"Just got the final toxicology report." In the dim light of University Memorial Hospital's ICU ward, two doctors were interrupted in their deliberations by the arrival of a third. He looked as frustrated as they felt. Slamming the folder containing the report on the nurses' station counter, he slumped forward and ran his hands through his hair. "I give up," he said with a deep sigh. "In the past week, we have run every test known to medical science on Jeffrey Lawrence.
All come back negative. Outside of a mild allergy to cats, we know nothing more than we did when they brought him in."
"What are we missing here?" another doctor asked his colleagues.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We've had Mayo Clinic, UCLA Med, and the Center for Disease Control running parallel tests. Our results match; there's no way that man is in a coma because of something in his blood or organs."
"Perhaps it is a toxin like those used by the old KGB."
The other doctors shook their heads. "No, we can test for those now. We've eliminated all known poisons, East or West."
Silence surrounded the three as they each tried to think of what they were missing.
"His family is from Japan. I understand there are several traditional poisons available that are totally untraceable."
"You mean like ninja stuff?"
"Well, yeah."
"You watch too much television. Ninjas are long gone and their untraceable poisons went with them." The doctor paused and looked towards the glass-enclosed room containing Jeff Lawrence. "In any case, if we don't crack this soon, he'll be on complete life support. After that, it's only a matter of time."
The doctor's colleagues mumbled their agreement.
Deep in the heart of the Realm of Outcasts, the spirit of Jeffrey Lawrence sat on a boulder, his head in his hands.
"Think, Jeffrey," he mumbled. "Picture her face and concentrate." His concern was over the sudden realization that he couldn't remember his wife's name. Other aspects of his life were likewise missing. He could hear his mother's voice but couldn't put a face to that voice. His father or if he even had a father, was simply a void.
"You look troubled, my young friend." Shimazu Nariakira, dressed in a simple peasant's yukata and pants entered the chamber and crossed to his oddly carved rock 'throne'.
"Is this supposed to happen?" Jeff asked, not willing to break his concentration enough to even look at his new-found benefactor.
"Your memory loss? I understand that is quite common among newcomer spirits. Something to do with this realm's punishment, I believe."
Jeff held up his left hand. "I think I should be married but I don't recognize this ring," he said, indicating a simple wedding band gracing his ring finger. "I can't even remember her name. If I lose my memory entirely, what reason do I have of going back to my own realm?"
"I sympathize with your problem," the old man said. "I have no way of knowing if your memory loss is permanent or confined to your stay in this realm. That's all the more reason to open a portal as soon as possible. The only chance you have to regain your memory is by escaping this realm."
"Don't you think I've been trying," Jeff moaned with a grimace.
"If I can't even remember my wife, how can I remember what I did to open a portal?"
"Sometimes it takes the right conditions to jog a memory. Perhaps I can find a way of helping you find the proper 'condition'."
Jeff wasn't sure he like the way the old man said that. It sounded almost like a threat. Okay, maybe not a threat. After all, the man was just as anxious as he was to escape this realm. Perhaps it was the man's frustration showing. He certainly had reason for that. Jeff hadn't been very helpful in return for all the kindness the old man had shown him.
Like someone who was feeling his age, the old man slowly stood and started for one of the tunnels. "Let me think on this further."
"That's the last of it," Rachel said, placing the saucepan back on the stove. "I hope it's enough."
Jade plugged the filler hole on the last squirt gun and shook the weapon a couple of times. Holding it up to the light, she frowned. "It better. No time to make more."
Rachel ran her hands under a stream of water in the sink, trying to rid herself of the potion's odor. "I just don't understand why these creatures want Sodoshi."
"Perhaps have to do with father. Maybe father not cooperate and demons need hostage."
Rachel nodded. That certainly made sense. Jeffrey loved his daughter and would do anything for her. If whoever had abducted his spirit thought something might be gained by also abducting the child, little Sodoshi would be in great danger. Being without her guardian spirit, Sodoshi Tanaka, only increased the child's vulnerability.
"The room is arranged like you asked," Troy Tomita said, as he walked into the kitchen. "You have a 'kill zone' in the exact center of the living room."
Jim Bateman paused while walking past the kitchen when he overheard them. "This is supposing the threat attacks by way of the front door," he said.
"Agreed," Rachel replied. "Hopefully, they cannot walk through walls and such. If we can control their access to our fields of fire, we can hold them off. Daddy taught me that."
Her final pronouncement was punctuated by a loud rumble and crash of thunder that seemed to rock the house. All eyes turned to the front picture window. The sun was no longer shining on the Lawrence front lawn. The entire neighborhood appeared to be engulfed in a mysterious twilight, punctuated only by flashed of lightning and rolling rumbles of thunder.
"Were we expecting rain today?" Rachel asked.
Jim and Troy stood staring slack-jawed at the TV tuned to the local weather channel.
"And the afternoon should be a typical sunny Hawaiian day full of nothing but sunshine," the weatherman said.
Crossing his arms, Jim turned to Rachel. "Well, I guess that rules out natural phenomena."
"Mean they coming," Jade said with a serious frown at the scene outside.
"Check the back rooms," Rachel ordered Jim and Troy. "Make sure everything is locked."
"What if they can go through walls?" Troy asked.
"No, spirits must become solid to attack," Jade replied with a shake of her head. "They want child. Cannot take if ghosts."
"Sounds reasonable," Jim said, heading towards the exercise room.
Impossible as it seemed, the sky outside darkened even more.
Street lights switched on and dogs began to howl. The mood inside the Lawrence residence darkened as well. They were trapped with no way out.
Jim listened at the closed door to the exercise room before turning the knob and allowing it to swing open. Troy stood behind him, one of his paper prayer charms held at the ready.
The darkened room appeared empty. Cautiously, they crept inside. Movement over at the glass doors facing the swimming pool dropped both men into defensive crouches. Jim gripped Troy's shoulder as three ghostly figures with glowing blue eyes floated up to the glass. They could see it trembling as the figures tried to get the door open.
Troy pried himself free from Jim's grip and stepped closer.
"Amazing," he gasped. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
"Get back here," Jim hissed.
Ignoring his friend, Troy stepped even closer until he was almost nose to nose with one of the glowing spirits. "A free floating ectoplasmic entity," he said in a hushed voice. "I've only read about these."
"If you don't get back here, you're going to see a lot more than you bargained for."
Troy flinched as one of the spirits hammered the glass with a semi-solid fist. "I see what you mean." Holding the paper prayer charm in front of him, he began to pray. That only caused the three creatures to flow back and forth faster, their eyes glowing brightly.
With a final shout, Troy slammed the piece of paper against the glass. Glowing bright red, it stuck to the transparent surface. Its effect on the spirits was nothing short of electric.
Like they were facing a bright light, the three faded back toward the pool. Their howls of anguish and frustration barely audible inside the room.
"Come on, Troy! Before they find another way in." Jim grabbed at his friend and practically pulled him out of the room.
Slamming shut the door behind him, he faced the calm Troy Tomita. The man looked like a scientist who was faced with a fascinating new discovery.
"I wish I had time to study them," Troy said, resting his fingers lightly against the wood door.
"If they get in, maybe you'll get that chance." Jim pushed past his friend and headed for the back bedrooms. "Of course, you'll have to work fast. They'll probably eat you if you don't."
Troy chuckled. "Jim, they don't eat people."
"Tell that to Mr. Lawrence."
"I don't like this," Sister Angelica said, hugging little Sodoshi to her. "This storm is unnatural."
"Agreed." Jade looked down at the round-eyed Sodoshi. "We must protect child."
Sodoshi looked between the three women with wide eyes. Despite the frightening situation, she said nothing.
"Don't worry, Doshi. With all the help you have, there is no way those evil spirits will get you." Reaching into her pocket.
