Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING but Saizo, Sakon, Yuki and Toki, but I don't care if you copy them so long as you tell me so I can read your fic and review (And I promise I will). Anyway I also own this story, I'm pretty sure I made up the Sakon/Saizo story but I might have seen it in some old Asian movie-I watch those some times.
Part 4
Eternal Torment! Yuki Attacks!
A/N: BIG chapter!
Saizo watched Sakon work in the fields. Yume's loss was a terrible burden to him, she could tell. The war had not killed Sakon Hidetatsu, it had only made him stronger. His muscles were impressive, and his eagerness to drown his sorrow in work was, in it's way commendable. Yuki's chest burned as she watched Sakon work. The sun beating down on his back made him shine with sweat, and Yuki felt as if his splendor might blind her.
"Sister!" Yuki said from behind her. "You have come to visit?"
Saizo turned around. "Mmm? Oh, Yuki. Yes, I have come older sister, to offer my supreme grief and condolences to you and your husband at the loss of young lord Yume. Truly he was a prince among such rabble children."
"Yes." Yuki said, filled with her own grief. "But my son died a man." She said softly.
"My poor older sister, you are in no condition to prepare the meal tonight. Pray, let me do it?" Saizo asked sweetly.
Yuki smiled weakly. She looked very tired. "Indeed little sister I would be greatly relieved." She said. "Poor Sakon works in the fields, he does not stop for anything but dinner." Yuki said weakly.
'He'll stop for me.' Saizo thought. 'By god I'll make his grief go away, don't worry about that my *dear* older sister.'
Saizo glared at her sleeping sister. Curse her that she not only bore just one son, she lost him as well! The Yama family was very poor, Yuki being chosen as the wife of that family's first and only son was a god send for the Yama family. But Yuki was a fool! She couldn't even perform the roles of a wife properly, though it was true Saizo had been naught but a babe in her mother's arms at the time of her elder sister's marriage, if Sakon had chosen Saizo he'd have so many sons he wouldn't mind the loss of Yume.
The Hidetatsu family was so disgustingly rich that Saizo's father had even offered Saizo to Yume as a concubine! Luckily he didn't live to make *that* arrangement. Saizo hadn't been involved in the old man's death, but had she become her own nephew's concubine she might just have pulled a few strings. Saizo might not have minded being Yume's *wife* but a lowly concubine to a child of a man? Fah!
Yuki realized she was mixing her poison with her fist and promptly stopped. In her anger she had ruined the formula . . . She tossed the herbs into her hand and called the dog to her. "Come, I have an important task for you." The dog trotted over to her and began licking her hands, and the poison as well. "You're going to be in an awful lot of pain, but you wont die. Make sure you play with master Sakon before then."
'It's time to take what belongs to us.' The voice in Saizo's head said. 'Wont it be fun?'
Saizo smiled weakly. She had always had a way with animals, the dog rushed off, barking happily and running into the yard. She began to hum to herself. She hated dogs, but she had no reason to kill this one. The poison wouldn't work on the dog, it'd just go nuts and chase it's tail for about a day. Now Yuki was another story, Saizo began mixing another batch of poison . . .
Ryoga's stomach was growling, but he was trying to keep Nabiki from noticing him. He followed her, concentrating on it since he knew that she was the only way he'd get back to Akane. At the same time, though he couldn't get Akane out of his head, he loved being out in the cool night with Nabiki. It was sort of nice, he didn't know why.
He did think of what Ranma said. He didn't know how he'd feel or what he'd do if Nabiki really did like him. If this had happened about a month earlier he'd just let her down easy-like but now he just wasn't sure. She'd gave him marshmallows, as stupid as it sounded. Hey! Wait a minute they'd all been on fire! (Now he figures it out eh?) She'd been flirting with him! (Doh!)
"Where should we go?" Nabiki asked.
"I don't care, as long as it's close." Ryoga said.
"Cold out isn't it?" Nabiki said.
"I guess."
"Should we go see Ukyo's place?"
"She may be closed-"
"If we told her that Ranma wanted it she'd open on Christmas day." Nabiki scoffed. "Okay, so you know anyplace you wanna go to?"
"No." Ryoga admitted. "Do you?"
"Hey I got it!" Nabiki exclaimed. "What about Shampoo?"
"No!" Ryoga said. "I can't STAND listening to her Ranma praise!"
"No you moron! We have her deliver to the house and we can go where ever we want." Nabiki said.
"But you took all your dad's money, who'll pay for it?"
"You know it's free if Ranma is involved." Nabiki said.
Yuki sat on the stone in the swamp, temporarily taking a solid form. Yuki, like Sakon and Saizo could take a solid form when she desired for two hours a week, it required a great deal of concentration and it took a great deal of her power (thus the time limit). She'd hoped that in death she'd see her son again, but she wasn't blessed with the gift of the afterlife, she was cursed with a sore curse, living on but not living at all.
She wept into her hands, wiping her eyes on her burnt white kimono. 'Yuki . . . don't cry like that . . . why must you cry?' she said to herself.
'Because I'm dead! And betrayed by my sister and husband! What better reason has a woman to cry?' She responded in her head.
'But why should we cry? We should make THEM cry!' The voice in her head said forcefully.
'No! No I won't hurt them!'
