The Wheel of Fire, #16: Nemesis 

  Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@hotmail.com)
  http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html
  Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. And 
all that other good stuff. Proper licenses belong to respective 
properties and characters. The manga has precedence over material in 
the anime. 
  This file can be freely distributed so long as it appears in its 
complete form and proper credit. No part may be reproduced for 
monetary gain without permission from the author (to which the answer 
is probably "no"). 

Fanart inspired by this story can be found at: 
  http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/fanart/index.html 

  Author's note: This series takes place after the final manga story. 

Plot Points 
=========== 
1. Ranma and Akane are married. Ryoga and Akari are married. 
2. Nodoka insisted that Ukyo join her family to remove her past 
dishonor. While Ukyo accepted, she opted to retain her name for duty 
to her family as sole heir. 
3. Kodachi and Tatewaki hate their parents and Ranma. They know Ranma 
is the pig-tailed girl, and are quite unforgiving about that. 
4. Ling-ling, Lung-lung, and Shampoo's father work at the Nekohanten. 
5. Kodachi and Pantyhose Taro admit affection for each other. 
6. Ukyo discovers she can manipulate chi. With proper training she 
could become more powerful than Ranma. 

You can start reading now... heh. 

------------------------------------------------

  He watched the great fireball descend in the horizon, bathing the 
sky in a fiery orange glow. 
  It, perhaps, would be the last he would ever see for a long while. 
  Slowly, he forced himself to walk down the mountain trail, all the 
while resisting the urge to continue staring at the setting sun. 
  Left foot. Right foot. 
  And soon, he was making a steady pace as darkness enveloped him. 
  "The time has come," he said in a grave tone, speaking to himself 
aloud. "The annihilation of Humanity is at hand; the Cleansing shall 
begin. The gods help us if we are wrong." 
  Only the one with eight sets of eyes truly knew the answer. 

					*  *  *  *  *
Opening: Don't Cry Any more (Ukyo)

(Ukyo) On a street corner, shining down is 
The lonely silhouette which is me
I just heard the line "goodbye" from you 
Without quite believing it

My heart beats as though they're drums 
Against my chest 
Which brings forth tears, 
A lullaby

Cheer up, don't cry anymore.
Once tomorrow's here, it'll all be different
Cheer up, don't cry anymore.
Set yourself against a new wind, and 
Smile again!

I had felt like 
I was totally cool.

In the car that's driving away,
I can see a lovely kiss scene.
You and your girlfriend--
It's no mistake!

Cheer up, don't cry anymore
Only bad things won't continue 
Cheer up, don't cry anymore.
I look up and embrace the sky.
Smile again!

Cheer up, don't cry anymore.
Once tomorrow's here, it'll all be different
Cheer up, don't cry anymore.
Set yourself against a new wind, and 
Smile again!
					*  *  *  *  *

Part 1: Phoenix Rising-- When Black Roses Bloom 

"What is wedlock forced but a hell, an age of discord and 
  continued strife? Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss?" 
						-- Shakespeare, Henry VI 

"Humans have a phrase: 'What is past is prologue.' Minbari also have 
  a phrase: 'What is past is also sometimes future.'"
						-- Delenn, Babylon 5

  Everything you know about life is wrong. 
  There was a time when Tatewaki Kuno cared for other women, but now 
he found he could not. Only one thought occupied his mind right now, 
standing alone that morning on the porch, staring at the rising sun, 
This thought prevented him from drifting to his beloved Ukyo Kuonji. 
  Kodachi had died. 
  Well, in a manner of speaking, of course. She hadn't physically- 
died, really. Actually, it was more of a mental death, if one could 
call it that. 
  Nearly a month ago Ukyo had asked for Kuno's help to rid Ranma of 
an evil possessing spirit. The only reason he had gone was because 
Ukyo had asked, and that Akane was in danger. He would later find 
that he was not the only one to aid in the battle; Ryoga, Mousse, 
Shampoo, and Kodachi were recruited as well, being part of the six 
that formed the circle around Ranma and Akane, whatever that meant. 
  Joining minds, the six had traveled to Ranma's mindscape, where 
Akane was being held against her will. Ranma, under the so-called 
'influences' of the evil phantom, had killed Mousse and Kodachi, 
and had almost done Ukyo and himself in as well before the others 
could stop him. As in a dream, when one dies, one wakes up, and that 
was the fate of Mousse and Kodachi. 
  While Mousse suffered no lasting trauma, Kodachi hadn't recovered. 
  Kuno had accepted the fact that Kodachi loved Ranma long ago. To 
be otherwise now was-- to say the least-- unsettling. He had always 
wished his twisted sister would give-up her affection for the foul 
sorcerer, but not in this way. Kodachi refused to come within sight 
of Ranma, being quite bitter about being one of those who he had 
targeted to kill. 
  The richman and head of House Kuno had no idea what was going on 
through his sister's mind. In fact, he had no idea what that girl 
was doing right now. Humph, probably cuddling with that Taro person, 
or feeding that alligator or something, Kuno guessed. At least she 
was taking care of SOMETHING. 
  Kuno had grudgingly-hired a gardener after Kodachi refused to 
touch the plants in the courtyard anymore, as if their presence made 
her sick. He had the idea that she wanted them to die, probably to 
experience what she had experienced: dying. 
  Dying. 
  Yes, he, too, had died once, during a duel against an assassin who 
wished to bring harm to Akane. It was the invincible Chinese Phoenix 
Sword that killed him, as it drained almost all of Kuno's soul power. 
Dying had opened his eyes, made new roads available to him, and it 
was there, in Heaven, that Kuno discovered that Ranma was the pig- 
tailed girl. That alone drove him back to Earth. Since then, Kuno 
steadily-increased his soul energies, so that he may never burn 
himself out again. 
  Dying wasn't such a bad thing. 
  Perhaps dying was a good thing for dear Kocchi, Kuno supposed. Of 
course, she cherished life and living over all else; perhaps she 
might not make it out of her problem alone. Perhaps it was time I 
did something besides stand around and wonder. 
  He was on the verge of collapse when, in the mindscape, Ranma had 
thrown his deadly energy lance through Kodachi's stomach, creating a 
clean-cut hole right through the center. The memory of what Kodachi 
had done still haunted him: she merely stared down at the hole, as 
if it were always there, then back at Ranma, and laughed. Then, she 
fell forward, falling flat on her face, and died. 
  She had laughed. Laughed, as if it were a joke. 
  That was what scared Tatewaki Kuno most. 
  After all, everything you know about life is wrong. 

  Cold air rushed past the solitary martial artist by the name of 
Saotome, given name Ranma. Teal wisps of smoke danced all about, 
kicked up like sand in a high wind. 
  He practiced his kicks against an imaginary opponent, keeping 
steady in each blow, simulating tae kwon do moves he had seen 
demonstrated to him once on television. None of it was particularly 
difficult, he thought. 
  It was then the imaginary opponent was replaced by a person. Ranma 
ceased his practice, not surprised that the newcomer arrived. 
  The newcomer wore a heavy, dark mantle, concealing the rest of the 
body. The sleeves of the mantle dangled loosely by the side; Ranma 
knew that this person had her arms folded in the drape-like cloth. 
  "Do you know who I am?" she asked. 
  "Of course I do," Ranma answered quickly, casually. 
  She shook her head. "Do you KNOW who I am?" 
  "What's THAT supposed to mean?" the martial artist asked. 
  Quickly, the woman was replaced by another figure... that of a 
man, dressed in long, plain white pants, and a scale-patterned shirt, 
the likes of which Ranma knew and despised. 
  "WHY are you here?!" Ranma yelled. 
  The man chuckled to himself. "You're missing something." 
  And, from behind Ranma, another voice said, "When the log falls, 
you will all die." 
  The martial artist turned to look over his shoulder, but found no 
one there. Turning back to face the man, Ranma was surprised to find 
him replaced by the woman from before. One eye glowed a ruby red, 
in a diamond-like shape, as if it were made of artificial substances. 
  "It's not too late," she said. "I'll always be there." 

  "It is time," announced Kodachi. 
  In the dark chamber that served as Kodachi Kuno's bedchambers 
she cackled madly, her only audience being Pantyhose Taro, her latest 
love of her life. The walls of the room that were once decorated with 
posters of Ranma were now bare; a single picture remained, posted at 
the center of a dart board, with three darts stuck through it. The 
room reeked of plant life, as Kodachi kept a vase of roses by her 
bedside, the buds emitting a powerful, yet pleasant, scent, only 
vaguely reminiscent of actual roses. She loved to chemically- 
enhance her plants whenever possible, and the roses represented one 
such specimen of many in the garden. 
  "We will hit him hard, and hit him fast," explained Kodachi, 
pacing around Taro, tapping a club in her palm. "After all, it is 
three against one, and certain advantages available to us alone!" 
  Taro nodded. The 'three' included himself, Kodachi, and Kodachi's 
idiotic brother, the Poet. The 'advantages' his love spoke of 
included several plans and contingencies, worked out by Taro and 
Kodachi together, each pointing-out each other's flaws and even 
more contingencies. The target, of course, was none other than 
Femme-boy, otherwise known as Ranma Saotome. 
  Kodachi wished to harm Ranma to the point of overhumiliation, if 
not to death. All of that suited Taro just fine, so long as Ranma 
got what he deserved. Of course, given Kodachi's rather sadistic 
attitude toward battle, he might have to restrain her attack a bit as 
well, especially if his cousin, Akane, were endangered. 
  He cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "Finally, time for some 
long-deserved payback!" 
  Taro circled his arms around Kodachi lovingly. The couple stared 
into each other's eyes knowingly. 
  "Whatever happens," the Chinese man said, "we do it together." 
  "Yes, together," echoed Kodachi, whispering softly. Smiling gently, 
she pressed her lips onto Taro's, oblivious to the rest of the world, 
if only for a moment. 

  Not far from the Kuno estate, in Tokyo proper, a woman, who appeared 
to be in her late thirties or early forties, emerged from the airplane 
that had carried her home from Abu Dhabi. 
  She stepped out of the airplane's hatch and into the boarding ramp 
that lead to the terminal, careful not to let her carnation-adorned 
kimono brush against what she perceived as filthy walls. She clomped 
down the ramp, carrying an air of importance with her, with her chin 
up high, and a beautifully-patterned folding fan in hand, ever so 
slightly waving air toward the woman's delicate face. 
  The woman stepped into the terminal, standing there for a moment, 
as if to take in the air around her. With her free hand, the lady 
threw her pony tail over her shoulder, letting it dangle almost 
invitingly on the left side. She wrinkled her nose, suddenly 
remembering why she hated the city so much: it reminded her too much 
of home. 
  For the Lady Kuno, the mother of Tatewaki and Kodachi, was not 
born to wealth, but to poverty; however, marriage to the rich maniac 
Kuno had changed everything. 
  Speaking of which.... 
  "Service!" demanded the Lady, making herself heard over the noise 
of the occupants of the terminal. 
  No sooner had she cried out had the nearest airport employee came 
to her side. He bowed to the Lady respectfully. 
  "Get my package out of the baggage compartment, now!" she ordered. 
"My husband is no good to me dead!" 

  Ukyo, don't you think it is time to get up? 
  The okonomiyaki chef groaned, rolling to her side in her futon 
lazily. 
  "Go 'way," murmured Ukyo. "It's my day off...." 
  You know as well as I that I cannot do that. 
  It was then that Ukyo realized that nobody had spoken to her. She 
rolled onto her back, and maneuvered her hands to cushion her head. 
The chef cursed silently, remembering where the voice came from. 
  "I thought I told you I wanted to sleep in," she whispered to the 
air, running her fingers through her long, black hair. 
  I can feel it in the air. Echoing through space is the resonance 
of energy, energy that has the same signature as that the Warmage 
gathered from Ranma a while ago. It can only mean that Warmage has 
finally found a suitable host for Nemesis. 
  Sitting up, Ukyo said, "Now?" 
  Gather the others. Their help will be needed. 
  "Oh, all right," the chef said, shrugging. 
  The voice Ukyo heard in her head belonged to that of Seiryu, her 
future self, who traveled back in time to prevent Nemesis from 
destroying mankind. When she failed in her mission, she managed to 
transfer some of her memories into Ranma's mind, and, after joining 
minds with Ranma recently, Seiryu's memories leaped into Ukyo's mind. 
  The strangest part of it all was that Ukyo was, in effect, talking 
to herself. 
  Seiryu's mental voice was the same as Ukyo's; no surprise, since 
they are the same person. Seiryu's voice carried the weight of 
experience, of a certain weariness, yet, holding determination and 
hope at the same time. The future Ukyo continued to point out to the 
chef that her own voice was still filled with some innocence, but of 
what Ukyo couldn't determine. 
  It wasn't long before Ukyo realized that Seiryu's memories had the 
ability to teach her how to use her latent psychokinetic powers, 
powers in which Seiryu mastered in her time. By force of will Ukyo 
practiced creating chi daggers, a feat many martial artists couldn't 
hope to do. Yet, somehow, Ukyo knew that Seiryu was holding back on 
her lessons, as if there was something Ukyo wasn't supposed to use. 
  Ranma possessed as much potential, if not more, as Ukyo did in chi 
mastery. However, Seiryu had explained that Ranma's mastery comes 
not from within as Ukyo's did, but from others. For a time, Ranma 
had used those ultimate powers, but they were drawn from negative, 
dark emotions, rooted in evil born in his person. Only the power of 
faith surpassed that energy, and it was the only energy that could 
properly-fuel Ranma's ultimate powers. 
  Of course, the problem was, Ranma lacked faith. Careful study 
by Cologne revealed that Ranma must place faith in those closest to 
him, namely Akane, Ukyo, Ryoga, Mousse, Shampoo, Kuno, and Kodachi, 
as all their lives were interconnected. All eight belong to a 
circle, old Cologne said, with Ranma and Akane in the center, and 
the other six around them in a circular pattern. 
  Only together would they defeat the evil Warmage was attempting to 
bring into the world. And unless something was done, the circle 
would collapse, and all hope with it. 
  So they said. 
  "It's time to correct my mistakes," Ukyo announced to nobody in 
particular. "ALL of them...." 

  "It's time to collect what's due to me," Mousse muttered to 
himself. 
  Sitting cross-legged, arms folded across his chest, head bent low, 
the Chinese acrobat took in a deep breath, then relaxed, savoring 
the flow of air in his lungs before exhaling. The only light that 
illuminated the attic of the Nekohanten came from a single window, 
the light unobstructed by the heavy curtains pulled to the side. 
Mousse had arranged his seating such that the light of the rising 
sun, as it traveled across the sky, would bathe him in greater 
radiance, sitting with his back against the window all the while. 
  The shadow he cast spanned to the door. This time of the morning 
was the perfect time. 
  Mousse reached to his right and pulled a box in front of him, 
which appeared a bit larger than a box containing a basketball. He 
opened the package he had received nearly two weeks ago, and 
stared at the contents inside. 
  Reaching into the box with both hands, the Chinese acrobat 
removed a pair of matching claw razors. Each razor appeared as 
the black, heavy gloves that one might find in a laboratory, fitting 
well over the wrists and halfway up to the elbows, but that was where 
the similarities ended; the 'fingers' of the gloves ended in four 
large, stainless steel edges, giving the appearance of a great claw 
from the most imposing of demons-- three fingers and a thumb, if one 
wished to look at the weapons in that manner. 
  Mousse put both gloves on his hands, flexing the 'fingers' 
experimentally. Although he had been practicing with these new 
weapons for the past two weeks, the acrobat could still feel awe. 
  Slipping off the gloves, Mousse stowed them away into their new 
resting place, up his sleeves. He reached back into the box and 
withdrew a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, the Chinese acrobat 
read the words he'd read so many times before: "To Mousse, I have 
fashioned these weapons for you since we last parted nearly a year 
ago. I have personally enchanted them with the most powerful Taoist 
sorceries available to me; think of me when you use them. May we 
meet again where no darkness falls, Mei-ling." 
  Silently, he folded the letter back up, and slipped it into his 
sleeves. 
  Leaping to his feet, Mousse turned to face the window. With 
graceful strides he made his way to the window, and, with his left 
hand, pushed it open, allowing the wind to rush into the attic. 
  Peering out the window, staring down at the street below, he 
whispered, "All that is left to do is to get revenge against Ranma 
Saotome!" 
  Only a pair of eyes bore witness to Mousse's flight from the open 
window, watching him race across the rooftops to his destination. 
Nodding to each other in understanding, Ling-ling and Lung-lung, 
polearms in hand, followed the Chinese acrobat. 
  Little did any of the three deserters know that Shampoo, her 
father, and old Cologne were watching them depart from the dining 
room inside. 
  "Follow them," the old woman ordered Shampoo. "Make sure they do 
not ruin my plans." 

  Ranma's eyes flew open like a spring returning to its natural 
state. 
  Damn, that was a weird dream.... 
  For a moment, while staring at the ceiling, he wondered why Akane 
didn't wake him up earlier. 
  Lying in his double futon on the floor, Ranma lay in bed, alone. 
Judging from the clock, it was almost ten in the morning. He could 
hear the faint chirping of the birds out in the Tendo yard through 
the open window, as well as smell whatever it was Kasumi had made 
for breakfast. 
  Oh yeah, Ranma thought, I told Akane I wanted to sleep-in today. 
Well, in part that had much to do with Ukyo's decisions; every 
morning for the past few months she and Ranma practiced in the dojo 
at dawn, just before Ukyo opened her shop. However, since today was 
one day she designated as a 'day off,' she decided to sleep-in, and 
Ranma did the same. After all, getting up at dawn wasn't Ranma's 
idea of a morning. 
  He almost expected to hear the voice of Ucchan in his mind, but 
there was only emptiness. 
  Ukyo, where are you? Ranma wondered. 
  No answer. 
  Her familiar, comforting, soothing voice was missing, as it has 
been for almost a month, even though he's seen her every morning. 
It was the voice that assured Ranma that everything would turn out 
right in the end, the voice of reason, the one that guided his 
actions like a loving parent. It was she, in his mind, which would 
always be there, but she was gone. 
  Ranma concluded that he missed her. 
  "Geez, I don't get it," Ranma said to himself. "Why in the world 
would I be thinking about Ukyo right now? I've never thought about 
her all that much before, so why am I now?" 
  Maybe it's time to pay her a visit, he decided. I've got to sort 
this thing out. 
  Pulling himself out from under the covers of the bed, Ranma shook 
those thoughts from his mind, and began to change his clothes. 

  "I knew I shouldn't have gone out by myself," Ryoga said, 
chastising himself for the umpteenth time. 
  It should have been a simple matter to travel to town and go to 
the store to buy a gift for Akari, but, as usual, Ryoga got lost. 
More than ever Ryoga hated getting lost, especially the fact that 
the time he spent lost was time without Akari. Still, this had to be 
done, otherwise Akari wouldn't have been surprised with the gift. 
  He had no idea what possessed him to get the gift; it was as if 
someone in the back of the Eternally Lost Boy's head told him it was 
necessary. That must have been yesterday, Ryoga decided. 
  Hiking in a familiar-looking urban community, a small, wrapped box 
in hand, Ryoga trudged on, hoping that the Fates would put him back 
on the right path. 
  Then again, the Fates usually put Ryoga in the right place at the 
right time, and that usually wasn't where he intended to go. 
  "I shouldn't have gone without you, Akari," he whispered. 

  "So, Nabiki, you've found a job?" Soun said. 
  Gathered in the Tendo living room were Soun and his three 
daughters, sitting around the table as if they were sharing a meal, 
which they were not, as breakfast was finished for quite some time. 
Nodoka and Genma went out to the market together, while Ranma was 
left alone in bed, leaving all four Tendo family members alone in the 
house for the first time in a long time. 
  Nabiki nodded in confirmation. "It's down at the new Casino King. 
I get to handle money." 
  "'Casino King?'" piped Akane. "Isn't that the Gambling King's 
place?" 
  The middle Tendo sister replied, "It sure is." 
  "He was such an interesting fellow," commented Kasumi. 
  Akane eyed Kasumi suspiciously. Why in the world was she behaving 
in such a manner toward a man who tried to take away the Tendo 
dojo? 
  Under normal circumstances, the idea of Nabiki getting a job 
would have been ludicrous. But, since her failure to pass the 
infamous college entrance exams, she has had a better glimpse at 
what kind of future she would have if she didn't get a job. Kasumi 
filled the role of a housekeeper, and Akane had the dojo, but Nabiki 
had nothing but herself to rely on. 
  And her only friend was money. It came to no surprise that Nabiki 
would choose a job that handled money, if indirectly. 
  "I'm starting out today," continued Nabiki. She pointed an 
accusing finger at Soun. "And don't you think about stopping-by at 
the casino, okay? You have no idea how embarrassing that would be." 
  "Nabiki, that wasn't very nice," Kasumi pointed out. 
  "That's okay, I understand," Soun assured his daughters, nodding. 
"I suppose there's some worlds in which your father cannot tread." 
  Nabiki shot a glance over at the clock. "Well, looks like I 
should be going. I don't want to be late for my first day, you 
know." 
  Kasumi nodded. "Speaking of which, I'd better get down to church. 
The priest wants to have a word with me." 
  "Just remember to get back in time before tonight's concert," 
reminded the younger sister, stepping out the door. 
  Soun turned to Akane. "Well, Akane, it looks like just you and 
me." 
  Akane shook her head. "Not quite, Dad; Ranma's still here," the 
youngest of the sisters pointed out. 
  The sound of thumping against the hardwood floor above the living 
room resonated throughout the house. 
  "Well, sounds like he won't be here for long," Nabiki corrected 
Akane dryly. 

  Ranma had barely made it out the front door before Akane called 
for his attention. 
  "Ranma!" Akane shouted, rushing to the front door, "where are you 
going?!" 
  Her husband turned around and shrugged. "I've got the urge to go 
see Ukyo right now. We'll talk later." 
  Before Ranma could make his break, Akane rushed to his side. "Why?" 
she asked. "You just got out of bed!" 
  Ranma turned to face Akane seriously. "Akane, you shouldn't have 
to know what's eating at me right now. It's between me and Ukyo." 
  "I'm your wife!" protested Akane. "What is it that you can tell 
Ukyo and not me?" 
  Holding his hands up defensively, the young Saotome stepped back 
several careful steps. "Hey, take it easy!" replied Ranma hastily. 
"It's nothing like you're thinking!" 
  "Oh, and what am I thinking?!" Akane demanded, shaking her fists 
in the air angrily. "You don't think I'm going to pound you into the 
ground, are you?" 
  "Well... no," lied Ranma, visibly sweating. Had he any real 
sense, the conversation would have ended there, but Ranma couldn't 
resist adding, "Still, it's not like I'm playing around with other 
girls...." 
  "RANMA!" his wife screamed, feeding Ranma a knuckle sandwich 
backed by terrible, jealous force before he could finish his sentence. 
  Ranma's back scraped against the ground, kicking up dust into the 
air. He sat up, rubbing his sore cheeks. 
  "One of these days," he told himself, "I'm going to have to learn 
to keep my mouth shut." 
  Had Seiryu's reassuring voice been there, she might have said, 
"You're starting to listen," Ranma thought. 
  "I see that the more things change, the more they stay the same," 
someone's voice echoed throughout the Tendo yard. 
  Ranma and Akane's eyes met those of the speaker: Mousse. Standing 
atop the gate, arms folded, glasses resting on his head, the 
Chinese acrobat seemed to stare down at Ranma, although his eyes 
were closed. Only the rustling of the wind made the couple certain 
that they were not looking at a still-life portrait. 
  "What do you want?!" cried Ranma, leaping to his feet. 
  "It may come to your pleasure that the old one has decided to 
return home," Mousse called back. "Within a week the Nekohanten will 
close down for good, and I yearn to return home." 
  "So, what?" replied Ranma. "I'm willing to bet you didn't come 
all this way to say 'good-bye.'" 
  Mousse's lips twisted into a malicious smile. "Shampoo's heart may 
no longer be yours, but that is not why I am here." 
  "Then, why are you here?" asked Akane. 
  "All that is left is revenge!" the acrobat declared, leaping from 
his position on the gate and into the air, sailing over Ranma in the 
sky. 
  Ranma threw himself away from the first chained spear, allowing 
the thrown weapon to bury itself into the ground. Rolling swiftly, 
he continued to leave a trail of spears behind him, escaping Mousse's 
initial attack completely. 
  The Chinese acrobat landed in the midst of the chained spears, 
throwing away the ends of the chains that were up his sleeves, 
unconcerned. 
  "You know," huffed the young Saotome, "I swear, if I had a yen for 
each time you've attacked me...." 
  "Shut up!" Mousse shot back, reaching his hands back into his 
large sleeves. Grabbing what he was searching for, the Chinese 
acrobat produced Mei-ling's gifts-- the razor gloves. 
  Ranma stepped back involuntarily. "Yow," he whistled, "never seen 
anything like THAT before!" 
  Akane stepped back as well. "They look... beautiful!" she 
exclaimed. 
  Mousse smiled. "These are the weapons forged by Chinese hands, 
tempered by the ancient sorceries of Taoism!" he proclaimed. Lifting 
the right glove, he said, "The Sleeping Dragon!" And, raising the 
left, proclaimed, "The Phoenix Fledgling! Right and left alike, 
Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong served their master well. Now, as I am 
the master, they will aid me in this final battle, Ranma Saotome!" 
  Quickly, Mousse slipped-on the gloves, allowing the sunlight to 
reflect off each razor 'finger.' 
  Ranma shrugged. "I was wondering when you'd join the bandwagon." 
  The Chinese acrobat snarled angrily. "You won't be laughing when 
I'm through with you!" 
  Throwing his arms forward toward Ranma, Mousse's claws fired-off 
from the gloves, heavy chains trailing behind. 
  Ranma ducked, allowing the chained projectiles to collide with the 
wall behind him. 
  Getting up, he taunted, "Was THAT the best you could do?!" 
  Unexpectedly, the chains tugged backward against the claws that 
were buried in the walls. Ripping cracks into the wall, Mousse 
retracted the weapons, pulling away a huge chunk of wall with them. 
  The wall fragment ended its path where Ranma stood, allowing the 
claws to return to the Chinese acrobat's position. 
  "EVERYTHING can be used as a weapon!" declared Mousse, returning 
Ranma's taunt. 
  Ranma threw the wall fragment away from himself, then jumped back 
to his feet, facing Mousse. "I really don't get why you guys keep 
attacking me all the time!" 
  Mousse snorted. "It was a wise man who advised never to leave 
loose ends untied," he paraphrased. "I bring no shame by returning 
home without defeating you, but it is my pride I fight for!" 
  "Mousse, wait!" two voices shouted in unison. 
  Ranma, Akane, and Mousse turned to face the new arrivals, standing 
atop the wall, holding their polearms steady. Ling-ling and Lung-lung, 
the twin warriors, labored for breath, struggling to keep their 
balance in their awkward position. 
  "What are you two doing here?!" demanded Mousse. 
  "Here... to... help!" answered Ling-ling, taking breaths between 
each word. 
  "Fight... with... you!" Lung-lung added. 
  Akane shook her head disappointingly. "Ranma, how in the world did 
you get into this much trouble?" The Chinese twins were a force to 
be reckoned with, but their fighting style left much to be desired. 
However, with Mousse on their side, backed by a 'magic' weapon, the 
odds were being stacked against Ranma, if he wasn't careful. 
  "I want to do this myself!" protested Mousse, making his way to 
the wall, waving a razor 'finger' in the air. 
  "Out of the way, Poet!" someone shouted from the other side of 
the wall. 
  The voice boomed loud enough to catch the Chinese twins off-guard, 
and, in their jump of surprise, they fell forward, into the Tendo 
property lot, and toward an equally-surprised Mousse. 
  The gates burst open, each door slamming against the wall, the 
hinges protesting loudly. Pantyhose Taro stood where the double doors 
once stood, his arms forward, having just forced open the gate. 
Behind him, stood Kodachi and Tatewaki Kuno, to the left and right 
respectively. 
  Ranma wiped his hand down his face in disgust. "Here comes the 
Goon Squad." 
  "I'd be more serious if I were you, Femme-boy!" snarled Taro. 
  Kodachi stepped to Taro's side. "Was it not a wonderful gift you 
had bestowed upon me, Ranma?" she purred slyly, with a hint of 
malice in her voice. "To think, that Death was one to be feared by 
the living?! Ha-hah! Oh-hohohoho!" 
  Kuno shook his head. "If only Death were truly the end," he 
muttered under his breath. 
  "The end of existence, the end of our being, the fate in which 
all life is made equal!" continued Kodachi, circling Taro playfully. 
"Oh, Ranma, what a gift it was you had bestowed upon me! The gift 
of eternal sleep, the gift that gives the true meaning of life! To 
welcome Death, instead of fearing it! Ah-hah, to think, that I once 
cowered in the face of Death!" 
  Both Ranma and Akane stepped back. 
  "She's flipped," Akane noted. 
  "More so than usual," added Ranma. 
  The Kuno girl ceased her prancing, then glowered at Ranma, her 
tone of voice suddenly becoming serious. "It is this gift I wish to 
share with you, Ranma Saotome!" she cried, causing chill to run up 
her brother's spine. 
  "'Death, be not proud,'" Kuno told himself, raising his bokken. 
"Truly, if death were the end of our being, then I would have no 
regrets this day, yet, if death is truly not the end...." 
  "Shut up!" Taro snarled at him. "If the death of flesh is not 
enough, then it will be the death of his being!" Turning back to 
Ranma, he cried, "It is long passed the time I remedied my past 
humiliation at your hand!" 
  "No, wait!" protested Mousse, dragging himself from under the 
prone bodies of Ling-ling and Lung-lung. "He's mine!" 
  "He's MINE, Ducky!" Taro shot back. 
  "You and what army?!" the Chinese acrobat replied. 
  "Silence!" demanded Kodachi. 
  The bickering between Mousse and Taro ceased at the chilling, 
commanding tone borne from the Kuno's voice. 
  "It matters not WHO kills Ranma, but that he dies is what matters!" 
reasoned Kodachi. "We will fight together, or not at all!" 
  Both Ling-ling and Lung-lung got up to their feet, and took 
positions to either of Mousse's sides. 
  "She speak wisdom," noted Lung-lung. 
  "One man alone surely cannot defeat the six of us," added Kuno. 
"All our skill combined is more than a match for such evilness as 
Ranma Saotome!" 
  "What's the matter with all of you?!" Akane cried. 
  All heads turned to Ranma's wife. 
  "I thought you've all settled your differences a long time ago!" 
she continued. "There's no longer a reason why you all need to deal 
with Ranma anymore! Everything is over... OVER!" 
  To Kodachi, Akane said, "You've lost in your race to win Ranma 
to your side; why do you continue to pester us?!" 
  Kodachi feigned a look of innocence. "Oh, me?! I simply wish to 
share with him the gift of eternal sleep!" 
  "You've never loved Death!" Akane pointed out. "Why now?!" 
  "She speaks the truth, Sister!" insisted Kuno, reaching for her 
right arm. "In times before you never walked the path of death, but 
it was I who did! It was you who turned me from such a destructive 
path, Kocchi!" 
  "Fool," Kodachi replied. "I simply said such to dissuade you from 
something I perceived to be an object to be feared! Oh, to meet 
Death face-to-face is to change one's outlook on life! It is the 
sweetness Death caresses one with that I wish to share!" 
  "I don't care," Taro said. "Whatever end it takes to have your 
hand, I will follow!" 
  "Blind love doth cloud your judgement!" Kuno replied. "Why do you 
not listen to your cousin and understand the truth?" 
  Taro planted a foot in Kuno's face. "I've heard enough from you, 
Poet!" 
  Mousse stepped closer to Taro. "Ever since I tasted the blood of 
my first kill, at the age of five, I feared not death, but welcomed 
it with open arms!" Turning to Ranma and Akane, he added, "The way 
of the warrior is to accept death as a part of life. Surely, you, 
Ranma, fear the final sleep!" 
  Kuno nodded in agreement. "A samurai fears not death." 
  Ranma's wife flared in anger. "Whose side are you on?!" she cried 
at Kuno. 
  I don't want to die, Ranma admitted to himself. And this is 
certainly NOT the way I want to die. 
  "You not ready to die?" asked Ling-ling and Lung-lung in unison, 
guessing Ranma's thoughts. 
  Akane stepped forward defiantly. "That's enough!" she cried. "If 
anyone is going to kill my husband, he'll have to come through me 
first!" 
  "You would dare to accept the gift in your husband's stead?!" 
Kodachi cried mockingly. "You aren't worthy of such an honor! Death 
is too easy a fate for you!" 
  "Stand out of the way, Akane," warned Taro. "I don't want to hurt 
you, but I will if you force me!" 
  "Taro," Akane replied, "you just can't do that!" 
  "And why not?!" demanded Taro. "I've done it before, and I'll do 
it again! Nothing stands in the way of my goals, and that is to make 
my beloved happy!" 
  "But when will you satisfy her lust for death?" Akane asked 
honestly. "Would killing Ranma really satisfy her thirst to kill?" 
  The Chinese martial artist passed his look back to Kodachi, staring 
at her eyes. In the deep soul within, Taro could find only one thing, 
a look, though something he had never seen himself, was all-too 
familiar to him. 
  Bloodlust. 
  It was the same lust for killing that Taro felt when capturing 
livestock in the country, or stalking and hunting wild animals in 
China. It was the feeling that told him to kill or be killed, and 
Taro preferred to kill. 
  It was a look that was never present in the eyes of the woman 
he loved. The innocence, the joy of life that so contrasted his 
own lifestyle seemed to have disappeared. 
  "But," Taro said finally, "I know who did this to her!" 
  "Way to go, Akane!" Ranma said, throwing up his arms in total 
frustration. "He STILL thinks it's my fault, whatever it is he's 
mad about!" 
  "Ranma!" Akane yelled, turning to face her husband, back toward 
the six opponents. "I'm TRYING to help you!" 
  "Some help you've been!" her husband replied, snorting. 
  Anger burned within Akane's being. "Fine! Then maybe I SHOULD 
let them have you!" 
  Mousse looked at Lung-lung in confusion. "How did we get to this 
point?" 
  The Chinese girl merely shrugged. 
  Suddenly, the air above was pierced by the high speed path of a 
single, large projectile. Kicking up dirt about, the object landed 
between Ranma and Akane and the other six in the Tendo yard. The 
object turned out to be a giant spatula. 
  Ranma turned to where the projectile originated, on the Tendo 
roof. "Ukyo!" he exclaimed with joy. 
  Smashing Ranma over the head with the giant spatula, Akane shouted, 
"THERE is your beloved Ukyo, Ranma!" 
  "Hey, that's not fair!" protested Ranma. 
  Ukyo Kuonji leaped from the roof and landed by Ranma and Akane. 
She accepted the spatula from Akane's hands, then turned to help 
her get Ranma back to his feet. 
  "Well, Ranchan, looks like you're in a pot of hot water," the 
okonomiyaki chef noted dryly, watching Konatsu make his leap from 
the roof. 
  "I hope Ranma-sama would recover," the kunoichi said encouragingly. 
  Getting back to his feet, Ranma rubbed his sore head. "I'm trying 
to think of the number of times things like this happened to me in 
the past two years...." 
  "It's only going to get worse," Ukyo added. 
  "Swell," replied her friend. 

  This place certainly DOES look familiar, noted Ryoga. 
  Ah, yes, there was the park with the nice fountain in the middle 
of it. And there's the street vendors, as usual. There's the 
children, playing with a ball, rolling around in the grass. And 
there was Shampoo, riding her bicycle....
  "Shampoo!" shouted the Eternally Lost Boy, picking up the pace 
to catch the bicycle that was traveling away from him. "Wait up!" 
  Apparently, Shampoo had heard Ryoga's shouts, as she pulled to a 
complete stop at the mention of her voice. She looked behind herself, 
noticing the one who always got lost rushing toward her. 
  "Shampoo very busy now," the Chinese Amazon said flatly. 
  "Yeah, I know!" Ryoga said, coming to a stop from his mad dash at 
Shampoo's side. "I need your help to get to the Tendo household!" 
  "You very lucky," Shampoo replied, "because that where Shampoo go." 
  Carefully, Ryoga studied Shampoo's bicycle curiously. Pointing to 
the empty back where delivery boxes would have been, he asked, "Then, 
do you suppose I can have a ride?" 

  Twisting about in place, Kodachi whipped out a long, flowing white 
ribbon in one hand, and a blood-red ball in the other. Raising both 
to the sky, she shouted, "See these, Ranma?!" 
  "Big deal," replied Ranma, uninterested. "So what're ya going to do 
with those that I haven't seen before?" 
  "Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!" laughed Kodachi. Raising the ribbon, she 
declared, "Behold, the godly gymnastics apparatus, the Ribbon of 
Tears, containing the tears of gymnastics girls who could not find 
true love!" 
  Akane shook her head. "Oh, not THAT thing again!" she muttered, 
remembering the battle when a group of three male gymnastics 
martial artists sought to 'win back' gymnastics as a guy's sport 
with the three godly weapons. The Ribbon, as both Ranma and Kodachi 
can attest to, spat a sticky pink bubble gum-like liquid substance 
that bonded like super glue. 
  "I would've figured she'd think twice before touching THAT again," 
commented Ranma. 
  "Shut up, hermaphrodite!" snarled Taro. "Kodachi can use ANYTHING 
she wants in the name of revenge!" 
  Raising the red ball, the Kuno gymnast continued, "Here, the Ball 
of Anger, containing the frustration and belligerence of gymnastics 
girls!" Without wasting another word, Kodachi threw the ball straight 
toward Ranma. 
  Effortlessly, Ranma sidestepped, the ball flying past him. 
  Before he could get out a crack, something hit him in the back of 
his head. 
  "Ranma!" Akane yelled, too late to warn her husband of the ball's 
return flight. 
  Picking himself up, rubbing his sore head, Ranma watched the red 
gymnastics ball return to Kodachi, hovering under its own power 
before her. "I don't remember that thing doing that...." 
  Stretching her ribbon in her fingers, Kodachi smiled. "Oh, but 
Ranma-darling, that is only the beginning." Her smile transformed 
into a frown, the girl's eyes fixing on Ranma like a hunter to prey. 
Raising the ribbon high above, Kodachi snarled, "Oh, weep, Ribbon of 
Tears! Let thine feelings rush onto mine enemy!" 
  Lashing the ribbon against the ground, the magical ribbon produced 
three shots of pink goo, aimed straight for Ranma. 
  Pushing Akane aside, Ranma bolted, the sticky tears narrowly 
missing him by centimeters. He ducked and jumped over Kodachi's 
continued assault, careful not to touch the pink tears even when they 
had collided with the ground or a wall. 
  Taro folded his arms in amusement, leaning his back against the 
outside wall. "Well, this is somewhat entertaining!" he said, 
chuckling. 
  Kuno watched as well, but without the same amusement as his 
companion. His eyes darted from Kodachi to his sword, then to Ranma, 
as if unsure of what he was supposed to do. 
  Mousse shrugged, then buried his magic claws into the ground 
once more. 
  Ranma leaped away from another of Kodachi's attacks, but, as he 
made his descent toward the ground, a single, piercing blade 
stabbed through the earth. Screaming in panic, he aimed his feet 
toward the flat of Mousse's magical blade, using it as a spring 
board to escape from another of the Kuno girl's attacks. 
  "That's not fair!" Ranma complained at the top of his lungs. 
  Mousse smiled maliciously, his glasses glinting in the morning 
sunlight. "There's no way you can beat ALL of us, Ranma!" 
  "Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!" laughed Kodachi. "Why do you not accept your 
fate, darling?" she cried mockingly. "It would make this much easier 
on the both of us!" 
  "Sister, that's enough!" Kuno commanded, restraining Kodachi's arm 
to prevent her from creating more projectiles. 
  Ranma came to a halt when he realized what was happening. "Kuno...?" 
  "Sister," Kuno repeated, "you must cease!" 
  Struggling in her brother's hold, Kodachi shouted, "Why should I?! 
Is it not enough that I am carrying-out the revenge you sought so?" 
  Once again confusion washed over the elder Kuno's face. "I...." 
  "Let her go, Poet." 
  Without warning, Pantyhose Taro wrapped one arm around Kuno's 
waist, and his other around the neck, forcing Kuno to release Kodachi 
from his grasp. 
  "Traitor!" he spat. "Only flakes like you would turn on family!" 
  Just then, Taro tensed, feeling something cold against the back of 
his neck. 
  "It over," Shampoo said flatly, leveling a flamberge sword at the 
base of Pantyhose Taro's neck. Behind her, Ryoga stood ready with his 
umbrella for the slightest movement his adversary could make. 
  The others stood, dumbfounded, at what just happened in the past 
minute. 
  Taro chuckled softly. "So, this is how it's going to be, eh?" 
  "Shampoo!" Mousse cried, withdrawing his arms from the ground. 
"Help us get Ranma!" Behind him, Ling-ling and Lung-lung nodded in 
unison. 
  Shampoo shook her head. "You know I can no do that." 
  Raising his fists in anger, Mousse replied, "You...! Who's got you 
into this, anyhow? The old hag, or your wimpy boyfriend Saotome?!" 
  "He's married!" the twins pointed out, ever so quick to point out 
Amazon law. 
  "I do this not for Ranma, but for Shampoo alone!" replied the 
Chinese Amazon. "I do not care about marriage; it is with the wind. 
You not understand what is at stake here!" 
  "Leave now, and we won't hold it against you," Ryoga added. 
  "Shampoo, what the meaning of this?!" demanded Ling-ling. 
  Unwilling to remove her eyes from Taro's exposed neck, Shampoo 
replied, "You know very well what I mean! It over for you, too!" 
  "But...." 
  "Do you defend tribe, or not?!" she shouted, cutting off protests. 
  Lung-lung was the first to notice that Mousse was reaching for 
his claw weapons again, watching as his balled fists slowly retreated 
back into the dark folds of his robes. Fixing her eyes back on 
Shampoo, she cried, "Why you try to disgrace Mousse so?! Explain, 
Shampoo!" 
  "I not need to explain ANYTHING to you!" snapped Shampoo, refusing 
to budge. "Mousse can die if it help; why you not see the larger 
picture?!" 
  As if ready to whip out a copy of Amazon laws, the younger girl 
replied, "Defeat of warrior in formal challenge require death of 
challenger; Mousse gave formal challenge, you interfere!" 
  Without a word, Mousse backed down, his shoulders resting in a 
slump, as if in defeat. Turning to the two Amazon twins at his sides, 
he said, "Forget it. We're finished here." 
  "B...but...." stuttered the twins. 
  "You heard me, it's over," Mousse repeated. "What's done is done." 
  Nodding silently, the twins leaped over the outer Tendo wall, and 
Mousse followed soon thereafter. 
  Akane and Ukyo watched the three Chinese leave. 
  "What do you suppose this is all about?" asked Akane. 
  Ukyo shrugged. "Beats me, but I'm willing to bet that it's got 
something to do with just them." 
  "An internal struggle, perhaps?" suggested Konatsu. 
  Kodachi stepped closer to Shampoo, but Ryoga barred her way with 
his umbrella, preventing the gymnast to get very close. "Even if 
you do have the upper hand, I can still finish what I've started!" 
  "Let it go," Taro whispered. 
  "What?" asked Kodachi, as if she didn't hear his words. 
  "I said, let it go!" the Chinese man repeated, releasing his 
deadly hold on Kuno. 
  Taro turned around to face Shampoo. "For now, that is," he added. 
"Don't think for a moment that this is over." 
  Kodachi latched onto Taro's shoulder, and, with the magic ball 
trailing behind them, the couple walked out wordlessly, leaving Kuno 
and the others behind. 
  Watching his sister and her boyfriend, Kuno said to himself, "I 
have chosen my path. Let it be not the wrong one." 
  He felt a hand on his shoulder. "That was... brave of you." 
  Folding his arms, refusing to turn around, Kuno replied, "The cost 
of honor and loyalty is very high indeed, Ukyo Kuonji. I find that 
Kodachi and I have returned to the state it once was but a year ago. 
How easy it is to destroy a building built upon weak foundations." 
  "Keep an eye on her," the okonomiyaki chef suggested. "I think 
she needs you now more than ever." 
  Nodding silently, Kuno walked off, following his sister home. 
  Ranma stood next to Ukyo. "What was that all about?" 
  "Don't you see?" Ukyo replied. "He's honor-bound to you, ever 
since you saved his life a while back." 
  Turning to Shampoo, Ranma said, "Thanks... I think." 
  "You may not realize it, Ranma, but you are more important than 
you think in grand scheme of things," Shampoo replied, sheathing her 
flamberge over her back. 
  "Oh, why's that?" he asked. 
  "Because, Ranma," answered Ryoga, "you're the beginning, and the 
end, of us all." 

  Nabiki stepped out of the dressing room nervously, aware of what 
she was wearing, and how many people there were running around in 
the Gambling King's casino. 
  She was unfamiliar in wearing particularly feminine clothing, 
especially the extremities as a bunny suit-- it was nothing more 
than a leotard mocked-up in the facsimile of a tuxedo. 
  If anyone found out I landed serving as a job, I'd never hear the 
end of it, Nabiki thought to herself. Nobody had better recognize 
me.... 
  "Hey, Nabiki Tendo!" someone cried. "Is that you?" 
  Great. 
  Putting on her best smile, turning gracefully, Nabiki's eyes set 
on the last person she expected to meet. "Tsubasa...." 
  From the time she had known Tsubasa Kurenai, he usually dressed 
in girls' clothing, but the man she saw before her was dressed in a 
more masculine tuxedo, the men's uniform in the casino. His long, 
fair hair, which usually added to his girlish disguises, was tied 
back in a pony-tail. 
  "Well, well, well!" Tsubasa said. "Looks like you're hitting the 
big top!" 
  "Why are you here?!" Nabiki demanded. 
  Blowing his fingernails, he replied, "You know, school is out for 
a bit, and I thought I'd see some of my favorite girls...." 
  "In other words, you have free time again," concluded Nabiki. 
  The tuxedo-clad man nodded. "I've gotten my hands on a ticket for 
tonight's concert, too!" He waved a coupon in the air in excitement. 
"It was hard, getting it, too!" 
  "Especially since it is the LAST concert there will ever be," 
Nabiki pointed out. With Shampoo leaving to return home, the fivesome 
would become a foursome. However, after careful thought and discussion 
the five decided to disband completely. 
  "And what would you be doing here, Big-shot?" asked Tsubasa. 
Without waiting for a response, he reached into his coat and produced 
a rolled-up poster. Unfurling it gently, he showed it to Nabiki. "I 
would've thought you'd be too good for this! You're HERE!" 
  Nabiki needed only one glance to know it was a Doco poster. "What 
in the world are you doing walking around with this?!" But the middle 
Tendo sister already knew the answer to that one: Tsubasa was here to 
pick up pop singers. 
  Hmmm... is THAT your game? she wondered. 
  As soon as she finished her thought, Nabiki realized that Tsubasa 
was now holding a camera, ready to shoot. 
  "Hey!" she protested, yanking the camera free of the man's hands. 
"What do you think you're doing?!" 
  "Posterity shot," Tsubasa replied meekly. 
  Is that so.... 
  "Please be careful with that," he added, indicating the camera. 
"It's rented, and if you break it I won't be able to buy a ticket 
home!" 
  Ignoring Tsubasa's plight, Nabiki hit upon an idea. 
  "Sooooo," she purred, "you want a picture of me in this get-up," 
waving her free hand up and down her body, "but there's something I 
want from you as well." 
  "A trading deal?" guessed the other. 
  Nabiki nodded. "I'll let you take my picture, but first, you've 
got to give me your uniform." 
  The color drained from Tsubasa's eager face quickly. "A...and 
then what am I supposed to wear?!" 
  The middle Tendo girl tapped her chest lightly, which put Tsubasa 
into rage. "H... hey! I have my limits!" 
  Feigning demureness, Nabiki begged, "But don't you want Nabiki-poo 
on your wall forever?" 
  When she realized Tsubasa wouldn't change his position, another 
idea dawned on Nabiki. 
  "How about this?" she said, grabbing Tsubasa's hand. In short time 
Nabiki lead the man to an empty poker table. 
  "So, you want to make it a wager?" guessed Tsubasa. 
  "Best three out of five." 
  "And if I win, I get the picture." 
  "If I win, I get your clothes." 
  "Deal!" Tsubasa's lips curved into a devilish smile. Too bad for 
you, girl, but you're not dealing with just any ordinary dealer! 
  Too bad for you, Nabiki thought, as I've got skill that can wipe 
you across the street. 

  "I have no idea what you're talking about," Ranma said honestly. 
  "Think of it this way," explained Ryoga. "The only reason why 
we're all bothering you right now is because you brought us together. 
And the only way we're going to go away is if you get rid of us." 
  "Like you and Akari?" ventured the young Saotome. 
  "That makes a great deal of sense to me," admitted Akane. "I mean, 
look at what's been happening this past year: sure, we're probably 
as close as we're ever going to get, but everybody is drifting 
apart." 
  "Great-grandmother close restaurant for good," remarked Shampoo. 
"This time, we can no longer stay. There is trouble at home." 
  "But that's not the reason why you're all here?" asked Ranma. 
  Ukyo shook her head. "I'm not sure if any of you guys felt it, but 
I think something is about to happen." 
  "I'll say," agreed Ranma, recalling his sleep. 
  "What's that?" asked Konatsu. 
  "Nearly a month ago," Ukyo explained, "we prevented the Warmage 
from bringing Nemesis into this world. I think it is only just now 
that he has found a substitute to serve as the dark champion's host 
body." 
  "Who?" asked Ryoga. 
  "It couldn't be one of us," Ranma said. "Warmage's presence is 
very noticeable, you know." 
  "True," agreed Ukyo. "But the problem is, we don't know what kind 
of a host Warmage is looking for." 
  "And therefore we won't know what to look for," concluded Akane. 
  "In any case, if there's something we should all know," Ukyo 
continued, "is that Ranma attracts trouble like a magnet." 

  Following the rising sun back home, Tatewaki Kuno trailed behind 
Kodachi and Taro, walking in their shadow, seemingly oblivious to 
the rest of the world. Not once did either of the couple ahead of 
him bother to look back. 
  Silently, wordlessly, the three returned to the Kuno Estate; Taro 
and Kodachi departed for the kitchen, while Tatewaki went in the 
other direction. Walking several doors down the hallway, he reached 
the room where his destiny changed forever. 
  He pulled open the door, and stepped into the Phoenix Chamber. 
  Throwing himself on the red carpet before the enshrined Phoenix 
Egg, discarding his sword toward the unlit corners of the room, Kuno 
tried in vain to clear his mind of turbulent thoughts. 
  "Dammit," he cursed silently, throwing away all pretenses of 
control, "what have I done?" 
  After all, everything you know about life is wrong. 

  And, at the opposing end of the Kuno Estate, Kodachi Kuno set 
about wiping the blade of a cutting knife with a towel, staring 
down at the cool metal, lost in thought. She had not said a word to 
anyone since leaving the Tendo yard, especially not to her brother 
or her boyfriend. 
  "He's a traitor," Taro had said on the way home. 
  At that moment, Taro was out in the yard feeding Midorigame, the 
giant alligator, leaving Kodachi alone in the kitchen with her 
thoughts. 
  Why did he stop me? she wondered. 
  For all seventeen years of her life, Kodachi could not recall a 
single instance where Big Brother Tacchi laid a hand on her. Never. 
Kodachi had guessed that such behavior was considered 'below him,' 
but now, she had no idea what to think. 
  Sure, he got in the way at times, but who didn't? Tatewaki Kuno 
was the sort who was completely respectful to women, hiding among 
his eccentricity of samurai fantasies. Not to mention that, he also 
served as a sort of father while their real father was gone in 
Hawaii for who-knows what reason (she didn't quite believe the 
reasons either Father or Brother gave her). 
  So why did he have to change now? 
  Replacing the kitchen knife in its drawer, Kodachi marched out of 
the kitchen, and proceeded down the hallway. The first open door she 
found was the one, she knew. 
  Sure enough, lying on the floor in the Phoenix Chamber was Tatewaki 
Kuno, face down, as if dead and defeated. 
  Dead? 
  No, he wouldn't.... Would he? 
  "Tacchi..." she whispered, stepping inside. 
  No response. 
  "Tacchi!!" she repeated, this time with more worry than before. 
  Kodachi ran to where her brother lay, and bent down to her knees. 
Without bothering to wipe away the tears forming in her eyes, she 
shook Tatewaki's prone form. 
  "TAAAACCCHIIII!!!" she screamed, almost wailed. 
  At that instant Tatewaki's body sprung to life, startled. Sitting 
up, he looked into his sister's eyes, and snapped, "DON'T DO THAT!!" 
  Kodachi simply stared at her brother through teary eyes, unsure 
whether to kill him for making her think he was dead, or.... 
  "'Thou art a soul in bliss,'" Tatewaki recited. "'But I am bound 
upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears do scald like molten lead.' 
King Lear. Your tears are wasted upon me; shed them for your chosen 
man. Leave me to my oblivion." 
  The younger Kuno blinked. "You will not leave me alone, and just 
the same, I will not leave you alone. I got it from you." 
  She threw her arms around her brother, and buried her head on his 
shoulder. Kodachi truly cried for the very first time. 
  Surprised at his sister's unexpected behavior, Tatewaki could do 
nothing but stroke his little sister's hair. Perhaps there is hope 
after all. 
  "You have grown up a fine young woman," he whispered proudly. 
  "Shut up," Kodachi replied half-heartedly, choking on a sob. 
  Poking his head in the doorway, Sasuke, standing in the hallway, 
said, "Master?" 
  "Shut the door, Sasuke," commanded Tatewaki. 
  The diminutive man took one look at what his master and mistress 
were doing in the Phoenix Chamber, then understood completely. 
Silently, wordlessly, Sasuke slid the door shut. 

