KYUUKETSUKI NO SATSUJINHA'NIN AKANE/AKANE THE VAMPIRE SLAYER A BTVS/Ranma1/2 Fusion by Leaping Gnome Productions EPISODE FOUR

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Some scenes in this chapter have already appeared in the shortfic "Ryouga's Story."

DISCLAIMER: The BTVS and Ranma characters and situations are copyright Joss Whedon and Rumiko Takahashi respectively, and are used here without permission but with the greatest respect and admiration. Please forgive me for playing in your pools, cursed or otherwise. Devil Hunter Yohko characters are copyright Miyao Gaku and others. Certain other characters are borrowed from Dreiser(Nicole Manders) and Wade Trischler, with their generous permission.

LAST TIME, ON AKANE THE VAMPIRE SLAYER:There's a new Slayer in Sunnydale and her name is Akane Tendou, a Japanese martial artist who has been Called to replace Faith. Along with her fiancee, Ranma Saotome, (a young man cursed to turn into a girl when hit with cold water,) and her Watcher, Dr. Tofu Ono, she has arrived in Sunnydale to learn at the feet of Buffy Summers, the first Slayer of her generation. Unfortunately, Akane's been followed by Mu-Tsu, Xian-Pu and their minions, Chinese vampires who are responsible for the destruction of the Tendou family Dojo and the deaths of several of Akane's friends and family.

While Ranma, Willow, Xander and Oz tried to escape the clutches of Xian-Pu and her minions at the Bronze, Akane and Buffy fought an all-out battle at the Sunnydale Museum of Natural History to prevent Mu-Tsu from getting his hands on the Nanban Mirror, a magical device that can take its wielder anywhere in time or space. The vampires were driven off, leaving our heroes in possession of the Nanban and their lives.

Three weeks later, the extended Slayer squad is in heavy training, preparing to use the Nanban to travel back in time to prevent the tragedy at the Tendo-ke. Unbeknownst to all, however, Tofu has already been tampering with the timestream.

Ukyou Kuonjii, friend and so-called "cute fiancee" of Ranma, encountered an old enemy of the Ranma crew on a transcontinental flight, realized that the Sunnydale gang needed to be warned of his impending arrival.

Ranma, distraught at his inability to be there to save his friends, became despondent, and was visited by the ghosts of dead friends and allies, providing some much needed closure.

To add to the general weirdness, Xander has undergone a massive personality shift, not to mention the fact that Spike has returned to Sunnydale, in search of a particular Gem...

IN EVERY GENERATION, THERE IS A CHOSEN ONE....

TOKYO, SUBURB OF JUUBAN, JAPAN

The tattered-looking young man stopped in front of the fence that surrounded the small suburban house. He stared hard at the address, then down at a crumpled piece of yellow legal paper clutched in his hand.

"Finally! After searching for so very long..." Tears trickled down his cheeks. "Akane! I'm here to protect you at last!!"

He'd arrived at the Tendou Dojo a little over a month ago to find the home in ruins, his beloved Akane and her family gone. Queries around the neighborhood has been met with only a stony silence, as though the residents of the district had no interest in discussing whatever force or forces had levelled the Tendou home. When he'd checked the usual hangouts of the loosely affiliated band of martial artists who made the ward their regular stomping grounds, he'd found the Nekohanten deserted. He checked Akane's favorite kissaten, but the coffee shop had been likewise been free of martial artists. There hadn't been any sign of the gang at Furinkan, either. Finally, he'd found his way to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, where a grim Ukyou had informed him that the Tendous had moved away, but she'd be happy to give him directions to where they were staying. It was a long trip to Juuban. (At least, it had been for him.)

Haphazardly, he brushed the dust of the road from his worn clothes and backpack, determined to look every inch the returning hero for his beloved. Striding forward with a confidence he barely felt, he rushed up the front walk and pushed the doorbell. A second later, a vase full of cool water and red roses spilled down over his head. Female voices echoed from above.

"Azusa! Watch where you're going! You knocked over the flowers Osamu-kun sent!"

"Sorry, Yohko-sempai, but maybe you shouldn't have put them on the window sill... Auntie Madoka warned you about that... Did you hear the doorbell?"

"Don't worry. Saotome-san'll get it."

On the stoop below, a small black pig bemoaned the quirk of fate that made his head an irresistible target for spilled water. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing the familiar black and white form of a giant panda bearing a wooden sign. Scrawled hastily on the board were the words "May I help you?"

The pig let out a frustrated squeal. The panda blinked, looked down and flipped the sign around to reveal the legend "Oh, it's you... Well, come in..."

The piglet trotted inside, stopping to shake himself dry in the foyer before preceding the panda into the living room. With a grunt, the panda hefted the pig's soggy clothing, backpack and umbrella under one forepaw and followed.

The pig glanced around the room in expectation, but no beautiful, black-haired, brown-eyed goddess appeared to scoop him up in loving arms. He turned to the panda.

"Hroink?" He said, questioningly.

The panda merely shrugged, producing a well-worn sign that read "Don't ask me, I'm just an ordinary panda." The pig sighed a piggy sigh in frustration.

Just then, his perspective shifted as he was lifted up by his kerchief. His squeal of bliss became an oink of disappointment as he was turned to face a pair of cynical, cold dark eyes framed by an elegant bob of chocolate-brown hair. This wasn't his sweet Akane!

"Tsk. Ryouga." Nabiki said, her tone cooler than usual.

"What a kawaii little piglet!" A high, bubbly voice chirped from across the room.

"Hroink?"

Two teenaged girls dashed down the stairs, their eyes wide with pleased surprise. The taller of the two, a brunette with hair done up in an odd odango-style trailing two long ponytails, looked to be around nineteen, the same age as Nabiki. The shorter of the two was around eighteen, perhaps a bit younger, and wore her midnight black hair in a shoulder- length style parted in the center, her bangs kept out of her shining blue eyes with a white bandanna. Both were dressed in school uniforms of a style and color Ryouga didn't recognize. The rushed over, oohing and ahhing over him.

"Nabiki, where did you find him? He's adorable! Can I hold him?" The shorter girl said eagerly.

"Whatever..." Nabiki tossed Ryouga's startled form over to the younger girl with an offhanded gesture. "His name's P- Chan, he used to belong to my sister. Knock yourselves out." She wandered into the kitchen. The girl hugged P-Chan tightly to her chest, causing the small black pig to squeak as the air was forced from his tiny lungs.

"Ooooh, Akane is just so-o lucky..." The elder girl said enviously. "First that hunky fiancee and now this kawaii lil' guy..." She tickled P-Chan under his chin. "Who's a cutie? Who's a cutie? P-Chan is... Yes, that's right, coochie- coochie..." She giggled, then stopped, staring oddly at the piglet. "Azusa?"

"What, Yohko-sempai? You'll get your turn..."

"No, it's just... D'you think he's supposed to turn blue like that?"

