"What nothing to say?" Mara asked.
"Nodoka..." Kenshin started.
"That's not my name any more!!" Mara shouted, angrily slamming the wall next to her. "Nodoka died a long long time ago."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," Kenshin said, ignoring her outburst. "But this is wrong."
"Oh no, this is right," Mara said. "The Akuma will die, Father. All four of them, I'll be the only one left. You should be glad. It is your blood who will carry the swords that will avenge us on those butchers."
"Innocents will die," Kaoru protested angrily.
"Then they die!" Mara snapped. "Pathetic mortals with a mayfly existence, they'll die anyway."
"GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!!" Kaoru shouted angrily. Mara was thrown back against the wall at the force, revealing the difference between a greater power and a young, lesser power. As the outburst died down, Mara smirked.
"Ahh, just announce our location to everyone," Mara said. Kaoru growled. "Now I have to leave, business to attend to you know. You're welcome to try and find Linn. And I do mean try." Mara vanished, ending the physical avatars existence and pulling her awareness back to her planar home.
"I know she's your daughter, Kenshin," Kaoru said. "But you heard what she said. She plans to put Linn through hell."
"I know," Kenshin said, sorrowfully. "And her own child as well, but we won't let it happen." He said the last confidentally. "She'll be found."
"If anything happens to Linn," Kaoru said. "I'll have her following destroyed, she'll lose her godhead. And THEN I can do something to that..." Kenshin sighed and nodded reluctantly.
"She's bitter and hurting," Kenshin said sadly. "And she's right, I did fail back then." Karou looked at her husband, and comforted him.
Even if it were true, Kaoru thought, doubting that. It doesn't give her the right...
They vanished away before anyone came to investigate the outburst of divine power.
Ukyou drew her sword and held it ready in front of her, watching Ryuu grimly.
"I knew you could be stupid," Ukyou said. "But using two magics known to lead to self-destruction?"
Ryuu smiled. "Stupid is living like a ghost just because you happen to be of mixed blood."
"You should get out of here while you can," Ukyou said. "This isn't your fight."
"I can't just leave you to fight this creep on your own," Ryouga insisted, brandishing his umbrella.
"And you're going to fight with that pathetic little toy?" Ryuu asked, smiling.
"Yes, I am," Ryouga said smiling. He lunged forward in a straight stab with his umbrella. The abruptness of the motion surprised both Ukyou and Ryuu, though they recovered quickly.
Ryuu smirked and casually brought his flaming sword up to brush aside the incoming weapon. The umbrella didn't budge and Ryuu had to dodge out of the way, frowning. He was stopped from making any other sort of action by the sight of Ukyou charging in from his side. He was surprised as she leaped into the air.
She wants to end this quickly, Ryuu thought.
"Ryu Tsui Sen!" Ukyou shouted diving downward with the sword leading. Ryuu rolled back out of the way smirking. Ukyou hit the ground and had to roll to absorb the shock as well, coming to her feet and facing Ryuu.
"What is it about becoming a Rurouni that makes you all so predictable?" Ryuu asked. Before Ukyou could respond Ryouga came in again, still stabbing with his umbrella. This time Ryuu didn't try to casually brush aside the attack.
"Fiend! Prepare to die!" Ryouga shouted angrily.
"No, wait!" Ukyou shouted.
"Moko Kaimon Ha!" Ryuu shouted, shifting to a two-handed grasp of his longsword to push the umbrella to the side and launching a powerful kick that tossed Ryouga across the scene. An aura of shimmering darkness followed the kick and faded as the Tenken took a solid stance again.
Ukyou came in, sword flying. Images of that same aura destroying the central fortress of Kumon in her memory. Ryuu's blade in a handed grasp again caught her blade and smiled as he blocked Ukyou's strikes.
Keep smiling, Jackass, Ukyou thought. We keep this up and that sword arm is going to be too far out to do you any good. With the one-handed grip Ryuu was maintaining, she was finding it easy to slowly maneuver his guard where she wanted it.