  "I don't understand," Ling-ling said plainly in Chinese. "What 
are we going to do now?" 
  Her sister, Lung-lung, shrugged. 
  The twins fixed their eyes on the defeated Mousse, walking quickly 
ahead of them that sometimes they had to raise their walking speed to 
keep up with him. Ever since Shampoo mentioned home, the Master of 
Hidden Weapons seemed to lose the determination that won the two 
girls over to his side many months before. 
  "It means my homecoming will be in defeat," Mousse answered over 
his shoulder. "It means I'm not the best, and Shampoo can never be 
mine." 
  "But Shampoo can no longer marry Ranma!" Lung-lung pointed out. 
  "That is beside the point!" snapped the elder tribesman. "Shampoo 
will always have a place for Ranma, no matter what! Just then, back 
at the Tendo place, I saw it plainly-- she sided with Ranma! She 
could care less about my code of honor. She'll never marry me." 
  "I don't see how you drew that conclusion," replied Ling-ling. 
  "Heh," chuckled Mousse mockingly. "I think I knew it for some time 
now; perhaps the very idea of sending Ranma to the grave was just 
the last string that needed to be cut. Illusions, bah! She doesn't 
care about what I feel; it's all about herself and Ranma!" 
  "But...." 
  "The last time I was home, I think I was a lot smarter! And you 
know what? Being the deluded fool that I was, I STILL loved Shampoo, 
even though she could've cared less! I passed over a beautiful young 
woman who was attracted to me for the dream!" He beat his fists 
against his head. "Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why am I so stupid?!" 
  "You mean the chef girl?" wondered Lung-lung. 
  Ignoring the girl's question, Mousse continued his rant. "What kind 
of a fool thinks he can win over the heart of someone who despises 
him?! How could a fool like me believe that Shampoo would side with 
us against Ranma? Dammit, WHY did it have to be HIM?!!" 
  Throwing his arms into the air in frustration, Mousse continued. 
"How could I have been so stupid to think I could change her?! Not 
Shampoo, the cold, cruel heir to the tribe's leadership! She doesn't 
care about the tribe's welfare; she cares about her own desires, her 
own lusts, her own benefit! She could care less about anyone, much 
less me! It's always Shampoo first!" Beating his fists against his 
head once more, he growled, "Shampoo! The very THOUGHT of her is 
revolting! Damn Shampoo!" 
  Upon speaking her name, Mousse spat on the pavement. Both Amazon 
girls stepped back in worry. 
  "I'm no expert of love," began Lung-lung, "but while we're walking 
around listening to you feel sorry for yourself, the girl that likes 
you is sitting back there with Ranma." 
  Those words made Mousse come to an abrupt stop, forcing the twins 
to run into his back. Turning around, waving his fists menacingly, 
he shouted, "Don't you get it?! I TOLD HER to stop loving me!!! It's 
too late!!" 
  "That may be so," continued the Amazon, "and it may be true that 
her heart may yet still lust for Ranma, unattainable though he is, 
but why are you accepting defeat before you tried?" 
  "True enough," agreed Ling-ling. "You shouldn't give up so easily." 
  Straightening up, Mousse forced himself to calm down. "Where'd you 
two learn something like that?" 
  Both girls looked at each other, then answered, "From you." 

  Since it was still early in the morning, very few people were out 
and about in the streets. Only two, a couple, could be seen for 
blocks on end. 
  The Lady Kuno, trailed by her husband, marched toward the Kuno 
estate on foot. The principal, however, was burdened by the luggage 
his wife purchased during their extended stay in Abu Dhabi. 
  "I wonder what I should do with those children first?" Lady Kuno 
asked herself, cracking her knuckles in anticipation. "Well, perhaps 
first I should get that alligator turned into a handbag...." 
  The principal ignored his wife's ranting, keeping his eyes focused 
forward, the large luggage bag over his back, sweating profusely. 
The lady had long since forced him to remove his Hawaiian attire, 
so now he dressed in a more conservative business suit. The tree in 
his head was even gone. 
  Without warning, Kuno stopped in his tracks, a prick in the back of 
his neck prompting him so. As if he grew a backbone, he released his 
hold of the luggage bag, standing straight up. 
  Lady Kuno came to a halt, feeling that her husband was not 
following. Turning angrily, she shouted, "What are you waiting for?!" 
  Kuno did not reply in words, but in actions; with his great arms 
he grabbed his wife, holding her strongly. 
  "What are you doing?!" demanded the lady. 
  "He follows MY command now, not yers!" answered another voice. 
A low, grating voice, as if someone were speaking from the depths of 
the abyss. A hint of glee was not lost in the newcomer's tone. 
  Craning her head over her husband's shoulder, Lady Kuno's eyes 
fixed on the man standing behind the principal. 
  She screamed. 


"There is a storm coming... a storm of such magnitude, it is... 
  BEYOND IMAGINATION!" 
						-- Megatron, Beast Wars 

					*  *  *  *  *
It's Love (Don't You Know) (DUCK-- Mousse, Ranma, Ryoga, Kuno)
Translated by Trish Ledoux (Viz Music) 

(Mousse) The men who always surround you
In your presence, they're so nervous;
in a word, you're like a Venus
It's a miracle suddenly come true
A jewel discovered in the midst of a desert

I'll be there for you! whenever (you need me)
Even if you give me the run-around,
head to toe, I'm crazy for you

(All) I wanna believe in that invisible connection
Eye to eye
Sometimes, you wanna know it's real
Don't you know, know, know...
It's love

(Mousse) Your skin, the color of (sun-ripened) wheat
The reckless temptation; the too-high tension
On those nights we can't be together
Beneath my eyes, a black enigma paints a shadow

Without that familiarity, I just can't get it going
Style, smile; from A to Z, I'm mad about you

(All) Through the invisible connection, I wanna feel it
Heart to Heart
Sometimes, you gotta know it's real
Don't you know, know, know...
It's love

(Mousse) Once you've given up the pretense
and become "you" again
Once you've shown your weakness, shown
your tears just to me
I won't let you go; I won't go away
we'll stay like this forever
Let the days pass as they may
And then, someday, we'll come together

(All) I wanna believe in that invisible connection
Eye to eye
Sometimes, you gotta know it's real
Don't you know, know, know...

Through the invisible connection, I wanna feel it
Heart to heart
Sometimes, you gotta know it's real
Don't you know, know, know...
It's love.
					*  *  *  *  *

Part 2: Nemesis Ascending-- The Death of Hope, the Death of Dreams 

"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." 
						-- Aristotle 

"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." 
						-- President Woodrow Wilson 

"Honor and disgrace matter only to those without material desire." 
						-- Chinese proverb 

  "Brother," Kodachi said, serving Tatewaki a personally cooked 
breakfast, "there is a decision you have to make." 
  Snapping his chopsticks eagerly in anticipation of Kodachi's 
food, Tatewaki replied, "Is that why you have served me a favorite 
dish?" 
  His sister pretended to ignore his comment. "Seeing you back 
there... has made me think a bit. Of course, I still hate you for 
making me think such things, but...." 
  The two Kuno siblings were seated in the dining room, Tatewaki 
taking his rightful place at the head of the table, Kodachi setting 
down a plate before him, and one for herself. Neither wished to 
include Taro in what was about to be discussed, as it was a matter 
of family now. 
  "Anyway, I digress," Kodachi interrupted herself. "I have come 
to understand that you will no longer lay a hand on Ranma Saotome 
any longer for favors past done, right?" 
  Tatewaki nodded, busy chewing on breakfast. 
  "However, this very morning, it has become quite clear to me 
that you are in severe doubt to your obligations," she continued. 
"And you are making Taro-sama quite upset!" 
  "It matters not to me what such a ruffian as he thinks of me," 
Tatewaki replied calmly. 
  "That is not it," Kodachi said, seating herself at the table by 
her brother's side. "What I want you to do is this: make a 
decision, and stick with it. What I want you to make a decision on 
is this: if given the choice, what would you put first, family, or 
honor?" 
  For once Tatewaki could not think of a response. Setting down his 
chopsticks carefully, the elder Kuno bowed his head, lost in thought. 
  Kodachi broke the silence. "You do not have to make a decision 
about it now, Brother-dear, but you must realize that you cannot put 
off a decision for much longer." With that, the younger Kuno began 
to eat her breakfast. 
  Damn you, Sister! Tatewaki cursed in his thoughts. He had not 
moved since Kodachi finished her speeches, consumed by thoughts in 
conflict, oblivious to his steadily-cooling breakfast. 
  Why the difficult decisions? he wondered. Who would it be, then? 
Kodachi, or Ranma Saotome? 

  "So this is where Nabiki works, hmm?" Ranma said casually, his 
hands in his pockets, displaying an air of indifference. 
  Together Ranma, Akane, Ukyo, Ryoga, Konatsu, and Shampoo entered 
the newly-opened casino owned by the Gambling King. The casino was 
not unlike the one the gambler set up when he took over the Tendo 
dojo over a year ago-- an entire wall lined with slot machines, 
several card tables set up here and there, a large craps table, and 
a roulette table. 
  Ranma had no doubts that the Gambling King won this off some 
poor sap who didn't know any better. 
  "I don't see Nabiki," Akane said, scanning the room. 
  "Hey, where's Ukyo?" wondered Ranma, noticing for the first time 
that his old friend was no longer with the group. 
  "Over here, Ranma!" Ukyo called cheerily. Cradled in her arms 
was a tray full of poker chips. Behind her, Konatsu carried a second 
tray, itself filled with chips. 
  "You aren't REALLY planning on doing that, are you?" asked Ranma. 
  "Especially since we KNOW how the Gambling King wins!" added Akane. 
  The okonomiyaki chef giggled. "Of COURSE I know! But I'm still a 
better card player than anyone!" 
  Ryoga scratched his head. "I don't know, but...." 
  "Hey, Akane!" someone yelled. 
  All heads turned in the direction of Nabiki, who stood behind a 
poker table. She waved the five over to her. 
  "Nabiki!" Akane exclaimed. "So there you are!" 
  Straightening her tuxedo coat coolly, the elder Tendo girl replied, 
"Ah, I had to take care of some business first." 
  "Great!" Ukyo said, setting her chips down on the table. "Then I'm 
SURE to get a good game in this one!" 
  "Oh, really?" Nabiki purred slyly, reaching for a deck of cards. 
"I'm the best in the house," she boasted, "...are you sure?" 
  "Hey, Ucchan can take you on any day!" Ranma said. 
  Shampoo shot a glance at the young Saotome. "I no see how this 
help." 
  "I think it's just to kill time," Ryoga suggested, shrugging. 
Reaching for his purse, he added, "I think I'd better get a set of 
chips for myself." 
  Before the Eternally Lost Boy could walk off, Ranma grabbed his 
arm. "Don't think about getting some without me!" 
  "Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," Akane whispered to herself, shaking her 
head. "Why do you have to do this?" 
  "Stubborn male," Shampoo answered unexpectedly. 

  Lady Kuno woke with heavy eyelids and a sore back. She found 
herself lying on her back, on something that appeared to be hard and 
cold. The ceiling was unimpressive; all she could see was dark stone 
and more stone. Something illuminated the dark room from beyond her 
field of vision. As the Lady attempted to raise her head, she found 
that she could not. Nor could she raise her arms. 
  "I hope the restraints aren't too tight," someone said. 
  Her eyes perked up, her brain raced to think of the speaker. It 
almost sounded like her stupid husband, but it wasn't quite his voice, 
either. 
  The principal of Furinkan's head blocked Lady Kuno's field of 
vision. "I trust that you are unhurt," he said, speaking with his 
own voice, and a voice that wasn't his own. 
  Lady Kuno tried to speak, but the words would not come to her lips. 
  "I had to incapacitate you to prevent you from alerting anyone 
else of our task," the headmaster explained, his eyes glowing a 
dark violet. "You see, Strand has been having trouble controlling 
multiple bodies at once, so I had to intervene." 
  The woman tried her best to remember what had happened to her but 
could recall little. She remembered her husband, who dropped her 
expensive luggage, trying to grab her. She remembered the man who 
stood behind her husband-- well, if you could call him a man-- a 
short, dwarf-like creature, the color drained from his face, his 
hair a mess, and his nose smashed in. The dwarf's eyes were blood- 
shot, though there was no blood to speak of, and he wore dark robes 
that matched the color emanating from the headmaster's eyes. 
  But, the dwarf's most distinguishing features were not his 
grotesque face, nor his strange garb, but the thread-like wires 
that were attached to each of his ten fingers. 
  "Ah, I see," muttered the principal. "You are trying to remember 
Strand, aren't you?" 
  Lady Kuno stared at the man in surprise. 
  "I can do far more than possess bodies, my dear," he explained. 
"I do have a certain degree of psionic talent, but not as much as 
I would have hoped for-- but that is another story, and you don't 
need to know." 
  He craned his head up and yelled to another beyond the woman's 
view. "Prepare the ceremony, Shifter! And get your idiot brother 
back here; we may need to restrain her again!" 
  Another man yelled back. "I don't take orders from anyone!" The 
dwarf, Lady Kuno thought. 
  "Silence, toad!" spat the principal. "If it weren't for me, you 
would be still dying on that slab! If we are successful, all of us 
will be rewarded greatly!" 
  The other man grumbled. "Very well, but NOT because ya said so!" 
  What's going on? wondered Lady Kuno. And what do they want? And 
where is that stupid son of mine when I need him?! 

  "Ah, Mousse," Cologne said in greetings as he and Ling-ling and 
Lung-lung entered the Nekohanten, defeated. "I trust Shampoo was 
quite successful?" 
  Mousse said nothing, choosing to ignore the old hag. Silently, 
he headed toward his room, leaving the twins behind. 
  The old matriarch's eyes followed Mousse until he disappeared 
up the stairs. Turning to the twins, she said, "I'll assume that 
everything is going according to my design. It is a terrible side 
effect that Mousse should lose face in this manner, but it is very 
necessary if we want to have a future." 
  "Did you really believe Mousse would win?" wondered Ling-ling. 
  "Is that why you send Shampoo?" asked Lung-lung. 
  Cologne laughed, then shook her head. "Son-in-law is much too 
powerful for the likes of Mousse. No, it was more to make sure that 
our favorite martial artist and the others knew where we stood. It 
won't do to make them enemies, not now." 
  Lung-lung turned her attention to Shampoo's father, who shrugged. 
"It no good to go home like this." 
  "Perhaps," agreed Cologne, "but what has started today is far 
from over." 

  "Ah, Kasumi Tendo, welcome!" greeted the priest. 
  "Why, hello, Mister Nakamura," returned Kasumi, giving the man her 
respects. 
  Kasumi and the priest stood in the priest's office at the Saint 
Hebereke Church, one of the few Christian churches in Tokyo. Where 
most churches built in a cross-shape, such as this particular church, 
had its head facing east, this building's head was facing west, for in 
the Far East, the Holy Land was westward. 
  On a normal day Kasumi would not have dared to enter the priest's 
office, but this time, she was invited. 
  Nakamura offered Kasumi a seat. "Please, sit, we've much to 
discuss." 
  Kasumi gratefully took a seat, as did the priest. 
  "What did you wish to see me for?" asked Kasumi. "Did I do something 
wrong?" 
  The priest laughed. "Of course not, my dear!" Nakamura assured 
her. "I'm quite pleased, actually. It isn't you I'm here to talk 
about, but one of your friends." 
  "Oh, Dr. Tofu?" guessed Kasumi. 
  "Yes, that's the one," confirmed the priest. "Since the beginning 
of the year you've brought him to this establishment almost every 
time you've come. I hear he is a skilled martial artist as well as a 
masterful chiropractor." Taking a deep breath, Nakamura added, "Are 
you two together?" 
  "Dr. Tofu?" the eldest Tendo sister repeated in surprise. "No, he 
and I are just friends." 
  "Really," Nakamura replied, nodding slowly. "Despite that, I was 
thinking about expanding the flock. What would you say about trying 
to convert him?" 
  "Is that what you asked me here for?" asked Kasumi. 
  "Precisely," confirmed Nakamura. "He has come with you many times, 
and I feel it prudent to welcome him to our flock. Will you talk to 
him for me?" 
  "Why, of course," Kasumi replied, nodding with a smile. "I'm sure 
he will be agreeable!" 
  "Yes, I'm counting on that...." Nakamura muttered under his breath. 

  As soon as Kasumi left, Nakamura rapped twice against the wall 
behind him with his bare knuckles. He had little time to wait as the 
secret door next to his desk slid open, revealing two new figures: a 
man dressed in a cold, black suit, and a woman in a flowing, white 
dress. 
  "I imagine this 'Tofu' will be a most promising warrior for our 
cause," the black man said. 
  "I fail to see why we need him," replied the priest. "I mean, the 
others are fine warriors themselves; in fact, we really only need 
Sakurai and Spencer...." 
  "Those two's power combined are hardly a match for the number of 
martial artists that could potentially rise against us in this little 
burg," interrupted the black man. 
  "Yes, about that," the white woman spoke up, raising a cup of tea 
gently to her lips. "Was there a reason you did not consider the one 
known as Ranma Saotome?" 
  "Loose cannon," replied Nakamura. "Quite unpredictable, and no one 
way to control him. As long as we have Kasumi on our side, however, 
Tofu is under our thumb." 
  "Is there a reason why you could not use her as leverage against 
that boy?" asked the white lady. "She is his sister-in-law." 
  "True," considered the black man, "but that still doesn't give us 
reasonable control. If we had Akane, however...." He turned to the 
priest. "Find any others that are 'willing' to 'convert' to our cause. 
Quickly, because time is certainly what we don't have." 
  Nakamura nodded, understanding the meaning under the words of the 
man dressed in black. "I've already found another likely candidate, 
within the grounds of our dominion, at that. Her name is Kodachi." 
  The lady in white scoffed. "She will never join your cause." 
  "You know that for a fact?" The black man raised an eyebrow. 
  Setting down her teacup, the white lady smirked knowingly, adjusting 
the brilliant flower pinned over her left breast. "They call her 'the 
Black Rose' for a reason." 
  Seemingly out of nowhere, the white lady produced an empty picture 
frame, holding it steady around her profile with her gloved hands. 
  "They call me 'the White Lily' for the same reason," Asuka finished. 
"No, I have something MUCH worse in mind for her, which fits nicely 
into your plans." 

  "Dear Mother," Mousse wrote on a clean sheet of paper, dictating 
his message aloud, "we will be seeing each other soon, but I am 
sending this message ahead, for there is something you should know 
before preparing my victorious return home." 
  He adjusted his glasses, then continued. "Know that your son has 
shamed himself in battle. Know that your son no longer wishes to 
wed the warrior Shampoo. Know that your son has failed to avenge 
himself before his imminent return home. Know that your son has 
severely disappointed you. In most cases, it is the dreamer that 
dies, but this time... it is the dream." 
  Once again, Mousse paused to rub his eyes. "Within a week of 
writing this letter, the restaurant will be closed down and sold, 
and good riddance to it; it brings no happy memories. The matriarch 
believes the man who wronged me is too important to die, therefore 
I can no longer exact revenge against him without incurring her 
wrath. I contemplated defying her order, but I fear that you and 
may suffer the consequences, and I cannot live with that thought 
in my mind, not with Father gone." 
  "As I wrote you previously, I have made a good deal of allies 
during my stay. Most will be staying behind here in Japan, and the 
only ones to undertake this journey are the twins, Ling-ling and 
Lung-lung. I'm sure you remember them. Well, they have gotten better 
at fighting, although their young blood makes them too eager to 
enter battle. When I learned of the troubles you were suffering, I 
made sure to train the pair personally. I am sure you will be proud 
of my work." 
  Pausing for a moment, the Master of Hidden Weapons produced a 
tissue from his sleeves, then blew his nose. Discarding the spent 
tissue, he resumed writing. "I also told you about the Japanese 
chef girl, Ukyo Kuonji. Today I decided that pursuing Shampoo was 
futile, as I can no longer see any way to win her heart; however, 
what I have done was spurn the heart of one who loved me. Well, 
Mother, you always said love was no easy matter, and you were 
right. Still, the time spent chasing after Shampoo was too much 
time wasted on nothing." 
  "As of right now, I have only three regrets: being unable to kill 
the man who wronged me, Ranma Saotome. Chasing after Shampoo for 
fifteen years of my life. And turning my back against true love. 
Life is cruel, but I hope returning to battle will make me forget 
it all-- a warrior must live and die on the field of battle. 
Perhaps only then I can remove my shame." 
  Pausing for a moment, he finished, "Dreams may die, but the 
dreamers live on." 

  Pantyhose Taro stared at the rippling pond in the middle of the 
Kuno estate, watching the predator swimming lazily within, the giant 
alligator Midorigame, Kodachi's pet 'turtle.' Basic animal instinct 
ruled the creature, an instinct Taro knew only too well, as he had 
relied upon it in the past to survive. After all, only the strong 
survived. 
  Predatorial instinct, however, failed the Chinese martial artist 
when it came to Kodachi herself. 
  Why she was parlaying to her traitorous brother was beyond Taro. 
He never had siblings, nor parents, while growing up in the isolated 
village in China that served as his home. No, the shame brought upon 
him by Happosai prevented him from such pleasures-- well, then, what 
WAS pleasure, anyway? Pleasure was something he found only in the 
hunt, where everything was crystal-clear, black and white, the lines 
drawn perfectly. Still, beyond that, there was the gray area, the 
fuzzy view, the squiggles and incomplete lines. Kodachi and her 
brother belonged to the latter group. 
  Had it been my way, Taro thought, I would have gotten rid of that 
pathetic swordsman long ago; he got in the way with his 'chivalry' 
bullshit, his haughty airs, his arrogance! And, unlike many other 
opponents, THIS one wasn't fazed by taunts and the questioning of 
his parentage; rather, he behaved as if he didn't hear, which is 
infuriating to no end. Damn poet; although he lacks the skill Femme- 
boy had, he is a far-greater adversary than the hermaphrodite ever 
was. 
  Still, Femme-boy must be shown his place as well, for, unlike 
Kodachi's worthless brother, the girly-man liked to play the same 
games. 
  Months ago, I was willing to save Akane from Femme-boy's little 
stint, citing family as reason-- yet, today, I am striking that 
down. Heh, so I lied to them and myself; perhaps family don't mean 
a rat's ass to me, after all. Still, Akane needed help, and I gave 
it to her-- too bad Femme-boy benefited as well. 
  Today was a wash, but there's always tomorrow. 

  The men Lady Kuno could not see labored and toiled about, doing 
whatever the bound woman could imagine and then some. Staring at the 
ceiling, resigned to the fate she expected, the street-raised Lady 
heard only the crashes of dropped artifacts, and the barks of the 
one using her husband's body (she'd figured as much). 
  Every once in a while the disfigured dwarf would stare down at 
her, with his terrible, blood-shot eyes, licking his tongue as if 
ready to take the Lady as his own-- however, she... KNEW, that was 
not what he was thinking. Had these weird men wanted to do that to 
her, the Lady Kuno reasoned, they would have done so already. It was 
the ceremony the three (she could detect no other beings in the 
immediate area) men were preparing that scared her. 
  What were they up to? 
  Once more, the dwarf called Strand pressed his ugly mug into Lady 
Kuno's face. She tried to lurch back, shying away from the saliva 
that wasn't dropping from the little man's tongue. By all rights, 
he should have been dead. 
  "Get back over here, you pervert!!" ordered the man called Shifter, 
whose face Lady Kuno had yet to see. He, at least, wasn't making a 
nuisance of himself. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner you 
can 'oogle and fondle' girls!" 
  Strand fixed his eyes on the other. "But she won't be the same 
after the transfusion!" 
  Transfusion? 
  "There are plenty of other women!" reasoned Shifter. "You can 
have her daughter when this is all over!" 
  Daughter? How do they know her?! 
  "She looks just like the lady here!" continued the faceless man. 
"Sure, she IS a bit younger, but that also means less... never mind." 
  Wrinkles... come on, say it! 
  Strand spared one more glance at Lady Kuno, then jumped out of 
view. "Oh, very well! But only because we need the old bag for the 
transfusion!" 
  Old bag?! The word! 
  "Are you two idiots done YET?!" bellowed the headmaster, still 
using two voices at once. "We have a timetable! Shall I have to 
revive the others?" 
  "Of course not, sir!" replied Shifter confidently. "You doubt my 
abilities? We will be finished shortly." 
  Loud clomps against a stone floor echoed throughout the dark 
chamber, telling Lady Kuno that her possessed husband was leaving. 
A few heartbeats later, as the footsteps trailed off to nothingness, 
she heard the sound of a spitting tongue. 
  "Bastard," spat Strand. Soon his soft footsteps echoed and died in 
Lady Kuno's hearing. Leaving just the third man. 
  She heard his footsteps die as well, but he stopped. The footsteps 
drew closer, and Lady Kuno felt her head restraint being released. 
Raising her neck instinctively, the woman realized her arms and legs 
were still restrained. 
  "Put your head back down," ordered the man behind her head. 
  Without much option, Lady Kuno prepared to rest her head back 
against the cold stone, but what she found was something... LIGHTER. 
  If the stone slab she were restrained to weren't so hard, Lady 
Kuno would have thought she was lying in bed. 
  A pillow? 
  Her eyes tried to fix on the face of the third man, but he was 
too far from her field of vision. She wanted to say something, but 
the words still failed to reach her lips. 
  "Forgive me, Lady, but I must restore the restraints," Shifter 
apologized. "I will be back soon." 
  With that, Shifter walked off, leaving Lady Kuno alone to 
contemplate the recent developments. 

  "Fold!" Ranma and Nabiki cried out in unison. The frustration of 
holding a losing hand sank in once more. 
  "Heh, heh, thanks for your generous donations!" Ukyo said with a 
snicker, raking in the pile of chips at the center of the poker 
table. 
  "I don't believe this," complained Ryoga. "Out of seventeen 
hands, Ukyo has won thirteen of them!" 
  "Yeah," agreed Ranma. "And the dealer got the rest." 
  "Your fault for playing in a game you knew you'd lose, Ranma," 
Akane pointed out. 
  Other players have come and gone to Nabiki's table, but it wasn't 
long before the table was deemed 'cursed' by the patrons, who sought 
better odds elsewhere. Shampoo had long since gone off to other 
games, not wishing to lose her money. Konatsu had left, choosing to 
find something to eat at the snack bar. Akane was the only one among 
the group who refused to play at all. 
  "And she won with three kings!" Nabiki pointed out. "NOBODY 
should win with that kind of hand!" 
  "It's in the cards, my friends!" the okonomiyaki chef insisted. 
  "Fine, well, deal me in!" Ranma said, throwing chips into the pot. 
  "Ranma, don't you think you lost enough money for one day?" Akane 
asked. 
  "I'm not going anywhere until I win a hand!" her husband replied 
defiantly. 
  "Well, I guess I'm in, too," Ryoga said, throwing in chips of his 
own. Ukyo did likewise. 
  Nabiki dealt the initial hand to all three players and to herself. 
  "Okay, who wants some?" asked the dealer. 
  "I'll take three," Ryoga replied, throwing down three cards of his 
own onto the table. 
  "One for me," Ukyo said. 
  Unable to contain his excitement, Ranma declared, "No cards!" 
  Both Ryoga and Nabiki stared at the young Saotome coldly, throwing 
down their cards angrily. "Fold!" they announced. 
  "Oh no you don't, I'm not falling for that one!" Ukyo replied. 
Waving a finger at Ranma, she said, "I know you, Saotome, and you're 
the worst card player on the planet! My gut says you don't know what 
you have!" 
  She threw several chips into the pot. "I raise fifty." 
  "I'm on!" Ranma threw in chips of his own, then added, "I raise 
twenty!" 
  Akane, Ryoga, and Nabiki watched the exchange between the two old 
friends, watching as Ukyo forcefully emptied Ranma's stack of chips 
to nothing before ending her bidding. 
  "Well, Saotome," the okonomiyaki chef declared smugly, "let's see 
what you can do against this!" 
  Throwing down her cards on the table, all eyes feasted on the faces 
of the five cards: the ace of spades, the ace of clubs, the ace of 
diamonds, the eight of clubs, and the eight of spades. 
  With the appropriate silence past, Ukyo declared, "Full House, 
aces high." 
  Then all eyes turned to Ranma, who stared at his cards sternly. 
Slowly, the martial artist's smugness cracked, and burst in one 
great explosion. 
  "Dammit!" he cursed, throwing down his hand face-up. "All I had 
was a flush!" Ranma banged his head on the table, disturbing the 
pile of chips at Ukyo's side of the table. 
  "Well, I'm glad you warned me first," Ryoga said, reaching for 
Ranma's cards. "I had single pairs." Then, as soon as he brought them 
to eye-level, the Eternally Lost Boy stopped. 
  "What is it?" asked Nabiki, leaning in Ryoga's direction. 
  "Ranma," Ryoga said, shuffling the cards around. He tapped the 
martial artist on the shoulder. 
  "What?" asked Ranma. 
  Ryoga showed Ranma the sorted hand. He stated simply, "Straight 
Flush." 
  "Let me see!" demanded Ukyo, leaning over the table. The chef girl 
grabbed Ryoga's arm, forcing him to turn the cards her direction. 
  In sequence, there was the nine, ten, jack, queen, and king, all 
of the heart suit. 
  "Ranma, you won!" Akane declared, elated. 
  "I... won?" her husband repeated in disbelief. 
  Ukyo sunk back into her seat, surprised. 
  "I WON!!!" Ranma yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping on the 
table top, scattering chips all about and forcing the others to 
flee his mad dance. 
  "Do you suppose he was better off losing?!" wondered Ryoga, taking 
cover with Nabiki. 
  "And this is the same Ranma my sister married," Nabiki commented, 
shaking her head sadly. "He IS a loser." 
  Ukyo stood back, allowing the flying chips to hit her. Shocked, she 
whispered to herself, "Straight Flush...." 
  Akane grabbed her friend's arm. "Ukyo! Get a grip on yourself!" 
  "I can't believe I lost...." the okonomiyaki chef muttered. 
  "Look, it was just a game, right?" assured Ranma's wife. "So what 
if Ranma's being a jerk about winning?" 
  "Right," replied Ukyo, trying her best to force a smile. With her 
free hand she patted the hand Akane held her other arm with. 
"Thanks." 
  Ukyo, it has been done! 
  "Who said that?!" exclaimed Ukyo, frantically looking around for 
the source of the voice. 
  "What?" asked Akane, staring at her friend in confusion. "Did you 
say something?" 
  Don't you remember? It's me. It's you. 
  "Never mind," replied the chef. Seiryu-- it must be! 
  Nemesis arrives, announced Seiryu. Don't you feel it? 
  No, answered Ukyo. The chef almost thought she heard a sigh. 
  No matter. Inform the others, for Nemesis will emerge shortly. 
  Where? 
  It doesn't matter, as Nemesis will come to you. I suggest being 
in a better location before that happens. 
  Right. Still.... 
  While you hesitate, Nemesis will grow stronger with each passing 
moment. You know this already; it's what I've trained you for. Don't 
delay, for the clock is running now. 
  Stop putting all this pressure on me. I'll get to it! 
  You're not doing it fast enough. 
  That's not fair. I'm still busy arguing with you! 
  That doesn't matter. I have no wish to live through the disasters 
a second time. 
  With that message finished, Ukyo found herself saying, "Nemesis is 
coming!" 
  "What?" Akane said, her attentions previously fixed solely on the 
mad Ranma. 
  "He's coming," repeated Ukyo. "And he's going to come to us, so I 
think we should go to someplace more remote than this." 
  "Uh... okay," agreed Ranma's wife hesitantly. "Let's gather the 
others, and leave." Akane left Ukyo behind to retrieve the others. 
Had she turned to look back, she would have seen her friend's eyes 
glow an eerie sky-blue. 
  Don't you do that again! snapped Ukyo. 
  Or you'll do what? taunted Seiryu. You can't do anything to me. 
  How the hell did I ever become you? 
  THAT is what we're working to prevent, aren't we? Our continued 
cooperation is necessary if we want to survive. 

  The Orochi assassin known as Shifter glided down the dimly lit 
hallways of the underground temple as if he were traveling on air 
instead of walking, his long, dark robes concealing his feet from 
view. In his hand the Japanese cultist held his feather fan, as 
always-- more of a weapon than an accessory. Although the heavy 
hood he wore covered most of his features, there was no mistake 
that this assassin was extraordinary. 
  While he WAS an assassin, the Shifter wasn't always so; in the 
past, he was once a powerful Shinto wizard, but that was a bygone 
day and age. Now, the fallen wizard was needed to commence the 
transfusion ceremony. 
  And may the kami forgive me for what I am about to do, he thought. 
Such abominations of nature should not be unleashed, not even on 
one's enemies. 
  Those enemies, of course, included Ranma Saotome and his band of 
heroes, who previously foiled the great Orochi's designs by ruining 
his original host body for the upcoming Reunion. The Orochi, most 
powerful of the kami left in existence, was banished long ago to the 
Kami Plane by rival kami Susano-O, who separated the great serpent's 
essence from his earthly body. This earthly body was later put to  
long slumber through the work of the magical mongoose horn of the 
long-dead horned mongoose kami, an enemy of Orochi. And who blew the 
horn but Ranma Saotome's wife, Akane. That began a wheel of events, 
from subtly-interrogating the caretakers of Ryugenzawa to tracking 
down the girl Akane to her home in Nerima. 
  The Warmage, arrogant and foolish as he was (and still is), blew 
the chance to destroy the offender, seeing as how the girl's martial 
artist friends were there to help her. Shifter truly believed the 
odds were still in their favor even then, for the assassin team had 
the element of surprise. But, in the end, the Warmage issued a call 
for challenge of combat, and Shifter ended up fighting Ranma himself. 
  Certain elements turned the challenge into a media circus, for 
there was a crowd rooting for Ranma. Still, although Shifter himself 
possessed no martial arts abilities whatsoever, his magic more than 
compensated for that-- by using secret Shinto sorceries, true to his 
title, the Shifter transformed himself into an exact replica of the 
Saotome martial artist, down to everything but his memory. Still, in 
the end, Ranma Saotome managed to defeat himself because the assassin 
never realized that Ranma suffered from a curse activated by water. 
  Badly beaten from that battle, Shifter was dragged from the battle 
back to the underground temple, where he was placed upon a cold stone 
slab not unlike the one Lady Kuno was restrained to. Since Orochi's 
blood flowed through the veins of each and every member of the Cult 
of Orochi, and since it was what kept each man alive for the many 
centuries they lived, the punishment was simple and cruel: draining 
of Orochi blood from the body. 
  Shifter was only the first; he was followed by six other assassins, 
until it was down to only Warmage. Unfortunately for him, the leader 
of the Cult of Orochi suffered a more torturous fate-- having his 
very soul ripped from his body. Thus, the arrogant cultist was 
reduced to nothing but a ghost of his former self, forced to possess 
other bodies in order to interact with the world. 
  Of course, it didn't take very long afterward for Shifter to 
remove himself from the stone slab; his Shinto sorceries allowed him 
to recover from the shock and trauma much sooner than the others. He 
had doubts that some of them would make it, but, surprisingly, the 
one with the least life left in him, Clash, survived. The now one- 
armed swordsman was severely-burnt by an incredible attack, and his 
pride was destroyed. Shifter almost felt pity for the former samurai, 
but times forced him to forget such things. His brother didn't 
survive the punishment. 
  It wasn't easy to have normal, human blood flowing through one's 
body, not after having Orochi blood for the past few centuries. 
  For the past year Shifter worked hard to get used to his old body 
once again, his HUMAN body, constantly forcing the thought of truly 
dying out of his mind. Working in shadows, the Shinto wizard 
researched for his leader, Warmage, on the precise means to bring 
Nemesis, the abomination! into Earth. After careful studying and 
deliberation with fellow cultist researchers, it was Shifter who 
formulated the ceremony necessary to summon the great champion. It 
was up to Warmage to find a suitable host body and the dark energy; 
all the rest was up to Shifter. 
  Still, if legends proved correct, drawing Nemesis to Earth may 
have dire consequences indeed. The Lady Kuno hardly deserved to be a 
part of this-- if she ever survived, the psychological damages of 
what Nemesis would do would be... unbearable. 
  But, if she can further the aims of the Dream, then perhaps it is 
worth the sacrifice. There are simply no other choices anymore. 
  Silently, Shifter entered the ceremony chamber, and hoped for the 
best. 

  Alone in silent meditation in the Phoenix Chamber, Tatewaki Kuno, 
eyes closed, sat pondering the dilemma foremost in his mind: will 
it be family, or honor? 
  On one hand, honor is more than life to a samurai. Honor is what 
drives the samurai-- it is a way to live by. Ranma Saotome, though 
unworthy, has earned honorably the right of my support. 
  On the other hand, I despise and hate Saotome. I have known 
Kodachi far longer than I have known Saotome; should there be any 
reason why I should help one I know little of? If I stay with dear 
Sister, then I would be obligated toward family. However, family is 
not exactly a likable choice; Father is a possessed man, driven to 
insanity by whatever muse in his mind, and Mother is the ruthless 
one whispering behind the lord's throne. Would I to give to remove 
myself of them both! 
  Therefore the difficult choices are before me: put up with one man 
I despise, or two I despise and one I love? 
  Suddenly, Kuno's eyes burst wide open. Something was wrong. 
  Shaking off his reverie, jumping to his feet, the young lord of 
the house snatched up his trusty bokken lying by his side. With a 
sense of great urgency, Kuno exited the Phoenix Chamber in great 
haste. 
  He burst into Kodachi's bedroom, startling the younger Kuno, who 
was reading a book on her bed. 
  "Sister!" he huffed, "we must depart at once!" 
  "What are you talking about?!" shouted Kodachi. "How DARE you 
enter my room unannounced?!" 
  Kuno ignored his sister's words, instead choosing to grab Kodachi 
by the arm. "We are being called; I can feel it!" 
  "Who is calling who?!" she cried as her brother dragged her out the 
door and through the hallways of the Kuno Estate. 
  "I do not know why," explained Tatewaki, "but, when I thought of 
our mother, a sudden rush seized me!" With his free hand the 
swordsman opened the front door, then lead Kodachi out. "I do not 
know how, or why it has happened, but I know it is a message delivered 
in the care of the agents of Heaven!" 
  "Well?!" shot Kodachi, impatient, her feet dragging behind her 
brother. 
  "Our mother is in danger," answered Tatewaki solemnly. 

  "I don't know what you've asked me here for, old bag," Taro 
shouted sourly to Cologne, "but whatever it is, it'd better be worth 
my time!" 
  Forcing herself to resist the temptation of batting the young man 
across the cheeks with her staff, the old Chinese matriarch replied, 
"If it were not important, then I would not have summoned you." 
  "Phaw!" spat Taro. "Nobody 'summons' me!" 
  "Then it's quite pleasing that I am the first," Cologne shot back 
with amusement. 
  The Chinese man said nothing; instead he folded his arms, as if 
to say, "Go on." 
  Cologne turned on her heels and beckoned Taro to follow her. The 
two entered the back room of the Nekohanten, a room that usually 
stored supplies for the business, but with the impending closure it 
was laid bare. As soon as Taro entered the room the old woman, 
reaching out with her staff, gently slid the door shut. 
  "Do you have any idea what is going on at home?" Cologne asked 
calmly. 
  "Why should I care?" replied the man. "They're the ones who left 
me to fend for myself!" 
  "Though you do display an air of distaste toward your people, 
somehow I feel that it is merely the outer shell." With her free hand 
Cologne reached into her pocket and produced a folded sheet of 
paper. "Not only do you wish to change your name for yourself, but 
for others as well. That is beside the point; this is." She handed 
the folded paper to Taro with an outstretched arm. 
  Taro accepted the paper, then carefully unfolded it. Taking a few 
moments to glance it over, his eyes widened. "You can't be serious!" 
  The old matriarch shook her head. "I have nothing to gain by lying 
to you, young man. The fact is, we are all threatened." 
  Angrily, Taro crushed the paper in his fist. "Nothing I've done 
will matter if I don't do something!" 
  "Then you understand what you must do?" ventured Cologne. 
  The only response necessary was cracking knuckles. 
  Just as Taro was about to turn to exit, the old woman added, "Before 
you decide to travel, I suggest you throw the water on yourself AFTER 
you get outside." 

  "Well," started Ranma, "do you think this is far enough away?" 
  Ranma, Akane, Konatsu, Shampoo, Ukyo, and Ryoga stood amidst an 
empty, green field, just outside the city limits, in hopes that when 
Nemesis arrived there would be nothing to bother the teens in battle. 
Once used as a park, the field fell into disuse when the locals 
preferred one in town; it was now ruled by the overgrown, knee-high 
wild grass, left to its own devices after abandonment. The wild grass 
was enclosed in a square fence made up of imported pine trees, whose 
needles were still fresh with the dawn of spring. 
  Only the gentle wind gave life to the still picture. 
  "I think so," Ukyo replied. "There's not much out here." 
  "So, when's this Nemesis going to show up?" asked Ryoga. "I really 
don't want to have come here for nothing." 
  "He'll come," assured the okonomiyaki chef. "I can feel it...." 
  "Since when you trust feelings?" wondered Shampoo. 
  Konatsu leaned over to the girl's ear. He whispered, "She's never 
done that before. Not before...." 
  "Hey," interrupted Ranma, who stared out into the empty field, "do 
you feel that?" He raised a hand for silence in emphasis. 
  Shampoo soaked in the atmosphere, taking a deep breath, and 
concentrated. Turning to Ranma, she said, "Strong aura." 
  "I feel it too," added Akane. 
  "Nemesis," whispered Ukyo. 
  Akane turned to the chef in surprise. "How...?" 
  "You never forget that aura," interrupted Ukyo. Seemingly staring 
off into oblivion, she recited, "It is the bitter taste you get in 
your mouth when you bite down on something... you never forget it." 
  Ranma's wife shot a worried look at Konatsu, who shrugged. 
  Ukyo continued, "It is like a disease... one that you cannot 
shake... no, more like a parasite, always there when you thought 
you've gotten rid of it. No, it is both a pestilence and a parasite; 
it would not be satisfied until you lay dead." 
  Ryoga tapped Ukyo on the shoulder, startling her. "That's all nice, 
but where's this Nemesis?" 
  "Right here, fool," intoned a strange voice. 
  All six teens turned in alarm at the voice, but the owner was 
nowhere to be seen. 
  "I am all around you," taunted the voice. One could distinguish a 
high-pitched, feminine speech from the alien voice, but at the same 
time one could also hear a deep, masculine speech. Both voices spoke 
at once, and with the same intent and meaning, yet should have 
belonged to two different persons. 
  "Shit," cursed Ukyo. "He's masking his aura!" 
  Just like one of my techniques, thought Ranma. Hmmm.... 
  "Look at yourselves!" Nemesis roared, his voice sending shivers 
down the teens' spines. "What can you defeat that you cannot see?" 
  "Hah," Ranma laughed. "Don't think I know your little trick!" The 
martial artist forced himself to concentrate, staring out at nothing. 
  "What's he doing?" Ryoga whispered to Akane. 
  "How should I know?" replied Akane, shrugging. 
  Carefully scanning the area around him, Ranma concentrated on 
finding the hidden aura of Nemesis. Similar to one of his own 
Umisenken techniques, as Ranma guessed, there should be a faint 
outline around the body of the user. 
  When he had used it during the fight with Ryu Kumon, Ranma's 
position was given away when Ryu made him angry; however, Ranma did 
not count on such luck against Nemesis. However, no matter how well 
one hid his aura, a trace would still be left-- as there was always 
exhaust from a car. 
  Ranma's eyes came to a halt just passing Shampoo's position. Yes, 
there it was! 
  Leaping past Shampoo, he shouted, "Got you!!" 
  Startled, Nemesis became visible to the teens. He stepped aside, 
allowing Ranma's attempted flying tackle to pass unhindered. 
  For the first time the teens got a look at their enemy. He appeared 
no taller than Ranma, dressed in a black kimono decorated with 
carnations-- a woman's kimono, no doubt, tied back with a blood-red 
sash. Gathered on the left side of his head was a pony tail, tied off 
with a red ribbon. 
  Staring at Nemesis' face, Akane gasped. "Kodachi?!" 
  "Kodachi?" repeated the others, just as surprised as Akane. 
  Nemesis' ruby red lips curved into a frown. She roared, "Do not 
mock me! I could destroy you insects in an instant!" 
  "No," said Ranma, getting up from the ground, staring at the face 
of the woman, "that's not Kodachi. She's... older." 
  "Damn, not another one!" Ryoga shouted in frustration. "Why won't 
you time jockeys leave us alone?!" 
  "No, you idiot!" Ukyo yelled, slapping Ryoga across the cheeks. 
"That's NOT Kodachi!" 
  "Well, what else did you expect?" Nemesis said. "He is obviously 
too much of a fool to recognize an obvious fact!" 
  "I not care!" Shampoo cried, unsheathing her twin flamberge. 
"Let's get it over with!" 
  Both Konatsu and Ukyo unsheathed their own weapons, raising them 
up, ready to strike. 
  "I don't fight girls," Ryoga said flatly, folding his arms. 
  "Ryoga...." Akane said. 
  "Now's not the time for that!" finished Ukyo, waving a fist angrily. 
  "That's all right," replied Nemesis. "You do not have to fight-- I 
only need to kill you." 
  All at once, Shampoo, Konatsu, and Ukyo charged, each raising 
weapons high, straight for Nemesis. 
  Nemesis, with her lithe form, easily dodged Shampoo's wild slashes, 
dodging left for the right blade, and right for the left blade. She 
ducked under Ukyo's spatula swipe, then leaped over Konatsu's slash, 
carrying herself into the air as if she could fly. Without 
hesitation, Nemesis leveled her palms toward the ground at her three 
attackers, glowing balls of violet energy pulsating in each hand. 
  The three teens threw themselves out of the way as Nemesis' energy 
barrage began-- one after another, as fast as a gattling cannon, 
destructive chi bolts scattered the earth. 
  Without turning around, Nemesis' battle aura flared to life, 
destroying all chances of Ranma's behind-the-back flying attack from 
succeeding. The young martial artist yelped in pain, falling back to 
the ground in surprise. 
  "How do you expect to defeat that which is unnatural to this 
plane?" taunted Nemesis, her voice crackling with energy. 
  "Damn," cursed Ranma, rubbing his back. "She didn't even have to 
turn around!" 
  "Nemesis knew exactly what you were going to do," noted Akane. She 
turned to Ryoga. "You've got to help them!" 
  "Akane," Ryoga said, "when I started this out, I thought I was 
going to fight a man. Then it turns out that this 'man' is a woman. 
How can I fight a woman and stay true to myself?" 
  "Ryoga!!" Akane pleaded, pounding a fist into the man's chest. He 
stood as still as a statue, as if the punch didn't hurt. 
  The Eternally Lost Boy turned to face Akane, tears forming in his 
eyes. "I'm sorry, Akane!" Turning away from the battle, Ryoga burst 
into a sprint. 
  Resisting the urge to run after him, Akane shouted, "RYYYOOOGAAAA!!" 
  "Shit, shit, shit!" Ukyo spat, turning her attention away from the 
battle for a brief moment. "I knew we couldn't count on that jackass!" 
  However, the moment taken to speak those words left the okonomiyaki 
chef open to an energy bolt to the chest. She flew backward from the 
impact, the giant combat spatula flying wildly in the air. 
  "Pay attention!" cried Nemesis. "How do you expect to win without 
your attention on the fight?!" 
  "Take your own suggestions!" screamed Konatsu, leaping at the 
adversary with his sword high above his head. 
  Nemesis raised her right arm in the air, as if that alone would 
deflect the slicing attack. 
  Konatsu's blade arced downward, ready to sever the evil one's arm, 
but the sword bounced back, striking something around the exposed 
arm. Stepping back in surprise, he left himself open long enough for 
Nemesis to launch a bolt from her left hand into his gut. 
  At the same moment, however, Nemesis felt her feet give way, as 
Ranma tripped her feet with a strong foot sweep. 
  Lying on her back against the tall grass, Nemesis stared up at 
her opponents left standing: Ranma and Shampoo. Shampoo's swords 
were both pointed at her heart. 
  "Blast," cursed Nemesis. 
  "You aren't as tough as they say you are," taunted Ranma. 
  "Not yet," corrected Nemesis. "But that was not the purpose of this 
battle." 
  "What you up to?!" demanded Shampoo, as Ukyo, Konatsu, and Akane 
stepped into Nemesis' view. 
  The adversary smiled, chuckling softly to herself. "Call it a test 
run, if you like, but while I am here gauging all of your powers, my 
minions are preparing to infuse my vessel with more energy. I could 
destroy you whenever I liked, but this time, I will learn to savor 
the pain of my prey!" 
  In the moment it takes to blink, Nemesis vanished, the depressed 
grass where she lay returning to their upright position. 
  Shampoo stabbed the grass in vain. "We had her!" she cried angrily. 
  "More like she had us," corrected Ukyo. "We played right into her 
hands. She never did this the last time...." 
  "Hell, now what?" Ranma asked nobody in particular. 
  "Let's go back," suggested Akane. "There's nothing else we can do 
here." 
  Silently, she added, "I hope Ryoga will be okay, wherever he 
is going." 

  Only minutes after the gang left the tall grass, Tatewaki and 
Kodachi Kuno entered the abandoned park. Stepping into the middle of 
the field, one could discern signs of battle, but no blood or remains 
were to be found. 
  "Strange," noted Tatewaki, "it appears we have arrived late." 
  Kodachi grabbed her brother's collar in anger. "You brought me all 
the way out here to look at GRASS?!" 
  "I was certain that Mother was here," replied Tatewaki. 
  "How?!" demanded Kodachi. 
  "She was 'calling' me, not by modern devices, but by... feeling," 
he replied, trying his best to describe the sensation. "Think of it 
as a summons from Heaven, if you will." 
  Kodachi's eyes narrowed. "Shut up. Let's go home." 

  Ryoga ran at top speed away from the abandoned park, away from 
the conflict, away from disgrace. Yet, at the same time, he was 
running from Akane, who he wanted to protect, even though he could 
not have her. 
  How can I face Akane now? wondered Ryoga, wiping away the tears 
in his eyes. How can I live with myself, knowing that I ran out on 
her? At least she doesn't know.... 
  That thought stopped Ryoga in his tracks. 
  Wait, she DOES know about my secret! Ryoga seized his head as if 
he were in pain. She KNOWS!!! How could I have forgotten?!! 
  With all his pent-up energy, Ryoga screamed into the air at the 
top of his lungs. 
  Waitaminute.... If she really DID know, then why hasn't she said 
anything about it yet? Maybe I'm dreaming; maybe she DOESN'T know!! 
  That's it!! 
  "YEESSSS!!!" Ryoga yelled in triumph, forgetting his depression. 
  Now I've got to go back and apologize to Akane! he decided. If all 
I did was run out on her, then I can say I'm sorry and be done with 
it! She won't know I'm the pig!! 
  At top speed, Ryoga ran away from the park, away from the city. 

