Spirit within II: El Hazard- The second night: The world of beautiful
girls.

	Ryo stood and looked out the window over the city of Floristica. He
frowned as the memory of the events of the previous night flooded back to
him. "It seems the Phantom tribe has targeted me directly. No surprises,
but I wasn't expecting them to be quite so bold," he thought as he began
to dress in the princess's robes. It annoyed him to no end that he had to
remain a girl until he left the palace, the risk of discovery was too
great. "Damn Roshtarian protocol," he muttered as some of the servants
entered the room quietly and began to finish dressing him.
	Lanz awaked Makoto Mizuhara early the next morning. "Come it is time to
prepare for your journey. We must hasten," he said as he shook Makoto
awake violently.
	"Aw jeez lay off will ya? Do you know what time it is?" grumbled Makoto
as he slurred awake.
	"Yes, the sun rises in only an hour and you must leave soon," said Lanz.

	Fujisawa was of course awake long before. "C'mon boy the mountains
await!" he cried happily. "Oh I hope it's impressive, I'll be so
disappointed if it isn't a good climb," said the man joyously with tears
in his eyes.
	"Great now I'll never get out of this," said Makoto as he hung his head
and resigned himself to his fate.

	Ryo walked down the hall towards the room where Alielle was being kept.
"Princess we must..." said one of the girls following him.
	"I wish to see how she is doing before I leave," said Ryo truthfully.
"It will ease my mind."
	The maidens walked behind her silently and said nothing as she opened
the door, only to get knocked to the ground. "Oh, Fatora my love you
saved me!" cried Alielle as she rubbed her head against Ryo's breast.
	"Stop that you disgusting imp!" cried Ryo.
	"Ah it is agreeable to see you," said Stalumbau as he walked from the
room. "I was just finishing up her final check up."
	"When you said she'd recover quickly I didn't think you'd mean this
fast," said Ryo as she pulled Alielle off her waist.
	"Her wounds were relatively minor. She was intended to bleed to death I
think. It was not difficult to repair, however, she will have scars for
some time, possibly for the rest of her life." said the Doctor as he
walked away.
	"Great... Hey! Keep you hands off that you little Hentai!" screamed Ryo.
	"But Fatora my love..." Cried Alielle.
	"Leave us for a moment," said Ryo to the women next to her.
	"Absolutely shameful," said one of the girls as they walked away.
Alielle just squealed in pleasure as Ryo closed the door. He turned and
saw Alielle standing nude.
	"Augh! Put some clothes on!" she cried in surprise.
	"But Fatora..." said the girl looking at her seductively.
	"I am not Fatora, put your clothes on and I'll explain things," growled
Ryo.
	"What?" said Alielle dumbly.
	"I said I am not Fatora. I'm not even a girl put your clothes on," said
Ryo as he tried to calm himself.
	"Oh, Fatora did you hit your head?" said Alielle as she leaped up and
hugged Ryo to the ground. Ryo froze and felt a trickle from her nose as
the girl rubbed her chest against the back of her head. "I'll help you
remember."
	Just then Makoto and Fujisawa entered. "Hey Ryo, you gonna hang out all
day or come with? I didn't get up early so you could make us la..."
started Makoto. Then Fujisawa entered behind him and both of them froze.
	"Alielle screamed and dashed for the sheets covering her bed. 
	"Great, I'll never hear the end of this one. Thanks a lot," said Ryo to
her as she looked at them in embarrassment.
	"Ka go me! What the hell do you think your doing huh?!" yelled Fujisawa
at him angrily. "You've disgraced the honored name of Shinanome High
throughout the galaxy!" cried Fujisawa in anger.
	"I don't go to Shinanome High, besides I'm older than you Fujisawa. I
can do what I want," said Ryo standing up finally. "And I didn't by the
way," he added as the turned to see Alielle looking at them in shock and
confusion. 
	"Wh-who are you?" she managed.
	"I am Kagome Ryo, and these are my comrades Mizuhara Makoto and Fujisawa
Masumiji," he then turned to the pair standing in the door dumbly. "This
is Alielle, Fatora's lover."

	A few moments later the four of them sit around a table for breakfast...

	"Wait back up. Her lover?" said Fujisawa.
	"But I just had to go away to visit my parents, and when I returned
Fatora was gone," said Alielle.
	"Yes, taken hostage by the Phantom tribe," said Makoto angrily.
	"This story's all backwards," said Fujisawa as he ruffled his hair in
frustration.
	"It's your hangover," said Ryo and Makoto in unison.
	"It is not!" retorted the teacher. "Its just all this doubled up
princess stuff, get back to the basics will ya?"
	"But I couldn't. I love her so much I could never do that. Oh I should
never ever, ever have left her," said the girl sadly.	"Please! You have
to help me find her! I know in my heart something just awful has happened
to her."
	"Relax, I've been working on it," said Makoto.
	"And the Phantom tribe is bound to show up. They will try to remove me
so the Bugrom will attack," said Ryo. "As long as I am here they won't
because the Bugrom will not believe the Tribe while I am here."
	"Oh, thank you so much!" cried Alielle as she jumped for Ryo only to be
met by his hand. 
	"I have a lot of experience dealing with perverts," said Ryo to
Fujisawa's questioning gaze.
	"I guess so," muttered Makoto a little bitterly.
	"I'm sorry I was just so excited I guess I forgot your not Fatora," said
the girl sheepishly.
	"Right, look here missy, I've dealt with far worse than you, you got
nothin on Happosai so don't try grabbin me again got it? Jeez, what are
you fourteen? You little delinquent," sneered Ryo.
	"You know that you have drug Shinanome high straight through the mud,"
said Fujisawa.
	"How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't go there in the
first place?!" said Ryo angrily.

	"You see before you the expanse of our land, in the far distant range of
mountains lies the holy peak of Mt. Muldoon.  Upon that summit live the
three priestesses who worship the ancient gods. No outsider is allowed or
dares enter so perilous a realm," said Rune Venus to the group as she
looked out over the El-Hazard from a balcony.
	"Peril is fun," quipped Ryo with a small smirk on his face.
	"Whoa," said the three men in awe as they looked at the mountains.
	"Hey Lanz, what sort of challenge do you think those slopes can offer?"
asked Fujisawa.
	"What?" asked Lanz in surprise.
	"Scale. Just how steep is it?" asked the man.
	"Extremely, the few survivors who have returned can hardly speak of
their journey," said Lanz.
	"Right on!" cried Fujisawa triumphantly in front of a bewildered Lanz.
	"He does this sort of thing for fun in our world," said Ryo with a smile
as he watched Lanz's stare.
	"Unbelievable," said Lanz.
	"The legend furthers in its tale that the eye of god was then tightly
sealed by the ancient peoples of our land to be guarded forever by three
wise sages who would reside on Mt. Muldoon," said Stalumbau as he looked
off at the mountains.
	"And Ryo is the chosen one who is supposed to unseal this thing?" asked
Makoto.
	Ryo just stood and looked at the mountains with an unreadable gaze. 
	"Correct, only a princess who is in dual command of the Royal house may
request such action," said Stalumbau.
	"Princess Rune must not leave Roshtaria under these circumstances, we
have no other choice for help than our guest Ryo," said Lanz.
	"Don't worry, its just a little stroll in the hills that's all," said
Fujisawa.
	"Sir you face certain death," said Lanz.
	"I wouldn't have it any other way. It won't be fun otherwise," said Ryo.
Makoto nodded in agreement with a hard gaze on the mountains.

	Ryo growled and stood as the women dressed her again. Alielle strolled
around her and looked on appraisingly.
	"I'm bringing my own clothes," she said defiantly.
	"Stop complaining, I'll be right next to you the whole time," Said
Alielle as she tried for his waist again only to be pushed off by Ryo's
leg.
	"That's what's bothering me, cut that out you little pervert," she
grumbled. "Besides I can't climb like this." 
	"But you look so pretty," said Rune as she stifled a giggle.
	"Just relax, you'll feel better after we get there," said Fujisawa
reassuringly as he gathered some rope. Makoto was doing the same nearby
and snickered as Ryo gave in.
	"Fatora," said a small voice.
	Ryo froze.
	A small animal came out from under the curtains and batted at Fujisawa's
rope.
	"Hey, Fatora," it said.
	"Hey what a weird looking cat," said Makoto as he looked at it.
	"Ura, Oh my I forgot to introduce you. Go on," said Rune with a small
laugh.
	The cat walked up to Ryo who just stood there. "You will be protected,"
said Rune to Ryo with a comforting smile.
	Something registered in Makoto's mind. "Uh oh."
	"Ura," commanded Rune and the cat jumped at Ryo.
	"No don't! You don't know what you're doing!" cried Makoto as he jumped
for the animal.
	"What?" said Rune in surprise.
	Ryo started to scream and fell to her knees as the animal wrapped itself
around her like a vest. She started Hyperventilating and a look of sheer
terror came across her face.
	"Ah, he looks even more like her royal-highness with the cat around
him," said Lanz looking pleased.
	"Yes," agreed Rune.
	"Ah, he sure does, even I'm getting turned on again!" squealed Alielle.
	"You have to get it off her now! You don't understand what will happen!"
yelled Makoto. 
	Then Ryo yowled.

	Meanwhile a meeting is being held...
	
	"Something is wrong. The country of Ginan has fallen to the Bugrom
advance far to easily," said one man.
	"I agree. They should never have suffered such a serious breach to their
defenses," said the other.
	"It is a great comfort that the princess is unsealing the Eye of god,"
Said yet another. 
They stood and walked out of the room. "I only hope she can use it," said
one of the men as he walked out.

	In Ginan Jinnai was carried on the shoulders of the advancing Bugrom
forces. He laughed hysterically as flags bearing his name were waved
behind him.

	A few hours later...
	
	Makoto and a now male Ryo stood on the deck of an air ship. Makoto
growled and looked at Ryo bitterly Ura was wrapped around his chest, he
was covered in small scratches. Alielle and Fujisawa just looked dazed
and were both also covered in scars. "I made a fine pick ax!" said
Fujisawa after a moment as he pulled out a broken piece of decorative
piping that looked like it would serve quite well for his needs.
	"It would seem now our final hope lies with princess Fatora," said one
of the onlookers, he was one of the men from the meeting. Another stood
next to him and nodded in agreement.
	A scratched up looking Lanz and an unharmed Rune Venus watched silently.
"Are you sure you are well your highness?" asked Lanz.
	"A bit shaken but fine. I don't think she would have hurt me," said
Venus calmly. 
	"Still it is fortunate that Makoto had managed to get the hot water in
time. Such a fearsome weapon as that should never be unleashed," said
Lanz calmly as the ships sailed away.
	Rune looked at him blankly. "Is the one we are about to unseal any
better?" 
	Lanz sighed. "We have no choice, the Bugrom are far to dangerous as of
late." 
	
