R1/2 -- Chris Collins (1clc0772@unixstew.tstc.edu)
(OLD VOICE: Welcome to another exciting episode of Bonanza!) Psst.
*whisperwhisperwhisper* (OLD VOICE: Oh. That again.) *whisperwhisper* (OLD
VOICE: So soon?) !THUMP! OH, I don't know why I let you commentate this
week anyway! (CUTE VOICE: Act of insanity?)
(OLD VOICE: *ow* HEY, that wasn't very nice, sonny! Happou Dai Karin!)
!BOOM BOOM!
Hey! *cough cough* You better cut that out! *cough*
(OLD VOICE: Nya nya. Stick this up your....)
Ok! You asked for it! UKYOU! VENT FRUSTRATION! (OLD VOICE: mommy.)
!WHACKWHACKSMASH! (CHEF'S NOTE: DAMN THAT BITCH MIKO!) !CRASHBOOMSMASH!
(CHEF'S NOTE: IF I EVER GET MY HANDS ON HER...!) !BAMCRASH! (CHEF'S NOTE:
THAT LITTLE SLUT'S GOT A PRESENT COMING THAT I'LL BE HAPPY TO DELIVER!)
!SMASHBOOMBOOM CRASH! (OLD VOICE: eep. stp. mk er stp.)
Well anyway, it's time for the next installment of... !CRASHWHAMBANG! (OLD
VOICE: erk.) ...Nyanniichuan. I really don't know how I'm going to...
!SMASHCRACKSNAP! (OLD VOICE: Mst hv panties... fding fst.) ...outdo my last
chapter or even if I can.... !POWCRUNCHSNAP! (CHEF'S NOTE: THE BITCH MUST
DIE SHE CAN ROT IN HELL!) (OLD VOICE: *gurgle*) Can you two hold it down!?
!POW CRASH BANG BOOM! (CUTE VOICE: *singing* In leaps the Batman, makin
life safe again for all the Gotham citizens. He's so bitchin, he's so
brave, it's back to the Batcave....) OH, HELL! I don't know HOW I manage
to get ANY work done around here! !CRACKSPLATTEROOZE! Will someone PLEASE
pull the curtain?!
(CUTE VOICE: *clapclap* Okay!)
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| An Iron Dagger Production |
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Emperor Xi Fang's palace, simply a cluster of oversized pagodas stacked
atop one another with trace elements of Mongolian architecture (CUTE VOICE:
Like swinging doors?), stood regally at its post within a large recess in
the jungle and silently awaited the greeting of dawn. Since midnight, when
a volley of explosions at the Jusenkyou Springs rose and died, the land had
been unusually peaceful and inactive, like the calm before a storm. The
moon had fallen behind the treeline and a few rays of light started to
penetrate the dark sky to make way for the emperor sun.
Suddenly, the whole palace shook with a violent explosion from within its
walls; a fiery pheonix broke free from the lower level and ascended to the
sky, then headed toward the still-unpresent sun. The mighty palace, dealt
a serious and unexpected blow, weaved and quivered on its foundation, but
somehow remained standing. A short while later, many shadowed people
scattered from the structure in several directions like ants in disarray,
most of them screaming.
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| Written and Directed by: |
| Christopher Lee Collins |
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"Guardian Spirit, w-what's wrong?" Miko backed away from Ranma, startled.
Ranma was crouched on all fours, her eyes slitted ferally; all she was
doing at the moment was hissing at the shimmercat with her back arched.
Twilight growled and placed herself defensively between Miko and the
berserking martial artist.
Doshin recognized the look in Ranma's eyes and rushed to his daughter's
aid. At the same time, Lon was pushing himself up on his hands. Taking the
most direct path, Doshin unintentionally jumped onto Lon's back and the
back of his head, crushing him back into the rubble, then drew his sword
and took up a defensive position beside his familiar.
Lon jumped to his feet and roared, red with anger, "I'M GOING TO TEAR
EACH OF YOU TO PIECES WITH MY BARE HANDS!!!" He ran straight for Doshin
and Twilight with his arms outstetched--using a steamroller technique
(except steamrollers hadn't been invented yet).
"Look out, Mr. Lee!" Reikiba jumped behind Doshin and pushed him aside,
then rammed his bokken square into the giant's chest; the wooden sword
splintered all the way to the hilt, and although the force of the impact
was somehow sufficient to slow him down, Lon appeared undamaged and madder
than ever. He grabbed the samurai by an arm and flung him around toward a
wall by the non-existant main doors. Reikiba sailed across the room at
breakneck speed, but he still managed to land on the wall on his feet.
Meanwhile, Doshin swiped at Lon's feet and tripped him. The giant fell
hard, but that didn't stop him from grabbing Doshin's ankles, rolling to
the side, and hurling the swordsman in the same direction he threw Reikiba.
Doshin sailed across the room headfirst, but the samurai intercepted him
after rebounding off the wall; they both fell safely to the ground, only
slightly beaten, but Reikiba was holding his right arm as if it had been
dislocated.
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| Based on Characters Created by: |
| Rumiko Takahashi |
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Ranma hissed and ferociously pounced on Lon before he knew what hit him;
they both disappeared in a big dustcloud of violent motion and fighting
sounds.
At that moment, the whole palace shook once again, not as violently as
with Lon's attack, but adequately enough to shake the walls from their
fittings. Pieces of the ceiling started raining down, and the walls
started collapsing and falling into the floor.
Miko threw her arms over her head and ran in her father's direction,
Twilight following. Several small rocks beat against her arms and head and
sizeable chunks grazed her shoulders and legs. She made it more than
half-way before she fell down. She looked up in time to see a boulder
heading in her direction.
Miko screamed just as a glowing blue-and-orange streak smashed into the
large rock, scattering it into smaller pieces. The smaller rocks that fell
in her direction were further smashed by a bokken whizzing above her body
like a mad mosquito. Seconds later, Doshin raised her head to his chest
and asked, "Are you unhurt?" She blinked her eyes open and smiled tears.
Lon was on his feet and steadily backing up, holding his arms out in front
of him in a futile effort to block the pigtailed catwoman's raging blows.
Lon's robe had already been torn to shreads and his blue-and-orange
trousers were ripped apart just below the knee. There were numerous,
bleeding slashes on his forearms and torso, and IT REALLY HURT! His
hissing enemy was moving too fast for a counterattack to make a difference.
The ceiling was falling on them as well, but neither cared--Ranma just
tore the stones to dust and Lon took them with little damage.
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| Ranma Saotome and Miko Lee |
| in: |
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Doshin was helping his daughter walk toward the door. While Doshin
continued slashing upward, Reikiba threw many powerful kicks and Twilight
shuttled around the room like a rebounding ball of fire in an effort to
destroy all rocks falling in their direction. When Miko started resisting,
Doshin pleaded, "We have to get out of here before the whole place falls!"
Miko broke from his grasp and staggered wildly back the other way. "NO!
We can't leave Guardian Spirit!"
"We cannot save him! We have to...." Doshin let his guard down long
enough for a fist-sized rock to knock him across the head. He fell to the
ground, still conscious but blurry.
