School at Furinkan wasn't nearly as much fun without Ranma Fate noted silently to herself. While the school was notably calmer, the classrooms had become almost oppressive with the way half the class had started to treat her differently now that the boy was no longer acting as a buffer. Akane tried to help, but several of the boys were starting to get rather pushy. Most of them were courteous enough to leave after one or two rebuffs, but there were one or two were taking her calm demeanor as an open invitation instead of the natural kindness that was her nature.

Fate couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone encouraging them as well. She had her suspicions, but was too kind to voice them. Instead she started to quietly and thoroughly investigate on her own. She might not have been a full time member of the TSAB, but she still held the title of enforcer. Amusingly enough Akane was the only one who really got that, and part of the reason that she was attempting to eliminate the situation was the desire to keep her school standing.

Even the blue haired girl was starting to get mildly irritated though. The only bright spot on the entire situation was the fact that a cute new boy had transferred in, one who actually didn't seem to care about Fate and Akane's popularity. It was a refreshing change to talk with a polite young boy who didn't get distracted by looks.

The three of them had hit it off surprisingly well, both girls using the boy as a barrier between them and the more irritating people in the school. Both the men and the women. That he could cook made the entire lunch break very pleasant.

"You looked distracted during class Fate." Akane commented as she took a bite of the creation their new friend had made.

"I just got a message from a friend that requested something." Fate grimaced as she looked at the blue haired girl. "Both Nanoha and I are unfortunately too far away to help properly. It's rather time sensitive."

"Ah." Akane nodded, correctly associating it with the rather unusual occupation that Fate's friends had. "Was it important? Should I be worried?"

"Signum and Vita are adults." Fate sighed and nibbled on the food that she had been given. "It's unfortunate, but everyone that could assist is too far away. They didn't phrase it as an emergency, but they have a habit of underestimating the amount of trouble they get into."

"I'm afraid I'm lost Sugar." Their new friend commented as he listened in. "Who are these people and how much trouble are they in?"

"You've seen pictures of Signum and Vita." Akane replied with a grimace as she thought of the pictures still floating around the school. "They are very good martial artists involved in.. Trouble shooting would be the best to call it right?"

"That fits as well as anything." The blond haired girl nodded. "They are fairly powerful, and Ranma is with them so they should be fine. We still worry though, and if Hayate wasn't worlds away she would have already been on her way there."

"Really?" The boy leaned forward intently. "I thought I heard Ranma's name mentioned before. He usually attends this school right?"

"Usually." Fate nodded in reply. "He's out doing something for my older brother otherwise he would be here."

"I hate to say it, but I do wish he was still here." Akane muttered quietly. "The idiots at this school are getting irritating."

"I don't disagree with you there." The boy nodded at them both. "I'm not even the one being hit on and I want to hurt them. Poor Fate over here is getting the worst of it."

"So long as the stay polite I can deal with it." The blonde haired girl spoke softly. "But if even one of them attempts to touch me again I will not be responsible for what happens."

"Please don't blow up the school." Akane replied with a completely straight face.

Ukyo blinked and looked at Fate and Akane. "You're kidding right sugar? No offense to her, but Fate looks more like a princess than anybody who can fight."

Fate just smiled mysteriously as Akane burst into a fit of giggles.

"Fair beauties I have returned!" A pompous declaration made all three people turn as the school idiot began to speak to them. "Allow me to proclaim-" He was interrupted by his speech as Nanoha came jumping in, landing right on the boys head and knocking him out.

"Faaaaate!" She exclaimed happily. "I just got the perfect thing to make you forget all about your troubles."

"Oh no." Fate placed her palm on her face. "I know that look."

"Huh?" Akane blinked as the brown haired girl giggled and walked up to the three, holding a small brown package.

"This is funny!" The girl giggled and sat next to her best friend in the whole world. "Plus it gives me the perfect answer to your picture blackmail."

"Please no." Fate cried out softly in dread. "I'm still living down the time you started complaining over an open mic about my combat uniform."

"You brought that one on your self dear Fate." Nanoha replied primly as she arranged herself and handed the package over. "Don't bother destroying it, I have copies, and apparently it's the first part of a series."

Cringing the blonde haired girl timidly opened up a corner of the package and went alternately white then totally red. "Erk." She gurgled in supreme embarrassment.

"I still can't get over how well they managed to cast the actors." Nanoha smiled with dark glee. "I mean their acting leaves something to be desired, but really they look almost exactly like us. Of course they don't have the same names, but you know they meant us."

"Gurk." Fate quietly and calmly closed up the package and sat it in front of her. With nary a change in expression she held out her hand and aimed it. In front of her Akane's eyes widened and she pushed Ukyo out of the way. A bright light illuminated the school yard, and in front of Fate there was a fairly large sizzling crater.

"Yeah, that's how I expected you to act." Nanoha giggled and pulled out another package. "But I made copies!"

With an eerily calm expression Fate turned to Nanoha and then looked at the package in her hands. With no warning she lunged and tackled the brown haired girl. The package fell out of the girl's hand and in front of Akane.

With almost fatal curiosity Akane picked up the package, ignoring the fact that Nanoha and Fate were now in a rather heated wrestling match. She slowly opened up the package and then just gaped at the cover.

"Give!" Nanoha had Fate in a headlock. "Say uncle!"

"What the hell is this!" Akane shrieked out loud. To her side Ukyo looked at the object in her hands and just blinked in shock.

"Fate and I are popular in some circles." The brown haired girl looked at Akane with a smile. "Ranma's not as well known, but he hangs around us enough to give certain impressions. It's a rather amusing parody of our relationship."