"Oh!" She loosened her grip, and P-Chan's panting face slowly returned to its usual color. "I'm sorry, lil' P-Chan! I'll kiss it better..."

With that, she leaned forward, and gave him a gentle peck on the nose. His reaction startled her, to say the least, as the piglet's snout suddenly fountained blood and the animal went limp in her arms.

"Oh no! You've killed him!" Yohko shrieked. Azusa joined her, shaking the poor piglet in a desperate attempt to wake him, to no avail.

"Relax, ladies..." said Nabiki, walking back in from the kitchen and holding a kettle of hot water. "He does this all the time. Set him down on the futon, will you?" They complied, worried.

Nonchalantly, Nabiki doused the comatose pig in a stream of scaldingly hot water. With a shout, a pink-skinned Ryouga jumped up, his hands covering strategic parts of his anatomy.

"AAAAAAA! HotHotHot!!!!"

"EEep!" Yohko squeaked.

"Neat!" Azusa said.

"That'll be 500 yen, Ryouga."

Nabiki said this last with an unemotional tone that Ryouga found disturbing. He didn't know the middle Tendou sister all that well, but she usually took some amusement in others' discomfort, especially if she was making a profit from it. Come to think of it, since when did she know about his curse?

Come to think of it, why was he sitting here naked with these strange girls staring at him?

His brain hit the panic button, and shut down. Ryouga fainted.

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, 1:05 am

The sleek black convertible parked at the arrivals gate and disgorged its lone occupant. The tall, dark-haired man glanced up at the sky, trying to divine whether it was going to rain or not. Preferring to err on the side of caution, he leaned back in and toggled the roof closed before activating the alarm and entering the terminal.

Even at this hour, the terminal was a teeming mass of humanity, the sheer number of people boggled his enhanced senses. Wincing slightly, he shouldered his way through the herd towards the LED sign displaying the arriving planes by number and gate. Quantas Flight 141 was due in about twenty minutes.

Taking a seat as soon as one became available, he instinctively scanned the crowd, his keen hunters eye spotting the weak, the old, the ones who would not be missed. With a scowl, he dismissed the thoughts. His senses, refined over two hundred and forty-four years, still insisted on performing tasks he no longer required. Well, he amended, tasks I longer DESIRE to require. Discreetly, he sipped at the silver flask he kept in the inside breast pocket of his coat. Being amidst this many mortals at once was a strain he'd endure, but only because SHE asked him to...

When he'd answered the phone and heard her sweet voice, he'd almost hung up right there and then, the pain of his own self-imposed exile still too recent, too deep. Some part of him, however, (the human part, his mind assured him), wouldn't let him. She needed a man who could give her the life she deserved- a life full of joy, of picnics in the park on a sunny day, the simple warmth of an embrace, children... But didn't HE deserve to hear her voice again? Even if it was only a tinny echo over the telephone?

He sighed, a wholly affected gesture since his lungs contained air only so long as he remembered to breathe. He went over the conversation in his mind. A friend of her houseguests' was coming into L.A. tonight from Japan, and was almost certainly in danger from some kind of sociopathic martial artist named for women's undergarments. Despite himself, he chuckled. Buffy still ended up in the center of things, the stranger, the better. It was good to know that SOME things never changed...

Once he'd agreed to help, the remainder of the conversation had been terse, platitudes and pleasantries exchanged as if the rote repetition of cliches could dull the heartache they both felt. After he'd hung up, he'd spent hours trying to remind himself of why exactly he'd left her, why he'd thought that life apart would somehow be less painful for them both. Somehow the rationale seemed less compelling in retrospect...

He shook his head. This much angst was almost TOO much, even for him. He glanced at his watch. Almost time. He stood and prepared to wade back into the throng when a voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen. Quantas Flight 141 from Sydney via Tokyo has arrived, but due to some mechanical problems passenger deplaning will be temporarily delayed."

The message repeated in English then again in Spanish. He paused, unpleasantly surprised. If he hadn't been warned to expect trouble, he might simply have shrugged the announcement off as one of the inevitable delays that accompanied air travel. Since he DID know better, though...

He made his way over to the observation window and peered out, spotting the 747 bearing the red Quantas logo almost instantly. It had taxied up to the accordion-like shape of the disembarkation platform, but the tarmac alongside the plane was abuzz with activity. Mechanics, technicians and airport EMS staff scurried around like angry hornets. An upwards glance revealed that there was some visible damage to the side of the plane. One of the emergency exits looked as though it had been wrenched off its hinges then jammed back into place with sufficient force to damage the surrounding fuselage. As he watched, the hatch of the rear emergency exit swung open, the disembarkation stairs wheeling into place.

Alarmed, he forced himself back through the crowd to the doors and dashed along the side of the structure towards the airfield, hurdling the security fence as though it were nothing more than a bump in the road. Relying on all the native stealth his form possessed, he made his way across the tarmac to the scene, miraculously remaining unobserved by all.

As he watched, passengers began climbing down the steel stairs, carry on bags in hand, into the waiting arms of EMS personnel who gave them each a brief once-over before directing them towards the terminal.

He'd been told to keep an eye open for a Japanese girl, possibly carrying a baker's peel. That last had set him to thinking that maybe this was Buffy's idea of a joke, but she'd assured him that her guests swore that the large spatula never left the girl's side if she could help it. Two or three young women fit the description, but none of them were toting an enormous spatula. One in particular drew his eye. He cocked an eyebrow as she shrugged off the attentions of the EMS. She was tallish, he noted, (for a Japanese girl,) maybe five-seven-five-eight with long dark hair held in a pony tail with a white scrunchy. Her clothes were ordinary enough, a pair of well-worn loose blue jeans and a mannishly-cut navy T-shirt. She seemed unharmed, no visible bruises, and his hunter's instinct told him she was in excellent physical condition. She betrayed no sign of nervousness under his close scrutiny, at least not to any greater degree than any of the other passengers. She fit the bill better than any of the other girls, but there was no sign of her supposed attacker. Was that a good or bad thing, he wondered?

He backed away from his vantage point behind a baggage cart and made his way back towards the fence, intending to meet the mysterious Ukyou Kuonjii at the baggage claim since she seemed unharmed. If all went well, he'd simply keep her company then see her safely on to her flight to Sunnydale at six.

Ukyou strode across the tarmac towards the gate, her eyes rapidly scanning the area as she walked. She had the strangest feeling that she was being watched. Of course you are, she mentally chided herself. There's security people and medical personnel all around you, not to mention customs agents, and she KNEW she could smell lawyers in abundance... Still, her subconscious warned her, SOMEthing is out there, something that's paying particular attention to YOU. It was an unsettling feeling, but nevertheless one she was familiar with. She'd been dodging Tsubasa long enough to recognize the fact that she was being watched with more than just casual interest.

Well, there's not much I can do about it right now, she thought. First things first, I need to find a phone. Ranchan must be worried sick...

