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Chapter Seven: Death and The Maiden
It was a little earlier than 11:30 when Ranma and Shiva began to make their move. Their rooms were on the second floor of the western spire, and they had to meet at the thirteenth floor of the central spire in an hour. So with little ceremony, they decided to make their move now.
Under the guise that "Lady Ranma desired a bit of fresh air," the imperious redhead and her skittish assistant walked past the guards standing near her doorway. One foolish guardsman dared to ask the Lady where she was going, but a well-placed blow below the belt removed that problem, and the pair were on their way to their little destination...
...the garden on the fifth floor of the central spire.
Once there, the dresses were swapped for Vietnamese clothing for Ranma and Shiva's familiar bodysuit. That settled, the pair began to make their way steadily and stealthily to the twelfth floor, where Shiva had decided they would wait. As the resident of the Crystal Temple, Shiva's expertise was for more in command than Ranma's; she led the way. It was actually a benefit that she did; her knowledge of the place was extensive, as if she were at One with the great complex itself. At any rate, she had definitely taken the time to memorize the patterns of the guards and other security patrols within the passageways.
After a time, they came to their waiting point, a secret room large enough to hide the both of them. She stopped and motioned for her to get inside. The entry alcove in itself was about a meter in height, with a meter in width which was the opening to the room itself, a place that was about the size of his bedroom at the dojo, and safely screened behind an opaque, one-way crystal "wall". It would give the two at least some measure of safety while they waited.
Ranma looked in and saw nothing but darkness. Although not by any means afraid of the dark, she asked, "Shiva, are you sure it's safe to go in?"
The girl looked at him with a cold, impassive stare, as her voice seemingly mocked him. "Afraid, Ranma? I thought you were better than that."
"Just being cautious." The redhead looked at the younger girl with sorrow. {{Is this all you've been taught, Shiva? I'm so sorry that this was done to you. I promise you that Akane and I will do our best to improve your situation. We'll do everything in our power to see that your new life's better than your old.}} In actuality, Ranma said, "Okay." She focused, and a small sphere of her ki appeared, illuminating the space. With that, she crawled in.
Shiva bolted in after her mentor, and looked at her. All at once, emotion refilled its original position in her eyes, and the warrior maiden once again became the innocent little girl. "I'm sorry, Ranma," she whispered. "I'm just a bit nervous, that's all."
"No worries. Just next time, don't shut me out like that. If you have a problem, come talk to me."
"Okay." She looked at her as if she was expecting the usual hug and the ruffling of the hair. When she didn't get it, she looked at Ranma with a slight fear in her eyes, as she was afraid the redhead would leave her behind.
Ranma on the other hand, looked at her charge with concern, and something else. {{Something here did this to her. It had to have been that Nguyen idiot and his peanut gallery. All the more reason why I have to get her out of here. But, Ranma vowed silently, making a first, I promise you, Shiva, I'll come back here and avenge what they've done to you. Nguyen will pay for destroying your happiness. I promise you that.}}
Shiva, however, only saw Ranma's first and her determined look. "Ranma--"
The redhead immediately saw what was going on, and relaxed. "No, Shiva, I'm not mad at you. Not at all. Just think, in a couple o' hours, we'll be free."
Shiva immediately scampered over and hugged the girl, burying her in a shower of kisses. At first, Ranma awaited the familiar sensation of Akane's jealousy followed by The Mallet Strike. Ranma then realized that it wasn't coming, and although this tugged at her heartstrings, she also knew that under the circumstances Akane wouldn't be jealous at all, but proud that her fianc� was doing a deed of heroism far braver than any samurai of old.
Ranma looked down and into the green eyes gazing at her with hero worship, love, and every positive emotion that she could think of. The teen's heart skipped a beat at that, feeling that what she was doing was worthwhile and honorable. If Shiva would come out of this mess a better person, then it would make everything worthwhile.
Ranma had already learned a valuable lesson from all this: {{Life's too short to waste. When I get back, Akane, I'm proposing to you, and telling you I love you. Because I do, because at this moment, all I want is to spend every one of the rest of my time on this world with you, my love. And once we're together again, Akane, I'll always be by your side--always and forever.}}
Now, all that was left was to fulfill that promise, and that would come soon enough.
The pair finally broke off, and went back to their regularly scheduled anticipation. Ranma took the time to inquire about the next phase of the plan. "So what's next? We get to the thirteenth floor, and then what?"
"On the thirteenth floor, there's an observation balcony. From the balcony, about five or six meters away, is a cliff. If we can leap to it, we'll be out of here. After that, if we can avoid the patrol teams in the valley, we can make it to Hanoi in the south. From there, you can get in touch with Akane, and we can live Happily Ever After." She smiled cheerfully at those words.
"Not a bad plan. What about the sentries on the outside?"
"Armed with various weapons. You'll have to be fast--the guards with the esoteric weapons aren't so bad, but the ones with the guns are the worst. I've even heard--not that I've ever seen--that some of the patrols are outfitted with black market hand-held missiles. That could be a real problem."
"Worry about that when we get there," the redhead stated. "Hey, what time is it?"
"About 2251. Time to go; we don't want to be late." Shiva said this with certainty, despite the fact that she didn't look at a watch, nor had there been a clock in any of the passageways they'd passed thorough earlier.
"Late for what? We're half an hour ahead of our schedule, Shiva."
Shiva's mouth set in a veteran's grim line, and it hurt Ranma to watch that happen. "I don't want to be late...for the ambush they may have set up for us. I don't trust Mango, Ranma. Not one bit."
"You're probably right." She hadn't thought about that. "Let's go."
The pair moved as quick as mercury, and as silent as still air, racing up the steps towards the thirteenth deck and towards freedom from the confines of the Crystal Temple, or an everlasting freedom from the confines of *life.*
* * *
The Tenshin Tosho was blocked easily.
Akane's forward momentum carried her past the figure she attacked and towards the railing that prevented a nasty fall of several thousand feet of the top of the observation platform. However, she expected it, so she flipped in mid-air, hit the top rail, and launched herself off it, attacking her target once more.
Her opponent had prepared for this, and easily blocked that second rushing punch. This, however, was the opening that Akane had hoped for. Instead of turning and launching the spin kick that was the norm, she took a page from Ranma's book of martial arts styling. She hit the floor, rolled, and coming up, and coming up, went airborne, then raced earthwards, calling her attack: "Kawarakuda!"
It didn't happen.
Instead, Genma spun, and caught her hands with nary a problem. He held them for a second, as if calling for his own attack, then grunted and let them go. "What happened, Akane?" he said in his gruff voice as he momentarily readjusted his glasses. "You called an attack and didn't throw it."
"I-I don't know." She was looking down at the ground, not sure what had just happened. {{I called the attack, and called up my ki, but it didn't come--and neither did the attack.}}
As though reading her mind, Genma answered, "It's because of Ranma. Daughter, you'll have to master your ki if you'll hope to defeat these people. Twinmoon may be brusque and insensitive, but he's correct. A martial artist always follows the code of honor; however, those we face may be killers who know the Art."
"But it's hard to, and I don't know why! I just can't seem to get over that final obstacle! I have to!" she looked at Genma, and she felt her eyes begin to moisten with the wetness of tears, once more; she was failing Ranma again...and each failure was destroying her chances of ever seeing him again. "I just don't understand why I can't force myself to manifest my ki!"
