Nothing is Easy
Part 5 - The Price
By Halen Rains
Lailos sat at a café table sipping tea and eating a muffin. Every now and then the young
waiter would come and ask her if she needed anything else and she would say "No thanks" and
flirt harmlessly. She inhaled the morning air and waited.
*What can be so interesting about these kids that he'd...* Lailos took another drink of her
tea and sat the empty cup down a little to quickly. She had become more and more agitated since
leaving him the previous morning. Agitated at him for turning her away again, but more agitated
that he was still the same old Rhye who'd been her instructor. She'd been expecting him to have
changed at least enough that he would no longer see her as the little goddess who'd been his
pupil, but as the full fledged goddess first class she'd become since then.
"But if he changed he wouldn't be Rhye now would he?" Lailos looked up from her empty
cup to see Erock sitting across from her, his normal garb as an archangel replaced by human
clothing.
"What do you want?" Lailos sneered at him and sat back in her chair. She had never liked
the pretty boy angel who served her father. He was to much like his master, a wild card who
noone understood. Especially his uncanny ability to read even the minds of gods and other angels.
"Hahaha." Erock ran a hand through his hair then leaned heavily on the table. "Why does
everyone I meet lately give me a look like that?" Erock grinned at Lailos then shrugged. "Well
actually that's not why I'm here now."
"Maybe it's because you've proved to many times that you can't be trusted." Lailos turned
and waved at the waiter to get her a refill on her tea then looked back to Erock.
"We all make mistakes Lai..." Erock looked down at the table and let out a sigh. "I'm just
trying to find a way to make up for mine."
"Now you're starting to sound like someone else I know." Lailos watched as Erock
looked up at her with a smirk on his face.
"Thanks. So anyway, what do you know about Rhye's newest charge?"Erock leaned back
in his chair and put his hands behind his head.
"Nothing. Why?"
"You remember that little problem that was found in the destiny system?" Erock waited
for her to nod before he inhaled to continue. "Turns out that it's a lot bigger than anyone knew. It
had been hidden for who knows how long. If something isn't done soon, the whole damn thing is
gonna crash."
"I bet daddy's worried about that isn't he." Lailos laid her chin down in her palm and
propped herself up waiting for him to continue. "Let me guess, Rhye's little group has something
to do with it?" Her tone had slid into the amused and sarcastic.
"From what I've been able to find out, there is a very strong chance of it." Erock read the
amusement in her voice and thoughts and a slight smile crept onto his face.
"So they sent you out to fix the error or something?"
"Not exactly." Erock looked up at the ceiling and let out a laugh under his breath. "They
don't know that cause yet." Erock stood from his seat and took one last look at her. "I have to
figure out what happened before they do. You know how much people matter to the council."
Lailos shivered when she thought of how the council looked at mortals. Pawns, nothing
more. Their only purpose was to supply the council with the power to rule by living. They never
perceived mortals as being more than a conquered race.
Erock bowed slightly then turned and left the café as silently as he'd entered.
Lailos reached into her purse and pulled out a small palm computer and quickly opened a
display of the damage Erock had been talking about. Her eyes widened and she almost lost her
grip on the small computer.
*What could have happened to cause so much damage?*
Akane jogged through the gates of the Tendo dojo, and immediately sounds of Ranma and
Genma's morning sparring flooded her ears.
"Doesn't he ever get tired of Ranma beating him?" Akane walked inside and slipped off
her shoes then headed for the dinning room for breakfast.
"Oh, back already Akane?" Kasumi said from the kitchen as the youngest Tendo moved to
stand the hallway and watch the fight outside. "I'll have breakfast ready in a minute, why don't
you go wash up. It should be ready by the time your through."
"Ok. Thanks Kasumi." Akane took one last glance into the yard when a loud splash
followed by sounds of a angry panda filled the room. She headed quickly for her room and picked
out her clothes for the day then headed for the bathroom.
"You know, it's been a while since anything really happened." Ranma sat at the table
eating quickly and keeping a constant watch on Genma. "Not that I'm complaining, I like not
having to run halfway across the world."
"Boy, you're getting soft." Genma tried his best to look serious as he spoke down to his
son. "A true martial artist takes every chance to better himself."
"Yeah pops." Ranma quickly snapped his plate up from the table just in time to save it
from his father's chopsticks. "So you ain't a martial artist then are ya, cause you sure as hell never
better yourself." Ranma finished the food on his plate and tossed it towards his father hitting his
old man in the face.
