Subject: [FFML] [Fanfic][R.5][repost/revised]Shoki Saga Chpt 9: Steel on Steel
From: Big Bore
Date: 4/28/1998, 1:36 AM
To: Fanfiction Mailing List

Aloha!  (Big Bore jumps out of the way of various thrown objects)

Okay, okay!

Hi All!

Here is the repost of the minor revision of Chapter 9.  I didn't get any
C&C on it, so I just kinda ran with it.  You might want to read it before
reading the final chapter though, as the final chapter doesn't have any
build up, but is BLAM right into a pickup of this chapter.

All Characters from Ranma 1/2 are owned by Viz, Kitty, R. Takahashi and
others.  I'm using them without permission and not for profit.

The Shoki Saga
Chapter 9
Steel on Steel

	The day dawned bright and clear over the valley of Jusenkyo on the
day of the duel.  Ryouga and Shoki broke camp mid-morning and hiked the
last few miles to the infamous training ground of cursed springs.  Shoki
had hoped to get there before the duel and try to get the lay of the land.
He hated fighting at a disadvantage, and his opponent knowing the ground
while he didn't was definitely a disadvantage.  Most of all he didn't want
to fall into a spring.

	However, today was not Shoki's lucky day.

	The two young martial artists crested the small slope and stood for
a moment looking at all the sparkling pools.  Shoki was slightly in front
of Ryouga, and turned to say something to his companion.  Just as he turned
he heard a splash.  Spinning the rest of the way around he saw Ryouga's
pack and clothes laying on the ground wet.  Ryouga, as P-Chan, was being
held off the ground by a massive figure of a man with a large sword
strapped to his back.

	"We were only after Ranma this time, but since you came along as
well, we can train you too!"  Rumbled the man to the little black piglet.
P-Chan struggled mightily, but the man produced a wooden cage and slipped
the piglet into it.

	Shoki slipped his pack off and unsheathed his sword.  "I thought
the duel didn't start until noon?  It is barely eleven!"  Snarled Shoki.

	"Well, well Ranma,"  Kenny stopped and looked at Shoki for a
moment.  "You are not Ranma!  Who are you!"  He roared.

	"I'm Shoki McLaren of the Clan McLaren."  Shoki advanced with his
blade held in front of him.  "Release the Tendo sisters now, or you will
not enjoy the consequences."

	Kenny laughed and set down the cage holding P-Chan.  "So, Ranma is
too afraid to come himself, and sends you to fight for him."  He laughed
again.  "So, perhaps falling into spring of drown girl fits him better than
he knows!"

	As Kenny began to laugh harder, Shoki made a quick slashing motion
with the tip of his Claymore.  A button popped off of Kenny's shirt.  The
massive man stopped laughing and began a scowling advance.

	"I said release the Tendo girls, or else!"  Growled Shoki.

	"No!  If I keep them, that young whelp Ranma must come here," Kenny
said as he reached up and unsheathed his own sword.  "If you continue to
provoke me you will experience the wrath of a warrior of the Cult of the
Muscle Sword!"

	"Well," responded Shoki, "I had hoped to make you see reason, but I
guess I will have to speak to you in the only language you seem to
understand!"  Shoki's sword came down in a diagonal slashing motion that
would have disemboweled Kenny had he not blocked it expertly.  Bright
sunlight gleamed from both blades as the came together, sparking where
there hardened edges met.

	"Hmmm, perhaps you can provide me with a bit of sport before Ranma
shows up!"  Grinned Kenny.  He reversed the block into a slash of his own.
The two giant swords came together with another resounding crash.

	"When he gets here, there will be nothing left for him to fight!"
Retorted Shoki.   He slapped his opponents sword to the side and lunged
forward with a long thrust.  Kenny blocked with his blade and held the tip
of the claymore to the ground against Shoki's struggles.  Shoki  used the
pinned sword as a fulcrum, and kicked at Kenny's head.  The resounding
crunch sent Kenny staggering back two steps, and allowed Shoki to retrieve
his weapon.