Sister Angelica pulled out a tiny silver necklace with a simple silver cross attached. Kneeling down, she placed the chain around Sodoshi's neck, allowing the little cross to come to rest on the girl's chest. "This will protect you. It's been blessed by the Bishop himself."
Gently pulling the chain away from her body enough to look at the cross, she frowned at the dangling icon. "Is it magic?" she asked.
"No, but if you believe hard enough, you will be surprised at how well it will protect you," the Sister replied. "I gave one just like it to your mother last month."
"Oh." The little girl sounded disappointed. "That's the one Mother put in her jewelry box. She said she was Shin... Shinto.
What's that?"
Sister Angelica glanced between Jade and Rachel before returning to Sodoshi with an almost pained expression. "Your mother will have to explain that to you."
A loud 'thump' on the front door caused everyone in the room to freeze and stare its way.
"What was that?" Sister Angelica asked, instinctively pulling Sodoshi closer as if to protect her.
"Demons?" Rachel held her Super Soaker at the ready.
Jade voiced her agreement, raising her own weapon towards the door. "Take child into kitchen. Safe there."
Jim and Troy came running back into the living room. Jim was now 'armed' with one of Jeff's golf clubs.
"We heard a noise," Jim said in a hushed voice.
"From door." As if to prove Jade's response, something struck the door again.
"They're trying to get in," Rachel said, a slight quaver in her voice.
"Should we take up our positions?" Troy asked, pulling out another prayer charm.
Jade considered their tactics for a moment. "Always strike opponent where least expected."
"At the door?" Rachel asked, her look of surprise obvious.
Jade nodded. "We take positions and someone open door very fast. We shoot and slam door shut again."
The others exchanged looks. It sounded like a plausible plan. At least, it was something the demons were unlikely to expect.
It also wouldn't give away their main defenses.
"Mr. Bateman? You open the door when we give you the word and duck behind it," Rachel said. "You'll be safe there."
"You might even get in a few licks with that weapon of yours,"
Troy said, patting Jim on the shoulder.
"Thanks a lot," Jim replied with a sick expression.
"I'll back you up from here." Troy held up a second prayer charm and grinned.
Drawing a deep breath, Jim nodded and crept carefully up to the door. Another 'thump', this one louder, caused him to flinch but didn't stop him from getting to the door.
"You ready?" Jade asked in a hushed voice.
Jim nodded, one hand gripping the door knob.
Rachel and Jade aimed waist-high at the center of the door.
Jade yelled 'GO' just as the door bell rang. Jim yanked open the door and dived into the dining room, coming up with his golf club at the ready. Two streams of potion drenched the figure hunched over as if to attack. A ear-splitting scream filled the house and echoed off the neighboring buildings.
The streams abruptly stopped. Jim cautiously crept forward.
Something wasn't right.
As he peered around the door's edge, his eyes went wide. "Uh...
Hi, Dear."
Kei Bateman stood in the doorway, one shoe in hand, her eye twitching in anger as she dripped foul-smelling potion on the 'welcome' mat.
"YOU IDIOT!"
Ranma finished cleaning the dojo after his last class. It was late and he had that pleasant feeling of satisfied exhaustion that made his new career so rewarding.
Folding the last mat in the dojo's tiny storage closet, he smiled at how things were going so well now that he'd come to accept Akane's pregnancy. The prospect of his own child to teach had caused him to reexamine his life and what it really meant to be an adult.
No more would he be able to just skip out on one crazy crusade after another, trying to prove his skills against increasingly powerful opponents only to savor the satisfaction of final victory. Such ventures would have to fall to younger martial artists. He had responsibilities now.
Closing the dojo's double doors behind him, he sampled the cool evening air with a deep breath. This wasn't such a bad place to grow old and watch his children and maybe even his grandchildren as they too faced the challenges of growing up.
He chuckled to himself at the thought of becoming a grandfather.
Such a concept was so distant it barely registered with him. He never knew his own grandfather. He didn't even know much about his own family. His father saw to that. Dragging him away from his mother at an early age, subjecting him to the rigors of the road, his father never spoke of family. Whenever he tried to bring the subject up, he father would grow quiet before talking about something else.
Ranma yawned and stretched in the moonlight. That was all in the past now. His mother had reclaimed her husband, hauling him back home for heaven only knew what. He was at least grateful that she no longer relentlessly hunted them. He was especially grateful she declined to extract the penalty they all expected when she found out the truth about what Genma had done to her son.
Walking back to the house, his thoughts were interrupted by something darting across the walk. He jerked to a halt, his eyes catching on a small red and white creature disappearing around the side of the Tendo's storage shed.
"Couldn't be," she mumbled. "What would a fox be doing here in the city?"
Shaking his head at the thought of such a secretive and elusive creature roaming the streets of Nerima, he dismissed the incident.
It had to be a cat or something like that.
Wiping his face with a towel he had draped over his shoulders, he chuckled to himself. It was just his imagination, he surmised as he entered the well-lit Tendo home. All he needed was a hot bath and a good night's sleep.
"That was close," Fumi gasped as she wiggled into her improvised home under the shed.
"What was close?" Kumi asked. In her almost human fox form, she stretched on her bed of soft moss and leaves, wiggling her humanoid toes.
"I think one of the humans saw me." Fumi tossed the small bag she'd retrieved from the house at Yumi who was reclining on her own bed opposite the entrance.
Yumi snagged the bag in one furry hand and ripped it open with her sharp canine-like teeth. Her large, round eyes never left the TV screen. She didn't want to miss her nature show.
The TV was one of their improvements to the little home. Ever since they'd found a large dumpster out behind one of the local apartment buildings, their time had been spent identifying and dragging home items the humans had thrown out. Yumi especially was determined to have all the neat things that Kasumi enjoyed.
Even if they didn't fully understand what all of them were for yet.
This meant their new home was an eclectic collection of the primitive mixed with the modern. Beds of moss and leaves lay side by side with a CD player and mini-refrigerator where they kept fresh a collection of grubs and worms, for those times when they wanted a light snack, and the seemingly endless supply of Coke. To the average fox-creature, this was as close to heaven as they could get.
They didn't even have to pay for all the electricity they were using - so long as no one discovered the single extension cord they'd plugged into the only electrical outlet in the shed above.
"What was so important that you had to chance getting caught?"
Kumi asked, sitting up to brush her fluffy tail with a hair brush.
"Corn Nuts," Fumi replied with a shrug. "Yumi can't watch 'Flipper' without her Corn Nuts."
"They go great with a Coke," Yumi added, exposing the mashed contents in her mouth.
"We really need to find some way of repaying Kasumi for being so nice to us," Fumi noted.
Kumi paused her brushing and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's think of something we can give her."
"We can catch a couple of mice. Mice are a perfect all-around gift." Fumi pulled out a couple of cold Cokes from the little frig and tossed one to Kumi. Instead of popping the tab open, she bit down through the top, causing the can to hiss and spurt some Coke onto the dirt wall.
"I don't know," Yumi said, looking at her two companions. "What if we put them in a gift envelope?"
"I don't think humans like mice." Kumi emptied her can and crushed it in her humanoid fingers. "I can just imagine Kasumi's reaction to finding our gift on her front step."
"Okay, how about we gather her some flowers," Yumi said, chancing a glance their way since her show just ended. "She had flowers in her house the last time we were there."
"Great idea!" Fumi gulped down her drink, belching afterwards.
"There's lots of flowers in the park."
They agreed to go pick flowers, in their human forms, of course - right after 'Flipper'.
Nabiki awoke to a splitting headache. Whatever or whoever had hit her did so with such force she could feel it all the way down her neck. She was going to need Tofu's attention, if she lived long enough.
She fought the urge to retch as an overpowering stench attacked her nostrils. A dull pain in her wrists and shoulders told her she was chained to a wall, suspended by her wrists such that only the balls of her feet were in contact with the cave's dirt floor. Her ribs ached where she'd been kicked or struck while unconscious.
