HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Done it at last. Months of slaving - finding the right mood and the hours
to create this piece!!! God alone knows how much I've slaved through to
make this happen, not to mention all the other revisions I've been doing
lately to the other chapters of this story.
Right now, I gotta break something to you people. This is not the last
chapter for this book. I couldn't really do anything about it, as...
well... I really needed to put the right stuff into this story. And all
of that culminated into this monster I've made.
Notes:
< > These used to indicate someone using communicators or telepathy or
other language, normally Chinese.
* * Used to express thoughts or feelings.
Editor's Notes:
There are some spoilers for those who are following some of the
series mentioned herein. Events here follow the events of the last
season of Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon Stars), the first movie of the
Tenchi Muyou! TV continuity and the end of the second season of Magic
Knight Rayearth.
Sorry for the delay - my schedule had been fairly unkind for
editing chores as of late. In return, Switch Chapter 19 will be
suitably delayed (by Memories Ch 12, hopefully.)
Reminders:
There are times in this fanfic that certain gender-bender problems
had to be allowed. Reimi and Pluto call the woman Radler has become as
Radler. I still use the feminine pronoun equivalent for Tia, but Reimi
and Pluto tend not to. I know it's confusing, but it helps with the
story...
And... oh!! before I forget, Hinako-sensei gets some action here
too... ^_^
HAVE FUN...
Hmmm... Oh, yeah... forgot something. All things here are copyrighted by
their respected creators. Everything else that is unfamiliar or original
belongs to me.
==================================
And so it has come to pass,
A destiny buried deep within the sands of time.
The Suns eclipsed by their own damnation.
Darkness and Light,
Forever in its embrace,
The Suns are no more...
==================================
Prelude
"Your majesty, you cannot risk yourself in this endeavor! Let
others take your place! You are too important to risk losing now, at a
time when the whole empire is under total chaos. Our allies have held
their faith in us for this long, only because of you!! If we lose you now
-"
"We do what we all must. I am the only one capable of stopping
him."
"But, your majesty!! Empress!! You simply cannot go!!" he insisted.
She glanced at her Lord Chamberlain, wishing his words did not ring
so true. She was the only thing holding the empire together against their
enemies.
A part of her idly wondered if this was how empires died: a long
and peaceful reign, only to be so violently ended. She had forged an
empire out of the ashes of death and despair, created happiness and life
for everyone, gave everyone something to hope for and dreams to make
real. Over a hundred thousand millennia had she given the peace her
people so richly deserved.
But now...
All of it could be destroyed because of selfish pride: pride in
herself, pride in the fact that she could not be swayed by anyone. She
had not thought to look into herself for her enemy...
The price she must pay for her arrogance... NO!! She would do
everything to ensure the safety of her people. If she had to die to make
it so, then let it be done.
"I allowed this to happen in the first place, Lord Sato. I alone
must pay the price for letting this come to pass. I alone shall be
judged, and no one else! I owe them that much." Her last words were
barely a whisper.
"No! You are not going to do that, mother!" protested a young
woman. "We won't allow it."
"Can't let you do that, Mom! This may be your fight, but _you_
won't be the one who'll be finishing it," another voice spoke, this time
male. They turned to see a young man approach them, a smile upon his
face.
"He took you away from us, mother," he began quietly, voice like
ice. "Turned you against us. Destroyed this paradise you created for our
people. And yet, no matter what he did, we did not let our hopes die.
Never again, Mother - never again will we allow you to be lost!!!"
"You should never have done that, my son. I am not -"
"I did what I had to do," he answered simply. "Nothing more,
nothing less."
"We will give up our lives without hesitation if we have to,
Mother," her daughter promised. "We will do so again and again, for all
eternity. For our people - for you, most of all... Mother."
The Empress of the Suns stared disbelievingly at her son and
daughter. She gazed sadly at their grim determination, hating herself for
being unworthy of the love her children gave her. She had failed as a
mother to them, just as she had failed in guarding her empire against the
evil that had nearly claimed her as one of their own.
And yet, her children and her own people would do all to save
her...
"Don't worry, Mother. We'll take care of him," assured her
daughter.
He assented, "This time, we're going to make sure he won't exist
long enough to enjoy hell."
"In difficult ground, press on;
In encircled ground, devise stratagems;
In death ground, FIGHT."
- Sun Tzu in The Art of War (circa 400BC)
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
Angel's Chronicles Book One: Angel's Folly
Chapter 19: Final Sacrifices
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
Part 1 of 4
Ukyou did not feel like waking up but knew she had to, for not even
sleep could forever bar her from the problems she had to face. She had
locked herself in her room for quite some, never caring who it was that
pleaded for her to talk it over. Not even Ranma could get her to open the
door under threat of breaking it. She'd challenged him to do so, but
Ranma chose not to. She knew Ranma _was_ worried about her. But, right
now, she did not want anything to do with Ranma - or with anyone else.
This was her problem - and the only one who could help her with it
was already dead.
It had been a Saturday afternoon that day. She had been fetching
the groceries that fateful afternoon when she had unconsciously wandered
around the market place until she ended up near a small convenience
store.
Two young girls, obviously still in high school from their looks,
had stepped out of the store. Ukyou wondered why she was staring hard at
the two. She did not know them, nor they her, but something drew her eyes
to them.
Her eyes widened when she saw the two actually kiss one another for
all to see. Now, in modern-day Japan, such public displays were frowned
upon, even in Nerima. Ukyou had stared at the both of them, eyes glued to
the scene. Her eyes saw far more than what anyone else was witnessing for
themselves - for, in the place of the two, she saw herself and Tia.
