{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to claim them as my own. This story may not be used without my permission, and may not be used to make money in any way, shape or form. Characters and certain situations were created by Rumiko Takahashi, so don't try any funny stuff!}

Kodachi wasn't sure if she should say. Did she really dislike her brother that much? He and Nabiki appeared to be happy together. Did she want to ruin things? And after her brother had helped her, been nice to her...

Gosunkugi saw the struggle in Kodachi's eyes. "Tell me," he growled, his eyes glowing with angry amber light.

Kodachi's mouth worked for several seconds, still warring internally, before Gosunkugi's influence won. "N... Nabiki Tendo."

"Well now. Isn't that interesting," Gosunkugi said as the glow in his eyes faded. "I've already taken action against her, but I suppose she could be useful in other ways now..." Nabiki must've been more desperate than he thought if she was lowering herself to be with a schmuck like Kuno. Gosunkugi shook his head. "Anyway, you keep a good watch on your brother, and I'll be able to concentrate on Ranma."

"Ranma? What are you going to do to Ranma?" Kodachi asked fearfully.

"I'm just going to kill him and take Akane for myself. Nothing for you to concern yourself with." Gosunkugi chuckled evilly when he saw Kodachi begin to tremble. "What? You don't want to see Ranma killed?"

Kodachi shook her head.

"How foolish. Your happiness is of no concern to me. Now then, I will contact you when I want what you know. You are never to mention me, and continue on as you would as if I never visited you. Understand?"

Kodachi nodded. "I understand."

"Good. You know, I might just decide to keep you around after my plans have been fulfilled." Gosunkugi placed his hand on Kodachi's cheek. "You are rather lovely." He leaned forward and placed his mouth against Kodachi's...

Kasumi found herself unable to sleep. She paced the house quietly, listening to the night sounds. Gentle sounds of breathing from her father's and Akane's rooms, some considerable snoring from Ranma's and his father's room... Nabiki's room, however, was a different story.

Standing with her ear somewhat to the door, Kasumi could hear the two, still asleep, but not soundly. At least one of them was tossing and turning, disturbing the other. Kasumi opened the door as silently as she could and looked at the bed. There were two figures fighting each other for more room in a twin bed.

Kasumi watched the two tussle in their sleep, smiling gently. If only... But no, she had done it again. There was Tofu... Tofu, who she had ignored for the last two days. Of course he wouldn't like her if she just kept ignoring him, but he... he... Was it so wrong to feel pleasure from the things they had done? She was about to close the door and head back to her bedroom when a head lifted itself from the mass on the bed.

"Tatewaki, are you sleeping well?" Kasumi asked in barely a whisper, not wanting to wake Nabiki up.

Kuno shook his head, squinting from the light in the hall shining in his face.

"Join me in some tea then."

Carefully, Kuno crawled over Nabiki and got out of the bed. The fact that he was nude in front of Kasumi made no difference to him. He pulled the blanket back over Nabiki, tucking it in around her, then he pulled on his pants and left the room with Kasumi.

The two of them went downstairs and into the kitchen, Kasumi immediately heating a kettle of water. Kuno leaned against the counter and settled for looking like hell. Kasumi turned after getting the cups ready and smiled at him. "Were you having nightmares?"

Kuno shrugged, then nodded.

"What were they about?"

"I am... unsure. Just... something about my sister. She was in distress, but I could not help her. And she was asking me to help her... but I was unable."

Kasumi didn't say anything after that. She hadn't had a nightmare in... she couldn't think how many years. Though lately she had been feeling very unsettled in the house, like she was forgetting something. She was still feeling that way, and it got stronger whenever she was near Akane's or Nabiki's room. Very strong.

"Do you intend to marry Nabiki?" she asked to break the oppressive silence.

Kuno looked at her, a bit surprised, but that quickly changed. He looked down at his bare feet. "It does not matter. She wants nothing to do with me."

"Then why do you..."

"You've seen me turn into an animal. The days when I first had this... condition, before I was aware of it, women, of all ages, were attracted to me. Even while I was horribly scarred and unable to take care sufficient care of myself, they thought... they wanted..."

"Oh my. Why were you scarred?" This was news to her.

"I was attacked. By a wild beast. It made me the way I am. I almost died."

"I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Nabiki was caught in the middle of things. Somehow, I chose her as my m... m... mate."

Kasumi looked suitably surprised.

"I didn't really choose her. It was chosen for us. Neither of us knew what was happening. We only knew that we could not..." Was there any delicate way to put it? He smiled wryly, with an almost bitter humor. "We couldn't keep our hands off each other. I started dreaming about her every night."

Kasumi nodded. She could relate since she had suddenly started dreaming about Tofu each night. Not that it was bad...

Kuno sighed. "My whole life turned upside down that night I was attacked. After all that has happened, I wish I had died then."

Kasumi let out a horrified gasp. "Why?"

"Because not only my life has been affected. There are so many others..."

"I don't understand." Kasumi removed the kettle full of hot water and poured the tea. "Why don't we go outside so we don't disturb anyone."

Kuno nodded, and they headed out to sit on the steps to the yard. "Please continue your story, Tatewaki," Kasumi said once they were settled.

He sipped his tea. "Well, Nabiki maintains that I have ruined her life, and that, I do not doubt. Then Ranma, and Gosunkugi, all those girls, and, I fear, you."

That got Kasumi. "Me?"

"Yes. Earlier, your eyes, in the dojo, they were red. Red like mine."

"Red?"

"Yes, red. Should I demonstrate again?"

"Demonstrate?"

Kuno sighed. He supposed he had been just as hesitant to accept things. "Then I shall demonstrate. Do not be afraid."

Kasumi shook her head. "Afraid of what?"

Kuno looked at Kasumi sternly. "This," he said as the color seemed to drain from his eyes and be replaced by red. "There is nothing to be afraid of," he said again as he let the change overtake him. There was something he was starting to find... pleasurable about the whole process.

Of course, it was impossible to talk to Kasumi after he changed. Instead, he simply looked at her. He was pleased to find that he had none of the lustful feelings from before, he didn't have any desire to tear Kasumi's clothes off. In fact, he didn't feel any urges for Kasumi at all, even though the change itself left him wanting a good screw.

"Oh my, you mean I'm going to turn into that?"

Kuno shrugged. He could hope she wouldn't, but he knew that she would. There just wasn't any other explanation for things.

Kasumi stood up and help her hands out, preparing to touch Kuno, but stopped just short. Was it just another hallucination? Could she be that sick? She placed her hands on his chest and ran her hands over his fur.

What was it with women? They always had to run their hands over him. If they knew what that did to him, they'd keep their hands off. Feeling extremely flustered, Kuno pushed Kasumi away. He couldn't let anything happen. It would be bad.

And that was when Kasumi started to feel it. A tingling in all her extremities and strange aching in her chest and head.

Kuno watched with something between hope and horror as Kasumi went through the change he knew so well. First the feet, slowly moving upward, Kasumi's body shifting and changing underneath the nightgown. He watched the entire process rather dispassionately. If she was to deal with it, she would have to learn to acommodate the change and eventually control it. There were some things he just couldn't help with.

With barely a squeak of displeasure, the human Kasumi was gone, and now, witting down, was one very flustered looking wolf in a tattered nightgown. Kasumi looked around confusedly, her ears twitching at the bevy of sounds.

