Wheel of Anime: Book 1 – The Eye of God Chapter Six: The Caemlyn Shuffle By John Biles http://www.thekeep.org/~wombat/Jordan/ ******** "Is it just me, or is Nanami acting weird lately?" Kurz asked Ranma-chan. "Weird is you insisting I come with you as a woman. I seem to have my health back, so it's not like I need to stay female for the medicine to work," Ranma-chan said. "I told them you were a woman. And the innkeeper thinks so too." "And you're afraid they'll dump you for me if I show up as a guy," Ranma-chan said. "Yea..no! That's not it at all!" Ranma-chan laughed. "Well, Nanami has been acting a little strange. She wanders around half-naked and I think she might have been hitting on me last night, even though I was a woman." "She hasn't hit on me," Kurz said. "That's because she has taste," Ranma-chan said. "Hardeharhar," Kurz replied. They soon reached the palace. Kurz bowed to the guards and said, "Princesses Nuriko and Usagi are expecting us." The guards began to snicker, then one of them rang a bell. Sousuke soon came to the gate. "Ahh, Master Cauthon and Mistress al'Thor. Come with me." He led them through the maze of hallways; Ranma- chan tried not to gawk too much. "So, how are the ladies today?" Kurz asked. "My siblings are in a good mood," Sousuke said. "I'm not sure why. Fatora Sedai, on the other hand, has been storming around angrily. I don't know what you did to anger her, but it would be wisest to apologize." "I fell off the wall," Kurz said. "Onto her?" Sousuke asked. "No, Nuriko startled me and I fell down." "Onto Fatora's prize violets?" "..." "She grows flowers?" Ranma-chan asked. "Fatora Sedai is reknowned for her gifts with plants. Quite unusual in a Red, I understand. Normally, only Browns have that knack." Sousuke shrugged. "Not my problem, however." He pushed open the garden gates. "You will find them within. Please follow the appropriate customs, so that I won't have to kill you." "K...kill us?" Kurz asked weakly. "Sousuke, are you threatening our guests with death again?" Usagi asked, rising from the bench she sat on. "The rules are..." Sousuke began. "The Little Big Book of Andoran Etiquette does not prescribe death for bad manners, no matter what Fatora says, Sousuke," Nuriko said, also rising. She walked over to Ranma-chan and took her by the hands. "It's so very nice to meet you, Ranma. I hope we'll be good friends." Ranma-chan smiled at her. "It's so very nice to meet you too." Sousuke said, "Isn't Ranma a boy's name?" "Father wanted a son," Ranma-chan said, hurriedly. "Parents can be like that," Nuriko said. "Insisting on things that aren't so." She shook her head. "Sousuke, can you send for the court bard?" "Our bard was last seen fleeing out the gates with Fatora Sedai chasing him with a whip," Sousuke said. Nuriko sighed. "Can you go and get my harp, then? I'll sing." Sousuke nodded and left. "Quick, we have to hide while he's gone," Nuriko said. "What?" Kurz asked. "We won't be able to do ANYTHING fun with Sousuke along," Nuriko said. "And since we have to sneak out of the palace..." "What?" Kurz asked again. Usagi giggled. "We never get to leave the palace and just see Caemlyn as it is, so we got disguises for ourselves. You two are going to come with us." Kurz laughed. "This should be fun." Nuriko took Kurz by the hand. "Come on, let's go." ******* "Mother," Sousuke said. "Nuriko and Usagi have been abducted." Lum sighed. "Are you sure they aren't just in some part of the palace you haven't looked at?" "I even looked under the beds, this time," Sousuke said. Lum turned to Fatora. "What do you think?" "I think they have probably just snuck out of the palace, probably because you don't keep them busy enough. What makes you think they were kidnapped, Sousuke?" Fatora asked. "Those two peasants came to visit them, and then I went to get Nuriko's harp, and they were gone on my return," Sousuke said. Lum sighed. "The old 'send Sousuke for the harp' trick." "What?" Sousuke asked. "They're probably closeted with them somewhere, snuggling up to them," Fatora said. "Keep searching the palace and I will speak to the gate guards. If they don't show up for breakfast, THEN we can assume kidnapping." "I will have Megane send some of the guards into the city, just in case they're wandering around town," Queen Lum said. "But I expect that they're probably just somewhere you didn't think to look." "I will go and tell First Prince Megane at once," Sousuke said, saluting. "I will see you later, Mother." Lum smiled a little. "I will see you later, son." Sousuke marched out. "He will make a good First Prince of the Sword, one day," Fatora said. "Once he gets over being so paranoid." Lum blinked in surprise. "Hmm, that's rare." "What?" "You praising a man." "He is steadfast and honest and respectful, unlike his siblings," Fatora said. "And shows an admirable concern for the well-being of women." "Overconcern at times," Lum said. "Better to waste some time on unneeded measures than to fail to take needful ones," Fatora said. "True, true." ********** Ogiers are not ideal for dancing. They tend to