"NO!!"

Usagi's strangled scream shattered the silence as Rei
labored to bring coherence to the scene in her dream.
Gosling white tufts of mist floated everywhere.  Carmine
streaks bore angrily through the white, vivid and pulsing
to the reverberations of her friend's piercing wails.

Floating along the periphery, or perhaps stationary as the
scene revolved around her, she caught a glimpse of a long
gold hair that dissolved into the hazy background.  The
head, partially visible shook gently.  Finger's, five
slender fingers moved rhythmically, swaying to an unknown
beat into and out of view.  Rei struggled as that glimpse
disappeared from view, but the sound cutting through her
heart remained.

Suddenly Ranma's hate filled face staring fiercely at
something, something she couldn't see.  He was twisting in
place, struggling to move forward but made no progress.
Her eyes willed the obscuring substance to clear so she
could and as if by virtue of her wishes it did.  She could
feel her heart pounding as more of the fatalistic scene
presented itself.  Minako's head appeared over his shoulder,
her mouth open and words coming out.  Her shoulder was bare,
except for the most miniscule strap of metallic black
stretched over it.  She noted then the flecks of blood that
stained Ranma's clothing, they wouldn't have been noticed
upon his travel stained attire, but they were so large.
Swatches of vermilion that looked like they were splashed
into place decorated his torso.

Howling in frustration, Rei was on the verge of breaking
down like a baby as the scene dissolved and she noticed the
clouds rustle and shimmer.  She couldn't tell if she was
moving, or the scene moving, or if it was only the clouds.
Finally, mercifully, something else came into view, a man
in a tuxedo.  He laid prone on the floor, a woman lying
over him.  She couldn't believe how calm she had become
instantly upon this scene.  Even though part of her knew it
was a dream, a nightmare, the vision in front of her would
haunt her for life.

The twin trails of golden hair trailing over his body were
unmistakable as belonging to the producer of that horrible
cry that still shook her body.   Rei gulped as she looked
to confirm what she knew her heart would never accept.
Usagi's chin was tucked into the straight black hair that
she always wanted to ruffle.  Usagi's arms cradled the body
she always wanted to hold.   She blanched at the blood, it
was everywhere, including a pool that formed where her
friend's arms linked and locked the man to her.  White and
red filled the space where an all-white shirt should have
been.  Agonizingly slowly her view shifted.  She took
another moment to ready herself before she moved her vision
to his face.  She made out his chin, and she could swear it
was his.  His cheek came into view, already ash white in
death, then his nose, one that she had seen countless time,
and then she saw his face.  The nothingness in his eyes...

Rei woke to a cold sweat.  Her heart was pounding and she
scrambled to her feet.

She turned away from the makeshift camp in the soft morning
light and stumbled a few feet before she fell on her knees
and vomited.  Vomited until she could feel the emptiness in
her stomach pain her more than the searing fire that had
burned in her heart.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Enemies of the Crystal State
Chapter 5
by KPJAM

Creators of
Scryed Yousuke Kuroda(scenario), Yasunari Toda(manga)
Trigun - Yasuhiro Naitoh
Sailor Moon - Naoko Takeuchi
Ranma1/2 -  Rumiko Takahashi

Thanks go out to Zorknot and Lalandil for finding many
mistakes already.  Any that are left are solely the result
of my crappy English.

Comments and criticism welcome.
Previous parts can be found at http://kpjam.anifics.com/

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



Rei dreamed often.   At times, she felt the 'gift' as some
would call it was actually a curse.  The transcendental
quality many of them possessed was terribly distracting and
unenlightening.  She had spent hours pondering and
deciphering them, only to find no meaning in them except
for the pure fear or wonder they brought of their own
accord.  She dreamt of friends, loved ones, those she
didn't know and wondered if all those dreams had a chance
of coming true.  Many did.  Warnings were given, the best
she could give from the unreal quality and few facts she
ever discerned from her dreams or visions.  She especially
made attempts when they were harbingers of ill fortune like
this morning's had been.  More times than she could count,
or would ever want to remember, she had failed to prevent
things.  Worse, she was seldom sure when she had succeeded.
How could anyone tell what exact action had diverted
disaster, or even if disaster was averted?  Her dream could
have been a fraud.  But she marked all her dreams, and
looked for the avenues that might bring them to fruition,
and how to leave the paths that led to ruin.

She returned from her vomiting session searching for water
in order to remove the horrid taste of bile dominated her
thoughts.  The acrid taste was something she focused on, in
lieu of thinking about her nightmare.  It couldn't be
determined to be a true foretelling, unless it came true.
It was a possibility that couldn't be allowed to come to
pass.  Here, in this open wilderness, there were no
apparent avenues for her to take, except hope, and try to
remember the scene as best she could in order to avoid it.
There were too many questions for her to process now, so
she tried to remove those thoughts from her mind.

She looked around, frantically, checking to make sure her
eyes saw what she believed they saw; or rather, that they
didn't see what they were supposed to see.  Vash.

