Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Two Wallets ❯ Here Comes the Bribe... ( Chapter 96 )

A Tale of Two Wallets

(An Altered Destiny)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Tofu Kachu was walking home from the market bright and early the next morning, humming a song to herself that had once been sung to her by her mother. Had anyone from her village chanced to see the fearsome Devil Hunter doing anything so common as to bring home victuals for her husband it would have started quite a scandal, but Kachu was happy to do the shopping for their household needs, provided her husband was the one who did the actual cooking.

Besides, it was a husband's traditional place to do the domestic chores in an Amazon household. Women were the hunters and providers, a role that Kachu might ordinarily prize but for the fact that hunting was rather out of fashion within the boundaries of a Tokyo suburb. Kachu contented herself that the food and items she had just purchased at several markets had been bought with money that had been given to her as a return favor for exorcising a demon, which in effect meant that she was the provider this time rather than borrowing money earned by her Healer husband.

Kachu did not ordinarily accept money for her services, but she had often received gifts from the people whom she helped back home in China. Money being rather more important in this society, she had chosen not to refuse the gift, even if a Devil Hunter was sworn to serve the people without thought of compensation. It rather relieved her sense of self-worth to find that she could do something useful to carry her weight in her marriage, which in all other ways had been a most satisfying affair, and very much fulfilling. Kachu looked forward to informing her husband of how her day had gone so far and was even considering speaking with him about the suggestion someone had made to her about advertising her services to others who might be in need of her special kind of service.

It did seem to her as if the people of Japan suffered an inordinately high number of demonic visitations for a major metropolitan zone, almost as much as in the mountains of her homeland. Human females seemed to be the principle prey of many of the worst types of demons (while a few specialized in the male of the species) and if there was one thing that Tokyo was not in dire shortage of it was young, eligible (and sexually precocious) teenaged women, very few of whom could fight their way out of a burlap sack…

All at once the trained senses of the Demon Hunter came into play and Kachu halted in her tracks, drawn by a sense of the unusual, which was emanating from close nearby. She turned her head to the side and saw an unremarkable looking building several storefronts down that had a sign on it that had not been there the previous evening.

In her experience that usually meant trouble, so Kachu crept up to this store and paused just outside of the windows, peering in to what looked like some manner of odd shop with pictures covered by cloths, but the exact nature of this business eluded her understanding.. This close to the source, however, she could all but smell the presence of a demon.

That was all the cause that she needed to enter this den of darkness, and so without waiting to determine exactly what type of Demon she would encounter she called forth her C'hi-Chi and prepared to make an impromptu entrance…

Ganglot was in her element and relishing it to the hilt, her hands flying across the canvas that lay across the floor, her body splattered with splotches of paint as she even used portions of skin to create unusual and exotic impressions. The muse was upon her once more, and woe betide to anyone or anything who might disturb her creative moment!

To outside appearances she seemed no more than a very tall (and extremely attractive) woman with golden skin and her hair done up in a tight bun (mainly to keep it out of the paint, though in this task it was a notable failure) dressed (if that were the operant word) in a tied cut-off shirt with short jeans that were barely adequate to measure the cloth value of a string bikini. The bounty of flesh that was currently on display would have given nosebleeds even to Happosai, and the fact that certain parts were (barely) concealed from view only added to the effect that she was presenting.

Her gallery was nearly ready to be opened and Ganglot was looking forward to the proud moment of the displaying of her work before the public. Not that everyone appreciated high art, of course, but she rather hoped to attract the right sort of attention, and maybe even a few art critics (whom she looked forward to tormenting the moment they panned even the least of her achievements) as the recognition of her genius would be the high point of her renewed freedom.

An Oni's take on what constituted high art, of course, might make for exotic conversation, and of course Ganglot was no stranger to controversy, so she would keep it to herself for now that many of her art projects incorporated a little magic into their structure, which only made them more interesting in her own rather biases opinion…

Ganglot was enjoying the creativity of her latest project, but right at a critical moment she ran out of the color red. This did not please her in the slightest as red was a color with much energy and dynamic, and without it the painting would look a little drab. She was also reaching a point where her creativity had taken a coffee break, so she decided to follow its example and got up off of the canvas. The extra paint supplies were on a table across the room, so she turned with the intent of retrieving it, hoping a little physical exercise would be good for unclogging her systems.

Just as she started to turn away a figure came crashing through the doors to her studio at a dead run, charging straight at a surprised Ganglot with pole arm raised and a clear intent to impale her. Ganglot judged the woman's momentum and casually stepped to one side, easily avoiding the other's point, but Kachu's foot encountered a slick spot in the paint and lost its traction, causing the Devil Hunter to slip onto her back as she continued her forward momentum.

As Ganglot turned to watch she saw the brown haired girl go crashing into the far wall with such bone-jarring force that her attacker all but wound up standing on her head. The Oni blinked several times before recognition came back to her and she placed this particular human from her reference files of significant players.

"Oh," she said aloud, "It's you. I've been expecting you to drop in, so nice of you to save me the trouble of having to contact you through your husband."

All at once Ryomi and Romeo came rushing into the studio, with Julian popping out from the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about that had been disturbing their breakfast.

"Grandma, what happened in here?" Ryomi asked.

"Lady Ganglot-!" Romeo paused with her tonfas at the ready, only to see the Devil Hunter scrunched up against the wall, to which she gave the startled cry of, "Ka-Chu!"

"Geisuntheit," Ryomi promptly responded.

"I think she means the lady taking a nap over there," Ganglot pointed at their unexpected guest, "Devil Hunter Kachu Tofu, formerly from Romeo's home village."

"A Devil Hunter?" Ryomi gasped, "Here…but…!"

"She came looking for me," Ganglot mused, "I'm touched. Of course that might also be a faint case of the flu that I've been fighting off the last two hundred years…"

"But what is the Devil Hunter doing here of all places?" Romeo wondered.

"Sleeping it off it looks like," Ganglot put one hand to her chin and said, "The only question is…is it art?"

"Excuse me?" Ryomi asked.

"Oh, never mind," Ganglot glanced down at her painting and smiled, "Why yes! That's exactly the effect I was looking for! She helped me finish my masterpiece…Oh, I really must thank her when she fully recovers her wits."

"But what are we going to do?" Romeo asked, "Lady Ganglot, Kachu the Devil Hunter is an incredibly dangerous and unpredictable…"

"Yes, yes, I know all about her," Ganglot waved a hand, "Your concern is duly noted and appreciated, and I have no doubt that she could be a real thorn in my side if she mistook me for an enemy…however, I have a plan to put her talents to good use. In fact I'm counting on her to be every bit as dangerous as befits her reputation."