At least she wasn't dead - yet.
Without opening her eyes enough to be seen, she carefully looked to her right. Sodoshi, minus her sword, was suspended in the same manner only a foot or two away. She looked like she was dead but it was hard to tell. Since going through her spirit phase, she never appeared to breathe. From the look of her, it was obvious she'd undergone rough handling.
Slowly, Nabiki peeked at her surroundings. She was in a large chamber, lit by a number of flaming pots. In the middle of the room crouched a half dozen rotting samurai still in their equally rotting battle armor. Huddled around a glowing blue crystal that emitted a blue haze as it pulsated over an open fire, they appeared to be in some sort of silent argument. Occasionally, one would reach out and shove one of the others before gesturing in an angry manner. Further beyond the crouching horrors was a tunnel that disappeared into darkness. She could see no other exits from where she was chained.
As if it were a great imposition, one stood and gestured once more at his companions before heading directly towards Nabiki.
Making herself as limp as possible, she fought the urge to hold her breath as the foul-smelling horror approached. If she could convince him she was still unconscious, it might buy her enough time to think of a plan.
That thought just depressed her more. Here she was, chained to a wall with no apparent way to escape, much less rescue Jeffrey.
Only her strong will to survive kept her from giving up.
The rotting samurai grabbed her face. His fingers felt like slimy leather as he lifted her chin. The smell was overpowering but she forced herself not to react.
He held her face like that for several seconds before releasing her. She let her head flop forward as if still unconscious.
Breathing through her slack mouth in an effort to avoid raising suspicion, she could taste the creature's stench.
The sound of his shuffling feet on the dirt floor told her he was going to examine Sodoshi next. Not daring to chance a peek, she listened carefully.
A few anxious moments passed before she heard the rotting samurai shuffle away, back towards his companions around the crystal.
It left her little consolation. She was still trapped in the clutches of the evil warlord's minions and she was still without a plan. It looked hopeless.
Kei Bateman changed into one of Nabiki's sweat suits after her shower. It took three soapings to get the smell of Jade's evil smelling concoction out of her hair.
Grumbling about how 'all that crap' ruined her own outfit,
she felt justified in borrowing from that crazy housekeeper's employer.
She was still toweling off her wet hair in the master bath when she got the feeling she wasn't alone. Irritated, she leaned over to see into the bedroom, peeking out from under the towel. Standing at the foot of the bed, his hands in his pockets, stood her husband.
The sight of him just standing there watching her only increased her irritation. "I hope you're satisfied," she said. "I told you hanging out with that nut-case Jeffrey Lawrence would be nothing but trouble. But did you listen? Noooo, you kept saying how Mr. Lawrence was just a kid with a lot of money who needed your 'adult' guidance. Is this your idea of guidance?"
When Jim failed to respond, she paused. What was the matter with him? He never took her abuse so easily before. With a heavy sigh, she stepped out of the bathroom, still rubbing her flame-red hair with the towel.
"I drive all the way over here because that's where your secretary said you'd be only to break the heel of my shoe on their step and then be ambushed by a bunch of juvenile delinquents spraying some smelly concoction on whomever came to the door. I can't believe you left your cell-phone in your car again. I mean, I can understand if you left it on so I could at least get messages to you but turning it off like that is just plain nuts. What if Della had to call you about something important? You still have a job, ya know."
She paused again as Jim continued to stand silently. Why didn't he say something?
With a growl of indignation, she snapped the towel onto the bed and regarded her husband with her best angry expression; her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.
When she noticed Jim's glowing blue eyes, her jaw dropped.
"You... you're not my Jimmy," she gasped, backing slowly away from the strange man who's eyes seemed to burn right through her.
As the man's arms rose, his fingers reaching towards her, she stumbled backwards until coming up against the closed closet door.
His face remained dispassionate and his movements were slow and deliberate as he silently advanced.
Faced with nowhere to go, she did the only thing her terrified mind would allow; she screamed.
Rachel and Jade were discussing strategy when Kei's scream echoed from the master bedroom. Glancing at each other for only a moment, Rachel broke away and charged down the hall. Seeing the bedroom door open, she dashed inside just in time to see what looked like Jim Bateman slowly stalking his wife. Only it couldn't have been Mr. Bateman. She just saw him in the kitchen with Sister Angelica and little Sodoshi.
With a shout of warning, she hosed the man with her squirt gun.
The figure spun around, emitting an unearthly howl as it trembled violently. An instant later, it seemed to explode like a cheap boiler with too much pressure inside. Rachel staggered back as a cloud of foul-smelling blue smoke enveloped her. Only the door frame kept her from collapsing from the stench.
Kei's reaction was almost as vivid. With wide eyes and trembling jaw, she stared transfixed at the spot where the creature disappeared.
"I don't know how that one got inside," Rachel said, between gasps for cleaner air. "You better come back to the living room with the rest of us."
Kei shifted her stare to Rachel. Only this time, she appeared more wild-eyed than scared. "That's IT!" she screamed.
Before Rachel could ask what she was talking about, Kei bolted down the hall, past the living room, only to disappear around the last corner towards the home offices. Rachel tried to follow, but Jade's shout from the living room detoured her.
"They coming!" Jade yelled.
It took only a moment for Rachel to run back to her position in the living room. Jade and Troy were already behind the sofa which had been flipped over and turned to face the front picture window.
Both looked ready as they watched the storm rage outside. The whole house shook from the strange storm's fury.
Ducking behind the loveseat on the opposite side of the room and closest to the kitchen where Jim and Sister Angelica had taken refuge with little Sodoshi, Rachel pumped her weapon a couple more times to make sure there was enough pressure.
"Paper no good," Jade said in a loud voice when she noticed Troy holding a couple of his prayer charms.
"Never judge the power of a weapon by its appearance," he replied with only a brief glance and wink her way.
Jade frowned at his flirtation. It was so improper, so forward.
She couldn't understand why it made her tingle all over. The pressure of his arm against her shoulder felt so exciting she fought the urge to purr and press back like a cat being stroked. A quick glance at his face almost caused her heart to melt. His smile was so perfect and his eyes... Oh, how she wanted to get lost in those eyes. Her late mother had told her the only way to tell if a man truly loved her was in his eyes. The urge to drop her weapon, take him in her arms and satisfy her needs was overwhelming.
Her increasingly erotic thoughts about the well-built Troy were broken by the picture window suddenly exploding inward. All ducked the flying shards of glass but only for a second. When they chanced a look, three towering fox creatures leaped through the open window, snarling and lashing out with claws that looked deadly. These were no ordinary demons.
Two streams of potion simultaneously hit the three creatures, causing them to dissolve with hideous howls that hurt everyone's ears. Another followed, skirting his dying comrades closer to Jade and Troy. Caught in mid-pump on her super soaker, she ducked to avoid sharp claws that tore a hunk out of the overturned sofa. Troy, however, called out something in Japanese, causing his prayer charm to glow bright red. As if throwing a shuriken, he flung the glowing piece of paper at the creature. Like a miniature buzz saw, it cut its way into the howling demon before exploding. All in the room were showered with foul-smelling chunks of fox creature. The pieces sizzled and dissolved into tiny puddles.
"Now Jade have to clean carpet," the Chinese girl snarled.
Troy just blinked and shrugged. "Would you prefer demon claws?"
"That not point!"
"Hey, I just saved your cute little ass!" he insisted, a bit peeved at her lack of appreciation.
Before she could respond Rachel's shout preceded another creature leaping through the window. This one was smarter than his companions. Holding a steel front door like a shield, he bounded across the living room heading straight for the kitchen. Two streams of potion splashed against the creature's improvised shield but failed to affect him in any way. Even Troy, distracted by the momentary dispute with Jade, was caught without a prayer charm ready.