  Ranma walked alongside his wife as the group continued back toward 
town. Ahead of the pair was Shampoo, with Konatsu and Ukyo trailing 
behind. The afternoon had been drawn on for quite some time; soon, 
evening would come. 
  "You know," started Ranma, breaking the silence, "when I woke up 
this morning, I was going to do something important, but now, I can't 
seem to remember what." 
  Akane's eyes narrowed as they met her husband's. "You forgot?" she 
asked suspiciously. 
  "Hey, a lot's been going on lately," Ranma replied with a shrug. 
  "You wanted to talk to Ukyo," she reminded him. No one could miss 
the hint of anger in Akane's voice. 
  "Now why... of course!" Ranma snapped his fingers. Turning to his 
wife, the martial artist stated, "It'll only take a moment." 
  With that, Ranma slowed his walking pace, allowing Akane to march 
ahead-- alone. 
  The change of pace had not missed Ukyo's attentions. "What's up?" 
the chef asked. 
  Ranma turned to Konatsu. "Keep Akane company for me, will ya?" 
  The kunoichi glanced at Ukyo, as if looking for approval. 
  "Sure, go on ahead," encouraged Ukyo. 
  Wordlessly, Konatsu nodded, then quickened his pace to catch up with 
Akane. 
  "Okay," Ukyo said, "I'm all ears." 
  Ranma cleared his throat, gathering his thoughts. "Where shall I 
begin?" he wondered aloud. "Well, this morning, I realized there was 
something missing in my life." 
  The okonomiyaki chef peered at her old friend carefully. "Right." 
  "Why'd you say that?" he asked. 
  "Well, let's put it this way," she replied, holding out her fist. 
Extending her index finger, Ukyo said, "For one, you're married, and 
have a wonderful wife." She raised a second finger. "Two, everything 
has been settled by your mother...." 
  "Well, not really," interrupted Ranma, who seemed to be ready to 
start sweating. "Mom's actually been 'suggesting' that grandchildren 
would be nice to have around and all." 
  Ukyo shook her head. "She's crazy." 
  "It could be worse." 
  The chef girl continued, raising a third finger. "Thirdly, there's 
nothing left between us, so I don't see why anything I do matters to 
you at all." 
  "That's the thing, really," the young Saotome said, almost ready to 
choke. "I don't know why... but... dammit, I... miss you?" 
  Those words forced Ukyo to come to a grinding halt. "What?" 
  Ranma paused. "Don't take it to mean the way it sounds...." 
  "You're crazy." 
  "No, no, no... let me explain...." 
  "Ranma, you're MARRIED!" 
  "I didn't mean it that way!" 
  "Then what 'way' did you mean?!" 
  "Well... I don't know!" 
  Ukyo shook her head. In disgust, the okonomiyaki chef resumed her 
march. 
  Raising a hand, as if it would stop her, Ranma followed. "W...wait!" 
  Without turning around, the chef replied, "Don't start with me, 
Ranma." She tried her best to force back the tears welling in her 
eyes. "I've tried my best these past months to bury my dreams, so 
don't try to dig them up again." Ukyo raised her fist, shaking it in 
frustration. "Before, I would've done anything for you... anything 
that would make you happy. Then I realized that Akane makes you happy, 
and not... me." With her other hand she wiped the tears from her eyes. 
"After that, I've done everything I could to get you out of my life. 
The last thing I need right now is... this." 
  "But, but... I...." Ranma stuttered. 
  "Remember your wedding day?" asked Ukyo. 
  "Yeah?" 
  "Remember how I gave you my first kiss?" she reminded him. 
  "And?" Ranma knew where this was going; the first kiss was always 
the one you remembered. 
  "The only thing I could remember about it since then was... just 
how much I was trying to enjoy it," explained the okonomiyaki chef. 
"But, even then, I knew... you weren't kissing back." 
  She forced a soft laugh, yet, her sniffling drowned it out. 
"Kissing is overrated." 
  Ranma was at a loss for words, slowing his pace in order to avoid 
getting too close to his upset friend. Ukyo was right about one thing, 
at least: the kiss. 
  "I can't imagine how the hell you came up with these 'feelings,'" 
continued Ukyo, barely maintaining control over her sobs. She glanced 
back at Ranma, with both menace and sadness in her teary eyes. "But, 
if you dare to say those words...." 
  "Ukyo...." 
  "I'll hate you for the rest of my life!" 

  "Seriously," ranted Akane, "what is it that Ranma could only talk 
to Ukyo about that he couldn't talk to me?" 
  Konatsu said nothing as he walked by the woman's side. Sometimes it 
was best only to listen. 
  Akane balled her hands into fists, waving them angrily in the air. 
"That Ranma! Even when married he still chases after other girls!" 
  Still the kunoichi refused to say a word. Although he knew Akane 
knew that was not the truth, sometimes it was better to let it go. 
  "Konatsu," someone behind the two said, "let's go." 
  Both Akane and Konatsu glanced over their shoulders at Ukyo, her 
head lowered enough so her hair hung over her eyes, concealing them 
from view. Not far behind Ranma was running to catch up. 
  "Ukyo...." the kunoichi whispered. 
  "I said, let's go!" the okonomiyaki chef repeated angrily. 
  With lightning-quick motion, Ukyo grabbed Konatsu's arm. With a 
sudden burst, she sprinted off ahead of Akane, with the kunoichi 
struggling to keep up. 
  "Ukyo?" Akane whispered, forgetting her anger in turn for surprise. 
She watched both Ukyo and Konatsu run off ahead of Shampoo, just as 
Ranma, heavily breathing, reached his wife's side. 
  "I'm telling you," Ranma said, trying to catch his breath, "that 
stupid Ukyo's getting more and more stubborn." 
  Akane folded her arms. "What did you say to her?" she demanded. 
  "What do you want me to say?" Ranma asked honestly. "If she didn't 
want to hear it, what makes you think YOU want to hear it?" 
  "Because I'm your WIFE, stupid!" 
  "You certainly don't make things any easier!" 
  "What's that supposed to mean?!" 
  "You don't want to hear it!" 
  "Yes I do!" 
  "No you don't!" 
  "Yes I do!" 
  "You two through?!" 
  Both Ranma and Akane ceased their argument and turned to face 
Shampoo. As if she were Mother, the Chinese Amazon stood, arms folded 
across her chest, tapping her foot against the ground. Her gaze 
suggested power, as man and wife shrunk to her imposing figure. 
  "If you two not stop," she warned, "you die!" 
  Walking up to Ranma, Shampoo slapped him across the face. "Treat 
wife as you do, you die! How you live with defiance?!" 
  Ranma rubbed his sore cheeks as the Chinese Amazon turned to Akane. 
"Treat husband as you do, you die! How you live with no control?!" 
  Bracing herself for an attack, Akane raised her arms in defense of 
the attack that never came. Instead, Shampoo spat at her feet. 
  "Stupid Japanese!" she cursed. "None know how to treat spouse right!" 
  "Yeah?!" both Ranma and Akane shouted. "What do YOU know about being 
married?!" 
  Shampoo shook her head, throwing her arms up in frustration. "You 
two DESERVE each other!" 

  Far from three bickering teenagers, far from the battle which they 
had come, but certainly not far from the trio's destination, one lone 
man stumbled through the dark room. He yelped in pain as he ran his 
foot against yet another heavy file cabinet. 
  "Hell with it," muttered the man, turning on a small flashlight. 
  The shadowy man shined the light against all the cabinets around 
him, searching for the right cabinet. 
  Light shined over one labeled 'Doco.' 
  Satisfied, the man produced a lock pick. Holding the handheld 
flashlight in his teeth, he inserted the pick into the keyhole, 
carefully listening for the tumblers to fall in place. 
  After several tense minutes, the shadow man had the locked cabinet 
drawer open. Carefully, he thumbed his way through the folders, 
stopping when he found the one labeled 'Contracts.' 
  Glancing over his shoulder, the man slowly removed the folder, 
glad to note that nobody was on to him yet. "Certainly, none of the 
Tokuyama execs would appreciate this intrusion," he mused. "I 
wouldn't, if this were my company." 
  He removed the flashlight from his teeth, running his free hand's 
index finger down the pages which outlined the terms of the contract. 
Several crossed-out areas, and many more written in-- marred the 
otherwise clean contract, as if last-minute additions and corrections 
were made on the final contract sheet. 
  None of that surprised the intruder. After all, both Nabiki Tendo, 
the general manager, and President Tokuyama, were hard sellers. 
  "Damn," the man cursed silently, pausing at one particular side note. 
"This is it!" 
  Replacing the flashlight in his teeth, the intruder produced a 
small, palm-sized camera. Carefully steadying the light, the shadow 
man took several snapshots of the contract, careful to make extra 
snaps in case the first did not develop correctly. 
  Carefully replacing the folder, and shutting the drawer, the shadow 
man shut off the flashlight. "This coming evening will be most 
interesting indeed, Nabiki Ten...." 
  The intruder yelped in pain as he ran into another file cabinet. 

  "This place doesn't look like Tokyo..." Ryoga Hibiki told himself 
as he passed through the forested path. "Either way... I can't kid 
myself. How in the world am I going to go on if I can't face an 
opponent that's a woman?" 
  Walking along the quiet path, the Eternally Lost Boy continued to 
recite his thoughts. "Nemesis... I don't even know what that's really 
all about. What is the big deal about this opponent that's so 
different from other guys, like Herb or Pantyhose Taro?" 
  "Yet... in the future... can I stay true to myself? Can I never 
fight a woman?" 
  You fought Ukyo, you idiot, he told himself mentally. 
  "That's right... I forgot about her. Yet... it was alright... 
because I didn't know.... I mean, yeah...." 
  "But, what if this Nemesis were to get close to someone I care 
about.... Akari. Akari... geez, I wish you could be here... you would 
probably make me forget about all this! I wish I could, but I can't... 
not as long as this mess goes on. If it came down to it, would I 
fight for Akari, and throw away myself?" 
  "Would I do it?" Ryoga wondered, staring at his hands. 
  There was only one way to find out, he decided, wandering the path 
before him. 

  "It was a complete success," Nemesis announced as she stepped into 
the dark chamber whence she had come. 
  In place of the stone slab where Lady Kuno had been bound was a 
fountain-like device, cascading water over the rim at the top of the 
device into a large, bathtub-sized pool below. Serving as a sort of 
fountain head was a small statue of a dragon with eight heads, spewing 
the liquid in eight directions. Standing around it was three men: the 
principal, the Shinto priest, and the short man. 
  "Excellent," Warmage said, using the principal's voice. "The energy 
font is ready for your disposal." 
  Nemesis undid her pony tail, allowing her dark hair to fall freely 
behind her back. "I welcome my next meal...." 
  Strand snorted. "Can I stay and watch?! Pleazzzzeee!!" 
  Shifter kicked the small man in the stomach. "Absolutely not!" 
  Untying the sash of her kimono, Nemesis said, "I will certainly 
enjoy relishing the pain...." 
  Warmage nodded, exiting the chamber as Shifter dragged Strand behind 
him, leaving Nemesis alone to disrobe. 
  Speaking only to herself, Nemesis continued, "What better way to 
soak up extra energy than to bathe in it?" She gently slid a toe into 
the pool, allowing the warmness of the liquid to adjust to her body. 
"Twenty-four hours is all that is necessary; then I can find my own 
source of energy. Pain is a more rewarding energy than this method, 
but I will not complain." 
  Sinking her naked body into the pool, Nemesis relaxed her muscles, 
her eyes fluttering to welcome sleep. "I think I will dream of the 
new world... of greenery... of my son...." 

  "Are you sure this is wise?" Shifter asked Warmage as soon as the 
three Orochi cultists left Nemesis to her own devices. As an after- 
thought, the Shinto wizard kicked Strand a second time, who was 
feasting his eyes on the room he had left forcefully. 
  "What are you talking about?!" demanded Warmage. 
  "Keep in mind that this is the first time Nemesis has been on the 
planet for ages," started Shifter, "and that this is the first time 
the creature has actually been summoned. If we keep feeding Nemesis 
more power, he might not need us for much longer." 
  "That doesn't concern me," the principal replied, unconcerned. 
"I don't care if you die, because I'm already dead. Your brother's 
already dead. The only one left to die is you." 
  Thanks a lot. "Also, at this rate the host vessel will not last 
Nemesis for any longer than two weeks," calculated Shifter. "At 
that point Nemesis can fashion a body without needing a vessel; at 
that point we won't be able to banish him if necessary." 
  "You STILL trying for the bitch?!" snorted Strand, taking his 
attention from the woman in the other room for the first time. "As 
far as I'm concerned, she's DEAD already!!" 
  "Forget about human life," suggested Warmage. "For when Nemesis 
recreates the world, the Orochi will have won, and everything will 
be back to as it was!" He placed a hand on Shifter's shoulder. "When 
you die, you do it for the future!" 
  Turning to the short man, the leader commanded, "Come! There's 
much work to be done." 
  Both Warmage and Strand departed, leaving Shifter alone. Shifter 
sighed as he watched the short, ugly assassin trod after Warmage like 
a dog; he never used to be that way. 
  The Shinto wizard turned to enter the room where Nemesis bathed in 
the strange liquid. The woman lay asleep in the pool, with only her 
head above the surface, in a calm, relaxed position. Almost serene. 
  Only one glance at the woman's face made up Shifter's mind. With 
new determination the Orochi assassin marched toward the exit of the 
underground compound. 
  Damn the Warmage, and damn Nemesis, Shifter thought. There must 
be another way! 
  The assassin was lost in thought, that he almost ran into the 
man standing in front of the exit. 
  "Where're you going so late?" the guard asked, reaching for the 
sword sheathed over his back. 
  "There must be matters to be taken care of before tomorrow," 
Shifter answered honestly. "Inform the Warmage that I will not be 
back until tomorrow." 
  "As you wish, then," replied the guard, releasing his grip on the 
sword. He folded his arms, the right arm against another arm that 
simply wasn't there. 
  The assassin certainly knew the meaning of that. 
  Shifter pushed open the gate that lead to the outside world. 
Taking one last glance at compound he was leaving, the Orochi 
assassin walked off into the growing darkness of the setting sun. 


"For a time, I considered sparing your wretched planet Cybertron. 
  But now, you will witness... it's DISMEMBERMENT!" 
						-- Unicron, Transformers 

					*  *  *  *  *
Let's be Platonic (Kodachi)

(Kodachi) Nobody else at the seashore, together with you,
we reveled at the time but we settled down.

Your reticent eyes somehow scare me.
The sky, the sea, and the waves all recede in the distance.

Ah, even at the touch of your little finger, my thoughts race!
Till love grows, wait a little while.

Softly brushing away a grain of sand on your lip,
I see myself in your eyes..... ahahahahahahahaha!!!

[Follow Me]   
[Me & You]    Let's be Platonic--
              it's a promise! Ahahahahaahaaa!!
[Follow Me]   
[Me & You]    Let's stay Platonic--
              I love you.....oooohoohooohooooo!!

Suddenly rain falls, and in a hurry, we
run for the car on the road.

Ah, when you roughly pull me by the arm,
it feels like it's broken.  Be gentle.

What my heart must decide, the answer
may be known only by the endless waves?

[Follow Me]     
[Me & You]      Let's still be Platonic
                for now....ohohohohohoho!!
[Follow Me]     
[Me & You]      Let's stay Platonic--
                as painful as that may be....hehehehehehehe!

To tell the truth, when we almost kiss,
I've felt like saying you're allowed.

[Follow Me]   
[Me & You]    Let's be Platonic--
              it's a promise! Whaaahaaaahhaaaaa....
[Follow Me]   
[Me & You]    Let's stay Platonic--
              I love you.....ooohooohooohoooooo!!!
					*  *  *  *  *

Part 3: The Eighth Orochi Assassin-- The Legacy of Susano-O 

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to 
  be stupid with them." 
						-- Emerson, Journals 

"All of life can be broken down into moments of transition or
  moments of revelation. This had the feeling of both.... G'Quon 
  wrote, 'There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is
  the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight 
  is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and 
  despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the
  death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The 
  future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be 
  born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that 
  future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always 
  born in pain.'"
						-- G'Kar, Babylon 5

  The evening many in Tokyo have been waiting for, and dreading at 
the same time, was about to begin. 
  For over two weeks the band known as Doco made it known that 
Shampoo, one of the five lead singers, was going to leave the group, 
and, in consequence, the group was to disband completely. 
  The overcrowded seating in the amphitheater bolstered Nabiki's 
happiness, for more people meant more money. And less time to actually 
work at the nowhere job, she added tactfully. 
  The middle Tendo sister checked her wrist watch. A little over a 
half an hour left before show time. 
  She made her way to the dressing room, where Shampoo, Ranma (in 
girl form), Akane, and Kasumi were busy getting ready for the stage. 
Bursting in, Nabiki shouted, "Alright, where's everybody else?!" 
  Putting on a leather jacket, Ranma answered, "How should I know? 
Ryoga's missing, Mousse and those Kunos won't answer messages, and 
Ukyo and Konatsu are probably still closing up their restaurant." 
  Shampoo leaned toward a mirror as she put on her lipstick. "Mousse 
not coming. He still sulking." 
  "Well, that's terrific," Nabiki said, waving her arms in the air. 
"How are we supposed to put on a show without a band? We can't give 
everybody their money back!" 
  "That would be cheating the fans," Akane added. "Why don't the 
others understand?" 
  "Because they're self-centered and stuck-up, that's why!" Ranma 
answered harshly. "Besides, I'm GLAD Kuno isn't going to show up!" 
  "Fine, if that's the way it's going to be... I've got a back-up 
plan," Nabiki announced, producing a compact disc from a vest 
pocket. 
  Kasumi exclaimed, "Oh my! Is that what I think it is?" 
  "Yep!" confirmed Nabiki. "Karaoke CD." 
  "With that, we not need silly band!" concluded Shampoo. 
  Akane took the compact disc from her sister, and studied it 
carefully. "I don't know... it's certainly not the best idea, but I 
suppose it'll have to do." 
  While all five girls bantered back and forth, none took notice of 
a single shadow, whose ear was pressed against the wall from the 
outside. With the important information at hand, the shadow silently 
crept away from the wall, leaving no trace of having been there. 

  Nabiki arranged for the lighting to shine only upon the five singers 
at the front of the stage, and made sure that the stagehands kept 
their mouths shut (with a little incentive, of course). Any profit, 
to which the middle Tendo sister had no doubt of, would not go to the 
ones who stood-up the band. 
  When it was time for the show to begin, Nabiki signaled for the 
crew to start playing the karaoke compact disc. 

					*  *  *  *  *
Equal Romance (Doco Farewell Concert) 

[(Akane) With just empty kindness, 
 (All) my heart is in pain. 
 Love is always loneliness 
 into your arms, ah.] 

[Voices: SHIT!] 

(All) Darlin' 
Just For Me  I'll be waiting. <shattered glass> 
(Shampoo) I want to make your heart thrill. <shattered glass> 
(All) Your fingertips lead to romance. 
Our destiny is surely Fallin' Love.... <groaning> 

[Voices: There! Go! I've got it!] 

(Kasumi) Tonight, it's strange..... 
					*  *  *  *  *

  Barely into the first verse, the lights flickered. At the same 
moment, the music to which the five singers sang to stopped abruptly, 
forcing a loud buzz through the amphitheater's speakers. 
  All at once, the audience roared in pain and anger. 
  Nabiki looked about in confusion. She shouted, "What's happening?!" 
  As if on cue, from the lights above the stage, three figures leaped 
down from the great height. If they were any normal human being, they 
should have been hurt when they landed on their feet, but these were 
certainly not ordinary human beings: one wore a skin-tight leotard and 
twirled a ribbon over her head, one folded his arms in the folds of 
his sleeves, and the third had her hands on the weapon strapped to her 
back. 
  "You!!!" cried Nabiki, as she recognized Kodachi, Mousse, and Ukyo. 
  "How dumb do you take us?!" demanded Kodachi. 
  "We were not ignorant of your intentions, Nabiki Tendo!" Mousse 
added. 
  "How could you forget us?!" finished Ukyo. 
  "I don't know what you're talking about!!" insisted the middle 
Tendo sister. 
  "Nabiki," Akane started, "what is this all about?" 
  "C'mon, Nabiki Tendo!" taunted Ukyo. "Tell your sister about the 
'arrangement' you made for us! Tell them, that, in your greed, 
'forgot' about us." Turning to Akane, the okonomiyaki chef explained, 
"What is it that makes up this band? You five?" She shook her head. 
"No! ALL of us make up this band!" 
  Kodachi pointed an accusing finger at Nabiki. "In the spirit of 
'teamwork' and 'friendship,' we were never to appear at all tonight! 
For that matter, we hardly exist!" 
  "Nabiki, is this true?" asked Kasumi. 
  "So what if none of you get credit for anything!" cried Nabiki 
defiantly. "I, for one, didn't include you clowns in this band deal 
for my health; it was for convenience alone! I merely lead you all 
along with thoughts of teamwork; besides, Doco IS US." 
  "You never intended us to be in the band in the first place," 
Mousse said. "Back in the battle of the bands, you let us through 
because we wouldn't get in your way otherwise! But now... now that 
money is at stake, you took us out of the loop!" 
  "It's not the money we care about," explained Ukyo, "but the fact 
that everything surrounding Doco is just five singers, nothing more!" 
  "Let me get this straight," Ranma said. "Are you telling me that 
you guys've been working for free?" 
  "Can the money, Saotome!" screeched Ukyo. Turning back to Nabiki, 
she cried, "YOUR only friend is money, pure and simple! To think, 
all I've put into this band went to nothing! Time spent making good 
'ol Nabiki Tendo rich, when I could have been working at my 
restaurant! All I asked for was a little credit, but SOMEONE just had 
to take it all!" 
  Mousse reached into his robes, and threw an object at Akane's 
direction. 
  Akane stared down at the compact disc jewel case, a Doco CD. "What 
is this?" 
  "Read the credits," suggested Mousse. Turning to Ranma, he snarled, 
"Another time, Saotome." 
  Kodachi turned to her two comrades. "Let us depart! Our work here 
is finished." Over her shoulder, the gymnast added, "Adieu, Ranma. 
The next encounter will be our last!" 
  "I'll say," Ranma muttered under her breath. 
  Before turning to leave, Ukyo warned, "Nabiki Tendo, if I ever see 
you again, you'd best be prepared to get turned into dog shit!" 
  Ignoring the departing trio, Akane flipped through the booklet 
inserted in the jewel case. Flipping to the back, bewilderment filled 
the youngest Tendo sister's eyes. "I don't see anything...." 
  Shampoo took a peek over Akane's shoulder. "Just our names." 
  Akane turned to Nabiki, confused. "I don't understand." 
  Nabiki shrugged. "Place the band into the group, and we've more 
than ten people to deal with. Remove them, and there's only five. 
It takes what would go to them out of the loop and gives it to me. 
When I got the contracts from the Tokuyama Agency, I did a little 
negotiating myself. What's so hard to understand about that?" 
  "Nabiki, you've lied and cheated them?" asked Kasumi. "That's not 
very nice." 
  "Is that ALL?" muttered Ranma, slightly disgusted with Kasumi's 
lack of emotion. 
  "Well, the Kunos didn't care; they've got money," Nabiki reasoned. 
"As for Ryoga, Mousse, and Ukyo... they never asked." She shook her 
head. "I was wondering how long it would take them to figure this one 
out. Not that we ever needed them, anyway. They're not MY friends." 
  "How could you?!" yelled Akane in anger. "After all that's happened, 
all the time we've worked together, I thought you've changed!" 
  "I change when it suits me," replied Nabiki smugly. 
  "Some of them were MY friends!" continued her sister. 
  "Oh, did you want me to play favorites with them?" taunted Nabiki. 
Placing a hand over her breast, she explained, "I, for one, don't 
play favorites; you should know that." 
  "Still dirty," complained Shampoo. 
  "Hell with that," Ranma yelled, gesturing toward the audience. 
"What are we going to do about THEM?" 

  Damn, this is certainly not turning out as I expected. 
  Running through the dark, empty streets of Nerima, one lone man, 
dressed in white, flowing robes similar to that of a Shinto priest 
cursed his rotten luck. Though he did not fear being recognized by 
anyone, Shifter pulled the hood of his robe over his head tightly, 
unwilling to take any chances. No, there was no time to take any 
unnecessary chances when Nemesis was concerned. 
  The ancient assassin headed for the business district, having 
unsuccessfully entering the Tendo household. Shifter remembered the 
location after over a year since being there last, but that hardly 
did the wizard any good-- nobody was home. There were few other 
places the assassin could think of to find someone... relevant. 
  If any of Warmage's spies saw me out here, they'd kill me, Shifter 
thought. They'll never understand why... that is why they cannot 
know. 
  Shifter came to a halt in the middle of the street, catching his 
breath. His eyes focused on one of many places he knew he could try 
to find help-- the Nekohanten. 
  Judging from the lack of lit lights, reasoned the assassin, the 
business must be closed. Still, it can't hurt to try. 
  Forcing himself to relax, the Shinto wizard produced a feather fan 
from his sleeves. Waving the fan about over his head, muttering a 
series of arcane words, the man disappeared-- fan, robes, and all. 
  Actually, Shifter, true to his name, merely changed his shape-- to 
that of a large, dark-furred rat. 
  The rat skittered across the street toward the closed restaurant. 
With sharp claws, the tiny mammal began to scale the wall. 

  "That Ranma," Mousse complained, "is too unbearable to be allowed 
to live!" 
  The three party crashers walked together, side by side, by 
themselves in the dimly-lit streets of Nerima, completely devoid of 
all signs of life. 
  "Oh, is that so?" returned Kodachi. "Pray tell, did you devise 
this theory this very moment, or an eternity?" 
  "Knock it off, you two!" railed Ukyo, not bothering to hide her 
anger. "Haven't we done enough for one night?" 
  Kodachi tapped her index finger against her ruby-red lips, as if 
thinking over the chef's words. "I do not think so." 
  "There's subtlety when you see it," concluded Ukyo sarcastically, 
shaking her head. 
  "If Nabiki Tendo and her buddies want to play the game with us," 
reasoned Mousse, "it's only fair we return the same! Especially since 
Ranma's in on it. And... SHAMPOO!!!" Mousse spat away from the two 
girls that were his companions as he mentioned the name. "Their day 
of reckoning has come at last!" 
  "Don't take it TOO far," warned Ukyo, "or you might be next." 
  Both Kodachi and Mousse stopped in their tracks, staring at Ukyo 
in puzzlement. Ukyo clamped her hands over her mouth, as if she said 
something she was not supposed to say. 
  "Did mine ears hear correctly?" Kodachi asked rhetorically. "Bwaaa 
ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!" The gymnast leaned closer toward Ukyo's embarrassed 
face. "Something tells me that, somewhere inside of you, you still 
care!" 
  If only I could get her to shut up, Ukyo mused silently. 
  "It doesn't matter," concluded Mousse. "She couldn't do it anyway." 
  "What?!" Ukyo exclaimed. "I could kill you if I meant it!" 
  "You couldn't kill anyone if your life depended on it!" returned 
the Master of Hidden Weapons. 
  "I killed that assassin, didn't I?!" the chef countered. 
  "Oh." 
  Kodachi put herself between the two bickering teens. "If we must 
fight, let us not do it amongst ourselves!" 
  "Since when did you start acting like your brother?" Ukyo asked 
the other girl. 
  That caught Kodachi by surprise. Stepping back defensively, she 
said, "I do not!" 
  "Yes you do!" the okonomiyaki chef insisted. "He was obsessed with 
getting rid of Ranma, and now, so are you." She extended a finger, 
ready to list off her points. "You get into other peoples' business 
when one possible outcome suits you, and you think you're the best 
at what you do." 
  Kodachi feigned surprise, raising her right palm to her lips. "Ah! 
I am not the best?!" 
  The gymnast burst out laughing as she continued her walk. Both 
Ukyo and Mousse followed behind. 
  "You forgot about the laugh," Mousse pointed out. 
  Ukyo shook her head. "Naw. Kuno got it from her." 
  "Speaking of which, where is that sword-totting maniac?" the 
Chinese man asked. 
  The chef girl shrugged. "Last I heard, he's trying to figure out 
what to do with himself." 
  "He's not the only one," Mousse muttered under his breath. 
  "What?" 
  "Nothing." 
  Almost before the two could stop, Ukyo and Mousse almost ran into 
Kodachi, who stood still before them. 
  "Hey!" exclaimed Ukyo. "You could've warned us!" 
  "Silence!" Kodachi hissed. 
  Turning to Mousse, the Kuno girl said, "I believe you told us your 
establishment was closed tonight?" 
  Mousse nodded. 
  Raising a pointing finger down the street, Kodachi said, "Then why 
are the lights on?" 
  "What?" Mousse leaned forward, adjusting his glasses, as if it would 
give him telescopic sight. 
  Sure enough, a few buildings down, was the Nekohanten. The store 
sign was down, the door was closed, yet, the lights in the dining room 
were on. 
  "The old hag's got guests?!" guessed the Chinese martial artist. 
"Shit!" he spat, reaching for Mei-ling's gifts. 
  Mousse pushed his way past Kodachi, sprinting down the street toward 
the restaurant that served as his home while in Japan. 
  "You think something's wrong?" Ukyo asked Kodachi. 
  "It is not just any guest," explained Kodachi. "Smell the delicate 
air, Kuonji. Do you not detect the stench of familiarity?" Suddenly, 
as if a jolt of electricity ran through her head, realization dawned 
on the gymnast. "HIM!!!" she cried. 
  Kodachi burst into a sprint after Mousse. 
  "Hey, wait up!" Ukyo shouted, dashing behind. 

  "Damn," the male Ranma declared wearily, rubbing his sweating palms 
against his shirt. "I thought we'd never get outta there!" 
  "I thought this was supposed to be FUN," complained Shampoo. 
  Tired and exhausted from the final concert fiasco, Ranma, Akane, 
Shampoo, Kasumi, and Nabiki, trailed by Soun, Genma, and Nodoka, 
headed toward the Tendo home for a much-needed quiet period. 
  Needless to say, the crowd was upset at the interruption made by 
former band members Kodachi, Ukyo, and Mousse; it took a great deal 
of coercing (and 'encouragement' on the part of the security teams) 
to prevent an all-out riot. Nabiki guessed that the bulk of the 
audience had no idea what was going on, but those close enough to 
the stage may have heard the angry exchanges, which was definitely 
not good for publicity, especially not for a farewell concert. 
  "You know," Akane started, "I think I know how the others feel, 
but I don't think this was the way to... do it." 
  "What did you expect?" Nabiki replied cynically. "Good-for- 
nothings like them can't do anything simple." 
  "That's not very nice," Kasumi pointed out again. 
  "Don't you ever say anything else?" asked the younger sister. 
  Kasumi stared at Nabiki with a clueless expression. She turned 
away, bowing her head, as if in thought. Finally, the eldest Tendo 
girl said, "You should apologize to them." 
  Nabiki shook her head in frustration. "I should be used to this 
by now." 
  "Hey, YOU started it!" accused Ranma. 
  The middle sister stepped back in mock surprise. "Me?" 
  "Knock it off, you two!" Akane shouted, dragging her husband away 
from her sister. 
  Behind the five youngsters, Nodoka made a conversation of her own 
with Genma and Soun. 
  "They appear to be getting along fine now," Nodoka said with a 
smile. 
  "Umm, yes," Soun replied, wishing his girls wouldn't fight amongst 
themselves. 
  "Frankly, I, for one, am waiting for dinner!" Genma announced, 
rubbing his stomach in emphasis. 
  "Do you suppose Ranma and Akane have spent their time together yet?" 
Nodoka asked suddenly. 
  Both men stared at Nodoka in surprise. 
  "Ahhh...." muttered Soun, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Without 
coming up with an answer, he burst out in tears. "Whaaaa-ha!" he 
cried. "Kids these days! They grow up too quickly!" 
  "Really?!" Genma exclaimed, even more surprised. 
  "That's nice to hear," Nodoka said, nodding sagely. Ranma's mother 
could barely contain her excitement herself. "Have they taken the 
names I suggested to heart?" 
  Soun ignored the question, as if he could only hear himself. 
  "That is the last to be done if Ranma should become a real man," 
Nodoka said to nobody in particular. "Marriage only makes half a 
man; a full man raises a family as well." 
  "Uh-huh," Genma replied, nodding without thinking. He ran his 
tongue over his lips in anticipation. 
  "It'll be wonderful to have grandchildren, wouldn't it?" she asked 
her husband. 
  "Yes, dear," he answered, his thoughts still on the coming dinner. 
  "I hope it's a boy!" 
  "Yes, dear." 
  "Ranma could raise him to be a man, too!" 
  "Yes, dear." 
  "Our ancestors would be proud!" 
  "Yes, dear." 
  "I'm proud!" 
  Had the five youngsters not stopped when they did, the exchange 
would not have ended. 
  "Mom?" Ranma said. 
  "What is it?" Nodoka asked. 
  "Why are you crying?" Ranma knew the answer, but he would rather 
hear it from his mother's mouth. 
  "Oh, nothing," she lied, reaching for a handkerchief. 
  "We're home," Ranma announced. 
  Genma rushed past the boy, saliva drooling from the rim of his lips. 
"It's MINE!" he cried, rushing through the open gates to the Tendo 
property lot. 
  Akane, Nabiki, and Shampoo, standing by the gate, watched Genma 
rush past them, as if there was a race that had to be won. 
  "Why rush?" Shampoo asked nobody in particular. "Cook out here!" 
  A few moments later, they heard someone scream. 
  "Pop?!" Ranma exclaimed, recognizing the voice dripping with terror. 
Without thinking, the young martial artist dashed through the gates, 
heading straight for the wide-open front door to the Tendo house. 
  Without warning, a large, heavy object collided with Ranma, forcing 
him to come to a stop forcefully. 
  Akane and Shampoo rushed to Ranma's side, throwing the terrified 
Genma off him. 
  "Ranma!" Akane said. "Are you okay?" 
  "Man," Ranma said, rubbing his head, "Pop needs to lose some weight 
next time he gets thrown at me." 
  "That was certainly not the intention, I assure you," someone said. 
  All heads turned toward the tall figure standing at the entrance of 
the house. With only the moonlight to reveal his features, there was 
not much to discern the man from the darkness around him. However, one 
could make out the distinct dress-- the man wore long, flowing robes, 
a white blotch against a black house. 
  "Who're you?!" demanded Ranma, getting to his feet. 
  "Step inside, Son-in-Law," commanded another voice. 
  "Great-grandmother!" Shampoo shouted in recognition. 
  "What is the meaning of this?" wondered Soun. 
  "There is much to discuss," explained Cologne, hopping on her 
walking staff toward Ranma. "Everything has been building to this 
moment, and it is time you understood the truth." 

  "I can't believe you're still alive," Ranma muttered to the robed 
man, pausing to scoop up more rice from his bowl. 
  "The feeling is mutual, I assure you," Shifter replied coldly. 
  Soun sat at the head of the dining table, with Cologne and Shifter 
taking the guest positions. Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane, Shampoo, Genma, 
and Ranma sat all around, sharing the dinner Nodoka cooked up in a 
short amount of time. 
  Ranma studied the robed man carefully. Shifter had grown facial 
hair since the last the two met; the assassin had the beginnings of a 
Fu-manchu moustache along with a short, neatly cut beard. He wore a 
soft, silk cap over his head, tied with a ribbon behind his ears and 
under his chin, in a fashion quite archaic to modern standards. 
  "I am sure by now that you have encountered Nemesis," Shifter began, 
setting down his rice bowl. 
  "Yeah," confirmed Ranma. "Why does she look like Kodachi, anyhow?" 
  "Don't get ahead of me, young man," the Orochi assassin warned, 
leveling a finger at the young martial artist. 
  "Just what is this all about?" asked Akane. 
  Shifter cleared his throat. "My story is a long one, so you best 
prepare to listen." 
  "This should be interesting," Soun said, leaning closer to Shifter. 
  "In popularized legend," began the assassin, "the great eight-headed 
dragon, Yamata no Orochi, terrorized a small kingdom in a faraway 
land, demanding a maiden to be sacrificed to him on each night of the 
full moon. That is, until wayward maverick kami Susano-O arrived, 
wielding the Kusanagi sword. In promise for Princess Kushinada's hand 
in marriage, Susano-O challenged and defeated the great dragon with 
his wits alone. In decapitating all eight heads, Susano-O released 
the Yagatama orb from the mighty serpent's belly. Also, the final 
tear of the final head of Orochi formed the Mirror of Yata, which is 
reputed to contain the Orochi's eternal torment. This mirror was given 
to Princess Yata, Kushinada's sister, after the kami wed. In due time 
the Kusanagi sword, the Magatama orb, and the Mirror of Yata made 
their way here, in Japan, reputed to be hidden away deep within the 
Imperial Palace." 
  "That's a common fairytale," Kasumi noted. 
  "Ah, but a fairytale it is not," corrected Shifter. "You see, there 
is much that the legends do not tell. Yamata no Orochi was not 
always the cruel being he was depicted to be; as you can tell, he 
only visited the human kingdoms once a lunar month. He had a following 
behind him, just as most other kami had in those days." 
  "Wait, so you're saying this Orochi is a kami?" asked Nabiki in 
disbelief. 
  The Orochi assassin nodded. "As most people know, the Orochi was 
not native to Japan, but to the mainland. He was quite popular 
among the numerous 'primitive' tribes living around the human 
kingdoms-- seen as a guardian spirit of sorts. It was Orochi that 
kept these tribes from the brink of destruction by keeping 
'civilization' in check. Upon the Orochi's death, however, the 
tribes knew they were doomed to destruction." 
  At this time Nodoka entered with the last tray of dinner. She 
set the tray down on the table, then took her own position. Shifter 
respectfully paused, allowing Ranma's mother to make herself 
comfortable. 
  "Death, it turned out, was not the end for Yamata no Orochi," 
Shifter continued. "Susano-O, we believe, knew he could not destroy 
the Orochi outright, instead opting to separate his spiritual 
essence from his destroyed body. The Mirror of Yata, in effect, is a 
seal that binds Orochi to the Kami Plane." 
  "What's this 'Kami Plane?'" asked Soun. 
  "Kami are not natural to this world," explained the Orochi assassin. 
"They are in fact birthed from another plane of existence, a world 
detached from our own, where kami rule supreme. The kami do not have 
a name for this land; we termed it ourselves. However, the kami 
were not content with their homeland-- many opted to become gods to 
the 'primitive' mankind in the next plane of existence." 
  "Kami are, in fact, manifestations of nature; therefore, with this 
indestructible tie, the more nature suffers, the more the kami suffer. 
Likewise, the more nature flourishes, so do the kami." 
  "So you're saying that the power of kami is related directly with 
our natural surroundings?" concluded Akane. 
  "Precisely," confirmed Shifter. "Yamata no Orochi was among the most 
powerful of the kami, more so than Susano-O. When the tribes 
discovered this fact, revenge was within their grasp. With careful 
methods unknown to even myself, they transported Orochi's corpse, 
decapitated heads and all, to Japan." 
  "Okay, that's a little hard to swallow," Ranma interrupted. "Do 
you know how far it is from the mainland to Japan?" 
  "Do not ask, twit," snapped the assassin in anger. "It matters not 
how they did it, but the fact that they indeed succeeded. In fact, 
since the sealing of the Mirror of Yata was not entirely complete, 
Yamata no Orochi had a limited control over his earthly body, 
forcing the regeneration of his heads to the severed necks. However, 
this Orochi was but a shadow of his former self, so he retreated to 
the forest known now as Ryugenzawa to hide himself from his enemies. 
The tribesmen, all of which followed their protector to the foreign 
land of Japan, home of their sworn enemy Susano-O, united into one 
large clan. In addition, to seal their determination to destroy 
their enemy, all those people underwent the process of becoming one 
with their god-- by infusing themselves with the serpent's very blood, 
obliterating all traces of their own, human blood. Not only did this 
separate these people from the rest of humanity, but it also heightened 
their already-incredible fighting abilities. They became known as the 
Orochi Family." 
  "That some pretty dedicated peoples," Shampoo noted. 
  "Susano-O had followers of his own, it turned out," continued 
Shifter, as if he had not been interrupted. "He gave them the 
Magatama orb, from which they became more powerful. They 'discovered' 
the art of fire. However, that fire art was but a fraction of the 
Orochi arts-- these were the keepsakes of the Orochi Family. 
Representing one head each, there were eight different parts of the 
Orochi art: earth, wind, fire, lightning, ice, water, magma, 
and darkness, the most prominent and powerful being earth, wind, fire, 
and lightning. As there were eight arts, there were eight champions 
of Orochi-- one a master of each partition of the Orochi art, the 
leader being the Master User of Earth. Fate decreed that the users of 
fire and the Orochi Family would clash for many generations, a 
secret war continuing to this day." 
  "The Orochi Family sought to remove the sealing of the Mirror of 
Yata, but Susano-O's followers, most prominently the Kusanagi Family, 
spurned these attempts. However, it was soon discovered that the 
sealing weakened every decade, which gave the Orochi Family time to 
slowly reopen the way to Orochi's essence. Not only this, but every 
century the seal would become weak enough that a direct transfusion 
of energy would break the seal-- such was the weakness of Susano-O." 
  "Despite these advantages, the Kusanagi Family thwarted all of the 
Orochi Family's attempts. What the Orochi Family failed to realize 
was that their constant bickering brought about their own downfalls. 
Soon they decided that they alone could not accomplish their great 
task alone (their numbers dwindled due to infighting and losses to 
Susano-O's minions)-- they offered great power to humans outside the 
Family in return for service; these people became known as the Cult 
of Orochi." 
  "The 'power' offered was in the form of transfusion with the 
blood of Orochi-- a magical substance which gave kami-like properties 
to human beings! Quick regeneration, extended life span... who could 
resist such temptations?" 
  "But didn't they have kami of their own?" asked Akane. 
  "Certainly, yes," Shifter answered. "However, unlike the Orochi 
Family, the Cult members were still quite human, and retained a 
measure of their humanity. I am a living example of that. However, 
the only reason we exist is to be the tools of the Orochi Family." 
  "You LIKE being a tool?" wondered Ranma. "That sounds like a 
terrible trade off to me." 
  "Humanity will never live up to Orochi standards," Shifter 
explained. "They may have Orochi blood flowing in their veins, but 
they were still humans. Half-breeds and cultists are looked down 
upon by the Orochi Family-- the pure ones, the ones closest to their 
master. The Family would never allow humans to become Orochi. In 
Orochi's eyes, they could never be equal to his children." 
  "I don't get it," Ranma said. "How come these Orochi Family guys 
look human, then?" 
  "As I explained earlier, the Orochi Family's numbers dwindled due 
to infighting and battles with the enemy. The Orochi knew this would 
lead to his downfall, and decided to-- shall I say-- divide his 
numbers across the globe. In effect, in each generation there will 
always be eight new children born, eight who will grow up to become 
the masters of a future generation. They are born to human parents, 
but make no mistake, they are Orochi through and through; the Orochi 
blood can and will mask itself, if necessary." 
  "So why aren't there a bunch of them running around?" asked Akane. 
  "Most usually die before reaching their twenties, few make it to 
their thirties, and some even have families of their own. Some never 
realize their Orochi heritage at all, and live out perfectly normal 
human lives. I am digressing." 
  "The Cult's numbers were small," the assassin continued, "at least, 
until the rise of Japanese 'civilization.' As the secret war between 
the followers of Susano-O and Orochi continued, a government formed 
in Japan, unifying the people under one banner. Not only this, but 
technology disturbed the balance of nature. With the new 
industrialization of Japan, nature became exploited. And the kami 
began to die out." 
  "It was quite a dilemma in those days-- become part of a great, 
sweeping change in the name of mankind, or remain true to 'archaic 
Shinto beliefs.' It may not have been wise to do so, but I chose to 
remain with my beliefs." 
  "WHAT?!" the others shouted in unison. 
  "I certainly do not look over a thousand years old, do I?" Shifter 
said with a chuckle. "The kami I served was destroyed by mankind, 
and my village was assimilated into the new Japanese empire. With 
very little alternative, and being a Shinto priest without a kami, my 
brother and I joined up with the Cult of Orochi. Our goals happened 
to coincide with theirs, now that the delicate balance between man 
and god was destroyed." 
  The assassin extended a hand out to Ranma. "Higure Furui, a pleasure 
to meet you." 
  "Right," Ranma said, folding his arms. 
  "Wait, you said you have a brother?" Kasumi said. 
  "Actually, let us say, HAD a brother," corrected Higure. "His name 
was Akutare Furui, and we served Orochi together as members of the 
elite and envied Eight Assassins. I was the first," the assassin 
proclaimed proudly. Then, taking a grimmer tone, added, "That is, 
until recently." 
  "Because we got in your way," Akane finished. 
  The Shinto wizard shook his head. "No, it was due to our leader's 
utter stupidity and impatience. Ashinzo Kusanagi, who assumed the 
name and identity of Warmage, was once one of our enemies, but by 
unusual circumstance and a twist of fate he agreed to join our side 
after his near-fatal, final battle against the Orochi Family's elite 
eight champions. I do not know why he chose to join the enemy, but if 
I were in his position I would have chosen death." 
  "Yeah, we know a bit about this Ashinzo guy," Ranma said. "He was 
afraid of dying, I think." 
  "I am sure you do," Higure replied. "In any case, Akutare is dead." 
  "I'm sorry," Akane said, not knowing what else to say. 
  "I will not hold that against you," assured the Shinto wizard. 
  "That would defeat the purpose of this visit, after all," added 
Cologne, who, up until now, had remained silent. 
  "Well, then, why ARE you here anyway?" asked Ranma. 
  "The Orochi Family can achieve victory in a number of ways: among 
them, sacrificing eight of Kushinada's female descendants, gathering 
a massive amount of energy to bypass the Yata Seal, eliminate the 
last remaining Guardian of the Seal, retrieving the Heavenly 
Treasures, or getting 'outside help,'" explained the wizard. "All but 
the latter are set in motion simultaneously. However, our enemies, 
particularly the Guardian, prove too much. And now, one of our number 
resorted to utilizing the 'outside help:' Ashinzo puts us all in 
jeopardy by releasing Nemesis." 
  Anticipating the next question, Higure continued, "There is a being 
existing in Nature whose name only few would dare whisper. There is 
a being existing in Nature that instills fear in even the kami. That 
being, is Nemesis." 
  "Legend has it that Nemesis was the Hand of the Gods; that is, it 
was Nemesis who carried out vengeance on behalf of the gods. This 
being has no definite form, no definite sex, and no definite power, 
for all of that is in constant flux. That is why Nemesis is dangerous. 
The kami utilized this living weapon against their enemies, but, due 
to the unpredictable nature of the nature spirit, summoning Nemesis 
was never done lightly." 
  "Nemesis is kami too?" Shampoo asked. 
  "The power of Nemesis is related to the amount of energy it is 
offered by the summoner," explained the assassin. "I studied this 
myself, and determined that if enough energy is fed to the creature, 
then nothing could stop him." 
  "And right now she's just testing the water?" guessed Ranma. 
  "For the moment, yes," answered Higure. "However, even now Nemesis 
is being infused with more energy. We must act quickly, or tomorrow 
you will not be able to stop him. Not without a severe loss of life, 
at any rate." 
  "Why are you helping us?" wondered Akane. 
  "I will not lie to you by saying that I had an attack of conscience 
or somesuch rot," explained the assassin, "but it is the potential 
danger that scares me most. Although in legend Nemesis never betrayed 
the summoner, the summoner was always kami. We are but human." 
  "Therefore Nemesis may not follow instruction?" guessed Shampoo. 
  "It is the will of Orochi that mankind be eradicated for its crimes 
against Nature," continued the assassin, "and this is the reason 
Nemesis had been summoned-- to eliminate every last trace of mankind 
in order for Nature to be put back on the right path." 
  "You're telling me this is all nothing more than a glorified 
environmentalist fight?!" Ranma shouted angrily. "I've been fighting 
a big group of fanatical tree-huggers?!" 
  Shifter pounded Ranma over the head. "I refuse to be labeled a 
tree-hugger! You never know what kami lives in one!" 
  "Ranma, behave yourself," Nodoka said, seemingly unaware of the 
short scuffle. 
  "I don't understand why everything couldn't be worked out," Nabiki 
said, tapping her fingers against the table as if bored. 
  "Restoring the balance between Man and Nature is impossible!" 
the wizard proclaimed. "Long ago, it was a delicate balance-- today, 
the kami are all but extinct. In the war between man and god, there 
can be no happy ending!" 
  "If something is not done, everything I worked to save will be 
destroyed-- if not by man, then by Nemesis," Higure explained. "What 
I want is to return Man and Nature to their former balance of power. 
Ashinzo cares not for that, and neither does Orochi. It is a foolish 
cause, as industrialization has seen to that. The only way the kami 
have to survive is mankind's destruction. As the last of the great 
kami, all kami seek to aid Orochi in returning Nature to its rightful 
place." 
  He turned to Ranma. "I will tell you where Nemesis is hiding out, 
but that is all. I have no wish to further involve myself in a battle 
which I cannot participate." 
  "What're you saying?!" asked Ranma in surprise. "You're just as 
good as the rest of us!" 
  "Do I look like a warrior to you?!" returned Higure. "I possess a 
great deal of magic, yes, but that is all. Not only that, but I 
refuse to openly defy the vows I took long ago." 
  "So you're still with them, but you're helping us," reasoned Akane. 
  "Yes," confirmed the Shinto wizard. "Eight is all you need to win." 
  "Eight?" the young Saotome echoed in confusion. 
  "Everything in life can be broken down, but it is all ruled by ten 
numbers," explained Higure, producing a feather fan from his sleeves. 
"Zero represents the Void and Nothingness; One represents Order, Two 
represents Chaos, and Three represents Balance." 
  "Ho-boy, and all this time I thought two was company and three was a 
crowd," Ranma commented sarcastically. 
  "Four denotes the elements," continued the wizard, ignoring Ranma's 
remarks. "Five represents union of the few, while Six governs 
direction. Seven is what many call 'luck,' and Eight represents the 
power of infinity." 
  "Infinity, huh?" Akane repeated, nodding. "Eight heads, eight 
champions, eight assassins." 
  "And eight of you," finished Higure. "The reason we were defeated 
was due to dissention amongst ourselves, and the reason why you won 
was due to your drive for a common cause, despite your differences." 
  "Too bad that'll never work out," Ranma commented. "It's all over 
for us." 
  "Oh, so it's MY fault?" Nabiki shouted defensively. 
  "Hmm, unfortunate," the assassin said, scratching his chin. "Then 
for as many of you there are to challenge Nemesis, each one removed 
from eight will result in the deaths of you in equal numbers." 
  "I'll have none of that nonsense in my household!" cried Soun in 
anger. "Who are you to say how many of us will live and die?!" 
  "You are not going to die simply because you are not one of them," 
Higure replied calmly, waving his feather fan toward his face. "They 
know what I am speaking of-- you do not." 
  "If I understand what you're saying," Akane started, "then the more 
of the others we get together the better chance we all have of 
surviving the coming battle?" 
  "Yes, yes, of course," replied the assassin. "You understand." 
  "Hold on a sec," Ranma said, staring at Higure intently. "What about 
Nine?" 
  "Nine, my boy," explained Higure, "is existence itself. In Orochi 
scripture such number is of no consequence; the importance lies in 
eight. There is no zero or nine in their archaic number system; zero 
because Orochi defies nonexistence. Eight must be the final number." 
  "So what happens if nine of us go?!" demanded the young Saotome. 
  The Shinto wizard shook his head. "You will all die. Tempt your 
existance, and you will face disastrous results." 
  "Goodness," Kasumi exclaimed, "that's scary." 
  "Ever so blunt and tactful, eh?" Higure said, figuratively jabbing 
at the eldest Tendo girl's ribs. 
  "I not understand why that is so," Shampoo said. 
  "This guy's full of it," Ranma muttered, folding his arms. 
  "Tell me, do you really want to tempt existence?" Higure replied, 
folding his arms. "That is not a smart course of action." 
  "Yeah, well, my life ain't governed by any silly numbers," Ranma 
said, shrugging. "I'm going anyway." 
  "As will I," agreed Shampoo. 
  "You aren't counting me out," Akane voiced. 
  "I don't think so, Akane," her husband replied, shaking his head. 
  Anger fumed in Akane's head. "Why not?!" 
  "Akane, Akane, Akane," Nabiki answered in Ranma's place. "I can't 
believe the enormous favor he just offered you!" 
  "And what's that?!" Akane shot back. 
  "I think it may be for the best as well," Nodoka voiced, throwing in 
her own opinion. 
  "Akane," Soun explained, "we won't let you go with Ranma." 
  "W...why?" the youngest Tendo girl asked in confusion. "If Ranma has 
to go, I should go, too!" 
  "It's not that we doubt your devotion or skill," her father replied, 
"but that we're concerned for your future." 
  "Listen to your old man," Ranma suggested, rising from his seated 
position. "You've gotta stay outta this." 
  "Son-in-Law," Cologne piped up, "a word with you, if you please." 
  The old lady rose up onto her walking staff, making her way to the 
porch exit, beckoning Ranma to follow her. 
  "I wonder what she's got up this time," Ranma muttered under his 
breath. He looked toward Shampoo for help, but the Chinese Amazon 
merely shrugged. 
  After the two left, Akane complained, "B...but you all heard what 
Higure said!" 
  "Pff," the assassin snorted. "I should be glad any of you are taking 
me seriously." 
  "Be good girl and stay home," advised Shampoo. 
  "Akane, if I have to, I'll ground you," Soun threatened. Glancing 
toward the guest, he said, "You've outlasted your visit, I'm afraid. 
I want you to leave." 
  Higure nodded in understanding. "Perhaps I have spoken too much." 

