A friend of mine died last weekend. That right there explains why
there wasn't a chapter. Now, onto the reviews...
Anubis - Not for a long while yet. No, Crawford's just worried that
Yohji will screw up something that has to happen, at least for the
future to turn out nicely, and not dark and life-less as he has
forseen.
S'revan - Cliffhangers are fun... well, as long as I'm the one writing
them Wow, death from suspense... does that count as manslaughter?
Chibi Kitsune - Aww, it's alright. I did kinda vanish for a couple
weeks there. Yes, yes, I know I need more SchuxKen. It's coming, dont'
worry. snickers Schuldich is never going to leave Ken alone. Never.
I feel sorry for poor Hiroto... and the only people who have any
idea about what I'm talking about are Rob, Pat and Amanda.
Romiily McAran - Now why would I kill my beloved Lucifier? cackles
evilly To tell you the truth, the plan has been to have Angel
Sanctuary in there for a long time. Go back to False Identity.
What's Kojiro's family name? grins innocently As for Laguna, Kiros
and Ward... Laguna shows up in later chapters, and Ward... well,
thanks to the guys at school, we have plans for Ward. cackles evilly
Yeah, you're right on the Jun thing. As for turning back... don't
doubt it.
purplealicorn - I am evil, I know that. Yes... evil... yeah, I know I
should work on Route Unknown. I will get past the ba-- no, wait,
that's spoiling it. No spoiling any of my other stories in the
author's notes for Confused Identity. hits self with fan
Ran - shudders You are a master at threats, Ran-kun.
Amanda - (Ano Kojena Nyaseina) - ... No kidding it was the same
chapter you read at lunch. I did kinda type it from that book. Hmmm...
have you read Daisuke Lost yet? It's something like 26 pages now.
pauses No, I don't think you have. It's the one thatcomes between
Books 4 & 5 (and don't start with the "finish book four first" thing.)
Pat (Cyberhunter) - You could also ask for the Amazing Green Book of
Identity, you know. And I'm not going to stop with the cliffhangers.
In some ways Rob has it worse than you-- he gets to read chapters that
cut off mid sentence. Then again, you could be doing that, too. Have
you read the recent parts of Daisuke Lost?
Kyra - Foreshadowing is fun Ah, no. They aren't going to die. One
character will die. And come back. Gotta love FVIII's Life Magic and
Phoenix Downs.
Evil Stratagemini - Naturally, you like being right. Everyone likes
being right. I, personally, am never wrong. Bloodshed in this chapter,
and... ouuu, you're really going to like one of the coming chapters.
grins widely Oh, And it's FF8 history.
Oh, yeah... ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
Pat wants to make a movie/show version of the Identity Series, but he
needs art. Anyone care to offer? Post links in the reviews, if you have
your own site to upload it to. Email me at if you don't
have a site.
Confused Identity
Chapter Six - Fight
Li Xiang
They stood on the precipice of the presidential palace, having mowed
through the guards that had attempted to stop them. The trio were
dressed, armed, and prepped for battle. And battle they would, as they
could feel a dark presence hanging in the air around them. It was a
chilling feeling that sent shivers of terror down the spine, and
Raijin wondered how the men and women in the city below could possibly
ignore it.
Ranma, to his left, was excitedly bouncing in place. He hadn't had a
decent fight for ages, not since before the pregnancy. Fujin was
equally excited, although she appeared much more stoic and
unconcerned. Only the fact that Raijin had known and been around her
for ages let him see past the cool veneer to the excited psychopath
beneath the surface.
Well, that and she kept running her fingers over her chakra, an
obvious sign of the anticipation of bloodshed.
The more things change... he mused with a soft chuckle.
"How much longer?" whined Ranma, popping briefly into female form to
employ the almighty Puppy-Dog Eyes.
Raijin forced himself not to look at Ranma-onna. He didn't have
Crawford's apathy to fall back upon to prevent him from turning into a
stuttering wreak. Staring up into the ebon and thundering clouds, he
could only frown, "Soon, Ranma. Soon."
--
Zell was nervous.
He had no idea what was going on around him. He recalled talking with
Miss Yuki, then her telling to 'sleep', then waking up as his cranium
impacted with the ground. When his skull had stopped throbbing-- or at
least, faded to a bearable level-- and he'd gotten back onto his feet,
he was surrounded by people he didn't know.
Oh, he recognized Spike, Yuki and Irvine, matching faces to names, and
he'd seen a number of the others before, he didn't actually know
anyone outside of Irvine.
Then Yuki had hauled a fire-headed man wearing a yellow bandana to his
feet, glaring into his jade eyes, "Explain. Now."
The man sighed, "Is everyone here?"
"Minus my brother, Jei and Crawford."