In desperation, Rachel changed the angle of her attack. Bouncing her stream off the ceiling, enough struck the hidden creature to stop his reckless charge. Dropping the door and howling in pain, he was finished off by Jade.
Outside, the storm seemed to increase in intensity. The whole house trembled from its violence.
"How much you got left," Rachel called over the storm's fury.
"Two shots. Maybe three," Jade shouted back.
"Great," Rachel mumbled to herself. "What happens when we run out?"
From somewhere in the back of the house came the sound of breaking glass. The creatures had found another way in. Outflanked, Rachel looked across to Jade in panic. All the Chinese girl could do was shake her head. It took both of them to guard the front.
Well, both of them and Troy. They had no one to spare for a second front. As if in response to their desperation, two shotgun blasts echoed down the hall. Creatures howled in pain and were answered by Kei Bateman's cry of victory.
"Bring it on, ya miserable chunks of slime!" she yelled, between shots and more howls.
"Sounds like our back door is covered," Rachel called with a 'thumbs up'.
Jade nodded and turned to the window again. The lack of more immediate frontal attacks suggested the creatures were up to something.
That something came in a sudden mad rush of demons. Almost a dozen creatures bounded through the window, overwhelming the pitiful defenses. Potion quickly ran out. Troy couldn't cast his prayer charms fast enough. Even the arrival of Kei, her red hair died up with one of Jeffrey's ties and wearing a bandoleer of shells, blasting away at anything that moved, was not enough to stop them all.
One broke through, slapping Rachel aside as it headed for the kitchen and little Sodoshi.
Springing into the kitchen, it paused only an instant, long enough to locate the trio hiding behind an overturned table, before charging forward. Jim grabbed a chair and tried to use it as a weapon but the demon just blocked the blow with his arm and swatted him across the kitchen. Sliding on the smooth floor, he slammed into the stove with enough force to dent its side and pop open the oven door.
Sister Angelica desperately tried to shelter Sodoshi with her own body, curling herself around the child, clutching her simple silver cross and mumbling a frantic prayer. The creature snarled and slapped her aside with the back of his hand. Bruised and battered, she tried to crawl back and protect Sodoshi again. That only resulted in another blow, this one hard enough to slam her against the kitchen wall, denting the drywall. Her limp body slid to the floor.
As the creature reached for Sodoshi, the little girl jumped to her feet and assumed her Shinobi fighting stance. Her face showed no fear, only determination. Fight with respect but no fear, her father always told her. If the demon was after her, she wasn't going to give up without a fight, whatever the odds.
Jim shook his head to clear it. Sitting up against the stove, he blinked through a painful headache at the scene before him. He saw the nun's desperate last stand and little Sodoshi's brave defiance. Even when the creature grabbed the child by her throat, she continued to strike at his arm with every part of her body that could reach.
Desperate for a weapon, any weapon, he reached up and felt around for something to use. When his fingers touched something that felt like a weapon, he snatched it up and sprang to his feet.
The demon snarled what sounded like laughter as Jim Bateman faced it holding a plastic spatula like a pathetically short sword.
Jim's eyes went wide when he noticed. He glanced at the fox creature who snarled in return. With a embarrassed little chuckle, he raised his miniature weapon in a threatening manner. "Back off, ugly. I'm not afraid to use this."
When the demon roared with laughter, Jim threw the spatula at the creature's head. Watching it harmlessly bounce off did nothing to deter the demon and even less for Jim's confidence.
When the fox creature turned again to the little girl, Jim frantically searched for something else to use. He snatched another spatula off the stove and threw it as well. It missed high and to the right, bouncing off the wall and clattering to the floor. In desperation, he grabbed a pan off the stove and threw it at the demon. This time his aim was good. The pan slammed into the back of the creature's head. To his surprise, it howled and dropped Sodoshi. When it turned to face its attacker, he could see why his attack was so successful. As luck would have it, he had thrown the same pan Jade had used to mix her potion. There must have been just enough left in the pan to injure the demon.
Despite its pain, the creature was still a threat. Its arms flailed about, endangering all in the kitchen. Jim glanced around desperately for another weapon. It came when the kitchen broom fell from its storage rack and struck him on the head. It wasn't much of a weapon but it was something.
Picking it up and holding it like a lance, he charged the steaming creature with a long yell that he had no idea where he got.
He felt his weapon penetrate the demon's body. Still he kept pushing and yelling. When the tip broke through the creature's back, he slid forward, his face slamming into its chest. Claws raked his back but the pain only spurred him to push harder.
His wild charge ended when they crashed into the wall, the broom handle burying itself deep in the drywall and effectively pinning the struggling creature. In a moment, its howls faded as the demon dissolved, filling the kitchen with a stench that rivaled anything Jade could cook up.
Gasping for breath, Jim rolled over, his back against the wall and slid to the floor. He looked up just in time to see Kei standing in the kitchen entrance, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. The muzzle of her shotgun dropped to the floor with a 'thunk'.
"Wow," she said, as she switched to blinking. Jim forced a smile and chuckled like he always did when his wife caught him doing something foolish. With a painful shrug, he passed out.
"Is everyone okay in there?" Rachel called as Troy helped her to her feet.
"They're fine. Sodoshi's safe." Kei's voice sounded tired.
Jade stood up behind her barrier and stared at the open picture window. Rachel followed her gaze and noticed the storm was ending.
Darkness slowly gave way to shafts of sunlight. Neighbors across the street cautiously stepped outside and stared at the sky.
"This is going to be hell to explain," she said with a tired shake of her head.
"I wonder why they gave up." Troy put his arm around Rachel to keep her from falling as she tried to walk towards the window.
He was right to be concerned. Either the demons had retreated to think of something else or had given up altogether. Either way, the battle was over for now. She could hear sirens off in the distance, probably heading towards their neighborhood.
Kei helped her husband to his feet. "You poor baby," she purred. "Are you okay?"
Jim winced as her hand brushed one of the spots where the creature's claws had torn his skin. "Is Sodoshi all right?"
"She's fine," Kei answered. "Thanks to you."
Hugging his wife, Jim drew a deep breath. It looked like they'd won.
"I wonder why they gave up," Rachel said, glancing between Troy and Jade. It was obvious by the way he eyed the Chinese girl that it would take more than a few demons to scare him off.
"Not know," Jade replied.
Everyone jumped when the phone rang. All seem to sigh at the same time. Rachel dug for the ringing phone under the cushions of the overturned sofa she had used to hide behind.
"Hello?" she said once she'd found it. "Oh, Doctor Friedman. Is something wrong?"
"Is that you, Miss Magnum? Have you located Mrs. Lawrence yet?" came the doctor's voice through the phone.
"No, we haven't," she admitted. "We just went through a..."
She paused trying to think of how to explain what just happened without telling the truth.
"Yes, we heard there was some sort of meteorological phenomena in that part of the city. They're calling it a freak tornado on the TV."
"Of course, that's exactly what it was - a tornado." Rachel sighed in relief. "We're all okay here."
"We MUST locate Mrs. Lawrence right away. Mr. Lawrence has just gone on full life support. His vital signs are fading. We fear he won't last much longer."
"I understand," Rachel said slowly. "We'll find her."
She hung up the phone and looked at the anxious faces around her.
"How bad," Troy asked.
"Jeffrey is dying. They want to speak to Nabiki."
"Probably to ask how long to keep him on life support before pulling the plug," Jim noted with a shake of his head. Kei jabbed him in the ribs. When he looked at her in astonishment, he saw her jerk her head towards Sodoshi. He sagged at the realization of what he said in front of the child.
"I've been thinking about why those creatures were after Sodoshi," Troy said with a frown. "When Jim told me that Mr. Lawrence had a blue glow about him when he fell ill, I was certain it had something to do with the spirit world. Seeing these demons and how they dissolve into blue smoke when 'killed' just confirmed it. I believe they are responsible for all that has happened.
