Disclaimer: The trolls in Great Britain at Games Workshop 
own Warhammer 40,000; I don't. I don't own the Ranma 
characters, either.
 
                 The Emperor's Hand
             Chapter Twelve: Resolution

     Ranma fidgeted back and forth as he stood in the hall. 
The Solitaire had told him that the time would be right to 
leave in about another ten minutes, but even so short a wait 
seemed interminable to him. Not that he'd admit it, of 
course. After all, a true martial artist should have 
patience, shouldn't he? He didn't think Genma had ever said 
anything like that, but, to Ranma, a true martial artist 
should probably have at least a little of all the virtues, 
including patience. So he waited, and kept silent.

     The Solitaire suddenly turned to face the pigtailed 
martial artist. "It is time. Now, the Webway portal to the 
Timeless Heart can be opened. We have a short time to reach 
it, lest we become trapped in the maze of portals there for a 
year and a day."

     "Well, let's go! If we ain't got much time, then let's 
get it open, and on to the Timeless heart, whatever that is!"
Ranma gathered up all his confidence, and watched as the 
Solitaire gestured, ripping open the fabric of time and 
space. Seeing nothing beyond but darkness, he would have 
leapt right through, but he was stopped by the Eldar.

     "You must place your hand on my shoulder, and not 
release it. Should we become separated, you will wander the 
Webway forever, unageing, and undying. It is not reality in 
there, but the Warp, stabilized only by the belief the Eldar 
race have in its existence." Ranma did as he was told, and 
the two stepped through the portal, which sealed behind him.

     Ardallan, Teldurin, and Eldaveril each felt the portal 
close. He had touched their lives, in a way, and they would 
miss him. In that moment, too, Dalhavadar, the Farseer, was 
gifted with a vision. In his mind's eye, the heart of his 
psychic powers, he saw himself as the high Farseer of Valdur 
Avendel, along with the High Farseers of Biel-Tan, Saim-Han, 
and Iyanden, and countless other Craftworlds, joining with 
the Humans in the final battle with Chaos. It was his 
experiences with the nobility and purity of Ranma that 
changed his own mind about that primitive race, and it would 
be he who would change the minds of the other Farseers. 
Together, the ancient powers and technology of the Eldar, 
combined with the boundless energy of Mankind, the two races 
could finally bring peace and prosperity to the galaxy.

     **********************************************

     There was little peace at Furinkan High School. For 
every group of demons the Wrecking Crew managed to dispose 
of, another group came spilling out of the building. 
Tentacles snaked forth to distract the fighters at 
inopportune moments, and the toothy jaws that once were the 
main doors snapped and snarled at any who came near.

     A double-handed slash destroyed Akane's latest foe, a 
daemonette, as she turned to Ryouga. "We have to get in 
there! We have to stop whatever is bringing these things 
here!"

     "I know," he said, his combat umbrella parrying a 
bloodletter's hellblade. "Akane, Shampoo, Mousse, follow..."

     "Not yet," came a wizened yet strong voice behind them. 
They glanced in that direction, and saw Cologne, and the 
Shaman. "Akane, you and Mousse will remain outside with me; 
you are better at dealing with multiple attackers than a 
single foe. Ryouga and Shampoo, you will go with the Shaman 
inside, to close the gate that is letting these beasts into 
reality."

     "But..." began Akane.

     "Do not begin, child. This is the way it must be!" 
Cologne's cane lashed out, then side to side, destroying a 
pink horror, and the two blue horrors that spawned from it, 
before the creature could react. Now, do as you're told!"

     Ryouga needed no prodding. Reaching out, he snagged one 
of the tentacles writhing from the damaged school, and tugged 
as hard as he could. It ripped free from the mortar, 
prompting the hellish maw that was the main entrance to open 
wide in a deafening roar of pain. "Now!" he yelled, and the 
raiding party dashed in before it could close.

     Mousse glanced in, as he barely parried a hellblade. 
"Ugh... now, all we can do is hope, and fight." It was about 
then that the claw of a daemonette struck him down from 
behind.

     **********************************************

     "I still do not understand what this is for," protested 
Kuno.

     "Shut up, and hand me the cement!" she snapped. She was 
standing in the Home Ec room, using her battle spatula to 
stir some sort of hellish mixture in a huge vat. Kuno did as 
he was told, and she poured the huge bag into the vat. 
Bubbles erupted, and she backed away, then continued 
stirring.

     "Is there aught else you would have me retrieve from 
across the hall?" he asked.

     "No, just wait outside, and lemme know when they get 
there." She heaved, and wrestled the huge cauldron onto one 
of the stovetops. She lit the gas range, and waited 
impatiently.

     Kuno stood guard, a resolute defender against the forces 
of evil. He looked from side to side, watching both ways down 
the hall. Soon, he caught sight of four evil shadows, looming 
from around the corner. He gripped his sword with both hands. 
"Hold, fiends! You shall not pass me to claim the beauteous 
Ukyou!"

     Hearing this proclamation, the okonomiyaki chef darted 
out of the room, and snatched him back inside. "No, you 
jackass, we want them to come in here!"

     "Heh, he, well, we are, Ucchan!" leered the former 
Hiroshi. 

     "Good, have somethin' to eat!" she yelled. Heaving, she 
yanked Kuno behind her with one hand, and put her spatula 
below the vat, heaving. It dumped out, spewing its doughy 
contents all over the four possessed students.

     "What, trying to cook us," laughed the demon inhabiting 
Yuka. It reached forward, only to feel its arm slowly lock in 
place. "What... what have you done?" it roared.

