Quicksilver�s Quill Presents
Hunting Destiny
mbsilvana@yahoo.com
Standard Disclaimers
Author�s Note:  Poem and original story by Nick
O'Donahue. This is a semi-rewrite of the story
"Hunting Destiny" by Nick O'Donahue.   I would
classify it as a serious fic- some might call it sad,
but I wouldn't.   No forehand knowledge of the
original story is needed.  If your interested, it�s in
Dragonlance�s �Love and War� anthology.   It�s a great
read!
Feedback!   I�m not getting much.... is anyone
actually reading this stuff?   Compliments and Critism
welcome, flames aren�t.
********************
        She stood, looking where the sun would rise,
even though it would never again warm her flesh.   By
her feet ran a stream, yet she would never again cast
a reflection.  Ghosts simply didn't have that ability.
        She stood, listening, as was her curse.   To
always watch, yet never be an active participant.  
Yet
again, she cursed him, cursed the one she had loved
too well.   For it was his fault that she would never
be granted the sleep of death.
        Unlike usual, though, she heard a sound.  The
sound was almost unfamiliar- it was the sound of
laughter.   Her curiosity pique, she decided to
investigate.
        She floated easily through the wood, for even
this cursed land was incapable of hindering her.  Soon
she arrived at a small campsite.
        She stared, amazed.   It was a party of five-
three men and two young boys.   She wanted to warn
them of the danger here, but she knew such an effort
would be futile.   Only creatures of magic could see
and hear one such as she.  Perhaps she would ask a
centaur to guard them; the men were stupid to come
here and deserved what they got coming, but the
children.... she had loved children once.
        She was just about to go on her errand when
she heard something that interested her.
        "These woods are cursed, Shinji," one of the
men said to the oldest man in the group.
        The grizzled old man, apparently the afore
mentioned Shinji, nodded his agreement.   "Aye, that
they are.  The very nature of this woods is...
twisted, unnatural.   But it wasn't always that way,
or so my
Grandfather told me when I was young."
       The two children, who were trying very hard not
to be scared by their surroundings, sensed the
opportunity for a distraction.  "Is there a story
behind this place?" one of them asked.
        The older man ruffled the child's hair.   "The
story was old in my grandfather's day.  Actually,
there's a song," he began.  "I remember a little of
it."  Shinji began to sing in a somewhat decent tenor:

                 "There was a proud and nobel lass,
                 In Shadow Wood was born,
                 And there she grew, and there she met
                 And loved a unicorn."

        The child who had spoken looked confused.   "A
lass?  In love with a unicorn?"
        Shinji nodded.   "I always thought the unicorn
meant something else- perhaps it is a reference to the
Forest Master."
        "The Forest Master?" the other child asked.
        "Hai.   It is said that he rules this cursed
place, and all the places with magic in their being."
        The ghost stared at the old man, not sure if
she could bear to hear any more of this conversation. 
 
        Shinji bagan to sing again, and the Ghost
winced at the strained measure.   She'd heard this
song many times before, yet each time made her soul
shudder.  She hated the reminders.
        Shinji took up the song again.

                 "She served him long, she served him
well,
                 She served him whole and part
                 Until one night in Shadow Glade
                 She told him all her heart."

        "It's a love story," said the only man who
hadn't spoken in a disgusted voice.
        "Perhaps, but there's no happy ending," Shinji
responded. 
        And owl cried, and the group shuddered.   
"I'll tell you kids the rest of this after we've left
Darken
Wood," he informed the youngsters.  They nodded, to
frightened to protest.  The man who had made the
comment about the love story got the children into bed
while the other two held a whispered conversation. 
The ghost heard every word. 
        "I don't like it here," the unnamed man said.
        Shinji's dark eyes were grave.   "Neither do
I.   But this is the only way we can avoid the demons-
they dare not enter here."
         "For good reason!" the other man protested.  
"The trees weep blood!  The animals hunt for humans,
and I've heard it said.... that the dead walk."
        "But no innocent is ever harmed," Shinji
replied.   He looked over at the sleeping children. 
"The Forest Master will not allow it."
        "What's the rest of the song?" the other man
asked suddenly.  "It gave me the creeps."
        Shinji sratched his chin.   "I remember the
story- it's about how Darken Wood was made from Shadow
Wood; something about a betrayel and revenge.  I
simply can't recall the rest of the song itself."
        The ghost sighed and shook her head.  She
recalled it all too well.  It had been nice to hear a
living voice sing it.  Sighing, she sang the next
verse to herself:
 
                 "He did not mock, He did not laugh,
                 But softly told her nay;
                 She did not grieve, but chose to
leave
                 And plotted to betray."

