Bie liao, shifu (last part)

It was obvious what happened in the next few days. It was something 
that they simply couldn't stop; fortunately Zhae's warning had given 
them enough time to prepare for it. So, when the time came the three 
of them stood ready to face him.
	Coldfire's appearance was still heart-rending, though. 
Zhaodi just couldn't _believe_ how much he resembled her Lael-
chan. He was like a twisted, arrogant version of the foreign boy. 
Strong, immensely powerful... and yet he was only as skilled as Lael. 
That was a good thing to know, as they found out by their first real 
encounter.
	Zhaodi, as always, was the first to attack. Even though he 
was identical to Lael, it was easy for her to strike -his aura, his 
demeanor were completely different. However, one devastating blast 
that sent her flying several yards let her know he had grown in power 
since last time.
	After seeing what Coldfire had done to Zhaodi, Lael rushed 
in with his staff. He knew Coldfire's fighting styles; the two of them 
were soon locked in a tug-of-war of chi waves. Bird of Prey met 
Blue Fire Bird, but in the end it was a well-placed Red Fire Bird 
which caused serious damage. Seizing the chance, the twins joined in 
a White and Gray Palm barrage, with Zhaodi pushing against 
Coldfire's chi while Pandi slowly drained it. But even then they were 
outmatched. Coldfire was just... overflowing with energy. He seemed 
like he would never run out of it. When they realized that it was his 
hatred towards them which fueled it, they began to take him for the 
real enemy that he was. And the following encounters were only 
increasingly deadlier.
	Ironically, it was the demon who forced Lael and Zhaodi 
even closer. His constant attacks, the unexpected strikes that he 
always used to catch them unawares, all helped the couple realize the 
danger  they were in. Hardly ever did they leave each other's sight 
since then, and they looked out for each other whenever they got the 
chance. And also because of the constant tension, Lael inadvertently 
reached the next level of his chi training:
	He developed the aura shield.
	It was almost by accident, really. It happened when Coldfire 
had him cornered at the bottom of a cliff, threatening him with the 
sharp chi claws on his arm. Zhaodi, appearing from thin air, dropped 
on Coldfire's head with a dropkick spike. She knocked him off 
balance, but when she tried to blast him away with the White Touch 
he simply pressed his own palm against hers and chanted, "Red 
Palm."
	She felt as if a lightning bolt had struck her very soul. The 
hateful chi of the dark-robed monster filled her and crushed from the 
inside, as if driving her spirit out of her body. And what was worse, 
she couldn't detach her hand from him. She was lucky that Pandi, 
who had followed her, had the presence of mind to grab Lael's 
monkey stick and stab Coldfire's gut with it. But it didn't end there. 
Enraged, Coldfire just aimed his hands at them and engulfed both 
twins in a great Bird of Prey. The girls were tossed into the wall, next 
to Lael, who was barely recovering from previous injuries. 
Desperate, seeing Coldfire stride towards them with more than 
murder in his eyes, all that Lael could think of doing was use his 
recently-mastered White Palm and mix it with the three Fire Birds he 
already controlled. The result: a steel-like barrier that effectively 
blocked out all of Coldfire's following attacks. With renewed 
confidence, Lael maintained the shield long enough for the twins to 
recover. And, as Coldfire found out, the shield was only one-way: he 
was quickly blasted into the horizon by the girls' combined White 
Palms.
	But as exhausting as that battle had been, it paled in 
comparison to the last two times when Coldfire caught the three of 
them by surprise -in the middle of the Joketsuzoku village.
	Coldfire had developed his own aura shields, and the first 
thing he did was encase himself and his enemies inside a circular 
barrier to keep all others from attacking. It was frustrating, especially 
for Zhae and Tangbei, to be unable to attack the one who was 
virtually manhandling the two young Amazons and their companion. 
However, it was the same shield what helped Zhaodi summon the 
first Flying Dragon in Joketsuzoku history.
	Since a shield of that magnitude was draining Coldfire 
enough to cut him down to size, Lael could tell Zhaodi about how 
enraged -and less focused-Coldfire could become when taunted 
about his power. With that in consideration, Zhaodi dashed in to 
deliver an unceasing barrage of insults and jokes about how "weak" 
Coldfire was, although she had to keep moving in a circle to avoid 
getting hit by the occasional chi blast. Lael followed, while Pandi 
made sure Coldfire didn't escape from within the circle.
	Slowly, Lael and Zhaodi began to close in on Coldfire, who 
was shedding an intense aura of sheer rage. But as the twin spirals 
reached Coldfire, Zhae's eyes widened. She noticed the large swirl of 
hot chi clashing against the cool aura from Zhaodi and Lael, and 
realized that the discharge of energies would devastate the village 
unless it was released. She quickly commanded her pupil to stop the 
spiral and just send her strongest punch at Coldfire, then ordered 
Lael to create the hottest aura possible and get out of the way 
immediately. Using all of her might, she breached the shield and had 
Tangbei pull Pandi out of the circle before...
	"HYAAAA!" Zhaodi closed in on Coldfire, ducked his 
shimmering claws, then rose back up with a massive uppercut.
	The entire valley roared as the wind itself was torn apart by 
a giant tornado.
	Lael was forcefully tossed towards a nearby house, and was 
knocked out of commission instantly. Coldfire was not so lucky. The 
force of the blast tossed him up through the tornado's funnel, several 
hundred meters over the ground. He vanished into the distance. Most 
people even believed he had met his end.
	When the tornado finally receded, Zhae and Pandi rushed 
towards Zhaodi. The poor girl was down on her knees, clutching her 
throat with her left hand as she tried desperately to breathe. Her 
clothes were torn apart, and her right arm was swollen, her fist 
almost purple with blood. Zhae instantly regretted telling her to 
release the punch.
	"Zhaodi-chan..." Pandi kneeled by her, once the redhead had 
managed to breathe more or less normally again.
	When she looked at her sister, Zhaodi unconsciously 
reverted to Japanese language. Her voice trembled as she said, "K-ko 
no waza..."
	"What about that technique?" Zhae asked.
	All of a sudden Zhaodi beamed widely.
	 "SUGOI!"
	Everyone facefaulted.

It took her a couple more weeks to truly master the technique, which 
Pandi christened "the Flying Dragon that Ascends to Heaven" -after 
listening to how Lael said that the last thing he had seen before being 
knocked out was a roaring dragon on its way up. Fortunately, Zhae 
was close by to experiment with several ways to summon it, and it 
was the old warrior who realized that it was a conflict of hot and cold 
currents what made it possible. Since Coldfire did not reappear 
anytime during those weeks, though, Lael had to be the guinea pig of 
Zhaodi's new technique because of his hot aura and Fire Birds. Not 
that he didn't like to help her, after all -he loved the way Zhaodi's 
eyes shone every time she succeeded at the technique-but he wasn't 
too keen about being tossed way up into the air every ten minutes or 
so.
	So, the next time Coldfire showed up at the village, they 
were ready for him. Apparently, although he had learned of the 
Hiryuushoutenha, his rage still captured him within Zhaodi's "Dragon 
Spiral Dance." Only this time, he was more or less prepared for it. He 
never let up with the attacks, Zhaodi was almost killed when he got 
fed up and flung a razor-sharp blade of chi at her. Seeing her in 
trouble, Lael rushed in to help her. Since Coldfire's blasts were 
dissipating the hot aura, Lael relied on his own chi to bolster it. What 
resulted was a glowing field of red chi that whirled around Coldfire. 
Surprised, the demon had to concentrate on dispersing the aura, 
relenting on his attack of Zhaodi. Thus, he was perfectly open when 
the redhead and Lael converged on Coldfire's position, both 
punching upwards simultaneously at the cry of, "Flying Dragon 
Flame Winds!"
	That was the last time the Joketsuzoku ever saw Coldfire.
	But that was also the last time the Dragon rose at the 
village. When Zhaodi and Lael released the Hiryuu Honoo Kaze, all 
of the houses in a fifty-meter radius were flattened and incinerated. 
Luckily, there was no one inside them at the time, since they knew 
that battles with Coldfire resulted in major property damage. Not so 
luckily, though, the twins and Lael were fated to banishment from the 
village.
	Zhae and her two great-great granddaughters spoke in 
behalf of the trio, demanding that they should be allowed to remain 
on Joketsuzoku grounds. But the truth is, the populace was in an 
uproar. They had had enough of the constant battles with an enemy 
they didn't even care about, and it was pretty clear that if the twins 
and Lael were out of the village, Coldfire would not attack the 
Joketsuzoku. Zhae argued that the women warriors had always 
helped and protected each other, and that the twins needed their help 
now more than ever. But in the end, even the twins themselves had to 
agree the battle had gone too far this time...
	"It's for the good of the village," Zhaodi said, as she took 
the few possessions she had and placed them in a sack over her 
shoulder.
	"We'll keep in touch," Pandi said, her eyes welling with 
tears.
	Xingyi hugged her two honorary stepsisters tightly, hoping 
that her embrace would protect them until they could come back. 
Muttering, Tangbei also held them in her arms, saying something 
about how, once she became the leader of the Joketsuzoku, she 
would call them back immediately.
	Zhae didn't say anything. As the twins said their good-byes, 
she remained silently perched on her halberd. She just watched as her 
two youngest students prepared to depart, forced out of the same 
village that had taken them under its wing. But when Zhaodi finally 
approached her, she had only one thing to do.
	"Here," she took the redhead's hand and placed a small gem 
inside it.
	"What's this?" Zhaodi looked at the irregular stone that 
shone red in her palm. A ruby.
	"It has been the legacy of the Joketsuzoku for generations. 
My family has kept it ever since the village was founded." She looked 
up at Zhaodi, "I give it to you. If you must use it, then use it only for 
something very special."
	"Th-thanks...." Zhaodi stuttered, blushing out of gratitude. 
Her eyes trembled slightly, and all of a sudden she kneeled and 
hugged Zhae tightly, tears coming freely from her eyes, "Zhae-sama!"
	"I know, Zhaodi..." Zhae gently stroked her student's head, 
"I know..."
	She slowly looked at Lael, whose face was expressionless. 
He noticed her gaze, and instantly turned to face her. She never said 
anything, she didn't even grimaced, but after she was done Lael 
bowed deeply and said, "I will." He closed his eyes, as it hurt him to 
see Zhaodi cry, and thought, "I will... I'll always take care of them."
	And then, on that gray April morning, the twins and Lael left 
the village of the Joketsuzoku. Never again would they return to it, 
never would Zhae get to see the twins' smile; the images of Pandi 
contentedly helping other people, of Zhaodi gleefully sparring with 
Tangbei... these would be gone forever. And never would the ancient 
village of Amazons encounter anyone with such vitality, with such a 
young and unbridled spirit --until the day a girl by the name Ranma 
Saotome were to arrive and challenge its champion.

