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    Process of Elimination -- Chapter Nine -- Part two

    Disclaimer: The primary colors in this story are from Takahashi, Viz (Ranma 1/2), Pioneer (Tenchi Muyo!), and Kitty Films, Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon).

    Additional tinting provided by: Takada Yuuzou, and Kodansha (3x3 Eyes), Takada Yuuzou, and A.D.Vision (Bannou Bunka Nekomusume Nuku-Nuku), and Takahashi, Viz (Inu-Yasha). The easel is mine. That's all.

    Notes: Diverges from Ranma after volume 24, continuation for OAV 2 in the Tenchi universe (well, one of them). Nuku Nuku is from the OAVs, not TV. Sailor Moon occurs, well, at some point in the series, but it's something of an alt anyway. 3x3 Eyes diverges before OAV2. This fic uses the bizarrely vague 'Pick One!' scenario. Enjoy.

    Special Note: If you still have it from the last chapter, again, I recommend Resistance Line for the opening scene of this chapter.

    ---------------------------------------------

    "This bloody road remains a mystery
    "This sudden darkness fills the air
    "What are we waiting for?
    "Won't anybody help us?
    "What are we waiting for?
    "We can't afford to be innocent
    "Stand up and face the enemy
    "It's a do or die situation
    "We will be Invincible..."

    Pat Benatar -- Invincible


    "I, myself, came within inches of losing my life on that day. The... heroes, I suppose... they tried their hardest, but it wasn't good enough. We were helpless. Defenseless. We could only sit there and wait to be mown down like wheat, praying that guardians that weren't even entirely human could -- or would bother -- to save us. The Battle of Shanghai is what I see as one of Earth's darkest days. I'm just glad I escaped before..." [Message truncated].

    Takeshi Yuu -- Except from private letter to Counselor Aric, Old Terran Year 2002


    The reavers balked suddenly, wheeling away at the last moment, to scrabble frantically at the edges of the barrier confining them -- and Ranma.

    He blinked, feeling a slowly building surge of power deep within himself, something that the reavers feared. Not unlike ki, but subtly different, though Ranma couldn't pinpoint it. He lowered his sword, holding one hand to his chest and staring down at himself in confusion. What was it that scared the reavers so?

    Almost of its own accord, Ranma's left hand rose, palm upwards in the center of the circle. A gentle, cerulean blue glow suffused him, pulsing through his body with his heartbeat, focusing on the gem in that wrist. The gem escaped his body, tearing painfully free before he could react, though the gentle blue glow washed the pain away and healed the wound so quickly that he had to wonder if he'd felt the injury at all.

    Winking and rolling slowly in the air before him, the gem floated to be of level with his eyes, and a voice -- one Ranma knew too well to ignore -- gently whispered to him, "Close your eyes, and be strong, Ranma-dono."

    His eyes shut, though the wash of light and power intensified so much that it bled through his closed eyelids, and he raised his right arm across his eyes. That dulled the intensity of the light, but not so much that it didn't still make him wince.

    Keen hearing reported where the reavers stood, their frantic scrabbling reaching an intensity that unnerved Ranma. What frightened them so? He'd seen one run only once, and later that day Tokyo had been lost.

    Again, the voice soothed him, before he could call out. "I can only do this once, Ranma-dono. But I think it will be enough."

    He swallowed back the knot of fear in his stomach, and answered, "I trust you, Tsunami."

    Then his world vanished into a writhing haze of fire and light.

    ***

    Yakumo spared a glance behind him, as a sudden blue flare ignited in the trap -- the phase shift, Ami and Yosho had called it. It sparked blue, blinding him completely from a single glance.

    He swore, as his retina wove themselves back into place from the intensity of the blast, and the spark impossibly brightened. Still in his hand, Chin-Kuu threw as much of the light back as possible, but Yakumo knew that it wouldn't be enough to shield the entire crowd.

    At his side, Setsuna staggered to her feet, supported by Haruka, and held the small wand she used for her earlier shield spell out. "Garnet ball," she whispered weakly, creating a much larger wall, centered on Chin-Kuu. Haruka nodded, drawing her sword and hauling Ami with her as she rushed behind him.

    The wall darkened in color and expanded, until the entire crowd was shielded. "Lean on me," he advised the woman, as she wobbled unsteadily.

    She did so, slumping forward, and nearly knocking Yakumo off his feet. He recovered his footing, and focused his eyes on what he could see between Chin-Kuu and Setsuna's wall. The blueness was frightening, dizzying in intensity, and he was dimly aware of some vague shape that was even brighter, something so bright that even through the wall of force he could feel his retina searing. The crowd behind him, after an even briefer glance, was rendered black and white, the intensity of the light simply too much for color to carry.

    Still, he watched, squinting his eyes to allow them to heal faster. It was an oblong shape, like a giant wall, with smaller attendants. He blinked, realizing that it was not one wall, it was several, though he couldn't be sure of the count, as all of the light suddenly winked out, leaving him blinking. Setsuna gratefully lowered her wall of force, and muttered a grudging, "Thank you."

    Yakumo turned his attention to what remained after the explosion, grimly expecting to find a dead ally, if anything. To his surprise, the scene revealed was vastly different. At the center of the reavers' circle, Ranma knelt, breathing slowly, but obviously still alive. A thin red slick surrounded him, shiny and reflective, as he used his sword to slowly lever himself up to a standing position.

    Frozen in place, like grotesque statues, the two reavers that had been inside simply stood unmoving, along with two of the three that had formed the circle. The last rushed Ranma wildly, a stray claw striking one of his still companions.

    Not still at all, Yakumo realized as he surged into motion, dropping his gun with Setsuna. It was frozen so solid that even being nudged just slightly by the other reaver sent it crumbling into a pile of shards. Ranma reeled back unsteadily, dropping his sword and extending one hand towards his assailant.

    The reaver wheeled suddenly, skidding backwards and sinking through the ground, and Ranma spoke, loud enough for Yakumo to hear as he lost his footing on the iced-over ground, "Mouko takabisha." A golden globe of power coalesced at Ranma's fingertips and screamed through the air to slam into the reaver, leaving it trapped in the cement.

    Nodding slightly, the boy keeled over, laying flat, and emitting a dull blue glow. Yakumo removed his survival knife from his belt, and used it to dig into the ice and control his slide, coming to a rest at Ranma's side. The red slick was frozen solid, and Yakumo guessed it to be blood, though the boy's body appeared undamaged, as did his red robes.

    Shaking his head, Yakumo turned his attention to the trapped reaver, then to his survival knife. A slow grin formed, as he realized the potential at hand.

    ***

    Yosho pushed the memories of the dead marine behind him, stumbling back into action as Setsuna leant against Yakumo, Ami and Haruka approaching the reavers from the left. Whatever was going on with Ranma, the reavers paused to look at it, which Yosho considered a minor positive.

    Blade at the ready, he called out quick orders, "Ami! Freeze the one in the back, Haruka, knock back the closest one!"

    They did as he ordered instantly, his voice whipping them into action from their aimless charge. Ami halted, and summoned the watery harp she used, while Haruka lobbed one of her 'World shaking' spells at the reaver. Leaping high, Yosho descended at the same reaver, only moments after Haruka's ball of explosive power rocked it backwards, all his energy focused in his sword.

    Three quick slashes lay the creature open, only shallow gashes, but easily enough to let it bleed to death if they continued to hound it. He leapt away, bouncing hard against the reaver's carapace, and landed beside Haruka. She nodded at him, girding herself, and the two charged the reaver in tandem. Ami's voice called out, crystal clear in the still air, "Mercury aqua mirage!"

