CHAPTER SEVEN

	Later that night, a thin, rectangular package drifted down from the sky
toward the dojo, suspended from a small parachute.  It slowly floated to
earth, until a shadow streaked out of the dojo, collected it, and
returned before being spotted. 

	The rising sun illuminated the door of the Cat Cafe, as well as the
large CLOSED sign in the window.  Normally the Cafe would be long since
open... but normally, it wouldn't have been used for a war council. 
	Three ladies were seated around a table, sipping tea to build up their
strength.  Finally one of them spoke. 
	"What you find out, Great-grandmother?"
	Cologne set her tea down.  "You disappoint me, Shampoo.  I would have
thought that you, of all people, would have figured it out." 
	Shampoo blinked, and looked at Ukyo, who shrugged.  "What do ya mean,
Cologne?" 
	"Think about it, granddaughter - didn't your opponent's fighting style
seem at all familiar?" 
	The amazon thought about it.  "Shampoo no think so... not like any
martial arts Shampoo seen." 
	Cologne whapped Shampoo in the head with her cane.  "I didn't say
martial arts!  I said fighting style." 
	"Oww..."  Shampoo rubbed at her new bump.  "Shampoo no understand." 
	"Her fighting style: the way she moved, the way she carried herself,
her strengths, her weaknesses... that, more than the maneuvers she may
know, defines her.  Think!  Go over what happened during the fight if
you have to." 
	"Well... Shampoo try smash, but she catch bonbori... then made her
fall, but she land on feet... then she dodge almost everything Shampoo
do, until she get mad." 
	"Same here,"  Ukyo added as Cologne looked at her meaningfully,  "at
least about the dodging.  That girl was incredibly acrobatic, and
extremely fast.  I only hit her when she was distracted.  You could
almost say she moved like a..."  She stopped suddenly, and looked at
Shampoo.  "...a cat." 
	Shampoo pounded her fist into her palm.  "That right!  Shampoo realize
it now - she even act like cat!  Then, that mean..." 
	Cologne nodded.  "She's a product of Jusenkyo - in all likelihood,
she's a cat that fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl, just like Ranma. 
I don't know how she managed to learn to talk or pose as a human,
but..." 
	Ukyo smiled grimly.  "Yes!  She's gonna be a cinch to beat - all we
have to do is toss some hot water on her, and change her back into a
cat.  Ranma'll take one look, and run for the hills!" 
	"Shampoo no see why you so happy.  Everyone here know how hard is to
throw water on someone who no want get wet." 
	"Er.  You got a point."
	"If it is the pink-haired demoness you refer to, then you may rely on
the rising star of High School martial-arts gymnastics, Kuno "the Black
Rose" Kodachi, to defeat her!" 
	Ukyo groaned.  "Oh, no..."
	"It crazy girl again..." Shampoo noted.
	Indeed, the doors were abruptly swept open and Kodachi entered amid a
swirl of black rose petals.  She gazed imperiously down at Cologne. 
"Loyal Sasuke told me you were taking action 'gainst that unholy
she-beast, old woman, and I am here to offer my services." 
	"And to eavesdrop on our conversation, no doubt."  Ukyo looked at her
suspiciously.  "Just how much did you overhear?" 
	Kodachi laughed.  "I heard everything, mon ami.  And I know you'll need
my skills to spash that wretched creature with one of the old woman's
mystical potions, thus freeing my darling Ranma from her evil
clutches!"  Ukyo rolled her eyes.  She needn't have worried - the
inability of the Kuno family to put two and two together was legendary. 
	"Well... I dunno..."

