El Hazard: Forum Remix
An El Hazard/AnimeAddiction Forum fanfic
written by: Kendai
starring:
crossoverfanatic as Guy
Laina Inverse as Rain Aoi
Shadow Cat as Asmodeus Lotte
The Fused One as Dan Tsim
Sphabmixay as Paul Sphabmixay
AKKomodo as Komodo Kalichnikov
-------------------------------------------------

Episode 2: The Longest Journey Begins With a Single Step

"Good evening, my dear."

"Of course I came back.  You wanted to hear the rest of tale, did you not?"

"I am certain your friends did not believe you.  After all, it is difficult for
most people to believe something they cannot see themselves.  But you believe I
am real, do you not?"

"It warms my heart to hear you say such things.  You are an angel, little one.
I am certain you will be quite the charmer when you are older."

"Before I begin, let me ask you a question: have you completed your studies for
the evening?"

"Are you certain?  The open books on your desk seem to suggest otherwise."

"Trigonometry can be quite difficult to fathom.  I can recall my own problems
with it.  Fortunately, I received aid from another who was quite good with
numbers.  Perhaps I may be of some assistance?"

"Very well.  Now, shall we complete the assignments first or shall we postpone
this task until afterwards?"

"I thought you might say that, though it would be best if we kept this our
little secret.  Your mother may not take too kindly to me encouraging you to
procrastinate."

"Let us begin tonight's chapter with another of the Heroes, the one who would
later be called 'He-Who-Vanishes...'"

***

With a sneeze and a loud groan, Paul woke from his fitful sleep.  Wincing in
pain thanks to his stiff joints, he brought a hand up to shield his eyes from
the sunlight that had just crested the horizon.  Taking a moment to blink the
spots from his vision, Paul turned, examined the walls of the small alcove he
had stumbled across the night before and voiced his startling discovery:

"Burn me, it wasn't a dream."

Muttering to himself, Paul reached into his pocket and withdrew his shades,
putting them on to block out the sun.  Keeping his head bowed so he didn't
accidentally smash it into the low ceiling, he stood and made his way outside,
his sore muscles protesting the movement.  Once he had cleared the entrance of
the cave, he began to stretch the kinks from his body, gasping slightly as his
joints popped back into proper alignment.

When he was finished, he dropped his arms to his sides and took a deep breath to
clear the last of the cobwebs in his mind.  His stomach decided to make itself
known right then, reminding him that it had been nearly an entire day since he
had last eaten a solid meal.  Grimacing, he reached into one of his myriad of
pockets and withdrew a piece of rock candy, the only thing he had that even
resembled food.  He popped it into his mouth and shoved the wrapper back into
his pants.  There was no reason to be a litter bug, after all.

Environmental conscience aside, Paul still had no idea what he was going to do.
Deciding to review everything he had accomplished up to this point, he cast his
thoughts back to when he first arrived on this huge chunk of rock, a slight
frown on his face.

After finding himself abruptly transported about six inches away from at least a
mile-long drop, Paul had spent nearly a half-hour attempting to force his heart
back into his chest.  Once his heart rate had slowed to something resembling
normalcy, he began to carefully navigate the barely usable and dangerously
narrow pass that lined the sheer cliff.  He had spent the entire day hugging the
unyielding wall of stone attempting to find a path or a trail that would take
him to civilization but had little to show for his efforts outside of sore
muscles and cut hands.  About the only worthwhile thing he had come across
yesterday was the small cave he had used for shelter.

Staring out over the horizon, Paul carefully considered his rather limited
options.  Climbing up was out.  Common sense dictated that civilization would be
found at the base of mountains, not at their peaks.  The only thing normally
found on top of mountains were wise old hermits or sages but even they only
existed in cartoons.  Travelling across the mountain hadn't revealed anything in
the form of help or civilization, either.  He had to go down.  There was simply
no way around it.

Taking long look in that direction, Paul shook his head ruefully.  This was
definitely not what he had in mind when he decided to go with Asmodeus and the
others to see the ruins.  Still, he had no choice in the matter.  While the view
here was phenomenal, the accommodations left much to be desired.  And on top of
everything, he was very hungry.

He was just about to look for a decent place to begin his climb when his body
painfully reminded him of something that he absolutely had to take care of
first.  Sighing, he looked to his left, then to his right, then looked straight
down.  A grin slowly grew on his face as a thought came to him.  Shaking his
head, he turned and walked back to the cave to take care of business, the grin
still on his face.

***

Rain was seated in the back of one of the caravan wagons, a look of contentment
on her face.  While she barely remembered waking in the wee hours of the morning
(Etel had explained that they needed to get moving before the sun rose too
high), she certainly recalled getting breakfast.  After not having anything to
eat in about twenty hours, she had been absolutely ravenous and demolished her
meal in minutes.  Etel had made a small joke about her lack of lady-like manners
but Rain was too hungry to care.

Now she was enjoying the taste of what Etel called a "sand drop."  It was a
rather tasty fruit that grew on the root of the sand drill, a hardy desert plant
that could survive in even the most intense heat.  The plant, she learned,
derived its name from the central stalk that burrowed deep into the earth until
it penetrated an underground reservoir of water, after which the plant would
thrive.  Etel and the others of the caravan harvested these fruits to sell them
at nearby bazaars where they fetched a handy price.

The fruit itself was hardly noteworthy in appearance.  Roughly the size of a
softball, it was a dull reddish-brown color with a smooth yet extremely tough
outer skin.  The meat of the fruit, however, was crisp, juicy and very sweet.
Its texture was similar to an Asian pear which she found to be very enjoyable.

Rain was about to carve another segment of the sand drop with her crystal knife
when the sound of her companion coughing and gagging reached her ears.  Raising
her eyebrows, she watched as her friend slammed a mouthful of water in his mouth
and gargled profusely.  "Problem, Guy?"

The teen in question turned and spat the water over the side of the cart.  "Ugh!
That tasted awful!"

Rain blinked.  "I thought you liked the fruit."

"The fruit's fine, Rain.  It's the skin that tastes bad.  Bleech!"

A sly smirk spread across Rain's face as she leaned forward, her voice taking on
a teasing tone.  "So, big, bad Guy finally found something he can't handle, eh?"
She just couldn't resist needling her friend, the one with the self-proclaimed
cast-iron stomach.

Glaring at her, Guy raised his nearly finished sand drop and fingered the skin
that dangled from his hand.  "After eating something this sweet, it's rather
jarring to bite into something that tastes like a beet, Rain."  He grinned
suddenly.  "Why don't you try it?" he asked, knowing full well of her intense
dislike for that particular vegetable.

Rain's nose curled up in disgust.  "No way!  Beets suck!"

"There you go, then."  Guy took the last bite from his fruit and tossed the
peel into the desert.  Chewing, he tilted his head to one side as a thought
occurred to him.  "Hey Rain," he began as he swallowed the last of the fruit,
"do you suppose that any of the others got sent here, too?"

"Hmmm."  Swallowing her own mouthful, she answered.  "Well, I guess it's
possible.  After all, we were all together at the school so if we got sent here,
the others might have as well."  She carved out another section of the fruit
with her knife.  "Still, if they were brought here, why aren't they here with
us?"

"Good question."  Guy tapped his knee with his fingers as he considered the
issue.  "Maybe whatever sent us had really bad aim."

Rain snickered.  "Oh yeah, I can just imagine where Komodo got dropped.  It'd
serve him right to get stuck head-first in a commode or something.  Matches his
name, anyway."

Guy frowned.  "You don't like him very much, do you?"  Even though he knew his
friend could get very annoying at times, he still felt obligated to come to his
defense.

There was a short pause as Rain dwelled on the question.  She speared another
piece of fruit and chewed thoughtfully.  "It's not that I don't like him,
really," she finally replied.  "It's just that sometimes, he doesn't know when
to shut up."  There was another short pause as she continued to eat.  "I know
he's smart," she continued.  "I've worked with him on a couple of Modern
Japanese History projects and he seems to know practically everything about it.
And he's never irritated my roommate like he does me."  She shrugged.  "I guess
he really isn't all that bad, overall.  I just want to kick him sometimes,
that's all."

Guy smiled in understanding.  "Ah.  The 'Kindergarten Syndrome.'"

Rain blinked.  "Huh?"

"Y'know, when a kindergartner likes someone, he calls her names, pulls her hair
and generally annoys the hell out of her."  He waggled his eyebrows at Rain.
"Maybe he likes you.  Or better yet, you like him and are just trying to hide
that fact."  Guy threw his head back and began to laugh, missing the glare Rain
sent his way.  "Oh man, that's funny!"  Still laughing, he began to sing in a
cutesy voice.  "Rain and Komodo, sittin' in a tree!  K-I--WHOMPH!!"

Dusting off her hands, Rain sat back down and snorted.  "Jerk."  Reaching into
her backpack, she withdrew her CD player, pulled on her headphones and pressed
"play."  She leaned back and took a deep breath, relaxing as the music began to
flood her senses.  She carefully sliced another segment of the sand drop free
and popped the piece in her mouth.  "It's such a nice day today, isn't it, Guy?"

Guy failed to reply probably due to the rather sizeable sack of sand drops Rain
had ever so gently placed upon his head.  A sound that might have been a muffled
"ouch" came from beneath the sack but with her headphones on, Rain didn't hear
it.

***

"Thank you so very much for your help, young man."

Dan gave the elderly woman a pleasant smile.  "It was no trouble at all, ma'am.
I'm glad to be of service."

