-Chasing the Wind-
                   By J. Austin Wilde, K.B.C.S.
                  Super Critical Reactor Axe Man,
                        Fission Park Press
                         wildeman@psn.net



                            Synopsis



     Ranma and Akane are caught in a science experiment in Nerima 
that affects their ki. They experience terrible nightmares and lose their 
fighting focus. Neither can get any sleep without being in close proximity 
with the other. They call upon the scientists to help them through 
Ranma's friend from the Second Korean War, Hiro Ohata. Hiro 
works for Professor Balthazar McFogg, the leader of the scientists, 
as a kind of 'Man Friday'.
     Hiro sends them to England where they become embroiled in a 
worldwide search for electromagnetic 'events' like the one that 
affected them in Nerima. In chasing these events they hope to find 
a cure, but what they do find is that there is more going on than they 
ever imagined.
     Ranma meets a mysterious woman named Anazali, who is 
following them. She claims to be their friend, and hints that the 
end of their search will not only cure their ki problems, but may 
also end Ranma's Jusenkyo curse. They receive a vision during 
the event in Scotland that takes them to Granada, Spain. From 
there they experience the next event, and a very disturbing vision 
hinting not only at a world wide disaster, but of the end of their 
blossoming relationship as well.
     Ukyo, Kuno and Nabiki are kidnapped by agents working for Ivan 
Tarchenko, an assistant of a second research group that is studying 
these events. They are taken to a dacha outside of Odessa, where 
Ukyo is tortured. Kuno breaks them free and they flee across the 
southern Ukraine. Tarchenko sends a group of men to pursue them
     They are rescued from their pursuer, a vicious man named Fyodor, 
by a stranger, who takes them to a ship belonging to his brother. His 
brother, named Aerandir, is no less unusual, and he sails them to an 
island in the Aegean sea to stay with his uncle.
     Aerandir reveals to them that he is an 8000 year old descendant 
of an ancient people whose land was destroyed by forces similar to 
the event the scientists are looking for. He explains to them the 
history of his people and that if steps are not taken, a second disaster 
will befall the Earth.



                            Part Seven:
                             Reunions



                            Chapter One



     "Ukyo!" A voice calls. "Ucchan, where are you?"
     Ukyo looks up from her cooking.
     **It's Ranma-honey!** She thinks happily.
     "I'm in here, Ranma-honey!"
     Ranma appears. He is wearing his usual Chinese clothes; red 
blouse and black trousers with the draw string legs. He grins for her 
as he comes in.
     "How was school today?" She asks him.
     "It was okay. Only had to stand out in the hall twice this morning. 
Only changed into a girl once. Fought Kuno as usual, punted him into 
orbit."
     "Sounds better than usual," Ukyo remarks. She pats him on the 
head. He winces as she touches him.
     "Oh! I'm sorry, Ran-chan."
     "Stupid Akane," Ranma mutters, and rubs his head. "I'm really 
getting tired of her hitting me with that damn hammer of hers."
     Ukyo offers him a sympathetic look.
     "Why do you put up with her?"
     Ranma shrugs.
     "I gotta."
     Ukyo shakes her head slowly. She gathers her willpower and takes 
a deep breath.
     "You don't have to. There are always alternatives."
     Ranma shrugs again. He smiles and the light of his gorgeous blue-
grey eyes makes Ukyo's heart skip a beat.
     "Any suggestions?" He asks. There is the slightest hint in his voice 
that he is implying something she has longed to hear from him for so 
long.
     Ukyo is now turning somersaults in her heart.
     **I have to say it!** She thinks desperately.
     "Sometimes happiness is closer than you think." It takes every 
ounce of cool she can muster to say it.
     Ranma draws closer to her.
     "Really, now. Go on."
     Her pulse races like a prize quarterhorse in the final turn at 
Churchill Downs.
     "Sometimes the person you can give your heart to is right there 
next to you," she says softly, fighting to stay cool even as her heart 
thunders in her ears. "Sometimes that person is just waiting for you 
to realize it."
     He drinks in the fire of her luminous trembling green eyes and 
leans in close to her. She can see herself reflected in his eyes and 
feel the soft breeze of his breath on her skin. She wants him to hold 
her so badly that she is about to burst.
     "You're right... I've been thinkin' about a lot of stuff lately," he 
says to her. "And the one thing I could kick myself for was for not 
noticing how I felt about you Ucchan."
     "Really?" Ukyo asks hopefully.
     "Yeah," he says. "Truth is I've always loved you, Ucchan. 
Always. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure that out for myself. 
You've always been there for me, and I've taken that for granted. 
Never again."
     "Oh Ran-chan..." Her voice trails off. 
     He takes her into a tender embrace. His kiss sets her on fire from 
within. The world brightens around her, and everything gleams with 
an inner light.


     Muted sunlight streamed in through cream colored drapes and 
played across Ukyo's face. Slowly she stirred in her bed and blinked 
her eyes open. She felt so peaceful and contented.
     She had another Ranma dream. She still had them even after 
Ranma's profession of love for Akane, but this was the first time 
since then that they hadn't cut her to the quick. This was the first 
time she had dreamed of Ranma falling in love with her that didn't 
leave her weeping in her bed and soaking the pillows with her tears.
     She sighed dreamily and slipped out of bed. Reality would assert 
itself soon enough, and she wanted these good feelings to last. That 
Ranma at the very least loved her like a sister was some small buffer 
against the eventual heartache that always came when she thought 
of him.
     "Today is a new day," she said to herself. "This isn't Guam, but 
I can at least enjoy my stay here like I was on vacation. And to think 
I didn't have to spend a single yen to get here!"
     She decided on bathing before breakfast. The sound of her 
humming cheerfully carried down the hall. A sound which was 
soon joined by that of splashing water.


     Sarophan nodded to himself outside in the hall.
     **Easier than I believed...** He thought with some satisfaction. 
**Just a subtle touch here, a gentle prod there, and she responds as 
desired... Easy enough I suppose when her heart is already behind 
the idea.**
     He walked down the hall to take his breakfast.



                        *       *       *



     Midmorning found Ukyo, Nabiki, and Kuno on the small beach 
by the lagoon. Kelebros stood at anchor in the middle of the lagoon. 
Aerandir had decided to remove it from the pier for some reason. 
Perhaps to discourage Nabiki from leaving with him tomorrow.
     They each wore bathing suits provided by Sarophan's household. 
Nabiki had to admire Sarophan's fashion sense. They wore nothing 
less than the finest designer labels.
     By the same token she had found with no small delight that 
Sarophan had a satellite television and received reports from the 
world's major stock exchanges via Internet access on his home 
computer. He had permitted her to catch up on her investment 
portfolios by telephone under the gentle supervision of Yiannis. Her 
fortunes were secure, and since she was no longer a hunted refugee, 
she was feeling her old self again. 
     Kuno practiced his strikes in his dark blue swim trunks along the 
low breaking waves. Ukyo lay out on a large beach towel sunning 
herself in a white one piece bathing suit cut very high or very low 
in just the right places. She seemed particularly happy this morning, 
which made Nabiki feel much better about her. The last traces of 
her affliction had evaporated away. 
     The three songbirds she had met yesterday had formed an unusual 
bond with Nabiki. They serenaded her from a nearby fig tree, something 
airy and bright by Claude Debussy. Nabiki found herself growing rather 
fond of them. 
     She sat in the shade of the fig tree, listening to her songbirds, (it 
wasn't long before she thought of them as hers), and watching Kuno. 
The swordsman moved gracefully through a half-speed form, feeling 
out each move of his body and blade, making them one with his 
mind. Kuno wasn't very keen on much of anything, but as Nabiki 
watched him she knew he was at least a genius when it came to 
swordplay. His form complete, he executed it at full speed. The air 
seemed to shimmer before the force of his glittering blade whistling 
through it.
     "Mmmm..." Ukyo murmured wistfully. A tropical drink moistened 
her lips. "I could do this forever."
     Nabiki smiled and looked at her. "I'm inclined to agree with you."
     Ukyo looked up from her drink and turned onto her side. "What do 
you think about what Aerandir told us last night?"
     Nabiki pursed her lips in thought. "It sounds crazy. But given the 
light of recent events and the things we've seen, I guess I have to 
believe him. Don't ask me what this means for us."
     "That _was_ my next question," Ukyo chuckled. "Can you guess 
my other one?"
     "Do we stay here? I don't really know." Nabiki continued. "I'd 
like to go home. Kasumi and my dad are probably just as worried 
after hearing from me as they were before. I just don't want to involve 
them in this. If those Russians are keeping an eye on the dojo I could 
end up endangering them. At least while we're here everyone is safe."
     "Everyone but Ranma and Akane," Ukyo observed.
     Kuno stopped practicing and leaned an ear towards the two ladies.
     "Do you know where they are?" Nabiki asked her.
     "Of course not," Ukyo replied.
     "Then we can't do anything to help them," Nabiki said. "I don't 
like the idea, but that is just how it is. Sarophan probably has his 
people looking for them right now as we speak."
     "Do you think he can protect them?"
     "He'll do a better job of it than we can."
     "Speak for thyself Nabiki Tendo," Kuno said. He sheathed his 
sword and strode over to them.
     "What was that, Kuno-baby?" Nabiki asked archly.
     "My martial prowess shall prevail over the foe as it has in 
encounters past. I have sworn a vow to repay the debt of my life 
to the accursed Ranma Saotome, and even unto the likes of such 
vermin I shall not shirk from duty. Any who wouldst harm the 
slightest hair upon his head must first answer to my righteous 
steel." His face darkened. "And for those who wish ill upon the 
angelic beauty of Akane Tendo, I shall split the heavens with my 
wrath."
     "Gee Kuno-baby, you only promised them twenty-fold against 
what they did to _me_," Nabiki teased.
     Kuno affected a pained look for a moment.
     "What's this about a debt?" Ukyo asked him. She tried to think 
back to that night in Ucchan's -moments before they were catapulted 
into this nightmare. Her memory of that night was sketchy at best.
     Kuno took pains to direct all attention from Nabiki and instead 
looked upon Ukyo laying on her beach towel. A fetching sight she 
was.
     "I swore to repay the accursed Saotome Ranma and the 
misdirected Hibiki Ryoga for saving my life," Kuno told her. 
"Though Saotome is my rival in all things, I must not shirk a debt 
of honor."
     "You mean when you were wounded in the war?" Ukyo asked.
     Their eyes were drawn to the tattoos that embellished his 
washboard stomach. Nabiki knew what she was looking for, and 
could see the puckered scars from the bullet wound and of the 
tubes that had been inserted into his infected abdominal cavity to 
drain the virulent fluids out of his body. It was admirable work, 
and as Ranma had once suspected, had been performed using 
traditional means.
     "Precisely," Kuno said quietly. He could see their eyes upon his 
stomach and tightened up unconsciously. 
     "So what's your plan?" Ukyo asked him. It was just idle chatter 
to while away the morning hours.
     For Tatewaki Kuno, it was anything but trivial. Nabiki took one 
look at his stern countenance and knew that he already had a plan. 
It was also probably so half-baked and hopelessly optimistic that he 
was doomed to failure from the start. **Kuno just takes himself 
_far_ too seriously.**
     "I shall accompany the esteemed mariner Aerandir when he sails 
in the morn. Together we shall find Saotome and the lovely Akane," 
he replied. 
     Nabiki knew this was coming, but found her jaw dropping in shock 
nonetheless. Ukyo took the news with equal surprise. Kuno bid them 
good morning and proceeded to walk down the beach towards the 
rocky cliffs to practice away from such lovely distractions.



                         *       *       *



     Ivan Tarchenko stepped through the door and into a spacious 
room at the University of St. Petersburg College of Science filled 
with computers, tables with piles of books and hardcopy stacked 
upon them, and men scribbling on blackboards. Doctor Casimir 
was in the corner of the room with Doctors Yevdokimov, Petrenko, 
and Gulyaev. The four scientists were poring over a simulation on 
a large computer display.
     "So this is where you have been spending all your time?" He 
said to them.
     "Ah Vanya!" Casimir called to him happily. "You are just in 
time."
     "In time for what, Doctor?"
     Casimir laughed, and the other scientists laughed with him.
     "We are close, Vanya. Very close!"
     Tarchenko looked at the display. A toroidal representation of 
magnetic flux spun around a grid pattern sphere which Tarchenko 
immediately took to be the Earth. Red and violet lines of flux criss-
crossed the surface of the sphere, which at times took on substance 
and displayed the land masses above and below sea level. The time 
scale was set to one second equals 86,400 seconds, (or one day).
     "You have corrected the model?" Tarchenko asked in surprise. 
**Perhaps they would not need the two Japanese after all.**
     "Yuri and Natalya have been tireless in their calculations," Casimir 
said in reply, gesturing to the middle-aged Doctors Petrenko and 
Gulyaev respectively. The two gave modest smiles in response. 
"And I've had a stroke of inspiration myself!"
     "It works?" Tarchenko asked again.
     "Not yet," Casimir cautioned. "But we have never been so close. 
I was so blind not to see this before!"
     Tarchenko was quite lost. "What is it then?"
     "Gravity!" Casimir said triumphantly.
     "Gravity?" Tarchenko repeated.
     "Gravity," Gulyaev affirmed.
     "But we've already factored in the gravitic functions for the 
Moon," Tarchenko said desperately. His science background had 
only ever been a cover for his work as Zhukerov and the others' 
spy, and these people were leagues over his head.
     "It wasn't enough!" Casimir hooted. Tarchenko had never seen 
the old man so animated before. "Right now we're assessing the 
effects of all of the planets in the solar system, and even the Alpha 
Centauri trinary system. An acquaintance of mine from the Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory in California is going to send me a detailed 
summary of the event data we've collected thus far; analyzed 
against these new parameters. He's even managed to get us 
computer time for this!"
     "In exchange for what?" Tarchenko asked. It was the KGB in 
him coming out.
     Casimir shrugged. "Some high resolution radar relief mappings 
of Mars, our polar cosmic ray survey raw data from last month 
(they had a few glitches with their own observatories and they're 
desperately behind schedule), and the medical reports of all our brave 
cosmonauts upstairs in Mir. You know how desperate the Americans 
are for long duration space-flight data."
     "Those were privileged data belonging to the Russian Federation, 
Doctor!" Tarchenko cried. "You can't just give them away to the 
Americans!"
     "Hush Vanya, your voice is carrying," Casimir admonished. 
"And remember we are scientists first. Leave politics to the 
apparatchiks...If I must, how do they say over there in America, 
'do a little horse trading'; then I will gladly part with a few nags that 
I may acquire a fine stallion!"
     "But Doctor!" Tarchenko hissed. "It wasn't yours to give!"
     "I'm surprised at you, Vanya. I would have thought that such a 
great leap forward would have made you happy."
     "I am happy, Doctor. But not if you had to give away our 
painfully and costly collected scientific data to get it. We were nine 
years ahead of them with the Mars data alone! And they'll never 
put that Freedom of theirs into orbit. They would still be begging 
us to ride Mir for years to come to collect their own long term 
space-flight data if you hadn't given it to them. We need the hard 
currency such favors garner."
     Casimir shook his head. "What's done is done, and cannot be 
undone." He directed his attention back to the display. "So beautiful. 
I can almost see the pattern unfolding."
     Tarchenko found himself watching as well. He was far enough 
into this role to at least appreciate what he was looking at.
     "So that's it then," he said at length.
     "What was that, Vanya?" The elderly scientist asked absently.
     "Gravity. That was what was missing."
     "Oh there's more to it than that," Casimir remarked off-handedly. 
"But this puts us so close now. So close. I wonder if that was what 
Balthazar did to keep their model on track so much better than ours?"
     "Why don't you ask him?" Tarchenko said suddenly. It was a 
lapse of conduct, but the last several minutes had been very trying 
for him. He wished immediately that he could take it back.
     "How was that again, Vanya?"
     Tarchenko realized that he may as well go all the way. 
     "You are planning to attend Prince Rainier's Charity Ball. I am 
aware that Professor McFogg also attends the event every year. 
You could ask him then."
     "And how would you know this?" Casimir said tiredly. He didn't 
feel like playing such games when there was so much yet to be done.
     "I am your Operations Director, am I not?" Tarchenko replied. 
"It is my job to know such things." It was a satisfactory recovery, 
and he felt pleased with himself.
     "Of course, Vanya." Casimir chuckled. "How very silly of me." 
He let the matter drop and returned to the simulation.
     "You said there was more to the model than the gravitic 
corrections," Tarchenko fished. "What did you mean by that?"
     "If I had those Wayfinders with me I could probably tell you," 
Casimir answered. "Just a few hours to talk with them. It could 
mean so much. I do hope Balthazar brings them to Monaco."
     Tarchenko's brow furrowed in thought.
     **As do I, Doctor. As do I.**