	P-Chan looked on at the fight from his cage, very angry at the fact
that he was being prevented from helping to rescue Akane.  He was a little
in awe however, as it seemed he was the only one watching this titanic
clash.  However, he was wrong believing he was the only one watching, as a
pair of startlingly green eyes stared from the tops of a nearby tree.

*****************

	"That idiot is going to get himself killed!"  Shayla Smith snarled
to herself mentally.  She had been outside the Tendo Dojo two days before
and had heard everything about the abduction of her rival.  She had also
heard Shoki swear to bring back the two girls.  Stowing away aboard the
jet, she had come to China with him.  She had followed him here to
Jusenkyo, a place she had but sketchy knowledge about.  Now he was trying
to get himself killed.

	"Well girl, there is only one thing to do," She said to herself.
"There is no way I can help in this fight, but I can take away the reason
he is fighting for.  Then maybe he won't get killed."  As much as it pained
her, Shayla set out to find where Akane and Nabiki were being held.

****************

	Kenny stepped back into the fight very mad.  He began to twirl his
sword over his head like a helicopter blade.  As the blade spun faster, a
vortex began to form around him, and Shoki was caught in the wind.  He was
pelted with sticks, rocks and assorted debris that were being picked up by
the vortex.  He knew that if he tried an attack just now, that spinning
sword would pivot down and would be very hard to stop without being hurt.

	Kenny grinned down at the boy that seemed to be stuck like a deer
caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.  That insolent grin snapped
Shoki out of his lethargy.  He thrust  is sword straight up into the
spinning blade.  Steel met steel with a giant clang, and sparks again
cascaded down.  The spinning blade stopped and Shoki pulled his sword back
for another strike.

	"I'll give you this boy,"  boomed Kenny.  "You have to be strong to
stop my sword like that.  Now I'll have to get serious."  The giant
swordsman began a series of twirling dervishes and advanced.  Shoki
couldn't do much more than block, let alone counterattack.  He began to
back up slowly.  He couldn't believe the speed of the attacks being made
with so large a sword.  Risking a glance behind him, he saw that Kenny was
trying to pin him against one of the springs.

	Shoki began to despair.  It seemed like this fight was going to end
badly for him.  He decided a desperate counterattack was the only course
left to him.  He thrust forward, dodging a slash as he did so.  With a
twirl though, Kenny caught the claymore up in his own sword and sent it
flying out of Shoki's hands.  Ominously, it landed with a splash.  Kenny
grinned menacingly, and stalked forward.  "Well boy, it seems that you
lose!"

	Shoki stared at the point of the sword as it came towards him.  He
slid a hand over each forearm and palmed a throwing knife in each.  This
fight was far from over, he just needed to even the odds a bit.

*****************

	It took several minutes of searching, but Shayla finally found a
cage against the side of a small hut near to the entrance of the training
ground.  Inside both Akane and Nabiki sat, marking time as best they could.
Akane caught sight of Shayla and stood.  Nabiki glanced up as well and
began to scowl.

	"Hi Shayla!"  Grinned Akane.  "Do you think you could help us get
out of this cage?"

	"That's why I'm here.  Stand back!"  With a shout she pulled her
quarter stave from it's place strapped to her back and spun it around to
build up speed.  Judging she had enough momentum she brought one of the
metal shod ends down on the padlock hard.  With a crack, the lock parted
and fell from the door.  Both Akane and Nabiki scrambled out.

	"Thanks Shayla," said Akane.  "We really appreciate you helping us."

	"No problem Akane, though your sister doesn't seem overly pleased
to see me."  Replied Shayla.

	"Oh, I don't know if pleased describes what I'm feeling right now,"
Nabiki said with her best collection agent smile.  "I was just wondering
who it is you came to be here at Jusenkyo, just now."

	"Simple, when Shoki decided to come in Ranma's place to Jusenkyo, I
stowed away on board the plane.  No big deal."

	"That's very resourceful of you.  How did you know what had
happened?"  Asked Nabiki.

