Disclaimer: All characters are the property of their creators, so please don't sue me. This is my first fanfic, so any C&C, suggestions, or flames that you might consider sending my way would be greatly appreciated. ~Eimii PROLOGUE... "The world is a dark and empty place." Not a very original statement, but expressing the depth of Ryouga's current depression would have taken vocabulary well beyond his regular verb= al strata, and he really didn't feel like wasting the breath. Ryouga glanced again at the crumpled piece of card stock clutched tightly i= n his right hand. The words written on it appeared floating behind Ryouga's= eyes before he even had a chance to un-curl his fist. 'You, Hibiki Ryouga, are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Tendo A= kane and Saotome Ranma, and witness the joyous union of the Tendo and Saotome family lines. The ceremony will be held at noon on June 27th, 1= 996, in the Tendo Dojo. The reception will begin at 3:00 pm. Please be prom= pt and properly attired.' June 27th, three days ago. And Ryouga hadn't even set foot in Japan any time within the last week.=20 "GOD DAMN IT!!" Cried the lost boy as he drove his fist through the nearby wall, tears of rage and sadness streaming down his cheeks. A peculiar whirring sound caught his attention, and for the first time in alm= ost a week Ryouga stood back and took in his surroundings.=20 He was in a maze of some sort. Row upon row of very futuristic, and strangely organic looking modules lined the walls, all of them softly droning in unison.=20 *Well*, Thought Ryouga bitterly, *I've really done it now*. It was clear to him that, wherever he was, he was nowhere near the Tendo Dojo. *Three days...* He had received the invitation almost two months ago, and h= ad immediately set out towards the dojo in order to prevent this tragedy. A= nd yet, despite all of his determination and advanced notice, all of his ef= forts had come to naught. *Why??!! Why must I be cursed so?! What have I ever done to deserve this??* Ryouga slumped forward, suddenly unable to find the strength to go on.=20 "Oh Akane..." *Right now, because of my incompetence, you could be...you and Ranma might be.......NO!* "NOOOO!!!" Ryouga stood ramrod straight as he howled his anguish at the sky. A blinding green column of light and heat expanded outward from the lost boy's form, scorching the walls and floor. Then, as the weight of his emotions drew it downward unto the abyss of his soul, a ten meter wide sphere of light descended upon Ryouga's now kneeling form. "No..." Somewhere within the Yggdrasl central data storage archives, there was an e= xplosion. Alarm klaxions blared, and panic and chaos reigned throughout the heavens. System administration deities scrambled back and forth throughout = the Yggdrasl complex, frantically trying to locate and contain the disturba= nce. Several hours passed. Vital systems were slowly coming back on- line, but much of the archives were consumed by the yet unexplained explosion. The Yggdrasl logic systems were attempting to extrapolate from s= econdary data storage stacks, trying to fill in the gaps as quickly as poss= ible. A particularly heavily damaged archive was the personnel archives. As= many gods and goddesses were on hand at the moment, the computer asked tha= t they log into the system so that it might fill in the missing profiles. A= fter several more hours 97% of the deity profiles were sufficiently filled = in to allow for easy identification.. The last 3% were difficult, as these p= ersonnel profiles have been completely wiped, and the deities in question w= ere not available to assist.=20 Having compiled a list of unfilled positions, the computer began to access external files, in the hopes that there would be some reference to t= he occupants of the unfilled positions. This search was largely fruitless, = as most personal and performance information was immediately routed to the = personnel profiles for storage. In the end, the computer came up with nothi= ng more than a piece of office joke mail. A list of comically exaggerated p= ersonality archetypes of various deitic positions. The computer then procee= ded to scan the Yggdrasl complex for unidentified persons matching the arch= etypes of the various missing gods and goddesses. Ryouga, meanwhile, had fallen asleep in one of many gardens in the Yggdrasl complex. He was propped up at the base of a tree, snoring loudly. Ryouga was roused from his fitful sleep when a computer screen seemed to grow out of the tree trunk behind his head. Groggily rubbing his eyes, Ryouga cast an irritated expression at the offending piece of hardware. There was a prompt of some sort on it. The word [NAME:] was printed at the top of the screen, with a blinking cursor after it. Ryouga shrugged noncommittally, then decided that since he wasn't likely to get back to sleep, he might as well play along. "Hibiki Ryouga" he recited, and was pleased to find that the first line now read [NAME: HIBIKI RYOUGA]. A new prompt had appeared, just below the first. [CLASS:] Ryouga debated this in his head for several moments, then responded "Umm, Middle?" [CLASS: 2] "Er, ok." remarked Ryouga intelligently. Then yet another prompt appeared. [CATEGORY:] Ryouga's irritation was returning, as the initial novelty of this situation was beginning to wear off. He was losing valuable sleep time because this stupid tree wanted to play twenty questions! To make matters w= orse, Ryouga had absolutely no idea how to answer this latest query. "I don't know." He spat sourly to the tree. =20 [CATEGORY: 2] "Well, that was easy enough." Remarked Ryouga, as the number leapt,=20 unbidden, to the screen.=20 [LIMITED/UNLIMITED] *Hmm...must be like a True/False question. Ah well, it's a good a way to decide as any, I suppose.* Thought Ryouga, as he dug a coin out of his pocket.=20 Ryouga flipped the coin into the air, catching it halfway through its descent and slapping it on his other forearm. Glancing at the coin, Ryouga spoke to the screen, "Hea...Er, I mean Limited." [HIBIKI RYOUGA] [CLASS:2 CATEGORY:2 LIMITED] [THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION] [HAVE A NICE DAY] A blast of pure white light erupted from the computer screen, catching the = still somewhat drowsy Ryouga completely off guard.=20 Ryouga awoke several minutes later, a strange tingling sensation momentarily surging through his body before fading. After reducing the offending tree, now sans monitor, to toothpicks, Ryouga proceed to stalk off in a random direction, muttering under his breath something about "stupid trees" and "cheap shots". =20 --SHATTERED HEARTS ON THE ROAD-- ..CHAPTER ONE.. --THE EIGHTH DAY-- SUNDAY JUNE 30th, 1996 9:53 AM There are many places that are considered "holy" by the human race. The city of Jerusalem, the Great Pyramid, and the Temple of the Sun to name just a few. One of the lesser known places of divinity, however, can be found just a short trip from the campus of NIT in the greater Tokyo Bay area. A particular temple, with a beautiful cherry tree in the yard and a s= mall auto shop in the back. Within this domicile reside three Goddesses, th= e Norns, and one mortal, otherwise known as Keiichi.=20 Keiichi was presently in the auto shop reassembling, piece-by-piece, a drag= racing bike. He was rather absorbed in his work, and not of any particular= mystical interest, so we'll just switch back to the Goddesses. Skuld was hunched over a workbench in her room. She was wearing thick, darkened goggles and grinning widely to herself. Sparks flew erratically fr= om the tortured-looking device that she was working on. Several feet of wir= e connected the object to half a dozen test machines on her desk. One of th= em looked disturbingly similar to an EKG. This one indicated what would nor= mally be read as a weak but steady pulse. The device itself was _very_ roughly oblong in shape. Several dials and switches dotted the unopened side of it's outer surface. It rested approximately one foot off of the workbench, supported by four multi-jointe= d stalks affixed to what could probably be considered it's "bottom." A gristly crown of "appendages" ringed the "top" of the device, s= urrounding two eerily glowing slots. Skuld peered into an access panel on t= he side of the device, manipulating something best left undescribed with a pair of forceps and a phillips head screwdriver. "This is gonna be great." --RRIING-- "Hello, Morisato residence. Oh, Good morning sir. How are you today? I'm sorry to hear that. Yes, she is. Just a moment, I'll call her." Belldandy set down the phone and walked out of the kitchen into the living = room. Urd was lounging on the couch channel surfing, an expression of utter= boredom on her face. "Urd, could you go tell Skuld that she has a call from the office?" "Hmm? Oh, sure." Urd sighed, as her mind revived itself from a near-catatonic state. Dragging herself off of the couch, she turned and walked down the hall.=20 "Thank you Urd. Oh! One more thing: Could you ask her if she's finished fixing the toaster?" Nodding, Urd continued down the hall towards the bedrooms. Stopping in front of one particular door and, and completely ignoring the n= umerous signs posted admonishing to knock first and warning of extreme dang= er, Urd barged in to the room. -SLAM- "SKULD!! PHONE CALL!!!" Skuld, still hunched over her workbench, flinched violently, emiting a strangled cry. A small explosion echoed through the room and a malevolent l= ooking, basketball sized mushroom cloud rose from the workbench. After a few moments of absolute silence Skuld straightened and, back still = to the door, removed the goggles. "The office needs to speak with you." prodded Urd, poorly concealing the rising mirth in her voice. Turning around, Skuld favored her sister with a glare of unmasked fury, eyes narrowed and face flushed crimson, the latter evident only by the ring= s around her eyes, as the rest of her face was thoroughly blackened. Completely unimpressed, Urd was now clearly struggling to maintain her composure. As her fuming sister stalked past her, Urd turned and added, "By the way, B= elldandy wanted to know if you're done with the toaster yet."=20 Skuld seemed to deflate a bit, then glanced back at the workbench. The EKG had flatlined and several of the other test machines were emitting thin= wisps of smoke. "Yes, I suppose you could say that..." "Yes sir. We'll be there right away. Goodbye."=20 Hanging up the telephone, Skuld's expression was very worried.=20 "Well?" asked Urd expectantly. "Early this morning, someone tried to destroy the Yggdrasil system." "WHAT??! Who would even consider such a thing? It's stupid! They'd never get past security." Urd's expression changed from shock to irritation= =2E *No one should be able to do that* "Well, apparently they did. An explosive device of some sort was detonated = inside the system archives. Yggdrasil had been off-line from about one this= morning until just two hours ago." Skuld's worry had deepened slightly as = she repeated this. An expression of disbelief played across Urd's face. "Seven hours off-line = just for losing part of the Archives? That doesn't make sense."=20 "I know. Normally it wouldn't be such a big deal, but something strange hap= pened right after the bomb went off. For some reason, right after it detonated, several new varieties of bugs were spawned from the central processing core. They've been running rampant in there for the last nine hours. The system had to be shut down to prevent it from spawning progressively more virulent varieties as they eliminated the previous ones. Cutting off the affected archives seems to have helped, but there's s= till a ton of them up there." =20 Urd peered quizzically at her sister. " You're the 'system debugger.' Why d= idn't they call you earlier?" "They couldn't. They had to shut down all external lines to make sure that = the bugs didn't escape. That was a local call. One of the system administrators came down to earth to make that call, then went right back t= o heaven. We all have to go back too." "All of us? Why? Isn't getting rid of the bugs your job?" Heaving an exasperated sigh, Skuld continued. "The personnel archives were at the center of the explosion. They're gone. All available deities ar= e being summoned back to heaven to fill in some paperwork and help with the= containment."=20 "Can I help?"=20 Both goddesses turned to see Keiichi standing on the porch, Belldandy at his back with a small frown on her face. "Bug-busting is hard work Keiichi! Are you sure you're up to it?" Skuld said with a stern expression on her face. One should note that she still hadn't washed her face, so whatever dramatic effect she was attempting was = completely ruined. "I'll do all I can. It sounds like you need all the help you can get." The worried expression returned with reinforcements. Sighing, "Fine, but don't come whining to me if you get in over your head." Skuld conceded.=20 SUNDAY JUNE 30th=20 3:00 PM [CLASS:] "Second." [CATEGORY:] "Two."=20 [LIMITED/UNLIMITED] "Limited." Urd sighed from the tedium. She'd been waiting in line all afternoon for a = terminal to open. That, compounded by the monotony of the questioning, was quickly souring her opinion of the Yggdrasil Interface System. *Well, a= t least with the personnel archive gone, they can't say that I'm suspended = anymore!* Urd thought happily. -URD- "Huh?" -URD, YOU'RE HOLDING UP THE LINE. PROCEED TO BRIEFING ROOM THREE.-=20 "But Kami-sama, I'm not finished filling in the form yet." -I WILL FILL IN YOUR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND DUTY STATUS _PERSONALLY_. N= OW GO TO BRIEFING ROOM 3.- (Sigh) "Yes Lord." *Well, it was worth a try.* -YOU KNOW THAT IT WASN'T.- (Groan) A terrible racket could be heard from briefing room three. The room was cro= wded with all manner of deities, all of them either milling about or trying= to get comfortable in those awkward, lecture room style desk-seats. Sittin= g near the front were Belldandy, Keiichi, and Urd. Each one was wearing a p= air of protective goggles, and had a long handled mallet laid across his or= her shoulder. The other deities were, for the most part, similarly armed. = At the moment, Skuld was nowhere in sight. Then the room quieted as Skuld s= tepped in from the wings and took her place behind the podium at the front = of the room.=20 "Ahem. My fellow deities...", she paused here for a moment, "and Keiichi," = she continued, casting said mortal a sour glance. Several heads turned towa= rds Keiichi, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm sure you'= re all aware of the reason why we're here. Early this morning there was an = explosion in the central data archives. While normally not a critical situa= tion, for some reason a massive bug outbreak coincided with the explosion. = The bugs have corrupted several systems already, thus necessitating all the= paperwork you've been doing lately." Skuld paused purely for dramatic effe= ct, savoring the feeling that everyone in the room was hanging on her next = word.=20 "At first we had no idea why this would occur. Then we did a better analysis of the area affected by the explosion. It was not a chemical, nuclear, or mystical device that caused the damage. Instead, it was some sort of Ki bomb." Murmurs of confusion and disbelief filled the room. "Ahem." The murmurs ceased. "As I was saying, a Ki bomb releases a blast of highly concentrated spiritual energy. The archives near the epicenter of the explosion were destroyed, but this was not the real problem. The problem arose from the archives near the blast that had not been destroyed= =2E These archives had been charged and corrupted by the energy of the expl= osion. It was in this state that the central processors found them while th= ey were trying to asses the extent of the damage. When the CPU tried to acc= ess the archives, the energy and corrupted data was taken into the central = processing core. Now, as you know, bugs are spontaneously created spiritual= beings. When the spiritual energy was taken into the processor core, it wa= s transformed into several new varieties of bugs. These bugs multiplied rap= idly in the processor core, thus necessitating the shut down of the Yggdras= il system." Skuld stopped and faced the crowd. "Now, the system cannot be brought fully on-line until the bugs are eliminated. The bugs have been contained, but completely eradicating them w= ill take time and work. We are here to launch the first assault wave upon t= he bugs in the central processor core. It is vital that this area is cleare= d first, as the Yggdrasil system will not function properly until it is."