Hi everyone. Wow has it been a long time! I've been playing Everquest, but I've quit now (yay!) and have more time for writing! This is an idea I brewed up and decided to type. I've also decided to combine it with a concept I had for an X-Men Evolution story I wrote. ****** YOU CAN CHOOSE!!! YOU HAVE THE POWER!!! **** Basically, you the reader, submit what YOU think should happen in the next segment of the story. I'll either pick the one that is IMHO the best or more likely combine several ideas into one. Disclaimer: If you think I own Ranma, send me a cheque. I don't really, but if you believe it please, please, please send me a cheque! Otherwise send the cheque to Viz Video and/or Rumiko Takahashi, whom without which, we would all be Ranma-less. ***** Nabiki weaved down the dimly lit stone path. She stumbled once, eliciting a harshly whispered curse. Taking another draught from the can in her hand, she continued towards her target. She stopped at the base of the wall and looked up at her prey. Ranma sat facing away from her, staring outward into the dimly lit night. Nabiki couldn't see his expression, but she was pretty sure it was that stupid woeful look he so often had after a fight with Akane. Nabiki placed both hands on the sill of the wall. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a mild effort, but now, combined with the can in her hand, it was impossible. After a few tries, she stopped and glared at the sill, as through her inability to climb on to it was its own fault. She looked up at Ranma. "Hey! Some help here!" "Huh?" Ranma turned and looked down at her. "Oh, hi Nabiki," he said rather listlessly. Reaching down, he took hold of one of her hands, and with one smooth motion, pulled her up to his level. As soon as she was beside him, Ranma's nose wrinkled in distaste. "You're drunk." Nabiki nodded. "Yup. Not much, but just enough to say what I'm going to say." Ranma's expression became resigned. He turned away and continued his contemplation of the night sky. "Stow it, would you? I got enough of that from her." He didn't need to say who 'her' was. Nabiki's face darkened. "No I will not 'stow it.' I've buried things for as long as you've been here, trying to get you back with my schemes and plots! Trying to get revenge by hitting you in the pocketbook like I do everyone else! Well not anymore, not tonight! You, Ranma Saotome, are a chauvinistic pig!" Ranma stared at her like she'd grown horns. Nabiki continued in a whispering hiss. "First, you come here and get yourself betrothed to my baby sister!" Nabiki conveniently forgot her own role in the decision of the pairing. "Then you make her life miserable by insulting her in the worst ways possible! Calling her names, getting into fights over the littlest of things! How many of your fights could have been avoided if you'd just say 'sorry' or 'it was my fault' huh? No, your ego and pride have to come first and so there's not even an attempt at reconciliation! You feed off of our family like a leech, you bring I don't know how much trouble to our house, and destroy our home on a regular basis! Well, Ranma Saotome, I have had enough! Starting tomorrow, I'm going to start working on convincing my Dad to kick the two of you out of our house, and if you don't like that then fuck you and the horse you rode in on!" Nabiki liked that last line, considering Ranma's and Genma's names, and had been looking forward to saying it for hours. Ranma's face was flushed with anger and he opened and closed his mouth several times, but unable to speak past his rage. She watched as his hands clenched and unclenched as though looking for something to hit. Well, she wasn't afraid! Standing defiantly, she glared at him, challenging him though posture alone to do something about what she had said. I'm okay, she thought. He won't do anything. He doesn't hit girls, so I should-. Even as her body and mind reeled with the force of the blow, the small part of her mind that seemed to be unaffected by alcohol forced one thought to the forefront of her consciousness. Ranma never declines a challenge, either. She would have fallen off the wall, but Ranma grabbed her pajama shirt and pulled her back up. "You don't have a clue!" he hissed back. "I've got the three fiancés from hell! One who wants to drug and kidnap me and take me to China, a second who almost killed your sister, and a third who punches me into low earth orbit on a regular basis! Not only that, I've got girl who's literally psycho about me, a guy who's just as crazy about my girl side, and a Master who grabs my breasts whenever he gets the chance! My best 'friend' is a guy who breaks bodies as easily as he does rocks! The last time I remember someone saying something good about me when my Mom visited me a week ago! You think I like this life? You think I like being a 'sex-changing pervert?' My Dad turns into a Panda, and I turn into a girl! Mousse tries to stick me with knives every time he sees me, and Cologne has a heck of a lot of fun torturing me with her Shiatsu techniques, which seem designed to make my life a mess! And you think this is fun?" Ranma pushed her away, and turned once again to the stars. Except now his eyes were flashing with anger and pain. "I've thought about running away plenty of times," he muttered, more to himself than to Nabiki. Nabiki's face was pale, and she had a sick feeling deep within her gut. She took a moment to analyze it. Yep, it was guilt. Wow, she hadn't felt that in a long time. And now she remembered why she had done her best to divest herself of that emotion. It felt like