From: "The Eternal Lost Lurker" Quick notes: When I wrote the end of this act, I was not entirely aware of the bridge layout of the NSX, so I used a layout I'm more comfortable with. Although I'm now aware of the appropriate layout, I decided I'd stick with my altered version. (Gotta love the dramatic license granted in alternate universe fics...) **************** Mists of black roiled, as a girl with ankle-length hair the color of dried blood smirked at a hazy image in a dark crystal globe. "Well," she said, "The spell I cast on Her Royal Bitchness appears to have taken complete hold. Now," she continued with a grin, "I can start on that bastard." Raising a clenched fist encased in a black glove, she swore quietly, "I will show you two the hell you've shown me. I'll show this entire fucking world what it's like to exist in endless purgatory..." She began gathering dark magical energy, laughing megalomaniacally. **************** Act Three: Dark Dawn Chapter 13: Blackest Waters Mokona bounced through the Silent Forest, the Magic Knights and the martial artists following it. "You know," Ukyou mused, "We need a name." "Huh?" Ryouga asked. "Y'know, a name. For the five of us." She pointed at the Magic Knights. "Those four (this got her a few odd glances, and a couple of chuckles) are the Magic Knights...we need something to call ourselves too." "That not too bad idea, spatula girl," Shampoo said. "Hmmm....a name," Mousse drawled. "How about, Magic Rangers?" Ryouga suggested. Everyone scowled at him. He shrugged. "Well, if we're the Magic Knights, maybe you guys can be the Magic Squires," Umi mused. The five considered that, then shook their heads. "Sound stupid," Shampoo said. "What about Nerima Rangers?" Ryouga offered. Everyone *glared* at him. "Get off stupid Ranger idea, stubborn lost boy!" Before Ryouga or any of the others could say anything else, Mokona suddenly came bouncing frantically towards them. "Puu! Puu! Puuuuuuuuuuuuu!" it said. It shook frightfully and bounced into Hikaru's arms. "What's wrong, Mokona?" Hikaru wondered. "Is it a monster?" "Puu, puu! Puu puu puupuu puu puuuuu! Puuuuuuuuuuuuuu........" They warily continued forward, soon coming upon a large, table-like tree. "Here's Eterna," Fuu commented. "Huh? Where?" Akane asked. Suddenly, a bolt of dark lightning shot out of thin air above the tree. Everyone took a step back. Mokona shuddered. "Puuuuuu...." "What the hell was that?" Ryouga asked. "Is that supposed to happen, sugar?" Ukyou asked. "No," Hikaru said worriedly. "I think we'd best tell Clef and Cologne about this," Fuu advised. Agreeing, the group turned around, and began the journey back to the palace. When the group returned to the palace, they found the entry path flooded with Cephirans, all looking agitated and worried. Off to the east, the Blemish was encroaching upon more of Cephiro at an alarming rate. "What the--?" Umi wondered. A thunderclap scattered everyone from the entryway, as Clef and Cologne emerged from the palace, Ferio behind them. All looked solemn. "Guru Clef, Guru Cologne...what is going on?" Hikaru asked. "A most terrible fate, child," Cologne said. Gesturing at the gates, she invited the warriors in. The palace guards quickly sealed the entrance, encouraging the crowd to scatter. The two gurus led the warriors into the chamber where Emeraude lay. They all gasped. A large portion of the princess's body had been claimed by the Blemish, it seemed. Of what was visible of her body, her entire left arm, leg, and the left side of her neck were blackened. "I thought Zagato had it contained," Umi said, frowning. "He did," Clef said sadly. Then he gestured to the other side of the chamber. Zagato lay on the velvet-cushioned window bench. His face and neck were black. Everyone gasped. "No..." Hikaru said. Cologne nodded solemnly. "The high priest has been afflicted by the Blemish as well." "So this thing is contagious?" Ryouga asked. Clef shook his head. "It's a spell. A powerful dark spell. We learned that moments ago." "Both the Princess and Zagato are enshrouded in a black haze, which creeps along their own auras as the Blemish claims their bodies," Cologne said. "It is a horrible, evil spell. One that we cannot counter." "So...they'll..." Fuu began. "Not if we can find whoever's doing this and stop them," Clef said. "If the spellcaster can be found, and stopped, we can reverse the spell." "The spell is incomplete," Cologne continued. "The spell on Emeraude is the first step in the process, which is complete. The spell on Zagato was just cast less than two hours ago. It will take at least eighteen hours for the process to completely take effect." "Aiyah...then what happen?" Cologne closed her eyes. "Oblivion." "Not if we can help it! We're gonna find that sorcerer!" Ryouga said. "You'll need to be careful," Ferio advised. "This person is very powerful, and you will not have time to retrieve the Escudo." Hikaru bowed her head. "We can't get to it anyway. Something is wrong with Eterna." The Gurus and Ferio looked up sharply. Hikaru continued, "Mokona was frightened away by something. When we got to Eterna, a dark bolt shot out of it." Clef gasped, and turned to Cologne. Cologne considered that, and nodded sagely. "I believe you have inadvertently found our adversary," she mused. "You mean...the person doing this got into Eterna?" Umi asked. "How?" Clef shook his head. "We won't know that until we know who is responsible." Hikaru looked down at the two Blemished people, and her expression trned grim. "Do you think we have a chance of stopping whoever did this?" "With me along, you will," intoned a deep voice from the doorway. Everyone turned. Standing in the doorway was a tower of a man, with short dark hair and a striking resemblance to Zagato. His jet black, grey-trimmed armor and fluttering black cape served to make him appear very imposing, and the golden ring around his head gave him a somewhat majestic look. At his side hung what appeared to be a nautilus shell, with a blue gem inset into it, and a sword grip protruding from its beak. Something small fluttered in rather tight circles around him. Everyone stared. Finally, the man spoke again. "Would anyone care to tell me why my brother lies so still, obviously suffering from an evil spell, while you all stand and gawk at me?" Clef finally spoke up. "Lantis..." Lantis nodded gravely. "I sensed something terrible here. I returned as quickly as I could." After a pause, he said, "Well? Would anyone care to fill me in?" Several moments later, Lantis' already grim expression was even more so as the two gurus wrapped up their summary. During the conversation, his companion, a cute yet annoying fairy named Primera, had managed to thoroughly antagonize every female in the group, and Mokona had already swallowed her twice. Just as Mokona was getting ready to open wide again, Lantis rose, and nodded toward the warriors. "I shall accompany you to Eterna. I think I can get us into the lake. We need to take out this sorcerer, so that we can heal the Princess and my brother before it's too late." Clef nodded. "If Lantis is with you, there will be a much better chance of success." After a moment, Hikaru stood as well. "Alright then, we should get going." The group wasted no time in returning to the legendary lake. The entrance to the two-dimensional lake Eterna was usually tranquil and difficult to locate. Today, thick black clouds roiled around the portal, forming a spinning vortex from which dark lightning crackled and ominous thunder rumbled. Everyone except Lantis glanced at it nervously. The swordsman stepped up to the portal, and cautiously pressed against it with his hand. Sparks crackled around his hand, and repelled it. Undaunted, he removed the nautilus shell from his belt. A blinding beam of white light erupted from the shell, solidifying into a long blade of pure energy. He struck at the portal with the weapon, to no avail. "So, we can't get in?" Hikaru said sadly. Lantis frowned ever so slightly. "It's going to be difficult. I believe this portal will only respond to one type of magic. If we find the right type of magic to use, we might be able to get through this thing." Everyone took turns with their weapons and magic, trying to breach the portal. Nobody had any luck. Then, Hikaru tried. "Honou no yaaaa!" When