The highwaymen
    by Finmagik


    There was a long winding country road, it went
through fields, and forests. On the
road was an Inn. The Purple cat Inn. Where peasants
locals and traveling merchants
could stop in for a drink and rest as well as gossip.
And that day there seemed a lot to
gossip about.
Four mysterious figures had been robbing coaches and
travelers on the roads in those
parts.

"Aye, didja hear about the new robbers? I heard their
lead by a bonny red-haired
woman. Brazen thing she is, like she doesn't know her
own sex. Dresses in men's
clothing, and ties her hair back like a man's. She's a
beautiful thing, though wild as a
savage. A hell creature, but would I like to catch a
glimpse of her!"

"No, no you got it all wrong! Their lead by a youth.
His hair is in a black braid, quick as
a whip, most people never see him coming. Him and his
gang."

"His gang, Isn't there one as strong as an ox, and
wears a spotted bandanna? That one, that accidently
turned up
in the town square?"

"Aye, surprised he didn't get caught."

"And the other, the one they call the Magus. How do
they say that one is? Tall, black
hair, spectacles like some scholar. But he isn't any
scholar. He works magic. He'll pull
his pistol or a pistol,  from anywhere, and don't try
to get in a fight with him"

"Yes, but I also heard he's a queer sort. Once he was
spotted without his spectacles,
tryin' to rob a tree?"

"Hey, watch it, ya blind fool! Don't go and spill our
beer now!" One the customers,
said disturbed as the rather tall, black haired, youth
serving them. Stumbled into the
table.

"I'm sorry, sir." He said and bowed slightly.

"We're over here, you fool!"

"Oh, sorry."  He turned away and smiled. He was rather
tall. His hair all was raven black,
fell to his back, he  had tied back with a string and
dressed simply, but he always wore a
large heavy coat that went to his legs. He smirked as
he turned around and put on his
glasses.
"Fools, if they knew the truth." he whispered.

"Mousse fool," He recived a quick kick to the leg. It
was the servingmaid, in her
simple peasant dress, that revealed her cleavage and
generous curves. Her hair
was a deep purple and cascaded over her shoulders a
tray of bread and beer was in
her hands. "You be quiet or everyone hang at Tyburn."

He nodded. And watched her as she walked out among the
tables. "For you my love
Shampoo," He whispered. "All for you."

    He made his way to the back, to a smokey corner
not to far from the fire place.
Against the wall on a bench, slumped two figures.
Tri-corn, hats over their faces, they
appeared to be sleeping. Mousse walked overand gave a
tap to the first one. He was
ferociously hit in response.

"Ouch! Not so hard, their on to us." Mousse hissed.

    The man, lifted his hat off his face. Thick, dark
bangs fell over his forehead. His
eyebrows where dark and heavy, his eyes grim and
angry. He snarled and there was  a
fang at the corner of his mouth.

"I know, I heard them talk."

"Did you hear any other talk Ryoga?"

"Yes, a stagecoach will bw passing by here shortly. If
we can get moving soon, we
should be able to catch it."

"Aaah, good, you heard that Ranma?"

There was no response.

"Ranma?"
They heard snoring.

"Wake up, LEADER." Ryoga shouted sarcastically,
belting Ranma in the stomach.

"Ooof, ouch. What is it?" Ranma awakened, removing his
hat from his face.

"People have been talking about us."

"Good, then we can gain some fame."

"A bigger crowd when we're hanged."

 Mousse kicked Ranma in the shin. "Some of us don't
intend on getting hanged, like
you. Once I save enough money, I'll be able to get a
respectable job, a clerk or
something and Shampoo will be my wife."

"What about the old ghoul?"

"I'll support, her great-granddaughter in a way to
make her proud, perhaps even go to
the new world, they say they'res plenty of good land
in Virginia, the old woman will
be proud of that. Heh"

"Virginia, that place sounds nice."
 

"Don't go plowing any field of fancy yet, boys. We
still need money before we can
do anything." Ranma said. "And besides if we aren't
hanged we may just get there.
Now what were you saying Ryoga?"

"A stagecoach is coming down the main road."

"Then why are we sitting here talking about it, let's
go."

    They left the inn, around the back and leapt onto
three great horses. Ranma tied
Ryoga's muzzle to a loop on his saddle.

"Why did you do that, for?!"

"Last time I didn't , you ended up in Scotland."