			*	*	*

Ranko shivered as she remembered that day. Even as she rode on 
Phoenix' back on the way back to her house, she couldn't help but 
hang her head in sorrow at what had happened. Sure, she liked to 
remember about what had happened in China, especially because it 
reminded her of how she first fell in love with Lael. But as much as 
she enjoyed recalling every little detail of how their relationship grew, 
she would always gloss over her memories of Coldfire, and only skim 
through them if possible.
	Phoenix had fallen silent a few moments earlier. He felt 
troubled, sensing Ranko's apprehension even though he could do 
nothing to help her. He knew how much Ranko adored Zhae; the 
small, old woman had been her role model for years, she had taken 
her into her house and turned the aspiring martial artist into a 
formidable warrior. But more than that, Zhae had become the 
redhead's grandmother in many ways. She had loved Zhaodi very 
dearly, and always pushed her to do her best. Then, Zhae was also 
very kind with everyone she met, never taking advantage of others or 
forcing them to do things against their will. As for himself, he had 
always respected and admired Zhae for that. But he knew Zhaodi had 
loved and looked up at the little old troll.
	"Ranko-chan..." he finally said, breaking the silence.
	"What?"
	"I'm sure... if she's seeing you know... she must be very 
proud of you."
	His words brought a smile to her face, "Thanks, Phaeron-
kun..." she looked up at the starry sky, "I like to hear that."
	Riding the wind, the Esper Phoenix and his passenger 
silently headed back to their home, back to their friends and family. It 
had  been a week since Yang started training Ranma, and tomorrow 
morning they would have another match to test the latter's progress; 
if they wanted to witness the fight, they needed to rest.
	Flying beside them, hidden from view, their Guardian could 
only sigh, joining in the sour-sweet memories of the following days...

			*	*	*

"White... Fire... BIRD!"
	A strong flash of white light illuminated the night, just as the 
side of a cliff was blasted to rubble. Many birds were even startled 
enough to take flight and leave to quieter regions. Sighing, Lael 
looked around and shook his head.
	"Calm down, Lael-chan," Zhaodi said, sitting by the 
campfire. They had settled on a clearing in a forest, close to 
Jusenkyo, also next to a tall cliff that overlooked the springs. They 
had arrived by luck, actually, since they didn't have any set direction 
in mind when they left the village.
	"There's no use in getting all worked up like that. 
Besides..." Zhaodi reached for a stick near the fire and took a bite 
from the roasted meat, "Coldfire hasn't even shown up since that last 
time at the village."
	"Zhaodi-chan is right, Lael-kun," Pandi said, trying to use 
the same calm voice that always worked wonders on her sister, "We 
haven't seen him in over two weeks. Maybe that Fire Dragon really 
made him learn his lesson." She failed to hear the thunder rumbling in 
the distance.
	Lael's shoulders slumped, and he continued to face the 
cliffside, "I not know. I... I guess I still tense." He looked forward, at 
the hole he had made in the rock, "I need vent out steam. Even if 
Coldfire no show up for two weeks, I still worry he show up any 
second."
	"Lael-chan, it'll be okay," Zhaodi said, gently taking his 
wrist. He was surprised for a second -he hadn't even felt her come 
near. Closing his eyes, he placed his other hand over her fingers an let 
her slowly pull him back to the fire.
	He sat down sheepishly, while she sat across the campfire 
and recovered her dinner. However, he just stared at his untouched 
meal with little interest. He just couldn't shake off the feeling that 
they shouldn't take their situation so lightly. True, it _had_ been two 
weeks since they had to leave the village, and Coldfire hadn't even 
hinted he would return, but... He _had_ to worry. They had to be 
prepared to face him at any moment; for all they knew, he could be 
lurking among the bushes, waiting for them to fall asleep before 
attacking. And the twins didn't even care about...
	"What? Not hungry?"
	He absently looked up at Zhaodi. She was smiling at him, 
her face glowing across the hot embers. Her dark eyes, barely 
halfway open, glimmered like crystal, while her hair was one with the 
fire. He gulped involuntarily and blushed, as a part of his mind was 
glad the firelight hid his color.
	"Lael-chan," she said, while Pandi silently stood up and 
headed for her tent. "Believe me, we're worried about Coldfire too. 
In fact, I can't believe we're taking it so well. He tried to kill us, after 
all, and... well, he hurt you so much back then..." She slowly looked 
down, "He's very strong. He almost managed to beat Zhae-sama and 
Tangbei... But..." she looked up at him, still smiling, "But we _can_ 
defeat him. Maybe we didn't beat him last time, and maybe we won't 
do it the next time he shows up, but someday we will. Do you know 
why?"
	He meekly shook his head.
	"Because he can't beat us if we're together," she clenched a 
fist and took it to her chest, "Who cares if he's strong and powerful. 
As long as the three of us fight him, he _can't_ beat us." She fell 
silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know why we have to fight 
him in the first place, but I know one thing," she stood up and sat 
down beside him, "I guess I should apologize for saying it, since he 
hurt you for so long, but in a way I'm... glad he picked you."
	He looked up at her, dubious.
	She sent him a warm, happy smile, "Because otherwise I 
wouldn't have met you." She gulped, "Lael-chan, I... I..."
	It was coming.
	"I..."
	Coming.
	She flustered slightly, "I... I don't know what we would've 
done... what we _could_ do... if you weren't around to help us."
	It was gone.
	"I'm sorry," she quickly said, realizing what he had expected 
to hear, "I don't know why I couldn't... I mean..."
	"It okay, Zhaodi-chan," he gently squeezed her hand. "I 
guess I glad too."
	Her eyes lit up, "You are?"
	He nodded, smiling at her. Closing her eyes for a second, 
she leaned back. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt like she 
could just smile forever. Slowly, she moved her other hand up to 
Lael's face, softly tracing his jaw. Opening her eyes again, she slowly 
leaned towards him and parted her lips a little.
	He felt just about ready to burst into flames. But the funny 
thing is, he didn't even move. Zhaodi's behavior had suddenly left 
him frozen in place. But then, as she closed her eyes again, he barely 
even felt the gentle kiss she placed on his cheek.
	"Arigato," she sang out, just like she did when he first 
complimented her pigtail.
	"H-huh?" he blinked several times, oblivious to how she 
pulled back and got on her knees.
	"For worrying about us," she said, "and for being there for 
us."
	He felt his cheek tingle strangely, but he managed to look up 
when Zhaodi stood and walked around him. She placed a hand on his 
shoulder and said, "If you wanna keep training, go ahead. But don't 
stay up too late, 'kay?"
	He looked down at the ground as she lightly stepped around 
the fire and headed for her tent. The contrast of the firelight and the 
darkness of the night hid her wide smile from Lael's view, although 
she had to walk quickly so her nervousness wouldn't show. But just 
as she was about to reach her tent, she heard a voice calling her, 
"Zhaodi-chan?"
	"What is it?" she turned back to Lael.
	"I..." he stammered, "I... Good... night."
	She nodded and smiled as she spoke, "Good night, Lael-
chan. See you tomorrow." Then she left him out by the fire, as she 
crawled into her tent to let peaceful slumber claim her.
	That night, a young shepherd from the West realized that 
maybe being possessed for over a year might have been for the best 
after all...


