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"Aiya!" Shampoo stopped short in the hallway, blocking Ranma back with her arm. Kodachi floated to her feet, clad in a long tight black dress, with sleeves that quivered with a wind from nowhere.
"How rude to wander about my domain without permission!" Kodachi grinned at Ranma. "You are free of chains. You are stronger than I thought."
"What do you want?!" Ranma snapped back. "Why do you want us?"
"You are the key, I'm sure of it. You just haven't really revealed it yet."
"Key for what?"
"Do you not understand your true value?" Kodachi raised her arm.
Blue scarf-like material snaked from the ground, wrapping it's almost clear self around Ranma. "You are Happosai's worry." Kodachi told Shampoo. "Obviously he didn't take care of you well enough to keep you off of my back."
"Shampoo no toy!"
"Silence."
Shampoo fell onto her back with a silent scream. Ranma yelled her name several times in his prison, but couldn't be heard. Shampoo growled as she lay on the floor. She jumped back to her feet without any hesitation. Kodachi grew bored.
"You know, I see this every time," Kodachi sighed. "They all act tough,
like the warrior bound to save the planets, but all beg for mercy in the end. It's true."
"Shampoo no beg mercy," Shampoo felt her body aura grow. Beads of sweat popped out of her forehead and belly. Her hair blew about her shoulders, her eyes clouding over into a gray. Fire breathed about her soul, tickling for an urge to burst at any moment.
"Oh my god." Kodachi covered her black lips with her fingers.
Without any words, the only sound was the flames that rushed about Kodachi's path, eating her dress to curls. Kodachi wasn't too concerned, she simply blew it away as if it were dust. Her dress remained damaged.
"You imbecile," Kodachi clutched her fists. Ranma pounded against the walls of the cocoon, feeling incredibly helpless inside of it.
"What you do now?" Shampoo threw her an excited smile. Shampoo tried a free high kick, but merely tapped Kodachi. Kodachi set a feild about her body, flashes of lightning jolting from her hip to her knee, her breast to her elbow, her neck to her ankle.
Kodachi didn't answer with words. She packed energy between her opened palms, and aimed it at Shampoo slowly in two halves. The pressure was strong! Shampoo's head squeezed against her shoulder, her hand pressed against her thigh.
Shampoo realized the lack of air. She had to concentrate. The steam inside of her fired, and she counter-attacked by breaking off the pressure and formed a ball of powerful light. Shampoo rarely used this tecnique, since half the time she may have missed being blinded by the light.
"You are one of them!" Kodachi pointed at her in awe. "Only they could perform something like that!"
Shampoo flung the power at Kodachi with the last of her strength. Kodachi soaked the energy by fluke, and collapsed. Finding Shampoo towering over her, Kodachi refused to feel so weak and disappeared to regain energy. Ranma was freed from his bubble.
"Oh," Shampoo fell to her side onto the cold floor. Ranma scooped her in his arms, examining her body features for any defects. She was healthy, just overly tired.That night, Hikaru and Mousse sat near a campfire. Akane was already asleep, still feeling akward about her hair. (Please take a moment to play this midi for effect)
"Poor girl," Mousse balanced his head on the back of his fist. "I'm sure there's already been many alerts of her missing."
"Yes, I have heard," Gosunkugi fiddled with his thumbs.
"So why are you two after Ranma Soatome?"
"He's Princess's Akane's fiancee. They were engaged by their parents."
Mousse studied Gosunkugi's face. His eyes broke out some sort of mixed sadness.
Mousse sensed how Gosunkugi had felt. Unloved, and never to be loved.
"You like the princess? Maybe even love her?" Mousse questioned of him.
"N-No, I couldn't possibly . . ."
"Why not?" Mousse grinned shyly. "You seem so much more . . . 'stuttery' around her. You are so much more less confident."
"N-No. I'm always like that. But you wouldn't really know. Nobody knows me."
"Aw, but I feel like I've known you my whole life already. I can read your soul. It isn't that hard." Mousse dug through his sleeve and pulled out Akane's hair. He handed it over to Gosunkugi. "You can have this. But make sure you do not lose it in case Princess Akane wants it back."
"I can . . . keep it?" Gosunkugi cradled the luscious hair, tied together by a ribbon on one end.
"Sure."
Gosunkugi leaned over the hair, brushing it lightly with his light fingertips. Princess Akane's hair . . .
"Th-Thank you."Back at the palace, Nabiki clutched the letter with eagerness she held in for months. Her sister was not her only worry.
