Another chapter, another disclaimer.

You know the drill.

On another note, here's some variety.  If you have the chance, try
listening to the song Ichiban.  If you can't try Crucify My Love, Forever
Love, or Endless Rain, all by X-Japan.  Listen to it while reading the
fic.  Music makes a difference man!

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Chapter Two

	Ranma entered the dojo with slow uneasy steps.  The events of the
past twenty-four hours were still fresh in his mind.  He could still feel
the shockwaves from the enormous blast that Ken unleashed as he bled to
death on the street in front of the Tendo home.  The smell of burnt flesh
still remained in his nostrils.  Everything replayed in the back of his
mind even though he tried his best to shut them out.  Now he was entering
the dojo, only it wasn't to practice.  Ranma was here to pay respect for
the dead.  
	As he looked about the hall, he could see Ken's body mounted on a
stone altar.  The two women that called themselves Life and Death were
there.  He could vaguely remember the names Faith and Haruko were mixed in
somewhat, but he was still in too much of a daze to sort things out.  Next
to the two women was the stranger they had come to know as Ken's brother,
Andrew.  None of their attire had changed, save for the woman known as
Death shedding the black hood.  As he looked about the space in the dojo,
Ranma could see his father speaking quietly to the woman in white and
Andrew.  Soun was staring vacantly at the altar.  Alongside him were
Akane, Kasumi and Nabiki.  His mother was noticeably absent, although he
hadn't seen her on his way to the dojo.
	Andrew finally turned around and addressed the people present.
	"Faith," he said with a nod to the English woman in white, his
wife.  "Haruko," he continued with a nod to the Japanese woman in black.
"I appreciate your efforts to maintain some semblance of order in these
turbulent times.  My brother's physical death is most untimely."
	Faith took her husband's hand into hers and gave a reassuring
squeeze.
	"Ken died a death any warrior would deem honorable.  He fought for
more than his own sanity.  Ken fought to protect everyone he cared for and
loved," Haruko replied.
	Ranma looked about the dojo searching for Ukyou, but turned back
when he couldn't see her.  His attention wandered back to the altar as he
saw the two sisters move towards the body.  He watched as Faith placed a
small tray of ashes in front of Ken's body and put sticks of sweet incense
into the pile.  As she lit the incense and pulled away, Ranma watched the
tendrils of aromatic smoke curl and twist as they rose slowly from the red
cinders and reached out towards Ken's body.
	The cuts and abrasions on Ken's body were gone.  New armor adorned
his unmoving body and fresh clothes shielded his body from the outside
world.  It looked as though Ken was merely sleeping, rather than lying
dead on his own alter.  Ranma wondered how it could have come to pass that
his body was healed but not resurrected.  In any case, it was a pleasant
change from the blood and gore he saw after Ken killed Cologne.
	Ranma looked about once again, searching for Ukyou.  She was still
strangely absent, as was Nodoka.  Akane noticed her fiance glancing about
somewhat nervously and met his gaze.  She raised an eyebrow as Ranma
mouthed out Ukyou's name.  Akane made a shushing motion, but looked out of
the corner of her eyes.  She noticed the two women were missing as well.
Before she could wonder where they were, Faith and Death began murmuring
quietly, praying for Ken's body in hushed tones.  Akane bowed her head in
respect and said a silent prayer with her sisters.

	"Ukyou?"
	Ukyou didn't move.  She stared out at the middle of the road in
front of the Tendo house with a neutral expression.  Nodoka looked at her
with concern.  She knew Ukyou was coming to the gathering to honor Ken,
but she hadn't expected the reaction she'd gotten from Ukyou when she
arrived.  At first Ukyou had a cheerful expression, one that was obviously
forced in an attempt to hide the pain.  That much Nodoka could expect, but
the catatonic trance Ukyou was currently in, as she stared out at the
place where Ken died, was less expected.  Nodoka found the fact that the
abnormally large attack spatula on her back had been replaced with Ken's
sword to be a little surprising as well.
