(Continued from "The Caller's success")



Mirror of the Stars

"Astonishing..." Cologne whispered to herself as she recalled how 
she felt the immense might of the two Stars disappear and fade in 
outer space.
	"Who cares if it's astonishing, those things took my 
daughter!" Soun wailed desperately, and it seemed that Genma 
would soon follow. Hou-chan just hung his avian head in sadness.
	"What that?!" Mink yelled, turning to the little ghoul.
	"I don't know. Never before had I felt that... Except..."
	"What?" Akari said, nearly pleading, "If you know, tell us!"
	Cologne set her staff beside the table, in the Tendos' dining 
room. Even with her great age, she hadn't experienced anything such 
as the awakening of the Brindel before. And what's more, she was 
still aghast to have sensed the Caller. No one alive knew how to use 
that technique. And yet, this time it had  been so filled with vitality 
that even Cologne had to acknowledge confusion.
	"As I said, only once have I experienced anything close to 
what just happened," she narrowed her eyes to mere slits, "When I 
visited a place called 'the Gates.'"
	"Gates?" Genma repeated.
	"It is an ethereal plane, thought to be the connection 
between the four realms," Cologne explained, "The first realm is the 
Light, or, as some religions put it, heaven. The second is our 
dimension. The third is the realm of Shadows, hell.
	"Back when I had the son-in-law's age, I met a young 
fighter, from a nearby tribe. Since his village has always been at odds 
with the Joketsuzoku and the Musk Dynasty, I once had to battle 
him, and I nearly died. I ended up in the Gates, in which souls can 
mingle freely with angels, demons and other creatures." She turned to 
Genma, "There, I met your wife's first daughter."
	"Daughter?" Nabiki interrupted, "Mrs. Saotome had another 
daughter?"
	"Cordis Fortitudo is her name," Cologne said, "She's an 
angel, and currently she's Ranko, Yuannyan and Phaeron's Guardian. 
She and Seraphim made me come back to the world of living, but not 
before I could sense the power of the two Stars.
	"It seems the Stars are neither angels nor demons, but 
Neutral beings instead, whose sole purpose is to defend the balance 
between light and darkness in this plane, therefore antagonizing the 
creatures they call 'Destroyers.' But it's also said that when there are 
no more Destroyers, even if only for a few instants, the Stars reward 
their warriors by taking them to their planet, so that the balance 
doesn't lean towards the Light."
	Sighing, she shook her head, "It would appear that the 
young ones and Mrs. Saotome have somehow attained the rank of 
Brindel, and thus they have been taken away."
	"What?!" Genma stared at her in shock.
	"Then Mousse-sama is..." Mink found it hard to finish the 
question, while Akari was unable to speak altogether as a knot 
formed in her throat.
	"My daughter!!" Soun cried out.
	"I'm afraid..." Cologne slumped down slightly, "I don't know 
if we shall ever see them again."
	Hou-chan shrieked.

			*	*	*

Faint white dots floated down from the sky, descending just outside 
the room's window. It was a dark, unkept habitation, with cloths 
covering the furniture and old newspapers strewn out across the 
floor. One could barely sense the warmth in the room, even in spite 
of the figure that stood in the middle.
	"I can't believe it..."
	The young man gulped again, recalling the sight he had 
witnessed mere moments after coming back to his old apartment. A 
great column of light, stretching from a place across the city, and 
lengthening all the way to outer space. Even he had thought he 
would never see that technique again.
	"There was only one person who could use the 
Summoning..." he thought, clenching his fist, "Yes, King Cinnamon 
of the Musk. Oh, I know him very well... But I thought he had been 
destroyed by the Summoning itself..."
	He shook his head. It was very clear someone had used that 
technique, and given the chi that filled it, it was likely that the user 
also survived.
	Turning to his side, he caught a glimpse of a calendar on the 
wall. Three months. His brother would undergo the metamorphosis 
in three months. Soon, the dynasty of Mount Phoenix would rise 
again.
	"I have to find whoever used that technique... before he 
disrupts Saffron's ascension to the throne."

