A Duet of Pigtails: The Age of the Black Blade
Part Two: Fugutaiten

By Rob Barba and VGAP
Based on the series by Libby Thomas and characters and situations created by
Rumiko Takahashi and CLAMP
Additional Credits: �Blackbird� by Lennon & McCartney

~*~
FIRST ROUND: Unwanted Return

�Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.�


    The song played in the stillness of the observation room of the Tokyo
Tower, echoing throughout the whole space.  On a dark, rainy night like
this, somehow the old Beatles song seemed appropriate. Hundreds of meters
below, the streets of Akanebashi-cho were lit like a string of glittering
jewels, their lights giving of a bit of comfortable radiance in the dreary,
rainy evening.

�Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.�


    It was a quiet Tuesday night, one where not many really bothered to
brave the rain.  However, two women, damp and cold from the water, stood in
the desolate emptiness of the room, accompanied only by a half-asleep person
at the snack bar and a stray pigeon that had managed to get into the place.
The vending kiosks on the first floor had shut down early for the night,
writing off the lack of visitors as a loss; there was no one on the second
observation tower, as it was undergoing repairs.

�Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.�

    One of the women, a classic beauty with long wheat-blonde hair and
alluring hazel eyes, sat at one of the benches in the room, not really
wishing to stand.  She was wearing a simple pair of slacks and a jersey, all
covered by a slightly damp raincoat.  At her side was her purse, glistening
from the wet sheen the rain had provided.  However, Hououji Kuu didn�t take
any of these little facts of life into account.  Her attention was
elsewhere, cast on the other woman, who she�d accompanied.

�Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.�

    The second woman appeared to be a teenager, though her actual age was
20.  Unlike the other woman, who had the appearance of elegance, this woman
was cute and cuddly, though that was more in her nature than any outright
attempt to be so.  However, the smile that seemed so much the essence of the
young woman with fiery red hair and warm sienna eyes was gone, replaced by a
mournful cast that echoed the darkness and rain, becoming one with it.  By
no means, in any situation could it be construed that Shidou Hikaru was
happy.

�Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.�

    The song ended, to be replaced by some local singer that was easily
forgotten.  As though dismissing the music, Kuu spoke softly to Hikaru, her
voice carrying over the emptiness of the room: �Hikaru, you�ve come here for
the past three years, as though you�ve wanted to go back.  You�re torturing
yourself.�
   Hikaru nodded, then replied, her voice a shadow of the joy it normally
was, �I know.  I don�t even need to come here to go back anymore, but this
place is still special to me.  It reminds me of Fuu, and...and....�  As if
in emphasis, Hikaru turned and stared down at a certain spot in the tiles
that were on the floor.  Though those four black and white checkered tiles
seemed a little warped and woofed, no one had bothered to replace them, not
even during last year�s renovation.  It was as though they belonged there,
as though there was something special about them.
    The fact that those four tiles were spell-warded might have something to
do with it.  �And Umi,� she finished, a harsh note in her voice.
    Hououji Kuu looked at the girl, two years her junior, who was like a
little sister to her.  The best friend of her younger sister, Hikaru and Kuu
had grown very close over the past couple years, almost as close as Hikaru
was Fuu and Umi...or at least Umi, before her betrayal.  Three years later,
Kuu could hardly believe the reason for the terminal rift that had grown
between the two.  Circumstances notwithstanding, it just seemed out of
character for the azure-haired girl.  �Hikaru-chan, I know it�s hard to talk
about Umi, but--�
    Hikaru uncharacteristically cut off Kuu.  �*Don�t* bring her up.  I
*never* want to hear that name again.�  Sighing in sorrow, she amended,
�Gomen ne, Kuu-chan.  That was incredibly rude of me.  I didn�t mean to be
so harsh.�
    �I know, Hikaru.  I know.  But that was years ago.  Don�t you think it�s
time to move on by now?�
    The redhead almost nodded, but instead sighed.  �Kuu, she took the man I
loved from me.  And she wasn�t really sorry about it, either!�  As she stood
there, her heart of hearts shattering into a million shards, the tinkle of
each broken piece was a memory from that day right here, three years gone:

((--�We...we slept together that night, Hikaru.  I know I shouldn�t have
done it.  I wanted Ascot, and I was drunk that night, out of despair that he
would never really notice me.  Lantis was the only one who was willing to
help me back to my room.  I didn�t know he was drunk, too.  I didn�t know
that he was trying to find a way to express his love for you.�  Umi took a
drag from her cigarette and sighed.  �I don�t know how it just happened.
One moment he was carrying me in, the next we were on my bed and remov....�
Umi trailed off, realizing that details would not be a good idea--))

    The words continued in Hikaru�s mind, unbidden and unwanted, but she
couldn�t shut them out.  She hadn�t been able to for the past few years.

((--"There�s more I have to tell you, and it�s not easy for me to say this.�
The azurehair paused for a second, gathering not only her thoughts, but also
the courage to say something that she really feared to admit.  �I...I�m...I�
m pregnant.  I'm carrying his child, Hikaru.  I'm sorry.  I didn't mean for
it to happen.  I never meant...*we* never meant to hurt you, never ever."
The Water Knight looked as though she�d rather face off Zagato and Impala
single-handedly and armed only with a toothpick than to sit here and break
the heart of her Knight Commander, the goddess of Cephiro, but more
importantly, her best friend.  �Hikaru, I love you like a sister, and if I
could take this back I would, I really would....�--))

    She could almost see Umi�s face once more, hurting and dejected, though
there was something in the girl�s aqua eyes that seemed to tell a far
different story:

((--�Hikaru, I don�t want this.  I�m only 18, and by no means ready for
motherhood.  Especially with a man I don�t love, someone who was meant for
you.  I�m going to go back to Cephiro to ask if he�ll accept me getting an
abortion.  He�s been to Autozam dozens of times, so he should have some idea
what one is.  And if that isn�t the case,� Umi paused again, as though she
were getting ready to lower the boom, �then I�ll be staying in Cephiro to
marry him.  If I end up having this baby, I at least want an honorable life
for it, Hika--�  Nothing more was said as a tearing, shivering Hikaru made a
fist and came nigh close to slapping Umi.  Instead, she turned and ran,
hearing Umi�s frantic pleas for Hikaru to stop, to come back and forgive
her.  The last thing Hikaru would feel was the tingling of magic as Umi
opened the gateway to Cephiro--))

    Tears welled in the redhead�s eyes, and unintentionally, she hugged the
pay telescope for comfort.  �She had her choice of men, two of them who
would have done anything for her.  Ascot wanted her.  Clef wanted her.  And
instead of returning the love of either of them, she chose to steal my
boyfriend from me.�
    Kuu got up from her seat to go over and comfort the young woman.
Sliding her arms around Hikaru, she said, �It�s okay, Hikaru, it�s okay.�
    Sobbing, Hikaru said, �No, it�s not!  It�s not fair!�  Looking up at
Kuu, she cried, �Umi had everything!  She had two guys to choose from, and
that wasn�t enough for her, not by a damn long shot!  She had to take...she
had to take...Oh, Lantis....�  And then, as happened on this anniversary,
Hikaru broke down in tears, crying for the love that she�d lost; the only
man she�d ever really loved.


    As Kuu held her, she idly remembered something that her younger sister
Fuu (now the Queen of Cephiro as well as the Wind Knight) had told her about
a romantic triangle between Hikaru, Lantis, and a Prince from another world
named Eagle.  Fuu had never been totally clear on what happened to Eagle, as
there were conflicting reports of it at the time (some said he�d died from
an incurable disease; some said that Hikaru had killed him after he�d gone
power-mad when offered the mantle of the Pillar).  What she did know was
that the world of Autozam was apparently now a sterile mudball, with the
remainder of its people living in scattered colonies on Cephiro; as for
Eagle himself, Hikaru never said anything about him, as though she put him
out of her mind.  But now was not the time to bring that up. Right now,
Hikaru needed help, and Kuu would never turn her friend away.
    Once Hikaru had recovered, she turned back to staring at the rain
outside the window, whispering a heartfelt, �Thank you, Kuu-chan.  I don�t
know what I would do without you.�
    Kuu smiled. �I know it hurts, Hikaru, but I promise that someday
everything will be fine.  Just you watch.�  Looking to change the subject
and cheer up the redhead, she said, �Ano, it�s still pretty early.  Let�s go
to dinner and do something.  I know this nice restaurant on Ariake Island,
and after that we can go to Joypolis, ne?�
    That did the trick--as Kuu knew, anything regarding roller coasters
tended to do the trick.  Her eyes brightening, the smaller girl uttered a
happy �Un!� as she shook her head vigorously.  �Let�s get going then!  I
want to catch the Shimbashi monorail as soon as possible.  I just love
riding it!�  Nothing further to be said, the pair left the empty and dreary
observation room, headed back for the streets and a brighter evening.

~*~

    �Ariake Island Station.  Ariake Island Station,� the canned female
recording on the Tokyo Teleport train said as the cars pulled up to the
line.  Dozens of people filed out into the moon- and lamplit night, gazing
at the beauty of the light dancing off the dark waters of Tokyo Bay and the
festive glow of the Tokyo Friendship Bridge.  The grounds still shimmered
from the wetness of the recent rain, as the moon began to move out beyond
the confines of the clouds.  It was a moment of pure beauty, one that caught
and held fast the attention of the people debarking.
    One passenger, however, really didn�t care much about that.  She had a
much darker purpose for being here.
    Standing on the pavement over by the exit to the train station that that
she�d just left, Fuitamu Keiei took a breath of the fresh air that welcomed
her into the Tokyo night.  It was her first night back in town since her
disastrous failure in Nerima four months ago, and she�d spent the time since
training in various locations on the southern island of Kyushu.  Now she was
back, and with her return, it wouldn�t be that much longer until that
redhead bitch Tendo Ranko fell to Keiei�s superior skills, paving the way
for the arrival of Saotome Ranma to her loving care.  Of course, that would
mean the death of Ranma�s current wife--what was her name?  Ah, Nabiki; that
was it-- but at least it would leave Keiei with a loving husband and a child
for them to raise...and later down the line, giving that child a brother or
sister.  But as the old Western saying went, to make an omelet, one must
inevitably break a few eggs.
    And once that detail was accomplished, Keiei could start on the next
phase of her struggle, the one that would redeem her above everything: the
death of Shidou Hikaru.  Though the loss to the redheaded bitch had been
about seven years ago, Keiei still felt the mark of shame keenly.  Had she
not lost, she would have still remained the proud scion of her family�s
arts, and would have been worthy to marry Ranma years back.  Oh, yes, when
she was done with her initial mission, Shidou Hikaru would feel the black,
fatal sting of revenge that came from the edge of Keiei�s ebon blade.
    As she walked towards the pedestrian overpass that led to her hotel, she
took a second to take stock of her life.  Not that there was much to take
stock of.  She was a failure, a black mark on her family�s name.  Even her
parents no longer wanted her at home, as they gave her a healthy allowance
on the basis that she continue her training wherever it would take her...in
short, a bribe to never darken the family doorstep again.  The only thing
that she could claim to be a shred of honor left to her was her black-hued
blade, Murasame, named after the legendary blades of yore, though this
weapon was far more advanced than anything the old weaponsmith had ever
created.  It was all, really, that she had left in this world, and it would
be a key element to getting what she deserved.
    Silent as the shadows that dotted the evening landscape of the man-made
island, Keiei continued to move along towards her hotel, located at the far
end of DECKS shopping mall.

