Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ One-Half a Wing and a Prayer ❯ Who Needs Acid When You Have a Psychic Girlfriend ( Chapter 29 )

Author’s Note: The NWC and the situations they found themselves in were the work of Rumiko Takahashi and were distributed by Kitty and Viz. I use them without permission, but with humble respect for those before me, and I write this with no intent to profit from the efforts of others. There is sex, there is violence, and some foul language. If any of these offend or you are a minor, be gone with ye, tis not for you.
P.S.: by now you know I do this for Janice.


Ranma settled down in front of Nabiki, trying to calm himself. Off to one side sat Shampoo, who still had reservations about this, but was there none the less both to support her loves and guard them while they were deep inside Ranma’s mind.

“I have no idea what this is going to feel like,” Nabiki said softly, “I’m really just rummaging around looking to shake loose memories, if they are there. Are you sure that this is a good idea, especially if that other demon really is your sister…or hers rather?”

“No,” Ranma admitted. “It’s just something I have to do. The springs, my dreams, Alexis, and even the Amazon’s prophecy, it’s all connected somehow, and if we don’t figure it out we could be in a lot of trouble down the road.”

Shampoo nodded, “Information is power, Nabiki should know that. If these other demons come to make war on us we must be ready for them. That mean knowing why they come after husband.”

“All right, all right. Just bear in mind that I’m still not sure what I’m doing here. Things may get a little weird.” Nabiki then closed her eyes and began concentrating. Once she had calmed the storm of her thoughts and emotions, she nodded and reached her hands up. Ranma carefully took them into his own and guided them to the sides of his head.

Just before they made contact, Ranma softly spoke, “I trust you.”

Then the world fell out from under him.


One Half a Wing and a Prayer
By Seth

Chapter 29
Who Needs Acid When You Have a Psychic Girlfriend


Amnara awoke slowly, stretching her arms above her head and luxuriating in the warmth of soft blankets. She opened her eyes and smiled at the form of the young man next to her, and felt the arms of his wife wrapped around her lithe form. She truly loved this feeling, and had decided to let the couple remember the intense night of passion they had shared.

But before she left to meet the others she needed one last thing.

Sliding the sheet down, she saw that the young man was half erect and placed her hand around his shaft. It hardened instantly, and he moaned lightly in his sleep.

She had forgotten his name during the night, but at this point it didn’t matter. It was breakfast time.

She began licking the sides of his member, enjoying the musk of their combined lovemaking from the previous night. Once he was ready, she took him in her mouth and drew on him deeply until his head brushed the back of her throat.

A low moan signaled that her partner had awoken, and she greeted him by humming, creating a vibration in her mouth that transferred to the sensitive flesh of his phallus. When the moan doubled in volume, she smiled to herself and looked up to see his shocked expression as she began slowly moving, bobbing up and down his shaft. She continued sucking deeply on him, and with each stroke she felt her nose brush against his coarse pubic hair.

She altered her position slightly, and lightly cupped his scrotum, gently caressing him as she took a deep breath and opened her throat, accepting his full length and softly moaning at the sensation.

She looked up to see his reaction, and found his eyes rolled back and his hands clutching desperately to the bed sheets. She held him in place, and with a slight application of will caused her throat to vibrate around him, and in a rush he was over the edge and emptying himself into her.

She let his member slide out partway, and gleefully swallowed his seed as he convulsed under her ministrations. The slightly salty taste in her mouth revitalizing her in a way few things could.

The redhead sucked on him until he was completely spent and collapsed bonelessly. Greedily she cleaned him, making sure not to miss a single drop of his essence.

Once finished, Amnara sat up, stretching out once more and letting her body enjoy the flood of power she had just consumed. When she stopped, she saw that the man’s wife had been woken up by the disturbance and was looking around, slightly confused.

The demoness reached over and took the young woman’s face in her hand, giving her a deep, passion filled kiss. The last of her husband’s cum was shared in that kiss, and her eyes shot wide open as the memories of the previous night filled her. The young redhead they had found wandering the street. The warm meal they had shared. She even remembered when the seemingly young girl had begun climbing into their bed, mounted her husband and touching her in ways that were truly unknown.