Kuno looked at her appreciatively. He extended his hand to help Kasumi to her feet, which she gratefully accepted. In itself, that was somewhat strange. He knew she was grateful, but she hadn't expressed it in any way. He just knew she was. He also knew Kasumi was very confused and concerned.

Yet, he took his time admiring her as he assisted her. It was what his lusting animal mind had been waiting for all this time. Kasumi was about five inches shorter than he, covered in a chocolate brown coat of fur, her fingers and toes ending in short, but sharp, slightly off-white claws. The nightgown was stubbornly hanging off one shoulder, covering most of her, but revealing enough to for Kuno to see the smooth, lean chest. It wasn't nearly as large as his and absent of any obvious breasts, but Kuno found the overall effect very desirable.

Kasumi looked down at herself then at Kuno. She couldn't quite believe it. How could it have happened to her? Kasumi hung her head and felt a trickle of hot tears escape. It wouldn't be possible for her to take care of the family anymore, and Tofu would be... But hadn't Tatewaki said that Nabiki had found him irresistible? And Nabiki knew that he turned into a wolf, and she didn't mind. In fact, they... Kasumi blushed. Sort of.

She looked back at Kuno. He was rather... large. And quite masculine. Her eyes wandered down from his chest. Maybe she had judged Nabiki too quickly. Wait a minute. What was she thinking? She couldn't stay like this! But she could barely think straight, her head was pounding and she was so hungry, and she ached... Ached...

Kasumi walked up to Kuno a little unsteadily. She ached in a way a proper lady shouldn't. She laid her hands on Kuno's chest and stared up at him, her red eyes meeting his. He wasn't responding, so Kasumi did the first thing that her body wanted to and licked Kuno's face.

For Kuno's part, he knew what she wanted most definitely. Some sense or smell told him everything he needed to know about Kasumi. But the danger, the complications associated with that... He shook his head, trying to get Kasumi to back off. Unfortunately, Kasumi was not to be denied quite yet, and refused to go away. Kasumi licked him again, and Kuno tried to move her hands away, but she was quite persistent.

Again, Kuno tried to push her away, but Kasumi put her arms around him and held on. Struggling, trying not to hurt her, Kuno growled and was answered in kind as Kasumi's hold tightened. Kasumi's growl, somewhat quiet and unassuming and threatening at the same time, enflamed Kuno. But it still didn't feel right to be with Kasumi. Yes, it felt good, but it didn't feel right.

Sensing his indecision, Kasumi forced the issue in her own little way. Releasing Kuno, Kasumi dropped to all fours, the nightgown hanging off her, and circled Kuno's legs. She rubbed her head against him then nosed at his crotch.

Finally, seeing Kuno's refusal start to fade, Kasumi positioned herself in front of him, her rear pointed toward him, tail pointed as high into the air as she could manage under the nightgown. She was still growling softly, challenging him.

Unable to resist the temptation any longer, Kuno hunched down behind Kasumi and pushed the nightgown up her back, farther, and farther still until its mere presence annoyed him. Getting two handfuls of the material, Kuno ripped the gown in half and pulled it from Kasumi's body.

Kasumi turned her head, snarling and growling at Kuno for what he had done. Kuno snapped back, the saliva foaming in his mouth. Swiftly removing his pants, but careful not to rip them, Kuno dropped to all fours behind Kasumi, each of them still growling.

Kasumi watched Kuno slink around behind her. He was low to the ground, almost dragging his chest, his tail snaking back and forth menacingly. This was something... new to him. She was beautiful and alluring, sleek and powerful. A huntress indeed, but she was not his true desire, not his real fantasy... He hated to think of her like so, but she was a convenience.

That thought only cemented what he was about to do. Slowly approaching Kasumi from the rear, he was about to raise himself up to mount her when he was hit rather unceremoniously in the ass. Kuno yelped, his tender testicles receiving a portion of the abuse. Rolling to the side, laying on his back, Kuno looked to see Nabiki staring at him hatefully, holding Akane's shinai.

"What the hell are you doing and what did you do to Kasumi?" Nabiki asked, waving the shinai threateningly.

Kuno tried to sit up, but found the pain had spread to his legs and stomach. He cringed when Nabiki approached, but she ignored him in favor of Kasumi.

"Kasumi? Kasumi, are you OK?" Nabiki asked quietly, looking in the glowing eyes of her sister.

Kasumi exhaled, everything having been ruined and she still ached. She hung her head and nodded. Now what was she going to do? She couldn't very well get Ranma with his father in there with him. That thought simply disgusted her. Genma... Kasumi shook in a full body denial.

Kuno, erection long gone, tried to make the pain go away, trying to hold himself as still as possible, not caring at all what it he looked like in his current position. If he could only get rid of that sick feeling in his stomach... He closed his eyes and tried to breathe deeply when he felt like he was going to vomit.

Nabiki had to stop herself from just screaming at Kasumi, "What happened to you?" She knew it would only hurt Kasumi, though and simply trembled at the sight of her sister. "Kasumi, what did he do to you?" she asked instead.

Kasumi shook her head this time. It obviously hadn't been anything he had done. She hadn't even seen Tatewaki until after... The morning in the kitchen, going to see Tofu, her horrible behavior... Something had happened to her. Something has made her diseased, and she had never even known it. Kasumi was suddenly surprised at her reasoning ability.

Her mind wasn't cluttered with concerns about the household chores, her father and Uncle Saotome, her sisters, or how Tofu felt about her. Tofu... he would relieve her ache, he wouldn't care what she was like. And so, tuning out Nabiki, Kasumi ran through the yard and hurdled the wall easily, heading for the clinic.

Nabiki watched her go, dumbfounded, then turned her attention back to Kuno. He was still on the ground, holding his bruised organs. He was panting heavily, his tongue hanging out, and his eyes were closed tightly. He looked halfway to death. Nabiki felt absolutely no sympathy for him considering what he was about to do Kasumi.

Not totally what he was about to do, but what he had already done. How else could Kasumi have contracted the... the disease? Curse? It didn't matter, it was obviously Kuno's fault, and that made her just a little upset. "Why did you do that to Kasumi?"

Kuno was still unable to form any sounds, just some feeble wheezing. He opened his eyes, stars swirling about, and looked at Nabiki. Boy she looked upset, and that shinai didn't look any friendlier. Barely managing to roll over, Kuno got to his knees with his hands still at his groin, the movement causing fresh pain. He whimpered at the lingering hurt, not yet attempting to get to his feet.

"You better start talking in a hurry, Kuno-chan. Right now I'm having a hard time believing just how angry I am at you." Nabiki poked him in the chest with the end of the shinai.

Yeah, she was definitely mad. The pain was beginning to lessen, not that he was getting a choice in settling down before he changed... He started his transformation as quickly as he could endure, his concentration divided heavily between a number of things, the biggest distraction being the ache centered on his groin. He didn't notice it at the time, but he was getting to the point where it didn't take any concentration to change, only a thought to set the process in motion.

"So now that you can talk," Nabiki said, not stopping for a moment, "why don't you tell me what was going on?" She eyed Kuno coldly, pointing the shinai at him. "That would be a good idea, don't you think?"

Kuno nodded, the pain slowly fading to a throbbing ache.

