No Need for Changes: V The Wolf, The Sorceress, The Alien. "Won't you please, please tell me who I'am?" 'The Logical Song' by SUPERTRAMP *********** Summer 2000 "How did this happened?!" demanded the Galaxy Police officer named Mihoshi Kuramitsu to Dan McGuire who was looking up a tunnel that lead to a manhole on the surface above. "Say that again?" he question, as he never even turned around to face Mihoshi. "I wasn't paying attention at what you were saying earlier." "I was asking you; 'How did this happen?' To yourselves I mean!" Mihoshi went on now in protest. "How did you 'Weres' get like this, 'Red Wolf'?!" Dan let's out a sigh as he continued to look up. "Please, call me 'Dan'. And it's not that easily to explain about us all." says Dan in the voice he has when in his full werewolf-form. In which you hear a deep and rough voice that could belong to a human. However, there were some 'grunt' noises that were heard beneath the human voice from time to time that sounded like they belonged to a wolf alone! "In brief: some of us 'Weres' are called, 'Magical types'! That's because they are either cursed or in some cases 'gifted' to become these 'beasts' by a kind of magic. And there's my kind, the 'Physical type' as we call ourselves. In which we can become our 'other' selves at will. Without the aid in magical, outside power sources or the strange psychic effect of the moon that plagues some of the 'Magic Types' to change against their wills! Some magic users such as, witches, vampires, or wizards tend to fear us 'physicals' because we are difficult to control. We may have the bodies of a mighty beast and all the power that comes with it, but we keep the mind of a human being! A very deadly combo I may add!" "In most cases it is a 'special gift' to the offspring by the parents or in my case a blood transfusion!" "A what?" asked Mihoshi as her pointed ears 'pricked up'! Dan took notice of that and found it intriguing. "A little over ten years ago I was attending college in Vermont as a major in 'forestry'." said Dan as he continued looking up the tunnel as if he is searching for something. "I was working up North deep in the mountains. Then one winter while hiking to work on a trail, somebody shot me, right in the freaken' gut! I never knew who it was and why, but, that was the lease of my problems at that moment because the nearest town was miles away and my 'pick-up' truck was on the other side of the forest. I knew I was going to die if I didn't get help soon! I must have blacked out cause the next thing I knew was old Indian and his grandson where looking down at me in their cabin. The old man was attending to my wound while his grandson was giving me his blood by via blood transfusion." Dan was quiet for a second. "I'm no doctor and I still don't want to sound ungrateful because I'm not, but, I knew that it was dangerous at what they where doing. Found out later that my type was different from his own! Mixing ones blood type with another could be deadly! "Well, it was good for you, right?" asked Mihoshi with a light smile. "Your alive now, right?" "That depends at how you look at it!" replied Dan. Then he held up a paw-like hand. "Hold that thought, please." He holds out his hands and catches several cans that fell from above him. "Is that all?" yells a strange sounding voice above. A sound that could belong to a big cat! "Yeah!" yells Dan up the tunnel. "Now get your furry ass back down in here before someone sees you, you crazy cat-man!" It's almost daylight!" "'Neeyowl'!" wails the voice. "Bitch and moan, bitch and moan! You just hold on to my coffee, dude!" "Don't sweat it, man!" replies Dan as he turns around to face Mihoshi and hands her a metal can. She switches hands back and forth quickly because the can is very hot. Dan opens his can with an end of a claw that held the hot liquid and takes a sip. Even now with a wolf's muzzle for a mouth, he has learned how to drink as normal as any man could. "Ahhh!" he says with satisfaction and a toothy grin with it. "You know you're in Japan when you're drinking hot coffee from a can!" "I actually prefer cream-style 'coffee-jelly'*." says Mihoshi. (* Not bad stuff ether.) "You'd make an interesting advertisement photo to put on those vending machines on the streets, Dan!" says a good-looking, lean, yet well muscular naked man as he lands in front of Dan from the tunnel's entrance above him. Mihoshi can't help herself at feeling 'wet' while looking him over. "I could see it now! You posed all mean and looking, yet with that friendly toothy smile of yours. Holding that can of coffee in one hand and making a welcoming gesture with the other one saying: 'You must drink this coffee if you need to be the beast all that you need to be in daily life!' It would be perfect in the business section in down town Tokyo, don't you think?" "Why did you change back, Misaki?" says Dan with a grumble, as he shows that he does not appreciate having the naked man before him. "Hey!" protested Misaki while opening his can of coffee. "That tunnel is dirty, man! You try cleaning your fur with your own tongue sometime! At least skin is washable by water! Now excuse me, I'm taking a shower!" As Misaki walks by Mihoshi, he gives her a wink with his right eye. "Your cute." he says as he goes on by her. Then turns around. "A 'hot' shower too!" "Ah, ah!" says Mihoshi with a noise bleed as she quickly looks down, embarrassed and tries to get back on the subject. "Where does he bathe? I mean, where were we?" Dan had turned around and Mihoshi can hear him lightly talk within a low chuckle. "So much for that 'theory' about us foreigners being 'dry'!" "Excuse me!" says Mihoshi trying to sound serious while wiping her nose. "Ah, yes." Dan says quickly as he turns back to her. "Sorry!" "So about your blood?" she asked with a firm tone through her teeth. "Ah, soon after we