Ok here's my first fanfic. It goes with out saying that I
 don't own the Ranma 1/2 characters. They are the property of
 their creator the great Rumiko Takahashi (may she live forever).

    I want to apologise in advance about how out of character
 Ukyou is. I don't know what came over me. Likewise the time line
 is a bit out of whack. This is partially deliberate, and partly
 due to poor planning. And by the way this isn't meant to be a
 lemon, but there are a few scenes that are, well unusual. Enjoy!


                  Subterranean Nerima Nightlife


     Ryouga sat thoughtfully on a ledge, and scanned the streets
 below him. The night sky was cloudy, but the bar strip's light
 pollution radiated up to him, granting him a clearer view. He
 sighed as he took in all the sights and sounds of a busy
 Saturday night.

     Wallowing in self pity, he watched the people below. Friends
 laughing together, enjoying everything the night had to offer.
 Wandering from club to club, bar to bar, drinking and dancing.
 Collecting phone numbers of the opposite sex in the search for
 companionship. As Ryouga picked at one of his fangs, he noted a
 young man who had done much better than a few phone numbers. He
 was walking out of a busy club with a girl under each arm, while
 two other youths followed enviously. The first young man
 reminded him of Ranma because of his selfish Casanova type
 behaviour.

     Below his perch, Ryouga thought he saw a familiar face. He
 looked again but it had already disappeared into the club below
 him. It was a very small, very private club. "Pandora's Box",
 Nerima's most prominent and therefor most notorious lesbian bar.
 Ryouga shook his head and picked up his backpack, no, no one he
 knew would be caught dead there. Not even Ranma was that much of
 a pervert, and definitely not.....

     Ryouga shook his head some more until it cleared and leapt
 into a dark alley to his left. Ryouga's thrice cursed existence
 was hard enough, and leading a double life with the Tendo's left
 him with a heavy toll to pay. He was afraid he would have to
 quell his needs, and soon. But he wouldn't and couldn't admit
 it, not even to himself.

^\^
 ^

     Much later that same night Nabiki Tendo made her way back to
 the dojo. Thankfully the lights were all out as she crept up to
 the front door. It was well past Nabiki's curfew and she knew
 it. Again she thanked God the lights were out.

     Silently she berated herself for losing track of the time.
 This sort of misconduct was inexcusable, and could have landed
 her in a whole lot of trouble. But on the other hand, she'd had
 a lot of fun, and made some serious money. She would still have
 to answer for her lateness in the morning, but that was how
 Nabiki wanted it. By morning things would have cooled off a
 little.

     But as she stealthily reached for the door with her house
 key, it suddenly swung open. Nabiki jumped back startled, her
 ring and middle fingers touching her palms, thumbs and remaining
 fingers straight out.

     From inside Kasumi just glared at the middle sister in a way
 that made her innards sink. "Get. In. This. House." Kasumi
 scowled. She did not have to ask twice, Nabiki wide eyed with
 terror obeyed instantly.

    "And exactly where have you been all night?" Kasumi demanded,
 as she shut, locked, and bolted the door. She had obviously been
 waiting up for her sister. She was already wearing her usual
 long white night-gown, and Kasumi never stayed up this late.

     "I... I was just..." Nabiki's mind started racing furiously.
 If she didn't make this very, very good there would be dire
 consequences. She knew believable lies had to be as close to the
 truth as possible. Stick to most of the facts and only fabricate
 what was absolutely necessary. But tonight any of the facts
 would only get her into more trouble.

     "Well I'm waiting," Kasumi said gravely. "I want to hear
 about all the terrible things you've been up to."

     "I know I'm really late, and you must have been really
 worried about me," Nabiki babbled mindlessly. She was desperate
 now, stalling for time to think.

     But she knew Kasumi's mind had been made up before she had
 even gotten home. Otherwise she wouldn't have waited up for her
 in the dark. "But where were you?" she asked again. Choked and
 at a loss for words, Nabiki let a long guilty silence answer for
 her. Kasumi continued to stare coldly at her, and reached for
 something.

     Nabiki's already dashed hopes for getting out of the mess
 she'd made for herself evaporated, when Kasumi pulled a long
 narrow cane out from behind her. Worst of all Nabiki knew they
 wouldn't be waking anyone up, they were the only ones home
 tonight. There was nobody to rescue her from her sisters wrath.

     Nabiki stared at Kasumi and the cane transfixed in horror.
 About to face her worst fear, a dimly remembered song lyric came
 to her. It was vague, but chilling. 'Hold on, hold on to
 yourself, cause this is gonna hurt like hell.'

^\^
 ^
     "Hey, hold it buddy," a loud oversized, and over dressed
 bouncer said as he pushed Ryouga out of the line of club
 crawlers. "I think you should go back the way you came."

     The gaijin ape at the door had no idea how utterly futile
 his instructions were. Ryouga was never really sure where he had
 been, or even where he was at the moment. But the doorman's
 message was clear enough, and Ryouga did not like it.

     Being anti-social by nature it had taken some serious soul
 searching just to work up the courage to go to the bar. He had
 waited forty minutes in line, and to top it off, he was fighting
 back an intense craving. Ryouga was in no mood for hassles.
 Ryouga looked at the bouncer, who appeared to be training for a
 career in sumo wrestling despite his racial handicap, and simply
 asked, "Why?"

     "Just beat it kid," he said. "We don't allow homeless in
 here."

     "I have money to spend, and I am not homeless," Ryouga spat
 back. "Now step aside."

     The bouncer slowly looked the kid up and down with a
 premeditated look of disgust. He was dressed in worn out, ragged
 clothing, and too much of it for such a hot summer night. He was
 also wearing a large backpack, no doubt it held all his worldly
 goods.

     "You sure look like it," the bigger man snarled,
 aggressively adjusting his bulk toward Ryouga. "You really don't
 want this the hard way. So go sniff some glue, or I'll make you
 wish you never crawled out of your gutter."

     He took a step towards Ryouga, expecting him to run away.
 But he didn't, the next thing the bouncer knew was darkness.
 Ryouga didn't have to pay the cover charge that night, and
 boldly marched in.

^\^
 ^

     "Shampoo no that stupid! Shampoo only chase dragon," the
 Chinese Amazon had insisted much earlier that same evening, as
 she artfully shifted a piece of tin foil across two small juice
 glasses.

     Kodachi Kuno was mildly disgusted by Shampoo's extravagance,
 she still refused to use a syringe. "Oh, such a waste is a sin
 dear girl. You'll never know what your missing," Kodachi
 tightened the silk cord around her arm, and pumped it up and
 down a few times.

     "Shampoo only missing risk of HIV, and air bubbles. And no
 need Great-grandmother to see needle tracks." Ever so gently she
 sprinkled a pinch of yellowish powder on the foil bridge between
 glasses.

     "Alright darling I can't make you poke if you don't want to.
 But could I get you to do me a little favour?" sitting on her
 bed she looked up at Shampoo, and smiled sweetly holding out her
 needle.

     Shampoo understood and took the syringe. Settling down next
 to her, she held Kodachi's wrist and smacked her forearm until
 the veins stood out more. "Why you no can do this yourself?" she
 huffed.

     "I can, but this is much easier. Giving yourself a shot is
 such a strain sometimes," Kodachi commented, not wanting Shampoo
 to know the real reason; her hands were shaking too badly from
 withdrawal. "Now you know what to do, but do try to hit the vein
 this time, and don't shoot it in so fast, and... uh... oh... oh-
 aha-hah-hah-hah," a familiar laughter filled the air.

     Shampoo shut Kodachi up by giving her the shot in mid-bitch.
 She hit the spot on her first try, and seconds later Kodachi
 couldn't find a single thing to complain about.

     Shampoo took the needle out of her friend's arm and untied
 the cord. "Thank you... sooo much," Kodachi sighed, her eyes
 half closed as the heavenly delirium of the devil heroin set in.

     Now that Kodachi was completely zonked and satisfied, it was
 time to take care of her own habit. She sparked her zippo and
 put it under the foil bridge. She grabbed her funnel and was
 about to inhale the first wisps of smoke, when she noticed
 something from the corner of her eye. Something was wrong, very
 wrong.

^\^
 ^

     To say Nabiki was feeling vulnerable, as she slowly put her
 pants back on, would be quite an understatement. Kasumi had been
 hell bent, bound, and determined to punish Nabiki for being so
 late and disobeying her (Nabiki was merely bent and bound).

     But it was when Kasumi went through her purse, that she
 really lost her temper. Inside she found a suspicious amount of
 yen, as Nabiki was not one to carry her wealth. A deck of cards
 Kasumi knew from experience would be marked, and condoms.
 CONDOMS!

     Luckily for Nabiki, big sister didn't know what the small
 set of scales and scissors where for.

^\^
 ^

     Pandora's Box enjoyed a clientele that was both loyal and
 vigorous, but best of all growing. Tonight was no exception, the
 place was packed with young women. Young for the most part at
 least, they came from all walks of life. From forty something
 year old housewives who were tired of living a lie, to the high
 school girls who had to lie to get in. Some confused and some
 self assured, determined to never hide what they were.

