Disclaimer: I don't own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.
Please feel free to review, and make comments. If you find a spelling or word age mistake, feel free to let me know. Thank you. Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.
A Ghost Free to Love
Chapter 3
The Terra (Earth) Murder
By Kazuma20
Arc One: Retribution
Ille Umbra stood again in the middle of seven very large pillars. That was very large. The brand in his hand was still caked with blood as was his hand. He stalked to the third pillar pulled the brand up and stuck it into the pillar and turned clockwise till he heard a click and knew it was in place.
"'Ignis' is in place. Only leaves three more. Next it's 'Terra'." he muttered to himself.
He started to walk away, the rain dripping off his wet hair and his black trench coat. He stopped by the door and said, "And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say 'Come and see.' And I looked and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, ands with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." Opened the door and walked out leaving droplets of water behind him.
After talking to Dr. Kuroi he got home and went take a bath. After the bath he stood in front of the mirror. His hair still was wet and a towel around his waist.
His face cracked a frown, shown his teeth. He raised his hand bowled it into a fist and punched the mirror with his right cracking it. He then punched it with his left and it shattered and kept punching. He destroyed the mirror and wall behind it till he reached the pipe.
He soon stopped and was breathing raggedly. The wall infront of him had a little blood on it. He brings both of his fists down, but they were still bowled up and clenched tightly. Blood dripped from his knuckles and down his hands. Falling to the ground and making a red puddle.
He walked out of the bathroom in a pair of boxers. He sat and pulled out the first aid kit. He pulled out some peroxide and put it on his blooded knuckles and bandage them. After he did the same thing for the other hand.
He sighed and lied down on the couch. He was wide awake going over with what has happened this night. His anger was building up inside of him. He had a filling of whom it was, but till he had more proof he would not be sure.
The apartment was cold when he got up from sleep on the couch. Hoshi had a ruff last night. He didn't get much sleep so he decided to stay home from school today and put on another pare of his clothes and headed back to the Bridgestone Museum of Art by motorcycle. He parked a block away.
He headed there by the cover of the Umi-Sen Ken. He dropped it when he reached the roof of the building. He bent down and on the roof was a small puddle of blood. 'Must be the victims?' thought Hoshi.
Still crouching down he started to ponder how the killer set Dr. Monou on fire. 'How did he do it how did he set him on fire without some kerosene and matchsticks? If he had used kerosene or even gasoline there would still be a lingering smell in the air and last night it didn't smell any either. Hmm I wonder could he be a fire user? Can he really control the flame? How is that possible? That would take magic and I know it to exist. So could he have been born with it.' he thought. 'That would explain the absent of a high 'Ki' energy. The only one here was the victims Dr. Monou. Crap. So now I have my proof too, ho it is. It's the same one that killed Amia. I found him at last. Still, up to his old tricks.'
Hoshi got back on his motorcycle started it up and pulled into traffic and started to enter different lines of traffic as he went. One thing that was going throw his mind was he finally found Amia's killer.
He had his CD Player headphone blasting in his ears. It was Johnny Cash. He stopped at a light waiting for it to turn green when it did he took off down the road at a high speed.
It was midmorning and the sun was high in the sky for the day. It was cold even though the sun was out. It hadn't snowed yet which was weird for this time of year since it should have snowed at least once. But Hoshi was glad it meant he could speed without worrying about snow or ice.
He made it back too, the area around his apartment building where he lived. It was closed to 11 Hoshi parked his motorcycle on the shoulder. His left foot on th ground and the right on the peg. His helmet in his lap and taking a drink of water from a bottle. When he finished and turned his head to the Newspaper Vending Machine. What he saw scarred him a little. It was a picture of him from far away. Standing on the Bridgestone Museum of Art next to a man burning on a cross. In a moonless night.
Also in big bold letters taking up half the front page, it said: 'IS THIS MAN THE KILLER OR A CONCERN CITIZEN?' It was the same picture but it was blown up and enhanced to see him better with a red circle around him.
He had gotten of his motorcycle and walked to the machine and pulled some coins out of his left pants pocket. He slipped it into the machine and pulled it open a took a paper out. He skimmed the article under the picture.
