A Rumble of Distant Thunder
Zhu Shu woke to a golden beam of sunlight, the first ray of dawn creeping through her window to play across her face in a small paroxysm of joy. She smiled happily as she caressed the link and confirmed what she had dreamed.
The anger and hatred that had fueled her depression since the day before yesterday was gone from the link to Ukyo. The okonomiyaki chef had indeed forgiven her for asking her father for her hand in marriage.
She looked around the room, at the mess of stuffed animals hurled across the room against the door when Shan Pu had tried to coax her out of the room to eat, at the clothes she had carelessly tossed on the floor, at the several dozen sheets of paper covered in her barely legible kanji scattered around from her futile attempts to try and write a letter explaining everything…
She was surprised the Ke Lun hadn’t smashed the door down in rage. What must her Great-grandmother think of her now? And had Grandfather found out?
She had forsaken her duty…
She hugged a pillow to her chest and grinned manically. Ukyo had forgiven her!!!
Her stomach rumbled. She looked at the door again. Gods, how could she face them? She had broken her vows. She had failed utterly in her quest…
She had asked for Ukyo’s hand in marriage. It didn’t matter if Ukyo was legally male, she had engaged herself to a woman who could not give her the child it was her duty to bear.
A drift of motion caught her eye, and she turned to see a cherry blossom floating in the sunbeam, a delicate tracery of morning dew sparkling across its petals. She watched as it floated to the floor, landing on the throwing spatula she had cried herself to sleep clutching.
<<It will be alright, beloved.>> came the butterfly whisper in her mind, along with the impression of a soft kiss on her cheek.
She smiled gently as the breeze ruffled her hair.
She went out the window, not feeling like cleaning her room before hopefully getting something to eat, gliding noiselessly down to the garden and into the dining room. She poked her head into the kitchen, and was surprised to see Kasumi sitting at the small kitchen table.
“Good morning, Zhu-chan. I hope you’re feeling better.” The eldest Tendo sister said quietly, her aura one of loving concern.
Zhu Shu’s belly rumbled again. Kasumi gave a soft chuckle.
“I see. Well sit, sit.” She motioned to the other chair at the table as she stood and opened the refrigerator and took out a covered bowl. “I’m making pancakes for breakfast, but there’s no need for you to wait that long for a little something. I knew you would be hungry.”
“Zhu Shu sorry she be such trouble.”
Kasumi gave her an exasperated look. “Dear, you are never trouble. Nor do you have as much to worry about as I’m sure you fear you do.”
“Zhu Shu has abandoned her duties.” The dragon girl said morosely, but then couldn’t help but smile. “But Ukyo forgave Zhu Shu!”
Kasumi smiled as she poured out the batter. “I’m glad to hear it.” She giggled softly, causing Zhu Shu to look at her curiously. “I have some more happy news for you. We didn’t want to wake you, so Ke Lun asked me to tell you that while she believes you may have been too hasty, she and Lo Shen will deal with your Grandfather. They do not feel that taking a Sister-wife is a dishonorable act.”
Zhu Shu blinked in shock. Then wiggled her finger in her ear. “Zhu Shu must not hear right.”
Kasumi laughed. “No, they spent the day yesterday on the phone with the other elders. Lo Shen wasn’t happy you rushed into it, but Shan Pu and Akane explained to the elders about your tattoo, and Rei was even here most of the day answering questions as well. You were asleep by the time they finished, but the elders were unanimous. So long as you do not abandon your quest for the other person your tattoo indicates is out there, the one who must be the male, they will support your decision.”
Zhu Shu shook her head in disbelief. “Grandmother not feel Zhu Shu is shamed?”
Kasumi shook her head. “Rei argued very eloquently on your behalf, asking if the elders truly wished to condemn a match blessed by the Dragon. That pretty well ended the few voices of dissent.”
“But-but…”
“We love you, dear. We weren’t about to stand by and allow you to be punished for something none of us think is wrong.” She flipped the pancakes. “I admit, I think Akane and Shan Pu are still a bit upset at Ukyo, but once she had cooled off, Ranma said she was pretty sure that Ukyo would forgive you sooner or later, that she had a temper, but wasn’t a complete idiot. Of course she also said that if she didn’t do it sooner, she was going to paddle her with her own spatula.”
She scooped the pancakes onto a plate and set it in front of the stunned dragon girl.
“But, Zhu Shu not-”
“Do you love Ukyo?” Kasumi interrupted
Zhu Shu nodded.
“That’s all we needed to know, Zhu-chan. Now surely, you can’t possibly condemn yourself when no-one else, including, apparently, your Clan’s patron deity, thinks you did anything wrong?”
Zhu Shu couldn’t think, couldn’t form a word, couldn’t see any argument Kasumi hadn’t just squashed as thoroughly as a bug against a car windshield.
Kasumi giggled and cut a piece of pancake, sticking it in Zhu Shu’s open mouth. Hunger reflexes came online, and suddenly Zhu Shu was eating with a silly grin.
And then, she couldn’t contain it and grabbed Kasumi in a joyous hug, spinning dizzily in the air with tears streaming down her face while Kasumi stroked her hair.
“Silly, how could you have ever thought we would have done anything else-” Kasumi said softly. “-after all you have done for us?”
* * * * *
Still bemused, unable to believe what Kasumi had told her, but knowing her friend would never lie to her, Zhu Shu made her way to the dojo. Kasumi had made her enough pancakes to quell the immediate hunger, and had told her to go work up her appetite again for breakfast, because everyone would be so happy to see her out of her blue funk.
But the day wasn’t done with surprises. As she opened the walkway door, she saw Ukyo leaning against the dojo wall.
“I’m glad to hear you’re not in trouble,” she said with a smile. She nodded at the kitchen window. “I would hate for you to suffer for trying to save me from my dad.”
Zhu Shu gave her a soft smile. “Thank you for forgiving me.”
Ukyo gave a rueful grin. “Rehearsed even.” She held out her hand. “I’m the one who needs to apologize, Zhu Shu. I was so pissed at my father, I treated you like you were him. I’m sorry I mistook your intent.”
Zhu Shu crossed the short path and accepted Ukyo’s hand. “Zhu Shu is sorry she force Ukyo become her fiancée.”
Ukyo shook her head. “Don’t be. Now that I’ve had a chance to look at it clearly, I’m not. Regardless of what happens to us, if we really become a couple or not, you kept me from doing something really stupid out of anger. I was a fool to take that anger out on you instead.” She laughed ruefully. “Do you know the entire school hates me now? The nicest girl in school becomes my fiancée, and all I can do is yell at her? Hell, I want to hate myself.” She shook her head. “Even Ai told me I was being an idiot.”
Zhu Shu smiled. “Ai not as bad as she want to believe.”
Ukyo nodded. “Can we be friends - no pressure, no prophecies, just see what happens?”
“Zhu Shu would like that very much.”
Ukyo grinned. “And maybe, please, let everyone know they can stop hating me?”
Zhu Shu gave her a lopsided smile. “Will try.”
“So… um… is it okay if I join you for kata?”
Zhu Shu blinked, noticing for the first time that Ukyo was wearing a kimono rather than her usual top and pants. She blushed.
“Is Ukyo sure? Zhu Shu no wish to embarrass.”
