The huge Mydraal blinked as the lunatic he had been sent to 
bring to Shaol Ghul for some unfathomable reason handed him a 
bouquet offlowers.  "I cannot be bribed with black flowers." 
 
	Her hand flew up, shoving them into his face.  He stiffened 
and quietly collapsed in disbelief, watching as the girl bounced 
toward the huge 'mouth' that marked the entrance to the point 
where communion withthe Dark One was possible.  "Be a good 
boy and wait for me to come back!", she shouted.  The mouth 
parted, allowing her entrance, leaving the Hand of the Dark to try 
to fathom the unknowable whims of his master. 
 
************

Parallel Lives #13:
Book One:  For Remembrance Lost

An Evening in Ebou Dar

A Wheel of Time / Ranma 1 / 2  crossover, 

by John Biles

Other chapters available at
http://www.thekeep.org/~wombat/PL/

************

 
	"But...you can't marry a girl!"  Soun shouted.  "You're a 
girl!" 
 
	"Not anymore," his darling daughter/son replied, snuggling 
closer to the blonde woman who had apparently won his heart.  
"Ranma rejected me to run off with Ukyou, so I decided I'd rather 
be a boy and show him how to REALLY love a woman."  He 
leaned over and kissed the blonde fervently.   
 
	"But what about the Tendo and Saotome schools?  Who will 
carry them on?" 
 
	"Who cares?  Ranma's decided to live as a woman and 
become an Aes Sedai and I'm a nobleman now.  Better than 
running a decrepit dojo with no students who don't level it 
regularly."   
 
	The blonde woman nodded.  "And you can't channel, so you 
don't matter, unlike us Aes Sedai.  You're just a hapless fool with 
a bow," she said.  "Face it, you're a loser and a failure.  You can't 
even get Akane to marry Ranma.  You couldn't do it in your own 
world, and you certainly won't succeed in doing it here." 
 
	Soun choked back the urge to cry.  "You are my CHILD!  
YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!"  He used one of his most potent 
maneuvers, the one he had never taught his children for fear they 
would use it on him.  Even Ranma usually quailed before the 
Giant Demon Head. 
 
	The woman, whose name he didn't even know, casually 
pricked it with a needle, and it deflated.  "You had a daughter.  I 
don't see any women here but me, and I'm not yours." 
 
	"But...but..." 
 
	"I could use a manservant, though," the blonde said.  "To 
fetch and carry for me.  Is he strong, Kaneda?" 
 
	"Yeah, but he whines too much.  I can't believe I ever had 
any respect for him before I met you." 
 
	"Well, I set you straight," she said, kissing his cheek.  "This 
is your true path." 
 
	"NO!"  Soun lunged forward, pulling out a sword.  He would 
kill the wicked sorceress who had taken his daughter from him.  A 
second later, he was frozen in place.   
 
	She laughed, a maniacal laugh like Kodachi's, and in 
imitation, Kaneda began to laugh like that as well.  Finally, the 
woman said, "You can never beat an Aes Sedai with a sword,"  
she said.  "He's mine, and you'll never have him back." 
 
	"Ranma will find a way to beat you!"  Soun said.  He felt 
ludicrous threatening her with Ranma, but he was desperate.  
"He'll never let anyone steal his Akane!" 
 
	"I'm afraid Ranma's run off with the spatula girl.  I told her a 
few secret recipes...and well, one bite, and Ranma just wanted 
more and more and more..."  She laughed again. 
 
	"You...you...I WILL NOT LET YOU TRIUMPH!  RANMA 
AND AKANE WILL GET MARRIED!  AND I WILL SEE YOU 
DEAD!!! DEAD!" 
 
	Soun woke up screaming the word 'dead' over and over.  
Normally, this would have attracted attention, but this was the 
fifth night in a row he had done this, so all he got was a single 
sleepy page boy sticking his head into the small tent and asking, 
"The usual?" 
 
	Soun sighed.  "Just a nightmare."  But so vivid, as if it was 
completely real.  Not like a normal nightmare...you couldn't 
dream of someone you had never met, could you?  He couldn't 
even understand how the idea had gotten into his head.  Surely 
Ranma and Akane were together. They had to be.  "But thank you 
for asking."  He got up to face the day. 
 
************ 
 
	"Are you sure letting Kasumi go off with those two guys is a 
good idea?"  Nabiki asked Akane as they ate breakfast up in the 
room Akane had arranged for Nabiki and Kasumi.  "They looked 
fishy to me." 
 
	"Balin and Dor won't win any awards for brains, but they're 
nice guys.  They'll keep her safe."  Akane munched on her toast.  
"And once we get breakfast, I'm sending you three to Caemlyn, 
anyway.  Today we bust out Mat.  Ranma and Ukyou will take 
care of you until we have time to track down Dad.  Caemlyn is 
about as safe as it gets in this world." 
 
	Nabiki cocked her head.  "You don't sound jealous." 
 
	Akane blinked.  "What?" 
 
	"Normally, you'd snarl Ukyou's name or pound the table, or 
something when they were off together." 
 
	Akane sighed.  "It's over.  I don't think Ranma and I will ever 
get married, and if that's the case, there's no point in me being 
jealous. Especially when I have someone." 
 
	Nabiki shifted uncomfortably.  While she had no particular 
intellectual dislike of same-sex relationships in the abstract, they 
bothered her a little at the gut level.  Especially when it was her 
sister.  "I never thought you REALLY hated men." 
 
	Akane frowned and clenched one of her hands into a fist for 
a moment.  "I don't hate men.  When I'm a woman, I find men 
more attractive than women.  I even had a dream about 
T...anyway, Alyssa accepts my curse, and Ranma can't.  He can't 
even accept his own curse.  I wish he would." 
 
	"Daddy's going to freak." 
 
	Akane shrugged, then started eating a peach.  For a minute, 
she was silent, and Nabiki started eating again as well.  Once she 
finished, Akane said, "Doesn't matter.  I'm not dependent on him 
anymore, so he can't tell me what to do." 
 
	Nabiki looked shocked.  "He's still our father." 
 
	"And even if Alyssa evaporated, Ranma and Ukyou are 
lovers now, so I still couldn't marry him."  There was a bit of an 
edge to her voice. "Unless we all became Aiel." 
 
	"Now you do sound a little jealous." 
 
	"I am not jealous!"  Akane pounded the table with her fist, 
then looked embarrassed and fell silent. 
 
	"So what's Alyssa like?" 
 
	"She's sweet and kind and listens to me,"  Akane said.  "Very 
feminine, a good cook, knows about herbs and how to help people 
get well, and a very powerful Aes Sedai, but she's not arrogant 
like most of them. She doesn't have a lot of confidence, which I 
can't understand, because she's got a lot of talents and she's very 
beautiful." 
 
	Nabiki cocked her head, thinking.  "She sounds like 
Kasumi." 
 
	Akane's eyes flared for a second.  "Are you insinuating 
something?" 
 
	"No, just observing," Nabiki said.  Doesn't sound like Ranma 
at all...in fact, close to Ranma's perfect opposite, she thought.  But 
then, Akane seemed different as well.   While she'd shown flashes 
of temper, she couldn't be so quickly roused to wrath as once she 
had been.  And she seemed more...in command. 
 