	"Ukyou?" Nodoka asked quietly.  She didn't get a response.  Nodoka
reached out and gently tapped Ukyou's shoulder.  Ukyou jerked away at the
touch and broke into tears.  It was as if the tenuous grip she had on her
own emotions had suddenly and violently come undone.  Nodoka saw fresh
tears well up in Ukyou's eyes and stream down her cheeks.
	"I'm so sorry, Ukyou," Nodoka managed to say lamely.  Ukyou simply
shook her head and continued sobbing.  Nodoka put a comforting arm around
Ukyou's shoulders and led her into the house.
	"Let's go inside.  I think we should talk"
	Once in the house, Ukyou regained a measure of control over
herself.
	"I'm sorry, Mrs. Saotome.  I don't know what came over me," Ukyou
said with little conviction.
	"You don't need to be sorry about anything.  If I were in your
shoes, I'd still be in my room crying my eyes out.  You're stronger than
any of us, Ukyou."
	"Has she showed up yet?" Ukyou whispered.
	"Who-" Nodoka managed to say, but then cut herself off when it hit
her whom Ukyou was talking about.  "No, she hasn't come yet.  Only Ken's
brother, his wife, and her sister have showed up.  Ranma, Akane and her
family have been here with Genma and I since last night."
	Ukyou stared at the tabletop without responding.
	"Ukyou, I'm going to get some tea, and then if you want to talk
about it, we can talk."
	Ukyou looked up from the table and nodded absently.  As Nodoka
left the room, Ukyou turned to look out into the yard.  It was peaceful
and there was an occasional chirping from the birds.  Out in the yard by
the pond was where Ranma practiced his art with his father.  They would
spar outside in the mornings and occasionally in the afternoon.  As
Ukyou's thoughts wandered towards Ranma, Nodoka walked back into the room
with a tray of tea.
	"Kasumi left some tea in the kettle.  It was still hot, so I
thought I'd bring some of the teacakes that she made already.  Ukyou?"
	Ukyou turned back to Nodoka and nodded her thanks as Nodoka placed
a cup of hot tea in front of her.  As she took a hesitant sip of the tea,
Nodoka idly nibbled on one of the cakes.
	"Ukyou," she began, "I don't want to sound rude, but I'm wondering
how you've been.  I know Ken's death has been hard on all of us, but I'm
sure it's been hardest on you.  Do you have anyone to talk to?"
	Ukyou's heart sank a number of notches as she looked up from her
tea at Nodoka.
	"No, I haven't spoken to anyone since last night."
	"If you ever need to talk, I know I'm not much help, but you can
always come here to talk if you want."
	"Thank you, Mrs. Saotome, but I'd rather not."
	"Oh.  Is it because of Ranma?"
	Ukyou winced visibly.
	"I'm sorry, Ukyou," Nodoka apologized lamely.  "I shouldn't have
brought that up."
	"Are you?" Ukyou snapped angrily.  A hot tear fell from her chin
and splashed in the cup of tea she held in her hands.  "Are you really
sorry?  You've got what you've always wanted.  Akane and Ranma are getting
married.  They'll live happily ever after and bring you the grandchildren
you want and live the perfect life.  All I've got is an empty restaurant.
Ken won't be there."
	Nodoka bristled at Ukyou's insolent outburst, but reigned in her
anger as she slowly realized how much Ukyou lost with Ken's apparent
death.
	"I'm so sorry, Ukyou," Nodoka tried to say.
	"Why do you keep saying that?" Ukyou said angrily.  "Why are you
sorry?  Are you sorry because you know that Akane's got Ranma and I don't
have anyone?  I don't even know if I really loved Ken the way I should
have, the way he deserved to be loved."
	"I don't understand-"
	"Of course you don't.  You never spent your life tracking down
someone you were engaged to, and then tried with all your might to get him
to notice you the way you want him to.  Ranma's always loved Akane.