An article by: Dante V. Kitayama:
It is often the nature of realities that man will kill each other. Sometimes we can't resist the urge to kill. But what happens to, this man goes beyond murder, but burning a man on a cross. That is symbolic to how sick and depraved man comes up with killing each other.
This symbolic reference to western Christian it's sad to imply any religious reference in a murder of this man. The police have not given out any information on whom this man was or what he did to forgo to be murdered in this way. You ask yourself Why? Why kill like this–
Hoshi fished reading the article and headed back to his bike and stuffed it into his saddle bags. Got on started it up with his helmet on and took off down the street.
Ami was reading the morning paper as she waited for class to begin this morning. It was the same article Hoshi would read later that day. What caught her eye was the fact that the man wore a coat similar to the one Hoshi always wore to school.
She got up and showed the paper to Makoto and Minako who were talking to each other about Hoshi about which one could get him to date him first.
"Do you think that's Hoshi?"
"I don't know why?" asked Makoto.
"Because it looks like him. But maybe if it had a better resolution than we could see it more clearly." stated Ami.
"But that couldn't be Hoshi. He's not a murder." relied Minako.
"Yeah, why kill someone in a flashy was and in a heavily populated spot." said Makoto.
"The photo could be doctored to make it look that way." replied Ami.
They decided to question Hoshi about the man in the newspaper that looked sorta liked him. They would wait for lunch today since that would be the best time.
Hoshi was rushed his way down the road on his motorcycle. It was still cold out. He slowed down a little and found the restaurant. He went a little way and found the restaurant parking lot and pulled in.
The restaurant was were Dr. Kuroi wanted to meet and discuss this new development. When he pulled into the parking lot, he parked his motorcycle at the back. He got off unhooked his helmet and sat it on the handle bars. He took off his gloves and stuffed them in the saddle bags and started walking to the restaurant.
It was an expensive looking restaurant that was French and named 'La Aerials.' He opened the door and walked in. He was greeted by the hostess. She was of medium height with long black hair. Pulled back into a ponytail she had one green eye and one blue eye. She smiled at him and looked him over.
"Hello, sir. How may I help you?" she asked her voice was like velvet.
"Yes, I have an appointment with Dr. Kuroi."
"Let me see." she replied. And started flipping through the ledger and soon found the name. "Oh! Here it is. Yes, he was expecting a guest named Hoshi Kusanagi. Is that you?"
"Yes."
"Then he's waiting for you already. Let me show you the way."
He fallowed the woman to a table were Dr. Kuroi sat in a yellow suit with a white dress shirt and green tie. On the table was a bottle of Chianti in a whine glass the red whine swished around in his hands. Hoshi sat down across from him. The hostess bowed and said.
"The waiter is coming to take you order. What would you like to drink, sir?" the question was directed to Hoshi.
"Um. . . . I'll take a scotch on the rocks." he replied.
"I will get it for you right away." she said and walked away.
Dr. Kuroi smiled at him taking a sip. "That's a good choice Mr. Kusanagi. But don't you think that's a strong drink for lunch?"
"No, I don't think."
"Well the reason I asked for this meeting." he said taking a sip.
Hoshi interrupted, "Was because of what happen to Dr. Monou Huh?"
"Yes. Do you have any viable clues on his death Mr. Kusanagi?" He asked.
"Yeah, one thing is I can't sense his presences at all. Like he doesn't have any 'ki' and he's using something else, too. Thank you."
The Hostess returned with his drink put it on the table and bowed before walking away. Hoshi watched her walk away before he continued talking. He turned back to Dr. Kuroi.
"So with the Chianti are going to have some liver and fava beans?"
"No Mr. Kusanagi. Now back to what you were saying."
"Okay. So I ran into this man before. If this is the same man, he is using 'ki' like I said, but maybe a flame like technique."
"Flame like technique? Is that's how he was able to set Dr. Monou on fire?" asked Dr. Kuroi.
"Too, answer the second question, yes. Because when I went back and also when I was they're last night I didn't smell anything like gasoline or kerosine. At all." he replied.
