The problem with young people nowadays is that they have far too much time on
their hands, and no attention spans at all!

Hmph. When I, the young and beautiful Cologne, was growing up, we kept ourselves
busy! Going outside and getting fresh air, exercising AND studying. Why, we
would have thought nothing of reading through books ten times the size of this
entire fanfic to date. Plus we remembered what we read! None of this needing to
drag an old woman out of her sick bed in between chapters so she can tell the
slower readers what they should already know.

Take, for instance, the entire running rivalry between Chris and Aaron. The main
characters, remember them? I bet you expect me to tell you all the details
leading to their fight last chapter. Well, I am not here to make your life
easier. Struggling to overcome adversity makes us stronger. Suffice it to say
they really didn't like each other and Chris beat Ukyou/Aaron almost to death. I
swear, that girl should really learn to start avoiding this kinds of things. Has
she gone two chapters without being beaten nearly to death yet? You know I never
would have been in that kind of situation.

Then again, I am not insufferably rude to everyone I meet.

What?

I assure you, I know how to handle myself. I know that I was rendered insensate
by that crude supervillian poseur Gyro, but how was I to know, when he claimed
to have the power of a god, he was telling the truth? Thankfully all the young
ladies I was escorting failed to die and that girl Sailor Moon showed him that
it is foolish to underestimate the so-called 'weaker sex'.

Now, to once again bring the easily distractiable readers up to date, don't
forget that Tethys is still alive and is now exploring 'humanity', while this
young boy Vega, who would be nice enough if he could stop killing people, has
arrived with his brainwashed all-girl commandos to kidnap Ukyou.

*sigh*

I guess it really is a curse, to be living in interesting times.



			      C&A Productions Presents

                          A Work of Blatant Self-Insertion


                                   Hybrid Theory


                              Chapter 14: Don't Stay


	Kaorinite placed the serving tray down on the bedside table. The little
brat was ignoring her again. Her face was buried in her palms, and she was
trying very hard to keep in the shadows of her lamp-filled room. Oh. She must
have had another 'episode'. Kaorinite smiled.
	"Hotaru," Kaorinite said, keeping her voice as smooth as silk. "Your tea
is ready." Hotaru continued to ignore her. That was all right. Kaorinite had
spent the last two years learning which buttons to press. "Your father is out of
town today, so I guess when he comes back, I'll tell him you were refusing to
eat again?"
	The little girl shifted slightly. There were twin flashes of white, not
quite enough light to see her eyes, but enough to tell she was glaring.
Kaorinite smiled and stood up, crossing her arms under her ample cleavage.
Being reminded how much growing up she had yet to do was another one of
Hotaru's pet peeves.
	"Just leave it," Hotaru said, her voice hoarse.
	"You know I can't do that," Kaorinite said in her most mockingly
apologetic voice. "You have a habit of not doing things that are good for you.
And I'm stuck making sure you do."
	The girl shifted in place, but made no move to approach the tea set.
Kaorinite just continued to smile mockingly and waited. Hotaru would break. She
always did.
	Of course, it was just a little demeaning that she had to find these
small pleasures in breaking the spirit of a little girl. She would have much
preferred to be helping the Professor in his research, or even just tormenting a
human or two to death. But Professor Tomoe had asked her, her specifically, to
look after his daughter.
	There was nothing she would not do for the Professor.
	Moving slowly, Hotaru eased out of the shadows. She was slight and
frail, and short in that way that only children on the cusp of puberty are. Her
shoulder-length black hair reflected the half-dozen dim lamps, and her violet
eyes were glaring at Kaorinite with brimming hatred.
	Kaorinite waited until Hotaru had poured herself a cup of tea before
dropping the next bomb. "By the way, Hotaru, the school called today..." She
trailed off meaningfully. Of course, the school had not called. They never
called. Hotaru was the daughter of the headmaster AND owner. She could probably
have burned down a building, and they wouldn't have called.
	Hotaru froze like the proverbial deer in the headlights. The tea kept
pouring, until it began to leak over the edge of her cup. With a small gasp the
child dropped the cup, kettle and all. It made a surprisingly loud crash in the
unnaturally silent room.
	Kaorinite didn't pause. She just tsked and leaned down to start cleaning
up. She was half finished before Hotaru started speaking.
	"Kaori... what... did they say?"
	"Hmmm? I don't really recall off hand. More of the same, I suppose."
Kaorinite stood up. "I wrote it all down."
	"Wrote it down...?" Hotaru gasped. There was real terror in her voice.
Kaorinite allowed what could have been mistaken for a sympathetic smile to grace
her features. "W-why...?"
	"So I can give the message to your father," Kaorinite explained matter-
of-factly. "Really. I can't keep concealing these violent outbursts of yours
from him forever, Hotaru." She flicked a hand through her luxurious hair. "I
swear, the trouble you put your father the Professor through. Do you know how
busy he is, looking for a cure for your condition? If it wouldn't break his
heart to hear about how you keep mistreating your classmates, I never would have
agreed..." She trailed off into an artful sigh and shook her head.
	It was really a fine art, carving away at a child's feelings like a
surgeon. The trick was to make it seem like none of it was done out of malice.
Only when Hotaru was convinced that she was the one in the wrong would her self-
loathing grow. The self-loathing would feed the presence inside her. The very
presence that created her violent outbursts, and their accompanying amnesia. It
was really a vicious, and perfect, cycle. But then again, the Professor was a
genius, and he knew exactly what a nascent little Messiah of Silence needed.
	Hotaru was close to tears now. Kaorinite turned away slightly, looking
for a garbage can. "But this is really too much. I think it's time you stopped
treating your father so cruelly, wouldn't you agree?"
	Hotaru was about to start begging, Kaorinite could see it in her eyes.
Then all the lamps went out. Kaorinite blinked, and felt her skin shiver as a
sudden cold breeze filled the room. She flicked her eyes towards the window, and
saw the white lace curtains fluttering like ghosts in the breeze. And
silhouetted behind the curtains was a menacing figure. He was upside down, only
the torso visible within the sunlit rectangle. His arms were crossed in an X
over his chest, with three long thin shadows extending from his right hand. As
the curtain rippled in the breeze, the shadows occasionally cleared away to
reveal the silver glint of three metal claws.
	"Who's there?" Kaorinite hissed, sliding in front of Hotaru. She heard
the girl gasp and fall back on her bed.
	With patient grace, the figure slid into the room. He landed in a soft
crouch on the black carpet, his arms extended out to either side. The open
window now let in enough of the afternoon sunlight that the lamps were no longer
necessary. Kaorinite narrowed her eyes and sized him up.
	He was tall, which was obvious even in his crouch. His body was covered
in taut, lean muscle, all the more obvious as he wore no shirt. A tattoo of a
snake curled around his torso and arm, with the head resting just above his
heart. His entire face was hidden behind a simple white mask, featureless except
for the eyeslits and a strange rune beneath his left eye. It wasn't any mystic
symbol that Kaorinite was familiar with, however. The man slowly rose to his
feet, his soft brown ponytail flicking in the breeze. Once he was fully upright,
Kaorinite could see he was wearing some sort of ritual costume she vaguely
recognized as European.
	"My apologies for interrupting," the man said in an elegant, cultured
voice. He had a European accent, but spoke Japanese flawlessly. "Allow me to
introduce myself..." He slid his right arm across his chest and bowed deeply. "I
am known as Vega. It is truly a pleasure to be in the presence of such beauty."
	Kaorinite sneered. If this intruder thought flattery would stall her
wrath, he was greatly mistaken. She eased herself into a more comfortable
stance, and slowly let the limits on her magic release. Behind her, she could
feel her hair begin to whip and snap. For now, it appeared to be just the result
of the wind.
	"What are you doing here?" Kaorinite demanded.
	"Ah," Vega held up one finger. "Allow me to check one thing first. I
wasn't expecting two of you." He reached into his red sash and withdrew a small
black object. She saw his ice blue eyes flicker down towards it. "It appears
that you, my flame haired beauty, are not the one I am looking for.  That is...
delightful." He looked up at her, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks and his
voice growing... hungrier. "That child is but a budding rose, but you... you are
in full bloom.  Your perfect beauty demands to be plucked, now, before it can
fade away."
	"What..."
	Vega vanished.
	Kaorinite barely had time to register this before pain exploded across
her cheek. She screamed, but her voice was overshadowed by the crash the bed
made as she smashed through it. A hand rose involuntarily to her face and
touched the tender flesh as she lay briefly in the wreckage. Then she snarled
and opened her eyes, using her other hand to prop herself up. Vega was standing
where she had been, his arms crossed as he chuckled at her. She could hear
Hotaru gasping somewhere nearby.
	"Get up," Vega said pleasantly, his mad pinprick eyes boring into hers.
Kaorinite allowed a smile to cross her face again. Pathetic human. He was fast,
but had no idea what he was up against.
	Kaorinite exploded to her feet and thrust her hand at him, screaming and
focusing her magic. Like a wave of lava, her brilliant red hair erupted from
behind her and swept into him. He had just enough time to blink in surprise
before he vanished under the mass of her magically expanded tresses. A second
later there was a tremendous crash as she hurled him through the wall.
	Her hair shrank back and Kaorinite began to laugh. Vega was lying
against the wall of the other room, which had been dented by his impact. But he
was still. Kaorinite raised her hand, ready to follow up, when she heard a small
gasp.
	"K-Kaori?"
	Kaorinite turned and glanced at Hotaru. The girl was huddled in the
corner, her eyes wide and focused on the woman who, up until now, she had
thought was only her governess. Well, this would be inconvenient. For two years,
she and the Deathbusters had worked meticulously to keep the truth from the
still-developing Messiah.
	Unfortunately, it appeared someone else knew of their plans. Someone had
sent that man. Well, she would make him talk. He would experience exquisite pain
for upsetting Professor Tomoe's carefully prepared timetable. She glanced
back...
	He was gone.
	Kaorinite frowned and spun in place. There was no sign of him.
	"Kaori... you... you're protecting me?"
	"Hush, child!" Kaorinite snarled and looked back at her. "Of course
I'm..."
	"LOOK OUT!" Hotaru screamed, pointing behind Kaorinite. Kaorinite
blinked. When had Hotaru developed those vivid crimson freckles? And why did her
chest sting so?
	She glanced down slowly. The blades that emerged from her left breast
were slick with blood. It dripped from the tips in a steady, inevitable manner,
forming a dark pool on the carpet. Kaorinite tried to gasp, but found her breath
escaped her. She felt a soft pressure on her shoulder. Her eyes flicked to the
side and she saw the white mask of Vega as he began to whisper into her ear.
	"So beautiful, isn't it? The colour matches your hair. Sad that I am
forced to cut our dance so short, but my new charge and I must be off soon." He
chuckled, and Kaorinite's eyes returned to Hotaru's face. The girl's eyes
quivered in fear and horror, and in that moment Kaorinite found herself loathing
the brat more than she ever had before. She was... she was... for this brat? For
HER? She wanted to scream against it, but she couldn't breathe and everything
was so cold...
	"When you see all my other lovelies in the afterlife, be sure to give
them my regards," the voice whispered in her ear just before the darkness filled
her vision.

*

	Pink glared at Akane's back.  The group of them were moving steadily
through the woods away from the mountain.  There had been some Chronos patrols
around, but they were so disorganised and panicked that they had been easy to
slip by.  The old woman and Sailor Moon were still unconscious, and being
carried by Shampoo and Akane respectively.
	Every time she saw Akane still walking, Pink almost felt like attacking
her.  Or something.  Anything.  Why did she have to be alive?  It had all been
going so PERFECTLY!  They'd rescued the precious Sailor Senshi Chris was
convinced were important, they were going to escape, and Akane was oh-so-nobly
sacrificing herself to make it all possible.
	When Pink got to the rendezvous, she would have told Chris about it.
The dead man would have been horrified; even heartbroken.  But it would be done.
Akane, that girl whose opinion he'd been obsessing over ever since they'd gotten
to Japan, would be dead.  Nobody could blame Pink for it, either.  There was
simply no downside.
	But somehow, Shampoo - Shampoo, ALWAYS Shampoo! - and Sailor Moon had
ruined everything, and Akane was still alive.
	Worse yet, she was... changed.  Neither had talked about what had
happened in Mount Minakami, but it was obvious that whatever had happened had
affected them deeply.  Shampoo and Akane walked in silence, their eyes far away
and yet simultaneously focused sharply, as if they could see some destination in
the distance that was invisible to the rest of them.
	Of course, it seemed everyone had been oh-so-deeply affected by Sailor
Moon's display of sheer power.  Pink's lip curled.  She'd even caught her twin
looking at the unconscious girl in.... awe? wonder? reverence? More than once.
Pink had thought better of them... well, some of them.  That light that had
washed over them, that feeling of... of SOMETHING...
	Power.  That's what it was.  Power, plain and simple.  Anybody could
inspire awe if they had enough to back it up.  Pink spitefully crushed an insect
under her foot.  To that bug, SHE had been a terrible, vengeful god.  Sailor
Moon wasn't some pure and holy saviour.  She was a girl, a klutzy stupid girl.
Who had power.  But anybody could have power, if they knew how.
	Not that Pink wasn't impressed by the show.  Like the others, she had
felt the force of the titanic struggle above.  She'd heard Sailor Moon's plea
for aid, and the sheer force of it had even made her want to help.  Briefly.
She'd watched as Sailor Mercury and Jupiter had raised their little wands and
given their own power to the effort.  And she'd seen that light, that
overwhelming light.
	They'd walked out of the mountain without incident.  There had been a
patrol of what was probably zoanoids once, but were now nothing but stunned
humans, staring blankly at the wall as they group moved past them.  Pink
chuckled darkly.  Too much 'purity' for them to handle all at once.
	She tore her eyes away from Akane's back and towards the only other
person who could keep herself staring at the unconscious bimbo in awe.  At some
point when Pink hadn't been looking, Sailor Mars had transformed back to her
civilian self. She was still holding the wand, though.  Every now and then she'd
stare at it and mouth something to herself, before quickly turning her eyes to
anything other than Sailor Moon.
	It had taken Pink three attempts to overhear what she was saying.  "Why
couldn't I...?"  Pink had noticed, of course, that when Rei tried to offer her
power up to her precious princess, it hadn't come.  But in the midst of the
other events, she hadn't thought about it.
	Rei obviously had.  Every movement she made, every nuance of her face
shouted as to her shock, shame, and fear.  Pink smiled secretly to herself.
Just more proof there was no such thing as 'purity' the way idiots like the
Sailor Senshi believed in it.
	There just wasn't.  Pink knew better.
	A movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye just as she
saw Akane and Shampoo swing around and begin to draw back into defensive
stances.  But they almost immediately relaxed as Chris walked into view.  The
new body she had given him was, Pink noted with approval, still in fairly
pristine condition.  It was covered in dirt, and a few twigs and leaves were
stuck in the fiery hair, but there was no actual damage that Pink's practiced
eyes could see, and no sign of rotting.
	"Well, I see you made it," Chris said.  His tone was slightly inquiring,
but mostly filled with relief.
	"Yes," Akane said immediately, "but we need to get out of here quickly.
Chronos won't be distracted for long."
	Chris nodded.  "Let's walk, then."  He fell into step beside them, but
his glassy eyes kept wandering over to Sailor Moon.  Pink almost laughed at
that.  Just like everybody else, Chris couldn't tear his eyes away from her for
more than a minute.
	Of course, that meant he wasn't paying attention to Pink, which wasn't
acceptable.  She stepped up her pace slightly, drawing up to behind him.  "We
didn't see those Team 5 zoanoids you talked about, so I suppose your side of the
plan worked too, over."
	He was forced to crane his neck back a bit to look at her.  His eyes
were typically unreadable as they stared down at her - that body was so TALL -
but his expression was neutral too.  Very carefully neutral.  "Yes, it worked,"
he said shortly.  "But what happened with you guys?"  He looked at Sailor Moon
again.  "I can guess the 'what', but I don't know the 'why'."
	Akane didn't reply for a long moment, so Sailor Mercury jumped in.
Probably because she was feeling useless and wanted to reassert her role as the
team's exposition expert, Pink thought to herself with a smirk. "After we were
rescued from our cells, we were confronted by someone called Reichmann Gyro."
	Chris swore suddenly and hit a tree, causing it to splinter.  "Damn it!
I'm sorry.  I though you'd be safe from them.  They don't normally act
personally."
	"They?" Mercury inquired.
	"Zoalords," Chris explained.  "There are two of them in the mountain.
They're the leaders of Chronos, the upper council.  They're also unbelievably
powerful, far more than even Team 5."
	"Well, I can believe it," Makoto said, punching a hand into her first.
"That guy laughed off all of our attacks.  If it weren't for Akane, we might all
be goners."
	Akane gave Makoto a weird look.  It wasn't angry precisely, more...
stern, like a parent glaring at a child who had spoken out of turn.
	Chris, meanwhile, had turned his attentions to Akane.  Pink's smile
didn't change, but once again she felt hatred for the ought-to-be-dead girl
swell.  "Akane?" Chris repeated.  "I thought Sailor Moon had done something..."
	"Sailor Moon did," Akane explained.  "I just helped."  She looked at
Shampoo, and the purple-haired girl nodded, as if understanding something.  Pink
ground her teeth, wondering not for the first time what had actually happened up
there.  She'd have to force the story from Shampoo as soon as possible.
	"Sailor Moon summon glowing silver stone," Shampoo said shortly.  "Help
from friends, she blew away Gyro-monster."
	"Right..." Chris said slowly.  "I guess that could happen.  Very lucky
you got away.  I'm sorry.  Obviously I should have planned this out better."
	"Yes," Akane agreed.  After a moment, she added, "But we all learn from
our mistakes."
	"So what now, over?" Pink spoke up, drawing Chris' attention back.
"We've rescued them, but we're going to have to go somewhere with them."
Suddenly, she felt her twin's eyes on her back, and she felt a surge of bile in
her throat as she remembered the promise Link had extracted from her.  "Maybe we
should leave Tokyo for awhile.  There's some other places to go where we could
hide these people from Chronos, over."
	"Maybe..." Chris said.  "We'll talk it over when we get back."