Entering the terminal, she passed through customs easily, her visa and passport in order. Her baker's peel had raised a few eyebrows, but since it certainly didn't LOOK like any sort of weapon, she was allowed to pass, but she'd had to check her trusty spat as baggage. When pressed, she merely told the truth, that it was a family heirloom she didn't want to risk losing in a baggage mix-up. The customs officials had been sympathetic, but still insisted on tagging it and forced her to pay freight shipping rates, to boot. Second order of business was to make sure it was all right. She headed over to the first available courtesy phone.

Hurriedly, she swiped her credit card through the reader and punched in the number of the Summers residence. The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

"Hello?" A female voice said in American-accented English. Ukyou cleared her throat and began, her English accented but still understandable.

"Good evening. My name is Kuonjii Ukyou. Is Ran- er, is Saotome Ranma present?"

The voice on the other end of the line said something away from the receiver, then returned.

"This is Ucchan? Hi! I'm Buffy. Hold on a 'sec, 'kay? Akane's here..." The phone was passed off, and a familiar voice answered in Japanese.

"" Ukyou detected a surprising concern in her sometimes-rival's voice. She tried to keep the shock from her voice when she responded.

""

""

""

"" A happy glow warmed Ukyou's heart at that thought. Akane continued, nonplussed. ""

"" Akane hesitated for a moment, wondering exactly how much Ukyou would be comfortable knowing.

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

"" Ukyou retorted sarcastically. "" She sighed. ""

"" Akane said tersely, a little heat in her tone.

""

"" Akane hung up abruptly on her end, causing Ukyou to wince slightly.

Hmm, touched a nerve, did I? She chuckled to herself. Well... good. Akane's not as annoying as Shampoo is, (WAS, she winced guiltily as she corrected herself,) but she still owes me for taking Ranchan away like that, evil undead on their tails or not.

Speaking of the evil undead, she thought, I bet that explains that creepy feeling I had earlier... I didn't sense any hostile intent, but who can tell with creatures of darkness? Not that I've had a lot of experience in that department...

Mentally on the alert, she walked over to the baggage carousel, fishing in her pocket for her claim stub. She collected her suitcases and her beloved spatula, (drawing odd looks from her fellow passengers) and glanced around for this "Angel"...

She spotted a tall caucasian man in a trenchcoat looking in her direction. Experimentally, she reached out with her rudimentary Ki sense, and encountered only a hungry vacuum where she would have expected to find at least a glimmer of life energy.

He noticed her scrutiny and tried on a cautious smile she expected was supposed to put her at ease. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a piece of cardboard and held it up facing her. Sloppily written hiragana characters were inscribed on it in black magic marker, misspelling her name. Despite herself, she smiled. It was hard to be wary when faced with an immortal creature of darkness who's handwriting was worse than Ranchan's... She walked over, hauling her suitcases.

"Hi... " The vampire said awkwardly in Japanese. His Nihongo held a slight European accent, but was remarkably good nonetheless. If anything, it was fairly archaic, reminding Ukyou of her great-grandfather's speech patterns. He continued as she acknowledged him with a wary glance. "I'm a friend of a friend of Ranma..."

"So you're Angel, hmm?" Ukyou responded. "I thought you'd be taller..." Privately, she was impressed. His features were strikingly handsome, and his eyes held a kind of wry sadness that belonged on the face of a much older man. "You don't LOOK dead..."

He looked surprised for a moment.

"How did... Oh. You checked in with Buffy." She nodded, carefully watching his expression. "She told you that I'm, er... ?"

"Yeah... And I'm not too keen on becoming a late night snack, sugar, so keep your pointy parts to yourself. This spatula isn't just for flipping okonomiyaki, y'know."

"Fair enough, but I don't really do that anymore..."

"Right. So I've been told. Just so it's understood." She let down her defenses a little bit all the same. "You don't really need to do this, actually. Pantyhose is long gone."

"That's all right. I made a promise to Buffy that I'd look out for you. It's no problem..." He smiled, in what he knew from years of practice was an ingratiating manner. "What kind of a name is Pantyhose, anyway?"

"What kind of a name is Angel?"

He shrugged disarmingly. "My parents were enthusiastically into Catholicism." "Pantyhose's godfather was enthusiastically into lingerie."

"Oh-kayy..." Angel looked mildly confused for a moment, but brushed it off. An awkward silence ensued.

Ukyou was the first to crack."Could you give me a hand with these?" She nodded down at the suitcases. "I need to get these over to my connecting flight."

"Hmm, what? Oh, okay..." He shook his head as if to clear it. Something in the atmosphere was making his mind itch, but he couldn't localise the sensation. Shrugging, he hefted the two bags easily. "Lead on..."

Unbeknownst to Ukyou and Angel, they too were being observed, by a pair of almond-shaped sapphire eyes, eyes that saw on more levels than the mundane dimension that was (if only by majority consensus) called reality. They were attached to a statuesque Chinese woman who gave the appearance of being in her mid-twenties. She was stylishly dressed, her golden-blonde hair was done up into a conservative bun held in place by a silver hairpin bearing a delicate dragon filigree. Her companion was a younger girl of about eighteen, her pink hair done up in an exotic odango-style with jade ornaments and a pair of delicately-wrought golden earrings in the shape of tiny axes. The girl, despite her exotic looks, was wearing the uniform of teenagers across the globe, a loose T-shirt and blue jeans over sneakers. Both women shared a basic similarity of feature that indicated a close family resemblance.

"Hmm... Interesting." The golden-haired woman said in delicate Mandarin, following the vampire and the martial artist with those piercing sapphire eyes. Her younger companion looked up.

"What was that, Grandmother?"

"That couple over there... What can you tell me about them?"

The teenager glanced in the direction her elder had indicated and sniffed the air. Frowning, she turned back to her companion.

"The Japanese seems... familiar somehow. Should I know her?" The older woman smiled faintly. "No, I suppose not. And the man?" "It's odd, Grandmother, but he smells... wrong. Cold. Is he a threat?"

"No, not that one. But do let me know if you detect any others like him, hmm?"

"Of course, if you wish..."

The golden-haired woman nodded with a fond smile at her pink-haired companion, before placing her right hand lightly on the younger girl's shoulder. Her left hand moved upwards in a slicing motion, leaving a thin trail of honey-colored light in its wake, which quickly stretched into a vertical beam about six feet high. She stepped forwards into the line of light, drawing her companion with her. In a moment, the two were gone as though they had never been, the light fading behind them.

The milling crowds took no notice of their departure, just as they had taken no notice of their arrival moments before...

Back at the Summers home, Akane sat down with an angry look on her face. Buffy looked over, dismayed.

"What's up, Akane? I thought you'd be happy your friend's okay."

"OOooh... She's NOT... " Akane took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Ukyou's more Ranma's friend than mine. Remember, she's one of his many *other* fiancees... "

"Oh yeah... I take it you two have a little rivalry going on?" Akane nodded, still sulking. "So Ranma doesn't know that she's got the hots for him?"