"Daddy! Ow!" Another rock hit her still-tender shoulder and she limped
out of the way just as a Miko-sized stone dropped behind her back.
She hurried to her father's side. Twilight and Reikiba drew closer to
Doshin and redoubled their efforts to stop falling debree, but there was
too much falling at once. Miko threw herself over her father and yelled,
"Guardian Spirit! Save us!"
Ranma's ears perked up like a cat's at the sound of Miko's cry (like a
kitten calling its mother). She continued her attack a second longer, and
Lon was still able to stand against the punishment, unable and unwilling to
admit defeat. (CUTE VOICE: Poor, poor, stupid Lon.) She then jumped onto
the ceiling, kicking it as hard as she could, and catapulted herself in
Miko's direction. The entire ceiling rumbled and started to fall,
particularly over Lon, who was buried in a blink.
Ranma reached Miko with fingers/claws outstretched just as the whole room
imploded.
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| NYANNIICHUAN: |
| Very Tragic Story |
| Part VI |
| "Making the Most of a Bad situation" |
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"Damn her." _She did that on purpose, no doubt._ Pae-Kau spat as he
trudged along a familiar grassy ledge by the Jusenkyou ponds under the
still-dim sky. He ocassionally glanced over the edge toward the ponds to
see if he could remember which one he fell into--so he could curse it. He
had been walking nonstop since sundown. All he thought about through his
long journey was how he wanted to ring that heartless witchwoman's neck.
His face was sweaty and scratched in numerous places, his short, black hair
was mussed with some form of dried porridge and lint, his limbs were tired
and aching, and all he had to wear was a wolfskin pelt that he had stolen.
He smiled sickly to himself. _Wolf skin--how ironic._
When he woke up earlier--whenever that was--he was lying on the ground,
deep in the jungle, at the edge of a stream, IN WOLF FORM! It was apparent
that Salon had teleported him out of the inn after he had blacked out--he
was still sizzling--but it had to be more than a coincidence that he had
shown up in THAT part of the jungle in THAT form. He breathed through his
teeth, "Lousy hunters and fur-traders. I don't see why His Highness allows
such riffraff to live anywhere near the palace--much less live."
After being chased around by bowmen for half the day, he finally decided
to invade one of their unprotected dwellings for some hot
water--unfortunately, a sturdy broom in a frightened woman's hands could be
a very effective weapon. He rubbed the back of his head as a reflex to the
thought and opted to grumble some more. "No clothes, no weapons, no
dignity.... What else can go wrong?" (CUTE VOICE: Hisssss. Him speak
deadly curse.)
He froze in his tracks when he felt a sudden shift in the wind. He could
almost hear the words "flying dragon ascension defeat" rolling through the
air. In the direction of the palace, a huge whirlwind picked up with
devistating force--he saw huge chunks of the palace fly high into the air
along with a few uprooted trees. He stood in awe of the fury of the new
phenomenon, and it caught him unprepared; the wind knocked him off his
heavily-fatigued legs and he fell over the edge of the cliff.
"CURSE IT ALL!"
!Splash!
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| HAPPY THOUGHT: |
| Maybe Happy Is Dead And We Can All |
| Live Our Lives In Peace. |
-----------===================------------
A great phoenix rose into the air and darted across the sky. A booming
voice could be heard in its wake: "Mark me, Avatar! Whether for
enlightenment or revenge, I shall defeat you!"
Below, the fierce wind was dying down to a gentle breeze, scattering
leaves and dust away from the emmense mound of rubble that once called
itself a palace. Tree branches and bits of rock continued to fall from the
sky like a light, early-morning rain.
A tall shadow sprang from a corner of the destruction. "Where could it
be?" The shadow folded outward like a cloak (and sounded like one too) and
materialized into a long, black robe covered with dimly-sparkling points of
light; the substance that represented the man within remained dark and
obscure. "Where could that fool bird have gone?"
He glanced about the wreckage with casual disinterest, then walked three
paces to his left and crouched down. "There you are. You know how I
worry." The ground seemed to ripple like a pool of water as his arm phased
through the rocks past his elbow. He fumbled around a bit, then drew his
arm back. Gently clutched in his hand was a barely-conscious and
thoroughly-dizzy crow. He stood up and craddled the bird in both hands,
then chuckled. "I trust your night was eventful."
The dark-robed man fell deathly quiet when he heard a low rumbling coming
from the other side of the wreckage. Tiny rocks and pebbles danced along
the surface as if animated by a miniature earthquake. The rumbling got
louder and a large pile of rocks rose above the mound.
Suddenly, the pile exploded, sending debree spouting into the air like a
geyser; the dark man had to throw up an air shield to keep from getting
pulverized. "Mrrreeeeeooowww!!!" A scantly-clad, redheaded, pigtailed
girl burst into the air, clawwing like mad, ripping apart all stray matter
that dared fly her way or threaten the hole she came from.
The dark man, seeing an opening to dispose of a future enemy, pointed a
finger in Ranma's direction, ready to fire a bolt of energy he was
reserving just for her/him. However, having quickly cleared the sky of
raining debree, the target made a u-turn in mid-air and darted back into
the hole.
The dark man lowered his hand and took a step forward when Ranma jumped
back out a second later with another redheaded, pigtailed girl; she had one
arm around the girl's waist and, as strange as it seemed, she had her mouth
clamped onto the back of the girl's shirt collar (like a mother cat
carrying her kitten by the scruff of the neck). Ranma landed on all fours
(well, three) several yards from the hole, her chest heaving wildly, and
gently set the girl down.
The dark man raised his hand again, somewhat less determined, hesitated,
then slowly lowered it again. He stared at them a while longer while he
thought about the reason for his hesitation. The sun finally peeked above
the horizon and shone its rays outward. The dark man covered his eyes and
reflexively took a step back as if he were fending off a raging fire. He
glanced at Ranma once more and absently stroked the feathery head of his
battered crow. He muttered, "Perhaps another time," then faded into a
shadow and disappeared from sight.
"Meow?" Ranma nudged Miko's face in worry, but she wasn't responding--her
head just rolled lifelessly to the side. The cat/martial artist/harem girl
whined pitifully, then turned toward the sun just as it was coming up. She
growled when she thought she heard something up ahead, but looking around,
she could find no one. She glanced at the warm, hopeful sun once more,
then returned to the unmoving girl in front of her. She bent down and
licked the dirt from her cheek with long glides of the tongue (CHEF'S NOTE:
*shudder* Eeeewwww!); in respose, Miko took a much-needed deep breath and
coughed a few times, but didn't wake. "Mreow?" Ranma smiled and continued
to clean her face. (CHEF'S NOTE: Eeewwww. Does Ranchan have to do that?)
Ranma's ears perked up once more and she snarled at another sound.
