Hey all,

I'm forwarding this to the list for Jeffrey.  Send all comments to him at samashta@hotmail.com

Thank ya,

Anand

---------------------


Progeny
By Jeffrey Vasquez

Disclaimer:

Based on the series Sailor Moon. All characters copyrighted by Naoko
Takeuchi, Toei Animation, and Kodansha.

The characters of Ranma � are the express property of the most
benevolent queen of comedy, her Highness, the revered Rumiko
Takahashi and Shogokukan. I am in no way claiming, or even pretending
to own these characters.

The rest belong to me.

**********
Chapter 4

**********
Somewhere in the Banyankala Mountain Range.

"Mint.  Lime.  Take point.  Caraway, take Basil and Paprika with you and
bring up the rear."  Herb's clear voice called out through the misting
rain
to his subjects, inspiring them into action.  Mint and Lime, Herb's most
trusted companions immediately began a silent dash into the trees that
surrounded their make shift staging area.  The monarch in exile gathered
the magical treasures of his people and followed them.  Behind him
straggled the two thousand-some-odd refugees of the fallen Musk
Dynasty.

Warriors, men that had been boys the day before, made up the majority of
the force; well over four fifths to be exact.  The rest constituted a
melting
pot of goods makers and farmers, along with a few old veterans and their
women. His small empire had consisted of, well over, nine thousand
souls.

All dead, save for this sorry force.

It sickened Herb how easily they had been overrun, and how quickly.  He
felt the great loss of his people, and the tragedy of the dishonor
weighed
heavily on the boy-king's shoulders.  It was with a sober heart that he
pushed through the wet under growth. In his self pity, he felt the rain
thoroughly appropriate weather for the occasion.

A young boy fell, exhausted, to the muddy path behind him, causing
Herb to turn with his burden and investigate.  Little Pepper had fallen
asleep as he had walked, and now lay, insensate on the muddy trail.
Herb
didn't hesitate, he simply knelt and lifted the boy into his arms.

Pepper had turned eight, the day before yesterday, and had been
presented
before his king for admittance into the warrior's school.  Herb had
looked
fondly at the fiery determination in the boy's eyes and had given his
royal
blessing.

When the evacuation began Pepper had attached himself to his liege's
side
and would not budge.  Lime had tried to return him to the other
children,
but got stuck with the boy's little knife for his troubles.  Herb had
asked
him what he was doing, and received a proud, "Protecting my King!" as
the boy's response.  Herb had smiled grimly and acquiesced to Pepper's
unsolicited offer.

Now that he held the boy, he silently wondered what madness had
overcome him.  Why bring a child to the very heart of danger?  Herb's
father had taught him that any battle can be won by crushing the
opposition's leadership.  "A snake without its head," he had said, "will
flail about mindlessly.  It is dead, but refuses to act like it."  His
father's
palace had been among the first to fall.

The displaced monarch shook his wet head.  By bringing Pepper to the
forefront, he had given himself a reminder.  A reminder that he wasn't
dead; a living reminder of what he was fighting for.  Yes, the boy would
be in danger of attack, but Herb would make sure that all those who
dared
threaten the boy, would die before Pepper came to harm.

The resolve in his face matched the burning fire in his heart.  He would
overcome this enemy like he did those that had reared up before him in
the past.  Swiftly, efficiently, and without mercy.

The dark mists closed around Herb and swallowed him and his people, in
a chilling sense of foreboding.  It was as if history was trying to
claim an
empire that was dead, but refused to act like it.

********
The Joketsuzoku village

It was a rare day indeed that Cologne was anxious.  Three hundred years
of experience had taught her the secrets of patience.  But the sight
before
her unnerved her to the core.  The mighty Herb, prince of the Musk
Dynasty, stood before her with the remnants of his nation surrounding
him.
Her runners had come early that morning, bearing the news that the Musk
had come to war against the Amazons.

Cologne thought this highly unlikely, and said as much openly.  When an
emissary from the Musk approached under a white flag, alarms went off
in the old woman's mind.  There was enough bad blood remaining
between her people and the Musk that the offer was met with open
skepticism.

She had dealt with Herb before and knew him to be a strong leader.
Cologne could not deny a truce between the two nations lightly.  And so
it
was with a great deal of trepidation, that the two groups agreed to
meet.
The small field was large enough to discourage archers, but small enough
to contain no more than a thousand warriors. Considering what her scouts
had reported, that was about all that was left of the Musk.

The young man before her was bedraggled.  His robes were eternally
stained with the mud of travel.  She thought the humble look
distinguished
him, and made him look quite handsome.  The sleeping child in his arms
made the boy-king look more human.  Herb stood before her humbled, yet
retaining his dignity.  It was a good thing.  She would want no less for
such a powerful warrior.

"I bring you greetings, noble Matriarch of Joketsuzoku."  Herb called
out
across the field.

"May the Goddess smile upon you this day, . . . Prince Herb."

Herb shook his head and handed the boy off to the giant in tiger skins,
before continuing.  "King Herb, Matriarch.  I bring the Amazons a
warning."

"Oh?"  Cologne asked in polite surprise despite the growling murmur that
rippled through the Amazons behind her.  "What could be so dire that it
would bring the new King of the Musk and a host of his finest warriors,
to
the Amazon nation?"

Herb crooked his finger to one of his subordinates, a man in a leather
and
silk shirt that was decorated with eagle feathers.  His noble face was
stoic,
showing as little emotion as he dragged  the large bundle wrapped in
tent
canvas before her.  He sketched a bow and returned to his post behind
his
lord.

Herb motioned disgustedly at the bundle.

"That, venerable Matriarch."  He spat the words in his anger and
frustration.  The stench coming from the canvas was over powering.  It
smelled like week old carrion that had fermented in a hot, summer sun.
"That is what brings me to your doorstep, a vagabond, bereft of my king
and father.  My nation is lost to me due in totality to . . . That!"

With great care, Cologne flipped her staff forward to unravel the
bundle.
Her escort watched warily for any treachery.  The canvas unraveled,
rapidly depositing its putrid cargo between the Amazons and the Musk.
The Matriarch had thought herself above a great many things, shock and
a
weak stomach were among the long list.  Unfortunately for her, the sight
at her feet defeated that notion; forcing her breakfast to expel itself
violently.

She wasn't alone.

The body before her would never be mistaken for human.  Black, oozing,
flesh covered the tiger's head in a grotesque, mottled patchwork.  It
wasn't the sight of the thing that upset her so, but rather the stench
of evil
that hung about its putrid form.

