What has happened before...
The troop continues to dwell in the two Stars' "Endless Realm," a 
veritable utopia designed specifically to suit everyone's needs. 
Recently, Ranma was challenged to a "friendly" contest of skills by 
the martial artist of the World of Ruin, Sabin Ren� Figaro. Thus, and 
because of Phaeron's insistence, Ranma has been training under 
Master Yang.
And so, as Ranma finally masters Yang's "Ricochet Flying Kick" 
technique, the two square off to determine whether Ranma is ready 
to face his toughest enemy yet...


Fight! --Wind Dragon vs. Tiger Streak

They stood in the middle of the dojo, both in fighting stances and 
facing each other silently as ragged breaths came from them. To the 
sides were Akane, Ranko and Phaeron, watching the two warriors as 
they continued a combat that had started nearly half an hour earlier.
	Yang made a move. With a loud, "Achoo!" he shot a fast 
punch towards Ranma, who evaded to a side and pushed Yang's arm 
down to counter with a quick Leopard fist. The older fighter blocked 
with his forearm, then joined both arms and swept them to a side, 
then pushed with his palms through Ranma's defenses. The pigtailed 
boy was hit on the chest and stomach; he stumbled back a bit, and 
then simply stretched his left arm to fake an attack. While Yang 
blocked, Ranma's right fist was blurred in a succession of blows, each 
faster than the last. Yang was hard pressed to block them, and even 
then most of the punches slipped through. However, just as his attack 
was succeeding, Ranma stopped and dropped to the ground to kick 
Yang's legs out from under him. Taken by surprise, the warrior 
toppled to the ground and immediately rolled away to spring to his 
feet once more.
	He smirked. During the last week, whenever Ranma wasn't 
trying to figure out the Ricochet Flying Kick, Yang had been training 
him in speed and, most of all, the importance of unpredictability in 
combat styles. That was because, although the Anything-Goes 
School was truly unrestricted about fighting, it hardly gave grounds 
for the development of a quick mind. Previously, Ranma would have 
often used the same patterns and techniques while fighting, even 
when he faced different opponents. It was always a very special 
situation or condition that _forced_ him to adapt to a new style he 
didn't know how to fight against. However, if he could learn to be 
really wild, random, _unpredictable_, then he would be able to adapt 
to an opponent much faster and efficiently.
	In a way, it was what Ranko and Phaeron had been so 
adamant about: just because Ranma had caught the Esper Phoenix 
with the Hiryuushoutenha didn't mean that it would work on him 
again, let alone on Sabin; and Ranko's painfully-gained experiences 
with Mireillia and Coldfire's chaotic fighting styles had also taught 
her that lesson.
	Thus, even the great Master Yang was finally forced to 
assume the defensive on this match. Ranma's speed, while astonishing 
a few days before, was leaving even Ranko speechless as he 
overwhelmed Yang with the complicated techniques that were 
performed as quick as lightning.
	At one point, Yang leapt backwards to make room for 
himself. Ranma immediately saw the glow on Yang's fist and 
smirked.
	"What's he doing?" Akane asked, seeing Ranma open his 
palms and aim them to the floor.
	"What the..." Ranko blinked, recognizing the beginning of 
her brother's technique, "The Gray Touch?"
	"Just watch," Phaeron smirked.
	"Achoooo!" Yang punched the floor. A very faint ripple 
spread from his place. Ranma stood his ground despite the force of 
the tremor and reared his palms back.
	"Ricochet Flying..." Yang began.
	"Gray Touch!" Ranma pressed the ground.
	"...Kick!"
	In the blink of an eye Yang was already in the air, right foot 
extended for the kick. However, his flight was considerably slower 
than before, even if he was still surrounded by a faint red aura. 
Ranma had time to duck and roll away, at the same time thwarting 
the chance for the rebound strike. Defeated, Yang bounced off the 
wall and returned to ground-based fighting.
	"Ah-ha," Ranko nodded.
	"What?" Akane asked, turning to her.
	"That kick is chi-based, right?" the redhead said, looking at 
Phaeron. "He blasts himself off the ground in order to build up 
speed?"
	"Kind of," Phaeron said. "Just tell me. Have you ever tried 
to use the White Touch with your feet?"
	Ranko shook her head, but then her mouth opened slightly 
in realization.
	Meanwhile, Ranma had distanced himself from Yang and 
was grinning slightly. "So, give up yet?"
	Yang smirked, "You've realized the first part of the Ricochet 
Flying Kick, little one, but can you perform it well enough to 
discover its true strength?"
	"Since you ask for it..." Ranma snickered, "Tokkan Ryuusei-
kyaku!"
	In a flash of white light Ranma shot himself forward in a 
flying kick. Yang lifted his arms to defend, but it was useless. When 
Ranma's foot touched him, the remnants of his white aura struck 
Yang like a mass of hot lead, making him glow for a second; then 
Ranma bounced off the far wall and came back for the rebound 
strike. Since his aura had faded somewhat, the second blow was 
weaker, but enough to make Yang drop to one knee.
	"He did it!" Ranko cheered happily.
	"Actually, Yang's much stronger than that..." Phaeron 
thought, but decided to drop it since the "battle" was already over.
	"So..." Yang said, smiling as he approached Ranma, "Do 
you think you're ready for Sabin?"
	Looking at his teacher, Ranma could only grin and nod.
	"Then..." Yang continued, "I believe you have a challenge to 
answer."