     One high school girl looked around in wonder, as she
 pocketed her fake ID. It was her first time in such an
 establishment and she was full of nervous energy. As she stared
 at the __ sign above the entrance, she knew there was a whole
 new world for her to find.


                  Subterranean Nerima Nightlife

                     Chapter 1: Ryouga's tale
                   If it wasn't for bad luck...


 Inside the crowded dance club the music wasn't loud, saying it was
 loud didn't even scratch the surface. To say it was blaring would
 still be an understatement. Even to call it a stupendous
 thundering would be putting it mildly. Ryouga didn't understand
 how anyone could enjoy being assaulted by "music" at such a
 volume.

 Ryouga didn't think highly of the music it's self either. To
 him dance, techno, and house were all repulsive. Did the music
 industry even remember what guitars were? This was nothing but a
 pounding semi unpredictable beat that relied too much on the
 excessive level of bass, it had no soul whatsoever.

 But he was clearly a minority in that opinion, all around him
 were hundreds of young people having a roaring good time. Ryouga's
 loneliness and depression kicked in at the sight of them. He had
 a very low tolerance of other people's happiness.

 Nor was he comforted by the sheer number of people who had been packed
into the club. Living in Japan, Ryouga had come to accept over crowding
as a part of city life. But he did not savour it the way these people
seemed to. The club was a massive churning sea of bodies and waving
limbs. It was steaming from the heat of so many bodies so close
together, and simply turning around meant bumping into at least half a
dozen people.

 Ryouga felt so uncomfortable in these alien surroundings, that he
wanted very desperately to go. But stubbornly he decided to stay. After
waiting so long in line, and fighting to get in, he would have fun even
if it killed him.

 He paused and wondered about this, he had heard of people being scared
to death, and dying of humiliation, so why not death by awkwardness? He
abruptly stopped this line of thinking. It was making both him, and the
omniscient narrator look and feel ridiculous.

 Then he felt it again, a clawing from inside him. He winced, took a
deep breath letting it out slowly. 'Try to relax,' he told himself.
'Fight it and try to relax.' Fight and relax, not very easy to do. Or
likely to happen.

 A drink, he decided, would help. Yes, a drink, he was dying for a
drink. He had to have a drink. Had to.... starving...

 "Arrgh no! Not that. A drink of liquor!" Ryouga snarled to himself and
clasped his hands on his head.

 "I need more details than that kiddo," a feminine voice to his left
called over the blaring beat of the music.

 "Huh?" Ryouga said as he turned towards the voice. Only then did he
realise he'd wandered right up to the bar. 'Starting to act like dear
ol' Dad,' he thought to himself. The local tavern had been the only
place the man had ever managed to find. Of course when his father went
on his little week long benders, it was always a good week for his
mother and him. Until Dad found his way back of course... Ryouga was
snapped out of his thoughts when the girl behind the bar called to him
again.

 "So what do you want to drink?" she demanded. She was older than him,
taller too. Her hair was tied into two short girlish pigtails, and she
had in Ryouga's opinion three too many earrings in each ear. Aside from
that she looked radiant. But Ryouga was too down to even realise how
attracted to her he was.

 "Something strong. Very strong, any suggestions?"

 "How about a zombie? And speak up, man!" she suggested. Like all
bartenders she hated being asked questions, especially what was good and
what wasn't. Even worse he was soft spoken, she could barely hear him
over the music.

 "Sure," Ryouga yelled back and slapped some yen onto the bar, laughing
bitterly to himself. "A zombie would be very appropriate. I'll have
two." He accepted the drinks and walked away before she could give him
his change. It wasn't that he was a big tipper, Ryouga simply didn't
value personal wealth as highly as most. When he had it he gave it away
and spent it freely. When he didn't, he got by just fine with out it.
Ryouga was kinda stupid that way.

 Tomoko, the bartendress, watched as the rather woeful young man looked
around in vain for a table. To her surprise he was able to find one as
four people right in front of him, got up and left. 'Getting a table in
here? He's a lucky guy,' she thought to herself. 'But I get the feeling
that's not usually the case.'

 If Ryouga had known what she was thinking, he'd have had to agree. He
knew he'd been dealt a few shity hands, but never considered his life to
be the total tragedy that in reality it was. Deep down he always
believed he would bounce back, his determination had always drove him
onward.

 But when he told the plain facts to the odd person he met in his
travels (omitting the curses of course), more often than not he was
often treated with sympathy and admiration for surviving such hardships.
Admiration was okay, but he didn't want sympathy. Not consciously at
least, subconsciously he craved it as a form of the attention he so
desperately needed. As a result he had developed a defensive mechanism
typical of Nerima martial artists; to be dense enough not to notice it,
unless laid on very, very thick. For example sarcasm, or Akane trying to
'protect' him from Ranma. It helped protect his brittle ego.

 This was lucky for Tomoko, who couldn't take her eyes off him while he
quickly drank. She watched him so intently that she was barely able to
keep her mind on her job. He was handsome, but also radiating a deep
sorrow. She found his rugged looks attractive, and although obviously
suffering, it was in a quiet polite kind of way that touched her strong
maternal side.

 He was just quietly sitting hunched over the table as if he didn't want
to bother anyone. But he was drinking so fast it seemed as if his only
goal for the evening was to reach total obliteration. 'Which it probably
is,' she decided. 'But it doesn't have to be that way.' Fuck her
motherly instincts. Tomoko was suddenly hot for his sinewy body.

 "I'm taking my half hour meal break," Tomoko announced to the bartender
next to her. "Back in thirty, can you handle it?" Without even waiting
for a reply, she snatched up two drinks she had just poured and made a
beeline to Ryouga's table.

 Ryouga sunk deeper into his slouch, and cursed this fate the gods had
seen fit to give him. It was something he did a lot of lately. He was
three times cursed now, four times if you included the love he felt for
Akane, love that he was certain could never be returned. Five if you
counted A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder), but that was more a part of
who he was as an individual than a burden.

 The list of his real curses started with his awful sense of direction;
a curse that affected all the Hibiki clan. It was a very old and
powerful curse that spanned the generations, and even affected the wives
of the Hibiki men. His mother was proof of this. Why else would she have
spent so much time away from home?

 Next came the Jusenkyou curse that had led him into the open arms of
Akane Tendo. It made him turn into a piglet in cold water, returning to
human form again only in hot water. It was like living life as some
deranged bath toy. And. It. Was. All. Ranma's. Fault.

 But now this new horror had struck him. He thought he knew suffering
before, but it was only one short month ago Ryouga came to understand
the true meaning of the word.

 He took another long swallow, to his disappointment the alcohol did
nothing to ease the turmoil he felt inside. 'Feeling sorry for yourself
has never helped anyone,' his own voice reminded. 'You've been beaten,
abused, and humiliated at every twist and turn in your life. But you're
still here, still standing, and most importantly still fighting back. So
suck it up and be a man.' But in the back of his mind Ryouga doubted
that he could ever be just a man again. Regardless of the temperature of
his bath water. Suddenly he twisted in his chair, ready to leap back
into a fighting stance if need be, as a figure loomed over his table.

 "Hi there," Tomoko said as she settled down into the chair opposite
him. "This seat isn't taken is it?"

 "Ah... no it's not," Ryouga replied warily, unsure of what to make of
his unexpected visitor. He sensed she was not dangerous, but was
paranoid enough not to trust his instincts when feeling so emotional. He
would be sure to keep his guard up.

 "Good," she said. "I, ah... kinda got the feeling you're in a bad way
tonight, and could use a little camaraderie. I'm Tomoko Gongoro by the
way," she offered him her hand, but instantly regretted doing so. She
felt self conscious about the gesture, it seemed suddenly awkward. Then
she felt his hand squeeze her's firmly, and was reassured. He had a
surprisingly good grip too.

 "Ryouga, Ryouga Hibiki. A pleasure to meet you," he replied, and tried
not to eyeball the drinks she had brought. 'But,' he mused, 'It's better
than what I have a real thirst for.'

 An uneasy, if not predictable silence ensued. Ryouga broke it when he
nervously polished off his last drink. Tomoko saw her opportunity to
chip away the conversational ice, "I brought a couple drinks, do you
want one?" She felt herself getting over her initial fears.

 "I'm sorry," Ryouga confessed loudly. "But I didn't catch a word of
that. It's this damn music. Tomoko was it?"

 "Yeah it is, I asked if you want one? It's on me," she said with more
volume, as she pushed one of the zombies she had brought with her across
the table. She of all people had forgot to talk over the music.
Apparently she was still a trifle uneasy after all.

 "Thank you," he said as he politely accepted it. Then looked around
distastefully and added, "It's too bad we can't go outside to talk."

 It was plain to see how ill at ease he was, and regretted coming. But
until Ryouga said that, Tomoko thought maybe he resented her forward
attitude, and maybe he really wanted to be alone. Now he was saying he
wanted to be alone with her. In his downcast eyes she saw how much he
needed somebody, and how thankful he was for this small gesture. And if
she had her way, he'd be getting a lot more.