"Oh, he KNOWS... " Akane growled, then continued a little more calmly. "To be fair, he doesn't encourage her... As far as he's concerned, they're just friends. I think... They HAVE known each other since they were five..."

"Hmm, I detect a little green-eyed-monster action here... I thought you said you didn't like Ranma." she added, teasingly. Akane scowled.

"Well, I... Are you kidding? I'm just worried about him, that's all."

"Su-ure... So that nice little scene I walked in on in the yard was just 'cause you're worried about the lug, huh?"

"Honestly, Buffy! We were just about to... Spar! Yeah, that's it, sparring!"

"Yeah, that's the ticket..." Buffy said, smirking.

"Well, think whatever you want. It doesn't make it true." She stood, resigned. "Now I get to go deliver the good news. If I can find him..."

"You want a hand?"

"I guess so... It looks like the rain is finally letting up. Do we need to tell your Mom we're going out?"

"No, she'd only worry. Well, it would increase her constant level of worridom, anyway. She's such a pain about that sometimes..." Akane gave her an odd look.

"I'd think you'd be... Oh, never mind, not my business."

"What? What's not your business?"

"Well, it's just that I think it's great that you have a Mom to worry about you. But, like I said, it's really not my place to say anything. Can we go now?"

"Uh... Yeah, sure..."

JUUBAN, JAPAN

Ryouga came to on the couch, someone having dressed him in his slightly damp clothes. As his eyes focused, he took in his surroundings from his prone perspective. The two strange girls and the panda were looking at him with varying looks of concern, while Nabiki was going through his wallet.

"Hey!! Put that down!!"

Nabiki glanced over unconcerned as she replaced the battered leather billfold on the coffee table with a shrug.

"Fine. Pay me when you can." She stood and walked up the stairs, oblivious to Ryouga's scowl. The two new girls watched her go, and an odd look of sympathy passed between them before they returned their attention to the strange (and fairly handsome, in a rumpled sort of way) boy who'd appeared in their living room.

Ryouga blushed awkwardly, and sat up.

"Uhhh, gomen, folks... " Both girls smiled understandingly.

"That's okay," said the odango-girl with a smile. "You've just got one of those Jusenkyo curses like Saotome-san, right?"

"H-hunh? Uh, yeah, that's right... You're not mad, or upset?"

"Why should we be mad? I should really apologize to YOU for knocking that vase out the window and on to your head." The shorter of the two girls said, with a winning smile that made Ryouga's ears turn pink. "I'm Kanzaki Azusa, Apprentice Devil Hunter, and this is my sempai, Manou Yohko, the 109th Devil Hunter. What's your name, sir?"

"Uhh, Hibiki Ryouga. D-did you say that you're a Devil Hunter? What's that mean?"

"I'll tell you what it means!!" A voice said from the doorway. The trio turned to see a girl about Yohko's age taking off her sneakers and stepping into a pair of slippers. "It means that she's fully capable of meeting all your exorcism and monster-slaying needs! For a reasonable fee, of course..." She had chestnut hair worn loose to her shoulders and sported a pair of stylish eyeglasses over her sky blue eyes. She was dressed fashionably in the latest style of jogging gear. Yohko greeted her cheerfully.

"Hiya Chi! You're here early!"

"Well, I needed to talk to Nab-chan about our latest promotional campaign before we went out shopping. Now, Mr. Wet-Stranger, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Ogawa Chikako, Devil Hunter Manager extraordinaire and all-around financial genius. Are you in need of my client's expertise? Oni in the bathtub? Youma in your garden? What seems to be the trouble?" She strode over confidently, sitting down across from Ryouga and looking him over speculatively.

"Uh.. No, no... I'm just looking for a-a f-friend, I guess... Is Tendou Akane here? A mutual friend told me she was staying here."

The three girls exchanged a worried glance. Azusa finally took pity on the handsome scruffy boy and filled him in.

"I'm very sorry, Hibiki-san, but Tendou-san left almost a month ago for America with my cousin Ranma and Tofu-Sensei."

The whine of a cicada echoed in the silence. The wind-chime in the window tinkled once in the faint breeze.

"L-left? For America?! She's g-gone?!!"

"I'm afraid so," Azusa said sympathetically.

"With... Ranma?"

Azusa nodded.

"Why?"

"Well, after what happened in Nerima, they had to leave the country. They went to a place called Sunnydale to train with a famous Demon-Hunter, a girl who studies an art very similar to Yohko-sempai's."

"What happened in Nerima? Why won't anyone tell me?!!" Ryouga yelled, frustrated. "What does all this have to do with some American Demon-Hunter?"

"It's not really my place to say, Hibiki-san..." Azusa said, bowing her head.

"Well then whose is it?! Damn it, Akane is the girl I l-l-l... Well, she's a very good friend!! Why can't anyone tell me what happened?!" He looked around the room, frustrated beyond measure. The three girls looked away guiltily. The panda merely played with his beachball.

"That's it, old man! You're gonna do some talking!" Ryouga strode over and grabbed the panda by the scruff of his neck and dragged the beast into the kitchen, kicking and growling.

Finding another kettle on the boil, he turned off the gas and dumped the hot water over the panda, triggering a metamorphosis into a middle-aged man wearing glasses, a white gi and a kerchief covering his bald head. He had the look of a once powerful man gone slightly to seed.

"Now now, boy. There's no need to be so rough about it..."

"Shut up! You're gonna tell me what happened in Nerima, and you're gonna tell me now!!!" He raised a fist menacingly, causing Saotome Genma to sigh.

"All right, all right, settle down, boy. Let me up, and I'll tell you everything... In the living room."

"Okay, but don't even TRY to get out of this!"

The two men walked back into the living room and sat down. Genma assumed a pensive pose that looked altogether too well-rehearsed for Ryouga's liking. Azusa and Yohko sat patiently nearby, while Chi bowed out to go visit Nabiki upstairs.

"Azusa dear, would you be so kind as to fetch me a cup of tea?"

"Certainly, Uncle." The petite girl hurried into the kitchen, dragging a recalcitrant Yohko by the ponytails behind her.

"Where do I begin?" Genma said pensively. "Hmm. I suppose it all started when Mousse returned from China once more..."

In the kitchen, the two girls eavesdropped discreetly while waiting for the kettle to boil.

"Why'd you drag me in here, Azusa? that boy is so-o cute!"

"Yohko-sempai, could you PLEASE think about something other than boy-chasing for a change? Hibiki-san will no doubt be very upset when he finds out what happened to Cousin Ranma and his iinazuke's family. He seems to be very fond of Akane-chan, don't you think?"

"Awww... Akane-chan has all the luck..."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that on the grounds that it makes you sound like a dingbat, Sempai."

"What?!"

"Akane-chan has just gone through a horrible tragedy, and you think she's lucky?! Tsk. Poor Hibiki-san..."

"Hmm? I think YOU'RE the one who's boy-chasing, Azusa. 'Poor Hibiki-san', indeed."

