The Dying of the Light A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Alan Harnum All Ranma characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, first published by Shogakukan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz Communications. This copy of the story is from my centralized fanfiction archive at http://www.thekeep.org/~harnums/fanfic. I can be reached by e-mail at harnums@thekeep.org Part 4 : My Lady of Pain The eyes watched from the alleyway as the thing that wore the form of a woman led the young man away. "Ranma," the eyes whispered, and the voice was filled with hatred so strong it was practically a physical thing. The thing in the alley held back the temptation to rush from the alley and tear the boy to pieces; now was not the time. If it had learned anything, it had learned patience. It was strong, but its strength was not without limit. All that was natural cried out against its presence at this time, and much of its power went to existing. And Ranma had friends; many friends, and strong. However, it was also their friendship that made them weak. They were a chain, and to shatter a chain you needed only to know the weakest link. It needed only to find that link, and then it could strike. It had plenty of time. It had all the time in the world. The thing stalked from the alleyway and knelt down in the snow; it would need help for what was to come. In a short time, it had cleared a patch of snow over a sewer grate. It took a deep breath, pulling in the lingering smell left by the woman and her prey, the crisp smell of snow and the numbing morass of city air. It smiled, the face contorting automatically into an expression of triumph. There was another smell beneath, faint, but there. Down below, in the city below the city, in the maze of sewers and subway tunnels, it would find the help it needed. Driven by strength nothing human could possess, the dead man tore the sewer grate from the ground and flung it away, sending it crashing through the window of a parked car in a spray of glass. The smell wafted up from the sewers, carrying on it the scent of decay and waste, and also the scent of things that lived amongst the decay and waste, rats and such vermin, and other things as well. Things smart enough to hide from workers who went down into the tunnels beneath Tokyo, unless one night perhaps there were one or two working late on their own in an isolated area. And then they had no need to hide from them, for those who saw them would not speak of it again. The dead man dropped down into the sewer, landing with a splash. He began to walk, uncaring of what he walked in, and from the thing behind the dead man's eyes came horrible keening laughter that echoed down the paths of the tunnels, and gave even those things that hated light and life and lurked down there a sense of fear. ********** "I ask one more time," Tensai said. "Give it to me and die a merciful death." Happosai stood a few feet away, at the other edge of the top of the building, bleeding from a dozen shallow wounds. He clutched his pipe defensively in front of him, and tried to ignore the pain he was in. "It does not have to end like this." "It does," Tensai said, and for a moment Happosai heard a flicker of the same sadness and weariness that was in his own voice, and then it was gone. "You know it does." Happosai sighed. "No, I don't think so. It never had to turn out like this." "You lied to me," Tensai said. "You all lied to me, hid from me my birthright, my destiny." "We never lied to you," Happosai said. "It isn't even you speaking right now, really. It's whatever thing has a hold on you. I can feel it, Tensai. You can as well." "Silence," Tensai said. "No more talk. The time has come to end this. And after you, I will deal with the Chinese witch, and then my mother will soon again be free." "Very well," Happosai said. He'd been on the defensive the entire time, holding back his most deadly attacks. Now, perhaps, the time had come for no more holding back. He had to end this now, or he was terrified of what might happen. He was beginning to gather his spirit for an attack that would hopefully disable Tensai if it hit when he felt it. "No," he whispered. "Not now." But it was there, pressing against the barriers he'd thrown up around it in the past few days. The urges, the desperate need, the voice that had whispered to him for two and a half centuries. "No," he said again, desperately trying to push it down. But it was too strong; he knew he could not hold out for long. "Alright," he croaked, as Tensai stalked slowly towards him. "You want it so badly, you can have it." He pulled the ring, Ranma's ring, from his pocket. He cocked his arm back. "You'll just have to decide which one of us is more important to catch." He flung the ring over Tensai's head, watching it glimmer golden as it flew, and leapt off the other side of the roof even as he heard an anguished cry come from his opponent, and felt the heavy impact of the thrown knife hit his side. ********** The TV blared in front of Shampoo and Mousse, some poorly-acted romantic movie from years ago. They were both fairly bored by it, but neither could think of anything better to do. Usually by this time they'd be in bed in preparation for work tomorrow, but since Cologne seemed unwilling to open the restaurant anytime soon, they were still up. Mousse tangled his hands nervously in front of him, remembering Cologne's words of the early morning. He glanced over at Shampoo, sitting nearby, slim legs crossed, chin resting on her hand as she watched the TV with vague interest. He wanted to tell her, and yet he knew he could not. He felt a need to speak, to say something. "Shampoo?" She turned her head and smiled slightly at him. "Yes, Mousse?" "How are you feeling now? Did you have any dreams last night?" he asked, even though he knew she had. He'd heard her, locked in the throes of whatever visions her sleep had brought. "I think so," she said after a moment. "Is hard to remember." "Do you... do you know why you're having them?" Mousse asked. Shampoo nodded. "Is gift, great-grandmother say. Something important going to happen." "Are you worried?" Shampoo sniffed. "Course not. Amazon is never worried." Mousse looked at her, a bit sadly. She looked away, then met his gaze hesitantly. "Yes," she said finally. "Shampoo worried." Her face brightened. "Not much worry, though. Great-grandmother be here to help Shampoo. And you here as well, right Mousse?" "Yes," Mousse said vehemently. "I'll always be here." "Thank you," Shampoo said, reaching her hand across to touch his, if only for a moment. Her touch brought him small pleasure; her words before only reminded him of how devastated she was going to be. He almost told her then, but he held back. Cologne had placed enough trust in him to do this thing for her. Perhaps it was because, despite whatever failings he had in her eyes, he was still the only Amazon around. But she had still had some small measure of faith in him, and he would not betray that. "Shampoo," he said after a hesitant moment. "If I tell you something, do you promise not to get angry?" "Okay," Shampoo said. Mousse took a deep breath. "I love you, Shampoo." It was the first time he'd said the words in a long time. Somehow, in the absence that had built up over the months, they had come to mean more. Shampoo's eyes narrowed, and she looked away. "I'm sorry, Shampoo," he said softly, hanging his head. "I just... I just needed to tell you. That I still hold a place in my heart for you, if you will have it." "After Ranma tell Shampoo he not marry her," Shampoo said, still not looking at him. "It hurt so bad. Hurt even worse because realize how stupid I be for how long. Never really see what really happening, only want to see what Shampoo want to see." She sighed. "After a while, it hurt less. Start to see how it probably best; marriage wouldn't be happy, even if it by law. Think that maybe strongest man is not necessarily best man to marry." "Shampoo, do you mean..." "Not sure what I mean," Shampoo said with another sigh. "Really not sure at all." Mousse opened his mouth to speak again, then paused. He turned and looked to the doorway of the room. Cologne stood there. Shampoo turned as well and regarded her great-grandmother. "The two of you," Cologne said. "Get your warm clothes on." "Great-grandmother, what-" "Do it, child. Then come back here." They left, returned with worried expressions on their faces. Shampoo's was one of confusion, but Mousse's was one of comprehension. "Go out the window," Cologne said. "Get as far away as possible." "Great-grandmother, what going on?" Shampoo said, her voice bordering on hysteria. "I will be receiving a visitor shortly," Cologne said. "I think it would be best if the two of you were not about for it." "Please, great-grandmother, let us stay," Shampoo said desperately. "We help, right Mousse? We help?" "The most help you can give me now," Cologne said, closing her eyes. "Is to go. Go to the Tendo house; they will help you, I hope." "Great-grandmother-" "Shampoo." Shampoo fell silent as Cologne spoke. "Honour compels that I do this myself, child. Do not worry; I'll be alright." Behind Shampoo, Mousse saw the expression on Cologne's face and knew that it was a lie. She caught his eye for a moment, and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Great-grandmother, I-" "Child, I do not want to have to order you, but I will," Cologne said wearily. Shampoo looked as if she might speak again, but then she simply turned her back on her great-grandmother and stalked to the window, gazing out