TSC Vol. 5

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
 

     This guy was better than the others.
     Better, but fortunately for me not luckier.  He'd jumped the
gun, not by much, but he'd definitely made a mistake.  I didn't know
whether he'd been anxious, overconfident, or just spooked by the
crowd that had exited the run-down bar just as I'd passed.  Whatever
the case, I'd had enough warning to dodge his first shot.  Judging by the
effect that bolt had on the dumpster it hit, my reflexes had definitely
saved my life.  Again.
     Now it was cat-and-mouse, once again featuring yours truly,
Ranma Saotome, in the role of the mouse.  Only this time, riding the
wave of adrenaline that narrowly escaping death tends to produce, I
knew it was time for a change of strategy.  Well, actually, it was time to
create a strategy.
     And my strategy, concocted as I sprang over a low wooden
fence that exploded into splinters moments later, was simple.  I was
tired of these maniacs with their black robes and death's head masks
trying to kill me.  If I could turn the tables on this guy, maybe I could
finally get some answers.
     Of course, he really WAS better than the others.  I was barely
keeping ahead of him and his purple lightning bolts as it was, much less
finding a way to take the fight to him.  I breathed easily as I ran, my
muscles warm and loose.  Funny, it probably should have bothered me
more that I'd nearly died.
     Oh, well.
     Saeni was a fairly large city by this place's standards, and I was
heading towards the local equivalent of an industrial area.  It had
several advantages, like few people and lots of places to hide.  The sun
was nearly all the way down, and if I could widen my lead I was
confident I could slip away from Kid Lightning.  Then it would be My
turn to stalk HIM.
     Of course, for the plan to work at all I had to get away from
him, and so far that wasn't proving easy.  More bolts arced towards
me, striking the wall of a dilapidated warehouse and causing it to
explode in a shower of sparks.  My enemy was using his power to try
and corral me on this street, and as I realized that I suddenly knew
why.  I could see by the sun that we were heading south, and I was
willing to bet this dark and narrow lane that I'd chosen came to a
sudden end at the river.  He wanted me penned in, and if I didn't find a
way off the street soon, he'd succeed.
     I could always turn and fight, but that wouldn't get me the
answers I wanted.  And it might just get me killed.
     That thought didn't bother me as much as it should have.
     Still, I wanted answers, so I did something I'm pretty good at,
and improvised on the fly.  Broad warehouses fronted both sides of the
street, and I picked a likely candidate at random.  Of course, the way
my luck had been running lately, it would be empty, but then I'd just
have to improvise some more, wouldn't I?
     I sprang up over another volley of those lethal bolts, twisting in
the air so that I came down close to the building I'd chosen.  I landed
already running, smashing the unpainted wooden door with one swift
kick.  Then I was inside, plunging into the gloom as another volley hit
the doorframe behind me.
     Just a little too late.
     And my luck was changing, because the place was just full of
stuff.  I went bounding into the shadows, springing up onto a stack of
wooden crates.  When I reached the top, I crouched down, my black
clothing blending in nicely with my surroundings.  From here I had a
perfect view of the doorway, and I willed myself to be still, slowing my
breathing.  There was a chance that he wouldn't chance the doorway,
but from my vantage point I'd have a good opportunity to see him
wherever he came in without being seen myself.  And he would have to
come in, or risk losing me.  I didn't think he wanted that to happen.
     And I was right.  He strode right over the shattered remains of
the door, bold as you please.  Overconfidence it is, I thought smugly.  I
could pick you off right now, jackass.  But I think I'll wait until I can get
up behind you and take you alive ...
     "Boy!"  His voice was deep, resonant, and it boomed through
the dark warehouse most impressively.  I wondered idly if he was using
magic to make it sound even more impressive.  It was hard to tell much
about him when he was dressed in flowing black robes and that mask,
but his head came nearly to the top of the doorframe and he moved
easily for someone who'd been chasing me through half the city.
     "Come now, boy!" he rumbled.  "I have no time for games!
Come to me and I will end it quickly!"  Heh.  I wondered if that
approach actually ever worked for him.  I figured no.  He just stood
there, his face obscured by that featureless white mask they all wore.
     "Hiding, eh, little mouse?" he went on after a moment.  "Well,
let's see how good you are at this particular game, shall we?"  Then he
gestured, and a ball of light erupted near the high ceiling.  The flare of
intense white light caught me off guard, and I was temporarily blinded.
     "Ah, there you are," he rumbled, and I tensed for a leap.  Bolts
of energy flashed out before I could, though, smashing into the stack of
crates with explosive force.  I was sent tumbling down, still half blind
and trying desperately to find my balance.  My shoulder rammed into
something as I fell, and my right arm went numb as I crashed heavily to
the floor.  Shattered wood rained down around me, and an entire crate
crashed down onto my back, driving me into the floor and forcing all
the air from my lungs.
     Distantly, I was aware of footsteps approaching down the
narrow spaces between stacks, and I blinked groggily, trying to get to
my feet.  The crate on my back couldn't have been full, or I'd have
been in much worse shape, but it was heavy enough.  I tried to get up
again, but my right arm was still useless, and I couldn't get the leverage.
If the arm was broken, I was in real trouble.
     Hell, I was in real trouble anyway.  One of us had been
overconfident, all right, but it hadn't been Kid Lightning.  Blinking away
the blue afterimages, I fought to draw a breath.  There were black
spots mixed in with the big blue blotches in my field of vision now, and I
was no longer certain if the pounding in my ears was footsteps or my
own heart.  The urge to just lay down was suddenly overpowering.
How nice it would be to relax, just close my eyes and rest for a while.
Just for a while ...
     But I didn't.  Somehow, for better or for worse, I always
seemed to find some spark that drove me to go on.  Some days I
cursed it, but so far it had always flared up when needed, and this time
was no exception.  I planted my left hand flat against the floor and
growled between my clenched teeth as I gave one ferocious shove.
The weight pinning me to the floor slid off to one side, albeit reluctantly,
and I scrambled to my feet, darting around a stack of boxes just as
another bolt came from behind me, exploding against the floor.
     "Nearly had you, boy," my opponent said with a strange sort of
cheer.  It occurred to me that the bastard was toying with me, enjoying
himself.  None of the others had done that.  Of course, that gave me a
chance to dodge in amongst the clutter, but I knew he wasn't worried.
He figured it was only a matter of time now.
     I wondered if he was right.
     Sensation slowly began to creep back into my arm, all pins and
needles and fairly painful, but at least I'd be able to use it again soon.  I
listened for him as I moved, but didn't hear anything.  Flexing my hand
tentatively, I decided to take a chance and try to get the guy talking.
As long as I kept moving, he'd have trouble getting a fix on me.
     "Hey, can we talk about this?" I called.  Laughter boomed
back from somewhere off to the left.
     "It is much too late for talk, boy," the man called back
pleasantly.  "And I certainly haven't tracked you this far only to stop
and chat."  A bolt exploded somewhere not far away, and I fought the
urge to bolt.  He was just trying to flush me out, I assured myself.
     "Hey, pal," I replied, fighting to keep my voice reasonable.  "I
don't even know what this is all about.  I think you've got the wrong
guy!"  More laughter, from a different direction this time.  He was
moving too.
     "A valiant effort, boy, but in vain.  Now, why don't you start
fighting back?  So far I'm terribly disappointed, you know.  You
somehow managed to overcome all of my brothers, so I know you can
fight.  Perhaps if you impress me sufficiently, I'll make your death
quick.  Not painless, but quick."  Oh, joy.
     "Not much to look forward to," I gritted, trying to move
soundlessly around some stacked bolts of cloth.  Sweat trickled down
my back as I imagined Kid Lightning lining up a shot right between my
shoulder blades.  More laughter came, from distressingly near.
     "It is the most that those who dare steal from my dark master
can aspire to," that resonant voice came back, tinged with insincere
regret.  That caught my attention.  Dark master?  Steal?
     "Now I know you've got the wrong guy!" I shouted, ducking
and sprinting down a narrow aisle formed by stacked pallets of boxes.
"I'm not even from around here!"
     "Oh very droll, boy," the voice boomed back, its point of origin
uncertain.  "I'll give you credit, though.  Choosing this world was a
stroke of genius.  You gained the time to master the key, and this place
is beyond even our master's reach.  But my brothers and I are devoted
servants, and we followed you here, out of time, to regain that which
was lost.  And although I would sacrifice all for my master, before I
allow you to die I will tear from your shattered mind the path to leave
this wretched plane."
     I was frozen, pressed up against one of the walls of the
warehouse, my pulse hammering in my ears.  The key?  This was all
about the damned KEY?  I couldn't follow all of what he was babbling
about, but one thing definitely stood out in my mind.
     He didn't know how to leave either.  He thought, for some
reason, that I'd come here on purpose, and that I knew how to get out.
     Boy, was he in for a disappointment.
     I had good movement in my arm again, and could probably
manage a chi blast if I had to.  I was in a real bind, though; now more
than ever I wanted to question my enemy, because he clearly knew
more about this whole deal than I did.  Unfortunately, I wasn't sure I
was going to have that option.  I might just be lucky to get out of this
with my skin intact.
     "Guess you figure on a big reward if you bring the key back to
your boss, huh?" I asked, keeping my voice level.  "But what if there
isn't any way out of here?"
     "There is a way, else you would not have run here," the voice
replied confidently.  "After all, what is a key for save to open that which
is locked?  You seek to pervert a tool my master has sanctified with the
darkness.  That key has been sworn into the service of the dark, boy.
It is no longer suited for futile quests to restore the Lost, the Sealed.
You should not have embarked on such a foolish quest."  I thought
about informing him that I never embarked on any such thing before
realizing my mistake.  I'd been listening to him too intently, and as I
caught a movement out of the corner of my eye I realized two things in
quick succession.  One, where the voice was coming from had no
relation to where Kid Lightning actually was.  And two, the guy could
fly.
     Well, hover, but splitting hairs wasn't particularly useful right at
the moment.  He rose silently above a nearby stack of crates, and I
barely had time to register his presence before he unleashed an intense
volley of bolts at me.
     No.  Not at me, at the crates surrounding me.  I realized then
what he was up to.  He was confident enough in his abilities that he was
trying to take me alive.  Of course he was; he thought I knew how to
escape this place.  He may have claimed devotion to his master, but it
seemed to me he wanted to get out and claim his reward pretty badly.
A truly devoted servant would have just killed me and been done with
it.
     This screwing around had to stop.  I summoned up my chi and
leapt straight up, arrowing out of the tumbling wreckage like a missile
and enjoying the way Kid Lightning's head snapped up as I did so.  I
imagined a look of shock behind that mask as I brought my hands
together in front of me, eyes narrowed.
     "Moko Takabisha!" I shouted, unleashing a brilliant lance of
chi.  It caught my opponent square in the chest and drove him down
savagely, through several stacks of crates and into the floor where he
bounced, then rolled and slid to a halt in an untidy heap.  I landed easily
and bounded towards his fallen figure, intent on taking advantage of the
situation before he could regain his composure.
     I pulled up short, balanced on the balls of my feet, ready for
him to sit up and hurl another of those lightning bolts at me, but he
didn't move.  I suspected a trick, and eased sideways, ready for
anything.  Or so I thought.
     My movement took me far enough around him that I could see
why he wasn't moving.  Somewhere along the way, a broken board
had speared into his chest.  Judging by the dark stain spreading over
the front of his robe, the wound was probably fatal.  I eased closer and
knelt down, where I could hear laboured breathing.  Tentatively, I
reached out and pulled his mask free.  There was a long crack snaking
its way down the smooth surface, and the thing fell apart in my hands,
clattering to the floor.
     "Well ... played, boy," the man gasped.  Now that I could see
his face, he seemed less imposing somehow.  Younger than I'd thought,
too.  A thin trickle of blood escaped from his lips, and he coughed, a
painful spasm that shook his whole body.  I tried to dredge up some
sympathy, but not surprisingly couldn't find any at all, just a sort of
vague regret.
     "You ... think you've won ... I suppose?" he rasped, his voice thick
with pain.  He chuckled then, a throaty, unhinged sound, and stared up
at me.  His eyes were regular human eyes, dark brown, but something
in them made me pause, something dark and more than a little mad.
     "Looks that way from where I'm standing," I replied.  It wasn't
a gloat; I just didn't know what else to say.  The others had all gone
quickly.  He laughed again at my words, and although his laughter was
no longer a thunderous boom something in it set my hackles on edge.
     "Do you truly think ... you can win?" he gasped, his face white
against the loose black cowl.  "My master's reach is long, his ... power
great.  You have chosen a ... losing cause, boy.  THEY do not watch
over ... their chosen.  They do not see, neither do they know ..."  His
voice trailed off into another coughing spasm, and when it subsided his
eyes were bright and feverish.
     "One boy," he whispered.  "What can you do to stop the
coming dark?  It will have you, boy, all of you ..."  He coughed again,
weakly, the trickle of blood from his mouth turning into a flood, then he
stared up at me with a deranged grin.
     "THE DARK!" he shrieked merrily.  "THE DARK WILL
HAVE YOU!  IT WILL HAVE YOU!  HAVE YOU HAVE YOU
HAVE YOU THE DARK THE DAAAAAAARK ..."  He started to
convulse like a beached trout, and some instinct caused me to spring
backwards in time to avoid the ball of flame that billowed out from his
seizure-wracked body.  I watched as the strange, greenish fire
consumed him alive.
     "THE DARK WILL HAVE YOU, BOY!  ALL THE LITTLE
LIGHTS SWALLOWED IN THE GLORIOUS DARKNESSSSS
..." he screamed, turning his empty eye sockets toward me even as the
unearthly fire ate him up, peeling back flesh and incinerating his robes.
He kept it up even when there was no way he should have been able
to, his naked skull promising that the dark would have me.  I watched,
not flinching from the intense heat that licked at my face even from
where I stood.  I watched until the skull finally crumbled and his shrieks
died away, until the twitching skeleton was reduced to a pile of dust on
the floor and the strange flames died away as mysteriously as they'd
come.
     I suppose I should have been horrified, but I really didn't feel
much at all.
     But then, my capacity for horror isn't what it once was.