Kanami was awake, and sitting quietly by herself, both boys
were sleeping, and there was no sign of Vash.

"Where is he?" she asked, suddenly, happy to have something
else to focus on.

Kanami, who had been eying her, replied slowly, "He said
that he would only bring trouble if we traveled with him.
He'll meet us at the 'Travelers' rest' just north of Kyoto
so we can take him in."

"You just let him go.  Why didn't you wake me?" she asked
incredulously.

Kanami bowed her head, "He asked me not to."

Rei could only stare at the girl and wonder if she had
found someone more na�ve than Usagi.  She blinked a couple
times to try and start her brain working.

"Which way did he go?" she finally asked.

Kanami turned and pointed over a nearby ridge.  "He left
about an hour ago.  He was moving really fast, although he
slowed down now."

Rei glanced at the sleeping boys and disregarded the part
about 'slowing down'.  "You can let them sleep."  She would
take great satisfaction in getting to Vash first.  "Take
care," she yelled as trotted off.


Xxxxxxxxxxxx


Kanami calmly walked down the road, leading her two
disgruntled companions.  Neither one of them had seemed
inclined to forgive her for letting him go and they seemed
even less inclined to forgive her for letting them sleep.

Vash had told her the truth.  She knew that as well as she
knew every time that Kazuma or Kimishima had lied to her.
She also knew when they hadn't lied intentionally, but
failed to follow through with their words anyway.

"Are you sure this is the right direction, Kanami.  You
said they both went over the ridge, not down the road,"
Kimishima asked again.

"Yes.  He switched directions twice and then slowed down.
He's this way now," she replied evenly.  She couldn't
explain it any better than she already had. She could
'feel' where he was, just like she could feel his emotions.
Right now he was relaxed but dissatisfied with something.
It was close to the sadness he had been feeling when he
spoke to her this morning.  That's why she hadn't objected
to his actions.  He _was_ leaving for their sake and he
felt bad about it.

Vash was one of the few trustworthy men she had ever met.
She was sure of it.


Xxxxxxxxxxxx


Standing in the middle of the field of rubble, Usagi held
her end of the large concrete slab.  The backdrop of broken
buildings highlighted their clean-up project. They had
cleared a good deal of the city, but a great many more
sites like this existed, and Usagi wouldn't stop until it
was done.  Participation was lagging, even with her
continued appearance people just seemed less inclined to be
civically minded of late.

Usagi felt the late afternoon sun beating fiercely on her
back.  Six years ago a person couldn't see then sun from
her position, it had been blocked by the once massive
buildings they were working at removing.

The effort to carry the debris, even with Momaru's help,
was straining every muscle in her abused body, but she was
determined to finish this one last piece.  Her head was
fixed on the truck, miles away, at least to her perception.

"We can rest a minute."  Mamoru's gentle offer rolled
around her brain as she considered, but dismissed it.  She
had to do this.  She had to show those around her -
especially her subjects -- that she wasn't a piece of
crystal.

A grunt was her eventual reply, the only reply she could
make.  The physical exertion was getting to her, and she
was worried that any other reply would cause her to
hyperventilate and collapse.  That was not how she wanted
this clean-up day to end.

The strain on her arms and back called out to her to
reconsider Mamoru's offer, but if he could do it, so could
she.  She took a quick peek at his face and noted his
concern.  Not pain, like her face must be showing, but
worry.  The sight gave her a boost of energy as she strove
to prove him wrong.  She quickened the pace, from a slow
shuffling to a passable walk.  The sudden change caught her
husband off guard, and he looked awkward for a second as he
adjusted to her latest dictate.  He didn't stumble though.
For a moment she wished he had fallen.  The second the
thought crossed her mind she chastised herself.  She was a
mature woman now, and such childish thoughts needed to be
avoided.

The exertion and fatigue she felt quickly banished any
thoughts other than the truck that stood an ungodly ten
feet away.  The goal line was actually the back of a semi
that was used to haul rubble twice a week.

Then she tripped as she was positioning herself to unload
her burden and time seemed to slow as she looked at the
concrete descending towards her.  Her eyes slammed shut as
she hit the ground, waiting for the pain to descend on her
in the form of a broken building; it never did.  She
cautiously opened her eyes to gaze upon the rugged gray
surface that hung in the air inches from her chest.

"Are you okay, Queen Serenity?" a low pitched voice asked.

She blinked and turned her head to the speaker.  Knives was
standing there.  Her view of his body bisected by the
corner of the concrete he was preventing from falling.  She
could feel her face flush, even over the heat from day.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, before gingerly crawling out from
under her potential doom.

"I'm glad to here that," he responded with a small smile
when she was on her feet.

She returned the smile, moments before an excited Mamoru
ran up to her and placed his arm over her shoulder, pulling
her into an embrace.

"I told you to take it easy," he said sternly.

She bristled for a moment as she shook of his arm.  The
Queen stared hard at her husband until the caring in his
face melted her objections and her heart twinge with guilt.
"I guess I overdid it a bit, huh."