into the winter night. Mousse saw an expression he'd never believed he would see on Cologne, sadness and regret intermingled on her ancient face with a dozen other things he couldn't name. "Take care, you two," she said as she turned to go. Mousse waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore, and then he walked to Shampoo and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "Come on," he said softly. "We'd better go." Shampoo nodded, shrugged away from his touch and opened the window, dropping silently out and landing in the snow. Moments later, Mousse followed, as the two of them gradually walked out of the light cast from the open window behind them and into the darkened night. ********** He was waiting for her when Cologne came downstairs, standing by the door with his naginata held loosely at his side. He looked as he had the last time she'd seen him, over two centuries ago. The cloak lay in a snow-covered pile on the floor beside him. He wore simple, loose clothing underneath, grey shirt and black pants, clothes for fighting in. His face, framed by dark hair that reached his shoulders, was as handsome as she remembered, distorted only slightly by the long-healed but prominent scar across his forehead. He'd gotten that scar in a training accident when he was only eight. Cologne resisted the urge to feel anything at all, telling herself that little boy was long gone, but to her shame, she could not. "Hello, son," she said after a moment. "Do not call me that," he said. "I was never your son." "You are my son," Cologne said wearily. "Whether you like it or not. And I am your mother, whether I like it or not." "One so foul could never be my mother," Tensai said. "My mother is Amaterasu Omikami, who shines like the sun, not some Chinese witch from a tribe of barbarians." "I wish I knew whether you lie to yourself, or something lies to you," Cologne said. "But it matters not, Tensai. Did you find Happosai?" "I did," Tensai said. "But he escaped, and threw away what I sought. I will find it eventually, but I thought it best to deal with you before he could warn you." "He would never do something like that," Cologne said bitterly, even though she knew it wasn't true. Happosai had offered his help, and she had rejected it. Even after all the years, she could not have let go of her bitterness for anything. "Will you give it to me?" Tensai asked. "It will be quick and painless. I have mercy even for you." "That which has a hold on you does not even know what mercy means," Cologne said softly. She held her staff up in front of her. "Let us begin, child." She hoped the time they'd spent talking had given Shampoo and Mousse time to get very far away. But more than that, she'd hoped she'd given herself enough time. Time to build up enough power to kill her son. Her aura suddenly flared into a bright red corona that engulfed her completely, and then dozens of two-inch long needles of crimson ki sprang from it and dove for Tensai like a swarm of maddened hornets. Cologne hardened herself, and willed each one to aim for a vital spot. The head, the eyes, the heart. She'd tried to save her son from whatever darkness hung over him more than two hundred years ago, and failed. Now, the only peace he could have would be in death. Tensai stood still as the needles came closer, and then he raised his naginata crosswise in one hand. The needles struck an invisible barrier, causing black flares on the surface of the shield before they disappeared. Cologne was getting ready to perform another attack when Tensai whirled his weapon forward and pointed it at her. Crackling black energy mixed with crimson streaks wove around the shaft of the polearm in a rapid spiral and then shot from the blade in a tight beam. Cologne dodged easily, automatically wincing at how much the renovations would cost before deciding it really didn't matter anymore. Behind Cologne, the wall struck by Tensai's attack began to burn, although neither combatant noticed it yet. The flames were unnaturally hungry and quick to devour. Tensai rushed her, weapon held high. Cologne deflected his first attack easily, and then the battle had truly begun. ********** Shampoo raced ahead of Mousse, ignoring all of his calls for her to wait. She was torn between obedience to her great-grandmother and concern for the old woman. She wanted to do nothing more than race back and help Cologne, and yet she told herself that great-grandmother knew best. Great-grandmother always knew best. "Shampoo, please, wait," Mousse called from behind her. Weighed down with all his myriad weapons, he couldn't possibly keep up with her, although he was making a good effort. Shampoo closed her eyes for a moment at the sound of his voice, willing herself again to ignore him and whatever new feelings had sprung up for him. Now was not the time; her only concern had to be for her great-grandmother. "Oh!" She fell back, landing hard on the ground, her fall only barely cushioned by the snow. She leapt up instantly, trying to decide between killing or simply maiming whoever had knocked her over. "Ranma," she said, losing all thoughts of killing or maiming. Her former love was before her, smiling in a way she would have found distinctly unpleasant had she not been distracted by other things. She was too relieved to find someone who could help to notice that the smile wasn't reflected in his eyes. "Ranma, you help? Great-grandmother in trouble." Ranma's smile grew, and he narrowed his eyes. Shampoo saw the flicker of his hands, and dodged to the side. The fist most likely would have crushed her skull if it had connected as Ranma intended; as it was, it only hit her shoulder. The force of the blow was like a hammer; it knocked her sprawling back to the ground a half-dozen feet away. "SAOTOME!" Mousse roared behind her. "What are you doing?" "My will," said a soft, melodious voice from behind the two of them. Ranma stood still in front of them, body tensed for action, as Shampoo hopped to her feet and looked back. A woman walked atop the snow, long dark hair swirling about her in the winter wind, face the perfect, cold, inhuman beauty of a statue. "Hello, children," she said. "It's been a while." There was a flash of silver from Mousse's sleeves, and then a flurry of knives flew at the woman. She dodged most, and caught one from the air by the blade as if it were a butterfly. "It takes all of my power, unfortunately, to control him. He's very strong," she said with a sigh, flinging the knife off into the darkness. "Otherwise I would have them both kill you, little girl." "What you do to great-grandmother?" Shampoo said coldly, pulling out her bonbori. "Talk, snake, or I kill you where you stand." "I have no idea," the woman said. "Tensai left me behind, for I of course was too fair and delicate to be exposed to such things. But I decided to follow him, and that's how I met Ranma here. Isn't that right, Ranma?" "Yes," Ranma said dully, still not moving. "He's quite enamoured of me," the woman said. "That seems to happen to me with a lot with men, for some reason." "You are evil," Mousse said. "We will not let you live." "Oh yes, I'm very evil," the woman said with a sharp laugh. "As for the other part, I don't believe you have any choice in the matter. Ranma?" "Yes?" Ranma said. "Hurt the boy first. Then kill him after a little while," she said. "MOUSSE!" Shampoo cried, as Ranma rushed forward. Mousse leaped over Ranma's charge and planted his feet in the back of Ranma's head, sending him sprawling forward into the snow. He landed and lashed out with a myriad number of chains, which Ranma dodged. "Don't worry about me, Shampoo!" he called. "Watch out for her! Get rid of her and Saotome will be back to normal!" "Uh-uh," the woman said as Shampoo turned back. "I won't make it that easy. If you can catch me, perhaps I'll fight you." She took off, running over the top of the snow lightly and easily, as Shampoo growled and raced after her. Behind her, she heard Mousse's battle cry, and the somehow more awful silence that Ranma's should have filled. ********** Akane sighed and put down her teacup on the kitchen table, where she sat with Kasumi. "I just don't get it, Kasumi. Why can't he tell me why he has to do this?" "I can think of lots of reasons," Kasumi said, refilling Akane's cup with the teapot. "Maybe he thinks it might hurt you if you knew." "If that's what he thinks, then he's just being stupid," Akane said. "He's hurting me more if he won't tell me what's going on. Does he think I'll just get angry?" "I don't think it's that," Kasumi said. "Maybe he can't tell you without spoiling some kind of suprise." "I guess that might be it," Akane said. "But what does it have to do with Happosai? I think that little pervert just has something he's holding over Ranma, something Ranma can't tell me." "I'm sure there's a good reason for it all underneath," Kasumi said, taking a gentle sip of her tea and smiling at Akane. "Things will be okay, Akane." "Thanks, Kasumi," Akane said, smiling at her older sister as she stood up from the table. "I think I'll go up to my room." "I thought you were going to wait up for Ranma?" Kasumi said. "No reason I have to be too anxious about it," Akane said. "I'll get some studying in while I wait." "Alright, Akane," Kasumi said. Akane left the kitchen and headed upstairs, pausing on the second floor landing with a sigh. She wasn't worried so much about Ranma's motives as she was about Happosai's, to tell the truth. She trusted Ranma, but Happosai was another matter. She opened the door to her darkened room and was starting to move her hand to the