Okay, the ML better not popp out on me this time...
Othe stuff is at http://www.emich.edu/public/llb/fanfic.html





{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, so don't try any funny stuff!}


                      A Wolf in Samurai's Clothing

                            by Lara Bartram
                            ---------------

Part 3, Chapter 4

	So that was it, but Nabiki didn't think it would be wise, or
very nice, to pry further.  In fact...  "I remember when... the
phone...  Daddy... and the hospital..."  She blinked back pointless
tears.  "We had to all go to the hospital and no one would say why.
He looked so... serious.  He wasn't frightened, but I was.  Because
she wasn't there and we were going to the hospital..."
	Nabiki sniffed and looked down at the ground.  "I knew, I just
knew there was something wrong, that something had happened."
	Kuno walked stoicly beside her, his face hot from the pity he
was keeping at bay.
	"It was so fast...  She... she...  Right before our eyes.  I
watched her...  And I couldn't help her.  She wouldn't wake up, she
didn't come home with us.  She wasn't there when I had the nightmare,
or when I hurt myself, when I ran out in the road and... and..."
	Kuno suddenly stopped walking and took her into his arms.  It
was perfect timing as Nabiki started crying.  She clutched at him
desperately, trying to find a way to escape the awful, awful memories.
He held her gently, that burning unwilling to go away.  He could
always...
	He growled, a careful, gentle growl that she would understand
better than any words.  It worked better than speech, came from
someplace more sincere than his brain.  After all, when he didn't know
what to say, he didn't need to say anything at all.  He just
instinctively knew what kind of sound she would respond to.
	The growling was as far as Kuno went though.  Actually
changing would have simply been a distraction, and maybe it would have
taken her mind off things, but that wasn't what Nabiki needed.  He
sighed, wondering if he would only ever be the most available option
and nothing more to her.
	Looking profoundly depressed, he stroked the back of her head,
as that was the only thing useful he could do.
	After a few more minutes, during which time Nabiki's crying
slowed, they resumed their walking without conversation.
	"Sorry," Nabiki said eventually.
	Kuno nodded, but still didn't say anything.  He just didn't
have anything that worth talking about, nothing that would really
help, and he'd probably just end up saying something stupid.  Nabiki
hated it when he said stupid things, and he was beginning to feel the
same.
	"Say something," she said, looking straight ahead.
	"What would you like me to say?"
	"I don't know.  Anything."
	Kuno started to say something, then closed his mouth.  "Uh..."
	"Oh no.  Don't tell me you're speechless!  And I don't have
any witnesses!"  Whether her sadness had actually departed or she was
just doing a good job of hiding it, it wasn't obvious.
	It didn't seem to matter though, at least not to her as she
poked him in the side with nails a bit more pointed than normal.
	Kuno twisted away from her with a cry of surprise.  Her
grabbed Nabiki's  wrists and pulled her toward him until she collided
with his chest, face upturned.
	Her smile faltered when she saw the look on his face.
	"Are you feeling well?"
	"Yeah, I'm fine," Nabiki answered quickly.
	"You are positive?"  Kuno didn't release her wrists.
	Nabiki nodded, what was left of her smile disappearing.
"Really, I'm fine.  I just... haven't talked about that in a while.
Guess it hit me a little harder than I was expecting it to."
	Kuno released her wrists, holding her gaze with eyes filled
with tender caring.  "I am sorry for your loss."
	Nabiki looked away, but didn't move.  "Like I said, that's
life.  You learn to deal with it."
	"Or you go mad."
	"Or go mad," Nabiki repeated quietly, still looking out into
the darkness.
	"But you would have no worry of such a thing.  You are strong
and would not fall into such a trap like I..."  Kuno suddenly realized
what he was saying and fell silent.
	Instead of speaking as he expected her to, Nabiki stayed
quiet.  Her hand found its way into his and squeezed once.  Their
hands pulled apart and she said, "It's not as difficult as you might
believe, Kuno-chan."
	"No, I do not believe so, but then... many think I am an
expert on that subject."  And he wished that he wasn't, wished that he
had no idea what emotional abuse really was and what the best way to
protect himself from it was.  No, he didn't really want to know any of
it, but it was too late.
	"Let us rest for a few moments," he offered, finding a spot
amongst the trees that afforded them the best protection from the
stiff breeze.
	"But we just left a little while ago."
	"It matters not.  Sit with me.  I think we both need this."
He practically dragged her to the ground and pulled her so she was
sitting against him between his legs.  "We can wait 30 minutes if need
be."
	"Kuno, why do you insist on treating me like a child.  You
know very well I can take care of myself, so..."
	"We can take care of each other.  There is no need for you to
always wear your mask around me.  I would never use such a thing
against you.  You would be happier..."
	Nabiki shook her head.  "I might be happier for a little
while, but after that...  What happens when... when I have to put the
mask back on?  What happens then because I'll know...  I'll know what
it's like, but I won't be able to go back."
	She fidgeted, trying to find a little more comfort on the
cold, hard ground.  There was more she wanted to say, maybe that she
needed to say, but how?  How to explain it when it... it hurt just to
think about.
	"You are not required to.  Is it not better to live happily
than..."
	"You don't get it.  You don't understand everything that I've
gone through to... to hold it all in, to not let it get the best of
me.  I can't... I can't let it out or I might... might..."
	"And there are those who would help you.  This would not be
something you would have to deal with by yourself."
	Nabiki wiped the side of her hand across her eyes and laughed
bitterly.  "Oh, sure.  My family, you mean?  I can tell you what their
reactions would be: they wouldn't believe me.  They'd think it was a
scam, a way to get something out of them.  Oh sure, if I kept it up
long enough, they'd believe me.  But then they'd think I was sick or
something.
