<Title>Martial Artists and Mayhem: Third Edition</Title>



It Looks Cute on You



     "I'm heading for home, Ranma," Nabiki said, standing up and stretching.  "Are you coming?"
      "I'll get there," Ranma muttered.  Nabiki shrugged and strode away.  As soon as Ranma was certain she was gone, all trace of her on all his senses, he glanced down into the water again and traced the crisscrossed cuts on her cheek.  "JERK!!" Ranma yelled tossing a rock into the water.  She splashed the water into her face and cleaned the cuts before standing up.

*******

      Nabiki glided into the Tendo estate almost unseen, plopping back on the loung seat in front of the fire place.  In another few minutes or so she would go to her room and cast a simple spell to catch the local theatre performance.  It was so much more comfortable to "attend" in that manner, cheaper also.  But she had some time to kill before that.
      "Where'd you vanish to?" Akane asked as she leaned over the couch.  Nabiki glanced up at Akane and smirked.
      "Nice hair cut, sis," she said with a smile.  "Just which side of Ranma are you trying for?"
      "W..what do you mean by THAT?!" Akane demanded.
      "Let's see, haircut just boyish enough without actually making you look like a boy," Nabiki noted humming.  Akane sputtered angrily and impotently.
      "I'm not trying to attract his girl side," Akane snapped finally.
      "Well, I'm certain a practical girl appeals to someone like Ranma," Nabiki continued.  "And that looks so much easier to take care of than you're previous style."  Akane sputtered some more.
      "Nabiki," Kasumi chided as she walked in on the scene.  "Try not to tease your sister."
      "Okay, Kasumi," Nabiki gave a long suffering sigh and shook her head.
      "Hey Kasumi, do you need help with dinner?" Akane asked hopefully.  Nabiki winced and Kasumi turned to look at her, smiling.
      "No, thank you," Kasumi said.  "I am almost finished anyway."
      "If you say so," Akane said reluctantly.  She glanced at the door Nabiki had entered and growled.  "Where is that idiot?"
      "He's over at the river," Nabiki said.  "Was a little upset too."
      "What, he's worried about those cuts?" Akane said in disbelief.  "I can't believe that jerk.  As if a couple small scars would make him any less handsome or beautiful or whatever."
      "Actually, I'd say he was a little more upset about some things that were said to him," Nabiki said, yawning.  "Almost time for my show.  I'll be in my room if you need me."  The Metallium stood up and stretched walking towards the living quarters.
      "Wait a minute," Akane snapped.  "What things that were said?"  She paused a moment and thought about their conversations the past day.  She sweated a little when she realized that while Ranma had apologized, she hadn't.  ~Great, now I have to apologize to him again.~