	In the Bugrom hive queen Diva stood in front of a large gathering and
smiled as Jinnai approached confidently.
	"For conquering Ginan I queen Diva bestow upon you our highest honor.
The Bugrom bigrig Medal of Victory!" she said and the Bugrom crowd
cheered.
	Jinnai accepted and raised it into the air to show the crowd. He laughed
again.

	Later Jinnai sat alone with Diva in her room. "Your amazing Mr. Jinnai,
a country crushed in your very first battle." 
	He laughed to himself. "Consider it an appetizer. I suppose you want the
main course." 
	"Oh you make war sound so delicious," said Diva as she leaned closer.
A small bug flew over and landed on her shoulder. "They what?" asked
Diva. "This is terrible!" 
	"Well what now?" asked Jinnai.
	"So you remember what I said about the Ultimate weapon Jinnai?" asked
Diva.
	"Yes, you called it the Eye of God," said the boy sounding board with
the conversation.
	"That witch Rune Venus has sent her sister Fatora in an envoy in an
attempt to unseal it," said Diva as she stood and began to pace. "If she
succeeds in her mission it will ruin our plans." 
	"Is that why your so upset? Just forget about it," said Jinnai smugly.
	"What?" said Diva as Jinnai began to laugh.
	"All I have to do is eliminate this princess and this 'Eye of god' is
useless," said the boy. "A Jinnai blue plate special."
	"Oh!" exclaimed Diva happily.

	A pale woman in a dark cloak walked down the cavern and knelt before
Galus. "Prince of deep shadows, I have come at your call what is your
bidding?" she said to him.
	"The princess Fatora and her envoy are headed for Mt. Muldoon," said
Galus calmly.
	"She can't! That is impossible," said the woman.
	"They have found a double for her and the alliance believes her," said
Galus angrily.
	"Do you intend to expose their foolish treachery?" asked the woman
angrily.
	"No, she is such a close match that they would not believe us if we did.
However, I have given certain information of this Fatora and her
entourage to the Bugrom forces. Go and make sure she is killed," said
Galus coldly.
	"Yes my lord." said the woman as she vanished.
	
	Meanwhile on Mt. Muldoon...
	
	Fujisawa was singing again as the four travelers climbed. "Yea! This is
the life! Hey Alps watch out! Compared to this the Himalayas would look
like anthills. Wow, incredible," said Fujisawa as he looked at the view.
	"Yea, I'm sure having fun," muttered Makoto sarcastically as he
followed. 
	Ryo backed away from him. "K-keep away from me with that thing!" he
cried as Makoto stepped a little to close for his comfort.
	"Fujisawa is the only one enjoying himself," commented Alielle as she
climbed.
	"Fraidy cat would be if he wasn't a nervous wreck right now," said
Makoto bitterly.
	"What did you call me?!" yelled Ryo.
	"What are ya gonna do? Hit me?" snorted Makoto flatly.
"C'mon Ryo, I figured you would enjoy this trip at least," said Fujisawa.
	"I am having fun," said Ryo as he edged away from Makoto's new vest.
Truth was he welcomed the chance to be male again for a while. All he had
to do was get some water at the top. But he was not enjoying Makoto's
teasing at all for more than one reason.
	"Well that's enough rest, time to press on," said Fujisawa as he stood
again.
	"Again? But we just got here!" whined Alielle."
	"Aw, quit your whining," snorted Ryo.
	"Look who's talking," said Makoto as he stood next to him.
	"Auugh! Get away!" cried Ryo in fear.

	Jinnai looked on from the cliffs above. "Ohh, Makoto. I shall prevent
your stealing my victory again," he growled. "Ah, the princess Fatora.
She'll die anyway. Even with his incessant melding." said Jinnai as he
looked at Alielle through a telescope.
	"Obey me now my devoted, We have to crush our enemies. We must squash
them into the ground!" said Jinnai to his companions. The Bugrom began to
walk towards the group around Jinnai. "Wait you haven't heard the plan
yet!"
	He ran in front of them. "Where the hell do you think your going? You
can't use brute force against a mind like that! You have to construct a
deceitful trap! Do you understand?" 
	The Bugrom grunted at him.

	A few moments later Jinnai stood next to a road sign. "It's this simple
comprende'?" 
	The Bugrom saluted him.
	"Argh, You idiots. Can't you recognize a perfect opportunity?!" he
cried. Jinnai turned and shifted the sign so that it read backwards.
"There it's done. You have to abandon this concept of honesty, I will
teach you how to commit a perfect fowl OK?" said Jinnai. The Bugrom all
hit their palms as they realized what Jinnai had done.
	A few moments later Fujisawa followed by Makoto and Alielle and a very
distant Ryo, scampered along the edge of a narrow path along the side of
the mountain.
	"I'm gonna die!" cried Alielle as she climbed.
	"Relax kid," said Ryo confidently. 
	The path ended and they began to scale the wall.
	Fujisawa and Makoto climbed up quickly and Ryo hung back with Alielle on
his back. "I don't wanna die!" 
	"I saved your life once kid and you still don't trust me?" said Ryo as
he climbed higher.
	"Be careful but don't let all this wonder distract you!" cried Fujisawa
as he climbed.
	"Are you sure this is the right way?" asked Makoto.
	"Quit your whining. If you wanted to you could have taken the road ya
know," said Ryo as he passed him about twenty yards to his right.
	"You mean there was an easier way?" cried Makoto angrily.
	"Yup, but I just had to challenge this climb!" said Fujisawa happily.
	
"Faster, faster! They are going to get here any second now," said Jinnai
as the Bugrom dug a hole in the road. "From now on this operation will be
called the ultimate pit fall, you there Groucho stop your slacking." said
Jinnai to the purple bug.
	Its antenna perked up and it looked at him dumbly. "Your damn right I'm
talking to you! From now on your new names are...Harpo, Chiko, Zeppo, and
Gummo," he said pointing to the other Bugrom in the pit. A larger Bugrom
came up to him and said something. "Yea Margaret, What is it?" he said to
it. "What? They took the other route?! Argh, Mizuhara! How dare you
challenge my intelligence!" 
	
	"Man those crystal caves are something," said Ryo as the three travelers
Chipped at the crystallized Fujisawa. 
	"This is all your fault! If we had taken the road this wouldn't have
happened!" cried Makoto.
	"Jeez, you sound like Ukyo," grumbled Ryo as he chipped.
	"What?" said Makoto in surprise.
	"Things happened a bit differently than in that comic," said Ryo calmly.
	"Oh," said Makoto as Fujisawa began to crack.
	The Crystal burst and Fujisawa gasped for air. "It's drinkin time, Damn
crazy caves," he said and sat down on a rock. Ura sat next to him and
watched him calmly. He pulled out his flask and nearly burst into tears.
His wine was completely crystallized. "Augh! Why now?!" he cried.
	Makoto sat down on a nearby rock. "I wanna go home."
	"Oh Nanami, I guess you're at school working hard as usual," he thought
as he looked at the sky.
	"You're thinking of a girl," said Ryo with a malicious grin as he sat
down next to him.
	"I am not!" cried Makoto.
	"Yes you are, I know that look!" said Alielle.
	"Quit teasing him you kids," said Fujisawa with a small laugh.
	
	Nanami cleared a table in the desert restaurant and winced as people
shouted for their food. "Sorry I'll be right there!" she called as she
carried the dishes to a window for washing. She placed them there and
felt someone squeeze her butt. She nearly dropped the dishes to the
floor. Several of them did fall and crashed as she spun angrily to face
the man. He gave her a few bills. "Oh, yea. Tip," she said nervously as
she took the money. "I have to keep control of myself, I know only the
moneys gonna get me out of this place."
	
	Back in the mountains Alielle, Ryo, Makoto, and Fujisawa crossed a
canyon on a slender natural bridge.
	"Ah damnit, what's with all this silly wind and stuff? And just where
the hell is the snow?" cried Fujisawa as he walked.
	"Please be quiet Mr. Fujisawa it will crumble down," said Alielle as she
eyed the delicate bridge they were standing on.
	"You're right," agreed the man with a sigh.
	The laughter began. "I know that laugh," said Ryo calmly. "Come out
Jinnai." 
	Katsuhiko appeared from behind a rock and smiled. "Well, well Makoto,
long time no see." 
	"It is Jinnai! I didn't know you were here too! I was worried about
you," said Makoto as he looked over Ryo's shoulder. 
	"Get away from me you creepy jerk!" said Ryo as he shied away.
	"Don't give me that Mizuhara! I saw you at every turn! Only my arch
nemesis would follow me here and try to ruin my success!" said Jinnai.
	"What?" said Makoto.
	"I heard the Bugrom had gotten smarter all of a sudden. This explains
it," said Ryo calmly.
	"That's right Mr. Kagome. You'll die with your rival as well," chuckled
Jinnai as several Bugrom started chipping at the bridge.
	"Run!" cried Makoto. They turned and saw Bugrom on the other side as
well.
	"I'll have you expelled! This is no way for the president of the student
counsel to act!" said Fujisawa.
	"You think you can kill me so easily Jinnai?" asked Ryo as he stood
confidently on bridge as it cracked. He lifted Alielle into his arms and
jumped. Makoto and Fujisawa followed.
	"After them!" said Jinnai as he clung to one of the Bugrom. They began
to cling to the walls and crawl towards them.
	"He's found some new friends I see," said Makoto from the other bridge.
	"He's the new Bugrom commander. That's why they've been doing so well
since we got here," said Ryo calmly as he glanced around for some escape
rout.
	"Jump!" said Fujisawa as he leapt to another bridge as the one they were
on began to collapse.
	They leapt from one to another. The canyon was full of them each one
they hit began to crumble immediately. After a few moments the three
began to run up the wall towards the top. The Bugrom chased after them.

	From the top of the canyon the Phantom tribe woman stood and watched
calmly. She smiled and waited.

	The trio ran up the cliff and were met at the top by several Bugrom.
	"Damn," muttered Ryo as he rolled under a blow and dropped Alielle. She
scrambled away to some nearby rocks for cover. Fujisawa and Makoto
reached the top and kicked two of the Bugrom away. Ryo turned to see a
rock flying towards him He instinctively stuck out his finger. The blast
knocked him off the cliff. 
	"Damn!" cried Fujisawa. 
	Ura unwrapped himself from Makoto and jumped over the side of the cliff.
He ran down the side of the cliff and caught up with Ryo as he fell.
	Ryo saw him and panicked. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" he cried as Ura wrapped himself
around Ryo and grabbed the cliff wall. Ryo went limp in Ura's grasp.
	Fujisawa stood with Makoto at his back and easily beat back the Bugrom
horde. "Get them!" cried Jinnai in frustration.
	Makoto and Fujisawa backed away and were blocked my a large rock Alielle
peered at them from behind it. "Damn. I can't use the breaking point
while she's there," he thought. He put up his hands and frowned at
Jinnai.