the flame arrows struck the portal, it flickered wildly for a second, then became stable again. Lantis nodded. "Fire. Fire will crack it." Hikaru sighed. "Mine doesn't seem to be powerful enough." Lantis shook his head. "You just need to hit it repeatedly. If it takes enough fire hits without restoring itself like it did just now, it should open." Hikaru nodded, and braced herself. Suddenly, Akane spoke up. "Hikaru...maybe you'd better let Ranma take this one." Hikaru blinked, then nodded. Lantis looked mildly puzzled. "Who's Ranma?" "I'll explain later," Hikaru said, as she plunged her sword into the ground, letting the flames engulf her. The inferno died to reveal Ranma, as the sword of flame split and became his gauntlet claws. Lantis gaped. Primera gave Ranma a funny glance. Ranma approached the portal, and tensed himself. The claws on his wrists gleamed menacingly as he concentrated on what he was about to do. With a cry of "Tenshin Amaguriken!", Ranma released a flurry of punches at the cloud-covered portal. Each time the claws connected, the gate flickered. After a few seconds, it collapsed altogether, and a surprised Ranma tumbled inside. Shrugging, the others entered as well. "Now to find our spellcaster," Lantis said. His expression was neutral, but his voice made it very clear that whoever had done this was about to know pain. Chapter 14: Lake Purgata Everyone stared around at the swirling black mists within the legendary lake. "So, this is Eterna," Akane mused. Fuu frowned, and shook her head. "It wasn't like this before. Something terrible must have gone wrong here." A shrill, maniacal cackle boomed through the blackness. "Aha! Visitors! Welcome to my abode...Lake Purgata! I'm sure I'll be more than happy to receive you...if you LIVE LONG ENOUGH!" Everyone glanced at each other nervously, a dread feeling overcoming them. Ranma scowled. "This is gonna be rough," he said warily. Without warning, a black fireball zoomed out of the mists and slammed into Ranma. He staggered, as the dark flame engulfed him, then vanished. Everyone looked at him with concern. Ranma rubbed his head. "Agh." He blinked. "Somethin' ain't right here." "What's wrong, Ranma-san?" Fuu asked. Ranma shook his head, frowning. "I can't sense Hikaru anymore. I usually feel her buzzin' around in there when I'm in control. It's like she went to sleep or somethin'." "She's alright isn't she?" Umi asked. "I don't know," Ranma replied. While this statement sunk in, two foggy whirlwinds slowly formed in the large cavern. Before anyone could react, one had surrounded the group from Nerima. The other enveloped the Magic Knights, including Ranma, and Lantis. Akane was the first to regain consciousness, blinking rapidly. Her head ached horribly. She looked around. Unlike the entry cavern, this place was full of clear water, yet still felt ominous, malignant, evil. Ukyou lay sprawled on the rocky floor about a meter away. Shampoo, in cat form with a jeweled collar around her neck, curled on her side. A duck with a white stone on a short chain around its neck snored softly near the cat. Akane frowned; where was Ryouga? Then she saw the pig. Cowering in one corner of the watery cavern was P-chan, with a studded yellow collar around his neck, from which hung a glowing green gem. He glanced at her, and bowed his head shamefully. Akane blinked. "P-chan? How the..." Then she thought for a moment. That collar wasn't his usual cute little bandana. And he never had a gem before. A horrible realization washed over Akane, as she stared at the piglet. Part of her wondered how she'd managed to miss the connection for so long. "Ry--Ryouga!?" she gasped. "Buuuiiiiii...." the piglet offered. "Akane-chan? Where are we?" Ukyou mumbled groggily. "Why does it feel so wet here?" Akane didn't respond. She was still in shock. The cat and duck stirred. *Aiyah*, mewled a voice inside everyone's mind. *where this place?* Everyone stared at Shampoo, who arched her back, and blinked at them. *What wrong?* the voice said again. "Sh--shampoo?" Ukyou asked. *Of course it Shampoo. You know Shampoo turn to...* Shampoo trailed off. *Aiyah.* "How are you doing that?" Akane wondered. */The soul speaks clearly in the place where souls exist without form/*, intoned a new, haunting voice. */Every second, an infinite agony. You scream out for nonexistence, as an end to the torment, and nobody heeds your call. This is Purgata, the Lake of the Damned./* Everyone blinked. Hesitantly, Mousse spoke up in their heads, *So those of us with curses are trapped like this.* A pig sighed. *Perfect.* Akane whirled on the pig. "You." Ryouga shrank back into his corner reflexively. "All this time..." "Akane..." Ukyou warned. "We don't have time for this right now." "Butt out, Ukyou," Akane snapped. Returning her full-force glare to the piglet, she continued, "Just how long were you going to keep doing this, huh?" *Akane-san...gomen nasai...* Ryouga's crystal flared green. The water around him boiled as a green aura expanded from his small shape. */Ahhh...such delicious agony. You belong in Purgata, porcine one. You've got a lifetime's worth of experience with living damnation./* *I don't know who you are, but SHUT UP!* Ryouga shouted in his porcine soul-voice. *You couldn't possibly know about my pain! My suffering, my living personal hell! You don't know anything about damnation!* */Oh, I don't, do I?/* Suddenly, a wave of pure, undistilled agony washed over them. Pain. Awareness. Trapped. Alone. Despair. Suffering. Anger. Bitterness. Betrayal. Sadness. Depression. Longing. Longing for an end. And end to the damnation. They were floored by the depth of the horrible emotions. As wave upon wave of the agony of purgatory slammed into them, Ryouga's aura filled the chamber, causing the waters to glow green. Umi, Fuu, Lantis, and Ranma found themselves sprawled on a dirt footpath, which led into a misty valley. "Where are we?" Umi asked. "This place casts a foreboding aura, wherever it is," Lantis said. "No...." Ranma whimpered. Everyone turned to him. He had become ghostly pale, and trembled slightly, staring into the mist with undisguised horror. "Why here? Again?" Turning his head to shout at the gods, he bellowed, "WHY ALWAYS HERE, DAMN YOU!? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!?????" The others stared at him. After a moment, he settled down, now looking more angry than scared. "Ranma-san?" Fuu questioned. "You know where we are?" Ranma nodded. "That voice back there called this Purgata...that's not the right name for it, but it's damn close." Lantis looked at the trail which led downward into the mist-shrouded valley appraisingly. "Perhaps this merits closer inspection." "No," Ranma said. "Don't go in there. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you do." "What's down there that has you so spooked, Ranma?" Umi asked. Ranma swallowed, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke the hated name, carrying all the bitterness of a mouthful of bile. "Jyusenkyou." Hikaru awoke. She blinked--something was wrong. she asked. She received no answer. She tried to open her eyes, and found she had none. She tried to see through Ranma's eyes, but they no longer existed. She felt an air of depression around her, and became aware that she was suspended in liquid. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe...all she could do was be aware. She sensed others nearby. Concentrating, she discovered they were Ukyou, Mousse, Akane, Shampoo, and Ryouga. They all radiated despair, so much so that the water around her was hot and heavy with it. She began to hear them speaking, although it seemed to be voiceless communication. *The agony...worse than dying...* *Shampoo no think she can take this anymore...* *Never felt such...horror before.* *Is this...is this what it's like...to be dead? Or worse?* *The world...is a dark...and lonely...place...* */Beyond hope, beyond care,/* intoned a strange and yet hauntingly familiar voice. */In this eternal, hellish existence, what is there to hope for but an end to the pain?/* *An end...to the pain...* *Shampoo want nothing but end.* *Anything to stop this torture.* *....but....why....why is this happening to us?* *Pain...I've known nothing but pain, my entire life...I'm ready to end it...gods, let it stop...