The long deadly claws extended from the tips of massive human-like
paws. And there was a cold sanity in the lifeless eyes that bore a
cunning
intelligence. But, that was where the resemblance to any living creature
ended.  The rest was too horrifying to comprehend, and her mind did its
best to shut the sight out.

**Its smell alone could probably kill.** Cologne thought distastefully
as
she wiped the spittle from the corners of her mouth.

Herb didn't react to the beast at all.  His calm, clear gaze focused on
Cologne, boring into her.  She returned it intently.  When Herb spoke,
Cologne could hear the emotion that threatened to surface.

"It killed over one hundred and fifty of my men and women last night as
we marched.  Twenty-five children met their doom in the jaws of this...
Thing."

He shook with barely restrained anger, and all gathered watched as his
battle aura flared brilliantly.  "It took fifty of the finest warriors
of the
Musk to bring the thing down!"  Herb released the energy that he had
built, into the corpse setting it aflame, but not destroying it
completely.

This caused a wave of commotion to surge through the Amazons that were
behind her, many of which included women from the Elder's council who
knew better.  The Musk, already spooked and tired began drawing their
weapons too.

She tapped her staff once on the ground, creating a great reverberating
sound to echo across the field.  The action, got the desired results,
silencing the gathered throng so that Cologne could speak.

"I am Khu Lon, Matriarch of the Elder's Council.  I speak on behalf of
my
nation.  I set aside the old haunts, in light of the new.  We offer you
the
hospitality of our homes King Herb, and would share our salt with you
and yours.  Be welcome as friends."  Cologne's authority washed over all
present, and she hoped that what she did next would minimize the amount
of blood shed that was inevitable.

"It is my decree that there shall be no battle fought during the time
our
guests reside in our nation.  Any challenges issued, save they be formal
challenges of marriage, may not be answered until the Musk leave our
borders."  She paused dramatically and turned to her escort.  "Any
disobedience to this edict will be severely punished.  No excuses will
be
heard or tolerated."

Herb nodded and repeated her edict for the benefit of his people.  A
peace
had been hammered out here, and he would be damned if he let heated
tempers jeopardize it.

Runners from both nations sped off to spread the word to those that
could
not attend the summit.  Herb smiled at Cologne faintly.  It wasn't much,
but in light of what they were facing, it was a definite beginning.

********
Juuban

"SPLASH!"

Ranma-chan looked up at the window washer hotly and grumbled under
her breath.  The cold water held Ranma's tongue in check.  Then again,
maybe it was just Ami.  She was rather special, even if he had only
known
her for a day.  For one, she really listened. Ranma couldn't remember
the
last time someone had just listened to him.

Regardless of the reason Ranma was able to hold her tongue and move on.
But one thing was for sure, this wasn't turning out to be a good day.

Ami chose that moment to giggle.

Ranma-chan swiveled her head ever-so-slightly, to take in the girl's
bright, breath taking beauty.  Her smile did something to Ranma's heart
that hadn't happened since before Akane's death.  She gave it a reason
to
beat a little longer, if only to see her smile again.

The smile was infectious, grabbing the dour frown that had been on
Ranma's face and wrestling it into a smirk.  "What?"  Her curiosity was
piqued.

Ami began laughing outright at her companion, making Ranma more
eager to find out what the dark-haired girl found so entertaining.

"What's so funny?"

It took Ami almost an entire block to bring herself under control.  "I'
m...
I'm beginning to think that your mother had the right idea."  The sour
look
that found its way onto Ranma's face caused Ami to laugh anew.

"Not you too!"  Ranma motioned down at the baggy, boy's, school
uniform that she wore.  "This is bad enough as it is!"  Ami only laughed
harder.

The whole issue of the dress had been a fluke.  Nodoka's way of getting
an early jump on Ranma's re-education and reaffirmation on what it
meant to be a Mother.  He shook his head at how skillfully she had
maneuvered him into wearing a proper uniform to school.  It was
embarrassing.  Apparently Nabiki had rubbed off on his mom, while she
had stayed at the Tendos.

It left absolutely no doubt in his mind what-so-ever as to who was truly
the head of the house hold in his mother's home.

At least Ranma had been able to tailor the outfit to suit his needs,
that was
a plus.  He had finally been able to use the "Anything Goes Speed Sewing
Style" that his father had forced him to learn when he was fourteen.

It wasn't his normal style of dress, but the uniform pants and the white
shirt were baggy enough to move in, and were gathered at the ankles to
prevent entanglements.

What really gave him trouble was the jacket, which he had immediately
peeled off and thrown into his book bag.  The thing was like a straight
jacket!  Ranma-chan sighed stoically and began looking for a chance to
change back.  She was suddenly glad that her mother had the foresight to
pack the four thermoses.

Ami regained control as Ranma inspected an empty alley.

********

Butsukaru, Itamu, and  Kinyobi were known as the "Same no Juuban" -
the Sharks of Juuban.  It was a name that they had earned at a very
young
age, and for very good reason.

Butsukaru had put his fourth grade teacher in the hospital by tripping
her
"accidentally" while she descended a flight of stairs.  Multiple
fractures
and a serious concision had resulted in the fall, all because she wouldn
't
let him play with a certain toy.

Itamu had a fetish for sharp pointy objects, and would be endlessly
sharpening his pencils.  It was an obsession, and every ten minutes
without fail he would stand before the pencil sharpener, grinding away
wood and graphite until the point could draw blood with a just a prick.

An impatient young girl named Mae had cut in front of him one day.  She
had paid for her intrusion by pinning her hand to the wall with her own
sharpened pencil.

And then there was Kinyobi.  A simpleton, with the sadistic love of
beating the crap out of people.  For no other reason, than he enjoyed
the
sound that bones made when they broke, and the color of blood on skin.
When he was seven he beat his older brother into the ICU.  There had
been no warning, no rhyme or reason; and when confronted about the
incident, the simply shrugged his shoulders said that he didn't know why
he did it.

Many of the other parents wondered why the violent delinquents weren't
expelled outright.  The answer was simple: Money, could buy anything,
and anyone.

The motley band lounged on the steps of the local library, on the main
thoroughfare that students used to get to and from school.  They were
like
all predators, hungry and dangerous, combinations that made most
intelligent students take a longer way to school.

"I'm bored Butsu!" Kinyobi whined.  Itamu snickered stupidly at the
largish young man seated on the steps beneath him.

"Anything that doesn't involve bloodying someone bores you Kinyobi."
Butsu replied caustically as he looked up from his book.  The Nanso
Satomi Hakkenden wasn't exactly Butsu's normal fare, but it had some
interesting parts. None of them particularly heroic either.

Butsu was rooting for the villains.

