<standard disclaimer>
Don't sue me.  Please.
</standard disclaimer>

I recommend the entire Dahlia album (sans White Poem I), for this one.
And the next two chapters.  
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Chapter Fourteen

	Ranma stared venomously at Ryouga as the bandana-clad boy fidgeted
slightly under the combined gaze of Akane and Ranma.  Ranma could tell it
was mostly from Akane.  The amount of pure ice and hate that seemed to
shoot out from her eyes at Ryouga was noticeable to everyone.
	"What do you think you're doing here, Ryouga?" Ranma growled.  He
could feel the great desire to leap out from the circle and beat Ryouga
mercilessly warring with his other emotions.
	"Don't do it, Ranma," Andrew warned, sensing the mounting tension.
"Leave the circle and Ken will die.  Leave the circle and everything will
be lost.  Is that what you want?"
	Ryouga never really noticed the looks he got from Ranma.  His
world had suddenly collapsed into the withering gaze that Akane was
leveling at him.  It hurt enough simply imagining what she would do to
him, what she would say to him.  Every moment of silence was painful for
the lost boy.
	"We're here for the body," Judas said flatly, in English.
	"You don't get him.  He's a little occupied at the moment," Darian
replied evenly.
	"Well, we're going to make him unbusy in a little bit," Judas
replied coolly.
	Darian simply glared at Judas.  Out of the corner of his eyes, he
could see the troops slowly edging into the dojo.
	"Tell your troops to back off, or bad things will happen, Judas,"
Haruko said as she stepped forward.  Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
	"Don't make me grumpy," the Aspect of Death hissed.  She walked up
next to her Avatar.  "You don't want to see me grumpy," she finished.
	Judas snorted derisively.
	"You can't do anything without breaking the rules now," he said
flatly.
	"Who says breaking the rules is a bad thing?" she asked.
	"I'm blind here," Angela said nonchalantly.
	Haruko smiled.
	"You still can't do anything," Judas growled.
	"Try me," Haruko spat.
	Judas backed a step and drew his axe.
	"Maybe I will," he said flatly.
	Judas didn't have time to.  A corner by the door to the dojo tore
away as a giant pillar of rock erupted from underneath.  Judas and his
troops scurried away as the pillar lowered back to the ground, tossing
away chunks of the torn dojo walls.  All eyes descended on Cassius as he
stood flanked by Vice and Mousse.
	"Hello folks," he said in Japanese, with a smile.  "I'm glad you
could all make it here today, on this rather momentous occasion."
	"I should have known you were the one behind this," Faith hissed.
	"Really now, you should treat my brother Judas like a Neanderthal
just because he quiet as smart as the rest of us.  On the other hand, I
don't think Judas could have pulled this off."
	Judas growled at his brother.
	"Now I'd like you to hand over the body," Cassius said with a
smile.  "After you halt the process and restore Ken's soul and the
Ethereal back into the body."
	"What makes you think we'll do that?"
	"Well, first of all, if you don't, Ken dies.  I don't think the
majority of the people here would like that, especially the young lady
there," Cassius replied with a nod at Ukyou.
	"Speaking of which, what exactly were you going to do with Ken
after you brought him back?" Cassius asked with mock interest.
	"It's none of your business, Cassius," Angela hissed.
	"But don't you think the young lady there would like to know?"
	"What are you going to do to him?" Ukyou asked anxiously.
	"Don't play into his game, Ukyou," Faith warned.
	"Tell me what you're going to do to him," Ukyou insisted.
	"We would have brought him back with us," Haruko said quietly.
	"But what about me?" Ukyou asked plaintively.
	"It would have been best for Ken if he didn't see you after the
resurrection.  He would have been confined to our world until his
assistance was needed."
	"What?!"
	"He had a higher responsibility to his clan," Angela said firmly.
	"But you cast him out of his clan!"
	"Well, I'd readmit him.  It's kind of like being suspended from
school," Angela spat.
	"But he loved me!" Ukyou protested.
	"And he died for it," Faith said quietly.  "All of us agree that
while Ken loved you, it wasn't good for him.  He learned a great deal with
you, we'll admit that, but we can't afford to have this situation arise
again.  It's far too risky for everyone, and for the balance of power that
exists now."