***

Kasumi stood up and knocked on the door. She couldn't just go barging into other people's homes after all. So she waited, then knocked again. The lights inside stayed off. Getting annoyed, Kasumi knocked again, but this time her hand went through the door. She removed her hand and growled at the unlady-like thing she had done.

She grabbed the doorknob and yanked on it, removing the entire thing from the door. She was happy to see she hadn't damaged the frame. Kasumi pushed open the door and walked quietly inside, her eyesight almost unaffected by the darkness. Immediately she headed for the stairs and went up them as quickly and silently as possible.

Tofu Ono. An intelligent and talented man, but a very sound sleeper. He didn't stir at all as the door to his bedroom opened and an imposing figure walked in. He didn't stir when the blanket was lifted and the figure crawled into bed with him. He did start to wake up when his pajamas were removed. Then he really woke up when he was hugged by something furry.

Tofu's first thought was that Mr. Saotome was having an identity crisis. Before he could protest, and inexplicable wave of calm overcame him. 'How very odd,' Tofu thought. He tried to break free from the crushing hold to no avail. So instead, he turned, with great effort, to face what was holding him. Tofu found himself face to face with...

Right away, Kasumi could see the fear in his eyes, and that hurt her, but Tofu wasn't making any attempt to escape either. That gave her a measure of hope. Kasumi nuzzled Tofu, wishing with all her heart for him to realize it was her.

Tofu was frightened and fascinated. There was no magical aura about the creature in front of him, so it couldn't be Jusenkyo or any sort of spell. There weren't any pressure points that would change a person into an animal... physically. 'A were...' Tofu's thoughts were cut off by the gentle touch of silky fur on his lower extremities.

Then that strange feeling washed through him, the same one that had hit him when he was with Kasumi. He closed his eyes as the gentle touch returned, not just fur, but a hand this time. "Oh... Kasumi..." Tofu groaned.

Kasumi nuzzled Tofu while still caressing him. The fact that he had called her name... He still cared for her. But that didn't mean he realized it was her in bed with him. How could she make him see? She had stopped the movement of her hand while she pondered the problem.

"Ka... Kasumi... Don't stop," Tofu said, his eyes still closed.

Kasumi couldn't take it any longer. With a yelp from Tofu, she 'convinced' him to relieve her of her aching need.

"You're sure you didn't?" Nabiki asked.

"Positive. I would never..."

"I don't care. Kasumi's my main concern right now. And more specifically, where she went."

"I believe she may go... to..."

"Go where? Spit it out."

"To... relieve herself." The way she had been coming on to him, she probably must have maybe run off to a place she could get what she wanted.

"She went to the bathroom?" Nabiki asked. She had definitely not enjoyed being awakened in the middle of the night, then greeted by the sight of Kuno and her sister...

"No! She wanted to fu..." Kuno said exasperated, then quickly stopped, realizing what he was about to say. "I believe she needed to relieve some... sexual tension." He could feel his face turn bright red.

"Kasumi... Sex..." Nabiki's eyes glazed over for a moment. "Kasumi doesn't have sex!"

"I was not raping her. And she was... broken already," he answered defensively, taking Nabiki's words as an accusation. "I was only complying with her wishes."

"But Kasumi doesn't..."

"I would suggest that whoever your sister is enamored with is about to receive a visitor."

That seemed to snap Nabiki out of it. "Enamored? Oh no, Dr. Tofu." Nabiki has always been able to see that her sister had liked Dr. Tofu. Why they hadn't gotten together before, she'd never know. "Well, we have to go stop her. Come on."

"Why?"

Nabiki stared at him. Kuno was aware that she was still holding the shinai. And while he wasn't hanging out in the wind, he hadn't put his pants back on, simply laying them across his lap for the time being. "Did you just say why?"

Kuno nodded, trying not to look worried.

"And why would you say something stupid like that?"

"Because she is an adult, is she not?"

Nabiki nodded slowly.

"It is her choice then. Who am I to say what she may or may not do."

"Cut with the lecture and let's go!" Nabiki was not amused in the least by Kuno.

"I will not." Kuno refused to budge.

"Let's go," Nabiki growled.

"No."

Nabiki glared at Kuno. "Fine, you wait here then."

"Why do you insist that you must control your sister's life?"

"Are you joking? Did you see her? She was scared and confused. She's obviously not thinking straight."

"Do you believe I am thinking straight?"

"As straight as you normally do."

Kuno frowned. "She knew exactly what she was doing."

Nabiki stared, then shook her head. "I'm going to find her." She began to walk away, determined to find Kasumi.

"You shall do no such thing," Kuno commanded, suddenly grabbing Nabiki from behind. "You shall afford your sister the privacy she deserves."

Nabiki struggled briefly. "Hey, just because I care about my sister and you don't..."

There was silence for two seconds. "My... sister..." Kuno said slowly. He felt his heart lurch in his chest. He had left her all alone. He released Nabiki, shoving her away slightly. Nabiki was in no danger, and neither was Kasumi, but his sister...

Kuno picked up his discarded pants and put them on. "My clothes," he said breathlessly, looking around. Then, waving his hand, he said, "Unnecessary. I must attend to my sister."

Nabiki watched him transform and run out of the yard. She shook her head and headed back inside. Her thighs and stomach protested at the movement as she started up the stairs. "Idiot," she mumbled slowly moving. She wasn't in any shape to go looking for her sister anyway.

Kasumi dropped back to the bed, removing herself from Tofu. She laid down next to him and sighed happily. Poor Tofu hadn't really been close to satisfying her, but just sharing their bodies had been enough, had made her happy. To know that she had made him feel so wonderful, that he had made her feel so warm inside, even when he was so small...

Kasumi pulled Tofu closer to her, feeling and hearing he was already asleep from exhaustion. As she drifted off to sleep herself, Kasumi felt the tingling in her and wondered what would happen this time...

Kuno burst into the house and ran immediately to Kodachi's room. He was shaking his head the entire time, and continued to do so even as he opened her door. It was so strong, so powerful... It made his stomach roil, and it was even stronger in his sister's room.

He saw Kodachi sleeping in her bed and tip-toed over to it. Kuno's entire body shuddered at the stink. Rolling Kodachi over, he scrutinized her face, looking for any sort of changes. She appeared safe and normal to all his sense, so Kuno reluctantly pulled away.

Backing away toward the door, Kuno stopped. He closed the door and went back to the bed. He wasn't positive that would be able to sleep through the stink, but as long as he knew she was safe. Kuno crawled into Kodachi's bed and settled in next to her. If he did manage to get sleep, he could only hope the dream didn't come back.

***

Gosunkugi frowned. It wasn't that things were going badly, they just weren't going the way he wanted them to. Kuno knew, Ranma wasn't dead, he had been forced to deal with Kodachi, and now this. The boy Gosunkugi used to be was very upset. He hadn't liked what had happened at all, but what was done, was done.

He looked down at the body, somewhat sadly. The glow surrounded his hand for a moment, then faded. Why had his mother forced her way in? Why hadn't he been able to stop himself from sending the deadly spikes of magic toward her chest? And then his father had come in...

Gosunkugi sighed sadly. He would definitely have to do things quicker than he had originally planned. It was all beginning to slip through his fingers.

***

Kuno woke up later feeling disoriented. That is, until he felt the point under his chin, digging into his flesh. That got him instantly awake. He laid completely still, waiting to react to the weapon at his neck.