"It's a porno." Ukyo spoke with sick fascination. "You are right though, the actors do look very much like you."

"Why would you buy something like this?" Akane modulated her voice down. Half the school was now staring at the group in fascination.

"It's funny?" Nanoha shrugged in indifference as she let go of a thoroughly humiliated Fate. "Not as if people don't already think we are in that sort of relationship."

"You aren't right?" The only boy of the group asked with dread.

Fate slapped her hand over Nanoha mouth. "Ignore what she says about it." The girl's elegant appearance had been thoroughly ruined. "We aren't in THAT sort of relationship."

"Would be fun though." The brown haired girl giggled at Fate's expression. "Don't worry Fate, I'm not going to get into a four way with Hayate, Signum and Vita."

"Please tell me that's not a scene." The blonde begged softly.

"According to reviews it's the second hottest scene apart from the threesome that's at the end with us and Ranma." Nanoha pursed her lips in thought. "Though I don't think the actor playing Ranma has the correct proportions."

"Kill me now." Fate sank to the ground into a disheveled lump of blond hair.

"Revenge!" Nanoha grinned evilly and snatched back her tape. "I can't wait for Ranma to get back. I plan on having the final scene playing in right when he walks in for the debrief."

Fate's mouth twitched. "That should be amusing."

"Glad you see it that way!" Nanoha chirped and began to run off. "I'll get you pictures of his face."

Ukyo's mouth opened and closed as the brown whirlwind sprinted off. Finally she just slumped and looked to Fate. "Is she always that bad?"

"That was rather bad." Fate admitted softly. "I think she's missing us a bit though. I do want pictures when Ranma sees that though."

Akane's mouth twitched. "That should be amusing."

"So you and Nanoha are famous enough to have that sort of parody made of you?" Ukyo's eyebrow raised at the thought.

"As Nanoha would say, both of us are very 'hot'." Fate admitted quietly. "I knew somewhere that it might happen, but actually seeing it is another thing."

"There there." Akane patted the girl on the back. "Just be glad that no one at school has any idea of it."

Fate just wailed softly.

The tent was ill lit, hot and muggy. There was no celebration here, no joy. Now was the time to set aside frivolity and begin preparations for war. The pace was dizzying in it's speed, and off to the side the off-worlders just watched in near awe as at the center of it all sat Wrath who calmly and succinctly doled out every mission and bit of information like he had been studying it all his life. This was his element, not the field of combat, but in tactics, in anticipation of the enemy, and in the utter ruthlessness required to send your own people into certain death.

They four of them didn't have to be there, but they wanted to. This was something important, and even if they were not part of these people, each and every one of them wanted to see this conclude with the least amount of life lost.

"Your job is going to be hardest out of them all." The man was winding down as he addressed one rather nervous looking woman. "But it's not going to be combat intensive, in fact if you find yourself confronting a High Summon you should be retreating to the nearest experienced unit."

"What shall I be doing then lead?" The woman asked in curiosity.

"You and the less experienced people will be restraining the civilians. Any hint of violence you should either bind or subdue. Treat them all with kid gloves for now." Wrath brought up a picture of a city with his device. "This city will be your area with about two wings of people. I have a few suggestions for deployment, but it would be best for you to make judgments on site."

"Yes leader." The woman bowed and turned to leave.

"And, I think that is all I can do with the information I have at hand." Wrath slumped back into the chain and rubbed his head. A light flickered where skin met skin and he gave out a relieved sigh. "That much computation always gives me a headache."

"You didn't have to get that all done so quickly." Shadowed Desire spoke softly from behind him.

"Best to get it out of the way so I can deal with the inevitable mistakes and misinterpretations that will happen before we leave." Was the quick reply. The war-leader opened up his eyes and looked at the four off-worlders. "Now for the very last part."

Signum nudged Ranma, and the boy awoke with a start. Yawning sleepily he grinned at the tent. "We ready to get this going?"

"Almost." Wrath projected a map of the area. "Here is where the circle is." A red light illuminated the spot. "We need to get there within the week, and then strike. Best case we find them flatfooted and manage to destroy the circle with no opposition. Worst case we fight a pitched battle and they attempt to set of the circle prematurely."

"And what will happen then? Do you know how complete they have it?" Yuuno asked with near dread.

"I can guess, but have no hard facts." Wrath waved his hand to dispel the map. "I have alternate plans depending on what happens. The initial plan isn't nearly as complex as everything else. We basically go in and smash things."

"Are you sure you wish to come with?" Signum asked with a raised eyebrow. "You would be far more of use to your people directing them while we strike."

"Impossible." The man frowned deeply. "For one thing we need one of our people there to be sure that everything is properly handled, and for another my contingency plans require my presence. I have left detailed plans and alternate plans in the event that they need advice. However, I do trust my people to do what is necessary."

"We had to argue him out of leaving us behind." Shattered Joy chirped brightly as she tilted her helmeted head. "Ideally we would bring all four of our disciples for this, but we don't have a heaven knight that is compatible with our dear Wrathy here."

"Tradition is a hard thing to break." The person in question muttered. "I do believe you have the power to do this task, it would just set my mind at ease if I was there."

"All right." Signum frowned as she contemplated the two bodyguards. "We could probably fly you all a good portion of the way there. It should allow us to be there well within your deadline."

"My thanks." Wrath got to his feet and looked down up at the tent ceiling. "I need to go check on a few things. Travel arrangements can be made with Desire and Joy."

The man walked out of the tent with a small frown. Everyone watched him go silently. Only when he was out of the tent did Joy speak.