'They betrayed you . . . us.' The voice said.
'But . . . I . . . I cant!'
'But we can.' That voice said. 'None would oppose us.'
"No!" Yuki screamed into the night. "Never!" 'Never will I harm my beloved Sakon! Never you hear me?'
'But he harmed you . . . we just get even, he can't die twice.'
Yuki thought about this. 'No.' she thought. 'What am I thinking? I won't harm Sakon or Saizo, no matter how much they deserve it!'
'Then go see them. We've cried for five hundred years, let us go see our husband Sakon!'
'No!' Yuki moaned in her own head. 'No! No I wont!'
'But why not? You know it was Saizo who killed Yume.'
At the mention of her son Yuki began to lose her concentration, and her solid body disappeared. With it went that damnable voice. But Yuki was outraged. Of course it was Saizo! Who else would it be? She must have . . . NO! No she couldn't if she wanted to, Yume was taken on the battlefield!
But Saizo! Saizo! Saizo! Yuki clenched her spectral fists. "SAIZO!" She screamed into the night. Though she had no body, her words were heard by all life in the swamp. "SAIZO I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" Yuki heard the birds and frogs, they were scared. She slumped and began to cry into her hands again. "Oh what have I said? What am I thinking?" She wondered out loud. "Will I never be myself again?" She shook her head. "I . . . I should get out of the swamp. I suppose. Perhaps if I visited Sakon and Saizo."
"Feel that?" Saizo asked.
"She's at it again." Sakon said morosely.
Nabiki and Ryoga walked through the town, it was getting late and they still hadn't found a place they could agree upon. Suddenly Ryoga ran to a minimart and stared into the window. Nabiki ran after him. "What is it?" She asked.
"Look Nabiki!" Ryoga said. "Our food problems are solved!"
Nabiki looked into the window and saw . . . nothing.
"They have Pickles Nabiki!" Ryoga said with excitement. "Pickles!"
"What!?" Nabiki cried.
"Please say we can get pickles!" Ryoga pleaded.
"You pervert!" Nabiki scoffed.
"But they're delicious!" Ryoga whined.
"What? Oh you actually plan to eat them. Well okay I take back that thing about you being a pervert but still, no pickles."
"But they're delicious!" Ryoga repeated.
"That they may well be, but the fact is that were going to a restaurant to eat, I'm not buying a bottle of pickles."
"Aww . . . maybe just one?" Ryoga asked.
"No!" Nabiki said. "Pickles make me nervous." She shook her head.
"But why?" Ryoga asked.
Nabiki was hurtled into a cold dark world of pain and laughter-other people's laughter. "Pickles don't eat people, people eat pickles!" Damn those elementary school kids! 'Damn them' Nabiki thought. 'How dare they make fun of me!'
"Because their green." She lied.
"Huh?"
"And . . ." Nabiki sighed. "And because they're going to conquer the world Ryoga."
"Whoa!" Ryoga said, still staring into the window, not paying attention to her at all.
"They're going to come out of their jars at night and take over our bodies." Nabiki added, checking to see if Ryoga was paying any attention to her.
"Whoa!" Ryoga said. He wasn't.
"January first, two thousand four, that's when they make their move." Nabiki said lamely, annoyed that Ryoga's focus had gone over to a bottle of . . . vegetables? What the heck were pickles?
"Can't we buy just on jar?" Ryoga asked.
"No! Not one! Okay, that's it, I see a place over there, were going now!"
"Do you think they'll have-"
"Sure." Nabiki sighed, starting to wish she *had* brought Ranma with her. "They'll have pickles for you Ryoga."
Ryoga sat patiently in the restaurant with Nabiki. It was a pretty nice place; he didn't like it at all. They had a waiter and everything; it made him feel uneasy.
"Now isn't this better than wondering around in the cold Ryoga?" Nabiki asked.
"Yeah." Ryoga shrugged. What Ranma told him was starting to make more and more sense. Nabiki had forced him to come with her, then ordered out like Ranma said she should have, then she dragged him to a restaurant. "Uh, Nabiki. If anyone asks, this isn't a date right?"
"Of course not." She said casually.
'Drat!' Ryoga thought. 'She's a smooth one, doesn't reveal a thing, she's calm as the eye of a storm.' He shook his head. "So . . . if this were a date, I'd know right?"
"Yes." Nabiki said with a shrug.
"How?" Ryoga asked.
"I'd tell you." Nabiki said impatiently. "And I'd wear something really nice, probably force you too as well. But don't worry about it, because this isn't a date. I don't go for younger guys, and I wouldn't want to try to tare you away from Akane for too long."
Ryoga nodded. 'As long as we understand each other.' He said to himself. 'Why am I suddenly disappointed? What is wrong with me?'
"Although . . ." Nabiki said with a mischievous grin, "what Akane doesn't know, wont hurt her will it?" She asked. She leaned over the table and kissed Ryoga on the cheek. "Will it? Ryoga-honey?"
"Wh-what!?" Ryoga cried in protest.
"Just kidding!" Nabiki said, laughing wickedly. Ryoga tried to be mad at her, but it didn't work. He tried to act humiliated, that didn't work. In the end, he found himself laughing too. "You really like Akane huh?" Nabiki asked.