Genma switched from the tones he used for his son, to something more akin to what his wife would use. "Perhaps the problem is that you're forcing what should come naturally." He pointed to a bench, and began to walk to it, motioning for her to follow. "I think it's time we had that talk, Akane."
She looked at him, puzzled. "If you insist."
They had originally went to Victoria's Peak to talk, for Genma to do what was unusual to him, to deal with a woman--specifically, his soon-to-be daughter-in-law. It didn't happen that way, of course; for the past five hours, all they'd been doing was training and fighting. The peak was a perfect choice for meditation and fighting, due to its wide spaces and spectacular view.
There was also the fact that no one would watch them. The peak and its stores and attractions were closed today in commemoration of Tienammen Square and the unprovoked attack on Tokyo. Signs in English, Chinese, and Japanese adorned the buildings; wreaths, wish papers, and other memorial items were placed near a small statue. The statue was next to the bench that Genma had pointed out, and before sitting down, the pair paused to look at the displays around them.
It was sobering to the two. At the moment, they had been so wrapped up in the events of what was happening to them, that they'd all but ignored what was happening to the world around them. So many people had died needlessly as of late, so many people hurt, so much sorrow that was pervasive in the lands and inhabitants around them. It would almost make one hurt with the pain of a million others, had they not already had their private demon to currently wrestle.
After a period, Genma began his speech. "Akane, you may not have been fully made to understand this, but ki is not some kind of magic that you can force out of you. It comes from within, triggered by a strong emotion. For example, Ranma's Moko Takabisha attack is triggered by the force of his confidence, as opposed to Ryoga's Shi Shi Hokodan, which is the manifestation of his depression, or Hinako's Happo Go-en attacks, which are fueled by her latent survival instinct. Even the Hiryu Shoten Ha is fueled by taking in other's anger and using it against them.
You simply can't force your ki to come out any more than you can force an emotion. In either case, it won't work. Find your focal point, and you'll see that it will flow naturally. It is my understanding that my son has shown you how to call your ki before. All you need to do now is to learn how to do it yourself." He adjusted his glasses and called up his own; and a deep blue field enveloped him. "See? Mine is based upon my emotion of pride. When I feel that emotion, then focus and bend it to my thoughts, I channel it into the battle aura, and refine it into ki."
"So I wonder what mine is," Akane said rhetorically.
"If it helps, I've seen you manifest it whenever you get mad at Ranma. Perhaps that could be it--anger, that is. Each person manifests differently. I would hope that rage and anger is not yours, but if it is, then at least I can help you to control it." Seeing her cautious expression, he said, "Go ahead and try it. You won't hurt me."
Akane focused and concentrated, putting all her anger into the focus, ruminating about what had happened to Ranma, decrying the baka yaro that had spirited her love away. She thought more, and the rage and anger within her grew stronger, washing over her like a wave of flame. Within a second, a faint blue glow enveloped her, coruscating up and down the body of the young woman.
With a snarl, she launched her attack, her fists moving faster than normal, but not with the super-speeds of Ranma or Shampoo. For his part, Genma dodged the first few blows, then timed it and caught her hands once more. "Akane, you'll have to do better than that. It still seems forced."
"It wasn't. I willed all my anger and rage into the strike. I felt the ki charge fill my body, felt the tickling sensation of the battle aura. I felt it as I threw the punch, and then...nothing."
Genma paused in thought, folding on arm across his chest, while the other perched on it, his chin sitting atop his hand. "Maybe it's not anger that fuels your ki. But to make sure, let's try again." He assumed his defensive stance, while Akane assumed the offensive. Watching the girl focusing, he called out, "Focus on what makes your emotions sing. And one more thing...don't try the Chestnut Punch, if that's what you were trying to do."
She stopped momentarily and relaxed her stance. "Why not?"
"Use something a little more your style. If you turn an attack of yours into a Special attack, it'll be easier to use your ki. Once you've mastered it, then you can learn other specials and adapt your ki to it." Both combatants reassumed their positions. "Are you ready, Akane?"
She didn't respond. She'd already begun to focus, closing her eyes, going deeper within, searching for her true emotion--her strongest emotion. Within her mind's eyes, she began to walk towards a light, a bright, warm, all-consuming light. It shone, within the depths of her inner being, the lighthouse in the storm of all else. Knowing what it represented but not its identity, she continued towards it.
{{I--that has to be it. It feels like it's the answer, like it does whenever I manifest it normally.}} At that point, the girl paused in thought. {{When do I manifest it normally? It always appeared earlier, when Ranma and I weren't a couple, when we were just beginning to realize the other's feelings. I manifested it whenever I got mad, calling him "baka" and millions of other insults, or whenever he called me "kawaiikune" or some other verbal strike, or when he was in the arms of another girl, like Shampoo, or Uc-chan, or Koda--}}
Revelation struck the young woman with a force 10 blow. {{Waitaminit.... It was mostly whenever one of the girls glomped him. And why? Because I was so jealous because they were holding onto him, and I thought he was enjoying it. I was also hurt because there was my fianc�, the man I lov--}}
A tingling sensation began to alight throughout every cell in Akane's body. Every molecule in her body sang with the choral chanting of power, with the gospel songs of ki. On the outside, the battle aura began to dance and flicker as once before, then glowed brighter until it had fully manifested itself, a deep blue glow the same shade as Genma's. The light emitted from the aura light up a small section of the area not illuminated by the street lamps.
{{That's it! That's the answer! There's my ki source! My love for Ranma!}}
Her eyes snapped open. She screamed a "Kiai!" battle cry, and charged forward towards a waiting Genma.
At the closest point of approach, the older man began to go into a block readied to counter the speed of the Chestnut Punch. Akane, however, had no intention of repeating that mistake. Genma's words came to her: {{"Use something a little more your style. If you turn an attack of yours into a Special attack, it'll be easier to use your ki."}} Combine that with the fact that the Chestnut Punch was for the faster kenpo discipline; she was a shotokan master, and used to power strikes.
So at the last moment, she dropped low, then came up and launched into her Shoken--flying uppercut. The flying uppercut was a specialty of the shotokan discipline, but tended to vary according to the user. Some added extra height to it and called it the Hishoken--True-flight Fist. She knew of an American master living in Seattle who used his ki to turn it into a flaming flying uppercut; he called it the Shoryuken--Rising Dragon Fist. Still another professional in Japan put speed behind it that was so fast, she blurred when she used it; that variation was the Sempuuken--Hurricane Fist. Akane's would be different, though. So as she leapt up into her attack, she called out "Ryuzanshoken!"--Dragon's Rising Slash Fist.
As her punch connected, her whole body glowed, and a blast of azure energy erupted from her fist on contact. Genma was thrown away and back, his bulky form set ablaze by blue sheets of ki-powered flame. A diagonal hit, he went higher than she'd ever launched anybody previously, and it took a few minutes for him to return to earth. As he did, the speed of descent, combined with the flames caused a huge detonation that would've spelled doom for a man of lesser constitution.
Fortunately, this was Saotome Genma, the master of the Saotome Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu--he easily withstood his son's attacks (somewhat); he could easily take the blow from Akane.
Not.
He fortunately landed thirty feet away, in a nearby fountain with enough kinetic discharge to detonate the object. As plaster and metal tubing sprayed everywhere, and water steamed away from the heat of the impact, Akane let out a yelp of surprise. In the crater that supplanted the scenery lay a very scorched and unconscious Panda, paws splayed in the oyazoku pozu.