***

     I'd had enough of Saeni.  Well, it wasn't the city itself, so much
as the sudden need to be away from people altogether.  I walked to the
south gates, getting there just as full dark was coming on.  The guards
were late shutting the gates anyway; things locally had apparently been
peaceful in recent times.  Anyway, Saeni was pretty much a backwater.
The walls around the inner city wouldn't have stood up to much
punishment.
     I left the city behind pretty quickly, but finding my way wasn't
too hard.  The moon rose nearly full, giving plenty of light.  That other
thing that looked sort of like a moon but probably wasn't rose too.
Everybody seemed to accept its presence, and I hadn't thought of a
way to ask somebody what the hell it was without sounding like a
lunatic, so I still had no idea what it was.
     The road was wide and level but not paved outside the city
limits, and I scuffed along as the heat of the day faded somewhat.
Crickets started up in the long grass beside the road, and off to the right
I could hear the sound of the river as it rushed off towards somewhere
else.
     Somewhere else.  I wanted to be somewhere else, too.  I just didn't
know where.  It was like that sometimes, more and more recently.  The
night air was like bathwater, eddying around my skin intimately, but I
wasn't enjoying the sensation.  That familiar, uneasy restlessness, tinged
with darkness and longing and a million other feelings, was coming on
fast, and I knew better than to try and fight it.  Maybe it had been Kid
Lightning, but I knew I was going to be spending another sleepless night
brooding.
     Even though it wasn't late, there was nobody else on the road
this far from the city.  I cut off the road and through the dry, rustling
grasses towards the river.  It narrowed slightly here, rushing noisily over
several large rocks before plunging down with the slope of the land to
widen somewhere downstream.  Perfect.
     I tensed lightly and launched myself into a high arc, turning a
lazy somersault as I came down squarely on the large rock in the centre
of the river.  It was fairly flat on top, and high enough so that I wouldn't
get wet from the spray.  I eased myself down, feeling the sun's trapped
heat leaking from the surface of the rock, even through my shirt.  With a
sigh I lay back, lacing my fingers behind my head and staring up into the
sky.
     It was a clear night, and the stars were out in all their glory.  I'd
spent many a night on the road with my father, staring up at the night
sky just like this.  Well, okay, maybe not just like this.  For one thing, I
couldn't recognize any constellations.  Of course, most people would
probably be surprised to learn I knew anything about constellations at
all, but I did.  Enough to wonder why here, of all the worlds I'd been
to, the stars were different.
     All those worlds.  I reached into the collar of my shirt and
pulled on the piece of rawhide there, bringing the key out into my hand.
All those worlds.  And this thing had given them to me.
     That had helped, at first.  Learning how to use the thing was
trial and error, but I'd had nothing but time.  I sat up, crossing my legs
loosely as I regarded the dangling key idly.  Smooth blue crystal
managed to throw off glints of even the pale moonlight, spinning lazily at
the end of the cord that I wore it on.  I pulled the rawhide over my
head and held it out in front of me.
     It did kind of look like a key, actually.  It had a loop at one
end, then a narrow body which curved away from the loop to form a
slight hook at the far end.  I held my hand up, letting the thing dangle
loosely, and concentrated my chi.  A gentle blue glow began to
surround me, and I focussed on the key, watching as it, too, began to
glow.
     When I'd first discovered this trick, the key had glowed darkly
and spat small black bolts from its surface, much as it had when I'd
taken it from its former owner.  It never again grew to the size it had
been that day, though, and over time the dark energy began to fade,
until now it was almost totally gone.  Now the key shone with a
soothing light, deep and serene, and I waited, hoping this time it would
move, knowing it wouldn't.
     It didn't.
     I'd found that I could discover the direction to the nearest gate
by doing this.  When I focussed my chi, the key would begin to swing
around at the end of the cord, eventually pointing towards the nearest
passage between worlds.  As I got near such a place, it would start to
thrum gently against my chest without me having to do anything.  And if
I stood at the threshold of one of those gates and poured enough chi
into the small crystal key, the gate would open and I would be able to
pass through.  I'd done it often enough that it had become nearly
routine.
     Until that last time.
     Sighing, I let my aura settle.  Deep within the key, the glow
flickered and died, and I looped the cord over my head again, the cool
key sliding down to rest against my chest.  Ten months ago, give or
take, I'd been leaving a rainy, grungy version of Tokyo called
Megatokyo.  I hadn't stayed long, the place was too depressing despite
all the neat gadgets.  I'd found a gateway, checked to see that I was
alone, then opened it with the key and stepped inside.  There was a
flash of light, and the next thing I remembered was waking up in a field
with rain falling on my face.
     I'd been a little concerned at first, but only a little.  After all,
even though nothing like that had ever happened before, I was
operating out there on the edge.  It wasn't like the key came with an
owner's manual or something.  For all I knew, this was a regular
occurrence.
     I only really started to worry when I started looking for the
nearest gate, and nothing happened.  The key didn't so much as twitch,
and that had never happened before.  There wasn't even any sign of the
one I'd come through.  I'd started walking, hoping I was just out of
range, if that was possible.
     I'd been walking for ten months now, all over the place, and
the key had yet to do so much as twitch.  But soon after I'd arrived,
something else had come up to occupy my attention.  These maniacs in
the black robes and white masks had started trying to kill me, and now
I finally knew why.
     The key.  The Astounding Kid Lightning had said that I was in
trouble for stealing from his dark master, which was strange.  I had
stolen the key, of course, but only to distract that monstrosity that had
been holding open the link between my world and my double's.  And
when that nice shiny sphere had detonated inside of old One Eye, I was
confident that he'd ceased to be anyone's master, dark or otherwise.
     Well, maybe he'd been working for someone else.  Still, I
didn't see how anyone could have found one little piece of crystal, not
after all the different worlds I'd gone through before I'd gotten stuck
here.  But apparently these guys had.
     I thought back to the other things the talkative assassin had
said.  He'd thought I was smart to come to this world for some reason,
and I didn't understand why.  There was nothing special about it, at
least not that I could see ... except that there was no way out.  He'd
come from outside, too, but he expected me to know how to leave.
And I didn't.  I wanted to leave, though.  Even though I'd been
wandering constantly since I'd arrived here, the mere act of keeping in
motion was losing some of its healing power.  Those black moods
came on me more often now, making me want to rage or fight or sulk
or sometimes just sleep for days at a time.
     It had been better when I could leave a world whenever I
wanted.  It felt sometimes like I could leave whatever moods were
bedevilling me at the time like an old skin and travel someplace totally
different.  But I was very aware now that I was trapped, and after
having such freedom a single world didn't seem enough to contain me.
     I knew one of those dangerous moods was coming on now, but
I didn't think it would be possible to get into too much trouble out here
all alone.  And I felt more like brooding than fighting anyway.
     I lay back on the rock and listened to the sound of the water,
patiently eating away at the obstruction in its path.  How long would it
take for this rock to be worn away to nothing?  A hundred years?  A
thousand?  Longer than I'd be alive, certainly.
     I closed my eyes and there, unbidden, were thoughts of them.
Ranma and Akane and all the others, mirror images of my own home
and friends and even of me.  And as almost always happened when I
started thinking of them, I wondered if I'd done the right thing in
leaving.  And as almost always happened, I decided I had.  At any rate,
I'd decided long ago, before risking that first crossing, not to regret my
decision.
     Still, that didn't stop me from wondering how things were
progressing back there.  With all the changes my appearance had
caused, how had everything ended up?  I thought of my double and the
way he and Akane had looked together at the end, and sighed.  Not
even he could have screwed that up.  Yes, I was confident that their
lives were peaceful and normal and, most of all, happy, now that I was
gone.
     But I could admit, even if just to myself, that I'd been tempted
to stay.  Staying, though, would have been wrong.  I had trouble
explaining exactly why, but somehow I knew that it would have
lessened me somehow, made me his shadow.  It would have been
easier, maybe even pleasant, but it would have crippled something
inside me, something important.  Something I needed.  I couldn't stay
there, couldn't go back, until I'd found ... something.
     I laughed out loud then, a bitter little bark drowned in the
gurgling of the busy water.  So here I was, looking for something to
save myself.  But on the bad days, I was sure that there was no way I
could ever find this mythical something when I didn't even know what it
was.
     On the worst days, I became convinced that I'd been wrong,
and that there was no salvation for me, not anywhere.  I'd sink deeper
into that still black despair, and hear a tiny inner voice mock me for
leaving Nerima behind because of some unformed need.  That voice
would whisper that I'd thrown away my second chance and was now
wandering lost, cursed to look for something more when there was no
more to be had.  That had been it, the best I'd ever discover, and I'd
thrown it away.
     But today was only moderately bad, and I lay staring at the
unfamiliar stars, searching for that thread of need that guided me.  It had
been stronger in the beginning, and back then I'd almost been able to
articulate what it was I was looking for.  As time went on, though, it
became faded, elusive, a ghost that haunted me at the strangest times.
     I am Ranma Saotome, I thought clearly.  Sometimes Ranko
Saotome.  Sometimes I'm numb and sometimes it still hurts and
sometimes I wake up screaming and I'm back there on that dead
world, but I haven't quit.  I've travelled to different earths and survived
several attempts on my life in this one.  The people who tried to kill me
are all dead, and I'm not.  And every day I get up and go on, even
though some days I can't think of a damned reason why I should.  I
can't ...
     Yes, you can, that little voice piped up.  When there's nothing
else, there's your promise.  Remember?
     Yes.  My promise.  I shuddered lightly, as if someone had
walked over my grave, and growled deep in my throat.  I wasn't likely
to forget that promise, was I?  Akane, my Akane, so light in my arms it
was as if most of her was already gone.  But she'd still been alive, and
she'd made me promise to go on.  Some days I honestly thought I
could hate her for that.  I honestly did.
     Once, about a month after I'd left Nerima that last time, I'd
woken up in a small cave where I'd sheltered out in the country on one
of the many earths I'd visited.  I'd woken, and just lay on the hard
packed dirt, staring out at the rising sun.  I'd still been there when the
darkness returned that night, in that exact same spot.  In fact, I didn't
stir for three whole days, not for anything.  I just lay there and watched
things pass by, feeling nothing.  Finally, on the morning of the third day,
a thought had crept stealthily into my pleasantly blank mind.
     If you don't move, you'll die.
     Everything had been so peaceful, I'd tried to ignore the thought.
It wouldn't go away, though.  It just set itself down in the middle of my
brain and set up camp, making itself right at home.  Finally, another
thought had come along to challenge it.
     So what?
     You promised, came the reply, and it was delivered in Akane's
voice, so real that I'd sat upright, heart almost bursting, as if I'd see her
sitting there at the mouth of the cave, staring at me mournfully.
     Of course, there'd been no one there, but I'd managed to get
up and stumble to the nearby stream where I drank until I felt bloated.
That experience still frightened me, because I'd thought I was going to
be okay until then.  I'd thought, with my typical cockiness, that I was
dealing with things, that everything was under control.  Then I found
myself sitting in a cave one day realizing that I'd let things slip
dangerously away and hardly noticed it happening.  I'd stopped
fighting, and I knew myself well enough to know that if I stopped
fighting it was all over.
     I remember hearing somewhere that there are these stages
people go through when they lose someone.  I don't recall how many
there are, but they're something like getting angry, then denying
everything, then accepting it.  Supposedly you had to go through all
these before you could be healed.  Well, that being the case I should
have been healed about a thousand times over, I figure.  I seemed to go
through those stages a lot, sometimes a whole bunch in one day.  I
guess at the heart of things, only one thing really matters.
     Time heals all wounds.  I've heard it said a million times, but I
finally think I understand what it means.  Maybe it's wishful thinking,
but it seems to me there aren't as many bad days as there used to be.  I
guess that's the best I can hope for, at least in the short run.  I find it's
easier to go on if I concentrate on the short run, though.  Maybe some
day I'll find some long term goals to chase, but for now I'll just
concentrate on getting through one day at a time.
     A shooting star arced across the wide night sky, and I thought
briefly about wishing on it, but in the end I didn't.
     Kid's stuff.  And such things had lost their charm for me.
Maybe forever.

