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Killer
He's here.
Sounds of havoc float in through the windows, breaking wood, screaming voices, silenced suddenly, gruesomely.
He's here.
I never should have agreed to the plan. I should have known the consequences of my actions. What her death would do to him. To me. But I've never been known for my intellectual abilities, and now I will pay the ultimate price.
He's coming for me.
I was never a match for him. Now he'd think no more of killing me than stepping on a bug. Because that's all I am to him. A poisonous bug that needs to be squashed.
Because I have killed her, now he will kill me.
My airen.
The village didn't have enough warning. He struck only an hour ago, and now the only sound is the silence of death. My entire tribe is gone. Mousse is gone. Hibachan was murdered in front of my eyes before I fled to hide here, in her hut, desperate to find something, anything, that would help against his slaughter.
He's here because of me. And now I have the blood of my tribe on my hands, as well as . . . hers.
Hopefully, death will be quick.
My frantic eyes light upon something. Gleaming metal. The round shape is unfamiliar to me, but I've heard stories of this legendary bucket. Nobody knows we have it, and the cure has been destroyed by us. Though dishonorable to resort to such tactics, I can save my life yet.
Grasping the object to my chest, I slip out the door.
I am ready.
He faces me, on another bamboo pole of his own as I balance precariously on mine, half-dizzy with pain and fear. The last ki-blast he fired at me I barely evaded, but the bright blue-green ball of energy left a long burn on my side.
Blue-green. So unlike the yellow I'm used to from him.
I brandish the object in front of me, wary of any sudden attacks, though I know I wouldn't have a chance to scream—much less react—if he decided to kill me and be done with. Hopefully the honor is intact, under the raging killer.
His eyes are blue no longer, but dark red. The sight of them makes me quiver, threatening to make me fall into one of the deadly pools below. The stories had told of the one with the bloodeyes, the one who would destroy our village, our heritage, forever. The wild horse that galloped out of the mists of Jusenkyo, the mare who would refuse to be tamed by even the strongest of our number. The Assassin, we called him, the Stallion.
I hadn't realized the irony of his name until now.
His black hair is pulled back in his usual boyish pigtail, but his clothes are no longer those of my airen. A jet-black tunic and pants encase his entire body, and gloves cover his hands. Black boots are on his feet, not the ti-chi slippers he used to wear back in Japan. A cloak flows out from behind him, partially obscuring the scabbard of the katana he wears at his side. That blade has claimed more than its share of my sisters today, and yet it still thirsts for my blood.
He regards me silently, hood pushed back. I can't see his aura, but I can feel it. It sings in my veins, the song of the doomed. I shake my head, trying to clear my mind, and lift up my weapon. He looks at it, no expression on his face. The cold, intense gaze of the predator who has nothing to fear.
<You can't stop me with that,> he says in Chinese, startling me. It had been my impression that he couldn't speak a word of it, other than "Nihao" and "Wo de airen." After all, how many times had I repeated them over and over again?
My airen. A man of many faces. Airen.
No longer.
<You would give up your manhood?> I ask, brandishing the Chisuiton. <To kill me, you would give up the most important thing in your life?> The water sloshes around and I'm careful not to spill any on me; I have no intention of being a cat for the rest of my days.
His aura flares into the visible spectrum as his face contorts into a mask of hate, transforming his handsome features into a dark snarl. His eyes light up with rage. <I can't lose the most important thing in my life anymore, Xian Pu.> He spits out my name like the darkest of curses; ironic that the first time he pronounced my name correctly, it's in a tone of hate. <You've already taken it away.>
With that, he's suddenly beside me. I squeak in surprise and jump away to another pole, the waters shimmering dangerously below. <You killed her, Xian Pu,> he says softly, hands clenching. Blood drips from his closed fists to land in the spring, dark patterns on the surface of the water. <For that, you will die.>
In response, I splash him. The change takes place immediately, red swirling like dye through his hair as the water touches it. His body shrinks, curves replacing the hard lines of the man I loved.
The man I still love. No matter what.
Only his eyes remain the same, like they always do when the curse comes alive. But now I know it will not be laid dormant again. He made no move to evade the deadly wave of water, just stood there as I locked him forever.
It surprises me, that he has made no sound of protest. <You understand that the Kaisufuu is destroyed,> I say, fear growing in my heart. <You have no way to change back.>
She stares at me. <You think I still value my manhood, when I could just as easily have killed you instead?> Her face fills with sorrow. <I couldn't protect her from you, of all people, and I'm not worthy to be called a man. This is my punishment for her death.>
I gasp. I'd thought he'd blame himself for my deed, but not to this extent. Not like this. <Airen . . .>
Her hand closes around my throat, cutting me off. I'm dangling over the water, no way to save myself if she drops me, no way to land on solid ground. <NO!> she screams, grip tightening painfully; I make no move to resist. <I'm not your 'airen'! I never was, Xian Pu!>
<W-wo ai ni,> I whisper softly, eyes closed. <Always.>
I wait, expecting my death to come. When it doesn't, I cautiously open one eye. She is standing there, with a hate-filled expression on her face. <You truly love me, Xian Pu?> she asks. I nod, or try to, wondering where this is going.
<Fine, then.> She throws me away, to dry land, then jumps down after me. I crouch in terror. <Then you'll see what it feels like to lose the one you love!>
The dagger is out before I can stop it. I hadn't noticed it before, hidden by the cloak. It shines brightly in the sunlight as it slices across her wrists, freeing her life to spill out onto the ground. She stares defiantly at me, no sign of fear or pain in her eyes. Just raging hate.
I won't be able to stop the bleeding. Not with the materials I have. I don't have time to run to the village and the trip would be pointless, as there is nothing left to bandage her wounds with.
She is going to die. There is nothing I can do about it.
And now I can justify her attack on my village.
==========
Nabiki brought the package into the living room, curious as to what was inside. It felt rather heavy in her hands, about as long as her forearm. The note was hastily scrawled hiragana:
"I join my airen and his beloved."
"What is it, Nabiki?" Kasumi asked as she wiped her hands on a towel. "Something about Ranma?"
"I don't know, onee-chan," Nabiki said, cutting the tape open with scissors. "It's postmarked from Chi—" She stopped.
Stared.
Screamed.
"Nabiki!" Kasumi cried. "What's wrong?"
Wordlessly Nabiki handed the box to her. Brushing away the packaging, Kasumi gasped.
A bloody, ceremonial dagger.
~owari~