finished the transfusion I changed into this huge red-wolf right before them!" explained Dan pointing to himself. The teen-ager then himself transformed into a werewolf!" Mihoshi just leaned against the cool stonewall and listened to the American werewolf continue. She recalled about how Kiyone looked after she became a werewolf just a few nights ago. (See Part 2.) "Even the old man became a werewolf too. My mind was on fire, out of fright, I just took off right through the cabin door! It took most of the night for them to catch me! They dragged me back and after I returned back to a man they apologize for this happening to me then explained at what happed and in time showed me how at being the 'Master' to the beast! It wasn't long that this 'curse' became a great gift when used right!" "How?" questioned Mihoshi. "During my time still at college, every chance I had I learned with the old man and his grandson at how I could use much of my 'wolf side' to my advantage! For example, using senses and agility while still in my full human form! Except my eyes, if I want to see in the dark or something like a wolf can, I have to switch them back to wolf-form. Another cool thing for me along with the other 'Physicals' is that were not hindered at being 'color-blind' like most of the Weres' that are empowered by magic for some strange reason." "This 'power' became a handy thing from time to time as life went on. After I graduated from college I joined the Navy to help pay off some college loans and keeping a promise to my father!" "I take it it's just like joining the Galaxy Police Force! It's a big switch in society life!" exclaimed Mihoshi. "Tell me about it! Though, I will take your word about the 'Galaxy Police' itself!" replied Dan. "Anyway, again, my 'compromise' came in handy. I was able to use it to help me join the 'Special Forces' and I was very good at what the 'Ops.' asked for! Especially in tracking the 'enemy' in difficult environments, stealth, endurance and with the right weapon in hand acute accuracy." "However, my luck ran out. I got shot in the leg by a sniper right in front of my teammates on a mission!" "So." replied Mihoshi. "You could've changed and healed yourself later, right?" "Yeah. I could've 'changed' into my full wolf form then right back into a human again to heal up, but how to I explain it to my other buddies. They never saw me as a werewolf! I still have to walk around with a limp once in while even though now my leg is fine. In the end, I was force to retire and a former SEAL who works over here in Japan needed another man for the 'N.C.I.S.' that he could trust. So I got the job." "And these other guys?" asked Mihoshi. "These Weres' have to be the most civilized bunch I have ever seen! I just saw one eating his breakfast with a pair of chopsticks! " "Well, from my understanding from Makoto, the werewolves that are natives to Japan use a form of 'Chi' to help control themselves and it works just as it did over a hundred years ago! Thanks to the help of a young Shinto monk! Close and during every full moon most of these people meet either in human or wolf form and meditate to keep 'the beast' under their control. Today they have the help of the magic from the sorceress 'Shigeko' Her family has been helping them for years!" "In fact many of us outsiders come here to Japan to learn this type of skill from them. To be the one in control! I don't need much because I'm in pretty good control of my own will power, but, it's good to have a lesson from time to time!" "In reality, these Japanese that become werewolves. Werewolves were never always here, were they?" asked Mihoshi carefully. "Hell no." Dan quickly replied. "These 'cases' did not appear until sometime after 1854 when Commodore Perry left Japan. So, there might have been a crewmember on his ship who was indeed was a werewolf! I sure would like to know why the moon didn't get to him. If he was indeed magical like these ones are today! That was a long trip from America! However, that has never been proven to be true because the Protegee came here long before us Americans did again. However, none of the werewolves' clans from that part of the world clam to know anything about a 'rouge wolf' that came here. Therefore, it's a mystery!" "One more question for now, please?" asked Mihoshi. "On the first night that I met you and 'Tsunanori' after Kiyone changed into supposedly into a 'werewolf' herself, I heard Tsunanori shouting about Kiyone breaking their 'code'! What did he mean by that?" "Ah, yeah!" exclaimed Dan. "I was getting to that later! The 'Code' is a set of rules that each one of us Weres' that live here in Japan must go by! For example, No unneeded changing is allowed except at certain areas in the cities! No attacking people out of sake of 'blood lust' and that one which can be a real challenge at times for some of us; no howling is allowed at all unless for emergency aid!" "So, when Kiyone broke that rule by her 'howling' she made that night it alerted you guys as a potential law breaker in the area and a threat to your 'Pack'?" "Something like that." says Dan. "You see, a few of us within the Pack are it's 'law enforcers' at keeping the 'Code' enforced at all possible! My pacific job is to take care of the 'foreigner wolves' (mostly North Americans) that come to Japan in this area, which covers Yokosuka, Yokohama and some parts of Tokyo! To make the ones that come in peace welcomed and to take care of the ones that come here to cause trouble! "Remember: Wolfs by nature are very strict in territories. No different to us Weres' who 'share' this form from our cousins." Just then the ground beneath their feet shake lightly and a few lose rocks fall from the ceiling and walls and on to the floor. The 'shaking' goes on for a couple of seconds before it fades away. Mihoshi takes another sip of her coffee and