= =20 The lights dimmed, and a projection appeared on the wall at the front of th= e room. It appeared to be a picture of a rather silly looking, eight legged= rabbit creature.=20 "While at least a dozen new types of bugs have been catalogued in the last = two hours, this seems to be the most common type. It is much slower than mo= st of the other types, but it takes more effort to kill." The picture switched to a grainy color video of a young red haired goddess = sneaking up on a bug quite similar in appearance to the one in the picture.= Crying loudly, the goddess pounced on the unsuspecting bug, mallet swingin= g in a long downward arc to impact with the bug's skull. The cry changed to= one of surprise as the mallet's head snapped off, and the goddess went tum= bling forward to land on her face. The bug, on the other hand, looked thoro= ughly unimpressed. The scene then cut to a different angle. The same bug wa= s shown. This time, however, the goddess was dragging behind her a _very_ l= arge, long handled mallet. It's head was almost two feet in diameter.=20 "It should be noted at this point that there is one more unusual trait that this particular type of bug exhibits. Please watch closely."=20 The goddess leaned back. Then, with a grunt of exertion, she brought the ma= llet up over her head and down onto the bug. Upon impact with the bug there= was a bright flash of green light and a deafening roar. When the light fad= ed, only a small crater remained where the bug used to be. The mallet was n= owhere in sight, but the goddess now lay on her back at the opposite end of= the room, scorched and groaning loudly. The image blinked out as Skuld ste= ped forward again. "Good luck. Try not to destroy any of them on or near the processor units. = Dismissed." A collective groan of dread escaped from the crowd.=20 MONDAY JULY 1st 11:42 AM Urd collapsed upon the couch in exhaustion. "Ohh.... It shouldn't be possible to feel this bad without being mortally wounded..." She turned over and closes her eyes. *Two whole days...* The battle against the bugs in her sector had been a stalemate for the entire first day. The things kept springing up as fast as they could destroy them. Taking into account the wallop those suckers packed when you actually did kill them, and...well, let's just say that the deities in = processor bank 243D7X34 were in less than high spirits by the day's end. *Then that psycho with the umbrella shows up and starts bashing the things = left and right. Must've been some sort of war god, though I've never heard = of any war god who 'effortlessly crushes his foes, mightily swinging his ho= ly transuranic umbrella.'*=20 The bug population in sector 243D7X34 had declined sharply on the second day of operation "Hammer Time," until late that evening , when the s= ector had been declared "clean." The responsible deities had then been allo= wed to go about their own business, which usually involved immediately find= ing somewhere to curl up and hibernate. The system administrators had not been terribly pleased with the amount of damage the sector had suffered. But, as no-one could locate the umbrella wielding god responsible, the rest were let off with only a minor = reprimand. *I wonder when Belldandy and Keiichi are going to get back.* They had been assigned to a much larger group of deities in one of the inner processor banks. When last Urd had checked the score, they had been doing only slightly better than her group had been on the first day. --|-- Belldandy quietly waved for Keiichi to come closer. Keiichi, who was peering around a corner to their left, tiptoed to her. "Keiichi, there's one over there." Belldandy whispered to him, pointing to = an alcove down the hall and to the right. Keiichi noded, and readied his mallet. Keiichi's present weapon different markedly from the mallet he had in the b= riefing room. First, there was a small blast shield affixed near the middle= of the handle. Second, the rear end of the head seemed to be hollowed out,= the cavity glowing slightly red. Finally, Near Keiichi's hands the mallet = handle had a single, trigger-like button on the grip. *I hope this works better than some of Skuld's inventions.* prayed Keiichi = as he crept up to the alcove. Just as he was about to round the corner, a l= oud explosion echoed through the hall, bits of wall and computer flying out= of the alcove. Keiichi ducked for cover as a young man came bounding out o= f the alcove, followed by a swarm of bugs.=20 "STOP FOLLOWING ME!!" the man bellowed, turning on his pursuers. Raising his arm, he swung an _umbrella?_ down into the massed crowd of bugs= =2E Frantically, Keiichi tackled Belldandy to the ground, shielding her wit= h his body just as one of the bugs exploded. When the flash dissipated, the= y turned to see the young man, who appeared to be completely unfazed, glari= ng at the remaining bugs, which were now scattered around the room. With a = final glance, he took off down the corridor. The bugs quickly regrouped to = resume the chase, leaving behind a stunned Belldandy and Keiichi. "What do you suppose that was?" asked Keiichi, after he finally succeeded i= n finding his voice. Belldandy, unable to formulate any kind of explanation, just shook her head in bewilderment. =20 =20 --|--=20 Urd sighed sullenly. *Well, they'll get back when they do, I suppose.* TUESDAY JULY 2nd 5:00 PM "We're home! Urd, are you here?" Urd woke suddenly from her peaceful slumber, and turned in the direction of Keiichi's voice. This was a mistake, as several muscles she hadn't previously been aware that she had immediately decided to make their presence known. "Urgh...In here." she called from the living room. Keiichi and Belldandy looked terribly haggard as they entered the room. Keiichi's eyes were bloodshot and underlined with dark rings. His hair and = clothes were a mess, and he listed slightly to his left side. Belldandy, th= ough not as disheveled, also seemed to be having trouble standing. *Lord, I hope I don't look as bad as those two.* "So, what took you?" she said, trying to keep Belldandy awake long enough f= or Keiichi to lead her to her room "What took us? We were the second group to finish!" declared Keiichi. "Actually it would have taken much longer, but something weird happened last night, about the time your group finished." "Let me guess. Some insane god swinging an umbrella stormed through your sector bashing the hell out of everything in sight." quipped Urd, sounding like she had repeated this statement several times before. "Something like that." Keiichi replied, examining Urd closely."How did you = know?" "He was probably on his way out of my sector when you met him." "Really?" asked Belldandy faintly. "Do you know his name? The system administrators would like to have some words with him." "Sorry sis. He never told us, and he disappeared right after the job was done."=20 "Sounds familiar." Keiichi muttered. " Well, it looks like I'd better get B= elldandy here to bed."=20 As he turned them towards the hall, Keiichi suddenly paused and started digging in his pockets. He fished out a computer disk and set it on the table. "I almost forgot. This is for you from one of the administrators." W= ith that, he turned back to Belldandy and began slowly guiding her down the= hall. Urd, against her better judgement, attempted to sit up so that she could examine the disk. One hundred million nerves throughout her body decided to light bonfires of protest.=20 She paused for almost a minute, waiting for the ache to subside, then continued in increments, until she was standing stiffly with the disk in hand. "This had better be good." she growled, as she tottered unsteadily towards Skuld's room. She paused at the door, smirking slightly at the mess. Then, giving the "toaster" a wide berth, she made her way to the computer.. After opening the only file on the disk, Urd carefully read over the simple text message. Urd read it over twice, trying hard not to laugh out l= oud in self pity. "They got me out of bed for _THIS_??!" She read it over once more, just to be sure. [To: Urd Norn: Goddess of the Past Class: 2 Category: 2 Limited It has come to our attention that you are presently unassigned, and thus are free to assist us in a very important matter. We are presently unable to locate one: Hibiki Ryouga God of Unrequited Love Class: 2 Category: 2 Limited We believe him to be somewhere on earth. His name suggests that he is perhaps based in Japan, although his current assignment is also unknown. It would be a great help to us if you would endeavor to locate our Mr. Hibiki at the earliest possible convenience, and direct him back to the processing office so that we might update our files on him. We thank you in advance for your cooperation. Have a nice day. From: Mihrna System Administrator Goddess of Messengers Class: 2 Category:1 Limited]=20 *They have _got_ to be kidding.* Urd thought to herself. *They didn't even = include a cursory physical description!* "How do they expect me to find this guy if they haven't got any real idea w= here he is, and they won't even give me a picture of him? This is a joke, t= hat's what it is. One of those jerks in sys. admin. is making fun of me bec= ause I'm stuck here on suspension." She snarled the screen. "Well, I'm not = buying it! They're just going to have to find some other way to amuse thems= elves."=20 Urd popped the disk out of the drive and stalked off towards her room. Or, = at least she started to stalk off. At this point her muscles declared, unde= r no uncertain terms, that they weren't going anywhere without a fight. The= net effect was a rather painful lurch that truly _wanted_ to stalk. And so= Urd, mission received, acknowledged, and ignored, collapsed on her bed, br= uised but triumphant. *I'm not leaving this spot for the rest of the week, = no matter what anybody says.* SATURDAY JUNE 30th 7:17 AM A dirty, bedraggled figure shambled down a well-worn cobblestone street. Joggers and the like skirted around the stranger, making warding gestures a= nd hurrying along. From time to time his tattered dusk cloak would flap in = the wind, seeming to writhe and lash out with a life of it's own. The hood = of the cloak was pulled over the stranger's head, shielding his features fr= om the rising sun.=20 Stopping for a moment, the stranger peered intently at his surroundings. *I= know this place.* The stranger unlimbered his heavy pack and dropped it ro= ughly to the ground, mindless of the cloud of dust this raised. *This is the resort town where the Inn of the Vengeful Spirit Doll is.* The stranger's stomach growled loudly. *Maybe they'll let me chop wood for = food again. A soak in one of the hot springs would be nice too..* The stranger pulled back his hood, revealing the dirty, tired face of Hibiki Ryouga. He sighed morosely. "No. I have to find the Tendo Dojo. I still might have time to stop them. I wouldn't be surprised if they had to = postpone the wedding. Things can happen. Heck, knowing Ranma, they almost _have_ to happen." *Still*, a small voice chimed in the back of Ryouga's mind, *Eight days is a long time.* Ryouga quashed the voice immediately.=20 "Well, at least I'm in Japan." "RYOUGA-KUN!!"=20 Ryouga stopped, for a moment not being able to believe his good fortune. He turned in the direction of the voice. Akane wass standing there, wearing a flowing yellow sun dress and a smile. = She raised her hand, waveing to get his attention.=20 "Akane-san!"=20 *She's here! I'm not too late!* Ryouga rushed across the street to meet her.=20 "Akane-san. I'm so glad I found you." *I've got to tell her my feelings so = that she can call off the wedding.* Ryouga looked deep into Akane's shining brown eyes, trying to summon the courage to open his heart to her. = For a moment his consciousness swam in those twin pools of warmth, unwilling to ruin the moment with words.=20 "We were all worried about you Ryouga. We missed you at the wedding." Akane answered.=20 Ryouga's reverie shattered as a swirling vortex threatened to pull him under. "..wedding..?" he said weakly, unable to summon much more than a whisper. "Of course!" Akane replied cheerily. "Didn't you get an invitation?" "But...but you're here. How...?" Ryouga managed, frantically grasping at anything he could find as his hopes and dreams crumbled around him, each jagged shard cutting away part of his soul. "The wedding was eight days ago Ryouga. We're on our honeymoon now!" Akane's smile widened as she held up her hand for Ryouga to see. Numbly looking down, Ryouga noticed a gold ring on Akane's finger. Two interlaced bands of white gold, worked to flow around a single small, perfect diamond. Tiny leaves and thorns were etched into the surface of the bands, all seeming to lead towards the diamond in the center.=20 "Yo! Mr. P! Long time no see buddy." A hand clapped down on Ryouga's shoulder.=20 "You shouldn't tease him like that Ranma!" Akane said as she lowered her hand, none of the usual venom in her voice.=20 "Ranma circled around him, his hands behind his back. "He deserves it. He w= as _supposed_ to be the best man, but what does he do? He doesn't even both= er to show up. Where the hell did you go this time, P-chan?"=20 "It's not his fault Ranma." Akane admonished. Then she seemed to realize something. "What did you just call him?"=20 "P-chan! You know! Little, black side of bacon with a bandanna and no sense of direction?"=20 "I know my P-chan. But why are you calling Ryouga that?" "Because of this!" Ranma suddenly brought his right hand around in a wide a= rc, passing it a foot front of Ryouga's face.=20 Ryouga, still stunned and broken, failed to dodge the ice water that splashed from the glass in Ranma's hand. The cold shock brought him back to his senses, and he looked up from his new position at the quickly changing expression on Akane's face. "P-..P-chan?" Akane stuttered, confusion and horror warring across her features.=20 Ranma whipped around to the side, producing a kettle from somewhere. Ryouga squealed in terror as the stream of hot water hit, his cry quickly b= ecoming more human in tone before dying in his throat.=20 Akane stood stock still as Ryouga quickly re-clothed himself. He licked his lips. "Akane, I can explain..." He said, not looking up.=20 "EXPLAIN?!?!" came the reply. Ryouga raised his head to see Akane's face. The confusion and horror were now replaced by a mask of pure rage. "HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN?!?!" Ryouga shrank back from the onslaught. " I treated you as a friend! And you used me!! You betrayed my t= rust and my privacy! What kind of sicko are you?!" Then a thought seemed to= occur to her. If Ryouga could have screamed, he would have, as Akane's exp= ression suddenly darkened in hate.=20 "You listened to my most private thoughts. And I brought you to bed with me. Every time I held p-chan, I was holding you. And you never tried to resist, never once tried to tell me. You're not a man. You're not even a pig. You're a monster." Akane's voice had been getting steadily louder as R= youga felt every last shred of his humanity being stripped away.=20 "I HATE YOU!" Ryouga flinched as if struck, but Akane never moved a hair. "I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN!" With that, she spun on her heel= and stormed off. Ranma favored him with an amused smirk before following. When he caught up with Akane, he placed an arm around her shoulders. Akane, rather than hitting him, responded by wrapping her arm around his waist. They walked quickly down the street, neither of them ever looking back.