     "Oh, a little of this, a little of that, a little 
okonomiyaki batter, a little quick-drying cement... that sort 
of thing," she smiled.

     "Ah, verily the truth of your plan becomes clear," 
boomed Kuno. "You sought to immobilize these demons, that we 
may give them a merciful death."

     >KLANG!<

     "Of course not, you idiot! I'm trapping them here so I 
can find some way to cure them!" she shouted.

     "Oh, look at the pretty redheads," mumbled the kendoist. 
Shaking his head, he said, "Ugh... but how do you intend to 
free your lost friends?"

     Dropping her spatula, her shoulders sagged. "I don't 
know, Kuno. I don't know."

     Picking himself up off the ground, he hefted his sword. 
"Though you have given these pause, countless more await our 
justice." 

     Ukyou nodded. "Yes. But you go to the left, I'll go to 
the right. I don't want to spend any more time with you than 
I have to."

     "But, milady Ukyou, how can it be that a flower of 
maidenhood such as thou would not desire to spend as much 
time with me as..."

     >KLANG!<

     Without pause, Ukyou climbed past the immobilized 
demons, and off into the hallway. One bloodletter looked at 
another. "Mortals. I'll never understand them."

     **********************************************

     Ryouga and Shampoo weren't exactly in the best of shape 
when they reached the Principal's office. Though they fought 
savagely, they had taken their share of lumps. Shampoo's left 
arm had been grazed by a hellblade, and it now hung limply at 
her side. The Shaman had reassured her that it would recover, 
but it didn't help her fighting skills any. In Ryouga's case,
he was bruised and battered by the gripping claws of 
demonetizes they had encountered shortly before they reached 
the office. He felt them coming, but had not expected them to 
teleport through the wall. 

     "The source of the evil is below here," said the ancient 
psyker. "Be prepared for the worst." Feeling around, he found 
a trap door, and opened it very carefully. A cloying, 
sickeningly sweet stench assailed them, carrying overtones of 
both corruption and seduction.

     "Phew, we hafta go in there?" whined Ryouga.

     "Why pig-boy complain? Pig-boy smell worse when he come 
back after long trips," sniped Shampoo.

     "Children we haven't the time. We must go below, 
immediately." Stated the Shaman.

     Nodding, the teenagers hopped down into the darkness. 
Ryouga couldn't help but try to get some of his own back, 
though, and quipped, "Y'know, it almost smells like your 
litter box, Shampoo."

     Shampoo growled to herself, but held her tongue. She'd 
get back at him for that one, soon enough. If they survived, 
that is.

     The room below was warped and twisted beyond any 
semblance of sanity. The walls were an organic tunnel, 
pulsing and throbbing to a keening rhythm that slowly ate 
away at the mind, and viscous fluids oozed across the fleshy 
floor. Every step was rewarded with a warm, wet squelch, and 
small creatures that may have once been rats darted across 
every now and then.

     "We are no longer fully within reality," said the 
Shaman. "We are in an area where realspace, and the Warp, 
overlap. The laws of things are slightly different here, and 
some of your techniques may not work as you imagine they 
would."

     "Which way to the thing we hafta fight?" asked the Lost 
Boy.

     "Shampoo think it that way," she said pointing.

     "And what makes you so sure?" asked Ryouga. He then 
followed her outstretched arm, and saw why.

     The creatures that barred their way were, in their own 
way, even more horrific than the demons above. Their lower 
bodies were stalk-like trunks, constantly spewing forth a 
sickening stench to keep them aloft, and their heads were 
eyeless, hook-like beaks. They did have arms, but no hands, 
as their forearms ended in gaping, toothy maws. "Damn. 
Flamers of Tzeentch," muttered the psyker.

     They readied their weapons, and Ryouga asked, "Why are 
they called that?"

     As if in response to his question, one of the flamers 
held out both arms, and flames shot out from the mouths at 
the end. "Shampoo think that why, Pig-boy. HYAAAH!" she 
cried, and dove headlong into the mass of creatures.

     Ryouga opened his umbrella, and let his chi flow into 
it. "Stop hogging the glory!" he yelled, and followed her, 
plowing right through the front rank, scattering them like 
tenpins while using his umbrella to shield himself from the 
flames.

     Rising off the ground in an aura of a thousand 
shimmering colors, the Shaman merely watched, and dodged the 
occasional blast of flame. "I hope they live long enough to 
fight the beast at the heart of this mess," he muttered.

     It took less than two minutes for the hall to clear of 
the odd beasts. Ryouga's umbrella was scorched black, and had 
begun to writhe in his grasp. "Hey, what the heck's going 
on?"

     "The flames of Tzeentch mutate that which they do not 
destroy," came his answer. Alighting near the Lost Boy, he 
let a tendril of his power snake out, and purified Ryouga's 
weapon. "There. Now, beware, the source is beyond that 
aperture."

     Before them lay what looked like a sphincter of some 
kind, holding shut the living walls of this tunnel. Every few 
seconds, it would relax a little, opening slightly, but not 
enough for them to fit, not even in their animal forms. 
"Y'know," said Ryouga, "this place is getting pretty 
disgusting. I'm filthy, covered in slime... I nearly lost my 
umbrella... Akane is stuck outside with who knows how many 
demons... Akane! SHI SHI HOKODAN!"

     Even Shampoo, who had seen him use this attack before, 
was shocked at the size of the blast. Around the edges, she 
thought she saw bizarre tendrils writhe, and braid themselves 
into the fabric of his chi blast. When it impacted the living 
door, it ripped through like a jackhammer.

