Haigeki

by Xylix

His friends kidnapped by magical girls, Ranma is pushed beyond his limits to retrieve them.

10. Choice

Author's Forward – Some bad news. My queue of completed chapters is nearly exhausted. The chapter 11 draft is complete, but not edited. Chapter 12 has not been started. What does that mean to you? Not much immediately. There is a 99% chance I will meet the December release date. However, given my sluggish writing and holiday disruptions, I will almost certainly miss the following February release.

However things may change. I will fill you in when December comes.

Beta reader: obsidian_fox

-oOo-

Chapter 10: Choice

-oOo-

"That's enough, Hotaru," Setsuna said.

A cute, dark-haired girl sagged back, her palms resting on the ground. Her chest heaved. Breath rushed through her lungs. With droopy eyes, the girl tilted her head to face the green haired woman.

"It isn't done yet, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru whispered with her shy voice.

The girl rolled into a sitting position. She reached out and placed her hands around my purple, blood encrusted shin. Warm light radiated. Pain eased. Flesh knit. Bone reformed.

I jerked the limb away.

"Listen to your mom, squirt," I chided. "I don't want to see you passing out on-"

Hotaru's violet eyes slid closed. The girl fell to the side. I lurched forward. Setsuna beat me to the punch. The green haired woman caught the child in her arms. Gently, she lifted Hotaru into the air.

"Well, crap," I said. My gaze shifted to the ruby eyed woman. "Sorry about that."

Setsuna laid Hotaru on the sofa. With a kind smile, she watched her sleep.

"Hotaru is the victim of her own kindness, Ranma-kun. She chose this burden. It is not our place to begrudge her that."

I set my broken leg on the ottoman. Bloody stockings were rolled down around my ankles, leaving an ugly wound exposed. Hotaru's magic had eased the injury. Days of healing were delivered in minutes. Combined with my natural life force, the result was a near miracle. Bone was now hidden beneath a mess of torn skin. The bruising had faded so the splotch was no bigger than my hand.

But her magic had not cured my wound entirely.

With a grimace, I seized a roll of gauze. I wrapped the limb in ample layers of cloth.

"Yeah, well, I think I'll pass on the squirt. It ain't pretty, but shuken will hold this together if it comes to that."

Setsuna's face was unfathomable. "Of course, Ranma-kun. I trust you to make the best decision on this matter."

I grunted and tightened the bandages. I jiggled the splint, verifying it was solid. "I wouldn't count on that," I grumbled.

Reluctantly, I stood. A hiss escaped when I added my weight. Sharp pain crawled its way through fragmented bone. I scowled. The howling limb did not relent. In irritation, I grabbed Gungnir. If nothing else, the spear served as a handy crutch.

I turned to Setsuna, my eyes hardening. Her granite face gave no hint of guilt. For now, I was free of the Institute. But I had not forgotten my suffering. Setsuna's last minute rescue had been too convenient. I disliked the thought of scorning my savior, but the suspicion roiling in my gut would not relent.

"We need to talk."

Shadowy mist flowed. Setsuna's suit melted into a stylized fuku. "Yes, we do. But this is not the proper place for our discussion. If you would?"

Setsuna offered a gloved hand. I took it. Foreign energy pressed into me. I allowed the invasion. Magic spread through my body then jerked. Internal organs were wrenched to the side. Darkness. They were wrenched back.

Solid ground hit my feet. Pain shot through my shin. I wobbled, but held my balance.

Gone was Setsuna's mansion. In its place was a sea of fog. Gray mist rolled around my waist, so thick that I could see only a few meters distant. The ground was an abyss. Frozen void. The darkest region of space rendered solid then cast as a floor.

The featureless hollow stretched on for forever. Only one object broke the expanse. A giant, ornate door was set between marble pillars. The portal was thrown open. Rather than a path, it showed an image. The colors were crisp even in the dense mist. A city bustled, dwarfed by a crystal palace. Sunlight twinkled off the structure, shedding heavenly beauty on the inhabitants.

"That is...?" I asked, taking in the sight.

"A future," Setsuna answered. "One of many. One unlikely to occur." A hint of amusement teased Setsuna's lips. "Enough of that matter. You have questions, Ranma-kun. Questions you would not feel comfortable asking in front of Hotaru."

"You got that right," I said. "I have a bucket full of them. And you, sure as hell, better have answers."

I glared at the woman, my fingers drumming along Gungnir's haft. A warning of how ugly things could get if Setsuna played me for the fool.

"Of course," Setsuna replied. "But before we begin."

The green haired woman tapped her staff against solid void. From nothingness sprang a table and chairs. Setsuna slipped into her seat, a figure of elegance. She set her key shaped staff at her side.

"What's this? The cafe all over again?" I derided. I grabbed a chair and dropped in. It felt good to get off my broken leg.

"I apologize for the lack of refreshments," Setsuna said. "This place provides neither food nor drink, and I did not think ahead to procure them."

"Like hell you didn't," I grunted in reply. "Now talk. Last time we met, you knew I would be captured, didn't you?"

"Yes," Setsuna answered with a light gesture. "That outcome was a certainty."

I slammed my hands on the table and leaned forward. "Then why the hell didn't you say anything!"

Setsuna didn't blink. "Because doing so would have been pointless."

"Pointless?" I growled. I stood. My body quivered with barely suppressed rage. "Do you know what they did to me? If I had known-"

"You would not have believed," Setsuna interrupted. Her words were clear and crisp. "The boy I met did not wish to hear such words. My warning would have fallen on deaf ears."

"That-" Was true. Knowing it did not make it better. My hands gouged the edge of the table, splintering wood with their unconstrained strength. "You could have told me to turn back after meeting Chiyo," I spat. "I would have understood that."

Setsuna rose from her seat. She lifted her staff high. The garnet sphere at the crux of the heart glowed with malevolent fire. Thud. The world shuddered. The door rumbled, the sound of stone shifting on stone. The image cast by the portal changed.

Four figures fled Chiyo. Two more joined the retreat. A battle raged, six against one. To that was added the might of Uranus and Neptune. Our victory looked inevitable. Then, all at once, everything changed. From empty earth sprang an ocean of vines. All paths were sealed. Artemis sauntered onto the field, flanked by her Valkyrie Gondul.

When I did not to come to her, she came to me.

"The Institute, Ranma-kun, is Artemis's realm. She felt your first foot step. She waited so as to witness your capacity. The others she cared nothing for. You were her prize."

Setsuna's eyes glinted in the darkness. "The path you chose was the best one. The others vary only in the number of lives lost. Hikaru, Syaoran, Fumio, and rarely, Mamoru. If luck was with us, two of the four would live."

I slumped into my seat, my strength sucked away. My greatest mistake. To think, knowledge made no difference. In a way, it was a relief. Now that I knew, I could forgive myself. My foolish pursuit of Akane had not been wrong.

But that feeling lasted mere moments. A lie. Setsuna showed me a lie. The image I saw brought too much relief. It was too easy for her to pick the things she wanted me to see. What other futures were there? What did Setsuna hide from my eyes?

My hands curled into fists. "You think you can trick me like this? You think that, after seeing one image, everything will be alright? You knew," I accused. "You let this happen."

Setsuna waved her staff. The door slid closed. The green haired woman settled into her chair, a sad smile crossing her lips. "Knowing matters less than you imagine, Ranma-kun. I am but one woman. There are limits to what I can do."

I scowled. I didn't want to believe her. No. This went beyond denial. What I needed was someone to blame. Someone to hit and punch. The Institute had left me full of rage and frustration. I needed release.

"How long have you been working with Chiyo?" I demanded.

"Ah," Setsuna said. "Finally you ask an important question. The answer is the obvious one. From the beginning."

"And what does that mean?" I growled. My eyes were narrowed slits hunting the slightest deception.

"It means exactly what you think it means, Ranma-kun," Setsuna answered. "Chiyo-chan met you at my request. I sent her to that rooftop to ensure you would not fall into the Institute's hands."

So that was why. Slowly, the pieces started to fall into place. Chiyo's first battle with Gondul. Hikaru's presence at the table. He must have known about the alliance. Like Chiyo, Hikaru had been on that roof to meet me.

But things had not gone as planned. Chiyo had played her own game.

"Fat lot of good that did," I snorted. "Chiyo was more interested in shoving me into her cocoon than providing protection."

"That was expected."

Goosebumps spread across my arms. "What?"

"I said that was expected, Ranma-kun." Setsuna gave an icy smile. "Chiyo is a woman with an unceasing hunger for power. To place before her an important piece is to ensure she will seize it."

"You... you wanted that?"

"Oh yes," Setsuna answered. "It was of the utmost importance that you were subject to Chiyo's cocoon. In all other paths, tenki remained beyond your reach. A disastrous future, I assure you.

"I did take preventative measures," she added. "It would have been quite unfortunate had Chiyo's betrayal born fruit. That was why I tipped off Gondul. I must say, seeing you escape on your own was quite the surprise. For a moment, I feared my plans had gone awry." Setsuna's smile was oddly pleased.

"You've been manipulating me." My hands began to shake uncontrollably.

"Didn't you know?" Setsuna asked. "I did try to make it obvious."

Crash! The table split in two. I stood over the woman, my eyes smoldering. "You knew I would be caught. That was the point wasn't it?" I accused.

With a slow, dainty motion, Setsuna clapped her hands. "How astute. Though your deduction would have been more impressive had you reached it without my lead."

I seized Setsuna's collar and ripped her from the chair. "Do you think this is a game? You ruined my life!"

Setsuna's reply was ice. "No, Ranma-kun. This is not a game. This is a war. You should take care to remember that." The woman jerked her collar free, unfazed by the attack. "And there is a misconception I must correct. It was you who chose to go to the Institute. Do not blame me for your decision."

"Don't you dare throw this on me!" I roared. "You set me up. You, goddamn set me up. Do you know what they did to me? Do you?"

I grabbed Setsuna arm and threw her to the ground. The woman crashed into solid fog. I stomped after her, impervious to pain. I towered over Setsuna's body, filled with uncontrollable rage.

"You may as well have done it yourself," I spat.

