Vampire Princesses

Chapter 2 The long night

The characters of Ranma ½, Sailor Moon, Vampire Princess Miyu, and Hellsing are own by much saner people than I, since they seek to earn a living with their characters. While I only seek to borrow the characters to tell a tale for enjoyment, I seek no compensation other than the release of a little of the chaos from that which my family calls my mind.

Ranma with her hands loaded with dinner heads for the door. "Are you coming Mr. Tendo. I am sure there is a hurricane brewing on the other side of this door, and it would be safer for the hurricane if you went first."

---

`"Quite right son...ah daughter. Yes, you are quite right." Soun manages to say, then steps around Ranma and out the door to face the coming storm.

Ranma allows Soun to precede her, and then enters the dinning room, where she waits for Kasumi so they can serve the dinner together. She has to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the sight. Her father is sitting in his usual place near the head of the table next to where Soun always sits. He is staring open mouthed at Shampoo, and Nabiki, who are sitting next to him leaning against each other. Akane is sitting at the other end of the table giving the other two girls a glare that would at least curdled milk. Sitting across from Nabiki is Cologne next to where Kasumi and Ranma will sit. She is watching everyone at the table and is trying very hard not to laugh aloud.

When Kasumi joins Ranma silence falls over the room, as all eyes turn toward them.

Akane looks at the two who have earn her wrath waiting for her father to put the errant couple in their places. 'Perverted idiots I always knew there was something wrong with Kasumi. She was always acting as if she was all noble, and good, and all the time she is nothing but a pervert out to take what is rightfully mine. If she thinks she is going to take my fiancé, and my right as heir to the family art, she has another thing coming. Just wait, Daddy will fix this, he always does, and then I will show them that I am the real martial artist in this family, and I will introduce them both to my new mallet!'

Genma sweats as he stares. He so much wants to jump up and put the boy in his place, but the boy is with Kasumi. This requires thoughtful planning. The boy needs to be put in his place. If I make Kasumi mad I won't get to eat. Nabiki said that the boy is with Kasumi. What is with Nabiki and Shampoo? I wonder if they will let me watch. Mad Nabiki means blackmail, cops, pain. Mad Shampoo means pain. Boy needs to be put in place. Boy called Cologne grandmother. Cologne means pain plus. I wonder if Shampoo and Nabiki will let me watch. Why is the boy flouncing around like a girl? Girls are weak. Kasumi controls food. Food good. Kasumi happy with boy, food good. Kasumi happy with boy as girl, food good. I wonder if they will let me watch. Too much thinking, need food.'

Shampoo, and Nabiki smile as they watch the couple. 'Kasumi and Ranma really make the perfect couple. I finally got the girlfriend that I wanted too. Yes, this is good.'

Cologne watches everyone, with the proper thoughts of an Elder. 'hehehehehe'

Soun, being the perfect patriarch keeps an approving look on his face. 'Oh my, Oh Kami, my baby girl and Ranma are vampires! Please, please Kami don't let Akane or Genma do anything stupid, Ranma will rip them apart and Kasumi will drink their blood! Blood, I hope Ono is sending more blood, must keep them happy and not hungry!' Visions of Akane and Genma looking like the empty blood bags in the kitchen dancing in his head.

Ranma and Kasumi grin looking at the assemblage.

'Sumi-chan, which one do you think will explode first, Pops, or Akane?'

'Akane is the sure thing. Your father knows I and now we control the food. He isn't going to let anything get in the way of food.'

'Then it is a good thing that grandmother is sitting between Akane and us.'

'We better serve everyone so the games can begin.'

As if synchronized dancers, side by side Ranma and Kasumi move to their place at the table, setting food down as they sit down. Still in total silence, they continue their synchronized motions, filling and passing dishes to each person at the table, finally filling each others dishes, and tea cups. When the couple finish and sit back, Soun says. "Itadakimasu" They begin to eat.

Ranma smiles at Kasumi. "Sumi-chan you were right, it needed the extra salt. It's perfect now."

Tokyo, we have Ignition! "RANMA YOU JERK!" Akane yells as her new mallet appears in her hands already in a roundhouse motion to bash Ranma back toward the kitchen. As the mallet approaches, in near perfect synchronization, and looking like something out of the movie Matrix, Cologne, Ranma, and Kasumi lean all the way back allowing the mallet to sail over them. Not having anything to arrest the forward motion of the mallet, it continues in its arc pulling Akane around with it, overextending her reach in the resulting twist, and dropping her on her face. As the mallet passes over them, the one intended target and the two collateral targets rise back into a sitting position and continued their meal as though nothing had happened.

Cologne turns to Ranma and Kasumi. "Granddaughters this meal is wonderful. Maybe you should give Nabiki, and Shampoo some of your recipes to use in their restaurant."

Kasumi leans forward turning to Cologne. "Thank you Grandmother and that is an excellent idea. I will put together a copy of my recipes for them."

As the mallet now comes downward toward Ranma's head, Akane yells. "YOU PERVERT! I won't miss this time!" Kasumi rolls to her left along with Ranma. With nothing to hit, her mallet continues to the floor sending vibrations back up the arms of Akane. She stands there stunned, both by the force returned through her arms, and that she missed twice, and this time at point blank range.

Ranma sits back up straight, as Kasumi continues her roll into a backwards shoulder roll. When her feet hit the floor she rises in a fluid motion to step around and behind Akane where she grabs the back of Akane's gi (that Akane wears thinking it makes her a martial artist), and with a good grip she lifts, spins, and releases, throwing Akane through the open shoji doors, up, and then arcing down into the koi pond. Kasumi walks to the open shoji doors and yells to Akane as her now wet youngest sister rises to the surface. "I told you no mallets, and for you to leave my husband alone! That was your last warning, don't you dare try attacking my husband again! Now cool off!"

As Kasumi returns to the table as if nothing had happened, and Soun finally regains the use of his mouth that has been hanging open since Akane's first swing. "Kasumi, don't you think calling Ranma your husband is a little premature?"

Before Kasumi can think of a proper answer to her feelings, Cologne answers. "Not at all Mr. Tendo, both Kasumi and Ranma are adopted Amazons having both defeated an Amazon warrior, and been adopted into my clan. I had the honor of witnessing their kisses of marriage today. Under Amazon law they are a married couple."

"Grandmother Right. I witnessed marriage kisses after Kasumi defeated me." Shampoo says then rubs her chin. "Kasumi good Amazon, she kicks like horsee. Shampoo sore for weeks."

Genma sweat drops as he stares at the exchange. 'Kasumi controls food. Kasumi defeated Shampoo. Kasumi pitched Akane like rag doll. Maybe boy is daughter, and married to Kasumi good. No! Plan needs Akane with boy to get dojo from Tendo. I wonder if Shampoo and Nabiki will let me watch. Kasumi is scaring me. She was never like this before. What has changed? Shampoo and Nabiki...no can't go there...pain there! Nabiki could work in Hell and like it! Somehow this is all's the boy's fault...mmmm Food! Think, must think, must wait, boy not with Kasumi all the time, regain control. Everybody is looking at Kasumi and scary mummy. Get more food now. Change to panda also, buy some time.'

"Thank you Elder Cologne, we will accept Amazon marriage, but they still must have a Japanese wedding, right Saotome?" Soun says as he turns to his old friend, now panda. 'When did he get splashed? Poor old Genma, cursed to turn into a panda. Must really be upset, his dishes are still full of food. I wish I could tell him the truth about Ranma and Kasumi. But the boy...eeerr...girl is correct about Nodoko, and I don't think Genma could handle the truth right now about the kids.'

"Growff!" Genma says as he shovels rice into his maw. 'Needs bamboo.'

"KASUMI YOU PERVERT!" A soaking wet Akane yells as she stomps back into the house, flinging water everywhere. "Attack me from behind, I will show you who the real martial artist in this house is!"

Visions of his baby Akane's dismembered body being served for dinner finally galvanize the patriarch into action. Soun jumps from his position at the head of the table and runs to block Akane. "Akane Tendo, if you value your life you will stop right now!"

'Why is Daddy stopping me, doesn't he see that this must be done? Doesn't he love me anymore?' Thinks Akane as she slams into her father's chest. "But Daddy, they are being perverted together. Kasumi is trying to steal my fiancé, and she attacked me!"

'Kami, how did it get so bad? Kami, please Kasumi forgive me, but I am going to have to reveal a couple of our secrets.' Soun silently prays as he grabs Akane's shoulders. "Akane, we have kept some things secret from you for years and more so in the past two years in case things between you and Ranma had worked out. This is something that I forced your sisters to do at first to build your confidence. And then, even though we saw that I was wrong, that you built confidence, but without the skills to back it, I continued to do it. I did it because I thought you would run the dojo with Ranma, and believed he would give you the skills you needed. I think it is time for you to know the truth. Please, don't question me, just kneel down with me." Soun moves to kneel along side of his daughter, keeping a hand on her that she doesn't bolt.

Kasumi stares at the scene with a mixture of fascination and fear. 'Please Father, don't tell her what Ranma, and I are.' "Father is this about?"

