Apparently, only three paragraphs made it out the last time.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Three

	Ranma sat with an elbow on the table, his chin in his hand as he
looked across the table at Akane's father.  Soun was nearly catatonic.
After being told his house would be the center of an all out war, Soun
immediately went into a catatonic trance.  Ranma knew it was going to
happen, as did everyone else.  It seemed to be a slightly comic blip in a
symphony of tragedy.  On the other hand, everyone in the room knew that
tumultuous times were in store for Nerima.  It was only a matter of time
before things took a drastic turn for the worse.
	Ranma felt someone watching him and turned to see his fiance
looking back at him in curiosity.  Ranma raised an eyebrow as she scooted
over to sit next to him.
	"Have you noticed how quiet everything's become?" she whispered.
	"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Ranma replied nonchalantly.
	"Just look at everyone!  Kasumi and Nabiki actually look worried.
Dad's in another one of his trances, and your parents don't look very
happy at the moment.  Then there's Ukyou," Akane said with a glance over
to the okonomiyaki chef.  Ukyou sat in the doorway, knees drawn up to her
chest, gazing out into the yard.  Haruko sat next to her, whispering
something to her, while Faith stood behind Ukyou gazing out into the yard
as well.
	"What do you suppose they're talking about?" Akane whispered to
Ranma.
	"Dunno."
	"Why are you so calm about everything?"
	"It's not like I can really do anything," Ranma replied with a
derisive snort.  "It's the rules."
	"You can act like you care!" Akane hissed.
	"What am I supposed to do?  You heard those three Norm-thing
women.  This is neutral ground now.  I'm not supposed to go bust heads
here.  As much as I want to take out Mr. Football and the gaijin in the
business suit, I can't.  If there's one thing I can do, it's follow rules
of combat, and it says no combat here.  What else am I supposed to do?"
	"Well you could at least say something to Ukyou or something.
Offer to help in some way."
	"Look who's talking!  I haven't seen you do anything yet, and
besides, whenever I open my mouth, you end up pounding me.  What would
happen if I said something wrong to one of those people?"
	Akane blushed.
	"I don't hit you that much!"
	Ranma simply rolled his eyes.

	"I'm sorry that you had to get dragged into all of this."
	Ukyou turned her head to look at Haruko out of the corner of her
eyes and sighed.
	"If had been in Angela's shoes, I would not have cast Ken out for
his actions."
	Ukyou raised an eyebrow.
	"Exactly what did Ken do that was so bad?"
	Haruko smiled.  
	"It wasn't so much what Ken did that was so bad.  I think what Ken
did was very valiant, even though it wasn't very honorable of him.  It's
one of those rare moments where his emotions get the best of him and he
acts on them," she said.  "You see, Angela has always been the Aspect of
Fate.  Faith and I were made Aspects after Angela intervened in the deaths
of both of the original Aspects of Life and Death.  It allowed us to
become their successors.  However, there was a very brief time when
Angela's position was usurped while Ken and Andrew were away, trying to
undo some of the evil that Cassius had caused.  Cassius misjudged a deal
he made with another known as Aries."
	Haruko sighed and her eyes took on a distant look.
	"Aries was able to renege on a deal he made with Cassius, take his
power and cause havoc among the Aspects.  He murdered Ken and Andrew's
parents, knowing they'd track him down for revenge, only Aries made it
appear as though Judas had done it.  At the same time, he was able to
cause a war between Cassius, Judas, and Angela.  The brother's banded to
depose Angela for what they saw as gross violation of her position as the
Aspect of Fate.  They weren't able to depose her, but Aries, with his new
powers, was able to usurp her position.  It was the first time Faith and I
had seen our sister brought so low.
	"Then Ken showed up after figuring out everything.  Aries had
misjudged Andrew and Ken's reactions.  They both are warriors with
channeling abilities, but Andrew is far more reserved, more conservative
than Ken.  Ken was a sight to behold when he reached the dias in Angela's
realm.  He radiated with a tremendous aura of righteous anger and power.
Even thinking about it brings back those feelings of awe and amazement.
It showed us all the potential that he has.  It even instilled fear in
some of us.  Ken simply drew his sword and faced down Aries.  He
challenged Aries to a duel in complete view of everyone there.  Aries
tried his best, but Ken fought like a man possessed.  Aries didn't have
much of a chance.  He begged for his life, but Ken struck him down without
a word."
	Ukyou looked confused.
	"What's wrong with that?"
	"Nothing," Haruko said, "except that once Angela resumed her
position as the Aspect of Fate, she pointed out that Ken breached one of
the rules of engagement.  Ken gave no time for Aries to prepare for the
duel.  He simply went right into battle with him. Add on top of that, the
fact that Ken should have spared Aries his life, although I don't share
that opinion."
	"Aries deserved it though, didn't he?"
	"I don't know if he deserved it, but the fact of the matter was
that Ken broke an important rule of engagement.  As a result, Angela cast
him from the clan.  She told him his dishonor was too great a stain on her
clan to ignore."
	Ukyou turned back to look out into the yard.
	"Does she know just how badly Ken took it?  When he got here, he
was a wreck."
	"I don't think Angela knew how much she hurt him.  I don't think
she knew how much she hurt him even though she knew he was in love with
her."
	"I still can't believe that Ken was in love with that woman,"
Ukyou spat.
	"He was, but I don't think it was nearly as true as the love that
he had for you.  To sacrifice himself in such a manner is sign of how much
he did love you."
	"It's too bad I can't do anything in return."
	"But you can.  Remember him and always cherish his memory.  There
are a great many of us, myself included, that believe that the people who
fall in love with each other find each other in their next lives.  If your
love was true, then it will be stronger than any power any of us can
wield.  You will find him again, and your happiness will know no bounds."
	"You make it sound so easy."
	"It is, but only in so far as it's as easy as we make it," Faith
said with a smile, as she walked out towards the dojo.
	"And what am I supposed to do about your sister?"
	"Angela?  I don't know.  She's an enigma, even to her own family,"
Haruko said.
	"Do you think I'll ever see Ken again?  Before I die?"
	Haruko smiled a warm and gentle smile that gave Ukyou hope.
	"I have a feeling you'll see him sooner than you imagine.  If
there's one thing I know about Ken, it's that he never gives up on those
things he cares about the most.  That means his family, his friends, and
especially the person he'd want to marry."
	Ukyou looked back out into the yard.  She didn't know what Haruko
meant about getting married, but it still gave her something to hold on
to.

