Ranma never thought the opening of life's autumn would be a time of such
peace. The foolishness of age replaced the foolishness of youth; streaks of
gray went through his hair, dignity marks to show the miles he'd covered.
He didn't worry about himself anymore; a loving partner and two children
took up most of his concern - and, in their capable hands, he couldn't be
happier.

He sat with his back to the wall, his critical eye taking in every nuance
of the fighters in front of him. Both were warriors of the highest caliber;
neither left any obvious openings. He let out a simple grunt; it was all
the two needed to begin.

It didn't hurt his pride any that these two were his partner and son.

He watched them go through the dance of battle, knowing neither would give
the slightest inch. Akane, in male form, was using his power to maximum
effect; those strikes Hikaru couldn't avoid took a toll even when blocked.
Fortunately, those were few; one thing his child had inherited was his own
wiry musculature. He was easily Ranma's equal at that age; more, he had
more sense on his shoulders - and a lot less of a burden.

He hoped that they could keep it that way. He knew what life tended to do;
it gave a person scars slowly over time, molding a person from a relative
innocent to something different - something harder. Hikaru was a good kid;
he didn't want to see his child bear the scars he'd had. Unfortunately,
both he and Akane knew that it would only be a matter of time.

A surprised gasp from his partner shook him from his reverie; Hikaru had
pulled off a remarkable feint, leaving Akane open on one side. A tag on
that side was all he needed; both of them knew who had won the bout.

Akane smiled in amusement. "Good job, Hikaru." He wiped the sweat from his
brow. "You've improved."

He shrugged. "Just been watching Mom a bit." Ranma raised an eyebrow; it
disturbed him that his child picked up things like he did - with relative
ease. "I watched her do it to you, once; I figured I might try it."

"Figures." Akane shrugged, then turned to Ranma. Akane was as handsome as
he was beautiful; age hadn't diminished his and her looks in the slightest.
Ranma lost himself in those dark eyes for a moment. "Ranma, you want to
teach this kid of yours some humility?"

Ranma shook his head. "Sorry; no child of mine's going to learn that
anytime soon." He gave a cocky grin. "Ain't that right, Hikaru?"

"Yeah, Mom." He walked over to one of the filled buckets over to the side,
and drenched himself. The karate gi around him seemed to sigh; long black
hair turned crimson, like a sunrise. Intense blue eyes stared back at him
as she whipped her head around. "Want to work on speed some, Mom?"

Ranma rose from his position, and picked up another bucket. Perhaps this
kid did need to be taught some humility... "You're on." He let the bucket
tip over, drenching him to the bone.

She smiled. Some things were best kept in the family; this was one of them.

*********************************************************************

Leifker presents...

Flesh and Blood

Part 1: Children of Magic

All Ranma 1/2 characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. All others created by
Nicholas Leifker. All rights reserved. I ask that you not do anything with
any part of this work without permission.

Note: The events in this story take place roughly eighteen years after "The
Other Side of Life".  Reading that story, while not essential, may help you
to understand certain events.  A quick summary of said events will be given
at the end of this story.

*********************************************************************

Leaves fell slowly outside the window, drifting lazily to the ground. The
pale blue sky, painted with white splotches of cloud, begged to the child
within man to enjoy its protection. The sway of the branches warned of the
gusts of wind invading the peace; however, the cold weather it promised had
yet to come, making the urge to seize the day all the more poignant.

It was a crime to lock him up in here, away from a day like this, he
thought. This was the kind of day he could savor; instead, he got to sit in
on a lesson of history, something he already knew about. He thought of the
cool wind that stopped at the window, the warm sun shining down on him,
countering the breeze, the gentle roar of the city around him...

"Saotome!"

His head snapped up. The bad thing about already knowing a subject was
that, while you already knew it, occasionally the day-to-day lectures asked
for a little more specific information - such as what the teacher was just
talking about. "Yes, sir?"

"Would you care to give the answer to the question I just asked?"

Hikaru coughed, then glanced down at his laptop. "Um... yes. General Matsui
was the one in charge of the forces, sir."

The teacher growled. "Correct. However, next time, I do recommend you not
enlist the help of Ms. Hibiki." He eyed the pair of them carefully.
"Understood?"

He looked over at her for a split second; she did the same. He could read
the strange combination of mirth and embarrassment in her dark eyes; her
soft mouth twisted into a sheepish grin. "Yes, sir," they replied.

The teacher droned on about the capture of Nanking in 1937; Hikaru listened
just enough to be ready, but kept the rest of his mind elsewhere. Like two
desks to his right.

Ryouko Hibiki wasn't the most beautiful girl in class; that didn't matter
to him. Long dark hair ran like a river down her back, with only a white
ribbon holding it in place. Her gaze, severe in its seriousness, flashed
between her laptop and the teacher, as slender fingers typed away notes
into the computer. Her small, petite frame almost swam in the uniform top
and skirt; she preferred it a bit large, for escape purposes.

He smiled. Yes, life was good. He was in the prime of his life, he had a
good friend to hang out with... things couldn't get better. He stretched
out in his desk, working the kinks out of begging-to-be-used muscles before
gym class began.

*Saotome.*

He closed his eyes in frustration. Shutarou Kunou was calling, and he
didn't want to listen. He typed a quick reply, asking what was up.

A groan came from his lips as the response came. Another challenge from
Kunou, apparently one 'final battle' for them to face. He really didn't
feel like fighting the buffoon; it just didn't seem fun. A punching bag
gave him a better workout, usually. He turned around to face him; ice-gray
eyes stared back, deadly seriousness conveyed in the gaze.

Sighing, Hikaru turned back around. It wasn't like he could refuse; his
family's art would never live it down. If Kunou wanted to get beaten up, it
wasn't his job to refuse. He typed up a quick message in reply, then went
back to being bored. Maybe another couple of leaves would fall before the
class was over...

*********************************************************************

The sky glowed an angry red by the time Hikaru left the school; he took a
moment to take the sight in, enjoying the feeling of freedom. Autumn winds
denied him in class caressed his brow, blowing into his unbuttoned collar,
giving a pleasant tickle to sensitive areas. Only the dull roar of the city
surrounded them; nothing else intruded.

He looked over her, taking in sights long familiar. Her long hair wafted in
the wind's gusts, forcing her to raise a dainty hand to hold it back. Dark
eyes met the road, a cheery, optimistic gaze taking in everything she
could. A quiet, small smile crossed her face, her only communication for
the moment; he thought it strange that she could be so quiet at one point,
then so talkative the next. He eyed her body critically, without
perversion; Ryouko always did underestimate how beautiful she was, with a
slim, elfin face, a build as much practical as attractive, and a
musculature that, while not in the realm of martial artists, was enough to
defend herself against the random threat.

"What's on your mind, Hikaru?" Her soft, husky voice was barely heard over
the wind.

He stopped. She always tended to know where his eyes were. "Oh, nothing."

"Don't lie to me." He sighed; sometimes she could be so unreasonable... "I
know you too well. You're not this quiet - not to mention this perverted -
unless something is on your mind."

"I'm not perverted!" he whined defensively. "My eyes can't help it, is
all." He crossed his arms. "Besides, you never get on me for it when we're
both girls..."

"Well, you're not a pervert when you're a girl." She looked askance at him.
"At least, I don't think so..."

He smiled. "Shows how much you know. I'll have you know I'm a complete
pervert when I'm in my other form. No matter how much I can help it, I
still find myself attracted to women."

"Oh, so you are perverted, then?" Her voice chimed with laughter.

He paused for a moment. Physical sparring was his forte; verbal sparring,
on the other hand, was not. "I... I guess. After all, with you teaching me
so well, how can I be anything else?" He grinned like a Cheshire cat; for
once, he'd gotten the upper hand.

She frowned, and smoothed out her skirt. "Honestly. I'm a little concerned
about you, and all you can do is insult me." She pulled her lips into a
pout.

He stopped, his eyes taking in every detail. Was she faking it? Could he
afford to doubt it? Regardless, she'd won. "So. You want to know what's
been bugging me?"

Her pout relaxed slightly. She had been faking it, after all. "Uh-huh."

He let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Oh, Kunou challenged me again." He
ran his fingers through his hair. "Honestly, that guy never learns."

The pout vanished; the small, wicked smile was back. "Maybe he likes it.
After all, he is a bigger pervert than you are..." She lazily examined her
fingernails. "That is, if such a thing is possible..."

"This isn't funny, Ryouko. You think I *like* beating the stuff out of him
every week?" He rubbed the frustration from his face. "Sometimes I wish
he'd just go away."

"You could just tell Hinako about him..."

"That is tempting." He raised an eyebrow. "It would be nice to see him
drained. Of course, would Grandma want the energy...?"

Ryouko chuckled, a low, musical chime he enjoyed. "Good point." They found
themselves at a point in the road they hated - the place where their paths
separated. "See you tomorrow?"

He smiled; from pouting to mischievous, Ryouko suddenly turned quite
normal. "Okay." He watched her walk away; he painted that picture in his
mind before forcing his legs to walk on.

*********************************************************************

"You're getting sloppy, Hikaru."

Hikaru wiped the sweat off of his brow, and looked up. His mother's hand
reached down to pull him up, a hand he accepted. "Sorry, Mom." She was
right, of course; he was sloppy. His mind was very much on other things.
"I'll do better." He gave her a fierce glare. "Once more?"

Ranma crossed her arms; a gentle eyebrow arched on her forehead. "Ryouko,
right?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

She smiled, and winked mischievously. "You honestly don't think I see the
looks that pass between the two of you?"

"Mom!" He crossed his arms in a huff. "There are no 'looks' that pass
between us! We're just friends!"

Mom grinned. "Yeah. Right. Just like your father and me were just
'friends'."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Mom, will you stop trying to play
matchmaker? I know you and Pop are good friends with Mrs. Hibiki, but
still..."

Ranma raised her arms in surrender. "Okay, okay..." She moved into a ready
stance. "Another?"

Hikaru smiled. Now *this* was a battle he could understand. "Anytime, Mom."

His mother and father had oftentimes spoken to him on what it was like to
be immersed in the art; it still unnerved him afterwards, whenever he came
back from there. There was no thought in that instant, only pure instinct -
pure self. Mom's punches came in, at a speed blindingly fast to anyone
outside of the clan; Hikaru blocked every one mechanically, without
thought, without clutter. He wasted no movement; results carried a lot more
weight than theatrics in the Saotome clan, and Mom would put him on his
backside if he fought a hairsbreadth short of his best. Punch followed kick
followed feint followed sweep; it all blurred into a dance, an
unchoreographed ballet dangerous to anyone who couldn't handle the tango.
Nothing would get between him and the art this time - nothing.

Something did.

The kick came at the same time the scream did. His heart decided to take a
vacation; his mind tried to make out reality, and feebly attempted to
block. There was no stopping it; the foot was coming, he couldn't...
couldn't...

... "Hikaru! Talk to me, son!"