 She smiled at him and thought triumphantly, 'Lock up your sons, Tomoko
rides again!' She winced at her own bad pun.

 She had been celibate for over a year now, after a traumatically close
brush with Aids. For her the idea of sleeping with the strangest men she
could find, was almost as thrilling as the deed.

 But it turned out to be a much more dangerous thrill than she wanted.
Even after she knew beyond a reasonable doubt she was virus free, she
wouldn't go near a man. Everyone close to her was relieved, thinking
that at long last Tomoko had been scared straight.

 But tonight after many lonely months, lusty feelings clouded her mind.
She desperately wanted somebody to jumble her bones, and it looked like
it was this boy's lucky night. He'd have been even better looking if he
wasn't so heavily into the grunge look. Tomoko decided she would have to
explain it to him bluntly later on.

 'Kurt is dead,' she'd tell him. 'Get over it and move on with the
times.' It was surprising the bouncers had even let him through the
door.

 "You're right," she said over the music, still smiling broadly. "This
is no way to have a conversation. Let's go somewhere a little quieter."

 Ryouga's eyes bulged at this. If he didn't know better, he'd almost
think she was coming onto him. In the very back of his mind a warning
bell went off. He leaned across the table for a closer look at her.
Short black hair; not long or red, good. Real earrings, also good. And
her bust size was not even close. In fact she looked nothing like Ranma
in female form. It seemed too good to be true. He was also proud of
himself for having the presence of mind to check.

 "Eyes higher please," Tomoko chided gently, finding his overreaction to
this nothing less than adorable. But he sure took his time, she'd been
trying to get him to notice the cleavage since sitting down. "Come on
grab your drink," she said and pulled at his shirt. "Let's talk in the
back, it'll be easier."

 Ryouga followed her very carefully, glad to get away from all noise and
people. He thought mixing with people would help him fight the cravings.
That was what he'd been told, but inside amongst the crowds he only felt
weaker, and more tempted.

 Then disaster struck, suddenly and without warning (as it usually
does). Ryouga whipped his head left and right. 'Where did she go,' he
thought to himself as terror set in. He couldn't believe he had lost her
so quickly.

 Just as quickly as his panic attack began, it ended. Ryouga was relived
to feel a pull on the back of his shirt. "Where are you going? It's this
way." Tomoko dragged him through a black door marked Staff Only.

^\^
 ^

 "He's got to be in here somewhere," the fat gaijin bouncer known as
Skinny said to his fellow club enforcer. A short, stocky, samurai
looking dude named Zataki.

 Although he was a smaller man than his colleague, and not as actively
aggressive, he commanded more fear and awe from those who knew him. He
was know to be a much more skilful fighter, and to keep a cooler head
when trouble started. While Zataki felt Skinny might have had that
beating coming, this street kid would still have to be taken care of on
general principle.

 Normally if someone was stupid enough to start something with a
bouncer, an example was easily made of him. They needed respect and fear
from the kids who patronised the clubs to maintain order. But if some
fought and won, he had to be dealt with instantly and mercilessly. If
people ever realised that a bouncer was human, and not an indestructible
heartless monster, he lost the ability to maintain order. And in
addition, gave an invitation for revenge for any old grievances and well
deserved beatings. Ruling through fear was a real pain in the ass.
"What's he look like?" Zataki asked.

 "Yellow and black bandanna, backpack, umbrella, and filthy clothes.
When you see him you'll know it." And that said they started to search
the club.

^\^
 ^

 Tomoko and Ryouga sat on two empty crates near the delivery doors. With
the better light Tomoko admired Ryouga's body, it wasn't bad, he looked
well built. She didn't get to see much skin, but that would change.

 As they talked Ryouga seemed to get more and more agitated, as she
became more and more affectionate. 'Obviously a virgin,' she deduced
sadly. 'Why didn't I see it before. Still breaking this one in might be
fun, and I'd be doing women everywhere a favour. He's too good looking
to waste.'

 This was the logic she always used in such situations. She considered
herself a teacher, guiding young men into a wonderful new world they
never knew. Everyone else thought she was a blindly optimistic slut.

 But for once the cause of Ryouga's discomfort was not the feminine
attention. The cravings were getting unbearable, stomach cramps, dry
mouth, his throat burned, and his even teeth itched. And to his
amazement this girl was all over him.

 'Don't flatter yourself,' a voice scowled from the back of his mind.
'Who would come onto you? Who could ever love you?' Ryouga did and
didn't recognise the voice. It was same voice that always beat him down
from the inside. It could have been Ranma's, his father's, or anyone's,
maybe his own.

 Tomoko put a hand on his shoulder, he looked into her eyes. He knew she
had spoken to him, invited him to join her once her shift was over. In
her apartment. He knew what Tomoko had said but he didn't hear it. All
Ryouga could hear was the throb of Tomoko's heart, drowning out her
voice, the pounding noise from the club, even his stuttering reply. The
clawing needs inside him started fading away.

 She nuzzled closer to him wrapping an arm around his neck, and looked
at him with half closed eyes, inviting a passionate kiss. He returned
her embrace, crushing her body close to his. Ryouga parted his lips,
revealing his gleaming fangs, which were a little longer and sharper
than usual. All he could hear was the pulse of her heart, all he could
see was her slender neck. He leaned closer, his mouth opening wider....

 Ryouga gasped and reeled away from her at the last second, shocked at
what he had almost done to her. Blind with panic he darted through the
first door he saw.

 It was the service entrance, and he found himself outside again. Before
he could even feel relief to get away, the hunger inside him flaring
painfully, as if to punish him for his compassionate self denial.

 As the door slammed shut behind him, Tomoko's eyes bulged. He'd turned
her down! Why? Did he go through all that just to make her feel foolish?
She quivered with rage, he had almost looked scared of her. No, not
scared, absolutely horrified. Or was he laughing when he ran out? She
was hurt, and very confused, still horny, but most of all pissed right
off.

 "You... you... tease!" she hissed at the closed door through clenched
teeth.

 Outside behind the club Ryouga was in agony, his need for blood pushing
him past reason. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a stray dog
sniffing at a pile of garbage. Before the animal could even twist it's
head, Ryouga was on top of it, sinking in his fangs.

 The taste that poured into his mouth was wretched. But desperate not to
become a killer, Ryouga forced himself to swallow every repulsive
mouthful.

 At length he dropped the dead mongrel dog, and slumped against the
brick wall of the alley. He felt nauseous, as the dog's blood churned in
his stomach. The taste was next to unbearable, and Ryouga hoped he could
keep it down. Slowly the unnatural hunger subsided.

 His life was at an all time low. Grimly he realised 'life' didn't apply
to him any more. As much as he wanted to blame this on Saotome, he
couldn't. For once he knew it was Ryouga who had brought disaster to
Ryouga. When he'd been offered power, he had accepted it without even
asking what it was.

 He never saw it coming. He never saw her leap from shadow to shadow,
nor did he hear a sound. Ryouga doubled over in pain as a foot slammed
hard into his stomach, very hard and repeatedly. Ryouga felt the dogs
blood rising in his throat, he lifted his head to look at his attacker,
an early middle aged woman. He recognised her instantly. Wearing the
same long dark kimono he had thought he'd never see again. And had that
been the case, he would have been happy.

 "Spit it out!" she hissed taking a handful of unwashed hair jerking his
head backward, enraged. "Spit it all out, you disgrace me!" This command
was emphasised as another pointed boot slammed into his gut.

 The woman quickly stepped away to a safe distance as Ryouga obediently
began to retch, flooding the alley with dogs blood.

 Once he stopped vomiting she spoke again, still infuriated, "It has
been twenty eight days since I gave you the gift. A day and a half less
than the full cycle of the moon. Tonight your change is complete, and
what do you?" the older vampire snarled not waiting for him to answer.
"You break the only condition I gave you! You were not so scared of
killing when I found you," she grabbed his hair again, pulling him back
up to his full height, and cracked his head mercilessly into the brick
wall behind him.

 Ryouga willed away the pain, and looked into her eyes and tried to
think of anything he could have done to infuriate her this way. "I did
what you told me to," he sputtered and spit the last of the dog's blood
on the ground.

 "What do you call that!" she screeched and pointed at the dead cur
nearby. She looked into his eyes as well, and was pleased and angered
not to see fear in them. "None of my creation drinks the blood of
animals!"

 "You just told me not to leave the city. 'Never stray from the
mortals,' you said. 'They are what will keep you as you were before.',"
he quoted, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

 The other vampire looked at him confused by his words. She let go of
his hair and grimaced as it sunk in, she had been too poetic to be
understood again. "I see Ryouga, I was partly at fault here. I spoke in
riddles before," she said after a moment, her voice was softer now. But
her next words sliced through him as if they were her sword. "A better
phrasing might have been; 'you are what you eat'."


 Tomoko was still sitting on the empty crate sulking, when Skinny and
Zataki came into the receiving area. "Where is he?" Skinny demanded.

 "He who?" Tomoko snapped back, noticing two wads of cotton in his nose.

