Anyone who's been following what I've been writing will
immediately understand the meaning of the title.
C&C welcome. Bad Flames invite an honored position on the
Lamer's List.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Wheel of Fire, #24: The Month of Silent Rain
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOREPLYhotmail.com)
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to Rumiko
Takahashi. And all that other good stuff. Proper licenses
belong to respective properties and characters. The manga has
precedence over material in the anime.
This file can be freely distributed so long as it appears in
its complete form and proper credit given. No part may be
reproduced for monetary gain without permission from the author.
Fanart can be found at:
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/fanart/index.html
------------------------------------------------
Senryu Amakusa raised his head as soon as his head priest,
Joseph Nakamura, entered the windowless, spartan room. He
soon regretted it as his head swam for the umpteenth time
attempting to move around.
The founder of Saint Hebereke lay upon a heavy stone slab,
using it as a bed. He rest his head back down on the cold
stone, concentrating on breathing as the priest approached
him slowly.
"You asked for me?" Nakamura began.
Amakusa coughed. "Yes."
The priest looked up and down Amakusa's body as he
approached his right side. "I take it you're rather ill."
"P... (cough) poison, they say," the founder said.
"I see."
"Not lethal, they say!" Amakusa added, coughing and
wheezing madly.
"So I assume you will be unable to oversee anything
while you're out," guessed the priest.
Amakusa grabbed Nakamura's collar with surprising
strength. "From now on, (cough, cough) you're in charge!"
Nakamura gasped in surprise as a wispy, glowing gas
emerged from the founder's mouth and nostrils. Stepping
back in shock, the gas quickly shot up the length of
Amakusa's arm, and before he knew it the priest realized
he hit the wall behind him.
But, the entity was gone, and so was the confusion.
He stepped back over Amakusa, who seemed to be slipping
into unconsciousness. "Then everything is in my hands
now."
The priest turned to leave, coming to a halt at the heavy
iron door. He raised his fist to knock on the door, but
stopped for a moment, turning his head around to Amakusa.
"All we need now is a sacrifice made of a pure heart.
Rest assured, Lord Amakusa, that everything will go
according to plan."
Nakamura knocked on the door, signaling the guards
outside to open. Silently, the priest departed, the heavy
door shutting behind him.
His footfalls echoing in the narrow, underground hall,
Nakamura whispered to himself, "All we need is a sacrifice
of a pure heart...."
"Ranma? Akane?" Kasumi said, standing at the entrance to
the dining room. "Your friend is here."
No sooner had the eldest Tendo girl finished the quiet
girl, Shizuka, appeared behind Kasumi. Both Ranma and
Akane turned to look at the schizophrenic girl from their
places at the table, while Soun and Nodoka were all
smiles. Genma and Nabiki maintained bored and passive looks
when the newcomer revealed herself.
"Sorry I'm late," Shizuka said in apology.
"That's all right," Nodoka said. "We've been waiting for
you. Have a seat."
The girl nodded, and took her place at an open section of
the table meant for her. The night's meal was already being
passed to Shizuka, and she smiled in thanks.
From the head of the table, Soun said, "So, I see you've
calmed down since the last time."
"Huh?" she said in confusion. "Have we met?"
"Daddy," Nabiki said in her bored tone, tapping her head
with her index finger.
"Oh, yes," he replied, suddenly remembering. To Shizuka
he said, "My apologies."
Swallowing her first bite, Shizuka's eyes brightened.
"Wow! This is some good stuff!"
"Kasumi made it," Akane said.
Shoveling a few more bites with her chopsticks, she
added, "I don't get anything THIS good from home."
"I try my best," Kasumi said, smiling.
"I'm staying with my cousin, Kyoko," Shizuka explained,
"and she's a lousy cook, and that's why she's living with
her parents even though she's old enough to live on her
own."
"Kinda like Akane," Ranma blurted.
"What do you mean by that?!" Akane asked, temperatures
rising in her head.
"You and her cousin could compare notes!" he continued.
"Oh, it's not that bad," Shizuka interrupted. "It's
the effort she puts into it that I appreciate more."
"Maybe you could learn something from her," Nabiki
told Ranma.
"I'll say," agreed Akane.
"Of course, Kyoko'd rather drink than cook," Shizuka
said, sighing. "Drinks like a pro, and still manages to
keep her job."
"What would that be?" asked Soun.
"She's a doctor."
Genma chuckled. "I'm sure she's a FINE doctor!"
"Genma, that wasn't appropriate," Nodoka said.
"Nah, she gets it all the time," Shizuka replied,
brushing off the remarks. "I guess weird runs in the
family."
"Like running around in priest getup with a shotgun?"
Nabiki said.
"Nabiki!" Akane yelled.
"That IS why you asked her to join us, isn't it?"
she persisted.
"Actually, I wanted to meet her," Nodoka said. To
Shizuka, she said, "You seem like a nice girl. I'm
sure you can find yourself a good husband."
Shizuka set down her chopsticks, placing a hand over
her chest with a surprised look. "You think so?"
"Gosh, she seems genuinely pleased," Ranma commented.
Instantly, the girl was already across the table at
Nodoka's side, grabbing the older woman's hands while
on her knees. "You really, REALLY think so?!"
Nodoka smiled. "You're quite enthusiastic, aren't you?"
But then Shizuka turned around and slammed her head
on the floor. "But nobody REALLY likes me!! It's just a
bunch of boys who think I LOOK good!"
"What's she trying to do?" wondered Nabiki. "Earn
Brownie points?"
Genma peered at Ranma. "Why couldn't YOU have been
this enthusiastic?"
"Shut up, old man," Ranma replied.
"Ranma!" Nodoka exclaimed. "Apologize to your father!"
Turning to Shizuka, she said, "Maybe I can find you a
suitable husband."
Shizuka's hopes skyrocketed once more, turning around
again with pleading eyes. "Pretty please?!"
"But, have you had proper training?"
"Training?" Shizuka blinked.
"Dance, flower arranging, and tea ceremony?" Nodoka
said.
Again, the girl's excitement sunk as her shoulders
slumped. "Phooey."
Nodoka could almost hear the sound of trumpets in the
air, as she grabbed Shizuka's hands. "Starting today,
I'll take it upon myself to train you to be a bride!!"
Nabiki turned off the tape player, hiding it back
under the table. "Gimme a break."
"Great," Ranma pouted, "now we're going to have to put
up with her even more than on a daily basis."
"THIS is what your mom had in mind?" Akane said to
Ranma, eyes narrowed.
He folded his arms. "Who knows? Maybe marriage would
tame her."
* * * * *
To: warlock@spielburg.org
From: blackwidow@northspire.net
Subject: A new job
Fine. I can handle your rejection. But, I've come up
with something better.
I need some information on one Shizuka Minazuki. She's
a nut, as far as I can tell, but there's something
about her that scares me. Run a background check on
her, because when I tried there were some blocks, and
even missing pertinent data. We'll discuss the price
terms later, but I thought such a job would intrigue
you.
