A Ranma 1/2 fanfic 
All Ranma 1/2 characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi 
and are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes 
only 
Doors Best Left Unopened 
Part 15: The Heart of the Matter 
by Mark MacKinnon 
  
     The muted light chased itself around and around as she spun the 
glass slowly, the slim stem clasped between the first two fingers and 
thumb of her left hand.  The light shattered on the surface of the wine, 
shards flashing and spinning and reforming, only to do it all over again. 
She watched carefully, raptly even, her storm gray eyes narrowed and 
watchful. 
     The mesmerizing play of light failed to soothe her, and so she 
merely stared and brooded.  The sense of events speeding up, of 
control slipping away, had increased as the hours slipped by.  She felt 
the need to act, to do something, anything, and she knew that need was 
dangerous.  Acting impulsively lead to sloppiness, to careless mistakes, 
and she couldn't afford any of those.  Not if she hoped to remain at the 
top of the heap. 
     And, of course, there wasn't actually anything she could do. 
That was the truly maddening part.  She could only wait, and that made 
her feel helpless. 
     Riana loathed feeling helpless. 
     She leaned back in the luxurious leather executive's chair, 
holding the glass up to catch the light from a different angle.  That didn't 
distract her for more than a few seconds, though.  Moodily, she took a 
sip not even managing to derive any pleasure from the rare vintage she 
was drinking. 
     A knock at the door of her study nearly caused her to jump, 
although she quickly regained her composure.  Jumping at shadows, eh, 
Riana? she asked herself darkly.  That's a bad sign. 
     "Come," she said curtly.  Keisuke stepped into the room, closing the 
door behind him.  He stood before her, expressionless. 
     "She still hasn't returned," he said.  "And we've heard nothing." 
Riana nodded, turning her chair to look out the window.  The breeze 
was freshening, and she could see dark clouds beginning to skate 
across the night sky. 
     "I do believe there's a storm coming," she said softly.  A storm. 
Yes, that was what she felt.  But this was no mere disturbance of air 
masses; some dark electricity was building in the aether, bringing 
torrents of chaos and winds of change.  It was the sort of tempest that 
could shatter careful plans and intricate plots with its elemental fury. 
And she had so much to lose now.  So much ... 
     "I could go to Tragus's place, check things out," Keisuke 
offered.  She took another careful sip, keeping her worries locked 
away, then turned back to face him. 
     "No," she replied.  "I can't risk that.  If Lilla was discovered 
somehow, then she's on her own."  Keisuke shifted his weight almost 
imperceptibly. 
     "If she talks ..." he began.  Riana smiled thinly. 
     "She doesn't know anything," she pointed out.  "Her 
assignment was simply to check up on Tragus.  Hardly anything 
unusual."  Keisuke was silent, but Riana knew him well enough to sense 
that he was holding something back. 
     "Yes?" she asked imperiously.  His mouth twisted into a wry 
smile as he realized she'd caught him. 
     "Unless Tisa told her about the pendant," he pointed out.  Riana 
combed her hair back from her face with her fingers, letting it spill 
loosely. 
     "Tisa was instructed not to reveal that information," she told 
him, a cool edge slipping into her tone.  "She swore not to let the others 
know, and she would not break her word to me."  Keisuke crossed his 
arms over his broad chest and frowned. 
     "I don't like her knowing," he pressed.  "I think her feelings in 
this matter make her unreliable."  Riana set the glass carefully on her 
desk, flicking the crystal with one long nail to hear the bell-like chime it 
made.  Then she placed her hands flat on the desk and slowly stood, 
raising her eyes to meet Keisuke's. 
     "I decided to tell her for my own reasons," she said, the tone of 
warning now unmistakable.  "Are you questioning my judgement?" 
Keisuke stood his ground, but something flickered behind his dark, 
impenetrable eyes. 
     "Of course not," he said tightly.  She nodded, slipping around 
the desk. 
     "For that matter, what of your own feelings?" she asked 
sharply.  "Tisa has nothing to lose if Vaenruth is freed, but you do. 
Does that make you unreliable, my dear?  Well?"  Keisuke uncrossed 
his arms, lifting his chin slightly, and she saw his nostrils flare.  She 
stepped closer and stared up into his blazing eyes. 
     "Answer me," she demanded. 
     "You can always rely on me," he said, speaking through 
clenched teeth.  She smiled insincerely. 
     "Well, then.  There is no reason to believe Tisa is unreliable 
either, is there?"  She noted the tension in his lithe frame, the way he 
slowly clenched and unclenched his fists, the hard-edged tendons that 
jutted from his neck above his dark shirt.  She had managed to anger 
him. 
     "I'm not afraid of him," Keisuke said suddenly.  "Once he's 
free, then he won't just be a memory any more.  He'll be here, with all 
his faults, and I'll finally be able to win your heart from him for good." 
Riana's own anger softened, tempered by her lover's revelation. 
     "You will have to subordinate yourself to him," she said.  "If 
you don't, he will destroy you.  Will your pride let you do that?"  They 
stood close together, and Riana fancied she could feel the heat from 
Keisuke's body and smell the drowsy, musky scent of his bare skin. 
She placed one hand lightly against his chest, letting her fingers play 
lightly over the ridged muscle under the thin shirt he wore. 
     "I'll do anything for the chance to have you," he said hoarsely. 
"Never doubt that."  She nodded. 
     "I don't doubt you, Kei," she said huskily.  "But you have to 
trust my judgement.  I know how to handle Tisa.  She would not have 
told anyone about the pendant, not after promising me not to." 
     "Not even Lilla and Callie?" 
     "Not even them," she confirmed.  Staring up into his eyes, she 
wondered how she would ever manage to love two men so strong, so 
fierce, so stubborn. 
     So alike. 
     But she would find a way to have them both.  It would tax even her 
seductive charms, but she would find some way to keep both Vaenruth 
and Keisuke.  There was no way she was going to deprive herself of 
either of them, not if she could help it.  Frankly, she saw no reason why 
she shouldn't have them both, not if she was clever enough to pull it off. 
     "Very well," he sighed.  "You've always been the one person I 
could trust.  But I don't like the way things are going.  I have a bad 
feeling about all this."  She stepped back, tugging at her blouse lightly. 
     "Change is inevitable," she told him, wishing she felt as 
confident as she sounded.  "To survive it takes will, strength, good 
instincts ... and information.  We have the first three on our side.  I was 
hoping that today's activities would provide some of the fourth, but so 
far nothing.  That only leaves Lilla."  Keisuke shook his head, the light 
catching on the flat planes of his face. 
     "She's probably off seducing an entire baseball team or 
something," he growled.  "That one is flighty, Lady."  She smiled 
mirthlessly. 
     "She usually knows her limits," she replied sternly.  "However, if she 
has neglected her duties today and returns here empty-handed, I will 
see to her punishment personally.  I will not tolerate such behaviour, 
and she would make a good object lesson for the others."  Closing her 
eyes, she waved one slim hand in the air, summoning power.  Her 
blouse and conservative skirt vanished, to be replaced with more 
formal court dress.  Her bodysuit was black, covering her from breast 
to groin.  Black panels hung in front and behind to the knee, brushing 
against the tops of her lightly armoured boots.  Her fingerless gloves 
merged with metallic bracers that extended to the elbow.  A combined 
shoulder guard/collar arrangement finished the outfit, all black with red 
highlights.  She flipped back the cloak that hung from the wide shoulder 
guards and strode past Keisuke briskly. 
     "Come," she snapped.  "We'll see what my loyal Baenma have 
to say about their missing comrade."  Keisuke fell silently into step 
behind her as she headed toward the west wing.  It felt good to be 
doing something at last, even though she knew this tiny distraction 
wouldn't last.  If Tisa had received any news about the wayward 
succubus, she would have rushed to her Lady without fail. 
     Well, one thing at a time. 
     When they arrived, she threw the doors to the meeting room 
open and strode in, radiating an aura of displeasure.  Tisa and Callie, 
who'd been conversing quietly, leapt to their feet and bowed 
respectfully. 
     "What news of Lilla?" Riana asked before either of them could 
say anything.  Tisa straightened, her emerald green eyes meeting 
Riana's gaze without hesitation. 
     "None, Lady," she said, keeping her expression mostly neutral. 
"She has not checked in, and she was to have returned by ..." 
     "I'm well aware of when she was supposed to return, Tisa," 
Riana interrupted curtly.  "Perhaps she became ... distracted.  It would 
not be the first time, after all."  Tisa lowered her eyes, colour rising to 
her cheeks.  Callie stepped up beside her at that point, tossing her mass 
of honey-blonde curls back as she moved. 
     "Lady, Tisa told us that our assignments were important," she 
said, her tone respectful.  "And Lilla would never leave Tisa to take the 
blame for her actions." 
     "That remains to be seen," Riana replied.  "In the meantime, 
without knowing why she is overdue, I cannot plan my strategy." 
Neither Tisa nor Callie had anything to say in response to that, and 
Riana shook her head, reminding herself not to lose her temper.  No, 
that could wait for later.  She glanced around the room as a slight 
breeze tugged at her cloak.  Looking up, she realized that the skylight 
set in the high ceiling was still open.  She opened her mouth to order it 
shut when something caught her eye ... a movement.  Something ... 
     Lilla arrowed through the open skylight, arms tucked against 
her sides and wings raked back.  At the last moment her wings flared, 
catching the air with a snap, and she spun neatly to land on her feet in 
the middle of the floor. 
     "Yes!" she crowed.  "A perfect landing!"  She was grinning at 
her friends, then slowly turned, following their gazes until she was 
looking at Riana's face.  Whatever she saw there caused her to 
instantly drop to one knee, head bowed meekly. 
     "Lady," she said in a solemn tone.  "I have returned ..."  Riana 
stalked angrily over to Lilla's kneeling form and laced her fingers in the 
girl's hair, pulling her roughly to her feet so she could stare directly into 
her subordinate's clear blue eyes. 
     "Lilla."  Her voice was low, silky, but full of menace.  "If I am 
not suitably impressed with the explanation for this, I promise you I will 
punish you SEVERELY."  She twisted the succubus's head back to 
emphasize the point, baring her teeth in a mirthless smile. 
     "I understand," Lilla said, but the look in her eyes said clearly 
that she might just enjoy being punished.  Riana shook her gently. 
     "I think the Borgunma troops would enjoy having a toy to play 
with for a little while ... if you catch my meaning?"  Ah.  There was the 
fear she longed to see. 
     "I understand, my Lady," Lilla repeated, chastised.  Riana 
released her hold and pulled a long, wickedly sharp dagger from her 
belt, toying with the blade absently while she held Lilla's gaze. 