switch when she paused. Someone else was already in the room; she could hear them breathing, heavily and laboured. She flicked on the light and stepped in, ready to confront whoever it was. Happosai lay in front of her dresser, one hand stretched out in front of him on the floor as if he'd been about to open a drawer when his strength had finally given out. There was a trail of blood leading from the open window to the where Happosai lay, and a gradually spreading pool on the floor beside him. Akane put a hand to her mouth and gasped. She forced herself to remain calm, and backed out of the room slowly. "Kasumi!" she called. "Come quick!" Her shock at Happosai's condition, however, was little compared to her shock that Ranma was still out there. Out there, most likely, with whoever had done this to Happosai. ********** In the dining room of the Nekohanten, the battle went on between Cologne and Tensai. The fire raged around them, but to them it was the least important thing. Their arena had been chosen, and until one had fallen, the fight must continue. Again and again staff and naginata clashed, with neither able to land a hit against the other. The two moved with such speed that any observer would have been hard-pressed to pick out specific details of the fight. There was the sound of weapon hitting weapon, the battle cries of the two fighters as they each attempted to overcome the other's defense, and underneath it all the crackling of the flames as they spread throughout the restaurant. ********** Mousse backpedalled, and Ranma's fist caught only air. The kick that followed, however, hit his side with the force of a freight train. He rolled with it as well he could and got to his feet, throwing out another half-dozen chains at Ranma's legs and arms. "Saotome!" he called as Ranma dodged them. He kept up the attack, pressing Ranma back with more chains. "You can fight this!" "I ain't fightin' nothing," Ranma said, warily moving in. "I'm doing what she asks." "And will you kill me?" Mousse said. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever; Ranma was much better than he was, and in the state he was in, he had no objections to killing him, and while Mousse might have entertained thoughts at one time of Saotome's demise at his hands, those thoughts were long gone. "Yes," Ranma said. "I should've done it a long time ago. Got you and Shampoo outta my hair for good." Mousse steeled himself and readied his next weapon. He knew he couldn't match Saotome unarmed; he knew he couldn't match him armed, either. And neither could Shampoo. If Ranma won, then Shampoo was dead as well, probably. And with Ranma under her control, that serpent-woman would be led to everyone, from the Tendo family onward. He knew this whole situation went far deeper than he could see now; the serpent-woman had mentioned another name, Tensai. She had implied he was whatever "visitor" Cologne had ordered them to leave because of. He could worry about all that later, if he got out of this alive. Ranma seemed to sense some momentary lowering in his guard, and started to rush forward. The wooden training potty bounced off his forehead with a crack. Ranma seized it out of the air with a snarl and hurled it back at Mousse, who dodged. It shattered on the brick wall behind him. "Always with your stupid toys," Ranma said. "Time to learn how a grown man fights, blind boy." Mousse told himself that it wasn't Ranma speaking here. He remembered the condition Sasuke had been placed under when he was under whatever control the serpent-woman was capable of. Even more, he remembered the urges that had come over him, as that numbing scent filled the air. He tried even more chains, but Ranma was past those and onto him. He slammed back against the wall with the breath knocked from him, trying to move out of Ranma's way but failing. Ranma grabbed him by the throat and slammed him back against the wall again, then whirled and threw him across the street. His hip clipped a streetlight as he flew, and he staggered up limping. He gave silent thanks that the serpent-woman had ordered Ranma to hurt him first. If she'd simply told Ranma to kill him, he'd probably be dead by now. He wondered how Shampoo fared for a moment, and then forced his attentions back to his situation, which currently involved Ranma charging at high speed. Somehow, he managed to dodge or block most of the attacks until they broke apart again. He was hurt, though. Not badly, but Ranma was still untouched. He couldn't outrun Ranma, and there didn't appear to be any chance of the control wearing off. He had to come up with a plan, anything that might let both Saotome and him get out of this alive. He glanced around at the darkened storefronts, at the snow-filled streets, at the fence that surrounded the canal. At the fence that surrounded the canal. Shampoo and Hinako had not been affected by the control. Hibino Kyofu's power only worked on men. Mousse turned and ran towards the fence, leaping atop it and whirling to face Ranma. "Come on, Ranma," he called. "Come and get me!" Ranma crashed into him a moment later, his foot slamming into the side of Mousse's face with a crack. Mousse fought to remain conscious as the momentum carried the two of them over the fence, and down towards the half-frozen water that filled the canal. ********** Shampoo's breathing came in rapid spurts as she pursued Hibino Kyofu through the darkened city streets. The hour was late enough that in a quiet area like Nerima the streets were empty of people. Ahead of her, the beautiful woman seemed to dance lightly across the snow, while Shampoo was growing more tired with each step. "Coward!" she called. "Fight! Why you run?" Only a few steps ahead, the woman whirled. Shampoo grimaced in revulsion as her form shifted from human to reptilian, hair flowing up into the head and features melting like wax into the countenance of a serpent. "Because you are not a worthy foe," Hibino Kyofu said, sidestepping Shampoo's attack and backhanding her across the face. The strength of the blow sent her staggering to the side. "You are a weak and foolish child. Even now, your beloved is dying at the hands of my pawn." "Mousse is not-" Shampoo began, then realized how foolish it was to even argue with the creature. She simply pressed her attack forward again, trying to think of how best to fight the serpent-woman. She'd seemed to have a superb knowledge of the pressure points on the body the other time they'd fought. One touch would be enough to disable her. She whirled her twin bonbori in front of her in a defensive pattern as she approached, not allowing any kind of opening in her defense. The serpent-woman seemed to have decided to stand and fight, finally. She only hoped she could deal with her before Ranma killed Mousse. She'd seen the look in his eyes; he was completely under her control, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill now that she'd told him to. And Mousse was no match for him. "You steal Ranma's mind," she said, approaching closer and seeking the best time to strike. "You evil snake. Shampoo kill you." "I stole no one's mind," the serpent-woman said, backing away. It was disconcerting to hear that melodious voice emanating from the mouth of such a nightmarish creature. "I only use what is there, the buried parts, the inhibitions. I bring forth the darkness that is within them, and give it free rein. You think he never at any time imagined how much easier his life would be without you?" Shampoo glowered. "You no know what you talk about." "Of course I do," she said. "I know all about him. I touched his mind. I touched the other one's mind as well; he believes so sincerely that he loves you with all of his being, but even he would have fallen to me." The two of them circled, neither willing to strike and risk lowering their defense. "You stupid. You monster." "Yes," Hibino Kyofu said. "I am a monster. Would you like to know what he thought about, sometimes, when you rejected him time and time again, despite his sincerity, despite his love?" "Shut up," Shampoo said, knowing the creature was only trying to goad her into doing something stupid. "He thought, even for a moment, of forcing himself upon you," the serpent-woman said triumphantly. "Just for a moment, but it was there. Perhaps I should have told Ranma to knock him unconscious; I could have made him have some fun with you." "SHUT UP!" Shampoo said, striking forward with her weapons, cursing herself even as she did for losing control. The attack was clumsy, and Hibino avoided it easily. Shampoo barely dodged a thrust of one scaled finger at her shoulder, and the two began their defensive circling again. "You know it is true," Hibino said. "That is why you do not wish to hear it." "Mousse is good man," Shampoo said numbly. "He never do that. Even if he think about it. Shampoo think lots about doing things when she trying to get Ranma; about how it be easy to make Akane have accident, accident that really look like accident, but she never do it, even if she think she would be able to." Hibino laughed. "I think I will kill you now. I only regret you will not live to see the triumph of my master, and coming of the new age. The rest of your kind will suffice, though, I think." She darted forward, with speed Shampoo thought she didn't have. Even so, one bonbori smashed into her left arm at the elbow even as her right hand brushed Shampoo's throat. There was the sound of cracking bone, and then the bonbori were dropping from Shampoo's limp hands, and she was flying back from a hard hit into the wall of a nearby building. "BITCH!" Hibino