The cloaked woman aimed her crossbow at Ryo as he was carried up the
mountain. "He doesn't even look like her," she muttered as she saw his
face. Still he was dressed in the robes. She took aim. Then she watched
as Ryo seemed to wake up. She saw his mouth move and he turned to see
her. The feral glow in his eyes caused her to gasp. She adjusted her aim
again. Then it happened. Ryo struck at the air towards her with her hand
twisted into a sort of claw and the woman's face burned with pain. She
cried out and clutched her face. "What in the hell?" she screamed.
	She looked down at her crossbow and saw a pile of wood shavings attached
to a piece of metal. "Impossible. He's at least four hundred yards away!"
she said in shock.

	"What's he up to?" thought Jinnai in confusion as Makoto allowed them to
close in on him and Fujisawa.
	Then they all heard a sound. The noise sent chills down Makoto's spine.
He looked down to see Alielle was shaking. 
	Ryo burst up from the side of the cliff and landed in the center of the
Bugrom crowd. A cloud of dust rose and crashing noises could be heard
from within. "What the hell?" cried Jinnai.
	The smoke cleared and Jinnai stared in disbelief. Ryo was sitting on top
of the pile and licking his hand. "Meow." 
	"What the?" said Jinnai dumbly as the remaining Bugrom cowered behind
him.
	"Now!" cried Makoto as he threw the remains of the canteen on Ryo as he
sat on the Bugrom warriors. The water hit him and he passed out on the
pile immediately.
	"What are you doing? Taking out your own man Makoto?" said Jinnai
smugly.
	"Shut up Jinnai you know you can't take us," said Makoto angrily.
	"You're expelled from college too," snarled Fujisawa angrily.
	"Well see about that. Attack!" he said the Bugrom behind him. They began
to advance on them. Then a beam of blue energy shot from the sky and the
ground between them erupted in flames. They all looked up to see a figure
standing above them on a large rock.
	"Who gave you permission to commit murder in the Holy Mountains of God?"
asked the woman in a hard voice. She had long red hair and was heavily
tanned. She was dressed in a short red skirt that had red jewels attached
to it that glowed with power.
	"Red hair!" gasped Alielle.
	"Ha! Permission?! I commit murder wherever I want! Attack!" yelled
Jinnai. Several of the Bugrom charged up the rock towards her and she
simply blasted them away with small explosive energy shots. 
	"Not bad. I've been itching for a good fight all day. Wanna try again?"
said the woman with a grin. 
	Jinnai backed away as one of his men nearly landed on him.
	"Go get em' sister!" cried Alielle.
	The red head pulled a small metal object from her bag and pulled a cord
from it. The cord retracted back into it and it landed on her wrist. Blue
tendrils of energy came from it and relayed to the jewels on her dress
and headband. "Get ready!" she cried and jumped into the air. "Get ready
to die!" she cried as she landed, creating a huge explosion as she did
that blasted the nearby Bugrom and sent Alielle and Fujisawa into the
wall. Makoto just stood and watched calmly. Ryo was thrown to the ground
off the Bugrom pile and woke up with a start. 
	"What the?" he said in shock. Ura came up to him and he screamed.
	"You OK?" asked Ura. Ryo got up and started running.

	The woman burned with a blue and red fire and flew down to the ground.
She shot powerful beams of unstable energy at the Bugrom and devastated
their defenses. "God dammit! Withdraw! Hurry up go on!" cried Jinnai as
he jumped on the back of one of the Bugrom. "Bitch," he muttered as he
was carried away.
	"Humph, that'll teach ya," muttered the woman. 

	"I didn't know how much longer I could hold out, thanks for your help,"
said Fujisawa.
	"Your style is impressive," said Makoto as he sat in the temple with his
companions. "I'd never have guessed you were a priestess." 
	The woman laughed "No prob." 
	"Excuse me? What is your name?" said Alielle as she walked next to her.
	"Well, most People around here call me Shayla Shayla," replied the
woman.
	"Shayla Shayla? What a gorgeous name," squealed Alielle as she rubbed up
against her.
	Shyala froze and stared at her in shock.
	Ryo pulled her off. "Get of you little sex deviant, you're embarrassing
me."
	A brown haired woman in green tights with a short cape draped over her
shoulders walked into the room and sighed. "Oh Shayla, I thought you'd be
ready by now. We're late," she said as she walked over to them. "Were
going to miss the purification."	
	"Hey guess what? Fatora from Roshtaria dropped by," said Shayla to her.
	"Oh yes, one of the princesses," said the woman.
	"Hello," said Ryo calmly.
	"Ah, surprise visit. My name is Afura Mahn, a priestess of Mt. Muldoon.
It's a pleasure to meet you," said the woman. 
	"I have something to ask you," said Ryo.
	"Oh no I'm afraid your just gonna have to come back some other time.
Shyala we're leaving," said the Afura.
	"I know, I know," said Shayla as she walked away.
	"Wait! I have to ask you to...!" said Ryo as they chased the priestesses
outside.
	"Of course, next time you come visit," said Afura. She pulled out a
small metal object and clipped it to her belt. "All ready? climb aboard,"
she said.
	"Let's hit it," said Shayla as she grabbed hold of her. The pair began
to fly away.
	"No dammit! It's about the Eye of god!" yelled Makoto.
	Ryo watched them float away and sighed. "Great." 
	"Sister Shayla!" cried Alielle.
	As the two women faded away Makoto and Alielle watched them leave.
"Gone."
	"I don't get it why did we come all the way up here for?" said Alielle.
	Fujisawa lit a cigarette and nodded.
	Ryo just watched calmly. "I guess we follow them." 

El Hazard. The third night: The world of hot springs!

	Ryo, Makoto, Alielle, and Fujisawa all sat around the small desert
skimmer that they had hired to transport them to the springs where the
Purification rituals were held in the middle of the Bone Desert. The
vehicle was about four feet above ground and going at a fairly high
speed.
	It was swelteringly hot and the two men who piloted the machine kept
smiling at one another. All the men had their shirts off and Alielle was
playing with Ura on the other side of the ship and was making no effort
to disguise her disgust. Ryo smiled and walked over to Makoto. "Hey
Mizuhara, wanna have a little contest? You know, to pass the time."
	"What do you mean?" asked the boy as he put down the hat he had been
fanning himself with.
	"Target practice, low level blast," said Ryo as he pointed at a few of
the rocks that seemed to stick up out of the sand in the desert every
hundred yards or so.
	"You're on," said Makoto with a hard gaze as he glanced at the men
standing at the wheel. One of them had pulled two clubs from a
compartment and the other had his hand on what was probably the break.
	"What are you two talking about?" asked Alielle as she noticed the two
boys glaring at each other.
	Ryo raised his hand casually and a small ball of energy blasted a rock
about fifty-yard away from the port. The rock exploded into many small
pieces and Makoto smirked.	
"Aaaah! What was that?!" screamed Alielle in shock. She had yet to see a
chi blast.
	"Y-yea, what was that?" said one of the pilots as they both stared at
the two of them.
	"That is what is going to happen to you if you don't put those weapons
away now and take your hand off the brake. I thought we got this ride
awful cheap," sneered Makoto as he glared at the two men who looked about
ready to wet themselves. Makoto shot a blast that went straight by them
and missed my mere centimeters. A rock exploded about a hundred yards
behind them moments later. "That's one for me," he chimed cheerfully.
	Fujisawa looked up from under his shirt and laughed slightly.

	About an hour later the men stopped the cart and cowered in fear. as two
rows of large stones appeared before the group.
	Makoto, who was annoyed that they had yet to settle the contest, was the
first to speak. "What's going on here?"
	Fujisawa stood tall and glared at them. "You dare tempt my fist of
justice?" he said as he grabbed the metal railing and bent it easily.
	"Yea you said you could take us all the way there." said Alielle.
	"Wait, you misunderstand us! Its true we were gonna rob you before but
to go any further would be blasphemy! You can beat us up if you want but
we can't go any further! As I fear for my life Mr. Justice," gasped the
leader of the pair as the two pathetic men hugged each other in fear.
	"Then how are we supposed to get there?" asked Alielle, she already knew
the answer.
	Ryo jumped off the skiff and onto the sand. "We walk." 

	"Damn you Makoto! Damn you to everlasting hell! How could you have the
final weapon?! I should have had it! How could you do this to me again!"
cried Jinnai as he strolled around in the throne room in frustration.
	"There is nothing that can be done about it now," said Diva lazily from
her throne as she sulked.
	"It's a cold war, I need some kind of weapon that will completely
terrify him!" ranted Jennai as he thought about his problem out loud.
	"Hmm," said Diva looking thoughtful for a moment.
	"Eye of god, If I had a weapon I'd at least call it demon something," he
muttered in disgust.
	Diva gasped.
	Jinnai was immediately interested. "What?" he asked impatiently.
	"It's nothing, go on." said Diva as she looked away from his gaze.
	"Tell me," demanded Jinnai as a greedy gleam appeared in his eyes.
	"I said it's nothing," retorted Diva forcefully.
	"Tell me. You've got a weapon don't you?" said Jinnai as he glared at
her. 
	"Yes," said Diva as she gave in at last. "It's to horrid to even think
of!"
	Jinnai growled in anger and glared at her. "Are you siding with the
alliance?" he sneered as he pointed at her forcefully. Diva gasped again
and stared at him in disbelief. "If not, then say it!" he cried
forcefully. "Say it! Tell me about this weapon that you're hiding from
me!" Diva looked at him in pure terror.
		
	"First thing I do is change the reception area and then the name,"
muttered Fujisawa as he stumbled along.
	Makoto struggled along silently behind him with Ryo. Both looked
miserable but neither had complained yet. 
	"Were gonna die here!" whined Alielle as she staggered behind every one.
	"I don't see any fountains here do you?" cried Fujisawa as he fell to
his knees.
	"Over there," said Ryo as he took his canteen and emptied some of the
contents on to his head. 
	"You had that all along?!" cried Makoto in shock. The others just looked
at Ryo in a mixture of shock and anger.
	"If we hadn't found it we would have needed it more later on," said Ryo
as he glared at them and started to pass it around. She noticed Alielle
had started blushing and quickly put her shirt back on. "Pervert," she
grumbled as they started towards the springs.

	Miz Mishtal the high priestess of the water temple sighed in contentment
as she stepped from the spring and toweled herself off. She waded over to
the pavement and stepped out of the pool of hot water and glared at her
stool. It was sitting on its side and she sighed in mild annoyance. "What
is wrong with him?" She moved it into the correct position and sat down.
She sighed again and clapped twice. "Sunsuke attend me!" she said curtly
as a large furry animal ran over to her and bowed apologetically. "Forget
the apologies, just get to work," she said finally. 
The creature dipped its furry paws into a bucket and lathered them
together before starting to scrub her back. "Put your heart in it!"
sighed the woman. The animal rubbed harder and Miz relaxed completely.
"Yes, that's better." 
	"Keeping beautiful as an unpicked flower is so tedious. Where now is my
valiant gardener? What is keeping you from my side?" she thought to
herself. "Nobody cares, not even Afura and Shyala. When they get older
that'll wake em up," she said aloud. Then the creature dumped a bucket of
water on her to rinse the suds off. Miz's eyes went wide and she started
screaming.
	