Akane ran to his aid to see if he was okay. "Gomen ne. I didn't know--"
To her surprise and amusement, Genma held up a sign saying, [[*WOW!* I HAD *NO* IDEA YOU WERE *THAT* POWERFUL!]]
She leapt down into the sizable hole, then hugged him. "I didn't either, until you made me realize my potential. Thank you for helping me see that my love for your son is the key."
He woofed a small but soft series of barks, and hugged her back. [[NO PROBLEM. MY SON IS LUCKY TO MARRY SOMEONE LIKE YOU.]]
She smiled at that. "Since when did you get so wise? I don't remember that..." she teased.
His response was sincere. [[LIVING WITH MY WIFE AGAIN HAS CHANGED A FEW OF THE BAD HABITS I ACQUIRED WHILE ON THE ROAD. BESIDES, WITH ANOTHER CHILD ON THE WAY, I INTEND TO RAISE THIS ONE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN I DID RANMA.]]
"C'mon, let's get you out of there." But, as she helped him out of the hole, she felt a wave of overpowering exhaustion slam through her, bringing her to her knees. Her breathing began to come out in shallow, ragged gasps, as if a vise clamped around her diaphragm, and crushing it at 3000 psi.
Genma crawled out on his own, then scooped her up in his forearms (legs?) and woofed a short reply. He put a sign in her hand that said, [[THAT'S MY FAULT. I SHOULD HAVE WARNED YOU THAT REGAINING YOUR STRENGTH AFTER KI USE TAKES TIME, AND SOMETHING YOU'LL HAVE TO BUILD STAMINA FOR.]] He glanced at her watch. [[LET'S GO BACK TO THE HOTEL. THEY'RE PROBABLY WORRIED ABOUT US.]]
"Hai...Father," she said. It was the first time that she'd ever used that term with him, though Ranma had begun to address her own parent in that term already. "Let's go back. I'm feeling completely exhausted."
"All the better to attack you then," a voice called out in Japanese.
The pair turned to see twenty ninjas, dressed in black and red, step out to confront Akane and Genma. They looked deadly and were armed to the teeth. They wore a symbol on their tunics that the pair had never seen before, and could in no way identify.
"I'm terribly sorry to ruin your evening, miss," the leader said. He was dressed in black and gray, and carried a nasty pair of katanas. "I unfortunately have to kill you for daring to raise opposition against the Crystal Temple and my Lord Nguyen. You wouldn't stand a chance, anyway." The ninja was correct--in their current exhausted state, they wouldn't stand a chance against these two. What could they do against the man...who now had a name. Nguyen.
As the ninjas began to slowly advance, and as Genma and Akane weakly went to defensive positions, the leader said, "Make peace with your gods, Tendo Akane. You and your pet panda shall soon be conversing with them."
* * *
Ranma and Shiva walked, as expected, into a trap. How they were trapped, however, was unexpected. Nor were the results.
When they got to the thirteenth floor, they surveyed the setting. With the exception of themselves, the whole floor, visible from the stairway, was completely empty, The whole floor had a circular design to it, with a railing not seen on any other deck; indeed, all the other decks were hollow. The reason for the railing was the half deck-drop into a glowing pit, the red, violet, and green shades of power within cascading wildly and chaotically, as if it were the very gateway to hell itself.
"What's that?" Ranma asked. Never in her life had she ever seen anything so odd--and for a person who'd lived the life that she had, that was speaking whole volumes about the situation. Nevertheless, she was ready to fight her way out, if need be.
"I don't know, Ranma. It's called the Pit of Fu Ta Tsu, but I have knowledge of where it goes. The floor below has no connections to this pit, so it's magical and must lead somewhere else in the building." Shiva was being cautious not to take her nervousness out on her mentor once more. Although she now knew that Ranma didn't begrudge her the attitude she had at the time, she was taking no chances, and this meant trying not to slip into her militant manner. Which was all for the better, she realized--if all went well, she'd have no more of a need for it. Ranma and her fianc�e would make sure that Shiva would be happy.
Seeing that the coast was clear, the pair moved onto the floor, readying to make the break for freedom if need be, but willing to play along with Mango if she was willing to behave herself.
The duo found Mango waiting, as if she was up there for a while, awaiting her "visitors", as it were. She sat on the rail, looking dangerous and untrustworthy as always. "So, I see you've decided to show yourself, eh, Saotome, Shiva?" She leapt to her feet daintily, as though she was posing for a photo shoot.
"We made it," Ranma said through clenched teeth. "Now, which way is out?"
The Chinese Amazon wagged a finger of dismay. "Shame, shame, shame on you, Saotome. You wouldn't allow Shiva to leave us without saying good-bye to her family, would you?"
"You're not my family." Shiva found her voice. "You never were. All I was to you was just another killer who worked with you--and that's when you were out forcing me to. The rest of the time, I was an inconvienience barely worth your notice. No, you've never been my family." She sidled up to Ranma. *"She's* my family."
"Such a shame that you feel that way, traitor," Mango snarled. *"Because you're not leaving!"* She whipped out her blades, shouting, "Nova! Roland! Into the fray!" In the blink of an eye, a huge man, and a ninja bearing a scarf surrounded them. "Did you think that I'd actually let the two of you go?" she laughed.
Ranma, used to the concept of odd weapons, took no chances against the ninja. Shiva, knowing Roland's skill all too well, backed up a bit...
...leaving Mango the opening she'd been waiting for. Sprinting behind the young girl with a pulse of speed that Ranma could barely match, she grabbed her and brought one of her razor-sharp swords against her throat. Looking down at the simultaneously angered and frightened girl, Mango remarked, "I wouldn't move if I were you, Shiva. I just sharpened my blades an hour ago, and the results should you move would be decidedly...discomforting to you." She moved the blade slightly, and a rivulet of red slid down Shiva's throat.
"Let 'er go!" Ranma shouted, her battle aura kicking into play. "She's got nothing ta do with this!" The redhead had already maneuvered into attack position, and was analyzing her opponents and awaiting their first move. "I'm the one you want, Mango!"
"Yes," she flashed a raptorial grin, "but she is also key to my plans. You see, were you to escape, my Lord Nguyen would simply capture you again. So, I can't simply let you go free; however, I can't let you live, either. Shiva, on the other hand, will also suffer the same fate, but for different reasons. You see, since she helped you to escape, the outside patrols had no idea that you weren't an intruder. After we discovered you were killed, that would only point to Shiva here as the traitor who released you." Her eyes gleamed with murderous intent. "Lord Nguyen has been known to be merciful on occasion, but I doubt it. When he is angered, he tends not to be as forgiving as I."
"Forgiving?" the redhead spat. "Forgiving of what?"
"Forgiving of her treachery, of course. We will be lenient to her...she'll get to live a couple of more days than you will."
Ranma's answer to that was to form a ki sphere in her hands. "Okay, figured that'd be the case. Now, are your toys ready to play or what?"
"Nova! Roland! Take her down! *I want her dead!"* Mango roared as the pair raced in to attack.
*"I doubt it!"* Ranma shouted. *"Moko Takabisha!"* The red beam ripped away from the girl's hands, lancing towards the pair.
The battle had begun.