shrieked. "Little human bitch! You hurt me!" Shampoo struggled, and found she could barely move. Hibino shrieked again, a human scream with a hissing undertone, and Shampoo felt some small triumph at least. Then Hibino was standing over her, serpentine face contorted in rage and pain, clutching her broken arm with the other hand. The bone underneath was white, but the blood was green, spilling down the white front of the kimono and onto the snow, hissing and spitting like acid. She kicked Shampoo in the side, but Shampoo felt only a little pain. "I'll kill you, but I'll make it slow. It's been a long time since I fed upon a woman." She leaned down and touched one finger, sticky with green blood, to Shampoo's face. The blood burned where it touched, but Shampoo couldn't even scream. It felt as if the blood would eat a hole through her face. Hibino straightened back up. "That is only the beginning, child. And the end will not be for a while." ********** It was really only chance that did it, in the end. The smoke filled the Nekohanten, making both breathing and fighting difficult. All around Cologne the fire raged, and she knew that if she stayed in here much longer that would be the end. She knew she was going to die soon, but she wasn't going to go until she'd taken care of her son. Not one of them, not even Ranma, could come close to matching him. And it was not theirs to deal with anyway. Not Ranma's, not her great-grandaughters. It was only hers. She had brought him into this world, and now she had to take him out of it. She had thought what they had done was as good as killing him, but in the end they'd paid the price. Lukkosai was most likely dead, Happosai and her probably would be soon. She had the slight feeling she was forgetting someone important, but she didn't quite understand that. Well, it did not matter. So he began with her, so he would end with her. He was somewhere in the dense smoke that filled the room, hunting for her even as she hunted for him. She was darting for the door that would lead them outside when the portion of ceiling above gave a single ominous creak and fell, huge chunks of burning wood raining down from above with a crash. A ceiling beam fell across her, crushing her legs like twigs. Miraculously, nothing else hit her, but it was enough. She was pinned, and even if she had not been, she could not escape the inferno now with her legs ruined. The pain in her legs hurt terribly, and she realized she was finding it hard to breathe. "I failed," she whispered. "Damn." Someone stood over her, seemingly ignoring the raging fire and the smoke. "Yes. Damned you are, witch." "Tensai..." she said. The heat stroked across her in a painful caress. She closed her eyes, unable to keep them open in the face of that blistering heat. She couldn't even resist when he bent down and slipped the ring off her finger. She cursed herself, knowing how stupid she'd been to keep it on. She should have hidden it, given it to Shampoo, got it away from her in case she failed. But that would have been passing the responsiblity on. It had been her duty to finish this. And she had failed. Now the burden would be passed on to them, even though she wished it would not be. There was nothing more for her to do here; she could feel herself slipping away. Tensai's footsteps grew further and further off as he left. There was more creaking overhead, Cologne noticed. She sighed, or tried to, but found she didn't have the energy, or the breath. The creaking continued. After a few more moments, most of the Nekohanten had collapsed into burning ruin, but there was no one left alive inside by then to notice. Away in the night, the sirens could now be heard, and there was something mixed among them that sounded almost like laughter. ********** Mousse lashed a chain around the fence, still half-dazed, and hung there as he heard an angry shout and a splash from below as Ranma hit the water. He hauled himself up, pulled himself over the fence, and knelt shaking in the snow, trying to stop his head from spinning. Someone kicked him hard in the side, knocking him over. "Male or female, I'm still gonna kill you." He scrambled onto his hands and knees and longed at the dripping wet red-head in the loose clothing in front of him. She stood there, seemingly confused, the expression on her face wavering between exultant bloodlust and disgusted loathing. "Saotome," he said, gasping out the words. "Get back to normal, dammit." "I am... what the..." Ranma said. Her eyes widened, and then her face twisted in an expression of utter disgust. "Oh god. She touched me. She touched me." Ranma bent over, stumbled forward, leaned against the fence and looked as if she might be sick. "I kissed her." Mousse stood up. "Saotome. It's alright." "Oh god," Ranma said, wrapping her arms around herself and sounding as if she were going to start crying. "I wanted her. I wanted her so bad. I can still remember how much I wanted her." "Saotome, we don't have time for this. Shampoo's in trouble, and so is Cologne," Mousse said. "Akane isn't ever gonna forgive me," Ranma said. "She touched me. I wanted her to touch me." "SAOTOME!" Ranma shook her head, and looked up at him. "What is she, Mousse?" "She is a monster," Mousse said, not knowing what else to say. "Damn right she is," Ranma said, wiping a hand across her mouth. "Let's go. I'm gonna kill that thing." Mousse nodded, and began to run with Ranma in the direction Shampoo and Hibino Kyofu had headed. He only hoped they wouldn't be too late. Somewhere in the distance, he thought maybe he heard sirens. ********** Shampoo couldn't even close her eyes as the serpent-woman bent down again and flickered a long, forked tongue across her face, brushing it across the spot where she'd wiped the acidic blood. "I'm so hungry," the creature hissed, losing more and more humanity in her voice each time she spoke. "So hungry..." Shampoo fingered the object she held in her hand, and tried to focus only on her target. It was all she could do to even move her arm; she hoped it would be enough. Hibino Kyofu stood up and looked down at her, terrible hunger glittering in the slit pupils of her serpent face. "So very hungry..." Her hand came up, and in a flash of silver metal threw the dagger. Hibino moved her head slightly to the side, and it flew past. "A nice try," she said. "But a failure." Shampoo watched as the dagger curved. She didn't have the strength to smile, but she would have if she did. Her throw was perfect. Hibino Kyofu opened her mouth impossibly wide, to show sharp fangs dripping with poison, and a red interior that pulsed horribly like a beating heart. "So very, very hungry, little human child..." The dagger sliced through the power lines hanging overhead, cleanly severing them in a crackle of sparks. They fell, twisting and writhing like living things. Hibino Kyofu looked up, and then they hit her in a tangle, wrapping around her arms, legs and head. Shampoo somehow found enough strength to push herself away as they came crashing down around her and the serpent-woman. Hibino screamed and shrieked in a hissing, utterly inhuman voice, as electrical fire danced along her entire body. Smoke rose into the air, and the hideous smell of scorching flesh. The kimono was quickly burning away to black ash, exposing a scaly body beneath with a long, slender tail. Shampoo closed her eyes, and eventually the awful screaming stopped. When she found the strength to open them again, there was nothing there except the power lines, still hissing and spraying sparks into the air only a few feet away from her, and a few scraps of white kimono nearly invisible in the snow. She sighed and slipped away into unconsciousness, as the sirens began to rise somewhere far, far away. ********** "I think he'll be okay," Kasumi said. "That knife was in pretty deep, and he had some other wounds, but he's a very resilient old man." "You've got that right," Genma muttered. "We have to go out and look for Ranma," Akane said numbly from where she sat on the couch. They'd bandaged up Happosai and moved him into his room; he'd remained unconscious throughout all the care. Now, they were all down in the living room. "Absolutely not," Soun said. "It's far too dangerous. Anyone who could do this to the master..." "HE'S STILL OUT THERE!" Akane shouted, leaping up from the couch and shaking her fist at her father. "HE COULD BE HURT, OR EVEN DEAD, AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!" "Akane!" Kasumi said sharply. "Don't speak to father like that." "I... I'm sorry, dad," Akane said. "It's alright, dear," he said. "I know how you feel. But we can't just rush off. We need to..." There came an urgent knocking at the front door. "I'll get it," Akane said, running quickly to the front hall. Please let it be Ranma, she prayed silently as she put her hand on the doorknob and opened it up. Her prayer was answered. She was wet, half-frozen and looked as if she'd been through one of the worst experiences of her life, but the red-headed girl on the front step was undoubtedly Ranma. Akane threw her arms around the other girl, crying with relief, before she noticed Mousse standing gravely behind Ranma, the unconscious Shampoo in his arms. "Please, come in," she said anxiously, ushering the three of them inside and closing the door against the winter chill. Ranma was a cold, wet, freezing ball of misery in her arms. Mousse didn't look much better, if considerably less wet. Shampoo was simply unconscious, but Akane could see a hasty improvised bandage had been applied to one side of her face. "What happened?" she