Quicksilver�s Quill Offers
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 you�re interested, it�s
in Dragonlance�s �Love and War� anthology.   It�s a
great read!
Feedback! Compliments and Criticism welcome.
Also, due to extreme stress in my college life, I'm
still off-list... please reply off list to me.  This
was written during the summer......
        	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 in its cool depths.  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 in
the usually still woods.  The sound was almost
unfamiliar- it was the sound of laughter.   Her
curiosity piqued, 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.  The sight
of them inspired a faint wistfullness somewhere within
her... had it really been so long ago? she wondered.
        	She was just about to go on hunt for the
centaurs 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 spirit
agreed with him wholeheartedly.
        	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, eager for a
tale that might take his mind off what might be
lurking in the shadows.
        	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
baritone:

                 "There was a proud and noble 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 began 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, but at the same
time, they kept her going.
        	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. 
        	An owl cried, and the group shuddered.    The
bird of ill-omen.  "I'll tell you kids the rest of
this after we've left Darken Wood," he informed the
youngsters.  They nodded, too 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."  The ghost knew better, but
there was no way she could tell the mortals that.
        	"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 scratched his chin.   "I remember the
story- it's about how Darken Wood was made from Shadow
Wood; something about a betrayal 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.  Even
with His skills, occasionally the Forest Master lost
control of the forces that vied for their freedom.  
No matter how quickly He fixed things, damage would
(inevitably) be done.  
        	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:

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

        	He drifted out and focused his eyes on her. 
"Whatever made you think of that horrible song,
Akane?"
 	Akane (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," Shinnosuke
protested.  "I'd rather they forget then believe in
that stupid tripe.  I wish they remembered the ballads
of our old days- when we saved the world, rather than
destroyed it."
        	�That was even an even longer time ago, and
human memory is very short.   They never remember the
good things.   I can�t say I blame them,� she said
softly, looking around Darken Wood.   
        	Shinnosuke 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. 
Akane could think of worst people to have to share an
unlife with then Shinnosuke.   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 just wanted....
I�m not sure....� Shinnosuke said softly.   
	Akane 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.  Ukyou, Shampoo
and Kodachi didn't get Him either.   He was married to
this place instead."
        	"Why were there people in the woods?"
Shinnosuke asked suddenly.
        	Akane shrugged what had once been her
shoulders.  "I don't know.   I heard one of them
mention demons.  They've conquered over half the
world, or so the pegasi told me recently."            
   
        	"And caused the second dark age to come
about," Shinnosuke 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 thought, recalling how she
had betrayed her former fiancee.   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.�

	Shinnosuke sighed.   It did Akane no good to
reminisce about it.   Better to help her get over it. 
�It never should have happened- Ranma should have
married you or Ukyou and settled the whole issue.   He
just dragged it out.�
	�Or Kodachi... or Shampoo, or...� Akane said
bitterly.
	�They weren�t his fiancees, and he didn�t love them. 
It would have been either Ukyou or you- if he hadn�t
become the Forest Master.�
	Akane was caught up in the memories of that time.  He
had been powerful as a teenager, and His power
continued to grow as He aged.    Everyone had always
known that He was special, but few foresaw the destiny
that beckoned Him.
	She remembered the day He had become the Forest
Master.  It had been a typical Nerima day- Ryouga was
threatening Him, Ukyou being followed by Tsubasa,
Mousse was chasing Shampoo, Happosai was....
	She shook her head, trying to keep her thoughts in
order.   He ended up battling the first of the demons
released by the insane Sorcerer Dimanche.   He had
won, managing to drive them from the Nerima Ward, yet
at a terrible cost.   Akane remembered the sight of
His broken body spilling, His heart�s blood into the
soil.   He 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.  She
remembered watching Him get up from what should have
been His resting place, feeling no surprise at all. 
He had always been destined for great things.
	His  powers came from a source far greater than
anything Akane could even begin to comprehend, 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, Shinnosuke, Shampoo, Mousse...
the people who became known to the world as the Seven
Servants.
	Akane could still remember the feel of  His lips on
her forehead as He kissed her to grant her the powers
she would need.  The power had been awesome- but the
power hadn�t mattered.   It had been the first time He
had kissed her willingly, and she remembered the glow
she had felt from it.  Of course, she had watched him
kiss Shampoo and Ukyou immediately thereafter, which
had dulled a little of the warmth.  And then He had
kissed Ryouga....
	She laughed to herself at her memories of a happier
time.  Things had been good for a while.   Somehow,
they all managed to get along, working together for
the greater good. Akane, though, wanted more.   She
wanted Him to love her as she loved Him.
	So she had confessed her feelings to Him, only to be
put aside gently.   �With my power comes a burden.   I
fear I can no longer walk the same path as you,� He
explained softly.  To demonstrate, He summoned water
from the ground, which he then splashed on himself.  
To Akane�s surprise, His 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
sapphires that Akane just wanted to lose herself in.  
�A unicorn, above all, is pure.�
	Akane 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
Shinnosuke and offered him a hunt.  She knew she
couldn�t defeat Him on her own, but figured Shinnosuke
could distract Him long enough for her to kill Him, as
she believed was her only recourse.  And besides,
Shinnosuke loved her.
	So the hunt began.  She led Shinnosuke straight to
Shadow Glade, where He was in stallion form, working
His subtle magicks to protect the forest from the
demons and other forms of evil that sought entry. 
Shinnosuke attacked,  and He was forced to shift into
human form.  His expression was sad as He made a few
gestures, pulling on the threads of magic.   Shifting
back to human form, He prepared to discipline His
former friends.
	Akane watched in horror as the very trees snagged
her.    She struggled, reminded of the time on Toma�s
island.  Shinnosuke was similarly entangled.   The
trees brought her to the Forest Master.  Out of
nowhere, Ryouga appeared to witness the situation.  He
didn�t seem to notice.  The next verses of the song
came to Akane, fueling her reverie.   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.

