[Episode 123119] [Episode 123119]Ranma searched the small hunk of rock for Hotaru, wondering absently where the necromancer had disappeared to.
He had been one of the first taken, stolen away in the middle of the night. He'd been expelled from the Tendo dojo once again, and for a familiar reason - standing up to Happosai. Really, he had no idea why he'd expected their fathers to stand up to Happosai even though the old bastard had stolen the last cure and helped wreck his wedding. He'd taken exception to the pervert's return in the aftermath of that disaster, and Happosai had taken exception to him. The end result was as he should have expected; he got thrown out on his ass while Happosai got pampered.
Waking up among other captured people was not pleasant, especially not with his curse. And his danger sense had flared up as soon as he woke.
He knew something sinister had been going on constantly beyond the confines of the chamber he found himself in. The wa of this place was just that twisted; even Happosai seemed virtuous in comparison.
He'd escaped his cell easily enough. He planned on figuring out the lay of the land and then returning to rescue the others. There was just no way that he could have taken them all with him then, he'd rationalized guiltily.
He'd never gotten the chance. He was struck down long before he escaped the compound.
The guilt of not being able to save the others kept him around even beyond death. Unfortunately staying around as an incorporeal ghost didn't exactly do much to further his plans to help the others. He couldn't fight off people he couldn't touch, and telekinesis was a poor replacement for his body.
The worst part of it was he'd had the Jusenkyo curse for so long that he retained it, instinctually, even in death. If he didn't think about it, 'touching' water still caused him to change gender based on the water's temperature. If he was focused on staying in one gender, he could 'touch' water and not change, but if he wasn't thinking about it and doing something he associated too much with the other gender, he'd spontaneously change with or without water.
Still he persevered with the same suborn determination that had served him so well in life. It took him a year, but he learned how to move things by touch again.
Unfortunately, the Silence had come after only six months after his death. By the time he learned how to move things around, there was no one left to rescue. And that had been a thousand years ago.
He spotted the alabaster white skin of Hotaru and willed himself to manifest before her. He supposed he should hate Hotaru for bringing the Silence, but he couldn't. Dying was a far better than whatever their captors had in store for them. She had done them a favor, even if it did kill them, and he knew she felt some guilt about killing those who had still been alive regardless. He couldn't blame her for doing what she had to.
Knowing that didn't alleviate his guilt any though. He kept thinking to himself that if only he'd been faster. If only he'd figured out the trick to touching things quicker. If only he hadn't tried escaping alone.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, he addressed the necromancer. "Hotaru?" Noticing her jump at the sound of his voice reminded him to manifest himself before her; ghosts weren't seen unless they wanted to be seen, after all. "She say's she's ready for us, Hotaru," he continued.
The necromancer nodded her head and started to stand. "Alright, Ranma. Let's go. We don't want to keep her waiting."
Ranma offered his hand and helped her up.
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(Posted Sat, 30 Oct 2004 16:30)
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