Seeing that had caused something within her to snap.
Ukyou walked away, dazed at what she had seen, walking home by mere
instinct alone and lucky enough not to get run over by cars or stampeding
women.
She slammed the door to her room, locking it.
Ukyou sighed at the memory. Even after three days, that memory
remained fresh in her mind, forever engraved in her mind. Even now, she
was at a loss. Could she deny it any further? Could she lie to herself
about what was happening to her?
She hated it - hated Tia for dying like that, before she could
confront her with her what she felt. Ukyou wiped away the tears that
marred her face - her heart cried out for a love that would forever be
unrequited.
What was she to do now? She had long known of Ranma's feelings, but
denied the knowledge. She doubted she could do the same this time.
*What am I to do??* she asked herself.
* * * * * *
Ranma nimbly dodged the lasers, energy spheres, and other
assortments of projectiles that sought him out, seeking to end his
existence. Rubble lay strewn across what remained of the road. Broken
water mains shot water high into the air. It was a miracle that Ranma was
still a guy - but that wasn't the point. All around them, a great number
of their enemies were down. Still, this did not deter the rest of them
from trying.
He was sore all over from the hits he took. He glanced at the woman
beside him. Sayoko's smile was grim as she began to gather enough energy
for another spell.
They could not last much longer: they were pushing past the
tolerable upper limits of their endurance.
Mercury smiled.
The new generation beasts were far superior from her older designs.
They incorporated certain design modifications that she had just
perfected. These beasts were a techno-organic creation, given life by her
power and by the harvest of souls of mere humans.
It was quite ironic that what humans lacked in power, their souls
had plenty of. Now she understood why those so-called demons and whatnot
always demanded people's souls as the price for services rendered.
The smile on Mercury's face turned savage with manic glee.
It won't be long now...
Her thoughts turned back to the subject of Radler.
She had her misgivings about his... her death. Something about it
was beginning to bother her. True, she had first thought that the fool
had indeed died, but as the weeks passed, she began to have her doubts.
Indeed, Radler had proven himself to be a competent warrior - one who
could survive anything thrown against him.
And why not?! He had evaded them for so long - successfully
defended that brat, Chibiusa, from them for quite some time now. Perhaps
the only time that Radler's death would have been ensured had been when
he had been captured upon arriving at the palace, intent upon vengeance
for what had been done to his wife.
Radler would have died had Pluto not arrived in time to free him.
With her came Neptune and Uranus, both of whom died protecting Radler as
they escaped the palace, leaving Pluto to take care of things. They may
have lost Radler, but the capture of the equally elusive Mistress of Time
had been more than enough compensation.
Radler had once more surfaced to kill Mars during that battle in
that dojo in Nerima. None of them had been prepared to witness humans
actually holding out against her. Radler's appearance had been more than
expected - what was not his appearance.
Radler had looked too much like a woman.
How it could have happened, none could begin to guess. That was
until Reimi uncovered the secret of the curse of Jusenkyo that things
started to make sense. It appeared that Radler might have fallen into the
spring of drowned girl, therefore explaining why Radler appeared to be
female.
It was quite irritating to find out that the young man was still
alive, even after all the trouble they had to go to kill him. It seemed
that no matter what they threw at him, he somehow came out alive.
So why not now?
True - she had personally witnessed Reimi slaying her own husband
with her most powerful attack. Knowing Radler, he... she could have found
some way to escape. What analysis she had been able to attain of Radler's
female body showed inconsistencies to his/her old data: certain
fluctuations in her life signature, little things that were more than
enough to intrigue her.
No - she could not expect Radler to have died until she could see a
body for herself - even then, she would not be satisfied. She had to be
careful - while the others may think Radler dead, she would not consider
it. Perhaps, in time, that information may well be the leverage she
needed to gain the standing she truly deserved.
Mercury smiled at that. It was _good_ to be bad.
*Well,* she thought, *At least I get to kill these two.*
"Kill them now!!"
Her creations quickly complied.
More explosions ripped through the surrounding area, turning it
into so much dust and molten slag. Ranma and Sayoko landed safely a few
meters away, safe enough that the backlash of heat was not even felt.
"There's too many of those things," Ranma told his partner. "Plus,
they're also a lot better than the ones we used to fight."
Sayoko nodded. "They couldn't have timed this any better."
"Yeah," Ranma agreed, as both of them hunkered down behind the
remains of what used to be a building. "This fight isn't turning out too
well. We oughta regroup somewhere." Another word he'd have used was
retreat but regroup sounded oh-so much better.
"Quite right," came her response. "Still, we must try and find
Chibiusa and your sister. We cannot leave them for long. This had been a
trap they had been waiting to spring on us for quite some time."
Ranma could not help but worry. His sister and the princess were
out there in the city, quite possibly being chased by this insane woman's
creations. Hard to believe someone who once had been one of the good guys
could turn out to be so very bad.
"All the more reason to retreat and regroup," Ranma shot back. "I
hate to admit defeat, but I'm not too keen on dying right now. We need to
find Chibiusa and my sister. Fast!!"
"Very well - let me handle our escape. Just be ready."
* * * * * *
*So what now?* he asked himself.
Everyone was quiet, contemplating the crisis they found themselves
in. They were seated around him, faces grim as they mulled over what had
to be done. Something was happening all across the four sister worlds -
what it was, what it wanted, was a mystery.
Already, the people of Cefiro were panicking, scared at having to
experience another apocalypse after the last one. The others were not
much better.
Something had to be done - yet the problem was how to address it.
