Author's Note:

I'm not really satisfied with the big fight scene in Ebou Dar; it just
didn't quite flow together right; I'd appreciate suggestions on how to
improve it.  My problem was that I needed certain things to happen and the
way they happened ended up feeling way too arbitrary.  Comments on that
scene PLEASE!  Even if just to tell me I'm right and it sucked.

********************
BEGIN STORY HERE:


	The huge Mydraal blinked as the lunatic he had been sent to bring
to Shaol Ghul for some unfathomable reason handed him a bouquet of
flowers.  "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 with
the 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
A Ranma/WOT crossover
Chapter 13:  The Explosions in Palaces Episode.

http://www.tass.org/~rhea/Stories/PL/index.html

by 

John Biles

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

	"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 manuevers, 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 recipies...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.

	"They didn't come to see your dress,"  Nynaeve said irritably.
"You look fine, everything will go fine."

	"Yeah, you'll be fine.  Gonna knock 'em dead.  You're gonna
highwalk for the ceremony, right?"  Ranma-chan asked teasingly.

	"Now that would impress the nobility,"  Birgitte said, watching
Elayne turn beet red. 

	"I just wish..." she sighed.  "I suppose it's silly to wish Mother
could see all this.  Since it could never have happened while she was
alive."

	"I'm sure she's watching you and proud of you,"  Ukyou said.  "I
bet she's as excited as you."

***********

	Maighdin was twitching like she was going to explode as everyone
at Lord Perrin's camp ate breakfast.  Alyssa finally said, "Maighdin, WHY
are you acting like this?"

	"She..."  Maighdin took a deep breath, then settled down.  "Just
scared at the thought of travelling with the Power.  Is it really safe?"

	"Safer than sleeping in a locked room," Alyssa said.  She
understood now.  "There won't be the slightest danger.  And it will be
really exciting, I'm sure.  I'm a little nervous myself, but for other
reasons."

	"What are you worried about?"  Perrin asked.

	She took a bite of cheese to calm herself, then said, "Kaneda is
sending his sisters to safety in Caemlyn today, so I'm going to meet them,
and I'm just...terrified that I'll make a bad impression."

	"You'll do just fine,"  Faile said, holding out her glass for Lini
to pour more tea.  "Why are you afraid they won't like you?"

	"I just...Some people don't like Aes Sedai and..."  She noticed
Berelain's Aes Sedai advisor staring at her, and she visibly wilted.
"I've met Kasumi; she's nice, but I don't know anything about Nabiki, and
I think Kasumi still thinks Kaneda and Ranko are engaged from what I've
heard..."

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

	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."

	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.  And...tell Alyssa I'm sorry I couldn't come to the coronation."

	"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 tell her he is sorry he couldn't come to this,"
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 she was his
daughter."

	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 shuddered.
"Egwene told me some pretty horrid stories."  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 up on the
roof, watching nobles file into the palace.  The coronation wouldn't start
for five or six hours, but it would likely take that long for all of them
to get into the building and into place.

	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.  "Would you mind doing a little covert work for me?"

	"I would be honored, Ukyou-sama."  He bowed.

	"I just...I'm afraid there may be an assassination attempt.  All
this chaos would be perfect.  Do you think you could circulate and check
it out?  Maybe disguise yourself as a servant or a noble or something."

	He smiled.  "Disguises are one of my specialties, as you know."
He looked down at the horde again.  "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 power 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 you and Nabiki's curse doesn'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
to infiltrate the crowd."

	"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.

	Nabiki blinked.  "So you want to sleep with guys now?"

	Ranma-chan shook her head fervently.  "No!  I made a deal with the
Foxes!"

	"But you would be wanting guys if you hadn't.  And I suppose Ukyou
now wants to sleep with girls.  When she's a guy.  Which she is, quite a
bit."

	"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.  When is Alyssa supposed to get here?"

	"About an hour before the coronation.  But we're gonna have a
secret meeting with Perrin after dinner; you can meet her after that."

	"I'm VERY curious to meet her."

***********

	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 mess up the coronation.  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.  "If they've got any sense, they'll figure it out the second they
look at the Daughter Heir anyway; you two look too much alike."