  "So what is it that you wanted to say to me?" Ranma asked Cologne 
as soon as the two were out of hearing distance from the others. 
  Cologne sat herself down on one of the rocks surrounding the koi 
pond. "I knew this day would come," she explained. "In spite of the 
dangers, I have remained in Japan until the time was right to teach 
you one final technique." 
  "Another technique, eh?" Ranma echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Let's 
hear it." 
  "If you ever hope to overcome the threat represented in Nemesis," 
continued the old Chinese matriarch, "you must be prepared to use 
extreme measures. By now, you have, no doubt, experienced the plastic 
nature of the Hiryu Shoten Ha, am I correct?" 
  The young martial artist nodded. 
  "Long ago, in my youth," explained Cologne, "I realized there 
exists a potential to make the technique much more powerful than it 
already was. For many years I studied the theory of such an attack, 
but alas, the conditions necessary and the opponent were the only 
factors preventing me from actually 'testing' the theory." 
  "So what you're about to tell me has never been done before, right?" 
guessed Ranma. "That's the kind of stuff I like." 
  The old woman chuckled. "That's my Son-in-Law." 
  "Don't call me that, okay? That's starting to stick because of you." 
  Ignoring Ranma's protest, Cologne continued, "As the ancient wizard 
explained, the number Six represents direction: North, South, East, 
West, Up, and Down. This final Hiryu Shoten Ha makes use of all six 
of those directions to create a deadly blow." 
  "How can you get that from just one whirlwind?" asked Ranma. 
  "It's not," answered the old matriarch. "The theory calls for not 
one whirlwind, but four." 
  "FOUR?!" Ranma repeated in surprise. "I can hardly get two out at 
once!" 
  "In your initial training I taught you the 'Soul of Ice' and the 
'Body of Ice' were necessary in order to create the spiral effect," 
continued Cologne. "In order to break the limit, you must also 
have a 'Heart of Ice.'" 
  "What?" 
  "As the 'Soul of Ice' calls for focus in creating the spiral, and 
the 'Body of Ice' calls for the cold chi to mix with the opponent's 
hot chi, the 'Heart of Ice' requires that you kill your emotions," 
she explained. "It is possible to be without it in order to use the 
Hiryu Shoten Ha, but without it you are quite limited in the 
versatility of the technique. I myself could never achieve this 
state-- the level of focus is too great." 
  "And you're asking ME to do it?!" Ranma complained. "Hah! That 
shouldn't be as bad as it sounds." 
  "Wrong, Son-in-Law. It is much harder than it sounds." 
  "Whatever." 
  "Try discarding your feelings for Akane," the old woman suggested. 
  Dammit, Ranma cursed mentally, that's not fair. Stupid old ghoul. 
  "This third stage is what is required to create another whirlwind 
in succession with the first," Cologne said, continuing her lecture. 
"The 'Heart of Ice' serves two primary roles: to instill a sense of 
overconfidence in your enemy-- for if he even suspects your plan, you 
will fail-- and to eliminate any distractions in performing the 
technique. A slight break in concentration is all you need to 
guarantee failure. Speed is the key. This is the first condition." 
  "So I have to do it all without thinking, too?" 
  "The second condition is the same as before: your opponent must 
generate an aura of hot chi. Under most circumstances, this is quite 
simple, but at times you may wish to 'induce' a hot aura on your 
opponent." 
  "Believe it or not, I actually had to get Kuno to help me when I 
did that. Machines don't give off auras." For that matter, the Moko 
Takabisha would not have worked, either-- for the soulless were 
immune to the effects of chi blasts. The Hiryu Shoten Ha, however, 
was a natural attack; born from chi or not, violent whirlwinds still 
cause damage. 
  "You may still need his help yet," noted Cologne. "I would teach 
you the 'Suzaku Firestorm,' but that requires more time than is 
available at the moment. However, the third condition requires your 
opponent to anticipate each and every one of your attacks, and escape 
them." 
  "Waitaminute," Ranma interrupted, "then how am I supposed to hit 
him?" 
  "Do not get ahead of me yet," Cologne suggested. "Create the first 
whirlwind as normal-- your opponent should dodge out of the way. If 
he did not, then that single attack should be sufficient. Next, 
you must immediately create the spiral for a second whirlwind as the 
first continues its destructive path. The opponent should dodge that 
one as well." 
  "And do the same for the third," Ranma said, taking in the theory 
proposed by the old woman. "All the while forcing the opponent in- 
between all the whirlwinds." 
  "Precisely," Cologne confirmed. "The fourth and final whirlwind 
must trap the opponent within a square area enclosed by all four of 
the created whirlwinds-- failing that, the final attack will fail. 
However, if you manage to force the opponent into that position, you 
can create the ultimate whirlwind in the center area." 
  "The four outer whirlwinds surrounding the opponent guarantees a 
success, I assume," the young martial artist concluded. "The fifth 
'wind is actually a combination of the four outer 'winds acting 
against each other, converging at the center. That, in turn, rips 
the opponent into the air...." 
  "And what comes up must come down," finished the old matriarch. 
"You do understand the theory behind it, but performing such an 
outlandish feat is another thing entirely. If everything turns out as 
predicted, the four winds should tear the opponent apart on the way 
up. At the end he should be at the brink of death or dead, depending 
on how powerful the opponent is. The results may vary slightly, as 
I really don't know WHAT will happen." 
  "All theory, of course," added Ranma. "Not to mention I can't get 
caught in the fourth whirlwind, right? That'd throw me up as well." 
  "And, despite your relative immunity to the destructive forces of 
the whirlwind, having four forces tearing at your body will still 
harm you, 'Body of Ice' or not," finished Cologne. "If you are not 
careful, you could end up in the same condition as your opponent." 
  Stepping back up with her walking staff, she added, "That, Son-in- 
Law, is why it is called the Four Winds Final Attack." 

  "Look," Ukyo said out loud, even though she was the only occupant 
of her bedroom, "I don't see why I need to know the physics lesson." 
  Seiryu's mental voice replied, This way is much simpler than 
lifting your body into the air, and is much less taxing. 
  Since parting with Mousse and Kodachi at the Nekohanten, Seiryu 
had insisted on stepping up important lessons-- techniques that can 
be potentially-useful in the coming battle. Only now the mental 
teacher was giving lessons on levitation and flight. 
  Think of it this way, reasoned Seiryu, it is using Nature to your 
advantage. 
  What Seiryu insisted that Ukyo do was concentrate on generating a 
reverse gravity pulse localized in her body. Of course, without the 
proper understanding, the okonomiyaki chef insisted on lifting her 
body in the air directly. 
  Then again, there was really no way to win against someone who was 
in your own head, Ukyo decided. 
  "Okay," the chef said, "what do I have to do?" 
  You know what to do, replied Seiryu. You just have to remember to 
keep your gravity pulse localized-- if it gets any farther than that, 
anything that relied on magnetism to run would mess-up. 
  "You mean watches and computers?" 
  Precisely. Now, just concentrate. 
  Ukyo cleared her mind of stray thoughts, as Seiryu had instructed 
so many times before. She focused her will, delicately manipulating 
gravity, trying carefully not to interfere with anything beyond her 
own body. 
  Natural levitation was made possible by using a reverse gravity 
pulse against the normal field. Physicists could easily demonstrate 
the defiance of gravity this way, as it was based upon the basic 
laws of magnetism-- like repels like. This was also the basis for 
the science fiction repulsor vehicles, Ukyo thought. 
  She barely completed that thought when she realized there was no 
ground beneath her feet. 
  It took only that stray thought to send the chef falling to the 
ground as well. 
  "Owwww," moaned Ukyo, rubbing her back. 
  Well, you ALMOST did it, chastised Seiryu. What did you do?! 
  "Hey, flying's NEW to me!" the okonomiyaki chef protested. "Just 
because YOU can do it doesn't mean I can!" 
  Sure you can! You're ME, remember? 
  "Aw, shut up," Ukyo hissed. She spared a glance at the nearby 
digital clock. "Don't you think it's getting kinda late, too?" 
  Unlike you, I never sleep, Seiryu replied. 
  "It's eleven, and I NEED sleep!" insisted the okonomiyaki chef. 
"You're the one who got me up so early in the first place, remember?" 
  I don't sleep. 
  "GO to sleep!" 
  Ignoring Seiryu's protests, Ukyo rolled out her futon. Checking to 
make sure she was alone, the okonomiyaki chef walked behind the 
man-sized changing stand, grabbing her sleeping kimono along the 
way. 
  As she stripped off her clothes, a sudden thought hit Ukyo. 
  "When was the last time I went to the bath house?" she wondered. 
  Two weeks ago, reminded the mental voice. 
  "I don't feel THAT dirty." 
  Excellent! exclaimed Seiryu. Remember how I told you that in time 
some abilities may become second nature to you? 
  "So now I can repel dirt and grime from my body, big deal." 
  Baths are a waste of time anyway. 
  "They feel great! When was the last time YOU had a bath?" 
  For a moment, Seiryu refused to answer. Ukyo chuckled at the 
thought of making her shut up. 
  Finally, she answered, Not since Nemesis made good, clean water 
very unavailable to us. I didn't do it on purpose; it was necessity. 
We needed the water to DRINK, not play around in. 
  "Boo-hoo for you. That's why we're fighting now, aren't we?" 
  Everything is happening much faster this time around, admitted 
Seiryu. The assassin never came to us the last time. 
  "That's because by then it was already too late," Ukyo pointed out, 
tying off the waist of her kimono. 
  It's not too late now. Very well, sleep, but expect to rise quite 
early tomorrow. Nemesis gets stronger by the minute. 
  Ukyo made her way back to her futon, throwing open the top blankets 
before climbing in. "Ah, shut up." 

  Before Kodachi Kuno could make her way back to her bed chamber, she 
couldn't help but notice there was a light burning in the Phoenix 
Chamber. Taking a peek inside, the one she expected to be inside was 
there-- as usual. 
  "You could have told me that Taro-sama left," Kodachi said quietly. 
  Tatewaki Kuno sat Indian-style, head bowed low, as if lost in 
thought. His trusty bokken lay at his side, within arm's reach. "The 
coward ran in the face of danger." 
  "How can you say that?!" yelled the younger Kuno. "You do not 
know that!" 
  "And neither do you," Tatewaki pointed out. "I am free to resolve 
his absence in any manner that suits me." 
  Seething with anger, Kodachi cried, "Men! What for are they?" 
  "It is not that man for which I have concern, but for our own 
flesh and blood," explained the swordsman. "She continues to call 
to me... if I listen enough, perhaps I may yet be able to find her." 
  "And people think I am crazy?" Kodachi said in frustration. 
  "I shall inform you when I am certain," the older Kuno assured 
her. "For the moment, you should rest." 
  "So should you!" replied the younger Kuno, trying her best not to 
sound concerned. 
  With a huff, Kodachi resumed on her trip to her bed chamber. 

  Dare I trust the word of a stranger? Mousse wondered, as he lay on 
his futon in the attic of the Nekohanten. 
  Staring up at the ceiling, the Master of Hidden Weapons carefully 
considered the words the Orochi assassin imparted upon him. And, there 
was no doubt to where the conclusion lead. 
  In order to survive, I must help Ranma Saotome win this battle. 
  Damn, life can turn against you in a matter of minutes. 
  What was the use, anyway? I would've gladly died for Shampoo, but 
she couldn't care. Well, too bad for her, that I don't care anymore. 
Too bad for her that I don't care if she challenges this Nemesis 
character and dies... and too bad if Ranma suffers the same fate. 
  However... I should be the one who ultimately slays Saotome! What 
claim does Nemesis have on this right?! Sure, he can kill me if he 
wants, but certainly not before I have the pleasure of watching Ranma 
Saotome die first. 
  Truly, I wonder what it is like to die.... 
  Silently, Mousse produced the pair of razor claws-Mei-ling's 
gift. He studied the weapons, fascinated that someone as the Taoist 
sorcerer could fashion them. She cared, after all. 
  Perhaps she's the only one that ever cared. But then, she's not 
here. 
  Despite what I said earlier today, and considering what just 
happened recently, maybe Ukyo does care, too. 
  Either that, or I'm going out of my mind. Perhaps I am just seeing 
things that aren't there. She certainly didn't treat me any different 
from before... but that's a GOOD thing. 
  However, even if those silly twins were right, there is still one 
other obstacle left-- Shampoo. If there is any chance that I could 
create my own future, it would have to be through her. Perfect... it 
could be considered my final test. I live to die. 
  But, first thing is first. 
  With new determination and resolution, Mousse slipped his hands 
into the razor claws. Getting up to his feet, the Master of Hidden 
Weapons stepped toward the attic window. 
  "When both Ranma and Shampoo are dead," he said aloud, pushing 
the window open, "I will be free!" 
  Mousse extended his right arm outward, leveling the claw at the 
wall of the building across the street. Bracing himself for the 
recoil that would never come, the Chinese martial artist fired off 
the claw, a single steel chain trailing behind the blades and 
vanishing up his sleeves. He watched the claws bury themselves into 
the wall, testing their grip by tugging the chain. 
  Satisfied with the weapon's grip, Mousse leaped out the open 
window. 
  He came to a stop from his swing when his feet touched the cold 
street. Mousse willed the right claw to detract from the wall. 
Without waiting for the chain and claw to slink back into position, 
the Master of Hidden Weapons fixed himself in the direction of his 
prey. 
  "No one will have the satisfaction of putting an end to Ranma 
Saotome but me," vowed Mousse. "With these weapons and the women 
behind them at my side, that upstart and any other foolish enough 
to get in my way will die." 

  Long after the Tendo household became quiet, long after the one 
known as Shifter departed, two figures made their escape from the 
dark house. Two figures utilizing the best of their stealth as 
possible. 
  "Why we leave so soon?" Shampoo asked Ranma. 
  "If we didn't leave now, Akane'd come with us," he explained. 
"Besides, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we sleep, right?" 
  "I prefer sleep first," the Chinese Amazon admitted, checking to 
make sure she had both of her flamberge with her. She leaped over 
the wall after Ranma, landing on her feet on the other side. "How 
we win if we go alone?" 
  "Your old granny had something up her sleeves, of course," Ranma 
said in reassurance. "With that, we won't need anybody else, numbers 
or not." 
  At that moment, Shampoo felt something prick the back of her neck. 
"Aaahh!" she exclaimed in surprise. 
  "What?" asked Ranma. "You're not going to slow me down, are you?" 
  "Something bit me, I think," answered the girl, rubbing the back 
of her neck. 
  "You're imagining things; there's nothing out here that can do 
that," the young Saotome said, shrugging. "Keep up with me, because 
I'm not slowing down." 
  "You not only one who man tell where enemy live," Shampoo said, 
remembering the directions the Orochi assassin gave her in secret 
before he departed. 
  "One thing you ought to tell me, though," began Ranma, turning 
his head back to Shampoo as he ran. "Why are you helping me?" 
  Shampoo shook her head. "Don't know. Heart says you're still my 
husband, yet head says you're not. It all confusing." 
  "You know, I never noticed until now how much better you're 
getting at speaking?" 
  "Been around you and others enough." Suddenly, a new thought 
formed in Shampoo's head. "Hey! When did I not speak well?!" 
  Before the Chinese Amazon could continue her protest, she and 
Ranma came to a stop when one man leaped out of the shadows, high in 
the air. Lashing out with his loose, white sleeves, tumbling forward 
in the air, he cried, "Praying Mantis Strike!" 
  A storm of sickle-like glowing blades, pulsating with energy, spun 
and arced from the attacker's sleeves, forcing Ranma and Shampoo to 
dodge. Where the two martial artists once stood the blades bit into 
the stone street as if it were merely paper. 
  The new opponent landed on his feet, in the middle of the street, 
using his body as a road block. 
  "Going somewhere?" Mousse announced himself. He folded his arms 
in his sleeves, bowing his head down low, glasses resting on his 
forehead. "We have unfinished business." 
  "Not a bird attack?" commented Ranma in a bored tone. 
  "Mousse?!" Shampoo exclaimed in surprise. 
  "D'you mind?" Ranma shouted. "I'm in a bit of a hurry." 
  "Are you, now?" replied the Master of Hidden Weapons, his lips 
curving into a twisted grin. "So you can run off and deny me the 
pleasure of tasting your blood?" 
  "Ah, hell," Ranma cursed in disgust. "Did you really have to pick 
NOW to do this?" 
  Mousse did not answer with words as he lowered his glasses to the 
rim of his nose. Instead, throwing out both his arms, the Chinese 
martial artist flung several darts at his enemy's direction. 
  Ranma dodged, leaping into the air. He aimed an extended leg 
downward, heading straight for Mousse's head, and his glasses. 
  Instead, he dodged out of the way as two clawed chains launched 
upward in retaliation. 
  "Mousse, stop it!" demanded Shampoo. 
  "Oh, I'll stop, all right," Mousse replied, "but only after I've 
destroyed this pest!" 
  The Master of Hidden Weapons retracted the claws, scanning around 
him to locate where Ranma had gone. "Come on out, Saotome! Or shall 
I have to hunt you down, like the prey you are?!" 
  "Who's prey?!" Ranma shouted in response, throwing a kick to the 
back of Mousse's head. With his opponent off-balance, Ranma grabbed 
the thick glasses off Mousse's face. 
  "That was not very wise!" countered Mousse. Throwing his weight 
into his right leg, he threw back his left with the driving force of 
anger. 
  Once again, Ranma dodged his enemy's attack, narrowly avoiding a 
set of spike-soled shoes. He watched Mousse turn around, facing him 
blindly. And, surprisingly enough, Mousse's attack were not quite as 
off the mark as Ranma had expected, for in his overconfidence the 
young Saotome barely missed a set of tethered spears. 
  "Do your worst, Saotome!" Mousse cried out with laughter. 
  "I don't have time for this!" Ranma muttered under his breath, 
watching as Mousse buried his large claw weapons into the ground. 
  Damn, here we go again! 
  A single, great blade burst from the ground where Ranma had 
previously stood. Several more blades followed Ranma in succession of 
the first, creating the illusion of a wave pattern to Shampoo. 
  She watched Ranma dodge each and every one of Mousse's attacks. Her 
eyes turned toward Mousse, who had his back toward her. Ranma was 
right about one thing, Shampoo told herself, and it was that we had 
no time. 
  Retracting his claws from the ground, Mousse ran straight for Ranma, 
the razor claws gleaming against the night sky, high above his head. 
  "Stay still so you can die!" snarled the Chinese martial artist. 
  "Make me!" shouted Ranma, throwing himself at the charging Mousse. 
Channeling all his energies into his outstretched leg, Ranma kicked 
him in the gut, sending Mousse flying backward against his own 
momentum. 
  Straight back toward Shampoo, who stood behind Mousse. 
  "Shampoo!" he shouted in warning. 
  What the young Saotome had expected was the sound of two bodies 
in collision-- but it never came. Instead, it sounded more like a... 
squelch? 
  Mousse felt the presence of Shampoo behind him as he stared down 
at his stomach, where something metal was sticking out. "Damn you," 
he whispered, as a fuzzy feeling began to overwhelm him. 
  Shampoo released her grip on the flamberge, watching Mousse sink 
down onto his knees. A large stain of red outlined the puncture 
where the weapon's blade entered the man's back. 
  Finding himself losing control over his body, the Master of Hidden 
Weapons fell to his side, allowing a pool of blood to form 
uncontrolled about him. 
  "I... should be happy," he whispered. 
  Ranma stood over the wrecked body. "You know, you're such a sorry 
sucker, aren't you?" 
  "Wound should not be fatal," Shampoo offered. "But if not treated 
soon, he die of blood loss." 
  Before Ranma thought about bending down to help, Mousse said, "I 
don't need your pity, or your help." 
  "That's what I thought," Ranma said, shaking his head. "You ARE 
stupid." 
  Mousse forced a malevolent smile, despite his pain. "Maybe I wasn't 
meant to kill you... maybe I should leave it to Nemesis after all." 
  "How you know about that?" asked Shampoo, surprised. 
  "The fossil said so," he answered. "You're not the only ones who 
know it's going to end here...." 
  "It's NEVER going to end here!" Ranma shouted defiantly. "You may 
have given up on life, but I certainly haven't!" He turned to 
Shampoo. "C'mon, let's leave him. He'll never accept our help anyway." 
  "He did this to himself," Shampoo said in agreement, turning to 
leave. 
  "Either way," the weakened Mousse said, "I'll be free of you, 
Bitch Queen." 
  The Chinese Amazon turned back in surprise. "What you say?!" 
  "If there was anything that would be the death of me, I knew all 
along it would be you," he replied. "You've made your choices, and 
now you're going to live with them." 
  "What you talking about?!" Shampoo demanded, ready to grab Mousse's 
throat. 
  "You chose Ranma, of course," Mousse answered, his smile becoming 
crueler. "Oh no, of course you'd never choose your own people; you 
chose the womanizer." 
  Shampoo planted a hand against the angry Ranma's chest. 
  "Heh, heh, I never dreamed you'd ever leave that fantasy land of 
yours," continued the Master of Hidden Weapons. "While it was just 
you and Ranma, other things have been at work. You only know what 
your old granny told you... that there was a problem back home." 
  He paused for a moment to cough out blood. "I know what happened, 
I know when it happened, and I know how it'll end, all because of 
you and your selfish desires." 
  "What're you talking about?!" Ranma yelled, failing to understand 
anything Mousse was babbling about. 
  "War," Shampoo answered, as if that single word could explain 
it all. 
  "And that's your fault, too," Mousse pointed out. He began to laugh, 
losing all reason. "Eh-heh-heh, you're to blame for the power vacuum, 
the both of you! To blame for the fact that my mother is all alone, 
even! I bet the raiders appreciated gutting the old man's carcass." 
  "I've heard enough of this," Ranma announced, grabbing Shampoo's 
arm. "We'd better go." 
  Silently, Shampoo complied, following Ranma at a leisurely pace, 
leaving Mousse behind to die. She tried her best to keep her eyes 
forward, but it was too late-- Shampoo looked back. 
  And wondered. 
  "I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL!!" Mousse cried out into the night sky, 
bursting into laughter. 
  Stupid Mousse, Shampoo thought, why have you never said anything? 

  Hot sweat ran down Mousse's face as he laughed, dripping down to 
the red pool forming by his chest. 
  Hell, dying isn't half bad, noted Mousse. Death should be even 
sweeter... I wonder if this is what Father felt before the end.... 
  Amidst laughter, Mousse recalled the words the Orochi assassin had 
told him earlier that evening: "If you are not careful, your journey 
may end before it ever begins. In that case, you have only yourself 
to blame." 
  Oh, how true it was. Well, it sucks living between Purgatory and 
Hell, so I may as well go all the way.... 
  Suddenly, the urge to laugh left the Master of Hidden Weapons, as 
he felt another presence. Someone standing behind him, staring down. 
  "Ah hell," Mousse muttered, "let me die." 
  The unknown figure did not reply. The shadow figure carefully slid 
two arms under Mousse's broken body, lifting the Chinese martial 
artist with difficulty, considering the sword stuck through him got 
in the way. However, that did not stop the figure from finishing 
the task. 
  "You're not going to... save me, are you?" Mousse asked, suddenly 
feeling sleep coming. "That's... argh... crap." 
  Again, the figure did not reply, but only stared down with pity. 
  "Something told me... you'd be here, when it ended...." 
  Silently, the figure, bearing Mousse, walked in the direction 
opposite the direction which Ranma and Shampoo took. 

  Ranma came to a halt, extending his arm to stop Shampoo as well. 
  "Why we stop?" asked the Chinese Amazon. 
  "Don't you feel it?" he asked, pointing at the bridge before them. 
  Spanning over the concrete river was the heavy bridge that Ranma 
had crossed so many times in Nerima, to and from school. The river 
was at a low point at that point, yet there was enough water to 
yield a reflection of the pale moon in the night sky. 
  Carefully, Ranma inched his way to the end of the bridge. "There's 
a guy under the bridge," he explained. 
  "What troll sit there?" Shampoo wondered. "Make this quick!" 
  Without hesitating, Shampoo vaulted over the side of the bridge, 
and Ranma instinctively looked over the side where the girl had 
jumped. Under the bridge, he heard several muffled yells of protest, 
and one large blow being made against the concrete wall. 
  Finally, Shampoo emerged, dragging behind her a beaten man, who 
was clutching a straw doll. 
  "Gosunkugi," Ranma muttered, recognizing the baggy eyes of the 
antisocial student. 
  Despite his pain, Gosunkugi's eyes lit up at the sight of Ranma 
above him. "Saotome!" he blurted. 
  Shampoo released Gosunkugi, allowing him full company with the 
concrete river bed. She kicked around several straw dolls with 
disgust. "This your troll?" 
  Gosunkugi looked back toward Shampoo. "I'm NOT a troll!" 
  Ranma shook his head. "C'mon, Shampoo, he's not worth our time." 
  As Shampoo got ready to join the martial artist, Gosunkugi sat up, 
clutching the air angrily. "W...what do you mean, I'm not worth it?!" 
  He watched both martial artists walk across the bridge in silence. 
"Hey! I'm talking to you, Saotome!!!" 

  "What do you mean, he's not here?" the man inside the Furinkan 
principal bellowed. 
  "He said he was going out, and coming back in the morning," the 
one-armed man replied. "You know how he is... communing with nature 
and all that." 
  Warmage shook his head as he threw open the gate the one-armed 
guard stood next to. The possessing spirit stared out into the dark 
night, illuminated only by the moon. "He's not coming back," the 
assassin muttered under his breath. "I should've known." 
  He turned around suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at the 
guard. "You're without a doubt the most miserable excuse for a 
watchman I have ever met." 
  The guard reached for the sword at his left side with his remaining 
right arm. "When Puerile was leader, he would never ridicule his own 
warriors!" 
  "I don't care, because Puerile is DEAD!" Warmage shouted angrily, 
waving both fists in the air. 
  "And we only have you to thank for it," the guard muttered. 
  The angry assassin leader pushed his way past the one-armed man, 
but came to a pause. "If Shifter has deserted us, then that means only 
one thing: he has gone over to our enemies. When they arrive, I want 
you to bring me the one called Ranma Saotome. The others, you can do 
as you wish." Turning his head back, Warmage added, "Especially the 
one who took your arm." 
  Clash nodded in understanding, staring down at his severed left 
arm, lost a year ago in the terrible battle against the self-styled 
samurai boy, Tatewaki Kuno. "His death shall be quite merciless, one 
that matches the pain that I've endured," the assassin promised. 
  "I expected as much," noted the leader. "Note, however, that you 
will be alone. Strand is... indispensable, now that Shifter is gone. 
I'll send him to you when I no longer require his services." 
  "I have no need for any of the others," boasted Clash. "I need not 
the entire cult if I had them at my disposal! Revenge will be mine, 
and mine alone." 

  "This is it?" Ranma said, throwing his arms out in the air. 
  Shampoo and Ranma stood near the edge of a cliff as they stared at 
the heavy iron door before them. As the waves crashed against the 
rocky shoals far below, the clear moonlight illuminated what should 
have been a concealed entrance to the underground compound that 
served as Nemesis' lair. A heavy, iron door, with only a large ring 
serving as a handle, stood against the earthen walls, an unnatural 
feature in an otherwise natural area. 
  It had taken little time to arrive at the destination designated by 
the Shinto wizard, even though Mousse got in the way. Ranma glanced 
back over his shoulder, down the mountain toward the lights of the 
city-- a place he knew he had to return to, if only for Akane's sake. 
  Dying was not an option, he thought. 
  Shampoo bent down at the foot of the door, examining the dirt. "It 
has opened recently," she noted. "Maybe that why it is not concealed." 
  "Probably a trap, I bet," Ranma guessed. "I wouldn't be surprised 
if they knew we were coming by now." 
  "Ranma want to go back?" asked Shampoo, reaching for her remaining 
flamberge. 
  The young Saotome martial artist shook his head. "Better get this 
over with." 
  Nodding, Shampoo grabbed the ring, pulling it back with all her 
might. Protesting loudly, the great iron door eventually gave way to 
the Chinese Amazon's greater strength, revealing a dark passageway. 
  Ranma stared down the passage, noting several light sources in the 
form of torches set against either wall, but a strange darkness stood 
in the way of much of the illumination. He could barely make out the 
outline.... 
  "I have been waiting," voiced the shadowed man. 
  "I know that voice!" Ranma muttered, stepping back in surprise. 
  Stepping out into the moonlight, the one-armed assassin known as 
Clash, his blade ready in his remaining right arm, bowed respectfully. 
"Two, I see," he noted. "Where is the swordsman?" 
  "You won't need one," Shampoo replied, raising her weapon in 
readiness. "Shampoo is right here!" 
  "Well, heh-heh," chuckled Clash, raising his own sword, "heh, I 
would prefer the other one, but you should suffice...." 
  Shampoo charged, raising the snake-like curved sword with both arms 
high above. She sliced downward, but the Orochi assassin raised his own 
blade to parry the attack. With his one arm Clash forced his own 
strength into the sword, throwing Shampoo back and away from him. 
  "At least, until you keel over, that is!" taunted the swordsman. 
  The Chinese Amazon steadied her position, carefully stepping back 
as she watched the enemy swordsman creep toward her. "You strong, for 
one with such handicap." 
  "Your friend hardly made it easy," Clash replied, bitterness in his 
voice. "The leverage offered by two arms is now what is in one arm; 
do not make the mistake of underestimating me, as the others have 
done before. I prefer my opponents to last." 
  Shampoo flinched as the Orochi swordsman raised his sword again, but 
instead of charging, Clash buried his blade into the ground. She felt 
the earth rumble beneath her feet, and struggled to keep her balance. 
  Behind Clash, Ranma suddenly appeared. He stumbled and fell with a 
loud yelp as the tremors forced him to loose balance and concentration 
at once. 
  "Do not try to insult me by staging a back attack, boy," Clash 
snarled, without bothering to turn around. "You may attempt to mask 
your presence as much as you like, but the Ground Rippler technique 
need not a target to function." 
  Ranma shook his head as he got to his feet. "How the hell did he 
see through my technique?!" 
  Shampoo shook her head as she rushed the assassin once more. 
  "Believe it or not," Clash said, paying close attention to Shampoo's 
angry swings and responding with his own swings, "but the ground 
itself told me." 
  "Shut up and fight!" demanded the Chinese Amazon, gritting her teeth 
in fury. 
  Ranma stood motionless, studying the movements Clash made in his 
dance against Shampoo's wild attacks. Blade against blade, warrior 
against warrior, the match appeared quite even, but the young Saotome 
was certain there was more going on than meets the eye. 
  He leaped out of the way just as three wires zoomed past the 
position where Ranma's head used to be. 
  "You've gotten better since the last time!" Strand bellowed, his 
short stature hiding a deadly threat. His outstretched arm willed the 
three wires to return to his fingers as the assassin turned to face 
Ranma. "Before, you never knew what hit ya!" 
  "I know what to look for now!" Ranma cried, shrinking his nose as 
the short man turned his way. "Pffff, yuck! When was the last time 
you've had a bath?" 
  Against the moonlight, the young Saotome could barely make out the 
assassin's face-- his eyes seemed to stare out into oblivion, yet at 
the same time focused on Ranma. Blood marred the creature's face, 
trailing from his eyes and his smashed nose. Several sets of teeth 
were missing from his toothy grin. 
  "Shouldn't you be dead?!" Ranma finally decided. "You're the 
biggest walking mess I've ever seen!" 
  "Shut up!" shouted Strand. "The flesh does as it's told!" 
  Throwing out both arms, the Orochi assassin sent forth ten wires, 
one from each finger, toward Ranma. 


					*  *  *  *  *
Liar (Doco-- Nabiki, Kasumi, Akane, Ranma, Shampoo) 

(All) Tears drying in the night wind
Also in the street light, I could see a star
"Sorry" in a murmuring voice
Is painful to hear from the back

					*  *  *  *  *

  Ranma dodged three of the wires, leaping straight in the air. 
Unfortunately, this time, the assassin anticipated the move, as 
another set of three wires wrapped themselves around the young martial 
artist, entwining both legs and his left arm in the process. 
  Strand's terrible grin transformed into a malicious smile, a smile 
one would find on a man lusting for the blood of his victim. He 
willed the rest of the free wires to entwine about his victim, raising 
his excitement with haunting laughter. 
  "You're MINE!" he cried, allowing the wires to bind Ranma in mid air. 


					*  *  *  *  *

(Akane) Without apologizing,   
(Ranma) The things that caused me to cry
(R * A) Have become the feelings 
That can't be excused

					*  *  *  *  *

  Shampoo abandoned all sense of strategy, her anger overcoming her 
reason as her swings became wilder and wilder. Clash, swordsman as 
he is, blocked each and every one of the wild attacks that came. 
  The Orochi swordsman smiled as the last swing came. Instead of 
parrying the attack, Clash ducked under Shampoo's attack, running 
an outstretched leg through the Amazon's. She yelled out in surprise, 
the ground suddenly missing beneath her, sending the flamberge up 
into the air. 
  "That was hardly a challenge; you fell right into my clutches, just 
as I expected," Clash gloated, standing over Shampoo with sword 
raised high. 


					*  *  *  *  *

(All) The girl is probably a liar
(Nabiki) Suddenly, it has become that I don't like you
(All) The boy is probably bewildered
You were informed that I love you, having nodded
(Shampoo) It's the truth   (Kasumi) it was also some time ago

					*  *  *  *  *

  Deep within the dark recesses of the underground lair, Warmage 
watched over the sleeping Nemesis, lying peacefully within the pool 
created by the former assassin Shifter. Sparks of electricity seemed 
to race across Nemesis' delicate skin, giving the impression that 
the woman was a living electrode. 
  "I have waited long," mused Warmage, bending down to Nemesis' level. 
"You, my dear, are the key to my salvation-- the salvation of us all. 
In about twelve hours, you will awaken, fully refreshed, and in full 
command of all the power you need to rid me of my enemies. From there, 
more energy... for the Cleansing, for the glory of the Orochi!" 
  Towering above the pool, the statue of Orochi seemed to glow. 

  Back in Nerima, in a restaurant called Ucchan's, the owner and chief 
chef of the store rolled in her futon. The drawn shades over her 
bedroom window blocked the moonlight from entering the room. 
  Had she checked before she went to sleep, Ukyo would have noticed 
that the clock had stopped working since before she went to sleep. 

  Unwavering in his deep meditations, Tatewaki Kuno refused to move, 
refused to welcome the sleep he desperately needed, in search of his 
answers to his burning questions. 
  "Mother has long since ceased calling me openly," mused Kuno, "but 
she yet summons me, in a quieter tone. Perhaps now, it is the time to 
make my move." 
  Gathering himself from the floor, grabbing his bokken, Tatewaki Kuno 
exited the Phoenix Chamber to look for his sister. 


					*  *  *  *  *

(Akane) I don't want to answer the reason
You aren't anything bad
(Ranma) Tomorrow hurts not to meet
It was selfishness.  I understand.

					*  *  *  *  *

  Under the wild tufts that served as Shampoo's hair, a tiny insect, 
no larger than a fruit fly, dug its way out from its hiding place 
under the Chinese Amazon's skin on the back of her neck. It was 
obvious to the fly creature that Shampoo was down, and not likely to 
rise anytime soon. Blood flowed freely from the slicing wound on her 
sword arm. 
  So, this is how it will be, mused Shifter. Disaster began when this 
girl ran Mousse through. The numbers have become quite unforgiving to 
this band of martial artists. 
  However, there was still a chance-- a chance to change it all. Even 
though two of them must die now, there is a chance for the others to 
live-- not just the other six martial artists, but the rest of 
humanity. Nemesis should revive within twelve hours, if I'm correct, 
and if she does so then, it would take an army of martial artists to 
stop the spirit of vengeance. 
  The others will come, Shifter knew. There was one, however, that 
needed help-- the one who could make all the difference in the world. 
  Carefully crawling away from Shampoo's body, Shifter the fly zoomed 
off unnoticed into the night sky, with only one man in mind. 
  Without Ryoga Hibiki, Ranma and Shampoo had no chance to survive. 
Without them, there would be no future. 


					*  *  *  *  *

(Nabiki) A star streaming   (Kasumi) my one wish
(N * K) Is to be able to become docile

					*  *  *  *  *

  Cologne paced back and forth in the dining room of the Nekohanten, 
her gut telling her that something wrong was happening. 
  Ever since leaving the company of the Tendos and Saotomes, and of 
the renegade assassin Shifter, the old matriarch tried to think of 
plans that would help her people against annihilation, but only the 
thoughts of Shampoo's well-being surfaced. 
  And, she admitted to herself, Mousse's well-being, too. 
  Despite the boy being an upstart, and deliberately ignoring 
authority, he did possess great talent, and bravery that extended 
well beyond concerns of dying. 
  A knock at the door interrupted the old matriarch's thoughts. 
  "Who is it?" she yelled. "We're closed!" 
  No one answered. 
  Shaking her head in disdain, Cologne hopped onto her walking staff, 
making her way to the closed entrance. She slid the door open wide, 
fuming with anger. 
  Instead of a man standing there, as she had expected, there was no 
one. 
  She raised a fist up in the air, yelling, "You crazy kids!" 
  However, anger was soon replaced by surprise as the walking staff 
was caught against something, forcing the old matriarch to the ground. 
  Cologne got to her feet, and looked back at the cause of her fall. 
Right before the front door, a crumpled body lay, curled into a ball, 
hair strewn about. The body was dressed in a flowing white robe, 
marred only by stains of red against the chest. 
  "Mousse?!" exclaimed Cologne in surprise. 
  Although he could not answer, Mousse was breathing, she knew. 
  She crept closer, careful to note the location of the bloody, snake- 
like wavy-curved blade that rest beside Mousse. Cologne pressed her 
fingers against the bloody chest-- but jumped back in surprise. 
  The sword obviously belonged to Shampoo, no doubt. The blow was one 
Shampoo would make-- a fatal one at that, one where the victim would 
bleed to death. A slow, painful death, as fitting for traitors of the 
tribe. 
  Only thing is, someone bandaged the wound-- in a manner that was 
well beyond the knowledge of either Mousse or Shampoo. 


					*  *  *  *  *

(All) The girl is probably hurt
(Shampoo) On purpose, you close the small box of love
(All) The boy is probably sad
Always gentle   because of you
(Ranma) My heart   (Akane) hurts

					*  *  *  *  *

  Ranma struggled against Strand's terrible wire bonds, unable to 
break free through strength alone. He spied the fallen Shampoo from 
his high position, and though the constricting bonds tried to force 
his eyes shut, the young Saotome knew that the Chinese Amazon had 
lost her battle. 
  The one-armed swordsman appeared ready to deal the final blow. 
  For a moment, Ranma reflected, we had them. For a moment, I thought 
I was going to get through this alive. For a moment, I thought I 
would protect Akane-- she didn't need to get into this. For a moment, 
I believed I could do it myself. For a moment, I thought killing 
Mousse was the best thing that could ever happen. 
  It was all a mistake. 
  Now, in the hands of the enemy, with no allies to speak of, I'm 
going to die. Ryoga was who-knows-where, probably sulking about his 
code of honor. Shampoo was down, and probably for good. Ukyo was gone, 
turned off by my words, and further so by Nabiki... damn, when did it 
all start going wrong with me and her? Mousse is dead. Heck, even 
seeing Kuno or Kodachi would be a sight for sore eyes! Well, it's all 
too late now, because this guy's probably going to kill me. 
  Akane would kill me if she found out. 
  "Ready for your 'nap?!'" screeched Strand from below. "I can sense 
you are in pain... let me make it WORSE! Blaaa-hah-hah-hah!!" 
  "Shove it up yers!" Ranma shouted defiantly through the pain. 
  The Orochi assassin laughed maniacally as sparks leaped from the 
bases of all ten wires. Ranma watched in terrible realization, in 
slow motion, what was coming-- a shocking revelation indeed. 
  "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" 


					*  *  *  *  *

(All) The girl is probably a liar
(Kasumi) Suddenly, you become my darling
(All) The boy is probably bewildered
You were informed that I love you, having ran away
(Nabiki) It's the truth   (Shampoo) It was also some time ago...
(All) Which way also...
					*  *  *  *  *

  "RANMA!" 
  Akane burst awake, sitting up in her bed, in a cold sweat. She was 
still in her room, she knew. It was still night, she knew. Ranma.... 
  She patted the bed next to her, but felt nothing but the bed. 
  "Ranma," Akane whispered, "how could you have gone without me?!" 
  However, she knew why. And she knew why there was something in the 
back of her neck telling her that he was in trouble. 
  Jumping out of the bed, throwing her sheets about, Akane made her 
way to the closet, picking out her best fighting dress, not bothering 
to silence her movements for those who continued to sleep. 
  As soon as she tied off her belt, Akane exited her room, not 
expecting anyone to be standing there in the hallway. She leaped back 
in surprise. 
  "I thought it was you," Nabiki Tendo said, her arms folded. "And I 
know exactly what you're planning on doing, and I simply won't let you 
go." 


Part 4: The Dragon and the Phoenix-- Fighting for a Better Tomorrow 

"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature." 
						-- Emerson, Journals 

"We are fighting to save one another, and some of us must be 
  sacrificed, if all of us are to be saved." 
						-- Kosh, Babylon 5

  Akane stepped into the hallway with her older sister, who was 
still dressed in her sleeping clothes. Obviously, this was a good 
sign, Akane knew, simply because Nabiki wasn't keeping an active 
watch. 
  Groggy minds make mistakes, too. 
  "Who paid you this time, hmm?" Akane asked cautiously, careful of 
her choice of words. 
  Nabiki stepped back in surprise. "Whatever gave you THAT idea?!" 
she replied. 
  Akane pressed her advantage. "You have no shame, do you? Cheating 
your friends out of what was due to them." 
  "Friends? Phooey." 
  "It didn't stop there, of course. No, you're stone-hearted Nabiki 
Tendo, who considers nothing about the consequences of her actions." 
  "Never!" 
  "Not that you didn't consider that alienating my friends did you 
alienate me." 
  "That's not true! It's not how I planned it!" 
  "As far as I'm concerned, your only friend and love is money. You 
just don't care enough about anything else. Now out of my way, because 
I've got REAL friends to save." 
  Akane pushed herself past Nabiki, who, for the first time in a long 
time, could not think of anything to say. 
  The older Tendo sister watched from the top of the stairway as Akane 
made her way to the front door, never turning back to look. She 
watched Akane, full of determination, exit the house. 
  Perhaps for the last time. 
  Nabiki Tendo knew enough about what the crazy Shinto said to know 
that Akane stood a good chance of dying. This shouldn't be the way to 
end it. 
  "I... do care," Nabiki whispered, just as the door slid shut. Tears 
streamed down her cheeks as she realized that it was probably too 
late for Akane to know that. 
  She stared down at her hands, genuinely saddened by the thought. 
"What have I done?" 
  "Nabiki?" 
  Nabiki failed to meet Kasumi's eyes. "She's gone, and I didn't tell 
her." 
  "Oh," the elder sister whispered in response. 
  "Go ahead," suggested the younger, "tell me 'I told you so.'" 
  Kasumi shook her head. "Ever since Mother passed away, we've always 
looked after one another. Akane knows that." 
  Nabiki shook her head. "She told me everything I wanted everyone 
else to think. She doesn't know." 
  "She knows," insisted Kasumi. "That's why she told you those things, 
so you would know that." She placed a motherly arm around her sister. 
"You might not know it because you didn't want to know it, but Akane 
knows everything you've done for her that you've never told her about. 
She may be younger, but she is smart." 
  "Why, because you told her?" Nabiki asked. 
  The elder sister shook her head. "Sometimes, Nabiki, you've got to 
let go of the people you care about. They have to move on, and so do 
you." 
  Wiping away her tears, Nabiki replied, "Right, and that's why you're 
still in withdrawal over Mother." 
  "Goodness," was all Kasumi could say in her shock. 
  "When you follow your own advice, maybe I'll listen to it," Nabiki 
said, releasing herself from Kasumi's arm. 

  "UKYOOO!!!" Akane yelled as she threw open the front door of the 
restaurant. 
  She only took one step into the dark dining room before she heard 
several yelps and poundings from upstairs. Faintly, Ranma's wife 
could make out the protesting yowls of a house cat. 
  Before Akane got to the stairs, a body came tumbling down. She 
jumped back in surprise as Konatsu, still dressed in his sleeping 
clothes, rolled to the bottom of the stairs, coming to a halt at her 
feet. 
  Konatsu leaped up to his feet with lightning speed, his arms raised 
in an attack position. "Where is the attacker?!" he yelled, panicked. 
  Akane shook her head. "Konatsu! What're you doing?" 
  His heightened alertness did not prevent the kunoichi from noticing 
Akane's presence. "Ah, forgive me Akane-sama!" Konatsu threw himself 
to the floor, bowing low, as if asking for forgiveness. 
  "Never mind that," Akane told the kowtowing kunoichi, "where's 
Ukyo?" 
  Raising his head to focus his attentions on the speaker, Konatsu 
answered, "I think she's still asleep." 
  Asleep? "Ranma didn't come by at all last night?" 
  The kunoichi shook his head. "Not that I know of. I think she's 
still mad at him." Rising to his feet, Konatsu asked, "Shall I wake 
her?" 
  Akane grabbed Konatsu's arm. "Wait, before you do that, you've got 
to tell me something." When the kunoichi nodded, she continued, "It's 
about yesterday, and I don't think Ranma's going to tell me. But, did 
Ukyo tell you about what Ranma said to her?" 
  "Yes," Konatsu answered, nodding. "Ukyo-sama has been sharing her 
problems with me since I listened to her back at Hawaii-- it seems to 
help ease the pain a bit." 
  "And?" 
  "She's upset that he noticed she existed only now." 
  "What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Akane. 
  "Ukyo-sama thinks Ranma wants her?" suggested Konatsu, unsure as 
to the real answer himself. 
  Akane resisted the urge to pound Konatsu. "Then what's Ukyo got to 
be all upset about?! Isn't that what she wanted all along?" 
  "You don't understand," pleaded the kunoichi, shrinking in Akane's 
presence. "She's been trying her best NOT to love him!" 
  "A lot of good that is! Ever notice how much closer she and Ranma 
have gotten these past few months?" 
  Konatsu could not answer, stricken with terror. 
  "She's got to be crazy if she thinks she's going to get a married 
man!" Akane decided. 

  At that moment, one floor above the angry Akane Tendo, Ukyo 
Kuonji's eyes burst open. 
  "Whoa, that was a weird dream," the chef muttered, sitting up in 
her futon, sparing a glance at the clock. 
  Eleven PM? 
  I TOLD you to be careful. 
  "Ah, shit," Ukyo cursed, remembering fully what Seiryu referred to. 
  Now that the clock's screwed up, you're probably missing something 
important. For all you know, it's tomorrow afternoon. 
  Getting up to her feet, Ukyo made her way to the closed window. 
Opening it a crack, she said, "Naw, it's still gotta be nighttime. 
It's a good think I woke up when I did, otherwise I might've missed 
all the excitement...." 
  Akane is downstairs. 
  "You're kidding." 
  She's not very happy. However, she still needs to see you. 
  Ukyo shook her head as she put on a set of deep purple hakama pants 
on over her kimono, wishing at least to look presentable. As an after 
thought, the chef reached into her closet, removing a dark, heavy 
mantle, throwing it over her shoulders. 
  Instinctively, she pocketed a small jewelry box, large enough to 
contain two particular pieces. 
  You aren't seriously bringing that, are you? asked Seiryu. 
  "Why not?" replied Ukyo. "I can use all the luck I can get." 
  I make my own luck. 
  As she stepped toward the exit, without thinking, Ukyo grabbed a 
sai that hung on the wall, a weapon whose central blade was decorated 
in the pattern of a serpentine dragon. She stored the weapon in one 
of the mantle's interior holders, then headed for the storm that 
awaited her below. 

  "...and I wouldn't be surprised if she were manipulating him or 
something," finished Akane, just as Ukyo descended to the bottom step 
unnoticed. 
  "That's a really big assumption," the okonomiyaki chef declared, 
causing both Akane and Konatsu to jump. 
  "U...Ukyo-sama!" the kunoichi yelled, startled. "How long were you 
there?" 
  "Long enough," she replied cryptically, folding her arms within 
her mantle. 
  Akane's eyes surveyed Ukyo's dress. "Going somewhere?" 
  "I could say the same for you," Ukyo replied coldly. "Make it quick, 
because I don't intend to get left out of the fight." 
  "I'm betting you know where Ranma went," the youngest Tendo sister 
said. 
  Ukyo peered at Akane closely. "He WENT?" She shook her fist in the 
air angrily. "What kind of a moron keeps getting dumber? There's NO 
WAY he could win by himself!" 
  She turned to Akane. "And what's YOUR problem?!" 
  "What do you think you're doing to MY HUSBAND?!" Akane demanded. 
  "Shove it, he's coming on to ME!" the chef replied angrily. "Take 
it up with him-- if he survives." 
  "Don't play dumb! I know you're smarter than you let on." 
  "So nice for the complement, but if I wanted him that badly, would 
I have...." 
  "Stop it!" Konatsu screamed, covering his ears. "Just shut up!" 
  Both girls stared at the kunoichi in surprise. 
  Taking deep breaths, he said, "You both know Ranma is in danger, 
yet all you do is stand around and bicker with each other over 
something trivial!" 
  Akane wanted to protest, but could not find the words. 
  Turning to Akane, Konatsu said, "If you want him back safe and 
sound, you can't let your jealousy get in the way." 
  Facing Ukyo in turn, "Please, Ukyo-sama, put aside this disagreement 
and help your old friend?" 
  "Konatsu...." whispered Ukyo, awe overcoming anger. 
  "Let me get ready, and we can all go together," Konatsu finished. 
  Ukyo grabbed the kunoichi's arm. "Wait, you can't go." 
  "What?" both Akane and Konatsu exclaimed. 
  The okonomiyaki chef lead Konatsu behind the empty grill, putting 
a small distance away from Akane. She whispered, "I know you want to 
go help Ranma, but you've got to stay." 
  "Why?" the kunoichi whispered back, protesting quietly. 
  "Remember what I told you a few months back?" she asked. When 
Konatsu nodded, Ukyo explained, "I'm proud that you got the guts to 
say those words back there, and it's a step in the right direction 
for you. But, you made me a promise, and you've got to stick with 
it." 
  Konatsu nodded slowly. 
  "Now you've got to take responsibility-- now more than ever. If I'm 
back by this evening, everything will be fine. And, if not...." 
  "I understand," the kunoichi said, cutting off the chef's words. 
"I know what I have to do." 
  Catching Konatsu by surprise, Ukyo gave him a big hug. "Thank you! 
You have no idea how much this means to me." 
  "Actually," Konatsu replied, nearly flustered, "I think I do. As 
much as I like this position, I think you ought to go." 
  Ukyo stepped back in surprise, as if she had no idea what she had 
just done. Straightening herself, she turned to Akane. "Konatsu's 
right, we need to go find Ranma." 
  "You know the way, right?" Akane guessed. "I'm hoping that the old 
wizard told you about it." 
  "That's right, right after... never mind," confirmed Ukyo, catching 
herself. 
  Making her way to the front door, Akane following, she called 
over her shoulder, "Take care, Konatsu!" 
  Konatsu sighed as he watched both girls exit the restaurant; 
hopefully, it would not be for the last time. He forced himself to 
walk up the stairs, resisting the urge to run after Ukyo and Akane. 
  I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it, he vowed. 
  Only when he made it to the top of the steps did the kunoichi 
realize one important fact: Ukyo was not taking her spatulas. 

  "It's out here?" Akane asked as she stared over the side of the 
sheer cliff nervously. 
  In the eastern sky daylight was rising, illuminating the cliffside 
that Ranma had passed by only hours before. Akane was not so much 
nervous about the sheer drop to the rocky sea below, but the fact 
that there WAS a rocky sea below. 
  Not to mention the fact that the path which the two girls took 
was only as wide as a tire, with the end opposing the cliff shooting 
vertically with yet another rocky cliffside. 
  "Mmm-hmm," confirmed Ukyo, nodding to herself, scanning the rocks. 
"The assassin said that the entrance of the compound shouldn't be 
much farther from here." 
  "Hopefully, the path will be much wider by then," Akane hoped. 
  "It should," assured the okonomiyaki chef. "It has to be at least 
large enough for a heavy iron door to swing and then some." She 
stared upward. "I wouldn't be surprised if the path ended up there 
somewhere." 
  "Well, I'm not exactly a rock climber." 
  "Neither am I, and that's why we're walking this way." 
  Fly, suggested Seiryu, and ditch the girl. 
  Why would I want to do that? Ukyo asked. 
  She's not a fighter. Don't kid yourself into believing that she 
could actually help you. In fact, she got in the way far more than 
she was helped. I can attest to that. 
  I can't do that! She's my friend. 
  She was my friend, too, but that doesn't dismiss the facts. 
  Well, unlike you, I'm not going to let her die. 
  That wasn't my fault, protested the voice. 
  Besides, what would Ranma say if I rescued him and ditched Akane? 
  Is there a problem with that? 
  Yes. 
  I don't see how. At least then Akane would be guaranteed to live. 
  What makes you think I can do this myself, then? 
  You're not going to. Trust me. 
  Instinctively, Ukyo came to a halt, grabbing Akane's arm in the 
meantime. 
  "What?" asked Akane. 
  "Don't move," warned Ukyo. "Someone's up there." 
  "Ah, phooey!" someone shouted from above. "You're no fun!!" 
  Both girls stared upward at the ugly-faced man at the top of the 
cliff. 
  Strand shook his head. "Yer'all just too good for us, huh? Well, 
I've got a little surprise for you two!" 
  As if on cue, two boulders were thrown over the side. Frantically, 
Ukyo broke into a sprint, dragging Akane behind her. 
  "Run!" she shouted belatedly. 
  Akane glanced over her shoulder as she ran, watching as the boulders 
crashed on the narrow path which they formerly stood. 
  Suddenly, she ran into Ukyo's back, as the okonomiyaki chef came to 
a grinding halt. 
  "Shit," Ukyo cursed, noting another boulder blocking the pathway. 
  "It's always best to be prepared, after all," called another voice. 
The owner stared over the side as both girls stared upward. 
  "Headmaster Kuno?!" Akane exclaimed in surprise, faintly recognizing 
the double voice. 
  Warmage laughed. "Simply a convenient vessel for my person is all. 
Now, Kei, your little trip has come to a close. I do wish you would 
join our side." 
  "Kei?!" Ukyo repeated in confusion. 
  The leader of the assassins waved an arm to unseen minions. "Drop 
them all. They've nowhere to run!" 
  "And it was all over before we started," moaned Akane, staring up 
at what should be the final blow. 
  Ukyo looked around frantically. The path forward was blocked, the 
path backward was gone. There was no cave in the cliffside to duck 
into. There was no other place to go.... 
  She turned Akane to face her. "Akane, tell me now, quickly! Do you 
trust me?" 
  "I... I guess...." Akane stammered, paralyzed with fear. 
  The okonomiyaki chef tightened her grip on the other girl's arm. 
"Let's go!" 
  "Do... wait!!" she screamed, as realization of what was about to 
happen hit Akane. 
  In face of the falling boulders, Ukyo and Akane jumped off the side 
of the cliff. 