The yellow paper was thick and curled, and the writing was nearly perfect."My dearest Nabiki Tendo,
I am still out in the camps. It is planned that we will be going to battle again soon in three days. The best captain has already been assassinated on the way here, so much of the responsibilty has been placed about my shoulders.
I can not say when I will return, I am hoping soon, but three more weeks at minimum is necessary.
Thee must go,
Tatewaki Kuno""'Three more weeks?'" Nabiki read aloud. The wedding is in a month, and Kuno may not have even been here for it. "That's ridiculous." Anyway, he was trying his best to get back from his battles.
Gosunkugi sighed as he gazed at Akane's sweet face shadowed by the glow of the fire. He suddenly felt value as he held the hair of Princess Akane.
Ukkyou awoke without a heartbeat. Her eyes were glazed over, and her skin slightly bruised. On top of her, many other dead bodies lay, the scent of putrid dead flesh heavy in the thin amounts of air left. Ukkyou breathed in as her heart turned on, and desperately dug through the bodies to find air. Her muscles were sore and still awakening.
She was overjoyed to find the top nearly a ten minutes later, tossing and pushing and sliding and scraping corpses out of the way.
She peeked from under the top body to see where she was. There were no people that were alive, no tents, just a hill ahead and many trees. Apparently, the dead bodies were tossed out of the camp from the cart, which the road was just on top of that hill, Ukkyou was sure.
"Am I out of the camp?" Ukkyou's skin by now was more of its natural color. Ryoga's smile flashed into her mind.
"Ryoga!"
Ukkyou's spirit was re-newed as she dragged the bodies aside, clutching onto them by the dirty clothes, pulling them aside, searching for Ryoga.
"He was killed too."
All that day Ukkyou worked, only stopping to regain some energy from berries at a nearby bush. Without luck all that day, Ukkyou slept underneath a few bodies for protection all night.
Ukkyou continued her search the next morning until her stomach screamed for mercy. About two hours after mid-day, Ukkyou had finally found him. He was dressed in his yellow blouse with that same yellow and speckled bandanna.
"Oh Ryoga," Ukkyou stepped back to observe him. She did not want to see him like this. She turned around to avoid puking on him as chunks heaved out of her throat. When her stomach settled down, she clutched Ryoga by his shirt and dragged him free from the other corpses. "At least his eyes are closed," Ukkyou thought gratefully.
She placed her hands on his soft chest, beginning the process. She had no idea how many lives she had left, but Ryoga was worth it, especially now that he was free, and she owed it to him. She felt her skin react to the light in a tingling way as she surged her own life into him.
"Ryoga . . ." Ukkyou kept her eyes open to try to see him come back to
life, even though she knew she would need another day to return to life after
losing one, if she had any left after this that is. The light was bright! Ukkyou's skin began to burn and sweat, and freeze the more she went. She had sucked herself dry, restoring Ryoga.
Ukkyou stumbled aside as Ryoga opened his eyes in shock.The Yakitori Forest was in reach by the next day. The three had to stop so that Gosunkugi could more closely examine the map for Ranma's possible location.
Gosunkugi felt more unsure of himself as he studied the paper with Ranma's hair that he saved for his voodoo doll. Mousse had to help him out a little.
They rode on in silence for many more hours, exploring the land for any signs of houses or huts or creatures.
Mousse had stopped short in a small clearing. He examined his surroundings carefully with a suspicious eye.
"What is it?" Akane asked him. "Why have we stopped?"
"Look," Mousse pointed at five trees around them. "See? These five trees form a perfect circle."
"So?"
"That's usually a sign. To help a being recognize their territory."
"So you suspect something?" Gosunkugi clutched onto his the horse reins.
"Yes, I do." Mousse mounted off of his horse with a grunt. He scooped
some of the powdery dirt in his palm and sniffed it. He found the dirt to be more yellow and sparkled.
"You see that?" He held up the dirt so that the others could see it. "See the glitter? That's the sign of a witch."
"Witchcraft?" Akane felt her throat squeeze tight. "I-I don't think there were any witches held responsible . . ."
"It's so hard to tell these days who really is a witch, Princess," Mousse
placed the dirt in a small leather pouch and sealed it tight.
"Not really," Gosunkugi thought to himself. "C-Could I see that, sir?"
Mousse tossed the pouch carelessly. Gosunkugi cought it, fumbling not
to drop it. He pulled the lips apart. "I might need this."Shampoo awoke to find Ranma biting into a green apple. When he realized she was awake, he offered her an apple, which she accepted.