P.S.: Ever thought of going to #nukers?
- Black Widow
--------------------------------------------------
"Harro! You have leached Intelnationar House of
Sushi! We deribel in 30 minutes or you get
NO sushi!"
* * * * *
To: blackwidow@northspire.net
From: warlock@spielburg.org
Subject: Re: A new job
Well, then.
A girl that has no apparent past? Sounds like a
job for Superman.
Just kidding. Anyway, the job does intrigue me, so
I think I'll do a little peeking around myself for
a while. We'll discuss the terms later, depending on
how nice I'm feeling after I find what I'm looking
for. That is, IF there's something to find. There
isn't a place I can't get into, but if this Shizuka
person doesn't really exist then you're out of luck.
Oh, and btw, I'm the one who created #nukers. It's
just that you can't see me there unless I want to
be seen. All those other guys there are children
that couldn't hack their way out of a paper bag.
Have a nice day.
- Warlock
+-------------------------------------+
| There is no knowledge that is |
| not power. |
| Serving Tokyo for over three years |
+-------------------------------------+
* * * * *
The Next Day
Kodachi, followed by her lieutenants, Aya and Chika,
ran through the gates of the Kuno estate the moment
it opened for them.
All three girls threw their bags aside as they entered
the building, making their way to the guest quarters
where the heavily-robed girl, Tatewaki, and the
recovering priestess were. Kodachi herself bore an
expression of worry and uneasiness.
When the trio entered the guestroom, Shizuka was
already sitting up in her futon, Tatewaki and the
robed apprentice standing on either side of her. The
priestess wore one of Kodachi's old kimonos, a borrowed
commodity while her priestly vestments were being
cleaned. Without the red cord to tie up her pony-tail,
Shizuka's hair reached down to about her waist; Kodachi
could not tell for certain until the girl stood up.
Unlike the girl that was attending school, whose eyes
were filled with a certain innocence and youthfulness,
this girl's eyes were only filled with bitterness,
coldness, and appeared tired of life in general.
But there was no mistake that Shizuka Minazuki was
quite living.
"Home early, I see," Tatewaki noted. "Is it not
still lunch period at the school?"
Appearing ready to have a nervous breakdown, Kodachi
ignored her brother, directing her attention at
Shizuka. "That... that... OTHER you...."
"Go figure," Shizuka snorted, shaking her head.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it
myself," Chika admitted. "That other girl is definitely
you, but with the wrong personality."
"For all intents and purposes, that IS her," the
apprentice said, keeping her voice even.
"I don't get it," Aya blurted. "How can there be
two of her here at the same time?"
"Doubtless the work of sorcery," Tatewaki replied.
"And you'd be right," Shizu added.
"Care to explain?!" demanded Kodachi.
The priestess ran a hand over her face, taking a deep
breath. "Well...."
"You don't have to tell them anything," the apprentice
said.
"No, they ought to know," Shizu replied. "And you
should, too."
The hooded girl nodded in understanding.
"I hope you've all got lots of time," Shizu said,
directing the comment to the others.
Kodachi folded her arms. "In detail, if you will."
"Well, then...." The priestess sighed. "This whole
mess started about a month ago, I think. Maybe even
long before that... or yet to happen, whatever the
case may be."
"Somehow I believe I know where the story is being
directed," Tatewaki commented.
"Well, shut up and let her tell the story!" Aya
snapped. "I didn't hear anything!"
"Neither did we," admitted Shizu, "at least, not
until about a month ago." She shook her head. "I
certainly don't remember being on this THAT long...."
"Anyway," she continued, "our attentions were
directed in this direction upon the destruction of
Seiryu. This, of course, puzzled us greatly, because
no one had yet emerged to challenge for the privilege
of becoming the dragon's voice."
"This all goes back to Seiryu," Kodachi said,
nodding. "We certainly defeated her."
"She perished in the battle against Saotome," her
brother added. "Or so the sorcerer believed, along with
the host."
"Well, for one thing, Seiryu can't be truly destroyed,
being a god and all," Shizu corrected. "And, upon
further investigation, we determined exactly what had
transpired in the battle you and your pals had. We did
learn that the spirit guardians had survived."
"And we learned that they were from the future," added
the apprentice.
"They were?" Shizu asked honestly.
"You forgot?"
The priestess scratched her head. "If I forgot, I
must've forgotten forgetting, and...."
The apprentice shook her head. "We're getting ahead of
ourselves. But back on track, we knew that the seven
spirits shouldn't have survived the destruction of their
host, as they would've been yanked back to their time
period. So we determined it wasn't the host that was
anchoring them in this time period-- it's something else."
"What's so important about getting these future spirits
back to the future?" Chika asked.
"They don't belong in our time," the apprentice replied.
"Also, the longer they stay here with their past forms
the greater danger of both forms becoming insane, or both
obliterating completely from the space-time continuum."
"Protecting your gods, hmm?" Tatewaki concluded.
"You could say that."
"To believe the battle was won, only to discover it
renewed," Kodachi muttered.
"Our elders decided that the future spirits must be
terminated at all costs, before something bad happens,"
continued the apprentice. "So we sent Shizu out here to
Tokyo to find and eradicate the spirits, and find and
destroy the anchor, if possible."
She turned to Shizuka. "It's obvious something happened
to you on your way here, as we haven't gotten any good
results out of you yet."
"How should I know?!" the priestess yelled. "I don't
even remember anything about getting here!"
"The first we saw her was when she attacked Ranma,"
Chika said. "She wasn't very good at doing it, either."
"And we didn't know she was going to our school, either,"
Aya added. "Until now we never thought that they weren't
the same person."
"If there's two of me, it explains much..." Shizu
muttered under her breath.
"Well, be that the case," Kodachi decided, "then there
is the other task at hand."
"And that would be...?" wondered the apprentice.
"Your anchor, of course," the gymnast replied. "By
obvious deduction it is Seiryu's weapon, the last scrap
remaining of her after the battle."
"Brilliant deduction!" praised Aya.
"It'd figure," the apprentice said. "But where's the
weapon now?"
"It lies in the hands of Shampoo," Tatewaki answered.
"She carries it upon her person at all times."
"Ten guesses what she's going to do with it."
"What?" Shizu asked.
"Probably trying to become Seiryu herself," the hooded
girl replied. "She wants power."
"I find that hardly an admirable ambition," the kendoist
remarked.
"And all this time I believed they truly were seeking a
method of reviving Ukyo Kuonji," Kodachi said, shrugging.
"What?!" the apprentice exclaimed.
"The host was Ukyo Kuonji," she explained. "Ranma and
Shampoo appear to obsess over reviving her with the
combined help of the Seiryu spirits."
"That's ridiculous."
"Yes, it is," Chika agreed.
"The spirits are far more clever than they think,"
the apprentice explained. "They're not going to simply
grant wishes; they're not wish-granting dragons. They
just want to survive."
"So where's that put us?!" Aya asked impatiently.