 "The homeless punk you dragged back here, you shameless jizzam sucker,"
Skinny shouted.

 Zataki was bothered by the way his friend constantly shammed Tomoko. He
decided to embarrass him right back, "Skinny has to pay the guy back for
knocking him cold outside the club," Zataki added. He shouldn't talk to
her like that, even if it was true. Skinny glared at him, yes the truth
hurt Skinny too. But Zataki doubted the connection would be made by his
simple mind.

 "Got ya did he? At least he was good for something," Tomoko mumbled
under her breath. "He left through the service entrance. Probably long
gone. I'm going back to work," she said, and she did.

 Skinny punted open the service door, and stepped outside. He saw the
vagrant, and a strange woman talking. "You've had it now cuntchy," he
shouted at Ryouga. <Is that even a real word?>

 Inside, Zataki grabbed the bokken he kept by the door. In case of
emergencies he had one stashed at both entrances. Gripping the wooden
sword in both hands he followed Skinny cautiously, sensing something was
amiss. Once outside he was alarmed to see a woman arguing with what
could only be the dangerous drifter.

 "Don't worry Mrs.," Zataki said calmly, trying to settle her down. "He
won't be bothering anyone else for a while. Better get going though,
this isn't for your eyes." 'The bastard's probably after whatever is in
that long package,' he deduced.

 The two vampires looked at the two bouncers, then back at each other.
"Tonight you will have your first lessons of living in darkness," she
said quietly to him. "Your first lesson should have been 'The Hunt', but
it seems we shall go directly to the second."

 "That being 'The Kill'?" Ryouga asked flatly.

 She nodded, whispering that it was a pretty straight forward lesson,
and smiled ever so slightly. Perhaps in approval, or perhaps at a small
irony only she could appreciate. They turned and watched as their
opponents ran to meet their deaths.

 Blind with rage, the fat Gaijin rushed Ryouga. The intent being to
smash him like a bug into the wall behind him. It was a tactic Ryouga
was familiar with, having often tried it on Ranma with similar results.

 Ryouga snagged a hold of his charging attacker/victim's arm and pivoted
on his heel, using Skinny's momentum in addition to his own frightful
strength to slam him into the wall face first. A hard blow to the jaw
followed, which shattered under the impact sending teeth flying like
shrapnel, and spraying the wall with gore. The next punch probably put
the fat boy in a coma.

 Zataki on the other hand, worried about the well dressed woman, who
didn't seem to understand the danger she was in. Interested more in her
safety than Skinny's revenge he ran toward her. The intent being to grab
her by the arm, and dragging her away from the fight.

 As compensation for his concern and effort on her behalf, she grabbed
his neck with both hands using inhuman speed, and clamped her fangs into
his jugular. Pressing her lips tightly around the wound, not a single
scarlet drop was allowed to spill on her dark gown or to the ground at
her feet.

 The hunger was erupting inside him, a veritable geyser of pain and
craving. In what was either a moment of weakness, or his inevitable
surrender, Ryouga went for the fat man's neck. Then stopped, and
hesitated one last time. Remembering his creators warning, he looked at
her questioningly.

 She understood his concern. "Don't worry, gaijin are safe to feed
from," she said and went back to her meal. Leaving Ryouga to start his.

 The relief of human blood ended his pain, and soothed his troubled
mind. This relief was soon replaced by bliss, and a seductive feeling of
power. As he finished feeding, this feeling continued to blossom inside
him. He understood instinctively that he had a choice, he could go with
the power and let it flow through him, or push it into himself. Ryouga
chose to explore the new sensation.

 He felt stronger and faster than he had ever been, but that was not
what fascinated him. The world took on new dimensions, he could see
clearly in dark, and could feel the darkness around him. It was as if he
could simply melt into it, and did. Ryouga's senses worked together as
one in a way they never had in life.

 "You have made your choice for tonight," the woman said, noticing him
fade in and out of the shadows around him, flexing his powers the way a
new-born does it's muscles for the first time. "Every time you take a
life you have to elect on one of two paths. You can be a god by night,
or a mortal the next day. But remember while mortality may seem like the
more ethical choice, but it will only drive you to kill more often."

 A long pause ensued. He could not look at her, only at the corpse at
his feet. "There's no easy way out of this, is there?" Ryouga finally
said quietly.

 Nodoka reached down to pick up her katana, having dropped it during the
struggle with Zataki. "There's no way out of it at all Ryouga. No way
out at all."



 Subterranean Nerima Nightlife
 Chapter 2: Shampoo and Kodachi's Tale

 I Said Goddamn, Goddamn the Pusher


 Kodachi lay on her bed seized by convulsions, Shampoo stood nearby,
paralysed by indecision and panic. Kodachi was forcing herself to keep
breathing regardless of the pain each gasp brought her.

 Shampoo didn't know what to do, her friend would die without medical
attention, but Shampoo was an illegal immigrant in Japan and could not
have anything to do with the police. But then again her friend was
dying.... At length her tiny mind formed a clear plan that would both A)
save her conscience, and B) keep her from being deported. And maybe even
C) save Kodachi with a little luck. All she had to do was call for the
ambulance then split before it arrived.

 She reached for Kodachi's cell phone on the dresser and started
dialling, nothing happened. Then she turned it on and started dialling
again. She waited a few seconds, then a few seconds more. Still nothing
happened, except Kodachi started to twitch more violently and was
staring at the amazon desperately.

 "Aiya! Stupid phone no break now! No break now!" Shampoo squealed, and
rushed to her friends side. "Kodachi, quick, how phone work? Should
Shampoo press nine to dial out like at Nekohanten?"

 Kodachi's arm lashed out knocking the phone out of Shampoo's hands,
more out of luck than anything. "No... get serum #27..... from the
k-kit," she managed to whisper. Shampoo understood, and reached under
the large Victorian bed.

 She pulled out a very big black handbag, the kind doctors used to carry
on house calls. Shampoo unzipped it and took out a polished wooden box.
Inside were three rows of needles, each neatly labelled. Shampoo grabbed
#27 in one hand, and the silk cord Kodachi had used only moments earlier
in the other. Tying the cord around her friends arm tightly took a lot
of effort, even for Shampoo. By now Kodachi was thrashing all her limbs
around in a extremely violent fashion. It was as if she was holding onto
an electric fence, and couldn't let go. But somehow Shampoo managed to
tie it, and the veins started to expand.

 Shampoo popped the plastic guard off the needle, and was about to
plunge it into a swollen vein when she remembered something. Something
in a movie that dealt with a similar situation... What was it called...
Ah yes, Pulp Fiction. She knew she could trust Hollywood to get the
facts straight.

 "Shampoo need to give the shot in heart, yes?"

 "NO!" Kodachi howled. "P-p-please .....arm...." she trailed off
hopelessly. She wasn't strong enough to say it out loud, but inside
Kodachi was praying and she swore a promise to God. As she lay on her
bed feeling the life slip out of her, she prayed harder and more
sincerely than she ever had in her life. For the first time it seemed
like there was someone listening, she felt the presence of some greater
power, and felt that it understood.

 And to this God she had never known, she prayed that Shampoo would get
this right and save her. But that was not all; if Shampoo screwed it up,
Kodachi wanted to be allowed to return to earth one last time. And have
her vengeance on the Amazon, vengeance from beyond the grave. As an
after thought for forgiveness of her sins, now just might be a good time
to do that sort of thing.

 Shampoo watched as the effect of the second shot hit Kodachi. She
stopped thrashing, and gasped loudly for air, gulping the air the same
way person does after nearly drowning. Eventually Kodachi regained
enough of her disposition to speak.

 "This," she panted slowly. "This... is not... I repeat not... a FUCKING
MOVIE, SHAMPOO!"

 Kodachi had hoped to hurt Shampoo's feelings by snapping at her like
that. Instead Shampoo flipped her the bird and said, "Shampoo tell you
so. No should shoot up stupid girl, and if you no want Shampoo's help
fine. No ask for help next time O.D.ing."

 Shampoo turned to the dresser again, and noticed that her zippo was
still flaring, and that her heroin was almost all gone. Cursing in
Chinese, she picked up her funnel wanting to enjoy what little was left.

 Suddenly a gymnastic pin smashed into her works. "Shampoo don't! It's
poison, poison!"

 Shampoo looked at her friend as if she had gone mad, "Kodachi really
one to talk! You no tell Shampoo how to live her life." She snapped her
zippo shut, Kodachi could go clean if she wanted, but first she owed
Shampoo a fix big time.

 "I'm not preaching darling, and I didn't overdose. It really is
poisoned. That bastard slipped us hot shots, he tried to kill us."

 "Hot shots?" Shampoo asked. Kodachi explained to her that a hot shot
was a dose of heroin laced with a toxic substance, usually strychnine.
Luckily, Kodachi had built up a degree of immunity to many poisons
including strychnine. If she hadn't she would have died quietly, and
Shampoo would have died from smoking the poison. But even with her
immunity, she never would have survived without the help of serum #27.
Kodachi never dreamed she would have to use it on herself.

