Hi hi everybody!

It's been a while since this was originally posted, I know. I'm a bad boy 
and all that for keeping everybody from waiting so long. For a complete 
rant about the quagmire my RL has turned into, please check out the 
Author's note for Chapter 16, which is also being posted tonite, along with 
one other goodie!

Chapter 15 was probably the chapter of THE CLAN which generated the most 
response email for me. There was a lot of positve response, and a lot, a 
*lot* of negative response, particularly toward Athia.

True, she's an author created character, but the biggest complaint I got 
was that she was a mass murderer.

Vigilante, yes. Killer, sometimes. Mass murderer? A line I saw several 
times in the response email was 'Justice must be seen'. I don't 
neccessarily agree with this, *but* her character was quite a bit harder 
than I intended.

So Athia is no longer a cold blooded killer. Also, we get to see some of 
Akuji's internal monolouge.

As always, previous chapters are available at 
http://cyberwheel.simplenet.com/fanfic

Also, a big round of applause to all my pre-readers. Thanks, guys!

At any rate, Here's the little awaited revision for Chapter 15:

------------------------------
THE CLAN

Chapter 15 - Recuperation
------------------------------



	"Well..." Akuji Oto mused, watching the body of his drone being
carried away into an ambulance on television. "That certainly was
quick. So you've survived, Nabiki Tendou. Such a shame. And you've
brought your coven out to fight me. Ahh... I see you've set two more
experienced vampires on my trail as well." He shook his head and
sighed dramatically.

	"It shall amount to naught, girl. I will feast on your blood,
virgin or not. I'll butcher your sisters and your mentors before your
eyes, just to savor your expression as they cry out for mercy."

	"Another drink, sir?" the cocktail waitress offered, completely
unaware of the ravener king's monologue.

	Akuji touched her cheek with one perfectly formed finger. She
shuddered.

	"Yes, I think so," he responded. "Bourbon. Straight, double, if
you don't mind."

	The girl quickly scurried away from the table. It was rather a
pity she was impure and would be of no use to him. She was terrified
of him and his gaze on her lithe body. He enjoyed terror in his
victims, even if he could no longer savor the torture of slowly
violating them.

	"And now I have this 'Ranma' fellow to deal with as well. What
*is* he I wonder?"

	He gazed at the continuing coverage of the fight scene on the
evening news, sipping his bourbon. It was obvious that the entire
coven knew of his existence and his plans, or they would not have
converged on the summoning point so quickly. He could continue his
work, and have them stop it again and again in this way while they
concentrated their forces or...

	It would require a change in his timing. He would have to
rearrange certain elements on his oh-so-precious schedule. It would
mean a minor setback in exchange for something that could eventually
'deal' with this Ranma person...

	There was no choice really, when Akuji carefully weighed each of
the pros and cons of the modifications against his timetable.

	He would start tonight as soon as the moon would allow, but
first...

	"Waitress," he called out in a low voice.

	To his delight, across the room, the girl began to shake.

* * *

	The group of women staggered back into the peaceful walls of the
Tendou Dojo. The police, perhaps embarrassed by their repeated
failures to capture the 'Tokyo Slashers' had questioned them all on
the scene of the ravener's death at length. Nodoka, and to a large
extent, Nabiki had smoothed over the inconsistencies in their stories.
Worse, Shampoo and Ukyou had both regained consciousness shortly after
the police had arrived. One of the police officers who happened to
speak Chinese took it upon herself to question Shampoo. While Ukyou
was apparently descending into hysteria, Shampoo had been humiliated,
and required to produce both her passport and student visa to keep
from being referred to the naturalization services.

	Konatsu, the crossdressing ninja, had been sent to the hospital.
His injuries were relatively minor, but widespread enough to merit
medical observation. Confused and in tears, Ukyou had apparently
returned to her restaurant alone.

	Ranma and his friend had taken to the trees and disappeared
immediately after the fight, leaving the rest to deal with Kodachi who
had shown up just after the fight to 'justly offer her reward to Ranma
for the fruits of his righteousness'. In turth, the girl's reward
conisted of publicly propositioning him over live TV in front of all
Tokyo.

