[FFML] [fanfiction][fusion/x-over]Ranma's Bane, chapter 17

You know, I was going to repost these (or perhaps post
them?) one per day. But since the list has been having
toruble in it's first week back, I'd rather get the last
chapters out to my readers (all three of you), just in case
they missed the host links.

Mark Engelbert and Slacker, as always, have my thanks for
pre-reading this collection of insane ramblings. (thanks,
guys)

Complete story is avalible at
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/KasumiandRanma/ and
http://tannim.anifics.com/

-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: rbane17.txt

Disclaimer: The characters contained within belong to the original creators.

Chapter 17: Silent Surprise

The Nightlands are a picture of desolation. What is ocean on the other side of the Mirrorwall is desert. Mountains are piles of bare rock. Even the grasslands and forests are replaced by barren wastelands. The few creatures that exist in such a place are invariable fearsome, hostile, and territorial.

There are exceptions to every rule. And the normally fierce and territorial monsters were quickly clearing a path when a large truck blazed across the wasteland at close to one hundred miles per hour.

Inside the oversized pickup's cab, there was little indication that the passengers even noticed the truck's movement. In the front seat, Kasumi's constantly traced the terrain ahead, finding the best paths to take and switching to them with the utmost efficiency. Of course, the efficiency she was achieving was about time and speed, and often ignored such things as centrifugal force and motion sickness. Luckily, the truck (actually a Living Chariot) was surprisingly maneuverable, and had only rolled once, and that was during a rather break-neck set of turns that would have made a roller coaster designer sick.

Ranma sat shotgun, a small, black box in his hand and a mounting look of frustration on his face. The frustration reached its peak when a short growl from his mouth played counterpoint to a giggle from the back seat.

Alita looked up from her game and smiled. "I win again, Dad."

Ranma made a point of checking the cable connecting the two computers. "Must be a short."

"Yeah, right," Alita snorted.

Ranma's frustrated expression dissolved into a confident smirk. "In that case, I think we need to so some sparring when we stop tonight. I've been lax in your training lately, your skills might have degraded a bit."

Alita gulped. "Um... okay, Dad."

Zelgadis suppressed a chuckle. Suspended just above Alita's head was a chessboard, apparently made out of mist and light. Setsuna had a small smile on her face as she moved one of her knights into position.

"Check."

Alita briefly glanced up at the board, then shook her head. There were no less than six layers to the game. Assaults within feints within diversions within ambushes within feints within defenses. It gave her a headache just thinking about it.

"How do you two keep track of it all?" she asked.

"Practice," Zelgadis replied, taking the knight with a bishop, and setting off a chain reaction that left each player down a bishop, knight, and pawn.

"You know she's cheating," Alita mumbled.

"No," Setsuna replied. "I don't cheat. First of all, I wouldn't because it would be immoral. Second, because much of my concentration and power is watching out for any hostiles, like the ones that will be arriving in about ten minutes. Third, I try not to scan the people I care about."

"And fourth," Zelgadis finished, "I have a mental shield up whenever we play games of strategy against each other."

"Ten minutes?" Ranma asked from the front seat.

"Yes," Setsuna replied calmly. "Two large life-forms. I would guess that they're Chariots, most likely carrying four to six Hounds each."

"Nice," Ranma commented.

"If you want, I can lose them in the mountains," Kasumi said, pointing to a range in the near distance.

"No, let's just get this over with. Zel, can you do a big-bang spell on one of the pursuers?"

"How big?"

"Well," Ranma though about the situation for a moment. "If you can take out both, great. If you can only take out one, that's okay."

Zelgadis smiled. "Sure." His smile grew as he moved his queen a few spaces. "Checkmate."

Setsuna shrugged as Zelgadis dispelled the board. "Five minutes. You might be able to see them by now."

"Right," Zelgadis replied, leaning out the window (being careful not to lean to far during the turns). Sure enough, two shapes that vaguely resembled military jeeps were closing fast. Apparently, the drivers of the two vehicles had even less regard for their passengers than Kasumi. The passengers looked to be Hounds, but there was something odd about them that Zelgadis couldn't put his finger on.

Zelgadis ducked back inside the cab for a moment. "Kasumi, hit the brakes."