			*	*	*

The sun was high, bathing the valley despite the thick clouds that 
threatened with rain. The scorching light was slowly fading behind 
the leaden-blue cotton that steadily approached the area. However, 
no one from the crowd was worried about the weather --with the 
forces that were about to meet, it was very likely even the elements 
would have to yield before their battle.
	By unanimous choice, the match would be held in the middle 
of a deserted valley, so the property damage could be kept at a 
minimum. Also, the two Stars had apparently shown interest in the 
combat, since they had readily provided a square platform of solid 
stone that rose one and a half meters high and was ten meters wide 
on each side. On each corner of the platform stood a heavy granite 
sculpture of a Chinese mythical creature: a large tiger; a dragon; a 
turtle and a phoenix. It looked like something out of a cheesy martial 
arts movie.
	On the ground next to a corner, the one with the tiger, was 
the group from the World of Ruin. Sabin Ren� Figaro was following 
his routine of warm-up exercises while the rest of his Returner 
friends gave him last minute advice regarding Ranma's fighting styles 
and abilities. Apparently, having a ninja in their team proved useful 
when spying on other people, since Shadow was able to give Sabin 
very good background information about the Japanese fighter.
	"So remember," the dark-clothed warrior said, "he enjoys 
showing off and performing flashy techniques. Do not underestimate 
him, though; when upset or focused, he can be rather unstoppable. 
His speed is remarkable as well, and his mastery of chi is similar to 
yours--"
	"Hey, hey, calm down," Sabin said, smirking, "We've faced 
worse, remember? Someone named Kefka?"
	"Yes, we remember," Sabin's brother, Edgar, shook his 
head, "But it was twelve of us against him back then. I hear this 
Ranma guy, by himself, faced an Air Elemental Fiend and defeated it 
even with Wind magic."
	Sabin narrowed his eyes, "Wind, eh?"
	Meanwhile, near the opposite corner, the troop from Nerima 
was gathered to watch the event. Mimicking the other group, this 
other team was going through the same kind of conservation 
regarding Sabin's combat skills. However, after just a few minutes 
Ranma got fed up and sat on a rock beside the platform. Phaeron 
fumed at suddenly being ignored.
	"Man, I don't wanna hear about this anymore," Ranma said, 
rubbing his neck.
	"You sure look tense, oniisan," Ranko said.
	"After hearing all of that..." he showed a lopsided grin. 
Snickering to herself, Ranko walked over and stood behind him, then 
began to massage his shoulders gently. Her brother closed his eyes in 
appreciation. 
	"Okay then," Phaeron crouched in front of Ranma, 
"Remember, Ranma, Sabin is like a walking mountain. He's 
immensely strong, probably more than Ryouga, and would be willing 
to walk into your attacks just to punch you real hard. Most of his 
attacks are also _very_ fast, so DON'T try to overwhelm him with 
pure speed; also, his chi techniques are devastating but you can spot 
them easily. Now, to identify his Blitz techniques you only have to 
wait until his eyes glow. His Pummel is slower than your 
Amaguriken, but definitely stronger; I suggest you don't fire off 
multiple chi blasts, or else you'd better work on dodging because he'll 
likely counter with the Fire Dance; his Air Blades are pretty normal, 
just remember that they're almost identical to your own Wind Shears; 
and for goodness' sake do NOT let him catch you into his Suplex or 
you're history, got it? So, your best bet is to catch him with _fast_ 
strikes that pack a very strong punch. You got all that?" He stared 
right at Ranma.
	"Aahh... that really feels good..." he said, enjoying the 
massage. Phaeron sweated visibly.
	"Hey!" Ranko stopped the stroking and slapped Ranma's 
head. "Didn't you listen to what Phaeron-kun said?"
	"Oh, come on, I'm ready for that Sabin guy," Ranma said, 
"I've faced worse. Besides, even Yang says I can't be more 
prepared."
	"Okay, how about this?" Phaeron glared at him before 
sending out a Random Fist barrage, covering each punch with a coat 
of fire. Ranma's eyes bugged out before he leapt away from the 
attack.
	"Why you..."
	"Dammit, oniisan, he's only trying to help!" Ranko scolded 
him, her fists clenched tight. Glaring at her brother, she just stared at 
him for a few instants before angrily turning away.
	Abashed, Ranma tried to talk to her, "Um, sis, I, uh..."
	"Let it be, Ranma," Akane said, putting a hand on his 
shoulder. "Just listen to her, okay? She's only worried about you. 
Phaeron-kun and Mireillia have told her a lot about how Sabin fights, 
that's all."
	"Ranchan..." Ukyou said, "It's okay to be confident and all... 
I mean, that's why I like you so much, but sometimes you need to 
listen to other people, all right?"
	"You have taught me that I can be defeated," Herb said, 
"Remember that arrogance is not a good ally, Saotome. Especially 
when you underestimate an opponent."
	Taken aback by the sudden concern from his friends, Ranma 
looked all around. Everyone, from his mother and Yuannyan to 
Ryouga, was looking at him with the same advice written on their 
faces: listen to the advice you're being given.
	Sighing, Ranma nodded and looked back at the platform. 
With a last look at the familiar crowd behind him he headed for the 
staircase that led to the top. On his way there he put a hand on 
Ranko's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, sis." Then he climbed up the 
steps and stood upon the platform, waiting for Sabin to follow.
	Unnoticed, Ranko smiled to herself. Maybe her brother was 
finally catching up after all.
	At long last, Sabin climbed the steps and joined Ranma on 
the platform. As a neutral party, Nadir went up to act as a referee of 
sorts. While he walked over to the two fighters, they bowed to each 
other and adopted battle stances: Ranma in a relaxed half-step 
posture while Sabin sat on a horse-riding position, introducing 
himself.
	"I am Sabin Ren� Figaro, student of master Duncan's school 
of combat, and prince of the kingdom of Figaro," was the greeting 
from the Returner warrior.
	"I'm Ranma Saotome from the Saotome School of  
Anything-Goes Martial Arts," Ranma responded.
	"All right, here are the rules," Nadir said, "First of all, no 
magic is allowed. Sabin, this means that you can't use magic to 
improve on your Air Blades or Fire Dance, and much less for the 
Suplex. Ranma, you can't use Wind magic. Any technique based on 
chi is perfectly fine, like the AuraBolt or the Hiryuushoutenha. But if 
you touch down outside the platform with _any_ part of your body 
you lose immediately." He glared at Sabin, "So no stepping down to 
throw the platform or anything," then he turned to Ranma, "and no 
'Saotome Secret Techniques,' either."
	"Okay, okay, we get the point," both of them rolled their 
eyes.
	"Very well..." Nadir lifted his hand, preparing himself to get 
the heck out of there once the fight started, "Begin!"
	As Nadir hastily got out of the way, Ranma and Sabin stood 