"What makes you say that?" Ryoga asked.
"Gut instinct." Nabiki smiled. "And the fact that you turn red whenever I tease you about her. Oh, and lets not forget that you keep asking when we can go back to check on her."
"Speaking of which, when can we go back?" Ryoga asked. "When were done here?"
"No." Nabiki said. "After this were going to walk around a little more. Trust me, it's best if we don't come back at all tonight."
Ryoga gave her a shocked look. What was she implying?
"I don't mean it that way." Nabiki said, apparently sensing what he was thinking. "I just mean it's best if we don't turn up until Akane is asleep, and if she waits up on us all night, and she will, it may just be best to go home in the morning while she's jogging."
"But how will I-"
"You don't need to check on her, she's fine." Nabiki said. "Why don't you worry about me like that?" She asked. "I tell you I'm afraid of pickles and you don't even care. It must be love between you and Akane."
Ryoga didn't notice the accusing tone Nabiki used. But he did notice that the answer he planned: "I don't worry about you because I don't love you" wouldn't come out. Instead he said, "I don't worry about you because you can take care of yourself. I pity the pickle that tries to steal your body." He said.
Nabiki blushed. "So you *were* listening? Well you know I was just joking about the world domination thing right?" She asked. Ryoga wasn't convinced.
"Sure hoped so." Ryoga said. "I had stuff I wanted to do during two thousand four." He felt a cold presence, and could have sworn he heard a familiar laugh.
Yuki moved slowly though the night, searching for Sakon and Saizo. She sensed Sakon nearby, but she couldn't find him. He might be in possession of a mortal body in which case she wouldn't see him . . . but surely she'd sense him just as well.
'Oh! What's that?' The voice in her head said.
'Oh? Yes, what is that?" Yuki wondered. She floated through the air towards three people walking down the street.
She was surprised, one of them was Sakon! He walked slowly after a pair of children, he looked on his guard.
What amazed Yuki was that one of the young people Sakon followed was a girl, and that girl looked just like she did but with modern cloths and short hair. She was confused. The boy was of no consequence to her. She snuck up behind her unfaithful husband Sakon . . .
"But tell me, why cant we go back?"
"Akane would kill me." The girl said.
"So why am I with you?" the boy asked.
"I needed a body guard." The girl said. "These streets aren't safe, besides some one had to pay the bill at the restaurant."
"Yeah, about that, why did I have to pick it up? You asked your dad for money before we left."
"Yeah, about *that*, I just sort of needed a fatter pocket." The girl said. She shuddered. "Are you cold Ryoga?"
"You might not be so cold if you wore better shorts." Ryoga responded.
"What's wrong with my shorts?" The girl asked.
"What? Eh nothing it's just that I've seen bikinis that revealed less."
"I'll give you two seconds to run Ryoga." The girl said with an annoyed grin.
"But I might get lost." Ryoga teased. "Then you won't have a body guard!"
"Young love." Sakon sighted with a chuckle. "Oh to live again."
"I wouldn't mind living again." Yuki said coldly more coldly than she'd planned.
"Yuki!" Sakon said coldly. He turned to face her. "I knew it. When Saizo said she sensed your presence, I knew you'd come for this girl!"
Yuki was taken aback. "What? Why would I come for this girl?" She asked.
'Saizo said she sensed us?' A voice in Yuki's head asked.
"Saizo said she sensed me? You were with Saizo!" Yuki demanded.
Sakon hung his shoulders. "I was protecting a family from her evil. She'd have two innocent girls pregnant and a poor pig slaughtered if it weren't for me."
"You are with Saizo and not ME!" Yuki screamed.
"Yuki?" Sakon said in confusion. "You told me to never come to you again."
"Regardless! You should have suffered as I have suffered, alone!"
Sakon scowled. "While you sulked over our deaths, I did what I could to stop Saizo from killing mortals! Which she's been doing for five hundred years!"
Yuki's eyes burned, she was going to start weeping again. 'Strike him down!' the voice in her head said.
Ryoga felt strange. He heard suddenly some sinister voice say "Strike him down!" he was on his guard immediately, but he didn't know where the voice came from.
Then he saw Nabiki standing behind him wearing all white, but she had burns on her kimono and long hair that went down to her waist. "What the . . ." the real Nabiki said.
"Sakon!" The new Nabiki said wickedly. "I will make you pay for your treachery!"
There was no response Ryoga could hear, but the new Nabiki seemed to hear just fine. "I don't have to hurt you directly! I'll just destroy your little pets!"
"Destroy!" The sinister voice wailed in disgusting glee that even Ryoga wasn't to stupid to catch.
The new Nabiki raised her hand towards Nabiki, Ryoga leapt in front of Nabiki in the split second before flame engulfed them both.. The heat was intense, Ryoga had to close his eyes, but soon he realized that it didn't hurt.
The street was mostly emptied because of the time of night, but those few night crawlers still around ran for dear life now.
Ryoga opened his eyes and saw the man from the swamp standing in front of them, holding a large shield. He threw it off, and before it ever touched the ground it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Yuki!" The man said. "Don't do this, their innocent! Your mad, I was too, but you don't know what really happened that night!"