Soun shakes his head, a sad smile on his face, tears slowly tracing down his cheeks. "No daughter that is yours and Ranma's business. What we must talk about is about the School, both of the Schools, the Saotome, and Tendo schools of our art. Mr. Saotome and I were never certified as Masters, only as teachers of our schools, working under our wives who were the masters. Recently with the return of The Master, he decided that since neither school had a master, he needed to test each of us and our students to see if any of us were worthy of being masters. He tested Mr. Saotome, and I first, then our students. But at my request it to keep it a secret from you, the testing was done without our two students knowing about each other, and with only me as the witness, as they went through the testing. Master Happosai has trained, tested, and certified The Masters of our respective schools. The Master has said that he will soon name one of the two Masters as his heir and Grandmaster of the whole. Ranma is The Master of the Saotome School of our art, and Kasumi is The Master of the Tendo School of our family's art."

Ranma stares at her mate, her mouth hanging open, until she closes it in a big grin. "Sumi-chan we are so going to spar later."

Akane just shakes her head, building her denial. "Kasumi the Master of our family art, yeah sure she couldn't hurt a fly. And when did she have a chance to become a martial artist, let alone the master."

Nabiki giggles, and then turns very serious. "Akane, it hasn't been that many years ago, that you threw your temper tantrum because your two big sisters were using the dojo when you wanted to use it by yourself. Now you think Kasumi spends all of her time cleaning and cooking. Kasumi keeps the house spotless, so that it only takes her a half hour a day to do her chores and the rest of the time she trains. Even when she is cooking and cleaning, she is training, just as Ranma makes everything she does training. Kasumi, just like us, started training since she could walk. I was her sparing partner, and lately her punching bag, when Daddy wasn't available. All you have done these past ten years is basic katas, strength training, and breaking bricks. The rest of the time you run around with your friends, blame everyone else for your problems, until Ranma came, then you blamed Ranma, and you got yourself kidnapped several times. With your behavior, I am not surprised that she hasn't certified you to be trained in our family's art. It is after all an art of assassins, and warriors only taught to a select few. You have seen Ranma fight, but all you ever saw her use were her lower forms, since she didn't want to kill. Something she and Kasumi can do without even touching an opponent. All you were ever trained in were the basic forms, which are the same in all schools of the art. The same as the Taekwondo Daddy teaches the students in our dojo. No one is taught our family art without certification, and as far as I know, the only certified student of our family art is I. Akane this is a martial arts family, whatever gave you the idea that no one else in this house trained?" Nabiki pauses to shake her head slowly. "I will tell you that if you don't stop your behavior, I will not be surprised if Kasumi throws you out of her home and the clan as well."

Shampoo gets a smile on her face and looks at her girlfriend. "Nabiki, Shampoo spar later?" Nabiki grins back and nods.

Trebling, Akane looks in fear at her father. "Daddy, Kasumi can't throw me out can she? What does Nabiki means Kasumi's home?"

The panda frantically waves a sign. "Yes Soun, what...flip...does she mean...flip...Kasumi's home...flip...I thought that...flip...was Akane's...flip...dowry?"

Soun blinks at his old friend. "I don't know whatever gave you that idea Saotome. You know that I married into the Tendo family the same as you married into the Saotome family. My family name is Hino, and I married my sensei, Tendo Kimiko. Just like you married your sensei Saotome Nodoko, and took her family name. The Saotome home and dojo belong to Nodoko, to be passed to her heir Ranma, and all of this had belonged to Kimiko, who left it to her heir Kasumi when she died. Kasumi is also the matriarch of the Tendo clan, since her grandmother passed that position down to her. So Akane, Kasumi does have a lot of power over you. But she has kept quiet all this time to allow her daddy some self respect, and hoping that with Ranma here you would change. I blame myself I spoiled you, and didn't force you to change. I should have been forcing you to change, to grow up instead I tried forcing your sisters, and Ranma to change. Kasumi didn't steal Ranma you drove Ranma away from you, and into your sister's arms."

Tears starting to track down her cheeks Akane almost whispering. "But she is a pervert, and not even all Japanese. Her father was a gaiijin, how can she be the head of our clan? How can you take her side over your real daughter?"

Rage at his youngest daughter builds in Soun, his face turning red until he looks at the sad faces of his other daughters and Ranma sitting at the table staring at the exchange. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he then smiles at the gathering. "Akane, it doesn't matter who her father was, Kasumi is the matriarchal head of the Tendo clan, chosen by her own grandmother. Her father was my friend, a good ...man, who loved Kimiko and Kasumi with all of his heart, the same as I do. I have raised Kasumi for all but one year of her life, and I love her, the same as you, and Nabiki. If you think she is a pervert, it is my fault for sheltering you too much. While I might not agree with Ranma's and Kasumi's, and apparently Nabiki's lifestyles, that is their business. This is Japan, not America. It has never been that big of an issue here, and even less in our modern culture. Now Akane, I would suggest that you apologize to your sister, and Ranma, then go get cleaned up. We will see if we can save some dinner for you."

Still refusing to accept responsibility for her self, and with barely controlled rage, Akane bows low to Kasumi and Ranma. "I am sorry big sister Kasumi, and Ranma for my behavior…'They are still perverts!'....I will endeavor to better myself...'Just wait until that baka Ranma is alone'...Please excuse me so that I might clean up. I am afraid that I smell of fish...'Perverts probably like that smell'.

Kasumi and Ranma both bow slightly toward Akane and Kasumi responds. "That is alright little sister. Today has been a...tumultuous day for all of us, and it is going to take time to adjust to the many changes. Go ahead and get cleaned up, and I will make sure that you have a hot meal on your return." Akane gets up and walks quickly out of the room toward the ofuro.

After Akane leaves, Ranma turns to Kasumi. "Well Tendo think it will sink in, and hold?"

Kasumi sadly shakes her head looking at her mate. "Not a chance Saotome, not a chance."

Their two fathers look at the couple. 'Why does that sound familiar?'

As Kasumi gathers Akane's dishes, and some extra food for her sister, Ranma looks around. "Well we have had a confrontation with Ukyo, Shampoo, Ryoga, and Akane today. Where's the duck?"

Kasumi returning from the kitchen smiles at Ranma and tips her head toward the Shoji doors.

Cologne chuckles and then in a little louder voice than normal says. "Mr. Part Time, get in here."

Mouuse steps around the shoji doors and enters the room. "What do you want you old mummy?"

"I want to be 18 years old again, but that isn't going to happen." Cologne chuckles some more. "What I want Mr. Part Time, is for you to return to the Cat Cafe with me, and start packing your belongings. I will be putting you on a plane back to China tomorrow."

Heedless of the table and people in his way, Mouuse starts running toward Shampoo. "Shampoo my darling we are finally going home to get married!" His feet are moving, but the fowl, man at the moment Mouuse finds that his forward motion has run afoul of a staff in the hands of Cologne.

Cologne pulls back her staff from his chest and applies it to the top of his head. "No Mr. Part Time, Shampoo will remain in Japan. You will return to our home, and I will be coming in the near future. Shampoo's future is not in China, but here, with her Shield Sister Nabiki. If you choose to ignore my orders, you will be exiled from our tribe, and I will inform the Japanese government that you are here illegally, or I may just ship you to China as live stock, as my pet duck, your choice."

Mouuse stands feeling and looking like a man that just found out that he fell off a tall building, and there is nothing that is going to save him. Finally he turns and starts slowly walking toward the front door, hoping to hear a last minute repeal of his sentence from his darling Shampoo. It doesn't come, instead he hears Cologne.

Cologne stands from the table, giving a slight bow. "Mr. Tendo, Kasumi, thank you for your hospitality. Ranma, Kasumi, you two are a pleasure, I am proud to call you both my granddaughters. If you will excuse me, I had better make sure that Mr. Part Time doesn't get lost on his way back to the Cafe. Besides I need to make some calls to arrange his flight, and let his grandmother know he is coming home. I also need to inform the council of Elders of your adoptions, and marriage, as well as Ms. Nabiki's position in the tribe."

Nabiki looks at Shampoo. "I have a position in your tribe?"

Shampoo grins at her girlfriend. "Sure, you Shampoo's Shield Sister now, maybe more soon. Also because Life Debt, you adopted daughter of Tribe. You Shampoo's responsibility, but in need, whole Tribe will help. Shield Sister is Japanese, live in Japan, Shampoo become Japanese citizen, stay forever in Japan. We run restaurant together, maybe more, Nabiki make business grow."

As visions of restaurant chains dance in Nabiki's head, Cologne laughs aloud. "I am sure granddaughters Shampoo and Nabiki will make me and the tribe proud. Come along Mr. Part Time." She says as she pogos by him and catches one of Mouuse's ears to leads the blind duck man out the door.

A young man with a two wheel handcart loaded with boxes almost runs into Mouuse as they are walking out the gate. He shakes his head at the sight as he walks up to the open door pushing his load and looks in. "I have a delivery for a Miss Tendo Kasumi?"

Soun looks up at the man and what he is pushing. "Ah yes, right this way. She is in the kitchen, and that is where she will want her delivery."