Somehow, they grabbed Jeffrey's spirit. For what reason, I can't say. In any case, they're back again and apparently after his daughter."
"Perhaps they are holding his spirit but have been unsuccessful getting from him what they want. Getting the child might force him to cooperate." It was Kei's turn to get a jab in the ribs from her husband. "Oh, yeah, the kid," she mumbled.
"Knowing how much Sodoshi means to him, she would have been a powerful incentive," Rachel noted with a detached nod.
"Apparently, since they failed to abduct his daughter, they're switching tactics." Troy pulled out a small book from his bag. "They might be so desperate they are willing to press him to the point of death in order to get what they want."
"They intend on keeping his spirit permanently," Sister Angelica said with a gasp. "Can they do that?"
"I would guess they can. At least, the part that makes Jeffrey who he is. What they appear to be doing now is draining the last of his spirit energy. If he's as strong-willed as I've heard, he'll die before giving in."
"Can't we do something?" Sister Angelica gasped, hugging Sodoshi.
Jade shook her head.
"There may be one way," Troy said, holding up his little book.
"If I can get close enough to his body, I think I can bind his spirit to it - for a little while, anyway. At least, it will give us some time to think of something else."
"What are we waiting for?" Rachel said. "We need to get to the hospital. Nabiki left her van in the garage. The spare key is on hook in the kitchen."
Everyone headed for the garage. Rachel detoured through the kitchen for the key. Jade, despite the broken living room picture window, carefully locked the door.
As they piled into the domestic mini-van, Kei stopped her husband from climbing behind the wheel.
"What's wrong?" he asked, one hand on the door handle.
"I'm driving," Kei growled, snatching the key from Rachel.
"Why?"
"Because you drive like an old lady." Kei shoved Jim towards the van's open sliding door. "You ride back with everyone else."
Jim was about to ask about riding up front with his wife when he noticed Sister Angelica settling into the front passenger seat. With a sigh, he climbed into the van's middle seat and slid shut the door.
Waiting only long enough for the garage door to open, Kei gunned the engine and backed into the street, narrowly missing a couple of arriving fire trucks. With squealing wheels, the van shot off down the street with everyone holding on for dear life.
Just off the main street, two police officers sat quietly in their squad car listening to the radio and scanning an occasional passing vehicle with radar.
"Man, this is boring," the younger officer moaned.
Honolulu Police Sergeant Ralph See shifted his position and sighed as he concentrated on his cross word puzzle book. "Not all assignments are exciting." "I can't believe I spent four years in college and six years as an MP in the Army just to sit in a funeral home parking lot zapping SUV's with an antiquated radar gun." The young man pouted.
Ralph shook his head. Only six months to retirement and he could turn the whole business over to eager young pups like his current partner. He sighed again thinking how nice it would be not having to babysit all the new kids they were hiring.
He was just considering a particularly difficult word when something screamed past their position so fast it made the squad car rock. "What was that?" he yelled, glancing up from his puzzle.
"Silver mini-van, two known occupants, a red-headed Asian driver and a nun," the young officer answered, the excitement in his voice obvious. "Wow! They were going seventy-five in a thirty-five zone."
Flipping on the siren, Sergeant See tossed his puzzle book in the back seat. "Did you get the license number?"
"Sure did. I'm entering it now."
Satisfied everything was progressing properly, Ralph shoved the squad car into 'drive' and launched into pursuit. Something about what the young officer said bothered him. This all felt eerily familiar. "Did you say a nun?"
"Couldn't miss it," his partner called back. "Saw her habit flapping in the breeze."
What was a nun doing in a speeding mini-van? He couldn't ever recall stopping one. When they drove at all, they were usually the picture of proper driving etiquette. Maybe it had something to do with the red-headed driver.
"They're heading towards the university hospital. Let's get a perimeter set up so we can contain them." Ralph skidded through a busy intersection, narrowly missing a couple of cars. "Do we have an ID on the tag?"
"Coming now," the young officer yelled. "Got it! Registered to Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence."
Ralph almost lost control of his vehicle. "WHO?"
"Nabiki Tendo-Lawrence. Does that mean something?"
Ralph groaned. "Not again!"
"It's true," Yumi insisted. "We heard it from our friends back in the spirit world."
Kasumi leaned against her kitchen counter, clutching her apron to her chest. She didn't know Nabiki was even in Japan, much less crawling around in her clan's spirit realm. How did she get there?
It's unlikely she was invited. Nabiki's presence left Kasumi with a particularly vexing problem; she was certain her sister had done something on her own again and was probably up to her panties in trouble.
"It's worse," Fumi whined. "The mean spirits that used to pick on us abducted some mortal's spirit and won't give it back."
"That's horrible," Kasumi gasped before blinking and wondering just what that had to do with her sister.
"Not really. It's just some gaijin named... uh... Rawrence."
"Lawrence? Jeffrey Lawrence?"
"Could be," Fumi admitted defensively.
So that's why her sister was here. If her husband's spirit had been abducted, nothing could have kept Nabiki from trying to save him. She remembered how her sister reacted when little Sodoshi was abducted. Nabiki could be quite rash and single-minded where her family was concerned.
"We also heard who was behind it. That mean warlord's army that the spirits trapped in their realm four hundred years ago. We heard the General was quietly waiting for the arrival of a portal-user."
"And the rise of a cold moon," added Yumi. "They need both to escape."
"Yes, there will be a cold moon this very evening. If the warlord escapes with his spirit army, it will be really, really bad."
"Then we have to keep them from escaping."
Everyone turned toward the voice to see Ranma approaching.
"Do you really think you can, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked.
Ranma eyed the three normal-looking young ladies in Kasumi's kitchen. They seemed familiar for some reason. "I can try. Can you take me there?"
"Uh... as in guide?" Fumi asked.
"Yes. We can take the train if it's too far to walk." Ranma's reply left no doubt he didn't have a clue.
The three fox creatures exchanged worried looks. Kasumi just shook her head. "It doesn't work that way, Ranma. You have to cross over through the land of the dead to a specific realm in the spirit world."
Ranma's expression was priceless. Blinking a couple of times, trying to wrap his mind around the concept of a realm within a realm where the spirits of the dead lived, his face went from surprised to curious to totally lost.
Kasumi finally tired of watching all of Ranma's facial transformations. "She means that only spirits can go there."
"Well, not exactly," Kumi corrected. "Nabiki's not a spirit and she went there."
"Can you help us?" Kasumi asked.
"I guess," Yumi replied. "Each of us can transport one mortal to the spirit realm."
"Yeah, but it drains us so much we can't help once we're there," Fumi added.
"Not that we're fighters or anything." Yumi frowned at the floor with her admission.
"If we both go..." Kasumi's suggestion caused everyone in the room to frown her way. None more so than Ranma.
"You're not a fighter either," he noted.
"I can help," Kasumi insisted, not totally certain she was suggesting the right thing. "... a little."
The three fox creatures exchanged worried looks.
"Well, two of us can transport the two of you and the one of us not transporting can act as a guide," Fumi said, the hesitancy in her voice obvious.
"If we only had one more fighter," Kasumi said almost in passing.
"There IS one other person I could get," Ranma said, rubbing his head like the idea wasn't one of his best. "If we can find him."
"That will take too long." Akane's voice from the hall drew everyone's attention. "Take me. I can fight almost as good as Ranma." Akane took Ranma's hand and glanced at his face once before returning to regard the three with a determined expression.
"Besides, I am of the clan. If it involves Nabiki and the Cold Moon Clan, I want to be there."
"Well..." Yumi looked between her companions for support.
"I suppose we could transport the three of you-"
"NO!" Ranma's sudden exclamation froze everyone. "You're pregnant. I don't want anything to happen to either you or the baby."