"I know enough!" Yuki screamed. She clapped her hands roughly together and a shockwave threw Ryoga and Nabiki far back. Ryoga landed on his feet, Nabiki wasn't so lucky, and she landed on her stomach and didn't get up.
Ryoga looked at her for a split second before charging towards this Yuki.
"I don't know who you are, or what I've done to anger you, but if it's a fight you want . . . HRAH!" He leapt towards the woman and with a powerful swipe he hit . . . nothing!
"Run idiot boy!" The man from the swamp said. "You cant harm her!"
Ryoga shook his head and got up. Yuki had moved easily out of his way, so he lunged forward, launching a powerful kick, this time she didn't try to move, but before he ever hit her the swamp man lunged into his path and caught the kick, he held Ryoga's leg for a moment, then twisted it and pushed him back, Ryoga fell off balance.
"Don't think I owe you anything Sakon!" Yuki scoffed, blasting Sakon in the back with a blaze of fire. "You and Saizo betrayed me!"
"Saizo?" Ryoga whispered to himself. Saizo . . . where had he heard that before? He got an image in his head of Akane. Had Akane said something about Saizo? "If I live long enough, I'll ask her." He decided. "But you two! I wont let you walk away from this!" He looked at Nabiki, he wasn't sure but he was a lot angrier seeing her like that than he'd ever been when Akane was injured. 'Akane can fight back.' He thought. He clenched his fists. "I'll send you both to the dark gates off-"
"Yuki!" Akane screamed. "Here I am, in human form, I'm the one you want! Come older sister dear, and punish me as you will!"
"Akane!" Ryoga cried.
"Saizo!" Sakon cried. "I should have known you'd try to take the girl!"
"Silence Sakon!" Akane/Saizo said. "Come then Yuki, destroy me!"
"Saizo!" Sakon cried. "Yuki don't do it, you wont be killing Saizo, you'll be ending the life of an innocent-"
"Silence!" Yuki screamed. She sent a powerful blast towards Akane. Akane stood firm, ready to accept the blast. Ryoga watched and saw Akane jump out of her skin and float away laughing. Sakon lunged forward and threw himself in front of Akane.
Sakon disappeared, and Akane lay on the ground. Saizo (Ryoga suspected) landed in front of Yuki. "Stupid sister." Yuki grinned and prepared another blast.
"I see you dealt with your look alike eh? Shame, I liked her."
Ryoga took two bandannas from his head, and threw them at Saizo and Yuki. They struck, and went right through Saizo, but Yuki was thrown to the side, screaming in pain.
Saizo's red eyes cleared for a second, and looked at Ryoga. "You . . . you . . . your . . . your . . ." She fell to her knees.
"I am Ryoga Hibiki." Ryoga said coldly.
". . . my . . . my . . .your so . . . cruel." Yuki gasped, falling over on her face. "But . . . you haven't killed me . . . I will . . . return you . . . young rouge!"
Saizo smiled. "Nice going. Yuki is such a wuss, she cant stand to take the slightest bit of damage you know? But then again, neither can Sakon or myself. It breaks our concentration."
"It . . . what?" Ryoga asked, realizing now that his leg really hurt.
"Oh, once we lose our concentration we cant maintain our physical forms. Of course their not real bodies."
Ryoga clenched his fist. "She attacked Nabiki, and you wanted her to attack Akane!" Ryoga said accusingly. "Why?"
"I don't know why she wanted that girl dead, but I thought it'd be funny if Yuki killed Akane while she was trying to kill me." Saizo giggled.
Ryoga clenched his fists. "What?" He limped over to Nabiki and checked to see if she was okay. She was alive, but that didn't mean much.
Saizo came over, carrying Akane. "She's alive too." Saizo said.
"What happened to Yuki?" Ryoga asked.
"MM? Oh she's lying in the middle of the street. She'll come to eventually, she's just being over dramatic." Saizo snickered. "Yup, she's crying again."
"What about the man from the swamp?"
"My name is Sakon." He said, appearing suddenly. He took Nabiki and threw her over his shoulder. "Lets get these girls back home, then you and I have to have a talk." Sakon said. When Ryoga limped, he shook his head. "Uh . . . sorry about that." He said. "Can you make it or shall I carry you?"
"Don't touch me!" Ryoga said coldly. "I'll be fine."
Sakon nodded. "I'm sorry . . . Yuki is my wife-"
"She WAS your wife!" Saizo snapped.
"She was and still *is* my wife." Sakon said. "It was a reflex, I couldn't let you harm her."
"Then why didn't you stop-"
"I forced myself to stand still for that last attack." Sakon said. "I did throw myself in front of it, but luckily I had no body to block it."
"I only have a half hour left Sakon. Let's go."
"Yes, lets get going." Sakon said.
Toki watched the group leave. Toki growled and clenched it's fists. That boy, that Ryoga! He would impair his plans! Toki drifted to Yuki's weeping form. 'Come Yuki. Let us go back to the swamp and let us lick our wounds." Toki whispered into her ear, making her think she was thinking it. "We'll kill that Ryoga boy later."
"N-no. He was j-just defending his friends . . ." Yuki said.
'Friends? What am I saying?' Toki whispered to Yuki. 'They must die!'
"Yes! Their friends of Sakon and Saizo! I have to . . . I . . ." Yuki fell to the ground and began to weep again.