"Thank you sir." The man says pushing his cart which is loaded with large unmarked cardboard boxes that are covered in frost, with water vapor dancing around them. 'Strange delivery for a home, cases of medical blood. Don't know why the Doc had me repack them in unmarked boxes. I could get in trouble for not having the bio-hazard warning, but he is paying me good taking care of my family for free.'

Everyone but Genma eye the boxes coming through the dinning room thinking. 'Thank the Kami, Kasumi's and Ranma's blood. Now I won't end up as a midnight snack!'

Of course Genma sees things differently. 'Ah food, fresh food, lots of food. This calls for a midnight inspection, to insure that the quality is good enough for the family. Midnight snacks' He thinks as visions of pickles and fish dance through his mind.

Ranma rises from the table. "If you will excuse me, I need to help Kasumi in the kitchen." And she quickly moves through the kitchen door. She bows to the delivery man, then watches as he pushes his now empty hand truck as he leaves. Once he has left the kitchen, she closes the door leaning her body against it.

Kasumi is already ripping the top box open with a feral grin on her face. She calms down as she lifts two bags of blood out of the box and hands one to Ranma. "Kami, I didn't think this was going to get here in time. I so felt like making a meal out of Akane when she attacked us." Kasumi uses the method she was taught and warms her meal.

Ranma warming her own meal nods her head. "I know what you mean. I guess we are going to have to get used to looking at humans as meals, and just fight to control the urge when we are really hungry." All talking stops as they both sink their fangs into their meals, and with satisfied little mewing noises they both drink.

Finished with her meal, Kasumi sighs. "Ah, that was so good. I ate dinner, and while it filled me up, I was still so hungry."

Ranma mesmerized by the blood still on Kasumi's lips begins to move forward to lick it off for her. "I know what you mean. While we still seem to be able to eat human food, and even enjoy it, I don't know if it does much for our bodies."

"Your...your...your"

Ranma and Kasumi turn to see Akane standing in the kitchen. Ranma grabs the front of Akane's clean gi and lifts the taller girl off her feet, holding her in the air, while she returns to leaning on the door. Kasumi moves forward shoving her hand against Akane's chin to keep her from screaming. This raises Akane's head a little showing her neck to Ranma and Kasumi. The sight of Akane's neck unexpecting excites them, causing both of their eyes to go back to gold color, and their fangs to grow again.

Pulling a chair over next to Akane, Kasumi smiles showing her fangs and says. "Quiet little sister. Father, Nabiki, and Shampoo know about us, but that doesn't mean we want everyone to know about us."

"Your...your...your"

Ranma giggles, and shows her fangs also as she says. "Keep trying Akane, the word you are looking for is Vampires, and the name I have for humans is Fast Food. Now I am going to put you down in a chair. Are you going to be a good little sister, or Fast Food."

Akane eyes the size of saucers nods her head. "I'll be quiet. You're not going to bite me, are you?"

Kasumi smiles at Ranma hoping this isn't going to be too bad, but can't help adding to the joke. "No, Ranma and I are not going to bite you, at least as long as you are good. Besides, Ranma, and I have had your cooking. If your blood is anything like your cooking, I'm not sure even us immortal vampires could handle it." Then she taps her finger on the side of her chin as if thinking. "Hmm, fast food, Ranma-chan, does that mean humans in cars are Meals on Wheels?"

Ranma giggles as she lowers Akane into the chair, and says. "When you said meals on wheels, I thought of all the people on roller skates in the park." She giggles at her own joke as she pulls a couple chairs up for her and Kasumi to sit in, and making sure that she places the back of her chair against the door to prevent further uninvited guests from entering the kitchen.

Thoughts of personal safety are fleeting at best in Akane's mind, and of course this must be Ranma's fault. "Ranma you pervert, you turned my big sister into a vampire!"

"Sorry Ranma, she can't seem to quit blaming you for anything and everything." Kasumi says then turns to Akane. "No little sister, Ranma didn't turn me into a vampire, and I didn't turn her into one either. In fact Ranma has never done anything wrong with anyone. My father was a vampire. Mother knew it, and loved him anyway, and he never did anything to hurt either of us. So because my father was a vampire, I was born a vampire. Now I was surprised when I found out that Ranma the woman I love, was also born a vampire, which was a surprise to her too, since unlike me she didn't know she was a vampire. And Ranma didn't know about me either, since I had never told her. So we were both surprised today when we both went through what is called a bloodlust, a kind of vampire coming of age thing, when we have to have human blood to feed on for the first time in our lives. I think it was probably our proximity to each other and our feelings for each other that awoke our vampire sides together. Now we need you to keep quiet about this, because we are not telling Mr. Saotome since neither of Ranma's parents are vampires. There must be a third party involved, and we want to talk to Mrs. Saotome first. You must realize that it is a very personal subject, which must be handled with care."

Akane's lips trebling, still unsure if she should run, get Holy water, or treat the vampires before her the same as always. "Does Daddy know?"

"I told you Daddy knows. He has always known. He knew my birth father, and was friends with him, and knew that he was a vampire. Nabiki has known since the day that mother passed away. Cologne and Shampoo found out today when Shampoo screwed up and tried to glomp Ranma when Ranma was in the throes of her own bloodlust. I knocked out Shampoo and took her place, since I was the only one that Ranma could bite without doing any harm to, being immortal myself. Ranma you still owe me a bite." Kasumi grins big at her mate.

Ranma holds up her left index finger, and says. "Sumi-chan, remember you got my blood last week when you cut this finger by accident while I was helping you cook. It was bleeding so bad, you thought it might need stitches, and you stuck it in your mouth."

Kasumi smiles remembering the incident, and says. "I remember, you told me not to, that you were bleeding too badly, and I told you that your blood tasted good. We were both surprised when you pulled your finger out of my mouth, and that the cut had not only stopped bleeding, but it was almost completely sealed. No, I am not going to count that incident Ranma you still owe me a bite."

Akane shivers, the two in front of her casually talk about biting each other, while their lips and chins are still covered in blood from when she had entered. "Big sister, I want to hear more, but could you and Ranma wash the blood off of your faces. It is kind of scaring me." Akane says staring at her sister's face. Ranma gets up and runs the hot water in the sink until it is steaming. Akane's eyes again get big watching Ranma's hands in the hot water and no change happening as she washes her hands and wets a washcloth. "Ranma, you didn't change?"

Ranma washes her face off, rinses the cloth out, and hands the cloth to Kasumi. "Not cursed anymore. I can change whenever I want just by thinking about it. I can finally take a hot bath and not have to change into a guy."

"Huh?" Akane looks at her former fiancé. "You want to stay a girl?"

Ranma sits back down and smiles at her gently. "Kane, if you have two pairs of jeans in your closet which pair would you wear?"

Not knowing where this is going she answers. "I would wear the pair of jeans that are the most comfortable of course."

"Right, and in my closet I have two different bodies, one male and one female. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the female body was the most comfortable. That somehow the universe had made a correction in Jusenkyo because I am a woman, mind, and soul, and now body too. Though I am a woman that loves women, and I am lucky to have a mate that loves women too." She finishes by kissing Kasumi on the cheek causing Akane to flush, unsure what her feelings about this are.

Kasumi interrupts the thoughts of baka perverts in Akane's head by placing her hands on her little sister's knees momentary. "Now I want you to understand a few things little sister. I don't want you to be afraid of Ranma and I, even if my mate likes her little vampire jokes, it is just us trying to deal with our changes. We are pretty much the same today as we were yesterday, except a slight change in diet. We are not like the vampires in movies. We don't sleep in coffins, we don't burn in the sunlight, silver doesn't hurt us, and Christian Crosses don't bother us. In fact, I think they are nice, but Ranma and I are both Shinto so I have no desire to wear one. Which is the kind of wedding I want, Shinto. Holy water will make me wet and grumpy if someone splashes it in my face, and since we are immortal, wooden stakes through our hearts are more likely to piss us off. Ranma and I are vampire shinma. Shinma have been on this world long before humans. Though most shinma live on other plains called realms, but some live here, unless they do something wrong or otherwise come to the notice of the Guardian. If that happens, she will seal them in the realm of the Dark. My birth father explained all of this to Daddy and Mother, and they explained it to me when I was old enough to understand. Now do you understand, and are you going to be alright?"

Akane rubs her neck and answers. "I think I do. You two are not the movie type evil vampires, and you are not going to attack me in my sleep turning me into a vampire. Just don't go staring at my neck, alright?"

Kasumi giggles. "Alright little sister, we won't stare at your neck. But we don't bite the neck. It's too hard to get the right position, and if we hit the jugular we wouldn't be able to swallow fast enough. It would be a very messy meal and a waste of blood. The base of the neck at the shoulder now is the perfect place for a bite. That's where Ranma got me this afternoon." As Akane looks closer at her sisters shoulder expecting to see movie type vampire marks, Kasumi says. "But you won't see any marks, since our bites heal right away." Kasumi then looks over to see Ranma setting Akane's freshly warmed meal in front of her little sister, and that her mate had put away all of their delivery. Smiling warmly at her mate she says. "Thank you Ranma."

