It's All In The Reflexes

A Reflections Bonus Volume

A. V. Morgan

Author's Note

Well, here it is, the final part of Volume Four (transitional volume between Reflections and Refractions) and only a little longer than usual. I am still debating whether or not this volume will get an epilogue. I was surprised at how long it took to complete Reflexes, compared to how quickly I produced Reflections. I started it to fill the two or three months until I planned to start on Refractions. I seemed to run into a lot more distractions and complications, causing me to work in spurts of three to five chapters at a time, and a few chapters suffered because of that. As much as I would like to go back and fine tune Reflections and Reflexes, to weed out a number of things that tripped up my readers, I don't think I could manage it on my own time and still produce anything new. Although, if some talented or skilled individual were to send me copies of the text with the parts they found awkward or troubling highlighted, I could update it all much more quickly. Any volunteers? … Ah… Could someone at least stomp on all of those crickets? Wai! Thanks! Anyway, many of the things left hanging in Reflections are now wrapped up, or wrapped a bit tighter than before, but of course there are still plenty of loose threads to chase into the next volume. My ambition at this point is to develop this through the remainder of the original manga as a complete divergence, but to also bring in elements of other manga and anime in the hopes that it will inspire me to take this even farther. Thank you all for reading, and I look forward to hearing your questions and comments. (Those sorta things do tend to encourage the creation of ever more fun and exciting stories ^_^)

A.V. Morgan

Part Fifteen

In the final moments of Herb and Ranko's confrontation the clearing enlarged by their conflict was wreathed in a storm of raw spiritual energy. Pure ki boiled off of Ranko and unraveled into massive flows of chi that expanded outward and began to circle the pair locked in a parody of an embrace in the center of the battlefield. It was impossible for Ryouga, Akane, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mirror, Cologne and Cinnamon to miss, as they raced to the spot they had seen wild arcs of lightning converging mere moments earlier. Even without the visual effects, or in spite of the fact that they were blinding, the two could have been easily found simply by homing in on the palpable emanations of power. Unfortunately, this aid in finding Ranko came too late. Bursting from the surrounding woods, there was only time to see Ranko go limp in Herb's arms, to witness as Herb cried out her name in desperation. There was not even time to notice that the couple knelt in a pool of Ranko's blood, as the red-head chirped her victory and unleashed the untamed fury of her soul. There was only enough time for the new arrivals to dive headlong into the dirt as an awesome surge of energy swelled out in a massive sphere, in the wake of a blinding flash of light. For Prince Herb, the onslaught was not unlike diving into the molten heart of an earthbound sun. Only the fact that the fires of this furnace were spiritual in nature prevented Herb and the others from being incinerated on the spot. Instead, they were all gripped by the essence of that energy, the sexual nature of the circuit expressing itself by invading the flesh of those encompassed by the blast, and burning them with an erotic fury. In a heart beat, the helpless victims succumbed to instant arousal and then sublimation in ascending ecstasy.

            Ranko had no clue her friends had put themselves in danger. Nor was she aware that she had aborted her healing by cutting loose, leaving her repaired body all but drained of blood. Any chance of stopping herself was soon forfeit, as her senses were overwhelmed by the rush of absolution. Her body glowing ever brighter as she relinquished the last of her internal restraints, Ranko smiled serenely, suddenly at peace with sacrificing herself to end the threat her enemy presented to everything she loved. Prince Herb, still clutched by the hair at the nape of his neck--in spite of the fact that all other strength had left Ranko's flesh--knelt at the focus of this devastating assault, gripped by excruciating pleasure. Blinded in the first instant, his chi perceptions remained keen enough to detect what Cinnamon, at a slightly safer distance, could confirm. His own nature as a dragon conspired to hasten his demise. As dragons, Herb and Cinnamon reflexively drew upon the natural flows of energy around them to fuel their own abilities and defenses--a trait that often protected them from energy attacks. In this case, that ability only granted a few heartbeats worth of complete protection, before the overwhelming flood of power exceeded their capacity. They were in the greatest danger of being consumed by her power. Not that the human beings present, one ancient old woman and five teenagers, were immune. Their bodies quickly began to glow from within as the power coursing through them treated their flesh like the filament of a lightbulb. While they would not be consumed as quickly as the dragons, or Ranko, it was incapacitating and prevented them from doing anything to save themselves or stop the tragedy.

            Only the two dragons present could even guess at the true danger, what might happen once Ranko was physically annihilated and all the power still contained within her incandescent flesh, the infinite tides of her naked soul, burst free into the world. When Ranko merged with her reflections, her raw essence had been exposed for the briefest instant and a half-dozen large bedrooms had been obliterated. That was a mere spark compared to the supernova Ranko was about to become. Whatever the scope of that disaster, no one present could hope to survive it.

            Of the two dragons present, only one was in anything even resembling a position to act.

            It took several precious seconds for the realization to hit Herb, and penetrate through the haze of mind devouring bliss. Struggling to focus his perceptions to compensate for his blindness, he realized he could only endure a few more seconds. Already, their clothing was reduced to bleached, ashen echoes of themselves. Their bodies, while more resilient to this kind of blaze, were seared--sunburned from the inside out at the very least. In the distance, Cinnamon spontaneously shifted into her dragon form, when the power she absorbed from Ranko reached the threshold necessary to initiate the transformation. Normally, Cinnamon would be forced to drain her environment of the additional energy necessary to create the mass of full grown dragon, but in this case she could simply soak up Ranko's discharge at an accelerated rate. By drawing the bulk of the surging energy to her--or in dragon form, his--self, Cinnamon unwittingly bought Herb one moment of respite. Without hesitation, Herb acted, catching Ranko under the chin with an accelerated uppercut. Barely clinging to consciousness for lack of blood, Ranko could not absorb the blow. Her head snapped back and consciousness left her as the momentum ripped her out of Herb's embrace. The deadly manifestation of her fury blinked out at once.

            Herb moved quickly to catch Ranko as she arced up and flew backwards from the blow, slipping one arm around her waist to support her back while the other hand went to cradle her head before it was dashed on the rocks behind her. Their motion shattered the shell of ashes their clothing had become, and Herb was startled by the sight of his own hair as it spilled forward to cloak both of them. He had half expected all of it to have been consumed in Ranko's fire. Instead, the power had bleached it of all color, leaving the formerly two-toned mane snowy white. That warned him how close he had come to his demise, how far he had exceeded his capacity to channel raw energy. His entire body ached, seared through and through, and yet appeared healthy and flawless at the same time. Looking closer at his arms, as he gently lay Ranko down, he noticed that the familiar etchings of faint, thin scars picked up in his long years of training had been washed away. Ranko's power had been healing him even as it was consuming him from within.

            The others gradually recovered from the sensual, energy onslaught and began to pick themselves up and look around. Fortunately for them, their distance from the heart of the conflagration left them with only slightly singed clothes. Not surprisingly, the first thing most of them looked at was the dragon coiled among the trees, where Cinnamon had thrown himself as his true form spontaneously manifested. With a titanic grumbling, the great dragon struggled to untangle himself, while keeping one eye focused on the former combatants. Cinnamon had seen the final blow of the fight, recognized the blind, instinctive panic that drove it, but knew that by rendering Ranko unconscious and saving the lives of everyone present--possibly every soul between there and the horizon--Herb had succeeded in accomplishing his goal.

            The same realization was quick to leap to others' minds as they turned to look at the dragon prince hovering over the fallen Ranko. The unnerving sight of the full grown dragon was instantly washed from their minds.

            "No!" Ryouga cried out, jumping to her feet and racing toward the pair.

            "Ranko!" Akane and Ukyo shouted in dismay, sprinting after the lost-girl. Shampoo and Mirror stared, speechless, staggering in the others' wake.

            "Well, it's been quite some time since I've felt anything like that," Cologne quipped while dusting herself off, grateful that the youngsters were all too distracted to notice her chagrin. Lifting her chin, she regarded the sight of Herb arranging Ranko's limbs more comfortably upon a bed of ashes. Blinking, she scanned the clearing that had previously been cluttered by shattered and fallen trees, and found only mounds of ash. Even as she watched, though, green shoots began to push their way through the grey cloak of devastation. The air remained thick with Ranko's spent energies settling to Earth and causing accelerated plant growth. A quick assessment of her own body revealed signs of regeneration and rejuvenation that startled the old woman immensely. She had not been miraculously returned to youth, but the scars of a long, combative life and the nest of remittent tumors she secretly had held at bay for generations--delaying the ravening cancer that forever waited to consume her--had all been burned away. Thus, it was no surprise she was distracted from the shock and disappointment of Ranko's defeat, and too slow to prevent what happened next.

            "What have you done to her!?" Ryouga demanded, her voice piercing Cologne's daze.

            "You leave her alone!" Akane commanded, the sight of the naked boy hovering over the naked Ranko tripping every wire in her brain, leaving her with no option but to assume that Herb intended to fall on Ranko right then and there, to seal his claim to her and slake his perverted desires.

            With roars of anger and outrage, Ryouga and Akane flew in to attack Herb, seizing him in inhumanly strong hands and hauling the prince away from their beloved. Ukyo, having embarked on the pursuit of Ranko and Herb with something of a plan, calmly pulled a water bottle from his pocket and opened it. Mirror and Shampoo were stalking up, one passing weapons to the other with a gleeful menace, neither one taking their eyes off the young man currently being stretched out between the furious Ryouga and Akane.

            "Hold him!" Ukyo demanded, stalking forward with the open bottle in his hands.

            Herb reacted instinctively to the attack, but his over-abused body betrayed him. He lacked the strength to break free of Ryouga and Akane's grip, and his attempt to summon chi to reinforce his efforts sent a surge of agony through him. Only as he realized he was virtually helpless did he remember his promise to Ranko, to do her friends no lasting harm. Perhaps, he suddenly thought, he should have bartered for some degree of protection from them. Only, he could never have imagined being this vulnerable to any of them. "What is that?" Herb managed to ask, as Ukyo stopped in front of him and moved to splash him.

            "This," Ukyo tipped the bottle over Herb's head, "is poetic justice."

            "Not only that, is good way to keep Herb from consummating marriage with Ranko," Shampoo pointed out acidly.