"He's so hiding something," the Hell Knight stated in a conversational tone to the tent at large.

Desire rolled her eyes. "Of course he is. He wouldn't have attempted to keep us away from his side if he wasn't."

"So what is he hiding?" Signum asked warily. "Is it something we should be worried about?"

"Well, he likes Ranma." Desire pursed her lips and contemplated the question. "So I don't think he would send you into a trap, and since he's going along it's important and isn't something that he feels that could be ignored."

"So we have no idea." Joy finally spoke cheerily.

"Trying to figure out how he thinks is impossible," Ranma muttered in irritation. "More importantly we have to transport three people who can't fly across what looks like a good days flight at the very least."

"If Yuuno can handle Desire for that long I can take Joy." Signum volunteered. "That leaves Wrath with Vita though."

Joy giggled loudly. "Well, that will work, but you do know that I can unsummon my armor right?"

"Then I get Joy and you get Wrath." Vita smiled in amusement. "Yuuno doesn't have the reserves to handle anyone heavier than those two."

Yuuno slumped down in embarrassment. "I suppose I can do that."

"Yay!" Joy bounced up and down, which was rather amusing to see done in full plate. "I'll be sure to get the food and water packed right. Is there anything else we need?"

"Maybe one thing." Desire tilted her head slightly at Vita.

"Oh!" Joy stopped bouncing and turned to the red haired girl. "Heyya Vita! Do you think you could be Wrath's Heaven Knight for this trip?"

The red haired girl tilted out of her chair in surprise. "What?"

Ranma coughed in response. "Isn't that sorta like a marriage?"

"Ew! Where did you get that idea?" You couldn't see it through the armor, but joy looked a bit grossed out. "Desire's my sister, and she's also my Black-touched. All it is is a sort of partnership which allows people to communicate and know where and what your partners status is."

"You know that sounds familiar." Ranma frowned in thought.

"You got a sort of tri-partnership going actually." Desire looked at the boy with a curious expression. "We thought that was why you didn't stay longer with us. Wrath noted it when you and he played those games, and later realized that you had gotten in scarred into your soul somehow."

Ranma's mouth opened and closed with a snap. Finally he just shook his head. "I suppose that's one reason he creeped me out when we first met."

"All right." Vita spoke up, surprising everyone. "Whatever. I'll do it if it will help."

"Yay!" Joy clapped her metal clad hands.

The place where the summoning circle had been drawn was in an obscure place. Embedded in the side of a mountain off almost all the main paths, the tunnel it was placed in was high enough that there was frost on the stones nearby. Even with flight the place was near impossible to get to, and getting up the cliff had been far more taxing than the team had liked. Fortunately the information about the location combined with Wrath's ability to locate an out of the way spot allowed them all to rest before the strike.

"We are comfortably within the deadline." The leader of the expedition stated as he looked around their small campsite. "Now the only issue will be about how many summoners are there." Night was approaching rapidly, and the rest of the team was getting ready for the raid.

Desire appeared behind Wrath from the surrounding darkness. "I counted three summons, and none of the actual summoners."

"Elemental?" Wrath asked clinically. "Or do we have some fey as well?"

"Two earth and one ice." Was the quick reply. "I didn't spot anything that could be illusion, so I wouldn't guess any fey quite yet."

"Mind explaining what we are facing before we actually get into it?" Ranma waved a hand in imitation of a classroom.

"Summoners draw from two nearby planes. The Primal plan and the Wilde Plane." Wrath explained quickly. "Normal summoners can maintain maybe two or three small creatures. High summoners can maintain up to five. They can specialize in a specific plane, but most of them are trained in both. The Primal plane is mostly elemental, which are straightforward things based on various animal and elemental themes. The Wilde plane is full of Fey creatures, which are cunning, intelligent, and often capable of some very nasty illusion and bewitching spells. Fey are as a rule far less strong in direct combat though, so expect a mix."

"Sounds fun." Ranma muttered sarcastically.

"Signum and Ranma should take out the elemental." The man nodded to the two indicated people. "Desire and Joy are going to be infiltrating with Yuuno, and Vita and I are going to be taking out the Fey creatures."

"Might I ask why you picked those pairings?" Signum looked Wrath with a questioning expression.

"Since Vita is acting as my Heaven Knight for this, I can grant her my eyes." The White-touched inclined his head at the tiny red-head. "That is necessary for combat versus most Fey. Of course I will be nearby you two so I can make sure that they don't go after you without interference. Unfortunately Yuuno, Desire, and Joy are going to be in the most danger."

"Which we're used to." Joy interjected. "We can flee if things go badly, especially because it's night."

"If you could go to ferret form for this?" Desire asked Yuuno quietly. "I can cloak you far easier if you are smaller."

"Ok." Yuuno nodded in reply.

Wrath continued. "Joy and Desire's combined night time skills allow them to get past most alarms and sentries. They are going to be the ones in the most danger though, and the most important. While we go in the front way they are going to be going in the side to do the real work. Yuuno is essential to this plan, he has the best shot at disabling the circle without issue."

Yuuno blushed slightly at being the center of attention, but nodded at Wrath. "I should be able to break it in a few seconds without any big issues."

"All right, I think we got the idea." Vita hefted her hammer menacingly. "Are we all ready?"

There was a chorus of affirmatives.

"Let me make sure that we have a temporary bond set right first." Wrath walked over to where Vita was, placing one hand on her shoulder and lowering his face to where he was eye to eye with her. "This is going to be disorientating for a second."

Both Ranma and Signum watched the two curiously. There was no physical change as the two stared at each other, but after a moment both people shivered like they had been dipped in ice water. Wrath actually staggered, and Vita took a deep shuddering breath.