The splash of cold water got his attention. In an instant, she sat up; her
eyes caught up with the rest of her head a moment later. The whole family
had gathered for the show: her father, in masculine form, looking on with
frightened eyes, her mother at her side, hand on her (now-ample) chest -
and her younger brother Makoto, a dripping fire bucket in his hands.
Sighing, she wiped the water from her eyes, and gave her brother an evil
glare.

"You would have to use cold water, wouldn't you?"

The eleven-year-old smiled innocently. "Of course. How else were we going
to revive you?"

Akane leaned down, clearly ignoring the blooming conflict. He moved his
hands around, gingerly touching areas along his face. Hikaru smiled; even
after all this time, her father still moved like a woman. "Hikaru, what
happened? You normally don't black out like that." He looked over at his
partner's hand. "Oh, and dear? Please stop fondling our child's breasts. If
you want to do something like that, I'll be available later tonight."

Ranma looked down at the hand, then moved it away. "Oh. hehheh..."

Hikaru sighed, partly to ignore the honeymoon comments and partly to make
sense of what happened. Hindsight had given her a better perspective on the
matter - unfortunately, that didn't help all that much. She'd heard a
scream, a definite human scream... one that caused her entire body to tense
up in fear.

"I... I don't know. I felt... felt really afraid for a moment, then... then
I think Mom connected."

"Nope." Her mother's eyes were on the ground; her hands were folded
together in front of her. "My blow never connected. It was intended as a
lead-in to a low punch. When you passed out... you did it on your own."

"Oh." Hikaru looked downward, at her ill-fitting gi. She didn't want to
think that she'd passed out on her own; she would much rather have had help
on the matter.

Her father sat up, and crossed his arms. "At any rate, practice is over for
the day. Supper's ready."

"Supper?" Food was definitely something she could deal with. Any concern
for her well-being vanished as concern for her empty stomach took
precedence. She looked over at her mother and brother; they'd already
started salivating.

Akane just rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Ranma. They're just like you." He
wiped his hands on his apron and walked out of the dojo. "Come on. The
table's already ready."

Ranma frowned. "We're not that bad, Akane." She looked over to her
children. "Are we?"

Hikaru shook her head. "No talk. Eat." She made her way to her feet with
her mother's help; the trip to the dinner table she made on her own.

*********************************************************************

>From the first day they'd brought Hikaru home from the hospital, Akane had
tried to instill a sense of decorum at the dinner table. He remembered long
arguments with Ranma over the subject, as a will of iron fought to contain
a decade of conditioning. He'd cajoled her, pleaded with her, threatened
her, blackmailed her, used all the tricks he'd learned from Nabiki to try
to get the family in line.

As was usually the case when trying to convince Ranma of a course of
action, it didn't work.

He watched in disinterested fascination as his partner and siblings wolfed
down their rice, every move betraying the mild hyperactivity that was a
trademark of the Saotome clan. As usual, they moved at their own speed, as
though time moved a little faster for them than for the rest of the world.
The fish was the first to go; while they each knew not to touch the others'
portions, they occasionally tested it out of fun - and out of practice for
when a certain grandparent came over. The pickles vanished next, each one
devoured in eerie synchronicity. The meal was ended with the remainder of
the rice; each one inhaled what remained, asked for seconds, then devoured
it as soon as his slow hands could dole it out.

One thing he had to admit about his life: it was never boring. Of course,
Ranma made sure of that every night... however, that wasn't important at
the moment. What was, however, was the health of her children.

Hikaru, for better and worse, was her mother's child. Saotomes didn't faint
without a reason; they were too damn resilient. For Hikaru to pass out in
the middle of a session spoke only ill - and a lot of it. Moreover, that
stubborn Saotome pride would keep her from saying when something was wrong;
for all Akane knew, Hikaru had been ill for months, and simply hid the fact
until today. He made a mental note to call his sister and arrange an
appointment - or, at the very least, an informal checkup.

"Hikaru?"

"Hmmm?" His daughter's chopsticks hung from her mouth.

"Is anything wrong with you? Have you been feeling faint or tired lately?"

Hikaru chuckled softly. To a parent, such a quiet laugh spoke whole
paragraphs; this one in particular sang of overprotective parents. "Pop,
I'm fine. I just had a little spell, is all."

"Any reason why?" Yes, more parent questions; it was his job, after all.

"Akane, the kid's fine," Ranma interjected. "To be honest, I wasn't feeling
that well at the moment, either. It's probably some flu making the rounds."

"A flu that causes a person to faint, then disappears?" Akane reached over,
and patted Hikaru on the hand. "I know you may feel fine, Hikaru, but I'm
going to schedule an appointment with Aunt Kasumi anyway."

"But, Pop... I don't need it. Honest." She sat up straight, to show off her
healthy frame. "See? Fit as a fiddle."

The phone rang before Akane could reply; he moved to get up, then found
Hikaru bounding for it. He watched her every move; there were some things a
parent could pick up if he was careful. Much as the fainting had worried
him, Hikaru was still right; nothing appeared to be wrong with her.

He was still going to take her over to Kasumi's, though. He paid close
attention to her voice; even the slightest waver could tell her something.

"Hello? Oh, hi, Mrs. Hibiki. Did you want to talk to... I see. Are you
sure? She was on her way home... oh, no... oh..."

The last words got Akane's attention; he rushed to Hikaru's side. Hikaru's
face had turned ashen; she was still in control of her facilities, but the
fear in her eyes spoke volumes. "Hikaru? What's wrong?"

The words were enough to bring Hikaru back. She blinked, then turned her
attention back to the phone. "Um... Mrs. Hibiki, I think I may know where
Ryouko is. If I find her, I'll let you know. Okay? Bye." The last words
were rushed; for Akane's child, time was of the essence.

"Hikaru?"

The fear in her eyes still lingered; this time, though, determination held
them in place. "Pop, I have to go out for a bit."

He reached a hand to touch her shoulder. "What's wrong, honey? Speak to
me."

Hikaru shook her head. "You'd think I'm crazy."

The hand moved to Hikaru's cheek; his callused fingertips touched warm
tears. "Hikaru, you know I won't. Now tell me. What's wrong?"

Hikaru turned her gaze away, clearly to weigh her options. "When... when I
fainted this evening, I heard a scream. At least, I think it was a scream;
it was... I don't even know how else to describe it. I... I wondered about
that, until I realized whose scream I heard."

Hikaru's fear was contagious, Akane decided. He knew connections like that;
he and Ranma had shared them on rare, dire circumstances. "Ryouko's in
trouble, right?"

Hikaru nodded in reply, the only response a Saotome could give in such a
situation. Hikaru had come of age with the decision, he knew; the adult who
returned would likely be nothing like the child who left. And, much as he
hated to admit it, Hikaru was of age; at seventeen, she was older than
Ranma and he had been when they'd met. His reason for existence - his
reason for being - was coming.

"Go." The one word masked a million others he wished to say. He closed his
eyes as Hikaru flowed out of the room, off to his call. Three more words
that came to his mind made it to his lips, though Hikaru was long gone by
then, turning them into a small prayer.

"And be careful."

*********************************************************************

Sunset had long gone by the time Hikaru found her. Ryouko hid in the
shadows under the trees; only a momentary touch of light on her ribbon
betrayed her position. Hikaru could hear the quiet squeals coming from her
- the porcine equivalent of tears.

"Ryouko?"

The squeals jumped for a moment, then continued. The white ribbon backed
further into the shadows.

"Ryouko, what happened? What's wrong?" She took a moment to force her
tension down. One person panicked was bad; two people panicked was worse.

Nothing could help Hikaru once Ryouko's eyes opened. She swallowed
involuntarily; the eyes that stared back reminded her of her mom - while
under the influence of the nekoken.

No matter what, she had to draw Ryouko back.

"Ryouko, come on. Your mom's been worried about you. I... I've been worried
about you, too." She held out her hands, praying Ryouko would accept. "Come
on. Let's go home."

Ryouko stared at the slender arms; after a long moment, she shook her head.

Hikaru took a deep breath. "Okay. I guess we can talk here, then." She took
a seat next to her, back rested against a sturdy tree. "So where'd you
leave your stuff?"

Ryouko closed her eyes; the squealing intensified.

Hikaru reached out a hand. She hoped this would work; if it backfired, both
of them would be in trouble. She touched a hand to Ryouko's soft fur, and
stroked it gently. "Don't worry, Ryouko. Whatever... whatever happened,
we'll make it right again. We always do, don't we?" An attempt to laugh
made it to her throat; all that came out was a strangled sound. She
struggled for something to say; more than anything else, the lines of
communication had to remain open.

"So... want to hear about my day?"

Ryouko looked up at her incredulously - a good sign, Hikaru thought. Hikaru
tried to make her vocal cords work; it took a few seconds before they
started.

"I... I actually fainted this afternoon. I was fighting with Mom,
practicing my blocking and evasion techniques... when I fainted." She
swallowed; her throat hurt from what she held in. "Crazy, huh? I mean, I
never faint..."

A warm snout touched her hand, stopping her absentminded strokes. Ryouko's
dark eyes stared up at her, pleading... pleading a human's request.

"Are you ready to go back?"

Ryouko shook her head; this time, no squeals of pain came with them. Hikaru
blinked, contemplating what she might want.

"Do you... just want to be held?"

Ryouko nodded. Hikaru picked her up, and straightened the ribbon on her
neck. She pressed Ryouko in closer to her, letting her friend know that she
was protected.

Hikaru let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. One struggle had
gone her way - but she knew that more were to come.

*********************************************************************

Hikaru didn't remember getting home. To be honest, the memories of the
previous night had blurred in her mind, leaving dilemmas for her awakening.
She sniffed gently; the scent of lilacs and the stench of human sweat
fought for dominance, causing her nose to twitch. She looked down; to her
surprise, a human Ryouko was in her arms, gently snoring. She thought,
perhaps, the night had gone better than she'd remembered - then saw the
shiner around her eye, and knew it hadn't. She just stared at her friend
for a moment, weighing options before morning's light and the pinching in
her arm made up her mind.

"Ryouko?" She tried to pull her arm out from underneath. "Ryouko, wake up."
Ryouko's face twitched in response, as though a fly buzzed around it. She
let out a few grunts, then rolled back to sleep.

Hikaru sighed. She had to get them up, if for no other reason than school.
"Ryouko!"

Ryouko's eyes shot open. "Huh?" Her face contorted into a grimace as
memories washed in. "Good morning, Hikaru."

Hikaru took that moment to extricate her arm from beneath Ryouko's side.
She flexed it experimentally, as pins and needles shot up into the hand.
"Ryouko, do you feel like going to school?"

The anguish intensified; Ryouko only shook her head in response. Hikaru
moved to get up; Ryouko's frightened eyes held her at bay.