* */Yes...you understand what it's like./* *Please, end our pain.* */No. Your pain will continue, and you will never know anything else but pain./* *Why? What are you doing this for?* */Because I had to endure this pain for an endless eternity. So everyone should know what it's like./* **{No.}** *Huh?* *What?* */Who's there!?/* **{Don't give in to this pain, everyone. There is hope.}** */Hope!? HA! There's no such thing as hope./* **{There is always hope, if you do not give in.}** */You don't know what you're talking about./* **{Yes, I do. Don't give in to the pain. Overcome it. Hold hope in your hearts.}** */SHUT UP!!!/* *Who are you?* **{Your friend. Always, no matter what, your friend. Let me help you.}** *Yes, please, help us. End our suffering.* */There is no end.../* **{The suffering can end. Keep hoping.}** *Hope...what good is hope? We're trapped here...* */That's right, for all eternity!/* **{No, you're not. Don't let this beat you. You're stronger than this. Think positive thoughts. Keep the hope alive.}** *There's no hope for us.* **{There IS hope!}** Concentrating harder, and not sure if she could keep this up, Hikaru continued, **{I know there is hope because I've seen hell, and I survived.}** She began feeding them images. Zagato's spell. The dungeon of the palace. Fighting the Musk. Being raped. Blackness, despair. Then, light. Peace. Happiness. Warmth, caring. Her bond with Ranma. Rayearth. *I...I see...* */NO! IT'S ALL A LIE!/* *But there's nothing for me to hope for...* **{You have nothing to complain about! Snap out of it! You can break free of this! Just like I broke free...}** *Hikaru...thank you...we needed to know there is hope...* */THERE IS NO HOPE!/* *Shut up! There's always hope! You just give up too easily!* */DAMN YOU!!!!!!!!/* The group had finally convinced Ranma to enter the valley. The mist clung to them as they stood at the threshold of Jyusenkyou. Umi and Fuu gasped. Lantis made a slight impressed sound. "It's...beautiful..." Umi gasped. "Yeah, until you know what it can do to you," Ranma said sourly. Then he noticed something strange. "Hey, what the hell?" He made his way carefully over to one side of the valley. Near the edge of the training ground, one spring was glowing bright green. The others stood near him. "Why is that spring glowing?" Fuu wondered. "Just what is this place?" Lantis asked. "These are the Pools of Sorrow," Ranma said solemnly. "They end and ruin lives." Umi frowned. "Are the springs supposed to glow like that?" Ranma shook his head. "No, they don't glow. That's what I can't..." then he gasped, and turned pale. "Ranma-san? What's wrong?" Ranma stepped backward from the spring. "That spring--the one that's glowing..." "What about it?" Umi asked. "It's...it's Nyanniichuan. I'm sure of it." "Nyanniichuan?" Lantis said, uncertainly. Fuu drew a breath. "Isn't that...the spring...." Ranma nodded. "Yes, it is." The four stared at the glowing water. *I can feel hope again. The pain is going away.* *Shampoo not depressed now.* *There's no reason to brood over sorrow.* *Have to move on with life.* *I...suppose I can find something else to live for...* **{Yes, that's it...just a little more...}** */CURSE YOU ALL TO HELL!/* **{Already been there. Didn't care for it.}** "What the--?" Umi shouted. Nyanniichuan began to shift from a green glow, to a pure red glow. Its waters begin to churn. "Everyone get back!" Ranma yelled, and rolled away from the spring. The others did the same. Suddenly, several shapes burst out of the spring. Ranma gasped, as did Umi and Fuu. Ryouga, Shampoo, and Mousse, restored to human form, landed first, followed by Akane, and Ukyou. And lastly, Hikaru erupted from the spring like a blazing phoenix. An aura of fire surrounded her as she glided to the ground in front of Ranma, and grinned at him. "Hikaru?" Ranma, Umi, and Fuu gasped. Hikaru giggled. "Looks like for now we get to fight side-by-side, Ranma-kun," Hikaru said. Ranma chuckled, grinning, and hugged her. As the others rose from the ground, Nyanniichuan disappeared. In its place, a glowing blue portal hovered, beckoning to them. Looking around at each other, the group mutually decided to check it out, and the ten warriors made their way into the portal. Chapter 15: Trial of Terror Once again the group discovered they'd been split up. The Nerima warriors found themselves staring at a bizarre construct which looked like a conglomeration of the fortress of the Seven Lucky Gods, and the enormous tree-palace of Togenkyou, balanced on a floating island, with the airship of Kirin beached to the east, where a blood red sun was rising. "What the hell's this?" Ryouga wondered. Akane sighed. "I think this stupid lake is having fun with us." "Aiyah. We keep getting split up here." Suddenly, they were surrounded by armed warriors. Umi, Fuu, and Lantis blinked, and looked around. They seemed to be floating in the sky, without any effort. "What trick is this now?" Lantis wondered. He then gasped as a spectacle of horror unfolded before the three of them. Umi stared, complexion ashen. "No....not again..." Fuu began to cry softly. Before them, they saw a great flying chariot. Hikaru stood there, sword at the ready, expression defiant as she faced off against... ...High Priest Zagato. Zagato, smirking evilly, wielded an enormous black sword. He snarled, and attacked Hikaru, who parried. She countered, and her blow was dodged. Slash, thrust, strike, dodge, parry, block...then spells. Bolt after bolt of magical energy whizzed from the pair as they continued to try to kill one another. "We have to help her!" Umi shouted. Lantis stared at the spectacle, uncertain as to what was going on. Fuu frowned. "It is highly unlikely that this is a vision of reality. Zagato is at the palace, ill from the Blemish." "Nevermind if *he's* real! What about Hikaru? She could get killed!" Lantis frowned. "Where is everyone else? And that Ranma fellow?" "It appears they have been taken away again." Suddenly, a dark mist begin to swirl around the two combatants. Umi's stomach sank. "Not again..." "We've got to help Hikaru-san," Fuu announced, then blinked. She hadn't called Hikaru that since she'd been taken away last time in Cephiro. After the spirited redhead apparently died, Fuu felt that honoring her memory would be to call her "Hikaru-chan" instead, as she knew the girl would probably like to be called. Umi dashed forward, but was brought short by something. Lantis stared at the Wind Knight, as she closed her eyes and said softly, "Imashime no kaze." A strong, binding wind wrapped itself around Umi. She gasped as she realized what it was, and glared at Fuu hotly. "Fuu! How could you! Hikaru..." "...is not the real Hikaru," Fuu interrupted. The dark mists stopped swirling around the dueling pair, as a strangled cry rang out. The Winds of Reprimand spell died out. And Hikaru's severed head rolled to a stop at Umi's feet. The Water Knight shrieked. Hikaru and Ranma blinked, and stared at each other. "Where the heck are we, Hikaru?" Ranma asked. Hikaru shook her head. "I don't know, Ranma-kun. This place isn't familiar." Out of the void, stepped Hikaru's three brothers and the three Tendou sisters. All of them were dressed, oddly, in black suits, and wearing completely black glasses. "Kakeru-niisama...Masaru-niisama...Satoru-niisama..." Hikaru gasped. The three boys smirked. "Hikaru," Kakeru said. "Do you realize what you've put us through?" "We all thought you were dead," Masaru said, scowling. "Gomen nasai," Hikaru said, eyes dewing. "Ranma-kun...we're getting sick of you," Kasumi said. "You eat us out of house and home, your hot baths run our water bills through the roof--a roof which, by the way, you shatter on a regular basis," Nabiki commented. "And you're a baka," Akane said. "Hikaru...we'd be happy to see you again if you hadn't gone to Cephiro, and made us all think you were dead," Satoru said. "It wasn't my fault!" Hikaru cried. "Guys...I don't do it on purpose, honest!" Ranma said. The six facing them became stone-faced. "Hikaru, you have a grave, you know. You belong in it." "Ranma-kun, I'm afraid you're more useful to us dead." And the six of them produced Uzis out of nowhere. The martial artists fought off hordes of warriors, but more continued to come. Prince Kirin and Prince Touma apppeared at the top of the fortress, snickering. "Why? Why