	As she stood alone by the body, she shed a single tear.  She cried
for herself and for acting so stupidly.  Her actions resulted in the loss
of the one person she would ever admit to loving wholeheartedly.  At first
it was all a game to her, seeing how easily Ken would follow her lead.  It
soon turned into a game of how much she could get him to like her.  There
wasn't much encouragement needed to make it for from there to loving him.
All her life she'd been surrounded by toadies and yes-men, looking for a
piece of her power, looking for the quick and easy way to immortality and
power.  Find a god or goddess and then suck up to them like never before.
Hope they give you what you want in return for your unwavering, albeit
foolish, devotion.
	Ken broke the mold.  It wasn't as if nobody had broken the mold
before.  She was sure a hundred thousand other people had acted
differently and told her their minds, only those times Angela had simply
executed them.  Ken was different.  He wasn't a brash outspoken warrior,
or a sniveling lackey.  Ken was Ken and that was enough.  He carried
himself with enough confidence, but never imposed on anyone.  He said his
mind when he was asked, and protested when he felt it was necessary, but
other than that Ken kept to himself.  It fascinated Angela to no end.  Of
all the people that asked to join her clan, Ken was the only one she'd met
that didn't presume that joining the Clan of Fate would fulfill his
ambitions.  In fact, it was the opposite, if anything.  Ken didn't seem to
have any ambitions until he joined, until he met her.
	Angela smiled at the memory.  That was when she truly fell in love
with him.  That kind smile, and the gentleness that filled her whenever he
was around made her fall hard for him.  It wasn't easy to admit, and ever
harder to show.  She was a warrior first and a lover second.  Business
before pleasure she'd always joke, but it was the truth.  Now it drove
away the only person she'd ever loved and he was dead; and that could
easily be changed, but at a price.
	She wiped a tear that trickled down her cheek and stifled a sob.
It hurt her so much thinking about how foolishly she'd acted.  It was her
job to maintain the codes of honor and discipline, but what was the use if
she had to cast away the only person she'd ever loved.  
	Angela unfolded her left hand, and a single red rose appeared.
The rose, and miniature spatula from Ukyou were still on his chest, but
she brushed them off.  She laid it on his chest, wrapping his hands around
it tenderly.  As hard as she tried she couldn't keep herself from quietly
crying.  It wasn't becoming of a warrior like her to show such
vulnerability, but it was too hard to keep it to herself anymore.  Too
much hurt her now.  First having to drive him away, then finding out that
he had been challenged to a life and death duel.  Then, just when she
thought she'd found him, she saw him with another woman, and a mortal no
less!  It was as if the sum total of her fears had been turned into a
dagger and been thrust deep into her heart.  It made her feel cold through
and through, and tore a hole deep into her soul.  To top it all off, Ken
sacrificed himself to save her, to save the woman he loved.  Why wasn't
she woman he loved anymore?
	"Because you treated him so badly.  He loved you with all his
heart and you only showed it to him in fleeting moments, and even then
only in jest.  You teased him with your love, thinking your whimsical
moments would be enough.  How wrong you were."
	Angela snapped to attention, turning quickly to hide her tears.
	"You have no business intruding on private matters, Faith!"
	"Private matters?  You should have spoken to us about this long
ago, sister.  We could have helped."