"You're welcome Sumi-chan. Are you still hungry? Akane, will it bother you to see us eat?" Ranma asks holding a bag of blood in each of her hands.

Akane shrugs her shoulders, not sure if it will bother her, but really curious as Kasumi answers Ranma by taking the bag from her. "I should be stuffed, but I feel I need this. It must be everything that has happened to us today including the changes in our bodies."

Once again the two new vampires warm their meals and sink their fangs into them, to the morbid fascination of Akane. When the two finish their meals, they politely use the washcloth to clean their faces thinking how they would have cleaned each others' faces if Akane weren't present. When they are presentable again, Akane asks. "You two really drink blood. Isn't it disgusting? And where do you get the blood? It's not something you can walk into the market and buy along with milk."

"Long before mother passed away, she made arrangements with Dr. Ono Tofu's father, the hospital, and the local blood bank. Everything has been paid for already and only awaited a call from Daddy, Nabiki, or myself to start the deliveries. This is why silly Dr. Ono always acts weird around me. He was always afraid that I was there to drink his blood" Kasumi says the last three words in her best Japanese Romanian accent. Then she thinks for a moment and answers the other question. "The taste of blood to us is really good. Think about it this way. Birds eat worms. To you the worm is disgusting. To the bird it is the best meal in the world. The same for us, to you the blood is disgusting. To us it is the best thing in the world."

"Blood is the best but it is closely followed by ice cream." Ranma says with a huge grin.

Akane rolls her eyes, as does Kasumi, and they both think. 'And this person is supposed to be a blood sucking fiend of the night?'

"I heard that Sumi-chan!" Ranma crosses her arms under her breast, trying to look mad. "I'll have you know that I am the greatest ice cream sucking fiend of the day or night." Ranma then giggles and says, "You forgot Sumi-chan." as she taps the side of her head.

"Whoops!" Kasumi says, and then explains to Akane. "I kind of forgot that Ranma and I are telepathic with each other."

Ranma begins to pick up Akane's empty dishes, and asks her. "Did you get enough to eat Kane? I can fix you something more, or if you want to try it, I am sure Kasumi and I can spare one of our meals."

Akane looks at Ranma and then grins. "Thank you Ranma, I had plenty, so I will take a rain check on the blood. Maybe some other time it is getting late, and I feel like heading for bed."

Ranma and Kasumi look at each other then Ranma says. "Bath and bed, that sounds like Heaven. Do you want to go first Sumi-chan?"

Kasumi stands up and wraps her arms around the smaller girl. "No, I want us together. You heard Grandmother Cologne, we are married now and I am not bathing or sleeping alone if I can help it. Come on girlfriend, we can wash each others' backs, goodnight little sister."

Ranma calls back, "Goodnight Kane." as she is pulled out of the kitchen.

'Perverts, I live in a house full of perverts. I have to admit that Ranma's girl side is hot. What am I thinking? I am not lying to myself, I am not like them, and they are all perverts' Thinks Akane as she turns off the kitchen lights and heads for bed herself. Passing the washroom door she hears laughter and just shakes her head. Then passing Nabiki's door she pauses thinking about talking with Nabiki about how she feels about living with vampires, when she hears two distinctive giggles coming from within. 'Am I the one lying to her self in this house?' Turning away from the door, she heads on to her own room making sure her door is locked behind her. "P-chan, come to mommy. At least you're normal. Let's go to bed baby."

An hour after the last light has turned off in the Tendo home, two shadows move about. One moves down the stairs with a stealth belying its bulk. The other moves along the back wall, and then drops to the yard without a sound. As the one inside the house enters the kitchen, the one in the backyard enters the house through the shoji left open for the cool night air. The two shadows just miss each other, but they are not missed by the two pairs of eyes attached to shadows watching from the large limb of the ancient cherry tree next to the koi pond.

The taller of the two shadows in the tree turns to the shorter shadow. "Miyu should we interfere?"

The shorter shadow leans against the tall one. "No Larva not yet, I think we should watch this play out for a bit. I want to see how the children handle this. Elder said they were very powerful even before they awoke today."

While the shadow that had entered the kitchen prepares to investigate the refrigerator, the shadow that had entered the house has moved up the stairs and is entering the guestroom that is normally used by the Saotomes. It pauses while it opens the door. 'Sorry Ranchan, but I am not selling my body. It's you or me, and I want to go home to my family.'

The shadow in the kitchen opens the refrigerator and stares in shock at the sight of bags of blood piled on the shelves. 'Kami, Kasumi is a vampire! She must have bitten the boy and is forcing him to be her servant! This place is a wash anyway. The boy isn't getting the house, and dojo as a dowry, so I can't sell them. I must get him away from Kasumi, and then I can sell him to another family. But if Kasumi catches me, I can't go up against a vampire. Oh Kami why is it always women that are able to hurt me? What's that noise? I got to get out of here before Kasumi catches me!'

At the same time upstairs, the shadow that had entered the guestroom has removed a large bladed device from its back and is slamming it down on the two futons on the floor, oblivious that blade is not meeting any resistance until it met the floor. The shadow looks up as the lights come on in the room, and looks into two pairs of glowing golden eyes, Ranma and Kasumi.

Ukyo screams. "Ranma you jerk!" and swings her sharpened baker's peel toward the red head's neck, it never makes it. Halfway through her swing, Ranma and Kasumi both wave their hands, sending vacuum blades toward the haft of her chosen weapon, causing it to fall into many pieces and leaving only a nub in Ukyo's hands, as Ranma steps to the side to allow the blade to embed in the wall. Ukyo then finds herself looking into the blazing golden eyes of Kasumi as the Tendo matriarch lifts her one handed into the air by her throat. Unable to breathe because of the hand around her throat, she reaches for her bandoliers of throwing spatulas only to come up empty handed.

"Sumi-chan, don't kill her, yet." Ranma asks, and Kasumi tosses the chef into the corner of the room.

Ranma walks up to the chef twirling the chef's bandoliers on one small finger having used Happosai's panty stealing method for the original purpose of removing weapons from an opponent. "You know Ukyo, you really are lucky that you didn't hurt me in your cowardly attack. If you had, there wouldn't have been anyone in the house that could have stopped my wife from killing you. Though at this moment, I am not too averse to killing you myself. You are not only delusional, but a coward. You attacked my Mother, Kasumi, and I with bombs at Akane's wedding. Now you sneak in under the cover of darkness, to attack at least my father and me in our sleep. Lucky for me that I don't use that futon any more and Pops is out doing whatever Pop does at night, probably raiding the sake. All of that aside, when Kasumi grabbed you, you had the nerve to reach for your blades to attack her. That is something that I can not forgive easily. But to show you how close you came to death, and not from me, but from my wife Kasumi… Sumi-chan if you would please." Ranma throws one of the bandoliers into the air, and Kasumi waves her hand in two slicing motions sending invisible vacuum blades slicing through the leather and steel. The results of which are pieces of bandolier, and pieces of steel blades fall to the floor, all sliced cleanly as with a laser. Ranma then throws the other bandolier up and repeats Kasumi performance herself. Kicking the fallen pieces closer to the huddled figure of Ukyo, Ranma grins at the chef. "I told you yesterday morning, I want you to think before you take that step Kuonji Ukyo. I want you to think very hard before you try attacking my mother, the Tendos, or me again. I killed a god for Akane, who I consider a sister. What do you think I will do to you, for hurting me, or someone I really care for? Guess what, Kasumi is my wife as of yesterday, and she is just as capable as I."

Ukyo looks at the pair standing over her, their glowing golden eyes, and at the ruins of her weapons. "But my honor, my father won't let me come home, and I don't have the money I owe your mother and Kasumi. What else was I supposed to do?"

"What is it with people? Everyone's responsible for their honor but themselves?" Ranma says and shakes her head sadly. "Ukyo, I am not responsible for your honor. Not even that dishonorable panda I call father, responsible for your honor. The only person responsible for your honor is you. You create or destroy your own honor. You do this by your own actions, and how you live. Since you came to Nerima, not once have you shown any honor in your dealings with my family or me. I offered you a way to reclaim your honor yourself by making restitution, and instead you chose to commit murder. Now my choices is to force you to make restitution, kill you in self defense so that I know you will not attack my family again, give you to the Amazons who are sworn to protect my family, or give you to the police. Which choice would you have me choose Kuonji Ukyo?"

Ukyo stares at the floor for a minute. Without looking up, she answers in a quiet voice of defeat. "All that I own outright is my restaurant. What if I sign it over to you, and leave Nerima?"

Ranma turns to the doorway where three teenage girls stand, two only dressed in T-shirts. Smiling at the pair she says. "Shampoo, Nabiki could and would you work with this person, and teach her honor?"

Shampoo walks into the room and looks at the huddled mass of Ukyo, who is now looking up, trying to figure out what is going on. "Shampoo can work with her. Can still make Ukyo Amazon. Mean no weapons until she learn honor. What say Shield Sister?"

Nabiki who followed Shampoo in looks at Ranma and then Shampoo. "If Shampoo believes she can train her to honor, then I will agree. What do you have in mind Ranma?"