            "And the first step in getting my revenge on you," Mirror added with a deadly glare.

            The light of understanding filled Herb's eyes as the cold water touched him, but as the quantity approached the limit to trigger his transformation, Herb went into sudden, screaming convulsions. In the struggle to contain Herb's thrashing, Akane and Ryouga inadvertently tripped Ukyo and knocked the bottle out of his hand, causing the remaining chisuiiton water to pour out right in his face. Mirror and Shampoo had instinctively flinched back as soon as the water bottle took flight, and stood in shock as the prince slowly, painfully turned female. Since Herb was naked, every detail of the ordeal was exposed to their view. The change rippled through the dragonling's body like a slow fire, consuming the masculine form from within, feminine flesh weaving itself together from the "smoke" into sheets of silk that slowly massed up into flesh to replace the body slowly crumbling under the devouring action of the curse. Ryouga and Akane had both flinched away from Herb as the feel of the body in their hands disintegrating and being restored unnerved and sickened them. No one had ever actually seen the transformation in such detail. From the look of it, it could only be agonizing, and the howls escaping from Herb's throat hardly suggested otherwise.

            "What the hell is happening to him?" Ryouga breathed, horrified.

            "I think I'm going to be sick," Akane twisted away and fell to her knees.

            A massive form surged forward from the edge of the clearing, casting a shadow over the teens. There was a moment of general panic as the Nerima regulars noticed what was looming over them and freaked out. Even before they remembered who the dragon had to be, however, they had formed a defensive ring between him and Ranko. The dragon snorted in contempt, imagining for a second how many bites it would take to get through their defenses. Fortunately, what was happening to Herb was of more interest. Cinnamon recognized at once that the flow of power sustaining the transformation was dangerously constricted. Once begun, the change had to be completed or Herb would die, but the channels overloaded by Ranko's onslaught were collapsing under the strain. If Herb survived the change, and the constricted pathways did not proceed to disintegrate, then maybe no permanent damage would result. Cinnamon watched the agonizing conclusion of Herb's transformation, and warned, *Consider yourself fortunate to be alive, dragonling. Be grateful, also, that your curse has been locked. I do not think you would survive another change.*

            Herb had collapsed into a gasping heap, astonished to have retained consciousness through this latest ordeal. "What do you mean? I'm stuck like this?"

            "You gave us the water," Ukyo retorted, grimly, misinterpreting who Herb was questioning. "I can't believe I got myself too!" he grumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. Never, while he arguing the necessity for him to become a man, had Ukyo intended to make it a permanent condition.

            Akane and Ryouga stood off to the side, struggling to conceal their guilty looks.

            Herb ignored them and turned to look at the dragon. "What about her?" she gestured at Ranko.

            The dragon gave a massive shrug. *I would suspect her system will not tolerate another surge of chi either. Neither of you were capable of handling the amount of energy you channeled,* Cinnamon warned severely. He turned his head to study the unconscious red-head. Reaching out with one massive claw, he delicately tapped a number of points on Ranko's body. *It will take some time for both of you to recover, and if you risk further exposure the damage could become permanent. Or fatal.*

            Herb studied Ranko, looking through the wall of her friends, and sighed. "Once more, I must suffer this prison," she muttered, trying to ignore the specifics of her current anatomy. To distract herself from the thought of her coming ordeal, she considered what had happened between her and Ranko near the end of the battle. Technically, she had accomplished her objective and conquered Ranko. Unfortunately, the battle had altered her perceptions of the petite red-head. The feelings she had awakened to were alien to her, and yet easy to interpret. They literally dictated themselves to Herb, and even a sex change could not subdue the way Herb reacted now to the sight of Ranko. There were hungers, so man hungers, but the most compelling ones were not physical. The respect and admiration that had flowered in Herb for the other girl called out for complementary feelings from Ranko. Feelings she knew Ranko was unlikely to possess for her, and which Herb had no idea how to inspire. The only clue she had was in the promise Ranko had elicited from Herb.

            Herb grimaced. That would come back to mind with those very people encircling her, eager to wreak vengeance upon her for everything she had done, to Ranko and themselves. The shock of Herb's grotesque transformation was already wearing off, and conflict was inevitable. Herb needed to prevent it. Giving the others a stony look, she raised her voice, "I gave my word to Ranko that I would refrain from slaying or crippling any of you. As I have sustained severe damage in my fight with Ranko, I must warn you, I am not capable of the level of control necessary for me to keep my word to Ranko if you engage me now."

            "Are you threatening us?" Akane growled defiantly, shuddering as the emotional spike caused her to suddenly transform.

            Herb blinked, not used to seeing a non-water-based curse in action. "You turn into a man," she murmured, as if to make that fact stick in her memory.

            "Answer the question!" Akane shouted, more aggressively.

            Herb shook her head, "I am simply making an observation. Even in my weakened condition, I am far from helpless. Unfortunately, what I remain capable of is entirely lethal." It would be ironic, however, if one of them unwittingly made the sacrifice necessary to force Herb to break her word, thus releasing Ranko from hers. "I am sure some of you would willingly die for her, but I do not believe she would find that acceptable," Herb warned with deadly seriousness. That was something of an accomplishment for a person standing in the buff, proving for all the world that Ranko had turned her into a natural, platinum blonde. She glared at them until they backed down a bit, and pressed forward, pushing through them to stand over Ranko.

            Mirror came forward, leveling a sword at Herb's throat, "Your threats mean nothing to me. I have a personal score to settle with you, and if it means a fight to the death, then I can repay my debt to Ranko at the same time."

            Herb stared at the girl, identifying her as an amazon by speech and mannerisms, but recognizing nothing about her except that she was dressed in Herb's own clothes. Sensing the intensity of her challenge, her beautiful eyes boring into Herb's, the dragon prince frowned hard trying to place her. She was about to ask the girl to explain herself, both the challenge and the theft of her clothes, when it suddenly hit her. The eyes had thrown Herb off. They were usually hidden behind thick glasses, but whenever Mousse had waxed nostalgic about his beloved Shampoo, they would inevitably come off. But the actual recognition came when Herb glanced down, wondering where this girl could have obtained her clothes, and she suddenly caught the resemblance to Mousse in her peripheral vision. Herb's head snapped up in indignation. "You! So, the traitor breaks even the strictest laws of his own people, but has the nerve to cast aspersions upon me!" Herb snarled, shifting her balance and bringing her guard up against Mirror.

            "It was you who did this to me!" the former boy shouted angrily. Struggling to contain herself, Mirror twisted her lips into a sarcastic smile, "I'm surprised Lime and Mint did not tell you. When I mastered the chi attack you instructed me in, it caused me to be permanently infected by the ghost of the instant nyanniichuan curse I had before. You never knew about that, since I was cured before the confrontation at Jusenkyo. I could have kept the accident a secret, but when you used the chisuiiton on me, this form became the only way for me to regain my humanity."

            "I would think you would choose to remain a duck rather than risk execution for violating the laws of Joketsuzoku," Herb sneered.

            "Then you understand I care nothing for death threats from you. I will make you pay for trying to strip away my humanity, for stripping away my manhood, but most of all, I will redeem myself in Ranko's eyes by ensuring you do not succeed in claiming her for your bride!" Mirror declared haughtily. In truth, she was more concerned with redeeming herself in her own eyes, and in the eyes of Shampoo, but Ranko was the one he owed the debt to.

            "It is a shame, then, that what you aspire to is utterly beyond your reach," Herb retorted, having learned the limits of Mousse's combat capabilities while training him to fight Ranko. Everything the master of hidden weapons had gained, everything he might have used to defeat Ranko, was already known to the dragon prince.

            "Then you're a fool, for my art was always crippled by the need to make it non-lethal," Mirror gave an evil grin as she revealed that.

            "You're even more the fool if you think the rest of us are going to let you take Ranko from us," Ukyo stepped up beside Mirror, uber-spatula in hand.

            "We will never step aside for the likes of you!" Akane shouted bitterly.

            Herb found herself feeling faintly impressed. Or amused.

            "We will fight you to the bitter end," Ryouga promised passionately.

            Herb chuckled. 'If one were the wagering type,' she thought, 'one could make a fortune betting on them. They are so predictable.' In her current condition, the core members of the Nerima Wrecking Crew would be an interesting challenge for Herb. But since the price of slaying any of them was too high, she could not indulge in such a battle. "On any other day, I would count on it. Instead, let me throw a little light on things. You might see the futility of your actions if you understand what Ranko herself told me during our fight!"

            "Don't kid yourself, Sugar," Ukyo snorted. "Ranko is just the tip of the ice burg. Thanks to you, half of us are locked in the wrong form. We've been aching to pay you back for that even before you became a threat to Ranko's happiness. If ever I met a man who was asking to die, it's you, Honey. I think it's time someone taught you that you can't treat people like dirt, no matter how royal your high 'n mighty ass is."

            Low growls from Akane and Ryouga backed up Ukyo's challenge.

            Herb paused, then lowered her guard. "I believe it is important for you to listen to me. So, I give you my word, if you hear me out, I guarantee you all the use of the Kaisuifuu as soon as I can advise my father."

            That caused a round of blinking.

            "You'd just hand it over? Just like that?" Ryouga asked, not entirely sure she wanted it. From the moment Ranma had been pulled away from her, before Ranko's explosion, Ryouga had felt on the verge of flipping back to her normal self. She was certain that a few private moments with Ranma, or rather, Ranko now, would enable Ryouga to master the nyanniichuan curse. Of course, there were even more important concerns to address if she ever got that private moment.

            Herb nodded easily. "I swear it."

            "In that case, whatever you have to say cannot be good," Mirror declared suspiciously. The promise of being restored to her normal form was enough to make her determination waver, and that in turn made her hatred of the Musk prince deepen.

            "It is not good for some of you, but it does change things for Ranko," Herb pointed out. There was a round of uncertain looks, but eventually they all turned back to Herb and gestured for her to proceed. They could always beat the hell out of her later. Herb nodded. "Near the end of our fight, Ranko was able to tell me something I did not expect. Something I suspect the amazon elders hoped she would never think about." Herb paused to give Cologne a long, searching look. Not surprisingly, the old woman remained unreadable, listening with great indifference. Herb quirked a nasty grin, "Ironically, the main point is something we all know. Ranko is the living embodiment of the nyanniichuan, the spring that was so important to both the Musk and the Joketsuzoku, particularly when it produced an individual cursed in Fa Shen's image. Which begs the question, Cologne… How many amazons were born to such women? How many amazon bloodlines can trace themselves back to a girl borrowing Fa Shen's face and form?"