"C'mon Butsu!" Kinyobi's voice squeaked shrilly, causing Itamu to fall
over in hysterics.  Puberty had come late to the burly thug, cursing him
with a man's body, and all but a woman's voice.  He hated it; how could
anyone inspire terror with a girly voice like his?

Butsu growled in disgust.  Slamming the book closed he rounded on
Kinyobi angrily.  "What do you want me to do 'Kin-chan'?"  He said
cruelly twisting the feminine honorific in his mouth.  Kinyobi growled
fiercely, but made no move against the smaller boy.  The oddity of this
twisted David and Goliath scenario made Itamu laugh all the harder.

Kinyobi wanted nothing more than to grind Butsu into so much paste.
Unfortunately, the dim-witted giant knew that he would have to kill
his opponent.  If Butsu lived, Kinyobi would spend the rest of his life
looking over his shoulder.  The smaller boy may have been a weakling in
body, but he more than made up for it in intelligence and a viciousness
that scared the Hell out of Kinyobi.

Butsu stiffened noticeably for a moment and then smiled in a manner that
would give the Devil himself pause.  Kinyobi followed his gaze, watching
as a cute red-head entered an alley not a block away.  A sudden smile
graced his big face.  He "nudged" Itamu roughly, the blow would leave a
wonderfully purple bruise.

A blade was instantly in Itamu's hand, prepared to deal a blow in
retribution.  Butsu held up his hand and pointed, forcing the knife
wielding boy to follow the gesture.  Another girl stopped before the
alley
way, one that Itamu worshiped above all others.

Ami-chan.

He looked at Butsu hopefully.  Kinyobi and Butsu could share the red-
head, but Ami was special.  No one would touch her but him.

Butsu studied the feverish look in Itamu's eyes and was forced to nod
his
assent.  He looked longingly at Mizuno-san.  It was too bad, she was
pretty
and would have been fun to break.  The red-head would have to do.  Such
was the hazard when working with sociopaths; a man had to give into
their passions lest he be consumed by the fire that drove them.

Ah well, such was the gamble of fools and mad men.

With a sudden hunger, the three boys began to stalk their prey.  The
ground was eaten up by their rapid pace.  Ami didn't see them coming
until they were right on top of her.

********

Ami watched the change wash over her new friend, with barely concealed
interest.  The feminine body shifted and grew, widening and shrinking in
the appropriate places.  Her mind wandered, wondering idly what it would
feel like.  A scuff at her back alerted her to the presence of visitors.

She turned to see who it was, and found a hand placed roughly over her
mouth and another clutching her throat.  Panic flooded her heart as she
saw who held her.

**Itamu!**  There was a mad lust in his eyes, that hungered to be sated.

Ami was having a hard time breathing, and her surprise robbed her of her
strength.  She thrashed as best she could, trying to make as much noise
as
possible. She could feel her lungs starting to burn with the need for
air,
when a powerful hand shot out and closed around  Itamu's throat.

It was the other boy's turn to look surprised.

Ami looked up into Ranma's cold, hard face and blushed.  Mother was
going to have a field day with this one if she ever found out.  Ami just
knew it.

********

Butsukaru, Kinyobi stalked their prey like a pack of hungry wolves.
The Mizuno girl was pretty, shy, and weak; just the right combination
for
a little fun.  Itamu had started the game early, and together they had
herded her into the alley.

Ami's worried look was blood in the water for these urban sharks, and
heedless of all but their quarry, they followed after.  Itamu wouldn't
share Ami, but that left more than enough for Butsu and Kinyobi in the
form of the red-haired girl.

They watched in anticipation as Itamu bore down on Ami.  Ravenously
moving forward in unison looking for the other girl, only to brought up
short by a young man in a tailored Juuban uniform.  He had Itamu's
throat
in a hold that could easily kill a man with a simple twist of the wrist.

Flames burned hotly behind Butsu's eyes, the little punk had gotten the
drop on them, but it was time to end this.  The gang leader snapped his
fingers loudly, and all at once things spiraled out of Ranma's control.

Itamu let go of Ami, allowing her to drop to the ground like a limp rag
doll, and produced a large, heavy bladed knife from beneath his jacket
with an evil grin that made Ranma wince and roll his eyes inwardly.

**For cryin' out loud!  Do they always have to look so goofy when they'
re
trying to be tough?**  Ranma pushed the boy back with enough force to
bounce him gently off the wall.

Itamu let out a sharp, high-pitched, and very annoying laugh that set
the
martial artist's teeth on edge.

**GROAN!** Ranma tried really hard to look intimidated, but knew he
failed when Itamu reached out and grabbed Ami's wrist.  The knife moved
in slow motion for Ranma as it approached Ami's throat.

To Ami's credit, she didn't flinch or scream.  All that she wanted to
do was freeze a vital part of this goon's anatomy, so that it would fall
off.
In response to her desire the air temperature seemed to drop a few
degrees. She fixed Ranma with a worried look, waiting for him to do
something.

The deadly look that entered Ranma's eyes was the last thing anyone was
expecting.  Fear, anger, and worry were all very acceptable reactions to
the situation, but the murderous look that Itamu was receiving was very
out of the ordinary.

Itamu gulped loudly and began trembling as Ranma's body began to glow
a sickly blue.

Butsu and Kinyobi knew that they were being stalked the moment Ranma
began to move.  They had done it enough to know the signs, but the
unfamiliar sensation of fear that settled in their stomachs like a large
stone was completely new to them.  The uncomfortable experience didn't
sit well at all.

A dangerous smirk lit up Ranma's face causing Itamu, who was Ranma's
chosen target at the moment to whimper.  Ranma blurred, changing
targets half way to Itamu.  Neither Butsu nor Kinyobi saw the blows that
knocked their heads into the brick wall, and before Itamu could blink
Ranma was standing before him, holding the hand that held the knife.

With a gentleness that never entered his eyes, Ranma removed the blade
from the quaking boy's fingers.  Itamu grinned weakly as Ranma forced
him to release Ami.

The martial artist drew the bully down with him, to squat in the alley
way.
The cold gleam never left his eyes as he motioned Ami away from them.
The smile that crawled across his face was meant for Itamu alone, and it
was enough to make the boy want to soil himself.  They stared at each
other for long minutes, hunter to hunted, before Ranma turned to look at
the knife in his hand.

Ami stared at Ranma's back in shock.  Never had she seen anyone move
so fast in her life without the aid of magic.  A loud snap, followed by
a pitiful whimper drew her attention to Ranma's hands and Itamu's white
face.  The knife rested in two pieces in Ranma's hands, blade in one
palm
and the hilt in the other.  He looked up at Ami and grinned sheepishly.