"You four," the hooded girl said, "need to help
Shizu finish the battle. In her present condition, no
matter how it happened, she can't possibly beat ones
as strong as Ranma and Shampoo alone."
"I'm not a fighter," Chika voiced.
"Your talents make up for that deficiency," Kodachi
replied.
"It's not a talent, it's a skill," she corrected.
"You and that phony modesty!" Aya accused.
"It's not!" insisted Chika. "Anybody could do it!"
"But," Kodachi said, directing her attention to the
apprentice, "if we aid Shizuka Minazuki in her task,
what benefit might be granted upon us? We, too, have
important work."
"The connection isn't readily apparent, but soon,
Kodachi Kuno, you, too, will see," the apprentice
replied cryptically. "The way things work in this
place, all fates seem to be drawn together."
"Saotome, no doubt," Tatewaki guessed.
"Hey, how do you know so much about things going on
here?" asked Chika.
The apprentice looked away. "Study the situation,
and it's readily apparent."
"Right."
"Anyway," the apprentice said, turning back to
Shizuka, "this time Thanatos will back you up."
"Thanatos... here?!" Shizu exclaimed in surprise.
"He's missed you, and he's waiting." The hooded girl
offered a hand. "I'll take you to him now."
Accepting the hand, Shizuka got up to her feet.
She straightened her kimono in a dignified fashion,
tossing her loose, long hair behind her.
Aya's eyes passed to Chika. "'Thanatos?'"
"It's Greek for 'death,'" Chika replied.
"What kind of a name is that?"
"Beats me."
"Geez, figures 'death' and 'silence' would go
together," the gymnastics lieutenant said, shrugging.
"I wonder if he's cute...?"
Miranda Kusao stifled a yawn, propping up her feet
on the bench in front of her.
She cursed Nakamura's choice of meeting places-- the
altar room of the church. Over to her left, Nagi, the
odd swordsman with a sword in place of his left arm,
sat at the other end of the bench, seemingly calm and
relaxed.
In the old days Miranda wouldn't have set foot inside
the church, even while attending Saint Hebereke school,
and it was quite apparent that her appearance and
attitude hardly fit the atmosphere. She wore her hair
long, like so many other girls, with two long ends
rolling down before her ears that were nearly as long as
the back. She wore black rubber gloves, and knee-length
rubber boots to match, as well as a loose-fitting
tunic concealing her slight frame beneath folds of
fabric, tied off at the waist with a loose belt.
Nagi dressed archaically in his own unusual garb,
wearing a blue coat trimmed with white at the sleeves
and at the bottom. He otherwise appeared like a man
straight out of samurai movies. Miranda was hardly
unobservant to realize that he dressed quite similarly
to the Shinsengumi of old, and Nagi quite regularly
behaved in such a manner that he was one of them.
Well, we can all have our fantasies, I suppose, she
thought.
The odd pair was linked for only one reason: to confront
one person, who happened to be brother and sister.
Miranda wanted her chance at Kodachi, while Nagi, she
knew, had business with Tatewaki.
Nakamura entered the chamber from the main entrance,
making his way to the altar, followed by Spencer, one
of the two paladins. While the priest continued to the
altar the black-suited paladin took a seat in the row
behind Miranda and Nagi.
The priest turned to look at the three fighters,
eyes narrowing in disgust at the two non-believers.
"Well, I'm in charge," the priest began, "for the
duration of the period it requires Lord Amakusa to
recover."
"That's great," Miranda replied sarcastically.
"But, that doesn't mean our work stops with him; I'm
in charge, after all."
"Whatever floats your boat," the girl said.
"You'd do well to listen to me!" Nakamura yelled.
"Oh, forget about it," Nagi said. "What do you want?"
"We're going to move up the timetable," the priest
explained. "To that end, we're going to need the pure
heart NOW."
"Yeah, sure, we're going to go down to the market
and buy one, right?" Miranda said.
"I hope you get raped, you slut," Nakamura said
coldly, anger adding to the disgust with the martial
artist.
"Oooh, I'm so scared. Empty threats is all you can
do! If you're REALLY going to do it, then by all means.
I guarantee it'll hurt." She flexed her right glove
into a fist as if in emphasis.
"Then who do you have in mind?" asked the swordsman.
"I thought it'd be obvious," Spencer said. "We're
going after Kasumi Tendo."
"Sacrificing one of your believers?" Miranda said.
"You guys really are crazy."
"She'll understand," Nakamura assured her. "It's all
for the good of the people. We all must make our
sacrifices."
"Indeed," Nagi muttered.
"Geez, Joe, why don't you sacrifice yourself?" the
martial artist girl snorted.
Nakamura snarled in anger, balling a fist.
"Not so pure of heart, are you?"
"Shut up!"
"Or even your... eh, 'Lord' Amakusa?"
"GET OUT!! GET OUT!!"
Miranda shrugged, standing to her feet. "Suit
yourself."
Ranma held a hand up in the air, exposing his palm
to the elements. He looked up at the afternoon sky,
at the dark clouds looming overhead. "Doesn't look
like it's drizzlin' or anything."
Beside him, Akane nodded. "It hasn't rained here
for a while. I wonder why."
"Probably because God's giving me a break," he
replied sarcastically, putting his hand back in his
pocket.
The couple passed through the empty streets on their
way home from school, both surprised that Shizuka
failed to confront Ranma for a second day in a row.
Ranma hoped that it meant that the schizophrenic girl
was calming down, but something told him that it was
only wishful thinking.
"What do you think Mom's going to do with her?" he
said aloud.
"I really hope it's just what it is-- training to
become an eligible bride," Akane answered. "I don't
see how flower arranging is such a desirable skill
these days."
"Yeah," agreed Ranma. "That kind of stuff might've
been good in her time, but not now...."
"Actually, it's quite traditional," another voice
interrupted, carried by a sudden rush of wind.
"Dammit," cursed Ranma. "I knew it was too good to
be true!"
Akane's eyes darted around. "Shizuka! Why?!"
Said girl appeared on top of a wall to the left of
the couple, dressed in her usual priestess garb. Her
eyes betrayed confidence, although Shizuka held no
visible weapons.
"It took a lot of willpower just to get out here,"
the priestess said, "but your fellow demon-worshippers
weren't good enough for my own allies!"
"Eh?! What are you talking about?" Ranma said,
perplexed.
Thunder crashed in the distance. Shizuka produced
a set of paper wards in her right hand, fanning them
out as if they were playing cards. "You won't believe
the trouble I had to go through just to find more of
these!"
"Makes sense," Ranma thought. "If I know things
right, and I'm sure I do, then you throw those post-
it notes the same way you throw your steel cards." He
pointed an accusing finger at the priestess. "The
cards were only a training device, and not an actual
weapon, were they?"
Shizuka shrugged. "They do pretty well as a weapon,
too... but yes, both act similarly as a projectile."
"Then you should know that I'm too fast for those!"
he said confidently. "Akane, stand back."
"Wait, Shizuka!" Akane shouted. "We shouldn't have
to do this!"