shit. "Why don't you?" she asked quietly. "Honor. Stupid, old-fashioned, outdated honor. I can't help it. It's who I am. But what's more honorable: staying here and fighting, or just running away and not hurting anyone anymore? I don't know the answer to that. I need people to give me some room and some time so I can decide, but you all want a decision right now! And even if I did make a decision, two of the three of them would hate it. At least Akane or Ukyo would probably move on, but Shampoo and Cologne'll be on my case forever." Ranma sighed bitterly. "I just want people to leave me alone and let me live my life! Is that too much to ask?" Nabiki could see the tears in his eyes. He'd never admit to their presence, but they were there. A breeze blew by the two, and an icy sensation caused her to put a hand on her cheek. Sure enough, there were tracks made by tears. Damn alcohol! It always put her in too much contact with her emotions! She went to throw her beer away, but realized she'd dropped it when Ranma slapped her. "Ranma I-I'm-" Ranma did not react. He did not care. She said what she said, and he said what he said, and nothing would change it. Apologies did not matter. She turned away and was just about to drop down to the ground when she stopped. No, she thought. That's what the problem is! We're getting angry at each other and no one's doing anything about it. Well, that's going to change! She turned back to Ranma and stepped close. Ranma turned to face her. "What now?" he said, expecting another round of accusation. Nabiki embraced him tightly. "I'm sorry." Ranma froze. She could feel the tension in him. She held him for several moments until she realized he wasn't going to relax until she let him go. Ranma's eyes were wide with a combination of fear and suspicion. "What'd you do that for?" he asked. "I said some bad things without knowing the whole story and I wanted to apologize. That's it." After this, she promised herself, I am not getting drunk for a long time. I don't know if I can handle these mood swings. Ranma's eyes narrowed. "That's all?" "Yep." "Oh." Ranma sat down, and Nabiki followed suit. Nabiki grinned. "You know Ranma, you've got to learn not to take everything so seriously. I think that's part of the problem. Akane'll tease you, and you'll verbally attack her, and she attacks you physically." "Hey, she's got her problems, too, you know." Nabiki laughed. "Hey I've lived with her for almost my whole life, I know what her problems are." They sat through a moment of uncomfortable silence. "What were the two of you fighting about this time?" Ranma shrugged. "The usual. It think it was worse because it was at the end of the year dance." "Yeah I could see that." They both watched the night sky together for a while, until Nabiki again broke the silence. "You know Ranma, I don't think we've ever really talked before. I just realized that except for learning all the stuff from the various disasters that show up on our doorstep, I don't know a thing about you. I don't even know your favorite food." "It's Shanghi noodles stir fry with oyster sauce." Nabiki snorted. "Yeah okay, but what about other stuff?" "What other stuff? If you think you're going to sit here and ask me questions then forget it." "I was thinking making it a game of some sort. Like Truth or Dare or Twenty Questions or something." "So you ask a question then it's my turn?" "Sure. I'll even let you start since I've already asked my question." Ranma thought it over for a moment. "Okay. But no asking about what fiancé I really love or anything like that." He thought for a moment. "How bad are Pop and I to the finances?" Nabiki blushed. "Oh...uh...they're..." She sighed. "To be honest, not that much. Dad's family was decently off even before he married Mom. He did own the house and the land after all. And when Mom died, the insurance money was invested. We have a broker who manages things. We've got it fairly well for ourselves." Ranma gaped at her. "You mean you were lying when you guilt tripped me-" "It's my turn now! Hmmm...is it really that bad being a girl? I've never had much of a problem." "Nah. I've adapted to it I guess. I still want a cure, eventually, but after that fight with Herb..." Ranma shuttered. "I'd rather be a girl than kill someone for a cure. Okay, my question. If your family is so well off, why do you work so hard at scamming people out of money?" "It's fun. I like exploiting people and using their weaknesses to my gain. And I like it when I can make people squirm. Kind of like you using people's weaknesses to beat them in fights. At least I have something to show for it when I'm done. You just have the pride and prestige of winning. My turn. Let's see, you're use to being a girl. So does that mean you've become accustomed to the various problems we girls have." Nabiki grinned mischievously. "Like PMS? If you've experienced it, when was your first period?" "Ewh! Nabiki, that's a gross question!" "Give it up, Ranma! We had a deal, remember?" Damn sense of honor! Ranma thought. "It was in China. We were there for a month after our trip to Jusenkyo, and I couldn't stay a guy for longer than a day. Why do you think Shampoo was able to chase us everywhere? I couldn't have stayed a boy if I wanted to. Of course, I did want to, not that it mattered." "Well, at least now you know what it feels like." "Hell yeah. When it first happened, I didn't have a clue what was going on. Pop didn't say anything. Maybe he didn't figure it out. We went to a doctor and the doc gave me what he called 'the talk.' I learned a lot about being