Chapter 1

"Tendou Akane must die." Kuonji Ukyou stiffened on hearing the words. The calm reasonable tone blew through her bones like a chill east wind. Striving to keep her face blank Ukyou watched a figure detach itself from the shadows of the warehouse and step into the dim half-light.

"Why kill Akane? She stupid violent pervert girl . . .but no need kill. Also no need help . . .if want dead." A sinister laugh seeped from the darkness on Ukyou's other side as a second figure stepped forward.

"Truly the barbarian speaks, as truly as a broken clock may show the correct time twice daily. Yet, even should the vile man- stealer (whose name shall never pollute the lips of the Black Rose) need killing, why should the Black Rose need assistance from a nameless assassin?" Deep within the recesses of the darkness, a deeper dark stirred and Ukyou had the shivery feeling that it was a living shadow and no human thing that lurked in the darkness. Again the voice spoke; it's evil metallic tones echoing off the walls like roaches boiling from the belly of a corpse.

"Tendou Akane must die for you to find love . . . Tendou Akane must die for you to return home . . .Tendou Akane must die for you to regain your honor . . .Tendou Akane must die . . ." The final word tolled through the darkness, finally vanishing as the shadow cloaked figure fell silent. It could have been speaking to any or all of them. Ukyou's mouth opened in question, then hastily shut. She wasn't sure she wanted to draw this . . .thing's . . .attention. Yet finally the pressure of questions unasked and answers hidden drove her tongue, like whips drive a frightened horse.

"Who . . ." She moistened her mouth and tried again. "Who are you? You send me a note . . .send all of us." Ukyou indicated the other two. "Send all of us notes to meet you, to hear something VITAL" Ukyou stressed the word. "VITAL to our futures. To solving our problems. And all you have to say is . . .'Tendou Akane must die?'" Ukyou laughed, or tried to. "We're not killers. And we have no reason to help you kill Akane. What do you really want?"

"Tendou Akane must die." The voice repeated, as if Ukyou hadn't spoken. "She stands between you and happiness" Again the voice spoke as if speaking to one of them was speaking to all of them. " She stands between you and the way home . . .between you and your honor . . .between you and Satome Ranma."

"HA!" A bark of genuine seeming laughter came from the Black Rose. "Between me and my darling Ranmasama? You are ridiculous! Ranmasama will never love that peasant. Ranmasama will come to me, love me. Ranmasama will . . ."

"Crazy talking girl right." Shan Pu interrupted. "Pervert girl no problem. Husband come for Shan Pu soon. We go home. Build house. Husband learn Amazon ways. Learn cook, clean, satisfy wife. Make strong daughters, great warriors. I have many babies." The thought of all those pint-sized Amazons . . .(and the details of their production) caused a temporary endorphin overload. Ukyou resisted an impulse to wipe the drool off Shan Pu's chin. Shan Pu shook herself back to reality and faced the deep shadows. Before she could speak the voice came again, low and insulting.

"Husband will come soon . . . Ranmasama will come to me." The voice mimicked. "And you cook? What do you have to say? What protestations will you make, what flights of fancy will you spin?" Before Ukyou could answer the shadow loomed suddenly upright, seeming to grow to an impossible size. Despite herself Ukyou shrank back, as did the other two girls. "Husband will NEVER come . . .Ranmasama will NEVER come . . .Ranchan will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER come to you. Not while Tendou Akane lives." Ukyou wanted to cry out that her love for Ranchan (and his for her) was strong, that he WOULD come for her. But the words wouldn't come. Here, in this place, she could no longer lie, not even to herself. Instead she remembered . . . Ranma at Christmas, wearing a ridiculous scarf; Ranma at Togenkyou, destroying his cure; Ranma on Mt. Phoenix . . .crying.

"So" Ukyou forced the words past a constricted throat. "what do you have to do with . . .with Ranma and us?" She would draw this maniac out . . .find out what . . .the voice . . .wanted. Ranma would be grateful . . .would see how brave, how smart she was. Would see that she, Ukyou, would be a better wife. "Even if Ranma does lo . . .even if Ranma . . .even if. What are YOU going to do about it? Kill Akane?"

"Yes." There was a surprised hiss from the corner.

"What need creepy voice for? Amazon womans no need help for killing. If Shan Pu want, she kill pervert girl anytime. No need help."

"'Pervert girl' may not be as easy to kill as you think. Many have tried; Taro, the Demon Doll, Saffron. And yet she is here still." The voice sounded disgusted. Ukyou wondered what Akane had done to incur the wrath of this shadowy figure even as the voice continued. " . . .succeed in removing Tendou Akane you . . .all three of you would be immediately suspect. Even if you escaped the police, you would still have Satome Ranma to contend with. And beyond him Hibiki Ryouga. And, if they should fail . . . Shinnosuke and his grandfather, Prince Toma, Prince Kirin and the Seven Lucky Gods, Akane's sister's Natsume and Kurumi. And there are others. Tendou Akane has a . . .gift . . .for making friends." The voice practically spit . . .as if Akane's friends were a personal affront . . .as if the voice were jealous. Ukyou had a sudden chilling insight

"Nabiki!"

Ukyou didn't realize she'd spoken aloud . . .until she felt eyes fasten on her from the darkness.

"You would be best advised to keep unfounded speculations to yourself."

"No . . .no . . .it's you. It has to be you." Ukyou was horrified at the thought. "Why would you want to kill Akane?" The voice . . .Ukyou was sure now it was Nabiki, her voice changed somehow. Maybe electronically. She'd seen toys advertised on TV that would disguise your voice. And surely Tendou Nabiki, if anyone would, had sources for more sophisticated devices. The voice spoke again, ignoring Ukyou.