"I thought about that each time I go on a hunt,"
the priestess replied flatly. "But, when it comes
down to it, demons don't belong in this world."
"MOVE IT!" Ranma yelled, shoving Akane out of the
path of three steel cards.
The steel cards flew past Ranma, narrowly nicking
his shoulder, and embedded themselves in the wall
opposite Shizuka.
"I don't have time for you," she told Akane. "Get
out of the way, and let us finish this, once and for
all!"
"You can't!" Akane pleaded. "Don't you remember
yesterday?"
"Oh, I remember yesterday all right!" Shizuka
yelled angrily. "I spent all of yesterday lying in
a borrowed futon, that's what!"
"Akane," Ranma said, "I'm going to end this."
"Ranma...."
"Oh, spare me."
"Look, don't ya think I can take care of this
myself?"
Akane sighed. "Okay. But be careful."
Ranma nodded as she ran to a safe distance away
from Shizuka. He raised his hands, and began studying
the priestess, trying to guess what the unpredictable
girl was going to do.
Shizuka leaped into the air, with her right arm
trailing behind her, and her left arm forward, palm
open.
She's going to throw! guessed Ranma.
"Thanatos, strike!" Shizuka commanded.
Surprise washed over Ranma's face as a heavy, coiled
object launched out of Shizuka's left sleeve and
encircled him. The martial artist found he could no
longer move his arms, and began to feel a crushing
force.
When the priestess landed in front of him, Ranma
yelped in surprise as he stared down at a fist-sized
snake head.
"Ranma!" Akane yelled.
"How do you like my pet snake?" Shizuka asked
maliciously. "Thanatos was given to me by the High
Master himself as my partner. Definitely more useful
than a tortoise, if a bit small for a boa
constrictor."
"I'm... happy... for you," Ranma shot back
sarcastically, trying to catch a breath of air. The
large constrictor snake squeezed harder as it
slithered around Ranma's body, attempting to wrap
around the neck.
The priestess flashed a single ward between her
middle and index fingers. "And now, demon...
BEGONE!"
She thrust the ward on Ranma's forehead.
Lightning flashed in the air behind Ranma,
illuminating the sky and momentarily blinding both
Shizuka and Akane.
A great boom of thunder deafened the three humans,
while the boa constrictor appeared ready to slip
into unconsciousness.
Shaking her head, ignoring the tree that caught
fire, Shizuka cursed, "Shit, shit, shit!!"
Ranma shook his head, clearing his mind of the
ringing in his ears. He relaxed a bit as the boa
constrictor loosened his grip.
Nothing happened.
"I don't believe this," the priestess continued
in her rant. "The others said this was the correct
ward, too!"
"NOW do you believe I'm not a demon?" Ranma said,
trying to shake the snake from around his body. "I
don't know where you get such ideas, but...."
"Ranma!" Akane shouted in warning.
Sure enough, it started to rain.
Shizuka stared up at the sky. "Mighty Genbu, if
this is your idea of a joke, you'd better tell
Seiryu to send a lightning bolt MY way...."
"Uh-oh," Ranma muttered, feeling the drops dance
on his head.
"...I need a LONG vacation," finished Shizuka.
As soon as the priestess lowered her head, she
did a double-take when she looked at Ranma.
Shizuka pointed a finger. "AH-HAH!!! You ARE A
demon!!!" she yelled in excitement.
"Well, that's great," the now-girl Ranma said in
disgust.
She snapped her eyes shut as Shizuka slapped
several more wards onto Ranma's forehead, and by
the time she opened her eyes the result was the
same-- darkness.
"This blows," cursed the priestess. "I can't
believe I wasted all that paper on you, and none
of them work!"
"Maybe you shouldn't use recycled paper?" Ranma
suggested. "Shouldn't that be more than enough
proof that I'm NOT a demon?"
"But, there's...."
"Shizuka, stop it!" Akane shouted, grabbing both
of the priestess's arms from behind.
"Well, hell," the priestess said, lowering her
head in defeat. "I can't believe I wasted my trip
here for nothing."
"Ranma's not a demon," Akane pointed out. "Your
wards didn't fail, because there wasn't a demon
to exorcise."
"That's not possible!" Shizuka screamed. "He HAS
to be the demon!!"
"Who says?" Ranma asked, loosening his arms from
the coil of the unconscious boa constrictor.
"There's no way you could have such an aura you
have and not be a demon," Shizuka replied.
"I think we covered that before," the martial
artist said, ripping the wards from her forehead.
"Then call it gut instinct."
"Well, then, your gut instinct is wrong."
"It never was before."
"It is NOW."
"It keeps telling me that you're the reason I'm
out here," the priestess said, staring at her
pet snake. "I've finally won, and for the entire
month I've been wrong...."
"Maybe now you can start acting normal for a
change," Ranma said.
"That's right," encouraged Akane. "You can still
come back with us and let our mother train you...."
"What are you talking about?" the priestess asked,
remaining calm despite her confusion.
"That's right, you never remember," Ranma said.
Akane released her hold on Shizuka. "Come on home
with us. We can help you."
The priestess bent to the ground, carefully scooping
up the unconscious boa constrictor. "Very well."
Kodachi put down her binoculars as she stood under
the wooden umbrella held by her brother's hand. She
passed the binoculars to Aya, who stood on the opposite
side of Tatewaki under the umbrella.
"She lost," Kodachi announced. "No surprise there."
"Shizuka alone must be the one to discover and
experience Saotome's black magic," Tatewaki said. "It
is to her benefit; perhaps it shall also draw the false
Shizuka into the open."
"Then where's she going with them?" Aya asked, peeking
through the binoculars.
"We should definitely follow them," Kodachi decided.
"Kodachi?" the gymnast leader heard in her right ear.
Kodachi cupped her right ear. "Yes?"
Chika's voice echoed through the earpiece. "I just
checked... and it looks like the paladin is on the
move. Want me to track him?"
"Just him?" asked Kodachi.
"Nope, he's got two others with him. Looks like the
sword guy and Miranda."
"Perfect. We should go after them."
"But, what of Shizuka?" asked Tatewaki, sounding
concerned.
"We'll do what the boss says, right?" Aya insisted.
"Very well, I shall concede to my sister for the
moment," he decided. "How shall we go about this new
task, I wonder?"
Kodachi pointed a finger in a direction to the
right of where Ranma, Akane, and Shizuka were standing.
"Intercept their party in that direction according to
projected probable path."
The apprentice folded her robes more tightly to
herself as she spied the second Shizuka walk through
the streets. This girl, unlike the one the apprentice
knew, seemed to sparkle in the rain. She carried an
umbrella over her head in one hand, and a book bag in
her other. As she was still dressed in Furinkan High's
school uniform the apprentice guessed that the girl
was coming directly from school.
The hooded girl had already guessed where the second
Shizuka was headed for, and produced a paper ward from
her sleeves.