are you doing this?" Akane screamed. "I thought we were friends!" "You spurned us, Tendou Akane," Touma said. "You led us to believe you cared for us, then turned your back on us." "That's not true! You know that you'll always have my friendship!" "Your friendship isn't what we want," Touma said. "We want your blood." Ukyou blinked. "This ain't right. Other than that crazy guy Mousse and Shampoo fought, nobody working for Touma was a killer." Ryouga frowned. "You're right. That monkey of his didn't try to hurt me physically...just emotionally." "Yeah? Well these guys are trying to kill us physically!" Akane shouted. Shampoo blinked. "Aiyah...Akane, they right. Touma is no killer, even though he try kill Ranma. He good boy when fighting over. Not think of revenge." Mousse nodded. "And Kirin respects Ranma, and the rest of us. This isn't like him either." Akane frowned. The warriors continued coming, but none of them had any chances against the group. "You're right...this doesn't fit. And what would they be doing here anyway?" Ryouga shook his head. "They shouldn't be here." Ukyou nodded. "He's right, sugar." Akane looked up at the two sneering princes, and scowled, hefting her enormous steel mallet. "Alright then, let's find out who you really are." Dark clouds began to gather, and lightning crackled, striking the raised hammer. Everyone backed off a bit nervously. A swirling vortex formed in the center of the clouds above. One final lightning bolt struck the mallet, and Akane pounded the ground with it, shouting "EYE OF THE STORM!" A blinding ray of light emerged from the vortex in the clouds, striking the two princes. Their features blurred and melted, as did those of the attacking warriors. When the light stopped and the clouds cleared, all that surrounded them were monsters made of pure water. Everyone looked at Akane in awe. "Good spell, sugar," Ukyou offered. Akane grinned. "Let's trash these things!" "Yoshi!" Ryouga shouted. Then, an idea struck him. "Alright, my turn!" He rammed his fist into the ground, and held it there as the creatures began advancing once again. After a moment, he shouted, "HOT PRESSURE BREAKING POINT!" The ground trembled slightly, and numerous small cracks began to form in the surface of the 'island'. There was a loud hissing sound, and great plumes of steam began to issue forth from the gaps, directly beneath the monsters. In seconds, every water monster had evaporated. An ominous blood red portal appeared in the center of the island. Everyone looked at it nervously. "I hope that's the last one," Ukyou said. "Umi-chan. Don't scream so." Umi glared at Fuu with undisguised hatred. "Fuu! How could you? Look at what happened because..." Fuu raised a hand, her expression hard. She gestured at the severed head, and once again uttered her spell. As the winds bound the head, something happened to it. The eyes turned to pure flame, steam hissing from the empty sockets as the organs burst and sizzled. The long red hair blackened to a crisp, and the Winds of Reprimand carried its ashes away. The skin along the top of the now bare scalp began to bubble, and cracked open, peeling down. Umi stared. Lantis frowned. Fuu watched, her expression unreadable. The skin peeled completely away from the skull, and the top of the cranium cracked open slightly. A frothing mass of liquified brain oozed from the fissure, as flames erupted from the brainpan. The jaw dropped open, and a gout of flame issued from the mouth. The Winds of Reprimand were dashed. "What--what the hell IS that?" Umi asked. The thing hissed. "I am Conniption. My massster sssent me here to dessstroy you." A searing heat scathed the Knights, who dove wildly to the sides. "See, Umi-chan? That wasn't Hikaru. It was just another monster-san." Umi glared at the thing, which glared back with its empty sockets. Umi scowled. "How dare you take the form of the beautiful face of my dear friend?" She gathered her magic about her. "BLUE TORRENT!" A powerful swirling jet of water gushed forth, enveloping Conniption. It roared as its flames were quenched. As the torrent died down, the lifeless skull dropped to the ground and shattered. A red mist rose from its fragments, and became a swirling, blood red portal. The two Knights and Lantis stared at it ponderously. Ranma and Hikaru were in shock. People they cared about, depended on, were training lethal weapons on them, ready to fire. "Kasumi? Nabiki? Akane? Why?" "Be quiet please, Ranma-kun. It really is for the best." "I'm sorry, Hikaru dear, but you belong in the cemetery and we're putting you there," Kakeru said soothingly. Hikaru frowned, and remembered something... "Hikari...why?" //Girl from the other world.// "Nani? Who...?" //This creature is someone you care about, isn't it?// "Yes! Hikari is my dear friend. We have been together since we were very small. Whenever I'm lonely or hurt, he always takes care of me, and I do the same for him." //Then you must ask yourself, if your dear friend would ever harm you.// "No! Never! Hikari would never try to hurt me!" Hikaru's eyes widened. "Ranma-kun...this is an illusion. A trick. These aren't real people." Ranma blinked. "Huh?" Hikaru turned to him. "You care about Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane, right?" "I guess so." "And they care about you?" Ranma nodded. "Yeah..." "Do you think they'd ever seriously try to hurt you?" Ranma thought about that for a minute. Hikaru pressed on, "My brothers would never do anything to me. They love me, and they care for me, and they treat me very kindly. Do you think they'd be trying to kill me?" Ranma shook his head. "If what you told me is right, they'd be so happy to see you they'd cry." Hikaru nodded. "That's right. This is all a trick. The lake Eterna did this to us when we came for the Escudo last time." "Oooh, I get it," Ranma said. Suddenly, the six began firing. Ranma and Hikaru wildly dived to the floor and rolled to avoid sprays of nine-millimeter rounds. Their armor managed to protect them from the few rounds that hit, but it still stung. Finally, Ranma rose to his feet, glaring. "I've had enough." A fiery aura sprung up around him, and he began punching into the air at high speed, shouting, "You want firepower? I'll give it to you! HONOU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Hundreds of small bursts of flame spewed from Ranma's blurring fists, streaking towards the three black-clad girls. With anguished, demonic cries, the illusions were banished as the flames struck them. The machine guns and sunglasses clattered to the ground as their bodies evaporated to ashy smoke. Hikaru cheered, then prepared her own spell. "HONOU NO....YAAAAA!" Her arrows of flame tore into the false brothers, who screamed evilly and vanished in the same manner as the other three. "Yoshi!" Ranma called. "We did it!" Hikaru grinned. "And you just learned your first spell, Ranma-kun!" Ranma blinked. "I did..." A slow grin spread across his face. "I learned a spell! Alright!" A blood red portal swirled into existence before them. Glancing at each other, and shrugging, they stepped through. The martial artists finally summoned the courage and the will to see what lay beyond, and breached the portal. Desiring to know the fate of their friends, Umi, Fuu, and Lantis entered the portal before them. The three parties blinked as they faced each other in the center of a vast chamber. The walls and floor here were carved from black stone, and the ceiling was obscured by roiling black mist. The only light source here was provided by dark red gems set into the stone walls, which shed an eery, blood-hued glow. "We're all together again," Fuu observed. "I'm glad to see you're all okay," Hikaru said. Lantis looked around. "This chamber is...foreboding," he decided. "I wonder...is this the end of it?" Akane mused. A strangely familiar, yet raspy and cold voice intruded. "Yes, it's the end. For you." Everyone looked to the center of the room. A large, ebony throne sat there, containing a decidedly feminine figure, whose features were obscured in shadow. She appeared to be leaning to one side, head resting on one hand in an expression of boredom. "I'm not particularly impressed with you," she told them. "So you beat all my traps...big fuckin' deal. You're nothing but an annoyance for me, so you