Process of Elimination -- Chapter Fourteen -- 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
of course, Tatsuya Egawa (Goldenboy). The easel is mine. That's all.
Archival notes: Do not archive.
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.
-----------------------------
Some hours distant from the Juraian homeworld, alone on his ship, Yohito
offered a quiet prayer on the bridge of Saryu-oh. The Ouke-no-ki sent
him vague reassurances that all would be well, and he shrugged
uncomfortably, fingering the key about his neck.
"Tell me when you establish a connection with Vidarr, and please bring it
onscreen," he said, breaking the silence, and glancing about the bridge.
The wooden deck was thirty meters across, and extended another fifteen
meters behind him. It stood at the front of the ship, and offered a view
of the onboard gardens that even Juraian warships bore.
He spared a moment to wonder if the Laruma cared as much for greenery
before banishing the thought and focusing on his brother. If Kohito had
survived, then his condition would likely be kept secret -- they knew it
was sabotage, so it was merely a question of who was responsible.
The only people aboard the ship at the time were either Tatsuki or
Masaki. The Masaki had no reason to commit such an act of treachery,
given that one of them held the throne. Yohito found the idea of another
Tatsuki trying to kill his younger brother completely foreign, and that
led him to believe that one way or another the matter was far more
complex than he had wanted to consider.
Obviously someone had done it, and it was someone who would have had
access to Kohito's ship -- likely someone on board, though who would be
willing to destroy the ship they were on and put themselves into as much
danger as they had begged even more questions. What reason was there for
someone to do such a thing?
It baffled him, and he readily admitted that he was better suited for
things military than subtle investigation. But at the same time, his
brother's welfare was a ready concern for him. His ruminations were
interrupted as a communications screen popped up, Genoh standing on the
bridge of Vidarr, a crew of Laruma tending the consoles behind him.
"Tatsuki-san?" Genoh said curiously. "What are you doing out here?"
"Looking for you," Yohito replied without preamble. "The Emperor sent me
to join with you and hasten Ginraii's arrival on Earth."
Genoh furrowed his brow suspiciously, and said nothing for a long moment.
Shaking his head and sighing, he asked, "You're talking about-- How do
you know about that?"
"Your younger brother told me, Laruma-san, and I've given my word of
honor." Genoh seemed unconvinced, and Yohito hastily added, "I'm
requesting permission to join with you, Laruma-san -- while I have
obligations with my ship to Jurai, and the Emperor, I would willingly
volunteer my craft to Ginraii for the duration of this mission."
Blinking in astonishment, Genoh bowed his head. "I accept. Join with us
at the coordinates I'll relay to you -- Freya-oh is already at the
rendezvous point."
Glancing over the coordinates as they scrolled across another display,
Yohito nodded. "I should reach that point in about three minutes -- I
don't see any sign of the other ships, though, Laruma-san."
Genoh smiled softly, and shook his head. "Just wait there, Tatsuki."
Nodding, Yohito clasped his hands behind his back, and bided his time.
The crewmen behind Vidarr's captain busied themselves with various
tasks, Genoh himself occupied with some calculation or another. After a
long minute, Saryu-oh's sensors reported the approach of another ship,
and all systems halted.
Another screen activated at his unspoken request, displaying the other
ship as it approached. Saryu-oh sent a notice to Yohito -- establishing
a connection between the Ouke-no-ki for the mission. Yohito tried not to
pay too close attention to the tree's chatter, though he was aware of it.
"Okay," Genoh said suddenly, Vidarr drawing closer to Saryu-oh before the
ship was halted. "We'll fold from here, and then join up with the rest
of the fleet -- once we start moving, you'll be on the lowest point of
orientation from our current plane. Do you understand?"
"Not entirely," Yohito admitted. "I've never tried to sail through
subspace before."
Genoh smirked, as crackling blue energy began to engulf his ship, flaring
out from the edges and forming a blazing nimbus. "It's not that
dangerous -- trust your Ouke-no-ki. He trusts you."
Yohito nodded, allowing Saryu-oh to take control, as the telltale blue
surges built up about his own ship. "Anything else I should know?" he
asked nervously.
"Be prepared for the mother of all headaches in the morning," Genoh
warned. The crackling blue force became tinted with white, thick strands
of corded power occasionally licking between the two ships. "Here goes--"
Yohito bit his tongue as a sudden wave of nausea swept through him,
nearly staggering him to the wooden deck. "Ugh," he groaned, suddenly
woozy. "What just happened?"
"Shift in the current," Genoh said over the connection, somehow clearer
than it had been only a minute before. "Bad timing, but good luck, all
things considered. Welcome to subspace, Tatsuki-san. Have a look around."
Shaking his head to clear it, Yohito raised his eyes to the viewscreens,
blinking in confusion. The display showed only the jumbled chaotic blue
light and madly swirling eddies of the stuff that subspace was made of.
"I don't... Saryu-oh, sensors," he mumbled.
The ship seemed to hum in contentment, sensors whirring to life and
scanning actively. The active scan returned the location of a ship
nearby, lost in the swirling ether to visibility. Vidarr, of course,
though the link had already established its location. Sweeping deeper
into the void yielded another location, and another ship... and
another... and another.
Blinking, Yohito shook his head, and stared in stark confusion at the
readouts in front of him. "Laruma-san, I... I don't understand -- how
can you have this many ships? Surely the Amatera ships haven't lasted
until today!" he exclaimed, as the numbers and positions continued to
add up, now in the low hundreds.
"We tend our trees well, and in exchange, they give us more seeds," Genoh
said, smirking. "We're only blessed with three from Tsunami herself --
Vidarr, here, Freya-oh, also here, and Gaeron-oh, in the Masagiri
system. All of the other ships here are fourth and lower generation --
all of them combined can form only a single Light Hawk Wing."
"Ye gods," Yohito breathed, the numbers still counting up. "How... how
have you managed to get so many ships and all of Jurai not know of it?
If...." He trailed off, biting his lip and remaining silent.
"How? Jurai doesn't care to watch us, most often, Tatsuki-san. We're
scum, and ignoble porters. They're content to ignore us and pretend
we're a problem far removed from their world." He frowned across the
screen, and crossed his arms over his chest. "And I know what you're
asking -- why don't we stage a revolt, hmm?"
Yohito nodded nervously, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.
"It would displease Tsunami." Genoh smirked, shaking his head. "I'd like
to speak with you on this later, Tatsuki-san, I'm sure you've learned a
lot more than you've expected, but we need to get into position. Rear
scouts have reported that a surge is headed towards us, and we need the
sail in position to catch it."
"Understood," Yohito mumbled, allowing Saryu-oh to follow Vidarr's
instructions. His ship rolled through the ether, coming to a rest on the
periphery of the fleet, his 'upward' orientation facing the center of
the array.
Slowly, with Saryu-oh's aid, the plan became clear -- the ships were in a
formation like a dish, the three main ships -- Saryu-oh, Freya-oh, and
Vidarr arrayed at three opposing points. Each of their ships, he knew,
could summon three Light Hawk Wings, and the remainder of the fleet
would summon an additional Light Hawk Wing, though he wasn't certain how
they would fit together.
"Tatsuki-san," Genoh warned, "this requires some precision. Saryu-oh has
shown you the pattern you need to use, right?"
