Chapter 11

It was early morning in the village of Hoshimi and the villagers were about their daily business. Tenji Mabitsurini, the village carpenter was diligently working on a new water wheel for the mill since, the old one was falling apart and wouldn't last another week. As he looked up from his task of sanding the wood, he saw his friend Horusho walk by on his way to do some fishing down at the lake.

Horusho was a tall young man of eighteen that had a kind heart. He usually supplied everyone in the village with a quarter of his catch in exchange for a few necessities. Tenji smiled and called out, Hey, what are you after today, Horusho?

Horusho smiled at his longtime friend and stopped to chat with him. Scratching his head, he shouldered the fishing net and replied, Anything that swims and isn't too small to eat!

Tenji chuckled at the reply before lifting the completed section and placing with the others. Grabbing a new piece, he started to drill a few holes for the bolts to be placed in later and said, I'd like six lake trout if you can spare them. My wife Yoko wants to make sushi for dinner tonight. In payment for the fishI'll make the new window casing to replace the broken one your mother has in her bedroom.


Thank you, Tenji. I'm sure mother would appreciate it since she had to place a few towels underneath the window when we had that storm last week. Tell Yoko that she'll have the largest ones I can catch, Horusho replied as he waved his hand and started down the path towards the lake.

Tenji waved goodbye and continued his work. He was glad that he had managed to finish up his last project in order to start this one. Everyday he had an hour's walk to get to work, past the village and through the meadow, he enjoyed the peace and quiet, it was so relaxing. Today was jut like any ordinary day the temperature seemed to be making its way into the low eighties, It's not to hot today that it'll interrupt my work. Maybe I'll finish this water wheel

The peaceful silence of the day was interrupted when the ground started shaking, tools fell to land on the ground in piles. Birds flew squawking in irregular patterns, startled out of their nests. From the feel of it, this quake measured on the Richter Scale to be about a 6.5, which was pretty strong but, nothing to be too concerned about. But it was coming from the direction of the village. Tenji decided that there was nothing to be too concerned about and went back to work. He didn't think much of it until fifteen minutes later the screaming began.

Tenji had only taken two steps towards the village when a shadow from above caught his attention. He looked up to see something big coming his way and falling rapidly. He barely made it, as he quickly jumped out of its path and into the shelter of his workshop. When he heard the thud as it impacted the ground he looked up to see that it had landed right where he had been standing. Tenji decided to get a closer look, when he got there he wished that he hadn't. There, lying on the ground was the still twitching headless body of one of the villagers. Blood ran from the place where the head should have been, forming a pool at his feet.

Tenji turned green and quickly ran over to the bushes to rid himself of his breakfast. When he finished, he turned and ran towards the village to see if there was anything he could do. When he was about ten minutes from entering, he noticed more bodies lying scattered on the ground. Each and every one he came across was missing its head and some other body part. Please Kami, I hope someone is alive, he desperately prayed, hoping that some people had escaped.

As Tenji was about to walk the last few minutes towards the village, he paused to glance cautiously around. Something was making him uneasy and he didn't know what to make of it. That was when he noticed the dark cloud that seemed to engulf the whole village, it was then that he also noticed the complete and utter lack of sound. The screaming had stopped. Then the darkness started to move towards him.

Deep within Tenji's subconscious something was screaming for him to run. To get as far away from what ever this thing was and never come back. Before he knew it, Tenji was running. Running away from the carnage that used to be his village, the place where he grew up, where everyone knew everyone else and never questioned one another. Glancing over his shoulder, Tenji saw that the cloud was gaining on him, he knew that he shouldn't have come, he should have run to the nearest village. Turning, he faced front again, his legs pumping franticly to put as much distance between himself and the on coming cloud. He had only run as far as ten yards when something struck him from behind. Icy cold claws bit into his torso, he screamed as he felt the burning pain, it was beyond anything he had ever felt before. He vaguely felt himself being lifted into the air and drawn backwards.