			*	*	*

"We have arrived..."
	The troop was just too impressed to even notice that 
Emerald's voice was considerably less imposing now. The place they 
arrived at instantly struck them as paradisiac: a valley surrounded by 
low hills, near the ocean, and covered by grass until a few meters 
before the very edge of the beach. Opposite to the sea there were 
great, snowcapped mountains, with deep and peaceful forests hiding 
the giants' sides. The valley itself was blanketed almost entirely by 
flowers, despite the small village nestled in its center.
	"Where..." Ranma began.
	"This is one of our worlds," Crimson said, "a plane parallel 
to your Earth and the Gates, our endless realm."
	"Okay, but why are we here?" Ranko asked.
	"Even though you have been Brindel for a very short time..." 
Emerald said, "already you've had to face some of the most 
dangerous Destroyers. Kefka... the last of the Lavos... Dysithal..."
	"We've brought all our current Brindel here," Crimson said, 
as he and Emerald gently set the people down atop a hill, "Behold..."
	Just as they had landed, they could see many bright 
silhouettes shaping in the distance. These slowly took various shapes, 
some human, and some indistinguishable. But it was very obvious 
that these were all Brindel.
	"What the..." Terra Branford, Sabin Ren��� Figaro, Locke 
Cole and Celes Cher��� from the World of Ruin blinked.
	"Where..." the two parties of warriors that had faced and 
destroyed Zeromus and Exdeath were also brought.
	"Incredible..." Maduin and several other Espers joined in the 
astonishment.
	"Well, what do you know..." Chaos smirked mischievously 
at the four Light Warriors that first vanquished him. They gulped 
loudly.
	"What did you bring us here for?" Phaeron questioned. 
"Why bring all these people?"
	"There is nothing to worry about, Esper," Crimson said, "As 
you recall, we visited your second world and gave king Odin our 
Brindstone Ring."
	"We already know that," Ranma said, recalling how the 
Espers had narrated the Brindel's legend.
	"Wait..." Maduin said, "If Crimson Star is here, then..." his 
eyes widened as realization dawned upon him, "The ruby! The ruby 
has been restored!"
	"Huh?" Ranko and Phaeron looked closely at the latter's 
medallion.
	"True," Emerald said, "And this is our reward to you. We 
have many Brindel, from various worlds. According to your own 
thoughts, we believe this is your idea of paradise."
	"This is your new home," Crimson said, "Here you won't 
grow old, while you can live up to hundreds of years."
	"You will also be given new abilities, even more powerful 
than the 'Caller' that the Astbrindel used a few moments ago," 
Emerald followed. "Enjoy your rewards, valiant Brindel warriors. 
You have earned them."
	"Wait a sec!" Akane called just as the Stars were beginning 
to evanesce, "We... we can't just stay here! What about our families 
back home?"
	"You needn't worry about them," the Stars said, "Already 
our servants are seeing to it that your families are protected."
	"But that's not what I meant! Can't we ever go back home?"
	The Stars were silent for a moment, puzzled that one of 
their Brindel would want to give up the reward they were presenting, 
especially with such haste. "You can go back... But if you do, you 
will lose everything that we're offering now."
	"But--"
	"In any case, we shall give you one month to decide," 
Crimson interrupted. "May your choice be the correct one."
	"Wait!"
	The call went unheard as the Emerald and Crimson Stars 
vanished in the clear blue sky, leaving the dumbfounded troops in the 
summit of a grassy hill. Sighing, they turned to each other, then at the 
town.
	"Well," Ranma said, "...might as well go there."

			*	*	*

Dysmerc snickered to herself as she looked into the pond, using its 
water as a screen to show the events that were unfolding. With a 
mischievous smirk, she turned to Cordis, "You still think you know 
their answer?"
	She nodded, "I trust them. They'll make the right choice." 
Smiling, she turned to the blindfolded angel, "Ready?"
	"I don't understand, what's this all about?" Seraphim said, 
patiently waiting for the blindfold to be removed.
	"You'll see," the voice belonged to Raphael Coldfire. He, 
like Cordis, was very eager to show Seraphim what the surprise 
would be. And besides, since the angel had helped the Brindel so 
much, it was only natural for her to be rewarded as well...
	"Let us go," yet another voice said. Seraphim would have 
opened her eyes widely if it weren't for the blindfold, "Father? You're 
also here?"
	"Yes," Odin smiled as his daughter. "But your friends have 