     "Good.  Then begin," Riana instructed imperiously.  Lilla 
nodded, but that reckless light Riana had come to know so well had 
returned to her eyes.  Either the girl was more foolish than Riana had 
ever believed, or she truly thought her explanation would keep her out 
of trouble.  Lilla licked her lips slowly, her skimpy spandex top hiding 
nothing as her breasts heaved with the fading exertion of her flight. 
Ever a creature of habit, Riana thought.  Always trying to charm.  Well, 
you won't charm your way out of this one, my dear. 
     "Treachery, my Lady," Lilla said, her voice clear and strong. 
She reached down and pulled something from her belt, holding it up in 
one hand.  A microcassette recorder. 
     "The Lady Wynneth conspires with the renegade, Tragus," she 
continued.  Riana felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach, her eyes 
widening as all thought of Lilla's punishment was instantly forgotten. 
No!  The worst possible scenario had come to pass!  If Wynneth 
discovered the whereabouts of the pendant ... 
     "It's all right here," Lilla went on, a smile playing at her lips. 
"But don't despair, my Lady.  All is not lost.  Listen, and hear for 
yourself ..." 
*** 
     Ukyou stared up at the ceiling, hands behind her head.  Just 
when everything had seemed like it was getting back to normal, or at 
least as normal as things ever got locally, this had to happen.  All this 
talk of vampires and sorcery and mysterious quests had her thoroughly 
on edge.  She'd had her entire world turned upside-down once already 
in recent months, and she wasn't at all anxious to repeat the experience. 
     "Hey, Ukyou," Reiko called softly.  She sighed.  She'd thought that 
the annoying blonde would have fallen asleep already, as tired as she'd 
seemed earlier.  Apparently, no such luck. 
     "Yes?" 
     "Those guys, Ryouga and Mousse ..." 
     "What about them?" Ukyou asked. 
     "Is one of them your boyfriend?"  Ukyou turned her head so 
she could look at the other girl, sprawled on the floor on a spare 
mattress. 
     "Why?" she asked suspiciously.  Reiko grinned. 
     "I was just wondering," she said, innocence personified.  "After 
all, they're both kinda cute."  Ukyou snorted. 
     "You can't chase them both," she grumbled.  Reiko's grin 
widened. 
     "Sure I can," she replied.  "It's easy.  Really, the trick is to get 
THEM to do the chasing.  So, IS one of them yours?" 
     "No," Ukyou said flatly.  "But if one of them was, would it 
make a difference?" 
     "Just wanted to know," Reiko answered.  Ukyou nodded. 
     "That's what I figured," she sighed. "Look, Reiko.  Things 
haven't been too good around here lately.  A lot of hearts got broken, 
and I'm not about to just let my friends get played with.  You got that?" 
     "Those two are big boys," Reiko shot back.  "They can take 
care of themselves, right?  What's the matter?  Jealous?"  Ukyou 
spluttered. 
     "No, I'm not ... jealous!  I just don't want you to get them into 
trouble like you did last night with Ryouga, that's all!"  Reiko's smug 
grin seemed to slip for a moment, then she flopped back down on her 
back. 
     "No worries," she said lightly.  "If your friend can help us out 
with the pendant, then I'll be out of your hair in a jiffy.  No fuss, no 
muss, no demons.  Hey, it's a pretty simple plan.  What could go 
wrong?"  Ukyou turned her head to stare at the ceiling again. 
     "I really wish people would stop asking me that," she 
whispered morosely. 
*** 
     Wynneth lay on her side in the luxurious bed, head propped up 
on one hand.  With the other, she reached out and gently tugged the 
wine-coloured silk sheet down to Tragus's waist, exposing the long 
lithe line of her back.  Her new partner made a sleepy sound, half- 
protest and half-interrogative.  Lazily, Wynneth ran one finger up the 
curve of Tragus's spine, eliciting a small gasp when she brushed across 
the long, raw scratches she'd left in her passion. 
     "You play rough," Tragus murmured, her face still buried in the 
pillow.  Wynneth smiled. 
     "I prefer to think of it as ... intensity.  And, by the way, I didn't 
hear 
you complaining at the time," she murmured.  "But if it bothers you ..." 
Shifting her weight, she leaned over the other woman, lowering her face 
slowly until her breath fanned over naked skin and her long hair 
cloaked Tragus's body.  Then she touched her tongue to one scratch 
and, in a long, slow movement, traced it along the entire length, letting it 
curl up at the end like a cat lapping at milk.  Tragus stiffened and 
gasped, knotting her hands into the sheets as the tang of blood burned 
delightfully on the tip of Wynneth's tongue.  She sensed something odd, 
and repeated her ministrations with a second scratch, going slower this 
time. 
     There.  Just like when she'd bitten Tragus's lip.  What WAS 
that she tasted through the woman's blood?  Her essence, her spirit, 
yes, but why was it so strange ... 
     Then she had it.  The woman, Hinako.  Her spirit was still 
present in the body, somehow twined with Tragus's own.  Her 
consciousness was suppressed, kept subordinate, but it certainly hadn't 
been destroyed. 
     Interesting.  She filed that fact away for the future.  After all, it 
never hurt to know someone's weaknesses.  Circumstances could 
change, and partnerships could be broken. 
     "You ... ermmmm ... are a witch," Tragus gasped as Wynneth 
moved to a third scratch, cleaning up the small amount of blood she'd 
drawn. 
     "Did you ever suspect such pleasures existed when you were a 
mere Borgunma, my dear?" she asked, moving her mouth up by 
Tragus's ear and lowering her voice to a throaty whisper.  The tawny 
beauty chuckled. 
     "Never," she whispered.  "You've opened my eyes to a whole 
new world."  Wynneth bit lightly at her partner's earlobe. 
     "Yes.  And there is more to learn, if you will but follow my 
lead," she whispered.  Then she pushed herself up, climbing gracefully 
from the seductive warmth of the bed. 
     She stretched languorously, feeling Tragus's gaze on her naked 
body as she strode over to the closet.  All her appetites had been 
sated, but she couldn't rest just yet.  Too much rested on the success of 
their plan to obtain the pendant, and Wynneth was determined that 
every contingency should be covered.  She began rooting around, 
searching for something to wear. 
     "Going out?" Tragus asked, clearly disappointed.  Wynneth 
nodded absently.  She was slightly taller than Riana, but she was 
confident that she could find something suitable for her excursion. 
     "I have things to take care of," she said.  She settled on a long 
black skirt, slit very high on one side, a sleeveless black top that 
fastened around her slender neck and left her flat stomach bare, and a 
black leather jacket cropped short at the waist.  She dressed and 
checked her reflection critically. 
     It would do, she decided.  She found a pair of high boots with 
criss-cross lacings up the sides and put them on. 
     Perfect.  She turned to see Tragus watching her from the bed, 
her expression unreadable. 
     "Keeping secrets?" she asked carefully.  Wynneth gave her a 
sly smile. 
     "Of course, Tragus.  Women always keep secrets.  It's part of 
our allure.  You have a lot to learn."  Tragus frowned. 
     "Dammit, Wynneth ..." 
     "Patience," she chastised.  "All in good time.  I merely wish to 
arrange a little insurance for tomorrow."  She turned, seeking out a 
patch of shadow dark enough for her to enter the Shadow Realm. 
     "Get some rest," she told Tragus as she began to slip out of the 
room.  "We have a big day ahead of us." 
     "Don't nag," she heard Tragus grumble as she left.  She smiled 
to herself.  You have your uses, Tragus, she thought.  And as long as 
that is true, I will keep you around.  You are strictly small-time though, 
little one, and once you've outlived your usefulness ... 
     With that thought, she set out to check on the rest of her pawns. 
*** 
     Tragus watched Wynneth go wistfully.  He had never 
experienced anything like the dark pleasures the Aerkinma 
Shadowmistress had shown him.  Wynneth could make his blood boil 
with just a look, or a word.  He could well imagine that she would be a 
formidable opponent, but he was certain she would be equally 
formidable as an ally.  After all, they were both after the same things. 
     Yes, he was pretty sure that their partnership was solid.  He 
would make her want him as much as he wanted her, and then ... why, 
the sky was the limit.  Nothing could stand in their way. 
     His skin began to tingle, and he looked down in consternation. 
Soon, his body shrank, reverting to its younger form.  He blinked. 
He'd forgotten all about this.  Spending most of the day absorbing chi 
from victims, he'd built up quite a charge, but evidently he'd finally run 
out.  And Wynneth didn't know about this yet.  Now he was going to 
have to find a source of chi before she returned. 
     "Aw, hell," he squeaked. 
*** 
     Riana stood still, her heart pounding in her chest.  The tape 
recorder, silent now, hung at Lilla's side, the slightly tinny voices having 
fallen silent. 
     Mine, Riana thought, her shocked daze swept away in an 
instant by anger so intense that she actually felt dizzy. 
     Mine.  Tragus was my tool, and she took him.  My safe house, 
my wine, my lingerie ... and sporting with that low-life in my BED?! 
     And worst of all, MY pendant.  The key to my love.  How dare 
she?  How ... DARE?  She'd gone too far this time.  It was very 
simple, the way Riana saw it.  Wynneth wanted everything that was 
hers.  She wanted to take it all away. 
     And that just would not do.  No, not at all. 
     She blinked, realizing that Keisuke and the Baenma were 
watching her carefully, waiting for her reaction to the treachery that had 
played out on the tape.  That caused the anger to recede, just enough 
so that she could see what was important here. 
     Wynneth thought she had all the cards in her favour.  Well, 
thanks to Lilla, that was a grave error.  Riana smiled slowly.  Yes.  Oh, 
yes.  We'll see who ends up as a plaything, bitch, she thought with 
savage glee. 
     "Lilla," she said softly.  The succubus started. 
     "My Lady?" she responded, just the tiniest trace of trepidation in her 
tone.  Riana reached out and cupped the girl's cheek fondly. 
     "You've done well," she said softly.  Lilla wriggled happily, 
pressing her cheek into Riana's hand.  Wetting her lips with the tip of 
her tongue, she gave Riana a sultry yet somehow demure stare. 
     "VERY well, Lady?" she asked suggestively, reaching up to 
trace her fingers along the back of Riana's hand.  Riana laughed out 
loud. 
     "You little minx," she smiled.  "You will be amply rewarded for 
this night's work, but I'm afraid that such pleasures will have to wait. 
We have much to do.  Callie!" 
     "Yes, my Lady?" 
     "I need twelve of our strongest Borgunma.  Don't use any of 
the newcomers," Riana instructed.  Callie nodded, and sped out the 
door. 