Ukyo shrugged. “I just want to watch this time, if you don’t mind. I’d love to see you actually dance.”
“Umm. Zhu Shu would be happy to dance for Ukyo…” Zhu Shu bit her lower lip. “…but not sure if should. Not want Ukyo think try to seduce,” she said apologetically.
Ukyo shrugged. “Sugar, if you can seduce me with just a dance, then you’ll definitely have answered the question I’m asking myself.”
Zhu Shu blinked, then comprehension dawned. Ukyo wanted to find out if she could find a woman appealing. No… if she could find Zhu Shu appealing. She was giving the Chinese girl a chance with her defenses down.
Zhu Shu’s heart thudded in her chest as icicles seemed to fill her stomach. She nodded as she gave the other girl a smile. “Zhu Shu be right back.”
She was so discombobulated, she accidentally crashed into one of the walkway supports as she turned to go, and knocked herself flat on her derriere. She blinked for a second, giggled, then picked herself up with her wings and fluttered off towards her window, humming happily to herself and following the path of a drunken bumblebee.
She didn’t even stop hovering when she went through her closet, digging out the dance outfit Sarhia had given her, and the bracelets to which the ribbons normally attached. She was in the process of putting on her earrings when the mountain of stuffies against the door collapsed and Shan Pu poked her head in.
“Sister, I don’t care how depressed you are, you have to come to break-” the Amazon trailed off as she blinked at a still merrily humming dragon girl hovering in front of her mirror, and painting away the dark circles under her eyes. She blinked at the nearly transparent outfit composed of layers of diaphanous silk dyed a rich crimson, and the dozens of small gold chains bearing tiny bells that were creating a constantly changing silvery melody in counterpoint to her tune. It followed some of the traditional forms of harem and belly dancer dress, with the tight halter type top and billowy transparent leggings tied at ankle and hip by scarves that clung to Zhu Shu’s curves, leaving her midriff bare, but it had been arranged to accommodate the dragon girl’s wings and tail.
“Zhu Shu?” she asked questioningly.
Zhu Shu finished applying her blush with a flourish and smiled at the Amazon. “Ukyo asked me to dance!!!”
She fluttered out the window again, leaving Shan Pu blinking behind her, and loop de looped a few times before fluttering down to hover in front of Ukyo. “Zhu Shu ready now.”
Ukyo blinked. The red silk surrounding Zhu Shu had caught the sun and glowed like a flame, the small gold chains and bells shining like embers. Zhu Shu had even rigged a couple of chains spiraling down her horns. The cloud of fine silk teasingly showed off Zhu Shu’s body in a disturbingly erotic manner, transparent in the direct light, but like heavy fog in the shadows. But even where the sunlight fully illuminated her, the ribbons that danced around her still concealed her from Ukyo’s eyes.
Ukyo gulped, uncertain suddenly if she really knew what she had gotten herself into.
But she nodded, and followed Zhu Shu into the dojo.
It only took Zhu Shu a few minutes to clear the main floor and find Ukyo a pillow to sit on under the newly repaired shrine, pulling shut the screens across the side room so just the main floor was open. It improved the acoustics in the dojo, slightly amplifying and echoing the chimes that sang with her every move. Finally satisfied, she made sure that Nabiki’s cameras had the tell tale red lights showing they were recording. She knew she was going to want a record of this.
Double checking that Ukyo was out of the various shots, she took a stance in the center of the floor, her bells and ribbons coming to a complete stop.
Ukyo gave a small start as the heavy roll of drums began, then watched as Zhu Shu’s arms shot to either side, her ribbons extending with a loud whip-crack as her heel came down with a crash of chimes.
Then Zhu Shu was humming a peculiar, almost atonal melody, the drums and chimes playing counterpoint to the hypnotic tune. It sounded almost like a snake charmers tune, mixed with imperial court music. It formed a very elegant and meditative rhythm as Zhu Shu did a series of slow stretches. Ukyo had to nod in appreciation at the delicacy of Zhu Shu’s muscle control, as even her ribbons seemed to swirl in slow motion.
The she noticed the soft golden glow forming around Zhu Shu as she drew in her chi, small balls of light dancing along her ribbons as she began a series of slow turns that brought her to the edge of the mat exactly as complete silence fell.
For a long moment, the stillness stretched on, Zhu Shu’s ribbons slowly falling to the floor as she held the final form, then the beat came back with a vengeance.
And suddenly, Zhu Shu was a whirlwind of red fog. Or rather, she still danced to a graceful rhythm, but Ukyo could no longer tell whether her clothes existed from moment to moment. One second, the silk seemed to shimmer out of existence, but just before Zhu Shu had turned far enough for anything to be visible, it had shifted back to shimmering fog. And all the while, her ribbons danced and caressed around her like the hands of a lover.
Then Zhu Shu left the ground, as swirls of silk floated down like rose petals. The throbbing increased in tempo as the last of the various silk layers drifted away, and Zhu Shu danced concealed solely by her ribbons.
Ukyo fanned herself, wondering why the dojo had gotten so hot all of a sudden, then one of Zhu Shu’s scarves drifted by bringing with it a faint hint of sakura and cinnamon.
She swallowed hard.
The dance slowed again, while the drums carried out a beat like continuous thunder. Ukyo found herself leaning forward, trying to catch the teasing appearances of Zhu Shu between the ribbons. In the half glimpses, momentary flashes made Zhu Shu’s tattoo seem to move in a dance of its own, the scarlet and gold dragon seeming to beckon for Ukyo to join the flickering vision before her. Golden motes of chi danced like fireflies around the graceful dragon girl, making her appear to dance in a fall of embers
Then, the ribbons shifted and Zhu Shu was revealed before her. Naked, she danced, the ribbons still swirling around her in a cloud of moving cloth that now accentuated her body instead of concealing it.
Ukyo realized she was staring mesmerized, her body tingling. The scent of cherry blossoms and cinnamon hung heavy in the air now, mixed with a hint of clover honey, and she could feel her heart thrumming in her chest.
Then, like the soft caresses of petals, Zhu Shu’s ribbons brushed against her face, tracing her cheek, delicately touching her lips and softly stroking along her jaw. Enraptured, Ukyo closed her eyes and the soft touches became those of Zhu Shu’s fingers, trailing an electric energy that left her skin tingling.
And then, came the kiss… and Ukyo found herself spiraling dizzily to the clouds. She gasped for a breath and opened her eyes to see Zhu Shu still dancing before her.
Had the kiss been real, or just her imagination? What ever it had been, it had shocked her with the intensity of her response. She had never felt anything like it.
And then, the music slowly began to fade as Zhu Shu brought the dance to a close, and stood before Ukyo like a Greek statue of Venus, one leg slightly bent before the other, arms down by her sides, her wings and tail concealed behind her, while her ribbons slowly fell to the ground around her.
Ukyo swallowed again. “That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” she said shakily.
“Dance of Veils final dance of Shiva. Most difficult. Zhu Shu not do since Sarhia teach.”
Ukyo whistled. “You mean that’s not part of your normal kata?”
Zhu Shu blushed. “No. Parts of kata in dance, but not chimes and scarves. Those only for formal dance.” She looked down hesitantly. “Zhu Shu never dance for anyone before.”
