Yay! Review!
Alex Ultra: 'Kohaku' is the Japanese word for 'amber' as well as the name of a favorite character in Clamp's manga, 'Wish'. My personal fav: Koryu! His name means garnet and he's a devil. .
Starling: Big whoop. You also like those dratted cat familiars of his, too.
Yep. Ruri and Hari! The cutest little cat familiars in Hell!
Pryde Kitty: W00T! New Reviewer! Thank you so much for your support! And yes, I am working on those short chapters. Perchance, your name wouldn't happen to be inspired by X-Men's Shadowcat, would it?
Yanno, I just noticed something? I don't think I've ever put the time of year in here at all, let alone the exact date. So, let me fix that. At the start of this fanfic, the date was Monday, May 16th, and since I don't know when Ranma 1/2 is actually set, the year is 2004. Rah.
Chapter 15: Dance of Destiny
=======================
Hiei's head hurts. A lot. At this point, he's somewhere between 'standing next to rock concert's bass speakers' and Armageddon. The rest of him doesn't feel too great, either, especially when someone starts talking. The spiky-haired boy just keeps his eyes squeezed shut, thinking that death just might be better than this.
"Ow, geez, someone get a shield on this guy. He's broadcasting something fierce!" A faint sensation through the dull throbbing, like a feather getting drawn over bare skin. The owner of the voice sighs with relief as another voice snaps at the first.
"What do you expect, numbskull?? He's just gotten exorcised! Anybody's shields would be crap after that!"
"Don't yell, Kohaku," a third voice begs. "My head's ringin' all on its own."
"Gomen, 'Rian. How's your energy levels?"
The sound of movement, and a cool hand is placed on Hiei's forehead, above the exposed but tightly shut Jagan Eye. "Better," says the third voice. "It'll be much better when none of us are feeling pain."
"That's right, I keep forgetting," the first voice rumbles, the sound grating against Hiei's bones like a file. "You're an empath."
"Yeah. And trust me, right now it sucks." A cool rush of energy washes over burn-sensitive skin and muscles, soothing away the pain a little at a time. "Heh, bet that feels better, ne, Hiei?"
Said fire apparition can finally think and matches those voices with faces, so yes. First voice is the boy named Masaya, the second is the girl Kohaku, and the one with his hand on Hiei's forehead is Kalerian. Slanted maroon eyes open and focus on the smiling aqua-haired boy.
"Where--?"
"You're at Rei's place. In her bed, to be specific. And to answer your next question, it was a rather devious apparition that had merged himself with your body. Sorry to disappoint you, but us four already finished him off."
"Hn." Hiei grunts as he levels himself into a sitting position and looks around. Slumped against the wall that has the closet door is Masaya, Kohaku is leaning heavily against the wall next to the window.
"Funny, from the way Rei described you, I thought you'd be taller," says the silver-eyed girl, and is pinned with a glare from Hiei.
"Do not underestimate me, onna. I am not so weak as I look."
Masaya rubs his forehead and sighs. "Actually, yes you are, at least for the moment. That exorcism thrashed all of us, though Higher Ups only knows where Rei got the energy to go meet with Taro."
"Ugh, you mean she actually ran?" Kohaku groans, and shudders. "No, thanks! I'll be lucky to get downstairs!"
"Kids!" Mrs. Kenobishi calls from downstairs. "Is Rei up there with you?"
"No, ma'am," Kalerian calls back. "She went out not more than ten minutes ago."
"Are you sure?" the adult woman sounds mildly upset. "She's got a class to teach today."
"We can do it!" both Masaya and Kohaku tell her at the same time. "As soon as I can get my legs to cooperate," Masaya mutters to himself.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes'm!"
"Wonderful! The students should be here in about twenty minutes. Think you can be ready by then?"
"Sure!" Kohaku chirps. "Kalerian, will you stay here and make sure Hiei gets reacquainted with his body?" Kalerian grins lopsidedly.
"If Hiei'll let me. Hiei?"
"Hn. Do as you please. But don't expect me to need a nursemaid, no matter what the circumstances." The black-haired boy actually manages to get to his feet and walks slowly over to the windowsill. Kohaku makes as though to stop him, then changes her mind and shrugs.
"You're just as stubborn as she told us you'd be, koorime," is her mild comment while Hiei opens the window, hops up, and gives them one measuring look.