might as well give up and die now. Save yourselves the painful death I'll give you." Ranma glared at her. "Who the hell are you anyway? Show your face!" She shrugged. "Okay, if you want." She stood, and stepped forward. Everyone gasped. She appeared to be about sixteen, with scarred, tanned skin. She wore a jet black body armor similar to the original armor of the Magic Knights, with a blood red gem set in the back of the left glove. The clothing beneath her armor was the color of dried blood, as was her ankle-length braided hair. Her second most disturbing feature was her eyes. The outer rims of her eyes were black, soulless, while her irises were red, and glowed slightly. But her most disturbing feature was her face...it looked exactly like Hikaru's. She grinned at them evilly. "Who...what..." Hikaru paled. "Who are you?" Umi asked. The girl laughed softly. The sound of her laugh sent chills up all their spines. "My name is Skylark," she said. "And I'm about to kill all of you." Chapter 16: Face/Half-Off "Who the hell is this girl?" Umi asked. "She certainly resembles Hikaru," Fuu commented. Skylark smiled ruefully. "I suppose you would like to hear my story before I destroy you?" Hikaru finally spoke up. "Talk." Skylark raised an amused eyebrow at her, then drew herself up to her full, less than impressive height. "I came into being one thousand, five hundred, and two years ago," Skylark began, "at the exact moment when Shidou Hikaru's last spark of life fled from her body. "Do you know how the magic of Jyusenkyou truly works?" she asked them, raising her arms dramatically. "Truly remarkable...truly sadistic. Jyusenkyou springs trap the soul of whatever drowns in them, until someone or something releases them. "Oh, but there's more. There are...factors involved, which determine how peaceful the eternal damnation to those waters will be. Kind creatures, with pure hearts, are not aware of their imprisonment, becoming unconscious for the entire duration of their torture in Jyusenkyou. "And then," she continued, "There are the dark souls. The shadowy spirits. The ones with demons haunting them, with vengeful and impure thoughts. Those," she snarled, "are PAINFULLY aware of their new existence. An eternity for every second spent there." Everyone in the room gasped. Skylark smirked cruelly, and continued. "Little miss Fire Knight here, was a goody-goody," she sneered contemptously at Hikaru. "Always looking out for others before herself, kind and helpful and..." Skylark made a gagging noise, and doubled over, heaving a few times sarcastically. "In short, she's a disgustingly pure little shit. "But she had demons in her heart, because of what happened to her in Cephiro, and what those Musk bastards did to her," she continued, taking on a false sorrowful tone. "Pooooooor little innocent and sweet Hikaru, naive little Hikaru...turned into an object of scorn, a toy for the amusement of hormone-driven Chinese warriors in a place she had no business being to begin with..." Hikaru scowled. Ranma began to growl in his throat. "Well, when she drowned..." Skylark said, shrugging. Fuu frowned. "I'm confused. That doesn't really explain anything." Skylark laughed harshly. "Well you see, Hikaru here had been exposed to the magic of Cephiro. If she'd actually *been* in Cephiro when she died, her little Will was so strong that I'd have sprung up right then. "But, y'see, she also had the magic of Jyusenkyou to deal with. As it turns out, her experiences in Cephiro caused the two conflicting parts of her soul to split apart as she died. The pure, noble little Shidou Hikaru who EVERYONE just LOVES..." She paused to hock and spit at Hikaru, who calmly dodged, earning a glare from Skylark. "This little BITCH, cast out her darkness and the demons within her, and her soul slept peacefully in that fucking spring for all those centuries. "But the castoffs, her anger, her frustration, her sadness, her suffering...still held a portion of her strong Will, and with her exposure to Cephiro, this was enough to create *my* soul, which was stuck, AWAKE, for all that time, and not able to do a *damned* thing about it." "But...how did you get here?" Akane asked. "Well, y'see, the forces that created both Jyusenkyou and Eterna came from the same source. When the conditions are right, things cross over between the two. "When I was spawned, the magic of Jyusenkyou decided that my origin was in Cephiro, and cast me into Eterna. But I was still linked to goody-girl over here. "So, I remained, trapped, AWAKE, for fifteen centuries, until the day the dipshit here took a dunk in Hikaru's spring. When she got released, so did I. I couldn't leave Eterna, but I was free to gather power. "So, I've been gathering power for a year now, to get revenge on the people who caused all this to happen in the first place." Hikaru frowned. Fuu still looked confused. "But...there's no curse here as there is at Jyusenkyou, and nobody fell into this spring for you to possess...how is it that you have a body?" Skylark stared at her increduously, then laughed bitterly. "You don't get it, do you? Stupid little bitch. NONE OF US HAVE BODIES IN HERE!!!! All your bodies were left at the surface of the lake!" Everyone gaped at her. She smirked. "What? Did you think these two shitbrains over here," she gestured at Ranma and Hikaru, "were separated just like that, and she got her body back? WRONG! None of your souls are in your bodies right now." Everyone blinked. She cackled. "That's right! In here, your form is the form of your soul!" Ranma and Hikaru suddenly made a sound of understanding. "I get it," Ranma said. "It's like when me 'n Hikaru talk when our body's asleep." "No shit, dickhead," Skylark said. Ranma scowled. "Someone needs to clean your mouth out, little girl." Skylark laughed hysterically. "Oh, that's GOOD. That's REAL good." Her eyes began to glow brighter, and a dark ball of energy formed in her hands. "Okay then, if you want some, come get some!" Umi, Fuu, and Lantis charged the demon girl. Skylark summoned a vortex, into which they vanished, the girls shrieking. Everyone gaped. "What did you do to them?" Hikaru asked. Skylark laughed. "I just sent them back to their bodies. They can't get back into this chamber without facing the tests again...assuming I would let them back into Purgata at all." She cackled. "Who's next?" Ranma didn't need any more encouragement than that. He threw himself forward, charging fire magic in his claws. Skylark smirked, and threw her energy ball. The sphere slammed into Ranma and threw him against the back wall of the cave. Akane cried out, and raised her mallet. A bolt of lightning arced around it. With a yell, she released the lightning at Skylark. The evil sorceress yawned, and the bolt entered her mouth. She glared at Akane, and two streams of red lightning shot from her eyes, enveloping the Tendou girl, and slamming her into the ground. "Akane-chan!" Hikaru shouted. "Alright, Skylark, you won't get away with that. HONOU NO...YAAAA!" Skylark scowled, and raised her hand in a similar motion. "DARK FLARE SPEAR!" Streaks of black fire matching Hikaru's red flames flew from her fingertips, and the two spells clashed, cancelling each other. Hikaru glared at Skylark, and prepared to charge. Just then, Ryouga, Mousse, Ukyou, and Shampoo decided to quadruple-team the dark girl, and charged in unison. Skylark stared at them incredulously, and as they approached, she cupped her hands. Hikaru's eyes went wide. "NOOO!!" A ball of blackness, with a glaring red spark at the core, formed in Skylark's hands. She reared back, and threw it at the incoming martial artists. "BLACK SOUL BOMB!" The four warriors screamed in agony as bands of tight darkness enveloped them, and they became affixed to the back wall, in crucification poses. Their eyes were closed, and their auras were dim. Akane was similarly out of it. Hikaru prepared to charge, and was blasted by a similar bomb. Skylark laughed maniacally as she gazed around at her fallen adversaries. They would never leave here intact. But that one vortex spell had taken a lot out of her...she smirked. "Shouldn't have done that, idiot," she rebuked herself. "Waste of energy." Hikaru groggily awoke. Her head felt like an elephant had been tap dancing on it. She looked around. The group from Nerima were