    The rearmost reaver was struck with thick, ropy strands of ice, and instantly enveloped in the same before it reached the crowd, drawing the attention of the third. Yosho spared it a glance, trusting Ami to know what to do, and lashed out at the reaver he had already wounded experimentally.

    A claw attempted to ward away the blade of energy, and Yosho circled left, while Haruka flanked to the right, her own sword just able to deflect the stabbing claws. Leading in sharply, Yosho lashed at its side when he could, swearing out loud when he heard Haruka's cry of pain. Banishing the blade in favor of the shield, he rolled directly underneath the reaver, the thinner-than-paper barrier only barely deflecting claws as he slammed into the woman, trapped as she was on the cruelly barbed hooks of the reaver's claw.

    The wound had gored her in a place that Yosho swiftly determined was non-vital, though the poisons from the reaver's claws would be bad news. They were going to need help, and quickly. "Where's Yakumo?" he screamed, as a stream of bilious green fire lanced over his head and slammed into the pursuing reaver.

    ***

    The trapped reaver writhed like a demented fiend, unable to escape as Yakumo approached it carefully. "You know," he mumbled aloud nervously, drawing his survival knife, "you don't need to bind a creature from an egg for beast-magic.

    "It's dangerous," he continued, laying his palm open, and forming the ritual words in his mind. "But there's a way to bind monsters that are already mature. And unlike you, my little friend, I have nothing to lose."

    Leaping atop the creature, and scrabbling for purchase on its carapace, he crawled to the point he judged to be the head. Gathering what magical energies he could control, he drew his mark in a wide, bloody pattern, and began chanting the words that would bind it to him. Fight fire with fire, he thought to himself, before focusing himself on the battle of wills that was to come once--

    He was nearly lost the second his attempt began.

    The creature had no mind, no will of its own. They all shared one mind, and one will. And they knew what he was doing.

    And they were angry with him.

    ***

    Norris stood very still, mulling over the last communication he had received from the patrol group nearest the wharf, and Yosho.

    Lt. Commander Ford had reported that their allies had gone berserk, and were attacking the crowd, and that they were going to counter the threat as swiftly as possible.

    Norris's opinion of Ford had never been very high, and the man's refusal to wait and ascertain what the situation was infuriated him. Now, however, even on point of court martial, the man refused to respond to radio calls. The calls were a black mark to anyone who could receive radio transmissions, and a massive blow to morale.

    In short, one way or another, it was not something that could be afforded.

    The fact that Ranma was not responding only served to deepen his displeasure. "Cologne," he finally decided, unnerved by the lack of response from the dock guards, "report present situation, over."

    Her voice answered after only a short delay, restoring some hope to Norris. "All is presently still, Mr. Norris. There's nothing interesting happening, but we can hear something at the docks."

    "Thank you, over," he mumbled. "Guardsman group two, please respond, over."

    Another voice answered, "This is group G2, Commodore. Orders, sir?"

    "Investigate the docks, and report back to me immediately, over."

    "Roger that, sir, moving to the docks now, over."

    Shaking his head, Norris sighed, looking at the sky and praying.

    ***

    Feet scrabbling for purchase, the woman in his arms writhing from the pain of the reaver toxins that had entered her bloodstream, Yosho attempted to back away from the swiftly encroaching reaver. Ami gestured helplessly, unsure of what to do.

    He looked up, his shield quickly losing power as he struggled with Haruka, and unable to stand because of the reaver's presence.

    A black shadow passed overhead, and then, landing atop the menacing reaver, another crushed it to the ground, cratering the concrete, and dislodging the reaver's passenger. Yosho watched, stunned, as Yakumo tumbled free, expression wild and livid. The man rolled to his feet grinned like a feral beast, eyes glowing with an eerie, unholy glow. Yakumo paused, extending one hand towards the reaver that had pinned Yosho's assailant. "I... will not lose... a contest of will," Yakumo grated out fiercely. "This one is mine!" he shrieked, extended hand clenching into a fist, mimicking the act of crushing.

    Ami staggered back, falling down as she watched. The topmost reaver quivered, unleashing a fierce spasm, and its legs suddenly splayed out, then contracted, crushing the reaver beneath it, which burst messily, spraying acidic ichor across the surrounding area.

    Finding his senses, Yosho shoved Haruka off of himself, climbed to his feet, and gathered her in his arms. With no pretences, warrior or not, Yosho fled the scene, calling Ami to him. He ran towards Setsuna, who stood, positronic laser dangling limply from lax fingers as she gaped at the vision behind him.

    Yakumo spun, turning to the next reaver, and shrieked, "No! I will destroy you! You are _not_ the chosen ones!" Seemingly subject to his will, the traitorous reaver skittered across the cement spastically, claws a writhing tangle of mass and destruction. It carved a short distance into the second reaver before it thought to counter, both of them taking massive damage in the process, until Yakumo's reaver emerged victorious, several claws hanging limply and dragging ichor as it marched resolutely towards the final reaver, still trapped in ice.

    It howled once in rage, then set into the captive reaver with an intensity that made Yosho shudder before he looked away, eyes latching on the blue glow still suffusing Ranma. Tsunami's power, he hoped, since Yosho didn't think the boy could summon Light Hawk Wings. If his luck held -- and for Haruka's sake he prayed that it did -- maybe it could heal the wounded woman.

    Yosho stumbled across the slowly thawing ground to Ranma's side, still clutching Haruka to him, and knelt, gently laying the woman down. The blue glow flickered, rising like a fanned flame, and tendrils of it slowly crept from Ranma to the woman, narrow lines of energy snaking free and shooting into Haruka's wound.

    The woman stilled instantly, passing out or fainting, Yosho wasn't sure. Thinking back to Yakumo, he realized that he had no idea what had happened, only the vague knowledge that it scared him far more than he ever wanted to admit.

    Back across the field of battle, the final reaver had slain itself in its zeal to destroy its enemy, and Yakumo lay on the ground, retching and sobbing. Ami slowly regained her feet and approached the man.

    ***

    Glancing to ensure that the others were not grievously injured, Ami turned her attention to Yakumo. Yosho and Setsuna could take care of Ranma and Haruka, but Ami was worried for -- and more than a little frightened of -- Yakumo.

    The man lay on the ground, sobbing after vomiting a stream of blood. Curled into a little ball, he whimpered loudly, a desperate, pleading keening cry.

    Steeling herself, Ami crawled to his side, and set a hand on his shoulder. "Fuji-san?" she asked hesitantly. "What happened?"

    He relaxed slightly at her touch, eyes still wide and overflowing with tears. "I... I was in their minds," he gasped. "They tried to steal me -- to control me like I wanted to control them." Shuddering, he seized Ami before she could react, holding her tight, and whimpering. "It was dark, and there were so many of them... I can't do that again. I can't do that again. It's too dangerous! Don't leave me alone!" He drew away, simply staring at Ami with stark fear rendering his expression a mask of petrified anticipation. Eyes that were so often narrowed were still wide, shining with tears.

    "I won't leave you alone," Ami managed after a moment, one hand patting him on the shoulder awkwardly. For a long minute, he remained where he was, still shuddering occasionally.

    The minute passed, and Yakumo drew away, eyes drifting to the nearly perpetual half-closed state he usually left them in, apologizing, "I'm sorry."

    Ami smiled at him encouragingly. "It's fine," she assured him, her face flushed with fear and embarrassment. "No one should have to be alone when they're suffering... Um... Yakumo-san."

    "Just Yakumo," he said, bowing his head. "Um... just... forget about that, and I'm really sorry. I oughta... I have to take care of Pai." Raising his head again, and bearing a guilty expression, he suggested, "While you're here, I'll watch out for you, since she's not around. Sound fair?"

