**********************************************************************************************************************************
Chapter Fifteen: The War, Final Round--The Stampede of Wild Horses
Ranko stood up and stretched, the uncomfortable look in her eyes lessened considerably, but still there. She looked at Shampoo, Mousse, Libby, then the rest of her friends in turn. Finally, after a moment or two, she spoke. "I guess this is the crowning moment, then."
Shampoo looked at her old friend. "Don't look at me or Mousse, Ranko. Only you can tell this part."
"Yeah, I know," she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "Still, it doesn't make this any easier."
"What doesn't?" Ronnie inquired. "So far, since I've known you, you've 'died'. In this story, which you say is true, your brother was at the very same jaws of death that you were, and yet I just met him a few weeks ago. You two are like cockroaches, unable to be really killed." She smiled to take the sting out of her words.
"Yeah, as Kodachi has commented before, right, 'Ms. Cockroach-In-A-Leotard?'" Mousse cracked.
Ranko ignored him, deciding to answer Ronnie's question instead. "Yeah, oniichan and I don't worry about our own deaths much," she commented, "simply because we've grown accustomed to that kind of weirdness in our lives." Another second or two went by, and then her eyes hardened. "However, when it comes to *each other...or Akane...."*
* * STORY * *
Ranma raced through the boundless accommodations, shouting, *"NGUYEN!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!?! COME ON OUT, YOU COWARDLY BASTARD!!!!!"*
His response was a powerful beam of purple that tore the air above him. Ranma hit the deck, rolling, and leapt back to his feet. He had just enough time to charge up his ki, when a deep voice replied, "Don't bother. You're already dead."
Ranma called out, *"Show yourself, damn you! Are you afraid to face me?"*
The voice answered, "My, my, my, you are a brave one. Or a reckless fool. It matters not. You will die."
Nguyen stepped out from the shadows, dressed in a black and gold military-styled suit, with a matching cloak. His eyes blazed the color of deep orchid, his battle aura arcing and sparking with a similar shade. He floated a few inches off the floor, and stood, arms crossed over his massive barrel of a chest. He laughed, then said, "Boy, you have a lot to learn about challenging your betters. Not that you will have any time to learn from your mistake."
Ranma let his battle aura begin to build, the red cloud of energy enshrouding him, and he felt the familiar tingle. He knew what that tingling meant, now. Once, it meant that he was about to change into his cursed form. Now, it was the beginnings of a psychic link with his cursed form--his sister. Nevertheless, he steeled himself for battle. "Nguyen," he spat, closing his hand into a fist, then dropping into an offensive stance, "I'm gonna end your rotten schemes, once and for all."
Nguyen stood there, looking rather bored. "You amuse me, boy; if you think you can actually beat me, you will learn the hard way that is an impossibility."
Ranma bared his teeth menacingly. *"Nothing's* impossible for a Saotome!"
"Saotome?" The warlord rubbed his chin in thought. "Now that you mention it, you do look familiar....ah, yes. You must be related to my dear deceased bride."
Unfortunately, Ranma opened his mouth, inserting the infamous foot. "She's very much alive. And I'll be damned if I'm letting you near my sister again!"
"Your sister, eh?" Nguyen said. "And alive, too. Thank you for the information. I had thought her dead, but now that she is alive...."
Me an' my big mouth, Ranma lamented. "No way, man! I'm not letting you anywhere *near* Ranko!" Strike two.
"Ranko? I thought her name was Ranma! My dear fellow, is there anything else you care to tell me about her before I kill you?"
{{Che! Okay then, you're trying to sleep with my clone!}} "Stay the hell away from her, Nguyen. I'm warning you...."
"As though I actually fear you, boy!" Nguyen laughed darkly, then uncrossed his arms and formed a fairly large violet fireball in his right hand. Running the fingers of his other hand through his hair, he commented, "you have at least earned the rare honor of giving me your name before I kill you, child."
Ranma cocked his fist back, the fist glowing with bright red energies. His voice was calm and even, yet one could easily tell the young man was determined and boiling with determination to carry this fight to its destined conclusion. *"I'm Saotome Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. And I challenge you!"*
Nguyen smiled and waved his hand, propelling the huge fireball towards the Japanese martial artist.
Ranma was also prepared. He rammed his outstretched palms towards his foe, screaming, *"Moko Takabisha!"*
* * *
Ranko scrambled up to a vantage point where she could see what was going on. She could hear Ranma shouting, then Nguyen returning the insults. At once, she began to feel very concerned.
She told Shiva to wait for them, despite Ranma telling them otherwise. She knew Ranma wanted the both of them evacuated from there. To run and wait in the nearest place of safety for him. And if he didn't join them, to go to Nerima without him and take care of Akane.
But, damn! That wasn't how their lives where supposed to run! He was her older brother--more importantly, they were the same person, cut in two. If Akane would feel that her life without Ranma would be hell, her life would be a cakewalk in comparison to Ranko's.
{{I'll stay out of the fight, just like you wanted, oniichan,}} she thought, carefully phrasing her thoughts so he couldn't hear them, {{but I'll be damned if I'm leaving you alone!!!!!}}
* * *
The two beams clashed in the center, erupting in a fierce shower of light and force that destroyed a pillar of the ceiling as the shockwave was unleashed. Nguyen laughed merrily throughout this initial exchange of projectiles, unfazed that either blast alone was capable of leveling mountains, never mind what it could do to this place. Surprisingly, the two assaults cancelled each other out for the most part, leaving only the shock wave that not only shredded virtually any object in its path, but also tossed the Japanese martial artist and the warlord like a pair of rag dolls, hurling each into its own want and leaving bodily indents.
Ranma, an all-too-frequent "expert" at being slammed into walls, simply shook off the blow and raced towards his opponent, he having been the first to recover. Upon reaching Nguyen, who had just begun to stand, Ranma Launched into a spinning snap kick that rebounded the warlord into the wall, and coming off the bounce, uppercutted him using a heavily ki-charged punch, the ruby-glowing hand crunching hard against Nguyen's chin.