*

	Akane glanced up at the overcast sky. It would probably rain soon. The
sun was dipping below the clouds now, turning the western heavens a brilliant
crimson. Beside her, Usagi was sitting on top of a small dumpster. Akane shook
her head as the girl gave a squawk before sliding off and onto the dirty alley
floor.
	"Are you okay?" Akane said, without looking.
	"I'm fine..." Usagi murmured petulantly. She stood up, rubbing her
backside. "Why do we have to wait here, anyway?"
	"Because Chris and Cologne need to make sure that the area is clear
before we head over." Akane nodded towards the end of the alley. Just beyond,
barely visible through the metal mesh fence and the piles of garbage, a small
building was visible. It was an abandoned Chinese restaurant that Cologne had
led all their families to before they had started out on their quest to Mount
Minakami.
	Almost two days ago. Akane shielded her eyes as the first drops of rain
began to fall. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She looked over at Usagi. It had
been a lifetime ago.
	"Usagi?"
	"Hmmm? What is it, Akane?"
	Akane glanced around. Pink and Link were at the opposite end of the
alley, arguing with each other. Ami and that new girl, Makoto, were a little
closer, but both were crouched under one of the only available pieces of cover
as the rain started. Rei was up near the fence. The only person within earshot
was Shampoo.
	"Usagi..." Akane coughed. "I've been meaning to ask you, about... what
happened... at the mountain."
	"Huh?" Usagi blinked and looked at her. Then her expression slowly faded
from vapid to sympathetic. "Oh. That. Well... I don't know exactly what happened
myself, Akane..."
	Akane held up a hand, silencing her. "Why... isn't really important
right now, Usagi." The blonde blinked, and Akane continued before she got any
more confused. "I just want you to promise me... that you won't tell anybody
about what happened."
	"Won't tell anyone... but why?"
	"It's just..." Akane struggled to find the words. She had never been a
poet, so how could she explain it? The feeling... the finality of death? It was
like nothing anybody ever experienced, and Akane just couldn't think of
anything that felt or seemed quite the same. So, as usual, her mind shied away
from it. Already the entire experience was growing hazy in her memory. She knew
that she had felt something... something BEYOND, but her mind could no longer
hold what that something was anymore. It was like smoke: the harder Akane tried
to hold on to it, the more it slipped away. "I can't explain it, Usagi. I just
don't want everyone to know." Akane looked up. The sky had filled with a fine
drizzle now. "I don't want that to be how everyone... defines me."
	"Okay..." Usagi said. It was clear she didn't understand.
	"Just do it to me as a favor, okay?"
	"Uh-huh!" Usagi nodded her head rapidly. "Anything to help out a friend,
Akane!"
	Akane smiled and clapped her on the shoulder. But when she looked down,
the first person's eyes who she met was Shampoo. The purple-haired girl smiled
and nodded as well. Of course, they had already come to an understanding, but it
was nice to see that Shampoo still understood.
	Two blurs landed in the center of the alley. Akane didn't flinch. Her
danger sense hadn't even twitched. Chris and Cologne stood up, the former much
taller than the latter in his still-unblemished body.
	"The coast is clear," Chris said in Adon's distinctive nasal voice.
	"Are you sure?" Akane asked as she slid down from the dumpster. The rain
was making her long hair damp now, and it lay limply on her shoulders. Annoyed,
Akane pushed it away.
	Chris smiled slightly. "Cologne is."
	"There are no zoanoids hiding in wait for us to lower our guard this
time," Cologne assured everyone. The only signs of her injury that remained were
a darkening of the skin around the side of her face, no worse than a sunburn.
Apparently Cologne knew a thing or two about those healing techniques Dr. Tofu
was supposed to be teaching Ukyou.
	"Well, let's not wait here any longer." Akane started towards the
building, gesturing for the others to follow. "We'll catch cold if we stand
around in the rain."
	Chris stepped aside as Akane brushed past him and took up the rear as
everyone crossed the street. They were about halfway across when Akane heard
someone snap their fingers loudly. She turned back just in time to see Pink
smirk and hear her declare, "Of course. It's the Nekohanten, over!"
	"Excuse me?" Cologne asked her. Everyone else just gave her mildly
annoyed glances, except Chris, who sighed in a long-suffering fashion. Pink just
shook her head, waving aside everyone's looks. Akane shrugged and stepped up to
the door.
	She had barely set her fingers on the knob when the door flew open.
Suddenly someone was dragging her inside! They swallowed her up in a bearhug!
Akane reacted without thinking, driving her knee into that of her attacker with
as much force as she could. In a second she was free, as the figure arced across
the room and impacted with the wall.
	"Well, that's Akane, all right."
	"Nabiki?" Akane looked to the side. Nabiki was sitting at one of the
tables, drinking tea and nibbling on some cookies. That boy, Ryouga, was next to
her, using his huge backpack as a seat with his bamboo umbrella balanced on his
shoulder. He was staring out the window at the rain, a frown on his face.
	"Is he alright?" Mrs. Tsukino asked mildly. She was near the kitchen, a
tea set and plate of cookies balanced in her hands. Akane followed her gaze to
see her father slowly sliding out of the Soun-shaped dent he had created in the
wall.
	"Dad!" Akane gasped and ran across the room. She grabbed her father and
cradled his head in her lap. His eyes didn't seem to want to focus on anything,
and he was moaning slightly and clutching his... uh... Akane looked away.
	"Akane..." he said in a squeak. "I'm so glad you're safe..."
	"Yeah..." Akane coughed. "Sorry about that, Dad."
	"Let me have a look at him," Mrs. Mizuno said as she shooed Akane aside.
The blue-haired woman examined her father while Akane stood back, feeling more
embarrassed than anything else. While she did, everyone else started gasping and
running up to hug each other. Ami walked up and stood next to Akane, giving her
mother a slight smile. Akane looked at the girl for a long moment.
	"Aren't you... going to say hi?" Akane asked in a whisper.
	"She's busy," Ami pointed out, a slightly wistful look in her eyes.
"I'll give her a hug when she's finished with your father."
	"I... yeah..." Akane nodded. She looked around and wandered away. Dad
would find her as soon as he could walk again. Kasumi had taken over serving tea
now that Mrs. Tsukino was busy hugging and crying over her daughter. Mr. Tsukino
was satisfied to be looking stoic as he gazed on lovingly. They actually looked
to have calmed down quite a bit, thankfully. Chris was standing opposite Ryouga
and Nabiki, with Pink at his right hand and Link having left him to sit by
herself at one of the tables. Mr. Saotome was sitting in one corner, rubbing
his neck nervously as Mrs. Saotome sat next to him, chatting amiably with him in
a one-sided manner as she polished a katana. Rei had wandered away from
everybody else, as had Makoto. Cologne had vanished into the back, leaving
Shampoo to guard the door. Akane went over to join her.
	"So... now what we do?" Shampoo asked once Akane was next to her.
	"I wish I knew," Akane said slowly. "We can't hide here forever. And we
can't confront Chronos directly. Usagi can beat one of those zoalords... but
twelve?" Shampoo nodded and gripped the pommel of her sword. "Making sure Usagi
is somewhere safe until she can master that crystal is the most important thing,
I guess."
	Shampoo just nodded. Akane glanced back at the group.
	"...don't worry about a thing, Dad!" Usagi was saying happily. "I can
handle myself against these monsters. No sweat!" Akane winced and began to walk
back in. She believed in Usagi, in Sailor Moon, but that didn't mean she needed
the girl getting an unrealistic idea of what exactly was going on.
	"Right, Da," the little boy standing next to Mr. Tsukino piped up. Akane
recognized him, knew he was Usagi's brother, but couldn't remember his name.
"Usagi is a for real superhero."
	"That's right," Usagi said, chuckling as she reached down and ruffled
his light brown hair. "Your big sis is a genuine saviour and everything!"
	"Of course," the boy said in a mockingly sweet tone as he pushed her
hand off, "you're more of a second-rate superhero. I mean, you run around in
like a ballerina costume and everything and use love powers." The boy made a
sick face. "Yuck. If only I had a big brother like Ukyou. Now there's a man's
man! He'll break your spine just for looking at him funny!"
	Chris burst out laughing. Akane winced. Usagi's eyes narrowed and she
placed her hand on her brother's head, ruffling his hair with perhaps a little
bit more friction than last time.
	"Is that right, twerp?"
	"Yes it is!" The boy made an attempt to grab his sister's arm, but she
somehow avoided that. "I can't help it if you're such a girly wuss! Who wants to
be a hero like that? I want to be like Ukyou when I grow up!"
	Usagi blinked. "I certainly hope not..."
	"Quite so," Mrs. Saotome broke in primly. "Ukyou is a delinquent and a
bad influence. Not to mention he lacks manners, respect and common courtesy!"
	Akane took one look at the boy's star-struck eyes and sighed. "I think
you're having the opposite effect..."
	"Well," Mr. Tsukino interrupted with a soft clearing of his throat. "It
doesn't really matter, either way." He clapped his daughter on the shoulder.
"Everything should be okay now. You don't have to fight the monsters anymore."
	"Huh?" Usagi said in confusion. The man's declaration had grabbed the
attention of everyone else in the room as well. "What are you talking about,
Dad?"
	"Well," the man cleared his throat nervously, obviously not comfortable
with all this attention. "It appears that I was right. The authorities are going
to help us out... just not our authorities."
	"What are you talking about, Mr. Tsukino?" Akane asked directly.
	"Actually, that sounds like my cue!"
	Everyone turned and stared as the front door slammed open. Standing in
the doorway was a girl, who obviously knew everyone was paying attention to her
and didn't mind one bit. She reached up and flicked her long blonde hair off her
shoulder, causing her star-shaped earrings to jingle in the light. Her eyes were
smoldering crimson and her lips were curled in a delicate smile. She wore a
tight, shoulderless, low-cut red dress with a hemline that barely reached
halfway down her thighs. She stood with one hand on her right hip, and allowed
everyone in the room to get a good look before she started speaking.
	"I guess my sense of timing is just too perfect..." the girl started in
a slightly American-accented voice.
	"Actually, you had us wait outside..."
	"SHHH!" she turned and made shushing gestures to someone outside. Akane
blinked. That couldn't have been the voice she thought it had been.
	"Can I come in now? It's cold, and..." the familiar voice said.
	"No!"
	"But..."
	"NO!"
	"Fine..."
	The girl turned back to everyone, and struck her pose again. "As I was
saying..."
	"You're Sakura Yamazaki," Pink said with a yawn. "So what does the CIA
want with us, over?"
	Sakura stared at Pink. "But... how... who?"
	"Wouldn't you like to know, over?" Pink replied, smirking. Chris gave
her a long look, to which Pink responded with an exaggeratedly innocent shrug.
	Sakura gave the Chinese twin a glare and then shook her head slightly.
She closed her eyes, struck her pose again and started to open her mouth.
	"Heya, doc! What you doin' out here in the rain?"
	That had not been Sakura's voice, Akane noted.
	"The young lady asked me to wait outside while she introduced herself,"
the voice which Akane was now sure was Dr. Tofu's responded.
	"Oh. Really?" Ranma's female voice replied. "Well, forget that. I ain't
waiting out here for some chick to finish talking. We'll catch cold before she's
finished!"
	Akane's eye twitched, though only about half as much as Sakura's did.
	"Hey, move it, would ya?" Ranma asked needlessly as she shoved Sakura
aside and stepped into the room. "Hey guys."
	"Where have you been, boy?" Genma demanded loudly.
	"Uh..." Sakura said, standing beside the door with one finger raised.
	"None of your business, Pops!" Ranma snapped.
	"You will respect your father, boy!"
	"Yeah, right..."
	"Father? Boy?" Mr. Tsukino said.
	"Uh..."
	"IT'S A TEMPORARY CONDITION!" Nodoka screamed as she grabbed the tea
from Kasumi and flung it at Ranma. Ranma blinked and her head snapped back as
the kettle bounced off her forehead before the ceramic broke apart and the hot
tea splashed over him.
	"Well, now I've seen everything," Ami's mother said mildly.
	"It really is quite cold out there, I hope you don't mind if I come in
and... Oh hi there Ka-K-Kas..."
	"Oh, no you don't!" Sakura snarled, then slammed her fingers into
Dr. Tofu's forehead with a meaty whack. A small paper ward hung rigid in front
of his face for a second, before the doctor fell back out of the door like a
toppling statue.
	"So, now that I've saved all your lives... AGAIN! Maybe you'll let me
speak..." Sakura hissed in a tone that brooked no argument.
	"By all means," Ami said, gesturing for her to start.
	Sakura nodded and, once again, assumed her pose. She glared at everyone,
daring them to interrupt her. No one did.
	"My name is Sakura Yamazaki, and I am the answer to your prayers."
	"Eh, I've seen hotter."
	Ranma yelped and ducked as the girl flung a chair at him.
	"If you are QUITE finished," Sakura said, then sighed. "Fine. I'll make
this short." She held up one finger in the air. "I have been sent to this city
on a special executive order directly from the President of the United States. I
am hereby authorised to offer every single person in this room asylum with the
United States government, effective immediately."
	A short silence filled the room.
	"That's right," Mr. Tsukino said, sighing. "This girl found us while you
were gone and offered us all safe haven. So, it all works out for the best.
Right, Usagi?"
	"Wait a minute!" Akane interrupted before Usagi could respond. "How?
Why? What is going on here?" She glanced at Sakura. "Do you even know what it is
we're running from?"
	Sakura made a show of buffing her nails on her dress before responding.
"Oh, of course I do, Akane Tendo." Sakura smiled smugly and flicked her eyes
across everyone in the room. "Chronos. A conspiracy of monsters that has
infiltrated the highest offices in almost every nation in the world. A
conspiracy so wide-ranging and so powerful that for most people, confronting it
is nothing less than a death sentence." She flicked her hand through her hair
again. "But I... am not like most people.
	"It's been almost three months since I pretty much started saving the
