Doshin made sure to hit the wolf/boar the hardest, since it would more
likely be the tougher opponent to take down.  After tackling both at once,
he flung Salon over the creature's back--trying to use only as much force
as necessary, taking gender into consideration--then threw both arms around
the beast's neck and bashed its head against the ground.
	Salon landed flat on her back on the opposite side of the boar, but
quickly used the fall's momentum to sommersault backwards and roll to her
feet.  She brought her staff up for an energy attack, but Doshin was using
Pae-Kau's massive body as a shield (CHEF'S NOTE: Fat ass!).  She yelled at
the wolf/boar to move out of the way, then took a step forward only to have
Doshin's foot swing around and hit her in the shoulder.  She fell to the
ground, but not before kicking her attacker in the ankle.
	Doshin clenched his teeth when the witchwoman hit his ankle.  He wrapped
his arms tighter around the wolf/boar's neck and fell across its back.  The
wolf/boar violently shook its head, the added pressure only bringing it out
of its daze faster.  Still shaking its head, it growled/snorted and rolled
its eyes upward, trying to get a better look at who had just mounted it.
(OLD VOICE: Ah....  no, nevermind.  even I have my limits.)
	Salon smiled grimly at Doshin, then brought her staff around and whacked
Pae-Kau on the rump.  His feral eyes flew wide and he jumped forward with
jarring force, making Doshin's teeth chatter.  Pae-Kau then proceeded to
buck wildly like a wild bull trying to get the man off his back.  Doshin
flopped around in the air, being beaten around like a dusty rug, and was
forced to tighten his hold even more.  Despite his effort, he soon found
himself flying back-first into a tree. (CHEF'S NOTE: Did he stay on the
full eight seconds?)
	Doshin quickly shook his head and sat up, and found himself staring into
the snarling face of the wolf/boar.  He heard Salon yell, "Do not kill him!
 He may be useful!"  The wolf/boar turned to glare at her.
	Doshin took this opportunity to punch it in the head.  The beast faced him
and the punch landed square between the eyes.  Doshin yelped and waved his
hand--it was like punching a stone wall.  The wolf/boar just snorted.
	Salon rushed up to glower at Doshin.  When Pae-Kau brought his face closer
to Doshin, Salon slapped him on the forehead and scolded him like a child:
"Bad dog!  Do not kill!"  Pae-Kau glanced at her and growled.
	"I wasn't about to let you kill him anyway."  Doshin groaned at the
familiar icy voice that seemed to echo from the trees.  Salon and Pae-Kau
turned the see the dark-robed man standing just inside the cover of the
jungle.
	Pae-Kau started growling at the stranger, but did not approach him. Salon
stepped forward and folded her arms defiantly.  She called to him, "So.
Are you here so that we may finish our fight?"
	The dark man laughed aloud.  "Not at all!  I just dropped by to pick up an
old friend!"
	The dark man pointed and Salon followed his finger to the spot where
Doshin had been slumped against the tree--but now he was nowhere in sight.
"What!"  She quickly turned back, but the dark man was gone as well.
	His icy voice echoed through the treetops: "You are not worth my time."
	Salon gowled and clentched her fists, then, having no definite focus,
yelled at the sky, "Damn you!  Give me my destiny!"
	The dark voice snapped sarcasticly, "Pick another!  Besides, do you not
have better things to do?"
	Salon screamed, "Come back here!" but got no response.  Soon, however, she
became aware that something was growling at her.
	She faced forward just as Pae-Kau head-butted her in the stomach, knocking
her flat.  It then stepped up and pinned her to the ground.  Salon coughed
heavingly as air re-entered her lungs.  Pae-Kau bared his teeth and stuck a
tusk under her chin, making her tilt her head upward.  Salon wheezed,
"Wait.  Might I interest you in a cure for your condition?"  Pae-Kau lifted
his head and twisted it sideways in curiosity.

		

	A dark shadow rose from the floor of Doshin's cottage.  The shadow folded
outward and in its place stood two figures: the dark man and Doshin, who
was barely conscious and leaning heavily on the former.   The dark man
frowned.  "Well don't just flop around.  Get our friend a chair."
	A mini-pocket of darkness folded out in mid-air and a crow flew out,
heading straight for a chair.  It rested on the backing, clutched it with
its tiny talons, and flapped its wings as hard as it could.  Despite its
heavy panting, it lifted the chair and carried it across the room rather
swiftly.