  Staring down from his vantage point, Warmage cried, "They're MAD!" 
  "Geez," Strand said, "not like you gave them much choice!" 
  A sudden thought struck the assassin leader. "What have I done?!" 
He grabbed at the principal's hair. "I've KILLED HER!!!" 
  Strand slapped his leader across the face. "Don't do that now!" 
  Coming to his senses, Warmage stared down at the short assassin. 
"Ah, yes! Jade Dragon Kei is much more capable than I give her credit 
for. She'll be back." 
  "Her name's not Kei, ya moron," the short assassin corrected. 

  The rocky shoals of the sea below rushed at Akane and Ukyo quickly. 
All Akane could do was scream-- both from surprise, and from terror. 
Ukyo, on the other hand, remained quiet; she closed her eyes, as if 
thought alone could avert death. 
  Akane shut her eyes as certain death neared, expecting the last 
splash to be the final thing she would hear and feel. 
  The splash never came. 
  She opened one eye in confusion. 
  What Akane was not prepared for was viewing the dark ocean in- 
between the jagged rocks that made up the shoals. 
  "What the...." she whispered, trailing off. 
  "We have to get out of the way," Ukyo said, "because the boulders 
are not far behind." 
  Akane stared at her surroundings in confusion. If she knew what it 
felt like, the youngest Tendo sister would have described it as 
existing inside a bubble, existing in the air within, with only a 
thin film separating it from the water. Next to her Ukyo stood-- if 
one could call it that-- in the same position as she had while 
falling; if Akane didn't know any better, it would look to her as if 
her friend was still falling, frozen in a moment in time. 
  She noticed the bubble encasing them was moving, albeit slowly, 
away from the shoals, toward the open sea. Moments later, large, 
heavy boulders crashed into the sea, large froths of foam trailing 
behind. 
  Ukyo's eyes remained shut during the entire ordeal, maintaining a 
vision of calm and serenity. "I'm glad you trust me," she said. 
  Akane peered at her friend in surprise. "I... how...?" 
  "It would take too much time to explain it all," answered the chef 
girl. "Just know that I've been practicing." 
  In wonderment, Akane ran a delicate finger across the inner surface 
of the bubble. As expected, the bubble did not burst-- it felt as 
soft as a feather pillow, she thought. This is neat! 
  "You know," she started, "I've never been under water before-- at 
least, all the other times I was drowning. You know what I mean-- 
I haven't seen... well, THIS, before." 
  Ukyo smiled, despite her need for concentration. "Believe it or 
not, I didn't know if this was going to work." She released her grip 
on Akane's arm. "I've never seen the undersea world, either." 
  "You're never going to see it unless you open you eyes," suggested 
Akane. Changing the subject, she asked, "So now what do we do?" 
  The okonomiyaki chef opened her eyes a crack, careful to contain 
her wonderment. "For now, I think we'd better get to the surface. 
Then, we'll probably have to find another way back up." 

  "Someone else seems to be coming," the ugly, short assassin 
announced from his vantage point at the top of the mountainous cliff. 
"Two someones, to be precise." 
  Warmage glanced at the direction of the newcomers. He had little 
need to identify the two, as he already knew the answers. "Tatewaki 
and Kodachi. Clash would love to see this." 
  He turned to the short man. "Don't try to hinder their progress. I 
want to see what Clash has in store for Tatewaki Kuno." 
  "Duel to the death, is all," Strand noted. "That's Clash for ya!" 
  "I wonder," Warmage said to himself, "how the two would react if 
they realized their own parents were their enemies? This should be 
most interesting indeed." 
  "Where'd'you suppose the other two are?" Strand asked. 
  "What 'other two?'" 
  "You know, Glasses and Bandanna-boy." 
  Warmage laughed. "They're of no consequence. Both won't be around 
in time to stop us anyway." 

  The prick Ryoga felt in the back of his neck forced the Eternally 
Lost Boy to come to a halt. 
  Rubbing the back of his neck, he muttered, "Geez, whatever it is, 
it's starting to hurt really bad." 
  For hours Ryoga wandered through the unclaimed lands outside of 
Tokyo, desperately trying to find his way back to civilization. Only 
now the sun was rising in the horizon-- that must be East, Ryoga 
thought-- and he had not slept all night. 
  Only minutes before did the pain appeared-- every time to protest 
when Ryoga was ready to set off again. 
  It was hurting... bad. And it definitely was not a mosquito. 
  "Maybe this is Fate's way of telling me I'm not going in the right 
direction," he mused. 
  Shrugging, Ryoga headed in what he believed to be South-- until the 
pain came back. 
  "Well, East it is, I guess," the Eternally Lost Boy decided, having 
exhausted his other choices of direction. 
  Taking one step, Ryoga sighed with relief as the pain did not 
return. 
  "Looks like I was right," he congratulated himself. 
  Whatever there was in the east, Ryoga hiked off. 

  It was cold, Ranma knew. So very cold. 
  And yet, he neither shivered nor chattered his teeth as he stood 
facing the one he loved. Her usual smile was replaced by a look of 
dread and seriousness, as if she was ready for the worst. 
  "Ranma," she began. "I have a confession to make." 
  "What is it, Ucchan?" he asked. 
  Ukyo twiddled her fingers nervously, then blurted, "My breasts are 
fake!" 
  Ranma's eyes shot open suddenly. Damn, what the hell was that?! 
  It was then he realized that his arms were bound. He knew his legs 
were bound as well, attempting in vain to stretch them out. 
  "Awakened, at last, I see," someone called from outside of the 
martial artist's visual range. 
  Ranma shook his head, realizing that he was tied standing-up against 
a post. Taking in his surroundings, he realized that he must be in 
the underground compound-- rocky caverns were lit dimly by carefully- 
spaced candles along the walls. He spied Shampoo to his right, tied 
in the same fashion, yet her eyes were closed. She breathed slowly, 
as if asleep (for that matter, she probably was). Ranma could not 
help but note that under the bonds Shampoo's left arm was bandaged. 
  "Wh... what happened?" he asked himself. 
  "You passed out from the shock Shorty gave you," Clash answered, 
stepping into view. The one-armed swordsman stroked his chin 
thoughtfully. "Ah, you will recover." 
  "What'd you do to Shampoo?" Ranma asked, unwilling to mask any sort 
of concern. 
  "Phaw," the swordsman spat. "She was simply no match for me-- would 
it be honorable to destroy one who is not worthy to challenge me in 
the first place?" Clash patted the sword sheathed at his side. "No, I 
await only Tatewaki Kuno." 
  "Gimmie a break, he's not good," replied the bound Ranma. 
  Clash tapped the shoulder where his left arm used to be. "It is a 
matter of pride now. No matter how good you say he is, I must 
challenge him-- if it were only for my arm." 
  "So what'dya want with us?" 
  "I wish nothing of you two, but our leader believes that you will 
serve as adequate bait for the others to arrive." 
  "A trap?" 
  "No traps. Nemesis is more than enough to defeat all four... no, I 
mean, THREE, of them. Tatewaki is mine." 
  Just three? Ranma thought in surprise. We're doomed. 
  "Otherwise," continued the swordsman, "I see no real reason to keep 
you two alive." 
  Man, I REALLY shouldn't have left Mousse to die, the young Saotome 
thought regretfully. Even if we never did see eye-to-eye, he wasn't 
that bad of a fighter-- heck, now that I remember it, he was the 
one that beat up the little snot guy for Shampoo in the first place. 
Well, afterthoughts are afterthoughts-- Mousse's gotta be dead by 
now, if he hasn't done so already. 
  Still, Shampoo's was the hand that did it; it's on her conscience, 
if she even remembered that Mousse even existed. Who knows what she 
was thinking right now? How would I know if she were still ali... no, 
I can still sense her aura; she's definitely alive. 
  And yet... three people? No, the guy really meant four; he wanted 
to take out Kuno himself. In either case, who are the other three? 
  No... she couldn't have.... 

  Akane watched in tense silence as Ukyo concentrated on lifting 
the bubble to the surface. She sat against the soft interior, certain 
that the bubble would not burst unless Ukyo lost her train of thought. 
  "I'm not sure if I can do it," the okonomiyaki chef started, pulling 
her mantle closed with her right hand, "but I think I can get us both 
up to the top of the cliff, where the assassins were." 
  "Look, you don't have to go that far," insisted Akane, understanding 
how much pressure was on her friend. "I mean, just dry land will be 
fine." 
  "I don't do things half-way," Ukyo replied sternly. "It forces me 
to think about the 'half-full' or 'half-empty' question, which I 
REALLY hate to think about." 
  Akane's interest perked up. "Just how DO you see something that's 
filled half-way, anyway?" 
  The chef's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Half-empty." 
  As soon as those words left her mouth, Ukyo shook her head. "Wait! 
I mean, half-full!" 
  "Are you okay?" asked Akane, who could not miss the sudden change 
in her friend. 
  "What makes you think there's something wrong?!" 
  "Why'd you say 'half-empty' when you meant 'half-full?'" 
  "S...slip of the tongue, that's all." 
  Inwardly, Ukyo told herself, I don't have time for your games. So 
quit it! 
  Ah-hah, Seiryu chuckled. Too much to do at once? 
  YES, replied the okonomiyaki chef. 
  Well! You'll just have to learn how to facet your mind the hard 
way. 
  I DON'T want to 'facet' my mind, so shut up. Akane is beginning to 
suspect your existence. 
  Why should I care? They'll all find out eventually. 
  Ukyo groaned. 
  "What now?" Akane asked, peering at Ukyo with concern. 
  "It's nothing," assured Ukyo, just as the bubble slid to the surface 
of the ocean. "Try not to move so much, because it'll make it easier 
on me if we're not jiggling around in this bubble." 
  Mentally, she added, In the meantime, try to cooperate. 
  Seiryu was taken aback with mock innocence. Who, me? 
  Don't forget who's in charge here, the chef girl warned. 
  Right. I understand COMPLETELY. 
  Then shut up. 

  Tatewaki Kuno set down the warm pot of fresh coffee on the ground 
before helping his sister across the gap in the path created earlier 
that morning by the Orochi assassins' boulders, extending a hand 
politely. 
  As soon as she was safely on the other side of the destroyed path, 
Kodachi wiped the dust from her black skirt, having brushed against 
the rocky cliffside, as if obsessed with keeping her appearance in a 
reasonable order. She watched her brother retrieve the pot of coffee, 
then sip down the warm liquid straight from the brim. 
  "Sleep would have helped a lot more than coffee," she pointed out. 
  Tatewaki drained the last of the coffee, staring into the empty 
pot unconcerned. "We are almost there; Mother's voice is getting 
stronger even as we speak!" 
  "That is what is bothering me," Kodachi said. "Why do you hear her 
when I fail? I am, after all, much closer to her than you." 
  The elder Kuno said nothing, instead choosing to move on. Kodachi 
followed slowly, careful to remain far enough from the cliffside so 
her skirt would not get filthy, and far enough from the rim of the 
path that dropped down toward the rocky ocean below. Although she 
advised her brother to get some sleep, Kodachi, in fact, had not 
gotten any sleep as well. 
  Only two thoughts occupied her mind over the night: the words as 
spoken to her by the Orochi assassin known as Shifter, and the idea 
that dear Brother was obsessed with Mother's safety, for some reason 
or another. A concern which was quite unusual, as Tatewaki fully 
remembered the control monster's wrath from childhood. She would like 
nothing more than to get her hands on anything that could particularly 
benefit her, Kodachi knew, at least. Money, the grandest staple offered 
by the Kuno family, was the means. 
  However, equally as disturbing was Shifter's words, words ingrained 
in Kodachi's mind since crashing the concert last night. 
  The Orochi assassin had taken her aside, away from Mousse, Ukyo, 
and the old woman who owned the restaurant where they found him. He 
lead her to an empty storage room, devoid of any features and articles 
that befit a restaurant, closing though it may be. Kodachi knew that 
the assassin had spoken to the others similarly, but knew not what 
he spoke of to them specifically. 
  "You possess two powerful weapons," Shifter had said, indicating 
the Ribbon of Tears and the Ball of Anger. "Mighty weapons though they 
may be, and fitting they are to your chosen art, they are nothing in 
the face of what you will face in the near future." 
  "If weapons have no affect over whatever there is to come," Kodachi 
had said, "then what am I to do?" 
  "The numbers are against you," the assassin replied. "The first 
ordeal requires that you help each other overcome the challenge." 
  "Help each other?" she repeated, confused. "W...why?" 
  "Failing that, you will never survive to meet the second ordeal. 
Even the most insignificant must be helped." 
  "Why should I help those who are my enemy?" 
  "Because you need them just as much as they need you." 
  "Wait, what is this second ordeal?" 
  "Ah. Your second ordeal is one which cannot be overcome by weapons 
or skill, but your heart, your determination, and your will. All 
you take for granted will be put to the test." 
  "I do not understand...." 
  "You will, in time." 
  Kodachi shook the conversation from her thoughts as her brother 
came to a halt at the end of the path, blocking her way with the 
empty coffee pot. 
  Both Kunos stood in a wide, clear area, enclosed by the cliffside 
and the drop to the ocean below. A large, iron door, rest against 
one wall, obviously used recently, as the footsteps leading to and 
from the door appeared fresh. 
  "This is it," Tatewaki announced, reaching for the heavy wooden 
bokken at his side. He slid the coffee pot's handle through his belt, 
then gripped the weapon in both hands. "Prepare for battle, Sister, 
for I fear this will not be simple." 
  Nodding, Kodachi produced the Ribbon of Tears, the ribbon wound up 
against its rod while attached to the gymnast's waist. With her 
other arm she produced the Ball of Anger, appearing almost out of 
thin air. The magical ball inflated itself, stretching its rubber 
surface to the size of a basketball. Kodachi willed the weapon to 
self-suspension-- the Ball of Anger hovered slowly over her left 
shoulder, almost as if it were a parrot that belonged on a pirate's 
shoulder. 
  With a heavy grunt, Tatewaki pulled the heavy iron door open, 
revealing a dark tunnel. Dim torches lit the tunnel in even spaces 
on the side walls, illuminating the otherwise pitch-black cave. 
  Carefully raising his bokken before him, Tatewaki lead the way. 
"Be ready for anything," he warned. 
  With blinding speed, the swordsman spun his bokken out before him, 
as if testing his blade. When the spinning ceased, Kodachi gasped 
as she spied several darts stuck in the wooden weapon. 
  "How...?" she whispered in awe. 
  Tatewaki spun his blade as he continued in a slow pace through the 
tunnel. "Petty traps," he muttered. "As soon as we are through with 
this one, find the switch mechanism that disables the trap, in the 
event we need to escape in haste." 
  Brushing off several darts from his bokken, he added, "Do be 
careful to stay close, Sister, for I know not when the trap rearms 
itself." 
  "I have a better idea," Kodachi said, whipping out her ribbon. 
Carefully, she scanned the walls for the hidden openings where the 
darts were launched from. With a flick of the wrist, she threw several 
sticky projectiles into the holes, effectively plugging them. 
  Tatewaki called over his shoulder, "What are you doing?" 
  The younger Kuno smiled to herself. "Neutralizing traps, of course." 
  The siblings continued in this manner slowly but surely, Tatewaki 
tripping the traps, and Kodachi destroying the traps. Several 
minutes passed until Tatewaki realized that there were no more dart 
traps in the cavernous tunnel. Lowering his bokken, yet still alert, 
he lead the way until reaching a larger cave room. 
  This larger room could fit three elephants, Kodachi thought. 
  Tatewaki held his arm before his sister. "There is another here." 
  Sure enough, a single man stepped into the dim torchlight, 
revealing himself from his hiding place in the shadows. Dressed in 
a traditional fighting dress similar to Kuno's, the newcomer held a 
long, steel blade in his right hand. Of the left hand, there was none 
to speak of. 
  "Tatewaki Kuno, we meet again, at last," Clash greeted. 
  "I see you survived our previous encounter after all," Tatewaki 
noted glumly. "No matter, I am still the better." 
  "That was what your friends thought before I defeated them," the 
Orochi swordsman replied. "They were no match for burning vengeance." 
  "And what 'friends' do you speak of?" 
  "You know, Shampoo and Ranma." 
  "Hah! Friends of mine they are not, wretch!" 
  Clash shrugged. "No matter." He pointed his blade at Tatewaki 
meaningfully. "I hereby challenge you to a duel to the death!" 
  "Taaa...." Kodachi whispered, trying to find a good reason for her 
brother not to accept the challenge. 
  "I accept!" Tatewaki bellowed almost immediately, raising his 
bokken in readiness. 
  To Kodachi he ordered, "Stand back, this is a fight of my own!" 
  The Orochi swordsman laughed. "You fight with wood against steel? 
Foolish, you are!" 
  Seething with anger, Tatewaki charged with bokken high. "You will 
find that the blade of Kuno is neither wood nor steel, but VICTORY!!" 
  Clash raised his sword, parrying Tatewaki's initial attack, and 
sending him back with surprising strength. "You will find that I only 
need one arm to present the same leverage as two." 
  Recovering from the initial counter, the Kuno swordsman returned 
to conventional attacks, meeting his enemy's blade with his own, and 
vice versa, all the while pushing Clash farther from Kodachi's 
position. 
  "Handicap or not," spat Tatewaki, "you shall die a warrior!" 
  "I thank you for such praise," the opposing swordsman replied 
with elation. "You are no mere man to fight with an unbreakable 
wooden sword!" he cried, putting several more nicks into Kuno's bokken 
without sinking in. 
  Kodachi, mesmerized by the sword display, failed to realize that 
there were two others behind her until they were upon her. 
  Turning around, she shouted, "You!" 
  "What are YOU doing here?" demanded Akane, folding her arms. 
  "Probably not the same reason we're here," Ukyo decided. She 
glanced at the two swordsmen. "In any case, whether he knows it or 
not, Kuno's buying us some time to get to Ranma." 
  "Oh, so you two are after RANMA," Kodachi concluded. "Our goals may 
very well coincide at the moment, but...." 
  "Let's go," Ukyo said, cutting off Kodachi. She grabbed the gymnast's 
arm, leading her toward another tunnel nearby. 
  "Wait," Akane protested, "what about Kuno?" 
  Kodachi glanced back at her brother, locked in his death match. "He 
will survive. Or not." 
  "He's your own brother!" Ranma's wife pointed out. 
  "It doesn't matter if we stay and watch him or not," snapped Ukyo. 
"The more time we waste, the less chance we have of living." 
  The three girls exited the chamber through the tunnel, leaving Kuno 
and Clash to their fight. 
  Swiftly, the Orochi swordsman kicked several lit firebombs up 
toward Tatewaki. Almost on instinct, Tatewaki countered with several 
quick slices of his own, with such speed that Clash's eyes only saw 
a blur of motion. 
  Gunpowder spilled all about as fragments of the firebombs clattered 
behind Tatewaki without exploding. 
  "Quick as ever, I see," noted Clash. "Your technique was quick 
enough to destroy my firebombs, yet the fragments maintained the 
same speed they left my person!" 
  "Try training at Watermelon Island sometime," Tatewaki replied, 
raising his bokken for the next attack. "You, however, fight no 
different than the previous encounter." 
  "That is due to the fact that you are holding back," replied the 
Orochi swordsman. "I have watched you from afar, and I know you 
wield the Phoenix Sword. You are the first to give me a great fight 
since nearly two-hundred years ago, since I challenged the Hitokiri 
Battousai." 
  "So you hold back as well," concluded Tatewaki, chuckling to 
himself. "May I propose we... shall I say, refrain from holding back 
our true abilities?" 
  "Agreed, warrior," Clash replied, nodding. 
  Planting his sword into the ground, the Orochi swordsman reached 
for something behind his back. He produced what appeared to be 
another sword, yet this was attached to a metal protrusion vaguely 
shaped like an arm. With all his force, Clash jammed the metal arm 
into his severed left arm socket. 
  "I am Nagi Tachibana," announced Clash, "the 'Warrior of the 
Clashing Blades,' loyal retainer to the Tokugawa Family! You are 
responsible for my fall from grace in the Orochi hierarchy, and for 
the death of my wife, Shizame, known as the 'Swift, Lashing Anger' 
of the Orochi assassins." 
  "I see," the Kuno swordsman said, unmoved. "You fight now with an 
artificial arm now. Very well, then." 
  Tatewaki planted his left hand over his bokken, where the handle 
ended and the 'blade' began. With a sharp twist, the bokken snapped 
apart. 
  "That was not very bright," Clash said, testing his artificial arm. 
  However, Tatewaki Kuno knew what he was doing. As Clash guessed, 
the bokken's 'blade' became separated from its handle. Instead of 
holding an empty handle, however, Tatewaki slowly slid a cold, steel 
blade, out from its concealment beneath the wooden exterior. 
  "No wonder your weapon would not break," the Orochi swordsman said 
with admiration. "Not only did you wield a wooden sword, but it was 
in fact the sheath of a true sword!" 
  "Behold, the ancestral Kuno blade!" announced Tatewaki, holding 
the weapon high in his right hand. "Many villains fell to this very 
weapon in times long past; let it sing for more!" 
  With his right hand Tatewaki Kuno gripped the ancestral weapon; in 
his left, the wooden sword sheath. "I have learned to fight with two 
blades as well!" 
  "I am Tatewaki Kuno," he continued, "the 'Bronze Phoenix' of 
ancient Chinese legend, undefeated champion of the high school fencing 
world! You stand in the way of bringing my haggard mother to safety; 
for that, you shall die." 
  Clash smiled in anticipation. "Let the real battle begin." 

  Deep in the underground compound, alone with herself, lying in a 
pool of unknown substance, the eyes of Lady Kuno ripped open. 
  He came after all, she thought, elated. 
  Quickly, she slid out of the pool, scanning around for signs of 
others who may be nearby. Satisfied, Lady Kuno was surprised to 
notice that her skin was as clean and pure as if she had taken a 
bath-- without the wetness. Quietly, the elder Kuno dressed, thankful 
that the demon was yet still asleep within. 
  She tossed back her head, her free hair cascading behind her back, 
and laughed. It was good to be free. 
  No sooner had Lady Kuno tied off the sash of her kimono did another 
man enter. The short, ugly one. 
  "Hey!" Strand yelled. "Yer not s'possed to be up NOW!" 
  Lady Kuno cracked her knuckles meaningfully. "Out of my way, little 
man!" she commanded, taking confident strides toward the Orochi 
assassin. 

  Ranma sighed, scratching the back of his head against the post he 
was bound to. Once again, he glanced over at Shampoo, who appeared 
quite serene in unconsciousness. For a moment, he wished he had that 
weird sword to cut himself free. 
  As if on cue, the bonds around Shampoo suddenly fell away. 
  "What the...?" was all the young Saotome could say before Shampoo 
clamped his mouth shut, the scent of anesthetics assailing his 
nostrils from the bandages on the girl's left arm. 
  The Chinese Amazon, fully awake, held up a small folding knife in 
her unbandaged right hand. "Stupid they no search for all weapons," 
she whispered in disgust, as she removed her hand from Ranma's mouth. 
  "You were faking it?" Ranma asked, as Shampoo started cutting away 
at his bonds. 
  "What make you think Shampoo sleep with all the racket?" she asked. 
  "What racket?" he asked. "I didn't hear a thing." 
  Shampoo shook her head as the bonds fell away from Ranma. "Listen 
carefully, because two fights going on now. Barely hear it, but it 
is there." 
  Ranma stretched his arms out, glad to be free from his ridiculous 
standing position for who-knows how long. "How's your... arm, 
anyway?" 
  "He cut into sword arm," Shampoo explained, trying her best to 
hide her pain. 
  "Actually, don't you use BOTH arms?" 
  The Chinese Amazon smiled knowingly. "I prefer left. Right used to 
distract, left to attack. Maybe should not have left other sword." 
  "We really could've used Mousse back there...." he started to say. 
  "Time enough to mourn the dead later," she snapped. "But no time to 
mourn the living. We best hurry!" 
  "Who's mourning?" Ranma replied, shrugging. 
  Shampoo looked around the chamber, a disappointed look in her eyes. 
  "What's wrong?" asked Ranma. 
  "Sword not here," Shampoo replied. 
  "Forget the sword," Ranma said, shaking his head. "Let's get out 
of here while we still can, and take out Nemesis." 

  Warmage entered the ceremony chamber just in time for Strand's 
back to scrape against the floor. 
  "You!" shouted a feminine voice. 
  The leader of the Orochi assassins turned in surprise to see the 
woman whom Nemesis used for a host. "W...what are you doing up now?!" 
  "Shut up, and stop saying the same things!" commanded Lady Kuno. 
"Your paltry tricks mean nothing to me, so hand over my husband, 
whoever you are, and be gone!" 
  Warmage laughed. "Do you truly expect me to rid myself of a fresh 
human body as this?" He planted a hand over his chest. "I've been 
without a controllable human body for far too long, woman! This man, 
your husband, was the first I captured that became too scared to 
counter my influences." 
  The Lady snorted. "Figures." 
  "But, now that you have awakened prematurely," continued the 
assassin, "Nemesis is bound to discover this, and take back control 
over your body!" 
  "I think not!" cried Lady Kuno. 
  "Oh, but I DO!" she said, only this time with Nemesis' voice 
along with the woman's. 
  Warmage chuckled to himself as Lady Kuno clutched the sides of 
her head in pain. "Do not think that you can defeat the gods!" 
  "I... will not...." muttered Lady Kuno, struggling with herself. 
  After several moments, the woman ceased, her eyes washing over 
with a dark glow. "You may have chosen too strong a host, assassin," 
Nemesis said. "She is much more powerful than anticipated." 
  "Perhaps," agreed Warmage. "However, now that you're awake, there 
is another problem that needs to be taken care of. The woman's 
daughter is leading two others to this very passage in order to 
rescue their friends, and to destroy you." 
  "Foolish," spat Nemesis. "All will be crushed by my mighty hand!" 
  Strand pulled himself to his feet. "And if they prove to be even 
stronger...?" 
  "You had better hope not," warned the spirit. "You will intervene 
on my behalf." 
  Warmage nodded toward Strand. "We shall assist Nemesis in this 
battle. I do not expect Clash to finish the swordsman completely, 
either. And there is the slim chance that Ranma and Shampoo can break 
free...." 
  "Wrong, we're already free!" 
  In surprise, the three dark ones faced Ranma and Shampoo, standing 
at the entrance of the ceremony chamber. 
  "THAT was fast," Strand snorted. 
  Ranma raised his arms, ready for battle. "Nemesis, Warmage... I 
don't know why you picked the Kuno family, of all people, to use, 
but you're going to eat turd!" 
  Warmage smiled, reaching for Shampoo's sword sheathed at his side. 
"I've been waiting a long time for this, boy." 
  Shampoo shouted, "You give back sword! Get your own!" 
  "Oh, how threatening!" the assassin cried out in mock terror. To 
Strand, he ordered, "Get rid of them." 
  Cracking his knuckles, Strand threw out his arms. Suddenly, the 
short assassin felt something beneath his feet. 
  "What the...?!" he cried, just as the floor sank beneath him. 
  Where the assassin once stood, there was now a deep hole, which 
seemed to swallow the little man up. Only the assassin's surprised 
screams filled the air of the ceremony chamber as the others 
watched with tense silence. 
  A head popped up out of the hole. "Where the hell am I NOW?!" 
  "Ryoga?!" both Shampoo and Ranma exclaimed in surprise and relief. 
  Ryoga Hibiki, covered with thick layers of dust, pulled himself 
out of the dark hole. "R...Ranma?" 
  Nemesis shook her head. "This is ridiculous." Pointing a palm 
toward the newcomer, she screamed, "Take this!" 
  Before either Ranma or Shampoo could warn Ryoga of the incoming 
attack, Ryoga instinctively threw himself away from the fireball, 
rolling closer to his friends and away from the hole. 
  Ranma sidestepped as Warmage, using Shampoo's flamberge, made a 
wild swing, easily avoiding the attack. At the same time, Shampoo 
grabbed the sword arm, trying desperately to remove her weapon from 
the assassin's grip, but Warmage batted her away with his other arm. 
  He slashed downward toward the fallen Shampoo, but something caught 
the blade still in the air. 
  "What?!" Warmage squealed, his eyes focusing on the sai that caught 
the blade. 
  Ranma and Ryoga's eyes focused on the new newcomer, Ukyo. 
  Ukyo gripped the weapon with both hands, her strength acting against 
Warmage's own. "You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, 
did you?" 
  Behind her, Kodachi gaped in surprise. "Mother?! Father?!" 
  Akane replied, "It'd take too long to explain, but right now, you 
have to know that they're not themselves!" 
  The gymnast stared at Akane in surprise. "What, did you truly 
believe I would hold back against THEM?" 
  Pointing her finger at her father, Kodachi sent the Ball of Anger 
forth with surprising speed. The ball collided with the man's 
stomach, sending him backward and forcing him to lose his grip on 
the sword. At the same time, the weapon exploded, throwing more pain 
in Warmage's direction. 
  Shampoo scooped up her sword as she got to her feet, turning to 
Nemesis with menace. 
  "Hmm, the odds hardly seem fair," Nemesis thought, feigning a lack 
of concern. "For you, that is." 
  Warmage struggled to get to his feet, but found that the weapon 
used against him brought too much pain to his host body. "You silly 
fools, did you think me limited to the confines of this worthless 
body?" 
  Slowly, the ever-present spirit of Warmage slid out of Kuno's body, 
a visible gas in the eerie atmosphere of the ceremony chamber. All 
but Nemesis watched as the substance slid its way into Lady Kuno's 
body instead, her features unmoving, uncaring. 
  Utilizing three voices at once, Nemesis/Warmage/Lady Kuno declared, 
"Are you all ready to die?" 
  Ranma spared a glance back at Akane. "Get the principal outta 
here!" 
  "Why?!" demanded his wife. "I just got here, and I'm here to help!" 
  "Look, we don't have time to argue this," he explained, "but if 
Nemesis decides to use him as a target...." 
  Of course, what Ranma really thought was that Akane could be used 
as a hostage, a thought that did not sit well with the young Saotome. 
  "Fine!" Akane said with a huff. "Why can't you say you don't want 
me here?!" 
  "Because I already told you that!" Ranma shouted. Turning to 
Shampoo, he said, "Take Akane out of here, if you still have feelings 
for me." He cast a short glance at her bandaged arm. He wanted to 
add, "I don't think you can fight all-out like that," but Ranma knew 
that would only make the Chinese Amazon more adamant about staying. 
  Shampoo snorted. "You get all undesirables out of way for your own 
good!" Grabbing Akane's arm, the Chinese Amazon said, "We go!" 
  "What are you doing?!" Akane shouted, trying her best to break out 
of Shampoo's strong grip. 
  "You his wife, you understand?" Shampoo said. "He care too much to 
let you stay! Weakness, to be sure, but to your advantage!" 
  "I also promised to protect you," Ukyo added. "If you stay, you 
threaten to break that promise. Don't make me beg you to leave." 
  Ranma raised an eyebrow at his old friend. "Ukyo, when did...?" 
  "All right," decided Akane. "I'll go." She pointed an accusing finger 
at Ranma's nose. "But it's not because of you, blockhead!" 
  Both girls ran to the side of the unconscious principal. 
  Nemesis shook her head. "It doesn't matter how many of you remain 
to fight, I'll track down and kill you all, eventually. Go on, say 
your good-byes. I don't need to kill you right away, after all." 
  Shampoo threw one arm over her shoulder, Akane doing the same with 
the other. Both girls tried their best to ignore Nemesis' cold stare, 
focusing only on the exit. 
  Passing next to Ranma, Akane whispered, "Don't get yourself killed." 
  Ranma flashed a reassuring smile. "Ah, you know me." 
  "Yes," Shampoo said. "You too stupid to die, just like Mousse." 
  Mousse... Ranma thought. And he's dead, too.... 
  Ukyo glanced around, as if looking would reveal her answer. "I guess 
it's too late to ask where he is, huh?" 
  Silently, Ranma nodded. 
  "Not that we NEED him, anyway," Ryoga answered. 
  Both Akane and Shampoo departed with the unconscious principal, 
leaving Ranma, Ryoga, Kodachi, and Ukyo left with Nemesis in the dark 
ceremony chamber. The possessed woman's arrogance permeated through 
the air, more overwhelming than any sense of fear the teens may have 
had before arriving. 
  "Ranma, are you ready to die?" asked Ukyo, raising her sai in 
readiness, the etched dragon gleaming in the dark light of the chamber. 
  Ranma shook his head, the dragon pattern stinking of an air of 
familiarity. "Never will be." 
  "At last, I understand what Brother was so worried about," Kodachi 
muttered to herself. "Yet, perhaps it is too late for the both of us 
to truly understand." She ran the Ribbon of Tears through her fingers. 
"Sorrow is of the weak, yet as a tool, a weapon, a vicious enemy does 
it make!" 
  Ryoga shook his head. "I don't really know what this's about, but 
I'd better finish this fight. This time." 
  "What, no more running?" Nemesis mocked. "You would dare to strike 
a lady?" 
  Raising his arms, the Eternally Lost Boy replied, "For Akari, I'd 
walk barefoot through Hell and back. I realized that you'd harm her 
if you had the chance." 
  "So very true," agreed the woman. 
  "Everything aside, you're just another opponent," Ryoga concluded. 
  Nemesis' lips curved to a smile. "Give me your best shot." 

  Tatewaki Kuno deflected the first swing with his sword, then the 
next with his wooden sheath, dancing about back in forth in the same 
manner for who knows how long. Clash, playing on the offensive, 
forced the swordsman back, only to be forced back in turn when 
Tatewaki initiated his own attack. 
  "You are a match well worthy of Kuno," Tatewaki said in admiration. 
"Sporting this battle may be, I tire of it." 
  "Of course," Clash agreed. "You, too, are a worthy match, both 
before and after our brief respite." 
  "Perchance you suggest another?" asked Tatewaki, deflecting yet 
another attack. 
  "If you are willing," replied the Orochi swordsman. Clash ceased in 
his furious attack, lowering his blades to the ground and stepping 
back. Kuno did likewise. 
  "Even if we say we do not hold back," Clash started, "I feel that 
you yet still hold something more back." 
  "As do you," Tatewaki noted in agreement. "We could battle on 
for ages, if need be, and we would still refuse to fight fully 
against such worthy opponents." 
  "Unfortunately, we do not have that luxury," Clash pointed out. "I 
am bound to finish this, as are you. We stand in each other's way." 
  "Yet we fail to gain an advantage over the other." 
  "I am losing the will to fight," admitted the Orochi swordsman. 
"I wish it could be as in the old days; a challenge could go on for 
many suns and moons, a battle lasting from dawn to dusk each day. But 
I cannot afford such a luxury, not today." 
  Tatewaki nodded. 
  "We must finish this," concluded Clash. "No more holding back; it 
is either you or I that shall perish this day." 
  Without further words, the silent swordsmen raised their blades once 
more. 
  Tatewaki Kuno, master of the Phoenix Sword, willed both his blade 
and its sheath to flames. In turn, both burst to light in great, red 
chi flames, dancing about as if they were a real fire. 
  Clash thrust his sword into the ground. With his supernatural 
force, a crack ran through the ground, running quickly between Kuno's 
legs. In an unnatural fashion, the ground split open, a chasm forming 
before Tatewaki's very eyes. 
  Not about to be undone so quickly, the Kuno swordsman leaped to the 
right, facing the Orochi swordsman's free left arm blade, mindful 
to pay little attention to the increasingly-widening chasm. 
  "If you are not careful," Clash warned, "I could create enough 
holes that there would be no more room to stand!" He pulled his sword 
out from the ground in time to meet Tatewaki's slashes. 
  "Defiler of Nature!" spat Tatewaki. "We will finish this like men!" 
  Clash winced with each swing of Tatewaki's flaming blades, a 
terrible reminder of his previous encounter with the technique. "Dare 
you insult a servant of Earth with such garbage?!" he railed. "Fire 
means little to the greatest of all elements!" 
  Despite his brash, bold words, the Orochi swordsman was being 
forced back by Tatewaki's vigorous attacks. Clash found even less 
openings than before, being put on the defensive without being given 
a chance to strike back. 
  Without thinking, Tatewaki hammered at his opponent, the Phoenix 
Sword's flaming energies coursing through him, threatening to explode 
in all its glory. Instinctively, he willed several flaming blades 
into existence, a total of twelve, circling around Tatewaki, throwing 
blows of their own by themselves, as if the Kuno swordsman had grown 
extra arms. 
  "I will not hold back!" Clash shouted. "I will NOT lose!" 
  Without ceremony, the one-armed swordsman stomped the ground, 
creating a shaking that nearly threw Tatewaki off balance in the 
process. 
  "What manner of technique is this?!" demanded Tatewaki in surprise. 
  "Mother Earth, open your arms!" Clash cried, stomping the ground 
twice. 
  Sparing a momentary glance over his shoulder, Tatewaki realized 
that the chasm Clash created earlier was getting wider. And it was 
heading his way. 
  Turning back to the Orochi swordsman, he cried, "Are you mad!? 
You intend to risk yourself for victory?!" 
  "Sword alone cannot defeat you," Clash replied, panting. "The 
Earth welcomes me... a calling denied over three hundred years ago. 
It is fitting that my final battle shall be a glorious death... it 
shall also be fitting that you die as well. I avenge my wife, and 
my honor!" 
  Anger coursing through his body, Tatewaki's phoenix blades merged 
into his person. Clash flinched, as the fires of the blades burst 
about the Kuno swordsman. 
  "If death is what the fates have in store for me," Tatewaki 
decided, "then you shall not have the satisfaction of destroying me!" 
  Snarling in anger, Clash threw himself into Tatewaki's midsection, 
just as the chasm mouth opened up behind him. In surprise, Tatewaki 
lost hold over his sword and sheath, being sent backward into the 
dark pit. 
  Clash laughed in triumph as the two fell toward the darkness. "I 
will have victory in death!! You cannot rob me of anything, anymore!" 
  Tatewaki's form glowed with greater intensity than before. "And 
you, my enemy, will never have that satisfaction!" Grabbing Clash 
tightly, he shouted, "Phoenix fire ultimate attack: Southern Cross!" 
  Many times before Tatewaki Kuno felt the phoenix flames try to 
consume him; all those times Tatewaki Kuno defeated the growing 
conflagration waiting to happen. This time, however, he lost all 
care, all feeling, and let himself go. He would never let the taste 
of victory reach Clash's lips. 
  Because, Tatewaki thought, in the end, Tatewaki Kuno always wins. 
  As the two swordsmen, in their death lock, continued to fall into 
the darkness, flames erupted, washing over both men in devastating 
brilliance. 
  Where there was darkness before, there was only the light. 

  As soon as Shampoo and Akane entered that very chamber, with the 
unconscious Headmaster Kuno in tow, a great, flaming column burst 
from the fresh chasm. 
  "What was that?" Shampoo shouted, confused. 
  Just as sudden as the fire column appeared, it disappeared. Akane 
scanned the room. "Kuno's... gone," she whispered. 
  Removing the principal's arm from around her, Akane ran to the 
rim of the chasm that was not there before. 
  "What you doing?" asked Shampoo. 
  Akane stared down at the dark pit. "This wasn't here before...." 
  A glint caught her eye. 
  With a steady hand, Akane picked up a sword, fallen uselessly to 
the ground in the shadows. She studied the blade carefully, as if 
it would give her some hint of what happened. 
  Sparing one last glance at the chasm, Akane announced, "He's gone." 
  "Fight with the one-armed man?" Shampoo asked. 
  Akane nodded, thrusting the sword into the ground. "I guess this 
is what he really wanted.... Maybe I shouldn't have been so hard on 
him all those times before." Shaking her head, she ran back to 
Shampoo. "But we can't think about the dead right now, we've still 
got a ways to go." 
  The Chinese Amazon nodded in agreement, trying her best not to 
think of Mousse, who was surely dead by now. 
  Together, the two girls resumed their trek with their burden. 

  "There will be no heroics today," Nemesis stated simply, arms 
folded, as three of Kodachi's tear projectiles washed over a field of 
force surrounding her. "There will be no future for humans as you." 
  She ducked under overhead kicks courtesy of Ryoga, stepped aside 
from wild swings from Ukyo's stabbing weapon, and stood perfectly 
still to catch Kodachi's ribbon lashes with her arm. Nemesis pulled 
the gymnast toward her with a mighty tug, but released her grip on 
the ribbon when Ranma edged a little too close. Turning around to 
greet the young Saotome, Nemesis threw her right arm out, throwing 
a bolt of force into his gut. 
  "Four against one is hardly fair," she mock-whined in amusement. 
  Almost as an afterthought, Nemesis threw several more chi bolts 
in Ranma's direction, amused that he had enough energy left in him 
to actually dodge them. 
  At that moment, Ukyo thrust her sai, aiming for Nemesis' heart, 
but in the blink of an eye the enemy was no longer there. The chef 
girl yelled out in surprise as her target reappeared behind her 
suddenly, jabbing a punch in the back of her head. 
  "When will humans ever learn?" the spirit wondered. "You humans 
were much more amusing yesterday. Where did you go?" 
  Regrouping, the four martial artists, standing side-by-side, faced 
Nemesis, sweat threatening to blur their visions. 
  "You know," Ranma huffed, "she's a LOT stronger than before." 
  "She's only toying with us, is all," Ukyo pointed out. "She could 
easily get rid of us if she wanted to." 
  "Then why is she holding back?" asked Kodachi. Could it be...? 
  "I say we all attack at once," suggested Ryoga. 
  "I don't know, she probably can beat that, too," Ranma replied. 
  "Got any bags of tricks, anyone?" Ukyo asked the other three. 
  "She'll never fall for the Hiryu Shoten Ha, that's for sure," Ranma 
said. "It doesn't get better than that." 
  "I don't think I can use the Shishi Hokodan, either," added Ryoga. 
"I'm... well... not in the mood?" 
  "You saw what she did to my attacks," Kodachi said in frustration. 
"Nothing will get through her unless she wants it to." 
  "I figured as much," agreed the okonomiyaki chef. Not unlike what I 
just did before.... The concept, at least, was the same. 
  "If we concentrate on one point of the barrier," Ukyo suggested, 
"we MAY be able to break through!" 
  "Tell me, dear," the young Kuno said sarcastically, "have you been 
watching ancient videos of 'Super Dimensional For....'" 
  "Better than nothin', I guess," Ranma said, interrupting Kodachi. 
Turning to Ryoga, he asked, "Ready?" 
  Ryoga cracked his knuckles. "Let's do it!!" 
  Both Ryoga and Ranma charged at Nemesis, who stood, arms folded, as 
a stone statue, apparently unconcerned, and perhaps, a bit bored. She 
watched with the same bored look as both martial artists pummeled the 
force barrier she had erected earlier in the battle. A foolish 
gesture, the spirit thought. 
  Suddenly, Ukyo's sai plunged through the barrier, catching Nemesis 
by surprise. At the last minute, the woman managed to realign her 
barrier, catching the sai merely millimeters from her heart. 
  However, that soon proved a terrible mistake, as Kodachi threw 
several volleys from the Ribbon of Tears, the pink projectiles passing 
where the barrier once was. 
  "As I said," Kodachi remarked, casting a dirty look at Ranma. 
  Nemesis shrieked in anger, the sticky tears binding her arms to her 
body. 
  "Get her, NOW!" shouted Ranma, throwing a fist. 
  "Do not be so vain as to believe you have me!!" warned Nemesis, 
teleporting at the last second to avoid Ranma's attack. 
  The possessed Lady Kuno reappeared over the energy font, dunking 
herself in feet first. In mere seconds, as soon as the strange 
liquid reached her arms, the sticky tears dissolved into nothingness. 
  "She's over there!" Ryoga shouted, pointing at the energy font. 
Raising his finger, he cried, "Bakusai Tenketsu!!" 
  But the moment the font shattered under Ryoga's attack, Nemesis had 
once again vanished, allowing the strange liquid to spill into the 
ceremony chamber unhindered. 
  "Where is she!?" cried Kodachi, her eyes darting around in panic. 
  "I thought you humans merely children," the voice of Nemesis 
said with a snarl, the point of origin indeterminable. "I thought I 
would savor the moment... but you have all proved to be much more 
powerful than I gave you credit for." 
  "Show yourself!" demanded Ukyo. 
  "Not only will I destroy you all, I will destroy everything you 
hold dear," continued the disembodied voice. "I will do it all, 
starting with...." 
  Ranma screamed in surprise as Nemesis reappeared before him. 
  "YOU!!!!" Nemesis finished, raising her right arm, fingers 
outstretched, as if it were a claw. 
  Time slowed to a crawl as the young Saotome's eyes followed the 
hand arc toward him. 
  For a moment, he thought of Akane.... 
  And, in the split second it took, the hand became a chi-created 
claw. The nature spirit cried, "Justice Death Claw!!" 
  Ranma did not even have time to scream. 
  Nemesis' death claw ripping open his chest in one swipe, a rain 
of blood and innards bursting outward. 

  "Almost there," Shampoo announced, spotting the light at the end 
of the dark tunnel. 
  Without warning, Akane, on the other side of the unconscious Kuno, 
tripped, stumbling to her knees. The sudden shift in weight brought 
Shampoo down as well, yelling out in surprise. 
  "What wrong?" the Chinese Amazon asked. 
  Akane shook her head, rubbing her temples, as if they were sore. 
"Something's... happened." 

  "RANMA!!!" shouted three voices in unison. 
  Ranma's torn form barely struck the hard surface that was the 
ground when Ryoga, Ukyo, and Kodachi ran to him. Nemesis, frozen as 
if a statue, stood towering, a mocking grin on her face, her right 
arm out, as if she were still in mid-slash. 
  Blood leaked from the torn flesh in the martial artist's stomach, 
soaking with the torn rims of his torn shirt. Ranma stared up at 
the ceiling, struggling to grasp the sensation of an open chest. 
  "Too slow," taunted Nemesis, "and far too arrogant, of you." She 
folded her arms, taking a step back, as if surveying her handiwork. 
"This is the fate of those who dare challenge me." 
  Ukyo bent over Ranma's body, grabbing his left hand with both of 
her own. "Dummy," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice, "don't 
you die! Don't you give up now!!" 
  Kodachi shook her head. "It's useless," she declared, eyeing the 
sai Ukyo held in her hand. 
  "Damn it all!" Ryoga muttered. He shot a glance back at the 
opponent, whose arms were still folded, as if waiting. "I don't see 
how we'll beat her if she can do this to Ranma." 
  "Just... do it, P-ch..." Ranma replied, struggling to speak over 
harsh, labored breaths. 
  "Ranchan...." Ukyo whispered. 
  "A...Akaa... Akane...." the dying Saotome babbled, his eyes rolling 
in delusional agony. 
  Ryoga turned to the okonomiyaki chef with determination in his eyes. 
"Kodachi's right, there's nothing we can do for him but end it...." 
  "No!" protested Ukyo, slapping the Eternally Lost Boy across the 
face with her free hand. 
  Kodachi stared at her with worried eyes. "B...but he is in pain!" 
  "What do you care?!" the chef girl snapped. "He's dying! Shouldn't 
YOU be HAPPY about that?! I, for one, will NOT give up on him!!" 
  "Death is his only release!" Kodachi pointed out. "Do I relish in 
another's suffering? No. Do I care to watch someone in pain? No. My 
dear, the act of dying and death certainly are not the same! There is 
NO way to save him now. Why do you insist on prolonging his suffering?" 
  "Kodachi..." Ryoga said, trying to find the right words. 
  "If you are truly his friend," she added, "then you will release him 
from his pain!! Will you or will you not do it?" 
  Staring back down at Ranma, then back at the sai she held in her 
hand, Ukyo made her decision. Putting the weapon back into the folds 
of her mantle, she declared, "I'm taking Ranma out of here. Don't try 
to stop me." 
  "W...wait a minute!" Ryoga protested in panic. "What are WE supposed 
to do about HER?!" he cried, jabbing a thumb back at the frozen, 
statue-like Nemesis. He reached out to grab Ukyo's arm, but something 
bit him in the back of the neck, forcing him to cry out in pain. 
  "Are you sure YOU are not in pain?" Kodachi asked Ryoga, eyeing the 
Eternally Lost Boy curiously. 
  Rubbing the back of his neck, he replied, "It's nothing." 
  Turning to the okonomiyaki chef, the Kuno girl said, "Do your work 
swiftly!" 
  Ukyo slid her arms under Ranma, who had since ceased babbling and 
continued his labored breathing. Lifting with all her strength, the 
chef girl was careful to position her dying friend in what she thought 
was comfortable. "Don't worry," she assured Ryoga. "Just keep 
fighting.... I'll be back... one way or another." 
  Quietly, the okonomiyaki chef exited the ceremony chamber with her 
burden, leaving Kodachi and Ryoga behind with Nemesis. 
  "Why is it," wondered Nemesis, "that whenever one of you is disposed 
of, another soon follows?" 
  "Good question," Kodachi said, twirling her magic ribbon over her 
head. "Let us hope it will be the last time!" 
  Silently, she hoped the old wizard was wrong about the numbers. 
  "Are you two ready to die?" Nemesis taunted, seemingly uncaring. "I 
can defeat you either together, or one at a time; your pick." 
  Ryoga and Kodachi glanced at each other, wordlessly deciding. 
Actions spoke louder than words. 
  Running her ribbon between her index and middle fingers, Kodachi 
summoned the courage she needed to fight. While it would not come, 
and her skin curled with goose bumps, she grit her teeth, focusing 
herself, preparing herself for the beyond. 
  Cracking his knuckles, spreading his feet apart, Ryoga crossed his 
arms across his chest, lowering his head. He allowed his thoughts to 
sink, as they have done so many times before... but this time, at 
the same time, he was gathering those very emotions into a focus. It 
may not be enough, but.... 
  NO! he thought. I can't think like that! It WON'T be enough! 
  Throwing his arms outward, he cried, "Shishi... HOKODAN!!!" 
  Together, the two martial artists, against all odds, attacked. 

  "Just what is that girl planning on doing?" Warmage wondered, his 
attention swirling throughout Lady Kuno's head, watching Nemesis do 
what he... she... whatever, did best. 
  "She has a plan, no doubt," answered Lady Kuno. "I am certain it 
has nothing to do with the suggestion my daughter put to her." 
  "She'd better not do something drastic!" the Orochi assassin yelled 
out, worry betrayed in his voice. 
  "Oh, so you DO have an interest in her?" 
  "What is it to you, woman?!" 
  "Nothing at all! I happen to notice that you always protest with 
the demon whenever it would strike her! Am I wrong, Ashinzo?" 
  "Don't call me that!" 
  Smirking, Lady Kuno laughed. We'll see who's in control. 

