The story so far:

* Nemesis, Seiryu, and the Orochi Cult have been destroyed.
* Mousse is severely crippled, and is not expected to recover.
  However, as part of his punishment, he must remain alive.
* Shampoo is being punished by keeping Mousse alive or can't go home.
* Kodachi leaves school in protest of a new rule.
* Ukyo is dead.

---------------------------------------------------------------
The Wheel of Fire

  Ryoga stood alone by the koi pond when Akane found him.
  "Ryoga," Akane said in greeting.
  The Eternally Lost Boy turned around and smiled. "Hello, Akane."
  The party had ended not long ago, with the people filtering out of
the dojo slowly but surely, some wishing to leave quickly because of
the priest's badgering. Ranma had disappeared, but Akane knew he
had not gone far.
  "I need to ask you a favor," Akane said.
  "What is it?" asked Ryoga.
  "I need you to talk to Ranma," she explained. "Try to help him out
of his depression." It's certainly much better an idea than Nakamura's
own solution. She added, "You're his friend; you can do it."
  Ryoga seemed to consider that, then shook his head. "I'm sorry,
Akane, but I can't do that."
  "Why not?"
  "I've learned in my travels that one has to find their own ways to
deal with the pain," he replied. "What I have in mind is probably not
what you, or Ranma, want."
  "I see," Akane said, nodding in understanding. "He's really taking
this hard." Harder than when my mother died. "I can't stand to see
him like this. Why can't he tell that I'm hurting, too?"
  Ryoga said nothing, not knowing what was expected of him. His eyes
drifted to the koi pond, the original object of his stay in the
Tendo yard. He closed his eyes, then lowered his head, taking a deep
breath, readying himself for what he must do.
  "Akane, I need to tell you something," Ryoga said suddenly.
  "What is it?"
  "I've got to tell you my darkest secret... because I feel the need
to tell you."
  "Don't," Akane replied, holding up a hand before her. "Whatever it
is, it can't be as important as what is going on now." She raised her
head, staring at the stars. "At a time such as this, the past should
not be an anchor by which to hinder the movement toward the future.
Ukyo told me as much... once."
  "I... I see," Ryoga stammered, forcing a nod. His expression turned
into one of freedom, as if the imaginary shackles were thrown from his
body. "Well, Akane, I guess I'll be heading back out again."
  "Going to find Akari's house again?" Akane guessed. Every time Ryoga
tried to leave town he was aiming for Akari's, but he never got there
in any reasonable amount of time. "That reminds me...."
  Producing a folded paper from a pocket, she handed it to Ryoga. She
said, "This was something Ukyo wanted to give you... something she
made a while ago. Konatsu gave it to me to give to you."
  Ryoga accepted the paper, unfolding it carefully. He stared at the
contents, his jaw dropping in surprise. "It's... a map?"
  Akane nodded. "It's probably not perfect, but it's designed to help
you get from here to there and back again, assuming you follow the
directions."
  "Th... thanks, Akane."
  "No, you should thank Ukyo." Oh, that's right....
  Ryoga nodded. "Well, I'll be seeing you," he said. "Tell Ranma I
hope everything works out for him. And for you, too."
  "Me too," agreed Akane.
  Akane watched the Eternally Lost Boy, map open in his hands, make
his way toward the gate. When he disappeared from her sight, she sighed
deeply, glad that her sticky business was over.
  Over time, Akane learned to forgive Ryoga's deception as P-chan.
  If there was anyone Ukyo reminded Akane of, it was of Akane herself.

