-------------------------------------
Spirit within part 29: close quarters.
---------------------------------------

	Ranma woke stiffly from his cot and stretched uncomfortably. He
had been staying with Ukyo and Ryoga for about a week now hiding in the
back of Ucchans, occasionally doing dishes and working in the back as he
laid low to recover. He felt a smile come as Ukyo gave her wake up call. 
	"Ryoga you jerk!" cried Ukyo as she sent Ryoga out the window and
into Nerima, it would be several hours before he returned. Ranma walked
down the stairs and sat at a table. "You shouldn't be out here, they
might see you and if they show up and wreak my restaurant Saotome." She
said angrily.
	Ranma smiled and stood up. "Thanks for every thing Ukyo 
I'm almost completely healed." he said as he walked out. 
	"Ranma wait. Where are you going?" Ukyo said suprised. 
	"Home." said Ranma simply. "I'm better now and I can't hide
forever." he said looking serious. 
	Ukyo blinked and muttered. "Whatever."
	"How is she?" he asked standing in the door way.
	"Not good, I think if you get yourself killed she'll die a
widow." said Ukyo flatly. She turned to see Ranma standing in the shadow
between the door and the light from outside unmoving. "Ranma you can't
push her away." she said to him. 
	Ranma looked at the floor. "Why did I do it?" he asked himself
out loud and walked out finally.
	"Just don't get yourself killed. I want to do it remember?" said 

Ukyo with out much malice. She then turned to see a stack of pot sitting
in the sink. "Ryoga you jerk! How dare you leave without doing your
chores?!" she yelled. 
	Outside Ranma couldn't help but smile a little. He realized that
Ryoga had probably replaced what his life should have been. He Idly
wondered if Ukyo would be kidnapped instead of Akane all the time if they
got through this. He would return home and then school, he had hated
leaving like he had but he couldn't let his parents know where he had
gone. He knew they must be worried about him, but he couldn't risk
contact with them with the old goul running around. He would have to deal
with her sooner or later and he knew she would be dangerous even with all
his preparations. He had to deal with her quickly as long as she was
around Akane was in danger.

	Mousse awoke the next day with a hard face. He had not lived in
comfort over the past few days, but then he was used to that, at least he
was with Shampoo for that time, but the fact remained that he had failed.
Cologne would do everything in her power to get Ranma to wed Shampoo.
	Mousse watched as Shampoo rose from his side awoken by his
movements. <What's wrong?> she asked him.
	Mousse looked into her eyes, and said one word. "Ranma."

	Shampoo nodded and lay back down getting what rest she could. She
would die before she married Saotome, he had scarred her and destroyed
her pride. He could not survive, Ranma Saotome would not exist or she
would die it was that simple. How could it be done? He was seemingly
invincibly lucky. A smile formed on her lips as a plan formed. <Ranma I
have you now.> she said quietly and went to sleep.

	Soun Tendo walked into his daughters room and smiled pleasantly.
Akane sat on the bed looking tired. "Akane dear, you've been cooped up
for days. Why don't you come down and-" He was interrupted by his
daughter. 
	"Meet your friend and his son? I don't think so, -he is coming
back for me-" she said looking at her father with a gaze of ice. 
	Soun went white as a sheet as he saw Akane's gaze her face was
hard and bitter, she looked exactly like her. Nabiki walked in from her
place out side the door where she had been spying with an odd look on her
face completely oblivious that every one now would know she had been
there. Akane steadied her gaze on her father as he backed out of the
room. Kasumi walked in and looked around. Her gaze met with Akane's stare
and she dropped the tea she had brought hoping it would calm everyone
down. They all turned away and quickly left the room. Akane sighed and
lay back down, she could not believe the nerve her father had over the
past few days. "Ranma." she said staring at the ceiling.