does not say a thing. "Earthquake." says Dan with coolness as he looks around. "I guess." "Yeah, aren't they a pain?" asks Mihoshi with a smile. "You think they could just get this inland calibrated right!" "You seen 'Weres'' before?" asked Dan going back on the subject as he scratched under his chin still pondering at how Mihoshi knew about the 'healing factor'. "Where?" "On one of my favorite soap operas!" exclaimed Mihoshi. "Ah, man!" moaned Dan with disgust. "I can't stand it." "Oh wow, you should have seen it how the young wife saved her husband and." Mihoshi when right on talking and Dan tried to 'tune her out' until he pricked his ears up to lock on the sound of a pair of human footsteps coming behind him! He turns to see the Japanese policeman named 'Makoto' running toward him with another werewolf still in his 'humanoid form' behind him and acting strange for one. "What's up Makoto?" asks Dan as he could see that Makoto was deeply troubled. "That 'rumble'!" Makoto exclaimed. "Did you not feel it?! It came from Shigeko's chamber! We think she's fighting Kiyone!" "Shit!" grumbles Dan outloud walks over to an intercom box on the wall and turns it on! "'Kuma' come in!" orders Dan into the box's microphone. "Kuma!" Dan presses few buttons until he gets Shigeko's chamber. However, he only gets static from the other end. "Come on!" Dan's shouts as he others run down a tunnel that comes to the entrance to Shigeko's chamber. The huge were-bear known as 'Kuma' along with a few other 'Weres' are desperately trying to get the huge steel door open to see on their sorceress or as some would call her their 'Alpha'!" Dan could see Kuma was using a great deal of his strength of trying to open the door, but it would not budge! This surprised the American a little. Why? Because this is the same guy that picked up a huge forklift just last week to help a child get his ballcap back at a bashio! "What's going on?!" orders Dan to Kuma. "There was some fighting, then a huge explosion!" groans the huge brown werebear through his sharp teeth as he pulls on the heavy door. "The door has now become stuck and it's hot!" Then from the intercom box that was next from the door a familiar voice is heard. "Kuma!" says the voice belonging to a young woman. "Kuma please stop!" Even with all the noise that is made by the other Weres' talking among each other. They too stopped at the sound of the sorceress voice in respect. "Shigeko!" says Kuma with fear in his throat. "Are you all right?" "Please step away from the door! I will open it!" The lock on the door disengages and swings gently open halfway by itself. Kuma opens the door the rest of the way quickly and the huge werebear runs in and disappears into the gray-blue smoke! "All of you stay there!" he orders back. A short time later Kuma steps outside the chamber calmly and with dignity on his furry face, then looks at Dan then Mihoshi. "She is alright! Akai Okami*, (Red Wolf*) she wishes to see you first." said Kuma in a fine and calm tone. He then turns to Mihoshi. "Then you, Miss Mihoshi." Dan firms himself up and beings to walk to the entranceway of the door when Kuma stops him by placing a huge paw in front of him. "Be nice with her, Akai Okami." orders Kuma in a respectful way. "Please? She is not happy right now." "Sure." says Dan with his calm toothy smile. ****** Tokyo Tower stands at 333 meters in height. It's still one of the tallest man-made structures in Japan today. About forty-two years old now yet, stands tall over the city of Tokyo itself as a proud symbol just as it did back in 1958 when work was finally completed in it's making. Painted in aircraft warning colors 'red and white', some of it made by the metal from Japanese Army tanks left over from World War II. Its main purpose at first was to be used as an antenna to transmit and receive communications for TV, radio and short wave. All that is still true to this day, but now it also helps with digital communications such as cell-phones and computer 'web link' network systems. If you had just one day to see the city of Tokyo as much as you could and you were pressed for time. You could go to the main observation deck and see a 360-degree view of the city itself and the region called Kanto. Bring your camera because on a good clear day it's great! At nighttime, it takes your breath away as you look upon the bright neon city below, however, this time there is something a little different about the tower tonight. It's not very easy to spot unless you knew where to look at. Because standing on the red warning beacon at the very top on the tower itself was the Galaxy Police Officer known as Kiyone Makbai! The young terrestrial woman's bare feet griped around the large red glass ball that makes up the beacon itself as if was no problem for her at doing so to keeping her balance right. Although to a well trained acrobatic this would be a great change at doing so at not falling down to Earth below. She keeps her arms relaxed in a crisscross matter in front of her chest because the outfit that she is now wearing is a pair of blue coveralls that were damaged from her last 'transformation'. In which her body grew in size and a pair of 'evil looking' wings came out of her back. She now tightens her arms closer to her chest as a strong breeze came by for which a hole was made in the cloth near her right breast, which was being exposed from time to time by the blowing wind. The wings are gone now with just two holes remaining in the back of the coveralls where the wings once were. She has almost returned to her right size, except she could just tell she was still a little taller than she was supposed to be at. One indication was her hand band was tighter than normal *. (*She along with other members of her clan has them custom- made back at home for a proper fit.) In addition, she did not like this, but right