	There had been a time when Akane had always been in 
command, when she had been the top dog of the fighting scene in 
town, the woman that no one could touch or stop.  She had 
possessed confidence and carried a certain aura of majesty.  But 
then Ranma had come, and everything had changed.  Akane had 
never really worried about her lack of feminity before his arrival, 
but that changed.  It seemed as if everyone who came to town 
could outfight her, as well.  And then the kidnappings started.  
Akane had grown more passive, allowing Ranma to rescue her 
instead of really trying to rescue herself.   
 
	The old Akane was back, but more mature.  While Akane 
had often talked of defying her father, she'd never really done it 
for long.  And she carried herself like a lord, talking about her 
people and her duties.   
 
	Ranma had been different after the time he had spent in this 
world, and likely was more different now as well, Nabiki thought.  
I wonder if I'll even recognize him. 
 
************ 
 
	"Sire, you're not going to believe this," the page said, as he 
ran into the tent where King Ailron, formerly of Amadicia, and 
his guests, Nodoka and Genma Saotome, and Soun Tendo, were 
dining.   
 
	"I certainly don't believe you're interrupting our breakfast!" 
King Ailron said. 
 
	"There's an army from Mayene to the east of us!" 
 
	Ailron blinked.  "In Ghealdan?  Did it fly here?" 
 
	"It's heading south towards where the Prophet is," the page 
said. 
 
	"Are they likely to be hostile?"  Soun asked. 
 
 	"If they're REALLY from Mayene, they're likely to be 
friendly, but anyone can fly any flag they like.  Still, it might be 
worth investigating,"  Ailron said.  "Can you show me on a map, 
boy?" 
 
	"Yes, m'lord." 
 
	As the men gathered around the map, Nodoka ate quietly and 
thought about her dreams.  They were utterly ludicrous; while 
Genma probably had failed to make a real man of Ranma, surely 
he would never have gone so far.  Genma hated homosexuals, or 
at least he claimed to.  Why he hated them so much, she didn't 
know.  But surely he would never turn their son into a male 
prostitute.  Nor would Ukyou be Ranma's pimp, although she had 
to admit she didn't know Ukyou well; they had met only once. 
 
	On the other hand, he was hiding something.  So was Soun.  
Their stories had holes in them, but she couldn't quite winkle out 
the truth. Genma became a little more guilty looking every day, 
and the way Soun protested that Ranma and Akane WOULD be 
married the moment they returned to their own world...she 
increasingly suspected that her husband and his old friend knew 
something they weren't telling. 
 
************* 
 
	Elayne, Birgitte, Aviendha, Ranma-chan, Ukyou, Nynaeve, 
and Lan ate breakfast together.  Elayne was in a frenzy of 
nervousness.  "My dress looks fine, doesn't it?" she asked for the 
fiftieth time. 

	"It looks just fine," Nynaeve said.  "The last few days have 
gone quite well.  Why are you so worried now?"

	Elayne took a deep breath, then let it out.  "Well, Rand's 
jumpy, and I didn't sleep well, and the last few days went well 
because we were rounding up people from some of House 
Trakand's estates.  But now we have to start dealing with people 
who may not be so friendly."

	"You'll be fine," Ranma-chan said.  "We're just going to go 
nail down one of the lords who Dyelin's pretty sure will declare 
for you anyway, right?"

	"Right," Elayne said.  "Lord Luan."

	"I'm sure it's all going to be fine," Ranma-chan said.  

	"She's right," Birgette said.  "Now calm down.  You must 
look serene and regal for when we go see Lord Luan."

	Aviendha nodded.  "He is just a man like many others."

	"Yes, I'm sure it will be just fine."
 
************ 
 
	Kasumi and Nabiki stepped through the portal into Caemlyn.  
Kaneda fretted, but hopefully the damane wouldn't be able to 
sense it, since he had made it.  "Ranma, keep them safe until I can 
come for them." 
 
	Ranma-chan nodded from the other side.  "Of course I will.  I 
promise you they won't get hurt.  I'll be in out of Caemlyn with 
Elayne while we're rounding up help, but I'll make sure they're 
safe." 
 
	The two of them smiled at each other a little, then Kaneda 
said, "We'll probably take Mat to Cairhien, but I guess 
I'll...uh...see you soon." 
 
	"Busting Mat out takes precedence,"  Ranma-chan said.  
"You sure you don't need me to..." 
 
	"We'll be fine,"  Kaneda said nervously.  "See you!"  He cut 
the connection before he could change his mind.  A realization 
suddenly struck him.  I still haven't told Kasumi about Alyssa, just 
Nabiki...this could get messy. 
 
*********** 
 
	Akane's little army gathered in an upstairs room.  A handful 
of channelers, a juggler, a thief-catcher, an exiled nobleman, and a 
few soldiers were about to take on the Seanchan army.  If their 
spying was correct, the Daughter of the Nine Moons would arrive 
today.  Then they would strike to free Mat in the chaos of the 
celebration accompanying her arrival.  She poured water on 
herself, grasped the Source after the change, and dried off.  
"Everyone knows the plan.  Any questions?" 
 
	"I wanna help rescue Mat!"  Olver shouted. 
 
	"Can you channel?"  Kaneda asked. 
 
	"No." 
 
	"Can you fight with a sword?" 
 
	"No." 
 
	"How do you plan to help, then?"  Kaneda asked gently. 
 
	"I can ride a horse really quickly!" 
 
	"We're not leaving on horses.  You'll stay here with Mistress 
Anan, and if we succeed, we'll come for you." 
 
	"But what if you don't succeed?" 
 
	"Then you can pray for our souls,"  Balin said. 
 
	"Thanks for the optimistic assessment," his brother Dor said. 
 
	"This will work.  They won't be expecting us and everyone 
will be down at the docks.  And since Suroth isn't taking Mat with 
her, that'll make our job easier.  Everyone to their positions!" 
 
	They broke up into groups and began to scatter.  Soon, only 
Thom was left, lingering in the door as Kaneda picked up a few 
things he would need.  "The child's going to do something foolish, 
I fear." 
 
	"I'd bind him in air, but if I didn't come back, he would be 
stuck that way forever.  I'm sure Mistress Anan can keep him in 
hand." 
 
	"Small boys have a knack for getting into trouble." 
 
	Kaneda smiled.  "So do bigger ones." 
 
	"I suppose we'll finally get to see how Mat takes to being 
rescued."  Thom laughed.  "Let's go." 
 
*********** 
 
	"Where is Ukyou-sama?"  Konatsu asked. 
 
	"Eh?  I'll take you to see her in a minute,"  Ranma-chan said. 
"She's run off somewhere or another; off doing warder stuff." 
 
	Konatsu nodded.  "What is 'warder stuff'?" 
 
	They were all walking down one of the many corridors of the 
palace; Ranma-chan was praying that she wasn't lost.  This place 
makes me feel like Ryouga sometimes, she thought.  "Every Aes 
Sedai...well, almost all, except the Reds and a few Browns who 
never go anywhere, has a warder, who is a warrior bonded to 
them.  She can tell if I'm okay and where I am, and she becomes 
stronger and tougher due to the bond.  And I can sense where she 
is and if she's okay." 
 
	"Sounds useful,"  Konatsu said. 
 
	Kasumi said, "I bet it takes a long time to clean this place." 
 