	"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.  

	"They'll leave without you if you take too long to decide."

	"You're not much help."

	"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 recipies.  But she had to go help Elayne get ready, so she gave me a
nice book to read."  She pointed to _The Heart and the Flame_.  "Some very
nice romance stories."  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 should be
interesting; I've never been to a coronation before."

	"Me neither."  Kasumi started.

	"Did I scratch you?"  Nabiki asked.

	"No.  I just thought...it was nothing."

	It's never nothing, Nabiki thought, frowning.

***********

	"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 Tuor 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, listening to gossip and
blending in; it was easy.  The nobles treated anyone who carried
themselves correctly and dressed well as one of their own, and it was easy
for Konatsu to study them and mimic their manners.  He had a knack.

	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 glowered frequently.
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 the
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.

	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.  "The First of Mayene.  The Queen of Ghealdan.  Perrin
of...LORD Perrin of the...Two Rivers, and his wife, Lady Faile Bashere.
Alyssa Sedai..."

	Oh great, Ukyou thought.  Good timing.  Not.

	A crowd of stunned nobles parted as Berelain, grinning, led a
column of finely dressed men and women through the horde to its very
front.  She dominated the room just by being alive; every head swiveled to
stare at her, though a fair number also stared at Perrin.  
  
	The three men stared at her as well, then began moving towards the
new arrivals, drawing their daggers.  Konatsu said, "They're moving
towards the new people."

	"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.

	Alyssa spotted them.  "Ukyou!  Hi!"  She waved at them through the
crowd.  Several others of her company turned and looked at them.  Perrin
and Faile both smiled and waved, and a woman vaguely recognized from
Cairhien...Bearlame, or something like that...smiled at him thoughtfully.
It was a dangerous smile.

	The three men suddenly sped up, closing in on Perrin, who had his
back to them.  Konatsu saw he had no choice.  He ran straight at Perrin,
who froze up in surprise for a moment, then vaulted over him, 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 Perrin, who pulled his axe off his
belt and charged forward, shouting, "Grey Men!", Ukyou, who vaulted over
the mob, and Birgitte, who drew two knives and charged forward.  Alyssa
spun and grabbed the Source, as did the three other Aes Sedai in Perrin's
party.  

	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 four Aes Sedai of Perrin's party 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.

	Seonid, one of the Aes Sedai of Perrin's party, 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 him."  He pointed at Perrin.  "Although
it's hard to be sure."

	Perrin frowned.  "But how could they know I was going to be here?"

	"They didn't,"  Konatsu said.  "They looked surprised when you all
came in."

	"Then why try to kill me?"

	"We have two captive,"  Seonid said.  "We can take them somewhere
and find out."

	Perrin said, "Thank you.  I'm Perrin Ayabara.  What's your name?"

	"Konatsu Kenzan".  He bowed.  "A pleasure to serve, Lord Perrin."

	Perrin twitched faintly.  "You jump quite..."  He looked over at
Ukyou.  "One of yours?"

	"Yes,"  Ukyou said.  "You should have waited for us, you know,
Konatsu."

	"They were running.  They might have killed Lord Perrin 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.  

	Berelain frowned.  "Are you sure there aren't more?"

	"I will scout, Lady,"  Konatsu said.

	"And this crowd needs soothing,"  Berelain said.  "Allisandre, if
you will assist me?"

	"Of course."  The two queens went to work calming the horde of
nobles down.

**********

	"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."

**********

	The coronation itself went off without a hitch.  The ceremony was
grandly impressive, and it also had the honor of having a larger number of
visiting monarchs than any previous coronation.  The feast that followed
was profuse and everyone was thoroughly stuffed by the end of it.  It also
went off without any problems.  

	The meeting of Perrin's company with Elayne's company, on the
other hand, had turned into a total disaster.  The problem was the Two
Rivers.  Alyssa thought Perrin would have been happy to make an oath of
fealty to Elayne for the Two Rivers, but Faile, Berelain, and Allisandre
had all argued that Andor had defaulted on its responsibilities to the Two
Rivers by failing to defend it from repeated Trolloc attacks.  