said, holding Ranma by the shoulders. "What's going on?" Ranma didn't answer, only hung her head and sneezed miserably. After a moment, Mousse spoke, great weariness in his tone. "The Nekohanten's destroyed. Cologne's dead, I think. And we're all in a lot of trouble." ********** The phone rang; Hikaru grabbed it quickly from where it rested on the kitchen table, almost buried amidst the piles of study notes and books. "Hello?" he said, wondering who could be calling at this time of night. "Hello, dear," Kodachi's voice said on the other end. "I was just watching the news, and saw something that I thought might interest you." "What is it, Kodachi?" Hikaru said, shifting slightly in his chair and grabbing a fresh sheet of paper. "At around three this morning, they lost contact with the Hakken," Kodachi said. "That was the ship that was doing research around the island, right?" "Yeah," Hikaru said weakly. "That was it." "They sent out a helicopter," Kodachi said, her calm voice contrasting his nervousness. "But there's a media blackout on what happened. There's been all kind of rumours; that everyone on the ship is dead, that they found no one on the ship at all." "Oh my god," Hikaru said. "This is very bad, Kodachi. Very bad." "Hikaru, you can't assume this has anything to do with..." "I know it does," Hikaru said. "I know it, dammit. I can feel it." He took a deep breath. "Listen, Kodachi. I'm going to be over at your house as soon as I can-" "Hikaru, it's nearly midnight," Kodachi said. "You and I are both in the middle of exams." "This is more important than exams," Hikaru said. "You know that and I know that. Whatever's coming, it's coming soon, and we have to be ready to face it." "Alright," Kodachi said. Then, after a moment. "You're adorable when you get all intense like this, you know?" "You're just adorable all the time," Hikaru said, smiling slightly despite how stressed he was feeling. "I'll be there soon, okay?" "Do you want me to send Sasuke and the car to pick you up?" Kodachi said. "Maybe that's best," Hikaru said. "I'll get there quicker that way." "Be waiting outside," Kodachi said. "He'll be along shortly." There was a click on the other end of the line, and then the buzzing of the dialtone. Hikaru hung up and rubbed his temples. His mother was already asleep; his father was still on his business trip. He'd never been close to either of his parents, but he loved them. He didn't want to see anything happen to his mother because of him. He walked quickly to his room and hunted underneath his bed, coming out eventually with a box. Within lay his stash of spirit wards, ones he'd made months ago, before the full awakening and full demise of his magical power. There were perhaps two dozen of the small paper scrolls, inscribed with warding characters. Mentally, he began to calculate the number of doors and windows that led into the house. When he was finished warding every conceivable entrance he could think of, he penned a quick, apologetic note for his mother and left it on the closed door of her bedroom. He'd try to think up some reasonable excuse later. The car was pulling up outside as he left the house; he held under his arm a bag containing his remaining spirit wards, pressed between the pages of several books. That was all he had to offer for whatever was to come; his wards and his knowledge. He hoped it would be adequate. ********** "...and we found Shampoo unconscious. There were fire trucks outside the Nekohanten, but there was nothing left of it to save, really," Mousse finished. He sat on the couch, Shampoo stretched out and still unconscious beside him. Kasumi had taken a look at the wound on her face; it looked like a burn, although on a very small spot. Whatever it was, it was fairly bad. She'd put disinfectant on it and bandaged it up again. That was the best that could be done for now. "But Cologne's..." Akane began, not sure what to say. "A fire wouldn't be enough. She'd get out of that easily." "I know she would," Mousse said. "But as I said, there was more than the fire. I suspect she was fighting someone when it began." "Fighting someone or not," Ranma said from where he huddled, still chilled, in a pile of blankets. "She's a tough old bird. I wouldn't say she's gone until we see a body." "You heard what Shampoo was saying when we found her as well as I did," Mousse said with a sigh. Ranma nodded. The unconscious Amazon had been saying Cologne's name again and again, tears streaming down her face. Mousse had explained quickly about Cologne's telling them to leave the restaurant, but left out the part that made him sure Cologne was dead. That was something he would share with Shampoo first, as soon as he was able to. He also had to think of the box, still probably in the ruins of the Nekohanten. From the quick glance he'd seen, the main damage had been to the dining room and the area above it. The box would still hopefully be undamaged. It had obviously been important, or Cologne wouldn't have pointed it out to him. He looked down at Shampoo beside him, gently stroked a lock of hair away from her face. Her breathing was strong and steady, but she still hadn't woken up. Occasionally, she would murmur words Mousse couldn't make out, in what sounded like a mixture of Chinese and Japanese, and maybe something else. "Ranma, do you remember what happened while you were under that creature's control?" Mousse asked. Ranma shook his head. "Not much. It's all kinda jumbled." "She seems to have been connected to whoever Cologne was fighting, if she did fight someone," Genma said. "She did mention a name, did she not?" "Yes," Mousse said. "Someone called Tensai." "Does that mean anything to any of you?" Nodoka said. No one answered. "It means something to me," Happosai said as he stepped shakily onto the first floor from the stairs. "Master Happosai, you shouldn't be up," Kasumi said, standing up and coming over concernedly. "Get back upstairs and rest." "It's okay, dear Kasumi," he said. "I'm a tough old bird as well. I heal fast. Besides, I think right now I can offer the most insight into what's going on." "Okay," Kasumi said. Happosai found a seat and settled into it with a pained groan. "You know this name?" Mousse said. Happosai nodded. "Let me ask something first," Happosai said. "Ranma, do you still have what I gave you?" "No," Ranma said, shaking his head. "That serpent-woman took it from me." "Damn," Happosai said. "What happened to her?" "I suspect Shampoo finished her off," Mousse said. "There wasn't anything left of her when we arrived." Shampoo moaned and stirred, then sat up abruptly with a yell. "GREAT-GRANDMOTHER!" "It's alright, Shampoo," Mousse said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We're safe. We're at the Tendo's." "Where is great-grandmother?" Shampoo said frantically. Her only answer was silence from everyone else. A stricken look passed across her face, and her mouth opened, but no words came out. "Shampoo..." Mousse began, but could not finish. A small sound issued from Shampoo, carrying upon it oceans of anguish. "Great-grandmother," she whispered numbly, putting her head in her hands. Tears began to stream silently down her face, as the rest of the room watched in numb silence, all unsure what to do. "Shampoo," Mousse finally said, the first one of them to find his voice again. "We... we don't know anything yet. The Nekohanten was on fire, but there wasn't any sign of her, none at all..." He knew he was lying, but in that moment it seemed important to give her some kind of hope, something she could hold onto. "" Shampoo whispered in Chinese, so quietly he could barely hear her. "" "I'm so sorry, Shampoo," Akane said hesitantly, leaning down and touching Shampoo's shoulder. Shampoo didn't even seem to notice, only continued to speak in Chinese. "" "What's she saying?" Ranma asked Mousse. He ignored him and looked at Shampoo intently. "" Mousse asked. A loud sob broke from Shampoo. "Great-grandmother," she whispered brokenly. "Why you have to leave? I not ready yet." Mousse wrapped his arms around her, and for a moment she was stiff and rigid as wood, but then she melted against him, shaking with grief. He looked around at the faces of the Tendos, the Saotomes and Happosai. "I think it would be best if the two of us were alone for a while," he said after a moment. "Shampoo needs some time, I think, and I would like to be with her." He glanced down at her. "Unless you'd rather be alone." Shampoo shook her head. Mousse nodded and stood up, half-supporting her. "You can sit in my room, if you want," Kasumi said. "It's the last on the right once you get upstairs." "Thank you," Mousse said, guiding Shampoo towards the stairs. After they were gone, all eyes turned to Happosai. "Okay, old man," Ranma said. "Perhaps you can shed some light onto what's happening." Happosai looked up. His head had been bowed ever since Shampoo had woken up. He looked pale and drawn, more old than any of them had ever seen him. He murmured something under his breath that none of them could hear, and then fell silent again. "Master Happosai," Nodoka said gently. "You said you knew this name, Tensai. Please, tell us." Happosai was silent for a few moments longer, and then he let out a tired, dry rattle of a sigh before he began to talk. ********** Deep down in the darkness, amidst the muck and filth of the sewers she'd escaped into, contorting herself in ways that would have seemed impossible to slip through the drain, Hibino Kyofu lay. She'd sought to escape instinctively the horrible burning fire, but even when she'd left the wires behind, down here in the