	Ranma-chan laughed.  "I guess so.  That's why there's 
servants. Elayne wouldn't have much time to be Queen if she had 
to clean it all herself." 
 
	"Thom said to send his regards," Nabiki said.  "How did he 
meet the heir to a kingdom?" 
 
	Ranma-chan said, "He went to Tanchico with us.  And I have 
the impression he may have worked for her mom, the dead queen, 
at some point. Or at least he knew Queen Morgase somehow; he 
used to act like Elayne was his daughter, too." 
 
	Nabiki nodded thoughtfully.  "So why aren't you in Ebou Dar 
with Akane?" 
 
	Ranma-chan blushed.  "She...It's too dangerous for an Aes 
Sedai to go into Seanchan territory.  They LEASH Aes Sedai."  
She frowned angrily. "I've been there and done that and I don't 
want to ever do it again."  She looked around.  "Ah, there we go."  
She turned down a side corridor, and they followed.   
 
	"Why not go in boy form?"  Nabiki asked. 
 
	"Because I can't seem to stay dry more than ten or fifteen 
minutes at a time when it's really important to not change,"  
Ranma-chan said, frowning.  "You know how my life goes." 
 
	"I know.  I've still got the curse from that stupid pool Akemi 
made."  She sighed.  "We should have gone to them, Kasumi.  
They could have probably done something about the D-hopper." 
 
	"Who...oh, Gosunkugi and Akemi.  I suppose so.  They 
might have been gone like Dr. Tofu, though.  I wish he was here."  
She wiped a smudge off a doorframe.  "Someone really needs to 
do these frames better." 
 
	Konatsu smiled.  "You are a guest here, Kasumi.  You need 
not worry."
 
	"So how does this channeling thing work?"  Nabiki asked.  
"How do you learn?" 
 
	"Well, some people start doing it naturally, but most people 
have to be trained.  I could test you, but..." 
 
	"But what?" 
 
	"We can talk about it once I get y'all settled in and help 
Konatsu find Ukyou." 
 
	Nabiki nodded. 
 
********** 
 
	"And why should I believe you?  How do I know this isn't 
some kind of trick?"  Mat asked Suroth.   
 
	They were in a meeting room, just the two of them, which 
was unusual enough to make him wonder if maybe she was telling 
the truth.  It did explain why she had been acting so strangely.  He 
was sure that if she didn't have so much authority, some of her 
own people would have locked her up by now, and he himself had 
assumed she'd gone mad. 
 
	She handed him his spear.  "Shampoo needs the amulet or 
Demandred will turn Shampoo into a toad, or Shampoo would 
give it back.  Once Shampoo kills him, Shampoo will give it back.  
Follow Shampoo's plan, and Spear...and Mat will get away with 
Mat's girlfriend." 
 
	"She's not my..."  He sighed.  "So what's the signal?" 
 
	"When Shampoo bring Daughter of Nine Moons back to 
palace, then you can slip out.  Everyone will be too busy 
grovelling." 
 
	"What about you?" 
 
	"High Lady Suroth goes where she pleases.  Then Shampoo 
head to Caemlyn to find Ranma-groom." 
 
	He nodded.  "Good luck finding your husband."  This is 
crazy, he thought.  But there's no way Suroth would think up 
anything this insane unless she was telling the truth.  I hope. 
 
********** 
 
	"Hello, Ukyou-sama!"  Konatsu said to Ukyou, who was 
pacing about in the courtyard, waiting for everyone to be ready to 
go see Lord Luan. 
 
	Ukyou, who was in boy form, turned to Konatsu.  "Hi, 
Konatsu."  He smiled, hiding a mental frown.  I have to tell him 
about me and Ranma-chan, but I don't know how...He's gotta give 
up on me, but I don't want to break his heart after he came all this 
way.  "How are you?" 
 
	"I'm fine."  He looked down at all the nobles.  "I feel 
underdressed." 
 
	"I'm sure we can find you some nice clothing."  A thought 
struck her.  "So you're going to be staying here with us?"

	"I have come to continue my service with you, Kuonji-san."

	She frowned.  And your romantic pursuit of me, she thought.  
Still, Konatsu does have some useful talents.  "Would you mind 
doing a little covert work for me?" 
 
	"I would be honored, Ukyou-sama."  He bowed. 

	"I need you to be able to pass as a maid," she said.  "You 
need to look utterly unarmed and not dangerous at all.  Having an 
ace in the hole may be useful, just in case things get ugly."

	He nodded.  "Of course."  He smiled.  "Disguises are one of 
my specialties, as you know.  I had not realized it was one of 
Ranma's, though perhaps I should have anticipated that.  Still, he 
has become much more skillful." 
 
	Ukyou blinked.  "Ranma-chan is going around in a 
disguise?" 
 
	"If I had not known him, I would have assumed he was a 
woman.  Of course, he has a woman's body, which would be 
enough to fool most people, but he used to walk like a man, which 
was usually fairly funny to watch." Konatsu laughed.  "But he has 
changed.  Perhaps it is a result of being Aes Sedai." 
 
	Ukyou cocked his head; he hadn't thought of the possibility 
that using the Power could influence the behavior of its users.  
Well, beyond the obvious ways, like Taint-induced madness for 
men.  Then again, most Aes Sedai did seem to have certain 
commonalities of behavior.  "Because of him using...uhm... 
whatever the female half of the Power is called?" 
 
	"I know little of the Power, only a smidgen I learned from 
talking to one of Akane's friends...a man named Balin, I think.  
But from what he told me, the power is addictive.  Right?" 
 
	Ukyou nodded. 
 
	"Then the more he lives as an Aes Sedai, the less he'll want 
to live any other way, I think.  The more used he gets to the 
Power, the less he'll want to give it up.  And the more used he gets 
to living as a woman, the more natural it will seem.  It's more 
natural to me than being a boy," Konatsu said.  "Even though I'm 
trying to learn how to be a boy properly." He sighed.   
 
	"But I don't want Ranchan to be a woman,"  Ukyou said.  
Not all the time, anyway.  Especially not if he's a woman who 
only likes other women.  I just...I'm not quite sure WHAT I want.  
"Not all the time." 
 
	"If you don't find a cure for his curse, and a way to keep him 
from dying from being unable to channel, he will become at least 
half woman, I think."  He shook his head.  "Balin offered to test 
my ability to channel, but I do not wish to learn.  Even if it did not 
drive men mad, I would not want a power that can kill you if you 
lose it.  Can you channel, Ukyou-sama?" 
 
	"No, but I wish I could.  It's just so..." 
 
	"Snakes often glitter prettily in the sun,"  Konatsu said.  
"Hmm. Can this Power cure Ranma's curse?" 
 
	"It can dodge around it, but not cure it permanently; Ranchan 
can do this spell trick that heats or chills any water that touches 
her or me or whoever.  That's what she and I are using right now." 
 
	"It is like riding a tiger.  It will take you far and fast, but once 
you mount, you cannot get off.  I think this is true of both the 
curses and the Power.  Ranma is going to test Nabiki for the 
Power; I'm not surprised." 
 
	"Me neither.  Although probably Nabiki will only be able to 
use the boy's side." 
 
	"You think people from our world can only use it in their 
cursed forms?"   
 