"Shampoo so hungry," she noted as she bit off a large chunk.
"Must be after all that chi energy," Ranma thought. He remembered
the light the most, blinding him to tears.
"Where is Shampoo?" Shampoo asked him. The room that they were in was made of stone mostly, and would be much colder if it wasn't for the fire off to her left.
"This is just some room I found," Ranma sighed. "I couldn't find the way
out. It's like the elevator was never here in the first place."
"Where is Pervert and Old Lady?"
"Heh," Ranma grinned to 'Old Lady'. "I really don't know. There are nearly twenty rooms I have seen so far. This one looked the safest for now."
"Is agree," Shampoo swallowed another bite, sucking the sweet juice from
the soft muscle of the apple first.
"Did that man . . . do anything to you?"
"Not to Shampoo. Ranma come to rescue."
Ranma was quiet for a few minutes. Shampoo found no reason to talk either and was also silent.
"I won't let them hurt you," Ranma glared hard at the fire. "Please, be
strong."
Shampoo's heart skipped a beat. Her face flushed, but she pushed these thoughts away. "Shampoo take care of self. No weak."
"Just stay by my side, 'kay?"
"Yes," Shampoo nodded obediently."Huh?" Ryoga rubbed his eyes. The sun was too bright for him to endure. It was almost painful!
The stench of molded bodies ate inside his lungs almost instantly. He was sitting on something soft.
"Gyah!" Ryoga jumped to find that he was in a pile of dead bodies. "What am I doing here?" Ryoga observed around him to find Ukkyou right by his side. "Ukkyou?" Ryoga blinked, tears clouding his vision. Her skin was fresh-looking, unlike the other corpses. Perhaps she was alive? Or she died not too shortly ago . . .
Ryoga held her face with both hands. He placed one in front of her mouth and nose for any breathing. He found no success and moved to find
her heartbeat. There was no movement.
"No . . ." Ryoga couldn't help but drop Ukkyou. A sudden knife slashed
at his heart, his chest tight. He could barely breathe-was he choking?
"Noooo . . ."
Ryoga kicked himself to his feet and ran from the pile of the dead. His
arms and legs flung faster than he could remember he could ever do, blindly
running elsewhere, hot tears streaming down his face.
"No Ukkyou! I never . . . Ukkyou!"Gosunkugi observed the dust. He smelled it and tested it.
"Is this really it?" he questioned himself for the 20th time. "That gypsy?""I do not believe that happened," Kodachi leaned over her floating black orb in regret. "That foreign gypsy had me in defeat."
"Oh, come on, Kodachi," Happosai sat in the corner with a grin as he drooled over his 'collection'. "It can't be so bad."
"It is!" Kodachi glared at him over her shoulder. "Don't you see? That
was power. She . . . she might be one of them."
"You mean, like the boy?"
"Yes, exactly . . . That was some light."
"Hmmm." Happosai rubbed his face against a breastplate.Ukkyou came to when the stars were above her, clouds sweeping across the skies. The stench had returned into her lungs as her heart began
to beat again.
"Oh," Ukkyou jumped from the pile. "Where's Ryoga?" She knew
his body wasn't where she left it, so he must have been alive. Ukkyou's heart
skip a beat. She was alive! They were both alive and both free! "Ryoga? Ryoooogaaa!" Ukkyou felt suddenly empty from the joy of being alive once more. "Did-Did he leave me?"Ryoga in the meantime wondered about endlessly in the middle of
nowhere. He felt no need to carry on, but no excuse to stop. Ukkyou was dead. That was the end of it. She was dead . . .
Ryoga began to feel his eyes blur again, for everytime he wasn't crying,
it was only for a minute or two.Kodachi opened the door without a knock. Ranma was still awake, surprised to see Kodachi. Shampoo slept peacefully on the floor.
"I knew you were here," Kodachi said calmly. "I can see you whenever I want, so it's futile to hide on my account." Ranma jumped to his feet.
"What do you want?" he spoke sharply. He didn't mean to make it sound so nasty. Kodachi took no offense.
"I need to talk to you."
"For what."
"Don't you even wonder why you're here in the first place?" Ranma took notice then how Kodachi stood behind the door, half of her self shown. Was she afraid of Shampoo? Ranma nodded in return. "Follow me."
"What about-"
"She'll be fine. Happosai's drunk and asleep."