"I believe so," Yohito said, faltering. "I don't see how it works, but I
know what I am to do."
"Good enough. We'll to it in five seconds. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Okay. Freya-oh will lead off and pass to me -- you pick up, and then the
rest of Ginraii follows suit on zero. You go on one. Five."
Felt, more than seen, the Light Hawk Wings expanded from Freya-oh, the
anchor-point set before the center of the fleet.
"Four."
The wings began to expand clockwise slowly, filling only a third of the
circular formation that Yohito was more familiar with from his military
operations.
"Three," Genoh said, his voice wavering slightly.
Vidarr began generating another trio of Light Hawk Wings, the
anchor-point meshed firmly against Freya-oh's.
"Two."
The wings expanded, filling another third of the circle that Yohito
anticipated. He frowned, seeing a hole in the center of the formation,
but Saryu-oh indicated that it needed to be there, and it was almost
time for him to--
"One, Tatsuki-san," Genoh said, his voice strained with worry.
Shoving aside his concerns, Yohito summoned the Light Hawk Wings,
Saryu-oh nearly overwhelming his senses with the sudden surge of power
that fed into the ship from the space about them. The Light Hawk Wings
merged with the Wings that Vidarr had projected, and swiftly proceeded
to close the distance between them and Freya-oh's.
"Zero -- Ginraii, go!" Genoh barked.
Blinking, Yohito watched as the remaining ships combined all their power,
their Ouke-no-ki forming a single wing before the not-yet bridged gap
between Freya-oh and Saryu-oh's ship. Though much, much smaller, the
single wing expanded counter-clockwise, filling in the small circular
gap in the center of the sail and overlapping it by a good distance.
"Huh," Yohito breathed, impressed with the management of the operation.
Utilizing the full ten Wings of the Light Hawk allowed them to mass more
surface area than a single Wing would allow, and that meant more pull
from the subspace currents.
"All hands, brace for impact," Genoh warned, offering Yohito another of
his smirks.
"Impact?" Yohito asked dumbly, one hand reflexively dropping to clutch at
a rail on one side of the central console. Any reply Genoh might have
given was cut off in the sudden rush of the oncoming energy surge,
focused on the sail, hauling the fleet along with it.
Saryu-oh's request was met with approval, as the entire sail-structure
folded slightly, the interior bulging inwards and leaving it to resemble
a cone with hundreds of trailing Juraian -- no, Yohito corrected himself
-- Ginraii ships streaking across subspace. "How... how fast are we
going?" he managed, maintaining his balance only through his grip on the
rail.
Genoh slumped over his console, clutching a rail of his own in the
viewscreen, but grinning widely. "Take the distance between Jurai and
Earth, and divide it by the ten... nine and a half hours it will take us
to get there," he offered. "For what that's worth."
Yohito was unable to completely resist the sense of euphoria that flooded
him from Saryu-oh, as the ship drank of subspace's power. "I see," he
managed. "This is certainly new!"
***
Washuu stood between two of the huts in the twilight, light from a large
fire in the center of the village dancing across her field of vision.
Her shadow flickered and wavered before her, and a few smaller fires on
the side of a nearby hill twinkled like distant stars, outlining a path
upwards. She offered the hill a faint smile before schooling her
expression, and crossing her arms over her chest.
A surge passed through the night air, a familiar, tingling presence, and
then Ranma floated before her, Herb clinging to his back and peering
over Ranma's shoulder cautiously. Ranma lowered to the ground,
unsettled, and the Musk prince dropped to his side, coughing slightly,
and not meeting Washuu's eyes directly. "I must speak with my men,
Ranma," he said apologetically. A hard glint shined in his eyes as he
turned away, adding, "I see from the fact that the village is still
standing that they've managed to restrain themselves."
Ranma snorted, and nodded at Herb, who bowed slightly before marching
into the darkness.
Washuu cleared her throat, eyeing Ranma with one eyebrow arched upward.
"This is about the fire, right?" Ranma asked, scratching the back of his
head nervously.
Washuu said nothing, merely watching Ranma.
"Uh, we didn't blow the mountain up, or anything," he protested,
fidgeting uncomfortably. "It was just... uh... oh, shoot. You're mad at
me, aren't you?"
He said it as though he weren't certain how to deal with the concept.
"No," Washuu said, shaking her head, and uncrossing her arms. "But I was
very worried. I trust you, Ranma." She smirked slightly, reaching a hand
out and resting it on Ranma's shoulder. "You should know that; I didn't
even think of trying to stop you when you went to save Tsunami."
"Oh," Ranma breathed, relaxing very slightly. "Um, so, Saffron's people
will be here in a bit. Is the Gate ready?"
"Yes," Washuu said, releasing his shoulder, and shaking her head.
"Anyway, before we take you up the hill tonight, you should have
something to eat -- unless I miss my mark, you haven't eaten in far too
long."
"Oh, great, more rations," Ranma grumbled, absently lowering one hand.
Ran-oh-ki scuttled from the darkness behind one of the huts and leapt
into the outstretched limb, climbing to Ranma's shoulder. "Can't wait to
get more of those."
Washuu grinned as the gurgling of Ranma's stomach betrayed him. "Tsunami
made it for you,," she assured him.
"Oh," Ranma said, brightening instantly. "That's different. What do we
need to do on the hill later?"
"Cologne said that there was a ceremony that she wanted you to go through
-- she's agreed to let Tsunami and I take care of it." Washuu beckoned
Ranma to follow her, and began walking towards one of the lodges.
"Ceremony?" Ranma asked, balking.
"Just something Cologne asked to be done -- it's something that all
warriors are supposed to go through among her people. Don't worry, it's
not dangerous. Tsunami and I were filled in on the particulars."
"Okay, then," Ranma said, relaxing. "I guess that means it'll be fine."
***
Lounging on a bench before the kitchen in one of the larger lodges of the
village, Nuku listened to the sounds coming from within. Last time that
there had been cooking going on, she had asked to be a part of it, but
this time she felt more like sitting it out. Something about flying with
Ran-oh-ki left her feeling temporarily drained.
Tsunami's gentle instruction explained things to Hotaru, as the two set
about turning ingredients into food, and a few other cooks in the large
room added their own comments and idle chatter. Nuku tuned it out, for
the most part, save to record something that the two discussed about
Ranma. She could review it later, but for the present, it was warm, and
she felt like a nice nap.
She hung in that pleasant space between sleeping and wakefulness,
enjoying the warmth, the contented chatter, and the other small things
that reminded her of the times that she occasionally experienced before
meeting Ryunosuke. But those thoughts reminded her too much of what
she'd lost, and she sat up suddenly, rubbing at her eyes and staring
around, sensors extending to report what her eyes couldn't make out
immediately in the darkness.
A fair sized group of Marines sat at one of the tables, conversing in low
voices, and another table housed a group of Amazons, eyeing the Marines
speculatively from time to time before sinking back into their quiet
huddle. There was no sign of the Musk, and the only Marine she
recognized was Pavel, who seemed somewhat removed from the antics of the
other men.
Yawning, she retracted her sensors, reaching her arms into the air and
stretching. "Where's Ranma-papa-san?" she mused aloud.
Tsunami answered her, ducking through the kitchen door and bearing a
small tray, "Ah, don't worry, Atsuko-chan, Washuu-chan said that he
would be back soon."