                          Chapter Two



     Aerandir was a little surprised to see Nabiki treading water a few 
meters from Kelebros. He leaned over the gunwale and smiled for 
her. She waved a hand jauntily at him, but the look of concern on 
her face belied any joviality she tried to convey.
     "Ahoy Nabiki!" He called to her. "For just a moment I thought 
you were a mermaid who wished to chat with me." He looked down 
at her, a vision of exotic beauty in a bright red bikini that glowed 
beneath the clear green waters of the lagoon. "But then perhaps I 
am not far from the mark!" He laughed.
     "May I come aboard?" Nabiki asked.
     "Of course!" Aerandir replied. "Swim to the fantail and I shall 
help you aboard."
     Nabiki kicked out a few lazy side strokes and bobbed just aft of 
the jackstaff. Aerandir's personal ensign snapped with the breeze 
above her. She could make out the silvery letters of 'Kelebros' on 
the fantail, along with more of that attractive alien script.
     Aerandir leaned over the rail and dropped a short Jacob's ladder 
for her over the side. Nabiki pulled herself up, with Aerandir taking 
her hand and helping her over the rail. She shook out some of the 
water from her bob of mahogany colored hair as Aerandir went 
below to fetch a towel for her.
     He came back up on deck with the towel, and Nabiki dried herself 
off.
     "Welcome aboard, Nabiki," he said kindly to her. "Now what 
seems to be the trouble?"
     "Is it _that_ obvious?" Nabiki lamented. She hated the idea of 
being so easy to read.
     "I cannot imagine why else you would swim so far from the beach 
just to chat with me. Especially as I would be joining you for lunch in 
just a short hour."
     "I suppose you do have a point," she admitted.
     "Would you like something to drink while we talk?" He offered.
     Nabiki took a seat on a deck chair. "Anything without alcohol or 
too fattening, please."
     Aerandir smiled at her and went below again. Nabiki had to admit 
that eight-thousand years old or not, he was looking very handsome. 
And he did have the warmest smile.
     He returned with two tall glasses of iced tea. He set one before 
her and sipped idly at the other one.
     "You were kidding about the mermaid, right?" She thought to 
ask him.
     "Of course not!" Aerandir replied. "I speak with mermaids all 
the time."
     She had to laugh in spite of the absurdity of it. Then again, 
knowing a little more about Aerandir, he was probably quite serious.
     "I have delayed you long enough I think," he observed dryly. 
"Now what is it you wish to speak to of?"
     "It's about Tatewaki Kuno," she told him.
     "The Blue Thunder? Do go on."
     She had the feeling that he was already certain of where she was 
going with this, but played on. "He plans to leave with you tomorrow."
     "Quite so," Aerandir agreed. "I cautioned him against it, but he 
was rather adamant. As none of you are prisoners on this island, I 
could not refuse such a request."
     "Did he tell you why he wanted to go?"
     "He did not," Aerandir replied. "Nor did I feel it was my business 
to inquire."
     Nabiki thought as much. "He's looking for Ranma and my little 
sister. He swore this stupid oath to repay Ranma for saving his life, 
and he's just dumb enough to travel to the ends of the Earth to do it! 
He can't possibly survive on his own out there, he's just too dimwitted 
for something like this!"
     "Why Nabiki!" Aerandir said in an amused tone of voice. "I had 
no idea you felt so strongly for the Blue Thunder!"
     Nabiki's heart just about stopped.
     "W-Whatever gave you that idea?" She stammered. She flinched 
on the inside for losing her cool so easily. **What was it about 
Aerandir that cut to the bone so effortlessly?**
     "While I may not be as proficient as my uncle, I can see certain 
things within people that mere vision cannot perceive," Aerandir 
replied softly. "I see that you have spent a very long time in the Blue 
Thunder's company."
     "I've practically taken care of him his whole life," Nabiki said 
without thinking. **Where is my guard today? Another hidden talent 
of Aerandir's? Still, it _is_ good to get this out in the open...** "He 
was so hopeless when I first met him in elementary school, I kind 
of felt sorry for him... I guess I've been feeling sorry for him all our 
lives." **Fourteen years anyway.**
     "Surely the protector of Nabiki Tendo and Ukyo Kuonji could 
not be so helpless?" Aerandir said in a tone that was very faintly 
mocking.
     "Oh sure. If you give him someone to hack up with his sword, 
he's just fine. Any other time and he's totally hopeless. He has no 
idea what's going on outside of his little samurai fantasy world!"
     She stopped speaking and just sat there looking at the beads of 
condensation trickle down the glass of iced tea in her lap. Mostly 
because Aerandir's marvelous sea colored eyes were too intense to 
bear in her present state of mind. She couldn't believe she was 
getting so worked up over Tatewaki Kuno. 
     Aerandir chuckled. "Correct me if I am mistaken, but I believe 
you wish to join me tomorrow when Kelebros sets sail?"
     Nabiki looked up at him gratefully. At least she didn't have to 
fumble around for some way to justify going with him this way. 
No reasons to let anything else slip in front of him either.
     "If I can't talk him out of going, then yes, I wish to join you 
tomorrow." Her eyes flashed with the glint of sunlight off the 
waters. "If I may," she added.
     Aerandir raised his glass to her. "Kelebros could do no better 
than to have such a fine and fair lady as yourself aboard! You are 
always welcome aboard my ship, Nabiki."
     Nabiki clinked her glass against his.
     "Thank you, Aerandir."
     Aerandir bowed. "I am your servant, Nabiki," he said gallantly.
     He checked his pocket watch, a veritable antique in 22 karat gold 
with a Swiss 12 jeweled movement that dangled from a gold chain. 
"We should also be heading for the shore. Lunch will be served 
shortly, and I know my uncle is a stickler for punctuality. And you 
still need to change out of your bathing suit."
     Nabiki looked around for his launch. There was none that she 
could see. **Surely he didn't intend to dock the ship with the pier 
again?**
     "It's quite a swim," she remarked. 
     "Who said anything about a swim?" Aerandir said to her. "You 
wouldn't be able to swim back and still be on time."
     "What are you saying then?"
     Aerandir opened his arms to her. "If I may, I shall carry you."
     "Excuse me?"
     "Trust in me Nabiki, I shall not lead you astray."
     "Carry me across the water?"
     "Yes. It's not something I make a habit of, but it _is_ good for 
me to stay in practice. Come please."
     She gingerly stepped up to him and he cradled her up into his 
strong arms. She set an arm around his neck and shoulder and waited. 
He stepped up to the rail and jumped over.
     At first she cried in surprise, certain he intended to plunge into 
the water. They never got that far. He skated atop the surface of the 
waves and began singing a bawdy drinking song in Middle Italian. 
Nabiki looked down with wide eyes and saw that his feet just 
avoided the surface of the water.
     "That's some trick," she remarked to him. "Could I do that in 
say, eight-thousand years?"
     "You could be doing this in just a few years if you were willing 
to practice with me," he chuckled. "I sense a great well of power 
within you. It makes me glad to know that my cousins are coming 
of age."
     "You mean more people like you will be coming along?"
     "Not like me. But yes, more and more of you are expressing 
your potentials than ever before. From what I've heard of your 
sister's husband, he seems to be one of the stronger ones."
     "Fiancé," Nabiki corrected. "So when will this sort of thing 
become common place?"
     "Oh not for a few more centuries at the very least!" Aerandir 
laughed. "But I'm a very patient man!"
     "I can imagine," Nabiki sighed, trying to imagine what it would 
be like to live for thousands of years. The concept defied any real 
grasp she could manage. She was only twenty years old. Aerandir 
was four hundred times her age.
     Aerandir scooted across the sand and set Nabiki gently on her 
feet.
     "There we are," he said briskly. "Now that was exhilarating, 
wasn't it?"
     She nodded and looked out across the lagoon. They had crossed 
two hundred yards of water in under a minute. They didn't have a 
drop of water on them.
     "You could say that."




                       *       *       *



     Tatewaki Kuno was pondering his good-byes to Ukyo and 
Nabiki when he heard a light rapping on the door. He got up from 
his kneeling position on the floor and started across the room. 
The rapping sound returned a little more urgently.
     He opened the door to see Nabiki looking up at him.
     "Good evening Nabiki Tendo," he offered her politely.
     "Let's cut to the chase Kuno-baby," Nabiki replied, and pushed 
past him.
     "You wish to speak in private?"
     Nabiki had by this time sat down on the foot of the bed. "You 
could say that."
     "I am listening, Nabiki Tendo." Kuno stood across from her.
     "I'm here to ask you to stay," Nabiki said to him.
     "To stay?" Kuno asked. "For what purpose do you ask this of 
me?"
     "I know this sounds a little awkward, but I'm concerned for you."
     Kuno was silent. He had never expected something like this to be 
said by Nabiki Tendo. (And certainly not in regards to himself.)
     "Concerned?" He asked.
     "Yes, concerned. For you." She said with growing impatience. 
"I think you are making a big mistake in chasing after Ranma, and 
I am trying to keep you from that mistake." 
     "I realize that should fate turn against me, and I be slain in the 
course of fulfilling my oath to Saotome, that you would stand to 
lose considerably in a financial sense."
     It must have been a Tendo family trait, because a characteristic 
Akane snapping sound came from inside Nabiki's head.
     "I don't give a damn about your money!" She yelled at him.
     Kuno stepped back a bit both in surprise at her ferocity and her 
foreswearance of wealth.
     "Oh, I should have known better than to try and reason with 
you," she went on in a slightly less intense tone of voice. "Any more 
than thinking that you had an ounce of common sense in your head!"
     She jumped to her feet and thundered past him. She slammed 
the door as hard as she could for effect. Kuno stood there watching 
her go with a confused look on his face.
     **Perhaps I am mistaken, but I do believe Nabiki Tendo is 
concerned for me...**



                          *       *       *



     Later that evening Nabiki found Ukyo listening to music in the 
drawing room. She had cooled off from her bungled encounter 
with Kuno, and her next course of action was obvious to her. Her 
songbirds were there, and to see them serenading Ukyo made her 
jealous for an instant before realizing to herself how silly that was. 
Ukyo looked up and waved to her.
     "Hey Nabiki," she greeted.
     "Hi Ukyo. You look pretty content."
     "Oh I am," she replied. "I haven't felt this much at ease with 
myself in a long time. It's funny too, because I had a dream about 
Ranma last night."
     "Oh?"
     "Yeah. Usually they leave me a wreck in the morning. Not 
today. I know that he'll always love Akane, and somehow it just 
doesn't bother me like it used to."
     Nabiki sat down next to her. "Does this mean you're getting 
over him?"
     "I still love him," Ukyo replied. "I'll always love him. Maybe 
this means that I'm ready to move on with my life." She chuckled 
softly. "I mean why should I keep beating myself up over it?"
     "No regrets?"
     "One," Ukyo admitted. "I regret not coming to Nerima sooner. 
I think if I had come before he started to fall in love with Akane, 
he would have fallen for me instead." She threw back her mane 
of dark brown hair. "But you know what? That really doesn't 
bother me anymore either. It's like this little voice in my head is 
telling me not to worry; that no matter who gets whom, everything 
will work out for the best."
     Nabiki nodded. She and Ukyo had become rather close in the 
past few months, but this was the first time they had ever discussed 
her love for Ranma in this way. 
     "I'm glad to see you feeling better," Nabiki said softly. "Don't 
let this get out, but I really care about you."
     "Your secret is safe with me," she whispered with a grin. She 
then threw her arms around Nabiki and they hugged warmly.
     Nabiki started to get a little choked up. Affection didn't come 
easy to her, and she had never been this way with her sisters. She 
loved Kasumi dearly, but with the death of their mother her older 
sister had become so distant from them. Akane would always be the 
baby of the family, and Nabiki admitted that perhaps a little jealousy 
of her had kept them from ever being close. It was strange and also 
wonderful that she could be so close to Ukyo.
     She sniffled once, fighting back a tear or two. She was on too 
much of an emotional roller-coaster tonight. Ukyo gave her a squeeze 
and released their embrace. As the okonomiyaki chef drew back 
from her, Nabiki put on her best smile and tried to muster the 
courage to say what she had come here for.
     "I'm leaving with Aerandir in the morning," she said quickly.
     "I kinda guessed that," Ukyo replied. "Take good care of him."
     "Aerandir can take care of himself," Nabiki observed.
     "That's not who I was talking about," Ukyo grinned. "I was 
talking about Kuno."
     "Ukyo!" Nabiki cried. "I thought I made things pretty clear to 
you about how I felt about him." **Pompous posturing idiot!**
     "Relax Nabiki," Ukyo giggled, thoroughly amused with the 
reaction she had received from her remark. "I'm not saying that 
you're in love with him or anything, but I think you feel for him 
more than you care to admit."
     "I'm not going to answer that," Nabiki said dryly. "But I am 
going to ask you to come with us."
     "I can't," Ukyo said softly.
     "Why not?"
     "I just can't," she replied. "I need some time to think things 
through. It's why I wanted to go on vacation in the first place. 
As long as I'm here, I'm going to take advantage of it. Besides, 
it's not like you'll never see me again. We'll all be back in Japan 
in a few weeks."
     Nabiki could see that Ukyo was quite sincere in her desire to stay 
behind. She decided that perhaps the okonomiyaki chef she had 
come to know as her dearest friend could use a little time alone. 
She would miss Ukyo, but she was right; they would all be together 
again in a few weeks. That wasn't such a long time to wait.
     "I'm going to miss you Ukyo," Nabiki said to her. "But if it's 
for the best than I won't argue with you."
     "Nabiki not haggle? I'm surprised you would let me off so easy. 
I was expecting a fight." Ukyo teased.
     "Do you want one?" Nabiki replied with a wicked grin.
     "No, but I'll settle for a hug instead."
     "Deal."
     Nabiki reached out and took Ukyo into another warm embrace. 
She felt the warmth of a tear on her cheek, and realized that it 
belonged to Ukyo. The songbirds trilled softly for them in the 
darkness.



