Standard disclaimer applies.

Proceed with caution!

----------------------
Chapter Fifteen

	Ranma stared at Ryouga, the intense hatred for him emanating from
his body.
	"What do you want here, pig-boy?" he snarled.
	Ryouga looked at Ranma impassively.
	"You always thought you were better than everyone else.  I hated
that.  You always played with other people's emotions.  I hated that too.
I think I really just hated you," Ryouga replied.
	"You're lucky I can't leave this circle or I'd kick you into next
week."
	"Somehow I think you're a little less capable of that than you
think.  After all, I was the one that beat you the last time."
	Ranma was about to respond to the smug look on Ryouga's face, but
he didn't have to.  Akane did it for him.  They say that actions speak
louder than words, and in this case it couldn't be more true.
	"A-Akane," Ryouga stuttered, holding his cheek with one hand.
	"Go away, Ryouga," Akane growled.  "And never come back here
again.  I don't want to see your face near our house ever again.  I
thought you were a friend, but I guess I was wrong - dead wrong.  I was
completely wrong about you, and I regret it.  Go away before you do
something stupid again."
	Ryouga stared at her and looked back at Ranma.
	"But, Akane-"
	"No buts, Ryouga!  Get out!"
	"But I love you!" Ryouga sputtered.
	Akane scoffed.
	"How could I love a murderer?!"
	"But-" Ryouga stammered.
	"Ryouga, you nearly killed Ranma.  If it weren't for the kindness
of the three Aspects, Ranma would be dead.  I would be without my fiance.
You are lucky Ranma didn't die because if he did, I would hunt you to the
ends of the Earth to kill you with my own hands!"
	"You really love Ranma?" Ryouga whispered.
	"Yes, I love Ranma!"
	Ranma blinked at the forcefulness of the reply.  A warm feeling
spread through him, hearing those words.  He reached forward, and took
Akane's hand, giving it a loving squeeze.  Akane gripped his hand tightly.
	"But he's always treated you so badly!  How could you-"
	Ryouga was cut off sharply as Akane slapped him across the face
again.
	"Don't you ever say that!  Ranma went through a nightmare to get
me back.  He almost died trying to help everyone, and now you insult him?
Get out, Ryouga, and never come back.  How dare you think you could come
here without being punished."
	Ryouga stared numbly at Akane, oblivious to the violence around
them.
	
	"Kasumi, I'm so scared," Nabiki whispered frantically.
	Kasumi nodded and hugged her sister harder.  She looked around,
seeing everyone that could fight, fighting to save them.  Darian was
locked in combat with a veritable horde of warriors, all trying to break
through is barrier of illusions.  Death and Life kept an insane number of
troops at bay, power flowing from their fingers as though it were the air
they breathed.  Tofu did his best, trying to do his part in protect
everyone, but mostly Kasumi, the one he loved the most.  Even Genma and
Soun worked as a team to protect their families.  Even Shampoo, dragged
back by Haruko as the violence erupted, was doing her part, working out
her frustration by beating people savagely.
	"Kasumi, where is Ukyou?"
	Kasumi turned to see Nodoka, an anxious look on her face.
	"I don't know, I haven't seen her," Kasumi answered shakily.
	
	Ukyou deftly parried and wove through the people busy fighting,
using the sword as best she could to dodge and parry the missed thrusts
and jabs.  So many people were fighting, and when one person stopped to
fight her, another would burst through to relieve her of her opponent.
Dumb luck, she thought grimly, as she made her way towards the circle of
runes.