They had no idea who or what it was they were fighting against. To top it
off, Mokona had gone off to heaven-knows-where. He was forever worrying
over that moogle-look-alike: always getting into trouble; always doing
something --
Wait?!!
What was he thinking?! Worrying over Mokona, while the entire world
was in chaos. Still, there were far too many things mysterious about his
little pet - if she was indeed one.
Guru Clef sighed. What to do.
The tension was palpable. Clef highly doubted a high spell would
have cut through all that tension. If only...
Clef's eyes widened as he felt a familiar energy surge all across
the palace.
The Magic Knights!!!
Everyone tensed, glancing at the ball of light that had coalesced
suddenly, glowing brighter and brighter. Clef looked on, not at all
disturbed by the light that threatened to blind him. The sphere grew in
size, then...
It popped like a bubble, a multitude of sparkling motes of light
surrounded three indistinct forms shrouded in a silvery incandescent
mist.
Everyone held their breaths, waiting.
The mist parted, revealing the very people they needed. With them,
a slightly overfed, rotund rabbit bounded happily towards them all. Clef
smiled, silently thanking Mokona for her initiative in this matter.
"Guru Clef! Ferio! Lantis! Everyone!!" the trio chorused.
The little white rabbit in Hikaru's arms merely 'puu-ed' her
greeting, ears flapping excitedly.
"What's going on, Guru Clef? Mokona was quite insistent about
bringing us here," Hikaru asked.
"A danger grows upon your world, Princess. One that has the power
to destroy the entire universe," answered Guru Clef.
"Nani?" the trio chorused once more.
None of the trio could believe their ears. Who would not,
considering that the last time they went about saving the world. This
saving-the-world thing was fast becoming a full-time job - and they were
hardly eighteen yet!!!
And here other people wanted adventure in their lives.
"I can't believe this!! Not again," Umi muttered. "What's wrong
this time?" she asked, none too politely.
Umi really wasn't up to saving the world again, right now. She'd
done that twice already, for crying out loud. She _did_ not want it to
become a full-time job!!
Well... almost. After all, it was far far better than doing
homework.
"There is a terrible force at work. Whatever it may be already has
a hold upon this world. It gathers its allies as we speak and the
darkness continues to grow, stronger and more powerful than any we have
faced in the past." Clef paused, letting it all sink in. "All are in
danger from this menace we now face. But, one thing stands out more than
the others in this." He looked at the others who stared back at him,
waiting.
"This threat originates from your homeworld, Magic Knights."
The three Magic Knights wore shocked expressions, eyes wide in
disbelief as they tried to make sense of what they been told. They've
dealt with more surprises than any average Japanese student ought to in
his or her lifetime. They've struggled against all odds, bore the pain
that came with their duty to the people of Cefiro. Given this world back
its life and gave it and its sister planets another reason to live in
harmony.
Funny how life tends to surprise you, even when you expected it.
"But how??" Hikaru asked, still sounding shocked.
Guru Clef motioned for them all to take a seat - things such as
what he was about to discuss demanded that clear minds be maintained at
all times. Never before had his predecessors been forced to reveal what
he was now about to tell these people.
History had never been one of concern for the people of Cefiro,
save for a few. It was here, that the histories of their people remained
hidden and all but forgotten, save for some.
He never would have thought that he would be the one to reveal the
truth of the past. But reveal it he must, if any of them were to survive
what is yet to come. He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling the toll the
years had put upon him.
He steeled himself, forcing such thoughts away. With what was to
come, he and _everyone_ had to be strong.
"This will take some time to explain," he began, eyeing them all
seriously. "What comes now had been all but foreordained when it all
began, so many thousands of years in the past - a past that barely a
handful of people still remember. And even that knowledge comes from
myths and half-understood prophecies."
He paused, letting it all sink in again - it would do no good if he
just drowned them in it all. Even he had been more than just shocked by
the scope of it all, when his teacher had revealed it to him so many
centuries ago. No - this was what he had to work with, other than the
Magic Knights. He briefly considered it... but, no - it certainly would
not do. The Magic Knights had their own parts to play in this.
* * * * * *
It took the better part of the day to fully explain it all. Clef
noted that they appeared to be taking it well. Considering what he had
just told them all... well, suffice it to say he wouldn't be surprised if
they called him a liar, or worse.
"This is getting really confusing," Caldina remarked. "All this
talk about ancient evils and empires of ages past. What could possibly be
_that_ powerful to do all that?!"
"The universe holds many mysteries that we cannot even hope to
solve in the short span mankind had existed. What we now face is older
than us, older than this universe. To corrupt and destroy - that is what
this entity lives to do. Mankind had suffered - our ancestors struggled
against this elemental force and held their ground. They sacrificed
themselves for all of us and for the future. We have been given a second
chance in life because of them; and now, the time has come for us to
finish what they had begun."
Guru Clef paused, eyeing those assembled before him. He saw their
grim features, the determination that shone in their eyes.
"A battle is being fought upon your world - one that had been going
on since time immemorial - a battle that had destroyed what had once been
a civilization that spanned the stars. Even now, the remnants of that
self-same civilization are being drawn together once more, to end what
had begun so long ago, and to determine the fate of all mankind."
"I'm really starting to hate this job," Umi muttered to herself.
"Another danger?? Hmmm... and here I thought we could all relax,
now that we got over the last one," sighed Hikaru, pouting a little.
"I know how you feel, Princess Hikaru. All of us do feel the same
way. But there is always a price for peace."
"'The price of peace is eternal vigilance'," quoted Fuu.
Clef smiled. "Indeed, Fuu-san. Indeed."
"This is definitely feeling extremely surreal," complained Umi.
