Death of the Great Bird
"So what is it that you wanted to say to me?" Ranma asked Cologne
as soon as the two were out of hearing distance from the others.
Cologne sat herself down on one of the rocks surrounding the koi
pond. "I knew this day would come," she explained. "In spite of the
dangers, I have remained in Japan until the time was right to teach
you one final technique."
"Another technique, eh?" Ranma echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Let's
hear it."
"If you ever hope to overcome the threat represented in Nemesis,"
continued the old Chinese matriarch, "you must be prepared to use
extreme measures. By now, you have, no doubt, experienced the plastic
nature of the Hiryu Shoten Ha, am I correct?"
The young martial artist nodded.
"Long ago, in my youth," explained Cologne, "I realized there
exists a potential to make the technique much more powerful than it
already was. For many years I studied the theory of such an attack,
but alas, the conditions necessary and the opponent were the only
factors preventing me from actually 'testing' the theory."
"So what you're about to tell me has never been done before, right?"
guessed Ranma. "That's the kind of stuff I like."
The old woman chuckled. "That's my Son-in-Law."
"Don't call me that, okay? That's starting to stick because of you."
Ignoring Ranma's protest, Cologne continued, "As the ancient wizard
explained, the number Six represents direction: North, South, East,
West, Up, and Down. This final Hiryu Shoten Ha makes use of all six
of those directions to create a deadly blow."
"How can you get that from just one whirlwind?" asked Ranma.
"It's not," answered the old matriarch. "The theory calls for not
one whirlwind, but four."
"FOUR?!" Ranma repeated in surprise. "I can hardly get two out at
once!"
"In your initial training I taught you the 'Soul of Ice' and the
'Body of Ice' were necessary in order to create the spiral effect,"
continued Cologne. "In order to break the limit, you must also
have a 'Heart of Ice.'"
"What?"
"As the 'Soul of Ice' calls for focus in creating the spiral, and
the 'Body of Ice' calls for the cold chi to mix with the opponent's
hot chi, the 'Heart of Ice' requires that you kill your emotions,"
she explained. "It is possible to be without it in order to use the
Hiryu Shoten Ha, but without it you are quite limited in the
versatility of the technique. I myself could never achieve this
state-- the level of focus is too great."
"And you're asking ME to do it?!" Ranma complained. "Hah! That
shouldn't be as bad as it sounds."
"Wrong, Son-in-Law. It is much harder than it sounds."
"Whatever."
"Try discarding your feelings for Akane," the old woman suggested.
Dammit, Ranma cursed mentally, that's not fair. Stupid old ghoul.
"This third stage is what is required to create another whirlwind
in succession with the first," Cologne said, continuing her lecture.
"The 'Heart of Ice' serves two primary roles: to instill a sense of
overconfidence in your enemy-- for if he even suspects your plan, you
will fail-- and to eliminate any distractions in performing the
technique. A slight break in concentration is all you need to
guarantee failure. Speed is the key. This is the first condition."
"So I have to do it all without thinking, too?"
"The second condition is the same as before: your opponent must
generate an aura of hot chi. Under most circumstances, this is quite
simple, but at times you may wish to 'induce' a hot aura on your
opponent."
"Believe it or not, I actually had to get Kuno to help me when I
did that. Machines don't give off auras." For that matter, the Moko
Takabisha would not have worked, either-- for the soulless were
immune to the effects of chi blasts. The Hiryu Shoten Ha, however,
was a natural attack; born from chi or not, violent whirlwinds still
cause damage.
"You may still need his help yet," noted Cologne. "I would teach
you the 'Suzaku Firestorm,' but that requires more time than is
available at the moment. However, the third condition requires your
opponent to anticipate each and every one of your attacks, and escape
them."
"Waitaminute," Ranma interrupted, "then how am I supposed to hit
him?"
