As he entered the building Ryoga felt a chill go up and down his spine. It was pitch black and he wasn't sure where he had been led into. He turned to the girl who was walking in front of him.
"Uh Ukyo" he replied, "Where are we?"
But the duplicate didn't respond and suddenly the boy realized that he was alone. He stopped and stared around him, scratching his head.
"Where did she go?" he wondered aloud, "Ukyo!" he called.
Inside on the other side of the mirror, the real Ukyo raised her eyes as she heard him.
"Who's that?" she said surprised, "Someone's calling my name."
"Ukyo! Ukyo!"
"That's Ryoga's voice" Akane said in a soft tone but they heard her.
"Ryoga?"
"Ukyo" Akane looked up at her, "You have to call back to him. Maybe he can get us out of here."
"Right" Ukyo nodded, "But how do I call back to him?"
"I suggest we go over to the mirror again" Nabiki replied taking Akane by one arm and helping her, "Maybe there's a chance he can find us better that way."
"Good idea" Shampoo agreed and the four girls walked over to the mirror, Ukyo in the lead.
When they arrived Ukyo peered into the mirror, and she could clearly see Ryoga on the other side scanning for her.
"I can see him!" she said excitedly, "Ryoga!" she called back after he had called her name again. "Ryoga I am right here!"
Ryoga stopped dead in his tracks when he heard her.
"Ukyo?" his eyebrows rose, "Why do I hear her?"
"Ryoga!" she called again, "I'm over here!"
He looked around him and turned his head to the right. Then he turned to the left, moving even closer to the mirror.
"I can hear you" he replied out loud, "But I don't see you!"
"Look in the mirror you jackass!" she called out exasperated.
"Mirror?" Ryoga moved towards the piece of glass that was by the wall and looked into it.
Sure enough Ukyo's face appeared and it made him take a step back in confusion and a bit of fear. After he composed himself he moved forward once more.
"Ukyo is that you?"
"Of course it's me" she retorted.
"Is Akane with you?"
"Yes. She's here. And Shampoo. And Nabiki's here."
"Well how did you get in there?" he moved his hand over the glass still quite stunned.
"I don't really know Ryoga but that's not the point. You got to help us get out of here."
"How?"
"I" she stopped and turned back to Akane, "How does he get us out of here?"
"He has to send back in your duplicate" Akane replied.
"Duplicate?"
"Yes. They sent out a duplicate of you after you disappeared so not to make anyone suspicious. It's not really a duplicate; it's actually your reflection. Once your reflection is placed back in here, you can return to the real world."
"Akane how do you know all this?" Nabiki asked.
"I was here since the beginning. She told me everything she had planned."
"So that means that my reflection is out there walking around too?"
"Uh huh."
"Shampoo's too?" Shampoo said.
"Mhm."
"Shampoo no want to think of what she been doing in Shampoo's place" Shampoo grumbled.
"We'll worry about that later" Ukyo replied, "Ryoga!" she called.
"Yea!" he called back.
"Tell me is there another me out there with you?"
"Yes. But I lost sight of her once I entered this spooky place."
"Well you need to find her again. The only way to get me out of here is to find her and push her back inside the mirror."
"But what about Akane and the others?"
"We'll worry about that when it comes, right now, Ryoga look out!" she suddenly shouted.
"Huh?" he turned just in time to see a spatula being flung down. He landed on his back and looked up in surprise at the fake Ukyo, who was grinning menacingly, "U Ukyo?" he stammered.
"So sorry Ryoga" she said, "I can't let you interfere" she swung the spatula down and he jumped out of the way.
"Be careful Ryoga!" Ukyo shouted again quite astonished to see her reflection causing such trouble, "Try to lead her to the mirror!"
"I'm. Doing. The. Best. I. Can!" he shouted back in short sentences since he was trying to dodge all her attacks. He moved stealthily towards the mirror and stood in front of it as she swung the spatula down once more. He dodged once more, and she didn't stop.
Instead she found herself falling forward and right into the mirror, with a loud scream. Ryoga stood in front of the mirror as she disappeared and it glowed brightly. Then suddenly another figure emerged from the mirror, and landed right on top of him, making him fall back to the ground in surprise. Ukyo opened her eyes and looked down, also surprised to see him.
"Ryoga" she said in relief but then she punched him in embarrassment by the position they were in, "Get off of me you jack ass!"
Ryoga landed a few feet from her and rubbed the spot where she hit him angrily. "This is the thanks I get for saving you?" he asked bitterly.
"Sorry about that" she stood up, "Come on Ryoga we don't have much time left."
