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Ranmazoku Chapter 5 - The Mind Of The Mazoku
By PansutoTarou5925
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DISCLAIMER - I do not own the rights to Slayers nor do I
own the rights
to Ranma �. Long live the rightful owners of these two fine
anime. This work is non-commercial and is done only in
imitation of Rumiko Takahashi and Hajime Kanzaka. Imitation
is the sincerest flattery, no? US rights owned by Viz and
Software Sculptors. If I mention the Senshi, Sailor Moon
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi(Sp, anyone?) and.. and.. I dunno
who has the US rights, but it's theirs not mine. (I'm drawing a
blank)

        ** *  *   *    *     *      *       *      *     *    *   *  * **

Author's note - This story originated from an idea on
Nighthawk's page and is some guy named NesTea's fault. If
he's reading this, I'm curious to know what he thinks of all this.
Questioning me would be like questioning Xellos if you ask
when the next section comes out, because it's a secret.

ALTAVERSE WARNING - This is an ALTAVERSE. Events,
characters and the like may not resemble canon. People who are
rabid canon-thumpers beware! (and eat a Dragon Slave while
you're at it)

PREVIOUSLY - Ranma discovers he's not Genma's son, that
Xellos is his father, that he's not even human, studies black
magic under Phibrizzo, yadda yadda yadda, gets in a fight with
Ryouga and curses a decent sized crowd to act like Kuno. Then
he corrupts Hotaru into becoming a mazoku and is about to
bust a wall of hurt on some poor Daimon and Eudial. Read the
previous chapters, really, I'm not good at rehashing stuff.

NOTE - [...] indicates telepathic communication between
Ranma and Hotaru in the Astral plane.

        ** *  *   *    *     *      *       *      *     *    *   *  * **

The groups of Senshi and their idiot opponents were still
standing there, boggling at us in surprise. I snapped out of my
one legged crane stance and took a more sentai pose, legs
spread shoulder width, hand raised above my head. I then
dramatically pointed at Eudial. Hotaru made her own series of
flamboyant and pointless gestures, and I had to work to
suppress a laugh.

"I am the dread warrior of death, she who shall shroud the
world in silence!" she said, smiling evilly, leveling her glaive at
the Witch.  "Sailor Saturn!"

I took my cue from her. 'I am the dread warrior of chaos, she
who shall bring strife!" I stopped pointing and made a fist over
my heart, and opened my mouth as if to announce my name.
Instead, I spat a blast of black energy at Eudial, sending her
flying head over heels.

"Hey! That was a dirty trick!' Orange Skirt yelled at me.
"You're supposed to let everyone make their speeches first." I
mentally indicated for Hotaru to take on Eudial while I drained
the Daimon.

"Who the heck told you how to fight, blondie?" I answered
disparagingly. The Daimon, being the first to recover as it had
no brains, immediately attacked the white-garbed scouts. They
immediately went into "jump and scatter" mode, running around
in a panic. "Pathetic." I said, summing up their battle tactics. I
looked at the scattered heart crystals that the two taller Senshi
were studying and gave a brief thought to draining them as well,
but decided against it. It was generally a better tactic to drain
people who were unsympathetic, like the Witches and their
Daimons. They didn't have allies. I fired a powerful blast of
black flecked with gold at the Daimon, drawing its attention
away from its hapless targets. Good. 

Meanwhile, Hotaru had Eudial on the ropes. That magic
"Buster" thing was proving fairly useless on Hotaru - she had
no actual heart crystal to take.. And judging by the nicks and
cuts she got from the glaive, Eudial was going to have to leave
soon. I'd better get this over with. Teleporting behind the
Daimon, which oddly looked like some kind of mutant
bubblegum machine, I ripped a parking meter from the ground
and slammed it through the Daimon's back in one smooth
movement. "Die slowly and painfully" I said smugly, and
grabbed the Daimon with one hand while twisting the meter to
more fully savor the pain of the unintelligent servitor. Then I
started to yank out the raw magical power that the thing
possessed. It screamed and trashed as the real senshi quickly
got sick. I had gotten a good deal of the energy away before
Eudial called it quits and teleported away. I dropped what was
left of the Daimon. It reverted to a normal gumball machine. I
stomped on it, crushing it and sending candy rolling
everywhere.