"Grandma?" Ryomi stared at the Oni in growing confusion.

"And old saying among we Oni, my dear," Ganglot grinned broadly, "Keep your friends close to hand and your enemies closer, but those who can be of the greatest use to you should be your next door neighbors, hold a block party and be sure to invite them to bring the kids. Now, I think we had better see that she wakes up in comfortable surroundings so that I can create the right mood for what I am planning," she chuckled as she rubbed her hands together, "My old friend Ahz himself would be proud of this one."

As the Oni princess turned away, Ryomi turned to the Amazon next to her and said, "What was that all about?"

"How would I know," Romeo shrugged, "She's your great grandmother…"

"I'm gonna make him pay, I swear it!" Ranma-chan avowed through chattering teeth as she and the rest of her team clung to the rope dangling from the drifting sky ship.

"Yeah, sure," Akane groused from where she was resting her wings on the rope above his head, "You've been saying that for the last several hours, but we're no closer to forming a plan for dealing with that creep, Kirin."

"There you are," Ryoga informed Lychee as she finished tying off the knots he had wound around the elephant, Jasmine, "Now you can rest that trunk of yours and save your strength for when we next face Kirin and the others."

"Lychee thanks you," the Chinese girl said from where she lay huddled on the saddle on her elephant, "Jasmine can no climb any higher, and what you say make it very clear that Prince is no ready to hear Lychee story."

"Gotta admit," Ukyo mused, "That's a creative way of using that infinite supply of bandanas you got there, and they seem to be doing the trick, though I sure as heck wonder what they're made of."

"I just hope when we get back on the ground I get a chance to do something useful," Makoto said without evidencing the same degree of discomfort as the others from gripping the rope between her hands, "So far this whole trip I've been feeling like nothing more than a bit-player."

"Don't say that, Mako-chan," Ukyo said soothingly, "I appreciate you being here, really, and at least you've been of more use than a certain pervert I could mention."

"I dunno," Ranma glanced down, "You gotta admit they look awfully cute that way."

The others were not in a position to look and see what the redhead indicated, where Happosai and Hinako hung together from the same piece of rope, the blonde haired man keeping the teacher warm with the heat of his body after she had long ago reverted back to her child form.

"I quite agree," Kodachi mused, "They are a very cute couple, and neither one exactly what they seem, nor as harmless as they appear."

"That's one way of putting it, I suppose," Akane mused, then yawned and stretched one arm, "Oh man…what I wouldn't give for a bed right now…"

"Don't think like that, Akane," Ukyo urged, "You'll put yourself to sleep in no time."

"For once you're right, Kuonji," Ryoga said as he climbed down the rope to where Akane was perched (avoiding Ukyo to the degree that he could manage on the same rope), "Just remember to stretch out a little and let your mind drift in a meditative state and you won't let go of the rope. We have no idea where the boat and the old woman are at…"

"Yacht, Ryoga-san," Kodachi corrected, "Never call it a boat, it exposes you for a land lover."

"What about you?" Ukyo asked the Black Rose, "Aren't you worried about Kasumi being lost out there in the ocean?"

"My Kasumi-sama is with Sasuke," Kodachi replied, "And Sasuke-for all his many faults and shortcomings-has taken care of me and my brother for most of our lives. I would trust him with my life, I will trust him with my yacht and dear Kasumi."

"She's my sister too, you know," Akane growled as if she were making a significant point.

"I would never seek to come between you and my beloved, Akane-chan," Kodachi assured her, "Despite what you no doubt think of me, your family is now far more important to me than my own family ties, for you grew up in a loving environment while I…had to struggle for years against my inner demons. It is a battle that I was only able to win because of the love of my beloved, so believe that what is important to her is of importance to me, and thus I am with you in this quest to save Nabiki."

"Only from the sound of things Nabiki's in even more over her head than ever," Ukyo glanced down, sparing a moment of concern towards Ranma.

"I'll get her back," Ranma growled, "Just you wait, Kirin…you're gonna be so sorry…"

"Look!" Lychee suddenly cried out, pointing forwards to where the skylight was lightening in the distance, "What is that?"

"HUH?" came the collective gasp as everyone stared at the curious aerial phenomenon that was opening up before them, looking like an Aurora Borealis or the opening of a massive curtain.

"What is that thing?" Makoto stared in awed wonder.

"I don't know," Akane replied, "It's beautiful…"

"Awesome," Ryoga agreed.

"It's gotta be some kind of a trick of the light," Ukyo murmured faintly.

"Or a doorway…HEY!" Ranma reacted, "Didn't the old woman say something about Nekonron being some kind of a doorway between worlds?"

"Why you're right," Kodachi marveled, "It could be some sort of paradimensional doorway leading to another realm that has been hidden from the world at large, like Shangri-La or Ku'un Lun…"

"That makes sense," Makoto remarked, "It's certainly no weirder than some of the places I've been in my career as a Senshi."

"Then we're almost there," Happosai announced as though to make it official, "Nekonron awaits just beyond those mountains."

"Then we are near to our goal, my love," Hinako murmured, her voice oddly mature sounding for the young girl that she resembled.

"Nekonron," Ranma's expression hardened, "Hang on, Nabiki, Shampoo…I'm coming for you…just have a little faith, you'll see…"

Nabiki's Journal Continues:

"I am done," Mon Mon announced to no real surprise on my part as she got up off the bed and started to dress herself, having discharged the obligations of her office.

I lay where I was and did not move, feeling numb more than any sort of passion. The Courtesan had been very gentle yet thorough in probing me, and I could tell that she lacked the enthusiasm with which she had earlier pursued my seduction. This time she was entirely professional about it, stimulating me to orgasm several times before satisfying herself as to my pleasure threshold, which I can now reveal was pretty high by her estimation. I needed no great revelation on that count, having discovered it for myself when it was Shampoo teaching me about making out with a girlfriend.

I felt, in essence, that I was betraying Ranma by submitting to this treatment, but I had give my word to Kirin that I would offer no resistance this time, and for once I meant as good as I my promise. I'm not big on this honor thing like some members of my family, not even to the same degree as Ranma himself, but these circumstances were different and I had more than my own skin to think about. I had bought Ranma time and spared Shampoo from possibly worse treatment than she actually suffered at the hands of our captors. For that reason I've no regrets about what I did to stay alive, but I'm not eager to share the finer details with either of my beloveds.