“That was your first time?”
Zhu Shu nodded. “If like, Zhu Shu will get Ukyo copy when Nabiki finish edit.”
“Huh?”
Zhu Shu pointed to the cameras around the dojo with a wing. “No worry, Zhu Shu make sure not on Ukyo, and they no record now.” She smiled. “Nabiki been trying to catch Zhu Shu do since Zhu Shu tell her about Dance of Veils.”
Ukyo blinked as she digested that, then had to laugh. “Then why did you do it? Why’d you let her record it if you knew?”
“Because Zhu Shu want do for Ukyo, and want Ukyo have dance for self.” She smiled shyly. “Even if Ukyo no date with Zhu Shu, Zhu Shu wanted to thank Ukyo for let dance.”
“No. Thank you.”
Zhu Shu smiled, and bent to begin retrieving her dancing outfit. In a moment, she was once more concealed in a scarlet fog.
Ukyo nodded. “I love that outfit. Gonna have to get my own for when you teach me.”
Zhu Shu clapped her hands together as she smiled happily. “Ukyo want learn?”
“Hell yes. There’s no way that dance was ever meant to be solo. Do you think I’m gonna be able to rest until I’ve seen it done properly?” Ukyo grinned.
Zhu Shu laughed. “Zhu Shu had hoped not.”
* * * *
The rest of the family was waiting at the house door, and sighed in relief when Zhu Shu emerged with Ukyo and they both were smiling. Ukyo looked at them and sighed. “Hi, guys. I… um… I apologized to Zhu Shu. I was an idiot, and I let myself take my anger out at my father on her.” She looked at the dragon girl and shrugged. “Well, we’ve made up, and decided that for now, we’re going to try being friends, and just see what happens.”
“So no pressure Ukyo.” Zhu Shu said. “Please?”
Shan Pu, Akane, and Ranma nodded reluctantly, but were willing to let Ukyo off the hook. Kasumi stepped forward and held out her hands to Ukyo. “I know this is difficult, what with your dad and all, but I want you to know that anytime you need someone to listen, I’m always here.”
Ukyo nodded. “Thanks.”
* * * * *
A little distance away, a blue and yellow clad figure lowered her binoculars and smiled as she dropped from the telephone pole to the sidewalk.
Ai was surprised at herself for how good she felt at seeing Zhu Shu and Ukyo reconciled. She’d never imagined that repaying the debt she owed the dragon girl for the misadventure with the dragon wine would have made her feel like this - that for once, she’d really made a difference. She didn’t know if her little talk with Ukyo was the critical turning point or not, but she knew she’d made her best effort, and now the slate was clean. She could begin to look for some other way to defeat the Chinese girl with a clear conscience.
But there really wasn’t any need to hurry about it.
* * * * *
Far away from Nerima, another set of eyes was watching the scene as well, eyes filled with hate as he stared into his scrying glass.
<<so, the one who so nearly slew you has reincarnated as well. are you afraid, xi’an chi? does fear gnaw within your belly once more?>> The voice was soft, barely a whisper, but it seemed to shake the very stone of the mountain.
The sorcerer stiffened, but gave no other sign of his anger. The mask he wore hid his face as he turned to the darkness that had seeped up from behind his throne and bowed.
“I killed her once before, mistress, when she was far stronger than she is now.” He waved his hand at a large statue of a female Oni, still frozen in the act of swinging a large guan dao. “Without the Dragon’s Wrath, she is powerless before me.”
Faint laughter echoed from the void, followed again by that chill whisper. <<so you have said before, and yet she foiled you time and time again. even with the power i granted you, she stopped you from capturing lin tzu.>>
The darkness drew itself together into a feminine form, a naked, seductive void from which no glimmer of light escaped. It stepped around the throne, its lithe form moving with all the sensuality of a cat. <<you forget, i know you too well, xi’an chi. first orihime, then clove. you hold women in contempt and you underestimate them. and it costs you.>>
The eye behind the mask hardened, but the wizard was silent. The void stepped up to the wizard and ran long fingers down his front, then laid itself against him as its hands continued their caress.
<<you have grown wiser with age, xi’an chi.>> The figure whispered. <<once you would have protested and denied your failure. it is well you do not attempt to excuse your mistakes, for i have a task for you, and it will determine if you continue to share my favors. you must prove to me why i should retain you as a lover.>> The figure emphasized the last word by stroking her hand along the proof of Xi’an Chi’s arousal.
“I am as always, yours, Mistress.”
<< we shall see, xi’an chi. i have learned that the rabbit of the moon shall bear an heir, and she has come into the past, pursued by those who claim they serve me. she seeks the silver crystal, unaware she carries the power within herself. those who chase her are weak and easily swayed. they will be defeated.>>
“I see. Am I to prevent this?”
<<no. when they are defeated, she will return to the future, and i forsee the rabbit and her guardians will follow, along with the dragon’s child. before then you will have traveled time and be waiting. the dragon cannot protect her through time. steps have already been taken to blight her soul. when she comes to you, you will take her and shape her to my will.>>
“She will come to me.” Xi’an Chi smiled. “I will do as you bid, Mistress. It will be a pleasure to fill her soul with darkness and make her slay her friends before taking her blood and power.”
<<yes. come to me, xi’an chi. i will carry you across time.>>
Xi’an Chi laughed, and accepted the embrace of Chaos.
* * * * *
Nabiki and Tao-Ching stayed a bit behind of Ukyo and Zhu Shu as they made their way to school, Nabiki paying rapt attention to something on her laptop as she allowed the big cat to follow, trusting that if all else failed, he’d at least be able to track the scent. Her sister and her fiancée’s were farther ahead saying they planned to make sure there were no surprises waiting at the school yard.
Lo Shen noted Nabiki’s preoccupation and sauntered over, seeing as how Ukyo and Zhu Shu seemed to be chatting about where to acquire cloth and the methods of wrapping the various layers, Zhu Shu demonstrating on the outfit she still wore, although a couple of extra, far more opaque layers had been added. Lo Shen had raised an eyebrow at it when Zhu Shu had first come out of the house, but shrugged. If her empress wanted to inflame the Hentai squad to greater excesses than normal, it was her choice. They weren’t a real threat.
She caught a glimpse of what Nabiki was staring at so intently, and chuckled. “She let you film her Dancing the Veils?” she asked in an amused tone.
Nabiki started, ripping her eyes away with an effort. “Actually, she filmed it. Don’t ask me how she does it, but I rigged the dojo with motion sensor triggered cameras when it was rebuilt, and she still never sets them off, until today. And now she wants a copy once I have it edited.” She sniffed. “I thought it would be a gold mine, but there’s no way I can sell this! I’d kill off three quarters of Japan’s male population and half the female if I released it! There’s not enough tissue in all Japan to stop the nosebleeds!”
Lo Shen laughed as she handed Nabiki a tissue. The girl blinked then accepted it to wipe up the proof that she belonged to that half.
Nabiki reluctantly closed the video window. “Anyway, I have a question for you. You’re like the village historian, yes?”
“Among other things.”
“Do you know anything about Japan during the Sengoku period?”