	Perrin still would have likely suppressed them, but then Elayne
had counterattacked, shouting about illegal assumption of titles and
generally losing it.  Perrin had gotten mad since he had actively resisted
getting the title and once he started shouting... Alyssa had sent them all
back to Ghealdan before they could start a war.  Nynaeve had hauled Elayne
off for a private conference which would likely include more screaming.  

	Alyssa had stayed because she wanted to meet Nabiki before she had
to go back; it would be a while before she got another chance.  She was
scared, but it couldn't possibly be any worse than the screaming match had
been.  She hoped to fix that up by convincing Faile and company to
apologize.

	Ranma-chan knocked on the door to Nabiki's room.  "They should be
here," she said.  "You want me to stay or leave you with them?"

	"I can just go straight back to Ghealdan.  It's up to you."

	"Good.  I wanna go get clean and get some rest."  She knocked
again, and Nabiki finally answered.

	"Hi, I'm Nabiki," she said, smiling.  "You must be Alyssa."

	Alyssa nodded nervously.  "Yes.  It's nice to meet you.  I met
your sister Kasumi the last time she was here."

	"Come in.  You gonna take off, Ranma?"  Nabiki asked Ranma.

	"Yeah,"  Ranma-chan said.  "See ya later, Alyssa."

	Alyssa came in nervously; Nabiki looked just like she had expected
Nabiki to look, except for wearing fancier clothing.  Nabiki was wearing
an Andoran dress, with a high embroidered collar, long sleeves, and a long
skirt, made from green linen.  It was quite modest, quite ornate, and
quite valuable.  Nabiki went over to the small table in the room and sat
down with her back to the fire, after pulling out a chair for Alyssa.  

	Alyssa wasn't sure what to say, so she started with something
simple.  "Nice dress."

	"Thanks," Nabiki said.  "Kasumi helped me pick it out."

	"Your sister has nice taste in clothing.  Where is she?"

	"I sent her out for a walk so we could talk alone.  So you want to
marry my sister,"  Nabiki said.

	Alyssa blushed.  "Umm...yeah.  I want to marry Kaneda."

	"Kaneda was born Akane, you know,"  Nabiki said flatly.

	"I know,"  Alyssa said quietly.  "We've already talked about
this."

	"I know,"  Nabiki said.  "Kasumi doesn't know.  Kasumi will likely
freak out when she does find out.  Our father will be worse.  He's going
to assume you put a spell on Akane or something."

	"I wouldn't know how,"  Alyssa said.  Well, I suppose I could use
compelling now, but I didn't know how at the time, she thought.  "And I
wouldn't do it if I could."

	I've heard Aes Sedai can't lie, Nabiki thought, but I've also
heard they're good at tricking people.  So how much can I trust what she
says?  "Daddy will assume you lied."

	"I'm not lying.  You've got to believe me!  I would never use the
Power to make someone love me!"

	"So why do you still want to marry Akane now that you know she's a
girl?  Or do you like girls?"

	"Kaneda and Akane are the same person, even with different bodies,
and I didn't fall in love with his body.  And he still loves me, even when
he's a girl."

	I think she thinks of Akane as a guy all the time, Nabiki thought.
"What would you do if she decided to go back to being a girl all the
time?"

	"He won't,"  Alyssa said.  "He likes...it."

	"Sex?"

	Alyssa blushed.  "Changing sex.  He likes how he is.  I'm not used
to it myself."

	"You'll get used to it,"  Nabiki said.  "After all the whacko
things I've seen..."

	"No, I mean, I change sex also."

	Nabiki's eyes widened.  Akane hadn't mentioned this.  "What?"

	"I...I made a deal with the Foxes.  This was part of it."

	"The what?"

	This took a while to explain.

*********

	Thom 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."

	"Tricky do not be giving half the measure of it," Julin muttered.  

	Kaneda swiftly revised the plan, though the revision would be far
more dangerous than the original one.

*********

	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.

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

	"You people botched up the wishing job, it sounds like to me,"
Nabiki said.  "You should have coordinated your wishes for best effect."

	"Yeah,"  Alyssa stared off at the fireplace.  "So what is your
father like?"

