AN: This will be short and it won't be insane. ^_^ Ok. First I'll say again that I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I couldn't do anything about it, but I'm sorry. I didn't mean tooooo!!!! I tried!!!!! Really I did...anyway, go on and read the fic! ^_^ I think you all know who's gonna star in this one, but I assure you, you can't guess what's gonna happen. ^_~ On with the fic!

An Alliance of Power

Chapter Four

Ranma put the Tablet on the table and grinned at his comrades, Fire and Lightning, who grinned back. The trio had just returned to the Tendo Dojo after many weeks absence and were more than a little eager to tell their translator, Akane, that they were home. Ranma cupped his hands around his mouth and called,

"Ak-aaaaaaaa-neeeee!" There was a thump above them and then the sound of running feet. As the footfalls came closer, Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse shared another grin. When the door was pushed open, three jaws hit the floor.

"K-K-K-Kasumi?" Sure enough, Kasumi stood framed in the door, an uncharacteristic scowl on her face, albeit a light one. She put a finger to her lips, demanding quiet, and three jaws snapped shut. With slow care, Kasumi slid the door closed gently and sat at the table, silently telling the three boys to do the same. They complied. Ranma opened his mouth, but Kasumi beat him to it.

"Akane’s sleeping." Again Ranma felt his jaw go slack.

"She’s what?!" Kasumi shushed him quickly and seemed to be listening for something. After a moment, and sighed and turned to him.

"She’s sleeping. And you should be glad, too, because it’s the first time she’s slept for at least three days."

"Oh. She’s been sleeping badly?"

"No. She hasn’t been sleeping at all, poor dear. She’s been working herself to death trying to figure out some odd character or other." Ranma stared at Ryoga and Mousse, who stared back. Ryoga leaned towards Kasumi.

"She’s got awful timing." Kasumi blinked.

"Why?"

"Because she decided to take a nap the very day we get back." Kasumi smiled cheerily.

"Oh, no. It wasn’t Akane’s idea to take a rest. It was Nabiki’s and mine." Mousse raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And how did you accomplish that? Tell her that it was time to take a nap?" Kasumi turned her smile on him.

"Why, no. I drugged her." Ranma gasped in horror.

"You what?!" Kasumi looked at him reproachfully.

"If you don’t keep it down, Ranma, I’m going to have to ask you to go back to the forest. Akane needs to sleep." Ranma winced.

"Sorry, sorry. But, seriously, you did what?" Kasumi smiled again.

"I drugged her tea this morning. She’s been out like a light ever since. It’s so refreshing for everyone! She’s been so crabby lately…really, it was Nabiki’s idea." Ryoga nodded.

"It makes sense that Nabiki would suggest drugging, but I don’t believe that you went along with it, Kasumi." She smiled again.

"Oh, I thought it would be best for Akane, and Dr. Tofu does love making drugs and medicine to help people." Ranma stared at her, going pale.

"You-you got the drugs from Dr. Tofu?" Kasumi attempted to hide a smile behind one of her hands.

"Oh, no, I didn’t get it. Nabiki got it." Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse all sighed. If Kasumi had asked for anything from the Good Doctor, Akane might now be sleeping the sleep of death. Mystery solved, the trio suddenly found themselves very tired. Kasumi, a perfect hostess, noticed this.

"Oh, my! How rude of me! You boys look very tired! Come on, wash up and I’ll set up two more bed rolls for you to sleep on in Ranma’s room. I’ll move Mr. Soatome into Father’s room. They won’t mind. Come on!" The Chosen blinked and suddenly found themselves in night clothes, totally cleansed, sitting on bedrolls, ready for bed. And not one of the three of them could remember how it had been done. However, neither did anyone argue. The three had just lied down when Ranma sat back up suddenly.

"The Tablet!" He hissed to the other two. "What did we do with the Tablet?" Ryoga turned away from Ranma and muttered, in sleep slurred words,

"We lef’ it on the table." Ranma blinked.

"Oh," and lied back down. Soon enough, he was sitting up again. "What if Kasumi does something to it?" Ryoga ignored him, possibly asleep. Mousse, with the tone of one who deals with idiots, replied,

"If she does anything, no doubt we will somehow be notified. But we are talking about Kasumi. Nothing will happen." Ranma nodded again and lay down. After a few more minutes, Ranma sighed, shook his head, and sat up.

"What if Akane-" Ranma was cut off sharply as one of Ryoga’s pillows- he had been sleeping with two- hit him square in the face. As this happened, Mousse turned into his own pillow and growled.

"There is nothing wrong with Akane. She’s fine. She’s sleeping. Which, if you want to live, I suggest you do, too." Ranma, Ryoga’s pillow still firmly over his face, lied down, and soon light snores could be heard emanating from the room where three of the four Chosen slept soundly.

Countless hours later, Ranma found himself walking down the stares. He blinked, and then realized why he was up and moving: food. The smells of several delicious dishes had woken him and compelled his feet to move towards them without asking Ranma if he minded. Which he didn’t. Ranma arrived at his destination to find Ryoga and Mousse already seated, awaiting food. Water waved and Fire and Lightning waved back. He sat as Kasumi came in a placed plate upon plate on the table. There were several minutes filled with ravenous eating, then Ranma, Mousse, and Ryoga all sat back with sighs.

"Wonderful." Ryoga said with a smile for Kasumi. Ranma and Mousse nodded. Then Ranma sat up a little and said,

"Hey, Kasumi?" The girl stopped bustling and smiled at Ranma, acknowledging him. "Er…I don’t want to sound impatient or anything, but do you know when Akane will be up?" Kasumi put a hand over her mouth and looked out the door.