  Konatsu found Ranma sitting alone on the roof of the Tendo house,
brooding.
  "Are you okay?" asked the kunoichi. "You don't look good."
  Ranma shook his head. "I'll be fine."
  Wordlessly, Konatsu disagreed, seating himself next to the martial
artist, setting down Ukyo's spatula beside him. "Since I've sold the
building so fast," he said, "I'll be leaving tomorrow."
  "No more Ucchan's," Ranma muttered.
  Konatsu nodded. "For the moment, I'll be staying with Ukyo-sama's
family in Kyoto. Not only will this give me the chance to deliver the
rest of Ukyo-sama's belongings, but I'll be able to meet her father
and thank him personally."
  "For what?" asked Ranma, not for the sake of curiosity.
  "For raising Ukyo-sama, of course," replied the kunoichi. "I am
quite anxious to meet him."
  He turned to face Ranma, extending a hand. "A pleasure to know
you," Konatsu said.
  Ranma extended his own hand, giving a handshake. "Take care of
yourself."
  "You too."
  Konatsu stood up, scooping up the giant spatula. Staring off into
the stars, he took a deep breath, and walked off, leaving Ranma
alone to contemplate.

The Next Day

  Mousse did not bother to shift his position in the bed when the man
entered the room.
  "You're Mousse, right?" the newcomer said, shutting the door quietly
behind him.
  The wounded martial artist said nothing, refusing to look at the man.
  "I hear you are a warrior of no small water," continued the man.
  Right, Mousse thought. A warrior who should be dead. He wished for
his weapons back, but wishing did no good, just like the other times.
  "I also hear that you suffered a near-fatal experience."
  "What's your point?" the Chinese martial artist asked, speaking with
contempt in his voice. "By all rights, I should've died."
  "But you didn't," the man pointed out. "I've heard from our recent
convert, Dr. Tofu, that you were saved by 'an angel of mercy.'"
  "'Angel of mercy' my ass."
  "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Joseph Nakamura, the local head
of the Saint Hebereke Church. I'm sure you've heard of it?"
  Mousse refused to acknowledge the man.
  "Very well, you only need to listen," Nakamura decided. "I believe
the only reason you survived your experience was due to the
intervention of Saint Hebereke. He saw it fit to send an angel to help
you in your time of need and deliver you from your suffering."
  Again, Mousse did not reply.
  "Dr. Tofu thinks you'll be lucky if you can recover and maintain
your former mobility. After all, the blade edge did damage some nerves.
So, what I propose is this: open yourself to Saint Hebereke."
  Mousse snorted in contempt.
  "Join my flock, Mousse," encouraged Nakamura. "Not only can Saint
Hebereke offer you complete recovery, but direction! The time draws
near toward Judgement, and mankind must be deemed worthy. Join us, and
help us assure a brighter future for us all!"
  "Is that all you have to say?" Mousse replied.
  "Of course!" Nakamura answered. "You could be a great asset for
Heaven's chosen champions, alongside Tofu, Mariko, Spencer, and
Sakurai. You can have purpose in your life again! You can do anything
at the saint's side!"
  For the first time, Mousse turned over in his bed, facing the
priest. "Come here," he said.
  Complying, Nakamura bent down to Mousse's face.
  Only to be greeted by a wad of sticky saliva on his cheek. The
priest stepped back in surprise.
  "Leave," ordered Mousse. "Don't ever come here with your God-crap
and hope to bring me over. Don't believe that you can ever control
Mousse, pride of Joketsuzoku, Master of Hidden Weapons."
  "Unlike you, I am free," explained the Master of Hidden Weapons.
"I am free of Shampoo; my destiny is my own. I will not let that
slip through my grasp-- never again. Especially not to you craven
God-fearing cowards-- you are your own Hell, you bastards. You're so
insecure in your faith that you have to run around town looking for
converts, because everyone is against you."
  Nakamura stammered, "T...that's blasphemy!"
  "As I said," Mousse replied with a twisted smile. "There is no such
thing as an 'angel of mercy;' take it from me. I was given no favors.
I was shown no mercy. But what I HAVE been shown was that humanity can
set its own course. You, in your cowardly way, are the reeds that blow
with the wind; I am but a feather in the wind-- no, I AM the wind!
I am free to change. You, the reeds, may swing with the change, but
you are ever rooted in your values... values that cling to DIRT."
  "I think it best to leave now," Nakamura decided, standing up.
  "I think so as well," Mousse agreed. "But, one more thing."
  "What's that?" the priest asked, his hand on the door.
  "I will recover," the Chinese martial artist declared. "I will
recover, and tear you down, until all there is will be you and the
wind. I will make sure that no one else will ever succumb to your lies
and prophecies-- false hopes to replace shattered dreams. I will make
sure that each and every man, woman, and child you deceived will be
given back control over their lives and destinies. I will succeed,
because I am the winds. Change is inevitable; are YOU ready for it?
You, my friend, have made an enemy this day-- you should never have
tried to deny my freedom."
  "Because," Mousse concluded, "you can take away my life, but no one
can take my freedom!"