	"I can't think why else Ranchan would use the girl side and 
Akane the boy side." 
 
	"Then why don't you channel the boy's side?" 
 
	Ukyou shrugged.  "I don't know.  It's not caused by being 
able to use Chi or I could do it." 
 
	Konatsu nodded.  "Well, you and Nabiki's curses are rather 
different from Ranma and Akane's." 
 
	Ukyou blinked.  "They are?  I mean...besides the origin." 
 
	"You and Nabiki only change fairly superficially, while 
Akane and Ranma look substantially physically different when 
they change sex.  I can easily recognize you in either form, while 
with Ranma, it's less obvious, though still not impossible to tell.  I 
cannot be certain right now if you are disguised as a boy or are a 
boy right now, though I think you are a boy." 
 
	"I'm a boy." 
 
	"I also think your curses don't affect the mind as much...or 
maybe you and Nabiki have different ideas about the differences 
between boys and girls than Ranma and Akane."  He stroked his 
hairless chin; Ukyou wondered again how Konatsu managed to 
shave so closely. 
 
	"I don't get it." 
 
	"Ranma acts pronouncedly different as a boy or as a girl, and 
the same for Akane.  With you and Nabiki, unless you're faking it 
for some reason, you act just the same.  Even when Ranma's 
around people who know he is a boy, he acts somewhat 
differently.  And moreso now." 
 
	"Ranchan's gotten a lot more polite in both forms,"  Ukyou 
said. "He's matured a lot." 
 
	"I've noticed," Konatsu said.  "So has Akane." 
 
	"Have I?" 
 
	"I haven't seen you enough to tell, Ukyou-sama, but you've 
always seemed very mature to me." 
 
	Ukyou blushed faintly.  TIme to bite the bullet.  "Ranchan 
and I have..." 
 
	"You're his warder, yes, I know,"  Konatsu said.  "I take it 
this means he and Akane are through." 
 
	He seems so calm, Ukyou thought.  "We've really formalized 
our engagement now." 
 
	He stared down at the crowd for a moment, then looked at 
her. "Aes Sedai can have more than one warder, can they not?" 
 
	Ukyou blinked.  "Umm...yeah, I think so." 
 
	"I will ask her if she will accept me as a warder, then.  I think 
I can be of use to her with my skills."  He rose.  "I will go and 
prepare my disguise." 
 
	"Konatsu...Do you really think...that's a good idea?"  His 
skills WOULD be useful, and he did want Konatsu to stay, but at 
the same time, it was going to be very awkward.   
 
	There was a poof of smoke and Konatsu was gone.  Did 
he...really understand?  Ukyou wasn't sure.   
 
********** 
 
	Ranma-chan blinked.  "Weird." 
 
	"It's glowing!  That's good, right?"  Nabiki asked. 
 
	"It's weird is what it is," Ranma-chan said.  "You're 
channeling Saidar, all right.  But no one else from our world can 
do it.  I mean...in their normal body." 
 
	"Spring of drowned channeler,"  Nabiki said.  "Obviously 
you and Akane both got hit with drowned channeler water of the 
appropriate sex. Ukyou and I got hit with a different kind of water 
from Akemi's stupid attempt to cure you.  So you two shouldn't 
channel, but your curse lets you.  Ukyou just can't channel, and I 
can.  Well, if it turns out I'm stuck here, I'll want to learn.  If I can 
go home soon, then I don't want to learn so I don't end up..."  She 
tried to think how to put it. 
 
	"I know what you mean.  I have to be a girl a lot of the time 
so I can channel,"  Ranma-chan said.  "Plus, most of my Aes 
Sedai friends don't know, so..."  Oh great, I just gave Nabiki 
blackmail information, she thought.  Well, she needs to know or 
she'll blab accidentally.   
 
	"They don't?" 
 
	"I lived in the Tower for nine months as a woman.  Well, it 
wasn't all in the Tower, but...Men who channel go mad.  If they 
find out I'm a guy..."
 
	"They'll think you're going to go mad.  Plus, I'd imagine 
you've seen them all naked and semi-naked a few times."  She 
gave Ranma-chan a thoughtful look. 
 
	She sighed.  "What's it gonna cost me?" 
 
	"I need information; you can pay me in that.  I'm going to ask 
you some questions, and you're going to answer them 
COMPLETELY truthfully.  No hedging, no lies, no evading.  Do 
that, and I'll swear to keep whatever secrets you want." 
 
	Fair enough.  "And promise you won't tell anyone what I tell 
you...if I ask you not to." 
 
	"Done deal.  Ready?" 
 
	"Yup." 
 
	"Do you love Akane?" 
 
	Ranma-chan squirmed like her foot was nailed to the floor.  
"I'm formally engaged to Ukyou now.  We've...It's going pretty 
well." 
 
	"No waffling." 
 
	Ranma-chan got up, closed the door, then her face was 
suddenly overcome with a look of joy for a few seconds.  She 
settled back down.  "I can't believe I lost her to a girl." 
 
	"Me neither,"  Nabiki said.  "But do you love her?" 
 
	"I dunno for sure what love is.  But I know I care about her 
and I want to..."  She blushed.  "With her girl body.  Although I 
fantasize a lot more about Ukyou's..."  She blushed again. 
 
	"So why do you think she's in love with a girl instead of 
you?" 
 
	"Why are you asking me this stuff?"  Ranma-chan frowned at 
Nabiki.   
 
	"Because Daddy is going to burst into flames when he finds 
out, and I'm trying to decide what to do about it,"  Nabiki said.  
"Do you think this Alyssa person did something to her?" 
 
	"Alyssa's not like that!"  Ranma-chan exclaimed.  "She's 
so...Do you think Kasumi would do something like that?" 
 
	"Kasumi's been acting weird ever since she came back from 
this world...everyone who's been here is acting different." 
 
	"She lived as a guy for seven months.  That's when she 
started liking girls.  If you stay in your cursed form for too long, 
you start wanting the opposite sex,"  Ranma-chan said.  She tried 
not to think about the many months she'd lived as a girl in the 
Tower.  
 
	Nabiki blinked.  "So you want to sleep with guys now?" 
 
	Ranma-chan shook her head fervently.  "No!  I don't want 
to!"  She focused on that, ignoring all evidence to the contrary.  
 
	"Uh huh.  I suppose Ukyou now wants to sleep with girls.  
When she's a guy.  Which she is, quite a bit."  Nabiki frowned and 
wondered if something like this was going to happen to her. 
 
	"I..." 
 
	"And that bothers you." 
 
	"What are you getting at?" 
 
	"I don't blame you.  It would bother me.  I'm glad I asked 
Akane to lock me in girl form.  Because I have to admit I wouldn't 
want to start lusting after women."  She shook her head.  "But I 
think you're in trouble." 
 
	"What do you mean?" 
 
	"From what Akane told me, the two of you are basically 
going to be here for years, right?" 
 
	"Right." 
 
	"And you're going to have to be a girl a lot, right?" 
 
	"Right." 
 
	"What makes you think this Fox thing is gonna last any 
longer than any of the other 'cures' you've gotten for problems 
your curse has caused?" 
 
	Ranma-chan frowned.  "The Snakes were pretty firm that it 
didn't have any loopholes.  That I wouldn't ever lust after men 
unless I renounced the wish." 
 