Reikiba and Twilight dragged Doshin's body from the hole and set him down
by the edge. Twilight, having finished that task, collapsed in exhaustion,
having spent a lot of energy defending Miko. Reikiba, panting with
near-asphixiation, propped himself on one arm while he went through a few
breathing exercises. He stared back into the hole, still amazed--Ranma had
prevented the ceiling from crushing them by carving a cave around them
WHILE the roof was falling and WITH her bare hands. He looked at the sword
hilt he was stll holding, sighed, and threw it over his shoulder.
Ranma growled more forcefully at the samurai and put an arm over Miko to
pull her closer. Reikiba stared in their direction and gasped, "Miss Lee!
Are you alright?" Twilight, recognizing the warding look on Ranma's face,
instantly spang up against her fatigue, and started dragging her master
further away.
"Miss Lee?" Reikiba started crawling closer to Miko, unaware that he was
only making Ranma growl more. "Are you hurt?" He reached out a hand and
tried to touch Miko's shoulder, but Ranma snapped and tried to bite him.
The samurai drew back, a bit confused. (CHEF'S NOTE: Damn! Does this guy
need everything spelled out for him?) He smiled and held up his hand.
"Don't worry, Ranma--that is your name, isn't it? I know you were a little
on edge down there, and I understand that women sometimes go through these
changes...." Ranma instinctively bared her teeth at that remark, but there
was something peculiar about him that made her not want to
attack--something about his aura.
"I'm not going to hurt Miss Lee." The samurai slowly inched his hand
closer while he smiled innocently at Ranma, who merely watched his movement
with slitted eyes. "There's nothing to be afraid of. There's no reason to
be overprotective." He broke eye contact with Ranma and looked down at
Miko, then placed his fingers lightly on her arm.
Ah, to hell with his aura. "Mrreeooooww! *hiss*" Ranma pounced onto
Reikiba and they both disappeared in a fighting dustcloud.
The rather one-sided battle ceased quickly and when the smoke cleared,
Ranma was brooding over Miko once more and Reikiba was lying on his back,
slightly scratched and bruised. The samurai coughed and held his injured
arm. "Very well. I'll just leave her in your care while I take a short nap."
Ranma snorted in his direction, then continued licking Miko's face clean.
(CHEF'S NOTE: Damnit, Ranchan! Will you cut that out!?!) (CUTE VOICE: Will
husband lick Shampoo's face next?) (CHEF'S NOTE: Pervert!) Miko giggled and
mumbled, "Not now, Twilight, we've got to get out of here." Ranma drew
back and looked at her compassionately. Her eyes drooped and she yawned
(like a cat, of course), then she stretched (again, like a cat) and curled
up close to Miko to go to sleep.
* * * * *
Salon darted past trees and bushes in an effort to keep up with the blue
streak far ahead of her. "Liu-Sing, you fool! Where are you going?!"
She jumped over a half-fallen tree and ducked under an overhanging of moss,
then she could not see the blue streak anymore. Nevertheless, she kept
running in a straight line, hoping she was only lagging behind.
Suddenly, a foot stuck out from behind a tree and Salon stumbled over it,
but she somersaulted in the air, jumped off a tree, and landed on the
ground in a crouch. She yelled, "What is the meaning of this!?" then fell
silent and hoped he would give away his position. She heard nothing for a
long while.
She slowly brought her staff in front of her and glanced around the area,
but the jungle was dense and there were too many hiding places. Suddenly,
two vines lashed out when she wasn't looking, one wrapping around her staff
and the other wrapping around her neck. She gasped as her weapon was
wrenched from her hands and she was sent headfirst into a tree.
Salon fell to the ground, grasping at her throat and gasping for air, but
the vine didn't release her. "*cough* W-what are you doing, you clown?!"
Liu-Sing's voice echoed thoughout the jungle, the origin indeterminate:
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm attacking you--and doing a better
job that I expected."
The vine weaved like a snake and flung her into an adjacent tree; she
landed on her shoulder and hit the back of her head. After she fell down,
she backhanded the vine and it snapped. "I thought you were supposed to be
on my side?"
"Whatever gave you that idea? I pledged my loyalty to the Emperor, not you."
Salon narrowed her eyes. "I see." She got to her feet and scanned the
trees. As she expected, another vine shot out at her. She threw up her
right forearm and let it coil itself around, then she grabbed it and yanked
as hard as she could.
Liu-Sing came flying out of the foliage, madly flailing through the air.
Salon stuck out her foot for him to land on. Instead, when he came within
range, he grabbed her ankle and slipped under her leg like a loose piece of
paper caught in the breeze (or in this case, vellum); he kicked upward,
sending his foot crashing into her ribcage, then wrapped that leg over hers
and sent his other foot into her inner thigh. Using her ensnared leg as a
lever, he sent her crashing headfirst into the ground in front of her.
(CHEF'S NOTE: Ewwwll.) (CUTE VOICE: Aiya!)
Liu-Sing rolled to his feet and sprinted back in the direction he came
from, laughing. "Can't you do better than that? No wonder you were losing
to that dark-robed wizard." He disappeared into the jungle. Two seconds
later, Salon's staff came twirling out. "*chuckle* I think you'll be
needing this for the next battle. Farewell. Haha."
Salon was bent in pain on the ground, unmoving, her injured leg still
straight. Blood mixed with spit oozed out of the side of her mouth. She
blinked her eyes slowly to assure herself that she was still alive, and her
head was spinning too much to give more complex commands to move. She
gurgled weakly, "Kill... you."
* * * * *
"Ow! It hurts, Mistress."
"I know it does. Now hush."
Chun-Mae and eight masked guards were slowly making their way through the
jungle. She and one of the guards were helping a herem girl walk--she had
sprained her ankle and her left leg was scraped where she had fallen
against a tree. Another guard was in the forefront, hacking a crude trail
with his swords. The others were spread out behind and to the side, making
sure no one was folowing.
The harem girl whimpered, "I can't go on, Mistress."
The Empress gave her a stern glance. "You will keep going even if I have
to drag you myself." All the guards noticed that their queen was being
awefully kind and generous to the girl--moreso than she'd ever been with them.
The man in the forefront suddenly halted his progress and made a gesture
for everyone to stop. The Empress, knowing full-well that he knew more
about jungle-survival than she did, nodded and everyone came to a halt.
Not far in the distance, off to the party's right, they could hear muffled
crying--more than one person by the sound of it.
The Empress ordered the party to changed its course in that direction.
They proceeded more carefully--and slowly--at the pointman's advisement.
The Empress was now carrying most of the harem girl's weight, and she
refused offers from the other guards to carry her. The cries got closer,
but quieter.
The pointman stopped again, and everyone else stopped as well. All the
guards looked at each other, wondering what was going on--the leader did
not signal for them to wait, but he seemed to be staring at something. The
Empress heard frightened whimpers ahead off them. She absently shoved the
harem girl to another guard and rushed to the head of the group. She
called, "Komiki?" and shoved past the pointman, who made no motion to stop
her.