Cocking her head to one side, Nuku watched the young woman carefully set
her tray one an empty table, and smiled encouragingly at her. "Okay,"
she said sleepily. "I hope he gets here soon, I'm tired."
One of the outer doors for the large hall swung inward at that moment,
Washuu striding in, and trailed closely by Ranma. Bouncing to her feet,
Nuku leapt across the tables, narrowly clearing the Marines, and tackled
the boy. "Ranma-papa-san!" she caroled gleefully. "You're back!"
Staggered back, Ranma caught her, and gave her a lopsided smile. "Heya,
Atsuko," he grunted, setting her down. "I wasn't gone for long, was I?"
"I guess not," she admitted quietly, releasing Ranma, only to swivel and
hug Washuu tightly. "I missed you too, Washuu-mama-san!"
"Ack!" the taller redhead winced slightly, prying Nuku's arms from about
her. "Careful, there, Atsuko. We're not all as tough as Ranma, you know."
Nuku pouted, but settled for a gentler hug.
"And I was only gone for a few minutes, anyway," Washuu added after a
moment, patting Nuku on the back comfortingly. "Still, we have a busy
day tomorrow, so let's get something to eat, hmm?"
"Sounds good to me," Ranma commented, nodding at all of the Marines, as
they watched him intently. "Um. Hey." The Marines all nodded back at
him, slowly turning their attention back to bowls of soup and small
loaves of bread. Spying Tsunami, he smiled brightly, and crossed the room.
Tsunami waited demurely next to the tray that had been set out for Ranma,
until he approached. "Uh, hi," he said quietly, scratching the back of
his head. "So, what's this ceremony thing tonight about?"
***
Though the light of the setting sun had faded, Rei stood behind one of
the numerous lodges about the center of the Amazon village, Makoto's
sword in her hands, and held offensively.
One of the Amazon women -- Pei-Lin -- stood at her side, studying her
stance. The blue-haired woman looked to be in her late twenties, but
carried her swords carefully enough to suggest that she had studied them
from her infancy. "Is good enough," she said after a moment, shaking her
head. "You... used to longer weapon, maybe, not used to sword that you
have?"
"I think so," Rei said quietly, sheathing the blade and allowing it to
vanish. "I seem to remember a sword... it was longer, and heavier." She
shook her head, sighing. "I'm sorry. Does this mean you can't teach me
how to use the one I have?"
Pei-Lin shook her head, brushing a few strands of blue hair from her
eyes. "Teach you, yes." Rei's eyes widened hopefully, and Pei-Lin shook
her head again. "Learning.... You already know. Learn different, days,
weeks, maybe months. Not hours. You fight tomorrow. Fight as you do.
Learning different now will not help." She offered a sympathetic smile,
hands resting on the hilts to her twin blades, sheathed at her side.
"I understand," Rei said, slightly deflated. Still, if the Amazon warrior
woman said she was good enough, that was something. But....
"Pei-Lin-san, can you tell me how your swords were able to hurt the
reavers?"
Pei-Lin arched an eyebrow suddenly, prompting another blue lock of hair
to spill across her eyes. She brushed it away absently, and said, "Is
great Joketsuzoku secret." After a moment of silence, she smiled, and
said, "Is gift from elder for being great warrior. Use the power of
love... live? Not sure of that word. Use that power in blades."
"And the other women's weapons, too?" she asked, confused.
"Kura-Wan, no. She have great skill. She believe weapon is special, but
it is her, not spear," Pei-Lin responded, eyes distant as she gazed at
the stars. "Kura-Wan believe she lead us because her weapon is greater
than ours. We follow Kura-Wan because she is strong, and does not see
her strength." She frowned, uncertain of the translation, then shrugged,
smiling at Rei. "You, also very strong. How does your sword hurt monsters?"
"It's magic," she said quietly, offering a shrug. "Makoto-chan used to
use this sword, I think... or who she was a lifetime ago. I don't
remember how it was made, though." Sighing, she rubbed at her temples.
"I remember there was another sword... it... it made fire." Struggling
to retrieve the memories, as poorly settled as they were in her mind,
she falteringly explained, "It burned as hot as the sun when I wielded
it... but I can't remember why I used it, anymore!"
Pei-Lin clicked her tongue, pulling a silk handkerchief from her sash,
and dabbing at tears of frustration that Rei hadn't even realized she
shed. "What goes before stays before," she said gently. "Sometimes,
dream of Kura-Wan long ago -- when Pei-Lin was her lover and Kura-Wan
was man. Pei-Lin does not like man, likes Kura-Wan." Rei blinked,
absorbing that information, as Pei-Lin offered her a smile, and pressed
the blue-silk cloth into Rei's hands. "Is there for you to learn. Is not
there to make you who you were again."
"What do you mean?" she asked, clutching the handkerchief tightly.
"Learn from mistakes, yes?"
Rei nodded.
"If no mistake, no next life. If old life, then mistake. Learn from
mistake, don't make mistake again. Understand?" She cocked her head to
one side, eyes slightly widened with concern.
"I understand," Rei said quietly. "You're... you're right."
Pei-Lin straightened her head out and nodded. "Rei is a good girl," she
stated proudly. "Pei-Lin can not have child of her own, so for now, you
will be Pei-Lin's daughter, yes?"
Face flushing slightly, Rei nodded.
"Good! Then eat! Tomorrow very busy."
Rei giggled slightly, unable to resist the course charm of her
self-proclaimed 'mother' for the moment. "Okay," she said agreeably.
"Where do we go to eat?"
"Three halls," Pei-Lin said pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Your friends
in south hall, Pei-Lin think. We go there, yes?"
"Okay," Rei said amiably.
***
By the time Ranma had finished eating, his table had attracted a few more
people than he had expected. Hotaru and Nuku sat, one on either side of
him, Washuu and Tsunami sitting opposite him. He looked guiltily at the
bottom of the bowl of soup he had just finished, easily twice the size
of any of theirs. "Uh, thanks, Tsunami, that was really good," he
managed, grinning sheepishly.
"I helped!" Hotaru said enthusiastically. Tsunami ducked her head,
embarrassed about something, and nodded, still smiling.
"Oh? Well, then good job," he said, offering her an encouraging smile.
"But, uh, what happens now?"
"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked, confused.
Turning to look at Tsunami and Washuu, Ranma frowned. "There's supposed
to be some sort of ceremony thing, right?"
Washuu nodded slowly. "Yes.... It's about time for that."
Hotaru bit her lip, glancing around worriedly. "Can I come?" she asked
hesitantly.
"I'm afraid not," Tsunami said, shaking her head. "But don't worry -- it
should not take long."
The girl pouted, obviously displeased with the arrangement.
"Hey, are you still carrying my handkerchief?" Ranma asked her.
Brightening instantly, she pulled it from her pocket, showing him the
carefully preserved cloth. "Just hang onto that for me for a bit, okay?"
he asked, smiling at her encouragingly.
"I will!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and hugging him
tightly. "You still smell nice," she said, releasing him after a moment.
"Er... thanks, I guess," he said, rising from his seat and glancing
around nervously. The Marines were chatting among themselves, quiet
chuckles echoing from their table, and the Amazons were surreptitiously
watching him, giggling when he glanced in their direction.
"I think that Ranma-papa-san smells nice too," Nuku assessed.