Mon Mon, surprisingly enough, was no more eager for this than I was, even though she performed her duties with diligent care and consummate skill that I would have greatly appreciated had it been under different circumstances. It wasn't rape at all, nor even forcible seduction, and it was mutually pleasurable and consensual in all ways except for the fact that it was not really of our choosing. Had I met this lady and taken a liking to her for a private personal tryst I would have had no problem with what we were doing, but this was a long cry from that type of a situation.

This was sex without love, mechanical and emotionally unfulfilling, performed on a level of command that was more about determining my fitness to become the permanent bedmate of another. Mon Mon was performing a job, or more like providing a service, one she seemed to intuitively realize was neither welcomed nor appreciated. I don't hate her for doing it and if anything I think she knew what she was doing was wrong. She was a prisoner of her own cultural isolation, and with a lifetime of training that conditioned her to believe that there was nothing wrong about what she was doing I can view her even now as being as much a victim of circumstances as I was.

Perhaps I'm dwelling on the moment a little too much here, but I don't think so. It was the first time in my life that I felt totally out of control of my own life. I had made a decision that was having consequences in the here and now, and so I had to submit myself to the passive role of cooperating with my own bridal training. It was more than just the sex, of course, it had a pretty interesting briefing program, all administered by Mon Mon herself lecturing me on things that would make Kasumi's eyebrows twitch (and I mean the Kasumi before Kodachi, of course, with all her prudish notions about traditions and a wife's duty to her husband and all that). It was anything but a modern girl's ideas regarding a married life as a co-equal partner between a man and a woman.

I think you can pretty much take it for granted at this point that I was not looking forward to this wedding.

As she was preparing to leave our bed, however, Mon Mon paused in the act of dressing and turned part-way towards me before saying, "You are still expecting him to still stage a last-minute rescue, this Ranma you are still in love with."

"Yeah," I replied non-commitally, "What about it?"

"It must be nice…having a prince of your own in whom you can have faith," and then she left me there to ponder the meaning of that statement.

Okay, so I'm establishing that she's not the bad guy here, but I can't really put the blame on the prince either. This whole thing started because I caught a stupid scroll that belonged to some poor peasant girl with romantic illusions, a chip on her shoulder, and a big elephant to back her up when things get less than cozy. So who here is really to blame for me winding up engaged to a guy who had trouble with personal pronouns? I think it really all does come down to me in a way, and if I were the traditionalist that I pretended to be in that stand off over pickles then I'd probably make like Nodoka and go stab myself as an apology to my ancestors, or some such nonsense. Fortunately my level of hypocrisy does know some limitations.

Not that I consider myself a fallen woman or anything like that, but I lowered my standards out of love, proving once and for all that Fate loves a good joke as much as the next of us, a fact I to which I can testify due to my close associations with the goddesses, but that's getting a bit ahead of myself in my narration.

Mon Mon had assured me that Shampoo was safe and well and that she personally was adhering to the prince's orders concerning that she be well treated, by which I took it to mean that Sham-chan was in a most uncomfortable situation very similar to the one we left the Courtesan in when we availed ourselves of her hospitality the last time. I didn't blame the blonde priestess for being a bit miffed and vengeful and all that, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if she even got creative in detaining my Amazon girlfriend so that she would not be busy working on a plan to bust me out of my jeweled prison. I only know that the next time I saw Shampoo she gave the Courtesan a most peculiar look, one I have trouble to this day figuring out, though I'm pretty sure that there's one heck of a good story there. I just doubt that Sham-chan will feel like sharing it with me for some time to come now.

I don't know how long I lay there looking at the ceiling, naked on a bed that wasn't mine trying to make sense of feelings that I was no longer even sure I still had and thinking that what I needed most of all was to go back to sleep for a few more hours. I had no particular reason to want to get up out of bed and continue with the nightmare, and even my vaunted Lore Master talents seemed as far away from me as my mastering the Bakusai Tenketsu.

But then one of the lesser priestesses came to inform me that we were approaching Nekonron, and that the prince had requested my presence in his audience chamber to join him for breakfast. Seeing as he was the sort of guy you don't say no to, and as I'd given my word to cooperate, I had no choice but to let these attendants bathe and dress me (something I was not supposed to do for myself anymore according to Mon Mon), and I swear I must have smelled like a flower shop for all the oils they had rubbed into my skin. My hair was done up with silky lotions and I had a light application of make-up to highlight my features. I'll give those girls credit, they got me to at least look the part of a princess, complete with the wardrobe, the like of which I could probably spend the next few hours describing, right down to the jeweled slippers they had me wear (and thank the Kami these guys didn't go in for that hideous ancient Chinese custom of foot binding!).

I was draped in luxury, the kind that exceeded my wildest dreams of youth, and I was utterly miserable. In this condition I was led to meet my prince, and I found him similarly refreshed and in a resplendent costume fully worthy of a man of his station.

I ate my rice and pickles with no real appetite, more out of something to do to avoid conversation, as Kirin seemed of a mind to allow me my peace. His retainers were, as usual, hanging back in attendance, and Mon Mon was the last to arrive, leading a somewhat subdued Shampoo after her, as if on an invisible leash. I didn't ask what they had been up to, and I could see in Shampoo's eyes that she also did not much feel like talking. The look she gave the priestess wasn't the lethal glare of an enemy, but neither was it all that particularly friendly.

Kirin made one gesture upon Shampoo's arrival and had Ukyo's spatula presented at the table, revealing that his men had dug it out from the balloon before repairing the rift and getting the ship back to the proper altitude. He was going to keep the thing as a trophy and just wanted us to know about it, saying that any further such resistance to the impending wedding would not be met with as much leniency on his part. I don't think he was being deliberately cruel in announcing this, he just wanted to be certain for his own peace of mind that we weren't planning to try giving him any further troubles. I replied that I had given my word and no intention of resisting while Shampoo allowed that she would do whatever I told her. Neither one of us made any mention of our lingering hope that Ranma and the others would still contrive somehow to effect a last minute rescue.

Let me tell you, the idea of eating nothing but pickles and rice for the rest of my life wasn't making my mood any better as I considered my diminishing options. Kirin announced that the ceremony would take place immediately after we returned to his palace, and that's the point when I felt my heart lurch and my stomach go queasy. That would not permit Ranma very much time to come after us, let alone to retrain in order to beat Kirin in their next encounter. If Ranma was late coming to get me I was going to wind up rudely married to the wrong guy, and wouldn't that just bite?