She gasped. All the harem girls from the palace were huddled around
several trees at the edge of a clearing like frightened children, many of
them holding onto each other as if they'd die if separated. (CHEF'S VOICE:
Isn't that what they usually do?) (NOTE: Shutup.) (CHEF'S VOICE: Hey,
sorry.) They all seemed to be in shock, either nervously twitching and
staring sightlessly or shivering violently and hiding their heads. Komiki
was kneeling in the middle of the clearing holding an unconscious girl in
her lap. Upon hearing her mistress's voice, she looked up and tried to
force her quivering lips into a smile, but failed. Her eyes were so full
of tears that she could hardly see. "*faulter* M-Mistress... Chun-Mae....
You've got to help us. We-we can't suvive on our own."
The Empress rushed to Komiki's side, tears immediately forming in her own
eyes. She fell to her knees and draped an arm around her shoulder, placing
the other hand on the unconscious girl's forehead. The girl felt like ice
and she didn't appear to be breathing, but her skin constantly but faintly
trembled to prove she was alive--but not for long if they didn't something
soon.
Komiki gently nestled her head against Chun-Mae's shoulder. "What will
happen to us now?"
The Empress glanced at the mass of frightened girls, then at the guard
still watching them from the foliage (CHEF'S NOTE: Pervert.). She turned
to Komiki and wiped the tears from the girl's cheek.
Komiki asked weakly, "Are we going to die?"
Chun-Mae closed her eyes. She, too, had nowhere else to go, and she'd
prefer to be in the company of the harem rather than her so-called husband.
She muttered assuredly, "I won't let anything happen to you or the others."
"Thank you." Komiki kissed Chun-Mae lightly on the lips, then snuggled
back into her shoulder.
Just outside the clearing, all of the guards looked confused, not knowing
what was going on--all except the one in the front. The harem girl stared
at the guard holding her, who just stared back. Finally, she turned to the
pointman and asked, "Is something wrong?"
The pointman mumbled, "Define wrong."
* * * * *
Miko could feel a warm body beneath hers, a body that she gently and
lovingly gripped. She blinked her eyes open and risked destroying the
comfort and absolute serenity she felt, but she had to know if it was true.
She took her time gathering the strength to move, savoring her peace for a
while longer, then she slowly pushed herself up.
It was true. Ranma, in his original, masculine, form, was sleeping
soundly beneath her. He was wearing the same red-and-black, sleeveless
Chinese outfit she was wearing, the same one that he (in female form at the
time) was wearing when they met--now, in her mind, they successfully
represented each other: two guardians protecting each other.
They were lying in the middle of a wide, grassy meadow dotted with
wildflowers here and there. The mid-morning sun cast warm rays downward in
a comfortable mixture with the coolness of the dewdrops that still lingered
on the ground and in the air. A duo of birds twittered and sang on a
nearby tree, reflecting the happiness she felt.
She looked upon Ranma's handsome face, mouth open and drooling on one
side, and rested a hand on his cheek. Leaning forward, she brushed her
lips against his, carefully explored the surface with her tongue (CUTE
VOICE: Hey! You stop that!) (CHEF'S NOTE: I think I'm going to be sick.),
then drew back and watched him sleepily smack his lips and turn his head to
the side. She sighed ecstatically.
"You have been waiting for this moment for some time, haven't you?" came a
dull, icy voice from behind. Miko's eyes widened and she rolled off of her
guardian. Sitting on a large, smokey rock that somehow seemed out-of-place
for the landscape was the midnight-robed stranger. His guant face was
visible under the cowl, but it was still eerily cast in shadows.
Miko gasped, drew her legs to her chest, and glanced back at Ranma,
embarrassed to have kissed him in someone's audience. With nowhere to go
and noplace to hide, she snapped at the dark man in annoyance, "Hey! What
are you doing here?"
The dark man looked around and chuckled, dismissing her question, "So this
is what you were dreaming about?"
Miko looked startled. She WAS dreaming about this situation only a few
minutes ago, wasn't she, but now something was slightly different. She
muttered to herself, "But I could have sworn that in my dream, we were
nak--oops." She started blushing furiously and tried to hide it.
The dark man grimmaced, having heard her. "I presumed that you would want
to maintain a bit more of your dignity in my presence."
Miko gently gripped at the front of her shirt, making sure it was there.
"Thank you." She paused, then looked at him curiously. "What are you
doing in my dream?"
The dark man rubbed his chin and mused, "Well, this is not exactly your
dream... it is a sort of stage I set up for our meeting fashioned to meet
your comforts and... but I am getting ahead of myself.... I tend to ramble
sometimes. For practical purposes, you may call it a dream."
Miko looked around at the lush landscape while she tried to think of
something to say. "It's very beautiful."
"Hm. And awefully bright." The dark man shaded his eyes as he, too,
looked around. The more he turned toward the light, the darker the shadows
became inside the cowl, as if they were screening his face from the sunlight.
Miko looked compassionate. "If the light bothers you so, we can go
somewhere else." She glanced at Ranma and quickly changed her mind. "If
you created this place, can't you dim the lights or something? I won't mind."
The dark man turned to her and smiled. "Thank you, my dear. You are most
kind." With a wave of his hand, a mass of swirling, dark crimson
stormclouds rolled across the sky, washing out the sun and pushing away
every ounce of cheerful blue, leaving the atmosphere saturated in an
unnatural, reddish glow. The grass and trees disappeared and were replaced
by barren rock and sand. Birds' singing was replaced by a low rumble of
thunder.
Miko gasped and cringed back. The dark man stretched and sighed, "That
feels much better."
Miko looked around nervously and shrieked when she noticed that Ranma was
gone--only a smooth blanket of sand remained. "What did you do with
Guardian Spirit?!"
The dark man frowned. "Oh. Him." He twitched a finger and Ranma
reappeared by Miko's side, still sleeping soundly in the same position.
(CHEF'S VOICE: Figures.) The dark man looked up at the new sky and took a
deep, refreshing breath. "I hope the change of scenery is not too...
discomforting."
Miko hugged Ranma and shivered to think that they would be
separated--again. She turned to the dark-robed menace and scowled, "What
do you want? You helped me get into the palace and I got the statue for
you. We're even now!"
The dark man appeared sincerely offended, but at the same time he seemed
to be mocking her. (NOTE: These dark strangers always tend to be paradoxal,
don't they.) "You wound me, child. Our bargain was honorably concluded. I
have come to discuss other matters--of a more personal nature."
Miko, feeling bad for having snapped at him, no matter who he was, lowered
her head and said sheepishly, "I'm sorry. What do you want to talk about?"
"This." He held out his arms and let four dice slip from his hands. The
dice nestled themselves squarely in the sand, so there was no mistaking
what picture was meant to go on top: a dove, a crow, a yin/yang, and a
skull and crossbones. Miko crawled closer and hovered over the dice
curiously.
The dark man folded his arms and glanced upward as if he expected to find
something in that direction. "I could be severely penalized for what I am
about to do, but you leave me in a very awkward positon."
Miko was too absorbed in the matter before her to comprehend what her
adversary was saying. Her eyes soon widened in recognition and she sat
back on her legs. She gasped, "These are MY dice!"
He peered down at them. "Hm. Yes, so they are." He sighed. "And the
choice you must make is quite clear."