~*~

    Hikaru and Kuu sat at a patio table at Celestial, a nice little caf�
overlooking the sandy shore of Ariake Island.  Having a nice dinner at the
European-styled eatery, they watched as lovers strolled up and down the
boardwalk adjoining the DECKS shopping center/amusement park/hotel complex.
Over by the shore, a couple of girls, not much younger than Hikaru, were
practicing their drum majorette skills, twirling batons and giggling as they
did so.  A few feet away from them, a couple of guys, watched, rapt in their
bouncing brea...thless activity.
    �Men,� Kuu snorted sardonically as she grimaced with distaste at the sad
display of male chauvinism.  �No, I take that back; they�re nothing but
boys, as a true man would be content with the woman he loved.�  The blonde
sighed and commented rhetorically, �Wonder if I�ll ever meet someone?�
    �Well you�re a beautiful woman, Kuu-chan,� Hikaru pointed out.  �I�m
surprised that you haven�t met anyone already.�  Thinking about it for a
second, she hinted, �Well, I do know someone that I could fix you up
with....�
    Kuu grinned.  �Hikaru-chan, aren�t your brothers already dating?�
    �Satoru isn�t at the moment.  Kakeru�s in the Japanese Air Military
Academy right now, so there�s not much dating he can do.  And I think Masaru
�s serious about seeing Chidara; I wouldn�t be surprised if he proposed to
her any day now.�  Hikaru took a bite of her chicken cordon bleu before
continuing, �But I think Satoru would be a good match for you, Kuu-chan.  He
�s nice, sweet, and very caring; you two would make a great couple.  And he�
s only a couple of years older than you, so it�s not like I�d be fixing you
up with someone as stale as a Christmas Cake at New Year�s.�
    Kuu laughed.  �I�m not that hard up for a date, Hikaru-chan. Granted, I
really like Satoru, and he is sweet, not to mention attractive, but I think
his mind is on trying to reconcile not having to be a pseudo-parent anymore.
Maybe later on, but not now.  Besides,� she countered merrily, �we still
have to find *you* someone, Hikaru.�  To hide her amusement at Hikaru�s look
of embarrassment, she took a sip from her coffee.
   Hikaru stopped in mid-bite, trying to reconcile with the comment that
came right out of left field.  �Wha-what do you mean?�
   �I�ll bet that love is waiting for you right around the corner, and that
someday you�ll find him.  In fact, you�ll probably find him before I find
anyone for myself.�
    �Oh really?� Hikaru said, finding the topic a bit bittersweet and ironic
in lieu of what had passed in the Tower an hour or so ago.  �You really
think so?�
    �Knowing you, he�ll probably be some athletic but sensitive hunk, like a
swordsman or something.�
    �Nope, no more swordsmen for me,� she said, a bit flustered.  �I don�t
think...that I could ever date anyone who was that type.�
    �Okay, what about a martial artist?� Kuu diverted, mentally chastising
herself for the slip of the tongue.  �Definitely the athletic type, for
sure.�
    Hikaru wrinkled her nose in mock-distaste.  �Me?  Marry a martial
artist?  Not in a million years, Kuu.�
    �Betcha 1000 yen you will.�  She stuck her hand out.  �I�m so confident
of it, in fact, that I bet you�ll be wearing a wedding kimono before you�re
25.�
    Hikaru took that hand and shook it vigorously.  �It�s a bet.  And one I
know you�re going to lose.�
    �And how are you so sure that I�m going to lose?� Kuu said, teasing her
friend.
    Hikaru was planning to answer that, and would have, had the table not
picked that precise moment to explode into a blossom of wood chips, dust and
the remnants of dinner, as a voice screamed, *�Time to pay for your
interference, Tendo!�*

~*~

    Passing down the boardwalk on the way to her hotel, located just past
the Sega Joypolis, Keiei felt sort of antsy, as though a sixth sense in her
had been awakened to her immediate location.  Stopping, she looked around at
the people near her, searching for whatever had triggered the feeling.
Other than a few lovers, some teenaged cheerleaders and a few guys ogling
them, there was nothing really to trigger her sens--
    Wait. Turning her head in the other direction, she began to look at the
various restaurants and store facades, continuing her...There!  On one of
the patios, seated at a wooden table with what must be a friend, was *her*.
    Tendo Ranko.  The only true obstacle preventing the death of Saotome
Nabiki.  With her unguarded now, and combined with the new skills that Keiei
had acquired during her training, there would be no way that the woman would
be able to withstand an attack.  Yes, Keiei decided as she spun and launched
one of her Taifuu Shuu attacks, sending the whirlwind headed straight for
the redhead as Keiei roared in all her glory, *�Time to pay for your
interference, Tendo!�*

~*~

    Scrambling back to her feet, the first thing Hikaru did was to check on
Kuu�s condition.  The blonde had been leaning on the table at the point of
the attack, and had been violently tossed into the next table over, which
had thankfully been empty.  Though bleeding from a cut on the cheek and
currently unconscious, Kuu was otherwise unharmed that Hikaru could tell.
She couldn�t really use her powers as the goddess of Cephiro here; they just
didn�t work that well on this side of the dimensional barrier when it came
to using it on others.  Thank the kami (well, the ones of this world, at any
rate) that Kuu was okay, not needing more than the cursory first aid
assistance, Hikaru gave a sigh of relief.
    The second thing she noticed was the scrambling of people as they turned
to head away from this whole location.  Rather than check on the pair that
had been attacked, people ran this way and that in a sad display of �every
man for himself�; one pathetic man grabbed his wife and muttered as they
left, �This place is as bad as Nerima!�, a comment Hikaru didn�t understand
but wasn�t worried about at the moment.  Within just a couple of minutes,
only Hikaru and Kuu remained in the immediate vicinity of the attack point.
    The final thing that had Hikaru�s attention was the woman that stood
before them, battle aura glowing as a deep shade of blue.  Standing in a
martial artist�s pose that Hikaru couldn�t easily identify, she said, �Are
you ready to die, Ranko?�
    �I think you�ve got a case of mistaken identity, miss,� Hikaru cried as
moved to cover Kuu.
    �I think not!� she snarled, leaping into the air and coming down in a
flying kick.  Hikaru had just enough seconds to move Kuu to relative safety
before bounding out to the open space of the boardwalk and shouted, �Why are
you doing this?�  The woman instead failed to answer but however rushed
towards Hikaru, throwing a rapid-punch attack that the redhead dodged by
sheer luck.  Still in the arc of attack, the woman spun and loosed a
roundhouse slice kick that slammed Hikaru across the ribcage, sending her
flying into the sand, bowling over the two cheerleaders and scattering more
people away from the immediate vicinity.
    Hikaru tried to stand up, ignoring the supernova of pain that was raging
through her midsection.  Looking at the stranger, she shouted, �Why are you
attacking me?�
    The stranger stood over Hikaru, her eyes full of rage.  �Have you
forgotten already, Ranko?  Apparently so, because your martial arts skills
have fallen off.  And once I defeat you,� she said, holding up a fist haloed
with her angry, dark ki, �I will kill your cousin and take what is mine!�
    �You have the wrong person,� Hikaru snarled.  �My name is Shidou Hikaru,
and I don�t know this Ranko person of yours.�  At Hikaru�s words, the woman
froze, looking at her with a gaze that couldn�t be described.  Suddenly,
Hikaru wasn�t sure if that was for the best.


    Keiei dimly heard the woman�s words, with only her name ringing in her
mind: ((�...Shidou Hikaru...�))  Looking at the woman before her, she
superimposed the face of Tendo Ranko over it, and found that though the two
were very similar, there were differences.  Tendo had a far shorter braid,
and the color of this woman�s sienna eyes were nowhere near that of Tendo�s
deep blue orbs.
    Not to mention that Tendo was pretty good at combat, Keiei had to admit.
This woman, on the other hand, had dodged three times--and unsuccessfully
the last--but had not counterattacked.  What little Keiei had seen said this
woman had some training in a martial skill, but that karate was not likely
to be it.  Additionally, the fighting spirit in this woman was not as
ferocious in this girl as it had been in the other--in fact, it was
apparently pretty much nonexistent.
    �Shidou Hikaru?� Keiei whispered, unable to believe her good luck.
   �Yes, that�s who I said I was,� Hikaru commented, hoping that this was
all a horrific misunderstanding.

It wasn�t.

    With a speed nearly as fast as her fists, Keiei pulled out her black
katana and thrust it at Hikaru, screaming, *�DIE!�*  Fortunately this time,
the redhead was prepared and despite the pain, rolled out of the way.  There
was a sizable spray of sand as the blade bit fiercely into the beachhead,
Keiei snarling with anger at Hikaru�s lucky maneuver.  Raising her blade,
she turned to swipe at the redhead.
    Hikaru, frantically looking for some way to defend herself, was tempted
to will up her sword, but declined to, as this was neither the time nor
place for a provocation.  Pulling out a sword in this situation could make
an already bad situation worse, and using her pyromancy could do more damage
than good right now.  There had to be a way out of this...There!
Instinctively, Hikaru grabbed it and swung in a parrying motion.


    Keiei�s second attempt at taking down Hikaru was thwarted when the
redhead brought up one of the abandoned majorette batons and parried Keiei�s
blow.  Although there wouldn�t be a second chance to do so as the instrument
snapped in two from the blow, it did stop the blade and gave Hikaru the
chance she needed to get away.
    Hikaru scrambled back, leaping towards a small scarp and trying to find
some way to defuse the situation.  �Why are you doing this?  Who are you?�
    The woman with the nightshade sword narrowed her eyes in anger.  *�You
don�t remember?  You don�t remember how you plunged my world into hell seven
years ago?!?!�*  The woman shook with anger and vitriol so pure, the redhead
gazed in wonder, as though it were something truly alien and
incomprehensible to behold.  *�Seven years ago, you beat me in a duel, and
made my life hell, damn you!�*
    The years peeled back in Hikaru�s mind.  �Ano...seven years?  You mean
the Meguro-ku Kendo Championship?�  Hikaru unintentionally grinned at that;
the victory had been her first competition in the Art, and a personal
victory for her, since she�d switched from gymnastics to kendo only the year
prior.  Initially, she�d been reluctant to follow in the family footsteps,
especially since her brothers had been kendo talents themselves, but now it
seemed even more natural than her gymnastics, and even a godsend in light of
her adventures in Cephiro.  But the thing that she remembered most was that
she defeated a girl who had been widely expected to win the tournament, a
girl named...  �Keiei?  Fuitamu Keiei?�  Hikaru gave a second smile, and
said, �It�s been a long time.�
    The smile and recall of her name, unfortunately, did not engender
goodwill in Keiei.  Raising her blade to strike, she uttered an inhuman
growl of rage and hatred.
    Hikaru, coming back to the present, looked at her attacker with
confusion.  �But that was seven years ago, Keiei!  We were just kids then!
Why harbor a little loss for so long, if you�ve clearly improved?�  The
irony of the whole situation was not wholly lost on the redhead kendo artist
as she said that.
    *�YOU RUINED MY LIFE!�* the armed woman shrieked.  *�BECAUSE OF YOU, I
LOST MY HONOR!  I LOST MY FIANC�!  I LOST EVERYTHING!!!!!�*  Keiei swung the
blade down and sheared the rock in half, with Hikaru leaping out of the way.
*�I WON�T REGAIN MY HONOR AGAIN, UNTIL THE LAST DROP OF YOUR LIFE�S BLOOD
DRIPS OUT OF YOUR BODY!�*
    Hikaru, realizing that a fight was no longer avoidable, pirouetted in
mid-air and landed in a ready pose, preparing to call up her fire magic and
summon her sword.  Idly, she noted that she�d have to be careful, as there
were still some people around, and the police had not arrived yet to put an
end to this.  Looking at her now-enemy, she said in a sorrowful voice,
�Well, if there is no more alternative....  Let�s have at it then.�


    Keiei looked around at all the innocents that were beginning to watch
the beginning struggle between her and the redhead harridan.  Though she
wanted Hikaru dead, killing others wasn�t going to help restore her honor.
Yet, there was a way to deal with Hikaru, but she�d have to time it exactly
right.
    Sliding the sword back, she focused, charging up her ki and making her
aura shine with a dark, sinister light.  Staring at Hikaru with the darkest
look that she could, she snarled, �I wish only to kill you, wench.  I would
like to leave the innocents be.�
    Hikaru let out a small sigh of relief at that, saying, �and for that, I�
m glad.�
    �Furthermore, as you have no weapon at the moment, to kill you would
be....�  Keiei, through her rage, sought the best word, then gave up.
�Though it would be a true pleasure to kill you--�
    �So I gathered,� Hikaru interjected, a note of sorrow in her voice.
    *�SILENCE!�* Keiei thundered.  �As I was saying, it wouldn�t be as
satisfying as if I didn�t defeat you and then spit you on my blade.�  The
raven-maned woman gave a small smile that might once have been cute, but had
long since been banished by the cold loathing that was flickering in her
eyes.  �So, if you�re brave enough, meet me at the Kenkaku-gaijo in
 Gotemba.�
    Hikaru tried once more for reason.  �Fuitamu-san, there�s no reason to
do this....�
    Keiei said, �Oh, I assure you there�s *every* reason to do this.�  Rage
building within her, she roared, *�AND IF YOU CAN�T FIND ONE, I�LL PROVIDE
YOU WITH IT!!!�*  Sweeping the blade forward and towards the ground, she
screamed, *�FUITAMU SUPER ATTACK, SUNARASHI TSUNAMI!�*


    The earth rippled once, then exploded in a massive column of sand
reaching towards the sky, carried up by a dark spiral of bioenergy until it
blotted out an already cloudy sky.  As it reached its zenith, it started to
come down, threatening to bury a huge portion of the immediate area.  People
began to turn and run, fearful for their lives, but strangely, Keiei watched
as Shidou Hikaru watched the sand wave�s descent with a disaffected, almost
detached air.
    The onslaught of grit, gravel and shells blasted to the ground, burying
a sizable portion of the boardwalk and shopping center.  Storefronts and
restaurant patios were trashed by the crest of natural destruction, spraying
debris and damage all over the locale.  Those few unlucky souls who had
decided not to move were swept up by it and flung around like toys, crashing
painfully into objects.  Missile damage was everywhere as items broke free
and were sent flinging out of control.  Within minutes, a large portion of
the elegant and posh shopping center had been turned into a disheveled,
sandblasted ruin.
    There was an eerie, unnatural quiet, punctuated only at sporadic seconds
by the crash of the waves against the shore, the occasional soft beep of the
harbor�s buoys, and the settling of the destruction.  Suddenly, one portion
of the sand began to heat with a temperature at first equivalent to a few
hours before, then increased to that of a summer afternoon.  And still it
increased, heating to that of the Sahara desert and continuing on to
incredible temperatures, the sand beginning to glow with a red hue.  The
glow continued as the area began to shimmer with heat waves, changing to an
angry red and eventually settling into the superheat of white.  Finally,
there was an explosion of scorched black glass as the transformed sand gave
way to a column of raging flame like a fiery mole burrowing out of a new
hole.
    At the last, a sand-smothered, gasping Hikaru climbed from the whole,
gulping deep breaths of air into her lungs, ignoring the intense heat that
she had immunity from, anyway.  Battered from the unexpected sand attack and
still trying to regain her breath, Hikaru collapsed on the scorched glass,
though she looked around, ready to fight Keiei.  She was not in her optimum
condition to fight the other woman, but that was no longer an issue.  There
would be a fight, and there would be a fight *now*.