world single-handedly," she explained without a hint of self-deprecation. "You
see, I am a trained spiritualist, with senses far more advanced than most of you
can imagine." Akane glanced at Rei, who seemed not to be paying attention. "It
was only a matter of time before I started discovering the zoanoids that worked
for my superiors. Of course, as the youngest active field agent of the CIA ever,
it didn't take me long to convince my supervisors of their existence.
	"From there, I spearheaded the US's secret war against Chronos. One
zoanoid at a time, we've been cleaning house. Zoanoids and... other things."
Sakura tossed her head and stared at the ceiling. "I would have to say the
turning point was when I personally saved the President's life from Chronos
assassins in a dramatic battle in the Oval Office. I'm up for a congressional
medal of honour for that one.  You DO know what that is, right?
	"But the most important thing, to you..." Sakura looked down and
pointed, sweeping her hands across the gathered people. "America is perhaps the
only nation in the world that is now free of Chronos control. If, no, WHEN those
monsters come, they will find us a people ready and willing to defend
ourselves." She lowered her arm to her side. "Of course, we can't fight these
kinds of battles with JUST my dazzling abilities. That is where you come in. In
exchange for safe haven and political protection, the US needs people that can
help them defeat Chronos."
	She looked at Usagi. "People like Sailor Moon, who can transform
zoanoids back to human form."
	She looked at Ranma. "People like Ranma Saotome, who can fight monsters
with his bare hands and win."
	She looked at Chris, and her eyebrow raised as she smirked. "Even people
like you, whom most would call a monster, but who we can and will help."
	She stepped forward and opened her arms wide. "So, you can see why this
is such an important opportunity. If you come with me to America, you will be
safe. Your families will be protected. You will gain full American citizenship
and be paid and treated well for your service. And your service will be in the
noblest cause of them all! Together, we will save this world from the monsters!"
	Sakura's voice reached a crescendo before dying off suddenly. The entire
room was silent in the wake of her speech. But that didn't last long.
	"Count us out, over," the Chinese twins said in eerie unison.
	Akane glanced at them. At some point during the speech they had
gravitated back towards each other. Chris was standing slightly behind them, his
expression unreadable. But he was staring at her. As his glassy eyes met hers,
he looked away sharply.
	"It's obvious we're going!" Mr. Tsukino said sharply. "This is exactly
what we need, Usagi. You'll be safe, and we don't have to worry about Chronos
anymore."
	"I don't know, Dad..." Usagi said softly.
	"Well, it's a nice speech," Akane picked up as Usagi trailed off. She
turned back to Sakura. "Your plan will do a lot of good for America. But what
about Japan?"
	"Japan?" Sakura said, her voice dropping slightly.
	"You know what I mean." Akane stepped forward. She knew everyone was
paying attention to her, but didn't really care. "Who is going to stay here and
protect Japan? These monsters are everywhere, and without people here who know
the truth, Japan is ripe for the plucking. If you take all of us away, who will
stand up to the monsters?"
	"Well..." Sakura reached up and pinched at something immaterial in front
of her nose. "You aren't the only people in Japan who can fight this..."
	"But, I am guessing that you plan on making this offer to as many as you
can," Cologne said. "I'm right, aren't I? This is just a particularly good
catch. But if you've been at this for any length of time, you've already been
finding people and smuggling them out of the country for weeks, if not months."
	"The old troll is right, we can-ow! What did you do that for, I was
agreeing with you, ya crazy old bat! OW!" Ranma rubbed at his forehead and
glared at Cologne. The old woman smiled at him and shrugged.
	"I see..." Sakura sighed and nodded. "To tell you the truth... I can see
your point. And, I do sympathize." She folded her arms under her impressive
cleavage. "My mother is Japanese. This country is part of my heritage. More than
that, it has a place in my soul." She closed her eyes. "But fighting Chronos
here is a losing battle. The Americans have weapons, troops, and resources that
the Japanese simply don't have. There are a lot of people like you that live
there already, martial artists and psychics that they are recruiting to the
cause one by one. America, quite frankly, stands a chance. Even if you alerted
everyone in Japan... I don't think this country can survive a war with Chronos."
	She looked up, and Akane saw a deep, passionate determination in
Sakura's eyes. "When I say America is planning to save the world, I mean it.
They have to save themselves first, but then they will start to bring the fight
to Chronos. We will free Japan, and all the other countries. I will MAKE them do
the right thing, if I have to."
	"I believe you will," Akane stepped up so that she was within arms reach
of the blonde girl. "But this country is my home. There are things here that
need to be saved." Akane turned back and looked at Chris as she said that last
sentence. "I, for one, plan on staying here."
	"I won't hear of it!" Dad yelled, dashing up from the back of the room.
Akane dodged his attempt to grab her in a bearhug of fatherly love, but didn't
manage to avoid him altogether. "Akane! We have already decided. It is SAFE in
America! You'll be safe there!"
	"I can't live with just being safe," Akane informed him placatingly.
"Dad... I've seen what kinds of monsters Japan is facing now. I can't run away
from that now. I have to fight and protect people, here. In America... I'll just
be one person. Here, I can make a difference!"
	Dad paused and looked into her eyes. Akane stared into his, willing him
to understand. She couldn't tell him that... that she had died. That she had
come back. That SHE had come back. There had to be some reason for that. There
had to be a purpose, a reason that she had not been allowed to move on to
whatever fate awaited her. And she knew that whatever that purpose was... it was
not in America. She had brought something back with her, and whatever that
was... it didn't feel RIGHT to leave Japan with it.
	"I..." Dad sniffed, and his eyes began to blur with tears. But they
weren't his usual tears. There was no hysteria or despair in his face. He was
smiling as the tears traced paths down his cheeks one drop at a time. "Akane...
I understand." He nodded. "You do me proud, my daughter." He pulled her into an
embrace, but not one filled with fierce possessiveness. It was gentle and
intimate, in a way Akane had almost forgotten her father could be.
	Akane realised she was crying as she hugged her father back. She almost
relented there, in his arms. The enormity of what she was doing almost crashed
down upon her. She knew that it was very possible this would be the last time
she saw her father. She could die. But death no longer seemed so awful anymore.
Because Akane knew that there were some things more important than death.
Because she knew that, if she tried hard enough, she could win no matter what
Sakura said about her chances.
	"Yeah, I'm staying behind, too," Chris said as he stepped away from the
wall. "I wish you the best of luck, Miss Yamazaki. But I can't be tied down to
one country right now."
	"I'm staying, too!" Usagi declared proudly.
	"No!" Mr. Tsukino said at almost the exact same time that Akane did.
	Akane pulled free of her father and walked over to the ditzy girl. Usagi
was smiling at her, and her eyes were filled with so much hope and... respect?
Usagi respected her? The idea that Usagi was looking up to her made Akane feel
uncomfortable.
	"I know what you're going to say, Akane," Usagi said in a calm, clear
voice. "But it isn't true. I'm not too important. I am just a girl, like you
are. And I believe we can win this battle, just like you can. Would you deny me
the opportunity to help the people I have come to love here?"
	"No..." Akane said, grimacing. So this was what the expression 'coming
back to bite you in the ass' meant.
	"Young lady, I can't accept this!"
	"Dad..." Usagi turned back to her father, and touched the side of his
cheek. His mouth opened and closed for a few moments as he gazed into his
daughter's eyes. Slowly, the fight drained out of him. Usagi just gave him an
infectious little smile. "It's okay, I know you're worried. But you don't have
to be. Just trust me. It will all turn out okay. Nobody has to be sacrificed.
Especially not the entire nation of Japan."
	"I..." Mr. Tsukino reached up and his hand twisted futilely in the air
an inch from his daughter's cheek. "I just love you too much, Usagi. You're my
little girl. You can't be the saviour of the world. You're just the same girl
who kept your mother and I up all nights when you were teething..."
	"I love you, too," Usagi drew him down and embraced him. She whispered
something into his ear, and the man seemed to crumble into her. It was amazing
that she could support his weight. After a moment, Usagi released him into the
arms of her mother. The woman leaned over and pecked her daughter on the cheek.
	"I love you," Mrs. Tsukino said. "Promise me you'll be safe."
	"Everyone will be safe," Usagi replied with a voice that made you
believe it was the truth.
	"Well, uh..." Ranma coughed and shrugged. "I'm stayin' too, ya know? I
mean, I believe in all this stuff Akane said. But, really, all my friends are
still here and I need to help 'em out."
	"I suppose that includes that Ukyou person as well," Mrs. Saotome said
in a level tone.
	Ranma turned to his mother, scratching the back of his head. "Aw, Mom,
didn't we already talk about this?"
	"Yes... we did," Mrs. Saotome walked up to him, her eyes narrow and her
stride brisk. "I still think that Ukyou won't do anything but get you in
trouble. He is nothing but a bad influence."
	"Mom, don't be like that..." Ranma groaned. "Ukyou isn't..." Ranma
stopped talking as his mother pressed a finger against his lips.
	"But you are determined... and I understand how you feel," Mrs. Saotome
said softly. "I just wish you weren't going to be leaving me so soon... not
after we just found each other again."
	"Ah... don't get all mushy on me, Mom," Ranma stepped back and rubbed
his neck again. "It's not like this is goodbye or anything. I'll still, ya know,
write, or visit... or something, when I have time..." Ranma slowly trailed off.
Perhaps he was embarrassed, perhaps he had nothing more to say, perhaps it was
the deathgrip Nodoka had with his other hand that was slowly turning his fingers
white.
	"You WILL write, won't you?" she said pleasantly.
	"I..." Ranma gasped and tugged futilely at his hand.
	"Not like how your father promised to write, I mean." Mrs. Saotome
smiled in a vapid, malevolent way. "You really will write, and visit?"
	"Ah! Ah!" Ranma began to nod frantically. "I'll write! I swear!"
	"Good," the kimono-clad woman said and released his hand. "Now give me a
hug."
	Akane, feeling a bit embarrassed, turned away as the two embraced. She
glanced at Shampoo, who was mainly ignoring everything that was happening around
her. Except she kept casting annoyed glances at the door. Akane blinked and
followed her gaze. Dr. Tofu's legs were still sticking in through the doorframe.
	"Can Shampoo just kick him out or drag him in?" Shampoo said to Akane
with a grumble. "It annoying watching rain make him only half soggy."
	"Oh, drag him back in," Sakura said, waving her hand. "He's coming,
whether he knows it or not." She jerked a thumb in Kasumi's direction. "After
all, she is coming."
	"Yes," Soun said, sighing and stepping away from Akane. "I'm just glad
my other two daughters will be safe with me. They don't have any reason to
stay..."
	"Actually, Daddy," Nabiki cut there father off and rose to her feet. "I
won't be coming with you."
	"W-what?" Soun gasped. "But... but you can't..."
	"Take care of myself?" Nabiki smirked. "Like Akane can? Is that what you
were about to say?" Nabiki shook her head. "You've always been a short-sighted
man, who didn't realise that power doesn't just come in the form of a fist."
Nabiki walked up to him. "I'm not going to America, because I CAN take care of
myself. I have unfinished business in this country."
	"Oh..." Dad backed away from her, his expression briefly fearful. Then,
in a flash, he began to smile. "Oh. I see." He chuckled. "You just want to stay
behind to be with your fiancee. I can certainly underst-"
	"Shut up!" Nabiki growled. Soun blinked, and everyone else turned to
stare at the confrontation. "This has nothing to do with Ranma. In fact, if I
never see him again, it will be too soon." Nabiki turned away and started
walking towards her table, where Ryouga waited patiently.
	"Nabiki..." Dad took a deep breath. "Are you walking away from me? From
your family duty?"
	"Yes, Father, that is exactly what I am doing."
	"I won't allow it!" He pointed firmly at the floor in front of him. "I
may let Akane endanger herself and leave my sight... but hers is an honourable
goal! You are walking away from your family's honour, and I won't allow that. I
am your father and you are still a child... you will obey me!"
	"Make me," Nabiki shot back, not turning around. Soun opened and closed
his mouth for a moment. Nabiki continued before he could recover. "What kind of
honour would you have me follow, old man? Ranma is a jerk, and a sex-changing
freak..."
	"Hey!" Ranma and Nodoka shouted in unison.
	"...and I would marry him for... what? To carry on the dojo?" Nabiki
gestured around, towards the walls covered in peeling old wallpaper. "Look
around, old man. There isn't a dojo anymore! There is no ancestral home, and no
ancestral honour either. If you want your precious heir so badly, put your faith
in Akane. I, for one, have had enough of this family!"
	"Nabiki, you don't mean that..." Kasumi said, her voice catching.
	"Don't think I don't, Kasumi," Nabiki shot back. "It's about time all of
you started opening up your eyes. This isn't a world where we can afford to be
soft or oblivious. And all running and hiding is going to do is make you stay
that way." Her eyes turned to Akane. "At least Akane, I can respect." She
flipped her hair and smirked. "I just came here because I wanted to pick up my
stuff, anyway. Come on, Ryouga. We're leaving."
	"But it's still raining..." the boy said. Akane thought he looked very
sad, especially when he was looking at Nabiki.
	"That's what your umbrella is for," Nabiki shot back as she stalked over
to the door.
	"Nabiki!"
	Akane's sister ignored her father as she waited for Ryouga to meet up
with her. Then, with a soft click, they were both gone from sight.

