This is not mine, so please send C&C to:
jrleek@ecst.csuchico.edu
Thanks!
----------------------------------------------------------------------




 
                  Ryoga's last stand
                    By SKILLS LTD.

     Oh yeah, by the way, only a few of the characters in this
story are mine (all the relatively useless ones).  Most of them
were created by comic genius Rumiko Takahashi.

"KIDS! Get off that darn machine and come listen to your
Grandfather!"  Kenji and Asama Hibiki abandoned their old model  VR
booths to obey their screaming father.
     "Geeze, what's with him, he act's like those dumb old stories
were actually important," muttered Kenji.
     "Ahh, lighten up, the old man hasn't got anything better to
do," replied Asama.  They finished walking through the old dojo and
sat near their grumbling old grandfather.
     "Now you kids listen up, this story has a moral that you kids
should really pay attention to," commanded father Hibiki.
     Grandfather Hibiki started out, "Now let me take you back to
your great-grandfather, Ryoga Hibiki, my father, he didn't exactly
have a happy life, always under the shadow of a villain by the name
of Ranma Saotome....

"Thanks Shampoo, I didn't think I'd be able to escape that Tomboy's
horrible cooking, but that was great," Ranma said.
     "Ranma like Shampoo's cooking?" Shampoo asked.
     "Anything's better than," *!!WHAM!!*
     "WHAT WAS THAT?!?!?" interrupted Akane.
     "Ranma no answer, Ranma in basement," commented Shampoo.
     "Grrr!  Quit fooling around down there BAKA!" screamed Akane.
     "Did An-nY oNe Get t-the lice-ncE pl-Ate? gurgled Ranma,
before passing out on the noodles.
     "AUUUGGGHHH!!  He's im-POSSIBLE!" ranted Akane while stomping
out of Shampoo's restaurant, demolishing half the door while
passing.
     Ryoga watched from the top of a near by movie theater, *Do you
really love him Akane? How can you love an idiot like him?* Ryoga
mentally questioned.  Ryoga had asked himself that question plenty
of times, and the answer was always the same. Frustrated, Ryoga leapt
of the building to find some cold water.

     "Ahh, Shampoo help Ranma," Shampoo said to herself.
Ranma was in the middle of a dream, he and Akane were happily
married with children: two boys.  At this particular part in the
dream, Ranma and Akane were sharing a big bag of pork rinds.

     "It was always hard for father to tell this part of the story,
I never did find out why, but mom seemed to know something about
it." Grandfather interjected.

      Ranma grinned in his sleep.
     "Ranma have happy dream, must be married to Shampoo," noted
Shampoo as she hauled him upstairs.  She lay Ranma on Mousse's bed,
if Ranma didn't wake up in time for bed, only Mousse would suffer. 
Ranma did wake up in time to leave before bed, much to Shampoo's
disappointment.  That dream had made him realize something, and he
wanted to act on it before he lost his nerve.  Which in this
particular case, wasn't much.  "Shampoo, there's something I need
to uhh, discuss with you."
     "Ranma want some dinner?" 
     "No thanks," replied Ranma, as a big sweat drop grew on his
noggin.  "You see Shampoo, I... I... won't marry you."
     "But you must marry Shampoo, is law!"
     "I'm sorry Shampoo, I just can't; I'm no amazon, I don't obey
your rules, and I don't want to marry you."
     "Akane hit Ranma harder than Shampoo thought,"  Shampoo looked
slightly puzzled and tapped Ranma on the head.  
     "Shampoo, don't make this any harder, when I get rid of this
curse, and am forced to choose a wife... it...uh, won't be you."
     "Who you marry then, Akane?" said Shampoo, with as much
contempt as she could muster.
     "Well, uhh, heh, actually," Ranma muttered.
     "Ranma leave restaurant!  Ranma never come back!" screamed
Shampoo, before bursting into tears.
     "Shampoo..." Ranma attempted, before being thrown out by
Shampoo, along with two bowls and a dish tray.  Ranma got up,
scraped the noodles off him and started back to the dojo.