     "Whoa," said Ryouga, "how'd it get that strong? I wasn't 
even really that depressed, just angry!"

     "Anger, too, is a part of your attack," said the Shaman. 
"In here, with the wrath of the chaos god, Khorne, so close, 
your chi attack drew with it elements of his thought-forms. 
Beware of using that in here, for the more you draw on his 
thought-forms, the more you call his power to you."

     Shampoo reached up, and rubbed her numb shoulder. True 
to the ancient young man's words, feeling was beginning to 
return, but brought with it the pins and needles sensation 
one would expect. "We go on, and stop this!" Without waiting, 
she hopped through the devastated portal.

     "Arrgh! Jeez, Shampoo, wait for us!" yelled Ryouga, and 
he followed suit, accompanied by the Shaman.

     **********************************************

     Akane had seen Mousse fall, and rushed over to him. An 
almost negligent slash of the Chinese broadsword she carried 
took care of the daemonette that had struck him, and she 
swung the blade in a wide arc, to buy her a little time to 
help him. "Mousse, are you alright?"

     The Chinese boy shook his head a little, then glanced up 
in her general direction. He squinted, then sighed. "I can 
fight no longer," he said. "It's gone. The blow robbed me of 
the last of my sight."

     Cologne fought her way to them easily. "Boy, stay down. 
We must get you back to safety."

     Mousse picked himself up. "Why bother, you old monkey," 
he said with a hint of humor. "To the Amazons, I am worse 
than useless, now." A hand on his head forced him to a 
kneeling position, as Akane swung wide to decapitate a 
bloodletter. "I am a warrior who cannot see to fight, not 
even as pitifully as I did before."

     "Don't say that Mousse!" yelled Akane, ducking a 
hellblade. "No one is useless, except maybe Kuno!"

     "Tell me, are all the students gone?" he asked, an odd, 
peaceful smile on his face.

     "Yes, why?" answered the youngest Tendou.

     "I wanted to know. Please, do not try to stop me." He 
leapt in the general direction of the school, and flung his 
arms out wide. Chains of every description lashed out of his 
robes, flailing about blindly, but with the fury of a 
thunderstorm. "Hidden Weapons Final Attack! Steel Hurricane!"

     "What is he doing?" yelled Akane.

     Cologne watched, and nodded. "He is doing what he can as 
his last act in life. He is lashing out at anything that 
enters his zanshen, and striking it down. He spares no 
thought for defense, only destruction. We must remain on the 
fringes of the fight, now, until he has finally fallen, lest 
we be struck down, as well."

     "You mean he's gone berserk? If he feels anything, he's 
killing it?"

     "Yes. And, blind as he is now, he cannot avoid their 
blows much longer. A scant few will reach him, but they will 
be enough." Cologne sighed. "One touch of a hellblade to his 
head or chest, and Mu Tsu shall be dead forever."

     "No! Even though he tried to turn me into a duck, he 
doesn't deserve that! We have to help him!"

     The wizened matriarch looked at her, striking out with 
her cane at a bloodletter that thought she was easy prey. 
"Even I cannot enter his presence unscathed, and to remain 
there more than a few heartbeats is death. It is the most 
dangerous technique of the Hidden Weapons school, and can 
only be used when one is alone, surrounded by an uncountable 
number of enemies. Perchance, do you have some means of 
avoiding those chains I am unaware of?"

     Akane frowned, striking out with a massive kick, 
splitting a pink horror into two blue horrors, who were 
knocked by the force of impact into the hemisphere of lashing 
chains, and rapidly destroyed. "Will he make it if they can 
close the gate in time?"

     "I do not know child. He may be so far gone, that he has 
entered a death trance. If that is so, only his death may end 
his fury. Come, the fiends seek to escape the school grounds 
over there, we must stop them!"

     **********************************************

     Ranma had walked the Webway within Valdur-Avendel 
before, and had ridden the paths off the Craftworld while in 
a Wave Serpent. However, this was the first time he had 
actually walked the Webway on his own two feet, away from the 
Craftworld. Unlike his experiences in the Wave Serpent, he 
saw absolutely nothing except the Solitaire beside him.

     The journey was over in a moment, although at times it 
felt like he had been in there his entire life. Memories 
flashed, doubly strong, and for a moment, he shifted back and 
forth from male to female, before returning to male form. 
Shortly, they stood before a hole in space and time. "Um, 
what's this?" he asked.

     "Bad news. Some force of Chaos has ripped the veil 
between reality and the warp, a tear that blocks our journey. 
I would have taken you to the moment you left, but we can go 
no further. We must travel through the rift, and end it, 
before you can be where you need to be."

     "Okay, whatever you say." Together, the two leapt 
through the hole in space and time.

     **********************************************

     Ukyou raced through the halls of the school, her combat 
spatula tracing a deadly arc ahead of her. Despite her best 
efforts, her side was torn and bleeding, thanks to the claws 
of a pair of blue horrors that had caught her unawares. Her 
adrenaline was pumping, though, and she didn't have time to 
bind her wounds.

     After a few minutes of running, she found herself 
outside the open door of the principal's office. Smelling 
something foul, she decided to enter. After all, there had to 
be something in there she'd have to destroy. She hopped in, 
and swung her spatula full circle to clear anything out of 
her way. Glancing, she saw the outer office was clear, and 
crept into the inner office.