"Oh, Akane’s up already! She’s been up for about an hour." That caught the attention of all three Chosen.

"What?" Ranma gasped. "Drat! Why didn’t you wake me up? Never mind. Just, where is she now?" Kasumi blinked at him.

"Oh, at the library, I would guess." Ryoga sighed and waved a hand at Ranma, satisfied with that answer.

"There, you see? The library. No one can stay at the library very long. She’ll be back soon." Ranma and Mousse exchanged a dark look.

"You don’t know Akane." Mousse insisted. Ryoga blinked at him as Ranma asked,

"Do you know when she’ll be-"

"Kasumi? Have you seen-" The three Chosen looked up as the figure who had interrupted Water came in the room. Akane stared back. She waved listlessly.

"Hi." They waved back. She sighed. "I guess this means you want information about the Fourth, right?" They nodded. Akane looked slightly uncomfortable and glanced at the door she had just come through before sitting next to Ranma and saying, "Ok, then, where’s the Tablet?" Mousse mutely handed it to her as Ranma and Ryoga leaned closer. "All right." She began. "What do you think you know about Fourth Wind so far?" Ranma blinked at her.

"Well…" he started hesitantly, "He’s a martial artist and lives in Nermia?"

"Right on two points. Wrong on one." Ranma blinked at Ryoga and Mousse. Ryoga looked confused.

"He made three points?" He asked. Akane nodded.

"One: it’s a guy. Two: it’s a martial artist. Three: it lives in Nermia. Which point is wrong?" The three Chosen looked at each other. Mousse guessed the wrong point being that he was a martial artist; Ryoga guessed it was a girl; Ranma doubted whether or not he lived in Nermia. Akane proclaimed Ryoga the correct party. Ranma was aghast.

"It’s a girl?!" Akane scowled at him.

"And what, prey tell, is wrong with that?" Ranma waved his hand at her.

"Nothing, nothing! So…er…what else can you tell us about hi- er…her?" Akane sighed, shot another hopeless glance at the door, and looked at the Tablet. "Well…she’s cursed…like you, but-" Ranma cut her off by hitting his head abruptly against the table. Mousse looked sick and Ryoga was moaning into his hands.

"Why did it have to be her?" Ranma said into the table. "I’ll never get anything done. She’ll never leave me alone. It’s almost as bad as when I thought Kuno was the Third. This is awful. No offense, Mousse."

"None taken. I’m little pleased by this, myself." Ryoga grunted his agreement to the other two’s remarks. Akane looked angry.

"What is the matter with you three? Surely a girl being the Fourth isn’t that bad!" Ranma turned his head and looked at her.

"It doesn’t bother you," he asked, "that Shampoo is the Fourth?" Akane crossed her arms in front of her and glared at him.

"Why should that bother me when she isn’t the Fourth?" Ryoga looked a little hopeful, but Mousse regarded her with wary distrust.

"How could it be anyone else," he questioned carefully, "when you just said that she was cursed like us? The only curse we all had that was the same was our...our…"

"Turning into animals?" Ryoga suggested.

"Yes." Mousse agreed. "Turning into animals." Akane turned to glare at him.

"I never said she turned into an animal. I said," she continued, cutting Ranma off, "that she was cursed. The last part of my sentence was cut off when you," she glared at Water, who shrunk back slightly, "interrupted."

"What were you going to say?" Asked Ryoga with interest.

"I was going to say is, she’s cursed, like you, but different. She doesn’t turn into an animal." Ranma blinked at her.

"How do you know she isn’t cursed?"

"Because." Akane said airily, "she doesn’t have the transformation tick." Ryoga stared at her.

"The what?" Akane pointed to the tablet.

"The transformation tick. See, when I was translating for you three, there was a tick above your characters, the transformation tick. Well," she opened a book and pointed to a tiny mark on a page. "it literally means, ‘one who is forced to became an insane creature at the most crucial and idiotic times’. But ‘transformation tick’ is so much easier to say." Ranma gaped at the little mark.

"That? That means…that’s nuts!" Akane nodded grimly.

"I never said translating was easy, Ranma." Mousse leaned forward eagerly.

"Then, if she isn’t cursed to turn into an animal, how is she cursed? Who is she?" Akane looked uncomfortable, and shot yet another glance at the door.

"W-well…that’s kinda hard to say…" Ranma patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Just do your best." Akane took a deep breath, shot a last glance at the door, and said very slowly and carefully,

"She is…hidden by her curse. Though you look at her often, you never truly see her. She is stunted and restrained by the curse she cannot speak of. Even the Tablet cannot breach the spell-curse and say her name. She-she is…right-here." Akane stopped suddenly, even though she looked as though she wanted to say more. Ranma stared at her as she fidgeted slightly.

"That’s it? That’s all you’ve figured out? What have you been doing all these weeks?" Akane looked heartbroken, but only Mousse and Ryoga noticed.

"I…I tried, Ranma. Really, I did." Ranma sighed, glaring at the table, and waved her away with a hand.

"Fine, fine. Look, I have a lot to think about. There’s very little I have to go on to find the Fourth before the Nightshadows get here. Just go…work on something now. Ok?" Ranma jumped when Akane slammed her book on the table, glared at him -"Damn you!" - and left the room. He blinked at her and then turned back to Fire and Lightning.