	"He's a kind man with no spine,"  Nabiki said flatly.  "Daddy
never really recovered after Mom died.  There's only a few things where
he'll actually assert himself, and then...I think that's when you see what
he used to be like.  He's dedicated himself to getting Ranma and Akane to
marry each other, and he'll move heaven and earth to do it."

	Alyssa paled.  "But why is he so..."

	"Because he's determined to see the Dojo carried on.  Our family
has trained people to fight for centuries.  And he and Mr. Saotome are
really close.  They promised each other they would unite their families
with a marriage.  And they will, if they have any choice."

	This was not what Alyssa wanted to hear.  "So...do you think..."

	"I think that no matter whether or not you are guilty, he's going
to assume you did something to Akane, and he'll do his best to try to
convince her to leave you and marry Ranma.  And to get both of them to
come back to our world."

	"But...we need them!"

	"Daddy would try to get Akane and Ranma to marry even if they
hated each other.  And he knows they don't.  The only reason they broke up
was that Ranma wouldn't sleep with a guy."  Nabiki looked piercingly at
Alyssa, who wilted for a moment.

	Her brain reeled at the thought of Kaneda's father taking him away
to marry Ranko.  She was going to lose her love.  Everything was going to
crumble.  Caving in came easily to Alyssa; she quivered on the verge of
collapse. 

	She was about to cry when she heard a voice in her head, a memory
of something Ranko had said to her.  'Alyssa, you gotta stop apologizing
every time someone disagrees with you, or you're gonna get walked on.'
She had replied, 'I...but I was wrong.'  And Ranko had said, 'Yeah, but
even if you were right, you would have apologized.'  

	Kaneda was NOT simply with her because of what Ranko would or
wouldn't do.  He loved her, and he had told her that before and after
Ranko had returned.  She'd already defied her own father for Kaneda's
sake; she could defy Kaneda's father and Ranko's too, if she had to.  She
drew herself up in her best imitation of all the Aes Sedai she had known
in the Tower.  "Kaneda loves me.  He loved me before he knew if Ranko was
alive or dead, and he told me again after she turned up that he still
loved me.  I don't care if his father, Ranko's father, and all their
ancestors line up and all come at me at once, I AM going to marry Kaneda.
I don't care if I have to spend half my life as a boy and fight off your
father every day.  We love each other and we WILL make a life together, no
matter what.  Kaneda and I are not children to be pushed around by our
parents anymore!"  She tried to calm down; she was starting to shout.

	Nabiki cocked her head.  "So you do have a spine."

	"And you've got a sharp tongue."  She frowned at Nabiki as
intently as she could.

	Nabiki smiled ruefully.  "At times.  I've been the lone voice of
reason in a house of madmen for too long, I think.  Although it never got
quite...like this.  You're going to have an uphill battle with Daddy,
though."

	"I know."

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

	"I hope you don't mind showing me around,"  Kasumi said to
Birgitte, who laughed.

	"I'm hardly an expert," she said.  "I've never lived much in
palaces, and I'm fairly new to this one."  

	They passed through a door into the garden.  Konatsu was sitting
under a tree, staring up thoughtfully at the sky.  Kasumi waved cheerily.
"Hi, Konatsu!"

	He jumped to his feet and came over.  "Hi."  He sounded a little
sad.

	"What's wrong?"  Kasumi asked.

	"Yeah, buck up, you were the heroine of the day,"  Birgitte said.

	Konatsu smiled a little, then turned serious again. "It's a pity
they somehow died when captured.  Are those 'Gray Men' common?"

	"Not really,"  Birgitte said.  "Luckily.  But if you swim with the
sharks, you have to expect to get bitten."

	"Only if you bleed,"  Kasumi pointed out.  "Humans aren't normally
in their diet."

	Birgitte blinked.  Konatsu said, "How long will you be staying
here, Kasumi-sama?"

	"At least until we figure out how to recharge the D-hopper,"
Kasumi said.  "It's a beautiful palace.  So what's bothering you?"

	"You can tell?"

	"Big sisters have to know these things."

	"Ukyou and Ranma are...going to get married,"  Konatsu said.

	Kasumi blinked.  "What?"

	"They finally set a date?"  Birgitte asked.