	The dark man set Doshin down on the seat and held him up until he could
keep his own balance, then said, "I must be blunt when I say that you are
getting old.  Shadowfolds never made you dizzy when you were younger."  He
stood up and rubbed his chin.  "But I suppose getting beaten around by
that... creature may have had something to do with it." The crow hopped on
Doshin's shoulder and started pecking his head, but the dark man shooed it
away.
	Doshin rubbed his face with his hands and groaned, "Where am I?"
	The dark man stretched his arms and announced majestically, "Your humble
abode.  It's not much, but its a place to hang your robe."
	Doshin closed his eyes tight as he tried to recall an image--someone very
important.  The thoughts wouldn't piece themselves together as quickly as
he would have liked, and he mumbled rapidly to himself until he finally
shouted, Miko!  Is she alright?!"
	The dark man patted him on the back.  "Don't worry.  I will take good care
of her."
	Doshin stared at his former colleague with eyes full of panic.  "Where is
she!  I need to find...."
	The dark man layed a hand on Doshin's and insisted, "Calm down, calm down.
 I will take care of everything."  He backed away, then raised a silencing
hand before Doshin could say something.  "And if you are feeling up to it,
you may want to watch me battle the Emperor this mid-day.  It would be a
shame if you miss it."  At his final word, he became a shadow and dissolved
into the floor.
	"But where is my daughter?!"  Doshin quickly stood up to run to the door,
but his limbs were weaker than he expected and he collapsed to the floor.
HE shut his eyes and sobbed, "Please do not hurt her?"

		

	Tan laughed, "You're joking, of course, Miko?"  Miko's lips drew out in a
wide grin, almost making her spit out the rice she had practically
over-stuffed in her mouth.  Tan looked at her curiously and rephrased his
question into: "You ARE joking?"  Miko chewed and swallowed some of her
food before she felt confident enough to shake her head 'no'.
	Tan stood over Ranma's shoulder with a lost look on his face.  After
hesitating a few seconds while the initial shock of Miko's words faded, he
weakly pointed down at Ranma and sheepishly asked, almost whispering, "Do
you mean to tell me that this lad and that other red-headed girl are the
same person?"  Miko nodded furiously, noticeably trying not to laugh.
	Ranma sat hunched over in his chair with his arms folded tightly and his
brow furrowed in aggitation.  He glared at Miko and grumbled, "This isn't
somethin I'm proud of, y'know.  I don't go advertizin it to everyone I
meet."  Miko pouted and shrugged apologetically.
	Tan stood dumbstruck a few seconds longer, then glanced down and realized
Ranma's frustration.  He nervously shuffled in place, then rested a hand on
his shoulder and stuttered, "I-I apologize for my rudeness.  I-I didn't
mean to upset you, lad... uh... maam...."
	Ranma groaned forcefully, "I'm a guy, okay!"
	Tan took a step back and put both hands up defensively.  "Pardon me.  Of
course."
	Ranma grumpily glanced at Tan, then glared at Miko once more and opened
his mouth to say something.  Miko made her eyes shimmer with tears, hoping
to ask his forgiveness and avoid a lecture at the same time.
	Tan, unaware of his customer's silent argument, composed himself and
unsteadily stated in Miko's direction, "I-I guess I shouldn't be surprised
to find that your guardian is a shapechanger--I've heard many tales of
spirits who changed their form...."
	Miko shyly looked up at Tan and pursed her lips, trying not to giggle,
then pointed to Ranma, who was frowning and leaning on his elbow in
self-pity.  Tan shifted his eyes back and forth from Miko to Ranma,
wondering what she was trying to tell him.  Then it dawned on him--he was
trying to apologize to the wrong person!
	He once again rested a hand on Ranma's shoulder and continued his speech
as if Miko had not interrupted him, "From what I've seen, your fighting is
inhumanly fast and effective... and awe-inspiring in itself..."  Miko
nodded in full agreement.  Ranma just sighed, finding the man's attempt at
flattery pathetic.  Tan went on, "... also... from what I've... seen...
your body heals very quickly--I... um... the sword cuts you recieved
yesterday... are, um... I saw no scars... and in your... girl form, you
bear an uncanny resemblance to Miko....  So, you can understand that this
is not the first time you've surprised me."  He nervously twiddled his
thumbs and waited to see if his feeble attempt at an apology was adequate
enough to make up for his thoughtless insult.