*

	"Why do we have to keep them separated, over?"
	"Because," Chris whispered back, feeling that phantom headache coming on
again, "if we don't keep Tofu and Kasumi apart, he'll... well, you KNOW what
he'll do."
	"Exactly!" declared Pink with a smirk.  "That's his only character
trait!  I want to see it!  Come on, it'll be fun, over!"
	"No," he grated.  "Go bother Shampoo or something; that's what I gave
her to you for."
	"And don't think I don't appreciate it," Pink nodded.  "But what have
you done for me	LATELY, over?"
	Chris gave her a withering look, and Pink raised her hands in mock
surrender before striding from the common room with a light laugh.  Chris shook
his head.  She liked knowing about the manga WAY too much.  You'd think that
someone who found out they were apparently a fictional character would be
bothered, at least somewhat.  But Pink, it seemed, was no ordinary nutcase.
	He glanced over to the other side of the room.  Akane and a still-soggy
Dr. Tofu were sitting across from each other at one of the dusty tables, having
a conversation.  Despite his best intentions, Chris sidled a little closer to
them.  He was just a bit curious as to how Akane planned to say goodbye.
	"-are you trying to say, Akane?" Tofu was saying.  He was still rubbing
absently at the lump on his head.
	"I'm saying that, ever since I was a little girl, I've always looked up
to you, Doctor Tofu.  You were the only man - no, the only boy I've ever met who
I really thought was an adult.  I guess I've just sort of... well, I did have a
crush on you for years, and I just couldn't tell you about it."
	"..." was Tofu's response.  Chris couldn't really figure out his
expression; it was sort of blank, like he was trying to figure out how to
respond without either hurting her feelings or encouraging them.  For his own
part, Chris was a bit surprised.  Akane'd never confessed her feelings in the
manga.
	But, then again, this was a different Akane, wasn't it?
	Akane chuckled a bit.  "I know exactly what you're thinking, doctor.
You're looking for the way out of this, aren't you?"  She smiled up at him.
"Don't worry about it.  It was just a schoolgirl crush.  You'll always be a
friend, but I don't think I'll ever see you in quite that way anymore."
	"Well, um..." Tofu cleared his throat.  "I'm glad you... told me about
that, Akane.  I know you've grown up to be..." he paused, obviously carefully
choosing his words,  "...an attractive young lady..."
	Akane started giggling again, but suppressed it with one hand while
waving the other at him.  "No, no, I think you've got me all wrong.  It's not
YOU, Doctor Tofu.  It's me.  I'm just not the same blushing schoolgirl that had
a crush on you.  You understand?"
	Tofu smiled a bit whimsically.  "Not particularly."
	"It doesn't really matter."  She patted Tofu on the shoulder.  "Listen.
All I want you to do is work up the courage to ask my sister out sometime.  I
think you and her will make a good couple... really, you've got lots in common."
	Doctor Tofu laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.  "Well...
I guess taking relationship advice from a sixteen-year-old isn't the strangest
thing I've done in my life!"
	"No, probably not."  Akane smiled, a little sadly, and stood up.  "I'm
certain we'll say goodbye again before you leave with Sakura, but I want to wish
you all the best of luck.  Someday, when this is all over, we'll all..." She
paused, and looked out one of the windows for a moment.  When she spoke again,
it was slow and thoughtful.  "Some day, we'll all sit down, talk about all of
this, and laugh.  All of us."
	Tofu didn't have much to say, and Akane pushed away from the table.  She
didn't seem surprised to see Chris.  As her eyes fell on him, she quirked her
head to the side and walked past, towards the kitchens.  Chris shrugged and
followed.
	They passed through the kitchen where Kasumi and Mrs. Tsukino and Nodoka
were all preparing dinner and chatting.  It looked good, and Chris's lips
twitched.  Eating was definitely one thing he missed about being alive.
	Akane led him back to the pantry, which was empty except for a musty
smell Chris could barely notice and what looked like an ancient bag of potatoes
spreading roots in the corner.  Once they were inside, she turned around and
looked at him, crossing her arms.  "So, where are you planning to go now?"
	"There's a school called Ohtori Academy.  I want to speak to a man
there, so that's my next destination."
	"What about the Sailor Senshi?" she asked.  "They're staying in Japan.
Are we just going to leave them here?"
	Chris considered that.  "No, that'd be too dangerous.  They should come
with me, get them out of Tokyo and away from Chronos until this blows over a
bit."  He paused for a moment.  "You said 'we', not 'me'.  Is that significant?"
	Akane nodded, and Chris felt a vast wave of relief wash over him.  "But
I have conditions, if you want me to come along," she said seriously.
	"I told you I'd do whatever you wanted me to," he replied.  "I meant it.
Anything.  Ask."
	"First off," she said, holding up a finger, "we have to find a safe
place for the Sailor Senshi.  I have a feeling you're going to be moving around
a lot, and that's not going to be good for them."
	Chris nodded.  They were kind of young to be trekking all over Asia on
foot, fighting god-knows-what.  Of course, Akane was young too, but she was a
MADM and thus much tougher.  Besides, he needed Akane.  "I'm not sure where, but
we'll find someplace.  Japan's a big country, and if not here, maybe somewhere
in China."
	"Maybe..." Akane said noncommittally.  "But beyond that, are you really
serious about doing anything I say?"
	He stepped forward, and tried to look her in the eyes, WILLING her to
understand what this meant to him.  He needed her.  He needed her moral centre.
Without it... he thought back to the slaughter of the Chronos village, and
shuddered.  "Akane, I know it's strange, but I really feel I need your help.
NEED it.  I can't think of someone else to turn to.  And because of that, and
because I'm taking you away from your own life, and because I trust you, I swear
on everything I hold sacred I will do my absolute best to do whatever you ask me
to do."
	The reply was short and simple.  "Don't kill."
	He paused.  He knew what she meant, of course.  He almost immediately
wanted to protest, remind her about the rotting, remind her that it wasn't his
choice.  But... he had figured she'd make a condition like that.  If that was
the price of her help... maybe it was twice as good for him.  "All right," he
said.  "I won't."
	She smiled and nodded.  "Good."  She reached over and tugged absently at
a strand of her long hair.  "By the way, when do we leave?"
	Chris shrugged.  "I figure I'd wait for Sakura to come back and pick up
the others, so everyone can have some time with their families."
	"Good," Akane repeated.  "I'll have to get Kasumi to cut this before she
goes."
	He raised an eyebrow.  He'd only really just started to get used to
seeing 'long-haired Akane', as he'd once thought of her.  It was sort of ironic,
her breaking off her attraction with Tofu then getting her hair cut, as she'd
grown it out to try and attract him in the first place.  Reversed order from
the events of the manga that would never happen. "Oh?  What made you decide to
do that?"
	Akane tugged at the lock again, stared at it with an unreadable
expression.  "This is the kind of style a schoolgirl wears."

*

	"No, really, Mom, I'm cool with sleeping on the floor, really."
	"Nonsense!" Nodoka replied, chuckling to herself as she pushed Ranma
along the floor. Ranma sighed and started actually walking. Besides, his heels
were getting rug burn.
	"Fine, whatever." Ranma shook his head. He was not looking forward to
tonight.
	"Don't sound so enthusiastic," Nodoka chided him sarcastically. "I'm
sure this Shampoo girl is a nice person and the two of you will have a lovely
time together."
	"Mom, she's tried to kill me, repeatedly."
	"That reminds me of how I met your father..." Nodoka sighed. "And now
you two are betrothed. So it is very important for you to spend at least some
private time with each other."
	"All she'll do once we're alone is try to kill me again!" Ranma
complained loudly.
	"Well, put that training of yours to good use then!" she replied
cheerfully.
	"Besides, Son-in-law, I have it on the best authority that Shampoo will
not attempt to kill you tonight."
	"AHH!" Ranma screamed and began to wave at Cologne, who remained perched
on his head despite his best efforts. "Where did you come from?"
	"China," Cologne explained. "And I am going to be spending tonight
keeping two mischievous young girls from interrupting you, so I expect my
efforts not to be wasted, eh, Son-in-law?" She nudged him in the shoulder with
her staff.
	"You're both crazy!" Ranma shouted as they shoved him in the doorway.
The door slammed closed in his face. He heard them yell something encouraging
through the wood and then their laughter receded down the hallway.
	There was a long, metallic rasp behind him. Ranma felt his pigtail
levitate away from his neck. Maybe, if he didn't turn around, she wouldn't be
there.
	Not that he was scared.
	Just... uh... just that he didn't like hitting girls.
	Ranma stood there for almost a minute. The rasping continued, slowly
driving a spike into his mind. He gritted his teeth, but it didn't go away. He
closed his eyes, but it didn't go away. He covered his ears... okay, then it
became softer, but still didn't go away.
	Finally he sighed and turned around.
	Shampoo was sitting on the single-width cot, running a whetstone up and
down the length of her wickedly curved Chinese sword. She looked up at him and
narrowed her red eyes. "Hello," she said evenly.
	"Wow... fancy meeting you here," Ranma grinned and rubbed the back of
his neck. His pigtail refused to settle down.
	"Stupid," she said, hefting the sword. "Catch!" she grunted and hurled
it towards him. Ranma's eyes widened and he clapped his hands together,
capturing the blade with only a few centimeters to spare. He blinked, and slowly
lowered the blade.
	"Uh... don't you need this for the killing?"
	Shampoo gave him a disgusted look. She shifted in place, the hem of her
short Chinese dress riding a bit up her thigh. Ranma started looking at other
things, until she rose to her feet. "No, it for provoking."
	"Provoking?" Ranma shifted his grip on the sword so he had one hand
free. "Uh... provoking what? I ain't gonna attack you." Ranma was beginning to
think that the chances of tonight turning into a mad struggle for survival were
growing slimmer. He wondered why he felt disappointed.
	Shampoo glared at him and stalked straight up to him. Ranma backed up,
but the door got in the way. Soon, she was standing only a half-meter away from
him. She stared into his eyes, her red eyes flashing like little flames. "Yes
you do." She gestured at her chin. "Counter-attack! Right here!" Ranma raised
one eyebrow. "Or Shampoo hit you!"
	"Uh... no?" Ranma attempted.
	The purple-haired girl sighed and slumped a little bit. "Fine. No have
to hit hard." Shampoo paused and looked at him again. "Hit here..." she gestured
at her chin. "Fast as you can."
	"Oh, I can do that without hitting you!" Ranma said, grinning. He leapt
up, bounced off the ceiling with one hand and landed across the room. Shampoo
stood still for a moment, then slowly turned to look at him. "See, watch!" Ranma
said as he lifted up the pillow on the cot. He flipped it in the air and swung
Shampoo's sword in a flashing arc. The pillow exploded as he neatly bisected
it. Ranma grinned and narrowed his eyes. Then the sword became a grey flash, a
whirling tornado of metal around him. He finished with the sword held at his
side, and every single feather in the pillow drifted to the ground, neatly
divided in two.
	"Stupid!" Shampoo threw up her arms. "Now we no have pillow! Why not
just hit Shampoo?"
	"Uh..." Ranma started to scratch his neck, but realised he was holding
the sword in that hand and decided against it. "I guess I just don't want to
muss up that pretty face," Ranma said with a shrug.
	Shampoo rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Whatever. Give back sword."
	Ranma flipped it towards her and she caught it easily. He watched her
for a second to see if she would come at him but instead she just leaned it
against the wall. Ranma nodded and walked over to the corner and sat down.
	"You can have the bed," Ranma nodded towards the cot. "I'm used to
sleeping in awkward positions."
	Shampoo gave him an odd look and walked over to the bed, before sitting
down again. Ranma looked away again, since her hemline was riding up again. "You
learn Tenshin Amaguriken, is right?"
	"Huh?" Ranma blinked. "Amaguriken?" He paused. "You mean... that
chestnut in the fire thing?" He quirked his head to the side. "Yeah. Ukyou
taught me it."
	Shampoo nodded. "You fast. Strikes too fast for Shampoo to even follow."
	"If you say so," Ranma shrugged. "I just found out today that was the
point of all that." He grinned. "Course, I guess I would have thought the idea
of training that way was stupid if Ukyou told me that was the goal."
	"Ranma strong, fast, tough... more than Shampoo," the girl said evenly.
"Shampoo no beat you, no matter how many time she try."
	"Well, yeah..." Ranma grinned. "Don't feel bad. I do that to a lot of
people."
	"Lot of people no have to marry you."
	"So... uh... I'm sorta gettin' the idea you ain't into this marriage
thing as much as your granny wants you to be, huh?" Ranma said, chuckling
nervously.
	Shampoo ignored his question. "Great-grandmother realise you no come
with us. You no like Chris. And twins no leave him."
	"Uh..." Ranma sighed. He guessed that Cologne had probably figured it
out pretty easily. After challenging Chris eighteen times so far tonight (and
being turned down nineteen 'just in case') it had been pretty obvious the two of
them had... issues to resolve. "Guess not." Ranma shrugged. "I'm not really
ready to settle down yet, I suppose. Not that I don't think you're cute, in that
exotic, emotionless killer way, but I just don't think I need to be thinking
about girls is all."
	Besides, girls just tied you down. Ranma needed to get together with a
girl who wouldn't get in his way and could maybe follow him on his adventures.
Some girl who wouldn't want him to stay home and do all that responsible
boyfriend stuff. Somebody like Ran, maybe.
	Ran?
	Ranma shook the thought aside.
	"Stop complimenting me," Shampoo told him flatly.
	"Uh..." Ranma shrugged. "You have fat calves."
	She threw her sword at him again, and he caught it. "Hey!"
	"No insult me either, stupid." There was a brief pause as Shampoo
readjusted her hair. "You staying in Japan. She look for you later," she
continued matter-of-factly.
	"Uh... okay," Ranma replied. "But you don't want to marry me or nothin',
right?"
	She gestured for her sword back again. Reluctantly, Ranma handed it
over. Then she leaned forward and thrust it so the tip hovered a millimeter in
front of Ranma's nose. "Shampoo use this to cut her heart out before she marry
you."
	"Well..." Ranma smiled thinly. "At least it's sharp."
	Why was every girl he knew a psycho?
	"But..." Shampoo pulled back, settling her sword on her shoulder neatly.
"Shampoo no can do anything. Was tricked into promise."
	"Well, that isn't right..." Ranma said. He frowned and smacked his fist
into his palm. "I know! I'll just never agree!"
	Shampoo's eyes narrowed happily and she leaned back against the wall,
smiling like the c... dog who ate the canary. "Good," she said. "Just no get
married, or Shampoo have to kill wife."
	"Oh..." Ranma blinked. "I'm cool with that, I guess."
	Shampoo nodded, reached up, grabbed the collar of her dress and pulled
it off. Ranma's eyes bugged out. She wasn't wearing a bra. He snapped his eyes
shut.
	"What are you doing!?" Ranma screeched. "I thought we weren't getting
married!"
	"Keep down, stupid," Shampoo said. Ranma felt something soft slap into
his head. "Wrap this around head if no want to see."
	Ranma inched his eye open. She had thrown her dress at him. He groaned
and tossed it aside, still keeping his eyes closed.
	"You like doing this, don't you?"
	"Yes. Don't forget, Shampoo still hate you. Your fault all this
happened." There was a pause. "And also your fault Shampoo sleep in bed filled
with feathers. Stupid."
	Ranma sighed. It was going to be a long night.