"Yick!" The redhead shook herself. "That feeling sucks."

"It is uncomfortable." Wrath got to his feet, and very closed one eye, then the other. "I don't feel any complications."

"Looks good from my end." Desire looked at the two with something other than sight. "Can she hear your points?"

"Ok, that is weird!" Vita shook her head. "It's like I know where exactly he is indicating."

The man nodded. "It takes some time to get used to. Fortunately all you really need from this is the basic illusion protection."

"You know..." Ranma frowned as he looked over the two. "That gives me all sorts of ideas."

"Really?" The White-touched turned to the pig-tailed martial artist with an interested look.

Ranma waved a hand. "Will tell you about it after this."

"Lets go." Signum gripped Levantine firmly and rose into the air.

Vita twitched in mild irritation. "Don't do that!"

Wrath winced slightly. "Sorry! Accident!"

"You know," Ranma muttered quietly to Yuuno as the boy shifted into ferret form. "I really hope she doesn't kill him before we get this done."

Desire picked up the transformed library gently and placed him on her shoulder. "It always takes time to get used to a bond."

"It's interesting noting the variations on standard magical practices." Yuuno commented to nobody in particular. "Your history must be fascinating to learn about. You can almost taste the way that the various spells have been crafted for various situations."

"We'll tell you about it later." Joy manifested her armor, and both she and Desire faded into darkness.

Ranma shrugged his shoulders and quietly invoked his device. Nayru flashed once and his armor formed. Then with a mighty leap he began to follow Signum and Vita, while Wrath trailed behind them all.

The three guards at the front of the complex were nothing of note, small creatures called forward more for the low maintenance cost than any actual combat capability. Ranma, Signum, and Vita had little trouble dealing with the three in a matter of seconds. However they served their purpose in death far more than in life, the summoners who controlled them were alerted immediately when they left the plane.

Wrath noted all this with little emotion as they broke open the doors to the complex. The point of this exercise was to provide distraction for Yuuno to get to where he needed to be. A far part of his mind wished he actually knew all the capabilities of his allies so that he could actually calculate chances. The rest of his mind simply planned and noted possible paths.

The first sign of serious resistance was sudden and unmistakable. A massive burst of wind impacted everyone as soon as they entered the rather narrow tunnel. Wrath, being the weakest was blown off his feet. The other fighters endured it well, but the wind distracted them enough to allow the massive slab of stone to rise up and pin Ranma to the ceiling.

To the side, Signum began to choke as the wind continued to whirl around her, stealing her breath away. The warrior attempted to swing at whatever was attacking her, but connected with nothing. Vita made to help her, but a quick mental command from Wrath made her turn around to focus on the stone elemental pinning a struggling Ranma to the ceiling.

"This sucks!" Ranma complained as the stone moved down and slammed up. The ceiling cracked from the impact, and the teen coughed as the wind was knocked out of him.

Signum staggered to the ground as the wind continued to blow. While Vita's hammer clanked and hissed, Wrath gently held out his hand and invoked. The stone shattered into pieces with one strike from the enraged red-head. Then a light enveloped Signum, slamming back the air elemental with a sound like a bell. The air elemental flew backwards, solidifying into a wispy frail looking bird. Signum's blade bisected it soon after.

"Hurry!" Wrath pointed down the hallway.

"Tch!" Vita began to sprint down the hall as Ranma and Signum recovered. As she ran what looked like a thousand arrows began to fly towards her.

For a moment she faltered, going on the defense. Then like a light going on she knew exactly what to do, and she moved like the seasoned warrior she was, right into the hail. Half of the arrows dissipated into smoke, and the ones that didn't hit her hammer with a clank. In front of her she spotted a winged humanoid with a bow taking aim once more.

She reared back, and a cloud of tiny creatures buzzed around her to intercept. They bit through her barrier like it was paper. Vita faltered for a moment, and then the bell chimed again, sweeping back the swarm with a flash. Behind Vita Ranma swept in and his fists blurred around the red-head snatching and crushing each of the tiny insects. Vita smashed aside the next volley of arrows, and then smashed into the winged creature, which popped like a balloon, dissipating into a flurry of sparkles.

"Keep going." Wrath told Signum and Ranma, placing his hand on Vita. "We will catch up."

"Damnit, don't stop me," Vita growled out at Wrath as Signum and Ranma began to move again.

"Hush, those bugs have a poisonous bite." Wrath's hand glowed. "My specialty isn't healing, but all White-touched have the basics." The few bites that Vita had gotten closed.

"Hot!" Ranma's voice came from down the tunnel, and there was a wash of heat.

"Wrath, there is another fey!" Signum called back.

Wrath nodded at Vita. "Lets go!"

Riding Desire's shoulder as she used her cloaking spell was a singularly terrifying experience that Yuuno had no wish to ever replicate. It was like walking through a living nightmare. The halls were paved with blood and scenes of depravity and destruction were everywhere. Every violent impulse and dark wish was painted in the shadows.

Desire of course was unaffected. "I'm sorry, I forgot how much walking through shadows affects the uninitiated."

"What was that?" Yuuno shook his small furry body.

"The black impressions of people around us." Joy shrugged. "I don't pretend to understand it, but it's something that Black-touched can use to shield themselves from sight."

"The things people don't acknowledge, or repress. We just walked through these little cracks to get here." Desire leaned back against a large barrel in the storage room they had hidden in. "We can get to anywhere we wish, but it can be exhausting depending on distance and people there. Rest for now, I can move again in a few minutes."