	Makoto and his group trudged along the desert towards the springs in
relieved silence. Then a scream broke the peaceful quiet blowing of the
desert winds. Fujisawa was the first to react. He burst into a wild
sprint towards the walls that surrounded the springs. "No wait!" cried
Makoto.
	"All we can do is follow," grumbled Ryo half heatedly as he jogged after
him.

	"You furry idiot! Can't you even tell the difference between warm and
freezing water! You almost ruined my hair! No don't touch it!" screamed
Miz, as you can tell she was suitably pissed.
	
	Fujisawa ran up to see the poor creature trying to towel off the woman.
He of course didn't see that, what he saw was a huge beast attacking a
damsel in distress. "Dear god!" he cried and he charged.
	"That thing is attacking her!" said Makoto in a panic.
	"Looks like she's kicking its ass to me," said Ryo calmly.
	Alielle only nodded and tried to grab Ryo's waist in mock fear. She
received a conk on the head for her trouble.
	"Fujisawaaaaa! Monster kick!" cried the man as he kicked the creature
far away into the air. Miz just looked surprised. "I give you freedom.
That monster will trouble you no more, your hero has arrived at last,"
said the man dramatically.
	"Bravo!" said Ryo sarcastically as she clapped. "Kuno couldn't have said
it better himself."
	Miz got a strange look in her eyes that Ryo recognized immediately. "My
great thanks kind sir, how did you know my future was in peril?"
	"As long as you've remained unscathed Mada...Uh Miss?" said Fujisawa
coolly he apparently hadn't recognized the stare she was giving him yet.
	"Now he'll never escape," muttered Ryo. Alielle smiled and nodded. 
	"What the hell are you talkin about?" said Makoto in confusion.
	"Yes Its Miss!" she cried excitedly. "...and I owe you my life."
	"It's nothing, its a hero's job," said Fujisawa proudly.
	"The more he hams this up the deeper he's gonna get into this," said
Alielle with a smile, she and Ryo were really enjoying this little drama.
Makoto however, well he was just confused.
	"And by what name shall I call the hero who rescued me?" asked Miz in
her sweetest voice.
	"Masumiji Fujisawa," said the man proudly.
	"Such a long name, and your occupation?" pried Miz.
	"Teacher, firmly established and highly respected at Shininome High
school," said Fujisawa proudly.
	"A government employee?! Income! You are a hero!" exclaimed the woman.
Fujisawa got a confused look on his face.
	"Uh oh, I think he may be on to her," said Alielle.
	"Yea right, he's an outdoorsman, he wouldn't know love if it ran over
him with a bus," snorted Ryo.
	"Uh, I'm extremely sorry this sudden intrusion gave me no time to
introduce myself, I am Miz Mishtal, High priestess of Muldoon," Everyone
but Ryo looked surprised.
	"I thought as much," he muttered to keep up appearances. Makoto looked
at him suspiciously anyway. It wouldn't do to have him figure out he knew
what was going on before it happened.

	Jinnai was led down a dark cave silently with Diva leading the way.
"Ifurita?" he asked in confusion.
	"It has a legend of terror that is equal to the Eye of God," said Diva
seriously.
	"Then what are we waiting for? Let's see it," said Jinnai rubbing his
hands together.
	"No," said the woman curtly. "There is something I must show you first."

	Jinnai looked at the ruins of an ancient city deep within the cave.
"Incredible!" he gasped.
	"A nation in ruins, The grim result of the Demon God's involvement in
the Holy wars. With powers great enough to destroy a civilization and the
land they lived on, one demon brought all this devastation on its
own...and its name, Ifurita," said the Queen solemnly.
	Jinnai looked at her for a moment.
	"No, it mustn't be used...ever again," said Diva firmly.
	"Why not?" insisted Jinnai.
	"Although Ifurita's power is invincible, Ifurita's strength is borne of
pure evil. No human being could ever control such power," she said
looking at him sternly.
	"Pure evil? A good back up, at last I'm holding a final trump card,"
said Jinnai as he started to laugh. His evil and insane laughter echoed
off the caverns into the devastated city below.

	"This isn't what I expected at all. This holy place looks more like a
hot springs resort," commented Makoto as they were lead through the
various pools. Ryo glanced around nervously at the steaming water.
	Miz laughed at the boy's words. "To the uninitiated it must seem so, but
these hot springs are the only relief in our work, its one of the things
we look forward to every year."
	"Arima, Atami, now those are hot springs. Arlamon? That doesn't even
sound like a holy place at all," commented Fujisawa as he walked along.
He spotted a small wishing fountain. He flipped in a coin and bowed his
head. "Dear god, please get us back to Shininome High school safely, and
if ya have some extra time please fill out the teacher absence request
form."
	"Sensei! What are ya doin? C'mon!?" Called Makoto. 

	"Well its about time," snorted Miz as Shayla and Afura walked into the
gates of the springs loaded up with packages.
	"Oops, now we're in trouble," muttered Shayla.
	"Sister Miz! How come your here so early?" said Afura cheerfully.
	"An unforgivable breech of holy ritual," scolded Miz.
	"You are so right, we've never gotten such a good deal at the barrage.
Can you imagine returning stuff the day after a holiday?" said Afura
nervously.
	"And if your out shopping what if some of the devoted people show up?"
snorted Miz.
	"Huh? You guys again?" said Shayla in surprise.
	"Uh, hi," said Makoto.
	Ryo only smiled and looked the pair up and down. 

El Hazard: The third night

	Jinnai marched down the halls of the Bugrom hive with Diva hot on his
heels. "Even after what I showed you?" she asked in shock.
	"Absolutely," he replied never breaking his stride.
	"Ifurita is the worst demon in all of El hazard History, and you would
dare to awaken the worst taboo in all of history?" she said feverently.
	"Yes I dare to. It show's the strength and the courage of a true ruler,"
sneered Jinnai.
	"Oh," gasped Diva in exasperation as she finally gave up trying to
convince him otherwise. Jinnai strolled away from her chuckling to
himself.

	"More?" asked Miz as she held up a pitcher of wine.
	 Fujisawa turned his head towards her voice and smile. "Yes please,"
both he and Makoto sat on the pavement in the hot springs while the women
bathed nearby. Ryo sat nervously with a towel wrapped around her a fair
distance from the springs as she glanced at the hot water and tried to
hold a conversation. Both of the men were blindfolded with towels tied
over their eyes.
	"I apologize again for the blind folds," she said sweetly.
	"We understand, especially since we're the only real men around," said
Makoto with a sneer.
	Ryo growled low and her eye twitched. 
	Afura stretched in the water. "I can feel all the tension flowing away."

	"Oh yea, you said it," agreed Shayla next to her.
	Ryo was clenching her fist and running a mantra of "I'm a girl," through
her head.
	Alielle nuzzled up to Shayla and sighed seductively. "Oh, It's so
exciting! Here I am taking a bath with a Muldoon priestess who saved my
life!" she squealed before grabbing her. "Oh, I'm in heaven."
	"Let go of my arm...hey, That's even worse!" cried Shayla as the imp
tried for a better grip.
	Ryo was on her before she got a good hold. She conked the girl on the
head sharply and pulled her out of the water by her neck. "You little
pervert stop bothering people like that, if there is one thing I can't
stand its perverts."
	Alielle gave her the biggest cutesy-eyed stare she could muster and Ryo
dropped her in disgust.
	"Well, ain't you defensive of your little girl friend," snorted Shayla.
	"She isn't my girlfriend. Maybe next time I should just let her have her
way with you," snorted Ryo as she glared the priestess in the eye
aggressively.
	"Maybe you should," sneered Shayla.
	Ryo grinned and called her bluff. "Hey Alielle I think the fire
priestess likes you. Maybe you two could go out or something."
	"Really?" cried the girl as she emerged from the water. 
	Shayla turned red and looked at Ryo in shock. "I, uh...of course not!
What kind of pervert do you think I am?" she cried defensively.
	"Gee your awfully well built for your age, are you sure you're not older
than nineteen? I mean, Alielle loves older women," sneered the girl as
the two of them glared each other dead in the eye.
	"This isn't going well..." whispered Afura as she edged towards Miz. The
two of them backed away from the contest of wills. Then the two red
haired girls burst into laughter.
	"I like you kid, you got guts. It isn't every day you meet someone who
can look the fire priestess in the eye without wetting themselves,"
laughed Shayla crudely.
	"That's good to hear; I think," said Ryo as she relaxed. 
	Fujisawa and Makoto just sat obliviously through the whole exchange. "I
think we missed something sensei," muttered Makoto.
	"Just let it pass kid, just let it pass," said Fujisawa as he downed
another drink.

	"So why are you here?" asked Afura.
	"We need you to unseal the Eye of God," said Ryo with a smile.
	The three priestesses looked at the group in mild surprise. "Well, I
suppose this isn't really a surprise now is it?" said Afura after a
moment of silence.
	"Boxed lunch! Get your boxed lunch!" cried a familiar voice over the
crowd. 
	Makoto perked up immediately. "I know that voice...Nanami?" he said
standing and turning towards the voice. "Nanami?!" he cried lifting the
blind fold from his face to be sure.
	"Ack! What are you doing!?" cried Shayla as she dove back into the
water. 
	Afura sat calmly as she realized that his attention was totally on the
lunch girl for some reason. "Maybe he's in love with her or something?"