"Grrr, who does that henti think he IS!?" asked Akane.
     "Bwee!  Bwee!"  agreed P-chan.  Then the door slid open and
Ranma walked in.
     "So did you and Shampoo have a good time?" asked Akane.
     "No, and I'd rather you wouldn't rub it in," replied Ranma.
     "How could you not have?  You were over there for an hour and
half after I left!  You should have been having a great time!"
screamed Akane.
     "I was out cold!  You clocked me you kawaiikune tomboy!" Ranma
yelled back.
     "If I'm so painful to be around, maybe you should just STAY at
Shampoo's!" Akane retorted.  
     "I dumped her!  She's back there crying and you can't even
leave me ALONE!?"
     Akane's mouth opened and closed before she spoke again, "You-
you did wh-what?"
     "I dumped her, jilted her, left her for dead; are you happy?" 
     "I-I...."
     "Forget it, just forget it; I'm going to my room, see ya."
     "but...I..." trailed off Akane.  P-chan got up, and began
walking down the street, feeling the need to leave the place of
this unhappy turn of events.

"Great-grandmother, we go back to China," said Shampoo.
     "But child, you are not married yet!  Son-in-law still must
fulfill the law!"  replied Cologne.
     "I no marry Ranma, he say so; we go."
     "But child surely... hmmm... Very well, we will continue this
quest later, but for now we can move back home."
     "Shampoo!  That's WONDERFUL!  I'm so happy!"  Screamed Mousse
while hugging a convenient plant.  
     "Who said you were coming?!" asked Cologne.
     "I will follow Shampoo to the ends of the Earth! Cross any
ocean!  Climb any mountain! Pass any..." swore Mousse.
"Yes, unfortunately, we know," interrupted Cologne.

     "For a year Ranma saw nothing of Shampoo, Mousse, or her
great-grandmother.  Even Happosai, Ranma's master, disappeared
(much to the relief of the surrounding female population).  Ryoga
also disappeared from his eyes, and for some reason, Akane's pet
pig also disappeared.  Akane beat Ranma into the ground many times
with heavy objects before giving up P-chan for dead.  She was
convinced the Ranma had done something to him."  said Grandfather
Hibiki.
     "Wait-a-minute; how come you know so much about this Ranma guy
anyway?" asked Kenji.
     "Ryoga pieced it together from what Ranma told his
fiancees..."
     "Fiancees, as in, PLURAL? Wow, how many did he have?"
     "Four, but back to the story..."
     "Wow, four fiancee's!" dreamy look over came Kenji.
     "Hey, wipe that perverted look off you face!" Asama demanded.
     "A guy can dream, can't he?"
     "grrrr..."
     "Listen up kids!"  commanded father Hibiki again.
     "One day, a year later when Ranma was coming home from
school..."  trailed off Grandfather Hibiki before going into a
flashback-type-sequence.