"All of your lives, your hopes, dreams, happiness . . .all held hostage to the life of one silly, selfish girl. A clumsy girl, who hits Ranma, calls him names . . . hit's him if he looks at another girl. Yet calls on him when SHE needs help. Calls HIM into danger . . . Unconsciously Ukyou nodded in agreement. She could sense the others in like agreement with the voice. The soothing , reasonable voice. It wasn't hard to agree with what the voice said. It wasn't anything she hadn't thought to herself before. Thought in her lonely room. All alone at night. Always alone . . now and forever alone . . .because of that girl. Anger and resentment built as the voice skillfully brought out hidden resentment, fears, anger. Anger at Akane, selfish, stupid Akane. Anger at Akane for abusing and neglecting Ranma. Anger at Akane living easy at the expense of others. Anger at Akane for having to be rescued, coddled, cared for while other people had to work, struggle, suffer. It wasn't fair . . .it wasn't right . . .it wasn't necessary. Ukyou suddenly came to herself . . .as if waking from a deep, uneasy dream.

"Wha . . .what did you say?"

"I said that it wasn't necessary for you , for any of you , to endure this humiliation, this degradation. Your pride, your honor . . .simple justice demands a remedy."

"That right." Shan Pu was flushed with emotion. Her war hammers flashed into existence and a savage cry rang through the building. "Obstacles are for killing. I go . . ."

"Idiot." The sharply spoken word froze Shan Pun in her tracks.

"What you mean? Shan Pu kill Akane, take back honor. Take back husband."

"Shan Pu go to jail." Shan Pu growled at the vicious mimicry. Kodachi chose that moment to speak up.

"You have yet to explain your purpose in summoning us here. Why should you wish 'that person' dead? And what can you do for us that we can not do for ourselves?"

"My reasons are my own. It is sufficient for you to know that I can help eliminate our mutual problem . . .for a price." Ukyou's hand flashed up in a defensive block as a small object sped from the shadows toward her face. A small square of plastic smacked into her hand. Startled, she glanced at it to see it was covered with neat typewritten script. On either side she could see the others examining similar small cards.

"Eye of the moon, heart of the sun? That greatest of Amazon treasures. How you know . . . ?"

"Juzumaru. One of the Tenka Goken." Kodachi practically growled. "Who are you that you can demand a national treasure like 'The Rosary', from 'The Five Swords Under the Heavens'?"

"My resturant? Ukyou's Okinomyaki! You want my restaurant?" Ukyou couldn't believe it. This . . .this . . .shadow wanted her restaurant. Her baby. That she built with her sweat, her tears. The one thing in life that truly belonged to her. And this voice expected her to give . . .

"Problem solving is not cheap." The voice slithered out of the shadows like a poisonous serpent. "And I must have surety of your . . .commitment."

"So we just give you our lives" Ukyou could sense that the things required of the others were also of great personal value, separate of any monetary worth. "What guarantee do we have . . ."

"My word . . . It's poor business to default on an agreement."

"So . . . all we have to do is give you what you want and you kill Akane . . .just like that?"

"Not quite." There was faint amusement in the voice. "I will provide the plan. A plan which will eliminate our problem with no . . .mess to clean up. YOU must implement the plan, all three of you so no one if free to betray the others."

"And just what does this great plan consist of? Some secrete technique? Or maybe a demon curse?" Ukyou asked sarcastically.

"It would be . . .imprudent . . .to reveal my plan in advance of payment. However I ca tell you that you must first make friends with Tendou Akane."

"What!!"

"What you saying . . .you crazy?"

"That's insane! Why would we . . ."

"You and Tendou Akane are going to become fast friends. Such good friends that, upon her untimely demise, you will be chief mourners at her funeral. And entirely above suspicion."

"Forget it!" Ukyou snapped. "You talk about regaining honor? What honor is there in murder for money? I'm out of here." There were murmurs of agreement from either side. As she turned to leave the voice stopped her.

"Should you change your mind . . .leave the agreed upon price here. You will get further instructions."

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"Tendou Akane must die." Ukyou muttered under her breath as she worked on the pipe fittings under her grill. "How could she possibly think that I . . .that we . . .would pay to murder Akane. She has to be insane." Ukyou was more and more convinced the 'voice' was Tendou Nabiki. " . . . and why would she want to kill her own sister?" That was the most repugnant part to Ukyou. Family should be sacred. Thinking of family made Ukyou's stomach cramp. She hadn't seen her own family in years . . .and she never would again, unless she married Ranma. Regained her honor. Then she could go home. But she wouldn't murder to go home. She would never . . . The bell on the shop door jingled as someone entered. Before Ukyou could disentangle herself from the plumbing she heard a voice.

. . .doesn't look like she's here. Do you want to wait? It's really very good okinomyaki. The best in Japan."

"The best in the world." Ukyou thought flushing with pleasure at the words.

"No . . .she's probably out chasing that boy again. It's really pathetic. And the way she dresses!" Both girls laughed.

"Yeah, you're right. It's sad really, the way Ukyou pants after Ranma, like a dog after her master. And all she ever gets is a pat on the head. Just like a dog."

"Actually . . ." The second girl giggled . "I think the technical term is bitch." Ukyou remained under the counter as the two girls left, still laughing. As the shadows lengthened . . .as customers came and went un-fed from the restaurant . . .Ukyou stayed frozen in place. She was cold . . .so very cold. She didn't' think she would ever get warm again.

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In the early morning dark . . .when cold neon washed the streets of Tokyo in a sterile light . . .a shadow, darker than old sin stood in the center of a deserted warehouse. At its feet lay a sword, a Chinese jade carving . . .and the deed to a small okinomyaki restaurant.