	Soun sat wordlessly at the table with his news paper in front of
his face and tears in his eyes. "I can't believe I never saw it before."
he thought. His friend Genma had left after realizing that every one
seemed uncomfortable after coming out of Akane's room. Nabiki and Kasumi
kept the silence with their own thoughts and from the looks they had it
was obvious they had seen it too. Akane had looked exactly like her
mother when she was angry back there. Not a close resemblance -exactly-
like her. Soun was very unnerved by it. 
	Nabiki didn't know what to think, that look, the one Akane had
given her and her family was one thing she had never forgotten about her
mother. It was the look she got when she wanted them to know that they
had crossed the line.
	Kasumi looked at her father and sister quietly sitting and
waiting for the silence to end. "Oh my Akane looked very upset, I hope
she's all right." she thought to herself.
	A knock at the door stopped the silence. Soun got up and walked
to the door. Kasumi started to get up but Soun smiled and walked past
her. He opened the door and stopped. Ranma stood before him looking at
him calmly. "Hello." he said.
	Soun growled and quickly closed the door behind him as he stood
outside with Ranma. "What do you want? Akane is upset enough..." he said
angrily  
	"If you haven't forgotten I am the heir to the Any thing goes
school. I would like to speak to the master." said Ranma calmly. 
	Soun looked at Ranma hard. He did not like being reminded that
his daughter had an obsessive infatuation with the man Happosai had
chosen as his heir. "Wait here I'll get hi-" said Soun only to be shoved
aside by Happy who had emerged from his room. 
	"Ranma my boy what brings you here?" he asked. 
	"I need to train." said Ranma simply. Nabiki looked at him with a
gaze that was unreadable from inside the house. Ranma returned it and
turned to walk away to follow Happosai.
	"You come to me to train? why?" asked Happosai after a few
moments of walking.
	"Because however unorthodox your methods are they are also
effective. I need to beat these people or Akane is in danger. I hate
being apart from her and I'll do any thing to ensure we'll be safe when
we are together." said Ranma calmly "Even if it means all of their lives
none of them will use her to get to me." The two rounded the corner and
Ranma ducked under a hand that swung at him. He looked up to see Nabiki
staring at him angrily.
	"What the hell do you think you are doing?" she yelled at him. 
	Ranma looked at her and sighed. "You would rather have her die
with me?" he said to her calmly.
	"With you?" she asked suprised and horrified.
	"Do you have any idea what I'm up against? Do you know how
powerful Cologne is? Do you know that I am not facing  just these amazons
but an entire village? If they fail more will come after me. You think
I'm going to let Akane live like that? Always running for her life? Never
being safe? Nabiki I doubt if I'll even survive this." Ranma looked at
Nabiki hard. 
	Nabiki looked at Ranma sadly. "I didn't know." she said looking
ashamed. 
	"So thats why you left me." said Akane as she walked out from
behind a tree nearby. 
	Nabiki turned and looked at her in shock. "Akane?!" she cried.
	Ranma smiled and turned away. "Now you know." he said sadly.
	"I don't care." she said to him. 
Ranma turned to face her. "Akane don't do this you don't know what your
getting into." he said pleading with her.
	"I don't care." she repeated calmly.
	Ranma looked at her and faltered. "Akane you can't do this..." he
said wavering under her gaze.
	"Ranma your stuck with me. I'll hunt you down if you try to run
away. I love you and you can't stop me from being with you." said Akane
seriously.
	Ranma looked at her and sighed gathering his chi in his hands.
"Can't I?" he said staring her down. Akane walked up to him and kissed
him her chest coming dangerously close to the energy ball in his hands as
it dissipated. 
	"No you can't." she said smiling at him. Ranma looked at her and
fell to his knees. 
	"You win." he said to her with a sort of sad smile. Akane sat
next to him and kissed him again. 
	Nabiki and Happosai watched the argument form the side. "This is
boring c'mon Ranma we've got to train." he said to him dragging him away.
	Nabiki smiled as Akane followed them. "I just hope she doesn't
try to cook for them while they are away." she said dryly waving them
off.
	Mousse smiled as he watched the exchange from the bushes. <He
can't protect her forever.> he smiled. Shampoo in her female guise sat
next to him in the bushes. 
	<We don't have much time before Great grandmother try to get rid
of her.> she said to him.
	<If she does we only need to wait for him to come after us, your
in no danger of having to marry him now Shampoo.> said Mousse with a
grin.
	Shampoo nodded and looked ahead with a grim smile. <I'll make you
pay for my face Ranma Saotome.> she said bitterly touching the scarred
tissue under her hair.
	Ranma followed Happosai as he led them towards Nerima station.
Ranma stopped and looked at the building he was standing next to.
"Ucchans." he said reading the sign. "Hey, old man, wait up for a
minute." he called. 
	Happosai turned and looked at Ranma impatiently. "Hurry it up
boy!" he said.

	Ryoga sat at a table and relaxed, he was tired after the lunch
rush and was enjoying some quiet time in the restaurant. "Hey, Ryoga feel
like going on a trip?" said a familiar voice from the door way.
	Ryoga looked up and saw Ranma sticking his head through the open
door. He stood up and grabbed his pack from the corner. "Sure." he said
without a second thought.
	Ukyo watched the whole exchange from the grill and sighed. "Ryoga
you jerk." she said to herself. 
	 Akane poked her head in behind Ranma. "Ukyo are you coming?" she
said smiling.
	"Are you joking? I have a business to run here!" she cried
putting her hands on her waist.
	Akane blinked and smiled "O.K.." she said cheerfully.
 	Ukyo turned off the grill and grabbed a small bag from under the
counter. "If you insist." she said dryly. 
	Akane looked at her and smiled cheerfully not really
understanding.
	"Are you gonna take all day?!" called Happy from outside.
	"Besides I'm not letting Ryoga go off alone with him! Who knows
what he'll be like when he gets back. He's perverted enough as it is."
said Ukyo in a failed attempt at covering her true reason for tagging
along.
	"Hey! said Ryoga defensively.
	"I think your just worried about him." said Ranma from beside
Akane.
	Ryoga blinked and looked at Ukyo, "Really?" he said dumbly.
	Ukyo turned red and protested loudly "Of course not!" she cried
hitting him over the head with her spatula. 
	"This is going to be a long trip." sighed Happosai.
	"And just where do you think your sighing?!" cried Ukyo pulling
him from her chest and hitting him into orbit.

-------------------------------------------
Spirit within part 30: training for a peaceful life.
----------------------------------------------
	"All right then, I send the flowers and the note and make sure he
is at the park at four?" said Genma with a smile. 
	"And I take Akane and go for a nice walk in the park to cheer her
up!" finished Soun.
	"A perfect plan. When my son returns from his training voyage
we'll set it all up!" cried Genma. The two men pat each other on the back
and laughed heartily. 
	"Nabiki, where is your sister?" called Soun as his middle
daughter walked by.
	"Oh, thats right you haven't heard yet. She ran away with her boy
friend yesterday." said Nabiki sitting down calmly while eating a bag of
chips. She rested her head in her palms and watched the two men cry.