Yuuno shuddered again. "I think I get the reason you are called what you are now."

The Hell-Knight shrugged at the ferret. "We don't pretend to have nice powers." She paused and tilted her head. "Hush, someone is coming."

"Erk." Yuuno scampered to where Desire was sitting. "Can you move again?"

"No," the woman sighed out and leaned back with her eyes closed. "I would suggest you close your eyes all the same."

"Huh?" Yuuno looked to where Joy was standing.

It happened almost instantly. A young woman opened the door to get something out of the store room, Joy's eyes glowed red through her helmet. In one smooth motion the Hell-Knight grabbed the woman, pulled her in, and slid a black blade through the woman's ribs. She gave a quiet gasp and went limp as a black aura swirled around Joy.

"You killed her." Yuuno closed his eyes and trembled.

"We can debate ethics later." Joy sighed and held her hand out to her sister. "Understand that more people will die if we don't do this. The blood is not on your hands."

"If you wish I can put you out until we get to where we need to be." Desire grasped the hand and focused as the life force from the slain woman was transferred. "This is going to only get worse."

"No." The ferret took a deep breath and opened his eyes. "I will finish this first."

"Heh," Joy nodded at the ferret. "Brave."

"Huh?" Yuuno blinked at the Hell-Knight.

"A good name for him." The shadows swirled around Desire as she spoke.

"What?"

"Ye-ouch." Ranma muttered as Wrath pulled out a small arrow from the gap in his armor. "I officially hate fairies now."

"I don't think I can look at a fire the same way again." Vita replied back as she leaned against the wall. "Wrath's pretty good at keeping the worst of it off us at least."

"We are getting close to my limit." The White-touched replied as he finished healing up Ranma. "If I'm right, past these doors is what they will consider the last stand."

"I got the impression that they have been throwing everything at us." Signum said quietly as she looked at the door and then down the hall they had came.

"There should be at least one high summoner here," Wrath replied with a grimace. "I have fairly good information that on what their favored summons are, and none of them have been brought into battle. I have a guess as to what is going to happen, but we have to wait and see."

"Really?" Ranma raised an eyebrow and looked at the man opposite him. "What's the guess."

"My guess is that there are at least three here, and they are pooling their power to seal us in the room with a very particular summon." Wrath's mouth quirked in a parody of a smile. "It's the one that destroyed us last war. A deliberate cruelty."

"Peh, now I'm interested." Vita shouldered her hammer. "So tell me, what's this thing like?"

"A six winged angel of beauty." Wrath laughed a bit. "An angel of song that words cannot describe properly." Shaking his head he just walked to the door. "You will understand if it is what I predict."

"I swear I want to smack him one now." Ranma muttered and walked to where the door was opening.

The doorway was the entrance to a massive room, square and pure white. The entire room was lit up with magical power and sigils flashed across the white stone periodically. In the very center was a small circle of gold etched runes. As all four warriors entered the room lightning sparked across the room and the only other entrance slammed shut with finality.

A small child like doll slowly faded into view in the center of the circle. A beautiful faceless porcelain doll with long golden hair and closed eyes. Before the warriors could do more than gape at the thing, it's eyes snapped open revealing two glowing white orbs. It floated into the air and it's hear flowed and twisted as it pooled against the ground.

A single note resounded, like a guitar string being pulled. Ranma didn't wait for more. The teen blurred out of sight and his fist swung directly at the doll. A titanic gong sounded in response, and like he had been hit by a cannon Ranma was shot back just as fast as he had moved forward. A sphere surrounded the doll, and it's eyes turned towards the warriors.

"It has six wings!" Wrath yelled as he ran off to the side. "Five instruments and it's voice. If it starts to sing it will kill us all!"

"What the hell does that mean?" Vita growled out as she swung her hammer out to the ready.

A figure began to form out of the hair pooled on the ground. A flesh and blood version of the doll smiled at them all as she formed. She cradled a beautiful golden guitar and with a delicate hand stuck the first note.

"I get it now." Vita muttered as a massive shock-wave of sound ripped across the field and just barely missed the dodging red-head.

Signum didn't waste words. She just had Levantine load a cartridge and shift into whip form. The weapon snaked out and hissed through the air at the angel. The guitar wielder just struck another note and began to seriously play, sending a series of shock-waves out. The ripples knocked back the whip like it was a feather.

"Ow." Ranma muttered against the wall as Wrath moved to teen's side. The man placed his hand against the teen and like a shock Ranma jerked to alertness.

"I don't have a plan for this." Wrath muttered to the pig-tailed martial artist. "It's up to you."

"Heh," Ranma laughed in reply. "Don't worry."

The guitar wielder continued to play, every note reverberating off the walls. Signum and Vita blurred across the sides of the walls, and as they dodged another instrument began to join in. Drums began to pound, and a massive set of three drums began to appear out of the dolls hair, another woman joining into the devastating music.

'We have to get close.' Signum sent to Vita. 'Range just isn't doing it.'

"Hey!" Ranma called out as he appeared next to the large drums. Both of the players turned to where he was crouching and aimed their attacks.

Vita wasn't one to let an opening like that get away, and as the boy dodged the twin strikes of sound her hammer hissed and clanked and grew to titanic proportions. It raised and lowered with horrific speed and slammed downwards. The doll's eyes looked up at the hammer, and the gong sounded again to no avail. The hammer slowed but didn't stop, and impacted with a sphere of power surrounded the angel. It slammed downward, bending under the impact, but didn't break. Instead, a single hairline fracture appeared across the dolls face.

"Damn!" Vita cursed as one woman fixed her eyes on the red-head and the other focused on Ranma.