"Ryouko, I have to go to school today. It's... well, it's a matter of
honor. I'll probably skip after lunch; considering you're not feeling well,
I don't think they'll mind." She looked out the window; the sun was already
beginning to climb. "Ryouko, if you need help, my parents will be here all
day. They should be able to help you if I'm gone. All right?"

The dark emotions vanished for a moment; Ryouko's mouth gaped, as her good
eye widened.

"Ryouko?"

It vanished all too soon, as the dark avalanche came again. "It's nothing,"
she murmured.

Hikaru grit her teeth. "Ryouko, don't... don't lie to me. Please."

The avalanche played itself out; her face contorted, tears fell down lines
that shouldn't be there. "Hikaru... not now. Later. Okay?"

Hikaru nodded; it was the best she was likely to get. Ryouko said what she
wanted - and didn't say what she didn't. "Okay. After lunch, maybe?"

"Maybe." Hikaru knew that tone from her; it meant that 'maybe' wasn't
likely. She reached out a hand to touch Ryouko's cheek, to wipe the tears
away for now.

<a dark street.>

Hikaru blinked.

<words. strong hands.>

The hand started to shake; she didn't dare move it.

<deep silken voice. poetry. fear.>

"My God..."

<pain. tearing.>

"Wha...wha... NOOOO!" Her free arm shielded what of her body she could.

<slap fear scream
cantscreampushfeartouchshocknohurtsnopleasenonotmenotmeeEEEEEEE!...>

Hikaru pushed Ryouko off of the bed instinctively; in an instant, she was
curled up in a ball. It wasn't real, she told herself; it wasn't real, it
was just an illusion, it wasn't real, it was just an illusion, it wasn't...

"Hikaru?" Ryouko stared up at her, with eyes that held far too much fear.

She knew.

Hikaru uncurled herself on the bed, then forced herself to a sitting
position. She swallowed; she had to know for certain.

"Kunou."

Ryouko backed up, her face white as a sheet. "How..."

Hikaru shook her head, partly to clear the memories away. "I... I wish I
knew." She stood up, her legs wobbly from the shock. "There's a lot I wish
I knew. I... I felt it when you screamed; I think that's why I fainted last
night. Now..." She stared at the offending hand, the one that had touched
Ryouko's tears. Slender hands clenched into a fist; sadness and fear
crystallized into anger. "He's not walking away today." Her eyes could
still see Kunou over her, tearing her clothes, shredding her decency,
pounding his... She shook the memories away again; this time, her palms
bled from cutting fingernails. "He's not walking away." She stormed for the
door.

"Hikaru?" The voice could have come from the wind, it was so light.

"What is it?"

Ryouko swallowed; fear cloaked her like a dark blanket. "B... be careful."

Her blue eyes blazed back in the morning light. "Ryouko, care has nothing
to do with this."

*********************************************************************

Shutarou Kunou had won.

He had not even fought yet, but he had already won.

He slid the hakama over his arms, donning the robes that would serve for
his coronation. The bokken felt weightless in his hands, an extension of
his will - an extension of divine justice. The wind this morning had told
of struggles long done in its cool breath; no doubt, it would be a perfect
day for battle.

And battle he would.

A good strategist, his aunt had taught him, is one who realizes how to
defeat an opponent without a fight. His plan was without fail; he had taken
Ryouko in the night, and wooed her to his banner. He had smiled at her
screams of ecstasy, as he invited her into his world, and shown her what a
true man could do; even now, she probably yearned for his magical touch.

The queen, the true power, was taken; the king was left impotent. Without
Ryouko, Hikaru would either hide in his shelter like some woman, or face
certain doom in battle. He had no idea of which course Saotome would take;
it didn't matter to him. Either way served his purposes.

"So, Kunou, you ready for the fight?" His comrades-in-arms were around him
- his knights, bishops, rooks, and pawns. They would be there to watch
Saotome fall; they would form his ascending court.

His eyes turned to the clock; it was almost time. He raised his blade to
the heavens; outside, thunder crashed, announcing his glory. "Verily.
Saotome will be on his knees this morning; this I swear. The vengeance of
heaven is slow but sure; Saotome's demise is already inscribed." He lowered
the bokken, setting it in a relaxed position. "Come. It is almost-"

"KUNOU!" The wall of the Kendo club imploded; Saotome apparently came with
his own thunder. His eyes burned with the flames of demons; red fire
coursed along his fists.

His eyes narrowed. Saotome had defiled the sacred with his entrance; for
that, he would have to pay. "Saotome. How dare you defile this place of
honor!" His bokken rose to a dangerous position. "You will pay for such a
crime!"

Saotome turned to the sound of his voice. No human look appeared in his
visage; he was pure demon - pure animal. His comrades retreated to a safer
place to watch, giving him all the room he would need. He would wait for
Saotome's move; it was the only way.

Saotome charged full bore with his lightning speed; it had been said that
no mortal man could counter such an attack. However, countering such an
attack was simple - if you knew where the target was going to be. He thrust
his bokken out with all of his courage, knowing everything rode on the
strike.

Heaven smiled on him. His pride rose as Saotome flew backwards, crashing
amidst another of the club's walls. He took a step toward the ruins, his
weapon at the ready.

"Saotome, you cannot hope to defeat me. I am the heavenly judgment - and I
find you wanting."

"You're a goddamn rapist is what you are!" The demon charged from the
debris, hoping to catch him off guard.

Kunou grinned. Again, countering would be easy; he had heard the pop of a
dislocated shoulder, and knew he would be defenseless. "If you will not
listen to reason..." He slashed to the right at the last available second,
hoping to catch him open.

He succeeded. It appeared that Saotome had not realized how inoperative his
body was; otherwise, he would have blocked the slash. Saotome staggered
around; it was clear he was dazed. Deep maroon now mixed with the midnight
of his hair; first blood had spilt, and he gloried in his success. He moved
his blade to his side, and assumed a regal stance.

"Do you yield, cur?"

Saotome blearily stared at him, dancing the waltz of the drunkard. His eyes
spoke of defiance between unsteady blinks; his brow showed the strength of
stone. "I will never yield."

Kunou nodded, and placed his bokken in a ready position. The endgame was
upon him.

"Kiyaiiii!" The blood was aflame in his veins; the power that was his
birthright moved him with the speed of kami, striking again and again
without mercy. Saotome tried desperately to shield himself from the rain;
however, with only one good arm, such efforts proved futile. With each
success came the crumbling of his enemy's resolve; with each strike, the
victory became more and more his. Seizing the opportunity, he slashed for
Saotome's temple, hoping to open his crown; Saotome barely blocked, and
went flying into the wall.

He'd done it. The monster was vanquished. Heavenly justice was his.

"Heaven is satisfied." He raised his bokken to the sky and tasted the air;
victory was truly a sweet nectar, and he longed to taste it for all time.

"Not... not yet, it's not."

His eyes widened in disbelief. Saotome rose to his feet, eyes still aflame.
He paused for a moment to relocate his shoulder; demon's teeth bared as he
popped it in.

This, of course, changed nothing. "Yield, Saotome. You cannot win."

Saotome shook his head, his eyes closed to the world; perhaps he was
calling his dark lords for help. "I... I've been going about this the wrong
way." He clasped his hands together, as if in prayer.

For a moment, Kunou's heart wavered. No choice remained. "Then let me show
you the way." He slowly moved the blade into position; one good thrust, and
Saotome's head would cave in, speeding him back to the nether world. It
pained him to have to do this; however, Saotome had proven beyond
redemption. His voice turned low; pride had no place here. "May the Kami
show mercy on your pathetic soul." He eyed his target carefully, like a
sniper, then lunged.

At that moment, his world filled with a great light - like fire, but a
thousand times more intense. Had heaven come to pass judgment on them?

White changed to black; his thoughts descended with the light.

*********************************************************************

Hikaru didn't know there were so many types of pain.

The most attention-grabbing was the knife-sharp pain in his ribs, where
several had quite obviously broken. Next in line was the dumb, throbbing
pain in his shoulder, where Kunou had taken the liberty of dislocating his
shoulder. The rest of his body, head included, just felt numb; he imagined
he would likely feel those tomorrow.

He had to get up. That had to be first priority: get up, then take the
bastard down. Ryouko was waiting at home, waiting for him to bring the
bastard's head home on a silver plate, and he could not let her down. This
was a fight he had to win; there was no other option.

Kunou had to pay, and only he could bring him down.

Words came to Hikaru's ears, words which inflamed. How DARE this person go
off and rape someone, then stand there saying that heaven was satisfied?
Groaning, ignoring the million little aches that were beginning to rise to
the surface, he forced himself up. He grit his teeth as he grabbed his left
arm; the dull throb became a fireball as he put his shoulder in place. He
quietly reminded himself never to do that again; leaving it hang was much
easier on the psyche. He spit blood on the floor, and sneered.

He'd answered Kunou's challenge.

Kunou's face was a passionless mask. He didn't expect much emotion; any
monster that would resort to rape wouldn't have much to speak of. "Yield,
Saotome. You cannot win."

Hikaru closed his eyes. In a way, Kunou was right; he couldn't win as he
was. He'd gone about the fight in the wrong way by choosing to let his
anger guide his actions, and he was left with few options left as a result.
His body was useless, he knew; it stood no chance.

However, power existed in the little places beyond the physical, where the
soul resided. Mom had always spoken of the dangers of it; using such power
was a risky gamble at best. Unfortunately, risky gambles were all he had
left; the screaming in his ribs and shoulder told him enough concerning
that.

"I've been going about this the wrong way," he whispered quietly. Spirit
would lead him home; every thing he'd ever felt in his life would see him
through. He clasped his hands together, and began to feel it build.

How much suffering had Kunou caused with his delusions? How often had he
heard the term 'freak' in its myriad forms come from his lips? To Kunou,
they were worse than untouchable; they were toys, playthings to let him be
comforted in his superiority. He remembered each success marred by a
reciprocal act from the monster; even good times carried an uneasy taint
with them. Kunou failed to understand; he refused to understand.

He would make Kunou understand. He could feel it rising, the power that was
his birthright, his to command if he had the courage. His body felt hot, a
soothing burn; his other aches faded behind this glow.

Heavenly justice? He didn't know. Mortal justice, however, was his - and he
would deliver. He didn't need to see the ball of flame in his hands; he
knew it was there. Kunou would be brought low; that he swore, over and over
again. A small prayer came to his lips as he released it, a prayer that
this would all be over, that Kunou would never bother them again.

An explosion and scream heralded his success; for the first time since he'd
risen, he opened his eyes. The kendo club building stood on splinters; he'd
made one last hole in the frame, when he'd blasted Kunou out of it. The
other members of his club formed a circle around him, checking to make sure
of his condition.

He smiled. It didn't matter, now. Kunou was done - for all time. Ryouko's
honor was satisfied; all it would take now is the pressing of charges, and
the heir to the house of Kunou would never see the light of day again.

"Wh... what did you do to him, Saotome?" A fearful voice drifted to him; he
turned to the mob forming there. Still feeling the injuries he'd sustained,
Hikaru shuffled over to the crowd.