	Ranma sat next to the fire the group had made on the side of the
mountain and watched it burn down. He could feel every muscle in his body
ache. Ukyo and Akane were angry at the three men and forced them out of
the tents. The three had spent the past few days raiding bathhouses,
restaurants, windows, and school locker rooms from the towns surrounding
the mountain.
	"They could have at least given us our sleeping bags." grumbled
Ryoga.
 	The tired and beaten men returned to camp only to face two very
angry girls. Akane was the worst of the two. Ranma had made her tag along
on all the 'training voyages' refusing to take his eyes off her for the
slightest moment. She had often joined the hordes of angry girls after
the unfortunate victims of Happosai's training began chasing them.

	"I can't believe that jerk!" growled Akane from her sleeping bag.
"He is such a pervert." she muttered.
	"Akane, I envy you." said Ukyo looking at her room mate from her
own bag. Akane stared blankly at her. Ukyo smiled "You have someone who
loves and trust you so much that he'll allow you to see him doing things
like that. Even when he knows your going to pound him for it." she rolled
over in her bag. "I wish I had someone that trusted me that much." she
said.
	Akane smiled. "Ryoga isn't being very discrete about his actions
either." she said.
	"I suppose not, that pervert, he's probably having the time of
his life. At least Ranma looks miserable." muttered Ukyo.
	"He looks like he's the one having the hardest time about this.
Ranma isn't exactly shy about naked women for obvious reasons, Ryoga,
well...lets just say he lost allot of blood over this." Akane smiled when
she remembered Ryoga's reaction to the bath house caper. "Besides I think
you just like to watch Ranma suffer." 
	"I do like watching those two morons stumble around from their
injuries." said Ukyo she smiled and rolled over to sleep for the night.
"I guess Ryoga does trust me." she thought as she dozed off with a small
smile on her lips. "What do I care anyway." she muttered.
	Akane however frowned and fumed again in her own bag. What did he
mean 'it was a blessing in disguise' when she told him they weren't
allowed to have any of the curry she had cooked? Nabiki must have told
him those lies about her cooking. She had cooked for him before and he
only complained the first time, except for that lunch, and that was just
a coincidence. He even told her he hadn't been feeling well before then.
"I'm gonna have to talk with Nabiki when I get back." she muttered and
dozed off as well.
	

	Mousse crept silently up to the encampment and smiled as he
entered the Tent. He looked at the two girls  sleeping on the ground and
frowned. He looked back over his shoulder and saw a blur in the bushes.
Moving frantically. "Which one is it?" he cried looking at the snoring
girls. 
	Shampoo watched the idiot Mousse stop and stare at the two girls
in the tent for a moment. <Mousse you pervert I'm gonna kill you.> she
grumbled in Mandarin. Then a realization came over her. Mousse wasn't
staring at them, he couldn't tell them apart. "Stupid Mousse." she
muttered and stood up. He looked back at her with a confused gaze. "Right
Mousse! Right one!" she said waving her arms to the right frantically. 
	Mousse watched the blur move and sighed. "Oh well." he said and
dropped a gas ball. He then lifted both girls over his shoulders and
walked out carefully. He placed a paper on the flaps and crept silently
away.

A few hours later...

	Mousse growled as Ukyo struggled against the chains that held her
against the wall. "What have you done to Akane?" she screamed. Akane was
hanging from a large arch in the back of what appeared to be a tomb of
some sort, it was built in a huge cave. She was several stories in the
air and hanging from a rope. Below her were several large samurai statues
with stone spears in their hands pointing straight up. hundreds of them
lined the walls of the huge cavern. Light from a hole high on the ceiling
gave it and aerie presence. 
	"Relax Miss Konji. If all goes well you and Miss Tendo will be
released unharmed. She is bait and you are insurance." said Mousse. 
	Shampoo walked up behind him and smiled at her." He is right, you
relax now and be quiet." she purred. Ukyo growled at her.
	"Well it seems like your finally using your head Mousse." said a
familiar voice from behind them. Shampoo and Mousse whirled around and
backed defensively away from it.
	"Great Grandmother." said Shampoo angrily.
	"Don't worry dear, I'm feeling generous, I'll allow this plan, if
only because you actually put some thought into it, no matter how little.
A warning Mousse...If you fail this time, Shampoo will marry the son in
law." said Cologne. 
	"Goul, not even you can prevent my marriage to Shampoo this time.
We will avenge her honor and return to China together." thought Mousse
barely containing his grin.
	
	Ryoga and Happosai woke the next morning and sat up. "All right
boys ready for another day of training...." Happy trailed off noticing
Ryoga was staring at Ranma who was standing in front of the tent not
moving. In his hand was a sheet of paper.
	He turned to face the two. "They won't get away with this." he
said and tightened his grip on the sheet.
	"What's wrong Ranma? Where are Ukyo and Akane?" said Ryoga
looking worried.
	Ranma held out the note. It was a map with the words.
	"Come and get her." written on it.
	"Oh, my." said Happosai.
	"Our girlfriends  have been kidnapped and all you can say is 'Oh
my?!" growled Ryoga.
	"Somebody had to say it and Kasumi isn't here, besides since when
is Ukyo your girlfriend?" said Happy.
	"She'd not I was talking about Ranma!" cried Ryoga defensively
and blushing a bright red.
	The two turned and saw Ranma already disappearing off in the
distance with the map in his hands.
	"Ranma wait up!" cried Ryoga chasing after him in the wrong
direction.
	"This way fool." cried Happy dragging him by his collar.
	"Cut it out you freak!" yelled Ryoga.