With an insufferable smile, Setsuna pulled herself to her feet. "Ah, but Ranma-kun, you knew I was manipulating you. You knew I did not have your best interests in mind. I made quite certain of that. And still you made your choice."

"That wasn't a choice!"

"Of course it was," she contradicted, her glacial voice touched by scorn. Setsuna adjusted her fuku. "Tell me, Ranma-kun, do you know what fate is?"

"Don't preach to me," I growled.

Setsuna continued. "Events are like rain drops. One can never know where they might fall. But one doesn't have to. Do you know why, Ranma-kun? Because every time it rains all the water ends up in the same place."

"Shut up," I demanded. I looked away and did my best to ignore her. If Setsuna kept talking there was no telling what I would do. "Shut up and take me home."

Thud!

Setsuna's staff slammed into the ground. Doors emblazoned with the phases of the moon exploded open. Colorless gray flared with light. A thousand images filled the void. Everywhere I looked, I saw myself. Epic battles were fought and lost. An endless litany of defeats. Again and again the Institute crushed my body then dragged my corpse into its tomb-like walls.

"Fate, Ranma-kun, is a river," Setsuna proclaimed. "Just as water gathers into streams, so too does this world cause events to pass. Fate is the tilt of this world. It is physics. It is culture. It is the reflection cast by our selves.

"Gaze, Ranma-kun, into the kaleidoscope of time. See the shape of your destiny, and know that your suffering was inescapable. The sequence was set before your born. Artemis, whose vengeance could not be swayed. The Institute that she bore. Your father and his quest for perfection. Jusenkyo that twisted your form.

When you set foot in Nerima, the result becomes inevitable. You are too perfect for Artemis's intent. And so she chooses you for her experiment. And what do you do, Ranma-kun, when faced with an unbeatable foe? You fight. Such is your nature. The result is what you see. Death and destruction."

Lies. They were lies. I refused to listen. I closed my eyes so I would not see. But the images had already burned their way into my brain. I knew my flaws. I knew my strength. The result of me meeting the Institute was unquestionable. I would be defeated. I would be destroyed.

There could be no other outcome.

"The future isn't set," I hissed. "It can be changed. There are always to paths to victory. Don't lie to me!"

"And you are right, Ranma-kun. The future can be changed. Fate can be denied. All that is required is a choice."

Flop. A manila envelope hit the floor. I stared, riveted in place. I remembered the cafe. I remembered the choice Setsuna had offered.

"It is easy, is it not, the choice that changes everything? All you had to do was walk away. That was the price fate demanded."

My vision burned. The word 'retreat' was scrawled in purple pen, but to my eyes it was fire. You chose, the folder mocked. I trembled, hatred bubbling up within me. I kicked. The folder skittered into the darkness, white notes fluttering through the fog.

"That wasn't a choice," I said. My voice quivered, caught between confused emotions. "I could never walk away."

"And that, Ranma-kun, is fate."

Brilliant images faded into gray. The gates closed once more. I stood in the darkness, silent. My mind was consumed by that simple choice. The folder was scattered, but the memory remained. Always the answer stayed the same. Retreat was not an option. Had I taken that path, I would never have been able to forgive myself. And what kind of life would that be?

A better one, a traitorous part of my mind whispered.

Slowly, I dragged my eyes from the fog. I found Setsuna. Rage and frustration stirred. I felt as though I would explode at any moment. I was scared of it. Terrified that I would do something I could never take back.

"Is that all?" I whispered. "Please tell me you aren't hiding anything else."

Setsuna's garnet eyes flickered. "I regret, Ranma-kun, that there is still one more question you need to ask."

"Heh," I snorted a sick laugh. My guts twisted on themselves. "And what would that be? Did you murder Pop while I was gone?"

Setsuna gave a morbid smile. "Oh? I thought for sure it would have crossed your mind. The question of Furinkan."

From the beginning. I went numb. Feeling drained away. Red ate my vision.

"Hikaru shouldn't have been late," I whispered, my voice growing louder. "He should have been there, waiting. Why wasn't he there? Why did he show up when it was already too late!?"

My shout echoed through the void. The scene played in my mind. The white van punched through the Furinkan's gate. Speakers blared. Five minutes. Five minutes faster and Akane would be free.

"A hook," Setsuna explained, "to ensure events took the most optimal path."

My fist slammed into Setsuna's face.

Her body twisted through the air before tumbling across the ground. Mist seethed around her. I was blind. Pain was gone. Feeling was gone. Thinking was gone. Kill her. The desire tore through me. Should I even try to deny it?

"Stand," I commanded.

Setsuna staggered to her knees. With my right hand, I smashed her down.

"Get up. Get up and fight!"

Setsuna moved too slow. Furious, I kicked her in the ribs. Gasping, she fell again. Angrily, I paced. Back and forth. Back and forth. Damn it, why wasn't she standing? Why wasn't she fighting?

"I said fight me!"

But Setsuna did not fight. Deliberately, she stood. Her face was a shadowed mess, darkened by broken capillaries. The injury melted away. Shuken cured her wounds. The sight made me sick.

I stomped forward and raised a fist. I held it there, trembling. I could not make myself swing. The heat had faded. I could no longer strike a woman who refused to fight back.

And Setsuna knew it.

My fury became ice. I turned away and seized Gungnir. The deadly spear quivered in my grasp, alive and eager. I aimed the point at Setsuna's heart.

"Fight me or I kill you."

She laughed. "Try a better lie, Ranma-kun. We both know that is not in your nature."

Red swallowed everything. I heaved back. Gungnir lay suspended in my hand. I lurched forward-

-And slammed the spear into the ground.

"Stop manipulating me!"

I screamed it into her face. Setsuna remained unshakable.

"No."

My teeth ground. My body was a ball of rage. Denied my outlet, I ripped the spear free and stomped back to my chair. Lances of pain shot through my shin with every step. I hardly cared.

I sat. The chair's frame cracked.

"Why?"

Setsuna swept back to her seat. All signs of violence had vanished. Even the broken table was restored.

"I needed a senshi," she answered.

I slumped, frustrated and exhausted. "A senshi. Don't you have a whole team of them?"

I set Gungnir against the table. I was half afraid of what I would do if Setsuna said the wrong thing. I was half hoping she would.

"One of Artemis's senshi," Setsuna clarified. "Tell me, Ranma-kun, what would happen if Artemis died-" Snap! Setsuna's finger flickered over her thumb. "-just like that?"

"The world would be a happier place?" I grumbled.

I didn't want to think. I didn't want to understand. I didn't want to face the complexity of the world. I wanted black to be black and white to be white. No shades of gray. Good and evil. Heroes and villains.

But my brain betrayed me. The Director's dreams are my dreams. A phrase burned into my head. The Institute, I had once observed, was a demon. A demon that ate girls. Kamiko, Akina, and the others would keep moving forward even without Artemis. Ceaselessly, they would throw girls into the furnace as though they were fuel.

The Institute would devour the world.

"You understand, don't you, Ranma-kun," Setsuna said. "What Artemis has built is a doomsday machine. A stoppable one, thankfully. But suppose, Ranma-kun, that we did stop it. Suppose, for a moment, that all the girls were within our grasp."

I stared at the table, tracing the grain with my eyes. I knew the answer. I knew what had to be done. But I didn't want to say it.

"Compassion is the conceit of the strong," Setsuna continued. "And we are weak. We have no prisons to hold them. They will not falter in their quest. Given such a scenario, there is only one solution. We must kill them all."

"It is not their fault," I mumbled.

Akane. Emiko. Myself. How many of those girls were innocent? I, who had broken, could not fault them for breaking. Even Kamiko. Could I honestly say that her crimes belonged to her?

"You are correct. It is not their fault," Setsuna agreed. "Sadly, this world cares little for such things."

A pathetic laugh escaped me. I knew better than anyone how little the world cared. How many crimes had I carried that did not belong to me? It was easy to blame whoever was most convenient. Ha. Was I any different? Hating Setsuna for what Artemis had done?

Yes, those girls were not at fault. But fault did not matter. If all lives are equally precious, then humans can be treated as numbers. Two hundred or two thousand? It was basic arithmetic. An arithmetic that hid horror beyond comprehension.

But that did not mean the arithmetic was wrong.

"You say fate can be denied," I stated. My eyes were closed. I wanted to vomit. I wanted to swallow the words that came next. But I couldn't. Not any more. "So, what do I have sacrifice? What is the price to make things right?"

"A heroic offer," Setsuna observed. "But you need not fear, Ranma-kun, for your price is almost paid. That sin belongs to me. Without asking, I traded two for two-hundred."

"So that was the reason." I leaned back and stared into the infinite void.

I wanted to say: why didn't you ask? But I already knew that was a pointless question. Setsuna didn't ask because, had she, I would have laughed in her face. Back then, I had no intention of being a hero. I fought the Institute to save my friends.

"...almost paid," I murmured. "So what else do I have to give up?"

"Everything and nothing," Setsuna answered cryptically.

I scowled. "Just tell me, damn it."

Setsuna stood and pushed her chair aside. "If I answer that question, Ranma-kun, you will do what must be done. But, in doing so, you will have made yourself my tool. An act you will regret," Setsuna said. "So, I leave it to you to find the path."

I gave a skeptical look. Setsuna ignored me. Instead she waved her staff, vanishing the table.

"I trust you will see Hotaru in the morning," she said. "Big things are coming. If you are to play your part, you will need to be in the best of health."

I grabbed Gungnir and pulled myself to my feet. My shin sang a sonnet of pain. The last few minutes had not been kind to it.

"I'm not using the squirt."

Setsuna's eyes were sharp. "If Hotaru knew you were trading the lives of hundreds for a few days of her comfort, she would not forgive you. Nor, I believe, would you forgive yourself. You will see her in the morning. Do not fear. I will make myself scarce."

I grunted, but said nothing.

Setsuna offered her hand.

I gave a final glare. "Don't think I've forgiven you. As far as I'm concerned, you've got hell to pay."

Setsuna's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Of course, Ranma-kun. I would never presume such a thing."

With that, we were swept away.