prefer slow group dances which do not require much coordination or rythm. Thus it was that Umino found himself rather in over his head as he was dragged around the room by Nanami, who was grinning wildly, perhaps due to her alcohol consumption. One advantage of having a party with members of the royal family was that their wealth let them easily rent the party room at the inn for their own private party, along with hiring some musicians. Semi-private party, anyway. Mitsune had invited a few of her many friends along, and Umino wasn't even sure who half of them were. He was sure they were all drunk. Kurz was flashing that ring of his about and claiming he was close personal friends with Prince Dios. Several people were taking turns changing Ranma's sex with hot and cold water and he didn't even seem to care. Neither did they. Mitsune was up on a table, trying to teach Princess Usagi some sort of dance which involved a lot of kicking her legs in the air and marching backwards and forwards. Umino was not drunk. Ogiers do not get drunk easily. Some of it is the way they're made, and some of it is simply body mass. He resolved to make sure he did not get too drunk, as someone would need to watch over his friends. He just wished he knew why he felt like the Wild Hunt was closing in. ********* "No sign of them?" Queen Lum asked Megane. "A servant saw them headed for the garden. They haven't been seen since," Megane said. "I suspect they climbed over the wall to avoid being seen leaving." Queen Lum frowned. "So this is probably just them deciding to make us worry by having a stupid adventure in town." He nodded. "My men are out making inquiries around the city, but it will take a long time, given how big the city is. If they don't surface by the morning, then we can call out everyone for a massive manhunt." She nodded. "And if they ran away..." She blasted a potted plant. "On their rears, until they can't sit down for a week." "My Lady Queen is fair and just," he said. She put a hand on his shoulder. "And wanting a little company tonight." He smiled. "As her Highness commands, I obey." ********** "Good morning, Innkeep," Setsuna said to Haruka. "I am looking for several friends of mine who I was supposed to meet in Caemlyn. Our plans went somewhat awry, and I am not sure what inn they are at. An orange-haired girl, a dark-haired boy, and a tall blonde boy, all around twenty or so years of age." "Well, we have the first and the third. They're probably sleeping off their party upstairs." "Did they perhaps arrive with a redhaired girl?" "Yes," Haruka said. "Umino was kind enough to help me haul them and their friends up to their rooms after they all passed out in the party room." "Their friends?" Ukyou asked. "They apparently picked up some rich noblewomen who felt like slumming," Haruka said. "Or maybe just merchant's daughters, but their clothing was very nice, especially the dark-haired girl." Ukyou frowned. "Kurz's bad influence. They'd better have not been prostitutes." "They carried hundred crown coins. I'd never even SEEN a hundred crown coin before. I doubt your friends could afford them," Haruka said. "Anyway, they're in rooms thirteen and fourteen." "They've CLEARLY been very delinquent," Hinako said, getting out a coin with a hole in the center. "It's punishing time." She led them all up the stairs, then tried, unsuccessfully, to kick the door open. Soun moved up and kicked it open for her. Ranma-chan, her shirt undone, but mostly clothed, stirred and tried to sit up. This was difficult with Nanami and Usagi using her legs and stomach as pillows respectively. They were also both mostly dressed, but with shirts undone. Nanami was wearing a black lacy bra; Setsuna could feel the evil radiating from it. There were piles of underwear scattered all over the room, including on top of the sleeping people. "Soun, Ryouga, go get Kurz," Setsuna said. "Hinako, Ukyou, don't touch that bra. It's evil." "An evil bra," Ukyou said dubiously. "I can feel the taint of Shadylogon on it," Setsuna said. Soun and Ryouga went next door, kicking the door open. Ranma-chan rubbed her eyes. "I...hey, is that you, Ucchan?" "You're half-naked with two women on you, Ranchan? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?" "I a..." She looked down at Usagi and Nanami. "What the..." "Delinquent PUNI..." Hinako began. "No, wait, this is Princess Usagi!" Ranma-chan shouted. "The Queen will get mad!" "...SHING ATTACK!" Ranma-chan did the only thing she could, and threw herself in the path of the attack. Instinctively, she threw up her arms to defend herself, and then she felt a warmth flow through her. It met the attack, which absorbed the warmth instead, leaving Ranma-chan unharmed. Hinako grew to adult size. "Hmm," Setsuna said. "Hinako, let them be. I must deal with the bra." Usagi and Nanami now awoke as a blood-curdling scream echoed from Kurz's room, followed by Kurz fleeing with no shirt on down the hallway. Hinako ran over to that room, while Ukyou asked Usagi, "Are you really a princess?" "Yes, I am," Usagi said. Nanami looked up at Setsuna