"Get away from me Henti!" screamed Akane.
     "Who said I want to be near a kawaiikune chick like YOU?!"
replied Ranma.
     "Oh, so you insult me then? BAKA!" screamed Akane.
     "HA!  You're so unoriginal!  Using those same insults over,
and over!  I came up with a list of new ones!" Ranma confidently
whipped out a small piece of paper.  He looked at it; flowers began
to grow on his head, watered by a big sweat drop.  On Ranma's sheet
were 2 insults; kawaiikune, and tomboy.
     "EERRRGGGHH!!  BAKA!!" screamed Akane, while she wound up to
smack Ranma into next tuesday.
     Two figures on a neighboring rooftop stood.  One grinned, the
other jumped to the ground, interrupting Akane's swing. 
     "RANMA! I wouldn't insult her again if I were you." yelled
Ryoga.
     "Hey! Ryoga! You really do have the worst sense of direction
in the world!  Still, a year is long time, even for you!" replied
Ranma.  Ryoga just laughed.
     "Ryoga?" said Akane as she looked quizzically over at the lost
boy.
     "Quiet Ranma!  I'm here for one thing, and one thing only. 
I'm here to take Akane from you!"  yelled Ryoga.
     "WHAT??!?!?"  Akane screamed.
     "Ha!  I've been through this before!  You'll have to beat me
first!  And when have YOU ever been able to beat ME?!"  said Ranma. 
     "You're still too cocky Ranma!" replied Ryoga.
     "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?!?!"  screamed Akane.
     "Whose too cocky?  Look at you!" screamed back Ranma.
     "Go ahead, attack me Ranma!"  laughed Ryoga.
     "Hey!  I don't pick on weaker guys!"
     "Very well, pick on THIS!"  Ryoga jump-kicked at Ranma, who
leisurely side stepped, but before Ranma could counter attack,
Ryoga was already up and giving him a roundhouse in the stomach
that sent him through a nearby wall.
     "RANMA!" Akane screamed at the hole.
      Ranma jumped through the hole and charged Ryoga.  a split
second ahead of Ranma, Ryoga slipped deftly aside. Ranma punched
air and looked around in bewilderment.  Ryoga had spun all the way
around behind him, and was tapping him on the shoulder.  Ranma spun
around. 
     "Just ignore me then!" said Akane.
     "How did you get there?!"  he screamed.  Ryoga just laughed. 
"TENCHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Ranma yelled.  Ryoga was pressed to parry
each punch, until he was hit a glancing blow to the shoulder. Ryoga
dropped back a step and grinned.  Even though he had landed a
punch, it was obvious Ranma had put his training on the back
burner.  Back when Ranma was in his prime, he would have landed at
least eight. It was understandable though, Without anyone to fight,
what was the point?  
     Ryoga threw a punch, which Ranma barely dodged, what Ranma
didn't see was Ryoga's other hand coming from the opposite
direction.  Ryoga clocked him, hard.  Ranma flew back spinning to
the right.  "CRAP!  This isn't working!  MOKO TAKABISHI!!"
     Ryoga's eyebrows went up as he watched Ranma's ki build up for
a second, until it began reaching critical.  Then Ryoga quickly
lifted a finger, and sent a pencil thin blast of ki at Ranma's
nose.  It hit Ranma, and while causing no real damage, startled him
enough to cause him to lose control of his ki. The blast went off
erratically, totally missing it's target. Instead, it blew a hole
right through a few trees, and a wall.
     "It-it's n-not over yet!"  Ranma groaned, drained from the
wasted blast.  He then staggered forward and attempted another
Tenchin Amaguriken.  Ryoga merely grabbed his fist, twisted Ranma
over, and slammed him into the ground, head first. He slipped his
other hand around Ranma's neck and began to lift him off the
ground.  
     "You've gotten too weak Ranma, you left yourself wide open." 
Ryoga dropped Ranma, who was K.O.ed. Then he turned around, grabbed
Akane and began to jump off.  
     "Ryoga!  Put me down!"  Akane demanded.
     "Just hold on for a little while!"  Ryoga replied.

     When Ryoga stopped and put Akane down, they were inside a
small house.  Shampoo and Mousse were in one corner, cooking, and
Cologne was sitting in a chair near the door.  Happosai was tied and 
gagged to a chair facing the corner, bouncing up and down.
     "Ryoga... WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!  YOU KIDNAPPED ME!!  YOU
PIG!"  Akane almost began to cry.
     Ryoga winced, "I'm sorry Akane, It's all I could think of to
do!  At least hear me out!" Ryoga begged
     "Humh!  You're just like Ranma!  Jerk!"
     "Pllleeaaassee?" Ryoga begged.
     "OK! OK! humh!"
     "I guess I'll start from the beginning.  I've always loved
you, from the first time I saw you, probably forever.  When Shampoo
and the rest left a year ago, I went along.  Shampoo, without
Ranma, eventually fell in love with Mousse.  Mainly because he was
the only sympathetic ear around, the rest of the tribe near shunned
her.  It didn't hurt that once she actually RESPONDED he stopped
being such a gimpier about the whole thing.  He does still tend to
get a little annoying about fulfilling Shampoo's every whim.  
     "Ranma's problem is he seems to have allowed his martial arts to
deteriorate over this last year. It just didn't look like he's been
training very hard.  Anyway, I trained with a good number of
martial artists in China over the last year.  I had some guide with
me, his name was.. Bong? Dong? Vong?  Anyway, I learned a few
tricks, and worked on my skills.  I studied with Kirin, Cologne,
even Happosai, although Cologne and I had to force him.  I trained
all day, every day, I did nothing else.  Near the end of the year
I was one of the best in China.  Everyone expected me to stay in
China and start a Dojo, maybe kidnap a girl and force her to marry
me, the usual thing.  Throughout that year I had tried to forget
you, but I couldn't.  I had to come back,  I'd like to... marry
you..."  he slowly trailed off until near the end he was barely
audible.
     Akane opened he mouth then closed it again, and then opened it
again, and so on.  This wasn't exactly what she expected.  Then she
stuttered, "... Ryoga... I..."  
     "I know, it's rather sudden, I won't force it, you just tell
me when you decide.  You can get dinner in about half an hour, 
I'll show you your room when you need it." Akane just sat, and
stared at the air.
 