Ranma kneels down to look the chef in her eyes. "Kuonji Ukyo, if you are willing to work. If you are willing for a chance at a good life, with your honor restored, I will agree to you signing the restaurant over to Nabiki, and Shampoo, and for you to work in their employ until such time as your full restitution is paid, and possibly the repurchase of your restaurant. Otherwise say you are not interested. Sign your restaurant over to Nabiki, so she can sell it to cover at least part of the damages you have caused. The choice is yours."

Ukyo pulls herself out of her huddle, and kneels on the floor, bowing until her head touches the floor. "I beg forgiveness of Ranma, Kasumi, and the Tendos. I am the servant of Shampoo, and Nabiki until such time as they release me from servitude."

"Ukyo, I think you made your first very wise choice since coming to Nerima. I know my sisters Nabiki, and Shampoo, and what they are capable of accomplishing. If you do as they say, you will have all that I said, and probably much more. Nabiki, Shampoo, work things out with her. I think Kasumi and I need to find a certain panda. Sumi-chan we better go…down." Ranma says as she turns toward the door to see Akane standing there holding a small black piglet.

Kasumi blurs in motion and snatches the pig out of Akane's hands as she looks at her in horror. "Kasumi, what are you going to do with my P-chan?"

Kasumi holds the little squirming porker eye level while walking and says. "Little sister, it isn't so much as what I am going to do with P-chan, it is what you might do with him. Follow me." And she heads down the stairs to the washroom, with Akane, and Ranma following. Entering the washroom she then goes to the ofuro and turns the hot water on to fill it, while continuously swinging the pig in front of her eyes watching it get dizzy.

Akane not wanting to anger her big sister the vampire, wisely for once, keeps her mouth shut. That is until her big sister plunges P-chan into the now steaming water and something else emerges. "Ryoga!" Akane yells and then her eyes roll back into her head and she faints, luckily into the arms of Ranma who lays her gently on the floor.

Kasumi still painfully pinching Ryoga's shoulder looks over at her mate who is happily filling a wash bucket with cold water. "Ranma love, please do not do what you are thinking, and yes I know she did it to you enough times. Just use your fingers and splash a little onto her face." Ranma looks at the bucket in her hands, almost in tears at the lost opportunity, and sets it besides the slumbering Akane with an audible sigh. Then with an evil grin after dipping both hands into the cold water she dumps the double handful of water on Akane's face.

As Akane sputters awake Kasumi turns back to face the naked Lost Boy who is frozen in terror. "Hibiki Ryoga, I told you that I would kill you for attacking my husband. You have attacked Ranma for the last time. As of now, if you attack, Ranma or I will use killing moves. Besides attacking my husband, you have dishonored my sister, and aided in the destruction of my home and dojo, as well as Mrs. Saotome's home. I want you to apologize to my husband, and my little sister, and then I never want to see you in my home again. Do you understand?"

"But this is all Ranma's fault!" Ryoga yells while trying to cover himself.

"No Ryoga it is your fault for going to Jusenkyo. No one made you go there. Ranma waited three days for you to show up for your supposed honor fight. You didn't show to an honor fight that you demanded, proving that you have no honor. Then in Jusenkyo, you got in the way of Ranma and her father when they were fighting and fell into the spring. No one walked up and shoved you in. You were in the wrong place, at the wrong time on your own accord. Everything that is wrong with you, and has happened to you is your own fault and no one else's. Now on your own, you are going to make things right!" Kasumi says then still using one hand, with her new strength she lifts the naked Lost Boy out of the ofuro and tosses him onto the floor at the feet of Ranma and Akane.

Akane looks at Ryoga, then Ranma, and finally Kasumi. "You all knew that P-chan was Ryoga?"

Kasumi giggles. "Little sister, how do you think P-chan survived not becoming someone's dinner in Nerima? Everyone in Nerima knows that Ryoga is P-chan, and how he came to be cursed. Everyone has tried to tell you and you wouldn't listen, just like you wouldn't listen about Ranma. Your anger has blinded you, and guided you for so long, that you couldn't see the truth around you."

Akane looks at Ranma and bows her head. "I'm sorry Ranma. I seem to have been in my own little world just like Ukyo. Please forgive me."

Ranma smiles, bows her head, and says. "You are forgiven little sister."

"Thank you Ranma." Akane says, then slaps her palm to her forehead, and says. "Now I need to find out how wrong about every one and everything else I have been. Are you really a dumb jock?

Ranma and Kasumi both start giggling as Ranma says. "Sorry little sister, but I actually graduated from high school two years ago and have been going to college at nights, while working at Furinkan as a teacher's aide to Miss Hinako."

Akane stands with her mouth open and looks at Kasumi who is nodding her head and grinning. Finally blinking she says. "Oh Kay, that one is really a surprise we will talk about later. How about this one, is Kuno an idiot?"

Ranma reaches over and hugs Akane. "Kane, that one you got right. Kasumi and I would be happy if you would work on being happy, instead of working on being angry. Now what do you want to do about P-chan?"

Akane hugs Ranma back, and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Thanks big sister Ranma. Today has been a real eye opener, and I am going to try to keep them open, at least after you give that pig a towel. I do not want to see its naked body. After that, I do not want to see it around here ever again. If I do, I will go to China, visit Herb, get the locking ladle, and personally use it myself on a certain pig that so much wants to be my pet. Then I can take him to the vet to get fixed. I hear it makes male pets much more docile."

By the time Akane is done describing what she plans for the Lost Boy, he is running into the walls trying to find the door. Ranma reaches over and knots her hand into the back of the towel Ryoga has tied around his waist, giving it a lift she begins to step him out of the room, through the house, out the front door, to the gate and out the gate. "Bye P-chan. Come back and if the girls don't get you, I will. After your cowardly attack on me yesterday, I am done thinking of you as a friend. I will kill to protect family and myself. Have a good night. Bye Bye." Shutting the gate on the Lost Boy, she stands still and waits for it. "Ranma Saotome this is all your fault!" 'Yep there it is. Ryoga will be back and one of us is going to make a dinner out of him. I wonder if the curse will work after Kasumi and I drain him of blood. Then Akane can have pork cutlets.' Ranma thinks as she heads back into the house, and hopefully bed soon.

Walking back into the house, Ranma sees Kasumi standing in the dinning room staring at the shoji doors. Genma is in the corner of the dinning room nearest the doors staring at Kasumi, trying to look calm, and failing. Akane is sitting on the bottom step with Soun in the front entry listening to Shampoo, Nabiki, and Ukyo talk. Ranma walks over to stand next to Kasumi, and still not used to telepathy, whispers to her. "Well Sumi-chan, it is after four in the morning. Everyone is awake. Obviously Pops found the blood and is now trying to figure things out. And we have two Shinma sitting in the tree over the pond that I can feel for some reason. Want to make some tea, and invite out next guest in?"

Kasumi smiles, and takes Ranma's hand in her own. "I already started the tea, it should be ready soon. Well which should we deal with first, the Shinma, or Genma?" She says as she turns to face Genma.

Genma only hearing "Shinma Genma" and seeing Kasumi's golden eyes, does what any coward would do, he runs out the shoji doors.

"What the...? Well I guess we do both." Ranma says as she starts walking outside with Kasumi. "It's a good thing you leave those doors open for air. With everyone either flying or running through them all the time, they would be expensive to fix."

Kasumi giggles and replies. "Your father broke them two months ago, and the repair man hasn't gotten to them yet." They stop walking when they see Genma staring in horror at the tree as a young girl gently floats down from it. She looks to be about fourteen years of age, long black hair tied in a pony tail with red ribbon on the left side of her head. She is wearing a short dancer's style kimono wrapped and tied with a large purple bow on the back with the ends of the wrap trailing down to her feet. She is bare foot except for a red ribbon tied about her right foot, and ankle. She has a nice smile and she giggles as she lands.

"Hello Gen Ma, remember me, Miyu? It has only been fifty one years, surely you remember me. I was just twelve years old, when you escaped the Dark. You are the last of the stray shinma that escaped that day and trying to catch you, has been a challenge. You never stayed any one place long enough for me to find you. I always got to where you had been right after you had left for somewhere else. That is until you made the mistake of staying with one of my family." Miyu says still smiling.

Genma looks at Kasumi. "I knew it. Kasumi is the vampire she is the one that led you to me. Well it won't do any good, I will beat you both, take the boy and be gone before you can resurrect."

"No silly, I was talking about my little sister Ranma. Excuse me little sister Ranma, but this must be done." She waves her right hand outward, then across herself and when it comes back out again a flame flies outward, twisting in the air toward and then around Genma. "Return to the Dark… SHINMA!" Then there is a flash, and the flame, and Genma are gone.