----------------------
Spirit within: final.
------------------------------

	Ranma stood in front of the cavern and looked into the darkness.
Ryoga, and Happosai caught up with him and stopped.
	"Hey Ranma whats up?" asked Ryoga impatiently.
	"This is where the map ends." said Ranma.
	"Where do we go now?" asked Ryoga.
	"Are you really that stupid?" asked Happosai. "We go in there."
he said pointing at the entrance to the cave.
	"We better be careful, this is obviously a trap." said Ranma as
he walked into the cave. Cologne appeared in front of him.
	"Well now, it wouldn't be very fair for us to interfere with this
would it Happy?" she said to the old man.
	Ranma growled at her. "What have you done to Akane?" he demanded.
	"Yea! What have you done to Uk-Akane?" said Ryoga standing behind
him.
	"Me? Why nothing son in law. This was all young Mousse's Idea, I
had nothing to do with it." she said with a smile.
	Happy had been staring at her for a long while. "That nick
name...for you to know that. You must be...L'il Cologne." he gasped.
	"Well now its nice to see you too Happy. Let the children play
alone, it isn't very fair to help them." said Cologne.
	"Humph, it wasn't fair to take poor Akane and Ukyo captive either
was it now?" replied Happy. "C'mon boy's lets..." Happosai and Cologne
looked around and saw that the two youths had already left.
	"Ah well...So how ya been Cologne?" 

	Ranma and Ryoga walked down the tunnel that the entrance led to
and turned into a large hallway like room that was flanked on each side
by statues of soldiers all armed with spears. It was about thirty feet
tall and forty feet wide, and led to an underground temple about two
hundred yards away.
	"Hey, I think I've been here before." said Ryoga. Ranma grabbed
him and dove behind one of the statues as the one behind where they had
been standing shattered at the waist. Several soft noises could be heard
echoing through the cave.
	"Welcome Saotome." called Mousse as he stepped from behind one of
the statues about twenty yards away. "I hope you like your tomb. It
belongs to a lost emperor of Japan." He threw the empty gun he had used
to the ground, it had a crude silencer on it.
	
	"Ryoga when we move watch the barrel of his gun, keep from being
directly in front of it and we may come out of this alive." said Ranma.
	"Coward! Are you afraid? Your to weak to face him like a man?!"
yelled Ryoga. The Arm of the statue they were hiding behind disappeared
after a deafening roar erupted through the cave.
	"Weak. strong. I'm the guy with the guns." said Mousse then he
blew the smoke off the barrel of the shotgun he had used.

	Shampoo and her prisoners became more restless with each passing
moment as gunfire continually erupted from outside the temple. "I hope
that jerk Ryoga didn't follow Ranma here." said Ukyo with a wavering
voice.
	"Is boy friend?" asked Shampoo.
	"Don't even try it sugar, after what you did to me and my friend
I'm not about to start small talk with you." Growled Ukyo.
	Akane just watched the door quietly.
	Cologne appeared from the shadows of the cavern. "Well now isn't
this convenient?" she cackled.
	Shampoo stood in suprise. "Great grandmother what you doing
here?" she said.
	"Just making sure things go my way if Mousse fails, and taking
care of an old 'problem'." said The old woman as she looked at Akane as
she hung high above the group of statues all of which pointed their
spears towards her. "Hmmm, how convenient." she repeated looking pleased.

	Ranma dodged and ducked behind another statue as Mousse tore
apart the room with his M-60 machine gun. The pile of spent weapons at
his feet was impressive, almost as much as the shells he had collected. 
	"Doesn't this guy ever run out?!" growled Ryoga as he nursed the
wounds he had gotten on his leg and shoulder, they were really only
scratches. 
	"We've only got flesh wounds so far." growled Ranma as he ignored
his own minor wounds. Then Mousse stopped firing. A low hissing noise
could be heard as the hidden weapons master began to stalk towards them.
	"Now whats he up to?" said Ryoga as he watched from over Ranma's
shoulder. Ranma noticed a small light coming from the small pipe coming
from Mousse's sleeve. A smile formed on his face. 
	"Ryoga no!" cried Ranma as Ryoga Bolted He dove out into the open
and shot a Ki blast at Mousse that grazed the boy and burned the side of
his chest. 
	"Moukou Takabishi!" he cried. 
	"Where did he learn that?" thought Ranma in suprise. Mousse cried
out in pain and anger and pointed the weapon at Ryoga. A long thick beam
of flame erupted from the flame thrower catching the lost boy on his
decent as he dove for cover. Ryoga screamed and rolled into the shadows.
He managed to put the flames out as he hit the wall. He did not move
after that.
	"Well Ranma I'll give you this, You are one hard to kill
bastard." said Mousse as he walked up and kicked Ryoga a few times.
"Seems he's dead." said Mousse calmly. He pulled a .45 from his robes and
shot Ryoga in the shoulder. "Yup." he said noting the lack of a reaction.
	Ranma stood from his place in the shadows and stepped out.
"Bastard." he said angrily.
	Mousse turned and shot the flame thrower at Ranma who jumped and
rolled away from the flame. Mousse growled and adjusted his aim. Ranma
stayed just ahead of the flames, barely. "You can't dodge forever
Saotome!" said Mousse angrily.