     She was met by a growling, snarling face, reminiscent of 
a wolf or dog, but hairless, and covered in blood-red skin. A 
finned wattle arced back from around its neck, covering its 
breast, and a spiked iron collar encircled its neck. The 
canine body behind was the size of a pony, but low-slung, and 
each paw ended in four, six-inch talons. It growled low in 
its throat, and pounced.

     The okonomiyaki chef managed to get her weapon in the 
way in time, but her weakened side betrayed her. Spinning to 
the ground, she felt the thing's hot breath on her face. It 
opened its mouth in a hideous parody of a grin, drooling 
acidic slime on one of her throwing spatulas. Its eyes 
gleamed bright green as its whuffing laughter met her ears, 
and it opened its jaws wider than her head. It slowly lowered 
its face, as she struggled unsuccessfully to dislodge the huge 
hound.

     Its head suddenly jerked up, and howled in agony. It 
hopped away, ichor streaming from its side. Ukyou glanced 
over to see Kuno standing over her, his katana at the ready. 
"Fear not, milady, I suspected you might find yourself in 
such danger, and did follow thee."

     She picked herself off the ground, and dropped to a 
knee, pointing the sharpened front edge of her battle spatula 
at the beast. "This is probably the only time I'll ever say 
'thanks' to you, but thanks." She saw the thing crouch, and 
readied herself. Praying that the kendoist would get the 
hint, she caught it on the underside, and used its own 
momentum to throw it over her.

     A flash of steel, and a thousand sparks told her he 
understood, but his blade had hit its collar. Fortunately, he 
had hit it hard enough to knock it aside, and had pressed his 
attack. The thing was fast, but too large to effectively 
dodge in the small office. Seeing an opportunity, she tossed 
the spatula the beast's own saliva had dripped on, striking 
it in the eye. "The right side, Kuno, it's blind there now!"

     Nodding briefly, Kuno lashed out, striking with repeated 
thrusts to the beast's head. Thirty strokes, and three 
seconds later, and it finally fell, bleeding ichor from 
dozens of wounds before it faded back to the hell that 
spawned it.

     "And now I must proffer my own thanks, milady. Thy 
weapon, befouled though it was, provided the opportunity for 
my prowess to win the day!" proclaimed the still mildly 
deranged kendoist.

     "Shut up, and follow me. I think we have to go down 
here," she said, and dropped down the trap door. Pausing 
momentarily to ensure nothing was following them, Kuno jumped 
in, as well.

     **********************************************

     As Shampoo, Ryouga, and the Shaman passed through the 
destroyed aperture, they were greeted by the sight of a huge 
chamber. It was draped in luxurious silks, and enormous 
mosaics covered the walls, ceilings, and floors. At the 
center sat a large, gem encrusted throne, upon which sat a 
hideous monstrosity. It was almost twenty feet tall, and was 
relatively humanoid. However, its long neck was topped with a 
featherless vulture's head, and its arms and legs ended in 
the talons of a bird of prey. Huge, multicolored wings 
sprouted from its back, as a contrast to the pale blue of its 
skin. Around its waist, a beautiful tapestry served as a 
kilt, and rings, armlets, and amulets dangled from its 
extremities. In one hand it held a thirty foot long staff, 
while the other caressed a bust of Principal Kuno.

     "Welcome, humansss, to the heart of my power. It isss 
here that you ssshall perisssh!" it crooned. It gestured with 
the hand that rested on the bust of the principal, and the 
heroes saw, behind it, a swirling mass of darkness and light, 
boiling with infinite corruption.

     "A Changer of Ways. Tzeentch must have a great deal 
invested in this plan to have you present for its execution," 
said the Shaman.

     "So? It's just bigger, that's all," said Ryouga. 
Shouting "Kiai!", he leapt at it, umbrella poised to strike.

     "Ryouga, no!" yelled the ancient psyker, but it was too 
late. The great demon gestured, and a bolt of green energy 
lanced out, impacting with the lost boy, and sending him 
across the room. He impacted with a particularly horrific 
mosaic, and crumpled to the ground. 

     With effort, Ryouga picked himself back up. "Wha... what 
was that?" he wheezed.

     "I tried to warn you," said the Shaman. "The Greater 
Demons of Tzeentch are master sorcerers."

     "Ssso true," hissed the demon. "And, now, you will all 
die." Its hands rose, and dark tendrils of energy writhed 
around its foretalons, entwining with bright red flames.

     "I don't think so," called out a familiar voice. 
Distracted, the demon released its spell, and spun, to see 
two figures leaping out of the warp gate. One was a veritable 
riot of color, although the bandannas around its head and 
thigh were jet black. The other was a young man, in a red 
Chinese shirt and black pants, his dark hair pulled back in a 
pigtail, and his blue eyes flashing.

     "Airen!" shouted Shampoo, smiling broadly.

     "Ranma?" groaned Ryouga, holding the blackened burn mark 
on his chest.

     "That's right...er, whatever you are. You ain't gonna 
hurt my friends!" Ranma took up a stance next to the 
Solitaire, who adopted a similar stance.

     "Ah, but warrior, there isss little you have to sssay in 
the matter." Its beak deformed into a hideous semblance of a 
smile. "Now, you die," is shrieked, as a sphere of utter 
darkness engulfed the two newcomers.

     **********************************************

     Cologne finished off the last of the stragglers on the 
outside, and looked to the boy who wished to be her granson-
in-law. Demons still strove to enter the reach of his chains, 
but they were not repulsed as easily as before. He had 
already been struck by several, including a bloodletter, 
whose hellblade had deadened his left leg. Soon, he would be 
overwhelmed.