"I've never met humans like you and Rei, ones who feel like they're more than what they seem to be. You've proven yourselves to actually be worth the thought of alliance." And with that, he's gone in his usual eye-blink.
"And according to Rei, that's a pretty high compliment from him," is Kalerian's remark as he simply takes Hiei's place on the bed and closes his eyes. Masaya can't resist asking the obvious question.
"So what's the highest?"
"'You're a worthy opponent. I'm almost sorry I have to kill you.'"
====
Fast forward one month. Current status: worryingly quiet. Akane is being taught by Rei and is actually starting to use that brain of hers before her body gets a chance to react, and Ranma is grateful that half his time isn't being spent in lower atmospheric earth orbit. Hiei is… still Hiei, but has shown glacial progress in loosening up. Kurama has spent more time with his fiery cousin, and around the three eccentric teens that are her firmest friends.
Yusuke has been training as well, both in his Detective abilities and in that new fad called a 'social life', former by Genkai, the latter by Keiko. Ranma has also been training with Rei and Akane, improving in leaps and bounds in both physical and mental capabilities. Nabiki is having a hard time conning him these days, not that that's a bad thing. The Tendo dojo is once more filled with the happy chatter of students (majority of them are seniors, but hey? Still students) and Soun is finally starting to get that thing resembling a spine back. The youngsters have even guilt-tripped Genma into teaching some of the basics to the novice classes. For some reason, Happosai has remained strangely absent.
Kuwabara is still a twit. Not much has changed there. The rest of the fiancées are laying low for one reason or another at the moment, likely plotting a new way to ensnare the object of their affection. The secret of the elemental quartet remains undiscovered, and Hiei has managed to go through this time without earning more 'blank spots' much to their pleased surprise. The Hibikis have already dropped by for a good long visit, and have promised for a return trip to occur soon, Rei even managing to tweak Ryoga's Thread so that he'd be there at the same time. Higher Ups only knows how long it had been since he'd last seen them. The Eternally Lost Boy even has his own GPS device, furnished by his sister and protected by every single charm, spell, incantation and other mystical means she could think of to keep the thing intact and functioning, since according to Ryoga, all of his other ones have either gotten wet, crushed, run out of batteries, or just plain malfunctioned the second he tried to use it.
Rei spent the next two hours fuming at an unperturbed Chaos about his abuse of her brother. When she tried swatting him, she ended up having her skin turn a bright green and stayed that way for two or three days. Kalerian could hardly stop laughing the whole time, and eventually ended up buried to his neck in the backyard.
Okay, now that all that useless but amusing detail is out of the way, onwards!
Kenobishi Dojo, Sunday, 3:37 pm. Middle July.
"Not bad, Akane! Your footwork just keeps getting better!" Rei tells her friend, grinning as she ducks Akane's version of the Tenshin Amaguriken (I think that's how you spell it) newly named the Dragon's Kick. On one hand (or foot) the attack does more damage because of the added muscles in a human's legs (especially women). On the other, the attack is generally weaker because the user can only kick with one foot at a time. These two are currently working on fixing that.
At the moment, Akane is balanced on one hand, supporting all of her weight while both feet lash out at Rei. Said red-head is countering with the Fox's Fury-fists, again of the same principle of the 'Roasting Chestnuts' technique, trying to knock Akane off balance or otherwise incapacitate her.
Tiring of balancing, Akane flips onto her feet and hooks her hands into claw-shapes. "Dragon's Slash!" With a yelp of surprise, Rei tumbles backwards into multiple reverse somersaults to avoid the blades of ki sent her way by Akane's downward raking of the air. "Flame Shield!" is the hasty counter, and the golden-yellow blades fizzle against the fiery dome protecting a startled Rei.
"Jesu, Jasu, and Jana!" Rei pants, "That was close!"
"Aw, come on, Rei!" Akane protests cheerfully, "How am I supposed to attack you if you keep going behind that shield of yours?"
"Oh, sure. 'Come on, Rei, let me slice you to ribbons!' How about not?" But the force-field vanishes in a swirl of red smoke and once more Rei goes on the defensive. This time Akane keeps to simple [snort] hand-to-hand combat techniques which are effortlessly blocked by her opponent.