now that is the least of her problems. She kept her eyes closed and head down as if she was in great shame and in her own right she is because if anyone from her own planet found out about what has happen to her they would disown her as one of their kind to protect themselves. Even own her family would have trouble at sparing her. She would open her eyes once in awhile to look down at the Zojoji Temple that was near the base of Tower itself. The bright lights that shown on the tower at night turned off a short time ago so she could see the Temple' grounds clearly now. A light smile comes to her as she thinks about how she killed the demon known as 'Kane' with that powerful cannon not too long ago. How she saved Tenchi's family and avenged her fellow police that had fallen to the demon's hand. "'Brother to brother! Sister to Sister! Brother to Sister!'" she thinks about part of the 'Pledge' that she had learned about back as a cadet at the Academy. 'We stand all together as one or fall apart and be none!'" Kane was dead. Now she wished she could find a way to kill the one that was inside of her! No sooner than thinking about that she found herself holding her arms fully outward next to her as if she was praying to one of her Gods from her home-world. However, she knew right away, who was responsible at doing this. "'U'?" questioned Kiyone outloud as if she was talking to someone. "Yes, Kiyone?" said another voice from Kiyone's mouth. "What are you doing?" she asked referring about her arms right now. "Feeling the wind." 'U' responded with an honest tone in her voice. "It feels wonderful! Just to feel it again! To taste the air again even though the air in this city is quite dirty from our own planet!" Kiyone does not make a reply. "Do you have any idea how it feels to be cut off from most of your senses? To live in a void where everything around you most of the time and is made up of nothing? And have it go on for years and years, yet you can't tell what 'time' it in most cases?" "No." Kiyone said honestly. "It's one that I would not ask anyone to go through." says 'U'. Kiyone is surprised to hear at what 'U' is saying. "Why me?" asked Kiyone. "Of all the people on this planet, why me?" "Kiyone!" says 'U' with a surprised tone of voice. "Don't you remember anything from the first night we 'bonded' our souls together?" Kiyone tries to recall the memory, but she can't find it at all. 'U' takes Kiyone's silence as "No" for an answer. "I must bond with someone from our own planet!" explained 'U'. "I tried to 'bond' with a female human from this world a long time ago. Only I ended up destroying her! Her body and mind just rejected me!" "There must have been another one. Our.I mean my people have come to this planet before I ever did!" "Well, there was one. Once about twenty years ago I spotted while I was still in 'Hong Kong', however, he was a male!" "O.k." said Kiyone as she was using her police detective skills at probing some information out of her 'guest'. "So, why?" " You and I maybe different species from the same planet." explained 'U' as she was animating with Kiyone's hands. However, I prefer someone my own sex! Unless you like to 'feel' like this!" Within couple seconds Kiyone 'feels' that tingle that she gets when she turns into something else. When the tingle stops she looks over herself quickly. She can't see that she turned into another huge beast this time, but she sure felt different! To best sum it up at what just happen to her, if Kiyone had a twin brother that is what she just turned into! A male version of herself! "What?!" she cried out in a voice which would belong to a man. She quickly covers her. umm, I mean HIS month. "Was that me?!" "You see what I mean?" says 'U' bluntly still talking in a female voice through Kiyone's body. "It's too weird!" Kiyone touches a check that has a five o'clock shadow to it. He then opens his coveralls and looks in. No breasts anymore, but one teal-color hairy chest now! Her hair was even as short as a guy! "Ew! Ewwww!" protested Kiyone covering his chest up tightly. "Change me back! NOW!" "Now?" says 'U' in a joking matter. "Don't you wish to be the stronger sex? You have 'balls' now if you didn't before! HA! HA! HA!" "As I heard an American girl say once; 'I'm woman and I'm proud of it!'" yells Kiyone. "Please! Dozo!" "Alright, alright!" says 'U' with a few giggles. "I was just having some fun!" Just as quickly she changed the first time Kiyone was back to her correct gender. As she checked herself out and then swung her head left and right to see that her long hair has indeed returned, 'U' spoke up again! "So, that there are no hard feels I'll even give you an enlargement!" "No! No more height!" protested Kiyone making a fist in her left hand. "You made me tall enough!" "Who said anything about 'height'?" questioned 'U'. Instantly Kiyone knew what 'U' was getting at! Before she could say or do anything her bust size doubles! Thus, causing her to loose her balance for a little bit as she gets 'top heavy'! "That's enough!" orders Kiyone as she regains her balance again. "No more! I demand it!" "If you wish." replied 'U'. "But, you want later I can make you." "I said ENOUGH!" shouts Kiyone at the top of her lungs at interrupting 'U'! "What's wrong with you?! Oh, you're definitely the demon like the story goes back home!" "Don't call me that!" says 'U' with upset voice. "It's a lie!" "Oh yeah?!" protested Kiyone. "How's that one line in the story go again?" "Look I'll change you back!" pleaded 'U' " Please, Just don't say it!" Kiyone's bust returns to normal. However, she presses on. "'Once she gets a hold of your soul, you are her puppet, ever so bold!'" says Kiyone reciting from the story. "It's true, isn't it?" "STOP IT!!!" says a very upset 'U'. She then used Kiyone's own body to show her own emotions towards the policewoman's words! Kiyone