"Oops."  He shrugged.  With a casual grace he tossed the blade at an
open
space between Itamu's legs, burying it into the concrete about a quarter
of
an inch from Itamu's groin.  The boy's eyes rolled up into his head and
he
passed out with a loud "Thunk!" as his head met the concrete behind him.
Ranma stood and smiled weakly at Ami, before he worriedly started to
examine her throat for injuries.

His touch was delicate, yet commanding.  Fingers that had so
nonchalantly
rent a steel blade, now skittered across her throat like a whispering
wind.
Her skin began to heat and prickle beneath his touch.  It made her
thankful
for the shadowy alley.  She knew she must be as red as a tomato.

As it was, she felt like she was glowing.  She swallowed nervously and
looked up at her hero's handsome face.

"You okay?"  He asked.

Ami only nodded once before swallowing again.

His lips looked soft, and the way his eyes seemed to envelop her made
her
knees weak.  She tottered unsteadily for a moment, falling forward into
his arms.  Her logic centers exploded, crying out in alarm at the loss
of
control.  The libido again became a mad cheering section.

She numbly felt his strong arms wrap around her protectively, and her
head rested squarely over his heart.  The strong, quick, beat resounded
in
her ears enchanting her.  Time again fell away, and a warm, comfortable,
rightness descended on her.
Somewhere in the distance a bell chimed causing Ranma to jerk.  It was
enough to snap her out of her trance.

"Crap!"  The urgency in Ranma's voice and the sounds of the bell in the
distance brought her hormones crashing down in disappointed flames.
The logic centers smugly resumed supremacy and began working over
time to restore the order that this boy had so callously ravaged.  Ami
looked at her watch in mild aggravation and saw the time.  She groaned
and shook her head.  There went her perfect record.

One thought, spoken in his mother's quiet, authoritative, voice,
repeated
itself in Ranma's mind. **"Real men are punctual.  I do not wish to hear
that you were truant.  Ever."**   He gulped remembering his morning
sparring session with his mother.  With real fear in his eyes, Ranma
scooped Ami into his arms, ignoring her cry of surprise.

"Which way to school?"  Ami pointed wide eyed in the general direction
of the school.  "How much time do we have?"  She gestured again,
spreading out five fingers on her hand.  Ranma cursed.  "Hold on tight."

Ami did as she was told without reluctance, blushing at how good it felt
to
be in his arms again. The Libido raspberried the Logic Centers and again
seized control.  She felt the ground fall away from her and a sudden
rush
of wind as she and Ranma rocketed to the roof top three stories above
them.

There was a moment of weightlessness, much like the day before, and
then gravity reasserted itself, bringing Ranma and his passenger down
gracefully to the shingled roof.  The feeling of near-flight was nothing
compared to the interesting new sensations that now coursed through her
body.

The instant he touched down Ranma was running.  The end of the roof
came and he felt Ami tense in anticipation of the jump.  He remembered
the times when he had carried Akane like this.  The sweet smell of her
perfume lingered on the wind in his mind, and the supple feel of her
toned
body raced through the memory of his arms.

Ami wasn't as strong as Akane had been, but she felt surprisingly
similar.
Her perfume was different, but it smelled just as sweet.  Remembering
was painful. But, somehow Ami dulled the sting even as she acted as a
constant reminder of what he had lost.

Ranma didn't like where that line of thought was heading, so he
violently
pushed it down and locked it away.  No sense in opening another can of
worms.  He turned his mind to the task at hand and concentrated on
making it to school on time. He could see the school's clock, a block
away.

Plenty of time.

********

Usagi Tsukino was not your average teenaged girl.  Not many girls
her age could claim to be a princess and actually have it turn out to be
the
truth.  The number that could claim the mantle of super hero were even
fewer and farther between.  Aside from that distinction though, Usagi
tried her best to live a normal life.  For her, that meant: boys, manga,
ice
cream and more boys.

While there was really only one boy in her life that really meant
anything,
she felt that she could occasionally admire choice specimens.  It was
like
going to an art museum.  That's how she could justify her careful
examination of Eijiro Honami; she was admiring him as an art form.

The warm, oak brown color that made up his eyes complimented his
dashing smile.  And the dreamy way he walked . . . definitely an art
form
to be appreciated.

Mio  Kogara, Usagi's home room teacher, watched the girl in amusement
as she unpacked her satchel. **Oh, to be that young again.**  It pleased
her that the Tsukino girl was at least making an effort to be on time
this
week.  It didn't really matter to her that Usagi spent most of the time
daydreaming.

Like most teachers, she would take what she could get and then try to
build from it.  And she would need something good to offset the transfer
student that she was getting today.  The report that she had received
from
Furinkan, told her that she had her work cut out for her.

********

Ranma landed just before the gate to the school, startling a gaggle of
girls
as they walked over the threshold.  He gently settled Ami down and
scrambled to get his paper work out of his jacket pocket.  The clustered
girls, allowed their eyes to roam over the sight of the school's newest
hunk.  Looks of envy had already begun to creep in at the sight of Ami
and
her proximity to the new boy.

Ami wanted to find the nearest available rock and climb beneath it.

"Hey Ami-chan, who's Kogara-sensei?"  Ami stopped righting her skirt
and looked up at Ranma in surprise.

"You have Kogara-sensei for home room?"  Ranma nodded, still studying
the sheet of paper in his hands.  "That's wonderful, I have her too."
Her
smile brightened considerably, causing the group of girls behind her to
groan in frustration.  "Come on or we're going to be late."

Ranma nodded again, and then looked up at the clock.  Time was ticking
away.  He needed to be on time.  Men were punctual, and he was a man.
There was no time to climb the stairs, so he started looking for
alternative
routes. Inspiration struck again, and he turned to Ami silently hoping
that
this idea turned out better than the first.

"Where is our classroom?"

Ami looked at him quizzically. "I'm sorry?"

Ranma looked at her in frustration.  "Which window leads to our
classroom?"  **Please! Just let it be on this side of the building!** He
prayed.

"Third one from the left on the fourth floor."  Ami pointed out the
appropriate window. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiii!"  She screeched loudly
as Ranma gathered her in his arms again and tore off running for the
building.

He could tell the window was open.  That was good, he wanted to make a
good impression and property damage didn't seem to be the way to do it.
Ami clutched at him, drawing his attention down to her smiling face.

Her eyes were shut tight, but she had a silly grin on her face.  He
silently
wondered if she was in shock from the fight.  He'd have to watch her
carefully today to make sure that she was okay.