    Nodding quickly, Ami answered, "That's fine, ah, Yakumo. Should we see how Masaki-san and the others are?"

    Yakumo shuddered, nodding. "Yeah," he said in a solemn tone. "I'm never going to try to control one of the Qvansti again."

    Ami frowned, peering at Yakumo in confusion. "Why do you call them that?" she asked.

    "That's what they call themselves," he answered quietly.

    ***

    "My time here is limited, at best. The more I do like this, the more I forget. This time, when you wake, you should remember everything, Ranma-dono."

    "Everything?" he asked, all-too aware of the environs. "Where is this?"

    "Tsunami," she answered quietly. "The most revered and ancient of all tree-ships of Jurai."

    "You don't need to call me Ranma-dono," he said, smiling softly, pleased to find himself still in his ancestor's red robes. "What do you need to tell me?"

    Tsunami frowned, leaning forward seriously. The woman had changed, no longer truly Tsunami in appearance, but also Sasami, totaling out to a girl likely not even his own age in appearance, but with the same aura of happiness that Sasami had carried, and the air of solemnity that seemed to follow Tsunami. "I cannot tell you, for I am not what I once was. You must look within yourself. The answer is there; all I can offer you is a moment of rest... Ranma." At the last, a small smile came to her face, even as it became tinged darkly with her flush.

    "Rest?" Ranma asked, dumbfounded, still hovering over the glowing pool.

    The girl nodded, drawing close, and whispered, "Close your eyes, and relax, Ranma. When you wake, you will feel much refreshed, and perhaps... perhaps you will be able to find the answer you're looking for."

    Bowing his head, Ranma closed his eyes, attempting to do as the woman instructed. He was only aware of her breath, warm and sweet against his face, before he felt a touch at his lips, soft and gentle as a breeze in a springtime morning, and he succumbed to a deep slumber.

    ***

    "Commodore, this is Group G2 reporting in, over."

    Norris glanced at Washuu, still working on the massive and gleaming Gate, then to the radio again. "Report your current status, over," he responded.

    "The docks are under control, Commodore. Ford and his men are dead, and Ranma is down, over."

    "Lovely," Norris muttered, taking care not to allow his grumbling to be heard on the radio. "Define down, over."

    "Unconscious, sir. The civilians are restless. Orders, over?"

    "Maintain position, and cooperate with the defenders. If Ranma gets up, and tells you to do something, do it. Have someone retrieve Ford's gun, over and out." Irate, Norris shook his head. "Ford, you god-damned idiot, what have you done?"

    No honorific or rank was given to the deceased man. The fact that Group G2 hadn't seen fit to give him a title either indicated that evidence suggested... irresponsible behavior. Precisely the kind of behavior that this situation couldn't afford.

    "Commodore?" Patterson asked from Norris's side. "Should I order the remaining guardsmen to fan out and maintain coverage?"

    "Yes," Norris said quietly. "Send some Marines with standard equipment to retrieve some vehicles for us. Busses, vans, trucks, whatever can move people quickly. Have them brought here, then pick twelve Marines with Miss Hakubi's rifles, and notify them that they will be joining the advance through the Gate."

    "Understood," Patterson barked, turning to do as he was ordered.

    ***

    Haruka stirred, slowly sitting up and prodding experimentally at the spot where she had been wounded. Her fuku remained active, giving her pause. From what she remembered, being knocked out often stripped that away, and she had certainly been unconscious. But the garment was unscathed, and so too was she, though she could easily tell that the wound she had taken was already gone.

    The memory of the fiery pain as the acidic poison coursed through her veins made her shudder before she took in her surroundings. On the ground nearby, as Yosho watched warily, Ranma lay flat, not breathing, though his body was completely enveloped in a slowly dimming blue aura.

    In the distance, standing before Ami protectively, Yakumo deflected stray rocks and rubbish from the angry crowd, while the girl bowed her head, weeping quietly. Setsuna sat nearby, carrying -- for some reason -- Yakumo's rifle in her lap and looking more lost than Haruka had ever seen the woman. "What happened?" Haruka asked hesitantly. She knew that Ranma had done something, trapped as he was in the reaver's ring. Had if left him dead? No, his eyes moved, still closed, as though he were deep in a dream.

    "I'm not entirely sure," Yosho admitted, raising his eyes to look at Haruka over Ranma's still form. The dim blue glow from Ranma's aura gave Yosho's face a bleak, pale cast. "Yakumo... I think he tried to control a reaver, and found the results not to his liking."

    "What?" Haruka asked, stunned. "Control one of them? Did it work?"

    "A little," Setsuna mumbled. "But I think it very nearly drove him mad."

    "We... we managed to stop all of the reavers without any losses," Yosho said hopefully. "With Ranma here, not a single innocent died."

    "No," Yakumo muttered, his protective servant on his arm like a shield as he strode to sit near Setsuna. "But they hate us now. I was an idiot to do what I did."

    "Scaring them away wasn't the best answer, but it's one that saved more lives in the end," Setsuna justified weakly.

    "Maybe, but I was talking about trying to control the Qvansti."

    Yosho looked at the man inquisitively, and Yakumo sighed, banishing his servant as the crowd drew away, huddling in their lines and afraid of coming nearer.

    "I tried to control its mind," Yakumo said flatly. "If it weren't for the protective beast-magic spell, they would have controlled mine, instead. They have no single mind of their own. They all share one."

    "What did you find out?" Yosho asked quietly.

    "They hate us," Yakumo answered swiftly. "They hate all that lives, and are devoted to some... I don't know. I think... A queen, I suppose. But she's not a real being -- I guess she's like their goddess. They call her Tokimi." Ranma shuddered in his sleep, not waking at the mention. Yakumo frowned before continuing, "They hate all that lives and sing her praises in their own way. There was so much there... so much that they had learned, all from fighting, and losing. Every time we kill one, they remember every part of it, and begin to learn how to counter it.

    "I saw some of it. They're afraid of Ranma. And they're afraid of me, because they think I'm one of their goddess's favored. They want to capture Ranma and devour him, to send him to Tokimi, so that he will return as her servant, and destroy all life on this planet. There's someone else they hate even more... I don't know her name. Only a vague idea of what she does.

    "She's here. Somewhere. And the reavers are here specifically to capture her, alive, and bring her to Tokimi." He cut himself off, shaking his head. "I can still feel them inside my mind," he moaned, dropping his face to his hands, sobbing weakly. "Get out of my head," he whimpered.

    Yosho was shocked, not knowing what to say. "The reavers... I knew they learned... they have a goddess? They were sent here to _find_ someone? Kami above, protect us all..."

    Shaking himself out of his fit, Yakumo managed, "I could control one of them. It's like trying to control one hand of a single monster. It was mine for that moment, and I know what they're going to do next. They have a way to counter cold, at least once. And I will never try to control one again."

    Ami dropped to the ground at Yakumo's side heavily, pleading eyes turning to Yosho. "What else can we do?" she asked weakly.

    ***

    "Ranma-dono... I do not know when you will remember this, but I give you a gift, the truest expression of my power."

    He nodded wordlessly, glowing leaves slowly peeling from his body, taking the wounds with them as they fell.

    "I am the goddess of life, Ranma. And you contain a small sample of my essence. When you are mature enough, you can use my power, more than the powers that Washuu has already bestowed. You are not a warrior, with my power. You are a guardian, and a healer." She smiled, closing her eyes and leaning forward, resting her cheek against his, whispering into his ear. "Ranma-dono, will you accept this last gift from me?"

    He nodded slowly, eyes wide with apprehension and fear.

    Drawing very slightly away, Tsunami turned to face his squarely, and whispered, "Close your eyes, Ranma-dono."