"No harm done."  The smile that he granted her told Usagi
all she needed to know.  She tried to smile in return, but
it turned out to be rueful grin.

"I'd ask you to promise not to do it again, but I doubt
you'd keep it."

"Mamoru, that's not fair.  I have to set a good example,
and you know that."  Mamoru flinched visibly from her

Mamoru sighed, and seemed ready to respond when he was
interrupted.

"A good leader always leads by example," Knives said,
entering the conversation again.

"Exactly," Usagi responded regally, turning her head up and
slightly away from Mamoru.

"And what a fine example it is, abandoning your guests to
work on a construction site."

"Erg." Usagi spun to face Knives, her eyes where wild.
"I'm so
sorryIhadn'tcomeinlikeamonthandfeltreallyreallybadaboutit."
She bowed her head when she finished.

Knives took a step back, obviously unprepared for the rapid
speech.  "I don't mind.  I think it's great.  If my
predecessor had been more like you, he might be here
instead of me."

"Oh.  I thought you said that he did a terrible job?"
Usagi forgot her momentary embarrassment and tried to
remember what exactly she had heard on the subject that had
been picked out of what little he had said last night.  She
didn't notice the disapproving look she received from her
husband, nor would she have cared.

"I said that the populace felt he was unsuited for the
job," he responded amicably.

She was quickly remembering his answers last night had been
polite, but dreadfully vague.  Mamoru and Setsuna had
prepared her for that, political talk and it was the number
one thing she hated about her position.  She had always
been direct, and didn't understand the need for it now.  In
fact, she still believed it was wrong.

"So what exactly happened? You never really mentioned it
last night."

He looked at her seriously for a second, before he answered,
"The populace called for a vote.  He was forced to agree,
and they voted me in," he answered simply.  When no one
else spoke he continued, "He was a good man, just ill
suited for the public light.  I actually haven't changed
many of the policies he set up.  Right now he's a trusted
advisor in charge now that I'm not there."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Mamoru interjected quickly.
Usagi wasn't sure if his face was curious, or skeptical, or
a little of both.  She knew she was fascinated.  The men
who had run the country before the war, were a sore spot
for her and her government.  Some, were members of her own
swelling council, others had felt the need to leave the
city, while a few had stayed and kept out of the current
politics of the city-state.

"How so?"  Knives' seemed completely bewildered by the
question.  Usagi didn't believe she had been that na�ve
when she started, although she admitted it was her own
decision to have former government officials involved in
the city today.

"The person you replaced now has his job back.  Won't that
cause trouble when you return?"

"Ah.  No.  I trust him completely.  He gave up the city
peacefully and I'm sure he even believes what happened was
for the best."

"Knives is very fortunate to have him.  Some of the
policies he started have worked out very well," a melodic
string of words came into the conversation.

Usagi chastised herself for not noticing Kasumi before.
She must have taken Mamoru's side of the debris and helped
Knives dispose of it.  She hadn't thought of that earlier,
and she was annoyed at herself for missing it now.  She was
always being told she had to think of everything now,
especially things that had to have happened outside her
sight.  Logic training, Rei had teased her about her
simplicity before.  She just never felt the need to doubt
anyone, believing they would always be truthful and tell
her what she needed to know.

Knives' advisor stood by his side, as unobtrusive as the
background unless she spoke -- which she did with a
wonderful mixture of poise, nobility, and humanity.  She
wondered how she had missed the eld.... No, Kasumi was
actually younger than her.  It was a fact that had shocked
her last night.  Not so much because of appearance, but
because of the way she spoke, and carried herself, and just
appeared more mature than the Queen.  Usagi had to admit
she was a little jealous of that.  If she could give a
similar impression, maybe Mamoru and the outers wouldn't
give her such a hard time about appearing more majestic.
She didn't want to intimidate the people she met, she
wanted everyone to work together as a community and be
friends.

She regarded the pair as they stood next to each.  They
wore complimentary outfits that seemed suited for a casual
day of sightseeing, which is where they were supposed to be.

"Where are Setsuna and Masakado?" she asked suddenly.

"Right here, Your Majesty," Masakado said as he walked up
to the growing circle of people.

Masakado Taira was one of her advisors, the one she liked
the most outside of her senshi and Mamoru.  He was in his
mid-thirties, with medium length black hair that reminded
her more of a horse's mane than a man's head of hair.  He
was tall, about five feet and ten inches, and wiry.  She
remembered him saying he worked out, but she didn't
remember much more than that.  He was also one of her few
advisors that had never treated her like a child.

Setsuna stood next to him, looking amused at the situation,
and Usagi wondered how much she had overheard or witnessed.

"How could you bring them here?  I look like such a mess,"
she howled at the elder woman.

"He wanted to see this place.  I didn't tell them you'd be
here until after we arrived," she answered.

Usagi turned towards Knives.  "Why would you want to see
this place?"

"I was curious as to your clean-up methods and how
thoroughly you were doing it.  It seems your designs in how
to go about it are similar.  I assume this is the next area
slated for habitation."  He turned and looked around the
site.