"Well, he seems like a very nice boy, and he doesn't have a chance with Akane-chan... There's just something about him that makes me want to take care of him..."

"Ooh! You ARE sweet on him! Wait'll I tell Chi!"

"Don't you dare!"

"I will, so there!" Yohko pulled a red-eye and laughed.

"Yohko-sempai, you are SO immature!!" "Nyahh!"

The girls re-entered the living room with two cups of tea as Genma finished telling his tale. "... So my son and Akane left with Tofu-Sensei to train under this Summers person. Nabiki, my wife and I came to stay here with the Manous while Soun-kun recovers in the hospital. I fear that the loss of poor Kasumi was too much for him. He's never been the same since Kimiko-chan passed away so many years ago, and now this..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Our only consolation is that the Master perished as well. Thank the Kami for small mercies..."

"Excuse me for a minute, will you?" Ryouga said mechanically, walking out the front door and closing it behind him. No one failed to notice the flickering bands of dark energy that were gathering around the Lost Boy's body. "SHI... SHI... HOUKOUDAN!!!!!!!!" The girls exchanged puzzled glances, before wincing as a bright flash went off outside, accompanied by a guttural yell and shockwave that blew out the front windows in a hail of glass.

The occupants of the living room picked themselves up off the floor and were joined by a panicked Chi and a nonplussed Nabiki. "Saotome-san, what happened?! What was that?!" Yohko cried, brushing bits of glass from her fuku. Genma sat, impassive, as a bit of ceiling plaster bounced off his head.

"The boy was just letting off some steam, that's all. He gets upset easily."

Yohko, Azusa and Chi's eyes widened. Chi was the first to recover.

"WHAT?! Who's going to pay for the damages?! This is ridiculous!"

Nabiki walked up behind her and draped her arms over Chi's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Chi-baby. Pig-boy has a fat wallet. I made sure to check..." She said wryly. "C'mon, let's go back to our little project, hmm?" Chi blushed a deep crimson and tittered nervously as Nabiki led her back upstairs by the hand.

Yohko stared after the duo, noticing that Chi's T-Shirt was on inside out. No way...

Azusa merely smiled benevolently. "Those two are such good friends!"

JAPAN, ROUGHLY ONE MONTH AGO

The three figures trudged wearily through the night-darkened forest of memorial stones, their footsteps crunching on the dry white gravel path. The lead figure bore a small black satchel in one trembling hand, the other clutching a flashlight to illuminate their progress. His two younger companions followed silently, absently scanning the area with haunted eyes for any other signs of movement.

Not a day earlier, the trio, and many others, had walked this same path, bearing the remains of one who was once a beloved sister and hoped-for lover to what the majority of mourners had thought would be her final resting place. To their sorrow, these three knew that this was not to be.

They stopped their trek at the Tendou family plot, the beam of the torch alighting on the shrine, a larger mirror image of the one at the dojo, stopping for a moment on the two most recent inscriptions. The first, perhaps ten years old but still unweathered, bore the name "Tendou Kimiko". The latest, the inscribed letters fresh, read "Tendou Kasumi". With a shuddering sigh, the man switched off the light and turned to face his young charges.

"Akane, Ranma... "

"Hai, Tofu-Sensei." They took flanking positions at the Sensei's side, their back to his. Mu-Tsu and Xian-Pu's whereabouts were still unaccounted for, and a watch had to kept. Both teenagers were tired, and more than a little scared. What they were about to do was terrifying even to contemplate, but their experiences over the last week ensured that they were well aware of the necessity of their actions. Kasumi's soul had to be put back on the wheel of karma, and her body had to be put to rest. It was their duty to the memory of the sweet, innocent girl whose peace they were about to ensure.

Tofu knelt in front of the small shrine that contained the mortal remains of the only woman he'd ever truly loved. He said a small prayer to whatever deities would listen, then stood with a grunt.

"The demon has not yet stirred. Take your places. We must wait for the creature to appear before we complete our task."

The teens nodded, stepping back into the concealing shadows with their mentor.

It is a credit to the skill of their assailant that not one of the three skilled fighters took notice of his approach, up until the moment that they collapsed unconscious at his touch. Quickly, silently, he produced a small bottle of shampoo and lathered up the heads of his insensate victims. With the judicious application of pressure to various points on the cranium, he made sure that the trio would remember only that which he wished them to remember; that they had arrived at the Tendou Shrine and had performed their duty. With no more noise than he made approaching, he faded back into the night, masking his presence completely.

In a moment, all three sat up and glanced around in momentary confusion, before gathering their equipment and leaving the way they came, muffled sniffles and sobs echoing in their wake.

When he was assured that they had well and truly left, their assailant emerged, made certain preparations to the area, and took up the vigil himself.

Within minutes, a thick vapour began to issue from the supposedly-sealed shrine, almost luminescent in the darkness as it slowly coalesced into a humanoid shape. The glow slowly faded as the shape became less nebulous, becoming distinctly feminine in form. As the observer watched from his place of concealment, the shape achieved solidity and the form and features of a beautiful woman in her early twenties became visible, resplendently naked, the deep brown of her eyes somehow lit from within by a hellish glow.

No human emotion showed in the depth of those eyes, only a hunger that seemed to intensify as the creature gazed about the grounds, her stare finally landing on the watcher.

The glow in the umber orbs flared, pinning the observer in place temporarily as the creature took a step forward, an animalistic expression contorting the lovely features that in life held such peace. She took another step forward before freezing, a snarl on her lips as she encountered some form of... barrier between herself and the living being she saw as her prey. She backed away, hissing, only to encounter another invisible wall to her left. Flailing out, she found herself boxed in, unable to attack or flee.

The trap sprung, the observer stood, no longer in thrall to the vampire's mesmerism. With a snarl of recognition, the trapped vampire spat his name like a curse.

"Tofu..."

She lunged forward, body contorting as she impacted the barriers set by the prayer-chains that encircled her tomb, unable to pierce the magic that restrained her.

"Hello, demon." The Watcher said in a low voice, barely restraining the elation he felt. Everything was going according to plan. The creature wearing Tendou Kasumi's form hissed, then straightened. A cunning light lit her eyes as she gathered a glamour about herself, clothing her naked form in a simple dress and apron, not unlike the ones Kasumi had worn daily in life. The creature's expression changed, becoming a mask of peaceful bliss and benevolence.

"Oh, my! How nice to see you again, Tofu-sensei..." The vampire glanced innocently at the prayer chains. "Oh dear, I seem to be trapped! Would you be so kind as to let me out? I'd be ever so grateful..." She looked hopefully at her captor.

Tofu forced himself to look away, his mind beginning to fog at the sight of his beloved Kasumi-chan, just as he remembered her. With trembling hands, he reached inside his black gi and pulled out the sheaf of glyph-covered papers he had secreted there.

"Tofu-sensei? Please let me out... I have to get home and cook dinner for my family..."