  "Can't believe we've got to go back, after everything that's
happened," Ranma said sourly, throwing himself into his seat.
  No one answered the complaint. He watched Akane, a few seats in
front of him, settle down, pulling out a pencil in readiness. He
watched Hiroshi converse with his other friends, standing in their
own corner.
  He almost saw Ukyo cook okonomiyaki at the teacher's desk.
  But, the entrance of the teacher broke the spell holding Ranma's
thoughts.
  "Good morning, class," the teacher said, throwing his books down
on his desk. He watched in amusement as the students scrambled to
their seats, trying their best to be silent.
  "Well, the headmaster wanted to hold an assembly this morning,"
the teacher continued, "but it seems that he'll be taking an extended
leave for a few weeks."
  "'Least that's good news," Ranma muttered under his breath.
  "Therefore, I'll be making an announcement for him," finished the
teacher. "I'll make this brief, but I would like to welcome a new
student to Furinkan High."
  As if on cue, the classroom door burst open.
  Already, Ranma remembered the first time Ukyo walked through that
door, but this student wore the girl's uniform. He shook his head in
shock as he realized who this 'new' student was.
  A storm of black rose petals burst in the air as Kodachi Kuno made
her grand entrance.
  "Shit," Ranma cursed under his breath.
  "Laaaah-hah-hah-hah!!" laughed Kodachi, making her grand entrance.
  "As you've all probably heard," explained the teacher, "since the
new regulations at a certain OTHER school, all schools in the area
will be taking in the mass influx." He sighed.
  "I am Kodachi... the Black Rose," Kodachi announced herself, bowing
low, as if she were a performer.
  Many of the students groaned at the thought of Kuno's sister in
their class.
  "Just when ya thought it was all over," rambled Hiroshi, "they throw
us another one."
  "At least she's a babe...." whispered Daisuke.
  Feeling utterly defeated, Ranma slammed his head down on the desk.

  Not far from Furinkan High, in the carefully-constructed yard of
the wealthy Kuno family, Tatewaki Kuno laughed.
  "Revenge is a dish best served cold," he said. "In the reign of
Kuno, the form is swift and sure!"
  "Your torment is far from over, Saotome," he vowed.

