[Ranma][FanFic] Shampoo 1/2, Chapter 14

[DB Sommer]

Writer's note: This one is a little different and pretty dark It's
almost a
side story, so be prepared.

Prologue

The Present:
Nerima, Japan:

Kasumi was on her way to the market, alone. Lately, Shampoo refused to
do anything other than hide in her room, even going so far as to make
Kasumi deliver her meals there. The eldest Tendo might not have done
it save for fear that Shampoo would starve to death. Ranma wasn't
behaving much better, moping around the house in a depressed state
that would have done Ryouga proud. His father had actually beaten him
in some of the morning sparring sessions for the first time in months,
which was the main reason the two
fathers had managed to drag Ranma and Shampoo out of the house on a
two day training trip. At the last minute Akane decided to go with
them, striking the fear of god into the group when she proudly stated
she would do all the cooking for the party. That left Kasumi and
Nabiki with the house to themselves. Maybe forever if Akane made good
on her promise. With any luck, whatever problems existed between
Shampoo and Ranma would be resolved by the time the duo returned.

As she walked down the street a new storefront caught her eye,
Wayfinders's Antiques. An unusual name. Kasumi suddenly became
interested in antiques and walked up to the store. She didn't have
enough money to buy anything expensive, but it wouldn't hurt to browse
the shop. Perhaps she would see something nice for Shampoo that would
cheer her up.

Once inside, she saw the interior of the store was brightly lit and
the air quite clear. So much for the idea all such stores had to have
the dank, musty feeling of antiquity to them. There were no other
customers in the shop, allowing Kasumi free reign within. She perused
the shelves, discovering old pots, wooden dolls, dishes with pleasant
designs to them, and all sorts of paraphernalia one would expect in
such a store. As she cleared a set of shelves she saw a gray haired
gaijin gentleman that smiled at her from behind a glass counter.

"Is there anything I can help you with Miss?" he politely inquired.

"No thank you. I'm just browsing. Is the store new? I hadn't noticed
it before." Kasumi asked as she walked up to the counter.

"Just opened it today. Have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed in the
turn out though. You're only the fourth person to come in. Maybe I
should have put up a 'grand opening' banner or something." Wayfinder
shrugged.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Once word gets around of how nice your
shop is, I'm certain more people will come. It's much nicer than the
last antique store that was here." Kasumi said as she examined the
glass case the storeowner stood behind.

"Oh what was it's name?"

"'Needless Things', it was run by a very odd man named Mr. Lean. It
folded up quickly though." She remembered how that store had always
given her the creeps as she continued looking at the objects in the
case.

Noticing her interest, the owner started pointing out things to her.
"This is where I keep my special objects. Many of the items have are
very valuable or have an unusual history to them. Take this for
instance." He reached down and pulled an old scepter from the case.
"This was said to have been used in one of the floating courts of a
maharaja from India. I don't have a certificate of authenticity to
back up the claim, however." He smiled at Kasumi.

She continued examining the contents of the case. A great many crowns,
rings, and bracelets adorned the receptacle. One odd golden object in
particular caught her eye. It was a small piece of gold with a
particularly beautiful design to it. Again, her attention did not
escape the eye of Wayfinder.

"That is an unusual piece. It's part of an object. Maybe a ring.
Judging by the beautiful design, I would wager it was a signet ring.
You would show it off to people to prove what family or clan you
belonged to. What I know for certain about it is that it's from China,
and it is very old. Over fifteen hundred years, easily. Want to see it
more closely?" he reached in to show it before Kasumi could answer.

"Oh I couldn't. I'm sure it's much too expensive."

He forced the item into Kasumi's hand over her protests. "Don't be so
sure. As I said, it's damaged, which reduces the price greatly."

She turned it over in her hand, looking at it from every angle. Even
if she had a great deal of money, broken jewelry was not the sort of
thing she would spend it on. Still, there was something eye catching
about the piece. "How much did you say it was?"

"How much do you think it's worth?" he responded.

Ah. Haggling. That was why there were no prices on any of the items.
Kasumi's shopping expertise gave her fair negotiating skills, but she
was unfamiliar with what she should open with. "I'm no judge of
antiques. Perhaps if you gave me an idea of what you were thinking of
selling it for you could tell me and we could work from there."

The owner considered that. "Three hundred thousand yen."

That was far out of Kasumi's price range, just as she expected. And
she had started to get her hopes up too. "I'll think about it." She
turned to leave.

Wayfinder didn't want to lose the sale. "Wait! The price is
negotiable."

Kasumi continued out. "Thanks anyway. So long." And left the store,
depressed. It would have been nice to splurge a little for herself.
Lost in thought, she felt someone jostle her as she walked along the
busy street. Kasumi turned to see a short figure, no higher than her
chest, walk past.

"People really are becoming more rude nowadays," Kasumi thought sadly
to herself. She took notice of the figure. The person was wearing an
odd set of azure robes, unlike those of a shrine maiden, or anyone
else for that matter. The figure had the hood of the robes pulled over
its head. The small one paused and turned in front of Wayfinder's.
Just as it was about to enter, it turned to face Kasumi. From where
Kasumi stood, she could only
see the bottom portion of the figure's face, the upper portion covered
in the shadows of the hood. At a distance, it appeared to be a young
girl, no more than thirteen years of age. The oddest thing was that,
despite not being able to see the girl's eyes, she could feel her
looking directly at Kasumi. That was when she was overcome by the
feeling she had met this girl before. So certain, in fact, that it
actually disturbed her.

She shook herself out of the reverie. The girl turned back to the
store and entered. Kasumi changed her direction and followed the girl.
Perhaps she was the younger sister of one of her friends from high
school or something. That would explain the familiarity.

As she approached the store she saw movement next to the glass door.
Wayfinder had grabbed the open sign that hung from inside the door and
was turning it over to the closed side. He was just finishing up when
Kasumi hurriedly walked over and stood in front of the door and
knocked. The man turned to face her, the unmistakable look of fear in
his eyes. It appeared he was going to turn away when he abruptly
changed direction and opened the door.

"What is it Kasumi Tendo?" There was a sheen of sweat along his
forehead.

"I..." she trailed off for a moment. "How did you know my name?"

"You must have mentioned it to me when you first came in," he said,
the look of fear remaining in his eyes.

Kasumi was certain she did not state her name, but that was secondary
to the question she wanted to ask. "I want to talk to that girl that
just entered your store." It was a simple enough request.

"I don't know what you're talking about. There's no girl here. Now if
you'll excuse me..." he went to close the door once again.

Kasumi didn't know what to make of the man's response. She had
definitely seen the girl enter. Perhaps the store owner was unaware of
her presence. And why was he closing his store in the middle of the
day? If Kasumi had been more aggressive she might have attempted to
force her way in, but since she was not, she gave up and turned to go.
That was when Wayfinder opened the door once again.

"Wait one moment!" He closed the door and rushed inside, then returned
moments later bearing the piece of signet ring Kasumi had examined. "I
asked you once how much you thought this was worth. I now ask you that
same question again."

Kasumi shook her head. "It's much too expensive. I can't afford it."

Wayfinder appeared desperate. "That wasn't the question I asked. Let
me rephrase it. How much can you afford to pay for it?"

Kasumi hesitated. The man must really be in dire straits if he was
that desperate to make a sale. She grabbed the money out of her purse
and quickly estimated how much cash she could spare. "Only five
thousand yen."

"Sold!" he grabbed the amount from her hand and gave her the signet.
He turned without another word and shut the door again, leaving the
sign on the closed side.

Kasumi walked off, admiring the piece. She was so wrapped up in the
bargain that she forgot the main reason she had stopped at the store.
In fact, within moments she forgot about the young girl altogether.

Wayfinder slumped against his main case, grabbing the bottle of
nitroglycerin pills for his heart. How had The Seer found him after
all this time? It didn't matter. Rumor had it if she wanted to find
you, she found you. Of course she still needed his transdimensional
abilities to travel across the Great Divide, which meant she was not a
god regardless of how it seemed sometimes. There were some that
implied she could even be killed, not that he would ever do such a
thing, even if it was in his nature. No, with any luck this would be
the last occasion he would have to see her in this lifetime. Twice was
quite enough, thank you very much.

The Seer had him so bent out of shape that he had almost blown it when
he spoke Kasumi Tendo's proper name without having actually "heard"
it. How would she react if she knew that, within the confines of the
store, he knew everyone's name and understood who or what they were?
No exceptions, save those that were unfathomable to his mind, like The
Seer. There was also the fact The Seer wanted the youth to have the
signet ring. Why she would take interest in such a mundane mortal was
beyond Wayfinder, but there was no one, save Fate itself, that
understood how The Seer's mind worked. Being closed for several days
might be a good idea. Then he could have a grand reopening. That was a
good plan, one he would act on immediately.