"Feh." I said, giving a good sneer. The Senshi, still green-faced,
seemed to want to talk to us. I wasn't going to have anything to
do with a bunch of weakling prissy sentai types, so I motioned
to Hotaru to leave. She vanished with a swirl of black misty
energy, causing the Senshi to flinch for a second."See you
around, wimps." With that, I melted away into the Astral plane
and vanished from sight. [Hotaru, lets stick around and see
where they go.]

[OK, Ranma. You haven't steered me wrong yet.] Hotaru
affirmed. We decided to lay low until the Senshi left the scene,
and followed them back to a shrine.

        ** *  *   *    *     *      *       *      *     *    *   *  * **

We carefully moved about so as to not attract the attention of
the magically gifted Senshi. It became quickly apparent,
however, that we needn't bother. They seemed virtually
powerless once out of those Senshi costumes. [Pervert] Hotaru
thought to me impishly.

[Nothing I haven't seen before.] I replied, remembering their
detransformation sequence. [Wonder what kind of hentai
developed the spell they use, though.]

Hotaru was silent for a second. [It was Artemis. I don't
remember much about him, though. He was an aide to Serenity,
though, so he must have been quite powerful.]

[Heh. Quiet.] The Senshi, who had been just killing time and
grabbing snacks until now, were sitting near an open door and
talking about.. us.

"I don't know. They can't be members of our team. You saw
what they were wearing." said the one they called Rei. "We
don't wear black. Especially not with leather and spikes."

"Rei's right. They are likely to be our enemies too." Ami added.
"I analyzed the energies they emitted. They were very unlike
ours. Some similarities to what Jadite and the other Negaverse
generals were using, but not an exact match."

"Waaah! Why do we always have to have more enemies?"
Usagi wailed, doing a credible Soun-imitation. "Why can't we
have a bunch of new Senshi for once?"

"Grow up, meatball head." Rei snarled. 

"At least these enemies are also enemies of the Witches Five."
Ami said, trying to defuse the argument between Rei and Usagi.

"That's not any relief. They were kicking around Eudial with
ease. And they don't fight alone." Makoto added, trying to help
Ami get their attention.

[Their enemies attack one at I time?] I snorted. [What idiots.]
Hotaru giggled.

The Senshi, on the other hand, seemed to be struck dumb by
this new tactic we had used. Having multiple powerful enemies
strike at once... it must have shattered their little world. I
couldn't begin to comprehend how these fledgling white
sorceresses and their ditzy phoenix-kin leader could have
managed to defeat half the enemies they were reported to have
destroyed.

[Hey, look at this.] I thought to Hotaru. I called her over to
inspect the Usagi girl's head. [Most of her brain is empty. Look,
there's only a few strong thought elements and all of this
gibberish in there.] I could feel Hotaru's presence moving closer
to mine in the Astral plane, and could tell when she started to
poke around in Usagi's head - the blonde started to rub her
head. [Careful, there, you're giving her a headache.]

[This isn't gibberish.] Hotaru thought back. [This is some kind
of magical programming. Look at the magical alterations done
to her brain.] I took a closer look. Sure enough, if you looked
at it - now, that's only a metaphor for what I was doing, my
normal senses aren't terribly useful on the Astral - kind of
cross-eyed, like one of those stupid American 3-D puzzles, a
depth previously hidden popped out. It was like the brains of a
few hundred people had been stuffed in this girl's head.

[Cool.] I thought, inspecting the hidden depths. [Very cool. I
would have never thought to try that. It must be an advanced
Silver Millennium technique to protect them from mental
attacks.] I could feel Hotaru nod.

[That's about right, by my memories.. each royal family of the
different planets had their own methods, but the inner royalty all
used the lunar pattern on the Senshi.] she thought. 

[That still doesn't explain why all the extra space is filled with
gibberish.] I thought. I mentally plucked at one of the mental
thought paths.

[NO, DON'T-] Hotaru yelled. Usagi suddenly stood up and, as
if in a trance, held her slice of pizza in front of her face and
gestured.

"MOON... HEALING... ACTIVATION!" she called out,
performing a perfect, stereotyped magical blast, sans magic.
The other girls just blinked at her.

