[FFML] [Ranma/MKR] Fire in the Water, act one (draft complete)

[The Eternal Lost Lurker]

It's been entirely too long, but...here it is. Finally.



C&C welcome.





The thin, cool mist he'd encountered at every step of his journey so far
thickened as he descended further down the trail. He had to tread more
carefully as visibility was reduced to practically nothing. Ahead of him, he
heard the sound of water dripping. He continued onward.

A little farther down the trail, he heard faint voices. Straining to hear,
he could make out two: one was laughing cruelly. The other was...a girl
crying?

*Tasukete...*

Gritting his teeth, he strode down the trail, unmindful of the blinding fog.
The mist began to part, and a spectacle from hell unfolded before him.


The valley was filled with small, shallow pools, their surfaces pristine,
unperturbed by the atrocities being committed only meters away.

At the opposite end of the valley, tied with double sets of bonds to a
splintered, uneven bamboo crucifix, was a young girl, perhaps fifteen at
most, with matted, tangled red hair. She was filthy, naked, covered with
welts and bruises, and crying. Dark rings circled her watery sienna eyes.
One set of the bonds lashing her slim wrists to the rough bamboo were dull
copper, and looked to be somewhat frayed, strands straying from the
braiding. A somewhat burnt ribbon was tied to the red braid.

*Tasukete...*

Her tormentor stood before her, his posture arrogant and his laughter cold
and mocking. Beside the man lay a pile of sundry torture implements; if the
rust-coloured stains on them were any indication, all had seen recent use.

Suddenly, he found himself no longer able to move. Rooted to his spot on the
trail, he could only watch in horror as the cruel man violated his young
prisoner. Her screams rent deep gashes in his soul. He struggled to no avail
against the paralysis which forced him to stand by helplessly. Angry tears
streamed from his eyes in tandem with the fluids trickling down her bruised
thighs, mirrored by the agonised, shame-filled tears rolling down the abused
girl's dry, cracked cheeks.

*TASUKETE!!*

Her tormentor then turned to face him. An arrogant sneer darkened the all
too familiar features...the ones he saw in the mirror every day.

Saotome Ranma awoke screaming.

"*TASUKETE...!!*"

====================================

FIRE IN THE WATER

Ranma 1/2 X Magic Knight Rayearth

a Studio ELL fanfiction production

Disclaimers:

Ranma 1/2 property of Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, VIZ Communications.

Magic Knight RayEarth property of CLAMP, Kodansha, Media Blasters.

Characters and situations borrowed from or mirroring other series copyright
the respective owners and used without permission.

====================================

ACT ONE

-1-


Ranma barely noticed the sign which bounced off the back of his head; he
paid no heed to the disgruntled panda which rolled over on the futon beside
him, soon emitting loud snores. His pulse was racing; sweat ran in cold
rivulets down his face, neck, and spine.

The door opened, and the bleary, sleep-worn face of Tendou Akane peeked into
the room. "Ranma?" she asked drowsily. "What is it?"

*Crap!* "Ah...nothin', Akane. I just had a bad dream. Sorry."

The youngest Tendou sister frowned uncertainly at him. "Are you sure?" The
black piglet nestled in her arms afforded Ranma a baleful glare.

"Yeah, I said it was nothin'! Go on back to sleep."

"Well...okay, if you're sure you're alright," Akane replied hesitantly.
"Goodnight, Ranma." With that, she slid the door closed again and headed
back to bed.

Ranma sighed, shoulders slumping. "Man, what the hell's wrong with
me...wakin' up screamin' from a damn dream..."

Deciding he wasn't going to be getting back to sleep soon, and figuring it
was probably close enough to morning that it didn't really matter anyway,
Ranma disentangled himself from his futon, grabbed some clothes to work out
in, and headed down the hall.

In the bathroom, he stripped off his sweaty tank top and filled a bucket
with cold water. He stared into it apprehensively, the images of the
nightmare which had woken him still burning through his consciousness. With
a deep breath, he dumped the water over his head, and stared into the
mirror.

Tormented red-brown eyes stared back at her from a grimy, tear-stained face.
She let out a gasp and stepped backward involuntarily--and the reflection in
the mirror returned to the usual sapphire-eyed visage of Ranma's female
self; the grime and tear tracks were no more than bleary shadows of lack of
sleep and sweat marks. Shuddering, the cursed martial artist took a deep,
shaky breath, and laughed softly.

"Stupid curse," she muttered. "I'm startin' t' crack up."

Following up with a cupful of hot water and towelling off, Ranma dressed and
headed out through the window, landing silently in the garden. Standing on
one foot and taking a deep, calming breath, he began a complicated kata,
moving swiftly and silently through the night, barely discernable from the
shadows cast by the streetlights. The familiar and repetitive motions
allowed him to attempt to clear his mind of the disturbing images from the
dream; a difficult task, for the horrifying and graphic events from the
nightmare were livid, like a fresh, raw wound. It disturbed him profoundly
that the girl in the dream had looked so much like himself--and even more
that it had been he himself who had raped her.

No, that couldn't be right. Saotome Ranma was not that kind of person. He
certainly would never...

But the memory of the nightmare refused to be denied, and Ranma's form began
to falter slightly as he shook from the raw emotions that the dream had
stirred. Caught up in his inner turmoil, he failed to notice the dew-slicked
grass his toes were angling for as he landed from an aerial kick...

She pulled her sodden body from the pond, shivering from the chill, and
stood at the edge, wringing her shirt out into the water before trudging
wearily back to the house.

She ignored the spectres of reddish eyes in her reflection on the water as
best she could.

* * * * * * *

"Father? I have found something strange in the mountain pass near the
springs."

The Guide of Jusenkyou turned to see his young daughter, Plum, remove a worn
knapsack from over her shoulder. "What is it, daughter?" he asked.

Plum removed a dirty white object from the knapsack and laid it on the
table. "It looks almost like some sort of glove," she replied. "See, here?
It looks meant to be worn on the hand."

"You're right, it does resemble a warrior's glove," the Guide replied,
nodding. "It is very small, though...as though for a child, or..."

"For a woman," Plum replied.

The grimy white glove lay on the table, the dusty red stone on the back
gleaming dully in the soft lantern light of the hut. Suddenly, a bright
crimson flare illuminated the gem, pulsing three times, like a heartbeat.
Then it was gone, and once more the glove looked simply old and dirty.

The Guide and his daughter looked at one another.

"Joketsuzoku?" Plum asked.

"It has to be," her father replied, nodding. Sighing, he added, "Pack for a
hike...we'll leave in half an hour."

* * * * * * *

Ranma sighed as he dodged another water balloon thrown by a pack of rowdy
elementary school kids scampering up the street ahead of them. "Annoying
brats," he muttered.

"If you weren't on top of the fence, you wouldn't be such a tempting target,
Ranma," Akane said, giggling slightly.

"You got a point," Ranma admitted, jumping down to land beside her. Cheering
at their small victory, and giving the pair several rude gestures, the pack
of small children ran off, laughing and yelling.

Once they were well gone, Akane turned to Ranma. "You've been kind of out of
it all morning. What's wrong?"

"Eh, it's nothin'."

"It's that dream you had last night, isn't it?"

"Ah, what d'you know about it?"

"Fine," Akane snapped, turning away in a huff. They continued on in tense
silence for almost a full minute.

Ranma sighed. "I...did somethin' horrible," he said.

Akane blinked. "Huh?"

"Th' dream. I saw myself--or at least it looked like me--doin' awful things
t' some girl who looks...who looks just like me. When I'm a girl, I mean.
Except she didn't have th' same eyes as me. An' it...it was at Jusenkyou."

"What kind of awful things?"

Ranma shook his head. "You don't wanna know that, Akane. You really really
don't."

The short-haired girl frowned. "Maybe it's part of the curse? Maybe it has
something to do with something that happened to the girl who drowned in the
spring? I mean, could the curse work that way?"

"Man...I hope not," Ranma replied, shuddering. "Anyway, it's been damn near
a year since I fell in that stupid spring...don'tcha think somethin' like
that woulda happened before now?"

"How should I know? I don't know a thing about Chinese curses!"

"Well excuse me!"

Another tense silence engulfed the two. Nearly two minutes had passed when
Akane said, softly, "Ranma...thank you."

"Huh?"

"For opening up to me. I know...how hard it must be for you to tell someone
something like that."

Ranma shrugged. "Eh, Pop'd bitch me out for sayin' anything about it, cuz
it's probably not very manly or nothin'." He paused. "But that
dream...really bothered me, Akane. An'...I guess I hadda tell someone, an'
maybe, I dunno, I guess I just trust you more than I trust anybody else."

Akane's face grew warm. "Ranma..." Unconsciously, her hand stole closer to
his...

*SPLASH*

"SHIT!" Ranma yelled, wiping cold, sticky soda out of her eyes with her
sleeve. "YOU LITTLE BRATS! GET BACK HERE!"

Akane watched the feisty redhead chase after two straggling elementary
school students, worry, affection, and amusement in her eyes. "Ranma..."

* * * * * * *

Ten minutes later, the two girls were dashing madly through the streets.
What sympathy Akane had earlier felt for Ranma's plight was erased by
irritation with the redhead.

"Honestly, Ranma, we're gonna be so late we're dead! And all because you had
to chase that kid halfway to Suginami for spraying you!"

"With soda! Sticky soda! Water's one thing, but..."

"And did you HAVE to kancho that poor kid?"

"HE HAD IT COMIN'!"

Akane rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We'd better hurry..."

They barely made it to Fuurinkan High School before the gates closed.
Panting and puffing, the two girls took a moment to rest before heading into
the school proper. However, they had failed to notice the figure lurking
behind a tree they had passed on the way in...

Ranma suddenly tensed up as a pair of strong arms encircled her from behind,
hands clamping firmly on a very personal area. "Pigtailed girl! Tendou
Akane! I had feared this day a waste for not seeing my loves among the
throngs entering yon edifice of learning, and yet lo, here you are! Come,
let us retire to a less noisome locale, that we may--"

Whatever Kunou wished to do with them was not heard, for he was cut short by
a shrill, piercing scream from Ranma.

Akane stared in worry at the redhead, who was struggling to break free--and
should be able to do so easily. Yet her eyes had glazed over, and she was
standing there screaming her head off.

The youngest Tendou frowned. "Kunou-senpai, let her go."

"My love appears to suffer from some distress. I must comfort her--"

"COMFORT THIS!" Akane broke a limb off the tree behind her and hit Kunou
about the head and shoulders with it until he released his grip on the
screaming redhead. Ranma collapsed bonelessly to the ground, hugging herself
tightly and shivering. A pitiful whimper occasionally escaped her lips.

*Ranma, what's going on with you?* The sight of the smaller girl sobbing,
rather than being her usual brash, energetic self, troubled Akane deeply.
What could possibly have happened to have such a terrifying effect on Ranma
literally overnight?

Sending Kunou off to dreamland with a final kick to the face, Akane knelt
beside Ranma, wrapping her arms comfortingly around her shoulders.
"Shh...it's okay...it'll be alright..."

She cast an annoyed glance at the heads which were popping out of windows
all over the school building, but her annoyance was overshadowed by worry.

And were her eyes playing tricks on her, or had Ranma's eyes turned red for
a few moments?