	Nodoka and Nabiki ended up feeding the same story to the police
that they had last time. Even repeated, it was self consistent. Ranma
had pinned the rapist, who bore unmistakable physical similarity to
the 'first' Tokyo Slasher,  down as it was attacking his friend from
school. Shampoo, Ukyou and Konatsu, as entrepreneurs and martial
artists, had come seeking the reward, got in over their heads, and
were saved from certain death by the prize student of the Saotome-
Tendou school. None of the three found reason to counter the story, so
Nodoka and Nabiki found no reason to force the police to believe it
anyway.

	It all came together nicely... *except* for the now missing
Ranma.

	As the four exhausted women made their way into the Tendou-ke,
Ryouga and Genma met them at the front door.

	"Did you find the monster?" Ryouga demanded.

	Nabiki meekly nodded, feeling more exhausted than she had since
she had been wounded.

	"Ranma-kun and his new friend kept it from attacking Ukyou-
chan." Kasumi explained, her grin trying not to crack.

	"Have you seen the news yet?" Nodoka asked.

	Genma shook his head. "We heard something on the police band,
but not enough to get a clear picture."

	"We'll explain inside," Athia commanded. "It's been far too long
a day to stand outside."

* * *

	"What news have you, Shampoo?" Cologne asked wearily, after
clicking the television off.

	"Very bad," the angry girl hissed. "Something very bad.
Something wrong with violent girl whole family and Airen mother."

	The humiliation plain on her face, Shampoo glared at the ceiling
to keep her frustrated glance from meeting her grandmother's. "That no
killer. It demon!"

	"Tell me what you saw, Shampoo," Cologne demanded anxiously.

	Shampoo broke down at this point, tears beginning to stream from
her eyes.

	"What is it, Child?"

	"Shampoo see *NOTHING*!!!!"

	"What?!"

	"Someone... Shampoo no know... Someone knock Shampoo out.
Shampoo sleep through fight!!!!" the warrior cried out loud.

	Cologne grit her teeth. Such was one of the gravest things that
could happen to a warrior. She exhaled breathily, keeping a firm grip
on her staff.

	"Do you know who did it."

	Shampoo shook her head. "Monster, maybe. Maybe vulture womens.
Shampoo think they doing bad black magic."

	* * *

	After checking on the still-sleeping Akane, the women had
collapsed around the table, Soun, Genma, and Tofuu standing
protectively over them. Ryouga would have been there, but had gotten
lost between the door and the front room.

	"What I still don't understand," Nabiki complained, her head
resting on her folded hands. "Is who knocked out Shampoo?"

	"*I* didn't do it," Athia commented.

	"Did you, Auntie?" Kasumi asked Nodoka. The woman merely shook
her head in puzzlement.

	"Well *I* didn't do it either," Nabiki noted. "And I kind
doubt... Kasumi?"

	The fatigue showing at the corner of her eyes, Kasumi shook her
head as well.

	"Who did?" Nabiki wondered.

	* * *

	"And what of the others," Cologne continued her debriefing. "Did
you learn anything from any of the other girls?"

	Shampoo, siting tiredly in a restaurant chair, rubbed her
forehead and shook her head. "No. Spatula girl crying like little boy,
Crazy ribbon girl get there late, Shampoo think. She make like she
make baby with Airen. Stupid."

	"And what of the Tendou girls?"

	"Violent girl no there. Just Airen mother, greedy girl and nice-
nice girl.   White-hair-lady, too. They leave before Shampoo done
talking to police."

	Cologne raised one withered eyebrow, causing Shampoo to shift
uncomfortably in her chair.

	"Police. I see. And what did they want?"

	Shampoo gulped and gritted her teeth. "They want see Shampoo
passport and visa."

	"And did you have them with you?" Cologne asked angrily.

	Shampoo nodded.

	Cologne sighed at great length. "There's no help for it, I
suppose. It was bound to happen sooner or later. You had better start
studying, Shampoo."

	"Huh? I no understand, Hibaa-chan."

	"I'm not surprised, Shampoo. You're going to take entrance exams
so you can go to school."

	The blank look on her granddaughter's face rather disappointed
Cologne. She sighed again, wondering if it was even worth explaining.