*

	ZX-Tole flung another hunk of machinery away. Behind him, he could hear
the crack and groan of shifting rubble as Derzerb and the few remaining
Gregoles continued to dig through the destruction. At least Derzerb was no
longer complaining that the work was 'beneath him'. Telling him that they needed
to pitch in because nearly half the zoanoids in the mountain had suddenly been
transformed back into normal humans hadn't worked, but slapping him down just
once had.
	ZX-Tole kept his own doubts to himself. The blast had nearly gutted the
mountain, practically breaking it in two. Even Commander Gyro could not have
possibly survived something so apocalyptic. But Doctor Valkus seemed convinced
that the commander was still alive underneath all this rubble. So they dug until
they found him, or his corpse, one of the two.
	"I found something!" a Gregole yelled from nearby. ZX-Tole dropped the
concrete slab he was carrying and jogged over. The Gregole was pointing down at
the twisted wreckage, and ZX-Tole's segmented eyes immediately saw the human arm
pinned beneath a large chunk of metal. He snorted and crossed his arms as best
as his huge carapace would allow him. "It's a human arm. The commander would
have been in his battle form. Just pull it free and take it to all the other
corpses. Doctor Valkus wants to study them..."
	"Yes, sir," the Gregole replied crisply. He knelt down and began to
pull on the arm. ZX-Tole was half-turned around when the hand jerked to life and
grabbed onto the Gregole's wrist. The unfortunate zoanoid only had a chance to
gasp... before its body spasmed once, sharply. Its body curled so far back that
ZX-Tole heard its spine snap like a twig. Blood gouted from its mouth before the
creature fell back. ZX-Tole backed up a step.
	Then he felt it, the overwhelming presence in the back of his mind. He
groaned as the telepathic force pushed at the inside of his brain with so much
force he thought his skull would crack. He knew what the force wanted, and with
a roar he reached down and tore free the last of the wreckage that covered
Commander Gyro.
	The commander lay still for a moment, his naked human body covered in
numerous small cuts. Then his eyes snapped open and he sat upright as if he had
been spring-loaded. He reached out and snapped his hand around ZX-Tole's wrist,
his fingers pushing so hard it made the chitin there turn white from stress.
	"Did you see it!?" Gyro gasped in awe.
	"See it?" ZX-Tole replied in a quavering voice. He had never seen a
zoalord's full power. But considering what the commander was doing to his
normally impervious armor in just his human form... "Is there something wrong?"
	Gyro turned his head slowly, his strange inhuman purple and yellow eyes
boring into ZX-Tole's red segmented ones. He grinned. "The crystal..." the
commander said slowly. "That magnificent glowing crystal..." He began to grin.
"It was stronger than me. Stronger than any zoalord!"
	"That's impossible..." ZX-Tole began, but the man cut him off with a
wave of his hand and a stinging psychic rebuke.
	"No, I saw it..." He smiled, his eyes flashing. "It was so beautiful...
it almost destroyed me!" He laughed. ZX-Tole was beginning to wonder if the
commander had perhaps lost it. The idea did not comfort him. Zoalords were
terrifying beings, the closest thing to a zoanoid god. The idea of an insane
god-being made his stomach twist in knots.
	"You think I'm mad, but I'm not," Gyro explained, his voice suddenly
cool and collected. "I'm more sane than I have ever been." This time, his smile
was dark and serious, filled with malicious glee. "I've finally found the thing
I've been looking for all these years. The one power that can defeat a zoalord."
This time, his laugh was brief, but dangerous.
	"Go. Tell Valkus that he doesn't need to spy on me anymore." Gyro stood
up. "I'll open up all my files to him. I'll reveal every bit of my secret
research." He laughed. "What does the guyver unit matter anymore? When there is
a crystal like that in this world, after all?"
	ZX-Tole had no idea what the commander was talking about, but he was
just as glad when the man released him. He walked away from the closest thing he
had to a god, and worried.

*

	Telulu walked up the stairs, shifting the files she was carrying from
one arm to another. The house was quaint, almost prosaic. She certainly wouldn't
have pictured it as the home of the leader of the Deathbusters. The door at the
end of the upstairs hallway was open, so she strode briskly inside.
	Or that was the plan. She stopped in mid-stride at the sight which
greeted her. The room was destroyed. The bed was shattered. One of the walls was
missing entirely. Plus, of course, the bloody corpse on the floor.
	"Kaorinite?" Telulu said, disbelievingly.
	"Yes."
	Telulu looked up and saw the Professor standing at the far side of the
room. His body was only partially revealed in the shadow-casting light of the
lamps in the room. His face was entirely concealed in dark shadows, except for
the silvery gleam of his glasses and the flash of his teeth.
	"Kaorinite is dead," the Professor declared grimly.
	"Worse, they took the child," Eudial said as she stepped in through the
hole into the other room. She was carrying a jury-rigged scanning system which
consisted of a long television antennae wand and several other common household
items.
	"Child?" Telulu asked.
	"The Messiah," Professor Tomoe informed her. His voice shifted and
cracked, wavering from mania to deadly earnestness. "Somebody attacked us where
we were most vulnerable and stole our most precious commodity!"
	"I see..." Telulu said. "Well... that isn't so bad, then."
	There was a long silence in the room. The Professor turned towards her
slowly. Eudial did so less theatrically, but her shocked expression told how she
was feeling.
	"What... did you say?" The Professor's voice was nothing but calm now.
	"While losing the Messiah of Silence is a blow to our plans," Telulu
replied, her voice confident - she adjusted her glasses with one hand while
she held out her file-folder with the other - "I've been up all night doing
research, and I believe I have discovered another way to allow us to draw master
Pharaoh 90 into our dimension.
	"You see, the Messiah is the only one who can access the power of the
Holy Grail... but I propose that we don't need the Grail at all. Any
sufficiently large concentration of spiritual energy can serve as the proper
beacon. My scan of the bio-etheric current through the plant life around here
shows a marked increase in the quantity of ambient spiritual energy..."
	"You must be joking," the Professor said in an odd, gentle voice. It was
like he was talking to a child. "You want to use plants to summon Pharaoh 90?"
	"That oversimplifies my proposal..."
	Telulu gasped and staggered back as the Professor slapped the papers
from her hand.
	"Your proposal is meaningless," the Professor told her in a strong
voice. "I'm certain you believe in it. But the plan for the Messiah WILL work.
Your theory is nothing more than a hypothesis. It is untried, untested and
unproven." He stepped forward, just enough so that his face remained in shadow.
He lifted his arms up, spreading them like wings. "It is more obvious to me now
than ever that we are vulnerable. I was right to keep our operation hidden. We
have strong enemies, who are more ruthless than I imagined." He titled his head
back. "She is not dead... I would know instantly if she were. So there is no
reason to abandon our timeline. All our resources must be directed towards
rescuing her."
	Telulu bowed her head and knelt down. She began to recover her papers.
She had to admit that the Professor was, technically, right. She had no actual
proof that her theory was correct. He knew the Messiah was their one sure way to
succeed. But still, she had stumbled upon something. Her research had proven
that there was something immense and powerful beneath the land of this city. How
could she ignore it?
	"I see you are still hesitant to believe in me, Telulu," the Professor
said softly. He patted her on the shoulder and she looked up into the gleaming
reflection of his eyes. "Very well. I see that your heart is not in this, and I
understand."
	The man looked over at Eudial. She stood up straight, and smiled.
"Eudial, I will entrust you with the responsibility of locating the Messiah."
	"You can count on me, Professor!" she replied crisply. She flicked a
long red lock over her shoulder and smirked towards Telulu.
	"I too, will be devoting most of my time to the search," the Professor
continued. Then he turned towards Telulu again. "To you, Telulu, I delegate the
Daimon Project."
	The Daimon Project. Telulu frowned. They had still not found a way to
mass-produce Daimon in this world. Pharaoh 90 had been able to send only a
handful of his children to Earth to pave the way for his coming. For the most
part, the Professor had been spending his time working on that very same
project. Normally, Telulu would have been overjoyed to work on it.
	But she knew what it was: busy work. They didn't trust her anymore.
	"I will do my best..." Telulu said softly.
	"Excellent." The Professor nodded and stepped past her and out of the
room. "I will be in my lab."
	Telulu finished collecting her research as the leader of the
Deathbusters strode away. There was a click as Eudial stepped in front of her.
Telulu looked up into the senior Deathbuster's menacing scarlet eyes.
	"You should know, that just because I'm going to be busy being the
Professor's right hand, that doesn't mean I won't be keeping an eye on you."
	"I will succeed in the task that has been set before me..." Telulu
forced out from between clenched teeth.
	"See that you do." Eudial strode around her and out of the room.
	Telulu rose to her feet, clenching and unclenching her fist.
	Then she smiled.
	She looked down at her research.
	The Professor had told her to locate a way to mass produce Daimon. He
had never told her how she should work on that project. Her smile widened.
Perhaps... there was more than one way to prove her theories were correct.

