Doshin crept around each tree as if it was ready to lash out at him.  He
could smell his foe in the breeze, but it was difficult to determine where
and how many.  He held his bow firmly in his left hand, but left his other
hand free in case he needed it in close combat, confident that he could
draw, notch, and fire an arrow within a split-second's notice.
	He stopped before he reached a small clearing and twisted his head upward
to listen further.  The birds had stopped chirping and many of the faint but
everpresent insect noises had died down.  Doshin fell to a crouch.
	He quickly swiveled his head when he heard a twig snap on the opposite side
of the clearing, but he saw nothing moving.  He then heard a momentary
rustling of leaves far off to his right, as if someone were haphazardly
chopping through the dense foliage with a large knife.  Before he could get
up to investigate, he heard another rustling of leaves directly behind him.
He turned around as a large blue-and-orange jungle cat shot from the bushes
and crashed into Doshin's chest, forcing him to drop the bow.
	Doshin fell flat on his back and gasped for air as the big cat beared down
on his torso and started licking his face.  Doshin frantically waved his
arms upward and croaked, "I'm happy to see you too, Twilight, but you're
crushing me!"
	Twilight backed off and Doshin sat up to give his companion's ears a good
rub, though he kept an eye cocked in the direction of the rustling.  He gave
the cat a final pat and whispered, "Now is not the time for reunion, old
friend."
	Twilight drooped slightly in disappointment, then her ears perked up as she
tried to listen for something.  Doshin nodded and crept toward the edge of
the clearing in which he did not hear something, picking up his fallen
weapon along the way.  _I fear that my friend has made a bit more noise than
I would have liked._
	Suddenly, a massive hand reached out from behind a cluster of trees and
bushes and latched onto Doshin's throat before he had time to react.
Twilight growled at the arm and prepared to pounce at it, but from out of
nowhere, a large, gray wolf jumped onto the big cat's back and bit into her
shoulder.  Twilight shook violently and managed to throw the wolf to the
side, but he landed on its feet and instantly rammed into the cat's side.
Twilight tumbled into the middle of the clearing and sprang to her feet,
then prepared to attack, her eyes glowing a faint red.  A robed man stepped
up with a long pole with a noose at the end and quickly slipped it around
the cat's neck, holding her in place.
	Lon stepped into the clearing, still holding Doshin by the thoat; the old
man assaulted his captor's arm with his bow, but the big man didn't even
seem to notice.  Three more robed figures came out of hiding, seemingly a
little disappointed that their prey didn't put up more of a fight.
Everybody, except Doshin, looked at the strange jungle cat in awe and
started whispering loudly.  "It's a Shimmercat!"  "I never thought I'd ever
see one!"  "I thought they were only a legend."  "This must be the only one
in the whole jungle!"
	Lon, still dismissing his captive's blows, chuckled to himself, noting that
the cat was about twice as massive as the wolf.  "Pae-Kau, either you are
incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.  Either way, I like you."  The wolf
raised its head high and wagged its tail excitedly.

		

	Ranma sat on the floor with his legs crossed and stared meekly around the
room as if he were in a completely different house.  Miko had placed thick
blankets over all the windows, making the livingroom seem almost pitch
black.  She then sat on the floor in front of him and lit a circle of
candles between them.
	After drawing something from a small, cloth pouch, she held her closed
fists over the circle and started chanting in hushed tones(CHEF'S NOTE: ACK!
She is a witch!  Run, Ranchan!).  Ranma stared at her curiously and asked,
"So, uhhh... do you do this often?"
	Miko kept her voice low: "Shhhh.  Guardian Spirit.  You'll have to be quiet
for the other spirits to come."  Ranma made a long face and glanced around
the room again.  When she was through reciting her incantation, she opened
both hands and a pair of dice fell from each.  She stared down at them and
seemed overly pleased.
	Ranma cocked his head at the dice. (CUTE VOICE: Why....) (NOTE: Please,
just be quiet.)  Each one had a different picture carved into the side: a
black bird, a yin-yang symbol, a white bird, and a skull and crossbones.
"Soooo... what's that supposed to mean?"
	Miko clapped her hands gleefully.  "Just what I thought it would say!  The
crow stands for a stranger--a mysterious stranger--namely you.  The dove
stands for protection, which is what you do, Guardian Spirit, and the skull
represents the danger you are protecting me from.  And the yin-yang....
*giggle*  Well, it makes a whole lot of sense now that I know you can change
into a man."
	"Hey!  I am a man!"
	Miko cringed a bit.  "Oops.  Sorry, Guardian Spirit.  I forgot you
mentioned that."  Her expression immediately became joyful again.  "Let me
see your hand."
	She took Ranma's left hand in her right and held it over the circle, palm
up, then held her own left hand next to it, also palm up.  Her eyes moved up
and down as if she were reading a book, and her face brightened as if she
had just found the meaning to the universe.  Ranma looked a little cautious.
Miko squealed, "It's more than I hoped for!"  Ranma raised his eyebrows as
Miko continued, "Both of our lifelines cross, and mine becomes one with
yours!  We're destined to be together forever!"
	When Ranma's hand was returned to him, he stared at his palm in confusion.
Miko yipped and spread her arms outward.  The candle flames flickered, but
only one of them went out.  Ranma stared at Miko, who just smiled and
shrugged.  With one more sweep with of arms, they all went out.
	The room was almost completely black and a long, silent pause elapsed.
Ranma's voice could be heard: "Uh... Miko... could you turn on the lights?
Miko?  Miko?  ACK!  What are you doing to my shirt?!"  Miko giggled.