there, watching each other. Clad in his baggy white trousers and dark 
blue tank top, Sabin looked like the powerhouse he was supposed to 
be; his well-defined musculature attracted attention, proving once 
more that the nickname of "the Bear" had been well earned. If 
Phaeron hadn't warned him of Sabin's speed, Ranma would have 
immediately thought of him as a big and slow brawler. However, 
once he saw Sabin's fists open up into Tiger claws, he realized that it 
might have been a good idea to pay attention to Phaeron's ramblings 
after all.
	For his part, Sabin was also impressed. The boy that stood 
before him couldn't have been more than three or four years younger, 
and he already showed the markings of a powerful warrior. While he 
didn't have the raw strength Sabin had, he seemed very agile, able to 
dodge very easily and perhaps even get several hits in before Sabin 
could block them. Truly like the Wind he used...
	Deciding to take a chance, Ranma went ahead to attack. He 
leapt straight at Sabin with a jumpkick. Sabin rolled out of the way 
and slashed with both claws. Ranma ducked and punched Sabin's gut 
with the Chestnut fist, but the blond warrior barely even felt it. 
Ranma had to dive out of Sabin's range to avoid a downwards punch 
that cracked the stone beneath him.
	Seeing that his opponent had escaped, Sabin snorted and 
leapt up, then came down like a meteor on top of Ranma. He evaded, 
then stared with wide eyes as Sabin made another huge crack on the 
platform. But he saw an opening. Dashing at his adversary, Ranma 
reared his fists back to deliver a powerful barrage of punches. This 
time Sabin _did_ block them.
	"Damn, he's FAST!" the latter thought, "I can't even see his 
arms!" Narrowing his eyes, he snorted, "All right, if that's how you 
want it..."
	Ranma was just about to leap up and dropkick Sabin when 
all of a sudden he found his arms being flung apart. He instantly saw 
the grin on the Returner's face and stepped back.
	"Now _this_ is how you do it!" Sabin said, jumping 
backwards. "Blitz Techniques!" he shouted, as his eyes suddenly 
released a blinding golden flash, "PUMMEL!"
	Before Ranma could blink Sabin was already in front of him, 
delivering an endless barrage of punches with only his right fist. 
Ranma lifted his arms to block the attack, even as he realized that 
Sabin was doing more damage with one fist than what his own 
Chestnut technique had done with _two_. And damn, he _was_ very 
strong! Ranma's forearms were already aching badly from blocking!
	"Gotta make some space before he gets through!" Ranma 
thought. "Good thing he's only using one arm, he's wide open!"
	He waited a second more, and suddenly he pushed Sabin's 
fist upwards while dropping low to the ground. Just as his hands 
touched the ground he stood on them and shouted, "Shinkuu 
Kyaku!"
	Ranma's foot went up all along Sabin's torso, as when he 
had first fought Kuno. Using the momentum of the kick, he leapt 
away while Sabin staggered back. Despite the pain in his arms, 
Ranma smirked when he saw the "Bear" wobble dizzily for a few 
instants.
	"What in the..." Sabin thought, holding his head, as he 
noticed the footprints all over his torso. "I didn't even see his foot 
move! How did he do that!"
	"So..." Ranma said, "Had enough?"
	Sabin looked up, and smirked, "Heh. That was pretty good. 
Looks like I'm gonna have to bring out the big guns..."
	"Uh-oh..." Phaeron thought.
	"Um, Sabin..." Edgar tried to talk to him.
	"Big guns?" Ranma wondered, "What're you--"
	"Blitz Techniques!" Sabin shouted, as his eyes flashed 
brightly, "AURABOLT!"
	He lifted his hands, creating a sphere of white light at least 
twice as large as he was. But then he sucked back all that power and 
released it in the shape of a wide blast. Ranma could barely leap away 
to avoid it.
	"Sheesh! That thing was stronger than Ryouga's 
Shishihokodan on a really depressing day!" Ranma grimaced as Sabin 
was coming back for another close-range fight. "I'm gonna lose this 
fight unless... Of course!"
	Planting his hand on Sabin's shoulder, he yelled, "White 
Touch!" and sent him flying towards the far end of the platform. 
Puzzled by what the simple push had meant, Sabin stood up and 
blinked quizzically.
	"Aha!" Ranma found his opening, "Mouko Takabishya!"
	With that he let go of a large bolt that sped towards Sabin, 
who leapt straight up to avoid it. As soon as he landed, he crossed 
his arms, and smirked, "You like blasts, then... Okay, Blitz 
Techniques...!"
	"There!" Ranma noticed how Sabin became frozen for a 
split-second while his eyes flashed, "Tokkan Ryuusei-kyaku!"
	Sabin didn't even see it. The Lightning Strike Meteor Kick 
sped full-force towards him and struck once across his face; then, as 
Sabin stumbled backwards from the blow, Ranma bounced off the 
phoenix statue and smashed his foot on his enemy's back, pinning him 
to the ground.
	"Hah!" Ranma smirked, "Looks like you--"
	"Rraargh!" Sabin forcefully stood to his feet, sending Ranma 
sprawling to the floor behind him. He smirked, and in a swift motion 
turned around and smashed his fist on the stone, almost splitting it in 
two, and missing Ranma by a few centimeters.
	Having Sabin in range, Ranma twisted around to press his 
stomach on the floor and then shot his feet in a fierce horse kick. 
Sabin evaded, but suddenly Ranma used the kick's momentum and 
got to his feet to deliver a massive backhand punch. The Returner 
ducked and countered with a single claw to Ranma's kidneys, but the 
attack never connected. Ranma was already in the air, coming down 
with a spin-kick that sent Sabin crashing into the tiger sculpture.
	"That's it!" Ranma thought, "Maybe I _can_ overwhelm him 
with speed attacks!" Smirking, he reared his fists back and opened 
them into spear-hands.
	"He's not gonna use the..." Ranko thought, from the 
sidelines.
	"Wind Cracker!" Ranma's hands shot out hundreds of times 
to release a rain of needle-like blasts. Sabin stared wide-eyed at them 
before narrowing his eyes and chanting, "Air Blades, revised!"
	He spun in place, his hands lifted over his head to summon a 
razor-sharp chi field. Just as the first needles approached, he 
suddenly stopped and dropped his hands to the ground at the yell of, 
"Storm Barrier!"
	The force of the revised Air Blade created a small vacuum 
of chi in front of Sabin, exactly like the opposite of an aura shield. 
Ranma's Wind Cracker was absorbed into the Storm Barrier as the 
environment was forced to fill the void with more chi. However, 
since the blasts kept coming, Sabin was forced to pull the Barrier 
upwards again and fling it at Ranma like a gigantic vacuum blade. 
Growling, he crossed his arms before him while Ranma escaped from 
the flying knife.
	"Oh, great!" Phaeron said, "I told Ranma not to do that!"
	"What's he going to do?" Ranko asked, looking at Sabin.
	"Damn!" Ranma thought as he stood up again, "I almost had 
him there." He looked at Sabin again, noticing how the brush-haired 
warrior was simply standing in a horse-riding position while crossing 
his arms. "I better try to make him wear himself out before _I_ run 
out of steam." With that, he narrowed his eyes and ran straight at 
