Getting Ghoulish
Miko / M A Davis

        Ranma walked into the Nekohanten, his stomach growling. Standing on the counter was one of the banes of his existence, Shampoo's grandmother Cologne. The old woman, impossibly short and wrinkled, with huge eyes and long white hair, glanced up as he entered.

        "Hello," she said. "How may I help you?"

        "Hey, old ghoul," Ranma said.

        The woman frowned. "Is that any way to address one of your elders?" she growled. Her staff swung out to rap Ranma on the head, but he dodged it easily. She swung again, and again he dodged.

        The woman laughed suddenly. "I see it will take a little more than that to teach you a lesson!" she said. Leaping forward, staff raised, she yelled, "Joketsuzoku special attack! The 'Take Me Away' Whirl!"

        Ranma had never seen this maneuver before. He was sent flying out the door and into the alley across the street. He climbed out of the garbage, cursing.

        "All right, ghoul!" he yelled, kicking the Nekohanten door in. "That was uncalled for! If you want to get physical, then let's go!"

        The old woman laughed. "My pleasure, boy," she said. For the next thirty seconds, the two traded blows, their hands (and the woman's staff) moving so quickly that they couldn't be seen. Finally the ghoul hopped up onto the counter, her eyes going wide.

        "You're good, boy," she said. "I'm impressed. What did you say your name was?"

        Ranma frowned. "You know who I am, old ghoul!"

        A voice called out from the kitchen. "Son-In-Law! Is that you?" As a twin of the old woman before him hopped out to the counter, the first began to laugh, deep in her throat.

        :"Oh ho ho! So this is your future Son-In-Law, Cologne? I should have guessed! Oh, yes, he's the one for Shampoo, all right!"

        Ranma stared from one ghoul to the other. They were identical in every detail. "Two?" he said, stupefied. "There are two of you?"

        "Forgive my manners, Son-In-Law," Cologne said. "I'd like you to meet my twin sister... Calgon."

FINI

I saw her name misspelled, and I couldn't help myself....

"I'm Miko.... sorry about this."
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