"It was raining, so I got a free shower," he joked, feeling his face warm
up with embarrassment at being the center of attention. Washuu and
Tsunami laughed softly, and rose from their seats, walking towards the
door of the hall. He eagerly followed them out, escaping from the
giggles of the Amazons and the coarser laughter of the Marines.
***
Stretching happily, Ami heaved a sigh of relief, and finally snapped the
lip of her laptop closed.
Yakumo leant against a wall nearby, looking at some distant point through
the ceiling. "What are you looking at?" she asked, cocking her head to
one side.
"Pai," he answered, shaking his head. "I can feel her sometimes... when
she's thinking of me."
"Who's Pai?" Ami asked, rising from her seat on the floor of the lodge,
and pocketing the Mercury Computer.
"The girl who has my soul," he answered distantly. "It's... don't worry
about it." Dragging his eyes away from that point, as though it cost him
some great physical effort to turn his head, he asked, "So what was all
that about?"
"I just finished reprogramming the Ethos array with the information we've
gotten on the reavers," she said, smiling.
"What does that do?" he asked, frowning.
"If any more of them try to leave the planet, and the Ethos array is in
line, it will automatically lock on them, thirty five kilometers above
the planet's atmosphere, and then shoot them down." She sighed, shaking
her head. "If I had thought to do it before the reavers attacked the
orbital platform, we could have defended it."
"We didn't know the reavers could go that high," Yakumo soothed. "I was
in their... mind... and I didn't see that one coming." He sighed,
hitching the kinetic displacement beam that he had used to replace his
positronic rifle higher up on his shoulder.
Ami offered him an encouraging smile. "That's true. Regardless, we've got
this much of a defense active -- I've already told the Galaxy Police
about it, so he can alert anyone else. I also checked in on the
Australian peace-keeping forces."
"Oh?" Yakumo frowned. "I'd been so busy thinking about things here that I
forgot about that. How is it going?"
"Not as well as it could, but far better than it might have," Ami said.
"The Galaxy Police and Marines that were sent there are working to keep
rioters in line, but it's not hard to imagine how upset all those people
are, after everything they've been through."
"That's true," Yakumo acquiesced. "Still, in a few days, it'll all be
taken care of, more or less. Right?"
Ami nodded, stifling a yawn.
"Anyway, you've been working on that thing all day," Yakumo said, leaning
forward to inspect her more closely. "Why don't you get something to
eat, and then call it a night?"
"Ah.... Of course," Ami said, sighing. "I suppose that did slip my mind."
He nodded, gesturing her to a table. "Have a seat. I'll grab something
from the kitchen."
Ami sat down at the table he had indicated, further from the fire than
she had been sitting, but close enough to still feel a little of its
warmth. She stretched again, heart gladdened for being able to do some
good again, and still thinking of Kohito.
She glanced up in time to see Rei approach, glancing back at a woman with
blue hair, and waving. The woman said something quietly before vanishing
into the darkness outside, and allowing the door to swing shut behind
her. Rei sighed softly, then took a seat opposite Ami.
"Hello," she said softly. "I haven't seen you much today."
"I guess we've been busy," Ami said apologetically. "Where is everyone else?"
"Let me think," Rei said, concentrating. "Makoto is with Ryu. The last
time I checked, Minako was still asleep, but Mousse-san was watching
over her in the healer's house. Haruka and Michiru are together
somewhere, Usagi is with Mamoru, and Hotaru is with Ranma, I think." She
frowned, considering that.
"Setsuna?" Ami prompted. "What about her?"
"With... with Yosho-san, actually." She shrugged. "She wanted to talk to
him about Jurai. I guess everyone else is 'with' someone. It's just me
and you alone, Ami-chan." She glanced up behind Ami, and smirked
slightly. "Or maybe just me."
Yakumo made a curious noise, approaching with a pair of trays. "Didn't
know you were bringing friends," he commented. "I'll be right back." He
deposited a tray before each of the girls, and whirled, disappearing
into the kitchens again.
The trays each bore an earthenware cup of water, a large bowl of some
thick stew, and a small loaf of black bread. Ami stared into her bowl to
try and hide the blush she could feel forming. "Rei!" she protested
quietly, her voice an annoyed squeak. "Yakumo isn't interested in me
that way!"
"Oooh!" Rei teased. "You're on a first name basis already!"
"Rei!" Ami straightened up, allowing a pained grimace to cover her face
for a moment. "Yakumo's soul belongs to another girl, who's already left
this planet. As far as I can tell, she has his heart, too. I...." She
swallowed nervously, then blurted out, "I like Yakumo, Rei, but he's
already set on someone else."
Flinching, Rei's smirk faded into an expression apologetic worry. "Ah,"
she said quietly. "Then I guess it is the two of us. I'm sorry, Ami-chan."
There was a moment of silence before someone stood behind Rei, asking
politely in accented Japanese, "Is this seat taken?"
Ami glanced up at the newcomer, a tallish boy in white robes with golden
scaled armor, and blue hair. He brushed a forelock of white hair from
his golden eyes, smiling rakishly at Rei as she spun to stare at him,
gasping quietly.
"N-n-no," the raven-haired girl stuttered, blushing faintly.
"And then maybe it's just me," Ami teased back at Rei. Turning her
attention to the newcomer as he took a seat, she commented, "I think
I've seen you before -- or perhaps a sister--" She cut herself off
suddenly, smiling guiltily. "Or are you like Ranma?"
"Something like that," Herb hedged. "My name is Herb. I am the prince of
the Musk." Turning in his seat, next to Rei, he addressed her, "I fought
next to you today. Your performance was admirable. I would know more of
you, if I could."
"I... my name is Hino Rei," she managed. "I'm just... you were great, too."
Smirking, Ami interjected, "She's the princess of Mars, you know."
Herb's eyebrows rose, and he turned to regard Ami curiously. "Is that so?
Well, that's certainly interesting." Turning his attention back to Rei,
he suggested, "Perhaps we could forge an alliance, then...."
Ami giggled quietly, as Yakumo approached, taking a seat opposite from
Herb, and setting another pair of trays down. "Thought we'd need an
extra," he said, smirking. "And I forgot spoons the last time, anyway."
Herb inclined his head to Yakumo. "Greetings. I am Herb, Prince of the Musk."
Yakumo grinned and waved a hand at Herb. "Fuji Yakumo. Nice to meet you."
***
"So, what exactly is this whole ceremony thing, anyway?" Ranma asked.
Washuu clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "It's for the occasions
where outsiders are accepted into the tribe, and become warriors.
Cologne said that Tsunami and I were able to serve in the capacity of an
elder, though." She smirked, glancing at Tsunami. "Right?" she prompted.
Face slightly flushed, even in the darkness, Tsunami nodded. "That is
so," she whispered.
"Okay, I guess," Ranma mumbled. "So, what do I have to do?"
"Well, first off, you need to stand here for about ten minutes," Washuu
said, nodding.
Ranma stopped, glancing about himself. "Okay," he said uneasily. The
three of them had stopped at the very edge of the village, trees visible
in the distance, along with the still burning torches that outlined a
path up the hill. "Anything else?"
"May I have your gems, Ranma?" Tsunami asked softly. "It's of some small
importance...."
"Okay," he said uneasily, handing the young woman the gem from his ear,
and then the one from his wrist.