     "Keisuke, go get the truck.  The large one, if you please."  He 
looked surprised, but nodded and left as well. 
     "Tisa, find me one of our holdings.  It should be large, like a 
warehouse, but in a run-down or isolated area." 
     "I understand," Tisa replied, turning on her heel.  Lilla bounced 
lightly on the balls of her feet. 
     "What about me, Lady?" she asked eagerly.  Riana smiled. 
She felt the urge to smile a great deal now.  Soon, she planned to have 
everything she wanted. 
     "I want you to fly over this factory that Tragus spoke of.  Take 
pictures, scout the area thoroughly.  I want no surprises tomorrow. 
And stay out of sight."  Lilla beamed. 
     "You can count on me!" she chirped.  Executing a courtly bow 
far too formal for the circumstances, she launched herself into the air. 
Her wings sprang from her back, unfurling to catapult her through the 
skylight.  Riana found herself chuckling at the succubus's antics. 
     Oh, she was in a very good mood now. 
     She returned to her study, locking the door behind her.  Then 
she went over to the full-length mirror along one of the walls.  Waving 
one slim hand in the air, she conjured a card.  It looked like a standard 
security access card, but it was featureless save for a red pentagram on 
one side.  As she held it up against the mirror, the pentagram began to 
glow brightly and the surface of the mirror clouded, becoming a swirling 
gray mass. 
     "Password?" a soft, feminine voice inquired. 
     "Vengeance."  The surface of the mirror became insubstantial and 
faded away, becoming a doorway.  She stepped through easily. 
     The room on the other side of the portal was a fair size, 
although it appeared smaller because of the clutter.  I really have to do 
something about all this one day, she told herself ruefully.  It would be a 
fine mess if I couldn't find what I was looking for. 
     That turned out not to be a problem, though.  There were 
several items she thought might come in useful for the next day's events, 
but there was one in particular that she sought, and she knew just 
where to find it.  Stopping in front of a low glass-topped cabinet, she 
lifted the lid and gazed inside, ignoring the jewelled dagger and three 
beautiful crystalline spheres.  She only had eyes for one thing. 
     Riana lifted the item out almost reverently.  It was a slim collar, 
made of something like looked and felt like black leather.  On the 
inside, arcane symbols  were carved into the material, and her skin 
tingled with their nearness.  It appeared quite common, but Riana knew 
better.  Such items as this were devilishly hard to make and, as a result, 
very rare.  In fact, she hadn't seen another since coming to this world. 
No matter.  One would be enough for what she had in mind. 
     She reached into the cabinet again, pulling out a fine silver chain 
with a tiny key on it, watching it spin lazily in the dull yellowish light. 
     Excellent, she thought, caressing the collar gently.  After all, 
once I have Wynneth, I'll want to be keeping her. 
     And I'll bet this looks just lovely on her, she added to herself 
with sly humour.  Why, she'll even like the colour. 
*** 
     The screams had died away fairly quickly, dissipating into the 
dread winds of Shadow.  Wynneth stood, casually watching her pawns 
as they drained every last drop of blood from their treat.  The way they 
swarmed the victim he wasn't even visible, just a shifting mass of bodies 
from which grunts, snarls and wet smacking sounds could be heard. 
     Under other circumstances, they would have sickened her. 
They were, after all, lesser creatures, mere nightfeeders ... no, not even 
that.  Little better than animals, really.  But then, that was because she 
had made them so.  With her blood she could make a human into a true 
vampire much as she was, a creature of beauty and art, a graceful 
predator. 
     But that was dangerous.  At this point, without any resources, 
the last thing she wanted to do was to create a rival.  A rival could be a 
threat, but a tool simply did as it was told.  A tool was useful, and could 
tip the balance in a tight situation if used properly.  And, of course, a 
tool was expendable.  One could always construct more. 
     So she had, over the years, created her pack.  Keeping them 
penned in Shadow, away from prying eyes, had been imperative.  She 
was strictly forbidden to turn any human without Riana's express order, 
and any one of these would spell a death sentence for her if they were 
to be discovered.  But of course, none of the others could slip into 
Shadow, the strange half-realm that existed just outside the world of 
light, and so her secrets remained hers alone. 
     Until now.  Now, the stakes were too high to hold anything 
back.  Not that she expected anything to go wrong; it simply paid to be 
prepared for the worst. 
     Since the meal seemed to be over, she snapped her fingers, the 
sound sharp and clear.  Her pack raised their heads at once, scenting 
the strangely dead air, then breaking away from the tattered remains 
and loping to her side in their strange, almost animal gait.  There were 
twenty-one of them now; she could have made an army, but they would 
have proven unmanageable unless she'd watched them constantly.  No, 
with her latest acquisition, her servants had reached the optimum 
number for her uses. 
     She smiled tolerantly as they milled around her, brushing 
tentatively as they passed, anxious for her touch.  Some of them wore 
little more than rags now, although most wore clothing that was still 
recognizable.  They were all painfully thin, some almost skeletal, which 
was hardly surprising.  She kept them half-starved deliberately.  Too 
much blood might breed contentment, and the strength to start 
wondering.  She didn't want that. 
     "Hello, my dears," she purred, reaching out to stroke the head 
of one of her favourites. 
     "Mistress," he whined, wriggling in pleasure.  Red eyes blazed 
all around her as they circled and shifted, fighting to be close to her. 
     "Settle down now, my pets," she scolded.  They cringed away, 
then tentatively began edging closer again.  She was, after all, the centre 
of their universe, their beloved mistress.  They remembered nothing of 
what they once were; their only thoughts were to feed and to please 
their mistress.  Wynneth nodded with satisfaction as they once more 
began gently butting their heads into her waist and legs, anxious for 
attention. 
     "How are you, my dears?" she crooned.  "Did you enjoy the 
treat I brought you?" 
     "More?" Yusaku asked plaintively.  She remembered the 
defiance in his eyes as he'd come at her that day years ago.  There was 
none of that in his gaze now.  She reached out and stroked his hair 
fondly. 
     "Not tonight, pet.  But maybe soon."  She picked out one of 
the pack who was hanging back.  She wasn't as thin as the others, and 
her clothes were mostly intact.  Ah, yes.  Her most recent acquisition. 
Would she still be troublesome?  Only one way to find out. 
     "Heel!" she commanded.  Immediately, the milling forms shrank 
back, crouching or kneeling.  She walked imperiously to the crouching 
form, stopping to stare down at the tangled brown hair that trailed 
down its back. 
     "Come, pet," she said sweetly.  The girl whimpered, shifting 
skittishly.  "Come, let me see you," Wynneth insisted.  She held her 
hand out, palm down.  The girl peered up from under her matted bangs, 
red eyes filled with uncertainty.  She cocked her head, then rose to butt 
her head against Wynneth's palm like a cat demanding attention. 
Wynneth let her fingers trail down the girl's cheek and under her chin, 
her long nails scratching gently.  The girl fairly purred in response. 
     "Nice," she mumbled shyly. 
     "Stand," Wynneth said softly.  "Let me see you."  Grasping the 
girl's chin lightly, she urged her to her feet.  Staring into the girl's eyes, 
she relived the conquest in her mind.  This one had been strong, and 
had fought long and hard to be free.  In the end, though, she had 
succumbed.  In truth, it had been a risk to take this one, but Wynneth 
had been unable to resist.  It had been a challenge, and she did so 
enjoy a challenge. 
     "Now, pet," she murmured, looking into the girl's eyes.  "Who 
is your mistress?" 
     "You are," the girl answered breathlessly.  Wynneth nodded. 
     "That's right.  But suppose I was to go away ..." 
     "No!" the girl blurted.  "I ... I mean ... please, don't leave me, 
mistress.  Please ..."  Wynneth framed the girl's face with her hands, 
moving closer. 
     "Do you need me then, pet?" she asked.  The girl licked her 
lips, her gaze trapped by Wynneth's own. 
     "Yes ..." 
     "And do you love me?" 
     "Y-Yes."  Barely a whisper, that time. 
     "Well, then.  If you always serve faithfully, I will keep you." 
The girl's eyes lit up, and she bowed her head to rub her cheek against 
Wynneth's chest, nuzzling gently. 
     "I will," she promised.  Wynneth smiled, stroking the girl's hair 
fondly. 
     "I believe you, sweet Ayako," she replied.  A snap of her fingers 
called the others over once more, and Wynneth surveyed them 
confidently. 
     Her pawns were ready, if needed.  Now all that remained was 
to get her hands on that pendant.  Once that happened, she could finally 
begin to seize control from her rival. 
     And her vengeance would be so very, very sweet. 
*** 
     The news had spread like wildfire. 
     Nabiki couldn't even see Akane, but it wasn't hard to tell 
where her sister was.  She would be somewhere in the middle of that 
crowd of jabbering girls.  Nabiki shook her head.  All that fuss over a 
little ring. 
     Still, she had to admit that she was impressed.  Ranma and 
Akane actually seemed to be making headway.  They'd managed to 
make the decision to bring their relationship into the open, a feat that 
had most days seemed beyond them.  They'd also managed, with a not 
inconsiderable amount of help from Ranma's mother, to avoid being 
married on the spot as soon as they'd done so.  At this rate, those two 
would become boring and domestic in no time at all. 
     The prospect was mildly unnerving, but Nabiki figured that she 
had enough unpredictability in her life now, what with her position with 
the Kunou estate.  Still, sometimes she did miss the old days.  The 
chaos had been quite entertaining at times, not to mention profitable. 
After all, she didn't want to lose her edge. 
     As she watched the raucous crowd of girls mobbing her sister 
in the school yard, a solitary figure caught her eye, and her heart sank. 
     Ukyou.  Damn, she'd forgotten all about her.  Nabiki watched as 
Ukyou gave the crowd a wide berth and came towards her, uniform 
jacket open at the collar.  Her expression was carefully neutral, but 
Nabiki could tell she wouldn't have to be the one to break the news. 
     "So, I guess you already heard," she said sympathetically. 
Ukyou gave her an elaborately casual shrug. 
     "Kind of hard to avoid it," she said glibly.  "Everyone's talking 
about it.  I just saw Ranma over on the soccer field talking to a big 
bunch of the guys, too.  I guess it's about time, eh?  I mean, since he 
doesn't have any other fiancees to worry about any more." 
     "Ukyou ..." 
     "No, I mean it," Ukyou insisted.  "I guess I'd be pretty damned 
mad if, after everything he said to me, he ended up not being serious 
about her.  This is good.  Really."  Nabiki grinned wryly. 
     "Sure," she replied.  "So, you're holding up okay?" 