 Kodachi rummaged though the drug kit, taking a few select pills to
speed her recovery, and ease the pain in her stomach and chest.

 Unfortunately for Shampoo they didn't have any more smack, and she
really wanted some. Although the hot shot had nearly killed Kodachi at
least it relived her withdrawal. With no choice but to make due, she
took a couple T4's to take the edge off, and some bennies to put a new
one on. It was time in their opinion, to pay an unpleasant visit to a
certain dealer. But first, and with no small amount of embarrassment,
Kodachi had to shower and change her leotard. It was messy to say the
very least.

^\^
 ^

 "Hello Ryouga," the small skinny youth said, walking up to the lost boy
from his dim hiding place.

 "Uh, hello," Ryouga said back, trying to remember the guy's name. He
was a weasel, he remembered that much. "How have you been?"

 "Very well as of late, thank you. May I speak with you a moment?"

 "I don't see why not," Ryouga replied out of habit. "I was just going
for a walk. What's on your mind?" Not that he really cared.

 "Tell me," the boy said as he smiled glancing downward, feigning
embarrassment. "Tell me, you despise me don't you?"

 'Might as well be honest,' Ryouga figured. "Well I suppose if I gave
you any thought I would...."

 The rodent like kid shrugged and chuckled, "I thought as much. You know
Ryouga I have many a friend in Nerima, but for some reason, just because
you despise me, you are the only one I can trust," he produced a brown
paper envelope. "Could you please keep this for me, until I can reclaim
it?"

 Ryouga didn't move, but stared at him coldly. Quickly the boy added,
"It's nothing illegal or even valuable, as you can well see for
yourself."

 Ryouga took it and peeked inside, just some very advanced mathematical
equations he couldn't understand, and written notes he couldn't be
bothered to read. "Okay I'll keep it for you, but for how long? I'm not
an easy person to find sometimes," Ryouga warned, assuming someone was
after the kid's homework.

 "That will be my problem not yours. Goodnight, and thank you for your
time," he said and shuffled away.

 Gosunkugi breathed a little easier as Ryouga walked away with the
package, but not much. He really needed to unwind, much more of this and
he would redefine the term strung out. The best way he knew of was with
a trip to Ukyou's Okonomiyaki. Once his life had been hell because he
was helpless. After magic failed him, he tired another route to gain
fear and respect from his peers. It worked alright, but now he had much
worse bullies to deal with, and a whole new group of 'peers'.

 He walked into the nearly empty restaurant, and went straight to the
counter. Ukyou nodded at him, and he placed his order. "I'd like the
okonomiyaki house special number one, for one please," he said in his
quiet nervous way.

 "Would Sir like to dine in the upstairs section tonight?" Ukyou asked,
smiling and winking slyly to let him know he was welcome.

 "Yes," he mumbled grinning slightly, looking a little bit like Peter
Lorre. "That would be nice. I assume you have a uh.. shall we say, table
available?"

 "For you? Always. Let me show you to it," Ukyou said and led him into
the back and upstairs. He was presented with the first door they came
to. "Your 'waitress' should be with you shortly," Ukyou said. "In fact
she's already there, eager to take your order."

 Ukyou always made him feel welcome, of course that was why everyone
goes to Uchan's. Still he waited until she had left to let himself in.
The room behind it was scummy to say the least, it reeked of semen, and
wads of tissues littered the floor. It was illuminated only by a black
light and a lava lamp. It had a window, but it was painted over in
black. There was nothing else in it but an unmade bed, chair, and a lone
forsaken figure.

 Gosunkugi smiled rarely, and when he did it was a cruel and wicked
smile. That night he smiled at the poor creature stretched out on the
bed. He admired the long hair, and crumpled dirty school girl's uniform.
After a long greedy look, he gave his 'order'. Now he was where he
wanted to be, in control as he should. Now it was someone else's turn to
be afraid.

 Hands trembling, Tsubasa did as he (she) was told and got down on his
knees, and started to suck Gosunkugi off. He would never get used to it,
but it was the only way Ukyou would let him stay with her. If the only
way he could be near Ukyou meant selling his body so be it, he loved her
that much.

 "Slower," Gosunkugi growled and put his hands around Tsubasa's neck,
leisurely squeezing it. A tear slipped down the cross dresser's cheek,
landing on cruel hands. 'Nice touch, I'm starting to like this girl.
She's the real sensitive type," he thought to himself. Ironically
believing exactly what Tsubasa wanted everyone to believe. That was his
revenge, it gave him a little piece of sanity to cling to.

 Gosunkugi was just starting to enjoy himself when suddenly the window
exploded in a hail storm of painted glass, and the room was filled with
a cyclone of rose petals. Black rose petals, and a sound that iced his
blood and dissolved his erection.

 "Oh-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!" Kodachi cackled as she somersaulted through
the smashed window. She landed in perfect form in the middle of the
room, her black robe flowing around her. "There you are darling, I've
been looking for you absolutely everywhere.... Oops.... I do hope I'm
not interrupting anything."

 She should have been dead. Nobody could have detected that strychnine,
until it was too late. And nobody could have survived such a large dose.
Gosunkugi pushed Tsubasa backward into Kodachi and made a mad dash for
the door, forgetting entirely about his dangling member. The door budged
open a crack when he pulled, but then slammed closed again. Someone was
holding it shut, he pulled harder with the same result.

 "Whoever you are, open this door!" he screamed, his voice cracking with
panic. "Don't f-fuck with me, you'll be sorry!" Then it opened making
him wish it hadn't, and two contemptuously bored eyes bore into him.

 ".... aiya.... Gosunkugi too skilled for Shampoo," the Amazon said
sarcastically as she leaned against the door frame. Death gleamed in her
eyes, and it was obvious whose it would be.

 Tsubasa sprinted around him and Shampoo and out the door. Shampoo
stepped into the room and closed it. The two enraged marital artists
loomed over him. "Kill me and you'll never know why," he squeaked. It
was one of the more intelligent things he ever said.

 "Goodness gracious! You mean _you_ had something to do with those bad
hits we got?," Kodachi mocked.

 "I-I'll tell you e-everything, if you promise not to h-hurt me,"
Gosunkugi said backing towards the window. "Deal?" The universal deal of
the cowardly.

 "I, Kodachi the Black Rose, swear to you on my honour as a member of
the House of Kuno, you will be treated with all the respect, and safety
of your person that is due to one such as yourself, while in our
custody," Kodachi said putting one hand on her heart the other in the
air, and caring not about the length of her run-on sentence.

 "Now where did I put it?" she murmured and started rummaging though her
mantle's numerous hidden pockets and compartments, making menacing
clanking noises as she went.

 Shampoo answered him with an extra thick accent, and a comical look of
innocence on her face, "Sorry... no speak-i Japanese...." This was one
of those promises her honour would not let her make; Amazon law
specifically stated no giving false hope to the condemned.

 Gosunkugi knew how much honour meant to Kodachi at the best of times,
and didn't care if that was Shampoo's idea of a joke. He grasped what
they were insinuating, he was doomed to an unpleasant crippling night
and probably death. "I didn't have a choice, you have to believe me..."
he started crying, which was an understandable reaction.

 "Ah, here they are," Kodachi announced and pulled out a barbarous piece
of metal, a gag, and shackles. In a flash he was secured to the chair,
and laughing her insane laugh, she started at what was both her job and
her hobby.


 It wasn't long before Shampoo was turning green, and had to leave the
room. She knew torture was necessary, but was sickened by how Kodachi
went about it. She was having way to much fun. Shampoo wondered how long
it would be before Kodachi finished her warm-up and started asking
questions.

 But Shampoo did not find peace in the hallway, instead she was greeted
by more violence. Ukyou had Tsubasa against the wall and was laying a
fearsome bitch slapping on him. A smirking Konatsu, scantily clad in
tight green leather leaned against the wall and watched.

 "What do you mean 'Calling the police'!? You never EVER call the
lab-dicks from here. I don't care if your trick gets greased, as long as
they leave you alone it doesn't matter! Well? What do you have to say
for yourself, jackass?" Ukyou shouted as she viciously slapped his spilt
lips and bloody nose.

 "And you! What are you smiling at!?" Ukyou said turning to Konatsu.
"You think I don't see you there? Getch yer ass back to work or you're
next!" Konatsu shrugged and walked away casually, confident that it was
an empty threat. Konatsu knew being the favourite meant being safe.

 "I said move goddamn it, don't make me get my pimp stick!" Ukyou
yelled. Konatsu stopped strutting and broke into a run. Ukyou was really
pissed tonight, and that pimp stick/spatula _hurt_ big time.

 Shampoo tried to figure out how she felt about Ukyou's treatment of her
staff, as she half listened to the conversation. It seemed heartless and
uncalled for, but then she realised it was the same way she treated
Mousse without hesitation. But of course that was different, Mousse
always had it coming. Her attention was brought back to more important
matters when Kodachi opened the door. She opened her mouth to speak but
the ungagged Gosunkugi beat her to it. "Ukyou! Ukyou, help me, save me!
You've got to do something.... Ukyooooou!" Kodachi ran back to the chair
and stuffed the gag back into his mouth.