Lo Shen raised an eyebrow. “Surprisingly, yes. My master trained under a youkai swordsmith here in Japan during that time, learning the art of enchanting swords. I’m no expert, but I do know odds and ends, some of the important youkai tribes, a few of the greater demons and some of the important human warlords.”
“Ever hear of a youkai named Naraku?”
Lo Shen stopped, the big cat noting and pausing next to her.
“Where did you hear that name, child?”
Nabiki blinked at the dead seriousness in Lo Shen’s voice. “Um, from this lug’s Grandfather.”
Lo Shen looked at the smilodon, and shook her head as she resumed walking. “That explains much. I could never quite put my finger on the origin of Tao-Ching’s curse. Tell me, please.”
They started walking again as Nabiki related the tale she had been told about how the Hibiki clan had been cursed by the demon, leaving out only her promise to the elder Hibiki that she would find and reclaim the sword Burekaishi.
Lo Shen listened, and nodded, letting Nabiki keep her secret from Tao-Ching, who was rolling his eyes over the notion the curse was more than a family legend. For a long moment she thought, then sighed. “My master’s sensei, Totosai, forged Burekaishi. It was one of his finest blades, surpassed only by the Tetsusaiga and the Bakusaiga, the blades he forged for the sons of the greatest lord of the inugami. It was a massive sword that could shatter stone with nothing more than the wind of its passage. It was lost less than forty years after it’s forging though, when the Hibiki clan seemingly vanished. Knowing now of Naraku’s involvement, much of that mystery has become clear. However, there have been no rumors of the sword’s continued existence since then.”
Nabiki tilted her head. “But if they’re so powerful, wouldn’t someone have sought after them?”
Lo Shen laughed softly. “Blades of power choose their owners, Nabiki. To anyone else, they would have been useless scrap metal. No, I’m afraid that since the brothers slew Naraku, all of Totosai’s work has vanished into time.”
“You still haven’t told me anything about Naraku.”
“He was a greater youkai who sought to become the most powerful youkai in the world by possessing a powerful sacred jewel, the Shikon. He came far too close for anyone’s comfort before most of the rest of the world was even aware of his existence. I strongly suspect that he sought to transcend mortality and become a true demon, one of the greater supernaturals, and a servant of Chaos. Had it not been for Inuyasha and his brother Sesshomaru, this world could very well have fallen into a darkness from which there was no escape. We humans would have been hunted like animals into extinction by the youkai tribes.”
Nabiki shuddered. “I always thought the stories of youkai were myths.”
Lo Shen shook her head. “No, though those tribes who could not bring themselves to make peace with the humans brought only destruction to themselves. The youkai are the remnants of the non-human races who once co-existed with men during the Silver Millennium, created originally as servants or slaves by fell magics during the chaotic centuries prior to the establishment of the Kingdom of the Earth. Under the enlightened rule of the early kings, they had been freed and lived as equals, but most of them fell to savagery during the centuries following the Silencing. For most of that time, they warred with mankind ceaselessly, but there was an Accord struck between the youkai and humans around three hundred years ago, shortly after the fall of Naraku. Those youkai who wished to exist peacefully assumed human form and joined human society. Not all chose to do so, so there still exists a need for Devil Hunters and other slayers, but the majority chose peace and so remain today. The Vatican has never ceased it’s secret war of extermination unfortunately, and unlike most devil hunters, the Iscariots draw no line between those who live by the Accord and those who don’t, and it is feared by many that living openly would lead to either mass exterminations or attempts to enslave them again, so they remain hidden, but there are quite a number of various species among the Joketsuzoku. In fact, besides the Hibikis, I’d say that at least half of Asia has some youkai ancestry these days.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve noticed quite a number at your school, including the Kunos.”
Nabiki blinked, “What?”
“Oh yes. Inugami, I think, pretty far back in the line. How else do you explain their remarkable healing abilities and capacity for absorbing physical punishment?” Lo Shen chuckled. “I noticed it when Tatewaki came to the village and aided us against the Musk. No ordinary human could have shrugged off the shadow creature’s spell. You were remarkably fortunate for his presence.”
There was a growl from the big cat. Nabiki bopped his ear playfully. “Like you were much help, stoned on catnip?”
She turned back to Lo Shen. “So any idea how someone could find any clues towards locating Burekaishi?”
Lo Shen raised her eyebrow. “Only two. The first is be wary of the sword should you find it. Naraku would have bound some part of himself to the sword to create the curse, and none of you have anywhere near the kind of power you need to fight even a fragment of Naraku, save possibly Zhu Shu and Rei.”
Nabiki paled a little but nodded. “And the second?”
“Go talk to Totosai. He makes novelty swords these days over in Chiyoda, about a half mile from the Palace.”
“He’s still alive?”
“He was nearly a thousand when my master studied under him, a few hundred more hasn’t done much more than make him grouchier. He spends half his time these days muttering about how long it’s been since anyone has been worthy of anything more than a toy sword.”
Tao-Ching turned and gave the young seeming elder a toothy grin, but Lo Shen shook her head. “And don’t think your money is going to change that. Emperors have begged at his feet to no avail. All you’d do is annoy him.”
A commotion up ahead drew their attention and they saw Akane had Kodachi by the neck and slammed halfway through a wall, Ranma and Shan Pu only half heartedly trying to get her to not crush the gymnast’s throat. Akane finally seemed to settle for saying something to the taller girl before tossing her aside. As she stalked past into the school yard, the gymnast fled away in tears.
“Wonder what she said?” Nabiki asked. “I never would have thought anything would dissuade a Kuno from chasing after her.”
Lo Shen gave her a raised eyebrow. “She described to Kodachi how much fun she had making love to Shan Pu.”
Nabiki stared after her sister in shock. “My my. My sister the prude is proving to be quite the letch instead.” She grinned. “Makes me proud.”
The big cat rumbled laughter as they finished making their way to the school.
* * * * *
Urd looked out over the cliff face and gulped. It was a long way down to the city of Asgard below. How Father could stand being up here so often was beyond her, but the High Seat was Kami-Sama’s retreat whenever he felt the need to get away.
It was also the only place she knew to find the Dragon. She had been shocked this morning when she went over Phoenixmoon’s report to find out about the attack of the black dragon, and the belief of the Amazons that it was Clove. The fact that Kami-sama had sent her back to bed with Mara instead of chastising her for not paying attention to her job the following morning just didn’t make sense. It screamed that there was far more going on than she had found out about, and she needed more answers than Phoenixmoon was willing to divulge. Phoenixmoon had confirmed that it was Clove, but would not tell her how someone who had been dead for almost three hundred years had shown back up, telling her only that it had been an unforeseen occurrence. She had stormed out of the complex and up the trail to the High Seat almost before she had realized where she was going.
She turned and scrambled up the last few feet of trail to the level space around the Seat. No wonder Kami-Sama rode Slepnir up here. She’d debated briefly about “borrowing” him again, but the last time she had hadn’t gone too well, and she didn’t have the days to waste to try and get him to listen again. She dusted off her palms and sighed.
Looking around she found nothing that let her know where Legend was. No cave, no claw marks, nothing. Where the hell was that over grown lizard?
A crow call caught her attention as Hugin and Mugin alighted on the Seat. She blinked at the pair of crows that usually sat on Kami-Sama’s shoulders. “What do you guys want?”