also kept the reason of this visit as a secret, even for me."
	"Then let's get started already, "Cordis said, motioning for 
Dysmerc to follow. Stumbling at first, Seraphim steadily let Raphael 
guide her as they walked onwards. She was puzzled, every once in a 
while she had to step over a broken slab or a cracked staircase. 
Where were they going, anyway?
	There was a loud rumble, as if a stone wall were giving 
away, and finally Cordis said, "We're here." Raphael removed 
Seraphim's blindfold as well as Odin's, smiling as he did so. Stepping 
back, the Phoenix of Gray and the two other angels awaited 
Seraphim and Odin's reaction.
	"Mo..." Seraphim stared widely, a reaction mimicked by 
Odin. The Esper king and his daughter were standing inside the 
hidden room of the Underwater Palace, in the World of Ruin, where 
Seraphim had brought Phaeron some time ago. And in front of them 
stood the metallic essence of Frigg, Odin's wife and queen.
	"Mother...? What...?" Seraphim turned away from her 
briefly to look at Cordis.
	"Just wait," Cordis said, "Meanwhile, turn around."
	Struggling a bit against herself, Seraphim pried her gaze 
away from Frigg and turned around. The first thing she saw was 
herself, reflected by a perfect black mirror. But a second glance made 
her realize it: that mirror was framed by the eight jewels, ruby, 
emerald, aquamarine, opal, amethyst, diamond, garnet, sapphire, 
topaz. The real Brindstone Ring.
	All of a sudden, the black surface began to shimmer, then 
the eight gems glowed in a white circle. For an instant, the Ring 
flashed with both red and green hues, then it stretched out a faint 
cloud of light that engulfed Seraphim and Odin.
	"We meet again, king of Espers," the voice of Crimson Star 
only reached the two of them. "It has been a while."
	"What's happening?" Seraphim asked through her thoughts, 
aware that the Stars would easily hear.
	"You're the reason why those youths became Brindel," 
Emerald said, "When you revived Phoenix, that action lead to many 
other events... including our awakening."
	"Thus, we've come to reward you," Crimson said, "We 
know your heart, and we are aware of your desires."
	Seraphim smiled softly, finally realizing what would happen, 
"I'm an angel. My only wish is for my friends to be happy." She 
paused for an instant, "However... there's something I have always 
hoped for..."
	"We know," the Stars replied. Saying no more, they left 
Seraphim and Odin and the cloud of light enveloped Queen Frigg's 
metal body. The bronze shone brightly; slowly, the statue was 
softened, cleared... and everyone gasped in wonder.
	A faint whimper detached from the queen's lips. The light 
receded. Seraphim was crying in complete happiness: her mother had 
been fully released from the metal statue.
	"Where..." Frigg's voice, cast into bronze fifteen hundred 
years ago, was heard once more. Even though Odin remained still, 
Seraphim waited no more before running to her mother and hugging 
her tightly with six of her eight limbs.
	"...ah...?" Frigg groggily discovered herself submerged in a 
whiteness of feathers.
	"Mother..." Seraphim cried on her shoulder, shaping a large 
smile on her face.
	"La... Laris, dear..." Frigg realized that the young angel was 
actually her own daughter. "What... your body... you're..."
	"It's all right, mother," Seraphim said, "I'll explain 
everything..."
	Confused by her awakening, but somehow sharing in her 
daughter's joy, Frigg slowly looked up to her husband's face. "K-
king.."
	"My queen..." Odin's stone-cold exterior was steadily 
crumbling in his emotion, "It has been so long..." Opening his large 
arms, he went on to embrace Seraphim and Frigg and hold both to 
his chest. "At last... Fenrir's curse is now broken."
	Frigg's eyes widened in terror, "F-Fenrir?!"
	"Don't worry, mother," Seraphim said, "Fenrir's gone. He 
won't harm us again."
	"Frigg..." Odin said, "Forgive me for failing you... But now I 
vow this: no one shall ever bring harm upon our family ever again."
	"But we won't have to hold you to that promise," another 
female voice said. All three turned to the door, gazing at the 
demiangel that stood there. With teary eyes and a soft smile, Starlet 
joined her parents and her sister in a family hug.
	Meanwhile, the three other people silently glanced at the 
reunited family. With a smirk, Raphael closed his eyes, trying to 
remember how his own parents had been like. However, he wasn't 
the only one who had that thought.
	"Now it's your turn," Dysmerc turned to Cordis. With an 
eager smile, she of the strong heart nodded.