                       *       *       *



     The sky was just turning grey in the east. The wind was soft 
and cool, promising a gentle summer day. Tatewaki Kuno brought 
the inflatable boat alongside Kelebros. Yiannis took over the tiller 
and kept the boat steady as Aerandir sent the Jacob's ladder over 
the side. Kuno pulled himself up the ladder, carrying only his sword.
     "You travel lightly Blue Thunder," Aerandir remarked. "Admirable 
for a sailor, but not always wise."
     "It would not be proper to take such things as were lent to me 
by thine uncle," Kuno replied.
     "Well I don't think he was actually _lending_ them to you," 
Aerandir explained. "But it's no matter. I have such clothes as to 
suit the both of us. And my larder is stocked. Are you ready to 
sail with me?"
     "Verily, 'tis a fine day to feel the wind at our backs and to hear 
the snapping of the canvas."
     "Well spoken, Blue Thunder. If you would man the helm please, 
whilst I make preparations to get underway."
     Kuno bowed crisply and strode to the pilot house. Aerandir waved 
to Yiannis, who waved back and turned the boat away from Kelebros 
and started back towards the beach. That done, he turned to the 
mainmast and narrowed his eyes slightly.
     "Weigh anchor," he said in a loud voice.
     A bosun's whistle shrilled from nowhere and the ensign was run 
down the jackstaff and appeared running up the mainmast. The 
anchor was hauled aboard with the crisp clanking of the wildcat. 
Another whistle shrilled.
     "Very well," Aerandir replied. "You may carry on. Smartly 
mind you, please. We have an audience."
     Sails billowed open from reef stays. The wind obliged and blew 
up to stern, filling the bellies of the canvas with loud cracks. 
Invisible hands took turns on the sheets and halyards and 
trimmed the rigging smartly. Kelebros began to make headway.
     "Steady on the helm, Blue Thunder," Aerandir advised. "Let's 
see what the wind is doing."
     Kuno kept the rudder steady as Kelebros made for the stony 
breakwater. The ship heeled over slightly to starboard, but it was 
nothing of much concern. The chop of the seas rolling in through 
the channel glittered like quicksilver upon the grey wavetops in the 
predawn light.


     Ukyo watched Kelebros begin its departure from the lagoon. 
She could clearly see a dozen or so sailors clambering around on 
deck or up in the rigging. They wore striped shirts and white trousers 
and straw hats with yellow ribbon tails. The wind carried the 
sounds of men singing as they hauled at the lines.
     When the sun broke over the horizon they seemed to fade 
away from sight. Like a mirage. She thought she must have been 
seeing things, but the last sailor to fade from sight, high up at the 
top of the mainmast, blew her a kiss and waved goodbye.
     Sarophan snorted next to her.
     "Romantics," he said quietly.
     "Pardon me?" Ukyo asked him.
     "Romantic fools," Sarophan said. "They've been dead hundreds 
of years and still they flock to my nephew's banner to sail with him. 
Some come all the way from Fiddler's Green."


     "Ease your rudder two points to port," Aerandir advised. "Steady 
on course 2-4-5." He turned his face up to his phantom crew. "Mind 
the skylarking, lads. Plenty of time for that later."
     Kuno followed the rudder order. The spar for the mainsail shifted 
slightly before him. He checked his compass and held the tiller steady 
on course at 2-4-5.
     "Well done."
     Kuno beamed at the compliment.
     Kelebros darted past the breakwater and into the open Aegean. 
Aerandir tutored him on the handling of the ship, pleased to find 
such an attentive and eager pupil. After awhile he relieved Kuno 
at the helm and mentioned that he should go below to have breakfast. 
The swordsman felt quite pleased with himself, and hummed 
tunelessly as he went below.
     He looked about the small galley and dining area scarcely large 
enough for four people. There was an arrangement of fruits in a 
hanging bag that drifted back and forth slowly with the rocking of 
the ship in the waves. Freshly baked bread lay in a basket set in a 
recess in the middle of the table to keep it from rolling off. He 
chose a mango and began to eat.
     On the small stove was a kettle of water put on to boil. The kettle 
was held on the griddle-like burner by two metal rods that fit in holes 
along the raised edge of the stove. One could shift the rods around to 
accommodate larger sized pots, or add more rods and safely cook 
with more than one in rough seas.
     The water wasn't yet hot, and so he went forward into Aerandir's 
stateroom for a change of wardrobe. He felt glad to be away from 
Ukyo and Nabiki in a way. At least he didn't have to see to their 
safety anymore. He could focus himself upon the task at hand; 
repaying his debt as swiftly as possible that he might return home 
to Japan. 
     Of course if it should be by way of the fine vessel he now sailed 
upon, then so much the better. Aerandir was an excellent teacher of 
seamanship, something Kuno had always wanted to learn more of. 
He was after all a skilled mariner, but his first passion was always 
swordplay, even at the expense of other disciplines. This was his 
opportunity to hone his skills and sharpen his instincts. **Let them 
try laughing when next I shouldst sail away with my Pig-Tailed 
Goddess!**
     He stepped through the door into Aerandir's stateroom. It was 
dimly lit with the drapes pulled over the portholes, and the sun was 
yet still struggling on the horizon. He reached for a light switch and 
flicked it on.
     Nabiki Tendo lay in Aerandir's bed fast asleep. She was wearing 
the smallest nightgown that Tatewaki Kuno had ever seen. Her long 
coltish legs were bare, the comforter and sheets thrown carelessly 
aside her. His eye caught a teasing glimpse of her black lace panties. 
Her bosom swelled in the most inspiring way as she drew slow and 
even breaths in her sleep.
     Sweat beaded on his forehead and heat began to radiate about 
his face. As crafty and dangerous as he knew her to be, in repose 
she looked so innocent and, well, beautiful. Angelic, the more he 
thought about it. He continued to watch her sleep, fascinated with 
her loveliness. Even a little unnerved at her transformation.
     Finally it became too much for him and he threw up his hands 
to the heavens.
     **Oh cruel fate!** He lamented in his mind. **Why hast thou 
passed this cup to me? Are not my affections divided enough?**
     He reigned himself in, asserting his self control with rare success. 
He was strong. What he felt were primal urges, to be denied for 
the higher finer beauty of True Love. Love for the Pig-Tailed Girl, 
love for Akane Tendo. He couldn't possibly feel love for Nabiki.
     Respect certainly. Even admiration for her strength, resolve, 
and wit. But anything more? Absurd!
     "Absurd," he said aloud, and felt better immediately.
     There was something very wrong here, but he had yet to 
determine what it was.
     He tried to ignore her as he searched the wardrobes for something 
suitable.
     "Mmmmmm..... Hello Kuno-baby," Nabiki purred luxuriantly 
behind him.
     He turned around to see her curled suggestively around a large 
pillow. Her half-open eyes seemed focused on him. Her mouth was 
pursed into a wicked grin.
     The badly worn clutch of his mind finally engaged.
     "Thou art supposed to be upon the island, woman!" Kuno cried 
in a loud voice.
     Nabiki was unfazed by his outburst. All of the old cool in her was 
back with a vengeance. She yawned casually.
     "Now whatever gave you that idea, Kuno-baby?"
     Kuno was livid.
     "Madness!" he bellowed incoherently. He had no idea where he 
was going, and rambled on for several minutes, punctuating his 
oratory with various fragments like "Insanity," "Foolishness," and 
Nabiki's personal favorite: "Impetuous woman!"
     She let him go on like that until he seemed to be reaching some 
sort of crescendo. (Although he was making no more sense now 
than when he had started his tirade.) Then she pulled the rug out 
from under him.
     "Give it up Kuno-baby," she told him softly. "You're stuck 
with me, and it's for your own good."
     Kuno stopped in mid-finale. The hard look in her eyes told him 
volumes. They told him that she wasn't relenting, and that he was 
dashing himself against a wall of iron. His hands sunk down to his 
sides and for a moment he seemed like a deflated balloon. It was 
almost pathetic. 
     He sunk down along the bulkhead, sapped of energy. Defeated 
as usual by Nabiki Tendo. He wondered what sort of dark powers 
she exercised over him to do this with such annoying regularity.
     "Might I ask why thou hast chosen to visit this upon me?" He 
said wearily from the carpeted deck.
     "I told you last night Kuno-baby," she replied with a slight smile 
from over the pillow. "I'm concerned about you."
     Kuno slumped down upon the carpet in total defeat.


     Nabiki came up on deck wearing a halter and shorts. She was 
barefoot and smiling quite contentedly. Aerandir returned her smile.
     "Well I think he took your presence rather well, don't you think?"
He asked with a wink. It was clear he could hear Kuno's tirade up 
on deck.
     "You're sure we're too far away to turn back?"
     Aerandir chuckled. "Distance has nothing to do with it. I wouldn't 
turn back. You asked to join me on this voyage and I agreed. What 
the Blue Thunder may wish of you has nothing to do with our 
agreement."
     "Thanks for letting me stay the night onboard," she said warmly. 
"And for keeping him away until we were out to sea."
     "I am your servant, Nabiki," Aerandir laughed. "It was no trouble."
     He looked across the horizon to the sight of distant ships. A cloud 
bank loomed far to port -a squall blown up from the warm Egyptian 
air in the south. He reached out and caressed the storm; assessing 
its intentions, gauging the strength that it hid within its depths.
     "Truth be known Nabiki, I would have dearly wished to have 
seen him from a closer vantage point. Is he always so passionate?"
     Nabiki blushed a little at his remark. "If you mean excitable, 
then yes."
     "I sensed as much in him. You would do well to take care 
with him."
     "Oh, I can handle him," she replied without thinking.
     The sweet sound of music filled the air. Nabiki's trio of songbirds 
settled along the rail and chirped excitedly for her. She cried out in 
delight and gathered them up onto her arm. They sang a bright aria 
in response.
     "Aerandir, look!" She cried.
     Aerandir offered her a thin smile. 
     "I see my uncle's songbirds have taken a fancy to you."
     "He won't mind will he?" She was clearly taken with them as 
well.
     Aerandir looked away, pretending to be on the lookout for 
shipping traffic. A part of him tugged at the squall, and the winds 
shifted to bring it closer. Nabiki hadn't noticed the darkening 
horizon off their port beam. It was still very distant.
     "No, I don't think he will mind their absence."
     Nabiki let the three birds settle on the brass rail that surrounded 
the pilot house. They began a slow melody, Handel's "Wassermusik," 
the first suite in F. "So where are we bound?"
     "Monaco," Aerandir replied. His jovial spirit now seemed quite 
subdued.
     "Any particular reason? Not that I mind a trip to the south of 
France!"
     "I have a certain obligation to meet in Monaco. By a happy 
coincidence we will likely find your sister and her fiancé there as 
well."
     "Akane and Ranma? That's great!" She was dying to see some 
family again. "When do you think we can get there?"
     "Perhaps three days," Aerandir replied. "I don't think there is 
any urgency to require the expenditure of certain Talents to get there 
sooner."
     "Just how far can you travel in a night?" She understood now 
that he had used some of his enigmatic powers to take them 400 
miles in twelve hours in order to reach Kalimnos.
     "It depends," he said evenly. "It depends on how badly I need 
to be somewhere, how much strength I have saved up for the task, 
and how much energy I can draw on from the sea. I imagine that 
I could get us there by tonight, if it was important enough."
     He looked at her. His sea-colored eyes flashed with distant 
lightning.
     "But I do not feel that is the case. In any event the process 
can be very draining, and I might need to save my strength for 
other concerns. We shall have to be patient."
     Nabiki walked over to stand close to him.
     "What's the matter, Aerandir? Something is bothering you."
     "Yes, Nabiki... You are a formidable woman indeed... Something 
is bothering me, and I suppose that it would only be fair that I share 
it with you."
     There was anger veiled in his words. It didn't seem to be directed 
at her, but she became wary of him. She wasn't sure she wanted to 
hear it anymore.
     "My uncle has committed himself to a terrible course of action," 
he began. "I have sworn to him that I would not interfere. That he 
is my family and I would not betray him. Yet he sends those," he 
pointed to the songbirds, which chirped animatedly. "Because he 
does not trust me!"
     He raised his fist to the sky and a great bolt of lightning crackled 
across the mainmast. The thunderclap report deafened Nabiki, who 
huddled in the safety of Aerandir's loose fitting tunic. The storm 
was building to port, rushing closer.
     "Has this obsession so twisted your heart that you would think 
so low of your own family!?" He bellowed to the storm.
     He brought up his hands again and waved them out to his sides. 
A great waterspout spiraled up from the sea and began rampaging 
in circles around the ship. Seaspray and wind lashed at Nabiki, 
who now ducked down along the pilothouse bulkhead for shelter. 
Aerandir's hands crackled with St. Elmo's fire, and more lightning 
crackled in response overhead.
     "Aerandir, stop it!" She cried.
     Rain began to fall, heavy and cold. Kelebros pitched roughly 
against the blackening seas. The swells were swiftly becoming thirty 
foot high mountains of icy water. Lines came free from their stays 
and whipped mercilessly around the deck.
     Aerandir had run forward to stand on the prow, and was 
shouting at the sky in his native tongue.
     "Aerandir!" Nabiki shouted.
     He spun around and whipped up another waterspout with his 
raised hands. He sent it spiraling in the opposite direction of the 
first, disrupting the waves even more as they crashed against the 
hull. A wave broke over the rail and nearly crushed Nabiki against 
the bulkhead. She spat out a mouthful of briny water and coughed 
up what little she had inhaled.
     Kuno stormed up on deck. 
     "What manner of storm is this?!" He cried.
     "It's Aerandir!" Nabiki yelled back to him, still coughing water. 
"He's gone crazy!"
     Kuno fought to keep his balance on the water logged and 
pitching deck. He reached Nabiki, who grabbed onto to him for 
purchase against the swells. He put an arm around her and held 
her fast even as he looped his other arm around the rail.
     "There was no hint of madness in him in the morn," he 
remarked to her over the roar of the wind and the furious patter 
of rain.
     "What do you call this?" She shot back from underneath his arm.
     He surveyed the blackened skies and the icy swells that raged 
around them. Lightning rent the heavens again with its deafening 
report. The rain fell in sheets that soaked the two of them to the 
bone.
     "Perhaps I must speak to him lest we founder."
     "You think so?!" Nabiki returned with all the sarcasm she 
could muster under the circumstances. **Even in a crisis he's so 
thick-headed!**
     "Get thee below, Nabiki Tendo. Thou art ill prepared to face 
this squall."
     "I'm staying right here. There's no way I'm going to try and 
make it to the ladder in the middle of this!"
     "Very well then," Kuno said to her. "I ask that you hold fast 
to the rail and preserve thy most precious life. I shall attempt to 
parley with Master Aerandir."
     He stood up and walked calmly towards the prow. Now that he 
understood what was going on, he turned his attentions to proper 
balance and footwork upon the slippery wooden deck. He moved 
gracefully over the deck watching the waves as they came in, 
feeling the subtle shifts in the ship as it wallowed over the swells, 
and bracing against the gusts of wind.
     "Master Aerandir," he called in a calm voice.
     Aerandir didn't acknowledge him. He was busy raising up a 
third waterspout.
     Kuno repeated himself, adding, "thou art frightening the lady."
     Aerandir turned around. He saw Nabiki soaking wet and huddled 
in the open pilothouse. She was trying to stay calm, but he could see 
into her heart and knew she was terrified.
     The waterspouts flew apart around the ship. The winds died 
down and the seas with them. The rain faded to a gentle sprinkle. 
Without his direction and efforts, the storm that should never have 
been now ceased to exist.
     He leaned back against the gunwale and sighed heavily. A wisp 
of St. Elmo's fire flickered across his hands and sparkled into 
nothingness.
     "I suppose I _did_ overdo it a bit," he observed. "But I wanted 
my uncle to know exactly what I thought of his gift."
     He sighed again.
     "It felt good to get that all out of my system. My apologies if I 
frightened you."
     Nabiki stood up. She tried wringing out her now sopping wet 
halter top. Her confusion with him gave her a wary countenance. 
He seemed very kind and gentle, yet this rampant display of violent 
power was stark contrast to the man she thought she knew.
     **I should kick myself for thinking I could figure him out in 
just a few days. He's eight thousand years old for gosh sakes. I 
probably haven't seen a fraction of his personality. Or his 
power.**
     Aerandir walked aft to the pilothouse. He bowed his head for 
her.
     "Are you injured?"
     Nabiki brushed at some of the water that beaded on her from 
the drizzling rain.
     "Not really. A little bruised maybe, but nothing serious."
     "I offer my apologies to you. I am used to traveling alone, 
where such outbursts harm no one. They are quite rare I assure 
you, but when I do let go it isn't gentle."
     She tried to smile for him. "Just warn me next time, okay."
     "I shall endeavor not to have a next time around you," he 
replied. "Perhaps you should get below and change out of your 
wet clothes."
     Nabiki nodded agreement. Without a word she went below.
     Aerandir brushed at his clothes, which dried instantly in wisps 
of steam. He looked at Kuno, who now had the helm and kept 
Kelebros on course. He knew it wasn't necessary, as the ship 
looked after itself, but admired Kuno's instincts. Perhaps in a 
few years he would be worthy sailor.
     "I am very sorry Blue Thunder. I never meant for any harm 
to befall her."
     Kuno nodded in acceptance of Aerandir's apology. "While she 
may have the frailties of her gender, she is of strong character and 
spirit. I do not believe she will hold this long against thee."
     "For that I am glad. I would be sorely wounded to lose the 
friendship of Nabiki Tendo."