She gave him a wide, toothy grin.  "Such a polite young man, too.  Would you
care to come inside for a moment?  I have some delicious tea you might enjoy."
~And a granddaughter you might enjoy even more.~

The thought was very focused and nearly floored Dan with its bluntness.  He
quickly bowed to hide his reddening cheeks.  "T-that's quite all right, ma'am.
I really need to be getting back to work now.  Good day."  With that, he spun on
his heels and hurried away, certain that his face was glowing as bright as the
sun.

Unfortunately for his sense of propriety, the woman's thoughts continued to flow
into his mind.  ~Such a handsome young lad.  Ah, to be that young again.  I'll
be certain to send Bekah to the market later.  Who knows?  Perhaps they'll hit
it off and I'll finally get great-grandchildren.~

Shaking his head, Dan concentrated on blocking out the woman's thoughts from his
mind.  It wasn't easy, especially since he also had to contend with the thought-
noise from everyone else on the streets as well.  It took some effort but he was
finally able to temporarily wall up the ocean of thoughts and force them into
the back of his mind.  Still, he could hear them buzzing around faintly like a
swarm of bees.

Somehow, Dan had been granted an ability he only believed existed in manga or
the movies, that of telepathy.  He had quickly learned that his newfound power
was both a blessing and a curse.  On one hand, he could now understand an
individual's intent perfectly and could tell instantly if someone was lying or
telling the truth.  On the other hand, he couldn't turn his power off.  This was
very inconvenient during the night since loud or sudden thoughts, such as those
that result from nightmares, could wake him from his sleep.

Worse yet, he was completely unaware of the potency of his "gift" and had no
safe way of experimenting to discover his limitations.  Yes, he could read minds
but could he also edit thoughts?  Could he talk telepathically?  Just how far
into a person's mind could he go?  And what if he accidentally erased a person's
mind altogether?

Dan shook his head to eliminate that last thought.  There was no way he would
dive that deeply into a person's mind.  He respected individual privacy too much
to even consider actively probing another's mind without his or her consent.  To
do otherwise would brand him as a rapist of the worst kind.  After all, what was
more private than a person's thoughts?

"Ah, Dan!  Back so soon?"

The voice broke Dan from his reverie.  Glancing around, he realized that he had
walked back to the market where he worked.  He had almost passed it, in fact.
He had been so deep in thought he didn't realize where he was walking.  "I
believe I am, sir."

The elderly man waggled a finger at Dan.  "Now sonny, I've told you to call me
'Sallah,' just like everyone else does."

Dan nodded his head.  "I apologize, Sallah.  It's just I was taught to always
respect my elders.  It's habit."

Sallah gave the youth a pleased grin.  "It's a good habit to have, sonny, but
remember, I'm only a couple years older than you."  He leaned in close to Dan
and rapped him on the chest.  "Maybe you and I could go round up some good
lookin' women after work, eh?  Young men like us need a little healthy exercise,
after all."  He cackled a bit while Dan endured his benefactor's attention.

Shaking his head, Sallah steered the young teen into his shop.  "You go on
inside and grab yourself something to eat, sonny.  I'll have more for you to do
later."

"That sounds good, Sallah.  Call me if you need me."  Stepping inside the store,
Dan made his way to the small kitchenette area in the back.  After rummaging
through the shelves a bit, he found enough ingredients to fix himself a decent
sandwich.  As he worked, he couldn't help but think back on how he came to work
for Sallah, the old man who refused to accept his own age.

When he had mysteriously appeared in the city a couple of days ago, he caused
quite a stir among the general populace, mainly because of the way he was
dressed.  After all, no one in his right mind would ever wear black in a desert
environment, even in a community that bordered a wide river.  Most everyone in
the city assumed that he must have been some sort of noble and a fantastically
wealthy one at that.  When it became apparent that he had little in the way of
possessions and no money whatsoever, everyone had ignored him, treating him as
an outsider or worse yet, a complete fool.

He had been wandering aimlessly, depressed, through one of the bazaars, when he
overhead a disturbance from near one of the booths.  A child was being accused
of stealing some fruit from a vendor who was demanding her arrest.  The child,
of course, was proclaiming her innocence.  Somehow, Dan knew the truth.

Unwilling to stand aside and allow an innocent to be punished for a crime that
wasn't really her fault, Dan had stepped in to mediate the situation.  As it
turned out, the child had indeed stolen the fruit but only because she had been
bullied into it.  A small group of toughs had pressured her into doing the deed,
stating that if she refused, they would have beaten her to a pulp.  Dan had
given the local constables the names of the youths, their general descriptions
and their last known location.  Minutes later, the tiny gang had been uncovered
and detained.  To everyone's amazement, every bit of information Dan had given
the constables had been 100% accurate.

Word spread quickly and soon the displaced Shinonome student found himself doing
odd jobs around the bazaar, delivering goods, stacking crates, that sort of
thing.  Once the people had opened up to the youth, they had taken a liking to
him considering he was soft-spoken, polite and eager to help others.  By the end
of the day, Dan had acquired quite a bit of pocket money, though it still wasn't
enough to afford accommodations for the night.  That's when the child stepped
back into the picture.

Quickly introducing herself as Kyra, she had grabbed Dan's hand and began
dragging him to Sallah's shop.  Her grandfather, she explained, was old and
needed help running his store even if the "danged ol' fool" wouldn't admit it.
As much as she wanted to help, she just didn't have the muscle necessary for
the job.  Once Kyra had explained to her grandfather how Dan had saved her from
being arrested that morning, he was more than eager to help.  After hearing
Dan's plight (partially edited to sound more believable) he offered his son's
old room and food on the table in exchange for daily labor.  Dan, having no
other alternatives, readily accepted the man's generosity.

He had just about finished eating when he heard a loud thump from upstairs.
Curious, he looked up towards the ceiling and listened carefully, blinking when
a series of muddled thoughts trickled in his mind.

~...wha..uh... bleh.. thirsty...hungry... sleepy...mmmmmm...~

Nodding to himself, Dan took a last bite of his sandwich, unconsciously sending
a thought to the young girl upstairs.  ~Time to wake up, Kyra.~

~Mmmm...  Okay, Dan.  I'm coming.~

Not expecting an actual reply from the girl, Dan inhaled a sharp breath in
surprise and promptly began choking.  A gurgle barely escaped his lips as he
began beating his chest in a vain effort to dislodge the food that had caught in
his windpipe.  A solitary thought screamed from his mind: ~HELP!~

"Dan?!"  Hearing the mental yell, Kyra tore into the room, a frightened
expression on her face.  Seeing Dan choking nearly sent her in a panic.  "DAN!"
She turned and dashed from the room, yelling for grandfather.  "Grandpa!
Grandpa!  Come quick!  It's Dan!  Something's wrong!"

In seconds, a worried Sallah hurried into the room.  Seeing Dan's plight, he
stepped up to the choking teen and grasped him by the shoulder.  "Hold on there,
sonny.  I know what to do."  And with that, he cocked back his other arm and
delivered a strong uppercut to Dan's abdomen.  The force of the blow was more
than enough to drive all the remaining air from his lungs, dislodging the food
in the process.

Dan immediately collapsed and desperately tried to suck some air into his empty
lungs.  Kyra dropped to his side.  "Dan!  Are you okay, Dan?  Say something!"

Sallah placed a reassuring hand on his granddaughter's shoulders, making her
look up at him.  "Just let the boy breathe, Kyra.  He'll be all right in a
minute."

A huge wheeze interrupted her reply.  Turning back to face Dan, she watched
as he began coughing.  After several moments, he managed to look up weakly.
"Thanks, Sallah," he wheezed between coughs.

The old shopkeeper grinned.  "Ah, don't mention it, sonny boy.  Would've done
the same for me, I'll bet."

Dan grimaced.  "Well, maybe not the _exact_ same," he replied.  "Just the
Heimlich."

Kyra blinked.  "The what?"

Shaking his head, Dan picked himself up off the floor.  "Never mind.  I'll
explain later."  He rubbed his sore stomach, giving Sallah an appreciative look.
"That's some punch you've got there."

Sallah flexed his arms slightly, showing that he still had quite a bit of muscle
on his bones.  "Used to be a pummeler in my younger days.  Remind me and I'll
show you my trophies."  He turned and began to leave the room.  "Well, since the
excitement's all over, I'm going back outside.  Come find me when you're feeling
better."

"Sure thing, Sallah."

Dan grabbed a small cleaning rag from the table and quickly scooped up the small
mess he made.  Kyra hovered nearby, still nervous about what had just occurred.
"Um, you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure, Kyra."  Dan gave the girl a thankful smile and pat the girl on the
head.  "Thank you.  If it wasn't for you, I might not have made it."

The young girl smiled and wiped the moisture from her eyes.  "I'm glad.  Hey,
how 'bout I getcha something to eat?"

"Well, I already ate, actually."  He glanced at the rag in his hand.  "Mostly.
And I'm sure your grandfather has plenty of work for me to do today so I better
get started.  But I appreciate the offer."  He emptied the rag into the waste
bin and placed it back on the table.

"Um, okay."  Kyra bit her lip.  "Guess I'll see you later then, huh?"

"You bet."

As Dan walked from the room, Kyra's thoughts continued to flood his mind.
~*sigh*  I wish I was more grown up.  Then maybe--  Hey!  I know!  I can make
dinner for him!  Yeah!~  A picture of her serving him a gargantuan-sized meal
complete with every conceivable food item on the planet nearly caused him to
laugh out loud.  Still, he controlled his reaction to the humorous mental image
even as he concentrated dampening his telepathy.  Soon, all that remained of
Kyra's thoughts was the pleasant song that she began humming in her head.