=20 Ryouga didn't notice. *Akane hates me.* He was too drained to cry. He felt = as though his chest was going to cave in, nothing left inside to support it= any longer. Her words echoed through his mind, reverberating and redoublin= g themselves until the words "I HATE YOU" rang out clear and deafening, bla= sting away his last vestige of conscious thought.=20 "AKANE!!!!" An animal cry shattered the windows of the shops up and down the street. What followed was a sound that would make the denizens of the darkest pits of hell cringe. A soul chilling wail of pure despair that no beast of = this or any other earth should ever have been able to produce. A seven kil= ometer high column of white flame lanced towards the heavens from the cente= r of town. The denizens of the town were thankfully blasted to ash instanta= neously. Not so lucky were those in the outlying countryside. There, the pe= ople watched helpless as a new sun strove to escape the bonds of gravity, a= nd failed. They survived several moments longer as it fell, brilliant and u= nstoppable, the wrath of the gods unleashed upon the earth.=20 "AKANE!!"=20 Ryouga sat up violently, knocking over the small hooded lantern that he had set beside his sleeping bag. His breathing was quick and ragged, and his clothes were soaked with sweat. He looked frantically back and forth, s= earching for the blasted town. Searching for Akane. Then he remembered wher= e he was. *It was only a dream.* He breathed a sigh of relief, still badly shaken. "it was only a dream." Repeating it aloud seemed to help a bit. *Akane doesn't hate me. I still have time.* After repeating this to himself several times, Ryouga looked around his campsite. In the early light of the morning, Ryouga could tell that something was definitely wrong.=20 He was still in the humid, swampy region that he had set up camp in. But he had set up camp in an old growth region. His camp site had been surrounded by large, ancient trees. While the trees around him now were certainly not saplings, they were clearly not the same. Sometime in the night, somebody must have moved him to a new growth region. The natives? He= had not seen any in the last day, but it was not impossible. *At least it looks like they left me all my gear.* he thought uneasily. But it = was a matter for another time. Right now, the need to get to Tokyo overrode= all other concerns. So, with his gear packed and the rising sun at his bac= k, a determined Ryouga set off for Japan. FRIDAY JULY 5th 11:30 AM "Skuld-san." "Skuld, who was lounging tiredly in a chair in the administrative lobby, looked up to see Mihrna, one of the system administration goddesses, running up to her.=20 "Don't tell me they broke into sector 001C1A24 again." A pained expression crossed Skuld's face. "I don't think I could move another inch i= f I wanted to." "No, sector 001C1A24 is fine." Mihrna conceded, but her violet eyes reflected deep concern. "What is it then?" "Some of the guys in records think they've found a match for the energy pattern in the explosion and in these new bugs." Mihrna took a seat next to Skuld and handed her a data pad. Accepting it, Skuld noted that Mihrna's expression was anything but pleased. While it was not unusual for the Goddess of Messengers to be depressed, as she tended to be the bearer of bad news, Mihrna was looking e= specially uncomfortable just now. "What's wrong? You look like your mother = just died." "Just look at the file."=20 Intrigued, Skuld scanned down the information on the data pad. It was a historical record taken from the Ultimate Force System archives. [ At precisely 7:17:24 am, earth relative time, on Saturday June 30th, 1908, the Ultimate Force System was engaged without authorization by an unknown party. The access point was in the Earth realm, 101 E by 62 N, in t= he Central Siberian Peninsula. The area is known as the Tunguska region. A = column of spiritual energy was projected to an altitude of 7.6 kilometers, where it stopped and collected for 1.7 seconds. A barrier was e= rected around the resultant sphere of force, in the hopes of containing it.= The barrier fell .02 seconds after it was erected, when the sphere moved i= nto contact with it and destabilized.=20 The resultant explosion created a wave of superheated plasma which expanded outward with an estimated explosive force of 40 megatons. A 26 kilometer radius was affected by the blast. Everything in that area was effectively leveled. A 10 kilometer radius near the epicenter of the blast = immediately flashed into flame due to the intense heat. In total, 1000 sq.k= m. of forrest was consumed by the fires. Since that time, plant species growing in the 2150 sq.km. effected region have displayed increased growth rates and incidence of genetic mutation. No Deitic or Demonic force has ever been implicated in the incident. No trace of the perpetrator was ever found, though an analysis of temporal flux at location of the incident suggests that the perpetrator = may have fled the era some time during or after the incident.] Skuld looked up from the printout. "I'd never heard of this before. What does this have to do with our present dilemma?"=20 "The archives are temporally aligned with the mortal plane. Relative to=20 us, this incident occurred less than five hours ago. The energy signature o= f the Tunguska incident matches perfectly with the energy traces found both= in the archives and in the new bugs." Skuld felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. "You don't think it could be...?"=20 Fear painted Mihrna's face. Skuld suspected that she looked about the same. Mihrna nodded solemnly. "This is very bad..." whispered Skuld, voicing their mutual thoughts. FRIDAY JULY 5th 11:47 AM A terrible keening sound emitted from Skuld's room. It easily penetrated throughout the temple grounds, scaring off the birds in the yard and roughly waking the temple's single slumbering occupant. Urd pressed the pillows harder to the sides of her head. It didn't help. "AARGH!!" *When I get through with whatever is making that noise it will wish it had been the toaster.* Urd thought crossly as she stumbled out of h= er room in her nightgown and hurried down the hall. Skuld's room was still in its previous state of disarray. Urd immediately s= tubbed her toe on something and growled several rather unprintable imprecat= ions. *I'm going to have a talk with that brat as soon as she gets back.* The culprit turned out to be Skuld's computer which was, in addition to producing the horrible noise, constantly flashing a bright yellow [EMERGENCY] sign on its screen.=20 Urd roughly pounded the keyboard and the keening ceased. The emergency sign was replaced by a message marked [URGENT] and printed in bright red letters. [ ATTENTION ALL EARTH BOUND DEITIES. A STATE OF EXTREME EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED. THE PERPETRATOR OF THE RECENT ATTACK UPON THE YGGDRASIL COMPUTER SYSTEM IS BELIEVED TO BE A ROGUE DEITY.] Urd paled noticeably at this, but continued reading. [ THIS PERSON, WHO HAS ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION ACCESSED THE ULTIMATE FORCE SYSTEM WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, IS BELIEVED TO SOMEWHERE ON EARTH, TIME PERIOD JULY 1996. ALL AVAILABLE DEITIES ARE ORDERED TO CONDUCT A BLANKET SEARCH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. AN ENERGY TRACE SIGNATURE IS INCLUDED WITH THIS MESSAGE TO ALLOW FOR IDENTIFICATION. ALL DEITIES ARE ORDERED TO REPORT IN AND WAIT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS IMMEDIATELY UPON LOCATION. CONTACT IS TO BE USED ONLY AS A LAST RESORT. CLASS THREE OR LESSER DEITIES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO RETREAT SHOULD CONTACT SEEM IMMANENT. THIS PERSON IS TO BE CONSIDERED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. (S)HE IS SUSPECTED TO BE CAPABLE OF SPIRITUAL PROJECTION, TEMPORAL SHIFTING, AND UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS OF THE ULTIMATE FORCE. WE AGAIN ENCOURAGE THE UTMOST CAUTION. THIS IS A CRITICAL SITUATION, AND MUST BE ATTENDED TO IMMEDIATELY. GOOD LUCK TO YOU, AND GODSPEED.] Urd slumped into the chair as she finished the message. *A rogue god...* The very idea was abhorrent. And one that could summon the Ultimate Force at will! *No. Mustn't think like that. They didn't say that.* Slowly walking down the hall, Urd cast a worried glance at Belldandy's room as she proceeded towards her own. *Belldandy and Keiichi went to the beach for the weekend. And Skuld's still in heaven...* She sat on her bed for several minutes, mulling over the situation at hand. Then, standing and summoning her clothes, she marched towards the living room. "Alright. Let's see that rogue god just try to destroy my city= =2E" *God, I wish I was as confident as that sounded.* Marler clicked off her small laptop computer and leaned back in the park bench, contemplating. *Heaven net is being really sloppy with their transmission encoding lately. I wonder what's going on.* =20 Marler's computer vanishes in a puff of acrid smoke, much to the surprise o= f several park-goers. But Marler is too deep in thought to notice their loo= ks.=20 *A rogue god, huh? That could prove very useful.* Marler smiled to herself = then. A smile of the truly wicked. The sort of smile that suddenly erupts i= nto maniacal laughter. But Marler really wasn't mad enough to get it right,= so she just smiled as she stood up and walked out of the park.=20 *And when I bring him to hell after I deal with those goddesses, I'll bet t= hey give me a raise and a promotion to boot.* She was tempted to laugh, but= held it in for later. *Gotta find `im first.* Here's chapter two. Again, all characters are property of their creators, and all of them, except perhaps mine, are being used without permission, so please don't sue me. Any C&C, suggestions, or flames will gladly be recieved. ~Eimii --SHATTERED HEARTS ON THE ROAD-- ..CHAPTER TWO.. -ECHOES- SUNDAY JULY 7th, 1996 6:45 AM A ragged, shadowy figure trudged down an empty, suburban street. his echoing footfalls pierced the otherwise perfect silence of the still morning air. The morning was crisp and damp, mist still hanging in the twilight of pre-dawn. The figure stopped, extending his senses in all directions. He turned and s= lowly scanned the street from under the drawn hood of his dust cloak. The c= loak seemed to sense his agitation, rippling and writhing in some unfelt ru= sh of wind. But the stranger didn't notice *Something is following me.* Warily, the stranger turned back to the street ahead and continued walking. *Could it be them? Have they found me again?* His presence sense piqued again, but he schooled himself to calm, waiting f= or the proper moment. Unconsciously he clenched his right hand into a tight= fist.=20 *Why?! Why must they follow?! Why can't they leave me in peace?!* A flicker of motion in the corner of his right eye interrupted his thoughts.. He turned, instinctively drawing his weapon. A blur streaked across his field of vision, rising from the ground into the air just as his weapon struck the spot at which it had been standing. A crash rang through the air as debris flew in all directions. In less than the space of a single thought the stranger was leaping into the crater that his weapon had made. In midair he spun to the right. His weapon, which was held upward in his right hand, was brought down and around then back up again in a long tilted circle. As he landed, his backhand swing caught t= he blur as it descended from its leap. For a moment frozen in time, the stranger could see the multi-legged monstrosity that was his pursuer. Then the creature flashed into blinding green light and exploded. A titanic roar shattered the last of the morning's calm as a solid wall of = air coursed down the street. When the air calmed the figure lowered his wea= pon, but kept it readily in hand. Once again he scanned his surroundings.=20 The wall that he had been walking along had a seven foot hole in it. He could hear the sounds of the rubble settling. It mingled with the barks of = the neighborhood dogs and the angry protestations of the rudely awakened ci= tizenry. But the presence was gone. *Only one. Maybe the last one?* The stranger heaved a bone-weary sigh and replaced his weapon. Then, slowly, he resumed his journey. As he pressed deeper into the suburbs, his = mind alerted him to another sensation. It wasn't a presence, but he stopped to peer around just in case.=20 He couldn't recall that he had ever felt anything like this before. Yet, somehow, the sensation was hauntingly familiar. It was a heavy, oppressive = feeling. It seemed to drag at part of his soul. But it didn't seen to origi= nate from inside of him. Rather, it was like an echo, if something unheard = could have an echo. It resonated with part of his being that he knew quite = well. A part that felt the walls crumble, a part that flourished in the dar= kest hours of his life. Now he knew what he was feeling. It was despair.=20 As he puzzled through this familiar yet alien sensation, the figure unconsciously began to walk, the echo drawing him onward. As he walked, the sensation became clearer. The sorrow was as deep as he had ever felt himself. Such agony was it that even its echo seemed to gnaw at his soul. H= e probed further in morbid fascination. *I must be going insane. There's no= way this sort of thing can happen.* Yet, try as he might, he couldn't deny= that this emotion was as real as his own. His feet halted of their own accord before a medium sized building. Startled out of his distraction, the stranger looked around. He was in a shopping area of some sort. Closed shops lined both sides of the still quiet and empty street. The shop he stood before seemed to be a=20 restaurant. *This looks familiar.* The stranger backed away a couple of steps and looked up at the sign above = the door. *Ucchan's. But why would this feeling be coming from here?* Suddenly, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. *No...No, it can't be...* The stranger sprang forward and started banging feverishly on the door of t= he restaurant. "Ukyou!! Ukyou, are you in there?! Open the door!!"=20 -|-|- Ukyou woke with a start, the dream thankfully fading quickly. All too soon, however, it was replaced by harsh reality. She curled up on her bed, = not wanting to face the world. As she tried to puzzle out what had woken he= r so early, she heard a banging from the direction of the restaurant downst= airs.=20 "Ukyou!! Open the door!!" The words carried through her window. Stumbling to her feet, she looked out the window down onto the street below. Whomever was making the racket was standing too close to the door for her to see them. The banging = started again.=20 *Damn it, can't they see I'm closed?!* Ukyou was in no mood for this sort of thing. She was feeling awful. Her whole world had been crumbling around her for more than a week now. Why couldn't she have any peace? She wrapped a bath robe around herself and hefted her combat spatula. Who ever it was, they were in for quite a bit more than breakfast this morning.=20 As she reached the bottom of the stairs the banging stopped, but Ukyou could see that the person had not left. Holding her spatula at waist level = in her right hand, she unlocked the door. Then, swinging the door open, she= trust forward quickly with the spatula. She was surprised when the figure = in the door caught it, and was almost pulled off balance when he quickly ya= nked it away.=20 Steadying her footing, she glared angrily at her visitor. He was wearing a = large backpack, soft cloth shoes, and loose brown pants which were bound wi= th leather cords around the calves. The rest of his clothing was covered by= a tattered, dark brown dust cloak. The hood of the cloak was drawn over hi= s head, his face hidden by the shadows within. The ripped ends of the cloak= streamed and curled around his legs, seeming to reach for her in the breez= e blowing through the open door. But Ukyou felt no breeze. Despite herself,= Ukyou shivered and backed up a step.