     "Yeah," Ukyou said, reaching back to fiddle with the handle of her 
spatula idly.  "Yeah, it's time to get over this, I think.  Maybe I'll go 
over later and say congratulations." 
     "Really?" Nabiki asked.  Ukyou glanced over her shoulder at 
the crowd, then turned back and sighed heavily. 
     "Well, maybe I'll wait a few days," she said weakly.  "Or a 
week ..."  Nabiki chuckled. 
     "That's the spirit," she said.  "No sense in rushing things." 
Ukyou nodded glumly. 
     "Anyway, Nabiki," she said firmly, "that's not what I wanted to 
talk to you about.  There's something strange going on, and I need to 
talk to you about it." 
     "Something strange?" Nabiki asked dryly.  "In Nerima?  I am 
in shock." 
     "I'm serious," Ukyou told her, and Nabiki could see by her 
expression that something was weighing on her friend's mind.  "Listen 
to this ..." 
*** 
     In the end, the choice was made for him. 
     On one side of the school, Akane Tendou was being mobbed 
by squealing girls.  Extricating her would be a challenge, to say the 
least.  Tragus circled the building, looking for the other potential bait. 
And when he found his quarry skulking near the equipment shed, he 
had to repress the urge to laugh out loud. 
     Ranma Saotome was alone.  That figured, now that Tragus 
thought about it.  He was easily embarrassed, and had no doubt quickly 
tired of the good-natured gibes of his male classmates.  This particular 
spot was rumoured to be popular with couples among the student 
body, and Tragus noted with amusement how eagerly Ranma looked 
up at his approach.  Expecting his sweetie, no doubt. 
     Well, this was going to be the first disappointment of his day. 
And things were only going to be getting worse from here on in. 
     "Oh, Miss Hinako," Ranma said, his anticipation evaporating as 
he recognized the teacher. 
     "Were you expecting someone else, Mr. Saotome?" Tragus 
asked playfully.  The boy flushed slightly and looked away. 
     "Naw," he muttered, scuffing the ground slightly with his foot. 
     "Oh?  I thought you might have been waiting for Miss Tendou," 
Tragus said, laying one finger along the side of his cheek thoughtfully. 
"Although your note did say to meet at the old factory ..."  He watched 
as Ranma's head snapped up. 
     "Note?" he asked, puzzled.  "What note?" 
     "I overheard some of Akane's friends talking about it," Tragus 
told him blithely.  "She received a note from you asking her to come to 
the old factory down by the river.  I was just going to check and see if 
you two had left the property.  That's a no-no, you realize."  Ranma 
was beginning to look frantic as Tragus prattled on. 
     "But I didn't write any letter!" Ranma blurted.  "Are you sure she 
went?" 
     "Oh, yes.  Her friends said she left fifteen minutes ago," Tragus 
said innocently.  "Now that's odd.  If you didn't write the letter, who 
did?"  Ranma's expression hardened and he spun on his heel. 
     "I don't like this," he growled.  "Not one bit."  And with that, 
he was off and running.  Tragus watched him go, letting a predatory 
smile creep to his lips.  Ranma was headed the wrong way to see 
Akane on the other side of the school, still mobbed by girls.  In fact, no 
one was likely to take note of him as he dashed recklessly across the 
field towards the back gate. 
     Well, well, Tragus thought as he set out in pursuit.  The pig- 
tailed girl it is, then.  Let the games begin. 
*** 
     "Ah, Kunou-baby.  Practising your brooding skills?" Nabiki 
asked.  He looked up from where he leaned against the wall, arms 
crossed loosely across his chest. 
     "How very droll," he responded.  "For your information, 
Nabiki Tendou, I am not brooding.  I am merely holding myself aloof 
from the cacophony of meaningless babble that passes for social 
interaction here at Furinkan."  Nabiki nodded. 
     "So you heard, I take it?" she asked.  He peered at her from 
the corner of his eye. 
     "If you are referring to the news surrounding your lovely sister 
and that blackguard Saotome, I have indeed.  And although I would 
think she deserves better, far be it for me to appear petty." 
     "Oh, very far," Nabiki agreed with a straight face. 
     "And so I wish them well," he plowed on, not deigning to 
acknowledge her.  "If you are concerned that I might continue my futile 
efforts to woo your sister, your fears are for naught.  Recent weeks 
have cast a cold and merciless light upon my thoughts and deeds, and I 
now know that my affections are not reciprocated." 
     "Swell," Nabiki interrupted. " But enough about you ..." 
     "There will be other women," he continued, glaring at her. 
"After all, I am not without my charms ..." 
     "Yes you are," Nabiki assured him.  "Now, if I may climb over 
your hordes of admirers for just a moment, I need to talk to you." 
     "Sarcasm ill becomes you," he told her darkly.  She smiled 
sweetly. 
     "Sarcasm becomes me very much," she replied.  "Everybody says 
so.  Now, we need to talk about business matters.  If you take my 
meaning?"  He sighed, and some of the easy bantering atmosphere that 
had been between them fell away. 
     "Very well," he said.  They slipped down the hall and ducked 
into an empty classroom.  Once the door had closed behind them, he 
turned to her, crossing his arms again.  He probably thinks it makes him 
look authoritative, she thought wryly. 
     "Well?" he asked. 
     "Well, I just had a VERY interesting talk with Ukyou," she told 
him.  "And to get right to the point, she and Ryouga met a girl that 
claims to be a sorceress." 
     "Indeed?"  That had his attention, all right. 
     "That's not the half of it.  Apparently, she claims that there's 
something on your estate that belongs to her family, and she wants it 
back," she continued.  Kunou frowned, a furrow appearing between his 
eyebrows. 
     "Something that belongs to her family?" he repeated.  "How 
very odd.  Just what is this item she intends to lay claim to?" 
     "Some sort of pendant in the shape of a dragon's head ..."  Nabiki 
broke off, astonished.  Kunou's body had gone rigid, his eyes wide with 
shock.  "Kunou?  What is it?"  A tiny tremble ran through his frame, 
and he turned to her slowly. 
     "The pendant," he whispered, his voice hoarse.  Nabiki 
watched him carefully.  She certainly hadn't expected this reaction. 
     "You know what she's talking about?" she asked slowly.  "You 
have it?"  He blinked, seeming to focus on her suddenly. 
     "It cannot be coincidence that she has come now," he said 
firmly. 
     "Clearly," Nabiki agreed dryly.  "So, would you care to let me in on 
this, Kunou?"  He stared at her for long seconds, his eyes dark and 
unreadable.  Then, as if coming to a decision, he nodded once. 
     "Come on," he said, breezing by her.  She turned, confused. 
     "Wait a minute!  Where are we going?"  He looked back over 
his shoulder, and the fierce determination she saw in his face took her 
aback. 
     "I cannot avoid this any longer," he informed her.  "We are going to 
open a door, you and I ... a door that was meant to have remained 
closed." 
     "Be still my heart," she grumbled.  But she followed. 
     And she was smiling. 
*** 
     Wynneth had been both huntress and hunted in her life, and 
although she by far preferred being the former to being the latter, she 
hadn't survived so long by being careless.  When she began to emerge 
from a dark pool of shadow into the building Tragus had chosen, some 
instinct caused her to freeze. 
     Danger. 
     She remained cloaked in shadow, only partially in the Realm of 
Light, head cocked.  Although she couldn't pinpoint exactly what had 
alerted her, she had no intention of ignoring her instincts.  There was 
something wrong here.  Something was not as it should be.  Could 
Tragus be planning a double cross already?  This would be a poor time 
and place for it, but she couldn't dismiss the possibility out of hand. 
     The longer she hung there, poised on the verge of entry, the more 
convinced she became that she was not alone.  But she heard no 
tell-tale heartbeats, no soft exhalation of breath, scented no hot blood. 
If someone was here, they were masking their presence in a way no 
ordinary human could. 
     The smart thing to do would be to leave, but she couldn't do 
that just yet.  She needed to know more.  If Tragus was planning to 
betray her, he was making a fatal mistake.  And if it wasn't Tragus ... 
     Well, the alternative was certain to be much worse.  But, one way 
or the other, she needed to know for certain.  She was confident in her 
ability to remain here, undetected on the verge of Shadow.  She would 
wait and see what developed. 
     And then she would act accordingly. 
*** 
     Panic made Ranma reckless.  There was no concrete reason 
for his panic, he kept telling himself.  After all, there could be a perfectly 
innocent reason for that note. 
     Unfortunately, he didn't think the reason would turn out to be at 
all innocent.  In his life, strange occurrences never turned out to be 
innocent.  And Akane, his Akane, had gone off to meet someone 
claiming to be him.  In an abandoned factory, where there'd be nobody 
to see. 
     No, he just couldn't come up with a reason for this that didn't 
make his gut clench and twist.  A wave of fury, dizzying in its intensity, 
swept over him without warning.  If anything happens to her, her told 
himself grimly, then someone's gonna pay.  If anyone hurts her ... 
     Akane.  Please be all right. 
     He didn't slow as he approached the boarded up front gate. 
He knew there were numerous small holes in the fence, used by those 
who wanted to explore the musty interior of the hulking structure, but 
he disdained their use, leaping easily over the fence in one bound. 
Skidding to a halt near the pitted wall, he wrenched open the door, 
ignoring the pained screech of rusted hinges as he plunged into the 
shadowed interior. 
     Dusty beams of faded sunlight slanted through the old, used up 
air inside the main building.  The interior was a labyrinth of stacked 
crates and half-demolished walls, narrow paths snaking off into the 
shadowed depths.  Ranma stood in a patch of light, breath loud in his 
ears as he quested for any sign of life. 
     "Akane?" he called.  "Akane, are you here?" 
     "You're wasting your time," a voice came from behind him.  He 
whirled to see Miss Hinako standing in the doorway, breathing hard. 
He glared at her. 
     "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.  She shook 
her head, resting her hands on her knees for a moment as she tried to 
catch her breath. 
     "My, you certainly can run," she said at last.  He felt his 
impatience boiling over. 
     "What did you mean ..." he began. 
     "Akane's not here," she said simply.  He froze, the teacher's words 
sinking in slowly. 
     "But you said ..." 
     "Oh, that," she sniffed.  "I lied."  Ranma blinked. 
     "You ... lied," he repeated slowly. 
     "Yes, my dear," Hinako said cheerfully.  "You see, I wanted to 
get you here alone, and this seemed to be a good way to do it."  Oh, 
yes.  He was definitely beginning to get angry.  Miss Hinako could be a 
bit of a flake, but this was over the top even for her. 
     "So Akane's safe," he said, containing his anger with an effort. 