"Okay, then we will transport Kasumi instead," Fumi said with a shrug.
Akane's eyes lowered as she pursed her lips. "You can't do that. She's pregnant, too."
"WHAT?" Ranma practically collapsed at the news. Kasumi reacted with stunned surprise. "How do you know that?"
A painful smile graced Akane's lips as she spoke. "There are usually two people who know about such things first; the woman and her doctor."
Clutching her hands to her chest, Kasumi turned away. "I see. Tofu told you." She tried not to sound accusatory but it wasn't easy considering how she felt.
"I understand now why you acted the way you did," Akane said, her voice soft and pleading. "I'm sorry, Oneechan. I should have said something to you before announcing but I was so excited."
She paused before bowing waist deep. "I was selfish. I'm sorry for causing you so much pain."
Akane wanted to say more - to apologize again and again - but none of the words she had seemed to fit. All she could do was stand and fidget, occasional beginnings of her thoughts derailed before they could be uttered.
The seconds ticked off, Akane still trying to think of something to say, Kasumi staring at the wall, and Ranma gasping at the thought of both sisters being pregnant at the same time.
"I suppose...," Kasumi began before halting to swallow. "I suppose it is I who should apologize for the way I acted. I'm sorry, Akane. It's just I wanted to be special, if only for one day. When you robbed me of that, I was insanely jealous. YOU are the heir to our family legacy. YOU are the one who everyone notices. I'm just plain old Kasumi. I'm always here and always cooking, cleaning, and doing the shopping. No one ever looks at me as something special."
"That's not true, Oneechan. I think you're special. You've always been special to me and Nabiki." Akane glanced at her husband.
"Even Ranma thinks you're special. Don't you, Ranma?"
"Yeah, sure. You've... well, you've been the older sister I never had." Such a personal admission in front of so many people, some strangers, caused him to fumble with his fingers. His eyes darted from the floor to each of the assembled.
Yumi sighed heavily. "I can't transport Akane AND her baby. It would kill one or the other."
Ranma turned to his wife. "Then it's settled. You're not going."
"You can't do it alone, baka!"
"I'll... I'll find Ryouga."
"When? Where? He's not always at Akari's farm, ya know."
"I'll find him," Ranma insisted.
"And waste precious time doing it." Akane folded her arms and glared at her husband. "You heard what they said. It's getting dark out now. The moon will be rising soon. We have to do this NOW."
"What about the baby - OUR baby?"
Akane looked at the three fox creatures. "Can two of you transport me and my baby?"
"Well..." Kumi glanced at her two companions. "I suppose it would work. We've never tried it before. Of course you wouldn't have a guide. The spirit realm is full of dangers to those who don't know their way around."
Ranma continued to argue that Ryouga was the only answer. Turning his back to Akane and Kasumi, he forcefully presented his case to the three fox creatures, his arms waving as he talked.
With a soft sigh, Kasumi shook her head. "He's not going to give up," she said in a quiet voice that only Akane could hear.
"I know. He can be so stubborn sometimes," Akane replied.
Without a sound, Kasumi reached behind her and pulled a large frying pan from its place on the kitchen wall. Handing it Akane, she acknowledged her sister's nod of thanks and stepped back.
Demonstrating her years of practice, Akane swung the pan in a perfect arc until it impacted her husband's head with a loud 'bong'.
Ranma stopped in mid-sentence and his eyes crossed before he bonelessly collapsed to the floor.
"There, problem solved," Akane said, handing the pan back to her sister. Turning to the fox creatures, who were still staring in shock at the comatose Ranma, she smiled. "Now, you three will transport Ranma and myself. We'll just do the best we can once we're there."
Yumi shook her head like she was trying to clear it. "Kasumi, you certainly have a strange family."
With a sigh, Kasumi nodded. "Yes, but I've gotten used to them."
A silver mini-van roared through a busy Honolulu intersection pursued by half a dozen screaming police cars. The red-haired woman at the wheel never slowed down as she guided it around traffic, threading impossibly small openings between vehicles while honking the van's horn. Everyone in the van's back seats hung on for dear life. The nun sitting in the front seat, hummed a merry tune from 'Sound Of Music', her head rocking back and forth in time with the music. Her peaceful smile and calm demeanor suggested she did this every day.
Two more wide, skidding turns and the little van found itself on an access road leading to University Hospital. Two police cars weren't as lucky or skillful in making the last turn. Bouncing off one another, one spun circles across four lanes of traffic while the other ricocheted over the curb, became airborne, and cleared a hedge before slamming into a large fountain, coming to rest in two feet of fountain water.
Struggling with the deflated air bag, the passenger slammed what was left of the dash with his hand. "Now THAT's what I'm talking about! What a rush!"
Sergeant Ralph See, holding a hand over his bleeding nose, scowled at the rookie. "Kid, you and I need to have a looooong talk."
Kei stomped on the brakes with both feet, skidding the van to a halt directly in front of the lobby. Doors on the vehicle exploded open, discharging its occupants in a frantic rush for the hospital.
Approaching sirens could be heard as Jim ushered everyone inside.
Everyone, that is, except Sister Angelica. With a noble sense of calm, she closed each of the van doors before brushing off her habit and sedately following the others.
"That was most exhilarating," she said to a staring orderly.
"Most exhilarating indeed."
Little Sodoshi took the nun's hand. "Weren't you scared, Sister?"
"Not at all. I was always in good hands," Sister Angelica said with a satisfied smile.
Sodoshi wrinkled her nose and shot a look at Kei as the woman disappeared around a corner of the hallway. "I was scared. Aunt Kei is nuts."
"That isn't who I was referring to." The nun hastened her pace when she noticed the police arriving in a fender-bending manner out front. "And you shouldn't speak of your crazy Aunt Kei like that. It's not her fault she's an out-of-control maniac."
"If you say so, Sister." Sodoshi began trotting to keep with the fleeing nun.
"Come on, you guys!" Kei wasn't in any mood for slow-moving nuns today. Standing in the hallway leading to the ICU, she gestured wildly with her hands.
As Sister Angelica and Sodoshi passed, Kei and Jim swung the heavy fire doors shut. Jim snatched a pair of aluminum-handled mops from a nearby cleaning cart and jammed them through the looped door handles, effectively sealing the doors shut. As an afterthought, Kei reached over and pulled the fire alarm.
The loudest, most irritating warning buzzer they'd ever heard went off directly over their head. Holding his ears, Jim frowned at his wife. "What did you do that for?" he yelled.
"It causes all the other fire doors to close. It'll slow the police," Kei shouted back.
Entering the ICU like a SWAT team, Jade and Troy led the way, shoving aside all who tried to stop them. Rachel followed along with Sister Angelica and Sodoshi.
"What's the meaning of this? Did you set off the fire alarm?" one doctor demanded while giving way to the headlong rush towards Jeffrey's room.
When Jade and Troy continued on without answering, the doctor ordered a nurse to call security.
A second doctor tried to stop Rachel but hesitated when he saw a nun following.
"Sister, do you know what's going on?" he asked almost as if he suspected this was some sort of terrorist attack.
"Please step aside, doctor," Sister Angelica said, holding her crucifix as if she were warding off vampires. "These people are here to save Mr. Lawrence."
"This is most irregular," the doctor stammered. "Are they physicians?"
"Of sorts. They're specialists in the only medicine that can help him now. Please don't interfere." The doctor hesitated before looking down at the pensive little girl holding the nun's hand.
"Please?" Sodoshi said in a tiny voice.
As the fire alarm abruptly ended, the doctor nodded and motioned for the others to let the strange invaders through.
"You're most kind," Sister Angelica said with a polite bow.
"I don't suppose they could do any worse than we have." The doctor forced a humble smile at the little girl.
"All you need is a little faith," Sister Angelica replied as she started again towards the glass enclosed room holding the comatose Jeffrey Lawrence.