	Ranma, still leaning on his elbow, waited a moment to see if Tan would say
anything more, then rolled his eyes upward and toned, "And your point is...?"
	Tan started to sweat.  He glanced around the room a bit, then stammered,
"What I mean is... that you are... a very astonishing person and... I
forgot my manners when Miko said that you were...."
	Ranma decided he'd let the poor man off the hook.  He smirked at Miko,
then said over his shoulder, "Hey, don't worry 'bout it.  I get that
reaction alot."  Tan slumped his shoulders and sighed in relief.  Ranma
returned his gaze to Miko, who was glad to know that he wasn't angry with
her for telling his secret.
	Tan, feeling the tension in the room lifting, crossed to the side of the
table and bowed.  "May I refill your ricebowls?"  Ranma and Miko looked at
the bowls in front of them, each less than half full; they both picked up
their chopsticks and quickly finished the contents (two seconds flat), then
handed the empty bowls to Tan, who joked, "That's another thing that
astounds me--your appetites."  All three laughed.
	As Tan was about to turn to leave, feeling that both his patrons were now
in good humor, he glanced at Ranma and praised, "Miko must be very special
to you if you carry around her visage as you do.  She is very lucky to have
you as a protector."  Miko closed her eyes and beemed with pride.
	Ranma's smile instantly became a deep frown, and he slumped his shoulders
in defeat as thoughts of his conversation with the dark-robed wizard came
to mind.  He looked like Miko because she WASN'T so lucky.
	Tan was confused by Ranma's reaction.  Had he once again said something
wrong?  He wasn't sure.  In case he WAS adding insult to injury, he turned
and quietly headed for the kitchen.
	Miko, who had been happily revelling in her own thoughts, had not
witnessed the uneasy event.  When she heard footsteps moving away, she
quickly snapped herself out of her daze and, just as Tan was almost through
the door, she called, "Tan, wait."
	Tan turned around and the two stared at each other for a moment while Miko
played with her pigtail and tried to think of something to say.  She was
really enjoying his company and didn't want him to leave--especially since
their conversation helped her to ignore the tiny voice in the back of her
mind that kept relaying the dark-robed stranger's forboding words.  She sat
up straighter when she did think of something important she'd been meaning
to ask since her guardian carried her into the inn--something very curious.
 She looked around the room and asked, "Where are all your customers?  This
place is usually full by now."
	Tan seemed shocked that she would ask such a question.  He took a step
back out of the doorway and explained, "Earlier this morning, just before
dawn, there was another whirlwind--like the one that appeared over by the
springs a little further down the mountain.  I didn't see it myself, but a
few people I managed to find told me it picked up near the Emperor's
palace.  The whole town's scared and hiding--they say it's an evil omen.  I
don't expect to get many customers today.  Until you two came along, I was
considering not opening at all."  Miko stared at him in wide-eyed confusion.
	Tan continued with less certainty in his words, "I assumed, by all your
scratches and bruises, that you were unfortunately close to the disturbance
when it occured."  He paused uneasily, then began to look worried.  "I hope
your protector knows what he's doing--letting you come here to eat in your
condition.  Not that I'm questioning his wisdom...."  Tan, having more and
more trouble with his words, decided to exit to the kitchen before he said
something that might offend her guardian again.  He called back before
shutting the door, "It might be a good idea to let your father look at
those wounds, Miko."
	Miko nodded dumbly, still wondering about what he said about a 'whirlwind'
and 'evil omen'--what was all that about?  She shrugged, then rolled up her
sleeves and studied the series of scars on her arms--no serious cuts, but
it did look bad and her skin did sting a little.  She sighed and considered
aloud, "Maybe I SHOULD let Father have a look at my wounds....  It would be
kind of silly if, after everything I've been through the past few days, I
should die from an infection."  She started to giggle, but she stopped
herself cold when she realized what she had just said.
	She quickly rolled down her sleeves and sputtered, "I didn't mean it like
that, I...."  When she faced her guardian, she paused, realizing that he
looked depressed.  With rapidly-growing worry, she asked, "Guardian Spirit,
are you alright?"