Mugin cawed at her, then jumped down and hopped towards a narrow crack in the cliff face behind the High seat. He looked at her and cawed again.
Urd looked at the dark opening. “Through there?”
Hugin cawed agreement.
“I take it then that since you two are here, Kami-Sama isn’t upset that I came up here?”
The crow shrugged, then twisted his head to look at her upside down questioningly.
“Why am I up here?” Urd guessed.
The crow nodded.
“I want to talk to Legend and see if he can tell me why I’m running into so many roadblocks, and what the hell is going on with his Chosen.” Urd growled. “Everywhere I turn I’m running into ties to him, and dad can’t tell me anything, so I figured I would come to the source.”
The two crows looked at each other and cawed as they took off. Urd wished it hadn’t sounded so much like they were laughing.
Turning back to the narrow crack in the cliff, she stepped into the shadows and proceeded through the tight passage. Fortunately, she was in shorts and a sports top instead of one of her dresses, as the floor of the passage was littered with fallen rock that would have made it difficult going. Finally, she emerged onto a spur of rock overlooking the vast range of mountains behind the peak that Asgard was built on. She looked around for any sign of the Dragon.
Nothing. All she saw were the mountains. Hesitantly, she called out.
“Hello?”
Before her at the end of the spur, the Dragon Mandala began to burn in mid air <<Yes, Goddess Urd. May I help you?>>
“Legend?”
<<Yes.>>
“Where are you?”
<< I appeared thus not to startle you. If you would rather, I can show myself.>>
Urd blinked. “Um, well, if you wouldn’t mind. I’ve seen dragons before, and I’m a little uncomfortable talking to a symbol.”
A faint sound of laughter could be heard. <<I am not just any dragon, Goddess Urd.>>
The air beyond the rock spur shimmered as the mountains shifted perspective and Urd gaped. A vast sheet of rock slid upwards to show an eye larger than Asgard itself as the entire range of mountains was revealed to be the back spines of the Dragon’s massive body. Wings that could have spanned the entire length of Japan unfurled and swept aside clouds as Legend stretched, and yawned, his toothy maw vast enough he could have swallowed Fenris like a breath mint. Urd backed up against the cliff face as a vast golden eye focused on her and the very air shook as Legend spoke.
“IS THIS MORE COMFORTABLE, GODDESS URD?” he asked, amusement heavy in his voice.
Urd swallowed hard. “Um... yeah, thanks” She blinked. “I-I had no idea you’d be so big.”
“THAT IS WHY I USUALLY CHOOSE A LESS INTIMIDATING FORM.”
“So I see.” She took a deep breath and stepped away from the cliff. “I need some answers to what is going on with your Child, Legend. My present assignment involves her.
“YES. I CANNOT ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS, GODDESS URD. I TOO AM BOUND BY THE TERMS OF YOUR TEST. INDEED, I AM THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED THEM.”
“You?”
“YES.”
“How?”
“WAR THREATEND BETWIXT ASGARD AND NEIFELHIEM. I WAS ASKED TO MEDIATE BETWEEN THEM TO PREVENT THAT WAR. YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER AGREED TO THIS CONTEST, RATHER THAN A BATTLE NEITHER WAS PREPARED FOR. A TEST GIVEN TO THE CHILD OF BOTH THEIR BODIES, THE DAUGHTER OF BOTH HEAVEN AND HELL. YOU WOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHOICE BETWIXT YOUR NATURES, AND TESTED IN ACCORDANCE TO YOUR CHOICE. AS A GODDESS YOU WOULD HAVE TO FULFILL A MORTAL’S WISH UNAIDED BY THE ULTIMATE FORCE . HAD YOU CHOSEN TO BE A DEMONESS YOU WOULD HAVE HAD TO THWART A GODDESS WITHOUT THE AID OF THE NEGATIVE ULTIMATE FORCE. YOUR SUCCESS OR FAILURE WOULD DETERMINE THE ASCENDANCE OF EITHER HEAVEN OR HELL. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT CHAOS WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL YOUR MOTHER FULLY WHEN THE ACCORD WAS STRUCK. THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE, BUT HILD IS BOUND TO THE OATH. SHOULD YOU FAIL, HELL IS FREE TO WAGE A WAR TO EXTERMINATE EXISTANCE ITSELF.”
“She wants Ragnarok?”
“YES. HILD NOW SEEKS ONLY TO DESTROY. HILD HAS BEEN SEDUCED BY CHAOS.” Legend shook his head. “I FEAR THE WOMAN WHO ONCE WAS YOUR MOTHER IS LITTLE MORE THAN A HOLLOW SHELL WORN BY THE VOID. BEWARE, HER INTERFERENCE IN DRIVING MARA MAD IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF WHAT SHE WILL DO. IT WAS SHE WHO RESTORED CLOVE TO LIFE, AS REVENGE FOR MY FREEING MARA FROM HER CONTROL.”
Urd blinked. “I see. That could make life difficult.” She sighed.
Legend smiled. “I BELIEVE CLOVE HAS HER OWN PART TO PLAY IN YOUR TASK URD. SHE TOO IS MY DAUGHTER, THOUGH A WAYWARD AND LOST ONE. AS UNEXPECTED AS HER RESURRECTION IS, I THINK HILD HAS ERRED IN BRINGING HER BACK TO LIFE. I HAVE HOPES THAT THIS TIME PERHAPS SHE WILL FIND THE WAY SHE LOST IN HER PAST LIFE. LIKE MARA, SHE WAS ONLY AS EVIL AS CIRCUMSTANCES FORCED HER TO BE.”
“That’s another thing, how did you manage to change Mara’s doublet and make her a goddess?”
This time Legend did laugh, a deep boom that caused several rock slides from the cliffs around her. “I AM NOT BOUND BY YOUR SYSTEM OR YOUR LAWS, GODDESS URD. I, LIKE CHAOS, AM OUTSIDE OF THEM. WE ARE BOTH BOUND TO USING OTHERS AS OUR AGENTS IN THE MORTAL REALM AND MAY NOT DIRECTLY MANIFEST, BUT THERE ARE FEWER RESTRAINTS ON US WITH BEINGS SUCH AS YOURSELF.”
“What? What are you saying? Aren’t you a god yourself?”
“NO, GODDESS URD. I AM BEYOND. LIKE CHAOS, I AM BOUND TO THIS PLANE, BUT I AM NOT OF IT. WE ARE BOTH PRISONERS IN THE SAME JAIL. CHAOS SEEKS TO END THIS EXISTANCE AND ESCAPE. I SEEK TO KEEP HER CONTAINED. WE HAVE BECOME EXPRESSIONS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF UNITY AND DIVISION, AND FOREVER BALANCED ONE AGAINST THE OTHER. SO LONG AS THE BALANCE IS MAINTAINED, YOUR REALITY CONTINUES.”
“What? How can that be?”
“I AM AKIN TO THE ULTIMATE FORCE, AS IS CHAOS. THE RESTRICTIONS WE HAVE ARE THOSE THAT ARE IMPOSED ON US BY OUR JAILERS. THE ULTIMATE FORCE ITSELF IS PART OF OUR PRISION.” Legend gave her a toothy grin. “YOUR REALITY IS BUT A RESULT OF OUR PRESENCE. I HAVE WATCHED THE MULTIVERSES GROW FROM THEIR FIRST MICROSECONDS. YOU MIGHT SAY I’VE GOTTEN RATHER ATTACHED.”