			*	*	*

It was just like any normal Japanese suburb, if you ignored the fact 
that it was in the middle of a valley and on a strange new planet. Of 
course, since this town had been part of the reward given to them by 
the Stars, it's only natural it would be something that they could see 
as familiar. In fact, the neighborhood that made up this town 
resembled Nerima very closely, down to the point where it had 
asphalt roads that lead to the other towns, where the people from 
other planets had gone to. Why, they even found _clothes_ in their 
new houses, and these were clothes that fit their tastes perfectly. 
Amazingly, even Shampoo and Ukyou had found establishments 
similar to their own restaurants, while Akane and the Saotomes had 
ended up in a large house that had its own dojo --the Stars were 
more than aware of their warriors' modus vivendi, indeed.
	Still, there was one landmark that kept them from forgetting 
where they were: smack in the middle of every single town was a 
large obsidian obelisk. Upon arrival to this town, the Japanese crowd 
had been instinctively beckoned to this monument. It was then that 
they were relieved of their Brindstones, which became embedded in a 
circular shape around the obelisk's base --with the exception of 
Ranko and Phaeron's, since they had been a _little_ reluctant to part 
with the gifts they had given each other.
	Nevertheless, it seemed the obelisk had done more than take 
their gems. Even though the warriors' magic power was kept by the 
Brindstones, they could still use spells as easily as breathing, and 
Akane was constantly being watched to prevent her magic from 
overloading again. Could it be one of the new abilities the Stars said 
they would be rewarded with?
	A perfect planet, their own houses, clothes, new powers... 
All in all, it was a paradise all by itself.
	Several felt there was something off, though. Especially for 
those who had already _seen_ the inside of the Light; and even 
though only a day had passed, most already longed for home... 
	Nodoka sighed as she prepared dinner, feeling mild relief 
and motherly pride as she heard Ranma and Ranko sparring in the 
dojo. Beside her, Yuannyan was busy like a bee as she helped with 
the meal, since it was the first time she cooked for more than three 
people. Nodoka smiled at her youngest daughter, glad to see that 
even the hundreds of years of being trapped in Jusenkyo hadn't 
broken her childish spirit. But she had to sigh sadly. She had wanted 
so much to be with her first daughter--
	"Huh?"
	Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a warm presence 
nearby. In the distance, she could vaguely hear Ranko cease training 
also, as if she too felt this. Suddenly stopping her work, Yuannyan 
looked up.
	Nodoka became completely silent, she just motioned for 
Yuannyan to follow as she hurried outside. They had just come out 
the front door when they were joined by the other Saotome siblings. 
Curious, Akane looked out her room's window and decided to follow 
them.
	"I felt it," Nodoka said, "It was around here somewhere."
	"You too?" Ranko asked, smiling, since she recognized the 
presence immediately.
	"What?" Ranma was about to ask when a golden glimmer 
appeared before them, in the middle of the walkway. It suddenly 
spread apart into four glistening dots that swirled around, dropping 
dust of light, until the dust joined to shape a human figure.
	The Saotomes and Akane went silent as Cordis fully 
materialized before them. She was just like Ranko remembered from 
her dream: a young woman with auburn hair in a ponytail, wearing a 
white bodysuit under a sleeveless pastel-blue coat, and an indigo belt 
that kept it closed at the waist. Her blue eyes seemed about to shatter 
from the way they trembled in anticipation.
	"Yo, oneechan," Ranko smirked as she greeted, mere 
instants before she hugged her in welcome.
	"Oneechan...?" only Nodoka didn't repeat that. Yuannyan, 
Ranma and Akane were completely awestruck. "Oneechan!" the 
younger twin smiled broadly as she flung herself at the angel, once 
Ranko had stepped away. Cordis giggled a bit at her sister's childlike 
manners and hugged her, causing her grin to widen further.
	"Y-you..." Ranma stammered.
	Cordis fixed her gaze on him, smiling as she did. "Hi, little 
brother." Ranma blushed very brightly at the way she addressed him. 
Cordis snickered a bit at him.
	"You... but then..." Akane stuttered.
	"Yes, I'm Cordis Fortitudo," she said, "I'm Ranko, 
Yuannyan and Lael's Guardian..." she smirked again as she glanced at 
Ranma, "and yes, I'm your big sister."
	"Big... sister...? Uuhh..." Ranma decided there was only one 
way he could deal with this and promptly fainted.
	Yuannyan finally released Cordis, letting her step forward to 
greet Akane more closely. But then the angel closed her eyes, and 
took a deep breath. She could feel Ranko's gaze on her, a gaze than 
then moved on to Nodoka. God, she had waited so long to be with 
her mother again. Fifteen hundred years, as long as the twins, since 
she had been trapped in the spring along with her little sisters. The 
only being she could communicate with, aside from Zhaodi and 
Pandi, was Seraphim, and even that was difficult since Seraphim had 
to use Mirror Soul Lake just to access Jusenkyo's magic.
	But now...
	"Co... Cordis..." Nodoka's voice was but a hint of a whisper. 
Her shaky eyes glittered, they couldn't believe the image they 
received. Her memories came alive once more, as she recalled a little 
girl with small wings and a halo as bright as the Sun. But the little girl 
was no more, instead there was a beautiful maiden with wings as 
large as her heart, and a halo more stunning than before. But Nodoka 
was the mother of this woman, and as such she recognized her almost 
instantly. And still... she had lost so much... so much time...
	"Mother..." Cordis' own eyes were also beginning to flood, 
even though both angels were merely standing before each other, 
with only a gaze as their contact. But then, in utter silence, Nodoka 
hesitantly lifted a shaking hand up to Cordis' face, then placed it on 
her cheek and slowly, gently, felt her face. Another hand joined the 
motions, until they cupped Cordis' jaw.
	Meanwhile, Ranko and Yuannyan dared not move. Akane 
was busy enough trying to revivify Ranma and gawk at Cordis all at 
once, so she couldn't even attempt to interrupt. The twins, however, 
knew exactly what Nodoka and Cordis were going through. So far, 
though, they could only smile at them.
	Gulping slightly, Nodoka lifted her right hand to gently 
brush away some of the locks of hair that fell on Cordis' forehead, 
causing her to wink and tilt her head a bit. Nodoka then felt the 
weight of the world being lifted from her chest. With just a light 
whimper, she immediately hugged Cordis as tight as she could, 
already using her power to transform into an angel and use her wings 
in the hug. Likewise, Cordis returned the hug and embraced her 
mother in her large wings.
	For a few moments, the two angels resembled a large 
feathery cocoon, white and warm. Their halos glittered like small 
stars, and their shoulders were already soaked through by the other's 
tears. Finally coming to, Ranma swallowed hard when he looked at 
his mother and his... his _sister_. Cordis Fortitudo, his older sister. 
Immediately he turned to the twins. Sure, they were his older sisters 
too, if you consider they were born 1500 years before him, but they 
were, well, _little_. And then, they also seemed to share in Cordis 
and Nodoka's glow.
	It took some more time for them to finally relieve the eons 
of pain and separation. But when they released each other, both 
showed the bright smiles of joy that seemed to be abundant lately. 
Gently wiping away the tears from Cordis' face, Nodoka spoke.
	"My little Cordis... It's been so long... But how...?"
	"I'm sorry..." Cordis looked down, "I should have come 
sooner."
	"But... you're all grown up," Nodoka couldn't hide a smile of 
pride, "You've become so beautiful..."
	"Thanks," Cordis blushed slightly, "Guess it runs in the 
family." Nodoka giggled a bit while the twins turned mild red.
	"But how did you get here?"
	Cordis sighed, "I have to thank Ranko-chan for that," she 
said, quickly adjusting her speech to add the suffix to her little sister's 
name. "When she faced Dysithal, right before she used the Caller, I 
could get my body back from him. And even after all these years, I 
could turn it back to normal," she spread her arms and twisted 
slightly to emphasize the point, letting Nodoka see all of her body. 
"What d'you think?"
	Nodoka smiled softly, whispering, and repeating. "You're... 
beautiful..." She caught a glimpse of the twins, who stood beyond 
Cordis, and added, "And I'm sure Ranko-chan and Yuan-chan will 
look just like you." Again, the twins blushed, while Cordis giggled.
	"Well, what're we doing standing out here?" Ranko said, 
smirking, "We should be having a party, right?"
	Nodoka turned to Cordis, still adjusting to a woman that 
was almost as tall as she was. With a warm smile, she said, "This is 
so wonderful... Yes, let's have a celebration, by all means." She 
closed her eyes, sighing, "Let's welcome Cordis back into our 
family."