Sabin.
	As soon as Ranma started his race, an ominous red hue 
covered everything in the battleground. The Returners were stunned 
as they recognized the attack Sabin was about to use.
	"Stop!" came a frantic voice.
	But none of the fighters listened. When Ranma had reached 
the perfect distance, Sabin opened his eyes and yelled, "Blitz 
Techniques! FIRE DANCE!"
	"Damn!" Phaeron thought.
	Ranma froze in total shock. It was as if everything continued 
in slow motion. No sooner had the words left Sabin's mouth that his 
aura expanded into a dark red field, from which dozens of fiery 
apparitions --each shaped exactly to Sabin's own image-- shot out in 
an unceasing bombardment.
	"Gak!" was all Ranma could say as soon as he regained 
control of himself. He desperately tried to dodge the fire-Sabins as 
they wove and swept all around in random trajectories, grazing the 
platform and singeing the cold stone. All the time, however, Sabin 
remained perfectly still, simply using his aura to send out his ethereal 
doubles.
	"What kind of attack is that?!" Ryouga stared at the Fire 
Dance blasts, which seemed to be controlled so they flickered out 
when they left the area of the fight.
	"Sabin's master, Duncan, is the most powerful bare-handed 
warrior on their world," Phaeron explained, "He realized Sabin's 
potential and helped him develop his chi to the fullest."
	"I agree with you regarding that fighter's prowess," Herb 
said, analyzing Sabin's aura, "He seems considerably stronger than 
Ranma. I can guess that a single one of those blasts would incinerate 
him instantly."
	"What?!" Akane and Ranko were shocked. "Ranma, look 
out!" the former yelled. "Oniisan, you gotta stop that Fire Dance!" 
the latter called out.
	"I know that!" Ranma thought bitterly. "But damn, I can't 
even get close! How the heck am I supposed to stop him if I can't 
even touch--" A thought dawned upon him. "Touch?"
	Confident, Ranma suddenly stopped dodging and made a 
fast break towards Sabin, despite the cries and shouts from the 
audience that warned him otherwise. Weaving among the fiery 
emissions, Ranma smirked when he realized there was a tiny, man-
sized safe spot right in front of Sabin, in a place that neither his aura 
nor the fire blasts touched. Focusing his mind, Ranma set straight for 
that spot and, after a small leap, penetrated Sabin's Fire Dance.
	"Now!" he yelled to himself, planting his feet firmly on the 
ground, "Amaguriken revised! Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-
Haiiroshou!"
	With blurred arms Ranma repeatedly jabbed through Sabin's 
coat of fire, tagging his chest with the Gray Touch Palms and 
draining a bit more of the Returner's aura with each strike. 
Fortunately, it didn't take long for Sabin to feel the attack, as his Fire 
Dance soon flickered and died. Ranma grinned and, seeing that his 
opponent was bewildered and even slightly dizzy, reared back to 
deliver a powerful uppercut that sent Sabin up into the air.
	"Way to go, Ranchan!" Ukyou cheered.
	"Husband show muscle-boy who best warrior!" Shampoo 
called out happily.
	"Huh?" Lime turned to her.
	"Not you, you idiot," Mint glared at him.
	Several gasps came from the Returners' side as they saw 
what the pigtailed boy had done to Sabin. They had seen astonishing 
physical prowess many times before, but never had _anyone_ actually 
defeated the Fire Dance without the aid of elemental magic! And 
even then, only creatures of fire could survive the onslaught 
unscathed!
	...but on the other hand, the Fire Dance was one of Sabin's 
"lesser" techniques...
	"Damn!" Sabin thought, still in mid-air, "Wanna play 
hardball, eh?" Smirking, he realized that the angle of his fall would 
take him back directly towards Ranma. "All right... Blitz 
Techniques!" He placed his arms before him and began to spin on his 
axis, summoning a powerful current of wind around his body. 
"Revised attack..." he chanted, "Air Blade Bomb!"
	He stopped spinning and reared up so his feet were below 
him again, then suddenly threw his hands downwards at Ranma. The 
wind current quickly solidified into several arcs of vacuum that 
hurried down towards the pigtailed boy.
	"Yaah!" Ranma cried out, dancing frantically to avoid the 
large blades that easily cut through the stone platform, shredding the 
place where he stood as if it were paper. Desperate, he leapt out of 
the rain just as Sabin himself landed on the floor with a massive 
punch that broke through the last complete remains.
	"Damn it, Sabin!" Edgar pressed himself against the 
platform, as though he wanted to climb up and stop the battle, "This 
isn't a real battle! This is supposed to be a friendly match!"
	"Mouko TAKABISHYA!" Ranma let loose with one _big_ 
blast that Sabin barely avoided, although it still demolished the 
phoenix statue behind him.
	"Oniisan!" Ranko yelled, "Calm down! This isn't--"
	"Will you two SHUT UP!" both fighters yelled.
	She and Edgar stared at each other. They quieted down and 
meekly stepped back, muttering.
	"You're strong, I give you that!" Ranma taunted, returning 
to a quick close-quarters combat with Sabin.
	"And you're pretty fast yourself, y'know!" was the retort as 
Sabin slashed at him with his claws, forcing Ranma to back off and 
stand a few inches away from the tiger statue. "But let's see if you 
dodge this!" He leapt back and crossed his arms, "Blitz Techniques!"
	"Not again..." Ranma groaned.
	"Meteo-Strike..." Sabin muttered.
	"Oh SHIT!" Edgar, Shadow and Phaeron stared in shock.
	"SUPLEX!" Sabin leapt at Ranma with blinding speed. 
Moving on auto-pilot, Ranma barely had time to leap onto the head 
of the tiger statue to avoid it, but Sabin was already in the middle of 
his technique. Unaware that Ranma had escaped, he grabbed the 
statue in a bear hug and _leapt fifteen feet straight up_ with it. Even 
Ryouga and Lime were surprised.
	"HYAAAA!" Sabin grunted as he reached the peak of his 
jump, then he twisted around so he fell straight down with the statue 
in front of him.
	"Waah!" Ranma panicked when he saw the solid stone rush 
up to meet him --he immediately kicked away to avoid being crushed. 
Just as he slammed into the platform he managed to see how Sabin 
crashed the tiger into the floor, shattering said statue into a thousand 
pieces and making yet another large crater in the stone.
	"Geeze, that guy's as strong as LIME!" Ranma stared at 
Sabin, who was nonchalantly picking himself off the ground as if 
nothing had happened. "No wonder Phaeron said he once held up an 
entire house!" He looked down at his arms, which were still slightly 
bruised from the Pummel technique he had to block a few minutes 
earlier. "Guess I was lucky back then... I gotta figure out how to beat 
him without letting him get close again!"
	Stealing a glance of the last two remaining statues, he 
noticed that the dragon was still in one shape --odd, considering the 
damage they had already done to most of the battleground. The 
dragon was  intact, though, and its head was aimed at him as if it 
were trying to tell him something. "Yeah, right..." he thought, "Can't 