Miyu bows to Ranma. "I am sorry my sister Ranma, but that had to be done. Gen Ma was a stray shinma shape shifter that has been feeding off peoples' miseries. He traveled around not just to avoid me, but also to find fresh feeding grounds. He would disrupt the lives of humans until he could feed off their suffering. He has killed hundreds just to increase the misery he needs to feed. He is the one that poisoned your mother Kasumi. Just to make the man he called friend miserable, and dependent on him. To him it was nothing more than an investment for when he would return and absorb the misery he had created. I am sorry I couldn't do anything to protect your mother Kasumi. But as I had said, I was always a step behind him"

Kasumi wipes at her eyes and looks at the young girl. "Miyu is it?" Miyu nods. "Miyu thank you for telling me the truth and for dealing with Genma. I am not sure Ranma and I would have handle things so well. Will you please come in for some tea and your friend too?" But looking up in the tree the man that had been there is gone.

Miyu giggles. "Larva comes and goes, but he will always show up when I need him. Yes, I would love to come in for some tea little sister."

As they turn to enter the house, Kasumi sees her father sitting on the porch in tears. He had witnessed the revelation and fate of the one he thought of as a brother. Putting her arms around her father, Kasumi helps to his feet. "Father, I am sorry."

Soun looks at the spot where Genma had vanished from, and back into the eyes of Kasumi. "No daughter, I am the one that is sorry. I trusted him all these years." He pauses, and then a wane smile shows. "The one good thing he did for this family is he brought us Ranma. For that I will always be thankful. Now Nabiki and Akane are comforting each other, and I think I need to go to bed. It has been a long day for me." Soun precedes them into the house, only to pause to look at his other two daughters who were now wrapped in the arms of the other teenage girls, Shampoo and Ukyo. He just nods at the tableau and continues through the house, and up to his room. This day has been too much on everyone and he doesn't want to allow his daughters to see his weakness for once.

Entering the dinning room, Miyu takes a seat at the table where Akane usually sits. Kasumi finds that someone has already brought the tea service out and set it on the table, so she moves with Ranma to take seats at the end near Miyu. On the other side of the table Shampoo and Nabiki are sitting next to each other, and a little bit apart from them Akane is sitting with Ukyo. Kasumi looks at Ranma who only shrugs her shoulders and smiles. 'Well that was a quick change for those two!' Kasumi thinks as she sits down. "Miyu how is it that you are Ranma's family?" Kasumi asks as she prepares tea for the three of them.

Taking a sip from her tea Miyu says. "Kasumi, the tea is wonderful, and I will tell you all about my family connection with Ranma, and now you, but first I want to ask a favor. Because of a bond that I share with Ranma, I knew her time was coming and I have been hanging around her for two days. During all that time I have felt her hunger, and then yours through our bond you share with Ranma. So I am now very hungry, but was unable to take the time to hunt. You wouldn't have some of that medical blood to spare would you?"

Ranma gets up from the table to get Miyu some dinner with a chuckle. "Yep, that shows she is related to me, she's hungry. Miyu how many do you want?" Miyu sheepishly raises two fingers. "Kasumi do you want some?" Kasumi smiles and raises one finger. "Miyu, do you want it in a glass or are you fine with a bag?"

Miyu gets a dreamy look on her face. "The bag will do fine, something to sink my teeth into if you know what I mean. Bad enough to have to drink it cold, but from a glass, I just couldn't handle it. My mother tried to give it to me in a glass back when I first turned. No thank you."

Ukyo watching the exchange turns to Akane. "What are they talking about, bags, glasses, and medical blood?"

"Oh, just an early morning snack for them. Trust me, you don't want any." Akane giggles, and waits to see Ukyo's reaction to the coming sight.

Ukyo's eyes grew to the size of saucers when she sees Ranma return with a tray loaded with four bags of blood. "Akane, is that really blood? What are they going to do with it?"

Akane puts an arm around the larger girl. "That is really blood, and I told you that it is their morning snack."

Kasumi picks up one of the bags, and holds if flat on her palm. "Ranma and I learned a wonderful trick to get it to the right temperature. Watch, I will use my body's ki to bring the blood up to my body's temperature." As she warms the bag, Ranma warms two more, and Miyu pays close attention to both.

Kasumi hands the now hot blood to Miyu, the little vampire exclaims. "That is wonderful Kasumi-chan. I have been doing this for over fifty years. I wish someone had taught me that much sooner, for all the times I couldn't get fresh. Thank you."

Ukyo starts shivering as she watches the trio raise the bags to their mouths, and sink very large and sharp looking fangs into the bags. As the trio start to happily suck the contents she begins to stutter. "Their...their...their...their."

Akane giggles at the familiar scene. "Ukyo, as Ranma told me when I found out... The word you are looking for is Vampires."

"Their VAMPIRES!" Ukyo exclaims.

Nabiki shakes her head, and rubs her ears. "A little louder the next time, I don't think the Sailor Scouts heard you in Juuban. Yes, they are vampires, Immortal Vampire Shinma, not the movie vampires. From what our mother told us, I believe Miyu is the Vampire Shinma Guardian. If I remember the stories right, she is actually a Princess, Vampire Royalty. Her job is to send bad little shinma like Genma to some place where they can't hurt anyone anymore. In the shinma pecking order, the vampires are the top rung, most powerful of them all, and the Vampire Guardians are empowered to be even more powerful. No, Ranma and Kasumi weren't bitten by a vampire and turned into vampires they have always been vampires, though Ranma and Kasumi didn't need to feed on blood until the other day. Kasumi had a different father than Akane and I, and he was a vampire. So Kasumi has always known that she was a vampire. Ranma didn't know until the hunger for blood overpowered her yesterday. Luckily for Ranma, and Shampoo, Kasumi knew what was happening and saved Shampoo from becoming Ranma's lunch. Now Ranma and Kasumi are trying to figure out why Ranma is a vampire, and that is what Miyu was going to explain to them. Now please do not repeat any of this to anyone outside of who is sitting here right now."

"Their Vampires!"

Nabiki face faults, and then says. "Okay, we covered that part Ukyo, they are vampires. Akane, why don't you take Ukyo upstairs, and tuck her into bed? Try to get some sleep yourself, so we can go back over the story with her when she wakes up. I don't think we want to sit here until the sunrises going over the basics."

Akane stands up pulling the chef with her. "Okay, but I want to hear all about this later. Come on Ucchan let's go to bed. They don't want our blood somehow Kasumi gets home deliveries. That's right I'll be with you."

As Akane vanishes up the stairs Ranma starts giggling and says. "You had Akane pegged right Sumi-chan, when you noticed that she only hit my boy form."

Miyu starts giggling too. "Guess I am the closest thing to straight here, and even I like girls a little."

Kasumi looks at Ranma and grins. "Actually while Ranma and I prefer girls, we are both bi."

Ranma hangs her head in defeat. "Blasted telepathy, I see one cute delivery man. Kami I can't keep any secrets from Kasumi...giggle...He did have a cute butt. Anyway Miyu, you were going to tell me how I am related to you, and how I came to be a vampire?"

"Way to change the subject Saotome. We will talk later." Nabiki says as she chuckles.

After another giggle fit, Miyu starts. "As you may know, your mother is human, and your father Gen Ma is a shape shifter Shinma. From such a mating since the Shinma blood is always stronger than human blood, you would have been born a shape shifter the same as your father. Larva and I think Gen Ma took you to Jusenkyo and made sure you would get cursed to see if it would force you to develop your shape shifter powers. What Gen Ma didn't know was that something happened while your mother was pregnant with you to change you into a vampire." Miyu giggles and points a finger at herself. "Me, I happened. Your mother had a baby before you that was still born and deformed. Gen Ma threw a fit, blamed her, and told her that she wasn't fit to bear children. That he was wrong to expect a manly son from such a weak woman. After a couple of months of such treatment, Gen Ma took off on what he called a training trip. I had been trying to find him, to send him back to the Dark, when I found your mother dying. She was so despondent over the death of your brother, and the treatment she was receiving from Gen Ma, that she had tried to commit suicide by slicing her wrist, not even deeming herself worthy of seppuku. Now Ranma, I think Kasumi already know some of this, but you should know some things about our bites. They can do different things to humans depending on what we want and what we pass back to them when we bite. A couple of things I can do as I bite, is pass on some healing, as well as giving the human a happy dream state to alleviate their suffering. This is what I did for your mother Nodoko. I saved her life by healing her, and gave her the dream she wanted, of raising a manly son. You were changed because I didn't know at the time that she was pregnant with you. Because vampire blood is stronger than the other shinmas, my blood and healing went to you in her womb changing you into a vampire shinma, while healing your mother, and making her immortal. So in a sense Gen Ma is your father, Nodoko is your mother, and so am I. It is my blood which flows through your veins. You are my daughter and my sister, though I prefer sister. Recently both you and Kasumi exchanged blood, and now we three are bonded together also. Though since you both have shared each other's blood, and because of your feelings for each other, your bond is much stronger than our normal bonds."

"Wow, I get a sister, and don't end up like that lazy panda, now to me that is a good deal. Big sister Miyu I thank you, for saving both my mother's and my lives." Ranma say with a big grin, almost jumping for joy. "I guess that explains why she is so young looking and no matter what I do; she always says I am manly. I once asked her what she would think if I got pregnant, and she said. 'My son is so manly he gives birth to his own children.' It was then that I decided that I no longer needed to hide that I am a woman from her. That is some happy dream state she is in but it is better than her killing herself."