The building loomed in front of him, and with practiced ease, he timed
the
jump perfectly.  He approached the window with ease and settled on the
window sill lightly.  He looked at a clock on the far wall and noticed
that
he still had a minute or so before the tardy bell rang. **Whew!  I made
it!**

********

Kogara-sensei looked at her watch casually.  Ami Mizuno's desk stood
empty, which caused her to wonder if the girl was ill.  It just wasn't
like
her to be so late.  She would have to organize some make up work  for
her
during her break.  There was no sign of Mr. Saotome either, which was
both a relief and a disappointment to her.  He sounded like a challenge
worthy of her, and she had hoped that he would at least be on time for
his
first day of school.

Sighing inwardly, she walked over and closed the classroom door.  She
heard students begin to take their seats behind her preparing for
another
day of learning to begin.

As she turned back to her desk to call out roll, her mind froze. A young
man carrying Mizuno-san in his arms alighted on her window sill.  The
rest of the class followed her gaze, and Usagi Tsukino was one of many
students that fell from their desks in shock.

The boy in question stepped down from the window, and gently set the
Mizuno girl on her feet.  Her eyes were closed and she had a silly grin
on her face.

The boy walked over to Kogara-sensei and bowed politely, handing the
woman a few slips of paper.  Mio accepted them numbly, looking from
the window, to the young man, and finally at the class schedule in her
hands. She looked back up at the boy, Ranma, and motioned him to stand
over by her desk.

The window beckoned to her curiosity, as she slowly walked over and
leaned out to look around.

**Four floors up . . . .  He wouldn't be able to climb with Ami in his
arms.
He couldn't have repelled from the roof . . . there's no rope.**  She
brought her head back in and looked back at Ranma, who was looking
back at her with a quirky grin.  He shrugged and began to scratch the
back
of his neck.

Thankfully the tardy bell rang, signaling an end to the mystery for now.
Ami's eyes flew open, and immediately took in her surroundings.  She
blushed in discomfort before she realized that everyone in the class was
staring at a very anxious Ranma.

The young martial artist began patting himself down frantically.  When
he
found nothing amiss, he simply looked up at his new class mates
suspiciously.

"What?"  The sound of many bodies falling to the floor was heard
throughout the classroom.

********
Musk Palace, China

Ahbrim Ur walked through the halls of the intact Musk palace, clothed
only in a pair of black silk pants and a set of black cloth slippers
that
made no sound as he moved.  Intricate tattoos decorated his body,
moving subtly with the motion of his strong muscles.

His newly won freedom was wonderful, but the true majesty that he felt
sprung from the well of power that was his once again.  How many
millennia had he been cut off, while locked away in Serenity's damnable
prison?

He'd lost count long ago.

He had crumbled underneath the passage of years time and again, being
folded and shaped into the man that he was today.  He knew that on some
level his shattered soul still howled at the memory of watching young
mountains grow old.  That was behind him now.

He was free, and only two things interested him: Vengeance and
Domination.  Anything else had been ground away by time's maddening
snail's pace.

He inspected his newly acquired castle critically.  The foundation was
sound, and the location was naturally defensible.  All in all, he was
very
impressed with the former Musk stronghold.  The Rhakshasa had been set
the task of securing the place for habitation; searching out stragglers
and
suicide squads, and sealing up the lower levels of the palace.

It was a good beginning.  Only a few casualties had been suffered in the
assault, and for the most part, they had driven former the inhabitants
into
exile.  They wouldn't get far, and the few warnings that they spread
would
do the inhabitants of Terra no good.  He was awake now, and this world
was his by birthright.

He could feel the power of the Ginzuisho to the southeast, and knew that
there was only one person that could use it: Serenity.  It was time for
him
to find out about the changes that this world had endured.

Knowledge was power, and he needed all the power that he could get to
destroy his jailor.  With a snap of his fingers, eight shapes
materialized
from the shadows.

"Reconnaissance and stealth are your goals.  I want information on the
status of the world at large and anything that you can find on the
Senshi
of this time."  He waited for a moment before motioning a dismissal with
his hand.  The figures bowed in unison and then silently disappeared
into
the shadows.

"Soon, Serenity, you will be mine again.  And nothing will stand in my
way of conquering the Moon kingdom once and for all." He did not laugh,
nor did he boast.  He simply continued to walk, laying plans and
weighing
his resources.

********
Juuban High School

Ami was literally swamped by her friends.  It had been that way all day,
from the moment class had started that morning until now. If it hadn't
been the whispered question when the teacher's back was turned, it had
been the mountain of notes that began accumulating on her desk.  She
browsed through a few, but quickly set them aside for later, lest she
begin
laughing in the middle of class.

Speculation and other more . . . forward. . . .insinuations seeking
verification made up the bulk of the notes, making it hard for her to
concentrate on the lessons.  After the third period, she had stopped
taking
them all together.

But she didn't have the luxury to ignore the situation now.  Questions
were being launched at her on all sides and had been since she had sat
down for lunch.

She had wanted to eat with Ranma in order to avoid what she was now
facing.  But the Vice Principal had come and requested that Ranma eat
with some of the faculty as a sort of orientation and official welcome
to
the school.  So Ranma went his way and she went hers, both dreading
their respective fates.

"Oh, Aaaammmiiiii!"  Usagi's voice took on, what she considered, a deep
romantic tone.  To Ami's ears, it was more like the knell of doom.  "So
tell us already!"

"Tell you what, Usagi?"  Ami asked with trepidation.  She knew she
should have gone to the library for lunch.

"How does he kiss?"  Makoto asked brazenly.

Ami cringed, and then gathering her courage proceeded nobly into the
heart of doom.  "I wouldn't know Makoto-chan, Ranma-kun . . . ahem!
Saotome-san and I just met yesterday."

"Ranma-kun!" Usagi squealed in delight.  "I knew it!  Love at first
sight!"

Ami's mouth opened and shut, but no words came out. Both Makoto and
Usagi began laughing in triumph as their friend's face darkened at their
teasing and she turned away from them.  Ami's cold shoulder calmed the
other two girls quickly.

"You mean that it was love at first sight?"  Makoto asked astounded.

Ami rounded on her friends angrily.  "It's not like that!  Aram-"  She
cut
herself off quickly and placed a hand over her mouth in shock.  She
couldn't believe that she had slipped so badly in front of her friends.
"Our
mothers are old friends and Ranma needed someone to help him get to
know the area."  A moment of indecision gripped her.

Should she tell them about her memories of Aramas or not?  An insatiable
curiosity, coupled with a sudden need for validation helped make her
decision for her.