  Gently, Ukyo set Ranma down onto the ground, satisfied that 
she was far enough away from the terrible battle. Without giving 
a second thought, the okonomiyaki chef threw off her mantle, taking 
care to remove her weapon, then folding it neatly. She then slid the 
makeshift pillow carefully under Ranma's head. 
  Stepping back, Ukyo could not help but stare down sadly at her 
old friend, a dying man. 
  "Akane," she whispered silently, remembering her other friend. 
"She'll never get over this. She'll probably go crazy and get herself 
killed as well." 
  Considering Akane, yes, agreed Seiryu. It cannot happen. 
  Ukyo sat on her knees, running her hand across Ranma's forehead 
gently, fingers sifting through hair, in a motherly fashion. 
"Asshole," she muttered, "why'd you have to get yourself killed? 
Why'd you have to do it, even after everything that's happened?" 
  As expected, only Ranma's quiet, labored breathing answered. 
  "You probably can't hear me," continued the chef girl. "Probably 
in too much pain, or in shock, to notice. Figures, that. You never 
did pay much attention to me." Ukyo forced a soft chuckle. "It's 
always been Akane." 
  "I think I knew that since the day of our reunion, so long ago. I 
wanted to believe I had a chance... a chance to show you how much 
better a girl I was.... I wanted to earn your love. But no, I proved 
to be a much better guy; I was one of your friends, and that was it. 
A face among many, a specter of the past. Only your opinion made a 
difference in that, you know?" 
  "Then you tried to get married." She blinked away the tears forming 
in her eyes. "I had to be a selfish girl; I thought only about my own 
happiness-- did I ever stop to consider yours? I'm surprised you and 
Akane forgave me; heck, I barely forgive myself now. But, thanks to 
you, I got a second chance, and it felt really good. I think then, I 
really understood how it felt to make you happy." 
  "Sure, we've had our ups and downs since then. All of the good 
times, along with the bad, but none of it went on without sharing it 
with my dear friends, including you. I don't know where Mousse is, 
but I really hope he finds happiness someday. And Ryoga... he's found 
happiness. Kuno... he deserves someone... heck, any other girl'll 
probably be lucky. Kodachi and Taro look like they've found 
happiness, too. Shampoo... what do I know? She's still an enigma to 
me." 
  Ukyo ran one hand down her body for Ranma in emphasis. "Yeah, look 
at me. I'm a real nobody. My happiness doesn't really count, does it? 
I know you've been trying to be happy for me, and I've tried to be 
content with you being happy, but it's just not working. I need to 
find what it is that would make me happy. Making you happy doesn't 
seem to work anymore, as you do have Akane now. You're certainly far 
beyond needing me to make you happy." 
  "Shit," she whispered, despair overtaking her voice, "what's going 
to happen to Akane? She'll probably kill you, Ranchan, if she found out 
what happened." Ukyo shook her head. 
  "Not only that, but only yesterday you started making some kind of 
advances toward me. I still can't think of any good reason why you'd do 
that, jackass. Why'd you have to do it, when I was beyond appreciating 
it?" She wiped the tears rolling down her cheek, failing miserably at 
hiding her feelings. "You can't be doing it because you're mad at me... 
but in any case, Akane's mad about it. I bet you know that, too." 
  For a moment, she recalled the conversation she had with the Shinto 
wizard, Shifter, the previous night. He was right, after all. Yet, at 
the same time, he was also wrong. 
  Today, I choose life. 
  Staring down at her hands, then at Ranma, Ukyo decided, "Hell with 
it. You've got a lot to look forward to. It certainly won't make you 
happy, but for me...." 
  Carefully, Ukyo slid down, her face hovering over Ranma's, confident 
that she knew what she wanted. 
  Wiping away her tears, summoning up all her energies and courage, 
Ukyo pressed her lips against Ranma's own. 

  "Where am I?" Ranma asked himself. 
  Only darkness surrounded the young martial artist. Dark clouds 
swirled above and below. He stood on no appreciable ground, but simply 
floated... simply... existed. 
  But one thing was for sure: it was dead cold. 
  "That's right," Ranma said. "I'm probably dying. Probably on my last 
leg of my journey. Who knew there was a waiting list to the afterlife?" 
he remarked sarcastically. 
  Yet there was nothing funny about it. Akane was beyond Ranma's grasp 
forever. 
  Being dead sucks, he thought. 
  Well, at least, when I get there, Mousse'll probably be there to 
welcome me. Probably not with open arms, but I think that'd be 
expecting too much. 
  Ranma.... 
  "Who's there?!" he cried. 
  Ranma darted his eyes about in the eerie blackness, though he knew it 
was a futile gesture. 
  Ranma.... 
  "That voice...." 
  Ranma, come home. 
  Ranma rubbed his eyes as a face formed before his very eyes. A face 
he knew for a long time. A face he welcomed each and every day. 
  And now, Akane, his wife, extended a hand. 
  "Ranma, let's go home," she said. 
  "Akane," Ranma whispered, confused, yet elated, at the sight of the 
woman he loved, stretching his arm out. 
  Touching hands lead to touching arms, and Ranma found himself in 
Akane's arms. He stared into her eyes, losing himself in a sea of joy. 
  "Akane," he whispered, losing himself in emotion. 
  He pressed his lips against her own, caressing Akane in his embrace, 
running his fingers through her hair that cascaded over her shoulders. 

  But then, reality yanked Ranma back to consciousness, as he realized 
that Akane simply did not have long hair, not anymore. 
  Sensation flooded Ranma's body, telling him that he was lying flat on 
his back, yet his head rest against something as soft as a pillow. And, 
lying on top of him, was the one who he really kissed. 
  "U...Ukyo?" he whispered in surprise. 
  Sitting up, Ranma held his limp friend in his arms. Her eyes were 
closed, and, at the same time, relaxed, as if she were having a sweet 
dream. 
  He shook her carefully, despite his panic. "Ukyo...." 
  Slowly, the okonomiyaki chef's eyes fluttered open, a tiny spark of 
life shining in her pupils. No, it was tears. 
  Somehow, she forced a smile on her face. "Ran... chan." 
  "Hey," Ranma said, "I thought you didn't want to call me that 
anymore... Ucchan." 
  "Heh," she replied, "I guess that's one promise I can't keep, right?" 
  "You don't break promises, because that wasn't a promise, was it?" he 
pointed out. 
  "Right, get smart on me." Ukyo closed her eyes a moment, gathering 
her thoughts into words, despite her exhaustion. "How you feel...?" 
  For the first time, Ranma realized he was fine. He ran one hand over 
his chest, through the hole in his shirt, checking for the wounds that 
were simply not there-- not anymore. Shaking his head, he answered, 
"I... I don't understand. I mean, there should be some kind of 
pain...." 
  "That's because I took it for ya, silly," Ukyo replied. "I gave you 
an extension on life...." 
  "...At the expense of your own?" finished Ranma, shocked. "Why?" 
  Taking a deep breath, the okonomiyaki chef explained, "It takes a lot 
of energy to heal wounds... yours were quite fatal... so a life for a 
life. There has to be a tomorrow, and you're the one who's going to make 
sure of that. You need to live, for Akane's sake." 
  "Forget Akane," Ranma said, "all I care about is you!" 
  "Don't," she cried fiercely, grabbing the collar of Ranma's shirt. 
  "Ucchan, you're dying!" 
  "Fuck it!" cursed the dying girl. "You've got Akane!!" 
  "But, I love you!" he cried, emotions soaring. 
  Ukyo shook her head, tugging Ranma's head down with unnatural force. 
"Listen to me, dammit," she said, seething with anger and determination, 
despite her drain. "You don't love me, you love Akane. You may LIKE me, 
but you certainly don't love me. I know better than that. Now." 
  Ranma shook his head in confusion. "I... I can't help it!" 
  In frustration, Ukyo shut her eyes, fighting the tears. "Ranchan...." 
she whispered painfully, genuinely sorry that... anything happened. 
"You don't understand! I don't know how, or why, but you're supplanting 
your feelings about Akane on me. I really, really hate that." 
  "Wha...?" 
  She sniffed. "I don't want to be Akane. I don't want to be Akane, not 
anymore. I thought being her would've been the best thing in the 
world... thought she was the person I needed to be to get your love." 
She lowered her head. "Well, shit, I was wrong. I can't be Akane, 
because I am Ukyo Kuonji. To anyone with real sense of values, like 
your mother, I am nothing-- a nobody. But, to you, I'm Ucchan, your 
old friend who makes the best okonomiyaki in the world. I didn't fully 
realize that until after Kagura and Orochi showed me." 
  "Kagura and Orochi?" Ranma repeated. "Hawaii?" 
  She nodded. "I'm my own person, I should be happy the way I am. I 
can't be Akane, and that's the reason why. I WON'T be Akane, not for 
you, or anyone else." 
  "U... Ucchan...." 
  "So stop treating me like Akane, Ranchan...." she said quietly. "I 
don't need to be rescued. I don't need to be loved. I don't need to 
have you in my life. I don't need to be saved. I made my choice, and 
you're going to have to respect, and live, with it." 
  Releasing her grip on Ranma's collar, Ukyo whispered, "Yet.... Thank 
you, for kissing back." She forced a weak smile. 
  Taken aback, Ranma's face flushed in embarrassment. "Y... you're 
welcome." 
  Choking, she added, "And, please... you gotta live. You must finish 
it. Don't do it for me. Do it for Akane...." 
  Ukyo sighed heavily, pressing something into Ranma's hand, her body 
going limp, growing faint. 
  "Ucchan!" Ranma screamed, shaking his old friend violently, blinking 
back tears. "Don't die... DON'T DIE!!!" 
  "Ranchan," she whispered, closing her eyes, "do it for yourself." 
  Ranma could find no words to say, nothing to tell her. 
  Nothing.... 
  Nothing at all. 
  Nothing, as Ukyo Kuonji breathed her last. 
  "Ucchan...." he said silently, lowering his head over Ukyo's, the 
tears rolling down his cheeks onto her still form. 
  Yet, she would not respond, one way or another. 
  She was gone. 
  He was alone. 
  He knew nothing. 
  And, for a moment, he was nothing. 
  What have I been fighting for? Ranma wondered in torment. Why 
couldn't I save anyone this time? Why? 
  WHY?!!! 
  I should've died... I SHOULD'VE DIED!! 
  Ucchan, why'd you have to rob me of that?! Why'd you have to die?! 
  "Ranma, stop beating yourself up," he imagined Ukyo would say, "and 
be a man." 
  More words echoed in his mind. "Time enough to mourn the dead, but 
no time to mourn the living." 
  Ranma shook his head. What am I going to do? 
  "Do it for Akane," echoed in his mind. 
  Akane. 
  My wife. 
  She was safe. 
  She was out of danger. 
  But, not for long... not if I let Nemesis.... 
  What a fool I've been! She's still alive. I CAN save her! 
  He stared down at the hand that held her own, the hand that pressed 
something against his. Gently releasing her, Ranma raised a slender 
object, no larger than his palm, up in the air. 
  He studied a single earring, cut of green jade, patterned as a 
serpentine, Chinese dragon, coiled around some sort of staff, its eyes 
inlaid with tiny rubies. In one four-toed claw was a spherical orb. The 
staff ended in a sharp, pointed edge, appearing as if it could be used 
to kill. 
  "Ucchan...." Ranma repeated, studying the earring. 
  The earring seemed to say, "Never forget what happened this day." 
  With determination, he forced back the tears, wiping those existing 
on his cheeks. "I've been given a second chance," he said to himself. 
"I've got to finish this." Pocketing the jade earring, Ranma gently set 
Ukyo's head against the folded mantle that served as his pillow, 
getting up to his feet. "There will be time to mourn later." 
  "I'll finish Nemesis," he decided. Staring down at Ukyo's body, Ranma 
noticed a glint of metal. Bending down, he picked up the sai, the one 
with the strange dragon pattern etched in the center prong. 
  The same, strange weapon, Ranma thought. It looks so familiar, yet.... 
  It would be poetic justice if I carried these last reminders into the 
heat of it. 
  Rising to his feet, thrusting the sai at his beltside, Ranma said, 
"I'll finish this, Ucchan, I swear. I won't do it for you. I won't do 
it for myself. And I won't do it for Akane, either-- I'll do it for all 
of us: Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, even Kuno and Kodachi. It will all end 
here! There WILL be a tomorrow!" 
  With renewed determination, Ranma Saotome, leaving his old friend 
behind, charged back toward the battle. 

  "Let's see," Nemesis said, amused, staring down at the crumpled 
teens on the floor. "I believe I took out Ranma a bit too quick. How 
should I savor your deaths?" 
  "Just do it," Kodachi whispered in defiance. "See if I care." 
  "I shall remember that as your...." the spirit started. 
  "Stop there!" 
  Ranma Saotome stood defiantly at the entrance of the ceremony 
chamber. 
  "W...why?!" Nemesis screamed in shock. "You should be DEAD!!!" 
  "You're outta luck," the martial artist continued. "Unlike you, I 
have friends... friends willing to do it all!!" 
  "If that is your wish, I WILL kill you a SECOND TIME!!!" Nemesis 
screamed in anger, rushing Ranma in full fury. 

  "WHAT?!" Warmage yelled in surprise. "What happened?!" 
  "Heh-heh-heh-he-he-he," laughed Lady Kuno. "I figured as much." 
  "What, woman?!" demanded the Orochi assassin. "Tell me, Shoto 
Kuno!!!" 
  "You saw the girl carry Ranma out of here," Lady Kuno explained. 
"You saw Ranma's ruined body. And yet, now you see just Ranma, his 
body in perfectly healthy shape! Draw your own conclusions." 
  "N...noooo!!!" Warmage screamed in anguish. "Why did Kei have to 
do that?!" 
  "Kei, is it?" A smirk formed across the woman's face. 
  "She COULDN'T HAVE!!!!" 
  "You DO have feelings for her!" 
  "WHAT DID SHE DO???!!!" 
  "Now, Ashinzo," Lady Kuno concluded, "you can live happy, now that 
you have destroyed the woman you loved!" 
  "I did NO SUCH THING!!!" denied Warmage angrily. 
  "Did you not?" taunted the woman. "DID YOU or did you not bring 
the demon Nemesis here?! Did you or did you not?!" 
  "Of COURSE I did!" 
  Jabbing a finger at the assassin, she added, "Then YOU are the one 
responsible for her DEATH!!" 
  "NO, NO, NO!!!" 
  "You ALLOWED Nemesis to destroy Ranma Saotome! You ALLOWED your Kei 
to take him out of here. You ALLOWED her to sacrifice herself so that 
Ranma may live. YOU ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN!!!" 

  Ranma dodged each and every one of Nemesis' wild attacks, careful 
to note the spirit's terrible frustration and... anger. 
  That's right, he thought, the angrier, the better! 
  Nemesis was ready to throw another chi bolt, but she lowered her 
arm suddenly, as if hesitating. With her other arm Nemesis cradled 
her head. 
  What's wrong with her? wondered Ranma. What's going on? 

  "There is only ONE way to redeem yourself!" Lady Kuno declared. 
"You must GET RID OF NEMESIS!!" 
  Warmage said nothing, standing on his own knees within Lady Kuno's 
mind. I can't believe it... I let her die! I let her REALLY die this 
time!! 
  "YOU know what you must do!" insisted the woman. 
  "What have I done?" the assassin whispered to himself, staring 
down at his hands. "I was supposed to look after her... she was still 
so green.... I protected her once, and I failed that now...." 
  "There IS only one thing I can do," Warmage decided, standing to 
his feet. 
  Lady Kuno smiled as Warmage's form vanished, most likely to 
confront Nemesis. She laughed, praising her own brilliance. 
  "The fool," Shoto mused. "No one can resist the charms, the control, 
the POWER, I possess! Too bad that worthless son of mine, blind 
though he may be to devotion, never made it; ironic, that Kodachi 
made it instead. Perhaps she truly IS my daughter... hohohohoho!!" 
  At that moment, Lady Kuno felt a sense of... release? 
  Either way, it was exactly what she was waiting for. 
  "No one," she declared, "can ever control ME!" 
  Unfortunately, as soon as she finished that thought, Shoto's 
attentions were distracted by the forced feeding of a knuckle 
sandwich. 

  The moment of hesitation was all that was necessary for Ranma to 
throw his fists, vengeance behind each and every blow, at the 
woman's face. 
  "Damn you, and everything!!" he cried in fury. "It's YOUR GODDAMN 
FAULT!!!" 
  And yet, Nemesis did not fight back. 
  Ceasing his flurry of punches, Ranma stepped back, watching in 
surprise as the life seemed to drain from Nemesis' face. Without 
warning, without ceremony, she crumpled down to the floor limply. 
  Both Ryoga and Kodachi forced themselves to their feet, staring 
at Ranma and Nemesis in surprise. 
  "W...wow," whispered Ryoga. "What'd we miss?" 
  "R...Ranma?!" Kodachi gasped in surprise. "Impossible!!" 
  Ranma said nothing. He stared down at Nemesis, a defenseless 
Nemesis! Then, there's only one other thing to do: finish it. 
  He reached for Ukyo's sai, grasping it in both hands. Carefully, as 
if in ceremony, Ranma flipped the blade downward, aiming carefully 
for the heart. 
  Poetic Justice, Ucchan! 
  "And now, we end this!" Ranma cried, thrusting the sai downward 
with all his heart and soul. 
  "RAAAANMAAAAAA!!!" both Kodachi and Ryoga shouted. 
  CLANK!!! 
  Stunned in surprise, Ranma's eyes focused on the blade that caught 
the sai between two of its heads. 
  "Merciless cur," spat the owner of the blade. "You would dare to 
strike a woman... a woman yet defenseless!" 
  All eyes focused on the newcomer. Dressed in a kendo practice 
uniform, the man was drenched from head to foot. He held the long, 
metal blade in both hands, which remained relatively dry, except for 
the fact that the man's drenched arms soaked it. Hanging from his 
side, opposite that of the empty sheath, was a clear, plastic coffee 
pot, filled to the brim with water. 
  Yet, despite the wet look, a brilliant, orange flame outlined the 
swordsman's form, a terrible illusion of one who walked from beyond 
Hell itself. If one could stare hard enough, one could almost make 
out the piercing, devilish eyes of the legendary phoenix. 
  "There is MUCH to answer for, Saotome!" the swordsman decreed, 
spitting at the last word. "To the depths of Hell for you, to threaten 
my beloved flesh and blood." 
  "T...Tacchi..." Kodachi whispered in shock. 


"You may have won the battle, but the war will go on!" 
						--Hordak, He-Man 

					*  *  *  *  *
Positive (Ukyo)

(Ukyo) What should I do?
As it is, my love is amounts to nothing.
I love you too much......
Just a feeling that we can't be together,
An image of running after you as you meet someone else.
I waste energy walking back and forth.

Please, somebody tell me "You'll be all right"
Because just having the ability to be happy is enough.
The key that opens the future is just positive thoughts!
Although my head understands, my heart is confused.

Worn out by distress,
I dozed off, and heard a gentle voice in my ear,
Maybe it's my true self.
For the first time, I met someone to love.
It can't end this easily!

I always tell myself "You'll be all right"
No matter what he does, I'll maintain my own pace.
The key that opens the future is happily here now.
Someday everything I imagined will come true!
					*  *  *  *  *

Part 5: Ranma and Ukyo-- The Wheel of Fire 

"You can't turn away from death simply because you're afraid of 
  what might happen without you. That's not enough. You're not 
  embracing life, you're fleeing death. So you're caught in between. 
  Unable to go forward or backward. Your friends need what you can 
  be when you are no longer afraid. When you know who you are, and
  why you are, and what you want.... When you are no longer looking 
  for reasons to live... but can simply BE." 
						-- Lorien, Babylon 5 

  "K... Kuno?!" Ranma exclaimed in surprise. 
  "Indeed," Tatewaki Kuno snorted, his soaked body forming a puddle 
around him. 
  Ranma edged his way farther from the fallen Lady Kuno, well aware 
that Kuno's wrath was directed at him in particular. "You just decided 
to show up NOW?!" 
  The Kuno swordsman leveled the ancient, ancestral blade at Ranma 
steadily, flames dancing at the tip menacingly. Steam evacuated the 
damp blade, escaping the eternal heat of anger. "Surely, the waters 
under the earth should extinguish the fire, yet, the great Mother 
Earth refused me... again. I was left to fulfill my obligations-- I 
will protect my dear mother at all costs." 
  "I thought you were honor-bound to protect me?" Ranma shouted out 
sarcastically, though he never believed it in the first place. 
  "Mother has decreed it fit that you are the one to die, not she," 
Tatewaki replied, curving his lips into a knowing smile. "An invisible 
link, between Mother and Son, make them see eye-to-eye. Our hearts and 
minds are one. Trials by fire, trials forevermore, I will succeed! As 
an obedient son, I shall follow her instruction-- that is, to eliminate 
you." 
  Ranma shrugged. "Whatever. Glad some things don't change." 
  Sparing a glance over his shoulder, he shouted, "Kocchi!" 
  Kodachi stepped up out of her shock. "Tacchi!" 
  "Get Mother out of here," Tatewaki ordered. "Get her and yourself a 
far distance from this place. Take her home. I will deal with Ranma... 
myself!" 
  Wordlessly, Kodachi nodded, realizing that this was one battle she 
could not participate in. Running to her mother's side, Kodachi gently 
ran her arms under her. With all her might, she lifted the fallen woman 
up in her arms. 
  "Get out, NOW!" insisted the Kuno swordsman. 
  Ryoga, all but forgotten to the others, shouted, "Hey, what about 
Nemesis?!" All three men watched Kodachi carry her unconscious mother 
toward the exit. "She could still wake!" 
  "Follow her!" Ranma shouted. "Keep an eye on Kodachi! Stick with 
her!" 
  Nodding, Ryoga rushed to catch up to Kodachi, leaving Ranma alone with 
Tatewaki Kuno. 
  "No witnesses?" taunted Tatewaki. "Are you so proud that you would not 
allow Hibiki witness to your destruction?" 
  "Can it, Kuno!" Ranma shouted back. "Let's finish this!" 
  "'Cry Havoc!" recited the swordsman, "'and unleash the dogs of war!'" 
  Tatewaki slashed downward, only to have his blade catch against another 
metal. Ranma, with his quick reflexes, drew the sai Ukyo had carried, 
catching Kuno's blade between two of the prongs, holding up the attack 
with his own strength. 
  "You lower yourself," Tatewaki noted, "by using a weapon now!" 
  "Look who's talking!" Ranma shot back. 
  Drawing back his blade, the swordsman launched into a flurry of jabs, 
Ranma catching the blade with the sai with each attack, dodging only 
when possible in the small quarters of the ceremony chamber. 
  Ranma grunted, realizing he was being forced backward by Kuno's 
furious attack. 
  Worst of all, Kuno never ignited the Phoenix Sword. 
  "Damn, shit!" he cried. There was only one way to finish this. 
  "I am Tatewaki Kuno," he cried, refusing to let up on his terrible 
barrage. "I am Tatewaki Kuno no more, but Tatewaki Kuno reborn! I am 
here, now, to repay old promises. I am here, now, to release myself of 
your terrible spells, now and forever! I am bound upon a wheel of 
fire no more.... And you, Ranma Saotome, will not survive!" 
  He's heating up! Ranma noted with elation. Just a little more, and 
it's to ORBIT with Kuno! 
  Flames erupted around Tatewaki Kuno, around his sword and body. 
"Ah, Saotome! The sword, the mind, the heart, the body! They are all as 
one! I stab at thee!" 
  Perfect! 
  Raising his fist, focusing his cold chi, Ranma shouted, "Hiryu...." 
  But a blast to the side knocked the martial artist from the spiral 
that would have carried Kuno to the ceiling above. A liquid force had 
slammed into him, a force that certainly could not have emerged from 
Kuno himself! 
  "What...?" Tatewaki yelled in surprise, his eyes darting toward the 
attack's origin. 
  "Tatewaki, leave," the newcomer commanded, in a flat, dark tone. 
  Ranma shook his head, gathering the sai in his right hand. "Damn, 
that felt like...." Water? 
  He stared down at himself, touching his chest meaningfully. No... 
breasts?! 
  "Surprised, Ranma?" the newcomer said, guessing Ranma's thoughts. 
Turning attentions back to Tatewaki, "Leave, now. I will finish this." 
  "This is MY battle!" protested the swordsman. 
  Another energy bolt emerged from the newcomer, impacting before 
Tatewaki's feet in warning. 
  "Don't force me to dispose of you as well! Take care of your mother; 
Hibiki is giving your sister trouble!" 
  "What?!" Anger fueled the phoenix fires. Pointing his sword toward 
the fallen Ranma, Tatewaki shouted, "This is FAR from over between us, 
Ranma Saotome! I WILL be back!" 
  Ranma's eyes followed Kuno's departure, then focused back on the 
newcomer who saved his life. "Th... thank--" 
  "SILENCE!" boomed the newcomer. "Think, now, Saotome... how many 
do you know who wield the power of water so? The power of life and 
death! The Way-- which permeates everything, with no effort, no sense 
of doing!" 
  It took little time for the answer to register in Ranma's mind. 
"U... Ukyo?!" 
  Stepping closer, the newcomer, arms folded under her mantle, Ukyo 
Kuonji, bloodlust in her eyes, nodded. "Life is a series of twists and 
turns, Ranma. Unfortunately for you, your life is about to come to an 
abrupt end." 

  Akane and Shampoo sat against the cliffside, staring down the dark 
passage that lead to the others. The Furinkan headmaster, still 
unconscious, lay flat on his back, staring up at the blue sky. 
  Shampoo, however, kept her flamberge leveled at Akane. 
  "Stop pointing that thing at me," demanded Akane. "I promise I won't 
go back down there." 
  "Right," Shampoo snorted. "How stupid you think I am?" 
  "What makes you say that?" asked Akane. 
  "Love make people do strange things," the Chinese Amazon explained. 
"You go back moment I blink!" 
  "Since when did you become Ranma's right-hand girl?" 
  "Akane, you may not know, but Ranma too important for what I want." 
  "Why?" 
  "Time come when Great-grandmother need him." 
  "It all goes back to that, doesn't it?" 
  Together, in tense silence, both girls watched the dark tunnel. 
  And waited. 

  "It's all over," Ukyo muttered quietly. 
  Her footsteps echoed loudly throughout the Orochi ceremonial chamber, 
a threatening gesture toward Ranma Saotome, who had his back against 
the wall. 
  "Ukyo..." Ranma said, confused, "you're... you're alive!" 
  "I AM alive, but Ukyo, I may not be, fool," replied Ukyo. She 
extended her right arm outward, palm open. 
  Ranma felt his right hand being pulled at. He then realized that she 
was tugging at the sai, but by the time that thought was finished the 
tri-pronged weapon was already flying toward Ukyo's outstretched hand. 
  "So, big deal," Ranma muttered. "What're you going to do with that, 
wave it in the air and chant 'Magic Fork Power, Make-up?!'" 
  "What do you take this for, a magical girls show?" Ukyo replied, 
with the same level of sarcasm. The dragon pattern on the central 
prong seemed to glow. 
  Ukyo held the sai horizontally. Ranma heard a loud CLICK! He watched 
in surprise and wonderment, as the handle of the sai extended, a black 
pole seemingly growing from within the weapon. The extending pole 
ended abruptly at about the length of a fighting staff. 
  Then it dawned upon him. 
  "S... Seiryu!" he cried. 
  Seiryu laughed, spinning the sai-turned-trident before her like an 
oversized baton. "Figured it out, didja? I knew you were suspicious 
when I saw you recognized the dragon pattern. One does not live long 
without being prepared-- I designed this trident myself, you know." 
  "H... how did you survive?!" stammered the young Saotome. "I thought 
all that was left of you was a programmed memory in my head." 
  "And where is that now?" queried Seiryu, pointing the trident toward 
Ranma. She sighed. "I gave you too much credit. The girl always thought 
you were smarter, but I know better than that. When you defeated me 
months ago, not only did I store my memories in your puny head, I 
transferred my ENTIRE personality!" 
  "You lied!" he accused her. "You lied to me!" 
  "I simply didn't reveal the whole truth!" the woman insisted. "The 
Orochis gave me that valuable lesson. They taught me much." 
  "When Ashinzo invaded your mind a few weeks ago, I was granted the 
unique opportunity to remove myself from your person. It served a dual 
purpose: one, to get myself away from you, and two, to give me the 
opportunity to make myself." 
  "You jumped into Ukyo." 
  "She never realized my true intentions, of course. That's simply due 
to the fact that this incarnation thinks the same way she does, and I 
act accordingly. I was not only grooming her to become myself, but I 
was also preparing her for this battle. I did not expect her to do 
what she did, however. It doesn't matter; she never would've gone 
along with the love plan anyway. I believe it worked quite well, don't 
you think?" 
  "You must be the one...." 
  "Yes. I'm the one who gave you those 'feelings' for Ukyo. It utilized 
yet another Orochi technique: using what already exists to your 
advantage. Ukyo was right; I merely supplanted your feelings for 
Akane and inserted Ukyo instead. The old switcher. It's MUCH more 
difficult to manufacture new thoughts." 
  "W...why?! What do you have to gain from that?" 
  "The worst form of torture," Seiryu answered simply. "Your heart may 
lie with Akane, but you also have a place for Ukyo. Not a high one, I 
know-- I sifted through your brain, too-- but high enough. You two 
could have had something, IF there were no Akane." 
  "It's done, live with it," Ranma spat in contempt. It was only worse, 
the fact that Seiryu was using Ukyo's dead body to live again. 
  "Oh, but I have. I've had well over forty years to 'get over it,' 
Ranma. Too bad for you, you've only had but a fraction of that to 
realize I'm a better actor than you thought." 
  "I may SAY I do not wish to harm you. However, my goal has, and 
always will be, to destroy you. With these unique circumstances, I 
have been granted the life... the body! in order to complete my 
mission!" 
  "Couldn't you have let Kuno do that?" 
  "And allow my husband to die a second time? I think not!" 
  "'Husband?!'" Ranma exclaimed in surprise. "Kuno was your husband?!" 
  "I loved him," Seiryu mused. "I loved him, and he loved me, but never 
as much as he did his little sister! I knew it then, I know it now. My 
husband is dead; Ukyo is dead; however, Tatewaki Kuno still lives now. 
Kodachi must never suffer the loss of her brother!!" 
  "How noble of you," Ranma remarked sarcastically. "I remember now, 
that you and Kodachi were such close-close buddies back then, right? 
She'll never know, you know." 
  "Doesn't matter," replied Seiryu, shrugging. "Kodachi died, too. 
Everybody I knew and loved died: Akane, Tatewaki, Kodachi, Mousse, 
Ryoga, Konatsu, Byakko, Suzaku, Genbu... all of them, and more! leaving 
only me-- the survivor! Even in this timeline, I survived the death of 
Ukyo! With the previous loss of my own body, I have, in effect, been 
granted a new life! A new, young, wonderful life, one which Nemesis 
will NEVER touch!" 
  "But Nemesis still lives in Kuno's mom!" 
  "Nemesis is gone, fool! Ashinzo sacrificed his life to banish him; 
how else did you think you defeated him so easily?" 
  "Why would Ashinzo do that?" Ranma asked, confused. 
  "Because his beloved 'Kei' told him to, of course. He couldn't 
stand the thought that he really did kill Ukyo, if indirectly. He had 
help, of course, from the Lady-- she's quite strong-willed. Did you 
ever stop to think that this was why you won? I suppose not! Again, I 
give you too much credit!" 
  Ranma shook his head. Getting up to his feet, he said, "That doesn't 
matter anymore-- what DOES, is why you're still going to kill me. You 
had to have the reversal jewel last time to do it!" 
  "Very simple fact: long ago, when Nemesis invaded your body, your 
lucid moments were becoming far and few. You, as with the Lady, had 
an incredible will, but not one that could keep Nemesis at bay forever. 
In your last moments of existence, before Nemesis totally eradicated 
your personality, you made me promise one thing." 
  "And you try to keep your promises...." Ranma had a fair idea 
where this was leading up to, silently cursing himself-- or rather, 
his OTHER self-- for being such an inconsiderate jerk. 
  Crashing waves seemed to dance in Seiryu's eyes as she laughed 
jovially. "That's right. You made me promise to kill you, no matter 
what it takes. I have survived the test of time; I have survived 
trials no man-- no one-- should ever have to face!" 
  "Without the girl's feelings getting in the way, I need not Chinese 
trinkets to finish the job," she added. "Quite pleasant to rid myself 
of her... twice. Nice of her to leave this shell behind for me this 
time." 
  Twice? Ranma wondered. 
  Her left eye glowed a soft, pale blue, a grim beacon amidst the sea 
of the dark woman. "I am the survivor. I am the future. I am Seiryu, 
and you, Ranma, along with all the others before you, will die." 
  "So nice of you to be consistent," Ranma replied, shaking his head 
in disgust. "Are you done yet? I'm sick and tired of having to stand 
through all've these ridiculous speeches." 
  I'll get you, Ranma vowed. I'll get you, for everything... for 
trying to ruin me and Akane, and for desecrating the dead.... 

  With surprising strength and energy, Kodachi ran, at top speed, 
toward the exit, her mother in her arms, and Ryoga Hibiki following 
close behind. She recognized the pink tears blotting the dark trap 
holes, thankful for her own foresight in the matter. 
  "Someone's coming," warned Ryoga, coming to a halt. 
  Kodachi halted in her tracks. "Who, Ranma, or Brother-dear?" 
  Sure enough, Tatewaki Kuno rushed Ryoga, sword held high. 
  "ANIMAL!!!" he cried. 
  "Brother!" Kodachi shouted. 
  Ryoga, unflinching, watched Tatewaki halt in his tracks. "That was 
a quick reflex." 
  Breathing heavily, Tatewaki muttered, "Sister, you had better give 
me one good reason why I should not destroy this cur for threatening 
our dear mother!" 
  Kodachi shook her head, lifting up Lady Kuno in her arms. "Stupid," 
she muttered, "what are you doing here?" 
  "Ranma couldn't have lost THAT fast," Ryoga pointed out. 
  "No," Tatewaki explained, "I have been tricked!" He slapped himself 
on the forehead. "I denied myself of striking down Saotome to yield 
to a stranger?!" 
  "Forget about it!" Kodachi insisted. "Now that you're here, we must 
take Mother to safety." 
  "She's right," Ryoga agreed. "Take care of your mother. We'll all go 
out together." 
  "And what of Saotome?" asked the swordsman, looking hurt. 
  "He can handle himself," the Eternally Lost Boy assured Kuno. "If 
he wins, you may get a chance yet." 

  A stream of energy ran down the length of Seiryu's arms, running 
through the black pole of the trident, and split into three-- one 
for each head of the trident. As more chi poured into the trident's 
head, glowing balls formed at the ends of each prong, ever so 
slightly growing larger. 
  "You looked down on weapons once," she told Ranma, seemingly 
without care. "You did, because you looked upon them merely as 
tools... but wrong, you were! Whereas I... look upon them as an 
extension of my body!" 
  Ranma started running, just as Seiryu launched her deadly attacks. 
Like a gattling cannon, small bursts of chi bolts flew from each prong 
of the trident, bursting a trail behind the martial artist. 
  "I didn't take the time to fashion this weapon for NOTHING!!!" she 
cried. 
  A wild expression washed over Seiryu's features, her mouth barring 
teeth in maniacal laughter. Not willing to be outdone, instead of 
allowing the head of the trident to trail behind Ranma's path, Seiryu 
jerked the weapon at the predicted point where the wily martial 
artist would run TO. 
  Ranma stopped in his tracks, just in time to avoid the new attack. 
He spared a glance at his opponent, momentarily shocked at her 
sudden change in expression. 
  She's not letting me have time to think! he realized. She KNOWS 
better than that! 
  No sooner had Ranma completed that thought a chi bolt splashed over 
his left foot, forcing him to keep moving. Seiryu screamed out in 
laughter. 
  "I can go on forever!" she cried. "If I HAVE to, I'll wear you down. 
After that...." 
  Unexpectedly, Ranma leaped straight at Seiryu. Momentarily caught 
by surprise at the desperate act, the woman leveled the trident back 
at her target, unleashing one large bolt. 
  Ranma countered the attack with a chi bolt of his own, effectively 
canceling out the attack entirely. Leveling a deep kick, the martial 
artist was disappointed to only find air, as Seiryu sidestepped out 
of the way. Taking advantage of his brief opening, Seiryu plunged 
the trident, but Ranma dodged at the last moment. 
  "STAND STILL!!!" demanded Seiryu in anger. 
  "What's the matter?" taunted Ranma. "After all this time, I'm 
STILL too good for ya?" 
  "I'll SHOW YOU how much BETTER I AM!!!" the woman countered. 
Releasing her left hand's grip on the trident, throwing her arms out 
in the air. "Ryu Sui... SHO-KEN!!" 
  Ranma yelped in surprise, a column of water bursting from the 
ground around Seiryu. Staring at the column in dumbstruck awe, he 
realized there was something moving in the column. 
  Two dark, ruby-red eyes peered at him from the center of the column 
of water. 
  Then two more. 
  And two more. 
  And two more. 
  Then, there were too many for Ranma to count, as he realized that 
this was the form of the attack. 
  Rushing from the column, a serpent of pure water, eyes burning, 
burst forth, screaming and snapping at the martial artist. Ranma 
threw himself out of the way, watching as the dragon splashed 
harmlessly at the ground behind him. But, there was little time for 
respite, as more of the water dragons burst from the column. 
  He screamed in pain as one of the water dragons crashed against 
his leg... allowing yet another to stab at his arm. Caught in a loop 
of pain, Ranma could not avoid any more of the water dragons... 
the chi-created creatures, working in teamwork, slammed against the 
martial artist with the terrible pounding force of water. All over 
his body Ranma felt as if each part were thrown into a swimming 
pool out of the top a high-rise tower window. 
  Splashed silly by the chi-created water dragons, Ranma barely 
noticed that Seiryu's water column had died down. The wielder of the 
trident smiled to herself in satisfaction. 
  "I have, after all, had over forty years to learn techniques 
myself, Ranma," Seiryu said with a sneer. 
  "Izzat the best you can do...?" Ranma whispered, forcing himself 
back to his feet, despite the immense pain he was in. 
  Seiryu shrugged. "If YOU insist...!" 
  Ranma tried his best to force the pain out of the fore of his 
mind, but to no avail. 
  At that moment, a jet of water, forming from beneath Ranma's feet, 
shot upward, sending more pain in the martial artist's direction. 
Seiryu, standing calmly, held her free hand outward, pale blue chi 
dancing about the palm. 
  The intense force of the water spout shot Ranma up into the air... 
until he came face to face with the high ceiling of the ceremony 
chamber. The water spout pressed harder, sandwiching Ranma between 
itself and the ceiling. 
  Ignore the pain, Ranma demanded of himself. She's not letting you 
think! 
  What's the use? he wondered. Seiryu knows EXACTLY how to beat me! 
  "The 'Heart of Ice' requires that you kill your emotions," echoed 
the words of Shampoo's Great-grandmother. 
  Yet, at the mere thought of that, the pain seemed to lessen for 
the young martial artist. 
  Then he realized that the water spout had ceased to exist, and he 
was now falling. 
  Good! Ranma thought. A few seconds to think this through.... She 
knows everything about me, so I've.... 
  At that moment, Ranma's back impacted against the hard floor, 
breaking his train of thought. 
  "I COULD kill you THAT way," Seiryu taunted in a bored tone, "but 
that would be... less sporting?" 
  Ranma groaned in pain, his ears barely telling him that the woman 
with the trident was getting closer. 
  "You're missing something," said the voice of Pantyhose Taro from 
Ranma's dreams. 
  Then... what is it? 
  Tap, tap. 
  "Should I savor the moment?" she asked herself. 
  How does she do it? Ranma wondered. Stone-cold... just like the 
dark ocean depths.... 
  Tap, tap. 
  "Or, should I end it quickly?" 
  Cold... as ice? 
  "You must learn to put faith in your friends," echoed the voice of 
Chizuru Kagura, "otherwise you will lose your battles in the future." 
There IS something... but what is it?! 
  Tap, tap. 
  "Perhaps, even, punishment as likened to what you did to me?" she 
wondered, tracing a finger over her left eye, and down the cheek. 
  I can't win if she stays that way... gotta mess her up.... 
  Tap, tap. 
  "Say, I'll take your left eye?" 
  Yet, still... kill my emotions? Must I be what she is? 
  Tap. 
  Seiryu bent over Ranma's battered body. "How about that, hmm?" 
  At that moment, the words of Johan, the American street fighter, 
popped up in the young Saotome's head: "I can still 'hear' the music 
in my head!" Despite numerous distractions, the dance man still 
maintained his focus.... 
  That's IT!! 
  "You lost all care," Ranma said. "This ain't about revenge... nor 
about keeping promises... it's about blind obligation. You don't care 
anymore. Heck, ya probably don't remember WHY you're fighting!" 
  "This incarnation thinks the same way she does," echoed the words of 
Seiryu in Ranma's thoughts. Which means.... 
  He added, "You're not even Ukyo, past, present, or future! She 
died when I pulled the jewel off her!" 
  Seiryu stopped herself. "Of course I AM!" she stammered. "Fine, so 
I... I mean... NO!!! What are you talking about!?" 
  It was that moment of hesitation that Ranma needed. 
  And then, Seiryu's own words entered Ranma's mind: "You can't allow 
your preoccupation to consume you... listen to the sound of my 
voice...." And that voice, Ranma remembered, was.... 
  Without hesitating, and with sudden energy, Ranma threw both his 
arms around Seiryu's neck, forcing her head downward. Without 
thinking, without hesitating... without will, Ranma Saotome forced 
Seiryu's lips to his own. 
  Seiryu dropped her trident in surprise, her eyes widening in 
horrified shock. 
  And, for the second time that day, Ranma kissed Ukyo. 
  Letting go, Ranma slid away from the confused woman, a sudden burst 
of energy allowing him to get to his feet. 
  Wiping her lips, Seiryu slowly stood up with the same shocked 
expression. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words would 
not come out. 
  Bits and pieces of the puzzle fell into place as Ranma Saotome, 
revitalized with determination and resolve, stood ready. "Tell me... 
did YOUR Ranma ever do that to you?" 
  Raising a fist in anger, Seiryu's shock turned to hatred. "You... 
you would DARE!!!!" 
  Her battle aura exploded. 
  Now, Ranma thought, let's see what happens when I don't let YOU 
think! 
  For a moment, he thought about Akane... her gentle smile, her 
cute expressions.... Then, he thought about Ryoga, his longtime rival, 
his... friend. 
  Seiryu projected several chi blasts at Ranma, who easily dodged out 
of the way. 
  He also thought about the others: Mousse, Kuno, Ukyo, Kodachi... 
even Pantyhose Taro... then, there was nothing. Ranma shoved all 
thoughts of them out of his mind. They don't exist. 
  Fuming with anger and frustration, Seiryu continued her mad attack. 
  Banish all of them from your thoughts, Ranma told himself, and 
focus! 
  "Kiss ME?!" screamed the woman. 
  Nothing but the focus! he repeated to himself. 

					*  *  *  *  * 
Heart Secret (Akane) 

(Akane) Stupid. [Stupid]  You're just pretending to be cool. 
I hate you. [I hate you]  I can do just as well without you. 
That's a lie! [That's a lie!] But I won't show you what's in my hand. 
Too bad.  Sorry! 
					*  *  *  *  * 

  "BASTARD!!!" Seiryu fumed, generating a larger chi bolt in her 
palms. 
  Ranma easily avoided that attack in turn, continuing his movement 
around his enemy, lost of thought, lost of feeling. 
  Only the focus mattered. 

					*  *  *  *  * 
Whenever I treat you coldly, my heart aches but 
until you become more serious, 
my lips, too, are kept secretly waiting. 
					*  *  *  *  * 

  "Forty years," seethed the possessor of Ukyo's body. "Forty years 
of studying you... will not go to waste!!" 
  And yet, Ranma still failed to acknowledge her existence. Only the 
focus mattered, and everything was going according to plan. However, 
the martial artist had no time to congratulate himself... because, 
after all, only the focus mattered. 
  Everything else was extraneous matter. 

					*  *  *  *  * 
Heart [Heart]   secret [secret]
I won't give you the key for just gentleness. 
Love [Love]   secret [secret]
Solving the riddle depends on you. 
					*  *  *  *  * 

  And then, there was nothing. 
  No, CONTINUE the focus!! Ranma demanded himself. 
  Yet, it was done. 
  Raising his fist, having completed tracing the spiral of the most 
deadly attack in his arsenal, Ranma shouted, "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!!!" 
  Hot chi swelling about Seiryu mixed with the swirling cold chi of 
Ranma, creating the illusion of a dragon spiraling toward Heaven... a 
massive whirlwind ripped into existence, slamming against the ceiling 
of the ceremony chamber. 
  A shower of rocks rained down upon the two occupants of the room, 
the technique drilling a hole up to the sky, earth notwithstanding. 
  Yet, Seiryu had, at the last moment, managed to escape the spiral, 
although Ranma had little time to ponder why. 
  "Pha-hah-hah-hah!" she laughed. "Gullible fool, did you believe I 
would fall for THAT?!" 
  And still, Ranma kept his mind on his focus. The road to the end 
had already begun. 

					*  *  *  *  * 
I'll Always Be There (Ranma)

When you're lonely, when you're hurting,
Don't feel sad by yourself.
I'll always be there
next to you. Just feel it.
					*  *  *  *  * 

  Quickly, Ranma completed the trace of a second spiral, all the 
while sticking to his focus, never wavering. 
  "What ARE you up to?!" demanded Seiryu, avoiding the second spiral, 
raising a barrier to protect herself from the rain of stones and 
gravel from above. "Your efforts are for NAUGHT!" 
  And then, the third spiral had begun. 

					*  *  *  *  * 
Strength is important,
But tears are necessary, too.
You can't do anything,
With a cold heart
You can't feel anything at all.
					*  *  *  *  * 

  "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!!" yelled Ranma, completing the third spiral, 
and initiating the fourth. 
  Seiryu's eyes followed Ranma, staring as if she looked upon a 
madman. Death glowed in her eyes as she raised her palms in the air, 
watching for Ranma's next pass. 
  "You merely delay the inevitable!" she screamed with rage, firing 
off several blasts which cleanly missed the martial artist. 

					*  *  *  *  * 
Why do people always
hide their true feelings?
The things you can do, the things you want to do,
Are best taken one step at a time.
					*  *  *  *  * 

  And then, the fourth spiral was complete. 
  Throwing his fist in the air, cold chi and hot chi mixed, for one 
final time. Ranma shouted, "HIRYU SHOTEN HA... FINAL ATTACK!!!" 
  Just as suddenly as the previous three, the fourth, and final, 
whirlwind burst to life. 
  It was then Seiryu realized what Ranma had done. And she was 
standing right in the middle of it. She stared out at Ranma in 
complete rage. 
  "DAMN YOU!!!" she screamed, raising both her arms toward Ranma, as 
if beckoning him to come toward her. "If I'm going...!" 
  It was then Ranma felt as if someone pushed him into the whirlwind 
storm. 

					*  *  *  *  * 
You never followed an ordinary program,
And that's the reason I love you.
I'll follow you anywhere.
I'll never, ever let you go!
					*  *  *  *  * 

  It was then Ranma's focus slipped into nothingness. 
  It was then Ranma realized he was being thrown up into the air, 
along with Seiryu, who struggled to maintain her personal air barrier. 
  And, it was clear that she was losing. 
  Ranma screamed in pain as the monstrous gale forces of the attack's 
whirlwinds ripped at his body. While his cold chi would normally have 
helped prevent Ranma from getting hurt, the forces of nature were 
now at work-- it was beyond mere aura. 
  Old Cologne once said that the Hiryu Shoten Ha, at full strength, 
could potentially put the target at near death. If one whirlwind 
could do that, then two should be more than enough to kill. And three, 
then four... probably be vaporized.... 
  Ukyo, I'm REALLY sorry I had to desecrate your body like this.... 
  "At least it would save on cremation," Ranma thought Ukyo would say. 
  "Welcome to Hell!!" Seiryu yelled, laughing in triumph. "We'll go 
down... or should I say... UP, together!" 
  No, Ranma thought, don't try to force your way down! 
  At that moment, shattering like glass, Seiryu's barrier collapsed, 
exposing the woman to the violent storm of nature. 
  She screamed. 
  The martial artist stared upward, realizing for the first time that 
the four whirlwinds had already burst through to the surface.... The 
rays of the sun beat downward against the dark contrast of the earth. 
  That's it! he decided. The only way to get out is... UP!! 
  Trying his best at straightening himself in mid-air, Ranma threw 
his arms at his sides, decreasing his bodily surface area-- and thus, 
air resistance. Quickly, the martial artist shot upward, faster than 
ever before, allowing the winds to catapult him all the way to the 
skies above, leaving Seiryu behind in her pain. Streams of pure 
energy ripped from her body, zooming past Ranma much quicker than his 
own ascent. He winced in pain as one stream ran through him, but 
Ranma ignored the pain. 
  "Damn you, Saotome!" Seiryu screamed, howling in pain. "I WILL 
HAUNT YOU!!! I'LL HAUNT YOU UNTIL THE DAY YOU DIE!!!!" 
  And STAY dead, Ranma thought, leaving the enemy inside Ukyo's body 
behind to die. NOW who's the survivor? 
  He traveled faster than a bullet, rocketing through the four 
whirlwinds, ignoring the pain each ripped into him. He thought about 
nothing... focusing on nothing, remembering nothing, becoming nothing. 
  There was only the force of violent nature around him. 
  And then, Ranma Saotome shot through beyond the heads of the four 
whirlwinds, and up into the stratosphere. 
  All too soon, he peaked in his ascent. Ranma stared downward at the 
land below: a giant's version of a model country, he thought. He 
passed next to a swift-moving cloud, barely feeling the moisture of 
the floating cream-puff. 
  Wow... this beats being in an airplane.... 
  None of that mattered, because the young Saotome was now heading 
straight down. 
  Great, he thought, now that I'm out, NOW WHAT?! 
  Throwing his arms about wildly, trying his best to increase his air 
resistance, Ranma fervently ran through his mind, searching for a 
way to survive a fall at who-knows-how-high. 
  The land was getting much too large in Ranma's eyes for his tastes 
at the moment. 
  Why didn't the old bag tell me how to get down?! 

  "What's that?!" Akane shouted, pointing at the four columns of 
whirlwinds bursting at the top of the cliffs. 
  "Probably Ranma's doing," Ryoga said, folding his arms. 
  The thing is, what the hell was that idiot doing?! he thought. 
  Kodachi stared up in the sky, squinting her eyes. A small shape 
caught her attention. Turning to her brother, she asked, "Tell me, is 
it me, or is that Ranma?" 
  Tatewaki walked to Kodachi's side, staring to where the girl was 
pointing to in the sky. "Hmph," he snorted. "It would be so proper if 
he were to suffer such a fate." 
  "Looks like getting larger," Shampoo noted, catching the falling 
martial artist in her eyes. 
  "Falling?!" Akane yelled. "From THAT height?!" 