"What?" Kasumi, Ranma, and Alita chorused.

"Trust me," Zelgadis replied, "I know what I'm doing."

Setsuna smirked. "That's what you said when-" Zelgadis' glare cut her off, and broadened her smile.

"Now," Zelgadis said, once more ducking out of the cab. He had an iron grip on the roof as the truck skidded to a stop faster than physics would normally dictate. Once his perch was stable, he threw his arms out, as though to block the oncoming enemies, then channeled a weave of magic through them. A bluish bar shot out of each hand, snapping out parallel to the ground just in front of each approaching Chariot, which unsuccessfully trying to not overshoot their target.

The Chariot drivers caught the bars in the chest. They and the passengers were thrown from their vehicles by the mystic clothesline.

"Hey, Zel?"

Zelgadis turned to Ranma as the latter exited the truck and shifted to his Morphus. "Yes?"

"Since when do Hounds have fourrr arrrms?"

"New breed, I guess."

Ranma shrugged as she pulled out her katanas. "Whateverrr."

*******

Xelloss hummed a cheerful tune as he walked the halls of Ahriman's library. Even after close to eight thousand years of existence, the sheer number of books astounded him. It wasn't always this large, of course. Initially, it had been rather small, and grew slowly as new books were published, new artifacts found, and so on. Acquiring the library at Alexandria had been a piece of work, though, and gave the library much of its significant volume.

The particular wing Xelloss was wandering about in was the Artifact Wing, filled with relics and their accompanying lores. Tofu had been secluded in a private study for months now, and Xelloss knew it was time to see what the fruits of the not-so-good doctor's labors.

"So what are you working on?" Xelloss asked as he entered the chamber.

Tofu did not look up from his reading. "Translating the text to go with that," he pointed to an odd polearm that was sitting on the table.

Xelloss bent over the device. It had a thin shaft, about eight feet long, with an oddly-shaped twin blade at the top. "What does it do?"

"A few energy manipulation abilities, many of them involving a great deal of destruction, and enhancements for the wielder."

"Enhances the wielder?" Xelloss asked. "How much?"

"I'm not sure," said Tofu. "The legends indicate the defeat of an interdimensional traveler. A type of knight is my best guess, but I've never heard of anything called a 'Knight of the Cosmos'."

"Is that all? No sentience? No hidden abilities?"

"No," Tofu shook his head. "It hasn't been with enough owners to develop any sort of awareness. And its abilities are rather simple. It's a weapon, nothing more, and nothing less."

"Excellent. I have the perfect test subject to use it, as well. And since it's not sentient, we don't have to worry about repeating the Timestaff fiasco. What is its name?"

Tofu looked back to his books. "I'm not sure. The translation is very bad on this one. The best guess I could give you is 'Silence Glaive.'"

*******

One of the rules Ranma had picked up years before was to never go hand to hand with someone that has more hands than you. He learned this rule after being challenged to a wrestling match by a Nightbane whose Morphus resembled a humanoid spider.

The eight Hounds were slightly disoriented from their abrupt landing, but charged in anyway. Kasumi and Alita quickly leaped out of the truck and shifted forms, while Setsuna calmly held her hand before her, her staff appearing with a quiet pop. Ranma was about to ask where she had learned that trick when the Hounds came into range.

Eight opponents with four arms each, and each arm wielding a sharp, pointy weapon, equals way too many angles of attack for most people to compensate for. Luckily, no one here fell into the category of 'most people.'

Two of the enhanced Hounds charged Ranma, their swords weaving complex patterns in the air. Rather than even try to parry eight blades at once, Ranma twisted around the numerous strikes. She emerged from the tangle of limbs beside one of the Hounds, allowing her to drive her sword into it's armpit, through it's shoulder, and up into it's head.

Zelgadis didn't posses the sheer speed that Ranma had, but he had his own tactics. Rather than parry weapons, he parried limbs. Each time the Hound he faced attempted to strike, it lost a weapon and the hand that held the weapon. The unarmed (literally) creature was easy prey for a quick slice to separate its head from it's body.