	"And I will not go through that.  Not with them, not with
anyone.  So you see, or maybe you don't, that if I do that, I'm just
setting myself up for..."
	"Being happy?  Happier than you are now?  Or are you afraid
that you shall 'lose face' with your family?"
	"What's it to you?  How I deal with my family is my own
business; I don't really appreciate you trying to tell me how to deal
with them."
	"Even if it means you sacrifice your happiness so that you can
continue to put on a false front, to always wear your mask?  Can you
not look ahead to see what this will do to you in the future?  What
if..."
	"You... you don't know anything about me or my 'masks', so I
suggest you just keep quiet.  After all, what kind of road were you
headed down before?" Nabiki asked, quite angry.
	"Damnation.  Pain.  Suffering.  Loneliness.  Unfulfillment.
Shall I go on?  I know that you could see yourself there as well.  Did
you ever see yourself as not alone in the future?"  Kuno didn't care
much for the conversation, but it was necessary.  He thought it was
necessary.
	"No.  Just because I don't latch on to someone in high school
doesn't mean I'll die alone, no matter what people think.  I still
have all of college to..."  Nabiki ground to a halt.  "I... I had...
all of college," she said quietly.
	Kuno realized he had just dredged up one of the worst things
possible, especially in Nabiki's current state.  She was liable to
flat out kill him for it, but he wouldn't let her in this case; he
couldn't leave her alone.  "I am sorry," he said barely above a
whisper.
	"I know," she answered weakly, without any remaining anger.
Her body rested limply against his, seemingly drained.
	Hesitantly, Kuno put his arms around her and, with her hands
in his, settled them on her stomach.  "Please," he whispered, "do
not... don't do this to yourself.  I know it's not your choice, but
self destruction accomplishes nothing."
	"I hate all of this," Nabiki answered simply.
	"I know.  I do too."
	"You're the only thing that reminds me of home."
	"I will be here for you until we return home.  That I
promise."
	Nabiki shivered against him.  "You promise?"
	"I do."
	She rested against him, not so passive anymore.  "Good."

	"Shall we go?  I believe we have a swamp to locate."
	Nabiki nodded.  "Yep.  We did waste a little time here, didn't
we?"  She got to her feet and tried to wipe the snow off herself.
	Kuno stood and did the same, though it had since melted.  "I
think it was needed, this time truly alone."  In truth, it seemed like
Nabiki needed the time and he was just along for the ride.  But Maybe
it had helped him, helped him see past his own problems, or past
whatever short-sighted selfishness that seemed to possess him with
alarming regularity.
	They resumed their trek along the river, heading farther and
farther away from the only thing they knew in the strange world.  Snow
came down sporadically, at first as tiny, wind-whipped chunks of ice
and then as fat, wet flakes.
	As night approached, the snow, sometimes driven by great gusts
of wind, fell around them, adding to the dark, eerie peacefulness of
the forest.  Kuno decided that it would be best to stop and rest, at
least for a little while.  Their stamina and constitution had been
increased, but it couldn't hold up indefinitely if they walked
non-stop for as long as they had without food.
	Finding some semblance of shelter under a group of tall pines,
the thick ceiling of needles catching most of the falling snow, they
rested, hiding their own doubts, keeping them silent.
	"Should I find us something to eat?" Kuno offered, sitting on
the thick layer of dead needles that formed a soft cushion over the
frozen ground.
	Nabiki shrugged listlessly.  "I'm not really hungry," she
replied, sounding very tired.
	"It appears you need something to revitalize you, even if you
are not hungry."  He wasn't going to let this drop, no matter how much
she denied she wanted food.  Whatever was wrong, it wasn't from an
upset stomach.  "We can go together," he suggested, standing slowly,
watching Nabiki carefully.  He suddenly felt as if he had to watch
her, make sure she didn't do anything foolish and hurt herself.  He
hated treating her like a child.
	Nabiki shook her head, not looking once at Kuno.  It wasn't
even the pain of changing that made her decide not to go.  She simply
didn't feel like moving.  "You go on.  I'll just... rest here for a
while."
	Nodding, Kuno decided he wasn't worried about her hurting
herself, but rather, her wasting away.  That prospect was even more
frightening.  He couldn't really stop her from not caring whether she
lived or died, whether she ate or drank, or was simply indifferent to
an outside threat.  How could he protect her against her own apathy?
	And he couldn't get mad while he was so worried about her.
The situation which had developed in only the last few minutes was now
making him insanely frustrated.
	Speaking gruffly, Kuno said, "Fine.  You wait here."  Not that
he expected her to go anywhere.  And still she wouldn't look at him,
even after he had changed and was standing right in front of her.
	Sighing softly, he turned, looking back frequently, and left
to hunt.

	It took him longer than necessary since he hadn't tried very
hard, but his catches were impressive anyway.  It would be enough
until they stopped again.
	He found her still in the same spot, looking like she hadn't
moved an inch, and dropped everything at her feet.  Nudging a fat,
flightless bird that hadn't been able to run fast enough at her with
his toe, Kuno watched her refuse to even acknowledge its presence.
Now he was starting to get angry.
	With a sudden burst of inspiration that he hoped wouldn't
backfire horribly, Kuno reached down and grabbed Nabiki's arm roughly.
But not too roughly; he didn't want to hurt her, just... annoy her.
He pulled her to her feet, startling her enough so that she actually
looked somewhat frightened.
	Once she was standing, her legs firmly under her, Kuno shoved
her away, wearing a vicious snarl.
	Nabiki stumbled back, a surprised look on her face.  Almost
falling, she managed to steady herself against a tree.  "Wha..."