Akane's always loved Ranma.  They'll be together now.  You've been married
for more than a decade.  Your husband's always been faithful to you.  He's
been a coward, but at least he loves you.  You've never had to deny the
fact that someone couldn't love you the way you wanted them to."
	"What about Ken?  You loved him and he loved you."
	"Really?  Did I really love him?  I wonder if I treated him the
way I should have.  You heard that woman - the one named Angela.
Everything she said was true, and then some.  I dressed Ken up to look
like Ranma, to act like Ranma.  I even hoped he'd start talking and
thinking like Ranma so that he'd be my Ranma - not Akane's Ranma, not
Shampoo's Ranma, but my Ranma!"
	"So you never loved Ken?"
	"No!  I think I even loved him more than Ranma, if that's
possible, but now I think it's because I was foolish, because I thought he
could fill in for Ranma, and because he paid attention to me when I wanted
him to."
	"I thought you loved him.  You said you did to his brother.  I
could see the conviction in your eyes and hear it in your voice."
	"How could I make Ken into another Ranma, and still love Ken?  I
was just using him."
	"Don't let that gaijin tell you what you felt for Ken!"
	"But what if she's right?"
	"She can't be!  You saw the way she treated her own sisters.
People like that can't be in love with people like Ken.  Ken was a good
man.  He deserved more than a gaijin tramp like her."
	"Can you really say that and be sure of it?  What if he did?"
	Nodoka looked down at the table.  
	"Now he's dead," Ukyou said in a whisper.
	"But you loved him all the same is what's important.  Even if you
dressed him up like Ranma, you still loved Ken, right?"
	"But was it because I dressed him up like Ranma?"
	"You knew when you had to know, for Ken's sake.  When Andrew asked
you, you were so certain of it.  What's so different now?"
	"I don't know.  It's just that these questions keep nagging me.  I
couldn't sleep last night.  I couldn't stop thinking about what Angela
said to me.  Was I really just using Ken like a toy?"
	"Even if you were, you're still better than that henna haired
gaijin woman, but you didn't.  Sure, you may have gotten him clothes that
made him look like Ranma, but he only looked like him.  Deep down, Ken
wasn't Ranma and would never be.  Did you fall in love with who Ken looked
like or who Ken was?"
	"I'm not so sure anymore."
	"Then answer me this, do you care that Ken is dead?  If you never
cared for Ken because he looked like Ranma, could act like Ranma, and
could be your Ranma, then why does it hurt you so much?  Why do you cry
when you see him silent and unmoving?  Why does is make you feel so bad to
know that you'll never be able to tell him that you loved him enough
times?  How could you take his sword without being burnt, and why do you
wield it now rather than your usual weapon?  You hold on to those things
that remind you of him, not Ranma, because you felt something for Ken,
because he wasn't Ranma."
	Ukyou stared at Nodoka.  She made it sound so simple.  As she
closed her eyes, Ukyou thought back to the number of times she'd tried to
make Ken look like Ranma.  Ken never complained, and he did it to make her
happy.  He knew it made her happy.  In the end, that was what made Ukyou
happy - that Ken was so willing to make her happy, and so concerned for
how she felt.
	There were a hundred things Ukyou could have listed to prove that
she loved Ken.  If hard pressed, she could list things all day, but in the
end, it was enough to simply say that she loved Ken just because he was
Ken.  Angela was wrong - Fate was wrong.  Ukyou loved Ken because he was
Ken, not because he could imitate Ranma.  Ukyou knew that was the reason
why she first found herself attracted to him, but it turned out to be so
much more than that.
	"Oh, Mrs. Saotome, what am I going to do?" she asked in a whisper.
	Ukyou opened her eyes slowly.  The tears in her eyes blurred her
vision, but she could hear Nodoka quietly crying as well.  Both reached
across the table to hold hands for assurance.
	"Let's go to the dojo now.  I think that'd be best," Nodoka said
quietly.  "Show how much you loved him and put away all questions
otherwise.  Prove to everyone just how much you cared for him and how much
he cared for you.