Whimpering quietly, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that he was being drawn back into the dark cloud. He tried to struggle to break free but with each movement of his body; the pain grew worse, robbing him of precious air. Closing his eyes, Tenji resigned himself to a brief prayer in acceptance of his death. When he opened his eyes again and looked deep within the blackness of the cloud, he saw something that made him scream in absolute terror. His last thought before he was ripped to pieces was, Oh, Kami...those eyes!

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Akane entered her bedroom at warp speed, slamming the door behind her, breathing heavily, she trembled like a leaf caught in a strong wind. Her emotions were in a complete turmoil as to how she felt about her jerk of a fiancé, Ranma. Leaning back against the door she slowly slid down to rest against its hard wooden surface. Drawing her knees towards her chest she wrapped her arms around them as she shook violently, trying to suppress the desire that was still raging throughout her body. "Something is definitely going on here...I don't understand why I can't control myself when I get close to Ranma," Akane whispered softly as a tear made its way down her cheek, unnoticed, splattering on the stone floor. Akane slowly rocked herself from side to side while fighting her bodies desires.


Akane wondered how Ranma was doing if she herself was having this much trouble suppressing the desires of her body. "Hhe p-probably is hhaving the same aamount of trouble I'm having," she stuttered as a particularly violent tremor shook her frame. Akane lowered her head to rest on her knees, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a slight pulsing glow coming from the area where the mark rested against her heart. The light seemingly pulsed in time with each wave of desire. "It must have something to do with these marks...but that couldn't be right. It must be my imagination," she thought to herself as she slowly rose to her feet and staggered over to her bed. The desire to turn around and run back to Ranma's side hit her like a Tsunami, but she fought it and won, barely. Akane knew she didn't have much time before they would be married, especially if these strange events kept happening to them.

"Oh Ranma..." Akane whispered quietly, remembering the look in his eyes. Running her hand over her body in the same exact places that Ranma had touched, Akane fantasized for a few moments, what it would be like if he was willing to go though with their engagement. Deep down in her soul, she preyed that Ranma would say those three words that she longed to hear. Sighing, Akane threw herself onto the mattress, then gripped the sides as another wave of desire struck. Only this time, it wasn't as strong as the previous ones and she began to relax until she drifted off into the land of dreams where she and her husband played with their children. The only thing that dream Akane thought that was odd about them was their...eyes.

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Back in the great hall, Ranma leaned against the doorframe where he had caught himself when he had started to chase after Akane. His body shook uncontrollably which made him feel slightly panicked because he wanted to grab Akane and throw her to the floor and never let her up until they were both sated. Ranma knew that he came across as slightly oblivious to most things, especially sex. But he had deliberately suppressed his desires for fear of getting married off to the first girl that he even bothered to touch. When he had first met Akane, it was for an entirely different reason. He remembered how she acted towards any boy who made any kind of lewd suggestions about her. Those boys would always end up on the wrong side of her fists. Ranma had thought that if he acted like he didn't like her, she would trust him enough to get close, not to mention that it would keep their fathers off of their backs. He still couldn't believe how much it worked. It worked so much in fact that he found out that his feelings for her had increased to the point where he could admit that he lo..l...liked her.

Groaning, he stood and walked stiffly, if slowly towards his room. Each step brought another wave of desire that he quickly and forcibly suppressed. He was used to controlling his body's desires, but this was pure agony. As he entered the corridor where his room was, Ranma wondered what it would be like when they had to perform the ceremony. Would he throw himself on her like a slavering beast or would he be able to control himself enough in order to finish what needed to be finished. Pushing that thought aside, he entered his room and quickly readied himself for bed. He prayed quietly to himself that Akane returned his feelings before he drifted off into to the land of dreams.

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The first thing that woke the pigtailed boy was the bright light shining through his window. The next thing that he noticed was the pounding on his door and Nabiki's angry voice yelling to him through the thick wood, "Ranma, get up already! I've been trying to wake you since forever. If you don't want me to come in there and wake you like Akane does, then I suggest you get your ass out of bed!"

