"Jusenkyou is the place where T'Rasha was sealed, millenia ago,"
Karasu replied, staring at the increasingly violent distortion.
"You are correct, hunter!" the old man shouted, his voice full of
manic glee.
"Who is this T'Rasha?" Nodoka asked, katana at the ready.
"T'Rasha was the most powerful of ALL demons!" the old man exclaimed.
"Thousands of years ago, the demon T'Rasha waged a war against the
Kami Realm," Karasu began. "His forces clashed with ours endlessly for
millenia, neither side gaining the upper hand."
"T'Rasha, in a final strike, stormed the very gates of the Kami
Realm!" the old man exclaimed. "But, at the cusp of his ultimate victory, he
was cheated of the glory he deserved!"
"The kami were finally able to take his power," Karasu explained,
"and cast him to the Mortal Realm. His tears of agony and rage forever
poisoned the waters here, creating the pools of sorrow. The cursed springs
of Jusenkyou."
"And thus he was sealed away, for eternity," Cologne finished.
"But did you honestly think that there would be none to revive him?"
the old man boomed.
"Why you want bring demon back?" Shampoo asked.
"Centuries ago, I came to Jusenkyou. I was merely an apprentice mage
at the time, and wished to study the magic of this place. It was then that I
encountered the seals, and the consciousness of T'Rasha! He gave me the
power, and bade me to gather enough energy to release him from his squallid
prison!" the old man answered. "The creatures which destroyed your pathetic
amazons were only the first wave of his coming force! Once he sets foot on
this world, his power shall grow! This world shall be cleansed with fire and
blood, and ALL the realms will once more fear his name, and his wrath!"
Everyone stood there, too stunned to speak. The warped and twisted
space continued to grow, the arcs of power getting increasingly more violent
by the moment.
"But the time for talk is over," the old man said. "Now, it is time
for you to feel the power bestowed upon me, to feel the power of T'Rasha
himself!"
The old man's feet left the earth, his back arched and head drawn
back. An aura of pure black surrouned him as a feeling of cold swept over
everyone gathered. He floated over to Akane, who was watching with an
uncertain expression on her face.
The black energy enveloped her, drawing her up to him as the energy
formed into an obsidian coccoon. Ranma stared at the coccoon, not knowing
what was going on tearing at him. What was happening to Akane in there?
Seconds later, the coccoon shattered, the shards vanishing into the air.
The creature that had emerged was foul almost beyond words. Black
plates covered large places on its torso, arms, and legs, red flesh showing
between. Its head was mainly composed of the armored substance, wickedly
sharp protrusion reaching up and back as red, burning eyes glared out from
behind. It had no mouth to speak of, just rows upon rows of cruel teeth.
Great wings stretched from its back, armored along the top and spines of
each wing with a reddish membrane comprising the rest. A bony, whip-like
tail extended from behind, lashing about as the demonic creature floated
above the ground.
"Whatdja do to Akane!" Ranma shouted, rage burning in his eyes.
"The girl is now a part of me," the demon said in a voice that
rumbled like thunder. "Now, do you wish to attack? If so, you run the risk
of harming your little fiancee!"
Ranma stood there frozen, unable to believe what he was hearing.
Akane was inside that thing? No, no way, he refused to believe it. But what
if it was telling the truth? Could he risk it?
The demon reached its clawed hand into the air, a black orb forming
around it. When the orb grew to roughly the size of a wrecking ball, the
demon tossed it down at their feet. The force of the blast was tremendous,
scattering them in every direction. Ranma hit the ground hard, his vision
going grey from the impact.
He rose to his feet to see the demonic creature stalking toward the
prone form of his mother, lying face-down on the dirt. A scream of fear and
rage tore from his throat as Ranma charged toward his unconscious mother,
hoping against all odds that he was fast enough.
The demon was rocked back by a massive orb of blue light that
slammed into its chest. Roaring in pain, it reared its hideous head back to
the heavens as Cologne pressed the attack. The diminutive amazon moved with
agility that defied her years, staff striking with lightning speed and
precision.