Kasumi spent the rest of the day in normal fashion. She cooked a meal
for herself and Nabiki and cleaned up the house. Having only the two
of them present made cleaning go quickly, so Kasumi used the extra
time to watch television and defeat Nabiki in three straight games of
Monopoly. It was beyond Kasumi why her sister got so worked up over
the game. Nabiki would beat her someday. After all, she had only lost
seventy two times in a row, so she was due for a win.

It was late when Kasumi lay down to go to sleep. As she pulled the
covers over body, she held the signet in her hand. A feeling of peace
came over her as she quickly fell asleep and began to dream...

Ranma 1/2 Presents:
Shampoo 1/2
Chapter 14

Prophet and Loss

Any C+C is appreciated.
Azatlan has given Shampoo 1/2 a home at:
http://www.geocities.com/~azatlan/special-series/shampoo.html
or you can email me for previous chapters at som...@nb.net

Standard Disclaimer:
I disclaim I own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters. They are owned by
the Goddess Takahashi and those she sold the rights to.

The characters of Oh My Goddess! are owned by someone else as well.

An alternate universe:
What's gone on before (or what you really need to know to enjoy this
fic) In the beginning the Saotomes traveled to Jusenkyou and began
sparring, not realizing Shampoo and Mousse had already began a duel
there. One mid-air collision and bath in Spring Of Young Drowned Man
later, we have a male Shampoo as well as a female Ranma. (So
Ranma-chan= female Ranma. Shampoo-kun= male Shampoo. Enjoy.) Shampoo
elected to travel to Japan with Ranma and ended up briefly engaged to
Kasumi. After that was cleared up, Ranma became engaged to Akane.
During the course of the months it was learned that there are laws
against becoming a man in Shampoo's village. Subsequently Cologne has
been trying to get Shampoo cured, or barring that,stand trial for
becoming a man and most likely executed. Last chapter, it
was revealed that an old rival of Shampoo's, Perfume, has been trying
to kill Shampoo for maiming her after a duel. Ranma defeated Tarou
(with an assist from Kodachi) and discovered the truth about Perfume.
Feeling betrayed by Shampoo's actions and for her lying to him, the
two have had a strained relationship ever since.

<> indicates Chinese

One Thousand and Four Hundred and Twenty Nine Years Ago:
China:

The two opposing forces met on the Plains of Kyan' Tal. The rain
poured heavily, leaving the fields covered in mud. Four elders were at
the forefront of the group of women that had come directly from the
village. Their group numbered close to one hundred as opposed to the
group of eighty that stood across from them. Their composed features
masking the fear they all felt. Things should never have deteriorated
to this level. And the saddest thing of all was that all of this could
have been avoided altogether. But how could anyone know the
repercussions of using the Jusenkyou pools in the manner they were
employed. Only now did they understand the true ramifications of their
actions. Or at least some of them did. Others were not so convinced
that they were a danger. Those
others stood across the field watching the group that approached from
the village.

A group of men watched the first group approach. They had elected to
come to the plains first, as the elders had asked. The elders wanted
to meet outside the village, resolving this matter away from the
prying eyes of the males. The two groups faced off across from one
another, ten meters apart. One man stood at the forefront of the
group.

"<So elders. Exactly why did you want us out here. Is it to preach
further nonsense about Nanniichuan?>" Ji Kwan was not amused at being
dragged all the way out here

Feng Lu acted as spokesperson for the elders. "<It is not nonsense you
impudent pup! Your curses represent a threat to the Joketsuzoku.>"

One of the men behind Ji spoke up. "<You're just being paranoid.>"

Ji waved a hand to cut the speaker off. "<I will speak for us,>" she
stated to the man. "<You elders represent the old guard, unwilling to
change with the times. Being able to turn into men has clear
advantages to being a woman the entire time. Just because you lack the
courage to change does not mean we must accede to these senseless
demands.>"

Feng scoffed at that. "<Many among our ranks are not elderly.
Moreover, you are wrong. The curse does represent a threat. Have you
not seen the way the males behave now? They are becoming more and more
impudent and rebellious thanks to you and your 'friends'.>"

"<The males can be made to toe the line. Being able to change into one
helps ensure that.>" Ji responded.

"<The lot of you turning into males is the problem!>" Feng's
frustration grew. "<They no longer see you as women. They see you more
as males giving orders to other males. They think you want to be men,
which undermines the idea that we women are superior to them. Why
should they obey us if we want to be more like them?>"

"<I don't give a damn what the males think,>" Ji scoffed. "<We'll use
force to keep them in line.>"

Feng shook her head sadly. "<The Joketsuzoku will never be able to
last if we have to force the males to obey. There must be some
willingness to go along with us, otherwise our society will fall
apart.>"

Ji gave a look of burning intensity at Feng, "<Then maybe it's time to
create a new society.>"

Feng's mouth dropped in shock. "<Are you preaching rebellion now Ji
Kwan?>"

"<All I say is it might be time for change.>" Ji turned to the group
behind him. "<These others want to force us to use Nyanniichuan.>" Ji
turned to Feng. "<Isn't that right?>"

Feng did not like losing control of the discussion, but the weight of
the events was keeping her from thinking clearly. "<Yes. We do.>"

Ji turned back to the men he was talking to. "<They want to force us
into their tiny simple minded way of life. They believe we should obey
them, like some kind of man. Well despite outward appearances we are
not male. We are proud Amazon warriors of the Joketsuzoku, and will
not prostrate ourselves before you if we have done no wrong.>"

Feng started to protest. "<But you have...>"

She was cut off by Ji. "<If we had done some kind of wrong, why hasn't
the matriarch said something?>" A smile slowly crept across his face.
"<Oh. We know exactly why the matriarch hasn't said anything, don't
we?>" Ji continued to smirk.

Feng had a very intense urge to use one of her daggers to cut the
smirk off of Ji's face. The intensity between the two groups was
building, and without the matriarch to back up her words ordering the
others would be difficult, but things could not be allowed to continue
the way they were. Something had to be done to resolve this matter.
Today. Time to put it all on the line. "<You will uncurse yourselves
using Nyanniichuan now, or
else!>"

Ji's smirk changed to a look of seriousness. "<You will try to force
us to do this?>"

Feng allowed a chi aura to build up around her. "<If need be.>"
Everyone behind her drew weapons, with a handful letting auras glow to
back up her statement. The group of men drew their weapons and allowed
a handful of auras to grow in return as the two forces started moving
towards one another.

Feng was concerned about this fight. True, her people outnumbered Ji's
group, but many of the best warriors were amongst the group
transformed by Nanniichuan, and a lot of them were very powerful. It
would be a devastating battle for both sides no matter what, and the
only loser would be the tribe.

Just as weapons and auras began to collide with one another a loud
voice shouted out "HIRYUU SHOUTEN-HA!!!" causing a giant vortex of chi
energy to suck up all the participants in the battle and
unceremoniously drop them on their heads.

A huge man with a giant two handed sword strapped across his back
stood next to the woman who had launched the all encompassing attack.
A look of surprise was on his face as he turned towards her. "<That
was impressive. When did you learn that?>"

The woman gave a wry little smile. "<I made it up. Just now.>"

The man gave a wide eyed look of surprise. "<Sometimes you scare me.>"

"<As well I should, Matriarch.>" The woman continued to give her
smile.

The man gave an exasperated sigh, "<You know, it's all right for you
to call me sister.>"

"<Of course. I understand,>" she paused, "<Matriarch.>"

Giving up, the man approached the fallen foes with his sister in tow.
"<All of you listen to me and listen to me well. I am matriarch of the
Joketsuzoku, Su Chiang. You will obey me! Do I make myself clear!>"
The collected people nodded their heads in agreement, the pain from
the chi attack still all too fresh in their memories.

"<The tribe faces a threat far more dire than the Gray Plague. Far
greater than Toth Amon and his serpent men,>" he allowed his voice to
build up for dramatic effect. "<That threat is indeed, Nanniichuan.>"

Voices of dissent that began from the men were quickly drowned out.
"<Look at yourselves. We all sisters of the Joketsuzoku, yet we very
nearly began killing one another. And for what? Over a curse. And a
curse is exactly what it is!>"

Again voices claiming it was not a curse were spoken over again by Su
as he circulated amongst the crowd. "<Oh you may not think it. I
didn't at first But now,>" his voice became much quieter, "<Now I know
the truth.>"

Su drew his giant sword. "<It was always my dream to be able to handle
this weapon without difficulty. I worked hard. Building up muscle and
sinew, until I was the strongest one in the village.>" No sounds of
disagreement were heard from that statement. "<And when I got my
curse,>" he emphasized that last word, "<I was delighted. I could now
wield it with an ease I didn't believe possible.>" He spun it around
in his hand for effect. "<I thought it didn't matter that I could turn
into a man. I was wrong.>"

He spun and pointed the sword to indicate Feng. "<Our elder is right.
The men are becoming unruly and noncompliant. They rightfully believe
we are trying to be more like them, and are finding our,>" He paused,
"<hypocrisy, hard to digest. And that alone is enough reason to
discard the forms we now wear. But many of you would disagree with
that rationale. Perhaps you would even be justified. But there is an
even more compelling reason why we must discard these forms and never
use Nanniichuan again.>" He turned towards his sister. "<Someone very
close to me pointed out an obvious flaw in its use. One which will
definitely destroy the tribe, if it is not too late already.>" He
paused once again, not continuing. Finally one of the men spoke up.