Jeffrey sat brooding in the dimly-lit cave. He could feel more and more pieces of his memory slipping away. About all he could do was cling to a dim concept of who he was and what this place represented. It wasn't much. Bits of his memory flittered in and out of recognition. Often, the memories were little more than unrelated and confusing images or emotions.
Leaning back against the cave wall, a few random concepts shaped themselves into a cohesive remembrance. The image of a little girl with long dark hair and big brown eyes. The way she smiled and the sound of her laughter beckoned him to remember more. Her name... Her name was Doshi, or something like that. There was also a woman's image at the fringes of that image. An attractive woman with almost shoulder-length brown hair that tugged at a stronger memory, one just out of reach.
"I have given some thought to your condition," the old man said as he entered the chamber, interrupting Jeff's efforts. "However, I cannot help you unless you help me in turn."
"If it will get my memory back, I'll do almost anything,"
Jeff replied, shaking his head to clear a series of random images that appeared with the interruption and refused to fit themselves into any semblance of rational thought.
"Then you will open the portal?"
Jeff sighed heavily and hung his head with a grimace. "I've tried to remember how but I just can't."
The old man stared at him for several seconds. "Then perhaps you need something that will give you... incentive."
Jeff regarded the man with suspicion. What did he mean by 'incentive'?
Turning towards another tunnel, the old man's face wore a hard expression. "Come with me."
With some reluctance, Jeff followed his guide down a long tunnel. Intermittent flaming pots lit the way, casting the tunnel in an eerie golden light.
They emerged into a larger chamber than the one they left. In the middle was a small fire, its flames caressing a blue crystal that hovered a foot or so above. Its sickly sweet odor filled the room and burned Jeff's eyes.
The room was empty except for two figures that were chained upright to the far wall. They appeared to be female. Jeff's unease grew as the old man shuffled past the blue crystal and approached the chained woman on the right.
Grabbing a handful of hair, the old man yanked the woman's head up so Jeff could see her face. "Do you know this woman?"
Jeff studied the woman's face carefully. Even with her eyes closed, he could tell she wasn't really unconscious. He wondered if the old man knew as well.
"No," he finally said, shaking his head. There was something about her that he couldn't identify right away. She seemed familiar.
Like a butterfly in the wind, recognition danced close to his awareness before disappearing into the fog of his remaining memory.
"What if she was somebody important to you? Say, your wife, perhaps?" The old man's voice turned hard and demanding.
Jeff examined the woman's face again. As he did, the familiarity about her grew. Wife? Possibly. The woman's hair color and length seemed familiar to that of the mysterious woman he saw when he remembered the little girl. He was almost convinced.
There was something about her that he felt deep inside - but then it could just have been a normal reaction to a pretty girl.
When he looked at her clothes, he shook his head. No, she couldn't be his wife. The one memory that sprang to the fore when he tried to think of her was how she despised ninjas. This woman was wearing a Shinobi shozoku. There was no way it could be his wife. Perhaps she was a acquaintance or something.
With a flick of his wrist, the old man produced a wicked-looking tanto. Its blade flashed in the dim light. "Then it would mean nothing to you if I slit her throat," he growled, bringing the sharp edge up to the announced target.
Jeff's first reaction was indifference. Let the old man do what he liked. But something inside him argued against it. "Whoever she is - whatever she is - she doesn't deserve to butchered for nothing. That would be wrong."
"Oh, but there is a very good reason, my young friend," the old man said with a snarl. "She will die if I don't get what I want."
"Meaning?" Jeff's uneasiness grew the longer he looked at the woman.
"If you don't open the portal now, YOU will be the cause of this woman's death."
The woman suddenly gasped and opened her eyes. "Don't help him, Jeffrey. He's the warlord my ancestors trapped here four hundred years ago. If you -"
Her words were cut off as the old man slapped her face hard enough to snap her body sideways. Blood splattered on the chamber wall.
Stunned at both the woman's words and the old man's actions,
Jeff gasped aloud. "That's... that's not possible. He's Shimazu Nariakira, the outcast from the Cold Moon Clan. He stopped the fox creatures from attacking. He's kept me safe from the warlord and his army."
A loud moan rolled through the chamber, the ground beneath his feet undulating like a water bed.
"Jeffrey! He IS the warlord," the woman insisted through bleeding lips.
Instead of slapping the woman again, the old man began to glow.
His blue aura growing rapidly until it shone around his body like a halo.
Jeff stumbled backwards, his eyes wide with fear. This couldn't be happening. He's NOT evil. He just couldn't be.
His thoughts ended when the old man shimmered and reformed into a vigorous-looking middle-aged man dressed in full samurai armor fit for a general. With a hearty roar of laughter, echoed by a mournful moan from the cave walls, the man sprang at Jeff, pinning him to the wall with a hand about his throat.
"She's quite right, my young fool. I AM General Shibata Katsuie, commander of my lord Oda Nobunaga's elite forces. The cold moon has risen. If you won't willingly help me, I'll rip the secret out of you."
Struggling against the sudden incredible strength of General Katsuie, Jeff could feel his energy slipping away. Clutching the General's hands with one of his own, he repeatedly pounded on the man's arms with his other hand. All to no avail. The General just laughed and glowed brighter with the energy he was stealing.
To the accompaniment of moans of despair that seemed to come from all directions, the room quickly filled with dozens of rotting samurai, their swords drawn and their stench making it hard to breathe. Jeff had to break free soon or there would be no hope of ever escaping.
"Once I've drained you of your ability to resist, I'll turn your own memories against you and open the portal myself," the General crowed. "In the mortal realm I will have the power of a god. And with that power, I will declare myself Emperor. After all, is not the Emperor of Japan a living god?"
"You're mad!" Jeff managed to gasp before the General's grip made even that impossible.
Pinned to the wall, feeling his life draining away, Jeff squeezed his eyes shut with a painful grimace. Evil laughter from the General grew in volume until it echoed off the cavern walls.
"Ow," Ranma said with a grimace as he rolled over and sat up. Akane only glanced his way as she repeatedly shook her head trying to get her eyes to focus. In the cave's semi-darkness it was difficult to judge depth or focus on specific objects.
"You didn't have to hit me so hard," he complained, rubbing his head and blinking at his surroundings. It was obvious he was having a little trouble focusing as well.
"If you weren't such a hard-headed goof sometimes, I wouldn't have to," she replied, still shaking her head. "Where are we?"
"How should I know? Somewhere in the spirit realm, I guess."
Ranma unsteadily got to his feet, still rubbing his head. "That is, if those fox creatures were telling the truth."
"Ewwww, what's that smell?" Akane asked as she used the wall to help her stand up.
When Ranma didn't answer, she turned to confront him. But when she noticed he wasn't listening but staring with an odd expression down the tunnel, she followed his gaze. Her eyes went wide at what was standing not more than ten feet from them.
A seventeenth century samurai in full battle armor stood with his sword drawn.
"That's not possible," she gasped.
"Maybe not but it sure stinks!" Ranma replied, fanning his face like he was trying to ward off the odor.
A rumble rolled through their tunnel, causing the samurai to shift his position into an even more threatening stance.
"Let's go this way," Akane said, pulling Ranma's arm, trying to urge him away from the rotting horror that blocked their path.
"Yeah, good idea."
But when they turned to escape, the rumbling grew louder. They stumbled over a floor that bucked and heaved like an intestine trying to digest a wad of food. Their retreat ended when the ceiling began to cave in, dumping tons of rock into the tunnel ahead.
With no other option, they turned back towards the samurai who stood waiting for them.
Ranma, not one to pause and plan, took the initiative and attacked. With a feint towards the samurai's head, he dropped low and aimed a kick at its leg, barely avoiding the sword that swished only millimeters from his head.