"Gee, Usagi, the pizza wasn't THAT bad." Makoto joked.

"Yeah, it isn't like you cooked it," Rei said snidely. "But a
Moon Healing Activation couldn't heal your cooking." The rest
of the Senshi laughed while Usagi turned beet red.

[Not bad,] we both thought to each other.

"I.. I.. " Usagi said, confused. "Hey! I didn't mean to do that!"
she protested, getting another round of laughter from the
Senshi.

Minako broke out of the latest giggle fit. "Wow, it must be
automatic for you when presented with harmful substances."
She poked at the pizza with one finger. "This stuff tastes like it
was cooked by the Mallet Girl."

"The Mallet Girl is just an urban legend!" Ami spoke up.

"One of my friends in Nerima says it's true."

"Your friend in Nerima saw a guy turn into a duck."

"EVEN SO..."

[So that's what those thread strings are. They must have
hardwired the spells into the brains of the Senshi.] I mused.
[Wanna have some fun?]

[Sure, what do you have in mind.... oh.. that!] Hotaru mentally
giggled for a while. [That'll be fun! What do you want to do?]
she thought, starting to poke around in her head some more.

[Let's alter all the spells to fire Dragon Slaves!] I thought
excitedly. Then I realized the downside of that, and felt shame
as Hotaru put out an aura of disbelief. [On second thought let's
not. How about if we give her the.. hmm... Rah Tilt? I don't
think the Senshi can handle black magic anyhow, and giving
them the Dragon Slave would be an invitation for trouble...
they'd start shooting them at us. Well, she might only shoot it
off once.. but even still!]

[Ranma, you're rambling.]

[Oh.]

[Let's just swap all of the Senshi's spells between them. I really
don't know how the mental programming was carried out, so
we wouldn't be able to swap in any new spells anyhow.]

[Too bad. Let's just cycle all their magic one person to the left.]
That turned out to be Usagi to Makoto, Makoto to Ami, Ami
to Rei, Rei to Minako, and Minako back to Usagi. Not that we
didn't run into snags.

[Hey, stop shoving! Oops.] Hotaru thought, as the two of us
were transferring the mental programming from Usagi to
Makoto. While we were ah, arguing over whether to transfer
the old useless weak spells or not, sh accidentally brushed up
against one of the few non-magic related threads in Usagi's
mind.

"ICE CREAM!" she yelled, disrupting our work and rushing
from the room.

[Well, that one's shot. Maybe we should just AAARRGH!] I
thought, panicking. THEY were here. I could feel them.
Hideous, shadowy, evil... I'd like them if they weren't all out to
kill me.

"We can't find them anywhere." the black beast said. Talking c-
c-c-caaats... what kind of hideous monsters were these Senshi?

[Ranma, what the heck is wrong with you?] Hotaru whispered.

[C-c-c-c-cats!] I thought back, freaking. Hotaru sweatdropped
(a hard feat when incorporeal). I shuddered and tried to remain
as still as possible, not really feeling relief that I was in the
Astral plane. The black one seemed to be looking right at me..
right before it opened its horrible mouth...

Then the white abyssal creature opened its fang-filled mouth.
"Frankly, I feel they were just some sort of ruse created by our
enemy... did anyone hear that growl?" he said.

I could see prey. My pridemate was signaling her worry, but I
did not heed her. I materialized to take down my tormentors
and their allies. "MRROOWRR..." I rumbled, shattering the den
of these vile creatures. The prey scattered and screamed, then
poking their heads up from behind. Panic. Fear. Terror.

The hunt will be a good one. I drool.

I hear words.. but I do not understand them. I only understand
the weave, the ripple of magic. I see in shades of fear. There.
Ghastly black raven's claws shred the threat before it hits.
Fragments of shattered magic fall across my snout. I yowl, an
inhuman sound, a sound not meant to be heard by the ears of
man. I smell urine - is this the territory of another? Or is the
prey preparing to flee?

I snarl viciously, leaping forward at the two small cat-creature,
seeking to rend their very flesh. They freeze, stunned, as my
claws reach to shred them apart... I am struck! Fire!