     Akane rushed over to just outside his reach, and cut 
down a pink horror, and the resulting two blue horrors. 
"There has to be something we can do to help him!" she 
yelled.

     "We cannot. We can only hope that they shut down the 
portal before anything more dire..." She abruptly broke off, 
and almost idly swatted a daemonette away. "He has returned," 
she said.

     "Ranma?" asked Akane, hopefully.

     Cologne only nodded.

     **********************************************

     Ukyou and Kuno raced through the living hallway, and saw 
the carnage wrought on the walls by the earlier fight. 
Following the scorchmarks, and other signs of battle, they 
reached the entryway to the grand hall. Looking in, they had 
just enough time to see the great demon cast its spell at 
Ranma. "RANCHAN!" cried out the okonomiyaki chef.

     Inside the darkness, the Solitaire sought with all his 
strength to maintain his center. The spell that had been used 
against them was one that fed on the victim's own fears, and 
strengthened them, until one was completely overwhelmed. He 
then lost respect for his human companion, as he felt the 
terror well from deep within the boy.

     "Alright," shouted Ryouga, "nobody kills Ranma but me! 
SHI SHI HOKODAN!" As before, his anger added new elements to 
the chi blast, as the stray thought-forms of Khorne were 
incorporated into it. The energy shattered the very air 
around it as it raced to the demon, and pulsed as it flew. 
The Changer of Ways noticed it, and held up a hand to cast a 
shielding spell, but the blast pierced right through it, 
slowed down but not stopped. It was enough, though, and the 
demons concentration was shattered, along with his spell.

     Ranma, meanwhile, could not keep the fear at bay. Sharp 
teeth, sharper claws, and wicked eyes attacked him from every 
corner of his mind. Soft fur belied the evil intent within, 
and he was once again six years old. They gnawed at his brain 
and body, the sickening smell of raw fish and a hint of blood 
assailed his nose. He sunk deeper and deeper into the fear, 
and was lost.

     "Pathetic foolsss, how do you hope to ssstop a demon 
older than your entire world?" hissed the great demon. It 
pointed one gnarled claw at the Lost Boy, and the blue 
lightning once more flashed out at him. This time, though, it 
was blocked by the umbrella, and deflected to the side.

     "MmmmmMMMMMREEOOOWWW!" 

     Ryouga, Shampoo, and Ukyou shuddered when they heard the 
telltale sound of the Neko-ken claiming Ranma. The Solitaire, 
Kuno and the demon were momentarily confused, and the Shaman 
ignored it. He had other matters to worry about, and began to 
slowly force the rift to contract. He could not assist in the 
battle, and could only hope that this new development would 
help them, and not hinder them.

     Neko-Ranma leapt at the demon, twisting in mid-air to 
avoid a bolt of power, and landed on the things chest. Pawing 
at its blue flesh, claws of pure chi ripped nasty gashes 
across it, until id dropped from shock. Unfortunately, it 
managed to get one talon hooked onto the boy's belt, and 
tossed him across the room.

     "A ssshape-changer? How appropriate." It clicked its 
claws like a man snaps his fingers, and male Ranma was 
suddenly female Ranma. As usual, the shock of the 
transformation snapped him out of his feral state.

     The Solitaire, meanwhile, raise his own shuriken pistol, 
and snapped off several shots. Every single one merely 
bounced off the creature's supernatural skin. Irritated, he 
holstered the weapon, and snapped a large, tubular weapon 
onto the back of one arm. Watching as his erstwhile allies 
moved into position, he also drew a small sword hilt, and a 
meter-long beam of energy crackled into place.

     Ukyou grabbed her battle spatula in a low-handed grip, 
and charged. She thrust forward with the sharpened forward 
edge, and half expected the weapon to merely glance off the 
demon. To her shock, it bit deep into the creature's thigh, 
and it roared in pain. "Whaddya know," she marveled. "Grampa 
wasn't kidding - it _is_ a Masamune!"

     "Don't get distracted now!" yelled Ranma. "Kiai!" he 
yelled, hurling his confidence forth as his familiar Mokou 
Takabisha.

     "Exactly!" yelled the Shaman. "You must defeat the 
Changer of Ways, so I can close the gate!" He was surrounded 
by an aura of a thousand shimmering colors, as was the rift 
in time and space. Slowly, as sweat broke out on his brow, it 
began to shrink.

     Kuno stepped forward, taking position between Ukyou and 
Ryouga. "Fear not. My family blade is famed throughout the 
land as a demon slayer. Surely, one stroke from this noble 
sword shall prove the beast's doom!" Leaping forward, he 
swung his blade in a powerful arc, to end upon the top of the 
demon's head.

     The creature glanced up briefly, then laughed. 
"Foolisssh mortal, that blade doesss not even have the 
resssidual magic of the girl'sss ssspatula! Lesser fiendsss 
may be vulnerable to itsss edge, but I am not!" A negligent 
wave of its staff, and the kendoist was sent flying by a 
violet bolt of power.

     As it laughed, it failed to notice the purple-haired 
amazon creeping around to the side with the bust. Without a 
single battle cry or shout, she leaped, silent as a cat. Her 
bonbori were left behind, and her fists lashed out into its 
side. She was rewarded with a roar of pain, and a huge talon 
crashing into her back.

     "Two of you have fallen before me! Only five remain! 
Sssoon, you ssshall all die!" It reached out, and snatched 
the bounding Solitaire, right through the illusionary fog of 
his holo-field. Squeezing tight, he tossed the Eldar across 
the room, into the unconscious form of Kuno Tatewaki. 
However, the Solitaire was wearing his flip belt, as well, 
and was able to roll with the impact. He staggered to his 
feet, and readied his weapons once more.