Nova saw the energy beam racing towards him and his compatriot, and to counter it, she slammed his fist into the floor, and released his Corona Wave. As the huge burst of energy flowed towards the redhead, its power shattering the tiles of blue crystal that lay before it, Ranma flipped over it, uttered, "Ryuseikyaku!", and landed a ki-charged flying kick against the monolithic sambo warrior. The blast from the hit launched Nova backwards, impacting into a crystalline wall and going through it, spraying shards everywhere.
While Ranma had made the connection, Roland attempted a repeat of his earlier success in getting the drop on the redhead. Unfortunately for him, this time Ranma wasn't distracted. As the ninja leapt into the air towards Ranma, he bellowed, "Stun Whip!" and initiated his attack. Ranma turned around, caught the scarf in her hand, pulled him forward, and as he came within striking range, she let loose with a palm strike towards his chest. The ninja immediately noticed that this was the Dokuja Tanketsu Sho, and although the martial artist had thrown it as a stunning move, at this speed it would kill. Roland twisted just enough to take the blow to his side, throwing him back as the palm slash drew a gash of blood from his arm.
Nova raced in once more, then leapt into the air. Upon descent, he roared "Firebomber attack!" as he plunged back towards terra crystalis firma. The move was intended as a flaming belly-flop onto the opponent, but said opponent had no intention of being squashed; she vaulted away. Still, not only did the blast punched a hole through the floor, as well as rip away a good section of the railing, but the shockwave flung the Japanese woman away as if she were a rag doll. She impacted against a wall, leaving a crater, and slumped to the floor like a rag doll.
*"RANMA!"* Shiva screamed, unable to break free of Mango's grasp lest her throat be slashed.
"I'm...okay, Shi...va," she groaned, as she leap back to her feet. She wiped a rivulet of blood away from her mouth, and nearly dropped back to her feet...the hit did more to her than she thought it would. If she were male, it probably wouldn't have hurt as much, but if she were male, they would be using more killing strikes--not that they weren't at the moment.
"Ranma! Are you alright?" Shiva asked, eyes growing teary.
"Yeah, I'm just gonna hafta play harder. That's all." With that proclamation, she rushed towards her opponents and began the battle anew.
Nova, climbing out of the sizable hole he'd just made, saw the girl coming towards him. {{I can see that this girl before me is definitely not what she appears to be. She moves and acts not with the grace and beauty of a woman, but with the rage and determination of a man. Her attack on me truly was powerful--were I a weaker man, I would also be a dead one. This woman is somehow no woman.
{{She must be stopped. Which means that I must truly unleash the vast potential of my skills.}}
He charged towards the woman, deciding to reach out and snap her neck. But as he approached her and swung his huge, ham-sized fist, she nimbly ducked under it and screamed, "Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken!" and released a forceful torrent of fists at her opponent. Nova sprawled back, dropping once more.
As the girl leapt over him, danced out of the way of another strike by Roland, and counterattacked with a fierce combo that sent the shinobi back, he knew that there was no way that this girl was a woman.
"Demon" would be a more apt term.
His consciousness guttered, then went out like a candle in a gale.
*"Damn you, stand still, witch!"* Roland roared as he threw a rapid-punch attack at the girl adroitly weaving in and out of his throws. He was furious. This girl that he had so easily disabled a week ago was now turning out to be better than him. He absolutely could not allow her to escape. If news of his existence got out to the general public, the Kaguros would certainly find out...and thus ruin all his plans. He had to stop her. Now.
He snapped his battle scarf towards the woman once more, and as she blocked, he signaled to the ace in the hole that he'd set up for this situation. He always planned for unusual circumstances, and this was certainly one, he thought, as he fired off wave after wave of throwing stars at the woman...
...who threw her high-speed punches, catching the metal blades with ease. {{Good. She'll never know what hit her.}}
Roland rushed in once more, ready to take the hit. He unsheathed the katana strapped to his back, snarling, "Woman, prepare to meet your fate!"
*"Meet this, instead! Hiryu Shoten Ha, horizontal!"* The woman punched forward, and the modified Ascending Dragon raced through the vortex as the ki attack vaulted forward to meet the ninja.
Roland's thoughts came to his lips. "This had damn well better work...."
Still holding the blade to Shiva's throat, Mango screamed, *"NOW!"*
Without warning, there was a shimmering distortion of the air in front of Roland, and Rain came into view, just in front of Ranma. She appeared, holing a very huge and very bright ball of ki within her palms.
Moments before the Hiryu Shoten Ha would've turned both into strawberry paste on a crystal platter, she cut loose with her blast, pulling both arms as far apart as possible and screeching, *"ULTIMATE KILLING BLOW! INFERNO OF ETERNAL TORMENT!"*
In terms of effects, it was devastating, and would've vaporized a lesser person. The width of the beam was easily five meters in diameter, and the reddish glow it gave off gave the appearance of a great geyser of lava bursting forth from a hole in the earth. The energy bleed of the assault melted any crystal under its wake, and those standing quite a distance away.
Needless to say, it was powerful enough to dissipate the Ascending Dragon blast, and barreled right through it with no loss of strength, charging through and hitting its intended target. Caught in the center of it, Ranma tried to parry the blast, but it was far too large and powerful to; there was no way she could protect herself. Within seconds all you could see was the huge energy beam.
Rain laughed a dirge of hatred and rage. *"Take that, redhead whore! Now you see who the REAL power is!!!"*
*"RAAANNMMMMAAAA!!!"* Shiva shrieked, trying to break free of Mango's grip, not caring that the blade was biting into her skin. *"Let me go! Lemme go, I said!"*
"I wouldn't worry about your Ranma." Mango looked at her captive with an expression of malicious glee. "Nothing, absolutely nothing can withstand that bla--"
The look on Mango's face was indescribable.
She was burnt, scorched all over, barely able to stand. Her clothing was gone (save the strange ruby she wore on a strap around her neck), all traces of hair scorched away, her skin blistered and pocked with third-degree burns, and she was perhaps dying. But she was still there. Saotome Ranma looked at the group with a defiant look that said it all: {{I'm still here. That was your best, but I'm still here!}}
"Not for long," Roland said in answer. He raced up to the woman, and with all his remaining strength, drove the blade into her belly, then kicked her hard enough that the dying woman was flung into the Pit of Fu Ta Tsu. The glowing pit shot out tendrils of energy, and dragged the corpse of Saotome Ranma into its maw...
...and the world-class martial artist was no more.
Before Shiva could go berserk, Mango brought the handle of her sword down on her head hard, putting her unconscious. Mango was no fool; although she was holding the girl now, there'd be no guarantee that she'd hold onto her once the child went ballistic. Handing the girl to Roland, she said, "Put her in maximum security. I want Lord Nguyen to personally see to her execution."
Rain grabbed Mango's arms, her eyes filled with a kind of demented hope. "Mango, I would--"
"I shall ask the Lord to allow you to execute her, never fear," Mango said smoothly. "You will be compensated for your loyalty."
"I don't give a fuck about loyalty, Mango. I just want her dead," Rain spat.
"You shall have it, I assure you."
Roland helped Nova to his feet. The girl had worked a wonder on him, but he'd be okay within a day or two. He also explained that the woman was dead.
There was more, but the Russian giant didn't hear it--he was lost in his thoughts. {{So the demon is dead, burnt in hellfire and tossed into the pit of destruction. I should be elated to know that she'll never darken our doorstep again, or so to speak. I should be joyous to know that we have won against a foe apparently more powerful than we.