"Do not get ahead of me yet," Cologne suggested. "Create the first
whirlwind as normal-- your opponent should dodge out of the way. If
he did not, then that single attack should be sufficient. Next,
you must immediately create the spiral for a second whirlwind as the
first continues its destructive path. The opponent should dodge that
one as well."
"And do the same for the third," Ranma said, taking in the theory
proposed by the old woman. "All the while forcing the opponent in-
between all the whirlwinds."
"Precisely," Cologne confirmed. "The fourth and final whirlwind
must trap the opponent within a square area enclosed by all four of
the created whirlwinds-- failing that, the final attack will fail.
However, if you manage to force the opponent into that position, you
can create the ultimate whirlwind in the center area."
"The four outer whirlwinds surrounding the opponent guarantees a
success, I assume," the young martial artist concluded. "The fifth
'wind is actually a combination of the four outer 'winds acting
against each other, converging at the center. That, in turn, rips
the opponent into the air...."
"And what comes up must come down," finished the old matriarch.
"You do understand the theory behind it, but performing such an
outlandish feat is another thing entirely. If everything turns out as
predicted, the four winds should tear the opponent apart on the way
up. At the end he should be at the brink of death or dead, depending
on how powerful the opponent is. The results may vary slightly, as
I really don't know WHAT will happen."
"All theory, of course," added Ranma. "Not to mention I can't get
caught in the fourth whirlwind, right? That'd throw me up as well."
"And, despite your relative immunity to the destructive forces of
the whirlwind, having four forces tearing at your body will still
harm you, 'Body of Ice' or not," finished Cologne. "If you are not
careful, you could end up in the same condition as your opponent."
Stepping back up with her walking staff, she added, "That, Son-in-
Law, is why it is called the Four Winds Final Attack."
"Look," Ukyo said out loud, even though she was the only occupant
of her bedroom, "I don't see why I need to know the physics lesson."
Seiryu's mental voice replied, This way is much simpler than
lifting your body into the air, and is much less taxing.
Since parting with Mousse and Kodachi at the Nekohatten, Seiryu
had insisted on stepping up important lessons-- techniques that can
be potentially-useful in the coming battle. Only now the mental
teacher was giving lessons on levitation and flight.
Think of it this way, reasoned Seiryu, it is using Nature to your
advantage.
What Seiryu insisted that Ukyo do was concentrate on generating a
reverse gravity pulse localized in her body. Of course, without the
proper understanding, the okonomiyaki chef insisted on lifting her
body in the air directly.
Then again, there was really no way to win against someone who was
in your own head, Ukyo decided.
"Okay," the chef said, "what do I have to do?"
You know what to do, replied Seiryu. You just have to remember to
keep your gravity pulse localized-- if it gets any farther than that,
anything that relied on magnetism to run would mess-up.
"You mean watches and computers?"
Precisely. Now, just concentrate.
Ukyo cleared her mind of stray thoughts, as Seiryu had instructed
so many times before. She focused her will, delicately manipulating
gravity, trying carefully not to interfere with anything beyond her
own body.
Natural levitation was made possible by using a reverse gravity
pulse against the normal field. Physicists could easily demonstrate
the defiance of gravity this way, as it was based upon the basic
laws of magnetism-- like repels like. This was also the basis for
the science fiction repulsor vehicles, Ukyo thought.
She barely completed that thought when she realized there was no
ground beneath her feet.
It took only that stray thought to send the chef falling to the
ground as well.
"Owwww," moaned Ukyo, rubbing her back.
Well, you ALMOST did it, chastised Seiryu. What did you do?!
"Hey, flying's NEW to me!" the okonomiyaki chef protested. "Just
because YOU can do it doesn't mean I can!"
Sure you can! You're ME, remember?
"Aw, shut up," Ukyo hissed. She spared a glance at the nearby
digital clock. "Don't you think it's getting kinda late, too?"
Unlike you, I never sleep, Seiryu replied.
"It's eleven, and I NEED sleep!" insisted the okonomiyaki chef.