Dan paused for a moment before exiting the building.  The song that Kyra was
humming felt... nice.  Happy and pleasant.  There was also an overtone of
something else mixed into the notes, something that he couldn't quite place
right off hand but it was integral to the song.

A moment later, Dan found himself smiling in spite of himself.  The song was a
lullaby and that something he had noticed earlier was pure parental love.  He
wasn't entirely sure how he knew but he was more than certain he was correct.

Despite his normally serious demeanor, Dan found his steps to be lighter as he
went out to meet Sallah to begin another day's work.

***

The city was once called Gannan.  The capital of a country by the same name, it
housed perhaps fifty-five thousand civilians and maybe four thousand regulars.
A member of the Alliance, it was a bustling harbor that acted as a meeting
ground for the nomadic desert tribes that wandered the distant sands and the
citizens of other nation states travelling to and from the sea.  While it had
suffered its fair share of roaming Bugrom attacks, the city had always protected
itself adequately in the face of their assaults.

Now, Gannan was nothing more than a smoldering pile of burning debris, the first
great casualty in Jinnai's war of conquest.  The defense batteries of the city,
used to repelling scouting parties and small raids, were no match for the Bugrom
Invasion Force, a force over two hundred and fifty-thousand strong.  Using
blitzkrieg-like tactics, Jinnai had smashed through the perimeter defenses
easily and immediately began laying waste to the city from the inside.  Gannan
had fallen in a matter of hours.

Cackling with maniacal glee, Jinnai surveyed the fallen city while riding atop
the shoulders of his loyal Bugrom troops.  After being given command of an
invincible army and sent to annihilate the neighboring Alliance nations, he had
to admit that Victory never tasted so sweet.  He had finally found his true
calling in life, that of a military dictator and conqueror.  And to think that
at one point he was content to be the mere President of Shinonome High.  It was
laughable!  Coming to this world was probably the best thing that could ever
happen to him.

Still laughing, he noticed a figure standing amidst the ruins of several
buildings that lined a wide street.  Realizing that the person was his partner,
he motioned his Bugrom in that direction, eager to have an audience that would
appreciate his greatness.  "Ah, Asmodeus!  I was wondering where you had
disappeared to."

Silence was his only reply.

Jinnai frowned at the lack of response but quickly regained his composure.  "As
you can see, this Alliance has no chance against the might of the Bugrom, with
me at the lead, of course.  You should feel proud; you were there at the
beginning, witnessing my ascension to greatness."

Again, silence was his only reply.

Never the most patient person to begin with, Jinnai quickly became irate at the
ongoing silence.  "Hey!  Aren't you listening to me?"

"As a matter of fact," Asmodeus finally replied, "I was.  I simply did not want
to waste my breath answering to the likes of you."

A vein began throbbing on Jinnai's forehead.  "Why you... How dare you--"

Asmodeus suddenly whirled around, his furious expression catching Jinnai
completely off-guard.  "Look around you, Jinnai!  Look at what you've done!
Don't you feel any regret over what has happened here?  Any guilt?
Compassion?!"  He swept his arm in an angry arc.  "You've razed an entire city
to the ground!  A city with innocent men, women and children!  Does that mean
anything to you?!"

Jinnai had taken an involuntary step back during Asmodeus' spiel but regained
his composure at his final question.  "Yes, it does.  It means that I have
finally found my calling in life.  It means that everyone will finally come to
grant me the respect I rightfully deserve.  It means people shall learn to fear
me for what I truly am: a leader, a conqueror and a ruler."  His eyes narrowed
dangerously as several Bugrom stepped forward to flank him.  "And if you aren't
with me, you're obviously against me.  Traitor."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Asmodeus matched Jinnai glare for glare.  "You
better believe I'm standing against you, but don't worry.  I'm not going to do
anything to you at the moment."

"How gracious of you," Jinnai deadpanned before jabbing a finger at him.  "Seize
him, my followers!"

As one, nearly a dozen Bugrom surged forward to carry out their leader's orders.
They hadn't taken a single step when they suddenly found their feet snared by an
unknown force.  Surprised, they fell over one another in a tangled heap, unable
to free themselves from the iron grip that held them firm.

Jinnai looked around, confused and upset that his orders had yet to be carried
out.  "What are you doing?  I said seize him!"

A low chuckle caught his attention.  Jinnai turned back to face Asmodeus and saw
him standing confidently before him, wearing a grin that showed far too many
teeth.  "Remember this, Mr. President," he hissed, "no matter where you go, no
matter where you hide, I will find you."  He took a step backwards and Jinnai
watched as the shadows parted for him.  "A hundred or a thousand, it won't
matter how many troops you have, they won't be enough to protect you from me."
He grinned as the shadows began to creep over his body.  "You will have to sleep
sometime, Jinnai, and that is when I'll come for you."

Jinnai watched as the still-grinning Asmodeus was slowly swallowed by the
shadows, the inky blackness enveloping him like tar.  The last thing he saw
before the darkness took Asmodeus completely was the light glinting from his
amber-tinted glasses.

As soon as he was gone, the Bugrom who had been abruptly caught were free.
They looked at each other confusedly before settling their gazes on their
leader.

Jinnai shook his head as if to clear it and turned to leave, the intimidating
image of the vanishing Asmodeus still echoing in his mind.  "We're finished
here," he commented, his voice much more subdued than before.  "Let's go."  The
Bugrom obediently fell in step, eager to celebrate their victory once they
returned home.

***

Still cloaked in the surrounding shadows, Asmodeus scowled deeply as he watched
Jinnai's retreating figure.  While a part of him really wanted to take a crack
at the man, he understood that he had more important things to consider, namely
saving lives.

At least he had cut all ties with the cackling madman.  The past couple of days
were pure torture for him.  Not only did he have to put up with "His Royal
Assholiness" but he was now an unwitting accomplice to Jinnai's plans of world
domination.  Fortunately, he already had an idea on how he could make up for his
part in the whole affair.  Being Jinnai's lackey had one appreciable benefit: he
was able to overhear many of his future attack plans.  All he had to do was
leak the information to the Alliance, specifically the capital city of
Floristica, and Jinnai's plans would go up in smoke.  He would have to continue
spying on Jinnai, though, in order to learn of any new ideas the maniacal
student might develop.  If there was thing he knew about Jinnai, it was that he
was fanatically relentless in the pursuit of his goals.

Asmodeus turned and swiftly made his way to the outskirts of the city in the
direction the survivors had fled.  While he wasn't entirely sure how his powers
worked, he did know that they allowed him to move incredibly fast along solid
surfaces.  He didn't possess true flight, however; he had learned that the hard
way while experimenting back at the Bugrom palace.

As he left what remained of Gannan, he cast one final glance behind him,
catching the last of the Bugrom horde as it vacated the ruins of the city.  The
image made him quake in anger.  Though it might have been relatively easy to
drop Jinnai six feet under right then and there, his sense of ethics prevented
him from doing so.  Despite rumors to the contrary, he did have morals and they
could not be easily broken.  Still, he couldn't help but feel that those ethics
would be put to the test before this whole affair was over and done with.

Banishing those thoughts from his mind, Asmodeus continued to search for the
survivors, travelling at speeds unattainable without mechanical assistance.  He
had to hurry.  Time was of the essence.

***

Komodo had never been a morning person.  It was only out of necessity that he
woke up early to attend morning classes back at Shinonome.  Today, he would have
really liked to have slept in very late, especially considering just how late he
had stayed up the night before talking with Tasha.  It was amazing just how much
he had in common with that girl.

He had explained this in exacting detail to Fujisawa-sensei when the teacher had
shaken him awake.  Of course, as a result of his explanation, Komodo had earned
himself another four days detention but he had long since stopped caring about
it.  Sensei refused to let him stay in bed, though, explaining that he had
already allowed Komodo to sleep in far later than he would normally allow.
Besides, they had important work to do.

Grumbling at the indignity of it all, Komodo dragged himself out of bed and
followed Fujisawa-sensei to the landing bay of the Royal Family's personal
transportation vehicles.  Curious as to why he, Sensei, a dolled-up Makoto and
one other girl were boarding the Royal barge (he kept thinking it as Jabba's
sand skiff from _Return of the Jedi_), he asked Makoto was what going on.

"Oh, didn't Fujisawa-sensei tell you?  We're travelling to Mt. Muldoon to talk
to the three priestesses into unsealing the Eye of God."

Komodo blinked.  "Huh?"

"Don't worry about it, Komodo," said Fujisawa as he clapped his student on the
shoulder.  "This'll be fun!"

"Fun?"  He eyed the enthusiastic teacher carefully.  Noting the rope and pickaxe
he carried, he quickly figured out the fun Sensei was referring to.  "Joy," he
deadpanned.  "Can't wait."

"Mr. Komodo, sir?"

Turning at the unknown voice, Komodo spotted a handmaiden standing on the dock,
an envelope in hand.  He stepped off the gangplank to meet her.  "Yeah, that's
me."

"This is for you, sir."  Bowing her head, she handed the sealed envelope to him.

"Um, thanks."  He took the envelope and turned it over in his hands, noticing it
was completely devoid of any markings.  "Who's this from?"

"It's from a servant girl by the name of Tasha, sir."

"Komodo!"  Fujisawa's voice called out from the barge.  "Hey, c'mon!  Get a move
on!  We've got a mountain to climb!"

"Fine, fine!"  He nodded to the handmaiden before boarding the barge, envelope
still in hand.  He took a seat next to Makoto and the short girl and braced
himself as the barge rose from the landing area and into the air.  Within
seconds, they were on their way to Mt. Muldoon.