* * * * * * *

Ranma kept his head low to his desk for the duration of the day. Whispering
and occasional glances from his classmates were quelled by sharp, pointedly
hostile glares.

He had no idea why he'd suddenly spazzed out that morning and had that
screaming fit instead of pounding Kunou like he normally did,

(no, that's not true...it has to do with that damn dream)

but the shame he felt from the incident--which he barely remembered; his
mind had become very hazy and unfocused at the time--burned through him and
ate away at his very core.

He prayed his mother and father didn't learn of the incident. He could
ignore the old man's rantings about acting like a girl, but his mother was
sure to give him a stern, disappointed look, and he didn't think he could
stomach that.

Worst of all, Akane and, once she'd learned the details, Ukyou kept shooting
him looks of concern. He knew they were only worried about him, but it still
got on his nerves. He was a man, dammit! This kind of thing didn't happen to
men!

...right?

During one of his afternoon classes, he dozed off, and had another dream.
This one wasn't as horrific as the previous nightmare, but it was definitely
odd, full of images that simply didn't make sense. He'd awoken from the
dream shouting something about the ocean, which caused the sensei to hit him
on the head with his book and make a scathing remark, and the class to
snicker.

On the way home, Ranma said softly to Akane, "Listen...what happened
today...I'd appreciate if you not mention it t' my folks."

Akane nodded. "I understand. But Ranma...seriously, what's going on with
you?"

"I wish I knew, Akane. It's...I just wish I knew."

Both teens sighed. After a moment, Akane asked hesitantly, "Ranma? That
dream you had...did the girl...was she, um..." She paused. "Did
something...obscene happen to her?"

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

"Because of the way you reacted to Kunou this morning. I just thought
maybe..."

Ranma's lips pressed into a thin line. "Yeah. I really don't wanna go into
details."


"That's fine, I'd rather you didn't. It's just...if what we were talking
about earlier..." Akane paused.

"Yeah, I've been thinkin' about that," Ranma admitted. "If this IS part of
th' curse..." He frowned. "If I'm livin' out some shit that happened t' that
girl in my dreams..."

"I wish Tofu-sensei was still in town. I'm sure you could talk to him about
it."

Ranma snorted. "He ain't no shrink, an' I'll be damned if I talk to one. I
can barely stand talkin' to you about it." At Akane's frown, he added
hastily, "I didn't mean that th' way it sounded, Akane. I just meant..."

Akane's expression softened. "I...I know, Ranma. I know..."

* * * * * * *

Things did not improve over the course of the week. Ranma occasionally
lapsed into periods of unresponsiveness, or developed a glazed, faraway look
in his eyes. It happened more frequently when he was a girl, and one day,
he'd just wandered off while in girl form. Akane had found him an hour and a
half later, in Minato-ku, sitting on a bench about five blocks from Tokyo
Tower. He didn't have any memory of how he'd gotten there, or why he'd gone
there in the first place, and that disturbed him more than anything else
from the previous days.

His parents, naturally, found out about everything within two days of the
initial nightmare. His father reacted as expected, with much loud bellowing
and declamations of Ranma's lack of manhood, while his mother was far more
worried and concerned--she immediately came to the same conclusion Akane
had, and almost insisted Ranma seek the advice of Cologne. Ranma had vetoed
that idea; while it was true the elderly Amazon knew more than anyone else
he knew about Jusenkyou, he didn't feel comfortable sharing this new problem
with anyone he didn't trust implicitly--and that definitely did not include
Cologne or Shampoo. Two of his lapses had resulted in his development of
some unexplainable injuries, and he would rather not have it known he was
periodically vulnerable, lest one of his adversaries (or erstwhile suitors)
decide to take advantage of the situation.

Ryouga had found out--by virtue of being P-chan--but rather than using it
against Ranma, he seemed oddly thoughtful about it all. Ranma didn't
confront him about it, but he assumed that the lost boy was probably
wondering whether or not a similar effect would happen to him.

Six days after the nightmares and periodic lapses began, Fuurinkan's sports
festival took place. It was during this event that the situation finally
came to a head--almost tragically so.

* * * * * * *

Ranma grumbled as she adjusted the embarassingly short, tight bloomers she'd
been forced into wearing. "This bites," she groused.

"It can't be helped, Ranma," Akane explained apologetically. "We were short
one girl for the opposing-sexes kibasen, and as a girl, you're light enough
that you make a perfect rider."

Ranma snorted. "Yeah, yeah. I just hate wearin' this crap. What kinda
pervert came up with this shit?"

Akane giggled. "Every Japanese girl that's ever attended school has asked
that same question."

While they were milling about waiting for an event to begin, a series of
shrill, female screams rang out from the direction of the water fountains,
and began moving closer. Akane and Ranma looked grimly at one another.

"Only one thing I can think of," Ranma said.

"Happousai?" Akane guessed.

Their suspicion was confirmed a moment later, when the shriveled old pervert
appeared over the heads of a crowd of enraged, panicking girls. He cackled
as he angled in towards his preferred target. "Ranma-chan! How lovely you
look in that outfit! Here I cooooome!"

The ancient martial artist landed squarely between Ranma's breasts.

And that's when it happened.

Akane saw the change in Ranma's eyes immediately. The normal blue orbs
changed into a snapping, reddish sienna. Blood rushed to the redhead's face,
and a look of pure, unbridled fury wrote itself across her features. A hot
wind began buffeting Akane and the other girls nearby, who backed away
cautiously, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

Ranma shrieked inarticulately, voice full of rage and pain. Suddenly, an
aura of fire--pure fire--exploded outward from her, blasting Happousai into
the air. Akane and the other girls ran, frantically trying to avoid being
burned by the blaze which radiated from the redhead.

The entire population of Fuurinkan stared in horror as the inferno spread,
towering into the sky. Happousai, singed and startled, let out an angry
shout. "What the hell was THAT?"

Akane responded by smashing a folding chair over his head until he
collapsed. By the time the ancient pervert was unconscious, the flames had
died down; a ten-meter-wide circle of scorched ground marked their passing.

Of Ranma, there was no trace.

"Ranma...?" Akane's eyes widened, brimming with horrified tears. "RANMA!!"

There was no answer.

Without a word to anyone, Akane took off, ignoring the buzz of murmurs
behind her.

*Ranma...please be okay...PLEASE...*

* * * * * * *

The redhead walked for hours, unmindful of the stares she received. She
couldn't say for certain where she was going, but somehow she instinctively
knew where she belonged, and it wasn't in the place she had been.

Not where that...horrible...*thing* had...had...

The fire hadn't burned her, hadn't hurt anyone save her tormentor; while her
mind was so clouded she couldn't even remember who she was, she did at least
know she didn't want to hurt anyone.

She couldn't take a train where she was going, for she had no money. She
couldn't ask for help, for her voice was virtually gone from screaming. So,
she walked.

It was nearing sundown when she finally began to feel a sense of familiarity
about her surroundings. Her mind was also beginning to clear, and she was
beginning to remember who she was. As her memories slowly reconstructed
themselves, she knew that she was in the district of Tokyo in which she
lived, and that her home was...that way! She picked up her pace, ignoring
her sore, tired feet.

As she walked, further ahead, she saw two familiar figures--both
girls--dressed in school uniforms, heads bowed somberly. The direction they
were coming from was the cemetery.

She wanted to call out to them, but her throat was still raw and hoarse from
her earlier screaming. She tried to run to them, but her legs were far too
tired, and she couldn't bring herself to more than a fast walk without
tripping. By the time she made it to the corner where they'd turned, they
were long since out of sight.

Staring morosely at her feet, she turned and headed in the direction the two
girls had come from. Hesitantly, she entered the cemetery, wondering whose
grave they had been visiting. She scanned the rows, and spotted incense
smoke still drifting over a particular marker. Heading slowly that way, she
found the fresh offerings left at the white stone, and scanned the name
engraved there.

Her eyes widened, a brand new and wholly unwelcome terror filling her soul.
"No..." she whispered scratchily.

It couldn't be true. It couldn't.

This...this grave was...?!

Unable to cope with this newest traumatic shock in what had been an
overwhelmingly trying day, she collapsed in a dead faint.

Two minutes later, she rose to a sitting position, blinking bleary sapphire
eyes open and staring around. "Huh? Where am I--ugh!" Her throat was far too
raw for speech, so she settled for examining her surroundings as she
massaged it. Her eyes fell on the grave marker before her, and she frowned
in confusion. The name was unfamiliar, but something inside her felt
strangely uncomfortable about this memorial.

Noticing the position of the sun, she cursed inwardly and stood, dusting
herself off and trying to get her bearings.

As she left the cemetery, a last curl of smoke rose above the stone marked
"SHIDOU HIKARU", before dissipating into nothingness, leaving the air still
and silent.



-2-

Two girls wearing uniforms from different schools leaned against a guardrail
on the edge of a hill, looking out over a quiet residential district and
watching the sun set.

"It's hard to believe it's been two months since..." the taller of the two
said, brushing a lock of her long, sky-blue hair behind her ear.

The other nodded, tears brimming behind the round lenses of her glasses.
"Hikaru-san...we only knew her for a short time, but she was a very special
and dear person..."

"So full of energy, so innocent...she seemed younger than she was, really."

"Yet she was stronger than us both..."

The girls were silent for a long moment.

"I should've cut that bastard's balls off."

"Umi-san!"

Ryuuzaki Umi scowled fiercely. "We let Zagato and that bitch princess off
too easy. Hikaru DIED, Fuu. She DIED. For nothing!"

"Umi-san..." Hououji Fuu repeated softly, placing a hand on the other girl's
shoulder. "What we did...I'm sure it's what Hikaru-san would've wanted. She
wasn't...she wouldn't have approved of revenge. Not like that. We did the
right thing, I'm sure of it."

Umi sighed. "You're right, of course." She stepped away from the railing,
stretching. "Well, it's late...I should be getting home."

"I as well. Until Sunday then?"

"Un. Take care of yourself, Fuu."

"Good evening, Umi-san."

* * * * * * *

Akane sat moping at the low dining table, worrying over the thousands of
things that could have happened to her wayward fiance, when a weary,
dejected "Tadaima" sounded from the genkan. Immediately, she stood and
rushed from the room; she found Ranma, still female and still clad in her
gym clothes, removing her shoes and peeling off her damp socks.

"Ranma! Where were you?! I've been worried sick!"

"I...dunno, really." The redhead frowned at her socks, balling them up, and
rubbed at her eyes tiredly with the back of her hand. "After th' pervert
showed up, I just kinda..." She paused. "I don't remember what happened, but
next thing I knew, I was lyin' in some graveyard three wards over, an' it wa
s damn near dark."

"A graveyard?" Akane asked.

Ranma shrugged. "Hell if I know. Man, I'm gettin' sick of this..."

Kasumi's head popped around the corner. "Ranma-kun, I've been holding
everyone off the furo so it'd be ready for you when you got home..."

The redhead smiled. "Thanks, Kasumi. I'll make it fast, I promise. Besides,
I'm starvin', an' I wanna eat an' go to bed as fast as I can."

The older girl nodded. "I saved a plate for you from dinner, you can eat
whenever you like." She retreated into the house.

Ranma stood, stretching and groaning. "Well, wherever I went and whatever I
did, I'm sore all over, so that furo sounds great right about now."