"Brother." The voice was quiet and haunting, almost pained. "Brother."

Was it really Kodachi with a weapon under his chin? Kuno whimpered. It couldn't really be her. He refused to believe it.

"I must... He says I must... I don't want to." Kodachi's hand trembled, the knife wavering against Kuno's skin. "I don't want to... He says I don't like you..." A tear rolled down Kodachi's cheek.

Kuno pressed his head back as the knife was pushed forward. He could feel the point break his skin and blood ooze out. The way she was crouched over him, Kodachi would be able to feel any attempt to throw her off, and his arms were partially pinned. There was one option.

"I don't want to," Kodachi said again. "But Ranma..." She pressed the knife forward, sinking the blade into the underside of her brother's chin, with no intention of stopping until the steel penetrated his brain.

Kuno whipped his head to the side, the knife tearing through his skin, but stopping the slow piercing of it. He let out a pained yelp and flung Kodachi off the bed.

Kodachi let out a startled scream, releasing her hold on the knife as she was tossed into the air, and landed hard on the floor. She stood up quickly and leapt back on the bed, preparing to finish the deed. She was met by her brother's fist and fell unconscious back to the bed.

Kuno laid on the bed panting, one hand at the tear under his chin, blood gushing out, every little move agony. The knife, now laying on the bed next to him, had been very sharp, and had ripped through some of the muscle in his neck. Thankfully, his windpipe had not been cut, and no major veins or arteries had been severed.

Yet, he was still hurt, still bleeding. And Gosunkugi... he had done something to his sister. Gosunkugi had taken over her mind, and it was all his fault because he hadn't been there to protect her. No matter, once he recovered, he would take care of Gosunkugi, once and for all. If he recovered...

She had failed. How stupid of him to let her do something so important. He should have waited and handled it himself. He made a sound of disgust. All of his plans were quickly turning to shambles, and if he didn't do something about it very soon, there was going to be serious trouble for everyone.

Gosunkugi shook his head and started a little practice to try and take his mind of things for the moment. Calling forth a small ball of fire, he playfully shaped it into the form of a bat. Bats, they seemed appropriate for some reason. He opened his hand and the bat rose into the air, floating there. Gosunkugi smiled and the bat shifted to take the shape of a long, snake-like dragon.

What would they be able to do against power like that? He knew. Nothing.

***

Kodachi woke up slowly with a throbbing headache. The morning light pained her, but she forced herself to sit up. She managed to make it into a sitting position, still in her night gown, though it was stained... With blood. She looked to her left and saw, to her horror, her brother.

His eyes were half open, but glazed, and he had one hand at his throat. Kodachi put one hand over her mouth, thinking he was dead. The fact that his neck and chest were covered in dried blood didn't help in the least.

She touched his arm, expecting his skin to be cold and stiff, but it was warm. He was alive. And to prove it, his eyes fluttered, then opened fully. Kodachi pulled away, afraid of what her brother's reaction might be to her.

"K... Kodachi?" he asked, his voice sounding a bit hoarse.

Kodachi didn't move, didn't make a noise.

Removing his hand from his neck, Kuno sat up, his neck still sore. "Kodachi, last night... What..."

Kodachi suddenly hopped off the bed and ran out of the room.

Kuno watched her flee the room, then slowly removed himself from her bed. He walked out of the room, his legs feeling rubbery and weak, and his throat felt like he hadn't anything to drink in weeks.

He hobbled to the bathroom to clean himself up. Once inside, he stripped and began to wash himself. He scrubbed off the dried blood, not thinking much of it. The thing was that he couldn't remember changing back to his human state. Shortly after he had knocked out Kodachi, he had passed out himself, only to regain consciousness this morning.

Kuno felt his throat, searching for the cut or even a scar. Feeling nothing, he sighed and finished washing his body. She he was fine, but that didn't make him feel any better about Kodachi. Gosunkugi had his hooks in her, and that was something he simply could not allow.

The thing he was really worried about the most was Kodachi's mental state. She hadn't appeared to be under Gosunkugi's control when he awakened, but that didn't mean he didn't have power over her still. So Gosunkugi had made a cowardly attempt on his life using his own sister, who was nearly defenseless against the unearthly powers used by the little retch.

Before he could go running after Gosunkugi, Kuno needed a plan, he needed to come up with some strategy. He sank into the bath and began to think things over. If Gosunkugi had tried using Kodachi against him, then Gosunkugi was either afraid of him, or didn't know his abilities and wasn't taking any chances. "Coward," Kuno said quietly.

Tofu woke up after having the strangest, yet most amazing dream. Next time, no spicy squid before bed. As awareness returned, he realized that he was naked, and that there was someone in bed with him. That was strange. He had gone to bed alone...

He looked over to see Kasumi sleeping peacefully next to him, naked as the day she was born. Instead of the blathering he was half-expecting, he simply brushed away the hair from her face, leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Still, how much had been a dream, and how much reality?

Kasumi sighed happily in her sleep and snuggled up to Tofu.

"Did you hear any noise last night, Nabiki?" Akane asked, noting the haggard appearance of her sister.

"Not a peep, Akane," Nabiki answered tiredly. Kuno had worn her out physically, and Kasumi had worn her mentally. She didn't have a whole lot of energy left for the day ahead.

Akane looked a little downcast. "Oh. I guess it was just a dream then." There were things going on around the house that she really wanted to know about. She sat at the table, staring silently at the empty bowl in front of her. "Where's Kasumi?" she asked suddenly.

That seemed to startle Nabiki, though she still didn't look awake. "Uh, I don't know, Akane." Nabiki hoped it hadn't been too obvious a lie.

"Oh," Akane said simply, frowning in thought. "I guess I'll have to make breakfast and lunch then," she continued, her mood improving. Akane stood up and went into the kitchen.

Nabiki dropped her head to the table and groaned. It was going to be one of those days.

The bath seemed to rejuvenate Kuno. His neck was still a bit sore, but other than that, he felt good as new. Now to take care of his sister. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't trust her either. So what was he to do? He didn't trust her enough to turn his back on her, but he didn't feel right just leaving her alone. Who knew what else Gosunkugi might try when he was gone.

Dressing quickly for school, Kuno noted he couldn't locate his sister anywhere in the house or close by. Maybe she had already went on to school, and if that was the case, there wasn't much he could do. He hated to just leave things like they were, but... Duty and responsibility just didn't want to fit into life's schedule.

Kasumi woke up, smiling gently. She had to go and start breakfast and make lunches, otherwise there would be unnecessary arguing about Akane's culinary attempts. That's what she thought until she remembered what had happened with Kuno and Tofu. "Oh my," she said quietly.

"Kasumi?"

Kasumi opened her eyes fully and sat up in the bed. "Tofu?" she asked quietly, looking at his concerned face. It was then that she saw how truly handsome he was. His smooth, boyish face, kind eyes and mop of tousled hair... The broad shoulders and flawless skin... And the only way he knew how to act was kindly.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, pushing her hair back over her shoulder, staring in her eyes.

"What happened last night?" Kasumi asked with uncertainty.

"I'm not completely sure. I must have had a very strange dream because..."

Kasumi closed her eyes, missing the rest of what Tofu was saying. All she had to do was tell him it wasn't a dream...