Washuu smiled brightly, and held out a bracelet for Ranma. "The limiter?"
he grumbled, putting the bracelet on.
"Yes. Now, in about ten minutes, you'll head up the path, following the
torches, then clean yourself off in the bathhouse. On the other side of
that, there's a large natural hotspring."
Ranma blinked at that, then shook his head. "I'm suddenly having second
thoughts," he protested. "I mean, what if something happens--"
He was silenced as Tsunami made a soothing noise, pressing a single
finger against his lips. "Trust us, Ranma," she said quietly. "We trust
you."
"Okay," he said, once Tsunami removed her hand. "What do I do after that?"
"You will know," Washuu said, smirking. "Now wait here."
He sighed, nodding in silence as the pair strode off into the darkness,
his eyes refusing to shift spectrums and allow him to see their heat
signatures. He concentrated, staring at the stars, Ran-oh-ki on his
shoulder, and focused on his heartbeat, counting off the seconds.
When he judged ten minutes must have passed, he nodded to himself, fixing
his eyes firmly on the nearest torch and striding forward. The path was
well beaten, packed soil, and clear enough that even with nothing more
than the occasional torches to guide the way it was simple to navigate.
In short order, he reached the top of the path, Ran-oh-ki sniffing the
nighttime air curiously. It ended before a low stone building, the
wooden doorway closed. Cautiously, worriedly, he opened the doorway, and
peeked in. A lantern hung from a hook offering light to the room, and he
entered it, closing the door behind himself.
The room's stone floor sloped slightly, a shelf near the higher end
holding bathing gear. Shaking his head, he removed his robes and folded
them, carefully stowing them on the shelf. Ran-oh-ki hopped from his
shoulder as he removed his robes, then sat atop them, curling up and
dozing off.
Rolling his eyes, Ranma turned to a basin of hot water that sat in one
corner, and set about washing himself. Once he was done, he dried
himself with a towel, and reached for his robes. His hand halted, nearly
of its own accord, a faint whispering voice telling him that he wouldn't
need them. He blinked, studying Ran-oh-ki closely. The creature was
apparently asleep, and Ranma doubted that it could send a message in the
same whispering voice he had heard....
Shivering slightly, he grabbed a modesty towel and secured it about his
waist before cracking open the door and peeking outside carefully.
Thanks to the light of the full moon, and the cleared clouds, he could
see the entirety of the hotspring. It was thankfully deserted, and he
opened the door the rest of the way, striding out the door, and stepping
into the spring's warmth.
"Nice," he whispered, glancing up at the moon. The nighttime stillness
didn't answer him, and he shrugged, walking to about the center of the
spring before sitting down, hissing slightly. The water was hotter than
he had expected, but not unpleasantly so. Shifting about for a bit, he
found a rock to lean against, and stared up at the stars, running a hand
through the spikes of his hair.
Washuu and Tsunami had said he would know what to do next, but he wasn't
certain; so instead, he simply relaxed. The stars sparkled overhead,
glittering like jewels. He was suddenly stricken with the memory of the
last time he had seen stars like that. "Damn," he whispered, staring
upward. "Has it been that long since I've thought about any of you?" he
asked quietly.
He rubbed his eyes tiredly, thinking of the three girls he had fought for
what seemed so long ago. "I guess that's pretty much done with," he
whispered. "Can't leave here, not until everything's been dealt with."
"You can," a quiet voice notified him.
He jerked upright, springing to his feet and whirling about. "Who's
there?" he asked quietly. The voice was eerily familiar, but at the same
time.... It wasn't Washuu or Tsunami, he was certain of that much.
"You will know me again, Ranma... dear... you fought for me bravely,
after all."
"Where are you?"
The shimmering steam parted for a moment, seeming to coalesce into the
form of a woman, garbed in an iridescent white gown. The image
solidified, the woman's features sharply defined against the blackness
of the night. Long blonde hair flowed down to her ankles, and she
drifted a few centimeters above the surface of the spring, toes
occasionally seeming to touch the gently lapping wavelets.
Ranma tried to summon his battle-suit, and levitate, but was unable to --
Washuu had placed the limiter on him, after all. "What are you?" he
asked suspiciously. "Some kind of ghost?"
"That, and something more... and something less," the woman replied
sadly, shaking her head. The longer Ranma stared, the more certain he
was he could see through her -- as though she were partially
transparent. "This place is a focus of the people who live in the valley
below. They believe their ancestors speak to them through it."
"So you are a ghost," Ranma said, dropping his hands to his side.
She nodded slowly. "I apologize, Higurashi-sama, it was my meddling that
brought you here -- a mere suggestion in the mind of your grandmother."
Her head bowed low, as her hands clasped together before her chest. "I
hope that you can forgive me."
"I guess," he said quietly. "But why did you want to talk to me? I mean,
there are plenty of other people in the village, right?"
"None of them are as close to what I am, and what I was, as you," the
woman said, shaking her head slowly. "I.... I do not have much time in
this place. I wish to warn you -- the warning can only be given here,
and you must heed it, Higurashi-sama."
"You can call me Ranma," he said, frowning. "But what's the warning?"
"Hotaru," the woman said quietly. "There is.... Ask Setsuna for the
history of Hotaru -- what she does not remember, perhaps Ami can. It is
imperative that you know what only they can tell you -- I apologize
again. Too much, I am bound by the one I would break with, if I could.
But I am bound, still.... Higurashi-sama, please, watch over her. She
must not die here, on Earth."
"What?" Ranma asked, confused at the sudden influx of information. "I
don't want anyone to die," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his
chest, and unconvinced that he should heed the glowing apparition.
Biting her lip, the woman raised her eyes, full of worry and pleading.
"Please, Higurashi-sama, I do not know that... that the one who binds me
will let any other than you protect her."
"Okay!" Ranma grumbled, sighing in resignation. "Tsunami, Washuu, and
Hotaru -- I'll watch over the three of them as best as I can!"
The woman smiled happily, clapping her hands together, and allowing some
of the worry to fade from her eyes. "Thank you, Higurashi-sama. I know
that you can do it."
Ranma opened his mouth to comment, but bit his tongue, as the woman
cocked her head to one side, eyes closed, and dissolved into sparkling
motes of light, which twinkled brightly before fading away.
Sighing, he sat back down in the bath, shaking his head.
"That was weird," he grumbled, rubbing at his temples and closing his eyes.
"What was that, Ranma?" a voice asked him sweetly.
Ranma cracked one eye open, glancing to his left surreptitiously. As he
had almost expected, Tsunami was there, smiling at him sweetly, and
wearing absolutely nothing. Her body seemed to nearly glow in the
moonlight, sparkling drops of water outlining her even without his
vision being actively enhanced. His eye closed quickly. "Um, nothing,"
he mumbled. "What does this have to do with the ceremony, exactly?"
"Well," Washuu said, from somewhere to Ranma's right, "after you meditate
alone for a bit, you're supposed to be joined by those who care about
you, and they welcome you into the tribe, usually with wine."
"Eh?"
"We decided to forgo the wine," Tsunami said apologetically.
"Uh... how long was I meditating?" he asked, concentrating, and trying
not to notice the occasional surges of water as someone moved nearby.
"And why exactly did you two choose to get naked and climb in here with me?"
"For the first, you seemed to be lost in thought for nearly an hour after
we got here," Tsunami answered. "Is something wrong?"