"Ukyou!"  Ranma poked his head inside Ukyou's restaurant.  The
restaurant was full, dinner rush.
     "Oh, Ran-chan!  You want the usual?"  Ukyou bounced out from
around the counter, a grinning Lynn Minmei doppelganger.
     "No, actually, Akane went and got captured again. I need some
help,"  he stated.
     "Oh, who this time,  A Thai kickboxer?  A master of fish-fu? 
Maybe a lonely cactus?" 
     "Ryoga."
     "Aww, you can take him!  Come on Ran-chan!" 
     "He's better, MUCH better.  He beat me, easy!"
     "O.k.  Anybody else coming along?"
     "I think I might be able to get Kuno, Mr. Tendo, and dad to 
come along.  There's not much of anyone else to get."
     "Kinda a small force, but if it's just Ryoga we should be o.k. 
It's time's like this where I almost MISS Shampoo!  Hahahaha!"
     "Heh, heh...."


Kuno, Ranma, Genma, Soun, and Ukyou were all sitting at the Tendo's
dining room table, having a conference.  Soun was crying his eyes
out.
     "Akane has been stolen!  This shall not be allowed!  So swears
the Blue Thunder of Furinken High!"  Kuno declared.
     "Never the less, we must get her back, by force if necessary!" 
stated Genma.  "If we don't, Ranma and Akane will NEVER be
married!"
     "I have NO intention of marrying her!!!" Ranma grinded out.
     "POOR AKANE!!" -<sob>- cried out Soun.
     "Just HOW do you people expect to FIND them, anyway?"  Nabiki
asked from the doorway.
     "Good question, hmmmm, did you see which way they went Ranma?" 
asked Genma.
     "I..WAS..OUT..COLD!" Ranma Grimaced, popping a vein or two.
     "Fear not, Akane I shall find and save thee!  With my noble
sword in hand, I shall," !!CRUNCH!!
     "SHUT UP!!"  Ranma screamed.  He had slammed Kuno's head
through the bottom of the table.  "Still, there's the problem of
finding Ryoga."
     "Shoot, we'll just find them the same why we find everyone
else who take's Akane: blind luck,"  said Genma.
     "Good point; o.k. if anybody see's him, follow him, then
report back to the rest of us.  I guess you all better go home
now,"  Ranma summed up.  Soun and Genma got up, grabbed Kuno and
chucked him into the street.  Ukyou got up and walked over to
Ranma.
     "I hope we find her soon, after being gone for a year, Ryoga
probably likes Akane more than ever.  If you don't hurry she might
end up liking him back," Ukyou said.
     Ranma looked at the ground, and lamely said, "I doubt it,
there's no way she could like that... PIG!"  Then Ukyou moved away,
and walked out of the house.


Akane had just woken up and was sitting at the dining room table,
she looked as if she hadn't gotten a whole lot of sleep.  Shampoo
was up cooking breakfast, and Cologne & Ryoga were talking in a
corner.  Ryoga stood up, and came over to Akane.  "Akane, Cologne
and I are going off to train for a little while, I'll see you again
shortly."
     "Come back soon." Akane replied, with a twinge of sarcasm.
     "Sure, I'll be back in, maybe, half an hour, bye," Ryoga said,
all together missing the sarcasm.  Ryoga and Cologne walked
outside, stood about 10 feet away from each other, facing each 
other.  Then Ryoga punched, Cologne dodged and tried to bonk him on
the noggin.  He blocked then jumped up on the roof to avoid a low
sweep, and Cologne jumped after him.  Akane blinked a few times,
then turned away and began to boredly eat her breakfast. 