Makoto picked up on Ami's unspoken question.  "What is it Ami-chan?"
Usagi tore her attention away from her bento long enough to see the
momentary struggle.  Pieces of wayward rice clung to the corners of
her mouth stubbornly.  Neither Ami nor Makoto chose to notice.

"Do either of you remember Aramas?"  When neither of her friends
reacted at the mention of the name, she qualified the question.  "From
before?" The emphasis on "before" wasn't missed and  both girls closed
their eyes for a moment of intense concentration.  Makoto looked serene
in her effort to access her former life's memories, while Usagi's
distinctly
reminded Ami of a prune;  scrunched and purple from the effort.

The moment drug out into two, and both young women opened their eyes
in resignation.  It wasn't surprising really, Aramas had been an
integral
part of her life, where as they had probably had very little contact
with
him.

"Sorry Ami-chan, the name doesn't ring any bells."  Makoto said.  Ami
nodded and looked up at Usagi.

Usagi's face took on an uncharacteristic, serious cast.  Her eye brows
knit
together slightly.  Ami was suddenly hopeful.  "Usagi-chan?"

Usagi looked up and wore a frustrated expression.  "There's something
there Ami, but it doesn't want to surface.  But -" she stopped and
looked
chagrined.

"But?"  Makoto asked helpfully.

"Well, when I heard the name -" She shook her head.

Ami was about to come out of her skin.  "Yes?"

"I wanted to hit something."  Ami and Makoto took their time picking
themselves up off the ground.

Ami sighed in defeat.  Usagi smiled at her friend and patted her hand.
"Don't worry about it Ami-chan, we can ask Luna about it after school."
Ami agreed with a slight bob of her head.

"So you think Ranma's a throw back from the Moon Kingdom huh?"
Ami squirmed a little, but bobbed her head again.  Makoto smirked.  "I'
ve
gotta meet this guy."

********

Ranma's eyes opened to the sight of a black void.  His last memory was
of
Kiritsu-san droning on about the importance of being able to calculate
velocities and time.

He hated math.

No, that wasn't the right word; it was too mild.  Ranma loathed math.
The
only good thing about this class was that it put him to sleep faster
than his
history class.  The fact that he had just finished lunch seemed to help
quite
a bit toward sending him into a deep slumber.  Maybe it wouldn't have
been so bad had Ami been there to push him, but she was in a special
class that was supposed to challenge her.

He didn't mind her company, but the idea of being tutored was degrading.
If he could stay awake long enough, maybe he could pull a passing grade
out of the class.  That would keep his mom off of his back. But the way
this guy droned on was going to make the effort an uphill battle.

The blackness around him seemed to whisper to him, lulling him into a
warm trance.

Sleep.  Dream.  Slumber.

**I'm dreaming.**  He wasn't surprised.  Sluggishly his eyes searched
the
darkness and tried to take stock of his situation.  His body lay on a
bed,
lined with soft, silk sheets.

A small amount of light leaked into his vision, allowing him to see a
gossamer canopy that veiled the bed from the rest of the room.  To his
right a window lay opened to the night, causing a cool breeze to wash
comfortingly through the room.  It was peaceful.

Someone's head lay nestled intimately on his chest.  Thin, but powerful
arms clutched his sides possessively.  He smiled at the warmth that the
sensation held.  It was so foreign, yet so vaguely familiar.

A sudden curiosity drifted across his mind, causing him to wonder who
clung to him.  He turned his head slightly, and took in a shock of short
bluish black hair.  The smell of jasmine hung about her lithe form and
tingled something long buried in his mind.  A name hovered on the tip of
his tongue, but wouldn't be coaxed forth.  The mystery nagged at him.
He
shifted his body slightly to get a better look at who held him.

Even as he did so the scene changed, and the breeze that had caressed
his
skin suddenly became a violent wind - set to flay the skin from his
bones.
The smell of smoke assaulted his nose, searing his lungs.

He felt someone guarding his back as wave after wave of dark shadows
assaulted him from the front.  Each assailant fell by the wayside,
generating a mountain of bodies to either side of him.  He had been
fighting for hours.  They both had.  Progressing unerringly in, toward
the
Palace from the now blasted outer townships.

Fatigue weighed heavily on both defenders, and he knew that they
couldn't keep the battle going indefinitely.  She was already beginning
to
slow in her attacks; he could hear her grunt every time one of her
opponents landed a glancing blow.

Their enemies seemed endless.  He had lost count after his
one-thousandth
opponent fell.  His beloved had killed as many, if not more, and yet
they
still came.  He stopped thinking as a hideous tentacled monster
bombarded his defenses.  Two thrusts with his blade dispatched the
monster, and he quickly looked for the next opponent.  The enemy simply
stood its ground, encircling the pair of defenders.

Blast! When had they cut them off from the rest of the retreating
forces?
This was bad.  They would have to cut a path through to the Palace if
they
wanted to get out of this alive.  He turned to his partner, to appraise
her of
their plight.  But the sight that greeted him would haunt him to his
grave.

Akane stood with her back to him, four black arrows protruding from her
legs and upper arms.  Blood flowed freely from the wounds, and her head
carried a nasty black bruise above the right temple.  He had never heard
her cry out once.

He blinked once and Ami stood where Akane had been.  The wounds were
the same, and he wanted to cry out as she broke the shaft of each arrow
off.  The look in her eyes made his heart swell with pride.  She would
sell
her life dearly for her lover.  The man that she had desperately wanted
to
be her husband.

**I should have married her.**  The thought floated across his
consciousness like a ghost.

He blinked again, and a more mature version of Ami endured before him.
He knew that she wasn't Ami.  This woman before him was someone that
he had loved a long time ago.  He had loved her more passionately and
more than he had ever loved anyone.

She spared him a smile.  It was to be her last gift to him.

The enemy took the opening, firing a volley of arrows at them. Ranma
screamed his warning and flung himself toward his love, but it was too
late.  Five arrows pierced her chest simultaneously, knocking her to the
ground with a grunt.  She was still alive, but refused to cry out
despite the
pain that twisted her features into a horrible mask.

**Good girl!  Don't give them the satisfaction!** Tears welled in his
eyes
at the sight of her pain.  He could feel his heart break at her bravery.

He gathered her into his arms one last time holding her close.  He
kissed
her one last time, savoring the sweetness of her lips.  And then she was
gone.  Grief welled up within him, scouring his soul.  And then all went
white as he screamed her name.

*********

"Iiiiiisis!"

Half of Kiritsu-san's Geometry class jumped in their seats as Ranma
cried
out in bereavement.  The desk that he had been sitting in, splintered as
he
stood suddenly, pelting those closest to him with small splinters and
screws.  Usagi, who had been sleeping herself, two rows over, screamed
and fell out of her desk.