It was wrong, she knew. And the chaplain of their small village would no doubt have them ostracized if he ever found out. But she didn’t care, it had felt so wonderful.

The kiss finally ended and Amnara spoke softly, “I’m still hungry. I think we need to arouse you husband once more.”

The woman could only nod as the redhead’s hand began roughly kneading her breast. With a shiver, she moved at the younger woman’s direction to lie next to her husband. She felt his eyes on her as the redhead gave her another deep kiss and slowly opened her legs for the young man to see.

Normally, such an act would have made her cheeks color in shame, but right now she didn’t care. She gasped as Amnara’s fingers began exploring the edge of her sex, tracing the line of her slit and gathering the moisture that had begun forming there. Bringing the damp fingers up, the redhead sucked on them slowly, savoring the tart flavor.

The demoness pulled the woman upright and took hold of her breasts, licking the surface of one while cupping the other. The woman moaned at the sensation as nimble fingers plucked lightly at her nipple and watched in growing arousal as the redhead took her husband’s shaft once more in hand. With the same light touch, Amnara stroked the phallus and smiled at the trembling of the young man as she encouraged him back to excitement.

With trembling hands, the human woman moved to embrace Amnara, who only the previous night she had thought a homeless waif, and began wantonly rubbing their bodies together in full view of the husband. She felt almost enthralled by the redhead’s presence, and when her husband had finally regained sufficient hardness she was all too willing to help the young girl impale herself on his member.

Amnara sighed in contentment as she felt herself once more envelop the young man. His cock already seemed to pulse inside her, but with a simple mental command, she held him back as a look of excruciating pleasure washed across his face. Slowly, she began bouncing up and down him, coating him with her juice as she siphoned energy from him in the most wonderful way, but it was still not enough.

Roughly, she pulled his wife up, commanding her to stand above the sweating man and spread her legs. The woman did so, bracing herself by gripping Amnara’s shoulders as the redhead leaned in, still moving her hips up and down, and let her tongue glide along her dripping mound.

As Amnara began to increase her pace, driving the man deep inside her, she drove her tongue into the woman, earning a delighted shriek as she penetrated the outer lips and brushed the clitoris.

It still wasn’t enough.

Amnara made a decision, and let her body surrender completely to the music of her loins. Inside her the muscles of her sex began pulsating in time with her thrusts, milking hard on the trapped shaft buried deep in her. At the same time, she drove her face into the woman’s sex, filling the now panting woman with a rapidly moving tongue that sought every drop of sexually induced moisture from inside her.

As she pushed down on the man, she retracted from the woman, and vice versa, setting a fast rhythm that had all three grunting in pleasure. She continued until she felt the shudder of the man beneath her and let her sheath grip him tightly as he exploded inside her. She rode the orgasm out, letting him fill her inside as energy poured into her being.

As she felt the last of the seed spray into her she thrust up once more, her tongue deep in the woman as her upper teeth lightly grazed the clitoris. Fingers dug into her shoulders as the woman came hard, almost screaming in delight as a flood of juice ran down Amnara’s throat.

As the three of them came down from the climactic bliss, Amnara lowered the woman into her husband’s arms and let his quickly softening member slide out of her slick tunnel. She moved slowly, as not to upset the couple as they once more drifted off into sleep, and got off the bed, walking to where she had cast off her disguise the previous night.

Pulling the light dress over her head, she smiled at the two sleeping humans. It was normally against the rules to let anyone remember an encounter, but these two had been very satisfying, and Amnara felt that if she was ever going to be in this small village outside London again, it would be nice to have a place to stop for a warm, and welcome, meal.

She left the small home with a smile on her face, greeting the other early risers with warmth and friendliness as she made her way out of the town. She even took a moment to give a greeting to the village priest. She smelled the scent of corruption on him, and knew that he was not as devout as his followers believed, but it was not her concern. She was on a mission, and could not be swayed from it now that she had feasted.