"Yes.  There's some warehouse space and cold storage in
those buildings.  We've improved our harvesting when we
uncovered a few more trucks over the winter and could clear
a few more acres," she explained excitedly.  She really did
love "the reclamation of Tokyo" project as they were
calling it.  It was her passionate hope to see the city
return to a semblance of its former glory and then surpass
it to become the Crystal Tokyo of her dreams.

Kasumi took that moment to clear her throat and interrupted
the conversation.  "Lord Knives, you have an appointment to
keep," Kasumi said demurely.

Usagi blinked hard.  She couldn't remember the other woman
starting a conversation all through dinner and she had done
it twice today.  She had been incredibly polite and
friendly, a difficult mix in politics, but very unobtrusive.
She had answered everything put to her and even continued
some conversations by asking questions of her own, but only
after the effort was made by someone else.

Knives looked at his assistant for a moment, before
comprehension flooded his face and he turned back to the
Queen and knelt.  "She is right.  We were only supposed to
stop for a brief tour.  I look forward to continuing our
conversation, Your Majesty."

Usagi returned a polished curtsy as she fought the jell-o
that had replaced her muscles and hoped that her
extremities didn't pick that moment to decide they could do
better on their own.

Kasumi and Masakado bowed in turn and offered their
farewells.  Setsuna nodded her head, the last of the
entourage, and was about to leave when Mamoru motioned for
her.  His manner shouted discretion and Usagi crouched
forward, not wanting to miss anything.

"What was he like today?" the King asked.

Setsuna smiled.  "Very polished...  Too polished.  Smart
and easy to get along with.  I'm not sure I like him."  Her
face became contemplative, as if she was looking for words
to find.

"I need to go," she said suddenly and turned to leave, but
was stopped when Usagi caught her arm.

"What's his appointment?" she asked, her curiosity getting
the better of her.

Setsuna demurely removed her arm, looked mischievously at
the younger woman, and said, "He has a date.  Remember?"
She gave an amused smile and turned to catch up with rest
of her party.

Usagi turned to Mamoru, confusion still on her face.
"Date?"

He laughed in her face.  "You set it up, remember?"

It hit her then and she flushed to the roots.  Makoto!


Xxxxxxxxx


Cynthia glided across the room, unable to completely
control her excitement.  Her outfit, close fitting jeans
and shapely black blouse, sat under her bed, waiting for
her attention.  It was uncommon, but not unheard of for her
parents to enter her room unannounced, and if they caught a
glimmer of her plans, she would be jailed in her
house.  She was seventeen now, and should be able to do as
she pleased, not adhering to the restrictive whims of her
parents.  Her prancing stopped in front of her dresser and
her eyes lingered upon the small note laid there.  It was a
dream come true, and she couldn't contain the bubbling
ecstasy that coursed through her.  Picking it up, she
gently unfolded it, re-reading the short missive for the
hundredth time.  Love, that she had thought unrequited, now
wasn't.

She heard her father enter her parents' room, and knew her
mother would be joining him shortly.  If she visited here
first, that could prove disastrous, as she was incapable of
acting calm anymore, the future of the night were to close
at hand.

Sneaking out was something relatively knew to her, having
only actually done it twice before.  The streets were eerie
and fascinating, the night lights and bustling humanity
that existed before the war, before she could take part in
it, no longer existed.  Now, there was an edge returning to
the city that even the adolescents could feel, most
palpable in the evenings when people, young and old would
meet.  They had been too tired in years past, occasionally
sharing a meal or simple company.  Gangs were now forming
as people turned once again to their own problems, and
started feeling out how the city would really run.  The
soup kitchens were no longer enough for those most
unfortunate, as they watched others eat their fill.  The
stories of the occasional beef dinner would bring howls of
anger to those eating porridge.  Crime, although still non-
existent compared to the pre-war era, was making its
comeback.  The nighttime was where the excitement once
again thrived and Rei Kashino was a major part of it.

He had boyish good looks and a dangerous attitude that made
him the desire of every girl in the area.  And he had
invited her to meet him tonight.  Her!  She had always
thought he considered her a mere nuisance.  Daughter of the
one of the nobles on the Queens staff, she had been watched
closely by her parents and forced to tow a specific line,
one that the other kids took great care to belittle.

Her mother's soft footsteps echoed throughout the house and
Cynthia stopped all thought in order to listen for the door
to close.  Her beating heart sounded in her head above the
once again silent house.  She waited a few moments, if her
parents indulged themselves they might leave the bedroom
later for something to drink, and nothing would keep her
from her rendezvous tonight.

She started dressing, alert to any change in the sounds of
the house as she slipped on her jeans and bra.  Quickly
adding her blouse, she adjusted her clothing and make-up,
before checking herself in the mirror, turning off the
lights and waiting a few more minutes to be sure.  Finally
satisfied, she crept quietly out of the house, ready for an
unforgettable evening.