{{I have a feeling, though, that we have exacerbated our own problems and turned them against us, a millionfold.}}
* * *
Akane and Genma readied for a battle that they could not be ready for.
"C'mon!" Akane taunted, projecting a strength that she didn't have. "I'll take you all on!"
The Panda held up a sign signally similar intent. [[LEAVE NOW, OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES.]]
Sabot laughed heartily at that. "Listen, men! Even at the edge of death, the girl and her pet still jest. She even has an unusually intelligent pet, as well!" Sabot's fourteen companions joined in with their mocking tones. As the laughter died down, Sabot commented, "Such a shame to have to kill it, too--the Lord would love a pet such as this. Ah well."
He brought his blade to the fore. "Kill them."
On the onset of the attack, a low note blew in the air, stopping the charge. This was followed by a second note, then a third. A song began to float upon the currents of the soft breeze, and it was that of a flute. A bamboo flute, namely, the shakuhachi.
"What the hell..." one of Sabot's men said aloud, a catch in his throat.
The notes began to grow louder, as they grew more eerie sounding. Slowly, a light fog descended on the hot summer evening. There was a damp chill in the air, and the very sky around them grew thick with the moisture. The notes grew in a mystical, unnatural symbiosis with the oncoming fog, growing stronger and deeper until the notes stopped, and the fog mysteriously disappeared...
...and a third had joined the pair facing the ninjas. She wore a silvery white suit (matching the obviously magical mist) that not only accented her apparently stunning build, but also signified those sleek lines as that of a definite raptor. She wore a belt, with the color of cherry blossom pink almost imperceptible. The crossed swords she wore on her back were a definite signal that she was playing for keeps. She also had a definite battle aura of the same delicate pink, that flowed up and down her body like an attentive lover.
The woman stood in front of the pair, obviously guarding them. She moved the flute away from where her lips were (the mask hid the exact location). Her blue-black hair stirred in the breeze, her black-eyed gaze penetrating. When she spoke, it was a traditional, yet mocking tone, that of a geisha--maiko, maybe?--gone postal. "Attacking those who are unable to defend themselves? You are lower dogs than even I imagined. This poor girl and her pet will sit this out. You will face me, instead."
Akane intended to ask her who was the "poor defenseless girl," but a look from the empty black eyes of the ninja before her silenced those thoughts. She turned to Genma and said, "We'd best do as she says."
Sabot, on the other hand, was not as easily impressed. "So you come to your death, woman. Who are you, to think you can threaten the forces of the Crystal Temple?"
The woman's answer shocked all. "I am Mist, the Master Shinobi of the Ghost Wolf Clan. You have nearly executed my clan, and therefore, you must pay for those crimes, as well as those you intended against these two." With no further words, she attacked.
There were no words to describe the carnage that occurred in that short span, or the fatal speed at which the ninja called Mist moved. She was faster than the wind, and more powerful than a nuclear bomb. Worse, she was utterly, totally, alien to the concept of mercy. The assassins of the Crystal Temple were dead before they knew it.
With a blur of her hands, she sent butterfly-shaped shuriken towards four of her opponents, hitting them with unnatural precision, burying the blades deep within the quartet's skulls...right between the eyes. A second one charged her; she simply caught his arm as he swung his blade down on her, snapped his arm at a freak angle, then shoved the blade through the man's gullet.
A female among them threw a volley of shuriken at Mist, but she shouted, "Senju Konbo," and moved her hands fast enough to catch the blades, then return them, along with a few of her own. The ninja died as a pincushion, shuriken sticking out of every available space.
She continued her measured-yet-swift race towards Sabot, his forces having changed from offensive superiority to a defensive action in a matter of seconds. One ninja rushed her, fist glowing as he readied for a ki-charged punch. Mist leapt over his head, then caught his face in her fist and crushed it like a melon. Tossing the body away, she pulled out his sais and continued her charge, moving a little faster now, with six of the twenty down in a matter of four seconds.
She moved out of the sword strike of another ninja, then spun around him and cut loose with an extremely gruesome move. She did the splits, then thrust upward with one sai, driving it so deep into the body that it couldn't be seen from the outside. The other, she saved for the next opponent.
That opponent was a shinobi as well. In this case, he threw a rapid fire blast of ki knives, all aimed towards the white ninja. She countered them all with surprising ease by charging her own hands with ki and swatting each blast away as though they were simply flies to be shooed away; she then moved closer to the shinobi, her dark intent blazing in her eyes. He attempted to outmaneuver her by leaping behind her, but she simply slid, disappeared...
...then reappeared behind him and leapt up from her crouching position. As she did so, she reached up, snapped his neck cleanly, then spun and threw the sai, hitting another ninja and burying its length in the upperribcage, through the heart. She flipped in mid-air, then landed in front of one other; all that person saw was a blur of silver before his head was neatly severed in two. She replaced her katana back in its scabbard, then raced closer to the slowly retreating Sabot.
Ten downed in sixteen seconds. Not even half a minute had passed, and already half their number was obliterated.
Number eleven was stupid enough to throw a rushing kick at her. She responded to this by trapping her opponent's knee between her elbow and her own knee, crushing it. As the ninja fell back, she punched forwards with her palm and shouted, "Hitu Satsu Jigokudan!" The Certain-kill Inferno Pulse flared with her ki, and upon contact, the ninja was turned into a human ki bonfire. She left the body burning as she moved at an actual sprinting pace, coming closer and closer to the retreating ninjas.
Twelve was a man who paused before striking. That pause was the last breath that he would ever take. Mist went up to him, leapt up and kicked as she shouted, "Tenretsukyaku!" The ki-flaming rising spin kick propelled the assassin away from the scene with enough speed to ensure he'd break escape velocity.
Another two began to attack, using everything in their arsenal against her. Desiring to put an end ot the assault, Mist nimbly dodged the volley of shuriken and whipped her hand forward, calling out, "Hadokochoken!" A pale pink, butterfly-shaped blast rocketed forward, detonating against the chest of one of them, making him fatality number thirteen. The lifeless body fell to the earth, his chest cavity bleeding the charred remains of its interior organs.
The last four intended to gang up on her, in the belief that sheer numbers would overwhelm the Master Shinobi. In that fact, they were wrong. Dead wrong. Mist unsheathed her katanas once more, then moved with a speed that Akane was not sure even Ranma could move at. Slashes moved at a lightning-blur, a mere flicker of silvery light accompanied by the faintest trace of red. She moved away from the four, then scabbarded the blades once again as her newest vicitims crumbled into bloody chunks, cut to pieces like so much hamburger.
As the last three were about to make their last desperate counterattack, she roared, *"YAMATE!"* implying that anyone who failed to do so would face severe penalties, indeed. Deathly afraid of the apparent angel of death standing before them, they complied. Quite clearly the victor, she made her terms quite clear: *"Drop your weapons and leave now. Run back to your master with your tails between your legs and tell him that we are coming, and he cannot hide."* The three remaining opponents paused in fear, not knowing what to do.
Mist resolved this by dropping to a normal tone. "I am a Ghost Wolf shinobi, and I do not kill without need. Leave your weapons and leave. I care not what you do or what happens to you, you of dark inclination. Only know this: one of you must go back to your master and tell him we are coming. To the others I give this warning: should you ever raise a hand against the innocent and just, my justice will be upon you, and my justice is swift." She pointed down the road. *"Go."*
She turned around and walked back to Akane and Genma, not bothering to look at her opponents. She knew they would be running for the rest of their lives, never daring to raise a hand against another person so long as they lived. And if not, well, the vengeance of heaven, as they say, would be swift and sure, indeed. Her own actions were proof of that...