"<What reason is that?>" And Su told them.

The shock to everyone was evident. Such an obvious thing, which
everyone mysteriously overlooked. All that is, save one.

Su whispered to his sister, "<It's just like you said Hu. It must be
the curse. To miss something so obvious...>" Su trailed off in disgust
as he watched the others react to the new information. Looks of pity
were on the faces of many of the women, but the features of the men
were almost uniform: shock.

Su listened to many voices mix together, "<We have to change...I
didn't know...None of us did...I want some. I can't go on like
this...if I had known I would never have done it.>"

As though some sort of consensus was reached, the majority of men set
off, only a handful were not in such a great shock that they had
enough sense to bow before their leader before leaving. There was a
small group that remained behind. Thirteen men, still led by Ji Kwon.

They huddled together in discussion, and after coming to an agreement,
broke up and confronted the matriarch. Ji acted as spokesman once agai
n.

"<We have no desire to change back.>"

Su was stunned, "<Didn't you hear what I said?>"

"<Of course. We don't care. None of us have those interests or are
willing to make the sacrifice. We will remain as males.>" Ji looked Su
in the eye in defiance.

Su returned the glare, "<There can be no one cursed by Nanniichuan in
the tribe. It is too disruptive.>"

"<I disagree.>" Ji retorted. "<As I said, I neither have interests
like that nor will I sacrifice my newfound abilities because some men
don't care for it.>"

"<I order you to!>" Su responded.

"<You are wrong. Your reasons don't apply to any of us. Besides, I'm
not the one that started this, am I?>" she smirked.

A dangerous gleam entered Su's eyes. "<So, you wish to change the
rules so they conform to your desires. Is that it?>"

Ji nodded. "<They are wrong.>"

"<Then you openly defy your matriarch.>" The gleam became more
dangerous. "<You always did want to rule. Didn't you Ji-Ji?>"

"<Don't call me that.>" Ji growled in response.

"<Oh come now. I always called you that when we were growing up
Ji-Ji.>"

"<I said stop calling me that!>" Ji became more and more angry.

Su ignored the declaration, "<You always were jealous of my becoming
matriarch. Took it away from your family and now you want it back. Is
that it Ji-Ji?>"

"<Shut up!>" Ji began to tremble in rage, but Su continued on,
ignoring it.

"<An attempt at rebellion? How far you have fallen Ji-Ji. Why go about
this in such an underhanded manner?>" A wild look entered Su's eyes.
"<You don't want to move behind the scenes like some spineless
schemer. That's not your style. You want to stick that sword in me,>"
He indicated Ji's falchion. "<Don't you Ji-Ji?>"

"<I SAID STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!>"

Su's voice remained calm, despite the increasing wildness in his eyes.
"<All you have to do is shut me up. Tell you what, why don't we make
this interesting?>" Su turned towards the elders that were looking
upon the situation with growing alarm. "<If Ji-Ji defeats me in
battle, she becomes matriarch.>" He turned back towards Ji, "<That's
what you want. Then you can change everything just the way you like
it.>" Su wielded her monstrous
two handed sword, holding the serrated edge so Ji could be certain to
see what fate awaited him. "<That's assuming I don't send your guts
spraying all over the ground. But then again, you always did bleed
well Ji-Ji.>" An unmistakable psychotic gleam entered Su's eyes as he
continued speaking softly,

"<Come play with me Ji-Ji.>"

Ji Kwon answered with a drawn sword and a wild yell as he ran across
the mud, intent on impaling his matriarch on the end of his falchion.
Su ran forward, sword held back to strike.

Hu shook her head sadly as the two warriors met one another. For the
briefest of moments, she envisioned someone else running across the
field at her sister, and remembered exactly why she had removed
herself from the tribe so many years ago.

One weapon moved with blinding speed as it embedded itself in the
chest of the person across from it. The remaining warriors looked on
impressed. Few could match the speed of Su Chiang, two-handed sword or
not. Ji Kwon was not one of them.

Ji looked down at the sword buried in his chest, then turned his head
far enough to look at the man who had put it there. All he managed to
gurgle out was, "<How...>" before trailing off.

Su whispered in his ear, "<Too slow by far Ji-Ji. As always.>" and
with that, Ji Kwon died.

As Su Chiang removed his sword from the corpse, the body shifted from
that of a male to a female. Su allowed a smile to form on his lips for
the briefest of moments. "<You see, you did give up the curse in the
end.>" He turned to the rest of the men. "<All if you who are
unrepentant! Return to the Hall of Judgment and await your fate. And
do not try to escape.>" he turned to the elders. "<See to it they do
not flee.>" They bowed before one
another and turned, each on their way. Su returned to Hu's side as the
two of them took a separate path back to the village.

Hu spoke first. "<You allowed the 'warrior's madness' to overcome
you.>"

Su smiled at his sister, "<It's useful in situations like that.>"

"<It's sick, senseless violence. You are more akin to an animal than a
human being when in that state.>" Hu responded.

Su looked over his sister in an odd way. "<Some of us lack your skills
with the sword sister, but perhaps you are right. The gods know its
gotten me into trouble on more than one occasion. Especially without
you around.>" He chided his sister.

"<I had my reasons for leaving.>" she answered while looking off in
the distance.

"<You told me a pack of lies so I wouldn't harass you about why you
were leaving.>" He was rewarded by a surprised look from his sister.
"<I respected your choice. No matter how much it pained me. And now,
you're back. I've missed you sister.>" He gave a soft look to Hu who
returned the gaze.

"<What will you do now?>" Hu asked.

"<If any of them can cure themselves, there won't be any problems. But
I suspect very few will be able to remove the curse.>"

Hu's eyebrows shot up. "<What do you mean? Why won't they get cured?>"

Su's expression became one of depression. "<Once you explained to me
the drawbacks of the curse I set out to cure myself. I tried traveling
to Jusenkyou, but couldn't find it.>"

"<Impossible,>" Hu said in disbelief. "<We grew up around Jusenkyou.
Either one of us could find it in our sleep.>"

"<And yet, I still couldn't find it. So I sent a warrior to retrieve
some for me. She fell into Spring of Drowned Octopus.>" Su shook her
head. "<I will send no others to become cursed in some attempt to cure
me. If the magic won't leave me, then it won't leave me.>"

"<Perhaps I could...>" Hu began when she was cut off.

"<NO! I forbid it! Both as matriarch and as your older sister!>"

"<But you need to be cured.>" Hu protested.

"<I've already got that figured out. Don't worry.>" The look he gave
Hu informed her he was telling the truth. Su always had been a poor
liar, that's why he never played games in which you had to bluff.
Anyone could read his face.

The two quickly arrived at the family home it was the first time in
years Hu had at long last returned to the place where she had grown
up. As Su went in back while his sister examined the belongings. So
few things were different. It still looked much the way she had left
it. Maybe not so surprising since Su was the only one living here. As
Hu was caught up in the feeling of Nostalgia, her eyes fell upon the
griffin's head.

How long had it been? Twenty, no, thirty years since four young,
foolish warriors set out to destroy a mythical beast that had been
terrorizing lands to the south of the village. Those four made a great
deal out of the quest, vowing to bring back the creature's head or not
come back at all. The stupid promises only the young ever made. Still,
the four of them did have many grand adventures on the journey.
Nothing so impressive as to become legends spoken of among others, but
they were important to the young warriors. And when they at last
confronted the griffin in its lair, a climactic battle did occur. The
creature proved far more intelligent than they gave it credit for, and
would have killed Su if it hadn't been for Hu's sudden manifestation
of her chi abilities. She used a pure blast of chi energy drawn from
herself to destroy the creatures torso, and in the process was sick as
a dog for a week for drawing too much of her energy in the blast.
After the fight, (and the beheading) Hu had even received a gift from
Su's best friend, in appreciation for saving Su's life.

Hu drew her falchion from its scabbard. It was one of a pair of family
heirlooms she had been given. Now its twin lay somewhere in the mud,
unless someone was thoughtful enough to pick up Ji Kwon's weapon.
Tears fell from her eyes as she remembered the events from earlier in
the day. Kar Yau, the other girl on the journey, died during the
Serpent Men Wars, leaving only herself and Su of those that had slain
the griffin.

How much things had changed, and not for the better.

Su came out from the back, after having bathed and changed into
clothing appropriate for the matriarch to stand for the trial. The
only thing that was unusual was that Su was still in a male's body.

