Crap crap crap crap!

What was she going to do? Kasumi could ruin everything. Either Nabiki sees her, or she stops Akane, or worse tells people and the entire plan collapses on itself. Opening Nabiki's closet she pulled out a spare blanket and threw it over the egg. "There we go." Akane said, dusting off her hands in front of the giant egg shaped object covered in a barely large enough blanket.

One... two... three...

"This isn't going to work at all!" Akane picked up the egg bundle, looking around wildly to find a place to hide it. Of course! The closet! She shoved the egg into the closet, slammed the door shut, and dashed out of Nabiki's room, shutting the door behind her just as Kasumi reached the top of the stairs.

"Oh, hello Akane." Kasumi said brightly.

"Hey… Kasumi." Akane said, her eyes shifting to the side.

"Is Nabiki in her room?" Kasumi asked innocently.

Lie. Lie. Lie! "...yes." Damn it Akane! One just doesn't lie to Kasumi.

"Oh? Is she busy?" Kasumi said, smiling, "I was thinking about asking her what she'd like for dinner."

"Kind of." Akane said. "We're, uh, having a discussion."

"What about? Can I help."

"Not really… it's about my wedding."

"The wedding? That was rather exciting wasn't it! I hope my wedding is as fun." Kasumi said, a pure and innocent smile on her face..

"Well if you ignore the part where I didn't actually get married it was great." Akane muttered.

"Yes that was a little bit of a problem wasn't it." Kasumi said, attempting to walk past Akane into Nabiki's room, but Akane didn't move. "Uh, Akane?"

"I don't think you should bother Nabiki now. She's not, uh… happy right now, with what I need." That works, she thinks. Now Akane needs to think of something she'll need Nabiki to give her that she can explain to Kasumi.

"Oh? What do you need?"

"My.. uh… my money!" Akane said quickly. "All that cash that was given as wedding gifts. I never got it. Nabiki took it all when she invited every lunatic in Asia." She use to think it was just every lunatic in Tokyo, the invitation to Keima disproved that theory handily.

"Why do you want that?" Kasumi asked, innocently.

Akane blinked, "Because it's supposed to be a wedding gift. It's mine and Ranma's money."

"Oh but Nabiki likes money so much. I think it's more important to make your sister happy, don't you?" Kasumi asked, without the slightest trace of irony.

And what about my happiness? Akane thought bitterly. Kasumi and Nabiki shoved Ranma on to her, then never once helped either of them actually did anything to support her during the engagement. Nabiki actively sabotaging their relationship was troublesome enough, but Kasumi was somehow the exact reverse of helpful regardless. Akane's mind drifted back to Do-chan. Later, with hindsight, she had seen that whatever plan Ranma had been involved with, he had given up on it and was trying to apologize. But then everybody else had butted in, and Kasumi had said exactly the wrong thing, without even thinking! Handing her weapons "in case Ranma tries something" whenever they were left alone, when he never had tried anything at all! She never had anybody to talk to about her feelings. Nabiki would blackmail her and Kasumi just didn't seem to care.

I wish I had more eggs. This dark thought flitted through Akane's mind, before she shook her head to clear it. No. Kasumi didn't need this. Nabiki was the bigger problem, by far. "I think Nabiki will live with a little less money."

"She'll be very disappointed." Kasumi said, before attempting to walk past Akane. When Akane didn't move from the door, she frowned. "Akane, please move."
"I want to talk to Nabiki privately." Akane said.

"You can talk to her after I do." Kasumi said in a tone that didn't brook much argument. Akane, who had grown up listening to and obeying her big sister, found it hard to ignore that tone.

"Please… just…" Akane mumbled.

Crash! A loud crash sounded outside. "What do you mean he's dead!?" Akane recognized the voice as Pantyhose Taro.

"Kasumi! A guest! Maybe you could make some tea for him?" Akane said quickly.

Kasumi blinked, "Oh you're right. I guess I can go talk to Nabiki later." She gave a bright smile, "Ask her to come down if she's not busy!" With those words her older sister cheerfully went back downstairs. To prepare tea, for whenever Ranma managed to beat Pantyhose Taro and the latest tantrum he would be throwing. Opening the door to Nabiki's room, she quickly moved to the closet, opening it up and pulling the blanket off the egg. To her eternal relief, it wasn't hatched yet. However, Akane could see some cracks forming. It would be hatching soon.

Nabiki couldn't remember the last time she felt such an amazing combination of warmth, comfort, and safety. The closest time she could think of was when she was a little girl, and she would be able to snuggle up to her mother and fall asleep, knowing she was loved. That's when she felt light and awareness return to her, and for a moment she resented it. Can't reality see how happy she is? Yet the light continued to grow, spiderweb cracks pushing against her urge to sleep. She pushed up, a cracking sound… eggshells breaking?

Awareness returned to Nabiki Tendo, and she found herself looking straight into the eyes of her little sister.

"Are you OK Nabiki?" Akane asked.