			*	*	*

As suggested, the Saotomes held a party at their new house, to which 
all of their friends were invited. Everyone was left speechless by 
Cordis, even though they were becoming accustomed to seeing 
angels appear all the time. Nodoka would have wanted her husband 
to be here, to share in the festivities, but at the moment she was so 
deep in joy that she could only hope Genma would get to see Cordis 
later.
	But all the while, during the party, there were many signs 
that Cordis' arrival wasn't the only reason for excitement. Ranma and 
Akane kept sending covert glances at each other, as they were still 
very reluctant to show their emotions in public. Ukyou and Shampoo 
took notice, though, and frowned; the Amazon also felt somewhat 
left out, as Mousse kept ignoring the looks she sent him every once 
in a while. Ryouga, despite having met Akari just two days earlier, 
kept thinking about both the sumo-pig trainer and the redhead that 
sat a few feet before him: it seemed his emotions for her would not 
be easily relinquished. Herb and Yuannyan were the only ones who 
acted as they always did, for obvious reasons, while their bodyguards 
were so entranced by Cordis they didn't even blink. And of course, 
the two remaining youths kept smiling at each other, as happiness 
wouldn't leave Ranko and Phaeron regardless of what they thought.
	"It's so good to be with all of you again," Cordis said, 
looking all around. Nodoka sighed and nodded, then glanced at her 
other daughters. "Thank you for what you did for her," she said, 
turning to Cordis, "I don't think I've ever seen her this happy."
	"It wasn't me," Cordis said, "I just guided her back. She was 
the one who really brought him back to life."
	Nodoka nodded again, but then recalled Cordis' narration of 
how she restored her body, "I can only hope Dysithal doesn't harm 
them again."
	Cordis sighed, "Well, unless he finds someone close to us 
who is consumed by Fear, he won't." She looked at Ranko and 
Phaeron again, "But even if that happens, I'll always protect them." 
She and Nodoka smiled.
	"Well, the food was great, Yuan-chan" Ranko said, pushing 
away from the table, while her twin smirked in confidence. "I'll go 
take a walk," she stood up, then bent forward slightly  to whisper in 
Phaeron's ear, "Meet me on the roof, 'kay?"
	With a gulp, he caught a glimpse of her walking away and 
turned red. Snickering at him, Akane poked him in the ribs and 
motioned with her head for him to go after her.  He swallowed hard 
again and stood up, excusing himself. After only a moment's 
hesitation, he hurried outside and built up speed to leap upwards 
onto the roof.
	"Um, Ranko-chan...?" he called, seeing no one.
	"Over here," she replied. He turned around to see her walk 
towards him, just as she put her hand on her braid to pull it loose into 
a cascade of wavy red. The red hue on his face intensified at seeing 
her like that, with her hair flowing slightly in the breeze, shining in 
the bright moonlight.
	"What?" she asked, blinking, as she saw him frozen in place.
	"Uh?" he came back to reality, but still found it difficult to 
take his eyes off the girl before him. "Your hair..."
	She smiled, "You like it? I mean, I wasn't too sure about 
this, but then I remembered that when we were in China, I tied it only 
when we trained so it wouldn't get in the way." She smirked at the 
irony. Now _she_ was the one reminding him about things that 
happened in China.
	"Eh, right..." he said, gulping again. Although the pigtail fit 
her character better, given her tomboyish attitude, long hair had 
always bolstered her beauty twofold.  "What I meant is..." he took 
out the braid she had given him on _that_ day.
	"You still have that?" she blinked, then unconsciously 
brushed her hair, "It's weird, seeing that thing." Smirking, he looked 
away and took his own ponytail in his hand, grasping it tightly, while 
placing his other hand on his nape.
	"What are you doing?" she asked, even though she knew 
what he was about to do. She would have stopped him, but she knew 
he _wanted_ to do this for her, and she thought it would probably 
hurt him if she didn't accept it. On the other hand, she couldn't help 
but blush a little. She could already picture him with short hair, and 
quickly decided he looked better that way.
	"If you did that for me..." he said, quickly cutting off his 
ponytail. She grimaced a bit for him, recalling the pain she had felt 
when she cut off her own pigtail, but then blinked and blushed 
slightly when he offered it.
	"It feels strange, doesn't it?" he said, taking the chance to 
hold her hands.
	"Yeah, I know what you mean," she kept her eyes fixed on 
his ponytail, which was right next to her pigtail in their hands. 
Without another word, they looked at each other and instantly fell in 
a tight embrace. "It's great to see you back, Phaeron-kun."
	"And it's great to be with you, Ranko-chan," he replied. A 
warm feeling spread inside each of them, pouring, like a sweet liquid, 
and filling their hearts with the heat of a love they had to hide so 
many times. "Man..." he finally said, sighing, "you don't know how 
long I've been waiting to say that."
	She smiled a bit, "Yes, I do." She released the hug just a bit, 
enough for her to be able to look up at him, "At least we don't have 
to hide it anymore."
	"Yeah... I was getting tired of acting like 'just a friend' 
anyway. If only I had told you--"
	"No," she interrupted, "It was also my fault. But I don't 