                           Chapter Three



     Ivan Tarchenko walked down the wide boulevards of the city to 
his usual Paris haunt, a sidewalk cafe on the Left Bank of the Seine. 
He ordered the usual, and was rewarded with the appearance of his 
contact some minutes later. The man sat down across from him.
     "<You are given final authorization to proceed with your action,>" 
the man said to him in French.
     "<But can I count on your support?>" Tarchenko asked with a 
sharp edge to his question.
     "<We are prepared to accept custody, but be advised that if any 
formal proceedings should occur as a result we will not hesitate to 
take the appropriate steps to keep ourselves clean.>"
     Tarchenko nodded at the old give-and-take. "<I understand, 
but let me offer you this in return: your ardent cooperation with 
me will be looked upon favorably by the men I represent. I am 
well aware that the Paris Section is in decline with the lack of 
funding in recent times.>" He left the rest open to speculation.
     The man nodded with a grunt. He knew which side his bread 
was buttered on. 
     "<We shall make every effort to support you in Paris.>"
     "<You have no idea of the confidence that inspires in me,>" 
Tarchenko replied.
     The man stood up from his chair and lost himself in the crowds 
of commuters spilling up from the Metro station below the street.
     Tarchenko reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a cellular 
phone. He stabbed a quick encryption key code into the unit and 
then dialed. After some minutes he was rewarded with the 
polyphonic tones of the unit on the receiving end entering the 
correct return code.
     "<Your orders?>" Crackled Fyodor's voice.
     "<You may proceed as planned,>" Tarchenko told him crisply.
     "<Understood.>"
     The line clicked dead. Tarchenko put the phone back into his 
pocket and finished his coffee.



                         *       *       *



     Nabiki couldn't find it in her heart to stay upset with Aerandir 
for very long. They had passed the day at sea in good spirits. Kuno 
had gotten over her presence on board, seeing as how Aerandir 
had no intentions of returning her to the island. 
     Her songbirds had fled below when Aerandir began his tantrum. 
Now they perched upon the rail of the pilothouse and serenaded 
her with a little Mendelssohn. Even Aerandir didn't seem to mind 
them as much, especially as how they made her so happy to have 
them around. 
     This afternoon found Kuno and Aerandir standing on deck 
facing off with swords. It hadn't taken long for the subject of 
fencing to come up between them. Nabiki watched them size 
the other up while sipping iced tea.
     Kuno of course had his katana, which was a beautiful family 
sword. She didn't doubt its edge one bit, she'd seen its handiwork 
first hand. Aerandir's sword however was far more exotic. The 
metal looked like it had been woven from several different pieces 
and hammered flat into a wavy blade similar to a flambergé. 
Delicate engravings were etched on the blade in that gorgeous 
ancient script, the hilt was ivory and gold and set with emeralds 
and aquamarine and lapis lazuli.
     "Don't kill yourselves," she called to them as it looked like 
they were ready to fight.
     "I have faith in the Blue Thunder's skill," Aerandir replied.
     They came at each other with lightning swift strokes. Their 
blades flashed in the sunlight but never once connected with 
each other nor the flesh of their opponents. After the first 
engagement they backed off and assessed the other's style.
     "You fight rather well, Blue Thunder. However I know you're 
holding back from me."
     "I may say the same of thee," Kuno replied. "First we must 
determine the rhythm of our opponent that we may strike outside 
of it."
     "I find it odd that a man who holds the tenets of Musashi close 
to his heart only wields one sword."
     "It is the way of the Kuno family."
     "I understand."
     They came at each other again. Nabiki couldn't even see their 
blades moving, just a flashing blur of glinting steel. It ended as 
abruptly as it began, with Aerandir stepping back and bowing his 
head.
     "Well done," he said in compliment for Kuno's skill.
     Kuno bowed in respectful acknowledgment of the compliment.
     "Did I miss something?" Nabiki asked them. "I never even 
heard your swords touch each other."
     "And mar these fine blades needlessly?" Aerandir replied.
     "It is not necessary for two swordsmen of sufficient caliber to 
resort to such coarse and vulgar means of sparring," Kuno supplied. 
Aerandir nodded his head in agreement.
     "So you just wave your swords at each other until someone 
decides that he's outmatched?"
     "There is more involved, but that is the gist of the argument," 
Aerandir said to her. "It was plainly obvious that the Blue Thunder 
has more speed than I. He also practices rigorously every day. I 
haven't picked up my sword to spar or otherwise for decades. 
I think he went easy on me or he would have defeated me even 
sooner."
     "If I may be so bold as to point out that thy heavier blade is 
not as well matched against my lighter swifter blade for such 
unarmored combat," Kuno said, pointing to Aerandir's sword 
with his own.
     "Very true, but you are being too modest Blue Thunder. 
Yours was clearly the superior skill."
     Nabiki had to snicker at that remark. **Kuno modest?**
     "Allow me to offer you this in appreciation of a master 
swordsman if I may," Aerandir continued. He squinted his eyes 
for just a moment. The sword he held in his hand seemed to 
burst into a silvery flame.
     Kuno's eyes widened in wonder. Nabiki had to shade her eyes 
with her hand to cut down on the glare from the sword.
     "I can teach you this," Aerandir told him. "Your martial focus 
and your bond with your blade is already so close that it would take 
little effort on your part once I explained the foundations of the 
technique."
     Kuno was flabbergasted.
     "I would be honored Master Aerandir," he replied after a few 
minutes of envious staring at the sparkling ethereal flames that 
licked along the blade.
     "Good! We have a few days before we reach Monaco. That 
should be time enough to get you started if we work at it. Who 
knows? You may master this in only a few years."
     Nabiki looked at Kuno, and saw wheels turning in his head 
that were unlike any she had ever expected from him. Then 
again, this was about sword fighting, his only genius and first 
passion of anything in this world. He'd probably have it down 
pat by the end of the week.



                         *       *       *



     Professor McFogg took his tea with Mister Clay and the Prince 
of Monaco a little earlier than usual. All three were busy men, but 
had decided that an old friendship was worth a little sacrifice of 
decorum. McFogg raised his teacup to the Prince and thought 
back to the good old days.
     "Ah Henri, when was the last time we took tea together?"
     Prince Rainier III gave him a chuckle. The man was in his 
early seventies, still fit and hale despite the weight of age and the 
hard times he had lived through.
     "I believe it was about this time last year. The last time I held 
this charity ball," he replied. 
     "Quite so," McFogg said quietly. "I have been a little busy to 
call on you more often."
     "We have both been busy," the Prince added. "How does your 
little project fare these days?" He made an aside to Clay, "I 
remember when he first told me about it. My daughter was being 
christened. I almost laughed out loud right there in the cathedral. 
I'm sure the Bishop would have had me excommunicated on the 
spot, sovereign or not!"
     Clay laughed at his anecdote, not at all surprised to hear 
something like that in regards to the Professor.
     "We've had a bit of a setback recently," McFogg admitted. 
"But we are very close."
     "You're running out of time, if I remember correctly."
     "Henri! Bite your tongue. I haven't spent fifty years of my life 
just to lose everything in the last few weeks. In any event, we have 
found our Wayfinders. They will set us back on the path."
     "So your father was right," the Prince remarked. "I take it 
these Wayfinders are the young couple you are bringing with 
you to the ball?"
     "Correct as usual, Henri."
     "I shall look forward to meeting them, then."



                         *       *       *



     Ranma-chan decided that all things considered, it wasn't a bad 
looking bikini that she wore. She certainly drew enough appreciative 
looks from the men. It was just a little frustrating that she couldn't 
enjoy a trip to the beach without becoming a girl. She could have 
worn a conservative one-piece, but she figured that as long as she 
was going to be playing on the ritzy Larvotto Beach in Monte 
Carlo, she might as well look like she belonged. Half the girls here 
were topless anyway.
     **Ryoga would have bled to death by now,** she mused, 
watching a pair of French girls saunter by giggling like school 
children. The two were wearing something approximating dental 
floss. Between them they might have had enough suit material 
to seal the proverbial aspirin bottle.
     **And I thought the suit Nabiki made me wear was 
nonexistent.**
     She had a couple bottles of flavored mineral water for herself 
and Akane. As she made her way down the stone steps to the 
beach, she spotted Hiro and Ferguson coming from across the 
sand towards her. Hiro was wearing a tank top and swim trunks, 
while Ferguson indulged in a pair of Speedos. The scientist was 
deathly in need of a tan.
     "<Hello there lass,>" Ferguson greeted her. "<You're looking 
beautiful today.>"
     There was something disturbing about Ferguson's words. Like 
he didn't mind that Ranma was really a guy even when he happened 
to be a girl at the moment. At least his transformation hadn't 
completely freaked him out the first time like it did most people.
     "<Hi Ferg,>" Ranma-chan replied. "<You're blinding me with 
that lack of a tan.>"
     Ferguson laughed. "<Perhaps I _should_ get out more.>"
     "That for Akane-chan?" Hiro asked, gesturing to the bottled 