  Ranma did not know if it was better to impact with the ground, or 
with the ocean. Either way, most of his bones would probably break. 
  There's GOT to be something I'm missing! he thought fervently. I 
did NOT come all this way to become a... pancake! 
  For a moment, he thought he could make out the others, standing 
close toward the cliff's edge. They, too, were getting larger. 
  And Akane would have the nightmare of watching me fall to my doom. 
  Suddenly, several objects caught his eye. Several PINK objects, to 
be precise, and they were getting larger. 
  Much larger, at a speed much quicker than the people and scenery. 
  Then, the sticky tears of Kodachi's ribbon artifact impacted against 
Ranma's body, coating him in a chewing gum-like film. 
  Losing sensation, for the sticky tears blocked his vision and 
ears, Ranma only felt more of the pink projectiles collide against 
his body, both wishing he knew what Kodachi was doing, and that no 
one was looking at him-- a sorry hope at best. 
  And then, something stopped his fall. 
  Ranma knew he had not hit the ground, but he knew he was being 
suspended in the air. Something was holding him in the air. 
  With that thought complete, the martial artist felt his body being 
jerked upward. 
  THEN the impact with the ground came, although it was not nearly as 
bad as Ranma thought it would be. 
  "Ranma!" he heard Akane shout. "RANMA!!" 
  Struggling to speak, Ranma wanted to say, "I'm all right," but, his 
lips bound shut by the sticky tears, compounded with the fact that 
he was facing downward, made his voice inaudible. 
  Yet, the fact that he could hear was a GOOD thing. 
  Slowly, Ranma felt the sticky tears dissolving into nothingness. 
  He turned himself over and stared toward the sky. However, multiple 
heads blocked his view, shadows casting over him. 
  "Is it... over?" Ranma asked rhetorically. 
  "I hope you appreciate that I spared you a dunk of death," Kodachi 
said, stifling a chuckle. "Still, it was worth your expression...." 
  "What happened?" asked Ryoga. 
  "What'd you do?" asked Akane, pushing more emphasis into her words. 
  Ranma shook his head. "D'you all mind? It's hurtin' ALL over...." 
  Kodachi's eyes turned to the others. "You heard the man. The 
patient wants room...." 
  "Why shan't I end his misery?" Kuno protested. "To what end shall 
we allow this murderer to live?" 
  "Ranma not kill anyone," Shampoo pointed out. "Try, not do." 
  "Either way," Ryoga said, "what'll we do about Nemesis?" 
  Ranma wanted to say something, but another voice beat him to it. 
"It... is... over." 
  All heads turned toward Lady Kuno, laying against the cliffside, 
forgotten with Ranma's arrival. She sported several bruises on her 
face, each of which were dressed and bandaged with Kodachi's careful 
hands. The elder Kuno's eyes struggled to open. 
  "Mother," Tatewaki whispered, rushing to her side, "do not speak." 
  "Shut up," Shoto Kuno said. "I... beat them." 
  All but Ranma and Tatewaki stared at the woman in surprise. 
  "Where is... Daichi?" the Lady asked. 
  Tatewaki pointed a finger at the still-unconscious Headmaster Kuno. 
Lifting the coffee pot filled with cool water, he said, "Drink, and 
rest, Mother." 
  "About time you got here... Son," she whispered. 
  Ryoga watched the two Kunos in puzzlement. Turning back to the 
others, he said, "So, now that Nemesis is gone, what'll we do? Is that 
it?" 
  Shampoo shook her head. "I think we miss something." 
  "Yeah," agreed Akane. Staring down at Ranma, she asked, "Where's 
Ukyo?" 
  Ranma groaned inwardly, suddenly remembering... that. "She's...." 
  A startled squawk from Shampoo caught the others' attentions. The 
Chinese Amazon stared down at her left leg in surprise, finding it 
bound tight by several turns of wire. 
  "No-no-no," a voice yelled. "You'vall got it ALLLLL wrong!" 
  Eyes following the path of the wire, Ranma realized they lead 
straight back into the cavern. One lone figure stepped out into the 
light. He dressed in heavy, dark robes, covered in several layers of 
dust and dirt. Due to his short stature, the robes appeared twice as 
large on the newcomer. He smiled with a toothy grin, bloodshot eyes, 
and wild, unkempt hair. 
  "Shit," Ranma cursed, "forgot about you." 
  Several more wires lashed out at Shampoo, binding her arms together. 
"The flesh does as it's told!" sneered Strand, raising the Chinese 
Amazon in the air. "I will win, because you can't beat what is already 
DEAD!!!" 
  Suddenly, Ryoga screamed in pain, clutching the back of his neck. 
Blood burst like a geyser, forcing those standing behind him back. 
He staggered to his knees, just as something shimmered next to him. 
  In a bright flash of light, where there was no one before, there was 
another man, dressed in the flowing robes of a Shinto priest, waving 
a pair of feather fans in his hands. 
  "You!!" Akane cried in shock. 
  "Ah, Big Brother!!" Strand cried out with delight. 
  "'Big Brother?!'" the others echoed in surprise, staring at Shifter. 
  "That one is not for you, Akutare," Shifter said flatly. 
  "She is ONLY FOR ME!!!" the Orochi assassin screamed in protest. "I 
WILL have my pleasures satisfied!!" 
  "Somebody," ordered the wizard, "get him off the ground!!" 
  Tatewaki's eyes raced from Shifter to the coffee pot he held in his 
hand, then to his sheathed sword. "Hmph," he muttered, "I have a much 
BETTER idea...." 
  "Are you thinking of splashing him?!" Kodachi wondered. "What do 
you expect to do, melt him?" 
  "That's IT!!!" Ranma cried, understanding exactly what the ancient 
man had in mind. 
  Ranma got up to his feet in a flash, just as he noticed the short 
man's fingers with electrical power dancing about. "Shampoo!!!" he 
yelled. 
  "FRY!!!" Strand cried. "FRY, FRY, FRY, FRY!!!!!" 
  As Strand laughed maniacally, Shifter quickly snatched the coffee 
pot from Tatewaki's hand. Without hesitating, he threw the pot of 
cold water into the air. 
  At the same moment, electricity shot through the wires in Strand's 
fingers. 
  It was then that Ranma kicked the Orochi assassin into the air. 
  It was then that the coffee pot's contents spilled on Shampoo, 
leaving the coiled wires with nothing but clothes to hold as a small 
cat fell through. 
  It was then that Strand got the nastiest shock of his life. 
Electrical power ran through the length of the wire, turning about 
at the loops where Shampoo had once been, and came back. 
  "VVVVAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!" the assassin screamed. 
  "What's happening?!" Akane asked. 
  Ranma stared up at the sky at his handiwork. "The little creep is 
getting a taste of his own medicine." 
  "A wire offers the path of least resistance," explained Tatewaki. 
"Normally, there would be a human body there... a repository of great 
resistance. The only such resistance now exists within himself." 
  "Resistors absorb power," Akane remembered. "So he's absorbing his 
own power?" 
  "The power may come from within himself," added Kodachi, "but by 
having his wires joined together like that, he is forming a complete 
circuit by himself. There is no other place for the current to go." 
  "Since he's in such shock," Ranma continued, "he can't let go... or 
stop it, for that matter." 
  "And thus," finished Shifter, "without his feet standing on the 
dirt to ground him, he fries himself." 
  All gathered shielded their eyes as the electrical display ended in 
one final burst. As soon as their eyes recovered from the sudden 
burst, all that could be seen was a rain of dust and wires, still 
alive with electrical power, as if the circuit were still complete. 
  "And so ends the unlife of Akutare Furui, User of Lightning," 
concluded Higure. 
  "Why didn't you tell us HE was your brother?!" demanded Ranma, 
waving his fist at the Shinto wizard. "You said he was DEAD!!" 
  "He WAS," Higure pointed out. "Ashinzo reanimated his corpse and 
bound his soul to his body. Undead, if you will. A freak of nature. 
Not even alive. I thank you for helping put his soul to rest." 
  Ranma shook his head. "Right...." 
  The former Orochi assassin turned toward Lady Kuno. "I trust you 
are well, My Lady?" 
  Despite her weariness, she nodded. "Thank you." 
  Higure then faced Ryoga. "Sorry about that." 
  Ryoga eyed the wizard suspiciously, staring at the blood on his 
hands. "That REALLY hurt...." 
  Then, turning to Ranma, Higure asked, "I, as the others, are curious 
as to what happened to the other girl, Ukyo." 
  "Yes," agreed Kodachi, picking up the cat that was Shampoo. "Tell 
us." 
  Ranma eyed the cat with worried eyes, taking several steps back. 
  "RANMA," Akane said, "what happened to her?" 
  Sighing, Ranma allowed himself to remember. "She's dead." 

  "The Orochi Assassins have been demolished," a masculine voice said. 
  "Ashinzo Kusanagi," spat another man, "was a fool. Higure Furui 
was a traitor. We need them not among our ranks." 
  "Very true," agreed the first man. "It appears, however, that we 
must continue, despite Nemesis' failure. The Orochi has waited for 
nearly two-thousand years for this time to come, and we will succeed." 
  "To that end," voiced a female, speaking for the first time, "we 
are going to place you in charge of the Cult of Orochi from this point 
onward." 
  The second man was taken aback with surprise. "Me?" 
  "You will serve in a better capacity than your predecessor, Monk 
Reaver, User of Magma," the first man decreed, "or suffer his fate." 
  Reaver, Orochi assassin, smiled with glee. "There will be no petty 
revenge, nor strife, among our ranks. We will rebuild the Eight 
Assassins, and we will remember our true goal." 
  "We shall never be stopped!" the assassin declared. 

  "This all that left," Shampoo said, raising the trident up in the 
air for all to see. "Nothing else left down there." 
  The gang stood gathered around Shampoo, Higure, and Tatewaki, the 
ones who volunteered to reenter the smashed underground compound to 
look for Ukyo's body. The etched dragon on the central prong sat 
there coldly, without the life of its own Ranma used to recognize 
before. 
  "If it is as you said," Higure said to Ranma, "then there should be 
nothing TO find." 
  "Yeah, figured that," Ranma replied, lowering his head. 
  "A shame, really." 
  "We didn't find anything out here, either. If she were still alive 
to know what I did to her body, she'd kill me." 
  "Don't blame yourself, Ranma," Akane said. "She wanted you to live, 
remember? So do we. I don't think she'd mind." 
  "Do you?" her husband said suddenly, staring at Akane incredulously. 
"What makes you think YOU know what she thinks?! I DIDN'T even know." 
  Akane could not think of a reply, but Shampoo shouted, "You NOT 
talk stupid, Ranma! Spatula-girl dead, and stay dead!! You so weak you 
would mourn all eternity!" 
  "Well, THAT was tactful," snorted Kodachi, folding her arms. 
  "That's right..." Ranma muttered, "you're the one who does the 
KILLING!!" He jabbed a finger into Shampoo's chest. "YOU don't care 
that you killed Mousse!!" 
  "Killed?" echoed Akane, Kodachi, Ryoga, and Tatewaki, in surprise. 
  Higure shook his head. "Perhaps I had best leave." 
  Silently, the Shinto wizard walked away, leaving the squabbling 
teens behind. 

  Time... flows like a river. 
  The pendulum swings back and forth. It rocks to one side... then 
swings to the other... always passing the middle. Over time the 
pendulum slows its pace as it swings back and forth, gently, slowly, 
steadily coming to a stop. 
  Time flows like a river... and history repeats. 
  In the minds of a mortal... such as humanity... time can stretch 
to infinity... boggling the mind. To humanity, time is eternal. To 
humanity, time is beyond their understanding. To humanity... time is 
a passing beyond reckoning. 
  To humanity, love is eternal. 
  To kami, time is a finite, transient value. 
  To Orochi, who had nearly eighteen-thousand years to contemplate 
his existence, time was the annoyance that reminded him that he could 
not walk the earth. 
  The pendulum reached its peak swing in the direction opposite the 
eight-headed serpent, but now it was coming back. 
  This time, the swing was much quicker than before. 
  And soon, the pendulum would be at his side again. 
  There was every reason to be excited; the Kami Plane was a bleak, 
monotonous world. Earth was so... delicate, in motion... transient... 
and beautiful. That same transience, however, allowed humanity to 
threaten Earth's delicacy... that same transience will allow the kami 
to reclaim Earth's former splendor at the cost of human blood. 
  Susano-O would never appreciate that... but Orochi hardly cared. 
Let the bastard support humanity in its dangerous wiles; he, along 
with the other human-loving spawn, will be swept aside by the aligned 
peoples. When humanity is destroyed, only the true shall survive. 
  Time flows like a river, and history repeats... but beyond, there 
be a falls. 
  He knew it would be his last, best chance. He knew that neither he 
nor his enemy would appreciate the falls. He knew, when the time came, 
he would be powerless to stop them. 
  But, Earth must have a future. 
  The pendulum swings lower as time passes. 
  And yet, the end of time was near. 
  Time flows like a river, and history repeats, but beyond, there be a 
falls... and only the strong survive. 

  "Ah, Shampoo," Cologne said in greeting, "I'm glad to see you have 
returned." 
  Shampoo said nothing as she entered the restaurant that served as 
her home for the past year, using Seiryu's trident as a walking staff, 
leaning against it wearily. 
  "Child," the old matriarch asked, "where is the second of the pair 
of weapons I bestowed upon you?" 
  Again, the Chinese Amazon said nothing, barely remembering that she 
left it stuck in Mousse's back. For a moment, she wondered if the 
police have the weapon... probably as some kind of evidence. Shampoo 
cursed herself silently, glad that she was going to leave the country 
at the end of the week. 
  "Nothing to say?" Cologne persisted, as Shampoo plodded past her. 
"Well... that weapon was an heirloom. You will be punished." 
  "I don't care," the younger woman answered in her native tongue. 
  "I think you should," the old woman insisted, switching to Chinese. 
"Because...." 
  Shampoo's eyes widened in surprise as Cologne produced the second 
of the pair of flamberge. 
  "...there MUST be a reason why I have it!" Cologne finished. 
  Shampoo's mind raced in panic, fervently wondering if the old 
matriarch figured out what happened. "G... Great-grandmother!" 
  Cologne shook her head. "Not this time, Child." 
  Realizing the meaning, the Chinese Amazon, discarding the trident, 
quickly dashed up the stairs. Stomping her way through the hallways, 
Shampoo stopped at the entrance to the attic-- Mousse's room-- and 
pushed her way in, through the door. 
  Lying in the middle of the attic, in a seemingly-comfortable futon, 
was the Master of Hidden Weapons, his thick-lens glasses lying folded 
at his side, a heavy blanket thrown over him. He was obviously still 
breathing, but he was also asleep. 
  And helpless. 
  Burning with anger and shock, Shampoo unsheathed her remaining 
flamberge, intent on finishing her work. 
  "That's enough!" commanded Cologne from behind Shampoo. 
  Shampoo stood over Mousse, frozen as a statue, at her great- 
grandmother's command, sweat dripping down her face. He was helpless, 
down there, she knew. Totally at her mercy. 
  And yet, years of Chinese Amazon conditioning forced her to stop. 
  "I found him last night," the matriarch explained, "crumpled, and 
helpless, at the step of the door. It was obvious he was bleeding to 
death... WAS. For someone bound his wounds and left him to be found 
by me." Cologne raised her flamberge in emphasis. "THIS, was found 
next to him." 
  That's not possible! Shampoo shouted in a mental scream. Who could 
have helped him?! 
  "By the looks of it, the Traitor's Death Blow," Cologne said simply. 
"There are very few in Nerima who know such a strike: you, those twins, 
Mousse, and myself. And, I entrusted this weapon to you." 
  Shampoo said nothing in her defense, lowering her flamberge in 
defeat. 
  "When I gave you instruction to protect Ranma at all costs, none of 
it said you could dispose of Mousse. You know as well as I we need 
all the help we can get, and you destroyed one of them." 
  Moving to Mousse's side, Cologne continued, "He will survive, but 
he is not fit to travel. Not only that, but the death blow damaged 
several nerves in his spine; Mousse has great difficulty moving, and, 
in the worst case, he'll never walk, write, or fight, again. At this 
point, he is WORSE than dead." 
  "Finish him, then," Shampoo said contemptuously. 
  Cologne shook her head. "Which brings us to YOUR punishment, Child. 
Once before, I took you to Jusenkyo as punishment for returning home 
without Ranma. This time, however... I will not be as lenient." 
  As if Jusenkyo was lenient, the Chinese Amazon thought bitterly. 
  "We will return home to China," continued the matriarch, "but you, 
Child, will remain behind." 
  "What?!" Shampoo cried out in surprise. 
  "You will remain in Japan with Mousse. You will take care of him, 
by waiting on him hand and foot, as his slave, until he recovers. IF 
he recovers, because, if I'm not mistaken, Mousse would prefer to 
end his misery, but you are not to give him that luxury. When and if 
he recovers, THEN you may return home to China. I therefore invoke the 
punishment of the Eternal Destiny Bond; if he dies, you will never see 
home again." 
  Shampoo bit back her tears. "The Elders will not tolerate that!" 
she cried out defiantly. "You said so yourself, we needed all the 
help we can get! What about me?!" 
  "Hmph," Cologne responded. "They will approve, because I SAID so. 
Despite what you think, you are still a child, and while you may be 
a warrior, you are in no position of power. As such, you cannot defy 
the wishes of your elders. Until then, if we ever see you anywhere 
near home, the tribe will have authorization to hunt you down. You 
will be dispatched the same way you attempted with Mousse. Do you 
understand?" 
  For a moment, Shampoo wanted to kill Mousse. HE was the cause of the 
problems in the first place, he SHOULD die!! 
  Yet, she did want to return home. The younger Chinese Amazon knew 
that to defy her great-grandmother now would spell her own disaster; 
the old one never did play favorites in matters of the tribe. And 
thus, her threat may very well be serious-- both of them. 
  Nodding slowly, Shampoo said dejectedly, "Yes, Great-grandmother." 

The Next Day 

  Tatewaki Kuno stopped long enough in the doorway to note that his 
sister was busying herself with scrubbing laundry. Curious, he stepped 
outside, into the yard, where Kodachi sat busy, back turned, next to a 
wooden tub of soapy water. 
  "Pray tell, what are you doing?" he asked. 
  Kodachi jumped in surprise, throwing a toothbrush in the air. 
Turning around angrily, she cried, "What does it LOOK like, you 
idiot?!" 
  Tatewaki shook his head, pointing to the white smock his sister was 
holding. "Is there a specific reason why you must do this yourself?" 
  Picking up her discarded toothbrush, Kodachi continued scrubbing the 
stain she was working on. "I need to keep busy. There is no time to 
think of Mother's recovery at this time!" 
  "She is fine, thank you very much," her brother said. "Resting, if 
you will, in her former bed, in her former room." Tatewaki sighed 
heavily. "I cannot imagine living with her, after all these years." 
  "I could care less how you feel!" Kodachi snarled, although both 
Kunos knew she did not mean it. Scrubbing hard, she added, "Beside 
that, why should you care if these stains refuse to depart?!" 
  "If you insist on staying alone, then that is what you shall receive, 
then," Tatewaki decided, striding off. 
  Kodachi shook her head. Damn blood stains. 
  "Mistress Kodachi?" 
  Once again, the toothbrush was sent into orbit. 
  "SASUKE!!" she screamed. "What now?!" 
  The diminutive man bent low. "Forgive me, Mistress!" he whimpered. 
"But there is a young lady who wishes to see you." 
  "Kodachi?" 
  Kodachi jumped, noticing for the first time that Sasuke had taken the 
liberty of letting this woman inside. Before venom reached her lips, 
the gymnast recognized this woman, and all thoughts of feeding Sasuke 
to the alligator were forgotten. 
  "Chika," Kodachi said, forcing elation into her voice. 
  The newcomer was attired in Western-style clothes, her long, dark hair 
thrown back, cascading down her back. Chika was a fellow student at St. 
Hebereke, who wished to study film production. Kodachi remembered first 
meeting her during cooking class-- she was a mediocre cook, but she was 
very good at what she did. In fact, the last time Kodachi retained her 
for service was to doctor a series of photographs depicting Tatewaki 
and his 'pig-tailed girl.' She did a fine job indeed. 
  Which was probably why she was here today, Kodachi thought. She must 
have found out something important. 
  Sasuke risked a glance at Kodachi's face. "She insisted!" 
  "It would have to be important?" she guessed. 
  Chika nodded, a worried expression on her face. "Remember how you 
said you wanted me to keep tabs on what the Board was doing?" 
  Kodachi nodded impatiently. "I know that; do not waste words." 
  "Sorry," the other girl replied. "Anyway, earlier this morning there 
was a secret meeting, called by Mr. Nakamura, I think. Well, they've 
finally done it." 
  "Done WHAT?!" Kodachi screamed, anticipating the answer she dreaded to 
hear. 
  "Starting this year," Chika recited from memory, "all girls attending 
St. Hebereke school must, by order of the Board of Advisors, and the 
founders of the St. Hebereke Church, convert to the faith, or face 
expulsion." 
  Sasuke gasped, understanding fully the implications. 
  Kodachi fumed with anger, tossing the stained smock in the wash tub. 
"You," she warned, "do NOT want to be in my presence when the news sinks 
all the way in...." 
  "There's more," Chika cried, stepping back from her angry friend. "I 
not only got the audio of the meeting, but also the video! There's 
someone there, the instigator, who you should know about!" 
  "WHO?!!" Kodachi demanded, her booming presence shaking the wash tub. 
  Bursting out in tears from fright, Chika blurted, "ASUKA!!!" 
  Chika flinched, expecting Kodachi to explode. 
  But, all that passed was silence. Kodachi Kuno stood, feet spread, 
arms at her sides, staring at Chika, a glazed look over her eyes. 
  Sasuke tugged at Kodachi's skirt, the young Kuno seemingly oblivious 
to the world around her. 
  "Mistress Kodachi?" he whispered. 
  "Asuka," Kodachi repeated to herself, in a barely audible tone. 
  "Kodachi," Chika stammered, "I'm... sorry." 
  "Asuka...." 
  "For what it's worth, it affects me, too." 
  "Asuka...!" 
  "I mean, it'll affect ALL of us, somehow...." 
  "ASSSSSSUUKKKKKAAAAA!!!" Kodachi screamed. 
  "Kodachi...." Chika said, trying to find something of comfort to say. 
  Unexpectedly, tears blinding her eyes, Kodachi ran toward the wall 
at the end of the yard, and vaulted over in one startling leap. 

  Shampoo finished breakfast just as Ling-ling and Lung-lung, the 
twin Amazons, enter the closed restaurant. Behind them, the two 
dragged a large bell, almost as large as they were-- a bell Shampoo 
recognized, despite the numerous wards pasted on it. 
  "What are you doing with that?" asked Shampoo in Chinese. 
  Ling-ling looked up to her elder with contempt. "Cleaning up your 
messes." 
  "We need to take back everything brought over here," added Lung- 
lung. "We spent all night trying to catch Bakeneko." 
  The girl pointed toward the wards attached to the bell meaningfully. 
"If it weren't for the priests, he would've been too hard to catch 
and contain." 
  Shampoo, seething with anger, grabbed Ling-ling by the throat. 
"Tell me the truth!!" she demanded. "DID YOU SAVE MOUSSE'S LIFE???" 
  Ling-ling kicked Shampoo in the stomach, forcing the elder Amazon 
to release her hold. "Of course not!!" she answered. "What's wrong 
with YOU??!" 
  The other girl whispered in her twin's ear. Ling-ling nodded, 
remembering what happened. "What, you think that because we stick 
around Mousse that WE did it?" 
  "Who ELSE?!" demanded Shampoo in frustration. "There IS NO ONE 
ELSE!!!" 
  "We're sorry about what happened," Lung-lung said. "But, you have 
no one to blame but yourself. In the meantime, we've still got to 
finish cleaning up." 
  "YOUR messes," Ling-ling added with contempt. 
  Screaming at the top of her lungs, Shampoo said, "THIS IS GOD'S 
FAULT!!" 

  Despite being closed, Ranma entered Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, with the 
keys Ukyo had given him long before for emergencies. 
  He almost expected Ukyo to be standing behind the grill, flipping 
several okonomiyaki on the grill. He almost expected the scent- 
stabbing smell of sizzling okonomiyaki to assail his nostrils. He 
almost expected the same smile. 
  Almost. 
  In a flash, Kenzan Konatsu appeared in the doorway leading to the 
back room, dressed in plain working clothes, a drastic change from 
his waitress uniform, Ranma noted. His hair hung loosely down his 
back, as if the kunoichi gave up tying his hair. 
  "Ranma," greeted Konatsu, bowing despite himself. 
  "How's it goin'?" Ranma replied noncommittally. 
  Konatsu ran to the other side of the grill, offering Ranma a stool. 
"You don't look so well." 
  Ranma accepted the seat, planting an elbow on the counter to prop 
his head up. He barely noticed the kunoichi taking his own seat. 
  "Well," the young Saotome began, "I... I don't know what to do." 
  "I told myself the same thing yesterday," Konatsu admitted, shaking 
his head. "But I remembered what Ukyo-sama told me long before, and 
I have to accept that and move on." 
  "What'd she say?" Ranma asked, almost uncaring. 
  "Death happens," the kunoichi answered dryly. "If not today, perhaps 
tomorrow... or the day after that.... But, when it does happen, you 
can't dwell on it, or let it consume you." 
  Ranma shook his head, defeated. "Ain't gonna happen." 
  "Ukyo-sama has kept me busy with her instructions," explained 
Konatsu. "Instructions she gave me in the event that she would not 
come back, one way or another." 
  Quickly, the kunoichi produced a folded set of papers from within 
his shirt, and held them out for Ranma. "I admit, I wasn't supposed to 
look at these, but... I think you should see them, before I carry out 
Ukyo-sama's instructions." 
  Taking the papers from Konatsu's hand, Ranma lazily scanned the 
headers of the pages. His eyes widened in surprise. The martial artist 
glanced at Konatsu, then back at the papers, before speaking. 
  "These... these are Ukyo's adoption papers!" Ranma exclaimed. "How'd 
she get these?!" 
  Konatsu nodded with a sigh. "She told me your mother gave them to 
her, telling her that she'd file them herself. Ukyo-sama gave them to 
me following Ryoga and Akari's wedding, and instructed me to guard 
them. Recently, as of about two weeks ago, Ukyo-sama gave me the 
rest of her instructions." 
  Grabbing the papers from Ranma's hands, Konatsu finished, "I'm 
supposed to burn them." 
  Ranma's jaw dropped in surprise, unsure what to think. "U... Ukyo 
did... what was she thinking?!" 
  "She left her instructions in this note," the kunoichi volunteered, 
producing another paper for Ranma. 
  The young Saotome accepted the paper, nodding to himself as he 
recognized Ukyo's handwriting. 
  Ranma never noticed Konatsu lighting up a match as he read aloud: 
"Konatsu, you are to follow these instructions to the letter in the 
event that I can no longer return to you. I am truly sorry that I 
took advantage of you the day I took you in; however, I must ask you 
to do me this last favor before parting ways for good." 
  Konatsu tossed the flaming adoption papers on the grill as Ranma 
continued. "Remember the papers I gave you back at the wedding? If, 
by the time you carry out these instructions, I have not come to a 
decision upon it, you are to assume that I have rejected Auntie 
Saotome's offer for adoption. I'm sure you've read them by now, even 
though you weren't supposed to... that's okay. In this event, you may 
wonder why I am doing this. Well, kid, I don't think circumventing 
an arranged marriage really works that way. Even though I know I 
can't marry Ranma, the arrangement still stands. My failure to marry 
him results in dishonor-- Auntie Saotome's suggestion was an attempt 
to rend the arrangement null in the first place. Yet... how CAN I 
ignore it? I simply can't live lying to myself; I'll always remember 
the arrangement, and I'll always remember what happened after Ranchan 
and his father ran out. It's something you just can't forget with any 
piece of paper. Therefore, you are to destroy the papers-- burn them, 
shred them, eat them... do whatever you like, but destroy them. I 
couldn't rest easy if Auntie Saotome figured out what I'd done and the 
papers still existed." 
  "I'm proud Ukyo-sama trusted me so," Konatsu said proudly, the 
burning papers reduced to a pile of ashes. 
  Ranma continued, "Secondly, you are to close down the restaurant." 
These words forced a shocked realization in Ranma's eyes. "If I'm not 
coming back, and I've left my restaurant open, then it has to be 
closed. There will be no Ucchan's Okonomiyaki without Ucchan. I want 
you to send my personal belongings to my father in Kyoto-- there 
should be more than enough money left in the safe... assuming someone 
didn't come and rob the place. After everything's been moved, you are 
to sell the restaurant, and use whatever money you get off it to make 
your own way in life... do whatever you want. I release you from 
servitude." 
  "Thirdly, if they're still around, I want you to express my wishes 
to the following people." Ranma scratched his head, wondering already 
what Ukyo had in mind. Too impatient, he scanned down the list, 
running past many familiar names, until he came to the section he 
was looking for. "Akane-- I wrote down a couple recipes down in a 
book you'll find in the bottom drawer of my dresser... under the 
socks. Hopefully, if I wrote it right, an impatient cook like her can 
whip up a basic okonomiyaki... but I might be asking for too much. 
Anyway, in the best scenario Ranma will still enjoy my okonomiyaki." 
  Ranma shook his head. Nobody can replace Ucchan's okonomiyaki. 
  "Ranma-- if he doesn't take my abrupt leaving well, I want you to 
tell him this: 'Cherish those moments we had together, and run with 
them. I've learned, from facing my own disasters, that there's not 
enough time to dwell on the disaster, but more than enough time to 
move on from that. There is plenty of room to look at the bright side 
of things; those are the things to dwell on. There is a time and a 
place for the bad things... but you can't make that your main focus 
in life.... How else do you think I got along in the years before we 
met again? Anyway... I sure as hell don't deserve a guy like you... 
not with the childhood crush I've got! Take care of Akane, or the big 
bad spatula monster'll get ya!'" 
  "I continually wonder why Ukyo-sama continues to belittle herself 
so," Konatsu said as soon as Ranma finished the passage. "She did 
love you." 
  "Yeah, I know," Ranma said, handing the paper back to Konatsu. "How 
I know...." He buried his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes. "Was 
she right?" 
  "What?" asked the kunoichi. 
  "Was she right," explained the young Saotome, "about how I didn't 
really love her? Just before she died, Ucchan told me that I didn't 
really love her... that it was always friends for me. But now... now, 
I don't know anymore." 
  "I believe it is as such when one mourns a loved one," Konatsu 
said, attempting to comfort Ranma. "When both my parents died I was 
quite young... and although I cried for both of them, I did not really 
know either of them. They were the attention at the time... as is 
Ukyo-sama is now." 
  "I loved her," continued the kunoichi. "I loved her with all my 
heart; that I don't doubt. She didn't love me; that I don't doubt. If 
you truly love Ukyo-sama, you will know, because you can tell yourself 
so, with one bare foot resting on the table." 
  "I don't think so," Ranma replied, sulking. "Not in the mood." 
  Konatsu nodded. "Perhaps now is not the time, but I'm asking you 
to do a favor for me." 
  Ranma silently listened. 
  "Please go to Kyoto," the kunoichi posed, "and bring the news to 
Ukyo-sama's father. He doesn't know yet, and I believe it's proper 
that you, her closest friend, bring him the news. I am nothing but 
a lowly servant; it is not my place to be the bearer of such news." 
  Again, Ranma said nothing. The old coot'll probably flog me, he 
thought, if he remembers who I am. 
  "The train I got a ticket for won't leave for another day... 
enough time to make your decision. I'll be here." 
  Before Konatsu turned to leave, Ranma raised his head, and called, 
"Hey, Konatsu...." 
  "Yes?" the kunoichi replied. 
  "Thanks," finished Ranma. 

  Kodachi's feet crashed against the hard wood floor with each step, 
generating a great boom throughout the room. Staring intently at the 
one seated at the opposite end of the room, behind a desk, the 
gymnast girl raised her fists in anger, ignoring the outcries and 
shocked expressions of the other men and women in the chamber. 
  "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" demanded Kodachi, slamming her 
palms down on the headmaster's desk. The gathered members of the 
board stepped backward, as if a powerful field surrounded the angry 
girl. 
  The headmaster of Saint Hebereke school, a man dressed in a black 
business suit, leaned back in his chair. "I have no idea what you're 
talking about, Miss Kuno." 
  "You KNOW VERY WELL!" screamed Kodachi. "Where is Asuka?!" 
  "She's not here at the moment," replied the headmaster. Sighing 
deeply, he added, "I see she was right, after all." 
  "You'd BETTER repeal your decision!!" 
  The headmaster shook his head. "I'm afraid you no longer hold any 
lasting power in this school anymore, Miss Kuno." He leaned forward, 
resting his chin on his hands. "Unless, of course, you'd like to 
convert...." 
  "Why, you...!!" The female Kuno could no longer contain herself as 
she reached up her sleeve. 
  "Tell me, Miss Kuno," continued the headmaster, "do you really 
believe that taking your anger out at me would help? Especially with 
Spencer and Sakurai in the room?" 
  Kodachi's anger grew, but discretion overcame her as she remembered 
the headmaster's two pet bodyguards. She could not remember seeing 
the two men when she entered... then again, that could only mean 
they were standing in the shadows... as usual. 
  "I've always wanted to put you in your place," admitted the seated 
man. "You always were the troublemaker... but your brother made sure 
you would exist comfortably. Well, your brother ain't here to save 
you now. This time, the school is in charge!" 
  Curse you, Kodachi thought to herself, for everything! 
  "The students here are the key to the future," continued the 
headmaster. "We intend to make our students the best in Japan, and 
we will do so by instilling a new sense of purpose and discipline! 
One which you, sadly, will not be a part of." 
  I bet Asuka told you that, the gymnast thought bitterly. 
  "A shame; you were one of our most promising students." 
  Loosening herself, taking a deep breath, Kodachi said finally, "Well, 
HEADMASTER, it seems you win this round." 
  The seated man raised an eyebrow, not expecting things to go so 
easily. 
  Folding her arms, the Kuno girl added, "You were so easy to control 
before; perhaps your new concubine put some spine in you?" 
  Before the headmaster could protest, she continued, "There was a 
time when I hated this place. There was a time, so long ago, I 
would gladly rid myself of you, and this school. Ironic, that today 
I struggle to maintain position in that which I despise." 
  Turning to leave, Kodachi yelled over her shoulder, "Give this 
message to Asuka... when and if she decides to come out of hiding." 
  "What'll that be?" asked the headmaster, genuinely curious. 
  "Two things," answered Kodachi. "One: this is far from over. And 
two: I will be back!" 
  Silently, Kodachi exited the room, defeated, yet determined. 
  There exist more than one method by which I may exact my revenge, 
brooded the gymnast quietly. Asuka... darling, you will never see 
it coming. 
  It was only then, when the storm had passed, that the occupants 
of the room realized they were holding their breaths. 

  "Just as you predicted," Nakamura commented, watching Kodachi 
leave the school grounds through the upper story window. He stood 
with his back turned to Asuka and the black-coat man, sipping a 
slender glass of wine in his lips. 
  Asuka poured herself more tea, then lifted her cup as if ready 
to drink. "Kodachi always did rely more on her brother more than she 
was willing to admit. Sever that link, and there be a sick puppy." 
  "Yet, she has great potential... so sorry to see it go to waste," 
mused the priest. 
  The black-coat man voiced, "It doesn't matter. Remember, she's far 
from the only martial artists in town. In Japan, even. There are many 
more much powerful than she." 
  "I'm concerned about what this Kodachi girl may try next," admitted 
Nakamura. He turned to Asuka. "You know her. What'll she do?" 
  Asuka chuckled, slowly taking a sip of tea. "It appears that she 
believes that the headmaster is my link to the school." She eyed the 
black-coat man conspiratorially. "She may try to... 'persuade' him 
to persuade the board to change their minds." 
  "Foolish gesture," Nakamura noted. "Because we did it." 
  "As long as she doesn't know that, we're fine," the black-coat man 
said. "Now, if that matter's settled, on to other business." 
  "Yes," agreed the priest. Addressing Asuka, he said, "I'll ask 
you to leave us for a moment." 
  "Certainly," Asuka replied, bowing. "Matters such as this concern 
me not!" 
  As the White Lily exited quietly, the black-coat man lead Nakamura 
toward an empty wall. He reached over to his right, where a small 
statue rest on a pedestal, and turned it a quarter to the right. As 
expected the wall before the man slid open, revealing a dark flight 
of stairs. Flipping on the light switch near the top of the stairs, 
both men descended the steps. 
  He whispered, "She is quite lovely. So is Kodachi." 
  "Lucky you," agreed Nakamura, nodding. "A good bride for your 
preparation for the Judgement." 
  "Indeed," the other man admitted. "Love is a transient thing... 
earthly love, that is."
  The two men reached the bottom of the stairs, where the man in black 
opened yet another door. The two stepped into a control chamber, 
decorated wall-to-wall with large, portrait-sized monitors hanging 
on each of the five walls other than the wall where the doorway 
existed. As soon as both Nakamura and his fellow stepped to the center 
of the hexagonal chamber, four monitors lit up, revealing men and 
women shrouded in darkness. Only the monitor opposite the door remained 
dark. 
  "I trust everything went according to plan," the man in black 
said, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. 
  "You saw it," one man said. 
  "The Saint be praised!" voiced another, a woman. 
  "Enough chatter," ordered Nakamura. "Though the school may be ours, 
and ours alone, there is still much work to be done. We need you to 
recruit more warriors for our cause. We need them by the end of the 
month." 
  "We're not enough?" asked a man. 
  "Shut up, Sakurai," chastised the first man. 
  "But, Lord Amakusa," said a second woman, addressing the man in 
black. "Why are we acting so soon?" 
  "The timetable is being moved up," Amakusa said. "If we are to 
succeed, I need you to find more warriors... and fast. What the saint 
demands, we shall deliver!" 

  "So there you are," Nodoka Saotome exclaimed, standing in the 
frame of the kitchen door, watching Ranma walk by slowly. 
  "Yo, Mom," Ranma said in a bored manner. 
  "That's no way for my son to behave," she told him. "Where have 
you been all morning?" 
  "Out," the son answered, hoping his mother would cease her prying. 
  "Akane's been looking for you. I sent your father out to look for 
you, too." 
  Ranma remained silent as he continued his slow march. 
  "She's been waiting for you... and so have I." 
  I'm sure you have, he thought bitterly. Grandchildren my ass! 
  Somehow he made his way to the living room, where Akane and Nabiki 
sat on the floor, staring at the television with bored expressions. 
Ranma did not bother to announce himself, choosing instead to throw 
himself on the floor next to his wife. 
  He lay there for several minutes, with only the sound of the 
television to fill the air. 
  "So where've you been?" Akane asked finally. 
  "Ucchan's," he answered. "Where else?" 
  "Ranma," Nabiki said, "you know what your problem is?" Not waiting 
for an answer, she continued, "You're thinking too much. Go do 
something else." 
  Ranma ran his fingers through his hair. "Don't you think I've 
tried?!" 
  "Well, for five-hundred yen, I can take your mind off...." the 
middle Tendo sister offered. 
  "Go 'way," demanded Ranma. "Your fault, too." 
  "Ranma...." Akane voiced, but no words formed on her lips. 
  "Hah!" mocked Nabiki, standing to her feet. "You're going to 
blame everyone else first, huh?!" 
  "You MADE her do it!" countered Ranma. 
  "Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," tsked Nabiki, waving a finger. "If it's 
anyone's fault, it's YOURS." 
  "NABIKI!!!" cried Akane. 
  A smirk on her face, turning to leave, Nabiki stopped herself. She 
produced an envelope from her pocket. "Oh, one more thing." 
  "Whazzat?!" Ranma shot back. 
  Nabiki tossed the envelope down at Ranma. "Kuno-baby sent it." 
  Ranma grabbed the envelope, tearing it open as Nabiki exited the 
room. What does that damn fool want now? 
  Akane stared once at Ranma, then at Nabiki. Getting to her feet, 
she chased after her older sister intently. 
  Reading aloud, he said, "Saotome... not worth my time... I'm the 
best...." 
  Crumpling the letter, Ranma sat up, shouting, "WHAT IS THIS?!" 

  Across town, lounging against the soft leather cushions that made 
up his chair, setting down his copy of "The Tale of Genji" on the 
mantle beside him, Tatewaki Kuno burst in laughter. 

  "NABIKI!!" bellowed Akane, storming into her sister's room 
unannounced. 
  Nabiki sat at her desk, casting an unconcerned glance at Akane. 
In her left hand she fumbled with a portable tape recorder, holding 
it up as if it were sent from God. With her other hand the middle 
Tendo sister carefully penned something on the clean sheet of 
paper before her. 
  "What're you doing?!" demanded the younger girl. 
  "What do you mean?" Nabiki asked, feigning innocence. 
  "You know what I mean!" Akane cried, fuming with anger. "Why're 
you doing that to Ranma?" 
  Nabiki shrugged, then continued writing. "Should keep him sharp." 
  Violently, Akane, with hidden strength, turned the chair Nabiki 
was seated on toward her, forcing her sister to stare into her 
burning eyes. 
  "Really," the elder girl said in a bored tone. 
  "How would you like it if someone told you that when one of YOUR 
friends died?" Akane said. 
  "Oh, grow up," scoffed Nabiki. "Appealing to my humanity never 
works." 
  I'm starting to wonder if you even HAVE any humanity, Akane 
thought angrily. "You didn't even cry when Mom died!" 
  Though she would not show it, Nabiki admitted to herself that 
those words stung. "If I spent my time crying my eyes out and feeling 
sorry for myself, I wouldn't get much done now, would I? Hmmm?" 
  "You don't CARE!" 
  "You're taking all this death nonsense much too seriously." 
  "How can you say that?! You...!" 
  "Unlike you," interrupted Nabiki, "I am still in control." 
  Akane threw her arms up in frustration. "I don't know you," she 
said coldly. 
  Nabiki watched Akane long enough for her to leave the room, then 
pushed her chair back to the desk. 
  You have no idea how wrong you are, Nabiki thought. You just have 
no idea what you're doing. Without direction... lost in a sea of 
emotion... drifting. SOMEONE has to do the tough work, and it 
certainly isn't you. Nor is it Kasumi, nor Daddy. I know better. 
  Which leaves only me. 
  "Well," she said to herself aloud, "now to plan for the future." 
  Thumbing the switches on the tape recorder, Nabiki rewound the 
tape. After waiting several moments, she hit the play button, 
uncaring at what point the tape started. 
  Kasumi's ultra-sweet voice issued from the tiny speaker. 
  It wouldn't do for Ranma or Akane to find out I have another 
source of income, Nabiki thought. So glad Mr. Tokuyama was so 
agreeable to market Kasumi's voice. So glad Kasumi was so 
cooperative, if a bit unwitting about it. 
  After all, money makes the world go 'round. 

  Ranma sat all alone in the night, in the yard, when Akane found him. 
  He stared up at the sky, gazing at the stars with his arms folded 
across his chest, bearing a lost expression usually reserved for 
Ryoga. 
  "You okay?" asked Akane, seating herself at Ranma's side. 
  Ranma sighed. "Sure... why not." 
  "You haven't said anything," Akane said, "to me, or anyone else, and 
you've gone out for hours at a time without telling anyone. You're 
not the only one that's hurting." 
  Ranma said nothing. 
  "C'mon, Ranma," pleaded Akane, "you've got to say something!" 
  "Something," he replied smartly. 
  Trying her best to maintain her patience, she continued, "This 
isn't like you!" 
  "How am I supposed to be," Ranma answered finally, "after I watched 
a friend die in my arms?" 
  He turned to face Akane. "You don't get it, do ya? You just don't 
understand! Do you have ANY idea what it feels like?!" 
  "Of course I do!" yelled Akane, towering over Ranma with her 
presence. "Ukyo was my friend, too!" 
  "YOU didn't WATCH her die!!" Ranma screamed. "WHAT makes you think 
you know how it feels?!" 
  Turning away, lowering his tone, he continued, "you can't imagine 
how HELPLESS I felt... how much I wanted to DO something! How much 
I wanted to be in her place instead! She DID it to save me." 
  "I've never lost anyone in my life before... I had no intention 
of letting that happen... ever." Angrily, he turned back to Akane. 
"So don't you tell me how I should feel!" 
  "Fine, then!" Akane shot back, folding her arms. "Wallow in your 
misery! See if I care!" 
  "Leave me alone... all of you," demanded Ranma. "I don't need 
your sympathy." 

The Next Day 

  "Oh, Shampoo!" Dr. Tofu exclaimed happily as he opened the front 
door of his office. "What a surprise!" 
  Shampoo nodded in greeting. "I come to ask old job back." 
  "Your old job?" repeated Tofu, scratching his chin. "Oh, that's 
right, you were an assistant. But, don't you already have a job?" 
  "I need old job," insisted Shampoo. "Need place to stay when Great- 
grandmother go back to China." 
  "Well, then," Tofu said, adjusting his glasses, "I think I can 
give you a hand, there. Come on in." 
  The Chinese Amazon gestured a hand behind her. "I need also room 
for Mousse." 
  Tofu glanced behind Shampoo, surprised, finding the white-robed 
martial artist lying in a litter. "Hey, what happened?" 
  Shampoo avoided the question. "Need room for Mousse to recover. 
Alone, quiet place, and no way to kill himself." 
  The acupuncturist studied Shampoo carefully, trying to discern if 
she was kidding or not. Giving up, he said, "Well, we'll see what 
we can do." 
  Extending a hand out, he said, "Welcome back." 

  Ranma had no idea if he was at the right place. 
  Earlier that morning Konatsu delivered the round-trip train ticket 
to Ranma. The train left quite early, so, without telling anyone where 
he was going, the young Saotome slipped out of the Tendo household. 
  A few hours later he arrived at his stop, then followed the 
directions Konatsu had provided, among other things. For a while Ranma 
wondered if he was traveling the same path Ukyo had taken long before. 
  The walls of the ramshackle house appeared in obvious need of 
repair, as bits and pieces splintered outward threateningly. There 
were quite a few places where the work of termites was visible, forcing 
the marital artist to watch his step, lest he cave a wall on himself 
or something. The front door was no more than another wall, Ranma 
thought, only that there was a crudely-made hole at one end, probably 
for opening and closing. 
  He knocked, gently rapping his knuckles against the door. 
  Seconds seemed to stretch for minutes. 
  Maybe I got the wrong house? he wondered. 
  And then, someone from behind the door shouted, "Who's there?!" 
  Ranma had no idea what to say to the gruff-sounding voice, as he 
had a good idea who it was, if memory served correctly. "Mr. Kuonji?" 
  The man behind the door remained silent for a moment. "Yeah?" 
  "I need to talk to you," Ranma forced himself to say, trying his 
best to suppress his fear. "It's about your daughter... Ukyo." 
  And then, the door slid open, wood grinding against wood harshly, 
revealing the man Ranma remembered last seeing over ten years ago. 
  Age had not treated Kuonji well, as he had gained some weight since 
Ranma last remembered him. The older man's hair was cropped short 
and neat, and a white headband ran around his head. His beard was 
so strange that it looked like a row of spikes, each a deadly weapon. 
And each pierced into Ranma's soul. 
  "Spill it, kid," ordered Kuonji. "Like before, who're you?" 
  Ranma swallowed. Rehearsing this conversation on the train hardly 
helped at all. 
  "Ranma Saotome," he said finally. 
  Kuonji scratched his chin meaningfully. "Name's fami... oh! You're 
that kid Ukyo used to play with." 
  If Kuonji wanted to leave it at that, Ranma was all for it. "I... I 
was asked to tell you myself, being her closest friend and all... and 
I...." 
  "Stop stuttering," suggested the older man, "and think before you 
say something." 
  Ranma took a deep breath, following the advice. Slowly, the rehearsed 
words reformed in his mind. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, 
but your daughter, Ukyo, is dead." 
  Blunt, and to the point, he added to himself. Probably not the best 
way to do it. 
  Kuonji seemed to consider this for a moment, eyeing Ranma carefully 
with skepticism. "Why don't you tell me more, kid." He stepped aside, 
gesturing for Ranma to enter. 
  Gulping, Ranma plunged forward into the Abyss. 

  With a little help from the Chinese twins, Ling-ling and Lung-lung, 
Shampoo finished moving her belongings from the restaurant to the 
doctor's office in no time. Shampoo noticed that while the two girls 
tended to treat her with scorn, she knew that in their eyes they 
were sorry that she had to stay behind. 
  Mousse lay in bed in the room next to Shampoo's, well away from 
any equipment that could be deemed life threatening, especially to 
the broken man, who would like nothing better than to end it. And 
yet, as much as Shampoo would like to do it for him, she knew that 
Mousse was her ticket home. 
  Life plays many cruel ironies, she thought. 
  Sitting on the mattress of her bed, Shampoo reached down under 
the bed, wrapping her fingers around a cylindrical pole object. Slowly 
she produced the metal trident that once belonged to Ukyo, the 
spatula girl, and gazed at her distorted reflection in the polished 
tri-pronged head. 
  She had known many deaths in her youth... from the first warrior 
she defeated in battle, to the numerous tribal skirmishes in the 
Valley, to this recent one. And yet, only the latter seemed to hold 
any meaning for Shampoo, for, unlike so many others who fell before 
her, despite so many differences and conflicts, Ukyo was a name and 
a face. 
  Shampoo had no idea how the spatula girl died, but one thing was 
for sure, there wasn't a body left to give a proper burial. A pity. 
  Still, it was so nice to leave this fascinating weapon behind, she 
thought. I'm sure she'd give it to me, if she knew. 
  She slid a finger down the central prong, wondering how the blood 
would spill down the terrible metal weapon. 
  But, there seemed to be an imperfection when the finger reached 
the point where the two side prongs met with the center. A small, 
slight lump, undetectable to the naked eye... and yet, it was there. 
  The imperfection, in a shape of a circle, seemed to glow an eerie 
purple. 
  Shampoo's eyes locked on the glow, mesmerized by the power she 
glimpsed from it. 
  "No," Shampoo whispered to herself, "not just a fine weapon. A 
powerful weapon!" 
  Yet, where did the spatula girl get it? 
  The glow seemed to call to Shampoo, and the Chinese Amazon 
responded, standing to her feet. "Yes," she said, "Everything's been 
started. Wheels in motion... time... power... ambition... in motion." 
  Her eyes glowed with the same dark purple. "It has begun!" 

  For a long moment, Kuonji sat in cold silence, his chin resting 
on his hands, sitting forward in his seat. Ranma shifted uncomfortably 
in the worn couch he sat in, feeling almost a trickle of sweat beading 
down the side of his head, waiting, perhaps fearing, what the older 
man would say. 
  Ranma had told the story, starting from the day Ukyo attacked his 
father, to Konatsu's entrance into her life, to the weddings of 
friends, to the King of Fighters tournament, and finally, to Ukyo's 
noble sacrifice. And yet, Ranma had decorated as much as he could 
possibly think of to make the girl's death all the more pleasant- 
sounding. Kuonji, however, saw through the trick, and had insisted 
that Ranma recite it exactly as it happened. 
  Only the brooding man's stare made Ranma sure he was still alive. 
  Old Kuonji opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, 
nearly snapping nerves in Ranma's spine. 
  "Kid," he said finally, "why do you think Ukyo would do something 
like that?" 
  "What?" Ranma exclaimed in surprise. 
  "I'm serious, kid," insisted Kuonji. "You probably know more about 
what she does than I do." He shook his head. "Kid, I've not had the 
time to watch Ukyo grow up; she did it all herself, because she was 
the only one she had. I am a working man, and work is my life. As far 
as I know, work is her life, too. So, why would she go ahead and do 
something like that?" 
  Sighing deeply, the younger man gathered his thoughts. Considering 
carefully, Ranma answered, "Honestly, you're giving me too much 
credit; I really don't know." 
  Kuonji raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" He leaned back, folding 
his arms. "From what you've told me, it sounds as if Ukyo got tired 
of living. Is that why you think she did it?" 
  "Don't be ridiculous!" beamed Ranma, jumping to his feet. "She 
did it because... because...." 
  "If you didn't really know, then you wouldn't have jumped to her 
defense like that," Kuonji pointed out. "So, why?" 
  Damn, you're a tricky one, Ranma thought. No wonder where Ukyo 
got it from. 
  His surge of anger subsiding, Ranma wanted to turn and walk out 
the door, but something inside him told him that Kuonji deserved an 
answer. And yet, despite that thought holding him, the martial 
artist could not think. 
  "She died," he answered finally, "because I killed her!" 
  "I don't know what to think about this spirit thing, but if what 
everything you told me was true, then you didn't kill her." 
  "What difference does it make?!" Ranma cried, feeling the tears 
forming in his eyes. "There's no body because I destroyed it! She's 
not coming back, because of me! And all I did was make it worse!" 
  "Why don't you go back to your loved ones?" suggested Kuonji, 
remaining calm despite his discomfort. "They can help you through 
this better than I can." 
  "They don't understand," the younger man replied, "because they 
didn't have to kill their friends. We can't even give her a decent 
burial... there's not even ashes!" 
  "Like I said," Kuonji said, "I don't know what to believe about 
these spirit things, so if you think she'll wander the Earth for an 
eternity, why don't you have a party?" 
  Ranma lunged at Kuonji in anger and confusion, grabbing the older 
man's shirt. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" 
  "I meant a remembrance!" added Kuonji, struggling to speak. "You 
should celebrate her life!! Now, let go!" 
  Regaining his senses, Ranma released Ukyo's father. He turned his 
back, trying to hide the conflicting emotions washing over his face. 
"Celebrate her life?" he repeated slowly, to himself. 
  "Kid," Kuonji said, "when my wife died, so long ago, I didn't 
know what to do. All I had left was Ukyo, and parents to take care of. 
All I had was that. Being so alone. Now, what you should be doing, is 
stop being alone." 
  Ranma did not answer. 
  "When she was growing up, Ukyo most feared being left alone. It was 
great enough that I had to take her everywhere I went. Well, she had 
the right idea; when we were together, we weren't alone. We both got 
what we wanted. We shared happy times. We suffered. But it was always 
together." 
  Ranma shook his head, balling his fists. "Mr. Kuonji," he said, 
"the rest of Ukyo's belongings will be coming here shortly. Konatsu's 
taking care of it." 
  He turned to face the man once more. "I'm sorry, again." 
  Kuonji nodded, getting to his feet. Quietly, he lead Ranma back to 
the front door, sliding it open. The wood, again, protested against 
the floor, ruining the silence. 
  "You take care of yourself," Kuonji said, as Ranma walked out the 
door. 
  Ranma looked back over his shoulder as he continued. "Sure." 
  But, before he could walk out the gates, the martial artist stopped 
in his tracks. He reached into his pocket, then turned around. 
  "Hey!" he cried, raising the earring Ukyo had given him into the 
air. "I forgot to give you this!" 
  Kuonji's eyes narrowed, focusing on the green dragon earring, 
remembering it since Ukyo had demonstrated she still had them in her 
possession. He called, "She gave you that?" 
  The young Saotome nodded, starting his way back to the door. 
  But the older man shook his head. "Hang on to it, kid," he insisted. 
"If my girl gave you that, then there's got to be a reason. It was 
hers to give away when I gave them to her." 
  Ranma sighed. "Yeah, sure." 
  He brought the dragon earring to eye level, turning it in the 
light of the sun, studying it, almost expecting it to give him the 
answers to everything. Yet, the dragon seemed to say, "Remember," 
and still it did not speak. It stunk of Ukyo's lingering presence. 
  Ukyo, Ranma thought, you're really something. 
  Pocketing the earring, Ranma turned to leave. 