The morning after, the trio woke up with a start. Thunder roared all 
around, making the forest tremble in agitation. A soft drizzle bathed 
the valley, though, its constant patter soothing the nerves after the 
sudden crash.
	Lael hurriedly ran among the trees, holding a package in his 
arms. As he headed back to the camp, he smiled to himself. He was 
glad he had kept his brother's cloak after all these years. True, it was 
made of a very thick and heavy fabric, but in days like this it was 
perfect because of its heat --not to mention, it was virtually 
waterproof. Without it, he wouldn't have been able to go find 
something to eat for breakfast.
	He reached the site and quickly stepped around the 
extinguished campfire. Then, careful enough not to let any water 
follow him, he opened the flap of the twins' tent and got inside.
	"Here," he said, spreading his arms to let go of his cargo, 
"Sorry I take so long."
	"Thank you, Lael-kun," Pandi said, bowing slightly, while 
her sister looked at the smoked fish that he had brought from a 
nearby river.
	"How'd you manage to cook those?" she asked.
	"Oh, it still no rain by the river," he explained, "I had little 
time before rain got there, that why I only smoke fish."
	Pandi smiled, "It's all right, Lael-kun. Thank you for going 
all the way out there to bring them to us."
	"I..." he tried to say, but then he noticed how Zhaodi was 
smiling at him and he couldn't help but nod a little in reply. It took 
him a few moments to realize that the girls were politely waiting for 
him, so he smiled and said, "Okay, pick what you want."
	He had barely finished speaking when Zhaodi lunged for the 
food, tightly grasping the stick which went through the fish as if 
someone were going to take it from her; Pandi, a bit more calm, just 
reached for her share and quietly began to take small bites from it. 
Lael chuckled to himself when he saw Zhaodi eating like there was 
no tomorrow, then sat down to join them in the meal.
	"You know," Zhaodi said, between bites, "Maybe it was a 
good idea to come here after all. Since we're close to Jusenkyo, 
there's no way Coldfire's gonna come _near_ this place."
	Thunder rumbled in the distance.
	"That is, _if_ he is going to come back," Pandi added. "I still 
think he got the hint with that dragon of yours," she snickered a little 
while another thunder shook the region.
	"I still would like train today," Lael said, "Just in case."
	"It would be nice to train out there," Zhaodi looked at the 
rain, "I've always liked to practice while it's raining." She smiled, "I 
love rain."
	"I don't mind it," Pandi said, "But this time it woke me up 
too early..." she yawned, "I wanna sleep a little more..."
	That said, she put down what was left of her fish and sat 
back, stretching her arms a little. But when she looked around, she 
noticed that her sister and Lael were already conversing with each 
other abut other things. Shrugging, she looked for a soft place in the 
floor of the tent and set herself down on it.
	"So, that's how you make those birds, huh?" Zhaodi said, 
since Lael had just explained how he first created the Blue Fire Bird.
	"Yes. You have feel something strong, then just... let go," 
he opened his palms and moved them as if he were pushing 
something. "See?"
	"Like this?" she smirked, pushing with her hands so her 
palms met Lael's. He was caught off guard by what she did, so he 
blushed and dropped his gaze a little. Zhaodi smiled at him and 
meshed her fingers with his, then pulled back and released a faint 
White Touch aura. Lael's hands were pushed away a bit, so he let go 
of Zhaodi, but then he caught on to the game and pushed back with 
his own White Touch. They moved their hands around, trying to 
push each other away; Zhaodi was already giggling at the contest. 
She was about to use the Gray Touch to pull Lael close to her when 
she was hit by a small droplet on her nose.
	"Huh?" she and Lael stopped playing and looked up.
	"Kyaa!" Pandi shrieked slightly when another droplet fell on 
her face and surprised her.
	"Uh-oh," Zhaodi said, looking at the fabric that made the 
top of the tent, "The rain's getting through."
	"I guess my tent is same," Lael grimaced at the thought of 
his tent being soaked through. "Maybe we lucky and it stop raining 
soon."
	"I hope-- hey!" Zhaodi was hit again, and then the droplets 
became more constant. Pandi quickly scooted over to her and Lael, 
but then she was splashed by five more raindrops.
	"Here, I have idea," Lael said, then reached around to grab 
the corners of his cloak. Sitting between the girls, with Zhaodi to his 
right, he spread his arms and lifted the cloak, like a bird opening its 
wings, to protect them from the water.
	"Thanks," Zhaodi smiled, and cuddled up to him. Pandi did 
the same. When they settled down, Lael slowly, _nervously_ lowered 
his arms, so that his hands could rest on the girls' shoulders while the 
cloak covered their heads like hoods. Pandi smiled and closed her 
eyes, trying to catch up on her interrupted sleep. Blushing, Zhaodi 
also took the chance to lean back and rest on his chest. She couldn't 
help noticing how warm it was in there, with his arm placed around 
her shoulders. She smiled a little, then decided to follow her sister's 
example and closed her eyes. After several minutes, she was already 
breathing slowly as she drifted off to sleep.
	Lael was in a very strange predicament. First, he was 
already hugging Zhaodi very close to him, even if her sister was in a 
similar position. That in itself would have made his mind take a 
vacation, more so after what had happened last night. Second, Pandi 
was already sleeping, resting on his chest, and apparently Zhaodi was 
headed the same way.
	He wondered which arm would go numb first.
	Sighing, he looked around, and when he was sure that both 
girls were asleep he slowly leaned back on the floor. He thought that 
once they were lying down, he could squirm out from between them, 
then cover them both with his cloak. But he could only _think_ he 
could do that --the second his shoulders touched the floor, Zhaodi's 
right hand reached out and latched onto his shoulder. Pandi just 
snuggled up to him, sound asleep.
	"Uh-oh," he thought. "Now what?"
	He spent the following minutes trying to find a way out of 
the mess he had gotten himself into. Fortunately, it had already 
stopped raining, and the clouds in the sky had moved away to let a 
silver ray of light bathe the forest. However, he didn't think about 
that. Despite his awkward situation, he could only think about what 
had happened last night.
	Zhaodi had kissed him. Okay, it was only a friendly peck on 
the cheek, but it meant the world to him. And she had done it 
because... because she knew what he felt for her. Oh, god, she 
knew... Even if he hadn't said the words yet. And it was pretty clear 
she cared for him too, and she cared deeply. He didn't know _how_ 
deeply, as she still kept a bit of her feelings to herself, but what he 
knew was enough to make him feel happy.
	He had to do something for her. Something nice... Maybe 
give her a present? Yes, Zhaodi loved presents. But what would she 
like... Why not... of course!
	Lael smiled. She would love that. He could already imagine 
her wearing it. And best of all, it wouldn't interfere with her training, 
so she could wear it all the time. Yes, he would make her that 
present. Besides, all it would take would be some of the gold coins 
he had left, a few hours of solitude, and a lot of hard work. Why, 
even working carefully he could have it finished by tomorrow 
morning, for her birthday!
	That is, if he could get out of the tent.
	He looked at Pandi, then, lifting his left shoulder for a 
moment, he managed to remove his arm from under her. There, she 
was still asleep. No problem. Now, Zhaodi. He turned to his right to 
face her.
	Oh, god...
	He didn't know how long he stayed like that, but he just 
stared at her for a few minutes. Why was it that every time that he 
saw her sleep she looked even _more_ cute? And she was sleeping in 
his arms now, too...
	Shaking himself out of the reverie, Lael slowly took 
Zhaodi's hand and lifted it from his shoulder. With even greater care 
than what he took with Pandi, he slowly lifted her by her shoulders, 
then he kneeled on the floor and deposited her on the floor of the 
tent. Smiling, he paused for a moment, brushing a stray lock of hair 
from Zhaodi's forehead, then he silently crawled out of the tent and 
into the fresh air of the forest. Filling his lungs with the moisture, he 
sighed and headed for his tent. He had a lot of work to do.
	As soon as she heard him run into his tent, Zhaodi sat up 
and snickered to herself. He was still _so_ innocent with her! She 
could really feel him quivering when she leaned against him. And the 
way he had quietly left her to sleep...
	Zhaodi felt that soothing warmth in her chest all over again. 
He must really love her, she thought, and that made her feel 
wonderful inside. But she didn't understand _how_ she had managed 
not to blush when he touched her forehead --if he could still melt at 
some of the things she did, then she felt even _more_ nervous. And 
what she did last night! She couldn't believe she had kissed him just 
like that, on the cheek! Especially, when she wanted to kiss him on--
	Whoa, hold on. Let's take this a step at a time, she reminded 
herself. Besides, there's no use in wasting time. First things first.
	Concentrating on more practical things, Zhaodi quickly 
rummaged through her belongings. She finally stopped when her 
fingers closed around a solid, irregular object. A ruby.
	"Zhae-sama..." Zhaodi thought, carefully holding the gem in 
her fingertips.
	"It has been the legacy of the Joketsuzoku for generations. 
My family has kept it ever since the village was founded." That was 
what Zhae-sama had told her when they left the village, "I give it to 
you. If you must use it, then use it only for something very special."
	Zhaodi sat on her calves, wistfully looking at the rough 
jewel. "Something very special..." Sending a brief glance at Lael's 
tent, she smiled and got out of the tent, then ran out through the 
forest.
	"Now..." she thought, "Where did the guys from the Musk 
Dynasty build their village?"

