The Wheel of Fire, #18: Nemesis, part 3 

  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. Nemesis has been summoned by the Cult of Orochi. 
2. Nemesis bears a strange resemblance to that of Kodachi. 
3. Dissention in the Cult forces one of its number to flee. 

------------------------------------------------
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. 
  "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 screaming smile, a smile 
one would find if a burned body were found still alive and well. 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." 

(continued in Part 4)