*******

      Ranma glanced around from under the hood she had "acquired" from somewhere.  The red-head moved cautiously and warily, in an exaggerated manner.  She was virtually screaming innocent little waif with her attitude.  She skittered, apparently nervously, up to one of the tables in a dark corner, sat down and let her senses free.
      The situation became uncomfortably nostalgic of the days before certain scars had finally been healed.  It seemed like every guy was skipping her table and hanging about some sorceress, another red-head, closer to the center of the tavern.  To make matters worse she was a somewhat scrawny looking girl.  
      Ranma wondered if the patrons could see her cuts through the cloak and the shadows she was hiding in.  She didn't stop to consider that it was the fact that she was skulking that was causing people to avoid her.
      ~The shy one in the corner,~ Ranma's ears perked as the thought came to her over the crowd of others.  Listening to a conversation as a series of surface thoughts always made her feel funny, but it was a useful ability anyway.  ~When she leaves let's snag her.~
      ~That little ragamuffin?~ another voice added.  Ranma bridled at the uncomplimentary reference, but otherwise she smirked.  The evening wasn't going to be a total loss.  With one exaggerated sigh she glanced at the sorceress's table once and worked her way out of the tavern.  Walking down the darkening street, she smirked as a pair of footsteps sounded behind her.  Perhaps she could be done with this in time to make it back to the Tendo compound for Kasumi's dinner.
      As Ranma was passing an alley the footsteps behind her grew suddenly loud.  She whirled around feigning surprise as two men nearly tackled her and carried her into the alleyway.  They slammed her into the wall and one of them brought a sap down over her head.  Internally, Ranma smirked as she faked unconsciousness.
      "Ah she's marked up!" one of them whined.  Ranma almost growled.  "That'll reduce the price."
      "We can get a cleric to heal those," the other said.  "They'll barely be noticeable, and everything else seems to be in working order."
      "Think we should try her out first?" the first one asked in a leering tone.  Ranma released an invisible weave of suggestion and started to drop her human disguise as one of them men started to grab at her shirt.  Then there was a flash of heat and a pair of screams.  Ranma opened her eyes to see the walls of the alley blackened and a fine mist of soot drifting down, he failed to see any of the wood that had been in the alley.
      "That'll teach you to show a lady some respect!" a voice snapped.  Ranma snapped to her feet and took in the scene, noting the sorceress from earlier.  The woman looked at Ranma and the wings growing from her back and blinked.  "What the...a demon!  Wait a minute..."  The sorceress narrowed her eyes and leaned forward investigating Ranma.
      "You had plenty of guys hanging on in that tavern!" Ranma snapped.  "You think you could at least spare a couple of morsels for me!  And now look at me, I'm even MORE of a mess than before!!"  The sorceress blinked and then scowled back.
      "Hey, I thought I was saving some poor girl from slavery and rape," she snapped.  "How was I to know you were playing with them?"
      "Do you know how hard it is to get a meal when I look like this?" Ranma snapped, pulling her hood up over her face again.
      "It looked like you were hiding in the corner to me," the sorceress retorted.  "Besides, you can always just eat a lot more to make up for it."
      "Wait a minute," Ranma snapped.  "How would you know that?"
      "Stupid bit..." a grumbling voice said, cut off by a kick from Ranma.
      "Shut up!" Ranma snapped.  "This isn't your business."
      "I don't have time for this," the sorceress snapped.  "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go collect whatever bounty there is on these pukes.  Sorry if I ruined your dinner, but you should know better than to operate without some sign to other hunters."
      "Whatever," Ranma growled, the wings formed into her back.  Then she shifted into her male form, tired of being humiliated for the day.
      "You, you you're a GUY!!" the other bandit started.  The ground erupted under the second criminal
.       "SHUT UP!!" the sorceress yelled.
      "Do you have to blow everything up?" Ranma asked.  "There are less destructive spells."
      "Where's the fun in that," the sorceress asked.  The temporarily flying criminal finally landed.  Ranma shook his head and started walking away irritably as the sorceress started collecting the unconscious thugs.  "Oh, Ranma, your aunt is planning on paying a visit."  Ranma turned around to look at her curiously as the sorceress winced and turned around waving her hands.  "Wait! Wait!  I didn't just say that!"  Ranma took a closer look at the sorceress and blinked.
      "Inverse!" he snapped.
      "Errr....no," the revealed goddess said, scratching her head.
      "What are you doing hunting bounties and stealing food out of my mouth down here on the prime!?" Ranma demanded.
      "Hey, I'm not Lina Inverse," she said stubbornly.  "I'm just a random bandit killer that goes insane from time to time."
      "Everybody knows THAT part," Ranma said.
      "What was that?" Lina snapped.  "Don't you know that I'm the brilliant and eternal...umm...no I'm not Lina Inverse."
      "Whatever," Ranma said.  "Not my business, I'm going home now.  So you can have all the fun you want without me in your way."
      "When I get better I'm gonna..."  Ranma and Lina collectively rolled their eyes and turned to face the muttering criminal.
      "SHUT UP!!"  Ranma and Lina yelled in unison.

