Disclaimer: See chapter 1...I don't like repeating myself

A/N: well, if you're still reading….well I don't know what to say….thanks? Good job? Keep up the good work, you're not even halfway there yet? Lol, just enjoy the show….I'll try to help in whatever ways I can J

Chapter 3: The Blood Angel

Ranma looked out at the horizon from the cliff. How long have we been out here? He wondered. I hope that Ifrit doesn't catch up to us.I don't want to have to kill him...

Kasumi walked up behind him and rested her chin on his left shoulder. He tilted his head slightly as if to see who it was, but he already knew. Kasumi did this to try and ease his stress. She's gonna ask "what's wrong" soon, as usual. Ranma thought.but a moment passed, then another, then another, and still no questions. Just a very comfortable, very calm silence.

"I wonder how long it's been..." Ranma trailed off, thinking back to the day Ifrit came and attacked.

Kasumi wrapped her arms around his waist, and took comfort in the fact that she felt a muscular stomach, the kind you'd find on someone always ready for a fight. "Since we started traveling?"

A slight nod from Ranma, as the last trails of yellow turned to a bright orange on the horizon. The gulls were out now, and flying around below the cliff's lip. At the base of the cliff weren't the crashing waves from fairy-tales, but rather the calm, elegant ripples that slowly caressed the base of the mountain.

"I'd say about a week, give or take a day or two…but who knows, nobody kept count, and that forest we just came out of is dark around the clock." Kasumi replied.Ranma turned his gaze from the sunset, unable to keep the thoughts that haunted him at bay. "Why us? Why couldn't it have been somebody else? Somebody who was perfectly safe?"

Kasumi let Ranma go and looked into his eyes. "I'm not safe with you all?"

Ranma regretted his previous words then. "I didn't mean that..it's just. We don't stand a chance against Ifrit...not on our own..and the nearest reinforcements aren't for another couple of weeks..if he finds us on the road, then we're not gonna last long."

Kasumi stifled a tear that threatened to form on her delicate face.

Ranma tried not to look at her sad appearance, but looked over her shoulder at everyone setting up the camp. Ryoga, Mousse, and the Kuno's setting up a tent for the night; Akane, Nabiki, and Cologne setting up a tent for themselves and Kasumi for the night; Ukyou and Xian Pu setting up their tent for the night; and Happosai setting up the outpost Ranma and he would be sharing.

Ranma gained some strength knowing that everyone dropped their pathetic squabbles to help with the evacuation. Nobody even tried to grab him or glomp him in the days when they were making their ways through the forest, and Ryoga and Kuno stopped fighting over Akane after the second day, when they both learned Akane didn't give a damn about either one.

"Ranma, you never explained to us where we're going to be going…you kind of just.kept walking, and never looked back." Kasumi said, a little fear making its way into her voice.

"Oh, uh..I'm sorry, Kasumi-Chan…I'm just...not able to tell you guys at the moment…set up a campfire, it'll be dark soon.I'm gonna go help happosai." Ranma replied, giving her a hug, and then moving to go help happosai move the stones that would hold the winds of the night off the two as they watched their company.

Kasumi just sat there a moment, blushing furiously. She was smiling inwardly, though. Ranma-koi….he just called me Kasumi-Chan.

Quecklain sat Ifrit's body near the corpse of the human they just finished torturing.

Where could they be going? Quecklain's voice echoed softly in Ifrit's head.

Ranma's not a fool, Quecklain, he knows the rules of war, he's not such a dolt as to trust anybody with the information of where he's going...not if the stakes are THIS high. Ifrit said calmly to Quacklain.

Oh, well, where would he go, then? You know him better than anyone, Ifrit, so why don't you tell me EXACTLY where he's going?

Ifrit's body smiled and it showed in the voice he used in his head. Why don't you just beat it out of me? I'm never going to tell you, Quecklain, and you know that. The only reason you're getting the information from me that you ARE getting, is because you're slowly absorbing my soul.so you'll just have to be patient until you absorb ALL of me!

As Ifrit had expected, Quecklain sent a course of pain through his body and mind. Ifrit's body fell face-first into the pavement and gurgled as it coughed up blood.

I don't know about YOU, Ifrit, but I don't have that much time! & if I run out of time, then I'm going to need a new host, now aren't I?

Ifrit smiled again, then find one fast, Quecklain, but start searching now, because you just killed every human and other living creature for a 5 mile radius! You won't find another living host for another few days if you keep me alive. And if you kill me, then you'll be lost for ANOTHER thousand years!

Everyone sat around the fire set up by Kasumi.

Ranma looked around at the tired faces of everyone at the fire. The tired, battle-weary faces of his comrades and friends.

Ranma knew just by looking at them that they deserved to know the truth.

"Everyone..I'm sorry I kept this from you for this long..but here's what I know about the zodiac braves."

"About time, kiddo." Happosai intervened.

"You wanna know this or not?" Ranma sneered at the old man. He never was a big fan of Happosai's, and he knew Happosai would do anything to know about these enemies.

"I'll be good," Happosai said, getting his puppy eyes and sitting like a tentative child in class.

"Good boy," Ranma snapped. "Ok, as you know, Ifrit's now a Zodiac Brave. The Zodiac Braves are beyond any of us in combat. He's also the most dangerous Firefiend there ever has been...so making an enemy of him isn't a good thing...and that's kinda what we did."