	"If the police or immigration finds out that you've been living
and working in Japan with a student visa and not going to school,
they'll depport the both of us. Mousse as well, most likely, if that
moron even bothered to obtain a visa. If you want to stay in Japan and
have *any* hope of winning Mouko-dono, then you're just going to have
to start high-school, Shampoo. It's that simple."

	"Aiyah..."

* * *

	*click*

	Kasumi started, apparently waking up from a cat nap. She noted
that she was still sitting in front of the table, her head resting on
her folded hands.

	She looked up to see Genma adjusting the shoji slightly.

	"Oh, my. I seem to have fallen asleep," she announced tiredly.
"I should really start dinner."

	"Don't bother," Genma advised.

	"I already ordered takeout," Tofu announced.

	Funny, Kasumi thought. She hadn't heard anyone use the phone.
There was a hunger deep inside her, though. She was glad Tofuu had
ordered food. Frankly, she felt, she really didn't have the strength
to really get up and...

	*YAHWWNNN*

	"stp it, ksmi," a muffled voice whispered from next to her.
Kasumi forced her jaws shut and turned her head to see Nabiki trying
to doze next to her, the girl's face buried in her arms.

	It was funny how tired and hungry everyone looked to her eyes...
Even Nodoka and Athia were the images of famine, as they sat across
the table, sipping tea. Nodoka's image of serenity had cracked, and
several hairs were streaming from her normally tight bun.

	Tofuu... didn't look so much hungry as concerned. It was funny,
Kasumi thought. For the first time, she seemed to be looking at his
eyes. Had she never noticed how green they were before?

	She hoped that he had ordered a lot of food, because Kasumi felt
like she could eat a horse... raw... and lick the plate clean
afterwards...

	Nodoka sighed and snapped her Katana down on the table.

	"This isn't going to work," she complained.

	"Auntieeeee..." Nabiki whined, irritated by the noise.

	"Eating food will help the hunger, but it will not sate it
entirely. To replenish our strength after such exertion, we must have
blood. Genma--"

	"Yes dear," the martial artist replied, moving over to his
wife's side.

	"I had hoped that this could wait until later in the evening,
but apparently it will not."

	"To the bedroom, then?" Genma asked.

	"Hmmm..." Nodoka purred.

	"And afterwards?" he asked, unashamedly.

	Her eyes drooping, she managed a smile, and took Genma's hand as
he lead her from the room.

	"Oh my," Soun muttered.

	"Mmmmm... Has been kinda a workout," Nabiki noted. "Ryouga-kun!"
she called out.

	A bump from an odd side of the house was her only answer.
Happily finding new strength, Nabiki hopped up from her doze and began
to search for the lost boy.

	Soun's eyes narrowed grimly in suspicion. He had a sinking
feeling in his gut just what his second oldest daughter had planned.

	Kasumi watched her sister leave on her search. Suddenly,
realizing just exactly what it was that she was so hungry for, both
Father and Tofuu-sensei's necks seemed to stand out, amidst all the
other various smells and sights in the room. She could hear both their
hearts beating, and could literally see the heat emanating from
Tofuu's body as it drifted in and out of the infra-red range.

	"Mmmm...."

	Tofuu, feeling those large, liquid brown eyes on him, began to
tremble slightly. His glasses fogged over instantly.

	"K-K-Kasumi-san!" he shouted. "How odd to see you here, of a-a-
all p-places!!!!"

	"Tofuu-sensei?" she asked demurely. She was so tired and so
hungry. Tofuu was such a nice, *strong* man. His blood would taste so
sweet, and it would be so wonderful to be held in his arms.

	"Oh my!" Tofuu exclaimed.

	"Tofuu-sensei..." Kasumi began again, trembling slightly
herself. An odd smell began to permeate the room. It's origin seemed
to be the gentle doctor. "I... I... have to drink someone's blood this
evening, Tofuu-sensei," she explained calmly.

	"I... I... I..." the chiropractor stammered.

	"May I drink your blood... Tofuu-sensei?"

	Soun's expression sank even further. He looked in judgment at
the man. Tofu certainly was shaking around a little bit. For a moment,
Soun doubted the doctor's ability to do anything untoward to Kasumi.