Washuu spoke before Ranma could answer, "And for the second, if you would
prefer, we can go get Cologne instead, Ranma."
"Uh... an hour?" He climbed to his feet, needing a moment to balance with
his eyes still closed. He could distantly sense Ran-oh-ki in the
bathhouse, still asleep. Not even the limiter seemed to be able to shut
that out. "Okay, first off, I have to hurry, because Saffron said his
people were coming here soon, and I think the Joketsuzoku might get a
little panicked when they show up. Secondly, didn't we agree that we'd
wait until this is over before making me choose?"
Washuu sighed audibly. "Ranma," she said softly. "If you insist, then we
can head back to the village, but we're not trying to make you choose.
You don't have to try and make a choice between us."
"Now or ever," Tsunami stated firmly. "You shouldn't let that trouble you
so, Ranma, when there are more pressing concerns to worry about."
"Uh.... Okay, I guess," he said quietly, shaking his head. "Um, I'm going
to go get dressed and wait for you on the path." Taking a deep breath,
he stepped forward, still keeping his eyes closed.
Halfway through his first step forward, his toe found a crack in the
bottom of the pool, and rather than right himself, he tried to levitate
upward -- forgetting the limiter. Managing a cry of, "Gaaah!" he tilted
forward, flailing, and splashed into a thankfully soft landing.
Tsunami made a sudden alarmed noise, and he snapped his eyes open, coming
face-to-face with... Tsunami. "Uh," he managed, realizing that his
awkward landing had placed him atop her, and she was still completely
naked. "Sorry!" he yelped, leaping away -- with his eyes open, this time
-- and bounding over to the door of the bathhouse, chased by Washuu's
laughter and Tsunami's more nervous giggle.
***
Cologne sat before the bonfire in the center of the village, and puffed
slowly from her pipe. Only two days home, and already time to leave...
this time for good. She sighed, glancing at some of the others watching
the fire. Kura-Wan sat a short distance away, her and Jian-Di sitting
with their backs against one another. Jian-Di stared up at the stars,
while Kura-Wan stared into the fire, distracted.
Further away, a trio of Musk warriors sat, two of them hulking brutes
stealing glances at the women, then staring guiltily into the fire. The
third was a small, quick boy, darting about and staring at everything as
though it was new to him.
Marines were scattered about, chatting quietly with Norris, as he
explained what was going to happen next. A few ignored him, lazing about
the fire, or trying to strike up a conversation with one of the women.
Few of them reciprocated.
Cologne sighed, shaking her head, and tapping out her pipe. Ranma should
be completing the ceremony soon, and that was as good a chance as any
for Washuu to get close to Ranma, she guessed. She spared a moment to
wonder why she had brought the ceremony up before dismissing the
thought. She wouldn't do something if it were a bad idea -- not
something like that.
Ranma's voice alerted her, and she glanced towards the source of the
noise, not entirely surprised to see Ranma leaping to the side of the
fire, Washuu and Tsunami tucked under either arm. He landed a short
distance away, sliding for a moment before coming to a halt, and setting
the pair down. "Now can you remove the limiter?" he asked plaintively,
holding his right hand towards Washuu. "We've gotten to the fire, right?"
"Yes," she said shakily. "But I don't think it works very well."
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked, as Washuu took a bracelet from Ranma's hand.
"It's supposed to reduce you to the power that you would have before you
became Masu," she explained.
"Oh, then it worked about right," he assessed, nodding. "Can I have my
gems back?"
Tsunami giggled at that, giddy from the passage, and ducked her head
slightly. "I have them, Ranma," she assured him. "Give me your hands,
please?"
Ranma nodded, glancing at the people around the campfire -- all of whom
were watching him at the moment -- before holding his hands out to
Tsunami, palm upwards. Tsunami reached into the folds of her robe and
produced a small blue stone. Gently, she pressed it into his right
wrist, where it began to glow softly. "You've done well and bravely,
Ranma, and I wish to offer whatever aid I can for you, though Ginraii
requires some measure of my attention at the moment." She pursed her
lips thoughtfully, then smiled, retrieving another gem from with her
robe, and pressing it into Ranma's left wrist. "I created another while
I was on Jurai, while... while Tsunami and Sasami became what I am now,"
she explained, sighing quietly. "I hope it aids you, Ranma." Reaching
into her robe a third time, she plucked out a third gem, which she
placed beneath Ranma's ear. "Be careful, and be well, Ranma. I have
wishes, but I will be patient."
Washuu pursed her lips thoughtfully, while Ranma stared at his wrists in
dumb shock. "Two permanent gems?" he asked quietly. "That's... that...."
he straightened, staring Tsunami levelly in the eye, then bowing low. "I
know I can do more, with this. Thank you, Tsunami-chan."
The young woman giggled quietly, blushing, and lowered her gaze, covering
her mouth to try and hide her smile. "For you, Ranma."
"Hey!" Washuu protested suddenly, jarring Ranma upright. "I'm cute too,
you know!"
Ranma stared upward then, blinking at a bright flare of red across the
heavens. "Yeah, that's true," he responded absently, shaking his head.
"Talk about timing." Blinking, and apparently unaware of what he had
just said, he asked Washuu, "Is the Gate ready?"
She nodded, face slightly flushed. "Er.... Yes. It's in the back of the
meeting hall at the moment. What's going on up there?" she asked.
"Saffron's way of saying hello," Ranma answered quietly.
Cologne gasped, shaking her head, and demanding, "What do you mean,
'Saffron'?"
Ranma blinked, turning to assess the woman. "You know him?" he asked. He
held out a hand to indicate height and said, "About this tall, loves
fire, has wings, and calls himself the god of the Phoenix People?"
"If you've angered him, we're doomed," Cologne said quietly. "He is more
powerful than--"
"I've heard it before," Ranma grumbled. "He's already agreed to help us.
I'm going to go up and say hello, show him where to land. If you can
tell Herb he's coming, that would be good."
***
Her meal largely untouched, Rei found herself completely at a loss as to
how she should act around Herb. The boy seemed to have a certain lack in
his awareness concerning members of the opposite sex, and Ami wasn't
being very helpful, seeming to enjoy Rei struggle.
She couldn't place what it was about him that attracted her to him, but
she knew it was there, and guessed it worked both ways, because he
certainly seemed interested in her. "So, we, um, we're supposed to be
the protectors of this world," she said, struggling for a conversation
topic.
Yakumo wasn't much help either, just eating quietly and watching Rei and
Herb with frank amusement. "Aren't we all?" Herb asked quietly. "That is
what Ranma started this all for, isn't it?"
"Actually, he didn't start it," Yakumo said, rubbing his chin. "I think I
heard on the radio when he joined, though. I was just hitchhiking into
Tokyo then. The people in Tokyo had set up an organization called...
eh... 'Defense', I guess. They had some motto about why the name was so
cheesy. Anyway, it was set up by a man named... Noriyasu Seta. He and
someone named Oe Kintaro started it up, and got other people to join
before any reavers actually reached the city. Someone named... give me a
minute here.... I asked around a lot -- I was going to join, before the
order to evacuate was given." He drummed his fingers against the table
in thought, then nodded. "Aoyama something. Someone with that name
started trying to fight the reavers, and within a few days, everyone who
thought they could help make a difference joined up."