"Choice?" Miko looked at the dice suspiciously. "But this is the same
thing I rolled yesterday and I read nothing about a choice." She shook her
head, sure he must have been mistaken. "This says that I and Guardian
Spirit were made for each other."
The dark man chuckled. "You have a lot to learn, little one. While your
interpretation was not completely incorrect, it was heavily flawed."
Miko looked startled, already having doubts. "What do you mean?"
The dark man closed his eyes and his face darkened. "The white bird,
while you are correct in its meaning of protection, is actually your
protector--your 'guardian spirit'. The black bird DOES represent a
stranger, but also a messanger--a dark messanger--namely ME."
Miko backed up next to Ranma, frightened by the haunting tone the
midnight-robed man was taking. Seeing her reaction, he seemed to lighten
up a bit (which for him, wasn't much of an improvement).
He continued more dryly, "The yin/yang represents the choice you must
make--the one which I have opted to give you." He paused to see her react.
Miko was thoroughly shaken. She didn't like the way HIS interpretation
was turning out. His dark overtones suggested something far worse than she
imagined. She pointed a shaky finger at the skull and crossbones and
stuttered, "A-and th-that?"
"Death." Miko braced herself for that answer, but she was appauled by the
dark man's face when he said it--not forbidding or stern or sad or
revelling, but expressionless. He wasn't even looking at the dice, as if
he waited for her to ask the question she dreaded.
Miko paled. "D-d-death? But... but.. but...."
The dark man showed a glimmer of concern. "I am sorry if the truth is
unsettling. You do not look well." He waved his hand and the landscape
returned to the warm, grassy meadow of her dream. "You should warm
yourself. I will endure."
Miko grabbed her arms and shivered regardless, though the sun on her back
did make her feel better. She instinctively looked at Ranma, then back.
"What's going on? Who's going to die?"
"That is the choice I must give you." His face was now completely blacked
out under his cowl and she could not read his expression. He sighed.
"Many centuries ago, it was written that on this day, a scarlet-haired girl
would meet a tragic end in this particular region of China."
Miko shrunk back and peeped, "me?"
The dark man shrugged. "It does not have to be. There is another to take
your place." He glanced suggestively in Ranma's direction.
"Wha...?" Miko quickly followed his gaze and her lip started to quiver.
"Guardian Spirit? But... but... he's a man!" The idea was too absurd.
(CUTE VOICE: You telling me.)
He held up his index finger as if trying to make a point, which he was.
"Ah. But in cold water, he becomes a scarlet-haired girl. The contract of
a prophesy may be fulfilled in more ways than one, circumstances pending,
of course." (CHEF'S NOTE: Why you... you... you... NABIKI!!!) He spread his
arms out dramatically. "Think of it as a twist of fate." _You do not
realize how much of a twist it actually is._ (CUTE VOICE: Oh, too bad. You
fall in Spring of Drowned Ranma. Very tragic legend of young boy who
change into young girl who drowned in spring one thousand five hundred year
ago.)
Miko almost laughed, but the more she thought about it, the more it
started to make sense. She stared at Ranma, then turned to the dark man
with glistening tears in her eyes. She tried to say something, but all of
her words stuck in her throat. She threw herself onto Ranma's chest and
started crying, but Ranma just lay there, still asleep, going through the
same sleepy motions he did when she first woke up in her staged dreamscape.
_He... he's not real! He's only a dream!_
The dark man put two fingers to his lips in a hushing gesture. "I did not
mean to make you cry. Did I say something wrong?" (CHEF'S NOTE: Ok. I
can't believe I'm defending the slut, but... THAT JACKASS!)
Regardless of what the thing under her was, Miko held onto it as if it
were her guardian. She peeked up at her nemisis and stammered, still
choked, "W... why a... are you doing this to m... me?"
The dark man folded his arms and seemed slightly annoyed. "You have
bested me in combat."
Miko snapped coldly, "So what! Is that you're reson to torture me?"
The dark man looked stunned for an instant, then he wagged his finger.
"No no no. You misunderstand." He folded his arms again and closed his
eyes (again), feeling a bit embarrassed for what he was about to say.
"*sigh* Long ago, when I had achieved a reasonably high status in the
Order, and being among the more powerful of my brothers, I was urged to
take an apprentice. Seeing my time as too valuable to waste on a
fledgeling who would almost certainly hinder my affairs, I refused.
However, after many seasons of badgering from my elders, I relented--but
conditionally. I vowed that I would only take an apprentice if he, or she,
could defeat me in combat. They found this acceptable."
"Wha?" Miko looked up in surprise and confusion, but she refused to leave
the warmth of her sleeping pseudo-guardian. She sniffled a few times and
tried to think about what he was telling her.
The dark man pursed his lips as if he didn't want to continue with the
explanation. But with a short sigh, he did anyway. "Not long afterward,
the elders decided that to further keep my knowledge and training in the
Order, I was to take a wife and produce an heir. Likewise I refused.
Anyway, few available brides were strong enough to keep my bloodline strong
or keep my interest." At this point he seemed to be musing to himself,
forgetting about Miko's presence. "*groan* One day... at a celibration I
would have rather not been to, my peers would not leave me alone about my
bachelor status, so... *scowl* in a drunken stupor I made a rediculous vow
that I would only take a wife if she could defeat me in combat." (CHEF'S
NOTE: You jackass!) (CUTE VOICE: Hey! Vow not that rediculous!)
Miko panicked. "WHAT?!"
The dark man shrugged, acknowledging her once again. "You are the first
to defeat me in over five hundred years. (CUTE VOICE: You not meet Great
Grandmother.) (DARK VOICE: BLAAK!!!) (CUTE VOICE: Hmph.) (CHEF'S NOTE: Ha
ha!) You qualify for both positions. Congradulations are in order."
"WHAT!?" Miko stared at the dark-robed man in unblinking awe. Tears
welled in her eyes and her hands started trembling. "Order?! Five hundred
years!!! By the gods, what are you talking about?! Who are you?!"
The dark man looked down in disappointment. "You're father never
mentioned me? I am hurt. We were once the best of friends and
colleagues." Miko held her breath. He waved his hand in dismissal.
"Telling you who I am would take far more time than I have at the moment,
so we had better leave that matter for our next discussion." Miko grabbed
her pseudo-guardian tighter, threatening to squeeze the pseudo-life from
his pseudo-body, and whimpered. She mouthed the word 'next', but no sound
came out.
The dark man clasped his hands in front of him. "Consider this as your
first lesson in your new... profession. The question I must ask of you is:
Who dies? You..." He nodded in her direction. "...or him." He nodded
in Ranma's direction.
Miko was too horrorstricken to gasp. She could barely breath. She
grabbed pseudo-Ranma's hand and pulled it to her chest. She squeeked, "I
can't make that kind of decision! I can't! I can't!"
The dark man looked up and to the side. "Hm. Very well. Then I suppose
I will have to make the choice for you." He grinned, musing to himself
(again). "I could perverbally kill three birds with one stone. Not only
would I have a bride and apprentice, but I would rid the world of a future
neusance. Master Saffron will be so pleased." (NOTE: For those of you that
may not know who Saffron is, find a good summary of volume 37 and 38.)