  Ranma sat alone on the park bench, staring at the ground where birds
ran amidst a sea of feed, originating from the bag at the martial
artist's side.
  Sighing, he remembered the vision Seiryu had shown him long ago: of
this very same park, destroyed by fire, where Nemesis had confronted
the largest gathering of the world's finest warriors-- and subsequently
destroyed them all. A time where Seiryu lost her eye, and with it, her
sense of rationality, he thought. She probably went mad there.
  For a moment, he wondered when Seiryu came into being. That, she
did not show him; after all, she wanted him to believe that she was
still Ukyo. Something in the time between now and that critical event
must have happened... but what, is a mystery. Still, now that Ukyo
was gone, she'll never become Seiryu, and thus no one will ever know.
  Time travel hurts, he thought.
  He watched the pigeons peck at the feed, but one pigeon in
particular, Ranma noticed, refrained from such action as taken by his
fellows.
  It was that same pigeon that transformed before Ranma's eyes into
the former Orochi assassin, Shifter. He dressed in a typical business
suit, as if he were an executive out on a stroll. The relatively
modern dress itself was an unusual sight for Higure, barring the
fact that he appeared at all.
  "A penny for your thoughts," Higure Furui said in greeting, despite
Ranma's shocked expression. "Well, of course there are no pennies
around, but that is the expression."
  Recovering, Ranma said, "I should've guessed it was you."
  Higure smiled, sitting down next to the young Saotome, waving a
feather fan in his face. "It is not like you to reflect for an extended
period of time, is it?"
  "You could say that," replied Ranma, uncaringly staring at the
pigeons. "Whaddaya want this time?"
  "Only to talk."
  "I'm not going anywhere. Besides, if I tried to ditch you, you'd
find a way to catch up."
  That remark forced the Shinto wizard to laugh.
  "You are thinking of your friend, Ukyo," he guessed.
  When Ranma refused to answer, Higure continued, "Well, I must admit,
although I taught her a bit in our brief time of acquaintance, she
also managed to teach me a few things, too. Not common for a man of
my age."
  "A thousand years of living must be hell," Ranma commented.
  "In a sense, yes," agreed the former assassin. "I am truly glad to
be released from such a fate. Anyway, as I was saying, I told Ukyo
the same thing I told you and the others: about the numbers guiding
your destinies. I was right about some things, but that girl proved
I was wrong about others."
  "'Bout what?"
  "She told me that there was no such thing as destiny, and that, in
the end, it is the people that matter, not the numbers. 'When one
person dies, we remember that person. When a million people die, we
remember a statistic.'" The former assassin shrugged. "When one puts
it that way, the numbers sound quite cold, but it is true."
  "Figures she'd say something like that."
  "She was right, because seven of you survived the final conflict.
She was right, because if it were not for certain individuals, the
casualty list would have been much longer."
  "You mean me and Mousse?"
  Higure nodded. "And Tatewaki Kuno should have died as well; his
survival is quite surprising, considering what he did."
  "Probably the phoenix doo-hickey," Ranma guessed.
  "Of course," the wizard said, "you do realize that the Chinese
phoenix is not quite the same as the popularized Western phoenix. Ah
well, as it stands today, they may as well be the same thing. Either
way, it may have been worse if I had not retrieved Ryoga Hibiki for
the battle as well."
  "I still don't think he appreciated your prodding."
  "Perhaps not, but it was the simplest way, and sometimes simple is
best."
  Ranma said nothing. Even after all he had been through, he still
barely understood how the assassin's mind worked.
  For that matter, he never figured out what Ukyo really was.
  "You got Ryoga all by yourself," he pointed out, "what made you do
that?"
  Higure shrugged. "Sometimes Fate needs a helping hand."
  The young Saotome groaned.
  "Anyway, in the brief time I have known your friend, Ukyo," the
Shinto wizard concluded, "I believe she was one of the wisest I have
ever met. That is quite rare for someone so young. I suppose growing
up hard may have had something to do with it."
  "Yeah, I guess so," agreed Ranma. Reflecting, he decided, she must
have had to grow up real fast. She probably really did have a harder
time growing up than I did.
  And, after all this time, she never did tell me about it.
  "Of course, it had to end this way," Higure continued, "because
she knew how much everything was riding on you. A great degree of
foresight on her part, that. I find that was as tragic as when her
ancestor had to leave Ashinzo behind. This time, at least, she did not
leave."
  "I guess making up for past mistakes helps a bit," Ranma said.
"Still... I really, REALLY, wish I'd gotten to know her better. After
all this time, I still couldn't figure her out."
  "It does help to know your friends," agreed the wizard, "but
sometimes, there are sides of them they really do not wish you to
know, and that may be the case here. For instance, how would you react
to her if you knew that she was a distant descendant of the Orochi
Family?"
  "She's a WHAT?!" Ranma yelled out in surprise, staring at the Shinto
wizard incredulously.
  "Did you ever wonder why she wielded so much chi power?" asked
Higure.
  "It's not quite the same as what I use," the young martial artist
knew. "Ashinzo said it was the ultimate psychokinetic force-- I
figured, if anything, she was an esper."
  "Lady Kuno is an esper, but Ukyo is not," the former assassin
corrected. "The Lady possesses teleportation ability-- I assume you
witnessed that firsthand in your initial encounter with Nemesis-- as
well as advanced telepathy, although I believe she did not know this
until recently. Teleportation is a very common ability of espers, but
it is not without its own risks; many develop heart disorders from