***

"What's your problem?" Nabiki asked when she saw Kuno looking like a squirrel before an earthquake. She was still annoyed, but after smacking him with the shinai and clipping his jewels, she couldn't stay mad. As much as she hated to admit it, he had been right, though she was still very worried about Kasumi.

"My sister," Kuno said in a hushed whisper.

"Oh yeah, I know she's a problem."

"No. Last night, she tried to kill me," he said, still whispering.

"Are you sure? Or are you making things up again?"

"No! You will listen to me, now!" he boomed, getting the attention of everyone within 25 feet.

"OK, fine. Settle down. Why would your sister want to kill you?" Unaffected mostly by his outburst, Nabiki maintained her nonchalant attitude.

"I believe her mind has been affected by Gosunkugi," Kuno continued in a whisper.

"Her mind was affected a long time ago," Nabiki mumbled.

"Please keep your disparaging remarks about my sister to yourself," Kuno said sourly, hearing her words clearly.

"Yeah, well, sorry." Nabiki shrugged, though she had forgotten about his improved hearing. He was taking the whole Gosunkugi thing far too seriously. 'Or maybe you're not taking it seriously enough,' a little voice told her.

"But I no longer trust her." Kuno ignored Nabiki's eyeroll. "Now I am unsure of what to do. I must protect her, yet she wishes me harm.. What am I to do?"

"I don't know. Commit her or something." No, Nabiki didn't really like Kodachi. Once or twice, she had heard Kuno call his sister's name in his sleep, and she hadn't liked that.

"You are not helping," he said sullenly.

"So what do you want me to say then?" OK, the conversation was starting to get annoying.

That seemed to deflate Kuno. "I don't know."

"Maybe you should just let things happen. You're convinced you're going to have to deal with Gosunkugi, right?"

Kuno nodded.

"Then maybe you should just wait. If he already has control of Kodachi, then what do you think would free her?"

He thought it over for a second, then looked at Nabiki.

She nodded. "Taking care of Gosunkugi," she said knowingly. She had mostly convinced herself that she was humoring him.

"Your words have wisdom. And while I hesitate to abandon my sister, Gosunkugi shall be my first priority." He had a plan now. Sort of.

"And I'm sure you have some sort of half-baked plan that you're going to try."

Kuno started to nod then stopped. "Nonsense! A half-baked plan would not befit my skills."

"Right. So why don't you come over after school and I'll help you out." How, she didn't know. Maybe she was still humoring him, but she was also feeling just a wee bit horny.

Kuno looked at her doubtfully. How could she help? Maybe she couldn't help with a plan, but there were other things she was good for.

The two looked at each with amazing cunning. Too bad they were thinking the same thing.

Kasumi headed back home with Tofu as her escort. Tofu's amazing turn around to sanity when he was near Kasumi prompted very radical changes in their relationship together, though Tofu still wasn't sure about the strange dream he had. But, finally able to form full sentences around Kasumi, he had proposed.

Kasumi had tearfully accepted, knowing it was the way things were meant to be. She would wait to tell him her problem because she knew it would not matter to him.

And now they were heading back to the dojo, in the afternoon sun, to make the announcement to everyone. They were both beaming with happiness, though Kasumi did look a bit strange in Tofu's gi.

***

"So where should we begin? Are you just going to barge into his house and attack him?" Nabiki asked. She and Kuno were holed up in her room, and she looked a bit underdressed for a battle planning session. She had slipped on a tank top, her bra straps poorly hidden, and a pair of shorts rarely seen by anyone outside her room.

Kuno had broken out into a heavy sweat when she had changed, especially into the shorts. They were short, cut high up the sides and made with deep red silk. They contrasted nicely with the cream colored tank.

He swallowed, trying to gather his thoughts. "I was... I don't really remember..."

Nabiki smiled. She had put one badly formed plan to rest. 'That should settle him down until tomorrow,' she thought as she reclined on her bed. "So what DID you have in mind then?"

Kuno appeared to be thinking hard, but in truth, he was hardly thinking. Seeing Nabiki in such an alluring ensemble made all rational thought impossible, and she knew it. With a sigh of defeat, Kuno sat on the bed. "I give up," he said and hung his head.

***

"That's so beautiful! My little girl!" Soun wailed, tears streaming from his eyes.

Kasumi smiled gently while Tofu looked extremely uncomfortable. Akane was smiling, tears shimmering in her eyes, and Ranma appeared uninterested. In Kasumi, at least. He was sneaking glances at Akane out of the corner of his eye. Genma was holding up a big sign that said , 'Congratulations!' And in smaller writing, 'When's dinner?'

"Where's Nabiki?" Soun asked. "She should be here to share this moment with us."

Kasumi listened carefully for a moment and heard Nabiki upstairs with Tatewaki. She smiled almost mischievously. They were much closer than Nabiki would ever admit. "I don't think she was feeling very well, and is resting upstairs. She'll hear about it later, Father."

"She seems to be sick a lot lately. I hope she's not getting..." Soun's voice quavered.

"Now, now, Father. I'm sure she's fine," Kasumi answered.

***

The celebration continued, even as the sun dipped toward the horizon. Everyone unoccupied at the time was involved in making a celebratory dinner for the engaged couple. Akane and Ranma had tried to get Kasumi to sit and relax, but she would have none of it and insisted on helping.

'Kodachi.'

Kodachi shook her head, dropping the hoop she had been practicing with.

'Kodachi, in an hour, I want you to go to the Tendo dojo, and don't let your brother know where you're going.'

Kodachi continued to shake her head, yet she knew she couldn't resist the order given to her by Gosunkugi. Not that her brother could follow her. She hadn't seen him since morning.

***

Gosunkugi half walked, half floated in the early evening darkness, heading for the Tendo's. No more dancing about now. It was time to get things rolling, beginning with the easiest target. And there it was now.

Akane was amazed. Dr. Tofu, who had always seemed less than sane around her sister, was actually participating in a regular conversation with Kasumi right next to him. The two never talked to each other, never looked at each other, but they sat close enough to keep in constant contact. Akane couldn't help but smile.

Kasumi smiled at each member of the family present. And yes, Ranma and Genma were members of the family, even if she had been rude to Genma several times. Past actions didn't matter though. Everyone was smiling and happy and laughing. Things were good, if not normal.

"My, my... Am I interrupting something?"

The group stopped their celebrating at the sound of the voice. Almost as one, their heads turned to see Gosunkugi watching them with a nasty smirk on his face. He was glowing with an eerie green aura that periodically shifted to purple.

Kasumi's expression darkened immediately. She didn't like the way Gosunkugi smelled at all. It was somewhat stale, and earthy... Like someone had just dug up a rotting corpse. Nobody else seemed to even notice the smell he was giving off.

"Well, Ranma Saotome, I think it's time that you realize who your superior is," Gosunkugi said confidently. He smiled, showing his fangs.

Ranma looked at the smaller teen with a completely unworried look on his face. "Have you been takin' lesson from Kuno or somethin'?" he asked.

Gosunkugi immediately frowned. "What did you say?" he hissed.

Ranma stood up slowly. "I said, you sound like Kuno." Ranma tensed just a little, enough to make his muscles twitch. "You got a problem with that?"

Gosunkugi snarled, his aura flickering wildly. "Do you dare compare me to that buffoon?"

"Yeah. You two musta been popped outta the same mold. Only, he's more of a challenge to fight." Ranma didn't like the look of Gosunkugi's aura. It was very powerful, and intensifying. It appeared that somehow, Hikaru Gosunkugi had become competent.