Miyu looks sad for a moment, and then sighs. "It is, but it is better than what I used to do. Because my parents sought to protect me from my destiny, I had no one to teach me what my powers were, or even that I was a vampire until it was too late. I was like you Ranma I didn't know what was happening to me. I was just a twelve year old school girl in 1941 right before the war, when the bloodlust came over me. My best friend was worried about me and came up to see if I was all right. The next thing I knew, she was lying dead at my feet, her blood in my mouth. Much like you almost did to your friend Shampoo yesterday. Then I learned I could give a human an immortal dream state of their perfect dream. There are a few catatonic immortals in the care of a few hospitals where they are quite happy, and will be forever. I thought of suicide myself back then. But, how do you commit suicide when you are immortal yourself, and have a duty to perform? So I learned over the years. I met other Guardians, and learned from them, and have tried to better myself. Even since saving your mother, I have learned more, and now could save someone without making them immortal."

Ranma, the thought of fresh blood in her mind, since Miyu spoke of hunting, ask. "Miyu, you said your bite can do several things to a human. What kind of things and how do you control it?"

"Death, that's always a bad one. Unlike the movies, we can not drain a human dry we need their heart to pump it to us. But we can drink too much, lowering the human blood pressure enough that they die." Miyu says thinking about her friend so long ago. "Then there is healing, but we do a little of that every time we bite. Our saliva heals the body. It is what heals their wounds after we are done, and helps them replenish what we took. By what we wish to do and giving them a little extra, it will also heals anything else that is wrong with them at the time, just like saving Ranma's mother Nodoko. My favorite one is the ability to make them forget the encounter after you have had your meal. They come out of it a little tired for a day, but thinking that they had a wonderful time. Then there are the happy dreamlike states, the full catatonic dream states with your choice of their greatest dream ever, going on forever, or their worse nightmare ever, going on forever. And the last one, never ever use, it is to grant the human immortality by pushing more than our saliva into them, by pushing some of our blood into them, while desiring them to live."

"Immortality, sign me up!" Nabiki exclaims.

Miyu stares at Nabiki as if she has grown an extra head. "Didn't I just say never ever? I was twelve years old when I awoke to my vampire heritage. That was in 1941, this is 1993, so I am sixty three years old. Humans don't know what a gift you have been given. You live for a time, you grow old, and die, to be reborn new, and refreshed. During your short lives you accomplish miracles in science, and art. It is your mortality that drives you. It is your death and rebirth that refreshes you to do it all again. My mother was a vampire, a shinma Guardian, and my father a human, a man of passion, vigor, and strength. He was an artist, painting wonderful scenes. My mother loved him very much, and didn't want to see him age, to wither away while she remained young. She bit him and bestowed immortality upon him. He remained young, and healthy in body, but except for his love for my mother and me, he died. Without his mortality to feed them, his passion, vigor, and strength withered away. Without those, his art became as lifeless as he had. I have not seen them in the fifty one years that I have been a Guardian. They were frozen in time and removed from this plain as punishment for trying to protect me from my destiny. Because of what they did, not only did my best friend die when the bloodlust came upon me, but many stray Shinma escaped into the mortal realm, and I had to do this job alone, and untrained for a long time. As their punishment, my parents were to remain frozen until I caught all the Shinma that had escaped when I was supposed to be doing my duty as Guardian. Now Gen Ma was the last of those escaped Shinma. So my parents should be free once more, and I should be able to see them. Yet I find myself loathing seeing them again. When my father's spirit died, so did my mother's, and when I last saw them, they were more like animated bodies going through the motions of life. So Nabiki, because I don't want to hurt my sisters, Ranma, and Kasumi, I want you to think about it for a couple of years, talk with them, and then think about it another year or two. Then we will bring out the big guns so to speak, governments, records, and medical science. These last are part of what I need to discuss with Ranma and Kasumi."

Nabiki sighs, knowing she is not going to like the answer she gives herself in a few years.

"It sounds like we are going to have to work at life to survive immortality." Ranma says with a grin, and pulls Kasumi tighter to her. "Now what did you want to discuss?"

Miyu matches Ranma's grin. "Here is the catch with immortality, and with me being a Guardian. When I started five decades ago, the world was big, and the population was small. Government records, if, or when they were kept, were done in hand written books. It was simple to be someone one day, and someone different the next. A teen wandering around on her own was not something to worry about, and she wasn't required to be in school. The world has changed, it is now small, and the populations are large. Using computers, governments keep exact records on every citizen within their borders. A teen walking the streets when schools are in session, is a truant that must be picked up, taken to school, and parents contacted. I'm sixty three years old. You don't want to know how many years I have been in junior high school! I have to act like the shy girl, and work at making mistakes on tests so that I don't stand out from the rest of the students! I can't go to the same school for more than 2 years, and I can't transfer without records. Now because of serendipity, I can get legal identifications to move about schools. I had reached a point where school officials where questioning my records, trying to get a hold of my parents, and calling the police when they found that the address I used was a cemetery. It really was a happy accident that fixed my problem. A stray Shinma attacked the Emperor a few years ago, and I stopped it. The Emperor felt I was doing a service for Japan, so he gave me connections in the government to facilitate the work I have to do, even if I am still stuck in junior high...giggle. Now this is where you two come in. Guardians are assigned to the lands of their birth, and don't travel outside of them. I guard one of the shinma realms related to Japan, and 'police' the mortal realm of Japan for stray shinma. Now add in that the world itself has become small with modern travel, allowing stray shinma to move about the whole of the mortal world, we have a problem for the static, and already outnumbered Guardians. Are you ready for this little sisters?"

Ranma and Kasumi smile and nod, pretty sure where this is heading.

Miyu puts her elbows on the table, and props her chin on the back of her hands smiling at her two new little sisters. Then with a giggle sits up straight again slapping her palms down on the table. "Ranma, Kasumi, since before your births, the Elder Shinma have chosen you for a destiny, as they did me. They have watched you grow, and you have exceeded their expectations in every way. Before becoming full shinma, you two became the two most powerful human martial artists in existence. With your full vampire strength, and training in your abilities, you will become the two most powerful Guardians. Add to that, you both have shown exceptional patience with others, exceptional intelligence, knowledge of the world, and language abilities. You are the perfect choices for the new position of Vampire Guardians at Large. A position that became possible with the advent of human Government assistance, providing the necessary resources to move about in this world. We three plus Larva will work together when you are in Japan, but outside of Japan you two will be your own team, responsible for and to each other. You will interact with other Guardians around the World. But like a foreign military going into another country, you will not work for the other Guardians, but you will respect that it is their lands you are only visiting. Now that was the speech the way the Emperor thought it should be said when I told him about you two, humans do like their speeches. What the Elder told me to tell you two is. "Tell them that they are Guardians and because of their abilities they have been chosen to work all realms in our solar system." Either way you put it, I wish I could travel like that. But it has taken me five decades to go from looking like a twelve year old to a passable fourteen year old. So what do you think?"

"So when do we start?" Kasumi asks.

"Yesterday, So whi" Miyu is cut off by a scream and a sound that scrapes against Ranma's soul.

"RAN!"

"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOH!"

"Sumi prepare for incoming!" Ranma yells as she races up the stairs.

A moment later a body comes flying over the stairs and Ranma yells. "Sumi Breakfast, she cut up Akane really bad! Miyu can you come up here, I need your help?"

Miyu starts for the stairs, and Kasumi turns to Shampoo and Nabiki. "Keep my breakfast fresh for me girls, I will be right back." And Kasumi is gone running up the stairs.

As Kasumi and Miyu run into Akane's bedroom, they see Ukyo laying on the floor, her eyes open and moving, but not her body. Ranma is holding the bleeding form of Akane in her arms. "Kodashi used paralysis gas on them. They should regain the use of their bodies in about an hour. Sumi, how bad is Akane? She used her razor ribbons on her, from her shoulders, to her ankles. She looks like she is cut clear down to the bone in a lot of places!"

Miyu looking over Kasumi's shoulder shakes her head. "Little sisters, she isn't that bad if she was in the hospital already. But as she is now, she will bleed out before you can get her to help. Kasumi bite her, but don't drink. Draw out a little in your mouth, careful that you don't draw your own blood, because that will make her immortal. Mix your saliva with her blood, and then push it back in. That will start the body healing from the inside. Then use your tongues and clean her wounds just as we do after we bite someone. That will start sealing them from the outside. You should be able to have her fixed up faster than a doctor could stitch just one of her wounds, and she will not even have a scar."

Ranma rips the remnants of Akane's pajamas off her body and then props her up so that Kasumi can reach her without laying on her. Kasumi's lips trebling, looks at her little sister and tears start flowing down her cheeks as she moves to bite Akane. Following Miyu's instructions she bites her little sister, draws a little blood, mixes it with her saliva, only to push it back through the punctures, and then pulls away hoping that will be enough. Then she motions for Ranma to help her seal the wounds by licking them. Ranma gets to work but can only think of one thing. 'Kami, if Akane comes to now, she will really believe we are perverts!' Fearing the worse, that Akane might wake up, as soon as Ranma thinks she has covered enough wounds that Kasumi can finish on her own she stops and sits back just cradling Akane's head.