Shampoo joined the battle, the long sword in her hands whirling in
deadly arcs at the fleshy parts of the creature's body. Mousse followed
suit, a vast array of weapons launching out from his sleeves. Ranma slid to
a stop in front of his mother, slinging her over his shoulder and carrying
her away from the battle. Why she had come, he didn't know, but he would
make damn sure that she didn't get hurt. He placed her down next to Genma
and Soun, who were beginning to come around. Ranma looked about for Ukyo
when an explosion ripped through the air.
Whirling about, he saw Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse hurtling through
the air as the enraged creature bellowed with ear-splitting force. Shampoo
collided with Ukyo, knocking them both to the earth. Mousse landed next to
one of the many springs of Jusenkyou, moaning unintelligibly as he slipped
into unconsciousness. Cologne, to her credit, managed to keep her feet
beneath her, eyes studying the creature before her.
"HOLY ILLUMINATION!" The demon turned as the pure white glow blasted
forth from Karasu's cloak, bringing its arms over its eyes as the light
poured over it. Its entire body shook as it fought against the force brought
to bear against it.
"DARK FLARE!" it shouted, a blast of darkness pushing the light
back. The two forces grappled with eachother, one pushing the other back
alternately as they battled for dominance. Ranma saw Karasu's face become
strained with the effort of keeping up his assault, his teeth gritted as he
poured his all into the blast.
//Think, Ranma, think!\\ he mentally shouted to himself as he
watched the two fight. Both spells ended abruptly, Karasu kneeling and
panting while the demon strode menacingly toward him. What could he do? If
he attacked the demon, he'd hurt Akane. If he didn't stop it, however, it
would release some other demon to destroy the world.
His eyes fell on the beams emanating from the large emeralds atop
the poles. Whatever they were, they were obviously generating the power to
open that portal. What if... It was crazy, but worth a try.
Ranma summoned all his ki, all his rage and confidence. The aura
about him glowed bright as the sun as the power rushed through him. Just a
few more seconds to charge up the blast and...
He felt more than saw the demon approaching, a clawed hand ready to
cleave him in two. He stopped charging the Moko Takabisha, instead leaping
clear of the swipe that rended the ground where he once stood. He flipped
backward again just ahead of another swipe, dodging to the side to avoid the
twin red beams from its eyes that cratered the dirt and left a smoking hole.
//DAMN!\\ The way things were going, he'd never be able to release
the ki blast. He had to get that thing away from him, get enough time to let
loose. It was moving almost as fast as he was, and was not letting up!
The demon stopped attacking, rearing back in agony as a blue beam of
light smashed into its back.
"Go, Ranma!" Cologne shouted, she probably knew what he was
thinking, "do it now!" Without a reply, Ranma bounded off the demon's
shoulder, arcing toward the nearest emerald. He was too close to use the
Moko Takabisha, but he had another technique that would do just as well.
"SHOOTING STAR KICK!" He cried, focusing his power into his right
foot as it lashed out to the stone. The glowing jewel shattered under the
force of the kick, countless images lancing his mind as the souls within it
raced toward freedom and the hereafter. Images of lives one lived, and
stolen, by men and women who did not know what they were doing. Images of
families and love won and lost, all passing through his mind in a split second.
The images vanished just as Ranma's foot touched the top of the
pole. Immediately spotting his next target, he leapt off the bamboo post and
landed a strong right on the next one, shattering it to pieces.
"That it!" Shampoo cried as she watched Ranma smash the soul stones.
"Break soul stones!"
"NNNOOOOOO!!" the demon screeched. "Those stones are set in a
precise pattern! It must not be disrupted!" Its plea fell on deaf ears as
Shampoo leapt up to join Ranma, smashing stone after stone with her bonbori.
Cologne followed suit, as did Ukyo, Genma, and Soun. Mousse, shaking his
head to clear it, leapt to join, as did Karasu. Nodoka kept her eyes on the
demon, too rusty to do all that leaping about.