	Kuno marched at her, his hands clenched into fists.  He was
still snarling, appearing angrier than he felt.  A tiny amount of
satisfaction made itself known to him when Nabiki backed away.  There
was no fear from her though, only surprise.  Apparently, she knew that
he wouldn't hurt her, but his behavior was still very unexpected.
	He reached out to grab her arm again, but she jerked it away.
Snorting at her, Kuno put his hand on her shoulder and spun Nabiki
around, putting her off-balance.  He exerted force, making Nabiki drop
to her knees.  He was actually getting worried because she wasn't
responding at all to his rough treatment.  That should have sent her
over the edge right away.
	Instead of stopping, Kuno continued with his plan, hoping he
could get Nabiki to react.  Kneeling down behind her, he reached
around and opened her shirt.  With a single, smooth movement, he
pulled the shirt off her back and down her arms.
	This was surely something Nabiki wouldn't stand for.  After
those few times he had treated her unforgivably, she had not hesitated
to tell him what she thought of his rough and forceful technique.  But
this time...
	He pulled her bra off, wondering why she even bothered wearing
one, and then started on her pants.  That seemed to pierce her brain
that something was about to happen that she wouldn't be happy with.
Finally, she tried to pull away, but her struggles were still somewhat
weak.
	Kuno held her tightly as he tried to undress her the rest of
the way, waiting for her to get really angry at him.  She lashed back
at him with her elbow when he managed to get her pants down to her
knees.
	Faking injury, he fell back a little, allowing Nabiki to
scramble away.  He didn't give her enough to time redress though,
quickly following behind her as she moved through the snow.
	"Get away from me, you bastard," she said loudly, anger
finally in her voice.  She rolled over from her hands and knees so she
was on her back.
	Kuno looked down at her and licked his chops at the sight of
her naked flesh and the angry expression on her face.  He advanced,
grabbing her ankle and pulling her toward him.  This was getting good.
	Nabiki kicked at Kuno's face only to watch her foot impact his
cheekbone as he turned his head slightly to the side.  As his free
hand started to tug at her pant leg, Nabiki tried to push his hand
away with her foot, but he was far too powerful, or at least his grip
was too strong.  Didn't he understand she didn't want him touching
her?
	He had done this bullshit before and knew how much she hated
it, like she was just his bitch and ready for him any time he wanted
her.  Nabiki almost screamed aloud when the pain suddenly ripped
through her.  Managing to keep it to a strangled whimper, her entire
body tensed as the change started.
	Kuno released Nabiki's ankle and backed away as he watched her
go through the process of changing.  She had finally gotten mad
enough.  Hopefully, that would keep her from falling back into
whatever had been wrong before.  Of course, he still had to deal with
her, and as she changed, he thought she looked mighty pissed.  At him.
But it was all the price of love.
	Nabiki stood up, shedding the last of her clothing, and
glared, not just angrily, but hatefully at Kuno.  That had been
completely unacceptable, and she wouldn't let him get away with it
without getting back at him.  As she stalked toward Kuno, she was more
than happy to see him back away.
	She growled and was preparing to attack when Kuno seemed to
lose his hesitation, which increased hers.  Nabiki watched warily as
he dropped to all-fours, his head very low to the ground and all
muscles tensed.  His aggressive stance impressed her with its form,
but this was no time to give in to her base desires.
	Their eyes never leaving each other, the two circled.  Kuno
seemed to inch along, his body in the oddly threatening position,
while Nabiki took small, even steps, debating if she should do as Kuno
and switch to her more natural carriage.  She waffled for a moment,
the decided and got herself lower to the ground.
	It seemed that even though Kuno was posed to attack, he was
going to force her into making the first move.  With no alert (she
hoped), Nabiki lunged forward, mouth open, claws out in front of her,
ready to tear into Kuno.
	He was a little faster than she had expected though and was
able to roll out of the way.  Kuno was waiting for her when she
recovered from the attack.  Snapping at her savagely, saliva flying
from his mouth, he came inches from tearing a sizable hunk of flesh
from her arm.
	Nabiki turned, half standing, and with the palm of her hand
smacked Kuno in the head.  With his neck extended in such a way, the
blow was more vicious than she had anticipated, and he was knocked to
his side.
	Appearing as ungraceful as a slug, he squirmed on his side,
kicking up pine needles.  Struggling to get to his feet, Nabiki's
attack doing more damage than he imagined it would, he rose slowly.
The look on Nabiki's face was warning enough that he would not
underestimate her again.
	Nabiki watched and could see that she had actually hurt him.
Well good.  That was what she had tried to do, but Kuno was a stubborn
jerk and just didn't know when to quit.  She gave a wolfish grin when
she saw how unsteady his legs were.  It was time to show him once and
for all that he couldn't use her like a toy.
	Charging forward, arm raised to strike, Nabiki was about to
bring her arm back around in a near-fatal blow, when Kuno caught her
by surprise.  He had been faking his injury to a certain degree and
countered her wild swing by ducking and tackling her to the ground.
	The air was forced from her lungs as Kuno landed on top of her
and pinned her arms.  Not simply giving in, Nabiki snapped at him,
trying to latch on to his neck, not holding back on the growling so
Kuno would know how pissed she was.
	Kuno wasn't holding back either, and as he pulled his head and
neck out of Nabiki's range, he snarled and snapped back.  The two
continued the futile show of anger until they simply stopped, each
panting heavily.  Shifting, Kuno moved and released Nabiki's arms
before laying his head on her chest and sighing heavily.
	No, he hadn't wanted to do it, to threaten her, to anger her,
but she had been in such a funk...  Kuno began to change back and
hoped Nabiki wouldn't take the opportunity to attack him.  He wasn't
in any shape to defend himself, being too relaxed in his current
position.