finds herself bent over with her hands on her knees, a face full of grief, and crying with tears as they blow away in the wind. These were not her own feelings, but, 'U's! "Just stop it! I'm not a demon! I'm not a monster!" protested 'U'. " I was once a living physical person once! Just like you, "" "So, then you're a ghost of somekind?" says Kiyone with demand as she found herself pointing to her own face. "I'am more than just a simple 'ghost'!" protested 'U' as she makes Kiyone's body put her hands on her hips. "I'm the living spirit of all that was left of my people that your lowly kind obliterated all those years ago! You were the younger species! All just simple beasts, yet very smart! We tried to help your kind reach the level of humanity that would have taken generations of breeding to do! And we were successful at doing so!" "You made us your slaves!" argued Kiyone. "If what you're saying about making us 'better' is true. It's because we were doing complex work for you! Making great cities floating on the seas and such! At least that what history says!" "Quiet, you ungrateful bitch!" protested 'U'. "By what's right, your people should not even be on this world now! You should be right where these Earth humans are now! Still stuck on your planet and 'raping' it to death of its recourses!" Even as a child, Kiyone often wonder why her people had become such a 'space-faring' race so soon. Growing up she learned about her people and other planets including Earth, which was forbidding go to at the time. However, when she went to the Acamdy and learns more about other types of races she soon discovered that the humans of Earth were not that much younger than her own kind! There has be some great debates by the, elder and yet wiser races of beings that her people maybe 'cousins' to the people of Earth! However, her planet's leaders all denied, 'such talk'. She always wanted to learn more about this! "Yet, in the end." 'U' went on. "Your people betrayed us and killed us all! In the final days at the last great battle in Enora* (one of the great cities on Kiyone's world.) I volunteered to be a 'living embodiment' of our people's magic! I was just a simple priestess back then. They said; "the 'Power' would make me live forever I would never grow old and my mission would be to persevere of who we were and find a 'host' from your race bond with them to show them all at what we could as one race!" "Was that your people's goal?" asked Kiyone. "To make your race and mine become one?" "Yes!" 'U'. "We as a people from the same world would have been an unstoppable force in the galaxy! Not even that pitiful race you called the Jairains could've stand up to us! I hope your species is satisfied at messing this up for us all!" The last sentence 'U' made sounded familiar to Kiyone. It sounded like a pout of somekind belonging to someone physically younger than she was. "I feel like I'm talking to a teen-ager here." thinks Kiyone to herself still thinking like a detective. As she ponders still with her mind for a moment she sees into 'U' mind for the first time and she comes to a shocking discovery "Wait!" Kiyone cries out. "You ARE a teen-ager!" Kiyone then feels a 'force' strike her in the chest hard enough to knock the air out of her and make her fall backwards off the tower! Kiyone screams for her life as she quickly plummets down the off the side of tower and heads toward the parking lot below! She closes her eyes and wishing she was not here! She got her wish! At the last possible second her body pulls up from the fall and flies back up to the main observatory and lands on top of it softy as if she knew how to fly all her life! This time without the aid of any wings at all. She turns around facing the Zojoji Temple and looks down on it. Her eyes have a silver-tint to them now. "Sorry, Kiyone." says 'U' voice coming from Kiyone mouth. "But, I'm going to be in control for awhile!" She then flies off the tower and lands in the middle of the Temple's grounds. 'U' starts to walk around and gives the appearance that she is in deep thought. She soon comes upon a Torii at the end of the grounds, which has a 'natural wood-look' to it. She then looks back at the Tower behind her. "So, you killed another 'super powered' creature here once, huh?" says 'U' with a suspicious look in her eyes. "Well this 'Kane' is nothing to what I have access too or should I say 'we', Kiyone? Kane was nothing!" 'U' lets out a strong laugh and flies off into the air just as the first light from the sun could just be seen from the mountains in the distance from the city. "You're worth the wait after all and yes, you are right!" exclaims 'U'. "My real name is 'U-San-A!" ******** Dan McGuire walks around the smoky filled chamber room with caution. He can still smell the 'magic' in the air that was used from the fight between his 'Alpha' leader which in this case was a sorceress named; 'Shigeko' to the woman that goes by the name of 'Kiyone'. (See the last chapter) He soon finds Shigeko sitting on her 'throne', which is made of the very stone that makes up the wall. Some of the werewolves of her Pack made it for her as a birthday gift. He can easily see that she is in deep thought with herself. Her eyes look up to the large, dark red werewolf as she hears him singing softly to himself. "'Oh, I'm being followed by a Moonshadow. Moonshadow, Moonshadow.'"