"Ranma, you must remember that you're father and I are no longer in our prime. That's
why we have you and Akane, to carry on for us. Why, in our day we..." Ranma drifted away as
Soun began to ramble on and on about his youth.
"Daddy please." Nabiki broke into the conversation and cut her father off short. "We all
know you and Saotome were just thieves under Happosia when you were young."
"I'm outta here. This is to much family stuff for me." Ranma hopped to his feet and
started for the door. "You comin' Akane?" Ranma looked over his shoulder and shrugged when
she just looked after his dumbfounded.
"What is his problem today?" Akane waited until everyone at the table had calmed down
then got up and headed out for school. She found Ranma waiting for her on the fence beside the
canal.
"So you finally got a move on huh?" Ranma climbed to his feet and began walking a few
feet behind Akane.
"Ranma."
"Yeah?"
"Why did you walk out on everyone this morning?" Akane waved to Doctor Tofu as they
passed his shop.
"Oh, No reason. I just didn't feel like sitting around listening to the same old stuff again."
Ranma slipped down from the fence and continued to follow her. "I wish pop would cut it out
though, he acts like I'm responsible for everything that happens around here." *You all do.*
"So basically you're saying that you want everything to move on and let you live your life
then huh?"
"Well..." Ranma put his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky. "I kinda just wish
that they'd get off my back you know. It's like, I've been here over a year now, and they still
won't leave me alone about the engagement thing. I mean hell...you know one of the main reasons
I throw such a fit over this thing is because they forced us into it."
Akane stopped and turned around to look at him, her eyes locking immediately on his.
"So you're saying that if they hadn't forced you to be my fiancé you might have actually
wanted to?"
"Hey, hold on a second. I never said anything like that." Ranma waved his hands in front
of his face in a warding motion then stopped when he noticed her eyes fall to the ground.
"Oh, ok. Well we'd better hurry up then or we're gonna be late." She started to turn away
from him, but Ranma reached out and caught her by the shoulders and kept her facing him.
"Look Akane. You ain't never heard a word I've said." Ranma let go of her and made her
look him in the face. "I always say you're kawiikune and stuff, more outta habit than anything you
know. Heck I've told you I think you're cute plenty of times." Ranma smiled at her and let his
hand fall from her chin. "It's kinda like...at first I didn't wanna get to know you, but once I did
I...You know I'm no good at this stuff Akane. I grew up training to fight, and stuff like this is
hard for me to do. What I wanna say is that at first I didn't wanna be engaged to you at all. But
now I think about it, it really ain't that bad... you know." Ranma felt his heart lift again when her
frown melted into a smile and she laughed a little. "Come on, we're gonna be late."
"Ok." Akane turned and dashed after Ranma as he headed for the school, a small smile on
her face.
"What a haul! What a haul!" Happosai came flying over the wall of Furinkan High
followed closely by a group of angry girls who exited through the gate.
"Get back here." "Pervert!" "We're gonna kill you!"
Ranma came flying over the wall a second later and turned to follow the bouncing panty
thief.
"Get back here you old perv." Ranma took a shortcut between two buildings and cut half
the distance between himself and Happosai.
"Come on boy. Why can't you ever let me have my fun." Happosai tossed a bomb over his
shoulder without looking back and made a long jump across the street.
"Hey!" Ranma turned his jump into a backward spin and punted the bomb back towards
Happosai. The small black bomb connected with the old master the moment before it exploded
and sent him tumbling down to the alleyway between two buildings, his pack tore to shreds on the
way down, leaving him under a massive pile of panties.
Ranma leapt down into the alleyway and walked triumphantly towards the pile. When he
was arm length away, he began to hear a low groan.
"Don't tell me you're actually hurt under there." Ranma knelt down and began digging to
the bottom of the pile and found Happi crouched over, and a dark red aura beginning to ooze it's
way from him. "Aw get over it, so you lost for once." Ranma grabbed the shrunken master by the
shirt and lifted him so they stared into each others faces.
"Why you...Ranma!" Happosai began lashing out at Ranma the best he could, but his short
arms wouldn't reach and Ranma looked at him amused.
"Will you please put the old man down." A voice drifted down the alleyway causing both
Ranma and Happosai to turn and look. Just a few feet from them stood a man who looked to be
Japanese, he stood a few inches taller than Ranma and a little broader in the shoulders. His long
black hair hung in a ponytail that swayed loosely in the alley gusts. He wore a long black trench
coat over what looked to be a black suit of some kind.