A sudden jolt behind her back sent the apprentice
to the soaked sidewalk. She rolled to the side in time
to avoid a boot stomp meant for her back, and turned
to face her attacker.
Shampoo stood above the apprentice, dressed in heavy
rain gear despite holding an umbrella over her head.
The Chinese Amazon withdrew her booted foot, and
raised Seiryu's weapon with her free hand.
"You," the apprentice spat.
"Now you get in my way?!" Shampoo yelled. "Why is
goal so hard to follow?"
The weapon glowed in her hand. "Perhaps you're good
diversion," she decided.
"I don't have time for this," spat the apprentice,
slipping through her sleeve for more wards.
The first thing Kasumi said when Ranma, Akane, and
Shizuka entered the house was, "My, is it raining
outside?"
Walking past the eldest Tendo girl, Ranma muttered,
"Good call. I'm hittin' the tub." She shook her head,
wondering why Kasumi appeared unconcerned about the
boa constrictor hanging limply around the priestess's
neck.
As soon as Ranma was out of sight, Nodoka appeared
at the top of the stairs. "Goodness!" she gasped.
Both Akane and Shizuka looked up at the woman as she
descended the steps quickly.
"You all got caught in the rain!"
"How'd you figure that?" Shizuka said sarcastically.
Nodoka jumped. "Is... that a snake?"
"What does it look like?"
"My, where are your manners?"
"Um... Mom?" Akane voiced.
"You'd better get changed before you catch a cold,"
Nodoka told her.
"Shizuka's not... feeling well."
"You won't either if you catch a cold!"
Akane sighed, heading for the stairs.
Nodoka turned to Kasumi. "I'll take care of this."
Kasumi nodded and smiled. "I'm going to prepare for
dinner now."
As soon as Kasumi was out of sight Ranma's mother
walked a circle around the dripping Shizuka, careful
to keep her distance from the unconscious snake's
head.
"Yesterday, I was hopeful about you," Nodoka said
sternly. "Today, however... I find you playing in
the rain wearing dress reserved for priests, and
being completely rude."
"Oh, brother," muttered the priestess.
"You won't find a decent husband if you keep acting
like an irresponsible boy," lectured the mother. She
grabbed Shizuka's arm. "Come with me; I'll give you
something decent to change into."
"Lady, I don't know wh...."
"Not another word!" she commanded harshly, leading
her up the stairs. "And leave that animal outside!"
Shizuka's eyes narrowed, throwing off Nodoka's
grip. Before the older woman could reprimand her, the
priestess gently lifted Thanatos from around her neck.
With great care she lay the great snake down on the
wooden floor. Whispering silently to the snake, she
straightened herself up.
"He stays here, and I'll go with you."
Nodding carefully, Nodoka lead the priestess up the
stairs and straight for the room shared by herself, her
son, and her husband. Both men were nowhere to be seen,
so she lead Shizuka inside, and shut the door gently
behind her.
The Saotome woman reached for a towel lying on top of
the dresser, and handed it to Shizuka. "Dry yourself
off with this."
"Wh...."
"I'll clean up the drip spots later," Nodoka
interrupted. Turning back to the dresser, she opened
the top drawer. "Now, what could be suitable for a
young lady like you?"
Shizuka hardly answered, staring down at the towel.
For a moment, she wondered if she could get away with
a minor incantation....
But that moment was gone in an instant as Nodoka
snapped away her attentions with a modest kimono.
"I think this should fit."
The priestess rolled her eyes at the patternless,
green kimono-- a commoner's wardrobe.
Stern mothering dominated Nodoka's eyes. "Take off
those wet clothes and dry yourself off!"
"I'm not undressin' for you," Shizuka snapped.
"Well, then, if you're going to be uncooperative,
it looks like a mother's touch is needed!" the older
woman decided, setting down the kimono on top of the
dresser.
Shizuka tried to resist Nodoka's grasps, but she
found herself too weak for the peasant woman, surprised
that Nodoka was much stronger than she looked.
But, as soon as she removed the priestess's blouse,
several objects dropped to the floor with loud
crashes.
"What are these?" Nodoka said in shock, releasing
her grip.
"Tools of the trade, of course!" replied Shizuka,
replacing her blouse.
Among the mess around Shizuka was a set of steel
cards, paper streamers, a shotgun with five bullets
strapped to its side, and several miscellaneous
talismans and loose bullets. Nodoka bent down to pick
up the shotgun, holding it away from herself as if it
were a filthy rag.
"Young lady," Nodoka yelled, "what are you doing
with this?!"
A bright glow surrounded the priestess, momentarily
blinding Nodoka, but the flash lasted only an instant.
She blinked, as Shizuka stood before her, perfectly
dry.
"Don't mess with me, lesbian pervert!" warned Shizuka,
grabbing the shotgun from the shocked Nodoka. "Your
son... daughter... whatever it is! Where did it get
its power?"
"Ranma?" Nodoka said. "You know?"
"OF COURSE I KNOW!!!" the priestess yelled. "Tell
me how it got its power!!"
"Well... it was when he went on a training trip to
China with his father, and...."
Both heard a girl scream downstairs.
"Get to the point!"
"After that, cold water turns him into a girl, and
hot water changes him back...."
"AH-HAH!" Shizuka quickly gathered all her
equipment into her sleeves. "So, THAT'S the key!!"
Ignoring the woman, Shizuka bolted for the door.
She leaped down the flight of stairs, only to regret
it in mid-flight.
Kasumi was at the bottom of the steps, standing
by the open door, and Thanatos was nowhere to be
seen. But, worse of all, Shizuka had no idea how in
the world she was going to land.
"OUT OF THE WAY!!!" she yelled.
"What's going on?!" Ranma yelled, back in his male
body as he appeared at the entrance, Soun, Genma,
and Nabiki behind him.
Akane and Nodoka stared down at the scene from the
top of the stairs.
All gave a collective gasp of surprise.
Lying face-first on the floor near the shocked
Kasumi was Shizuka, shaking her head as she tried to
get up. But, standing just outside the front door
was Shizuka, frozen in fright as Thanatos, now
revived, slithered his way toward her.
"Two?!" Ranma managed to say.
The priestess Shizuka got up to her feet, and
looked over the schoolgirl Shizuka with distaste.
"You're the problem, aren't you?"
The schoolgirl's eyes raised from the snake to her
double, who was leveling a shotgun at her. "Y...
you!"
"Oh, so we DID meet before!" the priestess said
with a laugh.
The schoolgirl turned to Ranma. "Ranma, please!"
"What do you want ME to do?!" he demanded. "I
don't get this!"
"Go rescue her!" encouraged Nabiki. "Pick whichever
one you like!"
"She's an impostor!" the schoolgirl shouted,
pointing a finger at the priestess. "She's a demon
that tried to take over my body!"
"Oh, good story!" the priestess Shizuka spat.
"Pretty lame, considering that I'M the demon hunter!"
"Ranma...!"
"Dammit!" cursed Ranma, rushing into attack.
He slammed himself against the priestess, sending
the shotgun flying.