-oOo-

Click.

"-a warzone out here. This is as close as they will let us get. As you can see from the buildings behind me-"

Click.

"-the opposition party has issued a call for the immediate dissolution of the Pretty Princess Institute. It isn't clear yet whether-"

Click.

"-dozens dead and thousands missing. And the rescue efforts have just begun. The death toll is expected to-"

Click.

"-And we stop now to focus on a more personal tragedy. Two reporters killed in a helicopter crash while bravely-"

Click.

"-this was why the Institute was created. Our Nation stands ready. We will not bow. We will not break. We will defeat this terrible foe. To those who died today, we will deliver justice!

"As for those cowards in the Diet who abuse this nation's trust to further their political aims? I say to them-"

Click.

The television went black, silencing Artemis's speech.

"Hey, could you go back a few channels?" I asked.

Ukyou jumped. The startled girl twisted in place. Her big brown eyes focused on me, not believing.

"Ranchan?" she asked.

"Yo," I answered.

I was leaning against the back of an old beat up couch. The sun had set an hour ago. I had used the fading light to clean myself up. Gone was the torn dress. To replace it, I had found a pair of loose pants and a plain blue shirt.

I missed my old kung-fu outfit already. These clothes, while similar, were not the same. I felt as though normality was just out reach. I told myself that would change. I was a man again. Not for minutes, but for as long as I wanted. The nightmare was over.

"What are you-" Ukyou stumbled to a pause. Her face did strange acrobatics. Then, all at once, she threw herself over the couch.

She didn't quite make it.

The couch wobbled when Ukyou's leg clipped the top. Her flying hug turned into a tumbling flop. I caught her. Or maybe she caught me. The brown haired girl crushed me in her arms.

"Ranchan. I was starting to think I would never see you again then – bam – there you were, standing right behind me." Ukyou drew away the slightest bit. Her eyes narrowed. "What were you thinking, sneaking in without saying anything?"

I patted her on the back. "I said something. I said 'could you go back a few channels'."

Ukyou pulled away. With a weak hand, she slapped me. "That is not something," she scolded. Her irritation faded into a humored smile. "Ha. And no frills this time. Already back the same old Ranchan."

My brow twitched. What was wrong with frills? Frills were cute. As a girl, there was no reason I shouldn't have a few-

I shuddered. Those were not my thoughts. Those were Akina's thoughts. Or maybe Shizue's. I, Ranma Saotome, hated frills. I repeated that thought as though to undo Kamiko's brainwashing by substituting my own.

Sickness crawled up my throat. Instead of vanishing, my feelings became twisted. The dueling thoughts coiled about themselves to form a poisonous knot at the bottom of my stomach.

Ukyou's joy faded in worry. "Are you okay, Ranchan?"

Breathe in. Breathe out. I forced myself to relax. While doing so, I took in my surroundings.

The warehouse was a big metal box, the ground cement, the walls aluminum sheet. From where I stood, there were two visible doors. A large, rolling, garage door meant for vehicles. A small, rectangular door designed for humans. The warehouse itself was divided by lengths of plywood. Sheets and bedding were thrown over the tops to act as shields against splinters. Dusty rugs ran over the floor, sheltering feet from the cold stone below.

It wasn't much, but the warehouse served its purpose. Girls were plucked from the PPI's grasp. Here they would stay. Sometimes for days. Sometimes for months. Then, when the time was right, they would be shipped to the safety of Hong Kong. There, Syaoran would provide more permanent residence.

We were in the 'living room' of the warehouse. It was a broad, open space at the building's front. Behind me was an empty parking spot, the former home of Hikaru's van. Ahead were a spattering of seats, tables, and shelves. A couch faced the lonely, small screened television.

"Ranchan?" Ukyou probed again.

My eyes snapped back to her. "What are you doing here anyway?" I asked.

Ukyou peered at me a while longer. Eventually, she relented. "It wasn't like I could go back to my shop. And I wasn't going to wig out like the other girls either." Ukyou shook her head in disgust. "Can you believe it? You pull their asses out of the fire and not one, not a single one, sticks around to help."

I could believe it. A month in the Institute was more than anyone could bear. Those girls? Well, they had been exactly that, girls. Not fighters. Not martial artists. Just random girls. When Ukyou and I had been on the road, cold and hungry, they had been cooped up in warm homes. When I had been evading death, they had endured the fear of exams.

It wasn't fair to hold those girls to my standard.

"Far as I'm concerned, those girls had the right idea," I voiced. "Maybe you should join them."

"Ranchan, you aren't seriously telling me to run away?" Ukyou growled.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Ucchan, the Institute-"

"I know what the Institute is like, Ranchan," Ukyou shot back. "I was there, remember. Agony isn't the kind of thing a girl forgets."

"Ucchan-"

"Don't start that with me," Ukyou warned. "I'm not Akane. I'm not going to run off and do something stupid. But I refuse to be dead weight."

Ukyou glared to make sure I got the message. I tightened my fists and glared back. In the end, it was I who backed off. Ukyou knew her limits. She was cool headed enough to step out when the danger got hot.

Unlike Akane. Unlike me.

"I hear you, Ucchan. I just...," I trailed off, searching for the right words. "I don't want to see you go through what I went through."

"Don't worry, Ranchan. I'll be careful," Ukyou said with a soft smile. "Besides, compared to your adventures, mine are nothing. Yeesh, I should have known it was you when I saw the tornado. Must have been one hell of a fight."

"Yeah, that was me alright." I grimaced at the memory. Torn buildings. Flying cars. Sirens all around. "Hell was the right word, too."

Ukyou's expression dropped. "You can't blame yourself, Ranchan. I know you did your best to keep it clean. You always do. But, when someone strong throws down, it isn't as if you can pull your punch."

The guilt refused to flee. Dozens dead. Thousands missing. Most of those were Chiyo's fault. But I didn't think before tossing that tornado out. A major technique like that? There was no telling how much damage it had done. How many people had I killed today?

I shook my head and changed the subject. "Hey, Ucchan. You hear from Mom and Pop?"

"The Saotomes?" she asked. "They ducked out, Sugar. I don't know where, but I bet Hikaru does. Just a second." Ukyou poked her head into a makeshift hall. "Hey Hikaru!"

Hikaru stepped out of a side room. The salary man had a button up shirt thrown over his bare shoulder. With a lazy strut, he walked closer. He stopped a few paces away and scratched the stubble on his chin.

"You called?" he asked.

Ukyou pulled back, startled. Her head snapped to the side.

"Why is everyone is sneaking up on me today?" she grumbled. She made a thumbing notion toward me. "Hikaru, Ranchan wants to know where the Tendo's took off to."

"Hecate disappeared them," Hikaru said. "Didn't ask where." He let out a slow yawn. "Konatsu is firing up your grill again. Thought you'd like to know."

"That idiot," Ukyou growled. "How many times have I told him..." The brown haired girl shot me a look. "Sorry, Ranchan. I've got to run."

Ukyou flashed a smile then dashed off amongst the wooden panels. "Konatsu. when I get my hands on you-"

The voice trailed off, stifled by the nooks and crannies. I laughed, joy bubbling from my chest. I felt refreshed. It was good to see the simple things again.

Hikaru settled on the couch's back. I continued leaning against it.

"If you say 'I told you so', I'll knock your block off," I warned.

Hikaru offered a lazy grin. "And I would have it coming." The blond's smile vanished. "Glad you made it out. Not many do."

I looked away and grunted. "More luck than skill."

Hikaru slapped me on the back. Hard. "Give yourself some credit, kid. Skill makes luck."

"Not enough of it," I murmured in answer.

I shook my head. Enough depressing thoughts. Instead, I faced Hikaru. The sandy haired man looked tired and worn. It was hard to be angry. Hikaru had been a friend from the beginning. But 'the beginning' had new meaning these days.

"You weren't surprised I was here," I observed. "How much did you know?"

Hikaru's smile turned sheepish. The man scratched his chin and looked away. "Probably not as much as you think. But I can put two and two together."

My eyes narrowed. "About Chiyo? The Institute?"

"Whoa," Hikaru said. He waved his hands defensively. "Chiyo, yeah. I knew about her. I was Hecate's go between. The Institute," Hikaru grimaced. "Can't say I did. I suspected something was up. But I never asked what."

"You never asked?" I growled.

Hikaru sighed. "Kid. I have been running this gig for a long time. I know how Hecate plays her game. And I know I won't like how she plays it. So I don't ask." Hikaru shook his head. "Tell you what. If you want a free shot, take it."

Hikaru cocked his head to the side, offering his cheek. My hand curled into a fist. Sickness curdled inside me while I trembled on the threshold of decision. Finally, I tore my eyes away. I had enough of hitting people who wouldn't fight back. Setsuna had deserved it a hell of a lot more.

A smile peeked through my gloom. "I think I'll take a rain check on that," I teased.

"Hey! It's use it or lose it," Hikaru cried.

My eyes narrowed. "You waffling on me?" I threatened. "Cause, when I think about it, I haven't gotten back at you for the sewers."

"Come on, man," Hikaru pleaded. "That was an honest mistake."

I wagged a finger, unable to hide my grin. "I'm not the guy backing out on a man-to-man promise."

"Electrocute a guy once and he will never let you forget it," Hikaru complained. His joking tone vanished. "Sorry about before."

I frowned. "Sorry about what?"

"About being a jerk," Hikaru explained. The sandy-haired man slid off the couch. He meandered across the room then settled on a table. "This gig ain't easy, kid. Some days it feels like I'm throwing pebbles at a giant. I keep count, you know, of the girls I've saved. That is how I stay sane. When I lose one, the count goes down. That is the worst feeling."

My eyes dropped. Hikaru's warnings were like ghosts. Why had I ignored him? Why did I shoot off my mouth time and again? It was me who had been mistaken.

"It wasn't like you were wrong," I answered quietly.

"Yeah, well, I didn't have to be a jerk about it," Hikaru said. He paused before continuing in a soft voice. "Kid, I know I am stepping over the line here, but you should to talk to someone."

Anger flared. With a hop, I was off the couch and facing the blond. "Don't go there. I don't even want to think about the Institute right now."