Once they were at a comfortable cruising speed, Komodo glanced at Makoto while
indicating the girl with a tilt of his head.  "So, who's this?"

"Her name is Alielle," Makoto answered.  "She's Princess Fatora's, um..."

Blinking at Komodo's sudden reluctance to blink, he ventured a guess.  "What,
sister?"

Alielle giggled at the answer.  "No, of course not."

"Well, what then?"

"I'm her concubine."

To his credit, Komodo managed not to gape at the young, most likely underage,
girl.  Instead, he blinked several times in rapid succession.  "I see."  Then
with exaggerated slowness, he turned back to Makoto and cocked an eyebrow at
him.  "An added perk?"

The cross-dressed teen blushed heavily and began waving his arms rapidly.  "No!
It's not like that at all!"

"He's right," Alielle answered.  "I only like women.  But Makoto here looks so
much like my precious Fatora that I just can't help getting all excited."  As if
to illustrate her point, she leaned in close to Makoto and sighed softly, a soft
flush on her cheeks.

Makoto, of course, tried to lean away from her with little success.  "C'mon, I
told you to stop that."  His embarrassment wasn't aided any by Komodo who was
doubled over in laughter.

After several minutes, Komodo finally calmed down enough to speak again though
his body still shook with laughter.  "Oh man, that's too funny!"

Alielle finally spotted the envelope in Komodo's hand.  "So, what's that?"

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Komodo waved the envelope at the girl.  "This?
It's an envelope."

"I know that!" she replied, exasperated.  "Who's it from?"

"From Tasha, a servant girl form the palace," he explained.  "She was assigned
to me yesterday to keep me out of trouble."

Makoto tilted his head slightly as he remembered something.  "Then what was that
about a food fight breaking out in the kitchen yesterday?"

Komodo waved the question away.  "An exaggeration, I'm sure.  Some people just
got a little clumsy disposing of the remains of the morning meal, that's all."
He glanced at the envelope in his hand curiously.  "Still, I'm not sure why
she'd write me a letter."

Alielle giggled.  "Not very knowledgeable about women, are you?"  She smirked at
Komodo's indignant expression.  "It's probably a love letter, silly.  Girls do
write them, you know."

Komodo blinked.  "You think so?"

She pointed to the envelope.  "We won't know for sure unless you open it."

"You've got a point."  Carefully tearing open the envelope, Komodo withdrew a
folded piece of paper from inside and opened it.  "I'll be damned..."

Alielle leaned forward, practically draping herself across Makoto's lap in the
process.  "Well, what's it say?"

Komodo flipped the letter over and showed it to her.  "I dunno.  I can't read
this."

One mild facefault later, Alielle took the letter from Komodo.  "Here, let me
read it."  She paused for a moment, giving both Komodo and Makoto a curious
look.  "It's weird.  We speak the same language but you can't read our
language."

Makoto blinked.  "That is weird."

"Yeah, well, that's a wonderful mystery but what about the letter?" Komodo asked
while motioning impatiently.

"Hmm?"  The young girl glanced at Komodo almost as if she had forgotten why she
was holding the letter to begin with.  "Oh yeah."  When Alielle finally took a
good look at the letter, her eyes widened in surprise.  "Ooooooo..."

This time it was Komodo who leaned in.  "What?  What?"

Turning the letter around so the other two could see it, Alielle pointed to a
small design drawn at the bottom of the page.  "Do you see this circle?  This is
part of an old custom that dates way back.  Depending on how it's decorated, it
determines the level of intimacy between two people writing one another.  It
isn't very common nowadays but you'll still see it from time to time, especially
between a particularly romantic couple."  She flipped the letter back over and
examined the symbol.  "You must have made quite an impression on her, judging
from the designs she's drawn."

Clearing his throat embarrassingly, Komodo fingered the letter.  "So, um, what
does it mean?"

Alielle traced the design with her finger.  "Hmmm...  If I remember correctly,
these symbols and their positioning indicate she rather likes you but is unsure
how far she should progress."  Her brow furrowed slightly.  "There is an unusual
amount of caution mixed into the picture, though, which is a bit odd considering
how forward she is with everything else."

Komodo nodded his head in understanding.  "Actually, all things considered, that
makes perfect sense."  At Alielle's curious look, he explained.  "She's very
leery of placing faith in people since she was hurt badly in the past.  There's
a lot more to it, of course, but nothing I want to talk about right now."

"I see.  Well, do you want me to read the actual letter?"

"By all means, go for it."

Clearing her throat, Alielle began:

	"'Dear Komodo,
	I had a wonderful time last night speaking with you.  I never thought	that
	I would have so much fun just talking to someone, not to mention the mild
	uproar you made in the kitchen yesterday.  I hope this doesn't sound too
	forward, but I really wish to spend more time with you.  When you have
	returned from your travels, please come find me.  I'll be waiting.'"

Makoto turned to the flabbergasted Komodo.  "Wow.  She really likes you."

"Uh," came Komodo's witty reply.

"And to think you and she just met."  Alielle giggled.  "Maybe you really are a
gentleman beneath that rough exterior."

"I resent that."  Komodo took Tasha's letter from Alielle and folded it back up
before slipping it into his pocket.

Alielle sat back on her heels.  "Well, if you're going to write her back, you
might want to study up on the symbolization she used.  Since she used one, a
proper response should include one as well."

Komodo leaned back against the side rail and tilted his head back, allowing the
wind to tousle his hair about.  "Maybe when we get back.  Right now, we've got
to worry about climbing this stupid mountain."  He frowned.  "I just hope Mt.
Muldoon isn't related to Mt. Doom or we're screwed."

Alielle blinked.  "Mt. what?"

"Nevermind.  Tolkien reference."  Komodo shifted his position and slid down to
lie flat on the barge's floor.  "Do me a favor and wake me when we get there."
With that, he threw an arm over his eyes to shield them from the sun, giving
both Alielle and Makoto the impression he was going to grab some more shut eye.

Instead of sleeping, however, he began thinking about Tasha, that wonderful girl
he had the good fortune of meeting yesterday.  She was really something.  For
someone who had never really felt comfortable around people, he felt completely
at ease while with her.  Something about her just "clicked," as was evidenced by
the number of hours they had spent conversing with one another yesterday.
Before he had fallen asleep last night, he decided to himself that he rather
liked her.  He was just unsure on how he should proceed.

And she had gone and made the first move.  He smiled to himself.  Despite her
politeness, she was a fairly straightforward individual, a quality that he
greatly admired.  At least he didn't have to wrack his brain trying to figure
things out.  All he had to do now was formulate a proper reply in the form of a
letter.  He was going to have to do some studying when they got back to the
palace and for once, it was a homework assignment that he didn't mind doing.

***

The lands under Queen Diva's control were heavily patrolled, populated as they
were by millions of Bugrom.  As such, it would have been insanely difficult to
sneak in undetected.  This didn't matter to Asmodeus whose powers over shadow
made him impossible to spot thanks to the perpetual gloom that covered the lands
night and day.  Where others would have to move slowly to avoid detection, he
was able to move swiftly, weaving around the various obstacles that barred him
from his destination.

Eventually, Asmodeus found himself at the base of the Bugrom citadel.  While the
tall structure would have given even the most dedicated climber second thoughts
about scaling it, he barely paused before reaching out with his powers and
hoisting himself up walls.  In a matter of minutes he reached the top of the
citadel, though there were a couple of instances where he, in order to keep from
being spotted, had to literally drop from sight and plummet to the ground.  He
was never in any real danger, though, and always managed to snag a new handhold
before the fall turned fatal.

As he scanned the roof, Asmodeus realized that the ceiling was going to give him
more problems that either the walls or the ground.  There were a large number of
aerial Bugrom roaming around, some obviously guards, others most likely workers.
At first, there seemed to be no pattern to their movements but as he continued
watching, he began noticing small gaps in their formations.  Moving swiftly and
carefully, he began slithering towards the middle of the ceiling towards a
crevice he felt might suit his needs.

Managing to make it to the crevice undetected, Asmodeus probed the opening,
finding exactly what he was looking for: a crack, large enough for him to
squeeze through.  Easing himself inside, he found himself very near to his
destination, the throne room of Queen Diva.  From his perch, he could see that
both Diva and Jinnai were already in the room, apparently having a conversation
though he could not make out their words.  Sound amplification, unfortunately,
was not something his powers granted.

Frowning slightly, he reached out with several tendrils of blackness and began
to creep along the ceiling towards the main stalactite that hung low in the
room.  Once he reached it, he lowered himself along its surface until he
discovered a location where the acoustics carried the sounds from below to his
position.  Now he could hear the two fairly clear.  Giving himself a small
congratulatory smile, he drew back the sleeve of his left arm and withdrew a
permanent marker in preparation for some note taking.

"...amazing, Mr. Jinnai.  An entire country crushed in your very first battle."

Jinnai's laugh echoed throughout the room.  "You can just consider it a small
appetizer.  I suppose you'll want the main course."

"Oh!  You make war sound so delicious."

A small winged Bugrom, about a foot in height, took this moment to land on
Diva's shoulder, interrupting what she was about to say next.  Asmodeus narrowed
his eyes.  Judging from the way she jerked her body, it had just delivered some
bad news.

"This is awful!"

Jinnai frowned, most likely because he had been interrupted from proclaiming
more wonders about himself.  "Well, what now?"

Diva rose from her throne and began pacing, obviously agitated.  "Remember what
I said about the Ultimate Weapon?"

"Yes, you called it the 'Eye of God.'"

"It seems that witch, Rune Venus, has sent her sister Fatora as part of an envoy
in an attempt to unseal it."