Ranma followed Kodachi down the dark halls which were much more cold than the room Ranma had just shivered in a minute earlier. They had walked a few moments in silence until Kodachi stopped in front of a painting,
and pointed it out to him.
It was a painting of a young woman, beautiful in face and shape, with a soft gaze through blue eyes. Her hair was straight and red, with a slight curl in it. In her hand she held something white. Kodachi waved her hand about as the scroll was removed from the painting into her hands. She opened it wide and stood by Ranma's side so that he could see. She felt herself blush almost instantly.
"What's this?" Ranma pointed at some of the scribblings.
"It's an old story. My grandmother gave me this scroll before she was burned."
"Sooo . . . what is it?"
"There," Kodachi pointed to a line, which was in the center of four dots. "That's you. And these four, are the others."
"'The others'? I'm a dot? That doesn't make any sense."
"Sure it does. Did you expect a painting? The artist here had no idea what you would look like."
"Okay . . ."
"The line here, you, is the key. One will suffer great pain, and possibly death. You have powers, you just don't show it. The others here are also parts of the legend. It's always laughed as a fairy tale, but I believe in it."
"I don't really get this."
"Just, expect someone 'remembered' to appear." Kodachi tore off a corner of the scroll and handed it over to Ranma. "This will tell you what to expect. But don't use it too often. If it allows you to change away from what it says too often, everything will be off-course."
"Um," Ranma accepted the paper, Kodachi blanketing his hands in hers.
"I am letting you go," Kodachi released him with a hard glare on the floor. "Both you and the gypsy who . . . defeated me."
"Thank you," Ranma blinked.
"Let me warn you now," Kodachi gave him a serious look so that he knew she meant it. "If you two run across my path and meddle with my affairs, I will take you both, and won't release you."
"Why did you want us in the first place?"
"Go!" Kodachi pointed down the hall. "Get the gypsy and leave." Ranma didn't waste his time.
"Geez." he thought. "Witchery always gave me the creeps."
Shampoo was leaning against the wall by the door when Ranma stepped in.
"Ranma?"
"We're leaving," Ranma almost grinned. "She's . . . gonna let us go."
"But why?"
"I dunno, but I'm not gonna stay for an explanation." Ranma and Shampoo left the room to find Kodachi still by the painting. The scroll had returned to the red-head's hands. "Okay."
Kodachi waved lightly with a dry "Good-bye."
Before Ranma realized it, he was swept off of the ground and flung into the air surrounded by chunks of dirt and mud. There was an opening above them which the two flew through. Up they were lifted until they were in thearms of the trees. The same peices of dirt were restored exactly where they once were.
Ranma struggled free from the branches he was in and landed on the ground gracefully. Ryoga turned around, a look of horror on his face.
Ranma saw the fire in his eyes, the blood he had lost.
Ryoga found the power through his clothing, the same old ponytail, the pride of freedom in his eyes.
"You," Ryoga pointed. "R-Ranma?""What was that?" Akane shrieked. "Did you hear that?" Mousse fell asleep behind her shoulder as Gosunkugi was focused on his doll.
"Hear?" Gosunkugi looked up. "Yes, I did hear that, Akane Tendo."
"W-What was that?"
Gosunkugi thought to himself for a moment. Out in the middle of nowhere where there were no people but evil creatures lurked, the moon feirce and full, Mousse asleep, and him and Akane were alone . . . Gosunkugi cupped his blushy cheeks. "Maybe I can rescue Akane!"
"Do you think we should go see what it was?"
"N-No," Gosunkugi twiddled his thumbs."H-How I've waited for this day!" Ryoga crossed his arms, suddenly feeling stronger. "Ranma Soatome, you will die!" Ryoga lurched forward in attack, but Ranma merely dodged it. Ryoga poked the ground as a rubble of earth exploded into his face.
"Hey, cut that out!" Ranma somer-saulted backwards.
"Shuddup, Ranma!" Ryoga stabbed the earth again. "Thanks to you, I've seen hell!"
Ranma landed softly on the ground. Shampoo sat from a low branch to test Ranma's strength. She saved him last time. Ryoga eaved to catch his breath. He felt his blood boil and his forehead sweat. He felt himself grow over-excited.
"Ranmaaa," Ryoga forced a hard stare onto him, never releasing that stare. His eyes grew watery again, but he tried to hold back the sting the best he could. He couldn't cry now.
"Um, who are you?" Ranma asked.
"'Who am I?!" Ryoga almost demanded. "I'm Ryoga Hibiki!"