	"You don't really believe that I left did you?  I've been observing
you and Shoki for the last week,"  replied the blonde girl with a smirk.

	"Oh, really...." started Nabiki.

	"I hate to interrupt you two, but where is Shoki if you came over
with him?"  Asked Akane.

	"Damn!  That's right.  Come on, Shoki is fighting to free you two
right now and losing!  You gotta show him you're okay so he can quit
fighting!"  Shayla grabbed a Tendo girl in each hand and ran towards the
sounds of the fight.

***************

	"Say goodbye!"  Screamed Kenny as started his final blow.  Nabiki,
Akane and Shayla appeared just in time to see the sword begin to slash
towards Shoki's head.  All three screamed incoherently.   The same moment,
Shoki's hands flew forward, six inches of steel flying from each, straight
at Kenny's throat.  It seemed that the battle would end in a pyrrhic
victory for Kenny.  There was simply no way for either combatant to dodge
the other's blow.

	Suddenly water sparkled in the sky.  It landed right on Kenny.

	As Kenny was assumed his cursed (good samaratian) form he lost all
his strength, causing the heavy sword to fall short of it's intended goal.
Luckily for him, he also lost several inches of height, and the throwing
knives merely took the hat off his head (and pinned it to a far off tree)
rather than piercing his throat.  Not looking good fortune in the mouth,
Shoki did a spin kick that sent Kenny to dreamland for a few minutes.
Standing over his fallen opponent he looked up to see Ranma holding a
bucket, with  Genma-panda and Angus standing there with him.

	"Well, another in an unbroken string of last minute rescues!"
Chortled Ranma.  "You didn't have to knock him out though, in that form he
isn't very aggressive.  He fell into a pool that effects his personality as
well as his body."

	"Hey Ranma, you woke up!  Thanks for the help.  I thought that I
might not make it out of that one!"  Shoki slowly walked over to the others.

	"Yeah I woke up when Kodachi snuck into my hospital room and tried
to get in bed with me.  I woke up with a vision of a giant mallet firmly in
my mind.  When I got to the Dojo, Angus explained everything and we all
rushed here."  Ranma looked away to see the girls trotting up.  "Well,
looks like you got to save the girls this time!"

	"Nuts!  We better go find them!"  Shoki said, not realizing the
girls were behind him.  Just then, Shayla grabbed ahold of his right arm.

	"Oh, you were so brave!  I was so afraid I was going to lose you!"
Shayla gushed.  She then frowned as Nabiki latched onto Shoki's other arm.
This move surprised everyone present, even Nabiki herself.

	"Thank you so much for the rescue!  How ever will I repay you?"
Nabiki asked with her eyelashes fluttering.  Shoki's speech centers decided
now was a good time to go on vacation.  "I know, I'll take you out to
dinner when we get home!"

	"Now just a minute here!"  Snarled Shayla.

	"I really hate to interrupt lassies," intervened Angus before the
girls could tear his charge apart in their zeal to get at each other.  "It
seems that you've done well Shoki, but where is the family sword?"

	With a panicked look on his face, Shoki began looking around.
Finally his eyes came to light on a sword hilt just below the surface of
one of the many pools.  "Oh, No!"

	"I'll just wade in and get it then," smiled Angus as he began to
walk towards the pool.

	"No Angus, don't do that, the springs are all cursed!"  Shouted Shoki.

	"'Tis a matter of family honor.   We can nay leave the sword,
particularly when you were the victor."

	Shoki sighed heavily.  "Okay, just a second though."  He trotted
over to Ranma.  Quietly he whispered to Ranma.  "P-Chan is on the hill back
by the entry.  He's in a cage.  Don't let Angus get cursed, okay?"  Ranma's
eyes widened, then he nodded, understanding what honor demanded his friend
do next.

	Shoki stepped away from Ranma and looked at everybody and smiled.
Then he sprinted right for the spring.  Three female voices lifted in alarm
as he dove in after his sword.


All forms of C&C are greatly appreciated.  MST and Popups included!

Later!


Big Bore and the Nitro Express!


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