"What do you mean? It was just a ki-blast." Of course, it wasn't *just* a
ki-blast; it had been his first. "Was it too strong?"

The crowd moved away; one of the freshmen pointed. "See for yourself."

The vision of beauty that lay on the ground was enough to take any man's
breath away. A smooth noble face was marked by pouty lips, long eyelashes,
a turned-up nose, and framed with short midnight-black hair. Any eyes that
made it past the face noticed the slender neck leading down to an exposed
cleavage; though the kendo outfit concealed the rest, no doubt existed of
the woman's curves hidden beneath. Any of them would have likely asked the
lady out once she came to, if it weren't for one small problem.

That face, while changed slightly, was unmistakable. Anyone who knew
Shutarou Kunou would have thought her his twin sister; anyone who had seen
the fight knew better.

Hikaru fought for his breath, even as his ribs made him pay for it. "K...
Kunou?!?"

*********************************************************************

Remarkable how one night could change so much.

Ryouko glanced down the flight of stairs to the entryway below, her eyes
alert for the slightest hint of trouble. She took a careful step down,
followed by two, by three, her hand never letting go of the rail. Her foot
touched terra firma lightly; even after this, she stood ready to bolt back
upstairs.

She'd made it to the bottom floor of the Saotome home, and considered it a
minor success. She never knew the world could look so dark, even familiar,
friendly confines such as this. To her, nothing was safe anymore - nothing.
She hadn't wanted to go out; however, sleeping, if last night was any
indication, was worse.

"Good morning, Ryouko!"

Her heart jumped at the sound, then relaxed. Auntie Akane would protect
her; she'd always protected her whenever Mother had to go in to work. "Good
morning, Auntie." She walked into the dining area, her mouth salivating at
the food in front of her.

The food, however, paled in comparison to Akane's smile. Akane's welcome
held no guile; indeed, the Saotomes were about as face-value as you could
get. With it (and with the hand that stretched out to the small banquet),
Akane said the simple fact that she needed to hear: here, at least, she was
safe. "You gave us quite a scare, Ryouko. Are you - oh, my."

Ryouko frowned. An 'oh, my' from Akane was not considered a good thing.
"What is it?"

"What happened to your eye, dear? It's all swollen."

She reached a hand up, and felt the puffy flesh around her left eye. She
knew, without looking, that makeup wasn't likely to cover it - another
reminder to her of what happened. "Oh. I... I didn't realize."

Akane strode up to her; for a moment, Ryouko was terrified Akane would grab
her just as he did. She was able to breathe again when she felt Akane's
hand touch her face. "Wh... what happened last night, child? It must have
been something horrible..."

She squeaked; it would have been a scream, if her vocal cords had been
willing.

The sound wasn't lost on Akane; Ryouko felt dark eyes scanning every inch
of her. "My God... what happened to you? Who would do-"

Ryouko wasn't listening. Another squeak came out; she wanted to scream it
to Akane and scream it to Hikaru and scream it to the whole world... but
her voice was gone. It was her shame; she didn't want anyone - especially
someone nice like Akane - to be a part of it.

Akane's eyes widened. "Was it... that bad?" Her tone left no doubt as to
what 'that bad' meant.

And again, all she could do was squeak. She squeaked as the hands wrapped
around her, a protective embrace from her surrogate mother. All of a
sudden, she was four years old again, crying over a scraped knee. Auntie
Akane or Auntie Ranma would come over and kiss her boo-boo; with the touch,
the pain would magically go away.

God, she wished a kiss would make all this go away. She barely heard
Akane's words of comfort; her mind was still far away, screaming in a dark
alley. She wanted to escape - she thought she had - but the alley came to
her.

Dizziness washed over her for a moment; she leaned on Akane for support.
Stars gathered around the edges of her vision, an ocean of stars that
threatened to pull her in.

"Ryouko!"

The stars vanished; reality came back into focus. She took a deep breath;
miso beat out more primal smells, ones she planned on washing away at the
first opportunity. "Oh. Sorry, Auntie. Just a dizzy spell."

If it was possible for Akane to show more concern than before, she did.
"Are you sure that's all?"

She tried to make a smile come; all that she managed was a weak grimace.
"It's not all, Auntie, but I'll deal with that later." After all, more
pressing problems made themselves known - specifically, by the grumbling of
her stomach. "Um... I don't mean to be rude, but I haven't eaten since
lunch yesterday."

Akane's smile returned; it must have been nice for her to find some way to
help. "Then dig in. The others have already eaten, as you can probably
tell." She paused for a long moment. "Um... Ranma will be done teaching in
a few minutes, if you'd rather speak to her."

Ryouko wasn't listening; her eyes focused on the food. She needed to fill
the emptiness in her stomach, and Akane's breakfast seemed the best way to
do it. She wolfed the rice down with a speed that would do a Saotome proud;
the miso soon followed. She was about to go for seconds when a hand covered
her chopsticks.

"Ryouko, slow down. Please." Akane's voice was barely above a whisper. "I
know you want to forget; this isn't the way to do it." Ryouko's hands shook
under Akane's shield. They weren't going to make this easy on her; it
couldn't be easy on her.

Akane slid her hand away, picked up Ryouko's bowl, and scooped a modest
amount of rice into it. "Now take it easy. The rice will still be there."

Shaking chopsticks reached for the rice. She would act properly; she would
not act like a starving panda on amphetamines when eating, she would not be
brought low by that animal... she would... that animal...

She knocked the bowl aside in rage; rice grains flew across the room. The
scream finally came out; she wanted to cut his balls off, she wanted to run
away, she wanted to die, she wanted to be...

She wanted to be the way she was, and she couldn't do that.

Akane held on to her again, whispering sweet comforts in her ear, just as
Hikaru had... and with the same love. She didn't know what drove these
Saotomes, but their caring was the only thing keeping her sane. She needed
to feel safe, and this was the only place she could.

The phone rang; she cursed the Kami for their timing. Akane looked down at
her, and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Ryouko, I need to use the phone. Will you be all right?"

She nodded shakily and moved back into a kneeling position, mantras
whispered on her lips. She would not be brought low by that animal; that
she swore.

Akane's voice drifted from the phone to her ears. "Hello? Oh, hi, Auntie.
How are things?" A long, painful pause followed; Ryouko counted the
heartbeats as it drew on. "What? How?" Another pause; this time, she
counted the grains of rice still in the bowl. "Is he all right?"

She knew. He wasn't all right.

"Okay. I'll be down there as soon as I can. There's been another emergency
in the family, and we're stretched a little thin right now. Okay. I love
you too, Auntie. Goodbye." The phone made a gentle thump as the receiver
was placed back in its slot; the swishing of clothing filled her ears a
second later.

She could see it in Akane's eyes: indecision. Hikaru was in trouble; they
both knew it. On the other hand, so was she. And it was her choice.

"Go. I'll be fine." The words surprised her; she'd thought her courage
spent.

Akane gave Ryouko a hug, then slid a purse over her shoulder. "Ranma's
class should be over any time; talk to him. Splash him with water if it
makes you feel good; we do all the time." She snorted at the semi-private
joke, and kissed Ryouko on the cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can.
Okay?"

For probably the first time in a day, Ryouko found a smile within. "Okay,
Auntie."

*********************************************************************

Where does childhood end?

The question, for some reason, kept popping up in Hikaru's mind as he sat
in bed in the nurse's office. Kunou was still out cold - a mercy, as she
wasn't likely to deal well with the news when she woke up. To make matters
worse, the Jusenkyo test had been performed; warm and cold water only
changed Kunou into a wet girl.

His own injuries, for some reason, didn't hurt anymore. He was numb; his
shoulder barely gave a twinge, while the broken ribs only ached slightly.
By rights, he knew he belonged in the hospital; for some reason, though, he
didn't feel like going there.

His childhood was gone. The fights between them had always been innocent
before this; it would never be considered again. Ryouko was mentally
broken, like a china doll fallen from the dresser; healing would still
leave cracks, leaving her something different from the innocent girl he
knew. Kunou... well, he didn't know if 'broken' was the right word;
however, no matter what had happened, her life would never be the same. As
for himself, he *was* broken physically; he could barely lift his arm, and
he didn't want to know what he'd be like once the adrenaline wore off.

Three lives shattered; three more lives than were needed. There was no
coming back from this fight - only going on from it.

"Hikaru?"

He looked over to the door. His father stood there in the doorway; he could
feel her eyes scan over him. "Hikaru, I'm so glad you're all right! When
Auntie Hinako didn't tell me anything over the phone, I feared..." She
looked down, slightly embarrassed, then gave him a gentle hug. "At least
you're all right."

"Yeah," he breathed. Himself hurt, Ryouko worse, and Kunou... unknown: all
right. "Yeah."

Akane let go of the embrace. "What happened? I heard that you and Shutarou
fought, but... why?"

Hikaru rubbed his face with his hands. He really didn't feel like
explaining this... "Has Ryouko talked to you about last night?"

His father chook his head carefully. "Not really. I mean, she said a little
about... but... oh, no." Pieces fit together in her eyes; small words
became much larger in a different picture. "Shutarou wouldn't do that,
would... oh, dear... he would, wouldn't he?"

Hikaru nodded slowly, his hands still pressed against his cheek. "Would and
did, Pop." He straightened up, and looked down at his hands. "When I found
Ryouko last night, she was in cursed form - by choice, I think, to escape
what had happened. She was barely human, Pop; she was so afraid that it
took me an hour just to get her to come home. I... I didn't figure out what
had happened until I talked with her this morning."

Akane nodded; he could see pride in her eyes. "So, to defend her honor,
you..."

"Pop, I wish it was honorable." He shook his head slowly, shaking memories
away. "Kunou and I had already arranged the fight. The rape... I think it
was to distract me, to anger me into making a mistake." He bit his lip; the
pain served to distract him. "Succeeded, too."

His father blinked. "Huh? Are you... You're hurt, aren't you?" She eased
him down onto the bed. "Where?"

Hikaru tried to shrug. "Dislocated my shoulder in the fight; I popped it
back in during it, but it still hurts a bit. Big problem, though, is my
ribs." He unbuttoned them, to show the bruise that had formed.

The reaction that came was typical. Akane started looking it over
carefully. "Oh, dear. We need to get you to a hospital."

He tossed his head back against the bed - and was instantly reminded of a
blow to his head. "Pop, I'm fine. I'll just have Auntie Kasumi look at it
later."

"If you say so..." His father helped him back up, her eyes never leaving
him. "So. How did the fight go?" she whispered solemnly.

Hikaru shook his head. "Badly. I was too angry to fight. I charged headlong
into him; with his bokken, it was about like running into a brick wall. He
knew I'd do something stupid like that, and he made me pay for it.
Eventually, I was so beat-up that a ki-blast was the only option left."

His father swallowed nervously; Hikaru followed the jump of her throat.
"Then what happened?"