Jinnai cocked an eyebrow.  "Really?"

She stopped and brought a hand up to her chin.  "If she succeeds in her mission,
it will ruin our plans."

"Is that why you're so upset?"  Jinnai waved his arm as if brushing the concern
aside.  "Just forget about it!"

"What?"

Asmodeus grit his teeth as Jinnai's laugh echoed throughout the room again.  He
had really grown to hate that noise.  Still, he dare not give away his position
just yet.  Swallowing his anger, he continued to jot down notes on his arm.

"All I have to do is eliminate the little princess and the Eye of God is
useless," Jinnai continued.  "A Jinnai Blue Plate Special."  Cackling again, he
began to outline his plan to Diva who listened with rapt attention.  She wasn't
the only one, however.  Asmodeus listened to the details very carefully, even
sketching a rough map, graciously provided by Queen Diva herself.

Once it became obvious that Jinnai had finished speaking about anything
important, Asmodeus carefully made his way back the way he came.  Positioning
himself in the narrow crevice away from prying eyes, he quickly considered his
options.

Since Jinnai was planning on leaving right away, there wasn't time for him to
inform the Alliance of Jinnai's plans.  He doubted that an information leak
would stop this particular mission from continuing on, however.  Unsealing a
doomsday weapon was a very big move for any country to undertake.  Such a
decision would probably not be halted even with a threat of assassination
present.  He could try and stop Jinnai here at the citadel but considering he
was currently outnumbered roughly fifteen million to one, he really didn't think
it would work.  Even with his powers, the odds were too heavily stacked against
him.  No, his best plan of attack would be to follow Jinnai to this Mt. Muldoon
and stop him there.  Stopping him before then would give the would-be conqueror
or even Diva herself time to come up with an alternate plan, one that he may not
be able to prevent.

Nodding to himself, Asmodeus shuffled his way out of the crevice and quickly
maneuvered back to the edge of the roof.  Pausing long enough to spot another
gap in the aerial patrols, he jumped.  As he fell, he reached out with his
powers and grasped at the numerous shadows that existed in the hundreds of
crevices that lined the walls, allowing him to control exactly where he fell and
how fast.  Once he had reached ground level, he waited, knowing that Jinnai
would be leaving the citadel from near his hiding place.

After only about five minutes, Jinnai emerged from the huge structure, a small
contingent of Bugrom in tow.  Keeping him in sight at all times, Asmodeus began
shadowing the crazed student, intent on foiling his plans.  There was no way
anyone was getting murdered as long as he had anything to do about it.

***

"All right.  Easy does it.  That's it."

Paul was cautiously navigating his way down one side of the sheer mountain in
search of a path that might lead him to civilization.  Though he normally wasn't
the type to talk to himself, he had found that the occasional self-spoken words
of encouragement gave his confidence a much-needed boost, something that was
quite important considering that he had no real skill in mountaineering and had
an utter absence of appropriate climbing gear.

At least this side of the mountain had plenty of ridges and ledges for hand- and
footholds.  Plus, many of them were large enough for him to sit and rest as he
needed.  Though he was physically fit, the climbing was taking a lot out of him.
His arms were already protesting the abuse and his legs were well on their way.

Paul grunted as he reached another ledge.  "Man, I swear if I get out of this in
one piece, I'm hitting the gym more often."  He looked up to where he had begun
his descent and groaned.  Even though he had been at it for a few hours now, the
distance he had climbed didn't look very impressive at all.  A quick glance down
caused him to groan again.  That distance didn't look any shorter, either.

Sighing, Paul shifted his position slightly and began reaching for another
handhold.  Just standing around wasn't going to get him any closer to the
ground.  He needed to keep moving if he was to finally reach the bottom.  "Okay,
time for another.  Let's go, nice and eas--"

One loose rock was all it took.  His left foot abruptly collapsed beneath him,
throwing his balance off for a split second.  Since he was in the middle of
shifting his position, the unexpected drop caused his body to swivel just enough
for his hands to slip free from the rock.  His eyes widened in horror as gravity
took a firm hold of him and began yanking him to his demise.  As his body
twisted in the air, Paul was able to take one final look at the grou--

"OOF!!"

There was utter silence.

"Hey, what's that?"

"Y'know, that kinda looks like Paul."

"I think you're right, but why's he lying in the middle of the road like that?"

"Let's find out.  Yo, Paul!  Hey man, you all right?"

Feeling someone's hands on his back, Paul turned his head slightly to see none
other than Komodo looking at him with a confused/amused expression on his face.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he said the first thing that came to his
mind:  "I'm in Hell."

Komodo smirked.  "Nope.  Can't be.  You haven't taken that English final yet."

The smart-ass comment was all it took for Paul to completely come to his senses.
Shaking his head to clear it, he stood up slowly, his legs more than a bit
wobbly.  Brushing off Komodo's assistance, he finally took a good look at
around, only now realizing that he had company.

Fujisawa-sensei looked at Paul with a puzzled expression.  "So, wanna tell us
why you were lying face-first in the ground?"

Taking a long look up the mountain he swore he had just fallen from, Paul
replied, "As soon as I figure that out, I'll let you know."

***

Several minutes and a lot of explanation later (Paul's story had to wait when he
noticed Makoto's attire), Alielle, Makoto and Komodo were looking at Paul who
had just finished speaking.  Komodo decided to voice his two-cents.  "Okay, let
me get this straight: you were attempting to climb down this mountain when you
slipped and began falling to you death."

Paul sighed.  "Yes."

"But instead of splattering against the ground at terminal velocity, you somehow
just 'appeared' right above it, landing face-first in a gibbering heap?"

"I was not gibbering but yeah, that's about right."  Paul resigned himself to
listening to more of Komodo's inane commentary and was quite surprised when it
didn't come.

Instead, Komodo turned to face the other Shinonome student in their midst.
"Hey, Makoto, whaddya think?"

"About what?"

Jerking a thumb in Paul's direction, he elaborated.  "About what could have
saved ol' Paul here.  After all, even he admits he should have croaked."

"Maybe he managed to pick up some strange power or ability, like Mr. Teacher
did."

The three displaced students glanced down at Alielle who had just offered her
own theory.  Komodo nodded his head in agreement.  "It makes sense, but I wonder
what it might be, exactly?"

Paul blinked in confusion.  "Hey, what are you guys talking about?  What
'strange power?'"

Makoto answered first.  "Well, ever since we got to El Hazard, Sensei somehow
managed to get super strong.  When we first got here, we ran into some Bugrom
creatures that were chasing after Princess Rune Venus and he just clobbered
them."

"Bugrom?"

Komodo waved the question away.  "I'll explain later.  Anyway, Sensei did
acquire some sort of super strength and maybe some other abilities, too, but for
some reason, they only work when he's sober."

"Oh really?"  Paul glanced ahead to where Fujisawa was leading the group, wine
bottle in hand.  "Guess I'll never know if you're lying or not."

"Trust me on this one," Komodo said, tapping his chest for emphasis.  "I saw
Fujisawa-sensei punch a hole the size of short-stuff here," he pat Alielle on
the head, "right through a stone wall.  We're not making this up.  Ow!"  He
whirled around and glared at said girl who glared right back.  "Whatcha do that
for?"

Alielle sniffed.  "Don't call me short.  I may be a girl but I'm not a kid."

Paul chuckled.  "You remind me of Rain, Alielle.  She hates it when people point
out her height, too."  He turned back to Komodo.  "So, you think that I somehow
managed to pick up some super power?"

Rubbing his side where Alielle pinched him, Komodo nodded.  "Yeah.  It's
probably the thing that saved your life."

"Weird.  And did you pick up some 'super power' as well?"

Komodo shrugged.  "I know I have something but I'm not sure what."  He brought a
hand up and stared at it for several moments.  "My body feels weird sometimes,"
he finally said, "and I still don't know what to make of it.  The feeling seems
to come and go as it pleases."  He balled his hand into a fist.  "I can kill
plants with a touch but I'm not exactly sure how."

While there was no lost love between he and Komodo, Paul noticed that his
companion was getting a lot more serious than normal.  Apparently, there was
something about this ability of his that was really bothering him.  After a
moment of contemplation, he realized what it might be.  "Just plants?"

Komodo gave Paul an even look, not realizing that both Makoto and Alielle were
now eyeing him cautiously.  "Well, I touched you just a little while ago and
you're fine.  And I know I've brushed up against other people, too."  He
shrugged.  "Maybe it's just plants."

Makoto and Alielle let loose a silent sigh of relief.

"Well, let's hope so," replied Paul.  "I wouldn't want a power like that to kick
in the next time you gave somebody a high-five."  He turned to face the other
male in their small group.  "Hey, Makoto, what about you?  Pick up any new
powers?"

The senior thought for a moment before shaking his head.  "Not that I can think
of."

"Unless you count looking exactly like the Princess Fatora a power," Komodo
interjected, "but I think that's just coincidence, myself."

"It's a great coincidence."  Alielle sidled up to Makoto and placed a delicate
hand on his chest.  "I haven't seen my darling Fatora in so long and now, even
though she's missing, I can still gaze into her beautiful eyes."  A soft flush
covered her cheeks as she leaned in.  "It's so wonderful."

Reactions to Alielle's affection varied.  Paul's eyes bugged out of his skull
right before he began choking on his piece of candy.  Makoto looked like he
wanted to melt into the floor and not come out and Komodo, ever the diplomat,
simply laughed his ass off.