and her eyes flared. "You! Sedai! You're after my underwear!" "Ukyou, Ranma, please hold Nanami still for me." Ukyou and Ranma rushed forward and grappled her, while Setsuna struggled to figure out how to remove the taint with the Power. Usagi asked, "What's going on?" "I am Setsuna Sedai, a friend of Ranma, Nanami, and Kurz," Setsuna said. "Please button your shirt and step into the hallway." Usagi did so, as Nuriko came out of Kurz's room. "I take it he found out?" Usagi asked Nuriko. "I'll bring him around," Nuriko said confidently. "How did Ranma-chan take it in the morning?" "I'm not sure yet," Usagi said. Setsuna finally figured out what to do, and wove the weave, then frowned. "I have been able to drive out the worst of the taint, but it is beyond my power to purge completely. You must be taken to the Tower for healing, Nanami." Nanami stared at the piles of underwear. "What have I done?" "Ranchan, what were you DOING with those two?" Ukyou demanded. "We got drunk and passed out, that's all." Ranma- chan said. "Is it morning?" "Yes, it is," Ryouga said from the hallway as he and Soun emerged from Kurz's room. "Oh no, Sousuke probably has the entire army out looking for us," Usagi said. "We'd best get back to the Palace before he burns this place to the ground trying to save us or something." She bowed to Setsuna. "I am sorry to have been of trouble to you, Sedai." She took Nuriko's hand. "It was nice to meet you, Ranma," she said, smiling at Ranma-chan. "I hope we get to meet again soon." "I expect you will," Setsuna said to Usagi. "Since you are going to the Tower and so is she." "Oh, really?" Usagi asked, excitedly. "It would appear from the ceiling of her room and how she just stopped Hinako that she can channel. In which case, she must go, for her own good." "But...the Tower..." Ranma-chan babbled. "We can discuss this later," Setsuna said. "Soun, Ryouga, since both of you are dressed and sane, please escort the Princesses to the Palace, then return here. I will get everything in order here." "Alright," Soun said. "Please follow me, Princesses." They took off after him. Setsuna leaned against the wall. "Where is Basara?" Ranma-chan stared at the floor. "We don't know. He took on four Lagmen in Whitebridge to let us escape and he never caught up with us. He...he's probably dead." "Perhaps," Setsuna said softly. "But it is best to believe no one dead unless you have their body, and even then, check a second time. Let's see about getting you all dressed and cleaned up and fed, so that we can make you presentable. Best we take you to the palace to apologize, and see if we can go with those who will escort Queen Lum's children to the Tower." "Alright," Ranma-chan said. "Let's get cleaned up." ******** "That's a nice ring you're wearing," Ukyou said to Kurz. Kurz blinked, then said, "Yeah, I got it from Prince Dios in a dream." "Who?" Ukyou asked. Setsuna blinked. "Hmm." "Yeah, he said he was searching for the Ronin Reborn. Along with the other Heroes of the Horn. The ring lets me find him in my dreams." "May I see it?" Setsuna asked. "It is very rare for anyone to be given something in a dream and have it appear in the waking world." "Sure," Kurz said, taking it off and handing it to her. "I've run into him in a few dreams," Ranma-chan said. "Stupid idiot keeps trying to hit on me." Setsuna looked over at Ryouga. "Have you dreamed of him?" Ryouga shook his head. "I think I wandered into one of Fatora Sedai's dreams, but I haven't seen him." Setsuna studied the ring idly, saying, "Any other interesting dreams?" "I had a dream where the Dark One was trying to destroy the Springs of Jyusenkyo, whatever those are," Kurz said. "Hey, me too," Ranma said. "There were..." He paused. "There were pools that turned you into different things. That could be where the water that cursed me came from!" "The Red Man was there," Kurz said. "Although I always thought he watched over the Tree of Life." "The Red Man guards many things, it is said," Setsuna Sedai said. "Many things." "Indeed, some say he guards the Eye of God," Soun said. "But many have sought him and few succeeded." "The Springs of Jyusenkyo?" Umino said. "That's where Lupin Farstealer thought the Eye of God was located." Setsuna turned to him. "You've met Lupin Farstealer?" "Many years ago, he came to our Stedding, while searching for the Springs," Umino said. "He'd found some ancient text which he thought held the key to activating the Eye of God. Unfortunately, we later figured out he'd mistranslated it, and so I suppose he probably killed himself doing it the wrong way." He sighed. "What did he mistranslate?" Setsuna asked. "You see, he thought the passage indicated that it took a man and an Aes Sedai working together to activate it. But his mastery of the Old Tongue wasn't half as good as his persuasive skills. What it actually said was 'a male and a female Aes Sedai working together', or in other words, a male and a female channeler. I can't imagine what would have happened with just a woman, but I expect it wasn't pretty." "The Dark One is after the Eye