***

     The strange dark mood had mostly passed by morning.  I
hadn't been able to sleep until pale light began to appear on the
horizon, though, and I woke bleary and unfocussed.
     Immediately rolling over and falling into the river didn't help
much.  I nearly drowned myself before I woke up, flailing and
sputtering as I broke the surface of the water.  I managed to steer clear
of the rocks until the current carried me to where the river widened
again, then I swam to shore and pulled myself out of the water ruefully.
     I'd left the city without any supplies to speak of, so I had no
extra clothes, nor did I have anything to heat water in.  That meant I
was going to be a girl for a while, at least until the next town.  I tugged
at my wet shirt, watching idly as it moulded itself to my breasts.  Once,
the thought of being stuck as a girl for any length of time would have
made me acutely uncomfortable to say the least.  Since leaving Nerima,
though, my attitude had changed, albeit so gradually that I really hadn't
noticed.  Now the prospect didn't revolt me the way it once had.
     Maybe that was because I'd been faced with true horror, and
realized that this wasn't it.   Or maybe it was because being a girl had
come to represent sort of an escape for me.  I could almost pretend
that I was someone else for a little while, someone whose life hadn't
become badly derailed.  I sensed that wasn't a particularly healthy way
to deal with my problems, but I did it anyway.  Hell, any old port in a
storm, right?
     Not that I wanted to BE a girl, mind you.  I was still all guy as
far as I was concerned.  But being a girl for a while wasn't so bad.  I
even learned some things while travelling that way, most of them about
my own gender and most of them bad.  But no one messed with Ranko
Saotome when they met her.  Anyone who tried quickly found out she
was an excellent fighter with a bad temper.
     Stretching, I took off my shirt and wrung it out.  Since nobody
else was in sight yet this morning, I took off my muscle shirt too, getting
as much moisture out of it as I could.  I'd been letting my hair grow,
and my pigtail was now more of a braid that reached past the mid-point
of my back.  I shook the excess water out of that, too, then got dressed
again.  I could take care of myself, but there was no sense in asking for
trouble.  And outside of the cities, there was plenty of trouble to be
had.
     Politics has never been any kind of interest of mine, but I'd had
to learn a little about this place while I'd been here.  This part of the
country was composed of city-states, mostly self-contained.  They
controlled a certain amount of area around their borders, the bigger
ones extending their influence farther than the smaller.  Most of the
areas outside the cities, though, belonged to whoever was strong
enough to take and hold it.  Houses and farms I'd seen tended to be
built for defence, since bandits and other raiders were a real threat.
Most people tended to live close to the cities for that reason, although
the bigger cities had fairly large safe zones around them, due to their
larger military forces.
     I had no idea how well this system worked.  People always
seemed to be complaining about how difficult it was to deal with all the
different jurisdictions and the problems of doing business between the
different cities.  Travel in the lonely spaces between cities could be
quite hazardous, but there was always someone willing to risk it if there
was money to be made.  And those people always needed security,
which meant that I'd been able to find work pretty much whenever I
wanted.
     Right now, though, I had enough money to get by for a while.  I
could have gone back to the city and looked for a caravan heading out
to join up with, but honestly I still wasn't in the mood to be around
people.  And there would be outlying towns and relay stations along the
main road where I could get food and supplies.
     I glanced back over my shoulder as I began to walk.  The walls
of the city were already distant, although there was certain to be traffic
on the road as the day went on.  I wondered if anyone had discovered
the mess Kid Lightning and I had left in that warehouse yet.  Somehow,
I'd gotten the impression that my would-be assassin had been the last
of his group.  That could mean that I was now in the clear, or it could
mean I'd have a whole bunch of new problems soon.
     Such a lot of bother for a key that didn't even work anymore.
So many things that I just didn't understand, and maybe never would.
     But for the moment, I had no place particular to go and no time
I needed to be there by.  Scratching that restless itch, I started down
the road.

***

II             Whispers in the Dark

     He knew as soon as the other appeared.  Not that his visitor
made any attempt to hide his presence, however.  Smart.  Subterfuge
would only have annoyed him.
     Not that he wasn't annoyed already, of course.
     "Great Wyrm," the visitor said respectfully.  He rolled one eye
lazily away from the barren vista to glance at his visitor.  Human,
wearing black robes and a white mask, with the aura of a magic user.
     Hmph.  One of HIS toadies.  Was there to be an accusation?
If so, the human was either incredibly brave or appallingly stupid.
     "Quite a view, is it not?" he rumbled, rolling his eye back to the
shattered plain.  He raised his snout slightly and sighed, a sound to
reduce most men to terror.  This one seemed to hold firm.
     "Indeed," he replied politely.
     "Do you know why I favour it?" he asked idly.  The man turned
his featureless mask upwards towards the wyrm's visible eye.
     "No, Great Wyrm," he replied.
     "Because," the wyrm rumbled, "nobody ever comes here."
There was a moment of silence while the wyrm waited to see how his
visitor would react.
     "I apologize for intruding on your solitude," the man finally
replied, a trifle stiffly.  "I am Voros, and I bring my master's respects.
He is ..."
     "I know who you serve, man," the wyrm said flatly.  The man's
features were obscured, but his stance and aura told the wyrm that his
visitor now felt they were on even terms.
     So, he thought wryly.  Stupid it is, then.
     "And my master knows of you," the man said, his voice full of
the confidence of someone used to instilling terror.  "He has sent me to
appeal for your assistance in a small but important matter."  The wyrm
cocked his head, which was larger than the man in the robes.
     "What matter?" he asked.  The robed figure spread its arms.
     "Something of my master's was taken during a recent struggle.
An artifact for travelling the many worlds ..."
     "A key," the wyrm rumbled.  Voros hesitated uncertainly.
     "Yes," he continued.  "The thief was travelling near this place,
and because the key still bore my master's mark he was able to track
it.  Just as we were about to swoop down upon the miscreant,
however, he ... vanished.  Into the Lost Place."
     "Not very smart, your thief," the wyrm said.  "Entering a
broken link that way."  Voros shook his head.
     "That is what puzzles us," he said, clearly agitated.  "The link
was NOT broken.  Somehow, he entered at one end and did not
emerge from the other.  Some power managed to pluck him from that
link and place him beyond our grasp.  But not beyond yours, mighty
one."  The man was being deliberately ambiguous, which managed to
amuse the wyrm somewhat.  He didn't allow any of that amusement to
enter his voice when next he spoke, however.
     "I nearly think that you accuse me," he rumbled, his voice
careless but with a dangerous edge.  He turned his head so that he was
staring at Voros directly for the first time, and the man took a
deferential step back.
     "You misunderstand me, Great Wyrm," he said quickly with a
placating gesture.  "I merely meant that you could reach him where we
cannot."
     "I expect your brotherhood can follow this thief easily enough,"
the wyrm pointed out.  He was tiring of this game, but it couldn't hurt to
let the man dig himself a little deeper first.
     "And we have done so, but you understand the problem,"
Voros hurried on.  "We cannot contact them, and it seems likely they
will never return.  And my dark master wishes to be certain that the
thief is dead."  Voros stopped for a moment, then stepped closer and
lowered his voice conspiratorially.
     "He sees THEIR hand everywhere now," he murmured.  The
wyrm was surprised in spite of himself.
     "He thinks this thief is a servant of the Sentinels?" he asked, not
bothering to hide his amusement.  Voros looked pained, even hidden in
his robes and mask.
     "We ... do not refer to them by that name," he said,
uncomfortable.  "It angers our master."
     "What foolishness is this?" the wyrm snorted.  "They are almost
completely forgotten by men and demons alike.  The Eyes are sealed,
and see naught.  They call no champions to their aid, their true nature
lost to the ages."
     "The Brotherhood agrees.  Nonetheless," Voros hurried on,
"we serve our master's will.  He would not risk some seeker of lost
truths stumbling upon their power.  He has charged us to bring him his
key, and the thief's head."
     "A problem," the wyrm acknowledged, "since you can send
hundreds of your kin into that hidey-hole, but none can return."
     "But it is said that your kind can go there and return at will!"
Voros exclaimed.  "And so I have come seeking your aid, mighty one!"
     "Indeed?" the wyrm boomed, suddenly weary of this self-
important human sorcerer who had dared intrude for such a trivial
matter.  "And even if I can travel there and return, why should I do
so?"  Voros straightened slightly, and the wyrm knew his visitor thought
they were down to haggling over price.
     "A dark tide rises," Voros asserted, his voice thick with smug
confidence.  "Your allegiance to our master would ..."
     "I have sworn no allegiance," the wyrm growled.  "And I know
of your claims.  The battle of darkness and light is eternal.  If the dark
rises, it will eventually fall again."  Voros seemed unfazed.
     "Well, then," he pressed on.  "Perhaps some more tangible
reward.  It is rumoured that you, great wyrm, have developed a taste
for human women.  Perhaps ..."
     That was as far as he got before the great black talons
descended on him, pinning his body to the stony ground.  The wyrm
listened to the snap of bones and the man's high, thin shrieks as fury
boiled in his belly.  He had quite forgotten the intoxication of anger.
     "You," he breathed, moving his snout over the fallen form.
"You forget yourself, little man."  Voros squirmed frantically as a dark
stain spread out from his body.
     "Wait!" he screeched.  "I am an emissary of the Dread One!  If
you kill me, you will be declared his enemy ..."  The wyrm applied
more pressure, the sound of bones snapping like old ice soothing his
temper somewhat.
     "Little man, I care nothing for the enmity of demon lordlings or
the twisted little men who serve them in the hopes of gaining some
measure of power," he growled, his breath stirring the blood-sodden
robes.  "I am an elder Black, one of the Great Wyrms, and I cannot be
bought or threatened, certainly not by the likes of you or your master.  I
think it has been too long since your dark circle has faced any real
opposition."  He smiled, his long sharp teeth hovering menacingly over
the cowering form.
     "I suspect that is about to change.  Too bad you won't be
around to witness the final battle."  There was a satisfying crunch, and
Voros gave one last shriek, then fell silent.
     "I want you to pass on a message to your master," the wyrm
said, picking the ragged form from the ground easily.  It hung limply
from his talons, and he sniffed.
     "Ah, well," he sighed.  "I suppose he'll get the message
anyway."  He cast the limp corpse aside and turned to regard the sky,
his anger somewhat assuaged by swatting the smug sorcerer, but still a
glowing ember in his gut.  It surprised him that he still reacted so
powerfully, but then many things surprised him lately.
     He supposed that was good.  When you could no longer be
surprised, life would likely become boring.  His visitor had provoked
his interest, however, and he unfurled his huge black wings, launching
himself into the cold dark sky with a grace that belied his bulk.
Normally he was quite patient, but suddenly he felt the urge to be doing
something.  He judged that enough time had passed, anyway.
     Time to see how his little experiment was coming along.