It was over an hour outside of town when she finally stopped, looked back to make sure she was not followed, and allowed the simple cotton dress to dissolve around her and form her more comfortable work attire. Black leather formed to cover her from mid breast to the very tops of her hips, a simple triangle extending downward to cover the small delta of red hair between her legs and extend upwards again in a simple string between her buttocks to connect with the corset like body of the ensemble. Her tall boots and long gloves quickly formed as well, and a simple choker appeared around her neck.

Once her clothes had reformed, she turned to look up into the trees lining the road and caught sight of another woman standing on a branch, waiting for her. The white haired woman wore leather as well in the form of white straps that encircled and crossed her body. The woman jumped down, and a pair of dark leather wings sprang from her back to aid in a gentle landing on the ground next to Amnara.

“Someone looks well fed,” the taller demon smiled as she closed the distance to the redhead. Amnara welcomed the newcomer with open arms, and the demonesses hugged warmly and shared a brief kiss.

The redhead smiled back after the kiss and said, “I couldn’t help it, Dizzy. You know I prefer to be well fed before we have to go out on an assignment.”

The white haired succubus playfully punched her younger sister’s arm and scowled, “How many times do I have to tell you?”

The two of them chorused, “My name is Despair.”

The smiles on both their faces spoke of a long running joke between them. Amnara shrugged, expressing both her unconcern over the name of her sister and allowing her own wings to fold from her back.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s so important to drag two of us out here, or do I have to guess at Father’s intentions?”

Despair almost giggled at her younger sister’s flippant attitude, but quickly sobered as she gestured for them to take to the air. Both demonesses leapt skyward, and with a rush of air had climbed above the tree line and began moving quickly away.

Flying close to each other, Despair filled Amnara in on their assignment, “A noble outside of the Guild’s influence has found out a little about us. It normally wouldn’t be an issue, but he has influence with the crown, and is too smart for his own good. Father felt it best if he were eliminated as quickly and quietly as possible.”

Amnara sighed, “Why not send a regular assassin? The Guild has more then enough to spare for such a little thing.”

“True,” Despair agreed, “but Father wants this done in a way that will send a clear message to a few of the doubters in the lower ranks. The Guildmaster’s will is absolute, and no one defies him.”

“Fine, fine,” the redhead grunted. “Never mind that I was happy working the brothels in London. Forget the fact that across the world I’m the Guild’s ambassador to the other clans. I hate getting my hands dirty like this.”

The older demoness laughed, “It’s your own fault. If you hadn’t learned all those fancy fighting moves from the tengu at the other end of the Great Silk Road you never would have beaten the Guild arms master and made yourself known as our best fighter. Skill, power and a flock of slaves ready to cum on your command back home, I hate to say it but I’m a little jealous of you, little sister.”

That made Amnara pause for a moment. It was well known that she had a high standing within the group of demon clans that made up the Guild, but the fact that her own sister, who was considered the Guildmaster’s right hand, saw her in that way made her nervous.

They flew onwards in silence after that, Despair leading the way. After a few hours of flight, the older demon motioned for them to land in the forest below on the outskirts of another village, this one attached to the periphery of a castle.

As they landed, Amnara turned to her sister and asked, “So if it’s to be done quickly and quietly, what’s the plan?”

Despair smiled and willed her leather straps to unwind and fad away. As the last of the straps dissolved, a new set of clothing formed around her taking the shape and colors of a simple maid in noble livery.

“I was thinking you’d be the spoiled brat of a noble who was running away from home with her trusted nanny.”

Amnara slapped her forehead and groaned, “I really hate that routine.”

“To bad you’re so good at it then,” said Despair in a joking voice.

Raising her arms, the redhead demoness willed her outfit to change as well. It took on a red hue and softened into cotton and silk that wrapped comfortably around her to create a dress of fine quality that was cut in the style popular with the court. With a twirl she checked the dress, and smiled lightly when she saw Despair’s approval.

The two disguised demonesses began the short walk into the village proper, making sure to be seen by both guard and common folk alike. As they walked through the town, Amnara fell into her role, babbling incessantly and with little regard to the ears of people around her as Despair muttered quiet apologies to those that sent looks of death at the seemingly air headed noble.

As they made their way to the castle itself they were also setting up their back story to those who listened in.

“This is so quaint, I told you it would be worth the trip, no matter what Daddy said.”