...Seventeen dead in 32.5 seconds. To add insult to injury, she hadn't broken a sweat, nor began to breathe heavily.
Akane looked at Mist with a look of sheer horror. Never in her life had she witnessed such carnage at such a high speed. It wasn't real--it had the look of one of those Kung Fu films that showed here in the theaters. But the blood that stained the ground was very real, as were the bodies that littered the same grounds where the banners that mourned innocent dead were. Something in the back of her mind told her that some of her dead countrymen had been avenged, but Akane didn't want to believe that this uneven slaughter she just witnessed was anything close to justice.
Mist approached them, and in a somewhat kinder voice, she said, "It is fortunate that I followed you two. Tendo-san, Saotome-san--you are Saotome-san, aren't you?--else you would be dead."
Genma's hand shook--Akane noticed that she wasn't the only person repulsed by the bloodbath--as he wrote on his sign. [[HOW...HOW DO YOU KNOW US?]]
Her eyes gleamed in what would probably accompany a smile as she looked at Akane. "I know of you two--and your curse, Saotome-san. Allow me to introduce myself: I am the Master Shinobi of the Ghost Wolf Clan, the clan that your sister Natsumi and your friend Konatsu a part of. I am their master."
"No. You're no master." Akane's voice started out soft, but her true feelings rushed to the forefront. *"No, you're a murderer! A heartless killer!"*
The light died from Mist's eyes. "Would you rather be the bodies lying in pieces over there?"
*"That's not the point! Those people didn't have to die!"*
"They're responsible for killing thousands, including nearly all of my clan. They would have butchered you just as easily, had I not arrived in time. They deserved no less than the punishment I meted out, but I spared the rest in the name of mercy."
*"You don't know the meaning of the word mercy, you heartless ki--"*
*SMACK!* Without warning, Mist backhanded Akane. Genma moved closer, but a stare from the dark eyes of Mist held him back. Mist roared, *"You insolent slip of a girl! I save your life and this is the courtesy I receive? Do you think it is so easy to kill, to take a life? Let me tell you: it is not. I desire to live in peace, to not need my skills. But it is a dark world that we live in, one that requires my damnable talents and those of my kind.*
*"By the way, that's one other thing you should think about. Stop acting like a lovesick puppy. If you want your fianc� returned, you had better be prepared to fight to the death for him. Those assassins were ready to kill you to prevent your advance. Do you think they'll let up on you because you won't kill? I have a message to bring you back to reality: they WON'T. They'll just kill you even faster.*
*"If you have no other reason, do it for your lover's sake, Tendo Akane. You may not wish to kill, but you may have to. And if you aren't prepared to do that, then turn around and go back to Japan, because your fianc� will not deserve someone as cowardly as you. He will deserve a clean, honorable death--not one tainted by a fool such as you.*
*"The fairy tale is over, Tendo; welcome to real life. Grow up, little girl, while you still have time."*
With that, she walked away from them, down the road that eventually lead to downtown. As she walked away, she reached into a pouch on her belt, and tossed a small satchel back in their direction. Not bothering to look back, she said, "Use that balm on your bruise, Tendo. It will heal the mark quickly enough. Saotome-san, there is a bathroom over by the train that has hot water. I trust you know what to do. Tell the others that I shall meet you when it is time."
She walked around the bend, and within minutes, was gone from sight. As soon as she did, Akane walked over and snatched the balm off the ground. She popped it open, and noticed it was a familiar-looking medicinal pack that she'd seen somewhere before. From behind her, she could feel the forepaws of her father-in-law-to-be reach around her in a hug, as he placed a sign in her hand. [[ARE YOU OKAY, DAUGHTER?]]
"Daijobu," she lied, not wanting to alarm him. "I'm fine, Father. Let's go back. It's midnight, and the others must be worried sick." In fact she was anything but. She'd just seen the worst monster in her entire life--something that made Taro, Kumon Ryu, Herb, Saffron or any of the other opponents that she and Ranma had ever seen look like game show hosts. Worse, this monster was on their side. Worst of all, Akane thought...
...that monster was *right.*
* * *
About two hours later:
Across the bay, three bodies leapt from rooftop to rooftop, far above the streets of Mong Kok. The streets below were filled with the hustle and bustle of locals doing a little nighttime shopping. However, as evidenced from the three leaping shapes, attending the Night Market was not on everyone's mind. For Natsumi had recieved a cryptic message to meet in Mong Kok, and to have Twinmoon-san and Konatsu with her. It could only be Mist, she reasoned, though she was usually the type to come looking for someone, not the other way around.
Still, it was her master's call, and she and Konatsu must come. John, though not a ninja, was a well-respected member of the Windham clan, and thus required to arrive with them as well. To the surprise of both Ghost Wolves, the huge man kept up with them easily, as though they were moving like sluggish turtles. There was far more to this ruddy, dark-skinned man than either had expected, and if he was no ninja, as he had claimed, then he was pretty damn close. {{But,}} Natsumi wondered, {{what are American-trained ninjas like? If he's the trainer for the Windhams, do they operate similarly? Or what about the Silver Foxes, or any of the other clans there?}}
Without any warning, there was a dull flicker of light against a surface that should not be in mid-air. A snare. A trap.
John's call was clear, though not in Japanese--and certainly not in time. "Look out!"
Three bodies crashed into a translucent net, it's coloring easily matching the dark of the shadows the buildings gave off. As they pulled forward, the other end drew in and shrank around them, the weights snapping from their holding position and dragging the trio down to earth. They fell, wrapped around each other, slamming onto the rooftop of a condemned building, punching through it and two consecutive floors before landing painfully in a large, empty space.
John immediately whispered in harsh tones, "No one charge your battle aura. In the dark it'll be seen by our opponents, and make us sitting ducks. And make no mistake about it: this was a trap."
"Oh, you think so?" Konatsu snapped irritably, embarrassed to have been caught in such a position.
"Sssh, Konatsu," Natsumi remarked. "Can you reach my shuriken? We'll have to use one of them to cut our way out."
"Don't bother," a familiar voice said, as a man dressed in black and gray, stepped out of the shadows.
John grumbled. "Sabot. You bastard. Still working for the losing side, huh?"
Sabot *hmph*ed, then added a clearer comment. In English. "Well, well, well. Major Twinmoon. How's retirement going for you, John?"
"Better than yours, Eddie," John commented. "At least INTERPOL's not after *my* ass."
"I'm actually surprised you recognized me, despite the mask," Sabot replied. "I've run into others from our old gang, and they never did." The ninja took off the mask, revealing an Oriental face. The hair was a teahair-brown, while the eyes were a hazy, smoky black. He smiled at the ninjas, though it was clearly the smile of a predator. "Of course, if they did, they never lived long enough to admit it."
"I'm not surprised. As to how I recognized you, it's simple, Eddie. I know a turncoat when I see one," John barked, "and you are definitely King of the Weasels."
"You know him?" Natsumi ventured. Her command of English was non-existent, but she'd caught the guys using Twinmoon-san's first name, and what she assumed was the other guy's.