Xxxxxxxxx


Makoto Kino stood on the balcony over looking a small
interior courtyard, waiting.

She had arrived early as was her routine.  Prolonged
exposure to Usagi had reinforced this trait within her,
something that started because her parents had always been
late.  Hours had been lost playing with her friends when
she was younger, courtesy of her immature parents.  Even
when, like now, being tardy might be of some benefit to her,
she still arrived early.  Every girl understood the
advantage of arriving late, or so Usagi had told her
earlier when her friend and Queen had attempted to delay
her from her meeting with her potential suitor.

Irony was a word she didn't much like, but had played a big
part in her life, especially her love life.  Here she was,
meeting a man that had expressed interest in marriage, a
successful, attractive, polite, and intelligent man, and
she had no interest in the meeting him.  Her fate was to be
alone.  She had come to believe this most fervently as she
thought back over her past encounters, unfulfilled
experiences, and rejections.  They had all, in one form or
another, plagued her life and continually attacked her like
a shark feeding on fresh blood in the water.

Sighing, she considered this meeting, and thought of ways
to cut it short.  Dinner last night had been enjoyable, but
she really didn't want to be alone with this man.  She knew
the outcome; so she didn't understand the need to go
through with it.  But her Queen had demanded it, telling
her all manner of things in an attempt to get Makoto to
open her mind and her heart.  It had been typical Usagi,
belief in and only in love, justice and faerie tales, all
of which had worked out for her, and failed for the others.

Crisp steps echoed off the marble floors and declared her
time had come.  She turned and regarded her suitor as he
entered the small alcove.  He was immaculately dressed, a
tuxedo with pink corsage adding a hint of color to his
outfit, and complimenting nicely the perfect complexion he
possessed.  His smile was speculative, not the confident
expression that had graced him last night, and she had
expected to see full-fold tonight.

"I'm sorry.  Did I keep you waiting?"  His question sounded
contrite, as if he was really worried about her.

"I came early.  It's a habit of mine from being forced to
wait on... a certain friend of mine who's _always_ late,"
she replied, remembering ruefully to thank her friend later,
and trying to suppress the pull this man's mere presence
placed upon her quickening heart.

He nodded, accepting her words, though his face looked
troubled, worried even.

"You don't want to be here."  There wasn't the hint of a
question in his remark, and a part of her felt shamed that
he had discerned her mood so quickly.

"I thought you would rather be with one of the others."

"Why would you think that?"

"You were so _disappointed_ that the two beauties weren't
here."

"Ah, that," he said, eyes downcast, and a frown upon his
face.  "My apologies.  I had been expecting to meet four of
you and was distressed that they were absent.  I was afraid
that maybe I had said or done something that had offended.
And here, I find that I have."

She stopped and regarded him.  He was feeding her a line,
of that she was sure, but something about his voice, his
demeanor left her unsure.  "That still doesn't explain why
you are shopping for a wife in the first place."

Smiling brightly, he walked over to her and looked into her
eyes.  His gaze was fierce, penetrating, and she wanted to
turn away, but some compulsion held her gaze.
"I am a man," he said softly, but the force of his voice
was apparent.  "I have benefited from some luck, and
decided to use that luck for the opportunity to meet some
beautiful women.  What man wouldn't wish for such fortune?"

"You could have just visited.  Not forced some arrangement
upon Neo-Queen Serenity, upon us."

"I apologize for that.  It was a miscalculation and never
my intention to force myself upon anyone.  I was merely
hoping to display the honesty of my intentions and
seriousness of my disposition when the matter was breached.
If it has caused some small discomfort, I can only
apologize and hope that you not think upon me too unkindly
when you remember this one meeting."

"So you don't want to marry one of us?"

"How could I desire something that would make you unhappy?
I feel this conversation has taken.....  No, it was started
on improper footing.  I am Knives of Kyoto.  It's a
pleasure to meet you."

"Charmed," she responded, a slow smile coming unbidden to
her face.

"I heard you were an athlete and practiced martial arts."

"I do.  Would you care to spar?"

"Sure, some time.... How about now?"

"We're not exactly dressed for it and Usa... the Queen
would be upset."  The last thought actually brought her a
slight quiver of pleasure.

"We can change our clothes, and why would her Majesty be
less than thrilled at our sharing something that we both
enjoy?"

The skeptical frown on her face gave way.  "You're right.
There's a gymnasium in the basement.  One of the guards can
show you the way."  She smiled at him then, a genuine smile
that reflected anticipation, and asked, "are you any good?"

He unhesitatingly responded with a cocky grin and said,
"I'm the best."


Xxxxxx


The early nighttime of Tokyo was a time most spent with
their families, at least those who still had them.  It had
changed dramatically over the years since the war, and the
freeing of the people by Neo-Queen Serenity.  The first
year, when food was scarce and people grouped together in
communities of sizes and cooperation that hadn't existed in
ages, people would gather in the evenings on the outskirts
of the city, or near these very docks to share large mess-
hall type meals.  The lack of people meant, all that were
able bodied and healthy would forage, hunt, or fish in
order to provide what sustenance they could manage to
supplement or supplant the dried rations that were stored
in the shelters.  The choice between a meager helping of
fresh food and something that would last for decades was
easy to make for most people.  The planting and
restructuring of the food production were also time-
consuming endeavors that everyone took part in, even the
youngest of the survivors.