“Yes, M’lady, but your father will be most displeased that you left with no notice.”

As they passed a set of guards resting in the town square they continued.

“If this lord is half the man I’ve heard, there will be no way he would let me continue to chafe under Father’s yoke. Imagine, a flower such as me forced to marry that pig of a captain just so father could get a few treats from the Colonies.”

“But your place is at home, M’lady. It would be a good position as a Captain’s wife.”

Finally, they settled on an inn, and in a whisper just loud enough for the guard headed towards the castle to hear, Amnara let the final piece slip into place.

“I’d drop my knickers in an instant if the lord here is of the right cut.”

As they headed in, they saw the guard blush and increase his pace. It was an old and somewhat shameful tactic, but rumor spreading often worked faster then the best spy master. Once in their room, the sisters softly chuckled as townsfolk seemed to look more interested in the inn. Deciding that the fires of curiosity would need time to spread, they took turns resting, for if their first plan didn’t work they would simply have to sneak into the castle and finish the mission the hard way.

By morning the town was abuzz with the news of a strange noble, run away from home, who was staying at the inn and trying to escape from her father’s ambition. Their case was helped when a seemingly put upon Despair wandered into town looking for a few goods for their journey. She was stopped many times by townsfolk, curious about the fire haired woman that had swooped into their lives.

It was on her way back to the inn that Despair got the question she was looking for.

A footman from the castle approached her and held out an envelope for her, “His lordship, the Count William Benton, wishes to extend this invitation to your employer.”

The white haired maid took the envelope, mindful of the footman’s glance along her form and smiled lightly.

“I shall pass this on to my lady,” she said, “Please extend my appreciation to his lordship.” With a flirting smile, and a graceful bow that allowed the footman to see down the front of her dress, Despair left the now stupefied man behind and returned to the inn where her sister was waiting.

Upon entering their room, she found that Amnara was nude and cross legged in the center of the floor, her eyes closed and a look of concentration on her face.

The older demoness coughed lightly to get her sister’s attention, and once she had it asked, “What are you doing?”

The redhead shrugged as she stood, “It was something one of the monks in the East was trying to teach me. He said that a clear mind will allow you to focus on a goal no matter the distraction. And being alone for a long time is very distracting.”

“Was this before or after you sucked his life out through his penis?” At Amnara’s indignant look Despair chuckled and then turned serious, “We have what we were waiting for. His Lordship has extended an invitation to you to dine at the keep tonight. We need to get you ready if we want to impress Lord Benton enough to let you get close to him.”

The redhead sighed, “Yeah, right.”

Picking up on the younger demon’s mood, Amnara sat on the end of the bed and asked, “What’s wrong, little sister?”

For a moment, she looked like she was going to say nothing and let it go, but at the concerned look in Despair’s eyes Amnara sighed and stepped up and sat next to her, leaning against her older sister’s shoulder.

“I’m tired,” she almost whispered, “I feel like we’ve run around the world three times in the last year alone, and that’s without Father needing us to clean up all these little problems that crop up. I know we’re not supposed to feel like this, but I’m…I don’t know…drained, or like a weight is pressing down on me. I hate it.”

The unusually dour mood of her sister set off alarms in the back of Despair’s mind, but she ignored them to focus on her favorite family member, “What is this that causes you such sadness, little one?”

Again, Amnara paused. She then collected herself and spoke quietly, “I visited an Oracle a few weeks ago.”

“By the pit,” Despair moaned, “Those bats are a bunch of loons, what possessed you to go to one in the first place? You should know better.”

Suddenly, Amnara shifted position and deeply kissed her sister, opening the link between the two of them with the content and expressing herself in a way only succubi of the same blood could. In a rush, Despair felt fear, longing, pain and desire, all emotions that she knew well. What followed them caught her off guard however as images played across her mind. Flashes of people and places, of warm feelings she had never felt from anyone other then her sister, and a warm sensation that was not desire, but no less powerful.

The last image she saw was of her own father raising a long sword up to strike down a crying redhead as fire raged around them.