"You're the one who got me up so early in the first place, remember?"
I don't sleep.
"GO to sleep!"
Ignoring Seiryu's protests, Ukyo rolled out her futon. Checking to
make sure she was alone, the okonomiyaki chef walked behind the
man-sized changing stand, grabbing her sleeping kimono along the
way.
As she stripped off her clothes, a sudden thought hit Ukyo.
"When was the last time I went to the bath house?" she wondered.
Two weeks ago, reminded the mental voice.
"I don't feel THAT dirty."
Excellent! exclaimed Seiryu. Remember how I told you that in time
some abilities may become second nature to you?
"So now I can repel dirt and grime from my body, big deal."
Baths are a waste of time anyway.
"They feel great! When was the last time YOU had a bath?"
For a moment, Seiryu refused to answer. Ukyo chuckled at the
thought of making her shut up.
Finally, she answered, Not since Nemesis made good, clean water
very unavailable to us. I didn't do it on purpose; it was necessity.
We needed the water to DRINK, not play around in.
"Boo-hoo for you. That's why we're fighting now, aren't we?"
Everything is happening much faster this time around, admitted
Seiryu. The assassin never came to us the last time.
"That's because by then it was already too late," Ukyo pointed out,
tying off the waist of her kimono.
It's not too late now. Very well, sleep, but expect to rise quite
early tomorrow. Nemesis gets stronger by the minute.
Ukyo made her way back to her futon, throwing open the top blankets
before climbing in. "Ah, shut up."
Before Kodachi Kuno could make her way back to her bed chamber, she
couldn't help but notice there was a light burning in the Phoenix
Chamber. Taking a peek inside, the one she expected to be inside was
there-- as usual.
"You could have told me that Taro-sama left," Kodachi said quietly.
Tatewaki Kuno sat Indian-style, head bowed low, as if lost in
thought. His trusty bokken lay at his side, within arm's reach. "The
coward ran in the face of danger."
"How can you say that?!" yelled the younger Kuno. "You do not
know that!"
"And neither do you," Tatewaki pointed out. "I am free to resolve
his absence in any manner that suits me."
Seething with anger, Kodachi cried, "Men! What for are they?"
"It is not that man for which I have concern, but for our own
flesh and blood," explained the swordsman. "She continues to call
to me... if I listen enough, perhaps I may yet be able to find her."
"And people think I am crazy?" Kodachi said in frustration.
"I shall inform you when I am certain," the older Kuno assured
her. "For the moment, you should rest."
"So should you!" replied the younger Kuno, trying her best not to
sound concerned.
With a huff, Kodachi resumed on her trip to her bed chamber.
Dare I trust the word of a stranger? Mousse wondered, as he lay on
his futon in the attic of the Nekohatten.
Staring up at the ceiling, the Master of Hidden Weapons carefully
considered the words the Orochi assassin imparted upon him. And, there
was no doubt to where the conclusion lead.
In order to survive, I must help Ranma Saotome win this battle.
Damn, life can turn against you in a matter of minutes.
What was the use, anyway? I would've gladly died for Shampoo, but
she couldn't care. Well, too bad for her, that I don't care anymore.
Too bad for her that I don't care if she challenges this Nemesis
character and dies... and too bad if Ranma suffers the same fate.
However... I should be the one who ultimately slays Saotome! What
claim does Nemesis have on this right?! Sure, he can kill me if he
wants, but certainly not before I have the pleasure of watching Ranma
Saotome die first.
Truly, I wonder what it is like to die....
Silently, Mousse produced the pair of razor claws-Mei-ling's
gift. He studied the weapons, fascinated that someone as the Taoist
sorcerer could fashion them. She cared, after all.
Perhaps she's the only one that ever cared. But then, she's not
here.
Despite what I said earlier today, and considering what just
happened recently, maybe Ukyo does care, too.
Either that, or I'm going out of my mind. Perhaps I am just seeing
things that aren't there. She certainly didn't treat me any different
from before... but that's a GOOD thing.