"Oe Kintaro?" Ami asked, blinking at Yakumo in surprise. "But he's the
man on the Galaxy Police ship that I talked to about... um... about the
Ethos array."
"Maybe he works for them, and that's why he joined Noriyasu," Yakumo
said, shrugging. "Who knows? But I know Ranma -- I spent a while talking
with him on the ride out of Shanghai. He's not exactly modest, but
wouldn't want everyone to think he was in charge of Defense -- Noriyasu
stepped down and gave control of that to Washuu."
"Interesting," Herb remarked. "Who else is in that group, then?"
"Well, if Ranma's part of it, then everyone who's fighting with him is,"
Yakumo said, shrugging again. "But the distinction is a little fuzzy, I
think. I mean, the Marines are Marines, and they used to be part of
America, but Norris-san said they're fighting together with everyone
else for Earth. Doesn't matter what they used to be, we're all together,
right?"
"This is very true," Herb agreed, bowing his head slightly. "I forget
myself. Even if Ranma did not start it, he has made quite a difference.
He has united my forces with those of the Joketsuzoku, and the powers of
the phoenix people, as well."
"The who?" Yakumo asked, frowning.
"Ah, they live--" Herb cut off suddenly, spinning about in his seat and
staring at the door as it slammed open.
Standing in the doorway, staff holding the door open, Cologne snapped,
"Herb, Saffron is coming, and Ranma asked me to tell you."
"Even better," Herb said, grinning. "Follow me and see for yourself."
Swallowing nervously at a sudden feeling of worry that shot through her
stomach, Rei nodded, and climbed to her feet. Herb strode swiftly
through the door, and Rei trailed after him nervously. Outside, it took
her a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimness, until Herb took her
hand, and led her towards the central fire.
There, everyone stared upward, squinting, though nothing was visible for
a moment, until a blinding blaze of fire lit up the night sky, a ball of
flame a hundred meters across at least, soaring slowly upwards. Directly
beneath the conflagration, two figures hung, slowly descending towards
the ground, while dozens -- perhaps hundreds -- of figures further away
circled outside the radius of the flame.
The light continued long enough for Rei to finally identify the figures
in the sky, when they were less than a dozen meters away from the
village. In his red robes, arms crossed over his chest, both wrists
flaring with blue sparks of light, was Ranma. The other figure, with a
pair of wings that trailed fire, beating slowly against the night air,
and with one arm raised towards the heavens, was the man from her dream.
The one that, even in the vision, had seen her.
"No!" Rei gasped, drawing in breath to shriek. "NO!"
Herb grabbed her, spinning her about in his arms, and swiftly clamping a
hand over her mouth while she attempted -- futilely -- to yell about the
complete and utter wrongness of it. How could that man be here? They had
changed the future! They had changed what Serenity had shown them, and
made it something else -- how could it still end that way?
She sagged, unable to wrest herself from Herb's grip, and whimpered,
leaning against him heavily. "Be very careful," he whispered tersely.
"This is Saffron, the god of the Phoenix People. He must be treated with
respect. Do you understand?"
Rei nodded weakly, and Herb released her mouth, allowing her to gasp for
breath. "I'm sorry," she said, frustration running thick through her
voice. "I.... I need to talk to Ranma."
"Right now?" Herb asked, one arm still wrapped across Rei's chest. "What
is so imperative?"
"I can see the future sometimes," Rei said quietly. "I'll explain
everything in a moment."
Herb sighed, and released her. "Very well," he said. "I trust you, then."
"Ranma!" she cried out over the whisperings of the others present.
"Ranma! I must speak with you!"
He glanced towards her, then shrugged, whispered something to the winged
man, and dropped from the air to land near her. The winged man followed
shortly, furling his wings as he landed. "What's up?" Ranma asked,
ignoring the incredulous gasps from the villagers, as everyone assembled
to watch the spectacle.
Falteringly, Rei began to explain the dream she'd had, what seemed so
long ago, aboard the Kitty Hawk.
After the explanation was complete, the winged man crossed his arms over
his chest, frowning darkly, and shaking his head. "Ill tidings," he intoned.
"I don't quite get it," Ranma said. "Anyway, everyone meet our new ally,
Saffron. Most of his people are going to go to safety, but some of them
are going to stay and fight with us. Before I forget, though, I need to
talk to Meiou. This might have something to do with that dream. Is she
around?"
"I am," Setsuna answered, stepping away from Yosho, and emerging from the
crowd. "What do you need to talk about?"
"Someone... someone in a white dress asked me to talk to you about
Hotaru," Ranma said uneasily. "A ghost, I guess. She wants me to protect
Hotaru. Is there something you're not telling us?"
Setsuna pursed her lips thoughtfully, then nodded. "Let us find some
place more private, before I explain everything," she said quietly.
"Fine," Ranma grumbled, "but Saffron's part of this, so he should be
there, too."
"Acceptable," Setsuna said, nodding. "I've found an abandoned building
that will be adequate for the task." She glanced around, then sighed. "I
supposed it would come to this...."
"Hmm?"
Setsuna shook her head, then said, "Follow me, Higurashi, Saffron. Ami,
Rei, you should come, too. I'd rather not include anyone else I didn't
have to." Yakumo shot Ami a questioning glance, but said nothing.
"I'm coming too," Washuu interjected insistently. "I'm supposed to be in
charge of this whole thing, thanks to Noriyasu-san and Norris."
"Fine," Setsuna said, shaking her head. "But no more." With that, she
spun on her heel, and began to march away.
Rei watched Ranma expectantly, but for his part, the boy just shook his
head, sighing. "Man, just when I think I've got a grip on things,
something else comes up," he complained. "Sorry about that, Saffron.
Let's see what this is all about."
***
Once all of the attendees of the meeting were crowded in the abandoned
house that Setsuna had indicated, she scanned them all, and sighed. "I'm
not even going to ask who told you enough to know that I'd know about
that, Higurashi," she said, shaking her head and looking him in the eye.
"But I do want to know why you want to know."
Ranma nodded, explaining, "Like I said -- the lady who wanted me to
protect Hotaru said that I needed to ask you about her history to
understand why, first."
"We would seem to have a great many clues," Washuu said thoughtfully. "We
have Rei's dream, and whatever apparition advised you.... This would be
much easier if I still had my lab."
"Perhaps," Setsuna said quietly. "At any rate, Hotaru is the senshi of
Saturn. The senshi of death."
Everyone but Ranma stilled, staring in surprise. "This has to do with her
telling me that she was made to destroy the world, right?" he asked.
"If all other measures fail, that is her purpose," Setsuna said, frowning
at Ranma. "I have vague recollections, sometimes, of the processes
involved from my former incarnation -- I remember that there was a
project concerning her at some point that I wasn't allowed to know more
about than the name of. I suspect that's what this is all about." She
sighed, and added, "I believe that Serenity told you to ask me, or else
I'd never mention this."
"Serenity?" he asked. "Doesn't ring any bells. But she also told me that
she," he said, nodding at Ami, "should be here."
"What was the name of the project?" Ami asked. "Perhaps if it's in the
database on the moon, I can retrieve the information on it."
Setsuna nodded, eyeing Saffron uneasily, then turning her attention back
to Ranma. "The project was called 'Silhouette'. That's not much to go
on, but there was no Senshi Saturn until after it was complete, so I
believe it's the key." Turning to address Saffron, she added, "I agree
to let you know about whatever we discover here because it may involve
you directly. If Rei's dream is at all accurate, you might be able to
help us stop it."