     "Just a little... more... time," grunted the Shaman. 
"The rift is almost closed, and then I can aid you!"

     Ryouga glanced at Ranma, and caught his rival's 
attention. They nodded, and took to the air at the same time. 
The pigtailed martial artist impacted the things shoulder 
with a Shooting Star Kick, even as Ryouga landed between the 
fiend's legs, and used the Bakusai Tenketsu right between its 
feet. The combination of the impact, and the lack of a floor, 
caused it to stumble forward, landing right at the feet of 
the Shaman.

     "Foolisssh mortalsss! You may defeat me, but I can 
alwaysss return! Without your puny ssshaman, there isss no 
one to maintain the field!" It stretched its neck, and 
snapped up the ancient psyker by his waist.

     "NO!" yelled Ukyou, and lashed out with her Spatula at 
the thing's neck. She hit it with the dull side, snapping the 
thing's huge, vulture like head to one side, and freeing the 
Shaman.

     Ranma saw the thing's claw move before Ukyou did, and 
raced across the room, knocking her aside in time, only to 
take the brunt of the impact. He skidded across the floor, 
and left a small crater in the mosaic that encrusted the 
wall.

     "One by one, you fall," hissed the demon, as it used its 
staff to right itself. "Are there any more who wisssh to 
die?"

     The Shaman could not answer. Half of his mind was busy 
trying to close the gate, while the other was struggling to 
keep his shattered body alive. Neither task was easy, and he 
was nearing the end of his power. He hoped that he could 
finish what must be done in time.

     "Shut up!" shouted Ryouga. Swinging his umbrella in a 
wide arc, he filled it with all the chi he could, and plowed 
into the fiend's torso. The impact shuddered throughout the 
room, and rattled the lost boy's teeth, even as he knocked 
the thing over.

     Ranma groaned, and pulled himself out of the wall. He 
glanced over, and saw the Solitaire motionless, covered in an 
aura similar to the Shaman's, but comprised out of primarily 
black, reds, and yellows.  The aura seemed to flow along the 
floor, past the demon, and braid itself around and through 
the Shaman's, strengthening it as it slowly compressed the 
rift.

     Ryouga whaled over and over again on the chest of the 
creature, and slowly began to raise welts with every impact. 
His feral grin grew as his chi-charged weapon, and he felt 
himself begin to lose his self control.

     To the horror of the others, they saw the lost boy's 
skin begin to redden slightly. His hair began to wind around 
itself into a pair of horns, and his legs began to grow 
another set of knees. "No!" yelled the Solitaire. "Don't give 
in to the rage so close to Chaos! You will doom us all!"

     It was enough to give Ryouga pause. He hopped back, and 
discarded his umbrella. It was horribly misshapen from the 
force of his own blows, despite being reinforced by his chi. 
Ukyou immediately jumped over his head, and landed, spatula 
edge first. It ducked its incredibly flexible neck, and 
rammed her in the gut with its stone-hard beak. She screamed 
from the pain as the impact caused her wounds to tear open 
even further. She crumpled to the ground, barely able to 
move.

     "You have hurt me, mortalsss! For sssuch impertinenssse, 
you ssshall all die in the mossst painful waysss imaginable!"
It once more stood, and faced the four remaining fighters. 
"Let it begin!"

     Ranma growled. "You're dead! You've hurt my friends! And 
no demon gets away with that!" He raced forward, and jumped 
up to unleash a hailstorm of punches at Amaguriken speed. 
Every third punch landed on the creatures head or neck, and 
he soon forced it back to the rapidly closing gate.

     Ryouga glanced at the Shaman, who nodded. "Ranma, move!" 
he yelled. Seeing the pigtailed martial artist dive to the 
left, he thought of Akane, alone, outside the school, 
surrounded by demons... "Shi shi Hokodan!"

     The lance of energy, still spiraled with the dark 
energies of his rage, ripped through the air until it 
impacted with the Changer of Ways. It howled, and tried to 
gain a grasp on the floor, walls, and ceiling, anything to 
hold its ground. The force of the chi bolt slowly pushed it 
back, until it was partly passing through the gate to the 
Warp.

     A silent signal passed from the Solitaire to the Shaman, 
and they redoubled their efforts. Before the demon could 
wrench itself fully back into reality, they slammed the gate 
shut, in a silent noise that deafened the mind.

     **********************************************

     The chains whipped slowly across the field, as the 
demons realized their foe was horribly weakened. The blind 
Chinese boy was on his last legs, and had lasted this long by 
sheer willpower alone. "Haw," said one bloodletter, "time to 
play with the little duckyboy!"

     "Idiot," muttered Mousse, using a large amount of the 
strength he had left to impale the demon who had just spoken 
on a spearshaft. His endurance was spent, and his chi nearly 
exhausted. He could no longer maintain his Steel Hurricane, 
and he would now fall before the remaining demons. He tried 
to draw a dagger, to kill himself so the demons could not 
destroy his soul, and passed out.

     Akane and Cologne saw this, and rushed to him. Demons 
flew out of their way, not entirely under their own power. By 
the time they reached his side, he had already been savaged 
by a pair of blue horrors, and a daemonette, and looked 
horrible. Nodding to each other grimly, they took up 
positions back to back, to stand guard over their fallen 
comrade.