	Nanami stopped and looked over at the sound of her name. She stared at
Makoto in shock. She dropped her boxed lunches and ran to him with tears
in her eyes. "Makoto!? Oh, thank god I've found someone! You don't know
how frightened and lonely I've been in this crazy place! You don't know
how awful it's been, I got a job as a waitress and finally got enough
money to start my own business and someone grabbed my butt!" said the
girl as she began to sob pathetically in Makoto's chest. "Oh Mr.Fujisawa
you're here too? I feel so much better now!" cried the exasperated girl.
	"You had to start your own business didn't you?" said Makoto softly with
a fond look in his eyes.
	Nanami started and looked at him strangely before Shayla piped up. "Hey
you know her?" she asked looking at the pair with unusual interest.
	"Well I certainly wouldn't act like this if we had just met would I?"
retorted the girl.
	"Sorry," said Shayla as she quickly lost her sudden interest. "So Fatora
you gonna join us or not?" 
	"Huh? Uh no I have this thing about hot springs..." stammered the girl
nervously.
	"Oh, don't be so rude my love!" said Alielle as she shoved her into the
water on top of Shayla.
	A very wet, angry, half-naked, and very male Ryo stood from the water
and glared at her. "You did that on purpose didn't you?" 
	"Oops, you looked so much like Fatora that I kind of forgot..."
stammered the girl as she cowered before him helplessly.
	"Great," he muttered as he wiped the water off his face and pushed his
hair back in frustration.
	The women looked at him in shock and simply stared in silence. Partly
because of the fact that he had changed and partly because he had the
body of a martial artist, the fact that the only thing he had on was a
towel that he held over his most intimate areas didn't hurt either, even
Miz was impressed. It didn't last long as they realized that he was male
and they were nude. The three of them dove into the water and started
shrieking and throwing things at him and he blocked lazily. 
	"Look cut it out will ya?" he grumbled. 
	It was then that Shayla decided to make her presence known. The other
girls backed away and started running. Miz was slowed because she led
Fujisawa along.
	"Y-you PERVERT!" screamed Shayla as she rose into the air with the jewel
on her headband flaring up.
	"Oh shit!" muttered Ryo as he turned to face her in a defensive stance. 
	Makoto was staring at the angry woman in disbelief with Nanami clutching
his chest.
	"Hey Mizuhara..." started Ryo.
	"No way pal, you're on your own," cried Makoto in a panic.
	"Actually I was gonna say run," said Ryo as fast as he could while he
passed the pair.
	"You! Why aren't you wearing your blindfold?" screamed Shayla as she
floated towards him glowing brightly.
	Nanami blinked and glared at him before starting to shriek. "Sex fiend."
	"You pervert! Get back here both of you so I can kill you!" roared
Shayla as she charged. 
	"Oh no, they're coming this way!" exclaimed Afura as she paled and
turned to run.
	"They would have to pick on her at this time of the month!" cried Miz
angrily as she dragged her new beloved behind her. Mr. Fujisawa had
bravely passed out. "He's heavy, help me carry him!" 
	"But we'll die!" replied Afura.	
	"Sister Shayla please calm down!" pleaded Alielle.
	Lots of explosions and screaming could be heard from the springs after
that for several minutes.

	A woman watched from the shadows and panted in the heat. She wore a
heavy cloak to disguise her skin. She smiled as she saw Ryo run by chased
by nearly everyone else in the springs.

	Miz fawned over Mr. Fujisawa and the group all sat around a fountain
while Ryo sat and glared at Shayla. The woman looked away angrily and
sneered.
	"Shayla you might have really hurt someone," scolded Afura.
	"It wasn't my fault! Why isn't anyone blaming Mr. Fashion show over
there?" she retorted.
	"She's right if you'd told us they made you pose as Fatora this wouldn't
have happened," said Miz curtly.
	"That would have defeated the whole purpose of posing in the first place
wouldn't it?" said Ryo with a small smile.
	"That isn't the point," said Shayla angrily. "Your cross dressing almost
got someone killed."
	"You saw me well enough to know better than that Miss Shayla," said Ryo
giving her and even gaze. "In the changing room?" was his answer to her
questioning gaze.
	Shayla stood up like a rod. "What the hell? What are you?!" she demanded
backing away.
	"What is she talking about Shayla?" asked Afura looking worriedly at
Ryo.
	"We changed together for the baths remember?" said Shayla giving Ryo a
careful stare.
	"So?" then it hit her and Miz at the same time.	
	"That wasn't a man's body," said Shayla coolly. The two other
priestesses stood behind her. "What are you? You'd better answer me." 
	"Cursed," said Ryo simply with a small shrug.
	Afura relaxed slightly. "What?" 
	Ryo gave them a shorthand version of Jusenkyo and his curse. The women
all just looked at him blankly. 
	"I don't get it, why not just purify the thing and be done with it?"
said Afura.
	"Because the curse isn't from this world so I doubt it would even work.
That's the other reason we went along with the impersonation plan. We
need the Eye of God for our own purposes. It may be the only way back to
our home dimension." said Ryo quietly.
	"Is every one on your world a pervert?" sneered Shayla.
	"Back off girl, I did what I needed to so I could get home. It's not a
big deal for someone like me to see a nude woman anyway now is it? I've
seen myself plenty of times. It takes more than a pretty figure to get my
attention I'm afraid," said Ryo simply.
"I'm sorry, but we can't help unless certain protocols are followed,"
said Afura. 
	"I think we should do it. That way we can prepare the wedding...uh I
mean help Roshtaria," said Miz.
	"No way," said Shayla.
	"I'd like to help but..." said Afura.
	"All three priestesses must agree," finished Miz.
	Alielle was about to try to reason with Shayla when something caught her
attention.

	Princess Rune looked off the balcony of her private chambers and off
into a storm that was forming in the distance. She looked for a long
moment before returning back into the palace.

	Shayla sat quietly and sulked for a moment after that, until a beautiful
blonde woman approached them. All the eyes of the men were on her
instantly. Ryo's gaze was different than that of Fujisawa or Makoto
though and Shayla noticed it and watched the new comer carefully.
	"She's beautiful," said Makoto as he stared in a daze. 
	"Yea, you said it," agreed Fujisawa.
	Miz and Nanami growled at their respective companions.
	Ryo growled as well but it went unnoticed by all.
	"You've turned into some kind of sex crazed deviant haven't you?" cried
Nanami as she forced Makoto to look away.
	Alielle was of course instantly in love.
	The woman stepped up to them and held her hand out to Ryo seductively.
Ryo's natural danger senses kicked in right away; he didn't need them to
know that she had a knife hidden under her illusion.
	"May I ask what you're doing with that?" asked Nanami.
	"Huh? Its a gift for your friend," said the woman.
	"Maybe you're right though, she is beautiful. I've never seen anything
like it I mean, I've only been here a short time but I've never met
anyone with blue skin before," said Nanami cheerfully.
	A look of confusion crossed the woman's face.
	"Blue skin? Are you sure?" said Afura standing up defensively.
	"Stay back Shayla! I need her alive!" yelled Ryo as the woman stood to
attack. 
	He jumped towards her with a kick that was dodged easily. She smiled and
slashed at his neck. He was gone long before the knife ever reached.
Almost faster than her eyes could follow he ducked under her slashes and
punched her in the stomach hard causing her to bend forward and let all
the air out of her lungs to keep from being winded. He then landed a good
solid right hand blow that took her across her face and almost sent her
flying, he finished with a spinning side kick that sent her to the gravel
floor, all this happened before the priestesses could react. She
scrambled to her feet cursing and was about to fade out of existence when
the world went black as Ryo planted his elbow in the base of her neck.
She went down hard and bounced twice before finally settling on the
ground. 
	"Tie her up, we need to ask some questions," said Ryo as he kicked her
lightly to make sure she was out.
	I could have done it ten seconds quicker, you show off." muttered
Makoto.
	A messenger ran up to the priestesses. "Your holiness. Please forgive
the intrusion, but we have just received word that the Bugrom forces have
conquered Ginan and are heading toward the forbidden island."
	"No they couldn't!' cried Miz.
	"Are you positive this is the truth?" said Afura.
	"Are you sure it isn't some kind of mistake?" asked Shayla impatiently.
	"No, it is not," replied the messenger.

	Jinnai stood on the front of a large Bugrom battle ship and glared at
the cold waters of the river of god with an evil smile. Bugrom stood on
the shores and waved their comrades off as the entire fleet pushed off.
	"But only the holy sages of Muldoon know the exact location of the
forbidden island where the demon Ifurita is resting. It is impossible no
one could find it!" said Diva from beside him.
	Jinnai laughed. "Do you really still doubt me?"

	"What the hell is this supposed to do?" grumbled Shayla as she sat and
glared at the woman who was now waking up. She found herself tied to a
mast.
	"I'll bet my life she knows where the real Fatora is being held," said
Ryo calmly as he glared at her. She growled and struggled at her bonds
for a moment before vanishing from within the ropes.
	"She's gone!" cried Alielle.
	"Just an illusion, I can still feel her presence. She thinks she can
escape so easily from me, she'll soon find out I am more dangerous than
all of Roshtaria to her kind. I don't like being targeted and I guarantee
that I'll find that blasted Galus and tear his heart from his chest. Even
if I have to go through the whole Phantom tribe to do it," growled Ryo
angrily as he leaned closer to her face as she had now reappeared after
her plan of escape had failed.
	"Pipe down," said Shayla.
	
	Jinnai chuckled to himself as he rode through the waters. "Ifurita is a
tool, a wrench to twist away the power from...Makoto. In this world I'll
have the upper hand," with that he began to laugh again.

	Back in Roshtaria Rune Venus stood on her balcony yet again gazing at
the sky in worry. She closed her eyes in prayer. "Oh ancient gods, it was
so long ago that you destroyed yourselves, does your horrible power still
live on to destroy us now? Please prevent the one who dares to resurrect
the most disgusting destroyer of them all...Ifurita."
	
	Spirit within part 2: El Hazard
	The fourth night: The world of the Demon God.