"Perhaps," Saffron murmured. Ami focused her eyes on her computer screen,
apparently tuning out the rest of the people in the room. "I have no
interest in seeing this world destroyed -- I cannot leave it."
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked, cocking his head to one side. "What's
keeping you from leaving?"
"I am bound to this place in ways that are difficult to put into words,"
Saffron said, grimacing. "Suffice to say that whatever outcome we face,
I must stay here. If the situation is ever dire enough to warrant it, I
would sooner see this place destroyed than hand it over to the defilers
that you speak of. But even my power is not so great as to destroy the
world that spawned me."
"I've found it," Ami said, clearly agitated. "But the file is sealed."
"Sealed?" Washuu asked, calling up her terminal. "Give me a moment, I'm
sure my computer can--"
"No, that's not it," Ami said, shaking her head. "I... I'm the
administrator to the system. I can give myself access to it, it's
just... it's the only file on the entire system that I can't access
automatically."
"Is it?" Setsuna asked, alarmed. "What.... What does it say?"
"It says.... Here we go. It says that... oh, this is about the
Ginzuishou. Ah... originally the Ginzuishou was a single crystal...."
Ami blinked at that, then shook her head. "It was about the size of a
fist, and spherical. The technicians who worked on it didn't know where
Amatera Omiki got it." She sighed, scanning through more of the
information. "Um.... I think that the original crystal was.... Oh, the
original crystal was made from something that had an inherent magical
taint. They refined the crystal into two active components, one pure,
and one impure... of course, the two crystals. The Ginzuishou was kept
by Amatera, and the other was locked away where it could do no harm."
"That worked _quite_ well, didn't it?" Setsuna grumbled. "This seems like
the kind of thing that I think I should have been told about."
"You could be right," Ami said quietly. "But, there's more. They used the
pure crystal for synthesis, and wanted to copy it to make power sources
for other things. Ah... for... for us?" She shook her head. "They wanted
to make additional crystals for the senshi. They would work like the
Ginzuishou, only less powerful."
"I see," Setsuna said, clearly disturbed. "I remember none of this. What
does this have to do with Senshi Saturn?"
Ami bit her lip, tapping a few keys, then gasped in shock. "Oh," she said
quietly.
The room was silent, everyone studying her expectantly.
"Well?" Ranma finally prompted. "What's it say?"
"Ah... the crystals... they wouldn't work in a refined state -- they
required both components to be active in order to function. So
Amatera... Amatera had one made for each of the senshi, and one more
for... for her lover." She swallowed nervously, and added, "One for each
of the senshi except for Senshi Saturn, who received...." She trailed
off, shaking her head.
"Received what?" Washuu asked quietly, placing a gentle hand on Ami's
shoulder.
"She... she received the dark mirrors for all of the other crystals," Ami
concluded, biting her lip. "Amatera's hope was that Senshi Saturn's
energies could be manipulated in such a manner that the taint was
physical instead of spiritual, resulting in senshi who wouldn't live
long enough for their full powers to manifest, while allowing the rest
of the senshi to operate without such limitations. The... the file here
says that Senshi Saturn was to receive the dross of the other crystals...."
"That's pretty screwed up," Ranma said quietly. "So Hotaru's going to be
weaker because of all the stuff that they stuck her with, right?"
"I'd need to investigate more closely to be positive, but at a guess, it
means that if there's some sort of corruptive mental influence, that
Hotaru would be more susceptible," Washuu reasoned. "Someone trying, for
example, to control her thoughts. I think that's what you're supposed to
protect her from, Ranma."
Setsuna shuddered suddenly, nodding. "That's true. She has been... it is
something to watch for," she concluded lamely.
"So that's it?" Ranma asked, clearly disappointed. "All that just to make
some girl sick, and easily controlled? That's pretty stupid."
"There's more," Ami said defensively. "It's just all very technical."
"At the core, I believe Ranma is right," Setsuna said apologetically. "It
was calculated this way due to the nature of where our power comes from.
This means that almost all of Usagi's power came from the Ginzuishou...
so for whatever reason, her ability to heal is innate." She rubbed at
her forehead, and sighed loudly. "So much to deal with all at once...."
"This is all very interesting," Saffron said crossly, "but I fail to see
what it has to do with me or my people."
"I doubt there's a link," Ami said apologetically.
Setsuna shook her head quickly. "I was hoping we could get some clue
about Rei's vision, and Ranma's role in that. Hotaru has the power to
destroy the world, but if she were to try, it would kill her," she
explained.
"That would be the clue, then," Ranma said, nodding. "I was told I
couldn't let her die on this planet. So I guess this means that if you
want to blow up the place because the reavers start to win more, or
something, Saffron, you're going to have to do it without her help."
The winged man nodded his understanding. "And your role, Higurashi? Would
you destroy the world?" he asked quietly.
"Not on your life," Ranma stated flatly. "I'm here to defend it, not kill
everyone."
Rei sighed, shaking her head. "I feel like I've just wasted everyone's
time," she said mournfully.
"Perhaps not," Washuu countered. "We know what to watch for. We don't
have to worry about it long, regardless. In a day or so, this should all
be over, right?"
"We shall see," Saffron said quietly. "This place is too confining for me
-- I will leave now." With that, he opened the door, and slipped
outside, pulling his wings tight to himself as he passed beneath the
doorway.
"Enough of that," Washuu said, clapping her hands together. "Let's get
some sleep before tomorrow."
"Sure," Ranma replied absently. "I'll just check on Hotaru first."
***
This time the dream was nothing more than absolute darkness. But the
darkness was warm, and there was the sensation of gentle arms wrapped
about him, a soft body pressed into his back, and warm breath brushing
against his ear.
"What's going on?" he asked, blinking in a vain hope to clear his vision
of the endless blackness.
"Be careful," a quiet voice warned in his ear. "We are hiding here -- you
created this place in the shadows between... between her realm and the
waking world to protect me."
"Oh," he said, closing his eyes. "Shit. You tried to get me to remember
everything, didn't you?"
"I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "I do not have enough power to say
what needs to be said. It will take another to bring your memories to
the fore."
"Crap," Ranma said clearly. He did not want to be so close to the woman,
but after the horrors she had endured at Tokimi's hand, he couldn't
begrudge her the closeness in the endless void they were hiding in.
"I need to know that I need to protect Washuu," he finally said. "Why did
you say I needed to protect Hotaru?"
"I cannot.... I cannot say her name to you when I appear in such a
manner, Ranma. I am sorry. But the bindings placed on me... Tsunami
cannot remove them all, not until...." She trailed off, sighing, and
Ranma felt her press her face against his neck, hot tears striking his
skin. "To come so far, to no avail," she whispered. "I've fought so
hard, and changed so much, but not in time."
"It's not entirely hopeless," Ranma countered. "I'm still trying to
protect Washuu anyway, right?"
"Then we have that," Omiki allowed. "But for now, rest. Rest, and hope
that the seal on these memories can be broken."
[End, Process of ELimination, Chapter Fourteen, Part Two]
-----------------------------
Author's notes:
Special thanks to the entire Refuge staff for help on pre-reading this
one -- without them, it'd have been even worse.