	Cologne sat across from Ukyo and smiled at her. "Don't worry dear
you won't be harmed. We just need to make sure you don't get in our way."
she said with a smile. "Although I can't say the same for your friend."
	Ukyo growled and kept silent. She looked up at Akane who was
silently watching the door. The look in her eyes was filled with hope.
	"I wish I could be so confident." thought Ukyo. "Ryoga you jerk!
Don't you dare get killed on me."

	Ranma stayed just ahead of the flame and backed into the wall. He
was almost out or room to run. "Damn." he muttered as he rolled as flames
shot over his head. "Almost." she said.
	"That's right Ranma, Your almost out of room." said Mousse with a
laugh.
	"No, we were almost there and now we are." said Ranma with a huge
grin appearing on his face. 
	Mousse's eyes went wide as he realized what was happening to
him.		"Hiryu shoten ha revised! horizontal blast!" cried
Ranma as he punched towards Mousse. Mousse growled and thought back to
the fight. Ranma had been dodging along the walls and floor only giving
way slightly, his pattern had grown tighter as he was backed into the
wall. Mousse had assumed that it was because he had less room due to the
statues that flanked the hallway, he had been wrong.
	Mousse was knocked to the side as a Ki blast slammed into him
from the right. "You shot me you bastard!" cried Ryoga from the corner.
Just as the Hiryu shoten ha blasted from Ranma's arm.
	Mousse was tossed into the air like a doll as the edge of the
Hiryu shoten ha caught him and threw him up towards the ceiling. Ranma
and Ryoga shielded their eyes as the dust and dirt clouded the cavern and
made it difficult to see or even breathe. 

	Cologne looked up from her meditation and sighed heavily.
"Shampoo, Mousse has lost, prepare to meet your new husband." she said to
her granddaughter. 
	Shampoo's eyes went wide. "No! Mousse no lose is Impossible." she
growled. "I die before I marry Ranma! Mousse no let Ranma win!" she cried
angrily. 
	Cologne sighed. "Believe what you like."
	A strong wind blew into the temple from the tunnel outside
through the door blowing dust and dirt into the temple. Cologne stood and
waited for a moment before walking over to the rope that held Akane
suspended over the statues.
	"And now we wait." she said calmly.
	
	Ranma stood in the wake of his attack and walked over to Ryoga
and helped him up. "Your lucky you were behind these statues or it might
have gotten you as well." said Ranma. "Its a good thing you passed out
and couldn't feel that or Mousse would have killed you." said Ranma as he
looked at Ryoga's shoulder.
	"What ever you..." Ryoga's eyes went wide as he stopped mid
sentence. "Oh god." he said in shock. 
	Ranma turned to see Mousse, he was impaled from his back on one
of the statues nearby. He writhed on the spear clutching the base of it
as it jutted from his chest. He turned his head and looked at them with a
gaze of hatred. "Shampoo..I...failed you." he said as he slipped away.
His head tilted back and sent his glasses to the ground. They shattered
as they landed in the ever growing pool of blood at the foot of the
statue.
	"Lets go." said Ranma.

	Shampoo stood and stared at Ranma and Ryoga as they walked into
the temple. "Ranma!" cried Akane as she began to struggle against the
ropes.
	Ukyo turned pale as Ryoga came into her field of vision. His arm
was covered in blood and hung limply at his side as he staggered in after
Ranma. He turned and smiled at her weakly. Cologne smiled and placed her
staff against the rope holding Akane in the air.
	"Welcome son in law." she said smugly.
	Ranma stared her down and fell to his knees. "You think I will
marry Shampoo after every thing you have done to me?" he growled at her.
	"If you truly love this girl, yes." said Cologne as she stripped
the rope a little.
	Ranma stood and glared at Akane. "Goul I challenge you, if you
win I go with you. If you lose you and Shampoo leave and never bother me
again."
	Cologne returned his gaze. "Very well." she said with a small
smile.
	Shampoo stood and glared at him with a small smile. He had just
given her great grandmother permission to kill him. 
	Ranma leaned over to Ryoga. "I'm counting on you buddy get them
out of here, no matter what happens." he gave Ryoga a sad smile.
	"You just killed yourself didn't you?" said Ryoga quietly staring
at him in disbelief.
	"Its too late for that to matter get them out." said Ranma
sternly.
	"All right." said Ryoga reluctantly as he backed away.

	Ranma charged Cologne and was promptly thrown to the ground as
she parried with her staff. "Your a hundred years too late to beat me
boy." she said as she stabbed his leg with the end of the staff. Ranma
screamed as his leg exploded in pain. He stood shakily and faced her. She
jumped around him at an incredible speed and beat on him as she passed
each time. Ranma stood and punched vainly at her. She smacked him hard
across the face and sent him to the ground. He growled and pushed himself
up and spat out three of his teeth.
	"Had enough boy?" laughed Cologne. 
	"Never." said Ranma as he charged her again.
	