	The island appeared in the distance before the crew of the small skiff.
It was raining and thunder crashed around the distant peaks. Ryo stood in
his female guise and frowned as they approached it. 
	"I know I'm leading Jinnai to it, but if I don't Ifurita will not be
awakened and we will never have come here," she thought to herself. Then
Shayla spoke up.
	"The forbidden Island, a place lost to ancient memory, the resting place
of the demon Ifurita. Only the three holy priestesses know of the isles
location, only we three know, we three, the bearers of the ancient ways.
How could the Bugrom have found out?" she said as she gazed out over the
bow of the ship.
	"Stop with the stupid monologue, nobody knows the answer. Your certainly
not smart enough to figure it out on your own," said Afura lazily as she
leaned against one of the rails.
	Shayla growled and turned on her angrily. "What did you say? Are you
calling me stupid?!" she roared.
	"Shayla calm down. This isn't the place," said Ryo as she walked up and
stared her down.
	"You shut up you pervert!" she retorted angrily.
	"She's right, Besides, I don't think he knows where the island is," said
Makoto after a brief staring match between Ryo and Shayla.
	Everyone but Ryo looked at him in surprise. "What?" said Miz.
	"Why else would they be following us?" said Makoto finally.
	"Damn," muttered Ryo.
	Shayla turned to face her. "You knew!?"
	Makoto frowned and turned towards Ryo, "How could you not know? I bet
you were planning to lead him there! Why?" 
	"Because I know who Ifurita is," said Ryo calmly as she slumped down and
sat on the deck. 
	"What?" said Makoto and the priestesses in perfect unison. Everyone
looked surprised. Including the shadow tribe woman.
	"Fool, Ifurita is the one who went us here," said Ryo calmly as she
wiped some of the excess rain from her forehead.
	"What do you mean?" said Makoto looking blank.
	"Think about it fool. If I'm right then we have to wake her up. I
learned a long time ago that you can't change fate no matter how hard you
fight it. One way or another she'll wake up to send us here, Either we
wake her up now and maybe get her with us...or Jinnai will stumble onto
her and have her against us. I doubt if she's a weak fighter Makoto,
personally I'd rather have her on our side." 
	"That's crazy!" said Shayla angrily. 
	"Is it? I wonder," said Ryo slyly.
	"How can you know that?" said Makoto suspiciously.
	"Think about it fool, you seem to be good at that. A strange woman we've
never met sends us to a strange world claiming to know you very well.
We've never met her before, meaning we meet her here. All that plus the
fact that she had the power to send us here, something that no one else
here seems to be capable of? Who else could it be but a powerful demon
god?" said Ryo just as calmly as ever despite the varying stares of anger
that the women were giving him.
	"You tricked us!" said Shayla as her jewel flared up.
	"I did not. Jinnai did, I simply didn't tell you that you were being
fooled," replied Ryo curtly.
	"How could you?" said Nanami.
	"I swear none of you will come to harm because of this. I will not allow
it," said Ryo sternly to the women.
	"Oh, brother." muttered Makoto as he rolled his eyes.
	"You bastard!" cried Shayla as she decked Ryo hard across the jaw. Ryo
landed at the feet of the shadow tribe woman and she smirked at her from
her bonds. She stood shakily and turned to face her. "Laugh while you
can," said Ryo to her with a cold stare. She frowned and looked away from
her.
	"How could you?! Don't you realize that the awakening of Ifurita could
mean the end of El-Hazard?" said Miz in shock. She turned and blew a kiss
at Fujisawa after saying that and giggled.
	"I can tell you're real worried. Besides, Jinnai wouldn't destroy
El-Hazard with Ifurita," said Ryo calmly as ever.
	Everyone turned to face him and just stared in shock. "What do you mean?
Of course he would!" cried Makoto.
	"No, he wouldn't, he would use it to conquer El-hazard, not destroy it.
He is insane and, evil but not stupid. He couldn't rule what isn't
there," said Ryo with a smug smile.
	"I hate to admit it, but he's right," said Nanami after a few moments of
silence. "My brother is pretty sneaky, but he's not evil enough to
destroy an entire world." 
	"It wouldn't surprise me if he did it by accident while trying to
conquer this place though," muttered Makoto.
	"Well its too late now, we've already lead him to it," said Miz as the
ship closed in on the Island.

	Deep under the realm of El-hazard...

	"Nahatta," said Galus as he sat in his throne lazily.
	"Yes my lord?" said the young boy who had tried to assassinate Ryo. He
approached the throne and fell to his knees.
	"It seems the Bugrom are attempting to resurrect the Demon god from the
forbidden island," said Galus with a thoughtful look about him.
	"Surely they will fail...they are only a bunch of bugs," said the boy
with a smile. 
	"Surely, but that cursed Ryo has recruited the help of the three
priestesses and holds our comrade captive. A weapon such as Ifurita
should not fall into his hands," said the prince bitterly. He gripped the
arm of the chair he was seated in anger. The boy looked up at this and
said nothing. "You will go and insure that it does not happen."
	"Yes my lord," said the boy as he clenched his fist. At last he could
take his revenge for his humiliating defeat at Ryo's hands. He smiled
lightly at the thought. "He will learn the true power of illusions." 

	As they slowly made their final approach to the island Makoto sat and
watched the horizon for signs of Jinnai. He knew he would come soon, but
he was not yet visible.
	Fujisawa sat with Miz and downed another drink. "Mr. Fujisawa, you
shouldn't be drinking so much," scolded Nanami.
	"That's right, You are going too need your super powers when we get to
the island. Remember, Jinnai will probably try to ambush us," agreed
Makoto.
	"It's not as easy as you think." muttered the man. Ryo became a blur and
the bottle vanished from Fujisawa's hand. The girl flung it over the side
of the boat and into the water.
	"Hey!" cried the man as he came to tears.
	Ryo smiled, "It just became a lot easier." 
	"Miss Ryo that was uncalled for," said Miz with an angry and flushed
look.
	"-Mr.- Ryo, thank you, and what do you mean? We are in a combat
situation, I'd say me and Makoto know a great deal more about that than
any of you ladies," said Ryo smugly. She was clearly annoyed that the
women thought his actions were cruel.
	"What do you mean, are you saying girls can't fight?!" screamed Shayla.
	"Shayla do I look like I'm saying that," said Ryo as she turned to face
her with her chest stuck out.
	The priestess just growled and turned away.
	"Stop looking for an excuse to fight me. Makoto and I have seen more
combat than every person on this boat combined I'll wager," retorted the
girl angrily.
	Makoto frowned. "Even if it was because of each other," he muttered to
himself. Still he had never seen Ryo get this tense before.
	"Hey, I heard that!" cried Ryo as she jumped towards Makoto.
	"Yea?! What of it??!!" said the boy as he met her in the air.
	Nanami smiled slightly as the two bickered amongst each other. Makoto
and Ryo's constant fighting when they were together were strangely a
comforting reminder of home for her. She thought for a moment and smiled.
"Hey, since Mr. Fujisawa got super strength when he came here, do you
think I got the ability to see through the shadow tribes Illusions?" she
chimed suddenly.
	Ryo and Makoto stopped their sparring and just looked at her for a
moment.
	"I bet that's probably right," said Afura pleasantly.
	"Will ya look at that, I'm a super girl! Hey Makoto, what kind of super
ability did you get?" she said cheerfully.
	"Ya know, I don't think I got one," said the boy after a few moments of
thought.
	"I suppose neither of us needed them," said Ryo after a moment. She did,
wonder though. Makoto's super power could have been altered because of
his training, somehow she doubted it because it were so important. 
	"What do you mean 'We'? You got your curse back," said Makoto to her.
	"That's right, I'd forgotten that I had gotten rid of it before," said
Ryo. "It's amazing how quickly you get used to it again."
	"Back?" wondered Nanami.
	"I wonder why nothing happened to me?" said Makoto mostly to himself.
	"It figures, It seems nothing happens if you're dull to begin with,"
muttered Nanami.
	"Ouch," said Makoto.	

	They grew very near to the island as the water was full of dangerous
whirlpools and rocks. It had taken them quite some time to get near
enough to land. 
	"It looks very forbidden doesn't it?" said Makoto nervously.
	"What are you so worried about? Like we're gonna find anything here that
the two of us have to worry about. I'm more concerned with the others,"
said Ryo as he watched them finally land the skiff.
	"Well, aren't we a smug little bastard," muttered Shayla.
	"Why Shayla, I'm surprised you aren't gracing us with another of your
boring speeches," quipped Afura as she walked down the deck towards the
group.
	Shayla growled and the jewel on her forehead surged with power once
again.
	"Let's just get off shall we? I want to find this place as soon as
possible," said Ryo as she jumped down off the side followed by Makoto.
	"Hey!" cried Shayla as she ran up to the edge. She looked over the side
and saw the two walking along the beach. "What the?"
	"Those two show offs. They are always doing things like that to impress
people," snorted Nanami.
	"What? How did they do that?" said Shayla in frustration as she used her
gems to float down to the ground behind them.
	"Hey! What about me?!!" screamed the angry shadow tribe woman from her
seat at the mast. She struggled against the ropes and could not loosen
them. "Damn you!"

	"All right ladies where is this..." started Ryo before he was cut off by
a familiar laugh. Everyone turned to face Jinnai as he approached on the
head of one of the Bugrom air ships.
	"What a wonderful guided tour, many thanks," said Jinnai with a giggle.
	"Makoto get ready!" cried Ryo. Makoto stood in a ready stance and
nodded.
	The would-be dictator simply explained his plans to the group happily.
"Do you think the medal winning conqueror of Ginahn would simply sit
around? No, of course not! I used my network of spies to watch you and
report. Then it was simply a matter of following your little tug boat to
the island."
	"Shut up you little worm," growled Ryo.
	"Well, if it isn't the princess Fatora. I hope you don't mind when I
take over you palace with this little toy. I'm afraid you'll just have to
live somewhere else," said Jinnai as he started to laugh yet again.
	"You little sneak! Your a real jerk no matter what world your on!" said
Nanami from the back of the group.
	Jinnai was shaken for a moment. "Nanami, Wha? Aren't you supposed to be
in school?" he stammered.
	"I knew my brother was a liar and a sneak but this is going too far,
your acting like some kind of crazy weirdo freak!" yelled Nanami.
	Jinnai was pissed. "I am not a crazy weirdo freak! You take that back!"
he roared.
	"I will not. Only a weirdo freak with no friends would hang out with a
bunch of icky bugs," said Nanami as she turned up her nose at the boy.
	"I don't get how they were even able to communicate," said Afura in
confusion.
	"I think I know, he came from that 'Earth' like the rest of them right?
Maybe the power he gained was the ability to talk with the Bugrom," said
Alielle.
	"If my sneaky brother were to gain any power it would be something
disgusting like that!" yelled Nanami.	
	"Enough, all I've gained here in El-hazard is the respect I truly
deserve!" snapped Jinnai.
	"Mr. Jinnai your sister is absolutely right, It takes years to gain
proper respect. At least graduate first!" said Fujisawa in a pleading
tone.
	"I'll have all the respect I'll ever need as the one who will control
the legendary demon powers of Ifurita," retorted Jinnai.
	"Fool, you have to get by us first," said Ryo with a confident tone.
	"It'll take more than the six of you to get away with that while I'm
around!" cried Shayla bitterly as her jewels powered up.
	Jinnai laughed. "Behold!" he called and waved his arm behind him.
	Around twenty Bugrom troop carriers appeared on the waters racing
towards the beach. The sailed over the whirlpools and rapids of the
waters just above the surface. "You are the reason I invited the entire
Bugrom Marine Corps!"
	"Do it now!" cried Ryo.
	Makoto shot a blast out into the water that blew apart the front of one
of the ships. It started to slowly sink into the dangerous waters.
	"Moukou Takabisha!" cried Ryo and Makoto one after another as they both
proceeded to blow away the ships that neared the island.
	"What the? No fair!" cried Jinnai as he turned in shock and watched his
army sink. Several of the ships turned away as they realized that they
could not land. Only three had remained to run.
	The two boys fell to the ground in exhaustion as they were dangerously
low on Ki now. Ryo still had a bit of fight left in her and both of them
began to recover slowly.
	Jinnai snapped out of his shock and hit the nearest Bugrom on the back
of his head. "Go damn it!" he cried and the flying bug shot forward. 
	"No! No you don't!" gasped Makoto as he shot a blast that nailed the
giant flying insect in the torso sending it flaming to the ground.
	Ryo stood and helped Makoto to his feet. "Come on, He's got a head
start!" she said as he started for the temple that sat in the center of
the small island.
	The three priestesses simply stared in disbelief at what they had just
seen. "How did...WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL US THEY COULD DO THAT?" stammered
Afura.
	"You didn't ask us," said Alielle with a shrug as she ran after the two
boys for once in her life.
	"Come on, we'd better follow if we don't want to be left behind," said
Fujisawa as he started walking.
	"Wait! The ships are coming back, and they have more!" cried Miz as she
pointed at the four ships on the Horizon.
	"Shayla you go after them with the others. Miz and I will stay behind
and take care of this," said Afura. "So, you want to show some sailor
bugs the difference between a job and an adventure?" 
	"Sure thing," said Miz with a smirk.