Masakado Taira strode purposely trough these selfsame docks
he had worked at four years ago, ignoring the calls of his
family this night.  He was a stock broker in his previous
life.  Degrees in law and philosophy had been discounted
for the rush of money and the power that went with it.  He
had been humbled by the war, and like everyone, done what
he could to survive.  His wife and small children had been
delivered to his shelter, one that had been set up for
those with influence.  He remembered that hectic day as he
was whisked from his office with those other 'golden'
employees by helicopter to their designated shelter.  His
family had been brought by one of his servants, who had
been rewarded with a place in the shelter for his service.
The waiting had been painful, as he hadn't been sure if the
butler would make it in time; but, the shining face of his
wife, mother, and two children had shown up in their suites
an hour before the doors would close, which was fifteen
minutes before the first missile would land.

He had spent the first month getting acquainted with the
area and procedures of their entombment.  The small suite
they had, the meal times, recreation facilities, and work
assignments were all passed around, and adhered to; the
need for order and stability was great in the underground
complex, with people not sure of their future, or their
present.  He had felt real pride for his wife and children,
as they failed to make public spectacles of themselves
during the first tumultuous days.  It was the first time he
had really noticed how strong his wife was, or his children
as he passed by the occasional weeping wife or child.
Their husbands had been marked by those with power and
influence that shared their honeycombed domicile.  The
memory and repercussions for their failure to hold their
households in check would have long-lasting effects.  With
one notable exception, Cynthia Ikari had been a super-brat.
To Masakado's great dissatisfaction, her father Gendo, had
indulged the brat and still been placed above him in the
current government.  His recent good-fortune and current
opportunity was, and this he was sure of, due to his
stability and stature during their first few months of
underground exile from the world.

Knowledge and ability had carried him and his family
through the first year after they had been freed.  He knew
the necessity of food and lodging and was a driving force
in the structure that had been first implemented.  He had
gained stature through his proximity to the people who used
to rule the world, and his ability to deal with those who
now ruled Tokyo.   He had used the former to gain the ear
of the later, and his ability had garnered his current
position as one of the advisors to the city, Assistant
Financial Advisor to be exact.  He should have, could have
been the Financial Advisor, Ikari, but he had moved too
slowly, allowed too much of himself to be covered by his
old boss, whose job he should have had.

Even though he hadn't taken the job he so much coveted, he
had gained a special relationship with the Queen, another
step towards power.  The next steps were being taken
tonight as he moved towards his next meeting.  The first
step of many was being taken towards the proper restoration
of Tokyo.

His job of chauffeur today had been an unfortunate
consequence of his friendship with the Queen.  His day
would have been better spent doing other things, and public
association with Knives and especially Kasumi, was not
something he wanted.  He doubted it would pose a problem,
but he was meticulous in his preparations, and chance
memories could cause him more trouble than it was worth in
the long run.

The small restaurant he was going to was just up ahead and
he slowed to carefully consider this conversation.  His
work was coming to fruition, and the size of the operation
was reaching critical mass.   Each additional person meant
an exponential increase in the risks involved, while not
enough people meant failure.  This was the biggest
consideration, as he had less and less time to spend with
each addition member; his immediate judgments became more
and more important.  The man had passed the initial test
earlier, asking of the Queen that which they both knew
would be declined.  It had been an insignificant matter in
the grand scheme of things, but people were often blinded
by their immediate desires, something he was grateful for.

He entered the restaurant and spotted Akira Sagimoto and
nodded his head, before joining him at the bar.

Mr. Sagimoto wore a well tailored suit, something from his
business.  The suit hung a bit loosely of his shoulders,
doing a good job of camouflaging the excessive paunch the
man now carried around.  His thinning black hair was combed
together, and Masakado was sure some treatment was used to
give it a fuller look.  It made his thin face and long
limbs appear even more stick like in comparison.  Rumors
persisted that he had appropriated quite a bit of his stock
from abandoned warehouses.   The directive was that all
salvageable material was to be handed over to the palace to
be apportioned out fairly to the city.

They exchanged greetings, then pleasantries over some
inferior sake.  Another of the major shames of the current
regime was their reluctance to allow alcohol and the poor
funding that was allotted to it.  Actually, no funding was
allotted to the wise entrepreneurs who had established the
distilleries that produced this most mediocre blend.  They
had found an old factory in the hills, used their own funds
and know how to re-establish the place and had ended up
making a mint.  Since they had gone against the will of the
Queen, and exposed themselves to the risk, they had been
taxed accordingly, less than the others who used public
funds and backing to establish themselves.  It had been at
Masakado's urging that they be allowed to continue and
profit from their endeavor, even at the loss of manpower
and funds in sectors of the city that Neo-Queen Serenity
deemed more appropriate.