Ukyo busted one with her spatula, leaping gracefully to the next and
the next. From out of the blue, the demon's clawed talons streaked out at
her exposed side, meaning to slice her in two. She cried out in terror just
before she felt something collide with her back and carry her clear. ON the
ground, she turned to her rescuer, Karasu nodding once before returning to
the battle.
The portal stopped growing, a yellow shaft of light blasting forth
from its center as the ground began to shake. The pools began to ripple and
slosh over their banks as the sky filled with escaping souls.
The beam of light splashed onto the demon's back, tendrils of power
arcing over its surface. It howled in rage and unbearable agony, shaking as
the light tore it to shreds. Ranma leapt down to face it, terror clenching
his gut as he desperately tried to think of a way to save Akane.
"DAMN YOU!" it screeched, "DAMN ALL OF YOUR SOULS!" The center of
the demon's chest began to extend outward, liquifying into the form of
Akane. Her arms reached out to Ranma, desperate fear in her eyes as she
silently beseeched him to help.
"AKANE!" he shouted as he leapt up to grab her. His hands locked
around hers, feet firmly planted on the demon's chest as he strained to
wrench her free. "HANG ON! I'LL GET YA OUT!"
"NEVER!" it shouted, "if I am to die, then this mortal goes with
me!" Ranma ignored the demon, straining to pull Akane free. Every muscle
grew taut as he pulled, Akane coming out inch by inch. After what seemed
like an eternity, she was free, the two martial artists tumbling to the
ground below. Without pause, he scooped Akane up into his arms and ran for
the path out. Other soul stones were shattering now from the imbalance of
energies, the ground beginning to heave violently.
With a sound like the end of all creation, a green bolt of energy
streaked into the heavens, the conflagration of power sending Ranma and
Akane forward and into the darkness.
======================================
Every bone seemed sore, his energy drained as Ranma opened his eyes.
The forest surrounding Joketsuzoku was bare, several trees charred and
broken around him. The sun was beginning to peek out above the horizon as a
new day dawned. His addled mind struggled to recall something that had
happened earlier... what was it....
"Akane!" Fighting past the pain, he crawled over to where his
fiancee lay, still as a stone. Her skin was nearly translucent, cool and
clammy to the touch. Her breath came in short gasps as her eyes seemed to
stare at nothing.
"No..." he sobbed, "please, no, this ain't real..."
"The demon drained too much of her ki," Cologne said softly from
behind him, "she hasn't much time."
"R...Ranma," she said, her voice a scarcely audible whisper. The
others were beginning to stir, but he paid them no mind. The pain in his
body faded, replaced by a warm numbness as the reality set in. Akane was
dying, and it was his fault.
"Don't talk," he said, on the verge of tears himself. "You're gonna
be okay."
"I'm... sorry," Akane said.
"Don't," Ranma replied, "save your strength."
"Please... Ranma...." she gasped. The light in her eyes was fading
fast, Ranma's tears dropping onto her face. "Hold......." Gently, Ranma
slipped his arms beneath her, lifitng Akane slightly as he cradled her in
his arms. Hot tears ran from his eyes, pooling in the crook of her neck as a
wrenching sob threatened to burst his chest.
"Don't die, Akane," Ranma said in a shaky voice, "please. We've been
through so much, please don't go. I... love you!" He felt her chest heave
once, then fall for the final time.
Nodoka draped an arm about Ukyo's shoulders, tears falling from her
eyes as well. Genma joined her, for the first time allowing his grief to
show. Shampoo and Mousse stood hand in hand, heads bowed as they, too,
grieved. Soun stood motionless, seemingly unable to comprehend that his
precious daughter was gone forever.
Karasu decided it was time to quietly take his leave. He would let
the mortals grieve on their own. He looked back at the place where Akane's
soul had left the Mortal Realm, having been drawn down by an escort of
demons. They didn't need to know Akane's ultimate fate, they had enough
problems already. Once the Crimson Dawn linked her to the demon realm, it
became her home after death.
Cologne's eyes met his, the question in their depths as pointless as
it was obvious. He shook his head slightly in reply, she knew what the
answer would have been as well as any. He turned to leave when Ranma's voice
shouted for him to stop.