    He did so, and felt Tsunami's hands on his face, gentle fingers resting against the side of his head and drawing him forward. He felt her lips, soft, and unbelievably gentle, press against his, and drew in a sudden breath. Idiot, he told himself. He didn't need to breathe anymore.

    But he did anyway, and the goddess's breath flowed into him, leaving him dizzy. He opened his eyes as she drew away, smiling brightly. Voice returned, he asked shakily, "Healing? That's your final gift to me?"

    "No," she answered solemnly. "That has always been a part of you. The gift I give you is a gift I hope you return someday, Ranma-dono. I gave you, and will always give you..."

    And with that, the dream-memory vanished.

    ***

    Gasping for breath, he awoke, lurching violently upward to float a short distance over the ground. An aura of blue energy enveloped his body, tingling and warm. He stared at it in fascination, remembering Tsunami's words. He couldn't remember what she had said the final gift was, but he more than expected that he knew what it was anyway.

    Returning to the ground, still chilled from the destruction of his weaker gem, he groaned, "I lost a gem... how am I supposed to hear when people need me?"

    Yosho sighed, shaking his head. "Get a radio from Norris, Ranma. Or something from Washuu. She probably has something," the older man advised. "You dropped your sword."

    Ranma accepted the blade as Yosho offered it to him, sheathing it and turning to look at the assembled defenders. "Is everyone okay?" he asked worriedly. They all nodded slowly, except for the man that Ranma hadn't met yet. Ranma looked at him, frowning at the seared and torn black shirt, and completely unscathed skin beneath. "Who are you?"

    "Fuji Yakumo," he answered sullenly. "You're Ranma?"

    "Higurashi Ranma," he said, nodding. He glanced to one side, as a pair of Marines bearing laser rifles dashed to his side.

    "Sir," the lead Marine barked. "Commander Jim Dew reporting for duty."

    Ranma blinked, scratching his head. "What?" he asked after a moment.

    "Commodore Norris ordered us to join with the defensive force here. Your brevet rank makes you the senior officer," he explained in clumsy Japanese.

    "Oh," Ranma replied, looking more confused. "Just do whatever Yosho tells you to do," he suggested, shrugging. "Meiou?" The woman roused, handing the borrowed rifle back to Yakumo, and stepping to Ranma's side. He nodded, reminding Yosho, "If you need me, just call," before he teleported away.

    ***

    Norris raised an eyebrow, as Ranma reappeared, though something about the boy seemed more subdued as he arrived. He set Setsuna down, and marched directly to Washuu's side. "Washuu?" he asked cautiously.

    She waved a hand at him, while Ranma's daughter bounced to his side, and grabbed him in a hug. "Just a moment, and the Gate will be completed," the scientist chastised him.

    He nodded, ruffling Nuku's hair affectionately as the girl happily nuzzled his chest.

    Washuu's needed moment stretched into a long ten minutes, during which Ranma sat on the stone, raising an eyebrow to the sight of the reavers he had destroyed. Norris had already had some of his men haul the carapaces away, and filled in the pitted craters their acid had dug into the cement with sand. Another pair of Marines were laboring to haul large wooden boards across the sand, to ensure that the path to the Gate was as unerring as possible.

    Finally, as the Marines dropped the last board into place and tested it -- kicking and stomping to test the makeshift path's stability -- Washuu crowed, "Done!"

    At her words, the Gate whirred to life, crackling energies writhing across the surface of the mechanism until a shimmering pane of reddish-white light sprang into being through the archway. The shimmering pane glowed ominously until Washuu finished some setting, and it wavered, giving way to an unbroken desert, a city visible only a mile distant. "Australia," she announced triumphantly. "Ranma, can you double-check and make sure it's safe?"

    He nodded, stepping through the portal, and casting his senses out. The area was miraculously free of reavers, to his senses. More, the Gate itself did not register on his or Ran-oh-ki's senses, and would hopefully be hidden from the reavers, as well. Striding back, he shrugged, offering, "It looks fine."

    Norris snapped his fingers, and the advance force dashed through the Gate, surveying the area, and ensuring that there were no visible dangers. "It looks like a success," Norris grumbled, still worried. "Start moving the crowds through."

    Washuu sighed, wiping her hands on an oilcloth, and frowning at Ranma. "Your spare gem is missing," she noted with worry.

    "It broke," Ranma apologized. "I think it tried to channel a little too much power."

    "It broke?" Washuu asked cautiously. "When Ryouko's spare gems break, they explode. What happened?"

    "The explosion took out some of the reavers attacking me," Ranma said uncomfortably. "The problem is that I need the extra gem to use Inu-Yasha's sword. It's too heavy for me to use easily, otherwise."

    Washuu bit her lip pensively, sliding a panel across the lines and rows of buttons and controls as the first of the refugees began to jog into the square. "I can tell you how to make another, but it will take some time, and I want to know what happened while you were gone."

    "Fair enough," Ranma agreed.

    "Good. Take me with you, and we'll need your partner."

    Ranma nodded, gathering the woman into his arms and teleporting away. Norris raised an eyebrow, as the green-haired woman that traveled with Ranma crossed her arms over her chest. Ranma had carried Washuu carefully, one arm beneath her back, and another under the back of her knees, where he had simply picked Setsuna up about her waist.

    He idly wondered the significance of that before dismissing it, and turning his attention to Patterson. "How is the vehicle collecting going?" he queried.

    Patterson grinned, offering, "Good news on that, at least. We've raided a few bus-tour centers, managed to find a few fuel trucks, and found that most stores have plenty of canned goods available. Teams are gathering necessities and bottled water as we speak, while the fuel trucks are pumping gas out of local gas stations."

    "Why is all of this simply left here?" Norris asked, frowning. "Where are all of the people?"

    Having no answer, Patterson let his smile fade and gave a helpless shrug. "I don't know," he admitted.

    ***

    Ranma hesitated above the deck, checking Ran-oh-ki through his link, and smiling softly. "Hey, rat!" he called out.

    Obligingly, the small creature darted up through the deck, bouncing into Washuu's lap, and making a contented noise. Washuu frowned at the creature, mumbling, "I hope you got your fill."

    "I thought he'd put a bigger dent in the place," Ranma commented, drifting momentarily towards the deck. "He ate Norris's planes much faster." As his foot touched on the deck, the entire surface of the ship gave a single heaving shudder, before collapsing in on itself, leaving Ranma surveying a swiftly sinking mass of fallen steel. "Oh," Ranma said quietly.

    Washuu stared at the sight for a moment herself, the distant refugees backing away warily from their position on the dock. "It is mostly empty space inside," Washuu noted after a moment.

    "It's still pretty impressive," Ranma countered.

    "That's true. Ranma, can you ask your partner to look for gems, specifically? You need to find a blue gem of some kind, like a sapphire."

    Ranma frowned, unsure, and looked at Ran-oh-ki inquisitively. The creature considered for a minute, then nodded, turning to look across the city intently. "What do we do once I find a blue gem?"

    "Wait until I tell you," Washuu said, waggling a finger at Ranma. "You push yourself too hard."

    Wincing, Ranma teleported again, arriving at Cologne's side in only a heartbeat, starting the scientist as he growled, "See that, Washuu?" He jerked his head towards the bodies that Eric and Mamoru were dragging away to clear a path. "That tells me that I'm not pushing myself hard enough."

    Eric broke away from his duty, pausing to salute Ranma. Ranma ignored the man, offering a weak smile to Hotaru and Cologne before he teleported again, this time to the docks, not far from Yosho. The refugees there were already amassing the bodies of the fallen on their own. "And again here," he said bitterly. "If I had been faster when I was with Kagome and Inu-Yasha, I might have arrived in time to prevent this!"