"Ranma Saotome, today will be your end, and Akane Tendo will be mine!" the smaller 'boy' raved.

Ranma spared a quick glance back at everyone. As usual, his father and Mr. Tendo were expecting him to take care of everything. Tofu was looking at the two of them curiously, Akane looked ready to hit something, and Kasumi... Kasumi was actually frowning.

"I'd like ta see ya try," Ranma answered, smiling cockily.

"Oh, that I shall. And succeed as well." Gosunkugi raised his hands as a sphere of light flickered to life between them.

Reading his foe's intent, Ranma charged the skinny boy. Even if he got hit full force, it was better that no one else did. Of course, it was impossible to say what he was going to get hit full force with.

Fortunately, Gosunkugi wasn't expecting the charge, and before he could release his attack, was struck dead in the face by Ranma's fist. Even with his enhanced strength, Gosunkugi was still relatively light, and flew 15 feet back from the blow.

Ranma was incensed. "what's wrong with you? Don't you know anything about the code?" he yelled. "You coulda killed someone!" Ranma had stepped outside and away from the house to prevent anyone from really getting injured, because it looked like there was about to be a brawl.

Gosunkugi stood up, brushing some dirt off himself. His face was a bit surprised at first, but that soon changed to a smile. He looked at Ranma. "I know," he said as his aura intensified.

"What was that?" Nabiki asked, trying to listen. "Did you hear something?"

Kuno, on the other hand, hadn't heard a thing. "I... heard... nothing..." he said with some effort.

"Stop grunting and get off of me!" Nabiki commanded and slapped his arm. "I know I heard something. Kind of like shouting."

Kuno slowed and eventually stopped, rolling off Nabiki and nearly passing out on the bed. To have to stop like that... And he had been so close.

It wasn't just disappointment though. There was the purely physical pleasure involved that would be satisfied by any woman, but, and this was something he never mentioned as he liked all his body parts where they were, he also had a driving desire, a need, to impregnate his mate. No matter what people thought of him, he wasn't stupid. He knew what was happening: the drive for the continuation of the species.

Sometimes, the feeling would hit him and he would nearly lose control of himself with the need to procreate. Or at least the need to try. So there he was, shaking with the need, unable to fight the feeling. "Nabiki, I..."

"Sh! I'm trying to listen!" She was up with some clothing in her hand.

"But I..."

"Sh!" There was a voice that sounded very familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

Kuno looked at Nabiki, a desperate, pained look on his face. He was shaking uncontrollably. Things had never gotten so bad before because he had always been able to satisfy his need. This time though... "Nabi..." The rest of his speech was garbled as he began to change.

Nabiki, who had been standing by the door, looked back. "Stop that!" she said when she saw his state. She knocked his hands away when he got off the bed and tried to grab her. "I said stop it!"

Kuno shook his head and tried to grab her again, whining the entire time.

"You can't wait?" Nabiki asked. She didn't want it to turn out like a few nights ago. She didn't need to feel like that again.

Shaking his head again, Kuno still had his hands out. He didn't want to do anything unpleasant, but he just couldn't help himself.

If this was how he was going to act... "Fine. But change back. You make too much noise otherwise," Nabiki said clinically. She always ended up walking funny too.

Kuno nodded vigorously and changed back quickly.

Everything Ranma was hitting Gosunkugi with was being shrugged off. Sure he was bouncing Gosunkugi all over the yard, but nothing seemed to hurt him. He just couldn't make anything get to Gosunkugi, and he knew he couldn't waste all his energy on moves that didn't accomplish anything. Though, he had only tried single moves, or combination attacks. Even Kuno got up from those, so maybe he needed to try something more severe.

Ranma tried to set himself up for a kachuu tenshin amaguriken, but Gosunkugi seemed to flow like water to the side, and poked him lightly in the ribs. The shooting pain that traveled through his body was almost unbearable.

Dropping to one knee, then rolling away, Ranma stood up slowly, one hand on his side. The Saotome Super Secret technique was of no use, because as soon as he was gone, Akane wouldn't have anyone to protect her.

He limped forward, willing the pain away, and tried an uppercut, hoping to just knock Gosunkugi out of the yard. His fist was stopped in mid-swing though, caught in the cooly fleshed hand of Gosunkugi. Ranma's eyes widened at the show of strength, then he was shoved away with very little effort.

"So this is all the great Ranma Saotome has to offer in defense of his life and his fiancee?" Gosunkugi asked, smirking. He hadn't been bothered at all by the 'beating'.

"I don't need..." Akane said indignantly.

Ranma turned to look at Akane. "Akane, sit down and be quiet," he said seriously, almost angrily. "This isn't about you right now."

Akane stopped in mid-sentence. Ranma had never spoken to her like that. It was an ugly tone of voice, filled with worry and warning. She closed her mouth and held everything back.

"OK, Gosunkugi," Ranma said, facing his foe, "I guess I have to get serious now." It was time to go beyond the basics.

"There. You're done. Now get off me. It sounded like there was fighting." Nabiki shoved Kuno off her, quickly getting dressed after. There was shouting, angry words, and the sound of bodies flying. What could be going on? "Go out the window and come around the front like you just got here," she commanded Kuno as she prepared to leave the room.

Kuno nodded, feeling very content. What he really wanted was to just take a nap and hold Nabiki against him. He closed his eyes, smiling faintly as Nabiki left. For a brief moment, he considered just laying back down, but that would just annoy Nabiki. She wasn't satisfied with anything he ever did.

Kuno got up, feeling sluggish, but happy, and got dressed. He opened the window and climbed out, dropping to the ground easily. Then he walked around to the front of the house rather casually. After all, it was probably just Ranma and Akane fighting again. They always did that.

Nabiki went downstairs and joined the rest of the family. She watched slack-jawed for a moment as Gosunkugi and Ranma battled each other, fists flying, neither really hurting the other. "What's going on?" she whispered to Kasumi.

Kasumi had trouble answering, she was so mad. How dare this little boy come to her home and start fighting with members of her family!

Nabiki noted the growl Kasumi answered her with and stepped back a bit. Apparently there was a break in the fighting and her movement had caught Gosunkugi's attention.

"Well, well," Gosunkugi said, keeping one eye on Ranma and the other on Nabiki and Akane. "So it seems the other piece to my plan has shown herself."

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Ranma asked, breathing somewhat heavily. He was going to have to let it all hang out. But that was OK; Gosunkugi would never be able to stand against his best moves.

"After I'm done with you, she'll be what I use to get Kuno." Both of Gosunkugi's eyes fixed on Nabiki for a split second.

Nabiki felt her blood run cold at the stare and his words.

"But what does my sister have to do with Kuno-sempai?" Akane asked cluelessly, still stunned by the fighting prowess Gosunkugi had shown.

"You don't know? Isn't that humorous." Gosunkugi chuckled. "Akane-chan, your sister is having a rather heated affair with that idiot." He smiled wider seeing the look on Akane's face. "And when he gets angry, he turns into a big dog."

Akane appeared aghast, Nabiki looked horrified, and everyone else seemed stunned. Nabiki's face started turning red, but if it was from embarrassment or anger, it was impossible to tell which.

Gosunkugi began laughing. "With that look on your face, maybe I'll keep you along with your sister."