***

     A couple of weeks after my informative encounter with the
Astounding Kid Lightning, ex-member of the human race, I wandered
into a fair-sized town near a crossroads.  The town was called Kobasa,
according to the weathered sign that slumped at the side of the road.
Kobasa wasn't very fancy, but it was a happening place.  It seemed to
be a major rest-stop for traffic going along both roads, and promised to
be a good place to stop and grab a bite.
     I shuffled down the main drag, keeping out of the way of the
constant traffic.  There was a weird mixture of machinery and magic in
this world, and things weren't always in balance.  Some of the cities
had lots of machines and big shiny buildings, some had almost none, but
lots of castles and weird creatures.  Kobasa was somewhere in the
middle of everything, and the mix was bizarre to say the least.
     There were lots of vehicles, although I found the machinery in
this world strange looking, lumpy and kind of exotic-looking.  There
were horses too, some being ridden and some pulling carts and
carriages.  I even saw one with wings strolling down the street with a
guy in silver armour.  He was talking to the horse (a Pegasus, I think
those are called) and it seemed to be talking back.
     Like I said.  Weird.
     It was near noon and the sun was beating down pretty good as
I stopped to wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my
arm.  When I'd first arrived here, it had been early autumn, another
thing that made no sense.  Every time I went between worlds, the day
and time of year had stayed the same, even though the time period was
sometimes different.  This was the first place that hadn't followed that
rule, taking me from early summer directly to fall.  Now it was summer
again, and while I liked the heat better than the cold I'd been doing a
lot of walking under that sun.  It hadn't rained for over a week, and I
began to consider taking another caravan guard job just so I could ride
in comfort for a while.
     But first things first.  My stomach was letting me know that it
was hungry, and my stomach doesn't like to be ignored.  I picked a
place just off the main strip that looked fairly respectable and not too
crowded, and headed in.  There was a pretty good lunch crowd,
mostly travellers by the look of them.  There was no way I could get a
table but I did snag a stool at the long polished bar.  Eating at the bar
wouldn't bother me at all.
     The noise was a pleasant, constant hum as people talked and
ate, and I was done my first iced tea by the time the attractive blonde
woman behind the bar returned with my food.  I raised my glass to ask
for a refill, and she nodded absently.  My thirst taken care of for the
moment, I went to work on my lunch.  It was pretty good, nothing
special but better than the cold rations I'd been eating out on the road
lately.  I wolfed it down enthusiastically.  Nobody around me was likely
to criticize my table manners, not the way they were plowing through
their own meals.
     Just as I began to wonder what had happened to my drink, I
heard a voice rising above the din from further down the bar.
     "I don' care!" the voice shouted, sounding angry and more than
a bit drunk.  Swell.  It was a bit early to be drinking, much less drunk,
but I'd seen my share of troublemakers in inns and taverns in my
travels.  I wondered whether he'd end up being reasonable, or whether
some brawny cook would end up throwing him into the street.  Well,
not my problem at any rate.
     Or so I thought.
     "Jus' give me a damn DRINK!" the voice bellowed, getting
even louder and more belligerent.  The surrounding hubbub began to
die down a bit as heads craned to watch the developing scene.  I
frowned at my half-empty plate.  It had to be my imagination, of
course, just had to be, but ...
     But didn't that voice sound a little ... familiar?
     "Please, sir, I don't want any trouble," a female voice
responded firmly.  I turned and could see the blonde woman, my ice
tea in her hand, trying to calm the rowdy down at the other end of the
bar, her stance telling me that this was not an unusual occurrence for
her.  She did seem to be surreptitiously looking for someone, though,
and I was willing to bet that someone was big and strong and probably
well-versed in the handling of ugly drunks and deadbeats.
     I couldn't see the man she was talking to because of all the
customers between us, but a few people were beginning to back away
from the bar as his voice got louder and his arms began to wave.
Apparently, he wasn't going to be reasonable, after all.
     "Sir," the woman tried again.
     "DON'T SIR ME, JUST GET ME A DAMNED DRINK!"
the man bellowed.  A plate shattered against the floor, and more folks
cleared away from the disturbance, not wanting to get involved.  That
gave me my first glimpse of the drunk.
     My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment I felt a wave
of dizziness so intense that I thought I might faint.  There was a distant
rushing sound in my ears, and I told myself over and over that I hadn't
seen what I'd thought I had.  No way.
     But there he was, big as life, and as more people backed away
from his tantrum he caught sight of me, too.  He fell silent, shock plain
on his haggard face.
     I'd always known that it was possible I might run into someone
I knew someday.  I'd already seen that there was at least one world full
of doubles of people I'd known.  There could certainly be others,
certainly WERE others if Jack had been telling the truth, and I had no
reason to think he hadn't.  But somehow I just hadn't really prepared
myself for this moment, as if somehow I hadn't really believed it would
ever come.
     No wonder I'd thought his voice seemed familiar.  It was,
although I'd never heard it raised in anger before.  And he was thinner,
unshaven, with dark rings around his eyes and a crack through one lens
of his glasses.  But it was him, no question.  Doctor Tofu.
     And he recognized me.
     I saw his mouth work silently, forming my name.  I smiled
tentatively.  There was no guarantee that a Doctor Tofu Ono from
another world would know of Ranma Saotome, but apparently this one
did.  I straightened up, my heart pounding, suddenly aware of just how
painfully alone I'd been this past year.  The sight of a familiar face
suddenly had me awash in emotions I'd thought were locked up tight.
     "Hey, doc," I said softly.  The place was suddenly dead quiet,
as if everybody could feel the odd tension between us, could feel just
how significant this meeting was.
     "You," he whispered.  He slid off his stool, stumbling and
nearly falling before catching himself.  His eyes never left my face,
though, and he straightened carefully, adjusting his round glasses with a
small, self-conscious motion.
     "You," he repeated.  I smiled and stood.
     "Hey," I said, wondering how to begin.
     "You ... BASTARD."  I froze at the venom in his voice.  His
face was twisting in on itself, and he was beginning to shake.  The
blonde was looking from him to me, backing away from the bar until
her back was against the rear wall.  A ball of ice formed in my gut as
the doc took a step towards me, then another.
     "How dare you show your face in front of me, Saotome," he
growled, his voice low and guttural, like an animal's warning snarl.  I
started to back up instinctively, holding my hands out.  I didn't want to
fight him.  The very thought made my stomach churn painfully.  This
was wrong, just wrong.
     "Hey, doc," I said, keeping my voice calm.  "Let's talk about
this thing, huh?  Whaddaya say?  We can be reasonable ..."  He
stopped, his red-rimmed eyes glaring at me wildly.  His clothes were
ragged and patched, and he frankly looked like hell.  A fight between
us wouldn't last very long, if it came to that.  I was hoping it wouldn't.
I've never been a very good talker, but was desperately hoping for
some inspiration to defuse this thing before it got ugly.  Okay, uglier.
     And then a little voice in the back of my mind murmured, Hey.
What do you suppose he's so mad about, anyway?
     A good question, but I didn't have time to consider it further,
because at that moment the doc did something very unexpected.  He
reached over to the bar and picked up a bowl of soup left behind by
the guy who'd been sitting next to me.  He cradled it in his hand and
grinned fiercely as he started advancing again.
     "Reasonable?" he asked, his voice low and menacing.  "Oh, I'll
show you reasonable, Saotome.  Why don't we step outside for a
moment?"
     "Sure thing, doc," I said placatingly as I continued to back
away.  Maybe outside, away from all these eyes, he'd be easier to talk
to.  At the very least I wouldn't have to worry about someone else
stepping in.  I was in no danger from this Doctor Tofu, and I didn't
want him getting hurt.
     I slipped out the door and into the street, and the doc followed,
still holding that bowl of soup.  He held it like it was a weapon, and I
wondered just how stable this guy really was.  What could he hope to
do to me with that?  It was hot, but not hot enough to do any real
damage even if it hit me.
     "What say we take a walk, huh?" I said cheerfully.  Maybe if I
sobered the guy up he'd start to make sense.  The doc, though, wasn't
having any of that.  Instead he stepped off the worn planks that formed
the front porch of the roadhouse and turned to face me, an unsettling
expression in his bloodshot eyes.
     "I have a better idea," he said hoarsely.  "I think I'll kill you."
So saying, he raised the bowl over his head dramatically.  I just sighed
to myself and got ready to dodge the stupid thing when he threw it.
     He didn't throw it.
     He upended it, dumping hot soup over his head.
     Then he exploded.
     At least, that was how it appeared to me at first.  I blinked, and
tattered pieces of his clothing were drifting to the dusty street.
     Time seemed to slow even as I tried to make sense of what
was happening.  There was no sign of the doc himself; where he'd been
standing was what appeared to be big black tree.  And it was dark,
suddenly, as if the sun had been blotted out.  I blinked stupidly, staring
at the huge black column, trying to coerce some sort of sensible answer
out of my brain.
     The doc's a tree, my brain supplied helpfully.
     Then the tree MOVED.
     I tried to swallow, but my throat was painfully dry.  I raised my
eyes, noting with numb amazement that what I'd taken to be a tree
trunk was, in fact, a leg.  There was another off to my left somewhere,
and more further back.  They joined a big black mass that towered
above me, and as my head came all the way back I found myself face
to face with ... well, with a face that was as big as my whole body.
     And definitely not human.
     Spring of drowned dragon, my brain babbled.  Wow, bet that
comes in handy, huh?
     For a dragon it was.  It was covered with black scales that
shone with a rainbow iridescence that might have been beautiful in
something smaller and less intent on killing me.  Huge wings spread