Fuu and Hikaru both nodded, feeling extremely confused and
apprehensive about it all. All three of them had long thought that their
struggles would be at an end, after getting Hikaru crowned as Cefiro's
princess and Hikaru proclaiming that the people of Cefiro would be
forever responsible for their world and their lives.
But now this, this tale of ancient empires - of the history of
mankind - of the war which had almost destroyed it in the end - tales
woven from the myths and legends of old. How could it be that such a
thing had indeed happened? What possible force could be powerful enough
to nearly destroy the civilization mankind had built so long ago?
More to the point, what could they possibly do that had not yet
been done?
True, they, as the Magic Knights, the chosen protectors of this
world, had never given up hope, even during the darkest of times. They
never surrendered nor gave ground - they fought and they struggled to
prevail against the odds. But what could all this do, now that they faced
off against an unseen force bent upon the total annihilation of all
mankind?
For the others, this tale was just as much a surprise to them as it
was to the Magic Knights. And now, another war looms before them - one
that would not only endanger this world and her sister worlds, but would
reach out across the vastness of the universe.
"Life is just full of surprises, ne, minna-san?" Hikaru voiced out.
"So much so that it just makes you want to do something about it."
All eyes turned to Hikaru.
Well, almost Hikaru - the voice certainly told everyone who it was:
Nova, Hikaru's darker half - that part born out of her misery and
grief during the time they had slain Emeraulde.
Everyone tensed, wary of the woman who was now controlling Hikaru's
body.
"None of you have any clue, do you?" Nova pressed. She stared at
Guru Clef, eyes afire with cold flames. "Such a pity."
Nova smiled coldly as an aura of darkness suddenly engulfing
Hikaru's form. It blazed around her, acting much like fire, blazing
brightly as a newborn supernova. As fast as it had come, it disappeared,
absorbed once more into Hikaru's body.
But one thing had changed - well, in a way...
Instead, a tall, beautiful young woman stood before them, eyes
closed. Long red hair trailed a good meter or so down her back. Peeking
through that thick patch of red hair were the pointed tips of her ears.
The black and red armor she now wore was reminiscent of what Nova wore,
save that it covered more places and looked much more elegant and form-
fitting. The shoulder guards flared out more and each had a gem embedded
in them. A small circlet of gold kept her long flaming red hair out of
her eyes.
"Hikaru-chan?" Fuu called out hesitantly.
"Hikaru?" Umi followed.
"Yes?"
Hikaru opened her eyes and stared at her friends. What they saw in
her eyes made them gasp.
"What's wrong?" she asked them.
Umi and Fuu averted their gaze from Hikaru's iridescent red eyes.
"What happened to you, Hikaru-chan?" Fuu asked, a bit worried over
the sudden changes in her friend.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Yeah, Hikaru. I mean, you look positively... ummm..." Umi's voice
trailed away, not knowing what else to say.
Her lean form held the appearance of a finely tempered blade,
deadly in its simple beauty. Her very movements seemed so fluid and
graceful, something Hikaru had lacked.
Then there were the eyes - the most disturbing part of the changes
wrought to Hikaru. None of them could put what they felt to words. Her
eyes seemed to... to take everything in - and something else, something
that was beyond comprehension.
"W_H_A_T?!!!" Hikaru said in an exasperated voice.
Hikaru glanced at the others and saw the same look mirrored in
their faces.
"Well... umm..." Umi began to dig inside her purse for her compact.
Upon finding it, she handed it to Hikaru, who looked at it, somewhat
confused as to why it had been given to her. It looked quite expensive,
too.
Hikaru stared at it.
"Take a look at yourself." Hikaru blinked at Umi's words. "Well,
hurry up!"
Hikaru complied. What she saw was enough to put her into deep
shock. "AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What
the hell?!!!!!"
* * * * * *
"Now what?!" Ranma asked, eyeing the whole forest nervously.
Sayoko sat down, wincing a bit at the various cuts she had
acquired. While never a vain woman, she still did not like having scars
on her poor body.
She quickly cast a minor healing spell on herself before casting a
Regen on Ranma. He looked like he definitely needed it - not surprising,
considering what he had just gone through. She had her doubts about him,
but Ranma had proven, without a doubt, that he could hold out with the
best of them.
That was good - finding people like Ranma had been always a
difficult task. But, somehow, it seemed that Fate had decided to give
them the people they sorely needed, to protect the princess.
Now, if they could juuust live through this day...
Ranma glanced around his surroundings, the usual feeling that
_something_ BAD was about to happen had started up again. It wasn't that
vague feeling he usually got, but worse - and if it was that bad, then it
couldn't be anything but worse!
"How long will it take to locate them?"
"I need a couple of minutes to track them both down," Sayoko
answered.
Ranma merely nodded. Sayoko noted the look of worry in Ranma's face
- minutes wasted here would mean putting Mizuki and Chibiusa in more
danger and with less chance for them all to escape.
Stubborn fool Ranma may be, but there were times when the young man
actually let his true nature show - surprising that such a young man
could be raised by one so obviously lacking in scruples as his father.
Sayoko grasped Ranma's hand and patted it reassuringly.
"Don't worry too much - your sister is quite capable of handling
herself well in battle. You've made sure of that." Sayoko smiled.
"Besides, we can teleport to them just as soon as I home in on their
location."
Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
Sayoko smiled. "Don't thank me 'til this one is over. The battle
has barely begun, and I fear the worst in this."
Ranma glanced around the darkened warehouse that Sayoko had
transported them. While it seemed relatively deserted, Ranma knew it
wouldn't be so in a while.