Kasumi and Setsuna worked together, the former racing back and forth to keep two Hounds away from the latter, who was throwing energy bolts into the attacking crowd. It quickly became apparent that the bolts weren't having any effect. Setsuna didn't even show a trace of worry at that observation. Instead, she simply concentrated a different pattern of energy into her staff, and smiled.

Not about to be left out of a fight, Alita leapt into action. A quick hop put her over the head of the nearest Hound, and allowed her to catch hold of the Hounds mane of wire-like hair. Bracing her legs against the creature's shoulders, Alita wrapped her hands around its head and gave it a sharp twist. With a series of snaps and a wet-sounding pop, the Hound's head came free, dropping to the ground as Alita leapt to her next target.

Ranma removed her sword from the dead Hound at the same time that she pushed the armored shell at its partner. While the many limbs became tangled together, Ranma slid in and drew a tic-tac-toe board on her opponent's chest with her blades.

The next one was a combination effort by Ranma and Zelgadis. Ranma went high, becoming an airborne flurry of sword slashes, while Zelgadis went low and cut the Hound's legs out from under it. The armored being crashed to the ground, and received a sword thrust to its belly, chest, and head.

Setsuna's hesitation was explained when the butt end of her staff began crackling with energy. From the ridge-like protrusions there sprang forth a large blade of energy, making the staff resemble some kind of scythe. Following a silent suggestion, Kasumi leaped into the air. The Hounds she was fighting followed the movement, and didn't reach as energy blade from Setsuna's staff cut through their armor like a hot knife through butter.

Alita landed on the last Hound, about to repeat her earlier actions, when the enormity of what she did worked its way past the wall of instinct and struck her.

She had killed.

She had used the skills her father had taught her to violently end another being's existence. The fact that the Hounds had been trying to kill her and her family was insignificant next to the fact that she had taken a life.

The Hound she was balanced on grabbed her ankle and threw her to the ground. The creature lifted its blades high to deliver a killing blow-

Which never fell, since the same creature suddenly acquired a pair of sai in place of eyes, along with a sword-point sticking through its chest.

Ranma tossed aside the Hound corpse, sheathed her sword, and shifted forms as she rushed over to her daughter.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I guess so," was the mumbled reply.

"Good, because I'd better not catch you doing anything that stupid again."

Alita's head shot around, her hurt expression turning to shock as she saw the cold look on her father's face. "How can you say that?"

"Easily," Ranma replied, not easing up for a moment. "You froze in the middle of a fight. If your mother and I hadn't been around, you would be dead. I taught you better than that. You can't ever hesitate in battle. Or else you, everyone with you, and everyone relying on you may die, or worse."

"But... I killed that thing."

"Yes," Ranma nodded, "you did. Quickly, and efficiently."

"How do you do it?"

Ranma's expression softened a little. "I remember what I'm fighting for, and what will happen if I fail."

Alita was beginning to see her father's point. She remembered all the stories her family told about the spawn of the Nightlands. All the tales about Nightlords, Hounds, and worse that seem dedicated to destroying the human race. *But,* she asked herself, *does that make it right to kill?* Alita knew she would probably have many nightmares about what she was doing, but for now there was business to attend to.

"And if we don't fight," she finally said, "we can't rescue Hotaru."

Ranma nodded again. "That's right. But you still don't like it, do you?" Receiving a negative head shake, Ranma continued. "Good. Make sure you keep it that way."

Ranma stood and walked over to the Hound corpse. Kasumi, having dropped her Morphus, helped the girl off the ground.

"It'll be alright," she whispered, holding her daughter in a tight embrace. "You scared us back there."

Ranma looked over his shoulder as Kasumi's sai from the creature's skull.

"How'd she do?"

Ranma smirked. "Better than I did at her age, Zel. I hope it stays that way. But you didn't come over here to ask me that."

"We've got a problem."

Ranma shook his head. "Could you be a little more specific? We seem to have no shortage of problems."

"The spell I'm using to track Hotaru is decaying."

Ranma froze, then slowly turned toward the stone man. "What?"

"We have a few hours left, but that's it."

Ranma gritted his teeth. "And why didn't you mention that before?"

Zelgadis shrugged. "It just started. Something must have happened to her in the past couple of hours. It'll take me a few days to set up the spell again."

"You just said we only have a few hours, not days."