            Cologne blanched. More than half of the amazon bloodlines claimed a copy of Fa Shen as an ancestor.

            "Exact numbers really don't matter, though, since the production of a single child, born of the body of an amazon, entitles that amazon to claim matriarch status. Is that not true?" Herb pressed, enjoying the way the old woman flinched. There was a perverse irony in the whole scenario. On one hand, Herb was standing up for Ranko, yet at the same time driving a wedge between Ranko and the amazons and annulling the bonds between her and her "husbands".

            Shampoo and Mirror both turned on Cologne with surprised and angry faces.

            "Of course it's true!" Mirror shouted, glaring at the old matriarch.

            "Is even in legend! Shampoo told when little girl by Great-grandmother! After death, Fa Shen revered as matriarch and spirit elder because womens who is cursed in her image bear 'children of her body'. That way, her death serve greater good, to strengthen the tribe with many strong babies over many generations," Shampoo reiterated. Then she gave her elder a suspicious, searching look. "All council of elders, they are daughters of Fa Shen! Even from cursed mother, daughter of Fa Shen is strong warrior, have long, long life to gain much wisdom to strengthen and lead tribe!"

            Cologne blinked and stared at the two youths. "Technically, you are correct, Child. That, all of that, is why I hoped Fa Shen might be resurrected when I discovered Ranma's curse. To have that dream come true, there is nothing I could desire more."

            "Oh, I am sure there is a great deal of leverage an elder could gain, to claim the reborn Fa Shen as her heir," Herb noted pointedly. "How convenient, though, that Fa Shen herself was a virgin when she died, that she thought of herself as a warrior maiden, and knew nothing of the legends that formed around her, the legacy that was rooted in her grave! Fa Shen the legend was a ghost, a fiction. One would hardly think of her when confronted by Fa Shen the girl. It was so easy to use her ignorance to manipulate her. To keep her ignorant of the fact that you had no leverage over her. That in fact, no one in the tribe possessed as much leverage as she could wield!"

            "You go to far Herb!" Cologne shouted, surging forward, cane aimed for a shiatsu point that would render him non-threatening for a long time to come.

            To Cologne's shock, a wall of dragon scales crashed down between her and her target. Giant clawed hands scooped Ranko and the "princess" up and cradled them gingerly to the dragon's breast. Cinnamon had heard enough. By this argument, Herb was revealing that his victory over Ranko would not result in her conquest. It was not yet too late to win the girl for his own mate. There might be other consequences from backing up the dragon prince, but those could be dealt with later. The dragon did not know of the promise Herb had forced out of Ranko, of course, or Cinnamon would have let the female prince face Cologne's wrath. But thinking that Herb would be forced to compete for Ranko's affection through courtship, and confident that no one could seduce Ranko as well as one who had literally lived in her skin for hundreds of years--apart from times the dragon hibernated--Cinnamon considered him a weak rival. For now, Herb had appointed herself as Ranko's advocate, and Cinnamon wanted her to be able to say her piece.

            Herb was surprised by Cinnamon's intervention, but wasted no time taking advantage of it. From her perch in the dragon's claws, Herb projected her voice regally, "So, the truth of the matter is, Ranko, Ranma and Fa Shen were never subject to the marriage laws. They could not be forced into marriage through combat. Their legacy is already established, their contribution to the tribe is already made." Herb laughed mercilessly down at the fuming elder. Then, she calmed and studied Ranko's still form. There was much Herb had left unsaid, but she would need to speak with Ranko before other problems could be addressed. Except for one thing. Turning to sight on Ryouga and Akane, she called out, "This means neither of you are bound to her under amazon law. At this moment, Ranko belongs to herself."

            "So, when you defeated her…?" Akane asked, plaintively.

            "Amazon law cannot compel her to marry me," Herb nodded. Then he gave Akane and Ryouga a serious look. "This does not mean I have abandoned my pursuit. You may find this hard to believe, but, as I was fighting her, I came to realize that she is the woman I love. I do not know how this will change things, but I know this. She has come too close to death this day. The nature of the injuries we have both sustained are within the power of my people to treat. I shall deliver her at once to my physicians, and send word to my father to grant you use of the sacred kettle. After that, if you agree to abide by Ranko's wishes, you may come as guests and attend your friend while she recuperates. But, if you continue to engage me in your personal vendettas, you endanger my promise to her, and I cannot abide your presence in my home. The decision is yours. I leave you now," Herb declared, sending a silent request to the dragon to transport Ranko and herself to the castle and fortress of the Musk.

            *If not for the fact that Ranko is in peril, and the fact that it is I you intend to have treat her, I would tear you into bloody shreds for your impertinence, dragonling,* Cinnamon cheerfully broadcast into Herb's mind before taking wing--figuratively speaking--and flying toward the mountain capital of the Musk Empire. Cinnamon twisted and looped joyfully, delighted to have things moving in such a profitable direction. Now all he needed to do was decide if he should focus on eliminating Herb as competition, or exploiting the dragonling's new infatuation with Ranko to claim the pair of them as mates.

It was not the first time Ranko had awoken to find herself nestled in an imperial sized bed, in a palatial room adorned with fluted marble columns and exquisite silk and tapestried wall coverings. It seemed to be some weird sub-clause of being cursed, one attracted water and one tended to end up in compromising positions. And while it was unusual to discover herself stark naked under the sheets, that was still preferable in Ranko's mind to waking up in a wedding kimono or western-style bridal gown. Of course, consistent with the rare circumstances when anything rendered her unconscious and delivered her into such unfamiliar surroundings, Ranko had no clue at first what had happened to her previously. It was, essentially, like waking up in a dream, and the past was utterly disconnected. Only, recent experiences had enlightened her about the many depredations she might have fallen prey to while she was out, and the instant dread of molestation opened the door to a flood of recent experiences. Her concern about being ravished was instantly displaced by surprise and dread. The last thing she remembered, she had been dying. A second glance at the expensive and immaculate surroundings made her pause to wonder if she truly had died and awakened in the afterlife. Such thoughts were dismissed as a figure parted the silk curtains dividing the bed chamber from the greater part of the suite. It took a moment for Ranko to identify hre visitor, but recognition brought instant enlightenment on the true nature of the dwelling she occupied, and the ultimate outcome of her battle.

            "Good evening," Herb greeted her formally. The female prince was dressed in typically fine, bone-white silk garments a shade darker than her newly and disturbingly white hair. Ranko did not have time to make out the image embroidered on Herb's pants and shirt before the dragonling pulled her robe closed and belted it, but the general impression was of something suitable for mourning. Herb studied her a moment then offered a pale smile. "You're supposed to be asleep."

            "You're supposed to be dead," Ranko growled softly, eyes narrowing dangerously as she pulled a bed sheet tight around her body.

            "Yes. Well… your friends bought both of us a second chance," Herb returned casually, striding directly toward the bed. Catching a flicker of confusion on Ranko's face, Herb smiled ruefully. "So, you really didn't notice their arrival? In that case, you owe me for saving their lives."

            Ranko sat up suddenly, "What did you do to them, Herb!?"

            "I? I assure you, it was not I who endangered them, my lovely phoenix," the dragon prince held her hands out to profess her innocence, while holding the other girl's eye to ensure she did not miss the way Herb addressed her. As suspected, Ranko flinched at the last three words, remembering what she had tauntingly revealed to her enemy when she believed she had been slain. "I doubt there is any way to soften the blow, but this is all I can offer. Your victory was assured, but your display of power lured your friends--if friends is an appropriate term for that rabble seeking to possess you. It hardly matters, though. They blundered into the midst of your final attack. Even the old woman and the dragon, Cinnamon, were helpless before your power. Fortunately, their presence, especially that of the dragon, provided me an instant in which to act. In your weakened condition, you could not stand up to a good, solid blow. I would like to claim my own prowess or tactical brilliance, but in truth I struck you without thought, in desperation. Nor can I claim to have had the well being of the others in mind. It is for you to take what consolation you can from the fact that only your defeat could have preserved the lives of those you treasure."

            Ranko stared at him, caught between the desire to glare and horror at the idea that she could have killed her friends and lovers. Inevitably, the rest of Herb's statement fully penetrated, and Ranko suffered a moment of sickening vertigo. "I lost. When it really mattered, I actually lost," Ranko murmured softly in disbelief.

            "I stole your victory. But, you might consider that a blessing," Herb interrupted her musing, speaking in an oddly compelling tone. "I have no doubt now that you are truly a phoenix, the heir to all of Pa Shen's powers and abilities, so there is no doubt YOU would have survived your attack. You should ask yourself, though, would victory be worth the price you would have paid? You would have slain me, your lovers and other paramours, and possibly even destroyed this corner of the world. In the ashes of whatever remained, you would have then been found, an infant vulnerable to the whims of whoever adopted you for their own."

            Ranko could not help but glare at him. "You. Stabbed. Me. I THOUGHT you had KILLED me!" she snarled in growing anger, irritated by the repeated implications that she had lost control of her power and put everything she held dear at risk. The simple truth was, she had believed she was dying and there had been no other way to avenge herself on her murderer. The others blundering into the blast zone was utterly typical of them, Akane must have been in the lead, but Ranko was not the one at fault for creating that desperate situation. "I was not about to let YOU raise me, if it turned out I was a phoenix and got reborn!"

            Herb found herself smirking at that. "Then, you also did not notice that you were healed by the power you were building up to slay me with? Do you know, if you had held off a few more moments, you might have even replenished the blood you lost. It is said that nothing regenerates like a phoenix in the heat of combat. You had already proven what you were. You owe your defeat to your ignorance, your inexperience with your own powers."

            "You would never have given me time to master them," Ranko fumed, pulling her knees up and hugging them tight to her chest.

            "You are absolutely right," Herb admitted candidly.

            "I hate you," Ranko closed her eyes and buried her face in her knees.

            Herb perched on the side of the bed and sighed heavily, "That is hardly surprising. Although, I used to believe I could expect nothing else."