Another instrument began to join in, a keyboard. This woman appeared facing Signum cradling a small keyboard. She smiled as her notes began to join in with the rest of her sisters.

Ranma skidded as he dodged another sonic impact. This wasn't going well, she was up to three instruments, and they were already on the defensive. With a sweeping moment he flung out his cape, distracting the one targeting him for a brief instant. He swept out his pauldrons in two different directions, and sent a order to Nayru. Then with a near suicidal grin he charged forward, right into the next sonic blast.

His eardrums burst, but it accomplished what he wanted to do, getting him close enough to slam into the sphere barrier that the angel had setup. The focus of all three instrumentalists came on him, and as he grinned the two pauldrons slammed into the side of the field. It flinched slightly.

Then Signum and Vita's attacks came barreling in. Their devices hissed and clanked and impacted with horrific force. The barrier wavered and cracked under the onslaught, and for the first time the angel sowed signs of pain. It's face was covered in hairline fractures and it seemed to shudder with each breath.

Then a horn blared, and all three warriors were knocked back. Everything went silent as a woman held up her saxophone as she appeared. Strangely the women were still smiling serenely. The angel in the center of it all didn't seem nearly as serene though.

"Ok, this is getting creepy." Ranma shook his head as his ears popped. "Why'd it stop?"

"She's waiting on you, or her next tier of power." Wrath spoke from his place on the ground. The White-touched was near the end of his power and was trying to keep out of the way for now. "One more push should do it."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Vita picked herself up from the last attack. "It was hard enough the last time."

Wrath got to his feet and pulled out his device. "We can't break her defense right now, but if we do this right we can intercept her at the next instrument. She's an angel of beauty, she won't start to sing unless she has a proper introduction."

"So she's a drama queen." Ranma muttered.

"Everyone at once then." Signum's device clanked and hissed as it ejected it's cartridge and loaded another.

"Fine by me!" Vita pulled out several spheres and loaded up.

The ground under Ranma's feet lit up and he concentrated. "Lets get this over with!"

Wrath's sphere began to pull in light and he looked at the angel with a serene expression. "Farewell."

The attacks struck through the defense one last time. They impacted into the sphere surrounding the angel. The barrier wavered and shimmered, and then slowly like a curtain falling it dropped. There as a moment of complete silence.

Then the angel screamed. It was the only non-musical thing that it had done all battle, and the very force of knocked everyone off their feet. The doll began to shake, as it's face crumbled and it held it's head in pain. The other instrumentalists flinched for the first time in battle, closing their eyes and beginning to strum their instruments with total dedication. The last figure began to form out of the dolls hair and for the first time there was no sonic attacks. The only sound was the instruments playing with a sad voice slowly keening out in words beyond understanding.

Signum staggered to her feet and looked at her companions. They were all struggling to get to their feet with looks of pain. She staggered and took a step towards the angel. The doll looked up at the warrior and seemed to smile as it sang. Step by step, through the barrier that wasn't there anymore and to where the doll hung in midair. Her sword impacted cleanly. The angels head fell to the ground with a thump, and the musical slowly faded out.

Then the door opposite the side they had entered slammed open, and Joy staggered out, carrying both Yuuno and Desire. She grimaced and looked back. "They are activating the circle! We didn't get there in time."

A few moments earlier.

They stepped out of the shadows in front of a set of iron wrought double doors. The things were inscribed in a very intricate series of glyphs and sigils, and radiated magic almost visibly. Desire took one look at the door and just shook her head.

"Whatever they did to that I'm going to have to get through the hard way." She spoke with distaste.

Joy took out her sword and secured her shield, turning her back to the door. "We will have company shortly then, I can hear it."

"What can I do?" Yuuno hopped down off of Desires shoulder.

"Protect Desire while she works." The Hell-Knight took a few steps forward. "And above all, don't get into my line of sight."

"So you will use that?" Desire murmured softly and moved close to the door. "I suppose it is appropriate."

"What do you mean?" Yuuno morphed into human form and took a step back to where he could cover Desire with his shield.

"Price of Obsession." The Black-touched replied as she almost pressed her body against the door. "One of our songs. So long as she can hold it she will destroy everything in her way."

"Hehe." Joy chuckled maniacal as he entire body gave off a dark thrum. The eyes behind her visor began to glow a malevolent red. "I will give everything. For rage and power, my price is my sanity. HAHA!"

Yuuno trembled as a horrid aura of fear began to emanate from the Hell-Knight. The simple black armor she was wearing seemed to shift, become more horrid and black. This was something that deserved the title Hell-Knight.

The first wave of creatures boiled out of the hallway. Half a dozen small bits of whirlwind and fire, little clomps of earth tumbling across the ground, and what looked like a massive wave on land behind them all.

Joy screamed, a horrid primal sound that made the line of creatures flinch. That was enough to allow her to get into their ranks. Her blade lashed out and the things it pierced died, drained of their life by the demonic power. A small clump of earth attempted to jump on her only to be batted aside by the shield. Then the water wave engulfed her. For a moment she was surround and suspended in water, and then she simply stabbed her sword downwards. Like a bubble the water elemental burst.

The small creatures that she missed scattered around her. The ones in front of her died quickly, but the ones that had managed to get behind her were ignored. They went straight for Yuuno and Desire, and impacted against a barrier to no effect. Yuuno might have been seriously disturbed by Joy's spell, but he knew battle, and he wasn't going to fail in his task.

Turning back Yuuno looked at Desire to see how she was doing with the door. The Black-touched seemed to be whispering to the door, and incredibly he could see the magic slowly being drawn into the woman, with little hints of rust starting to appear at the edges of the door.