        She floated off, remembering to warn the
centaurs and other goodly creatures of the woods to
guard against a possible attack on the children.  
Shinji was partly right; while the Forest Master tried
to protect the innocent, even he could not be
everywhere at once.   The Forest was Evil, and sought
to wrestle itself free of the Forest Master.
        She floated towards the edge of the Forest,
knowing what she would find there.  It had once been a
shack, but now was falling down.  She saw the faint
imprints of memory trying to restore it to a semblance
of respectability, but they were blurred and
transparent.  This was his curse: he was no longer
able to
maintain his home, yet his memory had sharpened to the
point of being almost eidetic.  The Forest Master had
not been in a kind mood that day, but the ghost didn't
blame him for that.
        She sang out, almost tauntingly:

                 "Shinosuke was duty bound,
                 To guard the wood from fear.
                 But he, in pride, set sword aside,
                 To bargain with the dear."

        He drifted out and focused his eyes on her. 
"Whatever made you think of that horrible song,
Ukyou?"
        Ukyou (for it was her ghost), smiled sadly.  
"I actually heard it sung today, if you can believe
it. 
They still remember."   
        "But they remember wrong," Shinosuke
protested.  "I'd rather they forget then believe in
that stupid tripe."
        Shinosuke brushed the ghostly tear from her
face.   They were able to touch each other, and when
they did, they felt almost alive.  But only almost.  
Ukyou could think of worst people to have to share an
afterlife with then Shinosuke.  Still, she felt
horribly guilty for leading him to this fate.
        "Enough about Ranma.  You've got that song
stuck in my head again," he accused.  Then he picked
up the song:

                 "There is no hunt for me," said he,
                 Of any creature born,
                 Unless I could in Shadow Wood
                 Hunt down the unicorn."

        "I didn't want to kill him.  I remembered
Akane loved him.   I just wanted her back," he said
whistfully.  "I never could forget her."
        Ukyou sighed.   "I wanted him dead.  I figured
that if I couldn't have him, no one could."  Then she
laughed.   "In a way, I got my wish.  Akane, Shampoo
and Kodachi didn't get him either.   He was married to
this place."
        "Why were their people in the woods?"
Shinosuke asked suddenly.
        Ukyou shrugged what had once been her
shoulders.  "I don't know.   I heard one of them
mention youma.  They've conquered over half the world,
or so the pegasi told me."                
        "And caused the second dark age to come
about," Shinosuke added.   "Most of these people have
never even heard of electricity.   Swords are common,
and I've heard of plagues that kill entire villages.  

It's funny to think our actions had such an effect on
the world."
        Sad indeed, she said, recalling how she had
betrayed her former best friend.   She sang:	

                "None knows so well where he may dwell
                 As I who did his will,
                 If you will heed, then I will lead,
                 And you may have your kill.

                 The girl led on from night to dawn,
                 From sunrise into morn,
                 And in the shade of Shadow Glade
                 Betrayed the unicorn.�

	Shinosuke sighed.   It did Ukyou no good to reminise
about it.   Better to help her get over it.  �Iy never
should have happened- Ranma should have married you or
Akane and settled the whole issue.   He just dragged
it out.�
	�Or Kodachi... or Shampoo, or...� Ukyou said
bitterly.
	�They weren�t his fiancees, and he didn�t love them. 
It would have been either Akane or you- if he hadn�t
become the Forest Master.�
	Ukyou was caught up in the memories of that time. 
Ranma had been powerful as a teenager, and his power
continued to grow as he aged.    Everyone had always
known that Ranma was special, but few foresaw the
destiny that beckoned him.
	She remembered the day Ranma had become the Forest
Master.  It had been a typical Nerima day- Ryouga was
threatening Ranma and stuttering over Akane, Akane had
been chasing Ranma, Mousse was chasing Shampoo,
Happosai was....
	She shook her head, trying to keep her thoughts in
order.    Ranma ended up battling the first of the
demons released by the insane Sorceror Dimanche.   He
had won, managing to drive them from the City, yet at
a terrible cost.    Ukyou remembered the sight of his
broken body spilling its heart�s blood into the soil. 
 Ranma should have died there.
	But he hadn�t.  The very Earth rebelled at losing one
of its greatest champions, and so he had risen, his
path forever altered.   He was Nature�s Champion; he
now had the purpose he had always lacked before.
	His  powers came from a source far greater, and with
it, a new wisdom.   He saw the danger the world was
in, and vowed to be the Protector of the world.    He
realized, somehow managing to overcome his previous
ego problem, that he couldn�t do it alone.    He
summoned the best people he had ever known, and
offered them a choice.   Serve him, gain immortality
and the chance to keep the world safe.   Ryouga,
Akane, Ukyou, Kasumi, Shinosuke, Shampoo, Mousse...
the people who became known to the world as the Seven
Servants.
	Ukyou could still remember the feel of Ranma�s lips
on her forehead as he kissed her to grant her the
powers she would need.  The power had been awesome.
	Things had been good for a while.   Somehow, they all
managed to get along, working togeher for the greater
good.  Ukyou, though, wanted more.   She wanted Ranma
to love her.
	So she had confessed her feelings to her, only to be
put aside gently.   �With my power comes a burden.   I
fear I can no longer walk the same path as you.�  To
demonstrate, he summoned water, which he then splashed
on himself.   To Ukyou�s surprise, Ranma�s form
shifted as usual, but he no longer became a woman. 
Instead, he transformed into a noble black stallion,
with a twisting gold horn on his forehead.   His eyes
were the same sparkling saphires that Ukyou just
wanted to lose herself in.   �A unicorn, above all, is
pure.�
	Ukyou nodded solemnly, then turned to leave.  Rage
was slowly building in her heart.  He had led her on!
Then she made her worst mistake.   She went to
Shinosuke and offered him a hunt.  She knew she
couldn�t defeat Ranma on her own, but figured
Shinosuke could distract him long enough for her to
kill him.
	So the hunt began.  She led Shinosuke straight to
Shadow Glade, where Ranma was in stallion form,
working his subtle magics to protect the forest from
the demons that sought entry.  Shinosuke attacked, 
and Ranma was forced to shift into human form.  His
expression was sad as he sang a few notes.   
	Ukyou watched in horror as the very trees snagged
her.    She struggled, reminded of the time on Toma�s
island.  Shinosuke was similarly entangled.   The
trees brought her to the Forest Master.  out of
nowhere, Ryouga appeared to witness the situation. 
Ranma didn�t seem to notice.  The next verses of the
song came to Ukyou, fueling her revery.   She sang it
sadly:

                 He spoke to her; his voice was grim:
                 "What have you done for pride?
                 You know and see your destiny
                 And yet you turn aside.

                 You would betray me to my death
                 And quite forsake your vows?
                 Then service lent without consent
                 Is all you do me now."

                 He touched her once, he touched her
twice,
                 And three times with his horn;
                 And there she fell, and where she
fell,
                 She rose a unicorn.

	Ranma had kissed her then on the forehead, and the
sensation burned her body into oblivion.   She
suddenly was able to be free of the tree�s grasp, but
she couldn�t rejoice in that fact.   Her body was
gone- she had become a ghost.   Shinosuke was
similarly dealt with.    Ryouga spat on both of them,
turning his back on them.
	Ukyou left then, loudly cursing her former fiancee.

END PART 1
FEEDBACK!!!
===
Quicksilver
Lady of the Labyrinth
Full time student and part-time writer
Finally finished pledging!
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Capsule/3342/
"You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing."
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