            "Damn right," Ranko snapped, with a bitter laugh. The conversation was grinding inevitably toward what Ranko dreaded most. Having made the details of her defeat clear, and having offered her additional reasons to accept her defeat, even feel grateful the bastard had beaten her, Herb was bound to remind Ranko of her promise. If ever there was a time when Ranko really wanted to cut loose and cry, this was it. But, her eyes remained stinging and dry.

            Herb was studying her, reading the lines of her body and finding it disturbingly easy to discern the other girl's mood. "You know, it's interesting…" she suddenly observed, "I expected you would hate me, and I figured that feeling could become strong enough to move you to kill me. And while you say it now, I didn't see it when you were trying to kill me. You fight without fear or hatred, and when it came down to it, you leveled your most lethal attack without anger or malice. I used to think you were overconfident, corrupted by the emotion you fueled your attacks with to the point where your confidence was utterly false." Herb made an odd sound, as if she had the urge to giggle and had strangled it to death. Clearing her throat, she continued, "I was able to survive your final attack, that is, I was not destroyed instantly, because a dragon can absorb and channel huge amounts of chi. I don't think anything could handle the sheer magnitude of your output for more than a few seconds, though, not even you. As I was being burned away from within, the most surprising thing--aside from the insane amount of pleasure I was feeling--was the amount of confidence surging up within me. I could not imagine how anyone, or anything could survive another instant of your fury, but that confidence burned sharp and bright, and when the flow of power wavered the next instant, I was able to act without question, without thought, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat."

            There was a moment of silence as Ranko digested what the dragon prince was saying, then in a small voice she dared, "You're telling me, you defeated me with my own confidence?"

            Herb nodded faintly, indifferent to the fact that Ranko still had her face buried in her knees. "That, and more importantly, I felt you, I was channeling you."

            Ranko frowned to herself. "I don't get what you're tryin' to say, Herb."

            Herb turned away, peering through a silk veiled window into the distance. That was the problem, Herb did not want to come right out and say what was on her mind. She did not know how to express her change of heart. Instead, she announced, "I should warn you. There is a point at which chi can ignite living flesh. You and I were right on the verge of that flash point when I decked you. While neither of us appears to have sustained any physical damage--in fact we seem to have been purified of all imperfections--we pushed ourselves so far beyond our endurance that we cannot tolerate even a mild surge of chi. This was demonstrated when your friends locked me in this form. The transformation is fueled by chi, and my system couldn't handle the load. The pain was so terrible I instinctively tried to cut off the flow, but of course that chi was essential to complete the change." Herb shuddered and hugged herself, "With the cursed slowed down, you feel everything. You feel your flesh and bones being unraveled, torn and twisted, your blood and body fluids evaporating. The experience is an entirely new dimension of pain. But you don't have to worry about that. The first thing I did when I brought you here was lock you in your present form to protect you from accidental exposure to hot water. I do not know how severe the risk for you is, but I see no reason to chance it. However, since it was your own power, you seem to have tolerated it better than I," Herb ran a hand through her hair to emphasize the way it had been bleached of all color.

            Ranko gave a puzzled look, lifting her head to take in the gesture, yet noticing that her own hair, spilling around her face and shoulders, remained a vibrant crimson. At the same time, she reflexively reached down inside herself to test her reserves. The awesome power of the circuit was still coiled deep within her, but simply reaching out for it set her nerves on fire. It burned her so intensely it seemed to freeze her at the same time. With a gasp, she ceased. "Thanks for the warning, I guess. But you changed the subject."

            Herb shrugged, feeling Ranko's gaze settle on her, as she peeked over her knees. "The first time you and I fought, when you were Ranma, I came to respect you. The man you were at that time. Your skill and determination were impressive. I thought, If you possessed the right breeding, you could have lived up to the Musk ideal. You also had the distinction of being the only man capable of understanding the ordeal of my curse. The ferocity with which you fought to regain your manhood matched my own and confirmed my expectations of a real man," Herb reflected upon the past. "You were a worthy foe, though I could not admit that until I learned that you saved my life. You were the first man to ever earn my respect. How ironic, then, that the tale of our encounter would provoke my father to command me to claim you as my bride."

            The two snorted in unison.

            "Heh. You can imagine my shock," Herb chuckled mirthlessly. "But the strangest thing, far stranger to me than the notion that my sire would have me take a man cursed to be female as my wife, was the fact that I could instantly empathize with you. You had fought against far greater odds than I to regain your manhood, and indebted me to you in the process; and your ultimate reward was to be forced once more to endure your cursed form permanently, as the bride of the man who owed you his life? I did not have to wonder how you would react. That struck me a crueler fate than I would inflict upon my worst enemy."

            "Yeah, you were being so sympathetic when you splashed me with the Chisuiiton," Ranko challenged softly.

            "I had no choice. There was never a possibility of defying my father's will. If I had failed to take advantage of that opportunity, he would conclude I was incompetent and taken matters into his own hands. Once he named you--and here there is no point distinguishing between you and Ranma--to be my bride, the only thing that stood between you and the alter was my request to pursue you on my own behalf," Herb revealed to the surprised red-head. "Trust me, I did the best I could to offer you a chance escape that fate, to fight for an honorable demise."

            "Yeah, right! You have manipulated everything to force me to marry you!" Ranko snarled into her knees, hugging them tight.

            "You do not understand the power my father commands. If he commanded it, you would have been dragged from your home by overwhelming force, locked in female form, broken and then reconditioned into a willing bride, and nothing you or I could do would have prevented it," Herb advised, with a deadly serious look. "Of course, I never imagined you would turn out to be Fa Shen, or that you would be divided into triplets. I was surprised enough to have you fall into my lap, right in my own back yard. That changed everything. Instead of being able to offer you a clean death, as a way to escape from the fate my father had in store for you, I had the option of claiming a more prestigious prize in the place of the man I owed my life and respect."

            "I thought you chose her to avoid being married to another man," Ranko prodded crossly, remembering their confrontation outside of Jusenkyo.

            "Challenging her was a desperate gamble, but I was willing to risk it to avoid the inevitable outcome of pursuing Ranma." Herb scowled, irritated by the fact that she had become used to thinking of Ranma and Ranko as separate entities, in spite of the fact that she knew they had reverted back to being the same person. Making the necessary adjustment, she continued, "Believe me, I was certain the matter would end with your death or mine. You had already proven to me that you were indomitable," Herb retorted mildly, still staring off out the window. Crossing her arms, she continued, "Fortunately, your claim to being a reincarnation of Fa Shen, through whom Fa Shen herself had been resurrected, offered me some leverage. My father made the reasons for his command clear. You had embraced your womanhood, so you were a superior choice to Ranma, and the original Fa Shen was a superior choice over you. That it would be more tolerable for me to be wed to a true woman was beside the point. My options remained marriage or death, subject to my father's will or yours.

            "So, I forced you, as Fa Shen, to meet me on the field of battle, counting on your amazon heritage to bind you to me if I could defeat you," Herb reminded her, again adjusting for the change in the triplets' status. I had prepared myself to fight you again as Ranma, but with the three of you present, I did have a margin of error. If I failed to defeat you as Fa Shen, I could attempt to conquer you as Ranko. If it came down to it, I would have been forced to settle for the part of you that was Ranma. That was all the slack I had. I did not imagine, in any case, that you would feel anything but hatred for me if I succeeded in claiming you. Assured of that, I knew I would be forced to break you, whichever incarnation of you I claimed."

            There was a moment of silence as the two brooded over Herb's words.

            "I should have known it would be more complicated than that. I knew you would curse yourself, as Ranma, to regain your manhood. I should have known you would not be content, as Ranko, to remain bound until I could succeed in conquering Fa Shen. My efforts to keep you in the wings simply invited chaos, forcing me to suspend my challenge to Fa Shen." Herb sighed deeply, shaking her head. "I was a fool to delay the conclusion of that battle. By taking the time to prepare for a rematch with Fa Shen I made it possible for another to defeat her. Learning of that at the same time I learned of the union of Ranma and the pig-boy, I realized I could not take any more chances. I pursued you with utter ruthlessness. Unfortunately, as I was learning about Fa Shen from Mousse, I also leaned about you, and how you had incorporated the identities of your other selves into a gestalt."

            Ranko groaned, half at Herb, and to herself over the memory of what happened to her other selves.

            "It was apparent to me, after the fight at Jusenkyo, that I would be forced to break you, if I claimed you for a bride. Fortunately, I had already perceived the most effective way to begin breaking you, while at the same time purging you of those things that would make you an unsuitable bride. But I will be honest, I had other motives for stripping you of your manhood," Herb revealed shamelessly. Catching, out of the corner of her eye, the sight of Ranko jerking half upright to stare at her, Herb rose and began to pace around the bed. Ranko rearranged herself, shifting up onto her knees, sheet tucked carefully around her torso to leave her arms free. Herb took a deep breath, having decided to confide her thoughts and feelings, it was time to address the ones she had avoided the longest, "I suppose it is a cultural thing. My upbringing left me with the belief that women were ultimately no more than animals. Women were not real people. Their human appearance granted them the illusion of more, allowed them to mimic the qualities of a real person, but I always considered their intelligence and character mere reflections of those qualities in men. Ranko and Fa Shen, as women, were pathetic reflections of a more worthy being, Ranma. Make no mistake, Ranko and Fa Shen were exquisite creatures, imminently desirable and perfectly suited to fulfill my father's demand, and my needs as a man, but not worthy of the respect I held for you as Ranma. Then, as Ranma, you lost my respect when I learned that you had become infatuated with a boy, seduced by the pleasures of your female form, and embraced your womanhood. That, really, was the worst thing. The three of you confronted me with my own greatest fear, the fear of succumbing to my own curse. Having once viewed you as a person, a man possessing a number of traits that made you nearly my equal, to see every version of you embracing the weaker sex was a betrayal I could not bear. I buried my sympathy, replacing it with a growing need to punish you for betraying your manhood. I began to take pleasure in the thought of claiming you as my bride, and teaching you the ultimate lesson of your folly--that to be a woman was to be no more than the property of some man."

            Ranko stared at the dragon prince in growing outrage and disgust.