"What's going on, Schuldich?" wondered Irvine, and Zell felt the fact
that he didn't really know the Cowboy all that well curl in his
stomach. Kinneas knew these people, Dincht did not. He was all alone,
amid strangers. The realization that Irvine had kept something so
large from his teammates and friends at Balamb Garden drove an
ice-pike through his churning insides. It was almost terrifying to
know that he had no idea of how any of these people would react-- to
anything.
The redhead massaged his temples, "I don't know. Crawford's always
been hard to read, and now that Raijin's 'remembered' the Gates, I
can't even sift through his mind. All I know is somethin's going
down, and only Ranma, Farfie and Crawfish were allowed to remain
behind. He also said that Yuki, Spike, Ken and myself were to head to
Balamb Garden."
"That doesn't tell us much," the blue and yellow-- lemon yellow, that
is, not blonde-- haired young adult returned calmly. He didn't seem
like the type to ever get excited. Schuldich nodded irritably.
"I know. We just got to believe that Brad knows what he's doing."
"You doubt that?" Irvine raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
"Ranma hasn't fought-- seriously fought-- since Cosmos."
Irvine's eyes widened.
"Shit."
--
And the dark clouds parted with thunderous applause.
It was an awesome sight to behold; the Sorceress descending from the
heavens, her great black wings beating imperiously. She had an
appearance that was more male than female, but the darkness of the
clouds prevented anyone from below realizing such.
At least, up until a chakra cut through the air, slamming into her
left wing, and ricocheting back to it's owner's palm. Adel gave a
shriek of pain, whirling on the spot to face the trio standing behind
her upon the rooftop. The chakra in Fujin's raised hand was an obvious
sign as to who it was that had attacked her.
Adel raised her hands, preparing a spell, and opened her mouth to make
from most likely regurgitated speech about attacking one's betters,
when Ranma hit her with a "Mouko Takabisha!"
"Ha! Attack first, gloat later!" crowed the gender-bender.
"Take your own advise!" sneered the Sorceress, flinging a Water spell
at Ranma. The teenager twisted skillfully out of the way as Adel threw
spell after spell at the frantically dodging male. Her distraction
cost her, as she'd forgotten about Fujin and Raijin.
They had not forgotten her.
The pair worked in eerie, silent concert, the way only long time
partners could. The Guardian of Time's bo-staff lashed out, catching
her across the back of her neck. The Sorceress stumbled, falling into
the path of Fujin's chakra, of which ripped it's passage across the
flesh of her belly, slicing nearly an inch and a half in. Raijin's bo
arced around in a reserve of his previous swing, catching her under
the chin and sending her rearing backwards.
Back to meet Saotome's foot. Not to mention his fists, as the martial
artist beat viciously upon his enemy's unprotected back, shoulders and
skull.
"Enough!" screamed the dark-winged woman, unleashing an unfocused
blast of pure mana. The three battle-goers were thrown off-- Brad
skidding across roof tiles, Jei-onna ricocheting off a statue to land
on a balcony, and Ranma just barely managing to grab hold of the
roof's edge. With a pull and a twist, he yanked himself back up onto
the roof top, and was only just getting his feet back under him when
the unprepared young man was hit with a Thundaga spell.
He screamed and howled like a cat as he was electrocuted.
"Ranma!" Raijin drew himself back onto his own feet, tearing through
the continued spell, unaffected by the electrical energy-- in fact, he
was gaining strength from the energy pounding into his body and
Ranma's. With a grunt, he swept Ranma's surprisingly heavy form up off
the ground, leaping for safety. They had not been prepared to fight
someone of Adel's raw power-- not with Ranma still recovering from
pregnancy.
Bradley had known that since his vision that evening. Had known that
they'd fail to defeat Adel-- but these three could survive. If the
others had remained behind, they would have been eliminated as a large
threat. Jun would have been guardian-less, and would not end up
where she would be needed when the time came.
No, it was infinitely better that only the three of them would get the
ever living shit beat out of them. They would survive, because their
friends were safely out of the city.
This was what he was trying to convince himself to believe as he
watched Fujin viciously attack the Sorceress, furious over the attack
on her lover.
Raijin placed Ranma out of the fight-zone, before charging back into
battle, the "wooden" bo-staff in his hand glinting in an all too
metallic way. Fujin landed lightly beside him, panting from the
exertion of battle. A harsh, ruby eye turned on the dark skinned one,
"Ranma?"
"Unconscious," he returned, his own gaze on the Sorceress, Mana filled
the air, and the pair cursed, leaping apart and away as the Blizzara
spell impacted where they had been standing but seconds before. Ice
washed over the rooftop, freezing into place in seconds, leaving only
treacherous ground to stand on.