Sitting down for dinner, the two men continued their verbal
jostling, intent on seeing who would reign supreme in the
pre-game conversation.  They both had impressions to make,
and both knew how much the other might be swayed by
favorable feelings that could be elicited.  They both knew
that every little bit help, and the higher one was held in
esteem, the better their ideas and demands would be
received.  It was human nature, and both these men had been
winners in their 'old' lives, and were fighting to
reestablish that level of dominance in their new ones.  As
the conversations continued, Masakado was clear winning,
and both men knew that.  He had won their previous session
as well, and although it would never be spoken, both men
knew this and acted accordingly.  Masakado had made another
conquest, and he boldly breached the subject of their
meeting, content in his knowledge that he would get what he
wanted this evening, and the cost would be less than he had
originally thought.

"Opportunity will not come from the Queen," Masakado stated
suddenly.

Akira blinked, another battle lost that they both realized,
and replied, "if not from the Queen, where?"

"When you were young, and your parents raised you.  You
were content for a while, but eventually you became a man.
Had to move out of your parent's house, establish your own
life, your own rules.  Be your own man.  Society is a house,
when you feel you can no longer abide by the rules of your
father, who owns the house, you must establish your own."
He raised his glass, bowed his head slightly, eyeing, not
Akira now, but the sake glass.  "With risk comes reward.
And the greatest rewards, require the greatest risks."  He
then turned back to Akira.  The other man had a neutral
look about his face.  He was a man who knew the importance
of the moment, and the irrevocable nature of his next
movements and words.

A hand, slightly shaking reached out and grasped his own
sake cup.  He lifted it up and then met Masakado's intent
stare.  "A man cannot be a man without taking risks," he
replied.

Masakado smiled in reply as he downed his glass, and
enjoyed the fruits of another choice well made.  He checked
his watch.  He had another appointment to keep this evening,
his biggest risk to date.

Xxxxxxx


Masakado walked into the small alley.  There was rear
entrance, off the street that he knew would be open.  He
waited almost breathlessly for his companion.  He had grown
up only believing in the reality of the world, what he
could touch and feel.  Magic was something of fairy tales.
Even the pre-war stories of the senshi were disbelieved by
him and many.

The post war cleansing was something he had to accept, as
so many others had.  That acceptance had led to this
situation.  The current government was in place because of
that very magic.  It was only fitting that magic would be
the key to its undoing.

"Hello," the soft whisper caused him to jump.  He turned
swiftly to the woman who had spoken.  He could barely make
out her form in the darkness, and something about her
presence it gave him chills.

"This will work?" he asked.

She ignored him and turned to regard the door.  Her arm
raised silently, her loose sleeve forming a visible trail
for its movement in the dark and she pointed it at object
separating him from the point of no return. "He's in here?"

Masakado nodded.

"Shall we."  There was no question in her voice at all.

He silently moved to open the door.  He cringed at the
faint creaking sound it made as it was opened.  Turning
around, he searched the ground until he eyes locked on a
large stone.  Bending down, he picked it up, and propped it
in doorway as he let himself in.

She followed close behind him, allowing him to close the
door while she looked around.   Her eyes finished their
sweep on him, and he withered under her gaze.  Gulping, he
took a deep breath and firmed his resolve.  He took the
scarf from his pocket, and ventured into the house.

The boy, Shizumaru, had been specifically selected.  He had
no family, was considered extremely nice, well liked by
those who knew him, lived alone and reportedly was a little
wrong in the head.  He was seating in the next room,
engrossed in writing something.  Masakado moved forward as
stealthily as possible, taking one last breath when he was
in range, before moving quickly, slipping the scarf over
the boys head and fastening it around his mouth.  The waif
struggled, but was quickly overpowered as he was spun
around to face the Masakado's companion.

The boy's struggles stopped completely when his eyes fell
upon the woman.  Masakado took a peek and the fluorescent
white light that illuminated her was eerie.  Her hand was
writing, a semi-translucent pen scribbled away at a pad of
paper, while her eyes blazed bronze.

Shizumaru was having a seizure, his body stiffened and
shaking, a sensation Masakado felt through the scarf. His
slack muscles flapped to the tempo of the boy's vibrations.

A leaf of paper would regularly flitter from the woman's
pad and he watched transfixed as the glowing implement seem
to sail into nothingness, dissolving before his eyes.  The
scene lasted for a few minutes and ended when the pad
dissolved into the air.

Shizumaru slumped forward, hitting the ground with a dull
thud when Masakado released the scarf.

The woman turned, and began walking.  "He's ready," she
intoned as she disappeared into the next room.  The door
could be heard opening and closing, leaving Masakado alone
with his weapon.


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx





Taira Masakado stood a good distance away from the brutal
scene.  The screams of anguish had died down and were now
replaced with sobbing, a pitiful whimpering that was
occasionally broken by the pounding of flesh upon flesh.
He was taking a risk lingering here, but he had to witness
the spark that would set fire to his revolution.  Things of
magic were beyond him, but the woman had said she could
beguile the young man and he had to witness its results.