"That's right boy!" Happosai took the opportunity to hit Ranma over the head with his
pipe and gain his freedom. "Respect your elders." Happi quickly began gathering up his collection
of panties and bras from that days raid.
"Hey! You don't know a thing about what's going on here. This old geezer stole all these
and I gotta bring em back." Ranma made another grab for Happosai but missed by a mile.
"That doesn't matter." The man's voice was strangely monotone and calm. "You should
show more respect for the elderly." He looked at his foot where a bra hung from his shoe and
easily kicked it towards Happi.
"See Ranma...this is how I should be treated." Happi lifted his tattered bag and tossed it
over his shoulder.
"Ranma? As in Saotome?" The man smiled grimly and shifted his gaze back to Ranma.
"Yeah. What's it to ya?" Ranma snatched the pack from Happosai and held it out of the
old man's reach.
"I find it convenient to find you here. I actually came to Japan to find you. My name is
Wein." Wein took a few steps in Ranma's direction and deftly snatched Happosai from the air and
looked him in the face. "I apologize for this old timer, but I have something to speak with the boy
about in private." With a twist of his wrist Wein tossed Happi off into the distance then extended
his hand towards Ranma.
"Ranma Saotome." Ranma took Wein's hand and briskly shook it then looked the taller
man from head to toe. "What do you want with me anyway?"
Wein smiled and backed away a few steps. From his pocket he removed a pack of
American cigarettes and a lighter.
"I've been hearing a lot about you over the last year. Sounds like you've been a very busy
man." Wein lit his cigarette and stuffed the pack and lighter back into his pocket. "Did you really
defeat the seven lucky gods like rumors say?"
"Hai."
"And what about your battle at Phoenix mountain, are rumors of that true also?"
"Hai. Where is this going. I really fought all those fights and won. So get to the point will
ya."
"It looks like you are indeed the man I seek." From his coat Wein removed a small bottle
and twisted out the cork. Before Ranma had a chance to realize what was happening, Wein had
splashed the water in his face.
"Hey, what did you do that for? Huh?" Ranma looked down at himself and gasped. "I'm a
guy still?"
"Of course..." Wein took a long drag from his cigarette and held it. "I call this
motivation."
"What are you talking about?" Ranma was struggling fighting the urge to run to school as
fast as he could and tell Akane he'd been cured.
"I am here to see if you really are all they say you are. Of course that water isn't actually
the water your looking for...it's something more along the lines of curse suppressor really." Wein
let smoke flow from his mouth as he spoke then tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it
with his foot. "So if you're ready, we can begin right here."
"You wanna fight me?" Ranma was still so happy from being cured that he wasn't in the
wood to fight. "I'm not gonna..."
"Ranma, Ranma... is that any way for a martial artist to respond to a challenge?" Wein
removed another bottle from his coat and held it up. "If you won't fight me then I can always give
you back your curse. That motivation enough for you." Wein put the bottle back in his coat and
smiled wolfishly at the stunned Ranma. "I didn't cure you for my health you know. So you can
give me what I want, an all out fight. Or I can curse you."
"Fine, but what good does this do?" Ranma quickly began to size up Wein from his stance
and movements.
"I simply must know for myself." Wein pulled back his coat and prepared for the fight.
"If fighting you is the price you want for curing me, then I'll do it." Ranma tossed the bag
of panties against the wall and assumed a ready stance.
Rhye looked down at the two from a fire escape far above. He silver eyes burned brighter
than they had in a long time with anger as he glared daggers through Wein.
*How dare he endanger everything I've done. I won't allow him to get away with this*
Wein looked up to where Rhye sat invisible to the human world and a look of sadness
crossed his face.
"How have you been my old friend. I see now why this boy has done everything he has. I
would expect no less from one raised under your protection." Wein watched as Rhye's anger
ebbed slightly. "Rhye...I have never been your true enemy. You talk about being here to repent
for your sins of the Chaos War. You would not listen to me then, will you not trust me now?"
Wein turned his eyes back to Ranma and nodded.
Rhye leaned heavily against the concrete wall of the building and let out an angry growl.
*Is the cure really worth this much to you?* Rhye vanished from the fire escape and stood
behind Ranma in the alley way.
Taking the initiative, Ranma made the first attack...
Author's notes:
Ok, if nothing is making sense so far, bear with me. I promise this all ties together in the end. I
have a storyline written out for this thing all the way to the end and I'm doing my best to follow
it.