=20 "What the hell was that for?!" the figure said, hefting Ukyou's spatula in = his left hand.=20 *Wait. That voice...* Ukyou's mind snapped into focus. *That voice is familiar. And is that an umbrella on his pack?* "Ryouga?" "Who'd you think it was?" Ryouga said, pushing back the hood of his cloak. = "Can I come in?" Ukyou nodded and made way. As Ryouga entered the restaurant, he handed the spatula back to Ukyou. Accepting it, Ukyou immediately smashed Ryouga upside the head. Ryouga, for his part, blinked once or twice and looked back at Ukyou. "Hmm? Is there something wrong, Ukyou?" Ukyou shifted her gaze from the head shaped dent in her spatula back to Ryouga, a very irritated look on her face. "Do you know what time it is you moron?! What's the big idea, banging on my door like that?!" Ukyou hissed as she tried to press the dent back out. *She'll think I'm a nut if I tell her the truth. She might be right, considering how ludicrous it sounds.* "I was just passing through town. Thi= s is the first place I recognized." he said lamely.=20 Ukyou gave up trying to fix the dent and sat down on a stool in front of th= e grill. "It's seven in the morning you jackass. Couldn't you have possibly= waited outside until later?" "You're usually open for the morning crowd. I was wondering if something was wrong." *Yeah, that sounds good.* Ryouga congratulated himself on his quick thinking as he sat down on a stool near Ukyou. When his hand brushed the counter, he noticed that it was covered with a fine layer of du= st. He looked around the room. All of the tables were in a similar state; a= t least, those still intact were. Several of the tables looked as though th= ey had been chopped for kindling. Most of the chairs looked like they had b= een used as blunt instruments; they lay in crumbled heaps on the floor. Ryo= uga could make out numerous gouges in the walls, as well as one or two fist= sized holes. In all the room, only the grill seemed to be in order. "There isn't anything wrong, is there?" Ryouga hoped vainly, but the feelin= g persisted. *Please let it be my imagination.* Ukyou looked away and didn't answer. The room was silent for several moments, until Ryouga's empty stomach decided to make itself known. Ryouga flushed slightly with embarrassment as a loud growl filled the room. Seizing the chance to change the subject, Ukyou stared at Ryouga for a second before speaking. "Sheesh hon, when was the last time you ate something?" Ukyou stood and walked around the grill. As she walked, she examined Ryouga more closely. His clothing and pack were covered in a fine layer of = dust and road dirt. On his face and hands the dust had mixed with sweat, ca= king his features with grime. *I wonder where he went this time.* "Ryouga, = you're an absolute mess." "I've been traveling for more than two months straight. I haven't exactly h= ad time to worry about how I look." "I'll get something for you to wipe your face with after I finish making breakfast. I'm wide awake now, thanks to you." Ukyou said as she turned to prepare the ingredients for a breakfast okonomiaki. "Thanks. Um, no pork please." "You got it." Ryouga watched as Ukyou skillfully prepared the okonomiaki. Somehow, the image didn't seem right. He'd watched her many times before, as Ukyou o= ften gave him free lunches when he returned from his travels. She had alway= s seemed so vibrant, so alive whenever she practiced her art. Sometimes she would hum a tune, or joke, or simply smile to herself. Now, s= he seemed so... so subdued; listless. She went through the motions precisely, mechanically. There was none of the usual vigor or flair that sh= e normally displayed. Ryouga could tell that something was troubling her. S= till, he struggled to accept that what this tugging at his soul had been te= lling him was true. What could make Ukyou like this? "Here 'ya go."=20 Ryouga started as Ukyou set an okonomiaki before him, then sat back down on her stool and began eating her own okonomiaki.=20 "Huh? Oh, thanks." They ate in silence for several minutes, neither one willing to break the u= nspoken tableau. Then, unable to bear the weight of it any longer, Ukyou sp= oke up. "So, where have you been trying to get to for the last two months?" "I've been trying to find the Tendo Dojo. I have to stop that damn wedding."=20 *My god, he doesn't know.* "Um, Ryouga..." Ukyou began, struggling to say the words; unwilling to hear them herself. "Yes, what is it?" Ryouga looked at Ukyou. Her face was beginning to show some of the sadness that he had felt in her. The pain had become much more distinct, much sharper when he had mentioned the wedding. Ryouga's own fear and depression surged as a thought occurred to him. *No, please don't let it be so. Please don't say....* "The wedding was ten days ago. Akane and Ran-chan are...married." Ukyou paused again, her will almost failing her. *I will not break down in = front of Ryouga, I won't.* "No...it can't be. How...?" Ryouga pleaded, his voice barely a whisper. He = could feel the dark tide rising, from within and without, threatening to da= sh his heart of glass upon the rocks. He could only sit numbly as the walls= of his world crumbled around him again. *How could it happen?* Ukyou wasn't sure of that herself. She had been at t= he ceremony, and still she had trouble believing it. *Ran-chan...* In the beginning, two months ago, she had been certain that it would fail. = There was no way her Ran-chan could choose Akane over her. None. Considering the invitation, it had to be another plot by their fathers. Uky= ou didn't believe for a second that Ranma would actually go through with it= =2E Then, he came.=20 One night, as she was closing up shop, Ranma came to her. At first she had = been delighted that Ran-chan had come to visit her; at first. Then, against= all odds, he had tried to explain his feelings for her, and for Akane. Uky= ou had sat mute the entire time as Ranma awkwardly tried to articulate his = feelings, trying to make the blow as gentled as possible. He didn't love he= r; not it that special way that she had cherished him for the last year. He= loved Akane. Why?=20 Ranma had left when he couldn't get a response from Ukyou after five minutes of trying. As he walked out the door, part of her walked off with h= im. Then the tears had come. She had cried herself to sleep that night, and= nearly every night thereafter.=20 Ukyou had turned to her work, trying to drive the thoughts of Ranma from her mind. It hadn't worked. Every day was torture; every night was hell. He= couldn't mean it, she had told herself. It couldn't be true. But the since= rity of Ranma's words and Ukyou's own subconscious doubts had already weake= ned her resolve beyond repair.=20 The final blow had come a month before the wedding. She hadn't seen much of Ranma lately. He had stopped coming to her restaurant for free meals. He seemed to be avoiding her. Then, one day, he walked in the door. With Akane. Anger, pain, and jealousy fought for control of Ukyou as she saw her: the girl who has stolen her Ran-chan. They had walked in hand-in-hand. As Ukyou watched, she could see the subtle signals that passed between them. Ranma was obviously nervous. Akane was too, but she steeled herself and gave Ranma's hand a squeeze, trying to lend him her= strength. They stood for several moments, gathering themselves for what wa= s to come. Ukyou's last hope died. As she stood behind the grill, broken an= d alone, Akane broached the question: As it was going to be a western style= wedding, she was going to need bride's maids. Would Ukyou be willing to do= that for her?=20 Ukyou had just stood, the coldness settling in her.. Then she had looked at= Ranma. He tried to put on a friendly smile. For Ukyou, it was like a tiny = flame, beckoning to her through a raging storm. She agreed. Akane and Ranma= had relaxed slightly then, each had given her a reassuring hug. They talke= d of the ceremony and of inconsequentials, Ukyou basking in the warmth of t= he affection between Ranma and Akane. Then they had to go. Ukyou had seen t= hem to the door and bid them farewell, and was alone again. The coldness returned, and this time there was no light, no warmth. = Just the empty pit of her soul, into which all of the joy of her life had j= ust descended into darkness.=20 The time had flown by until the wedding. Ukyou went through the motions of living, but was not really there. The day had come, and she had gone to = the dojo to prepare. She never did figure out how they had prevented the Ku= nous or Happosai or Cologne and Shampoo from interfering, but no disturbances arose as they readied themselves. Mousse was there, serving as= best man in lieu of Ryouga, though he looked as though he would really rat= her have been elsewhere. Ukyou, on the other hand, had nowhere else to be.= =20 Beyond all expectations, the ceremony had gone off without a hitch. Ukyou h= ad lingered at the reception for about an hour, then departed, explaining t= hat she had to open the restaurant. She said goodbye to Ranma and Akane, wi= shing them well, and had returned to her restaurant. She closed the door, a= nd didn't open it again for a week. After releasing her frustrations, she w= ould just lie in bed and let the emptiness consume her. When she had finall= y left the restaurant, after having gone two days without food, she had lea= rned that Ranma and Akane had left right after the reception, and that nobo= dy knew where they had gone. The Tendos and Mr. Saotome had left then as we= ll, going to visit some of Mr. Tendo's relatives in Hokkaido. They weren't = due back for a few weeks, and nobody had any idea when Ranma and Akane woul= d return.=20 As Ukyou looked up at Ryouga, she suddenly realized that she had been reminiscing aloud. The ashen expression on Ryouga's face could have been carved from stone. Ukyou couldn't tell whether he was breathing or not. *Oh no...Don't tell me he's dead.* "Ryouga? Ryouga, are you alright?" Ryouga heard his name being called. Slowly, he turned to face the sound. Ukyou looked so fragile, just then; like an errant breeze could blow her away, destroying her forever. Ryouga knew why. He could feel her depression growing with his own as she told her story. He could feel her heart shatter into a billion pieces alongside his. Now the dark tide stood = at its highest, towering greater than it ever had before. As it threatened = to crash down upon him, scouring him from existence, he had one final fleet= ing moment of lucidity. "Excuse me." Ukyou watched as the stone facade crumbled. Even as he drew himself up, Ryouga seemed to sink deeper into the abyss. When he seemed to feel that his legs would support him, Ryouga walked out the door of the restaurant and into the middle of the street. There, he gazed up at the sky. Tears streaked down his dirty cheek, the grime not hiding the look of utter hopelessness on his face. Ukyou could feel the anguish radiating from him a= s he raised his palms to the sky, looking as though he supported the entire= weight of the world above his head. "AKAANEEE!!!!"=20 Ryouga's cry rang through the morning air like the hammer of god striking t= he earth. It continued to reverberate as a column of white light lanced up = from the lost boy's outstretched palms and into the heavens above. A thunde= rclap shook the street as the air around Ryouga blasted outward. Then, with= the screech of tearing metal, the air began to spiral upward along the bea= m of light. The windows of the shops along the street exploded outward as t= he air pressure around the cyclone plummeted. The Ucchan was spared, as it'= s door was open, though Ukyou had to brace herself against the door frame t= o keep from being blown into the street.=20 -]()[- High above Tokyo, MHI multi-purpose satellite XLB-117c watched and waited. It was equipped with the most advanced defense system that money could buy. Armed with laser cannons, scores of missiles, photo-reflective a= rmor plating, and a powerful electromagnetic p-beam deflector, it could def= end itself from nearly any menace that it might confront. It was blasted to= vapor in less than a second, it's particles scattering like autumn leaves = on the solar wind.=20 -]()[- After about ten seconds, the beam subsided. Ryouga knelt silently in the street, weeping. He let his arms fall to his sides and pitched forward. Uky= ou caught him before his head hit the ground.=20 "C'mon hon. Let's get you inside." she said as she lifted the lost boy to h= is feet. "Hurry up. If anyone see's us, they'll probably try to make us pay= for the windows." "I'm sorry..." "Shh, don't worry about it. Now move your feet." Ukyou led the unsteady Ryouga into the restaurant and set him down in a chair, then went back to close the door. When she turned to him again, Ryouga was looking at her in an odd way, his eyes seeming to peer beyond her face and into her soul. His gaze made her uncomfortable, but Ukyou stared right back at him. "What are you looking at?" "It hurts, doesn't it? Will it ever stop...?" Ryouga whispered, an expressi= on of deep understanding and sympathy mingling with the despair in his feat= ures.=20 Ukyou's knees gave, forcing her to collapse into a nearby chair. New tears = welling up in her eyes, all she could do was look at Ryouga and shake her h= ead. "I don't know..." -|-|- Mihrna wasn't feeling well at all. While this in itself wasn't an abnormal occurrence, the situation which induced it most certainly was. Though Yggdrasil had been up and running for several days now, Skuld was convinced that they still hadn't completely eradicated some of the more elusive system bugs. This meant that external and internal communications through the Yggdrasil system were being kept to the barest minimum. Mihrna, being the system administrator for the Communications Department, had been having an especially hard time lately. Her resources and access had been severely curtailed, yet still the other departments expected their mail to be delivered yesterday, if not sooner. Without access to Heaven Net, this meant that she and all of the other deities in the Communications Department had been delivering messages by hand all over heaven and earth. The Morale Department, in light of the often unpredictable temperament of the various deities in the over-worked and=20 under-appreciated Communications Department, was beginning to wonder if they might not have to deal with more than one rogue deity in the near future. They wouldn't have been encouraged by Mihrna's current state of mind. The page from the Monitoring Department almost turned around and left when he saw her slumped over her desk in the otherwise empty communications complex, her fist clenched tightly around the handle of a rather worn looking coffee mug. Still, he had a job to do. He steeled himself and strode rigidly up to the desk. "Excuse me, ma'am?" "Yess....?" For several moments, the page considered turning where he stood and running away. It wasn't that Mihrna was a particularly imposing goddess. Standing just over five feet tall, with a petite frame, shimmering violet eyes, waist length dark brown hair, and a deep tan, Mihrna was generally regarded as cute. Nor did she have a reputation as being a particularly violent person. Just a rather depressed person. A _very_ depressed person. She was under special observation by the Morale Department for chronic depression. It was only her superb performance that allowed her to keep her position as Comm. Sys. Administrator. Still, many of the deities in the nearby departments lived in fear that one day she was going to decide to end it all, and that she was going to take a small part of heaven with her when she did. The central monitoring complex was rather close to the communications complex, so this particular page had been inundated with the many unpleasant stories surrounding the communications deities. He took another look at Mihrna and considered what he was about to do. She was quite evidently very depressed. She also looked like she had just run the iron man triathalon in plate mail. He was beginning to feel almost suicidal just looking at her. His chances of living beyond the next five minutes seemed to him to be rather slim, but the importance of his message precluded any personal concerns he might have. "Ma'am, we've found the rogue god." -|-|- Kunou Tatewaki was in a smiting mood. He had been this way for quite some time now. Ever since that ill fated incident in the bath. It had been two days before the supposed wedding of that accursed cur Saotome and his beloved Tendo Akane. Kunou Tatewaki had spent the greater part of the day searching for Saotome, fully intending to unleash his righteous wrath upon the fiend. But when he finally cornered Saotome, the coward had once again resorted to dark sorcery to put the great Kunou Tatewaki to sleep long enough for him to make his escape. By the time the scion of the House of Kunou once again strode through the halls of his palatial abode, the mighty Blue Thunder of Furinkan High was mightily tired. Kunou Tatewaki wished for nothing more than a long soothing bath. He was therefore quite unpleasantly surprised to find that not only was the bath water cold, but that the foul Saotome had arrived in his absence and enchanted it. No sooner had Kunou stepped into the bath that he suddenly found himself treading water far deeper than it should have been. When he finally pulled himself ashore, Kunou discovered that it was not the bath that had gotten deeper, but he that had gotten shorter. Much shorter. Kunou had, in fact, been transformed into a small white mouse. Bitterly enraged by Saotome's effrontery, Kunou immediately launched into a rodential rant. So enraged was he that he didn't notice his sister entering the bath room until mousy screams of panic once again began to emanate from the bath.