To the number of people standing on the sidelines watching, it seems like a carefully choreographed dance that leads the contestants around the dojo floor. Well, to a small percentage of them, anyway. That group contains the stronger members of the Nerima Wrecking Crew, the remaining three of the Elemental Quartet as the ex-students of Yuki Ogawa are now called, Team Urameshi, and a few of Nerima's Dojo Masters and some other random people. They can see the entirety of the fight, unlike the rest of the group--mostly students of Kenobishi or Tendo Dojos and some other civilians that had heard about this sparring match and wanted to see. Nabiki is over in one corner running her usual betting pool, favored odds on Rei.
There is a stranger among them, wearing a heavy duster and fedora despite the unusually warm weather, who is watching this fight very intently indeed, metallic gold eyes wary. His eyes wander from the friendly/earnest battle for a moment, and lock onto Kalerian, perched on a rafter and crowing gleefully at every successful hit no matter who struck it. More accurately, on the blue-green scarf wrapped around the bicep that has the feather-brand carved into the flesh.
Kalerian's instincts start screeching alarm bells in his head and he looks down to lock eyes with the stranger. Fear locks his body into place, and his hand slips, losing his grip on the beam he's perched on and sending him tumbling to the dojo floor, right on top of the two contestants. Their own instincts warning them, the two girls move fast enough to actually intercept the plummeting, panicked boy and merely end up sitting down hard on the hardwood floor.
Several people protest at the interruption of the match, but everyone else shows concern as Masaya rushes in, scoops up his pale friend, and rushes out again, presumably up to Rei's room, which these days serves almost as much time as a first-aid station as a sleeping place. As Rei and several others follow after, Mr. Kenobishi steps forward into the ring's center and lifts an arm.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize but the match is temporarily postponed. Please stick around for a few moments while we determine the cause of the problem and see what can be done about it." Recognizing the warning phrase, several of the more advanced students move to cover the exits as the rest of the remaining audience begins to murmur and mingle.
"Geez, Koi, what's got you so spooked?" Masaya asks as he sets Kalerian down in Rei's desk chair and puts one hand against the green-haired boy's forehead, the other around a trembling wrist. Amber eyes widen as the pulse registers. "Kalerian! Take a breath and calm down. You're going to have a heart attack if your pulse speeds up any more."
"He's here. He's here he's here he's here oh my gods he's here," babbles Kalerian. Rei, Kohaku, Taro, and the Reikai boys rush into the room, followed by Ranma and Akane, all looking worried about their friend. "Rei, he's here. He's here he's here he's here!!"
"Whoa, easy," Rei soothes as she steps forward, motioning with her head for Masaya to step aside. The young giant does so and the girl cradles Kalerian's head in softly-glowing hands. "Kalerian, take a deep breath and relax. No one is going to hurt you, we won't let anyone hurt you." She leans in until her forehead rests on the Water fighter's own, her gaze trapping his blue orbs and radiating calm. "Calm down, and tell us. Who's here? Why are you so frightened?"
Kalerian gulps, but does as he's told, letting Rei's ki wash some of his terror away. "That man. From before. The one who nearly killed me, remember? He's here. Or was. He was in the audience. I saw him. He saw me. Oh, gods, Rei, he saw me!"
"Shh, shh. Don't worry, we won't let him near you." Several of the others make their own agreements and/or reassurances, and gradually Kalerian loses some of that wide-eyed terror. "Good, Koi. Very good."
Mr. Kenobishi sticks his head through the open door. "Rei, hon, are you and Akane going to be resuming the match anytime soon?"
"No, otou-san. We've got a bigger problem. Has anyone left yet?"
"Don't think so. I've got some of the older kids watching the exits. You gonna be okay, 'Rian?" A shaky nod seems to satisfy him, for he starts to withdraw.
"Wait, dad!" He gives her a surprised look but complies. "Don't announce anything yet. That man from the Phoenix clan is here, and I have a bone to pick with him."
"Okay, hon. If you say so." And Kr. Kenobishi withdraws.
Rei snaps into action. "Horse, I want you and Yusuke to stay here and guard Kalerian. Akane, think you can keep him from shaking himself to pieces?"
"Sure."
"Good, thanks. Ranma, Kurama, Hiei, I want you to come with me. Everyone else, spread out around outside the dojo."