 She closed the door cutting off his muffled cries for help entirely.
Ukyou had found she had no choice but to have Tsubasa and Konatsu's
rooms sound-proofed a long time ago. After all, downstairs people were
trying to eat, and Japanese walls were like paper.

 Shampoo looked at Ukyou, "Shampoo sure hope you help more, if Shampoo
need it."

 "I stick my neck out for nobody," Ukyou said flatly.

 "Shampoo darling, I think you want to hear this for yourself," Kodachi
looked pale and seemed drained. Normally she had more energy than anyone
in any given situation.

 Ukyou let go of Tsubasa, and looked at Kodachi. "Aren't you forgetting
something?" she asked and extended her hand.

Kodachi: Ah yes. Good evening Ukyou, you're referring to payment to the
proprietor for information given, and damages done I assume?

Ukyou:  What damages?!

Shampoo:  Kodachi break window.

Ukyou:  What! Why?

Kodachi: You didn't think my entrance would be anything less than
dramatic did you? And if I didn't burst in like I did, he wouldn't have
panicked. Then Shampoo's entrance would have been anticlimactic.

Shampoo: (thoughtfully) Working with door new experience for Shampoo.
First Shampoo wanted more to bash through wall, but Kodachi change
Shampoo's mind. Was different, may use door again someday.... And why
you go all red? All Kodachi do is break window.

Ukyou: Tsubasa can't use the room like that! Everyone can see in, cops
will come! They'll figure out his 'Secret'. And damned if he's gonna use
my room. If he can't work, I lose the income he would have brought in.

Kodachi: Work? Look at him! He's a bloody bruised mess darling. He
couldn't work any more tonight regardless. (To Tsubasa) Does she always
beat you like this dearie?

Tsubasa: (Sobbing) Not in the face... No, not often...

 Kodachi pulled out a wad of yen and flicked it at Ukyou, the bills
flaked apart in the air and floated to the ground. Ukyou knew she had
been insulted, but was not about to go up against Kodachi and Shampoo at
the same time. She knew when to choose her battles. She snapped her
fingers at Tsubasa and pointed down, obediently he started collecting
the money from off the floor and gave it to her.

 Back in the room Kodachi put a bladed gymnastic hoop to Gosunkugi's
throat. "Not a word darling, don't even breathe loud," she said as she
ungagged him. "Now tell Shampoo what you told me; tell her who gave the
order."

 Gosunkugi swallowed hard, "It was Tofu. It was all Doctor Tofu's idea."

 "Huh?" Shampoo said in perfect Japanese. Huh being the only word she
had mastered so far. "Weirdo boy think that funny? Or think we stupid?"
Shampoo put her hand on the side of his head so her palm was over his
ear, and her thumb was pressed to his eye. "Who send you? Tell truth
now..."

 "He is darling, I can tell. Don't ask me how I can be so sure, but I
know it's the truth."

 "Kodachi mean he no dare lie after you hurt so bad," Shampoo said. "We
go. Weirdo boy we kill now."

 "Hey!" Ukyou shouted. She had opened the door and been listening
anonymously. "You're not killing anyone in here. That wasn't part of the
deal."

 "He must die for what he's done to us," Kodachi declared. "His betrayal
is unforgivable."

 "Okay kill him if you have to, but you two better take care of the
body. I won't be the one to clean up after you," Ukyou said with a
sneer.

 "Shampoo no have time to dump body. And no want Mousse involved."

 "And it's Sasuke's annual night off..." Kodachi added. "I suppose we
should go Shampoo." Then inspiration struck, "But first do that 911
brainwash thing of yours."

 "Why? What you want to forget?" Shampoo asked.

 "On him darling, use it on him." Kodachi sighed. Shampoo understood and
gave Gosunkugi the 911 treatment, thus tying up one of the many loose
ends.



 Subterranean Nerima Nightlife

 Chapter 3: Tofu's Tale
 I'm a Killer and I'm a Clown


 "But things have been so quiet this week, with Ranma, Father, and Mr.
Saotome away on their training expedition," Kasumi said to Dr. Tofu, as
he handed her a cup of tea, and sat down to join her.

 He was glad she came over so late in the evening, he was sick of having
to do his 'Lunatic Doctor' routine just so they could have some privacy.
"That's not why I'm worried Kasumi. No your family isn't the problem,
it's my family. Things are going to get messy in Nerima soon, and if my
enemies found out about us, and they would, they might use your safety
as a weapon against me."

 There was a long pause between them. "How much longer, Ono? How much
longer until your family keeps it's promise, and lets you go back to
being the Doctor I fell in love with?" tears swelled up in Kasumi's eyes
as she asked this.

 "Another year, maybe two. Then we can be married, and we will be away
from all that forever," Dr. Tofu said quietly. "But that isn't the issue
right now. We need to keep you safe, I want you to leave for a few weeks
until this blows over."

 "Leave Nerima? Leave my family? I couldn't, I just couldn't do that.
And why? Between you, Ranma, and Akane, how could I not be safe?"

 "You wouldn't be. Ranma is a good martial artist, very good, but he's
still just a hotshot kid. He's not a killer like these men will be. And
I can't be near to you at every moment, not when I'll be in the middle
of it all. Try to understand," Tofu said gently and stroked her cheek
and hair.

 "I try and I try and I try, but I can't. I don't think I'll ever
understand why you can't choose your own fate."

 "None of us can, Kasumi. Least of all men like me." He opened his black
shirt revealing the massive colourful tattoo that spanned almost all of
his upper body like a jacket. "Not that many years ago if this was
discovered it would have cost me my life. I had no choice in becoming
what I am, and when we fell in love, you understood it then."

 "But that was so, so... long ago..." Kasumi was confused and scared.
She hated to see such a kind and gentle man forced into such a horrible
life.

 "But you have to leave Japan, my people have already begun to make the
arrangements. Congratulations, you're about to win an all expense paid
trip to anywhere you want. You and a friend, so you won't be lonely."

 Kasumi was crying now, and he held her tightly trying to comfort her.
Each of her hushed sobs felt like an acupuncture needle through his
heart. "I-I'll be lonely without you and my family no matter what. And I
will age twenty years just from worrying about you," she said as her
weeping subsided.

 "Please don't do that Kasumi," he said and forced a diplomatic smile.
"I don't know if our relationship could survive that kind of age
difference." Dr. Tofu wanted to tell her that he was in no danger, but
for some reason he didn't. Maybe it was because he couldn't lie to her,
or maybe because it would make her worry more.

 The pain in his heart was eased by the sound of Kasumi's tender laugh.
He kissed her gently, and was surprised when she kissed him back more
passionately, and pulled his shirt off him.

 Before long they were grinding against each other recklessly, and fell
to the kitchen floor tearing each others clothes off. No one in Nerima
would have guessed Kasumi was excited by Doctor Tofu because he was
dangerous. Not even Kasumi.

^\^
 ^

 Shampoo and Kodachi burst through the wall of the clinic, and found an
exhausted, naked, and rather gooey couple falling asleep at their feet.
Shampoo gawked, while Kodachi tried to take it in stride.

 "Tofu, you are lucky that your last moments on earth were spent in a
lovers embrace. But now you embrace eternity!" she yelled and pounced on
him and Kasumi, with the bloodiest of intentions.

 "Umm, yeah!" Shampoo added, trying to get back into the spirit of
things. "Shampoo gonna rip you a new one, Mr. M.D.!"

^\^
 ^

 Floccinaucinihilipilification; the longest nonscientific word in the
english language. It's definition; the art of or being of nothing. This
word was one of the many pieces of trivia Ryouga had picked up during
his travels. There had been times when he'd felt like nothing, and when
he'd felt nothing. But now he'd raised his nothingness to an art.

 He was a soulless bastard child of the night, a forced that killed only
to prolong it's unholy existence. A parasite feeding on the essence of
civilisation, always taking and giving nothing in return. Feeling empty
and hollow had never hurt like this before.

 Nodoka was babbling on about the importance of hiding the bodies, and
keeping their lives a secret at all costs. He was only half listening.
They had already dealt with the fat bouncer's corpse. Nodoka had slashed
his throat carefully through the bite marks, and dropped him face down
over a storm drain. When he was found it would be assumed that his
throat had been cut, and all the blood had run down into the sewage
system.

 They took the second body with them, carrying it along between them by
the shoulders like a passed out drunk. They dragged the cadaver a short
distance to her car, dumping it in the back seat. Nodoka wanted to show
off her favourite method of disposal to Ryouga.

 The car stopped at a funeral home just out side the Nerima district.
Ryouga dragged the Zataki's body and followed Nodoka through a secret
tunnel under the grounds keeper's toolshed. Nodoka explained that the
crematorium had to be run continuously ten days and allowed to cool for
four, and how easy it was to flush the ashes, how perfect it was. Ryouga
didn't care, he just nodded blankly and tossed the body in the furnace.
Nodoka guestimated the body's weight and set the timer accordingly.

