From: Uncle Fester Nabiki - New Horizons Pt. 3 - Honeymoon Hell By Uncle Fester A pleasant breeze raced the sunshine to reach the honeymoon suite's oversized bed. A newlywed couple, covered by only a single silken sheet, were sleeping late. The girl lazily stretched, relishing the feel of the silken sheets on her bare skin. Happily, she snuggled closer to her sleeping husband, her head on his muscular shoulder. Partially awake, she slowly caressed the skin of his chest; tracing a line around his pectoral muscles. A small smile spread over her face. She had never thought sleeping with someone else would be so...comfortable. she thought slowly to herself as she held up her left hand and admired the wedding ring that now adorned her finger. A satisfied feeling engulfed her. she mused while watching the slow rise and fall of her husband's chest. She snuggled closer. She had chosen well. He was kind, attentive, and considerate of her opinions. He slept quietly, unlike members of her own family who tossed and turned all night. She stretched again, wincing slightly. she moved her legs gingerly. She chuckled softly. The images and echoes of the night before flashed through her mind, leaving her more than slightly excited. The wedding night had been... indescribable. Jeff stirred and slowly opened his eyes. As Nabiki planned, her face was the first thing he saw. "Ohayo, Mrs. Lawrence." he murmured. "Ohayo, my husband." she was being formal in a teasing way. "Did you sleep well?" "[yawning]I kept having this wonderful dream." "Oh?" "It was about a beautiful young Japanese girl." "Hmmm. I think I like this dream. Tell me more." "She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen." "Describe her." "Beautiful brown eyes." "Good." "Kawaii little nose." "I like this." "Terrific body and dynamite in bed." "Ooooh, I think I know who she is." "...and long black hair." "WHAT?!!" Nabiki grabbed a pillow and smacked her giggling husband as he rolled out of the bed. "Does the word: 'annulment', mean anything to you?" She was having a hard time looking angry; she kept breaking into giggles of her own. Tucking the covers around her body as she sat up, she shot Jeff one of her 'looks'. "Just for that, *I'm* going home to daddy." she pouted. "Sorry, sweetie." Jeff answered as he stretched, flexing the muscles she had admired since that first night in her father's dojo. "Your dad told me at the reception that he has a strict 'no return' policy. Something about used goods." "Oooooh!" Nabiki grabbed another pillow and threw it after Jeff as he retreated into the bathroom. Chuckling softly to herself, she thought of yet another reason why she loved him; he was fun to be with. "By the way," he said loudly enough to be heard over the sink's running water. "I have to go down to the lawyer's office and sign the final inheritance papers this morning." Nabiki climbed out of bed and slipped into her yukata and slippers. "I also have to go down and give a statement at the police station about my cousin Monty." Jeff actually sounded a little sad about his cousin's actions. They had never gotten along, even before his grandparents died. Monty always thought that Jeff was an unwelcome and illegitimate addition to the family. When Jeff's grandparents left all their money to their grandson, it only served to push the already unstable Montgomery Phillips over the edge. Nabiki had known the day after their wedding would be a little disjointed due to Jeff wrapping up his inheritance. In a way, she was kind of glad for the time alone. Not that she didn't enjoy being with her new husband. On the contrary, she relished every moment. It's just she was more used to a solitary lifestyle. This 'togetherness' thing was going to take a little getting used to. For some reason, she began picking up all the discarded clothes from the night before. she paused. She looked at the bundle she had already picked up and scowled. Carefully picking out Jeff's clothes and dropping them back onto the floor, she thought: She was about to look into getting dressed when an envelope slid quietly under the door from the hall. She only noticed because it moved so quickly across the carpet, it startled her. she mused, bending over to pick up the envelope. She rolled her eyes. She smiled to herself when she remembered being in the honeymoon suite whirlpool...with Jeff...and some champagne... hmmmmmmm.> Shaking her head, she reminded herself that there were things to do and she had no time for daydreams; no matter how good they might have been. She turned her attention to the envelope. As expected, it was addressed to her. What was inside was completely unexpected. 'Nabiki Lawrence: It was an honor to be able to help you on your wedding day. Meet me at noon at the gymnasium of Chaminade University. Tell no one you are coming. We need to talk. Sodoshi.' Nabiki quickly tucked the note in her purse and nonchalantly began dressing. Jeff soon emerged from the bathroom ready for his busy day. Resisting the urge to drag Nabiki back to bed, he quickly dressed and, apologizing repeatedly for having to interrupt their honeymoon for business, left for the meetings that would convert the last of the Phillips financial empire into his. Nabiki, dressed in a simple pinafore and blouse that looked strangely like one of Akane's outfits, used her Japanese-English pocket dictionary to carefully translate the Japanese name for the place they were to meet into English. she giggled remembering all the mindless translations she and her classmates had to endure. Out front of the hotel, Nabiki hailed a taxi, pointed to the address of the gymnasium and relaxed when the driver nodded that he understood. The trip itself took less time than Nabiki's haggling with the driver over a tip. Such things were simply not done in Japan and she couldn't understand why the driver felt he deserved extra compensation for transporting her where she paid him to take her in the first place. Besides, he didn't even open the door for her. Standing alone outside the gymnasium, Nabiki looked around carefully. It was between semesters and virtually all the students and faculty had left. Only birds disrupted the abandoned look of the campus. Nabiki thought as she tried one of the glass doors. It easily swung open and she cautiously stepped inside. The foyer was poorly lit by the indirect sunlight coming through the glass doors but she could see well enough to tell there was no one inside either. "In here, clan sister." came a female voice from the gymnasium darkness. Cautiously, Nabiki crept to the open door leading to the basketball arena and looked in. The gloomy darkness of the empty arena cast a depressing aura around her. "Come in. I've been waiting for you, clan sister." Nabiki's 'gift' of being able to detect dangerous situations was whispering to her now. Whomever was in the arena was potentially dangerous. Swallowing hard, Nabiki fought the urge to run for the outside door; to abandon this mysterious meeting and never look back. But her curiosity about this 'Sodoshi' person who wore the mark of her mother's shinobi clan, was overwhelming. She *had* to know. Slowly, Nabiki slipped inside. "So, you decided to come." the female voice announced. "I wasn't sure you had the courage." As Nabiki's eyes adjusted to the arena's gloom, she could make out a female figure approaching slowly. Scared but still curious, Nabiki responded to the taunt. "I came because I wished to see you." Her voice was surprisingly firm. "Odd. I would have figured you for a shrinking wall flower." the girl replied advancing into the light. "Master Sato was right. You *do* have the blood." Nabiki finally got a good look at this mysterious shadow warrior. She was slightly taller than Nabiki but with a model's body. Her long dark hair was tied into dual pony tails that trailed over each shoulder and down her chest; not unlike the ones Nabiki herself wore when she was a child. Her face was flawlessly beautiful and reflected a timeless beauty that Japanese women were renowned for throughout the world. If she were not a ninja, she would have surely been a model or idol singer. She also noticed the girl walked oddly, like someone with a stomach-ache or a bad back; slightly bent to one side and forward. "I want to thank you for what you did..." Nabiki began humbly. And why not? She owed her life to this woman. "Save it, Nabiki Lawrence." the girl snapped. "That's