	"Not a date yet, but...I don't know what to do."

	"What to do?"  Birgitte asked.  "Oh, I take it you wanted to marry
Ukyou?"

	Konatsu nodded quietly.  "I hoped to...once I had shown Ukyou I
was worthy of it."

	"But...what about Akane?"  Kasumi asked, her voice a little
frantic.

	"I'm not clear on why they broke up, but..."

	"Daddy's not going to be happy,"  Kasumi said faintly.

	"Who is Akane?"  Birgitte asked.

	"Also known as Kaneda,"  Konatsu said.  

	"Ahh!"  Birgitte said.  "In Ebou Dar right now, right?"

	"Right."  Konatsu said.

	"Can you show me to Ranma's room?  I...I should talk to him,"
Kasumi said firmly.

	"You mean Ranko?"  Birgitte asked.

	"Yes."

	"Uh, sure."

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

	Ranma-chan snuggled up to Ukyou as they both drowsed on the verge
of sleep.  Ukyou said quietly, "So what did you tell Konatsu?"

	"I'd think about it.  I mean...He could be a lot of help, but..."

	"Yeah," he said, not needing to ask.  "I dunno what to tell you."

	"I had a talk with Nabiki."

	"About what?"

	"Why I've been...Me being Aes Sedai and all and stuff.  She can
channel.  But she doesn't want to learn."

	Ukyou was surprised; he wished he could.  "Why?"

	"The fact that you get...uh...once you start, you can't stop," she
said.  "And then we talked about Mom and stuff."

	"What about your Mom?"  Ukyou rolled over onto his side; he was
wearing a long white tunic for sleeping.  

	Ranma-chan was wearing a similar tunic, although hers was blue.
"The usual.  Oh...Nabiki thinks the reason Akane and I channel in our
cursed bodies is that probably the pool of drowned girl and boy are
actually pools of drowned channelers.   But you and Nabiki got cursed a
different way, so she channels in her girl body and you don't channel at
all."

	Maybe it was that girl I read about in the book, Ukyou thought.
The one who looked like Ranma's girl body.  "Do you ever...have any
flashbacks to past lives, Ranchan?"

	Ranma-chan blinked.  "No, not really.  Have you been?"

	"I think I may have been a Dreamer in this world named Sherin Loys
Delerni in a past life.  Sometimes bits and pieces of her life bleed
through to mine,"  Ukyou said.  "I'll remember a game she played or a way
she treated people's minds or a shop she used to visit or a friend she
had.  She was married to someone named Basel Kurinin, but I can't remember
what he looked like or what any of our eight children were named."

	"I had a dream I was Bruce Lee once, but..."  Ranma-chan laughed.
"I wonder who I was...or if I ever lived in this world before."

	"Well, there was a girl in the book who looked like your girl
body.  She was going to marry my past life's brother.  Her name was Nemene
Barth Chari."  Ukyou was nervous about mentioning this; she didn't really
think Ranma had been a girl in her past life, but...  "I'm thinking maybe
she somehow came to our world and drowned in the pool."

	Ranma-chan nodded.  "Could be.  What was she like?"

	"A superb gymnast and fighter, and a fairly strong Aes Sedai with
'photographic reflexes'.  She could see any weave and learn it almost
instantly, and the same went for observing physical activities."

	Ranma-chan rolled over on her back and looked thoughtful.  "I
wonder..."

	"Wonder what?"

	"Well, I did start learning a lot faster after I went to
Jyusenkyo.  It's probably just part of the fact that I got in a lot more
REAL fights, but...On the other hand, I learn just as fast in boy form.
Maybe the guy she she was engaged to came with her and they both drowned.
What did he look like?"

	"Nothing like Akane, though."

	The thought then hit Ukyou that Herb had been affected by the same
pool that Ranma-chan had, and Herb didn't look anything like Nemene Barth
Cirini.  Ranma-chan looked somewhat like her Mom, and Kaneda looked
somewhat like Soun for that matter...the pool didn't give you a fixed
appearance.  It was probably just a coincidence...If Ranchan HAD been a
girl in one life, why would she be a boy in this one?  If you had
thousands of worlds, there would have to be some people who looked like
each other.  For that matter, maybe Ranma's mom was a reincarnation of
Nemene.  She turned that idea around in her head. 