    Shampoo appeared in an second story window.
"Good-bye Ranma, bye, everyone,
come back safe!" She called.

    They waved to her and rode off.

~~~~~
    A stagecoach travelled along the bumpy country
road. Inside were two
passengers. They sat in silence, facing eachother.
The first was a thin, youth with dark limp hair, and
dark rings under his eyes. He
wore black, something that once had been a fine suit
now was worn and shabby. He
read a rather heavy book on very esoteric things,
magic things.
Across from him sat a modestly dressed gentle-man With
his long brown hair tied
back with the normal ribbon, lace at his throat. But
there was something odd about
this man. His features were a bit to fine. Was this a
man?
They studied each other, each having questions on
their mind. Finally the
'gentleman' spoke: "So what brings  you to these
parts?"

"My parents, I am going to a boarding school, near
this region."

"Aaah, going to school? That must be interesting I
never went to school a day."

"What? But surely sir, the fine way your dressed?

"These clothes? I didn't need any books to get these,
my father is a merchant, and I
learned the business from him. It has made our life
quite comfortable, my name is
Ukkyo Kounji."

"M-mine is Hikaru Gosunkugi." He said. Then turned
away, back to his book. He
scowled to himself. He hated these upstarts merchants
and the like. His family had
been nobility since the days of  William the
Conquerer. They had to struggle to
maintain a lifestyle suitable to their station, but
only succeeded in running up large
debts, becoming poor. Sending him to some second rate
boarding school out in the
middle of nowhere. And this person, who came from
nothing! Nothing! This fool!
This fool! Had all this wealth, without even a
education to show for it. He knew a
way to get revenge, a way no one else thought of. He'd
make them all suffer. He
grinned.

     The carriage came to a jolting stop. Outside the
horses bucked and
neighed. And there was the cry of: "Stand and
deliver!" From all sides.

    One of the robbers, stepped up to the carriage.
Poked his pistol and his masked
face in and sighed: "That's it only two, oh well get
out."

    Ukkyo could see the black braid, coming from the
back of his head, it seemed very
familiar.  Both of them lined up outside the carriage.

His two companions busied themselves about: 'The
Magus' kept pistols pressed to the
stagecoach drivers, keeping them from doing anything
foolish, while the other
Searched through the various cases on the top of the
stagecoach for valuables.

"Okay, you two stand up, don't move look at your feet,
like good little girls in
church," He said, pulling out a bag. "Now here comes
the Communion plate."
Gosunkugi was first, he shot a disgusted look to his
assailant and solemnly dropped
in a small pouch.
Ranma rolled his eyes, waited expectantly. "Now, that
can't be all of it, can it now?"
Ranma placed the pistol on Gosunkugi's neck.

"S-s-sire I-I-I assure you that's it, I have no more."

"That's a bunch of shit if I ever heard it. Now give
me the rest or I'll do your neck a
favor and get rid of that sorry excuse for a face."

    Gosunkugi swallowed nervously, then reached under
his waistcoat and produced
another small pouch, which he proceeded to drop in the
sack. "I hope your happy." He
snorted.

"I am." Ranma replied. "Now, moving on to the finely
dressed gentle-" His eyes
widened.
 After all these years, how could it be? "Give over
your money."

Ukkyo sighed and threw in: two pouches, and some
golden rings. "Oh, come on
someone dressed as finely as you are sir surely, you
have more."
 Ranma decided to do a search of the body. He found no
hidden gold. But around the chest there was something,
a
lump? This wasn't a man.
"Your no gentleman! You ain't a man at all!"

 He quickly received a slap in the face. As she turned
brazen red, before him. She hit
him again, hard, it was unexpected, he dropped the gun
and fell to the ground. "And
that's for stealing our cart!" She huffed and charged
back into the carriage. Gosunkugi
looked around and went back inside as well. Ranma got
up from the ground."Shit, she
knows who I am!" He rallied the others and rode off 
as fast as  they could.

Gosunkugi looked at Ukkyo again.

"It's easier this way, many people don't trust women
for an odd reason." Ukkyo sighed

"You know who he is?" Gosunkugi asled

"Yes he's  a dirty rotten thief, him and his father
stole our families first business a
hotbun cart, he's a thief and will always be a thief!"

"But who is he?"

"A thief and a jackass, like I said."

~~~~~~~

    It was after hours at the inn. Everyone had gone
home or to sleep. Expect a few.
Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse sat around a table nervously,
with the pile of things they
had stolen.