"You always were too impressed with weaponry," Ryuu smirked. Ukyou did her best not to be distracted by that comment. She noticed the incoming fist with just time to roll back so it merely clipped her shoulder. "Hono Dokuja Tanketsu Sho!!"
Ukyou felt herself become airborne from the impact. That shimmering darkness followed her and pulled along a burning fire. The burning died quickly as the darkness smacked solid into her blowing it out and pushing her along again. She flipped about and caught her feet again, but she was still skidding backwards and looking forward to a rough fall, until she smacked into something behind her.
"Ryouga?" she gasped looking up.
"I'm impressed," Ryuu said. "That attack can destroy a castle gate in one blow."
"It felt like it," Ryouga agreed.
"Back off, kid, this is about to get ugly." Ukyou grimaced and got into stance again, one arm hanging loosely at her side. I don't want to get serious with another survivor but...
"I think I'll have to actually get serious," Ryouga agreed. Ukyou snorted.
"What do you think...?" Ryuu paused as he watched Ryouga step forward. The human grew several inches as he walked forward, wings appearing from his back, folding outward and then loudly snapping to Ryouga's back. An aura of power and righteous menace filled the scene as Ryouga hefted his umbrella.
"What the fuck?" Ukyou said, impressed. Then shook her head clear.
"That explains why you're still alive," Ryuu said, clearing his head of the surprise. "But it won't make a difference as far as this battle goes."
"We'll see about that," Ryouga said, snapping open his umbrella and sending it along in a buzzsaw. Ryuu calmly sidestepped the attack and prepared as the celestial waded into combat.
Ukyou grimaced at the embarassment of the shock and hefted her sword before following along behind, looking for an opportunity. Usually one on one was how she preferred to fight, or one on many, but Ryuu was too dangerous to take so lightly. Besidses, who was she to deny heavenly aid.
Ryuu slashed out with sword as he dodged under Ryouga's strike, cutting a slim line across his side. Ryouga grimaced but he had dodged aside before the blade could cut too deep. He caught his umbrella as it came back in and prepared to lunge in again. He hesitated as Ukyou appeared, fighting one handed.
"Hey! You can't fight like that," Ryouga shouted.
"She can't answer right now," Ryuu said, smiling. "She's a little busy trying to stay alive." Ryouga growled and moved in. He glowed white as he took a space between Ukyou and their attacker. The celestial pushed her away, sending the white aura along with her. Ukyou rolled hard to the ground.
"What was that for you...!?" Ukyou stopped and examined herself, as injured as she had been, that fall should have really hurt her. She briefly examined her shoulder and was surprised to find it healed. She looked up to see Ryouga throwing back Ryuu by sheer brute strength, and then gathering powering. "Don't kill him!!"
"Power of heaven smite thee!!" Ryouga shouted unleashing a bright flash of pure white light that flashed over the scene and blanked out Ukyou's vision for a moment. When it cleared, Ukyou saw Ryuu lying crumpled on the ground and Ryouga looking down victorious.
"Gotcha," Ryouga said smirking.
Oh no, Kenshin forgive me, Ukyou thought wearily. I should have...
"That actually hurt," Ryuu moaned sitting up and smirking. Ukyou and Ryouga stared at him in shock. "Very good."
Ryouga bridled at the mocking tone and flashed forward, swinging down with his umbrella. Ryuu rolled out of the way and stood up to Ryouga's side. The Tenken smiled evilly as he slashed down with his blade.
"May Lord Shi-Shi-o lend me power!" he shouted catching, and slicing through the celestial umbrella. Ryouga flinched back, holding the remainder of his weapon in shock. "A blight on your lives!!!"
A greasy black cloud blew outward from Ryuu's mouth as he shouted the spell. Ryouga was too close, but Ukyou saw it coming in time to reverse her approach and avoid the dark spell. The wave of inky darkness washed outward and then faded into nothing as the light had before.