'Come my love. Lets go." Toki said softly. It growled. No way would this Ryoga interfere with it's plans.
To Be Continued . . .
Part 4
Eternal Torment! Yuki Attacks!
A/N: BIG chapter!
Saizo watched Sakon work in the fields. Yume's loss was a terrible burden to him, she could tell. The war had not killed Sakon Hidetatsu, it had only made him stronger. His muscles were impressive, and his eagerness to drown his sorrow in work was, in it's way commendable. Yuki's chest burned as she watched Sakon work. The sun beating down on his back made him shine with sweat, and Yuki felt as if his splendor might blind her.
"Sister!" Yuki said from behind her. "You have come to visit?"
Saizo turned around. "Mmm? Oh, Yuki. Yes, I have come older sister, to offer my supreme grief and condolences to you and your husband at the loss of young lord Yume. Truly he was a prince among such rabble children."
"Yes." Yuki said, filled with her own grief. "But my son died a man." She said softly.
"My poor older sister, you are in no condition to prepare the meal tonight. Pray, let me do it?" Saizo asked sweetly.
Yuki smiled weakly. She looked very tired. "Indeed little sister I would be greatly relieved." She said. "Poor Sakon works in the fields, he does not stop for anything but dinner." Yuki said weakly.
'He'll stop for me.' Saizo thought. 'By god I'll make his grief go away, don't worry about that my *dear* older sister.'
Saizo glared at her sleeping sister. Curse her that she not only bore just one son, she lost him as well! The Yama family was very poor, Yuki being chosen as the wife of that family's first and only son was a god send for the Yama family. But Yuki was a fool! She couldn't even perform the roles of a wife properly, though it was true Saizo had been naught but a babe in her mother's arms at the time of her elder sister's marriage, if Sakon had chosen Saizo he'd have so many sons he wouldn't mind the loss of Yume.
The Hidetatsu family was so disgustingly rich that Saizo's father had even offered Saizo to Yume as a concubine! Luckily he didn't live to make *that* arrangement. Saizo hadn't been involved in the old man's death, but had she become her own nephew's concubine she might just have pulled a few strings. Saizo might not have minded being Yume's *wife* but a lowly concubine to a child of a man? Fah!
Yuki realized she was mixing her poison with her fist and promptly stopped. In her anger she had ruined the formula . . . She tossed the herbs into her hand and called the dog to her. "Come, I have an important task for you." The dog trotted over to her and began licking her hands, and the poison as well. "You're going to be in an awful lot of pain, but you wont die. Make sure you play with master Sakon before then."
'It's time to take what belongs to us.' The voice in Saizo's head said. 'Wont it be fun?'
Saizo smiled weakly. She had always had a way with animals, the dog rushed off, barking happily and running into the yard. She began to hum to herself. She hated dogs, but she had no reason to kill this one. The poison wouldn't work on the dog, it'd just go nuts and chase it's tail for about a day. Now Yuki was another story, Saizo began mixing another batch of poison . . .
Ryoga's stomach was growling, but he was trying to keep Nabiki from noticing him. He followed her, concentrating on it since he knew that she was the only way he'd get back to Akane. At the same time, though he couldn't get Akane out of his head, he loved being out in the cool night with Nabiki. It was sort of nice, he didn't know why.
He did think of what Ranma said. He didn't know how he'd feel or what he'd do if Nabiki really did like him. If this had happened about a month earlier he'd just let her down easy-like but now he just wasn't sure. She'd gave him marshmallows, as stupid as it sounded. Hey! Wait a minute they'd all been on fire! (Now he figures it out eh?) She'd been flirting with him! (Doh!)
"Where should we go?" Nabiki asked.
"I don't care, as long as it's close." Ryoga said.
"Cold out isn't it?" Nabiki said.
"I guess."
"Should we go see Ukyo's place?"
"She may be closed-"
"If we told her that Ranma wanted it she'd open on Christmas day." Nabiki scoffed. "Okay, so you know anyplace you wanna go to?"
"No." Ryoga admitted. "Do you?"
"Hey I got it!" Nabiki exclaimed. "What about Shampoo?"
"No!" Ryoga said. "I can't STAND listening to her Ranma praise!"
"No you moron! We have her deliver to the house and we can go where ever we want." Nabiki said.
"But you took all your dad's money, who'll pay for it?"
"You know it's free if Ranma is involved." Nabiki said.
Yuki sat on the stone in the swamp, temporarily taking a solid form. Yuki, like Sakon and Saizo could take a solid form when she desired for two hours a week, it required a great deal of concentration and it took a great deal of her power (thus the time limit). She'd hoped that in death she'd see her son again, but she wasn't blessed with the gift of the afterlife, she was cursed with a sore curse, living on but not living at all.
She wept into her hands, wiping her eyes on her burnt white kimono. 'Yuki . . . don't cry like that . . . why must you cry?' she said to herself.
'Because I'm dead! And betrayed by my sister and husband! What better reason has a woman to cry?' She responded in her head.
'But why should we cry? We should make THEM cry!' The voice in her head said forcefully.
'No! No I won't hurt them!'
'They betrayed you . . . us.' The voice said.
'But . . . I . . . I cant!'
'But we can.' That voice said. 'None would oppose us.'