wet, dank blackness, the pain was still there. It coursed through every part of her, making the agony of her broken arm seem nothing. After a while, she realized she was weeping, or the closest she could ever come to it in her true shape. It was a kind of dry, choking hiss that emerged from deep inside of her without end, rising and falling in volume. She realized, with a kind of dull acceptance, that she was dying. After thousands of years of existence, walking among humanity in whatever form would be most pleasing to their eyes, wearing a lovely face that hid the soul and form of a monster, she was dying. For millenia now, she had sown the seeds of chaos amidst them, and watched as they reaped a harvest of murder, death and war from what she had planted. She had done the will of her master, and now her time had come, undone by the actions of a girl who she should have killed instantly instead of toying with. She'd underestimated the girl, as she'd underestimated Stalford a half-century before. She was the controller, not the controlled; no human, especially a man, could hope to bind her. Yet Stalford had, and she'd been his unwilling servant, forced to use her power for his ends. He too was, in his own way, a servant of her master, though he believed he served no master but himself. In the end, he'd rejected his chance to serve, and had thought he could seize a god's power. Her master had shown him the error of his ways, soon after he had helped her gain her freedom from the bondage she'd been placed under. A hissing moan of pain involuntarily escaped her lips. She shifted slightly, sending new agony through every part of her. She thought of the time thousands of years ago, when the cities of her people had spread across the face of the earth like cancers, and her master had strode the world in all his glory. She and others of her race followed him, worshipped him for the god he was. But the end of an age had come, and as her city fell around her, as her brothers and sisters died on the blades of the infinitely inferior but far more numerous warriors of the humans, who were aided then by the sorcery of their allies, her master spoke to her truly for the first time. She would be spared, if she would dedicate herself to him with all her being. The end of their age had come, but the wheels would turn, and in time her master and his kin would ascend again. She would be but one small part of the great plan, but she had readily agreed. Darkness had engulfed her; when she'd awakened, how long after the fall of her city she did not know, she had adjusted easily to the world the humans had built for themselves, and she set about to tear it down in the name of her master. She had been the hand behind the bloodiest dictator and the most sadistic prince. She had watched and laughed as wars raged, as cities burned, as brother killed brother over petty concerns of money or land. And she had pulled the strings, setting in motion the squabbles or insults that would lead eventually to the chaotic whirl of blood she so desired. And she had fed well, upon both the highest and the lowest. She remembered the names she'd been called, by those who caught a glimpse of what she truly was and lived to tell. Lamia, succubus, vampire. Demon, devil, monster. And now, she was dying. "Master," she called, in the ancient tongue of her people, a language no human with lips and tongue of humanity could ever hope to speak. "Master, I was promised I would see the glory of the new age. Shall this come to be?" She felt him then, there with her in the darkness. A lambent flame rose from a hand, and the dark eyes glittered in its radiance. "Master," she said weakly, exaltant at his presence. Surely, she was too valuable to be let die like this, her service too great to be left to die amidst the stink and damp of this place? "My child," the voice said. "What has been done to you?" "I hurt, master," she said. "I hurt inside. I am dying, master. Do not let me die." "Everything dies, little one," the voice said, coming not from the figure in front of her but from the air around him. It held neither derision nor sympathy; it was a simple, emotionless statement. "But master," Hibino said. "Have I not served loyally?" "You have," the voice said. A hand cupped her chin, raised her limp reptilian head to look into dark eyes that had never known a spark of sympathy or mercy, eyes that were as old as the universe and as new as the next second. "Rest now." "But I have not seen your triumph," she whispered. "Perhaps not," the voice said. Her hand, the one that clutched the ring box she'd taken from the boy, was pried open, and the ring box was extracted by a grip implacable and terrible. "But it is like chess, my child. You liked chess, did you not?" "Yes, master," Hibino said weakly. It and games of its like were the only thing the humans had ever created that she enjoyed; they held none of the arbitrary nature that their other games did, no dice or random draw of cards. Whether you won or lost was based entirely upon your own skill compared to that of your opponent. Stalford and her had played often; he'd been one of the few humans who'd ever come close to her in skill, but no human, not even one with a mind as inhuman as Stalford, could ever have her skill for planning ahead. "Often in chess, you must sacrifice a minor piece to gain greater ends," the voice said. "Do you understand what I mean now?" "But I was promised," she said. "I gave myself to you, master. I did your work." "And well done, oh thou good and faithful servant," the voice said, mockery and humour emerging finally in the voice. She reached up and clutched for the arm she knew was there, but her fingers slipped from it as if they passed through smoke. "Please, master..." "What is it? A final request?" the voice said. "If it amuses me, perhaps." "It cannot end like this," she said, finding it hard to breathe through all the pain. "I cannot die like this, alone in this place of human filth." "Fear not," the voice said. "You shall not be alone, not at your end like this. You shall be with others until the end." "Thank you, master," Hibino whispered joyously. "You will not abandon me. I knew you would not abandon me." There was no answer. Only the glow from the flame remained, still inexplicably there though the source had vanished. She heard splashing, as of many feet walking through the waters of the sewer. A smell hit her sensitive nostrils, present even over the stink of the sewers. The smell of dead things left in dark places for weeks on end. She gagged; the scent disgusted her beyond measure. She was no scavenger, seeking the carrion of the battlefield; she killed what she ate, and ate what she killed. A low sound, like dozens of voices murmuring in unison, began to resound throughout the sewer, as the smell grew stronger and stronger, and the splashing footsteps closer and closer. She felt something, a presence. Something similiar to but different from the great and terrible force of her master. A cold hand reached inside her head and squeezed her mind tightly. She screamed, echoing throughout the tunnels, and the murmuring rose in volume, with excitement in the tone now. Something was present within her head, sorting through her millenia-old memory like someone searching for a file in an overcrowded cabinet. She noticed a vague sense of interest, as if whatever the searcher was had noted the unusual nature of the mind it perused. Just out of the range of the vision provided by the strange, ceaseless glow her master had left in his wake, she could see red eyes that flickered in the darkness, perhaps the occasional glimpse of arms that were too long to be human, or the grey faces that held those red eyes. Red eyes and long, dirty fangs in mouths that murmured excitedly to each other. A figure stepped from the ranks, and she saw with rapidly weakening sight that it was Richard Stalford, and yet it was not. The thing that looked like Stalford opened its mouth, and a long wail of keening laughter spilled forth. "Hibino," it said with Stalford's voice. Under the surface of that round, friendly-looking face, the face of man who had been almost as much a disguised monster as her, something rippled. "Hibino, Hibino, Hibino. Vengeance, Hibino. Vengeance shall you have and I." It laughed again, and raised a hand. The glow her master had left extinguished, leaving her in pure darkness surrounded by the murmuring and shifting of the things that lurked down here. She had time to call once the true name of her master, time also to realize that there would be no answer, and then they were upon her. ********** "No way," Ranma said after only a moment. "This Tensai is Cologne's son?" "That would make him Shampoo's... grandfather, or great-uncle, right?" Akane said. Happosai shook his head. "No. He is Cologne's son, though not by the man she married within the Amazons. That was later; Tensai was born over two hundred and fifty years ago, here in Japan." "Who's his father?" Ranma said. Happosai shrugged. "Does it matter? He died more than two centuries ago." "Why would he do this, though?" Akane said. "Why would he attack you and Cologne?" "Because he is mad," Happosai said. "He is insane." "How do you know all of this, anyway?" Ranma asked suspiciously. "Cologne and I go back a long way," Happosai said. "A very long way indeed." "Just how old are you two, anyway?" Ranma said. "I think I passed three hundred a few years ago," Happosai said nonchalantly as he filled his pipe. "Although I've lost count at points. Being locked up in a cave for ten years will do that." "So why has he shown