However, even if those silly twins were right, there is still one
other obstacle left-- Shampoo. If there is any chance that I could
create my own future, it would have to be through her. Perfect... it
could be considered my final test. I live to die.
But, first thing is first.
With new determination and resolution, Mousse slipped his hands
into the razor claws. Getting up to his feet, the Master of Hidden
Weapons stepped toward the attic window.
"When both Ranma and Shampoo are dead," he said aloud, pushing
the window open, "I will be free!"
Mousse extended his right arm outward, leveling the claw at the
wall of the building across the street. Bracing himself for the
recoil that would never come, the Chinese martial artist fired off
the claw, a single steel chain trailing behind the blades and
vanishing up his sleeves. He watched the claws bury themselves into
the wall, testing their grip by tugging the chain.
Satisfied with the weapon's grip, Mousse leaped out the open
window.
He came to a stop from his swing when his feet touched the cold
street. Mousse willed the right claw to detract from the wall.
Without waiting for the chain and claw to slink back into position,
the Master of Hidden Weapons fixed himself in the direction of his
prey.
"No one will have the satisfaction of putting an end to Ranma
Saotome but me," vowed Mousse. "With these weapons and the women
behind them at my side, that upstart and any other foolish enough
to get in my way will die."
Long after the Tendo household became quiet, long after the one
known as Shifter departed, two figures made their escape from the
dark house. Two figures utilizing the best of their stealth as
possible.
"Why we leave so soon?" Shampoo asked Ranma.
"If we didn't leave now, Akane'd come with us," he explained.
"Besides, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we sleep, right?"
"I prefer sleep first," the Chinese Amazon admitted, checking to
make sure she had both of her flamberge with her. She leaped over
the wall after Ranma, landing on her feet on the other side. "How
we win if we go alone?"
"Your old granny had something up her sleeves, of course," Ranma
said in reassurance. "With that, we won't need anybody else, numbers
or not."
At that moment, Shampoo felt something prick the back of her neck.
"Aaahh!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"What?" asked Ranma. "You're not going to slow me down, are you?"
"Something bit me, I think," answered the girl, rubbing the back
of her neck.
"You're imagining things; there's nothing out here that can do
that," the young Saotome said, shrugging. "Keep up with me, because
I'm not slowing down."
"You not only one who man tell where enemy live," Shampoo said,
remembering the directions the Orochi assassin gave her in secret
before he departed.
"One thing you ought to tell me, though," began Ranma, turning
his head back to Shampoo as he ran. "Why are you helping me?"
Shampoo shook her head. "Don't know. Heart says you're still my
husband, yet head says you're not. It all confusing."
"You know, I never noticed until now how much better you're
getting at speaking?"
"Been around you and others enough." Suddenly, a new thought
formed in Shampoo's head. "Hey! When did I not speak well?!"
Before the Chinese Amazon could continue her protest, she and
Ranma came to a stop when one man leaped out of the shadows, high in
the air. Lashing out with his loose, white sleeves, tumbling forward
in the air, he cried, "Praying Mantis Strike!"
A storm of sickle-like glowing blades, pulsating with energy, spun
and arced from the attacker's sleeves, forcing Ranma and Shampoo to
dodge. Where the two martial artists once stood the blades bit into
the stone street as if it were merely paper.
The new opponent landed on his feet, in the middle of the street,
using his body as a road block.
"Going somewhere?" Mousse announced himself. He folded his arms
in his sleeves, bowing his head down low, glasses resting on his
forehead. "We have unfinished business."
"Not a bird attack?" commented Ranma in a bored tone.
"Mousse?!" Shampoo exclaimed in surprise.
"D'you mind?" Ranma shouted. "I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Are you, now?" replied the Master of Hidden Weapons, his lips
curving into a twisted grin. "So you can run off and deny me the
pleasure of tasting your blood?"