Ryuu frowned as he noticed that Ukyou had avoided the blight spell, but turned his attention back to Ryouga as the celestial staggered back, weakly coughing. He rose his sword up and swung down at the disoriented celestial. His strike was blocked.
"No one is going to die here," Ukyou promised.
She proceeded to rain blows on Ryuu, taking comfort in the frown her opponent was giving her. She wasn't going to make the same mistake she had last time and ignore that open hand. She could hear Ryouga struggling to his feet behind her, but tried not to let it distract her. It wasn't long before Ryuu's flaming sword was sent flying away from him.
"I've got you!" Ukyou shouted, smirking as Ryuu leaped back. "Ryu Sou S..!"
"Kijin Rachu Dan!!" Ryuu shouted spreading out his arms wide.
A sickle shaped blade of darkness ripped out from his outstretched arms and soared at her. The blade sliced through her sword on its way to her, and she barely ducked and rolled under it. A blast of air from the attack sent her off course, sending her painfully into a rock.
"No weapon," Ryuu said above her. "No threat." Ukyou felt herself picked up roughly, she glared angrily at the man holding her. He had an upraised hand that was becoming rimmed in a aura of fiery darkness.
"Forget something?" Ukyou asked angrily.
Ryuu felt a small surge of power and suddenly the magic fire around his hand flared blindingly bright. He dropped Ukyou and tried to block out the light. Ukyou smirked as she tried to back away from the man, she could mend her sword in a moment, and then the fight would be back on. She did not expect the blinded Ryuu to reach out and grab her with the enchanted hand.
Ukyou screamed in terror and pain as it gripped her hand. It burned, terribly and painfully hot. And the flames were catching on her clothes.
But that was not all, she could feel it pulling at her. Pulling at her soul, stealing her life away. She remembered the dried husks that remained of some of those that had tried to stop Ryuu's father as he fought to control this new power. Ryuu was stealing away her life, like some living vampire.
Then the contact was broken and Ryuu was pushed away, still batting at his eyes, but smiling. It was obvious he could see them at least somewhat.
"This has been fun," Ryuu said. "But time to end this now." He stood solidly and and blinked his eyes once or twice more.
Ryouga growled, he could tell Ryuu was healed now, and both he was weakened and Ukyou had fallen unconscious after Ryuu had let go of her. Even if Ryuu hadn't healed himself, Ryouga wondered if he would have been weak enough for them to defeat.
I don't want to have to do this... Ryouga thought to himself as Ryuu stalked inward confidentally. He took a deep breath and shouted. "MOTHER!!!!!!!"
It is often said that inspiration strikes like a bolt of lightning. In this case it was several such bolts. Ryuu covered his eyes as the sky rained down bolt after bolt between him and his targets, a veritable wall of power. When it finally faded away both the rurouni and the celestial were gone.
"Well, I suppose we'll have to deal with them later," Ryuu said, sheathing his blade. "They'll make an annoying obstacle later."
Ukyou blinked awake to find herself in a world of shadowy wisps and immaterial terrain. She cricked her neck and glanced around, trying to figure out where she was. She didn't think she was dead, the mark where Ryuu had grabbed her was still there, though it appeared to have healed more than she would have thought possible. Unless she had been out for a long time. Maybe she was dead, and the mark was just there.
"Where am I?" Ukyou asked.
"The ethereal plane," a voice said behind her. Ukyou turned around to see a little girl wearing goggles with a hammer strapped to her back. Behind the girl she could see Ryouga sitting in the wisps rather contritely.
"What?" Ukyou asked. "Why?" The little girl suddenly got very irritated, almost turning purple in anger.
"Because HE can't come home yet," the girl said pointing back at Ryouga. "Because he just had to run an errand for Auntie Urd." Ryouga winced. "Never mind that his Mother told him not to deal with Auntie Urd. Never mind that the last time he went to visit Auntie Urd he got lost, and hasn't yet gotten un-lost!"
She glared back at Ryouga who winced again.