"Oh yeah! We got in those fights when we were kids!" Ranma thought happily to the 'Child Days.' "You were always upset when I beat you, especially in front of girls." Ranma pointed to Shampoo with his thumb.
"How dare you mock me!" Ryoga aimed for a higher attack with a swift kick, forcing Ranma back against a tree trunk. Ranma felt suddenly trapped by Ryoga, who wouldn't let his opponent slip away. Ranma still felt the question hang in his head, "What makes me so special?"
"Aiya," Shampoo pounced to her feet. Ranma showed no reaction,
so Shampoo stood aside, waiting for a sign to rescue.
"Ranma, I . . . I . . ." Ryoga's eyes released tears that caught Ranma off-guard. Ryoga wiped the tears away with his sleeve quickly. With his left hand, he pinned Ranma by the chest to the tree trunk. He raised his right fist behind him, a wild terror blowing across his face.
Ranma ducked followed by a crack. The tree broke across the waist and tumbled over. Shampoo gave Ranma a look.
"What's this about really?" Ranma kept his cool.
"Ranma! Because of you, I was taken to hell for two years!" Ryoga yanked off his bandanna and tied Ranma's wrist in front of him. He jabbed Ranma in the stomach mercilessly.
Shampoo stepped forward in concern, but backed off when Ranma's
arms were a blur before him, smacking Ryoga in the chest.
"Ranma . . ." Ryoga glared coldly. "I hate you more than you could know."
"Oh!" Ranma stepped back, his heart pounded feircily. What had he done?
"Will you please give me a straight-out answer! We don't hafta fight!"
"Fighting only makes me feel better!" Ryoga grabbed Ranma by the arm, heaved him above his head, and pounded him into the ground. Ranma released a cry. So helpless...?
Ranma lifted himself with his hands, swiping his legs together as one at Ryoga, just barely hitting him. When he came to his feet, he took a second to tear the bandanna off. Ryoga attacked a fury of punches and kicks, Ranma dodging easily as he worked on the bandanna.
"Geez!" Ranma tossed the bandanna aside. "I never thought it'd come off!"
With his hands free this time, Ranma tried the Chestnut Fist once more. Ryoga fell back onto his rump and wiped his forehead in disgust. Shampoo stepped in between them before either one tried something."Both so stupid," she claimed. "Ranma no need fight stupid." (Please play this midi for effect)
"Hey! Who're you calling stupid, gypsy?!" Shampoo frowned in response, but kept to herself.
"Is tell story," Shampoo sat on the grass, "of why boy so mad."
"Ranma and I fought, two years ago, in the desert somewhere near Tea Leaf, I think. Ranma had won the fight. He rode off on his horse and left me behind." Ryoga could feel himself feel bitter inside as he continued his story. "I wandered around for awhile to find some place where I could receive some medical attention and food. There I had met an elf-woman named Ukkyou. She was the daughter of the owner of a cozy inn. She helped me regain my strength for three days. We had spent some time together . . ."
Ranma and Shampoo listened carefully to his words.
"While we were out in the market, a group of soldiers sweeped through the town for warriors. They were surprisingly much stronger than we were. There was this beast . . . It's hard to describe, but I'd definately recognize it if I saw it again. It was tall and brown, had the face of a cow and small wings. Ukkyou and I were taken by this thing, for she herself was into martial arts. We were hauled to a camp, where there were floors of mud, and no food, and a furnace . . . for humans . . ." Ryoga was silent for a second to calm down.
"So you mean you were taken because you were in the wrong town?" Ranma leaned his head on his hand. "Tell me why this is my fault."
"Shuddup!" Ryoga refused to go soft on Ranma. "It was the closest town! Ukkyou, they didn't like Ukkyou too much. She was an elf. They thought of her as highly as a maggot. They sliced her beautiful ears, and there was a hanging. She was one of three people to be hung. She didn't die right away, but simply hung there, choking for air. I tried to rescue her and we both died. At least, I think. Next thing I knew, I awoke in a pile of dead bodies from the camp, Ukkyou right by my side."
"Hmm," Shampoo thought to herself.Akane tucked herself in her blanket of skins she had bought from Mousse. It was soft and thin and so very warm, but pretty small. She rested her head against her pack and was soon fast asleep.
Gosunkugi sat across from her, stroking her hair that was given to him,
with a love-sick look painted on his face. So calm, he had never felt so right in life, so "fitting in." But one thing had bugged him that night. Mousse seemed to be having trouble in his sleep.