"I know. But there should be enough time left to find her."

"I hope so." As Ranma began walking toward the truck, he barked a laugh. "You ever feel like you're the butt of some universal joke?"

Zelgadis tapped his cheek. "What do you think?"

*******

The structure resembled a cross between a fortress and a cattle ranch. Fenced in pens filled with dead-eyed people surrounded the squat, black stone structure.

"Why is there a slave camp in the middle of nowhere?" Ranma asked.

Zelgadis shrugged. "Bait?"

"It's been here too long," Kasumi noted, holding a pair of binoculars to her eyes. "There are signs of wear on structures, and the people look like they've been there for a while."

"It could still be a trap."

"That would take a lot of effort," Ranma commented.

"I think we're worth it," Setsuna said.

"Well, are we going in?" Alita asked.

Ranma turned to Zelgadis. "It's the place," the stone man said, "she's there. Though we have less than an hour left on the spell."

Ranma turned back to his daughter, and nodded.

"How many Hounds do you suppose are in there?" Ranma asked the group.

"What are you thinking?" Kasumi asked.

Ranma didn't answer, and instead summoned his morphus.

Zelgadis stared incredulously. "You're not..."

"When all else fails," Ranma stated, "blast everrrything in sight."

"A full frontal assault into a trap?" Setsuna stared at Ranma as though the latter had grown a second head.

"They'll never suspect it."

*******

Xelloss watched the group creep toward the compound, confident in their stealth. The Hound guards fell silently before the figures as they made their way to the main doors.

"Well, I would say that it's show time," Xelloss said, turning to his companions.

Tofu nodded, hefting the silver sword hilt in his hand, while Bester merely made a show of tightening his gloves. The fourth figure in the group just stood in place, a steady rhythm of breathing being the only sigh of life.

"Time to test the new weapon," Bester commented.

"Of course," Xelloss replied. "Shall we?"

*******

A dozen squibs created a ring of fire around the doorframe. The twin, heavy slabs of black stone groaned as they toppled into the room.

"When did you learn demolitions?" Zelgadis asked.

"And how did you take out the door with less than six ounces of explosives?" Setsuna added.

Ranma smiled. "I learrrned after Nabiki bought a constrrruction company. I figurrred that it might be fun to expand my skills."

Kasumi shook her head. "Are you still getting a reading, Zelgadis?"

"Yes," the stone man replied, pointing down the hallway. "Straight in there."

A pair of Hounds attempted to obstruct the route, but were cut down in less time than it takes to describe it.

"This is too easy," Ranma said, sheathing her swords.

"Don't say that," Kasumi said.

Ranma jogged to the next set of doors, and placed a small amount of gray putty at several points around the frame. She then nodded to Zelgadis, who sent a charge of energy into the door, igniting the explosives simultaneously. The doors fell inward to reveal a large, arena-like room.

"What the hell is this?" Zelgadis asked as they entered the indoor coliseum.

"This," came a voice from above, "is a trap, haven't you noticed?"

Ranma dove into the room, then spun to see Xelloss hovering in the air. Kasumi and Alita dove to the side, with Zelgadis and Setsuna moving in the opposite direction.

"Wherrre is she, Zel?" Ranma shouted.

"Over," Zelgadis pointed to the center of the arena, "there?"

Ranma followed Zelgadis' direction, and saw a small, glittering object on the ground. Walking over, she found a small piece of quartz in the exact center of the coliseum.

"It was rather easy to misdirect that little spell of yours," Xelloss commented, still hovering.

"Let's get out of here," Alita said.

"Think again," a voice said from down the hall. The gloom was broken suddenly by a shaft of white light, which illuminated a black armored figure walking toward the arena.

"Oh, shit," Zelgadis commented.

"A rather interesting observation," another voice came from the seats around the coliseum. A slim, black-garbed man was seated in the upper row, eyeing the group while reclining in the bleachers.

Ranma quickly assessed the situation. "Kasumi, you and Zelgadis get Xelloss. Setsuna, you take Mrrr. Fancypants up there. Alita, you'rrre with me."

"Right," came the general chorus.

Kasumi took to the air as Zelgadis launched a volley of miniature energy bolts. Xelloss' form seemed insubstantial as he constantly teleported to avoid the attacks.