Part 5 - The Price
By Halen Rains
Lailos sat at a café table sipping tea and eating a muffin. Every now and then the young
waiter would come and ask her if she needed anything else and she would say "No thanks" and
flirt harmlessly. She inhaled the morning air and waited.
*What can be so interesting about these kids that he'd...* Lailos took another drink of her
tea and sat the empty cup down a little to quickly. She had become more and more agitated since
leaving him the previous morning. Agitated at him for turning her away again, but more agitated
that he was still the same old Rhye who'd been her instructor. She'd been expecting him to have
changed at least enough that he would no longer see her as the little goddess who'd been his
pupil, but as the full fledged goddess first class she'd become since then.
"But if he changed he wouldn't be Rhye now would he?" Lailos looked up from her empty
cup to see Erock sitting across from her, his normal garb as an archangel replaced by human
clothing.
"What do you want?" Lailos sneered at him and sat back in her chair. She had never liked
the pretty boy angel who served her father. He was to much like his master, a wild card who
noone understood. Especially his uncanny ability to read even the minds of gods and other angels.
"Hahaha." Erock ran a hand through his hair then leaned heavily on the table. "Why does
everyone I meet lately give me a look like that?" Erock grinned at Lailos then shrugged. "Well
actually that's not why I'm here now."
"Maybe it's because you've proved to many times that you can't be trusted." Lailos turned
and waved at the waiter to get her a refill on her tea then looked back to Erock.
"We all make mistakes Lai..." Erock looked down at the table and let out a sigh. "I'm just
trying to find a way to make up for mine."
"Now you're starting to sound like someone else I know." Lailos watched as Erock
looked up at her with a smirk on his face.
"Thanks. So anyway, what do you know about Rhye's newest charge?"Erock leaned back
in his chair and put his hands behind his head.
"Nothing. Why?"
"You remember that little problem that was found in the destiny system?" Erock waited
for her to nod before he inhaled to continue. "Turns out that it's a lot bigger than anyone knew. It
had been hidden for who knows how long. If something isn't done soon, the whole damn thing is
gonna crash."
"I bet daddy's worried about that isn't he." Lailos laid her chin down in her palm and
propped herself up waiting for him to continue. "Let me guess, Rhye's little group has something
to do with it?" Her tone had slid into the amused and sarcastic.
"From what I've been able to find out, there is a very strong chance of it." Erock read the
amusement in her voice and thoughts and a slight smile crept onto his face.
"So they sent you out to fix the error or something?"
"Not exactly." Erock looked up at the ceiling and let out a laugh under his breath. "They
don't know that cause yet." Erock stood from his seat and took one last look at her. "I have to
figure out what happened before they do. You know how much people matter to the council."
Lailos shivered when she thought of how the council looked at mortals. Pawns, nothing
more. Their only purpose was to supply the council with the power to rule by living. They never
perceived mortals as being more than a conquered race.
Erock bowed slightly then turned and left the café as silently as he'd entered.
Lailos reached into her purse and pulled out a small palm computer and quickly opened a
display of the damage Erock had been talking about. Her eyes widened and she almost lost her
grip on the small computer.
*What could have happened to cause so much damage?*
Akane jogged through the gates of the Tendo dojo, and immediately sounds of Ranma and
Genma's morning sparring flooded her ears.
"Doesn't he ever get tired of Ranma beating him?" Akane walked inside and slipped off
her shoes then headed for the dinning room for breakfast.
"Oh, back already Akane?" Kasumi said from the kitchen as the youngest Tendo moved to
stand the hallway and watch the fight outside. "I'll have breakfast ready in a minute, why don't
you go wash up. It should be ready by the time your through."
"Ok. Thanks Kasumi." Akane took one last glance into the yard when a loud splash
followed by sounds of a angry panda filled the room. She headed quickly for her room and picked
out her clothes for the day then headed for the bathroom.
"You know, it's been a while since anything really happened." Ranma sat at the table
eating quickly and keeping a constant watch on Genma. "Not that I'm complaining, I like not
having to run halfway across the world."
"Boy, you're getting soft." Genma tried his best to look serious as he spoke down to his
son. "A true martial artist takes every chance to better himself."
"Yeah pops." Ranma quickly snapped his plate up from the table just in time to save it
from his father's chopsticks. "So you ain't a martial artist then are ya, cause you sure as hell never
better yourself." Ranma finished the food on his plate and tossed it towards his father hitting his
old man in the face.