Ranma dragged himself out of bed and put on a pair of pants.  He
went in the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and walked downstairs. 
Kasumi was in the kitchen making some breakfast.  He sat down at
the table half asleep, and slumped forward to rest his head on the
table.  Just as his head came to a rest, Ryoga dropped through the
roof and top story to land on Ranma's head. 
     "WHAT THE---"  Ranma grimaced.  Cologne leapt if after him,
blocked a punch from Ryoga, and countered with a thump to the head. 
Ryoga fell backward and shot his foot up to hit her in the chest. 
Cologne pogoed up and spun downward with her cane zooming right for
Ryoga's head.  Ryoga jumped back and out the hole in the roof, and
Cologne followed.  
     "Oh!  Was that Ryoga?"  Kasumi asked.  Ranma blanched.  Then
he remembered to follow them.  He jumped up through the roof and
took after them.  By the time he made it over the roof, he could
only make out two shadows in next to the sun, he pursued for all of
3 seconds, before the shadows disappeared.  Ranma tripped and fell
flat on his face.

     "Looks like that's enough for today, boy.  Let's head back." 
Cologne rasped while dodging one of Ryoga's kicks.  Ryoga stopped
fighting immediately to jog after Cologne through the winding
streets of Tokyo.
     
     Ranma was sitting on a roof looking in various directions. 
*Where did he GO??*.  Ranma got up and jumped to where he had seen
him last.  He jumped around in a circle, looking down at the
streets below until he saw Ryoga's back while he turned a corner. 
*Bingo*.  Ranma hopped silently behind them, from roof to roof,
watching, until they reached a small house.  He watched them enter,
recorded the address in his memory, and started back to the Tendo
Dojo.
  
     "Okay guys, I know where Ryoga's hiding out.  I can take you
there, but I gotta warn ya'; he's got Cologne and probably some
other guy's with him, Shampoo maybe.  But, together we'll be able
to take 'em!  Is everyone ready and willing?" Ranma said.
     "The vengeance of heaven is slow but sure, wherefore I shall enact 
it swiftly! Have no fear, Akane!  Soon I shall save thee!  I vow..." 
!!CRUNCH!! Ranma slammed Kuno's head into the table, again.
     "Well, Kuno's willing, Ukyou?  Dad?  Mr. Tendo?"  Ranma asked. 
In response each gave curt nod.  "If everybody's ready, let's get
it moving."
     
"Ryoga, I just wondering, why did you go to China?  I thought you
liked it here,"  Akane asked, conversationally.  Everybody was
gathered around the table, scarfin' some eats.
     "Well, after Ranma dumped Shampoo, I figured my chances with
you were shot.  I left, and happened to end up at the Cat Cafe. 
Cologne said I should come along." Ryoga responded, and shrugged
his shoulders.  Akane looked speculatively over at Cologne. 
Cologne looked slyly back.
     Shampoo critically said, "Need more salt!" and slipped a
container of passion salt from her sleeve.  She began to sprinkle
it on Akane's food, while looking innocently in the other direction
and humming.
     "Shampoo. what are you doing?"  Akane asked sweetly while a
sweat drop formed on her head.
     "Oh!  Silly Shampoo, not be thinking!"  Shampoo slipped the
passion salt back up her sleeve, and picked up some regular salt
for her food.  Akane decided she'd had enough to eat.
     