Abruptly, Akane hugged Ranma, who blinked. "Ranma...don't scare me like that
ever again, okay? I had no idea where to look for you...Nabiki made me come
home, but I didn't want to, and--"

"Hey, Akane, it's okay. You know me."

"But I'm not so sure I *do* right now!" Akane protested, tears welling in
her eyes. "Something's happening to you, Ranma, and it's scaring me. It's
really...really scaring me."

Ranma awkwardly hugged the taller girl. "Akane..." She paused. "Look,
honestly, I'm pretty freaked out too, okay? I don't like blackin' out an'
wakin' up in weird places, not knowin' what th' hell I've been doin', or who
with. But we're gonna figure this out an' we're gonna get through this,
so...just try not to worry too much, okay? This is just one more crazy
screwed-up thing out of a whole bunch, an' it can't possibly be as bad as
the last one we had to put up with."

Akane sniffled. "I...I hope you're right, Ranma." She released the redhead,
and smiled shakily. "You'd better go take that bath. You smell worse than
those socks."

Ranma laughed. "Yeah. You look pretty tired, so you go on to bed, alright?
Don't worry about me."

"Al...alright."

"G'nite, Akane."

"Goodnight, Ranma." *Please still be here when I wake up in the morning.*

* * * * * * *

Kasumi habitually rose before the sun. It took an early start to run the
house; it also helped ensure she had the furo all to herself once in a
while.

As she approached the outer bath, she thought she heard someone inside.
"Ara?" She approached the door and knocked softly. "Is anyone in there?"

She received no reply, but listening closely, the sound of quiet sobbing was
unmistakeable. Silently, she slid open the door.

Inside, Ranma was curled into a tight ball, pressed against the wall and
staring in horror at the mirror. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape, and he
was unquestionably the source of the sobbing. He looked to be in shock.

Then, Kasumi noticed something odd. His eyes were red. Not red from crying,
but truly red--a deep ruby-sienna hue completely different from the stormy
blue eyes she knew.

Ranma gaped up at her, no hint of recognition on his face, then returned his
gaze to his reflection. Shakily, he raised a hand and pointed a trembling
finger at the mirror. "Th-that...that isn't...me..." His voice was soft,
rasping, and terrified.

Kasumi knelt beside the stricken boy, placing a comforting hand on his
shoulder. He flinched, but did not push her away. He didn't seem to have the
strength to resist anything at the moment. "It's alright, it's okay. Shh.
Now, tell me what's wrong."

"Th-that face...that isn't m...I don't understand..."

"Okay, it's okay. Do you know who I am?" Ranma replied with a shake of the
head. "Alright, don't worry about that. Do you know your name?"

The red-eyed boy frowned. "I...I can't remember. I think I knew it before,
but then I..." He paused. "I can't think. Everything hurts..." Tears
streamed down his cheeks, and he looked imploringly up at her.
"Please...help me..."

"Alright, don't worry. Just relax...everything's going to be fine." She
enfolded the upset boy in her arms, and quietly touched a pressure point.
Instantly, Ranma collapsed like a broken puppet.

Setting him down gently, Kasumi stood with a sigh, left the bath, and padded
down the hall, knocking quietly on Akane's door.

* * * * * * *

Ranma awoke with a groan. As he opened bleary eyes, he saw several concerned
faces peering down at him. He sat up, body aching and sore.

"Ranma?" Akane asked.

"Ugh...yeah?"

Akane and Kasumi let out twin sighs of relief. "Yokatta," Akane said
tiredly. "We weren't sure--"

"Ranma," Kasumi began, silencing Akane, "what's the last thing you remember
doing?"

Ranma frowned. "Takin' a bath an' goin' t' bed. Why?" He glanced around in
confusion. "Wait, don't tell me I wandered off again."

"We don't think so," Kasumi replied, "but this morning, I found you in the
outer bath, and...well..."

"What?"

The others traded uneasy glances. "You...didn't know who you were," Akane
said at length. "Kasumi had to use something she learned from Tofu-sensei to
put you to sleep, because you were completely freaked out."

Ranma looked around at everyone. "I..."

"It's okay, Ranma," his mother soothed, reaching out and gently stroking his
cheek.

"There's something else," Kasumi said. "Your eyes...they were..." She
paused, frowning. "They didn't look normal. They...weren't your eyes.
I...I'm sorry, I can't really exp--"

"They were red, weren't they," Ranma interrupted, voice flat and dull.

"Yes."

The pigtailed boy let out a sigh. "Red eyes...that girl. That damn dream.
This is gettin' way the hell outta hand."

The others traded another uneasy look. "Maybe...maybe you really should talk
to Cologne about this," Akane suggested timidly. "I mean, this is getting
really scary, and if it IS related to the curse..."

Ranma started to protest, but held his tongue, thinking carefully about it
for a minute. The worried looks Akane and his mother were giving him made
the decision for him. Slowly, resignedly, he nodded. "Alright."

* * * * * * *

Cologne's wizened eyes scanned the parchment a second time, age-creased brow
knit thoughtfully.

"What elders want, Great-Grandmother?" Shampoo asked, peering over her
shoulder.

"The Guide's daughter found something strange near Jusenkyo," Cologne
muttered absently. "They looked it over and aren't entirely sure what to
make of it, so they're sending it to me to get my opinion. It should arrive
this afternoon..."

The bell over the door jingled. Shampoo turned to greet the first customers
of the day. "Welcome to--Airen!" Cheerfully, she flounced across the room,
throwing herself at the boy who had just entered, ignoring the angry look of
the short Japanese girl behind him. Cologne was rather surprised to see that
a large throng of people had accompanied Ranma and Akane: the entire Tendou
and Saotome families were piling into her restaurant behind the two teens.

Ranma sighed. "Couldja get off me, Shampoo? It's not a good day for this."

Shampoo looked up at Ranma, and frowned, releasing him and backing up a
step. "Ranma is no okay? Violent girl cooking make Airen sick again?"

"Pipe down, bimbo," Akane growled. "Bad enough we had to come here at all,"
she added under her breath, though everyone could hear her.

"Akane, please," Saotome Nodoka chided. Akane bowed her head sheepishly, but
still looked irritated.

Cologne raised an eyebrow. "The formidable mother of the groom. I do not
believe I've had the pleasure."

Nodoka bowed, tactfully ignoring the unwarranted claim on her son. "Honored
elder," she greeted. "We have come today because a situation has arisen with
my son, which appears to relate to his...affliction. We are at a loss to
explain or understand this latest problem, and come to you in hopes you
might have some insight on the matter."

Cologne frowned. "A problem related to the curse?" She hopped over to Ranma
on her walking stick, peering intently up at him. "What sort of problem?"

The boy in question shifted uneasily under the scrutiny. "It--well--"

"He's been wandering off a lot lately," Akane said. "And can't remember
where he goes or what he does. And sometimes he...he doesn't seem to know
who he is."

"And he's having...decidedly unpleasant dreams," Nodoka added. "Occasionally
he awakes from them screaming."

Cologne frowned. "That sounds more like a psychological problem..."

"HEY! I ain't crazy, old bat!" Ranma bellowed.

"I didn't say you were, boy," Cologne said, rapping him on the skull with
her stick for good measure. "Occasional mental lapses aren't uncommon for
people under a lot of stress, even remarkably resilient young people such as
yourself."

"But...there's more," Akane said hastily. "His eyes...they change color."

Cologne paused, turning her full attention to the Japanese girl. "Change
color?"

"Yes. They turn red--Kasumi and I have both seen it. Also, he--" She paused.
"Since this began, he has reacted...very violently to the attentions of both
Kunou-senpai and the old letch."

Everyone gave her a Look. She blushed. "Well, more violently than usual,"
she amended.

"This morning's episode was especially troublesome," Kasumi took over. "I
found him in the bath, staring at himself in the mirror. He was in his male
form, but his eyes were red, and he seemed frightened and confused--he
couldn't remember his name, and the sight of his face seemed to be causing
him great distress."

"And you have no memory of this incident?" Cologne asked, glancing at Ranma.

"Nope. I remember goin' t' bed, then I woke up with everyone lookin' at me
like I got hit by a train or somethin'."

"Hmm." Cologne peered into his eyes, examining him from different angles,
then hopped onto the table.

Without warning, she produced a glass of water and splashed Ranma in the
face.

The pigtailed girl spluttered. "HEY!"

"You want me to deduce a problem with your curse, right? Well, that would be
easier served if you are actually IN your cursed form."

Ranma sighed. "I guess that makes sense." The cursed teen's mother
wordlessly handed over a handkerchief, with which she began mopping water
from her face.

Cologne studied Ranma for several long moments, then hopped back to the
floor, shaking her head. "It could be any number of things. Possession,
hypnosis, head trauma, some strange magic that perverted old goat did...just
from the description, I can't really--"

The bell over the door chimed again, interruping her. Shampoo glanced over
at the door, and frowned. "Deliveries in rear!"

"I apologize for the intrusion," replied the harried-looking courier
standing in the doorway. "I tried the rear entrance, but there was no
answer. I was about to leave a notice slip, but I saw people inside through
the window, so--"

"It's quite alright," Cologne answered, hopping over to the courier. She
motioned for his clipboard, stamped it, then accepted the small, flat box he
held. He bowed and left, and Cologne turned the sign on the door to
"Closed". "Busy day," she muttered.

"We can come back later," Ranma suggested.

Cologne waved her hand dismissively. "This is of no urgency, and your
problem does concern me more." She perched herself on a chair across from
Ranma, idly slicing the tape on the package with a fingernail. "Now, about
how long has this problem been going on?"

"About a week." Ranma fidgeted. "It started with this...dream."

"You are uncomfortable about the particulars of the dream?" Cologne asked,
sliding a lacquered, sealed box from within the cardboard parcel.

"Yeah." The pigtailed girl swallowed. "There's this...girl, she looks a lot
like me. And she's tied up, an' all beat up, an'..." She hesitated. "A
guy...that looked like me, an' he was doin'...really bad stuff to her."

Cologne frowned, but did not press for clarification. Instead, she removed a
small golden talisman from within her robes, pressing it into a depression
on the box. "And since this dream, your cursed form has been causing
problems?"

"Yeah. It's...it's gettin' really weird. Weirder than th' usual shit that
goes on around here."

The wizened Amazon hummed thoughtfully, lifting the lid from the box. She
carefully removed the contents, raising a wrinkled brow; aside from a scroll
sealed with wax, the box contained only an old, filthy, beat-up glove with a
dull red jewel on the back.

"That it?" Shampoo asked. "That thing Guide found?"

"Apparently," Cologne replied, turning it over in her hands. "Doesn't look
like much, but..."

The jewel on the glove suddenly flared with an intense red pulse of light.
Well accustomed to dealing with strange magic, the assembled people backed
hastily away from the table.

"Ranma!" Shampoo cried. The others sharply glanced at the redhead, who had
stiffened in her seat, eyes wide. A red film gradually clouded the blue
irises, until her eyes had changed to a deep crimson-brown hue.

"Everyone look out!" Akane cried. "The last time this happened, he torched
the sports field at school!"

The crowd watched the redhead warily, tense and unnerved, ready to react at
the slightest motion. Ranma's now-red eyes were fixed intently on the object
Cologne held.