            "That's pretty much the answer to the question that's been stirring in your head the past week," Herb pointed out with a secretive, self satisfied smile. "Why I did what I did. Or maybe, what I was getting out of it, since obedience to my father was compulsory. I wanted to rub your face in the choices you had made. I wanted you to regret it with every fiber of your being. So, I set out to strip you utterly of any claim to manhood, determined to break you while your other selves were helpless to do anything. On the surface, my motivation was two fold. Of immediate concern, if you could not compliment me in this form, there would be no temptation to explore its appetites. But of equal importance, your eternal suffering for the loss of your manhood would be a constant reminder and warning to me of the danger of this body's temptations," Herb detailed methodically. Even so, there was the sense that, in spite of all these admissions, she had yet to explain what mattered.

            "I already knew you were a ruthless bastard," Ranko grated menacingly. "Do you really need to spell it all out?"

            Herb stiffened for a moment, as if to turn and face her. Then she nodded. "Yes. I really do need to spell it all out. You still aren't getting the point. There's a lot more to it than being a 'ruthless bastard'. Do you think I was looking forward to marrying you? To being wed to a woman who hated me with every fiber of her being? Or the hollow shell I would be forced to reduce her to? Do you have any clue just how ruthless I would have to be to fulfill my father's command? To break you, make you the docile brood mare I would need if ever I was to sire an heir on you? To damn you with the thing that I most fear happening to myself?" Herb's voice grew colder and more strained with each question. "Even my worst enemy would deserve better. I could not hate you enough to justify my actions. That was the problem."

            Ranko was struck speechless.

            "Oh, I tried. I dredged up every excuse I could to hate you," Herb assured her fiercely. "Of course, you never made it easy for me. All the things that made Ranma the person he was are so painfully evident in you. In fact, you seem to have become a more complete person as a result of embracing your femininity. You… you had the gall to proclaim that being a woman made you no less a man. In my mind, such a statement ought to have meant that you still considered yourself a man… But of course, what you were really trying to get across was that you were a real person, regardless of whether you were a man or a woman. You presented me with the notion that a woman was a person, and you stood your ground, willing to fight to defend that point," Herb looked over her shoulder to meet Ranko's eyes to emphasize her words. "I never wanted to break you more than when you defended you male half. You were every bit as sincere in your determination to regain your manhood as the first time we fought. I never admired you more than when you promised to kill me if I dared to take further action against you. That too was sincere, worthy of the man I owed my life and respect. There was a moment of hope, the fleeting thought that a woman could be a person, that your acceptance of your girl half was not a rejection of your manhood, but the inevitable result of having an entire life as a female. For a moment, I thought I could see in you some hope of my own salvation, if not an escape from my curse, an understanding of it that did not undermine my worth.

            "Then I remembered my objective, all that I had done to ensure you would despise me," Herb slumped.

            Ranko blinked. Herb looked genuinely disturbed. That sudden look of defeat kept her from declaring the depths of her hatred.

            "I would expect you to understand me. To understand that losing against you was not an option. I had to succeed, whatever the cost," Herb declared plaintively. "The fight itself… I do not know if I could have defeated you by skill alone. I could not do what you did against me, triumph against impossible odds against an opponent infinitely more powerful than myself. Though my need to win was great, my desire was insufficient. Since losing was not an option, and I could not defeat you, my only option was to render you incapable of fighting. There, my training betrayed me. I was taught to kill, not incapacitate. Instead of a simple gut wound, I instinctively struck for the heart."

            Ranko buckled over in memory of the blow, impaled by a ghost of that pain. After a few shallow breaths, she asked, "You weren't really trying to kill me?"

            Herb turned to meet her gaze. "I suppose, since you had absorbed your other selves, it was a return to the original circumstances. In death you might escape from the fate my father has in store for you. But, it was not my intent to slay you. I had already resolved to obey my father in form only. While I was required to make you my mate, I had decided not to try and break you. I swore to give you every privilege and freedom I was capable of. Anything, to make up for the things our marriage would deny you."

            "I see," Ranko looked down in confusion and dismay. Was that what it would be like? Was that her future, to be the prized, pampered possession of this haughty prince? A life of wealth and luxury, a marriage of convenience, and separation from everyone she loved? She took a deep breath and let out a sad sigh. The tears that would not come earlier suddenly welled up. "Of course, there would be the little matter of breeding heirs. I am certain that your father will demand you produce an heir, if he has not already." Her attempt to sound nonchalant came out bitter.

            Herb laughed hollowly, gesturing to herself, "I doubt that will be an issue any time soon. I do not know when I can be released from this form, if ever."

            Ranko looked up, blinking away tears. "Wait. If you're stuck as a girl, can you even get married to me?"

            Herb looked away. "Poetic justice, she said," Herb muttered. Taking a deep breath, Herb shrugged, "At times I think my father quite insane. He is pleased as a python in a rabbit warren to see me trapped in this form. At the same time he argues daily with the council of elders trying to convince them they must deny your claim of matriarch status, so you will be forced to give me the kiss of marriage."

            "Huh?" Ranko tilted dangerously to the side.

            "Ah, I forgot to mention that. I shared your revelation with Cologne and your friends. The council of elders has been holed up night and day arguing your case," Herb revealed. She shook her head and returned to looking out the window.

            "What's the point?" Ranko babbled in confusion. "I already promised I would marry you if you won…"

            "Ah, yes." Herb droned distractedly, then shrugged. There it was in a nutshell. Herb could have marked her territory immediately at the conclusion of the fight. All she had needed to do was reveal the promise Ranko had made and the matter would have been completely settled. Granted, she would have lost Cinnamon as an ally and  been forced to retreat from a skirmish with Ranko's fan club, but Ranko would have been bound to come to Herb and fulfill her promise. Herb had enough confidence in Ranko's sense of honor to trust in that. Instead, Herb had maneuvered the situation to keep from being separated from Ranko, on the grounds that she needed to speak with her before revealing the truth. Only, now that she was, she was finding it very difficult to get to the point. "Your promise makes the whole status question moot. Doesn't it?" she asked rhetorically. Then, with an indulgent smile, commented, "Too bad they don't know about that."

            This time Ranko did fall over. Jumping back to her feet she shouted, "WHAT!!?"

            Herb smirked and slowly approached her. "I seem to have forgotten to mention our little agreement," she carefully stated.

            "ARE YOU INSANE!!?" Ranko bellowed, catching herself and then lowering her voice. "What sort of game are you playing, Herb?"

            Herb sighed and walked away. "Why not put it that way?" she asked herself, ignoring Ranko for a moment. For days she had wrestled with her new found feelings, trying to decide what to do about them, what to do about Ranko. More than once, she had tried to dismiss them, but when she set eyes on Ranko again the uncertainty and anxiety surged forth again. There was no question she wanted the red-head, wanted the marriage she had pursued out of duty. Yet, she could not escape the fact that Ranko had been willing to kill, willing to die, to avoid a union with Herb. There lay the root of Herb's uncertainty. The reason Herb hesitated to proceed. She fell into silent thought for a moment before turning around to face Ranko across the width of the room. "Do you really want to be in a loveless marriage, Ranko?" she enquired timidly.

            Ranko shook her head violently, asking hopefully, "Are you releasing me from my promise? Why?"

            Herb frowned. "I… I wish I could do that, but…"

            "But nothing," Ranko retorted. She had been unable to imagine losing when she gave Herb her word. It was far from the first time she had wagered her hand in marriage on a challenge, and past experience proved the risk only encouraged her victory. Only, this time it had not been enough. She would rather have died than lose, but she not only lost, her foe had saved her life, and the lives of her friends. If ever there was a time when Ranko wished she had Genma's sense of honor, it was now. Considering Herb was as likely to fall for a rematch challenge as Ranko was liable to grow wings, she had held out no hope of escape or reprieve. Until now. "You just said a hundred times how much you hate the idea of being in a loveless marriage!"

            "I do," Herb admitted, ignoring her exaggeration.

            "So, why go through with it?" Ranko demanded.

            Herb stalked forward suddenly, forcing Ranko to retreat until she was backed up against the wall. There, mere centimeters separating their faces, Herb demanded, "Do you really hate me that much, Saotome?" There, at last, Herb was able to utter the question that she had been agonizing over since the end of the fight.

            Ranko gulped. There was something in the other girl's eyes that unsettled her. Once again, she found herself unable to vehemently declare her antipathy. "N-now, what kinda question is that?" she babbled nervously.

            "I think it's the most pertinent question," Herb insisted.

            Ranko squirmed. "You said it yourself…"

            "I need to hear it from your lips, Saotome!" Herb snapped fiercely, making Ranko cringe.

            Under her breath, Ranko cursed, "D-dammit! Why does he have to be a girl right now!?"

            "What was that?"

            "N-nothing. Why are you acting so weird?" Ranko demanded, defensively.

            Herb sighed, closing her eyes tight. There had to be some way to express herself to Ranko, without coming right out and saying it. The words were simple enough, but the red-head would never believe them. Herb needed a way to present things so that Ranko would understand. After a moment, she began to speak slowly. "In my life there have been less than a handful of people who have earned my respect. Among those my own age, there were none, until you."

            "You have a funny way of showing it!" Ranko quipped reflexively. The sight of Herb flinching at the jab made Ranko feel sudden regret for mouthing off.

            Herb glared at her a moment, then continued, "Of those I respect, half of them taught me the meaning of fear and hatred."

            Ranko frowned.

            "It never occurred to me that one of them might also be able to teach me the meaning of love," Herb added meekly.

            Ranko frowned even deeper. She was about to blurt out a demand to know what that had to do with anything when a sudden spark ignited in her brain. That spark bloomed into full fledged shock, as it spread realization through her. Suddenly, Ranko was able to place the look that had been on Herb's face. The same look had been on Ryouga's face the night she tried to offer herself to Ranma. "Y-you have got to be KIDDING!" Ranko wailed in disbelief.

            Herb cringed back, looking hurt. "Doesn't being a girl mean you're supposed to be at least a little sensitive!?" she demanded.

            "But, you can't be serious!"

            "I'm deadly serious," Herb assured her, scrabbling to regain her composure.

            "You tried to kill me!" Ranko protested weakly. Her confusion only mounted as she challenged, "How can you possibly think you're in love with me?"