Hikaru sighed. "I get it. I get it. But, kid, holding this kind of shit in will mess you up. Believe me. I have seen it." The man's gaze drifted to the warehouse's metal ceiling. "I know a few guys. Professionals. The kind that won't ask stupid questions."

"I don't need a shrink," I growled. "As far as I'm concerned, the whole thing never happened."

Except it did happen. My jaw clenched and my mind was on edge. With tense fear, I awaited the agony that punished my manhood. It never came. But the tension would not leave.

And that wasn't all.

My skin felt as though it were two sizes too small. I didn't fit in this body anymore. Most likely, I never would. My mind had been warped. My soul had been twisted. The Institute had changed me, and I had changed myself.

There was no going back. Deep down, I knew it. But, if only for a little while, I wanted to hold on to the illusion it could.

"I'm not going to push, kid, but my offer stands. Hell, if you change your mind five years from now, I'll still help," Hikaru said. "But, kid, you have to let it go. It might sound vile, but everyone changes. Life moves on. Shit. When you get right down to it, that's a good thing. If not, the two of us would still be sucking on our mothers' teats."

"You want me me to give up?" I said, disbelieving. "To let the Institute win?"

"That's not it."

Hikaru stopped for a while, his face twisting into a grimace. I didn't interrupt his thoughts. Instead, I waited in silence. Eventually, the older man let out a sigh.

"I guess what I am trying to saying is: don't waste your life chasing after the past. Look to the future," he explained. "Find in yourself all the good shit and hold onto that. Don't ever let it go. And I'm not talking about love, happiness, or any of that crap either. When I say 'good shit' I mean the things that make you a good person. A person you can be proud being. All the rest?" Hikaru's expression twisted and he shrugged. "Let it fall where it may."

I snorted. "That is easy for you to say."

"It ain't easy, kid," Hikaru said with worn laugh. "It never is. But, ask yourself this: will the world end if you wear a skirt instead of slacks? Hell. You could say the same about liking boys instead of girls. That shit is small potatoes."

My eyes narrowed, but Hikaru lifted a forestalling hand.

"It's not what you're thinking, kid. What I'm saying is, a man has only got so much energy. You burn it holding onto meaningless crap and you won't have any left for the things that matter."

"So I should save it all for the 'good shit'?"

"Yeah," Hikaru said, nodding wisely. "The good shit."

I settled back onto the couch. Swinging my legs, I leaned back as far as was safe. "Small potatoes," I murmured. "Guess I never thought of it that way."

I lifted a hand. Five strong digits. With them, I could tear through iron. A month in the Institute had softened my hand. Tenki had worked its magic, reshaping my body in its delicate image. Nails poked over the tips, feminine additions to a manly appendage.

Who was I?

But maybe that was the wrong question. I was young. People change. For me, it was hard to imagine the future. Mostly because I had never sought one. For all my life, I had been content to let Pop railroad me into his vision.

Not that I would admit that out loud.

So, who did I want to be? No. That, too, was the wrong question. Adults lied to children. They told them they could be anything. Reality was crueler. Humans were born with loves, talents, and hatreds. Those things shaped us. I was a master of the martial arts because those factors had aligned. A love for competition. Talent for combat. A hatred for losing. It was that combination that drove me. Without every one of those, I would never have reached the same heights.

Who could I be? That was the right question.

The problem was, I didn't know. My nature had changed. It terrified me. I was scared of changing and scared of staying the same. There was no path forward or back. But should I be scared? In all my life, I had never thought to myself: I want a different favorite color. My favorite was my favorite. That was it. There was no rhyme nor reason to it.

Life did not ask what we want to like. Cruelly, it shoved new truths down our throats. For young boys girls were icky. Then, suddenly, they were interesting. Such was the callousness of biology.

So why was I worrying about these things now?

My hand tightened into a fist.

I was Ranma Saotome, the best damn martial artist the world had ever seen. I would stand and fight, no matter how strong my foes, no matter how stupid the battles, no matter how foolish my fate. I did not walk away then. I would not walk away now.

Hikaru was right. Holding onto that was important. Everything else? Small potatoes.

"You are right," I admitted, more to myself than him. "Not sure I can pull it off, though. I want to fight. I want to win. Letting myself change, saying it doesn't matter, it feels like I am giving up."

"Kid, you don't have to find all your answers now," Hikaru laughed. He motioned at himself. "Look at me. I still don't know who I am, much less who I want to be. Hell, I bet most people die of old age without answering that question."

"I'd like to figure it out sooner than that," I joked back. A small smile teased my lips. It was quick to vanish. "Do you trust her?"

Hikaru paused for a second then realized the subject had changed. "Hecate?" he asked. "Kid, the thing you've got to know about Hecate is: she's big picture only. You? Me? We are pieces on her board. She'll throw us away in the blink of an eye."

"I figured that much," I retorted. "Do you trust her?"

Hikaru gave a guarded look and said nothing.

"Damn it, Hikaru, don't start that 'I've got to protect you from yourself' crap again," I warned.

"Shit," Hikaru complained. "Yeah, I trust her. I don't like the way Hecate does things, but I've never disagreed with her results."

"So you do what she says," I filled in.

Hikaru gave a weak shrug. "An army needs a general. Hecate is not the nicest one, but she knows her shit." Hikaru paused, his eyes searching. "Kid, I don't know what Hecate has dragged you into. Hell, I don't want to know. But don't get in a rush to throw your life away. That woman's plans have plans. We'll do fine without you."

I glanced at Hikaru. The sandy-haired man was thirty, at best. In the eyes of this world, he was barely an adult.

"You are not a whole lot older than me, Hikaru," I replied. "Maybe you should follow your own advice."

"Ha," Hikaru laughed. "You've got a point there, kid. But don't worry about me. Stories like mine. They don't end well."

Bound by the red shackles of fate. The words hit me in remembrance. Hikaru was tied to Chiyo by bonds of magical love. It was hard to imagine. Those two were night and day. How does a story end when a good man loves a woman of irredeemable evil?

Badly.

I closed my eyes and looked away. I couldn't pick up Hikaru's burden. I was already weighed down by my own.

Hikaru hopped off the table and strode over to the television. "I don't know about you, but I've had enough of this heavy shit. Let's have some fun. Take your pick. We've got books and booze, a TV that picks up ten channels, and a Famicom."

With a lopsided smile, Hikaru plucked a plastic gun off the shaggy carpet. A black cord stretched from the device to connect to a box shaped machine. "I challenge you to a game of Duckhunt," he said with dead seriousness.

I laughed. "You're on, buddy."

-oOo-

"I am Ranma Saotome."

I spoke the words. My reflection echoed them back.

Gorgeous, blue eyes were tinged with invasive amethyst. Long, red hair brushed the blades of my shoulders. Light makeup accentuated the features of my face. In the silver, I saw a girl, pretty and feminine.

It wasn't me.

I wanted to say that. But, in many ways, this sight was familiar. Often I had glimpsed this face. The cuteness contest against Tsubasa. The disguises used to outwit Ryouga. Time spent teaching Copy-chan.

Ranma, the girl.

But, back then, she had been an illusion. A mask to be donned then removed. Today the reflection was real.

I had snuck out at dawn, too embarrassed to let others know of my decision and yet too driven to back down. While I was out, I encountered Hotaru. The young girl had speared me with her silent glares. No words had been spoken. We had sat in silence while she healed my leg.

And what was there to say? Sorry about smacking your mom? I wasn't sorry. She had it coming? Hotaru did not understand my frustration, and, no matter my anger, I could not ruin her relationship. My suffering was not a weight to be placed on the shoulders of a child.

So we parted ways. To here, I returned. That was how I came to be in front of a mirror, dressed as a girl.

Curiously, I bundled my hair between my hands. I lifted the tufts so that it fell to either side of my head in short ponytails. The image, drawn from my megami no ooi, tore a hole in my heart. I felt the sick gap yawning wide. Did I hate this? Did I love this? My emotions were so twisted by the fear of losing myself that I could not tell one from the other.

I shuddered and let go. The locks cascaded down my back.

"Later," I promised myself. I would force myself to try that style. Then I would keep it until I understood my feelings.

Set in my resolve, I plucked a length of plain, black ribbon from the table. With it, I tied my hair back in a loose pony tail. I eyed my reflection. I was wearing a short, black skirt, thigh high socks, and a red top. It was, in a way, a copy of the clothes I had favored as a man.

"What am I doing?"

My reflection did not answer.

But it didn't need to. Hikaru's words had sunk in. Not because he spouted wisdom, but because his words were already my own. I had killed Denial. In doing so, I had set my vow in stone. The girl reflected was Ranma Saotome. That was truth.

I knew it. But knowing was not enough. I needed to embraceit.

To me, the Institute had been Hell. The flames it cast had devoured me. I was a ruined, molten lump. I could wallow in that loss forever, dreaming of better days, trying to be what I no longer was. Or I could move forward, take what the Institute had left, and forge myself anew.

It was an easy choice to make and a hard one to carry out. To move forward, I had to cast aside my prejudice. It was terrifying, to willfully change myself in ways I had resisted. Male or female? No longer of consequence. Pretty or Plain? An irrelevant detail. For a sword, only one thing mattered. Did it cut?

I, Ranma Saotome, would be sharper than ever.

Martial Artist. That was the core of my soul. My skill and strength were my greatest gifts. My unshakable resolve was my most potent feature. I would rise from the ashes. The Institute had thought to destroy me. Instead, it had made me stronger.

That was my will. With eyes of iron, I glared at my reflection. The pretty girl gazed back, undaunted by her future.

"I am Ranma Saotome."

Knock. Knock.

I jerked. My heart thudded heavy in my chest. I sucked in a breath and laughed at my nervousness.

I glanced at the mirror. Girl. Embarrassment filtered through me. I forced it down. With squared shoulders, I marched to the door and threw it open.

Ukyou. The brown haired girl lowered her hand.

"Ranchan?" Ukyou blinked a few times. "Why are you a girl?"