Tendo-Lawrence. I've kept my family name." Nabiki corrected, slightly irritated that she had been verbally slapped by this woman. The girl just laughed. "Oh, forgive me, Miss Wealthy clan sister." she taunted openly. "I had no idea I was offending Mistress Tendo-Lawrence." Nabiki just closed her eyes and fought back the urge to tell the girl off and leave. She came to talk, not trade insults. "I want to know of my mother's clan. Because you're a member.." "Survivor!" the girl cut her off again. "I, Sodoshi Tanaka, am a survivor!" Her voice echoed throughout the gymnasium. She sounded both proud and angry at the same time. "I'm... sorry..." This was not going the way Nabiki intended. She had hoped for a friendly discussion of the history of her clan with one who was in a position to know but found only a bitter, hateful girl. "You still don't understand, do you?" she looked at Nabiki with disgust. "While you were growing up in a loving environment, I was running for my life." the girl spit at Nabiki. "You went to Furinkan Senior High School. Do you know how many high schools I've attended trying to hide? Seven. While you were safe behind the walls of the Tendo School of Martial Arts, I lost my mother, my father, *and* my older brother." Nabiki tried to find words to express her emotions but failed. "Surely, you don't think I had anything to do with..." "Oh, but I hate you. I hate you because *you* sat out the blood hunt while I, and my family, paid the ultimate price." Sodoshi was venting 20 years of frustration, fear, and sorrow on her distant clan sister. "I've done my last favor for you and your phoney clan member husband. And tell that old man Sato, we're even now. My debt to him is paid." She paused with a far away look of anger. "You should be thankful I'm not going to leave a trail so the assassins can find you and your perfect little family." "The blood hunt is over." Nabiki was being surprisingly calm throughout the Sodoshi barrage. "It ended when I married Jeff." "The feud is over when *I* say it's over! I, suffered at the hands of those animals! I, endured their hunts! I, will decide when peace comes!" "I lost a mother to the hunt." Nabiki narrowed her eyes at the older girl. "Your mother!?" the girl snorted. "Your mother wasn't killed by the assassins, you idiot. Your mother died of natural causes." "I'm not going to match tragedies with you, Sodoshi. What of our clan's elders?" "ELDERS!?!" the girl roared. "There's barely any clan left. It'll take generations to rebuild, ...if then." "You could start." Nabiki tried to sound hopeful. "Get married. Have children. Teach them the way of our people. We can have a clan again." The upbeat, optimistic businesswoman in Nabiki was taking over. The girl practically vibrated with anger, tears streaming down her cheeks. Tearing open the lower half of her blouse, she revealed an abdomen that looked like something out of a horror movie. Poorly healed scars ran in a 'z' pattern across her stomach. Lumps where the muscles failed to rejoin properly competed with pits where infections had festered to complete a horror that only a Hollywood special effects artist could dream up. "I have nothing to have children with! The hunters saw to that." she screamed, her beautiful face twisted into a mask of hate. "I was attacked by two assassins in MY OWN HOME! They drugged me and tried to make it look like I was committing ritual suicide. While one held me down, the other used his knife..." she swallowed hard. "I felt every cut! After the attack, I survived three days in a pool of my own blood. Scared to call for help. Scared of who would answer. Scared they would come back. But I lived! While I recovered, I lived on the streets." She paused again, her mouth moving as if she was fighting her memories for the right words. "I ate rotting garbage from alleys to avoid being seen. But I lived! I shunned hospitals and doctors because any one of them could alert the hunters. Instead I relied on clan cures and ancient medicines. I should have died a dozen times. But I lived!" The last she hissed through clenched teeth. Nabiki stared at the girl's scars until she was sure she would see them in her nightmares. Looking away, the cold realization of all Sodoshi had gone through caused her to tremble slightly. It was true. While Nabiki and her sisters were living a comfortable life in Nerima, others, Sodoshi Tanaka included, were being systematically hunted and killed by persons unknown, simply because of who they were related to. It was brutal. It was barbaric. It was traditional Japanese. "Sodoshi, I really want to help you." Nabiki tried again to reach out to her only link to her mother's clan. "I don't want help from you or your gaijin husband!" she screamed back at Nabiki. "I don't know what Master Sato is up to but I'm not waiting around to find out. You wind up dead that way!" "Sodoshi, why did you want to have this meeting? To yell at me for all the things you've had to endure because of a mistake made by some of your...our ancestors 400 years ago?" "No Nabiki." she replied sarcastically. "Only to let you know that, clan or not, I won't protect you and I won't go away. I'm going to be close enough so I can watch you every day. Every time you fall down, I'll be watching. Every time you suffer a loss, I'll be watching. And if they come for you or one of your sweet sisters, I'll be watching. I want to see you suffer as much as I did." Nabiki was about to respond when the slamming of a door down the hall attracted her attention. Seeing it was only a janitor retrieving his mop, Nabiki turned back. Sodoshi Tanaka was gone. Like the trained shadow warrior she was, she had vanished without a trace. Nabiki almost called out for her to return, to try to reason with the girl, but she knew it would be pointless. With sagged shoulders and shaking her head slowly, Nabiki walked out of the gloomy gymnasium building and into the bright Hawaiian sunshine. What Sodoshi had told her bothered her greatly. Trying to imagine the horrors the girl had grown up experiencing only made the whole episode seem that much more unreal. Ninja assassins in the 20th century? Nabiki just shook her head again and sat down on the gymnasium steps. Putting her head on her drawn up knees, she silently cried for Sodoshi's trials, for all the girl had gone through. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Her marriage to Jeff was supposed to stop all this nonsense. Everyone was supposed to be grateful or relieved or something. Why had that girl turned on her? "Because she carries the weight of ten generations, little one." Nabiki recognized that voice. "Master Sato. Is there nothing I can do?" she spoke into her legs, too embarrassed to even look his way. "In time, Sodoshi will slay the dragons in her heart." he said patiently. "In a way, it's my fault. I failed her." He sighed. "Failed?" Nabiki wiped the last of her tears and looked at the shinobi master. "Even before her parents were killed, I had come to the conclusion that this foolish bloodletting had gone on long enough." the master paused. "At the great shinobi council, I and my clan's elders argued for the killing to cease. Whatever retribution the deaths were to extract had long since lost their meaning. All but one clan agreed." Sato paused looking towards the blue ocean in the distance. His face wore a tired expression. "She was only 14 years old." He sounded like a sad grandfather. "Her brother was 19 and strong in the ways of our people. It didn't matter. They killed him and his girlfriend at a mountain spa. They made it look like, shinju, a lovers' double suicide." Nabiki fearfully thought back to her own visit to a mountain spa with Jeff. Had someone been stalking her even then? She quickly dismissed such thoughts when she remembered that Sodoshi threatened to point out her family to the assassins. That would mean that whoever was behind the murders of the Tanaka family had no idea of the Tendos and their clan relationship. She trembled again when she thought about what might have happened to her mother's brothers and sisters. "Sodoshi was stronger in the will to live than her brother. She spoke the truth about her ordeal." The master was idly tracing designs in the dirt with his staff. "I only found out about the attack after she had abandoned her apartment. The amount of blood she left behind..." "You tried to help her?" Nabiki asked in a small