"You're a kami!" Ranma shouted, "You ferry the dead! Bring Akane back!"
"I cannot," he replied. Ranma had not been the first to make such an
order, and he would not be the last. "Akane is... at peace now. Let her be."
It was a lie, but he wasn't sure they could handle the truth. The Mortal
Realm faded around him, Ranma's angry yells fading with it. There was
nothing he could do. Or was there?
========================================
"My Lords," Karasu beseeched from his kneeling position on the
floor, "please, grant me this one request!"
He reaised his head, glancing at the ethereal forms before him. Ten
ghostly figures shimmered in the reddish glow of Lord Enma's chamber, each
one holding a short wooden stick in their hands. Their gazes seemed to burn
through him, the scrutiny almost too much for him to bear.
"Do you know what you are asking of us?" came the booming voice of
Godo Tenrin, one of the ghostly figures before him. The black sockets in his
shimmering head remained fixed on the kneeling Karasu, a gaze just as
powerful and intense as from those who had eyes in their heads.
"Yes." It had been a gamble, calling the Court of the Ten Kings, but
it was his only option. The purpose of the Court of the Ten Kings was to
pass judgment on the dead and, in rare circumstances, even the living.
"Why should we allow it?" Shinko asked.
"It has been done before!" Karasu replied. "Souls have been sent
back to the Mortal Realm before!"
"This is different," Gokan's voice boomed. "Mortal souls have been
sent back for rebirth, and to take revenge when unable to rest. You have
escorted a few of those, correct?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"But what you are asking," Enma said, "is for us to allow this
mortal to return in her last body, and remain on earth to live out her life."
"Please, honored kings, grant my request."
============================================
Cologne smiled as she saw the band of her sisters emerge from the
forest. Their clothes were torn and stained with the blood of demons and of
their own, hair matted and filthy and eyes weary, but they were alive.
Their leader's eyes grew wide upon seeing her, the group behind
following suit. She approached uncertainly, as if Cologne was a mere
illusion that would fade at any moment.
"Honored Elder?" she asked in a weary voice, "is that..."
"Yes, child," Cologne said, hiding her own tears of joy. The woman,
her name escaped Cologne's recollection, dropped to one knee as per the
custom when facing an elder of Cologne's position. She then rose, examining
the crowd of Japanese behind the matriarch.
"What!" she hissed, recoiling as if she had been struck by a snake.
Cologne didn't need to turn, knowing exactly what the other Joketsuzoku were
looking at.
"Do not worry," Cologne whispered. She told them, in short, what had
happened, and instructed them to prepare a shroud for the dead girl. The
woman nodded curtly, apparently displeased at having to enshroud an
outsider, much less one who had led the attack on the village, but she would
go about the task as instructed. Nobody in Joketsuzoku ever defied an elder.
=============================================
"Why do you ask us this?" Godo Tenrin asked. "You have not shed a
single tear for the misery death causes those who are left behind."
That was indeed true. As a Hunter, it was his task to ensure that
all departed souls went to face judgment. He had seen time and again the
pain and anguish of those who had to face life without a mother, father,
lover, or close friend and had been unaffected. He was above that, apart
from it.
"Without the aid of the mortal, Ranma, I would not have been able to
stop the sorcerer from releasing the seals on T'Rasha," Karasu said. "He
helped save the Mortal Realm and the Kami Realm. I merely wish to repay a
debt of honor."
"That is all?" Enma asked, his voice expressing his disbelief.
"Yes."
"No, it is not," Enma replied. "I know your true drive, what has in
truth made you summon the Court of the Ten Kings."
"You have wasted our time, Hunter," Shinko said with finality.
"Perhaps he has not," Enma replied. "We shall deliberate on this.
Remain here for our answer." With that, the Ten Kings vanished to decide the
fate of Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome. Karasu stood, waiting impatiently for
their decision. Enma's mist, which had been resting next to him, parted at
his will to show Ranma sitting alone in the woods of China. It had only been
a few hours in the Mortal Realm, while it had been days in the Kami. It
could still take days for them to reach a decision. Time was running out for
both mortals.
====================================================