My eyes narrowed. I didn't want to talk about this right now. It was hard enough to make myself travel this road. I didn't need other people butting in and thrusting their own thoughts and feelings amongst mine.

"I felt like it," I said.

"You're wearing a skirt," she observed.

I nearly growled. Nonchalant was not going to work. I switched to vapid cuteness. I twirled on my toe, letting Ukyou see my entire outfit.

"Well? What do you think?" I said, offering a pretty smile.

Ukyou let out a short laugh. "It isn't you." The girl's humor faded quickly. "Ranchan, are you feeling okay?"

"Not me?" I said, innocently. "Oh my. I wonder where I went wrong? Oh! It's the shoes isn't it? I knew I should have worn heels. Flats are so unflattering."

"Ranchan, stop avoiding the question," Ukyou snapped. "Why are you a girl?"

With a sigh, I abandoned my act. "I wanted to give it a try," I answered honestly. "Can we drop it, Ucchan? I don't want to talk about it."

"And since when did you start trying to be a girl," Ukyou demanded.

"Since now," I shot back. I jabbed my friend in the collar. "And what about you? Why are you here?"

I wasn't the only one acting odd. Ukyou, by habit, chose clothes from the masculine side of the gender gap. It wasn't uncommon for her to bind her ample breasts. Depending on her mood, it could be hard to tell Ukyou was a woman.

Today there was no question. Ukyou was a flower of womanhood. A beautiful, blue sundress graced her curves. Jewels sparkled in her ears. Heels bound her feet. The strange femininity was made all the odder by the bandoleer of shurikens thrown over her shoulder.

"Ranchan," Ukyou pushed. "If you need to-"

I glared. "Drop it."

"If you insist," she said. Ukyou took a deep breath. The girl straightened her posture then looked me in the eye. "I've got a huge favor to ask."

"Ucchan, I know I'm trying the girl thing, but don't you think it's a little early for fashion advice?" I teased.

Ukyou laughed. "And I was worried you had gone girly," Ukyou joked. "No. That isn't it, Ranchan. I need your help with tenki."

I froze. Suddenly, Ukyou's state of dress made sense.

"No."

"Ranchan-"

"No," I said again. My eyes were steel. "You are not ready, Ucchan. Tenki would kill you."

Irritation flashed across Ukyou's face. "Ranchan-" she growled

"I said no," I repeated stubbornly.

The girl stepped forward and shoved her face into mine. Her brown eyes were narrowed slits. "Ranchan, would you listen for just one second?"

I paused then reluctantly stepped back, inviting Ukyou into my room.

"You can talk," I said, showering her with my skepticism. "But, unless you have a damn good reason, the answer stays 'no'."

Bang! The thin, plywood door slammed closed. Ukyou stomped into the room. Once she was at the center, she whirled to face me.

"Ranchan, I'm asking because I need your help," she growled. Despite her obvious anger, she kept her voice even. "I know tenki is dangerous. I know it can kill me. That is why I came to you. Don't you get it? I'm trying to do this right."

I raised a brow. Silently, I conveyed my question: and this is supposed to change my mind?

"Don't give me that look," she snapped. "And don'tthink that I will sit this out either. I'm not waiting around for prince charming. I don't like being helpless, Ranchan. And, with the Institute running amok, you are not doing me a favor leaving me that way."

I sighed and sat on the edge of my bed, my knees pressed together. Ukyou had a point. Without tenki, she was an easy target. With it, Ukyou had a chance to defend herself. And, when it came down to it, I needed the fire power.

I sighed. "I get it, Ucchan. But what, exactly, am I supposed to do about it?" I asked. "If you can't tenki, you can't tenki." I shook my head. "What I did was stupid. I'm lucky to be alive. If I had collapsed anywhere but the Institute, I would probably be dead."

And that was the crux of it. Tenki was a fatal technique.

"You are not ready, Ucchan," I finished.

"You don't know that, Ranchan," Ukyou countered. "I've been preparing for this. I spent the last month purifying myself. It's the technique that is giving me trouble." Ukyou let out an exasperated breath. "I don't know how you did it. Shuken, haigeki, and a megami no ooi at the same time? While enduring a transformation? I can barely handle two at once."

I closed my eyes. Fine. I would give her a chance. A pair of glasses formed from thin air. I put them on. Aura mode flickered to life. The lenses painted Ukyou in a sheet of blue. Strips of ragged violet ran through her aura, a contamination driven deep by the folding of her spirit.

My expression faded. I couldn't dismiss her out of hand. But a mere aura wasn't an indication of readiness, either. I stood and turned aura mode off. I left the glasses in place. It felt right.

"Let me see your megami no ooi," I said.

Ukyou settled into a meditative pose. I watched, striding around her so as to see the aura from all angles. Her spirit formed slowly, a thin film of distorted air too weak to shed a glow.

A megami no ooi.

A weak one, far from perfection. Just by breathing, I exuded an aura that surpassed Ukyou's. But that was an improper measure. These days I could summon tenki as easy as breathing. Instead, I compared Ukyou's spirit against the memory of mine on the eve of my fist transformation. Was her beauty purer?

Yes. I grimaced. I had been wrong. Tenki was within Ukyou's reach.

She let out a breath. "That is the best I can do, Sugar. I can give haigeki and shuken a try. But my control is pretty shaky."

I nodded. A month of purifications would have prepared Ukyou's body. Tenki would be much less damaging to her than it had been to me. It might even be safe.

"You are close," I admitted. "A few months of ki training and you could pull it off. But, Ucchan, I am not seeing where I can help."

Ukyou stretched, easing the kinks from her limbs. "All I need, Ranchan, is a boost. You work your magic and hold my megami no ooi in place. I'll take care of the transformation. That's how they did it in the Institute. Or did you think they actually taught those girls enough to pull off tenki on their own?"

Now the Ukyou had mentioned it, the concept was obvious. Since I already had tenki, it was easy for me to put Ukyou's aura in a near perfect state. With that issue handled, Ukyou's would be free to concentrate on shuken and haigeki. If that didn't prove to be enough, I could give her a nudge to get her started.

It was an amazingly simple method. Using it, anyone with sufficient spiritual power could gain tenki. The only obstacle it left in place was teaching the girls how to use their spiritual power sufficiently well to handle the final step.

Of course, it came at a price. By using shuken, I imposed my concept of beauty. That, in turn, would warp Ukyou's megami no ooi, and thus her transformation.

If that was all, I would have said yes right then. But I was XT-11. A magical girl factory. Michiko had spent countless hours reshaping my spirit so that I would have the ability to forcefully generate magical girl slaves.

What if I slipped? What if I used that power on Ukyou? I didn't know how my magic worked. Without intending it, I could turn Ukyou into a toy. I didn't want that. I didn't want her to be bound to me like Emiko.

The thought alone made me want to vomit.

"Your tenki would be influenced by mine."

It was a weak argument. No. It was an excuse. I was afraid of my power. A fear that was unfounded. I would not make a mistake. There would be no accident. Magical girl magic was forged from fantasy. The user's intent was deeply interwoven. Enslaving Ukyou would not happen...

... unless I wanted it too.

My guts twisted further. The truth was revealed. What I feared was myself.

"Sugar, I'll admit I don't like your style. All that pink and frills? Ugh!" Ukyou said in disgust. "But I'm a girl. Cute won't kill me."

"Figured as much," I mumbled.

I stepped in front of Ukyou. Ki flowed over me in a blanket of violet light. Clothing warped. My shirt and skirt transformed into a pink dress. My hair split into a pair of satin pigtails. Tenki.

"Are you sure about this, Ucchan?" I asked. My voice was light and melodious. "Even if I help, you might die. My ki will poison your megami no ooi. The damage will be worse than if you did this on your own."

"I am ready, Ranchan," Ukyou said with determination. "If I could, I would have asked back at the Institute. That way I would have been at your side when you went to save Akane."

I gave a grim smile. "Good thing you didn't. You would have ended up like me."

Ukyou's smile was fierce. "Don't be so sure about that, Ranchan. An extra hand can make all the difference in the world."

I closed my eyes. Fool. Ukyou was stuck in my past. She did not comprehend how powerful the Institute was. Tenki would make her stronger, yes. Strong enough to overpower the majority of the Institute. But the Institute didn't have a power curve. It had a power cliff. Akina and Michiko stood head and shoulders above the rest. Chiyo, Gondul, and Artemis were titans looming over ants.

But Gondul was dead, and Chiyo had defected.

"So be it," I said. "But we are doing this my way. That means, until I say otherwise, your ass is mine. We train until you bleed. Then, I will train you some more. Got it?"

"Bring it, Sugar. I'll take your worst and beg for more," Ukyou challenged.

An evil smile spread across my lips. "You say that now," I whispered. "But, you've never been on one of Pop's training trips." I chuckled. The low, malevolent voice filled the room.

Ukyou's eagerness faded. The girl stepped back. "Uh, Ranchan?"

"Don't worry, Ucchan. I will take good care of you," I said sweetly. "Trust me."

-oOo-

Thwack! Crack! Gungnir flashed twice. The spear smashed across Ukyou's legs then crashed into her back. The girl hit the ground in a heap.

"Pathetic," I declared. "Try again."

I walked away without a backward glance. With a bored casualness, I jammed Gungnir in the grass. In my left hand, I held a textbook. It was that to which I devoted my attention. I had a month of classwork to catch up on. Yeah. It sounded insane, but the Institute had ground into me study habits. Habits I intended to keep.

Ukyou groaned then rose to her feet. Grass fell from her dress, the green stains fading. With heavy breaths, she brought her combat spatula into position. "Damn it, Ranma," she huffed. "Can you at least pretend to pay attention?"

I glanced up.

Ukyou wore an outfit of pink and lavender. The dress included a short skirt and a stitched on apron. Sparkling lace puffed from every gap. Her bare arms were garnished by ruffled wristlets, and her silky legs were wrapped in ribbon. Platform shoes, with blocky heels, capped Ukyou's feet. She looked like a fanciful idol dressed as a chef.

"I will when you give me something worth paying attention to," I replied. My eyes dropped to my textbook. I quirked my glasses then scribbled a note.