Ranma then leapt back, readying to rush forward in a rushing elbow strike, when he was caught--and not too gently--around his forehead. Still, he modified his attack and went straight into the Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken. Blow after blow of strength rained down upon his chest, with Ranma throwing harder and faster than he ever had before. The telltale miniature sonic boom signaling that indeed his shots rang true; there would be no doubt that Nguyen would be feeling a pain stronger than he had ever felt before. The young man was sure of it.
It was to Ranma's shock and horror that upon this attack, Nguyen did not budge; indeed, he merely laughed it off. "You're good, boy," he chortled, "but not good enough. Now please have the decency to die." With that, he pitched Ranma across the room like a Frisbee, then assisted his propulsion even more by use of one of his ki attacks; he merely snapped his fingers and an angled orchid explosion ripped under Ranma, projecting him into--and through--the nearest wall.
"Hmmmph," Nguyen snorted. "I'll bet the boy lived though that one, as well. Impertinent brat. Best locate him before he becomes a thorn in my side." The warlord thundered off, searching for the young man that he just sent on a "three-hour tour".
Two rooms away, Ranma picked himself off the floor, trying to remove the stars that were busy colonizing around his head. Wiping a small smear of blood from a laceration on his cheek, and wiping the dust from his suit. Additionally, he was ignoring the ringing in his ears and the throbbing pain that lanced throughout his body.
{{Arrrgghhhh!!!}} He stood up, felt a few joints pop, then breathed a sigh of relief as the sliver of pain subsided. {{Damn, that *hurt!!* I've never been punched that hard in my entire life!}}
<<I know. You had me worried there for a moment,>> a voice in his mind echoed.
He responded instantly, not bothering to think that this was the first time they were fully using their newfound telepathy skills. <<*Ranko! I told you to stay with Shiva!!*>>
<<Now, c'mon!!!>> the other "voice" replied. <<Do you think I'm gonna leave you be? You're my brother, you're *me.* If you think I'm leaving you alone, you're outta your ever-lovin' mind!!!!>>
<<Well, what about Shiva?>>
<<She's fine.>> Ranma could tell that Ranko was lying, as he knew that tone fairly well; he however didn't press the issue as he had other concerns at the moment. <<Trust me. Right now, I'm more worried about *you.* That hit you took sent you through two walls!!! I'm coming down to help.>>
<<No, you're not.>>
<<But Ranma-->>
<<*"But Ranma", nothing!!! Haven't you forgotten two things?!?*>> He almost snarled verbally, nearly giving away his position. <<You need to get Shiva outta here!! Don't worry about me, *you're* the one he's after!>>
<<*NO!!!!!*>> Her tone was adamant, nearly panicked. <<I came into this world with you, I'm gonna damn well make sure I don't leave it without ya!!!>>
<<Ranko, give a rest will y-->> His words collapsed into a grunt of pain as a fist nailed him straight in the stomach, collapsing under the blow. A jet of red raced from Ranma's mouth, and he swore he felt a rib separate from its natural location. As he dropped he heard the familiar tones of his enemy:
"Boy, you should've died in that last strike. It would've been less painful for you in the end."
* * *
{{Ranma!}} Ranko was frantic, racing along the upper tiers, trying to keep visual tabs on where Ranma was while at the same time avoiding the amount of damage that had been done to the pillars supporting the walkways that she was currently using. She felt that blow just as bad as he had. When they got out of here, they would have to work on some kind of mental blocks to prevent unintentionally hurting the other this way. *If* they got out of there.
She was on the verge of charging up for a ki strike when she felt the slam in her gut. Dropping to the deck and whimpering in pain, she tried to shut the onslaught of discomfort (to put it mildly) that she felt coming on. It was intense, and more powerful than she had ever felt in her short life, or had remembered from her brother's own. She pounded her fist on the floor, hoping to exorcise the burning feeling racing throughout her body, hoping that to god's sake that it would stop.
She also knew that what she was feeling, by comparison, was light compared to the very real blow that her brother had received.
{{Ranma....}}
* * *
Nguyen lifted the limp body by the collar of the tunic. "Hmmm.... After those earlier blows, you seemed to crumple under this one easily enough. Ran out of steam too soon, Saotome?"
Ranma lifted his head to face the would-be dictator. *"Sorry to have to disappoint you, but I'm not done yet!"* he snarled, his anger slowly rising once more, momentarily cleansing him of his agony. *"You'll have to better than that t' get rid of me!"*
Nguyen simply smiled viciously, commenting sarcastically, "Is that all you have to say?"
Ranma cocked his head, as if in thought. "No," he said, smiling mischievously, "I do have one more thing to add."
Nguyen simply stared at him impatiently, awaiting his prey to finish his last words on earth.
Ranma commented, "Kanshakudama!" then performed a quick Ri Giyo Hon Shin to wriggle out of Nguyen's grasp. Once free, he leapt out of the way as the ball of static ki that Ranma had planted exploded, throwing Nguyen several meters backwards. Nguyen was caught unprepared for the attack, and thus left himself open...
...for Ranma's next attack, a Ryuseikyaku that speared into Nguyen's side, aiding him to barrel though the next wall, shattering it as though it were merely glass. Ranma landed easily, readying for the next attack.
It came immediately.
A bust of pure violet energy erupted underneath his feet, tossing him several meters into the air, the power searing into his flesh. He arced up and came down hard, jarring his already loose rib and agitating his others. He got up slowly, trying to favor his aching side, fighting back the slow blurring of his vision.
His head spinning, he head the mocking tones of Nguyen once more. "I suppose that you are better than I thought, boy. I suppose I'll have to utilize my full abilities on you, won't I?" His eyes began to glow pure violet malevolence, directed not only at Ranma, but through him. *"Boy,"* his voice boomed, *"I am the power incarnate of this place, the receptacle of all the magic. Do you really hope to beat me?"*
Ranma's response was to simply wipe a smear of blood from his cheek, then drop into an offensive pose, pain or no, his battle aura leaping back to life and showing its colors like a peacock in full regalia. "You're threatening my sister. You had your goons try to kill me. You've abused poor little Shiva. Who knows what else you've done. Today your reign of terror is over, no matter what the cost is." He clenched his fist and it immediately became a star in the room, signaling his very intent. "Hope you have a pine box available in your size. *You're gonna need it."*
Nguyen snorted. "So be it."