	"What if someone made you renounce it?  Or you got drunk?  
Or someone wished to negate your wish?" 
 
	Ranma-chan eeped. 
 
	Nabiki shook her head.  "Sooner or later, it's gonna get 
broken, and then you're going to be wanting men." 
 
	"But..."  Ranma-chan was starting to get frantic.  "It wouldn't 
be manly!" 
 
	"I think you've already broken that promise.  Look at 
yourself. You're dressed in a very nice, very modest, but still very 
feminine dress." 
 
	Ranma-chan looked down at the blue and red silk dress, 
which had a high collar and pleated sleeves and embroidery of 
snowflakes on the blouse.  "I...Aes Sedai gotta dress like this." 
 
	"You're rationalizing, Ranma.  If you remain Aes Sedai, you 
can forget about being only a guy." 
 
	"But I don't want to...I made a promise to Mom, and even 
though I did promise I wouldn't kill myself...I want to keep my 
honor." 
 
	Nabiki shrugged.  "Then stop being Aes Sedai.  Get Akane to 
bind you into boy form." 
 
	"But...they need me." 
 
	Nabiki frowned.  "Look.  I don't want you to kill yourself 
either. Frankly, I think a promise by a five year old doesn't mean 
anything.  And if your mother does think that, she's a moron.  But 
you have to decide. If you stay Aes Sedai, you're not gonna meet 
most people's definitions of manliness.  If you become a boy full 
time, you MIGHT meet your mother's definition of manliness.  
Then again, she might decide you don't measure up anyway, and 
your friends who you think need you won't have your help. Not as 
an Aes Sedai." 
 
	Ranma-chan gulped.  "So what do you think I should do?" 
 
	"Tell me what honor is, Ranma." 
 
	Ranma-chan blinked.  "Huh?" 
 
	"Do it." 
 
	"Honor is keeping your promises and doing your duty to 
your family and friends,"  Ranma-chan said.  "And not abusing 
your power.  It ain't honorable to go around beating up people 
who can't fight, or slapping eight year olds around with chi 
blasts." 
 
	"What happens if they conflict?" 
 
	"You find a way to wiggle around it." 
 
	Nabiki laughed.  "What if it's impossible?  What if you get 
caught where there's no way to wiggle?" 
 
	"There's virtually always some way to wiggle." 
 
	"Do you see any way to wiggle around this conflict?" 
 
	"Assuming Mom says me being Aes Sedai is unmanly?" 
 
	"More or less.  Let's say she says your curse is unmanly; you 
have to never change into a girl ever again." 
 
	"I could...no, that would be just as bad." 
 
	"What?" 
 
	Ranma-chan shook her head.  "Compelling my own mother 
would be dishonorable." 
 
	"You can MAKE people do things?" 
 
	"Yeah, but it ain't honorable, and Egwene would kick my ass. 
Compulsion is MAJORLY dishonorable for Aes Sedai." 
 
	"So is your promise to your mother more important or your 
duties as an Aes Sedai?  How do you reconcile them?" 
 
	Ranma-chan idly tugged on her braid.  "If I HAD to choose, 
being an Aes Sedai is more important.  Because if we don't stop 
the Dark One, everyone's gonna die screaming, and keep my 
promise to Mom isn't much good if the world goes to hell and the 
Dark One eats her soul." 
 
	Nabiki winced at the thought.  "Is it really going to be that 
bad?" 
 
	"If the Dark One breaks free, EVERY world will be 
destroyed, and we'll be plunged into hell, pretty much.  The last 
time he started to break free, he totally destroyed civilization,"  
Ranma-chan said.  "It's gonna take the Power to seal him up.  The 
Aes Sedai and the Ash'aman and the Dragon are gonna have to go 
after him in the end.  I..."  She took a deep breath.  "I think you 
should stay here and learn to channel and become Aes Sedai.  We 
could use someone as smart as you.  Elayne needs someone who 
can plot in her sleep, and you fit the bill." 
 
	Nabiki blinked.  "Thank you, Ranma.  I'm flattered."  Maybe 
I should stay, she thought.  I'd rather be in Bermuda, but...  "So 
what are you going to do?" 
 
	"I'm gonna take my chances.  I'm Aes Sedai now.  I hope I 
can stay...I hope you're wrong about me having to choose...I want 
to be manly, but it won't help if I'm manly and then everyone dies 
because of it."  She sighed.  "Pop's not gonna be happy either." 
 
	But Daddy might, Nabiki thought.  If you do...become like 
Akane, the odds of the two of you getting back together are better.  
I don't think all-boy Ranma could ever get Akane back unless 
Akane changes, but half and half Ranma...She frowned at herself 
mentally.  She wasn't quite sure why she had pushed Ranma down 
this line of thought, whether she had been trying to help him or 
help get him and Akane back together or if she had just been 
following the train of thought wherever it went.  I need to meet 
Alyssa, she thought, so I see what she is like.  "I'll think about 
what you said." 
 
	Ranma-chan nodded.  "Don't..tell anyone about all this, 
okay?" 
 
	"Okay.  So you're taking off this afternoon?"

	Ranma-chan nodded.  "We're off to see Lord Luan.  But 
you'll be safe here."

	Time to go do some research and learn more about this 
world, then, Nabiki thought.
 
*********** 
 
	Kaneda, Julin, and Corwin walked through the castle, 
carrying a heavy cask and doing their best to look like hired help.  
Everyone ignored them, from soldiers to servants, and most of the 
people had snuck out to go see the Empress' daughter arrive. 
 
	Corwin said, "But how are we going to find Mat?  We've 
been carrying this thing all day, it seems like." 
 
	"We don't have to necessarily.  Each group has someone who 
can Travel out.  And with the Mind Touch, we're all in contact, so 
we'll know when someone does find him."  Kaneda frowned 
slightly; he'd had to Compel the guards at the doors, which he 
didn't like doing, although making them say 'These aren't the 
droids we're looking for' had been entertaining.  "I suppose we 
could have used an empty cask if I'd thought of it though."   
 
	Julin laughed.  "At least we won't die of thirst." 
 
*********** 
 
	"Tell them,"  Tallanvor said to Maighdin. 
 
	"I can't!  It could interfere with Elayne's succession.  I have 
abdicated...the throne is hers." 
 
	"She ought to know her mother is alive," he said, drumming 
his fingers on his knee.  He was sitting on a stump while she 
paced back and forth. 
 
	"My dishonor is still bandied about," she said quietly.  "I...I 
do not wish to hear of it."  Did I truly cavort with one of the 
Forsaken? She shuddered.   
  
	"Do you WANT me to tell you what to do?" 
 
	She wasn't sure what she wanted. 
 
************ 
 
	Nabiki helped Kasumi into the dress one of Ranma-chan's 
friends had found for her.  There was a dress for her spread outon 
the bed as well.  "Did you enjoy your talk with Nynaeve?" 
 
	"She and her husband were very nice,"  Kasumi said, tying a 
ribbon into her hair as Nabiki buttoned up the back of her dress.  
"We traded some recipes.  But she had to go help Elayne get 
ready, so she gave me a nice book to read tonight while they're 
gone."  She pointed to _The Heart and the Flame_.  "Some very 
nice romance stories.  I've started it already."  Kasumi's voice got 
a little dreamy.  "Exciting action, warm hearted love, and..."  She 
blushed.  "One of them got a little...I can't believe I read the whole 
thing." 
 