	Ryoga untied the rope and lowered Akane slowly to the ground as
Cologne and Ranma fought. Akane just screamed Ranma's name over and over
as he lowered her. He had a feeling she would have to be carried out. She
landed gently on the ground between some of the statues and struggled to
get to her feet. The ropes made it difficult and she strained and watched
in horror as Ranma was beaten mercilessly by the elder Amazon.
	
	"What you think you doing?" said a high pitched voice from behind
Ryoga. He fled his shoulder explode in pain as Shampoo gripped it hard
and brought him to his knee's.
	"You have ...Ranma...let them go.." he said as Shampoo squeezed
ever harder.
	Shampoo let go and Kicked the wound hard Sending Ryoga to the
floor. "Why?" she said angrily. "I make Ranma suffer before Great
grandmother kill him, I'll kill woman he love in front of eyes." she said
with a sadistic smile. She brought her Bonbori down on Ryoga's leg
several times and he felt it snap. She jumped and landed on his back and
Ryoga yelped in agony. Shampoo giggled as she beat him in the head with
her Bonbori. "After I kill student." she said.
	Ukyo struggled against the Chains that held her to the wall
angrily. "RYOGA!!" she screamed. "Get off him you bitch! I'll Kill you!"
she screamed as tears streamed down her face. The she felt something
give.
	
	Ranma Rolled away from Colognes staff and wiped the blood from
his eyes. The goul touched him on the forehead and sent him flying back
into the ground. "So boy you thought you could defeat me?" she cackled.
"Still so eager to fight?"
	"I will fight till I beat you or die." spat Ranma as he stood
again almost falling over in the process. He regained his balance faced
her. "Moukou Takabishi!" he cried sending the blast at her  and falling
over from the recoil.
	Cologne simply stepped to the side and smiled. "You'll have to do
better than that I'm afraid."

	Shampoo beat Ryoga into the ground and kicked him in the gut.
"Stupid you no can beat Shampoo." she yelled at him angrily. She stopped
Cold as she felt something sharp against her back. 
	"Ryoga honey, you OK?" asked Ukyo quietly as she held the spear
she had 'borrowed' from one of the statues against Shampoo's back. Ryoga
did not move. Ukyo growled and stared at Shampoo hard. "You killed my
fiancee'" she said and shoved the spear hard.
	Shampoo did a backflip and kicked Ukyo in the face as she tried
to stab her in the back. "You no can face me?" she taunted. "You die like
boyfriend."
	Ukyo screamed and slashed at Shampoo with the spear. Shampoo
dodged and weaved around the blows and blocked some of them with her
Bonbori. She then swept Ukyo's feet and uppercut her in the gut with one
of the Mace like weapons. Ukyo lost her wind and her spear went flying
off into the shadows.
	"Stupid girl you no can defeat me, now you die too." said Shampoo
as she raised her Bonbori into the air. 
	"Y-you killed my Ryoga-kun." Said Ukyo bitterly. She looked at
Shampoo with a gaze of ice. 
	It was not the gaze that stopped the Amazon from striking, it was
the huge Ki aura that formed around her. Ukyo's face was almost like that
of a corpse. There was no anger, only complete despair. "I never even
told him I-I never said that I-" she stammered hysterically. Shampoo
backed away in terror. She slowly began to regain her senses.
	"What I do?" she said looking down at Ukyo as she held Ryoga's
body in her arms. She felt dread encompass her heart as she realized that
she had just lost her mind.
	Ukyo looked at her and her face turned into a mask of pure rage.
"SHI SHI HOUKOU DAN!" Was the last thing Shampoo heard before the world
went black to her.
	
	Ranma stood against the wall as Cologne closed in on him. "You
are quite a warrior son in law." she said as she hit him in the gut. "All
out of tricks?" she said as Ranma held himself up against the wall.
	Ranma growled at her and wiped the blood from his brow again. he
knew he could not stand much longer, he was in serious pain and browning
out. A few more hits and he would die at Colognes hands. He couldn't even
stand with all the blood he was losing."Not quite. Bakusai Tenketsu."
said Ranma as he touched the wall. It exploded in a cloud of dust and
Rock Cologne backed away from the huge dust cloud and a realization hit
her.
	"You'll not escape that easily son in law!" she cried and lept
into the cloud.
	"SHIN BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"

	Ukyo cried softly as she held Ryoga against her chest. She looked
at his battered face and frowned. "Your dirty." she said with a small
laugh and she rubbed some of the dirt off his face. She turned to see
Akane watching her with tears in her eyes.  After a moment Akane returned
to watching Ranma battle Cologne. It was fairly obvious that he would
also die. She looked at Ryoga again and lay him on the ground gently.
"Worry about the living." she thought coldly. She bent down and began to
kiss him on the lips. "Good bye Ryoga ku--" she stopped. She felt
something on her lips. She backed away and looked at Ryoga again and it
hit her. "Breath." Ryoga was still alive. She pulled him to her chest and
sobbed. "Ryoga wake up honey! Don't die on me!" she cried as she picked
him up and headed towards Akane.