"So he set him on fire without it. You didn't answer my first question Mr. Kusanagi."
Hoshi picked up his glass of scotch and took a drink. Looked at it and put it back on the table a sigh.
"I heard a rumor during my training in the art. This old priest told that the gods can bless man with the power over the elements. That they can control them once the had control over pure 'ki'. It's sort of a step up you don't use your ki at all. He gave me a copy of the scroll that details it I never had a reason to use it. I guess I do now."
"So you can master this?" asked Dr. Kuroi.
"Yes, all I have to do is train with it to use it." he said.
"I see, but when do you'll think he will strike again, Mr. Kusanagi?" the good doctor asked.
"I don't know. He waited a week after he killed Dr. Kimura to kill Dr. Monou. So going on this time table, I would say about a week. I really don't know Dr. Kuroi."
Nabiki was walking down a street going too, lunch during her intermission on her classes at the college. She stopped when the door to the restaurant 'La Aerials' opened up.
Hoshi walked out into the street not noticing the person he almost hit with the door. He ran his hand throw his hair with his left his right was in his pocket. He sighed and put his left hand into his pocket.
He walked away down the street. He didn't notice he was being fallowed by Nabiki who fallowed him down the street.
As Nabiki fallowed him, she was thinking, 'It is Ranma. So this is where he has been for six months. He changed considerably different. He wearing different cloths, shoes, and a haircut. A leather jacket that's new, the jeans to, and the shirt underneath is that cashmere.'
Hoshi continued to walk and was in the parking lot. Pulled out his left hand which he had some key in his hand. He stopped next to his motorcycle and opened the saddle bags and pulled out his gloves and put them on and closed it.
He throws his leg over the bike took the helmet from the handle bars and put it's on. Stuck the keys into the ignition and started it up then raved it up. He kicked the kick stand and had both legs on the ground and backed out. He was infront of the exit and took off out the exit and down the street heading north.
Nabiki watched him take off without noticing her at all. She was kind of wondering how to use the information to her advantage with the others.
Ille Umbra was in a bathrobe and slippers drying his hair which covered his face. He sat down and sighed. The towel still on his head.
"It's almost finish. I must contact the leader of the 'Das Kreis von das Schwarz Dorn.' Mr. Vergil will be happy everything is going according to plan." He said to himself.
He picked up the phone and started dialing the number out of the country. With the phone to his ear the line started to ring. Then hears a clicking sound of the other line bing picked up.
"Guten Ahend!"
"Hello sir. It's I."
"Oh! How are you Herr Seisho Yagami?"
I'm find. I'm sorry to call so late Mr. Dardar."
"It's all-right Herr Yagami. I was up anyway reading Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace."
"Um. . . . That's a good book."
"Yes, Wallace was a volunteer in the Army during the American Civil War. The book is quite interesting."
"Sir, I called to tell you that the murders are going according to the plan."
"So you called to tell me that the others will be quite happy to know this. Also, the two murders three and a half years ago. Bestia and Angus. So what else do you have to report?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
"I mean what three brands did you use?"
"Oh."
"Yes out other five brands."
"Yes, I used. 'In dues no Confido', 'Ignis', and 'Terra', sir."
"Wohl. Wohl. Mein Gott. It's going according to plan. The other elf are going to be, please. When this part of the plan is finished, your other comrades will be joining you in Japan."
"Yes, Sir."
Well. Auf Wiedersehen."
"Sayonara."
He hung up the phone. He sighed and leaned back into the chair rubbing his eyes. 'So the others are coming it only mean that the end is near. And only this Hoshi Kusanagi can screw up the bosses' plan. If he interferes any further. The plan will be ruin.'
Hoshi sat on a bench in the park. He sighed and leaned back his eyes closed. It was mid afternoon and school should be over soon.
Nabiki skipped her afternoon classes and walked throws the park she went back to the Dorm room and pick up her books. She saw him and smiled she walked to the bench where he was sitting and sat down next to him.
"So tell me Ranma is this were you been?" she asked.