"No!" Yuki screamed into the night. "Never!" 'Never will I harm my beloved Sakon! Never you hear me?'
'But he harmed you . . . we just get even, he can't die twice.'
Yuki thought about this. 'No.' she thought. 'What am I thinking? I won't harm Sakon or Saizo, no matter how much they deserve it!'
'Then go see them. We've cried for five hundred years, let us go see our husband Sakon!'
'No!' Yuki moaned in her own head. 'No! No I wont!'
'But why not? You know it was Saizo who killed Yume.'
At the mention of her son Yuki began to lose her concentration, and her solid body disappeared. With it went that damnable voice. But Yuki was outraged. Of course it was Saizo! Who else would it be? She must have . . . NO! No she couldn't if she wanted to, Yume was taken on the battlefield!
But Saizo! Saizo! Saizo! Yuki clenched her spectral fists. "SAIZO!" She screamed into the night. Though she had no body, her words were heard by all life in the swamp. "SAIZO I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" Yuki heard the birds and frogs, they were scared. She slumped and began to cry into her hands again. "Oh what have I said? What am I thinking?" She wondered out loud. "Will I never be myself again?" She shook her head. "I . . . I should get out of the swamp. I suppose. Perhaps if I visited Sakon and Saizo."
"Feel that?" Saizo asked.
"She's at it again." Sakon said morosely.
Nabiki and Ryoga walked through the town, it was getting late and they still hadn't found a place they could agree upon. Suddenly Ryoga ran to a minimart and stared into the window. Nabiki ran after him. "What is it?" She asked.
"Look Nabiki!" Ryoga said. "Our food problems are solved!"
Nabiki looked into the window and saw . . . nothing.
"They have Pickles Nabiki!" Ryoga said with excitement. "Pickles!"
"What!?" Nabiki cried.
"Please say we can get pickles!" Ryoga pleaded.
"You pervert!" Nabiki scoffed.
"But they're delicious!" Ryoga whined.
"What? Oh you actually plan to eat them. Well okay I take back that thing about you being a pervert but still, no pickles."
"But they're delicious!" Ryoga repeated.
"That they may well be, but the fact is that were going to a restaurant to eat, I'm not buying a bottle of pickles."
"Aww . . . maybe just one?" Ryoga asked.
"No!" Nabiki said. "Pickles make me nervous." She shook her head.
"But why?" Ryoga asked.
Nabiki was hurtled into a cold dark world of pain and laughter-other people's laughter. "Pickles don't eat people, people eat pickles!" Damn those elementary school kids! 'Damn them' Nabiki thought. 'How dare they make fun of me!'
"Because their green." She lied.
"Huh?"
"And . . ." Nabiki sighed. "And because they're going to conquer the world Ryoga."
"Whoa!" Ryoga said, still staring into the window, not paying attention to her at all.
"They're going to come out of their jars at night and take over our bodies." Nabiki added, checking to see if Ryoga was paying any attention to her.
"Whoa!" Ryoga said. He wasn't.
"January first, two thousand four, that's when they make their move." Nabiki said lamely, annoyed that Ryoga's focus had gone over to a bottle of . . . vegetables? What the heck were pickles?
"Can't we buy just on jar?" Ryoga asked.
"No! Not one! Okay, that's it, I see a place over there, were going now!"
"Do you think they'll have-"
"Sure." Nabiki sighed, starting to wish she *had* brought Ranma with her. "They'll have pickles for you Ryoga."
Ryoga sat patiently in the restaurant with Nabiki. It was a pretty nice place; he didn't like it at all. They had a waiter and everything; it made him feel uneasy.
"Now isn't this better than wondering around in the cold Ryoga?" Nabiki asked.
"Yeah." Ryoga shrugged. What Ranma told him was starting to make more and more sense. Nabiki had forced him to come with her, then ordered out like Ranma said she should have, then she dragged him to a restaurant. "Uh, Nabiki. If anyone asks, this isn't a date right?"
"Of course not." She said casually.
'Drat!' Ryoga thought. 'She's a smooth one, doesn't reveal a thing, she's calm as the eye of a storm.' He shook his head. "So . . . if this were a date, I'd know right?"
"Yes." Nabiki said with a shrug.
"How?" Ryoga asked.
"I'd tell you." Nabiki said impatiently. "And I'd wear something really nice, probably force you too as well. But don't worry about it, because this isn't a date. I don't go for younger guys, and I wouldn't want to try to tare you away from Akane for too long."
Ryoga nodded. 'As long as we understand each other.' He said to himself. 'Why am I suddenly disappointed? What is wrong with me?'
"Although . . ." Nabiki said with a mischievous grin, "what Akane doesn't know, wont hurt her will it?" She asked. She leaned over the table and kissed Ryoga on the cheek. "Will it? Ryoga-honey?"
"Wh-what!?" Ryoga cried in protest.
"Just kidding!" Nabiki said, laughing wickedly. Ryoga tried to be mad at her, but it didn't work. He tried to act humiliated, that didn't work. In the end, he found himself laughing too. "You really like Akane huh?" Nabiki asked.
"What makes you say that?" Ryoga asked.
"Gut instinct." Nabiki smiled. "And the fact that you turn red whenever I tease you about her. Oh, and lets not forget that you keep asking when we can go back to check on her."