At least I'd tossed those thirty jars of pickles into the ocean…that had to hurt the Prince and his people where they lived, and because of Sham-chan and my efforts these guys were forced to rely on their emergency rations. It's a small pyretic victory but we take what comforts we can where we can find them.

When Kirin saw that I was no longer eating he called a halt to the whole charade then asked me and Sham-chan to accompany him as he wanted to show us something. We shortly found ourselves on the top deck staring out towards the skyline as the sun started to rise, only what we saw literally took my breath away and momentarily made me forget all about my problems.

We were sailing into some kind of electromagnetic phenomenon, similar to an Aurora effect but much closer than the Northern lights, looking more like an enormous curtain being parted to allow us entrance, and there before us were rolling hills and high peaks surrounded by clouds of steam that made the air smell faintly tangy, like being in a mineral hot springs. I didn't need to be told that we had just stepped into another world, I could FEEL the difference from our own world, and it was this realization as much as anything that really got my attention.

"Behold," Kirin declared, "Nekonron, China…this is Kirin's home…and your home now. Here is where you will rule at Kirin's side, and together we will unite the sacred scrolls as your half is joined to Kirin's."

I could have laughed bitterly at the man's declaration. Rule by his side? More like live out the rest of my days in his shadow as his royal brood mare! And what about the child that Shampoo carried? Would Kirin's ego allow it to live knowing that the father was none other than my Ranma?

I was asking myself this as we approached a field of colossal geysers, and I was about to learn how these guys debark from their ship as the blimp was collapsed to let us fall onto a cushion created by the hot water. It had such an air of unreality about it that I actually took this in stride, as if I hadn't just walked onto the set of a really weird anime. I felt like I was being led to a gallows or something with every inch bringing me closer to confronting my fate, and all the while I kept on asking a new question over and over…

Namely where the heck was Ranma?

"Look out!" Ranma cried just instants before the geyser hit them with a blast of hot water, causing everyone to lose their grip and fall the remaining height between themselves and the pool of water that beckoned beneath them.

At once everyone with a Jusenkyo curse reverted back to their true form, Happosai becoming an old man, Ranma and Ukyo switching genders and Akane losing her wings while Ryoga, Kodachi, Makoto, Hinako, Lychee and her elephant Jasmine just got wet as they went floundering about before breaking the surface and taking stock of their new surroundings.

"W-where are we?" asked a now-female Ukyo.

"Nekonron," Happosai replied as he helped Hinako stay afloat, "I can tell by that mountain over there. It's been nearly three hundred years, but I'd never forget the sacred Lucky Gods Mountain."

"Huh?" Ranma followed the young-seeming pervert's nodding gaze and saw a huge rock formation that resembled human figures standing side-by-side around a central mound-like dome.

"Then we're close to our goal," Makoto sputtered as she fought off the roiling waves of very hot water, "Now if this guy follows the pattern and stays true to type he's probably got a palace somewhere in which he's holding Nabiki."

"Swim to the shore everybody," Ryoga said, "There's not a moment to waste…"

He started off in one direction, but Kodachi gripped him by the collar and said, "Hibiki-san, the shore is that way."

"Hey…" Ukyo glanced around, "Where the heck is Akane? Didn't she land here with the rest of us?"

"Uh…" Ranma thought a moment then said, "Wait a second…something I remember Nabiki telling me…Akane can't swim, can she?"

"Oh my," Kodachi exclaimed, "That's right…I remember Kasumi-sama telling me that Akane was deathly afraid of the water when she was but a small child. She could be…one moment, please," and with that the Black Rose ducked back under the water.

"Akane!" Ryoga ducked his head after her.

"Wait, you Jackass!" Ukyo declared, "We don't need both of you drowning…oh hell!" and with that she followed Kodachi and Ryoga's example.

"Senpai!" Makoto exclaimed and promptly did likewise.

"Should we help in the search?" Hinako asked in the ensuing silence.

"No," Happosai said with surprising decisiveness, "Too many cooks spoil the brew and all that. Those four ought to be enough to find Akane if she's having trouble staying afloat, and don't think I'm not worried about her, too. I care about all my clan, but our first duty now is to get to shore and find Nabiki."

"I guess so," Ranma reluctantly agreed, feeling torn between helping out in the search and continuing his own quest to find Nabiki. He let the old man's suggestion lead him to shore, where he found Lychee and her elephant already waiting, along with several other more surprising arrivals.

"You?" Ranma said as he splashed onto the shoreline, "But how…?"

"You didn't expect to leave us behind that easily, did you?" Lotion replied, "Not with the fate of my apprentice hanging in the balance."

"You look all wet, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said pleasantly as she reached into her basket and handed the boy a dry towel, "Here you go. We have breakfast ready for you, so I hope you'll take the time to eat some rice and pickles."

"No thanks," Ranma started forward, only to be tripped up by Lotion's staff, which found its way between his legs before he could slip on past her.

"I'm afraid we must insist," Lotion said, "You have been on the go for almost an entire day and have exhausted your resources. It would do no good for Nabiki it you attempted her rescue on an empty stomach."

"Look," Ranma started to get up again, "I appreciate your concern, but…" he paused, "Did you say rice and pickles?"

"Why yes," Kasumi said pleasantly, indicating a camp fire, "Sasuke-kun has already prepared a bowl for you, so if you eat quickly you'll have enough energy to rescue Nabiki."

"Huh?" Ranma turned to see the bowl and chopsticks being offered to him by the diminutive ninja.

A coughing noise barely registered on his awareness as he stared at the bowl and chopsticks, a very strange look crossing his handsome features as he made a connection, taking both items from Sasuke with barely even a murmur.

"Are you all right, Akane-chan?" Kasumi asked as she saw her sputtering sister being helped to shore by Ukyo and Ryoga, with Kodachi and Makoto following close by to lend their own assistance.

"She will be fine," Kodachi revealed, "Apparently her improved buoyancy in water only applies to her angelic form. Fortunately we came upon her in time before she could inhale too much water."

"We have you to thank for that," Makoto remarked, "You were the first one to find her."

"But it was the least that I could do for the sister of my Kasumi," Kodachi blushed, seeing the adoring look being paid to her by the older Tendo sister.

"Thanks guys," Akane gasped as she managed to stand up on her own, "I think I can manage now…and Kodachi? Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Kodachi replied, "It was Ranma who reminded me about your problem with negative buoyancy…which reminds me. We must take care of this shocking deficiency in your training at our earliest opportunity. Your other form has proven so talented and useful that you appear to be in danger of forgetting how to handle yourself while fully human."