I turn around, seeing the females. They look different. More
confident. Less scared. Not fun. Not tasty.
"grrrrrooooowwrrrrrr..." I rumble, then gather my breath.

"KROOOOOAAAR!" bellow my lungs, power coursing
through the roar, shattering windows, blasting them backwards
from sheer sonic force. I leap forward and grab the one that
burned me in my jaws. I tear apart their lair and rush to my den
with my prize. I feel the presence of my pridemate near me.
Worry? I will destroy what worries a part of the pack.

The Pack?

No, it is a pride.. a pride.. I snarl. What is this noise in my head?
I drop my prize and turn around.

I am confused. I am a wolf. No! I am a cat...a cat...

I feel a pain in my head, and my world goes black.
          
        ** *  *   *    *     *      *       *      *     *    *   *  * **

I came to on the Astral plane, my presence enveloped in
Hotaru's. [Ranma, what just happened?] she asked fearfully.

I swore. [Neko-ken.] Damn. Just what I needed. I suppose I
should go hunting for the scouts tonight - they were likely to be
having tasty nightmares for a week. Unfortunately, I had other
things to do. [To make a long story short, the person I thought
was my father decided to throw me in a pit of cats until my
mind snapped and I thought I was a cat.] I looked around and
decided I'd much rather be on the material plane. [Look, just
materialize and I'll tell you the whole story.] With that, I took
my normal, chinese-clothes wearing form, and Hotaru
materialized soon after. We were pretty far from the temple the
Senshi had been in, but still in Juuban. "I'll tell you as we walk
back."

"I thought you said everyone was after you back home." Hotaru
asked confusedly. "You're just going to walk right into the
firestorm?"

"Why, you have a better idea?"

Hotaru grinned wickedly. "We could hunt down the outers. I
mean, it was fun watching you rip into the Inner Senshi like
that, but it's the Outers I really want to hurt." Her eyes went all
distant on em. Apparently she was reliving her previous life.
"They're such hypocritical bastards, all of them."

"In that case, next time I'll handle the Witch and you can beat
on them a little."

"A little? Hey, you haven't told me why you went nuts yet, you
know."


"Ah." I said, taking a long breath. "There is this martial arts
technique said to be invincible in combat. A technique so
dreaded and terrifying that it has been sealed. The technique is
the Cat-Fist, the Neko-ken, that models its fighting on the spirit
of the c-cat. Unfortunately, anyone who learns the technique
becomes deathly afraid of cats."

"Why?"

"Because, Hotaru, to learn the Neko-ken, the student must be
wrapped head to toe in fish sausages and thrown into a pit of c-
cats. Hungry c-cats. C-cats that will rip and shred and claw and
bite and.. and.." I mumbled madly, seeing those little slit eyes
glowing in the dark, reaching, reaching, claws... "NO!" I yelled,
then suddenly looked around. "Oops."

Hotaru sweated a little. "I think I've heard enough. So, the
person who raised you was a moron?"

"Don't say that. It's insulting." I said, scolding Hotaru. 

"What? But he - he.."

"No moron should EVER be compared to Genma!" I said,
turning back towards Nerima, careful to keep a straight face. I
managed to keep it even when I heard Hotaru giggling.

        ** *  *   *    *     *      *       *      *     *    *   *  * **

Nerima didn't look too different since I left. A bit more banged
up, to be sure, but not all that suprising, given the fact that a
small army of demented kendoists had been fighting earlier. For
all I knew, and in fact odds alone favored it, there were still a
few of the accursed fighting it out over girls.

Of course, who did I see upon entering but Ukyou.

"Ranma!" she yelled, and glomped me, earning an angry stare
from Hotaru. Ukyou glared right back. "This better not be
another new fiancee, Ranma. Don't tell me she's another
fiancee."

"Well, if you say so, I won't tell you that."

"RANMA!" Ukyou yelled. "Be serious!" She got a more
concerned look and stood closer to me. "I've heard the most
awful rumor about you going around town!"

I shifted uncomfortably. "And what rumor would that be?" I
asked, having a very good idea.

"They say you're some kind of demon, Ran-chan." Ukyou said
in a dangerous tone. "Something called a mazoku. Cologne says
it like you're the most horrible thing around... is that so?"