Urd gulped. “Yet, if that’s the case, why haven’t you been more active, why didn’t you stop Zhu Shu’s death?”
“I AM AWARE OF ALL THAT EXISTS SIMULTANEOUSLY, GODDESS URD. THE REALITY YOU EXIST IN IS BUT ONE OF COUNTLESS OTHERS CREATED BY RANDOM CHANCE. QUANTUM DYNAMICS REQUIRES THAT FOR EVERY ACTION, ALL POSSIBLE OUTCOMES MUST OCCUR. BECAUSE OF THIS, EVERY ACTION I TAKE MUST BE BALANCED AGAINST IT’S CONSEQUENCES IN EVERY UNIVERSE. I COULD NOT SPARE ZHU SHU WITHOUT UPSETTING THE BALANCE ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE.” Legend sighed. “IN ALMOST EVERY WAY, YOU HAVE MORE ABILITY TO AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF AN EVENT WITHIN THIS SINGLE REALITY THAN I DO. THAT IS WHY WE WORK THROUGH OTHERS. I AM AIDING YOU IN EVERY WAY I CAN, GODDESS URD, AND DOING WHAT I MAY FOR MY CHILDREN, BUT I CANNOT FULLY SHIELD ANY OF YOU FROM THE AGENTS OF CHAOS.”
Urd sighed. “Great. Another thing I have to worry about.” She looked up at Legend. “Still, as informative as that was, it’s not the answer I’m looking for. I want to know why I’m running into so many roadblocks! Why is so much information being withheld? And why does it seem I’m behind some of it?”
Legend was silent for a long moment before speaking again. “SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I WAS APPROACHED BY YOURSELF AND THE GATEKEEPER OF TIME. YOU CAME TO SEEK MY AID IN CHANGING WHAT WOULD BE.” Legend shook his head slowly as his wings partially extended and drew back. Then his eyes met hers again. “I WILL FAIL, GODDESS URD. CHAOS WILL DEFEAT ME AND I WILL BE NO MORE. WITH MY CESSATION, CHAOS WILL DESTROY THE UNIVERSES ONE BY ONE. YOUR KIND AND YOUR ALLIES WILL BATTLE HER FOR EONS, YET THEY WILL ULTIMATELY FALL. YOU CAME BACK TO SEEK ANOTHER PATH. YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE IN THAT QUEST, GODDESS URD. THE ROADBLOCKS ON THE INFORMATION YOU SEEK YOU PLACED TO KEEP CHAOS FROM BECOMING AWARE OF WHAT YOU SOUGHT TO DO. WHEN CHAOS DISCOVERED YOUR INTERFERENCE, YOU SACRIFICED YOURSELF TO PREVENT HER FROM UNDOING IT.” Legend bowed his head. “ACROSS THE MULTIVERSES, ACROSS ALL YOUR MYRIAD SELVES, ONLY THIS INCARNATION OF YOU FOUND THE STRENGTH TO DEFY THE VOID. CHAOS COULD NOT BREAK YOU. ALL I HAVE DONE SINCE IS ATTEMPT TO FUFILL THE QUEST YOU PASSED TO ME, GODDESS URD.”
Urd blinked. “I-I came to you? I did this to myself?”
“YES. YOU CHANGED WHAT WAS, WHICH HAS AFFECTED WHAT IS AND WHAT WILL BE. I KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE WAS TO BRING, BUT I NO LONGER KNOW WHAT IT WILL BRING BEYOND A CERTAIN POINT. YOUR ACTIONS CHANGED THE ULTIMATE DESTINIES OF THOSE WHO YOUR TEST INVOLVES. THAT HAS SHIFTED PROBABILITIES ACROSS THE REALITIES.”
“W-what was supposed to happen?” Urd asked.
Legend fixed her with his gaze. “ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU WISH TO KNOW?”
Urd took a deep breath. “Yes.”
Legend nodded. “WHEN YOU CAME TO ME, YOU SAID YOU HAD TRIED TO CHANGE THE PAST MANY TIMES. IN EACH CASE, YOU HAD FAILED ULTIMATELY. YOU HAD NOT CHANGED HISTORY SUFFICENTLY TO ALTER THE FUTURE. AFTER EACH FAILURE, YOU HAD TO TRAVEL FURTHER BACK TO TRY AGAIN. FINALLY, YOU CAME TO ME. YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THE FUTURE TO BE, OF MY DEATH AND CHAOS’ FINAL VICTORY. AND YOU TOLD ME OF YOUR EFFORTS TO CHANGE WHAT WAS.” Legend sighed. “FOR IT WAS I WHO ULTIMATELY CAUSED MY OWN DOWNFALL.”
Urd blinked. “Huh?”
“SINCE THE MULTIVERSE FIRST FORMED FROM THE RANDOM FLUX OF HYPERSPACE, I HAVE WATCHED AS UNIVERSES CAME AND WENT, AS SPECIES ROSE AND FELL. I HAVE OBSERVED ALL THAT OCCURED AND INTERVENED WHERE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE. IN ALL THE UNCOUNTABLE EONS OF MY IMPRISONMENT, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY AGENT I HAVE USED AS MORE THAN A MEANS TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE, SAVE FOR SONG LIN TZU.”
Legend fixed Urd with a sad glance. “IN THE TIME OF THE MOON KINGDOM’S TROUBLES, SHE CAME TO ME TO BEG MY AID. WHERE NO MORTAL IN ANY UNIVERSE HAS SUCCEEDED, SHE WOULD NOT ACCEPT FAILURE. SHE BEGGED, SHE PLEADED, SHE LISTENED TO MY REPLIES AND IN THE END SHE CHALLENGED ME TO SPEND A WEEK LOOKING THROUGH HER EYES. FOR THAT WEEK, I EXPERIENCED MORTAL LIFE AS SHE DID, AND IT PROVED MY UNDOING. BY EXPERIENCING HER LIFE, I LEARNED TO LOVE HER, AND I GRANTED HER MY BOON, I GAVE TO HER THE POWER TO STAND AGAINST CHAOS BY ANOINTING HER WITH A DROP OF MY BLOOD. I MADE HER MY DAUGHTER AND CLAN DRAGON BECAME AN EXTENSION OF MYSELF. BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH, AND AT THE SAME TIME, TOO MUCH. LIN TZU’S BROTHER HAD ALREADY GIVEN HIMSELF TO CHAOS AND HAD AIDED IN THE SEDUCTION OF THE EARTHS RULERS TO CHAOS’ SIDE. HE COVETED THE POWER I HAD GRANTED LIN TZU. THOUGH METALLIA WAS CHAOS’S PRIMARY TOOL, XI’AN CHI WAS HER HIDDEN HAND, HER AGENT PROVOCATURE AMONG THE KINGDOMS, FORMENTING REBELLION AND BETRAYAL ON ALL SIDES IN HIS LUST TO POSSESS LIN TZU. AS THE KINGDOMS OF EARTH AND MOON FELL, LIN TZU BARELY ESCAPED, HOUNDED BY XI’AN CHI AND HIS SERVANTS. WHEN METALLIA AND BERYL WERE FORCED INTO STASIS BY THE SILENCING, HE ALONE ESCAPED TO CONTINUE HIS MAD QUEST. HE HAS SOUGHT MY LEGACY FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS.”