all still unconscious, Akane on the ground and the rest pinned to the wall. Umi, Fuu, and Lantis were gone. Ranma was...awake, and staring into her eyes with concern. "Oi, Hikaru...how are you feeling?" Hikaru shook her head. "Horrible. That sick girl really did a number on me." Ranma nodded. "Me too." He sighed. "I don't think the others are gonna wake up, Hikaru. I think it's just you and me." Hikaru shook her head. "It's no good, Ranma. We can't fight her. We're not powerful enough...and the Mashin are all outside the spring." Ranma nodded, frowning. The two rested for a few moments, and stared at Skylark. For her part, the evil girl was ignoring them. After a moment, Ranma began musing, "You know...rushing her is pointless, and she's an even match magically for all of us." Hikaru nodded. "Yeah. And odds are she's good with a sword, too." "And fast," Ranma added. He rubbed his chin. "If the two of us attacked her, she'd be able to pick one of us off before the other could get close, and still have time to stop the other one too." Hikaru nodded. "And since none of us are powerful enough individually, it'd be pointless anyway." Ranma thought about that for a minute. "Strong enough individually..." He looked at Hikaru speculatively for a moment, which began to make her uncomfortable. "What?" she asked. Ranma frowned. "I'm having an idea, but it's too insane to possibly work." Absently, as he thought, his form began to shift to that of his female half. Hikaru blinked. "Ranma...you just turned into a girl." Ranma looked down at herself, and blinked...then grinned. "This is a good sign." Hikaru's brow furrowed in confusion. Ranma grinned, and put an arm around her shoulder, leaning in conspiratorially. "Hikaru...would you say that of everyone here, you and me are the only two real matches for this girl?" Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, but she beat both of us." Ranma nodded. "Working separately." Hikaru frowned. "Ranma, we just covered this. She could beat us if we worked as a team, as well." Ranma chuckled, his grin widening. "Not if we work *as one*." Hikaru blinked, and shook her head. "I just said that won't work." Ranma pulled her in closer. "No, I don't mean teaming up on her. I mean, *as* *one*. Get it?" Hikaru frowned. "No, I don't." Ranma gestured at himself. "I just turned into a girl, right?" Hikaru nodded. "Okay, Cephiro is a place where Will is the strongest force, isn't it? And didn't Skylark say that none of us even have bodies here?" Hikaru nodded, slowly, uncertaintly. "Well," Ranma said, "Here's what I figure. Separately, we don't have the power to take her down. But, combined, we could do it. We've got practice sharing a body..." He trailed off, eyes twinkling. Hikaru blinked, then it hit her. Her eyes widened. "You're not talking about..." Ranma shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to try." "As...as ONE?" Hikaru asked. Ranma nodded. Hikaru thought about that for a minute, then shrugged. "What have we got to lose," she said. "Okay, I guess we just...just need to concentrate, right?" Ranma nodded, and closed his eyes. Hikaru also closed hers, and began to focus on Ranma's aura, his power, his spirit. Ranma concentrated on Hikaru's strong will, her kind heart, her determination, her strength. Within moments, something of the connection they'd established inside their shared body began to form. Then it became stronger, grew. Beyond surface thoughts and consciousness now, they could see memories, experiences, emotions, dreams and hopes, sorrows, fears, anxieties... The connection continued to deepen. Each of them began seeing the other through the eyes of the soul, through the eyes of the self. Deeper, more resonant... Akane shook herself as she got to her knees. She looked up, to see the others from her group slowly awakening in their pinned positions. She looked around for Ranma... ...and saw him in the corner, with Hikaru. Both were melting. This is my pain. This is our pain. These are our dreams and hopes. My memories are your memories, your thoughts are my thoughts. I am you, you are me. Our power is one. We will do what we have to do. As Akane and the others watched, Ranma and Hikaru blurred, and drew together. A bright orange glow flared around them, as they continued to dissolve into one another... ...A matter of moments later, in the midst of a brightly pulsing orange aura, one girl with a medium-length red pigtail rose to her feet. Her armor was tight on her body, accentuating her trim, athletic figure. Fingerless gauntlets covered her slender hands. Large shoulderguards, with golden phoenix designs, looked like great wings against her small frame, and a flowing red chainmail cloak draped behind her. A gold tiara encircled her head, fronted with a large white, red, and gold crest resembling a firebird in flight. A red and white yin-yang symbol on her chestplate spun until it became a solid pink disc. In each hand, she held a glowing red katana, one having a dragon-shaped hilt, the other having a lion-shaped hilt. Her eyes were bright purple, and she was scowling. Skylark sensed...something wrong behind her. She expected the warriors to awaken eventually, but what was this...power? She began to turn around... Akane, Ryouga, Ukyou, Mousse, and Shampoo gaped at the girl before them. None of them knew quite what to think. "Skylark. Face us now. We shall defeat you," resonated a pair of voices in perfect unison. Skylark stared in shock. This was Hikaru...and yet not Hikaru. And she felt the power of the boy radiating from this one... "Who...who are you?" she asked. The girl with the purple eyes spoke in what should have been two voices, but somehow had become one, and had an imposing resonance. "We are Karuma. We will make you pay for what you've done." Everyone blinked at that pronouncement. "Akane-chan...what's goin' on here?" Ukyou asked. Akane shook her head. "I don't know," she breathed. Skylark smirked. "Fine, 'Karuma'. I don't care who or...or WHAT you are. You want a fight, I'll be happy to put you on the floor." Karuma laughed softly. The sound made everyone tremble in awe. "We are not impressed by you. In this battle, we will put you on the floor." Her aura flared even brighter, and Karuma charged. Skylark prepared her Black Soul Bomb, and flung it. Karuma smirked, and brought her swords together. An orange shield flared from them, absorbing the blast with no damage. Skylark gasped, then recovered, and snarled, drawing a black broadsword from the gem on her glove. The two female warriors locked in fierce combat. Despite Karuma's two weapons, and her skill and speed, Skylark was managing to block every attack, though none of her own were getting through. She became increasingly frustrated, and angrier. Akane and the others gaped in awe. As the battle continued, Skylark began to slip, while Karuma seemed to be getting a second wind. Suddenly, Karuma's aura flared, and she threw herself backwards, away from Skylark. Skylark panted for a second, then began to prepare her spell. She shouldn't have let her guard down. Karuma's swords vanished, and a bright orange energy ball gathered between her hands. As Skylark began to cast her Black Soul Bomb, the ball of light began to blaze, and doubled in size. Karuma thrust her hands forward. "HONOU TAKABISHA!!!!!!!!!" Skylark threw her bomb as a column of blazing orange fire erupted from the hands of the girl with the purple eyes. The image of a growling tiger was visible in the stream of flames for an instant, and it also seemed that a roaring red lion was running alongside it. Then, the blast slammed into the dark sorceress. She was blasted across the chamber, into her spellcasting area, which burst into bright flames. She screamed in agony as her soul was consumed by Karuma's attack. Within seconds, nothing remained of the evil Skylark. The black world around them shifted, blurred...and vanished. The warriors blinked, heads all feeling as if they had been split open. Umi, Fuu, and Lantis hovered nervously over them, as did Mokona. They looked around, and blinked...they were outside Eterna. The blackness had vanished, and the spring appeared as it always had. Akane immediately snapped awake at seeing the redheaded girl in the red armor, who was still out cold. "Ranma! Hikaru!" She frowned. "Karuma?" Ryouga