"Huh?" Akane blinked, "I guess I didn't think about it that way. Ever since I've learned how to fly…well…being normal just seems kind of dull."

"Perhaps because you no longer view it quite so much as a curse," Kodachi turned to regard Sasuke and said, "By the way…if you three are here, what happened to my yacht?"

"Oh, it's in good hands," Lotion smiled, holding out her own hand and revealing what looked like a small model ship contained within a bottle, a ship that resembled the Vinziens II in exacting detail.

"I guess that means our transportation's safe until we get back to the sea," Akane reasoned before turning her head to say, "Thanks for helping out, Ranma…Ranma?"

"Huh?" Ukyo took notice of the way that Ranma was staring at a bowl full of rice that was crowned by a single pickle, "You gonna eat that or not, Ranchan? Just looking at it's not gonna make you any less hungry."

To their complete surprise Ranma tossed the bowl upward without releasing it, causing the rice to jump up in the air several feet while spreading out in all direction. With a cry to summon his Ki the boy's hand wielding the chopsticks became a furious blur, and in less than a second every kernel of rice had been plucked out of the air and restored to the rice bowl, which Ranma then positioned in just the right place to catch the falling pickle along the crown.

"THAT'S IT!!!" Ranma declared, "Now I've got it figured out! That Kirin guy's gonna pay for it this time!"

"Huh?" Akane exclaimed as Ranma's chopsticks flew again, this time emptying out the rice bowl at twice his normal speed of consumption. Ranma handed the now-empty bowl to Sasuke and said, "Thanks…but next time go a bit easy on the salt, okay?"

"Uh…sure," Sasuke replied as Ranma started to turn away, "And Master Ranma…good luck."

"Heh, I won't need it this time," Ranma smirked before turning and taking off up a trail heading towards a certain mountain.

"Wait up!" Lychee cried as she climbed into the saddle of her elephant, who got to its feet and took off after the fleeing Saotome.

"That boy is really starting to impress me," Happosai said, nodding with faint-if grudging-approval, to which Hinako at his side slowly nodded.

"Is he feeling okay?" Makoto asked while toweling herself down with one of the towels Kasumi had provided.

"It can't be," Ryoga stared at the bowl of rice that Sasuke handed to him, "Could it be that Ranma has discovered the pattern of Kirin's chopstick attacks?"

"You're kidding, right?" Ukyo stared at the bowl of rice that she was handed, then shrugged, "Guess there's only one way to find out."

"You got that right," Ryoga exchanged looks with the okonomiyaki chef, and the both of them smiled as if a silent challenge were passing between them. Without a single word being given they both tossed their bowls into the air in the same manner as had Ranma.

Seconds later each stared at their bowls and the kernels that they had gathered, far less than the full amount but nearly equal in quantity, and each adorned by a pickle.

"Humph," Ukyo sniffed, "Best two out of three?"

"You're on," Ryoga replied, and the both of them extended their bowls to a much-surprised Sasuke.

"What are you two doing?" Akane asked with a round-eyed expression.

"Boys will be boys, I guess," Makoto shrugged, and the two of them exchanged a brief smile at each other before turning to Sasuke and reaching for a rice bowl.

Kodachi shook her head with a sigh and said, "Oh very well, if you can't beat them, join the club I always say," and with that she extended a hand without glancing at her man-servant, and it was promptly filled with yet another rice bowl…

An elephant at full charge can be a pretty impressive sight, yet even the fearsome Jasmine was having difficulty keeping up with the fleet-footing Ranma. The trail was taking them up the side of the high mountain atop which they had spotted a pagoda-tower resembling a Chinese palace from a distance. Without needing to be told that this was where Nabiki had been taken, Ranma was determined to get there with all due haste in order to put his hastily worked strategy into effect.

Before he could scale too far beyond the base, however, he discovered a lesser pagoda-shaped gate blocking the trail, and from this tower strode forth the towering form of Bishimontan.

"Oh man," Ranma growled to himself, "It would have to be somebody tough on the first try…"

"So," the burly man said as he flashed his polearm in a professional manner, "It's true…you did survive that fall. But you stand before Bishimontan and you shall go no further."

"Out of my way, Jerk!" Ranma snarled, charging right at the man with no further hesitation.

Despite his huge size the man proved incredibly fast and expert in the use of his weapon, and only by twisting aside and vaulting away in mid-air did Ranma avoid being skewered by a savage thrust. As Ranma alighted on the ground a few meters away he took renewed stock of the larger man, then glanced down to see the thin trail of red that had sliced through his shirt and faintly nicked him.

"First blood goes to me!" the big man declared, only to turn and confront the angry Jasmine, whose battle aura flared to life, causing even the priest of the War God to take notice.

"I won't let him beat me," Ranma snarled to himself as he studied the man's movements, seeing the impasse develop between man and elephant while Lychee perched atop her massive protector. His eyes narrowed as he sought to determine the man's strengths and weaknesses, intent on renewing the battle as soon as he had a strategy of battle.

But then the rest of the gang finally caught up with them, and he heard Ryoga cry out, "Hold on, Ranma, we're coming to help!"

Ranma was about to declare that he did not heed help when the Old Woman suddenly appeared at his side, placing a restraining hand to his shoulder as she murmured, "Save your strength and learn to rely upon your allies, young Master. You're about to learn the price of underestimating an opponent."

"Hah!" Bishimontan assumed a battle pose, flashing his pole arm as he stood at the ready, "All of you combined cannot defeat Bishimontan! Come one or all of you together, you shall fall before me!"

"Oh yeah?" Ryoga assumed a battle crouch as Ukyo and the others fell into place behind him, "Well we'll see about that! Bakusai Tenketsu!"

With that Ryoga thrust a finger at the ground and a wave of force kicked out, splitting the earth and forcing the huge man to jump back out of the way before the blast could claim him.

"WHAT?" the War Priest exclaimed in astonishment, "But that is an Amazon Technique! You don't look like any Amazon, Boy!"

"Hardly!" Ryoga smirked, vaulting forward with his fists at the ready. Almost as if the attack was coordinated Ukyo launched herself into the air as well behind him.

Unfortunately the big man moved much quicker than they had imagined to swat the pair of them out of the air with great ease. Ryoga and Ukyo hit the ground together and seemed stunned for several minutes, but otherwise uninjured.

"Ukyo-Ryoga!!" Akane cried, but her voice was drowned out by an even louder shout that reverberated off the mountains.