Nabiki rolled her eyes, "Of course I am. I just… uh…." Nabiki's mind was a bit fuzzy on that. She remembered some kind of discussion with Akane. Then she… she did something. Nabiki couldn't remember what. Then that amazing warmth, and now she was looking at her little sister while sitting in a giant egg-shell.

Nabiki didn't find that odd for some reason. In fact, Nabiki found herself not thinking about much except the young woman in front of her. It was an epiphany to the usually selfish individual she was. How had she never noticed how absolutely amazing Akane was? Standing in front of her was the most perfect person in the world, she realized. She was beautiful in every way. Nabiki was 100% straight but she realized that moment that Akane transcended anything like that, a shiver ran down her spine with the realization of how this beautiful, perfect person was actually worried about her. It was a Goddess worrying about some ant!

"Here, I'll help you up." Akane held out her hand to Nabiki. For a moment Nabiki stared at that small, soft, yet strong looking hand. Finally, it hit her that Akane wanted her to grasp it. So Nabiki obeyed, and Akane helped her up, the egg-shell surrounding her breaking apart as she stood up and walked out of the closet.

"So…." A dozen things to call her ran through Nabiki's mind, (Master, My Lady, Madam…) but in the end she settled on the familiar, "...sis. What were we talking about?"

"My wedding." Akane said, dourly, sitting back on Nabiki's bed.

Oh yeah! That had been great. All those psychos and their wedding gifts, she had gotten sooo much money from that trick. Hilarious too when Kuno switched, mid rant from trying to destroy Ranma to wanting to marry him with Akane from the application of cold water. Yet Nabiki noticed Akane was frowning. Was she… not happy about it? "Err… what about it?"

Akane let out a little sigh, the kind that she did when she was upset. Nabiki became worried. If Akane was mad at her… what would she do to punish her? "First off, what made you think that you could take the wedding gifts?"

"Why not?" Nabiki answered, her usual smirk on her face, "I mean, it's not like a wedding was going to happen once they all showed up. So it was free money."

"But the wedding would have happened if you hadn't invited them." Akane pointed out evenly, "So you invited them knowing they would ruin it, so you then had an excuse to take all of the wedding gift cash, right?"

"Well… yes. That sounds about right." Nabiki admitted.

"I see." Akane clenched her fists, took a few deep breaths, "Nabiki." She said, her tone serious.

"Yes?" Nabiki said, feeling small under her little sister's gaze. "What… ah… um… do you need?"

"Where do you keep your money?" Akane asked. If any other person were to ask this, Nabiki would have blown them off. But this was Akane asking.

"In the dojo, beneath a floorboard under Mom's shrine." Nabiki answered honestly.

Akane's eye twitched upon hearing that, for some reason. Nabiki didn't see the issue, after all, why not keep her loved ones close together?

"OK... " Akane took a few deep breaths, "Nabiki. I want you to go get all the wedding gift money you got. Bring it up here, and give it to me, OK?"

There wasn't a second of conflict or delay. Akane wanted that money. "Sure, I'll go get it. Are you going to wait here?" Akane nodded, "Well, OK then. Be right back Sis." Nabiki stepped out of her room.

Once Nabiki had left Akane began huffing and fuming , pacing around Nabiki's room like - Like an angry, uncute tomboy. Ooh, that older sister of hers! Taking the money and putting it next to Mother's - How thoughtless! How insensitive! That girl had no soul. No compassion, no thought for anyone but herself and her wallet! Well then, it was rather a good thing after all, wasn't it? Now that she'd used those eggs she could make certain Nabiki's greed and selfishness didn't bother anyone again!

"Never again," Akane firmly stated. Then froze mid step as her emotions went from one extreme to another at the drop of a hat. Nabiki was completely under her control. She would do anything Akane asked. Want proof? No threat, no better offer. A mere suggestion and off she went to grab the money and give it to Akane.

In exchange for nothing.

"Huh..." Akane gasped. She collapsed on the edge of Nabiki's bed, crossed her legs and sat there calmly for a moment. "How about that?" Control. Power. She had both over Nabiki. Absolute, unquestioned control. It made her feel a little weird. Good weird. It was making her really think things through.

She hated not being in control. She was supposed to be the strong one. The tough chick who took care of herself. A martial artist who looked after the weak, and yet she kept on finding herself, time and time again, in over her head. Relying on others to pull her out of a jam.

Yet these eggs gave her a chance. Reassert herself. Make her own choices about what she wanted. Not what other people wanted, not being manipulated or talked into anything. Turn the people in the way of her goals into allies, and when she was done help them find some other genuine happiness for themselves. The thought made her squirm and feel warm in ways she usually only felt around a certain handsome/cute pigtailed -

"Hey, it's not our fault!" Ranma yelled from outside. "Calm down, you Pantyhose jerk!"

- Tactless idiot with the social skill and grace of a house-trained dog.

She stomped over to the window and threw it open: "Hey!" she yelled. "Do you mind?"

"Gwaaaaaaaaah!" was the answer from Taro's cursed form. Right. Whatever. Let the boys have their fun. She had other things to worry about just now anyway. Things like, oh, how she was going to go about telling Ranma of her plan to essentially brainwash all of her romantic rivals so they could get married in peace and quiet.