*******

      "Why are you following me!?"
      "Noting better to do," some woman's voice said.  "I'm on vacation after all."
      "Ahh, sounds like Ranma's made it in time for dinner," Nabiki said dryly.
      "Oh, it seems we have company," Kasumi said.  "I suppose I have to make more food."  Akane strode to the gates and glared as Ranma came in followed by a red-headed woman, she seethed.
      "RANMA!!" she growled.  Ranma whirled to face her.
      "What!?" he asked.  "Want to dump me in another river?"
      "Here I am feeling guilty and YOU'RE out picking up tramps!" Akane snapped.
      "Excuse me," the woman crossed her arms.  "Ranma did not 'pick me up' and I am not a 'tramp.'"  Akane and Ranma ignored her.
      "She FOLLOWED me!" Ranma snapped.  "After she ruined my meal."
      "So you went out to eat with her?!" Akane growled.  "And NOW you come running her for Kasumi's food."
      "What do you care!" Ranma snapped.  "Its not like you actually like me or anything!"
      The woman scratched her head in annoyance and walked past the arguing pair.
      "Are they always like this?" she asked Nabiki.
      "Mostly yes," Nabiki said.  "But this is worse than normal."
      "That girl needs to learn to recognize competition," the woman said shaking her head.
      "Yes she does," Nabiki agreed, thinking of Ryouga.  "Now, who are you?"
      "Ummmm....I'm just a random bandit killer enjoying a little vacation," she said.
      "Lina Inverse?" Nabiki asked after a moment.
      "How did you..." she stopped herself.  
      "That..." Nabiki said, waggling a finger.  "Is a secret."  Lina growled at her quietly.
      "I hate that phrase, and no," she insisted.  "I'm not the beautiful, intelligent, unbeatable and brilliant Goddess of Magic and Fire."
      "You do realize that this is the tenth time you've been to Nerima in my lifetime," Nabiki added.
      "I don't know what you're talking about...I'm just here out of...." she stopped.  "Is that a VERDANDI's cooking I smell?"  Nabiki regarded the line of drool descending from the goddesses mouth with a little trepidation.  "Hey Kid!  I think dinner's ready!"  The goddess vanished into the house, an anxious Nabiki following her.
      "Who invited you!?" Ranma snapped as she and Akane reluctantly cut off their argument to head for dinner.  Ranma stopped and realized just who was heading for dinner.  "Damn it!  Hurry up or she'll eat it all!"
      "What, is she a relative of yours?" Akane asked, hurrying along with Ranma.
      "Not this one, no, she does know my..." Ranma's answer cut short as they entered the feast hall and stopped, stunned, next to Nabiki and a rapt Lina.  Soun and Genma came up behind the "younger" set and gazed in equal awe at the sheer amount of food that Kasumi had prepared.  They hadn't even thought the larders had that much food.
      "Well, I think everything is ready," Kasumi said sweetly.  "Shall we all get started?"  Everybody nodded mutely, whether their voice was stolen by shock or rapture.

*******

      "Mmmmm," Lina sighed, rubbing her stomach.  Everybody was staring at her in shock, aside from Kasumi who smiling sweetly as she finished her food.  Lina had eaten fully twice as much as Ranma and Genma put together, and those two had eaten nearly four times as much as everybody else put together.  "That was good, thank's Kasumi-san.  Now, I'd better be going, I can't stay on vacation too long you know.  And....I did say you're aunt is going to be visiting, right Ranma?"
      "Yes," Ranma said, wincing.  How in the world was he going to hide himself if Celestials and dieties kept popping out of nowhere to visit him.
      "Okay, good," she stood up and sauntered towards the exit.  "Well I was curious about this place, maybe I'll come back for another visit later."  She stopped and turned back towards the stunned family.  "Oh yeah, your uncle is passing out some interesting illusions of you in a red dress..."
      "Oh no," Ranma said staring a suddenly innocent seeming Nabiki.  "Did Mom see that?"
      "I don't know, but you're aunt got a laugh out of it," she said.  Ranma paled considerably.  "Well see later maybe!"  Then she was gone out the door and away from the compound.
      "Your family has interesting friends," Kasumi said politely.  Ranma coughed in embarrassment.