    "Ranma-san," Ami protested weakly from behind him.

    He ignored her, shifting through space again, and hovering a short distance over a large pit, which Ryouga, Mousse, and another of the Marines were shoving debris into; attempting to make it passable for the refugees. "And here too, I bet," he said, landing and setting Washuu down carefully. "I can never do enough, until I stop _all_ of them."

    Breaking off, he surveyed the crowd, gesturing as he indicated a man laying on the ground to the side, breathing slowly, eyes glazed over, and a bandage across his chest. He ignored Mousse and Ryouga as they called out for him, crouching at the wounded man's side and asking, "What happened to him?" One of the refugees hesitantly explained that a reaver had only scratched him.

    Ranma sighed, biting his lip. "Here," he said, not looking at Washuu, "I can make a difference, if I push myself." He lay his hand on the wounded man's chest, closing his eyes and concentrating. The familiar tingling warmth spread from his hands, leaving him drained. When he opened his eyes, faint wisps of the blue energy rose from the man, who was sleeping easily.

    "Anyone else?" he asked, tottering to his feet, unhappy with how much effort the healing had taken. If it was his true calling, he was awfully weak at using it.

    The crowd gave him nothing but nervous and confused headshakes. Sighing, he turned to look at Washuu, who was staring at her feet, unable to meet his gaze. Ran-oh-ki nuzzled her affectionately, and Ranma belatedly realized that her face was lowered to mask her tears. "Uh... I'm sorry," he said, slumping. "I can't say anything right... ugh, this sucks."

    Ryouga stood behind Washuu, watching Ranma with raised eyebrows. "Hey," he said after a moment. "I see you're back with us, Ranma."

    Nodding, Ranma turned to realize that all of the defenders were watching him expectantly. "Yeah," he said, sighing. "I went to the past and met my ancestors. They gave me this sword." He drew the Tetsusaiga to demonstrate, then sheathed it, shaking his head. "I just hope it's enough. What happened here?"

    Ryouga and Mousse explained, briefly, how they had been attacked, and what it had taken to halt the reaver. The Marine who had been with Ryouga watched Ranma intently, saying something in English, but Ranma was at a loss to understand the man without his second gem. He shot a questioning look to Ryouga, who quickly explained, "He says that he wants you to give him orders."

    "Just tell him to stay here." Ranma turned to Ryu, and raised an eyebrow. "Your arm?" he asked.

    Ryu hesitantly offered his broken arm to Ranma, mumbling, "I owe you too much already."

    "You won't be able to fight at all, injured like that," Ranma countered, throwing more of his power into the healing blue aura that Tsunami had granted him. Ryu winced, as the bones reset themselves and wove back together, and then the cracked ribs followed suit. "Okay, if you need me, I'll probably get a radio from Norris." He turned his attention to Washuu, speaking quietly, "Ran-oh-ki's found something nearby that he thinks will work. Are you ready?"

    She nodded, still not raising her head, and Ranma carefully picked her up, teleporting to the location that Ran-oh-ki had chosen. His partner placed him in the middle of an expensive jewelry story, though the expenditure of energy after all of the healing, left him drained, and he set Washuu down before staggering heavily into a counter. "Damn it!" he swore. "Still not strong enough."

    Eyes bright with unshed tears, Washuu seized Ranma's wrist forcefully. "Ranma, you... you... I understand. But if you push yourself too hard, you'll die! If you don't remember to restrain yourself, you'll burn out, and then what good will you be able to do?" she asked insistently.

    "I... I don't know. I just have to try as hard as I can," he mumbled. "If I don't, more people die, and it's my fault."

    "It's not your fault!" Washuu yelled. "And you can't throw yourself away like that! You have to live, because people care about you!"

    "Who are you talking about?" Ranma growled. "Cologne? Maybe, but she's got her own family, her own people. Atsuko? She's still got... got you. Tsunami... everyone's got someone else without me. So what people are you talking about?"

    "People like me!" Washuu shouted. "Maybe it's selfish, but what about me? You're willing to simply throw your life away, and leave me alone like that?"

    "What about you?" Ranma asked, confused. "You've got Tsunami, Yosho, you've got plenty of people who care about you even if I'm gone!"

    Washuu drew back a hand and slapped Ranma across the face. He grunted, turning with the blow, and remained, facing away, as the scientist growled at him, "Ranma, you can't be..." she trailed off, her voice oddly thick with emotion. "No. I don't care for anyone else the same way. And if you care about _me_ at all, you'll do your damnedest to fight and _survive_. If you get yourself killed, I don't know if I could ever forgive you."

    The silence deepened, the only observer being Ran-oh-ki, who made no move to distract the pair, simply staring at both with saddened eyes.

    At length, Ranma answered, still looking away, "I do care. And because I care, I want to do everything I can to make sure that there's no threat to you. To see that you, Tsunami, Atsuko, Yosho, Cologne, all of my friends, everyone who's fighting with us, all of the refugees... I want everyone to be safe. Because I care. Doing anything less than my best, fighting at anything other than my hardest... that would be me not caring."

    He turned back to meet the scientist's gaze and concluded, "I'm sorry."

    Washuu clenched her fists, glowering at him furiously, but her anger melted away at Ranma's apology, and she simply collapsed into his chest, crying, "I didn't want to do this to you! I never meant to change you like this!"

    Ranma belatedly put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close and running a hand through her hair. "It's not your fault," he said softly. "This is who I am. You didn't change who I was; just what I could do."

    "How do you know that?" Washuu countered bitterly. "How do you know I didn't change the way you thought?"

    "Tsunami showed me," he answered, sighing. "Like I said... this is who I am." Washuu had no response to that, simply continuing to cry into Ranma's chest. After a pause, he added, "I wish I could offer you a handkerchief, but Hotaru is carrying it for me."

    Ran-oh-ki scrambled up to perch on the woman's shoulder, making a low, sad noise in sympathy, and nuzzling her ear affectionately. "Who will you be when this is over?" she asked quietly, much later.

    He flinched at that question. "I... I don't know," he admitted.

    Regaining her composure, the woman stepped away from him, meeting his eyes, and said, "I want to know, and my curiosity as a scientist will not go ignored." She smiled, sniffling slightly, not even noticing as she cradled Ran-oh-ki, patting him with one hand. "Which means that you will live through this, no matter how hard you fight, if I have my way. Understand?"

    Ranma found it within himself to return the smile, and agreed, "Understood. I'll try, Washuu, but I can't promise anything."

    "If you try your hardest, it's as good as a promise to me," the woman declared, all traces of her sadness gone -- or at least hidden away -- for the moment. Turning her attention to the abandoned display cases of gemstones, she changed the subject abruptly, "You could use any stone, but a sapphire, or other blue gem will work better, and much faster."

    Ranma blinked, his train of thought still derailed by the de facto promise that the Washuu had extracted from him. "Uh... right." That they were stealing someone else's jewelry was something Ranma could easily dismiss; if more lives could be spared, then it would be acceptable in his mind.

    ***

    Coming back to her senses at the foot of her other body, the young woman smiled. Her hair pooled about her, fine as silk, until she retained her feet, amused at the awkwardness of adjusting to their new proportions. First things first, though. Which name would she wear?

    Both were hers, in every sense, but... Ranma had called her Tsunami. More than that, some would have difficulty accepting her as merely 'Sasami', now. That much, then was resolved. She would be Tsunami in name, if she were more in truth.