Then, without fanfare, the light from the gem faded, and Ranma blinked
slowly. She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I..."


She looked around at the concerned, wary faces studying her, and swallowed.
"I..."

She glanced back at the glove in the old woman's hand. Then, she stood bolt
upright. "Umi-chan! Fuu-chan! They made it back!"

Before anyone could stop her, she bolted for the door, barely pausing to
throw it open before racing off down the street.

Everyone froze in shock. Then, Akane bolted for the door, pausing only long
enough to shout to the room, "What are you all waiting for? After him!"

Less than two seconds later, the Nekohanten was empty.



* * * * * * *

Her heart hammered in her chest. She had no idea where she was or where she
was going, but an urgent feeling drove her onward.

That glove...

Seeing it had brought everything back to her. Like a dam had burst, memories
flooded in.

She knew who she was. She knew what had happened to her. And most
importantly, she knew her friends were alive and back in Tokyo.

How long had it been? What happened after she'd...

"Ranma! WAIT!" voices cried behind her. She wanted to turn around and try to
help whoever was chasing her find this Ranma person, but at the moment, she
had more important things on her mind.

Umi. Fuu.

Her mind reeled. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered...

"Airen! You come back now!"

"Slow down, boy!"

This WAS Tokyo, though. Of that, she had no doubt. It had to be...

She'd seen the grave marker. Her friends thought she was dead.

Was she dead? Was she alive? She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Except the most important thing.

"UMI-CHAN! FUU-CHAN!" she screamed, lungs burning as she increased her pace.
The number of people following her had diminished; she dared not look back.
Forward was the only option now.

* * * * * * *

Less than two minutes into the chase, Kasumi, Nabiki, Nodoka, and Soun had
retreated to the cafe, the latter panting and gasping for breath.

"I hope they can catch him before he hurts himself," Kasumi fretted.

"My son..." Nodoka sank heavily into a chair, fists knotted in her lap, the
folds of her kimono creasing.

Nabiki frowned. "They were headed that way, so..." She walked behind the
counter and picked up the phone, dialing a familiar number. "Ukyou? Listen,
Ranma's kind of not himself, and he's run off again. Yeah. Akane and a few
others are chasing him, but it looks like he was headed your way. Cut him
off if you can, would you? Yeah. Okay. Thanks."

"Do you think she'll be able to stop him?" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki snorted. "Not a chance in hell. But maybe she can slow him down long
enough for the old ghoul to knock him out."

Nodoka scowled at her, then turned her gaze to the door, worry written in
bold lines on her face.

* * * * * * *

Something embedded itself in the ground in front of her, narrowly missing
her feet. She spared only a second to marvel at the fact that it was a
bamboo chopstick, before deciding it was irrelevant.

A shop door suddenly burst open several meters in front of her, and a girl
with long hair and an enormous--spatula?--strapped to her back practically
flew out, blocking her path.

"Ranchan! Stop runnin', sugar! Ya gotta stop!"

The redhead turned sharply, veering off down a side street. Loud cursing
exploded behind her, followed by a renewed wave of shouting. A small metal
spatula stuck itself in the pavement near her feet.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she cried, glancing over her shoulder for only a second.

The momentary distraction was all it took. Her shoulder slammed hard into a
utility pole, and she went down in a crumpled heap. The group following her
skidded to a halt, surrounding her. She looked up at them; despite the
concern and worry in their faces, she felt cornered and trapped. "Why...why
are you chasing me?" she asked. "I don't even know who you people are!"

"Ranma?" the leader of the group, a girl about her age with short dark hair,
crouched down in front of her.

"I don't know any Ranma!" she cried. "Why...stop...I gotta find..." It all
became too much for her, and she broke down, curling in on herself and
sobbing. "I...Umi-chan...Fuu-chan..."

"Shh. It's okay. Nobody's going to hurt you." The short-haired girl's voice
was soothing, comforting; she clung to that comfort and threw herself at the
girl, clutching desperately at her blouse. A hand gently stroked the back of
her head.

"Gotta...know..." she murmured wetly through her sobs.

"Child? May I ask a question of you?" an old woman's voice asked.

The redhead looked up to see a shrunken, shrivelled, ancient woman with long
white hair studying her intently. She recoiled, but nodded, sniffling.

"Do you happen to know who you are?" the old woman asked after a long,
uncomfortable moment.

"H-hai," she replied, wiping at her eyes and nose with her sleeve. "I...my
name is Hikaru. Shidou Hikaru."

-3-

"Nekohanten, sorry, we're cl--you did? Is he--oh. Okay, we'll see you in a
few minutes."

Nabiki hung up the phone, and looked around at the others who had remained
behind. "They've got him. He's...well, Shampoo said they'll explain when
they get back here."

Nodoka breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

Several tense, silent minutes later, the door opened, admitting Akane,
Ranma, Cologne, Shampoo, Genma, and Ukyou. Ranma, now red-eyed in more ways
than one, had her head bowed and walked between Akane and Ukyou with a meek,
defeated posture. Fresh tears still spilled down her cheeks, though they
were silent tears. Behind her, Genma looked solemn.

"Ranma? Are y--"

"I'm not Ranma," the redhead said. "I...I know you people think I'm someone
named Ranma, but..."

"And yet, you are Ranma," Cologne spoke. "You are, and yet you are not."

The girl rubbed her hand across her dirty, tear-stained face. "That doesn't
make any sense! Why do you keep say--"

"You promised to hear us out before you ran off again, did you not?" At the
girl's nod, Cologne motioned with her stick to a chair. Ranma meekly sat
down.

"Sha...Shampoo go make tea," Shampoo volunteered, visibly shaken by the
situation. She moved to the kitchen with less than her usual grace; Kasumi
fell in step behind her.

"Some explanations are in order," Cologne said solemnly. "First; to those
who waited here: this girl, who we know to be Saotome Ranma, claims to be
named Shidou Hikaru. This, I have absolutely no cause to doubt."

Nodoka stared at the old woman. "No cause to *doubt*?" She then turned a
searching gaze at the redhead, who shifted under her scrutiny. The tall
woman strode over to the child, leaning over her, staring intently into her
eyes. There was absolutely no hint of recognition there.

She stepped back. "Somehow...I believe you're right. This is not my son.
But..."

"How could a girl be your son?" Hikaru asked, tilting her head curiously.

Shampoo and Kasumi approached with tea trays. "Hikaru-chan," Kasumi asked as
she set cups before everyone, "do you remember this morning? In the bath?"

Hikaru frowned, then nodded slowly. "Yeah...I saw you there, and..." She
shuddered. "The mirror...the reflection was wrong."

"A boy, slightly taller than you, with the same hairstyle?" Kasumi prompted.

"Yeah...that's right." Hikaru sipped her tea distractedly. "I...I was so
scared, and confused..." She pressed a palm to her forehead. "My head
hurts...nothing makes sense..."

Akane spoke up suddenly. "Hikaru," she asked, "do you remember ever seeing a
place that was full of small pools, with bamboo poles sticking out of them?
A valley like that?"

The redhead's eyes snapped wide open. "How do you know about that place?!"

The assembled group exchanged a series of meaningful glances. "Many of us
have had...rather unpleasant encounters with that place," Genma spoke.

Hikaru shuddered violently. "I...I wish I could forget...that horrible
place..."

"So you *have* been to Jusenkyo," Akane asked. At Hikaru's nod, Akane
sighed. "I can't believe it. I was right."

"It lucky guess," Shampoo jibed half-heartedly.

Cologne rubbed her chin, brow creased deeply in thought. "I'll have to
admit, I was skeptical about that theory of yours, child, but..." She
chuckled somberly. "It does seem Jusenkyo has found yet another way to
interfere with the groom's life, after all."

Akane moved to sit directly beside Hikaru, and took hold of the redhead's
hand, squeezing it firmly. "Something...really bad happened to you there,
didn't it?"

Hikaru nodded, trembling. "I...I don't want to talk about it."

"It's okay. I think we can guess. Based on what Ranma told me about his
dream--and he didn't want to go into details either--I think it's not hard
to figure it out."

"I still don't have any idea who this Ranma everyone keeps talking about
is!" Hikaru suddenly snapped, frustrated. "Would someone please explain? I
need to know what's going on so I can go look for my friends and let them
know I'm still alive..." She paused, staring unhappily into her tea.
"I'm...still alive..."

Cologne sighed, withdrawing her pipe from her robes and lighting it. "No,
child...I'm afraid you're not."

Hikaru looked up at her, startled. "What?"

"Saotome Nodoka," Cologne asked, "you carry pictures of your son in both of
his forms, do you not?"

"Of course."

"Would you please take those out and show them to Hikaru?"

Nodoka nodded, and fumbled with her purse. After a moment, she placed two
photographs in front of the redhead.

Cologne gestured at the one on the left with her pipe. "This is Saotome
Ranma, age sixteen." She then gestured at the one on the right. "This is
also Saotome Ranma, age sixteen."

Hikaru blinked. "But...one's a boy and the other's a girl...what, are they
twins or something?"

"No, child, they are one and the same." Cologne chuckled at Hikaru's
confused look. "Shampoo, show our young guest what the curse does."

"Hai!" Shampoo plucked a glass of water off an empty table and threw it in
Genma's face. Hikaru's eyes practically tripled in size as she boggled at
the panda which appeared where the middle-aged man had stood. The panda, for
his part, simply glared at the Chinese girl.

"Wha--what happened?" Hikaru asked.

"The valley of cursed springs--that place which you dread--is a place of
terrible magic," Cologne spoke, puffing on her pipe. "The pools there have
taken many lives, man and beast alike. When a person or animal drowns in one
of the pools of Jusenkyo, anyone or anything that falls into that pool
thereafter will emerge wearing the form of whatever drowned there."

Hikaru stared. "Uso..."

Cologne picked up her tea, still quite hot, and threw it in the panda's
face. A spluttering Genma returned, and scowled darkly at the small woman.
She ignored him and continued, "From that time on, exposure to cold water
will cause a cursed person to change into that form, and hot water will
reverse the change. There is no permanent cure to the affliction. It is the
most terrible ancient magic known to humankind."

Hikaru shuddered. "That's terrible." She looked at Genma. "So you've been to
that...that place?"

Genma nodded. "The terrors of Jusenkyo..."

"If I remember Ranma's story correctly, you only ended up there because you
bought a guide book you couldn't even read," Nabiki interjected.

Hikaru stood up suddenly. "Wait...that boy! The one I saw in the mirror, my
reflection...was that this Ranma?"

"That's right, Hikaru-chan," Kasumi said.

Hikaru looked down at the photographs again, trembling. "And...and he fell
into a spring too, didn't he? And...and he turned into..." She swallowed.
"Into me."

"That would appear to be the case," Cologne spoke. "Although in my many
years, I have never heard of something like this happening, it would seem
that somehow, the groom carried more than the curse away from that spring.
He also carried the soul of the girl who drowned there fifteen hundred years
ago."

"Fif...fifteen hundred..." Hikaru sank heavily into her chair, face pale.
"So...I'm a ghost?"

"I'm not certain WHAT you are, child," Cologne replied. "A ghost, perhaps. A
spirit, certainly. A displaced soul, an echo of memory..." She shrugged.
"Again, this is completely unfamiliar territory for me. I can only
speculate."