When Pandi awoke, it was to find herself alone in the tent she shared 
with her sister. It had stopped raining, and the bright sunlight filled 
everything outside. Yawning, she stretched her limbs and sat up, then 
groggily made her way out of the tent.
	She wasn't surprised to find her sister missing. Last night, 
before falling asleep, Zhaodi had told her about her plans for the 
ruby. "So, she's gonna go through with it after all..."she thought, 
smiling as she headed for Lael's tent, "I really hope she knows what 
she's doing."
	She opened the tent's flap.
	"Huh... YAAAH!" Lael jumped back a good two feet, 
hiding something behind his back. When he realized that the red-
haired girl _wasn't_ Zhaodi, he sighed in relief and slumped his 
shoulders.
	"What are you doing, Lael-kun?" Pandi asked, sitting before 
him.
	"I..." he stammered, not sure about showing it to Zhaodi's 
sister. "Oh, okay, I show you. But you promise you no tell Zhaodi-
chan about this, okay?"
	"Why? What is it?"
	"I ah... It present, okay?"
	Pandi smiled mischievously, "Oh, I see. Then I better not tell 
Zhaodi-chan until it's ready, hm?" Lael nodded nervously. "Can I see 
it?"
	"Uh, uh-huh..." Lael slowly brought it up to her view. He 
was holding what seemed to be a golden plate on a thick wool rag; 
said plate being about two inches wide and half a foot long. Curious, 
Pandi reached out to touch it.
	"No, no touch," Lael quickly moved it away, "It still hot. 
You  get hurt."
	"What is that, Lael-kun?" Pandi asked.
	"It... it, uh... it bracelet."
	"A bracelet?" Pandi smiled, "You're making her a bracelet?"
	"Hm-hm," Lael nodded, "I guess it way of telling her--"
	"That you love her?" Pandi ventured. Lael was startled for a 
second, but then nodded meekly.
	"I also want thank her..." he smiled, "She help me a lot... I... 
I feel I ungrateful to her, sometimes..."
	Pandi shook her head, "Lael-kun, if that's the case, you don't 
have to do it. Believe me, you've helped _us_ too." She snickered, 
"Lately, Zhaodi-chan has been acting very strange. She... she's been 
really happy since we met you, you know? It had been a while since I 
saw her like that." She put a hand on his arm, "You _have_ made her 
happy, Lael-kun. If you want to thank her for what she's done, just... 
just show her you _love_ her. All right?"
	Lael was silent for a moment. Pandi was right. He was going 
about this the wrong way; or, at least, he hadn't realized why he was 
really making the present. Perhaps... perhaps he _was_ making it just 
because he loved her. What other reason could he want, could he 
need, to give her the bracelet?
	He looked down at it. It was still a plain piece of gold, 
which he would later curl into a ring shape. It was wide enough to 
resemble a tiny armlet; he could even write on it...
	"I..." he began, "Okay... But can I give bracelet anyway?"
	Pandi snickered, "Of course, Lael-kun. Wouldn't want all 
that hard work to go to waste, right?"
	He smiled, turning red, "Right."
	She scooted over to him, "So, what do you have in mind for 
that bracelet...?"

Zhaodi sat on a rock by the road, resting her chin on her hands. Now 
what would she do? She thought there would be someone at the 
Musk village that could help her polish the ruby, but... How was she 
supposed to know that nobody but the "elders" had ever seen a 
woman before?
	Now she understood Zhae's stories about the Musk visiting 
the Joketsuzoku once a decade in search for brides. Ugh. But 
anyway, she had to think about her situation. She _wanted_ to make 
a present for Lael, and she would use the ruby for that. However, she 
needed someone who could polish it. Where would she find such a 
person, especially now that she couldn't come close to the Amazon 
village?
	She looked up. She could hear the sound of a pull-cart 
approaching. Indeed, she saw an old man, whose beard reached 
down to his chest, pulling a small carriage behind him. It was filled 
with strange artifacts, but what caught her attention was the 
collection of gems that shone in a small mesh net.
	"Yes!" Zhaodi thought to herself, grateful for the godsend. 
Smiling, she stood up an fluttered over to the Chinese man.
	"Hm?" he stopped when noticed someone was walking 
towards him. "Hi there, little one!"
	"Excuse me," Zhaodi asked, "You work with jewels and 
stuff like that?"
	The man smiled, "Why, certainly. Do you see something that 
catches your attention?"
	She sent a brief glance at the items he was carrying, "Uh, 
actually, I need some help with this..." she showed him the ruby. 
"You think you could polish it for me?"
	The man took the gemstone in his wrinkled fingers, "Hmm, 
a very special thing you have here, little one. Do you really want to 
make jewelry with this? While the red of the ruby fits you, I'd say an 
emerald would suit you better."
	"Uh, no, it's not for me," she stammered, "It's a present."
	"Oh, I see. Then let me prepare my tools, little one," he 
chuckled. She didn't know why, but Zhaodi just found herself smiling 
at the old man's behavior. It was as if he irradiated life around his 
decrepit figure. Shrugging, she sat down to join him as he examined 
the jewel with his equipment.
	"What shape would you want me to give it?" he asked, 
lifting the ruby to his eyes.
	"Hm, I hadn't thought about that..." she said. Looking 
around she noticed a medallion that was loosely hanging from the old 
man's cart, "Hey, how about that?" she pointed at the medallion, 
"Could you make one of those?"
	"Oh, but that is to be worn by a man, little one. It's a medal, 
after all." He began to take his polishing instruments, "Is the present 
for a man?"
	"Uh, yeah..." Zhaodi said, blushing slightly.
	"All right, then let's make a man's medallion," the old man 
smiled at her, then began to polish the ruby. Trying to make some 
conversation, he said, "Too bad you can't go to the village of the 
Musk people. They have very good craftsmen that could have this 
finished in minutes."
	"I already went there," Zhaodi grimaced, "Darn guys had 
never seen a girl their whole life."
	"O-ho," the man chuckled, "Strange fellows, no?" Zhaodi 
snickered and nodded.
	After a while, and much to Zhaodi's amazement, the ruby 
was almost finished. The old man had polished it in a cabochon 
shape, with a flat underside. He extended his hand to show his 
progress to the pigtailed girl. Smiling happily, she nodded in 
satisfaction.
	"Now, to make the medal," he said, then stood up and 
rummaged through his artifacts. "Gold, gold, gold... where did I 
leave that gold?"
	"Huh?"
	"I need gold to make the rest of the medallion," he 
explained. "Do you have some gold I could use, little one?"
	"No, I..." she started, but then she remembered something. 
She placed her hand on her chest for a second, and reached into her 
clothes. When her hand came out, it was holding a small golden bell, 
which was attached to a string around her neck.
	"Oh, that's a beautiful thing you have," the old one said, 
"Sure you want me to use it?"
	Zhaodi remained silent for a second. She still remembered 
the moment when her mother, that kind person whose face she 
couldn't even remember, gave her and Pandi those gold bells as a 
birthday present. She had said that they would bring good luck or... 
something like that. The point is they would make something good 
happen. But still... she loved Lael. She was already using the ruby to 
make him a present, a present to show him _how_ she loved him. 
And...
	"Mother..." she thought, holding the bell in her hand a few 
more instants. "I hope this is okay with you, it's just... I guess I really 
do love him..."
	She closed her eyes for a second, and when she opened 
them she handed the bell to the old man. She saw him take a hammer, 
and immediately turned away, not wanting to see the bell being 
flattened. She kept looking away for a long time, as the craftsman 
worked on the medallion. When the sounds finally ended, he called 
her so she would look at the finished work. Her eyes widened in 
surprise.
	"Ki... kirei..." she let the word come out of her mouth. And 
the medallion was indeed beautiful, considering it was meant for a 
man to wear. The size, the shape, everything was just... perfect.
	"I knew you'd like it," the man said, "Now, to complete the 
medallion, this," he took out a thin strip of sturdy leather, barely half 
a centimeter wide, and attached it to the disk of gold. He held it out 
for Zhaodi to take, and then she placed it around her neck, making 
sure the thread was long enough. Smiling, she removed it and held it 
tight in her hand.
	"Thank you very much," she bowed politely to the old man, 
"I... I don't know how I can..."
	"Don't feel the need to repay me, little one. It's not 
necessary." He smiled, "All I did was give shape to the present you 
want to make. A little hard work is good for your health, after all."
	"But..." she insisted, and then realized that she would be 
rude if she didn't accept his generosity, "All right. Thank you," she 
bowed again, and stood up.
	"Hurry back, little one," the old one said, "They're probably 
waiting for you."
	"Uh... I guess, " she smiled, and noticed how he was 
beginning to drag his cart once more, "Um, don't you need any help 
with that?"
	"It's no problem," he said, "And don't worry about an old 
man pulling that weight, dear. My age doesn't matter anymore." He 
chuckled, "Why, I guess I _am_ ageless!"
	Laughing, he pulled his cart down the road while Zhaodi 
walked in the opposite direction. She smiled at the old man's antics. 
Ageless, eh? He would've gotten along great with Zhae-sama. But 
then... that's right, she forgot to ask what his name was.
	"Hey, I..." she turned around, but the old man was nowhere 
in sight. Even his cart had vanished. That was weird. Ageless or not, 
old men don't walk _that_ fast, much less while pulling a small 
wagon full of items.
	Shrugging, she smiled to herself and hurried back to the 
camp. She still had to add some details to the medallion.