	Nabiki reached up and stroked the back of his head with one
massive hand.  There were no hard feelings, not when she knew why he
had done it.  It was impossible to stay angry at him, even when she
wanted, needed to.  So easily had Nabiki been subdued by her "curse"
and Kuno, and she had been powerless to fight either.
	But why couldn't he understand?  Understand that this was
something she _had_ to fight, not like him...  There was no giving in,
no letting it have its way with her body and mind.  Not until she was
good and ready to accept things to her satisfaction.
	Suddenly rolling over and growling softly at Kuno, Nabiki
pinned him down and stared into his eyes.  She could see that there
was no fear or anger there, only understanding and caring and...  No
point in denying it, she already knew how he felt, so why was it so
hard to comprehend?  Well... it wasn't.  Hard to believe?  A little.
For so long Akane, and Ranma even, and now...
	And yes, it was even a little scary.  The depths she saw of
his idiocy, his stubbornness, his ego... love.  So intense, and still
she didn't know why.
	Nabiki stood and tried to shake off the weird feelings.  She
didn't like the sensations, the combination of physical sensations,
emotions and thoughts were all competing for notice.  They all wanted
her to know that there was something desirable about the person she
was with.  They didn't want him to go anywhere without them, but
Nabiki was more than just the sum of her parts.  She didn't want a
permanent relationship with Kuno, no matter how much her body argued
with her.
	"I am sorry," he said, rising from the ground.  "I did not
want to..."
	Nabiki waved him off.  It was starting to look like the
animal had a mind of its own and it wasn't happy being cooped up all
the time.  No matter how much it hurt, it wanted to be let out once in
a while.  Maybe that meant she was coming to terms with it, or maybe
it was just being a huge pain in the ass.
	She shied away as Kuno ran his hand through the fur on her
back.  It felt nice, but a little strange, and definitely not
something she was used to.
	Kuno's hands became a bit more forceful as they ran through
her fur, and very shortly, she was weak-kneed from the feeling.  "It
can be pleasurable beyond human senses," he said to her quietly.
	Nabiki groaned and sank to the ground.  She had done it to him
so many times and had never known.  The pleasure was maddening,
sometime light and teasing, other times nearing pain.  She rolled to
her back and felt Kuno's hands follow her movement.  He was straddling
her body now and...
	Nabiki's eyes snapped open and she shoved Kuno off her.  Just
what did he think he was doing, right in the middle of the forest like
that?  The nerve.  And to suppose she would agree to it.  Kuno was
getting bold, a development Nabiki wasn't sure she liked.  He was
easier to handle when he backed off and gave in to what she wanted.
	Again, when she looked at him and expected to see frustration
or resentment, he was smiling.  That was a little infuriating in its
own way.  Grunting disapprovingly at him, Nabiki stood and brushed
herself off.  This was no time to be goofing around; they were on a
very serious mission.  So now she just had to turn human.  No problem.
	Nabiki waited.  Just... turn human.  Just like that.  Turn
human.  The way she had done all those times before, even if she
wasn't sure how, she wanted to be human again.
	Kuno came up behind her and whispered seductively, making her
feel that the tables had turned again, "You have to want it.  Like
nothing you have ever desired before.  Want it..."
	Unfortunately, the only thing Nabiki was left wanting was the
person whispering in her ear.  And while she was reasonably
comfortable being unclothed in her wolf form, she wasn't immune to the
sensations this state often presented.  Kuno standing behind her,
being able to feel his body against hers...  Damn him for tempting
her.
	Her entire body quivered , and the painful process of changing
began.  She made a whining noise that sounded pitiful even in her own
ears.  She was fully aware of what was coming, and she wasn't looking
forward to it.  But Kuno was there, holding her, his other hand
stroking her skin as it changed, and finally coming to rest on her
stomach.
	Kuno hated to watch Nabiki go through the process.  It was
that it was a very painful process for her, even though she probably
should have been used to it by then.  She was probably just tightening
up in anticipation, fighting it.
	And as she changed under his hands, he thought of how nice it
would be to... experience her during that change.  It was at that
moment that Tatewaki Kuno admitted to himself that he was a pervert of
the highest magnitude.
	"Nabiki, please..."  He was all set to start begging.
	She shook her head, understandable as she was in the middle of
something she likened to having her teeth drilled minus the
novacaine.
	"I need you this moment," he said, his desire spiraling out
of control.  The whole situation, egging her on, attempting to...
force her...  It had gotten him so aroused, he couldn't believe it.
Usually it was Nabiki who attacked, pouncing on him, but not this
time.  "Please."
	Nabiki didn't say anything.  She was still making an effort to
speak and get her breath back.  Kuno was such a pervert, begging for
it at a time like this.  It was the last thing she needed .  Pushing
him away, she sat up and looked around.
	It was strange, she felt... confused, disoriented, and that
didn't usually happen.  In fact, she felt strange all over.  Something
very odd was going on, but what?
	"Get the hell off of me!" she yelled and shoved Kuno away.  "I
feel like crap and you think I want you crawling all over me?  Get a
clue."  Nabiki put her hand to her face and felt the entire world
slowly revolve around her, like she was on some great carnival ride.
	"Are you sure you are..."
	"Leave me alone!"
	Kuno moved away at Nabiki's command, looking at her pitifully.
	"When I say leave me alone," Nabiki said, holding her head in
her hands and her eyes shut tightly, "I mean leave me alone!  How
difficult is that for you to understand?"
	Staring at her, on the verge of tears, Kuno couldn't even
manage words.  It was obvious that she was upset; he had done that on
purpose after all, but this time, her anger struck him deeper than
before.  This time he was torn and didn't know what to do.  The
strongest impulse in him was to run, the pain of another rejection
eating at him, but that was an impossibility.  Running away wouldn't
accomplish anything, even if it hurt to stay there at the moment.