*******

      "Ranma," Akane started as she found him practicing forms in the training hall later that night.
      "Look she invited herself," Ranma said.  "She's like that."
      "What?" Akane blinked.  "Look I don't care about that freeloader you dragged home with you."
      "I already apologized to you about the hair didn't I?" Ranma asked irritably.
      "I'm here to apologize to you, IDIOT!!" Akane yelled in frustration.
      "Ehh, oh," he smiled then  "Than..."
      "I mean a curse doesn't make you a freak," she said.  "If you'd been born that way it would have been different, but I shouldn't have called you a freak for some stupid spell you have on you."  Akane didn't notice Ranma wincing as she continued, but when she finished she did notice that he seemed a lot more depressed.  "Hey, are you okay?"
      "Yeah," Ranma said quietly.  "I'm just fine.  So I'm not a freak because its just a curse."
      "Right," Akane said nervously.
      "Well, thanks for the apology," Ranma said morosely, he turned away from her and walked out of the training hall.  
      "What's with him?" Akane asked in confusion, she shrugged and looked about the empty training hall.  "Well, I might as well practice if he's not."

*******

      Kasumi stared up at the night sky in relief.  It had been a long day, but now it was over.  Perhaps tomorrow would be better.  She was about to turn back into the building when the sound of a soft crying reached her ears.  She followed the sound until she found Ranma-chan curled up in the bushes about the cultivated landscape.  Ranma looked up as the bushes russled with Kasumi's passage.
      "Hey Kasumi," Ranma said, drying her eyes and trying to pretend like she hadn't been crying.  "Its not what it looks like."
      "Ranma," Kasumi shook her head exasperatedly.  "Could you follow me for a moment."  She looked around and found a fair-sized rock that could fit them both.  She strode over and sat down patting the rock next to her.  "Now come over and sit down for a moment."
      "Why?" Ranma asked cautiously.  Kasumi smiled and patted the rock again.  Ranma narrowed her eyes and warily complied.
      "No need to be afraid of me," Kasumi said as Ranma settled down next to her.
      "I ain't afraid," Ranma said defiantly, almost standing up again before Kasumi wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gently directed her to sit back down.
      "Now first things first," Kasumi said.  "I do know what you are, Ranma."  Ranma tensed again.  "You gave yourself away casting that spell the first day."  Ranma stared at her in surprise.  "You didn't think I used so much magic making that meal merely on a whim, did you?"
      "Then why didn't..." Ranma started to ask.
      "Well," Kasumi said.  "It isn't very often that a fiend uses magic to fix something someone else did."
      "You know, Nabiki knows," Ranma sighed.  "Kuno knows, sort of, who DOESN'T know about me?"
      "Quite a few people, Ranma," Kasumi said.  "And I shall have to talk to Nabiki, unless you don't mind her selling images of you to Sir Kuno."
      "I made a deal," Ranma said firmly.  Kasumi sighed but left the matter alone.
      "And why are you crying out here by yourself," Kasumi asked softly.  Ranma muttered a something under her breath.  "I did not understand that Ranma."
      "You couldn't possibly understand," Ranma said.  "You're normal.  YOU fit in.  I'm just a half-breed freak."
      "Try to tell me anyway," Kasumi said sweetly hugging Ranma.  The red-head stared at her for a moment, it had been years since he had last seen his mother and been held like this.
      "Nobody wants me," Ranma said quietly.
      "That's not true," Kasumi said.  "You have family."  Ranma laughed bitterly.
      "Pop wants me to be the best fighter ever," she said.  "Never mind the price."  She touched the crisscrossed cuts on her face.  Some of the fingers seemed to trace lines that Kasumi couldn't see, and she wondered if perhaps Ranma always had such uncommonly clean skin.  "Mom can't hang around cause we'd be fighting demons everyday.  Auntie and my uncle can't be down here all the time either."
      "That doesn't mean they doesn't want you," Kasumi said comfortingly.
      "Akane hates me, Ryouga hates me," Ranma said, ignoring that.  "And they were nice, before they found out about me.  Akane still doesn't know about me.  She thinks I'm a freak..." The red-head continued before Kasumi could say anything, starting to sniffle again.  "When she learns...she's going to want to kill me too, just like Ryouga...I'll have to fight her too...and...and....I'm going to scar, like last time...and he won't heal it this time...he'll just cut me more...even if I win...I'll...I'll be ugly...a..gn.....like aftr the c.c..cats...and LITTLE-GIRL LINA looks better than me...stupid things keep happnin...I..I ain't...right...I...don't belong..anywhere!!  Except..there."
      Kasumi held the now sobbing girl tightly and rocked her gently.  She sang a soft soothing song, covering one hand over Ranma's small injury a brief white light suffusing and closing the cuts.  She glanced at the cheek and noted that it would leave a faint scar, like all but the most powerful magical healings did, but it was only a small scar.  Ranma didn't even notice the spell as she continued crying into Kasumi's shoulder.  As the red-head started to calm down Kasumi started to speak again.
      "Now you listen to me," Kasumi said comfortingly, but firmly.  "You do belong here,   understand?"
      "I ain't natural," Ranma muttered.
      "All things are natural, little sister," Kasumi said, Ranma looked up at her in surprise.  "Some things are beneficient to us, and some are not, but they are all natural.  They all have a purpose.  Even and especially the unique."
      "Little sister?" Ranma repeated.
      "Or little brother," Kasumi said.  "Whichever you prefer.  I said you had family, Ranma.  Now, it is getting late, and I think you should get some rest after today."
      "Yeah, sleep helps when I can't hunt," Ranma said quietly as Kasumi stood up.  "Umm...Kasumi?"
      "I shall not tell anybody about this, Ranma," she said.  "Oh, and Ranma."  The red-head glanced at Kasumi as she too reached her feet.  "Don't compare yourself to goddesses, it is not a healthy thing to do."
      "Yeah, Lina can get a little vindictive," Ranma muttered.
      "One other thing," Kasumi said.  "Who's your aunt?"
      "Umm..." Ranma sweated a little nervously.  "Ryoko."
      "Oh my," Kasumi said.
      "Eh heh," Ranma scratched the back of his head nervously.  "Definitely don't tell Akane."