By next morning, both gifts were ready. The only thing left for them 
to be complete was to be worn by those who would receive them. 
Such was the excitement that Zhaodi and Lael had, that it was a 
wonder they could sleep at all the previous night.
	At the moment, though, everything was peaceful in the 
forest near Jusenkyo. And the girls that lay in one of the tents were 
still contentedly dozing through the morning, even though it was 
their birthday. Their fifteenth birthday, to be precise.
	All of a sudden, there was a loud noise, like a boom. 
Whatever caused it was strong enough to cause the trees to tremble 
an swing their branches wildly. What could _that_ have been?
	In his tent, Lael was shocked awake by the noise. Almost by 
reflex, he sat up and stood, then reached for his monkey stick.
	"What the heck was _that_?" he wondered. He didn't like to 
be paranoid, but after facing Coldfire he had learned to pay attention 
to little details. And a loud boom was a little detail that definitely 
deserved attention. On the other hand, if Coldfire _had_ made such a 
noise then he would have noticed by now.
	"It sure didn't feel like him, but I better make sure."
	Covering himself with his cloak, he got out of his tent and 
looked all around. He smiled when he saw that the girls' tent was 
undisturbed --a light snoring came from it. However, he returned to 
the subject at hand and carefully scanned the area with his eyes.
	Something moved among the trees. Narrowing his eyes, 
Lael quickly dashed in pursuit of whoever was there. However, as he 
followed the strange figure he couldn't help noticing that he was 
being lead _around_ the camp, as if the shadow wanted him to keep 
watching the campsite. What was going on?
	All of a sudden the figure hopped up, and disappeared. Lael 
stopped instantly, looking all around to find the spy. "That wasn't 
Coldfire..." he thought, still looking around, "I felt a very powerful 
aura from that guy... A little weaker than what we felt when Cordis 
arrived..."
	"I'm not nearly as strong as Cordis..." a voice came directly 
into his mind. His eyes widened as he couldn't tell where it was 
coming from. Whipping his head upwards, he saw the figure.
	It was a little taller than he, standing about 1.72 meters tall. 
But in its old, tattered cloak it seemed even more imposing, coupled 
with the fact that it was standing on top of a branch, nearly ten feet 
above him. Although the cloak's hood couldn't let him see the figure's 
face, the broad shoulders let him know it was a man.
	"You don't know who I am... At least, not yet. But you have 
to listen, and listen well."
	"Who are you?" Lael grasped his staff tightly, "Are you 
another demon?"
	The figure flinched, "No. I simply seek to help you."
	"What do you mean?" Lael narrowed his eyes.
	"I know all about you." The figure smirked, "And I know 
about your feelings."
	Lael was surprised. What... what in the world was _that_ 
supposed to mean?! Only those from the Joketsuzoku had a _clue_ 
about his feelings, and the figure before him didn't resemble any of 
them. And, judging from his aura, he couldn't be Hidama either. All 
right, try to stall him until you figure out who he is. "Y-you do, eh?"
	"I do. And I must warn you. Today you shall face one of the 
most painful events in your life. But whatever happens, do not lose 
hope," he smiled, "And remember: everything will be all right."
	Lael felt a strange apprehension get a hold of him, "Painful 
event? What... Who _are_ you???"
	"You'll find out... in fifteen hundred years..." the figure 
spread his arms and hopped backwards, landing from the tree. Fifteen 
hundred years, huh? Very funny. And how the idiot was going to get 
away!  "Wait!!" Lael called.
	"Hm?" the figure turned to him.
	"If you want to help, then prove it! Help me stop Coldfire!" 
he released a fist from the staff, "He wants to kill... someone very 
close to me..."
	The figure winced, "I... know." He turned to the boy. But 
instead of using telepathy, he spoke plainly. "But still, you will see 
her shortly. Before you leave you must do something." He stepped 
forward, "You must _tell_ her."
	"T-tell her?" Lael was taken aback. That guy's voice was... it 
was just like his _own_! And he knew about Zhaodi-chan! What was 
happening?!
	"You mean..."
	"You know what I mean." The figure walked away, "Tell 
her... before it's too late. You might never have another chance." And 
he faded away.
	"Who was that...? What did he mean by that?" Lael blinked 
in confusion. "Tell her?" he looked down at his hand, at the bracelet 
he had made for Zhaodi. He turned around when he heard a low 
rustle behind him.
	"Lael-chan, what's wrong?"
	He was surprised to find Zhaodi walking towards him, clad 
in a long sleepgown, and for once wearing her hair loose. She 
groggily walked between the bushes and reached him, greeting him 
with a sleepy smile.
	Lael smiled back, recalling the words of the mysterious 
cloaked figure. He didn't know who that was, but... Yes, he was 
right. Pandi had also told him about it. He _had_ to let Zhaodi know 
how much he cared for her, at least... But no... he didn't _have_ to 
tell her... he _needed_ to tell her. Just her presence here, as she had 
interrupted her slumber to come see what he was doing, let him 
know that she really _did_ care for her.
	"There nothing wrong, Zhaodi-chan," he replied, 
strengthening his voice, "But I have tell you something."
	"Y-you too?" Zhaodi blushed mightily. Behind her back, she 
tightened her grip on the medallion she was about to offer.
	"Zhaodi-chan, I..." he began.
	"L-Lael-chan..."
	"You... you help so much, I..." he stuttered, but then took a 
deep breath and said, in the other language, "Could we speak in 
Chinese for a moment? I want to say the right words this time."
	Zhaodi was suddenly surprised by his outburst, she barely 
caught the meaning of what he said. Nervous for a moment, she 
nodded and stepped a little closer, waiting for him to speak.
	"Zh-Zhaodi-chan, listen..." he said, "I... I don't know how to 
tell you this, but..." he took another deep breath, "When I first met 
you... you remember that, right? When that happened, I... I just saw 
you and... and the only thing I could think about was how beautiful 
you were..."
	"L-Lael-chan..." Zhaodi swallowed hard. Why was he 
talking like this? Wh-why was he so nervous all of a sudden?
	"When I saw you at the village... Zhaodi-chan... You... 
you're so kind to me, I... I think that everything can be all right as 
long... as long as you _are_ with me. But there's more. I..."
	Her eyes began to tremble. He wasn't going to say that he...
	"I..." he continued, but then deflated slightly and extended 
his hand, "Here. I want you to have this."
	She looked at the bracelet of pure gold.
	Gulping, she reached out for it with her free hand, keeping 
the medallion hidden behind her back. It... it was beautiful. The 
glistening gold was perfectly molded, and it even had an inscription 
on the interior surface.
	"What... what does it say here?" she asked, nervous. She 
could tell that it was Lael's native language, because of the symbols 
he used, but she couldn't interpret the message. But just touching the 
gift made her feel a warm ball of light in her chest; she couldn't 
believe what was happening with her emotions --and yet she liked the 
sensation. It was something very strange, and very pleasant. Could it 
mean that Lael-chan really did...?
	"It says..." he blushed, and took her wrist in his hands. "It 
says the same thing I'm thinking right now."
	"L-L-Lael-ch-chan..." Zhaodi's face lit up, her eyes 
shimmering in the morning light.
	"Zhaodi-chan..." he took a deep breath, the last one he 
would need before saying, "I... I love you."
	Complete silence was made in the forest.
	All of a sudden, the warm ball exploded inside her. Her body 
suddenly stood still, threatening to fall, and even her voice deserted 
her. What... what had he just said? It... it had to be a dream. The best 
dream she had had in her whole life, but it was _still_ just an illusion. 
Wasn't it? _Wasn't_ it? But... but it was all so _real_! The air, the 
ground under her bare feet, the gold bracelet she was being offered...
	It _was_ real! Lael... her Lael-chan had said that he loved 
her! He _loved_ her! Then... then it was all true after all! The hints he 
dropped, the way he treated her, how concerned he was about her 
welfare, the way they... the way they had hugged after the accident at 
the waterfall... she _knew_ they all meant he loved her, but now she 
was sure!
	"L-Lael-chan!" she couldn't stop herself as she quickly 
stepped towards him and engulfed him in her small arms, holding him 
tight to make sure he was no dream. It took her only a second to 
realize he was hugging her back, and it only worked to make her grip 
on him stronger, closer. She could notice she was crying, and for 
once she didn't give a damn if anyone saw her like that. She was 
crying because... because.. She just _had_ to! She was too happy not 
to cry!
	"I.. I really do... Zhaodi-chan," Lael said, and all of a sudden 
his voice was the only sound that mattered to her. However, she 
could vaguely feel something hard and rounded inside her hand. Still 
sniffling a bit, she forced herself to let go. As she did, though, she 
made sure her arms were still around his neck. When she saw Lael's 
confused face, she could only smile a little and tie the knot behind his 
head.
	"La-Lael-chan, I... also..." she couldn't go on. She knew she 
was too shy to say those words. Ironic: the same Amazon that could 
laugh at deadly adversaries and tear the wind open with her hands 
was too shy to say those words. She didn't care; she would make 
sure he KNEW how she felt. She wanted to make him as happy as he 
had just made her. Relaxing her arms, she gently placed the gold and 
ruby medallion on his chest. It glistened brightly.
	"Zh-Zhaodi-chan... I..." he looked absently at the present. 
"A... arigatou."
	"Thank you too, Lael-chan," she said, still smiling, even 
though a few tears continued to fall. Sending an absent glance at her 
new bracelet, she slowly slid her hand into it. "Look," she said, 
turning to Lael, "It fits perfectly."
	He had to smile, "I... I know..." He looked down at the 
medallion, "This is the same..." He sighed, softly stroking the gem.
	"You know--" they both said, then stopped and laughed at 
themselves.
	"You first," Zhaodi said.
	"N-no, Zhaodi-chan, go on."
	"O-okay... Lael-chan, I just want to say that... No matter 
what happens... I... I'll always... I... You know."
	"Thank you, Zhaodi-chan," he placed his hands on her 
shoulders and gently pulled her into an embrace. "I... I guess... Since 
the day I first saw you... I knew that you'd be very important to 
me..." He held her tight, "Looks like I was right after all."
	"Lael... chan..." was all she could say, as the couple began 
to rock gently to the sides. Feeling lighter than a feather, all they 
could do was close their eyes and smile.
	And Zhaodi thought it was the best birthday present in her 
whole life.