	Ukyou wiped her eyes and tried to smile.
	"I guess it's time to say goodbye," she said sadly.
	
	Ukyou and Nodoka gingerly stepped into the dojo.  Everyone was
kneeling solemnly in a large circle around the raised body.  Akane and
Ranma looked up from their seats and smiled sadly at Ukyou.  It was now
her turn to pay her respects.  All eyes turned to her as she slowly made
her way towards the altar.
	"I'm so sorry we never said anything to each other before you had
to fight Cologne," Ukyou whispered into Ken's ear.  "We could have spent
so much time together in happiness.  I wish we could go back to those
times and do things the right way.  I don't know if you knew how much I
loved you, but I know that you loved me more than you loved yourself.  You
gave your life to save ours - to save mine.  I'll always be grateful for
what you did, and for the love you gave me."
	As Ukyou placed one of her sharpened mini-spatulas on Ken's chest
with a single red rose, a tear fell down her cheek to splash on Ken's.  It
trickled slowly down his cheek and disappeared.  Ukyou stared at Ken's
face, marveling at the peace he seemed to be in.  She could hear Kasumi
and Nodoka in the background, crying softly as well.  Akane made no
noises, but the wet trails on her cheeks showed that she cared as much as
the others.  Of all the people present, only Nabiki seemed to maintain a
stoic mask on neutrality.
	Ukyou turned sharply when she heard a derisive snort come from the
door of the dojo.  Everyone turned at the sound of a woman scoffing at the
pain and sadness in the training hall.
	"Angela, please show some respect for the recently deceased,"
Haruko admonished in English.
	"Recently deceased?  You know full well it's only his physical
body that's dead, and even then it's only inanimate at the moment.  Should
I choose to exchange one soul for another, I could easily bring order back
to his tumultuous soul and retrieve him from the state of stasis he is in.
You only use this ceremony as an excuse to exert your control over the
situation."
	"This is neutral ground, Angela, and as such it should be treated
with respect."
	"And I am," Angela objected.  "I'm choosing not to continue with
this silly charade.  You only do it to satisfy the human need to bring
closure for those who are considered dead."
	Ukyou stared at the exchange of foreign words in frustration.  She
could tell the Japanese woman was angry with her sister, and that Angela
was being disrespectful.  She turned to look at Andrew.  When he noticed
her gaze, Ukyou quietly asked him what was going on.
	"Angela's being obstinate.  She doesn't think that mourning is
appropriate."
	"She really is cold hearted, isn't she?" Ukyou asked.
	"Yes, she is.  I don't know why Ken actually thought he loved her
at any point in time.  It was foolish of him to open himself up to her in
the first place.  He was a fool, and now he's a very dead fool," Andrew
said bitterly.
	Ukyou watched the two sisters argue in whispers.
	"You would bring me a soul as powerful as Ken's to trade?"
	"Exactly."
	"And just how do you propose to do this?  There are no Avatars
that are going to die at any time soon.  The time for death hasn't arrived
for any of them."
	"And it did for Ken?"
	"Yes, it was his time to die, just as it was when he and Andrew
fought to depose the usurper that took your place before you banished him.
Feh.  What a reward that was, you resurrecting him only to banish him from
the realm of all Avatars and Aspects."
	"I did my job.  Nothing more, nothing less."
	Silence!
	Everyone turned and stared at Faith in awe.  Her voice rang
clearly in their minds, yet her lips failed to move.  Andrew looked at his
wife sadly.  He knew that she meant business the moment she began exerting
psychic abilities.
	"Nothing gets accomplish by your bickering, Angela.  I suggest you
stop it now.  Everyone is sick of your attitude and your insolence.  This
is a time of mourning for these people.  Can't you find some shred of
respect in that emotionless body of yours to honor their needs?"
	"I don't need to honor their requests, or their needs.  I am well
above them in every respect, and as such, I don't need to give a damn
about how they feel or how they act."