"Banned from the upper planes until he can manage to translate drunken babble into what exactly Urd sent him to do!? ARRGGGGGHHH!! I'm going to get her! Gah, he's just like his father! He'll be running off that fire-haired witch next."
Ukyou sweat-dropped as the little girl paced wringing her hands. Her eyes were wide as she realized just who it was talking to her. She immediately kneeled before the ranting goddess and bowed. It wasn't a kowtow, that she would only do for Kenshin or Kaoru, but it was deeply respectful.
"Sorry to intrude on you Lady Skuld," Ukyou said politely. Skuld blinked and looked down at her for a moment. Then she pointed and looked back to Ryouga
"This mortal has manners," Skuld said. "Which reminds me..."
"Yeah?" Ryouga asked nervously.
"What are you doing dallying with mortals instead of figuring out what you're supposed to do?!" Skuld demanded.
"Ummm, Great Lady," Ukyou felt a little strange addressing the little girl like that. "We weren't dallying, he was leading me to Nerima." Skuld stared at her in disbelief and then turned to look back at Ryouga.
"Ryouga, honey," Skuld said sweetly.
"Yes, Mom?" Ryouga asked nervously.
"You didn't tell her that you could lead her somewhere," Skuld asked. "Did you?"
"Well, umm," Ryouga scratched the back of his neck. "I said I'd been to Nerima." Skuld grabbed her hammer and swung down, conking him on the head. Ukyou swallowed nervously and sweated as Skuld turned to face her.
"Really, hanging around a mortal, inhibiting a greater power's minions," Skuld shook her head irritably. "My son has really been hanging around with Urd far too much."
"Uhhhh...Lady Skuld?" Ukyou said weakly.
"You're still here?!" Skuld said, surprised. "You have quest, get to it! Mortals." She rolled her eyes.
"But how do I..." Ukyou stopped as the ethereal plane disappeared around her and she and Ryouga were suddenly in a clearing overlooking a town. The main fortress hanging on the edge of a cliff. "Get out of here?"
She stood up and looked around confused.and glanced at the dazed Ryouga. She walked over to him and glared.
"Oww that hurt," Ryouga muttered as he was coming to.
"Hey, jacka..." Ukyou started angrily. Before she could finish a bolt of lightning came out of the sky and plastered her to the ground. "Owwww."
"She must have still been listening," Ryouga said scratching his head. Ukyou debated whether bashing Ryouga's head in with what remained of her sakaba was worth getting zapped again.
"Ranma-darling, Akane-dear," Kodachi called out, looking toward the gates of the estate. A blonde girl was staring inside the gates, smiling stupidly. "Can you come here for a moment?"
"What is it?" Akane asked as she came to stand next to Kodachi.
"Do you know that person?" she asked pointing. Ranma came around them to see what they were looking at.
"YOU!!!" he shouted, rushing across the grounds. The blonde girl watched, unconcerned as he leaped the gate and came down on top of, or rather through her.
"Oh dear, did you think little Azusa would come herself?" the projection asked. Ranma growled and sneered at the image.
"Who is this trollop?" Kodachi demanded, coming to the gates.
"This is that bastard's partner," Ranma growled. All eyes narrowed and glared at the smiling blonde.
"What are you doing here?" Akane demanded.
"Oh, I just wanted to apologize for Miki's behavior," Azusa said. "He should never have taken more than was offered. Your husband offered...her hand, not her lips. Tsk Tsk...some men just can't settle for being friends."
Kodachi frowned and crossed her arms. Projection or not, the woman's mind was with them, and there were things she could do as a priestess of Ayeka.
"You sent the c..c..cat," Ranma cricked his neck. "You summoned dogs against me."
"And you destroyed them too." The girl pouted. "I have to wait before I can play with all my pretties."
"Why are you here you little bitch?" Akane demanded coming through the gate and confronting the projection.
"I came to tell you where Miki is," the girl said honestly, giving that same vacuous smile. "Consider it feminine solidarity."
"You have to have a soul to be feminine," Ranma snapped, angrily.