	He had kissed her then on the forehead, but this kiss
was much different then the one He used to make her
Immortal.  Instead of strengthening, He used His power
as a punishment.  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 lost her corporeal
existence.   Shinnosuke was similarly dealt with.   
Ryouga spat on both of them (or rather, towards both
of them, since they had lost their bodies), turning
his back on them.  Ryouga, who had always been there
for her.    Ryouga, who had loved her as she had loved
Him.  The final betrayal, she had thought at the time.
	Akane left then, loudly cursing her former fiancee. 
She hadn�t been ready then to admit it was HER fault. 
 That had taken a few centuries.
	Those centuries had passed slowly, and she wanted,
more than anything, peace.  Shampoo and Mousse had
already been granted release when they had begged it
of Him.   Ryouga and Ukyou battled the invaders and
demons that Darken Wood attracted, and Kasumi aided
the Forest Master in his quest to heal the forest.  Of
all her former friends, only Shinnosuke and Kasumi
would talk to her now.  She looked at the twisted
trees, feeling their pain.  Closing her eyes, she shed
more ghostly tears, for their suffering was her fault.
  
	The night of the hunt, Shinnosuke had left the
Eastern border undefended.   While He was tied up
battling his own liegemen, the forest had been easily
invaded by a group of wizards, led by Dimanche- the
same sorcerer who had unintentionally made Him the
Forest Master.
	She could imagine the ceremony, and did so often.  It
seemed the trees wanted to torment her for her
actions, as if being cursed as a ghost wasn�t enough. 
There were thirteen men, who danced in a macabre dance
that spoke of death.   She could imagine Dimanche
raising his voice in chant, speaking words that made
the very fiber of Akane�s being tremble in fear.  
Quickly, they finished.   The task was done- darkness
swept through the forest, casting a shadow over
everything that had once been pure.  She looked at the
trees that were around her and raised her empty voice
in a repentant lament:   

	   �The guard has fled; his trusting land
                 All undefended lies;
                 And through the wood invaders ride
                 With darkness in their eyes.

                 Without alarms they practice charms
                 That drive away the light
                 And Shadow into Darken Wood
                 Is made that evil night.�

	The Forest Master had been able to minimize the
damage.   Instead of making the Forest a living Hell
(as the spell was intended to do), He was able to
distill the curse down to merely making it dangerous. 
While demons were VERY attracted by it, His two
warriors were able to combat them.   There was nothing
He could do for the trees or animals, aside from
banish the darkness individually.  Even with Kasumi�s
help, it was a tiring process, one which had barely
cleaned a tenth of the forest in the five hundred
years since the curse had been laid.
	Akane often wondered why Dimanche had bothered to
perform the spell.  Why would anyone want to summon
demons to this plain of existence, even if they were
insane?   Ukyou and Ryouga had hunted down the group
of sorcerers, one by one, and slain them all, with the
exception of Dimanche, who had vanished mysteriously. 
There had been no answers from that front.  
	She shook herself back to the present, looking at
Shinnosuke.    �I�m going to go talk to Kasumi,� she
said softly.  �Do you want to come?� she asked, more
out of habit then any expectation that he would accept
her invitation.
	�No.  Every time I leave here, I come back to less
then what there was before,� he said sadly.    
	Akane left him alone with his memories, trying to
allay her feelings of guilt by telling herself that
Shinnosuke had chosen to follow her.   She wandered
through the woods, searching for her older sister.
	Time had changed Kasumi less then it had any of the
rest of them, though.   She had once been a gentle
housekeeper, and all of them could see her marrying
and settling down with children.  It had come as quite
a shock that Ranma had chosen HER to be one of his
assistants, but as time wore on, his reasons had
become clear.
	Kasumi loved everything unconditionally, and the
Earth had responded to her gentle touch.  In some
ways, she was even more powerful then the Forest
Master himself when it came to dealing with individual
plants.    It was she who helped turned the tide
against Dimanche�s dark spell, working herself until
she was little more then a wraith herself.  It was she
who helped keep Akane from going completely insane. 
It was she who Akane wanted to be able to touch-
really touch- again.
	Kasumi sat in one of the clearings that was still
tainted by Dimanche�s spell.   Her fingers were
running over a single plant, leaf by leaf, trying to
force the wickedness from it.   Her soft chocolate
eyes widened as she noticed her sister.  �Akane!� she
exclaimed gladly.
	 Akane tried to stifle the feelings of inadequacy
that welled inside her.   She didn�t deserve Kasumi�s
warmth.  �There were people in the wood tonight,� she
told her sister softly.
	Kasumi nodded.  �Hai, I know.   You did well to tell
the centaurs to guard them- one of the demons managed
to get through Ukyou and tried to take the smallest
child.  Without your warning, he would likely have
died.�
	�How did they fare?� Akane asked, trying to sound
indifferent.  There was really no reason for her to
care, but the traces of the girl who had lived in
Nerima remained.
	�The men and children are fine; one of the centaurs
took some damage to its shoulder, but will be okay,�
Kasumi hesitated, �yet Ukyou is not well, though.  The
demon managed to injure her quite badly- it will be
over a week before she can again guard the Northern
border, and Ryouga is wearied from his recent battle
in the West.  I fear the demons are getting
stronger... though few of them remain, those that do
are powerful.�
	Akane nodded, knowing that the demons that roamed the
world in general kept trying to gain entrance to the
forest.  If they managed to claim the glade of the
Forest Master, hell might literally break free-
Dimanche�s spell had weakened the barrier between
worlds enough for that to happen.  �So He must join
the fight,� she said, not using His name.   Kasumi, of
course, knew who she was talking about.   
	�It looks that way.   Ryouga is going to try to keep
the South safe, but even that may be too much for
him.�  Kasumi finished working on the plant, but
didn�t move onto another, which wasn�t like her.   �It
looks like that I might have to guard the East,� she
admitted hesitantly.
	Horror overwhelmed Akane.  She had had no idea that
things were so bad.  �No!� she protested.  �You�re not
a fighter!  You can�t!�
	Kasumi shook her head, long wisps of brown hair
blowing in the breeze.  �I�ll have some centaurs,
pegasi and perhaps even some elves to aid me,� she
replied.  �My magic is strong.  I should be fine,� she
said.
	Akane�s ghostly face tightened.   �Should�.   She
hated the idea of her peaceful sister forced into
battle.  She bowed at the waist, then floated out of
the grove, forgetting a formal farewell.   Kasumi
watched her go, feeling dread.   She scoffed at it,
though.   Akane was already dead.
	Akane floated through the forest, her mind a jumble
of confused thoughts.   It had all seemed so simple
those few centuries ago- hurt Him for hurting her.  
But she hadn�t thought of the possibilities, hadn�t
thought that He was no longer the somewhat tactless
teenager she had hammered whenever He had made her
angry.  She hadn�t considered His responsibilities,
and by distracting Him that one critical night, Darken
Wood had been born.
	It was she who should wear the blood of all those
killed by the demons who sought entry.   It was she
who should be the one meant to pay for her crimes, not
the world.  And not Kasumi.
	Before she realized what she was doing, she found
herself in front of Shinnosuke�s cottage.  Shinnosuke,
too, had a debt to pay.  Though she had led him down
this path, he had chosen to follow her.   She couldn�t
see him anywhere, and almost as though possessed,
decided to issue a challenge by singing the next verse
of the song:

                 �For every wraith who breaks his
faith
                  Must wander without cease
                  And, cold perform what he did, warm,
                  And never rest in peace.�

	END PART ONE
===
Quicksilver
Lady of the Labyrinth
Full time student and part-time writer
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Capsule/3342/
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
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