     "Oh, quite safe," Hinako smiled.  "You, on the other hand, are 
not."  So saying, she brought her hands together to form a circle, and 
shouted, "Happo No Coin Return!"  A chi bolt blasted out, catching 
Ranma flat-footed.  He was slammed back into a stack of crates, 
feeling the wood splinter under him before he bounced off and hit the 
floor.  Shaking his head, he pulled himself up off the floor warily. 
     "What the hell did you do that for?" he demanded.  Miss 
Hinako always had a reason for "disciplining" the students, as 
demented as those reasons sometimes were.  Ranma just couldn't 
understand what she was thinking. 
     "I can't tell you that," she said huskily.  "It would ruin the 
surprise."  She flipped a coin into the air and caught it neatly between 
her fingers, a sly smile playing at her lips.  Slowly, she began to move 
toward him, her tight dress hugging her curves provocatively ... 
     Wait a minute.  The incongruity finally hit him.  Miss Hinako 
had fired off a chi bolt at him ... and she hadn't reverted!  She was still 
in her adult form! 
     This whole thing was just getting stranger by the minute.  One 
thing was for certain, however; he couldn't let her drain his chi.  As she 
raised the coin towards him, he sprang away, dashing down a narrow, 
twisting path between towering stacks of old crates. 
     Mocking laughter chased him through the shadows. 
*** 
     Tragus smirked as he watched Ranma disappear into the 
shadows.  The boy no doubt thought that he was now in control of the 
situation.  What a fool.  Tragus's lovely new ally was the mistress of the 
shadows, after all.  Between them, they would run the boy to ground 
easily. 
     But not too easily, Tragus hoped.  He intended to enjoy this 
little diversion.  The previous night had only whet his appetite for 
diversions, both the carnal and the more ... subtle.  Thankfully, he'd 
been able to get out and drain the chi of an unsuspecting night 
watchman, returning before Wynneth.  He wanted to keep his condition 
secret from her for as long as possible, although he couldn't quite 
articulate the reason even to himself.  It wasn't a matter of trust; he 
already knew he couldn't trust her unreservedly.  No, it was more a 
matter of not wanting to appear weak in front of her.  Or foolish ... 
     Bah!  He chastised himself mentally as he moved slowly into the 
shadows.  He was thinking like a lovesick puppy!  Best to keep his 
mind on the matter at hand. 
     He hoped Wynneth would wait for him to show up before 
subduing Ranma.  He wanted to watch. 
     With a smug grin, he slipped through the shadows, edging 
around an unidentifiable piece of rusted junk. 
     The cold metal blade that emerged from the dark to graze his 
throat caught him completely off-guard. 
*** 
     Ranma dodged through the narrow, twisting alleys formed by 
the stacks of crates, heedless of the danger of obstacles, trusting his 
reflexes to keep him out of trouble. 
     He didn't know what the hell Miss Hinako was up to, but she'd 
really picked the wrong person to torment.  After all, he was the one 
person who could block her powers.  And here, in this deserted 
building, he wouldn't have to worry about looking like a total pervert 
when he hit those five pressure points on her body.  After she was 
under control, then he'd get her to tell him what was going on.  First, 
though, he needed to find a good place for an ambush. 
     He suppressed a sigh.  After giving Akane that ring, he'd 
figured his life could only get easier.  When would he ever learn? 
     Dusty beams of sunlight penetrated reluctantly through the 
grimy skylights in isolated clusters, rarely making it all the way to the 
floor where tottering walls and hulking shapes cast their impenetrable 
shadows.  He spotted an open area to his right and veered toward it 
recklessly, only realizing at the last moment that the strange, subtle 
shimmer in his path was not a trick of the capricious light.  He barrelled 
headlong into something, trying and failing to get his arms up to protect 
himself.  Whatever it was, it stretched, giving a little under his 
momentum before forcing him back.  He struggled wildly, but the 
milky strands were sticky and entangled him even more thoroughly as 
he thrashed.  Finally, panting with exertion, he stopped struggling, trying 
to assess just how much trouble he was in. 
     He was completely enmeshed in some sort of net that stretched 
across the gap in the crates.  No, not a net.  It almost looked like a 
giant spider's web, and that thought gave him a shudder.  He didn't 
want to meet a spider that could spin a web THIS big. 
     His arms were caught out to his sides, and he tried without success 
to bring them together.  The strands were silky and seemed almost 
delicate, but acting together they would give a little but not break.  He 
couldn't move his arms more than a couple of inches, and his feet barely 
brushed the floor.  Shaking his head angrily failed to help, only causing 
several smaller filaments to catch in his hair.  Without leverage, he 
couldn't seem to do anything.  He needed another option. 
     The sound of high heels clicking hollowly on the cold cement 
floor drifted to him through the cool, musty air.  He gritted his teeth, 
waiting for Miss Hinako to appear out of the shadows.  How the hell 
had she managed this, anyway? 
     A lithe female form appeared across the space in front of him, 
the one he'd been heading for.  She approached the isolated patch of 
light in the middle of the floor languidly, moving with a lazy, almost 
contemptuous, ease.  But when she passed through the light, her 
passage brushing tiny dancing motes from her path, Ranma could only 
stare in confusion. 
     It wasn't his demented teacher after all. 
     Moving with sinuous animal grace, the stranger approached. 
She had dusky skin that contrasted with her mane of flowing white hair, 
and her gray eyes regarded him with amusement.  He watched as she 
slipped out of her light gray trenchcoat, revealing a sleeveless white 
bodysuit and matching high boots.  She thrust the coat negligently out to 
one side, and he blinked as a shadowy form appeared to take it, 
melting back into the dark silently. 
     "Well, well," the woman murmured, her voice husky and 
intimate.  "What's this?  A poor little fly, all unwary and alone, has 
become entwined in my web."  She moved closer until she stood less 
than an arm's length away, and cocked her head, her lush ruby lips 
twisting into a frown. 
     "I do hope you're the right one," she mused.  "You don't look 
like a girl to me.  Still, the day won't be a total waste one way or the 
other.  You are quite beautiful, my young prey."  She leaned closer, and 
the stunned Ranma caught a whiff of perfume, feminine and mysterious. 
"And you have blue eyes," she purred.  "I'm partial to blue eyes, you 
know."  Finally, he found his voice, anger overcoming his shock. 
     "Hey!  What's going on here, lady?  Let me go!"  She ran her 
fingers through her hair, flipping it back over her shoulder flirtatiously. 
     "What?" she asked.  "After I went to so much trouble to catch 
you?  I think not."  She reached out one slim finger, running it lightly 
over his cheek as she held his gaze teasingly.  He flinched, but couldn't 
pull back very far as she traced the line of his cheekbone with her long 
nail. 
     "Mmmm, you are a tasty morsel," she whispered.  "One way 
or the other, I will enjoy you.  And your chi is sooooo ... deep."  She 
gave him a predatory smile, and he felt his gut clench.  He didn't know 
what the hell was happening, but he knew one thing.  He didn't want to 
be hanging around while this gorgeous lunatic made goo-goo eyes at 
him.  In fact, all he really wanted was to be back at school with Akane. 
And speaking of chi, if he could manage to get his hands close enough 
to generate a burst, he might tear through this webbing, or at least 
dislodge whatever it was anchored to.  He concentrated, letting his aura 
flare to life.  He'd had quite enough of being on display. 
     "Better stand back, lady," he gritted, glaring at her as he clenched 
his fists tightly.  "This could be dangerous ... for you!"  She moved, but 
not back.  The hungry smile never leaving her lips, she easily slipped her 
arms through the web that ensnared him.  He stiffened with shock as 
her arms twined around his waist and she came up fully against him, 
pressing her body into his as she brushed his cheek with her mouth. 
Her hot breath sent a tingle down his spine in spite of the outrageous 
predicament he found himself in. 
     "H-Hey!" he blurted.  She ignored his protest, her mouth 
slipping to his ear, her hot, intimate breath and lush scent making him 
flush in spite of himself. 
     "Silly boy," she whispered.  "The spider has ways of subduing 
her prey.  Delicious ways ..."  Her voice trailed off, and suddenly he felt 
her mouth, hot and soft, pressing against the side of his throat.  He 
barely had time to wonder what the hell was going on as her lips 
parted, her mouth pressing against taut flesh tantalizingly, and then he 
gasped as two points of fire blossomed within the softness of the kiss. 
The fire quickly turned to ice, and he felt her arms tighten around him as 
he tensed, crying out hoarsely.  From the points on his throat, the 
tingling ice spread with horrible speed throughout his body.  His arms 
and legs went rubbery, the strength draining from them so quickly he'd 
have collapsed if the web and its lovely mistress hadn't been holding 
him up. 
     He was aware of the woman pulling her mouth away from his 
throat, and of her body, still pressed tightly against his.  With an oddly 
detached terror, he realized he could still feel everything, but he 
couldn't move, couldn't make his body obey him.  There was a rushing 
sound in his ears, and his vision began to narrow.  He could see the 
cruelly beautiful face of the woman who'd bitten him, regarding him with 
a look that was almost tender.  And, behind her, he could see Miss 
Hinako's face, watching him, her features set in an expressionless mask. 
     You, he thought through the blind panic that was beginning to 
overwhelm him.  You set me ... up ... you ... 
     Akane ... 
     Then the darkness rose up and pulled him inexorably down. 
*** 
     Riana sighed with pleasure as her venom overcame the boy's 
resistance, his body going limp against her.  This one was a find, all 
right.  His chi was deeper than any she'd found in a human, promising 
pleasures such as she hadn't experienced in years.  She cupped his chin 
and tilted his head back gently.  His eyes were half opened, only white 
showing as they rolled back in his head.  Oh, yes, he was a treasure 
indeed. 
     But not the one she'd been promised.  Shifting her demeanor 
effortlessly from sultry to icy, she turned her attention to their other 
visitor. 
     "Well, Jubei," she said with a cold glance over her shoulder. 
"What's this you've found?" 
     "Just some trash, Lady," her bodyguard said easily.  Tragus 
stood in front of him, arms secured behind his back, trying hard not to 
show his fear as he watched the others emerge from the shadows. 
     (And wasn't it odd to be referring to Tragus as "him" in that 
lovely shell, while not thinking of Tisa as "her" while she cloaked herself 
in Jubei's form?  Very well, "her" for the traitor then.  It would soon 
cease to be an issue one way or the other.) 
     "Ah, Tragus," she murmured, letting a dangerous smile creep to her 
lips as she carefully disentangled herself from her new toy.  "What a 
pleasure to see you again." 