Joy laughed with insanity as the next wave of creatures hit. These were more powerful than the last. A man sized creature of frost hissed at her and her wet armor crackled with ice. Behind it, a creature with wings drew back it's bow and a veritable storm of arrows flew at Joy. They pierced her frostbitten armor, and Joy continued to laugh as she plowed into the frost creature with little regard to her health.

The bow creature skipped back out of her reach at the last second as the frost creature died under Joy's blade. Another hail of arrows pierced her armor. Just as she reached the creature a stone bear slammed into her. She skidded back, dropping her sword. With a primal scream she grabbed the bear with her now free hand and slammed her helmet into the bears head. The helmet cracked, along with the bear's head. With another savage slam her helmet shattered, along with the bears head. Undeterred by what should be a fatal blow the bear reared back ready to smash Desire with it's weight. Still clinging on, arrows in her body, Desire reared back and bit the creature. A massive black aura darkened the two, and the bear lurched as it's life drained out.

Behind them Yuuno was now dealing with the bow creature as well as the tiny elemental. With a frown he looked from Joy to the creatures and then made a small gesture. With a crack of power the shield shattered into pieces, sharp pieces. The tiny elemental creatures died from the feedback, but the bow creature just drew back his next arrow.

The thousands of arrows met another barrier just as swiftly setup. For a moment they hung in the air, but then all but one disappeared. Yuuno frowned minutely, but just shook his head at the oddity. Calmly he noted exactly where the creature was, and then did a few calculations. Finally he made a gesture and just as the bow creature drew back it's arrow a sigil appeared under it. Movement spell complete Yuuno watched as the creature's form was shifted a few meters down the hall, right into Joy's berserk gaze.

The librarian noted that he would be a lot more disturbed if these creatures didn't de-summon after being 'killed.' Joy had gotten her sword back at least, and the helmet had healed somehow. A noise from behind him made him turn.

"Got it." Desire pulled back from the door and looked at it with pride.

The iron was rusted all the way through, and the once powerful magic protecting it was gone. Desire took a step back and gripped her sword securely. Then with a powerful lunge she brought it down the through the center of the door, shattering a hole the size of a person in the barrier.

Yuuno looked through the door expecting to see the circle that they had to disrupt. Instead he saw the massive head of a creature. A distant part of his mind noted that it didn't look like any dragon he was familiar with. The rest of him was lunging in front of Desire and setting up the strongest barrier he could.

With an exhale a gout of flame blindingly white erupted from the dragon and impacted into Yuuno's shield. The stone around the two melted, and despite Yuuno's best efforts his barrier started to crack. Frantic the teen grit his teeth, and did a second set of calculations. He dropped the barrier for a second, and the heat washed over them. The second barrier snapped up, and the wash of fire bent around them. Yuuno and Desire staggered to the ground.

Behind them Joy snapped out of her rage as the fire washed around her and heated the hallway to an unbearable measure. The Hell-Knight turned around frantically to find both Desire and Yuuno down on the ground.

She ran to them as the dragon inhaled again. With a clank she slammed her shield in front of the two, and braced herself.

"No." Desire croaked and wrapped shadows around them just as the dragon fire impacted Yuuno's barrier.

"I felt the circle start to wind up as we got out of there." Yuuno rasped out through half burnt vocal cords. "It will take a few minutes, but the thing is set to go off."

Wrath looked through the doorway that the three had come out of. "You three retreat now. I can't spare the energy to heal you, but if you can make it to the forwarding camp you should be out of harms way."

"Yes." Desire heaved herself to her feet and coughed.

"That's cold." Ranma looked at Wrath. "You haven't done nearly as much as we have, you could spare some power to at least make sure they don't have to limp."

"Don't argue." Joy replied with almost no emotion. "We failed and if you are to succeed you need all you have."

"As cold as it is I have to agree." Signum began to walk down the hall. "We have to hurry."

"Come on." Vita shouldered her hammer and followed.

"Fine then." Ranma just shook his head and began to sprint down the after the two knights, Wrath right behind him.

"How does a dragon fit into the elemental or fey diagram?" The pig-tailed martial artist asked curiously. "For that matter what was with the 'angel'."

"They believe everything is from those two planes. The angel is just from a place that 'we' refer to as 'heaven' and 'they' refer to as the primal plane." Wrath explained as the ran down the halls. "We believe differently, but that is what reasoning they use. As for the dragon, its actually an elemental creature based on a dragons form. Something that only a High Summoner can call."

"So that's where the bosses are," Vita responded with some irritation. "Do they have anything else as big as that angel?"

"They should be fairly tapped out," was the reply. "Two or three big things should be all we have to deal with."

The halls ahead showed some serious signs of fire damage, making it very obvious where they needed to be. Pausing the four of them charged forward as fast as possible. The inhale of breath from the dragon was painfully obvious, but the speed of the fighters was enough to allow them to impact with the dragon's head before it managed to let loose.

With a massive crash the beast's head was knocked clear back into the room. Following as quickly as possible the four found themselves inside a massive stone room with the circle they had all been trying so hard to destroy surrounded by three people.

"Almost!" One of them said.

"Not while we are here!" Vita yelled as she charged forward, only to be knocked back by a massive surge of electricity.

A snake made of lightning twined around the form of one of the summoners and the ten rings on his hands glinted with magical light. To the side the dragon picked itself up with a titanic heave, and the air started to shimmer.

"Damn." Wrath muttered.

"Ignore the white-touched." One of the summoners spoke as he looked at the intruders. "The other three are the dangerous ones."