Ryoga, solemnly punched Ranma. "We risked all that,
for this?!" He glared at the
little pile before them.

Mousse grabbed Ranma's shoulder hard. "She knows who
you are Ranma! And if
she does she'll soon figure out, who we are! I don't
to want meet my end swinging on a
string at Tyburn!"

"So?"

"Unlike you, some of us, want to die as old men, safe
in bed." Mousse said anger
painted over his face.

"Yeah, how am I ever going to become a farmer in
Virginia, if you keep on taking
foolish risks!" Ryoga shouted.

"I'd doubt you find Virginia." Ranma said flippantly.

"All joking aside, someone knows your true identity,
they know your face you have
to find away, to prevent them from using that
information." They all looked up.

"What are you doing in here, old ghoul?"

"Helping you of course," She said. "And as I see it
you have  two choices of action. Find
out the whereabouts of this person and eliminate
them..."

"Can't do that, it's a woman,  I can't go around
killing women, thats really
honorless."Ranma said.

"...Or you could allow your red haired 'sister' to
take your place  for a while until this blows
over."

"Hmmmm that is an idea..." Mousse stroked his chin.

"....A rather good one...." Ryoga added.

"Hey, no! I really hate bein' a girl! I'm not going to
willingly take this curse." He
looked at the glaring faces around him. "Okay, okay
I'll do it..."

~~~~~~~~~
    Lady Akane, sat with her sister Nabiki, in their
room. As the chamber maids
dressed their hair and tightened their corsets. Akane
was scowling her brow furrowed
in frustration.

"Akane what's wrong?" Nabiki asked.

"Why do  we have to go through all this, anyways? I
always hate having to balance my
hair on my head, and those ball-gowns are always so
damned cumbersome!" Akane
said.

"Oh honestly Akane," Nabiki sighed. "The average
maiden of our station,
looks forward to balls, but not you."

"Its just to much effort," Akane said standing up as a
maid latched yet another heavy
petticoat and hoop around her waist. "It costs father
to much and...."

"...You despise, the person who is holding  the ball,
Young Lord Kuno." Nabiki smirked.

"Yes! He always seems to fling himself towards me! And
he always spouts that
terrible poetry! and his horrible sister, so she so
hateful, I can't describe it!" Akane shouted.

Nabiki laughed. "You, shouldn't  be so picky! Kuno, is
 of our station and quite wealthy
and wealth is what we need, after Kasumi went and
married that... that... Doctor. I'm
sure, he's a good person and makes what many COMMONERS
would consider a
good living, but he can never support her in style.
AndThe last time I paid a call,
she was doing, housework! The shame," Nabiki looked
around, at her sister and
herself. "Looks like we're finished here."
    Nabiki stood up and admired herself in the mirror.
Her dark brown hair was piled
high on top of her head. Her gown was low cut, the
collar trimmed with silver lace,
the color of the dress was a light yellow with a
pattern of small blue flowers, satin
blue bows along her stomacher, she had ruffled
sleeves, trimmed with the same silver
lace.

    Akane stood up, looking in the mirror awkwardly.
Her collar was trimmed with
lace, her dress was a light blue, with a pattern of
small pink ivy, ruffled sleeves
and the same low cut. Through her raven hair was a
rather silly looking white ribbon. She
frowned. "I don't feel right about this."

 "I know, we need some- something else," Nabiki said.
"Jewelry."
Nabiki called for the maid to bring over the jewelry
box. She smiled and pulled out a
heavy diamond and sapphire necklace, with matching
earrings.
Akane hesitated, she frowned.  She took out a simple
golden locket on a plain golden
chain.

Nabiki sighed. "You always wear that."

"Mother gave it to me, its one the few things I have
to remember her by." Akane said.

    ~~~~
The carriage bumped along Nabiki bored, fanned herself
and Akane, was reading a
newspaper, her brow furrowed with worry. Nabiki,
looked up.
"What's the matter?"

"I just read, about a gang of highwaymen, in this area
robbing carriages."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure they aren't going to-" Then
they heard an alto voice give
the cry of:

"STAND AND DELIVER!"

Akane scowled at Nabiki.

"Would you ladies, mind stepping out of the carriage?"
Mousse asked.

"It's the one they call the magus." Akane whispered to
Nabiki.

"Why, is he talking to a tree?" Nabiki asked. They
watched a another robber come up
to the 'Magus', hit him and told him to put on his
glasses and turn around.
"Excusing that mishap, would you ladies please step