Hoshi cracked opened one eye. "Names not Ranma and I've been living here two months not that's any of your business."
"Cut the crap Ranma. You and I both know who you are."
"Yes and my name is Hoshi not this Ranma person you are looking for Miss."
"Yes you are now telling me where you were! The others have been looking for you for six months! Now tell me."
He laughed and sat crossed leg. His right arm was on the top of the bench. His elbow was bind in the front. His head in his left hand.
"So tell me Nabiki How did you find me? And will you tell them where I'm at? Because if you do tell Nabiki. I'll make you regret it." threaten Hoshi.
"My, my. Ranma is that a threat?" she asked.
"No, it's a promise Nabiki for once in my life I'm free from my idiot father and you father. I wouldn't have it any other way." he said getting up.
He walked away from Nabiki. She just stared at his back as he walked away.
Makoto walked too, the park hoping to find Hoshi since he skipped school today and wasn't at lunch. She figured he be there. Because he always liked the calmness and peace of the park. When she entered, she saw him talking too, another woman who was probably a year older than him.
'Who is she?' she thought.
She watched as he started to laugh and watched him say something to her. She continued to watch the woman's reply and him getting up and walked away. He said something else and continued to walk off.
She decided to go talk to the other woman too, see what she knows about Hoshi. She walked to where she still sat.
"Hello Miss how do you know Hoshi?" asked Makoto.
"Hoshi is that his name?" said Nabiki.
"What?"
"I know him as Ranma Saotome not Hoshi."
"Ranma Saotome the Legendary Martial Artist?"
"Yeah, that's who he used to be anyway. We were sort of Friends."
"What type of person was he before he moved here?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because I would like to know."
"Sure I will tell you." said Nabiki. And she told Makoto everything about whom Ranma was. But left out the stuff about the fiancee's.
Hoshi walked to his apartment an hour after meeting Nabiki in the park. He walked up the stairs and saw Makoto standing next to his door.
"Hello. Makoto what can I do for you?" he asked.
"Hoshi can. I talk to you?"
"Sure." He pulled out his key and unlocked his door. Took off his shoes and walked in and sat on the couch.
Makoto did the same and sat next to him.
"Tell me Hoshi. Is your name really Ranma Saotome the Legendary Martial Artist?" she asked.
"Yes. I was until six months ago. And when did I become Legendary?"
"Why did you change your name?"
"To get away from my father and another reason."
"What's the other reason?"
"I rather not talk about that it's my own personal memories."
"Okay."
Hoshi continued his search for clues on the whereabouts of the other three missing scientists. But came up with nothing at all no leads. Ille Umbra has not taunt him like last time either.
During the day he searching and at night trying to master the scroll. That was on how to create the flame and make it appear in his hand and after a week he got it too, work with a small flame, but needs it to be bigger.
Hoshi sat on a park bench with Makoto as they stared into the sky at nothing. It was mid day they were waiting for Rei, Minako, Ami, and Usagi.
"So you are getting us altogether?" asked Makoto.
"Wait for the others to get here." he replied.
"Does it have anything to do with why you missed so much school. And me get you your homework?" asked Makoto.
"Kind of I guess." stated Hoshi.
The four entered the park. They soon founded Hoshi and Makoto talking about why Ranma wanted to talk to them.
"Hoshi why did you call us?" asked Ami.
"Yeah, Why?" asked Minako.
"The reason I wanted too talk to all was why I been missing a lot of school. These's something that needs may undivided attention right now." he stated.
"Can you tell us what it is?" asked Ami.
"No, when this is over. I well tell you'll."
Then Hoshi received a note from Ille Umbra telling him to come too, St. Mary's Cathedral.
Hoshi started running not bothering too, unlocked his door and almost knocked over Makoto and her friends at the time. Still running he past them and said, "Sorry can't talk now."
He jumped from the street to the roof and kept jumping his entire way to St. Mary's Cathedral.
He arrived at St. Mary's Cathedral which was made too, look like an old European church. The church was on the left side and on the right was the residential area fir the priest and the nuns made up to look like a square and in the middle was a small garden.
