At 12:12 PM 7/17/97 -0500, KOUMA   RYODACHI wrote:

  Tso Pu pointed at the trail to the Musk. Kho Kain and Ghun Xia 
stood, sneering at the two women. Hikaru shuddered, disgust, hatred, 
rage building within her. 
  "Kill them," Tso Pu said in a soft whisper. "They violated you. 
They deserve to die."
  Hikaru raised her hand above her head. The magic gathered there, 
anxious to be released.
  Zagato appeared on the trail also.
  "Kill him," Tso Pu suggested. "He sent you here to begin with. 
It's all his fault."
  The energy burned brighter. 
  Emeraude appeared on the trail.
  "Kill her," Tso Pu demanded. "She brought you and Umi and Fuu to 
Cephiro in the first place. To kill her, because she didn't think she 
could love Zagato and her world both. Her ignorance caused your 
suffering. Get your revenge."
  Hikaru faltered. The magic faded somewhat.
  "Kill all of them!" Tso Pu hissed.
  Kho Kain stepped forward. "Kill me now, or I'll rape you again."
  Ghun Xia stood at his side. "Better do it. We liked you the first 
time around, we'll like you even more this time."
  Zagato chuckled evilly. "If you're too weak to take our lives, you 
deserve what you get."
  Emeraude snickered. "Weak girl. I can't believe you are one of the 
Magic Knights. You couldn't kill a fly, much less the Pillar of 
Cephiro. Why did I even bother with you?"
  Tears streamed down Hikaru's face, but the magic continued to 
falter. "No," she whispered hoarsely. "No," she repeated more clearly.
"Revenge is wrong. The Princess could not have known what would 
happen to any of us. Zagato...can't be forgiven, but he can be 
understood. I respect his reasons, if not his actions." 
  "But the two Musk?" Tso Pu asked.
  Hikaru considered that, then scowled. She dissipated her spell. 
"They're not *worth* killing," she hissed.

  Hikaru knows that these aren't the real Musk.  If they were, why
shouldn't she kill them?  They intentionally and deliberately raped and
murdered her.  If the alternative is that they go unpunished, I don't see
what's wrong with killing them.  In many countries, including Japan, their
crimes could be treated as capital offences.  I'd be surprised if the
Amazon views were any different.  Cologne stated in a previous chapter that
the behavior of the Musk in the past was primarily responsible for the wars.  

  As much as it hurt Ranma to hear these things from his mother, 
something nagged at his mind. Why would his mother say these things? 
How could she be here on...
  Wait.
  That's what this was. It's not real. It's the test. <I'm being 
tested. Something about courage and heart...I guess I have to prove 
myself to the Mashin...>

  Since Ranma knew that it was not his mother that he was speaking to and
that it was a test, wouldn't that alter his responses?  The test should be
set up so that neither Ranma nor Hikaru realizes that it is a test.


dml