	Ryouga's heart stopped as Akane's words echoed through his mind.
She hated him now, and it ruined everything.  He couldn't even bring
himself to think of using his P-chan disguise to stay with her.  It hurt
too much, but it didn't hurt nearly as much as the truth that rang in
Akane's words.  He'd become a murderer through his consuming vengeance.
His lust for revenge blinded him, made him act so foolishly.  It was a
stain on his own code of honor that glared back at him.
	"Dammit, Ryouga!  Are you truly as stupid as you act?!" a voice
bellowed.
	Ryouga turned to see Judas mowing down a path through to him.  He
felled people left and right with his axe and shield, blood flowing
freely, smearing his armor and giving it a sick sheen.  That was what he
was destined for, someone as sick and twisted as Judas.  The thought
sickened him, and made him fume at how stupidly he'd acted.
	The power coursed through his body as he gathered his ki, building
towards a monumental rush of power.
	"Akane, get back!" Ranma shouted.  Get the others to fall back!"
	Akane turned away, shielding her eyes and tried to move, but it
was too late.  Ryouga's scream echoed throughout the dojo, drowning out
the cries of the dying and wounded.  The brilliant flash of power
incinerated everything in its path and blew out the roof of the dojo.  A
huge wave of people fell as the power erupted outwards from around Ryouga
like a hurricane.
	Akane fell back, into the circle, into Ranma's arms.
	"No!" Andrew shouted as Akane entered the circle.  He turned and
saw the sphere of smoke flux and twist.  Angela began chanting quickly,
frantically channeling her power into Ken's body.  Andrew tried to reach
out to Ranma, but it was too late.  The blast became blinding, drowning
out everything.
	Death and Life quickly erected a mystic shield but were pushed
back.  Darian was thrown back along with the people he was fighting.
Ukyou collapsed under the wave of falling people, but continued to crawl
towards the circle of runes.  Cassius covered his eyes and stepped back.
Judas threw up his shield in time to block the massive stream of ki that
was focused at him.
	Ryouga collapsed in exhaustion.  His vision blurred and swayed
from the loss of energy and focus.
	"Is that all you can do, boy?" Judas sneered as he got out from
behind the shield.  He spotted Akane in the circle with Ranma.
	"Time to knock of the source of my problems," he muttered.
	In one fluid motion, he hurled the axe towards Ranma and Akane.
It was with a complete sense of satisfaction that Judas watched the axe
shoot through the space between him and his problems.  In the blink of an
eye, everything would be solved.  Judas watched as Andrew tried to bring
out his jo to strike the axe, mere seconds shy of being able to do so.
	Ryouga saw the axe leave Judas's grasp out of the corner of his
eye.  He'd fallen so far from Akane's grace, from the grace of his peers.
He felt nothing anymore, his heart felt numb.  As he saw the axe fly in
slow motion, his heart twisted.  He still loved Akane, despite her hate
for him.  Ryouga did the only thing he could do.
	Akane shot out from Ranma's embrace, leaping forwards out of the
circle as Ryouga crumpled to the ground with a sick gurgle.
	"Stop it!  It's destroying everything," Andrew shouted
frantically.  He watched in cold fear as the sphere continued to waver and
discorporate.  Ranma turned to see the sphere wavering, on the verge of
dissipating.
	"Oh jeez," Ranma said, stupefied at the sight.  He quickly turned
back to find Akane.
	"That's hardly the word for it," Andrew mumbled as he tried to
stabilize his brother's condition.
	Akane stared at Ryouga's blood covered body.  She nearly vomited
at the sight, but choked back.  The axe was buried deep in Ryouga's chest,
and with every beat of his heart, she saw the blood push out from around
the blade.  Ryouga made no move to do anything, he merely stared vacantly
at the ceiling.
	"Ryouga you idiot, why did you have to do that?" Akane babbled.
	Ryouga simply turned a glazed eye towards her and gave a small
smile.  He closed his eyes mouthing something to her.  Akane's vision
blurred as all the hate for him slowly dissolved, to be swept away by her
tears.  Ryouga's head fell back lifeless in moments, his jaw hanging
slack.  A crimson bubble slowly rose up in his mouth, edged by bloody
foam.  It burst unceremoniously sending small drops of blood out to grace
Ryouga's still face.
	Ranma could feel the hate rising in his chest, the bile rising to
his mouth.  It was the same hate for Judas when Akane died.  It was the
same hate he had for Sin when she mocked him.  It was the same hate he
felt when Ryouga taunted him.  Now it was the hate he felt for Judas for
killing someone that was a comrade in arms, a fellow martial artist.
Judas had most likely toyed with Ryouga's emotions.  Ranma knew too well
how easily Ryouga could be fooled.  Ryouga wasn't the brightest of people,
but he was the most honorable, the most respectable.  Now he was dead, and
Ranma wanted to make Judas pay for it.
	Before he could move, Ranma felt a hand clamp down on his
shoulder.
	"Don't do it, Ranma," Andrew warned.  "If you leave now,
everything will be lost."
	"But I can't just sit here.  I have to do something!"
	"There's nothing you can do.  There's nothing left for you to do."
	Ranma turned to see Judas rushing Akane.  He turned, and saw the
pleading look on Andrew's face, but it was too late.  His mind was made
up.  There was only one thing for him now.
	"It's time we finished what we started at the mall, Judas," he
snarled, regardless of whether Judas would understand him or not.  
	The lunge, the grimace, and flying fists told Judas enough.  Ranma
wanted blood and he wouldn't stop until he got it.
	"Come on then, toady, and let's see what you're made of," Judas
snarled.
	Ranma quickly became a blur of hands and feet, lightning trails
following his every move.  Judas, stunned and surprised with the power and
vengeance that fueled Ranma, surged forward with the shield, trying to
push Ranma back.  Ranma, undaunted by the lack of response from Judas
persevered.
	Andrew stared for a moment as Ranma continued to pummel Judas,
stepping in and out of range, infuriating the Aspect.  Andrew quickly
turned back to his brother, anxious if Ken's soul would have become lost,
but was surprised to see Ukyou kneeling in Ranma's place.
	"What-"
	"Someone's got to do it, right?" she interrupted.
	"You can't handle it!" Angela shouted about the screams.
	"I loved this dead jackass and I'm going to sit here and do what
it takes to get him back, wouldn't you?" Ukyou fired back.
	Angela glared at Ukyou, but sighed and nodded.  Andrew merely
looked evenly at Ukyou and started the process all over again.  Ukyou
stared at the sphere that was slowly solidifying before her anxiously.
	"Come on, Ken.  Come back," she whispered.
	