"Hn?"
The dark man looked down at Miko, just remembering that she was there.
"Oh. You must understand. I don't want you to die. I may not be able to
find another candidate for quite some time."
Miko pouted and tried as hard as she could to keep from crying, to stay
strong for her guardian. She channeled her pain into rage and yelled, "YOU
MONSTER!!!"
"Hm?" The dark man drew back, genuinely shocked.
Miko sat up, not taking her eyes off of her enemy's face, not even to
blink. "Guardian Spirit is my friend! The best friend I've ever had in my
entire life! You can't hurt him!" She paused to regain her strength and
clench her fists. Her chest was heaving eratically and her whole body was
trembling uncontrollably. "I won't let YOU or anyTHING harm Guardian
Spirit in ANY WAY!"
The dark man looked frantic. "But you would eventually forget...."
"SHUT UP!" Miko's voice was becoming harsher. "You asked me to make a
choice! Fine! I will! I would gladly die to save Guardian Spirit's life!
Do you hear me?! I would gladly DIE for him!!!" (CHEF'S NOTE: *sniffle*
you would... really... do that for Ranchan?)
* * * * *
Ranma could feel a warm body curled up next to his, a body that he warmly
and lovingly gripped. (CUTE VOICE: Oh! Can Shampoo play? Can Shampoo
play?) He smiled at the tender feeling of someone's naked breasts pressed
against his bare chest, the unusual, alluring sensation of flesh on flesh
that he.... (CUTE VOICE: Hey!) Wait a minute.
Ranma snapped his eyes open and drew back a bit to stare into Miko's
serene face--she was soundly asleep and dangerously close. He gulped and,
feeling terribly uncomfortable, quickly but gently unwrapped her arm from
around him and backed away. (CHEF'S NOTE: You'd better!)
He sat on his legs and turned away from her, blushing. Diverting his
mind, he studied the dimly-lit room he was in, and it didn't take long for
him to realize that it was HIS room--the guest room back at the dojo. But
there was no oversized panda sleeping in the adjacent mat--there was no
adjacent mat. Everything was unnaturally quiet--not even an insect
buzzing. A pale moonlight washed through the windows, duller than he
expected. He traced the path of the light across the floor, casually
neglecting Miko's direction for the moment, until he traced it onto his
chest--his MANLY chest.
He was not wearing a shirt, but he was wearing his favorite pair of black
trousers--much to his relief. He brought his hands up and touched his
chest to confirm that he was indeed male at the moment. But something felt
strange about the form he was in. His body didn't carry itself right and
he could almost feel two lumps where his own breasts would be (ghost breasts).
He heard a feminine moan of discomfort coming from behind, and he winced,
suddenly feeling like kicking himself. He needed to check on Miko to see
if she was hurt! This was no time to get embarrassed and shy away.
He turned around and instantly froze when he saw her. She was topless, as
he had felt not too long ago, and she was also wearing a black pair of
trousers like his, baggy as they always were in his girl form. Since he
had moved away from her, she had rolled onto her back and spread herself
wide across his mat in a pose Kunou would kill himself thirty-times over to
see, one arm out and one over her head, her head tilted slightly upward and
to the side.... Ranma's mouth gaped. (CHEF'S NOTE AND CUTE VOICE:
PERVERT!) She was absolutely stunning. _Is THAT really what I look like
when I sleep in girl form?_ It was much more revealing than any picture
Nabiki could ever take. She was.... Ranma closed his eyes and groaned.
_Just remember who you're lookin at, you pervert!_
Miko groaned and turned her head to the side with a disgusted look on her
face. Ramna hurried to her side (it's more like teleportation than
crawling) and touched a point on her arm to make sure her pulse was steady;
he hovered the other hand close to her mouth to check her breathing. He
started to whisper her name, but then he noticed something wrong--something
out of place.
"Ok. Whose back there? Is that you, Ryouga?" He tried to keep his voice
as low as possible. A few seconds later, a shadow that shouldn't have been
there started moving forward. Ranma moved around to put himself between it
and Miko, but he didn't leave her side.
"A very touching scene, would not you agree?" Into the hazy light stepped
a man wearing a long, black robe that twinkled with points of light, like a
piece of a starry, midnight sky had been cut out and woven into a garment.
His head was turned slightly to a crow on his left shoulder, whom he seemed
to be speaking to.
"And just who the heck are you and what are you doing in here?" Ranma
raised his hands into a light defensive posture.
The dark man waved his hand in dismissal and glanced around the room, then
at the topless girl he was protecting. "So this is what you were dreaming
about before I arrived." He sounded mockingly surprised.
Ranma's face drew up in confusion. "Huh?" He WAS dreaming about
something before he awoke, wasn't he. His mind quickly wandered around to
retrive the data he needed. He scratched the side of his head with a
finger and muttered, "Really? I could've swore I was dreaming about a
mile-high mound of catnip and and a ball of yarn." He shrugged. (CUTE
VOICE: Ooohh! Me too!)
The dark man groaned. (CUTE VOICE: Well, can't win em all.) The crow
chuckled. The dark man glanced coldly at it and it broke into a comical,
un-crowlike grin, then hopped down to the ground.
Ranma kept an eye on the crow as it hobbled closer. When it was close
enough, he smashed his foot into it to halt its progress, then returned his
attention to the dark man and waited for an answer.
The dark man motioned toward Miko. "I just wanted to see why your little
friend is so devoted to you. She would do anything for you, you know."
Ranma glanced back at Miko, then back at the stranger. "Yeah? Well...
huh?" Ranma turned to see the crow hopping around on Miko's stomach. He
carefully shifted his glance from the bird to the dark guy and back to the
bird. As of yet, the stranger was just standing there. Ranma finished his
thought: "Well, you could say the feeling's mutual."
The crow hopped closer and closer to Miko's chest, constantly swivelling
its head sideways to look at her body from all possible angles. When it
reached her breasts, it started lightly poking at them with his beak. Miko
grunted in discomfort but did not wake, and Ranma narrowed his eyes. The
crow stared at one of her nipples like an infinitely strange object,
placing its eye almost directly on top. It pecked the surface and Miko
grunted even louder, but did not wake.
Ranma instantly grabbed the curious bird by the throat and hissed, "That
wasn't a very nice thing to do, especially to a girl!" He tossed the bird
back to the dark stranger, who caught it like a softball and scolded it for
its rudeness.
He turned back to the dark stranger more fiercely. "Now you better tell
me who you are and what you're doing here before I get mad!"
The dark man smiled. "How strongly do you feel for the girl? Are you
prepared to die for her? She is prepared to die for you."
Ranma's eyes widened in shock, but soon returned to normal. He chuckled,
"A true martial artist is always ready to lay down his, or her, life for
another."
The dark man smiled as well. "Is that so. Miko has already decided to
sacrifice her life for yours this very day."
Ranma gasped and his eyes widened again. "What? Wha'd'ya mean?"