*

	"That's it... relax. Don't try and force it. Just let it flow
naturally."
	Aaron nodded as Akira cupped her hands around the glass. Her breathing
was deep and even. Aaron could feel her chi flowing around her body, radiating
out from her in waves. Her aura was deep, but hard to decipher. He was beginning
to learn that a person's mood was often reflected in the quality of their chi,
but Akira's wasn't easy to discern. While he watched, the girl created a tiny
but intense ball of white light between her hands.
	The leaf in the water twitched, then steadily rose. The water began to
dribble over the rim of the glass. Ukyou reached in and pulled the glass away.
Akira's eyes snapped open.
	"Water," Ukyou explained. Akira nodded, but her face was still confused.
	"How did you do that?" Matsudaira asked, her voice awed. She wasn't even
looking at the two of them anymore. Instead, her eyes were locked on the screen
of one of the high-speed cameras she had set up.
	"You'll have to be more specific, Matsudaira," Aaron responded.
	"The water. You created more of it!"
	"Not really..." Aaron picked up the glass again. The water level had
returned to almost normal. "The chi Akira produced is water-aspected. It
interacted with the water in the glass like pumping air into a balloon, causing
the liquid to expand. But, as the chi... evaporates, the water returns to its
normal state."
	"Fascinating..." Matsudaira muttered.
	"As for you..." Aaron turned his attention back to Akira. "The water
aspect means that you have an affinity for health, vitality and change. Also
good for social interaction and adaptation."
	"Okay..." Akira frowned and picked up the glass. "I still don't see how
this is supposed to help me."
	"Well..." Aaron ran a hand through his bangs. "Your aspect is more
supposed to be a guide than a straightjacket. The idea is to identify what your
strength is, as well as your weakness. For instance, earth is the aspect
opposite water and thus probably your weakest trait. Earth is all about
resistance and stability. It's up to you how you want to work with that
knowledge. You can train to emphasize your strengths, or shore up your
weaknesses. You can even go for a more well-rounded regime, like Ranma has."
	"Ranma..." Akira grumbled. "I don't think I'll ever catch up with him."
	"I know the feeling." Ukyou smiled. For some reason, Akira had taken an
instant dislike to Ranma. Every time they were in the same room together, the
girl kept giving him the evil eye. Ukyou attributed it to their first sparring
match, where Ranma had simply outclassed Akira in almost every way.
	"Hey, people!"
	The three of them turned to see Ran and Ranma walking down the park path
towards them. Ukyou felt a surge of jealousy at how close Ran was to him. Ranma,
for his part, didn't seem to notice. He was lost in thought. A rare condition if
there ever was one.
	"Ah, I see Ukyou is using her magic water trick on you," Ran said once
she was a little closer.
	"You tried this, too?" Akira asked. She was deliberately not looking at
Ranma.
	"Nah, not my cup of tea," Ran said, waving her hand dismissively. "All
this serious martial arts stuff I leave to you guys. I just want to be able to
keep up enough to get all the pictures." As if on cue, Ran's eyes drifted over
the equipment Matsudaira had set up. "Oh. My. God." She squealed in delight and
ran over to crouch beside it. "Is this the Nokia test bed model? And is that a
five function auto/manual zoom? And..." Her eyes sparkled and she touched one of
the components in awe. "A complete Swiss-crafted timing modulator with
integrated computer-assisted shutter control?"
	"Uh... yes..." Matsudaira blinked.
	"They aren't even supposed to be MAKING these yet!" Ran cooed. "You HAVE
to tell me where you got it!"
	"Actually, I have no idea..."
	"Well, that won't do!" Ran stood up and thrust a finger under the brown-
haired scientist's nose. "I've been looking for a replacement for my old model
for too long. And if you have access to state of the art equipment, then I must
find out how!"
	"Well, it's something to do with military clearance..." Matsudaira
coughed into her hand. Obviously she was not comfortable being the one at the
RECEIVING end of a barrage of questions.
	"Military, huh?" Ran rubbed her chin. "Now, most people would think of
that as a challenge. But then again, most people can't offer you the kind of
things I can."
	"Things you can..."
	"Like exclusive info on the martial artists of Tokyo!" Ran leaned
forward, thrusting her face right next to the frazzled woman's. "You want to
know how these people function, right? Well, I can get you access to some of the
best this city has to offer. Not just Ranma and Ukyou, but the greatest fighters
of the Tokyo high school system! But wait, there's more!" She stepped back. "I
also have extensive files on all the fighters across the globe. I am your one-
stop shop for all the latest information on the underground circuits and the
exclusive tournaments!" Ran smirked and crossed her arms. "Now isn't that worth
just one little piece of cutting-edge military-grade photographic equipment?"
	"Well..." Matsudaira adjusted the cuffs of her labcoat. "If it were up
to me, I would say it is. But I was told in no uncertain terms not to..."
	"Ah, c'mon!" Ran threw up her hands in disgust and walked a few steps
away. "You're going to let something like rules hold you back?"
	"Leave the poor woman alone," Aaron chided Ran. She rolled her eyes and
sat down next to Ranma. He was grinning like a loon and shaking his head.
	"As it is, I'm already breaking a few rules," Matsudaira pointed out.
"You aren't even supposed to be out in public. Especially given that you aren't
fully recovered."
	Ukyou glanced briefly at the crutches that had allowed her to come out
this far. Three days of healing, and she still was hardly able to even walk on
her own. If it hadn't been for the techniques she had learned from Doctor Tofu,
she probably still would have been bedridden. But even after all her training,
she was still years away from being able to recover half as fast as Ranma did
from even minor injuries.
	"We can't train all-out if we're stuck inside," Aaron explained. "It's
bad for the furniture."
	Matsudaira chuckled. "I guess not. And if I want to see more of this chi
in action, I have to let you train, right?" The woman smiled. She looked
remarkably kind when she smiled. "Besides, what Mr. Kunikida doesn't know won't
hurt him."
	"Ah, you guys don't have to worry anyway." Ran began to flip a pen
between her hands. "Those girls, the Dolls? They don't seem that interested in
attacking Ukyou at the moment."
	"What makes you think that?" Ranma asked.
	"The fact that they followed us here and then split?" Ran replied with a
shrug.
	"Followed us?" Ranma gasped.
	"Yeah, didn't you guys notice?" Ran looked around, raising an eyebrow.
As everyone shook their heads, Ran whistled. "Well, I can understand in Ukyou's
case. They haven't been coming within a city block of her. But they've been
following all of us around ever since that confrontation three days ago." Ran
stretched and yawned. "I guess they're doing standard information gathering. You
know, trying to figure out our habits, our strengths and weaknesses."
	"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Ukyou snapped.
	Ran blinked. Then she paused and tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Guess it
didn't occur to me to be concerned." She shrugged. "I mean, it's not like I'm
one to object about other people prying into my life, huh?"
	"Maybe we should be getting out of here, then?" Akira said. She looked
distinctly uncomfortable. Aaron reflected on how easy it was to forget the
unassuming girl was even there. She had a tendency to fade into the background
when you weren't paying attention to her.
	"Nah." Ranma waved her down. Akira gave him a slight glare, but didn't
protest. "The four of us can handle those three. They know better than to attack
us out in the open."
	"I guess," Aaron mused. He still rose to his feet. "I just don't like
the idea of having an enemy out there and not being able to confront them."
	"Once you get better, you'll be able to help us track them down, Ucchan.
No worries."
	"That isn't what I meant, Ranma." Aaron sighed. He glanced up at the
mostly clear sky. Summer had arrived. The wind was brisk but warm now.
	"Well..." Ranma rose to his feet and started stretching. "We should
begin training, right? You up to sparring yet, Ukyou?"
	"No."
	"Oh." Ranma turned to Akira. "Well, since I know Ran is going to turn me
down, I guess that leaves you?"
	Akira rose to her feet. She dusted off her leather pants and adjusted
her slightly oversized motorcycle gloves. Then she looked up at Ranma and
nodded, her short brown hair bobbing with the motion.
	The two walked out and assumed stances, before they began to strike at
each other. Aaron watched, his eyes critical. He could feel their auras flaring
and snapping about their bodies. He closed his eyes, and could still feel the
energy flowing about him.
	"Matsudaira, maybe you can help me out."
	"What?" There was a click as the woman adjusted something on her
equipment. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
	"I need you to help me out."
	"Oh. Yes. I see." She paused. "But how? I'm not able to fight like they
are..."
	"I want you to quiz me."
	"Quiz you?"
	"Ask me questions. The topic doesn't matter. Obscure trivia. Science.
History."
	"Uh, Ukyou, that sounds more like school than training," Ran said
briefly. "I thought you and Ranma were avoiding the whole school thing."
	"It is training." Aaron opened his eyes. "Of a sort. You see, the way
I figure it, chi has got to be good for more than just making us strong and
fast, right?" He gestured towards where Ranma and Akira were still sparring.
Ranma was flowing elegantly around all of Akira's attacks. Gouts of dirt and
grass exploded as Akira's missed shots ripped up a bit of the landscape. "I'll
never catch up with Ranma on pure physical ability. I know that now. Not to
mention the people who are better than Ranma out there." He clenched his fist.
"But suppose chi can also enhance other talents? I've already met people who
seem to be more amazing prodigies than they have any right to be. Guys who can
disguise themselves as pretty much anything. Girls who can do things with plants
that would amaze botanists. What if they were ALL using chi?"
	Aaron lowered his hand. "I've already grown good enough that I can sense
minute changes in my own chi. I want Matsudaira to quiz me so that I can see how
channeling my chakras affects how quickly I can learn, retain and remember
information. Maybe I can unlock a whole new study of the principles of chi..."
	"I don't know..." Ran tapped her lips and shrugged. "If it was possible,
you'd think somebody would have thought of it by now, right?"
	"Maybe." Aaron sighed and sat down. "But it's all I have." He pointed at
Ranma, who had just sent Akira flying across the small clearing they were using
as practice. "I can't be as good as Ranma. Not quickly enough for it to
matter. Too many people want me dead, and they keep showing up with too much
strength for me to fight." He smiled. "But so far I've been able to outthink
them, and... with a bit of luck, I survived. But maybe if I concentrate on my
own strengths, I can compensate for my body's weakness."
	"That sounds logical," Matsudaira agreed with a nod.
	"I just wish I was still on speaking terms with Doctor Tofu." Ukyou ran
her fingers through the grass. "He would have been a great help in developing
this new field of study. He probably would have enjoyed it too."
	"Ah, don't worry about him, Ucchan," Ranma called as he helped Akira to
her feet. "He's probably half-way to the States by now."
	"Oh. Well then... the WHAT!?" Ukyou stood up too quickly and her body
protested the ill-treatment with many small painful flashes.
	"Didn't I tell you guys?" Ranma said, blinking.
	"No..." Ukyou said slowly.
	"Yeah." Ranma shrugged. "It's the reason I've been able to go pretty
much where I want the last few days. Mom and Dad, the Tendos, Tofu... and uh..."
He snapped his fingers a few times. "You know, those people who the Sailor
Senshi are related to?"
	"The Sailor Senshi's families..." Aaron blinked.
	"Yeah, I don't know their names. Anyway, they all went off with this
chick from the CIA."
	"Whoa, whoa," Ran held up her hand. "Back up, stud." Ukyou glared at
her. "First, what exactly is going on? And second, why didn't you tell us about
it?"
	"Well, because it wasn't really important, was it?" Ranma sat down and
rested his chin on one fist. "I mean, I can live without Pops just fine. And
it's not like I ever really got attached to any of the Tendos, or even knew the
Senshi's folks at all." He shrugged. "I guess I just got distracted with
guarding Ukyou. I'm the only one who can stay with her at night, after all."
	"Why?" Ran asked, then immediately amended, "I mean, why did they
leave?"
	"I never really got the scoop on that," Ranma shrugged. "Apparently they
pissed off somebody pretty important and the CIA was offering... uh... what's
that word for when people give other people a safe place to stay?"
	"Asylum?" Matsudaira provided.
	"Yeah, that."
	"So, Akane and everyone are gone?" Aaron felt a slight pang at the
thought. Not that he would have protested them leaving. Akane deserved better
than the kind of life that being a friend of him would give her. Aaron and Ukyou
had too many enemies. There were too many battles they had to fight. Akane would
have fought them willingly... but he and Ukyou had treated her like dirt for her
friendship.
	"Nah. Akane was going to help out that Chris jerk."
	Ukyou's jaw dropped.
	"Tell me you just didn't say that."
	"Chris?" Matsudaira frowned. "You mean, the same animating intelligence
that has been raiding the aragami lately?"
	"Uh... I guess." Ranma scratched the back of his neck. "I just know he's
a cowardly bastard who won't even give me a man-to-man fight. Why Akane would
want to hang around with him is beyond me. But hey, chicks are crazy."
	Ranma looked up, obviously wondering why everyone else present was
glaring at him. Ran hit him first. He glared at her and rubbed his brow, but
there was no real anger behind his expression.
	"Akane went with Chris..." Aaron clenched his fists. His knuckles turned
white. That wasn't good. Chris was... Chris was dangerous. Akane had no idea
what she was getting into. She would just be playing into his hands. He wanted
to leap to his feet, to charge off. He didn't know where he would be going, or
what he would do when he got there. Yet he needed to do it. Akane was getting in
over her head. Chris had something inside him, something dark and
uncontrollable. A worse darkness than the one inside he and Ukyou. He rose to
his feet, ready to order everyone to get ready to move out...
	No. Ukyou looked down at the dirt. Akane wasn't a fool. She had the
right to make her own decisions. Chris was still capable of reason. He might
still be saved. Maybe Akane could help him? It was clear he wouldn't let Ukyou
come near him as anything but an enemy.
	"Ukyou?" Akira brought Aaron's attention back to the outside world.
	"I..." Aaron sighed. He consulted Ukyou and they agreed. There was
nothing they could do about Akane. But Ranma, on the other hand. "Ranma. Think
hard. I want you to tell me everything that happened."
	"Uh, okay..."
	And so Ranma told them.

*

	Tethys hated eating.
	It was such a disgusting practice; to actually physically devour your
food. She picked up another takoyaki ball and placed it in her mouth, savouring
the taste of the expertly-prepared morsel. She hadn't even had a mouth for most
of her existence. It was only since she had merged herself into Hayato's shell
that she had developed it.
	But eating allowed her to regain energy without having to drain it from
humans. True, absorbing the life essence of human beings was more efficient and
faster. This method, however, had one major bonus.
	Tethys smiled and thanked another customer. He smiled back, took another
circumspect look at her breasts and paid for the meal before wandering off to
eat it. Tethys shook her head and popped another takoyaki into her mouth.
	The real benefit was that it didn't draw attention. Here she was, in the
center of one of the greatest concentrations of humans in the entire world, and
they weren't even noticing her. Well, no more than they paid attention to any
other attractive woman in a slightly revealing vendor's outfit. She resisted the
urge to sneer. She was even getting more business than Hayato ever had.
	Her eyes scanned the crowd, all these little people unaware of the wolf
that was standing in their midst. Yet, even so, they looked scared. People
walked in hurry. Their eyes darted into every shadow. Whenever they bumped into
each other, they would jump back and stood stock still. They were afraid.
	Hayato had never remembered his world being like this. In the Japan he
knew, people generally walked around without fear. But that had changed. His
world had changed. Tethys knew why.
	The monsters.
	They were always in the news now. Battles between beasts and humans with
the strength of beasts that destroyed buildings, shopping plazas and even entire
neighbourhoods. Stories from across the oceans that were even more frightening,
of cities, mountain ranges... even entire countries losing contact with the
outside world. Filtered stories from those who had fled of 'demons' and
'vampires' and 'zombies' that were slowly settling into all the minds of all
these little people.
	There would be a war soon.
	The humans would find out about the Dark Kingdom, or some other enclave
of monsters. Or maybe another one of those enclaves would attack in force... and
there would be war.
	And the humans would be ready. They already had the martial artists.
People like Hayato and Ukyou who could fight monsters. And the Sailor Senshi.
	Tethys frowned and popped another ball into her mouth. She could no
longer ignore it. That had been what she had felt. The Silver Crystal reborn,
the legendary Ginzuishou active once again. She had been alive once to feel the
harsh light of that magnificent weapon. She knew that it alone had defeated an
entire army of youma, every general in its army, its leader and their invincible
goddess Metallia with one fell swoop.
	Against the power of the Ginzuishou, the Dark Kingdom would perish
again. With the Ginzuishou and all the soldiers that humanity could muster
from the ranks of martial artists, they would be crushed.
	Yet they were continuing as if nothing was wrong. Hayato had pointed it
out to her, when she had run into Nephrite. He hadn't even recognized her. He
wasn't even aware of what was really going on. She could see it in his smug
eyes. She had followed him, and watched him gloat over stealing the life force
of a single human. She had almost laughed at the pitiful harvest his plan had
yielded.
	The Dark Kingdom was stuck in an old war, playing a hand that was
already doomed to lose. Even in her present state, with what little she had
learned and all she had mastered of human strategy, Tethys alone could probably
destroy the Dark Kingdom...
	Her hand stopped. She stared down at the takoyaki ball in between her
fingers. She really hated eating. It was so... so human. She threw the ball into
her mouth and smiled.
	Then again, these did taste really good.