"Ah, hell," Ranma cursed in disgust. "Did you really have to pick
NOW to do this?"
Mousse did not answer with words as he lowered his glasses to the
rim of his nose. Instead, throwing out both his arms, the Chinese
martial artist flung several darts at his enemy's direction.
Ranma dodged, leaping into the air. He aimed an extended leg
downward, heading straight for Mousse's head, and his glasses.
Instead, he dodged out of the way as two clawed chains launched
upward in retaliation.
"Mousse, stop it!" demanded Shampoo.
"Oh, I'll stop, all right," Mousse replied, "but only after I've
destroyed this pest!"
The Master of Hidden Weapons retracted the claws, scanning around
him to locate where Ranma had gone. "Come on out, Saotome! Or shall
I have to hunt you down, like the prey you are?!"
"Who's prey?!" Ranma shouted in response, throwing a kick to the
back of Mousse's head. With his opponent off-balance, Ranma grabbed
the thick glasses off Mousse's face.
"That was not very wise!" countered Mousse. Throwing his weight
into his right leg, he threw back his left with the driving force of
anger.
Once again, Ranma dodged his enemy's attack, narrowly avoiding a
set of spike-soled shoes. He watched Mousse turn around, facing him
blindly. And, surprisingly enough, Mousse's attack were not quite as
off the mark as Ranma had expected, for in his overconfidence the
young Saotome barely missed a set of tethered spears.
"Do your worst, Saotome!" Mousse cried out with laughter.
"I don't have time for this!" Ranma muttered under his breath,
watching as Mousse buried his large claw weapons into the ground.
Damn, here we go again!
A single, great blade burst from the ground where Ranma had
previously stood. Several more blades followed Ranma in succession of
the first, creating the illusion of a wave pattern to Shampoo.
She watched Ranma dodge each and every one of Mousse's attacks. Her
eyes turned toward Mousse, who had his back toward her. Ranma was
right about one thing, Shampoo told herself, and it was that we had
no time.
Retracting his claws from the ground, Mousse ran straight for Ranma,
the razor claws gleaming against the night sky, high above his head.
"Stay still so you can die!" snarled the Chinese martial artist.
"Make me!" shouted Ranma, throwing himself at the charging Mousse.
Channeling all his energies into his outstretched leg, Ranma kicked
him in the gut, sending Mousse flying backward against his own
momentum.
Straight back toward Shampoo, who stood behind Mousse.
"Shampoo!" he shouted in warning.
What the young Saotome had expected was the sound of two bodies
in collision-- but it never came. Instead, it sounded more like a...
squelch?
Mousse felt the presence of Shampoo behind him as he stared down
at his stomach, where something metal was sticking out. "Damn you,"
he whispered, as a fuzzy feeling began to overwhelm him.
Shampoo released her grip on the flamberge, watching Mousse sink
down onto his knees. A large stain of red outlined the puncture
where the weapon's blade entered the man's back.
Finding himself losing control over his body, the Master of Hidden
Weapons fell to his side, allowing a pool of blood to form
uncontrolled about him.
"I... should be happy," he whispered.
Ranma stood over the wrecked body. "You know, you're such a sorry
sucker, aren't you?"
"Wound should not be fatal," Shampoo offered. "But if not treated
soon, he die of blood loss."
Before Ranma thought about bending down to help, Mousse said, "I
don't need your pity, or your help."
"That's what I thought," Ranma said, shaking his head. "You ARE
stupid."
Mousse forced a malevolent smile, despite his pain. "Maybe I wasn't
meant to kill you... maybe I should leave it to Nemesis after all."
"How you know about that?" asked Shampoo, surprised.
"The fossil said so," he answered. "You're not the only ones who
know it's going to end here...."
"It's NEVER going to end here!" Ranma shouted defiantly. "You may
have given up on life, but I certainly haven't!" He turned to
Shampoo. "C'mon, let's leave him. He'll never accept our help anyway."
"He did this to himself," Shampoo said in agreement, turning to
leave.