"<Why haven't you changed back?>"

Su smiled at his sister, "<I have my reasons. Get yourself cleaned up
and get ready for the trial. It's important to look your best.>"

Hu did as indicated and returned, dressed in much better finery. The
two of them set off for the trial.

"<Let's take our time.>" Su asked his sister. "<After all, it's not
like they'll start without me.>" He gave a smile as the duo's pace
slowed. "<Thank you for returning.>"

"<It's the least I could do. You are my sister.>" she said. "<Look.
We'll beat the curse. Don't worry about it.>"

"<I'm not.>" Su took on a more serious tone. "<You love me. Don't
you?>"

"<Of course.>" what was she getting at?

"<And you love the village?>"

Hu had her reasons for leaving, but the citizens within Joketsuzoku
were still her most cherished people. "<Of course.>"

"<Then promise me something,>" Su's eyes took on an almost pleading
quality. "<Promise me you'll stay and do whatever it takes to help the
tribe. They need you. They need your wisdom and abilities.>"

Hu was taken aback. "<You overrate me badly.>"

Su shook his head, "<You play at being underrated. You were always
better than me. You were always the best, even when holding back. Why
did you never try to become matriarch?>"

Hu looked down at the ground, "<I did not desire the position.>" That
was only part of the reason, but she couldn't tell him the whole
truth.

"<I was always jealous of you,>" Su's chuckled. "<Jealous of my
younger sister. Imagine that. Why did you have to be so good? Answer
me truthfully. How many of your fights would have gone longer than a
minute if you had really tried?>"

"<I don't know what you mean.>" Hu answered, evading the answer.

"<You know exactly what I mean. None of them I'd wager.>" He shrugged.
"<It doesn't really matter how good you are. I am what I am regardless
of that.>"

They continued walking a little farther when Su spoke again. "<Why did
you leave?>"

Hu hesitated. She couldn't tell him that either.

"<It had to do with me didn't it?>" Su continued prodding.

"<Don't be absurd!>"

"<You know something?>" Su continued, "<I may be a terrible liar, but
when you get worked up, you're worse.>" Su paused then changed the
talk back to the direction it was in before. "<Will you swear to me
that you will do everything in your power to help the tribe?>" he
softly added. "<Please.>"

Hu could not deny him, as much as she wanted to. Being here for a
prolonged period of time was the last thing in the world she needed.
"<I swear.>" she softly said.

Su's face erupted in a smile. "<Good. Now here we are.>" The two of
them had arrived at their destination without Hu realizing it. The
Hall of Judgment.

The doors parted for the matriarch and her sister. It appeared ever
member of the tribe was present. The warriors that had been changed
and accepted their curse, like Ji Kwon, where in shackles before the
elders. Su did not take his seat amongst the elders, but remained on
the floor.

"<My first order,>" he began, "<is to ban all males from the hall.>" A
rumble began from the male population about staying, but that was
quickly silenced by the next order. "<Any male that is within this
hall after three minutes will be executed.>" The men rushed out.

Su took on a tone of command. "<I am going to tell you what will be
done with Nanniichuan. How we shall deal with it now, and how we shall
deal with it in the future.>"

Hu shook her head. Technically Su could do this, but it would alienate
the matriarch from the council, an unwise move.

"<First, those of you that are unrepentant about your curses and sided
with Ji Kwon in defiance of the law, will be executed.>" That brought
a murmur of approval from the crowd. Disobeying a direct order from
the matriarch frequently was as good as a death sentence.

"<Secondly, Those that cannot be cured of the curse will be banished
from the tribe.>" That brought a series of shouts from the crowd,
causing Su to shout at the top of his lungs. "<Listen to me citizens
of the Joketsuzoku. This curse is too disruptive to ever allow anyone
to have it.>" His speech became more impassioned, "<Look at what
happened today. We were at each others throats. If Hu, who really
saved the day, had not arrived when she did, there would been nothing
left but a field of bodies. Once word got out that the majority of our
warriors were dead, we would have been destroyed Is that what you
want, the destruction if the tribe?>" No one could agree with that.

"<This must never me allowed to happen again. Never! You may not
realize it yet, but today was the closest we have ever been to total
destruction. We were almost consumed by the greatest enemy we will
ever have. Ourselves.>" Su continued, "<Those that were cursed now did
not understand what being afflicted with the malady truly means.
Therefore, they will be allowed to leave with honor. But from this day
forward, Anyone.>" contempt flowed into his voice, "<ANYONE, who dares
become tainted by Nanniichuan, for any reason, and cannot be cured
immediately, will either choose an honorable death, which I strongly
approve of, or exile, and have their family accorded the dishonor.>"
That brought another eruption from the crowd.

"<LISTEN TO ME!!!>" The crowd quieted down. "<What happened today must
never happen again. All traces of this curse must be wiped out.
Immediately! And it must never be allowed to happen again. Which
brings us to the person responsible for this entire mess.>"

"<For the one that first became curse. For the one that embraced,
rather than rejected the form they were given. For the one that so
persuasively led so many others down this horrible path. For the one
that nearly destroyed the tribe single handed. There can be only one
punishment!>"

Hu looked on, confused.

"<Death.>" Su finished.

"<What are you talking about?!>" Hu erupted.

Su turned and faced his sister. "<An example must be made.>"

"<YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF!!!>"

"<Why yes,>" Su calmly stated, "<I am.>" He turned back to the crowd,
"<Moreover, since you will be without leadership, at least
temporarily, I recommend Hu Chiang to fill the role until a tournament
can be held. Believe me when I say, even if it's only temporary, Hu
will make a fine leader. She is smarter, more powerful, and far wiser
than myself. Perhaps she will even be the leader for a long time to
come.>"

Hu rushed over to Su's side. "<You aren't thinking clearly. Take a
step back.>"

Su used force to bring his sister closer to himself and began
whispering in her ear, "<It is the only way. You have always been
smarter and wiser than me. You should have been matriarch.>"

"<I don't want to lead...>" Hu began but was cut off.

"<Then I should have made you lead. If I cared about the tribe half as
much as I professed, than I would have done everything in my power to
see to it you stayed. Did you know I was a little happy you left?>"
That was a surprise to Hu. "<I knew you could take the leadership from
me if you tried. So if you were gone, you couldn't. But now I realize
I am a poor leader. I allow the warriors madness to overcome me. I am
violent. I always try to solve problems with a sword. My judgment is
frequently...bad. You will be the leader. Promise me you will do
this.>"

"<I c...c...can't,>" She was cut off by Su.

"<Yes you can. You don't want to. For some reason all of your life
you've run away from responsibility. Ever since you were nine. I don't
know what it was that changed you then, but something did. You began
behaving differently around me. Before, you always tried to one up me.
But after that you never competed against me in anything, including
going so far as throwing fights. That ends today. You promised me you
would stay with the tribe and do everything you could to help it. Well
now you know what you can do.>"

Hu had been tricked. Su had known from the beginning this was the
course he would take. That was why he referred to everything in the
past tense earlier. "<But I d...don't want you to die.>" Hu tried to
protest.

Su's voice became even quieter. "<I can't live with what I've done. I
love the Joketsuzoku, and I nearly destroyed it through my thoughtless
actions. Besides, everything I said today will ring hollow if I don't
do this. And these laws must be in place if the tribe is to continue.
It was our ancestors that founded the tribe. Our clan had the first
matriarch. I am the first one to reclaim that title since then. Now it
is your turn.>"

Tears filled Hu's eyes as she whispered back. "<I'll be all alone.>"
It was true. Hu's mother and two cousins fell in the Serpent Men wars.
Her aunt and brother were consumed by the Gray Plague and her father
fell victim to pneumonia. She and Su were the last ones of the family
clan. And now it would be just her.

"<Forgive me sister. If there were some other way I would do it. But
there isn't.>" Su looked at her caringly, "<Now there is one final
thing I must ask of you.>" Hu just stared at him. "<I want you to be
my second.>"

"<NO!!!>"

"<Please. I have never begged anything of you before, but I am now. I
cannot bear the thought of someone else administering the final
blow.>"

Hu nodded reluctantly, tears streaming down her face. She withdrew her
falchion even as Su went to his knees and drew his short sword.

Hu threw herself into her new/old home, crying on the floor. She had
no idea how long she remained there, thinking of the past, of what led
up to today. It was then she stumbled upon the root of all these
problems. Nanniichuan.

"<I WILL DESTROY NANNIICHUAN! IT WILL END FOREVER! TODAY!>" she railed
towards the heavens.

"<You don't want to do that.>" A voice quietly spoke from the doorway.

Hu turned to see her. The girl from her childhood. The girl she had
met when she was nine. The azure robed thirteen year old whose face
remained masked in shadow. The reason she went on to leave
Joketsuzoku.

Hu grabbed a knife that had been sitting on one of the tables and
rushed forward to the girl. The youth made no protest as she was
thrown against the wall and the blade pressed against her throat.