	"What should I do, Betty-chan?" Tofuu asked.

	"The skeleton's back at your office, Sensei," Soun advised him,
trying to drop a hint at where the best place for the doctor was at
the moment..

	"Oh yes... Of course, Saotome-san... How forgetful of me...
What's your opinion, Betty-chan? Should I let Kasumi drink my blood?"

	"Certainly is scary, Tofuu-Sensei!" Betty answered.

	"Hmm... You're right, Betty-chan. We have to consider all the
consequences however. Kasumi might starve right to death if we don't
feed her unholy hunger."

	"Mm-Hm!" Betty agreed. "Besides, we might get to see Kasumi
naked if we do!"

	"YEOW!" Tofuu shouted aloud. "I'll be there in a second, Kasumi-
san!"

	Odd boy, Soun thought to himself, and shook his head sadly while
watching the wildly gyrating doctor trail after his oldest daughter.

	"Hmm... dearest daughter," Soun called out.

	"Yes father?" her voice came from the top of the stairs. Had she
moved that quickly.

	"Remember... Remember that Doctor Tofuu has not been to his
clinic in almost two days. You shouldn't keep him up very late."

	"Oh, I won't father," her voice seemed even further off. Soun
guessed that she was already inside her room now. "I'm certain that
he'll sleep *very* soundly this evening."

	"Oh that's good, Kasumi. Just tell me when you're done and I'll
walk the doctor ho--"

	*CLICK*.

	The sound of Kasumi's door lock sounded very loud to Soun for
some reason. Very loud and final. His left eye began to twitch.

	"They grow up so fast..." Athia commented.

	"Not tonight they won't!" Soun vowed.

* * *
	
	Ranma growled in frustration. First, the nameless girl had
disappeared *AGAIN* as usual after the ravener had been killed even
though he had told her he had more questions he wanted answered. Then,
after he managed to evade the police and TV crews, Ukyou had refused
to answer the door at Ucchan's. A bit of eavesdropping below her
bedroom window told him nothing except that she was crying, and
sounded like she had been for quite a while.

	So he was down to this. Rather than deal with what madness was
infecting the dojo, Ranma returned to his camping roots. He had built
a small fire under the bridge near Furinkan, and was doing his best to
keep warm. Clouds were gathering, and a cool breeze was beginning to
blow in from the north.

	*I've slept almost naked in worse than this,* Ranma thought to
himself, unconsciously huddling closer to the tiny fire. *That time in
China, when Shampoo chased me and Pop into Den-Nang, for one.*

	He tried to think of another.

	The time Genma and Soun kicked him out for not bowing to
Happousai. That had been rough. It had even flurried a bit that night.
But he had toughed it out. Yup. Even with those takeout pork-buns that
Akane had--

	Ranma cut the thought off and stared intently into the fire. He
was suddenly very hungry for takeout pork buns for some strange
reason. And warm tea.

	Ranma gritted his teeth, and did his best to focus on the
situation at hand.

	"Lesse," he began to catalog out loud. "Can't go back to the
dojo. Ukyou's not letting me back into Ucchan's."

	That left two places where he could reasonably, or unreasonably,
spend the night. If he risked the Nekohanten, he chanced going to
sleep in Japan and waking up in China.

	"Under the circumstances," Ranma mused aloud, "Not an option,"
he sighed. He had to stay in Nerima, if for no other reason than to
fight the raveners.

	The second option left much to be desired. In fact, Ranma was
cross with himself for even thinking about it.

	"...ranma-sama..." a faint voice cried out from high above the
roof tops. "...oh-hohohoho..."

	"Not a chance," Ranma muttered quietly to himself.

	"Ranma-sama!" the voice grew slightly louder.

	Ranma shook his head and gritted his teeth. Allowing himself to
consider such was very nearly as dangerous as visiting the Nekohanten,
if not moreso.

	"I've got dim-sum chicken, Ranma-sama!!!!"

	*rrrrrrr* Ranma's stomach grumbled.

	*Just shut up,* Ranma scolded himself, not daring to open his
mouth.

	"Can't you just smell the dinner that your loving bride has
prepared, Ranma-sama!?!?!"