Ranma was still rooted in the dream, and much to the shock of the rest
of
the class, he glowed with a sickly green light.  Kiritsu-san, as well as
the
rest of the class, seemed very reluctant to say anything that might
disturb
the glowing boy.  An uncomfortable silence blanketed the class as the
aura
glowed brighter.

Usagi watched from her vantage point on the floor as Ranma clenched his
fist in what could only be agony.  A single tear fell from his left eye
and
tracked its way down his face.  Usagi's gaze followed it as it cascaded
from his jaw, down onto his shaking fist.  That's when she noted the
blood
welling out from his tightly clenched grasp.

Her heart went out to him.  The pain that contorted his face was an
emotion that she was all too familiar with.  She had seen it on her own
face enough times during Beryl's corruption of Mamo-chan.  She stood
quietly, and carefully made her way over to the glowing boy.

She approached him cautiously, watching his mouth whisper a phrase over
and over again.  She focused on the words hoping to understand the
reason
for his outburst.

"Too late."  She hadn't realized that she had spoken out loud, but the
way
his eyes flew open in shock caused her to squeak and flinch
unconsciously.  She stumbled backward until her exodus was blocked by
another desk. Ranma's eyes still looked a bit glazed, but when they
focused on Usagi they lit up briefly.

". . . princess serenity . . . ?"  He whispered in shock, before
promptly
burying his face in his hand groggily.  Usagi blinked twice, too stunned
to
make a reply.  Kiritsu-san chose that moment to make himself known.

"Ahem.  Miss Tsukino."  Usagi's brain refused to respond to any outside
stimuli.  Kiritsu-san attempted to get her attention again, a little
more
loudly this time.  "Miss Tsukino!"  Still no response.  He sighed
heavily;
he wasn't getting paid enough to deal with this kind of stress.  The
class
seeing that their teacher was having no effect on their fellow student,
decided to help him out.

"USAGI!"  Ranma and Usagi cried out and jumped at the collective shout.

Kiritsu-san winced visibly, but was grateful for not having to yell
himself.
It wasn't proper for an educator to raise his voice in the classroom.
He
tried his best to settle his nerves and deal with the task at hand.

"Ahem."  Let's try this again.  "Miss Tsukino?"  Usagi turned to her
instructor distractedly.  Well that was definitely better than he
usually got
out of her.  Perhaps there was hope for the girl yet.

"Y . . . Yes Sensei?"  Her voice trembled slightly as she kept looking
back
at a very confused Ranma.  He didn't blame the girl in the slightest,
the
boy had unnerved him too.  Still she was the only one that had moved to
approach the boy, and he knew that none of the other students seemed
inclined to help Ranma.

"Will you please escort Mr. Saotome to the nurse's station?"  Usagi
looked at her teacher like he had grown another head.  But another look
at
Ranma's confused face softened her heart.

He had confirmed Ami's suspicions about being a part of the Silver
Millennium.  Which made him her responsibility; plus it would give her a
good chance to pump him for information on his relationship with Ami.
She turned her attention back to Kiritsu-san, and smiled.  The teacher
seemed to groan with relief.

"Sure thing Sensei!"  And with that, she grabbed Ranma by the hand, not
noticing or caring that it was the one that he had injured.

Ranma winced comically, as pain shot through his palm and into his
arm.  Usagi enthusiastically dragged her patient down the halls of
Juuban
High, trying to remember where the Nurses station was.

*********

Usagi eventually found the nurse's office, but not before she had
thoroughly grilled Ranma on every juicy detail of his relationship with
Ami.

The details were few and far between, much to the future queen's
disappointment.  Half way to the infirmary, Ranma had exploded at her,
calling her ". . . a ditzy meatball headed wacko . . . ."  Mainly
because she
refused to let go of his injured hand.  Usagi wound up bashing him in
the
head and crying.  Looking back on the day's events, she wondered why
she had been so uncharacteristically violent.

When Usagi began to cry, Ranma crumpled in defeat.  He quickly began
trying to comfort her, throwing out indiscriminate compliments
incoherently.  Usagi brightened quickly, and wrapped her arm in his.
The
barrage of embarrassing questions resumed and continued all the way to
the nurse's station.

The torture soon ended as Usagi was sent back to class and the nurse was
able to dress the wound. His history and science classes flew by
rapidly,
with only a few stares and whispers following him.  Ami returned during
his literature class, and he sat through the whole uncomfortable course
with her staring at him worriedly.

He did his best to ignore the look, but his mind kept drifting back to
the
puzzling dream that he had experienced.  The emotions and the pain had
felt so real that every time he looked at Ami, he wanted to catch her up
in a powerful embrace.

He fought the urges successfully, and made it through the duration of
the
class with few distractions; bringing him to the end of his day and his
favorite class: physical education.

The class was tumbling today, due to repairs that were being made to the
game fields and the track.  It suited Ranma fine, he needed to let loose
a
little. Tobu-sensei asked Ranma to demonstrate a simple exercise, to
gage
his skill level.  Ranma smirked and decided to embellish on the routine
a
little, just to get rid of some nervous energy.

The entire class watched him in stunned silence as he soared and tumbled
through the modified routine.  When he finished the gathered students
were either applauding or scowling at him.  Tobu-sensei was thoroughly
impressed and quickly began to pressure him to join the gymnastics club.

Ranma mumbled something about considering it.

Class continued with a few of the girls asking Ranma to "spot"them as
they were tumbling, but the hungry look in their eyes was enough
incentive for Ranma to decline.  He confined himself to working out on
the rings for the rest of the period.  Class was almost over when Usagi
and
Ami came over.

"Hi."  Usagi said cheerfully.  Ranma looked down at her from his
inverted handstand.

"Hi."

She craned her neck to consider his face.  She searched it for a
moment, looking for something.  "Is somethin' wrong?"  Ranma asked
defensively.

"No.  I thought that I had seen you somewhere before.  I was just trying
to
remember where."  She shrugged and smiled.

Ranma swung himself down in a slow, but dazzling display of strength.
When he was parallel to the floor he stopped and held the position.  Ami
was amazed.  His arms didn't tremble, nor did his body move.  His
balance was uncanny.

"You're really amazing."  Ami said after a moment, unable to hide the
envy in her voice.

Ranma grunted. "Thanks."  He swung his body over backwards quickly
and launched himself into a spinning dismount.  The class stopped again,
and Tobu-sensei vowed to get this boy on his gymnastics team; and the
basket ball team, and the diving team, and the track team.