"<You are the one responsible for this! It's all your fault!>" At that
moment, Hu's eyes bore the same anger Su's had before the fight with
Ji Kwon.

"<I did nothing but tell you what would happen.>" the girl's voice
remained steady and neutral.

"<Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you.>" Hu pressed the
blade against the skin. Any more pressure would break it.

"<Because it would change nothing. If I fall another would take my
place. And if he falls than another, and another. I am nothing more
than a messenger. The message will travel on without me. So go ahead,
do it.>" she began goading some more, "<Do it.>

Hu gave a little whimper, then threw the blade into a wall and slumped
into a chair. "<I knew I couldn't do it. I'm weak.>"

The girl straightened herself out. "<I knew you wouldn't do it as
well. You aren't a stone cold murderer. Just a magnificent killer. As
to your weakness, remember, you are flesh. And all flesh is weak.>"

Hu just sat there, staring off into space. "<Why did you do it?>"

"<I did nothing but tell you the truth.>" The Seer stated, "<I told
you that you would rule the Joketsuzoku over your sister's dead body,
and I was right.>" The Seer noticed Hu shudder at the declaration.

"<Why did she have to die?>" Hu began weeping some more.

"<Because she was born. All things that are born die.>" She paused for
a moment. "<Most things.>" She shook her head, "<Be thankful. This was
the pleasant way things turned out. If I hadn't informed you of what
would happen, you would have been the leader and your sister would
have taken Ji Kwon's place. The result would have been you killing Su
in combat.>"

"<I would never do something like that,>" Hu said quietly.

"<You would be surprised what the burden of leadership can force
people to do.>"

Hu looked up at her, "<Are you telling me the future again?>"

"<The future is a hard thing to predict. It's like a road. Most of it
is smooth and only one long course to travel down, that is until you
come upon a fork in the road. Then one of two things is likely to
happen. Sometimes the road swings back onto a course it was on
earlier. Or sometimes it goes down a totally different path from the
original. The farther away you are from the beginning of one path, the
more difficult it is to predict where
it will take you. There are likelihood's but no definite answers. I
shall be generous and give you an example.>"

"<In the far off distant future, I see a woman sitting upon a brightly
colored throne made of crystal, ruling over a Utopia called Crystal
Tokyo. All is good in this world. Her name is Queen Serenity.>"

"<At the same time I see a woman sitting upon a dark throne made of
skulls, ruling over a Hell called Obsidian Tokyo. All is evil in this
world. Her name is Queen Pandemonium.>"

"<Both are the same woman, Usagi Tsukino. Either future is equally
likely to occur. Or neither one. It depends on what path fate takes.>"
The Seer paused. "<Your path is much nearer and has few forks in the
road. So here is what I will tell you. If you try to destroy
Nanniichuan, you will fail and the Joketsuzoku will be destroyed
within the next ninety years. If you try to destroy Nanniichaun, your
sister's sacrifice will be for nothing.
That is the definite future.>"

Hu stared at her through tear filled eyes. "<Why is Nanniichuan so
important to you?>"

"<Nanniichuan means nothing to me, but understand this. Jusenkyou is
far greater than you could possibly imagine. It dwarfs you and your
village. Never doubt that.>" and with that The Seer departed, leaving
Hu Chiang in mourning.

Interlude
Two Devils

The present.
Japan

The man covered in black approached the remains of the ancient temple.
An eight foot massive stone giant trailed behind him, looking over the
remains of what was once a building. The man in black began speaking.

"People have been complaining for centuries about the number of snakes
that live in this area. How surprised they would be to discover the
cause of it."

Snakes began to pour into the remains of the ancient temple. The man
in black continued. "Your loyalty to your mistress serves you well
reptiles. Even if it was your ancestors long past that obeyed her
commands."

Snakes by the hundreds poured into the temple. "Which of you are
willing to sacrifice yourselves for your ancient mistress." His hand
pointed to a snake. "You!" The snake obeyed and slithered over to the
spot where the man in black indicated.

"Now you." A second snake now went to the same spot. As it came into
contact with the first snake, the two merged becoming one larger
snake. Others began to make their way over and melded with the
original two. Hundreds of snakes merged, becoming one huge ten foot
snake wider than a man.

"You are ready." The robed man raised his hand and two streams of
energy, red from the right and blue from the left, emitted from his
fingertips. The blue stream gripped the snake's head while the red
shot up and down the snake, causing it immense pain. As the red
streams moved up and down the snake's body, it would become slightly
transparent during bright flashes. At first nothing could be seen. But
as the seconds passed a figure began to form within the images.

"What is that?" The stone man asked.

"Your old associate from a time long since past." The man responded.

The energy cascaded the snake for another minute, then stopped. The
reptile had long since ceased moving, and was now charred black on the
outside. Suddenly, there was movement from under the snake's skin. It
undulated back and forth, until at last part of the skin ripped away.
A human hand reached through the opening and forced itself through the
rent in the exterior. Another hand emerged and the two pried open the
skin, allowing a beautiful Japanese woman, quite naked, to pull
herself out of its reptilian womb and
into the night air.

"It is her." The giant confirmed.

The woman turned to the sound of the voices.

"Welcome back, mistress of the snakes," the man in black proclaimed.

End Interlude

One Thousand Three Hundred and Forty Nine Years Ago.
Eighty Years after Su Chaing's death:

The Amazons watched as the massive pillar of blue energy dissipated in
the night air. Hu lowered her arms and moved back from the edge of the
mountainside the Amazon troops had been entrenched on. It had been the
ideal ground from which to defend themselves against the T'ang's army.

It had been an unnecessary precaution.

All of the warriors paled at the event they just saw occur before
their eyes. None would forget it as long as they lived. Many of them
moved away from the matriarch in fear as she strode back to her tent.
Some remained giving prayers to the dead, while one of the younger
one's even went so far as to run away. Another had the courage to
speak in awe directly to Hu.

"<What was that?>"

The Matriarch stared at her curiously for a moment, then answered. "<I
call it Doom. I made it up. Just now.>" As Hu left, the warrior took
note of the fact the matriarch's arms were now covered in blood,
despite never having been attacked.

The honor guards around her tent parted as Hu entered her temporary
home and slumped in a wooden chair. A flimsy thing, not surprising
considering all of the material had to be transported so high in the
mountains. She at last took notice of the blood on her arms. No cut
produced that, at least not a visible one. Perhaps it was a sign of
the wound her soul now bore, but more likely it was a side effect of
the chi attack she had just used. Even as she moved to grab a towel to
wipe off her arms when she was wracked by the first feeling of pain.
So intense was it that she was knocked to the ground and writhed in
silent agony. All perception of time was lost until the pain passed.
But even as it did, Hu felt it still hovering there, almost as though
it were a snake waiting to strike. As she got shakily to her feet she
felt the urge to drink. That had been her crutch for so many years,
ever since Su's death. She began scanning the tent when her eyes fell
upon the new occupant standing before her. She hadn't appeared in
eighty years, but one would not be able to tell from her appearance.
She had not changed at all. The matriarch showed no shock at that
fact. There were no surprises left for Hu Chiang.

"<It has not been long enough Seer.>" If The Seer took notice of the
comment she didn't acknowledge it. Hu continued, "<Have you come to
celebrate with me and the Amazons for our great victory just now? It
was a tremendous battle. Nearly twenty five thousand deaths by my
reckoning.>"

"<Twenty nine thousand nine hundred and twenty two.>" The Seer
informed her.

Hu paled. "<That many. Even more than I thought.>" Some color returned
to her face after a few moments. "<It is one for the records to be
certain. Perhaps I could write a book like Sun-Tzu. Yes?>"

"<You will write no books.>" The Seer informed her.

"<Too bad.>" No regret was in the voice. At least not regret about
that. "<Have you come to take my soul to hell?>"

"<I lack the keys to the gates of either Heaven or Hell. A can neither
damn nor elevate anyone.>" The Seer said

"<It was just a joke,>" Hu said. "<Forgive my manners. I am being a
poor hostess. Perhaps some wine...>" White hot shards of agony lanced
through Hu once again as she went to the ground. There was too much
pain to even scream, so she simply lay there in silent agony.
Eventually the feeling passed as Hu managed to shakily regain her
footing.

"<Too much power. Either that or it is the souls of the damned trying
to claim my own soul. There are enough of them to do it now, I
think.>" Hu finally managed to grab a bottle of wine and pour some of
the liquid into a glass, downing it in one gulp.

"<You will not live to see the next sunrise.>" The Seer informed her.

Hu's eyes were distant. "<Well, good. It's about damn time.>" The
bitterness was thick in her voice. "<I only wish this day would have
come sooner. Say, eighty years ago.>" She poured herself another glass
and repeated her earlier action.

