A Third Chance at Life

The Four Masks, The Captain's Daughter, and another Explanation

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma or Inuyasha, they are the property of Rumiko Takashi and some companies I can't remember, I also do not own Shadow Hearts, I am making no money of this work.

Author's Notes: Sorry about the long delay between updates, I ended up getting sick, my ride to school ended up getting sick and to top it all off a family member keeps getting sick and having to go to the hospital so I haven't had time to write and I haven't been to school where I could upload the chapters anyway. To all those who reviewed last chapter, thanks much and again sorry for the wait.

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Saki opened her eyes and grimaced 'Damn I hate this place' Saki thought as she looked at the darkened sky and desolate landscape with a few groupings of graves and spiked fences separating them and then she looked towards the far end of the graveyard to see four masks floating in front of a double door.

"Oh ho ho, welcome back child. Have you come to give yourself to us?" A mask with a green bird like face and small swords that looked like feathers. (Sword Mask)

"Don't make me break you." Saki growled.

"Hahaha, there is nothing you could do to us you damnable Harmonixer." A gold mask with a lion's head laughed. (Gold Mask)

"You must be here to remove the malice the souls of the monsters you have defeated have placed upon you." A mask that looked like a fish with a grail fused to the top. (Grail Mask)

"You realize that it is pointless to do this, no matter how many times you subject yourself to this, you will continually have to come back to destroy the built-up malice." A wooden mask laughed. (Staff Mask)

"You should merely give up now, it will make things much less painful in the end." The Sword mask said.

"Just shut the hell up and lets get this over with, I don't feel like spending any more time with you then I have to." Saki frowned.

"Very well, but know that it is only a matter of time until you fall and when you do we will be there to devour your soul." The Sword Mask cackled before a ghostly wolf formed and sprung towards Saki.

Saki dodged to the side that kicked the wolf in it's haunches and then jumped forward and smashed the wolf's head in with one blow.

"These things seem to be getting easier to beat instead of harder." Saki smirked at the masks. "I'm outta here." Saki said as she walked back towards the front of the Graveyard."

"Damn that impudent child, we will feast on her just as we feasted upon the soul of the women who sacrificed herself for Yuri." The Sword Mask hissed.

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"Welcome back to the land of the living." Orobas said as Saki sat up.

"Hey, how long was I out?" Saki asked.

"Not that long this time, only an hour or so." Orobas responded, "The masks try anything?"

"Nothing more then there usual taunts of that I should just give in to them now and save myself the pain." Saki frowned.

"Good, but those vicious monsters are bound to be scheming something, so stay on your toes." Orobas said.

"So how long till we arrive?" Saki asked.

Orobas shrugged, "Roger hasn't come out to tell me the arrival time or anything."

"I'll go ask then." Saki said.

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"Hey Roger, what's our ETA" Saki asked as she walked into the cabin.

"Another hour till land fall, but we have to land in one of my magically concealed hanger and the only one I got in Japan is by Okinawa so we will have to either walk after that or get land based transportation." Roger said

"Why am I not surprised you set your hanger near a place where women are constantly in skimpy bathing suits." Saki shook her head in exasperation.

"… Nothing wrong with going to a place with a good view." Roger said.

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"Hello everyone, sorry that you had to stay here for so long, but the interrogations are nearly complete." Megumi grinned as she spoke to the twenty people who had made it through the initial interrogation.

"We now know who the culprit is, but we are currently unsure as to why this person let loose the demons. So I am going to break this person in front of you all, actually you will be allowed to help allowing you to release your frustrations on the person who caused you to be detained so long." Megumi scanned the crowd then sprang towards a tall handsome man with pale skin.

"Did you really believe you would be able to escape my interrogation indefinitely?" Megumi Shouted at the man as she knocked him to the ground.

"W-What do you mean?" Jin shook

"Your alibi cracked under extreme pressure and told me the truth." Megumi grinned.

"I d-don't know w-what you mean." Jin stuttered.

Megumi reached forward and grabbed Jin then in one motion picked up Jin and hurled him towards a podium in the room before springing towards it herself. Megumi that smacked Jin around for a bit before taking a leather strap tying it to one of Jin's wrist and the other to a pole that had lowered from the ceiling. Then she did the same to the other wrist and both ankles stretched in a way that his limbs made him look like the letter X. Then she tore of his shirt.

Megumi pulled out a cat o nine tails with small hooked blades on each tail. "The blades on these tails have been soaked in a magically made Neuro-Toxin so painful it makes even me cringe to use it, and while not life threatening it can't be cured with a healing spell, you have to endure it until it leaves your system." Megumi grinned as she whipped it across Jin's back causing him to scream in agony as the blades caught and were ripped out. Megumi continued for a few minutes before giving a satisfied smile.

"Now who else what's to inflict some pain on this piece of shit?" Megumi smiled as she gestured towards many sharp and painful implements and poisons sitting on a small table.

Everyone just looked uncomfortably at Megumi.

"Oh I forgot to mention, the way he managed to get past the initial interrogations was because he manipulated Nami into lying for him, leaving her to take his punishment for him."