Thanatos turned his attention away from the scared
schoolgirl, and with lightning speed striked at the
one who attacked his master.
"Ranma!" Shizuka screamed.
Too busy to acknowledge the schoolgirl's warning,
Ranma wrestled the priestess down, keeping her arms
pinned with his superior strength. "Who are you?!"
He yelled in surprise as the boa constrictor
wrapped himself around the martial artist, squeezing
tightly and forcing Ranma to loosen his hold over
the priestess.
Getting up to her feet, the priestess Shizuka
brushed off her blouse, and stared unconcerned at
the schoolgirl Shizuka, who was now leveling the
shotgun at her.
"So, shoot!" the priestess taunted. "Prove which
of us is the real Shizuka Minazuki!!"
Gathering a surge of confidence, the schoolgirl
planted her index finger on the trigger.
"Shizuka, no!!" Akane yelled, running down the
stairs.
The schoolgirl squeezed the trigger.
The apprentice heard the gunshot echo in the dark
sky. Ignoring the sore in her leg, she broke into a
sprint, hoping desperately that she wasn't too late.
Miranda held her hand out, forcing Nagi behind her to
come to a halt.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"Shotgun," the swordsman replied.
"I don't like this," admitted Miranda.
"Hey!" Spencer shouted, well ahead of the two
fighters. "What are you waiting for?!"
"Damn fool," Miranda spat, resuming her run. "That
fool'll run barefoot in Hell...."
"Gunshot!" Tatewaki cried as the sound echoed in
the air.
"Coming from ahead of us, no doubt!" Kodachi
deduced. "There is not a moment to lose!"
Kodachi broke off ahead, away from the shelter of
her brother's umbrella. Both Tatewaki and Aya gave
chase, trying their best to keep up with the girl.
Ranma's eyes bulged in shock; however, it was more
from the constriction Thanatos was giving him rather
than the result of the schoolgirl's attack.
Confetti and ticker tape rained from the air as
everybody but the priestess stood in stupefied surprise.
Shizuka the priestess laughed, her arms folded.
"You know," she said, "it's times like this I'm
GLAD I forget to load my shotgun with live ammunition."
She whipped out a steel card in her right hand as
the schoolgirl tried frantically to reload the
shotgun's chamber, apparently unskilled with the
weapon. "Now, it's my turn!"
"Hold it!" Akane ordered, grabbing the priestess's
arms. "I don't know what's going on, but you're
the problem!"
"Let go of me!" yelled the priestess, losing her
grip on the card.
Looking over to schoolgirl Shizuka, Akane asked,
"You mind explaining this?"
"Hey!" Ranma yelled, struggling to catch his breath.
"Someone get this thing off me!"
"A demon attacked me," the schoolgirl explained. "I
don't know why, but it happened just before I
transferred to your school. I don't know how, but for
some reason after the attack I found myself, and this
second me. So I ran."
"You fools!" the priestess cried. "SHE'S the demon!"
"Now, whoever you are," Akane said, addressing the
girl in her grip, "your game's up."
"AKANE!!!" Ranma screamed.
"Tell your snake to let Ranma go!" Akane demanded.
The priestess stared at Akane, appearing ready to
burst into laughter. "Heh, heh... you fool."
"Now what?" wondered Nabiki.
"It's a stand-off!" Soun announced.
"And the boy's the clock that's ticking," Genma
added. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he yelled,
"You keep it up, boy!"
"GGGAAAAA!!!" Ranma screamed, feeling the boa
constrictor wrapping around his neck.
"Akane," Shizuka said, "we have to kill the demon."
"With what?" she asked. "We don't have anything...."
Only the sound of rainfall against the ground
outside and the roof above made any noise as Akane's
voice trailed off, blotting out Ranma's dying,
struggling yelps. The schoolgirl stared down at the
shotgun, and opened the chamber.
"Hold it!"
Akane and Shizuka stared out at the front yard,
where a heavily-robed person stood in the rain.
Jumping into the air, the apprentice threw several
paper wards in the girls' direction. "Demon BEGONE!!"
Akane rolled to the side, releasing her grip on the
priestess, while Shizuka dodged in the opposite
direction, tossing the unloaded shotgun into the rain.
The priestess herself, however, burst into laughter.
Getting up, Akane heard a scream. Turning around, she
thought it was the priestess.
But the priestess was still standing, without even
flinching, and without any wards stuck on her forehead.
Shizuka, however, was not so lucky, as the robed
attacker proved to be insightful as to the path of her
actual target.
The schoolgirl Shizuka crackled with blue lightning
as she writhed in pain. Wasting no time, the priestess
ran past Akane and the schoolgirl into the rain,
retrieving the discarded shotgun.
Quickly, she loaded a bullet into its chamber, and
leveled it at the schoolgirl.
"See you in Hell!" the priestess yelled.
She fired.
Shampoo cursed the robed girl for the seventh time
since her defeat at her hands, carrying the weapon in
her right hand, and barely holding up her umbrella
with her left. The girl was obviously knowledgeable
of the Chinese Amazon's curse, and, using it as a
suitable distraction, managed to force Shampoo to waste
precious time getting back into her human form.
Standing in the streets, in plain view of the Tendo
wall, the Chinese Amazon raised the weapon to eye level.
"We're here."
Something is wrong, the weapon told her in her head,
as the weapon itself glowed a pale blue.
Suddenly, a gunshot was heard, followed by a bright
light within the Tendo walls.
AAAGGGGGHHHH!!!! screamed Miboshi.
"What?!" Shampoo asked frantically. "What's wrong?!"
They... they'll PAY for this!!! the Seiryu spirit
vowed.
Shampoo's eyes flashed the same pale blue as the
weapon. Both glows died at once, and the Chinese
Amazon ran quickly toward the Tendo property.
Shizuka the priestess was lying face-first on the
ground, the robed apprentice at her side. Thanatos,
upon the destruction of the schoolgirl, sensed the
shockwaves of pain from his master, loosening his
grip around Ranma and slithering toward Shizuka.
Ranma and Akane stood under the roof of the front
porch, the others gathered at the door inside. Ranma
rubbed his neck, gasping for breaths, and looked
down to where the schoolgirl once lay struggling in
pain.
There was no trace left of the second Shizuka.
"We were helping the wrong one," Akane whispered, as
the boa constrictor slithered himself on Shizuka's
back. "We helped the wrong one...."
"Who would've thought?" Ranma agreed. "We should've
listened to the snake...."
"That would figure," Nabiki commented.
"Yes," agreed Soun. "The snake appears to know its
master well, even if presented with another with a
similar appearance."
Thanatos wound himself around until he faced his
master's right cheek. He flicked his forked tongue out,
tickling the girl in the manner he knew she was
accustomed to.
The apprentice stroked Thanatos's wet, scaly back.
"It's no use," she told the snake. "The shock must've
been too much."
"Who are you?" yelled Ranma.