		
	Lon chuckled menacingly as he poked a finger at Doshin, who was facing him
with his hands and feet tied back around a tree.  The giant then glanced at
the pitiful excuse for a shimmercat lying between two guards with her head
pinned to the ground by two noose-poles; she stared up at her captors like a
puppy lost in the rain.  He folded his arms and muttered, "Y'know, that cat
must have been then runt of the litter.  A fitting familiar for you, witch man."
	Doshin growled, finding insult in every word his foe uttered.  "I was
honored to receive such an enchanted creature from the heavens."
	Lon looked at Twilight in mock-curiosity, sizing her up.  "I'd say it
weighs no more than four hundred pounds.  More likely the gods were just
looking for a way to get rid of it."  Doshin's battle aura started shining
and the ropes started sizzling, but they were too strong to break.  Lon
glanced at him in amusement.
	Lon grasped Doshin by the neck once more, disregarding the searing chi
energy.  "Oh, well.  Now where were we?  Ah, yes.  Have you come across any
small, wooden idols lately.  Acording to Pae-Kau, you're daughter may have
recently aquired one."
	Doshin spit as close to his interrogator's face as possible, but remained
silent.  Lon sighed and pulled back his free hand to offer a death blow.  "I
don't even know why I bothered to ask.  I'll just have to ask you daughter
directly.  Maybe she'll be more... receptive."
	A tear formed in Doshin's eye.  "COWARD!  Why don't you fight me
fairly--without these bonds?!"
	Lon tilted his head sideways.  "But everytime I do, you run away.  Best to
finish it now...."
	Everyone turned when they heard a rusting of leaves to the north.  Doshin's
aura died down, and everyone became deathly quiet.  Lon gestured for one of
the soldiers to investigate.
	But before the soldier could take a step, the leaves in that direction
started rustling and a tall man (about as tall as Ranma's male form) wearing
a samurai robe stepped out into the open.
	He looked a bit surprised to see anyone.  He rested his bokken on his
shoulder, put his other hand behind his short, jet-black hair, and smiled,
revealing a set of fangs.  "Excuse me, but am I interrupting anything
important?"  
	All the guards gasped and whispered to themselves.  "By the gods!"  "The
old man has summoned a vampire!"  "Maybe Lon shouldn't have made him mad?"
"We're going to die for sure!"  The new man stared around the clearing in
confusion.
	Lon slapped his forehead against his palm, adding another crack to his
mask.  "Just get him you idiots!  Stab him through the heart if it makes you
feel better!"
	The new man still looked confused, but didn't move. (CHEF'S NOTE: Is this
just a momentary lapse or was this guy born stupid.) The soldiers hesitated,
but then agreed that they would rather face the undead than answer to Lon,
so they fanned out to surround their opponent.  The jungle cat that they
just left unattended just sat there and stared at the event like a damsel
waiting to be rescued.
	The samurai walked further into the clearing while scratching the back of
his head.  "Is there something going on that I should know about?  I could
come back if...."  Each guard pulled out a pair of butterfly swords from
somewere within his robe and prepared to attack.
	The samurai lit up in shock, then gave a slight bow.  "I accept your
challenges.  Now will that be one at a time or all at...."  They all rushed
at him at once.  The samurai quickly rolled backward as a trio of blades
sliced the air, then quickly rolled to the side to avoid three more, but the
final two pinned the edges of his robe to the ground, leaving him prone on
his back.  He planted a kick into his attacker's stomach and sent him flying
into the other three.
	Dropping his bokken, the samurai quickly crossed his arms and pulled the
swords from his robe, then jumped into a battle-ready stance.  Two guards
attacked at the same time, one of which receiced a kick to the face before
he could strike and was sent into a tree; the other struck both high and low
with his sword, but the samurai blocked both blows and knocked both weapons
to the ground.  Dropping his own weapons, he grabbed onto his opponent's
shoulders and swung himself around to deliver a powerful kick to the soldier
behind him.  Landing on the ground, the samurai pulled the guard he was
still holding and threw him over his head and into the remaining guard.
	Lon screamed and turned around to quickly finish Doshin, but he wasn't
there.  A hard and annoying kick to the side alerted him that his former
captive was now behind him.  Lon turned around to punch him, but Doshin,
aura blazing anew, grabbed his arm and threw him through a tree and into
some bushes.
	As Doshin took the nooses from around Twilight's neck, the samurai bowed
and introduced himself: "Reikiba Hibiki at your service."
	"This is no time for introductions!  Get your sword and let's get out of
here!"  Reikiba was taken aback by his harsh tone, but he collected his
bokken and followed the strange man and his even stranger pet tiger.
	Lon looked up in time to see them go, his poor mask lined with yet another
crack.