John responded back to Natsumi in a gutteral Japanese that indicated his cold rage for their captor. "His name's Edmund Sabot Nakazono, and he used to be Army Spec Ops, just like me; we both rose from the enlisted ranks together. We were the Army's best--until he was paid to betray us during an operation in Laos back in the 'Nam. Now, they call him the 'Gentle Terrorist' because he only kills when needed, but when he does, it's gruesome."
Sabot looked at John. "I have seventeen of my men here, John. We can gut you and your Ghost Wolf playmates faster than you can blink--or, you can come join the winning side. I'll spare you, for old time's sake, but your friends'll have to be meat puppets. You understand, right?"
"Zakkenayo," was the snarled reply. Not from John, nor Natsumi, but from Konatsu. "I don't know who or what you think you're going to accomplish, but killing us ain't gonna happen. We're Ghost Wolves and a Windham--we can take you and whoever you have out there."
"Well, John," Sabot said, "do you agree with the *kid* behind you?" He said this in Japanese, just to purely annoy Konatsu.
"You heard Konatsu. We stand together," Natsumi roared.
"As they said. Sabot, you're a dead man." John stared in to the lenses that covered his nemesis' eyes. "We don't back down from scum like you."
Sabot sighed. "I thought you would listen to reason, Windham, but I guess I was wrong." He glanced over his shoulder, and into the dark. "Commence your killing."
A voice, smooth as silk, chirped in a laughing tone, "If you insist." The voice was not familiar to Sabot. Niether, for that matter, was the blade that immedately impaled him. A soft voice, the breath of death, cooed to him, "As they said, the Windhams and the Ghost Wolves stand together. Enjoy your afterlife." The blade was pulled out of the body, and the carcass of Edmund S. Nakazono fell foward, dead.
"Who's there!" John called out.
A young woman stepped forward, into the light. She was of Japanese descent, though there was something about her that said otherwise. Her soft blue hair, in a shoulder-length cut, bore a similarity to Nabiki's--only where Nabiki's gave her a seductive, sultry look, it lent this girl a "girl-next-door" quality. Her eyes were the blue of the sea, an eternal ocean locked within those two orbs. She was thin and built athletically, and moved with a supple grace that made her seem as though she was made of water. She wore a ninjitsu gi, deep blue with aqua accents and turquoise slashes, as though her uniform was composed of a raging sea. Crossed on the back of her waist, in an X-pattern, were a pair of wakazashi blades--used for close-quarters combat--instead of the ninja-to or katanas carried by most of the shadow warriors.
However, it was the small crest on her left breast that caught the Ghost Wolves' attention. It was a gunmetal-gray stylized W, shaped like a hawk with wings spread. It was indicative of who stood before them: a Windham.
The look in the Windham's eyes was dangerous, but very similar to Mist's, or in short: {{If you're an innocent, I will defend you. If you're an ally, I welcome you. If you're an enemy, you may as well put your lips between your legs--and you can figure out the rest.}}
The girl sheathed her blades, then bowed to the trio. "Koban wa. Ogenki desu ka?" Her Japanese was formal and perfect--she had to be a Tokyo girl. But Windhams were American, not Japanese. That made this girl an oddity.
"Oname desu ka?" Natsumi requested. {{Who is she?}}
The girl bowed again, saying, "Oname wa Mizuno Umi. Dozo yoroshiku." She then dropped the formality, speaking with a casualness that would denote her clearly an American girl. "Of course, my friends all call me--"
*"CORAL!!!!!!"* John roared. *"What the HELL are you doing here?!?!?!?"*
"Saving your butt, old man," she said impishly, as she moved forward, undoing the drawn end of then net. "Well, that and taking out thirteen of those weirdoes in ugly suits. Who were they? You'd think they'd have some experience with speed demons like me, but I had no problems taking them all out while you were chatting with your old war buddy. Plus, whoever designed their gear really needs a reality check. Swirling patterns, right--like '60s and '70s fashions are ever coming back. Sure. Next thing you know, they'll say Disco's returning." As she pulled the three out, she pulled John into a big hug. "You came all the way to Hong Kong, y' know. I hope you were planning to bring me back something expensive." Her tones were filled with a mixture of mirth and admiration for him.
John, however, was not in the mood. "Aren't you supposed to be at that Cheerleader's Camp in Vancouver?"
*"This,"* she replied, "is *much* cooler. Classic. Beaucoup Grandioso big time."
"But you lied about where you were going, Umi." He used her real name, letting the girl know he was not pleased.
"No, I didn't. I said I was *going.* I *never* said I was *staying,"* she shot back. "'Sides, I don't need to hang around with a bunch of blondes whose only ambtions are to be able to spell 'Go Team' correctly and sleep with the Varsity Quarterback."
"Where's your partners in crime?" he then asked. Usually wherever Coral was, Libby and Autumn weren't far behind.
"Back in Seattle, John. It's just me. I'm your back up, and if you think I'm going back, you've got another thing coming, old man. I'll be damned if I'm letting you wander into hell alone."
"Does Kyle--"
*"No,* neither Uncle Kyle nor Aunt Molly know about this," she admitted. "And I'd like to keep it that way."
"If I let you stay, do you promise to keep out of trouble?"
"Not on your life," she replied, in a tone of voice that said she would.
"You're incorrigible, Coral," John said smiling. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to Natsumi and Konatsu, the two Ghost Wolves that I'm here with."
Meanwhile, Natsumi and Konatsu watched the two Windhams arguing, though they were clearly on the same side.
"Americans are weird," Konatsu commented.
"You can say that again," Natsumi sighed in agreement.
Konatsu obliged her. "Americans are weird."
{{Shimata....}} Natsumi rolled her eyes. "Konatsu?"
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
Konatsu grumbled, though good-naturedly. "No sense of humor...."
* * *
Pain was all there was. Someone once told her that pain was an indicator that you were still alive. The person in question, however, neglected to mention that there were certain times when the pain also meant that you weren't going to be there much longer.
What was left of Ranma pondered on this as she vaguely fingered the hole in her body where the sword was. Upon landing, it had been jolted out of her. Unfortunately, it probably ripped a few more things on the way out. A pool of blood was settling around her, and her breath was coming in ragged, gasping spurts--she absently thought that she sounded like a bit like Darth Vader did when Luke Skywalker took the helmet of him in...she couldn't remember the name of the film.
She wasn't remembering much anymore. Which meant that she didn't have much time left. Ranma stared at the ceiling far above--looked about 20 meters or so--and noticed it was the glowing soup that she was thrown into. What was it called? The Pit of Fu-something. That was where she was, and where she'd die.
Die, alone and unloved, away from her beloved Akane. Upon this thought, Ranma did something that she rarely did: she shed a tear. She shed another, than another. She didn't have the strength to outright cry...or anything else, for that matter.
She began to feel numb and tired, so close to close her eyes and sleep forever. There was no fighting this call of nature, it was her time, though she wished it were not so; she could not avoid this any more than she could avoid loving Akane.
Akane. She would die without saying good-bye to her fianc�e, without telling her how much she...*he*...loved her. She would never kiss her, never marry her, never have a life with her and have children with her and grow old together with her. She would never grow old, period. Time had run out.
{{I'm so sorry, my love. I wish we could be together again. I wish I didn't have to die as a girl. I wish that I would have the opportunity to be a man again, to be with you and tell you how much I love you and how much I want to marry you and spend my life with you.