"Speaking of which, when can we go back?" Ryoga asked. "When were done here?"
"No." Nabiki said. "After this were going to walk around a little more. Trust me, it's best if we don't come back at all tonight."
Ryoga gave her a shocked look. What was she implying?
"I don't mean it that way." Nabiki said, apparently sensing what he was thinking. "I just mean it's best if we don't turn up until Akane is asleep, and if she waits up on us all night, and she will, it may just be best to go home in the morning while she's jogging."
"But how will I-"
"You don't need to check on her, she's fine." Nabiki said. "Why don't you worry about me like that?" She asked. "I tell you I'm afraid of pickles and you don't even care. It must be love between you and Akane."
Ryoga didn't notice the accusing tone Nabiki used. But he did notice that the answer he planned: "I don't worry about you because I don't love you" wouldn't come out. Instead he said, "I don't worry about you because you can take care of yourself. I pity the pickle that tries to steal your body." He said.
Nabiki blushed. "So you *were* listening? Well you know I was just joking about the world domination thing right?" She asked. Ryoga wasn't convinced.
"Sure hoped so." Ryoga said. "I had stuff I wanted to do during two thousand four." He felt a cold presence, and could have sworn he heard a familiar laugh.
Yuki moved slowly though the night, searching for Sakon and Saizo. She sensed Sakon nearby, but she couldn't find him. He might be in possession of a mortal body in which case she wouldn't see him . . . but surely she'd sense him just as well.
'Oh! What's that?' The voice in her head said.
'Oh? Yes, what is that?" Yuki wondered. She floated through the air towards three people walking down the street.
She was surprised, one of them was Sakon! He walked slowly after a pair of children, he looked on his guard.
What amazed Yuki was that one of the young people Sakon followed was a girl, and that girl looked just like she did but with modern cloths and short hair. She was confused. The boy was of no consequence to her. She snuck up behind her unfaithful husband Sakon . . .
"But tell me, why cant we go back?"
"Akane would kill me." The girl said.
"So why am I with you?" the boy asked.
"I needed a body guard." The girl said. "These streets aren't safe, besides some one had to pay the bill at the restaurant."
"Yeah, about that, why did I have to pick it up? You asked your dad for money before we left."
"Yeah, about *that*, I just sort of needed a fatter pocket." The girl said. She shuddered. "Are you cold Ryoga?"
"You might not be so cold if you wore better shorts." Ryoga responded.
"What's wrong with my shorts?" The girl asked.
"What? Eh nothing it's just that I've seen bikinis that revealed less."
"I'll give you two seconds to run Ryoga." The girl said with an annoyed grin.
"But I might get lost." Ryoga teased. "Then you won't have a body guard!"
"Young love." Sakon sighted with a chuckle. "Oh to live again."
"I wouldn't mind living again." Yuki said coldly more coldly than she'd planned.
"Yuki!" Sakon said coldly. He turned to face her. "I knew it. When Saizo said she sensed your presence, I knew you'd come for this girl!"
Yuki was taken aback. "What? Why would I come for this girl?" She asked.
'Saizo said she sensed us?' A voice in Yuki's head asked.
"Saizo said she sensed me? You were with Saizo!" Yuki demanded.
Sakon hung his shoulders. "I was protecting a family from her evil. She'd have two innocent girls pregnant and a poor pig slaughtered if it weren't for me."
"You are with Saizo and not ME!" Yuki screamed.
"Yuki?" Sakon said in confusion. "You told me to never come to you again."
"Regardless! You should have suffered as I have suffered, alone!"
Sakon scowled. "While you sulked over our deaths, I did what I could to stop Saizo from killing mortals! Which she's been doing for five hundred years!"
Yuki's eyes burned, she was going to start weeping again. 'Strike him down!' the voice in her head said.
Ryoga felt strange. He heard suddenly some sinister voice say "Strike him down!" he was on his guard immediately, but he didn't know where the voice came from.
Then he saw Nabiki standing behind him wearing all white, but she had burns on her kimono and long hair that went down to her waist. "What the . . ." the real Nabiki said.
"Sakon!" The new Nabiki said wickedly. "I will make you pay for your treachery!"
There was no response Ryoga could hear, but the new Nabiki seemed to hear just fine. "I don't have to hurt you directly! I'll just destroy your little pets!"
"Destroy!" The sinister voice wailed in disgusting glee that even Ryoga wasn't to stupid to catch.
The new Nabiki raised her hand towards Nabiki, Ryoga leapt in front of Nabiki in the split second before flame engulfed them both.. The heat was intense, Ryoga had to close his eyes, but soon he realized that it didn't hurt.
The street was mostly emptied because of the time of night, but those few night crawlers still around ran for dear life now.
Ryoga opened his eyes and saw the man from the swamp standing in front of them, holding a large shield. He threw it off, and before it ever touched the ground it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Yuki!" The man said. "Don't do this, their innocent! Your mad, I was too, but you don't know what really happened that night!"
"I know enough!" Yuki screamed. She clapped her hands roughly together and a shockwave threw Ryoga and Nabiki far back. Ryoga landed on his feet, Nabiki wasn't so lucky, and she landed on her stomach and didn't get up.