"Oh, you can see that can you?" Azusa asked, surprised. Kodachi lost her patience and reached out. "Oh what is the pretty going to do to poor widdle Azusa?"
"I have had enough of your idiotic banter," Kodachi said. "You have, by your own admission, endangered the lives of my spouses. And now you dare to show yourself on the gates of my family's stronghold and expect that I should not rebuke you?"
Kodachi closed her hand into a fist and almost immediately an immaterial tangle of vines sprang up around Azusa's image and seemed to grow through the girl. Azusa's image screamed in shock and pain as the phantom vines dragged her to the ground.
"You are safe from Ranma-darling and Akane-dear as you are," Kodachi smirked, stalking out of the estate and circling the helpless phantasm. "But you must not have known who or what I was."
"Get these ugly diseased vines out of me!" Azusa demanded angrily, hatefully. That vacuous smile was completely gone now as the vines wriggled through her.
"Ugly, diseased vines?" Kodachi repeated, taking offense. She growled and clenched her fist hard, the phantom vines began to grow vines and tear through the image as Ranma and Akane looked on, moderately nervous. "Where is this uncultured lout that is your partner?"
"The abandoned fortress outside of town!" Azusa answered, shrieking in pain. She ripped her face towards Kodachi and smiled again. "You'll regret this, pretty. I'll torture you slowly over all the years the Mistress gives to me." Kodachi arched an eyebrow and commanded the vines to move again. The woman shrieked pitifully, equal parts enraged and terrified.
"Leave my presence," Kodachi snapped, waving her hands and dismissing the vines. Azusa virtually growled before her projection vanished.
"She was going to tell us anyway," Ranma said after she had gone. "Didja have ta do that? All it did was get her on your case."
"We could have handled her later," Akane agreed. Kodachi walked to Ranma and reached a hand behind his back to trace the scars that cat had given him, hidden by Ranma's clothes. She kissed him lightly on the cheeks and then walked to Akane taking her hand, and tracing the similar scars there on her arm and kissing the inside of Akane's hand.
"It was necessary," Kodachi said. She smiled and walked back into the estate. "Are you coming? We must plan what we are to do."
"Kinnosuke," Nabiki said, arching her eyebrow. "What are you doing here? Run out of poor country bumpkins to swindle?" Kinnosuke was one of those Metalliums that Nabiki would rather not deal with. She plotted, schemed, and manipulated, surely. She did not bring great and permanent harm to people that did not, in her mind, deserve it. Even if she didn't advertise the fact that she had limits.
"Not all of us are lucky enough to have a rich idiot to play with," he said. "Oh wait, he's been banished, insulted a goddess I hear. And what's this about you losing your wizard magic?"
"That is being remedied," Nabiki said, simply.
"How ever are you coping?" Kinnosuke asked. "It is well known that you are mostly a diviner. Your following of Xellos is sort of an afterthought correct?"
"Xellos encourages us to use our own resources rather than depending on him," Nabiki reminded.
"He also says not to put all your eggs in one basket," Kinnosuke reminded. "Maybe this is a way of teaching you that?" Nabiki faced down, eyes closed, and then looked up smirking. Kinnosuke frowned, whether pretending to be annoyed or otherwise, Nabiki didn't care.
"Maybe, maybe not," she said. She recalled the dream she had the night before in the library's guest quarters. Looking into a mirror and seeing a smirking black cat with purple highlights. "And what are you in the library for?"
"My business is outside the library, actually," Kinnosuke said, his turn to smirk. "I just had to extend my condolences for your curse."
"Well, thank you," Nabiki said, smiling back and walking past him. "Now I must be back to my studies." And if you think a third rate schemer like you is going to catch me when I leave neutral ground.
"Of course," Kinnosuke said bowing as she passed him. He watched her walk between the apparently endless shelves of secrets that the main Metallium temple maintained.
"They're coming, Miki," Azusa panted. She looked up to see Mikado's smirking face.
"That sounded painful," he said.
"The noble bitch is mine," Azusa said angrily.