above its back, blotting out the remaining sky, and I could swear that as
it stared at me with those unearthly eyes it was smiling.
     That, unfortunately, gave me a clear view of its teeth.  The head
wove for a moment on the end of its long, snaky neck, then steadied
again.
     "Ranma Saotome," it rumbled, hot breath washing over me
unpleasantly, "prepare to meet your doom."  I felt that voice as a
vibration right down to the roots of my teeth, and it shocked me out of
my stunned pose just in time.  I sprang back barely in time to avoid that
head as it crashed into the ground where I'd been standing, jaws wide.
I didn't stop when I landed, just spun and began running.  Behind me,
the huge black dragon bayed in anger, and the ground shook as it took
off in pursuit.
     So much for reasoning with him.
     I tore through the street, bounding over whatever got in my
way.  The terrified expressions on the faces of everyone I passed told
me all I needed to know about how close the dragon was.
     The dragon.  Doctor Tofu in this world had somehow fallen into
a cursed spring, a Spring of Drowned Dragon, and this Tofu dragon
wanted to kill me for some reason.  Welcome to my life.
     I took a corner at top speed, wincing as my pursuer cut the
corner, smashing part of the building in the process.  Debris rained to
the street in our wake, the noise partly obscuring the panicked screams
as the busy thoroughfare emptied with almost supernatural speed.
     If this had been one of the major cities I'd been in, the city
guard might have been able to handle this thing.  Altua had been lousy
with giant war robots armed with huge swords, and Fenestrialla's
guardsmen included heavy-duty magic users.  But this was a fairly small
town, and I didn't think there's be anything here capable of handling a
dragon.
     Wait a minute, I told myself.  He may be a dragon, but he's still
the doc!  You can't let anything happen to him, idiot!  You've got to
get him away from all these people and calm him down somehow!
     I glanced back over my shoulder and saw the dragon coming
on strong, although he seemed to be weaving from side-to-side as he
ran with large, awkward strides.  At first I thought that it was just his
gait, then realized the real reason.
     He was still drunk.
     Swell.  Just swell.  I spotted a narrow alleyway running
between two fairly tall buildings and ducked into it.  There was barely
enough room for me in there; it was a fair bet that my new friend
wouldn't be able to follow.  I just hoped that I could get through to him
before he did something stupid, like rip the buildings apart to get at me.
I had no doubt he could do just that if he tried, drunk or not.
     I backed away from the opening as the dragon slid to a stop,
his bulk blocking the narrow slice of light.  Nervously, I glanced over
my shoulder at the far end of the alley, judging the distance, before
turning back.  I could make out one of the dragon's eyes peering in at
me, and I tried to smile convincingly.
     "Hey, doc!" I called out, hoping my voice didn't shake.
"Come on, let's talk about this, okay?  There's been a big
misunderstanding ..."  The head reared back, and that hungry mouth
opened wide.  At first I thought he was laughing, but it hit me at the last
moment what was happening, and I felt a stunned half-grin creep to my
lips as the depth of my stupidity became apparent in a moment of
crystal clarity.
     "Ah, sh ..."
     I spun neatly and bolted with all my speed for the far end of the
alley as the dragon's head jerked forward and a gout of bright orange
flame jetted out, filling the narrow alley.  I rocketed from the far end
just as the leading edge of the roiling flame began licking at my heels,
and I rolled to the side, fighting to keep from panicking.  A quick look
assured me that I wasn't on fire, then I was off and running again, my
heart slamming against the inside of my ribs painfully.
     So much for not hurting him.  I'd be lucky to get out of this with
my skin intact.  Too bad my cursed form didn't breathe fire ...
     Wait a minute.
     Something that had been nagging me way at the back of my
mind finally made its way forward as ran.  I'd been assuming that the
doc had picked up a Jusenkyo curse, and all the signs were there, but
something was off.  Something ...
     The ground shook, nearly pitching me forward into the street.
A quick look over my shoulder revealed that the doc had used his
wings to make a short hop over the buildings, and was now behind me
again.  He still looked a little unsteady, which was probably why he
didn't just fly after me.  Well, I'd take any break I could get.  A hot
spring would be nice, preferably one big enough to fit a whole dragon
...
     And then I had it.
     The soup.  The soup had been hot.  I was sure of that; I'd seen
the steam rising from it when the doc had grabbed it from the bar.  Hot
soup.  That meant ... that meant ...
     "Hot water," I breathed raggedly.  "The dragon isn't his cursed
form, it's his NATURAL one ..."
     I dodged and wove amongst hastily abandoned vehicles,
hoping to slow the dragon down and keep him from getting another
shot at me.  I needed a plan, and now I was beginning to think I had
one.  The rough outline of one, anyway.  If I could live long enough, I
might just be able to pull this off.
     Making a sudden right-angle turn, I bolted across the street and
leapt up, spring-boarding off of an awning and up four stories to the flat
roof of what looked like a hotel.  A quick sweep showed me that the
river, glistening like a jewel in the sun, was too far away.  But there had
to be something ...
     There.  I caught sight of it out of the corner of my eye, and as I
did the plan fell into place just like that.  My thoughts were speeding
along now, a quicksilver blur, and I felt a familiar tingle settling over my
body.  It was a sensation I'd had many times in the past year, most
recently during my battle with the Astounding Kid Lightning.  And I
knew better than to fight it.  Hell, I welcomed it with open arms.
     I turned to see the dragon's wedge-shaped head rising to my
level.  I grinned at it, my blood searing through my veins like liquid fire,
my muscles loose and hot, a dark careless joy/fury boiling up out of the
dark places in my mind.
     "Hey, ugly!" I shouted before it could react.  "Yeah, you!  You
know what?"  The head jerked back slightly, as if puzzled by my
sudden change of mood.  Well, too bad.  Too damned bad for him.
     "Yeah, I'm talking to you, ya stupid lizard!  I've had to put up
with a lot of crap in my life recently, and you know what?  I'm sick of
it!  I'm really just sick of it!  And you know what else?  I'm sick of
YOU!"  The great eyes blinked, and I was pretty sure I'd managed to
surprise it, but I didn't much care.  I was rolling now, and nothing
would stop me.
     "Here's what I think, lizard lips.  I think you're going down,
you overgrown iguana!  You're ... going ... DOWN!"  The dragon
shook itself as if waking from a daze.
     "You ... dare," it breathed.  I grinned, feeling my lips peel back
from my teeth.
     "You bet your ass I do!" I screamed.  "I'm Ranma Saotome,
and you're gonna be sorry you picked a fight with me!  Let's get it
ON!"  With that I launched myself into the air, landing briefly on the
astonished dragon's snout before springing over its broad back.  I hit
the ground running, but even as it bellowed in rage and began to turn, I
was gone, laughing like a maniac.
     I darted through the now deserted streets, riding a wave of
intoxicating recklessness.  I'd cast myself out into the void once again
without any safety net, and if I stepped wrong just once it would be all
over.
     (And would that really be so terrible?)
     But I wasn't going to slip.  I was riding the wavefront of
whitehot anger and black joy like a bullet, and anything that got in my
way was going to be annihilated.
     (And if I should slip, it would be over quickly ...)
     Metal tore and something exploded as the dragon stomped on
a row of abandoned vehicles, his long tail sweeping the burning wrecks
aside as he came on.  I taunted him, throwing my words to the wind,
hardly even remembering what I'd said.  It didn't matter; his answering
shrieks of rage were sweet music to my ears.  I sailed over the ground,
floated around obstacles, untouchable.
     Somewhere below the rush of giddy carelessness I
remembered what it was I was trying to do, and I steered our progress
in the proper direction.  Not too obviously, of course; I didn't want the
big bad dragon to get wise to my plan.
     Anyway, I was having fun.
     That thought would almost certainly return to haunt me later,
but at that moment I danced along the tightrope with the recklessness
that only comes from knowing you've got nothing to lose.
     Except, of course, your life ...
     Coming around a sharp corner running flat out, I could see that
everything had nearly come together.  I couldn't do it like this, though; if
he saw it coming, it might not work, and I couldn't have that.  I wanted
it to work ... because I wanted to WIN.
     So I reversed direction, and as the dragon came tearing around
the corner of the big brick building in a ragged curve, I ran straight
between his legs.  If I'd misjudged at all, I might have been crushed, but
I hadn't so I wasn't, and that was what mattered.  I ducked his tail as
he went into a sideways skid, turning his head to gape at me.  It almost
made me want to laugh.  Almost.
     "You are a madman!" he spat.  I grinned back, summoning up
my chi and concentrating.
     "Ugly," I gasped, "you ain't seen nothing yet!"  Then I raised
my hands and unleashed a powerful chi bolt.  The dragon ducked his
head with the speed of a cobra, unsettling in something so big, and the
bolt lanced past him.  He turned back to me then, staring down his long
snout, and I'd swear he was smiling.
     "Well, boy," he rumbled darkly. "Looks like you're out of
tricks."  I studied my hand, deliberately not looking behind him where
my bolt had impacted with a crash.
     "You big ugly stupid lizard," I said easily.  "I warned you not to
mess with me."  He just blinked those huge eyes, and opened his
mouth.
     Too late, he became aware that something was wrong and
started to turn.  My chi bolt had taken out the leg of the town's water
tower closest to us, and as it toppled it unleashed its load in a huge
wave directly at us.  The wave broke around the dragon's bulk, and his
form shimmered for a moment before seeming to vanish.
     Watching the water tower topple had filled me with a fierce
exhilaration, but now the heady mad rush that had been driving me
seemed to vanish all at once.  My plan had worked perfectly, but
unfortunately I hadn't thought beyond this point.  If I had, it probably
wouldn't have mattered to me that if things came off the way I'd
planned I would find myself standing in the path of a wall of water.
     But it mattered now.
     "Oops," I managed before the flood swept me off my feet and
away.