even get close enough to use that technique, and I don't think he'll 
use the Fire Dance again. If only I could get him to run in circles 
_and_ get angry..."
	"I think this has gone on long enough, don'tcha?" Sabin 
asked, cocking an eyebrow. Ranma grimaced. "Okay, to make this 
quick... I see that you _are_ pretty good. Only master Duncan 
himself can give me this much trouble. But it looks like this battle's 
going nowhere, and who knows how long it'll take before one of us 
collapses, so how 'bout we finish it right now?"
	"Fine with me," Ranma said.
	"All right, then..." Sabin smirked. "Blitz Techniques Final 
Attack!"
	"Uh-oh..." half of the people from Earth thought.
	"THE BUM RUSH!" Sabin shot like a bullet towards 
Ranma.
	"Bum rush? What kinda silly name is that?" Ranma 
wondered. But all of a sudden all he could see was how Sabin split 
up into seven different images, then danced in a very small circle 
around him, landing blows with a speed as great as Cologne's.
	"Gyaaah" Ranma grimaced in pain at the unstoppable attack. 
He couldn't even block --it was like being hit from every possible 
direction at the same time. It was only when Sabin himself jumped 
away to recover his breath that Ranma could slump down and gasp, 
clutching his gut tightly.
	"Guess that-- what?!" Sabin turned around, surprised to 
discover that Ranma as still standing. It was impossible! That was his 
and master Duncan's deadliest technique! One that could break 
through several layers of even the strongest armor back on the World 
of Ruin!
	"D-damn..." Ranma groaned, spitting out blood. "That 
was... a strong one..."
	"Ranma...!" Akane and Ukyou yelped in shock.
	"What in the world _was_ that?!" Ranko whirled to face 
Phaeron.
	"Never though Sabin would use the Bum Rush," he said, 
almost to himself, "I used it once, when Coldfire kidnapped you and 
Akane. It's the single most powerful technique ever created for close 
range combat. Your brother has really worked out lately, I guess... A 
year ago, that would've killed him."
	"What?!" Ranko stared at him in shock. "Why didn't you tell 
him?!"
	Phaeron grimaced, "I did tell him. I warned him about it 
every chance I could get. But he just wouldn't listen..."
	Ranko snorted and showed an angry face, "Damn it, 
oniisan..."
	"Ranma..." Akane thought, overhearing the conversation.
	"I can't believe this..." Sabin thought to himself. "That guy 
has some serious endurance. But maybe another Bum Rush can..."
	"So..." Ranma coughed, "That was the best you can do, 
eh?" He smirked despite the pain, "I... I dare you to... to try it again."
	"Are you insane?!" Ranko yelled.
	"Trust me on this, sis..." he groaned, "I know what I'm 
doing... B'sides, didn't you hear _fire_ when he used that trick?"
	"Fire?" Ranko repeated to herself. Repeating the events in 
her mind, she recalled how there was the sound of a roaring flame 
while Sabin danced around her brother, even if it was only brief. 
"Wait a minute..." she said, "Fire? And he was running _around_ 
oniisan..."
	"It always goes back to that, doesn't it?" Phaeron smirked 
and shook his head. "I wonder what would've happened if you hadn't 
created it..."
	Ranko sweated visibly.
	"You _want_ me to use the Bum Rush again?" Sabin stared 
at Ranma, disbelieving. "I mean... Look at yourself! You're barely 
standing straight! I could really hurt you with a second Rush!"
	"Chickening out?" Ranma grinned.
	Sabin fumed, "Of course not, you jerk! Look, we can 
declare the match over right here and now. You gotta go find 
someone who can heal those wounds."
	"No way!" Ranma blurted out, finding his second wind, 
"C'mon, give me your best shot! I challenge you!"
	"Man, does this kid have a death wish?" Sabin murmured. 
"Guess I _could_ put him to sleep... if I slow down a bit and boost 
up the chi, I can knock him out without hurting him..."
	"Okay, fine!" he suddenly said, standing tall, "Don't say I 
didn't warn you..."
	"Sabin, stop this," Edgar said sternly.
	"Can't do that, big brother. Look at him. If I stopped now 
I'd be dishonoring both him and me. If he wants a challenge I'll give 
him one."
	"Sabin..."
	"Hey, trust me, um... how did that girl call her brother? Oh, 
right. Trust me, 'oniisan.'" Chuckling, Sabin reared back and began to 
cross his arms.
	Just as the pair began to get ready, though, a faint blue glow 
began to fill the valley. It was barely noticeable, only those that 
weren't fully interested in the battle realized that the Crimson and 
Emerald Stars had suddenly arrived to watch the end of the battle.
	"Here goes..." Ranko thought.
	"Ready?" Sabin asked.
	"Ask yourself that question," Ranma taunted.
	"Okay! Blitz Techniques Final Attack! BUM RUSH!"
	He leapt straight at Ranma, his body multiplying instantly. 
The pigtailed boy stood his ground and clenched his fist. He had 
realized how the Bum Rush worked --or at least he thought he had. 
The reason why he had been barraged from every direction was that 
Sabin used his chi to send out hundreds of small "fists" that shot out 
of his aura, very similar to the Fire Dance, and then were pulled right 
back, hitting the target both times. If he was right, Ranma thought, 
then it meant that the Bum Rush had the same effect on the air 
currents as a hot-air pump --drawing back and forth, back and forth, 
all while moving in a circle.
	"Haaaah!" Sabin yelled as he began the circular dance 
around Ranma. However, the lower speed he was using let his 
adversary work a way around his blows. Upset that he was playing 
right into Ranma's hands, Sabin boosted up his speed and increased 
the number of blows. It was then that Ranma smiled.
	"Oops!" he grinned, dropping low to the ground. Sabin 
yelled and punched downwards, but Ranma was already up and on 
his feet again. "Hey, up here!" he taunted.
	"Why, you..." Sabin's right fist reared back for an uppercut.
	"Here comes..." Ranma thought, trying to keep his cool. 
With a massive force, Sabin rose from the ground with an uppercut. 
"NOW!" Ranma yelled, spinning in place and delivering his own cool 
uppercut to parallel Sabin's hot one, "HIRYUU SHOUTEN-HA!"
	An intense blast of wind blew everyone off their feet as the 
Flying Dragon rose from the battered platform. Only the strongest 
people, such as Lime and Ryouga, could stand against the 
whirlwind's currents once the initial release had finished.
	"What the hell...?!" Ranko stared at the tornado, "It's 
_never_ been that strong before!"
	Inside the spiral of wind, Ranma stood with his fist 
outstretched. He was pretty sure the battle was over... thankfully, 
given that he was almost drained. It had been Sabin's Bum Rush what 
had provided the energy he needed for the Hiryuushoutenha, 
especially because his spiral motion had saved Ranma the trouble.
	"Guess that finished Sabin..." he thought, keeping his eyes 
closed. But all of a sudden he noticed there was something clasped 
around his right wrist. He looked up, and his eyes went wide.
	"Nice... trick you got there..." Sabin grunted, holding on 
tight to Ranma's arm. "How about you join me up here?!"
	And with that, he pulled Ranma up into the tornado's funnel.