"<If you seek pity from me you will not receive it,>" The Seer told
her, voice remaining neutral. "<Your actions this day have ensured the
survival of the tribe for the next one thousand years, at least.>"

Hu seemed to soften a bit at that. "<Well, that's good. At least
someone got something out of this.>" She poured herself another glass,
but as she raised it to her mouth she began to shake uncontrollably.
The glass fell to the floor as she was wracked with sobs. "<Oh Deity.
I killed them. All of them.>"

"<They would have killed you and forced you to prostrate yourselves
before them.>" The Seer explained. "<They were here to conquer you.>"

"<You didn't kill them! I DID!!!>" Hu continued trembling. "<Believe
me, you have no idea what it's like! I watched them die by my hand! I
am responsible! I snuffed out twenty nine thousand lives in the blink
of an eye!>" Her own life seemed to leave her as she stopped shaking
and sagged into her chair. "<You once called me a 'magnificent
killer'. I hated you for that, but you were right. Who could have done
what I did today?>" She stood up and stormed over to The Seer "<NO
ONE! THAT'S WHO! JUST ME! HU CHIANG! THE GREATEST KILLER THE WORLD HAS
EVER SEEN!!!>"

She calmed down again. "<There's a saying 'May you live in interesting
times'. Well I certainly have. I only wish I hadn't. People will sing
about me for ages for what I did to all our enemies. So many of them.
> Her voice drifted off in memory. "<The surrounding villages that
tried to conquer us. The Blood Weeper and his minions. The Titans and
their insane plan to destroy all of China. The Musk and their
failure.>" That one in particular struck her. "<How long do you think
it will be before they forgive me for sticking the heads of their
royal family on a pike outside their castle?>" She answered for
herself. "<Probably never. Who would blame them? Oh, I know it was in
self defense. It was always in self defense. It doesn't matter. I'll
always be known as a 'magnificent killer' to the world. And you know
what the most ironic thing is?>"

"<Yes.>" The Seer said.

"<I'm going to say it out loud anyway, for my own benefit,> she
retorted as she downed another glass of wine. "<I never wanted any of
it. I abhor violence. I hated the fact I was born in a village that
put such importance on combat. I was an aberration, not just to my
family, but to my people. All I ever wanted was to raise a family and
study the art. I never wanted to use the art to hurt anyone, I just
wanted to master it.>" Her eyes took on a far off cast. "<It can be so
beautiful, especially manipulating the chi. It's so,>" She trailed
off, "<I can't describe it, but it is elegance.>"

Her words began filling with self-loathing. "<And what do I use it
for? Killing. Killing and more killing. I have literally made rivers
of blood flow using my abilities. Fist! Sword! Chi! Words! All
instruments of death in my hands. That was why I ran away from the
village, to flee from the violence and bloodshed as much as to avoid
killing Su, and now I find myself waist deep in it.>" She turned
toward the heavens as tears filled her eyes again. "<Was it so much to
wish for? Peace. A family. Happiness. That was all I wanted.>" she
knew what the answer was. "<Instead, I have no family. No peace. No
happiness. I have become that which I hated the most.>"

Her voice became faint. "<It's not my fault I'm so talented at
killing. I was just born that way.>" Her form was once again wracked
by even more intense pain. It took everything she had not to throw up.

"<Is this the pain of dying?>" she asked The Seer as she recovered.
"<Is it from calling to much chi from myself to destroy them?>"

The Seer let a smile come to her lips. "<You think you did all that by
yourself? I didn't realize you were that arrogant.>"

Hu was confused. "<What do you mean? I'm the one that killed them.
With the power I was wielding I could have destroyed an army three
times that size.>"

"<And when were you ever able to summon that much power?>"

Hu thought about it. "<The nature of the attack draws from the
wielder, the victims, and even the latent power in the land. That was
why...>" and that was when she realized what point The Seer was
making. She manipulated enough power to level an army three times that
size. The majority of the chi was from the army itself, but the size
of the effect would have been directly proportional to the size of
the army. Only those that had the ability to control their chi could
keep the attack from drawing any from them. Even if there were many
soldiers that could control their chi, (an impossibility. Very few
knew how to do it and they mostly kept that knowledge from others) it
would have lessened the effect, not added to it.

Where had the extra come from? Some of the additional amount would
have come from her, and she was the most powerful chi channeler she
had ever known. Still, it would have added no more than a fiftieth to
the total effect. At most. Which meant the additional energy would
have come from the land itself. She had done it many times in small
amounts, but it was always risky. It had to go directly through the
summoned, which sort of acted like a sluice for the energy, and could
easily overload you if you lost control, even for a second. The more
you drew the more difficult it was to control, and the more likely you
would destroy yourself. And at certain high amounts it would destroy
you no matter how effectively you manipulated it.

She knew the amount of chi she drew from the land should not have
produced the effect that had happened. Nowhere near that. It was just
not possible. It was difficult to remember just how much she had
received. There was such a tremendous amount she was using that she
knew she might kill herself anyway. That was one of the reasons she
never practiced the technique. She knew from the beginning it was
likely to kill her. Hu was not even certain it would have worked until
it did.

The amount of chi one could get off the land was directly proportional
to how much you could control. The better the control, the more area
you could use. And the amount in the land had always been uniform.
There were no hot spots she had ever discovered. Yet. She forced her
mind to go over in minute detail every moment of the attack. As much
as it pained her. Her mind searched for the time she summoned the land
itself to lend its latent
energy...

and that was when she remembered it. A chill ran down her spine as she
realized what had happened. There was a source.

"<And that source is displeased that you interfered with it.>" The
Seer spoke, as though reading Hu's mind. "<It will come seeking you.
But I believe you will be dead by then. Fortunately. You used too much
chi, Hu. The amount you manipulated would have consumed you anyway,
even if you hadn't tapped into the source. It will just happen more
quickly. That attack will always kill a mortal that tries to use it.
Even a 'magnificent killer' such as yourself. So rest easy Hu, for
tonight you die.>" The Seer left the same way she came in.

Hu's mind reeled. It was the end. That was certain, and she had much
to do. A plan formed itself immediately. She emerged from the tent and
spoke to a guard. "<Summon everyone to the center of the encampment.
Quickly!>"

It took only a matter of moments to gather everyone up into the
center. No one wanted to risk angering the matriarch after what she
displayed this night. Hu stood atop several boxes and spoke to the
almost two hundred of warriors present. She paused to take the scene
up. It would be the last time she would see them, the people she led
for so long. After the Nanniichuan fiasco she had actively recruited
women to take the place of those missing, all but twelve of the
original woman had remained cursed and ended up exiled. So few that
were recruited actually managed to fill the roles that were lost. It
would take at least another generation to recover from the damned
curse of the spring.

She had led them on so many campaigns. It really was a miracle that
any were here at all. Each challenge she had met as matriarch could
have doomed the tribe. And their foes became more and more powerful
each time. Yet she had prevailed, fighting for everyone of her
warriors. Every time one fell a small piece of her died with them. She
was so happy when fewer and fewer of them died. True, she would burden
herself more and more with each new foe, with each new battle, she
would be the one doing most of the killing. But it was worth it if it
kept even one more of her warriors alive. She may have despised
warfare, but she cared for those that she was responsible for. In a
way, they were her family. If only it had been her own instead of one
foisted upon her. Now she would be dying, and the "family" would have
to take care of itself. She prayed they could.

She brought herself back to the present and told the Amazons what she
wanted. "<Listen to me my sisters. You will never speak a word of what
happened tonight.>" That caused a commotion, which Hu quickly cut off.
"<If anyone asks you, a Mongol horde swept in from the north and
ravaged the army. We attacked as well, but the majority of the day was
carried by those foreigners.>" She cut of further sounds again. "<DO I
MAKE MYSELF CLEAR? SWEAR IT TO ME, OR ELSE!!!>" Every warrior, right
down to the elders that were present, assented. "<Very well. Elder
Yang. Come to my tent. And bring your bag with you. I have need of
your magic. The rest of you. Depart There is nothing for us here, so
we set off at dawn.>" and with that she jumped off the box and
returned to her tent followed by her bodyguards. They had to keep
quiet about the attack. If any powerful person learned it was a chi
attack they would come to the village to seek it. And without Hu there
they would never be able to find it.

She looked over her guards as she departed, searching for one in
particular. Her eyes settled upon Rianna del Silva, the daughter of a
woman from a far off land called Italy. The Amazons had rescued the
mother from caravan that had been attacked by raiders. Apparently some
traders from those lands had believed there was great treasure to the
East and set a course for China. Things had gone perfectly until the
raiders attacked, leaving Rianna's mother the only one alive. The
woman was pregnant with Rianna at the time and the tribe adopted both
as full fledged members of the Joketsuzoku. The mother was intelligent
and enjoyed living in the tribe, helping anyway she could, though a
warrior she was not. Rianna grew up knowing only the tribe as her own.
Despite her obviously foreign appearance she was never treated
differently from any other of the members. In many ways, she felt like
a daughter to everyone, and Hu had overheard Rianna mentioning how she
might set off to see her mother's homeland. A very good idea. Rianna
was bright enough that she just might make it.