"Ranma, you must remember that you're father and I are no longer in our prime. That's
why we have you and Akane, to carry on for us. Why, in our day we..." Ranma drifted away as
Soun began to ramble on and on about his youth.
"Daddy please." Nabiki broke into the conversation and cut her father off short. "We all
know you and Saotome were just thieves under Happosia when you were young."
"I'm outta here. This is to much family stuff for me." Ranma hopped to his feet and
started for the door. "You comin' Akane?" Ranma looked over his shoulder and shrugged when
she just looked after his dumbfounded.
"What is his problem today?" Akane waited until everyone at the table had calmed down
then got up and headed out for school. She found Ranma waiting for her on the fence beside the
canal.
"So you finally got a move on huh?" Ranma climbed to his feet and began walking a few
feet behind Akane.
"Ranma."
"Yeah?"
"Why did you walk out on everyone this morning?" Akane waved to Doctor Tofu as they
passed his shop.
"Oh, No reason. I just didn't feel like sitting around listening to the same old stuff again."
Ranma slipped down from the fence and continued to follow her. "I wish pop would cut it out
though, he acts like I'm responsible for everything that happens around here." *You all do.*
"So basically you're saying that you want everything to move on and let you live your life
then huh?"
"Well..." Ranma put his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky. "I kinda just wish
that they'd get off my back you know. It's like, I've been here over a year now, and they still
won't leave me alone about the engagement thing. I mean hell...you know one of the main reasons
I throw such a fit over this thing is because they forced us into it."
Akane stopped and turned around to look at him, her eyes locking immediately on his.
"So you're saying that if they hadn't forced you to be my fiancé you might have actually
wanted to?"
"Hey, hold on a second. I never said anything like that." Ranma waved his hands in front
of his face in a warding motion then stopped when he noticed her eyes fall to the ground.
"Oh, ok. Well we'd better hurry up then or we're gonna be late." She started to turn away
from him, but Ranma reached out and caught her by the shoulders and kept her facing him.
"Look Akane. You ain't never heard a word I've said." Ranma let go of her and made her
look him in the face. "I always say you're kawiikune and stuff, more outta habit than anything you
know. Heck I've told you I think you're cute plenty of times." Ranma smiled at her and let his
hand fall from her chin. "It's kinda like...at first I didn't wanna get to know you, but once I did
I...You know I'm no good at this stuff Akane. I grew up training to fight, and stuff like this is
hard for me to do. What I wanna say is that at first I didn't wanna be engaged to you at all. But
now I think about it, it really ain't that bad... you know." Ranma felt his heart lift again when her
frown melted into a smile and she laughed a little. "Come on, we're gonna be late."
"Ok." Akane turned and dashed after Ranma as he headed for the school, a small smile on
her face.
"What a haul! What a haul!" Happosai came flying over the wall of Furinkan High
followed closely by a group of angry girls who exited through the gate.
"Get back here." "Pervert!" "We're gonna kill you!"
Ranma came flying over the wall a second later and turned to follow the bouncing panty
thief.
"Get back here you old perv." Ranma took a shortcut between two buildings and cut half
the distance between himself and Happosai.
"Come on boy. Why can't you ever let me have my fun." Happosai tossed a bomb over his
shoulder without looking back and made a long jump across the street.
"Hey!" Ranma turned his jump into a backward spin and punted the bomb back towards
Happosai. The small black bomb connected with the old master the moment before it exploded
and sent him tumbling down to the alleyway between two buildings, his pack tore to shreds on the
way down, leaving him under a massive pile of panties.
Ranma leapt down into the alleyway and walked triumphantly towards the pile. When he
was arm length away, he began to hear a low groan.
"Don't tell me you're actually hurt under there." Ranma knelt down and began digging to
the bottom of the pile and found Happi crouched over, and a dark red aura beginning to ooze it's
way from him. "Aw get over it, so you lost for once." Ranma grabbed the shrunken master by the
shirt and lifted him so they stared into each others faces.
"Why you...Ranma!" Happosai began lashing out at Ranma the best he could, but his short
arms wouldn't reach and Ranma looked at him amused.
"Will you please put the old man down." A voice drifted down the alleyway causing both
Ranma and Happosai to turn and look. Just a few feet from them stood a man who looked to be
Japanese, he stood a few inches taller than Ranma and a little broader in the shoulders. His long
black hair hung in a ponytail that swayed loosely in the alley gusts. He wore a long black trench
coat over what looked to be a black suit of some kind.