	*RRRRRR* His stomach insisted.

	*NO!!!!* Ranma screamed to himself.

	"It's quite a shame you're insisting on winning our little game
of hide and seek, Ranma-sama. I guess I shall just have to treat
myself to dim-sum. Woe unto meeee!!!" the voice cried.

	Before he knew what had happened, Ranma's stomach took control.
He stood up, and poked his head out from under the concrete support
beam that made up the side of the bridge. He looked around for the
source of the voice.

	"Ranma-sama!" Kodachi's face appeared out of nowhere, right in
front of him.

	"YAAAAHHH!!!" Ranma jumped back, already realizing that the
gymnast was hanging upside down over the side of the bridge.

	"I found you, my darling!" Kodachi exclaimed gleefully. "Now
take your clothes off!"

	"Uhhh..." Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

	"Or would you rather I take *my* clothes off? I would allow you
to pursue me in such a manner if it would please you, my husband to
be! Wouldn't a wild, unclothed chase across the rooftops be grand, my
love?"

	Ranma's eye began to twitch.

	"Listen!" He snapped. "I ain't interested in any of that stuff.
I thought you said you had some food?"

	"Why yes, Ranma-sama!" the inverted gymnast confirmed. "All the
food you want and more awaits you at the impeccable Kunou estate."

	Ranma sighed deeply. This was not turning out like he wanted.
"Maybe some other time then."

	"But Darling," Kodachi pouted, "Won't you claim your reward?"

	"Reward?" Ranma asked. "Reward for what?"

	"For slaying the Slasher, of course! You silly thing!" Kodachi
let her eyelids droop lustily, as she closed in on her prey. "I should
be spanked for thinking that my Ranma-sama would undertake such a
quest for the sake of some base monetary compense." Still hanging
upside down, she draped one unclad arm on Ranma's shoulder next to his
neck. The other began to run up and down her leotard clad waist.

	"Spanked at length..." She continued. "It is a husband's duty to
discipline his wife when she has been naughty, Ranma-sama..."

	Ranma narrowly ducked out of her upside-down embrace. "LISTEN!"
he shouted. "I ain't interested in any o' that. I... I did what I did
because I had to. Not 'cause I wanna do anything with you, or for any
reward, or 'cause I knew anyone who got hurt. I could tell ya' what to
do with your reward..."

	"But, Ranma-saamaa..." the gymnast wheedled.

	Ranma's stomach grumbled again, audible to both him and Kodachi.

	"But I ain't gonna stop you from givin' me some food, okay?"

	Kodachi's expression brightened fifty shades. She was fairly
beaming as she turned a somersault, letting her ponytail brush his
face as she turned in the air.
	
	"Oh, Darling..." She cooed, reaching to embrace him again.

	"Listen!" Ranma yelled as he dodged. "This is just between
friends... Okay? Just friends!!!!"	

	"Friends, then!" Kodachi announced loudly. "Let us away to the
fabulous Kunou mansion, Ranma. There I shall ply you with a feast
until your stomach threatens bursting, and then I shall bend all my
charm to seducing you, my most handsome and wonderful *friend!"

	Ranma sighed out loud. "Whatever. Come on, I'm starvin' to death
here."

	"Of course, Ranma-sama!" Kodachi shouted and pinched Ranma hard
on the left cheek of his buttocks. She leapt into the air before he
could react. Ranma groaned in frustration, but his stomach had already
cast the deciding vote. He had to run up the palisade and jump a fence
to keep up with her.

* * *

	"IT'S A GOOD THING I HAVE SUCH RESPONSIBLE DAUGHTERS," Soun
stated, bellowing loudly enough that most of the neighborhood was
forced to agree with him.

	"That Kasumi," Mrs. Suziki down the street noted as she climbed
into her futon. "Such a responsible girl."

	Soun's eye twitched as he heard a giggle coming from up the
stairs. He couldn't tell which of the girls it came from.

	"You love your daughters very much, don't you?" Athia asked.

	Soun nodded grimly, mentally going through all the campfire pork
recipes he could remember from his time with the master.

	"It's quite a task making sure that they're taken care of
properly isn't it?"

	"Yes, quite," Soun noted. "You sound as if you speak from
experience, Madam. Do you have children?"