            Herb looked down, her bangs flowing forward to hide her face. "Do not mock me," she hissed from behind that veil.

            "Mock you! You're the one messin' with my head! You won, damn you! You have my word I'll marry you! Why do you have to try and fuck with my emotions too?"

            The distinct ring of pain in Ranko's voice brought Herb's full attention back to the red-head. "Did I win!? Is that what you think?" she shouted in desperate tones. "Do you believe me such a heartless monster that I am incapable of feelings of genuine respect and admiration? Am I so cruel and insensitive I cannot be moved by the strength and determination of someone who refused to accept defeat even in death!? Am I so inhuman that my heart cannot grasp the horror of watching something of incomparable beauty and strength bleeding to death in my arms? Do you hate me so much you cannot even imagine me capable of such delicate feelings as love?"

            Ranko could not find her voice, distracted by the sight of actual tears welling up in Herb's eyes.

            "I can think of no hell worse than to hold my love's life in my hands and know she despises every fiber of my being," Herb gasped out, shoving roughly away from Ranko. As she turned her hands scrubbed roughly at her face, a fierce and automatic denial of tears and extreme emotions that came unbidden and all to easily in her present form. A few blind steps brought her to the bed, where she collapsed.

            After a moment, Ranko dared, meekly, "You really love me?"

            Herb moaned into a pillow, then threw herself upright, "Weren't you listening!?"

            "I… I just don't understand…"

            "What's to understand? Don't you know what love is?"

            Ranko flushed and looked away. Nothing could have prepared her to witness an emotional breakdown of any kind from Herb. Still, she could understand how Herb might find it easier to express "his" emotions in cursed form, how much easier it was for the man inside to exploit this female form to express the vulnerabilities "he" dared not admit to in his natural form. Her own experience made it disturbingly easy to recognize the pain and confusion Herb showed. Even so, Ranko protested weakly, "I'm not really good with emotions…"

            "What the hell made you sleep with another man? If not love, I can't imagine anything besides insanity!" Herb's disbelief was caustic.

            "It's not that simple, Herb!" Ranko protested irritably.

            "You mean to tell me, you don't know what love is?" Herb challenged, with obvious skepticism.

            "I only just figured out what sex is! How can you pretend to suddenly know what love is?" Ranko fumed self-consciously.

            Herb blinked. A prince of the Musk led a sheltered life, but also had to endure a sophisticated education. Having found so much in common with Ranma/Ranko, it was only now she considered the implications of the teenaged martial artist's rough speech and rude manner. Sitting up properly and composing herself, she took on a thoughtful look. "Don't you read or anything? I've seen the way you are with your lovers. I can't believe you have any doubts about what love is."

            "Who ever learned anything useful from a book?" Ranko grimaced. Neither Ranma nor Fa Shen had been raised in a fashion that placed much emphasis on book study. They had never found a book that could convey knowledge as effectively as a living instructor--excluding the animated corpses that presided over the classrooms at any school Ranma had ever been incarcerated in.

            "What are you, illiterate?" Herb snorted. "Well, you just have to take my word for it. You can learn anything from books, if you know how to read them properly."

            "Hey, I know how to read!" Ranko mewled angrily.

            Herb shook her head. "Whatever. What has developed between us is like one of the great romantic tragedies. I know I love you because the sight of you dying made my blood run cold. It tore at my heart and ravaged my insides with unbearable grief. I know I love you, because I feel like I need to be looking at you to know I am alive. I know I love you, because the idea that you hate makes me want to die."

            Ranko was stunned. One part of her wanted to compare these pretty words to Kuno's inane ramblings, but where he professed himself with great passion, Herb looked like someone was winding her intestines up through a hole in her back. It took a moment for her brain to process everything Herb said, but ultimately it all came down to one thing. "You're not holding me to my promise because I hate you?"

            Herb flinched and looked away.

            Ranko sighed. She was going to hate herself for screwing this up, but having come to understand the degree of pain Herb was in, she simply could not refrain from speaking. "I don't hate you, Herb," she revealed softly, sadly. Herb suddenly clutched her chest and whipped her head around to stare at Ranko in disbelief. Taking a deep breath, Ranko elaborated. "I hate what you've done. I hate what you do, how you go about doing it. Why is it when people think they're better than everyone else, like you, they feel the need to treat everyone else like dirt? How can you just walk all over people and still look at yourself in the mirror?"

            Herb flinched and moaned as each statement and question stabbed her to the quick. What was it about having feelings about someone that gave their words the power to inflict such pain? Not even her father's acid barbs burned so sharp.

            "I WANT to hate you. It's not like there's much I can even like about you," Ranko continued, to fill the growing silence. She could remember the hatred she had felt for Herb during their fight, how it surged up to choke her in the heat of battle. "There were a few times, the day we fought, when I did hate you. But I can't hold on to it," Ranko admitted sheepishly. A cold, lingering hatred was something Ranko was totally unfamiliar with. It was a blindness that got her into trouble again and again with Ryouga. She just could not relate. "I've never really seen the point of hating anyone. It never really helps anything. Maybe it helps when you gotta beat 'em up, but I don't like the way I feel when I let that move me. It ought to be enough to just stop people like you from ruining other people's lives; show them that there are people who will fight for the people who can't fight for themselves. But you're one of the worst. It's not enough to fight you, 'cuz you won't learn any lessons from it. You'll just fight nastier, until you get your way. That's something I just don't know how to forgive."

            Herb had curled into a ball on the bed, staring at a wall in the opposite direction from Ranko.

            "I guess I sorta cinched it there, huh?" Ranko asked after a moment.

            "What?" Herb blinked and rolled over to give Ranko a confused look.

            Ranko squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, I told you I don't hate you. I suppose that means you're going to hold me to my promise, huh?"

            Herb stared at her thoughtfully for a minute. Finally she shook her head. "I can't… I mean, I can't let go, Ranko. But I don't want to… If I married you now, you would make me start to hate myself. Hell, you already have."

            Ranko looked back in miserable confusion. "Herb…"

            "I didn't set a time limit, Saotome. Can't we at least wait and see what the council says?"

            Ranko stiffened in anger. "I don't care what the council says. If they don't back off, I'm going to make them regret it!"

            "Ah, are you forgetting you're rather crippled in the awesome, overwhelming power department?" Herb reminded her.

            Ranko paled.

            "Don't worry. The more my father hounds them, the more likely the council is to endorse your matriarchy."

            Ranko sighed and shook her head. "Is this insanity ever going to end?"

            Herb coughed. "It very nearly did. Are you sure that's what you really want?"

            Ranko paused to consider, then realized her discussion with Herb had distracted her from the draft licking up and down her exposed limbs. Glancing down, she realized she had forgotten she was nude when she fell out of the bed. Looking up she met the apprising eyes of her conqueror. With a high pitched squeak, Ranko darted into the folds of a silk wall hanging, wrapping them around her and effectively pinning herself to the spot.

            "Well. That's an interesting position," Herb smirked, evil nature coming to the fore as the urge to toy with her captive surged forth. She decided she had had enough of bearing her soul. She had learned enough to confirm most of her suspicions and unearth an unexpected hope. Ranko might not hate her absolutely, but there was no underestimating the depths of her resentment. Forcing her into marriage would be a mistake, but the promise was sufficient leverage for Herb to begin a different kind of campaign to conquer the red-head. On this new battlefield, the opening shot was a look of hungry appraisal and a coy smile. "Yes. You certainly are going to make me hate myself," she muttered.

            "Oh, I hate you," Ranko ground out laconically.

            "You realize, you're just making the challenge more interesting," Herb pointed out.

            "I really, really hate you," Ranko growled, as Herb rose from the bed and began stalking forward.

            "Too late, Saotome. You already let the cat out of the bag," the dragon prince grinned. Herb's taunting came to a swift halt, as Ranko shrieked in sudden terror, ripping free of the wall--dragging the silk tapestry with her--and darted past Herb to bury herself under blankets and pillows. Hardly a reaction Herb would have expected. To the shuddering lump in the bed, she aired, "Was it something I said?"

The next morning, Ranko was determined to catch up on everything else she had missed. Her second awakening in Herb's bed was no less disorienting and disturbing than the first. The events of the previous evening returned to Ranko fitfully, sparking a moment of panic when she recalled the way Herb had started toying with her after shocking her with a declaration of love. She let out a sigh of relief when she found herself alone and remembered that, as she tired of Herb messing with her mind, Cinnamon had arrived to chase the dragon prince off to a couch in the adjoining room preventing her from trying to join Ranko in bed for the night. The memory of that evening left the red-head certain of only one thing, Herb's thirst for conquest had not been satisfied by her victory over Ranko in that fight. While Herb could force Ranko into marriage with a single word, the dragon prince suddenly desired more than Ranko's body. Herb seemed intent on using Ranko's promise as leverage to conquer her heart and mind. As if anyone could fall in love with such threats and promises hanging over their head. Even so, the dragon prince had started probing for the right angle to seduce Ranko, the best way to bring down her guard and overcome her defenses, perhaps even testing herself, to find out if she was capable of exploiting her cursed form to entice her prey. Ranko had to pinch herself to make sure the whole thing was not some warped dream. Confirming she was awake, Ranko found herself surprised that she had even been able to sleep, following the revelation of Herb's feelings and the news that the council of amazon elders had been stirred into an uproar over Ranko's defeat and her claim to matriarch status. Apparently, whatever Cinnamon had done after coming in to examine Ranko had ensured a deep and peaceful sleep.

            Remembering the dragon's instructions on how to summon her, Ranko closed her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts on Cinnamon hesitantly. Braced for agony, she tried to project her thoughts at the dragon. When there was no pain, Ranko assumed she simply failed to do it correctly--and then Cinnamon stalked into the room with an aggrieved expression.

            "Ah, you didn't have to shout, you know," Cinnamon opened, half wincing as she met Ranko's eye.

            "You heard me? I thought it didn't work… there was no pain, like when I tried to tap my ki," Ranko confessed in mild confusion.

            "That is because psi is not accessed or channeled through the body like chi," the dragon asserted tartly. 'Although,' she thought to herself, 'it does explain why Ranko "shouted". She is used to gauging her power levels solely through chi channels. And yet, she has developed psi pathways. Curious.'

