Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma or Inu yasha.
Chapter 24Ranma shook himself out of his shock. It was hard to believe that Mousse would give it up – him, a full demon – for… for Shampoo. Under the circumstances Ranma wasn't sure if he would be able to do the same thing. His blood was a part of him, like the Art, something he didn't want to let go. But maybe it didn't mean as much to Mousse.
"You have my thanks," Mousse said, nodding to Kagome. She smiled as he began to leave the shrine. He stopped as he passed Ranma for the barest fraction of a second, catching the hanyou's eye, and Ranma doubted this was the last time they would meet.
"Wait."
They all turned to Inu-Yasha who let go of his disguise and raised his head just slightly. He seemed to find something because he glanced silently at Ranma and Akane, his ears twitching in the direction of an old well house. Then Ranma's eyes widened as his nose caught Kho Lon's scent. His eyes turned to Akane, who's surprised expression mirrored his own, and then to Mousse, who was mouthing the question: "Who is it?"
Ranma's mouth formed the answer wordlessly, and Mousse's face betrayed surprise and maybe a little fear. They would have gone after her, but before they could the doors to the well house slid open and Kho Lon came out. She looked at them scornfully, Mousse in particular.
"So. You're trying to be human now. How disgusting," she spat, her raspy voice like grains of sand against wood. She raised her bow, an arrow already knocked. "Now. What have you done with my Great-Granddaughter?"
"The question is," Mousse began, and maybe he was no longer a demon, but at that moment he looked just as fierce as one. "What have you done to her?"
Kho Lon's face darkened and Ranma fell into a defensive stance in front of her, along with Akane and Mousse who's hands were already in his robes. Inu-Yasha only stood closer to Kagome and watched Kho Lon warily as she prepared to shoot. There was a moment of palpable tension between them before it snapped in unison with Kho Lon's bowstring.
The arrow flew through the air, and they all leaped out of its range, Inu-Yasha scooping up Kagome as he went. Ranma and Akane split apart, coming at Kho Lon from different sides. The old miko leapt out of the way, and Ranma and Akane crossed paths before increasing their speed enough to snatch Kho Lon's bow and quiver. As soon as she noticed the absence of her weapons, Kho Lon stopped in her tracks and whirled to face them, her face dark with hatred. Before she could make a move, a chain shot out and wrapped around her legs. Her baleful glare was redirected towards Mousse who matched it evenly.
Kho Lon's lips formed a triumphant smirk as a scroll appeared in her hand. Ranma exchanged a glance with Akane as she raised it in front of her and began a spell under her breath. Before they could move to take the scroll from Kho Lon, Kagome snuck up behind her and placed a similar scroll on her back, reaching around to pluck the paper from Kho Lon's hands. Kho Lon's eyes widened, darting around inside their sockets, but she did not move. Her body was as mobile as stone.
"This is an old spell," Kagome said, moving to stand in front of Kho Lon, and staring down at her disapprovingly. "It's before your time." Kho Lon's eyes narrowed. "You'll be able to move again in a short while, but before then lets have a talk."
"A miko," Kho Lon got out through gritted teeth. "How can you ally yourself with them? You've turned against humanity."
"Against humanity?" Kagome asked raising her brows. "If there is one thing I've learned, it's that humanity has nothing to do with blood. You're more of a monster than any youkai I've ever met. There is no war. So stop fighting."
"You would let them live?" Kho Lon hissed in rage. The muscles in her face were fighting to contort against the spell, and barely succeeding. It gave the impression of a raisin that wasn't yet ripe.
"Why do otherwise?" Kagome frowned, her voice rising.
"They're unclean! They dirty our earth only by living on it!"
"That – "
"Kagome," Inu-Yasha cut her off calmly. "The spell."
She glanced at him and sighed, calming visibly. "You're right, there's not much longer."
As if on cue Kho Lon's limbs began to twitch and they all moved back in a large ring around her. The scroll on her back crumbled and Kho Lon leapt away before the dust could fall. She cast one last contemptuous glance over her shoulder and was gone.
"Are they all like that?" Kagome asked Mousse. He turned his pensive eyes from the direction Kho Lon disappeared in with surprise.
"For the most part, but this generation is a little softer," he said, looking back that way once more. "I'll be returning to China soon… but not to the Joketsu."
"Hey, Mousse," Ranma began slowly, "could you contact me tomorrow?"
"Why?"
"I'll tell you then," said Ranma. Actually, he wasn't sure yet just what he would need Mousse for, or if he would need him at all. He would have to talk with Inu-Yasha first. Mousse only shrugged and nodded. As Ranma watched him go something occurred to him and he turned to Kagome. "How'd you do that anyway?"
"Do what…?" she asked, cocking her head just slightly. "Oh! Turn him human, you mean? Well…" she paused, exchanging glances with Inu-Yasha. "I don't fully understand it myself, but I know the Shikon Jewel – it had the power to make demons more powerful, but it could make them weaker too – was once a part of me. So after I purified it… I think it… became a part of me again…"
"Oh…" Ranma thought he had heard of a jewel like that, but for the most part her explanation didn't mean a whole lot to him. It made sense, but it wasn't of great importance at the moment.
"You wanted to ask me something, didn't you?"
Ranma turned to Inu-Yasha thoughtfully. "Yeah…I did."
"…Well, what do you think I should do?" Ranma asked, finishing his explanation. He sat next to Akane at the table, across from Kagome and Inu-Yasha.
"So," Inu-Yasha began, "You have to be the lord of the East?"
Ranma nodded. He supposed he should have expected Inu-Yasha to burst out laughing. Kagome sent him an icy glare, and his laughter slowly subsided.
"Heh. I feel sorry for you," he said, smirking. I can tell you do, Ranma thought as he sighed inwardly.
"If you don't have anything constructive to say," Ranma growled, "then just don't say anything."
The older hanyou's face turned more serious. "It won't be an easy job. You'll have to take control, and get rid of all those demon hunters first. If you do that, and prove yourself capable, then you shouldn't have problems with the full-blooded lords," he said frowning thoughtfully. "Do you know what your first move is going to be?"
Ranma nodded solemnly. "I'm going to take care of the Joketsu."
A/N: That chapter was waaay too short, but I wanted to end it there, sorry. And, I'm sorry that this took me a while to get out. My computer was being strange… also I don't know if the shikon jewel could turn full-blooded demons into humans, but lets just say it does, okay? I don't know what's supposed to happen to the jewel after Kagome purifies it either, so I'm sorry if I'm wrong. Um, that's pretty much all I have to say except thanks for the nice reviews! Bye!