	Athia nodded. "A daughter. She's grown now, but I remember her
adolescence very clearly."

	Soun nodded appreciatively at the woman's statement. Nothing was
so difficult as taking care of your family single handedly.

	"Her father?"

	"He died in the first world war."

	Soun goggled. Nodoka had said that they had long lifetimes,
though.  He did his best to contain his incredulity.

	"He was a British spy," she continued. "And the Kaiser had a
very dim view of intelligence agents at the time, you understand. My
daughter was three at the time."

	"I'm very sorry," Soun answered sadly. "I... I do understand,
though."

	"Your girls' mother?"

	"She died when my Akane was six," he noted, careful to keep the
emotions at bay. Over a decade, he had learned not to let them cripple
him so badly. "A congenital heart defect, the doctors said. There was
no way of knowing until it actually happened."

	"I'm so sorry," Athia sympathized. "The world is a much darker
place without those we love the most. It makes it so much more
important to stay close to your children."

	"Your daughter?"

	"A spy, like her father. She works for a special branch of
German government under the jurisdiction of NATO."

	"How ironic. It must be hard to speak with her then," Soun
guessed.

	"Our 'gift' makes it a little bit easier to stay in touch but I
do miss her very badly. She has her own life now, so full of love and
adventure. I'd be a fool to intrude more than I am welcome."

	"I fear that I have much the same problem," Soun agreed. "I feel
that they're slipping through my fingers. I can't squeeze too tightly
though, or..."

	"Or they'll slip away altogether," Athia finished for him.

	There were several seconds of silence. Soun briefly considered
checking on each of his daughters, and was about to get up when he
noted that Athia was trembling very slightly. Instantly, he suspected
that she was as fatigued as the other women.

	"It occurs to me, Madam--"

	"Athia, please," she instructed, her voice carefully controlled
to hide any signs of her fatigue.

	"It occurs to me, Athia, that for a vampire, I have seen you
take very little *drink*," he extemporized. "Don't you need some...
well... *blood* to keep your strength?"

	Athia raised one eyebrow speculatively.

	"Honestly?"

	"Honestly," Soun prompted.

	"Honestly," Athia admitted. "I was waiting for the rest of you
to go to sleep, so I could go out to feed."

	Soun raised one eyebrow questioningly.

	"Nodoka has never taken blood from someone who is unwilling. I
find... that doesn't leave many opportunities. Instead," she
whispered. "I look for crimes. Robberies, murders, rapes..."

	"And you take the blood of those responsible," Soun surmised.

	"I will not lie to you, Sir," Athia stated coldly. "That is the
truth. I prey on those who prey on others. If you would have me leave
your house..." she trailed off, allowing Soun to fill in the blank.

	Soun considered her carefully for several seconds. "Do you kill
those you prey upon?

	"Not myself. Before, those I preyed upon have been left unable
to defend themselves against their fellow dregs. Shall I leave?"

	"There is no call for that," he assured her. "You must eat, and
crimes... such crimes *must* be punished. Speaking of criminals,
there's a certain martial arts master I would like to introduce you
to...."

* * *

	"Why don't I cook dinner," Ranma offered, standing behind
Kodachi as she began to gather a large assortment of pots and pans.

	"But, my darling, it is the duty of a wife to cook for her
husband..." she countered.

	"But you ain't my wife, and I ain't your husband," Ranma
riposted, glancing darkly at Kodachi's extensive spice cabinet.
Labeled with an embossed black rose, the cabinet fairly exuded evil.
In some the places where normal jars of herbs and powders would go,
yellowish brown medicine bottles sat, their diabolical contents
waiting to do damage to some poor soul's unsuspecting stomach.

	"I must cook for my love," she protested.

	"An' if I'm gonna eat," Ranma stated flatly, "It's gotta be food
I can trust. Now, do you want me to stay or not?"

	Kodachi began to pout. Ranma *almost* gave in. One glance back
at the 'spice rack', however, made up his mind.

	"Uh-uh. You want me to stay, then I getta cook."

	Kodachi's expression became angry, and then petulant. She
turned, and stormed away. "Fine then," she hissed. "Sasuke!" she
yelled. "To the kitchen at once to assist Ranma-sama."