            "Psi?" Ranko blinked. "Isn't that just science fiction?" she asked, as the concept of psi was one she was only familiar with from anime and manga.

            "What?" Cinnamon asked, able to parse unfamiliar words and concepts only by probing the mind of the speaker. "Oh, no it's not make believe. Psychic potential is a component of sentience, and the mind draws energy from the soul directly on a different level than the body. That is psi. You should work on developing it. Psi is much more suitable for channeling and controlling the level of power you have access to now."

            "Wait. You're telling me I'm psychic?" Ranko was amazed.

            "Most people are. What makes you different is that you've had a little training, some practical experience, and plenty of power to devote to it," Cinnamon replied calmly, settling on the edge of the bed and quickly assessing her patient. "I am sure you would be a natural at it."

            "Reading people's minds and movin' things with my thoughts?" Ranko asked warily, not sure whether to be excited or concerned.

            "Those are the basics, but I assure you it's not as simple as that. Now, it looks like you are doing fine. I might recommend a few more days of induced deep sleep, but I think your friends and the amazons would storm the castle if you don't put in an appearance in the village today," Cinnamon changed the subject, drawing Ranko's attention back to the concerns she had when Cinnamon arrived. If her suspicions were right, a decision was to be reached that afternoon about Ranko's status.

            "You mean, I can go see my Mom and my friends?" Ranko asked hopefully.

            "That is the plan for today. Do you feel up to it?"

            "I feel great! At least, as long as I don't need to fight or anything."

            "Certainly not. I'll be your chaperone today, so anyone who wants to fight will have to get through me," Cinnamon promised.

            With that assurance, Cinnamon urged Ranko out of bed and helped her get dressed, casually borrowing clothes from Herb's wardrobe. Once Ranko was presentable, Cinnamon escorted her through the castle and outside where her mother and friends waited to accompany her back to the amazon village. Because of Ranko's condition, they were forced to proceed at a leisurely walk, giving everyone plenty of time to talk as they crossed out of Musk territory and made their way to the village. Thus, everyone had a chance to speak with her, starting with her mother.

            "I am so happy to see you are alright," Nodoka beamed, giving her a crushing hug. The others continued to walk on, to give them some privacy.

            When Ranko could breath, she smiled up at her mother, "I'm fine, Mom."

            Nodoka bit her lip, her concern about the outcome of the fight and the resulting controversy, or perhaps even the merging, evident on her face. She wrestled for a moment with her thoughts, then blushed, "I'm sorry. So much has changed these past weeks. I was only just getting used to having three of you, and now, I'm not even sure what to call you."

            "I'm still me, Mom," Ranko insisted, feeling a surge of dread.

            "Do you mean, you are still my son, Ranma? Or my daughter, Fa Shen?" Nodoka asked, lowering her voice as she touched on what Cinnamon revealed about Nodoka's former identity. She did not fail to note how Ranko's face fell. It was obvious she did not recognize the import of the question. The legalities which concerned Nodoka, and the obligations that now devolved solely onto Ranko's slim shoulders.

            "I am all of that. I am Ranko," the girl insisted, struggling to contain her disappointment, her sense of rejection.

            "I know that is the name you've given yourself," Nodoka stated, with a stern smile. "I simply note, as Ranma or Fa Shen you have legal rights and responsibilities, where, as Ranko, you are merely ronin. How could I not be concerned?"

            Ranko stared at Nodoka in shock.

            "I am curious, because your decision dictates my own. What are we to do, Ranko? Return to our lives as Ranma and Nodoka, to live under the thumb of that fool husband of mine, forever struggling to live up to the honorless promises Genma has made as the head of our clan? Should we be Fa Shen and Pa Shen and resume our lives as amazons in this forgotten backwater, subject to their antiquated laws?" Nodoka demanded softly, yet sincerely.

            Ranko studied her mother's face intently for a long moment, before asking, timidly, "What do you want me to be?"

            Nodoka sighed heavily. Rubbing Ranko's shoulders, she declared, "Believe it or not, I just want you to be happy."

            "Then why are you always holding my honor over my head?" Ranko begged plaintively. "Are you trying to tell me I can't BE happy if my honor is compromised? If that's so, I'll NEVER be happy! Between you and Pops and the amazons and Herb, my honor has been torn into so many pieces I can hardly find a piece big enough to hold onto! So many people own a piece of me, you can't chop me into small enough pieces to go around! By this point, I couldn't redeem my honor even by killing myself! Why shouldn't I go ronin?" Ranko stopped herself, on the verge of tears, disturbed to have said all of that to her honor-bound mother.

            Nodoka knelt before her daughter. "I'm not suggesting you should not. In fact, I would hope enough of your personal honor would survive to make the sacrifice worth while. Unfortunately, I do not think you can be happy if your personal honor has been compromised that much. I think the only thing that sustains you through all of this chaos is the integrity of your personal honor, that confidence in yourself. I can't bear to see you lose it."

            "But, no matter what I do, I will ultimately be forced to betray myself," Ranko anguished.

            "Then, you must choose which part of yourself to betray," Nodoka pointed out calmly. At Ranko's surprised look, she sighed and explained, "Contrary to what you said, death can release you from this mess. Even if, technically, you do not die. Only that part of you, for which the problem is living, needs to die. Only… Ranma… or Fa Shen. Do you understand?"

            Ranko held her mother's eyes, unable to believe what she was hearing. At the same time, she understood her mother's initial question about her identity. As Ranko, she was neither Ranma or Fa Shen. They were the roots to her tree. Legally, however, she was either Ranma Saotome, son of Genma, or she was Fa Shen, the amazon maiden and daughter of Pa Shen. To test her understanding of her mother's suggestion, Ranko commented, "Or both. You're saying I can't be reborn until I die, I can't start a new life while the old one remains."

            Nodoka nodded, "I could indeed be saying that."

            Ranko sighed, glancing in the direction of a lost boy and an angry girl. "I'm not sure anyone is going to let Ranma or Fa Shen die."

            "You need to figure out who has the power to decide, and who has to pay the price--who really has to pay the price." Nodoka gave the girl a serious look. Her keen eyes noted that Ranko's attention had not been lost on the two temperamental teens. After a few private moments, the mother nudged Ranko and increased her pace to catch up to the others. "You can think about it later. Why don't you spend some time with your friends," Nodoka suggested, with the force of a command. As she moved ahead of Ranko, Ryouga and Akane separated from the main group and fell back.

            "Are you okay?" Ryouga opened.

            "Did Herb do anything to you while he had you locked up?" Akane demanded anxiously.

            Ranko shook her head and focused her attention on Ryouga. She had been dreading this, dealing with both of them after absorbing her other selves. As usual, with the formation of the circuit, she had gained the memories of Ranma and Fa Shen, but through the merger her personality had been universally dominant. Although still a mix of Ranma and Fa Shen, she was not the Ranma or Fa Shen that Ryouga and Akane would want her to be. To divert questions about herself, she prompted, "When did you turn back into a guy, Ryouga? Did Herb let you use the Kaisuifuu or did you master the curse without me?"

            Ryouga blushed, flashing a quick, guilty look at Akane. Ranko turned to look at Akane curiously, then returned to studying Ryouga as he answered. "Sorta both, actually. He promised we'd get to unlock our curses if we heard him out, but when he told us that you weren't bound by the marriage laws and took you away, I got so depressed… I was stuck as a pig for a couple of days, um, because I kinda ran off and… I got lost."

            "I found him when I was taking a bath yesterday," Akane blushed.

            "Um. I'd found a pile of your clothes, and I musta fallen asleep on them," Ryouga pointed out, carefully leaving out the fact that he had been so strongly overwhelmed by the scent of his beloved he had buried himself in the pile and wept himself to sleep.

            "He fell out when I went to pick up the clothes, and I was so relieved to have found him, I sort of forgot I wasn't dressed."

            "So, I woke up in the arms of a naked girl, and I, uh… I thought you had come back to me, and I got so happy I just wanted to hug you," Ryouga began to rub the back of his head in embarrassment. "The next thing I knew, I'd turned back into a man and was hugging Akane."

            "But nothing happened! Really!" Akane insisted, her color deepening.

            Ranko studied the pair of them, looking at her anxiously, and found herself grinning. She could easily picture the scenario. Even through the possible outcomes that might tear her heart to pieces, if not for the terrible secret she was keeping. Rather than jumping to conclusions, in fear of the worse, she tried to imagine how the situation would end if she had been involved. "You mean, somebody walked in on you guys right at that moment?" she asked suggestively. The way they suddenly became fascinated with the foliage girding the path was sufficient answer. Ranko laughed, "Yeah, that's how it always happens. Well, congrats, Ryouga. Now you don't have to worry about being splashed anymore." Ranko reached out to catch his hand and squeeze it.

            Ryouga looked down at their hands and sighed. "I guess so. When we used the kettle later, nothing seemed to happen, but when I tried cold water I no longer changed into a girl. But of course I still turn into a pig," he added in disgust.

            Ranko nodded sympathetically, and looked at Akane. "So, what about you? Are you still turning into a guy?"

            Akane bit her lip, and nodded. "I turned into one when we confronted Herb."

            "But you changed back, right, so that means you know how to control it, right?" Ranko offered an encouraging smile.

            Akane nodded glumly, looking away. They walked on in silence for a while before Akane broke the silence. "I… I'm so sorry, Ranko."

            "For what?" the red-head asked in concern.

            "For all of it. I'm sorry I lost my temper and kept lashing out at…" Akane cut herself off, not sure how to refer to the triplets now that they were one person.

            "It's nothing. I'm just glad… I mean, I hope… If I am recognized as a matriarch, you and Ryouga won't be forced into marrying me."

            Ryouga and Akane almost stopped walking, and exchanged looks.

            "You didn't want…?" they began at the same time.

            Ranko sighed. "How many times to I have to say I'm not READY for marriage?" she demanded rhetorically. Giving each of them a serious look, she replied, "Even if I was still split up, I don't think it would have been right, being married to both of you. Being forced into it. I mean, that wouldn't be fair to either of you. It REALLY wouldn't be fair now that I'm like this again."