Hikaru pointed to a bed on the other side of the room. "It worked - but not
in the way I expected. Kunou's over there, if you want to see."

Akane walked over to the bed, then blinked. Her head cocked sideways; she
peered under the blankets, then turned back to Hikaru. "Shu... Shutarou?"

Hikaru nodded sheepishly. "Yep. Seems that ki-blast did a little more than
I thought." He blew a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "We already
tried hot water on her; didn't work."

"Didn't work, huh?" A strangled sound came from his father's throat. Akane
tried to wipe the smile off of her face, with little success. "Oh, Kunou's
not going to like that at all..."

"It's not funny, Pop!" Hikaru shouted. "Because of something I did, Kunou's
a girl, now. And I have no idea what - or, for that matter, how to fix it."

Akane succeeded in swallowing her smile. "I'm sorry, Hikaru. You have to
understand; Shutarou's parents weren't much better to your mom and me." Her
internal struggles ceased with a long sigh. "You are right, Hikaru. This is
very serious - and it's not something you can find out here."

Hikaru perked up. Pop knew something he didn't, apparently. "What is it?"

Akane looked down at her feet. "Son, what do you know about Jusenkyo?"

"Jusenkyo?" His eyes widened; he'd considered the possibility, but thought
it different when Kunou didn't change back. "Do you think that what changed
us changed Kunou?"

"Yes - and no," Akane whispered. She bit her lip in thought for a moment.
"Do you know how, when parents have children, it's usually referred to as a
happy accident?"

Hikaru nodded. He had a bad feeling about this...

"Child, you were no accident. Jusenkyo WANTED your father to have you, for
some reason." Akane folded her hands together, as though in prayer; Hikaru
noted the goose bumps on her arms. "And... and Jusenkyo wanted me to help
your mother make you."

Hikaru blinked - once, twice. "Waitasec, Pop. Lemme get this straight. Some
valley of cursed springs wanted Mom to be a girl so she could have me, and
wanted you to be a guy so you two could make me?" He shook his head.
"Sorry, Pop. I'm not buying it."

"Then how do you buy the change?" His father's hands were held out
expansively; her dark eyes blazed with conviction. "How do you explain what
happened to Shutarou - or, for that matter, that you knew Ryouko was in
trouble last night?" She walked over, and put her hands on his shoulders.
"Hikaru, child, unlike too many of the kids around here, you were put on
this earth for a reason. I don't know why; I don't know how. All I know is
that your time to find out is coming."

Hikaru twisted his face. It wasn't often that his parents got weird like
this. "So. What should I do?"

His father's eyes bore into him. "Hikaru, I think you need to go on a very
long training trip."

"Ten years long?" Hikaru interjected.

Akane was unimpressed. "Not that long, I hope. However, you do need to go
out into the world - to find out who you are, and why Shutarou is the way
she is." She reached down, and grabbed his hand fiercely. "You need to find
out where you come from, child, before you know where you're going."

Hikaru stared at the grip for a moment. He had a good idea as to what his
father was asking. "Jusenkyo, right?"

His father smiled, and nodded. "Jusenkyo." She helped him to his feet, and
gave him a hug. "Come on. Let's go home."

*********************************************************************

To say that Tatewaki Kunou was unhappy with recent events was an
understatement.

The honor blade of clan Kunou glittered in the twilight, sunlight soon to
be darkened with Saotome blood. His family marched silently a few paces
behind him, witnesses to his crusade; they needed to be there, to see his
heavenly justice. He quickened his pace; the sooner they were removed from
the earth, the better.

This was the mandate of heaven, the decree given to his ancestors by the
emperors themselves. Sorcery was not allowed; such abomination had to be
eradicated before it spread. He had allowed himself to turn a blind eye to
their dark ways; he could not afford to do so anymore.

For they had emasculated his only son, his heir. She had not said a word in
the hours since awakening; the womanly shock on her face was all too plain
to read. His beloved Mariko helped her along, her strong support the only
thing keeping his child going. He hoped that the magic would fade with the
clan's death; truly, his son did not deserve a fate such as that.

Honestly, he should have done this long ago. Perhaps he could have saved
Akane from that dark path, if he had only shown courage in his youth. He
had watched silently as Saotome bewitched her, luring her into the shadow
world he called home. Now, she was as tainted as he. Their children,
hellspawn creatures, were worse; they had none of their father's subtlety,
and openly twisted others with their machinations.

No more. The line of Saotome ended that night; that he swore.

"Dear, are you sure that killing them is such a good idea?" Mariko chimed,
in that innocent tone women were wont to. "I mean, I'm sure they had a
reason for turning Shuu-kun into a girl..."

Tatewaki stopped. He turned around; such delusion needed to be corrected.
"Mariko, love, do not dissuade me from my course. It is the duty of all
noble samurai to rid Japan of dark sorcery such as this. I am merely
performing the holy duty charged to my ancestors."

"But Tatewaki..."

"Enough, woman!" His eyes blazed with fury. That they would worm their
spells into his wife as well, deluding her so... it was almost too much for
a nobleman to bear. "You must not let their tricks dissuade you from the
noble path. Let your heart be true, and it will not guide you falsely." He
was about to turn back to the road when a small miracle caught his eye.

Shutarou had raised her eyes from the ground. She stared back at him
curiously; his mouth moved, as though trying to form words.

"Speak, my child. Let me know what is on your mind."

Shutarou simply looked at him for a full minute. Fear gripped Tatewaki as
he stared into her eyes; they were not the same ones he had known. Shutarou
was changing - inside as well as out.

All the more reason for him to hurry. "Come. We must be on our way." He
hastened to get to the Saotome home; his blade could not taste blood
quickly enough. If his son were to be relieved of his curse with their
blood, then he needed to be expedient.

Sundown was on them by the time they made it to the door; fitting timing,
he thought. He politely called for Ranma to bid them enter; while surprise
was no more than they deserved, he would not stoop to their level of
treachery.

"Come in, Kunou." He smiled; Ranma's voice spoke of weariness. Perhaps the
magic had worn him out. He slid open the door, took off his shoes, and made
his way to the living area.

Fortune truly smiled on him. All of Saotome's clan sat around the table,
almost as though they waited for his blade. As expected, Ranma sat at the
head; for once, both he and Akane had chosen not to disguise themselves
with magic. Their children, however, were another story. The child, Makoto,
stared up at him, anger in her dark eyes, while the eldest, Hikaru, held
another woman - the Hibiki woman's child, he guessed - in her arms. The
girl took one look at them, then cowered in fear.

Ranma, ever practical, spoke up. "What do you want, Kunou?"

He took a deep breath. It was time to make his claim. He held the blade
across the table, a mere foot from Saotome's eyes. "Your life."

Ranma nodded, unfazed. He did not expect capitulation; he did, at least,
expect some fear, though. "I see. Would you at least like to hear all of
the facts, first, or will you attack without knowing the truth?"

He chuckled. "Truth? From you?" He couldn't suppress his laughter. "Very
well. Let us hear this 'truth' from one who deals in lies." He took a seat
opposite from Ranma; his wife and child sat behind and to his right.

Ranma folded his hands together. "The fact of the matter is that we don't
know what happened to your son. Despite what you may believe, we are not
sorcerers; we have been touched by magic, but we do not control it. If we
did, we likely would have returned Shutarou's manhood to him by now." In an
instant, the welcome left Saotome's eyes; Kunou tightened his grip on his
blade. "However, there is more to this than you know - events which, if
things had been handled differently, I would have had your son's head for."
Saotome's eyes burned into Kunou's; his voice howled with the persistence
of the breeze. "Kunou, we have reason to believe that your son raped a girl
last night."

"What?" Kunou raged; how dare they insult his family so! "My son would
never have committed such a dishonorable act!"

"Would, and did," Hikaru spoke evenly. The woman in her arms sobbed
uncontrollably. "Your son raped Ryouko last night, Mr. Kunou."

"How dare you spread such lies! I'll have your head for this!" He swung for
the boy-turned girl, the child of the clan Saotome who'd so grievously
harmed his family. Rage took him; he saw the blade going close to the
mark...

... only to stop as a hand caught the blade. Blue eyes blazed as Ranma
grabbed the sword, then snatched it from him; his voice echoed calm amidst
that cerulean fire.

"Kunou, please listen to reason. I know it's not something you want to
believe; we had a hard time believing it, too. It... it's just a bad
situation all around. Please, Kunou. Hold off on the killing until we
figure this mess out."

Kunou closed his eyes; his impotent hands rested against his thighs. The
truth had to start at home.

"Shutarou?" He turned his gaze back; his child matched it. He found his
voice had difficulty working. "Are the accusations true? Did you... did you
rape that woman?"

Shutarou's eyes darted to and fro, like a cornered animal. Finally, they
fixed in place, and Kunou knew the truth.

Two women, held back by two stronger women, held a conversation across a
room. It wasn't difficult to see the conversation; they shared pain with
tear-streaked faces and creased brows. In their gazes came hundreds of
questions, answers, and apologies; anyone else in the room felt shamed to
see it.

Slowly, Shutarou pulled her gaze away, her eyes closed to everyone. It hurt
Kunou to see his child like this, facing the greatest test of her life; it
hurt even worse to know he could not interfere, could only watch as she
made her decision. He let out a deep breath when Shutarou began to nod.

Despite this, he was proud of his son. If he had been in her position, he
would not have been so brave. With it came his own shame; the dishonor here
was theirs, not Saotome's.

Kunou kneeled and bowed deeply, like a wife to her husband. "Ranma, I
apologize for the dishonor our clan has shown to you and your family and
friends. I beg your forgiveness for my actions. Also... I beg for mercy
regarding my son. If you know of a way to reverse his condition, or to
transfer it to myself, please do so.

Ranma smiled sadly. "Kunou, you always gave me more credit than I was
worth. I'm no sorcerer; neither is my kid. We just happen to have this
little problem with water, is all." He shrugged. "Sorry if we couldn't be
of more help..."

"Um... Mr. Kunou? Sir?"

Kunou looked over to Hikaru. "Yes?"

Hikaru scratched his head. "I... I'm going to Jusenkyo in a few weeks. I...
Mom and Pop keep saying that I need to find out who I am, and that that's
the best place to go. If... if Ryouko offers her forgiveness for what
happened, I can probably bring back some water to change him back, at least
part-time, into a guy."

Kunou swallowed, then bowed to Ryouko. "And, for you, I apologize for what
my son did to you. He is not as evil as you may think him now. Perhaps... I
hope, some day, you can find forgiveness - for my son's sake, at least." He
stood up, and looked around. He still didn't know what to make of all this;
this was truly divine justice. He had a lot to think about before his
family could go on. He offered out two hands, one to his wife, one to his
child.

"Come. It is time we left. We have much to talk about when we get home."

*********************************************************************

Akari hated her job.