***

In a hidden location far above the small group of travellers, Asmodeus lay
cloaked from view in one of the numerous crevices that dotted the rocky cliffs.
His position provided him a perfect vantage point to observe both his fellow
students and Jinnai along with his squad of Bugrom.  While he was quite pleased
and relieved to see his friends alive and well, he couldn't afford to approach
them just yet.  He had a very important duty to attend to first, one that
directly involved his friends below.

According to what he had overheard at the Bugrom citadel, Princes Fatora was
supposed to be travelling up this mountain to meet with the three holy sages to
unseal the Eye of God.  The was one very obvious problem with this plan,
however: there was no Princess Fatora here.  Unless he missed his guess (and
Asmodeus rarely did), there was no way the young girl in Fujisawa's group could
be the Princess unless dressing in peasant clothing was standard operating
procedure for the royal family.  While it was possible that she was "dressed
down" in order to not attract attention during this strenuous hike, he didn't
buy it.  She simply didn't move like a princess.  Her body language was all
wrong, bearing none of the haughty posture or royal bearing that one would
expect a woman of royalty to possess.

Besides, he had seen how easily the young girl had smacked Komodo for apparently
being a smart-ass.  True royalty wouldn't resort to such physical tactics.
Instead, they would have the guilty party jailed and possibly tortured.

What really caught his eye, though, was Makoto.  For some reason, his friend was
wearing female clothing.  After having known him for two years, Asmodeus was
positive that Makoto had no tendencies towards transvestism so he could only
conclude that he was posing as the Princess.  The thought made him smirk.  Never
in his wildest nightmares could he picture Makoto as a woman.  Even seeing him
in a dress, wig and, yes, make-up did little to sway the impossibility of the
thought, though he had to admit that the clothing was loose enough to easily
disguise just about anyone's true gender, especially someone as lean as Makoto.
Perhaps Makoto and the princess looked similar enough facially that such an act
might fool a stranger.

His good humor faded when he recalled Jinnai's assassination plans.  Though they
were doomed to fail since his actual target was not here, Asmodeus knew that, if
nothing else, Jinnai would try to kill Makoto.  Thanks to the amount of time he
had spent listening to him rant, he was well aware that Jinnai had begun blaming
everything that had ever gone wrong in his life on the unsuspecting senior.
This put Makoto's life in great jeopardy since Jinnai now had the power to back
his threats.  And the others?  They were in danger as well since he knew that
Jinnai didn't care one bit about either collateral damage or innocents caught in
a crossfire.

Speaking of the so-called President, Asmodeus noticed that Jinnai had finally
finished barking orders at his Bugrom squad and had begun marching determinedly
farther up the trail.  Carefully maneuvering himself from the rock crevice, he
began to tail him, ready to intercept and foil any of his vengeful plans.  There
could be no mistakes this time.  Lives were at stake.

***

"Damn.  That sure is a long way down."  Komodo swallowed nervously as he and the
others precariously made their way along a sheer cliff.  This was certainly not
how he envisioned spending his weekend.  Though the path was just wide enough to
allow them to walk easily, the crosswinds that sliced through the canyon made
traveling treacherous.

Makoto, who was ahead of Komodo, was hugging the cliffside as he moved, the
winds snapping the ends of his clothing.  Not for the first time, he regretted
ever agreeing to impersonate Princess Fatora.  "Sensei, are you sure this is the
right way?"

Up in front, Fujisawa turned to grin confidently at his entourage.  "Of course
I'm sure!  We all the sign, didn't we?"

Gripping the cliff face tighter as a strong gust of wind blew past the group,
Paul grit his teeth and did his best to keep his heart from hammering its way
through his ribcage.  "Oh for the bloody flaming love of the light..."

Alielle, who wasn't looking any better than the rest of them, glanced over at
Paul.  "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not!"  He didn't mean to yell at her but his current situation was
playing havoc with his self-control.  "I just got off this blasted rock and now
I'm right back on it!  I'm still having flashbacks here!"

Komodo leaned a bit closer to Paul, grinning despite his own nervousness.  "Look
at the bright side, Paul: the view is much better going up than it is going
down."

"Don't start with me, Komodo," Paul snarled.  "I mean it."

***

While certainly not dispassionate, Asmodeus was the type of guy not to let his
emotions get the best of him.  He had a rep to maintain, after all, and
excitable outbursts tended to mar the carefully constructed front he presented
to the residents of Shinonome.  He always did his level best to ensure that his
actions and subsequent facial features kept people guessing as to what his true
motives might be.

Had anyone from Shinonome been able to witness Asmodeus right now, she would
have fallen over in shock at his utter lack of constraint.

Currently, the information guru was hiding his face in his hands, groaning in
utter disbelief at the incredible displays of stupidity he had just witnessed.
And not just from Jinnai, either.  Nope, this time it was from both Jinnai and
Fujisawa-sensei.

It was bad enough that Jinnai's first plan of attack was apparently stolen
straight from the pages of that "Looney Tunes" anime from the US.  A hole?  That
was his master plan?  Dig a hole and hope Makoto and the others walk straight
into it?  He might as well put up a huge neon sign that screamed "Step in me!
I'm a trap!"  Now, if Jinnai was attempting to construct a pit trap it would be
a different story.  Cleverly disguised, a pit trap could be a very effective
booby trap.  However, since Jinnai had no way of covering his hole, it would be
impossible to successfully construct a pit trap.  What was he going to do, hide
the hole by filling it with dirt?

Sensei wasn't scoring too highly on the "clever plan" chart today, either.
Asmodeus had completely forgotten about Fujisawa's fetish for rock-climbing.
Otherwise, he would have remembered that when presented a choice between a
dangerous rocky path and a suicidal climb, Sensei would choose the latter
every time.  It really wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the fact that
he was dragging everyone else up the side of the cliff as well.  And without
adequate precautions or safety gear, to boot.

At least Makoto and the others managed to circumvent Jinnai's hole, however
accidental their detour had been.  Still, such a delay would only serve to
infuriate Jinnai all the more.  Asmodeus was certain that the cackling madman
would take Makoto's avoidance of his first plan as a personal insult and would
redouble his efforts to get unsuspecting senior with a second plan.

Speak of the devil...

From his vantage point, Asmodeus could see Jinnai going ballistic after being
approached by one of his Bugrom.  Apparently, he had just received word that
Makoto had taken a different way up the mountain, completely bypassing the hole.
Shaking his head, the cloaked teen prepared to follow Jinnai once again while
silently hoping that Jinnai's other plans would be as dumb as the one that had
just failed.  He really doubted it, though.  Something big was about to happen.
He could feel it.

***

"Well, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"

Both Komodo and Paul were seated on the hard ground outside the mouth of the
strange crystalline cave that the group had discovered.  Fujisawa and the others
had gone ahead to see if this cave could act as a shortcut.  Paul, needing a
short break after their harrowing climb across the longest drop on this side of
the mountain, opted to rest for a few minutes before continuing on.  Komodo, of
course, opted to keep him company, much to his dismay.

Paul didn't even look in Komodo's direction as he popped another piece of rock
candy in his mouth.  "I told you not to start with me," he groused.

Komodo grinned.  "'You whine like a mule,'" he quoted.  "'You are still alive.'"

There was an audible crunch as the rock candy in Paul's mouth was crushed
between his molars.  His frustration with Komodo had reached its peak.  He stood
and leveled a glare at the taller teen.  "For Light's sake, don't you take
anything seriously?"

Much to Paul's surprise, Komodo matched him glare for glare.  It was the first
time he could ever remember Komodo actually looking pissed.  "As a matter of
fact," Komodo replied, "I do.  I did.  Hell, before I started at Shinonome, I
took every damn thing seriously.  Too seriously, in fact."  He turned away and
inhaled deeply, his anger dissipating as he exhaled.  "I just don't want to
anymore, that's all."

Unsure of how to react to Komodo's uncharacteristic display of irritation, Paul
fell silent.  Finally, he sighed and decided to change the subject.  "I take it
that you haven't seen any of the others?" he asked as he sat back down.

"You mean from our little group?"  Komodo shook his head.  "Nope.  I'm sure
they're fine, though.  Dan, Guy and Ozzy can take care of themselves."

"Maybe, but I'm worried about Rain."

"I'm certain ol' Punky Brewster can take care of herself."  He smirked at Paul's
slight frown.  "She ain't as fragile as you might think, Paul.  I've got the
bruises to prove it."

***

"ACHOO!!"

"Bless you."  Guy turned to his friend.  "Too much dust?"

Rain sniffled.  "Maybe, though I have a sudden urge to hit someone."

Guy raised his hands in warding gestures.

***

Komodo's head snapped around as a short yelp came from within the cave.  "What
the hell was that?"

Paul shot to his feet.  "That sounded like Makoto.  C'mon!"

The two dashed into the cave and nearly got bowled over by Makoto and Alielle as
they charged out carrying a rather stiff Fujisawa.  Komodo eyes went wide.
"What the hell happened to Sensei?"

"The Crystal Tunnel froze him solid!" came Alielle's panicked reply.  "Quick!
We've got to break him free!"

Makoto grabbed Fujisawa's pickaxe while Alielle, Paul and Komodo each took hold
of a rock and began pounding away at their crystallized teacher.  Within
moments, the shell covering Fujisawa chipped, cracked and splintered until he
finally burst free, bellowing on the top of his lungs.

Komodo tossed his rock over his shoulder.  "Yo, Sensei, you okay?"

Fujisawa looked back and forth at the assembled children under his care before
answering, "It's drinking time."

Taking a seat away from the cave's entrance, Fujisawa fished around in his
pocket and withdrew his bottle of wine only to discover that it had shattered.
"Ahh!  Why now?!!"

Komodo smirked as Fujisawa began his no-drink antics again.  "Guess that's what
they call going cold sober, right guys?"