"That's right boy!" Happosai took the opportunity to hit Ranma over the head with his
pipe and gain his freedom. "Respect your elders." Happi quickly began gathering up his collection
of panties and bras from that days raid.
"Hey! You don't know a thing about what's going on here. This old geezer stole all these
and I gotta bring em back." Ranma made another grab for Happosai but missed by a mile.
"That doesn't matter." The man's voice was strangely monotone and calm. "You should
show more respect for the elderly." He looked at his foot where a bra hung from his shoe and
easily kicked it towards Happi.
"See Ranma...this is how I should be treated." Happi lifted his tattered bag and tossed it
over his shoulder.
"Ranma? As in Saotome?" The man smiled grimly and shifted his gaze back to Ranma.
"Yeah. What's it to ya?" Ranma snatched the pack from Happosai and held it out of the
old man's reach.
"I find it convenient to find you here. I actually came to Japan to find you. My name is
Wein." Wein took a few steps in Ranma's direction and deftly snatched Happosai from the air and
looked him in the face. "I apologize for this old timer, but I have something to speak with the boy
about in private." With a twist of his wrist Wein tossed Happi off into the distance then extended
his hand towards Ranma.
"Ranma Saotome." Ranma took Wein's hand and briskly shook it then looked the taller
man from head to toe. "What do you want with me anyway?"
Wein smiled and backed away a few steps. From his pocket he removed a pack of
American cigarettes and a lighter.
"I've been hearing a lot about you over the last year. Sounds like you've been a very busy
man." Wein lit his cigarette and stuffed the pack and lighter back into his pocket. "Did you really
defeat the seven lucky gods like rumors say?"
"Hai."
"And what about your battle at Phoenix mountain, are rumors of that true also?"
"Hai. Where is this going. I really fought all those fights and won. So get to the point will
ya."
"It looks like you are indeed the man I seek." From his coat Wein removed a small bottle
and twisted out the cork. Before Ranma had a chance to realize what was happening, Wein had
splashed the water in his face.
"Hey, what did you do that for? Huh?" Ranma looked down at himself and gasped. "I'm a
guy still?"
"Of course..." Wein took a long drag from his cigarette and held it. "I call this
motivation."
"What are you talking about?" Ranma was struggling fighting the urge to run to school as
fast as he could and tell Akane he'd been cured.
"I am here to see if you really are all they say you are. Of course that water isn't actually
the water your looking for...it's something more along the lines of curse suppressor really." Wein
let smoke flow from his mouth as he spoke then tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it
with his foot. "So if you're ready, we can begin right here."
"You wanna fight me?" Ranma was still so happy from being cured that he wasn't in the
wood to fight. "I'm not gonna..."
"Ranma, Ranma... is that any way for a martial artist to respond to a challenge?" Wein
removed another bottle from his coat and held it up. "If you won't fight me then I can always give
you back your curse. That motivation enough for you." Wein put the bottle back in his coat and
smiled wolfishly at the stunned Ranma. "I didn't cure you for my health you know. So you can
give me what I want, an all out fight. Or I can curse you."
"Fine, but what good does this do?" Ranma quickly began to size up Wein from his stance
and movements.
"I simply must know for myself." Wein pulled back his coat and prepared for the fight.
"If fighting you is the price you want for curing me, then I'll do it." Ranma tossed the bag
of panties against the wall and assumed a ready stance.
Rhye looked down at the two from a fire escape far above. He silver eyes burned brighter
than they had in a long time with anger as he glared daggers through Wein.
*How dare he endanger everything I've done. I won't allow him to get away with this*
Wein looked up to where Rhye sat invisible to the human world and a look of sadness
crossed his face.
"How have you been my old friend. I see now why this boy has done everything he has. I
would expect no less from one raised under your protection." Wein watched as Rhye's anger
ebbed slightly. "Rhye...I have never been your true enemy. You talk about being here to repent
for your sins of the Chaos War. You would not listen to me then, will you not trust me now?"
Wein turned his eyes back to Ranma and nodded.
Rhye leaned heavily against the concrete wall of the building and let out an angry growl.
*Is the cure really worth this much to you?* Rhye vanished from the fire escape and stood
behind Ranma in the alley way.
Taking the initiative, Ranma made the first attack...
Author's notes:
Ok, if nothing is making sense so far, bear with me. I promise this all ties together in the end. I
have a storyline written out for this thing all the way to the end and I'm doing my best to follow
it.