		

	Doshin, Reikiba, and Twilight each slowed to a jog as they neared the
cabin.  Doshin quickly introduced himself and Twilght, then sent the big cat
to wait for him in the back yard--no sense in startling Ranma with too many
new surprises.
	"...And so Fang will now try and harm my daughter."  Doshin kept glancing
in every direction, almost sure he was being followed but unable to spot any
movement other than themselves.
	Reikiba rubbed his chin.  "Oh, my.  It does sound bad.  I hope someone has
been watching her."
	Doshin nodded as they reached the door.  "Miko has receintly made friends
with a spirit named Ranma Saotome.  They should both be waiting inside."
	Reikiba smiled and clapped his hands.  "I can hardly wait!"
	Doshin paused when he heard the sounds of two people struggling on the
floor.  His eyes flew wide and he kicked the door in.
	The chairs and table were overturned and the windows were half-covered by
blankets.  On the floor, Miko was straddling a dark-haired boy wearing the
same clothes he had given her guardian spirit the knight before, and
somehow, Miko had torn the boy's shirt and slipped it over his shoulders to
his elbows, pinning his arms to his sides.  She had not yet noticed anyone
enter, and appeared to be trying to kiss him.
	Reikiba blushed slightly and tried to cover a smile.  "My, your daughter
certainly is... feisty." (CUTE VOICE: You not kidding.  Why I not think of
that.)
	Doshin ground his teeth.  "MIKO!"  Miko and Ranma both turned with mouth
gaping.  Doshin took a step forward.  "What's going on here?  And where's
your guardian spirit?"  Miko and Ranma rolled away from each other and
started stuttering simultaneously for words.
	Reikiba chuckled and closed the door just as Lon appeared in the doorway.
Lon pushed hard against the door, almost sending Reikiba into the wall, but
he stopped himself and kicked against the wall as hard as he could, slamming
the door shut with an earshattering thud.  Everybody threw their hands over
their ears and cringed, then looked at the samurai with murder in their
eyes.  Reikiba just smiled rediculously and shrugged.
	Outside, Lon went flying down the hill, his mask somehow holding together
despite the spiderweb fractures throughout.
	Twilight stared at the cabin with wide eyes, worried because she heard
shouting from within, which was only compounded by the fact that she could
understand what they were saying.
	"Wait, Daddy, I can explain...."
	"What were you doing with my daughter!"
	"Wait!  Mr. Lee!  It's not what it looked like!"
	"Daddy!  Please put the sword down!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Phew.  I'm finally done with this chapter.  I've been having trouble
writing it, but I guess it's Ok now.  Hope you like it.