*******

      "Damn it," Ranma snapped the next morning.  He was looking in the small mirror the Tendo's kept in with the hot water springs.  "I knew it would scar."  He noticed a motion in the background of the mirror just before someone spoke.
      "You're worried about that little thing?" Akane asked.  She walked forward and grabbed his chin to turn him to face her.
      "What are you doing?" Ranma asked irritably.
      "Oh please," Akane snapped.  "You can barely tell its there unless you're in fighting range."
      "What does a berserk like you know anyway?" Ranma demanded turning away from her and looking through some of the powders on the stone counter.
      "Hey if its any consolation," Akane said.  "I think it looks cute on you."  Ranma stopped and turned to face her confused.
      "You think this is cute?" he asked pointing at the faded white "x" on his cheek.
      "Yeah," Akane said nervously.  "You don't look so much like a fake any more."
      "I actually look BETTER with it?" he asked again.  "Even as a girl?"
      "What!?  Why the hell would you care about that?"  Akane asked, she sighed irritably.  She had woken up still feeling guilty for some reason, she didn't know why, but she still felt like she owed Ranma a little consideration for some reason.  "You're a handsome man, and a beautiful woman.  No little scar is going to change that."
      "Really?" Ranma asked again watching her intently.
      "Yes, really," Akane said tightly.  "Are you happy now?"
      "A little I guess," Ranma said.
      "Good, now can you get out of here so I can have a bath?" Akane demanded.
      "Uh sure," Ranma said before skipping out of the carved out cavern.  Akane watched him go.
      "Sometimes he's a macho jerk," Akane said in confusion.  "And sometimes he's more effeminate than I am.  Weird."


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