	"I will not leave you alone," Kuno said, trying to give
himself courage.  He never considered himself a coward, but this was
one enemy he could not fight.
	The glare Nabiki gave him was enough to send a lesser man
running, but not him.
	'Protect her, Tatewaki.  Protect my little sister.'  Kasumi's
words still ran through his head, and if it wasn't just for himself,
he would protect Nabiki for her family.  He wouldn't fail her, or
anyone else, again.
	"I will not leave you.  I must protect you, even if you do not
believe you need it.  That is final."  And a good thing it was because
he didn't think he'd last much longer against her very tangible anger.
	Instead of saying anything, Nabiki just glared, her lips
forming a half snarl.  Not even she get bust through Kuno's 
stubbornness.  If he had it in his mind that he was going to protect
her, then nothing she could say or do would change that.
	Nabiki turned her head and closed her eyes.  "Your fault," she
said quietly.

***

	"When will you learn that I don't love you and never will?"
	Somehow, that never bothered him.  It never stopped him.
"That is what you say, but I know it is a lie.  Your sister said it.
The pig-tailed girl said it..."
	"And they didn't love you.  Ranma is the pig-tailed girl; he
couldn't love you!"
	"But you can.  You do.  Stop denying your feelings..."
	"My feelings?  What about your reality?  You have no idea
what's going on in the world because you refuse to accept any of it.
Don't talk to me about denying anything until you deal with it
yourself."
	A dream.  Nabiki told herself it had to be a dream.  It was
impossible to get even a half-intelligent conversation out of Kuno, so
it just had to be a dream.
	"It matters not anyway.  You have very little choice in the
matter now.  Together, we rule our own army, our own land..."  He
swept his arm out dramatically, and they both turned to look at what
he was gesturing to.
	A vast forest stretched out, completely unbroken, and a little
frightening in its size, but even more worrying were the masses of
people... half-people, semi-human, more wolf than man or woman, and
all of them staring up at them with red glowing eyes.
	Nabiki sat up suddenly, her breath catching in her throat.
For a bare moment, she felt like Ranma again, checking herself to make
sure she was still human.
	Discovering that she was indeed human, she looked over at Kuno
where he had laid down in their make-shift shelter.  She was mildly
surprised to see him up and awake as well.  "Kuno-chan?" Nabiki said
questioningly under her breath.
	His head turned slowly and he looked at her, his eyes faintly
luminescent.  Nabiki wondered if hers were too, but she had no way of
knowing.
	"I dreamt," he said simply.
	"Of us?"
	"And... others."
	"The same dream?  A forest and..."
	"Others," Kuno repeated emotionlessly.
	Nabiki nodded and stared at Kuno.  They had shared the dream.
Even though it hadn't been particularly frightening, it had been...
disturbing.  What she was supposed to make of it, where it had come
from, she didn't know.  Was it some strange twisted dream dredged up
from the animal inside her, or was it a premonition, a glimpse of the
future?  And if it was the future, how... and why?  They were
questions she didn't really want answered.
	Her contemplation was ruined by Kuno moving next to her,
though he thankfully refrained from speaking.  She tolerated his
proximity for the time being and laid back down.  Whatever had caused
that dream, whatever had brought it on...  She couldn't let it get to
her.  She just couldn't.
	Eyes wide open, staring into the darkness, she waited.

***

	The weather changed rapidly as they traveled south.  The snow
gave way to sleet and cold rain, then warm rain, then no rain at all.
A few days of uneventful travel, the weather changing to warm and
tropical in quite suddenly was the only thing of note.
	And even though the weather was warm, the strange vegetation
and trees, living without sun, were of no type Nabiki or Kuno had ever
seen before.  How they survived at all was a complete mystery.
	"Maybe she was wrong.  Maybe we already missed the mountains,"
Nabiki said, straining to look through the trees.  Anatalia had said
they would be able to see it, no problem, but Nabiki was starting to
have her doubts about that.  They had been walking for over a week and
there hadn't been any sign.
	"Have faith," was all Kuno would say, which didn't help in the
least.
	"Right," Nabiki mumbled.  "Have faith...  We're going to just
find a mountain who knows how far away in the dark like this.  For all
we know, this could be some sort of trap."
	"You know that is not true.  We simply need to continue on and
eventually..."
	"Eventually?" Nabiki interjected.  "Yeah, and eventually we'll
be dead.  I'm not putting any bets on eventually."  She scowled in the
darkness.  Things were really starting to get ugly.
	"Eventually," Kuno said quietly.  "I wouldn't allow it.
Everything I am capable of...  I wouldn't allow it."
	"Quit being so mel...  Just stop it.  There's no way we'll be
able to predict if something will happen.  I'm expecting the worse,
but I am _not_ counting on you or anyone else to save me.  And I
think... I think you shouldn't count on it either."  Nabiki's scowl
had changed to a snarl.
	"I will.  Nothing you say will change that."
	Nabiki sighed.  She knew what he was going to say.
	"You...  There are things I value more highly than my own
life.  You know this.  Say what you will, it will change nothing."
	Nabiki felt him grab her hand and lift it to his lips.  He
kissed it gently, then released it.  Talking to him was completely
hopeless.  There simply wasn't any way she'd be able to convince him
of anything he didn't want to believe.  Not that that came as any
surprise.
	"Kuno-chan," Nabiki said, putting her hand to her forehead, "I
think I need..."  If they had been at home, she would have said that
she needed an aspirin simply out of habit.  But out in the wilderness,
in this place where they probably didn't even know what aspirin was...
"I don't know.  My head hurts."
	Kuno felt her forehead, checking for fever.  "I feel no
evidence of sickness."