Amnara broke the kiss and pulled back, standing and walking to the far side of the room. She wrapped her arms around her torso and stood quietly as Despair composed herself. Once her sister’s breathing had returned to normal, the redhead turned back and spoke softly.

“That’s what the Oracle showed me. I don’t know what half of it means, but that last image is as clear as day. I’ve tried to ignore it, put my best face forward and all that, but there’s a reason why I haven’t been home in so long. It grips me like a vice, tearing at my mind.”

Despair was silent. On the one hand she was able to easily dismiss the ramblings of a human seer, but the intensity of the vision made her stomach churn. She knew that her sister was the envy of many in the Guild, and her temperament had often been rebellious towards their father, her Eastern teachings being an example. Amnara also tended to ignore tradition in the treatment of slaves and victims, having few of the former and sparing many of the latter.

Her power and popularity in both human and demon circles could put her in contention with the Guildmaster, but she had repeatedly and vocally refused many attempts to entice her into a power struggle in the higher ranks of the Guild. Normally this would have led many of the paranoid to believe she was waiting for an opportune moment, but Despair knew that her dear little sister simply wanted none of the responsibility that went with such a position.

Amnara wanted to do, and to be, not to sit around scheming to make others suffer. She was a free spirit that looked at the world with awe and wonder.

And that was what Despair was truly jealous of.

“Sister,” Despair said, standing to join her sister, wrapping her arms around the smaller succubus, “I know two things that will ease your worry.” Amnara looked up at her expectantly and she continued, “You are the strongest of us, and never fail once you have begun. And I love you, my dearest sister.” With that said the two demons shared a gentle kiss, sharing each other’s essence in a symbolic expression of their feelings.

With the tension of the moment passing as a summer cloud, the sisters began the task of preparing Amnara for a dinner in the company of a noble lord that evening. After using the inn’s modest bathing room, the girls applied the tools of seduction and charm, transforming a free spirited succubus into a high born lady of the court. After hours of preparation and planning, the two were ready to complete their mission.

Making their way out of the inn and to the castle, Amnara and Despair drew a great deal of attention once more. Despair alone would have turned the heads of every male in the town, dressed as she was in a simple black dress that hugged her considerable figure nicely. A white shawl with the fictional livery of Amnara’s fictional household and her submissive position two steps behind Amnara were the only things that showed her to be subservient to anyone.

The redhead walking before her simply drew breath away. Amnara wore a red dress once again, this one was cut low and cinched tight so that her ample cleavage was pushed together and upwards, creating a twin swell of soft breast flesh that almost screamed to be touched. Her hair flowed freely down her back, but had long threads of gold wound through it creating the illusion of shimmering highlights along her back. A belt of gold and silver threads intertwined around her waist, and held one end of a translucent red kerchief that extended out to each of her wrists, giving her an ethereal air as she glided down the street and past the guards at the gate to the castle.

Once inside, Despair presented her charge to the servant standing at the entrance to the main hall and slid back along the outskirts of the room along with the other retainers and watched as Amnara was announced. Her sister walked to the simple dais where the Lord William sat and bowed gracefully.

“I thank his lordship for allowing me a respite here during my travels. The invitation to dine tonight was most welcome and I am in your debt.” She looked up and locked her soft blue eyes with the young man sitting uncomfortably in the position of honor. With a glance she took him in, and found him very easy on the eyes indeed.

He was young, true, perhaps early twenties at most. His build was medium and not well muscled, but at the same time he showed no signs of the fattening that accompanied many a noble who preferred to sit for long times as they governed their lands. But what drew her in was not his physique, but his face.

It was oval, and held on to much of what could be called youthfulness, but still held the lines of hard work. His hair was brown and unkempt, and his expression was of extreme discomfort. At first, Amnara thought it was merely physical, but soon realized that the young man was ill at ease in his position, and his darting eyes were looking for any avenue out of the chair and its symbolic power.

She caught his eyes, and smiled at the intelligence, and rebellion, behind them. Then with a simple nod of her head, she conveyed her understanding of his feelings, and with a wink told him she could be his ally.