=20 After Kodachi made her way to shore, Kunou continued his rant. Kodachi, however, could not accept that the foul sorcerer Saotome was responsible for their untimely transformation. She believed, rather, that his beloved pig-tailed goddess had perpetrated this most heinous act. For a moment, Kunou entertained the notion that perhaps his goddess had indeed done this. Perhaps she had stolen some of the vile sorcerer's magic, in the hopes of preventing himself from interfering in Saotome's unholy union with Tendo Akane, so that she might have the great Kunou Tatewaki all to herself. He dismissed the notion immediately, knowing truly that his goddess was far too pure and innocent to contemplate such a thing. Nevertheless, both of them were currently entrapped in the form of small white mice, which effectively nullified any hope they might have of preventing the wedding. Matters went from bad to worse when Sasuke came to clean the bath. The fool was apparently unable to recognize his master when he saw him, thus forcing the unlucky siblings to flee for their lives with Sasuke and Mr. Green Turtle in hot pursuit. Several days later, the Kunous found themselves in a small Mishima Heavy Industries research complex on the outskirts of Nerima. They were sharing a cage with a most peculiar pair of lab mice. Never had Kunou met anyone with such delusions of grandeur as the mouse with the oversized head. And the other mouse, who apparently served as the first's lackey, was obviously quite mad.=20 Still, when the odd couple readied to leave the lab, in order to carry out some absurd plan that the egotistical one devised, the Kunous gladly accompanied them, both secretly intending to flee in search of Saotome at the first opportunity. This opportunity never came. Shortly after exiting the complex, the four were scooped up by a deadly kawaii girl on roller skates. Not only was she sickeningly cute and absurdly strong, but she insisted on calling Kunou "Josephine."=20 Shortly before the four succumbed to terminal, cute-induced tooth rot, the girl decided that her new little friends needed a bath. Having has previous unpleasant bath experiences, this brought the Kunous back to their senses immediately. They were therefore quite alert and aware when they were suddenly returned to human form upon contact with the hot water in the tub. The same couldn't be said for their companions and the uber-kawaii girl, who were still in a state of mild shock several minutes after the Kunous had raided the closets and fled. When Tatewaki and his sister had returned to their estate, wearing frilly pink nightgowns no less, they immediately had a serious talk with Sasuke. After severely punishing him for their hasty departure, they learned from Sasuke that the wedding had indeed proceeded in their absence. What's more, the newlyweds and their families had disappeared immediately afterward. All of this compounded had put both the Kunou siblings in a rather inhospitable state of mind. It had been a week since Kunou had sent Sasuke out to locate his beloveds, and still the man hadn't returned. The Blue Thunder was growing restless. He was also developing a rather unique body odor, being that he had not bathed once during that entire period, but that was beside the point. All other concerns were forced from Kunou Tatewaki's head when, on this fine morning, he witnessed a towering column of light rising from the vicinity of the restaurant area. Surely this must be the demon spawned Saotome announcing his return. Never one to decline a challenge, Kunou Tatewaki. Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, strode purposefully towards the light. -|-|- Gosunkugi Hikaru stopped shoveling clothing into his suitcase for a moment, and thought about recent events. Despite what many people would have expected, had they bothered to even give it a thought, Gosunkugi Hikaru had taken Ranma and Akane's marriage much better than most of the unfortunate couple's potential love interests.=20 This was because Gosunkugi had inherently low self esteem. He had long ago given up almost all hope that Akane would ever be his. When the wedding invitations had gone out more than two months ago, it was just a confirmation of everything that he had feared. He had lain about depressed for a time, certainly; but possessed of a weak will, Hikaru was forced to accept reality far sooner than the others. In a manner of speaking, anyway. Deprived of his greatest passion, Akane, Gosunkugi turned his attentions towards his other passions, photography and magic. This actually worked out rather well. Despite the almost nonexistent amount of profit that Hikaru could plead out of Nabiki for the sale of his photographs, he soon had enough money to start sending out for the more exotic and esoteric magical implements that he desired. Thus, by the time of the wedding, Gosunkugi had a rather unimpressive but still functional understanding of basic magic. While nobody else realized this, all of the people who attended the wedding would later admit that Gosunkugi Hikaru's wedding photography was by far the nicest that they had seen. It almost seemed as if the pictures were alive somehow. In hindsight, Gosunkugi wondered what the guests would think if they knew how he had achieved that effect. Admittedly, binding the life force of insects to the photographs wasn't the most pleasant way to produce that life-like quality, but it was the best he had come across so far. And the people seemed to think that the strange runes on the backs of the photos were just one of Gosunkugi's little eccentricities.=20 *Well, let them think what they will.* It was a harmless effect, and the neighbors clearly didn't mind Hikaru coming by periodically to remo= ve any unwanted pests from their basements or attics.=20 *But when Holy Fire starts erupting from the center of town, that's as good a time as any to find somewhere else to live.* Gosunkugi had, in his studies, learned how to recognize the power of the gods. As if the sheer amount of power involved wasn't enough of a clue. He had just barely seen the thin column of light rising into the heavens from across town, but the wave of the magical backlash, when it struck him, spoke of something big. Frighteningly big. Hikaru resumed packing with increased fervor. Best not to be around when things like that are happening. He checked his watch again. His taxi was due to be here in five minutes. He couldn't afford to go far, but anywhere was better than here right now. *Please don't let this be Saotome's fault again. I couldn't bear the thought of Akane being anywhere near an angry god...* -|-|- *He seems to be taking this quite well.* Though Ukyou as she looked at Ryouga's still form. *He's not throwing a tantrum, or swearing vengeance, or anything.* This, while disturbing, was definitely a good thing. After seeing what Ryouga had just done outside, the thought of him out hunting Ranma made Ukyou rather ill.=20 *And* Ukyou admitted to herself, *It's nice to have company again.=20 Someone who understands.* Nothing had been said since Ukyou had sat down . They had just watched each other and cried a little, breathing in each other's sorrows. There was a strange peace here. The peace of those who have nothing left to fight for. The emptiness in the room wasn't quite complete, thought Ryouga. While sorrow was the pervading emotion, something else, something warm, was glowing in the corner of his mind. A connection of a sort. Fellowship; sympathy. Ryouga had a friend here; someone who understands.=20 But there was something else. Something that wasn't right. It had a far away feel to it, so he knew that it wasn't his own or Ukyou's, but it was getting closer. Quite aside from the cold emptiness, or the small warmth he felt from Ukyou, this feeling was almost a blazing inferno. It swirled in manic intensity, yet it was focused to a single, fine point. The feeling was driven, unwaveringly, towards a single purpose. "SAOOOOTOOOMEEEE!!!" Ukyou started and looked out the window towards the street. "That=20 sounded like...." "Kunou." Ryouga finished. "C'mon, lets see what he's carrying on about now." Ukyou said as she=20 grabbed Ryouga's hand and fairly dragged him up the stairs in the back of t= he restaurant. She led them to her bedroom, which had a window that overlooked the street below. From this vantage point, they could see Kunou = striding arrogantly down the street towards the Ucchan. *Yup, it's definitely coming from him.* thought Ryouga as he observed Kunou's expression and body language. "I wonder what's got him all=20 worked up." "Shh! It looks like he's going to say something." Ukyou hissed as she=20 waved Ryouga to silence. Indeed, Kunou had stopped walking, and seemed to be gathering himself=20 for something. Most likely one of his pointless, long winded speeches=20 about the evils of the foul sorcerer Saotome Ranma. "Whence, WHENCE HAST THOU FLED! Oh Foulest, Darkest, Misogynist Villain, k= nown to the world by that so undistinguished name: Saotome Ranma?!!" =20 Kunou turned in a slow circle, raising his bokken defiantly. "In that base and filthy company, composed of all the cowards ever to infest and to besmirch our nation, no, our PLANET wide and fair, surely you, Saotome Ranma, rank lowest, even among those! Call forth what sorcery you will, cast fire and brimstone, summon the very Demons to do thy bidding. Yet shall I find thee, and then shall I smite thee truly and f= inally from face of all the earth. Long though you have fled and hid from m= e, yet shall our duel of Honor, lingering upon the threading finger of a ca= reless Fate, still shall it come and in that moment, full mightily shall I = smite thee! THE BLUE THUNDER WILL NOT BE DENIED!!!" Kunou shouted as he rai= sed his bokken to the cloudless sky. He was momentarily backlit in this dra= matic pose as a lightning bolt arced across the sky behind him, thunder rol= ling ominously. =20 *Someday, I'm going to figure out how he does that...* mused Ryouga to=20 himself. "Why on earth would he think that Ranma was here?" "Oh, I don't know... Maybe it was that little light show that you put on e= arlier. That sort of thing _does_ tend to happen a lot around Ranma, you kn= ow." Ukyou said sarcastically, favoring Ryouga with a mildly accusing glanc= e. Ryouga had the good grace to look slightly embarrassed before turning=20 his attention back to Kunou. "Regardless, someone is going to have to go do= wn there and shut him up, else he's going to be raving and ranting up and d= own the street all day." Ryouga muttered. As he was preparing to jump out t= he window, Ukyou caught his arm and pointed down the street. Ryouga turned to see what appeared to be a large, black rat scurrying down = the street towards Kunou. Upon closer inspection, Ryouga realized that it w= as, in fact, Sasuke. "Master Kunou!" Sasuke shouted as he waved his arms about, trying to=20 get Kunou's attention. Upon reaching Kunou, Sasuke went to one knee and=20 bowed his head. Eventually, Kunou noticed his servant kneeling at his feet. After further d= eliberation, Kunou decided that there was probably some reason for Sasuke b= eing here, rather than undertaking the most important task on locating his = beloveds. "Base, clumsy serving man, Dare you interrupt Blue Thunder in the full vigor of his warrior-like pursuit of honor!?! Say to me again that thee have dallied in pursuit of clues to foul Saotome's lair and I shall=20 pause to smite thee in his place!" "I've found them, Master Kunou." "WHAT?! Thou claim success? What bliss, What music to mine ears, noble Sasuke, how welcome and how manlike does thy stature seem. Tell me, how fares my beauteous, my courageous, Tendo Akane, raven-haired compilation of all virtue.. And what of the Pig-tailed Goddess; do her flaming tresses, even now, grace the space where I would rest my chivalrous head, Tendo Akane's lap? I have a vision of them, horrible and = sublime, cowering in some dungeon of Saotome's making. Brave Akane seeks even now to comfort the lively Pig-tailed one, whispering in her ears= how soon, ah very soon, the terrible BLUE THUNDER shall strike their capto= r, heinous Saotome, down to the depths of Hell! That day, that glorious da= y too long has been delayed! Out, OUT with it Sasuke! Where hides, where co= wers, STINKING SAOTOME RANMA!?!"=20 "They reside at this address." Said Sasuke as he held forward a=20 folded piece of parchment. Snatching up the parchment, Kunou unfolded it and scanned it quickly before clenching his fist around it and holding it up to the heavens in triumph. "AHAHAHAHAHA!! Behold Ye Gods, the worm Saotome's end at last is nigh! At once I shall avant, with swift and noble strides, unto the blighted earth wherein Saotome lurks.. His wicked sorceries shall not prevail, and finally and for all time, my two beloved goddesses in=20 mortal guise shall with their deserving protector be united! At once I go!" With that, Kunou spun on his heel and stormed off down the street. =20 For a moment, Ryouga and Ukyou stood silently at the window, watching Kunou's departing figure. In that moment, several thousand arguments=20 and counter-arguments waged war for control of their minds and wills... In = the end however, there was only one real choice. "If he really does know where they've gone..." Ryouga started. "Then maybe we ought to follow him." Ukyou continued. " Just to make sure..." "That Akane and Ranma are alright." Ryouga finished. Ukyou nodded in agreement before ducking into her closet for a change=20 of clothes. "Watch him, so that we don't lose him." came Ukyou's muffled voice from behind the closet door. Ryouga grunted his assent. As a sign of how preoccupied both of them were, neither one gave any thought as to how well Ryouga would be able to keep from "losing"=20 someone. Ryouga leapt out the window and onto the roof of the Ucchan. He scanned down the street, searching for Kunou. He couldn't see him, but t= hat didn't matter at the moment. Ryouga could have pointed at that intense,= single minded determination blindfolded and unconscious. It was departing = quickly in the direction of the rising sun. *Damn it! What's taking her so = long?