    �Well, it appears that you�ve improved.  You might almost be even a
challenge, Shidou.�
    Sienna eyes darted skyward to the top of the overpass, near where the
Shimbashi monorail�s station was.  Standing on the top of the train was
Keiei, with a frighteningly familiar shape at her feet.
    *�KUU!�* Hikaru screamed in panic.  Bad enough that Hikaru had forgotten
her in the midst of what had been occurring, but now her friend was in Keiei
�s hands.  �Let her go!  I�m the one you want, Fuitamu-san!�
    �I seem to have gotten your attention, Shidou.  Don�t worry, your friend
will be safe.  It is you I want to kill, not her.�  Keiei smiled grimly and
added, �As long as you meet me at the location in two days, she�ll stay
safe.�
    To her credit, the redhead forced herself to her feet and looked up at
her enemy with eyes that bordered somewhere between anger and sorrow.  *�Let
Kuu-chan go!�*
    �I think not,� Keiei said, pointing her blade at the redhead.  The
ravenhair gave a self-satisfied smirk and whispered, �Kamisori no Tokugawa.�
A dark blast of energy ripped away from the blade, lancing towards Hikaru at
an incredible speed.  The redhead, still trying to recover, had no defense
whatsoever.  The shot slammed into her forehead, whipping it back and
sending her sprawling to an unconscious clump on the ground.
    As the monorail began to pull away from the station, Keiei allowed
herself a faint smile of accomplishment.  After all this time, she would
regain her honor by spilling Shidou�s blood.  She would have to make plans
to attend to this woman at her feet, and when that was done, her next stop
would be Nerima.  A quick dispatch of Tendo Ranko and Saotome Nabiki, and
then she would show her newfound family her regained glory as she
eviscerated Shidou Hikaru, completely and utterly.

~*~
SECOND ROUND: The Day of the Long Blades

    Hikaru felt terrible.
    It wasn�t so much the pain that was aching through every iota of her
body--though that didn�t help much, either--but rather the fact that Kuu had
been kidnapped by that woman, and she was in danger...all because of Hikaru.
    ((All because of me,)) the redhead thought, her musings dark and
painful.
    Though the police had been quick to assist, apparently they were writing
off the whole thing as �yet another Nerima-style martial arts incident,�
whatever that meant.  She�d heard a couple of names mentioned--Sao-something
or other, Hibi-wazzis, but to be honest, they were so unimportant to the
situation, she really didn�t care.  They merely took her statement, promised
they�d try to find Kuu (though they were sure that she�d pop up on her own,
soon enough) and called it that.

    That was two days ago.

    Since the incident, Satoru had taken a fiercely protective stance of his
sister, pretty much all but letting her out of the house.  Masaru, living
nearby, made sure that he or his girlfriend Chidara were available for
assistance at all times.  Kakeru, too busy with his studies at the JASDF
Academy, couldn�t break away to come home and say hi, but he�d thoughtfully
spent a couple of hours on the phone with his little sister, making sure she
was alright.
    But the fact was, no she wasn�t.  She wasn�t, by any stretch of the
imagination.  She was being hunted, by an opponent that wanted her dead.
She�d never, in her life, ever had to deal with that before.  Granted, she�d
been through a lot: people trying to stop her to the point that killing her
was a possibility, people wanting and desiring her, being in a torrid love
triangle, and even ascending to the Godhood of a world, but being hunted was
a new experience, and one that she was sure that she didn�t like.
    So far the only good news was that she hadn�t taken serious injuries
during her initial conflict with Keiei, but considering, she would have
preferred that she�d been seriously injured if it had meant that Kuu was
safe.  However, that wasn�t turning out to be the case, so Hikaru would have
to find some way of dealing with what was no transpiring, and to save Kuu,
deal with Keiei and walk away from this alive.


    �Hello, Hikaru?�  Masaru waved his hand in front of his sister
repeatedly.  �Hey, you okay?�
    The redhead blinked.  �Um...yeah.  Sorry, Masaru-nisama.  I�m....�
    �I know,� her brother replied.  The two were sitting at the table,
having a breakfast wonderfully prepared by Chidara.  Satoru was away for the
next few days; he had a scheduled tournament for the family dojo, and he
reluctantly went, as the two younger Shidous assured him that Hikaru would
be safe in Masaru�s care.
    �Oh please cheer up, Hi-chan,� Chidara said in a cutesy squeaky voice
that made the redhead want to scream.  Granted, she was a wonderful person
and would make a wonderful wife for Masaru, but she tended to grate on
Hikaru�s nerves.  A girl about Hikaru�s age with mint-green hair and soft
hazel eyes, Chidara embodied cuteness even more than Hikaru did...and that
was saying quite a bit.  Whatever overdosing on cuteness anyone had ever
accused the youngest Shidou of, Chidara literally *was*.  Besides, Hikaru
*hated* being called �Hi-chan�.
    �It wasn�t your fault, Hikaru,� Masaru commented, reaching out for his
sister�s hand.  �You couldn�t have known that winning that tournament when
you were a kid was going to lead to this.  There was no way you could have
known.�  Taking it in his, he said, �Kuu will be okay, Hikaru-chan.  I�m
sure of it.�  Behind him, Chidara gave her a cheerful, benevolent grin that
made Hikaru internally fight to keep herself from throttling her future
sister-in-law.
    �I wish there was something more I could do,� she moaned, depressed.
    �Hmmm...maybe my older brother could help....� Chidara mused out loud.
    The redhead caught that and grappled on to it like a lifeline.  �What
did you say?�
    �Well,� Chidara commented, her face screwed in concentration that just
looked completely adorable, �my brother�s a police officer in Nerima ward.
>From what Chimaru tells me, the section where he works is known for
strangeness, so he�s usually tied up in taking care of that.  But he might
be able to give us some sort of help.�
    For the first time in a couple of days, Hikaru actually smiled.  �That�d
be great, Chidara-chan.�
    Masaru smiled.  �Well, it�s a plan then, ladies.  After breakfast, we
can all go, since I don�t have to work today.�  For that pronouncement, he
got a big hug from his sister, feeling that the end of this might not be tha
t far off, and that Kuu would be safely returned to their custody.
    Oh, how wrong they were.

~*~

    Tendo Nabiki read the events of the other day, embedded on the front
page of the paper and knew instantly what it meant.  *She* was back, which
meant that she was coming for Ranma.  Which *also* meant over Nabiki�s own
corpse.  ((Great--as if I don�t already have enough problems.))
    Her father, unable to take the strain of his wife and then his daughter
dying, had simply given up the will to live and was getting sicker and
sicker every day.  Nothing that the remaining two Tendo sisters could do to
cheer him up was helping any.  The look in Kasumi�s eyes was changing from
one of cheerfulness, to one that reflected a truth that Nabiki refused to
accept: their father didn�t have (or rather, want) much longer to live, and
would soon leave them alone on this Earth.
   Another problem was that somewhere in the past four months, she�d become
a mother.  Not literally, of course; she wasn�t dating anyone and hadn�t
even considered such things, but the fact was that she was practically
single-handedly raising her nephew.  Additionally, she�d taken him a couple
of times to college, and whenever she went somewhere, chances were she would
take him.  But he was becoming such an effect on her �extracurricular�
activities that her old partners had slowly begun to take over, phasing her
out of their operations and pushing her by the wayside.  Which was, Nabiki
admitted to herself, probably for the best--although only a baby, she didn�t
want to expose Akama to that sort of thing.  Besides, from what she�d seen
Ayame and Kumi getting into lately, it was only a matter of time before they
crossed the line into crime...and that was not a line Nabiki had ever been
willing to cross.
    Lastly, there was the matter of Ranma.  She was doing all she could to
keep her brother-in-law�s spirits up.  On the bright side, the incident
months ago had brought him back to the living, and though he wasn�t his old
self again, he was functioning a little more like a human being.  While it
didn�t help Akama�s cause, there was the hope that Ranma would be soon
coming back to a semblance of coherency that he�d give Nabiki a break.  To
speed that process, Nabiki had begun to do whatever it took to cheer the
martial artist up.  And, she found it was worth it: little by little, the
shell was cracking, and Nabiki was determined to break that shell and see
him happy once more.
    However, even that seemed problematic: her father, during the few times
he came out of his room, had seen that and was beginning to hint at a
pairing between Ranma and Nabiki.  No one else in the house had seemed to
notice it as of yet nor would think of such a thing, but it was only a
matter of time, she expected, before Tendo Soun was to take his son-in-law
and youngest surviving daughter and engage them, something that she did not
want, and she was sure that Ranma didn�t, either.  Did she love Ranma?
Yes--but not in that way.  He was like a brother to her now, very much a
part of the family and even if she felt romantically attracted to him (which
was by no means the case), it was clear that he thought of her as a
relative.  Besides, anyone who wanted her way into the heart of Saotome
Ranma had to first get past Saotome Akane, and though dead, the memory of
her was still an overpowering force in his life.


    �Nabiki?� someone commented to her.  �You okay?�
    �Um, yeah, Ukyo.�  Nabiki gave a wan smile while looking at one of Ranma
�s two best friends...and slowly becoming hers, as well.  The okonomiyaki
chef knew that knew that being romantically linked to Ranma was going to be
impossible as of late, so she comfortably settled into the usual role of his
best friend.  In doing so, she�d become a close friend of Akane�s, and
eventually that of the entire Tendo and Saotome families as well.  It was
now unthinkable to not have her around, and she�d been very helpful and a
total asset during the crisis the family was having over the course of the
past few months.
    �You�re thinking about that Fuitamu woman, aren�t you?� Ukyo asked,
unconsciously feeling the slight scar that had come about when she�d taken
on the woman in Akane�s stead.  She�d been lucky to survive that due to
Keiei�s warped sense of honor, but the scar remained as a reminder of how
determined that woman had been to win Ranma�s heart in the worst way
possible.
    �That obvious?� Nabiki asked.  �I mean, she only wants me dead because
she thinks I�m Ranma�s wife.   I�ve only just started retraining in the Art,
and only that because Daddy and Ranma want me to be able to protect myself,
which right now won�t do a damn bit of good against her skill.�
    �Don�t remind me,� Ukyo muttered.  �She dropped me like nothing.�
    Nabiki nodded in understanding.  �She won�t stop until she takes that
sword of hers and cuts off my....�  Nabiki trailed off, falling into a
nervous silence before mouthing, �Oh no....� and pointing at the window.
    Walking down the street, though fortunately not looking into the window,
was Keiei, headed in the direction of the dojo and with a look of expectant
triumph and murderous intent etched on her features.  She had her blade at
her side, and from the looks of things, anyone who was willing to counter
her would meet with a swift and painful end.
    Ukyo saw her as well.  �Nabiki, get behind the counter.  I want you
protected in case she sees you.�  Nabiki didn�t have to be told twice.  Ukyo
herself went for her battle spatula as a precaution, but found herself
prevented by Konatsu.  His eyes were glittering with a fierce light,
something very rare and dangerous to behold on the shinobi.
    In a cold voice, he asked, �Ukyo-sama, Nabiki-san, is that the woman who
attacked you?�  When both women nodded in the affirmative, Konatsu looked
out the window at her receding back and said, �I will deal with this.�

~*~

    Walking down the streets of Nerima, searching for her brother�s police
konban, Chidara led the two Shidous through Tokyo�s purportedly most violent
and chaotic ward.  For reasons unknown to Hikaru, Masaru had chosen to bring
a bokken along, though he�d covered it in a cloth wrap.  Was there some sort
of trouble he was expecting that she didn�t?  It was possible, Hikaru had to
admit, but still she didn�t want to bring a weapon, as that could not only
show that she was afraid of Keiei, but might also flare up a confrontation
should the two run into each other, not to mention the fact that the police
might take things the wrong way.
    Holding onto her beloved�s hand, Chidara said, �It should be just a few
more blocks to go.�  Dragging the pair around the corner, they moved
straight into...
...complete chaos.