Makoto, Paul and Alielle groaned.

***

A little while later, the group with Fujisawa in the lead began crossing a
narrow rock bridge that hung precariously over a very deep chasm.  Fujisawa was
being rather vocal in his complaints about the lack of snow, much to the
consternation of Alielle who was berating him for making too much noise.  The
others noticed that the bridge beneath their feet was not the most sturdy of
formations.  Paul, who had taken up the rear, was finding it difficult not to
grab onto Komodo for additional support though he knew he never hear the end of
it if he did.  Despite his survival, he had no desire whatsoever to experience a
repeat of his last fall.

The group just reached the halfway point when they heard a maniacal laughter
echo throughout the canyon.  Everyone stopped and listened for a moment.  Right
when Paul and Komodo groaned in disgust, Jinnai appeared at the far side of the
bridge, looking far too cheerful for either of their tastes.

"Well, Makoto, long time no see!"

Makoto blinked.  "It's Jinnai!"

Komodo rolled his eyes even though no one could see.  "Master of the Obvious
strikes again," he mumbled under his breath.

Not hearing the comment, Makoto raised his voice to speak to Jinnai.  "I didn't
know you were here, too.  I was worried about you."

Jinnai scowled deeply. "Don't give me that!  You're always there at every turn!
Only my arch-nemesis would follow me here and try to ruin my success!"

"What?"

"But I'm one step ahead," Jinnai continued, pointing a figure at Makoto.  "And
I'm putting an end to this once and for all."

Makoto looked very confused.  "You're talking funny again."

Narrowing his eyes, Komodo clenched his hands into fists.  "He's nuts," he
muttered just loud enough for Paul to hear.  "He's freakin' nuts."

"He's always been nuts," replied Paul who was watching Jinnai very carefully.
"Now, though, he's gotten dangerous."

Jinnai smirked, his attention completely focused on his so-called rival.  "Oh
yeah, speaking of funny, that sure is a pretty little outfit you're wearing."

"Uh, it's not what you think!"

"You can play dress-up all you want," Jinnai shrugged.  "Personally, I would've
recommended a funeral shroud."

At that moment, several Bugrom appeared from their hiding places and surrounded
Jinnai.  It was apparent that he was acting as their leader.

"Bugrom?" asked Paul.

"Bugrom," answered Komodo.

Remembering his first encounter with the humanoid insects, Makoto frowned.
"Found some friends, huh?"

Jinnai's smirk widened considerably as his arrogance swelled.  "No, my
followers!  I will be worshipped by all as the new ruler of El Hazard!  Begin!!"

At the signal, a pair of Bugrom stepped forward with a set of large crystalline
picks.  They swiftly began hammering away at the point where the bridge met the
cliff, sending a series of cracks into the bridge's foundation.  Their
intentions were obvious.

"You can't do this to us!" Makoto shouted.

"You scum-sucking shithead!" roared Komodo.  "I'm gonna kick your sorry ass for
this!"

"I'll have you expelled!" bellowed Fujisawa, for once not reacting to Komodo's
foul language.  "This is no way for the President of the Student Council to
act!"

Jinnai simply laughed at the group.

Seeing that staying put meant certain death, Fujisawa whirled around.
"Retreat!"

The group made a rapid about-face to run back across the bridge.  When Paul
noticed a second pair of Bugrom on the opposite side hammering away at the
bridge, he jerked to a halt.  Unfortunately, not everyone reacted as fast which
meant he was accidentally slammed from behind.  Thrown him off-balance, he
sailed right over the edge of the bridge.  "WHOOOAAAA!!"

"PAUL!"  Reacting quickly, Komodo dropped to his knees and reached out, managing
to snag a hold of Paul's jacket.  Paul lurched to a halt but the force of the
stop yanked Komodo over the edge as well.  "OH FUUUUU--urk!!"

"I gotcha, kid!"  Fujisawa was just barely able to grab a hold of his student's
other hand before the teen plummeted to his death.  Komodo, too, was jerked to a
halt but the sudden stop proved too much for his tenuous grip and Paul ripped
free from his grasp.

"AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa......"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Not wasting another second, Fujisawa hoisted his student back onto his feet.
Komodo didn't notice his own rescue, though.  He was in shock, his wide eyes
staring into the depths of the canyon where Paul had plummeted.  He nearly
collapsed as the strength left his legs.  If it wasn't for Fujisawa's grip on
his shoulder, he might have fallen back over the edge.

Fujisawa was angered with Paul's death as well but he couldn't afford to mourn.
The other children needed him immediately.  Komodo was unresponsive and Makoto
and Alielle were clutching one another, too terrified to do much else.  The
Bugrom continued to chop away at the bridge's supports, the cracks becoming
dangerously deep.  All the while, Jinnai's laugh echoed throughout the canyon
walls.

With the destruction of the bridge imminent, Fujisawa knew that he had to act
now.  Dropping his pickaxe, he grabbed the three children under his arms and,
with an adrenaline fueled yell to accompany the action, leapt off the bridge.

The loud cackling died in Jinnai's throat as he watched Fujisawa spring from the
collapsing bridge to land squarely in the center of another bridge further down
the canyon.  The history teacher turned and grinned confidently at him.  "How do
you like my Super Jump?  You know I don't go on the wagon for nothing."

Jinnai growled an obscenity and turned to his Bugrom.  "After them!!"

A loud crumbling noise caught Fujisawa's attention.  Apparently, his landing was
too much for the bridge to sustain and it was collapsing.  Tightening his grip
on his charges, he leapt once again, landing on another bridge.  This one
crumbled almost instantly, sending Fujisawa to fall onto yet another bridge.
This time, instead of waiting to see if the bridge would hold his weight, he
immediately barreled to the opposite side of the canyon, his enhanced speed
carrying him straight up the cliff.

Makoto, who had somehow managed to keep his eyes open throughout the stomach-
lurching leaps, spotted a large number of Bugrom hot on their tails.  "Mr.
Fujisawa!  They're catching up!"

Komodo, who had come to his senses the moment Sensei had leapt the first time,
looked down and saw the pursuing Bugrom closing fast.  His face contorted in
anger as he wrenched a hand free from Fujisawa's grip.  He was about to try
something when his teacher's ascent came to an abrupt halt.  Twisting his head
about, he saw several more Bugrom waiting for them at the top the cliff.

Jerking away from their grasping hands, Fujisawa lost his upward momentum and
began to fall.  Having little choice, he reached out with his right hand and dug
his fingers into the wall, his nails scraping long grooves into the rock before
he finally came to a halt.  Makoto, who was being held under that arm, slipped
free from his grasp and fell with a loud scream.

"Dammit!"

"Makoto!"

Leaping from her perch atop Fujisawa's shoulders, Ura charged straight down the
side of the mountain, reaching the falling student in seconds.  Wrapping herself
around him, she reached out with all four of her legs and dug into the cliff
with her claws.  To Makoto's amazement and immense relief, Ura brought his fall
to a dead stop.  She then began running up the mountain, carrying him with
relative ease.

"Hey, Ura, thanks a lot!"

"It's a job," was the cat's reply.

In the meantime, Fujisawa managed to launch himself up and over the heads of the
waiting Bugrom.  Things quickly degenerated into a brawl as Fujisawa did his
best to protect the others from capture and certain death.  Komodo, furious at
Paul's senseless death at the hands of these creatures, charged one himself, an
incoherent yell coming from his lips.  Leaping into the air, he tucked his rear
leg tight against his body as he extended the other leg, landing a powerful kick
dead center of the body of a purple Bugrom.  It staggered backwards several
steps as it tried to regain its balance.

Snarling in anger, Komodo charged it again, this time to shove the damn creature
right off the edge of the cliff.  The moment his hands came into contact with
the Bugrom, however, a sudden warmth spread from them.  An instant later, the
Bugrom screeched in pain and crumpled over, violent spasms quaking its body.
After several agonizing seconds, it lay still.

Blinking in surprise, Komodo stared at his hands, wondering what the hell just
happened.  They seemed normal enough but that strange warmth was still there.
Lowering his hands slightly, he stared at the body of the Bugrom only to notice
a horrendous stench that was rapidly filling the air.  Gagging at the scent, he
stumbled backwards, fighting the urge to vomit.

Without warning, Komodo felt something grab hold of the front of his shirt and
yank him forwards.  Fearing it was another Bugrom, he was about to start
swinging when a voice called out.  "Move it, Komodo!  Sensei can't hold those
bugs off forever!"

Snapping his head forward in surprise, Komodo came face to face with someone he
didn't expect to see again.  "Paul?!  How the hell--"

"No time to explain!" Paul interrupted.  "We've got to move!"

Too rattled to argue, Komodo ran after him and quickly caught up with the
others.  Fujisawa was covering their retreat as best he could but he was
seriously outnumbered.  Soon, the group found themselves with their backs
against a wall with no way out.  They were completely surrounded by over a dozen
Bugrom, all still healthy and ready to fight.

Jinnai stood behind his small army and grinned confidently.  Victory was in his
grasp.

***

Had anyone been there to see Asmodeus, he would probably have wet himself in
fright.  His face was contorted in anger and with the shadows accenting his
features as they were, he looked less like a enraged student and more like a
demon from Hell.  He was, without a doubt, well and truly pissed off.

Though not prone to acts of violence, Asmodeus was finding it quite difficult to
restrain himself from leaping down and throwing Jinnai off the nearest cliff.
Not only had the maniac started a war that had cost the lives of hundreds of
innocent people, he had attempted to murder three of his friends, his former
history teacher and one young child.  Damn near succeeded with Paul, too.  It
was rather fortunate that Paul's power kicked in when it did, though Asmodeus
would have been able to rescue him before the fall turned fatal.