"It won't be that easy, Zel," he taunted.

While Ranma and Alita backed away from the door, Setsuna looked to the bleachers.

"It's been a while, my dear," the black clad man said, "but I'm sure you remember me."

Setsuna puzzled over the man's face for an instant. "Uncle Alfred?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Bester bowed. "In person. Now that we have the tearful reunions out of the way, Setsuna, it's past time for you to die."

*Not a chance, old man,* Setsuna shot back telepathically.

Alita glanced toward the swordsman entering the arena, then back to her father. "Um, Dad?"

Ranma never let her eyes leave her adversary. "Yes?"

"Didn't you face this guy before?"

"Yes, we did."

"And didn't you get your butts kicked?"

"It was a crrramped hallway," Ranma quickly replied.

"Wasn't he still too good for you to even get a shot in?"

Ranma glared at her daughter. Alita immediately dropped to a ready stance. "That's betterrr. Keep on the opposite side of him frrrom me. I'll keep his sworrrd busy, you kick his ass."

Ranma charged forward, intercepting the swordsman's strikes and driving the energy blade to the side. In order to keep up with the swordsman's blinding strikes, Ranma was forced to do what she had only done once before. Triggering the Cat-Fist while in her morphus was easy. Ranma only hopped that she could pull out of the feral state when the time was right.

Conscious thought was submerged by instinct as the Cat took over. Some part of Ranma's mind managed to retain enough sanity to hold onto her katanas, knowing that any attempt to parry the energy blade with her claws would cause pain, and the loss of her paws. The long, black claws in her forepaws would have to do against her prey's sun-claw.

Altia watched in shock as her father's eyes acquired a savage gleam before she charged in. Even Alita's trained eyes could barely keep up with the lightning fast moves of both combatants. The swordsman was good, and managed to keep his opponent at bay, but Alita could see that he was tiring, his arms slowing ever so slightly. *Now's my chance,* she told herself, moving up behind the armored figure, ready to attack-

When a casual backwards kick sent her flying back.

"I don't have time to play with you, little girl," the swordsman stated.

The feral look in Ranma's eyes dissolved into an expression of shock. She had already been at the edge of consciousness because of Alita's proximity, the familiarity of the voice pushed her back over into sanity. Above the combatants, Kasumi halted her pursuit of Xelloss to stare.

"Doc?" Ranma gasped. Even after all that had happened, Ranma still had trouble reconciling the truth about Tofu. Even more confusing was the man's apparent skill with a sword.

"Correct!" Tofu called, knocking Ranma back with a kick to the stomach. "Xelloss, tell them what they've won!"

Above, Xelloss smiled. "An overly painful death!" The avatar waved his hand at the far end of the arena, where the large doors were opening.

Tofu glanced back as he removed his helmet. "I do believe that it's time to go. Bester?"

Xelloss and Tofu turned to the pair of figures in the bleachers, and their jaws dropped in shock. Setsuna was on her knees, a slight trickle of blood emerging from her nose. Bester, on the other hand, was in far worse shape. He was slumped in his seat, blood leaking from his nose, eyes, and ears. It was obvious that the psychic was quite dead.

"That was unexpected," Xelloss commented as he and Tofu disappeared.

Zelgadis put an arm under Setsuna's shoulders and helped the green-haired woman to her feet. Ranma sheathed her swords as Kasumi landed, and the two of them checked on Alita.

"Why do you suppose they left?" Ranma asked.

Alita pointed to the door. "That, maybe?"

A small figure entered the arena, carrying a blade-tipped staff and sheathed in a faint glow. The figures purple cloak fell away, revealing a small girl dressed in a black bodysuit. A very familiar girl dressed in a black bodysuit.

"Hotaru," Alita gasped, "is that you?"

The other girl smiled. "Here's a hint."

Lightning crackled along the glaive. With deceptive sloth the polearm's blade descended and lightly touched the ground.

>From a distance it resembled a ripple in a pond. The building was consumed as the ground around and in it violently inverted, sending debris flying into the air. The explosions continued in an expanding ring until over an area over a half mile in diameter had been devastated.

End Chapter 17