I sputtered in feigned outrage. "Ukyou! How can you believe
such things! That's like something Kuno would say!"

Ukyou gave me an even more dangerous look. "Then explain
your actions lately, Ran-chan. You've been acting very strange.
It's no suprise the bimbo and our good gorilla girl haven't
noticed, but I like to think I'm smarter than them. You've either
got a new girlgriend or are secretly sneaking off to do whatever
demons do." She glared at me and grabbed her spatula,
something that got Hotaru to take a step to the side, the better
to blast Ukyou without hitting me. "It had better not be a new
girl."

"I'll tell you if you keep it a secret." I said, smirking.

"That's fine with me." Ukyou said, giving Hotaru a new glare.

"I'm a mazoku like Cologne thinks."

"So I still have a chance?" Ukyou asked, suddenly hopeful.

"W-What?" I asked, having to peel my face off the ground after
that. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hotaru doing the same.

"When the other girls learn you're a demon they'll break off
their engagements! And then you and I can get married and
URK!" Ukyou gasped for air as Hotaru grabbed her throat in a
viselike grip.

"What makes you think Ranma would ever marry a weakling
mortal girl like you?" Hotaru growled, then smashed Ukyou
into the street.

"Why would he marry a short little underage dem..on.. girl..."
heh heh.." Ukyou laughed lightly. "Sorry! Gotta go! Discretion
is the better part of valor and all that!" she yelled over her
shoulder as she fled Hotaru.

"You aren't developing a crush on me, are you?" I teased.

"N-no! Of course not, Lord Ranma." Hotaru said. "I just can't
bear to see you pawed like that." she continued, looking away.
"We should get going now, shouldn't we?"

[Oh HELL no... she does have a crush] I thought, pinching my
nose. I noticed Hotaru blush and stumble and then ruefully
remembered that she could hear any of my 'louder' thoughts.
Oops. I shook my head. This was not happening to me. This
was not happening... "Let's just get Nabiki and get out of here.
They obviously know and believe I'm a mazoku - we won't be
welcome here."

Hotaru nodded. The two of us quickly phased to the Astral
plane and started our search for Nabiki where Cologne's posse
couldn't reach.

        ** *  *   *    *     *      *       *      *     *    *   *  * **

We found Nabiki in the Tendo home, along with Kasumi. They
were the only ones present... apparently, Cologne had recruited
the rest into hunting me down. As if!

"I still can't believe he was a demon, Nabiki." Kasumi said,
sitting down. "He was always so nice..."

"Neither did I, Kasumi. Pass that over here." Nabiki gratefully
took the bottle of sake form her older sister. "And I'm
supposed to be on top of this sort of thing. I suppose I should
have known Ranma wasn't really a werewolf."

Kasumi looked at her sister very strangely for a second. "Why
would you think he was a werewolf?" she wondered aloud.

Nabiki poured a large amount of sake in a glass, handed the
glass to Kasumi, and started drinking from the bottle. "Just
some little things. All of it must have been a smokescreen. Had
to have been." Nabiki stopped drinking and stared at the ceiling.
"He was always too dumb acting. It should have been a clue."

Kasumi looked at her in confusion.

"It's something I should have known, Kasumi. The best way to
hide anything sneaky is to act stupid. No one suspects a dumb
guy of anything."

Kasumi nodded, sipping at her own sake. "He never did seem to
display quite the same brilliance outside of his fights, did he?"

"Yeah." Nabiki looked glum. "I should have known. I should
have known." She shook her head and left to her room. "'Night,
Kasumi. I'm going to bed."

"I'll see you in the morning little sister." Kasumi said, clearing
away the mess. 

Ranma and Hotaru silently followed Nabiki from the Astral.
[Hotaru, stay offplane. We could use a nasty suprise at the
worst possible moment if someone attacks.]

[Can't you just crush them yourself? That Herb person you
talked about isn't around here, and the others are just those
cruel mortals.] Hotaru complained. [I don't want to be stuck on
this plane while you have all the fun.]

[Just stay there for now. I like my suprises to be final.] As
Nabiki closed her door, we phased through and hovered by her
bed. I tried to mask my voice. It was time to have some fun
with the Ice Queen herself. "NABIKI....." my voice boomed out
in her room. Nabiki jumped up and looked around.

