”What you talk about?” Shampoo asked. Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the emotions in the Amazon’s voice and aura. Exasperation, embarrassment, resignation…were she to put words to the feeling it would be something along the lines of ’it was flattering the first hundred times, but you can shut up now.’ “You only childhood friend.”
Cologne bounded back into sight. “Mousse! Weren’t you once spurned by Shampoo?”
“But…but that was when we were only three!” Mousse complained. Ranma and the other students blinked a few times as the brief saga of spurned love was extolled.
“It has been decided!” Cologne proclaimed, pointing to Ranma. “This man is Shampoo’s groom!”
“I am not!” Ranma snapped.
Soun appeared behind the old woman with a megaphone. “*HAVE YOU NO EARS?! RANMA IS ENGAGED TO NABIKI!”
“Daddy…” groaned that worthy.
Mousse shuddered with anger. “You have a fiancée…and yet you…and Shampoo…”
Ranma resisted the urge to cry at another deranged lunatic entering his life. “Now listen!”
“Enemy of all women!!” Mousse screamed, unleashing a kick.
The fight was brief, lasting just long enough to reveal Mousse’s ability to conceal weapons. Everything stopped when Ranma stopped his arms long enough to bring the training potty ‘weapon’ into focus. Insults were exchanged, and Ranma lost his temper.
“Then you will fight?” Mousse asked, receiving a nod in return. “These are my terms! If I should win—“
”You can’t have Shampoo,” Cologne interrupted.
Mousse paused, then pointed to Nabiki. “Then I will take your woman!” he roared.
Nabiki gave Mousse an even stare. “No,” she said calmly.
Mousse and Ranma both turned to look at her. “No?” Mousse repeated.
”I can’t turn down a challenge,” Ranma insisted.
”You’re not,” Nabiki assured him, turning to Mousse. “I am.”
Mousse worked his mouth soundlessly for a few moments, then spun to Ranma. “Very well! Then we fight for honor, as men!”
”Agreed!” Ranma replied, just as savagely. The men shook hands.
Nabiki sighed slightly. Well, at least she stood to make a profit on the bets.
The day ended calmly, or at least normally. Akane continued her training, taking grudging lessons from Ranma. Nabiki continued her training, drawing the occasional stare from sister and lover as her half-formed magic produced something unexpected.
After a while, Ranma announced he was going to take a bath and turn in for the night. Nabiki was practicing her defense spell, Akane was practicing a new set of moves.
”How did you get those powers anyway?” Akane asked, running a sloppy kata. “What did you call it? Awakening?”
Nabiki shrugged and formed a barrier at her palm. “I don’t know,” she admitted, letting the spell fade and recasting it. “Spontaneous awakening isn’t really understood. “
Akane ran a hand through her hair and went for a water bottle. “So I might get powers too?”
”With Ranma and me doing our things?” Nabiki mused, forming yet another barrier. She had no real idea how strong they were, but the spell was getting easier. “Well, if you were a Sleeper, you’d probably be Awake by now. If you’re really interested in the mystic arts, you won’t be able to call on any real natural talent.”
Akane frowned. “What does that mean?”
Nabiki created a new barrier and held it. “I’m getting the hang of this spell after a few days of practice. You would take months to get here, assuming you even could.”
”Oh,” Akane said, a little dejectedly.
Nabiki shrugged slightly. “If you really want to, I can try and find something for the Unawake. Talismans, tools, that sort of thing.”
Akane shook her head and smiled. “No, I was just thinking it would be nice to know what you’re going through.”
Nabiki smiled back. “Thanks.”
Further sisterly love was cut short by a blood curdling scream.
Three girls barged into the bathroom. Kasumi was first, being closest, followed by Akane with Nabiki on her heels. “What happened?” Nabiki asked.
’Ranko’ was there floating over the furo, a horrified look on her face. Nabiki almost lost her dinner at the terror the spirit girl was radiating “I can’t change back,” she whispered.
Akane perked at the voice, then frowned. “What do you mean?”
”Watch,” Ranma said, lowering her hand to the water. Akane opened her mouth to remind her that she couldn’t see the spirit, then she noticed what was happening.
The water had a hole in it. A perfectly hand-shaped space where the water simply wasn’t. The bubble wiggled its fingers, even thrashed wildly. Akane stared as the outline of a short, buxom girl followed the hand.
Nabiki and Kasumi saw the full spectacle. The water was vanishing just before Ranma could touch it. The girl was completely submerged and utterly untouched by the curse-nullifying liquid. “Nabiki? Do you know what this is?” Kasumi asked.
Nabiki shook her head slowly. “Nothing I read about Jusenkyo ever mentioned this,” she whispered hoarsely. Ranma’s terror at being locked was making it impossible to concentrate.
”This isn’t Jusenkyo,” came an increasingly familiar voice. All heads turned to the window to glower at the diminutive woman sitting there. “The curse I laid on you will stop any water from touching your spirit body.”
”Old ghoul…” growled the succubus, rising from the water. Nabiki took a step back as terror turned to rage in a heartbeat. Nabiki had to take a step back; that much hate all at once was a uniquely disturbing experience.
If Cologne was impressed by the unvoiced threat, she didn’t show it. “Come now. Agree to be Shampoo’s groom, and this will all end.”
”Never,” Ranma ground out.
”And what about your honor as a man?”
Ranma blinked and the world seemed to stop. The fight with Mousse!
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(Posted Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:15)
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