	Shampoo leaned over.  "Shampoo no want work with crazy girl,"  she
whispered.  "Cat girl not that tough." 
	Cologne prodded her in one of the remaining bandages; she winced. 
"Tough enough to do this, at least.  And if nothing else, we can use her
as a decoy." 
	"I guess it couldn't hurt."  Ukyo looked up.  "Okay, Kodachi - you're
in." 
	"But of course!  Believe you me, that monster will rue the day she met
the rising star of High School..." 
	"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before."  Kodachi pouted and
looked annoyed that her speech had been interrupted.  Ukyo continued. 
"So, what's first on the game plan, Cologne?" 
	"I overheard that they're planning a picnic in the park this morning. 
That should be your best chance to defeat her." 
	The girls nodded and began to discuss tactics, while Cologne watched
them solemnly.  *But first,*  she decided, *I believe there's one stop I
need to make...* 

	Akiko calmly walked toward the marketplace during the first hours of
morning, to make a few final purchases for the picnic.  She bore a
slight smile on her face as she accepted a mental pat on the back.  Nuku
Nuku's new dress was stunning, and the look on Ranma-kun's face when the
cat-girl descended the staircase wearing it was more than gratifying. 
Nuku Nuku had taken a lot of coaching, but with any luck she would be
able to attract Ranma's attention without even trying.  Her original
plan had been unfeasable, she could see that now, but... 
	Her pace slowed suddenly as she saw an odd figure before her.  It
seemed to be an old, extremely wizened woman, almost like a female
version of that little man Nuku Nuku had been chasing the previous
night.  She - if it was a she - was wearing a green dress and had white
hair that would have reached to the ground if the woman weren't balanced
atop a gnarled cane in the middle of the sidewalk.  She was watching
Akiko with a motionless, disconcerting stare. 
	Akiko returned the gaze unflinchingly for a moment, then stepped around
the woman and continued on.  Before she had taken ten steps, however,
the old woman had bounded into her path once again.  Akiko scowled down
at her;  the woman merely watched her impassively. 
	"If you have business with me,"  Akiko announced, "you'd best get on
with it.  My time is valuable." 
	The old woman was quiet a moment longer, almost mocking the
businesswoman in her silence.  When she spoke, it was with a remarkably
smooth voice - Akiko had been expecting a quavering croak.  "You have to
leave Nerima.  Now."  Akiko stared at her, clearly taken aback.  "You'll
be in danger if you stay." 
	Akiko regained her composure with a bit of difficulty.  "I'm not afraid
of a little danger."  She continued down the sidewalk.  "And I have no
intention of leaving until my business here is concluded." 
	"I know you aren't the pink-haired girl's aunt,"  the woman called;
Akiko stopped in her tracks.  "Or her mother, though she may call you
'Mama-san'." 
	She turned to face the woman.  "Nani?"
	The old woman smiled unpleasantly.  "I've figured out her secret, you
see." 
	An expression of surprise passed over Akiko's face.  *Masaka... she
couldn't possibly know...* 
	The woman approached Akiko, bounding toward her atop the cane.  "It's
curious... the girl seems to have no romantic interest in Ranma, for
obvious reasons... yet you seem to be throwing them at each other.  Why
is that?" 
	The businesswoman crossed her arms.  "That is no concern of yours. 
What is Ranma to you?"  She smirked.  "You don't seem to be his type." 
	"My granddaughter is his fiancee - his only *real* fiancee, bound by
Amazon tribal law.  I won't let the girl interfere with that, and if
that means disposing of you..."  Cologne stretched out one hand and
touched a nearby wall; it exploded, falling into irregular patterns on
the sidewalk.  "...so be it." 
	Akiko merely returned her gaze serenely.  The ancient amazon was
impressed despite herself - this one had a remarkably strong will. 
(Having an orbital laser satellite aimed at your head tends to inure you
to further shocks.)  "Ah, so it's to be threats, is it?" 
	"If necessary."
	There was a dangerous glint in Akiko's eyes.  "I've never bowed down to
threats... and I don't intend to begin now."  Her hand, moving in a
blur, darted up to her earring and activated a hidden switch.  "Kyoko!
Arisa!" 
	Nothing happened for a moment... then a faint whir was heard in the
distance, growing louder by the moment.  The dust and gravel on the
ground, remnants of the former wall, were swept up in a sudden wind, and
a shadow passed over the sun.  Cologne looked upwards, to see a plane of
some kind, with rotary engines and missile ports in prominent display,
descending slowly toward street level. 
	Akiko remained where she was, her hair and clothes rippling in the
winds generated by the plane's engines.  "Behold POISON SEVEN, the
culmination of years of military technological research!  It can hold
off an army, old woman - it won't have a problem with you." 
	Cologne leapt into the air, speeding toward the combat jet.  "I'm not
afraid of your toys!"  She twisted her cane around until its point was
travelling directly toward a specific point on the plane, the point that
Cologne's senses told her would be its breaking point. 
	The cane struck home, and time seemed to stop for an instant. 
	The old woman dropped to the ground, then turned to face Akiko.  "You
see?  I'm not impressed by..."  She paused as she realized something -
the younger woman was smiling at her.  She whirled around, and gasped. 
	POISON SEVEN was still intact.
	"I... impossible!"
	Akiko laughed.  "Foolish crone! This isn't some flimsy antique you're
dealing with here!"  As she spoke, the merest sliver of armor fell to
the ground from where Cologne had struck it.  "All of our weapons are
built using the very latest techniques, and are tested in only the most
rigorous of conditions!" 
	Cologne stared at her.  "You... you don't mean..."
	The businesswoman nodded smugly.  "They are used in actual combat
situations... against Nuku Nuku.  For the past two years, I've thrown
every weapon Mishima makes against the cat-girl, and I'd be a fool if I
didn't learn something from the experience, ne?"  She gestured, and the
jet rose back up into the sky. 
	"It can't protect you forever."
	"Perhaps not," Akiko admitted.  "However... did you perhaps notice the
two women piloting it?  Kyoko and Arisa, two of my oldest friends. 
Arisa tends to be...  enthusiastic, when it comes to making things
explode.  If anything were to happen to me, you'd not only have to deal
with a distraught Nuku Nuku, but POISON SEVEN as well.  I'd hate to
think what would happen to this town if they were both unleashed
simultaneously."  She walked away from Cologne, never looking back. 
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have taiyaki to buy." 
	The ancient amazon watched her leave, eyes narrowed.