	It seemed to be a sex-linked gene, since you channeled a specific
side of the power.  Now, if Ranma's curse maybe turned his Y chromosome
into a duplicate of his X, which he got from his Mom, and if you needed
the gene on both of the sex chromosomes for it to become active, then he
would channel Saidar instead of Saidin.  No...that was too simple.  There
couldn't be any males who could pass it on without also being channelers
if it was on the sexual chromosomes...

	While she was lost in thought, Ranma-chan got an impish smile on
her face.  "Maybe Basel Kurinin was Tsubasa's past life."

	Ukyou gagged.  "I hope not.  But I hope he was you."

	"Was his father an idiot?"

	"I have no idea."

	"I'm sure if I had been him, you'd remember how much of an idiot
his father was.  We're gonna have to go find Pop soon before a Trolloc
eats him or something."

	"I can find his camp quickly in T'A'R," Ukyou said.  "Then you can
channel us there the next morning...in fact, I ought to do that tonight.
Elayne won't need us tomorrow, will she?"

	"Not really,"  Ranma-chan said.  "Best to get it over with."

	"I'm also gonna try and get ahold of Akane, and see how the rescue
went."

	"Good idea."

	There was a pounding on the door, and blearily, Ranma-chan  got
up.  "Why am I so...tired," she bleated, yawning.  She cracked the door
open.  "Hello?"

	"We need to talk,"  Kasumi said firmly, while Birgitte stood
behind her with Konatsu and mimed 'I'm sorry'.

	"Wha...right now?"  Ranma-chan rubbed her eyes.

	"Yes."

	Ranma-chan sighed.  "Okay, come on in."

	Kasumi stepped in and Ranma-chan quickly called up some light to
illuminate the room well enough for her to find the fireplace.  Ukyou sat
up in the bed.  "What?"

	Birgitte stuck her head in.  "See you all tomorrow.  C'mon,
Konatsu."  She dragged the ninja away.  

	"What's this about you marrying Ukyou?"  Kasumi asked with the
tone of an exasperated mother.

	"Yes, Ranchan and I are getting married,"  Ukyou said flatly.

	Kasumi looked, noticed Ukyou, blushed slightly, then said, "Oh
my."

	"Yes, Ranchan and I sleep together every night,"  Ukyou said.
"The sex is VERY good."

	"Ucchan!"

	"We love each other, and we're going to get married, and that's
that,"  Ukyou said, folding his arms across his chest.

	"Is this true?"  Kasumi asked Ranma-chan.

	"We haven't set a date yet,"  Ranma-chan said faintly.  

	"Answer the question!"  Kasumi's voice rarely got sharp, so when
it did, Ranma-chan jumped.

	"Yeah, we're gonna get married and I...I love her."

	"What about Akane?  What about the things you said to her?"

	"She left me for a girl,"  Ranma-chan said.  "She's shacked up
with Alyssa now.  They've been together for months."  Her voice had just a
hint of irritation.

	"That's not possible!  My sister is not...like that!"

	"Sometimes your sister is your brother, and he likes to sleep with
women."  Ranma-chan shuddered slightly.  "Be glad you're not cursed."

	"You're lying!"  Kasumi pointed a finger at Ranma.  "My sister
loves you!  Even though you two fight all the time and you're stringing
four women along!  She still loves you!"  Her voice was starting to become
a little hysterical.  "And I thought you still loved her!  Why'd you come
to this world if you didn't?"

	"Kasumi, calm down!  Look, Akane and I...we talked about it, ya
know!  And we both...she wouldn't give up Alyssa and I ain't gonna...I...I
love Ukyou, and I'm not going to leave her any more than Akane's gonna
leave Alyssa.  So it ain't happening, even if your father and my father
gang up on both of us.  And if they tried, we'd kick their ass from here
to the moon."  Ranma-chan was starting to get mad.  "I don't care what
stupid ass promises my old man the thieving idiot made!"

	Ukyou started to say something, then decided to not get in the
middle of it.