Silence settled over the group for a long moment. Then, Hikaru seemed to
remember something, and glanced around. "Ano...you said I died fifteen
hundred years ago..." She looked sick at that thought, but pressed on.
"What's the date, could you tell me?"

Soun wordlessly handed over the newspaper he had taken refuge behind during
much of the exchange. Hikaru glanced at it, then paled. "Two months...it's
only been two months?"

"Two months?" Akane echoed. "Since what?"

"Since we wen--" Hikaru paused, seeming to catch herself about to say
something she'd rather not. "Since...I died."

Confused silence greeted this statement.

"Ghost girl confused, yes? You die fifteen hundred year ago, in China. You
no could die two month ago!"

"For that matter, how can you read Japanese?" Nabiki wondered. "And why do
you have a Japanese name?"

"Because I'm Japanese," Hikaru replied. "I'm from right here in Tokyo--we
are in Tokyo, right? It smells like Tokyo."

"Yeah, Nerima-ku," Ukyou piped in.

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, I'm from a few wards west of here. The day--" She
swallowed thickly. "That day, my school was at Tokyo Tower..." She noticed
everyone staring at her. "What?"

"You...I didn't even notice it, but you really couldn't be over fifteen
hundred years old, or Chinese," Akane said. "But then...how..."


"How could a girl from Tokyo who was at Tokyo Tower just two months ago
drown at Jusenkyo fifteen hundred years ago?" Nodoka asked. "I...I'm afraid
even with all the strangeness I have become accustomed to in my son's life,
this is somewhat hard to accept."

"It gets a lot weirder," Hikaru muttered. "But...so you mean that place
where I...it really was in China? And in the past?"

"Of that there is absolutely no question," Cologne affirmed.

Hikaru studied her hands, folded in her lap, for a moment. At length, she
nodded. "That answers a lot of questions. It also brings up a whole lot of
new ones." She paused. "And I...I think to get the answers, we need to find
my friends."

"Your friends?" Akane asked.

"The two girls who were with me, that day at Tokyo Tower. The two girls I
didn't know until that day, but became my most important friends." She
swallowed. "I know they got back home, I saw them. I...I saw them leaving
the...graveyard near my home." She shuddered. "They...they must've been
visiting my grave..." Fresh tears welled in her eyes.

"Aiyah," Shampoo breathed softly. Everyone stared sympathetically at the
redhead.

"Your grave...near your home..." Akane frowned. "That was one of the times
Ranma ran off, I guess. Except it was you and not Ranma, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I...I tried to go home, and then I saw Umi-chan and Fuu-chan, and
then I saw my grave, and then I...I passed out. I couldn't believe it."

"Child," Cologne spoke gently, "If these friends of yours believe you to be
dead, and you suddenly approach them in this condition, with no real answers
as to what has happened and how you have come to be here in this manner...it
might do more harm than good. For them, and for you."

Hikaru shook her head. "No...no, the only way to figure all this out is to
talk to Umi-chan and Fuu-chan. I'm sure of it. I believe it with all my
heart."

Everyone sat silently for a moment, exchanging wary glances.

"Alright," Akane said quietly. "If you want to see your friends, then we'll
go see your friends. Where do they live?"

Hikaru blinked, then blushed. "I don't know," she admitted sheepishly. "We
only knew each other for a little while, and I know they both attend very
expensive private schools, but I never did actually ask where they lived. I
know they both live in Tokyo, but..."

"But that's an awful lotta ground to cover," Ukyou finished for her.

"Yeah."

"What are their names? That'll give us a place to start, at least," Nabiki
prompted.

"Oh! Right. Ryuuzaki Umi and Hououji Fuu."

"Hmm. Well, I guess we've got work to do, everyone," Nabiki addressed the
room.

Akane arched an eyebrow. "You're being unusually helpful."

Nabiki shrugged. "Hey, I'm not completely made of stone. Besides, the sooner
we figure all this out and get Ranma-kun back, the better. I'm not about to
try to take advantage of dead girl here."

Most of the room facefaulted. Kasumi frowned.

"Soun-kun," Nodoka commented, "Something must be done about this girl."

"You're welcome to try," Soun replied tonelessly. "I learned NOT to fight
losing battles."

Hikaru blinked.

Cologne sighed heavily. "Alright, if the comedy routine is over, perhaps
it's best we all have a quick meal and get freshened up, and then we'll see
if we can't get to the bottom of this mess."

* * * * * * *

For the remainder of the afternoon, Nabiki tried to coax as much information
about Umi and Fuu out of Hikaru as the redhead could remember--which wasn't
much, as she had not known them that long, and their time together had been
spent dealing with more significant matters, such as staying alive.

Hikaru had yet to relate to her new acquaintances the story of how she came
to be in the magical world, Cephiro. Even with all the weirdness she'd seen
since regaining her memory, she wasn't sure how they would react, and was
afraid they would think she was crazy.

Still, she told herself with an inward sigh, sooner or later it would all
have to come out--because whatever had happened to her, the disastrous
conclusion of her magical adventure in Cephiro was definitely at the root of
things.

After she had given Nabiki everything she could, the middle Tendou sister
had gone off to start the search. Hikaru spent the evening talking with
Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyou, getting to know the people who she now had to
rely on, and learning more about Saotome Ranma, the boy whose body she had
apparently stolen.

She felt truly horrible about that, and had offered many apologies to
everyone. They repeatedly assured her that it was not her fault, though she
could not help but feel the younger girls felt at least some resentment
towards her.

They, in turn, had learned more about her--where she lived, her school, her
interests, her family. The discussion of her three elder brothers had upset
her terribly; it hurt to think about their reactions to her "death". The
group had flatly refused to allow her to contact them, however; although it
upset her, she couldn't fault the logic. Until everything about the
situation was truly understood, it was a bad idea on several levels. So, she
agreed to hold off on contacting her family until after they'd solved the
mystery of her current state of existence.

"So you study kendo, huh?" Akane asked as they sat around, playing Old Maid
and nibbling on snacks.

"Yeah. My family runs a dojo."

Ukyou snorted. "Small world, huh. Don't let the panda bastard hear it, you
wouldn't like what'd happen. Trust me."

"Nah, I doubt..." Akane paused. "On second thought, you're probably right."

"Eh? What're you two talking about?"

"Nevermind. Trust me, it's not worth worrying about."

Hikaru shrugged. "If you say so. Anyway, yeah, I've been training since I
was old enough to hold a shinai, but Satoru-niisama is easily the best of
the family. He places high in the regionals every time he enters. He nearly
beat that one really good guy one time--Kunou, wasn't it? I didn't see the
match, but...eh? Why're you looking at me like that?"

The girls were indeed boggling at Hikaru. "Kunou Tatewaki?" Akane asked.

"Yeah, that's him. You know him? All I know is he's one of the best in the
nation at the high school level."

"Oh, we know him alright," Akane groused. "Much as I wish otherwise."

Hikaru blinked. "Is he...a bad person?"

"Stick-boy always obsess over Airen and violent girl," Shampoo said airily,
picking through her cards.

"Yeah, he wants to kill Ranchan over the engagement, an' he goes all freaky
pervert over Akane an' Ranchan's girl fo--" Ukyou cut herself off, coughing,
and buried her face in her cards.

Hikaru's eyes widened. "He..." She gaped. "He doesn't know they're the same
person?"

"Nope. Ranma's changed form right in FRONT of him several times and he STILL
doesn't get it. He's completely clueless."

Hikaru sat motionless, thinking. "Wait," she said slowly. "I remember...the
first time I...woke up...somebody GRABBED me from behind. Squeezed my...you
know." Her face flamed as crimson as her hair. "Was that--?"

"Yep."

"...what a creep." Hikaru shuddered.

"No worry, ghost girl. We no let him touch you."

"Please stop calling her that, Shampoo," Akane sighed. "She DOES have a
name, you know."

Hikaru sighed. These people were nice, but they were definitely going to
take some getting used to.

* * * * * * *

It took two days, but Nabiki finally came through with a lead.

"A student at Ryuuzaki's school says that she's seen her hanging out with a
girl from another school on the weekends. She overheard them making plans at
the train station one Sunday and they were planning to go to Tokyo Tower. I
also poked around there, and heard from some of the souvenir shop clerks
that two girls matching their descriptions have spent every Sunday together
at Tokyo Tower for the last couple of months."

Tears welled in Hikaru's eyes. "Umi-chan, Fuu-chan..."

"Okay then," Akane said. "Sunday, we'll go to Tokyo Tower and find your
friends." She offered a smile to the crying redhead.

"Th-thanks, everyone," Hikaru sniffled. "Thanks so much..."

* * * * * * *

As Sunday approached, the mood in the Tendou household grew increasingly
tense.

Finally, at dinner Saturday, Akane voiced her chief concern. "I wish we knew
Ranma is still...you know."

Hikaru looked down into her rice. "Akane-chan...I'm sorry. I'm...I'm so
sorry!"

Akane suddenly felt like she'd kicked a defenseless puppy. "Ne, Hikaru-chan,
I'm not..." She sighed. "I'm not mad at you, or anything. I just...I'm
worried. We haven't seen any sign of Ranma since the other day at the
Nekohanten. I can't help but..."

"We know, Akane-chan," Nodoka said softly. "We're all concerned. But...I
know my son is still...there. I don't know..." She paused. "Well, I don't
know much of anything. But I know that right now, two people need our help.
Hikaru-chan, and my son. And we're going to help both of them."

"Well said," Soun commented.

Hikaru sighed again. "I'm...I'm just sorry to be such a burden. I mean, I'm
dead, I don't have any right to exist and here I am making your lives--"

"Not another word of that, young lady!" Nodoka snapped. "I will not have a
guest, especially one so desperately in need as yourself, feeling or
thinking that way!" She fixed a stern gaze on Hikaru. "You cannot possibly
help what has happened, neither to yourself nor to Ranma. You are as much a
victim of whatever is going on as he is. We will help both of you, we will
ease your suffering, and we will solve this problem. And there will not be
another word about being a burden or not deserving to live."

Hikaru swallowed heavily. "Yes, ma'am." She smiled hesitantly. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it, dear."

* * * * * * *

Early Sunday morning, the expedition party gathered at the gates of the
Tendou estate. There had been a lot of arguing, but ultimately it was
decided that while a larger party stood a better chance of actually finding
the two girls, a crowd of people intruding on their reunion would doubtless
raise more alarm than necessary, and ultimately inhibit any useful progress
in solving the mystery of Hikaru's emergence in Ranma.

Finally, it was decided that Hikaru herself, Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyou would
comprise the Tokyo Tower expedition. The adults chose to remain on standby
at home, and Kasumi and Nabiki felt they would be better off using their
time to research anything that might relate to the problem.

Shortly after eight, the four girls set off for the train station.

Ten minutes later and two blocks away from the station, all hell broke
loose.

* * * * * * *

"So have you thought about what you're gonna say to those gals when you
*find* 'em, Hicchan?" Ukyou asked.

Hikaru shook her head. "I...it's hard to even think of where to start."
Idly, she fingered the gauntlet that snugly encased her left wrist. "I
guess--"

"SAOTOME, TODAY IS THE DAY YOU DIE!"

"Chikushou! Hikaru, duck!"