	Akane stood watching helplessly as Ranma fought with Cologne. She
Had managed to free herself from the ropes but the statues around her
formed a sort of cage. She beat against her prison made of statues and
tried vainly to shove them over or break through them. The statues in the
temple, unlike the stone guards in the entrance hallway were made of
solid iron. "Akane." said a voice from behind her. She turned to see Ukyo
standing on the other side of the statues.
	"Ukyo!" she cried "Get me out of here!" 
	"I'm gonna climb to the top and pull you out." said Ukyo. 
	Akane waited and watched Ranma's battle as Ukyo climbed up the
ten foot tall guardian. A few moments passed and Ukyo called from the
top. "Akane grab my spear." she said. 
	After a minute they were out Akane ran towards the battle when an
explosion rocked the cavern. They neared the battle just in time to hear.
	"Shin Bakusai Tenketsu!"

	The smoke cleared away slowly and Ranma stood motionless in the
haze. He held his arm extended out and Cologne was impaled on his finger
By her shoulder. Her staff was extended in a blow that had just missed
Ranma's head. "That's good boy." said the old woman "But you should know
that move has no effect on living things." 
	"Doesn't it?" said Ranma as he shook her off and threw her to the
ground.
	The last thing Cologne ever saw was Ranma's finger glowing blue
as she fell to the ground. She realized what he had done. He had just
pumped her shoulder full of Ki. She Screamed a high pitched scream as she
felt it begin to swell and tear apart. She exploded on the ground before
Ranma covering him in her remains. Half her face and most of her chest
was gone as what was left twitched on the ground. Ranma turned to see
Akane running towards him with her arms extended and tears in her eyes.
He smiled and sat up. 
	Then he saw them. Akane and Ukyo stopped. Ukyo slowly placed
Ryoga's unconscious form on the ground and they looked around in horror.
The Amazon village was here, in the cave with them.
	A woman of about forty walked up to Ranma and looked at him. "Get
them out of here." she said to the others. She pulled her hand back and
struck Ranma in the neck. He slumped down with a smile still on his face.
	Akane screamed as Ranma fell to the ground. Several Amazon women
dragged her from the cave with Ukyo and Ryoga. "Ranma!" she screamed as
she watched the women stand around him, she struggled with those pulling
her away. 
	She saw Shampoo being carried along with her through the hall
way. The Amazons carrying her veered off to the side and gently let her
go near one of the statues. Akane heard an anguished cry and screaming
coming from the Amazon but she didn't care. She struggled and tried to
throw her captors off angrily. Then she felt a gentle hand on her neck,
after that the world became black.

	She awoke three days later in the hospital. She sat up and looked
around. Ryoga hobbled over to her on his crutches and gave her a weak
smile His arm was in a heavy cast that covered most of his chest. Ukyo
stood next to him and smiled at her. "Hey you OK?" she asked.
	"Ranma?" asked Akane quietly.
	Ukyo said nothing and turned away in an attempt to control her
own emotions. Ryoga held her and comforted her as best he could with his
body in the condition it was in. Akane gripped the sheets on her bed and
felt tears in her eyes.
	"Ryoga, you looked pretty bad before, are you OK?" she asked to
change the subject. 
	Ryoga smiled. "It looked worse than it was, I got allot of
bruises, a broken leg, a mild concussion, and a hole in my arm, other
than that I'm fine." he said with his grin wavering. It was obvious he
was taking it pretty hard himself.
	"You guys carried me here?" asked Akane.	
	"No. We all woke up here. said Ukyo bitterly. "They dropped us
off on the way home." 
	Soun burst into the room with tears in his eyes. "My baby is
awake at last!" he sobbed as he grabbed her in a rough hug. 
	Akane smiled at this but reacted only a little. Nabiki and Kasumi
followed him in. 
	"You really had us scared sis." said Nabiki.
	"Oh my I'm so glad your all right Akane!" exclaimed Kasumi.
	"Is she?" thought Nabiki to herself.

   Two weeks later...

	Soun Tendo smiled as Akane sat next to him in the park. He was
tired and worn from all that had happened to his family. Akane had locked
herself in her room and stayed, she refused to leave for school or any
other reason. She just stayed in the room and mourned. Ukyo and Ryoga
would visit occasionally and she would talk with them, but it was obvious
her heart was not in it. Her father was taking it very hard. He had sat
with her as much as she would allow and eventually convinced her to come
with the family to the park. It wasn't much but it was a major
breakthrough for Akane. She sat silently next to him. 
	Genma Saotome walked by him in the park. "Saotome kun." he said
with wide eyes. He turned to see Akane glaring at him. 
	"Hello Tendo, fancy meeting you here." said Genma with a look of
genuine suprise.
	"I-I- didn't, really dear. Its...just a" stammered Soun.
	"It's OK daddy I believe you, go talk with your friend." said
Akane as she turned her gaze back to the sky.
	"Really Akane, I promised I would never do that again." said Soun
just to be sure.
	"I must offer my condolences." said Genma bowing respectfully.
	"Thank you." said Akane. 
		