"What’s the matter with her?" Ryoga glared at him, and Mousse said, because Ryoga seemed too angry to say anything,

"You hurt her feelings. She really did try her hardest." Ranma shifted, uncomfortable, and stared after Akane.

"You think she’s ok?"

"Oh, yea." Ryoga growled. "She’ll be fine. After all, she’s used to being trampled on by you." Ranma bristled, but Mousse intervened before things could get violent.

"All right! That’s enough!" He glared at the two of them, daring them to speak. "Akane is a very strong and smart girl and she’ll be fine. Right now, we have to- we have to…" Ranma and Ryoga glanced at each other. Ranma leaned forward.

"We have to…?" Mousse seemed to be very distracted.

"We have to…" He kept glancing at a spot just off Ranma’s right. "Right there." He said, pointing at the spot. "Something should be right there. But…" he looked confused. "I don’t know what." Ranma looked at the spot.

"Right there, huh?" Mousse nodded.

"Yes, right there…" He snapped his fingers. "Aha! I know what it is!" Ryoga blinked at him.

"You know what what is?"

"The thing that’s missing. I know what it is." They stared at him and he puffed up. "It’s Fourth Wind!" He deflated and looked confused. "I don’t know why I know she should be there, but she should." Ranma ‘hmm’-ed and Ryoga began rubbing his ears.

"Can we go?" He asked suddenly. Ranma stared at him.

"Why?" Ryoga looked uncomfortable and rubbed his ears again.

"Because…Mousse is sensing where she should be…and I think I’m hearing her. But don’t ask me what she sounds like, because if I try and figure out who she might be, her voice grows softer." Mousse nodded.

"Yea, it’s the same with me. If I try to figure out how much space she should take up, she kind of blurs." Ranma opened his mouth, but suddenly there was something sitting next to him. A girl, leaning on her hand and staring at him with amusement. When he turned his head to look at her, she was gone. He would have chalked it up to his imagination, but when he faced forward again, there she was. Attempting to be sly, he studied her through the corner of his eye. Every time he tried to pinpoint a feature, it blurred. He jerked his head towards her again.

"You’re seeing her, aren’t you?" Mousse tried to look sympathetic, but the way he kept glancing around the room ruined that.

"Yea…" Ranma said slowly, then jerked his head again. He sighed. "This is getting weird. I can see her, but I can’t make out who she is." Again, he snapped his head to catch the figure before she disappeared, but failed. "Let’s get out of here. This is strange. And I can’t think." Ryoga flew out of the room, silently thanking Dalmeth that he could find the door. Ranma and Mousse were right behind him. The trio walked swiftly to the forest, and sat down in by some trees. Each picked a tree and sat beneath it. Ranma sighed.

"Ok." He said. "What was it Akane said?" Mousse recited,

" ‘She is hidden by her curse. Though you look at her often, you never truly see her. She is stunted and restrained by the curse she cannot speak of. Even the Tablet cannot breach the spell-curse and say her name.’ And then, most confusing, ‘She is right here.’ Whatever that means." Ranma sighed.

"Ok. Let’s make a list." Mousse ticked names off on his fingers.

"Shampoo, Ukyo, and…Kodachi." Ranma shuttered.

"Let’s assume it’s not…you know…her." Mousse amended the list.

"Shampoo and Ukyo."

"And Akane." Ryoga said suddenly. "I don’t know why, but add Akane."

"All right, and Akane." Ranma ‘hmm’-ed again.

"It can’t be Shampoo," he said, "because Akane said Wind didn’t have the…‘the one who is’…the transformation tick." Mousse nodded.

"Then it must be Ukyo. I guess she could have picked up a curse somewhere…" he said uncertainly.

"What about Akane?" Ryoga asked. "Why couldn’t it be Akane?" Ranma looked uncomfortable.

"Because…because…" Mousse pointed at a branch some feet above Ranma’s head suddenly.

"Right there." He said. "She should be right there. And it’s not Ukyo."

"No…" Ryoga breathed. "Not Ukyo…she’s laughing at us…she’s saying we’re too serious." Ranma looked up at the ghost figure smiling down at him and felt his stomach disappear. *I don’t want it to be you…* He thought desperately. *I know it’s you…but I don’t want it to be. Oh, why does it have to be you? * Ranma sighed and stood up.

"I see her now." He said to them. And then he dropped his head slightly, because he was going to have to do something very unpleasant to someone he had fought to keep unpleasant things away from. "Let’s go get her." He said miserably, and Fire and Lightning followed him back to the Dojo and Akane.

Akane sat in her room, after her small fight with Ranma, and thought evil things at herself.

"Why can’t I tell him my theory? Why? I’m so weak! I couldn’t even tell him that it’s m- that I think I’m the F- that I’m c-!" She couldn’t say it, but that didn’t stop her from thinking it. *That it’s me! That I think I’m the Fourth! That I’m cursed! And I don’t even know how I’m cursed! Someone help me! What’s the matter with me? * There was a light nock on the door, and Akane knew with sudden dread who it was that desired entrance into her room. She wanted to say ‘come in’, she almost said ‘go away’, and in the end, settled for saying nothing. Ranma came in anyway. He looked at her sorrowfully.

"I’m sorry." He whispered. "You can’t get out." He continued softly, interpreting her frightened glances at the door and window correctly. "Ryoga is at the door. And Mousse is underneath the window."