	"I think it's a little too late, for that, ne?" Cassius
volunteered.
	"Shut up, Cassius," Angela hissed.
	"But you see, I'm not like you people," Cassius said evenly.  "I'd
take Ken and let him do whatever he wants.  I'd let him stay where he
pleases and love whoever he wants to love.  Don't you think that's the way
things should be?" he asked.
	"Not when you use that to bait people and hold it against them,"
Faith replied.
	"We'd be doing it for his own good.  Ken needs to learn to see
with all his senses rather than just with his heart," Haruko finished.
	"But he did," Ukyou whispered.  "He learned to love someone, he
learned to open up to someone."
	"But it isn't just that," Haruko said quietly.  "Ken's acted
rashly in the past before.  He needs to learn to think before he leaps."
	"He needs to be more responsible, like his brother," Faith added.
	"Ken is a loose cannon, Ukyou, and as much as I wish he could be
with you, he needs to correct his faults before he can return to you."
	"You think he's just a tool, don't you?  Don't you think he has
feelings?  You act like he doesn't care about what you're doing to him!"
Ukyou shouted.
	"Can't you understand?" Haruko pleaded.  "We let him do what he
felt was right, and while he did many good things for everyone, he also
did things that were stupid, and now he's dead.  He's as dead to you as he
could possibly be.
	"We have a chance to bring him back so that he has a second try at
things.  A second chance to make up for all the shortcomings he had and
for all the problems he caused.  It's another way for him to atone for his
sins."
	"Wasn't his death enough?" Ukyou whispered.
	"I'm afraid it wasn't," Angela said calmly.  "Sometimes a hundred
thousand deaths can't make up for things.  I'm sorry Ukyou, but we can't
leave him here."
	"You're going to take him away from me, aren't you?"
	"We have no choice!" Faith insistented.
	"There's always a choice!" Ukyou shouted.  "Ken learned that when
he was here, with me!  Can't you understand that?"
	The entire room stood silent.
	"I really wouldn't be this stubborn," Cassius said with a shrug.
"Call me stupid, but-"
	"Shut up stupid," Darian finished.
	"Don't listen to Cassius, Ukyou.  If you side with him, then
everything will be over.  All the people that died today will be dead
permanently.  All the destruction here will be real, all too real.
Everything we've done to try to put right what is wrong here will be for
nothing.  More importantly, Ken will be dead.  Angela would rather see Ken
die, than work for the person who murdered his family."
	Ukyou turned to look at Cassius with surprise.
	"I still maintain that it wasn't-" he started.
	"You're the one?"
	"It wasn't me," Cassius said firmly.
	"But you were the one who started the entire fiasco," Haruko
replied.
	"It was a bad career move, I just ignored someone's background is
all.  No big deal.  What's passed is the past.  Let's look to a brighter
future, that's what I say."
	Ukyou stared at Faith, then Haruko, and then finally at Angela.
	"Then take me with him," Ukyou said quietly.  "At least take me
with him.  Please don't take him away from me."
	"We can't-" Faith began.
	"I promise," Angela interrupted.
	"Angela, we can't-" Haruko started before Angela put up a hand.
	"I loved him, and I made a mistake by not telling him.  I lost
something that I held dear to me for so long.  I'm not going to let
someone else make that mistake if Ken's involved.  I know what the result
of my stupidity was, and I don't like it."
	Angela stared at Ukyou intently.
	"If you're willing to go through hell to stay with him, to look at
the very face of assured death and not flinch, then you can come.  You
might live a nightmare before he comes back to you, but you'll be with
him."
	"That's all I care about," Ukyou said forcefully.
	Angela stared at Cassius.  
	"Looks like you lose."
	Cassius laughed.
	"Not really," he said plainly.  If you look around, I still have
all of you surrounded.  The body will be mine in the end."
	"The body will be mine," Judas growled.  "You said I could get the
body if everything worked!"
	"Look brother, dear, it doesn't matter who gets the body.  In the
end, we'll have what we want anyway, so do stop your sniveling.  It's
unbecoming of you."
	Judas growled in reply and glared at his brother.
	"Now if you'd all take a look around, you'll see that not only do
I have more troops than any of you, I also have the convenient route to
reinforcements should I need them.  All those wonderful souls Judas
happened to lend me are working their magic disrupting your portals so I'm
the only one with a continuous supply of fresh warriors.