	"I don't know.  It kind of comes and goes.  Sometimes I feel
sick to my stomach..."  Nabiki swore silently under her breath.  She
knew exactly what the problem was, and it wasn't related to any flu or
cold.  "Just some water.  I think that would help," she said.
	Continuously telling herself to be strong, that she didn't
have anything to fall back on, Nabiki relaxed.  While it wasn't
unexpected, it wasn't the best time to be getting a stress headache
either.
	"Perhaps you should..."  Kuno didn't know quite how to say it.
"It might be easier if you were...  You know."
	Nabiki groaned, figuring it would be something like that.  "I
don't want to..."  But she knew he was right; she had just been hoping
for an alternative to present itself.
	"The pain will only be for a moment," Kuno said quietly.
"It's not as bad as you'd like to believe it is."
	"Don't try to help.  It's not working," she warned, but could
feel her control slipping.  Again, it was like her other nature was
trying to escape, forcing its presence out, exerting control...  "Damn
it," Nabiki said tiredly.  "This really _is_ your fault, Kuno-chan,"
she said and started to change.
	Seeing the process begin, Kuno worked to loosen some of her
more restrictive clothing, trying to prevent it from tearing.  The
sensation was simultaneously exciting and creepy as her body shifted
under his hands.
	The fact that it felt like ten thousand ants squirming under
her skin was almost enough to make him yank his hands away, but as the
outward physical changes happened, Kuno found himself wondering just
what it would feel like...  One day, he planned on finding out.
	Moments later, Nabiki stood, shaking her head, gently pulling
off her clothes.  Kuno had actually gotten something right for once
and had saved the button and zipper of her pants and her bra from
being torn.  She knew she should have tried some of Ranma's cheesy
black pants instead of bringing her own clothes.
	But again, that was one of those things she wasn't going to
compromise.  Changing into a wolf... she wouldn't let that get the
better of her, and she would not change her routine because of it.
Yes, it was stubborn of her, but Nabiki had to draw the line
somewhere.
	"Is that better?" Kuno asked, looking at her as he gathered
her clothing.
	Nabiki sighed and nodded.  Her headache had been reduced to a
mere annoyance, and that was fine, but she had to deal with the way
she was now.  Unfortunately, that was mostly a problem she made for
herself.
	"I am happy to hear that.  Shall we continue on?"  Kuno looked
at her for another moment, then offered, "Would you feel more
comfortable if I changed as well?"
	Swallowing a portion of her pride, Nabiki nodded again.  It
made her feel like she was on more even ground with Kuno.  When he was
human and she was not, she felt like she was at a huge disadvantage.
Partially it was her lack of ability to speak, having always used that
as a weapon.
	As Kuno changed, Nabiki watched him, wondering how much longer
she would have to deal with it all.  She punched Kuno sharply in the
chest when he was finished for being such a nuisance.
	That only drew Kuno's undivided attention to her though, and
he was immediately dancing around her and snapping playfully at her
tail.
	Nabiki growled at him, swiping lazily with one claw as he got
close, until he got over this little mood.  It was so cute and
playful, it almost made her ill.  This just wasn't the time or place
to be acting like a twit.
	Seeing that she seemed to be better, and having a pretty good
idea why, Kuno stopped his teasing.  She was partly right, the mood he
had picked up from her growling, the annoyance she felt...  Maybe it
wasn't a time to be silly, but it wasn't a time to be a stick in the
mud either.  They couldn't afford it.
	Scooping up their things, Kuno stood upright and began
walking.  There was something about the way things were at the moment
that made Kuno feel satisfied.  He could hear the river, the forest
around him, the darkness pierced by his superior eyesight...
	This would be something he would enjoy doing back home.  Not
many people saw the sun rise from the peak of Mount Fuji; it had to
breathtakingly beautiful.
	Making a contented grunting sound, he felt a sudden burst of
energy.  He looked back at Nabiki, who was following him at a casual
pace, and gestured with his head.
	She shrugged and nodded in response, though she wasn't sure
how long she'd be able to keep it up.  Her body seemed to be
unfailingly uncooperative, ready to do whatever necessary to make
things difficult for her.
	Kuno adjusted their things so that they rested on his back and
were strapped firmly across his chest.  He then dropped to all fours,
testing to make sure their bags wouldn't bounce too much.  Feeling
them well in place, he started walking briskly, barely keeping himself
from just running off.
	Nabiki watched him walk for a bit.  If they traveled like
that, they would find their destination quicker, but that didn't mean
she had to like it.  Or admit it if she did.
	She squatted down and put her hands on the ground delicately.
The position felt more natural, yes, but it was also quite strange to
be walking like that, especially outside.
	Letting out a yip that might have been triumph, Kuno began to
run at a leisurely pace through the tree.  After a few moments, he
took off with a burst of speed and ran full out.
	He could hear Nabiki following behind him, her breathing
quicker than his, the length of her gait shorter than his own.  The
steady sounds sounds of her presence existed at the back of his mind
as he ran, tuning out almost everything else.
	The forest unfolded before them, mile after mile, the river
continuing its steady path south.  All through the night, seeing nary
a living creature cross their path, they ran.  Drinking from the river
as morning approached, they slowed their pace.
	For Nabiki, it was the one thing she had been frightened of.
It felt good.  It felt good to be out and running, and the weird funk
and mood swings were gone.  She felt better running free in the woods,
in a powerful animal body, than she ever had before.
	If the weight of their current task hadn't been on her mind,
then the idea of fleeing into the woods and staying there would have
been foremost.  It would have been nigh undeniable.
	And yet, there was one thing that was plaguing her.