The redhead barely had time to blink before a white-garbed figure descended
upon her, reams of weapons and chains flying in every direction. Hikaru
shrieked in surprise and panic, jumping backwards and skidding into a
crouch. "What the--?"

"Hey Shampoo, didn'tcha tell this jackass what's goin' on?"

"STUPID MOUSSE! NO IS RANMA! YOU NO HURT!"

"Shampoo, my love! I don't know what spell Saotome has woven over you this
time, but--"

"Geez, now he sounds like Kunou!" Akane groaned. "I'll take care of this."

"You? Violent girl not match for Mousse. Shampoo handle."

"EXCUSE ME," Hikaru shouted over the squabbling. "Would someone mind telling
me who this person is and why he's trying to KILL ME?" As she said the last,
she jumped clear of several thrown daggers, a small storm of shuriken, and a
bedpan.

"I have no patience for your games, Saotome! Stop running away and fight
like a man!"

"Is Mousse. Stupid Amazon male from Shampoo home. Think Shampoo love him,
but not true. Fight Ranma all time!"

"Great," Hikaru muttered. "I really don't need to fight someone today if I
don't have to."

"Well, you have to, so prepare to die!" Mousse charged, three swords
sticking out from each sleeve.

Akane clutched her hands before her mouth in horror. "Oh my god, she's going
to get killed! We have to--"

*CLANG!*

The ring of steel on steel interrupted Akane, and the three girls stared in
surprise at the large double-edged broadsword which had appeared in Hikaru's
hands. The redhead's eyes snapped with anger as she pressed against Mousse's
attack. With a *shhhhnk!* of sliding metal, the Chinese boy's swords were
deflected.

"Whoa. Did NOT see that comin'."

"Where ghost gi--Hikaru get sword?"

"Heck if I know."

Mousse jumped lightly away, placing three meters between himself and Hikaru,
and pushed his glasses up with his middle finger, smirking. "So, I see
you've decided to incorporate hidden weapons into that ridiculous mess you
call a school," he jeered. "At least you can finally do something useful in
a fight."

"HEY! Watch it, jerk!" Akane yelled.

Hikaru watched her opponent warily, sliding into a defensive stance. "Look,"
she said, "Mousse, was it? I don't know what your grief is with Ranma, but I
AM NOT HIM. I'm in his body for some reason nobody can understand, and we're
trying to figure out how to fix it, but I'd appreciate you not taking your
grudge against Ranma out on me."

"That ridiculous story may have everyone else fooled, but I'm not buying it!
Jusenkyo doesn't work that way, Saotome!"

"What blind stupid duck think know better than Great-Grandmother? Even she
know this not Ranma. Go home, stupid Mousse!"

Hikaru exhaled heavily. "I really don't want to have to hurt you, so please
drop this."

Mousse laughed. "Hurt me? AS IF YOU COULD!" With that, he charged again,
lengths of chain snaking out of his sleeves, tipped with sharp, deadly
weapons.

"Watch out, Hicchan! He's no pushover!"

"Shouldn't we be stopping him?" Akane asked, tensing to fight.

"Alright, you asked for it," Hikaru growled as she deflected Mousse's attack
with the flat of her blade. Skidding backwards a meter, she raised her right
hand above her head. "HONOU NO...YAAAAA!"

Mousse had little time to react as streaks of flame leapt from the redhead's
fingertips, engulfing him and setting his robes ablaze.

The three girls standing by gaped.

"What the hell?"

"Ghost girl tougher than look!"

"This is just like the other day," Akane said. "Except this time she's got
control of it...whatever it is."

Mousse growled as he patted out the flames on his clothing. "So, you're
finally ready to take me seriously, Saotome?"

"Would you PLEASE listen to me when I tell you I AM NOT RANMA?!"

"ENOUGH!" a new voice bellowed. "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"

The street between Mousse and Hikaru exploded, spraying them both with
shards of pavement. Each hastily deflected the concrete rain with their
respective weapons.

"Ryouga?!"

"Oh great, the other jackass shows up," Ukyou muttered.

Ryouga glanced back at Hikaru. "Are you okay?"

"Um...y-yes...who..."

The boy in the filthy, road-worn travelling clothes turned away from her
then, focusing his full attention on Mousse. "Are you insane, you four-eyed
dork?"

"Stay out of this, Hibiki!"

"MOUSSE, YOU GODDAMNED DUCK, USE YOUR BRAIN! You've fought Ranma a hundred
times! Does this girl fight ANYTHING LIKE RANMA?"

Mousse faltered. "...well, no, but..."

"I didn't want to believe it until just now," Ryouga interrupted. "I've been
hanging around in secret since this all started, and I wanted to think Ranma
was pulling some kind of scam, but now I know it's all true. This--" he
gestured at the redhead "--is NOT Saotome Ranma. And you've just attacked an
innocent, potentially defenseless person without any provocation! What kind
of man are you?" Ryouga unlimbered the heavy umbrella from the straps of his
pack. "Well?"

Mousse took two steps back from the enraged wanderer. "I..." He bowed his
head and sheathed his weapons. "I'm still not convinced. I don't believe
this lie of Saotome's. However, I am not fool enough to fight the both of
you at once. I will withdraw for now."

"That right, you take wing, stupid duck!" Shampoo called, brandishing a
bottle of water. Akane belatedly realized the Amazon had momentarily
disappeared from the scene. Uncapping the water and letting fly with a broad
stream, Shampoo drenched Mousse, who promptly vanished.

Hikaru stared, nearly dropping her sword, as an angry, bespectacled duck
emerged from the pile of robes on the ground, shook its feathers, quacked
something angry-sounding, and flew off.

Ryouga sighed, strapping his umbrella back in place, and turned to Hikaru.
"Are you alright?"


"H-hai...who are--"

"Hibiki Ryouga. A friend of Akane-san and Ranma's strongest rival, at your
service." Ryouga bowed.

"You're his rival...and you helped me?" Hikaru asked, tilting her head even
as her sword turned into a stream of crimson light and vanished into the gem
on her glove.

"I am not an honorless dog who would take advantage of a strange situation
like this," Ryouga replied. "My quarrel is with Ranma, and I am convinced
beyond doubt that you are NOT Ranma."

Akane stepped forward. "Ryouga...thanks. You couldn't have come along at a
better time."

"Think nothing of it, Akane-san." He stretched, then adjusted his pack.
"With your permission, I'll join you until you get safely where you're
going." He smirked. "Just in case any more of Ranma's unfinished business
drops by."

Akane sweatdropped. "When...you put it that way..." She bowed. "We'd be
happy to have you along."

* * * * * * *

"How the hell can that idiot get lost on a MOVING TRAIN?" Ukyou exclaimed in
exasperation as the four girls disembarked a short while later.

"I swear he was right behind me two minutes ago," Hikaru said, bewildered.
"Maybe he--"

"He got lost," Akane said, sighing. "Probably wandered right off the train
before it even stopped. He's got the worst sense of direction on Earth."

"But--on a TRAIN?" Hikaru asked.

"Hicchan, he can't even get from Akane's back garden to the dojo without
gettin' lost."

"That's..." Hikaru shook her head. "Will he be okay though?"

"He'll be fine. He spends most of his life wandering around Japan trying to
find wherever he wants to be. I doubt even getting HIT by a train would stop
him for long," Akane shook her head. "Anyway, let's get going."

The four girls stationed themselves near the entrance to the Tower, watching
the foot traffic for any signs of Hikaru's friends. While they waited, Ukyou
asked, "So what's with the sword out of thin air trick, anyway?"

"Huh? Oh, it...it's complicated," Hikaru said. "It has to do with why we're
here, and I'm sorry, but I'd rather not say more until we find Umi-chan and
Fuu-chan, because without them to back me up, you'll think I'm crazy."

"Sugar, ain't much I don't believe anymore," Ukyou said with a chuckle.

Hikaru laughed. "I guess not, huh?"

"What puzzles me is the fire thing you did," Akane chimed in. "It was so
different from any ki attack I've seen."

The redhead blinked. "Ki...attack?"

"So you're saying it isn't one?"

"No, it's...well, I'll explain later." She smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I
seem to be saying that a lot."


"It's alright."

An hour later, Ukyou and Akane had started to nod off when they were
startled awake by an excited gasp from Hikaru. "There they are!"

The girls all watched as two figures, immersed in their own conversation,
approached the entrance. Rather than their school uniforms, they wore casual
clothing; the taller, willowy girl with the sky-blue hair wore snug-fitting
indigo jeans, a loose white blouse, and off-white flat-heeled slippers,
while her shorter, sandy-haired companion wore a knee-length brown skirt, a
seafoam-green sweater, knee-high white socks, and ankle-high brown suede
lace-up boots.

By comparison, Hikaru felt a bit silly wearing what she had been told were
Ranma's usual clothes.

"So that them?" Shampoo asked.


"Yeah," Hikaru replied excitedly. Her body shook with excitement and a
hundred other swirling, stormy emotions. Before anyone could stop her, she
charged toward them. "UMI-CHAN! FUU-CHAN!"

The two girls' heads snapped around, identical expressions of shock on their
faces. Their eyes widened as they caught sight of the redhead approaching
them.

* * * * * * *

"UMI-CHAN! FUU-CHAN!!"

"Uso," Umi gasped, taking a step backward and nearly falling on the
pavement.

"Umi-san? Do you see...?" Fuu's eyes were as wide as saucers behind her
round glasses.

"It...it's not possible," Umi said shakily. "It can't be...!"

The redhead skidded to a halt, hands braced on her knees, panting. Then she
stood upright, a bright smile lighting her face like a beacon.
"Umi-chan...Fuu-chan..."

Fuu took a step backward, one hand clasped to her mouth. "Wh--who...?"

"It's me, Fuu-chan," Hikaru said. "It's me, Hikaru. I...I'm so glad you
really made it back safe."

Umi's eyes became even wider, and her face drained of all color. "It...it
can't be..."

Tears welled in the redhead's eyes. "It's been so long...I was afraid you
wouldn't be able to make it back here..." She stared at the two girls, pain
warring with relief in her eyes. "Umi-chan, Fuu-chan...it's me. Hikaru.
Really."

"No...Hikaru's dead..." Umi said shakily.

Hikaru's smile vanished, and she bowed her head. "Hai...I am."

Umi fainted.

-4-

"--was not prepared for this sort of shock at all, was she?"

Fuu's voice filtered dimly through the haze of semi-consciousness as Umi
stirred. Sound and color slowly faded into focus.

"I guess it wasn't very smart to just blurt it out like that," Hikaru
replied sheepishly.

...HIKARU?

Umi snapped completely awake, sitting bolt upright. She was resting on a
bench, with Fuu, a girl who looked very much like Hikaru,

(but Hikaru's dead, you saw her die)

and three other girls, all high-school age, in a loose circle around them at
a respectful distance.

Umi fixed her attention on the redhead, taking in the details. The clothing
was wrong, and there were a number of other differences in her appearance,
but the sienna eyes staring out of that stranger's face were hauntingly
familiar.

"Who...are you?" Umi asked.

The redhead turned to her, and smiled somewhat sadly. "I'm Hikaru. I really
am, Umi-chan. I know it's hard to believe, but it really is me."

"You do bear a striking resemblance to Hikaru-san," Fuu said, "but it simply
is not possible. Hikaru-san died two months ago. Also, at the time of her
death, she was not quite as...developed." Fuu coughed delicately.