"Yeah, I kind of did just turn my sister into my slave..." Akane winced in guilt. "Well, it's not like I'm going to mistreat her or anything. She just needs to learn to be nicer to other people. I won't force her to do chores or rub my feet or whatever. I'll just... Keep her from making trouble."

Still felt guilty about it. Oh well. The die was cast. The eggshells were in the closet. No chance Kasumi would miss that. Maybe if Akane broke them up a little, stuffed them into her pockets she could smuggle them out to the garbage and get rid of them before anyone noticed? Nothing much else for it. She slunk off towards the eggshells, a little glad for something to do to take her mind off those turbulent, conflicting emotions -

"Hey, that's my skirt..." Akane suddenly said, pulling out a cute yellow mini. "And I've been looking for that blouse all year! Nabiki had it? And my shirt! Hey, there's that cute hat and my scarf and my -"

By the time she was done, half the clothes in the wardrobe were sitting on Nabiki's bed. As for Akane herself? The guilt was gone. Obliterated against a tidal wave of stolen clothing. She'd heard of hand-me-downs but never hand-me-ups! This was ridiculous, this was ludicrous but it was also one other thing.

"Ooh, Nabiki's going to pay for this!"

A little bit of motivation for a tiny bit of righteous vengeance.

Got to go. Got to hurry. Akane wants her money. Akane wants her cash. Nabiki smiled. It was such a simple little thing she was doing for her sister, and it would make her so happy. It really made her think back.

All those boys at school had seemed like complete idiots at the time. Getting themselves beat up for a chance to date Akane. Now, Nabiki kind of understood it. Akane was so brilliant and bright it was the only way they could attract her attention, if only for a little while. Oh. She was blessed for having been born Akane's big sister.

Although, ew: Best not to go down that path. Almost started going full Kuno. Never go full Kuno.

"Hello, Nabiki-chan. How are you today?"

That was Mrs Saotome. It was a funny thing: The two freeloaders had already moved out, but then Nabiki had decided to sell certain information off to a certain trio of fanatics who trashed the Saotome residence and somehow managed to avoid any kind of legal charge. So, they all moved back in here. All three of them this time. Mother, Father, Son/Daughter. Quite the family.

"Oh, you know how it is, Mrs Saotome," Nabiki answered, smiling at the older woman. "Busy, busy, busy."

To Nabiki's surprise, Mrs Saotome moved in line with her hurried steps without missing a beat. It was honestly a little disconcerting, but she could hardly stop to chat when Akane wanted her money back, ASAP.

"You know, we have not had much of a chance to get to know one another," Mrs Saotome cheerily said. "I spend so much time helping Kasumi with the housework, or getting to know my future daughter. It feels like I barely talk to you at all."

That was because they had nothing in common. Nabiki had no intention of becoming anything like a housewife, and had loftier personal goals than anything Mrs Saotome could assist her with.

"In fact, it almost feels as though you are deliberately avoiding me."

"Avoiding you?" Nabiki asked, hurrying up her step. Nodoka was in line without missing a beat. The wife of a martial artist must stay fit and healthy themselves, it seemed. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Nodoka just smiled back at her, and apparently ignored Nabiki's question outright. "I understand you have something of a passion for photography? I would love to see your collection."

Given that Nabiki's collection mostly consisted of Mrs Saotome's cursed son, in girl form and in various states of undress, indulging her seemed unwise. Then again, so did ignoring the polite request. Nabiki might not have the inherent danger sense of a martial artist, but something was tickling the back of her neck.

However: Nabiki was also a smarter thinker than most of the people she met and interacted with. That's why instead of panicking like Akane or Ranma would in this kind of situation, she kept up her quick pace and answered smoothly: "I have some photos of Akane in her wedding dress."

"Oh, that sounds lovely," Mrs Saotome replied, still smiling. "It really is a shame it was so disrupted. By the same people who ruined our home, no less. Why, it really was fortunate the insurance was kept up to date, otherwise..."

Shit. Shit! Now was the rare opportunity for Nabiki to panic! But even so. Nabiki couldn't let this interfere with Akane's instructions. That's why instead of a smooth lie, instead...

"Akane and I were just discussing that, as it happens," Nabiki said. "The wedding being disrupted, I mean. In fact, she just convinced me to bring her the money from my secret hiding place. We could talk this over later if you want?"

"Of course," Mrs Saotome beamed. Thank goodness. "I won't pry into where you keep your secrets, Nabiki-chan. Give that money to Akane, and then we can discuss matters a little more calmly."

The two parted ways, Nabiki heading off towards the dojo... While Nodoka wandered off towards the kitchen, where Kasumi was cutting vegetables.

"I fear you may be correct, Kasumi. I think your little sisters are planning something behind everyone's back. Oh dear. They are not very good at keeping secrets, are they?"

"No," Kasumi agreed. "They're both such proud girls in their own ways. I find it more instructive to teach them without them knowing they're being taught at all."