* (*Cat Stevens, copyrighted.) Shigeko just smile gently at what Dan was doing to cheer her up. She has always liked that old song. She once told Dan while he was still in his full werewolf form. She holds her right hand out to him. Instantly Dan stops in his tracks and with a little hesitation at first he kneels on one leg and makes a bow as if he is standing before someone of royalty from Europe. Shigeko just sighs and rolls her eyes upward at his actions Knowing he was just being funny with her. "Would you please get up!" she says in English with a sharp, yet, polite tone. "You don't need to do that!" "I'm just showing my respects to you Sorceress or do you prefer to be called 'Alpha'?" "It doesn't matter." she says as she makes some hand gestures, which makes the wind come up from out of nowhere and blows away the rest of the smoke quickly from the chamber room. "Only when there are other 'Weres' around do you need to bow to me! However, I have to be honest. I do feel a little flattered when 'you' do it." Dan let's out a small chuckle as he stands up and changes the subject. "You wish to see me." "Chotomate*" says Shigeko in Japanese this time as she makes some 'hand-gestures'. (Wait a second.*) These type of 'gestures' make a 'calling' to several small balls of fire to come out of nowhere from above and circle round the sorceress at a great speed then slow until they just come to a stop and hover around the young woman. Dan's eyes grow wide as he instantly identifies these balls of fire as 'Hitodama' or 'Spirit Lights"! They're just one of the very few things in his life that can actually send a cold chill up his spine! Shigeko pulls out a pack of cigarettes from within her red cloak. She can see Dan giving her that distain look again about her smoking habit and with his sharp wolf's eyes that 'glance' can be very uncomfortable to gaze back into at times. At this moment, however, it does not bother her at all, as she puts one of cigarettes into her mouth. She then beckons one of the 'Hitodama' to come down on to her left hand and as being gentle as to holding a fragile flower brings the fire ball up to her cigarette and lights with it. "Domo." she says as she sends it away. "You know what these 'things' are, Dan!" She then exhales some blue smoke between her teeth as she shows them. "They appeared shortly after 'U' left here with Kiyone's body!" She points up to the ceiling where there used to be a huge hole that was made by 'U's power, however, now sealed up with fresh cooled down molten rock thanks to Shigeko magic. "They bring a message this time: 'someone within our 'Pack' will die soon', but, they can't tell me who that person is!" Dan remains quite as he listens and this time does not show any emotions about the 'threat' to her 'Pack'! This upsets Shigeko a little because at times it is hard to figure at what he's thinking. "Damn that man's country at training its warriors!" says Shigeko to herself commenting Dan's background. "He's all opened up one moment the next he looks so cold some times. Like a machine!" "'Family' is an important part to Japanese society." says Shigeko speaking to Dan again. "Just like yours back home. I know because I lived in the United States for awhile too, remember!" "What are you getting at young lady?" asked Dan in a firm tone this time with a face that was showing a little frustration now. " I'm trying to say is, it's fate that this life will end! Yet, I know that even with all that I have been trained for, I must do something with all my powers to prevent this' death' from happening!" says Shigeko. "I just can't freaken' stand by and let this happen to my 'Pack'! You guys are all the family I have now!" "You told me yourself once; 'Under all the animal, you are still a human being!'" explained Dan trying to be understandable. "Same can go for you. Without the magic powers you're just college student. We can only do what we can in this life at what we have with!" "At the moment I have to put this threat to the side I haven't a choice! I need your help now to save Kiyone from 'U's clutches!" says Shigeko changing the subject. "Kiyone is 'U's prisoner! I think." "'You think'?" asked Dan with more frustration. "The way that you explained this to me about this so-called threat of a 'outward demon' that has dark powers unlike the world has never seen before could one day come back to make us all her mindless salves! Only if she made a pact with another person from where she came from! That's what you told me those 'scrolls' that you're family ancestors wrote down all those years ago, right?" "Right." "After two difficult years of hunting around the world for the 'Jaded Dragon', I found out it was in Hong Kong and a would be brought here to Yokohama, Japan. A would-be buyer was coming to 'China Town' to see it, which in the end that I can only tell so far by what I have seen in the last few days is that so-called 'buyer' was Kiyone and is also 'The one' that demon can merge with. Both Makoto and I lost the Dragon to you and you told me that Kiyone would soon come after it because she was 'touched' by the demon's power so she could lead us to it. So after I along with other members of the Pack were ordered to find her fast, we did and brought her here to you as requested. (Even though it was against my better judgement regarding safety to the others.) Now after finding out the truth that Mihoshi and Kiyone are some kind of very real space cops thanks to Mihoshi help! I will be very honest with you; I'm just a less confident now about these 'scrolls' that you swore by to be true. In fact I'm down right puzzled about this whole damn thing! What we need is an updated second opinion on this! We need fresh data! That's what I think!" "You're right. I do have a doubt now myself." admitted Shigeko. "Because let me tell you what just happed here!" (See the last chapter to learn more.) "But, think about this! You yourself said; 'never assume anything', right? "Right." admitted Dan with a small 'grunt' at the same time telling himself he better start thinking with his 'open mind' again because this could get very interesting after all that has happen tonight. ********* Outside the chamber door, Mihoshi waits with great patience to see what happens next. She already can tell that her friend is long gone and that this so-called demon called 