"It’s not me!" Akane found herself saying desperately. But her sorrowful eyes spoke of her tongue’s lies. I know that it is I. "You’ve got the wrong person, Ranma, and you know it!" I know that we both know. And then, because the thing forcing her to speak lies knew that Ranma did not believe it, Akane’s voice began begging. "Please, Ranma. You don’t know what’ll happen! It’ll hurt me so badly…" I know it hurt you, Ranma. And I know it will hurt me. "Please!" There were tears now. Desperate, terrified tears. And the thing that made Akane speak did not compel them. They were from her very soul. "Please…" her voice was broken, hopeless. "Please don’t, Ranma…" Do what you must. Ranma, using speed Akane could not track, placed himself behind the trembling girl. He put his arms around her so suddenly that she squeaked, but he didn’t let her go.

"I’m sorry." He whispered again, and moved her towards the dresser where he had placed the Tablet. Akane whimpered, and Ranma very nearly let her go. But then she looked up at him, and her eyes again betraying the lies that her mouth spoke. Ranma made a new resolve, and stood before the Tablet. He rearranged her so that he could hold her right hand out. When he did this, she closed her hand into a tiny fist and whimpered again. Ranma wrapped his hand around hers so firmly she was forced to curl her hand around his thumb, and she clutched at it as though it was a safety line. Then Ranma rolled his wrist, and forced her hand open, and pressed the open palm against the Tablet. There was a great wind that forced Akane’s door closed and shattered the glass of her window and deafened Ryoga and Mousse. Ranma held her as she shook. Akane screamed.

Akane looked up and saw a huge bird of wind towering over her.

"Yes." The bird said, cutting the girl off before she could say anything. "You know me. I know you. But none of that matters if you are unwilling to own up to your destiny."

"I can’t…" Akane whispered. "I can’t…"

"You can’t what, Little Wing?"

"I can’t be the Fourth." The bird looked amused.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because the Fourth is Wind. And I am nothing like Wind."

"There is no one more like Wind than you are." Akane shook her head.

"That can’t be."

"Why?"

"Because! Because Wind is soft and graceful and beautiful and I’m not!" The bird cocked her head.

"Who has told you these lies?" Akane was flustered.

"Well…no one had to tell me…I knew it even before…and every one thinks it… but Ranma says it. I’m slow and clumsy and ugly and so unlike Wind! Even if I was like Wind before, I’m not now! Oh, please, you’ve got the wrong girl!" The great bird shook her head.

"No…you have just forgotten. I remember, when you were small and loved your little birds dearest of all, how people would look at you. ‘Ah,’ they would say, ‘look at her. The small girl over there who sings with birds. She is special. She is destined for great things.’ And even if you have forgotten, you are special. I am living proof of that." Akane knew that the lovely creature that stood before her spoke that truth, and she remembered her name as though it had never been taken from her mind, but she could not speak that name. She looked up at her bird in fright, and the Wind Bird looked back, filled with compassion.

"Your curse keeps you from saying my name. It will bring you peace to say it, and so you cannot. I tell you now: say it anyway. My poor Little Wing, it will hurt. But afterwards, such joy! Come, say my name, and fly with me once more." What followed was Akane’s toughest battle ever. She closed her eyes and formed the name in her mid. Then she fought with herself and forced the name onto her lips. Her throat closed, she could not speak. And then…she spoke anyway. She cried the name out with all that was in her.

"Kemara!" Then the great Wind Bird, Kemara, shrunk suddenly and flew at the Wind Child’s heart. And then she was there, passing through Akane as if she wasn’t there, and pain was all Akane knew. She gasped and was sure she would die.

Out side, in the real world, Ranma recognized when Akane’s Elemental Deity began its work and was filled with fear for her.

"Please…" he whispered, clutching her close, "please, I’m here. I’m with you. Please," he kissed her forehead, "survive.

Somehow, Akane felt the arms around her like a cooling breeze. There was someone…someone out side this hell of pain. Someone was holding her…there were words.

"Please…please, I’m here. I’m with you. Please," there was a relief from the pain on her forehead, and then a plea, "survive." Akane grew grim. The voice, the arms, all was Ranma’s. He was out there, and she would survive, as he asked. She closed her eyes tight and Ranma felt her squeeze his hand. Then, the pain was gone. No, Akane realized, not gone. But it had moved. Akane looked down at her wrist, and found her right hand curled around the mallet she so often smashed Ranma with. She tried to let the mallet go, but she couldn’t. There was a paper ward wrapped around her wrist, and that was why she couldn’t let go. It was also what was causing her pain. She pulled at it, but couldn’t get it off.

Ranma watched as, with growing panic, Akane tugged at the ward that had somehow appeared around her wrist. At first he tried to get her to stop, but the ward seemed to cause her pain, and there had been so much of it for Ranma’s sweet fey, he couldn’t stand it anymore, and ripped the thing off. Akane sighed...

…And smiled as the ward and mallet disappeared, along with the pain. She held out her fist, so recently freed from the ward and its mallet, and Kemara landed softly on it. Akane stroked Kemara and the bird nibbled at her fingers affectionately. Then Akane felt herself changing, and found herself in the real world, held tightly by two strong, warm arms. She looked up and saw Ranma. She smiled. He somehow sensed that she was back, for it had grown dark as she faced her Challenge, and held her closer. They said nothing, as he stroked her hair, he felt her melt deliciously against him, and knew that she was sleeping. Water picked Wind up, and took her to her bed. When he went back to his room, Lightning and Fire were already on their mats. They looked questions at him, but said nothing. Water smiled and answered them,

"Wind sleeps soundly."