Tofu ignored her, and began reading aloud the spell he had researched.

With a gasp of searing pain, the vampire collapsed to her hands and knees, her false gentleness instantly fading to be replaced by a demonic rictus, eyes blazing, needle-sharp teeth appearing in her open mouth.

"W-what are you... DOING t-to me..?" the creature half-gasped, half-snarled as convulsions racked her body. "STOP! I'LL KILL YOU!! I'LL..."

Tofu continued to read the spell aloud, his voice gaining strength as the creature trapped between the wards writhed in pain, her face shifting between human and vampiric features.

He finished, his voice steady. On the ground before him, the vampire's eyes widened with shock, as a flash of warm, pure light emitted from within the orbs. With a very human gasp, she collapsed in a faint.

SUNNYDALE, NOW

Xander slunk back up the basement stairs of his house, emerging back out into the night with a chuckle. So someone was using the Nanban, eh? Well, wasn't THAT interesting. Meddling with time was always good for a laugh, but who was doing it? He resolved to find out.

With speed and agility anyone who knew him would have been stunned to see he possessed, Xander sprung off over the rooftops, trailing the source of the magical energies.

From the opposite direction, Ranma-chan dashed nimbly across the rain-slicked rooftops, the last words he'd heard Kasumi's fetch speak echoing in her mind.

She cried out Tofu-sensei's name... Is he in danger? Worried, she'd leapt off her perch in the high steel frame that would soon become the clocktower of a reconstructed Sunnydale High School, and sped off towards Tofu's flat.

As she dashed across the avenue, she looked down to see Akane and Buffy emerge from the Summers home and walk out on to the street. Torn between to twin impulses to stop and hail them or continue on to Tofu-sensei's she halted momentarily, allowing the other girls to spot her.

"Ranma!!" Akane called, dashing over to her iinazuke's side, Buffy close behind her. "Ranma! Wait!!" The red-headed girl turned to face her, a worried look on her pretty face.

"Akane... We've gotta get to Tofu-sensei's place. I, er... Got this feelin' he's in real trouble..."

"Feeling? What do you mean, feeling?!" A troubled look crossed Ranma's features before she answered.

"I just know it, okay? Can't you just trust me on this one?"

"O-okay, Ranma..."

The trio dashed down the wet streets towards the small block of flats where Tofu had been staying, Buffy and Akane managing to keep up with Ranma's grasshopper leaps with some effort. Shortly, they arrived at the Watcher's front door, Buffy and Akane panting as they caught their breath.

"Whew! Guys, what the heck are we doing? What's going on?" Buffy asked between gasps.

"We gotta check on Dr. Tofu, Buff. I think he's in trouble." Ranma said, knocking on the door.

No answer came. She tried again, a little louder. Still no answer.

"I don't think he's home..."

"Nope," a familiar voice called out, "He's gone bye-bye..."

All three girls looked up to see Xander perched on the roof overhang like a half-naked gargoyle, a mischievous look on his face.

"X-xander?" Buffy goggled. "What are you doing up there? And why aren't you wearing pants?"

Xander leapt nimbly down from the roof amidst the three girls, a lascivious smile plastered across his mug.

"Well, it cuts down on the preliminaries, doncha'know. Gimme a hug!!!" He lunged at Buffy, encircling her petite frame in a full-on glomp that caused the startled girl to squeak in surprise, then growl as she realized which parts of her anatomy were being subjected to squeezing. With a snarl of disgust, she punched the boy squarely in the face. His nose took the brunt of the strike and crumpled with a sickening crunch, sending him down to the walk with a groan.

"You... You... ASSHOLE!!! What the hell are you doing?!"

Ranma and Akane exchanged glances, then looked at the moaning boy on the ground clutching his broken nose.

"Did that attack look... Familiar to you, Ranma?"

"Y-yeah... But there's no WAY..."

Buffy was still screaming at the prone figure on the ground at her feet, punctuating her stream of invective with well placed kicks to the kidneys and other, more sensitive regions. As it was, lights were coming on across the complex.

"Uh, Buff? Maybe we'd better do this someplace else..." Ranma said, worriedly.

"Yeah, Buffy. Here, I have a spare key Dr. Tofu gave me for emergencies..." Akane produced her key ring and fumbled for the right key. Buffy stood silently, glaring poisoned daggers at Xander. The trio let themselves in to the darkened apartment, dragging the half-dressed, moaning boy in behind them.

They were shocked to discover the apartment in shambles; papers and scrolls strewn about the room like the debris from a windstorm. A quick search of the apartment proved that Tofu was indeed nowhere to be found. Akane rapidly came to a conclusion.

"He's been kidnapped!" A muffled groan issued from Xander's prone form.

"Doh, doh... I dib dis..."

"What?!" Buffy snapped, her tirade interrupted.

"I ded, I dib dis. I buz..." Xander stood, finding his feet with a little difficulty. "Dab! Jusba boben..."

The three girls looked perplexed.

"What did you say?"

Xander sighed as best he could, and sat down on the couch, brushing aside the scattered papers. A blue glow suffused his body for a moment, and the damage to his nose healed itself before the trio's stunned eyes.

"There, that's better. Now. I said, I did this. I felt somebody use my mirror, so I came to check it out. He was gone when I got here, so I tossed the joint looking for my Nanban. My guess is that he's using it right now..."

Akane and Ranma exchanged shocked glances, while Buffy merely looked confused.

"You tossed the apartment?! YOUR mirror?! What the hell is wrong with you?! You're running around half-naked committing felonies and trying to cop cheap feels off me?!! This isn't like you Xander, I-" Buffy's eyes widened as she took a step backwards. "You're possessed again, aren't you?" She sat down on a chair with a groan. "Oh, no... Xander, I swear. It's like you're a beacon for these things..."

"It's more than that, Buffy..." Akane said softly. "I *think* that's Happousai..."

A glint flashed in Xander's eye.

"Oh, good guess, Akane-chan. But call me, Xander, hmm? Happousai, charming, debonair ladies man that he was, is gone. Oh woe, oh tragedy, such a great loss to the world!!" He sobbed melodramatically for a moment, before brightening. "I know you missed me, but don't fret! I'm back for good, and I'll never leave my two favorite pupils again!!"

Ranma growled low in her throat. "You get out of his body, you perverted old freak!!"

Xander leapt to his feet and pulled a face.

"Nyah-nyah! Make me! I like it here!"

"Why you..." Akane swung at him, but Xander dodged easily aside and sprung nimbly across the room to the door.

"Whassamatter with you? Ain'tcha got no respect for an old man?" He looked down at himself, then smiled apologetically. "Oh, right. I'm not an old man anymore, am I? Well..." He looked pensive for a moment, then snapped his fingers and smiled charmingly. "I know! Be nice to me, or I'll have the Harris boy here stroll out in front of a speeding bus! After all, there's plenty of bodies to choose from... Howzzat for incentive, hmm?"