Sitting straighter, he spoke in a soft but powerful voice, “I thank you for your kind words, but must admit to a small matter of duplicity here.” Amnara blinked and took note of a frosty glance the young lord sent towards an older man along the periphery of the room. “I do welcome your presence, but it was requested by my uncle. He feels that a person in my position has certain obligations, and he and I have been at odds over this for some time.” He looked back at her and gave a genuine smile and added, “Though this one time I think I am grateful to him for asking you here.”

Amnara smiled and politely bowed to him, her eyes remaining on his. As expected she saw them briefly dip down at her exposed cleavage as she bowed, but the young man caught himself and shifted his view back to her eyes, and once more she was taken in by the trapped emotion behind them. With a mental shudder she realized how much they reminded her of her own eyes when she saw them in the mirror.

The dinner was a simple affair, and Amnara found herself slipping easily into her role as the people at the dining table, both the important and the self-important, chatted with her. She was able to easily tell the difference, and used her experience in her father’s diplomatic affairs to banter with both as they required. But her intent stayed focused on young Lord William. And he seemed content to return her interest.

“But why travel out here to the ends of the earth,” he asked her as the meal wound down, “surely the court provides enough distraction to keep you entertained?”

Amnara bit off a short laugh and sipped her wine lightly, “London may have much going for it, but the largest problem is that my father is there.”

“Is he that controlling that his own daughter feels suffocated?”

“It’s not only that,” she said, her hand resting lightly on his as she answered. “He expects my to fulfill a role fixed by tradition and formality. I want no part of it, but breaking free would make me an outcast. Even running away like this is meaningless. Once he knows how I feel, I’ll be locked away to do his direct bidding for a time once again.”

She surprised herself by finding that her words held a great deal of her true feelings. She mentally chided herself for this, until she looked up and saw a smile of understanding on his face.

He started softly, “I know how you feel. For years my father groomed me to follow in his footsteps. I learned, and trained, and all of it was never enough for him. I even went to some of the best scholars in the land, and I truly enjoyed learning from them, but all that amounted to nothing in his eyes. Ever since he passed on and I took his place, I feel as though he still disapproves of me.”

Amnara asked, “Why is that?”

“Look at the people that I invited here tonight.” Amnara did as he asked and saw a noticeable separation between two groups that were talking quietly after the meal. He continued, “One faction is made up of those in search of power, both monetary and political. The other consists of people who actually do work in the community. The chief constable, the local physician, even that older lady at the end of the table who looks after some of the town’s children during the day, teaching them to read. That second group of people are the ones I learned life from, and I would gladly give my power and position to them.”

Amnara looked at the human with a little shock, but followed his example when he stood and thanked each of his guests in turn, including her. The redhead lightly took his arm and tilted her head towards the entryway as people dispersed, and he nodded in consent as she led him out into the courtyard.

Slowly they made their way out under the starlight and walked along a small path to the castle’s central well. It was when they had reached the well, and Amnara had hopped up to sit on its edge that William spoke again.

“One of the things I learned about when I studied was many old ways. Reading stars, brewing herbs, and feeling the presence of magic.”

Amnara’s head swiveled rapidly to lock eyes with the young lord at this, “What makes you mention this?”

William smiled, “Most people don’t believe in such things anymore, but you and I know differently, don’t we?” He held up a hand to keep her from answering and continued, “You’re very life force is saturated with magic. It’s wound in such a way around you that you are ether using a high power illusion, or you are a creature of magic to begin with. Am I wrong?”

Amnara cursed herself for underestimating the human and allowed her vision to shift over to see his aura, and found that he was indeed able to use magic. At the moment the lines that normally channeled power were inactive, and that meant he had no spell ready to cast at her, so she relaxed herself slightly, but remained alert for action on the young lord’s part.

Out loud she said, “And this is the result of my people’s arrogance. For ages humans have been underestimated, and it had led to them slowly taking over the world.” She sighed and gave him a small smirk, “So now that I’m caught, what will you do with me?”

“Nothing,” he said with a grin as she blinked in surprise. “Were I to guess, I’d say you were an emissary, or an assassin, of the so called Guild. If you are an envoy, I’d like to hear what you have to say. If you’ve come to kill me, there is little I could do to stop you. I may be knowledgeable, but sadly I am not proficient.”

