Ranma ½ doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the great Rumiko Takahashi, if I did own do you think I'd be here right now?
-/-
Dark Place
He flipped through the thick storybook, staring longingly at the well-illustrated pictures. One might think that a man like him wouldn't read a book like this but this was a very special storybook. It was 'Fusion'- a special book that showed everyone's previous actions. It had endless blank pages that would be filled with what someone was going to do next when the time came.
For now he just stared longingly at the newest blank page, waiting to see where his little troublemaker was headed now.
"Are you enjoying my book?" asked Kasumi; she sat on a black marble bench across from him.
"Why yes, thank you." Of course the Light Lord would be the owner of the book. This was their universe in his hands, so to speak.
On the page black sketches were drawn onto the page in lightning speed and words were written down in a neat script. "Read it." He commanded to Kasumi.
She leaned in closer to get a good look then cleared her throat. "So the small traveling group worked their way up the Mountain of Heaven, their destination being the Lightning Clan." Underneath the words was a picture of four people climbing up a small rocky slope.
Before she could finish he slammed the book closed. "That's all I needed to know." He stood. "Kuno! Kodachi!" he called.
A man and a woman walked into the room, bowing low. "Yes, my Lord." They said in unison.
"Why don't you give the guests a proper greeting?" a malicious grin in place.
"Yes, my Lord." They disappeared in a burst of speed.
He snapped his fingers and two bulky guards came out from the hallway. "Take Kasumi-Sama to her room." The title he gave her was mocking.
She was taken away kicking and screaming, far from the usual Kasumi manner.
He sighed and stared at the hourglass picture to see Akane bickering with Ranma. "My, my, are all Tendo woman so rambunctious?"
Mountain of Heaven
"Damn it Ranma! Do you have to be so childish?" Akane shouted in rage as she rung out her wet hair.
"Hey, you started it!" Ranma complained, fingering his singed hair that had lost about an inch or two.
The two argued back and forth on who started what while Ryouga and Ukyou watched. Ukyou actually found this quite amusing but she would never let it show while Ryouga was more annoyed than anything else. "I think both of you should shut up before I bury you both alive." Ryouga spat.
His three other traveling partners looked at him strangely. "What?"
Ranma and Akane exchanged looks and shrugged. All was quiet for a while until a voice pierced through the silence. "You will die by my hand, evil cretin!"
Ranma looked up to see a shadow of a man holding a samurai sword, poised to attack. He easily sidestepped the attack and all the sword brought up was gravel.
"Kuno, what the hell is wrong with you?" Akane asked as the buffoon got back on his feet and regained his fighting stance.
"Defending you from thy enemies!" he cried, charging at Ranma again who just stuck out his foot to trip him.
Black rose petals danced through the air and Ryouga held up his arms in defeat. "Oh great, what is it now?" he screamed to the sky.
"It is I, Kodachi the Black Rose. I am in control of the rain in the Lightning Clan and you have defeated my brother, Tatewaki the Blue Thunder." Kodachi cried, appearing out of now where, twirling her black ribbon around.
Ranma's brain shut down when he heard rain and he quickly dashed under Ryouga's umbrella.
"Wait…" Ukyou said to everyone. "If you are in control of rain and you're brother is in control of thunder," Ukyou looked around. "Where's the Lightning Lord?"
In response to her question they could hear the clear snapping sound that echoed in the empty space. Lightning flashed from the gray clouds, illuminating the dark sky. Followed was a loud ominous sound of the clap of thunder. A fork of lightning struck down from the sky, aimed at Ukyou.
She screamed and held up her arms in defense, paralyzed with fear.
"Duck!"
But instead of electricity shooting through her body she felt the sharp sting of rocks dig into her back. None to comfortable but it wasn't deadly. She felt a weight release itself from her and opened her eyes to see Akane get off of her.
Had she tackled her to the ground to save her?
"Nabiki, what was that for?"
The lightening strike left a giant crater and the rock and dust rose out of it like a volcano about to burst. Through the debris you could see a silhouette of a woman appear. The image solidified to reveal Nabiki Tendo, Lightning Lord, coming out with a satisfied smirk cladding a very revealing hazelnut dress. "Just testing your reflexes baby sister, don't want you getting slow. And you're faster than ever."
"Yeah, but did you have to use Ukyou as a training dummy in the process?"
Ukyou didn't know if she should be insulted or not.
Nabiki shrugged with that feline grin in place. "So good to see you too Akane."
Akane groaned. "Well I was planning to say hello before you almost barbecued Ukyou." Akane complained.