voice. "We looked vary hard for months afterwards and found no trace of her. She is a very good shadow warrior." "She said her debt to you was paid." "Yes, she felt a debt because I was the first to eventually find her. She was very ill; a bad infection and high fever. I led her to believe I was just a harmless old man and took her in. In time, I was able to stop the infection and she recovered." he paused. "When she had regained her strength, I felt she had a right to know the truth; about me... the shinobi ...this foolish 'blood hunt'." This was the closest Nabiki had ever seen Master Sato come to a genuine emotion. His face suddenly looked older. The 'blood hunts' had taken their toll on more than the Clan of The Cold Moon. "I wanted her to know I meant her no harm. I wanted her to have a chance to finish growing up; to have a normal life again." Sato shifted his position slightly, uncomfortable with his admissions. "Her injuries had healed poorly. That's why she is unable to stand straight." he softly added as if it were an afterthought. "Because of all that I had done for her, she trusted me to a limited degree." "It didn't sound like that to me." Nabiki interjected. "In fact, she sounded like someone highly suspicious of you and your motives." "Perhaps, little one. I fear her mind is slowly dissolving into madness. Twenty years of being hunted..." Master Sato paused to look at one of the designs he had just traced. "I believed she would help you because of her kinship. I believed meeting you would help her see that there is life after the 'hunt'. I knew of this meeting and hoped the two of you would talk... would help each other. Obviously, I desired a better outcome." Silence engulfed the pair for a few moments. "We are a vanishing people, you know." the master finally said. "More and more of our young people are abandoning their mountain lifestyles for the lure of the big city. We cannot compete with the excitement and glamor of Tokyo and Osaka. If things remain the way they are, inside two or three generations, the shinobi will be only a footnote in Japan's history." He stopped tracing in the dirt and looked directly at Nabiki. "That's why opening the cave is so important. It will revitalize the shinobi people and give them a new purpose." "Perhaps the future lies in adapting the clan structure to the corporate world?" Nabiki phrased her thoughts in the business terms she was most comfortable with. Since discovering her heritage, she had toyed with the idea of using her skills more actively in the corporate world. With Jeff's money to back her, she felt sure she could be highly successful. "No, little one." he shook his head sadly. "Others have tried. Only the Clan of the Snow Fox were able to make such a transition. But I fear it was not for the best." "I don't understand." "Instead of fusing the shinobi spiritual teaching to their business life, they kept the 'darker' aspects of our people; espionage, sabotage and even the occasional assassination. There can be no pride in our heritage while such men exist." "Are *they* behind the last of the blood hunts'?" Master Sato took a deep breath before answering. Interclan warfare was never one of his favorite subjects. "I believe so." he looked at Nabiki. "The Tanaka family held large amounts of public stock in companies that were coveted by the Clan of the Snow Fox. I fear they were killed to obtain controlling interest in those companies." Nabiki stared at Master Sato in horror. She had heard of marginally legal means used by corporations during takeover bids in the past, but the use of assassination for the purpose of corporate raiding was more vicious than anything she could, or would, consider doing. It was so outside the bounds of her own personal code of ethics that she had trouble comprehending its maliciousness. Silently, she wished she knew all this before marrying Jeff. Perhaps, if she had refused him... "You could not." Master Sato's voice sounded grave. "Your destiny lies with Jeff Lawrence. You cannot evade destiny, little one." For days, Master Sato's words echoed in Nabiki's head as she and Jeff went through the motions of their honeymoon. Jeff tried his best to make things enjoyable but was constantly faced with a distracted wife. Even their sleep was affected. Every noise caused Nabiki to awake with a lurch only to lay awake for hours listening for the sounds of danger. Everywhere they went, Nabiki saw a scowling Sodoshi. At the beach, in the restaurants, at all of the tourist sites, Sodoshi stalked the nervous Nabiki. Jeff tried to reason with his wife saying that it was all in her head. After all, *he* never saw the stalking shadow warrior. By week's end, Nabiki was both a physical and emotional wreck. True to her word, Sodoshi was there when an exhausted Nabiki accompanied her husband to the desk to check out. Sodoshi's little satisfied smile told Nabiki all she needed to know about her own looks. She must have been a sight. The return to Nerima was a mixed blessing. Back in familiar surroundings, Nabiki felt marginally safer but continued to look over her shoulder constantly. Sodoshi continued her war of nerves, constantly leaving hints that she had been nearby whenever Nabiki left the compound. With each hint, Nabiki retreated more and more into her own world. Verbal fights would break out between her an Jeff whenever he tried to make her realize that she was safe. Reduced to sitting in her own room, now made up to accommodate both her and Jeff, Nabiki would stare out of the window for hours. Akane even tried to get some reaction out of her but failed to elicit so much as a familiar Nabiki 'put down'. "Sato," the booming voice of an elder seemed to fill the cavern. "The time of the prophecy approaches." Master Sato, standing as an equal, listened to the elders with his usual blank expression. Even in this stronghold of his people's power, he hid his own feelings. His ability to shield his emotions usually left the elders frustrated; something he secretly enjoyed. "A mistake has been made." a second voice noted with some emotion. Sato almost lost control over his own emotions with that pronouncement. "Mistake? What kind of mistake?" he asked bluntly. "Until now, all references to the monk's legend and the scroll were handed down from generation to generation." the first voice said. "No one had actually *read* the scroll since it was originally found." Sato closed his eyes and slapped his forehead with his free hand. "Jeff Lawrence is NOT the one of the prophesy." the third voice said lightly, seeming to take some glee at the prospect. Of all the elders, *this* one bothered Sato the most. He wasn't sure just why; perhaps it was his abrasive nature or his way of saying just the right thing to irritate Sato when he least expected it. In any case, Sato made a mental note *not* to trust this third elder very far. "Then who is?" Sato asked starting to lean on his staff. Every time he met with the elders, he felt a little older. Today's meeting left him feeling especially old. A small hooded figure approached Sato holding an ancient looking scroll in his hands. Carefully, Sato took the document and opened it only enough to read a few inches of the surface at a time. He was one of the few to actually read the monk's scroll in 400 years. The importance of this was not lost on Sato. As he fitted together the ancient forms of Japanese/Chinese writing, it soon became clear that there had, indeed, been an error. It was true, Jeff Lawrence was not the one that would open the cave. Swallowing hard, Sato handed the scroll back to the hooded figure and turned abruptly to leave. "You understand?" the first voice asked. "Hai. I must hurry. I fear our error has left the correct person in much danger." Sato hastily left the meeting place. Outside, he paused with a pair of his most trusted warriors. "There are times I feel very old," he said pulling out a portable phone. "Today is one of those days." He quickly dialed and listened as the connection went through. "You know, they just don't make elders like they used to. Four hundred years and we've been waiting for the wrong person." The two warriors exchanged confused glances and shrugged. They didn't have a clue. In a top floor board room, a small group of respectable looking business men were having a late night meeting. At the head of a long conference table sat a middle aged man who looked every bit as