	"Don't make me laugh!  You couldn't have cared.  You two had your
lovers, your husbands.  You'd have rubbed it in my face if I came to you."
	"For your information, both Haruko and I have only married once.
Andrew was the only lover I ever had, and it changed into much more than
that.  Andrew and I share something you sought for so long.  Why couldn't
you accept it when you needed it most?"
	"Do you think I didn't know?  I'm the incarnation of fate!  I knew
when it was time to tell him I loved him."
	"Love clouds judgement.  You let your love for him cloud your
abilities to see which lines of destiny will come to pass.  You could have
changed things to benefit yourself, but you didn't.  You were to sure of
yourself."
	Angela turned to look away from her sister, her eyes filling with
tears again.
	"You should have known the day Haruko confronted you.  She wanted
to help you so much.  We wanted to help you.  It was the first time we'd
seen you truly happy for so long, do you think we would have wanted to
take it from you?"
	"Do you think telling me that Ken was going to die was going to
help me?"
	"It would have helped if you'd been willing to listen, if you'd
been willing to show your feelings.  Haruko told you his lifeline was
going to be cut short because of love.  She saw that his line was tangled
with two others, yours and Ukyou's.  She couldn't tell who's lines they
were, but she knew that you would.  It is a tangled skein we must watch
over, and it is only when all of us cooperate that we can interpret what
will come to pass."
	"You think telling him that I cared would have been enough?"
	"I think it would have been more than enough if you told him, with
all your heart that you loved him beyond what words could express.  It
meant so much to him to see you happy, and it would have meant even more
to hear you say it, to see that you meant it."
	"He should have been able to tell from the way I acted."
	Faith sighed and shook her head.
	"You knew Ken was no better at reading other people's emotions as
he was his own.  If Ken couldn't understand his own feelings, then how
could he understand yours?"
	"He understood that he loved me."
	"And what about you?"
	"What about me?"
	"Did you love him?"
	"Yes."
	"Did you tell him?  Did you ever express that?"
	"All the time."
	Faith frowned.
	"Ken expressed it whenever he could.  He never felt anything from
you.  I could see that.  Haruko could as well.  Everyone could.  Why do
you think it was so easy for Chaos and Order to manipulate him into
fighting them?  All they had to mention was your name and he would
explode.  That's why he could win every battle.  All he had to do was
think about the chance that if he should come back victorious from a
battle for your honor that you'd show your love for him.  You never did
though, and that was your undoing."
	Angela slowly bent forward, embracing Ken's face with her hands,
and brought her forehead to touch his.  It was still warm.
	"I can make right everything I've done wrong," she whispered.
	"Can you?" Faith asked quietly.
	"Yes, I can," Angela replied with determination.  "All it takes is
the exchange of one soul for another.  I can bring Ken back and make right
everything wrong."
	"You'll tell him that you love him?"
	"Of course.  I'll do everything I need to show him that I care."
	"But what of his love for Ukyou?"
	"It doesn't matter."
	"Angela, as your sister, I beg you to look at this clearly.  You
let your love cloud your vision before, don't let it do so again," Faith
said quietly.  
	Angela looked at her sister as she quietly turned around and left
the dojo.  A firey reply died in her throat, all that came out was a
whimper and a sob.  Angela buried herself in Ken's unmoving chest and wept
openly.