Cologne snapped at attention at the mention of the word "Firefiend". "What was that about Firefiends? Those are mythical creatures, Ranma; don't mistake a man who can bend fire to his will for a Firefiend, although I don't much blame you for that one; inexperienced as you are."

Ranma shook his head in dismay. "Cologne, didn't it occur to you when we were fighting him? Ifrit's not a human. He's a lesser demon, also known as a fiend. He's a creature that knows the art of flame, and can bend it to his will without needing to think about it. He's one of the ascended ones. The Espers."

Ryoga looked away from Ranma and into the fire, "That would explain why our attacks didn't even faze the bastard." He said.

Ranma nodded. "I don't know why, but he's accepted a zodiac brave to use him as a host.."

"Hold it!" Akane yelled, standing up and pointing at Ranma. "How in the hells do YOU know the guy, Ranma?!"

Ranma looked to the ground and a smile broadened across his face. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me, Akane."

Akane whipped out her mallet, "Oh yeah, well try me, 'cuz if you don't you're going OVER THE CLIFF!!"

Before anyone could note his reaction, before anyone could prepare for it, Ranma was on his feet, and point-blank to Akane. He had her gripped by the throat and in the air. "DON'T YOU DARE THREATEN ME!!" He yelled. "HERE I AM, TRYING TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR SISTERS, RISKING EVERYTHING I'VE GOT TO HELP YOU OUT, AND YOU'RE DARING TO THREATEN ME?!"

Akane dropped her mallet and tried breaking Ranma's Iron grip on her throat. When his arm only applied more pressure to her neck, she looked into his eyes..which were now Fiery Red.

"Ranma...what..." Akane breathed. She couldn't inhale, however, as her windpipe was presently under too much pressure. Any more, she knew, and her neck would break.

Kuno, Mousse, and Ryoga were on Ranma's arms, trying their best to restrain him, after a few more seconds, Ranma turned his attention to them. "Get off me, you fools." He whispered, so that only they could hear. Before any could respond, a blast of wind circled around Ranma, knocking them off of his back, and carrying Akane with it.

Akane sat there gasping for breath, while the three men formed a protective barrier around her.

"That's enough! All of you, settle down!" a voice yelled from the woods.

Ranma turned to acknowledge the voice, and immediately kneeled after seeing who spoke the words.

All eyes fell on the new voice. Nobody could believe what stood before them. A creature, about as tall as Ranma, with a bright white flesh, brilliant blue eyes, and long white hair stood in front of Ranma.

"What was all the commotion about?" The voice asked Ranma.

After a moment, Ryoga was curious on whom he was referring to, since nobody responded. Another moment passed, and Ryoga tapped Ranma on the shoulder. "Who's this guy?" he asked..when he got no response, he tried tapping Ranma again..only to find that he was shaking. Rouga crouched down to look at Ranma's face, and saw a look of extreme FEAR on it.

Rouga looked at the new man and tried sensing his battle aura. He then knew why Ranma feared him.

Despite being one of the scrawniest people in the area, this man had EXTRAORDINARY power flowing from him..and it seemed like he was drawing it from an endless void.

"Who the hell are you?" Ryoga asked.

"I'm an old friend of Ranma's...hahaha, I'm here to help, don't worry.I brought reinforcements, as requested, Ranma."

Ranma stood straight and tall. "Y-You did?" he asked.

"Yes, and seeing as you're the commander of this group, I'd like to ask why you were strangling that poor girl to death."

Ranma looked over at Akane, then back at the man. "I'm.I'm sorry, Elder.I lost my temper.she's always been kinda mean to me.and I kinda lost it this time."

The man laughed a sweet, haughty laugh. The kind that you would expect Santa to do, only instead of "ho ho ho", it's "hahaha".

"Well, I believe you were going to get into our histories with these people..correct?"Ranma Simply nodded.

The man sat in Akane's former position around the fire and stated. "All you people must know is that the 12 Zodiac Braves are being awoken, and if we succeed, they won't be able to try harming anyone again for another thousand years..but if we fail..then they're going to end the world, by summoning a greater devil to possess the girl you know as Kasumi Tendo."

Velius looked through the eyes of his new host. Not much longer master Lionhardte, not much longer until I find YOU a host.then our numbers will multiply, and we'll once again be the 12 feared generals.tell me the man or woman you'd like to take over.

The stone held in the hand of Velius's host was a deep greenish black, and yet somehow pale. In the center of the round gem, there was a lion's head, wreathed in flame.The voice that sounded more like a lion's roar than words echoed in Velius's head.

Get me the one whom can dance with the lightning.

Velius knew whom he spoke of. "Yes, Milord." He spoke to the stone.

Velius went back to his looking glass and willed it to show him Quecklain. Quecklain was a bloody mess, the host barely clinging to life.

"Quecklain, new mission, Return to our base." Velius ordered. "Lionhardte's new host has been located, I need YOU to go fetch him.alive and in tip-top condition. UNDERSTOOD?!"

Quecklain's host rolled over on its back and yelled at the sky "Fuck whoever is talking in my head. Fuck Quecklain and fuck whoever ELSE is talking!"

A moment passed, then Quecklain rose to the surface. "I'm sorry sire, but this host of mine is rather…feisty….are you certain that he's the one I need?"

YOU INSUBORDINATE FOOL!! Velius screamed into Quecklain's head, Return to our base IMMEDIATELY. I don't care what BODY you're in, but if you're gonna kill him, wait until someone else says whether they want him or not!!