repeated teleportations. But, did you ever observe Ukyo demonstrate
those abilities?"
  "Now that I think about it... no."
  "Dragons are masters of chi," lectured Higure. "As such, those of
the dragon's blood are as well. That is why the members of the Orochi
Family are formidable. And, by extension, their children are, as
well."
  "But I thought Ukyo didn't have any Orochi blood in her!"
  "That is true. As I stated before, she is a rather distant
descendant of the Orochi Family. Although such persons are rare, it
is not unheard of. Though their Orochi blood was worn thin by the
inevitable domination of human blood, the imprint of the dragon was
embedded in their genetic structure. They are, effectively, touched by
the dragons. They may not possess the blood, but the ability is still
there. Only those with the knowledge of the Orochi arts could
distinguish it from any other martial arts ability."
  Makes sense, Ranma thought. If what Herb said of the Musk Dynasty
is true, then their animal traits are part of their heritage now,
even if they don't mate with cursed animals anymore....
  For a moment, Ranma wondered if Kagura, the Guardian of the Seal,
knew.
  "Ukyo, as well as her ancestor before her, possessed the Orochi
Power of Water, a minor partition of the Orochi arts, and not too
terribly powerful at that. However, the original Orochi Master of
Water was quite clever himself; he refused to limit himself with
just the water power, but instead used it to augment another power:
psychokinetics, as you call it. It was, after all, a sort of natural
extension of the Water Power-- water is, in nature, fluid, responsive,
and a force in its own right. I would not be surprised if she was
descended from one of the original members of the Orochi Family, or
even the Master of Water himself."
  The Shinto wizard shrugged. "If you had not noticed when you
battled against Goenitz, the Master of Wind, teleportation became the
domain of the Users of Wind."
  "This just boggles," Ranma said, clutching his head with both
hands, as if someone was smashing his head in. "I suppose the Orochi
blood also confers a degree of psychic activity. That's the only way
Seiryu could have done her stunts."
  "It does, yes. But never confuse that with espers; Orochis are far
more powerful, and more versatile, than espers. They are a blend of
chi masters and espers, if you wish to think of it in that manner."
  Ranma shook his head, trying his best to clear his thoughts.
  "If it helps any, I believe Ukyo did not know this herself," the
wizard offered in consolation. "Many wielders of fantastic power live
their lives without ever knowing their full potential."
  She could've beaten me to a pulp whenever she wanted to, the
young Saotome thought. She could've overpowered me at any time! And
yet... even with all that power... she didn't. Aware of it or not,
willing to use it or not... Ukyo could only refrain from doing it if
she really did care.
  "I suppose it appropriate that she was the User of Water," the
former assassin mused. "In Musashi's 'Book of Five Rings,' the Book of
Water was what Musashi used to describe himself, the Book of Wind to
describe his opponents, and the Book of Fire to describe how to wage
a battle. Appropriate, that it also describe you and Tatewaki Kuno,
as well. You, as with the Book of Winds, know your opponents, and use
that knowledge well. As with the Book of Fire and Tatewaki, he
successfully defeated an opponent that was his equal, if not his
better. And, as with the Book of Water and Ukyo, she knew herself--
thus remaining true to herself in the end. Interesting, how these
things work out."
  At that point, Ranma was no longer interested in listening to the
Shinto wizard's musings, consumed by his own thoughts.
  "I can't believe I strung her along with the rest of them," Ranma
muttered. "I can't believe how much of a jerk I've been with her,
after all she put aside for me. I mean, she gave up power, she gave
up her last hope of returning to society with honor, to be my
friend... if not my wife. Dammit, WHY are we THIS concerned about
honor, to the point of supidity and death? And hell, she just gave
up her life, too, just to be my friend!"
  Ranma banged his head with his fists. "And where was I during all
of this?!"
  "If I were you," suggested Higure, "I would cease to think in that
manner, and remember her for what she was, and what she was worth."
  "How come I never noticed?!" the martial artist cried, seemingly
ignoring the Shinto wizard's words.
  "Instead of mourning, celebrate her life. Tell me, because you are
her friend... would she appreciate what you are doing right now?"
  "Probably not," Ranma admitted, "but I don't care!!"
  "Ranma, you have a wife... someone to share your pain. She suffers
as well. Suffer together; misery loves company."
  "I'll keep that in mind," Ranma replied noncommittally. He could
almost hear Pantyhose Taro laughing at him, pointing out his moment
of weakness. Well, right now, he didn't care. Nothing was harder
than burying an old friend.
  Standing to his feet, Higure added, "When you can find it in
your heart to forgive yourself, Ranma Saotome, you can do anything.
When you remember why Ukyo gave up her life for you to live, you can
do anything. When you remember the past, and learn from the mistakes
of the past... you can look forward to the bright future ahead of you.
When you remember to live without regrets, the past will never stop
you. When you remember your friends, remember them for what they
were, and what they have become, because they are still your friends,
and, despite how they appear to you on the outside, they are there
for you, on the inside. When you remember this all, I will be back."
  Silently, the Shinto wizard headed toward the exit of the park on
foot, leaving Ranma alone with his thoughts.
  "After all," the former Orochi assassin, known as Shifter, told
himself, "Ranma Saotome, the wheel turns forevermore, the flame
burns brighter still; your journey has only just begun."