dangerous as he was. Toshiro Tougo had reached the pinnacle of the Japanese corporate world; CEO of the largest holding company in Japan. His corporation held controlling interest in 27 major domestic firms and 10 international companies. His corporation was, to say the least, exceedingly wealthy and powerful. Still, he knew the final step would be the hardest. "My brothers," he said in a low voice. "The strategic plan of our corporation is progressing on schedule." He paused looking past those seated on either side of the table, his eyes fixed on the large corporate symbol hanging on the far wall. His eyes slowly traced the center symbols. To most casual observers, the symbols meant nothing specific; just a pleasant looking design that represented one of Japan's multinational corporations. Even to a trained observer, they would only have a vague meaning. To all present in the room, their meaning was all too clear; Kitsune-Yuki (the symbol of the Snow Fox clan). "Our latest quarterly report shows our market shares increasing at an acceptable rate. Any faster growth would attract undue attention from the government." He placed his hands flat on the table in front of him. "Since abandoning the old ways and joining the corporate world, we have prospered while our 'brethren' clinging to their outmoded past, fade away slowly. We have incorporated the most important' elements of our people into this corporation and now find ourselves on the threshold of controlling interest in the largest corporations in Japan. Once we control the corporations, we can control the politicians and with them the government. Gentlemen, in one year, we will be in total control of Japan." "There is still one problem, senpai." A younger member said forcefully from the shadows of his seat. "What problem?" "Ronald Phillips, American, owns controlling interest in several of the companies we need to secure." the man leaned forward into the light and struck a harsh look at the leader. "We must deal with this 'problem' quickly." "As usual, your information is out of date." the leader returned his challenger's hard look. "Ronald Phillips is dead. We eliminated this problem 10 years ago." "Then how do you explain his continued controlling interest?" "That interest has recently been passed on to a young heir, another pathetic American who just took a Japanese wife. Both have been targeted for elimination. With them out of the way, we will be able to acquire his shares from his 'estate' with little trouble." "Using our 'usual' subtle manner?" "There is no time for such delicacies. As we dealt with the Tanaka family, we will also deal with this 'Jeff Lawrence' fellow *and* his wife, Nabiki." "How?" the younger shinobi executive was beginning to annoy the leader. "The clans are all eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of some childish 400 year old prophecy'. We shall attend that fulfillment as equal clan members; as is our right." the elder executive glared at his subordinate. "As all clans will be present, we will simply wait for the cave to be opened, kill everyone there, claim the secret for ourselves, and reseal the cave with the bodies of the poor fools inside." The leader's smile would have been right at home on the face of a cobra. He meant to accomplish what numerous shoguns in the past had failed to do; eliminate the command structure of all the shinobi clans in a single stroke, thus destroying the clans for all time. The only remaining clan would be the one destined to rule Japan; the Clan of The Snow Fox. In an unoccupied apartment, in a 'low rent' area of Nerima, a lone figure sat slumped against the corner of the room. Empty boxes of crackers and tins of food lay strewn across the filthy tatami mats on the floor. With no electricity, the room was dimly lit by a flickering street light outside the room's only window. Sodoshi Tanaka had been living in this apartment, without permission and unbeknownst to the owner, for three days. Two more and she would follow her usual pattern of moving to another location. For two years, since abandoning Master Sato, this has been her life. She was discovered only a few times by the owners or the police. In each case, she was able to escape using her finely honed ninja skills. In any case, pursuit was never very serious due to the Japanese 'tolerant' view towards the homeless. She winced slightly and ran her fingers lightly over her upper abdomen. Because her muscles had never healed properly, she had to be careful with physical activity. Too much and her body let her know, in no uncertain terms, that such was a mistake. The pain seemed to radiate up through her chest and out her arms. Little could be done to curb the discomfort. The day after was always the worst. Sometimes the ache was so bad it would cause her to curl up in a ball seeking relief. Because of her poor diet and horrible injuries to her stomach, she frequently suffered bouts of heartburn. Tonight, she was experiencing the 'mother of all heartburn attacks'; a pain that felt like her chest was on fire. She absently chewed a few herbs known for their ability to settle the stomach but resigned herself to the fact their effects would be almost an hour away. She thought of her clan sister, Nabiki, and how her life had become one of a fairy tale; poor one moment and rich beyond her wildest dreams the next. Angrily, Sodoshi hurled an empty cracker box across the room. she thought bitterly. She drew up her knees to provide a place to rest her chin. As she did every night, after assuring her safety, she carefully unwrapped in her mind images of happier days; when she was younger and her family was still alive. A painful smile crept silently across her face as she recalled the times with her mother; how Sodoshi worked very hard trying to please her and how easily pleased her mother was. A single tear worked its way loose to crawl slowly over her flawless cheek. She didn't give in to such very often. It was a weakness she fought constantly to control. She remembered how her brother was always kind and attentive to her; never teasing or taunting like other older brothers. He saw himself as her protector and took his role of 'big brother' very seriously. She recalled how happy she was for him when he got into the prestigious Tokyo University on his first try. She remembered how she struggled with jealousy when he introduced his fianc­, Emiko, to the family. A wave of embarrassment swept over Sodoshi as the images of her reaction to Emiko presented themselves. She had been unfair to the girl, who's only 'crime' was to love her brother. Still, the younger Sodoshi saw Emiko as a rival for her brother's attention and she didn't like it. After her parents were killed (a strange case of simultaneous heart attacks; brought on, no doubt, by a ninja hunt party's injected drugs), her brother moved them several times and changed their name twice in an attempt to throw the pursuers off. It didn't help; Emiko still knew the truth and wasn't as careful with her information as she should have been. Giving in to his need to be with his fiance, her brother slipped away with his fiance to a mountain spa where they were both found dead three days later. It was officially ruled a lovers' double suicide, but Sodoshi knew her brother was not in such a frame of mind. It could only have been murder. Her mind whirled through her own ordeal; the attack and its aftermath. Some things she simply didn't want to remember. She could still hear the sound of her skin tearing as the knife freely sliced through; an image that still caused her to wake up screaming at night. But the thing that gave her the most sleepless nights was her fear of dying alone. Her parents had each other, when the time came, and her brother died with Emiko. There would be no one to help Sodoshi make the difficult transition into the afterlife and that scared her more than another attack by the hunters. As every night since returning from Hawaii, her thoughts concluded with a single image; that of Nabiki Tendo, standing in her wedding gown, marrying a handsome and rich man, guaranteeing the rest of her life would be happy and carefree. As usual, her burning hatred for the girl who unfairly escaped the 'blood hunt' slowly took over. Where there was once self pity, she now brandished hatred like a deadly weapon. Time and time again, her mind slashed at the beautiful picture of Nabiki as she stood