Ryoga looked at her for a split second before charging towards this Yuki.
"I don't know who you are, or what I've done to anger you, but if it's a fight you want . . . HRAH!" He leapt towards the woman and with a powerful swipe he hit . . . nothing!
"Run idiot boy!" The man from the swamp said. "You cant harm her!"
Ryoga shook his head and got up. Yuki had moved easily out of his way, so he lunged forward, launching a powerful kick, this time she didn't try to move, but before he ever hit her the swamp man lunged into his path and caught the kick, he held Ryoga's leg for a moment, then twisted it and pushed him back, Ryoga fell off balance.
"Don't think I owe you anything Sakon!" Yuki scoffed, blasting Sakon in the back with a blaze of fire. "You and Saizo betrayed me!"
"Saizo?" Ryoga whispered to himself. Saizo . . . where had he heard that before? He got an image in his head of Akane. Had Akane said something about Saizo? "If I live long enough, I'll ask her." He decided. "But you two! I wont let you walk away from this!" He looked at Nabiki, he wasn't sure but he was a lot angrier seeing her like that than he'd ever been when Akane was injured. 'Akane can fight back.' He thought. He clenched his fists. "I'll send you both to the dark gates off-"
"Yuki!" Akane screamed. "Here I am, in human form, I'm the one you want! Come older sister dear, and punish me as you will!"
"Akane!" Ryoga cried.
"Saizo!" Sakon cried. "I should have known you'd try to take the girl!"
"Silence Sakon!" Akane/Saizo said. "Come then Yuki, destroy me!"
"Saizo!" Sakon cried. "Yuki don't do it, you wont be killing Saizo, you'll be ending the life of an innocent-"
"Silence!" Yuki screamed. She sent a powerful blast towards Akane. Akane stood firm, ready to accept the blast. Ryoga watched and saw Akane jump out of her skin and float away laughing. Sakon lunged forward and threw himself in front of Akane.
Sakon disappeared, and Akane lay on the ground. Saizo (Ryoga suspected) landed in front of Yuki. "Stupid sister." Yuki grinned and prepared another blast.
"I see you dealt with your look alike eh? Shame, I liked her."
Ryoga took two bandannas from his head, and threw them at Saizo and Yuki. They struck, and went right through Saizo, but Yuki was thrown to the side, screaming in pain.
Saizo's red eyes cleared for a second, and looked at Ryoga. "You . . . you . . . your . . . your . . ." She fell to her knees.
"I am Ryoga Hibiki." Ryoga said coldly.
". . . my . . . my . . .your so . . . cruel." Yuki gasped, falling over on her face. "But . . . you haven't killed me . . . I will . . . return you . . . young rouge!"
Saizo smiled. "Nice going. Yuki is such a wuss, she cant stand to take the slightest bit of damage you know? But then again, neither can Sakon or myself. It breaks our concentration."
"It . . . what?" Ryoga asked, realizing now that his leg really hurt.
"Oh, once we lose our concentration we cant maintain our physical forms. Of course their not real bodies."
Ryoga clenched his fist. "She attacked Nabiki, and you wanted her to attack Akane!" Ryoga said accusingly. "Why?"
"I don't know why she wanted that girl dead, but I thought it'd be funny if Yuki killed Akane while she was trying to kill me." Saizo giggled.
Ryoga clenched his fists. "What?" He limped over to Nabiki and checked to see if she was okay. She was alive, but that didn't mean much.
Saizo came over, carrying Akane. "She's alive too." Saizo said.
"What happened to Yuki?" Ryoga asked.
"MM? Oh she's lying in the middle of the street. She'll come to eventually, she's just being over dramatic." Saizo snickered. "Yup, she's crying again."
"What about the man from the swamp?"
"My name is Sakon." He said, appearing suddenly. He took Nabiki and threw her over his shoulder. "Lets get these girls back home, then you and I have to have a talk." Sakon said. When Ryoga limped, he shook his head. "Uh . . . sorry about that." He said. "Can you make it or shall I carry you?"
"Don't touch me!" Ryoga said coldly. "I'll be fine."
Sakon nodded. "I'm sorry . . . Yuki is my wife-"
"She WAS your wife!" Saizo snapped.
"She was and still *is* my wife." Sakon said. "It was a reflex, I couldn't let you harm her."
"Then why didn't you stop-"
"I forced myself to stand still for that last attack." Sakon said. "I did throw myself in front of it, but luckily I had no body to block it."
"I only have a half hour left Sakon. Let's go."
"Yes, lets get going." Sakon said.
Toki watched the group leave. Toki growled and clenched it's fists. That boy, that Ryoga! He would impair his plans! Toki drifted to Yuki's weeping form. 'Come Yuki. Let us go back to the swamp and let us lick our wounds." Toki whispered into her ear, making her think she was thinking it. "We'll kill that Ryoga boy later."
"N-no. He was j-just defending his friends . . ." Yuki said.
'Friends? What am I saying?' Toki whispered to Yuki. 'They must die!'
"Yes! Their friends of Sakon and Saizo! I have to . . . I . . ." Yuki fell to the ground and began to weep again.
'Come my love. Lets go." Toki said softly. It growled. No way would this Ryoga interfere with it's plans.
To Be Continued . . .