"You don't seem so powerful to me, General," Steve sneered and then swung his hand out from behind his back and the shadow whip licked out. It caught Aki across his face. With a bellow of mixed pain and rage, Aki formed a dagger of energy and lunged at Steve, who backpedaled and switched his weapon to the one he used on Minerva.
A bedroom is not the best place for a hand to hand battle but they did not care. Slashes and cuts opened on both men's skin. Aki had skill and anger on his side and a more flexible weapon but Steve had new found confidence and a more deadly one. The odd shape, hooked and tore, taking a chunk out of Aki's bicep as Steve dodged his dagger. As Steve pulled the weapon free Aki's hand twitched and he dropped his blade. It fell to the floor with a clatter and a hiss, flickering between shadow black and Light white.
Aki grimaced and tried to pull power into his number right hand. When it didn't work he hissed, letting go of his arm and then pulled power into his blood covered left. To both his and Steve's surprise a ball of dirty white filled his palm, flickering there.
"Reaper come!" Steve cried out in triumph. "The General has betrayed our Master!"
Without thinking, Aki threw the energy at the approaching Reaper, then sprinted through the door toward the bath. There was a hidden gateway there and if he could reach it he could teleport away. He was but two steps away when the Reaper's long bladed arms caught him across the back. With a cry he crashed to the ground. His blood flowed, soaking the fine robe that covered him.
Steve laughed as the man who brought him in to the Shadow tried to stand. "You should have never come back General. You let that bitch taint you." He gasped as energy passed into him from Aki's blood when he wrapped his hand around the damaged arm and yanked him up. With the blood Aki's shadow powers flowed out of him and into the new General of the Shadow army. "Kaneda will love this!" He dragged Aki back into the other room and out.
Aki struggled to pull himself away from Steve. The pain in his back was intense. He could feel his Shadow given strength flowing away with his blood. He hissed as Steve dug fingers into the wound. The extra pain helped him to think, to feel shame for all that he had allowed to happen his Sensei.
He grimaced and yanked as hard as his battle honed muscles would let him and crashed away from Steve. He ran, dashing from hall to hall. As the first disciple of Kaneda he knew these halls better than any other. Dodging and dashing past startled denizens, he stayed ahead of his followers.
The blood loss was weakening him but he wasn't going to allow Steve drag him in front of the Shadow Master. If he was doomed now for a reason he didn't quite understand, he was going to make it back to the real world and feel the sun on his face once more.
The Shadow castle was a massive building, and Aki knew it all. For a day and night he managed to avoid Steve and the Reapers but he couldn't get into any of the gate rooms. He winced as he ducked into one of the smaller rooms near the outside wall. He managed to bandage his arm roughly but the wound across his back was stealing his strength. There was no way for him to bandage it and no one he could trust in the Shadow realm. He leaned against the door and shivered wearily. The shadow taint was slowly poisoning the wounds and making him feverish. He had not understood how simple shadow could cause a wound to fester till now.
He had to get free of this realm if he was going to live but the chances were getting slimmer by the minute. He had too many enemies here. In his years here he admitted that at times he was a cruel master, but he knew he would not have survived as the naive boy he was when Kaneda first appeared.
Closing his eyes for a moment he slipped into a shallow daze. The power he had pulled up before wasn't his usual dark black, it was muddy, like his mind was. Being hunted, wounded and sick gave him a new respect for the Star Knight.
"I'm sorry, Suteko-sensei," he whispered as he felt himself sliding down the wall. Hissing as his back pulled, he hit his head with his hand and tried to keep from collapsing but everything grew black.
He awoke with a start, drenched from the bucket of water tossed in his face. "There, now former General, tell me just what you were doing in the Cave clearing for so many hours." Kaneda hissed in his face.
Aki shook his head to clear the water from his eyes and winced. "I told Steve, I cleaned out the clearing of any Light remnants. That and the false Prince took a dislike to me."
"That may be the truth but I think not, Aki. I think you went and joined the other side." The cloaked form stepped back and gestured. Steve stepped forward with the glittering dagger that Aki had dropped. "Where did you get this weapon? Only one of the Light can call one of these forth boy and you are my General!"
Aki's eyes widened. When he had called forth the blade it was supposed to be formed from his Shadow given power not from the Light. "I have no idea where that came from Master. It can't be my dagger."
"This is what you used to fight me. And you are showing signs of Shadow sickness. You are no longer a part of Shadow." Steve grinned. This was too good. The man was doomed now.
Kaneda hissed at the glittering knife. "Destroy it Steven. It is an abomination in my sight."
Steve sent the blade into the deep shadow pool in the center of the room and then turned back to watch as the Shadow master flowed forward. The anger at the betrayal of his chosen second was clear in the stance of the form. Kaneda reached back and produced a dagger and started to peel the robes and skin from his once strongest ally.
****
For the hours between dawn and the coming sunset the Shadow Master and his new general continued to try to pry answers out of Aki that he didn't have. By the ordained time Aki was a bloody mess to match his former sensei and they were not satisfied. "Get him down Steven. We will just have to bring him along. Dear Suteko will surrender willingly when she sees we have her mole."