At once, the warlord moved at close to light speed, catching Ranma off guard. Racing forward, he caught the young man by the shirt and began to slam him this way and that, against the ground and a nearby pillar, at a speed that even Ranma couldn't hope to keep up with in his male form. Were he female, he could've avoided the attack (although just barely), but that option was closed to him forever...
...seeing as his female form, incarnate, was watching from above, fear plastered on her face.
Nguyen followed this up with an uppercut that threw Ranma back several feet, slamming him through another wall. The warlord screamed out, *"SAOTOME!!! WHERE'S YOUR BRAVERY NOW?????"* The warlord laughed in maniacal glee, then kicked forward.
The kick released an orchid-colored bolt of lightning that shredded wall, dropping its contents onto Ranma. As the large shards of crystal and veins of other minerals fell, Ranma painfully rolled out of the way, biting off the searing feeling that was gnawing at his innards. With the pain slowly worsening, he knew that he had to stop Nguyen at any cost.
{{Ranko, Akane, everyone--forgive me.}}
Ranma charged up his ki to superintensity, then roared, *"SAOTOME SCHOOL OF ANYTHING GOES MARTIAL ARTS SUPER ART!!!!! HIJONI MOKO TAKABISHA!"* He thrust his palms out at a greater spread than normal and loosed a massive beam attack, the potent beam of ki racing out towards its intended target, ready to punch through with all the ferocity that Ranma held in his soul.
The beam struck the warlord with the force of a small tactical nuke, raining the full effect of its power onto the warlord. After a couple of milliseconds, the blast corona was so powerful that nothing could be seen of the master of the Crystal Temple, save a vague outline of the person as it crumpled under the strength of the blast. The outpouring of energy continued, detonating the remainder of the previous chamber, collapsing the room as the ceiling caved in. Oceans of dust motes and sparks of loose ki sprayed about creating an electromist that was nearly pleasing to look at, if it wasn't for the deadly reminder of the damage it had wrought; the shattering of crystal and the cracking and crumbling of various other building materials as it buried the warlord.
One second passed, and the noise died down, the dust settled.
Two seconds.
Three.
That completed it. Ranma let out a sigh of relief, nursing his aching side, feeling bile and blood trying to course up his throat. {{That was pure luck on my part; I was nearly a goner,}} he mused. He then addressed the only other person in the room that could hear him...if he spoke aloud. <<Sis?>>
<<I'm here, Ranma,>> she replied in turn; her voice sounding pained as though she'd felt every one of his injuries...which, he admitted to himself, was a possibility. <<Are you okay?>>
<<Yeah, I think. But I'll need to get to a hospital as soon as we reach a city. Think a rib or two's busted, and that's not something that can heal without a doc. Man, I wish Tofu were here. He'd take care of me in a jiffy.>>
<<Ain't that the truth.>> Ranma could feel his clone's wry smile, with the undercurrent of concern for him; it served to confirm his guess on the wholeness of their link. <<You beat him, right?>>
<<Hope so. I don't think anything could live through that.>> What remained unspoken was Ranma's remorse over the fatal blow; he was not, nor would ever be, the Fatality type. Ranko, of course, would know that, so he elected to say nothing further. <<But at least you're sa-->>
There was a creak behind him. Ranma turned around...
...and the world exploded beneath him in a borealis of lavender energy. Violet flames of bioenergy ripped against his skin, shearing and lacerating it. Magnitudes of force buffeted him as though he were nothing more than a matchstick in a typhoon. Light of intensity so blindingly bright, he closed his eyes but still could not shut out the purple flares searing into his vision. The pain grew more and more intense as the power threatened to do away with him, once and for all.
At last, it disappeared in a vacuum burst, taking a myriad of Ranma's blood vessels and strength with it. He fell to the ground, a blasted husk out of wind and with ebbing strength. Every last bit of power seemed to dissipate from his whole bod--
"It's called, 'Chi Drain,' boy," a hauntingly familiar voice echoed from behind him. Ranma didn't have the energy to turn around and face his opponent.
He didn't have to.
There was a burst of energy and a puff of air, and Nguyen materialized in front of him. Taking Ranma's head in one of his hands, he cocked back his other hand, ready for a killing blow.
From above, Ranko couldn't watch. She couldn't do much of anything. She was curled in a ball, whimpering in pain. She'd never felt anything like it; she felt like someone had just siphoned the very life out of her, leaving her to be a broken shell. Again, she knew why, and she knew she wasn't feeling the worst of it.
{{Gods and ancestors above,}} she pleaded, {{give my brother a miracle to save us. To save him.}} A tear slid down the side of the redhead's face as she knew she couldn't save the one person in the world she loved most from a horrid, pain-filled death.
{{Ranma, forgive me.}}
* * *
"You are truly an amazing person, Saotome," Nguyen chuckled, holding his opponent's very life in his cupped hand. "You came here to save the life of your sister, only to die. Well, let me tell you a couple of things. You failed her. Once you're dead, there will be nothing in this world that will prevent me from taking your sister again. I'll take her on your gravesite, how does that sound? I'll blemish that fine skin of hers, I'll do every inconceivable thing I can think of to her on your final resting place so you can hear her tormented screams, her cries of pain. You'll hear every single note of your failure.
"Secondly, there is no one to save you. You wandered in as though you were the strongest martial artist on earth. You're wrong. I am the strongest there is. Little man, you just don't cut it." Nguyen prepared to throw the palm strike that would shatter Ranma's head like a ripe melon. "Prepare to get away from it all, and get sent to hell."
*"No, YOU get away from him, NOW, you bastard!"* a raging voice cried, followed by a barking command, *"RYUZANSHOKEN!"*
Nguyen was slammed away in a ball of deep blue flame. As he landed, a blur of red and black pounced on him, delivering blow after blow of ringing punches. A quick punch set him up for a combo, as the figure went into an aerial rushing spin kick, calling out the attack: *"Raimei Kai Kyakudei!"*
As the warlord got up, surprised by this newest onslaught, a person moved in-between Ranma and him. The person immediately dropped into a classic offensive stance, eyes blazing. And tone that spoke words of fury was hotter than the molten lava within the depths of Fujiyama:
*"I am Tendo Akane of the Tendo Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu, and for the life of my fianc�, Saotome Ranma...I CHALLENGE YOU!!!!!!!!!"*
Ranma dreamily opened his eyes.