	"Itadakimasu!"
	The picnic had grown from a simple outing to a full-blown feast.  When
the members of the Tendo/Saotome household had reached the park, they
had been greeted by a pile of food that reached truly epic proportions,
set out on a hill that overlooked a large lake.  Dishes and treats of
every description had been laid out for them, causing Ranma and his
father to drool in anticipation.  Two women, dressed in pink
uniform-like suits, stood next to the table; Arisa introduced them as
Kyoko and Arisa, and greetings were exchanged. 
	It didn't take long after everyone had sat down for visitors to show
up.  Ryoga was first ("I'm just here to keep an eye on Ranma," he
claimed around a mouthful of food), followed closely by Mousse ("Same
here.  Could you pass the squid?").  A battle to grab the most food
quickly escalated between them, Ranma, and Genma, and one side of the
table quickly became a war zone.  Akiko had to forcibly restrain Nuku
Nuku from joining in. 
	However, a short distance away, another battle was being planned... 
	"Have you got those kettles boiling yet?"  Ukyo hissed. 
	Shampoo, kneeling over a small campfire, nodded.  "Almost.  They be
ready soon." 
	"Good."  She peered over the edge of the bushes.  "Where the heck is
Kodachi?  I knew we couldn't trust her to..." 
	"Fear not, mon ami! I, Koda..."
	"SHHHH!"  In an instant, Shampoo and Ukyo had clamped their hands over
Kodachi's mouth and pulled her down.  Nuku Nuku looked up for a moment,
then shrugged and returned to her conversation with Akane. 
	"You want cat girl find us?" Shampoo glared at Kodachi. 
	"Very well, you've made your point.  I *can* be discreet if necessary,
you know." 
	"Yeah, sure you can."  Ukyo glanced through the branches - it looked
safe.  "Did you bring it?" 
	Kodachi held up a burlap sack.  "A distasteful task, I might add." 
	"It'll be worth it, trust me.  Shampoo?"
	"Water is..."  She glanced at Kodachi.  "Shampoo mean, special potion
is ready." 
	"Right.  Just a couple more minutes..."