and Ukyou walked over to stand beside her, as Umi asked, "What happened in there?" Akane and the others blinked, and shot questioning glances at one another. As they were about to answer, a resonant voice groaned, "'S a long story. We'll tell you...later. Right now...we're tired. We need...a nap...." Everyone stared at the redhead, as she sleepily closed her purple eyes. "She's right," Akane said. "It's a LOOOONG story. We'll tell you when we get back to the palace." Lantis and Ryouga gently hefted the sleeping redhead between them, as Mokona created a stretcher to lay her on. With the girl safely in tow, the group began the long walk back to the palace. Chapter 17: Victories, Setbacks Sounds of celebration rang out through the halls of the palace as the group of warriors entered. "Sounds like a party," Ukyou commented. Clef and Ferio came rushing out to greet them. "You did it! Thank you so very much!" Ferio said. Clef smiled. "The Blemish on Zagato has vanished, and our spells are slowly reversing the damage to the Princess. We are in your debt." He noticed the stretcher upon which lay...he couldn't tell. "What happened?" he asked, motioning at her with his staff. Everyone looked at each other nervously. "Umm...we're still not sure. It was strange," Akane said. "The whole thing is a very long story," Mousse said. "We should tell it when we have had a chance to rest up." Clef nodded. "Very well. Let us adjourn to the banquet room. You can rest and relax there, and I'm sure you wouldn't mind a good meal." There was laughter and hearty agreement with that statement, and the party proceeded to the dining hall. In the greyness of the sleeping mind, a single girl with a fiery orange aura began to shimmer, her aura fading. With a great tearing sound, she split into two halves. Ranma said, groggily rising to his knees. He saw Hikaru, lying on the floor, nearby. Hikaru stirred, groaning. She began to sit up, and Ranma staggered over to sit beside her. Ranma nodded. Hikaru rubbed her head, and frowned. Ranma blinked. Hikaru nodded. They both tried to remember for a minute. As they concentrated, a ghostly image formed before them, of a third girl, who could be their twin, but had purple eyes, and was surrounded by an orange glow. Ranma blinked. Hikaru nodded. She gasped. Ranma grinned. The image before them wavered, and vanished. Hikaru sighed. Ranma nodded. Hikaru yawned. She hugged Ranma. Ranma nodded, returning the hug. And after a moment of gathering his thoughts, Ranma woke up. "Oi, Torin...can you take care of that collapsed roof?" In one of the small villages of Cephiro, a small boy standing on a floating rock hovered in the air above a mostly caved-in dwelling, before which stood a large creature resembling a minotaur. The boy had a thick mop of dark orange hair which hung over his eyes, completely obscuring them. He wore large, bell-shaped green and white robes, and a ridiculously large beret. "Please help us if you can, Bal Ascot," a weary-looking man said, holding on tightly to a woman who appeared to be quite pregnant and on the virge of collapse. The boy nodded, and shouted, "Oi, Torin, can you do it, or do you need help?" The minotaur looked up, snorted a bit of steam, then lumbered closer to the house. Reaching in, it grabbed the remains of a thatched roof, and lifted them carefully out of the house, tossing them onto a pile of similar debris behind the structure. Ascot smiled at the beast, and flew in closer, lowering himself into the house. A moment later, he emerged, with a frightened-looking young child clinging to his floating stone. Ascot gently eased his mount to the ground, and the child scampered towards the man and woman. "Oi, Torin! Good work! Please see if you can tend to some of the other damaged buildings while I help the people, alright?" Torin nodded, and lumbered off towards the center of town. The man and woman smiled gratefully at Ascot as he approached them. "Thank you so much, Bal Ascot," the man said. Ascot smiled gently. "It's no problem, really, and you should thank Torin...he's the one who lifted that roof." The woman smiled, and nodded. "Yes, your friend is very kind, despite his unusual appearance. I'm sorry any of us ever thought of your friends as monsters." Ascot shrugged. "It's understandable, I suppose." He sighed. "Well, we need to get you to a healer. There's one in Grem, which hasn't been hit by the darkness." He floated up into the sky, and began tracing a glowing pentagram in the air. "Come forth, please, Fal! These people need an air transport to the healer in Grem!" A large green falcon-like bird emerged from the pentagram, and swooped to the ground with a shriek. Ascot lowered himself to the ground and patted the large bird on the head. "Fal, please take these gentle people to the next town, and deposit them at the healer. Will you do this for me, my friend?" The bird bobbed its head, and lowered its body so the family could board it. They did so, expressing their gratitude to the young Summoner, and Fal took flight, disappearing quickly into the distance. Ascot smiled sadly as he made his way towards the village square. "It would be wrong for any of these people to have to suffer any more than they already have," he commented as he surveyed the damaged town. "How could we have been so terrible to these people?" he wondered. He spotted Torin gently deposting a group of frightened-looking merchants on the ground next to the husk of a market building, and Ascot headed over to them. "Oi, how many wounded among your party?" he asked as he approached. Before anyone could answer, something permeated the air. A sense of malice, of cruelty. Ascot and Torin looked up nervously. "Torin," Ascot hissed, knowing the creature could hear him no matter how softly he spoke, "Protect these people. Something evil is around." The minotaur snuffed an affirmative. "My, what a kind boy you are," a light voice rang through the dark air. It was a female voice, definitely, and it seemed to have an odd, metallic ring to it. The voice also, unmistakably, spoke in an Osaka dialect. Ascot went pale. "How...what--?" A tinny, light giggle echoed through the village. "Such a *dear*, *sweet*, *kind* boy you've become. I taught you better, you know. You make me sick, Ascot..." Suddenly, a black, malicious beam of light cut through the air, striking the young Bal, who spun wildly out of the air, slamming hard into the ground. The people screamed, and Torin gave a bellow of anger and surprise. That tinny laugh rang out again, chilling everyone to the bone. The laugh was followed by echoes of a bell jingling. Ascot remained unconscious. Ranma shuffled into the dining hall of the palace, where a celebration was heartily taking place. Everyone smiled kindly at the boy as he dropped himself into a plush chair at the grand table. "Welcome, Ranma," Clef said. "Are you alright?" Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Hikaru's fine too, but she's worn out from what we did to Skylark." At the questioning glances, Ranma told the tale of his and Hikaru's decision to merge, and the results, as well as he remembered them. "So that's what that was all about," Akane said. Clef and Cologne stared at the boy with astonishment and a new level of respect. "That was quite a feat, for both of you," Cologne said. Just then, there was a commotion outside in the hallway. Everyone looked up to see what was going on. A haggard-looking merchant staggered into the dining hall, accompanied by a palace guard. "Forgive...intrusion, Highness, Guru...trouble...Bima..." His eyes rolled up into his head, and he passed out. Everyone gasped. The guard said, "Something is going on in Bima. I couldn't get the full story, but apparently something terrible has happened to Bal Ascot." Clef frowned. "Ascot? We must look into this." Umi blinked. "That little brat with the monsters? The one we slapped some sense into around the time Hikaru got blasted?" Clef nodded. "The Summoner, Ascot. He's been doing much good work since you girls departed from this world. He's been involved heavily in the rebuilding, along with his creatures. We'd have been lost without him." Clef sighed, closing his eyes. "The thought of something bad happening to Ascot..." Cologne rose, perching on her staff, and gestured to the door. "I suggest, then, that