"Even the idiot?" Hiei questions coldly, jerking a thumb at Kuwabara. "You know he only messes everything up."
"Why you--!" Kuwabara splutters indignantly. "I'm gonna pound you inta dust!"
"Kazuma!" Rei snaps, and Kuwabara freezes midlunge. "Do it, and I am going to hit you so hard you'll have to drop your pants to see daylight. Read me?"
"Yes'm."
"Hiei, I want him out there because he's one of the most durable people I know. He's also one of the worst fighters we have, so if anyone gets attacked, it'll likely be him which will give everyone else time to make their own moves." Kuwabara has wilted considerably during this speech, and now looks utterly depressed. "And out of all of you, he's the one I least have to worry about getting killed. Let's face it, Hiei, even you'd have trouble with the injuries Kazuma's walked away with."
"Hn. So as long as he's actually serving a real purpose."
"Just move, okay?" And the group splits up, Rei arrowing back towards the dojo, everyone else either remaining or splitting up to their designated positions. The three boys designated as her backup merely look at one another in mild worry before following.
They get there in time for the fireworks. Literally. The rest of the audience is being herded to the gates by the Kenobishi students, with the exception of extremely skilled martial-artists or direct relations thereof. All of those people are standing outside the dojo with intrigued looks on their faces. Ranma, Hiei and Kurama screech to a halt as the building explodes, a rather singed male body rocketing out of the falling debris towards them. Ranma doesn't think, he just acts, and the man goes tumbling from a high roundhouse kick, leaving more of his battered clothing behind.
And then Fury steps out of the rubble.
====
Everyone except her parents gape at the awing sight of Rei Kenobishi in full blood-rage, actual flames licking up and down her body and along the thin blades of matching katanas held oh-so-comfortably in those deceptively delicate hands. What's even scarier is the perfectly friendly, calm smile and serene eyes she has.
"Well, Chard-san, it looks as though you chose rather the wrong person to mark," she says politely as she daintily crosses from broken cement and wood to grass now liberally dusted with crushed concrete. "I'll have you know your master wasn't supposed to send you out for another…oh, three months if you count back from your attack on my friend."
The man coughs, gets to his feet and spits out a mouthful of blood, straightening to reveal the large wings hanging rather brokenly from his shoulderblades. Pain contorts his face into an inhuman mask, or maybe that's just the fury of having to go though a solid cement wall nearly a foot thick with a mere human girl as his propulsion. "My Emperor is not ruled by your dictations, little wench," he snarls, not noticing the eye twitch from his opponent. Hiei notices, and so does Kurama, and they quietly pull Ranma to a safe distance. Relatively speaking.
"Crap," the other Element fighters mutter in unison, backing away and convincing the others to follow this wise example. Chard looks around in curiosity as his audience starts to leave. Why?
A sharp flare in his opponent's ki jerks his attention onto the proper person, to where Rei is standing perfectly still, eyes shadowed under her bangs, flames beginning to die away. "Mr. Chard, I will request that you please apologize for that remark."
"It would be wise for you to listen, fool," Hiei adds flatly. The bird-man merely stands up all the more proudly, convinced that he's won the battle.
"No." Kohaku and Masaya throw up their hands, Kurama shakes his head, and everyone else just looks at him like he's the greatest idiot in the world. Even worse than Kuwabara.
"Ya want roses or lilies on yer grave?" is Masaya's snide comment as Rei vanishes from sight. Chard has no time for an answer, since Rei chooses that moment to strike. Blood splatters in a rough arc from the love-tap to his head, the man staggering and clapping a hand to the shallow slice. Another wound opens like a hungry mouth on his chest, a third on his leg. More and more wounds follow, all superficial, all in places that bleed freely.
"Death of a Thousand Cuts." Hiei watches the spectacle comfortably--he can see every move she makes, no matter how fast she is, thanks to his Jagan Eye and his own skills. "I'm impressed. I didn't think she could be quite so brutal."
"My Rei can be one of the most ruthless people on the planet, all right," Taro tells him calmly. "Never got properly introduced. I'm Taro."
A glance at the proffered hand before those cold maroon eyes turn back to the 'fight'. "Hn."
"This is Hiei," Kurama says quickly before another fight can spring up. "The boy with the slicked black hair is Yusuke, the other is Kuwabara. I'm Kurama."