up all of a sudden?" Akane asked. "Because he was sealed away," Happosai said slowly. "Sealed with wards and barriers for a time that make what Genma and Soun did to me seem like a short while." "Why?" Ranma said. "What happened?" "Something came over him," Happosai said. "I don't know what you might call it. Possesion, perhaps, although it's not quite the same. Something was changing the way he saw things, the way he thought things were." Happosai puffed on his pipe and continued. "He began to believe that he was somehow chosen to be the saviour of Japan. He said that he was the new son of Amaterasu. By this time, of course, we'd all realized something was very wrong." "Who's we?" Akane asked. "Cologne, myself, Lukkosai..." he paused for a moment. "And his father." He tapped a finger on the floor. "I almost feel like I'm forgetting someone here." "Whatever," Ranma said. "Go on." "We tried a ceremony," Happosai said. "We had to force Tensai, of course. We tried to banish whatever thing it was that was influencing him." He bowed his head, sighing at the memories of long ago. "We failed. Whatever it was, it was too strong. The ceremony backfired; Tensai's father died. Cologne, Lukkosai and I were... changed." "How so?" Ranma said, leaning forward from where he huddled under the blankets. "I think it's why I've aged so slowly, and stayed strong," Happosai said. "You know how I become helpless if I go too long without underwear or female bodies?" "Yes," Ranma said with a grimace. "I think that's my age catching up with me," Happosai said. "The only thing that keeps me from dying is lechery." "A truly terrible fate," Soun said gravely. "Indeed," Genma affirmed. "Is there anything to eat?" "Dear, be quiet and let him talk," Nodoka said firmly. "After the ceremony failed," Happosai said. "We lost track of Tensai. When we found him again, he was gathering objects that he believed would give him the power to bring about a new age of glory for Japan." He looked directly at Ranma, fixing him with a narrow-eyed gaze. "One of them was a small figurine, called by some the Effigy of the Sleeper." "So that's it," Ranma said. "Tensai was the guy who took that thing from us, right?" "I do not think so," Happosai said. "When we were tricked into that house while you were on the island, I felt something. It was the same as whatever thing had been influencing Tensai all those years ago. I believe that thing was responsible for burning that house to the ground, and also for taking the Effigy, just as it was responsible for Tensai's behaviour two centuries earlier." "What happened to him, anyway?" Akane asked. "You said you sealed him away?" "Yes," Happosai said. "Whatever was influencing him lent him power as well; we couldn't hope to defeat him. We cast a spell between the three of us that sank him into the earth and trapped him there. Lukkosai drew wards that should have been unbreakable. Somehow, they were broken." Happosai paused, and a frustrated expression passed across his face. "There were four objects... we each agreed to carry one... Cologne, Lukkosai and I..." He pounded a withered fist into his palm. "It doesn't add up, dammit! Who is the fourth? There was one other, yet I can't remember who!" A soft knocking came from the front door. Akane stood up. "I'll get it." She headed into the front hall and opened the door. Looking up, she saw the familiar face of Shigeki Kiyokuro. He looked pale and unwell, and there were deep, dark circles under his eyes. "You're a bit late," she said after a moment. "Everything started happening about an hour ago." "Sorry," he said dully. "I've had a very long day. Not quite sure for some of it if I was dead or alive." "You're weird, you know that?" Akane said. "You don't know the half of it," Shigeki murmured. "Can I come in? I'm freezing out here." He stepped in without waiting for a response and closed the door behind him. "You can hang your coat in the closet," Akane said. "I think I'll keep it on, thank you," the tall man said. He followed Akane into the living room, where everyone else waited. "YOU!" Happosai said, springing up from the floor and pointing at Shigeki with his pipe. "It was you!" "Yes, it was me," Shigeki said after a moment. "Good to see you again, Happosai." "You know each other?" Akane and Ranma said in unison, glancing between the tall young man and the withered master. "We know each other?" Happosai said, eyes wide and incredulous as he looked at Shigeki. "I... you..." "We knew each other," Shigeki said. "I tend to be forgotten after a while. Have you seen Tensai yet, Happosai?" "Yeah," Happosai said wearily. "We think he killed Cologne. He either has all four of the objects again, or he'll have them soon." "Damn," Shigeki said. "We don't have much time then." "Well, do you have enough time to explain JUST WHAT IS GOING ON?" Akane said loudly, glaring at the two men. "Because I, for one, am confused out of my mind." ********** Mousse closed the door to Kasumi's room and led Shampoo inside. The room was spartan and sparsely decorated, with little in the way of personal effects. The only light in the room was a dim glow from a lamp on the bedside table, but it was enough. He led Shampoo beside the bed and sat down on it. After a moment, she slumped down into a sitting position on the floor in front of him. As they'd walked up the stairs, she'd gone from crying to a kind of mute silence that somehow held more grief in it. Mousse hesitantly lifted her long hair out of the way and began to massage her back gently. "Are you going to be okay, Shampoo?" he asked. She nodded, but didn't say anything. After a moment, she let out a long, wheezing sigh. "Great-grandmother..." Mousse closed his eyes for a moment, lost in his own thoughts, and then continued to rub her her shoulders and back. The tension in her was awful to feel; gradually, he was relieved to feel the knots relaxing slightly beneath his fingers. It was a start. "Why she have to go?" Shampoo said. "Why she not let us stay and help?" "I'm sure that she had her reasons, Shampoo," Mousse said softly. "She thought what she was doing was best." "I know," Shampoo said. "But why she have to go? I... I not ready." "No one is ever ready," Mousse said. "But you're not alone, you have to remember that. I'm here, Shampoo. And our friends are here; Ranma and Akane, and everyone else. Whatever this thing is that's coming, we'll all face it together." "Yes, but..." Shampoo said, trailing off at the end. "It is wrong to be afraid," she said, sounding ashamed. "No, Shampoo," Mousse said. "Being afraid seems to come naturally to us. What is wrong is to run away instead of facing what we are afraid of." She leaned back, laying her cheek against his leg and sighing deeply. "What are we going to do about restaurant?" "We'll have to go and talk to the police, I suppose," Mousse said after a moment. "They'll probably be looking for us." "What will we tell them?" "I don't know yet," Mousse said, gently rubbing one of her shoulders. "We'll just see. I know we'll be okay, Shampoo." "Mousse, do you think great-grandmother knew what was going to happen to her?" Shampoo said unexpectedly. "After all, she have gift as well. Wouldn't she see it coming." "I think she knew there was the possibility she might die," Mousse said slowly. "Somehow, I think, she felt responsible for what is happening. There's more going on here than we realize yet; as soon as you're ready to go back down, maybe Happosai can shed some light on things. He recognized that name, Tensai." "Shampoo no think she can face this without great-grandmother," Shampoo said wearily. "I not smart like she is. I have dreams, I no understand what they mean." "Shampoo, Cologne had how many decades to figure out these things?" Mousse said. "Do you think she was able right away to figure these dreams out? Do you?" "Guess not," Shampoo said with a sigh. "But... if great-grandmother know she might die, why she not ask us for help? Why she make us leave? Shampoo wanted to help her, but she go because she think great-grandmother know what best." Mousse looked away from Shampoo, remembering Cologne's words as she'd told them to go. *"Honour compels that I do this myself,"* she'd said. He clenched his fist, a bit frustrated; he wanted to be downstairs, hearing whatever Happosai had to say, but he couldn't leave Shampoo until he'd explained to her what Cologne had said this morning. He knew that it might drive a wedge between them, the truth of Cologne's actions, and his own knowledge of where they would lead; he knew as well that he was never closer to winning her heart than at this time. Yet it would have been a betrayal of himself, a betrayal of Shampoo, and most of all a betrayal of Cologne's memory if he did not tell Shampoo. Cologne had trusted him, truly trusted him. He took a deep breath, and laid his hand on Shampoo's shoulder again. "Shampoo..." he began. He stopped when he felt her shoulder tense. Tilting his head to look at her face, he saw her eyes seemed to be focusing on something he would never see. Her face was a rigid mask of fear for a single moment, and then she opened her mouth wide. "Nippon. Free. Free," she said, speaking accentless Japanese, her high voice imitating the deep tones of a man. There was something disturbingly wrong about the way the words were put together, somehow. "Ranma..." Mousse stood up, carefully laying her head back against the bed. She had stopped speaking, but her eyes were still distant. Something made him walk to the window, and look out into the backyard and the winter night. His hands tightened on the sill. At first, he