water.
     "Yeah. Do you know where she went off to? I can't see her 
from here."
     Ferguson waved to the two and started off. "<I'm headed back 
for the hotel before I get burnt to a crisp. See you this evening. 
Ciao.>"
     Hiro and Ranma-chan waved good-bye.
     "Yeah I know where she is," Hiro said to her when Ferguson 
had left. "Follow me."
     Ranma-chan followed his lead.
     "You know you _are_ looking pretty sassy in that bikini, 
Saotome."
     "Watch it, Hiro."
     "Just making an observation."
     They continued on down the beach a little ways.
     "So you talk to her yet?" Hiro asked.
     "About?"
     "You know what I'm talking about."
     Ranma-chan was silent a moment. He and Akane had reached 
an unspoken agreement wherein they just didn't talk about what 
had happened that night in Hiro's hotel room in Spain. About 
marrying Akane, and his unreadiness to do so. That didn't mean 
he hadn't been thinking about it ever since. He had the sleepless 
nights to prove it.
     "Not yet."
     "You're blowing it, Saotome."
     Ranma-chan kicked at the sand.
     "Who are you supposed to be, my old man?"
     "Nah, just your friend."
     "Some friend to keep opening up old wounds."
     "Better to open them up and let 'em drain than to sit there and 
watch them fester," Hiro countered. "But, hey, I'll lay off for now."
     They found Akane asleep on her beach towel. She was wearing 
a turquoise colored bikini with tiny silver stars embroidered upon 
it. An arm was draped over her eyes to keep the Mediterranean 
sun at bay.
     Ranma-chan pressed her finger to her lips and bade Hiro be 
silent. Very carefully she crept up to Akane. Hiro started to snigger 
when he saw Ranma-chan carefully position the icy bottle of 
water over Akane's belly.
     She slid the cold wet bottle over Akane, who doubled up and 
screamed in shock and surprise. Ranma-chan jumped back with 
a cackling laugh, and Hiro fell over onto the sand. Akane caught 
her bearings, saw Ranma-chan with the offending bottle still in 
her hand, and began to steam about the ears.
     "Raaanmaaaa...."
     "Aw whatsa matter Akane?" Ranma-chan mocked. "Was 
that cold?"
     ".....Die....."
     "Run, Saotome! Run!" Hiro cried, nearly in tears at this point.
     Ranma-chan decided that Hiro might have a point. She hopped 
to her feet and bolted away. Akane jumped up after her and 
began yelling for her to stop. Voices of beach goers cried out in 
a medley of French, Italian, Monégasque, and English as they 
weaved through them.
     "What? So you can clobber me? No way!" Ranma-chan cried 
in response.
     She decided to cool her off by heading for the water. Akane 
followed after as Ranma-chan ran past the crowds and dove 
headlong into a wave. When she came up, Akane was there 
next to her. She was Not Amused.
     "Uhh... Hi Akane!" She cried in her sunniest voice.
     Akane dropped a fist down on top of her head. Ranma-chan 
sunk beneath the waves. Bubbles appeared at the top of the water 
as a wave rolled gently over her.
     Ranma-chan burst to the surface a moment later waggling her 
tongue at Akane.
     "You never cease to amaze me Ranma," Akane told her, 
ignoring the raspberry she was getting.
     Ranma-chan stopped. "Oh yeah?"
     "Just when I think you can't be any bigger jerk you always top 
yourself!"
     "I couldn't help it!" Ranma-chan cried. "You were practically 
_begging_ for me to do it!"
     "I'm going to kill you now..." Akane replied in a cold blooded 
voice.
     She dunked Ranma-chan in the next instant. She brought her 
back out of the water to take a breath, then dunked her back under. 
This continued for several cycles before Ranma-chan started 
laughing when she should have been concentrating on breathing.
     Akane dunked her again, and this time Ranma-chan caught a 
lungful of water. When she began struggling in her grasp, Akane 
let her up. Ranma-chan burst out of the water coughing and 
spluttering.
     Concern replaced anger in Akane's eyes.
     "Are you all right?"
     "Fine," Ranma-chan gasped. "Just peachy." She spat out a 
bit of water. "For tryin' to breathe in the whole ocean I'm just 
fine."
     "Serves you right you jerk," Akane scolded.
     "I'm sorry if you're sorry," Ranma-chan returned.
     Akane looked at her for a moment. "I'm sorry, Ranma."
     Ranma-chan grinned. "Changed my mind, I'm not sorry!" She 
pushed Akane under and then lifted her up and started laughing. 
It was a playful laugh, and instead of being set off again, Akane 
started laughing and playfully wrestling with her.
     "You are such a jerk, Ranma!" She cried merrily.
     "I know," she replied with another grin. Without thinking of 
her present form, she took Akane up into a hug.
     Akane thought nothing of it either at first. She put her arms 
around Ranma-chan and kissed her cheek. She was so used to 
seeing Ranma as a girl that it didn't click.
     It was after they pressed close to each other that they 
remembered.
     "Oops," Ranma-chan said softly. "Sorry, wasn't thinking."
     "Neither was I," Akane said with a bit of a blush. "Everybody 
probably thinks we're lesbians now."
     "You crazy kids!" Hiro called to them through the surf. "I 
can't leave you two alone for a minute before you're off necking 
somewhere!"
     Akane saw that Hiro was still wearing his tank top in the water.
     "Take your shirt off Hiro," she called back to him. "Let's see 
what a _real_ man's chest looks like!" At this last bit she cocked 
her head towards Ranma-chan, who grunted something inaudible 
and probably profane.
     Hiro looked suddenly very uncomfortable.
     "Uh, that's okay. I think I'll keep it on, thanks."
     Akane was about to ask what the problem was when Ranma-chan 
nudged her beneath the water.
     "Drop it," she whispered.
     She looked quickly to Ranma-chan, who gave her an equally 
quick 'trust me on this' look. Then she turned back and smiled 
for Hiro. 
     "Okay. Suit yourself!" She said cheerily.
     Nothing could have suited Hiro more than to drop the subject. 
He came up to them and splashed them both with water. They 
doused him in reply.
     "Enjoying ourselves?" He asked, wiping his wet hair out of 
his eyes.
     "Oh yes," Akane replied wistfully. "If it wasn't for this whole 
'event' business this would be the most fun I've had in a very 
long while. But don't get me wrong, I'm still having a grand time!"
     "I think Akane's figured out that she likes to travel," Ranma-chan 
observed.
     "Plenty of that to be had," Hiro replied. "I guess we're heading 
back to England tomorrow -since we can't figure out where to go 
next."
     Akane looked downcast.
     "I'm really sorry we couldn't help the Professor. I feel like we 
let him down."
     "We'll think of something. I know we've got some of the 
smartest people in the world working on it. Don't let it bother 
you Akane-chan, nobody's blaming you for anything."
     "If only we could figure out what the 'Crown of Eternity' 
meant," Ranma-chan said. She had been thinking about it off and 
on ever since the event in Granada. She'd also been thinking 
about the vision with Ukyo, and wondering if it was symbolic 
or a harbinger of things to come.
     "There's only about three hundred and fifty known geographical 
references with the word 'Eternity' in them," Hiro said. "So either 
it's a metaphor for something, or we're in for a very long search."
     "If Anazali shows up again, we could ask her," Akane offered. 
"She might know."
     "She'll turn up whenever she has something to say to us," 
Ranma-chan said. "Not before."
     "Well enough about that stuff," Hiro said to them. "In my 
capacity as majordomo and all around Man Friday for the 
Professor, it is my duty to inform you that you still have to get 
fitted for that tuxedo some time today. And your gown Akane; 
it will probably need to have a few finishing touches put on it 
that will require your presence."
     "Do we have to go tonight?" Ranma-chan asked.
     Akane elbowed her stiffly in the ribs. "Of course we have to 
go," she replied. "The Professor has once again gone to a lot of 
trouble for us. We're obligated."
     "I know nothing about ballroom dancing!" Ranma-chan 
protested.
     "Well you're in luck," Akane said with a wicked grin. "I do."
     "So?"
     "So I'll have to lead, I guess. Face it Ranma; you're going to 
waltz with me tonight, and you're going to like it."
     Ranma-chan groaned pathetically.
     The familiar howl of Pratt and Whitney R-1830 supercharged 
engines grew in their ears. They looked up to see Bettie's Dare 
roar overhead at about three hundred feet. The Catalina pushed 
over into a turn, rounded the Fort Antoine Theater in the distant 
Monaco district, and came in for a landing just outside the 
concrete breakwater of the large La Condamine marina. It 
taxied into the marina and disappeared from sight behind the 
bevy of yachts at anchor there.
     "Looks like Durango and D-Day have arrived," Hiro remarked.
     "Don't tell me they're going to this ball, too?" Ranma-chan 
asked.
     "Probably not; it's a black tie affair. Heironymous hates to 
dress up."
     "So why is he here?" Akane asked.
     "Beats me. I guess we can ask him later."



                       *       *       *



     Kelebros reached Monaco about midway through the third 
afternoon at sea. Aerandir conversed in French with Monaco 
Harbor Control via a small maritime radio. Nabiki watched the 
yachts and merchant shipping sailing around them as they neared 
the marina. Kuno kept a sharp lookout for any possible collision 
hazards on the prow.
     "<Thank you very much, Monaco Control,>" Aerandir said 
fondly into the radio.
     "<It is always a pleasure to hear from you, Monsieur 
Aerandir,>" Control replied.
     Aerandir looked to Nabiki and winked. "It's nice to be well 
known in these waters. You should see the trouble I have getting 
into Rio de Janeiro sometimes."
     "Something tells me you can sweet-talk your way into any 
harbor you like," Nabiki returned.
     "Perhaps so, but it is nice to have them cooperative from the 
start." He looked forward to Kuno, who was scanning the waters 
ahead of them with a pair of binoculars.
     "Blue Thunder! I intend to make my turn at Buoy Number 
Three, marked in red with two white lights. I shall come right to 
course 2-6-1 and proceed into the marina. Do keep an eye out 
for that bulk freighter bearing on our port beam."
     "Yes, the contemptible vessel seems bound and determined to 
intercept us at every turn," Kuno observed. He scanned the 45,000 
ton container ship with the binoculars. "The MV La Roussa, out 
of Genoa. We shall have to report them to the maritime authorities." 
The container ship was bound for nearby Nice.
     "Perhaps," Aerandir replied, but the tone of his voice suggested 
that he was used to inconsiderate ships' masters. "I have advised 
them of my intentions, and they have informed me that they will 
stand off and allow our turn."
     Nabiki watched the interplay between all of the ships around 
them. She never imagined that the Mediterranean would be so 
busy. Today alone she had seen numerous merchant ships, 
pleasure yachts, an oil tanker, an Italian submarine surface 
bound for Toulon, and a U.S. Navy carrier battlegroup that 
Aerandir informed her was bound for the Persian Gulf. Even 
with them several thousand yards from the nearest escort 
ship, the carrier's size defied belief.
     Aerandir wheeled Kelebros around the buoy. As it did so, Kuno 
watched as MV La Roussa picked up speed and swept by them 
with five hundred yards to spare. Perhaps Nabiki didn't appreciate 
that five hundred yards was a very small distance when it came to 
ships that required several miles of water to turn or stop in, but 
she couldn't understand why Aerandir made such a big deal about 
it.
     Kelebros slipped past the concrete breakwater and into the 
marina harbor. The sight of so many beautiful (and ridiculously 
expensive) yachts in one place was starting to make Nabiki's 
mouth water. Aerandir guided the ship carefully alongside the 
designated slip. With no propulsion power other than the wind, 
it took longer than the Pier Services crew waiting on the slip 
were used to. In the end Aerandir cheated a little to get his 
favorable winds.
     They tied up alongside the slip and Aerandir spoke with the 
Port Authority and with Customs in rapid fire French. He handed 
several small black books to the man, who looked them over and 
nodded approvingly. The Customs man left without another 
word, while the man from the Port Authority went through 
the standard Pier Services and Harbor fees routine.
     When the business was concluded Aerandir returned to Kuno 
and Nabiki.
     "I have arranged entry visas for the two of you," he told 
them. "These are your passports. I admit they have dubious 
origins but will pass any spot inspection they may be subjected to."
     "Where did you get these?" Nabiki asked.
     "I had an idea that you would be accompanying me in the 
future," Aerandir told them. "So I had them made before we left 
the other morning using my uncle's resources. I had expected 
Ukyo to join us as well, so I had one made for her. I'm very sorry 
she did not."
     Nabiki and Kuno took their respective passports. They seemed 
a little heavy.
     "I have a few more things to take care of, so if you would like 
to do a little sight-seeing than you are welcome to do so. Just don't 
forget where Kelebros is moored. And remember that you still have 
to return in time to get dressed for the ball this evening, so if you 
could return by sundown that would probably be best."
     "Great!" Nabiki said. "Come on Kuno-baby, let's go shopping." 
     She took his arm and led him across the brow. He threw 
Aerandir a confused look, which the mariner returned with a 
wink. 
     "I shall see you this evening!" Aerandir reminded them.


     The first thing Nabiki did was find them a taxi. Fortunately she 
found one whose driver spoke passable English. She communicated 
her desires to do a little sight-seeing and a little shopping at the same 
time. The driver understood and drove them into Fontvieille district. 
     The crowded houses and buildings of Monaco were a comfort 
to her, as they reminded her so much of Tokyo. Monaco of course 
was having a bit more trouble with the availability of real estate 
than Japan, but in contrast none of the residents seemed to mind 
as much. The first thing she noticed about the people of this tiny 
principality was that while they were very friendly and outgoing, 
no one was in any kind of hurry.
     As she suspected, what made their passports so heavy was 
that Aerandir had stuffed them with spending money, and a little 
note from him telling them to enjoy themselves. She had 5000 
French francs or roughly the equivalent of 100,000 yen. The 
amount surprised her as much as it delighted her. Then again 
having lived as long as he did, he had ample opportunity to 
amass the kind of fortune where such generosity came easy. 
     She decided to pass on the generosity and tipped the cabbie 
handsomely. He nodded thanks and gave them a personal card. 
If they ever needed a ride somewhere they could just call, any 
time day or night. Nabiki accepted the card with a grin.
     **Making connections already. I like this place.**
     Kuno was just along for the ride. He followed her lead, and 
didn't object when she took his arm in hers. He tried to look as 
noble and self-assured as possible given the circumstances. 
Although it wasn't proper for a Japanese lady to be so forward 
in public, he found that he didn't mind. It was the Nabiki he 
had always known, and he doubted she would ever change 
for anyone. They window shopped and browsed along the 
narrow cobblestone streets and watched the people go by. 
He drew a few stares for the sword he wore at his side, but 
no one, not even the friendly faced police, made any issue of it.
     Their first stop was a boutique that offered French and 
Italian cosmetics. Tatewaki Kuno stood with incredible patience 
and self discipline as Nabiki tried this or that perfume, a few 
earrings and other knickknacks that men the world over just 
can't fathom the importance of, and a few shades and brands of 
lipstick. It was mostly browsing, although she did buy an ounce 
of a perfume that Kuno found he rather liked on her. (Of course 
he was her guinea pig for all of the scents she sampled.)
     They enjoyed cups of espresso at a sidewalk cafe afterwards. 
Kuno nibbled at an Italian soft fried pastry but found he had little 
appetite. Nabiki finished her cup and ordered another round.
     "Something vexes thee, Kuno-baby?" She asked with a 
sardonic smile.
     Kuno raised an eyebrow at her, the most emotional response 
she'd received all day from him. It must have been because she 
had turned the tables on him again from their conversation in 
Sarophan's villa five days earlier.
     "Not at all, Nabiki Tendo."
     "You're sure?"
     "Verily."
     "Doesn't seem that way from where I'm sitting." She reached 
over and took his mostly untouched pastry and began to break it 
up with her fingers. "Since you obviously don't want it," she added 
in justification. She popped a piece into her mouth for punctuation.
     Kuno sat there in silent reflection. From the look of him he 
didn't seem to like whatever conclusion he was reaching. He 
looked down at his tepid espresso and tried a sip. He immediately 
regretted it.
     "You aren't supposed to let it get cold Kuno-baby."
     A serving girl brought over their second round of espressos.
     "Try it now," Nabiki told him.
     Kuno did so. He regretted it a second time.
     "It appears I have no taste for this beverage."
     Nabiki signaled the girl to come over and ordered a cup of tea 
for Kuno. He would have to settle for Oolong.
     "It might be a bad idea for me to drink three espressos, but I 
hate to see yours go to waste."
     Kuno handed her the cup and sighed. There was definitely 
something bothering him. Nabiki hated to see him like that.
     "Oh come on Kuno-baby, what's the matter? You can tell me 
now or you can listen to me ask you until doomsday."
     Kuno sighed again, knowing that she would make good on 
her threat. "It wounds me to admit it."
     "Admit it? Admit what?"
     He steeled himself. "It wounds me to admit that I was wrong."
     Her mind turned in circles for a few seconds trying to figure 
out what he was talking about.
     "Wrong about what?"
     "Wrong to think that I didst not require thy company on this 
voyage. Your skills in socialization and intercultural relations far 
surpass mine own. I admit that I would not have the slightest idea 
what to do in this place were it not for you to guide me. I offer 
you my humblest apologies for my outburst aboard the ship."
     Nabiki's eyes widened a little. That Kuno would ever own 
up to such a thing was remarkable in and of itself. That he would 
do so to _her_ was downright amazing. "That's so sweet, 
Kuno-baby. I didn't think you had it in you."
     "Then you accept my apology?"
     "Of course I do."
     She reached over and patted his hand. "Tell you what 
Kuno-baby; leave everything to me. As soon as I need your 
sword, I'll be sure to point you in the right direction and turn 
you loose."
     Kuno wasn't sure just how much of her was being patronizing 
and how much was sincere. He decided that she was a little of 
both. That was in keeping with her personality. At least she hadn't 
laughed at him.
     "Finish your tea," she told him. "We don't have much longer 
until we have to get back to the marina."