     As the demons closed in, a shockwave seemed to erupt 
soundlessly from the school. As it rippled outward, every 
demon it encountered howled, and imploded, vanishing back to 
the infinite chaos of the Warp. Eventually, the two woman 
warriors stood alone, and could stop to tend to Mousse.

     Cologne was relieved to see that most of his injuries 
seemed to be superficial muscle damage. None of the claw 
marks seemed to have penetrated into any internal organs, and 
several months of Amazon medicine would bring him back up to 
speed. "Don't worry. He'll make it," she said, quickly using 
strips torn from the bottom hem of both his robe, and her 
own, to bind his worst injuries.

     "But what about his sight?" asked the youngest Tendou.

     "I don't know, child," answered the aged matriarch. "I 
do not know."

     **********************************************

     As the gate slammed shut, ripples echoed forth from the 
spot it once occupied. Reality twisted in agony, and the 
walls crumbled away into nothingness. Everything seemed to 
wink out for a moment, then reality exploded back into 
existence. They were in a simple room, with the bust of 
Principle Kuno resting on a small pedestal, with a tatami in 
front of it.

     The Solitaire dropped to his knees, grateful that his 
mask his how greatly he had been affected by the strain of 
closing the gate. He looked over at the two human martial 
artists that remained standing. Naturally, one was Anial 
Gorwydd, while the other seemed to have remnants of the Chaos 
taint he nearly engendered in his rage. At least, the boy's 
fangs were larger than any other human's he had seen, other 
than a member of the Space Wolves Marine Chapter. Struggling 
to stand again, he walked over to them. "Congratulations, the 
both of you. Few there are who can say that they survived in 
close combat with a greater demon."

     "Save your congrats," growled Ranma, "we have to help 
the others!"

     The Shaman stirred. "Solitaire, lend me your strength."
He reached out his hand toward the Eldar, but was scanning 
the room, and looking at the fallen Ukyou, Kuno, and Shampoo.
The Harlequin nodded, and began to glow with his own, special 
psychic aura. The energy flowed out from him into the Shaman, 
who reached out, and let it flow through the fallen fighters.
Slowly, the worst of their injuries closed, but they would 
still take a while to fully recover. One by one, each of them 
groggily regained consciousness.

     Ukyou's eyes locked on to the ancient psyker's. *Kuonji 
Ukyou, only you can hear me.*

     *Wh-what's... umm... going... on?*

     *You could see the manifestation as strongly as Akane. 
But your love for him is not as strong as you think it is,* 
he answered in her mind.

     *But, then... why?*

     He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them with great 
effort. *Because you are descended from me.*

     Ukyou's jaw opened and closed. *You're my great - 
however many great-grandfather ?*

     Nodding, the Shaman continued. *And my heir.*

     *WHAT?*

     *I am dying. When the creature grabbed me, I was 
unprepared, and something deep inside has ruptured. I have 
not the strength to repair it, and will soon leave this 
Earth.*

     *But,* she started, *what did you mean by heir?*

     His eyes bored into her soul, and she felt an 
indescribable rush. *Into your hands, I commend my power.*

     She blacked out for half a second, as she felt the very 
fabric of the universe come under her mental control. Along 
with the power, however, came memories, ancient ones, and the 
knowledge of how to control her power. Soon, she was back to 
herself, but she also knew that she would never be the same.

     Ryouga went to help Shampoo, then helped the amazon pull 
the kendoist out of the wall. Ranma, on the other hand, 
helped the okonomiyaki seller get to her feet. "Ya okay, 
Ucchan?" he asked.

     "Y-yeah. I can't really explain what just happened. But 
the Shaman, he's dying!" she said.

     "Who's the Shaman?" he asked.

     "He is!" she yelled, pointing. 

     The Solitaire staggered over, and examined the fallen 
psyker. "No, he is not," said the Eldar.

     "What do you mean?" she asked. The Solitaire remained 
impassive. "oh..." she muttered.

     As the martial artists forced open the trap door above, 
Ukyou tried to figure out how to carry the Shaman back up to 
the ground level of the school. Before she could stop it, she 
had begun to glow, and the body of the Shaman was lined in a 
thousand shimmering colors, echoed with a deep blue streak. 
He gently rose up from the floor, and drifted through the 
opening.

     After only a few seconds, all of the warriors had made 
it back to the office. Ukyou realized something, then slapped 
her forehead. "Waitaminute, guys, we still have a problem!" 
Quickly, she told them about Hiroshi, Daisuke, Sayuri, and 
Yuka.

     The Soltaire's mask frowned, echoing his emotion. "If 
they have, indeed, been possessed, then the demons would 
remain, despite the loss of the gate."

     "Possessed?" asked Ranma. "I have an idea..."

     **********************************************

     Akane cradled Mousse as she carried him inside. Cologne 
followed her to the Nurse's Office, where she could find 
further medical supplies. "Child, you may set him down."

     "Okay. Um, do you mind if I try to find him?"

     The matriarch looked up. "Go to him, child." Nodding 
briefly, the youngest Tendo dashed off, as Cologne began to 
use the tools now at her disposal.

     As she raced down the hall, she screeched to a halt 
outside the Home Ec room. There, she saw Ranma, Ryouga, and 
the rest, all gathered around four demons, with the demons 
encased in concrete. "Ranma!" she cried, and almost ran to 
him, but she caught herself. "How did you get back?"

     He pointed a thumb at the Solitaire behind him. "This 
guy helped me find my way back. Anyway, Akane, I'd like you 
to meet Hiroshi, Daisuke, Sayuka, and Yuri. Guys, this is 
Tendou Akane."