* "Okay Ryouga, where is he?" Ukyou said as she joined Ryouga on the=20 roof. She was wearing a traditional okonomiaki seller's outfit and a=20 bandoleer of mini-spatulas. Her combat spatula was strapped to her back and she was carrying Ryouga's pack and one of her own. "That way." Ryouga replied as he accepted his pack and pointed towards=20 the direction of the quickly diminishing feeling. Ukyou nodded and leapt off in the direction that Ryouga pointed, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Ryouga followed, catching up quickly after shouldering his pack and tightening the straps holding his umbrella. As the= feeling grew stronger, Ryouga took the lead for a time, correcting their b= earing slightly. Eventually, Ukyou realized what she was doing. She was fol= lowing Ryouga, the lost boy of Nerima. She was following a boy that could g= et lost in an empty room with one door and no windows. She was about to sla= p herself upside the head and scream in frustration, when Ryouga stopped ab= ruptly and pointed down at the street. Hardly believing it was possible, Ukyou bounded up to Ryouga's side=20 and looked in the direction he indicated. There, running quite quickly down= the street, still clutching the crumpled piece of parchment in his upraise= d hand, was Kunou. "All right. It looks like he's heading towards the train station." Ukyou=20 said as she continued pursuit. Running carefully along the rooftops, trying= to keep out of sight, Ryouga and Ukyou were unaware that yet another figur= e was following them. Creeping along in the shadows, Kodachi smiled to hers= elf. "OHOHOHOHO... So brother dear has located my Ranma-sama and the wicked Tendo Akane, has he? Soon, horrid girl, soon you shall pay for trying to steal my Ranma-sama! OHOHOHO!" Ryouga paused for a second. There was something decidedly... disturbing... = emanating from somewhere a bit behind them. It was much like what he was fe= eling from Kunou, but somehow... twisted; warped into a sickening parody of= itself. It made Ryouga's stomach turn sour, so he quickened his pace to ma= tch Ukyou, trying to keep as much distance between him and this new feeling= as possible. That it seemed to be moving in the same direction as they wer= e started to bother Ryouga Greatly, but Ukyou was too intent on following K= unou to notice his distress. Soon they reached the train station, as Ryouga= and Ukyou made their way to the ground, Kunou entered one of the ticket co= unter lines. "Here," Ukyou said as she shoved a wad of bills into Ryouga's hand, " Pull = up that hood of yours and get in line behind him. Buy us two tickets to whe= rever he's going." Ryouga complied and began to elbow his way into line. A few of the people b= ehind Kunou began to protest, but after feeling the cold glare from within = the shadows of Ryouga's hood, they backed off timidly and gave way. They ga= ve Ryouga plenty of room, in fact, staying several feet behind the streamin= g and swirling ripped ends of his dust cloak. Into this space, Ryouga felt = the twisted presence enter. It stayed there for a good second too, before q= uickly backing up to a more comfortable distance. Ryouga turned his head sl= ightly, trying to catch a glimpse of his pursuer through the corner of his = eye. The hood, however, limited his field of vision such that he couldn't d= o so without being obvious. With a sigh, Ryouga turned his gaze forward again and attempted to=20 patiently wait out the line. Try as he might, though, his mind kept returni= ng to the presence behind him. It was so close. He _knew_ what he was feeli= ng from Kunou was somehow related to the feeling emanating from whoever was= standing behind him, but he couldn't put his finger on how he knew. But R= youga couldn't deny that there was something... wrong... with what this per= son was feeling. *Hell, I can't even figure out how I can feel these... thi= ngs... in the first place. This whole situation is insane. Some weird thing= s have happened to me in the past, but never anything like this. I can _fee= l_ whatever Ukyou and Kunou and whoever this is are feeling. I shouldn't be= able to do that, but I can. It led me to Ukyou, then to Kunou. Now, this..= =2E person... is following me, I'm sure of it. And I can't even bring mysel= f to face them because whatever they're feeling is so warped it's making my= stomach turn. If I have to stand here much longer, I think I'm going to be= sick.* Ryouga fidgeted irritably, trying to block out the invading sensations. The= presence seemed to be getting agitated as well, for both this new _thing_ = that Ryouga had and Ryouga's presence sense told him that the person behind= him was moving around quite a bit. In fact, if Ryouga didn't know better, = he'd have guessed that they were dancing a jig of some sort.. It would have= been quite an amusing image if Ryouga didn't have to swallow hard every ti= me the presence came within arm's reach.=20 "One for Shinohara station." Kunou intoned as he reached the ticket=20 booth. "Thank you sir. Have a nice trip." The presence had come _extremely_ close when Kunou had reached the counter. The resultant wave of nausea left Ryouga quite distracted for several seconds afterward.=20 "May I, er... help you?" the attendant asked Ryouga uneasily, unconsciously= trying to scoot farther back into the booth. "Hmm? OH! Yes... two for Shinohara station." Ryouga said absently, trying t= o clear his mind. Eager to put the presence as far behind him as possible, = Ryouga quickly paid for the tickets and walked in the direction that he tho= ught he had left Ukyou. "Psst. Hey! Ryouga, over here!" came Ukyou's voice from somewhere off=20 to his left. Ryouga spun, trying to lock onto the source of the voice. He d= idn't see Ukyou, but he knew that she was there. The familiar resonance of = her depression to his own was once again very clear in his mind. As he star= ted towards it, someone brushed quickly past him. Ryouga realized that it m= ust have been the presence he had been feeling when the wave of nausea stru= ck again. Ryouga grunted and stooped over slightly, clutching head and stom= ach. "Ryouga, are you all right?" As the other feeling retreated, the cold, heavy emptiness of Ukyou's depression settled over him. As the small, warm feeling behind the despair = seemed to reach out for him, a hand landed on Ryouga's shoulder. He looked= up at Ukyou.=20 Apparently she had gone off to change somewhere. She was now wearing jeans, a sweater, and a pair of dark sunglasses. She had let her hair down = from the usual ponytail and her combat spatula was wrapped loosely in a lar= ge cloth and secured to the top of her pack, which she was now holding in h= er right hand.. "I'm... fine. Just a slight headache. Ukyou, did you see who was in line behind me?" Ryouga asked evenly, trying to sound nonchalant. Ukyou gave Ryouga a puzzled look. "Someone in an oversized hat and trench coat. I couldn't really see what they looked like, but they seemed t= o keep getting their feet tangled in the ends of that cloak of yours. Why?" "Nothing. Maybe nothing..." * If I tell her we're being followed, she'll wa= nt to know how I know.* "Don't worry about it. Just an odd feeling. It's go= ne now." *The hell it is!* chimed a small voice. *It's there, right over be= hind that support column.* "Here's the tickets. He's going to Shinohara." R= youga said as he handed Ukyou one of the tickets and her change. Ukyou looked over the ticket and frowned. "This train leaves in five minutes. C'mon, the terminal is this way." Ukyou almost grabbed Ryouga's hand, but then seemed to decide against it and instead waved Ryouga on in t= he direction of the terminal, always keeping an eye on him to make sure he = didn't wander off. For some reason, Ukyou seemed to be maintaining an unusu= al distance from him. *Better to worry why people keep doing that later.* Though Ryouga. The other presence wasn't getting farther away anymore. When they reached the t= rain, they only had about a minute left to board. "Damn. Now we're going to have to find him again when he gets off the train." Ukyou growled. Ryouga looked up and down the train, and could feel that Kunou was in the c= ar second from the front. "Um, I think I saw him go this way." Ventured Ryo= uga tentatively before indicating the correct car. Ukyou peered at him quiz= zically for a second before shrugging and walking quickly towards the car. = As they boarded, Ryouga released a small sigh of relief when he felt the ot= her presence enter the car behind them. "There he is! Good job Ryouga." whispered Ukyou as she nodded slightly=20 towards Kunou's quite obvious form. Ukyou led them to another set of seats a bit closer to the rear of the train than Kunou. Ryouga would have p= referred to sit closer to the front, to get away from the other presence, b= ut he couldn't think of any sane way to justify it to Ukyou. A few minutes after the train started moving, Ukyou looked over to Kunou, t= hen back to Ryouga. She removed a damp washcloth from a plastic bag in her = pack and offered it to Ryouga. "Here, he's not watching. Clean yourself up = a bit." Obliging, Ryouga first wiped his hands as clean as he could get them, then = pulled back the hood and started wiping his face. Ukyou relaxed slightly wh= en Ryouga doffed the hood, though Ryouga didn't notice. When the cloth stop= ped coming away from his face and neck dirtier than it started, Ryouga hand= ed it back to Ukyou. "There. How's that?" "Better. Hmm... I didn't know you were into tattoos, Ryouga." Ukyou said as she peered intently at Ryouga's face. "Tattoos? I don't have any tattoos." "Then what are those weird marks on your face?" "Marks?" Ryouga blinked and brought his hand up to his face. "Where?" "On your cheek bones, near your eyes. And there are some more on your forehead, though those are mostly covered up by that bandanna of yours and your hair. Here, look." Ukyou offered Ryouga a small compact. "I didn't know you wore makeup." Ryouga said. As he accepted the compact, he took a closer look at Ukyou's face. "I don't, usually. I'm not wearing any now; I didn't have time." "Ah well, you don't need it anyway." Ryouga mumbled absently as he peered into the small mirror in the compact, completely missing Ukyou's slight blush. Indeed, there they were. Right where Ukyou had said they were. In the middle of Ryouga's forehead, slightly covered by his bandanna,= were three small golden diamonds, arranged in a pattern somewhat reminisce= nt of a flower blossom. At the corner of each eye were two more golden diam= onds, these arranged to be a partial mirror of the design on he forehead, = with one diamond pointing down and the other pointing away from the center = of his face. Ryouga brought his hand up to touch one of the diamonds near t= he corner of his right eye. It didn't feel any different from the rest of h= is skin, but the diamond had a slight but distinct chrome-like sheen to it. "Where the hell did those come from?" Ryouga muttered to himself. "Ukyou, could you give me that cloth again?" "Here's a new one." Ukyou said, handing Ryouga another cloth. Ryouga began scrubbing at the marks, to no noticeable effect. "Grr... come = off..." Ryouga growled under us breath as he started scrubbing harder. Peop= le began to stare at this bizarre spectacle, much to Ukyou's dismay. She re= ached out and grabbed Ryouga's hand. "Quit already, you moron. You're making a scene." Ukyou hissed. "They won't come off. Damn it, they wont come off." Ryouga grumbled disbelievingly as he returned the washcloth to Ukyou. "They don't look bad Ryouga. They actually suit you rather well. But you have no idea where they came from?" Ukyou asked as she leaned back and glanced over to see that Kunou hadn't noticed. "I can't think of anything that might have caused it." Ryouga said, thinkin= g back upon his recent journeys. "Well, there was this time a couple days a= go when I fell asleep and woke up somewhere else. I was in this damp, marsh= y forest, and I had seen some natives the day before, so I assumed that the= y had moved me during the night. They left all of my stuff, so I never both= ered to check if they had done anything else to me." Ryouga rubbed at the d= esign on his forehead. "But I'd think that anything permanent would at leas= t hurt a bit. I don't think it's any sort of paint..." "Hmm..." Ukyou nodded as she examined the marks. "Where else have you gone during the last two months?" She asked, a bit of idle curiosity surfacing. "Well. By chance I was at home when the invitation arrived. After reading i= t, naturally I set out immediately in search of the Tendo Dojo..." Ryouga d= ove into a long and detailed account of his most recent trip. Both absorbed= in Ryouga's story, they quickly lost track of time. A trench coated figure, sitting across the car and slightly farther back, d= iscreetly eavesdropped on the peculiar pair of young people. A most peculia= r pair of young people indeed, if any of the boy's story was true. Periodic= ally, one or the other would glance over at a second young man, this one si= tting towards the front of the car.. Wearing traditional samurai garb, carr= ying a bokken, and looking quite dignified if rather unkempt, that was trul= y an odd one. Then there was the fourth. A girl, if he wasn't mistaken. Wea= ring an oversized hat and trench coat, and riding in the front of the car j= ust behind them, she divided her attention between the previous two parties= =2E Mr. Yotsuya shook his head and leaned back in his seat. Now, the samurai wanabee he knew as Kunou Tatewaki. A man of great prowess, and a greater ego. Kunou Tatewaki was also renowned as the biggest fool in Nerima, if not all of Tokyo. "Ahh, but who is truly the fool? One who commits foolhardy actions, or those who would follow him?" Yotsuya mused to himself as he returned his attention to his newspaper. "What we have here is a veritable parade of fools..." -|-|- Urd, sitting up in her bed, looked up from her romance novel and checked the clock on the dresser once again. Setting the book in her lap, she heave= d a sigh of relief. It had been more than ten minutes since she had felt th= e wave of divine power wash across her, and still she hadn't been contacted= =2E This most likely meant that someone else was handling it. It was worryi= ng though. If that backlash was any indication, whomever was summoned to de= al with the Rogue was going to have their hands full. That was a class two = blast at least. *I hope it isn't Belldandy that they summoned.* But no, tha= t wasn't possible. They would have contacted the nearest available deity, a= nd that blast had definitely come from somewhere in Tokyo. Belldandy and Ke= iichi were still in Yokohama, and not due back until tonight. Urd peered sp= eculatively out the window. *I wonder who else is operating out of Tokyo...= * Her train of thought was abruptly derailed by a faint hissing noise emanating from somewhere nearby. After peering around the room, Urd looked down to see that a thick, shimmering mist was issuing from her book; or, more specifically, from the words on the page. Urd hastily flippe= d the book off of her lap. It landed face down on the floor to the left of = her bed, and then proceeded to rise off of the ground on a column of fog-li= ke mist. Urd rolled off to the right side of her bed and began preparing a = simple lightning spell. As she watched, the mist coalesced into the form of= a kneeling human female. Urd relaxed and released the spell as Mihrna stoo= d up slowly, Urd's novel still perched atop her head.=20 "Well, if it isn't the prozac pin-up girl,"Urd remarked sarcastically as sh= e leaned up against the wall.=20 "It's nice to see you again too, Urd," Mihrna sighed, carefully removing th= e book and setting it on the bed. "I assume you know why I'm here?" Urd blinked. "No, please enlighten me." "You didn't feel the backlash wave? You're surely close enough here..." Mihrna cast Urd a puzzled glance. "What...?" Urd's mouth opened and closed several times, her mind reeling in confusion. "But...But that was ten minutes ago! Someone _must_ have been assigned to it by now!" Urd fairly cried in disbelief.