we call the celebration to a halt until we can find out what is going on." With that, she bounded for the door. Clef and Ferio followed her, eventually accompanied by the others. As the group emerged from the palace gates, they were treated to yet another unusual sight. Approaching the palace was a large minotaur-like creature, cradling something in its hands as it lumbered close. A green falcon circled warily above its head, shrieking mournfully. The fighters in the group tensed, but Clef waved his staff in their direction, shaking his head. They backed down slightly. Ferio, Clef, and Cologne approached the beast as it lumbered to a halt. It knelt before the young Prince and the two Gurus, and carefully laid a small, still form on the ground before it. The falcon perched on the minotaur's head, crying out pitifully. Clef gasped. The boy before him was severely burned. A dark force crackled along the wounds. Cologne grimaced. "Whatever attacked him, was evil, and had no soul." Everyone crowded forward. Umi gasped. While Ascot had been a nuisance, she knew he wasn't a bad kid. To see him in this shape... Ascot groaned, and slightly opened his one good eye, the other having swollen shut. "Guru...Clef..." "Ascot...what happened?" "In Bima...attacked..." he groaned, struggling to prop himself up on his elbows. "...illusionist...evil...stop her...please..." He dropped back to the ground, his eyes closing, his breathing shallow. "Sentries!" snapped Ferio. "Bring a stretcher, and no fewer than four healers." Several guards moved to comply. Clef frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Evil illusionist..." Umi scowled. "They usually are." This earned her a sharp glare from Cologne, which surprisingly silenced her. Clef shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense. There are no more illusionists in Cephiro. The only one who existed in the world was killed two years ago, by the Water Knight..." Everyone looked at Umi, who shuffled her feet. Ferio frowned. "Well, apparently there is one around. And we need to find out what's going on before..." The prince was cut off by the sound of an incredible explosion in the distance. Everyone gasped, as a great plume of black fire erupted in the distance, spraying charred rubble, earth, and probably bodies in all directions. Clef's eyes were wide in shock. "That...that's Bima," he said. Cologne shook her head. "*Was* Bima. I doubt there is anything left of the town now." Ferio scowled, and barked an order at the sentries who had returned. "I *will* know what is going on, and the sooner I have an answer, the better," he said. "I demand to know who is responsible for this." "Yes, your Highness," the sentries chorused, and began snapping commands at their underlings, ordering horses readied for the ride to Bima. Clef turned to the assembled warriors. "I would ask you to remain and help us, but this isn't your battle. If you wish to return to your world, I will see to it." Ranma shook his head. "We ain't goin' nowhere." He turned to his comrades. "I dunno about the rest of you, but I'm kinda gettin' attached to this place. I don't wanna see any more bullshit happen here." Ryouga, Ukyou, Shampoo, Mousse, and Akane nodded solemnly. "It's a martial artist's duty to protect the innocent and the defenseless," Ryouga said. "Shampoo no like see town blow up like that. Remind of bad legend from old days of Amazons. Shampoo stay fight." "Count me in too," Mousse said. "Hey, I got nothin' better to do," Ukyou said. "This world's kinda growin' on me too." Akane nodded. "If what Umi and Fuu told us about the last time is true, no time is passing in our world, so we've got nothing to lose by staying to help out." Umi and Fuu stepped forward. "And we're staying as well," Fuu said. Umi nodded, a fierce scowl on her face. "Regardless of the past, we have a duty to this world, as its Legendary Magic Knights. We'll do our best, for Cephiro." Clef smiled. "You are truly remarkable young people. The people of this world are very lucky, to have your group on our side." Umi looked towards the palace. "While the sentries are investigating, we need to see to Ascot. If he wakes up, he may be able to tell us more." Clef nodded. "Yes. Also, the rest of you can give Presea the Escudo you got at the spring." Everyone looked around nervously. "Anou..." Ryouga said. "We, um...there wasn't any." Clef blinked. "No Escudo?" At this point, Presea joined the group. Where she'd been, was anyone's guess. "They're right, Guru Clef. I've been doing some work with the newer surveys. We made a mistake sending them to Eterna for the mineral. But," she said, "I think I know where there is a large supply of it..." "We'll discuss this as we wait for information," Ferio announced, striding towards the palace briskly. Clef smiled after him. "That youth has become a very dutiful leader to his people," he said. "Even before Emeraude fell ill." "Cephiro is lucky to have such a great prince," Fuu said. Umi nudged her playfully, and she blushed. "Well," Presea said, "I think we should adjourn to the war room." At the collective nods of the young warriors, the group returned to the palace. Torin and Fal stood stoically before its gates, apparently keeping guard. Various machines thrummed and whirred, and panels flashed lights and chirped merrily in a spacious, sterile room with machines on every surface. Technicians and the like scurried about, and the activity and excitement level in the room was high. Amidst it all, in a central seat, sat a handsome, somewhat amused-looking youth, with short blond hair and twinkling eyes. He had a white cloak wrapped about him, and was staring intently at a large screen. A door hissed open, and much of the rapid chatter hushed, becoming muted whispers of awe. The youth in the chair looked up, and smiled. A strange figure stepped into the chamber. The figure was very obviously female, with tight black metal-and-leather armor which encased her entire body, hugging her curves, leaving virtually nothing to the imagination. Her head was encased in a shell of black leather, with an effeminate mask artfully etched into the leather. She also wore a broad helmet, which provided one of the few traces of color about her person, being detailed with thin streaks of pink down the center, and bearing a large, pink, fibrous ornament on top. Inset in the left eye of her mask was a round pink crystal, with a small, simple, perfect blood-red chip of ruby embedded beneath its smooth surface. The only thing which contrasted with the ornate and elegant appearance of her costume were the various wires and coils of tubing which snaked along her body, much of it emerging from or entering her helmet. A small bank of lighted indicators was artfully contoured to the curve her her chest, functional without distorting the spectacular image of her graceful curves. A black cloak flowed from her shoulders, pooling at her black-booted feet. A hiss of mechanized air intake and outflow steadily issued from her, and as she walked, a faint jingling sound, like soft bells, could be heard, even above the whirring sound of servo motors. She strode purposefully across the floor of the chamber, stopping before the chair. The youth in the chair respectfully inclined his head. "Welcome back, Lady Mirage. I assume your trip was successful?" "Thank you, Commander. Yes, it was very successful. I do not think this...expedition will fail. Cephiro seems to be rather short on defenses." The young man grinned. "Excellent. I feel much more confident about this mission with you present, Lady Mirage." "You should, Commander. You should." With that, she strode out of the room, cape swishing, air hissing, servos whirring, and bells jingling. Activity resumed normal levels with her departure. "Alright everyone," the man in the center seat said, "It's time. Geo!" "Ready, Commander," a tall man with short black hair and a headband answered crisply. The commander chuckled. "Set course to Cephiro. And lose the formality." "Okay...we're underway, Eagle." Eagle Vision smiled. This was a good day. ---end act three--- -- -------Zankoku na tenshi no you ni, shounen yo shinwa ni nare------- The Eternal Lost Lurker EtLostLurker@hotmail.com EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net Ittai boku no peiju wa doko nan da!?