	Barking out, Nabiki called for Kuno to stop, and leaned
against a tree.  She placed her hands on her chest where, in her human
form, her breasts were located.  As a wolf, they lacked any sort of
shape, the only evidence of their existence being her nipples hidden
within her fur.
	With her hands over the areas though, Nabiki could feel how
they were slightly swollen.  Swollen and sore.  It couldn't have
really been from the running; she didn't have the same problems
running for long distances like she did when she was human.
	But ah yes.  It was just about time for something else to crop
up as a problem.  If it wasn't one thing when she was human, it was
something else when she was a wolf.  Snorting with disgust at herself
and her condition, she tried to massage her discomfort away.
	In her book, groping herself wasn't high on the list of fun
things to do on a Saturday night.  Then again, she didn't even know
what day it was, so heck...  A few minutes rest wouldn't hurt anyway.
	Kuno sat on the ground at her feet and waited.  He wouldn't
admit, and it wasn't all that bad anyway, that all that running had
been slightly uncomfortable in... his sensitive areas.  It probably
wasn't possible to find an athletic supporter in his size though.  It
couldn't be any worse than horseback riding though.
	Sighing, the soreness was fading, but Nabiki knew that if they
started running again it would be back.  They could get along just as
well with brisk walking, and hopefully, that wouldn't cause any future
discomforts.
	And while they were stopped...  The combination of sounds
roughly translated to "let's eat," to which Kuno agreed.
	Not waiting a moment longer, Kuno was up and gone into the
night, with the clouds gathering overhead, signifying the approach of
"day".
	Nabiki felt a tiny pang of guilt for not helping, considering
that she never helped, but he never seemed to care.  Kuno enjoyed it
all, the hunting, the killing, enjoyed being a wolf.  Enjoyed the
strength and the power, and at least that much she could agree with.
	Listening, she could hear him running, chasing something, and
the squeal of fear and pain as whatever animal was caught.  That
sound, the sound of prey being brought down, it excited her in a way
nothing else did.  Kasumi informing everyone it was dinner never did
it, never made her feel that way.  Thankfully.
	Sighing to herself and at her... foolishness, Nabiki relaxed
and waited.  She couldn't help it, but she sure felt stupid, getting
horny over dinner.  Her stomach rumbled ominously, and it almost
sounded like a warning.  Damn.  If she wanted to be grouchy, she would
be and her stomach had no say in it.
	Nabiki moaned pitifully and held her face in her hands.  And
now she was talking to herself.  That was just flat out insane.
	Curling her tail around her legs, Nabiki rested her head on
her crossed arms and waited.  She felt herself slowly drift to sleep
and didn't bother fighting it.  There was no point in fighting it,
just like everything else.  There just wasn't any point.
	It was in that state, between sleep and consciousness that she
heard, or rather felt it.  She was sinking into herself, a sensation
she couldn't begin to understand, and could feel the conscious life
within her.
	They waited in audible silence, but she could almost hear them
cry out pitifully.  They cried and whined and were never satisfied,
wanted more of everything she could give them.  More food, better
food, more blood...  They wanted to be whole, to be alive, to be
separate from her.  But they needed her and they would wait until the
time was proper.
	Nabiki growled, her ears twitching, as she slept.  Kuno
watched with curiosity, wondering what it was she was dreaming about.
He spat out his catch unceremoniously to the ground.  It didn't matter
what she was dreaming.  If she was asleep, she obviously needed the
rest.  Food could wait, and so could he.

	Some time later, she didn't know how much, Nabiki awoke to
find herself in front of a sizable fire.  She blinked, her pupils
contracting to deal with the light, and looked at the person on the
other side of the blaze.
	Kuno looked back at her, dried blood still smeared around his
mouth, his fingers still stained by it.  "When I returned, you had
fallen asleep.  I thought it best to let you rest," he said, reading
her questioning gaze.  "I was not wholly sure of why, but assumed it
was related to your..."  He trailed off and gestured toward her
stomach.
	Nabiki nodded and looked at the animal laying on the ground
next to the fire.  Her stomach was immediately awake and demanded to
be fed.
	"It is yours," Kuno said, following her gaze.  "I have eaten
already."  He didn't realize that the evidence of his meal was smeared
all over his face still.
	Nabiki poked at the animal, finding the concept of eating it
(at least while she had her full faculties) a little disgusting.  Her
rational mind thought so, but her more basic instincts didn't care.
	Very briefly, the thought of cooking it passed through her
mind, but there was also the memory of the sweet, raw flesh burned
into her memory.  The idea of enjoying such a simple pleasure was too
hard to ignore, and especially when she was in such a... irrational
form.
	She lifted the heavy animal, the blood having pooled and
making it seem heavier, and held it in her hands.  Dead, glassy eyes
stared back at her, and Nabiki could almost see the fear still in
them.  Even if she wasn't currently a killer, she would end up as one.
She wouldn't be able to deny it forever.
	It was simply the basic nature of what she had become; killing
went along with everything else.  After all, when blood was so very
sweet and warm, almost irresistible, how could she not kill?  How
could she deny herself that pleasure?
	Without further consideration, her jaws closed and removed the
head of the animal, crunching down on the delicate spine.  Holding
back the sudden surge of savagery on her, she ate the animal with her
eyes turned away from Kuno.
	He was watching her, she knew it.  But she couldn't look at
him while he was watching her do something so...  Her train of thought
abruptly derailed when she could no longer hold back the animal within
her.
	Growling, she tore off a piece of flesh from the animal and
shook it slightly before swallowing it whole.  Somewhere in the back
of her mind, like she was two different people, she watched herself do
these things, wondering when she, her real self, the person she had
been before, had slipped away.