***

     I could hear lots of shouting in the distance.  The locals seemed
to be in quite a state; hardly surprising, considering the amount of
damage the dragon had done while chasing me.  I couldn't blame them,
really.  I could, however, stay the hell out of their way while they
picked up the pieces and looked for someone to blame.
     I was pretty safe.  Aside from slamming into me, nearly
drowning me and carrying me a couple of blocks away from where I'd
been, the water had left me in girl form.  I'd be able to walk out of
town unrecognized, a definite advantage.
     Tofu groaned and started to stir.  I waited patiently.  He'd been
naked when I'd found him, but was wearing a pair of shorts now,
courtesy of the clothesline I'd snagged from behind a small apartment
building.  I'd been unobserved; everyone had stayed out of sight until
they were sure the trouble was over.
     The clothesline itself had also been put to good use, a fact the
fake Tofu was able to appreciate as he slowly regained consciousness.
     "Erm," he mumbled.  "Ack.  Um ..."  He opened his eyes and
froze.
     "Hiya," I said cheerfully.  "Now let me explain how this works.
You are suspended head first over this shaft, which goes down a pretty
good distance.  All that sharp, jagged junk down there must be from
the renovations being done to this dump.  Now, if I pull this end of the
line, the knot unravels and you plunge down to start your new life as a
pincushion.  Any questions?"
     "You," Tofu said, speaking slowly and distinctly, "are a
lunatic."  He blinked, shaking his head carefully from side to side.
     "Yes," I agreed.  "But at least I'm not hanging upside down
over a six story drop onto a bunch of sharp wooden spears."  Tofu
laughed then.  I was glad he could see the humour in the situation.  The
mad exhilaration I'd felt during our fight was long gone, and in its wake
I felt spent, not to mention irritable.
     "That was very sneaky," Tofu said finally.  "But effective.  I
suppose I should congratulate you."
     "Don't bother," I said flatly.  "All you have to do is answer
some questions, doc.  But don't yank my chain, okay?  I'm really sick
of people trying to kill me."
     "In fact, I wasn't trying to kill you," Tofu said, swinging slightly
over the hole in the floor.  The building was decrepit and in terrible
shape, but it was also empty, which meant we weren't likely to be
disturbed.  He eyed the clothesline, which was wrapped around his
ankles and ran up and over an exposed beam, then glanced back at
me.
     "You did a pretty good impression of someone who was trying
to kill me," I said, toying with the free end of the line which was tied off
around the door frame beside me.  Tofu nodded.
     "I suppose I should say that I was not trying to kill you
specifically," he clarified.  Ah.
     "Huh?" I asked.  He sighed.  If being upside down was
bothering him, he gave no sign.
     "You are not the Ranma Saotome I am angry with," he went
on.  "Had I not been so ... intoxicated at the time, I would have of
course realized that you could not possibly be him."  He paused, then
cocked his head.
     "You do recognize me, though," he mused.  "In this form, I
mean."  I nodded.
     "Of course," I said.  "You're Doctor Tofu Ono."
     "Not at all," he replied with a thin smile.  "I am Baahnid, a
black dragon.  This human body is simply the result of Jusenkyo magic,
as is your present form."  I looked down at my very female chest and
frowned.  Of course, if he was really a dragon, then he wasn't the doc.
But ...
     "So you fell in the Spring of Drowned Man, and got that
body?" I asked.
     "It was somewhat more complicated than that," Tofu ...
Baahnid, I should say, replied.  "But basically, yes.  You recognize this
form?"  I nodded absently.
     "He was a chiropractor in Nerima," I muttered.  "Weird
coincidence."
     "Not necessarily," Baahnid shrugged, the gesture looking
strange upside down.  "Many patterns tend to repeat themselves
throughout the many worlds.  Perhaps it is the pull of destiny, or some
force even stranger and more subtle."   I blinked.
     "The many worlds," I said slowly.  "So you know about them."
Baahnid looked surprised.
     "Of course," he said, sounding offended.  "You don't think I'm
from this place, do you?"  Actually, I had thought that, but now my
head was spinning.  If he knew about the other worlds, then ...
     "Pardon me," he said politely, interrupting my reverie, "but now
that we've established that I have no wish to kill you, do you suppose
you could let me down?"  I scowled.
     "I don't remember establishing any such thing," I grumbled.
"How do you know I'm not the Ranma you're looking for, anyway?"
Baahnid smiled that thin smile of his again.
     "Oh, I can be certain of that.  Trust me."
     "That's just it, pal," I snorted.  "I DON'T trust you.  This
whole thing is just too weird for my liking.  For all I know, you're with
those wackos in the black robes, after your master's key."
     "Black robes?" he asked sharply.  "Key?  Well, well.  Isn't this
interesting.  You would appear to be in a little bit over your head,
young man."
     "Just don't forget which of us has the other guy hanging over a
deep hole," I snapped.  He gave me that thin smile again.
     "Oh, I suspect that your situation is as precarious, if not more
so, than my own.  I may be able to help you, Ranma Saotome.
Perhaps we can ... deal?"

***

     We sat on the roof of the building, able to see the clean-up
efforts of the townsfolk.  That seemed to amuse Baahnid greatly, and
when I pointed out to him that he was responsible for most of the
damage, he just smiled.
     "If you hadn't been so damned hard to catch, I wouldn't have
had to be quite so ... energetic in my pursuit," he answered glibly.
     "If I hadn't been so damned hard to catch, I'd be dead now," I
pointed out.  He grimaced.
     "Point," he conceded.  "However, you did prevail, and so here
we are."
     "Yeah," I nodded.  "But you'd better make this good.  Our
deal ..."
     "Yes, I know," Baahnid interrupted curtly.  "I tell all in return
for my freedom.  I haven't forgotten."  He looked so much like the doc,
but when he talked I had no trouble thinking of him as Baahnid.  He
was abrupt and sarcastic, not at all like even-tempered Doctor Tofu.
     "So, where do we start?" I asked.  There was a lot I wanted to
know, and the prospect of finally having some answers had me excited
for the first time in a very long while.  Baahnid stared at me for a
moment.
     "Perhaps this will go more smoothly if you first tell me what you
know of the many worlds," he said.  I thought about arguing, but he had
a good point.
     "Well," I said cautiously, "not that much really.  I mean, I know
there are different worlds, since I've been to more than a few.  I was
even on one that was almost exactly like where I come from originally.
I know that there are only two ways to travel between them, either with
a key or some machine that'll open the way ..."
     "Rubbish," Baahnid snorted.  "Who told you such a thing?"  I
blinked.
     "Ah ... a guy," I muttered.  "He worked for a group called the
DTF ..."
     "Oh, yes," Baahnid snorted.  "Them.  Humans have many
strange idiosyncrasies, young man, but attempting to catalogue and
organize an entire multiverse is certainly one of the strangest.  They do
manage to accomplish some good, I will give them that, but they are not
nearly as important as they believe."
     "So he was wrong," I said tentatively.  Baahnid sighed.
     "Oh, undoubtedly about many things," he grumbled.  "But I
suppose realistically it does not matter.  For the most part, your
mentor's words will hold true."
     "He wasn't my mentor," I blurted.  "He tried to ... ah, recruit
me.  Sorta."  Baahnid raised one eyebrow.
     "Indeed.  Well, apparently he failed, or we would not be here."
     "Okay, let's get to the point then," I said eagerly, leaning
forward.  "Where IS here?  I could always use my key to travel
between worlds until I got to this one.  Now I can't find any gates at
all."
     "Of course," Baahnid said simply.  "Because there aren't any."
     "Well, how did I get here then?" I asked.
     "You must have entered a broken link," Baahnid mused.  "They
are rare, but do exist.  That would be a one-way trip here, as you've
discovered."  My eyes narrowed.
     "Well, how did YOU get here, then?" I asked suspiciously.
"And more importantly, how do you plan to leave?"  Baahnid kicked
his feet idly.
     "What makes you think I plan to leave?" he asked.  That tore
it.  I reached over and grabbed the worn shirt I'd given him to wear,
pulling him roughly toward me.
     "All right, let's go talk to the local law," I said shortly.  "I'll bet
they'd love to see you again ..."  I hauled him up easily, even though in
girl form I was smaller than he was.  He smiled thinly, not resisting.
     "Be at ease, Saotome," he said.  "All in good time.  But first,
we must speak of what makes this place special."  I let go of the shirt
and he fell awkwardly to the warm roof.  I glared down at him, hands
on my hips.
     "Don't jerk me around," I snapped.  "I'm not having a very
good day.  Or year, for that matter."  Baahnid just inclined his head.
     "So," he murmured.  "You really don't know anything about
this place, do you?"  I sat back down, trying to think of anything useful
I'd heard while here.
     "Well," I sighed at last, "the last guy that tried to kill me said
something about me being smart in choosing to come here.  Said it gave
me time to master the key, and that this place was beyond his master's
reach."
     "And this is one of the black-robed assassins you spoke of
earlier?" Baahnid inquired, a strange half-smile on his face.  "Well, well.
He was quite right, you know.  You could not have chosen a better
sanctuary if you had tried."
     "But I didn't try!  It was just an accident!" I snapped back.
"Now are you going to tell me what's so special about this place or
what?"
     "Oh, it's quite simple, really," Baahnid replied, fixing me with a
stare, never letting that half-smile slip.  "This world is a lost place, you
see.  Somehow, in the distant past of this world, some catastrophe
overtook this world.  Not even my people know precisely what
disaster befell this place, but all of the links connecting it to the other
earths were severed.  Now it exists outside of them, beyond them."  I
waited.
     "What the hell," I finally gritted, "does that MEAN?"
     "You travelled between the other earths at will, yes?" he
replied.  "What did you notice about time?"
     "Time?" I asked.  He nodded.
     "Yes.  Did you ever leave one world in December and arrive in
the next in June?"  I saw what he was getting at then.
     "No," I confirmed.  "It was always the same day.  Crossing
over never took more than a few minutes.  But it wasn't always the
same YEAR.  Mostly it was, but Megatokyo was the future ..."
     "Yes, yes," Baahnid said impatiently.  "Some worlds are ahead,
some behind, and don't ask why this is so, because I don't know that
either.  However, they all progress together.  If an hour passes on one
world, it passes on them all.  There are exceptions when it comes to
realms, of course ... the faerie realms spring to mind, but ..."  He broke
off and bowed his head slightly.
     "Ah, but I digress.  The point is, time flows constantly across
the linked worlds.  Here, however, we are not linked, and so ... well,
for instance.  How long have you been trapped here?"
     "About eleven months," I told him.
     "Ah.  Well, young Ranma Saotome, would you believe me if I
told you that hardly any time at all has passed in the linked worlds while
you've been here?"  I just stared at him.
     "What are you talking about?" I asked.  "A year is a year,
right?"
     "Anywhere else, yes, that would be true," he said.  "But not
here.  I would estimate that, were you to return now, you would find
about two days had passed."  I just stared.
     "Two days," I repeated.  "That's ... two DAYS?"
     "Oh, yes," Baahnid said, seeming to enjoy my reaction.  "The
one who set his dogs on you has barely had time to wonder if they
were successful.  I expect he faces a quandary because, you see, he
will never know if his men succeeded in their mission.  No one returns
from a lost place, and no communication is possible with the worlds out
of step with this one.  So he must wonder, impotent.  That thought
amuses me."  I was hardly listening now.  So that was why I was stuck.
I would grow old and die here while my counterpart and his friends
back in Nerima were still teenagers.  That thought saddened me
somehow, even though I wouldn't have been able to find the way back
to that world if I'd tried.
     "Well," I said finally.  "Well.  How about that."  I looked up to
see Baahnid just watching me.  "So you're stuck here too, huh?"  He
smiled that thin half-smile again and looked away.
     "There are secrets known to my kind," he replied.  "Many
secrets.  Dragons enjoy knowing secrets, you see.  Generally we keep
them to ourselves, but in this instance I may make an exception."  I sat
very still, feeling the heat of the sun prickling my skin pleasantly.
     "Is there a way to leave?" I asked at last, since he seemed to
want me to.  He glanced back and smiled.
     "Yes," he said.
     "And are you going to tell me what it is?"
     "I will tell you what you need to know to find your way, if you
first do something for me."  I sat there for a moment.  He seemed to be
watching me very closely, and I was suddenly painfully aware that I
was in girl form.  I felt heat rush to my cheeks.
     "Hey, now ..." I began.  He blinked, then burst out laughing.
He laughed so hard I was afraid he would roll right off the edge of the
roof.  But he didn't, just wrapped his arms around his waist and
convulsed in fits of mirth that looked almost painful.  Finally, his face
red and his eyes watery, he managed to get himself under control.
     "Oh," he gasped.  "Oh, my.  No, not that, my young friend.  I
have no designs on your virtue."  He started chuckling again.  "Although
you do have a certain vivacious charm in that form, I must say ..."
     "All right," I grumbled.  "I get it, okay?  So what DO you
want?"  Baahnid sighed loudly, dabbing at his damp eyes with his
ragged shirt tail.
     "Simply, I want your story," he said.
     "I don't get it."
     "Your story," he repeated patiently.  He reached out to touch
me gently between my breasts, and it took me one panicked moment to
realize that his finger was resting on the key that hung under my shirt.
     "I want to know how you came by such a rare artifact," he
said.  "I want to know what brought you to this place.  That is my
price."  I just looked at him.  That was a strange request to say the
least, but what choice did I have?  I didn't think threatening to turn him
over to the locals again would work.  He had me and he knew it.  If
there really was a way to escape this crazy place, I wanted to know.
He could be lying, of course, but my options were pretty limited.
     So I told him.  I started with the day I'd left the dojo, and
skimmed over the deaths of the others.  Then I told him of my
recruitment by Jack Conroy of the DTF, and my escape into the other
Nerima, the attempt by the demons to invade, and our battle.  He
seemed very interested in how I'd taken the key from the huge, one-
eyed demon inside the link and blown him straight back to hell with the
sphere from Jack's Door.  After that, I touched lightly on the worlds
I'd visited before ending up here.  When I was done we sat silently for
a time, listening to the sounds of cursing and cleanup from the streets
below.
     "Quite a story," he said finally.  I shrugged.  It didn't hurt to
think about it the way it once had, and I supposed that was good.  But
then, time does heal all wounds.
     "So," I said.  He smiled.
     "So," he replied.  "There are many things you need to know,
but you will have to discover them for yourself."  I opened my mouth
and he held up one hand to forestall my objections.
     "One thing you need to know I AM going to tell you," he said
gravely, "even though it is forbidden.  There is a way for you to leave
this place, if you are smart enough, tough enough and determined
enough."
     "Tell me."  He sighed and nodded, suddenly looking tired.
     "Very well.  Seek the wastelands.  In the centre of them lies a
city whose name is lost to memory.  It is now referred to, by those who
remember it at all, as the City of the Dead ... and not without reason.
In the centre of the city there is a tower.  Seek the tower, pass its
guardian, and you will be able to escape this place.  Do you
understand?"  I nodded quickly.
     "Sounds simple enough," I told him.  He grinned sourly.
     "It is far from simple.  The journey will be difficult, with hazards
you can barely imagine.  But then, after hearing your story I can see it
would be useless trying to frighten you, so I'll just say this.  If your
desire flags, if your will is not strong enough, you will not prevail."
     "Oh, I'll make it," I said, feeling a strange sensation filling the
void I hadn't even realized was within me.  I felt like I finally had a
purpose, something to work towards, and suddenly I burned to be on
the road, trying to find these wastelands.  I hadn't heard of them in my
travels thus far, but there were plenty of travellers around.  Someone
would know where to find them.
     Baahnid stood, and I bounded to my feet too.
     "Hey, wait," I said quickly.  "Where're you going?"
     "Our business is done," he said.  "I am leaving."
     "But ... I mean, what about you?"  He cocked his head.
     "Me?"
     "Well ... how did you get cursed?  Why were you trying to kill
me when you thought I was the other Ranma?  I mean, there's so much
about you I don't know ..."
     "Saotome," he said quietly.  "If you escape this place and we
meet again someday, then perhaps I will tell you what you wish to
know.  Perhaps.  But not today.  I believe I have transgressed enough
for one day.  Farewell, Ranma Saotome."  With that, he turned and
disappeared into the dark stairwell.  I stood there for a few moments,
wondering if I should go after him, then decided that would be fruitless.
If he didn't want to talk, I couldn't make him.  And anyway, I was
anxious to get started.
     I finally had a goal, something to look forward to.  The feeling
was unusual.
     But I liked it.  I liked it a lot.