"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER-SMASH!!!"

All at once the air was torn by a massive flash of raw electrical might, causing Ranma's hairs to stand on end as he hastily glanced away from the blinding radiance as a wave of force lashed out at the towering War Priest.

For one instant the world went white as a noise so intense that it was almost beyond sound shook the heavens, but at last the lightning died out, leaving only a loud ringing in the ears as hearing slowly returned to normal, and Ranma opened his eyes to stare at the smoking form of Bishimontan, who had taken a good sized share of the blast, as had a portion of the pagoda behind him. Ranma studied the collapsed part of the structure, then turned a mute look towards Makoto, who was smiling in grim triumph.

"That'll teach him to mess with my Senpai!" Makoto made a fist before turning an affectionate look in Ukyo's direction.

"Ah…" Ranma studied the twitching War Priest's body before glancing at the green-clad senshi once again and said, "Remind me never to get her angry at me like that."

"Agreed," Lotion replied in an easy, amused tone of voice, "I trust you have learned the lesson of this?"

"You mean the bigger they are the harder they fall?" Ranma replied.

"Bingo," the Lore Master responded, "Now, it is best if you all pick yourselves up and hurry on to the next gate. Time is of the essence here, and every second bring Nabiki closer to a false marriage."

"Nabiki," Ranma gasped, and all at once he was on his way, hopping over the rubble of the partially collapsed pagoda.

"I guess we'd better follow young Master Saotome's example," murmured Sasuke, who made a point of giving wide berth to Makoto.

"That would be eminently sensible," Kodachi agreed as the group picked up the pace and Jasmine began negotiating a safe trek around what remained of the gateway.

Ranma was not deterred when the second pagoda gate proved to have its own guardian, but he did take an approach of notable cautioned when he saw which of the Seven Lucky God Martial Arts masters was confronting him this time. The huge Buddha-like Garuda stood athwart his path, dwarfing even Bishimontan in sheer size and body mass.

Rather than rush to the attack this time, Ranma halted in his tracks and took a defensive crouch as he perceived that the creature (he could not quite classify him as human) was more muscle than fat, a fact that could readily be deduced as without sufficient muscle the ten foot tall giant could hardly have remained upright!

"Man, what do they feed you?" Ranma murmured to himself, "Must be some kind of pickles…"

"Aiyaa," a voice that did not belong to Shampoo but very much reminded him of her cried out, "Is huge…bigger even than Jasmine!"

"How the hell can anybody be so big?" Ukyo asked.

"Careful," Kodachi said, "To suspect such a lumbering brute incapable of rapid movement would quite possibly prove an error most fatal."

"You mean he's tougher than he looks?" Ryoga said warily, "I guess I can believe that…"

"Come on, everybody," Happosai declared, "You don't really think that size is everything, do you?"

"That is most correct," Hinako flashed another one her seemingly endless supply of coins, "This time I am ready to deal with this particular delinquent!"

"Maybe we should let him make the first move," Akane warned, "We can't afford to let even one of these creeps keep us from rescuing my sister."

Everyone stood alert and tense until the elephant relaxed its posture, then started to move forward.

"Jasmine?" Lychee asked, seeing the elephant extend its trunk towards the mound of muscles that stood before them.

To everyone's surprise the huge Garuda turned his eyes towards that trunk, and then an arm the size of many an oak tree stretched out to touch it, matching the elephant's gesture in an amazingly friendly manner.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked his eyes, "You've gotta be kidding me…"

"It would seem that the Priest of Hotei has not seen an elephant before," Lotion mused, "His curiosity has been piqued and he has been distracted from his original purpose.

"Well if that don't beat it all," Happosai exclaimed as they saw the giant Buddha caress the trunk and press it against his fleshy head with a child-like expression of wonder.

"You mean that's it?" Ryoga asked, "It's that simple? He and the elephant make friends, leaving the rest of us to sneak right past him?"

"Works for me," Ukyo shrugged, "Anyone here care to test that theory?"

"I'll go," Ranma said, moving forward, careful to make no sudden movements as he gave wide berth to both elephant and Buddha. Garuda paid him no notice, so the others followed after him as one-by-one they filed through the gate after Ranma.

Lychee dismounted from the back of her elephant and patted the creature's neck before saying, "You stay here and make nice, Jasmine. Lychee go on to find prince."

The elephant acknowledged this and continued to make friends with Garuda.

"How nice," Kasumi mused as she and Sasuke followed after the others, "He seems to be like a large boy who's always wanted a pet."

"That could very well be, Mistress," Sasuke timidly noted, "I have heard that some orders of monks train young boys from birth to embody the aspect of the Buddha by removing all worldly temptations, including the source of male pleasure, so that they never experience true puberty and effectively remain quite child-like."

"The source of male pleasure?" Kasumi blinked, "But that would mean…oh my!" she covered her mouth with a mildly disturbed expression.

Unnoticed by her, Ranma, Ryoga, Happosai and even Ukyo winced slightly at this unpleasant realization.

"Two gates down," Ranma murmured to himself as he saw the next obstacle appear from around a bend in the road, "The third one's dead ahead."

"I wonder which one of those Lucky Gods jerks we'll be up against this time?" Ryoga mused as he cracked his knuckles.

"At a guess I'd say it's the twins," Ukyo remarked, indicating the symbol above the gate, which had a white and black stone positioned together like a Yin and Yang symbol.

"Those two creeps?" Makoto frowned, "What trouble can they be for the lot of us?"

"Guess we'll soon find out," Akane remarked as she tensed her own shoulders, finding the absence of a pair of wings upon her back vaguely disturbing.

To the surprise of everyone, the insides of the pagoda proved to be much larger than the outside, and the floor that spread out before them was like a massive tile layout that stretched a hundred yard in a perfectly grid-like manner.

"What the?" Ranma exclaimed, seeing a pair of figures sitting down in front of a board in the distance.

"Onige Konige" came the voice of one of the twins as he moved a piece upon the board.

"Interesting move," responded his identical twin brother, "I'd never suspect that…"

"Oho," the first brother looked up and glanced towards Ranma and the others, "It seems we have company Daihotsuke."

"I believe you're right, Daikotsuke," the second one mused, "Somehow they must have gotten past Garuda and Bishimontan."

"Too bad for them they won't get past us," the first man smiled.

"Come ahead if you dare," the second man matched the first's smile, "You won't get by the Priests of Daikoku."

"The male God of wealth," Kodachi mused, "How curious that their gods are worshipped in Japan and this part of China."