Exhausted, Ukyou set the tip of her spatula on the ground. She leaned on the handle while gathering her breath. "I am beginning to understand why Akane gets so frustrated," she muttered. "Okay, Ranchan, tell me what I'm doing wrong."

The book snapped closed. "Akane gets frustrated because she never asks that question," I replied. "What have you figured out?"

"You're faster than me and more skilled to boot?" Ukyou retorted. She pushed off the handle of her weapon then hefted it over a shoulder. "Other than that? My spatula's shoot lasers. No matter how many I throw, I always have more. Also, I can float about ten of them around me."

Nearly a dozen white bursts encompassed Ukyou. Small spatulas crystallized from thin air. They formed a floating arch. The curve started at Ukyou's left hip, swung over her head, then stopped on her right. Light glinted off the flats of the tools, bright enough to burn my eyes. Ten heat rays lanced across the field.

With elegant steps, I danced to the side. The beams cut black paths through the grass.

I gave Ukyou a sidelong look. The girl ignored me in favor of her tools.

"I wonder if I can use these to cook?" she mused. The spatulas dived forward and made flipping motions as though tending to imaginary food.

"Cooking?" I shook my head, hiding my laughter. "You get magic and the first thing you think about is food."

Ukyou pirouetted, glittery light sparkling around her. She stopped in a girlish pose, her right leg raised and her fingers held in the shape of a heart. "Magical chef Ucchan, ready to cook a dish full of love," she said with a wink and a giggle.

"Har har." I set a hand on my hip, my eyes stern. "That wasn't what I meant. I was asking if you had figured out how to break my defense."

Ukyou spread her arms. "I'm clueless, Ranchan. I wouldn't ask otherwise."

I frowned. "You can't see my aura flex?"

"Ranchan, I'm not a martial arts genius. I didn't spend the last ten years of my life on a training trip," Ukyou replied. "I'm good, but, Sugar, you're in a whole different league."

The gap between Ukyou and me, I had forgotten how big it was. To me, it felt as though I were a novice. The spiritual aspects of the art were something I had delved into recently. As Pop always said, the advanced stuff is for when you are old and wrinkly. He had a point. The basics of ki – reinforcement, awareness, and projection – came naturally as part of a good training regime. It was only when the spirit was strong and the senses attuned that advanced ki manipulation became possible.

Ukyou was only now stepping into the world where ki was a force bent to conscious will. She was like a child who had learned long division. The course I had set before her was calculus.

She couldn't make the intuitive leap. She didn't have the experience. She didn't have the background. Most important of all, she couldn't see what was staring her in the face.

"Sorry about that," I said.

I tapped the rims of my glasses while walking forward. The cursor cycled through modes until I found the right one. After that, I pulled the glasses off and shoved them onto Ukyou's face.

"Better?" I asked.

Ukyou squinted, her eyes straining to see through the lenses. Blobs of transparent violet covered the glass. I didn't envy her. Aura mode had been built for science, not combat. This variation was particularly sensitive. It would leave her all but blind.

"Violet means magical girl," I explained. "Ki excites nearby air molecules. The glasses pick up the electro-magnetic emissions. The frequency pattern of a magical girl's aura is pretty distinct, which makes it easy to filter for. They show other kinds of magic too, usually in green, but not nearly as well."

"The what is the what is the what?" Ukyou asked.

I chuckled and scratched the back of my head. "Sorry. Guess I spent too much time with Michiko," I apologized. Odd, to be the one giving such a speech. But it wasn't a bad sort of odd. "In Ranma words: Ki glows. Different kinds glow different colors. The glasses make ki glow brighter so normal people can see it."

"Everyone in Nerima knows ki glows," Ukyou grumbled. "The violet stuff is your aura, right?"

I quirked a grin. "Wrong. Some of that is yours. Here. Watch for a second."

I grasped shuken. My aura quivered in response. I swung the magic left then right. Air wavered under the force of my dominion. Grass rippled under the pressure. Flowers sprang from the earth, their petals unfolding under the power of my influence.

"I see it now," Ukyou said, excitedly. "So that's what an aura looks like."

I nodded. "What I used was shuken. Shuken is, in essence, sovereignty. It imposes my will on this world. Basically, by using it, I am declaring: this here is the kingdom of Ranma, and all within shall be forever beautiful." I flowed into a deep, epic voice while delivering the final line.

Ukyou laughed. "Sounds like a waste of energy, if you ask me."

"It comes with the package," I said with a shrug. "And don't be so quick to dismiss it. Shuken is more powerful than you think." I paused and switched to a haughty princess voice. "Indeed, an elegant lady such as me could never be touched by a clumsy buffoon like yourself."

I tapped my foot and raised a brow. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Wait. Hit you? Now?" Ukyou asked. She hefted her combat spatula. "Don't mind if I do."

With a sharp swing, Ukyou sliced through my after image. Shuken reacted. I floated back, a ghost that could not be touched. My aura tumbled around me, water stirred by intrusive force.

Ukyou paused. She squinted and tweaked the glasses. "Your aura went crazy. Is that what you wanted me to see?"

"Yes," I answered. "Shuken is the basis of a magical girl's defense. It imposes upon this world law. In this case, the law was 'I can't be hit'. However, that law can be broken. The fastest way is to destroy or warp the girl's shuken."

Ukyou frowned. "So, what you are saying is, I could break through if I attacked fast enough?"

"That would work," I agreed. "But it isn't practical. Shuken is strong against physical attacks. Plus, my dodge back there was pure magic. If I had instead worked with my shuken, the damage would have been smaller. Keep that in mind. It'll save your life."

I walked backward a few steps so that there were ten meters between the two of us.

"Enough explanation. Hit me again. This time with magic."

Ukyou smiled, looking a bit too happy. "Sure thing, Ranchan."

Light glinted off the spatulas arched over Ukyou's head. Energy beams lashed out. Shuken screamed. Like steel swords, Ukyou's magic sliced through my aura. I stood still, forcing law to bend to my will. My hands danced in answer, plucked by strings of magic rather than nerves. I whirled into motion. Beams of light were slapped aside.

My game came to a rude end.

In the shadow of her attack, Ukyou flung a brace of spatulas. The shuriken streaked in like homing missiles. Against this new assault, my fractured shuken could not hold.

But I refused to bow. This was training for Ukyou and for myself. Relying on my martial arts would teach me nothing. Instead, I stole from Akina's book.

With force of will, I seized my aura. The ocean of spirit sloshed forward. Glimmers of pink refracted as it moved, energy wasted. My shuken condensed, overwhelming Ukyou's magic. My law was evoked. My body responded.

Like a puppet, I was dragged into the air. There I fluttered, an angel cavorting through heaven. Ribbons floated around me. With the softest touch they brushed the weapons askew.

"Magical cook shining smack down!" Ukyou screamed.

Ukyou held her battle spatula high. White light shined off the steel face, the surface a hundred times broader than that of her shuriken. A mighty ray blazed out. Gritting my teeth, I abandoned shuken. Instead, I threw myself to the side. The beam lashed out behind me, pulverizing grass, cutting across curb, then melting asphalt of the parking lot beyond.

I glared. "Hey! When I said hit me, I meant hit me once!"

The chef tossed her brown hair and teased me with an innocent pose. "But, Ranchan, I haven't hit you yet."

I rolled my eyes and gave an annoyed huff. "Well? Did you see?"

"Yeah," Ukyou answered, lowering her weapon. "The beams had a much bigger effect. So magic first, then melee, right?"

I nodded. "That's the heart of it. Ki pushes. Haigeki rejects. Combine the two factors and you'll have a potent weapon against shuken." I paused then gave a warning look. "Strength matters here, Ucchan. If the girl is stronger, you'll have to push a lot harder to break her aura."

Ukyou's smile turned into a frown. Her eyes reflected worry. "I don't like the sound of that."

"You shouldn't," I replied. "But harder doesn't mean impossible." I paused, thinking. "The best way to explain it is to imagine two guys fighting in hand-to-hand. The difference between you and me? That's like a seventy-kilo guy fighting a hundred-kilo guy. I can take more and deal more. But, if I got sloppy, you could win."

"Bigger equals badder," Ukyou said, nodding.

"Yes, it does. And, Ukyou, keep in mind magical girls can get really, really strong," I warned, thinking of Chiyo. "Enough of that. Did you see what I did while defending?"

Ukyou shook her head. "The glasses make everything squiggly. After the first attack, all I could see was purple." The brown haired girl removed the lenses. She blinked several times to adjust her vision. "Thanks, Ranchan, but these are giving me headache. Now that I've got the gist of things, you can have them back."

Ukyou extended her hand. I took the glasses and fitted them on my nose. A tap on the rims restored clarity.

"Since you didn't catch it, I'll explain," I said. "Your first attack pretty much shattered my shuken. If I had been a normal girl, the follow up would have caught me."

"You don't have to boost my ego, Ranchan. Lay it to me straight."

I shook my head. "I'm serious, Ucchan. Most of the girls in the Institute don't know jack about combat."

Ukyou frowned. I could see a hint of doubt in her expression. "I'll take your word for it. Now tell me about this 'special defense' of yours. From what I saw, you were dodging like normal."

"I wasn't dodging, Ucchan. Up until the last stroke, that was shuken."

Ukyou raised a brow. "Oh? And here I thought I 'shattered' it with the first attack."

"And you did," I replied. "I blocked your follow up with the broken pieces. I figure it could be a useful trick for extending survival time when in a pinch. Be careful how you use it, though. It did all sorts of nasty things to my recovery time." I paused and cocked my head to the side. "I wonder. If I tweaked it right, I might be able to squeeze out another attack or two. Still needs experimentation."

I shook my head. "But never mind that. You can practice defense later. For now, I want you to learn an anti magical girl technique I developed called ikisasu. It works by-"

"Wait. Experiment?" Ukyou gave me a dirty look. "Don't tell me you've been making this up as you go along," she accused.

I went deadpan. "Ucchan, I've transformed all of three times."

"Fraud! Fraud!" Ukyou cried teasingly. "I object to this treatment. I demand an accredited instructor, not a sham dragged off the street!"

