The Wheel of Fire, #17: Nemesis, part 2 

  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 

What has gone before:  
===================== 
1. The gang gathers in preparation for the battle with Nemesis. 
2. Mousse and Kodachi tried unsuccessfully to kill Ranma. 
3. The Kuno parents have been captured by the Cult of Orochi. 

------------------------------------------------
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!!!
					*  *  *  *  *

(continued in Part 3)