He somewhat understood some of the things Sayoko had thought to
explain to them sometimes - she even went as far as teaching them a few
basic level spells.
He cast a worried glance at the woman who sat cross-legged on the
floor. Ranma prayed that Chibiusa and his sister, Mizuki, were safe.
* * * * * *
There are things in this world that people just seem to take into
stride. Sometimes, they will tend to overlook the strangest of all
things.
Of course, being someone who lived in a socially active town like
Nerima would do wonders for your sanity. For those who lived - survived -
the atmosphere in Nerima could proudly say that they were the ultimate
survivalists.
Nothing could faze Nerimans - they've seen everything, from your
usual monsters to your aliens with plans of world conquests to your
cursed martial artists. This was but the mere tip of the proverbial
iceberg - Nerima boasted of things and events that made life in this
bustling little town so very interesting.
No day was ever the same, no peace to ever last more than half the
day. And when things got really, really hot, the residents of this small
town would find safety in the park - for some obscure reason, it was
always the park that ended up surviving any martial-arts deluge.
This _was_ one of those times.
Definitely.
Not a soul stirred. All was quiet with the world.
The tension was palpable.
Heck! With the fate of the world in the hands of Nerima's martial
artists, what else could there be but tension in the air?
"Give up yet, you stupid excuse for a lizard?" Natsume shouted,
brandishing her rug-beater at her enemy. She winced, favoring her left
side a little.
Gokaru Khan glared daggers at his opponents, all the while planning
unpleasant things he would inflict upon them. He tried to rise, but found
himself face down on the ground, as the one with the ribbon ensnared him
with it, causing him to overbalance and fall once more.
Try as he might, he could not break the flimsy ribbon that was
wrapped around his legs. His clawed hands dug small trenches on the
concrete road. His eyes blazed with a fury never seen before by anyone
who knew of him.
None of those who fought him were perturbed by this - it just meant
they had to pound some more sense into his skull.
"Shampoo think reptile too stupid to know when it defeated,"
Shampoo remarked, holding her twin bonboris at the ready.
Mousse landed lightly beside his beloved and stared at the
monstrosity they had fought and defeated. Of all his fights to date, this
was definitely one of those that he would never forget. Certainly, the
things Sayoko had instructed him in, plus the fact that he need not worry
about his glasses falling off their perch, made him someone to contend
with - a far cry from what he was before.
"I would suggest that you go back to your masters, reptile. You
certainly have failed in your quest to destroy us," Mousse calmly stated
in ambassadorial tones.
Gokaru felt his temper rise to unprecedented levels. He could not
believe that a bunch of puny littler human-cubs could have humbled him
so. A harsh growl caused the four fighters to tense, ready once more to
strike the reptilian brute down if need be.
They would regret their actions - when he was through with them,
he'd have the women begging to be his slaves.
Someone else had something in mind.
"Hohohohohohohohohoho!!! I see these three sluts and their blind
ally are far more than you thought you could handle, eh?"
The four turned to meet the _only_ woman who could generate such a
_CHILLING_ laugh like that.
"Kodachi," Shampoo spat out, eyes burning with rage.
Mousse merely adjusted his glasses while the two Tendou sisters
gazed at the leotard-clad woman who stood atop a lamppost. "Why do I
suddenly feel so edgy?" he asked no one in particular.
"Must be laugh," Shampoo deadpanned.
Natsume turned her attention at the slowly rising Gokaru Khan.
"Don't think about it," she warned, thrusting her staff at him.
Gokaru Khan grunted. "I don't think I'm the one you should be
worrying about now, girlie."
Natsume's eyes flashed. The Khan merely shot back a mysterious
smile.
"Who _are_ you calling a SLUT??? You... you bitch!!!" Kurumi yelled
back.
Faster than the eye could see, a hand clamped over Kurumi's mouth,
as the owner of the hand quickly and sternly admonished her for the
profanities she had mouthed.
"I see them right before me," Kodachi answered. "Save for that
handsome young man with the glasses with you."
Shampoo blinked wondering if the laughing woman had cataracts in
her eyes. "Shampoo think woman is insane. Must be from poisons she have
on person."
"I dunno, Shampoo..." Mousse told his chosen in a slightly jesting
tone.
It earned him a punch to the gut. "Shampoo think Mousse would love
psychotic laughing woman," countered the purple haired Amazon. "Why not
marry insane woman then?"
Kodachi laughed her trademark laugh. It brought winter ever the
more close to the four martial artists.
"Enough talk, psychotic laughing girl! Shampoo here to fight! Get
down and make ready to die!"
"Very well, Amazon slut."
That _really_ did it.
There were many things Shampoo did not like about being in Japan.
Too many women tend to get so very petty about seeing just how
beautifully proportioned she was. She knew well enough the reasons why.
She had endured much insult in this country but she had been forced to
hold back on her pride. She could not very well kill any of them for the
insults laid before her feet.
Right now, hearing those words from this woman was more than enough
to tick her off.
To say Shampoo went postal was putting it mildly - VERY MILDLY.
Shampoo, Amazon Princess, screamed her battle cry: "PREPARE TO
DIE!!" It should be noted that the very way she bellowed it made it clear
enough that she was extremely pissed - Ryouga would have cringed if he
heard that cry. "Shampoo make Kodachi so so very sorry she say that!!"
There are quite a number of varying ways to be pissed:
Pissed -
Very pissed -
Then there was the Shampoo form.
Not good - definitely not good.
What they did not expect was a Kodachi who could actually go toe-
to-toe with a woman who not only mastered all the basic and slightly more
advanced techniques of the Amazons, but a fair bit on how to manipulate
her chi to an extent.