*

	Fevrier knelt and bowed her head. She knew exactly the angle her head
was supposed to be at in relation to the floor. Her right fist was planted
exactly the proper distance from her left knee. She had stopped before even
entering the room to adjust her hair, so that not a lock was out of place. Her
posture and pose were perfect.
	Vega wasn't even paying attention to her. He leaned back in his chair,
one hand elegantly rolling a glass of wine while the other stroked the end of
the armrest. It was impossible to read his expression behind his white mask, its
only feature being the mark below his eye. But his eyes could be seen. They were
not focused on Fevrier, or the other two Dolls that were in the room.
	They were focused on the girl in the corner. She had been here three
days, and the only time she had stopped crying was when she was feeding herself
or sleeping. Her constant whining - which ranged from barely audible sobs and
moans to ear-splitting wails and plaintive cries for her 'Papa' and every nuance
inbetween - annoyed Fevrier. Vega would not let Fevrier or her sisters
discipline the brat. He just kept watching her. Marz had told her, when they
were alone, that she suspected that Vega was not planning on taking the girl to
Lord Bison at all.
	Not that Fevrier could blame him. The girl was not a suitable candidate
for their ranks. To be a Doll was to be perfect. To be a Doll was to be chosen.
You were the elite. Hand-selected, molded by the most intense training, driven
by the most cutting edge technology and fueled by the greatest force in
existence; all these things were what made a Doll. Few could withstand the
demands. There was no 'acceptable' level of performance. Every Doll either
achieved their goals, and achieved them perfectly... or they Washed Out.
	Fevrier had known a girl who had Washed Out... but such things were best
not thought of.
	"Lord Vega," Fevrier said meekly, her head bowed still. Vega turned his
eyes towards her. He did not bid her speak, but she did so anyway. "We have
collected the data on Ukyou Kuonji's new allies. Marz has compiled the
information, and we know everything there is to know about Ukyou, her friends
and this Japanese paramilitary unit, the Terrestrial Administration Center."
	"I see..." Vega said with a sigh. He swirled his glass absently.
	"We finished our data collection almost two days ago. As it stands, we
have waited three days since our initial assault."
	"I see..."
	"If you would forgive me..." Fevrier did not cringe. Her expression and
posture remained perfect. Her voice remained exactly at the most pleasant tone
and pitch. Perfection was something lesser beings sought. It was what a Doll
WAS. "Can I ask why we have not initiated a new assault plan? We have more than
enough data to pull off a successful extraction. If you would assist us, we
would not even need to requisition supplies from any of the local Shadowloo
cells."
	Fevrier had not wondered why Vega had ordered her and her sisters not to
contact any of the local cells. It was a common command, since Vega often
traveled in his civilian identity and went to great lengths to conceal his
connection with Shadowloo activities. Fevrier just wished it wasn't required in
this case. Shadowloo was a global syndicate, which could provide a staggering
level of hardware and human resources in any large city. Having access to any of
that would have made her job much easier.
	"The assault will wait for now," Vega informed her. Fevrier did not
question his decision, she only nodded. But Vega started to explain himself
anyway. "Don't think I don't sense your impatience. But I know of things that
are happening that you do not. There are plans in place that a rash action could
disrupt." He was looking at the girl again.
	"Yes, lord..."
	"Marz." Vega snapped his fingers. The blue-haired doll snapped to her
feet with an affirmative shout. "Are you certain that girl is one of these...
Sailor Senshi?"
	"Not one hundred percent," Marz noted cautiously. "The girl has the
exact same effect on the chi around her as the Senshi do, however. If my
readings are correct, she has a great deal of 'magic' to her, if such a thing
exists."
	"I see..." Vega swirled his glass again. "Then why hasn't she manifested
any special abilities?"
	Fevrier looked over at the girl. She was sitting in the corner. Her eyes
kept drifting across the room. Her face was stained by tears. She was in one of
her quiet moods, but still hiccuped in sorrow every now and then. Fevrier did
not break her perfect composure to frown at her, but nonetheless felt vexed. The
girl was upset over nothing. She wasn't even being mistreated. Vega was treating
her practically like a princess. She had full freedom of movement within the
suite... just not to anywhere outside it.
	"I don't know, Lord Vega." Marz hesitated. "Perhaps we should contact
Thailand. The scientists there are better suited to the sort of exhaustive
testing you require." The girl's eyes widened slightly at the word testing.
	Vega stood up slowly and started walking towards her. He let his glass
fall from his fingers, and Satsuki caught it without a sound. Satsuki did almost
everything without a sound, however. He stopped less than a meter from the girl.
She cringed away from him. His face was still hidden by his mask, and now his
back was to Fevrier.
	"Lord Bison is occupied at the moment and not to be contacted." Fevrier
looked up. Disregarding the fact that Marz had suggested contacting the lab, not
Lord Bison, the news was still strange.
	"You have been in contact with him then, sir?"
	"Yes." Vega chuckled. "He contacted me yesterday. Remember that powerful
transmission two days ago?"
	"The one from the doomsday cult?" Marz asked for clarification.
	"Yes." Vega reached out and ran a hand through the girl's dark hair. She
shied away from him. "Bison seems to think that the cult has access to a
superior form of genetic science. And considering their transmission came from a
floating fortress in the middle of the ocean, and that they were immediately
besieged by the American naval fleet, he decided to investigate the matter...
personally."
	"Ah." Marz nodded.
	"Of course, he also plans on checking into some other matters soon
after." Vega looked back at Marz. "Like how he has lost contact with all the
Shadowloo cells in Britain, and so forth." He chuckled. "I suspect he will be
unavailable for quite some time."
	Marz nodded and knelt down again. Vega did not want them to contact Lord
Bison. Fevrier could read him like she could a book. He may have trained them,
taught them all they knew of fighting... but he was not their true master.
Lord Bison had taught them to look for the signs. He had always suspected one
day Vega would betray him. Vega did not know they had their own ways of
communicating with their master. Ways that did not require Lord Bison to have
access to mundane lines of information. Ways that involved their connection to
Lord Bison's very life force through the power of his Psychodrive.
	"And you, little mouse..." Vega crouched down. He reached out, and this
time he ran the stiff blades of his claw through her hair. So gentle was the
metal caress that not a single strand fell. "What secrets do you have locked
inside you? What will it take to unlock them? Perhaps something more than mere
imprisonment, then..."
	"Leave her alone..."
	Fevrier turned without much surprise. The boy on the wall hadn't moved
in almost a day. He was in his 'mundane' form. His clothes lay in tatters about
his frame, and he was naked from the waist up. His physique was moderately
impressive. It was not the hard, lean muscle of a martial artist, but still
showed signs of superb conditioning. Now those finely maintained muscles were
criss-crossed with scars and fading bruises. His chin was slowly raising, and
his hard blue eyes fixed on Vega's back.
	"Back away from her, you monster!" Mamoru hissed. He had been more vocal
ever since they had returned from their mission and... it had happened. Fevrier
wasn't sure how to describe it. The boy had simply opened his eyes and suddenly
transformed, but not in the manner he had before. Instead of a top hat, domino
mask and formal wear, he had morphed into an elaborate and archaic set of armor.
Marz had been alarmed by the sudden rise in his power level. Fevrier, being
cautious, had rendered him unconscious. He had transformed back shortly
thereafter. Marz had explained that someone had apparently been trying to tap
him for magical power, or perhaps he had been trying to transmit it, but
couldn't be sure. Either way, Fevrier did not regret her decision.
	Ever since, Mamoru had been more vocal. He constantly insulted and
goaded Vega, or made demands of him. Fevrier did not know why Vega tolerated his
presence. Perhaps he found him amusing. Perhaps he realized that if the girl he
had kidnapped Washed Out, then he would need the boy to find another. But Vega's
patience could only be pushed so far. He had given the Dolls leave to work out
their frustration on the boy whenever they felt like it. Since that amounted to
whenever he tried to talk to them, he had learned to stay quiet with only them
in the room.
	"What business is it of yours, boy?" Vega stood up and began to walk
towards the bound prisoner. The boy gritted his teeth, and as usual there was
the soft groan of his ropes straining to hold him. Fevrier looked and saw the
little girl's eyes staring at the boy. They were filled with shock and worry.
	Of course. Fevrier had caught the two of them talking often when she
walked into the suite. She had shooed away the girl and punished Mamoru, but
they were always at it.
	"It's my business to stop monsters like you!" the boy reared back his
head and, with a loud gurgle, spat at Vega. The glob of spit struck the side of
Vega's mask and began to slide down. Vega paused.
	Fevrier and the rest of the Dolls moved back.
	Vega reached up and touched the offending substance. He flicked it away
with graceful, elegant disdain. His voice was calm and measured when he spoke.
"To touch this mask, is like unto touching my face." He reached out, his fingers
hovering mere millimeters from Mamoru's face. "So... did you really just intend
to spit in my face, boy?"
	"Yes." The boy smiled. "I don't back down from monsters like you."
	"So be it."
	Mamoru screamed as Vega lowered his hand almost casually. The cuts he
left in the boy's chest were shallow but savage, and bled freely. Then Vega
proceeded to disassemble him. It was like a hypnotic dance. Vega moved with a
grace and beauty that made his violence, his cruelty seem almost like art. The
blood that spurted from Mamoru showered out, and Vega bobbed and weaved through
it so that not a single drop touched him. He was laughing.
	Fevrier raised her hand, ready to signal Satsuki to go prepare suitable
arrangements for disposal-
	"STOP IT!"
	Fevrier saw the girl running before she collided with Vega, of course.
But she had been ordered to not harm the child. A Doll was perfect, and obeyed
orders perfectly. She did not interfere as the girl rammed all her eleven-year-
old mass into Vega's legs. It was not enough to knock Vega more than a step, but
it did cause him to stop.
	He looked down. The girl was clutching onto his legs. Her arms were
shaking and she was barely standing. She was crying, of course. Vega could have
removed her with ease. He wouldn't even have had to hurt her.
	He didn't.
	"Stop hurting him! Stop!" she cried.
	"So... the mouse reacts to something after all." Vega stretched his arm
over her. His claw hovered above her head. Drops of blood slowly dripped from
the tips of the blades to splatter in her hair.
	"Please! Please stop hurting him!"
	"Hotaru!" Mamoru gasped. Fevrier looked at him in some surprise. He was
still alive, even if he could barely lift his head. "Get away... from him..."
The strength was draining from his voice.
	"Please, mister... don't hurt him!" The girl was shaking even more
violently now. "He's the only one... the only one here... the only kind..."
	"Do you have something to ask me, little mouse?" Vega's voice was
kind. The girl looked up at him, and didn't flinch away as drops of blood fell
on her pale, tear-streaked cheeks. "Just ask me, little mouse." He gestured at
the boy on the wall. "Ask me."
	"Please stop hurting him." Hotaru gasped. "I ask you to please stop
hurting him."
	Vega paused.
	"No."
	Fevrier did not even see him move. There was just a flash and suddenly
Vega's claw was buried up to his fist in Mamoru's stomach. The boy screamed. He
continued to scream as Vega laughed, a high-pitched, joyous laugh. Then Vega
twisted his claw, and the boy's scream grew louder.
	"STOP! NO!" The girl began to pull and bang at Vega's shin. He ignored
her, still laughing and continuing his grim business. "You're killing him!" The
girl was screaming now, her voice louder than it had ever been before. "Please!
PLEASE! Don't do this! I'll do anything! Oh god, don't kill him because... don't
kill him... not like..."
	The girl's voice was dissolving into chokes and sobs now. "Not
protecting me... not again... please don't... oh... no... not again... not
protecting me..."
	"Lord Vega!" Marz screamed, a second too late.
	Vega was blown back. He sailed over the heads of the Dolls. Fevrier
shielded her eyes. The girl had just erupted with some sort of strange force. A
bright field of burning scarlet energy surrounded her. She was standing, her
back hunched. Her breathing was slow and deep. Her eyes flickered with red
light. Fevrier reached down and pulled her pistols from their holsters. She
heard Satsuki draw her sword.
	Vega grabbed them both by the shoulder. Fevrier looked over her
shoulder. He was unharmed. He did not even have so much as a scorch mark. He
said nothing, but his eyes told them to wait and watch.
	The girl was turning towards them. Her eyes were flickering crimson and
her hands were twisted into claws. She was smiling. The scarlet dome still
surrounded her, and on her forehead flashed a small purple symbol, like an
inverted 'h' of some kind.
	"Hotaru..." Mamoru groaned. He was staring at the girl, his expression
full of shock and something else... Awe? Fear? Pride? Then his eyes rolled back
in their sockets and his voice rattled once before he slumped in his bindings.
	For a long moment, the silence in the room reigned supreme. The girl's
face seemed to be twitching, her smile seemed to fade and reappear. It was as if
two people were trying to form entirely different expressions on the same
face. Then, as suddenly as if someone had flicked a switch, the light around
Hotaru vanished. She slumped forward to her knees. But her eyes flashed around
to stare at Mamoru, and her face filled with horror.
	"NO!"
	She leapt to her feet with more speed than Fevrier would have given her
credit for. Her hand slapped over the vicious, mortal wound in the boy's
stomach. Fevrier shook her head at the futility of it. Even Aprile, the best
medic Fevrier knew, would have been able to do nothing for such an injury.
	When the light began to leak from between Hotaru's fingers, Vega's hands
tightened their grip on Fevrier's and Satsuki's shoulders. The pressure quickly
passed from uncomfortable to painful to nearly bonebreaking. Neither Doll so
much as changed expression.
	The light was soft and white, and it flowed out from Hotaru. It started
small, just a bauble of translucent energy. Then it began to expand, exploding
out in concentric waves of energy. The light creeped first up Mamoru's stomach,
then his chest, then slowly across his entire body. Fevrier could see Marz
typing frantically at her computer.
	Finally the girl gave a small whimper and collapsed. The light faded
from around Mamoru gradually, as if reluctant to cease its work even with its
master no longer commanding it. When it cleared away, Mamoru was healed.
	Not completely. His body was still covered in shallow scratches, and a
tiny bruise could be seen where Vega's claw had entered him, but all his serious
injuries were gone. He was unconscious.
	"See to the girl."
	Marz leapt to obey Vega's order. She crouched beside the girl, took her
pulse and checked her breathing. "She's exhausted." Marz looked up at Vega. "Her
body is entirely drained. She has the minimal level of energy to maintain
autonomic functions..." Marz checked her computer. "She should live. Her energy
is recovering, if slowly."
	"Excellent." Vega stepped forward. "Now... now I know what I need to
do."