"Yeah, whatever," Ranma started forward, "Just keep your eyes pealed for trouble. These guys look like they're up to something."

"How right you are!" Daihotsuke announced before slamming a piece on the board and crying out, "FOUR-FOURTEEN, BLACK!!!"

"Huh?" Ranma said when a warning sense caused him to look upward.

"LOOK OUT!" Ukyo cried just before a massive black stone fell from the ceiling into the exact square where they had been standing. As by this point everyone had scattered.

"I don't believe it!" Akane gasped when everyone assumed new fighting positions, "It's a giant Go stone!"

"Quite perceptive," Daihotsuke called out, "The entire Castle is a giant Go board.

"And we love to play," Daikotsuke added, "And you're our new players. Now…where to move next? I know! SECOND MOVE, FOUR-THIRTEEN WHITE!!!"

Another massive stone fell from the ceiling, this time white, causing everyone to take evasive action as another stone followed another, often blocking attempts to cross the room to get at the two players, who continued to rain stones down on their heads as the Nerima martial artists darted about in hopeless confusion.

"This is fun!" Daihotsuke declared while selecting one of the remaining parts of the board still uncovered.

"Like rats running around in a maze," Daikotsuke agreed.

"Glad you freaks are enjoying yourselves," said Ranma from close nearby.

"HUH?" both twins turned to stare at the stone nearest to them.

"Your attack has one fatal flaw," Ranma said confidently, "You can't put a stone down on top of another stone, so all I had to do was run on top of them to get right to you.

"He's right!" both twins declared in horror, "WHAT AN OVERSIGHT!"

Ranma came down with a fist planted squarely in the middle of the board, splitting it exactly down the middle.

"Hah!" Ranma smirked as he dealt a double-kick that knocked his two opponents senseless, "Looks like your game's all broken up…"

Before he could finish the sentence he felt the floor beneath his heals begin to tremble, and then with a startled gasp he looked up in time to see the whole of the Pagoda had itself been split down the middle and was collapsing down upon them.

"Nice move, Ranma!" Akane growled as she and the others scattered for cover.

High above their heads the Goddess Peorth covered her eyes and murmured to herself, "That boy definitely doesn't know his own strength…oh well!" and bringing her hands together she began to chant, "WINDS OF DESTINY CHANGE AND REORDER! HEED YOUR MISTRESS NOW AND SPARE THESE MORTALS FROM THE PERILS THAT NOW CONFRONT THEM!!"

It was a seeming miracle that moments later found the group from Nerima staggering out from the rubble of the demolished pagoda, coughing and rubbing the dust out of their eyes but relatively unscathed for all the devastation with which they found themselves surrounded.

"W-What just happened?" Ukyo was the first to venture.

"I don't know," Ryoga gasped, "But we're alive, and I guess that's all that matters."

"Next time watch what you hit, Saotome!" Makoto urged as she helped Kodachi from the rubble.

"Are you all right, Kodachi-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"I believe so," Kodachi staggered slightly and winced, "But my ankle does not feel quite right. I believe I may have sprained it."

Ranma shifted and turned over a piece of wall that he had been holding up to shield Lychee, then said, "We're losing time. Kasumi, you stay here and look after Kodachi. The rest of you follow me!"

"Don't let your enthusiasm run away with you, my boy," Happosai turned to Hinako and said, "You stay with them and keep them safe. If anybody tries to hurt these two…"

"I understand, Master," Hinako said, flashing her coin once again, "No one will get by me, of that you can certain."

"Good girl," Happosai allowed himself to display an open look of affection, but then the little man darted forward and said, "Tally ho, everybody! The next one's bound to be that cutie with the sitar!"

"WHAT???" Hinako's eyed grew wide, "You get back here, Happy-sama, right this instant!"

"Small chance of that," Ranma sighed, "Come on, guys, let's keep the old freak out of trouble."

The rest of their team filed out behind him as Ranma led the way after the trail of the fast-moving pervert. They discovered Happosai just outside of the fourth Pagoda, partially buried headfirst in the ground as if he had been planted there by a massive hammer. Even as they tried to determine what could have done this to the withered old master, the sounds of a stringed instrument being played drew attention towards the roof of the nearby building.

"Well, what do you know," Ryoga remarked, "The old fool had it right for once, it is that strange woman."

"Careful," Ukyo urged, "If she could do this to Happosai she's definitely not somebody we should underestimate."

"Don't worry, Senpai," Makoto responded, "If she tries anything I'll fry her!"

"How amusing," Mon Mon's voice drifted down to them with an almost musical lilt to her voice, "You think to take me with such a simple ruse as you used on Bishimontan? I think you'll sing a different tune when you face the Priestess of the Goddess Benzaiten."

"Yeah, whatever," Ranma said, "Look, we got you outnumbered five to one, so why don't you surrender now before you get hurt?"

There was not even a sense of movement before the Courtesan was among them, lashing out with her metal-rimmed instrument with such speed that even Ranma was caught flat-footed. He and the rest of his team were knocked to the ground in a rude semi-circle, leaving Mon Mon to alone remain standing. She smiled at them all and remarked, "Who has whom outnumbered?"

Ranma easily shook off the blow he had taken, adopting a fighting crouch as he growled, "You have to be kidding me! You think a love tap like that is gonna stop me?"

"Interesting," Mon Mon cocked her head in amusement, "Are you the prince whom Tendo Nabiki is waiting for to rescue her? You don't seem very prince-like…"

To her surprise Ranma just smirked in reply and said, "Who said I was a prince, lady…I'm more like a dragon."

"Eh?" Mon Mon seemed confused by this reply, but she shrugged and said, "Whatever. Sweet Nabiki is a most diverting and attractive package, I'll warrant that, and quite…responsive if one approaches her correctly."

"What?" Ranma blinked his eyes in dismay, which proved to be a mistake as it gave the Courtesan the opening she needed.

With a dramatic flourish the pale haired woman strummed her instrument, launching guitar strings that caught Ranma and Ryoga by surprise, wrapping both boys up in their embrace.

"Did you think I didn't see you attempting to flank me, boy?" Mon Mon asked as Ryoga struggled to free himself, to no more avail than Ranma's own efforts, "Mon Mon cannot be taken by the likes of you heathens."

"You don't scare me, lady!" Ryoga grunted, "These tricks won't stop me either…"

"That's right," Ranma gritted his teeth, "And you're gonna have to kill me to stop me…"

"Hmmm," Mon Mon seemed to be thinking over her options before she sighed, "I can't have that, it would make my future Princess quite unhappy with me, and it would displease my Master. Fortunately I don't need to kill you, only to detain you until there is no way that you can interfere with their impending marriage."