of God," Setsuna said. "The Forsaken number both male and female. Which means that he could use it, if he got it." "My dream," Ukyou said softly. "Exactly," Setsuna said, pocketing the ring. "I fear Ukyou's dream may well be true. We must go, and go swiftly. There are too many omens to wait any longer." "It will take us months to get to the Borderlands to try to sally into the Blight in search of the Springs," Soun said. "Which is why we must walk a dangerous road," Setsuna said. "If Umino will help us." "What road?" Umino asked. "Wait, do you mean..." "We must risk the Ways," Setsuna said. "The Ways?" Ranma-chan asked. "The Ways," Setsuna began. "They were created long ago for the Ogier by the Aes Sedai, as a way for them to easily travel between their far scattered steddings. They twist and bend through the cracks in the Pattern, enabling you to compress months of travel into only a few days." "Wow, that's handy," Kurz said. "Unfortunately, after the Fanboy Wars, the ways began to darken, perhaps because they were made in part with the now tainted power of the male Aes Sedai. Now, great evils stalk in the darkness, but we will have to risk them, if Umino will guide us." Umino's ears twitched nervously. "We no longer use the Ways. They are too dangerous. I know enough to use them, I suppose, if there is no other choice, but..." "I think we have no other choice," Setsuna said. "We cannot risk that the Dark One may try to seize the Eye of God." "But...aren't the Forsaken sealed away?" Ryouga asked. "Sealed in the Bore since the end of the War of Power?" "I pray they remain sealed away," Setsuna said. "But some channelers turn to the Dark One in every age. I fear he will find a way to use it, if he has finally found a way to get to it." Umino sighed. "Alright, then. If we have no choice, we have no choice. There is a grove, here in Caemlyn, with a waygate. There are several other gates in the far north." "Fal Dara," Setsuna said. "Or Mafal Dadaranell, as it was, before the Trolloc Wars. That is where we must go." "What about the palace?" Kurz asked nervously. "No time. We have to go, and go swiftly." Setsuna turned to Soun. "It has been a long time, has it not?" "I have not been back to the Borderlands since I became your warder, all those years ago," Soun said softly. "That was a great change." "For us both," Setsuna said. "Are you from the Borderlands, Soun?" Ranma-chan asked. "Yes," he said. "I was born there, long ago, in Lodoss. I know its ways well." "Lodoss?" Nanami asked. "Wasn't Lodoss destroyed decades ago?" "Yes, it was," Soun said, a little stiffly. "It was betrayed and destroyed. I was only a baby." "That's awful," Hinako said softly. "You must miss your family." "It is hard to miss what you never knew," Soun said. His voice was stiff, and he turned to Setsuna, "Lord Parn will help us, as best he can." "The Borderlanders sacrifice all to shield the rest of the world," Setsuna said. "I would not ask more of them, unless I must. I hope it will not come to that." She rose. "Gather your possessions. We must go and go swiftly." ******** The Ogier grove formed a peaceful oasis, a tiny forest in the heart of Caemlyn, carefully tended over the years by the royal gardeners of Andor, forming a small refuge from the cares of the world for a thousand years of Queens of Andor, and for other rulers of nations now gone before that. In the heart of the grove stood an ornately carven building, a single story tall, carefully hewed to look as if it was covered with vines of stone, a dozen different kinds. The building was not large, though it had a high ceiling; the doors swung open easily to reveal a chamber with benches along the walls for weary travelers to rest. The inside walls were carved in simple geometric patterns, except for the far wall, which resembled the exterior, a maze of vines and branches, carven of stone. Umino walked nervously over to the wall, then reached near the center, huge fingers closing round a golden leaf. He pulled it free and the wall cracked, then swung away from him, becoming double doors which allowed egress to a long shadowy tunnel which could not possibly exist, if one went by the exterior of the building alone. A series of flickering gems set in the ceiling illuminated the tall tunnel, which quickly widened enough for five men to walk abreast. Setsuna ushered everyone in, then Umino placed the leaf back in place on one of the doors and darted inside before they could close. "Lead on," she said. They started off down the long passage, which seemed to run endlessly in a straight line. "Even Ryouga couldn't get lost in this," Ukyou said after a while. Ryouga snorted at that, ambling along, leashed to Soun. The silence of the tunnels was oppressive, as was the shadowy near-darkness. After a while, Ranma said, "I wish Basara was here. He could tell some stories or something." "I know many stories," Umino said. "Though I am not a great storyteller. Would you like to hear some?" "We would be honored," Setsuna Sedai said. Umino launched into the story of King Thorin of Aramaelle, who had dwelt in