"Vita, after the Fey! Ranma the snake!" Wrath skittered so that he was out of line of fire. "Signum you have the dragon."

Vita snarled as she got to her feet. "What fey!" The tiny red-head found her attention drawn to an indistinct shimmer in the air.

With a mighty cry Vita lunged at the shimmer, and watched as it dodged out of the way to reveal a small fairy. The tiny winged woman smiled at the red-head and blew a cloud of dust right into her face. Vita didn't breath any of it in, but that didn't seem to matter as her vision wavered fantastically. Growling she swung exactly where she felt Wrath directing her and felt a minute impact against her hammer. Shaking her head Vita tried to focus on the indistinct blob that was her enemy.

Behind her Wrath cursed and tried to avoid the combatants and get to Vita. The serpent had wrapped around Ranma, and the two were frantically rolling around the ground right between the two. With a cry Ranma managed to grip the snake's head, and felt the electricity course through his body. Twitching spasmodically the teen slammed the thing's head into the ground.

The dragon roared and the White-touched glanced back to see Signum in the air and one of the dragon's eyes gone. With a mighty inhale the thing aimed it's muzzle at Signum and breathed. The fire lanced across the ceiling and the walls, leaving trails of molten stone.

Vita cried out in pain as vines grew out from her clothing, constricting around her body. The small fairy was impossibly hard to hit, and the various illusions she was casting weren't making it any easier. Fortunately the damage she taking was minimal, but it was starting to add up. If she could just get a good hit on it. She felt a pair of hands grab her, and nearly lashed out by reflex. Then her vision cleared and Wrath dodged away just as a lance of wood lashed out from the vines covering Vita.

With a growl the red-head pulled out the plants, leaving long bloody grooves in her skin. The she focused on the irritating fairy flitting after Wrath. With a hiss and a clank she her hammer loaded a cartridge, and then with a savage war-cry Vita raised her hammer. It grew into massive proportions and dropped with a massive crash, right next to Wrath and right on top of the tiny fairy.

Ranma yelled out in triumph and slammed the snake into the ground once more as it hissed weakly. His body was burnt and the armor singed, but the snake had not been able to break through Nayru's defenses. The snake twitched weakly and disappeared in a flash of lightning.

The dragon roared once more, blinded. Above it, Signum clicked her scabbard to the hilt of her sword to form a bow, and then drew back the string. A beam of light appeared as if there was an arrow loaded, and the Knight let loose. With a terrific smash the arrow impacted directly in the dragon's head, and it crumbled into stone and fire.

The summoners laughed as the last of their creatures crumbled and raised their hands in sequence. "It can't be stopped now!"

"No!" Ranma got to his feet and rushed to where the summoners were, only to skid to a stop as a series of swords impacted the ground in front of him.

Wrath smiled as he held out his hand. "Not exactly what I wanted, but this will do."

He walked forward and began to speak. "This is my life."

The world seemed to ripple. "Here is my line."

A crackle of lightning lashed between the swords and there were a hundred voices chanting his words. "You cannot cross."

The summoners circle began to light up. "You WILL NOT cross."

The circle lit up impossibly bright, and then something seemed to happen. The stones inside the circle began to melt, and two world inside the swords began to light up impossibly bright. The circle was trying to finish it's function, but couldn't get out. Inside the barrier the summoners tried to back up, but were unable to leave the barrier. Then the circle exploded.

The area inside the swords evaporated. There was no other word for it, one moment there was a circle with people around it, and now there was nothing but a hole.

"What the hell?" Ranma walked to where the sword was embedded in the ground.

"Not unexpected." Wrath grimaced as he held he hand out. "If you three could make sure that everyone is evacuated?"

"Umm, what are you going to do?" Ranma turned to the visibly straining Wrath.

"I'm going to maintain the barrier here as much as possible then let it go." The White-touched grimaced again. "Unfortunately that will to release all the energy that was used in casting it, so it's going to make a rather large explosion."

"What?" The exclamation came from three people.

"Don't worry, I can shift the barrier so that it doesn't hit me." Wrath grinned fleetingly. "Unfortunately I will have to make it really small, so you all have to get out of here."

Ranma grimaced and made to speak up, but Signum just nodded and began to sprint out. "We can have Vita tell you when we are out!"

Hesitantly the three began to sprint out, checking out several passageways that they hadn't gone down to be sure that there were no other people inside. The faculty was small, and it seemed that most everyone had run out when they had attacked. Quickly the three ran out, and both Signum and Vita took off as soon as they were in an area where they could fly.

"Did we check as much as possible?" Signum asked Vita.

"Yeah." Vita nodded at her fellow knight.

"All right then." Signum turned to where the facility was. "Tell him to drop it."

The explosion was sudden, an enormous lash of fire pouring out of the tunnel. The mountain shook, and for one heart stopping moment the knights thought an avalanche was triggered. The rumblings stopped soon after.

Up in the air Vita frowned. "It's gone."

"What is?" Signum turned to Vita.

"That weird bond thingy that Wrath setup." The redhead closed her eyes and tried to focus. "It's totally gone."

"Ah." Signum turned back to the complex.

"He's gone isn't he?" Vita asked quietly.

"Probably," was the reply.

A cry of grief came from the campsite where the rest of their party way. The knights just kept in the air, watching, and waiting to see if the White-touched would return. They stayed that way for a long while.

AN: Of note, the world Wrath's from is all original, so don't expect to know the references. Please feel free to review. 4 more chapters of the Ranma arc give or take, and then we go onto Striker arc, and probably finish it off there.