    That dealt with, she pursed her lips thoughtfully. She would need to be careful with what power she used, and when. Washuu too, had been careful, but generally forgot much when Tsunami wasn't there to awaken those memories. That meant that likely, she would forget as much as Washuu had, eventually. Part of the cost, she supposed, though the new... _depth_ of being able to feel... smell... listen... everything was so rewarding, so much more _real_ then it had ever been before... and yet, it was also so unsettlingly familiar.

    "This is what it is to be living," she whispered quietly. "This is what I gift..." The thought eluded her for before she could complete it, and she instead simply said, "Amazing."

    And the sensations, the textures, the feel of Ranma's face beneath her fingertips... She would have to see him again; she wanted to explore that further. And more than simply touching him, the sensation of happiness that his presence instilled in her... the knowledge that he was well made the budding warmth in her chest grow from a gentle glow to a hot spark, suffusing her entire being, and inexplicably making her face redden.

    It took only a moment to remember the stories that she had read on the subject, which all felt so long ago. "Oh, my," she whispered, shaking her head. Carefully, so as not to fall and trip, she took a hesitant step, and reassured, another, swiftly increasing her pace and stepping towards the exit, and the palace proper, and from there...

    ***

    Laruma Genoh fidgeted. Tenchi guessed that next to himself, there hadn't been a more nervous man in all of history. "So," Tenchi asked, in part to break the nervous tension as the pair of them stood in largely deserted Council chamber, and in part because he wasn't clear, "how does this all work?"

    "Ah," Genoh said, calming, and turning to face Tenchi. "It is a simple matter, honestly. The overseer of these events simply measures the contributions of the various candidates and places the markers of the candidates in ranked order on the list. In, ah, theory, the overseer is kept unaware of which marker represents who, so that they are as unbiased as possible, and not susceptible to bribes."

    "I see," Tenchi said quietly. "Who is the candidate, then? And where is Karau?"

    "They... they are one and the same, Tenchi."

    Tenchi stared at the man blankly. "You're setting your younger brother up for a position that important? Genoh... is that really wise? Are you sure he can handle it?" he asked worriedly.

    "You seem to be doing a fine job of running Jurai," Genoh returned. "He is of an age with you. He's been trained well -- I have faith in him."

    Conceding the point, Tenchi bowed his head. "Of course. Well, let's hope, then."

    Ayeka straightened from her study of a book she had brought with her, and uneasily managed, "They should be done soon, Tenchi. It is unlikely that overly much will have changed -- I cannot imagine that they have foreseen your actions." She wrung her hands nervously, then adding, "I... I expect we will be receiving a great many calls from our cousins..."

    "Oh?" Tenchi asked, furrowing his brows. "They lived near Okayama... do you think they made it?"

    "Ah... perhaps, Tenchi," Ayeka said. "But I was speaking of our cousins here. Jakugo, for example -- many of our cousins are on the Council, as well. You... you also risk damaging relations with them when you act as you do."

    "From what you've told me," Tenchi remarked sadly, "I can't afford to spare them. They're just as much a part of the problem anyway."

    "But... But Tenchi, they are family!" Ayeka protested weakly. "They are noble, more so than perhaps some of the other families. The Masaki are..." Trailing off, she swallowed, and asked in a timid voice, "Tenchi-sama... am I unable to see things that you and... Genoh-san... are able to more clearly?"

    Ryouko, having simply watched the entire exchange in silence to that point, interceded before Tenchi or Genoh could answer. "Ayeka," she said frankly. "It's almost impossible to see the problems from inside."

    "How would you know?" Ayeka snapped back, while Tenchi and Genoh watched on. "You were a space pirate, you destroyed planets! How was that an improvement, and what makes you a better person than me in _any_ sense?"

    Ryouko snorted, rising to her feet and waggling a finger at Ayeka. "You're just mad because Tenchi likes me better! And it wasn't my fault that I blew up those planets -- I was under Kagato's control. I had to be _dead_ for seven hundred years to really learn anything. Maybe _you_ should try being dead for a while, eh?" So saying, she summoned a ball of glowing red energy to her hand, tightening a fist about it as it adjusted shape suddenly into a sword.

    Ayeka raised her hands, scowling, and called her small guardians to her, crackling with electricity. "And _I_ think you've been let run around long enough!" she snapped back. "I'll have you thrown into--"

    She cut off suddenly, dropping her hands to her sides as Tenchi strode between them, and shot them both very disappointed looks. "Is this how it's going to be?" he asked bitterly. "I'm supposed to run this Empire -- I have a meeting with Seiryo tomorrow, because he feels slighted about not being able to duel me properly last time, and his people are threatening to set up an embargo against us on behalf of his honor. I have about a dozen more meetings with local nobles about who-all-knows what. I've been working very hard to try and get this whole 'Emperor' thing to work, because on top of what all looks like it's pretty normal work for an emperor, I've got a major crisis on my hands.

    "I'm dealing with a system of law that's considered barbaric and crude by the standards of my own home planet, surrounded by people who despise me because I'm not a 'purebred Juraian' -- I've heard them whispering, Ayeka -- and on top of all this I have to deal with the constant fact that I'm not helping Earth as much as I'd like!

    "My grandfather is there, fighting. From what I can guess, my father is already dead, and who knows _how_ many more people are dying every minute I spend here when I could be doing more to help them." He paused for breath, then turned to Ayeka, some of the anger fading from his gaze. "I, Masaki Tenchi, love you, Ayeka." She flushed crimson, and he turned to look at Ryouko, who merely blinked in stunned confusion. "And I love you too, Ryouko. The both of you are wonderful people most of the time.

    "However," he said, his gaze becoming harder again, "I, as the Emperor of Jurai, simply cannot have you two around if you're going to be like this. Ayeka, you're too rigid and inflexible when it comes what Jurai is and what I think needs to be changed. Ryouko, you're far too eager to antagonize Ayeka."

    The two women stared at him in dismay, Ayeka's guardians vanishing into the air, as did Ryouko's sword. Genoh pointedly studied a mural of Tsunami, patently not watching the discussion. "When I was just... just an average teenager," Tenchi continued, mumbling, "and I didn't have to worry about much more than fixing whatever you blew up and getting Ryo-oh-ki carrots... When it was simple, then I could hope that you... Oh, man. Ryouko, you're over seven hundred years old. Ayeka, you're _royalty_. Is it too much to ask for that either of you be a little more... mature?

    "I don't want to sound cold and impartial, but... if you two can't grow up a little, then this is just plain never going to work!" Ayeka and Ryouko flinched in tandem. "And I want things to work, because I don't think I can do this alone. And even if I can... I really don't want to. Things were going so great for the last few days... what's happened, anyway?"

    Ayeka stammered, her sense lost in the rush of Tenchi's speech. "I'm sorry?" she squeaked out apologetically. "I... It's been very strange," the woman admitted. "You're trying to change so much, and so much is different... I just feel lost, and... I don't know what to do."

    Ryouko chewed her lower lip, glancing between Tenchi and Ayeka, then hesitantly adding, "I'm sorry too."

    Ayeka shook her head, sighing, and rubbing at her temples wearily. "The fault is entirely my own," she insisted. "I should not have vented at you, simply because of the pressure I-- rather, that is, the pressure that we've all been under."

    "That's right," Tenchi affirmed, smiling gratefully. "Now, we can manage this all together, right? So why don't you two kiss and make up?"

    Ryouko and Ayeka blanched, turning to stare at Tenchi in surprise, while Genoh sputtered quietly, and mumbled an excuse, hurrying towards the door. "Er... wait," Tenchi said, slapping himself on the forehead. "That's an expression! It means apologize to each other, and try and get along better. It doesn't actually mean... ugh. Just when I thought I had a handle on this whole 'public speaking' thing..."