could only make out a half-dozen figures moving stealthily towards the back door of the house, but after a moment he saw more, concealing themselves behind trees or lying flat upon the snow. "Mousse, what happening?" Shampoo said from behind him, her voice normal again. He didn't answer, but raced for the door, Shampoo following close behind him after a moment of confusion. ********** "If you do not mind my asking, Master Gosunkugi, just what is going on?" Sasuke said from where he drove up ahead. Hikaru could barely see the top of the small man's head over the seat from where he sat in the back, his bag on his lap and one of the books open in front of him. He was paging through the sections he'd marked earlier as the car sped through the night. "Well, what did Kodachi tell you?" he said after a moment, running his finger along a certain line and cursing inside his head as he read the words. "To come and pick you up, Master Gosunkugi," Sasuke said. "And nothing else." "Please don't call me Master Gosunkugi," Hikaru said. "It sounds really stupid." "But..." "Just call me Hikaru. Or Gosunkugi. But no master. Please." "Alright," Sasuke said. "What's going on?" "You know what happened two months ago, right?" Hikaru said. "When Kodachi and I disappeared along with Ranma, Akane and Ukyou?" "I am aware of it," Sasuke said. "Mistress Kodachi has shared some of what happened with me." "Well, they lost contact with a government research ship that was out at the remains of the island this morning," Hikaru said. "And I've had a bad feeling for a while that whatever happened out there isn't over. This just confirms that." "Confirms it perhaps," Sasuke said. "But I still don't understand why I'm sent out to bring you back to the house at this time of night." "Whatever's happening, it's happening now," Hikaru said. "I can feel it in every part of me. As soon as we get back, I'm gonna call Ranma; he needs to know about this as well." "Why wait?" Sasuke said. A cellular phone landed on the seat beside him. "Thanks," Hikaru said, flipping it open. After a moment, he coughed nervously. "Umm... you wouldn't happen to know the number, would you?" Sasuke did, and Hikaru dialed it after he was told it. The phone rang once, sounding a bit strange to his ears, and then someone on the other end picked it up without saying anything. "Hello?" Hikaru said after a moment. "Is anyone there?" There was a sound on the other end of the line, something he might have called laughter, had it not been devoid of both humour and humanity. "Hikaru," the voice on the other end of the line said. It was voice filled with hatred, with the promise of infinite agonies behind it, but worst of all, it was a voice he knew. It was the voice of Richard Stalford. Richard Stalford, who Ranma had thrown from the top of the Sleeper's Spire, to the unforgiving ocean hundreds of feet below. Richard Stalford, who even if he had survived the fall should have been annihilated when Hikaru and Ranma tore the island apart. And then he began to feel the presence as well, and he knew in that instant that whatever was on the other end of the line was infinitely worse than Richard Stalford. For this was a presence he knew as well. He clicked the phone closed, even as the thing on the other end laughed again. He took a deep breath, tried to will his heart to stop beating so fast. "Sasuke," he said. "How close are we to the Kuno house?" "Only a few more minutes," Sasuke said. "Go faster," Hikaru said, as he began to dial the phone again. ********** "I suppose there is time to explain," Shigeki said slowly as he looked about the room. Kasumi, Nodoka and Soun appeared a bit confused at his presence, as was Happosai. "My name is Shigeki Kiyo-" Soun leaped up and grabbed him by the collar of his coat. "YOU! You're the one who put my Akane in danger!" He began to shake Shigeki back and forth. The other man appeared speechless in the face of Soun's outburst. "How dare you? She's my youngest daughter! I should-" "DAD!" Still shaking the taller man, Soun looked at his youngest daughter. "Yes, Akane?" "Let him talk," she said, exasperated. "He never forced me to do anything. Ranma and I chose to help him." "But-" "Dad!" "Could you please stop shaking me," Shigeki said. "I'm not feeling very well right now..." "Sorry," Soun said, stopping and putting an apologetic hand on Shigeki's shoulder. "No hard feelings," Shigeki said. "Before I say anything, is there a phone I can use?" "What for?" Akane said. "I think we should call everyone," Shigeki said. "If I'm right, we're going to need all the help we can get." "On the table over there," Akane said. Shigeki went to it and picked it up, putting the receiver to his ear. He frowned, and pressed the phone back down into the cradle for a few seconds before picking it up again. "Are you sure this is hooked up?" he said, glancing over at Akane. "There's no dialtone." ********** The car squealed to a stop outside the gates of the Kuno mansion. Hikaru opened the side door, and Kodachi hopped in, still pulling on her gloves. "What's going on, Hikaru?" she said. "In a moment," Hikaru snapped impatiently. Kodachi looked hurt, then sniffed and looked out the window. "Sasuke, Ukyou Kuonji's restaurant is on the way to the Tendo house, right?" Hikaru said, ignoring Kodachi for the moment. He'd probably regret it later, but right now he could only think of that familiar voice, and the familiar presence. "I can make it be on the way," Sasuke said. "Do it," Hikaru said. After a moment, he said. "What's the number there?" As Sasuke told him, the car sped off into the night, none of the occupants knowing just what it was they were headed into. ********** "I cannot find it," Tensai said, as he sorted through yet another drift of snow that the ring could have landed in. He felt like weeping; to come so close, to defeat all his foes, and be foiled at the end by this accursed snow. He should have been able to feel the ring, and yet he could not. It was as if it were not here, and yet he had seen the old man throw it from the roof. "DAMN YOU!" he said, bringing his weapon and swinging it through the air in a wide circle. The unfortunate car that happened to be in the path was ripped nearly in half. "Do not grow frustrated, my son," said a voice from behind him. The winter chill suddenly vanished, and he could smell the scent of flowers and sunlight. He turned, and looked upon the glory that was his mother. Not even he could look directly at her; the light that radiated from her was too pure, too bright. "My son, my son," Amaterasu said, gently stroking his face with one slender hand. "All will be well." "But I cannot find it, mother," he said. "I have failed you again." "No," his mother said. "They tried to trick you, Tensai. Like they have always tried to trick you. Do you remember how Hibino said you two were perhaps destined to meet?" "Yes," he said, smiling at the memory of the beautiful woman he'd met this morning. He'd left her behind tonight when he went out to do his mother's work, and even now he longed to return to her. "It was so," his mother said. "I sent her dreams, that she might know of you and your duty. She was sent to help you, and she has done so, though it cost her life." "No..." Tensai whispered. "Who did this?" "The kin of the Chinese witch," his mother said gravely. "She struck down Hibino in cold blood, but not before she was able to give this to me." The ring fell from his mother's hand and landed in the snow in front of him. "Take it, my son. Take it and restore my glory." Tensai bent down and picked it up. It seemed still warm with the golden radiance of his mother. "Thank you, mother. I swear I shall take vengeance for Hibino's life." "The time for vengeance will come," his mother said. "But it is not now. Now, you must hurry, before those who would foil you arrive." "Yes, mother," Tensai said. He felt for the lines of power that he could use to guide himself to the place where it must be done, but was stopped by the light touch upon his shoulder. "No, Tensai," his mother said. "You must save your strength. It is not far." "I shall do as you say," Tensai said, bowing. His mother's smile was a glorious thing to see. "Farewell, my son. My strength is even now fading again; I cannot help you anymore. You must go alone, now, but know that I travel with you." "I know, mother," Tensai said, and he began to run, a quick, steady pace he could keep up for hours. Behind him, his mother watched him go with a gentle smile upon her lips. "It begins," she whispered delightedly. "Now, it truly begins." ********** "That's weird," Akane said as she began to walk towards the phone and Shigeki. Suddenly, she paused. There was the sound of footsteps running down the stairs, and, now that she noticed it, a strange buzzing in the air. Then it all happened at once; she looked up to see Mousse and Shampoo coming down the stairs at a high speed, their mouths open to shout words she somehow could not hear. She heard the buzzing grow to a fever pitch, so loud it was almost palpable. Then the entire house rocked as if some great hand had picked it up and shook it. From the kitchen, she heard the sound of glass breaking, and the floor rolled beneath her feet, sending her pitching to the ground to land hard on her left arm. She heard vaguely, at the edge of her senses, shouts of suprise and shock from the others. There was the sound of doors splintering and windows breaking, of murmuring voices speaking through distorted mouths, and above it all the cold, keening laughter that seemed to seep from the walls, echoing throughout the entire house.