I gave my friend a nasty look. "Well, you're going to have to suck it up because this fraud is all you got. And stop your whining. My old man would have been feeding you lies for weeks. Kids these days. They have things so easy," I lamented.

"Ha! Says the teacher who beats her student with a stick. That's corporal punishment, you criminal," Ukyou joked back.

"Corporal punishment? Keep mouthing off like and I'll show you-"

I froze. Cinnamon tickled my nose. An enormous aura spilled over the street. Faint. Dispersed. Deadly. I turned even before hearing the sound of tires rolling over concrete.

One by one, a trio of black vans crawled to a stop in the parking lot. Doors opened. Beautiful girls stepped out. Each wore a dress of white laced with black. The dark ties and loose blazers gave the impression of suits. A gothic lolita joined them, her clothes as dark as midnight. Kodachi stood aside, offering a hand gloved in black lace.

Chiyo rose from within, a coterie of attendants gathered around her.

I yanked Gungnir from the ground and stalked forward. Chiyo's guards stirred nervously. Behind me, Ukyou shifted into a cautious stance. I barely noticed. I had eyes for one.

"Why are you here?" I asked dangerously.

"That's a poor way to greet a guest, Ranma-chan," Chiyo answered.

The tiny girl gestured. Her attendants parted. Chiyo floated closer, her long, ruffled dress sweeping over the grass. She offered a mocking smile. "Don't tell me. You didn't know, did you? Hecate is such a manipulative bitch."

My muscles tightened. Setting Gungnir on my shoulder, I forced them lax. "If you want Hikaru, he's inside. If you want the spear, forget it. Try anything and I'll kill you."

Chiyo giggled from behind a hand. "Ranma-chan, you never cease to amuse," she sang, her voice dribbling malice. "Hikaru and I will catch up later. For now, let's pick up where we last left off."

My pulse quickened and a palpable sense of danger settled upon me. Th-thud. Th-thud. My heart beat hard. Could I win? Dared I try? For the first time, victory was possible. I had Gungnir. With it Chiyo could be slain.

A dark smile spread. The situation favored me. I stood upon an aching leg. Chiyo's gut had been perforated just yesterday.

"Left off last?" I asked, my fingers playing upon the spear's haft. "And what do you mean by that? The fight? The cocoon? The tea party?"

"You are such a tease, Ranma-chan. We're allies remember? Surely you don't think I am here to kill you?"

"Of course not," I answered guilelessly. Gungnir rolled from my shoulder, the blade slashing a hand-span to Chiyo's left. "And I promise I won't accidentally stab you. We are allies after all."

Chiyo unleashed a throaty laugh. "Wonderful! You are at your most beautiful when like that, Ranma-chan." Smiling wildly, Chiyo lifted a hand. Snap! "Table please."

Chiyo's attendants scurried in answer. Table and chairs were quickly unpacked. The furniture was unfolded on the grass between us. Chiyo ran her fingers over the cheap wood. Her spirit surged. Godlike power ripped reality apart.

In a flash, the cruddy furniture was gone. Instead, I gazed upon a gorgeous table with wicker chairs. I recognized it. It was the same table Chiyo had invited me to sit at long ago.

A confused Ukyou approached.

"Ranchan?" the nervous girl whispered. "Am I missing something?"

My eyes flickered then returned to the demented angel up front. "Stay out of the way, Ucchan. Chiyo is not to be messed with," I warned.

With Ukyou dismissed, I stepped forward. Hesitantly, I set a hand on the white, wicker chair and pulled it back. I paused for a second then sat. Gungnir joined me, thrust into the ground at arm's length.

Kodachi stepped close. The gothic-lolita lifted an elegant pot and filled two floral cups with a steaming amber liquid.

"See how easy that was?" Chiyo mocked. "Imagine all the trouble you could have saved if you had done this in the first place."

I raised my cup, swirling the liquid within. "Poisoned, right?"

Chiyo's smile was broad. "Try it, dear, and find out," she said before taking a sip.

I cupped the vessel in both hands. With my ki, I crushed it. Haigeki shattered the teacup. Shuken repaired it. In a flash, porcelain fractured and reformed. The white surface bled into pink broken by vines of black.

Arrogantly, I lifted the transformed cup. I drank. A sickening syrup poured down my throat. I nearly gagged. The amber liquid was closer to honey than tea.

"Sweeter than I like," I said, trying to act nonchalant. I sampled it again, the candied nectar rolling over my tongue. "But not so bad when I am expecting it."

"It's an acquired taste," Chiyo replied. "One that grows on you the more you drink."

I snorted. "Yeah. Probably a whole lot more if I hadn't purified it first."

"You know me too well, dear," Chiyo laughed. "To be fair, had you fallen for such an obvious trap, you would have earned nothing but scorn."

"Aren't you full of mercy," I murmured.

I drank some more. The tartness seemed to fade with every sip.

"Cute dress," I commented. "Do you have a closet full of those things?"

Today's dress was yellow. The frilly folds of cloth covered Chiyo from head to toe. A pretty bonnet was settled on top, complementing Chiyo's chocolate hair. But no measure of cuteness could hide the rot. Murderer. Chiyo had killed dozens yesterday.

"How sweet," Chiyo sang. "For that, you deserve a reward. Kodachi-chan, fetch the trunk. It would be a shame if it went to waste."

"As you wish, Chiyo-sama," Kodachi answered.

The gothic girl did not move. It was the attendants that responded to Chiyo's will. They dashed about in their short skirted dresses. Quickly, they procured a large, leather suitcase. It took a pair to drag the hulk from the van's trunk and over to the table. The dishes rattled when they set it down.

I eyed the case cautiously. "And what is this?"

"A gift. A celebration of our alliance," Chiyo answered with devilish delight. "Or, if you prefer, coin earned with Gondul's death. It was so kind of you to help with that."

Chiyo's smile made my skin crawl. The girl clambered onto the table in her eagerness to show her offering. Dishes clattered as she brushed them aside. Click. Click. The trunk opened. Held within was an array of fluffy dresses, each cuter than the last.

"Don't worry, dear. They fit," Chiyo said. "I guarantee it."

"I bet they do." I set my cup down, hard. Liquid sloshed about the interior but failed to escape. "On the roof. When we met. Why were you there?"

"Done with the small talk already?" Chiyo teased. "What's the rush, Ranma-chan? Don't you want to play dress up first?" Chiyo's smile spread wider. "Or are you trying to convince yourself you like that trite dress you are wearing?"

Chiyo's venomous words cut. Against my will I flushed. It was a visceral reaction that made me aware of the plainness of my clothes. Forcefully, I redirected that feeling, transforming it into an angry glare.

Chiyo gave a mocking giggle. "The answer, dear, is simple. Hecate made you sound interesting. And, when it comes to interesting things, why, I can't help myself."

I grunted. "Interesting? Don't bullshit me. All you wanted was a pretty face to fill out your army."

"Wrong," Chiyo spat. The girl twisted so her back faced me. "Your stupidity is showing again, Ranma-chan. Try to do more than trot out the same tired lines. If I had wanted you in my cocoon, I would have put you there at the start."

I twirled my tea within its cup, resisting the urge to shove Gungnir through her skull. Chiyo was a whimsical sadist. She loved to play cruel games with the mice. On the roof, Chiyo had been toying with me. That had been my feeling then.

But, if I rejected that hypothesis...

"That was a test," I concluded.

"Yes. Yes. Finally you see," Chiyo proclaimed. "I wanted to see your worth. When Hecate told me about you, I didn't know what to do. Should I kill you? Should I keep you? Could we be friends? I had such high hopes."

Chiyo span again. Her elbows were on the table and her head in her hands. "Then you dashed them," she accused. "You were fool. A stupid dog strutting about, arrogant in your weakness. A mannequin dancing to the strings Hecate plucked. It was unforgivable. But you had potential. You understand, don't you? I had no choice. I couldn't leave you to Hecate or the Director. And, as much as I wanted to ruin their plans, I couldn't bring myself to kill you. What else was there to do?

"But you aren't a fool anymore, are you Ranma-chan?"

"Flattery goes a long way, you know," I replied. "Just tell me what you want and I'll decide whether I'll kill you now or later."

The girl's feet swung lazily in the air. "All I want, Ranma-chan, is to be the next director."

My face twisted. Chiyo? The director? "Hell no."

"Don't be like that, Ranma-chan. We can be friends instead of enemies," Chiyo cooed. "I will give you all the girls you want. Just tell me their names. Ten? Twenty? It doesn't matter to me."

"It matters to me," I said. "And why bother asking? I know you don't care what I think."

"It will be easier if a senshi endorses my position. Just think, Ranma-chan, of all the lives you'll save."

I set my forearms on the table and leaned forward. My eyes were narrowed slits. "You mean all the girls you won't kill."

A vile smile spread across the Chiyo's lips. "And if I don't kill them, won't you have saved them?" she said. Chiyo crawled two steps closer so that her nose touched mine. "Just say yes, sweetie. It will be fun. I promise."

"Your idea of fun and mine are very different."

"No they aren't," Chiyo breathed. The hot, velvety words licked my cheek. "I have seen you fight. The wild lust in your eyes. The hungry smile. You live for the fires of the war. It makes it you glow oh so beautifully."

"That-"

Delicate lips enveloped mine. Cinnamon invaded my mouth. I melted into the candy sweetness, my senses reeling from the suddenness of the kiss.

"Get off my Ranchan, you thieving cat!"

The angry roar stole my attention. Ukyou swung her spatula. Ropes of liquorice entangled the weapon before it could land. The brown haired girl tugged twice then ripped the spatula free.

"Out of my way, bitch," Ukyou spat.

"Te-he-he-hee," Kodachi laughed. "My mistress need not fear the blade of a peasant while I stand guard."

Chiyo slid off the table to land in my lap. She straddled me, the heat of her skin burning through the layers of cloth between us. She was small, soft, and intoxicatingly beautiful. The smell alone was enough to make me drunk.

Chiyo draped her arms over my shoulders. Like a lover, she leaned closer, her breasts pushing into mine. "Get rid of your toy, sweetness," she breathed into my ear. "Or I will get rid of her for you."