	"And so what do we do about it?"
	Cassius looked over the skyline of the city as he stood on the
roof of one of the larger buildings in Nerima.
	"What we do, dear brother, is do what we do best.  You've never
been much of one for grand plans-"
	"And you've never been much of one for a good fistfight."
	Cassius eyed his brother with a lack of amusement.
	"Judas, you are the very embodiment of the Darwinian paradox."
	"The Darwy-what?"
	"I can't understand how such a debased Neanderthal such as
yourself could occupy such an elevated niche in the hierarchy metaphysical
existence."
	Judas glared at his brother.
	"I may not be smart like you Cassius, but I got to where I am fair
and square!"
	Cassius shook his head.
	"I highly doubt braining someone in their sleep is 'fair and
square.'"
	"I woke 'em up before I hit 'em!"
	"Judas, please try to use refined speech when you speak to me.  I
get headaches when you drop into that guttersnipe talk you use."
	"I only act civilized when it gets me somewhere my muscles don't."
	Cassius sighed.
	"At any rate, Judas, we will simply do what we feel is right.  We
deserve that dead body more than the others do."
	"We do?"
	"Of course we do!  Why do you think we're here?"
	"So I can stomp all over that Chink's dead body."
	Cassius grit his teeth.
	"Judas, how many times have I told you before, if we can get that
body we can make Ken do whatever we want!"
	"You said that about Aries."
	"Shut up about Aries!"
	"Heh.  I think I just outsmarted you."
	"No, you just touched a nerve is all," Cassius said as he
straightened his suitcoat.
	"So we get his body, then what?"
	"We ressurect it, and because we did it to allow him to be with
his loved ones, he does our dirty work for us."
	"He does?  How's that?  He hates our guts, you know."
	"Yours perhaps, but he's never had reason to hate me."
	"You killed his ma an' pa."
	"No I didn't."
	"Yeah, you did.  You got Aries to-"
	"Shut up!  Don't mention that name around me again!"
	"For the smart one, you sure do lose your temper a lot."
	"That because I'm smart enough to have a temper, you idiot!"
	Judas reached out and boxed his brother's ear idly.
	"Don't call me an idiot.  Don't act like I don't understand your
big words.  Just because I don't talk like you doesn't mean I don't
understand you."
	Cassius glared at Judas and brushed himself off.
	"Look, we ressurect Ken and give him the option to stay freely
here with the girl he's in love with."
	"Why don't we take her hostage?"
	"Because that'd just get him peeved.  You remember what he was
like when he got peeved?"
	"I've seen him mad plenty."
	"But that time he was really peeved?"  Cassius put a great deal of
emphasis on "really."
	"Oh yeah.  So we don't.  So why will he listen to us?"
	"Because Fate would only take him back to the realms.  No Nerima
in the realms, no cute girl that he's in love with."
	"Ukyou?"
	"Yes, Ukyou."
	"She means that much to him?"
	"I'm sure of it.  At least, that's what I can tell from the way
Faith and Haruko are so protective of her.  That and the way Angela
despises her."
	"So how do you propose we get to the body?"
	"I thought I'd leave that to you."
	Judas smiled.
	"And how do we resurrect the body?"
	"Kill off an Avatar I suppose," Cassius replied thoughtfully.
	"That's nuts.  They're only three others besides Andrew, now.
There's Sin and Vice.  I don't think Sin or Vice could do it alone.
Unless you want us to kill off our own Avatars, but I don't think you're
that crazy.  That leaves that other guy.  The new one."
	"Death's Avatar?  Luring him here should be easy, but I wasn't
thinking of that."
	Judas looked at his brother with a confused expression.  Cassius
looked at him evenly.
	"Don't you understand, Judas?  With all these worthless people
here, it'll be a breeze turning them into clansmen and then eliminating
them.  If that doesn't suit your fancy, we find someone who'll do the
eliminating for us, then we eliminate them.  As soon as we have enough
souls lined up, we make the exchange."
	"And if everyone else has problems with it?"
	"Then we tell them that unless they give us the body to resurrect,
no deal.  Souls keep getting sacrificed."
	"How are you going to do that?"
	"Sacrifice souls?  We make up some dark god.  It'll be easy
convincing some idiot bastard off the street that he's the next prophet,
and then give him some bells and whistles to go along with the title.  As
soon as we have some occult set up, we run the operation smooth as silk."
	"You think that's going to work?"
	"Of course it will, but I'll be depending on you to do your bit."
	"Raising hell in this little town of ours?"
	Cassius grinned broadly.
	"But of course, brother dear!"
	Judas looked out across the skyline as the sun set.
	"This'll be the most fun I've had since the plague."
	"The plague?"
	"A bet.  One of the generals thought I couldn't do subtle
genocide."
	"So what happened to him for losing?"
	Judas grinned at his brother and jumped off the roof of the
building.
	"I cut off his thumbs and made him eat them," he called over his
shoulder.


*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Ethan Tsai
1 N. College Street
Northfield, MN 55057

TSAIE@Gridley.ACNS.Carleton.edu
http://public.carleton.edu/~tsaie/ethan.html

Quote of the day:
"Ever try gamma radaiation?  Did wonders for me."
	-The Incredible Hulk