            Ryouga sighed. "It wouldn't have been so bad. I'd rather share you than never… But still, if it means Herb can't have you either, I don't mind, really."

            Ranko blanched. "Yeah. Not that it fixes everything. There's still the engagements with Akane and Ukyo," she pointed out. In part of her mind, she was working over the fact that Genma was not her father, and how that should invalidate all the promises he had made, engaging Ranma to Her-Name-is-Legion. Then Ranko jerked upright and turned to stare at Ukyo. As hard as she stared, Ranko was not able to determine exactly what sex her "cute fiancée" was at the moment. Turning to the others, she asked, "Is Ukyo…?"

            "Back to normal too. I think…" Akane cleared her throat and coughed. "She was locked as a guy for a couple of days. Spice took his time 'finding' the Kaisuifuu. But she got it unlocked, and went back to being a girl as far as I know." Akane chose not to add that Ukyo had been spending a lot of time with Mousse, or rather, Mirror, since Mousse seemed to have declined the use of the magic kettle for some bizarre reason. It did not take a genius to figure out what was on Ukyo's mind. Akane had cornered the okonomiyaki chef a few times to explain that her chi curse was not better than a Jusenkyo curse. As far as Akane was concerned, watching out for cold water was infinitely easier than keeping a lid on her volatile emotions.

            "Maybe I should talk to her," Ranko chewed her lip thoughtfully.

            Ryouga and Akane exchanged a look and then nodded, giving Ranko a push in Ukyo's direction.

            "Heya, Ranchan! It's nice out, isn't it?" Ukyo asked, when she noticed Ranko falling into step with her.

            "Hi, Ukyo. Ucchan. It is great to be outside again. I guess it's really spring now," Ranko made with the small talk.

            Ukyo nodded, smiling to herself. In an offhand way, she asked, "So, how did it go with Ryouga and Akane?"

            "I'm still not sure. Things have changed so much… again…" Ranko sighed.

            "You can say that again. Um… Not that I want to cause a problem…" Ukyo began hesitantly.

            "You caught them in the bath together?" Ranko jumped ahead. Ukyo nodded. Ranko chuckled, "You should know by now, things are never what they seem. Well, at least not always."

            "I still can't get the image of you… and yourself…" Ukyo flushed deeply.

            Ranko winced. "Yeah, um… now you see why I'm not jumping to any conclusions about Ryouga and Akane. I don't think they'd do it, but who am I to complain if they did?" Ranko asked. Ukyo gave her an understanding look. "So, speakin' of stuff I don't got a right to judge… Did you make a desion… you know, after your 'experiment'?" Ranko ventured hesitantly.

            Ukyo smiled. "That," she held up a finger instructively, "is a secret."

            "Heh. You might be the only person who could actually keep a curse secret. You don't change all that much," Ranko observed ruefully. She envied the other girl a little, being able to wear the same clothes comfortably in either form. Glancing to the side, to gauge Ukyo's reaction, she asked, "I guess you're hoping the council gives me matriarch status…?" Ukyo did not flinch or start or betray herself with a guilty look. She just shrugged and nodded.

            "Now that there's just you, it's nice to think we'd all have an equal chance of winning you. It'll be like going back to the way things were, only now we've got guys to watch out for, as well as girls, for rivals," Ukyo noted cheerfully.

            "Yeah, um… even that's not much of a change," Ranko pointed out.

            "You mean Kuno?"

            "Well, there have always been guys chasing after me in girl form. Not that those guys can ever be considered real rivals…" Ranko wrinkled her nose.

            Ukyo nodded thoughtfully.

            Ranko found herself wishing once more that Ukyo was still her old best friend, and not a rival for her affections. The situation with Herb was more than she could handle alone, but she could not confide in a potential rival. The risks for them were too great, not just from Herb personally, but from the forces Herb or his father could command. She did not want to find out if Herb could find a way, if provoked, to eliminate the competition without violating the letter of his promise. She had thought about confiding in her mother, but Nodoka had completely distracted her from her problems with the dragon prince. As disturbing as Nodoka's thoughts were, Ranko was suddenly grateful she had not been bombarded with questions about Ryouga and Akane. Ranko imagined her mother was desperate to know if she would continue to regard Ryouga as a lover, if the amazon marriages were annulled, or how Ranko intended to deal with the engagements to Akane and Ukyo. Obviously, Ranko could no more confide in Akane and Ryouga than she could in Ukyo. Shampoo and Mirror technically had no claims or disputes left toward Ranko, but the part of her that came from Ranma was very leery of trusting the amazon girls--particularly the former blind boy--she would not put it past them to team up and go after her boy side. There was no way she would confide in Cologne. Depending on how the council ruled, and maybe even in spite of the ruling, there was the fact that, as Fa Shen, Ranko had been named Cologne's heir. That was more than enough ammunition in the old woman's hands.

            Ranko came to a dead stop as it finally penetrated, she had a surfeit of potential lovers, but no actual friends or confidants.

            In her most desperate hour, she was truly alone.

            That thought haunted her the rest of the way to the village, as Cinnamon dropped back and goaded her into motion. As she walked with the older girl, she contemplated the fact that Cinnamon was the oldest living being she had ever met. She was also interested in claiming Ranko as a mate, but unlike the others, she was more than capable of standing up to Herb and his minions. Was it worth the risk of falling prey to the dragon's desires to appeal to her for aid?

            Ranko did not come up with an answer to that question by the time she was presented to the assembled council of elders.

            After a few formalities, the council wasted no time urging Cologne forward to announce their decision.

            "After three days and three nights deliberation, the Council of Elders of the Joketsuzoku have reached this conclusion," Cologne announced regally. Giving Ranko a measuring look, she declared, "In spite of the fact that every one of us on the council is descended from 'a child of her body', Ranko is not the first woman to be reincarnated and return to the tribe. Though unique in having been resurrected, and retaining the memory and identity of Fa Shen, the laws concerning reincarnation still apply thusly: Male or female, Ranko is entitled to honorary warrior-maiden status. By virtue of possessing living descendants, Ranko is also entitled to honorary matriarch status. These special circumstances do affect the application of marriage law, entitling her to claim either a husband, a wife, or both, as an honorary warrior-maiden, and as an honorary matriarch, the kiss of marriage is not compulsory. Those who defeat her in combat are qualified to become her husband or wife, but she is entitled to choose whether or not to marry them."

            There was a brief uproar as people debated the announcement.

            Ranko raised her voice, cutting off the crowd. "What is the difference between matriarch status, and 'honorary' matriarch status?"

            Cinnamon cut in, preempting the spin doctored response, "The difference is, your 'honorary' status allows them to deny you a spot on the council. They're refusing to recognize you as an elder, which you would qualify as by virtue of the number of generations descended from you 'in body'."

            "There are two requirements to be an elder!" one of the old women shouted, glaring at Cinnamon. "First, one must be a matriarch of more than one generation, but also, implicit, one must be of an age to possess the necessary skill and experience to rule!"

            "Age is implied, but not stipulated, or have the amazon laws changed so much in the past three hundred years?"

            "An outcast such as yourself has no place discussing the laws of the amazons!" another woman snarled.

            "Outcast?" Ranko turned to look at Cinnamon in surprise.

            Cinnamon shrugged. "Some time ago, I made the mistake of defeating an amazon and leaving her alive. She chased after me for a year then offered to bring me into the tribe. I was not interested, so she continued to chase after me for the next hundred years. Inevitably, I picked up enough amazon lore from her that the council of that time tried to induct me by proxy. When I found out, I stormed in and flaunted their laws until they were forced to expel me. It was the most entertaining century in the past millennium," the dragon chuckled.

            "So, these guys," Ranko gestured at the council of elders, "Would have all been girls back then, right?"

            Cinnamon frowned for a moment. Then she nodded. "In any case, they granted you protection from marriage to Herb, while denying you the leverage or power of your position. Interesting demonstration of 'wisdom' however, snubbing a living legend," she denounced, with a mocking smile. Turning to stare at Cologne she challenged casually, "I suppose you had no choice. If you are not very careful, you might have to pay the price of your forbears folly, no?"

            Cologne blanched and the other elders stiffened in shock and fury.

            "After fifteen hundred years, I suppose you thought you would never have to worry about the consequences of that one blunder," Cinnamon guessed. Giving Nodoka a glancing look, the dragon continued. "I guess you did not count on Pa Shen mentioning the ridiculous lengths the tribe went to trying to prevent her from leaving. How embarrassing it must have been to name her their queen, and have her leave just the same, but apparently the quality of amazon councils is consistent. The event was quickly covered up and forgotten… It would have been quite embarrassing for all of you, now, to be forced to fully recognize Fa Shen, or Ranko as she is now, as the princess she became posthumously. How pathetic!"

            "P-p-princess?" Ranko reeled back in shock.

            "Yes, 'Princess'. But I suppose that's only an honorary title," Cinnamon quipped.

            "B-but, wouldn't that mean…?" Ranko gave her mother a quick look, and cut herself off. She had almost forgot, Cinnamon had advised Ranko and her mother to keep their "true nature" a secret from the amazons.

            Cinnamon gave her a sharp look and deflected, "That would make you even more desirable to Spice and Herb, I suppose."

            Ranko thought long and hard, ignoring the low rumble that had started at Cinnamon's public revelation. Regardless of the snub the dragon had made Ranko aware of, the council had thrown her a bone. Officially, she was spared all of the marriage complications, and was safe from Herb. Her main reason for coming back to China had been fulfilled as well, more completely than she had even intended. She was restored to 'normal' and she had sorted out the legacy of her former life. "Whatever. I was never interested in bein' in power here any way. I just wanted to clear up the mess, get myself back to normal, and go back home. If they're not gonna make me their princess, I couldn't be happier."

            The situation with Herb was not resolved, but since Herb was waiting to "win Ranko's heart", there was really only one thing left to say, "Can I go now?"

            Nodoka gave the assembled council an odd look, then she turned to Ranko and smiled, "I think it's past time we went home."

            Ranko jerked her head around in surprise, having detected something odd in how Nodoka said the last word. "You mean, 'Home' home?"

            "Would you like that?" Nodoka asked, looking her most motherly. "I believe we've accomplished more than enough here."

            Ranko slipped close to her mother and hugged her, letting out an exhausted, "Please!"