"Oh it's all in the past now. Forgive and forget. I think you forgot to introduce me to your friends." Nabiki sauntered over to Kuno who still had his head in the ground, examining him closely.
"What friends?" Akane asked, shooting a glare at Ranma.
Nabiki shook her head. "What friends, indeed if you keep treating them like that." Nabiki pulled his head up and dropped it. "Kuno-baby, you're so pathetic."
"Let's see…" she got up and dusted her dress off. She walked over to the four and looked at them all. "You all have a secret that you don't want to tell each other." Nabiki grinned wildly. "Some of you have more than one." She noted.
Three of the four gaped but Akane seemed unfazed. They stared at Akane in disbelief and she shrugged. "She was born with a special ability to read minds. It's in my families blood."
"To read minds?" Ranma asked, suddenly terrified.
"No, to be born with a special ability." She clarified and the three others released a breath they didn't realize they were holding.
"Please forgive my rude behavior, please let me take you to my home." Nabiki offered and before anyone could say anything she took Akane by the arm and led the group up the slope.
When they were out of ear shot from everyone else Nabiki leaned in close to Akane and asked, "Okay, tell me the real reason why are you really here?"
Akane looked over her shoulder to see the others in a deep conversation. "You know why. I need to return the sins. He's looking for them," Akane stopped, collecting her words. "No, he needs them."
Nabiki's eyes widened. "You have them?"
"Yeah," Akane slung her leather bag off her shoulder and opened it to observe its contents. Her eyes widened in fear and shock.
Nabiki noticed this and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
"The comb is missing."
Fire Clan
Mariko hurriedly picked the lock on Akane's door before anyone came to see what she was doing. She breathed a sigh of relief when the click of the lock signified that the door was open and no one had seen her.
She walked into the shadows of her room, it was so … plain. No, plain wasn't the word. It was sophisticated and orderly, decorated with flowers and calligraphy.
She dove to the desk and opened the drawer fast; she cringed when it squeaked loudly and turned her head to the door that adjourned Akane and Ranko's room together, hoping that she didn't hear it. She waited a minute and when no came in she shuffled through the drawer, the only place in the room that was messy, until she reached the bottom and saw a delicate crystallized comb sitting there, it shined even in no light.
She picked it up and clutched it to her chest. Her pom-pom's materialized out of thin air and she wrapped herself in them like a giant fluffy cocoon.
Dark Place
He sat on his throne and in the middle of his courtroom when a giant ball of fuzz popped out of nothing. The pom-poms left the room in a puff of smoke leaving behind a girl in its place. She knelt down on her knees and presented the Phoenix Comb to him. "As you requested my Lord."
He grinned like the Cheshire cat and snatched the comb away from her hand faster than her eyes could even register that he moved.
He examined it in the faded light and waved his hand in a dismissing gesture to Mariko. When she didn't receive the message he hopped off his throne and slapped her across the face. "Leave."
She nodded her head weakly, scampering out of the room, tripping over her feet in her haste.
He stared at the place where she was standing only moments ago and scoffed at it. He made his way to a door hidden in the back of the room. He lit a candle in the dark room, the dim light shadowing the hollowness of his face, making him look even more menacing.
He walked over to something in the far corner of the room. He stared lovingly at the life-size Akane doll he made that was leaning against the wall. He crouched down and caressed her cold cheek and then carefully placed the comb in her hair.
He swept the candle over her form to reveal that she was not wearing her usual garb and instead wearing a wedding kimono. "Be patient my love." He leaned in to kiss her on those lifeless wooden lips.
Mountain of Heaven
Akane felt a tingle go down her spine and a large gasp escaped from her lips.
"Akane, are you alright?" Nabiki asked.
Akane didn't register her words at first but then gave her a curt nod. "Yeah I'm fine, just had a strange feeling."
"How much longer?" Ukyou asked from farther back. The moist wind seemed to hug her and played games with her hair.
Nabiki suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere, standing in front of a boulder that was far from the path that was carefully laid out. "We're here."
"Where?" Ukyou asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes to see.
Nabiki snapped her fingers at Kodachi and pointed a finger at the boulder. Kodachi snapped out her ribbon and it snaked around the rock. She lifted it with ease and placed it aside, the ribbon uncoiling. Under the boulder was still nothing.
"Is this some kind of trick?" Ranma asked, annoyed.
Ryouga felt the ground pulsate under his feet. "No, there's life." He walked over to the place the boulder was and searched the ground. His hands stopped and with his strength he lifted a wide slab of rock that had been carefully placed to show that it had not been tampered with.
With the slab removed the light drone of people talking came from the wide square. They all looked down to see a large city.