With that the Priestess made a sudden sharp motion with her instrument and flicked both Ranma and Ryoga away as though cracking a whip, sending them both flying into the nearby cliffwall with bone-jarring effect. The strings somehow magically contracted back into the stringed instrument until it seemed perfectly normal again, at which Mon Mon smiled and said, "Almost too easy."

"Ryoga!" Akane cried as she fought to get to her own feet, glaring murderously at the pale haired minstrel as she assumed a fighting crouch, "You're gonna pay for that!"

"Count on it!" agreed Makoto as the two of them rushed the Courtesan together.

Mon Mon struck a set of cords again and once more sent them shooting out to ensnare the two girls in their embrace and hold them captive as she leered, "You don't learn from the example of your men…for that Mon Mon will have to see you both are punished."

"Give me a break," Makoto growled as lightning began to crackle from her tiara, causing Mon Mon to yelp in pain, but unfortunately caused a similar cry to escape from Akane.

"Damn!" the senshi gritted between her teeth as she cut the juice to her attack, realizing that to deal with their foe would mean inflicting undue pain on her nominal rival.

To her surprise, though, Akane shot back, "Don't stop on account of me! Go ahead and finish her! We have to get by her if we're gonna save Nabiki!"

"You would sacrifice yourself for the sake of your sister?" Mon Mon seemed surprised by this realization, "Perhaps your wings are not merely for effect, but as I can't permit you to keep shocking me that way…" she plucked a string and caused one of the cords surrounding Makoto's right thigh to suddenly constrict, causing a trail of blood-and a subsequent gasp-to escape from the senshi. "So I'll just have to see to it you cannot concentrate to summon your powers…"

"LET THEM GO!!!" Ukyo declared with murderous venom, having at last recovered from the abuse that she had taken.

"Ah, did I forget about you?" Mon Mon asked as she strummed her instrument once again, wrapping more cords around the still slow-moving chef, "Pity about that, but I'm sure you won't cause me too much trouble, Handsome."

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo surprised everyone by smiling, "That's what you think, lady!"

Eh?" Mon Mon reacted as the Okonomiyaki chef brought both hands together and began to make a series of complicated hand motions, "What are you…?"

"RIN-PYO-TOH-SHA-KAI-JIN-RETSU-ZAI-ZEN!" Ukyo declared before thrusting her hands forward and projecting the force that she had just summoned.

Mon Mon's reflexes alone saved her as the air between her and the chef fairly hissed and crackled with energy with the molecules of her guitar strings-and her guitar itself-being shredded with the power of dissolution. As it was the front part of her clothing suffered the same fate while her skin was untouched by the power, and Mon Mon found herself falling back on her rump with a somewhat bewildered expression.

"Ha, that'll teach you!" Ukyo smiled before her knees turned to Jell-O and she started to collapse.

"Senpai!" Makoto was quick to rush to the aid of her beloved, only to find Akane had done likewise and the two of them wound up staring at one another with the chef held between them.

"So…that's the way it's going to be," Ryoga said sadly as he watched all of this happen.

"Hey, you don't think this means…?" Ranma stretched out a hesitant hand but refrained from touching the shoulder of his half-brother.

"Isn't it obvious to you, Ranma?" Ryoga said disconsolately, "I've lost her to Kuonji."

"You don't know that," Ranma said, but Ryoga shrugged off his attempts to reassure him.

"Yes I do," Ryoga replied without feeling, "I know when I've lost…I'm always lost, remember?"

"But…" Ranma searched for something to say and found words inadequate as he watched Ryoga walk through the undefended Pagoda gates, for once not getting lost without guidance.

"Wait a minute," Mon Mon said as she started to get try and get back on her feet, "You haven't won yet…!"

"I beg to differ," Lotion mused as she appeared from seeming no where, pointing at the exposed chest of the priestess, "Unless you mean to continue like that."

"Eh…?" the Courtesan looked down at herself then hastily moved to cover her bosoms.

"Wow," Makoto remarked, "Ryoga was so bummed out he never even noticed."

"Ryoga…" Akane stared down at her feet, "I'm so sorry…"

Ukyo winced slightly as she allowed herself to be helped back to her feet, "It's not too late, Akane…you can still catch up with him and tell him he's wrong about you."

"I-I can't," Akane said with deep reluctance, "I-I care about him…but not like that…"

As eyes turned towards Akane upon hearing that admission, Lotion said, "There is no time to sort matters out. We must hurry on to save Nabiki from the misguided efforts of Prince Kirin."

"But what about the last guardian of the gates?" Makoto asked.

"That fishing pole guy?" Ranma asked, "What about him?"

"Indeed," Happosai said with some concern, "Judging from the mood of the boy, I rather doubt there will be much of a problem on that end…"

Sure enough, at the last of the five gates, Epite saw Ryoga approaching him with slow, relentless energy in his gait, his eyes dark with emotions so deep that the air about him seemed to swirl with his depression.

"So," Epite extended his fishing pole, "You've managed to reach the gate guarded by the fearless Epite, but here you shall fall, for none may pass beyond this point without permission of Lord Kirin!"

Ryoga barely even raised his eyes as he responded with a listless, "The world is a dark and desolate place…"

"Huh?" Epite blinked his eyes, wondering about this non-sequiter statement.

"But I'm beyond caring," Ryoga lifted his eyes, and something inhuman was reflected there as the darkness swirled around his arms and a globe of greenish-black energy formed a globe of energy before him, "SHI SHI HOUKONAN!!!"

The blast was so intense that Ranma and the others were nearly knocked off their feet, and Lychee cried out, "What was that?"

"Someone else biting off more than could be chewed," Lotion replied, and the group hurried forward until they found Ryoga standing calmly before the collapsed rubble of another destroyed Pagoda.

"What took you so long?" Ryoga asked, sounding calmer than he had mere moments before.

"Ah…" Ranma glanced down at a badly battered figure that he recognized as the Priest of the Fisherman God Ebisu.

"N-N-None shall pass, I say…" the little man gasped before he fainted.

"Wow," Ukyo murmured, "Remind me never to get him depressed like that."

"It's all my fault," Akane said, "If I'd been honest with him sooner…"

"Forget about it," Ryoga shrugged, "Come on…let's go find Nabiki."

"Right," Ranma nodded grimly, moving forward again with the way cleared to the palace of Prince Kirin…

Continued

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