"Either way," the weakened Mousse said, "I'll be free of you,
Bitch Queen."
The Chinese Amazon turned back in surprise. "What you say?!"
"If there was anything that would be the death of me, I knew all
along it would be you," he replied. "You've made your choices, and
now you're going to live with them."
"What you talking about?!" Shampoo demanded, ready to grab Mousse's
throat.
"You chose Ranma, of course," Mousse answered, his smile becoming
crueler. "Oh no, of course you'd never choose your own people; you
chose the womanizer."
Shampoo planted a hand against the angry Ranma's chest.
"Heh, heh, I never dreamed you'd ever leave that fantasy land of
yours," continued the Master of Hidden Weapons. "While it was just
you and Ranma, other things have been at work. You only know what
your old granny told you... that there was a problem back home."
He paused for a moment to cough out blood. "I know what happened,
I know when it happened, and I know how it'll end, all because of
you and your selfish desires."
"What're you talking about?!" Ranma yelled, failing to understand
anything Mousse was babbling about.
"War," Shampoo answered, as if that single word could explain
it all.
"And that's your fault, too," Mousse pointed out. He began to laugh,
losing all reason. "Eh-heh-heh, you're to blame for the power vacuum,
the both of you! To blame for the fact that my mother is all alone,
even! I bet the raiders appreciated gutting the old man's carcass."
"I've heard enough of this," Ranma announced, grabbing Shampoo's
arm. "We'd better go."
Silently, Shampoo complied, following Ranma at a leisurely pace,
leaving Mousse behind to die. She tried her best to keep her eyes
forward, but it was too late-- Shampoo looked back.
And wondered.
"I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL!!" Mousse cried out into the night sky,
bursting into laughter.
Stupid Mousse, Shampoo thought, why have you never said anything?
Hot sweat ran down Mousse's face as he laughed, dripping down to
the red pool forming by his chest.
Hell, dying isn't half bad, noted Mousse. Death should be even
sweeter... I wonder if this is what Father felt before the end....
Amidst laughter, Mousse recalled the words the Orochi assassin had
told him earlier that evening: "If you are not careful, your journey
may end before it ever begins. In that case, you have only yourself
to blame."
Oh, how true it was. Well, it sucks living between Purgatory and
Hell, so I may as well go all the way....
Suddenly, the urge to laugh left the Master of Hidden Weapons, as
he felt another presence. Someone standing behind him, staring down.
"Ah hell," Mousse muttered, "let me die."
The unknown figure did not reply. The shadow figure carefully slid
two arms under Mousse's broken body, lifting the Chinese martial
artist with difficulty, considering the sword stuck through him got
in the way. However, that did not stop the figure from finishing
the task.
"You're not going to... save me, are you?" Mousse asked, suddenly
feeling sleep coming. "That's... argh... crap."
Again, the figure did not reply, but only stared down with pity.
"Something told me... you'd be here, when it ended...."
Silently, the figure, bearing Mousse, walked in the direction
opposite the direction which Ranma and Shampoo took.
----------------------------------------------------------
This has been yet another exercise in interpretation.
"Decepticons FOREVER!!" --Ravage, former Decepticon
"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die." --Kosh, Babylon 5
"[Y]ou're lamer than your signature and screen name indicate."--Chris Davies
"The FFML exists to judge the writing, not the writers."--Richard Lawson
"There was a recent case where a fanfic author put together his work with
only another fanfic serving as his primary resource. *I* started writing
fanfiction that way, and consequently I never grew attached to this whole
idea of remaining true to the original. I call it "correction."--Reverend
Prez
--Razorclaw X
Author: "Wheel of Fire", "The World's Worst Ranma Fanfic!", "The Geometry of
Shattered Souls", "The Balance of Power".
"I sold my soul to buy a copy of the dubbed 'Ukyo Can Cook'"
"Pathetic authors beg for flames. Wait, that's me."
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com