Mafal Dadaranell, before the Trolloc Wars, and how he sought to woo the daughter of a candlemaker who he had spied during a royal procession through his kingdom. Umino was not a very good storyteller, though it was a good story; he tended to ramble tremendously. "You see, at that time, the main source of wax for the Kingdom of Aramaelle was bee-keeping. This, of course, didn't make the bees very happy..." Ukyou sidled over to Ranma and said softly, "I bet you're happy to be able to be a guy again." "Yeah, it is nice. I half-expected Setsuna to insist I stay a girl, but she told me it was a good idea to get used to being male again." He shrugged. "I dunno what the hell I'll do if I get taken to the Tower like she was talking about. I mean, I'd need to be a woman and everything in order to channel and..." He sighed. "I don't want to be a woman." "Well, at least we wouldn't be separated," Ukyou said. "And once you learn enough not to die, then you can just quit that and be my warder. Then you wouldn't need to be a woman." "That's true," Ranma said, perking up. "Wait...to not die?" "Once you start channeling, if you don't learn to control it, you'll die. I've been working with Setsuna Sedai to learn. And so has Wisdom Hinako, though she pretends she isn't watching." Ranma laughed. "Can you do anything cool yet?" Ukyou glanced at Setsuna, then said softly, "I'm not supposed to do this without her watching, but..." She concentrated, seizing the Source and then fumblingly yanking threads of Fire about to make a tiny flame which bobbed in her hand. "I'm still learning," she said. Ranma felt his arms prickle, and he rubbed them. Must be the heat, he thought. Setsuna's head turned about. "I said, no channeling without me supervising you." She snuffed the flame with but a thought. "If you're that eager, you can come walk with me and do some practice exercises, Ukyou." "Should I..." Ranma began. "If you like," Setsuna said. "But your time as a boy will likely be very restricted soon, so I assume you will want to enjoy it while you can." Ranma sighed. "Do I really need to go to the Tower?" "I believe so," Setsuna said. "Unless circumstances change." She looked thoughtful. "Perhaps you should come and walk with us. You won't see the weaves, but it won't hurt for you to start learning the theories behind it all." Ranma nodded and walked forward, walking to the left of Setsuna as Ukyou walked to the right of her. Hinako walked near the front with Soun, just behind Umino, who continued to ramble on with his story. Kurz, Ryouga, and Nanami were just behind Soun and Hinako, listening to the story. "Imagine that you are the flower," Setsuna said to Ukyou. "The sun beating down on you, the air full of warmth. You must open yourself to it." She and Ukyou walked with eyes half-shut, their faces calm, with a subtle happiness to their expression. I wonder if this is like the void exercise, Ranma thought. In his mind, he imagined a flame, floating among his emotions. He fed them into the flame, until only he and the flame remained, utterly calm and controlled, in the void. There was something...something outside the void, trying to break in. A surging sea. "Open yourself," Setsuna said. "Let it flow through you; you must guide it from within." Ukyou nodded, and her arms began to open wide. Ranma could feel something, something huge and powerful, out there, trying to break into his void. He reached out and grabbed it, shoving it into the flame, letting the flame consume and control it. It raged and gibbered and howled and bucked, and as it burned in his flame, the void began to fill with a nasty smoke which made Ranma want to cough. And yet the struggle with it made him feel more alive as well. "Now, call forth the light into your palm," Setsuna said, holding out her hands. "And weave a little tongue of flame." Through the roiling, raging sea, Ranma could feel something, several somethings. Near him, somewhere through the howling sea around him, there were islands, islands of peaceful serenity in the howling sea. He made for them desperately, afraid to speak for fear of losing control of whatever exactly was howling around him. He reached out for those islands, a hand towards each. Someone was speaking to him, was it Hinako? Something about his face. He reached for the islands, and somehow, they reached for him, and then they grasped his hands, and the howling sea twined about the serene waters, and then he could see and hear again. He could feel something, something like pipes, connecting him to Setsuna and Ukyou, both of whom had their eyes wide open, staring in surprise. "My brain hurts," Ranma mumbled. "You...you..." Ukyou said. "So, he mounted his horse, Athelas, a mighty steed from Jaramide," Umino continued. "As I understand it, Athelas was from a line of particularly good horses raised by the Braemen family, who had taken up horse breeding a good five centuries earlier. Oh what was that fellow...Aengus. Aengus Braemen, who had been a stableboy..." Umino rambled on. "You...we're linked," Setsuna said. "Linked? What's that?" Ukyou asked. "I