"What did you stop for you baka, you want me to bleed to death? I am not knocked out, only paralyzed, and I think Kasumi little nip is clearing that up fast." Akane says opening her eyes.

Ranma moves to start licking again. "Of course I don't want you to bleed to death. It would be a waste of perfectly good blood. I was just afraid that you might like it too much pervert."

Akane betrays herself with a giggle. "Do less talking and do more licking baka vampire."

"Pervert"

"You missed a spot, just to your left about two inches."

"PERVERT!"

Kasumi finishing sits back and licks her lips. "Okay you two, enough fun. Little sister do you know what prompted this attack?"

"I believe she thought Ukyo was Ranma. We were asleep and covered with a sheet. I awoke when Kodashi said 'So what the peasant pig-man said is true. The harlot Tendo has married my Ranma-sama! You shall pay with your life harlot!' I tried to yell and she threw her poison roses, then she pulled Ukyo off the bed and began to lash me with her damn ribbons. Kami, I felt her ribbons slicing through me, but couldn't even cry out. Then the pain stopped, you all were in here. I heard Miyu's instructions, you bit me, and you both started licking me...giggle" Akane grins "You both stopped too soon...giggle…I think I am going to have a relapse...giggle...Help me Ranma, you missed a spot."

"Pervert tomboy." Ranma says as she lifts the giggling Akane up momentarily so Kasumi can change the bloody bed linens.

Also giggling Miyu says. "She is drunk on the pain killers in your saliva. They make getting our meals easier, by stopping any pain and reducing inhibitions. She received a much larger dose than normal, but she will be fine in a few hours. In fact, she will be healthier than she has ever been, since what you did will even heal things she didn't know she had wrong with her." Miyu sits down on the edge of the bed along side of the recumbent Akane, and gently runs the back of her fingers along the side of Akane's face. Smiling softly at Akane, Miyu asks. "Kasumi my little sister, you bite at your lower lip when you are upset don't you?"

Biting her lower lip, Kasumi blinks, and then says. "Yes, I never thought of it before, but I do tend to bite my lip whenever I get upset. Something I probably started doing to keep from screaming at the madness around here. Why?"

Still smiling gently at Akane, she bends forward and kisses Akane on the cheek. "Get some rest little sister, everything will be fine when you wake up." Standing up, she looks at the two new vampires. "Come little sisters, let the two of them rest."

Ranma picks up Ukyo and lays her back in the bed along side Akane, turning both girls to face each other, and positioning their arms to make them comfortable. "Get some rest girls this has been a long night."

Stepping out of the room, Kasumi slides the door closed and asks Miyu. "Why did you ask if I bite my lip?"

Miyu stops at the head of the stairs, and turns to Kasumi, a sad look on her face as she says. "Biting your lip is a very bad habit for a human, and a much worse one for a vampire. It was the same bad habit that I used to have. You are going to have to break yourself of that habit Kasumi. Our fangs are very sharp compared to human canine teeth, and they lengthen when we feed. If we bite at our lower lip, we get our own blood in our mouths. It is how you have turned Akane into an immortal."

"Oh Akane what have I done?" Kasumi says putting her hand over her mouth trying to keep the two resting girls from hearing in the bedroom behind them. Looking to Miyu, she asks. "How can you tell? What am I going to tell her?"

"You also can tell if you think about it. Our blood in another creates a bond. As Larva and we three are bonded, now so is Akane. It's not as strong between a human and us, but it is still there. You can feel the bond with her if you think about it. I felt it, and knew that Akane is now one of my sisters, and we are going to have to make sure that she always has purpose in her life. I don't want her to end up like my father. That is what to look for when Nabiki asks you to make her immortal, that she feels her life has purpose, and people to share it with her. As for what to tell Akane, the bond we share makes it almost impossible to lie to each other. So you will tell her the truth little sister. That she is going to live forever, that she will always be human, but without suffering the ills common to humans. The same as with us, as long as she has a few cells left, and they can find what they need to grow, she will not remain dead." Miyu says, then smiles at Kasumi and says. "Now little sister, I want you to remember before you bite someone again, to always make sure you are not biting your lip, wait a few seconds in case you have, so any wounds will heal, and any blood is gone from within your mouth. Then you can bite."

Ranma had been standing next to Kasumi with her arms around her. She rises to her toes and kisses her spouse on her tear streaked cheek. "She will be alright Sumi-chan, because she will always have us to keep her life from getting boring." Ranma removes her arms from around her and takes her hand in her own. "Shall we go downstairs and deal with our, hopefully last uninvited guess for this night."

On their way down the stairs, Ranma shifts to her male form. "She expects to see her 'Ranma-sama', let's give him to her, and then switch. If she won't see reason, we are going to have to do something more drastic. I won't have that psycho attacking my family. We can't be here all the time to protect them."

Reaching the bottom stair, Ranma and Kasumi stop and blink. Sitting near the font door is a pile of the gymnast's equipment. Clubs, ribbons, huh manacles, a pair of 1 meter diameter steel razor edged hoops 'I don't want to know where she had those', a tea service for two, some book called the 'Kama Sutra,' bottles of lotion, glue, and various unknown potions, and also enough roses to stock a florist shop. On the other side of the room the green leotard clad psycho Kuno Kodashi is laying on her back with her hands and feet duct taped together. Ranma blinks at the sight and has to ask. "Hey Nabs, I thought you told me we were out of Duct Tape?"

Nabiki chuckles and says. "She brought it with her. I put the rest of the roll in the utility room."

"Thanks Kodashi, now I don't have to go to the hardware store. I needed duct tape to fix my speed bag."

"Ranma-sama! You have come to save me from these peasants! The indignities that I have had to suffer, since that red headed harlot tossed my person down to her low born henchwomen!"

Ranma stood still where she could hold Kodashi's eyes. "Henchwomen? The word is Henchmen, it is non-gender specific. And which red headed harlot do you mean?" switches to female "This one?" switches to male "You know Kodashi, this male body is just a form that I use." switches to female "I am actually a woman."

Kodashi's face turns red with rage. "You lie! It is just like my brother said. You have ensorcelled my poor Ranma-sama. Brother was only wrong in that he believed that it was my Ranma-sama that ensorcelled you, you red headed harlot! Now I can see the truth with my own eyes!"

"Truth? You see only what your delusional mind wishes to see. Kami, I don't even know why I am wasting my breath on someone that uses words like 'ensorcelled', that is so 16th century Europe. This is 20th century Japan, and we have other words for bewitching. Like my wife Kasumi, she is very bewitching to me." Ranma's hangs her head in defeat. "Well so Kodashi won't feel left out, since she likes to use her abhorrent vernaculars. Bon appétit Mon Cherie Sumi-chan."

Kasumi smiles at her mate and says. "Merci Mon Mari Ranma. Big sister Miyu, this woman has attacked many people with her weapons, drugs, and poisons. And this is not the first time that she has attacked my baby sister with the intent to kill, and I believe she will try again. Her family has influence, and the police just release her whenever anyone tries to press charges. I believe I should make her harmless, so that she won't be able to do so again. What would you do and how would I do it? "

Miyu looks into the mad eyes of Kodashi, and turns to her new sister. "Give her what she wants, the dream world that she wants to live in. Drink, fear not toxins or diseases she has played with, we are immune. Stop after a minute, you will know when since you are not in the throes of a bloodlust. Push some back, with the desire that she has her dream, but nothing more. She will exist in her dream world after that."

Kasumi kneels down next to the gymnast, grabbing her where her feet and hands are taped together. With a pull and a twist, Kodashi is sitting upright, leaning forward because of being bound in that position. Kasumi licks her lips, and then smiles showing her fangs. Looking into the mad gymnast's eyes with her softly glowing golden eyes, she says. "You know Kodashi, we were just talking about how Ranma has had fresh blood to drink, but I have been stuck drinking medical blood. Cold, chemical laden plastic encased blood. I have been so looking forward to a fresh meal, and I am so glad you dropped by for breakfast. Now if you will excuse me, I find it hard to speak with my mouth full and I do not wish to be impolite, especially to my breakfast." Kodashi wants to scream, but finds it impossible with Kasumi pushing up on her chin, tipping her head to the side. Then she feels the Tendo Matriarch nuzzle the base of her neck, then sensuous warmth, a cool tingle, and soon she begins to feel sleepy.

'Kodashi awakes in bed with her husband Ranma-sama, the dream of a vampire Tendo Kasumi fading as all dreams do. The peasant Kasumi, as a vampire how ridiculous. No time for silly dreams, she needs to get up and fix breakfast for her husband and children. It is going to be a beautiful day. Maybe we will have a picnic later.'

Later that day, Kuno Kodashi was found in a catatonic state, sitting on a park bench. Doctors were amazed by the smile the young woman had fixed on her face, and her eyes seem to sparkle with joy. They found no marks on her body and no drugs in her system. With the exception of being in a catatonic state, the young woman was in perfect health.