a girl that day." Nabiki laughed. "Kasumi gave me 'the talk,' too. Scary wasn't it? Wait, that's not a question! Your turn." Come on Ranma, he thought. Come up with something embarrassing! Time for some payback! "Is there anyone you like?" Nabiki smiled confidently. "Nope, nobody right now. Just friends." Ranma slumped slightly. "Not even Kuno?" "Nope. Despite rumors to the contrary, I don't have any feelings for Kuno. Well, beyond the need to use him. He's so easy. That's two questions, so now I get two." "D'oh!" Ranma smacked his palm against his forehead. "Well, you've experienced the pain of being a girl, so how about the pleasure?" Nabiki could feel the blush rising up her neck and to her face, but she did her best to ignore the sensation and hoped Ranma didn't see. "Ever played with yourself as a girl? You are a 'sex- changing pervert' after all." Ranma's blush was easy to see, even in the dark. "No! What kind of freak do you think I am?" One of Nabiki's eyes rose up questioningly. "I mean it! I've never done anything like that!" "Huh. Most guys would have done it by now. What about as a guy?" "Nope." Nabiki glared at him, disbelief clearly visible in her expression. "Oh come on Ranma. You don't seriously expect me to believe that do you? Everyone does it." "It's true!" Nabiki continued to glare at him, and decided the answer was worth owing him a question. "Why not?" "Think about it! I've lived with my Dad since I was six. And since I got here, people have been bursting in on me. Can you imagine what would happen if Akane walked in on me when I was doing...that? She'd kill me!" Ranma looked around. "I'm actually surprised no one's interrupted us. Usually if I'm with a girl for longer than five minutes, one of my fiancés arrive. Usually to pound me." Nabiki nodded slightly, understanding. "Huh. I don't know whether to question your sanity or applaud you self-control. No wonder you get so ticked off when Akane calls you a pervert." "Yeah. My turn now. Two questions, right?" Ranma thought furiously. He began to treat this game as a challenge, as a kind of fight, and she was winning. What could he ask her? This was one of the few times where she would (probably) tell him the truth about anything he asked. A light bulb went off in his head. "Okay, my first question will be the same as yours. Have you ever...played with yourself?" Ranma felt no small bit of satisfaction to see Nabiki's face darken with embarrassment, although her expression did not change. "Sure. Like I said, everyone does it. Even me." With a second flash of insight, Ranma continued with his second question. "Have you ever been with a guy? Who and when?" This time Ranma saw Nabiki's expression change to one of dread. Then it quickly flashed to resignation before she managed to smooth her features. "Yeah, I have. It was a year ago and his name was Kiro. He was in the seniors class. He graduated and he's now at Nekomi Technical College. We email each other from time to time. Good enough?" Ranma nodded. Nabiki's eyes narrowed as she contemplated Ranma. She had to admit, she hadn't thought he'd have the guts to ask those questions, but apparently he'd shifted into combat mode, where he would try to win at any costs. What could she ask? Nabiki stood and posed dramatically, pushing out her chest and pulling at the back of her shirt so her breasts showed prominently. "Do you think I'm attractive?" Ranma's jaw dropped. He could clearly see the curves of her chest and the nipples that pressed against the tight shirt. That tight sensation between his legs quickly became uncomfortable, and he moved his hands to discreetly cover the growing bulge. Thinking fast he answered cautiously. "Uhhh...sometimes, yeah." "I meant right now, Ranma." "Oh...umm..." He gulped nervously, and resisted the urge to wipe away the sweat that sprung out on his forehead. "Yeah, I guess I do," he answered slowly. Still too stunned to act quickly, Nabiki managed to get another question off. Bending over at the waist, she bent down until her face was at the same level as his. She was inches from his face, and she let go of her shirt. Her breasts fell forward, pulling the collar forward as well, giving Ranma an excellent view of what lied beneath. "If I offered you the chance for a...good time...would you say yes?" Ranma's brain went on overload. This couldn't be happening, his fiancé's sister offering herself too him. He merely stared at her, mouth open unable to speak. Nabiki smiled slightly. "Okay, maybe not sex. But I could show you some things, and do some things that wouldn't be intercourse. Technically." Ranma finally managed to get something past the sudden obstruction in his throat. "Why?" he rasped "Because I want to, Ranma. Like I said it's been a year and I'm going crazy!" "But...but you could have anyone at school if you wanted too!" "I don't want anyone at school. A lot of the guys are either nuts over your girl form or hung up on Akane. You wouldn't believe how frustrated some of the girls are! And you haven't answered my question." "But Akane...and the others..." "Ranma this won't mean anything. We're just going to have some fun. Think of it as a game." Her voice lowered to a soft purr. "An innocent game Ranma." She took her hand and pulled him to his feet. She could clearly see the bulge at his waist. "Why Ranma," she exclaimed in mock surprise. "You really do like me." Ranma blushed a bright red. "Come on, Ranma. We can go to the dojo." End So now here's the fun part. YOU tell ME what happens next! Also let's not forget that C&C is appreciated. =) Nighthawke AKA Adam