intended to teach you later," Setsuna said. "Channelers can combine their powers in order to work feats greater than a single channeler can alone. Up to thirteen women can link together. It is said that men and women could link as well, forming larger groups." "But Ranma...if he..." Ukyou's eyes widened. "But, he channeled as a girl as well. I mean..." Everyone was staring now. Setsuna seemed to somehow regain her composure from this, and said, "Apparently, his transformation enables him to channel dubin as a boy and subin as a girl." "But, anyone who channels dubin goes mad!" Ukyou said frantically. "Ranma, what were you doing when you suddenly started channeling?" Setsuna asked. "I was practicing the Flame and the Void. It's a mental focus thing that Pop taught me. For combat and archery and things," Ranma said. Setsuna frowned. "Can you see this?" she asked, weaving Air and Fire together. "Yes, although I couldn't see the weaves before," Ranma said. "Hmm, interesting," Setsuna said. "Alright, we will have to practice like this." "But...it's bad for him!" Ukyou said frantically. Ryouga and Kurz both had backed to a safe distance and were watching warily. "Are you mad yourself, Aes Sedai?" Hinako said. "If he's going to practice, make him a woman, so he can do it safely." "Did you not hear what Umino told us?" Setsuna said. "It takes a man and a woman channeling together to operate the Eye of God. We may need...to do that." Ranma's eyes widened. "What?" "Where else will we find a man who can channel who is not mad?" Setsuna asked. "Or not sworn to the Dark? I cannot say I like it, but I think we have no choice. I do not know if I can teach you much, Ranma. Our records indicate the Power works very differently for men and women. But I think we must take this risk." "So, he saddled his horse and he rode to Braergrin Maegloth, which now is known as Ergran Lothlan, I think. Some of the Ogier work may still be standing, I'm not sure, but I understand they have beautiful stands of Faerlas trees there, glittering golden in the sun..." Umino didn't seem to have noticed the crisis at all. Ranma sighed. "Do I have a choice?" "You are ta'veren. The Pattern bends and twists itself around you. You can influence it greatly, but only if you move the direction it wishes you to move. But ultimately, you have the freedom to choose," Setsuna said. He sighed again. "I will do what I must. I don't want to go mad, but if the Dark One seizes the Eye of God..." "It will be a great nightmare for all of us," Setsuna said softly. She turned to everyone else. "Tell no one of this. There are many who would fear and hate Ranma for this, though it is beyond his control. For now, we must keep it secret." The others nodded, though Hinako glared at Setsuna, fit to set her on fire. "Hinako, you should join us," Setsuna said. "I don't want to..." Hinako began. "Please, won't you help us?" Ukyou asked. "I would be grateful," Ranma said softly. Hinako softened, then said, "What do I have to do?" "Get one of your coins," Setsuna said. Hinako fished out one of her attack coins. "Alright." "Point it at me," Setsuna said. Hinako grinned a little as she did that. "Now what?" "Blast us," Setsuna said. "Can't argue with that," Hinako said. "DELINQUENT PUNISHING ATTACK!" The coin glowed, and the energy flowed towards Setsuna. Ranma could see threads of the one Power all tangled up in the attack, and could see Setsuna ready flows of Spirit. They met the attack and wrapped around it, joining it to the threads he could see connecting himself and Ukyou and Setsuna. He felt the Power, the power of Dubin, flow through the links, into Hinako, along with that of Subin. Hinako screamed in confusion and panic, then her eyes widened. For a moment, he could see white light shine in one eye, black in the other, and then she shook and grew, taking on her adult form. The surging energies steadied, and Hinako looked at herself. "That was...how did...I remember when Ranma blocked my attack at the inn, but..." "You will learn in time," Setsuna Sedai said. "We all have much to learn." "The King rushed into the building with a bucket of water, determined to help his subjects, as clearly the building was on fire, with smoke seeping from the cracks. He was surprised to find that it was full of meat hanging from the ceiling and many fires, carefully tended in pits. The meat was too high up to cook with the fires, so he didn't understand, for, you see, he had been raised in a palace, and so he was lacking in the fundamentals of meat preservation..." Umino continued on. "I think Umino will give us all the learning we can survive," Kurz said. Setsuna smiled a small smile. "I suppose he will." ********* After what seemed like eternity, King Thorin finally reached the village of Paramelle, where Maeve, the daughter of the candlemaker, dwelled, and the hallway began to widen and contort. Slowly, the center of the hallway began to rise, as did the ceiling, while ruts began to form along the walls. Soon, it became a bridge arching upwards over darkness, towards a far distant platform, hovering