Pandi was confused. Ever since she woke up, she had seen Lael and 
her sister acting _quite_ oddly. They just kept smiling at each other in 
a strange way, all through their sparring and even during breakfast. 
Although she liked to see them relating to each other, she would 
have liked to know why they were acting like that.
	"Ah, that was great, Zhaodi-chan," she said, once they 
finished eating.
	"Pandi right, it very good," Lael smiled at Zhaodi.
	"Um, thanks," the redhead blushed a little. "But... maybe 
you should know that we just ran out of supplies."
	Pandi snickered amusedly, "Gee, Zhaodi-chan, with that 
stomach of yours that's no surprise."
	"No worry, we just catch fish."
	"Actually, that's the problem..." Zhaodi said, "It's not just 
food. We're also running out of other things we need."
	"Why not just go to that Musk village?" Pandi shrugged.
	"I don't think so," Zhaodi said, "Remember those stories 
that Zhae-sama told us about them? Where she said that the guys 
who lived there had never seen a women in their lives?" Pandi 
nodded. "Well, they're true."
	"And how do you know?"
	"I... uh... I went there yesterday..." she said, "To get 
something that was necessary." Blinking, Pandi shrugged and 
believed her. Zhaodi sighed in relief.
	"Then it better if I go," Lael said, "There no problem if I go, 
right?"
	Zhaodi nodded half-heartedly, "I guess not. You need 
money?"
	"No, thanks, I still have," he stood up, "Well, I better go 
now. Sky look like it rain soon." He slowly began to head out of the 
camp when he looked back to the twins. Pandi was picking up the 
items of the meal, her long hair cascading around her face. Opposite 
to her was Zhaodi, lazily stretching her arms over her head while 
letting out a long yawn. When she noticed he was looking at her, she 
quickly lowered her arms and shut her mouth, blushing slightly, and 
smiled back at him. Her tight pigtail fell down her shoulder as she 
bent over to help her sister.
	Smiling at the twins, he headed out of the camp. Out of 
instinct, he decided to keep that image in his mind --an image of what 
he valued most in this world.

"So... it was this morning?" Pandi asked, seeing that Lael had walked 
out of earshot.
	Zhaodi was taken aback for a moment, "W-what was this 
morning?"
	"That," Pandi smiled, pointing at the golden band around 
Zhaodi's wrist. "I take it he gave it to you this morning, right?"
	"Uh, no, actually, I found it on the road yesterday..."
	"Oneechan."
	Zhaodi sighed, "Okay, okay, yeah, he gave it to me. Happy 
now?" She blushed fiercely as she imagined Pandi's amused grin. 
However, when she looked up, she could see that the smile on her 
sister's face was very faint, as if showing just a tinge of satisfaction. 
Sighing, Zhaodi decided to continue and sat back, smiling as well. 
"He gave it to me this morning, long before you woke up. I had 
found him out here, like he was talking to himself or something, and 
then... he... he just gave it to me." She sighed, "And he... he said... he 
said that he..."
	"He _said_ it...?" Pandi thought, slowly catching her sister's 
meaning. Was it possible? Had Lael actually told her sister that he...
	"Pandi-chan..." Zhaodi looked up at her, her eyes already 
watering, "He said... I... I still can't believe it... He... He said that he 
loves me."
	"Oh, Zhaodi-chan..." Pandi sat down by her sister and 
hugged her tight, even though Zhaodi was too elated to return the 
embrace. So, he had finally said it, then. The three words. Pandi 
didn't know what to think; of course she was happy, and she had 
hoped that some day her sister and Lael would come to terms and 
admit their feelings. However, she hadn't expected it to happen so... 
soon. Something must have made him realize how much he loved 
Zhaodi --for a moment, Pandi thought that it had been because of the 
conversation she had had with him the previous day, and was glad. 
And what was more: even with all their troubles, the couple had 
managed to make way for the emotions that bloomed for it.
	"I'm so happy for you, Zhaodi-chan," she said, detaching 
herself from her sister, "But... how do you feel?"
	Zhaodi chuckled, "You know, that's the funny part. I... I 
guess I still feel like I'm dreaming or something. I..." she took a deep 
breath, "I don't know how long I've wanted to hear that, and now... I 
can barely believe it's happening."
	Pandi said nothing, too satisfied with her sister's happiness 
to spoil the moment. She looked down at the bracelet, "It's beautiful. 
He must've spent all night working on it."
	"Yeah, right," Zhaodi smirked, "Don't pretend you didn't 
know about this, Pandi-chan. I know you were there talking to him 
while he made this."
	"I, uh..." Pandi smiled nervously.
	There was a rustle among the bushes. The twins took no 
notice of it, or of the cold wind that suddenly blew into the clearing.
	"Hey, it's okay," Zhaodi grinned, "After all, it gave me time 
to get his present."
	"So you really did look for a present?" Pandi's eyes were 
wide with excitement, "Wow, what was it?"
	"Didn't you see that lump under his clothes?" Zhaodi said, 
"It was a medallion."
	The cold breeze became stronger.
	"A medallion?" Pandi asked.
	"Uh-huh," Zhaodi nodded, "That's why I went to the Musk 
village yesterday. It really took a long time to get it ready for him."
	"But... but how much did it cost you?"
	"Not much," Zhaodi said, "All I--"
	"'Not much,' eh?" a dreadfully familiar voice came from 
behind them, stabbing their hearts with its chilling tone, "The old 
ghoul's ruby and your mother's bell... You almost sold your own soul 
for it!"
	The twins' eyes went wide with shock. The older twin 
immediately turned back to see...
	"Coldfire?!"
Zhaodi's eyes settled on the dark, tall figure that stepped out 
into the clearing. His face was already locked in a scowl as he 
prepared to strike.
	"What a coincidence that I should find you here..." he 
mocked, "You know, I didn't exactly appreciate what you did to me 
last time, so I'll show you how much I've improved!"
	As soon as the words left his mouth he joined his hands to 
release a massive Bird of Prey towards them. Zhaodi quickly grabbed 
her sister and leapt out of the way as the dark blast broke through the 
tent behind them. Just as she landed, she placed Pandi behind her and 
faced Coldfire, who was already dashing at them. Zhaodi stood her 
ground, then, just as the demon slashed at her with his claws, she 
ducked and planted his palms on his chest at the shout of, "White 
Touch!" He was blasted away into a tree.
	Coldfire staggered to his feet. Swearing at his luck, he 
glared at the twins and growled.
	"Enough of this stupid game," he said, slowly striding 
towards them as he flared his fearsome aura, "Daughters of Pax... 
today your end will come."


"Huh? Did something happen?"
	"N-no, it's all right," Lael said, "Just felt a sudden chill, that's 
all."
	The store's clerk shrugged, and went back to gathering the 
items Lael had come to buy. He was still intrigued by the young 
man's demeanor, though. The Musk was a tribe of powerful warriors, 
their fighting styles based utterly upon the combat instincts of many 
beasts. Thus, its members had learned to develop their senses as 
thoroughly as the animal they took after. Being only humans, that 
was all they could do.
	However, the aura that the clerk could discern around Lael 
was special. It was as if the soul of a mythical bird lived within him, 
hidden from everyone's view. While many legendary fighters of the 
Musk were known for having the soul of a dragon, a tiger or even a 
phoenix, none of them projected the spirit of the latter as strongly as 
this young stranger that was in his store. In a way, it was similar to 
what he felt when the small... female... walked into his store 
yesterday --only her aura was immensely stronger.
	 "So," Lael said, snickering, "I heard there were some 
problems here yesterday? When a friend of mine came to this 
village?"
	"Problems?" the clerk wondered, "Oh, then you must be 
talking about the... girl... with red hair, right?"
	Lael chuckled, "Yeah, that's right. Then it's true you people 
have never seen women in your lives?"
	The man frowned, "Don't make light of it, boy. There is a 
reason why the Musk remain isolated from... women." Glaring 
slightly at his customer's wide grin, he lifted the bag that held the 
items and thrust it at Lael. "There, go join your... female... friend."
	The boy couldn't help beaming, "I can think of nothing else 
to do right now."