Ranma lunged across the room, fists flying.

"Leave him alone, you old bastard! I'll send you back to hell!"

Xander/Happousai easily evaded the Amaguriken technique and sidestepped. Ranma's momentum carried her forward and through the door with a horrendous crash. Xander chuckled merrily.

"Oh, such fun, such fun! I really missed you, m'boy!" His eyes turned to Buffy who was standing by the couch, a stunned look on her face. "Now, YOU... Oh, boy, but ol' Xander's been waiting a lo-ong time for you to come across with the goods! You wouldn't beLIEVE what he's been dreaming about doing with YOU, Buffy-baby. It's enough to bring a tear of pride to an old man's eye. Now, give us a smooch, sweetie!" He sproinged forward, arms outstretched for the glomp. Buffy sidestepped the lunge and kicked the possessed boy with all the ki-force she had, sending the lecher straight up through the roof with a crash. As he flew off into the night, still cackling gleefully, Buffy stared furiously after him, her breath coming in angry gasps.

"This is even worse than that time with the hyena..."

JAPAN, THE MANOU HOME:

Sometime later, after the glaziers had left and Ryouga had received a royal chewing out from Madoka, Yohko's Grandmother and Mentor, (who had returned home from her weekly Mah-Jongg game to find her front lawn and living room a shambles), the Lost Boy sat on the back stoop and watched the sun set.

"Akane... I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you... You must be going through hell." He hung his head. "If only I'd been there, I might have saved your sister... She was always so sweet."

Ryouga turned slowly as he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Azusa stood there, a bowl of soup in her outstretched hands.

"Here you go, Hibiki-san. I made it for you. It's an old family recipe..." She offered him the bowl with a hopeful smile. Ryouga accepted with a polite bow.

"Itadakimasu, Kanzaki-san." He sipped at the soup. The flavour was salty, but soothing. "This is very good... may I ask what it's called?"

"It's called 'Heartbreak Soup'. She smiled sympathetically. "I thought you could use some."

He looked up at her, a sad smile on his face.

"Arigatou, Kanzaki-san. It's very... soothing." Encouraged, she sat down next to him, delicately arranging the lines of her long skirt.

"You can call me Azusa... that is, if you want to..." She said, a small blush colouring her nose.

"Ah... Sure, Kanza- er, Azusa. I-if you want, you can call me Ryouga..." He blushed a little himself, and sipped at his Heartbreak Soup.

"I'd like that." Azusa replied quietly. They sat in pregnant silence for a while as Ryouga finished his soup.

"Ryouga?" Azusa said when he put down the empty bowl.

"H-hai?"

"You really like Akane-chan, don't you?" Ryouga blushed furiously.

"Hai..."

"Do you... That is, do you want to... Try and find her?"

"Do you think I should?"

"Well, if you like her so much, you should tell her how you feel... I'm sure she'd appreciate it. She's lost so much, I think she'd like to know that her friends still care about her. My cousin Ranma tries to help, but he's..."

"A thoughtless, womanizing jerk who doesn't appreciate what he's got? A mean-spirited sex-changing cheater who takes advantage of people?"

Azusa was a little taken aback at the heat in Ryouga's words.

"Err... I wouldn't have put it QUITE that way..."

"Gomen, Azusa... I shouldn't say bad things about him in front of you, if he's your cousin and all... It's just, well, he and I have a history..."

"I understand, Ryouga. Ranma-kun IS usually a little full of himself. But you wouldn't recognize him now. He was very upset about what happened at Akane-chan's home. He felt responsible for-"

"Well, he should! If he hadn't been leading on Shampoo, none of this would have happened!! It's all his fault!! He's gotta PAY!!"

Azusa blinked. "Err, o-kayy... Well, what I was trying to say was that if you want to go to America, I think you should."

"America? Well..." Ryouga looked pensive for a moment, then shook his head. "Azusa, I think you should know something about me... I'm uh, not very good with directions." He blushed furiously, his voice softening to a whisper. "I can get lost on the home islands for months... America's a pretty big place. How am I gonna find her?"

"I... I could go with you... As a guide, I mean... And I speak pretty good English... " She blushed.

"You'd come with me?" Ryouga asked, stunned. "B-but, you hardly know me!"

"Well... I always wanted to see America... And I'm not in school, so I don't have to worry about that. Besides, I'd like to train under Summers-Sensei too. As an Apprentice Devil Hunter, I will look on it as special training!!" She sat up straight, smiling. "What do you say?"

Ryouga looked at her, so eager and energetic, her honey-brown eyes sparkling. Despite himself, he smiled.

"All right... Let's go."

"Yaay!" Azusa cried, giving Ryouga a quick hug before collecting herself and returning inside.

"Auntie Madoka! Ojisan Saotome! I'm going on a Training Mission!"

Ryouga sat, stunned.

"She... hugged me?"

BACK ACROSS THE POND:

Long ago, people used to try walking the streets of Sunnydale at night. They also stopped, for some odd reason. Something about living on top of a demon-attracting anomaly that sat on the rubber sheet of reality like a lead weight, making all similar objects roll down towards it.

This particular taboo was not currently being observed by a lone male figure, recently arrived to the benighted burg.

He was wrapped up in a midnight-blue cloak, a hood obscuring his head and his feet made soft tappings as they hit the pavement.

Then, he turned a corner, under a street light, and, as he turned, one could glimpse a momentary flash of features - cold, hard violet eyes, the light flickered off steel-grey earrings.

Now, people HAD stopped walking the streets for a reason.

Just as the man prepared to resume his movements, one of said reasons burst out of a bush, snarling.

The man regarded the beast with blunt, cold boredom.

"Hi there, pretty-boy." snarled the vampire. "You up for a quick drink?"

To this, the young man just chuckled unpleasantly.

"Oh, y'think that's funny, do you?" the vampire snarled. "Now, ever since the slants arrived they bin showin' us stuff about martial arts... So hold still and this won't hurt for long."

The vampire lurched forward with a speed that belied his hulking appearance. As he approached, there was a sudden blurring of the air, and the young man was gone. Turning, the vampire looked behind him, only to spot him sitting nonchalantly on a fire hydrant.

"You don't seriously think I'd waste my energy on you, do you?" The man asked in an oddly moderate voice. Not a deep, gravelly voice nor a high, feminine one- just enough of a distinction to make one pause. "Oh, you'd better..." the vampire stalked forward. "Oh well." Suddenly the vampire had to deal with a foot to his face, a punch to his jaw and three short jabs to his stomach that left him winded, despite not needing air.

"S'alright..." the vampire panted. "I like ta play with my food, anyway." He lashed out with one hand at the now standing boy, who casually sidestepped and flipped his cloak over the vampire's head.

"Hey!" he lashed out. "Get back here!!" The vampire's haymaker kick went wild, entangling him in his opponent's cloak. Seizing the opportunity, the man twisted the cloak further around the vampires ankles and swung him around like a ball on a chain. With a painful sound of crunching bone and tearing metal, the vampire was slammed into the fire hydrant.