	"Your plan to disrupt things and open the gates flopped.  I must
say it was rather amusing, to say the least.  And now, if you'll be so
kind as to hand over the body, I can get out of your hair."
	"Don't we have some business to attend to first?" Vice asked.
	Cassius chuckled. 
	"That's right we do.  Mousse?  Would you be so kind as to come
here for a moment?  I have a favor to ask of you."

	Shampoo stood nervously behind Haruko.  She was desperate to see
if Mousse was still acting strangely.  She knew he would, but a small part
of her still wondered and hoped that he'd start acting the way he did
before the entire mess.  The same silly busboy that she knew.  Granted, he
was annoying, and generally a thorn in her side, but it was a constant and
something she'd grown accustomed to and comfortable with.
	Shampoo froze when the gaze from the Aspect of Order landed on
her.
	"Mousse, I have something for you to do for me," he said calmly.
	Mousse stepped forward as Shampoo's heart sank a few notches.
	"Shampoo, please step forward, I'm not going to hurt you," Cassius
replied upon seeing Shampoo's distress.  "I swear to you that I am not
going to hurt you at all."
	"Your word is worthless Cassius," Faith said flatly.
	"Really, you wound me," Cassius said with indignation.
	Before Haruko could react, Shampoo suddenly took a slow step to
stand next to her.
	"What are you doing?" Haruko hissed.  "Get back!"
	Shampoo shrugged her off.
	"Mousse, I know how you feel about this young lady here," Cassius
said evenly.  "I know it's caused you a great deal of pain.  I also know
that should you choose to join my clan permanently, you won't have to deal
with this kind of pain anymore.  You're a welcome soul, and I just want
you to know that."
	Mousse looked at shampoo before turning to look, perplexed, at
Cassius.
	"That's all I need to say.  I think Vice has a few words as well."
	Vice sidled over to Mousse and put an arm around his waist.
	"Now, Mousse," she cooed, "I have a little problem that you need
to work out for me.  You see, if you join the clan, you're going to be
very welcome.  All of us would get to be great friends, and I know how
much you'd like that.  I'd like that very much, too, but you're still
torturing yourself over this young lady here.  You need to put that behind
you so you can move on."
	Mousse stared at Shampoo impassively as Vice continued.
	"I care about you a great deal, Mousse.  I know you care about me
the same way," she whispered in his ear.  "But even if you're part of the
clan, you can't really love two women, especially if only one loves you
back."
	Mousse turned to look at Vice, a twinkle in his eye.
	"Mousse," Vice continued, "I love you a great deal.  Do you love
me?"
	Mousse simply kissed her passionately.
	"I'm going to be sick," Judas mumbled.
	"Mousse, this is right," Haruko warned.
	"Mousse, stop this instant!" Shampoo commanded in Chinese.  To her
relief, he broke the kiss.  To her horror, he turned to glare at her.
	"And why should I?  You've done nothing but toy with my emotions
and act like I'm below you!  For the first time I've found someone that
cares about me, returns my love, and treats me like an equal.  You want me
to abandon that now?"
	"Mousse, you're acting very strange-"
	"Only because I don't fawn over you anymore," he spat in Chinese.
	"Mousse, all I ever wanted was to be friends.  Couldn't you
understand that?"
	"I could have if you weren't busy insulting me or acting like I
was a servant!"
	Shampoo stood silent, staring at the ground.
	"I'm sorry, Mousse," she finally whispered.
	Mousse stared at her impassively, as Vice snuggled up against him.
	"Mousse," she cooed again, "why not solve everything now?"
	He turned to look at her.
	"Just get rid of her," she said matter-of-factly.  "It's not like
you need her.  She only treated you like dirt before.  Why not just put
what's passed, in the past?"
	Mousse turned to look at Shampoo again.  He pulled out a giant
blade from his sleeve.  Shampoo backed a step in fear.
	"Don't do it Mousse," Shampoo whispered shakily.
	Mousse continued to stare at her impassively.  Shampoo's vision
blurred slightly.  She could feel the onset of tears in her eyes.
	"What happened to the times where you just talked to me, Mousse?