	"It's not fair!"  Arisa raged.  "After all that talk about how loyal we
are, after finding a dress for the cat-girl, after setting up that
feast, we don't even get any!" 
	Akiko's assistants, once introductions were over, had been gently but
firmly pushed aside to make room for everyone else.  They were now
sitting under a stand of trees a short distance away from the main
table.  Rather, one was sitting; the other was pacing angrily. 
	Kyoko sighed and turned a page of her magazine.  "That's Our Lady for
you.  We'll probably even get our pay docked for just sitting here." 
	"But... she ordered us to!"
	Her partner just gave her a "so what?" look.
	Arisa glared at the picnickers and clenched her fist.  "And the
wretched cat-girl is sitting at the place of honor at Our Lady's side. 
I won't stand for this!  I won't!" 
	"Fine.  Go complain to Lady Akiko.  She'll probably bring up the
billion yen in damages we still owe her for destroying her restaurant,
remember?  At least she didn't bill the loss of her space shuttle
against us..."  Grimacing at the memory, Arisa sat down next to Kyoko
and crossed her arms.  Her partner noticed her bleak expression.  "Oh,
don't sulk.  Our Lady told us to keep an eye out for trouble, ne?"  She
patted the crate they were sitting on.  "If we're lucky, we'll get to
use the cat-girl for target practice." 
	Arisa brightened up.  That was certainly something to hope for. 

	"Okay, just a moment longer..."
	"Wait - what of the two dallying in yonder grove?"
	"Shampoo been watching them - they look harmless."
	"Well, keep an eye on 'em, anyway.  Ready?"
	"Shampoo ready!"
	"And I, as well."
	"All right, then - deploy our secret weapon!"
	Kodachi upended the bag and shook it out.  A tiny old man fell to the
ground; he was tied head to foot, and was struggling against his bonds. 
	He was also wearing a mouse costume.
	Ukyo knelt and cut the ropes with one of her throwing spatulas; in an
instant, Happosai had bounded to his feet.  "What's the big idea?! 
Whadja dress me up like this for?"  He started to pull the costume off. 
	Shampoo smiled sweetly.  "But Happosai look so cute in mouse suit!" 
	His eyes grew hugely, and glistened.  "You... you really think so?" 
	"That's right,"  Ukyo agreed, "and in fact, we know a certain young
lady who'll be really interested in you, if you wear it." 
	"Really?"  He hopped up and down in excitement.  "Where is she?  Where
is she?" 
	"Are you sure?  She may not be your type..."
	"All attractive women are my type!  I demand that you introduce us!" 
	"Well, okay, but remember..."
	A moment later, Happosai was propelled from the bushes by a
triple-kick.  A trio of feminine voices shouted in unison: "YOU ASKED
FOR IT!" 
	Unperturbed, Happosai sailed through the air, arms thrown wide.  "Come
to me, my... AAAAAAH!" 
	"Meow!"
	Happosai tried to backpedal in midair, and somehow managed to evade
Nuku Nuku's grasp.  He landed on her head for a moment, then rebounded
off and ran for his very life, the cat-girl in hot pursuit. 
	Genma leaned forward.  "Go, Nuku Nuku!  Get him!"
	Soun joined his friend.  "Teach the Master a lesson!" 
	Nabiki sipped some soda.  "And me without my camcorder." 
	Fleeing in terror, Happosai inadvertently led Nuku Nuku back the way he
came.  "Stop it, Nuku Nuku!"  Akiko shouted.  "Come back here and sit
down!"  The cat-girl wasn't paying attention, however, and chased the
tiny martial artist with a gleeful expression.  Akiko gritted her teeth
in frustration.  *So much for acting like a lady...* 
	Nuku Nuku chased her prey past a particular bush... out of which burst
three familiar forms.  The cat-girl instinctively jumped to one side,
her pursuit forgotten.  "You three again!" 
	"That right!" Shampoo gloated.  "We work together now!" 
	Ukyo brandished her giant spatula.  "Yeah, and we know your weakness,
too!" 
	With a laugh, Kodachi twirled a kettle around her finger by the
handle.  "Prepare to be vanquished, thou hideous creature!" 
	"Eh?!"
	A massive brawl arupted, the three former rivals acting in (imperfect)
harmony to destroy the innocent cat-girl.  While Nuku Nuku managed to
dodge most of the attacks, some still got through, and were beginning to
take their toll on her. 
	"So it was them all along,"  Akane noted with surprise. 
	"I shoulda known!"  Ranma snarled.  "But what are they doin' with those
kettles?  Nuku Nuku wasn't cursed by Jusenkyo!"  He stopped, and looked
at Akiko.  "...was she?"  She returned his gaze blankly.  "Well, I ain't
gonna let 'em hurt her either way!"  He jumped to his feet... only to be
tackled by Ryoga. 
	"Oh, no you don't," he growled, with a deathgrip around Ranma's ankle. 
"You're gonna sit riiight here with Akane and eat.  Doesn't that sound
like..." He elbowed his rival in the stomach.  "...FUN?!" 
	Ranma ignored the strike and pulled Ryoga in close.  "What's your
problem, moron?" he whispered angrily. 
	"If you wanna flirt with other girls, break up with Akane first.  It's
the only honorable thing to do." 
	"I'm not flirting with...!"
	"Don't talk with your mouth full!"  Ryoga grabbed a handful of dim sum
and crammed them into Ranma's mouth. 