"Ranma! Show yourself!" she commanded. I materialized
behind her, poking her with a finger. "EEEK!" she shrieked.
"Don't do that!" I put a finger over my lips.

"I thought I would be able to fool you. It's good to see you
aren't so easily fooled." I said, inspecting the sleeve of my shirt.
I straightened up and looked her in the eyes. "I think I'll make
you an offer you can't refuse." I said, stepping towards Nabiki.

She pointed her finger towards me. "Don't come closer or I'll
scream." I laughed.

"Like I really give a damn." I grabbed her and walked over to
the window and yanked it open. "Oh look, I'M IN NABIKI'S
ROOM! COME AND GET ME IF YOU CAN YOU OLD
DRIED UP TROLL DOLL!" Then, in a squeaky falsetto, I
added, "Please! Come save me, he's stealing all my yen!" I
stood there checking an imaginary watch for a few minutes. I
heard Kasumi beating on the door but I could ignore that. "Oh
well, I suppose no one wants to rescue you. How tragic. Now-"

The door exploded inwards as Kasumi lowered her leg from a
high kick. "You! Get away from my sister!" Kasumi said, tears
shining in her eyes. She advanced on me rustily, yet showing
signs that at some age she had been a good martial artist.

"Too bad you never bothered to develop your talent," I said
appreciatively, "but I'm not letting your sister slip away. Bai
bai..." I said, and teleported with Nabiki to Kasumi's room
down the hall. I savored the sweet nourishment of Kasumi's
heartrending scream. She thought her sister had been spirited
off to some hell.

Nabiki reeled back her hand and slapped me across the face.
"You inhuman bastard!" she yelled. "That was Kasumi!" I
cocked my head to the side, pretending to think.

"Yes, I suppose that was uncalled for. Would you like me to
reassure her that you're all right?" I said, careful not to smile. 

"Of course!" Nabiki said.

"I suppose you'll have to do very well in your training, then." I
said, tapping my chin with one finger. "Otherwise, you might
die, and I can't do that. It would break her heart. On the other
hand, if you were to help me, you'd have the kind of money and
power you've always wanted." I dangled the bait and waited for
a nibble.

"What kind of training?" Nabiki asked, still hatefully. "I'm not
stupid enough to get fooled by you again."

"Oh, Nabiki," I put my hand to my forehead dramatically, "what
must I do to convince you of my sincerity?"

Nabiki just glared at me.

"Oh, come on. If you die or go away, who's going to handle the
finances? Who's going to get the tax man to conveniently look
away when you pay none? I could ensure that that will never
happen, that you can go ahead and manipulate to your heart's
content, and never fear anything the government or yakuza
would try to do to you."

"I'm not fool enough to trust anything said by a demon."

"Even an honorable one? Do I go back on my word?" I pressed. 

"You'll just find a way to twist the words around." she
countered.

"I promise not to twist any words around. In return for your
service to me as a lieutenant of a future Lord of the Mazoku, I
will ensure that you are capable of protecting your family and
providing them with the wealth they need to survive. Few if any
of this world will be able to hurt you." I smiled; I felt the
familiar stirrings of greed from Nabiki.

"Immortality?" she asked, licking her lips.

I glanced up. "It might be mine to offer, if you accept."

"With immortality, I wouldn't even need to work hard for a
fortune. Time would do it for me." Nabiki paced for a moment.
"I need your word that I will not die."

"I give it. Barring, of course, being attacked by something
stronger and an enemy of ours." I answered.

Greed shone on her face. I needed no special empathic ability to
know that. "I'll take it." With that, I opened the gate to the
Slayers world and shoved her through. 

[Hotaru, follow her. I'll join you in a second.]. I waited until a
teary eyed Kasumi opened her door. Seeing me she grew
enraged and attacked. "It's nice to see you, too."

"What have you done with Nabiki!" she raged.

"Nothing much, just sent her to another world. I'll bring her
back, don't worry. I won't kill her or anything." I turned
around, ready to open the gate again.

"Or nothing.." she whispered. I looked at her.

"What was that?"