The list continued for a long time, well after the students had left for
the
day.  The man found himself creating a few new clubs for Ranma to join
in the process.  Visions of medals and trophies danced in his head,
along
side some rather unrealistic fantasies as well.

Ranma was oblivious of the attention that he was receiving and reached
for a towel to wipe the chalk from his hands.  Usagi watched him move
and was very impressed with what she saw.  She wished that going to
museums was this fun.

For his part, Ranma groaned inwardly as he looked over his shoulder at
the blonde girl and shook his head slightly.  Ami, finally realizing
what
was happening, elbowed her friend in the ribs.

Usagi recovered quickly and floundered for something to cover her
embarrassment. "Uh... that looked pretty hard."

Ranma shrugged easily.  "Not really.  It just takes practice."

"Do you think you could help us?"  Ami asked hopefully.  "Usagi-chan
was having some trouble on the vaulting horse and really could use some
pointers."

"Ami!" Usagi hissed.  "I'm not having problems!  The springboard is just
messed up is all."

Ranma smirked at Usagi's denial and pondered the request.  The blonde
bomb was clumsy enough to be declared a natural disaster.  It would take
a miracle to whip her into shape.  He should have said no, but looking
into
Ami's luminous eyes Ranma found his resolve melt away.

"Sure thing.  We can start tomorrow." Ami beamed and Usagi groaned.
The whole affair sounded a lot like work to her.

*********
Joketzusoku

Shampoo stood with her back to her great-grandmother, her bonbori held
in a guard position.  The door that stood before her was blasted and
singed
horribly, but the building itself was one of the few that had remained
intact during the surprise assault.

Herb and Pepper flanked Shampoo, guarding the right and left quarters.
Several other Amazons bordered their family's elder as well, guarding
their leaders as they gathered and distributed the various magical
artifacts
and treasures amongst each other.  They worked quickly and silently out
of necessity.  Old feuds were buried, and a true sisterhood had been
attained in their hour of need.

The young, purple haired Amazon watched the doorway that led out into
the chaos that was the night warily, waiting for the monsters to attack.
The
fires that consumed her village, were mirrored in her angry eyes.
Tears,
made silent tracks down her beautiful soot stained face.  Herb of the
Musk
was touched at the emotion that he had been unable to show when his
kingdom fell.

One day, spent mostly in an unending debate, and disaster had struck.
Cologne wanted to spit.  She knew these enemies, or at least was more
familiar with them than any one else, and understood enough about their
power to retreat and fight another day.

When the scout parties ran across an advanced patrol of the Rhakshasa,
they did the most intelligent thing that they could think of.  They ran.
Their warning had bought the village an hour to prepare, before the
first
wave fell upon them.

Wave.  Cologne snorted in derision.  It had been an advanced scout party
of three of the creatures!  By the Goddess!  The power that these beings
held was beyond imagination.  She and Herb had dealt with one each, but
the third had killed twenty warriors and wounded four other elders.

Cologne's opponent had pushed the Matriarch to her limits, and beyond,
and she still barely overcame it.  Her right arm was broken in three
places,
and she had sprained an ankle.  The indignity of having to be carried by
Shampoo's father was almost too much to bear.

Herb for his part, looked fresh, but Cologne could tell he was depleted.
The last two days had left their mark on the boy, and it had shown in
the
battle.  He had lost control of himself early on and gone berserk .  The
collateral damage that his power had caused equaled that of the
Rhakshasa.  She shook her head.  So much rage, and so little control.
If
they got out of this alive, she would have to see if she could remedy
that.

So many "ifs."  Cologne shook her head and resumed her gathering. Khu
Lor and Lo Xion had finished their packing and prepared themselves to
depart.

"We will travel to Phoenix Mountain, Matriarch."  Lo Xion said quietly.
"We will do our best to negotiate a truce and secure a place for our
people
there."

"Do not bother."  Every head with the exception of Shampoo, turned to
their Matriarch in shock.

"I pray to the Goddess that you are joking Khu Lon."  Lo Xion eyed her
leader and rival with open disbelief.

"I wish that I were Lo Xion.  I wish that I were."  Cologne placed the
last
treasure in a satchel before handing it off to Shampoo.  "Saffron is an
infant, and while the people of Phoenix Mountain are great warriors; it
is
inevitable that their mighty realm will fall to the Rhakshasa."

"How can you be so sure?" Khu Lor asked skeptically.

"Because, you a foolish, old crone!"  Cologne snapped.  "In less than
two
days time, two of the most formidable kingdoms that this world has ever
known fell before the might of the beasts!  What makes you think that
one
mountain will ward them away!"  Khu Lor held in her rage.  Khu Lon was
right of course, but she didn't have to like it.

"The Rhakshasa will eat Phoenix Mountain alive, and then turn its
voracious appetite to the rest of the world.  We were the first line of
defense against them, and they brushed us aside like paper dolls."  She
looked at each person huddled in the room directly in the eye, weighing
and measuring them each in turn.  When she was satisfied, she handed the
two elders a set of scrolls.

"We have no time for bickering."  She pointed to Ban Dait, the leader of
the scouting parties.  "You will send ten of our nation's fastest
runners to
Mount Phoenix, along different routes.  They are to contact Kiima,
Saffron's seneschal and report of the events that have transpired.  They
will then rendevous with one of our groups as soon as they are able."

"Groups?" Khu Lor queried.

"Yes.  We will scatter our forces and gather them anew as quickly as
possible.  It will make it harder for the Rhakshasa to hunt us, and we
will
have the opportunity to gather the necessary resources to reclaim our
home land."  Both elders nodded at the strategy.  "The scrolls contain
our
destination.  Memorize them and destroy them before you leave."

The wizened women nodded and glanced over the maps that they were
given.  When their perusal was complete, and the information committed
to memory, each ignited their map with their Ki.  Cologne was not quick
enough to stop them, and turned her worried gaze to the doorway.

"Fools!  You have killed us!" She hissed.

Shampoo smiled grimly as a single shape detached itself from the
shadows of a building and loped toward them.  She loosened her sword in
its scabbard, and set herself to break the thing's charge.  The time had
come for a little payback, an action that Shampoo was all too eager to
perform.

Cologne's throat clenched as she glimpsed the beast for the first time.
It
was clearly twice as big as the scouts that they had dispatched earlier,
and
the power that she felt rolling off it easily tripled what they had
faced
before.

For the first time in over a century, Khu Lon, Matriarch of the Amazons,
felt terror grip her. A sharp pain crashed into her from behind,
followed
by an inhuman scream.  The last thing that she saw before the blackness
of unconsciousness took her was the sight of her beloved granddaughter
shoving her sword to its hilt through the beast's throat.

*********

End Part Four


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