'U' has something to do with it. Now she wants to see what the 'Pack' is going to do next because she knows better she is no match for 'U's powers so she hopes that they well help her. However, she can't help it at not feeling very guilty because of all the times that Kiyone came to her aid when she herself was in trouble without any thought to her own safety at times. She then turns to Kuma who is still guarding the door. "Excuse me 'Mister Wrestler'?" she asks. Kuma looks down on the woman with sharp eyes. "I prefer to be called 'Rikishi'." he says politely. "I worked very hard to be one. What can I do for you Miss Mihoshi?" "When can I go in?" "She will let you know." Kuma replies referring to Shigeko. "She has her ways." "Dingo would like to see her too!" says another voice behind Mihoshi in which she turns to see the strange looking werewolf she saw earlier, sitting on 'all fours' now, dressed only in a pair of worn out jeans speak for the first time. "Who are you?" she asks. "That is 'Dingo'." says Kuma. "He is a rare kind of Were. One that is called a 'Were-man' meaning a wolf that can become a man! Sort of for him in this case!" "Dingo is me!" says the were-man. He then runs up to Mihoshi very quickly and sniffs her in the crock! "What the?!" Mihoshi yells out in protest. "What are you doing?" Dingo jumps back with a grin on him. "I know her!" he shouts out. "I know her! She's one of the females I was suppose to check out at that place where heavy, big, smelly machines are!!" "You're not that same dog I saw at the work site where Kiyone and I work?" Dingo gave an angry look. "Dingo ain't no dog! Dingo wolf!" His smile then returns profoundly. "Dingo likes her! Dingo got stiffy! Stiffy GOOD! " "That's enough!" says another werewolf with a snarl as he drags Dingo away into another room and closes the door behind him. "No more trouble out of you today!" Dingo's voice could still be heard behind the door. "But! But, stiffy good! Stiffy don't lie! See?" "Put your paints back on! Damnit!" roars the other werewolf in the room. Kuma just moves his head side to side. "Sorry, he still has a lot to learn!" "Nice boobs too!" yells Dingo. "Hoo da wolf?! Hoo da wolf?!" Mihoshi has had just enough for one day, however, just like as if an invisible hand has grabbed her cotton T-shirt. Mihoshi is literally pulled by her shirt into Shigeko's chamber itself! "I guess she will see you now!" says Kuma with a chuckle as he gets out of the way. ******** Mihoshi lets out a small yell as she is continued to be pulled in up until she is standing right in front of Shigeko who is still sitting in her throne and Dan is by her side. "Ahh, hiya." says Mihoshi with a very nervous tone and waving gently. "I guess you wanted to see me now." "Miss Mihoshi. " says Dan with a firm, yet polite tone. "Let's cut to the chase! Your police partner Kiyone is your best friend that you told me about earlier, right?" "Oh, yes she is!" exclaim Mihoshi. "I would do anything for her! Anything!" "Anything?" said Dingo's voice as it echoed through the chamber. "Like doing 'the nasty'?" Everyone looked around for the source, and then Dan spoke up. "Dingo, get out of that ventilation shaft!" "How about your friend's world!" says Shigeko as she fights off at feeling her face turning 'red' from Dingo's comment. " I know much!" says Mihoshi proudly. "Kiyone loves to fish and sing and." "No, no!" says Dan breaking in. "We mean Kiyone's planet!" "We need to find out some more information about her society, for example, legends! Specially about the one they call 'U'!" "I was going to do that!" says Mihoshi. "To bad Ka-Tar isn't here right now. He knows more about Kiyone's world better than I do off the top of my head." "Ka-Tar?" questions Dan. "Who's he?" "Another fellow Galaxy Police officer who happens to be missing right now after Kiyone and I had to leave that dance club in a big hurry where she and I saw you and Makoto the first time back in 'China Town' a few nights ago." explains Mihoshi cheerfully. "So, that's who that was." admitted Dan. "I going to ask you about next. Missing, huh?" "Yeah, but, I do know where we can get some good info. about her planet!" Mihoshi continued. "At our ship!" "Where's that?" asked Shigeko. "One place which I thought was pretty damn ingenious at hiding something that big, once I saw the ship myself for the first time!" admits Dan. "Deep within the summit of Mt. Fuji-san itself!" "Yup!" says Mihoshi. "I thought it was a smart move by Kiyone as well when we landed there! But, it's a tough hike to get to it. At lease the way you guys took when I was going to show you." "We had to go the hard way." says Dan to Shigeko. The main trail was full of hikers that night! Besides she rode on my back all the way up!" "We're getting short on time if we are going to save Kiyone!" said Shigeko with concern. "Every hour that passes the less chance is there for her to break free as 'U's powers increase in strength! And I can say this much about what she has right now after our little fight. That bitch's power is the 'shizznit'!" "There has to be a better and faster way to get there." says Mihoshi "How fast do you want to get there?" says Shigeko as she stands up. ********* 'U-San-A' quickly flies over and around above the city of Tokyo with her human 'host's' body like if it was somekind of fighter plane. She then zips between the many tall buildings in Shinjuku area. She takes a break from her flying and lands on top one of the 'Tokyo Tochosha Government Towers' that has a landing pad for helicopters. Very tried yes, but still having the time of her life. It's been so long a time that she has had any physical fun at all. She now takes notice at how fast the bright sun was coming up over the other skyscrapers in the city and soon takes off again. It's not too long until she is over the district called 'Roppongi' where