Still, he wasn't able to drop into the fight like he wanted.  For one thing, the
sun was still high in the sky meaning that there were very few shadows available
for him to manipulate.  The other thing was the mysterious figure watching the
proceedings from his vantage point on another ridge.  Whoever it was, he was
wielding a weapon, some sort of crossbow from what he could see, and was
preparing to fire it into the crowd below.  He was most likely an assassin but
Asmodeus couldn't figure out which person was his target.  If he had to bet,
though, he'd put money on the target being either Jinnai or the "princess."
Either way, he was prepared to do whatever it took to prevent the person from
firing.  No one was getting murdered while he was on watch.

Without warning, a beam of energy lanced down from atop the cliff that Makoto
and the others were braced against.  It pierced the ground between both groups
of combatants and detonated, sending the Bugrom back several feet.  Looking up,
Asmodeus noticed a very feminine figure dressed in very tight fitting clothing
standing at the very edge of the cliff.  She was looking down at the group, a
frown on her face.

"And just who gave you the permission to commit murder in the holy mountains of
God?"

Jinnai's reply came quick.  "Permission?!  I commit murder wherever I want!
ATTACK!"

Immediately, three Bugrom charged up the cliff to follow their leader's orders.
Asmodeus watched, impressed, as the woman easily blasted the Bugrom before they
got within arm's reach of her.  From the information he had gathered at the
Bugrom citadel, he could only assume that this was one of the priestesses of Mt.
Muldoon.  He grinned.  Who would have imagined that the holy sages could kick so
much ass?

The woman, in the meantime, had fastened some device onto her forearm and after
activating it, leapt into the fray.  Her landing resulted in an impressive
explosion that sent everyone scattering like tenpins.  Asmodeus winced in
sympathy.  Obviously, this girl packed one hell of a punch.

Turning from the action taking place below, Asmodeus noticed the mysterious
person retreating.  Despite his own disgust at the person's occupation, he had
to admire the assassin's intelligence, retreating as the situation required.  He
would undoubtedly try again later, however, which meant that Asmodeus would have
to be on the lookout.

He suddenly hissed in surprise.  The assassin was gone, having utterly vanished
without a trace.  Asmodeus knew this because he somehow "felt" the person fade
away.  Taking a quick look back, he noticed that the priestess had finished
toasting the Bugrom forces and was approaching Makoto and the others.  Satisfied
that they were temporarily in good hands, Asmodeus flowed from his hiding place
and began to pursue the strange man.  He had questions, many questions.  Who was
the man?  Who was he working for?  What were his goals?  And most importantly,
why did the "fading" feel so damn familiar?

***

Rain sighed.  "Guy, I'm bored."

Guy, who had long since managed to work himself free from beneath the large
sack Rain had flattened him with earlier, gave her a sidelong glance.  "Why
don't you listen to some more music?  That seemed to entertain you for a while."

"'Cause I don't want to completely drain the batteries in my discman, that's
why."  She shrugged.  "I kinda doubt that this place is going to have AA
batteries."

"Well, what else do you have in that backpack of yours?  You have to have
something there that might be entertainment material."

"Not much," she replied without looking.  "A few more CDs, a choir book, some
papers, pencils, half a pack of gum, loose change and probably a homework
assignment from a couple months back I've completely forgotten about."

Guy's curiosity piqued as Rain rambled off the inventory.  "What about that
choir book?"

"What about it?"

He smiled.  "Why don't you can sing for us?"

That got Rain's attention.  She turned to look at Guy, a weird mixture of
expressions on her face.  It was as if she was torn between feeling shy,
embarrassed, interested and miffed that he would even suggest such a thing but
couldn't settle on a single emotion.  "B-But I, uh..."

"Look, Rain," Guy interrupted, "I know you can sing.  Rather well, in fact.  A
hell of a lot better than the rest of us, let me tell you.  And the fact that
you've got a choir book on you informs me that you really enjoy singing as well.
So what's the problem?"  He gave Rain a sly grin.  "Besides, from what I hear,
Paul really likes listening to you sing, too."

Embarrassment finally won out.  Rain turned away from Guy, unable to face him
for a moment.  She fell silent for a few moments before speaking again.  "Um,
maybe later, Guy."

Guy cocked an eyebrow.  This really wasn't like Rain at all.  He had expected
her to throttle him for even mentioning her kinda sorta quasi relationship with
Paul, not get all quiet.  Something was bothering her.  "Rain, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Guy.  Don't worry about it."

Snorting at the obvious lie, Guy tried again.  "That isn't going to work, Rain.
I know you better than that.  What's wrong?  You can tell me.  And afterwards,
you can kick the crap out of me if you want."

Smiling a bit at the joke, Rain turned back to her friend with a small sigh.
"Sorry, Guy.  It's just that I'm starting to miss everyone.  Not that you're bad
company or anything but things were always more fun with the whole gang together
causing a ruckus."

Guy nodded, his face a mask of utter seriousness which informed Rain that he
was about to say something completely ridiculous.  "I understand.  You want to
snuggle up to Paul some more.  That's fine."  He spread his arms wide and
waggled his eyebrows at her.  "Here, why don't you use me as a substitute-Paul
for a while?  I'm sure I can give you great hugs, too."

Rain simply stared at him for a moment, expressionless, then slowly reached for
the sack of sand drops she had used earlier.  Standing, she hefted the large bag
(which probably weighed twice more than she did) over her head and loomed over
Guy who was vainly scrambling for cover.  A small vein began protruding from her
forehead.  "You wanna hug something, Guy?  Hug THIS!"

Suddenly, the wagon they were riding in lurched to a halt.  Letting loose a
small screech of surprise, Rain flew forwards, crashing into several crates of
cargo.  Guy was thrown forwards as well but because he was seated, he fared a
bit better than his friend.  As soon as he had regained his balance, he
scrambled towards his friend.  "Rain!  You all right?"

Upon reaching her, he saw Rain clutching her right hip and was trying not to cry
out in pain.  "Damn..."  He turned to call for Etel when saw a pair of strangely
dressed men glaring at him from outside the wagon.  Neither were from the
caravan and from their appearance, they didn't look friendly.

The taller of the two pointed a heavy morning star at the pair.  "You there!
Out of the wagon!  Now!"

Looking over their heads, Guy realized that several other similarly dressed men
were forcibly herding everyone from the caravan into the desert.  Several times,
they struck out with their weapons, uncaring at who they attacked.  Snapping his
attention back to the two closest to him, he realized that he and Rain were in
serious trouble.

***

"As you can see, El Hazard, though a wonderful place, also has its fill of
undesirables, much like Earth, in fact.  There are always those who seem to live
only to inflict pain on others, to lord their strength over those weaker than
themselves.  Often times, these people gather into groups in order to hunt
larger prey and despite efforts to have them removed, such groups continue to
thrive.

"Rain-san and Gaoyuan-san had, unfortunately, encountered these violent people
firsthand.  Gaoyuan-san was very worried for his friend, as she had just
received an injury and was quite defenseless against people of their ilk.

"Makoto-san and the others had finally reached the home of the three Holy Sages,
having triumphed against Katsuhiko and his Bugrom horde.  Their situation had
finally come out in their favor, or so they believed."

"What do I mean?  That is a tale for tomorrow, my child.  It has grown quite
late and you have yet to complete your trigonometry."

"Hush, child, and do not complain.  I promise I shall resume my tale tomorrow
the same as I did today.  However, I also promised to aid you with your school
work so I shall do so now, before the hour grows too late."

"Now, show me where you have having trouble..."

***

End episode two

Author's notes:

This one took a while, I know.  I place the blame mostly on writer's block.
Trying to integrate new characters into an existing anime is actually fairly
easy.  Trying to rewrite existing scene of that anime so the new characters are
included is what was giving me the problems.  I'm not sure why it works out like
that.  It just does.

But still, this chapter is finally completed.  That is what's important.  Onward
to chapter three!

And no, I couldn't resist the sneeze gag here.  Go fig.

The movie Komodo quoted to Paul was _Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves_.

Definitions:

pummeler - basically, a boxer.

Pummeling is this world's version of boxing.  The ring is about twenty to
thirty feet in diameter and, unlike our boxing rings, it is a circle, not a
square.  Also, the ring is not a raised platform.  Instead, rings are dug right
into the ground.  This is because the ring is concave.  The center of the ring
can be as little as six inches deep to as much as two feet deep.  A variety of
substances can be put in the ring, from water to gravel to sand, depending on
the person in charge of the fight.

The rules are simple.  There is no time limit.  Last man standing is declared
the winner.  Generally, fights are one-on-one but three-for-alls have been known
to take place.  There are no weapons allowed in the ring.  Fighters are expected
to use only their bodies and physical strength to win.  There are no ropes
surrounding the ring.  If a fighter is forced out of the ring, he loses.
Killing and maiming are disallowed though there are rumors of underground
circuits that allow such actions.

Overall, the popularity of pummeling waxes and wanes regularly.  It has been
completely banned in Roshtaria but it can be found in some of the other nation
states.  Currently, the sport is in a decline.

4/30/03 - Updated the fic, adding a scene, embellishing a few others and flat-
out removing another.  The alterations in this chapter might be more noticeable
than the last.

Chapter three will finally see Rain and Guy meeting up with Dan while Makoto and
Co. attempt to navigate the Desert of Bleached White Bones to find Arliman.
Nanami will make her appearance while Asmodeus pursues the mysterious assassin.
All this and more!  Stay tuned...