	Angela grinned and turned to look evenly at everyone in the room.
	"I could care less if they were mourning or if they were
celebrating Ken's death.  I frankly don't give a damn about these people
or their world.  They could all burn in hell for all I care.  I came here
to retrieve Ken's body, and I can wait as long as it takes.  They could
mourn for a hundred thousand years and it wouldn't make a difference to
me.  I could care less than a whit about it, after all, am I not the
Mistress of Fate?  I know how things will turn out in the end," she said
in Japanese.
	Nodoka's brow furrowed.  Soun's tears were quickly replaced by
rage.  Angela simply walked over to the alter, brushing off Ukyou's
offering from Ken's chest and strummed her fingers along the top of his
armor, leaning nonchalantly against his dead body.  Ukyou could feel the
collective rage gathering in her as well as the others in the room, but
before she could say anything a shadow cast itself across the room.  All
eyes instantly turned to the source of the shadow.
	An extremely muscled, armored man stood in the doorway, surveying
the people in the dojo.  He strode purposefully into the dojo as if he
owned it.  The heavy rattling from the chainmail he wore under the plate
armor filled the room.  His heavy boots resounded with a low thud as they
stomped across the hardwood floor.  An occasional clang from the blade of
a large, evil looking axe punctuated his movement towards the altar.  As
he moved towards the altar, he took off his helm, revealing a ragged face
framed by scraggly dark brown hair.  A moustache reached around his mouth
to join a trimmed goatee.  Dark black, beady eyes like obsidian peered out
from a heavyset brow.  When he reached the altar, he stopped and stared at
Angela.  She simply stared back him and sniffed disinterestedly.  
	"I've come to pay my respects to the body," he said in English.
His voice rang with the sound of menace.
	"I see," Angela replied nonchalantly.  "You'll have to take a
number.  There's a line, you know."
	The man looked at Angela angrily and then turned towards Haruko.
	"You've come at a bad time, Judas.  You've come at a very bad
time," she said.
	The Tendos and Soatomes slowly made their way behind Andrew and
Faith.  Ukyou stood alone by the body, paralyzed by fear.  Ranma sidled
over to Andrew, tugging gently on his sleeve.
	"Who's the troll in the football uniform?" he asked in a whisper.
	"That, Ranma, is Judas.  He is a man of violent temper and lusts
for violence and hate more than anything known to humankind.  If there
were anything he embodied besides absolute Chaos, it would be hate and
needless violence.  He is a man you would be well of walking as far around
as possible.  Do not speak to him if you have the chance.  He is a
demented soul and one whose mind reflects that which he represents."
	Ranma nodded slowly and turned back to look at the gaijin again.
	"My mastery of Japanese is beyond horrible, I would appreciate a
translator, Haruko," Judas said plainly.
	Haruko simply stared at him coldly.
	"Is it too much to think that I would pay respects to an Avatar?"
	"You've spent a lifetime trying to make his life and those of his
family miserable, Judas.  I don't think Ken would have wanted to invite
you to any occasion, let alone his funeral."
	"So this is what this will be?"
	"If I have any in the matter," Haruko said tersely.
	"And who is the young lady here?" Judas asked, pointing a thumb at
Ukyou.
	"Ukyou?  A tramp and nothing more," Angela replied.
	"The woman Ken fell in love with," Haruko corrected.
	Judas smiled.  He bowed politely to Ukyou.
	"Please tell her that she my condolences."
	Haruko raised an eyebrow.
	"I somehow doubt your sincerity, Judas."
	Judas ignored her and took one of Ukyou's hands into his own.
	"I would like to express my deepest sympathies, young lady."
	Ukyou turned to Haruko with questioning eyes.
	"He would like to say that he feels some sadness at Ken's death,
although he spent his life trying to make Ken's life a living nightmare,"
Haruko replied in Japanese.