	"Hm?"  Ranma looked up as if just noticing her presence--he hadn't been
paying attention to what she said.  For several moments, they just stared
at each other in silence, each seeing something in the other's eyes that
bordered on deep concern.
	They were both about to break the silence at the same time when they heard
a feminine voice crying from outside, "Cutie!  Is that you?"
	Ranma went pale when he turned and saw a familiar soft-featured, doe-eyed
brunette peering through one of the unshuttered windows by the exit.  "Oh
no.  Where did SHE come from?"
	"Hn?"  Miko blinked her eyes in confusion and shifted her gaze between her
guardian to the strange girl.  "Who...."
	Ranma stood up and took Miko's arm.  "C'mon, we hafta get outa here."
	Miko winced and pulled her arm back when he accidentally squeezed a
bruise.  She narrowed her eyes at Ranma as she rubbed her arm.  "What's the
hurry?  Who...."  Then she remembered where she had seen the girl's face
before--in the emperor's palace.
	Komiki burst through the front door with her arms spread wide and cried,
"Cutie!  You're alive!"  Ranma froze, sure it was too late to run.
	Miko, startled to see a nearly-naked girl rushing STRAIGHT TOWARD HER,
tried to jump from her chair to get out of her path, but her muscles were
still very sore and she could hardly bring herself to stand.  When the
harem girl suddenly threw her arms around her shoulders and lifted her to
standing, she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, imaging all of the
tender muscles in her upper body screaming at once.
	However, to Miko's surprise, she felt no pain--in fact, the girl's arms
glided comfortably across her skin like silk.  Miko, still holding her
breath, blinked her eyes open just as the harem girl kissed her full on the
lips.  Miko's eyes flew wide in shock and she momentarily lost all control
of her motor functions.
	Ranma was standing rigidly with his eyes closed, expecting to be glommed
at any second--but the glom never came.  When he suspected something was
wrong, he slowly opened his eyes, then gasped when he saw Miko and Komiki
engaged in a deep, passionate kiss--well, Komiki seemed passionate while
Miko seemed more comatose.
	After a while, Komiki also suspected something was wrong.  Without
unlocking her lips from Miko, she opened her eyes and hummed questionably.
After another few seconds, she disengaged the redhead, gently set her back
into her chair, and stated quizzically, "That's not my Cutie."  Miko stared
sightlessly into nothing and slumped in her chair.
	Ranma took a nervous step back as Komiki took a step toward him; she gazed
deeply into his eyes and tilted her head to the side while she considered
something.  Before Ranma had sense enough to take another step back, the
harem girl had latched herself onto his chest and buried her head in his
neck, bubbling, "Cutie!  I didn't know you were a man too!"  Ranma
gasped--how the heck did she know! (CUTE VOICE: Woman's intuition.)  Before
Ranma could raise any kind of protest, Komiki aggressively threw her lips
over his.
	Miko, regaining some coherency, slowly brought her hand to her mouth,
still able the feel the pressure the girl had applied.  She shifted her
zombie-like gaze from the wall to her hand, then the kissing duo across the
table.  Shocked, she slid completely out of her chair and onto the floor
with a thud.
	"Hn?"  When Komiki finally heard the sound, she turned and saw the
red-haired girl lying on the ground nearly under the table.  She quickly
stepped away from Ranma when, just as suddenly as she had made this
discovery, the kitchen door opened and a tall, brawny man in drab, gray
clothes stepped into the room carrying two steaming bowls of rice.
	As Tan stepped through the doorway, he asked, "Are you two alright in
here?  I thought I heard noises...."  His eyes instantly fixed on the
strange, new, dark-haired girl in the room, but he quickly turned his head
away when he realized that she was barely dressed.
	Komiki stared meekly at the tall man for a few moments, unsure what to
make of him or if he was dangerous.  When she felt safe enough, she let her
eyes wander away from him so she could see if the red-haired girl was hurt.
 "Hn?"  She quickly looked around the room and found that both the girl and
her Cutie were nowhere to be seen.  She pouted and sighed deeply in
disappointment.
	Tan, his eyes still turned away in embarrassment, asked unsteadily, "I-I'm
sorry, i-is there something I can do for you?"
	Komiki stopped pouting and placed her hands over her stomach when her eyes
focused on the bowls of rice he was carrying.