"Cousin, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Nice to meetcha. Rei, don't you think you oughta leave a piece of 'im for a message?" The invisible whirlwind stops and Rei reappears, still wearing that disturbingly cheerful smile.
"Yes, of course, you're right, Taro-kun. Just one last thing?"
"You're asking me?" Taro gives her a little shooing motion and she reaches one hand out and grasps Chard's bloody bicep, just above the curve of arm-muscle meeting shoulder-muscle, and leans in close.
"You will inform your Emperor Saffron," she says in so quiet a voice that only the wounded man can hear her, "that he will postpone his actions in this and any other country for another two months. This is by the Weaver's decree, and you would be wise to listen to it. Is that understood, Chard-san?" He merely looks at her with terror-filled eyes. "I asked you a question, Chard-san. Do be so kind as to give me an answer."
"Y-y-y-y-yes, m-m-m-m-ma'am."
"Good little parrot. Before you fly back to your master, I am going to give you a lasting reminder. Fail me in this, Chard-san, and you will very much regret it." Blood-red ki flares around her pinioning hand, and Chard screeches in pain, flailing only because of the intense agony. When Rei takes her hand away, there is a burn scar in the shape of the Kenobishi Fox branded into the flesh. "An eye for an eye, a brand for a brand, one that was never to mar his flesh, Chard. Go back to your home while you still have a life."
The man needs no urging. He's gone so fast his passage stirs trees for several hundred feet around. Rei turns back towards the others, and Mr. Kenobishi sighs. "Hon, did you have to destroy the dojo?"
Instantly that blankly smiling expression is gone, replaced by an honest, sheepish grin. Chuckling weakly, she puts a hand behind her head and shifts her weight onto one foot. "Sorry about that, Daddy." Universal face-fault.
====
Three days later, Rei is practicing with Kalerian after school. The yard is lit by several powerful lamps, making their current practice area--the mini Jusenkyo--nearly as bright as day. There is no hint of fear in his movements, and no sign of that cold rage in hers. Hiei is, as usual, perched in a nearby tree, watching with apparent complete disinterest. He does, after all, have a reputation to maintain.
Taro is passed out nearby, a towel draped over his bare chest, exhausted from a long day's workout and an argument of convincing Rei to let him enroll at Furinkan. He's still working on it, and apparently the grass is extremely comfortable.
"So. Feeling better, Koi?" Rei asks quietly as they move from pole to pole. Kalerian gives her a lopsided grin.
"Yeah. You know, you're scary sometimes. 'Thousand Cuts'? That's cold even for you."
"Yeah, well…" Right hook, blocked and returned. Counterblock. "He was going to try and kidnap you for the slave market. Nobody makes a minion out of you except me."
"Thanks," he drawls, "that's soo-oo comforting." He grunts as he's suddenly captured in a headlock.
"Besides," Rei murmurs, "you're my friend. No one hurts a friend and gets away with it." Releasing him, she jumps back quickly and goes into a guard position. Kalerian just laughs at her face when the pole snaps under her and sends her tumbling into the water below. When the small fox emerges, coughing, he crouches on his pole and grins.
"Thanks, Rei. I needed that."
Cheater. You knew I forgot my warding bracelet. Kalerian just starts laughing harder. He gets smacked in the face with her sign a moment later and ends up in a pool himself, coughing and spluttering and face to face with a wickedly grinning Rei in a towel when he surfaces. Taro has awoken and is looking at Rei with a similar wicked smile.
"Nice view, sweetheart." Rei merely gives Taro a raspberry before Kalerian drags her into the water, laughing. It heats an instant later with a use of ki and Rei knocks his feet out from under him and pulls him beneath the surface. She clambers out a second later and prances towards the house, laughing merrily and using one hand to keep the soaked towel in place.
"Nyah, nyah, guys! Try to catch me!" Kalerian climbs out of the water and chases after her, leaving Taro to laugh himself to tears on the lawn.
===================
[laughing] I love doing stuff like that to my characters. [is smacked in the face with a wet towel]
Kalerian: Wicked, wicked creator!
Starling: [smacks him] Baka! You just gave her a weapon!
Heheheheheh, RAT-TAIL!
Starling/Kalerian: Eeeeeeeeeeeee!!! [run away]
Read and review, people!