"And then her mallet appeared, but she didn’t seem to want it, and there was this paper ward around her wrist, and it seemed to be causing her pain. So I took it off and she kinda sighed and dropped her mallet, which disappeared. I don’t think she’ll be able to call it again, which is a good thing for me. But anyway, then she came back to herself and I think she smiled. It was too dark to see clearly, but I think she smiled. Then…she fell asleep. And that was it." It was the next morning, and Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse were in the Dojo. Water and Lightning were circling the Dojo doing different katas slowly- to work on control- while Fire sat in the very center of the floor and meditated. Ranma was recapping the events of Akane’s Awakening to Ryoga.

The Third struck a stance and held it as he asked, "What’s her Deity?" Ranma did a high kick.

"No idea." Ryoga punched an imaginary foe.

"Why don’t you know?" Ranma held a precarious stance.

"Because she fell asleep before I could ask her." Ryoga ‘hmm’ed as he performed a low sweep with one of his legs.

"Well then…why didn’t you just look on her new cloths? It would have been there." Ranma sighed impatiently and did a hand spring.

"It was too dark to see." He landed perfectly and struck another stance. "I couldn’t even tell you what her new cloths look like." Ryoga began to ask another question, but Mousse cut him off irritably.

"Look, some of us are trying to meditate. If you don’t mind, I would like a measure of quiet while I attempt to gather my thoughts and center my being." Ryoga sighed and nodded, then continued his Kata in silence.

A few katas later he asked quietly, "Why do you suppose she took the Awakening so badly?"

Ranma shrugged as he performed a back flip, a very interesting site to see, and answered softly, "It must have had to do something with her curse. Which I must say I am shocked to learn she had. Anyway, that must be it."

"Huh. Well, I can see why you might think that," Ryoga said as he walked around the Dojo on his hands, "but that leads to my next question. What was her curse?"

"Well, you’ll just have to ask her that when she wakes up, won’t you?" Ryoga flipped back onto his feet at Mousse’s annoyed answer and watched Fire as he stood up. He glared at Ryoga, then sighed. "If I can’t meditate- which I can’t with you asking all your questions-," Mousse struck the first stance in a complicated Chinese kata and sighed again, "I guess I’ll just give up and do katas with you guys." Ryoga nodded and the two joined Ranma in more katas.

Several katas later, Mousse said, "I wish we could spar…"

Ranma punched the Dojo wall lightly and stood that way as he replied, "Yea, but there are only three of us. And you know that if we have a free-for-all some building somewhere is going to be destroyed." Ryoga sighed and muttered,

"If only we had a fourth sparring partner…then we could go doubles."

"Well…"came a voice from the doorway of the Dojo, "I could be your fourth sparring-mate. Why don’t you ask me?" All three boys halted in their katas and turned to the door. There, silhouetted by the early morning light, was a girl. A beautiful girl in a short white dress that came inches above her knees made of some light material that swayed even with the gentle morning breeze. It accented her every curve to the fullest. The semi-tight bodice, which laced up the low back, fit perfectly and followed the curves of her figure down to her tiny waist, where the material flared into a skirt. She had blue-black hair that swirled loosely around her shoulders. Only a few inches shorter than Ranma himself, this girl had wide golden-brown eyes that studied the three boys with a mixture of wry amusement and gentle camaraderie. Ryoga and Mousse were both gaping slightly but Ranma, who recognized the girl and the golden bird whose out stretched wing encircled the girl’s chest, felt his jaw hit the floor.

"Akane?!" She smiled and stepped all the way into the Dojo.

"Good morning, Ranma. Hi Mousse, Ryoga." Mousse looked mystified, but Ryoga seemed about to faint.

"Akane," he gasped, "what happened? Your hair. Your height. Your…your figure! What happened?" Akane pouted slightly and turned her head away from him suddenly, making her now shoulder-length hair flare out and shine beautifully.

"Am I that different?" Ryoga, Mousse, and Ranma’s sputtering was enough. She clasped her hands behind her and tilted her head, as if considering them. Then she scowled. "Fine," she said, turning on her heal and making her skirt and hair flare again, "if you think I’m that bad, I’ll just go talk to someone else."

"No!" All three boys cried, leaping after her. Her shoulders shook slightly and Ranma worried that they had made her cry. But when she turned her torso to look at them, she was smiling, one of her eyes closed in a wink.

"Idiots!" She chided playfully. "I wouldn’t leave just like that!" She turned all the way to face them and put her hands on her hips. "I’m the Fourth! I have to stick with you guys!" Then she put a hand over her mouth and laughed quietly. She winked again at them, "See if you can catch me! It’ll be practice for you", and darted out of the Dojo. Dumbfounded, Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse stared at each other.

"What," Ranma began.

"Was," added Mouse.

"That?" Ryoga finished. Ranma rubbed his hands together.

"The only way to know," he proclaimed, "is to catch her. Now, it might be mean to say, but she’s a brick. She can’t run worth beans. So it’ll be easy to catch her. Let’s go!"

"Right!" Chimed Ryoga and Mousse, and the three left to Dojo to find Akane and ask her what, exactly, had happened to her. But once out of the Dojo, they couldn’t find her. They looked up at a whistle and found Akane waving to them from on top of the roof.

"Hi!" She chirped, and was off again. The trio leapt onto the roof after Akane, but she was gone again.

"Where’d she go?" Ryoga asked, confused. "She was right here. How did she do that?" Ranma grinned. This was beginning to be a challenge.

"Ryoga," he instructed, "go back to the Dojo. Look all around there for her."

"Right," Ryoga said and leaped off the roof.