That wasn't quite true, of course. As a veterinarian's assistant, she got
to work all day with lovely creatures of all shapes and sizes. She loved
the feeling that she was helping others and that, of all the creatures
under heaven, even the smallest and most vulnerable had someone to watch
over them. It was in giving life that she had found joy, ever since she'd
begun her life's work on Grandfather's farm. The man had died, his secrets
were hidden in the wind, but the spirit remained within her. Who could hate
a job like that?

Anyone - if it deprived them of something greater.

If truth be known, she missed her daughter. She'd been terrified when
Ryouko didn't make it home last night; she'd been disappointed when the
Saotomes kept her there for the night. Being a single mother had cost her
too many moments with her daughter, and she regretted even the smallest
loss, as last night was one less night to spend with her before she grew
up. Ranma and Akane, on the other hand, had been there on the many
occasions she couldn't - and had been more of a parent to her as a result.

Sighing, putting thoughts of that nature out of her mind, she called to
enter the Saotome house. Such envious thoughts were unwelcome, no matter
how accurate they were. She stepped inside, noting the unnatural quiet of
the house, and walked to the living area.

It took only five seconds for her to feel content. Ryouko rushed into her
arms, slipping into a comfortable, almost sleepy embrace. She noted the
lack of energy in the grip with mild surprise; Ryouko's hugs were usually
more exuberant.

"Ryouko." She didn't dare ease the embrace; Ryouko had almost collapsed
into it. "You had me so scared..."

Ryouko didn't say anything; the quiet nod against her shoulder was enough.
Akari was in her element; she whispered soothing words into her ear,
letting her know that she was finally safe.

"M... mom," Ryouko's voice squeaked out. "Mom... we need to talk."

Akari smiled. Talking was something she could do. She eased Ryouko to a
standing position, keeping her steady. "O... Okay, dear." She looked over
at the others in the room - her daughter's protectors. "Do you mind if we
go out to the dojo?"

As usual, they didn't mind. She walked out to the dojo, tasting an instant
of peace before diving back into life. She didn't say a word; what happened
last night had to come from Ryouko, and only Ryouko - no matter how much
she wanted to know.

"Mom..."

"Yes?" She tried to hold back what she was feeling; the last thing Ryouko
needed was to go overboard.

"Mom... Hikaru and I need to leave for awhile."

Her heart dropped to the floor. Her... her time was done. "Why?"

Tears flooded Ryouko's eyes; whatever it was tearing her away had to be
something serious - whatever serious event had caused her absence last
night. "Someone... raped me last night."

Rape.

Ryouko. Raped.

Ryouko - her daughter - raped.

Fear washed over her; unreasoning anger came on its heels. "Who?" Images of
a thousand castrations came to mind; she planned on performing one more -
without anesthesia or those nifty elastrators.

Ryouko shook her head; her eyes were screwed shut from the pain. "A... a
boy from school. Hikaru tried to kill him... something else happened. He...
ended up getting the Saotome curse."

She blinked. Repeatedly. Somehow, a rapist getting the Saotome curse seemed
strangely appropriate. It also left open some interesting possibilities.
"Um... what happened then?"

Ryouko shrugged. "Not much. Hikaru's banged up pretty badly from the fight;
at any rate, he wants to go to Jusenkyo, to figure out what happened." She
drew a line in the wood with her toe. "And... and I just want to get away
from here for awhile."

"I... I see." She didn't fight the tears in her eyes anymore; she was
entitled to them. "And how long do you plan to be gone?"

Ryouko shook her head; the tiredness she felt in Ryouko had made its way to
her face. "I don't know. A few weeks... maybe a few months." She tried a
smile. "I promise to write..."

Akari smiled through her pain. So much like her father, she was... "Like...
like father, like daughter." She stared at her feet. "When are you
leaving?"

"As soon as Hikaru's ready, I think." Ryouko looked around at the dojo's
decorations. "I need to leave here; it's just too painful to stay right
now."

Akari approached her daughter, a wavering smile on her face. She didn't
know so many emotions could war within her at once; love and protectiveness
for her daughter, sorrow at her parting, anger for what that animal did to
her... it all came to her at once, and she didn't know what to do about it.
When in doubt, she relied on an embrace; such a move almost never went
wrong.

"I love you, Ryouko. Be careful." She held Ryouko closer, savoring the
warmth; her arms would be cold all too soon.

Ryouko nodded into her shoulder. "I love you too, Mom."

And that, more than anything else, was all that Akari ever truly wanted.

*********************************************************************

Hikaru stared up at the darkness of sky, taking in what stars she could see
through Tokyo's glare. The wind chilled her to the bone; she knew it would
only get colder, but she didn't care, as temperature itself seemed
unimportant now. She stretched her muscles out like a cat, her movements
indicating care for her damaged ribs. That done, she let out a quiet sigh;
moments of peace such as this one were meant to be savored.

"Nice night."

She didn't bother to look at her guest; she merely ran her fingers through
her hair, letting the wind comb through the scarlet strands. "Hey, Mom."
She patted the space next to her, inviting with a touch. "Take a load off."

Ranma stretched out next to her, his muscular form unwinding like a top.
"Hikaru, child... I think we need to talk about a couple of things before
you go."

Hikaru turned her head to the side. She paused for a moment to tuck in her
shirt; the last thing she wanted to do was give people a free show. "What's
on your mind?"

Her mother let out a sigh, the kind that warned of long discussions ahead.
"Well... two things, actually. First of all, what are your intentions
toward Ryouko?"

"Intentions?" She raised her eyebrows; the last thing she'd expected was
some matchmaking scheme.

"You know very well what I mean, Hikaru." Mom rarely wasted words. "Do you
have anything romantic intentions, now or in the future, concerning
Ryouko?"

Hikaru closed her eyes. Mom also knew how to ask the tough questions. "Mom,
if you'd asked me a day ago, I would have thought 'yes', then said 'no.
Now, though... everything's up in the air."

"How so?" One other thing about Mom: he never let a topic sit
half-explored. Hikaru remembered some of the problems Mom and Pop had dealt
with; if they were any indication, her mother hadn't always been like this.

"Well... Ryouko is a friend. Always has been, always will be. Right now,
she's more comfortable with me like this; that much has been obvious from
the time I've spent with her. She... doesn't trust guys right now, myself
included; I think I'll be staying like this for awhile." She flashed her
mother a dark look. "And don't think I'll do any of the strange stuff you
and Pop do, either."

"Don't knock it 'till you try it, kid," Ranma sang humorously - a humor
that vanished with the breeze. "Seriously, Hikaru, it's good to see you've
thought this through." Hikaru saw her Mom's eyes mist over, as memory
claimed him. "There are some things, though, that you haven't thought
through."

Hikaru sighed; she knew where this was going. "Jusenkyo, right?"

Ranma's lips thinned into a grim frown. "Child, entering Jusenkyo, even
when it's a part of you, is like putting your life into a crap shoot.
There's no clue what the magic there will do to you. I... I think you're
favored by it, as you were created with some nudging from the springs.
But... but child, there are no guarantees there. You may think your life is
filled with chaos now..." His voice trailed off; his eyes took on the look
of granite. "Hikaru, Jusenkyo IS chaos. And when you enter its territory,
it becomes more a part of you than you ever dreamed possible."

Hikaru licked suddenly dry lips. "Mom... I know."

Ranma's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, you do now? Did you know about how my curse
went haywire in the months preceding my last trip there? Did you know about
how it bargained with Akane, so that she would be man enough to be your
father? Did you know... about the conversations I had with the springs?"

"What did they have to say?" Hikaru retorted. As serious as the subject
was, it was fun sparring with her mother.

Apparently, she'd won. Ranma's mouth twitched, as he fought for the right
words. "Never you mind. It says different things to different people,
anyway." He resignedly ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm just afraid
that you don't know what you're getting into."

Hikaru closed her eyes. "Mom, I know, about as well as a person can, what
I'm getting into. I've heard the stories about Grandpa and about you and
Dad and about Ryouko's dad. I know the risks; I know what can happen to me.
But I have to know; I have to go to find out what happened. Mom, I lost
control, something unforgivable to a martial artist. Kunou's a girl now
because of what's inside of me; I have to know why it happened - and figure
out how to control it - before I can go on with my life." She reached over,
and grabbed her mother's hand. "I have to go, Mom. I have to find out who I
am."

"I know," her mother whispered. He was trying to show a brave front; the
twinkling of tears on his cheeks betrayed him. He squeezed Hikaru's hand
tightly. "Just be careful, okay?"

Hikaru smiled; she could feel her own tears coming. "I... I will, Mom."

*********************************************************************

It began. It ended, too.

The fork in the road had come two blocks from Furinkan, where the turn to
the right led to the train station. They took one look at their daily
route, thought of what had come before, and went on their way.

That was four days and an airplane trip ago. The wilds of China were their
home now, a land frozen in time to them. No computers made it this far;
even a rudimentary telephone was difficult to find. The trees had swallowed
them like a great whale, and sheltered them beneath their ancient branches.
They could see the moon and stars above them; the few that graced their
eyes in Tokyo were joined with hundreds more, a breathtaking delight to the
senses.

Hikaru focused on those few she knew well; knowing she was still on planet
Earth made her feel better. She poked at the fire with her stick, watching
as a new dance formed in the flickering blaze.

"Quiet night, isn't it?" With no civilization for miles, 'quiet' was an
understatement. Ryouko nodded mutely; Hikaru gritted her teeth, and focused
her eyes back on the fire.

Truth to tell, the silence bothered her more than she cared to admit. They
used to talk so much before the end, endless conversations about school,
about family, about general goings on that seemed important to them - then.
Kunou had silenced that with one night of stupidity, leaving them both
wondering what really was important.

"What's bothering you, Hikaru?"

Hikaru blinked. For a moment, she'd wondered if she'd been hearing things.
She looked over at Ryouko; quite unexpectedly, her friend waited intently
for an answer.

She coughed, more to clear her throat than anything. "Please don't take
this the wrong way, Ryouko. But... I miss the old you - the old us." She
threw the stick onto the fire. "You used to be so cheerful about
everything, so enjoyable... sometimes I think your smile was the worst
thing that Kunou took from you."

The bitter chuckle that came in reply chilled Hikaru to the bone. "If that
were all he took from me, I'd consider myself fortunate." Her face twisted
into an angry sneer, one that looked demonic in the flames. "I know it hurt
you, Hikaru, but turning him into a girl was too good for him. I would have
paid dearly to have seen him raped, to see him squirm and scream and beg
for mercy... and to feel... just like I did." She looked back at Hikaru,
meeting her eyes for the first time; the sneer faded, replaced by a morose
frown. "Does that make me evil?"

Hikaru shrugged her shoulders. "I wish I knew." She rubbed her hands
together, gathering the warmth to her. "I wish I knew a lot of things."