			*	*	*

"Everyone all right?" Edgar and Phaeron asked their respective 
parties. Although Ranko and Yuannyan had to help Mrs. Saotome to 
her feet, it seemed that the major damage was done to the platform 
itself.
	"Shouldn't it have dissipated by now?" Akane asked, looking 
up at the roaring windstorm.
	"I guess... something's wrong here," Phaeron replied. Ranko 
looked at him. When she noticed his ruby was shimmering, her eyes 
widened slightly. She didn't notice how her emerald was beginning to 
shed light of its own.

			*	*	*

Miles away, there was a small town. It looked like a Japanese suburb, 
and it was very similar to the district known as Nerima. However, as 
in all the other towns created by the Stars for their Brindel, there was 
something strange, alien, in its center.
	A black obelisk stood proudly in the central plaza. Its 
surface was smooth and brilliant, yet several small specks dotted the 
otherwise perfect stone. They were all but two of the Brindstones 
brought from Earth.
	All of a sudden, the obelisk began to glow. A very faint hum 
came from it, as though something inside it were vibrating rapidly. If 
one were to look closer, though, it would be obvious what was 
causing the monument's behavior.
	Ranma's aquamarine was struggling to rip itself out of the 
obelisk.
	Back at the battlegrounds, the two Stars were beginning to 
merge with one another.

			*	*	*

Sabin was dizzy. Thoroughly so.
	However, he had grown somewhat used to it. Over the 
years, he had faced several powerful creatures that would have left 
warriors like Ranma in the dust. Their attacks were often more than 
enough to make even _him_ dizzy from time to time. Also, he had 
long ago devised a technique very similar to what he was 
experiencing --then again, his technique, called Spiraler, was 
designed to make him spin in a tornado so his chi healed his 
companions. It was a self-sacrificial technique --it could take his own 
life-- but whenever he had used it he had felt the same kind of 
confusion the Hiryuushoutenha was bringing him.
	Shaking his head, he opened his eyes and spread his arms. 
Slowly, he regained some stability within the fast winds of the 
tornado. That was a good start, but even now he couldn't see where 
Ranma was. Frowning, he dove for the funnel once more and used it 
to spin in place. Then, trying to lure Ranma out of hiding, he flung 
his arms downwards to release a storm of Air Blades in all directions.
	As expected, Ranma suddenly shot out of the windy spiral 
and rammed Sabin with his shoulder. When the attack ended, the 
warriors faced each other from opposite sides of the whirlwind.
	"Got stronger?" Sabin mocked.
	"Heh," Ranma snickered, "I just got my second wind. 
Now... Wind Cracker!"
	As the pigtailed boy thrust his hands back and forth, Sabin 
used the wind currents to slip out of range and end up above Ranma; 
then he lifted his arms. "Sorry 'bout this, kid... But it's time to end the 
fight! Blitz Techniques, AURABOLT!"
	Ranma never saw it coming. When he looked up, it was to 
see a surge of whiteness that suddenly struck him full force, pushing 
him down against the rising wind. As he slowly began to black out, 
crushed by the opposing forces, he began to realize that he was 
reaching the bottom of the tornado...

			*	*	*

"What in the world..."
	Everyone that stood by the platform wondered aloud when 
they saw the Stars merge completely. The Crimson and the Emerald 
had become a single entity, a large golden sphere that slowly began 
to float around the Hiryuushoutenha, releasing cascades of dust 
around it and quickly turning the entire cyclone into a bright column 
of twisting light.
	And there was a light blue speck hurrying down to the 
bottom, pushed by a white bolt of energy.

			*	*	*

The obelisk released an ear-piercing shriek. With a final glow, it 
suddenly released Ranma's aquamarine. And, if one looked closer, 
one would see that said gem had taken the shape of a small, winged 
dragon, which flew like a bullet towards the battle.

			*	*	*

Sabin relaxed, letting the last remains of the AuraBolt surge out of 
his hands. He could no longer see Ranma --he was too high up in the 
tornado to see its bottom. However, he was sure he had finally won. 
Given the strength with which the Hiryuushoutenha was pushing 
upwards, his blast should have knocked Ranma out instantly.
	Now, to get out of the tornado. But that was odd: why was 
it suddenly shimmering like gold?
	Meanwhile, a few hundred meters below him, another 
fighter was wondering the same thing. Ranma, though immensely 
weakened and disoriented, could vaguely notice the way his Flying 
Dragon had changed due to the Stars' influence. But it didn't end 
there; the same power that had altered his technique was now making 
him release a bright blue aura --involuntarily. He didn't like that one 
bit: he felt as if those strange beings were using _him_ for their own 
plans. And Ranma hated being used.
	Struggling against the dizziness, he righted himself up so he 
could regain his balance inside the twister. He looked up. Sabin was 
probably overhead, unless of course the Hiryuushoutenha had 
managed to knock him out and toss him towards the ground. 
Whatever the case, he had to find out.
	He spread his arms, letting the wind carry him upwards. But 
he hadn't gone up one meter when he suddenly saw a small blue rift 
right in front of him, as if the windy column itself had opened up to 
create a circular breach. He gasped when he saw a shimmering azure 
bullet shoot straight at his head, but that was where his actions 
ended.
	With a proud roar, Ranma's dragon-shaped aquamarine 
embedded itself on his forehead.

			*	*	*

Dozens of miles away, in the town that the Returners lived in, a white 
opal began to shimmer. It suddenly released itself from the obelisk 
that contained it, and flew like an arrow towards the battle.
	It was Sabin's Brindstone. And it had taken the shape of a 
white bolt of lightning, whose front end vaguely resembled the upper 
body of a ghostly tiger.