over the blackness with no apparent means of support. Bridges twisted away from the platform in seemingly impossible ways as it glowed a soft red. Pillars rose nearly eight feet tall, but very thin, flowing organically out of the rock of the platform, rising next to each bridge. "So, he knocked thrice upon the door, as was the custom in Aramaelle when one went a courting. Six knocks was for business, and nine knocks for relatives. I understand there were other special knocks as well, but the book was damaged, unfortunately, and so I never learned them," Umino said. "We will camp here," Setsuna said. "As we need to rest for the night and eat." Umino paused. "You did bring food, right? The waystations were once clean and warm and abundant with food and water, but as you see, the darkness on the ways has made them less hospitable." "So what's down there anyway?" Kurz asked, peering over the edge. "An endless fall into darkness until you starve," Umino said. "Ugh. What holds all this up?" Ryouga asked. "The Power," Umino said. "But..isn't this place falling apart because of the taint on dubin?" Ryouga asked. "Now you know why we don't use the Ways any more," Umino said. Ryouga shuddered. "I see." They reached the platform and tethered Soun and Hinako and Setsuna's horses. Umino went round the pillars to see which way to go in the morning, while Ukyou set up her grill and lit a little flame with the Power in it. Then she began cooking. "So, I guess you and Ukyou get to save the world, huh," Kurz said to Ranma as he and Ranma and Ryouga sat down to rest. "No wonder the Dark One sent his Fanboys to kill us," Ranma said, picking up several rocks and juggling them idly. "He must have known, somehow, that one of us could channel." He winced at the thought. "I'm going to have to...dammit. Dammit, I don't want to have to live as a woman just to stay sane." "At least you can stay sane," Kurz said. "If the Dark One hadn't sent his Fanboys, you never would have gotten transformed, and then you'd be doomed to go mad with no escape." He looked thoughtful. "I wonder if Prince Dios is still looking for the Ronin Reborn." "He gave you a ring, right?" Ryouga asked. "He tried to be my boyfriend and give me jewelry," Ranma muttered. "I guess he likes it both ways." Kurz winced. "I am NOT gay!" "Hmm," Ryouga said. He got up and wandered over to Setsuna. Ranma laughed. "You'd make a lousy woman, Kurz." "YOU make a lousy woman," Kurz said. "You'd be all flat-chested," Ranma said. "And too thin. Like Nuriko." Kurz turned slightly green. "Shut up." "Hmm, if we braided your hair, put you in a dress, people might not even be able to tell as it is now..." Ranma said. "Shut up!" Kurz said. "So, like, what kind of..." "Don't make me throw you into the endless void!" Kurz said. "Geez, calm down," Ranma said. "I was just yanking your chain." Kurz winced. Setsuna came over. "Ranma, would you describe Dios' sister who you met in your dream?" "Eh? Umm, dark skinned, kind of curly purple hair in an elaborate hairdo, sort of cute in a bookish sort of way, glasses, medium build, wore this red dress." "Did she wear a neck collar or band or ribbon?" "Yeah, like the one he tried to give me," Ranma said. Setsuna frowned and looked over at Ryouga, who said, "We didn't actually meet one." Setsuna sighed. "If you dream of Dios tonight, do not accept any further gifts and let me know in the morning. If you do not dream of him, also let me know." "I don't understand," Kurz said. "Not everything is as it seems in dreams," Setsuna said. "When you dreamed of Dios, Ryouga did not, and he was close enough for me to be shielding his dreams. I fear corruption may be wearing a fair face." "And the ring..." Kurz said. "It seems to just be a ring," Setsuna said. "But it looks exactly like the rings worn by the High Duellists which Ryouga and Ukyou met. I am not sure what it may mean, but best to not risk wearing it." Kurz sighed. "But if the dreams could be tricks..." "We may be walking into a trap or chasing wild geese," Setsuna said. "Unfortunately, we will have to risk that." "I guess," Kurz said. "I just have this feeling that it's a trap." "We shall see." *********** "We caught him poking around the Ogier grove, Sedai," Guard Captain Perm said to Fatora Sedai. He deposited the tiny little man in a chair. "He was trying to blow that building open with fireworks." "The vine-carving building?" Fatora asked. "Yes, Sedai," Perm said. Fatora glanced over at Allielle, who said, "We had best interrogate him in private, Captain. You were wise to bring him to us." Perm nodded and saluted. "I will leave some of my men outside your quarters, to dispose of him once you are done, Sedais." "Very good," Fatora said. "That is all." Perm left. Fatora looked down at the man. "So, why were you trying to break into a building on royal property?" "I was trying to chase Darkfriends," the man said. "I am Happousai, a peddlar. I have been chasing several Darkfriends, all the way from the Two Rivers." "Darkfriends from the Two Rivers, who you chased all the way to Caemlyn, where they then