From above, Ranko crawled off the deck, and leaned just enough over the edge of the railing to gaze upon the same view as her brother did.
There, standing in Ranma's clothing, from the long-sleeve red tang, to the Chinese tie pants and soft shoes, was Tendo Akane, the girl that was so central to their lives. She stood there, battle aura blazing as usual, but with a difference: she was actively using her ki for strikes, proved by the way the energy played across her balled fists.
Her eyes blazed equal passion: love for Ranma, anger against this new foe of hers, concern for her friends and family that were sacrificing so much that they could be reunited. They had all pulled the strings of fate together so that this one moment in time could occur. And that fate was stated in a single sentence in Akane's mind: {{Ranma loved me enough to sacrifice everything to save me from Saffron. How much do I love him, to sacrifice everything once again for him? Yes, and my soul, too. Everything for him. Because he is everything to me, and without him I am forever incomplete.}}
Akane contemplated that maxim in her head for a few more seconds, then decided it was one of the major truths in her life. That mental decree of veracity complete, she then plunged in once more against her opponent.
Nguyen was stunned, more from surprise than from any actual blow. {{Saotome said he came here alone, if I recall. Yet, here he was, on the verge of his doom, and a woman does a deus ex machina appearance to save his life. Still,}} he thought, {{she is quite powerful and--}}
Recognition filled his mind. Of a woman staring at him from below, a mere two weeks ago, fury and hatred in her eyes.
{{Ah, so that's where I have seen her before. She was trying to rescue her sister-in-law. Well, she made it this far, and through my troops; she must be tough enough.}}
A decision was reached.
"Once I have the Saotome woman in my bed, you shall become my concubine, Tendo, is it not?" He smiled at her, leering all the while. Yes, he decided, appreciating her form, she would make for a wonderful distraction.
*"I beg your pardon!"* Akane said, half indignantly, half in repugnance that this, this...this...pervert...was actually *thinking* thoughts like that! There was only one pervert that she'd allow to think like that, and only after she took him back home where he belonged.
"Tell me, Tendo-san," he commented dryly, "would you be up for entertaining both men and women? If so, you will have to be introduced to my bride, though I think you know her already. Maybe not in the intent that I mean, but after your boyfriend is soon removed from the picture, soon enough."
"Akane," a voice from behind her said, its timbre wavering, "He's trying to trick you, get the better of your temper. Relax, and let the art flow through you."
Once upon a time, Akane would have responded with a sharp retort or, more accurately, with a mallet upside Ranma's head. The years had changed them, though, and the fact that Ranma made that comment indicated he was concerned. For Ranma to be concerned was *not* a good sign. She hadn't looked at how bad shape he was in, but simply the pitch alone of his voice raised alarms in the young woman's head.
She ignored his words, hoping that he would understand; not because of her anger, but because she couldn't bear to see the man she loved in so much pain. She had seen him come to tears only a few times in her life, grieving and dark only a handful of times; it was something that was not only unthinkable, but something that she felt more sharply than any cut dealt her.
So, there was something else to focus on, as well: the man who had gotten them all into this mess.
*"Buddy, you're toast!"* she cried, as she raced forward in her charging fist attack; a blur of blue, red, and black charging towards the muscular tyrant before her. Akane was ready to do some serious butt-kicking.
"Come to me," Nguyen waved on, taunting the girl, beckoning her to come forward. "You shall feel my wrath, woman."
"Shut up and ride the wave," she replied in turn, coming out of her fist feint. Upon reaching striking distance, she hit the brakes, then slammed her fist into the ground and roared, *"Kawarakuda!"* At once, concentric rings of ki rippled out from her hand, rocking and rolling the ground beneath Nguyen, sweeping him off his feet. Having the advantage, Akane called out her next attack, a high flip kick that she called the Hishodankyaku. As he took the blast she moved forward once more, ready to put him under with her charging fist strike...
...and falling into his trap. Her charge left her unprotected, and he took advantage of it immediately. He thrust his flattened palm out then pulled it in, creating a V-shape. As a result a purple arrowhead of energy leapt out from his hand motion, careening straight into her. The projectile exploded on impact, and as she was thrown back, Nguyen took one step forward and initiated his counterstrike. He torpedoed into her, then while in mid-air, pushed up on the sky. Grabbing her along the way, he rocketed upwards then began to spin in the air like a gyroscope. Reversing his course, he then stormed down in a suplex, letting go of Akane at the last second, and letting her pound into the pavement, headfirst. She hit with enough force to completely buckle and crack the floor, and the sound of the impact resounded throughout the already-destroyed chamber.
She ignored the pain in her chest as she got up and stormed forward again, still ready to put Nguyen down, but a bit more wary. As the two approached each other, she threw a series of rapid punches, which he sidestepped easily and countered with a neck grab using his right leg. She countered this by dropping to the ground, performing an upward sweep, then catching him on the knife edge of her foot long enough to slam him onto the ground.
As he hit the ground, he spun and leapt up with a knee attack that nailed her in the chin propelling her back. He then threw an uppercut of her nature, sending her at a ballistic speed; only the fact that she bounced off the ceiling far above saved her from becoming a geosynchronous satellite. Akane ricocheted off the overhead, then fell once more to earth; she was able to control her fall this time and landed somewhat in better condition than her initial descent.
Still undaunted, though, she plunged in once more, leaping forward into a flying kick. Nguyen punched forward, ready to take her out of the air. Akane adjusted and landed on his arm, then punched downward on *him,* performing her Kawarakuda strike. The concentric waves of ki echoed though his body, and for a second he seemed to woof and warp with expended power as the force of Akane's punch blasted through his body. Then he recovered and let her have it, via a powerful punch that sent her flying. Within a split second afterward, he began to charge up, then immediately released a blast of energy that looked like an atom on overdrive.
As for Akane, she collided with a decorative fountain, ramming through it and sending a spray of crystal, marble and water in all directions. Less than a second later, the atomic blast connected, and turned her into a ball of ki-flame, the screams of pain echoing throughout the room as it scalded her soul. She dropped to the floor, a mixture of shock and pain.