			*	*	*

Sabin felt something strange nagging at him from the back of his 
head. He knew what it was --he always felt that way when speaking 
to Espers, or when using magic. It was some sort of sixth sense, 
related only to mystical occurrences, and it rarely bothered him. 
What could have caused it to awake now?
	Furrowing his brow, he looked around. Something was 
definitely off. It bothered him not knowing what it was. However, he 
didn't need to find an answer. The blast of wind that came from 
below let him know exactly what he was dealing with.
	Five blue spheres came up from the bottom of the tornado. 
They assumed a special formation before him: three of them were 
aligned horizontally, and the other two were below and between 
them. Then, slowly, these last ones began to stretch. They were no 
longer spheres, instead they looked like the leg braces of a suit of 
armor.
	Then the first three began to change. The middle sphere 
enlarged, shaping a light body armor for the torso, with curved 
shoulder guards. The remaining spheres became gauntlets. Sabin 
stared closely at the empty attire that floated before him.
 	Just then, with a loud roar, a blue dragon flew up towards 
him. It was entirely made of wind, apparently, and was only as large 
as a human. On its forehead there was a shimmering gem. And when 
it touched the armor, it dissipated into a light blue gas that penetrated 
the suit.
	Sabin swallowed hard. In just a matter of seconds, the gas 
took human form. A familiar human form.
	Ranma's.
	The heir of the Saotome School opened his eyes slowly, as if 
coming out of a dream. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw 
what had become of him: he was wearing body armor made of a 
bluish, transparent material; the clothes he wore beneath were light 
blue. His feet were... almost transparent. His own hair kept waving 
upwards, and he was somehow aware that he was creating the wind 
that made it happen. And yet, what startled him the most was the 
gem on his forehead: it was shaped like a dragon's face, whose horns 
extended ten inches to shape a blue V that protruded from his brow.
	He had horns. The damn jewel was shaped just so he could 
have horns.
	"Gyaaaaaah!" he suddenly let out. "What the hell's going 
on?!"
	"You..." Sabin stared at him, aghast. "You've become... an 
Esper..."
	"Esper?" Ranma repeated. That couldn't be right. Otherwise, 
he would have turned into a Centaur! And...
	But he knew Sabin was at least halfway right. The way the 
Stars had interacted with him, using his own technique and his own 
Brindstone... Damn! He should have known those things would only 
cause trouble!
	"Aaagh!" he growled, "This is all your stupid fault!" he 
glared at Sabin.
	"MY fault?! You were the one that used this Hiryuu-
whatchamacallit! How can you blame it on me?!" Scowling, he 
reared back for a new blow, "But Esper or not, I'll beat you right 
now! Blitz Techniques, Air Blades!"
	He spun wildly, releasing a storm of vacuum knives. Ranma, 
too stupefied to escape, could only cross his arms in front of him to 
defend himself...
	...and all the blades passed right through him.
	"What the..." Ranma thought. Every place where a blade 
had "struck" was only rippling slightly, but then his body came back 
to normal again. What was going on?
	"Damn!" Sabin snorted, "All right, Blitz Techniques, FIRE 
DANCE!"
	"Ak!" Ranma stared wide-eyed at the blazing shots that 
Sabin released. He tried to ride the tornado to escape them, but to his 
surprise he could actually _fly_ by his own power! And even the 
blasts that hit him were snuffed out, like candles on a birthday cake! 
What the HELL was going on?!
	"Wind magic..." Sabin muttered. "Of all the Espers you 
could've been turned into, you end up as a Wind Elemental!"
	"W-what?" Ranma looked down at himself. But suddenly, it 
all came clear. Why the Stars had waited until he released the Flying 
Dragon. Why his aquamarine had been suddenly given back to him. 
Why the Air Blades didn't affect him, and why he blew out the Fire 
Dance with such ease. It was all Wind magic.
	Cool.
	"No..." he smirked, "This isn't just wind..." Lifting his gaze, 
he stared right at Sabin, "This is magic..." he reared back, "... of the 
Wind Dragon!"
	Sabin barely had time to reach as Ranma launched himself 
towards him, his fists gleaming as solid barriers of wind appeared on 
them. Gulping before the Wind-powered Solbrindel, the Returner 
warrior summoned his aura and launched himself for the attack.

			*	*	*

The glow of the Stars became much stronger. The people that had 
come to watch the fight were beginning to worry --Ranma and Sabin 
already possessed great abilities; there was no telling what might 
happen if the Stars interfered in their combat. And the fact that 
Ranko's Astbrindel gem was glowing like a small sun didn't help 
matters any.
	Meanwhile, those from the other group were beginning to 
show anxiety as well. But it was because Terra, half-Esper warrior 
and daughter of Maduin, was feeling an intense power approaching. 
It was similar only to the times when she morphed into her Esper 
shape.
	Looking up, she discerned a faint speck in the distance. But 
then the speck came closer, closer, flying at an incredible speed. If 
she didn't know better, she could have sworn it was the Solbrindel 
opal that Sabin had received a few months before...

			*	*	*

Ranma aimed his fist at Sabin, using only his chi to create a small 
sphere of solid wind which he flung like an iron ball. He smirked as 
he saw the Returner desperately disperse it with an Air Blade, unable 
to do much else. It was so incredible!
	By this point, Ranma was more than exhilarated. His entire 
body was drunk in the massive strength given to him by the Stars' 
Wind Dragon magic. Not only that, but the rate at which he was 
learning how to use it was astounding. Absently, he thought that the 
magic had been created just so he could use it.
	And boy, did _he_ know how to use it...
	"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-ken!" Ranma came down on 
Sabin with an endless barrage. Fortunately for his opponent, the 
unstoppable attack didn't gain any more strength than what he used 
to have --but nearly all of his fists slipped through. Sabin grunted as 
he received the full blast of the Chestnut fist.
	"I'm getting fed up with this!" he growled, grabbing hold of 
Ranma's gauntlet and flinging him away. "Blitz Techniques Ultimate 
Strike!"
	A small white rift opened behind him, letting a tiger-shaped 
opal streak through it.
	"TIGER BREAK!"
	Sabin's eyes went blank as his aura took the shape of a 
tiger's roaring head. Shouting, he blasted himself towards Ranma, 
who remained in place to avoid at the last minute. The pigtailed 
fighter had never made such a bad mistake.
	Just as Sabin's aura began to become solid, a small white 
bolt penetrated his field and spiraled around him. With a loud roar, 
Sabin's body flashed brightly, blinding Ranma. The full-body blow 
struck the Japanese boy like a ton of bricks.
	Trying to clear his head, Ranma quickly flew up and above 
Sabin. Damn, that had been a strong hit. Almost as powerful as 
Lavos' punches!
	He snorted. Maybe the Wind Dragon magic hadn't given him 
that much strength after all, if Sabin could still--
	Wait a second. Sabin. Why was he...
	Ranma furrowed his brow. Below him, he could see Sabin 
standing on thin air, his body glowing bright white. The bolt of 
energy that used to be his opal was still streaking around him like a 
mad bee. It took only a few instants for Ranma to realize what was 
happening to his adversary.
	Sabin suddenly became slightly taller, more muscular. His 
fingers were coated with pieces of silver, which turned his hands into 
fearsome claws. Also, his short ponytail became much longer, and it 
was streaked with black, like a tiger's fur. A pair of dark brown 
stripes went across his cheeks, starting from his temples and ending 
near the chin. Finally, his tank top became a marble-white vest, 
ragged and torn at the edges, while his trousers also became striped.
	Sabin opened his eyes, eyes which had slits for pupils. He 
looked up at Ranma, and growled deeply.
	"Let's try that again..." he menaced, "Tiger Break revised... 
Claw of the Tiger Streak!"