outside the church smiling. It usually left Sodoshi feeling relieved and tired. If she couldn't get to the hunters, she would see that she wasn't alone in suffering. Nabiki and her sisters would *not* escape this episode in shinobi history unscathed. Somehow, tonight the feeling wasn't as comforting as usual. Why couldn't she bring herself to hate Nabiki with all her heart? Why did she have to constantly struggle with feelings of kinship for this girl? Sodoshi repeatedly fought the emotion to embrace her clan sister and claim a comforting friend. It wasn't as if she didn't need any friends. Besides, hating Nabiki wouldn't change her situation and would only cause the pain and suffering she was most familiar with to be spread. It wasn't fair. But then, Sodoshi never considered herself an expert on what was or wasn't fair. As she did every night, her control finally yielded to her feeling of helplessness and loneliness. Still slumped against the wall hugging her knees, her chest burning and her stomach aching, Sodoshi Tanaka silently cried herself asleep; alone. The next evening, Nabiki returned to the residence exhausted from lack of sleep and vibrating with rage. She had been followed again. Not by Sodoshi this time, but by a man in a suit. He wasn't very good at trailing, even Nabiki could tell he was there. But he was relentless. Twice she tried ducking into places for women only, later to emerge from a different door. Each time, he successfully found her and resumed his surveillance. She was certain that he was either a cop or someone hired by Jeff to keep an eye on her. Either way, someone was going to pay for *this* intrusion. She found Jeff in their room rigging up a TV set for her. He had noticed her insomnia and felt that, perhaps, watching a little TV at night would help her grow tired enough to sleep. Right away, Jeff knew typhoon Nabiki had blown in. It was a force 5 gale. "How dare you!" Nabiki growled as she slammed the door closed. "How dare I what?" Jeff protested, his hands raised in defense. "You know *exactly* what I'm talking about." she stormed over to Jeff, her eyes blazing with anger. "That man following me!" Jeff looked sheepishly at the floor. He had been caught and he knew it. "Nabiki," he started as his eyes found her's. "I'm sorry... It was Lt. Nakamura's idea... You were so sure that someone was stalking you, I talked to the police and they assigned a detective to keep an eye on you for a few days. Just to make sure..." "You had me FOLLOWED?!?" she screamed. The lack of sleep and stress since the honeymoon had finally pushed her over the edge. "I..." Jeff never finished. For, perhaps, the first time in her life, Nabiki physically struck another person. With all the effort she could muster, she delivered a slap that could be heard all the way down stairs. Jeff's head snapped to the right, his chin making contact with his shoulder. For several seconds, Jeff held his position, his jaw moving slightly as thoughts attempted their escape. He gently checked the inside of his cheek with his tongue and tasted his own blood. Slowly, as his mind cleared and his emotions subsided, his head returned to face Nabiki. This time, his look wasn't one of concern for his wife but rather one of shock and betrayal. They stared at each other for several seconds; he searching for reasons why and she still angry beyond control. "Get out." she hissed through clenched teeth. Jeff blinked a few times before nodding agreement. Without saying a word, he crossed to the door, opened it and looked one last time at this wife. Her palm print burned on his left cheek. Shaking his head sadly, he slipped through the door and closed it quietly. Downstairs, Akane and Ranma were watching TV while Kasumi finished cleaning the kitchen. They heard the fight, or rather they heard Nabiki's tirade, and they heard the slap. Each held their breath as Jeff descended the stairs, put on his shoes, and left the residence. "You think *that's* what *we* sound like?" Akane asked as she watched Jeff leave. Ranma didn't answer, his face a study of youthful concern. Quietly, he got up and stepped out onto the engawa to see where Jeff was going. Failing to see him exit the gate, Ranma assumed Jeff had taken refuge in the dojo; after all, that's where Ranma went his first week there, after fighting with Akane. "He's all right." Ranma said as he resumed his place in front of the TV. "Just went out to the dojo." "Maybe, you should check on him anyway." Akane sounded genuinely worried. She had seen how much Jeff and Nabiki loved each other before the wedding and felt very uncomfortable listening to their recent fights. She also still had memories of how worried *she* was when Ranma was missing back in Hawaii. "Check on who, daughter?" Soun Tendo asked as he returned from the bathroom with his inevitable newspaper. "Jeff, daddy. I think he and Nabiki had a fight." Akane replied, sounding more like 'daddy's little girl' than usual. "In any case," Kasumi sighed as she started removing her apron. "I better check on Nabiki." As Kasumi left, Soun looked at his youngest daughter with concern. It wasn't his place to see to Jeff. True, he *was* the father-in-law and it *did* sound like his daughter was doing all the fighting. Still, he was reluctant to inject himself into this disagreement. "Some times a boy just needs to be alone." Soun finally said, sitting down at the table with his newspaper. "I'll give him a few minutes before checking. That will give him time to calm down." Ranma was about to say something without thinking to Akane, again, when his thought was derailed by the sound of old Mrs. Suzuki screaming at someone across the street. It sounded like the old lady was putting up a terrific fight against an intruder. Instinctively, like a shot, Ranma was out the door and over the wall. One thing he couldn't stand was people beating up on the weak. Eighty year old Mrs. Suzuki was about as weak a person as he could think of in the neighborhood. Kasumi paused outside Nabiki's door. she thought. She knocked softly and cracked open the door just enough to see Nabiki lying face down on her bed. She was obviously crying again. With another sigh of resignation, Kasumi opened the door all the way and called Nabiki's name softly. "Oneechan..." Nabiki meekly sobbed. "I did it again." "So it would seem, Nab-chan." Kasumi crossed over to sit on the queen sized bed next to her sister. "What was it this time?" "Oneechan, I hit him." Nabiki said with a tiny voice. "I can't believe I hit him." She sat up and put her arms around her sister, resting her head on Kasumi's shoulder. "I know. We all heard." Kasumi was approaching this carefully. She knew Nabiki was different when she returned from Hawaii, and not just because she was a married woman. She was more tense and irritable. Something had happened in Hawaii that she hadn't told anyone about. Something bad enough to cause Nabiki's personality to change. "He was just trying to protect me." Nabiki said, her voice sounding more rational. "He doesn't know the whole story." "Well, why don't you start by telling me." Kasumi offered softly. "I have a feeling it affects all of us as well." Nabiki sat back, nodded slightly, took a deep breath and began telling Kasumi everything that happened, beginning with the meeting with Sodoshi. Ranma hadn't gone far when he spotted Mrs. Suzuki using her broom to take swipes at a black clad figure on her porch. He had a grudging admiration for the old lady. Spunky, sassy, and bold, she was a refreshing change to the demure and silent women he usually encountered. Besides, she always had fresh cookies waiting for him whenever he visited. Truly, the way to Ranma's heart lay through his stomach. With two bounds, Ranma was between the old neighbor and her adversary. "Picking on old ladies now, eh ninja-san." Ranma chided as he assumed a relaxed ready position. "I thought you people had a code of honor." "You tell em, China-boy." Mrs. Suzuki crowed as she readied her broom again. She may have been old but the fire of indignation burned in her; indignation at being attacked on her own porch. The spunky senior citizen was ready to fight for her home with her last ounce of energy. Having Ranma here only emboldened her. The ninja, not caring to fight on a shaky porch against two opponents, dropped one of his smoke bombs and jumped to the street below. Ranma, anticipating the move, jumped with the ninja, landing simultaneously within striking distance of his adversary. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to run away." Ranma taunted. "I just needed more room, boy." the ninja said as he drew his black katana. Immediately, Ranma noticed two things. First, the blade the ninja was wielding was not a wooden bokkan that was more likely to bruise than kill, but a razor sharp instrument of death; it's polished edge gleaming in the dim light. Second, the ninja did not wear the traditional hachimaki with his clan crest; a sure sign of an assassin. Silently, the ninja launched a lightning series of strikes and the fight was on. Ranma easily evaded the attacks, having sparred many times with Tatewaki Kuno but had to admit, this guy was good; perhaps even better than the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High. Backing towards Mrs. Suzuki's house, Ranma allowed the ninja to think he had him cold. A quick move with the next strike and the ninja's sword was imbedded in the hard wood of the deck, inches from Ranma's head. Both Ranma and Mrs. Suzuki chose that moment to strike. Ranma kicked the blade out of his opponent's hands while Mrs. Suzuki, from her porch above, landed a clean blow to the ninja's head with her broom. As the old lady readied another strike, Ranma leapt over the ninja and delivered a crushing kick to the ninja's ribs. Mrs. Suzuki, yelling curses at the intruder, proceeded to rain accurate blows with her broom. The ninja wasn't through yet, bouncing off the side of the building, his hands rapidly dispensed shuriken in Ranma's direction. This guy was obviously an expert at his profession but was unprepared to deal with someone as skilled as Ranma. Ranma had been ducking thrown objects since he was a child. The assassin's attack was noisy and clumsy; a clear sign the ninja was on the defensive. Easily evading the shuriken by sound alone, Ranma resumed the attack. His blows were landing with frightening frequency. Sensing his opponent was no simple kempo artist, the ninja retreated down the street; constantly blocking Ranma's attacks. With a single leap, the ninja gained the roof of a nearby house and set off across the roof tops; Ranma close on his heels. Jeff wandered into the dojo, dejected and confused. He knew Nabiki was upset at more than his efforts to protect her but was unprepared for the viciousness of her attack. He was distracted by thoughts of how he could make it up to her when the attack came. It was only luck that his hand was on the back of his head when the first blow arrived. If not, the fight, and Jeff's life, would have ended right then. The blow was partially deflected by his arm and Jeff rolled across the dojo to escape a follow-up. Springing to his feet and assuming his trained ninjutsu fighting pose, Jeff caught sight of his assailant. The assassin was almost as big as Jeff but dressed in traditional black. He looked as ominous as Darth Vader. Jeff almost expected to see a light saber emerge as the assassin launched his next series of attacks. Jeff was no trained shadow warrior but knew enough about fighting to ward off most of the attacks. Eight years of training had prepared him well. The two exchanged blows, blocks, and counter blows quickly. It was almost like a Sato training session except for one thing: only the winner would walk away from this one. He was doing well for so incompletely trained a fighter, even landing a few solid blows of his own. However, hearing Mrs. Suzuki's screams from across the street, he was distracted enough for his opponent to land a kick to the side of his head. Stunned, Jeff reeled back towards the door. He tried once again to regain his fighting balance but the assassin was too quick. Two more blows and Jeff bounced off the wall of the dojo, clearly injured. In the haze of his disorientation, Jeff heard Soun Tendo's shout and vaguely saw the struggle. His sensi, finally coming to check on his young son-in-law, had stumbled into the assassination attempt. Trying to clear his vision, Jeff missed the ninja's shuriken attack on his sensi but heard Soun's grunt as the projectiles struck home. As Jeff tried to reenter the fight, he provided an opening the ninja needed to end it. At first, he didn't really feel the blow that knocked him hard off the wall. It felt more like an insistent pressure on the middle of his chest than a sharp blow. Still, Jeff knew something was seriously wrong when he tried to take a breath and discovered he couldn't inhale. As his head snapped back, cracking the wood of the old dojo's wall, the pain surged forth and claimed his body. Collapsing in a heap, Jeff was left seated on the floor, half reclining against the wall, his arms wrapped around his mid section like he was trying to hold his body together. His breathing was erratic, his body spasming with every effort. His vision was blurred and tinged with red. He was helpless and knew it. All that remained was for the assassin to finish his job. was all he could think as he waited the final blow. It never came. Silently, a black wooden staff flew straight and true; catching the assassin aside his head and knocking him 20 feet across the room to end up face down and unconscious. The cavalry had arrived. Quickly, the room was bathed in bright light as someone switched on the lights. Jeff couldn't see what was happening or why his attacker suddenly disappeared, his vision was growing darker by the second, but heard a familiar voice; Master Sato. Barking commands, Sato directed black clad members of his own clan to secure the dojo. The assassin was restrained, Soun Tendo was attended to, and Jeff was checked by a very young female ninja. Parts of Jeff's brain were beginning to shut down. Reality and illusion mixed and separated with disturbing speed as events unfolded in front of his eyes. Jeff could still see things up close and within a narrow field. Oddly, his only thoughts were how beautiful the girl's eyes were. He tried to mouth words but found he could only manage a soft gurgle. The Tendo girls, attracted by the noises in the dojo, seemed to arrive at the same time. Akane yelled her father's name and rushed to his side while Kasumi just stood in the doorway, hands in front of her mouth and her face a study in horror. Nabiki's entrance had all the subtlety of a low-yield nuclear explosion. Screaming her husband's name she rushed to his side. In Jeff's vision, the young ninja's face was replaced with the panicked look of his wife's. Focusing all his remaining energy, Jeff was able to slur a few words. "I...forgot...to duck...again, dear." A clear reference to both his current condition and Nabiki's earlier blow. He tried to smile but felt his chest tighten up instead, a spasm wracked his injured body. The final effort was poorly rewarded as the world turned black for Jeffery Lawrence. Nabiki screamed again as her husband shuddered and collapsed in her arms, totally limp. The female ninja quickly checked for life signs. A flicker of life remained in Jeff's body but it wouldn't last long. The assassin had done his job well; Jeff was dying. Akane screamed for someone to call Dr. Tofu or an ambulance. Spurred out of her shock by her sister's call for help, Kasumi quickly disappeared back towards the house. Nabiki shot Sato a look that should have killed the old man. Leaping to her feet she attacked the venerable old shinobi master, her small fists beating against his chest as she yelled accusation after accusation. "You promised, you bastard!" she sobbed as she struck Master Sato repeatedly. "You promised to protect him!" Wrapping his arms gently around the angry Nabiki, he tried to calm her but only provoked her to greater efforts. "Why!?" she gripped his yukata with both hands, her tear filled eyes burning with anger. "Why did you let this happen?!" "We...were decoyed, little one." he softly answered as if he were explaining his failure to a superior. "We detected a danger from another quarter." "Grandfather," the female ninja said softly. "He will not survive until the doctor arrives unless..." Her voice trailed off. Sato and the female ninja locked eyes for several seconds. Whatever communication took place, it must have been serious. With a reluctant nod of agreement, the girl removed her head covering and mask. Her long black hair spilled out and hung freely to her waist. Seating herself in front of Jeff, she removed a large amber