     "Yeah, right. Hey, cutie, toast these dudes and free us, 
and we promise we won't kill you!" snarled the second one 
from the left.

     "To borrow a phrase, oh my! Should I go get Cologne?" 
she asked.

     Ryouga shook his head. "Not yet. Ranma says he has an 
idea."

     Nodding Ranma looked at her. "Remember about six months 
ago, when that Kumon Ryu guy and I fought, an' I used some of 
Pop's Forbidden Techniques?"

     Akane's mind boggled. "Six months? Ranma, that was only 
four weeks ago!"

     He shrugged. "Well, I guess I haven't been away as long 
as I thought. Anyway, one of Pop's techniques might take care 
of this. Stand back, and be ready to fight."

     "Hey, come on, free us!" whined the leftmost 
bloodletter.

     Ranma ignored it, and simply took up a Snake stance. His 
hands were cupped downward, and one foot was raised, to rest 
on his knee. "White Snake Venom Reliable Fist!" he shouted, 
repeatedly striking the possessed boy down each side of his 
chest and thigh at amaguriken speeds. For a split second, the 
thing's back bulged, before the demon was explosively ejected 
from Daisuke's body.

     "What the...?" said Ryouga, before tossing a headband at 
the thing to disarm it. A quick strike from a battle spatula, 
and it left this reality.

     One by one, Ranma used this technique on each of the 
possessed teenagers. Finally, they were free. Or, as free as 
someone can get while covered in cement mixed with 
okonomiyaki batter

     Ukyou looked around the room. No one knew what had just 
happened to her, or so she thought. That was until she saw 
Shampoo's eyes. Another glance, and she knew that the 
Solitaire knew. What was she to do?

     The Solitaire interrupted her angst-filled thoughts. 
"Come. We must bring the Shaman's body to this 'Cologne' you 
mentioned. He must be mourned."

     Slowly, after scraping the cement off of the four non-
martial artists, they trudged to the Nurse's office. The 
school was safe, and Ranma was back... but there were a lot 
of answers that had not come.


     EPILOGUE

     Time is a funny thing. The paradox that culminated in 
the death of the Emperor, before he ever became the Emperor, 
caused a rupture in time. This rupture solidified into a new 
timeline, one with Kuonji Ukyou as the Empress of an Empire 
of Humanity that, from the start, allied itself with the 
slowly fading Eldar. The previous reality, with an Emperor 
forever trapped in his Golden Throne, continued, and Man and 
Eldar slowy grew together, barely in time to prevent the 
final push of Chaos.

     In the meantime, Mousse eventually recovered from his 
wounds, but never regained his sight. With the help of 
Cologne, he learned how to use his Zanshen, or chi awareness, 
to get around, but was a warrior no longer. Instead, he 
became a teacher. In time, he and Shampoo grew estranged. He 
married a loving healer, while she married a travelling 
boxer, and strengthened her family line.

     Two events concerning Akane and Ranma would occur within 
days of his return, however, that would change their lives 
forever. They happened within days of each other.

     It was a cool morning, and breakfast at the Tendou Dojo 
was interrupted by the sharp rapping of a cane upon the 
wooden gate. As usual, Kasumi went to get it, and came back 
in leading Cologne. Akane, at the sight, stood, and bowed 
briefly. "Um, hello, Cologne. How's Mousse?"

     "Better, child," was her answer. "Now, kneel."

     Confused, Akane did as she was asked. Before anyone 
could react, Cologne had reached up, and kissed Akane on the 
forehead.

     "Huh?" said Ranma. "That wasn't a kiss o' death, or a 
kiss o' marriage... what was it?"

     "No. It was a kiss of adoption."

     The room erupted into murmurs, and a few 'growfs'. "What 
do you mean, adoption?" asked Nabiki.

     "It means that she is now a Chinese Amazon. She fought 
at my back, and trusted me to fight there, despite my 
previous actions against her. Her courage and trust are 
exemplary." Cologne bowed slightly to her. "And, my daughter 
has no living mother."

     Ranma glared at her, eyes narrowed. "Does that mean you 
ain't gonna keep pushin' Shampoo at me?"

     "Yes - but on one condition. At least one month of every 
year she, and her husband, must come to the Amazon village 
for training, and to assist in training the next generation" 
Cologne fixed him with a glare. "And that will be the last 
outsider I train, if you understand me, Son-in-law."

     "Waitaminute,' he protested, "I thought you said you 
weren't gonna push Shampoo on me anymore!"

     "I am not. However, you have defeated Akane in battle, 
have you not?"

     "Uhh...uh...uh..."

     "I thought so. I will be seeing you later, Daughter, 
Son-in-law. I must tend to Mousse." She walked out of the 
room with a slow, dignified step, as opposed to her usual 
pogo step.

     "Oh, my," said the three Tendou sisters at once.

     The next major incident came a short while later. I 
cannot describe the meeting, for that is the tale of another 
day, but Ranma took as his student the Laughing God. From his 
techniques began the fighting style of the Harlequins, a 
style that replaced the previous, less effective dance.

     Eventually, all doors will open, and all doors will 
close. But the journey through the halls of Time will never 
end.


NOTE:
The White Snake Venom Reliable Fist is a technique of Genma 
Saotome's Forbidden Techniques. It is used by Genma against 
Ranma when training him, and against Ryu by Ranma later. It 
involves poking several shiatsu spots down the chest and 
thigh. The overall effect causes the victim's own Chi to 
explode out their back. I felt it was an appropriate exorcism 
technique.

At long last, it's over.