    The two women shared a glance, then turned back to look at Tenchi, head hanging in dismay, and Genoh, paused near the doorway and casting an eye towards them apprehensively, before bursting into simultaneous peals of laughter.

    ***

    "Can you keep on fighting?" Norris asked, using Ranma's own Japanese for the moment.

    Ranma answered tiredly, her voice slurred with strain and effort, though it no longer had the English echo that had once accompanied it, "Yeah. Ran-oh-ki says they're just waiting for now. They want to plan something else big."

    Norris nodded slowly at the young defender, sitting between Washuu and Nuku. Nuku was leaning against Ranma, seemingly content to pin the smaller girl against the tree she was resting against. Washuu sat nearby, emerald-green eyes occasionally flashing with some unknown emotion. "What are they doing?"

    Ranma's hand rose slowly, dropping to rest heavily on the small creature in her lap and rub it's ears. "Dunno," she said, yawning. "I'm storing power. I need to rest. The rat will wake me if something important comes up."

    Washuu frowned unhappily, then turned her attention to Norris. "Do you have any food?" she asked plaintively. "Something nutritious would allow Ranma to reclaim a little more energy."

    "Uh... Patterson?" Norris called, switching back to English.

    The less senior officer raised an eyebrow at Norris's words, asking, "Yes, Commodore?"

    "Find some rations for Ranma -- a good soldier fights better when he's got something to run on."

    "Understood." Patterson nodded politely to Ranma, saluted Norris, and marched away, while Ranma watched through slowly closing eyelids, staring at the column of people still running through the Gate. Norris knew it would take hours for everyone to complete the journey, but it was still satisfying to know that each second, that many more people would be safe.

    It was a pity, in his estimation, that so much reliance needed to be placed on specific people, rather than just his own soldiers, but it was far, far better than waiting in a harbor to eventually die at the hands of the reavers. "I miss my ship," he commented to no one in particular. "I suppose I'll never see it again."

    Ranma mumbled something, and Washuu repeated Norris's words in Japanese for the girl. After a moment, Washuu sighed at something Ranma said, and offered, "Mr. Norris -- Ran-oh-ki ate your ship. Ranma says he's sorry."

    "He ate a boomer?" Norris asked, eyes growing large. "I'll admit, he's got good senses if he can tell where the reavers are, but isn't that a little... well... high maintenance?"

    "He's just getting ready to change," Washuu assured him. "He, unlike Ryo-oh-ki, didn't have the mass of a previous ship to absorb, so he's go to collect his own."

    "How much can he possibly need?" Norris muttered. "An entire ship... he ate a nuclear submarine!"

    "Oh, no, he didn't eat a whole submarine," Washuu said, prompting Norris to relax. "He ate the entire Kitty Hawk. Well, the inside, anyway."

    "We're not having this conversation," the military man stated. "Creatures that size do not eat several hundred thousand tons of ship."

    Washuu managed a weak smile at that, glancing at Ranma as the girl drifted into sleep, leaning back into Nuku as the girl nuzzled his cheek contentedly. "As you wish, Mr. Norris."

    He glanced up, frowning, as a plane passed overhead, jets roaring faintly in the distance. "Interesting," he remarked, instantly abandoning thoughts of Ranma's pet, and turning to the radio. "I'm going to try and get in touch with that pilot," Norris informed Washuu. "Please be sure that Ranma is battle-ready, should the need arise."

    The woman's smile faded, and she nodded unhappily, turning to watch the small redhead while she slept.

    ***

    Tsunami made it into the Council chamber undaunted, using the back entrance, since she had nothing to worry about of the formal requirements. She had expected to find the Council -- and Tenchi -- amid a heated debate on something or another. The few servants she had managed to question in the palace treated her with confused awe, and only managed to inform her that Tenchi was in Council. No doubt their reactions were changed due to her altered appearance, but she tried not to let that bother her.

    What greeted her when she opened the large doors to the Council chamber, however, was not the scene she had expected. Standing together, Ryouko and Ayeka were laughing in such a fit that they had to cling to one another for support, while Tenchi managed a wry chortle, scratching the back of his head nervously. Behind him, near the chamber's main door, another man watched over the scene with an incredulously confused expression.

    Which posed a new problem. Tsunami pursed her lips thoughtfully, remaining unobserved for the moment. What to call the women? More likely than not, 'neechan' would not be acceptable to them, but 'san' would probably be too formal, and she had no desire to put more distance between them then already existed. Perhaps... "Hello, Ryouko-chan, Ayeka-chan," she said hopefully.

    The laughter dwindled to a trickle, though both women remained grinning as they turned to regard her, smiles shifting into expressions of surprise and confusion. "Sa... Er... Tsunami?" Ayeka hazarded. "You look... different."

    Ryouko nodded, glancing fearfully at Tenchi, then back at Tsunami. The girl could easily make out the raw fear and panic that lay within Ryouko's amber eyes. She heaved an internal sigh; still, the woman was afraid that she would steal Tenchi away. Not, Tsunami supposed, that she could entirely fault her. The prospect of losing someone that was held dear was difficult to bear. Knowing full well that she had lost Tenchi in many of the important senses, it was difficult to keep jealousy in check, but the moment of irritation passed with the memory of what else she had found.

    "Thank you," she said quietly, smiling. "I feel very different too... and much better for it. What's going on?"

    Tenchi coughed, bowing politely. Tsunami could see much of the familiar care and worry in his eyes that he had borne for Sasami, but that was slight in comparison to the awe and fear he held for Tsunami. The old Tsunami, she corrected herself. A pity, truly, but what was done, was done. "We were... ah, worried about you, Tsunami. Is... where is Sasami?" the boy asked tremulously.

    "Sasami is me, and I am also Tsunami," she sighed, staring at her hands in fascination. "We're... one person now. It's hard to remember being two people, now. I know that I was, but it all seems like a strange fantasy, the longer I think about it. But I am well, so thanks for asking about me." She smiled at him, offering a shrug as she dropped her hands and raised her head.

    He nodded slowly, and turned to the man behind him, who was watching her with a good deal of fascination. "This is Laruma Genoh," Tenchi said, gesturing. "He's, ah, a friend, and his younger brother is trying to get a position on the Council. That's what we're doing here. It's... um... good to meet you. I mean, uh, see that you're well."

    Tsunami laughed lightly at that, shaking her head. "I suppose it will be difficult for everyone to adjust," she commented wryly. Inclining her head to Genoh, she said, "It's nice to meet you, Genoh-san. Vidarr tells me that you take very good care of him."

    The man's eyes widened, and he broke into a good-natured smile. "I'm happy to do right by him," he said, beaming with joy. "He, Freya-oh, and Gaeron-oh are the pride of the Laruma -- the only second generation ships that we have the privilege of tending."

    Unable to resist, Tsunami grinned. "Yes," she said, pleased, "the Laruma have a history of caring for their trees like no other." Genoh, at least, was different. Perhaps most of the Laruma were, but then, they viewed her differently, being somewhere outside of the proper caste system.

    Tenchi shook his head, asking Ayeka, "How much longer do we have before they finish arguing their way through the electoral process?"

    "Ah... it should be within a few minutes, Tenchi," she said. She bit her lip, regarding Tsunami uncertainly, then shook her head, giving the girl a timid smile. Tsunami held a feeling of sudden relief in check, pleased that some, if not all could be salvaged.

    "Well," he said, glancing at Genoh, "let's see, then, shall we? Karau could probably use your support."

    "Perhaps," Genoh hedged, his smile lessening. "But I think giving him my support now would make him think that I didn't trust in his ability, were I to watch."

    "Then I suppose we can only wait, and hope for good news," Tenchi concluded, sighing.