He landed on top of one off the roofs and jumped into the garden. And walked to a small figure sticking out of the ground like a small tree.
He was now close enough to see it all. With a tremor of repulsion, he understood. The four walls of the cathedral seemed to contract around him. Emerging like a small demon from the earthen floor was Aoi Saiyuki . . . or at least half of her. She was buried up to her waist in the ground. He hands tied behind her back with a chain. Her long dark blue hair sprawled out behind her on the ground. Her chest uncovered and got a good look at her chest her breast were big just like her photo indicated.
She was propped limply upwards, spine arched backwards like some sort of hideous punching bag.
He looked down at her upturned eyes. They bulged outward, green and blood shot. The sight was gruesome. The woman's mouth had been jammed opened and packed solid with dirt.
"So he stuffed a fist full of dirt down her throat. She must have died from suffocation." Hoshi commented to himself.
He binned down to get a better look and she had a brand on her chest above her breast. The killer branded her like he did the other one with the element of science. The first element was Ignis and now Terra.
The mark on her chest was charred and oozing. Around the brand of words.
Terra
"Terra." he whispered. He tilted his head almost forgetting the note that was tapped to the body's head. He pulled it off and unrolled it and read it.
Hello again, Mr. Kusanagi. Third murdered scientists. The earth will consume her. Dr. Aoi Saiyuki stuffing her mouth with dirt watching her suffocate to death the brand on her chest. 'For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The earth and the heavens fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw a new heaven and earth: for the first heaven and the first earth passed away; and there was no more sea.
Sincerely Yours,
Ille Umbra
P.S.-I can still see you-u-u. But you will never see me.
An old priest whore black robes. He walked out into the cold air. The air felt nice on his face. Then he caught the glimpse of a young man kneeling next to a dead body.
He quickly retreated to make a phone call. He called the local police about a murder that took place at the church.
Hoshi was still reading the note. When he heard the sirens of the police coming from far away. He stood up looked around then jumped backs onto the roof. And when he was far away.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Dr. Kuroi's number. It ringed a couple of times.
"Hello. Dr. Kuroi speaking."
"Dr. Kuroi. It's Hoshi Dr. Saiyuki was just killed tonight."
"Okay meet me at the restaurant tomorrow. You remember 'La Aerials'."
"Yes, got it bye."
"Bye."
He hung up the phone and roofed hooped to his apartment when he got by the gate he jumped down to the ground and walked in and up the stairs.
When he got to the second floor, he headed for his apartment door. He fished out his keys for his apartment.
He pulled them out and unlocked his door. He opened it and swings opened. He kicked his door closed. Took off his booths and then walked into his apartment and headed for the kitchen.
He opened his fridge too, find something too eat. He found some leftover of delivered pizza's which was two boxes one was half eaten was meat lover while the other wasn't touched at all was pepperoni.
He grabbed a plate and heated him self up a couple of slices. After they finished heating them up, he ate them then heated up the rest of both pizza's and ate them.
He drank some ice tea in a glass and sat down on the couch. He took a sip then placed it on the coffee table.
He heard a knock on the door. He got up and went to answer it. When he opened the door. He saw Usagi, Makoto, Rei, Ami, and Minako.
"Um. . . . Hello what can I do for you all?" asked Hoshi.
"Can we talk to you Hoshi?" asked Makoto.
"Sure. Come in."
He stepped out of their way to let them enter his apartment. They took a seat on the two couches. He grabbed a chair from the table. Turned it around and sat on the chair his hands crossed on the back.
"So what can I do for all of you?" he asked.
Usagi answered, "Makoto told use everything. What she learned from Nabiki."
"Not everything there is something's that only I know and never shared with anyone what so ever."
"So tell us." replied Usagi.
"Sure. But this doesn't leave this room at all. You got it?"
"Yes." they all answered.
"Well it started three and a half years ago. When I was training and came to Tokyo . . . "
To Be Continued. . . . In Remembrance 1: Meetings
Authors Note: Well that's it for this chapter. The story of how this story begins in the next chapter. Also, Merry Christmas too ever one. Kazuma20 signing out.