"All right already, I'm up!" he yelled back while grumbling about money grubbing future sister's in law. Sitting up, Ranma stretched his muscles before climbing out of bed and making his way over to the bathroom. When he came out he was fully dressed and ready to tackle anything. Opening the door, he saw Nabiki leaning against the frame with what appeared to be a folded piece of white cloth in her hands.

"Here you go, Ranma," Nabiki said handing him the bundle. Then, turning she made her way over to Akane's room while saying over her shoulder, "Auntie wants you to wear that since you will be going directly into the cleansing room. Akane will be doing the same, so I suggest that you hurry."

"Wha...but what about breakfast?" Ranma complained before his stomach decided to make its own protest known.

"Don't worry, Auntie has something for you two to eat before you enter the room. After that you two are on your own.," Nabiki replied while waving her hand, dismissivly.

Sighing, Ranma quickly closed the door and changed before exiting his room and making his way downstairs. When he arrived, he saw Akane standing next to the room and looking extremely nervous. She was busy stuffing her face with what looked like pork buns and a huge platter of assorted foods. He quickly made his way over and proceeded to decimate what was left of the pickings.

When Ranma looked up it was to see his mother enter the room. I see that you are done. Follow me please, Noduka told them, not expecting a reply, she motioned for them to follow as she entered another room. On her way past the altar she told them, "When I close the door to this chamber, you, Ranma, must light these incense sticks. You are to then go over to those cushions and clear your mind. Do you understand, my son?"

"Yeah, I understand mom," Ranma replied before making his way over towards the alter. There he stood and waited for his mother to leave. He was surprised when she opened another chamber door and shuttled Akane inside.

"Akane, you are to stay in here. I don't know why the book mentions this, but we must follow it to the letter. When I close this door, you are to do the same as Ranma. When you are settled, I want you both to clear your minds and think of nothing. Find your inner peace and the source of your ki. When it is found, I want you to nurture it, make it grow and control it. Do you both understand?" Noduka said as she glanced a both of them.

"Yes," they both replied.

"Good," Noduka said as she gave each a smile before closing the inner door to Akane's chamber. Quickly, she turned around and exited the room.

As soon as the doors closed, Ranma lit the burners and made his way over to the cushions. Settling himself, he cleared his mind and thought of nothing except his inner self. As the incense permeated the room, he felt strange. His awareness of the outer world started to fade as he slipped deeper into himself. Time held no meaning for both Ranma and Akane, neither noticed the sun go down or the hunger that permitted their bodies. It wasn't until early the next morning that the visions started to come.

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Their souls seemed to glide on air as they gazed around themselves in wonder. The wind brushed soothingly over her skin and Akane laughed in delight. Ranma watched, seemingly content to just float in place and watch as she danced around, rolling and tumbling, she spread her arms and caught the air currents. Akane was having the time of her life and didn't think much of the incoming darkness until it was upon them. Ranma glanced around and began to worry as the dream turned menacing and lightning flashed while thunder echoed, sounding like explosions in the night sky.

The sky was dark and terrifying. Gouts of flame chased each other across the cloudy sky while lightning flashed brightly, briefly illuminating the scene of a great battle. Then just as quickly as it appeared, the sky darkened to an inky blackness where visibility no longer existed. The silence was broken periodically by roars and rumbles that shook the heavens. Akane and Ranma dreamed this and shuddered, neither knew what they were seeing but they were sure that this was no ordinary dream.

They gasped as another flash of light lit the sky, illuminating deep within the darkness a pair of eyes that seemingly held a burning and hungry stare. Both gasped once more as the sky flared with twinjets of flame and roars erupted from the right and then another one from the left. Flashes of color darted in and out of the cloud, too fast to identify what it was. But they knew deep within themselves that those flashes were the ones that fought this thing that made them afraid. It was then that they both came to the conclusion that this was a vision of the past. They wondered why the battle was being held in the air. Shrugging their spiritual and mental shoulders they continued to watch until the end of the battle.

They watched as the thing was chased into a cavern deep within the rocky earth. Then, as the evil menace was about to make one last ditch effort to escape, it was sealed in by melting the rock into one solid prison with no means of escape. The last thing they heard was its screaming roar as it was trapped inside.