Urd nodded, “Okay, so what does that have to do with what I did?”
“ZHU SHU IS THE HEIR TO MY LEGACY. IN THE ORIGINAL PAST, SHE NEVER LOST HER LOVER YING-YING, AND NEVER WENT TO JUSENKYO. SHE DIED WHEN XI’AN CHI FINALLY FOUND HER REFUGE AND SLEW HER AND YING-YING. FROM HER BODY HE RIPPED ALL THE POWER I GRANTED THE LINE OF LIN TZU, AND TRIED TO USE IT TO OVERTHROW CHAOS AND MAKE HIMSELF LORD OF ALL, ONLY TO FAIL, TO BOTH OF OUR DESTRUCTIONS.”
Urd nodded. “I see.”
“FOLLOWING THIS, YOU ATTEMPTED TO ALTER HISTORY BY HAVING ZHU SHU’S AUNT DISCOVER THEIR RELATIONSHIP, BUT THOUGH YING-YING WAS SENT AWAY, HER DEATH DROVE MY DAUGHTER TO SUICIDE. WITH HER DEATH, SHE TOOK MY LEGACY INTO HILD’S DOMINION, AND DELIVERED A MEANS TO CHAOS TO STRIKE THOUGH HER AND SLAY ME. IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THIS, YOU SAVED HER FROM HERSELF, BUT MERELY DELAYED HER DEATH. HER DEPRESSION AGAIN OVERWHELMED HER AND SHE SUBMITTED TO HER AUNT’S PLAN TO MARRY HER TO A BOY FROM HER VILLAGE. UNABLE TO SATISFY HIS DESIRES, SHE WAS SOLD BY HER HUSBAND TO A SLAVE TRADER, AND BROUGHT TO THE NOTICE OF XI’AN CHI, WHO SLEW HER.”
Urd shuddered.
“TRYING AGAIN, YOU ARRANGED TO SEND HER TO JUSENKYO, AND MEET RANMA. THIS IN TURN BROUGHT HER TO JAPAN TO MEET THE SENSHI, WHERE SHE WAS SLAIN WHILE KILLING XI’AN CHI’S CREATURE.” He gave Urd a level look. “YOU CAME BACK YET AGAIN TO CHANGE THAT, BUT THOUGH YOU HAD CHANGED HER FATE ONCE MORE, IT WAS NOT ENOUGH. TIME AND AGAIN YOU HAVE REPLAYED THESE EVENTS SEEKING TO COUNTER FATE. MORE AND MORE COMPLEX PLANS WERE LAID IN PLACE. IN THE END YOU HAD TO SEEK MY AID TO ENSURE THAT ZHU SHU COULD NOT DIE. YET EVEN THAT ULTIMATELY FAILED. OTHER EVENTS OCCURED WHICH WILL LEAD TO ZHU SHU HERSELF BECOMING CHAOS’ AVATAR. YOU WERE FORCED TO GO BACK AGAIN TO KEEP ZHU SHU FROM KILLING ME...”
Urd staggered. “What?”
Legend fixed Urd with his massive eye. “YES. NOT LONG FROM NOW A SERIES OF EVENTS WILL BEGIN, AND BEFORE THEY HAVE REACHED THEIR CONCLUSION, CHAOS WILL HAVE ENSNARED ZHU SHU’S HEART. IF SHE CANNOT BE FREED FROM CHAOS’S GRIP, THIS UNIVERSE WILL BE PASSED FOREVER INTO SHADOW, AND I WILL DIE AT MY DAUGHTER’S HANDS.”
“There has to be a way I can stop that!?!”
“IT IS BEYOND YOU NOW, GODDESS URD. YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE ALL THAT YOU CAN. ONLY THOSE BOUND TO MY DAUGHTER’S HEART MAY HOLD THE KEY TO THE SALVATION OF ALL. YOU HAVE PLACED THE PLAYERS ON THE BOARD. ALL YOU CAN DO NOW IS TAKE YOUR OWN PLACE ON THE FIELD.”
“But, I can’t even figure out the rules to this game!”
“THAT IS BECAUSE THERE ARE NONE. WE ARE ALL BOUND NOW TO THE WHIMS OF THE HUMAN HEART. THE WHEEL OF DESTINY HAS SPUN AN OLD STORY ANEW, AND WE CAN ONLY BIDE AND HOPE THAT A DIFFERENT END WILL COME OF THIS TALE. THROUGH THE PAST AND THE FUTURE MY DAUGHTER MUST GO, THROUGH DARKNESS AND DESPAIR, AND ONLY LOVE CAN SAVE HER.”
“Is there nothing I can do?”
“ZHU SHU’S FATE IS OUT OF YOUR HANDS, BUT YOUR ROLE IN THIS IS NOT YET OVER. YOUR TEST MUST STILL BE PASSED OR YOUR UNIVERSE SHALL FALL.”
Urd, bit her lip, “So even if Zhu Shu is saved, I could still fuck things up. Great.” She sighed heavily, “I had really hoped my test was done.”
“YOUR TEST WILL NOT BE DONE UNTIL ALL THOSE WHO ARE PART OF THESE EVENTS HAVE FOUND THEIR HAPPINESS.”
“All those…” she blinked as she thought about that for a second, and then a thought occurred to her. “There is one last question I wish to know, Legend - if you can answer. Did my other self love Mara?”
For a long minute, Legend was silent, then “SHE LEARNED OF MARA’S LOVE TOO LATE. MARA WAS THE ONE WHO LEARNED OF YOUR FUTURE SELF’S INTERFERENCE IN TIME, AND IN HER BESPELLED MADNESS REVEALED IT TO HILD. BUT WHEN MARA DISCOVERED WHAT HER BETRAYAL WOULD LEAD TO, SHE SACRIFICED HERSELF TO WARN YOUR OLDER SELF, AND BOUGHT HER ENOUGH TIME TO ACTIVATE HER FINAL CONTINGENCY PLAN, PHOENIXMOON.” Legend’s head turned so that both his golden eyes were fixed on her. “I DO NOT KNOW IF YOUR OLDER SELF LOVED MARA OR NOT, BUT THE NOBLITY THE DEMONESS SHOWED AT THE END WON MY RESPECT. I CHOSE TO HONOR THAT URD’S LAST REQUEST AND INTERVENE IN THIS FINAL ATTEMPT TO DEFY FATE BY SAVING HER.”
Urd grinned in triumph. “Then I know there is a chance to change what will be, Legend.” She turned to go. “And I’m going to fight whoever gets in my way to make sure Chaos doesn’t win. Nobody is going to take Mara away from me again.”
She entered the narrow cleft to the vast peals of the Dragons laughter.
* * * * *
Mu Si awoke with a start as a kettle of hot water was dumped over him, reverting him to male for the first time since his fight with Ranma. He blinked groggily as for a second his mind struggled to recall where he was, then memory set in and he sighed, reaching for his glasses and placing them before his nose.