The threat cut through my inebriation. "I would murder you," I growled under my breath.

Chiyo pecked my lips. "Not before I killed her," she whispered between kisses. "You know how spiteful I can be."

"What the hell, Ranchan? Throw that bitch off!" Ukyou screamed.

Chiyo drew back. With an nasty expression, she grabbed a candy cane clip. I seized her wrist before she could draw her axe. She paused, her smile turning sly, then nuzzled up to my cheek. With light teeth, she nibbled the lobe of my ear.

With a shuddering breath, I forced my concentration back to Ukyou.

"Ucchan, I've got a handle on this," I said.

Ukyou's brown eyes were balls of fire. "Ranchan, you can't seriously be-"

Chiyo's teeth drew blood. Icy shivers ran down my spine as anger, fear, and lust mixed into a strange concoction.

"Ucchan, LEAVE!" My shout echoed through the desolate warehouse district.

"How dare-" Ukyou's rage stopped in mid word. She held herself still, her shoulder trembling with frustration. "Damn it! Fine. I get it. But you owe me one hell of an explanation for this."

With that, the angry cook took off. My shoulders sank with relief. Chiyo was crazy enough to carry out her threat, and I wasn't fast enough to stop her.

An instant, later my fury boiled anew.

"Get the off me," I growled.

Not waiting for an answer, I grabbed the girl and lifted her from my lap. Chiyo flashed a petulant smile. With dainty feet she found the table and pushed off. The chair tilted back. We crashed to the ground.

In the confusion, Chiyo found my lips. Her tongue slid in. Liquid candy. The heavenly flavor of cherries and cinnamon stole my senses. I sought it. I drank it. When the long, luxurious kiss came to a stop, I found that is was Chiyo pulling away from me.

Dizzily, I stared into chocolate eyes. I felt weak. Small. Wonderful. Desire ran through me in an electric current. It begged me to give in. To relax. To surrender. To please.

"Let's become lovers, Ranma-chan," Chiyo cooed.

My lips parted, an offering to her. I faded away as she claimed them. It felt right. Natural. Take me. Use me. I shivered at the thoughts, my heart beating so loud I could hear nothing else. My mind sank further into fog.

Monster.

Strength flooded my limbs. I rolled. Chiyo was plucked from atop then slammed against the ground. Her bonnet fell lose. Short, brown hair splayed over the grass. Our chests heaved at one, quickened by passion.

Her angelic lips parted into a devilish smile. A craving hit. I shivered and tried to drown lust in hatred.

"I'm not your anything, Chiyo."

Chiyo twirled us again. She pinned me against the ground. Her smile was decadent malice. "How cute, saying those words when you don't mean them. Admit it, Ranma-chan. You want this. Shizue's claws have dug deep."

Doll. A sickness spread through my gut. When had I slipped into that role? Why was I lying here, waiting for Chiyo to claim me. To use me. And she was right. I wanted it. I wanted to be pinned to the ground. To be consumed by her lust. My body thrummed with a need to submit.

And why not? If it was her, there would be no bond to break. Chiyo, I could taste and feel no guilt and no obligation. Because she was a monster. My muscles weakened. I relaxed, waiting for that one taste of utter submission.

No. Not a doll.

Fury broke the stalemate and I threw Chiyo into the air. I was on my feet in an instant. With my right hand, I seized Gungnir. I whirled. Chiyo recoiled, sharp steel centimeters from her throat. Her playful expression evaporated into hate.

"Are you refusing me?"

"I won't help you, Chiyo," I said firmly.

"And why not?" she snapped. "Someone has to control the Institute. Why shouldn't it be me? I have no interest in Artemis's plan. I will free whatever girl you wish. Can you name anyone better?" Chiyo challenged. "Support me as director."

She was right. When Artemis died, someone would have to take over. Michiko, Kamiko, Akina, they would continue Artemis's dream. That was what they had been programmed to do. Who else was-

Ah. So simple. Why didn't I see it before?

"No," I said, with absolute conviction. "The next director will not be you, Chiyo. It will be me."

"You? The director?" Chiyo burst into gales of laughter. "Stupid girl. There isn't anyone less suitable. You would be chaining yourself to your own hell. Give me the Institute, Ranma-chan. If it's authority and power you want, I'll grant it. Use the girls however you want. There is an abundance of replacements. That way, when you tire of the game, you can walk away."

"I am not looking for toys," I said with disgust. "I won't give you the Institute, Chiyo, because I have no intention of letting those girls get screwed any further. Maybe you don't see the value of their lives, but I do."

"Fool," Chiyo spat. "I thought you were smarter than this. Can't you see? If you do this, you will be Hecate's puppet. Cut her strings, Ranma-chan, or that woman will control your every action."

Hecate?

I slapped a hand on my forehead and burst out laughing. So this was the plan she had imagined. Artemis's senshi. Cruel, yet ingenious. A plot that traded two for two-hundred. From the beginning, she had manipulated everything so that I would be able to make this choice.

"Hecate's puppet," I repeated. "Maybe I am. But you are wrong about one thing, Chiyo. I decided this. And nothing you say will sway me."

"I will kill you," Chiyo spat. "You know that, don't you Ranma-chan? You may have Gungnir, but if you take my Institute, I will take it back. And, when I do, I will kill you. But first I'll kill them. All the girls you think you are saving, I will carve them up. Then, right before I take your head, I will remind you of how many more would be alive if you had given the Institute to me."

"You can try," I replied. "But, Chiyo, the one who will die is you. Gondul said it herself, didn't she? Gungnir will carve out your heart."

For an instant, in those chocolate eyes, I saw fear.

"Comfort yourself with your delusions, dear," Chiyo retorted. "I will make your death a beautiful thing." She giggled quietly. "But you can rest easy for now, Ranma-chan. Until Artemis dies, we are allies. So I promise I won't kill you in your sleep. Probably."

Laughing, the girl pranced away then vanished into the warehouse. Her attendants cleaned up the mess, offering graceful curtsies as they followed their master one by one.

Kodachi was the last to go. She gazed upon me, her eyes filled with pity.

"Do not fear, insolent wretch. My mistress's wrath will never fall upon on you. Because I, lovely liquorice Kodachi, will slay you first. Tee-he-he-he."

Then she was gone.

With a sigh, I stared at the sky. Director. The burden was too big. Was Chiyo right? By doing this, I was chaining myself to my own hell. I closed my eyes. No. It didn't matter. A decade or two of my discomfort was a small price to pay for the lives of those girls.

Enough. I would have plenty of time to regret later. Opening my eyes, I found the suitcase Chiyo had left behind. With a lead weight in my stomach, I took it. Waste not, want not.

With a grunt, I headed toward the warehouse. "What am I going to say to Ucchan?" I muttered.

Suddenly, in mid-step, I froze.

Bowed at my feet was a fully armed kunoichi. Konatsu, Ukyou's incompetent assistant. Konatsu may have been a terrible cook, but he was a brilliant ninja. Konatsu's most prominent skill, however, was cross-dressing. The boy was disturbingly good at it.

As opposed to my Pop, who was disturbingly bad at it.

I nudged the bundle with my foot. "What do you want, Konatsu?"

"Ranma-dono. Please turn me into a magical girl," Konatsu said.

I stepped around the bundle and continued walking. The ninja scurried across the ground, his face pressed into the dirt. I hardly made it two steps before he was in front of me again.

"Ranma-dono. Please turn me into a magical girl," Konatsu asked again.

I stopped and set the trunk down. "Konatsu, you are a guy. Tenki transforms," I explained briskly. "I don't think having your organs rearranged will be good for your health."

Konatsu perked up. Expertly applied makeup converted his face into that of a pretty woman. "You mean, I would be a girl for real?"

My head flopped into my open hand. "I just made this harder on myself, didn't I?"

-oOo-

Ending Notes:

Trivia

Famicom / Duckhunt –The original NES game system, released in Japan circa 1983. Duckhunt was a NES game usually packed with the original Super Mario Bros. If you've ever played Duckhunt, you might remember it as that game where you really wanted to kill that damn dog.

The Gates of Time

The Gates of Time are a type quantum machine. They function by punching nanoscale holes through the dimensional fabric. Through this mechanism the Gates gain access to alternate realities. Information is then relayed between these realities. In rarer cases, the holes are widened so that they allow travel by macroscopic objects, this usually requires a cooperative partner.

The Gates operate by means of the parallelism effect. Notably, this means that should a set of Gates be built in one dimension, there must exist a nigh infinite number of alternate dimensions in which identical gates were constructed. The Gates of Time 'link' to these alternative gates, forming a cooperative network. Indeed, without these alternate gates, the Gates of Time would not function.

The network of Gates primarily exist to share information. Each Gate is equipped with powerful scrying magic. The gate collects the scryed information from its own reality, then ports it onto the network of multiple realities. To ensure cooperation, the Gates have automated protocols that punish 'leechers'. Likewise, there are security filters, the most important of which is the 'one-year' delay rule all gates enact.

Despite general impressions, the Gates of Time were never intended for 'time travel'. Instead, they were designed to aggregate information. Parallel dimensions may be temporally displaced (e.g. experiencing what could be said to be the 'future' or the 'past'). By collecting information from these 'future' realities it becomes possible to cross compare alternative futures. A skillful operator, however, is required to identify what events caused the alternative futures to differ from one another. This is complicated by the fact that parallel realities often vary at a large number of points.

In other words, the Gates do not allow the user to see the future. They are instead a powerful device for predicting the future. The accuracy of any particular prediction varies. Outcomes that are highly certain are, in Setsuna's words, 'fated'.

The existing Gates of Time are actually the second version of the Gates. The original Gates of Time were built in the Silver Millennium by the Bureau of Economic Affairs. Rather than examine military objectives, the original Gates were commissioned as a resource for estimating the economic effects of large scale policy decisions. They were decommissioned three years after their initial construction then rebuilt in secret at the command of Serenity VI. The cause being the discovery of a large number of realities in which the Moon Kingdom suffered a sudden, catastrophic collapse.