went into that building?" Fatora said dubiously. "Ryouga Ayabara, Ranma al'Thor, and Kurz Cauthon," Happousai said, half-spitting their names. "They are very low and cunning. Seducers and users of poor, innocent women." Fatora's eyes glittered. "Interesting. Tell me more..." There was much to be told. ********** Ryouga chased a herd of deer through the woods; they fled as best it could, but he kept coming, relentless. Around him were his friends, all of them eager for the kill, for the taste of the warm meat of the deer. But just as they finally were catching up to the deer, one of the pigs turned to him. "Wake up." "What?" he asked in confusion. "You must awaken," the pig said. "Trouble is coming." "I must wake up?" He tried to make himself awaken. He was on the platform, which now glowed a soft blue. Soun was up on watch duty, and Hinako, still in her adult form, to Ryouga's surprise, was sitting with him. It appeared they might be holding hands, Ryouga realized. He hated to disturb them, but it had to be done. "Excuse me, but I had this dream in which...umm...I think trouble may be coming." Soun started and Hinako leaped to her feet. "Trouble? What? Can't two people..." Soun talked over her. "What sort of trouble, Ayabara?" "I don't know," he said. "But..." Then he heard the faint strain of music in the distance. He tried to listen, but it was hard to hear, though slowly getting closer. "Can you hear that?" he asked. "Hinako, wake everyone," Soun said. "Which way, boy?" "That way," Ryouga said, pointing. Soun walked over as Hinako shook everyone awake. Setsuna Sedai sat up, asking, "What's going on?" "Music," Soun said. "Something is making music." Umino's ears twitched. "The Machin Shaft." "The what?" Nanami asked. "The Blaxploitation Wind," Setsuna said. "If it catches you, it devours most of your mind, leaving you reduced to a stock character from a Blaxploitation Saga." "What, like one of the faceless guys who gets shot in the head to prove the hero is a badass?" Kurz asked. "Or a hooker with a heart of gold or a pimp or whatever." "We must hurry," Umino said. "This Black Wind is a bad mother." "We can dig it," Nanami mumbled. "Is it a sex machine to all the chicks?" Kurz asked. "Let's not find out," Setsuna said. "Gather your possessions. Let's go." They took off through the ways, hearing the music slowly grow closer. They passed through a series of curving staircases and ramps, past and through and over and under many platforms, including what Ranma was sure was the same one three times. They could see it behind them now, a huge storm of dark winds and voices howling in unison, singing an endless, maddening song. /Who's the black evil wind / that's an instant lobotomy to all it meets? / Machin Shaft! / You're damn right.../ It drew closer, ever closer. Ranma felt the icy grip of fear and tried to calm himself with the Flame and the Void, but as he did it, he started to feel the raging sea of Dubin again. Madness behind him, madness all around him. He let go of the Void, then tried to take it again. This time he couldn't feel Dubin. And he was grateful for that. Soun picked up Hinako and carried her when she finally reverted to a child; she looked quite embarrassed. After that, Nanami was the one who had the hardest time keeping up. Ranma fell back to run alongside her, ready to pick her up if he had to. They finally crested a bridge and came down into what became a simple tunnel. They could see the end in sight. Unfortunately, the Machin Shaft was going to reach them before Umino could get the gate open. "I will try to ward it..." Setsuna began. "DELINQUENT PUNISHING ATTACK!" Hinako shouted at the Machin Shin, holding up a coin. "No, it's life energy is tainted!" Setsuna said. "And it..." The Machin Shaft lost the beat as Hinako drained its life force. Hinako's skin turned dark as she grew larger, and her eyes glittered. It lurched back, like a dog licking its wounds. "Don't get fresh with me, boy!" Hinako shouted at it with a sultry voice. "I haven't got time for posers like you, nipping at my heels. I've got vengeance to take. Later, loser." "Woman been done wrong," Kurz muttered. Umino got the gate open, and they dashed out into the waiting building. He carefully sealed the gate behind them even as the Machin Shaft got up the guts to try again. They were at the base of a hill, among broken stones, some of which were elaborately carved in places, others ordinary boulders. Far above them, they could see a great fortress rising up around the sprawling, rolling open landscape all about them. The Waygate seemed almost lost, a refugee from another time. "The Grove is gone," Umino said softly. "Destroyed in the Fanboy Wars, I expect," Setsuna said. "Fal Dara is a mere shadow of the glory of long departed Mafal Dardanell." She pointed to the distant fortress city. "We will go to Fal Dara and rest. Tomorrow, we plunge into the Blight." Ranma yawned. "Will we be able to sleep?" "Hopefully. We should be safe in Fal Dara," Soun said. "Though no place is completely safe in this world." "Indeed," Setsuna said. "Let's go."