     "You'll pardon me if I don't offer to shake hands," Tragus 
returned woodenly.  Riana walked slowly over to the captive, the 
echoes of her boot heels against the concrete reverberating in the 
musty air of the high-ceilinged building.  She stopped directly in front of 
Tragus, almost touching her, and felt her smile widen with anticipation. 
Without warning, she delivered a savage backhand, rocking the tawny 
beauty's head back.  Tragus staggered and fell sprawling, unable to 
break her fall with her hands bound.  Riana nodded, and Jubei quickly 
bent down and hauled Tragus unceremoniously to her feet again. 
     "You've been an irritant from the first time I met you," Riana hissed, 
staring into Tragus's wide eyes.  A trickle of blood snaked from the 
corner of her mouth, and her breathing was rapid and shallow.  So. 
The ambitious lowlife was afraid.  Well.  Too late to be afraid now. 
She should have shown some sensible fear back when it could have 
done some good. 
     "You took liberties with me," Riana went on, her eyes narrowed 
with cold fury.  "I detest that.  You mocked me.  I'm not at all fond of 
that, either."  She leaned forward until the tip of her nose brushed the 
other woman's, holding those wide hazel eyes with her glare. 
     "But your death warrant was not signed until you conspired 
against me," she hissed.  She saw comprehension dawn in those eyes, 
and knew that the lowlife was about to start squirming, trying to elude 
the snare.  Just like any of its ilk. 
     "Wynneth told you that?" Tragus asked quickly.  Look, Ri ..." 
Riana backhanded her again.  She wouldn't allow this low trash to soil 
her name by speaking it with that unbearable familiarity.  And this time 
she used the other hand, the one upon which she wore her signet ring. 
Tragus's lower lip split badly, blood spraying as her head snapped 
back again.  This time Jubei kept her from falling. 
     "You may address me as LADY," Riana snarled.  "And only 
when I give you leave to speak.  Do you understand, traitor?"  Tragus's 
head hung loosely, her hair obscuring her face, but Riana saw the head 
nod weakly.  Growling, she plunged her hand into the dishevelled mane 
and yanked the lowlife's head back so she could look into those 
terrified eyes again. 
     "I asked you a question, traitor," she spat.  "You will answer 
when I speak to you.  Now, do you understand?"  Blood ran freely 
from Tragus's mouth, pooling under her chin to drip off slowly.  The 
sight warmed Riana's heart. 
     "I understand.  Lady."  The words were almost whispered, but 
Riana smiled nonetheless. 
     "Good," she crooned.  "Now then, traitor.  There was to be a 
girl.  Instead, there is a boy.  Have you bungled once again?" 
     "There's a curse," Tragus muttered, her voice hoarse and 
strengthless.  "On him.  Splash him with cold water and he turns into a 
girl.  Hot water turns him back."  Riana held the lowlife's head 
immobile as she considered her words. 
     "And the Kunou boy ... he loves this one as a girl?" she asked, 
disbelief clear in her tone.  Tragus flinched. 
     "Yes, because he doesn't know about the curse!" she blurted. 
"That's the truth, Lady, I swear!"  Riana released her and stood back, 
casting a thoughtful glance at the boy hanging limply in her web.  Could 
this story be true?  If so, what a marvellous toy this one would be! 
     "Lady, the traitor is lying, stalling for time," Jubei growled.  "She 
hopes that her accomplice will come and save her, no doubt.  Let me 
take care of this trash for you, once and for all." 
     "Ah, yes," she smiled.  "Tragus did embarrass you the first time she 
came to me in this lovely shell, as I recall.  No doubt you'd like a 
measure of revenge."  Tragus swallowed, her throat clicking dryly as 
Riana gave her an appraising stare.  Then she turned to Callie, still 
half-hidden in the shadows. 
     "Well?" she asked curtly.  Callie bowed. 
     "We set the warning spells as you instructed," the blonde replied. 
"But we never detected the Lady Wynneth's presence.  Of course, this 
place is large and there are many nooks and ..." 
     "Yes," Riana sighed, waving her hand negligently.  "Somehow, 
she sniffed out the trap.  That bitch, she's got a real nose for trouble. 
Still, now that she's dared conspire openly against me, I'll have an 
excuse to hunt her down.  Remain alert, however.  Although unlikely, 
she still may show."  Callie nodded and faded back into the darkness as 
Riana turned her attention back to Tragus. 
     "Well," she said.  "You obviously chose to trust the wrong 
person, Tragus.  And that mistake will cost you.  Jubei, take this lowlife 
trash out of my sight.  It turns my stomach to have to look at it."  Jubei 
grinned as he pulled the pale woman back sharply. 
     "May I execute the traitor for you, Lady?" he asked, not 
bothering to hide his eagerness.  Riana sniffed. 
     "I think not," she replied haughtily.  "Tragus has much to answer for. 
Her life is mine to take.  At any rate, she must be kept alive until I've 
determined whether she's telling the truth about this curse.  However, 
you may punish her for past transgressions if you like ... just as long as 
she is conscious when I come for her."  Tragus cried out in alarm as a 
grinning Jubei pulled her towards a nearby alcove. 
     "Lady, please!" she begged.  Riana smiled sweetly. 
     "This is the fate of a traitor," she said casually.  "And if you've 
lied to me about this curse, you'll die slowly."  Of course, Tragus was 
going to die slowly anyway, pleading for the release of death.  The 
lowlife had tried to rise above her station, had mocked Riana at every 
turn, and had dared to plot against Riana's plan to revive her beloved. 
She would make an example of the scum that none of the other 
newcomers would soon forget.  And she would enjoy doing it. 
     "Lilla," she said softly.  The lithe succubus emerged soundlessly 
from the shadows. 
     "My Most Revered Lady," the succubus replied, bowing deeply. 
"How may I be of service?"  Riana stared her new acquisition up and 
down, wondering how he'd look without the baggy clothes. 
     "Find me some cold water," she bade her servant as she chewed 
idly on her thumbnail.  "Let us see if we have our bait or not." 
*** 
     One disadvantage to his new body that Tragus had been 
unaware of was quickly becoming obvious. 
     It felt pain very keenly. 
     He swung helplessly, head bowed, wrists handcuffed over his head. 
The short chain joining the cuffs had been looped over a low pipe that 
ran across this sheltered alcove, and as a result he was suspended with 
his feet barely brushing the floor.  Feeling his ragged breath burning in 
his throat, he raised his head to see Jubei regarding him critically. 
Tragus tried to glare at the man, but he feared the effect was somewhat 
diminished by the fact that one of his eyes was nearly swollen shut. 
Also, his ribs ached horribly and blood ran freely from his split mouth. 
     Jubei was clearly a man who enjoyed his work. 
     "You know," Jubei said, studying his knuckles casually, "I was just 
thinking about that time you ambushed me in the garage."  Tragus 
gritted his teeth, trying not to cry out again. 
     "I remember, already," he mumbled. 
     "That made me look very bad in front of my Lady," Jubei 
continued as if Tragus hadn't spoken.  "She was most unhappy with 
me."  Without warning, he slammed his fist into Tragus's bruised ribs, 
and Tragus cried out shrilly despite his resolve.  He saw Jubei grin 
through a blood-red haze. 
     "I hate when that happens," Jubei sighed.  "I've wanted to take out 
my frustrations for a while now, and just when I thought I wouldn't get 
to, here you go and screw up and get yourself nailed.  Life is grand, 
isn't it?" 
     Not from where I sit, Tragus thought, his breath coming in 
ragged spurts as he fought to keep calm.  He couldn't help wondering if 
it had been Wynneth who'd betrayed him.  But that didn't make sense, 
because if Tragus was caught here, Wynneth didn't get Ranma.  No 
Ranma, no bait ... and Wynneth wanted that pendant badly. 
     Well, if she hadn't betrayed him, she sure as hell wasn't here to 
bail him out.  If he didn't think of something before Riana confirmed the 
curse, he was dead meat.  But what could he do?  What ...? 
     As if in answer to his thoughts, a tingling, pins-and-needles 
sensation began to spread all over his body.  His hot, broken breath 
caught in his throat as hope finally swelled large and tantalizingly close. 
Yes, he thought, oh YES!  He chanced a quick glance up at the metal 
cuffs cinched tightly around his wrists.  Yes, it might ... no, it WOULD 
be enough.  But it would all be for naught if this maniac Jubei just 
stepped in and grabbed him.  He'd have to distract his captor at just 
the right moment. 
     Tragus stared impassively at Jubei as the tingling intensified. 
The bodyguard was casually sizing him up for another well-placed 
blow, tugging lightly at his jacket sleeve as he ran his flat impassive gaze 
over Tragus's battered form.  This is it, Tragus thought, taking a deep 
breath.  Make it the performance of a lifetime, or it'll be the LAST one 
of your lifetime.  Jubei was about to take a step forward when Tragus 
let his gaze flick over the man's shoulder, his eye widening in shock. 
     "Wynneth, help!" he shouted.  Jubei spun, reaching inside his 
coat with one hand as Tragus's body finally reverted.  The renegade 
was pulled upwards as his arms shortened, and for one long, horrifying 
moment he was certain that his hands were not going to shrink enough 
to free him.  When they did, he plummeted suddenly to the floor, 
stumbling slightly before forcing his pain-wracked body into a dead run. 
He was aware of Jubei, turning back from the shadows to gape at the 
small form fleeing toward one of the narrow alleys, hesitating only for a 
moment before he gathered himself to give chase. 
     Tragus dearly hoped that would be enough. 
*** 
     Tisa spun instinctively as Tragus cried out, reaching for her 
knife as she desperately searched the shadows for some sign of 
Wynneth.  She'd come after all!  As her fingers slid around the hilt of 
her knife, though, she heard a thump from behind her and turned back 
in time to see a young girl running into the shadows.  She blinked, 
unable for a moment to reconcile the young girl with the empty 
handcuffs dangling loosely from the overhead pipe. 
     Tragus?  But how ... 
     Cursing, he took off in pursuit, shouting for help.  Damn it! 
He'd known about the punk's chi draining abilities, but nobody had said 
anything about him being able to change form!  Tisa rushed headlong 
after the fleeing girl, already lost in the shadows.  Damn, this place 
was a maze!  If Tragus got too far ahead, she'd never find the idiot. 
And Riana would definitely not be pleased. 
     She plunged down the narrow passage, twisting and dodging, 
aware of faint footsteps echoing from somewhere ahead, and loud 
shouts from back the way she'd come. 
     And then a hand clamped over her mouth, pulling her back 
sharply, and something soft brushed against her neck.  Then there was 
a brief spike of pain, and she tried to cry out, but the hand muffled her 
voice, and anyway it didn't hurt anymore.  In fact, it felt nice, warm and 
intimate, and her vision began to go black as her strength drained away 
.. 