Hikaru flushed crimson. "Um...yeah..." She giggled. "Even when I died, I
didn't look like this, but I did get a little taller and, um, bigger
before..." She trailed off, a haunted look shadowing her face.

Umi decided she'd had enough. "Look, I don't know who you are, but Shidou
Hikaru was a dear friend of ours, and we're still grieving for her, so this
really is not funny."

"Umi-chan..."

"DON'T BE SO FAMILIAR WITH ME!" Umi shrieked.

The redhead drooped. "You never minded before," she said in a dejected tone.
"Even on Cephiro you never yelled at me for that."

Umi froze, mouth agape. It suddenly felt as though all the blood in her body
had turned into something ice-cold and slimy. "How..." Her voice was barely
above a whisper. "How could you possibly know about Cephiro?"

The red-haired girl sighed. "I was there, Umi-ch..." She trailed off. "With
you, and Fuu-chan, I was there. We were supposed to become Magic Knights
together. I...I'm sorry I..."

She collapsed suddenly, sobbing. "I'm sorry!" she wailed. "I'm really sorry!
You...you had to go on without me, and...and I know it must've been hard,
but I'm glad you both made it back safe...I wish I'd been there to fight
alongside you, I worried so much about you..."

Umi stared, stunned, at the crying girl. Then, she noticed something she had
not noticed before:

The gauntlet. Hikaru's gauntlet, from Cephiro, adorning this unfamiliar
redhead's left arm.

In a trembling, disbelieving voice, she asked, "Hikaru?"

"I believe this really is Hikaru-san," Fuu said softly, looking as
shellshocked as Umi felt. "It is not possible for anyone but Hikaru-san to
know about these things."

"HIKARU!" Umi cried suddenly, descending on the redhead and engulfing her in
a fierce hug, tears streaming down her own cheeks. "Hikaru! You...!"

Fuu knelt beside them and joined the embrace, silent tears spilling behind
her glasses. "Welcome back, Hikaru-san."

After a moment, the three were reminded that they were not alone when Ukyou
spoke up, addressing the two other girls standing apart from the sobbing
trio, "What the heck's a Cephiro?"

Hikaru tensed, then looked up at her new friends, an embarassed and guilty
look on her face.

Akane raised an eyebrow. "I think we're about to finally get the rest of the
story, the stuff Hikaru's been hiding from us," she said.

Hikaru laughed nervously. "Ah...hai..."

* * * * * * *

The girls decided to migrate into the Tower proper before talking; it seemed
somehow more appropriate to the younger three, as that was where their odd
friendship began, and to the older three girls, it made sense to find a
place to talk where the surrounding buzz of dozens of conversations would
effectively prevent unwanted eavesdropping.

To that end, they had just reached the rooftop of the Foot Town complex when
they encountered Ryouga, leaning against a wall near the stairwell. Akane
called out to him, and he walked over to join them.

"You found the girls you came to look for then?" Ryouga asked Hikaru.


"Un."

"I'm surprised you found us again so fast," Ukyou commented.

Ryouga shot her an irritated and somewhat hurt look. "Give me SOME credit. I
knew where you were headed--it's kind of hard to MISS Tokyo Tower, you
know?"

Akane giggled. "He's got a point."

Umi looked around the roof level, frowning. "Are we going up to the
observatory?"

Hikaru shook her head. "Not crowded enough yet. Let's find a corner here,
it'll do."

A moment later, the seven of them were arranged in a loose, casual circle
out of the path of foot traffic near the roof garden, looking for all the
world like a group of high school students engaged in idle gossip.

Any passerby attentive enough to catch the conversation, however, would be
shocked at how wrong that impression was.

* * * * * * *

"But Hikaru, I don't get it...how can you still be alive? We saw Zagato..."

"Actually, that's kind of why I was looking for you guys," Hikaru said. "I
don't honestly know what happened, and if we're gonna fix the mess I'm in,
that's where to start."

"The mess?" Fuu asked.

Hikaru sighed. "The truth is, I'm not exactly still alive. At least, we
don't think I am."

Umi gawked at her. "You said that earlier, but...Hikaru...you're..."

The redhead shook her head. "I did die. Just not from what Zagato did to me.
I died...somewhere else."

"Then if...if you're..."

"The nearest we've been able to tell is I'm sort of..." Hikaru shrugged.
"Possessing is a word for it, I guess, someone else's body."

"Ano...Hikaru..." Umi's left eye twitched. "That kind of thing..."

"Umi-san," Fuu said, her glasses momentarily white with reflected light, "We
*have* seen some very strange things."

"Well, yeah, but..."

"This take too too long," Shampoo interrupted. She produced a can of hot
coffee from somewhere, opened it, and poured it over Hikaru's head.

Umi and Fuu stared, jaws agape.

Hikaru let out a long, slow hiss of breath. "THANK you, Shampoo-chan, I
*really* needed to walk around smelling like coffee all day." Akane and
Ukyou shuddered; it was so strange hearing Ranma's voice speak like that,
and Akane's hand reflexively curled into a fist, but she held herself in
check.

"You is welcome!" Shampoo bubbled cheerfully. Everyone except Hikaru, Umi,
and Fuu facefaulted.

"Wh-wh-wh-WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED HERE?!" Umi exclaimed, drawing several
odd stares from passersby.

"This Ranma," Shampoo said as though nothing strange had happened.

"I thought you said this was Hikaru-san?" Fuu asked, adjusting her glasses.

"I'm still Hikaru," the dark-haired boy that had replaced the redhead said.
"It's...really really complicated, and I don't totally understand it..." She
took a deep breath. "Okay, this boy named Ranma fell in a cursed spring
somewhere in China, and turns into a girl when splashed with cold water
because a girl drowned in that spring fifteen hundred years ago. Well, I'm
apparently the girl who drowned in that spring, so he turns into *ME*, and
hot water turns him back to this, and somehow my soul or ghost or whatever
got stuck to him and for some reason I'm walking around using his body like
it was my own and that's about as much as I know about this. Really."

A long, dry silence followed.

"You wanna run that by 'em again, sugar?" Ukyou asked, smirking.

"Do I have to?" Hikaru groaned.

Shampoo poured the rest of her bottle of water from earlier over Hikaru's
head, and the familiar redhead returned, prompting another long,
disbelieving stare from Umi and Fuu.

"I...I don't know how much more of this I can take," Umi said shakily.

"Welcome to my world," Hikaru sighed.

* * * * * * *

For the next several minutes, Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyou patiently, slowly,
and clearly explained the history of Ranma and his curse. To their credit,
the two younger girls took it remarkably well.

"But...you can't have drowned in some magic pool in ancient China, Hikaru!"
Umi exclaimed. "You died two months ago in Cephiro! We saw it happen!"

"Perhaps...our eyes deceived us, Umi-san."

"Fuu, Zagato hit her with a really nasty-looking spell, and there wasn't
anything left but a puff of smoke."


"Precisely. That does not prove she died in Cephiro at all."

Now it was the Nerima trio's turn to look confused. "Okay, I keep hearin'
this 'Cephiro' stuff, but nobody's explainin' it," Ukyou commented.

Hikaru fidgeted. "I...I guess it's time I explain that part of it, huh?"


"Perhaps...I should explain it, Hikaru-san," Fuu said gently. "Your earlier
attempt at explaining this situation was rather less than clear." Hikaru
blushed and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Two months ago, our respective schools were visiting Tokyo Tower.
Hikaru-san, Umi-san, and I met coincidentally on the observation level. A
moment after the three of us met, we saw a bright light and heard a voice.
The voice-san was calling out to the 'legendary Magic Knights' and pleading
for them to save the world from which the voice-san was calling.


"We then found ourselves in another world, completely different from our
own. We soon met a mage, Clef-san, who told us that we had been summoned
from this world to that other world, Cephiro, to prevent its destruction by
becoming the Magic Knights.

"Clearly, it was a difficult story to believe, but Clef-san insisted that we
would be unable to return to our world until we had accomplished the purpose
for which we had been summoned.

"Cephiro is a land shaped by will, and supported by the will of one person
they refer to as the Pillar. It was the Pillar, Emeraude-hime-san, who
summoned us to Cephiro. We were given magical armor and the ability to use
magic by Clef-san, and sent to, improbably as it seemed, save the world."

"Sounds like something out of a video game," Akane remarked.

"It rather does, does it not?" Fuu smiled sadly. "Hikaru-san was the most
optimistic about our chances of becoming Magic Knights. Things were going
quite well for us for a while, too, until..."

* * * * * * *

A massive, imposing figure in heavy black armor appeared suddenly in the
three girls' path, wreathed in a corona of dark energy.

"Girls from another world," the man spoke in a deep, booming voice. "I am
afraid your quest to become the legendary Magic Knights must end here."

Hikaru scowled, drawing her sword from her glove. "Who are you?" she
challenged.

The man smirked, eyes half-closed. "For as long as you choose to pursue this
foolish ambition, I am your enemy."

Fuu's brow creased in thought. "Are you, perhaps...Zagato-san?"

"ZAGATO?!" Umi and Hikaru chorused.

Zagato laughed. "Perceptive. Commendable. I am Zagato, High Priest of
Cephiro." His eyes became hard, his expression changing to a scowl in an
instant. "Know that I take no pleasure in senseless murder. However, if you
refuse to abandon your quest, know this: you shall die in vain."

"You...!" Hikaru roared out a kiai, charging forward to strike.

"Futile," Zagato chided, vanishing and reappearing several meters away. He
flung a bolt of black lightning at Hikaru, which she deflected with her
sword; the impact was forceful enough to knock her several steps backwards.

"Hikaru!" Umi cried.

"You," Zagato addressed the redhead, who was bracing for another attack,
"are the heart of this group. I have learned this. It is my belief that
removing you from this world would remove your allies' will to continue this
quest."

"I'm not going to die here!" Hikaru shouted. "I'm going to beat you and save
Emeraude-hime, and me and Umi-chan and Fuu-chan will go home together to
Tokyo! AKAI--"

"ERASE."

A large black sphere of energy, crackling with bolts of purple lightning,
erupted from Zagato's outstretched hand. Before Hikaru had time to react, it
had engulfed her. She screamed, the light of her spell sputtering and dying.

"HIKARU!!" Umi cried. "STOP IT, YOU BASTARD!"

"There will be no legendary Magic Knights!"

* * * * * * *

"And then, Hikaru-san was...gone."

Hikaru's fists clenched at the bitter memory. "Zagato..."

"How awful," Akane said softly.

"We fought on without Hikaru-san," Fuu continued, eyes misting, "but as
Zagato-san had stated, without her, our willpower and determination were
diminished. I was unable to awaken the second Mashin, and Umi-san's Mashin
did not acknowledge her again."

"But we kept fighting," Umi said, voice hoarse as fresh, hot tears spilled
down her cheeks. "We couldn't let Hikaru's death be for nothing. We...we
cou..." She suddenly let out an inarticulate yell, slamming her fist against
the wall. "DAMMIT! It WAS all for nothing! It..."

Fuu silently placed a hand on Umi's shoulder, steadying her. Umi clutched
Fuu's hand with her own and sobbed quietly.

"Zagato-san did not send any more minions to stop us. He did not need to.
Our own hearts had already robbed us of the power to become Magic Knights."