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The moon was bright as it light up the night sky. Lighting the courtyard with a soft luminescence that made the area look as if it were in another world altogether. Four figures sat around the yard, they had instinctively headed towards the stone that best suited their natures. Each knelt on a stone marked with the symbols of the elements, and the four-corners of the world. Each figure wore robes of gold colored silk, the only difference between them was the family crest adorning it.

Noduka sat facing east, her katana lying in front of her. The stone she sat on held the symbol of water that was somehow fitting, matching her nature of spirit. Noduka was calm at all times but there were times when her temper would rage out of control like a tsunami that would hit land and then recede like a ripple in a still pond.

Kasumi knelt on the northern stone. Taking the place that should have rightfully belonged to her mother if not for her death ten years prior. The stone was etched with the symbol of the wind. Two war fans were held in each hand, ready to be used at a moments notice. The symbol was somehow fitting for the oldest Tendo girl. She was a gentle soul who comforted those in need like a warm summer breeze, but just below the surface she had a will as strong as a hurricane.

Genma sat on the western stone etched with the symbol of earth. A ceremonial naginata rested on his lap. Earth fit the Saotome patriarch well, as he could be as emotional as a stone and as unmovable as a boulder when it came to the decision of his son's betrothal to Akane. Yet he always yielded to his wife when she made her opinions known, like water washing away the earth in a violent rainstorm.

Soun sat on the southern stone etched with the symbol of fire that matched his mercurial emotions, a bow resting on the ground within easy reach. One moment he could be happy, the next he could be sad. But when angered, he could be as dangerous as a firestorm sweeping through a dry forest or an exploding volcano. Like Genma; he could be calmed by his eldest daughter's calm influence. It could be compared to having a match snuffed out by depriving it of the very air that sustained it.


The last figure, dressed in a kimono of blue and gold, knelt off to the side, face schooled into to a mask of neutrality, a harp sitting in front of her and a gong to the left. Nabiki watching the proceedings with interest as she gently plucked the strings. Recreating the song that she had so painstakingly memorized two days prior. The song was hauntingly familiar and held an air of both joy and sorrow for Nabiki as she could remember her mother humming this very same tune just before she died.

Nabiki was aware of her importance to the ceremony, as Noduka had explained it to her five hours ago. The ceremony was to go off without a hitch or it could mean death to those who sat within the courtyard, not to mention the world.

All eyes focused on the large stone that sat in the center of the circle. Nabiki finished playing when Noduka gave her the signal. Turning, Nabiki grasped the stick and struck the gong three times, calling Ranma and her sister to the ceremony.

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Soft music played in the background and was gently carried on the breeze towards the two waiting within their rooms. Each had been dressed in their families' ancient ceremonial robes of the purest white that it seemed almost transparent. Both, had been extremely nervous about the ritual and didn't know what to expect. They had fasted for three days in total silence, their minds open, searching for the correct frame of mind to ensue that they would perform the ceremony without a flaw, neither had expected to be gifted with the visions they had received. But, they hadn't questioned them in the least. In the distance the gong sounded, calling the chosen from their chambers, it was time.

Akane and Ranma both were so deep within themselves that they failed to notice the ghostly images that had appeared around them once more. This time though, the images blanketed them in a warm embrace and helped them to focus their energies on themselves. Akane awakened suddenly, her eyes snapping opened as awareness flooded back. Each and every muscle felt stiff and unresponsive to her commands, she groaned as she finally managed to move. "Oh, what hit me," she whispered weakly, supporting her weight on the palms of her hands. The first thing she became aware of besides her weakness was the overwhelming thirst that permeated her being. Spotting the bottle next to her side she quickly grabbed it and downed its contents in several swift gulps. "Ah, that's better, I wonder what made me come out of it?" Akane asked herself as she tried to stand on unsteady legs. Then she heard it, a gong rang several times, signaling that it was time. It took Akane a few moments but she finally managed to muster her strength. It wasn't until she was heading for the doors when she heard the music. It was a haunting melody that captured her soul and refused to let go.