	Kasumi said, "Not keeping your promises is wrong!"

	"I ain't NEVER promised to marry Akane!  My old man did!  And
Akane don't want to marry me no more, so it doesn't MATTER!"

	"Who will carry on the..."

	"I couldn't care LESS!"  Ranma-chan shouted.  "I don't need a dojo
to do martial arts!  And if I go back to our world, I might die anyway!
Wouldn't do any of us much good if Akane and I went back, got married,
then died because we couldn't channel! "

	Kasumi's eyes flashed in the firelight, and Ukyou began to worry;
Kasumi never normally got this worked up.  "So you left Akane for a man.
Is that it?"

	Ukyou's eyes flared.  "Hey, I'm really a woman!"

	"Yeah!  I ain't letting no man have sex with me!  We always change
back to our normal forms first!"  Ranma-chan said.  "And if I DID want a
man, I could get Akane to do it anyway!  She likes it like that now!"

	"This can't be happening!"  Kasumi shouted.

	"Why are you having such a fit?"  Ukyou asked.  "It's not like
Ranchan stabbed Akane to death or something.  She's happy with this, so
why can't you be?"

	"You never would have broken up if you hadn't come here!"

	"But we have,"  Ranma-chan said.  "And we did.  We're needed here
to stop the Dark One.  If we don't, the world will die.  EVERYONE will
die."

	"You've turned into a girl and she's a boy and I'm going mad and
now I can smell your sweat and it's really disgusting and..."  Kasumi's
voice was rising to hysteria.  "I want to...Daddy's going to be really
angry and..."  

	"Go take a walk, Ranchan.  I'll deal with this,"  Ukyou said.

	"In my bedclothes?"  Ranma-chan asked dubiously.

	"Get dressed first!"  He went over to Kasumi and put a soothing
hand on her shoulder.  "C'mon, Kasumi, let's talk."

	Ranma-chan frowned, got dressed, and departed.

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

	Shampoo led Tuor into what had been Suroth's quarters, formerly
those of the Queen of Altara, having informed Tuor that she would be
vacating the chambers so that Tuor could have rooms befitting her rank.
Most of Tuor's flunkies melted away except for Tuor'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 surried 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 prefered 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 manuevers, 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.  Tuor and her flunkies were unconscious as
well.  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."
	
************

	Twenty feet down the hallway, Alyssa came round the corner and
nearly collided with Ranma-chan.  "What are you doing here?"  Ranma-chan
asked.  "I thought you were going straight back to Ghealdan."

	"I wanted to talk to you."

	"Well, Ukyou's talking to Kasumi, and I got kicked out, so..."

	"Nabiki thinks Kaneda's father is going to hate me,"  Alyssa said
quietly as they started walking down the hallway.

	"He ain't gonna be too happy with me and Akane either,"
Ranma-chan said.  "I don't think he'll hate you, but...he and Pop are
pretty determined that me and Akane get married."

	"The reason why...I mean...that you two..."

	"Akane is a faithful person.  She loves you," Ranma-chan said,
feeling a pang of jealousy.  She stuffed it down since it wouldn't do any
good.  "A lot."  

	"Nabiki thinks...that if you..."  Alyssa couldn't quite say it.  

	"That if I'd let a boy have sex with me, I'd be with Akane?"

	Alyssa winced.  "Yeah."

	"I know Akane.  She's a violent uncute tomboy," she said almost
wistfully, "a macho chick who beats people up for no reason sometimes, but
Akane would NEVER have said she loved you if she didn't.  Akane and I are
both like that...we could never say 'I love you' if it wasn't true."  I
hope, she thought.  

	"I don't want her family to hate me," she said.

	"I don't want mine to hate me either, but I don't think they're
going to like me being Aes Sedai or me being with Ucchan."

	"Do you...do you really love her?"  Alyssa asked.  "She's
not...I'm sorry, I'm being rude."

	"We fight sometimes, stupid fights.  But I love her," she said
softly.  She flailed about for a different topic...something, anything
different.  "Do you scream when you orgasm?"

	Alyssa turned beet red.  "What?"

	"Ucchan does...I guess she's gonna beat me up if she finds out I
told you that."