{{I wish this wasn't good-bye.}}
She closed her eyes, and stopped breathing. As the last breath came out, a thought came to her mind, a statement that oddly enough, came from Kumon Ryu: {{Nothing's impossible for a Saotome.}}
The world of Saotome Ranma went black.
The magical gem around her neck immediately flared with power.
* * *
The next day, Nabiki was up bright and early, yet another unnatural event in the dozens of one that had occurred since the month had begun. As she got dressed, careful to not disturb the room's other two occupants (Lung-Lung and Ukyo), and thought towards stepping out to have some breakfast in the buffet room downstairs, she realized that this was absolutely weird for her--she, Ranma and Kurumi were the house's late risers. Yet here she was, getting out of bed at an early time. Why? It was as if destiny was calling her.
Destiny gave her the heads-up as stepped out of the room. As she gently closed the door, she looked down the hallway...
...and noticed Kuno was doing the same. Something caught his attention, and the pair found themselves staring at each other.
"I, um," Nabiki stammered, at a loss for words. She hadn't expected to run into him, or anyone else for that matter.
"Hello, Nabiki," he said, with a little more grace than she. "What are you doing up? I've heard you're a notoriously late sleeper."
Her face flushed. "Akane getting back at me?"
"No; your sister Kurumi just has no concept of keeping her mouth shut at times."
"Figures," she huffed. "Well, I'm going to get a copy of the _Asian Wall Street Journal_, then have breakfast. What's your excuse?"
"I'm going down to breakfast, and then to take a walk in the Chinese Garden. I'm always up training at this hour of the morning, anyway, since I was a young lad. Can't break the habit now."
"Well, since I'm going down that way," she said, somewhat sincere, "Why don't we have breakfast together? It's nice to have company, and more important, it's free. I won't even charge for company."
"Gee, you're all heart," he droned, but offered her his arm. She accepted it, and the pair strolled off to breakfast, not hearing the other person stepping out of the room in her nightgown.
{{Oh, wait...I'm in a hotel. Forgot I'm not home,}} Natsumi thought. {{I must really be tired; I usually don't make those kind of mistakes.}} Yawning and stretching, she mused that it was acceptable, considering the events of last night. After Coral had arrived on-scene to save their bacon, they spent the remainder of the night on patrol, ensuring that no more of the assassins would attempt another attack. After all, if they were going to try attacking them, then they would probably attempt to do so on the others, and maybe even Akane herself. Finally, at about three in the morning, when it was clear that there would be no more problems, the ninjas (and John) went back to their respective rooms for the remainder of the night; Coral having a room on the floor below them.
She then noticed Kuno and her sister walking off *...arm in arm?!?!?!?* {{*NANI?!?!?!??!*}} She rubbed her eyes to make sure she was awake. {{Still seeing the same thing, Natsumi. I think I'm losing it--yeah, that's it; the stress is starting to get to me. I'm going back to bed.}} She shuffled back into the room, vowing to get at least four more hours of sleep. Anything that made her see visions of what was impossible *required* more sleep so reality could set itself back in.
* * *
In her room, Coral picked up the phone, then dialed a number. The length of the dial made it clear that it was an international call. A ring distinctive of Hongkong Telecom, followed by a click, then followed by the rings distinctive of the North American Phone System. A second click, followed by a voice. "Hello?"
"Libby, it's me. I'm here in Wan Chai, at the hotel."
"Good. You have enough money?"
"Between my credit cards and anything I get from John, I should be okay. And, he's not going to tell your father."
"Good. Daddy'd kill you, me, Marshall, and Autumn if he knew what we're up to. The three of us are already up to our necks trying to cover for you. Didja know Melanie has called here three times to ask why you didn't show up? She's saying they're gonna kick you off the squad."
Coral grunted. {{Bitch.}} She and the Head Cheerleader never got along. "So let 'em--this is more important. Just keep covering for me, 'kay?"
"Take care of yourself, Coral," Libby replied, always the leader.
"Don't ya just know it? But thanks for the concern. Bye." Coral hung up the phone, then began to pack her bags for the flight to Hanoi. Of course, she did have to call her parents in Tokyo, and see what else they could do to speed up the "requests" put in by one Tendo Nabiki--it paid to have some contacts, even better when they were family.
Still, she did feel bad about lying to the Windhams--she'd lived with them for so long, they were almost like a real aunt and uncle to her. {{But Uncle Kyle has to learn that in trying to protect us, he's negating our skills. We three girls--and Marshall--are only going to improve if we're out here in the field. Even if we have to do it the sneaky way.}}
So, Coral picked up the phone again, then dialed a number. The length of the dial made it clear that it was an international call. A ring distinctive of Hongkong Telecom, followed by a click, then followed by the rings distinctive of Nippon Telephone and Telegraph. A second click, followed by a voice. "Moshi moshi."
Coral switched to Japanese. "Otoosan, Umi desu. Daijobu da? Genki da, okage sama de. Daddy, you know I don't like asking for favors, but I need one now. It's about..."
* * *
As Nabiki and Kuno walked past the glass-enclosed walkway to the dining room, they looked out to see the Chinese Garden. And oh, what a sight it was. Not so much the beauty of the garden itself, but the abruptness of the peaceful scene being disturbed by extremely heavy combat. Akane and Genma were up and training in the garden. Nabiki noted absently that it was similar to watching Ranma and Genma train, for more than one reason.
For one, it was now Akane in the Chinese clothing--this morning's ensemble was a green short-sleeve tang with blue pants. Genma, oddly, wore a black gi today. The pair were throwing as hard as Ranma and Genma did, and with look in Akane's eyes signaled one thing that gripped the hearts of both spectators: she was through playing around.
"Looks like my sister's finally come to her senses," Nabiki said. "I was beginning to worry that she wouldn't. Ranma means so much to her, sometimes I think he's all she has in life."
"'Nevermore be by thyself, love, ere I am lost as well,'" Kuno said, sounding as if her were quoting something.
"Shakespeare?"
"Me. Just off the top of my head, too." He smiled. "I've got a knack for sonnets and prose, you know."
Nabiki was about to say something when they saw Akane perform a rushing aerial spin kick, flared with blue ki that nearly hit Genma.
*"Upon my blade!* Never have I ever seen the fair maiden Akane perform as such before!" Kuno said. "All the times I've fought her, and I've never seen her use ki attacks!"
The pair was wowed even further when Akane blocked a counterattack by Genma, then pushed him away and cut loose with a light Dragon Slash. The hefty man was easily propelled back about twenty feet, set ablaze by the girl's punch.
Nabiki and Kuno turned and looked at each other, their minds totally in agreement. A second later, their voices found the words:
"Without a doubt...she's a Saotome, now."
* * *
Ranma opened his eyes. He felt better after his nap.
{{Nap? I should be dead!}}
Immediately, he checked himself. The hole in his body was gone. Hair was back in its normal spots...as well as something else.
{{I'm male again! What the...?}} After a second, he decided not to worry about it. He was male, he was healed (mysteriously, but healed, nonetheless) and he was *alive!!* Alive and able to get back to Akane! Sure, he was unclothed; after all, that blast nearly burnt him to a crisp. He could find some kind of clothing later; that was a minor issue.
He looked up, and stared at his female self. At first, he shrugged it off; it had to be one of the magical properties of this place. It brought him back from the dead; making a vision of himself shouldn't be a problem. Besides, it's not like that hentai vampiric Ranma-chan clone was back, right?
Then the face spoke.
"Hey, are you okay?"