Water sprayed everywhere as the hydrant exploded. The vampire, fortunately not a Jusenkyou-cursed one, shook his head and managed to rip the cloak away from his ankles with the use of one good arm, before turning around to find the kid. His head snapped around...

Then up...

And up...

And Up...

"Uhh..." He said intelligently.

A huge, furred monstrosity filled his vision. Eight writhing black tentacles squirmed regularly around in arcs, two fists the size and density of sledgehammers clenched angrily. A pair of horns glittered pale in the darkness, moonlight winking off the two iron rings that said, yes, this nine and a half feet of nightmarish malignancy was the same thing that had been under the cloak.

The creature raised its arms over its head and FLEXED. A huge pair of bat-shaped wings spread out to almost twenty feet. Then, the creature blinked a few times, and its eyes gleamed the faintest red with slitted irises. With an angry, bovine smile, it showed it's teeth. Two predominant oversized fangs glittered in it's maw.

The rest, sadly, is child abuse. There are some things that not even a vampire can live through.

Pantyhose Tarou, godson of Happousai, snorted angrily. Now he'd have to find some hot water. Oh well.

Stalking away from the maimed, beheaded and rapidly necrotizing remains of the vampire, the vast beast chuckled to itself. If that was the sort of thing that he had to face, well, this was going to be easy...

"I swear... you're gonna pay, duck-boy." he vowed silently, clenching one huge fist.

Well, that's what he meant. What he said was more like: "Moo, grrr, moo, snort." But the sentiment was there.

THE PAST:

Tofu stepped forward and dismantled the prayer chains, his breathing ragged with anticipation. He could barely tear his eyes away from Kasumi's supine form. Had it worked?

Heedless of his own safety, he knelt down beside her, out of instinct feeling for a pulse before dismissing the idea as ridiculous. Gently, he tried to draw her to her feet, but she remained limp and cold in his arms.

"Kasumi-chan... Speak to me, please..."

With a gasp, her eyes flew open, a look of sheer terror in the brown orbs. A racking breath shuddered through her body as her muscles spasmed, knocking Tofu to the ground. Alarmed, he spun, only to see Kasumi stagger to her feet, and looked down at herself. There was a moment of silence as she held up her hands, examining them in the moonlight, her back to the Watcher. Her head bowed and her shoulders trembled as she clutched her arms around her torso, as if to assure herself that she was really and truly here.

"Kasumi-chan..." Tofu scrambled to his feet and rushed to her side, his voice choking. "Is it really you? Did the spell work? Have you come back to me?" Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes shrouded by her bangs. Tentatively, he reached out and touched her face, tilting her chin upwards.

Her eyes were shut tightly, but thin rivulets of tears managed to slip through and trickle down her cheeks. Her lower lip quivered softly as a sob escaped her lips.

"Why...?" She whispered. "Why did you do this?" Her eyes snapped open, still weeping but displaying the same unnatural glow they had earlier possessed. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME??!!!"

She delivered a vicious backhand to Tofu, sending him sprawling to the gravel. He looked up, shocked. Kasumi NEVER raised a hand in anger, to anyone!

"Kasumi-chan..."

"Don't call me that! Who gave you the right to call me that?! Who gave you the right to make me into... Into... Some kind of monster!"

"I didn't make you a monster, Kasumi-chan... I gave you back your soul..."

"It wasn't yours to give!" With inhuman swiftness, she lunged at him, grabbing him by the front of his black gi and lifting him off the ground. "Undo it! Kill me! Whatever it takes, do it!"

"I... I don't understand..."

"Don't you see? You've trapped me! I don't want to spend eternity as... some kind of parasite, no better than a leech or a flea! Undo it! NOW!"

"B-but... I gave you back your life! I love you!"

"My life was over! Done! I was at peace! Y-you... You..." She collapsed, weeping, in his arms. "Kill me. Now. Please... If you love me, Tofu, do it..."

"I-I..."

She looked up at him pleadingly. "PLEASE..."

"I..." He reached into his gi, and pulled out a strip of paper, a Shinto ward. One touch would destroy her, this soon after her rebirth... She nodded, closing her tear-filled eyes. He reached forward, his hand shaking, to place the ward on her forehead.

His hand stopped, refusing to go any farther.

"Kasumi... I can't do this..." Her eyes flew open, despairing.

"Then I will!!" She reached out to grab the ward, but he pulled it away.

"No, I can't let you do that... Please, Kasumi, forgive me, but... I can't let you die again..."

"Then you are an even greater monster than what I have become..." She said softly, turning away from him.

Whirling, her eyes blazing red. Kasumi picked Tofu up by his throat. It seemed his assessment of her strength, comparative to his, had been somewhat flawed. While she may not yet have the endurance of a true vampire, she sure had the strength of one.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME DIE?" she lamented in his ear, her misery a piercing cry that tore at his heart.

"Kasumi-chan - please!" he gagged. "You're- you're hurting me!" Kasumi released him and dropped to the ground, tears flowing freely. "Why-" "Kasumi... We, we need you. I need you. I couldn't bear to think of you, cold and dead in the ground, when I could do something, ANYthing, to prevent it..."

Tofu reached out with one arm, to comfort her, only to have her grasp his wrist and fling in a perfect judo throw over her head. He bounced off a tombstone, a solid crunch warning him that his shoulder had been badly dislocated.

"Leave me alone!"

"Kasumi-chan, we have to go back!"

"Leave me!"

Tofu tried to prop himself up to call after her running form, but he collapsed, the pain shooting through his shoulder bringing fresh tears to his eyes.

By the time his vision cleared, it was too late. Kasumi was gone. "Oh, well _done_, Ono..." A grave-cold voice said from behind him Tofu looked up over his shoulder, only to encounter the briefest flash of a face...

And a fist to his jaw.

**********************************

END EPISODE FOUR: TO BE CONTINUED!

********************************** By Dave Menard and Rick Hall, with plot assist by Matty Higgins. First draft Jan. 2000, final draft Feb 14, 2000

THANKS GO OUT TO: The ATVS Prereaders Squad, Nicole Manders, Wade Trischler, Blade, Allyn Yonge and all the C+C mavens on the FFML.

NEXT TIME: Pantyhose versus Xander, a possible cure for Ranma and a new magic shop opens in Sunnydale. All this and Spike too, next time on Akane The Vampire Slayer!

C+C REQUESTED, NAY, DEMANDED!!!!!!! Reach Dave at catthouse@lweb.net, Rick at talen@optusnet.com.au, or the whole Leaping Gnome Team at leapinggnome@hotmail.com. For previous chapters of ATVS, visit Akane The Vampire Slayer's Homepage at: http//:matrix.crosswinds.com/~ksna or hit the RAAC archives under ranma.x-over.akane-the-vampire-slayer, or look us up at www.fanfiction.net under Anime or Buffy The Vampire Slayer!