Looking up to the people gathered at the Tendo door,
she yelled in reply, "An apprentice under the same
organization that Shizu works for. She's a full
priestess; I'm not. And probably won't be."
"Uuuuu...." murmured Shizuka.
"Shizu... it's okay," the apprentice told her.
Thanatos tickled the priestess's cheek once more.
"Stop that...." she ordered, but the boa constrictor
refused to comply.
Shizuka's eyes opened, and turned her head to look
at the reptilian head of Thanatos. "You stinker...."
The apprentice helped the priestess sit up, careful
not to squash any part of the boa constrictor's long
body. Shizuka giggled like a child, scratching behind
Thanatos's head.
"I'm... I'm back," she whispered to the snake.
"Shizuka!" Akane yelled.
Turning to face Akane, the priestess smiled. "Akane!"
"Are you okay?"
"I'll tell you later, once I figure out how it feels
to live two lives...."
"So, that's what happened," the apprentice said. "You
were split in two. All the stuff that was good about
Shizu was passed to the spirit, leaving everything else
to Shizu herself. A bad deal, if you ask me."
"Interesting," noted Soun.
"It's a wonder that both Shizukas didn't run into each
other until now," Nabiki said.
"What do you suppose Kyoko thought about it?" wondered
Kasumi.
"How can that be?" asked Ranma.
"A month ago I was on my way here to hunt the Seiryu
spirits," Shizuka explained.
"How'd you know about that?" he asked, shocked.
"I'll explain later," assured the priestess. "But,
on the way, the spirits must've caught wind of who I
was, because one of them attacked before I got to
Tokyo. It tried to possess me, so I did the only thing
I could do before I lost."
"Which is?"
"Well... I slapped a ward on my head. It knocked me
and the spirit out, I guess, because when I came to it
was gone. I thought I'd destroyed it."
"How dreadful," Nodoka commented.
"What guts!" praised Genma.
"But instead you somehow made a duplicate of yourself?"
Akane said.
"I don't see how that's possible," the apprentice
admitted.
"So now the spirit's destroyed?" asked Nabiki.
"I think so," Shizuka replied, getting up to her
feet. She patted her own body. "I THINK I'm all here...."
"Sadly, you won't be here much longer."
All eyes turned to Shampoo, who stood on top of the
Tendo wall, staring down at Shizuka and the apprentice.
The Seiryu weapon's shaft was extended, forming a trident
characteristic of water power. The Chinese Amazon's
eyes glowed a soft, pale blue.
"Shampoo!" Ranma and Akane cried.
"So, you're the one who's hunting us," Shampoo said,
ignoring Ranma and Akane. "You appear quite good in
your task if you destroyed Soi by yourself. It does
ruin my plans quite a bit, but it won't matter much."
"Who're you?" Shizuka asked. "You're not the girl."
Shampoo's eyes glowed with greater intensity. "You're
right; I'm Miboshi."
"Hey!" Ranma yelled. "You're the one that's supposed
to be in the weapon!"
"Oh, Tomo's host," Miboshi acknowledged. "You weren't
very helpful."
"No way Ranma could be Tomo," Nabiki insisted.
"What're you up to?!" the martial artist demanded,
ignoring Nabiki's strange comment.
"You were so gullible. Did you truly believe that we
would resurrect Ukyo for you? Like you, Shampoo was also
easily fooled by what she wanted to hear; she wanted the
power of Seiryu Ukyo had. She can't have it; Ukyo was
ideal, and powerful, because of her inherited water power
that amplified Seiryu's lightning abilities."
"Water conducts electricity," the apprentice realized.
"It's only natural that her power was stronger than
others."
"So what is this about?!" wondered Akane.
Miboshi grinned. "I wanted to reassemble the sprits of
Seiryu, but not for the greater glory of the whole. You
see, after each spirit was located I absorbed their
powers, increasing my own. I now have more than sufficient
power to dominate this body, even if it was already
willing from the start." She pointed down at Shizuka.
"She destroyed Soi before I could assimilate her power.
She would dare try to destroy me!"
"So that's why Tomo resisted you," Ranma guessed. "All
of this is some kind of 'survival of the fittest'
contest."
"You're an unnatural phenomenon!" the priestess yelled.
"And you're trying to deny my right for existence!"
countered Miboshi. "You know very well that if I go back
to the future I won't be there as I am, because time's
already been altered. The only solution is to carve my
own destiny."
"Self-preservation," snorted the apprentice. "Is
that all you can think about? What about your gods?!"
"I AM a god!" the possessed girl declared.
"You idiot," Ranma said. "You're not so smart."
With blinding speed Ranma dashed out into the rain,
transforming into a girl in an instant. She leaped
into the air, up to the level of the wall, and threw
several quick kicks.
But Miboshi was even faster, anticipating the rush
attack. She appeared several meters to the right of
where she originally stood, umbrella still held over
her.
"Don't you think I figured that problem out already?"
Miboshi yelled. "I won't be beaten that easily!"
"But you're still bound by that body!" Ranma shot
back.
Below the two, the apprentice handed Shizuka several
paper wards, pressing them into the priestess's palm.
"You have to help him," she insisted.
Shizuka stared at the wards, then at the robed girl.
"Typical."
She watched as Ranma and Miboshi dueled in the air,
Ranma attempting to knock out the umbrella from the
possessed girl's hand while dodging the trident strikes.
Miboshi appeared to anticipate each attack Ranma threw
at her, and it was only a matter of time before
Shizuka knew when to strike.
"Ranma!" she yelled.
She threw the wards upward into the sky, just as if
they were her steel cards.
After a brief flash, a cat fell to the earth, followed
by a rain coat and umbrella.
But Ranma continued in her mid-air duel, as the
trident, behaving as if wielded by an invisible man,
continued its relentless attacks.
Landing on the ground near Shampoo, Ranma tried to
catch her breath as she watched the trident descend
slowly, glowing a brighter blue than ever.
"You just don't quit," she snorted.
I will not be beaten! Miboshi declared, projecting
his voice into Ranma's mind alone.
"The trident is the anchor," the apprentice noted.
"So what do you want ME to do?" Shizuka asked. "I
don't have anything that could get that thing to stop
long enough to destroy it!"
The hooded girl handed the priestess more wards.
"What happened to your set?"
"How should I know?" she asked in reply. "I ran
out earlier today!"
"Hey, whatever it is," Ranma yelled, "you'd better
do it quick!" She dodged to the side as the trident
thrust again.
Shizuka threw the wards at the trident, but the
weapon was far too small a target, and far too
quick, dodging all the projectiles easily. The
priestess cursed, rushing closer with Thanatos still
wrapped around her body.
"She moves pretty fast for someone with a snake
wrapped around her," Nabiki commented.
"What teamwork!" Soun yelled.
"You mean Ranma, or the snake?" the middle Tendo
girl replied sharply.
Ranma hardly had time to warn the priestess away
when Miboshi launched a flurry attack at her, jabbing
with the trident's head with such speed that it
appeared as a blur of motion. Shizuka held out the
wards before her, keeping the piercing head from
coming anywhere near from puncturing her body.