wanna talk about that. What counts is that it's over." They both 
smiled at those last words, then felt silent for a while. Their eyes did 
most of their communing for several minutes, as red and blue were 
suddenly more than just optical receptors and became expressive 
poems in a matter of seconds. Their combined gaze was filled with 
emotions, obscuring the rest of the universe as the couple became 
oblivious to all but each other. They even forgot that they were held 
in an embrace, the unspoken words that their eyes communicated 
were all it took for their souls to meet regardless of their physical 
contact.
	"You know..." after the long silence, Phaeron started, "I'm 
kinda glad Coldfire possessed me. Otherwise I wouldn't have met 
you."
	Ranko chuckled, "Heh. And I can't imagine what would've 
happened if that old coot Delat hadn't brought Mom and Cordis to 
Earth." She shuddered a bit, realizing that she wouldn't have been 
born if it hadn't been for Delat's mistake.
	"Ranko-chan..." Phaeron began, trying to lead the 
conversation towards other subjects, "Remember that day, before... 
before Jusenkyo?"
	"Sure," she smiled, sending a quick glance at his medallion 
and sadly recalling that she left her bracelet at home, back on Earth.
	"Well..." he continued, gradually blushing as he spoke, "It's 
been fifteen hundred years since that happened, and... I think that 
now, even more than that day, I..."
	"Phaeron-kun... I..." she understood what he was trying to 
say, and suddenly found herself struggling to say those words as well. 
Something prevented her, though. It was odd, even though Phaeron 
_knew_ how she felt for him, she still found herself unable to 
pronounce the three words. Oh, well, he knew anyway. There was no 
harm in keeping herself from saying them. With a childlike smirk, she 
quickly looked up and pushed up with her mouth...
	"Ranko-chan, I l-- mph?"
	Phaeron was surprised, to say the least. Ranko had simply 
interrupted by leaning forward and standing on tiptoe, pressing her 
lips against his own.  He could vaguely feel the familiar warmth 
spread within him, a warmth that she shared in. Eyes closed, they 
didn't even try to move from that contact. But even then, they 
couldn't help but recall their first kiss, one that had been brought out 
by intense sorrow as it had happened just before he died, on 
Christmas Eve. However, all those memories were quickly and easily 
wiped away by this, as this time they were both filled with happiness 
and hope. This time, nothing stood in the way, and almost everything 
was in peace.
	Meanwhile, the two Brindstones they had shimmered in 
coordination. The emerald glowed like a small sun all on its own, 
while the ruby hummed softly. The topaz rings around each were like 
a bridge between them, a bridge that would never be severed. 
However, something odd happened to the topaz: the brownish-gold 
rings around the emerald and ruby stretched slightly towards the 
other, finally fusing in the middle. They shaped an infinity symbol. 
With their gems glowing, neither Ranko nor Phaeron felt the golden 
dust that rose around them, and they were equally oblivious to the 
glow that came from the Brindstone Obelisk, at the center of the 
town. No, they were too concentrated on each other to even notice 
it.
	"Huh?" Akane and Ranma blinked. They were surrounded 
by an odd aura, the likes of which they had only felt whenever they 
used their Brindstones...
	They had waited fifteen hundred years to make this happen. 
The feelings that had grown between them almost since they met had 
steadily become affection by the time they arrived at Jusenkyo... 
Then they met once more and, as always, a misunderstanding kept 
them from showing their emotions. But at last, it was all back to 
normal. Everything was in place, and they would never leave each 
other again.
	Finally, with a mutual sigh, they let go. The gems ceased 
interacting, even the topaz split again, but they remained glowing. 
Smiling at each other, they sent a feline glance and snickered.
	"So..." he said, stepping back to hold her hands.
	"So..." she replied in a tintinnabulating voice.
	"What now?"
	She smirked, "Well, I don't think we should go down there 
like this. You know what happens when those guys get ideas..."
	"Acting like 'just friends' again, eh?" he snickered. "It'll be 
hard after this."
	"We've got four months of experience," she joked, pushing 
away from him. "But I have an idea. What if we train again, like we 
did in China?"
	Phaeron's eyes widened in pleasant surprise, "You mean you 
want to teach me again?" Smirking, he recalled those words from 
their past, and pronounced them softly, in a rusty Chinese, "Xiexie, 
shifu."
	Ranko blushed brightly, "Uh, you're welcome..." She then 
smirked again. He had called her "shifu." Why, she hadn't heard that 
in a long time, "But you haven't called me that in years."
	"What's wrong with me calling you 'master'?" he snickered, 
"After all, you'll always be better than me."
	"Then we really need to train like that again," she smirked 
maliciously, "I bet a weakling like you could learn a couple new 
moves."
	"Weakling, eh?" he smiled evilly as he stepped forward. 
Ranko reared back, grinning, then took off as she bounced from 
rooftop to rooftop. The Esper smiled inwards, with his ruby glowing 
in agreement, and launched in pursuit of the laughing redhead.
	"Oh, God..." they both thought.
	Life was going to be wonderful.