Kodachi was standing before him, nude, and holding the kettle she’d doused him with. “Are you awake, my angel?” she asked sweetly, her voice belying the attitude her body displayed of offended anger.
“I am, mistress. How may I serve.”
“You have thought upon my words, I trust.”
Mu Si took a second to recall her storming off insisting he would love her, and he sighed again. “I cannot love you, Mistress.”
Kodachi flung the kettle to the side as she posed revealingly. “Why! Is not my body pleasing to your eye? Especially now that you are male?”
Mu Si shrugged. “Your body is beautiful, mistress, but my heart was given away long ago. I no longer have it to give.”
“To a hussy who has tossed you over for that bitch, Ranma! Why must you insist you still love someone who so obviously hates you?”
“Like Akane Tendo does you?” Mu Si said.
Kodachi slapped him. “My goddess is ensorcelled. She will see my love for her is true.”
“Then why are you here, instead of chasing her?”
Kodachi started to slap him again, but instead, seemed to deflate as she fell onto the bed and curled into a ball. Muted sobs came from her.
Mu Si sat silently for a long moment before reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder. “My apologies mistress. It was not my intention to make you cry.”
“I have failed my goddess. I am not worthy of her love. That is why she has chosen to give it to another. My sins have condemned me!”
Mu Si blinked. “How have you sinned?”
“I betrayed her. I became so enamored of another that my very thoughts turned from her, and my quest to free her from her ensorcelment failed.”
“Your quest?”
Kodachi turned her head to look at him with tear reddened eyes. “I sought to rid her of the Chinese Oni who does dog her steps. I chased the demoness to Hong Kong, only to find that while I was there, my goddess had become engaged to another… that my place at her side had been usurped. And while I was on my vain quest, I was seduced by the man, Valmont. His charms did make my knees weak, and his honeyed words did ignite my girlish fancies, and for a time, I forgot my beloved Akane. Yet I was betrayed, and though I thought to redeem myself by besting Shampoo in combat, in my foolishness I relied on a trinket I had gotten from Valmont. I should have known that the gods would not allow me to regain Akane with something that belonged to the one I had betrayed her love with.” She sobbed again for a short spell before continuing. “I have lost the love of my goddess because I am weak.”
“And I have lost the love of mine because I am a fool.” He reached out to her shoulder again. “We are mere mortals, Mistress. We are both fools to aspire to love gods.”
“I have lost her! Today, in school, I went to her to again profess my love, and she told me of how she had given herself to the purple haired harlot. She gloated over their love making and tossed me aside like trash. I am lost.”
Mu Si had no words to say, though her words sent shards of ice through his soul. He sat quietly as Kodachi cried, finally moving to let her use his lap as a cushion until she cried herself to sleep, then sat and stared out into nothingness as the day crept slowly past.
“We are both lost.” he finally whispered to the shadows.
And then there was only silence
* * * * *
Despite the dance outfit, Zhu Shu seemed to have little problem with the Hentai squad once Ukyo had shown up at school by her side. Mostly, it appeared, they seemed contented with beleaguering Nabiki with requests for photos of the two girls together. Nabiki could only guess it had to do with the fact that Ukyo seemed to have gone out of her way to appear as feminine as possible today. She had changed out of the kimono she had worn over to the Tendos, and had dressed in a very tight body suit that clung to her like a second skin from her ankles up to a wide belt, matched to a low cut bodice with a light jacket over it. While still similar to her usual mode of dress, it emphasized her feminine figure very well. Someone would have to have had their eyes ripped out to mistake her for a male.
Then again, the Hentai Squad not chasing them might also have had something to do with Nabiki and Tao-Ching padding a few feet behind them when they came out for lunch.
She was leaning back against his furry side under her favorite tree, keeping an eye on the okonomiyaki lesson Ukyo was giving Zhu Shu the next tree over while hunting down saleable stills from the dance footage, figuring that individual pictures wouldn’t overload the Hentai to the point of terminal nosebleeds, when she noticed Tatewaki heading her way. She closed the laptop as he arrived.
“Kuno, baby. Here for your usual batch of pics?”
“Nay, Nabiki Tendo. Such is beneath me. I came to inquire as to the state of thy club. My lawyers have informed me that thee are the principle in a bet I have with Tao-Ching.”
Nabiki blinked, then mentally shrugged. Kuno going out of his way to sound like a Kurasawa movie samurai wasn’t that unusual. At least it wasn’t bad haiku or mangled Shakespeare. “Doing well, actually. We will be opening up Friday after school.”
“I see. I wish to attend. Considering my investment, I wish to see if I must make preparations to pay Tao-Ching. Had I known he was betting on thee to make money, I would never have allowed myself to make the wager. As ‘tis, I hold out only hope that thou shalt miss the goal by a small amount. I can see no way that thee couldst fail utterly.”
Nabiki tilted her head. “You feeling okay, Kuno? You don’t sound like your normal self.”
The self-styled samurai nodded. “I have spent much time thinking since we returned from China. The Tatewaki Kuno thou knew is no more. I have shamed myself and my fathers and behaved basely. I shalt do so no more. The noble house of Kuno was founded to defend the weak, and protect humanity from the darkness. To these principles I have rededicated myself.”
Nabiki whistled. “That’s quite a tall order. Sure you’re not interested? I have some new ones of Zhu Shu barely dressed.” She held up one of the stills she had just printed.
Kuno looked at it for a moment, then nodded. “Very well, I would like one of those, poster sized. It will grace the wall of my dojo and remind me to strive to be worthy of my goddess”
Nabiki chuckled. “Sure Kuno, baby.” She opened her laptop and sent the order to her usual supplier for Tatewaki’s oversized pics. Without even asking the price, he swiped his card through her reader. He was about to go when Nabiki had a bright idea.
“Yo, Kuno, you ever hear about a sword called Burekaishi?”
Kuno stood thinking for a long moment. “Methinks I have heard of it, but I canst at the moment recall where.”
“How about someone named Naraku?”
The recognition of the name was immediate. “Yes, I know of the vile fiend. Before the Kuno clan was founded, he had spread his evil far and wide across Japan. He was defeated, but fears remained that he would return someday. Our clan has stood guard since the Nobunaga Shogunate to be ready should he ever cast a shadow again.” His hand gripped the sheathed katana at his side in his passion, and Nabiki wondered where his bokken had gone.
“Thanks, I appreciate the info.”
Kuno nodded, and whirled to go. Nabiki shook her head, “though I was hoping for something more useful,” she said softly to Tao-Ching.
He rumbled agreement.
* * * * *
The rest of the day went swiftly, though Nabiki had too many details to monitor for the club opening to check up on the information Lo Shen had given her about Totosai. She resigned herself to trying to hunt him down after the weekend.
Ukyo didn’t have much to do either, seeing as how Nabiki’s workmen were dismantling the remains of her shop and moving it to Club Nabiki. She also was busy moving, to a small apartment just a block from the Tendo’s and was happy to get the help from ‘Ran-chan’s Harem’ that they volunteered.
In fact, for the next two days, right up to the Grand Opening, everything seemed to go perfectly. Of course, they should have known that only meant that things where about to go horribly wrong…
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