	Nuku Nuku was having a bit of trouble.  She wasn't used to group
hand-to-hand combat, having dealt with either firearms or single
opponent fights.  She could dodge one attack and block another, but the
third had a good chance of slipping past her defenses, and while she was
considerably tougher than a normal girl, her opponents were pretty
strong themselves.  She found herself backing up under their combined
assault. 
	Akiko whirled to her assistants.  "Arisa!  Kyoko!"
	They immediately stood to attention.  "Yes, My Lady!" 
	"Deal with those gatecrashers."  She noted the look of unholy glee on
Arisa's face, and quickly amended that.  "Mercy rounds only." 
	"Aww..."
	Nuku Nuku leapt out of the way of Ukyo's spatula, only to have her leg
snagged by Kodachi's ribbon.  She hit the ground with a yelp of
surprise, and sat up painfully.  "Why are you doing this?  Nuku Nuku
never did anything to you!" 
	Kodachi just laughed and tugged on the ribbon.  "You should have
listened to me, little brat.  I warned you of the consequences if you
dared get between me and my daaaaarling Ranma."  She laughed again, one
of her trademark non-stop cascades of laughter. 
	A sharp crack sounded behind her, followed by a high-pitched whistling
noise.  As she turned in surprise, a small metal pellet burst in midair
as it sped toward her, forming into a net made of thin but strong
wires.  She struggled to free herself, until a wave of electricity
surged through the net.  Kodachi fell to the ground, her gymnastics
uniform smouldering. 
	"Nice shot!" Kyoko said admiringly.
	"Not really," Arisa snarled as she slammed another round into the
oddly-shaped rifle she carried, "I was aiming for the cat-girl." 
	Kyoko peered through the sight on her missile launcher.  "Well, this
should take care of it, one way or the other." 
	"That's not catnip, is it?"
	"Oh, give me a little credit."  She glanced at her partner, then
returned her eye to the sight.  "I never make the same mistake...
YEEEEEEEE!" 
	"Howdy, ladies!"  To Kyoko, it looked like a huge, misshapen rat was
peering back at her.  "You may not be young, but I like mature women! 
Whaddaya say we go out for a drink or seven?" 
	Kyoko recoiled, and her finger reflexively pulled the trigger; as
Happosai was draped over the end of the launcher, the missile exploded
immediately, filling the area with a choking cloud of noisome gas. 
	Akiko turned at the explosion to see her assistants crawl out of the
gas cloud.  She scowled, then looked around - the fight had moved on
deeper into the park.  She stood up.  "I should go see how Nuku Nuku is
doing," she announced. 
	"I'll go with you,"  Ranma said, and quickly leapt out of Ryoga's
reach, disappearing over the hill. 
	"Ranma!"  Ryoga chased after him.  "Get back here and have some more
oden, or I'll break your kneecaps!" 
	Mousse followed them both.  "Get away from Shampoo, Ranma!"  He paused,
ran back, and bowed.  "Uh, thanks for the food."  He ran off again. 
"I'll kill you, Ranma!" 