"Ladies first." Ryouga gestured.
"And how do you expect us to get down there?" Ukyou asked, placing her hands on her hips.
Nabiki shrugged and pushed Ukyou through the opening. She screamed as she fell and the residents of the city seemed undisturbed by this, like they hadn't heard her. She saw the ground coming closer to her and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact but instead she lightly landed on her feet.
Ukyou looked confused, she looked up to see the Tendo sisters smiling down at her. Next came Akane, who did flawless flips through the air until she landed lightly on her feet. Then Kodachi, the men and last was Nabiki.
The ones new to this stared in awe at the city. They had expected it be dark and depressing. But there seemed to be its sun, moon and stars. Wildlife grew effortlessly and animals scampered through the greenery collected food that grew naturally. It was seemed to be the center of the world.
"What are you gawking at?" Akane asked. Nabiki and herself had already walked ahead again. "Lets go."
-/-
"So, how long are we staying here?" Ranma asked as the four were guided to their rooms by the Kuno siblings.
"Not long," Akane said, avoiding eye contact. "This is the fastest way to the Light Clan and I have business with my sister."
"Here we are." Kuno said, stopping in front of a large set of western double doors.
"Akane-Sama, Lord Nabiki requests an audience with you in her sitting room." Kodachi informed.
"Thank you," as she walked down the marbled hall, she stopped and called over her shoulder, "Don't get too comfortable, we're leaving soon." Before disappearing behind a corner.
Ranma shrugged and followed his friends into the finely furnished rooms with plush western couches, silk tapestries, smooth rugs, and mahogany tables cluttered with antiques. "Nice room." Ranma said, looking at a airbrushed painting of all three Tendo sisters. He turned and saw Ukyou struggling to stand up and fidgeting in her seat. He remembered how Akane tackled her to the ground and Ukyou's back got most of the damage.
"Hey, you okay?" Ryouga asked, voicing his thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Ranma snuck up behind her and gaped at how bad it was. The fall had her sliding on that rough and pointy gravel and it had torn threw her shirt leaving her bindings seeping with blood. "You're not fine, you need to go to an infirmary."
"Hey, it's just a scratch, I'll be fine." She grabbed onto the arm of her chair and tried to push herself up but Ranma pushed her down.
"No, you stay here while I go find someone to help you. Ryouga make sure she stays here." He commanded before dashing out the doors and running down the same hallway Akane went down.
After a few minutes of what seemed like running down endless maze like hallways he slowed his pace to a walk and realized he was completely and utterly lost. "Damn it, I feel like Ryouga." He muttered angrily to himself.
"No!" Ranma jumped out of his skin when he heard the unexpected sound that echoed down the silent hallways. Followed was the smashing sound of tin hitting stone that banged ominously like a gong.
It took him a while to realize that the cry was Akane's voice and he quickly followed the sound of angry shouts.
"You have no idea how it feels to be weighed down all your life with these, these …" Akane was at a lost for words. "These things!"
"So what, Akane? You're just handing them back so he attacks them and not you."
Ranma knew that silky calm voice as Nabiki's.
The slamming of hands smack on a table rang through the air. "Don't you dare accuse me of that Nabiki! I would fight him if I could but you know I can't."
Lost of energy, she slumped into the chair across from her sister and rested her head against the fine wood of the table. She silently sobbed. "You have no idea what I have been through, it's enough to last more than a lifetime. People see me as a person I'm not, they see me as her, just because I look like her."
"You also act like her, so I've heard."
Akane shot her head up. "Yeah I act like her, because he made me to be like her. It's bad enough people are comparing me to a thief."
"But she's your mother. She cared for you even if the two of you were separated soon after. So what if you didn't have a mother growing up? To teach you everything that a young woman should now. Big whoop! Honestly, I wish I had your mother instead of Hinako anyway. I swear that tramp isn't good for anything." Nabiki shuddered as if remembering something revolting.
"My point is, she cared for you and died for you before she even knew you. She's the only mother you have and although she is different she's only human, people make mistakes. And it all was for a good cause, right?" Nabiki asked.
Akane nodded her head and Nabiki engulfed her in an awkward hug. "Until Kasumi comes back I'll try to pull of her motherly sister thing." Nabiki felt Akane's laughs vibrate through her. "Don't laugh!"
She pulled her away and saw a wide smile plastered on her tear stained face. "You better now?" Nabiki asked, truly concerned.
Akane nodded her head and got up to leave. "You have to guide us to the Light Clan fast, I wanna get this done and over with, and most importantly to get Kasumi back."