*** 
     Callie couldn't believe it.  Tisa, she groaned inwardly, how 
could you let that weasel get away?  She'd passed the handcuffs, still 
hanging from the pipe, and felt her heart sink.  Directing the two 
Borgunma with her down different passages, she'd taken the one she 
felt most likely to be correct herself.  She concentrated as she ran, 
trying to sense something through her link with Tisa.  That link was 
tenuous enough at the best of times, but she rarely felt anything at all 
when Tisa was inside that stupid man's body.  She caught a flash of 
something though, something like panic, and it confirmed that Tisa was 
ahead of her somewhere.  Then there was nothing for a time, and she 
cursed again.  The bitch goddess of fortune seemed to have it in for 
them, all right.  Had she once again given them a gleaming hope, only to 
snatch it away at the last moment? 
     Then Callie felt something, an awareness bursting into her 
thoughts loudly, and she stumbled, nearly falling ... 
     (pain shock confusion pain) 
     'Tisa?" she whispered. 
     Then she was running all out, heedless of the risk to herself ... 
     (darkness) 
     "TISA!" she screamed.  Her shoulder slammed painfully against 
a projecting crate, spinning her half around, but she recovered and 
pushed on, spurred by the certainty that Tisa was in trouble, very bad 
trouble indeed. 
     "TISA ANSWER ME!" 
     (it's dark) 
     Hurtling around a cluster of fallen crates, she nearly tripped 
over something on the floor, and she skidded in something dark and 
liquid, something that smelled familiar, like old copper. 
     Blood.  So much blood ... 
     She dropped to her knees in it, pulling the limp male body from 
the cold concrete floor and cradling it in her arms.  The head lolled 
back, and she could see where the blood was coming from.  The throat 
had been cut with savage force, and arterial blood was pumping from 
the gaping wound ... but so weakly, there must be almost none left ... 
     "Tisa," she said, her voice shaking as she pulled the horribly 
loose head around.  A gurgling noise emerged from the slack mouth, 
and the eyes were terribly unfocussed, staring at nothing.  Callie knew 
she was nearly out of time.  The great danger for those with the talent 
she and Tisa shared was that if the host body died, the possessor died 
as well.  And with a wound such as this, the shock and pain could 
cause the possessor to become fatally disoriented, slipping away with 
the stolen body while freedom was tantalizingly close. 
     "Tisa," she said, louder now.  The glazed eyes didn't focus.  "Tisa, 
come out.  Tisa, darling, you've got to come out RIGHT NOW. 
Please ..."  The body shuddered, wet raspy breaths trailing off.  Callie 
ignored the blood soaking into her bodysuit as she grabbed a handful of 
hair and yanked Jubei's hateful face around so she could stare directly 
into the eyes, pressing her free hand against the gaping wound in a futile 
gesture. 
     "DAMMIT TISA LISTEN TO ME!  COME OUT!"  The light 
was fading from those eyes, the blood down to a trickle, and Callie felt 
her last chance slipping away.  Her chest felt tight, and she choked 
back a sob.  Not like this.  After everything, not like this.  It couldn't 
happen this way.  It just ... just ... 
     "Please," she whispered.  "Please, little sister, don't go.  Stay 
with me.  Please."  The body convulsed once, more of a twitch really, 
and the mouth worked slightly.  There was a weak gurgle, and as the 
eyes rolled back, a green mist emerged from the slack mouth, flowing in 
a cloud to the floor nearby.  Callie gasped, then tossed the body of 
Jubei aside as the mist coalesced into a female form curled into a ball, 
long green hair obscuring her face.  Tisa coughed raggedly, then started 
taking great, whooping breaths, her hands pressed frantically against 
her throat, and Callie wrapped her arms around the other girl from 
behind, pulling Tisa tightly against her own body. 
     "C-can't ... buh-bur ..." Tisa gasped.  Callie held the trembling 
girl tightly, stroking her hair with one hand as she whispered comforting 
words into one tapered ear. 
     "You're all right," she murmured comfortingly, rocking Tisa in a 
gentle rhythm.  "It's just the transfer effect, darling.  You're out now, 
you're not hurt.  You can breathe, come on now, I'm here.  Take deep 
breaths, okay?  Deep and slow.  That's it."  Slowly, Tisa lowered her 
shaking hands from her unmarked throat.  Callie blinked away tears as 
the other girl stared at them as if she'd never seen them before. 
     "I was luh-lost," she rasped, a fresh set of tremors seizing her 
lithe frame.  Callie squeezed her tightly, drawing Tisa's head down to 
her shoulder. 
     "I know," she crooned.  "I know.  But I've got you now.  You 
made it.  You're going to be all right."  Slowly, Tisa's breathing evened 
out and she managed to raise her head slightly.  Callie knew she was 
looking at the bloody ruin that lay behind them.  After a moment, Tisa 
gently placed her hands on Callie's shoulders and pushed herself back. 
Callie reached out, tenderly brushing a stray lock out of Tisa's face, 
which elicited a shaky smile. 
     "Oh, boy," Tisa said breathlessly.  "Oh, boy.  That was bad. 
That was ..." 
     "You're all right now," Callie smiled, relief making her feel 
giddy.  Tisa laughed humourlessly. 
     "For a few moments, maybe," she pointed out raspily, running her 
fingers nervously though her hair.  "But you might have wasted your 
time, love."  Callie blinked. 
     "How can you say that?" she blurted angrily.  Tisa looked 
around them and sighed. 
     "Because," she replied ruefully, "when she finds out that Tragus 
escaped, our Lady is going to bloody kill me." 
*** 
     Wynneth sank deep into Shadow, struggling to contain her 
rage.  Somehow, that bitch had discovered her plan.  Somehow ... 
     She'd initially suspected Tragus, of course.  However, as she'd 
slipped through the building, remaining just barely below the surface of 
Shadow as she'd expertly eluded the snares set for her, she'd sensed 
Tragus's presence.  Since she'd tasted her new partner's blood so 
recently, she was able to home in on her and take a peek. 
     Watching Tisa in Jubei's lean body torture the hapless Tragus had 
convinced Wynneth that she was wrong on one count.  Whatever had 
happened to derail her plans, Tragus had not been behind it.  Either 
that, or she was stupid enough to get caught in her own trap. 
     When Tragus had called out her name, she'd been caught off 
guard.  Could Tragus possibly have sensed her presence?  But no, 
Tragus had been looking in the wrong direction, and as Jubei turned, 
she *changed* somehow, shrinking, slipping free of her bonds and 
fleeing into the labyrinthine depths of the old building. 
     And Wynneth had desperately seized upon the opportunity that 
presented itself. 
     She had managed to get ahead of Tisa, taking her by surprise. 
She'd been forced to smash though the Baenma's defences, gulping her 
hot salty blood as she forced the bodyguard to submit to her.  Such a 
lack of art and subtlety left a bad taste in her mouth, but there was 
nothing for it.  Wynneth had needed to find out if she knew where 
Riana would be conducting the ceremony.  And, as she'd suspected, 
Tisa had indeed known.  And now Wynneth knew as well.  Having lost 
the bait, she would be forced to resort to more direct measures to 
prevent Vaenruth's revival.  Not really her style, but at least she still had 
a chance. 
     Slitting the helpless man's throat with his own knife, she left him 
to die on the cold floor, aware of the imminent arrival of reinforcements. 
Even if Tisa survived the death of her host body, Wynneth had ensured 
she wouldn't remember what had happened.  The others would assume 
that Tragus had ambushed his tormentor, and the wound on Jubei's 
throat was sufficiently brutal that the tell-tale fang marks had been 
eradicated. 
     So.  Although she'd lost one opportunity, Wynneth not yet beaten. 
As far as Riana knew, she'd never showed up here at all.  And the 
arrogant witch was unaware that Wynneth knew where the ceremony 
was to take place.  Wynneth smiled slowly, secure in the embrace of 
her beloved Shadow, letting her anger dissipate. 
     Let those fools believe that victory was theirs.  Riana and her loyal 
retainers were going to learn the hard way that Wynneth was not so 
easily beaten. 
*** 
     Riana didn't bother to hide her displeasure. 
     "Changed shape, you say?" she asked coldly.  Tisa nodded, 
her eyes downcast.  Callie was surreptitiously supporting the still shaky 
Baenma bodyguard while simultaneously trying to avoid notice.  There 
were dark blood stains on both Baenma, more on Callie who looked 
like she'd knelt in it. 
     "Yes, Lady," Tisa said meekly.  "I was caught off-guard.  While 
giving chase, she somehow got behind me and cut my ... Jubei's throat." 
     "It was a near thing, my ..." Callie broke in. 
     "Silence," Riana snapped.  She didn't raise her voice; she 
didn't have to.  They both stiffened and fell silent as Riana turned to 
regard the wet redhead now suspended in her web.  On the one hand, 
she definitely had her bait.  Still, such a blunder was disturbing, 
especially when things had reached such a delicate stage.  And who 
would have thought that braggart Tragus would have had the foresight 
to hold back some aspect of her powers?  Damn! 
     "The loss of Jubei will be inconvenient," she said at last, her 
voice edged with ice.  "He is known at the office.  There will need to be 
explanations.  I am most displeased." 
     "I take full responsibility, Lady," Tisa said, bowing her head. 
     "Yes," Riana agreed.  "Your punishment will be severe, but 
fortunately for you, it must wait."  She ignored the misery obvious in 
Tisa's forlorn posture and turned to Keisuke. 
     "There was no trace of Wynneth?" she asked curtly.  He shook 
his head. 
     "None of our warning spells were tripped, Lady," he informed her. 
"But I would feel more confident if ..." 
     "I am fully aware of the limitations of our efforts here," she 
interrupted.  "However, I am inclined to think that Wynneth got wind of 
our presence somehow and decided not to make an appearance.  She 
prefers treachery, Kei."  The uncharacteristic use of that diminutive was 
not lost on Tisa, Riana noted with satisfaction.  Well, good. 
     "A direct confrontation is not her style, especially when the 
odds are stacked against her," she went on, favouring him with a brief 
but warm smile.  "Now, we must not tarry any longer.  Any further ... 
lapses of judgement might seriously jeopardize this operation."  She 
looked straight at Tisa as she said that, and again her barb found its 
mark.  "Lilla, did you get the photo?"  Lilla nodded, her usually 
mischievous demeanor muted by her concern for Tisa. 
     "Yes, Lady," she said evenly, holding it up. 