That made Akane's, and even Soun's face twist with anger. "Now listen here, young man..." he began, and started to stand up.

"Sit down, old man!" Gosunkugi roared, Soun dropping back to his seat.

"Come on. Your fight is with me right now," Ranma said, gearing up, turning attention to him, away from the people inside.

Gosunkugi turned back to Ranma. "Quite right. And for my rudeness, I'll even afford you the first attack." He smiled condescendingly.

"Smile at this..." Ranma brought his hands forward, his entire body glowed for a split second, then he shouted, "Moko takabisha!"

The blast flew straight at Gosunkugi, who didn't bother to do anything but smile. It struck him square on the chest, then seemed to flow around his thin frame, causing massive destruction behind him. He never stopped smiling.

Ranma looked on, amazed. No one had ever been able to just ignore his attack like that. Some people could counter it, but never take it and not even bother to blink.

"Not bad," Gosunkugi said, "but I think I can do better."

Ranma flinched internally at the statement. Conditions just weren't right for a hiryu shoten ha, and that seemed to be his last hope. He hadn't been able to adapt to a fighting style, because Gosunkugi simply didn't have one. And he couldn't seem to hurt his foe even when he did get in solid shots.

"Ranma Sao..." Kun stopped when he saw who was standing in the yard. His gaze darkened and he lowered his head a little as he began to growl. "You," he said in a threatening tone.

This was an unexpected development for Gosunkugi. He wasn't ready yet for Kuno, not without Nabiki under his control. But there was still Kodachi, and she probably should have been showing up at any second. She would do, and all he had to do was threaten Nabiki... "Yes, it is I. And you have been a nuisance far too long, you pompous, over-inflated bag of wind."

"You... I will..." Kuno said, enraged.

"No way," Ranma butted in. "I'm going to take care of him. Kuno, you keep outta this."

"No. For what he's done to Kodachi, I will destroy him." Kuno's eyes were glowing with fury, already red. His fists clenched spasmodically, but his feet remained in one spot.

"But Kuno-sempai can't..."

"Be quiet, Akane!" Ranma said again, backing away slowly. If Kuno really wanted to fight Gosunkugi, and he was willing to go that far... Who was he to stand in the way of a grudge battle?

"Ranma, you know..." Akane started to say.

"Akane, shut up!" Nabiki hissed at her sister.

Akane's mouth kept moving, but no sound came out.

Gosunkugi watched Ranma back away and move slowly toward the house. So he was letting Kuno have a go. No matter. His eyes slid over to settle on Kuno. Where was Kodachi? For several minutes, they only glared at each other.

Kasumi and Nabiki were the only ones who seemed to fully understand the danger with what was happening. Ranma knew there was trouble, but not to what extent. All he could hope was that Kuno didn't get his butt kick too quickly.

"Nabiki, what's..." Akane asked.

"Sh!" was Nabiki's answer as she moved from the table to get closer to the fight. She stood next to Ranma, whose every atom seemed to be on edge.

"Kodachi?" He whispered.

Nabiki nodded.

"Psychological games?" Gosunkugi finally broke the silence by asking. "I wouldn't recommend it. Mental exercises just aren't you thing." Gosunkugi wanted to sound a lot more confident than he felt. Why he was so nervous about things, he didn't know, but he wanted to be done with it all.

Kuno didn't bother with any answer other than changing quickly to a wolf. 'Another shirt,' he thought as he discarded the one he had destroyed.

There was a gasp that he identified as Akane's, a thump that was Soun fainting, and an interested 'hm' that must have been Tofu's. Gosunkugi's expression hadn't changed.

"Isn't that cute. If I thought you'd survive, I'd get you a collar and doghouse."

That made Kuno's growling a very audible presence, though he still hadn't made a move.

"Maybe I'll save that for your sister though..." He watched Kuno's entire body stiffen, and cast a sidelong glance at Nabiki. "Or maybe Nabiki..."

That did it. Kuno couldn't just stand by any longer. He sprang suddenly at the slight target in front of him. He was on Gosunkugi before he could act.

At first, Kuno was a flurry of activity, swinging wildly, letting his anger ruin anything constructive he might have been able to do. But as he rained ineffective blows down on Gosunkugi, he began to slow. The actual pummeling wasn't doing anything at all, and Gosunkugi was still smiling.

As a sort of mutual decision, the two broke, Kuno bouncing back, and Gosunkugi rolling to his feet. The next exchange wouldn't involve any surprise at all. Gosunkugi quickly gathered a reserve of power and began firing orbs of magic at Kuno. They looked innocent enough, a dull red color, but their destructive capability was horrific.

Kuno dodged them easily, as they were fairly slow moving and never varied in height, but he made no move at Gosunkugi yet. An assault on the house was still a distinct possibility, so he had to move the fight away from it somehow.

Gosunkugi was beginning to see how things would be even more difficult that he had originally anticipated. So far, the mangy wolf had easily avoided all his attacks with minimal effort, and was now staring at him angrily. Damn it! Where was Kodachi?

Gosunkugi changed tactics slightly. He rose three inches off the ground and began moving back and forth quickly, Kuno's eyes following his every move. Then tiny fiery, globes began to fly from his hands, each one about the size of a lime. They zipped through the air in a seemingly random pattern, impossible for Kuno to avoid.

Gosunkugi's glee at watching Kuno get toasted quickly changed to anger as Kuno simply ducked under the wave. Gosunkugi had not learned complete control over his magic yet and could not control the direction it traveled very well. Straight lines at one height was all he could manage.

Kuno slunk under the orbs, almost crawling on the ground, advancing on the angry vampire swiftly. He did not want to feel the sting of that magic on his flesh. Looking quickly to the side, he affirmed that no one in the house was in any danger, and continued forward, a little more quickly.

Seeing Kuno coming up on him, Gosunkugi changed tactics again, and sent a group of what appeared to be snakes of fire along the ground. The slithering motion would make them difficult to avoid, even for the most nimble-footed. He watched as Kuno skipped and hopped out of the way, coming close to being hit several times, but eventually ending up unhurt in front of the observers.

That was when Gosunkugi was alerted to a new presence. Exactly what he was waiting for. He could still make things work. "If you think that's all I've got," Gosunkugi said, stalling, glaring at Kuno, "then I've got a surprise for you." The worried looks on everyone's faces made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "Now, if you would," he said casually.

The laugh came from the rooftop and sent chills through everyone. "Ranma-sama!" came the voice that made everyone look up.

Everyone except Gosunkugi and Nabiki. Without a sound, Gosunkugi drew upon his entire reserve and released a gout of fire straight at Kuno. Cylindrical in shape, the flame resembled a dragon's head, and headed unerringly at Kuno until Nabiki threw herself at him.

She slammed into Kuno, knocking him out of the way as she was instead engulfed by Gosunkugi's fire. It seemed that complete silence had descended, except for the anguished screams of Nabiki.

Burning much like the flames that consume newspaper or dry leaves, the one consuming her was hot and bright, but not long lasting. The magical fire winked out of existence, leaving a vaguely human mass behind. It was still breathing for the moment. An ear-splitting howl pierced the night air, soon joined by another, as Kasumi, consumed by anger and grief, transformed.

Kodachi dropped lightly to the ground to see what all the fuss was over, as she hadn't been able to see very well on the roof.