~*~

    Keiei stood stock still, only a few blocks from the front gate of the
Tendo-Saotome dojo.  Pulling out her blade, she checked the hone of the
blade, ensuring that the weapon was ready for combat. In less than a few
seconds, she would kill her obstacles and be rewarded with a loving fianc�
and a child to call hers.  Admittedly, the baby would not be of her own
blood, but she would love it all the same--it wasn�t the child�s fault that
it was born to a fianc�-thief like Saotome Nabiki.
   �Turn around, Fuitamu.�  The voice was cold, threatening, and someone who
she�d never heard before.  It didn�t matter.  She was going to teach the
person a lesson, anyway.  Turning ever so slightly, she noted a young woman
standing in front of her.  A kunoichi, the girl carried two wakuzashi and
was already in an offensive position.  �You are a menace,� the kunoichi
declared in tones slightly below that of abject hatred.  �You will be dealt
with, miss.�
    �Not by the likes of you,� Keiei yawned in a clear lack of interest.
Turning to face her foe, she said, �It appears that Saotome�s wife is such a
coward that she must have others do her fighting for her.  A pity.�
    Konatsu didn�t know the whole story about why Nabiki was being hunted by
this woman, but he knew that insulting Ranma�s deceased wife wasn�t going to
earn this woman any points with him.  �A pity you do not respect the bonds
of matrimony!� he snarled as he rushed in, both blades ready to strike.
    Keiei moved easily out of the attack by leaping over him and while
spinning, executed a fierce slash that intended to disarm him--with the
force behind it strong enough to literally cut the appendage off.  However,
the kunoichi ducked under the blow, rolled forward, then spun and leapt
towards her in an attack, which she countered.  Blades clashed in a harsh
spark, and backing off, more rapid exchanges were thrown.  Konatsu varied
the motion of his blades as he attacked, while Keiei moved her single katana
around with a speed fast enough to make up for Kontasu�s weapons advantage.
    Seeing that he would have to go up against her with a bit more power,
the ninja struck forward a few more times, then vaulted back and sheathed
both wakuzashi, then reached into his tunic and pulled out a wad of
ensorcelled sheets of paper.  Punching forward, he called out, *�Fujin
Seikyu Sho!�*  The windblade sheets glowed with mystic energies as they
rocketed out towards Keiei.  Finally, they impacted against something solid,
and acting like grenades, they detonated, causing a vibrant
amethyst-and-emerald pyrotechnic display and obliterating what they�d hit...


�which was not the swordswoman, as evidenced by the burning, slagged remains
of the neighborhood mailbox.  �I can�t believe you thought I was going to
fall for something that inane!�  Expecting the move, Keiei laughed and moved
with a panther�s grace, easily outmaneuvering Konatsu�s wind slash by
bolting around him at the last second, then dancing around him as the
fireworks had begun.  Twisting, she made a beeline for him and arced her
blade upwards, dealing a blow to his back with the edge of the sword.
Realizing that the plan had failed and that she�d pounced on him like a cat
attacking a rodent, he�d fortunately dodged quickly enough, or else the
match would have been over before it began.  As it was, there was a price:
the blade still struck true, through the fabric of his tunic and drawing
blood as it etched a new diagonal scar on his backside.  He dodged two more
rapid strikes in quick succession, not being given enough time to withdraw
his blades.  Hoping to buy enough time, Konatsu slid to a halt, turned and
loosed a small storm of shuriken at his opponent, the triangle-shaped
throwing stars racing towards the young woman.
    Keiei saw them and countered it easily.  �Kaminari Enkodate!�  Spinning
her blade until it began to shimmer with a sort of electrical force, the
improvised shield easily deflected the projectiles.  Still swinging the
blade around her at a centrifugal-plus speeds, she shouted, �I can play that
game!  Enkodan!�  She swung the blade in front of her, and loosed an energy
chakram, the hoop launching towards the ninja, who had to move clear of the
explosion.  Although he managed to escape the blast as it blew away somebody
�s Toyota, his unprepared dive caused him to skid on his belly for a few
before slamming into the nearest wall.  Seeing his tunic was in tatters, the
kunoichi ripped it off and revealed that he wasn�t exactly a kunoichi, per
se.
    Keiei was a bit stunned by the revelation.  �You�re-you�re a guy?�
    Konatsu kippuped back to his feet, redrawing his twin shortswords.
�Never said I wasn�t.�  Seizing the advantage of her surprise, he dashed
forward and moved his lift blade with the swiftness of a gale.  Unprepared
to counter it, Konatsu�s blade bit deeply into Keiei�s side, drawing blood
in a crimson gout as the swordswoman bit off a scream.  Dashing out of her
reach, Konatsu turned to face his foe.  �As much as I have the advantage, I
would like to end this.  Do you yield?�
    Keiei�s eyes radiated anger.  �Yield to you!  Hah!  Never!�  Raising her
blade and ignoring the spreading stain on her shirt, she snarled, �You are
good, and for that you will be spared, though you will know pain!�
Concentration and pain etching itself on her face, she grunted as her dark
aura exploded into life, the deep midnight color swirling and dancing around
her like a nightmare mist enveloping Kali in her dance of death.  *
�Akanegumo Chizu!�*  She roared in an inhuman tone as her back seemed to
erupt with an eerie, arcane force.  Reaching out of her back came eight
tendrils of energy, each tendril joint and having the disheartening
appearance of spider�s legs.
   �Masaka....� Konatsu said, his eyes widening in total disbelief.  �That�s
a forbidden art of the ninja!  No one�s supposed to know that!�
    �You�d be surprised,� she said, flashing him a dark grin.  Pointing her
blade at him, the legs elongated and raced towards Konatsu with the speed of
a pack of ravenous wolves.  The shinobi, knowing what the spell would do,
leapt to his right in a desperate attempt to move out of the path of the
blasts.  Six of them impacted solidly against the wall behind him,
shattering the wall like building blocks and leaving the telltale scars of
acid in what was left.  The remaining two, however, slammed into Konatsu
with a fury.  He howled in pain as the energy splattered against him,
bursting in all directions and enveloping him in a cocoon of dark strands,
to the point where nothing could be seen of him.  Within seconds, a glowing,
dark blue cocoon about the size of a human being lay on the ground, moving
around as though something was trying to break free of it, and muffled
screams of agonized pain.
    Without delay, Keiei bolted forward, holding her blade raised over head,
and said, and roared, *�And now this ends!�*  Reaching the cocoon, she swung
her blade in a downward arc, the edge slashing through the cocoon and
drawing blood and a blue, noxious fluid.  As the strands evaporated, Konatsu
lay in a pool of blood with a vicious gash running down the center of his
chest and countless azure-hued acid burns all over his body. In his hands
lay the remains of his weapons, the blades melted and slagged away to
uselessness.
    He reached towards her, whispering, �D-damn you....� but collapsed back,
too weak to do much more.
    Taking some gauze, she took it and wrapped it around her tightly, making
sure Pulling a cel phone out of her back pocket, she began to dial for
emergency, saying, �Don�t worry.  You�ll live.  The variation of the attack
I learned isn�t fatal, but I daresay you�ll be paralyzed for a few weeks.�
About to dial for emergency services, something caught her attention and she
leapt away, bringing her blade back to the ready position as a katana
sheared off the top of her phone.
    Keiei faced her opponent, a man in his twenties wearing a polo shirt and
slacks and holding his blade with the measure of a true expert.  �I believe
round two begins now, miss,� his said calmly, the anger shining in his eyes.
    Keiei sighed as though she had better things to do.  �And you are?� she
asked in a bored tone.
    �Shidou Masaru,� he answered in tight tones.  �And I�m here to address
what you�ve done, woman.�  With the pleasantries dispensed, his blade sung
out as he began a high-speed rapid thrust that roared with all the anger
that was building within him.

~*~

    It took all of Chidara�s willpower not to scream in terror.  A rather
unworldly girl, she had never been exposed to violence before, and now here
she was, seeing enough to make anyone squeamish.
    Hikaru stared at Keiei, locked in a battle with what appeared to be a
ninja.  Though he was fast and certainly skilled, he was no match for Keiei,
as she brought him down with a ki-attack that she�d never seen before, one
that looked eerily like a spider ensnaring its prey.  She watched as the
combat ensured and the ninja went down in a net of ki energy.  Keiei slashed
the net and brought her opponent low.
    �Keiei....� Hikaru whispered, her voice sounding so oddly distant that
the redhead wasn�t sure if she�d said the name or not.
    �Is that her, Hikaru?� Masaru asked in a tight voice, to which Hikaru
nodded.  �I thought so.  Stay here and protect Chidara-chan.  I�ll deal with
this.�  Removing the case that held his bokken...or rather, what Hikaru had
thought was his bokken.  In truth, it was his katana, the one that he�d been
given when he�d been pronounced a grand master of kendo.  Each member of the
Shidou family had one, and each was well attuned to his or her
specifications.  The silvery blade glittered as he drew it out of the green
scabbard, the green and gold of the hilt and handle glistening as though it
knew it was being drawn for a noble purpose.
    Before either girl could stop him, Masaru jetted into the fray, ready to
deal with his foe.  It was all Hikaru could do to hold Chidara as she began
to shiver in fear, and for the redhead to quell her own worry.  Taking
Chidara in her arms, Hikaru whispered, �Let�s get to somewhere out of the
line of fire, Chidara.  I don�t think we�ll be safe here.�
    ((I may never be safe again,)) the redhead mentally added.

~*~

    Keiei pushed herself to move out of the way of the rapid thrust attack.
Hikaru�s brother was fast, and had a very different style than his sister
did, from what she remembered of Hikaru�s style.  However, he wasn�t much of
a challenge to be honest, as his moves were somewhat predictable, making him
very much the proverbial one-trick pony.  Although she wouldn�t kill him
just as she had not done with the ninja, she knew that if she seriously
wounded him, the redhead would soon follow.  And so she made her plans, and
those plans would work to her advantage.
    Finishing up his strike, Masaru leapt back as Keiei began her
counteroffensive, initiating her assault the second that he�d completed his.
Moving even faster than he had, he moved furiously to block every move that
she did, but to no avail: on what he expected to be a rightward slash, she
changed direction and stabbed forward through the hole in his defenses,
ripping into his shoulder and scoring.
    Masaru yelped in pain as the blade sank in, but he moved back and
brought his own blade down, knocking hers away but forcing the blade out of
his body, causing more damage.  Feeling the electric tingle of trauma
running through every nerve in that immediate area, he stepped back,
resizing his opponent.  She was good, no doubt about that, and she knew how
to use her inner ki to attack.  He hadn�t learned that much yet, but he was
fast and agile and had defeated many a ki-empowered opponent before, so the
situation couldn�t be as dire as it seemed.  Although she wanted to kill his
sister and probably him by extension, he has no such compunction.  His was
only to protect his sister, rescue her friend and make sure this Keiei woman
saw plenty of time in a Japanese correctional institution.
    A whisper came from the ground: �Be careful.  She is deadly.�  It was
the downed ninja, lying helpless in his own blood and looking up at Masaru
with a bleak gaze.  �She will destroy you if you are not careful.�  Without
looking down, Masaru nodded; he didn�t want to take his eyes off Keiei, but
he felt that he needed to acknowledge the downed ninja.
    Then it dawned on him.  *Really* dawned on him.  The person lying on the
floor was a shinobi, one of the legendary shadow warriors of Japan.  They
were heavily trained with a seriousness that rivaled--and probably
outdid--that of his own kendo training.  These guys had to be good, and
doubtless even the worst could be a challenge.  The fact that this one was
lying on the sidewalk in serious condition meant that he�d been beaten
handily, and that this woman was dangerous.  This also meant that Masaru was
over his head.  *Way over his head, indeed.*
    As if she was finished toying with him, she slammed her blade into the
floor, shouting out, *�Tsugaru Wave!�*  Spreading her arms out, the sunken
point of the blade and the palms of her hands caused a triangle of force,
from which a torrent of dark energy unleashed from it.  The blast of power
was too wide for Masaru to block with the blade, and if he escaped, it would
mean certain death for the ninja, and a waste of a life like that was
something he was not willing to abide.  So as the blast of ki came into
range, he did the only thing he could: he moved his blade into a
double-handed blocking position, moving in front of the downed man in order
to take the brunt of the hit.
    And hit it did.  It slammed into both men with enough force to toss them
like matchsticks in a gale.  Both were blasted through the wall, into the
yard of the household that the wall had belonged to, and several feet onto
the property.  Through the smoking hole in the wall, she could see the
residents of the house scattering and running away; that was for the best,
as they wouldn�t be injured in the struggle.  She also saw Shidou slowly
getting back to his feet and raising his blade; the ninja she could tell was
unconscious, but still breathing.  Masaru had managed to take the brunt of
the blow and still get up for more.
    Masaru looked at the woman with murderous eyes as he wiped a line of
blood from his forehead.  Every bone in his body was screaming in pain, and
he was pretty damn sure that things were not exactly in correct alignment in
his rib area.  But if it was the last straw, he was going to take this woman
down, or she would take on Hikaru and kill her.  Satoru was probably better
at this, and Kakeru wasn�t nearby to call on for help.  It would have to be
him and him only.  Raising his blade, he dashed in towards Keiei.