Nguyen raced towards her, saying, "I guess I'll just have to take you here and now, won't I?" His eyes sent across the message, that, clearly he was going to do it, if for no other reason than to shame her and insult Ranma further. Akane saw that, and despite the momentary pain, a mixture of fear and revulsion washed over her, accompanied with the fact that by the time she fully recovered, he'd be upon her...
A cry of "Moko Takabisha!" split the ominous, penetrating silence, as a familiar red pulse of energy crashed into Nguyen's face, throwing him back. The shockwave from the impact caved in a whole section of the ceiling, further weakening the structure of the already wrecked surroundings.
"Akane," a voice said behind her. She turned to look at the voice, and saw Ranma. Her love.
He was in really bad shape.
* * *
Somehow, Ranko got back to her feet. Ignoring the nauseous feeling currently ripping through her gut that was a gentle reminder of what Ranma was experiencing, she peered over once more, and noticed that Ranma and Akane were holding each oth--
{{Waitaminit. Akane? Here?}}
Ranko's heart skipped a few beats as the woman that she loved--wait, make that *Ranma* loved--was here and fighting for him, trying to protect him with all the love and strength she had. Even now, she held him in her arms, a look of a fierce and zealous guardian etched in her eyes. She was a lioness, protecting her wounded mate from the hunter that so felt the need to destroy and humiliate him.
The analogy in Ranko's mind was too close. Nguyen wanted to destroy them all. In the end, that was all that he was: a machine of pure anarchy, hell-bent on incinerating everything that was there; a twisted version of King Midas in reverse. He had wanted her--Ranma, originally--for nothing more than bearing a child to further his dreams of global dynasty. Even if that plan had succeeded, all that child would have been nothing more than a pawn in the warlord's grand chess game. Ranko would take the tanto blade to her and every child-bearing woman on earth before she'd allow that to happen. No one deserved that kind of fate. Not even Kodachi--though it was tempting.
Another look towards her brother and his lover revealed a new horror: Nguyen was advancing on them, and they weren't paying attention! They were sitting ducks, and the hunter had the double-barreled shotgun locked and loaded....
* * *
"Ranma, you're injured." Akane just held him in her arms. He was safe. Injured but safe. Favoring her throbbing side, she held him close, knowing that she'd never leave his side ever again. She belonged here with him, just him and him alone.
"Akane, you're not doing too well, either." He wiped a congealing bead of hemoglobin that was oozing from the gash on her head. "You were hit pretty hard,"
"Yeah, well, I was hurt protecting you, dummy." She snuggled closer to him, then moved away hastily as he grunted from a pain she didn't know was there. "'Sides, I can handle the pain. Marital artist and all that." He looked into his baby blue eyes, and as always, got lost in them. "You're not allowed to die on me, Ranma. You die, and I swear, I'll kill you!"
He laughed softly. "What, and leave my kawaiikune fianc�e to her own devices? You'll probably start cooking in your grief, causing a ten-prefecture killing spree." He held her closer. "Besides, I don't want to lose you."
"You won't. I'll never leave your side, Ranma--I love you too much. If you were on death's doorstep, I'd join you. We'll be together, always."
"And I l--"
*"Awww, the sweet sounds of love. You two make me sick."* Nguyen's voice boomed as he looked at the broken and battered pair. His face was a mask of contorted rage. His finery was torn to near shreds, and the skin underneath showed one or two bruises. *"It is time that I show you the ultimate power!"* He snapped his fingers together, crying out, *"Step One: Fasten!"*
Instantly, rings of ki coiled around Ranma and Akane holding them fast. They began to pull at the bonds, trying to make them burst, but it was not working. Instead, the rings had the effect of a Chinese finger trap: the more one struggled, the tighter the bonds became, and with Ranma's broken ribs and Akane's heavily bruised side, the pair were soon gasping in pain and for breath. It was putting them in a delicate situation that would not soon be resolved.
*"Step Two: IGNITE!"* With the utterance of those words, Nguyen began to change. His skin began to glow, his eyes became binary stars. His clothing began to smolder, then burned away from the heat. He had become a being of pure magic and ki, the ultimate vessel of power for this place. He raised his hands in the air, making twin fists. The upraised hands began to glow with a power so bright, Ranma and Akane were soon unable to look directly at them. All the while, Nguyen himself began to grow brighter and brighter in his luminescence, becoming the light of damnation.
*"YOU HAD YOUR FUN, BUT NOW IT'S OVER AND TIME FOR YOU TO DIE."* Even his voice no longer sounded human; it was though he had become a god. *"WITNESS YOUR DEATHS FROM ON HIGH. ULTIMATE POWER, STEP THREE: THOR'S HAMMER!!!"* Nguyen began to swing his hands down.
One thought penetrated Ranma's mind. {{I love you, Akane. I always have, I always will.}} She looked at him knowingly, seeing in his eyes what he could never express in words.
She smiled back. "And I will always love you as well, Ran-chan." She, despite the pain, moved closer into his arms.
Nguyen's hands came closer, and between them, a massive ball of ki began to form. When that blast hit, Ranma guessed, it would hit them with the force of a nuclear bomb.
{{I could use a miracle,}} he thought.
One redheaded miracle, coming up.
"HIRYU SHOTEN HA!!!!!!!!!!"
The pain never came as the fierce and oppressive violet glow melted away, slowly replaced by an equally fierce, yet warm and protecting red one. There was a soft breeze, and a feeling of love and joy. This serenity, however, was slightly jarred by a female voice which shouted, *"Let's see how you like that!!!"*
Akane looked up, and saw Nguyen blasted away courtesy of the Ascending Dragon Strike, which was thrown by an familiar redhead thrusting her fist to the vaults of heaven, the energy vortex swirling around her and reaching towards space, the leung-shaped pulse of ki slithering from her clenched hand.
"Ranma...." she whispered. Somehow, he'd gotten free of the vise, transformed back to his girl form--which negated a large percentile of his injuries--and let Nguyen have it.
Ranma turned back to her. "Relax, Akane," she smiled, "and I'll bust you both out of there." She began to attack Akane's bonds with the Roga Shuuhaitai move, countering the ki with her own. The bonds began to warp, then weaken and eventually, dissipate into nothingness.