"Umi-chan...Fuu-chan..." Hikaru's eyes were wide and wet. "So...what
happened? What happened to Cephiro after..."

Fuu sighed. "It is...very painful. Please brace yourself."

* * * * * * *

Heavy-hearted and road-weary, the two girls with weak magic and unevolved
armor reached their final destination, the castle in which the Pillar of
Cephiro awaited them.

They met no opposition; the gates opened, and nobody appeared to stop them.

They reached the throne room, and found Zagato there, waiting.

"Girls from another world," he said laconically, "welcome. It is now time,
is it not? To end this pathetic game."

Umi raised her sword, red-rimmed eyes glaring balefully at the High Priest.
"For what you did to Hikaru..."

"Oh? Your motive is now revenge, rather than the justice you blindly pursue?
Or the desire to return to your own world?" Zagato sighed, and stood.
"Foolish. No amount of your hate will change reality. You are not Magic
Knights, and the Pillar will not be slain. I will protect her from all who
would do her harm--"

"SLAIN?" Umi shouted. "What are y--"

Zagato raised an eyebrow. "You did not know? It was not explained to you?"

"Very little has been explained to us," Fuu said tiredly.

The High Priest chuckled darkly. "I see. Allow me, then, to enlighten you.
But first..." He gestured with one hand, and in a ball of white light, a
small, frail girl with long blonde hair, clad in a simple yet elegant white
gown, appeared beside him.

Umi gasped. "Is that--?"

"I am Emeraude of Cephiro," the girl said. "I am the Pillar." Tears welled
in her eyes. "Zagato...what you have done...it is so foolish..."

"What I have done, was necessary. I will not sacrifice your happiness for
the sake of this world." He knelt beside the princess, and gently took her
hand, caressing it.

Umi and Fuu stared in shock.

"Wait...what the hell's going on here?" Umi shouted. "Emeraude-hime, aren't
you his prisoner? Haven't we come here to rescue you?"

Emeraude turned her head away, unwilling to face the two girls. "That...was
never the situation."

"This world, Cephiro, is supported by the prayers of the Pillar, whose will
is the strongest of all who dwell here," Zagato explained, facing the weary
girls directly. "If the Pillar cannot devote all of her will, all of her
heart, to the peace of this land, then this land begins to crumble. For that
purpose, in order to allow the replacement of the Pillar, the existing
Pillar must die before the very land itself disappears. None who hail from
here may raise a hand against the Pillar. It is for this reason alone that
the power exists to call forth those from another world who have the
potential to become Magic Knights--strong-willed warriors who can overcome
the hazards of the decaying Cephiro to kill the Pillar."

Umi and Fuu gasped in horror. "No..."

"My life exists only to serve the peace of Cephiro," Emeraude said. "I must
not think of myself, but only of the people of this land, to preserve its
peace and happiness. My own happiness is not necessary or permitted.

"However, I have foolishly and selfishly fallen in love with High Priest
Zagato."

"And I, in turn, with her."

"WHAT?!" Umi yelled.

"It is true," Emeraude said, voice quavering. "I have allowed myself to
think only of him, and of his happiness, and have neglected my prayers for
Cephiro." She finally looked at the two Japanese girls. "You have witnessed
the result. This world is dying because of my selfish heart."

"And you just expect us...you expect us to kill you, just because you're in
love with someone?"

"It is the only acceptable outcome, for the sake of Cephiro."

Umi's sword slipped from her hand, clattering loudly on the floor. With
slow, measured steps, head bowed, she walked toward the towering priest and
the small, frail princess.

"You..." she whispered harshly. "For this, Hikaru...Hikaru died. Presea
died. Clef...Ascot...Caldina...everyone who has suffered from this pointless
war..."


Umi stopped in front of Emeraude, staring down at her, eyes hidden by her
bangs.

"Hikaru...believed in you..."

The sharp retort of Umi's slap echoed in the cavernous room. Zagato pushed
her roughly to the floor, but she did not cry out; she stood again, facing
Emeraude, who held her cheek, confusion and pain in her tearful eyes.

"You're right about one thing. You are a selfish little bitch."

"You dare to--"

"You will not speak, Zagato-san," Fuu said. She had somehow found her way to
Umi's side, and the point of her longsword was pressed against Zagato's
throat.

Umi raised her head, eyes full of murderous rage. "HOW IS IT A SIN TO BE
HAPPY? HOW IS IT A SIN TO LOVE? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TO HURT SO MANY
PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU'RE A COWARD WHO RUNS AWAY FROM YOUR OWN HEART?"

Emeraude gasped. "I--"

"**SHUT UP!!**" Umi's arms trembled in rage, her fists clenched so tightly
that small rivulets of blood were now tracing dark trails between her
fingers. "Just...you have no right to speak to us. Not after Hikaru died
because she thought she was coming to SAVE you."

"I...I never asked for myself to be saved. I..."

"Emeraude-san, why do you believe that you must sacrifice your own happiness
and desires to support this land?"

"It...has always been the way..."

"Did it never occur to you, even once, that allowing your own happiness,
that allowing yourself to love one man, might in fact not result in the
destruction of this world?"

Neither Emeraude nor Zagato spoke.

"I see," Fuu said, adjusting her glasses. "So you believe that, in a world
where the will of the human heart shapes reality itself, that this world
functions only in extremes? That love, peace, and happiness only come in
values of all or none? Is this truly what you believe?"

Zagato swallowed, mindful of the sword at his throat. "That has never been
what I believe," he replied. "I have tried to express this to Emeraude, but
she has been...less than receptive of the idea. She feels guilt and shame
over her feelings of love. She believes she has failed this land."

"She's failed the hell out of it," Umi snapped. "She's failed everyone and
everything, by being too fucking stupid to be allowed to live." She turned
and walked away from the pair. "But death is what she wants, and I have
absolutely no desire to give this little bitch what she wants. Do you hear
me? If you want to die so bad, kill your own self. But as for me, as for
Fuu..." She turned sharply, eyes fierce and glaring like an angry dragon.
"SEND US HOME! RIGHT NOW!"

Emeraude bowed her head. "Very well."

A flash of light later, and Umi and Fuu found themselves standing on the
observation deck of Tokyo Tower.

* * * * * * *

Hikaru stared at her two friends in utter horror, face devoid of color.
"Uso..."

"That's..." Akane began, then stopped. "I don't even have the words for it."

"Me neither," Ukyou added, tears in her eyes. "Gods above, they really put
you through hell, didn't they?"

Umi bowed her head. "Hikaru...I..."

"Why...why didn't Clef tell us?" Hikaru asked. "Why did he lie?"

Fuu sighed. "Perhaps...they believed that if we knew the truth behind the
duty we were tasked with, we would refuse. You, Hikaru-san, approached the
task set before us with enthusiasm, with the full belief that we were truly
there to save Emeraude-hime-san. Perhaps..." She looked down.
"Perhaps...Clef-san allowed us to operate under our own assumptions because
it was the path of least resistance."

"That's just damned dirty," Ryouga said.

"So we weren't...and I was so..." Hikaru sank to her knees. "Then it was my
fault..."

"Hikaru, no!" Umi shouted. "It wasn't your fault! How the hell were you
supposed to know? None of us knew! The whole thing was just so stupid..."

"Perhaps a change of topic is in order," Fuu said quietly. "I, for one, am
curious as to why Hikaru-san did not die when struck by Zagato-san's spell."

Umi gasped. "Oh god, I forgot to ask! Hikaru! What DID happen to you?"

The redhead took a moment to compose herself, standing up again. "I blacked
out when the spell hit me. When I woke up, I was in a valley, surrounded by
mountains. Before I knew what was happening, a group of men wearing animal
skins came running toward me, yelling and pointing. I couldn't move because
every muscle in my body was numb and I had a horrible headache.

"They were speaking Chinese, so I couldn't understand them. They tied me up
and hauled me to my feet, then marched me up a long mountain pass. I lost my
gauntlet somewhere along the way.

"They took me to this huge palace, and led me down into the dungeons. They
stripped me naked and locked me in a cell." Everyone gasped. Hikaru closed
her eyes, trembling. "They...they hardly ever fed me, and every so often
they..."

"You don't need to say it!" Akane said hastily.

"No, I..." Hikaru faltered. "They beat me, and they...abused me."

"Hikaru..." Umi clutched her face in her hands, eyes wide in horror.

"It went on for what felt like months," the redhead continued, head bowed,
tears falling to the ground. "One day, they got careless. I guess they
thought I was broken. I...I was, really. But some instinct made me...

"They weren't guarding the door, and there was a sword. I...I took it,
killed the man...assaulting me, and ran. I was really weak, I hadn't been
fed properly in forever and my body barely moved, but...something made me
keep going.

"I fought my way out of the palace, ran down the mountains, and finally,
when I reached that valley I first found myself in, my body finally gave up,
and I collapsed."

She folded her arms tightly across her chest, clutching her shoulders,
withdrawing into herself. "They...they caught me. They made a bamboo cross
and tied me to it..." She shuddered, whimpering. "After they...after they
were...finished with me, they cut me loose and shoved my head into a
spring." She let out a long, ragged, sob.

Nobody spoke for a long time.

* * * * * * *

It was a half hour before Hikaru had finally regained her composure, largely
in part to the soothing attentions of Umi, Fuu, and Akane. A few people
passing by had attempted to ask what was wrong or offer help, but were
deterred by the hostile glares of Shampoo, Ukyou, and Ryouga.

"I...I'm okay now," Hikaru said hoarsely. "Th...thank you all."

"Okay? I don't think you're okay at all," Akane said with a frown. "Nobody
could be okay after that. I'm sorry you had to relive that..."

"No, really. I...I think it helped a little to talk about it."

"My God, Hikaru...we thought you were dead, but...it was a lot worse than
that, wasn't it?" Umi dug her fingernails into her palms. "Damn that
Zagato...and Emeraude...they're the ones who did this to you."

Fuu cleared her throat. "Based on the earlier story about these cursed
springs, the demonstration of said curse, and now the tale of
Hikaru-san's...ordeal, would it be reasonable to assume that the current
theory involves Hikaru-san being, in fact, the girl who drowned at that
place fifteen hundred years ago?"

"That's our best guess," Akane answered.

A heavy silence hung after that pronouncement.

"So...what happens now?" Ukyou asked. "I mean, we've got a lot of answers to
a lot of questions, but we've still got a real big problem here."

"And no idea how to solve it," Ryouga added. "Boy, what I wouldn't give to
get my hands on this Zagato bastard..."

"This whole goddamn thing is that bitch princess' fault," Umi snarled. "I
want to go back there one more time and slap her again, a lot harder."

"She and Zagato-san should both be held accountable for their crimes," Fuu
added, eyes hard.

"Yeah," Akane agreed.

"I don't..." Hikaru said quietly. "I can't hate them, even after everything.
I just...I just wish I could ask them WHY..."

The partly overcast, dull blue-grey sky suddenly became blindingly white and
painfully bright. Everyone looked up in shock.

"What the heck?" Ukyou asked.

"What that light?" Shampoo demanded of nobody in particular, shielding her
eyes.

The eyes of the three Magic Knights widened. "Uso..." Umi hissed. "It's--"

=FIRE=IN=THE=WATER==============================ACT=ONE=END.=