    Keiei simply stood there, blade still stuck in the ground as her
opponent came towards her.  She didn�t move to pull her blade out of the
concrete.  She didn�t need to.  As Masaru raced in towards her, she simply
gave a soft, beguiling smile that at some other time might have been
construed as alluring.  She made no indicator that she was going to move at
all.
    As Masaru came within striking range, he swung.
    She blew him a kiss.
    Passing her, he stumbled a meter or so before falling to the ground a
pool of blood beneath him.  Behind him, standing in a defensive pose, was
Keiei, holding a tanto in her hands, the blade sticky and wet with the
sudden drawing of blood, namely his.  As he felt himself going numb, she
bent down beside him and said, �You knew I was better, and you fought
anyway.  Such strength is to be commended.  It�s a shame I�m already spoken
for and that I have to kill your sister, otherwise I would be interested in
you.� Lifting his head gently, she kissed him on the forehead and said, �The
wound wasn�t serious, and it�ll heal in a few weeks.  Take care of
 yourself.�  Pulling some white sheets out of her pants pocket, she wiped
her blades clean, sheathed them, and walked down a different street, away
from the Tendo Dojo.
    Keiei was convinced: Shidou Hikaru was a problem that wasn�t going to go
away easily, possibly even more of a problem than Saotome Nabiki and her
protector were.  Besides, with all the commotion, it was likely Saotome
Nabiki had heard anyway and had plenty of time to hide.  The answer was
clear: Hikaru would have to be dispatched before she could take on Ranko.
Otherwise, she might have to deal with them both, and while she might be
able to do it, the fact that more and more people were entering the fray was
indicative that both Shidou and Saotome were not interested in fairness or
honor, and would do anything to stop here.  It was turning out to be stop
them, or be stopped herself, for good.  There was no choice, now: she had to
end it.

~*~

    ((I can�t deal with this anymore,)) Hikaru said to herself, hours later.
She�d just come back from the hospital, where her brother had been admitted.
The wounds he�d received from the battle were serious enough to warrant an
overnight stay, but he�d be back on his feet in the next couple of days or
so, the wound Keiei gave him not having been grievous.  The odd thing about
it, though, was that he�d revealed what Keiei had said to him, and Hikaru
found that somewhat disturbing that Keiei had even entertained such ideas.
But mainly though she was worried about her brother, she was proud of him
for stepping into the battle on her behalf, as well as probably having saved
the life of the ninja.
    As for that shinobi, Hikaru found it just as bad that Keiei had other
enemies as well: she was apparently creating them left and right, it seemed,
and the redhead wondered what the woman had done to anger a clan of shadow
dancers.  As for the ninja�s condition himself, she didn�t know what
happened to him; as soon as the ambulance arrived, he managed to get himself
to his feet and retreated, leaving the area.  She hoped he�d be alright,
because he looked to have fared much worse than Masaru had.
    ((People are being caught in a crossfire, and it�s her fault.  She doesn
�t care what�s going on, only that she wants to kill me.))  Now, Hikaru
stood here in her family dojo, standing in the center of the room, deciding
the action to be taken.  Should she fight, or try once more for reason?  To
reason with a woman who�d already proven that such a method was a completely
and utterly non-existent concept.  Hikaru was setting herself up for failure
if she did that, and she�d already had more than enough failures in her
life.
    ((Fuitamu, why are you doing this?  What do you stand to benefit from
this?  Is killing me for some insignificant thing that happened so long ago
so important to you that you�re willing to kill everyone and everything in
your path?  And even if you kill me, who�s next?  How many bodies do you
have under the leaves, Fuitamu?  How many innocent people are you hunting?
    ((No.  In the end, you can�t be allowed to run all over the place, doing
as you wish.  You have to be stopped.  And I guess since I�m the one
currently under your blade, I�ll have to be the one to repel it.))   Without
even realizing she�d done it, there had been a flash of flame, and her fire
sword appeared in her hand.  At first she was surprised to see it, but then
remembered that she no longer needed a crutch like the escudo gem to store
her equipment; the Fire Knight gauntlet was nothing more than an ornament,
nowadays.  But that of course, wasn�t the point.  Twirling and moving the
broadsword in her hand with a methodical ease, she knew that she was
destined to fight Fuitamu Keiei once more.  Self-preservation demanded it.
Honor demanded it.  Love for her brother and her best friend demanded it.
Justice and all the basic elements of all that demanded it.  And such a cry
could not be denied.


    ((But it�s not in the job description here.))  Mournfully, Hikaru
banished the sword back to wherever it went.  The Fire Sword was not some
toy, not some pigsticker to wave around on this world at will, but a symbol
of what she was as the Knight Commander of Cephiro.  Even more so, as the
Pillar of Cephiro, the goddess of that world, she could not afford to sully
her own image and honor by such an act.  Maybe she was adding too much of a
mystic layer to the whole thing, but when push came to shove, she was on the
other side of the dimensional barrier.  Earth was where Shidou Hikaru,
everyday college student and part-time kendo instructor lived; not Shidou
Hikaru, Goddess of the Realm, Fire Knight of Cephiro, Knight Commander of
Cephiro, She Whose Trips to the Toire Didn�t Stink, and whatever million
other titles they�d tacked on to her name since the last time she visited.
She might not feel that she was a deity, but apparently she was one whether
she liked it or not, so certain rules applied.
    But this problem was for Shidou Hikaru the girl, not the goddess, not
the knight, and she would have to deal with it in such a manner.  It might
even be the best way out of this whole mess.  ((Maybe someday,)) she
realized, ((I might feel different about that.  But not here and not now.))
    Walking over to the wall rack where the family katanas were held, she
retrieved a scarlet-sheathed one, enhanced by a fiery, sun-bright gold.
Gently tugging it out of its home, she drew forth her katana, a weapon she
was familiar with long before she�d ever heard of Magic Knights or mystical
planets or Holy Spirits that came in the form of marshmallow-shaped bunnies.
Holding the blade aloft, she whispered to the room, �Tonight, Fuitamu-san,
you�ve made a critical mistake.  You�ve made an enemy out of me, just as you
wanted.  I don�t know why or how you started this, *but I sure as hell am
going to finish it!*�
    Resheathing the blade, Hikaru left the dojo, heading for her room.  She
had to pack and take care of a few things before she would head of to
Gotemba and the destiny that awaited there.

 ~*~
THIRD ROUND: All Our Times are Done, Here But Now They�re Gone

    The Odakyu train rumbled along the track as it sped through the forest
on the way to its ultimate stop in Kyoto.  Passing through the relatively
unpopulated section of Japan�s forest, it left a reminder of man�s intrusion
into the forest world that had been here for longer than anyone had ever
been.  Somewhere in the life of the world, that was how things worked.
Nature came, and the Japanese rejoiced, and somewhere along the line, they
invited technology along for the ride, and slowly but surely nature was
succumbing to urban creep.  Not as fast as in other nations, but still too
fast for the forests� animals to ever understand.
    From her seat on the train, Hikaru could almost understand the primal
anger that nature seemed to have when it came to retaliating against man.
She�d read in an article in a magazine that some quack at Hiroshima
University believed that typhoons were becoming more commonplace, because
the kami were mad at the advance of civilization over the rocks and trees
that were the homes of the spirits.  Logically, that was a load of shit, but
at the same time, it seemed to make so much sense.  Hey, if Hikaru even went
on as thin a limb as that crackpot had, it explained a bit about Fuitamu.
She seemed to be all �venom and hatred,� as the saying went, and to some
degree, she was very uncontrollable.
    As Hikaru debarked the train in Gotemba station, she headed directly for
the ryokan where she�d be spending the weekend.  Under normal circumstances,
she�d probably take her time getting there, stopping for a coffee at a local
caf�, or going shopping for miyage with Kuu.  But the sword she had wrapped
in cloth on her back reminded her that she wasn�t here for sightseeing, the
backpack she carried with her including a first aid kit giving her the
foreboding that one way or another, it was not going to be a pleasant
weekend holiday--and that was assuming she succeeded in rescuing Kuu and
defeating Fuitamu.
    As Hikaru arrived at the ryokan, she made the set up for two rather
quickly, informing them that her friend would be arriving later in the day,
and to please ensure that everything would be set up for it.  As soon as the
room was complete, Hikaru wasted no time in going back out, heading over to
the train station, but heading on a different track, one that would take her
to the dueling arena.  There, walking amongst the families and lovers,
people going about their normal lives, was a woman who was about to do
something out of the norm of the life she had on this world.  She was on a
rescue mission, a trip to save a friend.
    As she waited for the train to pull up, her mind once again wandered
towards the whole Byzantine situation that had arisen, and how to deal with
it.  For a second or two, Hikaru had an impulse to contact Fuu or Clef and
ask their advice; she also thought waiting for Satoru to get back and ask
him for an opinion.  Immediately, however, she clamped both ideas down.
Satoru already had to forfeit the tournament as he raced home to the family
emergency; talking to him would likely exacerbate an already horrific
situation.  As for the nobility of Cephiro, they would have called it a
Knight�s Quest, for the Fire Knight Commander was heading out to do battle
against a dark foe to rescue the Duchess--((I still can�t believe they gave
her a title!))--Kuu; somewhere along the line the people of Cephiro would
find out and it would turn into the Pillar�s Holy War, entered into whatever
Holy Books or Scrolls or whatever got passed around on the planet, and made
the stuff of legend, something she didn�t want.
    Then, she got on the train, and there was really no more to discuss as
it rolled off towards her destination and her destiny--a battle she would
either win and save her friend; or one she would lose, and with that loss,
lose her life as well.