Akane smiled at the girl she loved, knowing that it was truly her loving Ranma.
Then Ranma's words hit her: {{"Relax, Akane, and I'll bust you both out of there."}} She shook her head at that. {{Both?}}
She looked down, and saw the face of male Ranma looking back at her, love and amusement as the absurd complement to her own puzzled expression.
What he said was even weirder. His face looked at the girl and said, "I thought I told you to stay out of this."
Ranko helped Akane to her feet, then Ranma. "He was about to kill you, oniichan! What was I supposed to do? *You're* in no shape to fight!"
"Ranko, if I have to remind you, *you're* the reason why I'm fighting," he snapped in return, half angered at her willful ignoring of his instructions, half glad that she was safe and helping them. "Dammit, sis, you know he's after *you!"* Ranma looked closer at his sister. She was worried about him, and the pain her eyes clearly reflected that. But there was something else in them, as well. "Ranko, are you okay?"
"No, not really. I'm worried to death about you," she admitted, hoping that Ranma would be distracted and thus not catch her omission. "Look, if you and Akane died, well...." Unsure of what to say further, she simply shrugged her shoulders, hoping the message would come across on its own.
"Thanks, sis." He smiled weakly. "But you know I can handle myself."
"This isn't a normal situation, Ranma," she returned. "We've, um...*you've* never faced a situation like this before. This is new, and I don't trust ugly pug, there--" she said, as she hooked a thumb back in Nguyen's direction. Taking a quick glance to assess the situation, she then added, "--who could get back up again at any moment."
Ranma dropped back into a fighting stance, then his whole body shivered at the wave of pain that oscillated through his body. Despite this, he still added, "I can take him. We've only just started."
*"NO!"* Ranko yelped, adamant about her worry. "You're leaving, Ranma. *I'll* fight. This is my fight, anyway, and I can't have you running to my rescue, when *I* can fight my *own* battles!"
"I'm your brother! What do you expect?!?!"
"I expect you to limp your butt out of this place and let me take care of Nguyen!"
*"Like hell I am!"*
*"Damn right you are! Leave!"*
*"No, I'm not!"*
*"Are too!"*
*"Am not!"*
*"Are too!"*
*"Am not!"*
*"Are too!"*
*"Am not!"*
*"ARE TOO, ARE TOO, ARE TOO, ARE TOO, ARE TOO!!!!!!!! BAKA, BAKA, BAKA...ONIICHAN NO BAKA!!!!!"*
Meanwhile, Akane was staring at both Ranmas as they began their tirade against one another. Her head was currently playing Wimbledon spectator as her gaze bounced from the black-haired man to the redheaded girl and back again. A bead of sweat and exasperation formed on her brow, followed by a few nerves coming to the surface of her left temple. Both were acting like classic Ranma: obstinate, macho, and unrelenting. However, there was also a tone of love and anxiety in the voices of both. Despite the sizable size difference in both, it seemed to appear that they were going eye to eye.
"Ranma," she said, turning to the guy, "who--"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that, under the circumstances." The argument forestalled, Ranma's demeanor grew a bit sheepish.
"Love you too, big bro," Ranko said, semi-sarcastically.
"That's not what I meant, Ranko, and you know it." He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing.
"I know." She carefully leaned against her older brother. "I was just kidding. I know you care."
Akane, however, still hadn't gotten her answer. "Who," this time, turning to the girl, "are you?"
"Oh, I'm him." She rested her head on his shoulder, running her fingers lightly across his back.
"Then who's--"
Ranma slipped an arm around his younger sister. "Um, she's me."
*"WHAT?!?!?!?!?"*
"Look, Akane," Ranma commented, "I realize that this is hard to understand, but this is Ranko. She's...she's my younger sister. Or at least I think of her that way. I'll tell you the full story later, but to give you the quick explanation--"
"--I'm his female side brought to life, his younger clone," she finished. She looked at Akane. "We think the same, and everything, we basically mirror the other's thoughts. So I can tell you that I--"
Chaos ensued once more as the ki-being that was Nguyen got back up and began to charge towards them like a bull, his intent clearly to kill them all, regardless of the consequences. Ranko wasted no time. She pushed both Ranma and Akane out of the way as the warlord rocketed past. Grabbing Akane, she raced toward the villain calling back to Ranma, "Just leave it to us, Ranma. We'll take care of him!"
Ranma's response was to ready to race forward along with them, but unexpectedly, all the feeling in his body died out. He knew instantly why; he also knew that he'd be out of it for quite a few minutes.
{{Damn her,}} he thought as a smile to his face. No doubt that she was his sister. {{But in retrospect,}} he mentally added, {{maybe I shouldn't have tried to hard to study paralysis points with Tofu.}}
In the distance, Nguyen, stopped in mid-stride, spun and reversed course. His eyes flared with malicious glee. Not only was Saotome's woman there, but his bride had shown up as well! He knew, of course, he'd have to cow them, which meant that they would be spending a few months in traction before they would willingly give themselves up to him. {{But,}} he thought, {{sometimes you just have to show who's in charge here.}}
Ranko and Akane moved themselves into combat positions, ready for anything that Nguyen could throw against them. They were prepared to go all out, to do whatever it took to stop Nguyen, and all because of Ranma.
As Akane watched Nguyen correct and double-back upon his course, she commented to Ranko, "So, you say that you're my loving Ran-chan's clone, huh?"
Also not taking her eyes off the quarry, Ranko said, "Yes, Akane-chan. He and I are the same. We should talk about this more, later, though."
She risked taking a glance at the redhead. "Okay," she said, mischievously, "prove it, then."
Ranko's response was to look back at Akane, then roll her eyes and mutter, "Baka kawaiikune tomboy...." At the last second, she saw Nguyen coming into projectile range, and had an idea; an enigmatic smile crossing her face was the only sign.
Akane, however, had not seen Nguyen's approach, so as he bellowed, *"YOU ARE MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"* she turned in shock, totally unprepared for what was about to overtake her.