=20 Mihrna's mood seemed to darken yet further, a feat that Urd would have previously thought impossible. "I got your notice of assignment seven minutes ago. It took that long to get authorization to come down here and i= nform you. I would have used a prime temporal shift to come earlier, but th= ey suspect the Rogue to be capable of innate temporal shifting capability,= so a distortion might have given them an advanced warning." Mihrna looked = up at Urd, a look of regret and apology on her face. "I'm sorry Urd. You've= been assigned to pursue and contact the Rogue." "That can't be! Me?! Just me??!" Urd bounded over her bed in a panic, grabbing Mihrna roughly by the shoulders. "At this point, there's no one else available to assist you that's also clo= se enough to come without further unnecessary delay." Mihrna recited mechanically, trying not to meet Urd's gaze.=20 "What about you?! You're here!" Urd stared intently at Mihrna, her eyes pleading for some chance, some avenue of escape.=20 Mihrna turned away. "I... can't.. I have previous obligations. I'm sorry Ur= d, my hands are tied." She replied, her voice almost a whisper. Urd released Mihrna and let her hands fall to her side. She stood for a moment dumbstruck, her mind slowly absorbing the responsibility that had be put upon her. Upon _her_, and only her. It was almost too much to believe. Seeing a chance to escape without making the situation any worse, Mihrna grabbed Urd's left hand and pressed a small disk into it. "Here are the exa= ct coordinates of the sighting, as well as power level estimates of the bla= st, a list of viable entry points, and instructions on how to proceed once = you've made contact. Good luck." She gripped Urd's hand tightly, not wantin= g to let go, to abandon Urd to fate. Then, silently, she turned away from U= rd and picked up the now forgotten book. Opening it to a random page, Mihrn= a set it face up on the floor and departed, the whole time unwilling, unabl= e to face Urd. When she had gone, Urd peered for a moment at the empty space in which Mihrna had stood. She was alone now. She examined the disk, her face locked in the morbid expression that one might have while standing over a t= ombstone with your name on it. Then, expression unchanged, she marched out = of her room. There wasn't time for regret. In the breeze caused by her pass= ing, the pages of the book flipped by rapidly until, finally reaching the e= nd, the book shut. -|-|- Marler gave the street another once over. There was some residual trace of = the power that had been used, but it had been a very clean and efficient bl= ast. Most of the effective energy had been channeled out into space. Still,= there was enough to confirm that it had indeed been the Rogue. *But why on= earth would they do something so obvious as that?*=20 There had been little actual damage to the area around ground zero, other t= han several broken windows. Curiously, one building directly adjacent to th= e blast didn't seem to have any apparent external damage at all. When Marle= r entered the building to investigate, she found that the inside of the bui= lding was in much worse shape. It looked as though there had been some sort= of fight in the front room of the building, which was apparently a restaur= ant. Tables and chairs had been smashed and scattered about, and there were= several oddly shaped holes and marks on the walls. When Marler did an acti= ve scan of the building, she discovered residual traces of the Rogue's ener= gy signature in the front room as well, though the damage was nowhere near = the extent of what she would have expected had the Rogue released in there.= =20 *So he builds up in here, then he goes outside and releases. But why? He didn't actually _do_ anything. Well, nothing serious. This seems like random destruction, with the destruction part left out. He just fires off a= blast into space and leaves? That doesn't make any sense. Is he insane or = something?* Marler sat down in a chair and leaned back, glaring irritably around the room. It had taken her forever to fly out here from Nekomi when she had felt the backlash wave. Still, it seemed that she was the first to arrive. = A lot of good it did her. She came all this way just to find a few broken w= indows, some faint energy traces, and a scene in a restaurant that makes ev= en less sense than anything else.=20 "Unless... unless the blast was just bait." Marler stood up and glanced cautiously around. Suddenly she felt an powerful active scan play across he= r skin, originating from the outside of the restaurant. "Oh shit..." -|-|- Urd had arrived a few minutes ago inside an electronics store about a block= away from ground zero. Fortunately the store was still closed, so she didn= 't have to bother with any explanations. Still inside the store, she steele= d herself for the task at hand "All right, the file said that it was just above a standard, unrestricted c= lass two spirit blast. I'm stronger than most class twos, so if that's all = they've got then it shouldn't be a problem." There was still, however, the = suspicion that the Rogue could draw on the Ultimate Force without authoriza= tion.. *No! Can't think like that. They must have adjusted the protocols by= now.* Urd glanced down at herself and clenched her left hand into a tight = fist. "Right! Lets do this." With that, Urd exited the store and proceeded = to stride down the street, her passive senses as wide open as possible. She slowed when she approached the area where all the windows were broken, but she still wasn't sensing anything abnormal. Eventually, she reached ground zero. Glass and other debris were strewn about in circular p= attern around a small empty space in the center of the street. Still nothin= g. The circle looked to have been disturbed by something, for the debris wa= s brushed out of place in a rough line leading from the center of the circl= e to a building on the right side if the street. That building didn't appea= r to be damaged. Urd took a deep breath. *Okay, here I am.* She initiated an active scan spell, sweeping it over the center of the circ= le, then over the building. In the circle she found residual traces of the = Rogue's power signature. When she swept the building, however, she sensed s= omething rather different. A demon. *Damn it! Someone beat me here!"* She s= ensed the demon moving towards the back of the building, probably seeking s= ome avenue of escape. *No you don't!* Urd rushed towards the building, slamming the door open and scanning the room. It was a rather large mess, with broken furniture everywhere. The demon had been in here, and so had the Rogue. Momentarily, she worried that perhaps the Rogue might be in league with the demons. But she could tell by the scan that the Rogue had probably been here and left a few minutes before the demon had arrived. Curiously, the energy signature of the demon seemed... familiar, somehow. She felt as though she had sensed this demon before. Now, what demons did she know that she had dealt with often enough to recognize by energy trace, and were also usually operating = close enough to this area to sense the blast. With a snarl, Urd rushed towa= rds the back door and shouted at the top of her lungs, "MARLLER!!" Halfway up the wall in the back yard, Marler paused and looked back. *She k= nows my name?! Then this _was_ a trap! Damn it all, I wasn't prepared for t= his!* She turned back to the wall and continued climbing. *Shouldn't have u= sed so much strength on those scans and on flying here so fast.* She nearly= lost her grip as a lightning bolt impacted on the wall next to her. *Shit!= * Marler let go of the wall and, turning around in midair, landed facing the = across the yard at the house. There, just outside the back door, stood a fa= miliar platinum haired goddess. Small bolts of lightning arced around a blu= e luminescent sphere in her hand, and she was looking rather peeved to boot= =2E=20 "YOU?!" Marler shouted in surprise, quickly readying a force bolt.=20 "Marler! What the hell are you doing here?!" Urd growled, raising her hand = and pointing it at Marler. "Oh, just sight seeing. Nothing for you to get out of bed over." Marler smirked and glanced over to Urd's left.=20 "What have you seen?!" Urd shouted back, trying not to be distracted by Marler's glance.=20 "What makes you think I've seen anything? My, but you seem to be in a bad m= ood today. Get up on the wrong side of the bed?" Marler grinned, assuming a more relaxed posture.=20 "Grr...you..." Urd took a step forward, giving Marler the opening she needed.=20 Marler quickly dropped to one knee, sending the force bolt flying at a spar= e grill top that was leaning against the wall on Urd's left. Urd, expecting= an attack, jumped to her right and adjusted her aim on Marler. Meanwhile, = the force bolt flew swiftly towards the grill top, then ricocheted off of i= t and flew back at Marler. The bolt impacted with the wall a few feet above= Marler's head, sending a cloud of dust and debris flying into the yard and= spoiling Urd's aim. When the dust settled, Marler was nowhere to be found. Urd stood slowly and clenched her fist, causing the ball of lightning to bl= ink out of existence in a crackling hail of sparks. "Damn. Now I have to wo= rry about her as well. This whole business is getting more interesting by t= he minute..." Here's chapter three. All characters are the property of their creators, and are being used without permission. Any C&C, suggestions, or flames that you might think of will be gladly recieved. ~Eimii *SHATTERED HEARTS ON THE ROAD* =3DCHAPTER THREE=3D -VIEWPOINTS- "Aw, c'mon Ryouga! A tree with a computer monitor stuck in it subjects you to some silly questionnaire, then blasts you when it's done? Now that's= just plain absurd. Things like that don't happen." Ukyou favored him with = a wry smirk, a welcome hint of mirth entering her voice. "Oh sure. And people in Nerima don't transform into the opposite gender or = animals whenever it rains. A century old pervert doesn't rampage about at n= ight stealing women's underwear, there isn't an eight-headed dragon sleepin= g at the bottom of a spring under a forest of giant animals, and you can't = sometimes see two moons rolling across the night's sky if it's especially c= lear." Ryouga crossed his arms with a look of satisfaction. He was answered by an extremely dubious look from Ukyou. "You can't, Ryouga. At least, I've never seen two moons when I've looked up at the night's sky." "Really?" Ryouga blinked. "But I could have sworn..." Ryouga thought back to a couple of extremely clear desert nights when, when he had looked = up to admire the distant stars, he had seen an angry red moon traveling in = it's plodding, incontrovertible course alongside the regular, looming, emer= ald green moon. *Wait. Emerald green moon?* Ryouga shook his head. *Naah...= That part must have been just some odd trick of the light.* Once, while traveling through some bizarre ruins, Ryouga could have sworn t= hat he had seen the _earth_ looming on the horizon while he stood on the li= p of the circular valley in which the ruined city had rested. *Now _that_ w= as a weird sight...* Meanwhile, Ukyou had continued speaking. "Now, I'm not sure what to make of that dragon in the forest part, but you've got a point with the res= t of it. Some truly bizarre stuff has happened in the last year." Ukyou pla= ced a finger to one side of her jaw in a look of contemplation. "Still, I c= an't recall any of it having anything to do with nosy computers imbedded in= tree trunks." "But that's not saying that it couldn't have happened that way, right?" Ryouga pressed. "I suppose not." Ukyou conceded. Then she narrowed her eyes and peered at Ryouga. "But I still say that I've never seen more than one moon when I've looked at the sky." Ryouga sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Never mind. Forget I ever mentioned it." Ryouga stole a glance over at Kunou. The pontificationally inclined kendoist in question still appeared to be completely unaware of them. Indeed, he seemed to be absolutely oblivious to anything and everything that was going on around him. This included the sour looks and disgusted mutterings that his unwashed form elicited from the other passengers on the= train. Most of the people around Kunou had been rather un-subtly relocating themselves since the trip began. "Looks like Kunou needs a bath." Ryouga remarked, turning back to Ukyou.=20 "You're one to talk, Mr. 'two months on the road.'" Ukyou quipped, clearly = enjoying needling Ryouga.=20 Ryouga snorted and turned away. "Hmph. It's not like I could help it. I didn't have enough money or time to spare to go to a bath house. I wasn't e= ven in Japan most of the time, as far as I can tell. He, however, has no ex= cuse." Ukyou just nodded and smiled. "Sure hon, whatever you say." Ryouga gave up trying to justify himself to her, as it clearly wasn't doing= any good. *Still, it's nice to see her smile.* He knew that Ukyou wasn't t= rying to be malicious in her ridicule. It helped her forget some of the col= d emptiness that she was feeling; for that, he took her jibes with good-nat= ured humility. Feeding the small warmth in the bottom of Ukyou's soul seeme= d to somehow lighten his own burden, pushing back the cold emptiness in his= own soul. Examining that warmth, and the amusement on Ukyou's face, Ryouga= decided to continue playing along; He scowled for effect and dusted his cl= oak off some, directing he gaze out the window towards the swiftly passing = scenery. Ukyou bit back a giggle and looked out the window as well, seeming= to decide that he had had enough, for now. As the countryside passed in a hypnotic pattern of greens, browns, and reds, bounded on the horizon by the infinite blue of the sky, Ryouga allowed himself to relax a bit. He didn't often get to ride on trains. He c= ouldn't usually afford the luxury; when he could, he invariably got lost on= the way to the terminal from the cashier. There was something comforting a= bout the idea of a train. To the eternally wandering Ryouga, the set path t= hat a train traveled seemed to have a concrete certainty that the rest of h= is life lacked. No wandering off the path, no unannounced course changes; j= ust a swift, soothing respite from the chaos of the world.=20 But, like every small relief that he received, it was over all too soon. Ab= out an hour after the sun began it's slow, inevitable descent into darkness= , the conductor announced over the comm that their final destination was ne= ar. People busied themselves with the preparations to disembark; retrieving= bags, donning coats and hats. Ryouga drew up the hood of his cloak and che= cked all the straps on his pack while Ukyou continued to discretely observe= Kunou from behind the darkened lenses of her sunglasses. Presently the train drew itself to a stop at Shinohara station. Kunou disembarked hastily, followed at a short distance by Ukyou and Ryouga. At a= slightly greater distance, Ryouga could feel the disquieting presence leav= e the train and resume pursuit. It fell into a seemingly random pattern of = approach and retreat; random at least, until Ryouga determined that it was = varying it's distance in relation to the availability of cover. When they w= alked through crowded areas it would come closer, only to fall back again a= s the chance of observation grew greater.=20 *Damn it! Who the hell is following us?!