***

     He waited until Saotome was gone, then climbed back up to
the roof.  It would be prudent to wait until after dark to leave town.
Enough people had been witness to his transformation that he didn't
want to just go strolling through town.
     Well, that was no problem.  He wasn't in a hurry.
     "This time, Baahnid, you've gone too far."  He grimaced at the
sound of the sexy contralto voice coming from behind him.
     "Well," he sighed.  "How fortunate that you are here to chastise
me, Alia."  The sound of hooves was muted on the worn roof as the
gleaming white unicorn moved over to face him.  Her horn threw off
razored shards of sunlight, and her dark eyes held his steadily.
     "This isn't funny," she said sternly.  "Your foibles have been
tolerated thus far, but there are limits."
     "My limits are hardly your concern," he said, suddenly weary.
"Your kind and mine have traditionally been at odds over just about
everything, if you will recall."  She snorted, a surprisingly delicate
sound.
     "Falling in love with a human was just foolish," she said.  His
jaw clenched tight at that, but she was unapologetic.  "And using the
Jusenkyo springs so you could be with her was foolish and dangerous!
You are so vulnerable in that form, Baahnid!"
     "The choice was mine," he said stiffly.  She stamped one hoof,
her tail flicking in agitation.
     "There are reasons we avoid getting entangled with humans,"
she scolded.  "And you are ignoring all of ..."
     "Enough!" he roared.  She stopped, then sighed and regarded
him with those dark, liquid eyes.
     "I do not wish to be cruel," she said softly.  "I know you loved
her, and mourn her still.  But this is what comes of ignoring the wisdom
of your elders.  We are removed from humans and their ilk, and our
struggles are not theirs nor theirs ours."  He walked a few paces away
and looked out over the town.
     "Can you not leave me in peace?" he asked.  "I came here so
that I could have some peace and still not be absent for too long from
my duties."
     "Oh, really?" she asked in a tone that made his heart sink.  "I
thought you came to see that boy."
     "Nonsense!" he snapped.  "Why would I do that?  He reminds
me of ..."
     "Of that other, the one you held responsible for her death," Alia
broke in smoothly.  "Yes, and if I had merely seen your fight here, I
might believe that you had taken after him in a drunken rage, provoked
by his unexpected appearance.  But I think that is not what really
happened.  I think you were testing the boy."
     "You see conspiracies now, Alia?" he asked, forcing a note of
weary amusement into his voice.  "How droll.  Perhaps you are the one
who has been spending too much time with humans."
     "The link he entered was intact," she said easily.  "I saw.  The
Brotherhood had tracked him and was waiting for him to emerge, but
he never did.  Someone or something snatched him from that link and
brought him here."  Baahnid continued to stare out over the city, his
outward appearance unconcerned.  Alia snorted again.
     "Do you think that no one noticed that?" she asked angrily.
"There are very few forces capable of taking someone from an active
link like that.  Their master will suspect ..."
     "Let him," Baahnid snapped, tired of subterfuge.  "He can
prove nothing, and if he could, what would he do, one ambitious demon
lordling?"  Alia raised her nose into the air.
     "That is what this is about, isn't it?  Hurting the demons?
Denying them their prize?" she demanded.  His jaw tightened again and
he turned away from her, full of unreasoning anger at her persistence.
     "Oh, why don't you go stick your head in a virgin's lap or
something?" he gritted.
     "Fine!" she shot back.  "Get angry with me if you must,
Baahnid!  But remember, we have our own struggles to attend to!  If
you continue to sulk and ignore your duties, someone else will have to
pick up after you!"  He just stared out over the busy town, hands
clasped tightly behind his back.
     "That," he said wearily, "is why I came here to ... sulk.  I will
not be missed for some time yet."  She snorted, managing to make even
that sound delicate and feminine.
     "I don't know why I bother," she grumbled as she walked
away.  He reflected silently that he didn't, either, as she gathered herself
at the edge of the roof and leapt gracefully, disappearing into the air
without a trace.
     Then, at last, he was alone.
     She was right, of course.  There were very few rules amongst
his kind, but he was young yet and there were duties he was expected
to perform.  If he was caught shirking by the Elder, he would be
punished.
     But he couldn't leave here yet.  Out there, somewhere, that
young human was embarking on his new quest, and Baahnid was quite
curious to see how that would turn out.  Alia had been correct in her
assumption that Baahnid had been testing the boy, after all.  He had
survived in this place for nearly a year, had dealt with the Brotherhood
assassins who'd sought his death, and now had held his own in combat
against a dragon.
     Yes, there was cause for optimism.  Of course, the boy was
young, even for a human.  And there was the matter of the razored
darkness that lurked in him, waiting to burst free.  Baahnid had
witnessed that first hand, and knew without a doubt that life had
marked the boy harshly.  Whether or not he could survive long enough
to tame his inner demons was far from certain; having looked into the
boy's eyes that day at the height of battle, Baahnid personally
considered it far from likely.  But it was at least possible.
     And he was, even unknowingly, cleansing that key.  Baahnid
suspected that the taint had allowed the Brotherhood to track Ranma
this far, but soon the trail would go cold.  Yes, the boy had potential.  If
he could pass this test, if he could find the City of the Dead and reach
the tower there, then Baahnid would consider telling the boy more,
enough to make him a real threat.
     You are forbidden to make war on them, the Elder had told
him sternly.  I have my reasons for this, youngster, and I will not explain
myself to you.  But mind me, disobey and I will deal with you
personally.
     That had been pretty unequivocal, even for the Elder, and
Baahnid had no doubts the old lizard meant what he'd said.
Nonetheless, he would see the guilty party dragged out of his shadowy
sanctuary and punished for what he'd set in motion.
     And there was a certain poetic irony in the fact that he'd be
using Ranma Saotome to do it.