Ryouko shook her head. "No, you don't. I... I wish I *didn't* know a lot of
things." Her teeth clenched, bared in the firelight. "I wish I didn't know
how it felt to be fucked; I wish I didn't know how helpless I really am; I
wish I didn't know just how much I could hate." Hikaru could see the tears
building between her eyelashes; however, they never made it down her cheek.
"I wish I was still just an innocent, naive schoolgirl... not this."

"Not what?" Hikaru hated to ask; however, she knew it had to be asked.

Ryouko's mouth twitched for a few seconds, as words fought their way out.
"Damaged goods," she blurted out, before softening her voice. "Damaged
goods."

Hikaru stared into the fire. Words to reply to that weren't easy to come
by. "Well... that's why we're out here. So that you're not quite so damaged
anymore."

A flash of anger touched Ryouko's eyes. "Oh, yeah? Well, how's this
supposed to help?" She balled her fists; Hikaru swallowed as blood trickled
from them. "Hikaru, you can't wave some magic wand and make me better. No
one can. Every time I feel someone touch me, I think of him. Every time I
find myself alone, I can't help but stare at the hiding places, wondering
if he's there. And... every time I close my eyes, every time I dream...
he's waiting for me, ready to hurt me all over again." She relaxed her
grip; she absently touched the blood on her palms. How am I supposed to get
better from that?"

Hikaru stared at her, seeing for the first time how deeply Kunou's act had
scarred her. "I... I don't know. About all you can do is go on, I guess."

Ryouko snorted. "Go on. Yeah. Right. Like I'll ever be able to go on from
this." She curled up into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest.

Hikaru decided to take a chance. She scooted over to Ryouko, and brushed
the bangs from her eyes. "Ryouko... one day, it won't be so bad. I can't
say when; all I can say is that it won't hurt as bad as it does now."

Ryouko just shook her head in denial. "Whatever." She stood up, and pivoted
toward the tent. "Good night, Hikaru."

"Good night," Hikaru called, but it was said to a deaf crowd. She continued
to stare at the dancing flames; she didn't feel like sleeping anytime soon.

*********************************************************************

The road stretched on its way; another day spent hitchhiking, another night
resting. This was the life Hikaru's mother had often talked to her about,
the thing she'd jokingly threatened them with if they weren't more serious
with the Art. Like her mother, her own journey had a very special ending,
one that would likely change her life forever.

Ryouko had been largely silent for the past few days. She was having
conversations with her demons; the tongue of the mind was too busy to make
use of its more physical form. The silence was deafening; Hikaru felt like
screaming or slapping her silly until she reacted to *something*.
Unfortunately, Ryouko was busy; she'd speak only when she was ready.

"Hikaru?"

Perhaps she was ready. Hikaru turned around, hoping for a breakthrough.
"Yes?"

She let out a long sigh. "Hikaru... I'm sorry if I was snippy the other
night. I know you mean well; it's just... you don't know what this is
like."

Hikaru closed her eyes. She hoped that apologizing to someone else was a
good sign. "I never said I did, Ryouko."

"Then why did you act like that?" She balled her fists, preparing for a
fight more vocal than physical.

Hikaru twisted her mouth; she hoped the right words would come. "Because...
because I don't want to see Kunou win."

Ryouko blinked. Repeatedly. "Huh?"

Hikaru gritted her teeth against the cold. "Kunou wanted to destroy us. He
wanted to make you into his little plaything, and wanted my head on a spit.
He wanted to see us brought low, Ryouko. And I'm not going to let him do
that to you."

Ryouko placed her hands on her hips. "Oh? And how are you going to do
that?"

Hikaru let out a smile. The cards were there... she just had to play them
right. "I have my ways..."

"Excuse me?" Ryouko snorted in disbelief. "So you have some magic wand to
make this all better, huh?"

"Of course. After all, I am the Great Saotome!" She pantomimed a
gentleman's bow. "I can turn myself into a woman at will! I can turn other
people into women at will!" She let a lecherous grin slide across her face.
"After all, the more for me, the merrier..."

Ryouko punched Hikaru on the arm. "Honestly. You're incorrigible." She
stifled a giggle. "Funny, but incorrigible."

Hikaru's eyes lit up. She'd done it. "I win."

"Win? Win what?" Ryouko pivoted around Hikaru, wondering if the half-girl
had lost her marbles. "Well?"

The enigmatic smile was back; the endgame approached. "That, my dear
Ryouko, I will tell you at Jusenkyo." She reached out and kissed Ryouko on
the hand, then smiled viciously. "Race you to the next town!"

As she heard Ryouko laugh behind her, Hikaru let the maniac's grin settle
to a real smile. She didn't know if she'd win all the fights against
Kunou's rape, but this day, at least - this hour - she'd won.

*********************************************************************

Ryouko never thought someplace so far from home could look so beautiful.

She drank in the sight of the valley below, her heart racing. It was just
as she'd imagined it, just as she'd dreamt it. Springs dotted the valley,
blue gems on a silken landscape of green. One large peak held dominion over
the other, smaller ridges around the valley; she wondered if its former
inhabitants still called the place home. The other details - the wooded
area at the other end, the newly-remodeled hut near the springs - all these
were small details compared to the forces of earth and water. A buzzing
whispered in her ear, tingling at the back of her mind, letting her know
the strings of the universe intersected here and twisted in ways
mysterious.

Before her sat the most chaotic place on the planet earth. Who wouldn't
fear such a thing?

"I'm going in."

She looked over at Hikaru; her friend eyed the pools like lost treasure.
"Are you sure? I mean, that place is..."

Hikaru silenced her with a look. "You can feel it, too, Ryouko. Could you
deny a call like that for long?"

Ryouko took a step back. "N... no. It frightens me... but... but it calls
me to go in."

Hikaru smiled, and held a slim hand up. "Shall we? It won't bite until you
get to the pools..."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered, taking Hikaru's hand. She'd
heard the stories from Hikaru's parents; she knew that, whatever lay at the
bottom, it was going to change everything.

Then why was she fighting it?

She stopped for a moment; Hikaru's hand slipped out of hers - a sensation
that caused Hikaru to stop.

"What's wrong?"

She let out a weak smile. "Hikaru... nothing. You go on ahead; I need to
think for a few minutes."

Hikaru nodded; sadness radiated from her sapphire eyes. "I understand." She
let out a wicked grin. "See you on the other side..."

"Okay," she squeaked out, watching as Hikaru made her way down to the
bottom. Her own steps were slow and deliberate; she didn't want to go
anywhere she didn't want to.

All of her life had been about one bad change after another. Her father had
died before she was born; the only thing he'd been able to give her were a
slight protuberance in the canines and a Jusenkyo curse to become a pig -
another change she didn't relish. She never spoke of how much she wanted to
swim, or to even stand out in the rain - a little too much water, and her
humanity came crashing down. More recently, her outlook on life had
changed; a man had taken her innocence, her security, all the little things
she used to protect herself, and torn them to shreds. Jokes seemed hollow
now; laughs were hard-earned exercises in forgetting.

Now, another change offered itself to her. Did she dare accept?

Did she dare not?

White flame brought her screaming from her reverie. A pillar of light shone
from the springs, rocketing to the heavens, flooring her with its power.
The winds gathered themselves around the pillar, like a tornado stuck in
one place.

She got up, and took a step forward. Hikaru was in there - still in there,
in fact, alive and well. The calling had intensified, becoming a choir of
voices in her head - and she could hear his voice amidst the chaos. Her
feet took her closer; she had no need to fear this place. They would not
harm her; she was one of their own.

Time had lost meaning; she didn't know if it was seconds or hours before
the wind died down. The light faded; Hikaru strolled out of the circle, a
dazed expression on her face.

"Hi...karu?" She touched Hikaru's face, tracing the line of her left
eyebrow. "Are you all right?" She swallowed; the face was the same, but the
eyes weren't.

With a deep breath, Hikaru snapped to reality. "Ryouko. It's... it's
begun."

"What's begun?" she questioned. She hated it when people weren't direct
with her.

Hikaru smiled enigmatically. "That is for you to discover, Ryouko. I can't
tell you what's in there; it's different for everyone. All you can know is
what you've been told." Hikaru's arms wrapped around her; for the first
time in too long, they didn't remind her of a certain man. "Have courage,
Ryouko. This is the beginning."

Ryouko looked out into the expanse of pools. The calling tugged at her,
cajoled her, pleaded with her... to come home. Her footsteps took her away
from Hikaru's embrace; the sunlight shone off the pools, shimmering in her
eyes, hypnotizing her as she made her way.

She took one last step, and found herself bathed in light.

*********************************************************************

"Ryouko."

She blinked. White surrounded her - a white that seemed every shade of the
color at once. It was as brilliant as sunlight, yet as soft as cream.
Moreover, currents ran through it, songs from souls long departed from the
earth.

Strange; she never imagined the afterlife quite like this.

"Ryouko." The voice called again, a quiet, deep baritone. She gasped; a
figure coalesced out of the light winds, a fang-toothed smile she saw every
morning in the mirror, a bandanna perched on a disheveled mop of black
hair, a young man garbed like a vagabond, his face full of life...

"F... Father?"

The man smiled, and nodded. "Welcome home, Ryouko."

She walked out to him, her hands outstretched. She needed to touch him, to
know that this was no illusion, to know that the spirit that had watched
over her as a child was more than that, now. She felt the fabric of his
headband - comfort and proof enough, for her. She'd felt the bandanna often
enough; Mom usually wore it on her sleeve. Her hands wrapped around his
waist; in seconds, she cried years of sorrows into his chest.

For the first time since Shutarou had violated her, she felt truly safe and
protected. She let down her frustrations and fears, let down all of the
guards she'd erected, let them all down...

She was innocent again - innocent and pure. She was smiling and crying at
the same time.

"Father, how is this possible?"

He shrugged. "The magic of Jusenkyo is a part of us, Ryouko. Our souls are
bonded to it, for better or worse. When it's your time to pass, you will
have the choice of coming here, if you wish - to add your soul to the
song."

The words caused Ryouko to look around, at the winds in the storm. She
could 'see' the souls in the currents; they were the chorus, they were the
song. Which, of course, led to one, overriding question.

"Father, I know this may sound a little strange... but WHY is Jusenkyo?"

His smile faded; the shadows around her rumbled with worry. "Ryouko, the
time has come. Jusenkyo has seen this coming; there is no more time to
lose." He sighed. "In the early days, back when humanity fought for
survival, magic was its protector; now, magic is needed to protect the
earth again."

Ryouko blinked. "Magic? I can't do magic! I can change into a pig, but I
can't do magic!"

Ryouga smiled quietly. "Yes, you can. You just don't know it yet." He
gestured around them. "Most people think that magic comes from some
mysterious source, that you need to make strange incantations and weird
potions to make magic happen. They do that to disguise the true secret:
magic - REAL magic - is an act of will. The power is inside of you; all you
have to do is make yourself believe, and it will happen."

Ryouko raised an eyebrow. "An act of will? You mean I wish for something to
happen, and it does? No gimmicks, no worries, nothing like that?" She shook
her head. "Sounds too easy."