"I guess I missed," Gosunkugi said, and shrugged.

Kuno scrambled to his feet to check on his fallen mate, afraid to touch her. He was whining and whimpering, looking at her blackened skin. If he hadn't been ill already, the smell would have been enough to make him vomit.

Kasumi, filled with rage, hopped over Tofu, knocked aside Kodachi and dove at Gosunkugi. Her left hand penetrated his stomach to her wrist, and her right hand closed on his throat, her claws sinking into his chalky flesh.

That brought a cry of surprise from Gosunkugi as he doubled over from the gut shot, then was yanked upright by the claws in his neck. Kasumi moved around him, tearing his neck a little, and got him in a secure hold, his arms pinned to his sides.

In the meantime, at Tofu's insistence, Kuno had carefully manged to get Nabiki inside, where she was being attended as best Tofu could manage. Never had he seen someone injured so severely. And to still be alive? Unheard of. Unfortunately, it looked like that would not last long, not much past morning, even with medical treatment.

Tofu delicately touched some pressure points to dull the pain, but that was all he could do. He looked up at Kuno, then the others, and slowly shook his head. "The best I can do is make it hurt less until she..."

Instead of the sorrowful response Tofu was expecting, Kuno looked angrier than before. He watched Kuno march out into the yard where Kasumi (Kasumi?!) was still holding Gosunkugi tightly. Maybe... maybe it hadn't been a dream...

Ranma, recovering from the events he had just witnessed, stood in front of Gosunkugi. He could barely speak the words. "Why? Why'd ya do somethin' like this?"

Gosunkugi merely smiled, his eyes looking back and forth between Ranma and the approaching Kuno. He shrugged, and wheezed when Kasumi squeezed his throat, sinking her claws in deeper.

Ranma looked back at Tofu and Nabiki, who was now covered with a light blanket. "You can heal her, can't ya?"

Gosunkugi shrugged, his eyes glittering. He could if he wanted to, but why... He could feel his body being crushed as Kasumi strengthened her grip yet again.

Eyes narrowing, Ranma glared at Gosunkugi. He looked back at the tear-streaked face of Akane and felt his bubble of self-control begin to burst. Before he could act though, Kuno stepped between him and Gosunkugi.

Gosunkugi looked up at Kuno and immediately tried to look away. He would not allow himself to be lulled by Kuno's hypnotic gaze, not when he had one of his own. Yet... No! It just wasn't possible for that fool to be more powerful than him! He struggled, trying to escape the grip Kasumi had on his body, and the grip Kuno was trying to get on his mind.

Slowly, he could feel his will slipping away. Words he wasn't saying were coming form his mouth. "Yes, I will heal you all," he rasped.

Kuno nodded at Kasumi, who released Gosunkugi's arms, but did not remove her claws from his throat. He could see the dull anger in the vampire's eyes and knew the hold he had would not last long.

Gosunkugi's body seemed to move independently of his will. His arms moved in intricate patterns, weaving the spell that would... No! A glow surrounded his hands. No! He couldn't allow this to happen! He touched Kasumi's arm, and the glow spread to her.

Kuno watched closely, fascinated. It was actually working! Everything would be back to normal! But a sudden shrieking from behind him made him whip his head around just as Gosunkugi's hand was reaching out...

"Kill them, Kodachi!" Gosunkugi yelled. The hold had been broken. The blue glow faded and turned red.

Kuno saw his sister stagger toward Tofu and Nabiki, a spiked club in one hand, a razor hoop in the other. Her footsteps were heavy, plodding. She was still fighting Gosunkugi's commands. Kuno bounded over before Kodachi could actually make it inside, spun her around and hit her. He never imagined he would hit his sister in such a manner, let alone twice.

Kasumi had heard Nabiki shriek, then Gosunkugi's fateful words. She had watched his hands change color, the healing blue changing to a deadly red. Then Kuno had run off and the only target there was Ranma. Too slow to act, she watched Gosunkugi grab Ranma's arm, and the sizzling noise... Ranma had yelled and struggled, but could not break free.

The smack and soft thud as Kodachi hit the ground, Ranma soon following, Nabiki still screaming... Kasumi couldn't take it any longer. Akane had joined in the yelling when she saw Ranma fall, and Gosunkugi's hands reached back for Kasumi...

There was a brief burning sensation on Kasumi's arm, and then she jerked away, taking half of Gosunkugi's throat with her. That was it. She struck him in the head, driving him to the ground, and began tearing into him. She tore at his skin, ripped apart his insides, snapping bones and crushing organs.

Finally, she grasped what was left of Gosunkugi's neck and squeezed. The spine was pulverized, and she could feel the cord squish between her fingers. Even then, she didn't stop ripping at his remains until all that was left was a great gory smear in the yard.

Kasumi stopped and suddenly sat down. Everything that had happened toppled down on her. Her body shuddered, and she fell unconscious.

***

Tofu averted his gaze from the huge wolfen creature and left the room. There was nothing more he could do, nothing anyone could do. He shut the door after himself.

Kuno looked down at the figure on the bed. She was very still, but breathing shallowly. Tofu had been right; she would not last much longer. And it had all been his fault. If he hadn't been so pompous and insistent... He kneeled by the bed and laid his head on it. He would wait there until the end.

By either a miracle, or some sort of hideous luck, everyone else had been fine. Kasumi had been healed, and showed no signs of being anything other than herself. Ranma had a severe burn and a concussion, but was fine otherwise. Kodachi had been physically fine, but mentally, she was completely wrecked. She wouldn't be leaving the house for a very long time.

Kuno sighed. Would it be too much to ask, just this once, that things went right? Everything else seemed so inconsequential with his head on the bed, watching Nabiki's life ebb away. Even if they had not been bound, he would never wish this as her fate.

He whined in frustration and sadness. And heartache. As if it was one last slap in the face, Nabiki's hand settled on his head. If he had been capable of more tears, he would have shed them then.

He could never be sure quite where it came from, but he suddenly got an idea. It was very close to insane. It would mean willingly subjecting someone... But she was dead otherwise, and wasn't alive better than dead? And if she hated him for it? Better that she be alive and hate him than be dead and forever gone. To not be with her because he had done the only thing he knew to save her life was better than because of his stupidity.

And really, she deserved to live so much more than he. He should have died the night he was attacked. If he had, none of this would have happened. So if she really hated him, then that was fine. He would simply finish what had been started and remove himself from her presence forever. His honor never entered into the equation. Die like a warrior, die like a coward... Who would care?

Just the thought of doing such a thing to her made him salivate, and that worried him. What if he did it, but couldn't stop himself? Kuno shuddered and gently removed Nabiki's hand from his head. Opening his mouth, he put his jaws around her upper arm. Looking at her face forlornly, he snapped his jaws shut and tasted the blood gush into his mouth.

It was so warm, so sweet... He shook his head a little, tearing the flesh, more blood spilling out, flowing into his mouth... Kuno jerked back, staring at the arm he had just mangled. He stood up and backed away quickly.

Akane was downstairs, trying to keep her composure with Kasumi and Tofu. It wasn't easy, but she was managing. Barely. A sudden thumping from upstairs startled her, and what sounded like a herd of bowling balls coming down the stairs made her whip her head around. She saw Kuno charging down the stairs, his eyes wide, his muzzle covered in red. He ran past the three of them, outside and disappeared into the night.

End Part 2