			*	*	*

Deadly. That's what many considered her. Few were aware of her 
warm spirit, but it didn't really annoy her. Despite being born in the 
Light, Masamune held a hidden pride at seeing enemies shudder in 
her presence.
	But now, the only shudder she saw was Genma's. An entire 
week had passed since the Stars took away his family, and he had 
become so desperate his sobbing surpassed even Soun's. Sharing in 
his worry, Masamune couldn't do much but keep quiet, lest she 
depress him further.
	"C-come, now, Saotome-kun," Soun wept along, "Ev... 
Everything will be all... all right... Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
	"Everyone was taken... even Ukyou-sama..." Konatsu 
silently cried. He looked at Mog's spatula. "Bwaaaaah!"
	"With them as allies, we might not rescue the young ones," 
Cologne frowned as she tried hard not to bonk them all with her 
staff.
	"Waah! My dear silky darlings! My Akane-chan! My Ranko-
chan! My--" Happousai went sailing out the window. Ahh, Cologne 
felt so much better now.
	"Okay, we know Stars take Mousse-sama, Melaia, and all 
friends," Mink calmly analyzed the situation, keeping cool despite her 
sadness. Perched on her shoulder, Hou-chan seemed to think through 
the events as she continued, "Stars supposed to be strong like angels, 
but they no angels. Only way to summon is by beating 'destroyer' or 
be attacked by magic goddess."
	"That's right," Masamune said, "I had heard about the Stars, 
and it's said they're the same sort of being that originally created the 
Espers. But that's all I know about them."
	"But... but what about Ryouga-sama?!" Akari asked.
	"Calm down, child, anxiety won't lead us anywhere," 
Cologne said.
	"But if the Stars are as powerful as the Three Goddesses..." 
Mog said, "isn't there a way to bring our friends back, kupo?"
	Cologne sighed, "I didn't want to reveal this, as I thought it 
would be too dangerous..."
	"What? What is it?!" nearly everyone crowded her, hoping 
the old woman could have an answer.
	The leader of the Joketsuzoku closed her eyes. Deep down, 
she cursed herself for talking about a skill that was potentially fatal 
for those who made use of it. A skill that all humans possessed, but 
few could tap into, and fewer still use. And even then, Cologne knew 
of only one person that had survived it, and to top it off that was only 
a wild guess.
	"All right." Cologne opened her eyes very slightly, only 
enough to shape slits, "I will tell you. I wish I didn't have to, but it 
has been so long since we've heard of our friends that I may be 
forced to reveal it."
	Gulping, the others sat back and listened carefully. Genma, 
Soun, Konatsu, Mog, Mink, Akari and even Masamune set their gaze 
on the small withered troll.
	"In the history of the Joketsuzoku, we have developed many 
theories regarding chi and its connection with the spiritual planes. 
Through those theories, we discovered that there are ways to contact 
other worlds and realities through our chi."
	"What?" everyone stared at her. Ways to communicate with 
other worlds?!
	"You see, chi is the inner energy created by the balance of 
yin and yang within us. The easiest way to feel our chi is by 
breathing, but there are more advanced ways.
	"You have probably heard how many martial arts teachers, 
especially of disciplines like Chikung, Taichi and Aikido, comment 
about how their art helps its user 'commune with the cosmic energy.' 
In many ways, they're correct. Chi is a force that gives life to a great 
deal of our plane, and it's even more vital in other planes. Therefore, 
by accessing your chi, you can contact other places with as much 
success as the most heartfelt prayer.
	"One of the ways to do this is by the dreaded Caller 
technique. We discovered it nearly a century ago, but kept it hidden 
once we discovered its true power. The Caller itself consists of the 
most perfect communication with the ethereal planes without having 
to die.
	"First, you must build up your chi until it can no longer be 
contained in your body. Although there are several ways to do this, 
the most common is by rising it level by level.
	"Second, once your chi outgrows your body you must 
channel it _out_ of this world and reach your target with it. 
Symbolically, it would resemble a column of light that shoots up from 
the ground."
	"Ah! I saw that!" Akari said, "Ryouga-sama saw it too, and 
we found its origin!"
	"Did you see who used it?" Cologne asked.
	"No," Akari shook her head, "But when Ryouga-sama and I 
got there, all the snow was evaporated and there were two people in 
the middle of a vacant lot, a girl with red hair and a boy with a 
ponytail."
	"Then the Caller did work this time, if she could bring him 
back," Cologne thought, and then said, "In that case, it proves my 
theory. For the Caller to work, one needs to have very strong reasons 
for using it. Since all of its users have relied on the Caller to bring a 
loved-one back to life, the 'fuel' for it is usually a great love. But you 
must first have the permission of the Light to use it; and even if 
you're successful, if any remnant of that person's body is still in this 
planet, like for example a grave, then you would only bring back a 
ghost.
	"Now I have realized it. Somehow, the son-in-law's sister 
must have developed the Caller by herself, and succeeded at it."
	"Ranko..." Genma and Masamune gasped.
	"Yes," Cologne looked up, "If we ever hope to bring them 
back, we must discover what she did to make the Caller work. And 
then..." she narrowed her eyes again, "...we must face the Stars,"
	