    ***

    "Don Hai."

    A man, dressed smartly in his military uniform raised his head from his contemplation of a warm cup of tea. "Hmm?" he murmured to the young subordinate who had called his name. He blinked, owlish and lazy eyes roaming about his lavishly decorated office. "What's that?"

    The younger man flinched reflexively, not quite stepping backwards, but looking as if he very much wished to do so. "As the plan has stated... there is activity in Shanghai," he managed, voice quavering.

    "The enemy?" Don Hai asked quietly.

    "Yes, Sir... and..." he trailed off, fidgeting.

    "And?" Don Hai asked in the same quiet voice, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

    Swallowing, the young man blurted out, "And there are Japanese with them, and American warships in the harbor -- one of them was destroyed, but we're not certain how yet."

    "Hmm," Don Hai mused, sipping at his tea, and staring into its depths for a long, silent minute. "Well," he said, once he had pored over the drink long enough, "if the enemy is there, tell the Americans they have five minutes to leave the city, and see that Shanghai is leveled."

    "Sir?" the man asked, his knees shaking. "Are... are... are you sure about that?"

    "Yes," Don Hai drawled, rising slowly, and staring down at the younger officer. "Though I think I will manage the radio myself. You are dismissed for the day."

    Striding purposefully from his office, he fished a small key from his pocket, and approached the radio booth, pushing an operator out of the way, and eyeing the instrumentation. "Will this let me speak with the Japanese?" he asked the operator where he had fallen. The man gave a quick, frightened nod.

    Don Hai smiled, and placed his key in a small keyhole, rotating it with a sharp twist. Turning to the radio operator, he noted, "You know what to do." The operator scrambled to the next instrumentation panel, and hurriedly notified the correct people that the target was Shanghai.

    Ignoring the operator for the moment, Don Hai picked up the radio, using their own English for the benefit of the Americans who should be at the other end of the line, "Hello, Americans."

    ***

    Norris sighed in relief -- he was rather beginning to suspect that whoever was in control of the plane was not going to give them an answer at all. "Hello, China," he answered, wishing he knew Chinese. "This is Commodore Norris, current CINCPAC." He left off there, not entirely sure what the most diplomatic statement to make would be.

    Probably not telling them about the efficient looting his men were performing on Shanghai's stores and parking lots.

    "Hello, Mr. Norris, I am Don Hai," came the response, accented only thinly. "I have no title to share with you, merely a warning. Evacuate the city now, it will be gone in fifteen minutes."

    Norris's jaw dropped, and he swore, restraining himself enough to not throw the radio to the ground. Switching to a local band, but leaving Don Hai's open, he asked, "Emry, have you completed setting up the short-range radar, over?"

    Emry responded quickly, his team having climbed to the top of one of the high-rise buildings with portable sensory gear, "Affirmative, Commodore, we've just completed setting everything up, over."

    "Do we have anything incoming, over?" Norris asked tensely.

    "Ah... we have... oh, holy mother of fu-- Sir we've got SRBM's incoming, over."

    "How many!" Norris yelled.

    "Uh... more than forty, Sir, over."

    Norris dropped his head into his hands, swearing creatively for a long minute.

    "Sir? Orders, Sir, over?"

    "Wait where you are," Norris snapped. "Give me an ETA on those incoming, over."

    "Ah... less than ten minutes, Sir, over."

    Norris turned to Washuu, who stared at him in confusion. "What's going on?" she asked.

    "Washuu, do you have something that can stop SRBMs?"

    "Stop what?" the scientist asked, confused.

    "Short Range Ballistic Missiles," Norris said quickly. "China decided to nuke the city to take out as many reavers as they could, as far as I can tell. It looks like they consider us acceptable losses. Do you have anything that could help us?"

    "Nuclear missiles?" Washuu asked apprehensively.

    "Yes. Anything you have that can help us at all?"

    The scientist licked her lips, turning her attention to Ranma, who still slept. "I... if... Ranma can't summon the wings of the Light Hawk. If he could, he could shield the city, but... I don't have anything... wait, how much time do we have?"

    "Less than ten minutes," Norris snapped. "We have rolling airframe missile launchers back at the Kitty Hawk, maybe you could build some sort of interceptor out of that?"

    "In ten minutes? No! I can't..." She shook her head, swearing loudly, and startling Ranma awake. "I can't believe it!" she yelled. "We get this far only to be shot down by _other_ _humans_? This is ridiculous! There's got to be something... maybe one of the other defenders..."

    "What's going on?" Ranma asked sleepily. "Are we under... Ran-oh-ki says there are no reavers... but a lot of small things flying towards us."

    "Those are nuclear missiles," Norris informed her blandly. "And I'm sure you know how long it's going to take them to get here."

    Ranma was on her feet in a second, dislodging Nuku as she bolted upright, seething and furious. Norris had seen Ranma in a completely uncontrolled and nearly feral state, but that didn't compare to the raw, boiling furnace of anger that she had become instantly. "Who the hell did it," she hissed, shifting form and becoming male again, one hand on his sword hilt. "Who sent these at us?"

    Norris glanced at the radio, then licked his lips nervously. "Let me see if I can get him, maybe I can talk him down -- Don Hai, this is Commodore Norris, are you there?"

    "Yes," Don Hai said mildly after a moment. "But you really should move, Mr. Norris. You don't have much time."

    "Look, Don Hai, we need you to stop the missiles, I..." he trailed off, as Ranma carelessly tossed Ran-oh-ki to Nuku, and vanished, leaving a swirl of dust behind.

    Ranma returned a half-second later, bearing a large man in a crisply cleaned Chinese military uniform with him, held aloft by Ranma's grip on his throat. The boy threw the man to the stone at Norris's feet hard enough to crack the tile, and growled, "If you don't stop them, then you die too."

    The man, larger than Norris's expectation writhed on the ground, moaning weakly in agony from where he had been thrown. His fine uniform was dirtied by the dust on the ground, and flakes of the cracked stone had flown into his hair. "Can't," he choked out, managing to glare at Ranma spitefully. "Can't make me; they won't stop them anyway."

    Ranma glared at the man, then turned to Norris, asking, "What did he say?"

    Norris dutifully translated the message, and Ranma responded by drawing his sword, placing the tip of the massive blade at Don Hai's throat. "Stop them!" he insisted furiously, blade quivering in his grip with his anger.

    Kneeling to be on the level with Don Hai, who still lay in writhing agony, Norris explained, "This boy will kill you if you do not stop those missiles. I can't control him. You _have_ to stop the missiles."

    "Too late," Don Hai answered defiantly. "They cannot be stopped now."

    Norris allowed his shoulders to slump in defeat. Less than ten minutes left, now. "He can't stop it, Ranma," he mumbled. "Grab your daughter, and Washuu, and run while you can. You can get out of range."

    "I'm not leaving," Ranma snapped, glaring hatefully at Don Hai, who merely sneered at Ranma, unimpressed. "There's got to be a way to solve this!"

    ***

    Council had only convened long enough to establish whom the newly elected, and newly reelected Councilmen were. Tenchi was completely unable to hide his satisfaction at seeing Karau at the table, as proud and nervous as the boy was to be there, but none could question it, with Tsunami watching the proceedings and clearly approving.

    Once everyone had stated their names for the record, Council had disbanded, the affair largely dealt with.

    Tenchi promptly invited Karau and Genoh to dinner at the palace. "After all," he had said, "things are finally looking up!"

    [End, Process of Elimination chapter Nine.]

    ---------------------------------------------
    Author's Notes:

    Thanks to Slacker, Bjorn, Ginrai, MageOhki, Alex Raven, and William Dix for pre-reading.





    Good Mozilla!