"Okay, I'll be there soon." Akane put her hand on the doorknob and Ranma sprinted down the hall, finding where he came from faster than he expected.
"Akane wait," Nabiki stopped her and Akane turned to look over her shoulder. Nabiki smirked and held up a bejeweled yen pendant, the diamonds glittering in the light. "Thanks for the gift."
-/-
"Ranma?" Ukyou asked, her torso wrapped with bandages. "Where have you been? A medic came a little while ago and said you never called for him. He was sent by Nabiki-Sama."
"Um …" he collapsed onto a sofa and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I got sidetracked."
Akane came into the room a second later. "You all didn't make yourselves comfortable did you?" She glared at Ranma when she saw his feet propped up on the couch. "Ranma, get your feet of the couch before Nabiki comes in here and kills you! Everything here is more expensive than everything you and your family may own altogether."
Ranma hurriedly took his feet off and Akane slapped him on the shoulder. She seemed more frightened of her sister's wrath than being mad at him.
Nabiki popped her head into the room and gave Ranma a look. "Don't think I don't know what you did," he gulped and sank into the padded cushions, trying to disappear. Nabiki smirked. "But I'll let it slide this once." Everyone seemed to sigh in relief, as the room was lost of its tension.
While no one was looking Ranma saw Nabiki give him the same stare and he could tell that she wasn't talking about the sofa.
"Everyone ready to go?" she asked cheerfully, Kuno and Kodachi suddenly appearing behind her. It unnerved Ranma that she could change emotions so quickly.
"Let's go," Akane said. She stood up and slipped her leather bag securely on her shoulder. Ryouga followed suit, picking up his ever present traveling bag and slipping his arms into the straps.
Nabiki guided them down the lifeless hallways and stopped at the end of the hall. She had Kuno push back one of the many tapestries to reveal an opening in the wall. It was dark and eerie looking. Nabiki unhooked an unlit torched that was hanging in the hallway and handed it to Akane. She gave a look to her sister to show that she was not amused but lit it anyway.
The light made the hallway seem endless and even creepier.
"What is this?" Ukyou finally asked, swiping away the goose bumps.
"The shortcut to the Light Clan in case of emergencies." Nabiki stated with a shrug.
"What are we standing around for?" Akane asked. She stepped into the stone hall and worked her way down it, the others falling into step behind her.
Ryouga examined the narrow hall. "Nabiki-Sama, don't you think this is how the Shadow Lord kidnapped Kasumi-Sama?"
Akane jerked at the mention of his name.
"Are you implying a breach in my security Hibiki?" Nabiki asked in a dangerous tone that would make a venomous snake kill itself.
"Yes I am." That brave man. "The hallway is straight and has no traps, someone could easily gain your trust and then find out about this and use it for their own selfish needs."
"You have to remember Ryouga, I have the ability to read minds. If something is amiss I will know of it before it happens."
She did have a good point. Ryouga didn't respond and Nabiki took that as a sign of victory. The rest of the walk was silent.
They stopped when they saw the small flicker of a white light from far away.
"This is where I must leave you." Nabiki said, almost regretfully.
"It was nice seeing you again, if only for a little while." Akane held out her arms and hugged her sister. She patted her back and they detangled themselves from each other.
"Lets just stick with the fights." Nabiki offered.
"Agreed."
Nabiki looked at the three others and grinned cheekily. "When you have an urge to visit … don't." She walked back to where they had come and gave Ranma a passing glance.
The four stared after her until the light of the torch disappeared.
"Come on," Akane said, walking with greater enthusiasm towards the small flicker of light.
Dark Place
"We have brought her my Lord." The Kuno siblings said in unison. Nabiki lay in front of them in a heap, unconscious.
"Well, who would've thought that you two mindless idiots were good for something." He said snidely. "Now get the pendant and take her to her cell. I'm sure Kasumi has been dying to see her sister again."
"Yes my Lord." Kodachi ripped the necklace from around her throat and walked up to put it in his hands.
Kuno slung the slim girl over his shoulder and carried her out, his sister soon following after him.
"So close, yet so far." He clutched to the necklace like a lifeline.
He picked up the Nabiki chess piece and took it off the board, aside with the Kasumi piece. He leaned back and intertwined his fingers together. "What fun."
-/-
A/N: The ending moments are stupid, I know. It's late and I'm tired so cut me so slack, please. Sorry for the shortness, it's like with each new post the chapters get shorter but like I said, "It's late!" Anyway, that bit with the Shadow Lord was creepy but you have to admit it was pure gold! I'm proud of myself, I updated fast! REVIEW!