	Ranma raised one eyebrow in irritation. In seconds, however, the
little ninja had rushed into the kitchen and was bowing and scraping
in front of him.

	"What's her deal?" Ranma murmured aloud.

	"What, Ranma-dono?" Sasuke queried.

	"Kodachi. Got all pissed off 'cause I wouldn't let her cook."

	The ninja winced.

	"What is it?" Ranma jerked his head back conspiratorially.

	Standing on his tiptoes, Sasuke shook his head and began to
whisper quietly so that his mistress could not hear.

	"It's the young master. He started refusing to eat her cooking
last week. She's taking it rather hard. Can I assume that you two are-
-"

	"No." Ranma cut him off. "Just friends. Havin' dinner."

	"Ah," Sasuke guessed. "Akane kicked you out."

	"Yeah," Ranma answered in a dead tone. "Somethin' like that." He
looked back to the open restaurant style refrigerator. "So is all this
stuff clean, or do I gotta worry about paralysis powder?"

	"Not unless she's gotten to it since this morning," Sasuke
whispered.

* * *

	Plan 'B' was really quite an evil piece of work, Akuji noted as
he kissed the palm of the young woman lying in front of him.

	"And I couldn't have started without you, Dear," he
congratulated her. "You're the first, but why, with your help, I'll
have the entire city!"

	He let the hand drop. It landed limply in a puddle of blood,
sending splatters everywhere. Akuji smiled warmly and blew her a kiss.

	She was junior high school girl, since it was so much easier to
find virgins among them than it was amoung the population of high
schoolers. It was fairly early, so her parents were probably just now
making the leap from concern to outright worry. The thought of the
news they would no doubt receive in the morning warmed his heart and
made him smile.

	Grinning, he pulled a white leather bag out of the breast of his
sport coat. He pinched open one end and began to trail a stream of
dark powder into the blood. Carefully, he used the powder to draw a
square shape in the blood around the girl's naked, lifeless body. Just
before he closed the square at the corner near her face, the powder
caught fire and began to burn a sooty red color.

	He began a second square at forty-five degrees to the second
one, creating an eight pointed star. It caught fire as well. While it
didn't burn the girl's pale skin, the blood began to pop and sizzle
from the dark heat. Several other shapes and curves began to burn as
well as he poured the powder into them. Finishing, Akuji tossed the
bag into the fire near the girl's head and walked away.


	"Eight more... Now, where will we start?"

* * *

	Ranma had made a light stew. It was something that he had
learned on the road, and its ingredients could be varied according to
the available flora and fauna.

	Having the most well stocked refrigerator he had ever seen,
Ranma diced a whole chicken breast into it, as well as potatoes,
carrots, radish, and because he was in the mood, shrimp.

	Kodachi had apparently already forgotten her upset when Ranma
had brought the steaming bowls out of the kitchen.

	They ate quietly at the Kunou dining table, with the exception
of Ranma's occasional grunts as he attempted to keep Kodachi's naked
toes from climbing up his legs.

	Ranma, of course, sucked down his stew with a minimum of
ceremony. Sasuke was eating the leftovers in the kitchen, but there
was enough for seconds and even thirds.

	Kodachi moaned appreciatively as she finished her bowl. She
licked her spoon suggestively. Ranma looked on with slight interest.
She moaned with satisfaction, and leaned back and stretched against
the hard back of the dining room chair. Ranma noted that she was
obviously displaying her breasts for him, causing her hard nipples to
stand out against the tight fabric of her leotard.

	Rather than becoming aroused, Ranma had an insight. He glanced
around at the room around him. It was opulent in a way he had never
seen before he met the Kunous.

	"Who put this room together?" he asked.

	"Ranma-sama?" she asked. "Whatever do you mean. This room is
hundreds of years old."

	"I mean, who picked out the pictures. The statues." He pointed
to the corner, where a little fountain trickled merrily, drowning out
any eating or digesting sounds.

	"Why I did, of course. Tatchi placed the ceremonial katanas of
course," she noted, gesturing demurely to the pair of swords hanging
above the kitchen door.