Suddenly everyone was in line in front of Megumi glaring darkly at Jin. "You bastard how could you trick her like that." One woman screeched as poured Hydrochloric acid in Jin's eyes, "She's the most loyal friend a person can have and you used that against her." The woman screamed as she took a need le filled with the neuro-toxin and jabbed it up his nose.

Megumi grinned again as she surveyed her handiwork. 'Play with a woman's heart will he, on top of that Vlad was tortured because this fool.'

"Stop, please stop." Jin cried in agony, "I'll tell you anything you want."

"Hold." Megumi commanded causing everyone in line to stop and simply glare at Jin. "Now why did you break orders and set up demons that would attack the spirit user?"

"Tolaran told me that if I managed to prove myself by destroying the Spirit User, he would get me out of this pointless dead end post and under him where I could put my talents to use under a real leader." Jin shuttered, "That's the reason now please let me down."

'Dead end post, under a real leader, I don't know if that was a slight against me Vlad or the both of us, but now I'm pissed.'

"Continue for as long as you all want, just don't kill him. I may need him later." Megumi seethed.

The group all turned back to Jin and grinned like Megumi as they began reaching for their favorite torture device.

"NO, I told you, you promised to stop." Jin screamed.

"I did no such thing, but even if I had I'm not the one torturing you any more they are, so if your going to plead for mercy do it to them." Megumi said as she walked out of the room.

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"So we got time, explain." Inuyasha said rudely.

Kikyo took a deep breath then got started explaining how a fragment of her soul survived, how after waiting in the darkness for a long time her soul came into contact with Ranma, and how she stayed dormant for a time before being able to talk to Ranma and how he now let her borrow his body.

"So let me get this straight, you are really in the body of a guy with a curse that changes him into a girl when hit with cold water and changes back when hit with hot water and he lets you take control sometimes?" Inuyasha asked.

Kikyo nodded her head.

"That's just, wow, I mean what are the chances?" Kagome asked.

"What are the chances that my reincarnation would end up living next to the Boneaters Well over hundred years in the future, and that Mistress Centipede would come back to life and drag you into the past?" Kikyo countered.

"Why should we believe you?" Inuyasha asked.

Kikyo sighed before upending hot water over herself and changing into her guy form, "Now I'm going to ask Ranma to take control for a few moments to show you his forms."

'You here that Ranma?' Kikyo asked.

'Loud and clear.'

Kikyo felt her mind slide to the back and felt the body change.

"I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this." Ranma scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Hey he looks like you." Kagome said to Inuyasha as she looked at Ranma.

"Please I ain't that scrawny." Inuyasha growled.

"Hey, I ain't scrawny." Ranma said annoyed.

"Um yes well can you show us your girl form?" Kagome asked.

"Sure, that's not a problem." Ranma said as he poured cold water over his head and turned into a short red headed girl.

"Hahaha, you turn into a little girl." Inuyasha laughed.

Ranma twitched, "Excuse me, but shut up." Ranma said.

"Oh and if I don't what will you do?" Inuyasha growled.

"I'll make you." Ranma glared

"Oh, I'm terrified of the little human girl someone save me." Inuyasha mocked.

"That's it." Ranma said as she started to walk forward when.

"Osuwari." Kagome called out causing Inuyasha to face plant into the ground.

"HEY, you promised not to do that you bi… I mean um… sorry." Inuyasha started before he noticed the angry glare on Kagome's face.

"You promised not to start fights here remember. You also nearly swore at me, but you bit your tongue so I'll let you off if you behave the rest of the time you're here." Kagome said as she calmed herself.

"WILL ALL CONTESTANTS IN THE ARCHERY COMPETITION REPORT TO THE ARCHERY GROUNDS." A loud voice boomed over the intercom.

"Well I gotta go." Ranma said before giving Kikyo control again.

"We are in the archery competition." Kikyo said.

"Really me too," Kagome smiled sheepishly.

"Good, that means there will be some actual competition in this event." Kikyo smiled back as they began walking towards the spot the Archery Competition is being held.

"I'm really confused." Inuyasha grumbled as he followed his girlfriend and ex-girlfriend.

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"So which one is Ranma?" Kasumi asked Nabiki.

"You see the pale girl with long black hair." Nabiki said, "That's Ranma or rather right now it's Kikyo."

"Oh I see, she's still wearing Ranma's usual silk Chinese clothes." Kasumi smiled, "This should be so much fun to watch."

"There are actually a couple students from Nerima in this competition." Nabiki said as she looked towards some of the contestants.

"Anyone I know?" Kasumi asked.

"Well you might have met Reika and Kisa they're two of my associates, Ryoko, Ben, and Sakura are down there as well, I don't think you met them, but they are in the same classes as Ranma, oh and hey look there's Ms. Hinako." Nabiki pointed out people

"This should be fun." Kasumi smiled.

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There's the chapter, again sorry for the wait and as always all reviews are appreciated.

Oh the "Captain's Daughter" part of the chapter title may not make sense to you, I'll explain it in the next chapter, but I want to see if anyone knows what it's in reference too.