Ranko, however, was not. As he moved into the point-blank range, she thrust her hands out and cried, *"Moko Takabisha!"* As her blast of energy collided with him at its full strength, it staggered him back enough for her to begin her second step. She called out, *"Sho Kacchu Tenshin Amaguri"* and threw a powerful uppercut that sent him flying, Air Akane-style. As he rose, she leapt up, and matching his trajectory, delivered her Chestnut Punch attack. Finally, she threw another punch that sent him plummeting back towards the earth.
Landing on the ground once more, she didn't waste time. Grabbing Akane, she dashed towards their opponent, slyly commenting, "You were saying?"
Akane whistled appreciatively. "Yup. You are him, that's for sure." She smiled, then added, "Just another person I get to put through the wall for her stupid remarks."
In the best interests of diplomacy, Ranko wisely bit off her retort, and instead charged their foe. As he got up, he instead attacked Akane, but at the last second, turned that attack on Ranko. He uppercutted Ranko into the air...
...Ranma hit the floor, as though someone had nailed him in the face. Grunting away the pain, he immediately understood what his sister had unfortunately discovered earlier; it was why she had looked so pained.
{{Dammit, sis, why didn't you say something...}}
Then as she reached mid-air, he warped into being behind her and delivered his own high-speed rapid punch, shouting, *"I SEE YOU LIKE IT ROUGH, THEN!"* His attack was completed by an explosive punch that dropped Ranko to the floor in a blaze of violet flame.
*"Ranma!!"* Used to the sight of the redhead as her fianc�, Akane galloped in like the cavalry. Nguyen launched a fireball at Akane, but the brunette deftly parried aside the blow, then vaulted into the air and came down hard upon her foe, courtesy of another Karawakuda. Unfortunately, Nguyen expected this and parried, his way: he performed a flip kick, and a wave of energy sliced the air and pulverized Akane, allowing her an ungainly landing on the floor.
Ranko, in the interim, bit back the pain and relaunched her attack. No one was going to hurt Akane. *Ever.* She forced her fist into the air, renting the sky with another Hiryu Shoten Ha. The blast upsurged, its blazing trail meaning every violent intent that Ranko could muster against her foe.
Unfortunately for her, Nguyen had also expected this. He cupped his hands before him, and the blast hit the cup. It stayed there for a second, then he screamed, *"POWERFUL BURNING BACKLASH!!!!!!!!"* and released the beam back upon its owner--a hundredfold times stronger. The beam now carried the power of a tomahawk missile, and was approximately the width of small plaza.
The beam was too intense for Ranko or Akane to take, and even though they were meters apart form each other, the beam was large enough that both were clearly caught in it. The beam splashed onto the floor, and the resulting explosion removed a sizable portion of not only the floor, but the wall, two rooms, and an outer wall leading to the outside of the palace itself. All in all, the blast was something that pretty much only Mist could have countered, or Ranko, if she'd been at full strength. As it was, Ranko, already dealing with her and her brother's injuries, was far too weakened to counter the assault. Likewise, Akane also had been weakened by her ordeal.
Both wilted like flowers under a flame-thrower, crumpling under the force of the superbeam.
Floating above them, the being that was Nguyen gloated at the punishment of the transgression of his two women. {{They will soon learn that I do not take betrayal lightly. I taught that lesson to Mango, I shall teach it to them.}} He peered down into the monster crater that had once been the floor. The indentation the size of a baseball field, the center of it was some fifteen meters down. Barely visible at the bottom of all the wreckage were the two girls, bruised battered and broken, but still alive, only through his mercy, and only because they had missions to fulfill in their lives. Were it not for that, he probably would've used Thor's Hammer on them, and nothing survived Thor's Hammer. Nothing.
Nothing in this world could defeat the mighty warlord Nguyen Tran Loc.
There was no power on this earth even capable of moving this mountain of power that he now was--
*"HIRYU KORIN DAN!!!!!!!!!"*
A powerful blast of energy slammed into his backside, knocking him onto the floor ungracefully. He bounced back to his feet, roaring, *"WHO HAS THE HUBRIS TO MOCK ME?!?"*
*"I do."* A male's voice, cold and empty, resounded behind him. Nguyen turned around to face a mask of pure fury. Saotome Ranma stood in, fist clenched and glowing like the morning star, his eyes also glowing with the same amount of burning ki. His battle aura flared brighter than a nova, but less intense than his rage. He stood there, a testament to his resilience and his mastery at the Art.
None of that was currently worth a goddamn plugged yen to him.
*"You hurt my fianc�e. You hurt my sister. You've just hurt me worse than anything you could ever do. And you will pay."* His voice reverberated with a timbre that was unnatural to the young man's demeanor. This was the Wild Horse unleashed and unbound, unfettered by civility. *"You. Will. Die."* Ranma pounced on the man with a speed born of a demon, launching his all into the attack with a feeling of hatred that was boundless.
Ranma grabbed Nguyen, and started slamming his head against the floor, then sliced him with a quick axe kick. Coming out of that move, Ranma then parried a hastily thrown fireball that Nguyen had thrown as a distraction. Ranma then picked the guy up and leaping into the air, landed a fierce snap kick that punched Nguyen up two decks and back down, hard. This attack was followed with Ranma throwing a short Chestnut Punch attack at Nguyen and leaving a Kanshakudama attack that detonated around him.
Nguyen then went on the offensive, seeking to deflate Ranma's rebound, before it put the warlord in serious jeopardy. With a shout, he snapped his fingers, and a gout of ki appeared beneath Ranma's feet exploding into a volcano of power. Ranma, however, simply walked through it, unimpressed. Nguyen then got up and attempted a scissors kick on Ranma, but that was just as easily countered by the skilled counterattack of Ranma's Ryuseikyaku. As Nguyen's head snapped back with a swishing sound, Ranma took the opportunity to attempt to stop the creature before him once and for all. He threw a hard jab to Nguyen's solar plexus, then literally ran up his chest, kneeing him in the face and breaking his nose, then finishing that up with an extremely tight arc kick.
Nguyen hit the floor, then screamed in pain as his ki-overload wore off. He was in pain, and with a broken nose. He'd been bruised and battered several times, and his luck had just run out. He spoke to Ranma in normal tones, chiding, "So, it takes pain to bring out your skills, eh boy? You're good, but still not good enough. You will never defeat me."