"Mousse," Ranma continued once Ryoga was gone, "you go search the house." Mousse nodded and disappeared off the side of the roof. "I’m going to say here," whispered Ranma, prowling to the side of the roof, "and see if I can’t spot her…" He reached the side of the roof and peered over, but Akane wasn’t there. Scratching his head, Ranma sneaked back to the center of the roof. A gust of wind from behind Ranma caused the boy to spin around, but then he felt his jaw drop. Akane was standing behind him, grinning secretively. The only problem was, she wasn’t on the roof. Ranma tried to speak, but nothing came out. Finally Akane moved closer, but still didn’t stand on the roof. Her skirt and hair were floating about her, telling of the breeze that Ranma couldn’t feel.

"Isn’t this interesting?" Akane asked, hovering just beside Ranma. She did an aerial back flip and landed lightly on the roof. "I discovered I could do that this morning. All I have to do is concentrate the wind around me and-" in a gust of wind, Akane was airborne again, floating effortlessly beside Ranma- "Ta-da! I’m flying. Or at least floating. Isn’t this cool?" Ranma blinked at her.

"You didn’t say I could use water to find you," he accused. Akane shrugged.

"You never asked," she responded matter-of-factly.

"Well now I know," Ranma said simply, "and now I can catch you." He dove towards Akane but she easily floated just out of his range. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Nya-nya!" She called, mockingly playful. "Can’t catch meee!" Ranma smiled secretly and lunged towards her again. She moved back, as expected, and floated slowly away from the roof, with her tongue still stuck out at him. Ranma reached out to her, then past her, calling on the waters of the Koi pond she was floating over. She looked down, too late.

"Drat," she sighed, and knew the game was probably over. Still, she was determined to go down fighting. Akane threw a blast of wind at the water, but it passed through the water, parting it only briefly. Finally the water caught up with her and enveloped her in a cocoon of liquid. Wind struggled, but it was futile. Ranma called the water to him and Akane with it. Then he bade the water drop her on the roof next to him and it did, then zoomed back to the Koi pond. Akane sputtered and coughed then glared at Ranma. Her magically longer hair hung limply, dripping morosely. She stood up with great dignity and smoothed her soaking skirt.

"I assume," she said calmly, "that you can dry me off easily, yes?" Ranma grinned at the wet and dripping birdlike Fourth but said nothing. "Fine," Akane continued, "if you won’t help, I’ll do it my way." She flicked her hand and a great swirl of wind rose around her, removing the water that clung to her and spraying it everywhere. Ranma laughed as most the water ricocheted onto him. Once she was dry, Akane fluffed her hair and ‘hmph’ed at Ranma.

"You caught me," she declared, "only because I was tired of running. And because I didn’t expect you to try to drown me." Ranma sighed and shook his head.

"I didn’t try to drown you. I only wanted to ask you some questions and you didn’t seem willing to stop flitting about long enough to answer them." Akane ‘hmph’ed again, but Ranma saw she was smiling.

"Fine," she relented regally, "what do you want to know?" Ranma cocked an eyebrow and reached out to puff the end of her hair. Akane blushed and played with a silky strand.

"Well…I don’t really know how this happened, or how I got a little taller, or how I got a few more…curves…I just woke up this morning like this. I’ve been meaning to check the Tablet, but I heard you guys in the Dojo and couldn’t help myself." Ranma stared at Akane a moment, then sighed and headed towards the edge of the roof.

Once there, he hung over the side and called, "Hey Mousse, Ryoga! I found her! She’s got this cool little trick…but that’s not important right now. I’m gonna go in the house, meet me there! Oh, and Mousse, bring the Tablet!" Ranma turned back to Akane, but she was gone again.

Sighing, Ranma stood up, then heard from below him, "Hello, Ranma! I’m down here already!" Ranma leaned over the side of the roof again and saw Akane standing just above the ground, smiling at him. Ranma shook his head and leapt down, landing next to her. She smiled at him once more before floating into the house; apparently she liked the feeling of floating. Ranma followed her in.

"Hello, all!" Akane said, announcing both her and Ranma’s entrance. She set herself lightly on the ground and held out one of her hands to Mousse. "Can I have the Tablet?" Mutely Mousse handed it over, plainly still floored at Akane’s new appearance. She smiled at him. "Thank you." The quartet sat around the table, Akane and Ranma on one side, Mousse and Ryoga on the other. "Ok," Wind began, scanning the Tablet. "Let’s see…hmm. Well, that’s odd."

"What?" Asked Ryoga quickly. "What’s odd?" Akane pointed at the Tablet.

"It just says, ‘The Four have been found. Their journey to becoming as one has begun. So starts the Last Battle.’ That’s it." The three boys blinked at her and she shrugged. "I’m as confused as you are. I really thought it would tell me about my curse. I guess not." She sighed and handed the now useless Tablet to Mousse. He reached out to take it, but the instant it touched his fingers it crumbled to dust. "That’s great," Akane said indignantly, "now it’s just a pile of dust. A pile of useless dust. Great." She sighed again and shook her head. She looked at Ranma and held up her hand, fingers spread. As if counting down, as seconds ticked by she put down one finger. Five…four…three… two…one. She pointed to the door just as Kasumi bustled in, dustpan and broom in hand.

"Oh, my!" She exclaimed. "What a huge pile of dust I missed! How in the world did that happen?" Kasumi knelt by the table, swept the dust into her pan, and left the room. She came back in seconds later, carrying a tray with four tea cups on it. She smiled politely. "Would any one like some tea?" It was a formality. Whether they wanted tea or not, each one of the four Chosen got a cup. Akane sighed, and the sigh seemed to catch Kasumi’s attention. She glanced at Akane, then did a double take. She gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

"Oh, my, Akane! What happened? Where did you get those clothes?" Akane grinned.