*

	Vega watched the girl. She was pretending she was asleep. She was hoping
he had forgotten about her. Vega had given her every indication that he had. But
unless she started acting soon, his plan would fail. The Dolls were
enthusiastic, but even they couldn't spend all night with their love-making. He
needed her to move before they finished...
	Vega smiled to himself. Hotaru was standing up. She kept flicking her
eyes about the room. She couldn't see Vega, of course, but then she was a little
girl. A useful little girl, but still a child.
	She trod lightly over to the wall. Mamoru was hanging there still. He
had only regained consciousness once since this afternoon's little drama, and
then only briefly. Hotaru leaned down by his leg and her little fingers began to
work at the clasps on his bindings. They groaned softly in the dark, but the
girl started as if they had been a cannonshot.
	"Hotaru..." Mamoru said softly. Maybe he hadn't been as asleep as Vega
had suspected he was.
	The girl shushed him. She leaned down and began to undo his binding
again. "Be quiet. You have to get out of here," she whispered harshly.
	Mamoru nodded in the darkness and waited. Hotaru finished with his right
leg and moved quickly to his left. Her fingers moved more deftly the second time
and soon the boy's legs were free. Hotaru looked up and stretched, but her tiny
fingers could not reach the bound boy's wrists.
	Hotaru gave a little gasp as Mamoru's legs suddenly encircled her. She
looked up into his face and he smiled, his teeth flashing white in the darkness.
With a long groan the boy strained and struggled, steadily lifting Hotaru upward
with just the strength of his legs. His body sunk and the bindings on his wrists
creaked dangerously as he placed all his weight and hers on them.
	Reaching the wrists, the girl began to quickly work on his left hand.
Vega shook his head. He could see where this was going. It took her a minute to
get his wrist free. Then she yelled out as Mamoru suddenly arced down the wall.
He lost grip on her and the frail girl landed harshly on the plush carpet
(recently cleaned). Mamoru cried out in pain and concern as all his weight
suddenly fell on his other wrist.
	But Vega had to give him credit. He snapped his free hand down and was
suddenly holding one of his roses. With a deft flick of the wrist he shot the
flower upward and it cut him free. He fell with some grace to the floor.
	"Get out of here!" Hotaru whispered harshly as she rose to her knees.
	"Not without you..." Mamoru extended his hand towards her. The girl
reached her own hand up hesitantly, but paused. It was time for Vega to step in.
	Vega fell from the ceiling like an avenging angel. The boy didn't even
have a chance to react before he was kicked away from the girl. The window
behind him broke apart spectacularly as Mamoru flew through it and onto the
balcony.
	Vega landed elegantly next to Hotaru, his arms spread to his side.
Mamoru was climbing to his feet. Even as he did, rose petals flashed around him.
In a second, he was clad in his tuxedo and top hat. In one hand he held a
gentleman's cane as if it were a sword. Vega tilted his head. He could hear the
Dolls coming.
	"Get away from her, monster!" Mamoru roared.
	Vega stood up slowly, and calmly extended his left arm towards the
petrified girl's neck. Mamoru went still.
	"Run away, boy," Vega offered.
	"I'm not leaving without Hotaru!"
	"You are not leaving with her unless you challenge me," Vega said with a
grin. "We both know how that went last time."
	"This time will be different!" Mamoru stepped half-way into the room,
his eyes determined behind his domino mask.
	"Ah ah ah!" Vega gestured for Mamoru to stop, which the boy did. "Since
you were such a insignificant challenge last time, I think I shall change the
terms of this fight. First, I shall defeat you without moving from this spot."
Vega raised his left hand slightly. Hotaru bent back her chin to keep the tips
of his claws from digging into her flesh. Even so, they brushed against the skin
of her neck with enough force to turn the flesh white. "Then I shall fight you
with just my right hand." Vega curled said hand into a fist.
	Mamoru's eyes widened in shock and horror. So the boy had guessed the
game, then. Vega had meant every word of his pronouncement. Truth be told, he
wasn't even sure he could defeat the magically empowered young man with such
harsh limitations. But that was not the point. The point was that if Vega was
hit, jostled even the slightest bit... the result could only be bad for poor
Hotaru.
	Vega grinned. He could hear the Dolls charging up the hallway now, and
so could Mamoru. A part of Vega wanted the boy to accept the challenge. He
wanted to test himself, not just in the fight against Mamoru, but his control
over his left hand to prevent all his work with the girl from going to waste.
	"Choose quickly, Mamoru Chiba," Vega said eagerly. "In moments, it
shall all be academic."
	"You monster..." Mamoru backed away, one step. His eyes turned to
Hotaru. Vega glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.
	"Leave me," Hotaru pleaded stiffly, trying not to move her chin as she
talked. Brave words, but only words, Vega knew. Her mouth said one thing, but
her eyes pleaded for him to save her. Vega had seen such pleading too often in
the eyes of others to mistake the look for anything else. The girl wished for
mercy.
	Mamoru might have done the stupid, heroic thing, but Vega distracted
him. Mamoru spun and caught the black disc that almost slammed into him. He
blinked as he saw that it was not a disc at all, but a small black notebook
computer with the Shadowloo winged skull emblazoned on it. Vega had been keeping
it tucked in the back of his sash until now, but the Dolls were almost here.
	"All my data," Vega told him. "All my hideouts. I expect you to come
back for her, after all."
	"Why are you..."
	The door crashed inward. The three Dolls had dressed hastily, but were
all prepared for combat. Fevrier led them, her pistols already drawing a bead on
Mamoru. Satsuki came in behind her, her body partially vanishing into the
shadows as she ran. Only the light glinting off her blade made seeing her
possible. Marz was about to charge, but she paused when she saw what Mamoru was
holding. Her mouth widened.
	Mamoru took one look at Fevrier's pistols, then he stepped back. With a
deceptively simple push of his legs he vanished from Vega's sight. Fevrier
cursed and stared down at her guns.
	"What is the matter?" Vega said calmly.
	"Jammed..." Fevrier replied in disbelief.
	"Then clean them more thoroughly in the future!" Vega snapped angrily.
"After him. You're letting him escape!"
	"Yes, Lord Vega!" Satsuki and Fevrier cried out as they ran onto the
balcony. They both vanished upward, leaping after the boy. There was a chance
they would catch him. There was a chance they would learn everything that Vega
had done from him. Fevrier would figure out that her guns had been deliberately
jammed... even if Vega had used a scrap of cloth from Hotaru's dress to do it.
	Vega caught Marz's shoulder as she charged past. She turned to look at
him.
	"He has your computer."
	"Yes, Lord Vega."
	"He knows too much. Kill him. Kill anyone he talks to. This is your
maximum priority." He paused. "I expect to either hear of your success when you
return, or be reporting your death to Bison."
	Marz stared at him for a second. She understood the order. Vega rarely
gave it, but it was his authority to do so. He released her shoulder and the
blue-haired Doll leapt away into the darkness. He watched out into the darkness
for a moment, chuckling softly to himself.
	Those Dolls, they were too dangerous to have around for what he had
planned. Hotaru was not destined to become the latest of Bison's slaves. She
would instead be the key to his undoing. Bison was the greatest challenge, the
one force that Vega could never have bested. But perhaps, with her magic, he
could even the odds. However, the Dolls would never have allowed that. Already
they were on the verge of reporting his activities to Bison.
	That wouldn't have done. It would have ended the game too soon. Vega had
served as Bison's toady for too long to let the game end like that. But the
battle of wits was about to end. The true, final battle would soon begin.
	And oh, what a glorious battle it would be. It, and all the beautiful
battles to come.

*

	Kusanagi heard the bike approach before he saw it. The roaring engine
sent pigeons scattering in all directions, and the mutt from three doors down
began to bark and whine. Then the motorcycle skidded around the corner. The
rider was bent over the controls, the entire weight of his machine threatening
to spill over at any second. His leather-clad knee skimmed along the pavement,
leaving a black streak across the road.
	A car that had been innocently taking some salaryman home screeched as
the driver brought it to an abrupt halt. The bike skimmed along the road, and
the edge of the rider's skull-adorned helmet came within centimeters of the
car's grill. Then the bike righted itself and shot down the street again.
	Kusanagi smiled. It was a nice bike. He had never been much into
machines. But he understood the appeal of motorcycles. He had never really had a
use for them, since he could get around town much faster on his own... but he
had always wanted an excuse to ride one.
	The rider reigned in his bike like a horse, pulling it around in a
complete one-eighty in order to park in front of the house. Kusanagi raised an
eyebrow as the boy kicked down the stand and shut the machine down.
	With a single leap Kusanagi sprung from his tree and across the road to
land in front of the rider. The boy started when Kusanagi dropped down in front
of him. Kusanagi grinned as his long red trenchcoat fell down behind him. The
boy had fallen back into some sort of martial arts stance.
	Kusanagi chuckled and rose up to his full height, which put him at least
a head and a half taller than the rider. He couldn't have been much older than
fourteen, and had the figure of a little boy. His tight leather biker gear
creaked slightly. Kusanagi crossed his arms.
	"And what are you doing here, kid?"
	"Who the hell are you?" the kid demanded in a gruff voice.
	"Just a friendly neighbour," Kusanagi explained. "I just thought someone
like you seemed a little out of place in this neighbourhood." It was true, to
some extent. Kusanagi wasn't really a neighbour. To be so, he would have
required a home. But he had spent so much time in this part of Tokyo that it
felt more like home than anywhere else. This was where he had watched over
Kaede. This was where he now watched over Momiji, so that she wouldn't suffer
the same fate as her sister.
	"I'm here to see a friend of mine," the kid explained.
	"Which friend?" Kusanagi smirked and crossed his arms.
	"None of your business, carrot-head," the kid said with a growl.
Kusanagi felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It was like the kid was
surrounded by an invisible aura of menace that he could feel in his gut. But
Kusanagi didn't let scary things he couldn't see slow him down.
	"Now get out of my way," the kid demanded.
	"Are you gonna make me, pipsqueak?"
	"I don't want to hurt you..." The kid shifted forward a bit. "...but I
will."
	"Akira, Kusanagi!"
	Both turned to look as the newcomer exited the house. Kusanagi sighed.
It was Kunikida's new 'houseguest'. She was dressed in a long black trenchcoat
and baggy black pants, contrasted by a thin white t-shirt.
	"Ukyou..." the kid turned towards the houseguest and seemed to calm
down. "You know this jerk?"
	"Indeed." Ukyou sighed and ran a hand through her bangs. "Akira, this is
Kusanagi. He's a... friend of Momiji. You know, the girl who lives here?"
	"Oh..." Akira turned to face Kusanagi. His mirrored visor stared into
Kusanagi's face for a long moment, and Kusanagi found himself suddenly feeling
uncomfortable. "Ohhhh..." the kid said meaningfully. He shook his head and
shrugged.
	"What 'ohhh'? What do you mean?" Kusanagi snapped.
	"Nothing." The kid turned to Ukyou again and reached under his neck to
undo the straps on his helmet. "Listen, Ukyou, we need to talk..." With a clean
jerk, the kid removed his helmet. He shook his head, letting his short brown
hair flow free. He smiled, his pretty face lighting up and...
	Whoa. That was no dude.
	"You're a chick!" Kusanagi yelled, pointing accusingly at Akira.
	"Uh... yes..." Akira backed away from him.
	"For cryin' out loud!" Kusanagi threw his hands into the air. "Aren't
any of you people normal?" Ukyou raised an eyebrow at his comment, but didn't
respond. Akira just sort of looked down at her feet and shuffled them. "First
that Ranma girl is actually a guy, and then you turn out to be a girl, and now
the biker kid is a girl and... augh!"
	"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Kusanagi," Kunikida said as he
stepped outside. He was chuckling to himself. "These martial artists seem to be
an eccentric lot by nature."
	"I don't know why you put up with them..." Kusanagi growled and crossed
his arms again.
	"They needed my help," Kunikida sighed. "Anyway, I suggest the three
of you come inside." He grinned reassuringly. "After all, Momiji made cookies!"
	"Yay, cookies!" Akira cheered and dashed inside.
	Kusanagi blinked. "'Yay, cookies'?"
	"Akira is a complex girl..." Ukyou explained with a little smile before
she turned to follow her friend. Kusanagi glanced at the old man, who could only
shrug.
	Momiji had indeed made cookies. She was standing over the stove, placing
the last of them in a small paper-lined basket when Kusanagi made his way in.
She looked over at him and smiled. He paused, his breath catching temporarily.
Damn... why did she have to look so much like her sister? It made his heart
hurt. Momiji then turned and started towards the table... and her feet caught on
something, and then she was falling.
	Momiji screeched as she plummeted and Kusanagi couldn't help but
chuckle. That was the Momiji he knew. Kaede would have never fallen like that.
Of course, he could have caught her, but then she wouldn't have fallen with her
skirt flapping about in the breeze and he would have lost a perfectly good
chance to peek at her panties. It was then that Akira shouted and sprung into
action. Kusanagi stared as the black-clad girl moved like a flash, her hand
reaching out and... catching the basket of cookies. Then she snapped the basket
back, catching a small black morsel that had been sent flying. And then another,
and another. Her free hand shot out in the other direction, snapping bits of
cookie from the air with lightning-fast precision.
	Momiji collided with the floor face-first. She lay on the ground,
backside thrust into the air, her skirt spilling hopelessly down her body. Oh,
she was wearing the little penguins today.
	"Thanks..." Momiji said with a groan.
	"Not a problem..." Akira said with a sigh, then she looked down at
Momiji... and froze. Her eye twitched, and the basket fell from her suddenly
nerveless fingers. The sound of the basket striking the floor caught her
attention and she stared down at the spilled contents in horror. "Ah! No! Five
second rule! Five second rule!" In another flash Akira bent over and quickly
began to pluck the spilled cookies from the ground and place them in the basket.
She sighed once she was finished and reverently placed them on the table. Momiji
slowly picked herself up. The cookies were black as charcoal, but a quick sniff
and a tiny bite proved that they were edible... if not spectacular.
	"So?" Momiji said as she sat down across from Kusanagi.  Well, except
Ukyou. Ukyou seemed to be distracted by the papers she was reading. Kusanagi
glanced at them out of the corner of his eye and saw they were all printed on
the TAC's stationery. He also saw a few folders marked 'secret' or 'classified'
sitting next to her.
	"Not bad, princess." Momiji blushed and clasped her hands together. She
really did look cute when she wasn't trying to be all serious.
	"But I can't take all the credit. Miss Ukyou helped me out a lot..."
	"I didn't do anything," Ukyou responded quickly. Kusanagi looked at her,
she was staring mainly down at the papers. Then he blinked.
	"What the hell?" He reached across the table and grabbed Ukyou's chin
and pulled her face up to look him in the eyes. Yep. They were definitely black
little flowers there instead of the usual human iris.
	"Do you mind?" Ukyou snapped, knocking his hand aside.
	"I thought you were human," Kusanagi said accusingly.
	"She is," Kunikida reported. "According to every test Matsudaira could
run on her, Ukyou here is one hundred percent biologically human. The shape of
her eyes seems to be some sort of strange scar tissue or allergic reaction."
	"Mmm... cookies..." Akira announced as she threw two more into her
mouth. Everyone turned to stare at her, as the girl had already put five others
in there. She closed her lips with some difficulty and began to laboriously
chew. Her blissful look never left her face, even when she began to choke and
turn blue as something went down the wrong pipe.
	"I'm glad you like them..." Momiji grinned absently, sweating just a
little bit.
	"Just like mom used to make," Akira explained. "Mind if I have more?"
Momiji nodded needlessly as Akira had already started piling more onto her
plate.
	"Where did Mr. Ranma go, anyway?" Momiji asked as Akira began to
annihilate her plate. "I made so many because of him..."
	"He and Ran are out exploring some leads for me," Ukyou explained. She
didn't sound happy about her statement for some reason.
	"Leads?" Kunikida asked pointedly
	"I told you about t