	Makoto and Ryo turned towards the blast as the two priestesses began
their attack on the advancing fleet. "Looks like they brought back up,"
said Ryo.
	"We've got to help them!" said Makoto as he started to stagger back
towards the beach.
	"No, stopping Jinnai is first priority. We worry about them later, they
know what they are doing Makoto," said Ryo with a small sad stare towards
the beach. She hated to miss a party.
	"Besides neither of us will do any good until we get our ki back, that
will take at least a half hour with all we used earlier," said Ryo as she
helped Makoto along.
	"Hey wait up!" cried a familiar voice from behind them. They turned to
see Alielle running up to them with Shayla and Fujusawa not far behind.
Alielle had Ura wrapped around her at the moment. Ryo scampered away from
her as she approached with a speed she didn't know she could still move
at.
	
	Jinnai stood at the temple gates and smiled. "At last," he said
Triumphantly after which, of course, he began to laugh.

	"We have to hurry," gasped Shayla as she ran up to the temple gates as
well. "Who ever awakens Ifurita will be its master. We can't let a nut
like him get control of the demon."
	"Well then stop him, don't wait for us!" said Makoto as he started to
jog on his own at last.
	"Remember no matter what happens we can't let him get control of the
Power Key Staff!" said Shayla as she placed her palm on the eye symbol on
the great stone doors, they opened immediately.
	"The control key power what?" said Fujisawa in confusion.
	"Well, that sounds important," commented Ryo.
	Shayla glared at her a moment and then just sighed and shook her head.

	Jinnai growled as he found yet another cross path in the seemingly
infinite tunnels. It was a large room with several tunnels going in every
direction. "I am getting really sick of this idiotic maze!" he cried and
the Bugrom just grunted.
	He turned as he heard footsteps behind him. "Jinnai wait! You don't know
what you're doing!" called Makoto as he tried desperately to catch up.
	"I'll teach him how to listen!" said Shayla as the aura of her gems
flared up around her. "There are a lot of places to run and hide in these
catacombs, but not from Shayla-Shayla!" she finished her heroic dialogue
and floated into the air.
	"Bra-vo!" said Ryo with a casual smirk as she clapped.
	"Shut up!" said Shayla with a blush as she tried to concentrate on her
targets.
	Jinnai shoved the nearest Bugrom forward. "Go! Go on and kick her ass!"
	The Bugrom scampered behind him and cowered in fear.
	"Did you hear what I said Harpo!? Kick her ass!" said Jinnai as he tried
to pull the frightened bug forward.
	"Well how about you Chiko? You can do it! Gummo? How about you?"
	The Bugrom shoved Jinnai forward and he backed away from the priestess.
"I didn't teach you cowardice!" 
	Shayla snorted out a laugh, "They only learn the hard way, HA!" she was
about to release a fireball when Jinnai vanished in front of them.
	"Huh? Where did he go?" muttered Shayla.
	Ryo tensed herself and waited, then the rumbling started. The group
turned towards the tunnel that the noise was emanating from and gasped as
the water came rushing for them. Ryo felt herself fly back from the sheer
force of the water and land in the still floating Shayla. She groped
desperately for the needle she had pinned in her hair. She saw Jinnai
running safely into the tunnels, she felt the flames from around Shayla,
who was behind her, lick at her back, and the water gushing on her and
throwing her body in every direction as it filled the room. Shayla
latched on to her arm as she also was flung about and Ryo felt the heat
from the gems stone's aura burn his arm. All at once the Illusion ended
for him as pain raced down his body. 
	He looked to see the others gasping for breath and writhing on the floor
and screamed as Shayla's grip seared his hand. He wrenched her grip off
and turned towards a small figure in the rocks. "You!" he growled as he
nursed his hand.
	"What? How?" cried the boy as he faded and jumped away quickly. He
vanished into a nearby tunnel and Ryo cursed as he realized that chasing
him would be pointless.
	The others slowly escaped the illusion and began to regain their senses.
Alielle and Nanami raced up to them. They had fallen behind in the
tunnels during the chase and were just now catching up.
	"What happened?" said Nanami.
	"Where's all the water?" muttered Makoto as he glanced around in
confusion. Then he remembered something, "Jinnai!...How did he do that?"
	"It wasn't him," said Shayla and Ryo almost at the same time.
	"Shadow tribe," answered Ryo as he shook his wrist.
	"Sorry about that," muttered Shayla.
	"Don't be, I guess I deserved it the way I've been acting," muttered Ryo
a little bitterly.
	Makoto was shocked. He had never heard anything even close to an apology
from him before.
	Ryo's head snapped up as he felt a presence in the room, Makoto followed
suit almost immediately.
	"Oh, look! A little shadow tribe boy! How cute!" squealed Nanami.
	"Nanami, there's nothing cute about a worm!" said Shayla.
	"Worm? tsk, Shayla," said the boy.
	"So, you know my name? Good, if you know my name then you know my
power!" screamed the woman in an ever-louder voice as she flung a few
fireballs at the young boy. They exploded and sent the wall crashing
down. The ceiling above them cracked and large chunks fell to the ground.
A larger piece fell straight towards the place where Ryo and Makoto were
standing.
	"Makoto!" cried Nanami.
	"Bakusai Tenketsu!" cried Makoto as he jumped up to meet the huge chunk
of stone ceiling. Ryo simply stood calmly and walked toward the tunnel
Jinnai had vanished into. The girls watched in shock as the stone
exploded leaving Makoto untouched. 
	"Shall we?" said Ryo as he walked past the girls, he did edge away from
Alielle and the horrible little monster that hung around her chest.
Makoto noticed this and smiled wryly.
	"We don't have time for this, he has a head start on us again!" muttered
Nanami.

	Jinnai stood in the doorway of a large round room with a staff floating
horizontally over a woman who seemed to be sleeping in the floor of a
large shrine in the center of the room. He gasped and entered cautiously
as his Bugrom guards cowered nervously in the door. "Ifurita," he said in
awe. He stepped forward hurriedly and stood over her. "Such beauty, such
power. All mine!" he said with a cackle as he reached out and plucked the
staff from it's position over her body. He lifted the staff and she rose
as if connected to it in some way. He smiled and chuckled to himself out
of pure greedy rapture over his new plaything. "Mine!" he chimed
excitedly with an evil giggle starting.
	
	"You should be ashamed of yourself, leading us into a dangerous place
like this," said Nanami crankily as she walked behind Shayla.
	"Ah, live with it," muttered the woman as she trudged onward.
	"You could have stayed with Afura and Miz ya know," said Ryo as he
looked around at the walls that seemed to surround them at times in the
long maze. Shayla seemed to have at least some idea of where she was
going.
	"Don't you two care about anything? We could have been killed!" whined
Nanami.
	"No, you could have been killed. With the exception of Alielle the rest
of us would have easily survived that," said Ryo with a mild snort.
	"When did you become male again?" asked Shayla as she realized that Ryo
had changed.
	"Huh? Oh that, I guess the illusion and your fire powers were enough to
fool my body," said Ryo after a moments thought.	
	"This isn't a damn recess! Go find the demon!" roared Fujisawa from
behind them.
	Suddenly, from down the corridor they heard a familiar laughing. 
	"Jinnai! Maybe were not too late!" cried Makoto as he broke into a run.
	Ryo and Shayla followed quickly with Nanami and Alielle being left
behind once again.

	Makoto turned the corner and stopped cold as he saw Jinnai standing with
the strange woman who had sent them to El-Hazard standing next to him. He
was shoving something into her back and twisting it.
	"Ryo...You were right! It is her!" cried Makoto in shock.
	"What?!" said Shayla.
	"We still have time!" cried Ryo as he jumped towards Jinnai. The Bugrom
stood around their leader and Ryo simply swatted them away without
breaking stride. Jinnai stood almost frozen in fear. Ryo decked him and
sent him flying into a wall. "Makoto activate Ifurita, twist the staff!"
cried Ryo.
	"What? NO!" screamed Shayla as Makoto jogged up to the demon goddess.
	Ryo grabbed her and held her back before she had reached halfway across
the room to stop him.
	"It's the only way. We already know she'll be awakened or we wouldn't
even be here. We have to make sure that she doesn't fall into Jinnai's
hands, this is the only way. He knows where she is now," said Ryo as
gently as he could. Shayla promptly slugged him. 
	"You bastards! You don't know what you're doing!" she screamed angrily. 
	"Miss Shayla calm down, he's right!" said Alielle as she tried to hold
her back.
	"Yes, I'm afraid he is," said Nanami with a quick glance at Ifurita. No
one saw her eye's grow wide as she did and grow glued to the demon
goddess.
	"I understand," said Shayla with a saddened look in her eyes. "I
just...Oh God no!" Shayla had noticed Nanami had not been paying
attention to her and Jinnai had woken up.

		Makoto walked up to the demon goddess after Ryo had dispatched with
Jinnai rather neatly. "Hi, remember me?" he said as he walked up and
placed his hands on the staff to turn it. A strange energy surged through
him and his mind was filled with confusing images. "What the?" he
stammered as he let go almost immediately. That was when he noticed the
sharp pain on his back. He fell forward as it intensified and he felt
someone standing on his back. He faded in and out of consciousness as he
saw the energy crackling around him. "What?" he muttered as he tried to
understand what was happening to him.


	"How dare you challenge me like that!" cried the Jinnai angrily as he
regained his senses again.
	His rant was stopped as a concentrated beam of white energy shot through
his chest from the shrine. He looked forward in shock as he fell to his
knees and then on his face. He lay there in the growing pool of blood
that formed under him and lay silently. His eyes forever staring at his
sister who turned and looked at him in silent horror.
	"Makoto?" gasped Ryo as he turned to face his friend. He finally saw
what Nanami had not been able to take her eyes away from. 
	"My brother!" cried the Nanami in shock.
	"Makoto?!" repeated Ryo this time in shock and anger.
	Makoto was lying on the floor with a knife sticking from his back
desperately groping at the ground as he tried to crawl out from under the
demon goddesses' foot. The owner of the knife, the young shadow tribe boy
just smirked. "Kill them, kill them all," he said as he turned to face
her.
	Ifurita's face twisted into a mask of battle hardened indifference and
she formed a ball of energy on the end of her staff. Makoto grabbed her
leg and she stopped and gasped in shock. Makoto sat wide eyed at the
images and feelings that flooded his mind. Ifurita just stood in shock,
frozen. The Shadow tribe boy frowned and stepped on the knife driving it
deeper. Makoto cried out and let his grip fail as he passed out. Ifurita
and the boy stepped towards the rest of the group.
	Fujisawa ran up and grabbed Makoto from behind them and pulled out the
knife. He ripped off his shirt and pressed it against the wound.
	 Ifurita and the shadow tribe boy ignored him and stalked towards Shayla
and Ryo.
	