she lands atop another roof to a large building in which she finds a large skylight. She walks over, jumps into the open window and makes a soft landing on a smooth looking, white floor. As her new eyes adjust to the dark she beings to walk around the unlit room and finds it to be a very large and open-spaced. She soon comes to the conclusion that it is a dance club of somekind for young people because of the equipment it has. For example, a bar, huge speakers and TV screens systems everywhere, different kinds of light and laser sets, a huge mirror ball and a DJ station. Something then catches U-San-A's attention in the corner of her eye. She turns to face a large set of wall mirrors. Seeing Kiyone's own reflection looking back at her still makes her jump out of surprise! She then slowly walks up to the mirrors that soon begin to give off many reflections of her because they were set up in a 'fun-house' style. 'U'-San-A' then takes one of Kiyone's hands and places a palm against the mirror itself. She then gives a hard look at her 'new' self, yet she sees Kiyone's face giving back a look of innocent. "Don't give that!" says 'U-San-A' as she points to Kiyone's face in the mirror. "I know what I'm doing! You'll see! We'll be unstoppable once the transformation is done!" That same 'innocent look' still stares back at U-San-A, only this time a small tear runs down Kiyone's right cheek. "I said stop it!" says 'U-San-A in a fit as she takes that same hand back, makes a fist and hits the mirror where Kiyone's face is so hard is causes the mirror to shatter and cut into her hand! "Ow." says Kiyone as her voice is heard for the first time. She opens her eyes to see her hand is still into the mirror and her own red blood runs down its side. "Are you alright?" says a voice that Kiyone recognizes right away. She looks up into the mirror to see the reflection of the pale looking humanoid she has known for some time now. "Ka-Tar!" she turns quickly to meet her fellow Galaxy Police member and friend standing by the bar itself. No longer dressed in his damaged police uniform, but now in a strange set of dark green robes. The both of them walk up to each other and giving one another a soft hug. "Wait a second! How did you find me of all the places?" questions Kiyone with a little bit of suspicion. "Dumb luck and 'this'." says Ka-Tar as he holds up his own Galaxy Police issued 'cube'. "What happen to you guys after you fled 'China Town'? And have you gotten taller or is it just me?" Kiyone tries to recall the last few nights ago. "Oh, goddess!" she exclaims in disbelief. "We left you behind there! I'm sorry we didn't mean it, but the strangest thing has happen to me!" "Never mind about me." says Ka-Tar calmly. "I'm worried about you. Please explain." Kiyone tries her best to explain to Ka-Tar about her 'problem' and want has happen to her and Mihoshi in the last few days. However, because of her 'blackouts' to 'U-'U-San'-A's takeovers of her it was difficult at times for Kiyone to make good sense to Ka-Tar which was really beginning to aggravate her. "Take it easily." says Ka-Tar as he takes a bar-towel he picked up earlier and puts pressure on Kiyone's wounded hand. "Remember, my dear friend. I studied your world and your people's way of life back when we were both cadets at the Academy as part of my foreign studies. I have heard of this 'U- San-A' before and I think there maybe a way to stop her from hurting you." A smile returns to Kiyone's face. "You've always admire my home, haven't you?" admitted Kiyone trying to think back of some of the most beautiful places and things she has shown Ka-Tar on her planet to bring some peace to herself. "Yes." said Ka-Tar as he shows Kiyone a photograph of the two of them that was taken in a fanatic area on her planet called the 'The Crystal Mountains'. Kiyone takes the photo from Ka-Tar and studies closely. She then remembers that the city of 'Enora' is not to far away from those mountains. And 'U-San-A' did say that was where the last battle was fought. A great deal of ruins from a huge temple complex from 'U-San-A's people where they made there last stand in the war was also in those mountains. For some reason this troubled Kiyone a little. While Kiyone was totally absorbed into the photo, Ka-Tar pulled out other towel from his robes. Only this one was dampen with something. Kiyone looks up and into the mirror again to see Ka-Tar standing behind her with his hands hidden behind her. She takes a deep breath and looks into his yellow eyes. "Ka-Tar?" she asks. "It was you who made me look into the so-called 'Jaded Dragon'! Why?" Ka-Tar could see Kiyone was trying not to get upset. He knew he had to act. With lighting-speed, Ka-Tar throws his left arm over Kiyone's chest and puts the towel over her mouth and nose. A towel full of a substance called 'chloroform'! She tries to break free from his strong grip, but she can't as the fumes burn up their way in her nose and mouth! After a few more seconds her legs buckle under her and she passes out in his arms! "Forgive me, Kiyone." says Ka-Tar as he picks her up and starts to carry her out of the room. "But, with the police force in such a wreak right now. I'm fighting for our future. 'U-San-A will be my weapon and you'll be my hostler!" A short time later a huge black werewolf comes out of the shadows, picks up the blood soaked towel and sniffs it. "Sweet." he says with pleasure. *********** End Part Five. Next 'Fu-bar' By: C.D. Powers Disclaimer: Pioneer LDC and AIC have the copyright of the characters of the Tenchi Universe. All rights are reserved. My story and it's characters are copyrighted 2002. All rights are reserved. The 'Logical Song' by Supertramp is copyrighted. All rights are reserved. Anything or one that is by remote chance is real is pure coincidence. No profit is made by this work. Only as entertainment.