* Ryouga cast a glance into an approaching blind turn mirror, but sure enough the presence was being careful enough to avoid his notice. He couldn't pick out any particular person in the mirror from whom the feeling seemed to be emanating. Already ill at ease, Ryouga became even more wary as he tried to ignore the= presence by taking in his surroundings. There was something disturbingly f= amiliar about this particular small town through which they walked. A foreb= oding feeling of deja vu settled over Ryouga. There was something gravely i= mportant about this place, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it = was. A passing jogger seemed to pale slightly as he adjusted his course to circumnavigate the small group that he and Ukyou made. Actually, Ukyou was again keeping him at around twice arm's length. There was something about how people kept doing that, that tugged at Ryouga's memory. Something about that jogger as well. Ryouga had seen him before somewhere, and he was sure that the jogger had done that same thing before. *But when...?* Suddenly, unpleasant memories flooded into Ryouga's over stressed mind. He knew where he had seen this town and that jogger before. He could remember when people had started avoiding him as though he had some sort of plague. *No... It can't be. That was only= a dream...* "Psst. Hey! Earth to Ryouga!" Ukyou prodded Ryouga out of his reverie. "Kunou just went into that inn down the street. C'mon." He and Ukyou approached the inn and looked up at the sign above the gate. A= feeling of dread settled over Ryouga as he read the sign aloud. "Doll Inn.= " Ukyou nodded silently, also remembering.. "What would compel them to choose this, of all places, to spend their honeymoon?" Ryouga shook his head, swallowing the bile that had suddenly risen in his t= hroat. "I dunno...fate?" Puzzled by his remark, Ukyou peered into the a shadows of Ryouga's hood, trying to gauge the lost boy's expression. Though her vision couldn't penetrate the veil of darkness, Ukyou could almost swear that she could fee= l the apprehension rolling off of her companion at that moment. She shuddered involuntarily, though Ryouga seemed too disturbed to notice.=20 "Maybe, or maybe not." She offered, thankful that her voice remained steady. "Regardless, this is where he went. Lets check it out." Without waiting for Ryouga to answer, Ukyou strode in through the gate and towards the front hall. After a moment, Ryouga followed.=20 -|- The vengeful spirit stirred in it's resting place. Something had entered it= 's domain. Never before had if felt anything of such... presence as this wh= ich it felt now. It swirled uneasily in it's shell, it's prison. This presence could mean many things; freedom, peace, damnation. The stench of destiny hung heavy in the air on this day... -|- As the two young people walked down the hall, the desk clerk of the Doll Inn heaved a sigh of relief. He had just recently received a particularly d= isturbing string of customers. The first had been an intense young man in s= amurai garb with a serious body odor problem. When he had asked the man if = he needed assistance, he had been caught completely off guard by an avalanc= he of near-incomprehensible prose that apparently constituted the man's met= hod of speech. After a minute or so of ranting, punctuated by several threa= tening motions with a bokken, the clerk was able to ascertain that the man = was looking for a particular newlywed couple that had checked in a bit more= than a week ago. Though the couple had requested privacy, the clerk didn't= particularly fancy the notion of being skewered by a raving madman with a = bokken, so he booked a room for the man and informed him that the couple wa= s out at the moment. Seemingly appeased, the man had stalked off towards hi= s room.=20 Next came an attractive young woman carrying an oddly shaped bundle. She had walked up to the desk and asked politely if a certain couple of newlyweds was staying at the inn. Feeling the need to at least partially honor the couple's wishes, he was about to deny that they were there when a= cloaked figure walked up behind the young woman. The clerk's words died on= his lips as the air temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees= =2E He wasn't completely clear on what had happened next, but apparently he= had told them what room the couple was staying in, and they had checked in= to a room just down the hall. Whenever he tried to think about what exactly= had been said or done, the memory slid and slithered out of his grasp like= the wind through his fingers. He shook his head, resigning himself to the loss.. Whatever it was that was = going on, the less he knew, the better. He thanked the gods that he would p= robably be off duty before the couple returned. As it was, likely only the = gods knew what was in store for Saotome Ranma and Akane when they returned = this evening.=20 -|-=20 Ukyou pondered what had just occurred as she walked down the hall, leading Ryouga towards the room. Several things about the lost boy were beginning to disturb her. The first thing that she had really noticed was h= ow much stronger he had become since she had last seem him. When he had fir= ed off his depression into the sky outside of the Ucchan, he had held onto = the blast for a full ten seconds. Now, Ukyou would be the first to admit th= at she didn't know a lot about ki attacks, but she _could_ say that she had= never seen either Ranma or Ryouga hold onto a pure ki blast for that long.= Usually, the shishi-houkoudan or the moukou-takabisha techniques simply pr= ojected a sphere of focused ki at their target. Even the first stage of the= perfect shishi-houkoudan only lasted about two seconds before it stopped b= uilding. The technique that Ryouga used at the restaurant had projected a s= olid beam of ki of frightening intensity for a full ten seconds. Ukyou doub= ted that even Herb could have stood against that. She didn't want to think = about what would happen if Ryouga turned it against Ranma. Then there was the fact that the "lost boy" didn't seem to be getting lost = as much as he usually did. He actually _followed_ Kunou halfway to the trai= n station, not losing the trail even when Kunou was no longer in sight. Not= to mention the fact that he found the exact car that Kunou was riding in, = and he hadn't wandered off once since they left the restaurant. While conve= nient, this new aptitude was definitely not like him. But even that didn't bother her as much as the last new thing that Ryouga s= eemed to have picked up on his most recent journey. That cloak of his bothe= red her. There was just something eerie about it. Part of it had to be how = the hood completely concealed his face, even when they were in direct sunli= ght. Then there was the way it tended to swirl about in the wind, curling a= nd streaming about his legs almost as if it were alive. Ukyou shoved aside = the nagging voice in the back of her mind that kept telling her that there = was no wind. There was something else about the cloak, something that she c= ouldn't quite put her finger on. It was almost... almost like a sort of aur= a that Ryouga seemed to project whenever he donned the hood of the cloak. B= ut it wasn't even that, exactly. It was... unsettling to be near him when t= he hood was drawn. When he passed, it was almost as though a cold wind were= blowing along in his wake, piercing her flesh and caressing her soul in a = chilling ephemeral embrace.=20 It wasn't just her either. Everyone else that came near them seemed to sens= e it, seemed to feel the deathly cold hands of the wind reaching into the c= enter of their being. The desk clerk in particular seemed to have been badl= y effected by the experience. He had been pleasant and responsive when she = had entered the inn. He had been about to answer her question about Ranma a= nd Akane when she had... felt... Ryouga come up behind her. The clerk had s= topped dead, all the blood draining from his face and his jaw hanging slack= in mid utterance. Ryouga had turned to her and asked if Ranma and Akane we= re here. Before Ukyou had had the chance to answer, the clerk had reached i= nto the desk and produced the guest book, his hands moving with almost zomb= ie-like lethargy as he pointed to a room number with the name "Saotome" wri= tten by it in Ranma's characteristic scrawl. "Are they here now?" she remembered asking, trying to bring the clerk out o= f the trance-like state that he seemed to be in. He had simply shaken his h= ead, not even bothering to shut his mouth which had been hanging half open = since Ryouga had arrived. He didn't seem to be improving, so Ukyou had deci= ded that perhaps it would be best if they moved on. She had signed them int= o an empty room a few doors down from Ranma and Akane, then handed the book= back to the clerk and began leading Ryouga down the hall. She peered at he= r companion now, his face still hidden by the darkness that dwelled within,= and wondered. What secrets did the shadows hide? Did she really wish to kn= ow? Suddenly Ryouga stopped walking. He reached up and drew back the hood, dispelling the hands of ice and scattering the shadows to the four winds. A= gain could she see the handsome, honest, be-fanged countenance of the lost = boy. Ukyou began to relax again until she read Ryouga's expression, one of = dread and worry. She followed his gaze a bit down the hall until she spied = the object of his distress. On a small pedestal at the corner of the hall r= ested a porcelain doll clothed in a black, floral patterned silk kimono. Th= e same pattern as the kimono that Akane had worn when they had last visited= here. The vengeful spirit doll gazed back at them in perfect, death-like s= erenity. -|-|- Ryouga forced down the rising dread as he stood outside the gate of the inn. *It's just a coincidence. It doesn't mean anything. If it were like th= e dream, Akane would be here now.* Ryouga glanced back and forth quickly, verifying that he was alone. Ukyou had already gone through the gate to the inn. *She wouldn't be here either, if this were the dream. Neit= her would Kunou, for that matter. It has to be a coincidence.* Ryouga latch= ed firmly onto that thought, driving off the panic and doubt as best he cou= ld. *What about the jogger...?* Chimed the small voice in the back of his m= ind, but Ryouga refused to listen. Taking a deep breath, he strode over the= threshold and down the stone path toward the main hall of the inn. Ukyou was already talking to the desk clerk when he arrived. She stiffened = noticeably as he approached; a mild reaction compared to that of the clerk.= The man had gone white as a sheet, his jaw hanging slack as if he were abo= ut to say something. The pupils of his eyes had dilated until the irises we= re all but invisible; empty, dull grey rings like open portals into his sou= l.=20 *I wonder what happened to him?* Thought Ryouga as he appraised the catatonic man, again ignoring the incessant voice that was now telling him = that _he_ had caused this. Ryouga concentrated, focusing his mind and killi= ng that train of thought right there. *Better things to worry about right n= ow...* The clerk certainly didn't look like he would be much help. Perhaps = Ukyou had already found out if Ranma and Akane were here or not. He stepped= up beside Ukyou and turned to her. "Are they here?" He asked, observing the peculiar expression of discomfort = that seemed to be creeping into Ukyou's features.=20 Ukyou opened her mouth, but before she answered the clerk backed away from the desk a bit and began rummaging around under the counter. After a s= econd he straightened, producing a thick, well worn, wood bound book. As the clerk opened the tome, Ryouga realized that it was the guest book. T= he clerk flipped through the pages very slowly, almost as if his hands were= n't working correctly. Or perhaps the deficiency was elsewhere, Ryouga muse= d as he peered into the clerk's blank eyes. Eventually, the clerk stopped l= eafing through the book and turned it to face him and Ukyou. He drug his fi= nger left along the top of the page until it rested by a neatly written roo= m number. Below the number was a short string of barely legible characters = which, after a moment, Ryouga made out to be the name "Saotome." He marvele= d at how Ranma could mangle his own name so badly; Ryouga had seen second g= raders with better hand writing. Ukyou looked into the clerk's face and asked if they were here now, carefully enunciating her words as if she were speaking to a small child. S= he was answered with a simple shake of the head, the clerk's eyes never mov= ing in their sockets. After peering at the clerk for a couple more seconds,= Ukyou seemed to come to a decision. She took the book from the clerk's lim= p hands and grabbed a pen off of the top of the counter, proceeding to flip= through the more recent pages of the guest book. Looking over her shoulder= , Ryouga saw her finger rest for a moment on the number of a recently vacat= ed room near the room where Ranma and Akane were staying. Ukyou then turned= to today's page and signed in her name and the room number before handing = the book back to the clerk. That done, she nodded for Ryouga to follow and began walking down the hall. Casting a final glance at the pitiful form of the clerk, still holding the = open guest book that Ukyou had handed him, Ryouga complied. As he walked, Ryouga examined his companion. Ukyou seemed lost in thought at the moment, though she was still keeping him at arm's length. That tendency was beginning to really bother Ryouga, but he saved that question for later. He was about to ask Ukyou what was on her mind, when a somewhat familiar feeling assailed his senses. It was almost like his sen= se of spatial awareness, the presence sense that signaled when someone was = nearby, but that wasn't quite it. He was sure it was a presence, but in som= e indescribable way, it didn't _feel_ like any person he had ever sensed be= fore. It was almost... almost as if the physical component wasn't there; th= e motion of the air as the person moved and breathed, the slight vibrations= sent through the floor by the person shifting their weight. It wasn't like= how doctor Tofu disguised his presence, erasing from the minds and senses = of the observer any trace of his existence. There was _something_ there, an= d it was getting closer; or rather, it was standing still and they were get= ting closer. A few meters up, another corridor intersected on the right wit= h the one that they were walking down. It was waiting in that corridor, he = was certain.=20 Ryouga tensed, but kept walking.. He could usually tell if the presence had= hostile intent, and he did not feel that now. Still, this was not exactly = a normal feeling in the first place. He rolled his shoulders to re-situate = his pack for ease of removal, his right thumb hooking into his belt, the ne= arest available weapon. Better to be prepared without actually appearing to= be so. As they neared the corner, Ryouga subtly moved around Ukyou until h= e was walking on her right, standing between her and the intersection. As t= hey reached the corner, Ryouga turned his head to search down the hall for = the source of the sensation. At first, he saw no one from which it might ha= ve originated. Then his gaze caught on a small wooden pedestal at the far e= nd of the hall. On that pedestal rested an antique porcelain doll; the name= sake of the inn in fact. Clothed in a fine silk kimono, and holding a small= fan slightly concealing her face, the vengeful spirit doll surveyed Ryouga= impassively, her cold glass eyes revealing nothing. There. That was where it was coming from. Ryouga stopped and turned to face down the hall towards the doll. He pulled back the hood of his cloak, = his mind reeling in remembrance of his last encounter with the ill-tempered= spirit that resided within. Ranma had failed to show it proper respect, an= d Akane had paid the price. The spirit had used her body as it's instrument= of vengeance, trapping Akane in the body of the doll. It had not been a pl= easant experience by anyone's account, unless you counted Ranma's comments = that the spirit possessing Akane's body was much sexier than Akane usually = was. But that, like most of the thoughtless things that came out of Ranma's= mouth, could be discounted without much consideration. For a moment, Ryouga considered what his next course of action should be. He definitely didn't want to be on the spirit's bad side, and he _had_ = assisted Akane in