Steve wasn't so sure about that but he did what he was told. He knew Aki was hiding things but he also knew there had not been time for the former general to tell Suteko anything. He believed his tale of the former guardian trapping him in the glade. It actually made a lot of sense.
Chapter Twenty One
At the Tendo Dojo
Ranma held his bride as she slept. When he gave in and admitted his feelings for Akane things had both gotten easier and harder. The other girls had banded together for one last attempt to win him. The chaos at the wedding had made him finally explain things to them. Surprisingly once he put his foot down they had backed down and realized that there were others who they had feelings for. Kuno and his sister were the only ones who would not admit to losing. To sooth their reputations they told everyone that their family demanded they meet new people and they headed to the family home outside of Tokyo.
He softly stroked Akane's back as he went over the most recent battle and the couple who joined the fight. They were very strong fighters, who cut their way through the monsters with clean and fast tactics. It was obvious that they had been fighting the same battles as a team. The man who had been mostly silent really didn't engage his thoughts but the glowing white woman did.
Going over the battle in his mind he remembered her words. She had called him little brother and she knew his name. How she knew him he wasn't sure but he could almost remember. Her voice brought to mind green eyes in a face much like his. Eyes that held sorrow and pain. The harder he tried to place her, the more his head hurt. It felt all too familiar. Like he had been forced to forget something.
Trying to power his way past the block just didn't seem to be working. He hated non-physical battles. If he could hit it with his fists he could beat it but he knew mental exercises weren't his strong point. "In the morning," he decided he would go back to the Cat Cafe and demand answers from the old ghoul..
***
At the Green Dragon Dojo Suteko was confronted by Gregor. "You just decided you could head out by yourself after all we did to bring you back? Are you trying to leave us out of this battle?"
Suteko sighed, rubbing the bridge of her no
se. "I wasn't alone Gregor. I knew one of you would be following."
"She knew one of us would follow she says! If they get their hands on her again I'm not going back to get you!"
Jaeoh stepped between his 2nd and his mate. "I knew where she was Rage. The important part of this was the information we gathered."
"Intel? What Intel?" Jaeoh took Gregor to the side and filled him in on what had happened.
Suteko slid away form the men to find some privacy to think. Seeing her brother had hurt but she couldn't show it to the Kouhei. While she was relieved he was pulled away before his questions could be answered, she was saddened he still didn't remember her. She had been tempted, sorely tempted, to smack him on the head like Akane had done so long ago. But while it had worked miraculously against an incomplete pressure point attack, she didn't believe it would work for a death curse. All the magic that had floated about that day had made her truly the forgotten child.
Entering Jaeoh's private practice room she started her Tai chi. The slow motions helped to clear her mind usually and it helped her center tonight. As the tension left her, she went over the battle and what happened before. Never had she felt pain when becoming Unicorn. After all the healing from both Serena and Cologne, she should be stronger than before but that stab of pain was wrong. Could she be losing her connection to the Star Crystal? She stopped and pulled it out of the air. Holding it up to the light, she studied the crystal. It still held the image of a unicorn deep inside. The image of her Star knight self. Slowly turning it she blinked and brought it closer. When held at just the right angle there was a very fine crack bisecting the image in the crystal. "No," she whispered, closing her eyes. A damaged crystal, what did it mean?
She knew that the Kouhei crystals used to be filled with murky darkness but their crystals didn't crack. Even Chris' crystal after the destruction of its owner, was burnt but whole. She just didn't know what it meant. Closing the crystal in her hand she sent it back to the pocket space she kept things in. She wished Chris was here to explain it to her. She was sure she could ask Serena but the girl, while a good leader for the Senshi, was a bit too ditzy for Suteko.
She headed back to the common room, pausing behind the door to listen. Gregor seemed to have given up his ranting. Whatever Jaeoh had told him calmed him down. Which was a good thing. She sighed and palmed the bag in her pocket. The rings that Ichuru's ghost had slipped her were sending out a low vibration. She wasn't sure why he had been so insistent in her head that the Kouhei be given the rings. He said they were for them and two others. Obviously one of the other was Iriko. The senshi of Secrets had bonded strongly with Hana and Samuel. But who was the final ring for? She knew it wasn't for herself. As she held the bag she felt a tingle like she got when she held her sword. The crackling energy of pure Light. She was leery of giving these to the Kouhei. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, when in fact she had come to trust them totally. It was that she was worried the Light would harm the warriors.
"They won't you know."
Suteko started and spun about. Like always Setsuna had appeared with no notice. "Why can't you warn people?" Suteko smiled tightly.
Setsuna shrugged and went on softly. "The Kouhei will not be harmed by your gift for them. The happenings of the past weeks have changed the warriors in ways they would not understand or truly accept if you told them."
Suteko pulled out the softly glowing bag. "You know that there are eight rings in here."
Setsuna nodded. "One each for the current Kouhei, one for Minerva and a final one meant for another warrior of Light."