~*~

    To the casual observer, the Fighting Grounds in Gotemba forest, well
away from the central part of the city, was a beautiful clearing in the
forest, deep enough not to be bothered by the hikers, nature lovers and
fishers; but close enough to be accessible to town and thus not requiring a
long journey to get there.  Despite the fact that it was not used as much as
it was in older times, it still saw occasional use, and thus was kept in
maintenance by a local temple that saw it as more of a treasured symbol of
Japan�s past than the killing grounds that they actually were.  If it were
not for its main intent, the grounds would have made for a nice picnic and
camping area.
    The arena itself was a manicured ground that could have doubled as a
grass-style tennis court if it had not been for the fact that it was as
round as a Sumo ring.  The grass itself was lush and green; only those
studied in the past knew the reason behind it was because of the amount of
blood spilled there like Russia�s equally lush Steppes plains, and not due
to nature�s intent.  Marking the circumference for most of the circle was a
ring of stones, simple and unadorned in their beauty, while the remainder
was marked off by a two-meter drop that led to the local river that flowed
eventually to the sea.  When standing in the center of the ring and facing
northeast, the topmost part of the shine could be seen, and likely the
priests who maintained both locations could see what went on as well.
    However, none of this was really explained to Kuu as she lay there,
bound and gagged, trying not to move because she was still afraid that her
kidnapper would harm her, despite the woman�s promises not to.  Fuitamu
Keiei had told Kuu why she had been abducted, as well as the events of her
encounter with Shidou Masaru and the results of that.  Kuu was both relieved
that Masaru had survived, considering that Kuu had watched this woman train
and had seen exactly what this woman was capable of.
   Sitting on one of the rocks, sharpening her nightshaded blade, Keiei
gazed back at Kuu with a lack of interest and said, �Relax, Hououji-san.
You�ll be released soon enough--after all, I�m expecting that you�ll have to
carry back Hikaru�s corpse back to town.  I might even be inclined enough to
notify the local authorities for assistance.�  There was almost a placid
calm in her voice as she brought the blade to a razor�s sharpness.  �Do you
know, Hououji-san, that after today, I�m finally on the way to having a
normal life again?  I�ll have my honor back, and after one more unpleasant
issue to deal with--�
    �You mean one more person to kill,� Kuu said, anger and worry for Hikaru
in her voice.
    �Point,� Keiei admitted.  �In any event, I�ll be free to wed my fianc�e
and raise my child the right way, the honorable way.  Perhaps maybe even
after that, we can be friends.�
    �Not on your life, Fuitamu-san.  I couldn�t be a friend to a murderess
like you!�


    Keiei was about to respond to that when she was interrupted by a simple,
�Fuitamu.�
    Without even bothering to turn around, Keiei responded in murderous
tones, �So you�re here.  Good.  Time for you to die.� Keiei turned around to
face her opponent, a look of cool rage on her face, and her hand on her
sword, though she hadn�t drawn it from its scabbard just yet.
    �I don�t agree with you,� Hikaru answered, determination set on her own,
and embers burning in her eyes.
    Both opponents stared at each other, and were it not for the tension,
the two would have seen the irony in how they were dressed.  Keiei, already
sensing victory, was dressed in archetypical Saotome clothing, with white,
the color of death, as her tang�s color.  Hikaru, prepared for a fight,
chose jeans and a black tube top, her clothing looking normal as to what
Keiei typically wore.  Had the situation been different, it would have been
amusing, almost comical.  But it couldn�t be that way, as the swords
strapped to the side of either woman, clearly demonstrated.
    Some silent signal went off, and within the span of a second, the two
combatants dashed towards each other, to meet in the center of the ring.
There was the slithering sound of blades being withdrawn from their
scabbards, followed by the metallic clang of said blades clashing against
each other.  Black metal and silver steel danced and collided in an
awestriking martial ballet, their fates controlled by the two women who
maneuvered those fatal slivers of death.
    Hikaru fought with sword styles never before seen on this world, each
parry, stroke and thrust developed by generations upon generations of
Cephiran swordsmasters.  While Keiei was obviously not even remotely
familiar with them, her speed allowed her to keep up with the Fire Knight.
The two women continued to hammer at each other, each using various styles
and moves, but neither gaining the upper hand.  Even in the few occasions
when one was able to break through the other�s defenses, there was nothing
there to hit.  Hikaru�s gymnastics skills and Keiei�s knowledge of martial
arts counters prevented either from taking hits.  The end result of all of
this was the pair clashing the swords against each other, wearing each other
thin to the bone.
    After ten straight minutes of slashing and counter-slashing, the pair
broke off and leapt away to relative safety for the moment.  Hikaru, leaping
back and landing over by Kuu, gulped harshly for air for a few minutes.  She
was hot and covered in sweat, and the battle had only just begun, to be
honest.  This woman, Hikaru had to admit, was good--too good.  Like the old
saying went, this woman was definitely born to the sword, and she would have
been possibly one of the best swordsmasters in all of Cephiro had she been
there.  ((Either that, or if Zagato or Debonair had enlisted her, life would
have been hell for all of us--Nova would�ve been a cakewalk in comparison.))
Immediately Hikaru shut that line of thought down--the least thing she
needed to dwell on was that whole beyond-bizarre Nova sequence.
    After a couple of seconds, Hikaru finally became aware of someone
speaking to her.  �Hikaru, get out of here!� Kuu, still bound, was screaming
at her.  �She�s insane!  She�s going to kill you!�  Although Hikaru didn�t
look at her friend (she didn�t want to waste the strength turning her head,
or risk taking her eyes of Keiei), she could easily make out the fear in Kuu
�s voice.  �Please, Hikaru!  We can find some other way around this!�
    �No, Kuu-chan, there�s no other way.  She nearly killed my brother.  She
wants to kill me.  After me, there might be others.  I can�t allow her to do
whatever she wants.  Someone has to stop her, and it has to be me.�  Hikaru
brought her blade up, and noticed that Keiei was in similar shape.  Forcing
herself into a charge, Hikaru raced forward, then within seconds altering
course and headed for Keiei�s unprotected flank...


    ...and right into Keiei�s hands.  Seeing her target dashing towards her,
Keiei decided to end this in the most painful way possible.    Leaping out
of Hikaru�s strike, she landed on the far end of the circle from her,
calling out, �Nice try, Shidou, but it won�t save you from the grave!�
Slamming her blade into the ground, she unleashed her Tsugaru Wave attack,
clearly knowing that if Shidou�s brother couldn�t block the attack, there
was no way that Hikaru could.
    So it was to her surprise that Hikaru, with a move that totally
surprised Keiei, countered by leaping into the air and calling out, �Ryusei
Kenbu!�  Torrents of steel homed in on Keiei as Hikaru went into her
Shooting Star Sword Dance, and for a second or two, it seemed that the
redhead was throwing thousands of swords against her opponent.
    The end result of it was the onslaught of high-speed metal against a
powerful wave of ki.  The pair clashed in the center of the dueling ring,
and the resulting explosion and thunder of power was overwhelming to all
senses.  However, that was not the only effect, as the release of force was
enough to shatter their section of the dueling arena, sending both women
tumbling to the river below, amongst a landslide of earth, dirt, and stones.
With both women caught off guard, there was no way to recover, and possibly
no way to survive.

~*~

    The last thing Hikaru heard before the blackness claimed her was Kuu�s
terrified scream of *�HIKARU!!!!!!!!!!!�*
    When she came to, she was lying in a river eddy, the streams gently
washing over her.  By some miracle of fate, she hadn�t been drowned in the
pull of the river, and had managed to end up washed ashore on some soft
riverbank by a bed of rocks.  Moving her tired head as much as she could,
she couldn�t identify the place.  She could be dozens of kilometers down
from where she�d been originally, or maybe just a few hundred meters.
    In any case, she was here, and tired.  So, so, tired.  Her body ached in
every spot possible, as well as new ones heretofore unfelt.  She found that
other than moving her head and looking around (which took a lot of her
strength), she wasn�t capable of that much movement.  Was she paralyzed?
Was she easy bait for the hunter coming after her?  There was no way to
know, and little time to react.
    Without an explanation, the redhead felt herself being lifted out of the
water.  Unable to really move, she did the only thing she could: she looked
up, expecting to see Keiei�s face and to hear a comment of, �I didn�t want
to get wet while I killed you.�  Instead, she got quite a different visual
answer.  For a split second, all Hikaru saw was the face of a ghost.  She
was exceedingly beautiful, with fair skin, and eyes and hair a soft, pale
gray; she was reminiscent to some degrees of pictures of the Yuki-onna that
Hikaru had seen from time to time.  Additionally, the face was framed by a
soft orange light that seemed reminiscent of the sun�s first rays at dawn.
    Hikaru found herself set down by a bunch of weathered rocks.  On a
red-stained rock, there was a small stone shrine, with several dozen dried
flowers near it.  The area around it seemed well tended and manicured, which
meant this place was frequented regularly.  Additionally, it didn�t take
much for the exhausted Hikaru to figure out what the stain was on the rock.
Someone had died here.  Someone like the person--the ghost�who had just
saved her life.
    Before she could comment further, she felt the sudden need to rest.
Unable to explain why she felt as though she was sliding into a peaceful,
dreamy slumber, Hikaru slipped into the arms of Morpheus before her
conscious mind could sense that she might have stepped into a trap...or
worse.
    ((I feel safe now, and I don�t know why.))  Hikaru pondered this as her
eyes closed, slipping back into darkness.

~*~

    ((Grrrr...dammit, where the hell is Shidou?)) Keiei mentally barked,
walking through the woods with her black blade at the ready.  Whatever
Shidou had initially appeared, it had turned out to be a totally different
story.  She was no wallflower, Keiei realized; she did have some fighting
ability after all.  However, she was a total cheat, blowing out the ground
from under them and hoping that it would overwhelm the brunette.  Well,
Keiei was made of sterner stuff, and it was going to take quite a bit to
floor her.  Besides, such a desperation move meant that either Shidou
thought with little originality, or was a completely craven loser.  It didn�
t matter, anyway; she was going to die.
    A kilometer from where they�d started the fight, she came across Hikaru�
s sword.  Keiei had to force herself from laughing.  ((What an idiot!  Does
she really think I�m going to fall for that?))  It was obvious that she
abandoned it to make herself appear unarmed, which was a total sham.  After
all, if Shidou were any sort of real kendo artist, she would at least carry
a wakazashi or spare weapon on her; Keiei wasn�t so stupid to believe that
the woman lost it during their fall into the riverbank.  Ergo, it had to be
a distracting tactic, and a very lame one, at that.
    Keiei stared into the sky.  It was well past noon, and in fact, the sun
was beginning its lazy decent towards the horizon.  She grinned.  It would
be a day to remember.  It would be a day that would see the end of Shidou
Hikaru, and soon after that, Saotome Nabiki.  And with that, a new day would
dawn for Fuitamu Keiei.


    A few more meters downstream, she came upon her quarry, currently having
the temerity to insult her.  There was Shidou, taking a nap right next to a
stone shrine.  The nerve of her!  Did she think this was some sort of joke?
That Keiei was playing some sort of bizarre game? Well, if that was the
case, she was going to deliver to Hikaru a killer punch line.
    Racing in for the kill, Keiei raised her blade up over her head.  It was
going to be one slash, one kill--she intended to cut down Shidou in half,
the true mark of skill.  Leaping into the air, she mentally counted the
centimeters as they shrank in distance.  There was no way the redhead could
escape her fate.
    *�SHIDOU HIKARU, PREPARE TO MEET YOUR FATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!�*

~*~

    At the sound of the scream, Hikaru came back to consciousness in a
flash.  Looking up, she saw Keiei bearing down on her, blade at the ready,
and closing the gap exponentially per second.  Hikaru realized that without
a weapon, she would have no way to defend herself, and even should she
manage to find some way to dodge Keiei�s initial attack, that would put her
at a decided disadvantage.  Still there was no other choice that Hikaru
could see, none at all.

    So be it.

    As Keiei swung down, there was a pulsing flare of flame, and the ring of
metal against metal as Keiei�s katana slammed straight into the fiery metal
that was the Sword of the Fire Knight.  Parrying with lightning quick speed,
Hikaru shoved Keiei back violently.
    �I knew it,� Keiei snarled.  �Did you think me so stupid that I would
fall for your lost sword trick?�  As Keiei moved into a more comfortable
stance, she looked at Shidou, noticing something different.  For starters,
the redhead had switched postures, and was now in a stance completely
unfamiliar to her--it looked unlike any Japanese practice that she�d ever
seen, and from what she knew of European and American styles, it didn�t seem
to fit that, either.  The second thing she noticed was the unusual sword
that Shidou now carried.  If Keiei didn�t know better, it seemed as though
Hikaru had summoned it in a ball of flame, and that the sword seemed to have
a igneous, heated feel about it.  Additionally, it seemed to change sizes,
from two-handed to bastard to one-handed, depending on what the girl needed
at the time.  Obviously such a concept was impossible, but it was possible
that Shidou was playing tricks once more.
    ((Well, if she wants a trick, I think I can provide one.))  Jamming her
blade into the earth before her, she began to glow with the unholy light of
her battle aura, as she prepared to loose pure killing force against the
redhead.


    On her side, Hikaru stood, holding her Fire Sword in a classic Cephiran
defense.  All along, she hadn�t wanted to do this.  But in the end, who was
she kidding?  Keiei had to be stopped, and Hikaru had the means to do so.
What good was Hikaru�s abilities going to do if she wasn�t going to use
them?  More importantly, what point was there going to be in being a knight
and a goddess if she wasn�t going to live up to her own code of honor?
    ((Even if I win here and now, will that really deter you, Keiei, or will
you just come back when I don�t expect it?  You may be still somewhat
honorable now, but how much more until you descend into complete and utter
madness?  Should I expect a knife in my back years from now?  How many
people will you kill in that meantime, Keiei?))  Hikaru looked into the
dark, hatred-filled eyes of her opponent, searching for the child that she
must have been once upon a time, searching for whatever happiness was still
left within the creature of anger and darkness.  Sadly, Hikaru could see
nothing; whatever joy there had been in Keiei once was now buried under a
heavy patina of rage and animosity, assuming there had ever been peace in
her world to begin with.
    ((I made a vow to stop you, Keiei,)) Hikaru�s mind echoed, ((but I can�t
help feeling sorry for you. You�ve never known happiness, and it�s only
bought you a cycle of pain and suffering.  Nonetheless, I�ll do what I have
to do to end your reign of hatred.  I might not be the same na�ve person
that I was years ago, but I have to put an end to this, or else you�ll only
end up hurting more people.))  Copying Keiei�s move, she brought up her
flame aura, beginning to charge up for an equally powerful attack.  �That I
will not allow!� Hikaru found herself saying aloud, her own righteousness
coming to the fore.
    Both women were glowing with extreme power; Keiei darkening the area
around her with her indigo, nearly black ki, while Hikaru�s flame aura, if
it were not magic but natural flame, probably would have started a major
forest fire. Some distant part of Keiei�s mind noticed Hikaru�s power and
tried to send a warning to the active consciousness, but unfortunately it
was translated as: Attack First.