"Not even a flinch!" boasted the priestess. "Now,
you pathetic excuse of a 'god...!'"
She threw several wards, one for each blurred
trident head she could see, but only one of them hit
its mark. The trident froze in mid-air, crackling
with violent blue lightning.
"It's not going to burst the anchor!" the hooded
apprentice yelled. "You have to break it!"
"Do I look like a strongman to you?!" Shizuka
shouted back.
"Leave it to me!" Ranma said, grabbing the trident
with her hands. The glow of the weapon increased in
intensity, as well as the lightning, but the girl
hardly felt the energies.
She raised the trident high, and brought it crashing
down on her knee.
"AAAAGGGHHH!!!" Ranma screamed in pain, jumping up
and down in place.
"Oh, that's just perfect," Shizuka muttered.
"My dear Ranma!" Nodoka yelled.
"That boy...." muttered Genma.
"Maybe he should've used his head," Nabiki thought.
"It's NOT wood, you know," the apprentice pointed out.
"And the ward can't keep Miboshi under for long!"
warned the priestess.
"Damn it!" Ranma screamed, throwing the trident up
into the air. She raised her palm up to the sky, and
gritted her teeth. "This time, NOBODY'S going to haunt
me like that again!!"
Throwing up both palms to the sky, she shouted,
"MOKO TAKABISHA!!"
Soun yelled, "A bolt of pure confidence!"
"That it, boy!" encouraged Genma.
A blast of solid air fired up into the sky after the
trident with great speed. The blue lightning produced
from the ward began to fade, but it was too late for
Miboshi to act, as he found that he could not escape in
time.
Seiryu's weapon was overcome by the blast, and sent
rocketing into the air.
"It's not working!" Akane yelled.
"Yes it will!" Ranma shouted back, pouring more
energy into the blast.
"Isn't he full of hot air?" commented Nabiki.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere a flaming, blade-like
projectile sliced through the air, despite the
rainfall. The fireball sliced through the peak of
Ranma's blast, where Miboshi was, and a blinding
flash erupted.
Shielding her eyes, Ranma released her energy bolt,
but knew that the job was done.
When the flash subsided, Miboshi was no more.
"'Twas an object of beauty, so it saddens my heart
that such a weapon was destroyed by my hand."
Ranma turned to look at the speaker of the voice.
"Kuno."
Kodachi held an umbrella over her brother, who in
turn held out his bokken, lightly illuminated by
Phoenix fires. Behind Tatewaki was Aya, wide-eyed with
the display in the sky.
Shizuka and the apprentice regarded the kendoist.
"Good timing," the priestess complimented.
"Why are you three here?" demanded Ranma.
"We are not here for you, Ranma-darling," Kodachi
replied, adding an acidic touch to the last word.
"I'm predicting that we're the reason," another voice
said.
All eyes turned to the newcomers, who stood atop the
Tendo wall where Shampoo stood only moments before.
Three figures, two men and a woman, stood silhouetted
against the revealed sky as the clouds passed overhead.
"Miranda," Aya said.
"I'm Paladin Spencer," the dark-suited man introduced
himself. "I'm sure you've heard of me."
"Who hasn't?" Akane said. "You're one of the guys
who belong to the Church of Saint Hebereke."
"A Church that falsely exists," Tatewaki corrected.
"'Saint' Hebereke is a demon," Shizuka said plainly.
"WHAT?!" came the collective replies of those standing
in the Tendo doorway.
Kasumi blinked. "Oh my, I left dinner on the stove!"
"What a surprise," Ranma muttered under her breath.
"Blasphemer!" accused Spencer. "You serve pagan gods!"
"Since when did saints become gods themselves?" the
apprentice asked.
"Oh, don't worry," Miranda said. "I couldn't give a
rat's ass about that stuff. All I want is Kodachi."
"Is that so?" Kodachi replied, chuckling to herself.
"Could it be that you wish to prove yourself?"
"I'll show you who's the better fighter!" snarled
the other girl.
Nagi looked down at Tatewaki. "It is good to see you
this last time."
"I fail to see why that is so," replied the kendoist.
Both Miranda and Nagi leaped down from the wall as
Tatewaki and Kodachi stepped forward, ready to do
battle. Ranma joined the two Kunos herself, followed by
Aya, Shizuka, Akane, then the apprentice.
Leaping down from the wall, Spencer produced a
pistol from the side of his belt. Removing the safety
on the weapon, he said, "The odds are hardly in our
favor, but we shall prove the victor! The saint is on
our side this day!"
The clouds in the sky above cleared, revealing the now-
night sky.
Ranma looked to Kodachi, then to Tatewaki. "You're
mine, 'paladin!'"
Miranda raised her gloved fists as she faced Kodachi,
who withdrew her ribbon, and discarding the umbrella. The
Kuno girl threw off her dress, revealing a dark leotard
underneath, ready to do battle.
Nagi unsheathed his sword with his right hand and
crossed it with the blade attached to his metallic left
arm. Tatewaki held his Phoenix-flamed bokken before
him, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Shizuka picked up her shotgun, loading it carefully,
wondering which of the three opponents she should shoot
first.
Beside her, the apprentice stood, arms folded,
appearing as if she would not participate in the fight at
all.
Aya stood behind Kodachi, ready to help her boss at a
moment's notice.
Ranma hardly bothered to glance at Akane. She said,
"Go get some hot water."
Akane nodded in understanding. "Be careful, Ranma."
As she heard Akane's footsteps squelched against the
wet earth die away, Ranma raised her fists in readiness.
"I don't know what you guys are after, but whatever it
is, your craziness stops now."
Spencer smirked. "Oh no, friend. Everything that's
happened until now was only the beginning. We shall
sacrifice your carcass to the saint, so that he may
grow strong!"
"I'm not with him," Miranda pointed out.
"Nor am I," Nagi added. "But, we fight nonetheless."
"Then none of us fight for one cause," Shizuka
declared. "Our goals, our purposes differ, yet fate
has conspired to pit us against each other." She
raised her shotgun and leveled it at Spencer. "I have
a promise to keep."
Spencer raised his pistol. "So be it!"
The unified gunshot signified the beginning, as
both sides charged into battle.
------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes
The resolution to the Seiryu arc and the reason why
Shizuka seemed so messed-up a character (well, actually,
she's still messed-up, but not in the same way as
before). Okay, so this part didn't give a real
indication what she's really like, but there'll be time
for that as well.
'Paladin Spencer,' for those of you who haven't
been watching anime back in the Stone Age (heh) was
the name of one of the characters in Starvengers, an
early dubbed giant mecha series (Getta Robo G in
Japan, and the character was originally named Hayato).
Yeah, I'm ancient, and I still love the series; I've
seen the first part of Shin Getta Robo OAV fansubbed
and I wish I knew where to get more (from the credits
the film was made in '97, so it's quite recent, and
very nostalgic).
Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOREPLYhotmail.com)
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html
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