The dark man gleemed in approval, having successfully grabbed his
attention. He folded his arms and started slowly pacing. "You may call me
what you like--I do not really have a name anymore, or a preference to one.
And I am, I guess you may call me, a messenger of the Fates. My masters
write the future like a script for a play and I, in turn, make sure it
happens. It is a very interesting and challenging profession."
"So what're you tryin to say?" Ranma sidestepped with each move his
adversary made, making sure he was always between the stranger and his
friend. "That you can control the future or somethin?"
The dark man chuckled and started stroking his crow like a cat. "Or
something."
"So what're ya doin here?" Ranma was mildly interested--even though this
was more Cologne's area--but he didn't like the feel of the stranger's cold
presence and wanted him away.
The dark man stopped and folded his arms, much to the crow's annoyance.
He said sternly, "You know as well as I, Ranma Saotome, that Miko Lee is
fated to die. It has already been written." Ranma almost fell backward in
shock, but he didn't say anything. "You at least suspected that she was
the one who drowned in the the infamous Cursed Springs."
Ranma's face drew up in fear. The crow sort of laughed-gurgled. Ranma
clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, a tear forming in his eye. "I...
I'll prevent it from happening! I'll stick to her like glue for the rest
of her life if necessary!"
The dark man shook his head slowly. "You know that you cannot do that.
You have other places to be. Anyway, she's going to die today, and I
assure you, you will not be able to stop it."
"I...." Ranma started to repeat his litany, but he felt less sure of the
words now. No matter how pigheaded he wanted to be about it, he knew a
prophesy of death was over his head. He was cursed in the Spring of
Drowned Girl, and Miko seemed to be the unlucky drowned victim. "But how
can she die now? The girl and the pig (Niko) weren't supposed to die in
the same century!"
The dark man shugged. "Mortal error. You should correct the guide who
told you that."
Ranma closed his eyes tightly. _Shit!_ The tear fell down Ranma's cheek,
but he didn't notice. He muttered hashly, "There's got to be something I
can do!"
The dark man brightened--he had been waiting for this moment. "Ah! But
there is." Ranma looked up, still with a sour face. The stranger placed
the crow back on his shoulder and continued pacing. "My efforts have not
yet been completed. Fate has not yet been sealed. I still need one item
for the binding ceremony: the phoenix statue."
"That goofy thing?" Ranma almost laughed.
The dark man was slightly annoyed at the majestic bird's description.
(CUTE VOICE: Please. It really goofy-looking bird.) "With that statue, I
can... bend the prophesy to allow Miko to live!" He turned his back in
disgust. "However, it was taken from me soon after I retrieved it, and it
will be difficult, even for me, to repossess in time to save her."
Ranma growled, "Just tell me where it is and I'll get it myself!"
The dark man laughed lightly. "I am sure you would." He spun back
around--almost joyfully. "But you need not be so foolish. Xi Fang and his
court jester now hold the phoenix idol, and they will use it to lure me
into combat. Today, when the sun nears its zenith, I will challenge the
former emperor for the idol, and his court jester will be left to guard the
statue. All you have to do is take it from him."
Ranma, teeth still clenced, glanced at Miko. "Ok. I'll do it. For Miko."
The dark man tickled the crow under its chin and it crooned. "Did you
hear that? Such devotion." He stretched his arms out as if he had been
working hard, the clasped his hands together. "I have rather grown to
admire you, Saotome--as a fighter and a teacher."
"Hm?" Ranma raised his eyebrows.
"You have done a splendid job of training Miko." He bowed with a
flourish. "I was her first victory."
Ranma did a double-take. "She defeated you in a fight?!" He looked hard
at Miko. "But how?" When he turned back, the dark-robed man was gone.
He heard the dark man's voice echo through the walls: "You must have more
faith in your abilities, and hers as well."
* * * * *
The midnight-robed man, the avatar, sat in a small, shaded glade with his
legs crossed and arms folded. His eyes were closed, and he was in a deep
trance. The black bird resting on his shoulder was also in a deep trance.
The both steadily recovered at the same rate. The bird ruffled its
feathers, but the dark man did nothing.
He glanced at the crow out of the corner of his eye. "Do you think they
got the message?"
The bird bobbed its head and squawked.
* * * * *
Ranma and Miko both felt a warm body curled up next to her, a body which
she warmly and lovingly embraced. Ranma could feel the peculiar sensation
of someone's breasts pressed against hers, separated by cloth, but
still.... Wait a minute.... HER OWN BREASTS! Miko suddenly came to the
same realization.
Ranma and Miko both blinked their eyes open at the same time to stare into
their own mirror image in wonderment. They stared at each other a few
seconds, then looked at their chests. Miko shrieked, "You're a girl!" just
as Ranma shrieked, "I'm a girl!" and they both pushed away quickly.
Doshin, Reikiba, and Twilight looked up from the spots where they were lying.
Miko was momentarily startled, sitting dumbly and covering her chest with
her arms, but then she started crawling toward Ranma, deciding that she
still liked the feeling of her guardian's embrace. (CHEF'S NOTE: Oh, crap!
Not you too!) Ranma kept backing away, waving a hand in front of her, and
shouting, "I'm sorry I'm sorry it's not what you think I wasn't trying to...."
!CRASH! A hand suddenly punched up from the rubble and grabbed Ranma's
forearm with uncanny strength (I would say wrist, but her wrist is too
small.). "Waaaaa!!!" Ranma cried out in pain and fear, then started
pommeling the mysterious hand with a rock. Miko hurried and did the same.
The three onlookers sprang up to help, but by that time, Miko started
rapidly stabbing it with her needle and it let go.
Ranma immediately scooped Miko into her arms and ran for the open field
away from the jungle. Reikiba immediately scooped Doshin into his arms and
ran INTO the jungle. Twilight looked right and left, wondering which duo
to follow--and why they were splitting up.
!BOOM! The area around the hand exploded and rubble was sent shooting in
all directions. The shimmercat was sent tumbling toward the jungle and
barely missed a tree. _The jungle it is._ She dashed into the bushes that
the samurai brushed past.
As the smoke was settling, a pair of bloodied hands clutched at the far
edge of the newly-formed crater. Lon pulled himself half-way out of the
hole, threw an elbow onto level ground, then rested while he looked around,
breathing hard.
He wasn't going to let this event go lightly. _THAT DOES IT! I'LL MAKE
SURE THEY FEEL A LOT OF PAIN BEFORE THEY DIE!!!_ He pounded his fist
against the ground and yelled, "YOU'LL ALL SUFFER FOR THIS!!!"
"WHA...!" The small seizmic desturbance of his fist caused him to fall
back in, and the crater collapsed, burying him again.
* * * * *
"Salon?!"
Salon stumbled out of the foliage and into the harem girls' loose
encampment. (NOTE: And don't you say it, Ukyou!) (CHEF'S NOTE: What?! I
wasn't gonna say nothin!) She was doubled over, holding one arm across her
ribcage, and she was limping heavily, her left leg stiff and dragging while
she held the other hand against her crotch.