Hu told the woman to enter the tent so they could speak in private.
"<Rianna. Gather together a dozen of the most sensible good warriors
you know. Every one of them must be honest. I want people that would
sooner die than break their word. I want people that can think on
their feet and feel like traveling for a long time. Make sure they
aren't married. Do you understand what sort of people I'm looking
for?>" Rianna nodded, a smile growing on her face. She thought she
knew exactly what the Matriarch meant,
and excitedly rushed off. Just as she exited Elder Yang appeared, her
satchel of magical items in hand.

"<I require the scrying crystal. Leave it with me and depart. I will
return it when I am finished.>" Yang set down the crystal and
departed. As soon as she was out the door another attack paralyzed Hu
for close to five minutes. The attacks were getting worse and there
wasn't much time left. She quickly sat down, pulled out several
magical scrolls and a quill, then placed the crystal before her eyes.
The magic of the crystal would distort the writing so only a wielder
of the crystal could decipher the text written under it. To others it
would be meaningless gibberish. After it was used, the only way anyone
could read it would be with the crystal.

Hu paused for a moment. Should she do this? There was so much risk to
the world if the knowledge fell into the wrong hands. And what if the
wrong hands belonged to the Joketsuzoku? She couldn't refuse do it.
The knowledge should not be lost for all time. This would be her
legacy to the world. She was the grandmaster of chi manipulation. No
one had ever thought to use it the way she did, or if they did use it
in the fashion she did, she could teach them how to refine the
technique and use it better.

She had already taught the elders how to slow down their aging to the
point where they could live hundreds of years. And the better the
control they had, the longer they could live, although none of them
had learned how to keep from shrinking as they got older. Hu had tried
to educate them, but they never seemed to quite be able to grasp what
she tried to teach them. She was a living example of what could be
done. In eighty years she appeared to have aged five, at the most, and
the majority of that was done early on. Now she had almost perfected
it. By her approximation she would have been able to live for eight
hundred years. And that was not taking into consideration the fact
that she got better with each year. There was no telling how long she
would have been able to live, until today.

There were other techniques she had taught, but the majority of the
most dangerous ones she had kept from the others, waiting until she
had found the right people to teach. Now she had run out of time. She
spent the better part of two hours writing, suffering through three
more attacks. At last she finished the final scroll and bound them
together. She then took some of the melted wax and used it to seal
them together. She then placed her signet ring into the wax and spoke
the words of power.

"<Let no one, save a true daughter of the Joketsuzoku or one of her
direct descendants, be able to break the seal on these parchments. I
bind this with a drop of my blood, to make the contract true.>" And
with that, she cut her finger with a knife and let a drop of blood
land on the ring, then observed it end up absorbed by the wax. The
magic worked.

She placed the scrolls into an ornate case and ushered the Amazons
that had been picked by Rianna inside. She looked them over. All of
them, save one, were young. And all of them had demonstrated
intelligence in the field. They would serve nicely.

"<Warriors. I have need of you to set out on a mission one last time
for the tribe. One which will take you forever from your home.>"
Everyone riveted their attention to Hu. "<This box contains within it
information that must be stored away for safe keeping. It involves
what happened tonight. So, you understand what information is within
this box, and what a danger it could represent to the world?>" The
warriors all nodded soberly. Good choices indeed. "<This knowledge
must be far from our lands, lest someone try to strip these secrets
from us. That is why I want you to take this information and carry it
as far away from here as you can. You will travel to Rianna's mother's
land, and from there, find a place far from prying eyes. Now do you
understand why I tell you this is the last mission you will do for
us?>" All of them nodded.

"<Good. You must destroy this box rather than allow it to fall into
the wrong hands. Do you understand?>" The warriors nodded. "<You may
not ever, under any circumstances, open this box. It must only be done
from a member of the tribe that is from here. Swear to me neither you
nor your ancestors will try to open this box.>" The collected warriors
swore an oath. "<Then take the box, what supplies you need, and set
out tonight. And from this point onward, Rianna is in charge.>" Rianna
bowed her head in gratitude at being given such an important task.
"<Leave me.>" The Amazons departed as Hu sat back in her chair. She
felt the next attack building, knowing it would be the last one.

In the heavens:
At the same time:

"Father, isn't there something we can do?" The beautiful white haired
kami asked.

"THAT CANNOT BE. YOU KNOW THE RULES. SHE HAS DONE TOO MUCH," a voice
from above replied.

"But she didn't want to do it. If she hadn't, her people would have
been wiped out," the kami said.

"SHE ALWAYS HAD A CHOICE."

"She was just a victim of Fate," the kami answered softly.

"WHY ARE YOU SO CONCERNED URD? COULD IT BE SHE REMINDS YOU OF
SOMEONE?"

Urd remained silent as she gazed back upon the pool that was being
used to watch the events at the scene below.

After a pause the voice spoke again. "VERY WELL. SHE WILL BE GRANTED A
WISH. BUT NOT BY YOU."

Urd began to smile. "Thank you Father. Who will be chosen?"

"HER." the scene within the pool shifted to reflect The Seer as she
made her way down the mountain.

"You can't be serious! She'll never grant Hu a wish!"

"I HAVE SAID ALL THAT WILL BE DONE ON THE MATTER."

"Father..." Urd began.

"ENOUGH URD!"

That was it. Urd knew when he spoke to her in that tone it was over.
She stared helplessly at the pool, and with a sigh, entered the clear
waters.

The Seer was journeying to the next destination when the kami slowly
broke the surface of a nearby pool. She observed Urd fully leave the
water and walk over to her.

"Well Urd. This is a surprise. How many centuries has it been?" The
Seer asked, the faintest hint of emotion leaking through her voice.

"I've come to ask you a favor."

The Seer was startled by that, but quickly regained her composure. "A
favor? From me? The kami must be desperate indeed."

"It's not like that," Urd said. "It's about Hu."

"You've come to the wrong person then," The Seer shook her head, "I'm
just a messenger. Now if you'll excuse me. I have somewhere I must get
to and I'm not given much time to get between destinations." She
turned to go.

"You can grant Hu a wish." Urd saw The Seer stop as though struck by a
shot, then spun to confront Urd.

"Me? Grant a wish? HAHAHAHA! That's the first laugh I've had in ages
Urd. Thank you."

Urd wished she could look into the eyes of The Seer to see what she
really thought, but that was denied even her. "It's not a joke. It's
for real."

"Then that makes it even more amusing," she gave a derisive snort.
"The idea that I would grant someone else a wish, that is irony at its
highest form."

Urd knew this would happen. "Have you forgotten what it means to be
mortal Shier..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! NEVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME!!!" Urd was shocked by
the rage in the girl. "That person died the instant The Seer was born!
If you just tried to appeal to my humanity you failed miserably." She
paused for a moment, then continued. "Not that I have any left anyway.
Don't think I'm like you Urd. I'm not. I am a mortal bound in immortal
flesh, and we both know why!"

Urd dropped to her knees as tears began falling down her cheeks. She
was failing Hu, and the memory of her time with The Seer pained her
just as much. She wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind
other than a plea. "Please."

Urd was shocked to feel a finger gently play itself against her face.
"The tears of a kami." Urd looked up to see The Seer had one of the
drops on her fingertips, examining it. The robed girl continued
speaking softly. "Who would have thought I still had it in me?" She
allowed the tear to fall to the ground.

The Seer turned to look back at the Amazon encampment, then pivoted to
look at Urd. "Never ask me any favor again. Do you understand?"

Urd managed to shake out of her disbelief long enough to answer.
"Yes."

The Seer's lips pursed ever so briefly. "Good." She then turned back
to the encampment. "I grant Hu Chiang the wish that, in the next life,
she need never raise her hand in violence, nor have such a hand raised
against her." The Seer turned back to Urd. "I'm giving her the option
of free choice. She has the ability to behave in a violent manner or
get in the way of violence, but she will never be the target without
provocation. And as far as a family is concerned, she's on her own.
Also," she warned, "she can wait a millennium or two for it. Let her
simmer for a while."

A bright beam of light encircled The Seer as the wish was sent to the
heavens for approval, and granted. Once the light disappeared, The
Seer set off on her original path. Urd broke out of her happiness long
enough to stare at The Seer's departing form. "Thank you Seer."
Sadness began taking the forefront as Urd realized how painful
granting the wish must have been for the girl. "And I'm sorry for what
happened so many years ago."

The Seer turned her head towards Urd, the sound of irritation in her
voice. "Oh stop it with the self pity. It doesn't suit you at all. You
had nothing to do with what occurred. We were both victims of Fate."
She turned back in the direction she had been heading towards and
began running. "I have to get going now. There was enough time wasted
here, and I cannot be late." The Seer hadn't gone too far when she
felt a pair of hands reach under her
arms and lift her off the ground.

"Ever fly like a bird Seer?" Urd said as she took off, bearing the
girl in flight. "It's the only way to travel."