*"Just shut your yap."* Ranma cracked the knuckles in his fist as he brandished it like the potent weapon that it was. *"For what you did to my family, I'll make you wish you were never born. I'll put your meglomanaical butt straight into a coffin, ya get that? You're gonna lose, and how."*
No more time to talk, Ranma hastened once more into his personal jihad. He did a small hop then threw a downward punch, nailing Nguyen. An immediate short kick followed, then a sweep and a rolling thrust kick. He moved in closer, throwing left and right jabs, then launching into another full-blown Chestnut Punch, each blow becoming stronger and stronger as he threw it.
Ranma was passing the line. Nguyen had hurt him. Nguyen had killed thousands of people that he knew of, who only knew how many more. Most importantly, he'd hurt two women absolutely central to his life, and he wasn't going to stand for it one minute more. He'd do his duty of martial righteousness, but that was all, and nothing more. Ranma was ready to kill.
The speed on his fists became faster, the interval between when one fist was pulled back and the next one connect was shrinking by the nanosecond. The ki was growing stronger, and so was the sonic force and friction held back by the battle aura. Soon, it would discharge, whether he liked it or not--and he had a plan about that.
So, as the field became unstable, he stopped and launched a Moko Takabisha that hit Nguyen at point blank range--and with the already powerful beam came a shockwave of sonic energy that was several times the speed of sound. The entirety of the combined ki-and-resonance pulse bored its frequency waves straight through the warlord, causing massive disruptions in his molecular structure, and felling him like a diseased sequoia.
With that final strike, Nguyen began to realize at the back of his mind, that something was wrong; something terribly wrong. His train of power had just been derailed by a force of nature known as the Wild Horse. The body of the Master of All He Surveyed wouldn't respond to his mastery. He certainly didn't respond when Ranma picked him up, eyes blazing with a fury that could not be explained to a man who was incapable of understanding. Nguyen, defiant still, flashed a clear threat in his eyes, even as he realized that he was at the jaws of defeat, near the throes of death: {{Kill me now, boy, because if you don't, I'll keep coming and coming and coming....}}
As for Ranma, all he could see in his mind's eye was the sight of the woman he loved and the sister he never expected to have, crumpled under a massive strike of energy, possibly too strong for them to survive. There was no way he could be sure, and in the back of his mind, he was terrified to confirm their deaths. But he did know one thing: justice would have to be served, one way or the other. People suffered because of this demon that was now cowed and in Ranma's hands. He would make sure that no one would ever have to suffer the malevolence that was Nguyen Tran Loc.
He brought his fist back to launch his strike...
...and felt it suddenly covered by one other, softer hand, then by another. Ranma fought hard to control the tears of joy that threatened to spring free. He should've known that they couldn't be killed that easily: they were just as much a part of him as he was of them, and there was no way that they would leave him a broken, empty husk. He loved them both, and they loved him, and together they made a family.
"I'm ready, Ranma," Akane said, her voice clear as a bell, carrying every tone of strength and love that it ever could.
To her right, the redhead stood, seemingly silent, but audible if one knew her method of speech. <<Okay, oniichan, let's boot this pathetic dweeb straight back to the Stone Age and go back home where we belong.>>
Ranma cocked back his fist once more, infusing all his ki into it. Akane and Ranko did the same, their respective battle aura's intermingling until it formed a violet blur of light that matched Nguyen's own. With that, they punched forward and under Nguyen's chin, wordlessly, soundlessly; no battle cries or attacks called, just a clear, clean punch that would send the warlord to his just and richly deserved doom. The snap of their combined power dropped the trio to their knees, their strength and willpower flickering and ebbing for the moment, and rendered capable of not being able to counter or withstand an attack.
Fortunately, one would not be coming. Their assault on Nguyen pelted him skywards, shooting him to the top of the temple and beyond. From far above, they could hear the crack of decks as he went through each one, the ballistic speed that his husk reached as it traveled onwards and away from the area. After a few minutes, there was no further cracking sound. The three looked up and noticed a hole in the far off vaulted top of the Temple, the mid-morning sun coming in and slowly filtering its light and warmth down to them. And with that light came relief, courage, and the reality:
The warlord was gone. They were free, and alive.
As they stood in the center of Beirut-near-Saigon, they were certainly a sight: Ranma, with his torn uniform, bleeding side and bruised face; Akane, with her lacerated cheek, bruised eye, and slightly dislocated shoulder; and Ranko, who was somewhere in between the two. They looked every bit like the hell that they had just been through. It mattered little, though; they now had each other in their lives and always would.
Ranma, as gently as possible, grabbed the girls to him, the tears now running freely from his eyes. "You two had me worried!"
Akane caressed his face, cooing, "I'll never leave you, my love. What--you don't believe me?"
Ranko smiled as she gently punched her brother's shoulder. "Nope, 'fraid you're stuck with us for the rest of your life."
His response was to hold the girls closer to them as all three wept tears of joy and relief that their whole ordeal was over. Ranma admitted that although it was unmanly to cry, he didn't care. If he couldn't do it in front of his family, who could he trust to?
After a second or two more, Ranko rubbed the tears from her eyes and said, "Well, what are we waiting for, guys? Let's go home. I do have my parents to meet, you know."
Akane looked at her future sister-in-law. "That's true. Besides, I made myself a promise that when I got Ran-chan home, I'd never leave his arms again, and I'm a woman of my word."
Ranma looked at both girls, blushing slightly in awe of Akane's love for him. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "Let's get going, you two. We still have Shiva to find before we leave here," he momentarily glared at Ranko, "don't we." It was not a question.
"Yeah." Ranko hadn't thought of that, and now, seeing the destruction they had wrought, she was now growing concerned. "I just hope our little sister's okay."
"Same here, Ranko, same here." Ranma's eyes reflected that concern. "But I'm sure she's fine. She's one of us, right?" Ranko's response was a simple nod.
"Let's go home." The three took each other in hand and began to shuffle out of the battle-scarred chambers that once held the man who would rule the world. Today that reign of terror was cut short by a couple of wild horses and an uncute tomboy. And the world would never know its benefactors. Perhaps it was safer that way.
As they left, it took Akane a few minutes for their last words to sink in.
"What do you mean, 'little sister'?!?!?! There's *another* one of you two?!?!?!"