     "Good.  Keisuke, cut our guest loose and take her to the car. 
I'm making her your personal responsibility."  Keisuke grinned, his 
dark eyes sparkling with delight. 
     "I won't let you down, Lady," he promised, drawing his sword. 
     "I know you won't, Kei," she smiled.  Tisa looked like she 
wanted to curl up and die, shoulders hunched slightly, no trace of her 
usual brisk efficiency visible.  "The rest of you clean up and get to the 
truck ... except you."  She pointed at a hulking form standing immobile 
in the shadows. 
     "Me?" it inquired in a deep, gravelly voice.  She smiled. 
     "Yes.  I want you to go and dispose of the body.  I want 
nothing left behind to tie me to this place."  The hulk shambled out of 
the dark, cocking its lumpy head inquisitively. 
     "Er ...whaddaya want I should do wit' it, Lady?" the imposing 
Borgunma asked uncertainly.  Riana sighed, reminding herself that 
Borgunma were useful for their strength and expendable nature, not for 
their intelligence. 
     "The body will still be warm," she pointed out.  "Eat it."  The 
hulk, whose name she had forgotten (and had never regarded as 
important anyway) grinned, revealing a mouth full of long, sharp teeth. 
     "Yes, ma'am!" it roared with enthusiasm.  Keisuke came up to 
her with the red-head slung easily over his shoulder, and she motioned 
him to follow.  When Tisa fell in behind them, Riana stopped. 
     "Keisuke can drive," she informed the bedraggled girl.  "You 
go back in the truck with the others."  Tisa flinched slightly, but nodded. 
     "Yes, my Lady," she said woodenly.  She turned and walked 
slowly over to the others, who were busy cleaning up traces of the 
web.  Every line and angle in her body spoke loudly of pain, Riana 
mused.  Well, too bad.  Her failure must be punished.  Riana couldn't 
allow incompetence in her most valuable minions.  Tisa was going to 
hurt a whole lot worse before Riana was satisfied she'd gotten the 
message.  Then she sighed. 
     Tragus was still out there, but no longer constituted much of a 
threat.  She'd hunt the renegade down herself when this was over and 
delight in her death.  As for Wynneth, she'd suffered a crippling blow 
here today.  Now that her plot against Riana was exposed, she too 
would be hunted.  Riana intended to ask her lover for the privilege of 
dealing with that bitch when the time came.  With her enemies thwarted 
and directionless, it was hard not to feel confident about her prospects 
for success. 
     "Come on, Keisuke," she said with a sly smile.  "We've much 
to do, and I can't wait to play with my new toy." 
*** 
     These tunnels hadn't gotten any more comforting since she'd 
last been in them, Nabiki reflected.  And Kunou's refusal to discuss his 
odd reaction to this pendant was definitely beginning to annoy her. 
Despite her annoyance, though, she stuck close behind him ... just to 
keep from tripping over something in the dark.  It wasn't like she was 
nervous or anything. 
     Even when the echo of their footsteps made it sound like they 
were being followed ... 
     They approached the point where they'd entered the storeroom 
before, and Kunou stopped.  She opened her mouth to make a remark, 
but before she could say anything Kunou had set off again.  She hurried 
to catch up, anticipation rising in her as she realized where they were 
going. 
     "The pendant's not in with the other stuff?" she asked.  Kunou 
shook his head. 
     "No, it is not," he murmured. 
     "And down here is where you said, if I recall correctly, the 
heart of the mystery resides," she went on, striving to keep the 
excitement from her voice.  "I do hope this is impressive, Kunou.  You 
know how I hate being let down."  He glanced over his shoulder at her, 
his eyes dark and unreadable. 
     "I trust you will be sufficiently impressed," was all he said. 
They came to the imposing door at the end of the wide passageway 
and stopped.  Kunou fished an ornate key out of his pocket and held it 
up to the light.  Nabiki frowned. 
     "Hey," she said.  "The other doors down here aren't locked. 
Last time, you said it wasn't necessary."  Kunou smiled humourlessly. 
     "This door requires ... added security," he said simply.  "As 
well as the ones beyond it ..." 
     "MORE doors?" she asked suspiciously.  "You hauled me 
down here to show me MORE doors?"  He stared at the heavy key in 
his hand, his attention seemingly caught by the gleaming blue gem set in 
the wide end of it. 
     "This door," he murmured.  "I was told it was best left 
unopened once, a long time ago ... it seems like forever.  But once it 
was opened, there was no turning back." 
     "Doors were made to be opened," Nabiki pointed out 
impatiently.  Kunou looked up from the key as if only just remembering 
that she was there. 
     "I will remember that you said that," he said, his voice full of 
something that might have been bitterness, or sorrow, or melancholy, 
but was probably some mixture of the three.  He inserted the key into a 
lock that looked like it could withstand anything short of a nuclear blast. 
She watched carefully, and so did not miss the tiny glimmer of light from 
the gem as Kunou turned the key.  Strange patterns, etched in bluish 
light, flared briefly on the door's surface when the lock clicked open. 
Nabiki recognized those patterns; they were similar to the ones Kunou 
had showed her on the storeroom door.  Slowly, Kunou withdrew the 
key and turned the door handle, strangely bright and clean against the 
dark surface of the door.  He stopped and looked back at her, the 
lantern picking out the sharp planes of his face, giving his features an 
almost devilish cast. 
     "Nabiki Tendou," he said gravely.  "You, who are so fond of 
secrets, will no doubt be pleased to know that, to the best of my 
knowledge, no one has passed through this door in years.  Not since I 
was a child, in fact.  Not since ..."  He trailed off, staring at the door as 
if it might leap out and bite him. 
     "Not since?" she prompted.  He sighed. 
     "Not since the last day of my brother's life," he said heavily. 
She could only stare as he pulled, the solid door swinging out 
soundlessly.  The last day ...? 
     Kunou stepped through the doorway, and she gave herself a 
sharp mental shake, following.  There was another set of stairs, this one 
widening as it descended.  They reached the floor below fairly quickly, 
Nabiki trotting smartly to keep up with Kunou's longer strides. 
     "What happened that day, Kunou?" she asked as they reached the 
smooth stone floor.  "Did you ..."  Her voice caught in her throat as the 
lantern revealed more of this chamber.  It opened up around them, the 
ceiling rising high above.  The most breathtaking feature, however, was 
directly in front of them.  A tall, arched doorway was blocked by two 
huge doors that soared high over their heads, meeting at the centre of 
the arch so precisely that there barely appeared to be a seam between 
them at all.  Kunou walked slowly towards the imposing portal, and 
Nabiki followed, a feeling of awe almost overwhelming her. 
     Something about these doors felt ... ancient, somehow, and 
they evoked a feeling of dread in her at the same time as they seemed 
to kindle a wild and reckless joy. 
     "Oh, boy, we have got to open those."  She didn't realize she'd 
spoken aloud until Kunou answered her. 
     "Yes," he said, so quietly that she had to strain to hear him. 
"You feel it, do you not?  There is something here, something ... a sense 
of great and terrible mysteries, of things long buried and anxious to be 
discovered.  It is almost a compulsion.  Kazuhiro and I felt it back then, 
of course, and in the end it overcame our fear."  Nabiki stepped 
forward so she could see his face. 
     "Wait a minute," she said slowly.  "Are you telling me that you 
guys opened THOSE doors too?"  The corner of his mouth twitched 
up for a second, and his eyes seemed to be staring at something only he 
could see. 
     "Oh, yes," he whispered.  "Having come this far, having finally 
dared the forbidden, we could not resist just one look.  Just one quick 
peek.  We had to know, you see.  We HAD to."  She understood 
completely.  Because, standing there before those strange and 
somehow unearthly portals, she also felt that compulsion, that burning 
need to know what lay beyond. 
     "Well?" she asked, excitement and impatience creeping into her 
usual deadpan demeanor.  "What's in there?  Come on, Kunou, you've 
brought me this far!  Don't think for a moment I'm going to be satisfied 
with just this much!"  He shook his head, still staring into space. 
     "By this point, I assure you I know better than that," he 
murmured.  "Fear not, Nabiki Tendou.  We have indeed come here on 
this day to open these doors once more.  You are about to see a sight 
few have ever gazed upon.  Now, please stand back."  He moved until 
he was facing the doors, and Nabiki noticed that there was an 
indentation in the middle of the doorway, where the two doors met.  It 
appeared to be in the shape of a key, and moments later Kunou 
confirmed her suspicion by taking the strange key and holding it out in 
front of him, staring at the crystal embedded in the end.  For long 
moments, nothing happened.  Then ... 
     Nabiki watched, fascinated, as the crystal in the end of the key 
began to pulse strangely, FLASH-flash, FLASH-flash, FLASH-flash. 
It took her a few moments to puzzle out what that pattern reminded her 
of, then she had it. 
     A heartbeat. 
     Then the matching indentation in the doors began to glimmer, 
then pulse with a deep blue light, matching the pulses of the key. 
Kunou spread his fingers slowly until his hand was completely open, but 
the key remained where it was, hanging motionless in the air.  Nabiki 
watched raptly as the key slowly began to move towards the doors, the 
pulsing light of the crystal growing stronger with its proximity to the 
doors.  She took a breath and unconsciously held it as the key drew 
nearer, finally sliding into the matching depression with an almost 
inaudible click.  The strange crystal stopped pulsing then, its light 
becoming steady and bright, like a beacon. 
     Then the light began to spread, spearing outwards in lines along the 
surface of the doors themselves, like liquid fire filling invisible grooves. 
Shapes appeared, patterns that suggested profound meaning which 
lurked just at the edges of comprehension.  The light of the lantern was 
quickly overwhelmed as the key, its eldritch work apparently done, 
detached itself from the doors and floated back to Kunou's 
outstretched hand.  There was a sound, a low thrumming just at the 
limits of audibility, and the doors shuddered and began to swing 
outward smoothly. 
     No hinges, Nabiki thought dizzily.  And look at the size of those 
suckers!  How the heck do these things work, anyway?  Kunou 
clasped his hand tightly around the key, his body blocking her view as 
the doors opened fully, leaving the path beyond unguarded.  The lure of 
the unknown pulsed in her blood like fire, no, like DESIRE, and she 
ached to bolt past Kunou and gorge herself on it at the same moment 
that she burned to draw out the moment now that the outcome was 
inevitable.  Turning, Kunou's dark gaze settled on her face, and 
whatever he saw there made him smile, a small but genuine break in his 
impassive mien. 
     "It is time," he said simply.  She nodded, her mouth dry, her heart 
pounding wildly. 
     Together, they stepped forward into the heart of the matter. 
  
end part 15 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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