"What's wrong? Are you all right?" a white-haired Amazon asked, 
seeing her great great-grandmother grasp her chest tightly, as if she 
were in pain.
	"N-no... something... something's wrong..." Zhae muttered. 
She had suddenly felt as if a frozen dagger had stabbed her spirit. 
Something awful was going to happen, but... to whom? Where?
	A flash of realization. Zhae's eyes became large as saucers. 
"By the gods... the twins!"
	"What..." Xingyi began to speak.
	"Xingyi!" Zhae suddenly called, "Go find your sister and 
rally the strongest women in the village, now!" Almost instantly, her 
descendant ran out of the house to look for Tangbei and the others. 
Meanwhile, Zhae grasped her spear tightly and leapt out the window. 
Cold sweat began to gather on her forehead.
	"Please, don't let it be..." she pleaded, "My girls... Pandi! 
Zhaodi...!"


There was a burst of light, and all of a sudden two small bodies were 
flung out of the forest, only to land in a heap a few meters away from 
the large spring. Staggering to her feet, Zhaodi coughed a couple of 
times and adopted a fighting stance, her sister rising to her knees and 
clutching the pigtailed girl's clothes like a frightened child.
	Coldfire slowly stepped out of the forest; his dark violet 
aura swirled around his body, like a hole that sucked all light that 
dared approach it. His eyes were blank and glowing, and his face was 
locked in a vicious scowl that the twins had never seen before. There 
was a fresh wound on his cheek, but the girls didn't know where he 
had gotten it. They honestly didn't care, though, as the beast they 
were facing was much stronger than what they had fought two weeks 
ago.
	"So..." he muttered, "Jusenkyo... How fitting that you 
should die here."
	"Hmph," Zhaodi snorted, all too aware that the dreadful 
cursed springs lay behind them. "I don't think so! We've beaten you 
before and we'll do it again!"
	Coldfire snickered, "Oh, you mean like last time? The Flying 
Dragon Flame Wind, I seem to recall..." he clenched his fists, 
summoning the blades on both arms. "Too bad I won't fall for that 
again!" He quickly rushed towards the girls, who immediately aimed 
their hands at him to push him with the White Touch. He was forced 
back, but only slightly. "Oh, no, not this time!" he yelled, creating an 
aura shield with his left hand. "And now..." he set his eyes on one of 
the twins, "Burrow Blast!"
	He punched the ground with his right fist. A purple line 
stretched from the point of impact and towards the girls.
	"Kyaaaaaa!" Pandi screamed as she was suddenly blasted up 
into the air by a wide column of light.
	"PANDI-CHAN!" Zhaodi had been thrown to the ground by 
the blast; she immediately looked up to see her sister. She was 
distracted, though, and Coldfire took advantage immediately. He 
joined his palms and discharged the largest Bird of Prey he had ever 
used. She was caught off guard --the shot knocked her away and 
towards a bamboo shoot that sprouted from a spring. With a grunt, 
she was pushed back towards the ground and she crashed into it, 
nearly knocked out.
	The world began to move very slowly for Pandi. As she was 
lifted into the air, she had time to see Coldfire attack his sister with a 
large bird-shaped blast. Then Zhaodi crashed into the bamboo, and 
the recoil sent her straight into the ground. The ground... it... it was 
beginning to come closer. It was already rushing up to meet her, 
but... wait! At this angle, she wouldn't hit the ground! She w--
	Pandi could think no more. She crashed headfirst into the 
edge of the largest spring. Then, as the world became gradually 
colder, she lazily slipped into the pond, and her feet never touched 
the bottom...
	Dizzy, drained of all her energy, Pandi could barely manage 
to flail her arms wildly in the air. She tried to get out, she really tried! 
But the blow to her head... she was so far from the edge... she 
couldn't even swim to begin with...
	"Zhaodi-chaaaan...!" was the faint scream she could manage 
to let out.
	Zhaodi slowly shook her head, trying to clear it of the thick 
clouds left by Coldfire's attack. She could hear someone calling her... 
who? What was... going on? Where was Coldfire?
	She wobbled to her feet, holding her head in her hands. She 
remembered... being hit by a Bird of Prey... but before that, Pandi-
chan had...
	"Pandi-chan?" she wondered aloud. The panic broke 
through her stupor and she looked around. She felt her heart freeze 
when she saw her sister trashing about in the spring --she 
immediately dashed to her help and--
	Coldfire. He stood right before her.
	"Out of my way, you bastard!" Zhaodi used her momentum 
to release a lightning-fast kick to his head. He ducked, and spun 
beneath her to smash his palm on Zhaodi's nape. Capturing her, he 
flung her down face-first into the hard ground and pressed his knee 
on her back, effectively pinning her down.
	"Let me go! Pandi-chaaan!" Zhaodi yelled, trying to kick 
back or grab his hand, but the position she was placed in made that 
impossible.
	"Watch very carefully," Coldfire said plainly, grasping 
Zhaodi's nape and twisting her head so she could see right towards 
the spring.
	Pandi didn't know where her sister was; she barely knew 
what was happening. All she knew was that her arms were becoming 
very heavy... all she wanted was to rest; for someone show up and 
stop the nightmare, for Zhaodi to fight Coldfire and take her out of 
the water, for Lael to come back and save her... She just wanted it to 
end... and she... she was so... so tired... And the water... she felt it 
coming into her nose... her mouth... and... it...
	It was so cold... all she wanted... was to... sleep...
		It would be so nice to... to get some... sleep...
	...she was so...
		...tired...
	She wanted everything to...
		...end...
	...after all... wasn't this just...
		...an awful...
	...dream...?
	The water slowly settled down, its surface calm like a silver 
mirror. A few more moments passed, but not a single bubble rippled 
to the exterior.
	"Zhaodi-oneechan..." came a last, peaceful thought.
	And her sister had watched it all.
	"N-NOOOOOO!" Zhaodi let out a heart-rending scream 
that echoed throughout the valley, her voice shattering while she shut 
her eyes as hard as she could despite the rivers that flowed down her 
cheeks. "Pandi-chan! PANDI-CHAAAAAN!"
	Coldfire slowly lifted his free hand, summoning his blades. It 
was all over now.
	"Get OFF!!" Zhaodi shrieked, and Coldfire was blasted 
away as her aura exploded in a blinding flash, her whole body 
projecting a White Touch field. After crashing into a tree, he got to 
his feet and growled at his prey.
	"COLDFIRE!" the small girl's shout was filled with sadness, 
despair, and most of all an incredible rage aimed at the one who had 
killed her sister. She yelled to the sky and spread her arms, fists 
clenched tight. Coldfire would have attacked instantly hadn't it been 
for the powerful glow that engulfed the redhead.
	A shower of glimmers covered her as a beam of white 
descended from above. Her clothes became the purest white, and 
large feathery limbs began to grow out of her back. All of a sudden 
her aura became much brighter; the light of her halo was so strong 
that only her dark blue eyes could be seen.
	And yet, it was obviously different from the other times 
Cordis had possessed Zhaodi. This time, the Guardian of the twin 
sisters was taking over Zhaodi's body completely, adjusting it to fit 
her own needs. When the change was complete, both Cordis and 
Zhaodi were awake and in control of their body.
	"So..." Coldfire said, "I finally meet you, Guardian."
	"Coldfire..." she spoke, "No... no matter what happens, 
what you've done..." she lowered her head, and when she looked up 
again it was with a long blade in her hands and incessant fire in her 
eyes, "...you _will_ be punished for it!"
	With that she raced towards the demon, a force of light 
completely bent on destroying him. Coldfire smirked and stood still, 
waiting for Cordis to come close. Then, just as she prepared to 
cleave him down, he blasted himself off the ground and landed 
several yards away from her.
	"This will be very interesting..." Coldfire smiled, "Let me 
show you what my master had intended for you, Guardian!"
	He spread his arms, and a dark blue mist rose from the 
ground in the shape of tendrils, which snaked around Coldfire's body 
and engulfed him completely. Then he spread his arms violently, 
repulsing the mist, and revealing the dark suit of armor he now wore.
	"Meet Raven, Cordis Fortitudo!" he mocked, running 
towards her with his aura flaring around him. She glared at him for 
an instant, then aimed her hand at him and released a blast of light. 
Smirking, Coldfire pulled back and used Raven's wings to protect 
himself, then spread them again and shot out a hail of steel feathers to 
distract her. Then he moved in for the kill.
	Cordis had never expected this. Even as an angel she was 
hard pressed to defend herself from Coldfire's relentless assault. She 
knew he was powerful, but somehow he seemed to be drawing his 
energy from a greater source. Then, the aura he possessed, his very 
attitude soon reminded her of the demon that now was in charge of 
her real body --the Heart of Weakness, Debilitatis Cor.
	But... but she had defeated him long ago! It couldn't be 
possible for him to send his spirit through Coldfire! Or... or...
	The voice of the demon ringed in her ears:
	"Run... if you can... stupid angel... But I swear this! I will 
ALWAYS follow you! You won't ever escape from me! And when I 
find you... You will DIE!"
	Cordis glanced at Coldfire's blank eyes. She couldn't help 
but feel a chill travel down her spine.
	Zhaodi, for her part, was still in a trance. She couldn't even 
think straight, much less notice what Cordis was feeling. All she 
cared about was seeing Coldfire _dead_.
	Cordis tried to talk to her, to make her realize that raw 
anger would not defeat Coldfire this time. But Zhaodi didn't listen. 
She was still seeing her sister desperately trying to get out of the 
spring while she did nothing. Hatred. Hatred was all that drove her to 
attack Coldfire so blindly. The obvious result was soon to come:
	She made a mistake. And he took advantage.
	Spotting an opening, Coldfire shot his hand towards her 
neck and clutched it tightly, then slammed her hard into the ground 
and yelled, "Red Touch!"
	Cordis and Zhaodi screamed as one as the demon's dark soul 
flooded their body. It felt as if they were being pulled apart, and since 
they were already sharing the same body the attack hurt them even 
more. But it was stronger this time. Coldfire was putting the real 
might of Debilitatis Cor into the Red Touch. Cordis was shocked 
when she realized it: if it continued, Zhaodi's very soul would be 
shattered.
	She had to defend her little sister. Determined, even as the 
Red Touch filled the small figure, Cordis' soul surrounded Zhaodi's, 
serving as a shield to protect the human girl's spirit --and receiving 
the full blast of Coldfire's attack. Weakened, Cordis slumped down 
while Zhaodi was left to command her body completely once more.
	"Gyaaah!" Zhaodi quickly grabbed a rock and smashed it 
across Coldfire's face. Although it had barely bothered him, it served 
as a distraction while she wriggled out of his hold and stood away 
from him. When he noticed, he simply stood up and snickered at her.
	"Do you still think you have a chance?" he asked, "Look at 
yourself. Cordis' essence barely has an influence on you, and your 
body will give out soon. Why not let me destroy both of you now 
and get it over with?"
	Zhaodi just grimaced. She knew he was right: Cordis' halo 
and wings were beginning to fade away, and she was feeling pretty 
tired herself. If only her Lael-chan were here... together, they would 
defeat Coldfire... as they always did.
	"I will not... I'll never..." she stammered, "I'll kill you!" And 
she dashed towards him, trying to catch him with her skills now that 
Cordis' blade was gone. Coldfire just smiled.
	She released a punch right at him. He grabbed her fist and 
twisted it; Zhaodi's body turned around to avoid having its elbow 
dislocated. Capturing her back, Coldfire simply sent a hard chop to 
her nape. Zhaodi stopped struggled after that.
	She suddenly felt her body as a dead weight. Something was 
definitely wrong. Coldfire had... her neck... No...
	Zhaodi was paralyzed, she had evidently lost all control of 
her body below the neck. No matter how hard she tried, she just... 
couldn't move!
	Coldfire chuckled to himself. "So..." he grabbed her sash 
and lifted her off the ground. "Ready to join your sister...?"