Suteko stared at Setsuna for a long moment, hoping she would name that person but knowing all ready. She sighed and separated one ring from the rest. The crest on the ring was close to her own symbol. A rearing stallion, graven in fine lines. "Will you give it to him, Setsuna?"
"No Suteko. In three days time he will claim it. And he will come into his full powers."
Suteko wrapped a fist about the ring. "He can't be part of the battle Setsuna. Otherwise everything that has happened will be for nothing."
"You will understand soon Suteko. Everything will happen as it should." Setsuna debated her mission as she stood in the hall with Suteko. It was getting harder to keep information from this warrior.
Suteko nodded and sighed. "Thank you for watching over them Pluto, even though they are outside of the Moon Kingdom's influence." Suteko tucked the rings back into her pocket. She then turned back to the door.
"They are a part of you and you are a part of it all Suteko." As she started to push past the door Setsuna added. "Don't give them out till the moon rises full." Suteko nodded and joined the people who had become as dear to her as her family.
***
The next two days flew by. The shadow Master kept sending bigger and nastier shadows to draw out Suteko and the others. Ukyo's restaurant and the Cat Cafe were closed for the duration as the families all gathered at the Tendo/Saotome Dojo. Akane was close to her due date and everyone wanted to help keep her calm and relaxed. Ranma had managed to keep the up tick in odd happenings from her.
Kasumi came out of their bedroom and placed a finger to her lips. "She is asleep Ranma, finally."
"So it was a false alarm?" He let out a relieved sigh. While he was very happy that he was soon to be a father, he wasn't ready to deal with Akane in labor.
"It won't be long. She could be in labor anytime now."
Ranma looked sick. He remembered how Mousse had been when Shampoo gave birth to the twins. He wasn't sure he could be as calm as his friend had been. "Kasumi, what if those things attack while …"
Kasumi soothed him with a gentle finger to his lips. "We will be here for her, little brother. Your son will be safe in our care."
"Son?" Ranma blinked. Akane and he had decided not to learn the sex of their baby. He felt a goofy grin spreading across his face. Before it got too silly, Kasumi led him down the hall. There were things she felt he should know. Her brother-n-law would have many surprises n the following hours. "Ranma, I want you to promise me that you will do your best to stay calm for the next 24 hours."
Not understanding, Ranma shagged and smiled. "Hey it is me sis. I can be calm and excited at the same time."
Kasumi bit her lip. Ranma thought she was referring to the impending birth but she knew that tonight there would be something that would change many lives. And it wasn't just the child being born. "Just stay calm no matter what." Ranma nodded and gave her a brief hug before heading downstairs to answer the front door. Kasumi sighed and went about her tasks. Outside the dojo things were heating up.
***
Dawn had brought a sense of foreboding to those at the Green Dragon Dojo and the Tofu Clinic. Those touched by destiny felt a rising tension. Jaeoh and Gregor teamed up to spar against Samuel and Uhanzee as Iriko, Shayla and Hana watched. The Senshi were once more patrolling the streets. When they found out that the Guardian's wife was due to deliver a baby at any time they had offered to keep an eye on the noncombatants. They had become friends with Cologne's family and Ukyo over the past few days. As the sun set Suteko called a halt to the sparring by clearing her throat.
As one the Kouhei and Minerva turned to look at her. Pulling out the pouch Suteko paused and then sighed. "Three days ago I was given a set of matching rings to be given out the night of the full moon." She held out her hand and poured the rings into the air. They floated, glowing for a few moments before they zipped out to hover before each of the others in the room. All except one ring that darted out of the room. Suteko watched it for a moment and then turned to her team. They each stared first at the rings and then at Suteko. "It is your choice to accept them. They are a gift from the Light." She looked them each in the eye. "If you accept them you will be changed, for they contain new powers for you each." She smiled at Gregor as he opened his mouth. "No, I have no idea what you will get. I didn't chose this gift. I am just the delivery agent."
The first to reach out and accept the rin
g was Jaeoh. All ready his powers had been changed and he trusted his instincts. As the ring slid onto his right index finger there was a flash of light brighter than when Suteko became Unicorn. When the light dimmed Jaeoh had transformed. His simple jeans and shirt had shredded and reformed into a long silken split robe with matching pants. The black silk was heavily embroidered with coiling green dragons that moved sinuously down his chest and back. Over his shoulder could be seen a sword to match his old blade but now it held the royal colors of a long dead house. His hair had lengthened to spill past his shoulders. When he opened his eyes a green glow looked out at his Kouhei. He gestured silently telling them to decide whether they should accept or deny their new powers.
Next to reach out and accept was Uhanzee. Again as it cleared Uhanzee stood transformed. His clothing was no longer his traditional leggings and vest. He was now dressed in a tunic and pants of a rich mix of green and brown, dappled like leaves on trees. His braid came undone letting his hair flow about him. The great horned blade he carried was still at his side but he now had a twin strapped to the other hip. Above his shoulder rose a great bow and a quiver of arrows. His eyes flashed briefly a deep brown.
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