colored amulet from a pouch and held it carefully in front of her. Nabiki stopped her interrogation of Sato to watch in horrified fascination as the girl made her preparations. She couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 years old. To call her cute would have been an understatement. She should have been sitting in a junior high school gossiping with her friends and making eyes at handsome boys instead of fighting intruders in a strange neighborhood. "He will live, little one." Sato said matter-of-factly. "How do *you* know?" Nabiki spit back; her anger still unquenched. "Because my granddaughter just pledged her life to that end." It must have been the total lack of emotion that stung Nabiki so hard. Whatever the girl was preparing to do, it involved something that could carry a very high price. With mixed emotions and a stunned look, Nabiki released Master Sato and slowly approached Jeff and the girl. She could hear the girl softly mumbling something as she slowly lowered the amulet to almost waist level. "What...?" Nabiki began to ask. Master Sato's strong hands gently stopped Nabiki's advance and drew her back slightly. He said nothing but made sure that Nabiki would not interfere. In seconds, the amulet began to glow, softly at first, then brighter as the amber aura seemed to engulf the young girl's body. Everyone in the dojo stopped what they were doing and watched as the glow surged forward, gently nudging Jeff's body, like the tentacles of a sea creature, until he too began to glow slightly. Nabiki could see beads of sweat begin to form on the girls pretty face. Obviously, whatever she was doing took great exertion. "Ki transfer, little one." Sato softly said as he pulled Nabiki further away. "My granddaughter has trained all her young life for this. It will buy young Jeff-san enough time for your Dr. Tofu to arrive." "But..." Nabiki began, her thoughts jumbled and confused at the sight before her. "Shhhh, little one." Sato said in a horse whisper. "She needs total concentration as it is very dangerous. The slightest miscalculation and she will drain herself and die." Nabiki swallowed hard and wiped the rest of her tears away as she watched the girl straining to channel vital life forces to her dying husband. Silently, she prayed the girl was strong enough and that Tofu would arrive soon. Ranma arrived with a satisfied look on his face. His appearance, numerous cuts and bruises adorned his exposed flesh, told of the intensity of his fight but the bound, semi-conscious ninja he shoved onto the floor of the dojo spoke even louder of his success. Like a proud hunter, he presented his quarry to one of Sato's ninjas before checking on Soun. "I found this one attacking Mrs. Suzuki on the west side of the compound." he said smugly. "Another one?" Sato sounded surprised as he turned away from the drama surrounding Jeff and examined the captured assassin. "We were pursuing one to the east." "Four of you?" Ranma look incredulously at the gathered ninjas. "Two more of my warriors are still pursuing the intruder." Sato said calmly. "Six of you to capture a single ninja?" Ranma asked incredulously. His solo feat impressing even himself. His satisfied feeling was tempered by the sight of his future brother-in-law, who obviously got the worst of a recent fight. "I knew he wasn't a fighter," Ranma muttered with some reluctance; his smug satisfaction at his own accomplishment seemed to drain from him. Tofu arrived and paused only briefly to take in the scene before him. Soun Tendo, still seated on the floor, was holding his forearm away from his body, his blood dripping freely on the polished surface of the dojo. Two throwing stars lay discarded in front of him. It was obvious that he had sacrificed his right arm to protect his body. Had he not, the stars would have certainly struck more vulnerable areas. Finally, the scene of Jeff Lawrence slumped against the wall nearest the door, a young girl kneeling before him, both their bodies glowing bright amber. Noting that Soun Tendo was in good hands; Akane and a friendly ninja were busy bandaging her father's injured arm. Tofu quietly turned to the most seriously injured; Jeff. "Hmmmm, the 'Ki Transfer' technique." Tofu said with clinical curiosity as he approached Sato. "I've heard of it but have never seen it performed. Fascinating." "You must act quickly, sensi." Sato warned. "My granddaughter cannot sustain this level of transfer for very long." Nodding, Tofu moved to Jeff's side and began his examination. Sato gently touched his granddaughter's shoulder and she broke the transfer abruptly. For several seconds, she sat frozen in place, only an occasional shudder confirming she was alright. With a gasp and small whimper of pain, she collapsed backwards into her grandfather's arms. He gently lowered her to the floor and stroked her sweating forehead. "You have done well, granddaughter." Sato cooed softly. "You have made me very proud." Struggling to speak, she was able to utter only three words: "Does...he...live?" "Hai, granddaughter." Sato whispered his emotions beginning to exert themselves. He knew she was now fighting for her own young life. To save Jeff, she had pushed her skills to their limit, and beyond. But that effort came with a price. Drained of her own, she desperately hung on to what life force she had left. Unfortunately, it was fading as she struggled. Sato knew the pain his granddaughter was experiencing and understood what had to be done. With an anguished smile, he reluctantly pressed lightly along the side of her neck with his fingers and watched as the girl shuddered again, then relaxed. "What have you done?" Tofu demanded as he reached for the shinobi master's arm. Sato waived the doctor off with his hand. To anyone close, it was plain the old man was on the verge of tears. "She could not fight for her life while awake." he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I have given her a chance." "You've pushed the girl into a coma." Tofu yelled as he reached for Sato. "From which she will battle for her life as she has been trained, sensi." Sato shot Tofu a determined look; his head vibrating with emotion. "Our ways may seem brutal to you, but we all understand from birth what it means to be 'shinobi'. She will win her fight because she is my granddaughter and I trained her." He turned his head to look at Jeff. "Just as young Jeff-san *must* win his." Sato paused looking at his unconscious adopted son. "She risked her life for Jeff-san. I only hope you are good enough to reward that risk." "Sensi, please," Nabiki pleaded softly. "Jeff..." Nodding, Tofu returned to examining Jeff. What ever the shinobi girl did, Jeff's vital signs were promising. He was unconscious but alive. A fact that wouldn't last long without the doctor's immediate help. Writing something on the pad of paper he wore on his sash, he asked if someone would fetch the noted items from his clinic. Kasumi immediately stepped forward and offered to retrieve the items. For a few moments, Dr. Tofu and Kasumi locked eyes. Nabiki held her breath. If Tofu regressed to his usual babbling and idiotic actions at the sight of Kasumi, Jeff was as good as dead. She was just about to volunteer herself when Tofu spoke. "And call Dr. Nagumo as well." he said seriously as he turned back to his patient. "Tell him I need his help. He will come." Tofu examined Jeff more closely, ripping open his shirt to reveal his bare chest. "As I suspected, Ansatsu Tenshin, the 'assassins blow'." he said sadly. "You are familiar with this?" Sato asked, still absently stroking his granddaughter's forehead. Tofu shook his head. "I've only read about such things. We don't see much of this any more. That's why I've sent for Nagumo-senpai. He is from the old school and has dealt with far more of the ancient forms of combat than I have." "Assassins blow?" Nabiki asked softly, her hands held tightly together in front of her mouth. She didn't like the sound of that name. Tofu and Sato exchanged worried glances. Both knew of the seriousness of Jeff's injuries and each was secretly hoping the other would be the one to explain it to Nabiki. "The human body is mostly water, little one." Sato finally volunteered. "If the blow is properly delivered, the shock wave radiates throughout the body, damaging most of the major organs. Death is the usual result, leaving only a small bruise just below the breast bone