     Ranma, Akane, and Hiro strolled down the street. Akane 
had the two men on either arm and was enjoying how good 
that felt. They were on their way to back to their hotel in 
Monaco district overlooking the La Condamine marina harbor. 
Rather than take a cab they decided to walk. The beautiful 
summer day was drawing to a close, and they wanted to enjoy 
every minute of it.
     "This is such a beautiful place," Akane said to them.
     "Too bad we can't stay here longer," Ranma replied. He 
found he liked Monaco as well.
     "Spain was nice," Hiro observed.
     "You mean the Spanish women were nice," Ranma amended 
for him.
     "That too."


     "Oh-my-God," Nabiki said softly. She couldn't believe her eyes.
     Kuno looked up from his cup of tea.
     "Nabiki Tendo, thou lookest as if thou hast seen a ghost."
     "Not a ghost Kuno-baby, just my little sister." She rose quickly 
to her feet.
     Kuno nearly spat out his tea.


     Akane stopped dead in her tracks. Ranma and Hiro were 
dragged to a halt.
     "Jeez Akane, ya nearly ripped my arm out of its socket," 
Ranma groused.
     Hiro looked at Akane, whose eyes were wide open in shock.
     "What is it, Akane-chan?"


     "Akane!" Nabiki cried. "Ranma!"
     Kuno looked across the street to see Akane Tendo, the 
accursed Ranma Saotome, and of all people the radioman for 
3rd Platoon, 'A' Company; Private Ohata if he was not mistaken.


     Akane ran across the street heedless of the traffic. Ranma 
chased after her, stopping a cab before it could hit her. The driver 
blared his horn in protest. Hiro brought up the rear wondering 
what the hell was going on.
     Nabiki ran out to meet her sister, and the two caught each 
other up in a fierce embrace. Tears fell unbidden from her eyes 
as she beheld her little sister looking tanned and gorgeous in her 
arms. Akane squeezed with all of her prodigious strength, nearly 
suffocating her. 
     "Nabiki! How? I-"
     "I'll explain in a minute," Nabiki said in her ear. "You're 
crushing me, sis."
     "Oh!" Akane released her hold on Nabiki.
     "I'm so glad I found you two," Nabiki said to them. Kuno 
joined them in the middle of the street. The cab continued to 
honk its horn.
     "Kuno? You're here too?" Akane asked. Ranma rolled his eyes, 
trying to imagine what stroke of misfortune was being dealt to him 
now.
     "Oh Akane, my heart leaps to behold you!"
     Ranma casually planted his foot in Kuno's face before he could 
catch Akane in his embrace.
     "How's it going, Kuno?" Hiro asked with a chuckle. He hadn't 
seen Ranma and Kuno go at it since last autumn on some nameless 
Korean hill. It brought a smile to his face to know that some things 
didn't change.
     Kuno peeled himself off of Ranma's foot and glared for a 
second.
     "I am well, Private Ohata."
     "Just call me Hiro, now."
     The cabbie's horn became quite insistent. A crowd was starting 
to gather to see what was the matter.
     "We better let this guy get by us," Ranma advised.
     They returned to the cafe. Nabiki brought them up to date with 
the things that had happened to them since Ranma and Akane had 
left Japan. They in turn told them about Anazali and the visions 
they had received. 
     "Where's Ukyo?" Ranma asked. "Did she come too?"
     "She stayed on the island with Aerandir's uncle," Nabiki 
supplied.
     "So now these Russians are after you?" Hiro asked her.
     "Us and probably Ranma and Akane as well."
     "That shall never happen," Kuno said firmly. He fingered the 
sword at his side.
     "We have to tell the Professor about this," Hiro declared. "This 
might change everything."
     The rest agreed. Even Ranma. Both groups had to return to their 
respective lodgings to get changed, and they parted with the 
understanding that they would meet at the Prince's ball and talk 
to the Professor. Aerandir would be there, and Ranma hoped that 
perhaps Anazali herself would put in an appearance. The two of 
them were obviously cut from the same cloth; both from Nabiki's 
description of Aerandir, and in her retelling of the mariner's 
historical account.



                       *       *       *



     "This gets more and more complicated by the minute," Akane 
said. She twirled around for Ranma. "How do I look?"
     Ranma took in the sight of her in a luminous white ballroom 
gown laden with pearls and tiny gold beads. Ribbons and lace 
flower blossoms adorned her hair. All she needed were wings 
and a halo and he would have been looking at an angel.
     "Wow," was the best he could manage.
     Akane beamed at the compliment.
     "You look very handsome yourself."
     Ranma looked down at his tuxedo. "I feel even more like 
a penguin."
     Akane straightened his bow tie. "What is it with you and ties? 
They never stay straight on you."
     Ranma rolled his eyes. "I guess they're trying to tell me 
something."
     "Like?"
     "Don't wear 'em."
     Akane stood up on her toes and kissed him on the corner of 
his mouth.
     "I like to see you dressed like this."
     She then realized that she had smeared lipstick on him. She 
giggled a little but wouldn't tell him what was wrong. She went 
to the bathroom and wet a washcloth to dabble on his face.
     "Aggh!" He cried, figuring it out for himself.
     "Don't touch it," she called to him. "You'll just get it all over 
your clothes."
     "What is it with girls and makeup anyway?"
     "It makes us look prettier," she answered.
     "You look fine without it," he remarked, still having no idea 
what the big deal was.
     Akane looked at him softly. "For a jerk you can say the nicest 
things at times." She dabbled at his face. "I'd kiss you again for 
that, but I'm trying to get this off you."
     She flicked his pig-tail back over his shoulder and brushed at 
his lapel.
     "Ready?"
     Ranma shrugged. "I still don't like the idea of dancing with all 
those rich people."
     "Don't worry about it. I'll lead, remember?"
     "Okay."
     They walked out the door of the room. Hiro and Clay were 
standing there waiting. The Professor and Ferguson stepped out 
of their rooms. The Professor had his meerschaum pipe clenched 
in his teeth and smiled warmly for Akane.
     "<A vision of oriental beauty, is she not?>" He asked the 
assembled party.
     They quickly agreed. Akane blushed.
     "<Shall we be off?>"
     Hiro nodded. "<I have the limousine waiting outside.>"
     McFogg and the others started for the elevator lobby with Hiro 
in the lead. Akane held Ranma back for a minute. She wanted to 
talk to him, away from the others.
     "I'm going to miss this," she sighed.
     "Miss what?"
     "Dressing up, going to exotic parties, traveling across Europe. 
What are the chances we'll ever get to do this again?"
     "I guess never," he admitted ruefully. He had come to enjoy 
their time with the Professor's group himself. "Once this is over 
and we go home to Nerima that'll be the end of it."
     "That's why I want to enjoy the moment while we have it, 
Ranma. That's why I want you to enjoy yourself tonight. I want 
these to be fond memories we'll share for the rest of our lives."
     **Share for the rest of our lives...** Ranma thought as he 
took Akane's arm in his. He looked at her as they walked to the 
elevator lobby and his heart swelled with love for her. In that 
moment of reflection he found a new resolve within him.
     **I want to share the rest of my life with you, Akane...**
     He clenched his right hand into a fist. His knuckles popped, 
he squeezed so hard.
     **Now I just gotta bring myself to tell her that!**
     "I'm a little worried about what Nabiki told us," Akane said, 
oblivious to the turmoil that raged suddenly within him.
     "I won't let anything happen to you," Ranma replied. "I 
swear to you."
     "This is just so crazy. I mean how did we get caught up in the 
middle of all this? Now my sister and Kuno and even Ukyo are 
involved."
     "It's my fault. Remember what Anazali told us? She said it 
was my ki-blast in North Korea that got all these people's 
attentions."
     "She isn't telling us everything. There's more to it than that. 
I saw the lions again in Granada. They told me we both had parts 
to play in this. I just want to know what they are!"
     "I know," Ranma soothed. "Me too... But until then all we 
can do is watch out for these Russians and take this one day 
at a time." 



                         Chapter Four



     "<His Royal Highness, Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand 
de Grimaldi the Third, Prince of Monaco!>" The Herald cried in 
a great voice for the assembled guests. His announcement was 
followed by a bright trumpet fanfare.
     Those seated rose to their feet. A great clamor of applause 
arose as the Prince entered the Grand Ballroom of the Palace 
with his retinue. The band began to play the National Anthem of 
Monaco, "Monegasque." A Color Guard, wearing brightly 
polished breastplates and morion helms and bearing silvered 
pikes with red and white pennons tied to them, brought in the 
family colors of the House of Grimaldi and the flag of Monaco; 
a banner split in half lengthwise with a bar of red above a bar 
of white.
     Ranma joined Akane in the applause, as did Nabiki, Kuno 
and Hiro. The five Japanese stood at their table, which was next 
to a table occupied by the Professor, Ferguson, and Clay. That 
table in turn was next to the one the Prince would retire to once 
the formalities were dispensed. Aerandir was somewhere across 
the brilliantly polished marble floor mingling with old 
acquaintances.
     Professor McFogg also had a guest at his table, an old man 
named Casimir. They hadn't met him yet, but they assumed it 
was the same Doctor Casimir the Professor had mentioned before. 
If he was the Professor's friend, they decided he was okay, 
Russian or not. Casimir and Ferguson had been carrying on an 
animated conversation earlier.
     Their attentions were drawn back to the Prince as he prepared 
to speak.
     The Prince smiled handsomely for the assembled guests and 
waved his hands to beg for quiet. 
     "<I wish to thank all of you for attending tonight's charity 
ball,>" he began. "<I know some of you had better things to do 
tonight, but I thank you for remembering me.>"
     The crowd began to murmur fond laughter.
     "<So at the risk of not boring you to tears->"
     Again the crowd laughed. There was a smattering of mirthful 
applause. The Prince begged for quiet again with an infectious grin.
     "<So at the risk of not boring you to tears I shall keep this 
short. Enjoy the evening! Maestro, strike up the band!>"
     He waved to the maestro, who raised his baton in salute to 
the Prince. The crowd applauded once again, and their voices 
echoed throughout the vaulting Grand Ballroom. Akane watched 
wide eyed as the music began to play and couples moved out 
onto the floor. It was like something out of a romantic dream 
for her.
     The band began to play Johann Strauss' "Emperor Waltz."
     Akane tugged at Ranma's arm.
     "Come on!" She said happily to him.
     "I was kinda hopin' you'd wait a bit," he muttered. "At least 
let me watch everyone to get an idea what I'm supposed to do."
     "Just follow my lead," she said to him. "You'll learn it in 
no time."
     "Easy for you to say."
     "Just think of it as training!"
     She pulled him out onto the dance floor.


     Nabiki was radiant in her black silken gown. She wore a diadem 
which Aerandir had given to her. It glittered with diamonds atop her 
head. She took Kuno by the arm, who was smashing in his turn of 
the century tuxedo. (Another gift from Aerandir.) His tall height and 
his martial poise lent him a statuesque regality.
     "Shall we, Kuno-baby?"
     "The pleasure is all mine, Nabiki Tendo."
     Kuno was more than willing to prove how acculturated he was. 
Particularly upon hearing Ranma's admission that he didn't know 
how to waltz. With a brief check to ensure his sword was secure 
at his side he followed Nabiki out onto the floor.


     Aerandir mingled with the guests, renewing old acquaintances 
and meeting new additions to families he hadn't seen in years. He 
wore a brilliant saber to match his silvery complexion in contrast 
to his black tuxedo, which wasn't unusual considering half the 
men present were so armed. Most of them carried ceremonial 
swords, just for dress occasions. Aerandir's sword was quite real.
     He paid his respects to the Prince, who was happy to see him 
as usual, and remarked that he should visit more than just once a 
year. The Prince jabbed McFogg in the rib as he did so. The 
Professor for his part noted his silvery complexion but said 
nothing. Doctor Casimir was busy talking to a younger gentleman 
about physics. 
     The Prince was somewhat aware of Aerandir's nature, but in 
keeping with a promise made during the Second World War, kept 
his silence about the mariner's youthful appearance after fifty 
years of acquaintance. Aerandir made pleasant small talk for 
awhile with him, mindful not to broach any subject that might 
reveal his secret. After a bit he excused himself and continued to 
mingle.
     He was not expecting to run into any of his own kind. So the 
sight of Anazali in a ballroom gown and cape came as quite a 
surprise. She was similarly surprised to see him.
     "I had the feeling there was another one of us here," she said 
as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "But I didn't think it 
would be you, Sil Amarn."
     He kissed her in return. "I confess that I didn't expect to meet 
one of us at all, particularly the lovely Anazali."
     "You never pay attention to such things. You spend too much 
time alone at sea."
     "At sea, yes. But not alone."
     "Your ghost sailors don't count," she observed.
     "They would be very upset to hear you say that. There are 
those of our kind among them you know."
     She led him out onto the floor. "Dance with me and we'll talk."