"You know how Ranma and I have been looking for four specific people?" Kasumi nodded and Akane’s grin turned into a smile. She pointed at herself. "I’m the Fourth!" Kasumi gasped again.

"Really?" Akane nodded, then her expression fell and she looked sad for the first time that day.

"I…I was cursed, Kasumi. When I remembered that I was Fourth Wind…I found out I was cursed. How could I not have know that, Kasumi?" The older girl smiled reassuringly at her little sister.

"It’s ok, Akane. Everyone probably has some kind of curse. And your mallet was useful, wasn’t it?" Akane’s drooping head snapped up and she stared at Kasumi.

"How…how did you know that my mallet was my curse? I didn’t tell you…" For the first time since Ranma had known her, Kasumi fidgeted.

"Well…it makes a kind of sense, Akane, dear, you have to admit that." Akane nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off her sister.

"That’s true, Kasumi, but you never talk about things that make sense as a rule. If you haven’t seen it, you don’t talk about it. Even if it makes more sense than anything. You never have. When I was really little, you told me it was because sometimes the things that make sense aren’t true. Which makes me think…how did you know? You weren’t in my room…no one but Ranma was there. There is no way you could know. No way…unless…unless…" Akane’s eyes fogged slightly and she was no longer looking at Kasumi, but a point right off her shoulder. "You were there…" she whispered, "you were all there…Nabiki…Kasumi… and…and Dad." Her eyebrows furrowed. "But…where are we?" Suddenly, her eyes widened. Slowly she turned to look out at the Koi pond, but she wasn’t seeing the pond. She was seeing this same house…many years earlier. Kasumi, having guessed what was going on, stood up suddenly and ran from the room.

"Father," she cried, "Nabiki, come quick! Akane…Akane is…!" The three boys, utterly confused, traded glances, then looked at Akane. Ranma leaned toward her and waved his hand in her face.

"Akane? Akane, what’s wrong? Hello? Akane!" Akane lifted one of her hands very slightly.

"Shh…" she whispered, "I’m remembering…" Akane turned to Ranma’s spot but he wasn’t there. Kasumi was, only it was Kasumi as she had been years and years ago…as she had been at their mother’s funeral. That’s where she was. Akane was small again, and she was at her mother’s funeral. She looked around, only barely understanding the fact that, no, mommy was not all right, and no, she would not be coming back. Little Akane rose slowly and walked to the spot where her lovely mother was being viewed. She stood on her tip-toes and peered over the edge. The lady in the box was beautiful, wearing a traditional kimono and surrounded by flowers. Akane remembered this lady reading her stories at night before bed and tucking her in with gentle care. People around the casket, friends of the dead mother, watched with growing sadness as the littlest Tendo girl’s eyes filled with tears. A single tear trickled down the girl’s cheek as she spoke in a bare whisper.

"Bye bye, Mommy." Naturally a gentle, sweet, borderline-frail child, little Akane had been through a lot lately. That, combined with the sorrow of loosing her mother, was why after saying her final goodbye, the smallest Tendo’s knees buckled, and she slid to the ground by her mother’s coffin.

Akane wasn’t handling her mother’s death very well. At least, that’s what Mr. Tendo thought. She was quiet a good deal of the time, and she didn’t stand up for herself at school. Recently, she had even stopped playing with her birds. That was why he took her, along with her sisters, to the old Chinese Wards and More store. He took Akane to see if there was something there to help her and her sisters so they would know what was going on. Akane walked along behind her father docilely; much more docilely than she should as the heir to the Tendo Dojo. She allowed herself to be taken into the store without protest. Once inside, Mr. Tendo began talking to a strange man who rubbed his hands together habitually. After a few minutes, the two approached Akane. The strange man looked her over, and she met his gaze sorrowfully.

"And you’re sure," Mr. Tendo asked yet again, "that this won’t effect her the wrong way?"

"Oh, no," the man said quickly. "It’s just an ordinary ward. All it will do is give her a fighting spirit. Now…the fight might…manifest itself, but that won’t be anything but a special attack." Mr. Tendo glanced down at his youngest daughter, and she gazed back mournfully. He bit his lip.

"But, Daddy," Kasumi began, "Akane just misses Mommy. Nabiki and I miss her, too, but Akane’s younger than us, so she doesn’t know how to say she’s sad yet. Shouldn’t you…shouldn’t you wait? And see what happens? Wouldn’t that be better?"

"And safer," Nabiki agreed. Their father shook his head. The sisters traded glances. Something about this…wasn’t right. If only he would listen to them! Mr. Tendo sighed.

"All right," he said softly. "Put the ward on her." He smiled down at Akane. "It’s ok, Akane. Everything’s gonna be all ok now. You won’t hurt as much anymore…and we can all move on." Akane’s whisper was so soft he almost didn’t catch it.

"I don’t want to move on yet." Mr. Tendo bowed his head…then nodded crisply. The old man bent over Akane, a paper ward in his hand.

"Come here, dear. Let me just put this on you, all right?" He needn’t have asked. Akane neither gave him her wrist nor resisted the ward he put on. Once it was on though, she flinched.

"This hurts, Daddy," she whispered, pulling slightly on the paper. Suddenly, her knees buckled and she fell to the floor with a moan.