"Good." The Seer hurmphed. "You cost me enough time as it is."

The duo flew onward into morning.

That night every Amazon in the encampment that had managed sleep had a
horrible nightmare of a cloud of darkness with red orbs, like eyes,
descending upon them, searching for something. The last thing they
felt before the cloud left was the sound of frustration, as though it
had failed in its search.

Five months later:
Peking:

Hwa Lau, chief advisor to the emperor, had had another busy day. Why
the emperor insisted upon joining the army in it's conquest of the
western territories was beyond him. No, that wasn't true. He bore some
personal grudge against one of the villages out there and wanted to
witness it first hand. If only some word would come from the army. The
last set of messengers were a week overdue, and that worried Hwa. Long
distance communication was so chancy, anything might have happened to
the messengers. There was too much lawlessness between here and there.
Unifying the empire was certainly what needed to be done. A small
disruption in one of the entryways caught Hwa's attention.

He approached the corridor and noticed several guards talking
adamantly amongst themselves. There was a slender white haired man
among them. The man set his eyes upon Hwa and rushed forward.

"<HWA! My friend. Praise to the Gods you are here. Some of my men
don't recognize me.>"

Hwa was outraged. How dare this wild eyed man presume to be familiar
with him and call him his friend. If he had a friend like the skinny
man then he would certainly remember him, and what was he saying about
the guards being his men? They were the emperor's...

and that's when Hwa got a good look at the white haired man's face.
When he left, his hair had been black and he had weighed a good twenty
pounds heavier, and exhuded a calm controlled confidence. He had
changed so much in such a short amount of time it was no wonder some
of the emperor's guards didn't recognize their leader.

"<My god! What happened to you?>" Hwa was so surprised he forgot the
proper way to address the emperor.

If the emperor noticed, he gave no indication of it. He clutched his
advisor with the grip of a madman and spoke. "<I saw it Hwa! I saw the
demonfires the witches of the Joketsuzoku wield. They made a pact with
the devil himself. They consumed my army with a blue fire of death. It
only took a moment and it destroyed my entire army. I saw their flesh
burn away from my vantage point. It was horrible.>"

Hwa wasn't quite sure what to make of the emperor's ramblings. Nothing
could destroy thirty thousand men in an instant. The emperor continued
his rant.

"<And I felt their demon come at me in my dreams. It sought out my
soul, I'm sure. But it didn't find me. It was like a black cloud with
burning red eyes that tried to consume me. It was pure malevolence and
hatred.>" The emperor regained some of his composure. "<The
Joketsuzoku must never be bothered again. There must be no dealings
with them. No attempts at conquering. Nothing. They must be left alone
lest their powers destroy all of China. This is my command. Get the
law writers now!>"

Hwa walked off, confused beyond measure. The emperor had returned
alone. If what he said was true, as impossible as it seemed, perhaps
the Amazons should be left alone. They really were very small and out
of the way, and they never caused any problems that affected the
empire. So maybe it would be best to leave such a law on the books,
but quietly. Just so long as it didn't become widespread common
knowledge. No point in giving the world cause to believe the mighty
T'ang Dynasty was afraid of one little village
in the middle of nowhere. Hwa could word the law so some reason other
than fear was why the Amazons should be left alone.

Nineteen Years Ago:
Nerima, Japan:

The man walked down the hallway to see his beautiful child. The
delivery had taken a while and his wife was resting, still under the
effect of a sedative. He couldn't wait to lay his eyes upon the
darling daughter he had been blessed with. It was hard to say whether
or not this or his wedding
day was the more joyous occasion.

As he arrived at the viewing room he saw a beautiful white haired
woman with an odd style of clothing making faces against the
observation glass. The clothing she wore was very revealing in certain
spots, making him wonder if maybe it was somewhat inappropriate wear
for visiting a hospital. The woman turned and looked at the man.

"Hi there. Come to look at the babies?" Urd asked.

"Yes I have."

Urd ushered him over and pointed out a particular child to him. "All
the babies are beautiful, but that one over there is the cutest." She
indicated a little girl in one of the beds.

The man's joy tripled. "I couldn't agree more. You see, that little
girl is mine!" he beamed a smile at Urd, who suddenly had a look of
concern on her face.

Urd began circling around the man, looking at him at every angle as
though judging a thoroughbred race horse. She even went so far as to
pry open his mouth and examine his teeth. After releasing him she
smiled. "You'll do nicely. Congratulations!" She started slapping him
on the back, hard.

He gasped as the wind got knocked out of him. "Thanks," he managed to
get out. "I think."

"Well I have to be going. Just wanted to check on a promise an old
friend made. Good luck," and with that she turned and left.

"What an unusual girl," he mumbled, then turned back and pressed his
face against the glass. The woman was right. None of the children were
as beautiful as little Kasumi.

The Present
Nerima, Japan.

Nabiki's door burst open. She sat up bolt upright as the sound
awakened her. She managed to make out Kasumi form through sleepy eyes
as her elder sister rushed in and grasped her.

"Oh Nabiki. I just had a terrible nightmare. I dreamt that I didn't
have a family and..." she paused, voice dropping to a whisper. "and I
did some terrible things."

Nabiki was more than a little startled by this. Never in her life
could she remember her sister coming to her in an emotional uproar. It
had always been the other way around. Even her father sometimes, well
frequently, needed calming down by her sister. And here was Kasumi,
hugging her in a near backbreaking embrace. Nabiki allowed a smile to
come across her lips. Time to start repaying her old debts.

"It'll be all right Sis. It was only a dream." Nabiki returned her
sister's embrace, much more lightly though.

"But it seemed so real. It was more detailed than any dream I've ever
had." Kasumi continued to shudder for a few moments until the dream
started to drift away, buried by the present. Eventually, she calmed
down enough to let go of Nabiki.

"Sorry I behaved that way. You must think I'm being silly. It's just
the dream made me realize how precious you all are to me." Kasumi gave
a caring look to Nabiki, which was returned by her sister.

"I love you too. I know I don't show it much, but you're important to
me as well." Nabiki thought for a moment. "Want to sleep in here?"

Kasumi shook her head. "Oh my! No. We're much too old for that sort of
thing."

Nabiki waved off the protest. "We're family. Besides, I remember right
after Mom died I seemed to end up in your bed a lot. It always made me
feel better. So now it's my turn to comfort you. Just don't tell
anyone, okay Wouldn't want my reputation for ruthlessness to be
tarnished, would we?"

Kasumi agreed and settled in next to Nabiki. It was odd, but
comforting, just as Nabiki had said. Kasumi relaxed a little and
drifted off to sleep. The piece of the ring bearing the crest of the
Chiang clan still in hand.

Epilogue

The Present:
Another dimension:

The Grand Hall was overflowing with three thousand spectators and
guards. Rarely in the history of the Empire of the Five Comets had
there been such a spectacle such as this. The people needed it,
especially considering how badly the war was going. The Baron Darzine
and Lord Alderan were at the forefront of the giant opening, which
would be where the access portal would open a rift in the Great
Divide. She was coming, at least if the prophecy still held true, and
many would be seeing her for the first time.

Darzine examined the open path that the Imperial Guards had left for
the travel of the guest. A thousand members of the elite corps were
hand picked to be guards today, leaving no chance anyone would get in
the way. Once she arrived, the guest would be taken from here directly
to the stone chambers of the Prophecy Room where she would reassure
them the prophecy was still intact. It had to be intact. All the hopes
of the Empire of the Five Comets rested almost solely on it. Without
it, the Empire was dead.

A swirling luminescent glow highlighting a thousand galaxies came into
focus in the middle of the empty space where the Great Divide opened
up. Even as the swirling vortex grew to the size of a hundred feet
before stabilizing, it was still quite a sight to behold. One never
grew tired of looking into infinity. Darzine's eyes fell upon the
azure robed girl, face shrouded in shadow, as she emerged from the
swirling vortex, unaffected by the travel. Even after all the years
she remained unchanged, still appearing as a thirteen years old girl.

There was a collective gasp as The Seer came fully into the Grand
Hall. Darzine and Alderan bowed before her in respect. She
acknowledged their presence and indicated they should rise. Both did
so.

The trio began their journey to the chambers when Alderan spoke up.
Darzine tried to explain to the man why it would be better for them to
wait until they arrived at chambers, but the lord could not delay.

"The prophecy Seer?" he asked.

"The prophecy is in jeopardy. An unlikely event has occurred, and the
Shogun has not only survived, but begun to move. It is now unlikely
that the Protector will come into existence, which means the savior is
doomed."

"Isn't there something we can do?" Alderan pleaded.

"Pray that when the opportunity for change happens, another unlikely
event occurs. But don't hold your breath." And with that The Seer went
to the Prophecy Rooms. No more predictions for a little while, at
least until the opportunity for change passed.

Special Thanks to
Harold Ancell
Ryan Anderson
Kevin R. Wible
Dr. Wade Tritschler