			*	*	*

"Like this... Kyaaa!"
	Phaeron barely sidestepped as Akane fell towards him with a 
dropkick. With his mind racing through the lessons he had taken, he 
quickly tried to retaliate with a spinning elbow to her back, but she 
easily fell back and dodged it, then grabbed his arm and spun in place 
to deliver a powerful backfist. He simply ducked to avoid, then 
blinked as he remained static.
	"What now?" Akane looked down at him.
	"Uh, a foot sweep?"
	"No, no," Ranko broke off her own sparring with Ranma to 
help the Esper. "Don't you remember yesterday's lesson? You do a 
forward roll! To knock the opponent away!" She put her hands on 
her hips, annoyed, "We repeated it like twelve times last night!"
	"Okay, okay, but you're all near master level and I barely 
have two years of training in this style, remember?" He smirked, "But 
if you want a Mirnas battle..."
	"Esper styles are very basic if you ask me. You guys depend 
too much on your magic."
	"That's right," said Ranma, "What's that 'Mirnas,' anyway? 
Just another name for Chinese Southern Boxing from the way I see 
it."
	"Oh, and another thing..." Phaeron eyed Ranma and Akane.
	"Hey, I can't help it if they wanna teach you too," Ranko 
smirked in amusement. "But if you really fight like that, you need all 
the help you can get."
	"Oh, really?" he snickered, then lifted his hand to create a 
golden aura shield around himself and threw a pair of ki shots with 
the other.
	"Hey!" Ranma protested, jumping over one of the shots.
	"No fair!" Ranko squealed as she caught the other blast with 
her palms and threw it aside. "Just because you learned this twice as 
fast as I did..."
	"And just because I don't have a natural talent at martial arts 
like you guys..." Phaeron smirked. "But anyway, at least I'm getting 
better, right?"
	Ranko chuckled, "Yeah, those months of training in China 
seem to be paying off now."
	"Huh?" Ranma and Akane blinked at them.
	"Then let's get on with the training already," he said. 
Shrugging, the three real martial artists went back to fighting stances.
	"Ready?" Akane asked, facing Phaeron again, "Okay, go!" 
since she was the sparring partner, she struck first to show him how 
to use the opponent's strength in his favor. Phaeron diverted the 
punch with a sideways palm, then grabbed her forearm and shot his 
other fist upwards in a short-range uppercut. Akane swerved back to 
avoid it, then twisted around and used his hold on her arm to send 
him on a shoulder toss. He landed on his feet, then bounced back 
with a double tiger claw. She assumed a hard defensive stance, then 
performed an upper defense with her right arm to lift his claws and 
sent out a powerful palm to his chest. He fell back, coughing a bit.
	"Sorry," Akane said, relaxing to a half-step position. "But 
you _have_ to learn not to telegraph your techniques, Phaeron-kun. 
_Hide_ them."
	"Okay..." he stuttered. Out the corner of his eye he saw 
Ranko glance worriedly at him for a second before continuing her 
training with Ranma. Trying to show off a little in front of her, he 
dashed for Akane, defended from her punch with an open palm and 
shot a 'lightning palm' to her chest. He realized where his hand was 
going and stopped, eyes wide in embarrassment.
	"Hah!" Akane broke his posture and pushed him back with 
her shoulder. "Don't hesitate like that." She then added, whispering, 
"Besides, you don't need to show off to her."
	"Oh, it's just that, well..." he looked around nervously, 
seeing how the siblings had advanced to a very complicated routine 
of high kicks. He was left speechless by their agility.
	"Hey, eyes forward!" Akane sent him a slow jab, enough to 
bring him back to earth. "If you want to be as good as them, then you 
better learn to concentrate."
	"I'll keep that in mind," he said, then reared his upper body 
back and quickly hurled himself forward, lifting both legs and 
spinning to deliver a butterfly kick. Akane ducked, then grabbed his 
left foot and pushed up. "Whooaa!" he was sent flying, but quickly 
remembered to curl up and take the fall with a round back. After 
absorbing the impact of hitting the floor, he bounced to his feet and 
shot back with an ax kick. Once again she ducked, then thrust her 
wrist upwards into his inner knee and grabbed the sole of his feet, 
pushing away to send him back to the floorboards.
	"Ow..." he clutched his calf.
	"You alright?" Akane asked, dropping her stance.
	"Hah!" Phaeron leapt onto his "hurt" leg and spun to deliver 
a hook kick. Akane fell back, missing the kick by centimeters.
	"What was that about hesitating?" he smirked.
	"Right," she smirked back.
	"Pretty good, at least coming from you," Ranko said, now 
that she and Ranma had finished.
	"Thanks, I think..." Phaeron replied.
	"Oneechan, it's alright now," Ranko said, "This is my turn."
	"Okay. Whew! That was a good workout. We'll wait 
outside, right?" Akane and Ranma walked away, slowing down their 
breathing.
	"That was incredible, Ranko-chan," Phaeron said.
	"Yeah, well, Pop may be an idiot but one thing he knows is 
how to teach this. Maybe he can help you when we get back. For 
now, what about getting back to our style of training?"
	"What do you want to begin with?"
	"Well, you look tired..." Phaeron frowned a bit at her 
statement, "So how 'bout some nice 'supreme boxing' for a change?"
	"'Supreme'...? Didn't you say I look ti--"
	"It's Taichi, Phaeron-kun. Besides, I haven't even practiced 
that in years. C'mon, I'll show you."
	As Ranko began to show him the basic breathing exercises, 
Akane and Ranma peeked in through the door and then hid behind 
the wall again. "They really get along well," Akane said.
	"Just our opposite, huh?" Ranma joked. Akane shot him one 
of those "looks" of hers and frowned. He shut up very quickly.
	"Okay, now imagine you're forming a big ball of chi right 
between your palms," Ranko continued, initiating the first step, but 
then laughed when he really did shape a bright sphere.
	"Ranma, what do you think of Phaeron-kun?"
	"Now move your left wrist forward and push down with 
your right hand..."
	"Huh?" Ranma was puzzled by Akane's question.
	"Step back a little and join your hands again, then repeat this 
two more times..."
	"It's just that they've been acting weird lately," Akane said, 
"It's like they're out of themselves." She peeked in again, "I mean, 
sure, I've seen them happy, but never like this," she smiled at that.
	"C'mon, I'll show you how to do it," Ranko ceased her own 
routine to place Phaeron's limbs correctly. They blushed slightly at 
realizing how close they were, but tiny smiles appeared on their 
faces.
	"I... I, well, I don't think they'll fight as much as we do, if 
that's what you mean," Ranma said, fiddling a bit.
	"Uh, Ranko-chan...?"
	"Not that, baka," Akane sent him an annoyed look, "I was 
just thinking that those two hadn't seen each other for hundreds of 
years until five months ago, and they hadn't acted _this_ way until 
she brought him back. I hope everything works out for them, that's 
all."
	"I have a feeling it will," Ranma rolled his eyes as he peeked 
inside again.
	"Baka!" Akane smacked him upside the head, "Don't you 
know it's rude to do that?" she said as she also peeked.
	Feeling two pairs of eyes watching them, Ranko and 
Phaeron detached from the kiss even before it began. They both 
blushed brightly and scampered away in a fruitless attempt to hide 
what they were about to do.
	"Um, okay, s-so you see how close I got to you? That's w-
why you have to keep a tight defense," Ranko said nervously, trying 
to pretend she was just teaching him again.
	"You two..." Akane smiled amusedly again.
	"Oneechan, don't do that," Ranko glowered menacingly at 
her.
	"And... and I thought it was bad when Yuannyan spied on 
us back in China," Phaeron rubbed his head.
	"Oh, that's right," Akane said, walking up to them again, 
"I've been watching you two lately..."
	"You have?" Ranko and Phaeron smiled a little, turning red,
	"I just wanted to ask, how did you two meet anyway?"
	The redhead smirked a little, "Oh..."
	"You want to know how we met?" Phaeron finished. 
Sighing, he held Ranko's hand. She looked up at him and nodded.
	"How about we go for a walk and tell you?" she said, 
turning to her brother and Akane.

End section 2