 As Ryouga effortlessly flung Zataki's remains into the chamber, he
whimsically filched the wallet and slammed the door shut. Grimly he
thumbed through it's contents, and pocketed the few thousand yen inside.
A picture caught his eye, it was of a young girl sitting on Zataki's
shoulders. "To my favourite Uncle" was written on back of the photo in
childish scribbles.

 Ryouga closed the wallet, and tossed it into the fire. Racked with
agonising guilt he thought about the little girl, and everyone else who
would miss this man.

 "What have I done? What have I become?" he whispered. He sensed motion
outside near the tiny box window above him. "What was that?"

^\^
 ^

 As fate would have it the list of mourners would include Tatewaki Kuno,
who had seen enough. He gripped his bokken tightly and waited for the
pair of murderers to emerge from the funeral home and feel his
vengeance. The killers of his most noble friend and Kendo team-mate
would pay with their lives. He longed for the sword of his forefathers
with which to split their blood, but his bokken would have to suffice.
He felt a knot growing in his throat, and tears streaking his regal
visage. That would not do, this was not the time to grieve, but to
avenge.

 Kuno breathed deeply and focused, trying to cleanse himself of
confusing emotions. For once it worked, grief, anger, and the buzz of
unanswerable questions all faded from him. Only a fierce determination
remained, and a cold calm overtook the Blue Thunder. His face paled and
his eyes were dry and calm. He stood motionless in the dark keeping a
perfect stance, waiting.

^\^
 ^

 Meanwhile back at the crematorium, Nodoka had settled down into a chair
in the hallway, and was absorbed in that month's cosmo quiz; "Did Your
Man Cheat before the Marriage?" Not surprisingly she found Genma was in
the C and D categories more often than not. If only she'd had this fine
example of pop psychology say sixteen or seventeen years ago so much
might have been different.

 No years of loneliness praying for postcards and letters, which were
few and far between. No ugly jealousy when her friends introduced her to
their families, and making dinner for only one. No Sarah McLachlan
albums. And maybe, just maybe, No _Vampirism!_

 But soon things would be different. Ranma, also a victim of his father
would be reunited with his mother, and Genma would be made to keep his
promise. Ryouga was the perfect tool, and now that she had him under her
control, the cards were all in place for her to take revenge on her
husband. It was not enough that Genma die, first he had to be
emotionally destroyed.

 Just then as if summoned by her thoughts, Ryouga rambled into the
hallway. He looked to his left at Nodoka then to his right, and finally
left again. "Oh there you are Sensei," He said, only using the title
because he had been told to. "I've been looking all over for you."

 She looked up from her magazine and asked irritably, "What is it
Ryouga?"

 "Umm, where's the door again? I need to go outside."

 "Go straight, straight mind you, down the hall," she said pointing to
the right. "To those stairs, you can see them from here. Go up them and
out the glass door on the right, it's not locked on the inside. But you
can't get back in, so just wait for me in the car. Understand? Stomp
once for yes and twice for no."

 Ryouga swallowed the insult and slowly started walking down the hall,
avoiding the temptation to even look down the other halls, until he
reached the stairs and began climbing. After one flight the staircase
ended and he found himself with a choice. To his left was a wooden door
and to his right a glass door leading outside. Which one should he take?
Then inspiration struck, and he reached for the obvious choice of door
handles.

 "Your other right, Dammit!," Nodoka yelled from the bottom of the
stairs.

****And now a short lesson in Hibiki History****

 Four hundred years and the Hibiki curse was a strong as ever. Once the
Hibiki's had been a powerful clan of warriors, fighting with amazing
strength, courage, and fanatically loyal to each other. To harm one was
an insult to them all, and their unstoppable vendettas were the stuff of
legends. Lasting until their foe was dead or had humbly apologised,
depending on the severity of the grievance inflicted.

 But they were still peasants, and their habit of encouraging the other
oppressed peasants to rise up across feudal Japan angered the cunning
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the successor of Oda Nobunga. He was about to order
the, very mighty, yet annoying House of Kuno to wipe out the clan. but a
visiting magician from some unknown land stopped him and offered his
services.

 A Hibiki child was taken, and as the magician blinded the infant, he
placed a curse on the clan. From that night on, not a single Hibiki man,
woman or child could find their way unaided. Their reputation among the
other peasants darkened. One day they were preaching the benefits of
revolution, the next they were in a different province. The Hibiki
threat had ended, and the Magician was greatly rewarded.

 Unfortunately for the magician, the Hibiki's learned of his cruelty to
the child and treachery to them as a whole. And one day as the mage
prepared to leave Japan, a disoriented Hibiki happened to bump into him
on the docks.

 "Mindless filthy peasant!" he shouted enraged. "Do you know who I am!"

 The warrior looked at him closely, "Yes." And with that he slew the
Magician with a single blow from his ridiculously heavy water bottle.
The Hibiki's had always had odd taste in weapons. The magician died, but
the curse lived on.

^\^
 ^

 A bolt of Blue Thunder (editor's note: *Wham!* Any more puns like that
and I'll hold you in contempt) blazed into Ryouga as he emerged from the
funeral home. Not having time to draw his umbrella, Ryouga had to block
the bokken strike with his forearm. 'Oh yeah, that's gonna leave a
mark,' he acknowledged while leaping backwards to put some distance
between himself and Kuno. But twenty feet or so was not the result
Ryouga was expecting.

 Kuno sneered as the rogue Hibiki arched through the night air.
"Villain! Doth thou not even respect the teachings of Newton? Obey ye
the laws of physics, coward!" he shouted. "Stand thy ground so ye may
fight and die as a man ought. Although such an honourable death is more
than what the likes of you deserve. Thou shall never do murder again aft
this night has passed. I swear it on the soul of my relinquished school
chum."

 Ryouga was equally surprised by how far he had jumped. Now he tried to
process what Kuno was saying. He had called him, a villain, coward, and
murderer. Kuno of all people had seen him dump the body, and was now
going to try to kill him.

 Even before Kuno had been less than his equal. If Ryouga fought him now
with powers he couldn't control, he was afraid Kuno was as good as dead.
Ryouga didn't want anymore blood on his hands that night. He had to get
out of it without fighting.

 "Kuno you don't understand the situation...." he started.

 "I comprehend what mine eyes have shown me. I saw thee empty the noble
Zataki's wallet, before rendering his still warm bones unto the flames
within."

 "I had no choice Kuno, now believe me you do not want this." Ryouga
wanted to stay calm but could feel an unnatural rage surfacing.
Something inside him was longing to fight and kill.

 "Prepare yourself for hell," Kuno charged, and the predator in Ryouga
became stronger.

 Ryouga found himself saying, "I've already been there, it's your turn.
Your friend will be holding the gate for you." Ryouga slung his pack and
umbrella to the ground, he didn't want to use weapons, and he didn't
really want to kill anyone.

 He slapped the slashing bokken aside with one hand, and nailed Kuno in
the stomach with a palm strike. It was only meant as a stopping blow but
it still knocked Kuno flat on his ass. Ryouga easily pinned his arms at
his sides and picked him up.

 "If you value your life do not cross my path again, Kuno. I do not want
to have anymore blood on me or in me than I have to," Ryouga was shaking
with rage as he spoke, forcing the predator instincts back into his
soul.

 Ryouga didn't know it, but his eyes were glowing red and his fangs had
grown out again. Kuno did notice, and realised what they meant just
before Ryouga ever so carefully head-butted him into unconsciousness.

 Ryouga put Kuno down behind a nearby tree, picked up his gear and
started walking. He noticed Nodoka's car where he had been instructed to
wait. He thought about her and what she meant to him, and just how
important her guidance was. He decided to keep on walking into the
night, but knew he hadn't seen the last of her.

^\^
 ^

 Dr. Tofu didn't like fighting, he liked fighting au natural even less,
and knowing Kasumi was in danger made it the absolute pits. His gun was
in the bedroom, and his second favourite weapon Betty the skeleton was
in the examining room. Betty always had been, and always would be very
special to him. You never forgot your first. And you absolutely never
forget the night you find out she's wired for sound and your father
tells you she's gotta be snuffed. At least he had something to remember
her by.

 But this was not the time to reminisce, not while he was being attacked
by two very psychotic junkies. Gosunkugi had failed him for the last
time, he hoped they hadn't finished him off yet. If Tofu managed to get
Kasumi and himself away from those two, he'd pay the boy a very special
house call.

 The fight was not going well by his standards but could have been a lot
worse. He was outnumbered, but Shampoo and Kodachi didn't fight
effectively as a team and kept getting in each others way. Kasumi was in
the kitchen trying to help by throwing dishes at them, but wasn't doing
much good.

 Then as Shampoo was moving in on him, she tripped on Kodachi's ribbon
and he saw an opening. And as the Nerima code of the martial artists
required, he gloated over it, "Ah ha! An opening!" Tofu snapped his arm
out to poke the back of her neck on a particularly devastating pressure
point.

 "Ouch!? That best you can do Mr. M.D.?" Shampoo asked, not knowing how
close she had come to being a quadriplegic. Hitting those little spots
in the middle of a fight was not easy, Happosai and Cologne just made it
look that way.