	No real interference from parents. No father to drag her around,
to discipline her. No mother to enforce her vows.

	She let her lids droop sleepily at him, and giggled slightly.

	Ranma knew, but he had to ask.

	"You're a virgin, aren't you?"

	She jumped at the question.

	Her innocence was like that of a big ca-- big wild animal of
some kind. In the jungle, Ranma corrected his thoughts. She played
with her food because she didn't understand that it hurt. She hurt and
maimed because she thought it was fun, and didn't have anyone to tell
her it was wrong.

	"R-r-ranma-sama?" Kodachi wrung her hands, and stared down at
the carpet in embarrassment.

	"I gotta know," he said seriously.

	"I... I..."

	Ranma raised one eyebrow. Was it possible that she wasn't.

	"W-w-well... there was t-t-this slumber party in e-e-eighth
grade and--"

	"Any guys?" Ranma had heard stories about girls's schools.

	Kodachi began to tremble with shame and embarrassment. "I-I-I-
I... no..." she eeped.

	"I don't think it counts."

	He could see her future on her face, suddenly. He *knew*. That
thing, what ever it was, would be drawn back to St. Hebereke.

	"You gotta leave the country," he commanded.

	"What?!?!" she demanded incredulously.

	"There's something here... in Tokyo," Ranma told her. "That
thing at St. Hebereke today was only a small part of it. It's.... It's
utterly evil. It's... It's a kind of evil magic that comes from the
deepest pit of hell," he quoted. "An... it kills only virgins."

	Kodachi started, holding a hand to her mouth in shock. "Kayuma
was a virgin," she whispered. "She told me in the strictest of
confidences just last week."

	Ranma guessed that that was the name of the girl who had been
killed. He hadn't stopped long enough to find out, or to see what her
relationship to the gymnast really was. It sounded like they had been
pretty tight.

	"If she wasn't," Ranma explained seriously. "It probably would
have been someone else who was."

	"Ranma-sama..."

	"So... I think you're gonna get hurt," he finished. "An' I want
you to leave the country. Go on a vacation or somethin'."

	"I... *You* could save me, Ranma!" Kodachi pleaded. "Take me
now! My virginity is yours to rend, beloved. Your loving embrace will
save me from this evil."

	Ranma turned her down with a look. There was a pain in his eyes.
Pain and fear. She had never seen fear before in her Ranma-sama.

	It was deeper kind of hurt than anything Kodachi had ever seen
before. It was like the hurt she felt when Mother... went... away...

	Kodachi gasped, feeling the entire weight of Ranma's
seriousness.

	"I will do as you command, beloved one," she murmured. "Father
is in Oahu for the week. Tatchi and I will join him, and I will
persuade him to extend his stay. It won't be very difficult."

	"When can you go?" Ranma asked.
	
	Kodachi put a finger to her chin. "Flight 208 leaves at six in
the morning. It is Father's usual flight out."

	Ranma nodded.

	"How will I know when it is safe to rejoin you, Ranma-sama?" she
asked, reaching out for him."

	"Kodachi," Ranma began. "You know that I don't feel the same way
you do. If you go to Hawaii, and expect to come back and get married,
you're gonna be disappointed. I think you're my friend, though, an' I
don't wanna see you get hurt when the shit hits the fan."

	Kodachi turned her head away, tears streaming down her face.

	"How will I know when it is safe to come back, Ranma-sama?" she
asked again. Ranma took her outstretched hand, and tried to hold it
reassuringly.

	"Send me your room number when you get a hotel or somethin',"
Ranma prompted. "An' I'll write you a letter when it's safe to come
back."

	Kodachi nodded, her face still turned away. Ranma could see a
drop roll off her chin and fall to the carpet below.

	"Keep an eye on a Tokyo paper," he continued. "The obituaries
section. If you see mine... or any of the Tendous, and I don't write
you, then don't come back to Japan. Not ever."

	"Why..." Kodachi asked, her voice trembling with the fear Ranma
felt.

	"'Cause it'll all be too late then."

* * *


- To Be Continued...

* * *
Chris Jones - guilty@arn.net
The Ranma 1/2 Gallery - http://cyberwheel.simplenet.com/ranma

It's 1999. Do you know what your children are?