     Akane showed Ranma how to stand and where to put his 
hands. She began to slowly walk him through the steps. He 
found it wasn't so tough, as long as he looked at it as training. 
When he started to look at Akane and how beautiful she was 
in her gown and combined it with the lively yet stately music 
of the waltz, he began to get a little excited and just a little 
clumsy. She steadied him gently and giggled softly.
     "What's the matter? This too hard for you?"
     "You're distracting me," he admitted.
     She laughed breathily in his ear. "There you go again, Ranma. 
Saying all these sweet things has me confused. I'm not used to it 
yet."
     "Sorry."
     "No, please keep it up!"
     He was starting to figure it out by the end of the "Emperor 
Waltz." The band launched into "Vienna Blood," also by Strauss, 
without pause. Akane let him take the lead, and together they 
whirled across the floor.
     They met Nabiki and Kuno in the middle of the dance floor, 
and the two sisters exchanged happy smiles. Ranma and Kuno 
glared at each other, but for the sake of decorum kept it at that. 
Akane steered Ranma away, and they danced on.
     "Seeing Nabiki dancing with Kuno is a little weird," Ranma 
remarked.
     "I don't know," Akane replied. "I guess it's a little strange that 
they're getting along so well. Kuno actually looks kind of happy 
with her."
     "Yeah. You'd think he was actually doing it of his own free will."
     "Ranma!" She cried petulantly. "My sister isn't half as bad as 
you make her out to be."
     "How often have you been on the receiving end of her 
schemes?" He replied. "But seriously, I think you're right. 
Maybe that time they spent together on the run brought them 
closer to each other."
     "Could be. Although that is a little weird in itself."
     "Vienna Blood" faded into a third waltz by Strauss, "Roses from 
the South." Ranma by now had grown comfortable with dancing, 
mostly because Akane was always there to keep him on track when 
he started to get confused. **We really do work well together,** he 
thought suddenly. **And Akane isn't the klutz she used to be.**
     The waltz ended and the band took a brief rest. The guests 
applauded mightily for them and retired to their tables. Ranma 
didn't realize it at first, but he had been dancing with Akane for 
thirty minutes without pause.
     They returned to their table. The Professor, Doctor Casimir, 
and the Prince of Monaco bade the two to join them. A little 
shyly, they walked over to the table.
     Akane curtsied and Ranma bowed for the Prince.
     "<You two look as if you're having a fine time!>" Rainier said 
to them in English.
     "<We are, your Highness!>" Akane enthused. 
     "<Henri is fine,>" the Prince amended gently. "<I am glad I 
could meet you. Balthazar has told me so much about you.>"
     "<None of it good I assure you,>" McFogg quipped. He puffed 
at his pipe as the Prince threw up his hands and berated him good-
naturedly in French for his rudeness.
     They chatted with the Prince and with Doctor Casimir for about 
forty-five minutes, and Akane found the Prince to be as charismatic 
and adorable as the Professor, if somewhat better mannered and 
chivalrous. Doctor Casimir was mostly curious about their 
experiences with the Professor's group, but Akane didn't sense 
anything threatening about him. All in all she found that she rather 
liked the doctor. Ranma, never much of a conversationalist, decided 
to sit back and watch the couples move across the floor. 
     When the band began to play the lively strains of Tchaikovsky's 
"Capriccio Italien," Akane was drawn to the dance floor almost by 
magnetism. Ranma of course was drawn by Akane's firm grip. 
The Prince laughed so hard at the sight of Ranma struggling in 
Akane's grasp that tears streamed down his face and his men 
wondered what could possibly be wrong with him.
     "<They are wonderful, Balthazar.>" He managed at last. "<You 
have made my whole evening by bringing them.>"
     "<Happy to oblige you Henri,>" McFogg said with a puff on his 
pipe. "<They are quite infectious, aren't they?>"
     "<I envy you Balthazar,>" Casimir said. "<You really have done 
it.>"
     The Professor chose his words carefully.
     "<Ferguson was telling me some time ago that he wished you 
were part of the group,>" McFogg said to his old friend. "<I know 
you can help us Grigory, whether we have the Wayfinders or not. 
Why don't you join us?>"
     Casimir looked away for a moment.
     "<Let me think about it, old friend.>"
     "<I'll give you as long as I can, but you know time is running out.>"
     "<Yes Balthazar, I know.>"
     He watched the young couple glide out onto the marble floor.
     "<It's just that simple, isn't it?>"
     McFogg and Prince Rainier leaned forward in their chairs.
     "<What is, Grigory?>" The Prince asked him.
     "<Love.>"
     "<Love? What do you mean?>" McFogg asked.
     "<It's their bond, their link... I can feel it in my bones... That's 
why there are two Wayfinders this time.>"


     "What is it with you and dancing?" Ranma asked her. "This 
ain't even a waltz!"
     "Just follow me," Akane told him. She turned her back to him, 
pressed close against his chest, and set one of his hands on her 
stomach as she took the other in hers. Her head seemed to lay 
against his shoulder for a moment before she took off across 
the floor.
     Ranma followed after, trying to stay with the rhythm of the 
music for his cues. "Capriccio" was a little too free-flowing for 
any such help in that line of thought, and in the end he just tried to 
keep up with her. She whispered prompts to him to turn her around 
or to dip, and even though they looked a little foolish at times 
nobody seemed to mind, and Akane loved every minute of it.
     Tchaikovsky's "Capriccio" ended, and was followed by Maurice 
Ravel's "Valses Nobles et Sentimentales." It was a waltz, and 
Ranma was happy to be back in roughly familiar territory. He 
took Akane up into his arms and began to lead.
     "That wasn't so bad," she said to him.
     "I still don't know why you like this so much."
     "Aren't you having fun?"
     "Well... Just a little I suppose."
     "I'm glad, Ranma."


     Tatewaki Kuno and Nabiki Tendo were dancing a little closer 
than they were before. The swordsman was beginning to find that 
the woman in his arms was perhaps more than he had thought of 
before. Nabiki looked at him fondly, though there was no doe-eyed 
worship in those languid orbs. Far from it. 
     That fact was what perhaps had drawn him closer to her after 
all. He appreciated strength and resolve as a martial artist. That was 
why he loved Akane and the Pig-Tailed Girl so much. There was 
great strength in Nabiki Tendo. Not physical strength, but it 
manifested in her indomitable spirit.
     Perhaps he did consider her just a bit more than a friend?
     But if he did, and she was of a similar frame of mind concerning 
him, (there were indications that this was so), where did that leave 
the other objects of his affections? Nabiki Tendo was not the sort 
of person who would brook the divided attentions that he gave to 
Akane and the Pig-Tailed Girl.
     _If_ she wanted him, she wanted _all_ of him.
     It was quite a dilemma for him, and every time he looked into 
her eyes his heart quailed for an instant in indecision. **What am I 
to do?** He thought to himself. **This cup will not pass from me, 
I must choose! Oh the tragedy of it all!**
     Nabiki could almost feel the turmoil raging within Tatewaki 
Kuno. She was fairly certain that she was one of the principles 
involved. Ravel's "Bolero" began to play, and while it was not a 
waltz (it was a ballet), many couples continued to dance to it. 
She loved "Bolero," and stepped in just a little closer to Tatewaki 
Kuno as they danced.


     Ranma and Akane stayed out on the floor as "Bolero" began.
     "It's not just the music and the dancing," she said as they 
whirled across the floor. "It's you, Ranma."
     "Huh?"
     "You're such a rock sometimes," she told him as she stuck her 
tongue out at him slightly. "Being with you like this really makes 
me feel good. It's so romantic..." She let her words drift away 
softly and looked up into his eyes.
     "You mean girl stuff," he remarked.
     Her eyes suddenly crossed in ire.
     "But that's okay," he was quick to add with a smirk. "'Cause I 
do kinda like this. It makes it easy to remember why I feel the way 
I do about you."


     The erotic playfulness of the music inspired Nabiki. She had 
made up her own mind, even if the man before her struggled on. 
She leaned up against him, and his eyes widened in surprise.
     "Tate-chan, if you don't kiss me right this instant I'm going to 
scream," she whispered in a silky voice.
     Her invocation of such an intimate pet name for him suddenly 
inflamed him. That and the fact that she was quite capable of 
carrying out her threat. He took her up into his arms and kissed 
her with everything he had. She circled her arms around his neck 
and they moved slowly to the music in a deepening embrace.


     Ranma had said just the right thing, because Akane lay her 
head upon his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. The rich strings 
and stirring woodwinds swelled around them.
     "I love you, Ranma."
     Ranma nuzzled against her sweet smelling hair. "And I love 
you, Akane."
     In that moment he knew he had to do it. The time was right 
and his heart was open and he knew he could say it. He just 
wanted a place a little more private.
     Akane gasped in surprise as she saw Nabiki and Kuno kissing 
passionately in the middle of the dance floor. Ranma turned to see 
what had elicited such a response from her and nearly died of shock 
himself.
     "Oh-my-God," Akane breathed.
     "I don't believe it either," Ranma agreed.
     Akane smiled as the two parted and Nabiki's eye caught hers 
for a brief instant. Her older sister winked at her and then turned 
back to Kuno.
     "Maybe it isn't so bad after all," Akane whispered. "Maybe they 
_do_ make a good couple."
     Ranma steered her away. "Come on. Let's go outside for awhile."
     "Oh? What for?"
     "I have something to ask you." He continued on, heart racing as 
he took her hand in his. Akane's pulse quickened as well. She had 
an idea what this was about.
     He led her off the dance floor. They ran into Hiro who had just 
finished dancing with a young Austrian debutante and was feeling 
quite worn out. (But very pleased with himself.)
     "Hello you two," Hiro said to them. "You look like you're going 
somewhere." He gestured to the coat and cape that Ranma was 
gathering up from their chairs. 
     "We're going to take a walk for awhile. Talk about some things." 
Ranma supplied.
     "May I recommend?" Hiro asked.
     "Please do!" Akane said sprightly.
     "The west end of the Palace is bordered by a nice romantic park," 
he told them. He pointed to a door across the ballroom. "Take that 
door and turn right. Go all the way down the hall and you'll come 
out in the park. I'm sure it would be the perfect place to 'talk about 
some things.'" He winked for them.
     "Hiro, did anyone tell you that you were absolutely wonderful?" 
Akane asked him with a grateful smile. 
     "Not in the last five minutes," he grinned.
     "Well you're absolutely wonderful!"
     "My pleasure Akane-chan. You kids have fun." 
     He got up from his seat to get a little liquid refreshment, winking 
once more at them as he did so.
     Ranma looked at Akane, who took his hand and led him out.


     Aerandir enjoyed dancing with Anazali. He couldn't remember 
the last time they'd been together. Neither could she.
     "So tell me why you're really here," she said to him in their own 
tongue.
     "I told you once, dearest. I am a guest of the Prince, and have 
been ever since he ascended the throne in '49. Perhaps if you 
mingled a bit more you'd have seen me at this charity ball one 
of those years."
     "I mingle in different circles than you I'm afraid."
     "So I've noticed. Now would you mind telling me why you 
are here?"
     "You know why I'm here."
     "I'd like to hear it from you."
     "I'm looking after a young couple for Nimatar."
     "Their names wouldn't happen to be Ranma Saotome and 
Akane Tendo, would they?"
     Anazali gave him a fierce look.
     "For someone who makes an effort to avoid the rest of us, you 
seem to know a great deal about current events."
     "Rest easy my lady. I know this because I ended up caring for 
the sister of Akane Tendo. I learned everything I know from her."
     "So convince me that you're not about your uncle's business."
     "I have never supported his irresponsible dreams. You know 
this."
     "But you won't help us stop him either."
     "He is my only family next to a brother who wants little to do 
with me."
     Anazali sighed.
     "Sil Amarn, when will you realize that you have to put the fate 
of this world before your estranged family ties?"
     Aerandir was silent a moment.
     "Until almost ninety years ago I didn't think he was serious. 
But with the industrialization of the world and population boom 
in the last century I think he saw what was coming before any of 
the rest of us did. I think it galvanized him into action. When he 
failed the first time I thought he had given it up..."
     "But he hasn't," Anazali said for him.
     "No he hasn't," Aerandir confirmed. "I saw the Prism in his 
Aegean villa. The damned thing survived the blast unscathed. 
How many thousands of acres of forest were leveled?"
     "Too many," Anazali replied. "The blast was heard as far 
away as London and Beijing. And then there was the death of 
Jubal to think of..."
     "He was a fool to think he could have stopped it."
     "He _did_ stop it," she corrected.
     "He postponed it," Aerandir countered. "The Prism, as I said, 
is unscathed. And now my uncle will try again."
     "We're going to stop him."
     "Short of killing him, which I know none of you will do even 
if you were strong enough, I don't see how."
     "That my dear Sil Amarn, is why we have Ranma and Akane."


     "Hello Hiro," Nabiki said cordially to him. She dangled a dazed 
and confused Tatewaki Kuno on her arm.
     "Hello Nabiki," Hiro replied. He wasn't sure what to make of 
Kuno, as he had missed their tender moment.
     "Have you seen Akane and Ranma?" She asked him.
     "I sent them out into the park," Hiro replied. "I think they 
wanted to be alone for awhile."
     "I guess it can wait," Nabiki smiled.
     Tatewaki Kuno tensed at her arm.
     "What is it Tate-chan?" She asked him.
     **Tate-chan?** Hiro thought in wonder. **The Kuno I know 
would never suffer a pet name like that. Or _any_ pet name for that 
matter. These two must be serious.** He looked at Nabiki, who 
was quite entrancing in her gown. **Lucky bastard.**
     Kuno pointed across the ballroom. A large man with dark 
forelocks and an equally dark countenance ducked through a 
door. Fyodor.
     He reached for his katana.
     "Mine eyes beheld the foul and contemptible lackey of our 
captor," he said, and tried to surge forward out of Nabiki's grasp. 
She caught him up and held him fast.
     "What?" Nabiki cried. "Here?"
     "I would not make such words in jest, Nabiki. Now release 
me at once!"
     "What's going on?" Hiro asked.
     "The Russians are here!" Nabiki cried. "The same ones who 
kidnapped us!"
     Hiro reached into his tuxedo jacket. The Sig was there and 
ready. "The park! Follow me!"
     "Lead the way, Ohata!" Kuno snarled.
     Nabiki followed after them.