"You will understand soon enough, Ryouko. It's time for you to learn; there
is no more time for rest. However, know that, no matter what happens, I
will always be with you." He touched a finger to Ryouko's forehead.

Her father vanished; the winds took her immediately thereafter.

*********************************************************************

Mao stood on the grassy plain outside her village, a sword in her hand and
a thick tree trunk in front of her. She made no movement that would betray
her; to all the world, she could have been the tree, one sturdy leg planted
in the earth, her arms suspended in the air.

She moved from wood to air; the first slash took out the top of the stump,
severing the head of an imaginary attacker. Never once leaving herself
open, she went for a second slash, slightly lower than the first; sap oozed
from the tree, amber blood where a disemboweled man would have been. For a
finish, she effortlessly moved to an overhead slash, one that cleaved the
stump down the middle, driving the head into the neck and below. Her task
done, she moved back into her original position; flesh became wood once
more. She managed a small smile as gravity caught up with the pieces,
sending them tumbling toward earth.

This was the art of her tribe; this was the way of her life. She was a
warrior, born and bred, created with honor, trained with honor. She would
not share the fate of her mother and great-great-grandmother. Her life
would be that of a storm; unstoppable, and inflexible in will.

She had to be unstoppable. She was the heir.

Letting out a gentle sigh, she relaxed, and wiped her brow. Her control had
improved in recent months; the sword was an extension of her, now. The term
'catlike' had often been used to describe her grace; she preferred to think
of herself as water, ever flowing, filling all under heaven with her gray
steel. She had reason to dislike the term 'catlike' it reminded her of
things unpleasant.

"Excellent, Mao," her mother chimed. "You've done well. You're sure to win
the tournament next year."

Mao grit her teeth. She should have won the tournament this year;
unfortunately, one of her opponents, while less skilled, was more cunning,
and had exploited her weakness. Next year, she would have her revenge, and
thank her adversary by giving her a taste of her own medicine. "Thank you,
Honored Mother." She bowed, trying not to let her frustration show.
"However, I still have much to attend to before then."

"True. Very true." She never understood why her mother remained so relaxed.
How could a warrior let down her guard, especially in the face of enemies?
Her mother turned away, and faced to the east.

"Mother? Is something wrong?" Her mother's hands started to shake; in an
instant, her hands went out for support. "Why are you so... so..."

Her voice trailed off when she heard the chorus. Mao was well-versed in the
ancient wisdom of the tribe; moreover, she'd had reason to study a
particular place in Amazon lore. Always the call was the same; always a
chorus of voices that no one else could hear.

It was calling her - and she had to go.

"You can hear it, can't you?" her mother said simply. Mao nodded, not
letting her fear show. A warrior knew when she faced an adversary greater
than herself; Jusenkyo certainly qualified. She looked at the wisdom in
those dark eyes, the lavender hair blowing like a flag in the wind, and,
perhaps for the first time, understood what had softened her mother so.

She wouldn't be softened like that. She strapped on her sword; if she were
to go down, she would go in battle.

"I have to go, Honored Mother."

To her surprise, her mother smiled. "Be careful, Shan Mao. That magic is
nothing to trifle with."

She paused for a moment, her ears twitching to hear the song. She didn't
think it would harm her; those called rarely were. "I know. I won't let you
down."

"You never have yet, and you never will. I love you, Mao." She felt her
mother's strong arms around her, sheltering her just like when she was
little; a tiny part of her wanted to be that protected again.

"I... I love you too, Mother." She said the words like a soldier; she would
not weep for her first quest. She had a horse to ride, and a trail to
cover.

Her destiny was calling, and it was time for her to embrace it.

*********************************************************************

Mariko Kunou sipped a glass of water on the porch overlooking her estate,
enjoying the moment of peace while she had the time. Two weeks ago, her son
became, quite suddenly and against his own free will, her daughter. This
event in and of itself caused a serious disruption within the household;
after all, the behavior, manners, and dress of a proper Japanese noblewoman
were markedly different from that of a nobleman. Such a change involved,
for the child's own good, a change of wardrobe, emergency lessons in
speech, grooming, and manners, and possible long-term scouting for a future
mate for her new daughter. Grumbling came from both her husband and child
concerning the changes; however, regardless of the outcome in China,
Shutarou needed such lessons for her future life, as any cure would only be
a partial one.

She sighed contentedly, and let a quiet, secretive smile cross her lips.
She had always wanted a daughter; now, thanks to those blessed
abominations, she had one. Now, if only she could convince them that a name
change was necessary...

"Mother?"

She turned around, startled at Shutarou's voice. "Yes, dear?"

Shutarou's eyes weren't focused there; instead, she looked at something
beyond the horizon. Her voice was strangely quiet; it had taken up
residence with the wind. "Mother, I must leave here."

Mariko blinked. While she approved of the manner in which her daughter had
spoken to her, her suggestion was not welcome news. "May I ask why?"

Shutarou continued to stare to the west. "Because it's calling me, Mother."
Her gaze finally turned from the siren song. "It needs me."

Mariko set her glass down. This was simply another crisis to be handled,
one easily remedied. "Who needs you, dear?"

Shutarou shook her head. "D... don't know. Hikaru and Ryouko are already
there; they have begun this." She cocked her head to the side, clearly
listening to something out of normal hearing range. "Others are coming as
well. It's time... time for the world to awaken."

Mariko shook her head. The last thing she planned to do was let her
daughter go off to China on a whim. "Honey, do you know how dangerous it is
over there? There are bandits and robbers all over the place! Who knows
what they'd do to a young girl such as yourself?"

Shutarou's head twitched again; for a moment, Mariko wondered if she was
listening to something different. "I'll be fine, Mother. No harm will come
to me during my journey; they will see to that."

"No harm will come to you if you stay here as well!" Mariko stood up to
stare her daughter down. "Shutarou, you cannot go. That is an order."

Shutarou blinked for a moment - her only reaction to Mariko's physical
presence. "I must go, Mother. I do not have a choice; I am needed." She let
out a quiet sigh; for a moment, her eyes seemed almost normal. "Mother, I
am not who I was. I do not yet know who I will be. However, I do know that
my answer lies out there, across the sea." She bowed deeply. "Forgive my
impertinence, Mother. I promise to return as soon as my journey is done."

Mariko took a step back. Her daughter admitted that she was not the man she
had been; this was a good sign. Also, considering that Shutarou's change
was likely a part of the magic that was sending her away, letting her
explore this further would likely cause her to develop further as a woman.
She couldn't help but grin as the gears turned in her mind.

"Sasuke!"

A weatherbeaten face peered, upside-down, from the rooftop. "You called,
Mariko-sama?"

"Yes." Her grin had turned predatory; she was going to win this battle yet.
"I would like you to accompany my daughter on her journey of exploration.
Make sure to bring enough money and provisions that she is properly fed,
sheltered, and attired for a lady of her position. Take as many of your
corps as are needed; have all of your female charges accompany her, at the
very least, to make sure her behavior is proper. Spare no expense or
resource; her safety is paramount." Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Am I
understood?"

Sasuke nodded. "Perfectly, madam. We will be ready to depart within the
hour, if the mistress wishes."

Shutarou smiled - a genuine, full grin, one of the first she'd given since
the change. "I do wish it. And thank you, kind Sasuke." With that, she
walked back into the house, her steps noticeably more energetic. Sasuke
also retreated, back into the shadows he called home.

Once again, Mariko was alone. She sat back in her chair, picked up her
glass of water, and smiled. Perhaps this transition would be more peaceful
than she expected...

*********************************************************************

The world was different for Ryouko now.

It wasn't something she could put into words. She'd heard snatches of ideas
concerning dimensions beyond the usual three; perhaps the physicists and
mathematicians who tinkered with those could put her sight into something
understandable. To her eyes, it was an ordinary valley, ringed with great
mountains; to her mind, it was a supernova of power, a place where the
universe's strings weaved and twisted in ways unusual, and brought forth
great results. She could even see the strings pass through her; she was
tied to the place now, inextricably bonded at the heart.

Somehow, this was not how she imagined her trip to go.

Her gaze turned to her left - to Hikaru. She stared intently at the pools,
her eyes etching every detail in her mind. Ryouko looked beyond the photons
that barraged her eyes and saw what lay hidden beneath - a balance of form,
the ultimate representation of yang and yin. She could see the infant she
had been, the warrior she had become, and all the possibilities that lay
ahead for her - some gruesome, some beautiful. At the same time, she saw
Hikaru as priest, prostitute, scoundrel, saint, father, mother... all of
these she could be; in a sense, all of these she already was. She fought
the urge to go further; the present pressed in on her, forcing her away
from the future.

"Hikaru?" she called. Hikaru still hadn't moved. "Hikaru!"

The shout jerked Hikaru from her meditations. Ryouko saw the play in
Hikaru's eyes; they both 'saw' in similar ways, now. "Yes, Ryouko?"

"What do we do now?" A strange question, for someone with limited
precognizance.

Hikaru shrugged. "We wait. Others are coming, after all."

"Others?" This was a surprise; the winds hadn't mentioned any 'others'.

"Others. Don't know who, yet; we will soon enough. We must give them time
to come, then see to it that we are all together." Hikaru looked around at
the setting. "The best thing we can do is go into Plum's outpost and get it
ready for guests." She walked over to their packs, and started picking them
up.

"Hikaru?"

The girl in question looked up. Now that the euphoria of the awakening had
worn off, Hikaru's eyes looked suddenly old. "Yes?"

She pressed her fingers together nervously. "What's going to happen to us?
To everyone?"

Hikaru stopped, her eyes turning to the sky. "Life... or death. I don't
know which."

*********************************************************************

Hello.

Been a crazy time on this.  Thanks to all who preread this thing: Richard,
Kaoru, Zen, Doug, Sean, andrew, Kevin, Bast.  Considering what happened in
the process of this, they deserve a whole heaping spoonful of thanks for
this.

As for what happened before, in a paragraph: Ranma and Akane married.
Ryouga and Akari married.  Ryouga became roadkill while Akari was pregnant.
Ranma's curse started to go haywire; he left for Jusenkyo before the curse
stuck him as a girl.  Akane went after him... er, her.  After some nice
heart-to-hearts (among other forms of contact), Ranma became accepting of
his cursed form, at which point Jusenkyo (who'd sorta been wanting it for a
reason) released the lock on her curse.  Akane got called by Jusenkyo;
seems the springs wanted a couple so, after a discussion with the springs,
she stepped into one of the pools and became the man of the house, so to
speak.  After some more quality time together, Ranma became pregnant - at
which point the lock came back for a little while.  I trust no question
needs to be asked of who Ranma's child turned out to be...?

Anyway... I hope you all enjoyed the story.  Take care, and God bless.

Nicholas Leifker
nightelf@thekeep.org
http://www.thekeep.org/~nightelf/fanfic
November 16, 1999