	Alyssa laughed.  "Kaneda usually looks like someone just killed
him afterwards, and then he passes out."

	"Is he good?"

	"Very,"  Alyssa said.  "Is Ukyou good?"

	"Yeah, although we usually don't...we end up falling out of the
bed or banging ourselves up half the time,"  Ranma-chan said, boggling
that she was having this conversation.  I must be really tired, she
thought.  "Olwen wanted to have a threesome with us."

	"Was she good?"  Alyssa asked, giggling.

	"I didn't say YES!  What kind of ... I'd ask you and Akane if I
was gonna do something like that."

	Alyssa blushed.  "You would?"

	"It's not a proposition!"  Ranma-chan said, blushing.  "I mean,
Olwen's a friend, but I wouldn't sleep with her.  Well, not when I already
had someone.  If I'd never met Akane or Ukyou, then maybe I would,
but...anyway...So when are you gonna be done in Ghealdan?"

	"It may take a few weeks to get to the Prophet."

	"Why don't you just gate there?"

	"..."

	Ranma-chan giggled.  "You didn't even think of it."

	"I would have thought of it!"

	"Ain't much use to be a bad ass if you don't use it,"  Ranma-chan
said.  "Maybe I should come to Ghealdan once I go get Pop."

	"I can handle this myself!"  she frowned.  "I just..."

	Ranma-chan laughed some more.  "I'll just..."

	Then the explosions started in the distance.

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

	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 nuetralized
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.    

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

	Ukyou cursed.  "Oh just great.  Kasumi, don't leave the room.  I'm
going to see what's going on.  I won't go very far; scream if you need
me."

	Kasumi's eyes widened.  "I've got a VERY bad feeling."

	"Me too."  Ranchan's too far away for me to go get him, he
thought.  He quickly ran out in the hallway to take a look.  Nothing in
the hallway, but he could hear more explosions.  Dammit, I can't just..he
sighed.  I have to keep Kasumi safe; Ranchan can protect himself, she
can't.  

**********

	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.  I'm going to edit Tuor's memory with a little of her special
formula.  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!"  

	Shampoo sighed.  "Something went wrong when I was sent here.  This
is what happened..."

**********

	There were Kin and Aes Sedai running everywhere, along with
screaming servants and soldiers.  Alyssa and Ranma-chan moved swiftly
through the mob, looking for the source of trouble.  They soon found it;
someone had apparently forgotten to spray for trollocs after the last
infestation.

	"How the hell did these damn things get in here?"  Ranma-chan
asked a soldier as she began setting Trollocs on fire.

	"There's more in the Great Hall.  Doors in the air opened up."

	Ranma-chan cursed.  People had been making gateways to send
visiting nobles home...no one would notice one more until it was too late.
She'd felt channeling all evening, but had ignored it.  "How many of them
are there?"

	"Only a few hundred."  The Trollocs were getting baked rather
quickly as more and more channelers showed up.  "Looks like they won't
last long."

	This must be a diversion, Ranma-chan thought.  But for what?

**********

	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.

**********

	Searching the Palace for 'bombs', traps, or anything else that
might have been slipped into place by covert operatives while everyone
fought Trollocs turned up nothing, but left everyone exhausted.  Alyssa
finally headed back to Ghealdan to pass out, and Ranma-chan headed back to
her room to do the same.

	So did Elayne, while some squads continued to comb the palace.
She was tired, having had to fight off a group of maniacs who had tried to
kill her in her sleep just as the attack on the palace started.  Then she
had to go help fight the Trollocs.  Combined with an already tiring
Coronation day, she was ready to sleep for a week.  

	Thus it was that she dropped off to sleep completely exhausted,
and was unable to notice when four Mydraal stepped out of the shadows of
the corners of her room and grabbed her.  They hefted her, moved to one
corner, and quietly vanished.




John Walter Biles :  MA-History, Ph.D Wannabe at U. Kansas         
ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu       
rhea@tass.org              http://www.tass.org/~rhea/falcon.html
rhea@maison-otaku.net      http://www.maison-otaku.net/~rhea/

"If you're looking for a new coaster, the album _13_ is perfect for you."
--Daily Kansan Music Review