	Meanwhile, Nuku Nuku had been able to recover somewhat, and was now
standing near the lake shore, facing Shampoo and... and... 
	Where was the other one?
	She whirled around, but too late - Ukyo had already leapt out of a tree
toward her.  The cook grabbed Nuku Nuku's arms from behind, and lifted
her slightly; the lack of leverage kept Nuku Nuku from immediately
breaking the hold. 
	Shampoo smiled wickedly and produced the kettle.  "Now, fight
finished!"  She quickly moved forward and poured the water over the
hapless cat-girl.  The kettle emptied, and Shampoo sneered triumpantly
down at... 
	...A dripping wet young girl.
	Ukyo stared as the last few drops poured from the kettle.  It was hot
water, she could feel it - why didn't it work? 
	The amazon was equally shocked, but recovered.  "No matter if not
work.  Shampoo kill you anyway!  You no can..." 
	Shampoo stopped as she noticed a new expression pass over Nuku Nuku's
features.  "You ruined it."  She strained her arms, and Ukyo suddenly
found it very difficult to hold on.  With a grunt of effort she
maintained her grasp, but it was a losing battle.  "You ruined the new
dress Mama-san bought me!  Nuku Nuku is through playing!"  Shampoo took
a few steps back, remembering what the cat-girl was like when angry. 
	"I can't hold her much longer!"
	"Get rid of her!  She real tough when mad!"

	"Well, whaddaya expect *me* to do about it?!"
	Shampoo cast about, then picked up Ukyo's giant spatula.  "Throw in
air!" 
	"Roger!"  With a mighty heave, the cook tossed Nuku Nuku several feet
into the air, then rolled out of the way.  The cat-girl soon reached the
top of her arc and began to descend... but was met half-way as Shampoo
swung the spatula like a baseball bat, sending a stunned Nuku Nuku
flying out over the lake.  She struck the water with a solid thunk and
quickly dropped out of sight. 
	Ukyo got up.  "Well, now what?"
	"Shampoo no know.  Have ask great-grandmother about..." 
	"What've you two done with her?!"  They turned to see an angry Ranma
glaring at them, fists clenched.  "If you've hurt her..." 
	"Oh, simmer down, Ranma-honey.  We sent her into the lake - she'll be
fine.  More's the pity." 
	Ranma looked at the lake, then turned back to his fiancees.  "What is
*wrong* with you two?  Am I not allowed to make new friends with you
around?" 
	"Friend, yes."  Shampoo looked away imperiously.  "But not fiancee." 
	"She is NOT my..."
	"Nuku Nuku!"  Akiko arrived, looking slightly winded; Ryoga and Mousse
appeared shortly thereafter.  "Wh... where is she?" 
	"These two..."  Ranma growled, but couldn't bring himself to complete
the sentence.  "They threw her into the lake."  He faced them again.  "I
don't want either of you bothering..." 
	"No!"  Akiko gasped and raced for the water.  "Nuku Nuku!" 
	"Wait, stop!"  Ryoga caught her and pulled her back.  "The lake drops
off pretty steep here." 
	Ranma frowned and turned to her; Ukyo and Shampoo used this opportunity
to run for safety.  "What's wrong?" 
	Akiko looked at him with genuine panic in her face - it was the first
time Ranma had seen her expressing her true emotions.  "Nuku Nuku can't
swim!  She'll drown!" 
	Everyone gasped, and Akiko wrenched herself from Ryoga's grasp. 
"Please, someone save her!"  She looked at Ryoga and Mousse
desperately;  they gritted their teeth in frustration, but couldn't meet
her gaze.  When she saw that they wouldn't help, she turned to face the
lake.  Akiko doubted she'd be able to lift Nuku Nuku to the surface, but
she had to... 
	"I'll go."
	The others turned, and saw Ranma kicking his shoes off.  "You sure
about that?"  Mousse asked.  "What about...?" 
	"Who cares about that?!" Ranma raged.  "It's not worth letting someone
die to keep a secret!"  With that, he dived into the rippled surface of
the lake, and quickly disappeared from view. 
	Akiko straightened up and glared at the others with a cold, merciless,
unforgiving gaze.  "There, at least," she proclaimed haughtily, "goes a
*real* man." 
	Ryoga flinched away from her stare.  "Lady, you don't know the half of
it." 

