The Wheel of Fire, #19: Nemesis, part 4 

  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. Mousse has been killed, run-through by Shampoo's hand. 
2. An Orochi Assassin offers the gang the chance to defeat Nemesis. 
3. Ranma and Shampoo have been captured by the Cult of Orochi. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

					*  *  *  *  *
Positive (Ukyo)

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

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

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

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

(continued in Part 5)