  He had no idea that Ranma had left Nerima altogether, but that 
hardly mattered in the long run for Tatewaki Kuno. 
  Carefully, he penned his latest gloating letter, adjusting the 
wording in order to create the greatest effect. 
  While this sort of revenge was slow in coming, and slow to result, 
Tatewaki learned a good deal of patience in recent events. And now, 
the greatest revenge of all would be the subtle of revenges. 
  One letter written every day, and delivered to Ranma Saotome, was 
good enough a revenge as any to carry out on the craven coward, the 
swordsman thought. 

The Next Evening 

  It felt like a party, what they were holding in the Tendo Dojo, 
Ranma thought, and yet, it wasn't. 
  Informal as it was, the young Saotome stayed close to the food 
table, closest to the beverages, refilling the puny paper cup every 
time he drained it dry. He scanned the room... and all he could see 
were familiar faces-- all those who had come to the party had one 
thing in common. 
  He watched Konatsu, holding Ukyo's giant combat spatula (the one 
she had left behind when she left with Akane that fateful day), talk 
with a group of Ucchan's longtime regulars, among them Hiroshi and 
Daisuke. 
  He saw Kuno, along with his sister and the short ninja, at 
a corner, where Kuno was making some kind of scene-- Ranma didn't 
care what about. 
  He saw Shampoo at another corner, talking with Akane about something. 
Ranma could not help but notice that she was holding the very trident 
that Seiryu had used... the weapon that was the only trace of Ukyo 
left after the titanic battle. 
  Mousse was nowhere to be seen; that was no surprise, seeing as 
how he was barely alive. Tofu, Ranma knew, had promised to look after 
him for Shampoo while she was gone. After all, Tofu still had a 
business to run as well, even if it was late in the evening. 
  And, through all of this, Ranma was surprised that anybody came at 
all. 
  Ranma sighed, refilling his cup for the umpteenth time. He swished 
around the red punch, a red that reminded him of... no. It was nice of 
Mr. Tendo to agree to this... and Mom, too. Heck, Pop even had a 
good word in it, too, surprisingly enough. 
  With his free hand the martial artist fingered the jade dragon 
earring in his pocket, as if it could grant him reassurance. 
  Well, he thought, if these things are supposed to bring good luck, 
then it's not really working.... 
  And his thoughts drifted to Ukyo once again. He almost expected her 
to be there, in the dojo, with everybody else. 
  That's how it should have been, and yet, that's how it's not. 
  "You must be Ranma Saotome," someone said. 
  Ranma nearly jumped at the sound of the newcomer's voice. He turned 
to meet a face he didn't recognize. "Who're you?" 
  "I'm Joseph Nakamura," the man said, extending a hand. "A priest 
at the Saint Hebereke Church. I hear it is your close friend that 
recently passed away." 
  The young martial artist snorted. "Who invited you?" 
  Nakamura spared a glance in Kasumi's direction. "She did." 
  "Gotta talk to Kasumi about that later," Ranma muttered under his 
breath. What gave her the right to bring an evangelist? 
  "Why the glum look?" asked the priest. "Your friend is in a better 
place." 
  "Yeah, where?" Ranma asked sarcastically, then added, "She ain't 
one of you." 
  "In atheist views there is no Heaven nor Hell," continued Nakamura. 
"If you would be so willing, would it please you if I posthumously 
baptized her? Would that ease your mind?" 
  Anger boiled in Ranma's blood at the mere thought. Though he 
wanted to lash out at the priest, something told him that now was 
not the time, nor the place, for such action. 
  "Get lost," he said finally. "Your stupid miracle water can't bring 
her back." 
  "Of course not," the priest replied. "Perhaps she could join the 
saint in the afterlife." 
  "Up yours! Nobody's makin' Ukyo a saint." 
  "Well, then, perhaps...." 
  "I've heard of your recruitment drive," Ranma spat, eyeing Nakamura 
with contempt. "You've already ruined the lives of others... and 
you're not going to do it to any of my friends." 
  "Kodachi?" Nakamura exclaimed in surprise. 
  "She ain't a friend of mine!" the martial artist insisted. "Go 
away, before I lose it!" 
  Smirking, the priest nodded. "I see. Well, then, perhaps some of 
your associates will be more receptive to the Word." He waved his hand 
in a mock salute. "Be seeing you, Saotome." 
  Ranma said nothing, refilling his cup as he watched the priest 
walk off into the crowd. Bastard, he thought, what gave him the right, 
or the idea, to even suggest such a thing?! Ukyo'd rather die before 
she'd let that happen.... 
  Shit. 
  Heck, how could I ever know? She's dead. 
  One thing's for sure, though... that priest was bad news. 
  Reality broke Ranma's reverie when he realized Nabiki was passing 
a microphone around. Konatsu was the first to receive the wired 
object, intended to allow all attending to hear his thoughts about 
Ukyo. 
  The mike screeched for a moment as Konatsu gathered his thoughts. 
"Hello?" he said, tapping his finger on the mike. 
  Those standing close to the speakers yelled out in pain, covering 
their ears. Konatsu winced. 
  "Sorry about that," apologized Konatsu, blushing with embarrassment. 
In his arm he held the spatula, resting against his shoulder, and 
the mike in both hands. "I won't bore you all with the details, but 
thanks for coming. And thank Ranma for suggesting this in the first 
place." 
  No one applauded or cheered, but that was to be expected. 
  The kunoichi continued, "I think I speak for all of us when I say 
Ukyo-sama's made an impact on our lives. For what she was and what 
she did, we miss her." 
  Without another word, Konatsu passed the mike to the waiting hand 
of Tatewaki Kuno. But, not only did Kuno grab the mike, but the 
spatula as well. 
  Holding the spatula in one hand, the mike in the other, Kuno struck 
a dramatic pose. "Alas, poor Ukyo Kuonji," he said, "I knew her!" 
  He raised the spatula high in the air, in emphasis. "THIS, he 
proclaimed, "was the spatula that struck so many an opponent!" 
  With that, many attendees rubbed their heads, even Ranma. 
  "To have it end like this," continued Kuno, his dramatic recital 
making its peak. And yet, even while on a roll, the swordsman seemed 
as if he could no longer carry on the speech, as he struggled to 
find the words. 
  Tossing the spatula back to Konatsu, Kuno passed the mike to 
Kodachi. 
  Kodachi took a deep breath, grasping the mike with both hands, 
close to her lips, eyes closed, as if in prayer (but those who knew 
her knew better than that). Summoning the words, she said, "Ukyo 
Kuonji... I hardly knew her, up until recent times. To say she was 
an excellent chef would be underestimating her skill." 
  Murmurs and nods rushed through the dojo like a wave. Ranma 
couldn't have agreed more, taking another sip from his cup. 
  "She may be of low birth," continued Kodachi, "but birth be no 
barrier to excellence...." 
  Just then the wall behind Kodachi burst apart, sending Kodachi 
flying forward. Kuno raised his bokken in readiness, facing the 
newly-created hole in the dojo wall. 
  "Where am I?!" shouted Ryoga, peeking his head into the dojo. 
  "Ryoga!" exclaimed Akane. "Where've you been?" 
  "Lost," Ranma muttered under his breath, "where else?" 
  Looking around with the same lost expression, Ryoga Hibiki threw 
down his travel pack. "What is this, some kind of party?" he asked. 
  Kuno helped his sister back to her feet. "Of course!" 
  Taking advantage of the distraction, Shampoo grabbed the microphone 
from Kodachi. "Spatula girl strong despite being weak," she said 
quickly. "Too kind to fight." 
  "And you, dear," Kodachi hissed, "are an impudent...!" 
  Sasuke quickly clamped his hand on Kodachi's mouth. "Please, 
Mistress!" he pleaded, just before she bit him. 
  With that, Shampoo tossed the mike toward Ranma. Dropping his cup, 
the young Saotome grabbed it, fumbling with the mike in his hand 
and barely escaping tangling himself in the wire. 
  All eyes were on him. 
  "W...what?" he asked nobody in particular. 
  His eyes scanned the room, and met Akane's. 
  "I guess it's your turn," she said, shrugging. 
  Ranma stared down at the microphone, the dread filling him, 
almost overcoming him. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all. 
  The weight of stares made it even worse. 
  "Ukyo, why'd you have to die?" 
  Too late, he realized he had said those words out-loud. 
  "Ranma," Akane whispered. 
  Trapped, Ranma thought. Damn, damn, damn. 
  Silently, he reached for the earring, clutching it in his fingers 
tightly. Surprisingly, that seemed to give him a little confidence. 
  "I guess you could say," he began, "that I'm the only one here that 
knows Uccha... Ukyo, best." He sighed. "I don't know if you could 
call that close or not, but...." Ranma shook his head. 
  There were no insults, nor jeers, not even from Kuno. 
  For several moments, the young Saotome blinked, covering his eyes 
with his fingers. Lowering his hand, he continued, "We were six, when 
we met the first time. Nearly twelve years ago. We were both of the 
type of family that didn't have too many friends, so I guess we 
were made to complement each other." 
  "We got along great, Ukyo and I. We parted, and we met again, ten 
years later. I thought she was the same old Ucchan I knew as a kid, 
but she'd changed... a lot." 
  "Ranma," Akane said, "maybe I should take it?" 
  "And I never saw it!" Ranma said, seemingly ignoring the girl. 
This time, he didn't care about the tears freely flowing down his 
cheeks. "She died, I have no idea why, and that's because I didn't 
take the time to get to know her!!" 
  Murmurs ran throughout the dojo amidst gasps of surprise. Akane 
ran to her husband's side, trying to think of something to say to him, 
something that could make it all better. 
  But, there was no such luck. She pulled the microphone from Ranma's 
hand, who let go without resistance. 
  "Ukyo," she began quickly, "was one of the most interesting people 
I've ever met." 
  "Understatement," Ranma muttered, trying to walk away, but Akane 
held his arm fast. 
  "I didn't know it when I first met her," continued Akane, wishing 
for Ranma to hear what she had to say, "but I soon learned a good 
deal about her. Ukyo was willing to give up everything for Ranma... 
just as I was-- she was the one willing to do whatever was asked of 
her for him. She was my greatest rival, and yet, she was also a 
friend." 
  Shampoo nodded, folding her arms, the trident resting against one 
shoulder. 
  "Quick to anger, quick to forgive, she reminded me of someone I 
know." Akane forced a weak smile. "And yet, even when she lost Ranma, 
she was still a good friend. It was me, Ranma, and Ukyo... and she 
never complained once after accepting us. She was the first to jump 
up to help us, and the last to give up, because inevitably, she loved 
us both. The king, the queen, and the loyal knight." 
  "Brilliant," praised Kuno. 
  Akane nodded. "I don't really understand what happened these past 
couple of days, but whatever it was, Ukyo helped guarantee our 
future. For that, I'm very grateful, and I wish I could thank her." 
  "Even after all that's happened, I can say without a doubt in my 
mind that I'm proud to have known her." 
  Despite the mood, someone started clapping. Moments later, the 
rest of the dojo's occupants did likewise, save Ranma and Akane. 
  "Right," Ranma said. 
  Akane released her grip on Ranma, allowing him to walk off to be 
by himself. 

  Ryoga stood alone by the koi pond when Akane found him. 
  "Ryoga," Akane said in greeting. 
  The Eternally Lost Boy turned around and smiled. "Hello, Akane." 
  The party had ended not long ago, with the people filtering out of 
the dojo slowly but surely, some wishing to leave quickly because of 
the priest's badgering. Ranma had disappeared, but Akane knew he 
had not gone far. 
  "I need to ask you a favor," Akane said. 
  "What is it?" asked Ryoga. 
  "I need you to talk to Ranma," she explained. "Try to help him out 
of his depression." It's certainly much better an idea than Nakamura's 
own solution. She added, "You're his friend; you can do it." 
  Ryoga seemed to consider that, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, 
Akane, but I can't do that." 
  "Why not?" 
  "I've learned in my travels that one has to find their own ways to 
deal with the pain," he replied. "What I have in mind is probably not 
what you, or Ranma, want." 
  "I see," Akane said, nodding in understanding. "He's really taking 
this hard." Harder than when my mother died. "I can't stand to see 
him like this. Why can't he tell that I'm hurting, too?" 
  Ryoga said nothing, not knowing what was expected of him. His eyes 
drifted to the koi pond, the original object of his stay in the 
Tendo yard. He closed his eyes, then lowered his head, taking a deep 
breath, readying himself for what he must do. 
  "Akane, I need to tell you something," Ryoga said suddenly. 
  "What is it?" 
  "I've got to tell you my darkest secret... because I feel the need 
to tell you." 
  "Don't," Akane replied, holding up a hand before her. "Whatever it 
is, it can't be as important as what is going on now." She raised her 
head, staring at the stars. "At a time such as this, the past should 
not be an anchor by which to hinder the movement toward the future. 
Ukyo told me as much... once." 
  "I... I see," Ryoga stammered, forcing a nod. His expression turned 
into one of freedom, as if the imaginary shackles were thrown from his 
body. "Well, Akane, I guess I'll be heading back out again." 
  "Going to find Akari's house again?" Akane guessed. Every time Ryoga 
tried to leave town he was aiming for Akari's, but he never got there 
in any reasonable amount of time. "That reminds me...." 
  Producing a folded paper from a pocket, she handed it to Ryoga. She 
said, "This was something Ukyo wanted to give you... something she 
made a while ago. Konatsu gave it to me to give to you." 
  Ryoga accepted the paper, unfolding it carefully. He stared at the 
contents, his jaw dropping in surprise. "It's... a map?" 
  Akane nodded. "It's probably not perfect, but it's designed to help 
you get from here to there and back again, assuming you follow the 
directions." 
  "Th... thanks, Akane." 
  "No, you should thank Ukyo." Oh, that's right.... 
  Ryoga nodded. "Well, I'll be seeing you," he said. "Tell Ranma I 
hope everything works out for him. And for you, too." 
  "Me too," agreed Akane. 
  Akane watched the Eternally Lost Boy, map open in his hands, make 
his way toward the gate. When he disappeared from her sight, she sighed 
deeply, glad that her sticky business was over. 
  Over time, Akane learned to forgive Ryoga's deception as P-chan. 
  If there was anyone Ukyo reminded Akane of, it was of Akane herself. 

  Konatsu found Ranma sitting alone on the roof of the Tendo house, 
brooding. 
  "Are you okay?" asked the kunoichi. "You don't look good." 
  Ranma shook his head. "I'll be fine." 
  Wordlessly, Konatsu disagreed, seating himself next to the martial 
artist, setting down Ukyo's spatula beside him. "Since I've sold the 
building so fast," he said, "I'll be leaving tomorrow." 
  "No more Ucchan's," Ranma muttered. 
  Konatsu nodded. "For the moment, I'll be staying with Ukyo-sama's 
family in Kyoto. Not only will this give me the chance to deliver the 
rest of Ukyo-sama's belongings, but I'll be able to meet her father 
and thank him personally." 
  "For what?" asked Ranma, not for the sake of curiosity. 
  "For raising Ukyo-sama, of course," replied the kunoichi. "I am 
quite anxious to meet him." 
  He turned to face Ranma, extending a hand. "A pleasure to know 
you," Konatsu said. 
  Ranma extended his own hand, giving a handshake. "Take care of 
yourself." 
  "You too." 
  Konatsu stood up, scooping up the giant spatula. Staring off into 
the stars, he took a deep breath, and walked off, leaving Ranma 
alone to contemplate. 

The Next Day 

  Mousse did not bother to shift his position in the bed when the man 
entered the room. 
  "You're Mousse, right?" the newcomer said, shutting the door quietly 
behind him. 
  The wounded martial artist said nothing, refusing to look at the man. 
  "I hear you are a warrior of no small water," continued the man. 
  Right, Mousse thought. A warrior who should be dead. He wished for 
his weapons back, but wishing did no good, just like the other times. 
  "I also hear that you suffered a near-fatal experience." 
  "What's your point?" the Chinese martial artist asked, speaking with 
contempt in his voice. "By all rights, I should've died." 
  "But you didn't," the man pointed out. "I've heard from our recent 
convert, Dr. Tofu, that you were saved by 'an angel of mercy.'" 
  "'Angel of mercy' my ass." 
  "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Joseph Nakamura, the local head 
of the Saint Hebereke Church. I'm sure you've heard of it?" 
  Mousse refused to acknowledge the man. 
  "Very well, you only need to listen," Nakamura decided. "I believe 
the only reason you survived your experience was due to the 
intervention of Saint Hebereke. He saw it fit to send an angel to help 
you in your time of need and deliver you from your suffering." 
  Again, Mousse did not reply. 
  "Dr. Tofu thinks you'll be lucky if you can recover and maintain 
your former mobility. After all, the blade edge did damage some nerves. 
So, what I propose is this: open yourself to Saint Hebereke." 
  Mousse snorted in contempt. 
  "Join my flock, Mousse," encouraged Nakamura. "Not only can Saint 
Hebereke offer you complete recovery, but direction! The time draws 
near toward Judgement, and mankind must be deemed worthy. Join us, and 
help us assure a brighter future for us all!" 
  "Is that all you have to say?" Mousse replied. 
  "Of course!" Nakamura answered. "You could be a great asset for 
Heaven's chosen champions, alongside Tofu, Mariko, Spencer, and 
Sakurai. You can have purpose in your life again! You can do anything 
at the saint's side!" 
  For the first time, Mousse turned over in his bed, facing the 
priest. "Come here," he said. 
  Complying, Nakamura bent down to Mousse's face. 
  Only to be greeted by a wad of sticky saliva on his cheek. The 
priest stepped back in surprise. 
  "Leave," ordered Mousse. "Don't ever come here with your God-crap 
and hope to bring me over. Don't believe that you can ever control 
Mousse, pride of Joketsuzoku, Master of Hidden Weapons." 
  "Unlike you, I am free," explained the Master of Hidden Weapons. 
"I am free of Shampoo; my destiny is my own. I will not let that 
slip through my grasp-- never again. Especially not to you craven 
God-fearing cowards-- you are your own Hell, you bastards. You're so 
insecure in your faith that you have to run around town looking for 
converts, because everyone is against you." 
  Nakamura stammered, "T...that's blasphemy!" 
  "As I said," Mousse replied with a twisted smile. "There is no such 
thing as an 'angel of mercy;' take it from me. I was given no favors. 
I was shown no mercy. But what I HAVE been shown was that humanity can 
set its own course. You, in your cowardly way, are the reeds that blow 
with the wind; I am but a feather in the wind-- no, I AM the wind! 
I am free to change. You, the reeds, may swing with the change, but 
you are ever rooted in your values... values that cling to DIRT." 
  "I think it best to leave now," Nakamura decided, standing up. 
  "I think so as well," Mousse agreed. "But, one more thing." 
  "What's that?" the priest asked, his hand on the door. 
  "I will recover," the Chinese martial artist declared. "I will 
recover, and tear you down, until all there is will be you and the 
wind. I will make sure that no one else will ever succumb to your lies 
and prophecies-- false hopes to replace shattered dreams. I will make 
sure that each and every man, woman, and child you deceived will be 
given back control over their lives and destinies. I will succeed, 
because I am the winds. Change is inevitable; are YOU ready for it? 
You, my friend, have made an enemy this day-- you should never have 
tried to deny my freedom." 
  "Because," Mousse concluded, "you can take away my life, but no one 
can take my freedom!" 

  "Can't believe we've got to go back, after everything that's 
happened," Ranma said sourly, throwing himself into his seat. 
  No one answered the complaint. He watched Akane, a few seats in 
front of him, settle down, pulling out a pencil in readiness. He 
watched Hiroshi converse with his other friends, standing in their 
own corner. 
  He almost saw Ukyo cook okonomiyaki at the teacher's desk. 
  But, the entrance of the teacher broke the spell holding Ranma's 
thoughts. 
  "Good morning, class," the teacher said, throwing his books down 
on his desk. He watched in amusement as the students scrambled to 
their seats, trying their best to be silent. 
  "Well, the headmaster wanted to hold an assembly this morning," 
the teacher continued, "but it seems that he'll be taking an extended 
leave for a few weeks." 
  "'Least that's good news," Ranma muttered under his breath. 
  "Therefore, I'll be making an announcement for him," finished the 
teacher. "I'll make this brief, but I would like to welcome a new 
student to Furinkan High." 
  As if on cue, the classroom door burst open. 
  Already, Ranma remembered the first time Ukyo walked through that 
door, but this student wore the girl's uniform. He shook his head in 
shock as he realized who this 'new' student was. 
  A storm of black rose petals burst in the air as Kodachi Kuno made 
her grand entrance. 
  "Shit," Ranma cursed under his breath. 
  "Laaaah-hah-hah-hah!!" laughed Kodachi, making her grand entrance. 
  "As you've all probably heard," explained the teacher, "since the 
new regulations at a certain OTHER school, all schools in the area 
will be taking in the mass influx." He sighed. 
  "I am Kodachi... the Black Rose," Kodachi announced herself, bowing 
low, as if she were a performer. 
  Many of the students groaned at the thought of Kuno's sister in 
their class. 
  "Just when ya thought it was all over," rambled Hiroshi, "they throw 
us another one." 
  "At least she's a babe...." whispered Daisuke. 
  Feeling utterly defeated, Ranma slammed his head down on the desk. 

  Not far from Furinkan High, in the carefully-constructed yard of 
the wealthy Kuno family, Tatewaki Kuno laughed. 
  "Revenge is a dish best served cold," he said. "In the reign of 
Kuno, the form is swift and sure!" 
  "Your torment is far from over, Saotome," he vowed. 

  Ranma sat alone on the park bench, staring at the ground where birds 
ran amidst a sea of feed, originating from the bag at the martial 
artist's side. 
  Sighing, he remembered the vision Seiryu had shown him long ago: of 
this very same park, destroyed by fire, where Nemesis had confronted 
the largest gathering of the world's finest warriors-- and subsequently 
destroyed them all. A time where Seiryu lost her eye, and with it, her 
sense of rationality, he thought. She probably went mad there. 
  For a moment, he wondered when Seiryu came into being. That, she 
did not show him; after all, she wanted him to believe that she was 
still Ukyo. Something in the time between now and that critical event 
must have happened... but what, is a mystery. Still, now that Ukyo 
was gone, she'll never become Seiryu, and thus no one will ever know. 
  Time travel hurts, he thought. 
  He watched the pigeons peck at the feed, but one pigeon in 
particular, Ranma noticed, refrained from such action as taken by his 
fellows. 
  It was that same pigeon that transformed before Ranma's eyes into 
the former Orochi assassin, Shifter. He dressed in a typical business 
suit, as if he were an executive out on a stroll. The relatively 
modern dress itself was an unusual sight for Higure, barring the 
fact that he appeared at all. 
  "A penny for your thoughts," Higure Furui said in greeting, despite 
Ranma's shocked expression. "Well, of course there are no pennies 
around, but that is the expression." 
  Recovering, Ranma said, "I should've guessed it was you." 
  Higure smiled, sitting down next to the young Saotome, waving a 
feather fan in his face. "It is not like you to reflect for an extended 
period of time, is it?" 
  "You could say that," replied Ranma, uncaringly staring at the 
pigeons. "Whaddaya want this time?" 
  "Only to talk." 
  "I'm not going anywhere. Besides, if I tried to ditch you, you'd 
find a way to catch up." 
  That remark forced the Shinto wizard to laugh. 
  "You are thinking of your friend, Ukyo," he guessed. 
  When Ranma refused to answer, Higure continued, "Well, I must admit, 
although I taught her a bit in our brief time of acquaintance, she 
also managed to teach me a few things, too. Not common for a man of 
my age." 
  "A thousand years of living must be hell," Ranma commented. 
  "In a sense, yes," agreed the former assassin. "I am truly glad to 
be released from such a fate. Anyway, as I was saying, I told Ukyo 
the same thing I told you and the others: about the numbers guiding 
your destinies. I was right about some things, but that girl proved 
I was wrong about others." 
  "'Bout what?" 
  "She told me that there was no such thing as destiny, and that, in 
the end, it is the people that matter, not the numbers. 'When one 
person dies, we remember that person. When a million people die, we 
remember a statistic.'" The former assassin shrugged. "When one puts 
it that way, the numbers sound quite cold, but it is true." 
  "Figures she'd say something like that." 
  "She was right, because seven of you survived the final conflict. 
She was right, because if it were not for certain individuals, the 
casualty list would have been much longer." 
  "You mean me and Mousse?" 
  Higure nodded. "And Tatewaki Kuno should have died as well; his 
survival is quite surprising, considering what he did." 
  "Probably the phoenix doo-hickey," Ranma guessed. 
  "Of course," the wizard said, "you do realize that the Chinese 
phoenix is not quite the same as the popularized Western phoenix. Ah 
well, as it stands today, they may as well be the same thing. Either 
way, it may have been worse if I had not retrieved Ryoga Hibiki for 
the battle as well." 
  "I still don't think he appreciated your prodding." 
  "Perhaps not, but it was the simplest way, and sometimes simple is 
best." 
  Ranma said nothing. Even after all he had been through, he still 
barely understood how the assassin's mind worked. 
  For that matter, he never figured out what Ukyo really was. 
  "You got Ryoga all by yourself," he pointed out, "what made you do 
that?" 
  Higure shrugged. "Sometimes Fate needs a helping hand." 
  The young Saotome groaned. 
  "Anyway, in the brief time I have known your friend, Ukyo," the 
Shinto wizard concluded, "I believe she was one of the wisest I have 
ever met. That is quite rare for someone so young. I suppose growing 
up hard may have had something to do with it." 
  "Yeah, I guess so," agreed Ranma. Reflecting, he decided, she must 
have had to grow up real fast. She probably really did have a harder 
time growing up than I did. 
  And, after all this time, she never did tell me about it. 
  "Of course, it had to end this way," Higure continued, "because 
she knew how much everything was riding on you. A great degree of 
foresight on her part, that. I find that was as tragic as when her 
ancestor had to leave Ashinzo behind. This time, at least, she did not 
leave." 
  "I guess making up for past mistakes helps a bit," Ranma said. 
"Still... I really, REALLY, wish I'd gotten to know her better. After 
all this time, I still couldn't figure her out." 
  "It does help to know your friends," agreed the wizard, "but 
sometimes, there are sides of them they really do not wish you to 
know, and that may be the case here. For instance, how would you react 
to her if you knew that she was a distant descendant of the Orochi 
Family?" 
  "She's a WHAT?!" Ranma yelled out in surprise, staring at the Shinto 
wizard incredulously. 
  "Did you ever wonder why she wielded so much chi power?" asked 
Higure. 
  "It's not quite the same as what I use," the young martial artist 
knew. "Ashinzo said it was the ultimate psychokinetic force-- I 
figured, if anything, she was an esper." 
  "Lady Kuno is an esper, but Ukyo is not," the former assassin 
corrected. "The Lady possesses teleportation ability-- I assume you 
witnessed that firsthand in your initial encounter with Nemesis-- as 
well as advanced telepathy, although I believe she did not know this 
until recently. Teleportation is a very common ability of espers, but 
it is not without its own risks; many develop heart disorders from 
repeated teleportations. But, did you ever observe Ukyo demonstrate 
those abilities?" 
  "Now that I think about it... no." 
  "Dragons are masters of chi," lectured Higure. "As such, those of 
the dragon's blood are as well. That is why the members of the Orochi 
Family are formidable. And, by extension, their children are, as 
well." 
  "But I thought Ukyo didn't have any Orochi blood in her!" 
  "That is true. As I stated before, she is a rather distant 
descendant of the Orochi Family. Although such persons are rare, it 
is not unheard of. Though their Orochi blood was worn thin by the 
inevitable domination of human blood, the imprint of the dragon was 
embedded in their genetic structure. They are, effectively, touched by 
the dragons. They may not possess the blood, but the ability is still 
there. Only those with the knowledge of the Orochi arts could 
distinguish it from any other martial arts ability." 
  Makes sense, Ranma thought. If what Herb said of the Musk Dynasty 
is true, then their animal traits are part of their heritage now, 
even if they don't mate with cursed animals anymore.... 
  For a moment, Ranma wondered if Kagura, the Guardian of the Seal, 
knew. 
  "Ukyo, as well as her ancestor before her, possessed the Orochi 
Power of Water, a minor partition of the Orochi arts, and not too 
terribly powerful at that. However, the original Orochi Master of 
Water was quite clever himself; he refused to limit himself with 
just the water power, but instead used it to augment another power: 
psychokinetics, as you call it. It was, after all, a sort of natural 
extension of the Water Power-- water is, in nature, fluid, responsive, 
and a force in its own right. I would not be surprised if she was 
descended from one of the original members of the Orochi Family, or 
even the Master of Water himself." 
  The Shinto wizard shrugged. "If you had not noticed when you 
battled against Goenitz, the Master of Wind, teleportation became the 
domain of the Users of Wind." 
  "This just boggles," Ranma said, clutching his head with both 
hands, as if someone was smashing his head in. "I suppose the Orochi 
blood also confers a degree of psychic activity. That's the only way 
Seiryu could have done her stunts." 
  "It does, yes. But never confuse that with espers; Orochis are far 
more powerful, and more versatile, than espers. They are a blend of 
chi masters and espers, if you wish to think of it in that manner." 
  Ranma shook his head, trying his best to clear his thoughts. 
  "If it helps any, I believe Ukyo did not know this herself," the 
wizard offered in consolation. "Many wielders of fantastic power live 
their lives without ever knowing their full potential." 
  She could've beaten me to a pulp whenever she wanted to, the 
young Saotome thought. She could've overpowered me at any time! And 
yet... even with all that power... she didn't. Aware of it or not, 
willing to use it or not... Ukyo could only refrain from doing it if 
she really did care. 
  "I suppose it appropriate that she was the User of Water," the 
former assassin mused. "In Musashi's 'Book of Five Rings,' the Book of 
Water was what Musashi used to describe himself, the Book of Wind to 
describe his opponents, and the Book of Fire to describe how to wage 
a battle. Appropriate, that it also describe you and Tatewaki Kuno, 
as well. You, as with the Book of Winds, know your opponents, and use 
that knowledge well. As with the Book of Fire and Tatewaki, he 
successfully defeated an opponent that was his equal, if not his 
better. And, as with the Book of Water and Ukyo, she knew herself-- 
thus remaining true to herself in the end. Interesting, how these 
things work out." 
  At that point, Ranma was no longer interested in listening to the 
Shinto wizard's musings, consumed by his own thoughts. 
  "I can't believe I strung her along with the rest of them," Ranma 
muttered. "I can't believe how much of a jerk I've been with her, 
after all she put aside for me. I mean, she gave up power, she gave 
up her last hope of returning to society with honor, to be my 
friend... if not my wife. Dammit, WHY are we THIS concerned about 
honor, to the point of supidity and death? And hell, she just gave 
up her life, too, just to be my friend!" 
  Ranma banged his head with his fists. "And where was I during all 
of this?!" 
  "If I were you," suggested Higure, "I would cease to think in that 
manner, and remember her for what she was, and what she was worth." 
  "How come I never noticed?!" the martial artist cried, seemingly 
ignoring the Shinto wizard's words. 
  "Instead of mourning, celebrate her life. Tell me, because you are 
her friend... would she appreciate what you are doing right now?" 
  "Probably not," Ranma admitted, "but I don't care!!" 
  "Ranma, you have a wife... someone to share your pain. She suffers 
as well. Suffer together; misery loves company." 
  "I'll keep that in mind," Ranma replied noncommittally. He could 
almost hear Pantyhose Taro laughing at him, pointing out his moment 
of weakness. Well, right now, he didn't care. Nothing was harder 
than burying an old friend. 
  Standing to his feet, Higure added, "When you can find it in 
your heart to forgive yourself, Ranma Saotome, you can do anything. 
When you remember why Ukyo gave up her life for you to live, you can 
do anything. When you remember the past, and learn from the mistakes 
of the past... you can look forward to the bright future ahead of you. 
When you remember to live without regrets, the past will never stop 
you. When you remember your friends, remember them for what they 
were, and what they have become, because they are still your friends, 
and, despite how they appear to you on the outside, they are there 
for you, on the inside. When you remember this all, I will be back." 
  Silently, the Shinto wizard headed toward the exit of the park on 
foot, leaving Ranma alone with his thoughts. 
  "After all," the former Orochi assassin, known as Shifter, told 
himself, "Ranma Saotome, the wheel turns forevermore, the flame 
burns brighter still; your journey has only just begun." 



"From time to time, you will make mistakes. They are inevitable. 
  Sometimes, those mistakes will be huge. What matters is that you 
  learn from them. There is nothing wrong with falling down, as long 
  as you end up just two inches taller, when you pick yourself up off 
  the fall." 
"At times, you may end up far away from home. You may not be sure of 
  where you belong anymore. Home is always there, because home is 
  not a place. It is wherever your passion takes you." 
"As you continue on your path, you will lose some friends and gain 
  some new ones. The process is painful, but often necessary. They 
  will change and you will change, because life is change. From time 
  to time, they must find their own way and that way may not be yours.
  Enjoy them for what they are and remember them for what they were." 
"I believe that, sooner or later, no matter what happened, things do 
  work out. Well, we have hard times. We suffer. We lose loved ones. 
  The road is never easy. It was never meant to be easy, but in the 
  long road, if you stay to what you believe, things do work out." 
"Always be willing to fight for what you believe in. It doesn't matter 
  if a thousand people agree with you or one person agrees with you. 
  It doesn't matter if you stand completely alone. Fight for what 
  you believe. Which begins me to the first piece of advice my dad 
  gave me, and now I am giving to you: 'Never start a fight, but 
  always finish it.'" 
						-- Sheridan, Babylon 5 

					*  *  *  *  *
Closing: Lambada Ranma 

  [Akane:]      In our Tendo dojo,
  [chorus:]     our tenant
  [Akane:]      Ranma had harsh training at,
  [chorus:]     Jusenkyo.
  [Genma:]      Quite a tragedy!
  [Ranma:]      When I pour water on myself,
  [Girl Ranma:] I turn female,
                with my messed-up life.
  [chorus:]     Akane's fiancee!

Ranma: You are SO uncute! 
Akane: I refuse to marry that pervert! 
Genma: Hmm, how should I explain this?  
Ranma! I'll kill you!! Shampoo 

Soun: How do you explain yourself, Ranma? 
Kasumi: Oh, there's so much activity here today. 
Nabiki: That doesn't make sense, Sister.
My, how manly you've become! Nodoka 

Tofu: Kasumi?! Kasumi?! Where?! 
Cologne: You're quite skilled, Son-in-law. 
Ryoga: Where's Furinkan High?! 
You're the only man for me! Akari 

Kuno: You! How dare you speak to Akane in that manner?! 
Kodachi: Come here, my darling pet! Ohoooohooo! 
Sasuke: Master, are you sure that's wise? 
Bowl cuts for da sistas, buzz cuts for da bruddas! Daichi 

  [Akane:]      In our Tendo dojo,
  [chorus:]     our tenant
  [Akane:]      Ranma had harsh training at,
  [chorus:]     Jusenkyo.
  [Genma:]      Quite a tragedy!
  [Ranma:]      When I pour water on myself,
  [Girl Ranma:] I turn female,
                with my messed-up life.
  [chorus:]     Akane's fiancee!

[Guide:]	Honorable guest, here!
		Legendary training grounds, Jusenkyo.
		Honorable guest, you're crazy.
		It's so dangerous, no one uses these grounds!

		Ah, honorable guest, what are you doing?!
		If you fall in, something terrible will happen.
		Aiyaa, you fell in Nyannichuan.

		In Nyannichuan 1500 years ago, a young girl drowned,
		that is its tragic legend!
		Ever since, anyone who drowns there...
		that cursed spring transforms into a young girl!
		See, you turned into a girl.

Asuka: Perfection is beauty, is it not? 
Taro: Ha-hah! I've got you now, Femme-boy! 
Happosai: Hahahaa, I've got Akane's panties! 
Soon you'll know how it feels to lose your true love! Mousse 

Shoto: What YOU need is some good old-fashioned discipline! 
Konatsu: Beautiful kimonos, excellent wage, wonderful boss!  
Ukyo: What you're tasting is the best okonomiyaki in the world! 
.... Shampoo's Dad (I HAVE a name, too! It's....) 

Tsubasa: You idiot! I'm a GUY! 
Gambling King: You LOSE!  
Hinako: Ooooh! Look at all that candy! 
Damn that fool Saotome!! OOOWWWWW!!! Gosunkugi 

Natsume: The Tendo dojo belongs to its greatest students! 
Kurumi: That looks DELICIOUS!! 
Ryu: Is THAT what you call technique?! 
Aiyah! Would you please catch that? Ling-ling, Lung-lung 

  [Akane:]      In our Tendo dojo,
  [chorus:]     our tenant
  [Akane:]      Ranma had harsh training at,
  [chorus:]     Jusenkyo.
  [Genma:]      Quite a tragedy!
  [Ranma:]      When I pour water on myself,
  [Girl Ranma:] I turn female,
                with my messed-up life.
  [chorus:]     Akane's fiancee!

[Ranma:]	"I didn't ask for this!" 
[chorus:]	Akane's fiance! 
[Akane:]	"Who ASKED you?!" 
[chorus:]	Akane's fiance! 
-----------------------------------------------
Author's Rant

  Warmage was given a redeeming trait in his character because I 
felt he shouldn't be so irredeemable as I initially wrote him out to 
be. As an extremely powerful bad guy (TM), I gave him the chance to 
be human once again, and to return to the light (ala Darth Vader). 
The catalyst, of course, was Ukyo, who stirred-up long-forgotten 
memories of his beloved Kei. 
  In addition, although it was not my original intention, I gave 
new life to three other assassins: Shifter, Strand, and Clash. I 
tried hard to keep the identity of Higure Furui's brother, Akutare, 
a secret-- not until the critical moment, when it is revealed that he 
is actually Strand, and he is quite dead indeed. This was an added 
incentive for Shifter's eventual defection, since this is against 
the laws of nature which he fervently serves. Also take note that 
Strand is nothing like his brother, preferring worldly pleasures as 
having fantasies of having his way with Kodachi's mom. Clash, on 
the other hand, is pretty much your stereotypical fallen samurai. 
His drive is honor-- which is what brought him to Orochi in the 
first place, and his eventual death, the only release from his oaths. 
Originally I was going to make Lash Clash's sister, but considering 
the parallels it draws with Kodachi and Tatewaki, I opted to make 
her his wife instead. Makes much more room for the vengeful heart. 
  Daichi and Shoto. A pair of swords some call Daisho. Kuno tradition. 
  Take a wild guess who saved Mousse from bleeding to death. In any 
case, now Mousse is worse than dead-- he has no future to look 
forward to, in addition to being rendered invalid though Shampoo's 
handiwork. 
  As noted in her first appearance, Seiryu is missing a few buttons. 
The fact she was attempting to usurp control over Ukyo's body should 
have been a flag that something was wrong. 
  Tatewaki was just filled with references, wasn't he? King Lear, 
Babylon 5, Lord of the Rings.... Yet, the Gandalf reference was simply 
a happy accident; I didn't plan it that way, only knew that it was 
going to happen somehow. It just happened like that. 
  I called it 'Heart of Ice' for a REASON, you know ;) Did you catch 
any of the other, less-obvious references back there? Consider it a 
tribute. 
  The Mousse/Nakamura scene was partially based on someone I know 
who really hates getting bugged by evangelists every day. Note, also, 
that the church building, instead of facing east, faces west. If east 
is up, then west is downward... you get the picture. 
  I've always intended for Ranma and Ukyo to turn out the way they 
did, as this series was basically about them. Still, I thought Ranma 
should get a taste of what he's missing; I personally think Ranma 
DOES NOT DESERVE Ukyo. Ranma and Akane deserve each other (interpret 
that as you will). 

The Characters

  Kodachi has undergone a complete 360-degree turnaround in this 
series; at the start, it was she who told Tatewaki to embrace life 
rather than death (when, in reality, she was fleeing death). In the 
last story, she did a whole 180, after she had 'died,' then she 
embracing death. And, finally, another 180 as she realizes that to 
truly live is not to embrace just death, but life as well. You can't 
go through life by just embracing death, and you can't go through 
life by fearing death. 
  I jumped on the chance to entangle Tatewaki Kuno in a new, more 
serious, corundum: instead of Akane or the pig-tailed girl, it's 
Kodachi or Ranma-- the great debate between obligation to family 
and honor. Well, I went with what I felt was most suited for Kuno, 
and, considering that he's quite willing to 'sidestep' honor, well, 
he's more inclined toward family when he can. This idea recurs as 
well in the final battle between Ranma and Nemesis-- Kuno refuses to 
allow Ranma to take out his mother, even though she is an evil 
person (if not by choice). 
  Brash and abrasive as ever, Pantyhose Taro has gotten a taste of 
what it means to be part of a family-- having no such positive 
influences on his life while growing-up. While he continues to bash 
others as usual, Taro tries to understand the feeling of love-- 
why his heart beats so for Kodachi (well, who WOULDN'T-- she's a 
BABE!! ;). However, I had to write him out early in the story, as he 
was, at most, peripheral to the story. If I had kept him in for too 
long, he would've overshadowed some other characters. Sending him home 
was the best (and easiest) way to get rid of him; besides, it's not 
like he himself won't be busy.... 
  Effectively, Ryoga has gotten a life, and therefore he's more 
inclined to stick with it rather than hang around Ranma all the time. 
He and Akari are doing fine.... Everything's great now that he's 
convinced himself that Akane doesn't know his secret. 
  Mousse-- ah, what a long, twisted, hard road! It took a great deal 
of work to turn him against Shampoo-- he tried once before in the 
series when Shampoo was forcibly-removed from his life, but in the 
end he found he was still latched-on to her, even though she wasn't 
latched-on to him (she likes Mousse the warrior, but not Mousse the 
Person, mind you). And, when Shampoo helped shatter Mousse's hopes of 
finally killing Ranma before leaving Japan for good, he lost all 
respect for her (he can't return home a loser, 'cuz he's got the 
warrior pride and all), and begins to wonder why he ever chased her. 
The fact that Shampoo was staying behind was the final nail in the 
coffin-- dislike becomes scorn. Too bad for Mousse that he can't 
beat Ranma anymore-- not in his weakened condition. He's far worse 
than dead-- greater than the death of flesh is the death of dreams 
and the death of hope. And yet, even in death, there may yet be hope. 
  Ling-ling and Lung-lung were always the rules-lawyers (as Dungeons 
and Dragons players term it); the entire time they've been justifying 
their actions based on the rules alone, as if it made everything 
right. They helped rescue Ranma before because Shampoo was acting 
against tribal rules (although Cologne ignored it as well-- more 
likely, the rule was forgotten). They helped Mousse to help fulfill 
his warrior pride, and to get a shot at Ranma again, who they've 
come to despise. As with Taro, I've written them out of most of the 
critical moments of the story, as they might detract from the real 
characters of the story. They just disappeared into life just like 
Shampoo's father always had.... 
  Shampoo-- ah, what a terrible, terrible life! Not only had she 
lost the chance at marrying Ranma, but she also lost face in front 
of the rest of the tribe. Even though Cologne is still alive and 
well, she is, after all a hundred-years old, and she can't last 
forever, so Shampoo may eventually become leader. As such, more 
was expected from her than from others, especially Mousse, who saw 
fit to judge her himself. To Mousse, she comes off as terribly 
cold, calculating, and selfish, as he blames her for his shame as 
well as for neglecting her duties by staying behind in Japan. 
However, hidden under the cold exterior, Shampoo knows what is 
expected of her, and what needs to be done. Also, bearing the 
weapon of the fallen enemy will have its consequences.... 
  Konatsu needed some growing to do, but everything surrounding the 
kunoichi was much more subtle-- as in the final scene, where he is 
revealed to have learned quite a bit from Ukyo about running a 
successful business. In fact, if it turns out he has nothing else 
better to do, the shop's pretty much his. Compared to the others, he 
was relatively quiet and inopinioned-- that's the way he's always 
been. Still, he did become quite important in the end, if only to 
help further the plot surrounding Ranma and Ukyo. 
  Akane hasn't changed much. There's nothing much TO change. 
  Nabiki got thrown into two distinct roles: that of a leader, and 
that of a human being-- when she took it upon herself to establish 
the band, and when she failed her college entrance exams. The 
invincible and masterful Nabiki Tendo was created and toppled at 
once, throwing her back down to a more earthly level. However, she 
is still as crafty as ever, and she's not willing to take defeat 
lying down. 
  Kasumi-- and Tofu, for that matter-- may be in for a bumpy 
ride ahead, and it won't be because they're together. Exterior 
forces are on the move, and these two are caught in the middle! 
  Nodoka is obsessed with family and honor (in a sort, the same as 
Kuno, but more to the point of insanity). With family affairs in 
reasonable order, the next logical extension is to-- get 
grandchildren as soon as possible! She's so worked up that she 
even managed to convince Soun and Genma that this is the way to go. 
  Shifter, also known as Higure Furui, may have only appeared a 
grand total of four times in the entire series (#1 as an unnamed, 
2, 15 as the robed man who appeared at the beginning, and 16), but 
his role changed drastically only now. To be in close contact with 
a human, after an extended period of time fighting, rekindled old 
feelings and individuality in the assassin. In the end, he was the 
one who made the final battle possible. Although he was wrong about 
some things, he proved invaluable for the side of humanity. Only 
time will tell what will become of him. 
  Ranma-- the star of the series, although indirectly, was thrown 
into Hell without discrimination. Although his actions had little 
worth at the beginning, toward the end of the series his actions 
(and inactions) have lead to his downfall-- from selfishly refusing 
help from the others to allowing Seiryu to torture his mind on 
several occasions (whether she was with him or not). However, many 
previous experiences served to aid him in the final battle against 
mad Seiryu-- the battle against the danceman, Johan, the battle 
against Taydome's mechanical army, even Seiryu's 'mental 
conditioning' contributed to the ultimate victory. 
  The 'other star' of the series, Ukyo, has gone through the most 
rigorous ordeals to become a better person. Although she cannot 
forget her love for Ranma, she cannot forget that he's beyond her 
grasp, either. Well, she's been nearly-fatally-stabbed by an 
Orochi assassin (who subsequently infected her with Orochi blood), 
been bludgeoned to death by Warmage's psychic attacks, been turned 
against herself by the ravaging Orochi blood, faced-off against 
Herb, resulting with the birth of her 'newfound power,' had fallen 
under the power of the Reversal Jewel to kill Ranma, and shared 
bodies with her future self, Seiryu. Also, she's been thrust into 
the role of her ancestor, Kei, as the Jade Dragon, as a key player 
in the battle against the Orochi's minions, earning her enemies she 
never wished for. Power comes with a price-- and Ukyo paid the 
ultimate price: her life. I am not afraid to kill off characters, 
so long as the characters die well (or not...). By her death Seiryu 
was reborn in a youthful body-- a being that very well may not be 
Ukyo at all. And yet, despite being a different person, Ranma was 
forced to destroy his old friend, ending the cycle of anger. 

  I told you when I started that not everyone was coming home 
alive, and I kept my promise. Raise your hands if you expected me to 
kill off my favorite character. Raise your hands if you thought it 
was going to be either Mousse or Kuno. 
  The entire Wheel of Fire series was heavily influenced by Babylon 
5 and its philosophies. Now is a good a time as any to get started; 
watch the entire run on TNT if you're in the States. 
  The title of the final part is a parodic reference to the final 
manga story, "Ranma and Akane." 

-- Razorclaw X, signing off 
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html

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  The eyes of Ukyo's father watched Ranma depart from the weed- 
stricken yard. He never left his position by the entrance to the 
Kuonji home until the young man closed the gate behind him. Slowly, 
Kuonji retreated back inside the ramshackle house, quietly sliding 
the rotting door closed. 
  "It's finally done," he whispered with a sigh. Mopping his forehead 
with the back of his hand, the tired man focused his eyes to the dark 
shadows of the hallway. "Are you sure this is how you want it?" 
  "You know just as well as I this is how it must be," replied the 
one standing in the shadows. "Insult has been repaid with death; why 
drag it on any further?" 
  "Still, this way leaves the Saotome kid a wreak," Kuonji pointed 
out. "Is that what you want?" 
  That question caught the shadow by surprise. "This has nothing to 
do with what I want." 
  Kuonji shrugged. "If you say so." 
  "He'll get over it, in time," assured the shadowy figure. Changing 
the subject, the shadow added, "We'll wait at least three days before 
setting up shop; I don't intend to let Ranma know that you've been 
taken care of, which will lead to suspicions, then prying eyes, then 
exposure. That's something I really would like to avoid, you know, 
after all this work." 
  "I understand," replied Ukyo's father, nodding carefully. "Still, 
are you sure about this?" 
  Stepping out of the shadows, the figure held one arm outstretched, 
a soft thumb rubbing over a green, stone object. Kuonji had no doubt 
to what that object was; after all, it had been passed down through 
the generations of his family. 
  Of course, currently there was only one Jade Dragon earring; the 
other was in the hands of Ranma, by the wishes of Ukyo. 
  Ukyo Kuonji threw her arms around her father, embracing him 
tightly. "This is the only way, Father, that I can make up for 
everything-- for running out, for time lost, and to get my mind off 
Ranma, and his mind off me. He's got a wife, and he ought to get on 
with his life; he can't do that while I'm around, not after what 
I've done to him." Or, more like what my other self did. Shaking her 
head, the chef girl said, "He's strong; he can do it. That's why I'm 
doing this; if anything, this even can only make him STRONGER." 
  She added, "Konatsu should be coming around with the rest of my 
stuff within a week or so as well. I'm glad he sold the shop so fast!" 
  "I still don't understand why you trusted that kid and not your 
friend here," said Kuonji, confused. 
  "I've placed a great deal of trust in Konatsu," Ukyo said. "He will 
never let me down; he'll never tell them the truth, not until I ask 
him to. Sure, they'll all probably find out about me eventually, but 
by then I hope everything'll have settled down." 
  "Now it's just you, me, and Grandpa and Grandma; I'll make sure to 
work hard!" Raising her voice in determination, Ukyo added, "This will 
be the last generation of the Kuonji family that lives in poverty!" 
  "Welcome home, Ukyo," Kuonji whispered, hugging his daughter with 
tears rolling down his cheeks. 


"There will come a time in your lives, a defining moment, that will 
  change your lives forever. That may come sooner, or later; but 
  you will know when it comes. In that moment, a new door is opened 
  for you-- your thoughts travel in ways you have never dreamed before; 
  new options are available at your disposal." 
"It seemed only yesterday I found mine. It took a friend... at the 
  time, not a close one... to realize it. It took an even closer 
  friend to come to terms with it. From that day forward, I knew 
  what I wanted to do, knew what I had to do, knew what was right." 
"I leave you with these parting thoughts: follow your heart. You will  
  know when something is right, not because someone told you it was 
  right, or a set of rules or laws tells you it is right, but you 
  FEEL it is right. Seize the moment, but do not confine yourself to 
  the moment, as you must also look to the future, as well as the past, 
  to move on. Never dwell in any one moment for long-- be it mourning 
  of a loved one, your favorite birthday, or a beloved pet... but 
  never forget them, either. (long pause) Finally, make the most of 
  yourself; never settle for enough, but excel! You are the bright 
  minds of our future; make the most of it, and, most of all, make us 
  proud." 
"Thank you." 
						-- Dr. Kodachi Kuno, M.D., on her 
							speech to the graduating 
							class of '78, U. Tokyo 

					*  *  *  *  *

-----------------------------------------------------
Miscellaneous 

  Draw your own conclusions. 
  In the end, the numbers don't matter; it is the people who matter. 
If you are reading this, you either got tired of the fic and skipped 
to the bottom, or you didn't believe me the first time when the EOF 
tag was put in place as I usually do after my ranting. 

"Decepticons FOREVER!"--Ravage, former Decepticon 
"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die."--Kosh, Babylon 5 
"NOW what?"--any Babylon 5 fan after watching the final episode 

"Now I enter these hallowed halls... a conqueror, yess. Autobots and 
  Decepticons, still frozen in emergency stasis, awaiting the moment, 
  four million years hence, when they will awaken to start the Great 
  War. The Great War, where the Autobots defeated the Decepticons, 
  and thus, their descendents, the Maximals, rule we Predacons. 
  Archaic energon guzzlers, how dare they!" 
"Unwilling though I was to follow my namesake's instructions, it has 
  all come down to this... the ultimate risk, for the ultimate prize! 
  A Day of Reckoning, with those who made us SLAVES!" 
"So, we are now face-to-face, Optimus Prime. In one future you will 
  awaken and become the great leader of the Autobots. But time shall 
  take a different track now.... Computer! All available power to 
  primary weapon!" 
"And now, Optimus Prime, in MEMORY of the Decepticons, for the GLORY 
  of the Predacons, for the Cybertron that is rightfully OURS-- and 
  MINE to rule... I unleash the storm of vengeance! Farewell...!" 
						--Megatron, Beast Wars 

Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOREPLYhotmail.com)
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html 

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