	Akane stared numbly as Ranma fought with Judas, both at a fragile
stalemate.  Ranma couldn't hurt Judas much, while Judas couldn't connect
with Ranma at all.  Both were becoming frustrated amidst the swinging
blades, sounds of flesh tearing and cries of pain.  Akane was dimly aware
of Ryouga's body going cold under her hands.  She snatched away her hand
as if burnt, trying to wipe the boy's blood off on her clothes.  Akane
quickly turned to fins her sisters, only to see Darian fall under the
weight of ten soldiers.  She scanned to room hastily.  Faith and Haruko
were fending away attacks from soldiers clad in armor colored dark browns,
light tans, and blood red.  Kasumi was nowhere to be seen.  Nabiki wasn't
visible either.  Akane saw Shampoo being cradled by her father as Genma
cradled Nodoka.  Tofu wasn't anywhere to be seen.
	Akane panicked.  People were disappearing or dying faster than she
could think.  Her world swirled about her in a haze of blood and death.
As she closed her eyes, to shut out the horror, she felt someone collide
with her, knocking them both to the ground.
	"Akane, are you okay?"
	She opened her eyes to see Ranma gritting his teeth, a small
trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth.
	"What happened to Judas?"
	Ranma grimaced as he got up.
	"I lost him.  One minute we were fighting, and then someone
clubbed me from behind.  He knocked me away, but now I can't find him," he
said, wincing in pain.
	Akane turned to see Cassius's looming figure suddenly pass.  Ranma
did as well, leaping to his feet.
	"Stay back," Ranma warned.
	Cassius ignored them.  With a sick horror, she and Ranma watched a
blade suddenly flash out into his hands.  Ranma lurched forward, grabbing
the Order's arm as it thrust forward.
	"Ucchan!  Move!" he screamed.

	Ukyou snapped to attention as she heard her name before feeling
Andrew's jo strike her side, trying to push her away.  It was followed
quickly by a cold sensation and a small piercing directly under her ribs.
She gasped as she saw a thin blade protruding from her midsection and
disappearing into Ken's ribcage.  Ukyou groaned in pain as the blade left
as quickly as it came, Cassius's voice trailing after it.
	"Nobody take's his soul tonight!  If I must suffer, all will
suffer!" he shouted.
	Ukyou's world instantly shrank until it only included Ken.  She
barely felt herself fall onto his body, her blood wetting her hands as she
clutched her wound.
	"Ken," she whispered in a sad voice.
	Ukyou brought a bloody hand to Ken's face, touching it lightly
before reaching shakily into her shirt to take out the pearl.  She felt
the sphere of smoke dissipate, washing her face with a sudden coolness.
	"Ken," she whispered slowly.  "I'm coming to join you now.  Maybe
we'll get to be together again."
	A tear escaped her eye as she dragged herself to face him.  She
could the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.  As she clutched the pearl
to her chest in one bloody hand, she cupped his cheek with another and
kissed him tenderly.
	Ukyou, a voice in her head called.  
	Ukyou's eyes fluttered as they slowly began to close.  She was
dimly aware of a warm throbbing in her stomach, flowing out to her chest
and the rest of her.  She felt a hand on her shoulder as a deafening
silence filled her ears.  A bright light started to fill her eyes, making
her blink back tears.
	When her vision cleared, she saw Ken gazing back at her.  She
could feel his arm around her waist, a warm hand supporting her head.  He
gazed at her with love in his eyes, a single tear escaping them and
falling to splash hotly on her cheek.
	"You're crying," she whispered.
	"Because I love you too much," he whispered back.
	"Why are you crying?"
	"Because I see you so hurt."
	"It doesn't hurt anymore.  It's just like you said when you died.
I can't feel anything now that you're here," she said quietly, managing a
small smile.
	"I'm sorry Ukyou.  I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you."
	"But it doesn't matter anymore.  We're going to be together now.
We can be together forever now."
	Ken smiled at her as her vision faded.  She felt his lips meet
hers, and before she faded, she shared a lingering kiss with him.
	Ukyou I love you, a voice called.


*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Ethan Tsai
1 N. College Street
Northfield, MN 55057

TSAIE@Gridley.ACNS.Carleton.edu
http://public.carleton.edu/~tsaie/ethan.html

Quote of the day:
"You'd win if you stopped hitting my foot with your head."
	-The Amazing Spider-man