There it was. It would be so easy to do it now, use a fraction of her power to silence him and drop him into the well behind her. All it would take is a kiss to silence him and draw away his straight, and a spike of power straight to his heart to kill him quietly. All too easy.

“So are you going to tell me which you are?”

Amnara blinked and realized that she had been silent for some time. Minuets had passed and she hadn’t noticed. She looked up at William again and saw him waiting expectantly.

He spoke softly, “When you spoke at dinner, you told some of the truth, didn’t you?”

Amnara looked away, “How did you know?”

“Part instinct, part training. As someone in a position of responsibility, I have to be able to tell when people are lying. If someone is very good at lying, then look for the truth. Sometimes it’s more revealing then catching a lie.”

Sighing deeply, Amnara struggled to look the young man in the eye again, and saw the depth of his honesty there.

She managed to get out, “Why?”

Knowing what she meant, William turned away for a moment and said, “It’s the way I am. I hate people who put on false smiles to achieve their ends, so I’m always honest. Some call me an idealist for my stance, and for my beliefs. That’s why your Guild seeks to quiet me. I learned of their shadow maneuvers to take power, and acted on them. The mysterious Guildmaster was going to make a bid for the throne, and if that were to happen than chaos would swallow the land. My sense of honor would not allow me to stand by and let that happen.”

“Your ideals are worth your life?”

“Yes,” he answered simply.

She looked down at the ground, a storm in her mind. She cleared it all away and looked at it from the two aspects of her life. Her duty was clear, and she should waste no time dispatching this mortal who believed that his will alone was enough to challenge the Guild. Her desire called for her to walk away, from her mission, from her father, and from the madness that seemed to be the end result of the Guild’s plans.

Slipping off the well and standing straight, she stepped up to William. Reaching up, she took his face in her hand and tilted his head down, kissing him deeply.

She made her decision.

Releasing the kiss, she looked him in the eye and spoke the truth, “I was sent to kill you, to prove to the other clans that my father is in full control of the Guild. I won’t do that now, because I don’t want to be a part of it anymore. I’ve grown sick of the infighting, the plotting, and the assasinations. I want to be free.”

Despair watched from the shadows, a frown crossing her face. It could be a clever plot by her dear sister to circumvent her mark’s caution. It could be that Amnara was working the young noble, making him feel as if he now had an ally against the coming darkness.

It could be, but she knew it wasn’t.

For years Amnara had been bristling under the rule of their father. The revelation of her sister’s visit to an oracle had only been the most recent example of the redhead’s search to be free of the burden that was placed on her by both her birth and her station.

And now she had just taken the final step, defying her father’s orders on a mission and sparing the life of a human target. She saw the two of them part ways, and Amnara strode directly towards her, sensing her through their sisterly bond.

“You heard,” the redhead stated rather then asked.

Despair nodded and sighed deeply, “This is a mistake, Sister. What happens when Father is informed that you defied him?”

“Then my vision will come to pass, and he will strike me down,” Anmnara said bluntly. “Ether that or he will do nothing. This is my one chance to be free, and I will not pass it up.”

Despair looked her in the eye and asked, “And the human?”

Amnara looked down, “I see his dream, and I want to be a part of it. If you ask me to choose between Father’s yoke and William’s heart, you already know which one I’ll choose.”

“Do you love this mortal?”

It was a long silence that met Despair’s question, but finally her sister answered, “Yes.”

Despair nodded and turned away. She was about to depart, but stopped and turned to face Amnara once more, and the two sisters rushed forward and embraced in a hug that conveyed their feelings for each other. It lasted a long time, but by the setting of the moon Despair had disappeared and Amnara had settled back at the inn.

Over the next few days she visited Lord William many times. She offered him her contacts inside the court and advice on how to circumvent Guild influence in the noble families.

She also finally offered him her heart, and he accepted.

It was weeks later that she was awoken in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke. She threw on her dressing gown and crossed her new room in the castle to look out into the corridor and find out what was wrong.

Opening the door, she came face to face with Despair once more, but her sister was not in disguise this time, and her white leather already had blood on it.