The dim moonlight provided little illumination as he
watched the bobbing of the young man's pimpled rear.
Masakado was already looking ahead to tomorrow, and the
next day.  He wondered how long he would have to wait.
Four days was his estimate, but he was prepared to be wrong.
The woman that ran this city would work quickly, which
would be to his advantage.  A few others had their prepared
parts to play, and he would be busy the following two days,
talking.  He always prided himself on his ability to speak,
to convey, and most importantly to sway.  Men of action
were needed.

The woman suffering now, Cynthia Ikari, was chosen because
she had been a woman of youth and hope, not unlike those
who ruled here.  And the effect it would have on her father,
and the country would lead him to his goals.

The sounds of people approaching pulled him from his
contemplation.  He turned silently down the alley and left
the area.  He was almost out of earshot when the first
cries of "Rape" were heard.


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


Kasumi languidly stretched out across the bed, spent in a
way that only Knives could induce in her.  The stress from
earlier in the evening had been long forgotten.  She stared
up at the ceiling, her eyes reaching back in time.  She
recalled their first coupling.  The moment when passion and
sympathy broke her will, compelled her to this road she now
traveled.  The moment she surrender to her desires and
first defied her family's wishes.  Her father had made
those clear numerous times when she had beseeched him to
release her to him.  Her will had crumbled or been broken.
The happiness she received in turn had caused her to never
care which, for the joy she had discovered in her heart in
this man had overridden her constraints.

In the end, she had her father to thank.  The emotionless
center of her had been formed by her tasks, tasks that had
stripped her of her morality.  She had been grown to love
and care for her family, first and foremost.  Schooled in
the way of tradition, she was an expert at graciousness and
propriety.  But they had been things she had learned in
place of caring, or anger.  She saw life in black and white.
Not the black and white of right and wrong, but of duty.  A
job.  She had been taught to put away grief and true caring,
for duty.

Her emotions had burst free for this man.  When love, true
love had returned to her with a passion her mind had not
been able to cope with, she had been found.  Love.  Hate.
Tenderness.  Cruelty.  They had found their way back to her
heart.  The service she had provided her family had taught
her how to care for people, things.  That service had never
taught her to care about, and the blinding pain of her
father's betrayal, the rejection of her heart's desire had
forever cast her out of his sphere of control.

The night.  That first night of their coupling, her final
surrender had been when her loyalty to her father, her
family died.  The night Knives planted his seed in her, he
changed her forever.  That passion he had forced to the
surface burned with an intensity that she, to this day,
could not sate.  She had placed her life long obedience in
his hands then.  Placing him above herself by her own will,
when before it was the will of her father that all be
placed above her.  She placed him also above her father,
and family, who had become nothing to her in her heart.

She had proven that the next day, when she had still felt
the raw, fresh wounds of her father's denunciation of
Knives.  They had been forbidden to wed, forbidden to be
together.  He was a foreigner to her father.  No one even
knew the boy's origin, but Soun had insisted that he was
from an unsavory lot.   She had slain him as he walked from
her, after another order of food and drink.  She stood over
his lifeless body wondering why she had wasted all this
time on one who had so little regard for her.

Her musing and staring where interrupted by Knives' hot
breath upon her neck and his whispered words of
encouragement in her ears.  Telling her it was time, the
plan he had shared with her the night before was to come to
pass now.

Quietly, in the early hours of the morning they moved and
hid the body of Soun Tendo.  Soundlessly they regarded each
other before parting.  Knives went to find Ranma, while
Kasumi went to the reactors under the ground.  She had no
idea how they would survive outside, but Knives had
promised to take care of her, and he had.

She turned and lightly traced her finger along his chest,
watching as a delicious smile crept upon his face.  His
stern visage lowered in the candlelight.

"Are you sure about this?  It's not too late to change the
plans.  We could take them directly."

She continued to caress his chest, pretending to
contemplate an answer to his question.  The question wasn't
about the marriage, they had decided that long ago.
The question was their remaining family.  The plan was
hastily devised, but it had its own charm.

"I could think of no better present to give the Queen or
the world," she whispered finally.  She looked up from his
torso and met his gaze.

"You are wonderful, but you must not forget our family,"
was his reply as he leaned forward, meeting her upturned
lips in hungered need.  They wouldn't see each other for a
while.  She would return to the outside world, and he would
ready things here.

She opened her mind and her heart to him as they enjoyed
one last night of passion together before she returned to
watching, and soon, acting.


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

fin

Notes.   For those who are following this, chapters 6 and 7
are finished in draft format.  I'll publish when ready.
Part of the reason this took so long is I'm having trouble
chaptering.  This was originally going to be chapter 7 or 8,
but I moved scenes around and this is now 5.  Anyway, I'll stop rambling.
Let  me know what you think.

http://kpjam.anifics.com/
noirchloe@nyc.rr.com



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