     "ARGGAHH!  Ryoga!  This is the day you DIE!"  Ranma screamed,
just before he punched a man sized hole through the house wall, and
jumped in.  "Hoo, boy!" Ranma took a step back as he saw just who
was in the house besides Ryoga.  
     "What's that Ran-chan?" Ukyou poked her head around what's
left of the wall.  "Uh-oh, looks like a little more than we
bargained for..."
     "It makes no difference!  Prepare yourself to die Ryoga!"  Kuno 
came charging out from behind the crowd, screaming, striking a thousand 
times with his sword.  Ryoga absently flipped him over into a bowl of 
noodles, before kicking him through a wall, down a flight of stairs, and 
head first into a bucked of mop water.  Satsuke found
him three hours later. 
     "AKANE!" screamed Soun.
     "DAAAAD!" she screamed back.
     "You needn't yell, your only 10 feet apart!" Ryoga
interjected.  "Akane, please go back into your room, I don't want
you to be harmed by Ranma's foolishness, and take your father with
you!"  Ryoga jabbed Soun in the neck with a finger, Soun crumpled,
Akane grabbed him, and dragged him back to her room.  "Now Ranma,
what is it you want?"
     "Your gonna die for what you did, Ryoga!  I'll rip your head
off!"  Ranma screamed, and charged Ryoga.    
     "ROLLING EXPLODING POINT!" Ryoga jabbed the ground with his
finger, creating a small lump, that sped the few remaining feet to
Ranma.  When it reached him it exploded into a cloud of dust and
shrapnel.
     "Gyaaa!" exclaimed Ranma.
     Akane came running back out of her room, screaming, "RANMA!"
     "You see, I've been working on a few techniques of my own,
Ranma."  Ryoga grinned.  
     Ranma staggered up, "You're DEAD Ryoga!  Just wait!"  Ranma
jumped, flipped, and came down where Ryoga's head should have been. 
Instead he landed on his butt, and Ryoga kicked him into the stove.
     "Ha!  That was nothing!"  he said and jumped up, and fell down
again.  He landed looking at an open drawer.  Ranma quickly grabbed
everything he saw, jumped up, and threw a flurry of cook ware at
Ryoga.
     "Ranma! Is that the be-" Ryoga began while dodging the pots
and pans coming in his direction, until he was interrupted when a
cast iron pot connected.
     Now it was Ryoga who looked uncoordinated.  He slowly, and
clumsily, got to his feet, planted them, and said very calmly,
"That hurt."  then screamed, "DIE RANMA!  FROM THE DAY I MET YOU
TILL NOW YOU'VE MADE MY LIFE HELL!  NOW, DIE!!"  and he gathered
power.  He glowed, brighter, and brighter still... until Ranma
could no longer look at the blazing image burning into his
retina's.  "DDDDIIIIIEEEEE!!!"  Ranma squeezed his eyes shut. 
Ryoga let loose with a monstrous ki blast, that vaporized
everything in it's path through the house.  
     "RANMA!!!!" was distantly heard above it all.
     Ryoga was kneeling, only half awake, but grinning.  He had
done it, he had KILLED Ranma!  Finally after years of training, he
had finished off his rival!  But somehow it didn't feel like it was
supposed to.  Though all the joy, he felt a little tug of sadness.
That small tug threatened to overcome him when he turned around and
saw all the aghast faces, and most of all, Akane lying on the
ground, crying Ranma's name.

     Ranma felt himself falling, but he couldn't do much about it. 
He was covered in burns, and he could feel it, but he wasn't dead. 
By some miracle Ranma had been knocked out of the blast before it
could cause fatal injuries.  Although he didn't know any of this
until later.  He landed in a drainage ditch, and had just enough
strength to pull his head out of the water before he fell
unconscious.   

     Ryoga stared at Akane, until he just could watch anymore.    He
finally realized that he never had a chance, and never would,
especially not after what he had done.  After a few seconds he
decided, this was it.  It was time to start somewhere else.  He
looked around one last time, careful not to look behind at Akane,
and leaped on to the nearest standing building.  After hesitating
to reconsider, leaped and was gone.

     After a few houses, he leapt over a drainage ditch, noticing
something odd at the bottom, he dropped down to investigate.  After
feeling for a heartbeat, he was relived to find Ranma was still
alive, although nearly in a coma.  He quickly found a phone and
called an Ambulance to come pick up Ranma, and gave directions.
Ryoga leapt off, guilt satisfied.  A few hours later the Ambulance
arrived.
  
     "Annnnddddd.....?" Kenji asked after a few moments.
     "What do you mean 'and'?  That's it!  You don't want me to
kill my dramatic ending with an Epilogue do you?  Have you no taste
for the dramatic?!"   
     "Ummm, ok... so what's the moral that you guys dragged me out
here to hear?" asked Kenji.
     "Well, heh, heh, ahhah... how about, 'Don't kill people for
chicks'?"



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