as a clue to what happened." Nabiki's eyes slowly went to the small bruise now visible on her husband's chest. Her eyes screwed shut and she started to shake her head. "There is nothing a hospital can do that we cannot do for him here." Tofu thought out loud. "His condition does not require surgery and whatever other treatments he requires Dr. Nagumo and I can administer here." He looked around briefly. "I think he can be moved, but only a little ways. Is there a room in the residence we can move him to?" "Put him in my...our room, sensi." Nabiki said firmly, her eyes still shut tightly. This was becoming her worst nightmare. Tofu nodded and, with the help of the gathered ninjas, carefully transported Jeff up to the room Jeff and Nabiki had recently shared. Others gathered up the comatose granddaughter and gently carried her home. The remainder dealt with the captured assassins. Master Sato remained behind, alone, in the dojo for a few minutes. Mentally, he recreated the fight and concluded Jeffrey had done as well as could have been expected. Almost as an afterthought, Sato picked up the discarded throwing stars. Examining them carefully, he noticed the clan markings had been removed; a sure sign of a planned assassination. He carefully sniffed the blood stained weapons before spitting on one and wiping the residue off on a specially treated wristband. He scowled at the resulting marks carefully. "At least Tendo-sensi has a clean wound. No poison." He dropped the stars into his pocket and quietly left the dojo. Dr. Nagumo soon arrived along with Kasumi and the things Tofu had requested. Nabiki, over her loud protests, was unceremoniously escorted out of the room. The last thing the doctors needed was a grieving female hanging around. In the hallway before her room's closed door, Nabiki gripped the door frame with both hands and trembled with anger. "It's all my fault." she mumbled. "I shouldn't have hit him. It's all my fault." Nearby, Kasumi caught her younger sister's words and tried to comfort her. "NO! Oneechan." Nabiki pulled away, still glaring at the closed door. "*I* caused this to happen. It's all my fault." "You had no way of knowing..." Kasumi tried again to comfort her sister but quickly found her to be inconsolable. "You don't understand. I hit him. I made him leave." Nabiki was finding her control slipping again as she glared at her sister. "If I hadn't done that, he wouldn't have gone to the dojo. He wouldn't have been attacked. It's all my fault." Evading her sister's attempts to help, Nabiki dashed down the stairs and back outside. Muttering to herself how she was to blame and how she was being punished for striking her husband, she wandered aimlessly until she found herself back in the dojo. Drawn to the spot where her husband fell, Nabiki slumped to the floor and looked at the small Shinto shrine across the room. "Why?" she asked softly as she stared at the shrine. "Why must I go through this again? Wasn't mother enough for you?" She had never been a religious person, always associating religion with death and sadness, but she needed some answers and that thin thread of whatever religious beliefs she might have buried deep in her soul so long ago, was the only source of comfort she had at her disposal. Somehow, it didn't seem enough. For the second time in her life, she was faced with losing someone she loved. She remembered how, after her mother died, she had promised herself to never let this happen to her again; how she insulated herself emotionally from everyone so as to not be vulnerable to the pain. That worked well until she met Jeff. He was everything she had dreamed of; strong, good looking, smart, caring, considerate,... and rich. In spite of her pledge to the contrary, she fell in love. she bitterly rolled the word around in her mind. The very taste of it made her ill. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" Came a voice from across the room. Nabiki knew that voice and cringed at the sound of it. "Go away, Sodoshi!" Nabiki tried to say with authority. "Oh, no, clan sister. I promised to be here when you hurt. I'm just here to share your pain." Sodoshi taunted. True to her word, she was watching as Nabiki's husband was beaten almost to death. She was still watching as Nabiki grieved. "Sodoshi...please." Nabiki almost whimpered the last word. "Why are you doing this?" "I told you, clan sister," Sodoshi advanced slowly. "I want to see you suffer as much as I did. Oh, look..." she stopped at Soun's blood stains on the dojo floor. "It would seem they got your dear father too. So sad." Nabiki looked at Sodoshi's face. She saw the painful smirk and sad eyes. Her inner voice was telling her that Sodoshi might be taunting her but was not enjoying a single second of it. For just a moment, Nabiki could almost feel' Sodoshi's inner emotions; her pain, her sadness. It was like trying to touch a cloud; she knew it was there, but couldn't quite get a grip on it. Whatever it was, it spoke more of Sodoshi's anguish than her hatred. That was all Nabiki needed. She would use the one weapon she had at her disposal that no one would ever expect from her. "Sodoshi, I don't hate you." Nabiki said clearly as she pushed herself upright. "I will never hate you. You are my clan sister. I could no more hate you than Kasumi or Akane." Sodoshi acted as if she had just been struck a vicious blow. It was as if Nabiki had read her thoughts. After all she had done. After all she had said. Nabiki *still* refused to hate her. She *wanted* that hate. She *needed* that hate. It gave her the reason to go on. "Perhaps, I should let you feel some of the physical pain as well." Sodoshi said advancing menacingly. "Perhaps you should try." came a voice from the doorway. Sodoshi instantly dropped into a ninjutsu fighting stance, surprised and on guard. Ranma Saotome, leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed, almost yawned at the shinobi warrior's aggressive pose. He had seen Nabiki run from the house and head for the dojo. He made the mistake earlier of not following Jeff when he made his escape. That mistake may very well have cost his future brother-in-law's life. He trailed Nabiki, determined not to repeat his mistake. From the looks of things, he was convinced he made the right decision. "First it was an old lady. Then you attacked a pathetic martial artist like Jeff Lawrence. Finally, you attacked my future father-in-law." Ranma detailed his charges against the shinobi clans. "Now, you threaten a defenseless girl. I thought you people had honor. Obviously, I was mistaken." Sodoshi had nothing to do with the attacks in the dojo and bristled at the suggestion she had. But finding herself faced with an aggressive younger opponent...well, she wasn't going to be threatened by a mere boy. As she so often did when faced with a tough decision; she went on the offensive. Without warning, Sodoshi launched her attack on Ranma. Having already faced one of the best assassins the Clan of the Snow Fox had to offer, Sodoshi Tanaka was only a continuation of the last opponent. The fight covered most of the dojo's free space. Sodoshi attacking and Ranma easily blocking or evading everything she could throw at him. she thought. "What is wrong with you?!" she yelled at one of the pausing points in the fight. "Why won't you attack?" "I don't fight girls." Ranma said flatly. "GIRL?!?" Sodoshi screamed. "I'm a warrior of the Clan of The Cold Moon!" "Whatever..." Ranma almost sounded bored. "You're still a girl." "I have no such restrictions." came a voice from the door. It was Akane Tendo, dressed for a fight and glowing with anger. This was *her* home, *her* dojo, and *her* sister. That made it her fight. Sodoshi looked from Ranma to Akane to Nabiki before addressing her clan sister. "Is *children* all you have to offer?" "Children is all our clan has left, Sodoshi." Nabiki answered softly; looking more through Sodoshi than at her. "Look carefully. Like it or not, there stands are our future." "Our future." Sodoshi growled with disdain. "You sound like that stupid old man." Ranma, knowing just how good Sodoshi was, started to block Akane's advance but quickly changed his mind when he saw the look in her eyes and the glow of her anger. Wisely, he chose to join her instead of resisting. Sodoshi could tell Akane was no real threat to her. Still, she could be enough of a distraction to allow Ranma a chance to win.