"What about Akane and the others?" he demanded as he also stood up.
"We don't have time. We have to hurry. If we don't get to Ranma soon before he says I do, then Akane is going to die."
"What? Oh no" Ryoga said scared, "The wedding is this afternoon, and it's already" he looked at his watch, "ten thirty in the morning."
"Then come on!" she grabbed his arm, "We have to find a way to stop it before it is too late!" they dashed out the door, "What took you so long?"
"Hey cut me a break," he gasped as they ran, "Mousse and I have been doing everything we could to find you guys, since Ranma has fallen under a spell."
"A spell?" she said surprised.
"Yea. He's not himself and he's actually going through with the wedding. But don't worry I sent Mousse to stall the wedding as long as he can. Oh no" Ryoga suddenly frowned.
"What?" she looked at him quizzically.
"Well if the Ukyo that I was with tricked me, then there is a sure bet that the Shampoo he's with right now, is going to try to find a way to get rid of him too!"
"Let's hurry Ryoga!" Ukyo nodded her head.
He agreed and they ran as fast as they could towards the dojo, which was still many miles away.
(Next Scene)
Meanwhile Mousse was pacing back and forth nervously. The message arrived the night before that the wedding would be taking place at one o'clock and he wasn't sure if he was up to the task of stalling the wedding. So far Shampoo was behaving exactly as he instructed her to be, herself. Shampoo was getting ready so while he paced Cologne watched him suspiciously. She hopped over to him and glared at him.
"Mousse" she replied.
"Uh yea."
"Is there something going on with Shampoo?"
"Wh what do you mean?" he asked nervously.
"Well normally my great grandchild would be upset at the idea of my son-in-law marrying someone other than her. Also she's been extra nice to you lately. I was just wondering why" she got to the top of her walking stick, and stared at him directly in the face with angry eyes.
He chuckled and nodded his head. " I guess I should explain."
She nodded her head, and he hung his own before he began to tell her everything. She nodded again when he had finished and then she began to pace a little.
"I thought something was going on, but for some reason I couldn't figure it out until now. That is so unlike me."
"Yea. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out either. How come you didn't?"
"Perhaps I wasn't allowed to."
"Huh?"
"Someone made it impossible until it was too late for me to discover that something was wrong."
"Who could do that?"
"I don't know," she said, "But we must stall that wedding" she replied seriously, "I am going to help you."
Shampoo appeared in the hallway with a huge grin.
"Great grandmother" she replied sweetly.
"What is it Shampoo?"
"Can I have a word with you?"
"Certainly" she nodded, "I'll be back later Mousse," she said as she followed the fake into her room.
"Uh huh" he agreed still a bit puzzled by everything.
A couple of moments later Shampoo appeared all by herself and Mousse walked over to her quite stunned.
Uh where is the old woman?" he asked.
"Great grandmother said she wasn't feeling well. So she staying home today. She asked me to give her best regards to Ranma and Akane."
"But but."
"Come on Mousse" she took his arm, "We gonna be late."
"The wedding is not till one o'clock Shampoo" he protested as she pulled him outside.
"Shampoo know. But Akane asked if I could come over and help."
"Uh she did."
"Mhm. Day before yesterday. Let's go" she led him away from the restaurant.
"Why is she acting so weird" he thought, "I thought I am supposed to be the master. She's acting just like she always does. Well duh that's what you told her to do" he chided himself, "Maybe it's not so bad. I might be able to stall the wedding before it even starts at this rate."
(Next Scene)
Akane stared up at the wall where the list hung and felt a sharp breeze start to blow around her. Nabiki and Shampoo also felt it through their hair and frowned.
"What's going on?" Nabiki said.
"That's the same breeze that blows every time someone enters this place" Akane replied, "Which means" she turned her head, and sure enough two figures appeared, each with black wings sprouting from their backs.
"It's almost time" the blond grinned menacingly at the three girls.
"Yes" the brunette added, "It has now begun."
(Next Scene)
Overhead the skies became overcast as Ryoga and Ukyo ran as fast as they could through the crowded streets of Nerima.
"I don't like the looks of that" Ryoga said.
"Me neither" Ukyo replied, "But we're nearly there. So let's keep going."
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: Okay guys. Here's the last chapter of the week. Again I changed the chapter title because it became too long. The wedding crashers chapter will be on the week of June 14! See you then.
Next Chapter: The Wedding Crashers
Ryoga and Ukyo are so close to making to the dojo but are stopped by a number of distractions not to mention Kuno and his crazy sister Kodachi. Will they make it in time to save Akane's life? Find out next time!