“Father is here to see you,” Despair stated, forcing all emotion from her voice. Two soldiers bearing the Guild’s crest on their armor grabbed the redhead and pulled her outside the castle and past the smoking bodies of guards, servants and townsfolk.

“This is what your betrayal has earned you,” said an ominous voice.

Amnara shook her head, unable to believe the carnage that surrounded her. Looking up she saw a dark form, tall and imposing that was leaning over her and reaching out to pull her head up to face him. It radiated menace, and she could feel fire flickering along its fingers where it roughly held her hair.

Blinking her eyes clear of tears caused by the smoke and death, she looked past the form at the burning ruins of a castle in the near distance. She let out a painful scream as she realized that her important people were still in there, and now there was nothing she could do to save them.

“You never should have abandoned me,” the voice spoke again, and Amnara was yanked upright to look into a pair of burning red eyes that pulsed with hate. “It will be a long road of pain before you can redeem yourself.”

Amnara wept, but managed to croak out, “Yes, Father…”

The form dropped her then, and soon Despair was at her side, helping her up.

“You never should have fallen in love with that human, Sister.”

“I had no choice, Dizzy,” Amnara said, emotion causing her to choke on the words as they came out. “It struck like thunder, and I couldn’t turn away from it. Please forgive me.”

The taller demon leaned forward and lightly kissed her on the forehead, “I do…but Father never will.” Both of them turned to look once more on the burning castle, and Amnara’s eyes were drawn to the tallest tower.

Hung from the ramparts was the body of Lord William Benton, cut open and dead.

Amnara could only cry out, “NO!!!”

Ranma jerked back away from Nabiki’s hands as his voice echoed that of his long dead predecessor. His head swam and he fell back, but before he hit the floor, soft and strong hands caught him, easing him into a warm and comforting lap. After a moment he found the strength to open his eyes and saw Shampoo and Nabiki looking down at him, worry written on their faces.

Nabiki had tears in her eyes and answered a silent question, “I saw everything, but didn’t feel it like you did. Are you going to be ok?”

Ranma shook his head slowly, and as he did he saw that the rest of the household was at the door to the dojo, being held back by Soun of all people. Kasumi and Kodachi, and even Akane had looks of worry on their faces, while Happosai had a neutral expression.

“Girls,” Soun said, “go back into the house. Ranma will be all right now.” Reluctantly Kasumi, Kodachi and Akane withdrew, and the older men walked into the dojo, Soun kneeling by the young man that had caused so many changes in his life.

Softly he spoke, “I’ve only heard a scream like that once before. And it came from my own mouth on a day ten years ago.

Nabiki instantly stiffened, remembering that day, and the cry of anguish that came from her father when a doctor had passed on the news of the death of his wife. She placed her hand on her father’s arm, and was surprised to find Ranma’s hand already there.

Soun collected himself and spoke again, “Take all the time you need, but if you need to talk…” He left the offer in mid air, and Ranma silently acknowledged it. The Tendo patriarch stood again and left the dojo.

Ranma then looked at Happosai and started to speak, but was cut off.

“No answers for you right now, my boy. Rest up and we’ll speak later.”

“You’ve put this off for a while now,” the young man managed, “I need to know what’s going on.”

Happosai chuckled, “Yes you do, but right now you need rest. Trust me, sonny boy; you’ll need all your strength for what’s coming.” With that, the diminutive master turned and left the three teens alone.

Shampoo and Nabiki pulled Ranma into a close cuddle, and helped comfort the troubled boy as he recovered from the dreams of another life. Darkness fell outside, and the two girls drifted off to sleep as Ranma stared out into the night.

“That big, red, evil motherfucker is gonna pay,” he swore silently into the night.


To be continued.

Endnote: I seem to have lost the funny, anyone seen it running around? I am sorry that this got rather dramatic over the last few chapters, but what can I say, demons equal dark places, ask Joss Whedon. I’m also sorry that this chapter took a month to get out, but I had a little trouble with my old adversary, writer’s block. We will get the funny back and get this beast back on track once Ukyo is here, but I think we need to clear out a few plots first, so hold on tight. Until next time, what would Brian Boitano do?
Happy Holidays!