Most of the harem girls, recognizing the nature of the second wound,
momentarily forgot about their own pain and reflexively placed their hands
protectively over their own crotch (CHEF'S NOTE: And some over other's
crotches.) (NOTE: *sigh*). Komiki, being the only one up at the moment,
rushed to Salon's side to help her walk. "Mistress Salon! What happened?"
"Out of my way, whelp!" Salon tried to forcibly shove Komiki away, but
only managed to lose her balance. She staggered and cried, "Perhaps a
little help!" Komiki smiled and took Salon's arm, then helped her limp
over to where Chun-Mae was standing smugly with her arms crossed.
Chun-Mae eyed her sometimes-friend with amusement. "Run into some trouble
along the way, witchwoman?"
Salon spit a bit of blood onto the ground and hissed, "Because of that
damned Liu-Sing, I may not be able to have children!" (CHEF'S NOTE: Aaaaw.
Too bad. That would solve a few of MY problems, though.) (CUTE VOICE: Hey!)
The former empress looked shocked. Komiki wobbled and gasped hastily,
"Mistress Chun-Mae! She's getting heavier!" Chun-Mae quickly took Salon's
other arm and held her up with surprising strength. The former-harem-girl
sighed in relief.
Salon spat, "That clown you so much admire has double-crossed us and taken
the statue for himself! I tried to follow him through the jungle, but he
suprised me... (CUTE VOICE: Suuuure he did.) and tried to kill me." Komiki
gasped, unused to violence.
Chun-Mae scowled. She had found Liu-Sing full of grace and humor, and she
thought he was different than all the other men she knew. She had greatly
overestimated him. She hissed, "Men." The guards within earshot looked
around with worry.
Salon looked around the clearing in distaste. All the girls were huddled
closely together for support, some lightly crying, some sniffling, and some
peacefully holding on to another with her eyes closed. Several embarrassed
guards, unmasked but still cloaked, were sitting within the mass with two
or three girls each hanging off of them in some way--the guards looked as
though they'd rather be elsewhere. It looked like one massive group hug.
Suddenly, Salon winced in pain and her leg spasmed. Komiki looked down
and saw that the sorceress tightened her grip around her (own) inner thigh.
Komiki leaned forward to meet Salon's gaze and asked, without shyness,
"May I have a look at your wound?" Some of the girls looked up and held
their breaths.
Komiki reached down, but Salon slapped her hand away in disgust. "I'll
pass." She shoved away from Chun-Mae and balanced herself. "Anyway, I
have more important matters to attend to." Komiki was dismayed.
Salon started walking and Chun-Mae grabbed her arm. "Wait! Where are you
going?"
Salon yanked her arm away and continued walking away. "Away from here. I
have things to do. Liu-Sing must pay."
Chun-Mae held out her arm to stop the witchwoman again, but Salon dodged
forward. "But we need you here! All of these girls need your expertese to
survive out here! I do not know enough and the guards I have are barely
adequate!"
Salon stopped to think about something, but she didn't turn around.
Komiki, who had been standing like a frightened child, bravely stepped up.
"Please, Mistress Salon! We'll do anything you say!"
Salon smiled.
Chun-Mae gulped when she thought of the possible implications of Komiki's
promise. _*sigh* What's done is done._ She straightened herself up and,
when the witchwoman didn't move for a long time, she said, "Now would you
get back here and let Komiki look at that wound." She smiled. "Trust me,
I know from personal experience that Komiki's touch can be... miraculously
soothing." (CUTE VOICE AND CHEF'S NOTE: PERVERT!)
Salon rolled her eyes and groaned.
* * * * *
Former Emperor Xi Fang, still wearing nothing more than dark gray pants,
was sitting in the usual meditative position atop a grassy hill. The sun,
still rising in the west, shone on him with warm waves, unhindered by trees
or shrubbery. He smiled as he felt all of his energy steadily returning
through the vibrant rays.
Liu-Sing stood a few feet away, facing away from the sun, and juggled
three red balls and the phoenix statue. Two guards stood silently in the
shade of a tree. The jester asked after a period of unnerving silence,
"Should I go and check the remains of the palace for survivors?"
Xi Fang answered calmly, "That is not necessary. They all survived."
Liu-Sing looked surprised but didn't lose his concentration. He shrugged.
"What about the 'Dark One'?"
Fang smiled. "He will come to me now that I have the idol." Liu-Sing
shrugged again. Fang added, "He will bring another. I trust you can deal
with him."
Liu-Sing smiled and started juggling behind his back.
* * * * *
Ranma stopped running after she realized two things: 1) Lon was way the
hell back there, and 2) She had absolutely no idea where they were. She
fell to his knees in the middle of a lush meadow and set Miko down, then
backed away.
She held out her hands pleadingly. "Look, Miko, I don't know what
happened back there! I don't even know how we got in that position--I
can't remember! One minute I'm in the palace, and then I musta blacked out
or something, so don't go gettin the wrong...."
"Shut up."
Ranma stopped and looked at Miko more carefully. She was holding her arms
as if she were cold, and tears were streaking down her face from her big,
beautiful, glittery eyes. She bit her lower lip. Ranma reached out a
hand, but was afraid to touch her lest she fall to pieces. Ranma settled
down and asked, "Why are you crying?"
Miko stared at her guardian for several seconds and pouted, her condition
only deteriorating, until finally, she rushed forward, tightly embraced her
friend, and started crying into her shoulder.
After Ranma overcame the sudden shock, she steadily closed her arms around
Miko. She asked again, more softly, "Why are you crying? What's wrong?"
She was answered with sobs. For a long while, they just held each other
with nothing said.
Miko loosened her grip and her stomach started rumbling. She slowly
started laughing tears instead of shedding them and chimed, "Guardian
Spirit, can we go get something to eat?" Ranma's face contorted in confusion.
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Ok ok. So this is another long one. I tried to keep it short-- HONESTLY!
Again, I hope it was worth the effort.
I've been thinking a lot about Miko. (CHEF'S NOTE: Yeah. In the bedroom,
in the bathroom....) Shutup. You're getting just as bad as Happousai!
(CHEF'S NOTE: Eeew! Take it back! Take it back!) (CUTE VOICE: Hmph. And
everyone think Shampoo bad.) Anyway, the more I write about Miko, the more
I like her. I.... Well, I'll just say that you'll be seeing her again in
the future.
I was kind of stuck after I blew up the palace. (CHEF'S NOTE: HA! You
only WISH you had that kind of power.) Anyway, blowing up the palace seemed
to be the climax of the story, but I still had some more material to cover.
I wasn't expecting to have to resort to dream sequences, but it does
achieve what I wanted and it does lead to the final battle--the story's
just gotten a lot more affectionate, and so has Ranma (but I guess without
abuse from Akane or tug-of-war among his other fiancees, he would open up a
bit more).
Anyway, I hope it all works out. THE NEXT CHAPTER: (CHEF'S VOICE:
Drumroll please! *drumroll*) THE CONCLUSION OF THE STORY! (CUTE VOICE:
Oooh. Aaaaah. Impressive.)
Shie shen.