Shampoo was most surprised when Kodachi had blocked all her blows
with the black ribbon she held. The ribbon once again lashed out at her.
Shampoo blocked it with her bonbori.
Big mistake - the black ribbon slashed through Shampoo's weapon and
struck Shampoo's arm. The Chinese Amazon could not help but cry out in
pain. The ribbon had grazed her right arm, but not enough to
inconvenience her so.
Shampoo suddenly felt slightly faint, but shrugged it off. No time
to feel tired, even if that ribbon had been laced with some sort of
chemical. No - she had been insulted, her name sullied.
No. The crazy woman would not be allowed to live - not this time.
Shampoo grit her teeth, willing her body not to fall prey to the
effects of the chemical. She stared at her opponent with hate, hate so
intense that the Amazon's battle aura began to manifest.
"Ohohohohoho!!! Give it up, whore. I am too far above you for you
to have any hope of defeating me. Give up, and go back to your little
shack in China."
Shampoo snarled. The ground around Shampoo suddenly cracked and
fractured as Shampoo's battle aura blazed to life.
Kodachi smiled, unimpressed by the sudden light show.
The two Tendou sisters were getting worried. From what they've
heard from their father and sisters, Kodachi was one seriously disturbed
individual. Right now, Kodachi Kunou was far from insane - she was well
above and beyond it. That made her _very_ dangerous.
Mousse stood fixated at the woman he had loved since childhood, the
only woman to whom he ever gave his very heart and soul.
"Shampoo," he murmured in a soft voice, "be careful."
"You will die!!!" Shampoo yelled, her battle aura flaring brighter
than ever.
Kodachi merely laughed.
Shampoo launched herself at the woman who had the audacity to
insult her so. Kodachi would pay dearly for insulting her honor - not as
an Amazon, but as a woman. There were _still_ a few things she held dear,
other than her pride at being one of the Amazons.
She ate up the distance in less than a heartbeat, sending a barrage
of vicious punches at Amaguriken speeds. Kodachi swatted them aside, but
not even she could have blocked the amount of punches Shampoo was pouring
right at her. Like everything else, Kodachi's defenses crumbled under the
terrible onslaught that was Shampoo.
Shampoo pounced upon her enemy, unmindful of her wound, delivering
swift blows to the lower- and upper-body regions in a successive series
of punches and kicks that would have felled any other martial artist.
Still, that was not enough for the enraged, slightly berserk Amazon
Princess - oh, no! Not for calling her _THAT_.
Shampoo grasped Kodachi's outstretched hand with her good arm,
twisting in somewhat as she drove the woman into the ground, while
Shampoo held on to the insane woman's arm.
Kodachi twisted a bit, regardless of the pain the maneuver caused
her. She clawed at the Amazon wench's purple locks with her free hand,
pulling the Amazon woman close to her.
Shampoo gave a cry of surprise as she, too, found herself on the
ground, with Kodachi now on top of her, arms around her throat, her eyes
blazing with insanity made flesh.
"Die, you purple little bitch. I will not let anyone have Ranma-
sama!!"
Shampoo answered the woman with a savage knee to the gut. Kodachi
hissed at the pain, but did not release her hold on Shampoo's neck.
Sparkling motes of light started appearing in Shampoo's vision, as she
strained to get some proper leverage to eject her unwanted burden.
Kodachi only laughed, her insane laugh.
"Shampoo... gasp... no... ugh... like... crazy woman! So...
Shampoo... gasp... say... g-ggget... OFFFFF!!!!!"
Once more, rage empowered Shampoo, lending her the strength she
needed to pry Kodachi off of her. Shampoo sprang upright, lunging at
Kodachi, snarling like an enraged lioness. She cocked her good arm behind
her and struck with terrible force.
Kodachi staggered backwards, blood streaming from her mouth and
nose.
Shampoo smirked. "What psycho-girl think now?" she asked.
Gokaru watched, impressed at the Amazon's will. He watched, waiting
as his mistress staggered forwards, eyes burning with rage.
"It is not over yet, little fools." Kodachi spat. "Try this!!"
Her ribbon came alive, twirling around her as black rose petals
began to appear all around the insane gymnast turned Shadow Moon servant.
"Black Blizzard Thorns!!!"
Silence.
An eternity's worth of silence stretched across the half-second
interval.
Like glass, it shattered into a million pieces, as a mighty gust of
wind slammed into them with terrifying force. All four martial artists
found themselves hurtling uncontrollably into the air, struck over and
over by unseen thorns that cut cloth and flesh with equal ease.
They struck the ground with bone-jarring force.
Kodachi laughed - a very chilling, insane sort of laugh, to make
even the nastiest criminal enter the priesthood. She reveled in the pain
she felt her enemies were suffering from, taking delight in making their
deaths as painful and as long as possible. Anyone in her way of acquiring
her beloved Ranma-sama would suffer a similar fate.
"I trust you can now safely get rid of these pests for me now,
Gokaru?" she asked snidely.
"I won't let a b#$@h like you win!" Natsume rasped, using her staff
to prop herself up. She shut off the pain she felt, her eyes burning with
rage.
The others started to pick themselves up, each nursing dozens of
cuts and abrasions, their clothes tattered and torn. Yet even that did
not stop them. No! Their eyes burned with the need to defeat this
MADwoman.
Forget Ranma! Forget everything else! This woman was going down.
Hard and painfully - VERY painfully.
"I'm going to tear you apart so bad that no one in your twisted
family will be able recognize you!!" cursed Natsume.