	Nabiki couldn't believe it either.  "Well, this wasn't exactly 
the plan, but at least we'll be safe here."

	Kasumi nodded.  "I could use the vacation."

	"Me too." 
 
*********** 
 
	"We have to find my son!" 
 
	Mat frowned at Tylin.  She was right, but...there was just no 
way. "How do you propose to find him?  We haven't seen him 
since the Seanchan captured the city.  Plus, I think the Lord that 
Shampoo told me had him is in Amadicia." 
 
	"We can't trust her." 
 
	"We have to," Mat said.  "We may get some help escaping, 
but we can't count on it.  I'm getting you out of here, and then we 
can worry about getting Beslan out of Amadicia or wherever he 
is." 
 
	She put her hands on her hips.  "I cannot abandon him!" 
 
	"I don't even bloody know where to START looking!  And 
this is our ONLY chance.  Even if Shampoo succeeds, she's 
probably going to die, and I doubt Tuon will help us escape!"  He 
didn't like that; Mat didn't like letting some woman get herself 
killed.  There was nothing he could do about that.  But he'd be 
damned if he let a Queen get killed when she was in his care, 
especially not one who...he would save her despite herself. 
 
	They glared at each, and finally, Tylin frowned.  "I do not 
like this, Mat Cauthon." 
 
	"I never said I LIKED it.  But I won't gamble your life when 
I don't even know the rules of the game." 
 
	She smiled a tiny smile.  "Is everything a game for you, 
duckling?" 
 
	He could feel the dice tumbling in his head.  "I won't play 
games with...people I'm protecting." 
 
	The former Queen of Altara laughed.  "You run, but you'll 
come when I crook my finger." 
 
	Mat simply fumed and waited. 
 
*********** 
 
	Konatsu milled about through the crowd at Lord Luan's 
estate, listening to gossip and blending in; it was easy.  The nobles 
tended to ignore anyone in a servant's outfit, unless they liked the 
servant's looks, and they talked freely around them.  Not very 
wise on their parts, he thought.
 
	He'd gotten eight compliments on his beauty and two serious 
flirtations; it was nice to see he had done a good job.  He just 
wished Ukyou would say things like that.  He pushed thoughts of 
her out of his mind; he would do this for her, serve her as best he 
could.  She had helped to set him free, and he loved her.   
	 
	Three men were making him suspicious; they wore noble 
clothing but their bearing was wrong.  They talked to no one and 
were strangely impassive in comparison to everyone else.  It was 
the calm of the zen warrior, a calm Konatsu had seen no where 
else in this world. More importantly, they had concealed knives.  
They were close enough to aid each other, not so close it was 
obvious they were together. 
 
	Time to warn Ukyou-sama, he decided. 
 
*********** 
 
	Ukyou, Lan, and Birgitte peered through the milling throng 
in Lord Luan's Great Hall as best they could.  "I don't see who you 
mean,"  Ukyou said. 
 
	"Me neither,"  Birgitte said. 
 
	Lan's eyes narrowed minutely.  "Grey men." 
 
	"Huh?"  Konatsu said. 
 
	"They are very hard to see until they attack.  Or to sense with 
our...special abilities." 
 
	"Maybe Ranchan or Nynaeve will know a way to spot 
them?"  Ukyou said. 
 
	"I'll go get her," Konatsu said, starting to run off, but Ukyou 
grabbed him.  "Lan, you go get Nynaeve."  He nodded and 
departed, sliding off through the crowd which filled much of the 
hall.  
 
	The heralds, who had been droning on with people's 
entrances, largely ignored by everyone, now got some attention by 
blowing a trumpet and announcing.  "Lady Ellorian has arrived."

	Another of the major lords, Ukyou thought.  We're in luck if 
she's here too.  Two birds with one stone.

	Everyone turned to see her; she was no great beauty, but she 
dressed very well and her strong features stuck in the mind long 
after she was gone.  The three men stared at her as well, then 
began moving towards the new arrivals, drawing their daggers.  
Konatsu said, "They're moving towards Lady Ellorian." 
 
	"Blast it,"  Ukyou said.  "Konatsu, you're going to have to 
intercept them.  Lead us over, and we can try to help once it 
becomes more obvious...maybe they'll turn visible once they 
attack or something." 
 
	"I want to know why he can see them and we can't,"  Birgitte 
said. 
 
	"He wouldn't make something like this up,"  Ukyou said, just 
a tiny bit irritated. 
 
	"I didn't mean THAT," she said as they followed Konatsu 
over. 
 
	The three men suddenly sped up, closing in on Ellorian, who 
had her back to them.  Konatsu saw he had no choice.  He ran 
straight at Ellorian, who froze up in surprise for a moment, then 
vaulted over her, drawing his concealed sword in a swift 
movement.  He landed on the first of the men, knocking him 
down, then brought the sword around, striking the hand of the 
second man, knocking his knife away.  The third leaped at him, 
but he jumped high and the man stabbed the first man instead as 
he started to get up.  The first man screamed and collapsed, 
howling in agony. 
 
	That got the crowd's attention.  Everyone began to clear 
away from Konatsu and the three men, except for a tall, ugly man 
who had entered with Ellorian.  He drew his sword and engaged 
another one of the men.  Ukyou now vaulted over the mob, and 
Birgitte drew two knives and charged forward.  Elayne, Nynaeve, 
Ranma-chan, and Aviendha stared for a moment from where they 
had been speaking to Lord Luan, and then they all grasped the 
Source.
 
	Konatsu stared at the man and resolved to be extra careful 
not to let the blades touch him; the blow should have been only a 
scratch, really.  Luckily, the men were poor fighters for all the chi 
mastery they had to have to Walk Unseen in such a mob.  With a 
quick flick he disarmed the one who had so gravely injured his 
own friend.  "Surrender." 
 
	A second later, the Power wrapped them in bonds of Air 
several times over as the Aes Sedai went to work.  A second after 
that, Ukyou brained both of them with her mega-spatula.  They 
both collapsed.  Ukyou looked down at the one which was 
howling and turning black.  "What the hell did you do to him, 
Konatsu?" 
 
	"Don't touch the blades; I think they've got a REALLY 
powerful poison on them,"  Konatsu said. 
 
	Elayne came over and said, "Grey men.  One good scratch 
and you'll die from their weapons.  And they're very hard to notice 
until they attack."  She looked over at Konatsu.  "How did you see 
them?" 
 
	"I have no idea.  I suppose my kunoichi skills have 
improved."  He frowned.  "I think they were after her."  He 
pointed at Ellorian.  "Although it's hard to be sure." 
 
	Ellorian frowned.  "I suppose I should be flattered to know 
that the Shadow wishes me dead."

	"My apologies, Lady Ellorian," Lord Luan said.  "I have 
been remiss as a host."  He turned to Konatsu.  "Your skills are 
impressive; you do not look a swordsmaster, I must confess.  
What is your name?"   
  
	"Konatsu Kenzan".  He bowed.  "A pleasure to serve, Lord 
Luan." 

	"You should have waited for us, you know, Konatsu," Ukyou 
said.
 