"Before, you would have said 'I won't kill her or nothin'"
Kasumi said. "How long have you been hiding it? Does your
mother know?"

I thought. "I hid it even from myself, it seems. And I don't even
know my mother. So I can't tell if she knows. Someday, I'm
sure, I'll ask her." I opened the gate. "Don't follow me."

I stepped through the gate, looking back at Kasumi. The anger,
as usual, had fled her face. Unlike her sisters, she would have
never made a good mazoku.

        ** *  *   *    *     *      *       *      *     *    *   *  * **

The Desert of Destruction. It's lonely, level sands stretch for
hundreds of miles in every direction. It is an expanse of endless
baked rock and flying sand, inhospitable to life.

It was Phibrizzo's home.

I had opened the gate to the middle of the great expanse of
sand, and allowed Nabiki to collapse there. She was huddled up
in a small ball, shielding herself from flying sand and rock. It
also protected her from the brutal heat of the sun. This entire
area was like one big, huge oven. The mummified remains of a
camel lay perhaps forty feet away. "Ah, Nabiki, I see you've
made it to our garden spot."

"What the hell is this place?" she yelled, her voice fighting the
driving wind.

"It's a desert. THE desert. One that makes the Sahara seem
tame in its total lack of life. Nothing can long remain alive here.
I wonder how long you'll last?" I said, giving her an appraising
stare. "Hotaru, you can stop hiding on the Astral." With that,
Hotaru materialized.

"I thought you said you wouldn't hurt me!" Nabiki yelled.

"No, I promised I'd make you immortal. Now, see, Hotaru here
was part mazoku to begin with, so I could just purify her. You,
on the other hand, are human. So, in order for me to make you
a mazoku, you have to die first, so I can remake your entire
spirit. Also, I said *I* wouldn't hurt you. And I won't. The
desert will do quite well, thank you."

"Damnit Ranma, that's not what I meant!" she wailed.

"I'm not giving you what you want. I'm giving you what you
need." I said, explaining things, much like a teacher. "You want
to be immortal? You want to be strong? Fine. I can get you to
be that way. But they don't come easy. You've been slacking
off and protected by how small-time you were in your little
operations. But that was a dangerous road you took. Eventually
you'd piss someone off enough, and BANG - no more Nabiki."
I turned her over, forcing her blinking eyes to make contact.
"I'm correcting your own mistakes, and giving you an
oppritunity you never dreamed of! So stop your whining!"

"Just kill me and get it over with!" she screamed.

"No! You want this, you have to earn it. How much power I
grant you is going to be determined by how long you last before
you die." I turned away, dropping my old pack out of my
subspace pocket. "See what you can do with this. Necessity is
the mother of all invention, and I want your mind at a razor's
edge. Stay alive." I teleported, Hotaru following.



        ** *  *   *    *     *      *       *      *     *    *   *  * **



Hooray! It's done! It's over! The chapter 5 mental block is
doen with! Now I've got to write chapter 6....

Chapter 6 will feature Ranma and Hotaru meeting Gourry,
everyone's favorite mush-brained swordsman. I meant for it to
happen here, but the chapter dragged on.. I try for 30 KB more
or less... I will only be posting this to the PMFFML, the Delphi
Fanfic Chat, and sending it to a few FFML readers who may not
have the PMFFML, because I plan to be making the rest so
soon. Dunno if I post tomorrow or not. Hey, three are taken,
one remains. What should Chaotic Blue's world be? Currently I
lean towards Trigun, but my mind is rarely made up...
suggestions? There's no real reason for the series to eventually
cross over with it, but it might be interesting for Ranma to run
across references to the series and such in his researching.

We all know who Ranma's priest candidate is, right? She's
going to have a fun time out in the sand.

If Hotaru's character is off here, remember she's just been
turned into a mazoku, is actually strong now and not easily
winded and sickly, is slightly older looking, and has had her
Silver Millenium memories returned. And no, she doesn't look
back with much fondness; Saturn was shunned then too.
     
it's on Nighthawk's page
www.geocities.com/NighthawkTM/index.html
and Crossover Corner
www.geocities.com/animecrossovers
and Tannim's 
http://tannim.anifics.com/index.html

and also Phu's, which offhand I don't recall.




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