***

     "So, you're the lunatic, hmm?" she asked.  I didn't take
offense.  I was getting quite used to people reacting that way.
     "And you're the captain," I said agreeably.  She sat across
from me, lounging in her chair with a quiet, lazy grace, kind of like a cat.
Something about her, though, told me that she would be a dangerous
woman to have for an enemy.
     That was all right with me.  I didn't want to make an enemy, I
just wanted a ride.  I sat still, aware of the two husky guys that stood
behind my chair, flanking me.  They were trying to be menacing, and I
didn't have the heart to tell them that they just weren't cutting it.  Oh,
sure, they were big and carrying all sorts of sharp steel between them,
but despite the show they were putting on they just didn't think I was a
serious threat.  Probably it was the fact that I wasn't carrying any
weapons.  Everyone out here carried at least one weapon, after all.
     The way they were standing, I could have taken them both out
in a flash, but that wouldn't get me any closer to where I wanted to be.
So I sat, watching the captain, and she watched me back.  I definitely
got the better part of that deal.
     I hadn't expected her to be an elf.  I'd seen only a few in my
travels, and those had all been far from people, usually alone on the
road.  They were all beautiful, and they knew it.  This one was no
exception.  Unlike the others I'd seen, though, her skin was a dark
dusky tone, her hair more white than blonde.  Her long, gracefully
tapered ears had silver hoops hanging from them, and her exotically
tilted eyes were narrowed thoughtfully as they studied me.
     Her clothes were strange, too, not the browns and greens that
I'd seen on the others.  She dressed more like a buccaneer, a loose
white shirt with tight cuffs open a little further in the front than was
proper, a dark red vest cut low and loosely laced, a red sash wound
tightly around her narrow waist, and dark pants that tucked into high,
soft boots.  I could see a sword tucked into her sash, the kind with a
bell-shaped hand guard, what was referred to as a sabre or cutlass (if
there was a difference, I didn't know what it was).  From the length
and width of the scabbard, though, it didn't look like the same as the
ones I'd seen others carrying.  It seemed too slim and long for that.  A
special weapon, maybe?  That would suit her.
     She had a pair of dark gloves in one hand, and she slapped
them absently against her thigh while she looked me over.  I just sat
there and let her.  After coming this far, I wasn't going to let a little
staring get to me.
     "So," she said at last.  "What makes you think I can take you
where you want to go?"  I smiled innocently.
     "I've been asking around," I said simply.  "Looking for a ship
that might take me where I want to go.  People seemed to think your
ship fit the bill."
     "Oh, really?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.  "What people?"
     "Oh, just people," I said.  She smiled.
     "Ah," she said.  "Well, people will talk, won't they?  But, of
course, you can't believe everything you hear."
     "True," I said, trying to remain outwardly calm as she took a
slow, meditative drink from her gold goblet.  This was so frustrating!  In
the months after I'd encountered Baahnid, there'd been times when I'd
wondered if he'd been lying to me, or even if I'd gone a bit crazy and
imagined the whole thing.  At first, I hadn't been able to find anybody
who'd even HEARD of the wastelands.  I'd had to wander farther than
I'd ever been before I finally began to find people who would admit,
usually while looking over their shoulders, to knowing that the
wastelands at least existed.  Apparently, they were rumoured to be evil,
or haunted, or something like that.  But each rumour, every hint or half-
recalled story, had ended up leading me closer.
     Now they were within my grasp, I was certain of that.  But still,
mention of the wastelands tended to make people suddenly remember
that they had business elsewhere.  Finally I'd bought an old one-legged
drunk few rounds, and he'd gotten talkative as the ale flowed freely.
When I'd gotten around to asking about a ship that might be hired for a
dangerous trip, he'd singled out the one whose captain I was sitting
across from now.  I'd heard mutters about her and her ship before, so
that was promising.  Then I'd mentioned the wastelands, and he'd
snorted.
     "Kid," he'd slurred, waving his mug around wildly, "if anyone'll
take ya ta THAT gods-forsaken place it'll be that witch.  Sail right
through the gatesh a' hell itself fer gold, they say."
     I hoped he was right.
     "And you think I might take you there," she said at last.  I tried
to keep smiling innocuously and not grab her and shake her.
     "That's what I'm hoping," I said.  She shook her head, her long
white hair rippling over her shoulders, then took another delicate sip of
her drink.
     "Young man, do I look stupid to you?" she asked at last, her tawny
eyes gleaming dangerously.  I blinked.
     "Of course not ..." I began defensively.  She leaned forward,
her open shirt showing plenty of firm cleavage as she planted one elbow
on the table.
     "Then perhaps you would be so kind as to explain to me why I
should even consider defying the duke's edict and approaching the
wastes," she asked, her voice low and dangerous.  "For all I know,
you're one of the duke's spies yourself."
     "What?" I blurted, taken off-guard.  This was the first I'd heard
about any duke, although suddenly the trouble I'd had getting people to
talk about the wastelands was starting to make sense.
     "Oh, come now," she said, fixing me with a piercing gaze.
"Trossik may be a free city, but everyone knows the duke's influence
extends even here.  People who defy him have been known to just
vanish from even these dark streets.  And yet here you are, pretty as
you please, asking questions and talking openly about travelling to the
wastes.  Well, young man, I may walk the line occasionally, but
Pirotess knows better than to go looking for trouble with the Royal
Navy.  You can tell whoever you report to that I steer clear of the
wastes at all times.  Now, I believe our discussion is ended.  Boys?"
     The two behind me leaned forward, each taking an arm and
hauling me out of my seat.  The tavern was crowded and dark, and
nobody took much notice as they propelled me towards the door.  I
didn't put up a fight; there didn't seem to be a point.  Anyway, I
wanted to get out of there fast.  If this duke really was interested in
people asking about the wastelands, then I very well might have
attracted some bad attention over the past couple of days.  It might be
a good idea to lay low for a while.
     They shoved me through the door and stood flanking it, hands
on the hilts of their swords as if expecting trouble.  I just held my hands
out and backed away, though.  Satisfying as beating on the two of them
would have been, it just would have increased my chances of attracting
attention, and I didn't want that.  Not with the wastelands so close.
     Of course, I had no idea how I was going to get there.  I had
only a rough idea of which direction they lay in, and the terrain was
pretty rough, not to mention dangerous, a fact that I was hardly likely to
forget after some of the things I'd run across just making it this far.  I
might have to abandon the idea of booking passage on a ship, though, if
tonight was any indication.  But I wouldn't give up, not with my goal
finally in sight.
     I slipped along the narrow street, pulling my hooded cloak
around me to ward off the chill.  This was my second winter in this
world, and while the weather here in what the locals called the
borderlands was milder than back around Saeni, it was still pretty
miserable, cold and damp with a heavy fog shrouding the city.
     I decided to find someplace to spend the night and plan my
next move just about the same time I began to think someone was
following me.
     It could have been paranoia in the wake of my talk with the
dark elf, but I wasn't keen on taking any chances.  The main street was
pretty well-travelled even at this hour, and it was hard to tell just what
had set my nerves on edge.  I slipped into a dark, garbage-strewn alley
and dashed into the shadows, dodging half-seen shapes as I went.  It
would be easier to tell if someone was following me back here.  If I
was being followed, someone was going to have a very bad night,
because my mood had been getting steadily worse since leaving the
tavern.
     I slipped around a corner and flattened myself against a cold,
grimy wall.  My dark clothing blended well into the deep shadow, and I
controlled my breathing as I waited to see if anyone came after me.
     It took a few minutes, but soon the soft sound of feet scuffing
against the worn cobblestones came to me on the heavy night air.
There were two of them from the sound of it, and they were pretty
good.  They didn't give themselves away by talking or making any
unnecessary noise.  I watched them as they hovered uncertainly at the
corner, looking down both branches of the narrow alley.  Very little
light filtered back here, and there were nooks and hidey-holes galore.  I
watched as the two, wearing long black cloaks, motioned to each
other, then set off in opposite directions.
     One passed almost close enough that I could have reached out
and touched him, and for a moment I wondered if he was another of
Kid Lightning's assassins.  I could see that he wasn't wearing a mask,
though, and so I figured he wasn't.  Just who he was remained to be
seen.
     I gave him a lead and checked to make sure his friend wasn't
coming back, then started following him.  Keeping to the shadows, I
managed to remain unseen.  It wasn't all that hard, really; he didn't
seem too concerned about the possibility that someone might be
following HIM instead of the other way around.
     Finally, the alley opened out onto a street, and I saw the man
pause and look around.  He stepped away from the mouth of the alley
and I saw a group of men approach him.  They were all dressed alike,
in dark clothes and long cloaks.  Of course, that didn't have to mean
anything.  Hell, I was dressed like that myself.  They were definitely
together, though, and I edged closer to the mouth of the alley to see if I
could catch what they were saying.
     "... his Grace will enjoy hearing that, do you?" one of them was
muttering in a low, unpleasant voice.
     "He'd be much more forgiving if we brought him that elf bitch,"
the one I'd been following hissed, glancing up and down the nearly
deserted street.  "The boy went straight to her."
     "Too dangerous," someone snorted.  "She has friends here,
resources ..."
     "Not her ship or crew, just her," the other man shot back.
"Then we use her as bait and scoop the whole lot of them!  Come on,
we've never had so many men in Trossik before, this is a perfect
opportunity!"
     "I don't like it!" one of the others broke in.
     "Tough, because I told the men to nab her before she gets back
to her ship," my quarry announced triumphantly.
     That did not go over well.
     I was puzzled.  I'd thought at first that the guys tailing me had
been with the elf.  She'd thought me a spy, after all, so that made sense.
Instead, it seemed that I'd put my foot into something even bigger.
     And I still wasn't any closer to the damned wastelands.
     The furor died down a little as more men joined the group.
     "Bas, you idiot!" one of the men barked finally.  "He's never
been able to get her ..."
     "But he wants to.  Bad," Bas, the one I'd been following, said
stubbornly.  "And the group around the tavern have both our sorcerers
and all the archers.  The weather's perfect, and we have a fast ship to
get us back into kingdom territory before anyone knows we have her!
No risk to his Grace and great potential rewards!"
     "I don't like it," one of the others grumbled.
     "You don't have to," Bas shot back.  "I'm in charge while
Troy's gone, and I say we seize the opportunity!  Only bold action will
land a prize like Pirotess, boys."
     "What about the outlander?" grumbled the man he was facing
down.
     "We'll worry about him later.  He's been pretty clumsy so far,
the amateur.  He won't stay ahead of us for long."  I flushed.  Amateur,
huh?  Asshole.
     And a plan was beginning to develop out of all this.  If I went
back and warned Pirotess about the ambush, I might gain her trust.
That would be a good first step, anyway, and if it got me closer to
passage to the wastelands it would be worth it.
     The men were still clustered together, although Bas seemed to
be winning the argument.  I turned to slip back down the alley, and
caught a movement out of the corner of my eye.  I spun to meet it, only
to find something horrible staring back at me from a nearby window
ledge.
     I just can't explain it.  I've seen demons that still give me
nightmares.  I've seen friends killed, and fought a berserk dragon bare-
handed.  And still, one thing never fails to throw me into a panic.
     "Mrowr?"
     The cat was a big black battle-scarred tom, and as soon as my
brain registered what I was looking at I yelped and jumped backwards,
away from the threat, my heart pounding wildly.
     Of course, my reaction was completely instinctive.  It was also
very poorly timed, as I jumped right out of the mouth of the alley.  The
noise or the motion alone would have given me away.  As it was, I
managed to get myself under some semblance of control in time to see
the entire group turn towards me.
     Oops.
     "It's him!" Bas shouted as several of the men went for their
swords.  Fortunately, they were slowed down by being so close
together, giving me a few extra seconds to react.
     Unfortunately, the cat was spooked by all the noise, and leapt
down from the windowsill, streaking out of the shadows the way cats
will do ... straight towards me.
     Leaving me only one avenue of escape, straight through about
fifteen armed men.  Panic rising, I did the only thing I could under the
circumstances.
     I mean, that damned cat was HUGE ...

***

     Pirotess sipped from her goblet, making certain that her
appearance was that of a woman with no cares at all.  That was a
facade; however, she was very skilled at projecting facades.  No one
would have suspected she had examined the crowd and determined the
likeliest threats, much less decided which would have to die first.
     She only smiled as Drake returned to the table with fresh
drinks.
     "Well?" she asked pleasantly.  He sat down across from her,
plunking his mug down on the table with a thunk.  He was acting slightly
drunk, although she knew it to be as false as her own serenity.
     "Bad news," he muttered through an amiable smile.  "I spotted
at least a half-dozen of them.  I think I saw movement on one of the
neighbouring rooftops too, but with the fog closing in I can't be sure."
     "This is serious," she agreed.  "They must be the Duke's, but
what is he up to?"
     "He's become pretty bold lately, since his ships took out
Griffon and Revenge," Drake said softly.  "Maybe we're next on