			*	*	*

"What in the world--?!" Akane stared widely at the bright white 
streaks that began to shoot out wildly from the tornado. The Stars 
had vanished, but the entire valley was still covered by a soft golden 
hue. What were those beings planning to do?!
	"Look!" Yuannyan pointed up.
	All of a sudden, the whirlwind had begun dissipating. 
Although its currents were still powerful, at least the two groups 
could discern the fighters within the spiral. Yet no one noticed the... 
changes... they had suffered.
	"Gotcha!" Sabin grinned when he caught Ranma from 
behind and grasped him in a bear hug. "Blitz Techniques, Meteo-
Strike SUPLEX!"
	"Uhnn!" Ranma grunted as Sabin suddenly plummeted, 
using his new Tiger Streak magic to propel himself downwards 
against the tornado. Fortunately, the rising wind did nothing to him in 
his new condition. However, he could still see how easily Sabin's 
movements were causing the currents to lose their strength.
	"D-damn... why am I feeling tired all of a sudden...?" Ranma 
wondered. "I was fine 'til the twister started fading!" Looking down, 
he saw that the battered stone platform was rapidly rushing up to 
strike him in the face. Preparing himself for the blow, he shut his eyes 
and clenched every muscle in his body...
	"RANMAAAA!"
	Akane and Ukyou pressed themselves against the platform, 
desperate. They saw Sabin capture Ranma and pull him down, 
leaving a bright trail similar to a lightning bolt. But they were 
dropping too fast! And at that height, even Ranma would--
	"No!" Akane suddenly grasped the edge and pulled herself 
up onto the platform.
	"O-oneechan!" Ranko tried to reach for her. What was she, 
crazy! She could get killed if she interfered in the combat at this 
point!
	"I don't care if it _is_ his fight, I gotta stop him from getting 
himself killed!" Akane turned back, then began to run towards the 
place where the fighters would hit.
	"If she's going, I'm going too!" Ukyou said, then leapt onto 
the platform and took her combat spatula.
	"Oh, damn it!" Ranko gave up and jumped after them. 
Phaeron immediately followed her, knowing all too well what kind of 
damage the two warriors were about to cause.
	Soon, Shampoo and Ryouga followed, but just as they were 
about to climb onto the platform they froze in place --along with 
everyone else-- when they saw Ranma's body glow bright blue. Sabin 
was blinded for a second, and before he knew it his opponent had 
transformed into a faint azure gas that then blew out of his hold.
	"What the h--!" the tiger-maned fighter began to interject, 
but he quickly braced himself for impact.
	Everyone was shaken off their feet as Sabin crashed into the 
platform, landing on all fours as though he were a large cat. 
Growling lightly, he nonchalantly picked himself up from the crater 
he had made and looked up through what was left of the tornado's 
funnel, ignoring the people sprawled over the rest of the platform.
	"How did he..." he asked under his breath, looking up to see 
a few tendrils of gas converge to shape Ranma's solid body again. He 
narrowed his eyes and smirked. "All right... We've taken this a bit too 
far. I'm tired, he's tired... We've almost run out of tricks and 'final 
attacks' already..." He clenched his fists, "There's only one thing I 
haven't used..."
	Meanwhile, Ranma was having similar thoughts. "Man, this 
is weird! We're gonna tear up the place if we keep fighting like this. 
There's _got_ to be a way to end this once and for all, but I've 
already used most of... wait a second." Ginning evilly, Ranma reared 
his fists back and looked _down_ at Sabin --down through the funnel 
of a magically-charged tornado...
	"Okay, this is it!" Sabin thought, looking up, "To end this 
battle while there's still time!" He spread his arms and began to spin 
in place, chanting, "Blitz Techniques, Spiraler..."
	"What?!" Edgar heard his brother pronounce the name of 
the dreaded technique. "Sabin, don't!"
	"...revised! Tiger Streak Blitz! GHOST FANG ARROW!"
	His motions caused a powerful gust of wind to pick up, 
giving more strength to the tornado. He kept spinning, as if he were 
using the self-sacrificial technique his brother feared; but instead of 
using the spiral winds to _disperse_ his life-force, he was using them 
to _suck_ the natural chi from the environment! He was already 
creating a tall spire of pure chi _inside_ Ranma's tornado!
	"Now, to knock this guy out!" the pigtailed warrior thought, 
also initiating his technique. "Hiryuushoutenha revised!" he curled 
himself up into a ball, spinning to summon the wind of his tornado 
and the magic it still had. "WIND GOD GOLDEN BOMB!"
	His spinning, combined with the round shape of his body, 
pulled the wind around him to create a sphere of solid air, which 
instantly became hard as steel. The entire tornado was sucked into his 
sphere; Ranma immediately ceased to spin and reared up, then 
released a loud cry as he flung his fists downwards. The top of the 
sphere exploded, Ranma's feet became blurred like mist as his 
hemispherical wind shield dropped downwards at a frantic rate.
	At exactly the same time, Sabin stopped spinning and 
blasted himself upwards along the chi column. He reared his fists 
back to strike...
	A faint state of detachment befell every single person in the 
valley as they saw the Wind Dragon and Tiger Streak about to 
encounter each other. It was odd, but for some reason only the Stars 
could understand everyone saw and felt something that was strangely 
familiar...
	Akane saw the Wind God Golden Bomb and the Ghost Fang 
Arrow about to collide, and she leapt up, trying to use her over-
powered magic to protect her fianc�e... But all she saw was a bright 
glow of white silver...
	Ukyou saw her Ranchan above, and she was about to help 
when everything was suddenly a soft, warm mass of gold, with Mrs. 
Saotome standing beside her...
	Shampoo leapt onto the platform, but then her sight became 
that of a small cat...
	Mousse followed the Amazon, and was stopped by the sight 
of hundreds of blades...
	A shower of sakura petals surrounded Yuannyan, along with 
the sound of a bell ringing... and the Stars themselves greeted her...
	All Herb could see was a trio of golden stars, accompanied 
by the roar of a dragon...
	Ryouga saw only trees, earth, water... He was standing in a 
deep forest with tall grass...
	Ranko and Phaeron could not even think as they were 
instantly engulfed by flames...
	Seven large Eyes glanced down upon each and every one of 
them.
	Ranma and Sabin struck.
	The valley was flooded with light.
	And the only ones left when the glare receded were Lime 
and Mint, who could only gasp in shock when they realized everyone 
had vanished... scattered all over the Endless Realm of the two Stars.


--To be continued in "Find your Destiny."



The Zephyr
al709382@campus.ccm.itesm.mx
terbril@hotmail.com