	"So, is she feeling any better?" asked Genma after they were away
from Akane.
	"Really, Saotome." growled Soun.
	"Tendo, Don't insult me like that. You are my best friend I would
not make such a foolish mistake twice." said Genma.
	"So how is your son? I heard he was training in the mountains
again." said Soun. 
	"He had an accident." said Genma with a far off look.
	"I am sorry to hear that." said Soun as they walked back to the
bench where Akane sat alone.
	"Ah, Akane my wife is waiting for me. I hope you are feeling
better soon." said Genma bowing to her as he parted from his friend.
	"Pop you tell her if she acts like this when I really am dead
I'll haunt her for the rest of her life." 
	Akane's heart stopped. "What?" she said looking at Genma in
suprise.
	Genma paled and turned to glare at the wheelchair ridden boy
behind him. "I apologize, my son is very rud--" 
Akane cut him off mid sentence. "Ranma!" she cried and ran into the arms
of the younger Saotome.
	Soun watched as Akane kissed Ranma and knocked him and the wheel
chair over. 
	"Yyyou?" he stuttered in disbelief.
	"Wait a minute I recognize her." said Genma adjusting his
glasses.
	"That is your son?!" yelled Soun.
	"That is your daughter?!" repeated Genma.
	"So an evil slut, eh Saotome?" growled Soun.
	"Rotten bastard?" retorted Genma. 
	The two men looked at their children and smiled. "At last our
families will be joined!" cried Soun.

Epilogue
Three weeks later...

	"So what happened again? I still don't get it." said Ryoga as
Ranma sat across from Ukyo, Ryoga and Akane at Uchans. Akane smiled at
Ranma as he began and played with the small gold ring on her finger.
	"Well after what you saw they brought me to a sort of hospital. I
was there for about two weeks. They said that Cologne really messed my
nerves up and I would have died if they hadn't help me." said Ranma.
	"Why did they help you?" asked Ukyo confused.
	"Something to do with the image of Amazons. You see Mousse and
Shampoo were lovers. She is pregnant with Mousse's child. That's why we
hadn't seen Reiraku for a while. She couldn't change with the child in
her. They said the child might be her only chance at regaining her
sanity." Ranma frowned at this. "I'm still not sure why they told me all
that. Anyway, When Mousse and Shampoo became lovers then she legally gave
up on me. The marriage contract became 'void' so to speak. That meant
Reiraku's hunt on me had no merit, so he was out of the picture. Cologne,
Mousse and Shampoo chose to ignore this and went after me anyway. Whether
or not Cologne knew about the pregnancy or even that they were lovers
isn't really known. So she may have been acting within the laws of the
Amazons. But Mousse and Shampoo knew. Even if she regains her senses she
won't ever get back the status she once held in the tribe. They were
coming to bring them all back, one of the spies they sent had caught
Mousse and Shampoo in the act." explained Ranma.
	"They were a little late." grumbled Ryoga. He popped his shoulder
and rotated his arm to keep it from becoming stiff. 
	"Thank god for super fast healing abilities, eh Ryoga?" said
Ranma smacking him on the shoulder playfully. 
	"Ow, you jerk!" he cried punching Ranma's leg.
	Ranma winced "They helped me because as long as Shampoo and
Cologne  didn't succeed then Shampoo lives in shame and can never lead
the village, a sort of punishment for ignoring the laws. Also it was a
sort of apology for all the trouble they caused me." he said while
glaring at Ryoga.
"By the way. You never explained how you learned how to do the Moukou
Takabishi." said Ranma to Ryoga.
	Ryoga blushed. "Well, I just sort of figured it out." he said
grinning dumbly. "It took me forever to figure out how to do it with out
hurting myself with it, but I did, with a little help from Ukyo." he said
pointing at her. 
	Ukyo blushed and said nothing.
	"She fights pretty good for an uncute tomboy." said Ryoga
smiling. Of course it earned him a belt to the head from Ukyo.
	Akane and Ranma smiled at this.	
	Suddenly Happosai burst into the room and hid behind Ranma's leg.
"You've got to help me!" he cried.
	"I was wondering when you would show up again." said Ranma
staring at him as he cowered behind him.
	"Where ya been old man? I haven't seen you since the cave." said
Ryoga.
	Akari burst in after him. "Ryoga Kun? Where were you? You were
supposed to take me out today!" she cried as she grabbed Ryoga by the
neck.
	"What?" cried Ryoga and Ukyo in unison. Ukyo hit him over the
head. 
	"See she is a violent tomboy Ryoga kun!" cried Akari pointing at
Ukyo who fumed. 
	"Akari if that oversized pig of yours wreaks my restaurant
again..." growled Ukyo at the girl.
	"One of the trash cans snuck up behind Ukyo.
	"Don't' even think about it." she cried and slammed it out of the
door way.  Tatiwaki Kuno charged into the door and demanded that Ranma
and Ryoga Release his loves from their evil grasp. Only to get thrown
from the restaurant.
	Ranma smiled at all of this as he watched Ukyo and Ryoga bicker.
Then the wall caved in.
	"She's found me!" cried Happosai. 
	"My restaurant!" yelled Ukyo.
	Ranma stared at the huge black aura that surrounded what he knew
to be a huge pink elephant.
	A few minutes later Akane and Ukyo were both drug on board a
gigantic boat flying above them while Lai-chi cried for 'her prince'.
They had both caught the scroll at the same time.	
	"Ukyo!" cried Ryoga as he dashed on to the boat using Tsubasa as
a spring board.
	Ranma sighed and lept after him. "Won't this be fun?" he said to
himself happily.
	"Hey you jerk! give me back my wife!"............

				The end


     Whew! that is finally over. It took a little over three months but I
finally got it all done. I'd love to get C&C on this. Send to
Catbert25@aol.com. Hope you enjoyed it.
Ja-ne!
Catbert


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