	"They were running.  They might have killed Lady Ellorian 
if I had not hurried.  I would have been more careful if I had 
realized their blades could slay so quickly."  The first of them was 
dead now.   
 
	Ellorian frowned.  "Are you sure there aren't more?" 
 
	"I will scout, Lady,"  Konatsu said. 

	"Well, back to our business," Lord Luan said.  "Let us hope 
this is the end of tonight's excitement."

	Elayne nodded.  "Let us hope."
  
********** 
 
	"Here's your fireworks," Aludra said to Mat, depositing a 
large box on the table before him.  "What do you expect me to do 
with them?" 
 
	"Carry them for now."  Mat said.  Come on, Thom, hurry it 
up, he thought.   
 
	The door opened, and a small ugly boy stuck his head in.  
"There you are!"  Olvar ran over to Mat.  "Did the others find you 
yet?" 
 
	Aludra blinked, and Mat and Tylin laughed.  "Looks like 
they should have put the child in charge," Tylin said. 
 
	"Do you know where the others are?" 
 
	"Wandering around the palace like idiots.  I TOLD them to 
bring me, but they said no." 
 
	"So how did you find me?" 
 
	"I just asked one of the maids I knew." 
 
	Mat laughed.  "I'm surprised Thom hasn't done the same 
thing." 
 
	"Maybe he just walks slower than me." 
 
	Thom now opened the door to Mat's room.  He was with 
Georgi, one of the handful of Mat's soldiers who had come to 
Ebou Dar with Mat, and with Balin.  "Hello, Mat." 
 
	"Finally!"  Mat said.  "I was about to set off the fireworks 
just so I wouldn't be bored with you taking so long." 
 
	"I told you to bring me!"  Olvar said. 
 
	Balin laughed.  "The others will be here soon.  Then we'll 
Travel out of here." 
 
	The wall suddenly exploded, and everyone dove for cover.  
"Not soon enough," Lord Ashrim, a tall, heavyset Seanchan lord 
announced.  He had a dozen damane and sul'dam with him.  "I see 
spying on Suroth has paid off...Ever since she began to go mad, I 
started keeping an eye on her." 
 
	Mat cursed and wished he had his amulet.  He couldn't fight 
the channelers without it.  Especially after they roped everyone's 
arms with air.  "Now what?" 
 
	"Now we go take a look at that odd hoard Suroth's built up in 
her room, and I expose her to the Daughter of the Nine Moons, 
dog.  Who will likely kill you all as you deserve, although..."  He 
looked at Aludra.  "I might keep her for myself." 
 
	"I am an Illuminator," Aludra said, her face blank.  "These 
fireworks are mine.  May I take them with me?" 
 
	"Hmm?  Certainly, carry them.  We can use them as 
evidence." Pathetic toys, but they do have a certain amusement 
value, Ashrim thought. 
 
	"Thank you, Lord," Aludra bowed and picked up the box as 
best she could, then smiled once he moved past them so he 
couldn't see her face.   
 
********* 
 
	Across the palace, Kaneda frowned.  "They've got Mat.  And 
there's a DOZEN of those damane...this is going to be tricky." 
 
	"You'd probably call sneaking into Shaol Ghul tricky too," 
Julin muttered.   
 
	Kaneda swiftly revised the plan, though the revision would 
be far more dangerous than the original one. 
 
********* 
 
	Shampoo led Tuon into what had been Suroth's quarters, 
formerly those of the Queen of Altara, having informed Tuon that 
she would be vacating the chambers so that Tuon could have 
rooms befitting her rank. Most of Tuon's flunkies melted away 
except for Tuon's Voice, a handmaiden, and a damane and 
sul'dam, just as Shampoo desired.  The extra voices were her first 
warning of trouble.  The effort by several damane to wrap her in 
air was the second.   
 
	It failed thanks to the amulet, but then the wall blew in, 
flinging her and those with her back.  Inside what had been her 
bedroom, she could see eight more damane, and a collection of 
captives bound with air amidst her diverse treasures.  Far across 
the wall, she could see the waterclock; Demandred was coming 
soon.  She cursed, then charged the damane.  The first one to go 
down was utterly shocked when she saw the flows she had woven 
on Shampoo dissolve on contact. 
 
	A few seconds later, a door opened in the air, and several 
people stepped out.  Shampoo recognized only one; it was Akane 
in her boy-form.  "Akane?" 
 
	Kaneda blinked.  "Eh?"   
 
	Then all hell really broke loose, with bolts of energy flying 
everywhere.  The captives suddenly broke loose somehow; 
Shampoo guessed someone had cut their bonds with magic.  
Shampoo continued to methodically bash damane in the head. 
 
	Some child with the captives panicked and ran towards the 
twisted doorway.  Those with him followed; she wasn't sure if 
they were running away or trying to catch the child.  When one of 
them set off a firework, and then another, and several more, she 
was too busy dodging explosions to care. 
 
	Suddenly, Ashrim was in her face, slashing down in a 
diagonal at her.  She parried with her sword, wishing she had her 
bonbori.  He smiled thinly at her.  "Not bad.  But not good 
enough."  He began to press her backwards, as they both ignored 
the invisible struggle of the Power all around them. 
 
	She gave ground, studying his style, which was unfamiliar to 
her, fluid and aggressive.  Even more impressive to her was that 
some of his moves involved actually switching hands; he had to 
be either ambidextrous, or incredibly practiced.   
 
	He kept changing moves, he apparently knew several dozen 
attacks and defenses, executing them all with skill.  Truly a 
skillful swordsman, she thought.  She parried and blocked, hiding 
her own attacks so he could not learn them until she was ready to 
use them.   
 
	Ideally, she would have preferred to press the attack, but this 
body was not so suited for combat as her own; better to be 
cautious.  He seemed to have an endless array of maneuvers, 
though none of them were as powerful as she expected.  Any 
swordsman of this diversity in her world would also have been 
strong enough physically to break through her defenses by now on 
simple power alone.  Perhaps in this world, they compensate for 
their lack of chi with broader training, she thought.  It made sense 
to her. 
 
	Finally, she was ready to attack; however, he then froze in 
place. Kaneda said, "It's over." 
 
	She looked around, and it was.  Most of the captives had 
vanished; so had the twisted doorway.  Kaneda stood with a 
handful of men over the various unconscious damane.  Tuon was 
gone; this was not going to be easy to cover up, Shampoo thought.  
She could hear the running of feet; more people would arrive 
shortly.  "Akane, get out of here," she said.  "Demandred is 
coming." 
 
	Kaneda's eyes flared.  "WHAT?"  He then calmed.  "How do 
you know..." 
 
	"I'm Shampoo," she said.  Kaneda frowned, and Shampoo 
realized that Kaneda wasn't used to hearing her in a language 
where she could use the first person properly.  "Look, violent 
tomboy, you've got to get out of here before Demandred shows up 
and kills you!  I can't protect you and fight Demandred at the 
same time!" 
 
	Kaneda blinked.  "But...you look like..." 
 
	"I don't have time to explain this!  Great-Grandmother sent 
me here!  Now go!  Demandred is about to arrive." 
 
	The air tore open, and Demandred stepped out. 
 
	Kaneda said, "Sometimes I really HATE being ta'veren."
 