Akane moved as if she were deep within a trance, all of her fear and anger were gone and pushed aside. In their place was what felt like a deep well of determination and a love of life. Opening the door, she noticed that Ranma was standing there and he too, was heading towards the outer doors, his expression slightly dazed but resolute in their tasks. Slowly they moved out of the chamber and into the corridor, making their way outside to where their family waited and the completion of the ritual.

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The sun had set hours ago when the gang from Nerima had finally managed to reach the edge of Ryogonzawa. All of them were weary from the long and grueling pace as they tried to find their friends. Pausing on the edge of the forest, Ku-Lon opened her senses to the fullest as she tried to detect Ranma and his family. Finally, she sensing something that she couldn't be to sure of since it was extremely strange. The Amazon elder recognized them as part of it as Ranma and Akane's ki signatures. She absently noticed the feeling of change in the air but pushed it aside. Opening her eyes she lifted her arm and pointed off in the correct direction. They are over that way, she said to them before hopping up to perch on her walking stick. As they were about to take a step into the forest, a giant platypus came barreling in front of them, followed by a heard of lizards. The Amazons stopped short as they stared in amazement while Ryoga just sweat-dropped in extreme annoyance and partial fear. Ukyo just stood there, her mouth agape like a landed fish and blinked stupidly.

"I told you that this would happen," Ryoga muttered as he glanced at his companions.

Ukyo's head snapped in his direction as she lifted her arm and pointed at what had just passed and said, "You mean to tell me that this place is loaded with things like that! I thought that they would be about the size of a horse not a house!"

Ryoga grinned sheepishly and said, "But Ukyo, that one was just a baby...now one of the adults is two times this one's size." Ryoga lifted his hand and started to rub the back of his neck nervously and continued, "The only time you have to be worried is if it starts looking at you like you're its next meal." Turning away from the chef he muttered quietly to himself, "which is about every time you come across any of the animals in this forest."


"What did you say?" Ukyo growled.

"Ah..." Ryoga stuttered nervously as he started backing away.

Mu-Tsu and Shan-Pu watched the exchange with amused smiles and were hoping that the chef would get in a good amount of physical violence to relieve the stress of the moment when they were interrupted by Ku-Lon. "Enough, quickly follow me. We don't have much time and we must reach the place where I sense the disturbance coming from, before it's too late."


"Great-grandmother, we catch Airen in time?" Shan-Pu asked as she ran behind Ku-Lon as the elder hopped down the path.

"We are a few days behind so it is difficult to tell, child. But, I would suggest that you don't waste any of your energy in talking. When we reach our destination, I want every one of you to be extremely careful, we don't know what to expect. If we have to..." Ku-Lon cut off her speech when the site of a huge wall manifested itself in the darkness. Everyone stopped short and gaped in awe at the size of it.

Hey look, there's a light glowing inside, Mu-Tsu said, bringing their attention back to the present. Cocking his head he heard the faint sounds of a strange melody wafting in the breeze from just behind the wall.

What is it you hear, boy? Ku-Lon asked when she noticed his strange behavior. Since she was an experienced herbalist and healer for her tribe, she knew that when one of the senses became a hindrance, another would get stronger to take its place. In Mu-Tsu's case it was his site that was a hindrance but his hearing was ten times that of a normal person. She remembered that he had lost his ability to see clearly when, at the age of three, he had wondered into one of the bullpens and had gotten too close. For his mother's carelessness, Mu-Tsu paid the price, when the bull kicked him right between the eyes. He had been in a coma for three days, only to wake with the loss of his site. Turning her attention back toward the present, Ku-Lon continued to watch him and had to smile at the irritated expression forming on his face.

What stupid duck-boy hear? Shan-Pu asked several times, each time when she received no answer she would growl and ask again in a much harsher tone of voice that promised violence.

Hey, would you be quiet! Don't you see that he hears something! Ukyo yelled at the busty Amazon.

Will you two shut up. All this talking is interfering with what he's trying to hear! Ryoga muttered loudly. Unfortunately, it was loud enough to set the girls attention on him and by the way they were looking at him, Ryoga figured that he'd better run. He had only taken two steps back when they were on him in a flash.