	Finished with her meal, Nabiki felt the urge to change back,
but this time she rejected it.  No, she was fine the way she was and
didn't need to change back to that small and weak form.  This would be
a time that she would not be denied because there wasn't anything
wrong with enjoying her abilities, her heightened senses.
	Her eyes focused like twin lasers on Kuno on the other side of
the fire.  Heightened senses that were now picking up the signals he
was unknowingly sending out.  Or maybe he did and just couldn't
control them.  Well, he was only a male and they had their weaknesses
when dealing with females.
	Ever immodest, Nabiki knew she was the most overall
intimidating female he had ever encountered, and whether he was an
alpha male or not, he would defer to her.  Besides, how could he be an
alpha male when he had no pack?
	Nabiki snorted, her eyes locked with Kuno's.  Ego.  It was all
about ego, though she was glad he felt qualified to be an alpha.
Spineless sponges she just couldn't stand.  She wanted a man, not a
dead fish.
	The signals suddenly doubled in intensity.  As if he knew what
she was thinking, he wanted her.  Desperately.  And yet, he was afraid
of her.  Well, if he wanted her that badly, and the jump in his
signals again indicated that he did, then she would oblige.  But on
her terms, not his.
	He wanted her, but she would have him.
	"You... you are not ill again, are you?" he asked, seeing the
surprising flash of red in her eyes.  Rarely had he seen them glow so
brightly, and never for any extended period of time.  It made his
heart hammer in his chest, partly with fear, but mostly with desire.
	Nabiki shook her head and stood slowly.  Her tail moved slowly
back and forth, like a snake charmer and Kuno was her snake.  His eyes
were riveted to hers and she could see the almost glazed look in them.
That was what he had used on her before, she knew it.  He almost
looked like he was going to pass out.
	Kuno felt himself sinking into the depths of those pools of
fire.  He didn't mind it, losing himself like that.  Far from it
really.  To simply lay back and let things go, to give himself up to
her sounded like the most wonderful thing in the world.  A quiet moan
escaped from between his parted lips.
	Nabiki's ears pricked forward as she heard him moan.  He was
definitely waiting for her, definitely ready.  With a snarl, she leapt
over the fire and pounced on Kuno.
	He fell backwards under her attack, not resisting her at all.
His limbs all felt like they weighed a hundred pounds, yet his body
was as light as a feather.  Nabiki's weight on him was comforting,
like that of a feather comforter.
	Only this comforter had teeth and liked to use them.  There
was no fight in him, though, no defense for him to put up.  Her eyes
held him completely immobile, though he was floating and his entire
body was...
	Kuno's entire body arched as Nabiki's claws came within
millimeters of ripping him open and stripped him of his clothing.  The
thin furrows of skin she peeled off with her claws bled shallowly,
which she lapped up with enthusiasm.
	The trails of fire she made then cooled with her tongue
deepened his state of paralyzed pleasure, his muscles relaxing even as
they clenched from the sensations.  He managed to raise his arm,
fighting off the heaviness for a moment.
	Nabiki grabbed his wrist and squeezed almost to the point of
crushing bones.  She watched his face until she saw pain register on
it, then loosened her hold and slammed his arm back to the ground.
Growling in warning, Nabiki's eyes flared, and she saw them reflected
in Kuno's.
	That was better.  He would not resist, he would not act unless
she wanted him to.  What her rational mind was beginning to regard as
her animal self, since they were definitely two separate entities that
somehow shared on brain, wasn't willing to be dominated, and most
definitely not by Kuno.  There was that connection between them that
made them... mates, but that didn't mean she respected him.
	And that wild animal, the one that understood raw emotion
better than anything, was even less inclined to respect him.  Only in
his moments of anger, of fear, of pure sexual desire did she find the
person she couldn't resist in him.
	Nabiki suddenly cut off her control, her suppression of his
will.  Almost immediately he returned to full alertness, awareness
returning t his eyes.  She pushed off him and crouched low to the
ground.  Her eyes were fixed on Kuno as he sat up slowly, somewhat
bewildered by what had just happened.
	Nudging his arm with her nose, Nabiki began pacing back and
forth beside him.  This, she abruptly decided, was what she wanted.
As long as she was controlling the flow, the pace of events, she could
deal with it.  That normally left Kuno off-balance enough anyway, as
she pulled, pointed and directed him...
	Kuno stood and watched Nabiki carefully.  He knew better than
to walk blindly into the spider's web, and Nabiki was the deadliest
spider he knew.  "And what is it you want?" he asked, turning as she
circled him.
	Nabiki butted her head up against his thigh, her tail snaking
between his legs to press forcefully against his groin and tickle his
stomach with its tip.
	"and you were the one denying me earlier.  Your motives are a
mystery to me," he said quietly, allowing her tail to have its way.
He would not be able to resist her, she would not allow him to deny
her, that much he knew.
	Nabiki looked up at him and snorted.  She then moved around
him and crouched down.  She wriggled a bit, pawing at the ground,
sending some very clear signals.  Twisting her head around, eyes
glowing steadily, Nabiki whipped her tail back and forth, striking
Kuno's legs.
	"This is not a joke?  You are not going to attack?"  He eyed
her, wary and lustful at the same time.  Not often was he openly
invited into such a situation by her.  There were the few times he had
pushed her, and the times she had attacked him, but very rarely did
they ever "invite" one another.
	Kuno growled, the sound weak while he was human, but Nabiki
responded, knowing what he meant.  His warnings didn't mean much to
her, but it was one of the things they did out of instinct more than
anything.  It was the same with him biting her neck, and the violence.
	And though it may have been only instinct, a ritual of sorts,
it was one that somehow enhanced the experience.  This, Nabiki knew,
had everything to do with allowing herself to enjoy it, to accept it.
That was simply the way things were, the way she allowed things to be.

End Part 3