************** 
 
	It took Demandred a few seconds to assess that everything 
had gone to hell in a handbasket.  In those few crucial seconds, 
three people were trying to slam down shields on him, while a 
fourth charged him with a sword.  He held off the three people 
trying to shield him; they had enthusiasm, and power, and even 
decent training, but they lacked his centuries of experience.   
 
	Suroth's distaste for channelers, or likely her progressive 
insanity, had motivated her to betray him, despite her oaths to the 
Dark One.  He was impressed just a tiny bit, although he couldn't 
quite figure out how the three male channelers with her figured 
into it, or all the unconscious people.  Perhaps someone had 
figured out she was a Darkfriend. He flicked a tendril of air at her 
to swat her aside.   
 
	It dissolved away.  Then she cackled and shouted, 
"SHABAZZ!"  The small rod in her hand spat a beam of power at 
him.  He recognized the weave in an instant, and had to deflect 
much of his attention to cutting it apart, which enabled one of the 
young channelers to partially cut him off.  What made it more 
humiliating was that it had been the weakest of the three.  Still, he 
could have beaten them if he could have neutralized the wand 
wielder.  Unfortunately, everything he flung at Suroth seemed to 
unravel.   
 
	Demandred was no fool; he knew the concept of strategic 
retreat. This plan was, simply put, shot to hell.  He did so, opening 
his gateway and fleeing to where he could find help.     
 
************** 
 
	Kaneda studied the gate residues.  "I can track him if we go 
quickly!  C'mon, everyone, we..." 
 
	Shampoo shook her head.  "Don't be stupid.  He'll run to his 
friends and they'll crush you.  The Forsaken are VERY powerful.  
He even managed to ward off my Wand of Stilling!"  She waved 
it about and felt gratified when all three male channelers jumped 
back slightly.  "Get out of here.  Demandred won't come back; 
he'll just hide and make another plan.  Assuming what Suroth 
remembers about him is correct." 
 
	"It is you," Kaneda said. 
 
	"Where is my fiancee, Ranma?"  Shampoo asked. 
 
	"He's in Caemlyn," Kaneda said.  "What...what is going on 
with you?"  He looked around.  "Dammit, how the hell are we 
going to find Mat? He's vanished AGAIN!"   
 
	"I think he took Tuon with him, too," Shampoo said, then 
sighed.  "Something went wrong when I was sent here.  This is 
what happened..." 
 
********** 
 
	Kaneda slumped into bed back in Cairhien.  Mat was in the 
land of the Foxes again; he'd gone to Tear with Balin and Dor and 
sent Balin and Dor in to consult the Snakes.  Mat would be out 
'soon', whatever that meant.  It was enough to reassure Rand, but 
not him.  I wish I'd thought of this BEFORE I went to Ebou Dar, 
he thought, feeling stupid.   
 
	I hope Kasumi and Nabiki's trip went well, he thought.  And 
that all of Mat's people get out of Foxland okay.  I wonder what 
Balin and Dor asked the Snakes for themselves, he thought.   
 
	He fingered the small twisted ring around his neck.  Got to 
meet everyone in Tel'aran'rhiod tonight, he thought.   So we can 
try and go find our parents.   
 
	Slowly, he drifted off to sleep. 
 
********** 
  
	Ranma-chan walked down the hallway, heading for the 
baths.  Konatsu suddenly emerged from... somewhere.  "Ranko 
Sedai, I would speak with you," he said quietly. 
 
	"Call me Ranma when it's just us,"  Ranma-chan said.  
"What's up?" 
 
	"I understand Ukyou will be staying with you in this world," 
Konatsu said, matching Ranma-chan's stride as she walked along. 
 
	"Yep.  We're together now," she said.  "We haven't figured 
out yet when we're going to get married." 
 
	"She is also your warder now,"  Konatsu said. 
 
	"Yep."  Ranma-chan had already been told by Ukyou what 
Konatsu had said to her, so she was fairly sure she knew where 
Konatsu was going.  She hadn't decided what to say.  She could 
certainly use someone with Konatsu's skills; she could outfight 
him in her sleep, but he was good at disguise and stealth 
and...well, he wasn't a ninja for nothing. 
 
	On the other hand, it would likely be uncomfortable; he 
knew Konatsu liked Ukyou.  He was probably just looking for an 
excuse to be near her.  "So why do you want to be my warder?" 
 
	Konatsu jumped.  "How did you know?" 
 
	"You did tell Ukyou, you know." 
 
	"Oh.  So what is your reply?" 
 
	"What is YOUR reply?" 
 
	Konatsu blinked.  "Oh.  Ukyou does not need a warder, but I 
can help her to protect you." 
 
	Ranma-chan frowned intensely.  "I ain't no flimsy girl who 
needs a man to protect her!  Geez, everyone keeps treating me like 
I'm fine china! I'm a man!  I can take care of myself!"     
 
	"I love her," Konatsu said softly.  "This is the best way for 
me to stay near her." 
 
	"So why should I hire someone who wants to steal my 
fiancee?" 
 
	Konatsu stared at the ground.  "I do have useful skills." 
 
	"I'll think about it, but don't go holding your breath.  If you 
weren't trying to...I mean...you understand, don't you?" 
 
	Konatsu didn't look up.  "Yes," he said quietly.  "I'll await 
your final decision.  You know where to find me."  He darted off 
down a side corridor and was gone.  
 
	Ranma-chan sighed and went to take a bath. 
 
************

	Elayne slumped into bed, smiling a little.  I will have to 
thank Konatsu, she thought.  Saving Lady Ellorian like that seems 
to have helped to influence her favorably in my direction.  Things 
had gone very well with Lord Luan and Lady Ellorian, and soon 
their forces would be ready to come support her, if it came to 
violence, though she still hoped it didn't.

	"Today went well, didn't it?" Elayne asked Aviendha, who 
was busy stripping down for bed.

	"Yes," Aviendha said.  "And they will go well tomorrow."  
She slipped between the sheets.  "Sleep well, first-sister."

	"Sleep well and wake," Elayne said, smiling.  She closed her 
eyes and laid down to sleep.

	The bed was not as comfortable as those in the Palace at 
Caemlyn, but it was still pretty nice, so she stretched a bit, trying 
to relax so she could fall asleep.  Exhaustion finally took her.  
Then four Myrdraal stepped out of the shadows of the corners of 
her room.  If it had just been her, she might have been taken.  
Unfortunately for the Myrdraal, Aviendha slept lighter than 
Elayne.  

	The first one caught fire, and Aviendha's shouted the alarm.  
Elayne woke back up and Birgette was through the door in a 
second.  

	By the time Nynaeve, Ukyou, Konatsu, and Ranma-chan 
arrived, it was all over, with four corpses on the floor.  "How the 
hell did they get in here?" Ranma-chan asked.

	"I don't know, but I fear we may have to set wards on our 
rooms wherever we go," Elayne said.  "I think the Shadow wishes 
to ensure I don't take the throne."  She sounded a little proud.

	Nynaeve frowned, cocking her head slightly and staring off 
into space for a few seconds.  "Well, we'll make sure there's no 
chance of that."

	"Just gotta keep our eyes open.  Well, back to Tel'aran'rhiod 
for me," Ranma-chan said.  "Goodnight, everyone."

	"Goodnight."

 
 End Chapter Thirteen