"After my sister is done with you, I'm going to cut you up and mail
you to China!!" Kurumi added, just as grimly.
"Shampoo think adopted Tendou sisters go off deep end."
Both sisters glared at the Amazon. "Do we _look_ like we care?"
both asked.
Shampoo shrugged. "No really. Shampoo merely point out. Maybe
Shampoo know of much-much better thing do to insane woman: bring her
Jusenkyo and drop in spring of drowned nun."
All three smiled very coldly - yes, that would do nicely.
Mousse shivered at the thought. Kodachi, sane?! That's something to
see. Deciding to get his mind off of it, he tended his wounds with a
first aid kit while the usual speeches and insults were hurled by both
sides. It could also be noted he seemed to have a fresh robe on hand, as
well.
All three women suddenly stared at their _male_ companion with
bewilderment.
"What Mousse doing?" Shampoo inquired threateningly.
Mousse quickly donned his robe and turned to his beloved Amazon
Princess. "Merely taking care of my cuts and bruises. Those thorns I had
to block for the three of you hit me in some _most_ uncomfortable
places."
"Oh," a trio of voices said.
"HEY! CAN'T YOU FOOLS SEE THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT YOUR IMPENDING
DOOM HERE?" Kodachi yelled through a megaphone she had pulled out from
her leotard somehow. "DO YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO FEAR, THAT YOU WOULD TURN
YOUR BACKS TO ME???"
All four combatants turned to face their enemies.
It should be noted that the three females appeared only slightly
wounded upon a much closer inspection. They still appear to have been
hurt somewhat by Kodachi's thorn attacks. Still, one can observe from the
facts clearly laid out that Mousse had born the brunt of Kodachi's thorn
attack - the bandages he wore was a dead giveaway.
"Shampoo think it time to make Kodachi in so-so much paste on
road." Her companions readily agreed.
"Ohohohohoho!!! Do you foolish lowlifes think you have the ability
to defeat me now, considering what I have become?!!!" Kodachi scoffed.
"Think again!!"
Kodachi laughed some more - then she stopped abruptly.
That was most chilling.
Kodachi smiled, licking her lips.
"Gokaru! Take care of these impudent whelps! The mistress bade me
to aid her in search of the others."
"Don't think you can get away from us, Kodachi!" yelled Kurumi,
hurling her own ribbon at the woman.
Kodachi calmly blocked the ribbon with her own. "You need not
worry. Should you be able to defeat this mass of reptilian flesh, you can
find me in the park, taking care of a few loose ends my mistress had been
unable to take care of. Farewell!!! Ohohohohohohohoho!!!!"
Four martial artists drew in shocked breaths. Suddenly, it dawned
on them: Nerima Park.
"KODACHI!!!" four enraged voices shouted in unison. But it was too
late - Kodachi had already disappeared.
"Go to the park and see what's happening. I'll handle Gokaru."
Mousse offered.
The three females nodded.
"I think you three girls should get a change of clothes first,"
Kasumi suggested. "Wearing clothes like those would be very improper."
"KASUMI?!!!"
"Yes?"
Gokaru was most impressed with the young woman's bravery. This
Kasumi seemed unperturbed that a battle for the fate of the world was
raging all around her. He could sense an aura of calmness radiated all
around her. Even Gokaru was unwilling to touch one so obviously sheltered
by the heavens themselves.
Mousse turned to his opponent. "Where were we?"
Gokaru Khan smiled.
"One on one. Hmmm.... this should be good," Mousse commented as he
got ready.
"You will regret the day you decided to challenge me alone,
bespectacled one," Gokaru intoned haughtily.
"Ha! You'll be singing a different tune after I'm through with
you!" Mousse countered. *As Sayoko-sensei used to say: 'Time to dance
with the devil',* he said to himself.
"Prepare to meet your end, Gokaru Khan!" Mousse declared loudly.
Light glinted off the cat's claw he held in his right hand as
Mousse watched his opponent make his move. Both circled each other,
weighing attack corridors and possible areas to exploit. Neither saw any
opening. Then again, both were fighters extraordinaire in their own
right: one, a hidden weapons master and part-time apprentice mage;
another, a cold, remorseless killer reptile.
Mousse shifted his stance slightly - he had to be careful, as
Gokaru tended to use his brute strength in a most efficient manner. If he
was to go into close contact, he had to be even more cautious. Gokaru
held an endurance to make Ryouga green with envy - and the strength to go
with it.
Gokaru smiled in anticipation. The three bitches were quite good -
he would deal with them in an appropriate manner... as soon as he
dispatched this one. The young man was skilled, he conceded that - still,
it worried him little.
"Ready to die, then, little worm?" he taunted the bespectacled
youth.
Mousse made a show of adjusting his glasses. He had little to fear
from them falling off - Sayoko had enhanced his vision, allowing him to
see unaided. The glasses were merely decorative in purpose now, a prop to
lull his opponents into thinking he was helpless without them.
He grasped the cat's claws in his hand, shifting his hold so that
the arced ends curved inward. "Try me, Gokaru! I am no easy meat, as you
may think!"
"Then come to me, boy! Face me and fight!" Gokaru shot back.
Mousse leapt into the air, the cat claw gleaming brightly as he
dove straight for Gokaru. He landed with an agility even cats would envy.
Mousse slashed with the claw, then used his other arm to anchor himself
into the ground as he performed a sweep kick that had caught the hulking
reptile somewhat off-guard. Still, Gokaru was merely propelled backwards.
It was enough, as Mousse charged, going up-close and personal. He
unloaded a complicated mix of punches, kicks, claw swipes and even the
occasional potty trainer.