Even Fujin knew they would fail in the battle, but the silver haired
woman did not give up easily.
Five minutes later, as Raijin passed out from being hit with Ultima,
he noted that his silver haired companion had managed to throw an Aero
spell before she, too, passed out. He knew she was only worried for
her Kitty, even though she didn't need to be.
He was the seer, after all, and he understood what was to come.
Ranma's power, his own, and Fujin's stubborn want to see things
through would only hinder the others, now. So he'd had them taken out
of the fight.
Not permanently, however. They would be needed in time. And when that
time came, they'd be there.
Everything was in Yuki's hands now.
Hyne save us.
--
The wail of a child rang out through the Centra base, causing multiple
people to bolt to Saotome Jun's side. Kasumi was cradling the infant,
rocking her back and forth, murmuring soothing nothings to her, but
the redhead was still caterwauling uncontrollably. The seven month
old's aunt stepped in, an unreadable mask over her normally expressive
face.
Calmly, she picked up her dear niece, and began to rock her like
Kasumi had done. Unlike the younger female, however, Yuki was not
babbling soothing words or sounds-- she was whispering promises of
vengeance, death, destruction and mayhem into the girl's ear, her
voice soft and cheerful, as though she was announcing that she had won
several billion dollars, and that they could now quite their dead end
jobs. It was not a tone for threats, which made it all that much more
creepy; but it calmed Jun's crying. The baby hiccupped, clinging to
Yuki's haori.
Furious umber eyes looked up at her companions, "Ranma's down. I
assume that Brad and Farfello are as well. Ken, Spike, we're leaving
for Balamb. Now."
They were not facing Saotome Yuki, insane and loving it, the older
sister of Saotome 'Kitty' Ranma, girlfriend of Aya and close friend of
Jei. They were looking upon the visage of the assassin codenamed
Kitsune, a woman raised by Bane, baptized in a rain of blood.
And she was Pissed Off.
--
The Garden was brought to full alert when the news of Adel's almost
effort-less conquering of the Galbadian Capital reached them. The
mercenaries were thrown back into the militarian state they had only
just managed to drag themselves out of. It appeared that the war
wasn't quite over just yet.
"Well," husked an unfamiliar voice, once the Heros of the Second
Sorceress War had gathered upon the bridge, "At least you lot are
prompt."
The SeeDs were in battle mode almost instantly, facing the wall from
which the man's voice had come. A peroxide blonde man, a scar through
his brown left eyebrow, and dressed in black and red was leaning
against the controls that would control the lift. Pale blue eyes were
hard as diamonds as he stared back at them.
"Maybe we should have gotten Yohji and Zell to write us a pass?"
wondered another man, who had just arrived from the lift. His hair and
eyes were dark. A brown leather jacket was thrown over his pale shirt,
a jean jacket tied around his waist. He, too, wore a closed, cold
expression.
"Who are you two?" growled the Commander of Garden, one Squall
Leonhart.
"You should have asked 'four'," interrupted a woman's voice, "You were
a lot more polite when you were Naoe Nagi. But as for your
question..."
"Spike," the blonde with the accent raised his scarred brow.
"Ken," the brown haired male indicated himself. To the SeeDs, if they
hadn't been on guard, they would have found the man bearing a
startling resemblance to Selphie rather amusing. He seemed to have
appeared from nowhere, draped across the younger man.
/Schuldich/ the nasal voice rippled through their minds, not unlike
the voices of their Guardian Forces. The redhead was smirking.
Then came a terrifying moment of shock, as an ebon tressed woman
seemed to rise up, out of the floor, brown eyes flashing in suppressed
rage. She ignored the weapons aimed at her, walking towards Squall
with steady steps.
She stared into his blue-grey eyes, searching.
Then, she smiled, "Nice to see that you can still kill, Amun-Ra," she
stood back, turning to face the others gathered in the room, "I do
hope you don't mind our sudden appearance, but we've been told to
come work with you."
"You still haven't given us your name," Quistis interrupted.
The ebon tressed woman grinned, "Atashi wa kijutsu 'Kitsune' Saotome
Yuki desu. Hitokiri."
Selphie's eyes widened and she yelped, "Assassin? Assassin?!" even as
Squall murmured, "'Art of Energy'...? A Sorceress...?"
Ken's eyes shifted between the two, a tired smile on his lips, "It's
nice to know they still understand Japanese."
Yuki smiled, clapping her hands," Right on the girl, girls and guys. I
am Assassin-Sorceress Saotome 'Kitsune' Yuki... and I'm here to help
you get rid of the Sorceress in Deling City," eyes darkened and power
flooded off of her, filling the senses of all present, "She will
pay for harming my brother!"
--
End Chapter