     Doctor Casimir couldn't believe his eyes. He had just seen the 
Ukrainian spy and assassin Fyodor and some of his men through a 
crowd of guests. It all became so clear to him.
     "<Oh dear God,>" he whispered.
     "<What is it?>" McFogg asked.
     "<Ranma and Akane are in great danger!>" He said quickly. 
"<We must find them at once! Oh Vanya, how I underestimated 
your ruthlessness!>"
     McFogg looked to Clay and Ferguson who rose to their feet.
     "<Where is Hiro?>"
     Ferguson pointed across the ballroom to where Hiro, Kuno, 
and Nabiki made haste to follow after the Ukrainian.
     "<There he goes! Looks like he's already on to them!>"
     "<I think they're headed for the park,>" Clay added.
     Prince Rainier looked away from his conversation with the 
French attaché and turned to the scientists.
     "<Is something the matter?>"
     "<Alert your security force your Highness!>" The Professor 
cried in a hushed voice. "<Something terrible may be happening 
to Ranma and Akane!>"
     The Prince gave quick and discreet orders to his men. 
Bodyguards and plainclothes security men began to fan out from 
the Ballroom without any of the guests being the wiser.
     "<You can inform me along the way,>" the Prince told them 
as he and his personal bodyguards joined them in leaving the 
Ballroom. Again no one was yet the wiser that anything was 
amiss. Once out of the hall the Prince's men pulled suppressed 
Uzis and MP-5s from underneath jackets.



                         Chapter Five



     Hiro was right. The park was the perfect place for what 
Ranma had in mind. It was quiet and shady without being too 
dark. Trees sighed with the cool summer breeze. The sea air 
was crisp and clean smelling, invigorating even. The moon 
shone down brightly upon them.
     He brushed at Akane's hair. She seemed to glow from within. 
Her eyes glittered and she held him in a loose but loving embrace.
     "I didn't mean to hurt you when we were in Spain," he began.
     "You didn't hurt me," she replied.
     "Yeah I did. And I'm sorry. I was only thinking about me."
     She leaned close and lay her head against his chest.
     "What do you mean?" She asked quietly.
     "I shoulda been thinking about _us._"
     She looked up at him, remaining quiet, watching him with eyes 
that couldn't have been more loving.
     Ranma swallowed hard. Now the butterflies were gathering in 
swarms within.
     "Hiro told me what you talked about together that night," he 
said, still fighting for the resolve that was so easy to come by until 
he actually put himself on the spot. "I just wanted to say that I never 
stood by our parents' arrangment."
     Akane tensed in his embrace.
     "If we were to be married, it would have to be an agreement 
between you and me. Not between our interfering fathers. Not 
some stupid promise that was made when we were just babies."
     Now she looked at him in desperate confusion.
     "Our engagement should be between _us,_ Akane."
     Ranma got down on one knee and looked up at her. He held 
her hands in his. All at once the butterflies were gone and the knots 
in his stomach came undone. That clarity and resolve he had felt 
while dancing with her returned.  He knew the right thing to do 
now, the words he had to say. Nothing mattered more than sharing 
what he felt with her right this minute. 
     Akane's heart began racing. All the emotions she had flooded 
through her at once. Tears welled at her eyes against her will. 
This was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of her 
life and she was ready to start bawling.
     Ranma looked up into her eyes and drew breath to speak.
     "Will you marry me, Akane?"
     She closed her eyes, still hearing his voice in her heart. Even 
when he had confessed his love to her a winter's night and an 
eternity ago she had never felt more joy, more fulfillment than 
she did now. The tears spilled down the soft skin of her face 
and were caught in tiny crystalline beads of light by the wind, 
salty droplets mingling with the seaspray of the Monaco night.
     She pulled him to his feet and threw her arms around him. He 
gathered her up into a fierce embrace that left their hearts beating 
swiftly and in harmony. Her lips brushed against his cheek and 
down against the side of his neck. The moisture on her face ran 
down upon his in warm streams.
     "Of course I'll marry you," she cried softly. "You've kept 
me waiting to hear that long enough."
     He rocked her in his arms.
     "I didn't know if I was going to be able to ask you tonight," 
he whispered. "I don't have a ring for you right now or anything 
like that. But I promise to always love you...I'm just sorry I 
couldn't have done this the right way."
     She laughed in spite of her tears.
     "I don't care about the ring, Ranma. Your promise means 
everything to me."
     She gave him a crushing squeeze.
     "Oh I love you so much," she whispered.


     Fyodor knew a tender moment when he saw one. So he let 
the lovers have theirs before he acted. As they broke from a 
heartbreakingly intimate kiss he gave the signal.
     Ranma panted for breath as he moved forward to kiss Akane 
again. The icy jet of water that struck him in the face wasn't enough 
to effect his transformation, but seemed to knock him off his feet. 
He stumbled off balance and slurred a drunken curse as his world 
warped around him.
     Akane gasped in fright and alarm as she stumbled back with 
growing dizziness. She tried to call Ranma's name, to warn him 
about the darkly dressed men who grabbed at him. Her voice 
wouldn't come.
     Ranma saw them and knew instantly that it was the Russians 
Nabiki had warned them about. With all of his fighting focus he 
lashed out his foot in a roundhouse kick that spun the closest of 
them around like a top. The man staggered back choking on blood 
and not so surgically extracted teeth.
     "Nanosyiet padyez snova!" Fyodor barked. He couldn't believe 
the man was still standing, let alone able to fight.
     Another jet of icy liquid splashed across Ranma's face. The 
world crushed down upon him. His knees buckled and the 
overwhelming flavor of garlic flooded into his mouth. He saw 
Akane laying on the sidewalk through tearing eyes and grit his 
teeth against the vertigo to stand.
     Another man grappled with him from behind. He reached 
over his shoulder, grabbed the man by his ears and flipped him 
onto the ground with a guttural snarl. A hand slashed down to the 
man's throat and crushed his larynx.
     "Snova!" Fyodor bellowed.
     Ranma just dodged clear of the sparkling line of fluid, catching 
a bit more across the ear before ripping into another man with a 
flurry of blows. The man staggered back breathless. The others 
kept their distance, completely amazed.
     Ranma stumbled to Akane and tried to pick her up. He couldn't 
tell if she was alive or dead, and doubtless his addled brain wouldn't 
have known the difference. Tears spilled down his face as he fought 
the blackness that threatened with all his might.
     "SNOVA!" Fyodor yelled a second time.
     "Ihzkutcheno! Tabl blyiet padyez!" The man with the DMSO 
cocktail bottle protested.
     "SNOVA!!!"
     The man gave Ranma another jet of the drug.
     Ranma sunk to his knees. His brain seemed ready to implode. 
The blackness clawed its way into his mind, consuming him. The 
sight of Akane lying before him was the last thing he saw before 
he slumped over her still form.
     "Eto zakon'chyelez," Fyodor grumbled.
     "Uhzye vreemya," the DMSO man agreed.
     A black four door Mercedes pulled up a few yards away. 
Fyodor got inside as a man gathered up Ranma's body. The 
others picked up their fallen comrades. The last of them went 
to get Akane.


     "HOLD, VILLAINS!!!" Tatewaki Kuno cried, his sword 
gleaming in the moonlight. Hiro had his Sig Sauer P-220 locked 
and loaded in his hand as he leaped over a hedgerow to get to them. 
Nabiki followed up behind, directing the Prince's security men who 
lagged far behind with her cries.
     The Russians got Ranma's body inside the car before Hiro 
could get a shot or Kuno get close enough to strike. The man 
reaching hurriedly for Akane wasn't so fortunate. He looked up 
in time to see Hiro level the Sig at him from a distance of ten yards.
     "Don't you touch her!" He screamed in heartsick rage.
     The Sig barked seven times in rapid succession.
     Seven .45 caliber 230-grain hydrashoks slammed into the man 
as he tried to dodge clear. He was wearing kevlar armor panels 
beneath his tuxedo, but two rounds caught him in the armpit and 
a third slammed into the side of his skull. What was left of his 
head lolled sickeningly onto a bloody shoulder as he fell to his 
knees and then pitched over face first with a burbling grunt.
     Hiro jacked his spare magazine into the Sig on the run as he 
fell over Akane's body to protect her. Kuno leaped over the 
twitching corpse of the fallen Russian and charged the Mercedes. 
The gunfire had galvanized the security force into action, and 
whistles shrilled and flashlight beams bobbed furiously as men 
came at the run.
     Fyodor couldn't believe he was seeing the very same samurai 
lunatic he had chased clear across the southern Ukraine now 
coming at his car with his sword on high. He would have loved 
to have stayed and killed him, but the Prince's men were almost 
on top of them. He barked out stern orders, and a man leaned 
out of the window with an AK-74. The Mercedes began to 
accelerate away.
     "Cowards!" Tatewaki Kuno raged. 
     "Kuno, look out!" Hiro shouted. He began firing at the Mercedes 
to spoil the rifleman's aim. Orange sparks flashed along the body 
panels as his bullets smashed into armor.
     The rifleman cut loose with the full magazine. Between the 
bucking car and Hiro's gunfire his burst went wide. Bullets chewed 
through trees, sent storms of grass and dirt flying around Kuno, 
and geysered a shower of sparks as the remainder of the burst 
ripped into the sidewalk around Nabiki. Kuno kept up the futile 
chase until he heard her cry out. Then he spun on his heels and 
ran to her side. 
     The Mercedes sped off into the night.
     Nabiki lay on the grass in tears. Kuno lifted her up into his 
arms to see if she was hurt. She fell into his embrace sobbing 
bitterly.
     "Nabiki, art thou injured?" He asked her worriedly.
     "No I'm not!" She replied with another halting series of sobs. 
"Ranma's gone!" She fell back into his chest. "Oh Akane..."
     Hiro wiped away a tear of his own. He holstered the pistol and 
picked up Akane as gently as he could. She was alive, but so 
deeply unconscious that he couldn't rouse her.
     "Bastards..." he said bitterly.
     Professor McFogg, Clay, Ferguson, Doctor Casimir, Prince 
Rainier and his men arrived not a minute later. Anazali and 
Aerandir were hot on their heels. The Prince's men began 
searching the area for more intruders. There was only the man 
Hiro had shot to death.
     Hiro explained to them what had happened. Nabiki was 
inconsolate, crying in Kuno's arms. Akane was being tended to 
by EMT trained bodyguards until additional medical help could 
arrive. Attempts were being made to seal off the borders, but 
Monaco was such a small country that it was more than likely that 
the kidnappers were already in France or out to sea.
     "<This is an outrage!>" Prince Rainier bellowed. "<There will 
be hell to pay for this!>"
     "<You can't do that your Highness,>" Doctor Casimir said 
calmly.
     "<And why not, Grigory?!>" He shot back angrily.
     "<I know who did this your Highness,>" he replied. "<This 
was not sanctioned by the Russian Government. It was a private 
concern. They will be likely hiding under some diplomatic 
umbrella, but if you go into the open with this, they will kill the 
boy and deny everything to protect themselves.>"
     "<What are you saying, Grigory?>" McFogg asked him.
     "<I can find out where they are taking the boy,>" Casimir said. 
"<It may be possible to affect a rescue, but only if we don't make 
an official protest of this. As I said, they will kill the boy and deny 
everything. Even if we prove them responsible, Ranma will still be 
dead... Balthazar, I divorce myself from my organization. I wish 
to join yours. I cannot be party to such actions.>"
     "<It's not the way I wanted this to happen, but your support 
is welcomed.>" McFogg offered his hand, and Doctor Casimir 
shook it firmly.
     "<I too pledge whatever support I can offer in this. This 
insulting heinous crime goes beyond all bounds.>" The Prince of 
Monaco declared. "<It sickens me.>"
     Hiro looked up to them. "<If you go after him, you can count 
me in.>"
     "<Myself as well,>" Kuno declared. "<Tatewaki Kuno repays 
his debts.>"
     McFogg turned to Ferguson. "<Get Durango over here at once. 
I feel we shall need to enlist his services.>"


     The assembled party began to make their way slowly and sadly 
back to the palace. A kind of numbing cold bit into their hearts 
which even in their anger and rage they could not burn away. 
Hiro looked to Akane, who was still asleep and tensed for the 
blow she would receive when she learned Ranma was gone. 
Nabiki was still weeping softly, both for Ranma and for Akane. 
Kuno held her close to him, but could not comfort her more than 
in the offering of his warmth.


     Anazali cast a hateful glance to Aerandir. Even she had shed 
tears over the disaster that had befallen them.
     "Very clever," she told him bitterly.
     "What are you talking about?"
     "Keeping me occupied while your uncle's lackeys made their 
move. Very clever."
     Aerandir glared back at her. "Nothing could be farther from 
the truth! I did no such thing!"
     "Then I suggest you do everything in your power to get Ranma 
Saotome back safe and sound to his fiancée, or you will become 
the enemy of us all."
     Aerandir looked away from her.
     "Very well..."
     **And damn my uncle to hell...**



                      End of Part Seven



Yes, I am a vicious heartless bastard. I freely admit it.


Author's notes:



1) Fiddler's Green is a legendary sailor's paradise. Think of it as a 
mariner's Shangri La. Most of Aerandir's crew is from Fiddler's 
Green via Davey Jones' Locker.

(Speaking of which, are there any crusty Shellbacks out there?)

2) If Rainier III would please excuse the liberties I've taken with 
him, I would be eternally grateful.

3) I had a great deal of fun writing the Ballroom sequence, and I 
hoped you had as much fun reading it. Don't go getting yourselves 
worked up about receiving any invitations to Tatewaki and Nabiki's
wedding though.

4) I've read a lot of 'fics where Ranma pops the question to Akane 
and then gives her the ring that her mother wore. (Courtesy of the 
always helpful Soun Tendo.) While I think that is a very romantic 
notion, I wanted Ranma to ask her with nothing more to give to 
her than himself. (Again, don't expect any invitations to their 
wedding either... At least not in _this_ fanfic story.)

5) Yes I had to be a bastard and kidnap Ranma after he proposed.
It could have been worse. I originally planned to have Fyodor attack 
just before he can ask, but at just the point where Akane knows 
what he's going to say. (How's _that_ for mean?)


Free The Nukes!