His aim was good - too good. There came a sound like rotting wood as Ranma's foot struck the samurai's knee. To his surprise,
the leg snapped off and flopped to the far wall. Ranma rolled backwards, avoiding the samurai's back-swing. Instead of falling, the samurai remained standing, balanced on one leg. His sword resumed its ready position.
"What's holding him up?" Akane gasped. "He acts as if losing a leg means nothing."
"Probably not alive," Ranma said as he sprang to his feet. "That would account for the smell."
"Now what?" Akane asked as the tunnel bucked and heaved, showering everyone with dislodged rocks.
"One thing's for sure, we can't stay here." Ranma launched another attack, this time at the samurai's remaining leg.
His solid kick gave the same result. With a loud 'snap', the leg broke cleanly, dropping the samurai to the floor. The horror's sword swished through Ranma's hair, cutting a section as clean as a barber.
To his surprise, instead of flopping on its side, the samurai remained upright, his sword resuming its ready position.
"I don't believe this," Akane yelled.
"Looks like we have to attack his arms now." Ranma didn't like the odds. Before, he was able to attack away from the samurai's deadly blade. Even then, the creature had come close to slicing his head off. Attacking closer to the sword gave the advantage to the samurai.
Before he could attack, there came a particularly strong tremor that swept the tunnel. Ranma and Akane were thrown to opposite walls where they huddled amidst a shower of rocks and dirt. As the tremors grew in intensity, a large section of roof detached itself.
The samurai never uttered a sound as it crushed him flat.
When the tremors died away, Ranma looked at what was left of the horror that blocked their way. Only two arms could be seen, still quivering and twitching, one still holding the sword and waving it in small circles.
"It's still alive?" Akane gasped, her eyes wide as she continued to stare at the moving arms. "How?"
"Beats me," Ranma replied, edging his way to the side away from the still moving sword. "I don't think it was alive to begin with."
More rocks suddenly fell behind them. Their only escape was forward, toward the smashed samurai. Avoiding the arm without the sword, they hopped over what remained of the creature and scurried further along the tunnel.
They ran in partial darkness, tripping over loose rocks. Ranma's progress was tempered by constantly slowing to help Akane. He avoided making comments about her clumsiness, choosing to concentrate on keeping rocks that were still detaching themselves from the ceiling from striking her. His instinct to allow her to suffer the results of her own clumsiness tempered by the knowledge that she was still carrying his child - the most helpless of the helpless.
Stumbling on, they found their way dimly lit by an occasional flaming pot on the floor. They didn't know where they were going but anywhere away from that undead horror was good enough for them.
Stopping to catch their breath, Ranma looked at his wife. "You okay?" he asked.
Akane nodded as she gasped for air. When she tried to speak, there came a scream from further up the tunnel.
"JEFFREY!"
"It's Nabiki." Not waiting for her husband, Akane bolted towards her sister's voice.
Troy Tomita finished mumbling his incantation, placing a prayer charm on Jeffrey's cool forehead and holding it in place with the fingers of one hand. Blinking back some sweat from his effort, he chanced a look at Jade. The girl stood across the bed from him, fidgeting as she watched him work. She appeared to lack confidence in his efforts.
"If I did it right and we're not too late, it should keep his spirit from draining completely," Troy said, trying as much to convince himself as Jade.
Grunting her agreement, she slowly ran her open hands less than an inch over Jeffrey's body like twin sensors searching for spirit energy. When they reached his middle, she paused and frowned.
"Not working," she said. "Spirit energy still draining."
"What?" Troy gasped. "I thought..." He quickly duplicated her path with his own hands, flexing his fingers to feel the changes in spirit intensity as he went. She was right. The energy was still draining from Jeff, like water from an unplugged tub. "There's only one thing that could be causing this. Someone or something must be sucking the life force from him."
"What's the meaning of this?" came an angry voice from the ICU doorway. "Get these people out of here!"
Troy regarded the newcomer with a frown. Dressed in a business suit, the man looked important. Still, neither he nor Jade made any move to leave.
"I'm Doctor Long, the head of Intensive Care. I demand you people leave this instant," the man said.
Rachel stepped in front of him, her hands on her hips and glared up at the imposing figure. "These," she began, indicating Troy and Jade, "are the only people who can help Mr. Lawrence now. Please don't interfere."
The man's face turned purple as he sputtered and turned to his staff who were making no effort to intervene. "I said GET THESE PEOPLE OUT OF HERE!"
When the staff only looked at each other, he growled something about worthless people and snatched up the phone. Stabbing a button with his index finger, he yelled into the receiver: "Security to the ICU, STAT! I repeat, security -"
He never finished. Rachel slammed her fist down on the phone, cutting his communication.
"That does it," he growled, dropping the handset and reaching for her with both hands.
Without warning she stepped back and delivered a sharp kick to the man's groin. The man jerked into a standing fetal position, his fingers drawn into agonized little bunches while his eyes crossed. Slowly, he sagged to the floor.
"Daddy always told me the best way to silence an asshole is to introduce him to his balls," she said, stepping away from the twitching figure on the floor.
Some of the doctors voiced loud protests, a couple of the nurses disappeared as the room descended into bedlam. Jeff's body flared bright blue and quickly began to fade. The heart monitor went flat and an alarm screeched its warning.
Confusion reigned as doctors and the remaining nurses tried to grab the crash cart with its heart defibrillator and drugs while Troy and Jade moved to stop them. Rachel was yelling at everyone to calm down as other phones rang and the PA system crackled to life calling security to the ICU.
Jim and Kei, still leaning against the barricaded doors, felt a strong shove from the other side.
Kei spun around on her seat and kicked the doors back into place. She could feel bodies on the far side being repelled.
"That ought to keep them out," she said with a grin.
"I don't know, Kei." Jim looked around for something he could use to further block the door. When his eyes fell on another crash cart, he got an idea.
Abandoning his wife for a moment, he crawled to the cart and pushed it towards the door.
"That's not going to stop them," Kei complained as she kicked the doors again. Those on the other side were increasing their efforts to breach the obstruction. "We need something heavy."
"Watch," Jim said, snatching the twin paddles from their tray.
He paused only a moment to figure out which buttons to push before adjusting the machine on its highest setting. "Get back."
Kei had only a heartbeat to get out of her husband's way before he slapped the paddles against the steel doors and released the machine's energy.
Screams came from the other side, indicating his success.
However, as he was improperly grounded, the charge also shot back through his own body. Still pressing the paddles against the door, his body jerked and his head vibrated from the electric charge.
Kei groaned before kicking the cart away, breaking the contact.
Jim twitched in place for only a moment before collapsing on the floor. There was no further effort by those on the other side to push their way through. Obviously, his little electric eel act had convinced them of the foolishness of such efforts.
Still twitching on the floor, he looked up into his wife's concerned face.
"If this kills you, do I get to keep the Mercedes?" she asked.
His twitching hands flew to her throat and the two rolled around on the floor, Kei yelling and Jim growling.
Sister Angelica watched with morbid fascination as her companions argued with the medical staff and blocked their access to Mr. Lawrence. She was so involved that she forgot all about little Sodoshi. By the time she looked for her, she saw the child had crawled up onto the bed and was straddling her father's chest.
What caused the nun to gasp aloud was what the child was doing.
"LOOK!" she called, pointing to the bed.
The room fell silent as everyone turned to see Sodoshi laying on her father's chest, her little body glowing bright amber.
"Fight him, Daddy!" Sodoshi cried. "Don't give up! Fight him!"
Her body's glow increased until it was almost painful to watch.
Monitoring instruments in the room began to smoke before exploding, showering the ICU room with showers of sparks. The lights dimmed before the fluorescent bulbs began exploding one at a time.
Arcs of power jumped from the destroyed equipment to the girl's body, making her tears glow even brighter than her body.
Sister Angelica held her prayer beads in balled fists in front of her face and prayed.