	Nuku Nuku took stock of her situation.  The force caused from hitting
the lake had driven the air from her lungs, she was still feeling a bit
disoriented, and the mud around her feet was too thick, preventing her
from jumping to the surface.  While her body was mechanical, her brain
still required oxygen to function - there was only so much time left
before... before... 
	She struggled, desperately trying to free herself, but her will to
fight was draining.  The waters around her seemed to be growing darker
and darker. 
	Then a slim figure darted through the water and grabbed her wrist.  She
looked up, and saw a familiar form above her.  Familiar, but slightly
different... 
	The figure pulled, seemed surprised by Nuku Nuku's weight for a moment,
then doubled its efforts and extracted her from the mud.  Her rescuer
swam upwards quickly, dragging the cat-girl along behind. 

	A splash attracted Akiko's attention, and she scanned the lake until
she saw two figures pulling themselves out onto a short pier.  She
rushed over, Mousse and Ryoga following close behind.  "Ranma-kun!  You
did it!  You... you..."  She ground to a halt as she stared at the
figure sitting next to a gasping Nuku Nuku.  This new person wore the
same clothes as Ranma had, but was smaller, had cherry-red hair... and
was most definitely female.  "Who... who are..." 
	The girl sighed and looked away, her expression tinged with shame. 
"I'm... well..." 
	"Ranma-kun!"  Nuku Nuku threw her arms around the girl's neck and
sobbed uncontrollably. 
	Akiko raised her fingers to her mouth in shock.  "Ranma?" 
	Ranma-chan gave a little embarrassed laugh.  "Sorry about this." 

	"I don't get it.  I just don't get it!"  Ukyo stalked across the Cat
Cafe, gesturing angrily.  "I thought you said she was a cat, old woman!" 
	Cologne frowned thoughtfully into her tea.  "The evidence did seem to
suggest that.  And the girl does have some secret - I'm sure of it." 
	"Well, fat lot of good that does us.  I stayed long enough to catch
Ranma's little act of heroics - she'll be gone on him for sure now." 
	"No complain, spatula girl,"  Shampoo quipped from her perch atop the
counter.  She gestured idly to the crumpled heap of Kodachi left by the
door.  "We almost beat her this time, even without crazy girl.  We get
next time for sure." 
	Ukyo shook her head.  "Ranma's wise to us now.  We try anything, he'll
stop us.  And Akane was sure acting friendly with her, too.  What we
need is an advantage of some kind." 
	As if on cue, the door slid open into bright sunlight, and a young girl
walked in, her features indistinct in the relatively dim light of the
Cafe.  Shampoo looked over.  "Sorry - we closed now.  Come back later." 
	The girl ignored her and glanced around idly.  "I was watching your
fight with the cat-girl earlier," she said. 
	Ukyo exchanged glances with Shampoo and Cologne.  "You know Nuku Nuku?" 
	"You... could say that."  She moved forward, revealing a small but
generous figure, blonde hair, and large, maroon eyes.  "I think you and
I need to talk." 
	"What about?"
	"Why, the utter destruction of that nauseating cat-girl, what else?" 
And the girl began to laugh: a laugh that filled the Cat Cafe, a laugh
that put even Kodachi's to shame.