    *�PREPARE TO DIE, SHIDOU HIKARU!!!!!!!!!!  TSUGARU WAVE!!!!!!!!!!�*
    *�YOU�LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT, KEIEI!!!!!   AKAI INAZUMA!!!!�*

    At the same time, Keiei unleashed a surge of ki, as Hikaru cut loose
with her massive spell of plasma, both forces of power racing at each other,
tearing up the ground between them as both attacks headed for point-blank
impact. Upon collision, there was enough force to shake the trees, the brunt
of the shock neutralized.  However, the mid-afternoon sun had been
overwhelmed by the incandescence of the blast, and it appeared as though the
sun had decided to open up an annex in the center of the forest.
    As the impromptu lightshow ended, Hikaru took action.  Grabbing her
sword, she went into an offensive position, determination building within
her.
    As Keiei did the same, she commented, �I�m impressed.  Maybe you�ll be
worth the kill, Shidou.�
    �I don�t think so,� Hikaru replied, in sorrowful tones, making one final
plea for sanity.  �You may want to kill me, but I don�t want to kill you.
Walk away from this, Keiei-san.  Please.  Whatever happened to you, we can
talk about it...resolve it without bloodshed.�
    �You know, if there were any other way, maybe I would, Shidou.�  Keiei
slowly turned around, eventually facing Hikaru.  �Maybe there might have
been a time when we could have been friends.  But the time for that is far
too much past, and my only hope is to kill you now.�
    �Please, Keiei.  This is your last chance.  Give up, because I won�t
give any quarter.�
    Keiei�s answer was to raise her sword into an attack stance.  �Are you
ready to die?� she asked, her voice dripping with challenge.
    �Hajime,� Hikaru snarled between clenched teeth.
    They began to size up each other, readying for the final fight between
the two, one that only one would walk away from.  The two began to circle
each other, searching for weaknesses and strengths, looking for openings in
each other�s defenses.  Despite the injuries and exhaustions of both, no
quarter would be given or taken.  This was the end of the road, and destiny
had to play itself out.


    Signaled by a round�s bell that only they could here, Keiei lunged in,
her mouth open in a silent scream of rage.  Swinging Murasame with enough
force to cause it to whistle as it cleaved the air, she slammed the blade
home with such force that it rang against the metal of the Fire Sword, a
high crescendo that could be heard echoing throughout the entire forest.
    However, Hikaru had expected that move and parried, then slashed
forward, stepping well into Keiei�s defense and striking for the other woman
�s shoulder.  However, Keiei took advantage of the attack and sidestepped
before racing in, stabbing as she went.  Hikaru moved by luck, and the black
blade missed her side by inches.  With the other so close, the redhead made
a counterattack, initiating a rapid sword thrust that moved with the speed
of lightning.
    To counter, Keiei leapt free of the area then threw a single-hand ki
attack, sending a blast of energy towards Hikaru.  Hikaru leapt to the side,
however, and executed a wide slash that sent a wave of flame towards the
sorceress.  The stream of flame slammed Keiei and flung her into the water
of the river, scorching her arms.  As Hikaru raised her sword for a downward
slash, Keiei raced forward and threw several high-speed punches to Hikaru�s
torso before leaping back to recover her katana.  The 50-or-so high-speed
punches nailed Hikaru squarely in the chest, flinging her back a couple of
meters, causing her to scream in pain as she coughed up a glob of blood.
    �That was just the beginning, Shidou.  You�re going to beg for your
death by the time I�m done!�
    �I-pikki, I-pikki, I-pikki.  All talk, no action!  This isn�t over yet!�
    With that split-second past, the pair leapt at each other again.  This
time, the redhead executed a rising slash in mid-air while Keiei followed
suit.  The two attacks countered each other, and the force of the blows
threw the two apart like rag dolls; the ravenhair was plowed into a tree,
while it was Hikaru�s turn to sink back into the river, her head impacting
against a sharp rock.


    Forcing herself back to her feet, Hikaru ignored the rave party that was
going on in her brain cells, the body parts that were begging for mercy, and
the part of her conscience that was basically screaming �Run and Hide.
  NOW.� .Her left arm was heavily abraded, and she was bleeding from a nasty
little gash on her right temple.  She mentally moaned, suppressing a wave of
nerve-pinching pain that threatened to buckle her and put her down for good.
Raising her blade once more, she knew it was crunch time, and that her life
was at stake--but all the countless others that were also on Fuitamu�s hit
list--and under no circumstances could Hikaru tolerate the suffering of
innocents.  She had to stop Keiei here and now, no matter the cost.  Dashing
towards her enemy, sword down low and ready for another special attack, and
aura blazing, she screamed an incoherent curse of fury, as righteous rage
built in her soul.


    Keiei clambered back to an upright position, feeling lucky that Shidou
had been unable to seize advantage of the situation.  She ignored the
ringing headache and the nasty scorches on her arm, instead using the
support of the dented tree to stabilize herself.
    ((She�s much better than I thought she�d be,)) Keiei admitted.  ((Still,
she has to die, or I�ll never have a normal life.  That�s all I want.  Just
my Ranma and my child, being the best in the world, and no person is going
to stand in the way of that, if I have to kill anything in my path to get
it!))
    Reconciling her strength once more, she saw as the redhead began to get
back to her feet.  Something at the sight of her nemesis assuming the
offensive position caused whatever last bond of sanity left in Keiei�s mind
to snap, and Keiei became filled with a dark, murderous rage that changed
her objective: she was going to win Ranma and her baby, if she had to kill a
god to do it!  Nothing would ever stand in her way, never again.
    Whatever was left of Keiei�s humanity shed a single, solemn tear as the
Mistress of the Black Blade completed her transformation to ill-starred
martial artist to cold-hearted killer.  Dashing forward, the tear was lost
in the air, and to the folds of time.


    The pair engaged once more on the muddy banks of the river, Hikaru
putting her strength behind a power strike while Keiei angled for killing,
debilitating blows--whatever it would take to annihilate the redhead.
Hikaru feinted to her left and struck in, gashing Keie�s leg, but this
allowed Keiei to strike Hikaru�s arm and loose a charged ki blast down the
length of her blade.  The energy tore into Hikaru�s already injured arm,
causing an explosion of power, flesh and blood, but it also left Kieie open
again.  Hikaru lashed out with a kick and nailed Keiei in the gut, but
unfortunately jarred her ankle on landing and bit off a scream.  Keiei,
unexpectedly feeling the force of the blow, snapped to rapidly enough that
she caught the redhead off-guard, landing a vicious slice to Hikaru�s side.
Hikaru screamed as she leapt back, preventing what would have been a fatal
blow.
     Hikaru sprung back, barely able to last much longer.  Keiei was
stronger and faster, and was going to win if Hikaru didn�t think of
something fast.  She realized that right now, she was not in the best of
shape; in fact that was the main thing on her mind this second.  Her
strength was flagging, and she was bleeding profusely via a ton of
lacerations, a black eye, burns on a couple parts of her body, and enough
sweat and blood to make the wounds sting like a regiment of knives being
stabbed into her as she took every painful step.  Her clothing was
bloodstained, ripped, or burnt in various places, and she didn�t quite look
the kawaii redhead that everyone was used to.
    Keiei moved into a defiant pause as she laughed, her voice breaking into
madness where it would be forever.  �You�ll die, and I�ll get my baby Nabiki
�ll die, and I�ll get my husband.  Die, die *DIE, DIE
 DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*�  Without being aware of it, Keiei raced forward for
her appointment with destiny.


    Hikaru wasn�t sure how long she stood there.  She tensed once more her
aura beginning to encircle her as her clothing exploded away from her,
transforming into the armor of the Fire Knight.  Every part of her was on
instinct now, and it was going to be the only way to deal with this.  Her
aura became more powerful and brighter, as her armor glittered with its
power shining through.
     Focusing on one last strike, she rushed to meet her enemy.  Channeling
all of her power into the blade, she raced around the madwoman several
times, the flames encircling her growing higher and higher.  Something
opened in her mind, a gateway to another reality, and something from beyond
swept in, like a Dragon Ascending to the Heavens.
    There was an explosion of flame as Hikaru did an uppercut of sorts with
the Fire Sword, slashing Keiei in the chest just before the black blade
would have slammed through Hikaru�s face.  There was an explosion of fire
and heat, and Hikaru�s aura became a raging dragon-shaped hurricane of
energy, throwing a screaming, burning Keiei into the far distance, over the
horizon.  The shrieks of Keiei became entwined with the scream of Hikaru�s
rage, and the howl of a magical firestorm, and the whole situation met an
endgame.  Eventually, the pyroclasm dissipated, and Fuitamu Keiei was gone.
Hikaru had won the day, somewhat worse for wear, but alive.

    There was only one way to celebrate the occasion.

    Shidou Hikaru sank to her knees and wept.

~*~
FINAL ROUND: Moving Closer Towards Destiny

    �Are you sure you weren�t imagining the whole thing, Hikaru?� Kuu asked
the following morning.
    After Hikaru�s victory, she�d passed out for a few hours.  When she came
to, the moon was out, and strangely she�d been healed, though she couldn�t
explain why.  Hurrying back to the dueling grounds, she came upon a
terrified Kuu, who was more than thrilled to see Hikaru.  The relieved women
held on to each other for whatever seemed like an eternity, before Hikaru
summoned a second set of clothing and led the way tto the ryokan.  Both
women had stayed up all night talking about the events of the past few days,
and were now heading back home.  Hikaru had already called her brothers and
told of them of the news; needless to say, all three were angry with her for
risking her life to fight Keiei, but were proud that she defeated the other
and rescued Kuu.
    But before they were to return to Tokyo, Hikaru had one final thing to
do.  So here they were, back in the forest, down by the stone shrine where
Hikaru had said she was rescued from drowning.  But she never found the
mystery woman.  Could it have been a ghost or a kami of some sort?  Hikaru
wasn�t sure, but somehow she suspected that the small shrine on the
rusty-red stone had something to do with it.  Maybe Hikaru had imagined
everything in regards to the woman, but still, she felt she had to show some
gratitude.  As a result, she was making an offering of flowers to the tiny
shrine, as a token of thanks to whom- or whatever was the one who had
helped.  It was a decidedly Western sort of offering, but considering the
circumstances, somehow it felt appropriate to the redhead, though she couldn
�t decipher why.
    Kneeling by the small shrine, she replied to Kuu, �Maybe I was, Kuu.
But I look at it this way: if it meant getting rid of Fuitamu and saving
you, I think I can put up with the delusion.  If it wasn�t one, then I�m
obligated to pay my respects, ne?�
    �Professional courtesy of a sort,� Kuu answered, in a sort of agreement.
Not having much more to say, she watched as Hikaru reverently placed the
dozen carnations in front of the small structure, paying homage.  When the
task was completed, Hikaru got back to her feet and picked up her bag.
�Well, that�s that.�  Both women began the trek back to the remains of the
dueling ground, which would likely never see use again, as most of it had
been obliterated in the battle.  Once there, they�d head back up the trail
to the street.
    �A happy ending to yet another bizarre episode in the life of Shidou
Hikaru,� Kuu commented, a tinge of humor in her voice.  �Next time, please
make sure I�m left out of your private grudge matches, okay?�
    �I�ll be sure to skip the �rescuing you while risking my life� part,�
Hikaru said, giggling.
    �Touch�,� Kuu admitted.  �So, we�ve got all day until the train until
Tokyo.  What do we do now?�
    �Well, I hear there�s an outdoor museum park in town, in the Chukoku no
Mori ward.  Maybe we can go there, spend a nice afternoon, then come back to
the main station in time for our train?�
    �That sounds wonderful.  It�s a deal, then.�  Kuu gave her diminutive
best friend a grin to complete the deal.  However, as the two reached the
dueling grounds, the blonde felt compelled to ask, �So, what happened to
Keiei?�
    �Well, she�s alive, but she�s not going to be able to menace anyone for
quite some time.  I hit her with a pretty potent attack, one that I�ve never
done before.  It�s not like I could pinpoint the trajectory, but I think I
may have put her on the other side of Japan.�
    �You *what*?� Kuu sputtered, astonished.
    �It would take a long time to explain, Kuu-chan, it really would.  But I
know that I couldn�t kill someone as misguided as her.  She might be a bit
on the homicidal part, but I think her life has made her that way, and I�ve
taken more lives than I�ll ever feel comfortable with--she wasn�t worth it.�
The redhead looked down, then around at the forest.  �This forest has seen
ages upon ages of killing and duels, and for a minute, I thought I would be
another statistic--either the killer or the killed.�
    �Never, Hikaru.  You�ve killed before, I know, but there was always a
just cause.  You�re a heroine, Hikaru-chan, not a murderer.�
    �Thanks, Kuu.�  Hikaru wiped a tear from her eye that had just begun to
well.  �You have no idea what that means to me.�
    �Hikaru, for the past three years, you�ve been like my little sister,
and my best friend.  You might be a cute girl, but at your core, you�re a
warrior as much as your brothers.  But a warrior always has
heart...especially when one is a goddess of another world.�  Kuu would have
added something else when a thought suddenly hit her: �Hey, do you think she
�ll leave you alone now?  That Fuitamu woman, I mean.�
    �I hope so.  I�d hate to think that I could do anything else that would
merit her coming after me again.�

~*~

    ((The world is conspiring to keep my husband and my baby from me.))
    This was the main thing that was going though Keiei�s mind...or whatever
was left of it.  Seated in the center of an abandoned, ruined Buddhist
temple in central China, Keiei had found a crumpled home to match her
crumpled mind.  This, in a sense, was the perfect place for her; a location
where she truly belonged for the moment.  An empty, disheveled remnant of
something once more honorable, just like its newest tenant.
    ((I was happy.  I had a husband, and we had a baby.  Then that Nabiki
woman took him from me and forced that witch Shidou to keep me from them.
Shidou and her assistants--the chef, the ninja, her brother, and her martial
artist clone.  But I�ll beat them and kill them and my husband and my baby
and I will laugh with glee as I tear the husband-stealer and Shidou apart
with my bare hands.  Then, the Gates of Heaven will be open to me, and the
world will sing the praises of my name.))  Keiei�s mind, no longer able to
comprehend reality, had chosen one for her, one that would give her time to
prepare.
    Keiei, through the light of the candles that had lit her new home for
the past week, looked at herself in the broken remains of a mirror.  What
was clear showed a woman that had once been beautiful, but was slowly
becoming no longer: she was becoming gaunt, her hair unkempt, and her body
covered with scars and bruises still healing.  Seated currently in the nude,
she looked at her newest, most prominent feature on her body: a sizable gash
that raced diagonally across her front.  No man would likely ever come near
Fuitamu Keiei ever again, would look on her with an attracted eye again. No
one, save for the husband that her shattered, deluded mind believed her to
have.
    ((Wait for me, my love,)) she said to the image of Ranma in her mind.
((You and our child may be held captive by the Thief and the Cheat, but I
will gain you back if I have to wash the world in blood to do so.))  And as
always, Keiei sealed her vow by whetting the edge of the only true thing she
had ever owned, the blade Murasame.  A sword as black as her soul.
    Whetting stone ran across the length of the black blade, sharpening it
for a day when Fuitamu Keiei would have her revenge.

~*~

    A baby wailed in the Gotemba forest.
    �Hush, little one,� Nabiki said to Akama, seated safely in the pouch on
her back.  She�d decided to go hiking this weekend, mainly because she
needed to get away.  Ranma was quiet and reflective, and for the most part
he was still amongst the living, but the look she�d seen in his eyes
frightened her.  It was a look that made her think he was going to kill
himself, after all.  She knew he wouldn�t--to do so would be to abandon his
son, which he would never do--but it was also something that unnerved her.
    Kasumi wasn�t doing so hot, either.  This weekend, the bulwark of the
family had crumpled; Nabiki had never seen her older sister in that bad of a
situation ever before, and now, everything had gone to hell.  Nabiki�s world
was falling apart, and for the first time in her life she didn�t know what
to do.  Genma was, of course useless, but in this case, even Auntie couldn�t
offer any suggestions.  Ryoga wasn�t around, having his own situation to
deal with on his farm, and Ukyo would do what she could to help out, though
she would likely stay in the background--it was, after all, a family
situation.
    Trying to take charge of the situation seemed to work at first, and no
one really but up any problems initially.  However, it eventually
overwhelmed her, as the immediacy of it ended.  Eventually, the whole crisis
had begun to drag her down, and that was, in her mind, not the right thing
to do.  So she did what her father, Ranma, and so many of the people she
knew did: she decided to go on a �training trip� for the weekend.  Seeing
what condition everyone was in, she decided to take Akama with her; as the
levelheaded one in the family, she was able to pull herself together enough
to take care of him.  Under the circumstances, it had become a situation
where everyone was best fending for themselves, at least for the weekend.
    Eventually, she reached a place she�d never been before, relying on (of
all ironies), Ryoga�s directions.  Sure enough, they turned out to be
accurate, and got her there with no trouble.  ((Hey, even he can follow a
river,)) she thought with a mental chuckle.  She followed the rather placid
river for a ways until she reached a particular rock.  It wasn�t hard to
find, after all.  Ranma, about two months ago, had made sure of that.
Seeing it, she was actually surprised that he hadn�t built something a
little larger to honor the memory of his only love.  Something like, say for
example, the Hasekawa Kanon.  She quickly brushed that thought aside,
realizing the fear that he still might be insane enough to do it.


    Setting the baby down, she took him out of the pouch and into her arms.
In a comfortable spot at last, Akama fell asleep, as Nabiki sat down on a
rock in front of the shrine.
    �Akane,� she said to the shrine, �I...I�m not sure how I should handle
this.  But I needed to talk to someone, and frankly, everyone at home�s
falling apart.  I came here to talk to you, because I needed to talk to
someone, and to be honest, I don�t know why, but your ashes in the
shrine...they don�t feel real to me, sis.  They just don�t.  It�s as though
you�re here, trapped here forever.  Or maybe you�re in the remains of
Jusenkyo. I don�t know.  But here�s as good a place as any, and certainly
better than home.�
    Tears began to well in Nabiki�s eyes.  �Sis...Daddy died last week.  He
couldn�t take it anymore.  Losing Mommy, then you�he gave up.  Kasumi�s
losing it too.  Hell, everyone�s losing it.  Sometimes I think that just
Akama and I are the only sane ones left, and I�m not even sure about myself,
nowadays.�  Nabiki tried to blink back the tears, but it was no use; they
began to flow freely.  �We�re all adrift now, and none of us knows where to
go anymore.
    �I�ve tried to hold up my part of the family, but too much has happened
to me.  This is the third funeral in the past four months that I�ve had to
attend.  You remember my friends, Ayame and Kumi?  Well, they�re not my
friends anymore.  They stopped speaking to me, cut me out of my own
business--just before they were arrested by the police for selling drugs.
They...they killed themselves in jail to prevent their family�s dishonor.
That was two weeks ago.�  Nabiki paused and sobbed, not bothering to hide
her pain.  �It scares me that I would have been just like them, had I not
become a mother.�  Hearing her words, she added a hasty, �Of sorts.�
    Thinking of a way to explain the next part, her mind drew a blank.  So,
she decided to just be honest about it; she was sure her sister would
appreciate it.  �Akane, I�ve sort of become Akama�s mother.  Not really--I�
ll never take your place, but I love him so much and he needs a mother right
now, and you know Ranma can�t be both, even with his changing ability.�  She
smiled at that.  �But, I have to tell you this: Daddy engaged me to Ranma
again just before he died.  I�m obligated to marry him.�  Nabiki let that
sink into her mind before saying, �But we won�t, regardless of what Daddy
asked.  He�s...how can I say it?  He�s my...he�s my brother, now.  Not
brother-in-law, *brother*.  He and I talked a couple of days ago.  That�s
how we see each other.  He and I and Kasumi, we�re family--all I have left
is them and Akama, and the Saotomes, and Ukyo and Ryoga and--�  Nabiki
suddenly realized what she was saying and gave a hint of a smile.
    �It�s funny.  You spent all that time at odds with them, and I never
gave them a second thought.  Now, they�re the closest friends I have right
now.  And all because of Ranma--my little brother.�  Nabiki smiled, this
time a little more earnestly.  �I owe Ranma a lot.  He gave us a lot of
grief at first, but in the end, he brought us all together as a family.
Now, he needs help, and I have to give it to him.  But I don�t know how.
Sure, I�ve started retraining in the Arts and I�m picking it up again like
there�s no tomorrow, and Kasumi�s teaching me a lot of the domestic stuff
you were learning, but I don�t feel like I�m doing enough, you know?
    �Sis, I came out here to ask for your advice.  I need your help.  What
can I do to take care of our family?�


    For the longest time, there was nothing but silence.  Finally, there was
a rustle of leaves as something fell off the front of the blood-stained
rock.  Nabiki bent over to retrieve it, and found it to be a weather-beaten,
dried remains of a flower offering that had been left behind.  At first she
wondered why Ranma had chosen to leave such a thing there, as it was a bit
too Western of an action for him to do.  Setting it back on the rock, she
then noticed the card.
    The card, for the most part, was faded beyond legibility, but one part
was just barely visible: a faint kanji that read as �hikaru�. Nabiki thought
about it for a second.  ((Light?  What can that mean?  Is it a sign from
you, sis?  Do you want me to be a light?  A beacon of light for the family?
What does it mean?))
    The answer came back in Nabiki�s mind.  ((You already know, Nabiki.  You
knew from the moment you first held your nephew.))  Nabiki nodded, the tears
drying into resolve.  Tendo Nabiki, the Great Yen Cobra, the Ice Princess,
the Grand Schemer had died, replaced by someone more important: Tendo
Nabiki, heir to the Tendo School of Anything Goes, devoted aunt to Saotome
Akama and sister to Ono Kasumi and Saotome Ranma.  That Tendo Nabiki was to
be the hikaru, the light of her family in their darkest hour.
    Setting the card down into the aged bouquet, she smiled, happy for the
first time in what seemed like forever.  �Thanks, Akane. I�ll take care of
everything now, and I won�t let you down.�  Setting the sleeping Akama back
in the pouch, she slung it on her back and said, �Everything will be okay a
year from now, sis.  I promise.�  As a sudden flash of insight, Nabiki
reached into her back pocket and pulled out her portable ledger.  Placing it
on the shrine next to the flowers, she said, �I don�t need this anymore.
Take care sis.  Remember that I love you.�
    With a lighter heart, Tendo Nabiki turned and walked back upstream, back
towards the town of Hakkone, and the brighter future that awaited her, her
nephew, her brother and sister, and the rest of their family.

The Beginning�

Author�s Notes:
    Well, this completes a mobius of sorts.  To think that the running joke
in my Tales of Shampoo series would lead here is somewhat surprising, but
then again, not really.  I just never imagined that TOS� �Libby Windham is
Fuu� joke would be taken as an idea for a TOS-Rayearth crossover, only to be
transformed into the legendary Duet.  So I guess this is payback for one of
the most interesting fanfic ideas ever to occur.
    I wrote this fic (in coordination with VGAP) at Libby�s request, because
of the people who�ve asked her about the fate of Akane and Umi�s betrayal.
We didn�t quite answer them, but filled in a gap in the middle years before
those events and the point at which they meet.  Whether more of the past
will be filled in is a different story, for another time.  Maybe someone
else will fill in Mousse�s transformation to Michael, or recount the fateful
encounter between Shampoo and Akane, or the notorious liaison between Umi
and Lantis.
    I do have to say that it was an interesting experience working with
VGAP, and on the concept of someone else�s story.  It�s something certainly
different, having to work in both a Ranma and a Rayearth that isn�t my own,
but I hope I haven�t done too much damage in the process.  ^_^;;;  Still, I
think I did good.  ^_^
    Hope you enjoyed this.
Mata ne,
Rob
"I hate robbing banks...."
--Juno Reactor
primary: calicatcafe@megami.net  secondary: ashita@cchono.com
AIM: CaliCatCaf   ICQ: 45925353
Califonia Cat Cafe Online: http://calicatcafe.megami.net
Sailor Moon AX: http://yogipigs.megami.net/sailormoonax/
The World of Studio YOGIPIGS: http://yogipigs.megami.net
A Long Strange Webpage: http://members.tripod.com/nekohanten/ (MOVING SOON)




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