Ukyo pulled out her spatula and proceeded to slam it into the lost boy's gut while Shan-Pu produced her bon-bori slamming them both on his head on an over headed swing, this was slightly effective since Ryoga winced in pain but managed to stay conscious. He knew that he would have a slight headache after this was over but at least he had gotten the girls to stop annoying Mu-Tsu.

Scrunching his nose, Mu-Tsu took another step closer to the wall and listened harder. But with all the noise of the girls asking questions and the fight that was now taking place, pissed him off to no end. Mu-Tsu growled as he threw out his arms and extended several lengths of chain towards the huge dust cloud over towards his left. For once in his life, he managed to hit what he had been aiming for.

When the dust cloud settled, Ukyo and Shan-Pu were wrapped in chains like a snake that coils around its prey. They blinked stupidly for a few minutes before they turned their attention towards Mu-Tsu. Growling they both screamed at the same time, You better untie us or your dead when we get free!

I'm sorry but you two are being a bit too loud. I need you to shut up so I can listen to what's going on in there, Mu-Tsu replied before turning his back to them and concentrating once more.

Shan-Pu, silently promised revenge on him for this, after they got to Ranma of course. Duck boy dead when I get free, she thought as she glared at his back.

Mu-Tsu, you better let me go if you know what's good for you, Ukyo growled as she struggled to get herself loose.


Mu-Tsu sighed in annoyance before turning towards Ku-Lon, Elder, could you please make them shut up so I can hear what's going on.

Alright boy, this time and this time only will I help, Ku-Lon thought to herself and she hopped forward and quick as a striking stake, she hit the pressure point of both Ukyo and Shan-Pu, disabling their voices for a brief time.

Thank you, Elder, Mu-Tsu said gratefully, bowing. Then, turning his attention back towards listening he paused for a few moments before detecting the slight sound of chanting. Suddenly, his curiosity getting the better of him, Mu-Tsu took a step forward only to smash into something that he could only think of as a barrier. he said as he hit. Lifting his hands the blind martial artist tried to figure out what was blocking his way. What the


Ku-Lon took a step closer and reached out her hand and poked the invisible barrier. This is no ordinary barrierthis is one made of pure magic. I do not think that we will be able to pass through it until whatever is going on in there, ends.


By the time that Ku-Lon had completed her sentence, Ukyo and Shan-Pu were able to get themselves loose from Mu-Tsu's chains. Ukyo tried talking but she couldn't get a word in so she motioned for the elder to remove what she had done. Ku-Lon complied and released the pressure point on both her great-granddaughter and the chef.


You mean that we can't get in! Ukyo yelled, balling her fists at her side.

Shan-Pu get in, magic or no magic! Airen is Shan-Pu's and Shan-Pu will not accept being kept away! the busty amazon growled before running off to search for a way in.

I'm with you sugar! I'll go the other way. No one is going to take Ranma-honey away from me! the chef yelled before taking off in the opposite direction.

Ku-Lon glanced questionably towards the lost boy, Well, are you going to try to find a way in?

Ah no, I think I'll stay here or I just might end up getting lost, Ryoga replied sheepishly, poking his fingers together. Pausing, Ryoga thought hard for a moment before he spoke up, I think I'll try tunneling under the wall and see how far that barrier goes.

Ku-Lon watched as the lost boy took a step in the opposite direction away from the wall before he stopped short and slowly turned himself around to face the wall. Hehehe, wrong way, he said finally facing the right way, he got down on his knees and used the breaking point, blasting a hole the size of a car into the earth.

The Amazon Elder didn't bother to wait to see if the lost boy would be successful in his endeavor. She knew that no matter what, they wouldn't find a way in. So, settling herself down on a log, she resigned herself to a long wait. she thought, it will be amusing to see how the children try to handle it. I don't know why, but I have a funny feeling about the Saotome boy and the youngest Tendo. For ones so young, they have a very powerful ability to generate ki. It should be impossible for them to even do. And yet they can, but why

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