Where you didn't act like some obsessed lover?"
	"There weren't any."
	"What about when you had the magic glasses?"
	Mousse balked.  He'd listened to her, and for once saw a part of
Shampoo he wished he could, if only for a moment.
	"I still got beat up in the end."
	"But it wasn't me," Shampoo pointed out.  "And what about when Ken
died?  For once you didn't say anything, act so obsessively, or try to
throw yourself on me.  For once, you acted the way I wanted.  That was
what I needed."
	Mousse's eyes glazed over.  A small part of his mind shouted at
him to stop, to listen to Shampoo, to listen to the woman he truly loved.
	"Mousse, what's wrong?" Vice cooed as she put her arms around his
waist and hugged his back.
	Mousse didn't reply.  He simply stared at Shampoo, quivering
slightly.
	"I've had enough," Haruko stated firmly.  She reached for her
blade, but Shampoo put a hand on her arm.
	"Don't.  He'll do the right thing," Shampoo said shakily.
	Vice frowned.
	"Perhaps I need to put it more directly," she said firmly.  
	Mousse turned his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder.
	"Mousse, if you don't do it," Vice said evenly, "I'll do it for
you - slowly, painfully.  That's how much I care about you.  I just want
us to be happy."
	Mousse's eyes went wide.  The voice in the back of his head was
starting to get louder.  The situation was simple, now.  If he didn't do
the job, someone else would.  He could have protected Shampoo before, but
now it was too late, far too late.  Mousse raised the sword.
	"I'm sorry, Shampoo.  This is going to hurt me more than it's
going to hurt you," he said calmly.
	Shampoo let out a small squeak of fear.  Vice hugged Mousse
tighter.
	"I love you, you know," the Avatar said to Mousse.
	"I'm sure," Mousse replied evenly.  Before Vice could reply, he
inverted the grip and brought the sword down.
	Vice stared in shock as she felt the blade punch through her
chest.  She was still staring when Mousse pulled the sword out and
collapsed on the ground with a grunt of pain.  He painfully crawled
towards Shampoo, who fell to her knees.
	"Shampoo," he wheezed painfully.  "I'm so sorry for everything.  I
should have listened."
	Shampoo simply stared in shock, letting the tears come.
	"Shampoo, I always just wanted to hear you say that you loved me,
before I died.  I guess I'll never hear it, but I guess it doesn't
matter," he finished quietly in Mandarin.
	"Why do you always act so stupid, Mousse," Shampoo said amidst the
tears.
	"People do stupid things when they love someone."
	Mousse blinked once and took a deep breath.
	"Mousse, I love you," Shampoo said quickly.
	Mousse looked and smiled at her.
	"I know you don't mean it.  Maybe we can just be friends?"
	Shampoo didn't have time to say anything before the smile left
Mousse's lips and the light faded from his eyes.
	
	Cassius stared impassively at Vice as she heaved with every
labored breath.  No sound came from her lips as she struggled to speak.
	"I realize that you're rather shocked by his behavior," Cassius
said blandly.  "To tell you the truth, so am I.  On one hand, I've gotten
rid of a liability, on the other, you're about to die.
	"Now I know what you're thinking, and I really wouldn't like to
see you die either.  Tell you what, just kill everyone that is going to be
a problem, and I'll give you what you need, namely a second lease on life.
How about that?"
	To Cassius's surprise, he was answered by a large axe burying
itself in Vice's spine.
	"That was rather rude of you, Judas," Cassius said darkly.
	"If I'm getting to once over, so are you," he growled.  He turned
to his troops.  "Kill everyone," he ordered.
	Chaos ensued.
	"Ryouga," Judas said firmly.
	The bandana-clad boy turned to see Judas staring at him.
	"You're my Avatar now.  Think of it as a promotion.  The first
thing you do is get rid of Ranma, understand?"
	Ryouga nodded dumbly.
	"And this time, don't fail me or I'm going to be very unhappy,"
Judas finished menacingly.
	Ryouga turned to see Ranma staring at him.  It was back to square
one all over again.  As the blood and violence erupted around them, Ryouga
calmly walked towards Ranma, one thought preoccupying him the entire time.


*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
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:
"You'd win if you stopped hitting my foot with your head."
	-The Amazing Spider-man