	"Shit we're too late!" grumbled Shayla as she jumped to action. 
	"No wait!" cried Ryo as he tried to stop her. "Damn."
	"You're going back to sleep now," said Shayla as she charged the demon
goddess. "I've got a knock out pill that will help." 
	Ifurita looked up at her passively. "I recognize your battle technique,
northern capital isn't it?" said Ifurita on an emotionless monotone
voice. 
	"Get ready to die!" cried the fire priestess as she dove for the woman.
	"Too bad, merely a novice," said Ifurita as she effortlessly dodged and
deflected Shayla's fire based attacks.
	"Impossible!" Shayla gasped as she was slammed into the wall and then
the ground hard by a fire blast twice the strength of any she could
produce.
	"Damn hot headed..." grumbled Ryo as he raced to catch her and barely
made it. 
	Nanami simply sat over her brother's body and sobbed as she held his
head to her chest. "Katsuhiko." 
	She felt arms around her and she was lifted into the air just as a blast
knocked the remains of her brother into a pile of nearby rocks. "Ryo!"
she gasped as she turned to see who had saved her. 
	"Shut up and stay down," he growled as he shoved her with Alielle in a
pile of stones near the door.
	Ifurita stood over Shayla and frowned as she struggled to rise. She
pointed her staff at her and another ball of energy formed. Ryo turned to
see this and screamed as he charged her hoping to draw her attention away
from the downed priestess. It failed and she ignored him, he did the only
thing he could. He dove in front of Shayla and crossed his arms over his
body. Ifurita blasted him at point blank range and he was sent flying
across the room.

	Alielle distracted Nanami from the battle, she pulled on her shirtsleeve
and was trying to yell over the noise.  "Miss Nanami! We have to help
Makoto, Mr. Fujisawa said to get him out! He'd dying, please Miss
Nanami!" the girl was crying as hard as she could and the words came out
in a confused babble, but Nanami understood enough. She felt ashamed of
ignoring the living and injured. Makoto was gasping for breath and
completely pale. Sweat poured down his face and he swallowed hard as he
tried to look around. Nanami wrapped one of his arms around her neck and
gasped as he fumbled and grabbed one of her breast. She was about to yell
when she realized that he was in far to much shock to realize what he was
doing. Alielle took his other arm and they ran down the corridor towards
the exit.
	
	Ryo was having problems of his own he lay on the ground in the dust and
struggled for his breaths. "Damn," he managed to cough.
	Shayla just stared at him. "Oh god!" she cried as she rushed to his
side. 
	"Foolish human," said Ifurita coolly.
	Ryo stood and clutched his chest. "You won't hurt any of them! I swore
that!" he cried angrily as a ball of chi formed in his hands. "Makoto is
dead, you killed Jinnai. I won't allow you to hurt any of the others! Eat
this! Shi shi houkou dan!!" cried Ryo as he blasted Ifurita with a huge
ki blast. She was thrown back into the wall hard and fell to the ground
with a loud crunching noise. She stood and twitched for a moment.
"Unidentified energy source, unable to replicate. Basic structure
synthesized. Adapted," she said mechanically.
	"Unable to replicate?" thought Ryo in shock. Then he realized, she can't
use Ki without emotions!" he rushed forward and kicked at her. She dodged
easily and back handed him, he returned with an Amaguriken speed flurry
of punches, all of which were easily dodged. She returned the attack at
double speed and sent him flying it to a pillar. He cried out in pain as
he slammed into the stone and jumped back up at her. He smirked and he
punched at her almost connecting. The demon's smile disappeared when she
realized that he too was adapting. If he lived long enough he might find
a weakness. Ryo took advantage of her momentary stop and he punched at
her face, it connected. He wished it hadn't. 

	Shayla watched in horror as the boy shot a huge blue beam of energy at
the monster. He stood for a moment in thought while the demoness regained
her own senses and then he charged her. The battle was short and at
speeds even Shayla couldn't follow. Then it happened; he connected
directly with a solid punch. She felt her heart leap with joy.	That joy
was quickly shattered.	

	Ryo screamed in pain and Ifurita just shook with a look of what seemed
like shock on her face. Energy shot from her body and arced directly into
Ryo.
	As he hung suspended several feet off the ground by the high energy
levels. He hung and screamed as images and power surged through his body.
Yet these feelings and images were not emotions or memories, they were
something different. She threw him off and he slumped to the ground. He
lay there and pushed his torso up with his arms. He looked at Shayla and
she could swear his eyes went red for a moment.
	Then Ifurita was over her again. She was still unable to move. The demon
god smiled again and pointed the staff at her. The energy formed on the
end of the staff. Shayla prepared to die.
	"NO! No one dies!" cried Ryo as he threw himself into Ifurita as hard as
he could and threw her off balance enough to make her miss. The energy
surged through the both of them for the split second they were touching
and faded as soon as they fell apart.
	"Ifurita jammed her foot into his ribs and kicked him against the wall.
She raised her staff and blasted him directly in the chest. He screamed
in pain and she repeated the blast again. This time he slumped down
against the wall. She walked over and kicked him and he reached up and
grabbed her leg. The both of them screamed and writhed in the energy once
more before Ryo's hand fell. 
	"Ryo!" cried Shayla as the walls began to crumble around them.
	Ryo smiled and raised his hand. With the last of his strength he willed
a ki ball into existence. It exploded and sent Ifurita into the ceiling
hard. Fujisawa finally stood from Jinnai's body. He had gone over to
check on the boy after he had seen to Makoto and had not moved.
	He turned and frowned at the scene he saw. Ifurita was recovering fast
and Ryo and Shayla were both down. "Damn! I gotta pay attention!" he
scolded himself seriously. He charged and grabbed both the youngsters and
hauled them easily over his shoulders without stopping he ran along the
wall and into the corridor dodging blast from the still recovering
Ifurita. He made it to the corridors and rushed down the halls as they
crumbled behind him.

	Ifurita stood next to her new master. He smiled approvingly. "Let's try
you out shall we? Go destroy the alliance," he said playfully. Ifurita
shot up like a rocket and flew away.

	On the beach Afura and Miz were cleaning up the last of the Bugrom. Miz
turned and saw a light streaking across the sky. "Oh no! They've awakened
it!" 

	Ifurita stopped over a large city. She gazed down at the people, some of
which stared straight back. She raised her staff and shot a single blast
into the center of the city. It exploded beneath her in a great dome of
fire. Everyone within the walls of the once great city was destroyed in
the blast, all that remained were a few smoking ruins in the center of a
great crater. She looked on with an unfeeling gaze.

	Near the entrance Alielle and Nanami supported Makoto as best they could
and hurried along jogging at a modest pace. It had only taken them twenty
minutes to reach the front. Apparently the maze was designed only to be
difficult to enter, not exit. The doorway appeared before them when
Fujisawa ran up behind them followed boy the destruction of the cavern.
They almost made it to the door.

	A few moments later the group climbed out from the rubble as Fujisawa
pushed up a large pile of debris from on top of them. No one had appeared
any worse from the collapse of the tunnel. That was a good thing too,
because Makoto would have surely died. They gasped and sat resting.
Makoto had stopped bleeding but still needed medical help. Ryo just lay
on the ground and Shayla had begun to stir.
	Miz rushed up over the hill towards them. "Oh, Mr. Fujisawa! Are you
hurt!?" she cried in concern. 
	Fujisawa just looked at her and frowned as he lifted Makoto up and
carried him back towards the ship without a word.
	Makoto stirred in his arms and spoke a single word. "Ifurita," his mouth
was so dry that Fujisawa was barely able to hear it. He frowned at the
boy and simply looked at him.
	"Oh, I'm so glad your alive, the ceremony would have been ruined," said
Miz as she caught up with Fujisawa. She gasped when she saw Makoto in his
arms. A great shame filled her as she realized that he was only concerned
with the boy right now. She hadn't even noticed him in her fantasies. She
turned away in personal disgust and let the man carry the boy solemnly to
the ship.
	"I only hope we can make it to civilization fast enough to save him,"
said Afura quietly.
	Miz nodded silently. For the first time since she had met him Fujisawa
was the last thing on her mind. The dying boy's face haunted her mind as
it would for years after that moment.
	Nanami waked by the two women and gave a hopeful smile. It was weak, but
a smile none the less.

	Ryo just lay on the ground and Shayla kneeled next to him. "I didn't
even thank him yet." 
	Nanami gave her a strange look and walked after Fujisawa. 
	"I'm sure he'll be fine sister Shayla," said Alielle reassuringly.

	Diva stood in the throne room and stood when the six-favored Bugrom
carried in what remained of their master, Katsuhiko Jinnai. She gasped
and felt her heart skip a beat. She looked at him for a moment and sighed
as she settled back into her throne. "So this is what our great savior
has become?" she said solemnly. "We will avenge this transgression. Mr.
Jinnai, I swear your death will not go unpunished," she said as she waved
the body off.	

	TBC...

C&C to Carrotglace@juno.com.

Url: Http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/fountain/3203

	Boy I screwed everyone this time. The phantom tribe has Ifurita; Makoto
is almost dead and may not live. That leaves Ryo to fill his shoes if he
does, but what of his strange new powers? Are they the same as Makoto's,
if not, what is the difference? I guarantee you won't be expecting the
answer when you find out! Have the Bugrom lost their fighting spirit over
the loss of their warlord? Many strange things develop in the next
chapter. Don't think I've forgotten about the Phantom prisoner. Do they
even still have that card to play? Did she escape? Bet ya didn't expect
Ryo to get his ass kicked did ya? How will this effect him? And on a
final note, what of Shayla and Nanami's rivalry over Makoto's heart. Not
much of a story there if he's dead is there? 
Until next chapter, The fifth night the world of Thunder!
	Ja-ne! 
Carrot!


TBC...

	This is where my story starts really veering off course. Ryo has
announced a personal war against the Shadow Tribe and Jinnai goes to
awaken Ifurita, but a few Bugrom will not stop Makoto this time. Who will
get their hands on the Demon god and why does Ryo begin to feel so
strange afterwards? Answers and even more questions arise next time.
	C&C to Catbert25@juno.com


	"Oh shit! Someone else is out of alcohol!" -Fujisawa sensei




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