door opened and Ranma emerged from it, looking like someone had just kicked his puppy. "But Akane!"
Akane followed a moment later. "Look, you just barged right into my room without asking. I don't care what you want!"
Nabiki squeaked.
Both Ranma and Akane turned to look at her.
Nabiki squeaked again.
"What's wrong with you, Nabiki?" Ranma asked.
This time, Nabiki shrieked and took a step back.
"Hey, it's just me, Nabiki. What's wrong?" Ranma held out his hand and took a step forward.
"No! No! NO!" Nabiki screamed, eyes as wide as they would open. Her next step back was onto open air as the floor dropped down to form the first step. She didn't even try to grab on, get her balance; she just fell backwards with Ranma and Akane staring at her in horror.
After the first hit, she didn't feel anything. The blow to her head effectively knocked her out as her limp body tumbled down the stairs and landed face down in the hall, completely unmoving except for the shallow motion of her breathing.
"Do you know what this mark on her shoulder is from?"
Kasumi wiped her eyes for a moment and looked at what the doctor was talking about. "No. I don't know."
"It looks like a bite wound. Human," the doctor continued. "Though that's the least of her worries at the moment. I'm surprised she didn't take more damage from the fall. At the height, it's a miracle she doesn't have a large variety of broken bones."
Kasumi sobbed once, stifling it quickly.
"She'll survive, but... she's in a coma. I don't know the extent of any damage to her brain, and it would be irresponsible of me to make any prediction until she's conscious." The doctor touched her hand. "You go and get some rest; you won't be of any help if you're passed out."
Kasumi nodded, staring at the form of her sister. What had gone so wrong? The Ichishi building... whoever had kidnapped Akane, but... Where had Akane and Ranma been? Surely they wouldn't have just left Nabiki there like that. It couldn't be true.
The words her younger sister had said to her came back, frighteningly clear in her mind, how she had been so sure that Ranma was dangerous, that Ranma would hurt her and Akane...
She leaned over the bed and began to weep.
Nabiki sat up slowly, her entire body aching all over. "What... what happened?" Her arm and shoulder hurt like hell, and it felt like someone had tried to apply makeup to her face with a frying pan.
"You fell down the stairs! Are you okay?" Akane asked, kneeling next to her.
"No. My shoulder is fucking killing me. It think it's dislocated." Nabiki grimaced as she tried to raise her hand to her head. "Shit. Would someone help me the hell up already?"
"Nabiki?" Kasumi asked, staring at her.
"Yeah, what's the problem?" She looked irritably up at her sister.
"Nabiki, you're..."
Before Nabiki actually had the chance to ask just what was wrong, she was swept up into a bone-crushing embrace that made her shoulder flare in pain.
"Damn it! Let go of me, you idiot! That hurts!" she yelled and elbowed Kuno in the gut with her good arm. Then it struck her. Kasumi, Akane, Kuno smothering her... It... happened? She was back? "Kuno-chan, help me up. I hurt my shoulder."
He was instantly there, helping her to her feet. It _had_ happened. It must have been the fall, not that she really remembered it. A quick sensation of freefall, then pain, and blackness. And now...
"Nabiki, is that really you?" Kasumi asked, realizing what was going on.
"I think it is, and I'm hoping you're all you and I'm back where I should be." She looked at Kuno. "Reichi and Aichiko?"
"They miss you very much. And so does Irina, and we all have." He started to hug her.
"Just! Don't touch me. I hurt like hell. Right now, I want to lay down and have Kuno-chan pamper me, and eat decent food..."
Kasumi smiled. "You're definitely back to normal. Tell us what happened," she said as the group moved as one so Nabiki could rest on the couch.
"How long do you think these injuries will take to heal anyway, Kuno-chan? I can't go around with only one arm, and you know those two little monsters are going to jump all over me. Oh, and Kasumi, I have to tell you about Dr. Tofu. And you don't even want to know about Ranma..."
Akane and Ranma could only look at each other with confusion. They had definitely missed something.