"From time to time, you will make mistakes. They are inevitable.
  Sometimes, those mistakes will be huge. What matters is that you
  learn from them. There is nothing wrong with falling down, as long
  as you end up just two inches taller, when you pick yourself up off
  the fall."
"At times, you may end up far away from home. You may not be sure of
  where you belong anymore. Home is always there, because home is
  not a place. It is wherever your passion takes you."
"As you continue on your path, you will lose some friends and gain
  some new ones. The process is painful, but often necessary. They
  will change and you will change, because life is change. From time
  to time, they must find their own way and that way may not be yours.
  Enjoy them for what they are and remember them for what they were."
"I believe that, sooner or later, no matter what happened, things do
  work out. Well, we have hard times. We suffer. We lose loved ones.
  The road is never easy. It was never meant to be easy, but in the
  long road, if you stay to what you believe, things do work out."
"Always be willing to fight for what you believe in. It doesn't matter
  if a thousand people agree with you or one person agrees with you.
  It doesn't matter if you stand completely alone. Fight for what
  you believe. Which begins me to the first piece of advice my dad
  gave me, and now I am giving to you: 'Never start a fight, but
  always finish it.'"
						-- Sheridan, Babylon 5


(concluded in Part 6)


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* "[Y]ou're lamer than your signature and screen name indicate."--Chris 
Davies
* "There was a recent case where a fanfic author put together his work with 
only another fanfic serving as his primary resource.  *I* started writing 
fanfiction that way, and consequently I never grew attached to this whole 
idea of remaining true to the original.  I call it "correction."--Reverend 
Prez

--Razorclaw X
Author: "The Wheel of Fire", "The World's Worst Ranma Fanfic!", "The 
Geometry of Shattered Souls", "The Balance of Power".
"I sold my soul to buy a copy of the dubbed 'Ukyo Can Cook'"
"Decepticons Forever!"


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