A look of pure shock was locked on Lael's face as he stood before 
what was left of their camp. The tents were flattened, several trees 
had been blasted to splinters. Everything he saw yelled out loud only 
one thing.
	"C-Coldfire?!" he stammered, still aghast by the sight. He 
hurriedly looked all around, trying to find something, _anything_ that 
would let him know that the girls were all right. But his hopes 
plummeted when he realized the place was deserted. In a panic, he 
quickly found a path of destruction leading away from the camp...
	...and towards Jusenkyo.
	His mind was a jumble as he grasped his monkey stick and 
dashed in that direction. He hoped to God that the girls were okay. If 
Coldfire had come back, what would he do? How would the girls 
face him now? What if...
	No, don't think about that! The girls were safe. They _had_ 
to be safe! Even if they fought at Jusenkyo they would never lose to 
Coldfire, right?
	Right?!
	The answer came when he stepped out of the forest.

Coldfire stood proudly at the edge of the spring. Although his 
master's powerful essence had already left his body, the pure thrill of 
victory was sending chills down his spine. At last, the task that he 
had been sent out to complete was over!
	Well, almost over, anyway. He kneeled by the spring to 
watch the red-haired girl's useless attempts to breathe. She was 
floating face-down in the water, but since he had crippled her all she 
could do was try to move her face up and down, desperately trying to 
get even a slight gulp of air each time. But she never succeeded. The 
position she was in made it impossible for her to get her face out of 
the water, no matter how much she struggled.
	It was so exhilarating. Coldfire had never felt so complete 
before, as he watched the girl slowly drown to death.
	Oh, great. Coldfire grimaced when he sensed another 
presence approaching. He didn't want anyone to fish the girl out of 
the spring while she was still alive. Muttering, he shot a hard punch 
at the back of her head. She fell unconscious instantly, even as her 
lungs were slowly filled with water. Standing up, he turned around 
and scowled towards the forest.
	It was then that Lael burst into scene.
	"Coldfire..." he said under his breath. Half an instant later he 
noticed the spring behind him --the spring that hadn't been cursed 
yet-- and realized that there was somebody floating inside it.
	The cold hand of desperation gripped his heart and crushed 
it.
	"ZHAODI-CHAAN!" he just ran towards the spring, blind 
and oblivious to everything else. Coldfire stood before him, but 
before the demon could fire a shot Lael just batted him away 
violently. Breathing heavily, he tossed his monkey stick aside and 
leapt for the spring--
	A Bird of Prey knocked him away, back to the ground. Lael 
wasn't fazed. He just ran back to the spring. Coldfire didn't matter to 
him anymore, all he wanted was to get Zhaodi out of the spring! 
There was no time to waste on that stupid copycat!
	"Oh, no, you won't!" Coldfire encased the spring in a 
hemispherical aura shield. Lael bellowed and smashed his chi-charged 
fists on it, but it was useless! Stepping back, he began to summon his 
Red Fire Bird when he was suddenly tackled by Coldfire.
	"Red Tou--"
	"GAAAAAH!" Lael released a potent blast that blew 
Coldfire several feet away. Almost instantly he dove for his monkey 
stick and filled it with all the chi he could muster.
	"You idiot!" Coldfire spread Raven's wings to release a 
storm of feathers.
	"...aaaAAAAH!" Lael spun his staff before his body, 
shielding himself from the barrage. The force of the spin sent the chi 
to the ends of his staff, shaping a pair of curved blades. Lifting the 
spinning weapon over his head, Lael pulled back before letting go 
towards Coldfire, shouting, "Whirling Scythe Cut!"
	"Agh!" Coldfire grimaced as Raven's left wing was cleaved 
off by the weapon. In his state, he couldn't see Lael rush towards him 
with a _massive_ red spark in his hands.
	"RED FIRE BIRD!" he bellowed, blasting Coldfire into the 
ground and pushing him through it. When he was done, he ran 
towards the spring and flared his aura, releasing another Bird. 
	The shield cracked.
	"Zhaodi-chaaaan!" Lael yelled, but even after cracking the 
shield he could see her small body sinking out of his view. It was as if 
the spring were pulling her down!
	"Why, you..." Coldfire stepped beside him--
	"YOU DEMON!" Lael grabbed him by the neck and 
smashed him into --and through-- the shield with such force that 
Coldfire was sent flying towards the other side of the spring. He hit 
the edge with his head, the angle snapped his neck at the same time. 
With a grunt, the demon fell unconscious and splashed into the 
spring.
	"Zhaodi-chan...!" Lael dove into the water, hoping with all 
of his heart that there was still time. But as soon as the cold engulfed 
him everything became incredibly dark... The spring itself was barely 
visible through the magic water. He felt as if he were submerging into 
a large, vertical pipe with dark blue walls.
	A light. There! He could see her! Zhaodi was still slowly 
descending to the bottom --if the pool had a bottom-- but now she 
was facing upwards, right towards him. Her eyes were barely open, 
and they seemed to be aiming at him. With a spark of hope in his 
heart, Lael swam downwards and reached towards her hand...
	"AAAGH!" a sudden current pulled him away. Everything 
was spinning! He could still see Zhaodi and Coldfire and... Pandi?! 
Pandi was also here?! It was all so confusing! The spring... was 
glowing from the inside! And now there was a light behind him, 
distant, pulling him and Coldfire away from the girls!
	"No! NO!" Lael tried to swim against the current. "I won't 
leave her! No! Zhaodi-chan! Zhaodi-chaaaan!"
	But it was useless. The light itself advanced and swallowed 
Lael and Coldfire. The last thing he saw before passing out was a pair 
of deep blue eyes, sadly staring back, while a small golden bracelet 
slowly slipped off of a drowned girl's wrist. And then, it was all 
darkness.
	Thus it happened. No one was there to record it. But when 
the Joketsuzoku arrived, barely five minutes later, they could only 
realize one thing when they saw the spring.
	It was to be called Nyannichuan.
	
			*	*	*

"Tokkan Ryuusei-kyaku!" came a loud shout from the dojo, followed 
by a small blast of wind.
	Ranma shot straight like an arrow towards the target. He 
struck once, and the dummy glowed bright white. Then Ranma 
bounced from the wall and delivered a second jumpkick, bringing the 
straw figure to the ground.
	"Guess this means I'm ready..." he smirked evilly. Nodding 
in agreement, Master Yang smiled.


--To be continued in "Fight! Wind Dragon Vs. Tiger Streak"


The Zephyr
al709382@campus.ccm.itesm.mx