Somehow, he had managed to get all those in - not pausing to think
why, he slammed a particularly nasty elbow into what should be the gut,
following it up with a swift uppercut before he flipped back, letting his
feet do the final job. Both feet struck with bone-crushing force - enough
to shatter even stone.
But Gokaru Khan was made of much sterner stuff. The Khan chuckled,
moving his head this way and that. He smiled - sneering, more like it -
at the stunned look his opponent was giving him. Granted, the blows his
opponent landed on him were more than enough to drop ten men - Gokaru's
estimate of the young man went up a couple of notches.
A good fight was what he always wanted. He stared at the young man
once more; perhaps this one would give him that pleasure.
Mousse was very worried. Well, he was, to an extent. Regular
attacks seem incapable of fazing his enemy - not to mention that his
hands still hurt from his strikes on that armored shell that was the
creature's skin.
*Damn! Better not hold back anything on this guy! He's tougher than
he looks.*
Gokaru grinned. "Are you ready?" he taunted further.
"Why don't you just die?" asked Mousse as he leapt into action.
Untold quantities of chains and assorted sharp objects launched out
of Mousse's voluminous sleeves with the speed and power of an overloaded
booster rocket. Gokaru nimbly dodged the incoming projectiles, but even
he could not have evaded that virtual storm of wood, plastic and metal.
He was taking hits - hits that had sliced through his thick-armored skin.
Mousse crashed into Gokaru, his metal-shod fists hammering away,
forcing the huge reptile to stagger backwards. His right foot came up,
striking Gokaru squarely across the jaw. He ducked low, striking numerous
blows on the lower abdomen.
Gokaru howled as his arms sought the robed offender. Metal-shearing
claws cleaved through cloth and skin with ease. Blood splattered on his
chest and on the sidewalk. He grinned maniacally as he advanced towards
his wounded prey.
Mousse cursed as he clutched at his now useless right arm. He
hadn't been fast enough to avoid the claws in time. He backed away,
wincing at the pain. The claws had struck deep, cutting to the bone.
"It seems you have reached the end of the road, little man," Gokaru
remarked as he showed his bloodied claws to his foe. "You are good," he
smirked as he grabbed Mousse and roughly drew him close, "Too bad you
weren't _that_ good. Bwahahahahahaha!!!!"
Mousse found himself hurtling through the air and impacting on a
nearby wall, causing it to fracture and leave a man-sized indention as
his body slid down from it.
"Any last words?" Gokaru intoned as he once more picked Mousse up
and threw him into another wall.
Mousse staggered to rise, his body protesting the abuses to it.
Blood flowed from the deep wound Gokaru had inflicted; he could taste the
blood in his mouth. Pain - so much pain. His body cried out for rest -
his mind clamored for something else: vengeance.
He sought the calm center of his being, as he had been taught by
his teacher back in China, when he had been but a mere apprentice to the
master of the Hidden Weapons Style. He could hear the words of his master
with striking clarity, instructing him in the arts that most had
dismissed as nothing more than mere sleight of hand.
*Was it not?* a part of him asked.
*NO!* came the answer from within him.
It never was - it never had been. The things his master was capable
of doing defied all logic, even ones that normal people would have
considered illogical, save for those who practiced the Arts.
*I won't give up! I can't,* he told himself as he stood his ground,
albeit shakily. *I have to trust in myself. I can beat him. I have to!*
Unbeknownst to the heir of the Hidden Weapons Art, his form was
suffused with faintly glowing energy, unlike the battle auras Ranma and
Ryouga could generate. Mousse suddenly felt light-headed, as if a
terrible weight had been removed from him. He could feel the latent power
within him starting to awaken - one that his master had tried to
cultivate. Here was the harvest - and he would reap what advantage it
could give him.
With the pain only a dim memory, Mousse got up and got into a ready
stance. He knew his body protested under the strain he was putting it
under, but he had little choice. Walling away all pain, he ran towards
his opponent in a fluid gait that wasted nothing, quickly eating up the
distance. Mousse snarled as he went full-contact.
Aura flaring brightly around him, Mousse leveled a somewhat slower
version of the Tenshin Amaguriken on his opponent. He knew it wouldn't
actually do anything and was most surprised by the results he got - after
all, he had expected it do little more than nothing other than bide him
some time to power up for his special technique.
Gokaru doubled over in agony. The pain was intense - it felt like a
thousand fire bees had stung him all at once.
A part of him refused to believe the facts: the white-robed fool
had managed to _really_ hurt him.
Mousse, surprised by it all, made good use of what had happened. He
kicked Gokaru _hard_ on where the solar plexus should be before he jumped
up and performed a double spin kick. Blood spurted from Gokaru's muzzle,
black blood.
Mousse leapt high into the air, higher than should be possible even
for one of his skill. It was time to call upon his skills - to draw upon
the knowledge his master had imparted to him.
"Meteor Rain!!" Mousse called out, his aura suddenly darkening to
pitch-black as it flared out, forming a roughly circular shape. Within
the inky blackness, a faint pinpoint of light flared into existence,
growing larger as it pushed outward from the black depths.
Gokaru stared in mute shock. It was flat out impossible - too bad
for him that it was.
Gokaru's last coherent thought was one filled with chagrin: to have
been beaten by a human - the irony of it all....
to be continued in part two
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
RADLER
Nikholas F. Toledo Zu
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
Wings of my angel,
Shelter me in your faith.
In you, I find my soul.
In me, I find your love.
We are one, forever more.
Personal Email Addy: makoto@smarqweb.com ; radler@tri-isys.com
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