	Ukyou glared at Judas and snatched her hand away from Judas and
made clear the motion of wiping her hand in disdain.  Judas instantly
dropped the smile, and a menacing growl came from his throat.  His right
hand instantly pulled back to strike her.  Ukyou recoiled in fear and
surprise.
	"Judas!  This is neutral ground, stand down!"
	Judas turned with a grimace at Andrew.
	"Always the goody-two shoes.  One of these days you're going to
regret not being able to take charge, like me."
	"The day I act like you, Judas, is the day I regret being alive.
I would never stoop to your level.  Master of Chaos or not, you still have
a code of behavior to uphold and honor."
	"I honor them the way I see fit, Avatar.  Remember that you are
the Avatar and I am the Aspect.  Do not overstep your bound, or I will
make you very sorry you did."
	Both Judas and Andrew glared at each other.  The tension in the
room became stifling.  Faith took the opportunity to usher the Tendos and
the Saotomes out of the dojo, with Haruko's help.  As everyone backed out
of the dojo, Akane bumped into someone.
	"Excuse me.  I didn't mean to-" she managed to say.
	"Think nothing of it, miss.  I'm the one at fault.  I apologize
for being in the way," said a voice in perfect Japanese.
	Akane jumped in surprise and turned around quickly.  A rather
normal looking man with small, oval glasses looked at her and ran a hand
through his short light brown hair.  The man straightened out the khaki
business suit he was wearing and pulled lightly on the collar of the dark
brown shirt he was wearing.
	Faith quickly stepped in front of Akane, bringing a hand up to
stop the stranger from coming closer.
	"Not a step closer, Cassius," she said in English.
	"Oh come now, Faith.  Surely you would treat me with more respect
than that.  I mean no harm in coming here, and you know it.  I am not the
brute my older brother is and I am by far the least of your worries at the
moment.  I came merely to pay respect to Ken and those he left behind.  I
was made aware of his death recently and I would like to express my most
sincere condolences to his remaining family and loved ones."
	Faith looked at him sternly.  Akane looked confused.
	"He seems so sincere," she said to Faith.
	"I don't think he's much of a threat," Ranma interjected.  "I
mean, he doesn't look like much of a brawler in my opinion.  Whaddaya
think he's gonna do?  I'll bet I could take him down if anything happens."
	Nabiki cast a doubtful look at her sister's fiance.
	"I'll bet you could," she said sarcastically.  "In fact, while
you're at it, why don't you take down the other guy."
	Faith glared at the two of them.
	"Do not underestimate your opponent, ne?" she said in Japanese.
She turned back to Cassius.  "If you wish to pay respect to the dead, then
by all means do so, but only on the condition that you take your brother
away from here as soon as you are finished.  Angela is in there, as well
as my Avatar.  Any motion to interfere or violate any rules of engagement
are going to be met with extreme prejudice."
	Cassius smiled.
	"I am hurt that you would think so lowly of me!  Very well, I
pledge on my honor that I will do so."
	Cassius quietly bowed to them and walked into the dojo.  Faith
turned back to the crowd of people behind her.
	"Never speak to that man ever again.  Even if he addresses you,
ignore him.  Cassius is no master of the arms, but he is more than a
master of using words against you.  He is has the reputation of talking
his way out of the very depths of hell, and I am one to believe it.  It
does not help to hear that Judas supposedly received the brawn and openly
violent viciousness of the family, whereas Cassius was the one who ended
up with the malicious guile of the family."
	"That isn't a good thing, is it?" Ranma asked.
	Haruko looked at him evenly.
	"No it is not.  It is a very bad thing young man.  Cassius's
presence here has a cast a long shadow over the lifelines of many people
here in Nerima - a great many people."
	Ukyou looked back into the dojo with trepidation.  Things were
going from very bad to horribly worse in so little time.


*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Ethan Tsai
1 N. College Street
Northfield, MN 55057

TSAIE@Gridley.ACNS.Carleton.edu
http://public.carleton.edu/~tsaie/ethan.html