out of the carriage, this will only
take a minute."

    They did as instructed. They found, they were
facing an adolescent girl who had to
be around the same age as them, she wore men's
clothing and her hair was red. She looked them over.

"Aaah, nobility, going off to a ball, lucky girls. Now
this won't take but a minute.
And then you're on your merry way," She said. "First
you, with the gems about your
dainty neck, it must be quite a great weight, let's
lighten you're load."

Nabiki, sighed and undid the clasp around her neck and
dropped in the diamond
necklace, earrings and various rings on her fingers,
into the sack before her.
The bag came to Akane, she clutched her locket to her
throat. She hastily threw in
some coins.
"That's not all of it Ms, c'mon now." said Ranma.

"Please, I don't take this my-" Akane removed her hand
from the locket.  Ranma poked
Akane in the stomach and while she was doubled over
Ranma reach up and pulled it the necklace
over her head.
The redhaired woman grinned, the  chain dangling from
between her fingers.
Akane flushed red with anger. "GIVE THAT BACK!" She
shouted.

"Now, you see that isn't how it works, I take things
and I don't give them back."
Ranma said, smirking.

"GIVE IT BACK, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO
ME!"
Akane shouted, snatching at the necklace.

"It means a lot to me too, I think it'll serve me
better pawning it for bread and butter, then hanging
from your pretty little neck." Ranma smirked
skillfully stepping away and avoiding
her.

Mousse walked over. "We need to get going, we don't
have time for you to play
games, here."

"GIVE IT," Akane snatched a pistol off Mousse and
aimed it at Ranma. "BACK!"

"Akane!" Nabiki gasped.

"My pistol!" Mousse Gasped.

Ranma looked to Ryoga. "Do something!"

"But she's a woman, I can't, harm a hair on her head."

"Give the locket back...." Akane growled, cocking back
the lever.

"No way!" Ranma shouted back running into the woods.

"Come back here!" Akane shouted giving chase. She was
never far behind the
redhaired bandit but it was hard going through the
woods, her dress was constantly
getting caught on branches, twigs getting torn, her
shoes kept tripping her, and got
stuck in the mud eventually the heel broke off one.
She kept going, her mother had
given that locket and she wasn't letting some
scoundrel take it!

Finally Ranma had to stop she was out of breath. That
woman just didn't give up!
Ranma thought, but they were so far behind. Then there
was the sound of a pistol
cocking. And looked up.

"Give... back... the...locket or I'll shoot." Akane
held up the pistol.

"Oh, come on," Ranma smirked, she needed to buy time.
"You aren't brave enough to
do something like that."

"You wanna find out?!"

"Naw, a noblewoman like you?"

"I'LL SHOW YOU!" Akane shouted.
There was thunderous boom and smoke. Akane was pulled
back by the unexpected
force. She had pulled the trigger. Her eyes were
closed tight for moment. She opened
them.

    Ranma stood, shock and stunned for a moment.
Something didn't feel right.
Looking down Ranma could see a large bleeding hole on
her stomach. The golden chain fell
from Ranma's hand. She had actually shoot the pistol.
Ranma tried to smile at this
twist of of fate. But suddenly there was a lot of pain
coming from the wound. Ranma
groaned grabbed her stomach and doubled over. Falling
to the ground.

    Akane watched. She had just shot someone. She
watched the person fall to the
ground. She heard them groan in pain then stop,
moving. Akane didn't know what
else to do but get the locket. She looked down. "What
have I just done? Murdered
someone?" She asked herself. "NO! I can't! They have
to be alive!" She knelt down
next to the body. She could feel the breath of their
nose and hear a soft groan. STILL
ALIVE! She locked on to the idea like a prayer. She
couldn't let them just lay here
and die. She ripped a strip off her dress she had to
bind the wound. But there was so
much blood, it seeped through the make-shift bandage
it was pooled on the ground.

    By the carriage everyone had heard the shot echo
through the woods. No one had
moved. As the horrid ideas of what had happened out
there raced through their
minds. Everything was still, Then Nabiki heard a
crunch in the woods and looked up.
"Akane!" she cried in relief. Then looked at her
sister. "What are you doing?!"
    Akane stood, on the edge of the forest, In arms
she was carrying the bleeding
unconscious robber and she looked like hell.

~To BE contuied...~
 
 
 
 
 

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