 "No," he said calmly and cracked her one upside the head. While Shampoo
was stunned he heaved her to the his left just in time to block an
attack from Kodachi. The gymnastics pin bouncing off her head with a
comical hollow sound.

^\^
 ^

 Ryouga was at home wandering the streets, but it was comfort with out
familiarity. He glanced around for a place to set up camp out of habit.
Then remembered how vampires like himself were a tad light sensitive. He
would need more protection than just a nylon tent. A coffin would have
been ideal, but he didn't have room in his pack for one. The sewers
would have to do, just crawl down it at dawn and find an dark corner. In
the filth, where an abomination belonged.

 His supernaturally enhanced ears perked up at the sound of smashing
dishes, and a feminine wail. A domestic dispute, he knew was very ugly
stuff. Ryouga wondered if he should try to break it up. Every fibre of
him, and his entire system of moral beliefs insisted on it. But
experience had taught him an outsider was generally resented by both
sides, and usually left things much worse than he found them.

 The thud of a fist on flesh was the deciding factor of his moral
debate. What sounded like someone being bludgeoned seconds later was
what infuriated him. Ryouga had witnessed too much domestic abuse in his
life to look away, and rushed off guided by the sounds of more smashing
dishes.

^\^
 ^

 The girls finally had the good doctor on the ropes. Shampoo it seemed
had not been knocked out when used to block Kodachi's attack. So when
Tofu moved to take out Kodachi, her fallen partner was on his back in no
time. Tofu found his arms being pulled back, and felt her kick his knees
out from under him.

 Kodachi wasted no time in taking up the offensive half of the game,
knowing she had to finish him off quick. But first she had to flaunt his
impending doom. "Aha Doctor, we have you now!" she cackled and pulled a
bladed hoop out of her leotard. "Now why did you..."

 "All right break it up!" the Lost Boy shouted, expecting the usual
scenario; battered wife, screaming kids, and a drunk dude he could feel
righteous about pounding on. This however, was much more perverse.

 These were people he thought of as two of the most notoriously kind and
gentle people on the planet. And they were being assaulted and
victimized by two of Nerima's top ten `Most Lethal and Underhanded.'
They were also both would-be-brides of Ranma. His mind made the
connection instantly.

 This Was All Ranma's Fault. He tried not to think about why Dr. Tofu
was naked and Kasumi was in a table cloth toga.

 Kasumi saw Ryouga before he saw her, and had the presence of mind to
cover herself up with a table cloth before the sight of her bare flesh
K.O.'d him. Besides all that was left in the cupboard was Ono's best
chinaware, and she couldn't bring herself to break any of it.

 She hoped Ryouga would be able to turn the tide of the battle, and
crouched down in a corner of the kitchen to watch. But just in case it
became necessary to join the fray, she took a near by carving knife and
held on to it tightly.

 Ryouga snagged a hand full of Miss Kuno's hair and yanked her head
backwards cruelly. Normally he'd have gone easy on her since she was a
girl, but this was different. One simply did not try to hurt Kasumi
Tendo and Dr. Tofu, in the same sense that one did not burn down
churches, or poison animals. The mere notion of it was obscene and
unnatural, and to catch them in the act constituted grounds for
justifiable homicide.

 Kodachi yelped as her head jerked back, and the hoop clattered to the
floor. Ryouga's other hand took a fistful of spandex from the spine of
her costume, and there was a sound of ripping fabric as he threw her
across the room. The girl shrieked loudly as she soared through the air
and collided with the wall.

 This may not have been a very stylish move for a martial artist of
Ryouga's standing, but it should have gone down in history as `The
World's Worst Wedgie'.

 It was around this point that everyone's favourite M.D. in black (at
least he would have been if he wasn't still naked) was able to shake off
the pesky Shampoo. This was accomplished by cracking the back of his
head into that really sensitive spot just above the brow in the middle
of the forehead.

 She was only dazed long enough to give the Doctor a chance to rise to
his feet. At which point she felt the need to make like a baby and head
out, before somebody smashed her into the wall too.

 The Amazon disappeared. Ryouga wanted to race after her, but hell, he'd
just get lost. And Kasumi and Tofu, who were busy getting dressed, might
be hurt and need him.

 "Are you guys okay?" he asked with his hands over his eyes, lest they
violate Kasumi's body.

 "Oh I'm alright. But thank you for asking Ryouga," Kasumi said sweetly,
looking for her bra.

 "I've been better," Tofu confessed, as he struggled with his trousers.
"But I know the human body well enough to say, it's nothing that won't
heal in a week or two."

 "But what did they do to you? What were they going to do to you? I mean
they stripped you and all...." Ryouga was still worried and confused.

 "Uh, stripped us? You see.... umm... we...." Tofu trailed off at a loss
for words.

 "I'll tell you all about it when you are older," Kasumi stated firmly,
a serious look on her face.

 "Oh... okay..." Ryouga said as it finally clicked. He might have been
naive, but he wasn't that naive. `I get it, they were fu...'

 A groan came from the corner where Kodachi had landed. Having attracted
everyone's attention, they all gathered around her in a semi-circle.
Kodachi's eyes slowly came into focus and she looked up at Tofu who was
staring at her coldly. Then at Kasumi, also staring down at her with a
chilling look in her eyes. Then Kodachi looked up at Ryouga and
snickered at him.

 "Is it safe to look yet?" he asked.

 "Um, yeah," Tofu, Kasumi, and even Kodachi said in unison.

 He uncovered his eyes, and joined them in staring coldly at their
captive. `Now what do we do?' he wondered.

 Tofu wanted to finish what Gosunkugi had set out to accomplish, but
couldn't. Not with Kasumi watching. As it stood he didn't know what to
do.

 Luckily, Kasumi knew what to do. She grabbed Kodachi by the ear and
dragged her to her feet and across the room. Kasumi took a seat on the
sofa, and Kodachi found herself pushed over Kasumi's knee.

 The two boys looked at each other as Kasumi disciplined the young Kuno
girl. As she smacked away at Kodachi's delicate derriere she started a
long lecture about respect, and how unladylike fighting was, and that
attempted murder was just as bad as the real thing regardless of what
the courts said.

 Ryouga was dead set against hitting children, but this time something
told him to keep his opinions to himself. Tofu had gotten a broom and
was sweeping up the broken glass, chuckling to himself. Ryouga grimly
pitched in to help in the clean up. Kasumi was totally absorbed in her
work, and as a result Kodachi was feeling most exasperated, and started
sobbing.

 “Uh, Doctor,” Ryouga said nervously, there was something bothering him.
“I couldn’t help but notice your tattoo. I don’t like to pry but I have
to ask...”

 “That thing? Oh, it’s not real,” the Doctor lied. “It’s only ink and
paint, a friend did it for me. I went to a costume party last night as a
Yakuza member. It only took three hours for him to do, .”

 Ryouga laughed a little, “Oh! That makes sense.” He looked at Kasumi
who was still painting Kodachi’s tail. “I don’t suppose you have a
camera around eh? It would be fun to sell pictures _to_ Nabiki for
once.”


 “What!” Kasumi interjected. “Is she selling pictures again?”

 “Did she ever stop?” Ryouga shrugged.

 Kasumi frowned and said nothing, but started to spank the Black Rose
harder.

 Eventually she let go of Kodachi and said, “Now don’t you ever let me
catch you or Shampoo trying to kill Doctor Tofu again. Now go straight
home and think about what you’ve done.” And with that she gave the teary
eyed girl a few Kleenex, shooed her out the door.

 ‘Nabiki is in deep trouble now,’ she thought to herself as she walked
straight home. But not before finishing cleaning up and making the boys
a nice snack.

 Tofu asked Ryouga if he had a place to stay that night, and offered him
the couch. But strangely insisted on the cellar, mumbling something
about being light sensitive, and a new night job.

 “Ryouga every time I see you you’re really down and depressed. I know
why you couldn’t get to the therapy group I suggested. But I’m really
starting to worry about you, this kind of sadness is not natural. Now I
don’t normally do this,” Tofu said as he scribbled in his prescription
pad. “But for you I am willing to make an exception.”

 Ryouga looked at the prescription dumbly as tofu showed him to the
cellar. Why did everyone keep trying to give him prozac?


**************
 Whoa kay, it's time to crack open a cask of sacramental wine! For the
first time in ages I've finished a story!

 Well no, not really finished but at least it gives some closure. The
rest is yet to come so stay tuned! Ranma returns from his training trip,
we learn more about Nodoka's plans, Kuno finds his life's mission, and
much, much more!

 Spacial (Editor's note: SPECIAL! And we all know what Special means...)
thanks to my editor/little sister, Sandra. For encouragement, creative
name calling, and telling me what parts were really stupid and should be
taken out.

 Comments are welcome and criticism is keenly encouraged. Now you do all
understand the difference between criticism and flames right? You can
reach me at <Seamanbj@telusvelocity.net> kay?

 Hope you enjoyed it, Jamie the Alter Boy.