"Akane!" Kasumi and Nabiki shrieked, running to their baby sister’s side. They knelt next to her, but as Kasumi went to cradle Akane’s head in her lap, her eyes flashed open. Akane sat up, rubbed the back of her head, and grinned up at her father.

"Sorry, Daddy, must have slipped." She jumped up and grabbed his hand. Then she felt the ends of her long hair. "Daddy, could I please get a hair cut?" Mr. Tendo blinked at her.

"Why?"

"Because I can’t do martial arts as well if I’ve got long hair!" Mr. Tendo smiled. This was going to work out very well. Kasumi and Nabiki, still sitting on the floor, looked at each other and knew that little Akane would never be the same.

They were right.

In the present, Mr. Tendo sat by his daughter, gripping her shoulders and shaking her.

"Akane!" He called. "Akane, wake up!" At that moment, Akane’s eyes cleared. She looked at her father for a moment, then her blank expression melted into a scowl. She stood up suddenly.

"Don’t touch me!" She growled. Mr. Tendo stared at her, shocked.

"Akane…w-what-"

"You cursed me! You took me to a ward shop- a Chinese ward shop- and put a curse on me!"

"Please, Akane," he pleaded, "you were so quiet. I thought it was the best thing for you."

"I was hurt! I had just lost my mother and my deity! No wonder you never minded every time my temper exploded. No wonder! It was your fault! I can’t believe you did that to me! To me! Your own daughter! How could you?" Mr. Tendo’s mouth moved, but he couldn’t say anything. It didn’t matter; Akane was on a role, pacing about the room. The TV was blaring in the background, but no one was paying attention to it. All eyes were on the pacing Akane. "All those times I was so mad I could spit…all those times I couldn’t control myself…all those times I unjustly smashed Ranma into orbit, all that was your fault! All my proportions were wrong…my hair never grew…I can’t believe you did that to me!"

"I-I was afraid for you!" Mr. Tendo wailed. "I didn’t know what to do!" Akane glared at him.

"That still doesn’t make it right." Suddenly Kasumi and Nabiki came forward, one on each side of Akane.

"Akane, he didn’t mean t hurt you," Kasumi insisted gently, hoping to calm her sister down.

"Right," added Nabiki. "He was really worried. You wouldn’t eat."

"You wouldn’t sleep."

"You wouldn’t even talk."

"You stopped defending yourself."

"People were walking all over you! He just couldn’t stand to see that happen." Akane took a deep breath and faced her father, who was still kneeling on the ground. She took another breath.

"What you did," she began, "was wrong. I was in mourning, and you never gave me a chance. But," she added when he began looking crestfallen, "you did the only thing you thought you could. It was the wrong thing, but you tried. I know you’re sorry," he nodded vehemently, "and I forgive you." She smiled at his surprised looked and knelt to hug him. "You’re my dad," she explained, "and no matter how badly you screw up, that won’t ever change. And now that I’m not permanently pissed off, I forgive a lot easier." She pulled back slightly and they shared a smile. Suddenly, Mousse cried out.

"What?" Ranma asked, confused. Mousse sputtered and pointed at the TV that only he had been watching. As the broadcast rolled on, the four chosen felt their jaws hit the floor.

"…it is said that the rock slide, though no fatalities are reported at this point, caused major damage to surrounding cliff sides. A visiting tourist fount this cave, believed to be well over one thousand years old, amid some of the rubble. Though it is obvious the cave was revealed in the shock waves of the quake, it is uncertain what the cave contains. Around the mouth of the cave was the following inscription." A line of strange signs rolled along the screen. Akane gasped and scribbled the marks in her ever-present notebook. "Someone capable of translating this strange language is still being sought out, and the local town is a-buzz with rumors of alien messages! In other news, Taichi Kamika, the ace soccer player, had another great game in his hometown on Saturday. While there, he visited with his long-time friend, that hot new rock-star Yamato Ishida. It was mass pandemonium when the two tried to go outside, as girls everywhere were-" Ranma turned the TV off and faced Akane grimly.

"I recognize that writing. I might not know what it says, but I recognize it. It’s the same stuff that’s on the…that was on the Tablet. What does it say?" Akane scribbled a bit more on her notebook, then paled and looked up at Ranma.

" ‘Beware one thousand year go by,’ " she quoted in a whisper, staring at Ranma, "‘Inside this cave true evil lie. Thrice desperately the world hath fought, three mortal lives more time have bought. If only four could face this task, perhaps this battle would be the last. For if indeed you read my rhyme you’ll know in truth that it is time. Come to my mouth and look inside; sense the lives of those that died. This is the last chance given you. If you loose, this time you’re through.’ " Utter silence reigned. Then, suddenly, Ranma stood up.

"Let’s go!" Ryoga gaped at him.

"Are you nuts? How’re we gonna get there? We don’t have any money! We don’t even know where that place is!"

"Actually," Mousse commented easily, standing up, "we do know where it is. It’s right here. In Japan. It’s in a forest not too far from here. We could walk."

"Or fly!" Akane chirped, standing up as well. Ryoga looked at them all, then sighed and stood up, defeated.

"Fine," he said, "let’s go." Ranma grinned.

"All right!" With Ranma in the lead, and a quick goodbye from Akane for her family, the four ran from the house, to do what they had been born to do.

AN: Now, I'm sorry. But none of you know that was gonna happen that way, did you? And how many of you Digimon fans picked out the soccer player and the rock star? ^_~ You think I'm done? Ha! I have not yet begun to write!

Um...I'm done now. Take me home.