This wraps up my story. Hope you like it...
Disclaimer: The trolls in Great Britain at Games Workshop
own Warhammer 40,000; I don't. I don't own the Ranma
characters, either.
The Emperor's Hand
Chapter Twelve: Resolution
Ranma fidgeted back and forth as he stood in the hall.
The Solitaire had told him that the time would be right to
leave in about another ten minutes, but even so short a wait
seemed interminable to him. Not that he'd admit it, of
course. After all, a true martial artist should have
patience, shouldn't he? He didn't think Genma had ever said
anything like that, but, to Ranma, a true martial artist
should probably have at least a little of all the virtues,
including patience. So he waited, and kept silent.
The Solitaire suddenly turned to face the pigtailed
martial artist. "It is time. Now, the Webway portal to the
Timeless Heart can be opened. We have a short time to reach
it, lest we become trapped in the maze of portals there for a
year and a day."
"Well, let's go! If we ain't got much time, then let's
get it open, and on to the Timeless heart, whatever that is!"
Ranma gathered up all his confidence, and watched as the
Solitaire gestured, ripping open the fabric of time and
space. Seeing nothing beyond but darkness, he would have
leapt right through, but he was stopped by the Eldar.
"You must place your hand on my shoulder, and not
release it. Should we become separated, you will wander the
Webway forever, unageing, and undying. It is not reality in
there, but the Warp, stabilized only by the belief the Eldar
race have in its existence." Ranma did as he was told, and
the two stepped through the portal, which sealed behind him.
Ardallan, Teldurin, and Eldaveril each felt the portal
close. He had touched their lives, in a way, and they would
miss him. In that moment, too, Dalhavadar, the Farseer, was
gifted with a vision. In his mind's eye, the heart of his
psychic powers, he saw himself as the high Farseer of Valdur
Avendel, along with the High Farseers of Biel-Tan, Saim-Han,
and Iyanden, and countless other Craftworlds, joining with
the Humans in the final battle with Chaos. It was his
experiences with the nobility and purity of Ranma that
changed his own mind about that primitive race, and it would
be he who would change the minds of the other Farseers.
Together, the ancient powers and technology of the Eldar,
combined with the boundless energy of Mankind, the two races
could finally bring peace and prosperity to the galaxy.
**********************************************
There was little peace at Furinkan High School. For
every group of demons the Wrecking Crew managed to dispose
of, another group came spilling out of the building.
Tentacles snaked forth to distract the fighters at
inopportune moments, and the toothy jaws that once were the
main doors snapped and snarled at any who came near.
A double-handed slash destroyed Akane's latest foe, a
daemonette, as she turned to Ryouga. "We have to get in
there! We have to stop whatever is bringing these things
here!"
"I know," he said, his combat umbrella parrying a
bloodletter's hellblade. "Akane, Shampoo, Mousse, follow..."
"Not yet," came a wizened yet strong voice behind them.
They glanced in that direction, and saw Cologne, and the
Shaman. "Akane, you and Mousse will remain outside with me;
you are better at dealing with multiple attackers than a
single foe. Ryouga and Shampoo, you will go with the Shaman
inside, to close the gate that is letting these beasts into
reality."
"But..." began Akane.
"Do not begin, child. This is the way it must be!"
Cologne's cane lashed out, then side to side, destroying a
pink horror, and the two blue horrors that spawned from it,
before the creature could react. Now, do as you're told!"
Ryouga needed no prodding. Reaching out, he snagged one
of the tentacles writhing from the damaged school, and tugged
as hard as he could. It ripped free from the mortar,
prompting the hellish maw that was the main entrance to open
wide in a deafening roar of pain. "Now!" he yelled, and the
raiding party dashed in before it could close.
Mousse glanced in, as he barely parried a hellblade.
"Ugh... now, all we can do is hope, and fight." It was about
then that the claw of a daemonette struck him down from
behind.
**********************************************
"I still do not understand what this is for," protested
Kuno.
"Shut up, and hand me the cement!" she snapped. She was
standing in the Home Ec room, using her battle spatula to
stir some sort of hellish mixture in a huge vat. Kuno did as
he was told, and she poured the huge bag into the vat.
Bubbles erupted, and she backed away, then continued
stirring.
"Is there aught else you would have me retrieve from
across the hall?" he asked.
"No, just wait outside, and lemme know when they get
there." She heaved, and wrestled the huge cauldron onto one
of the stovetops. She lit the gas range, and waited
impatiently.
Kuno stood guard, a resolute defender against the forces
of evil. He looked from side to side, watching both ways down
the hall. Soon, he caught sight of four evil shadows, looming
from around the corner. He gripped his sword with both hands.
"Hold, fiends! You shall not pass me to claim the beauteous
Ukyou!"
Hearing this proclamation, the okonomiyaki chef darted
out of the room, and snatched him back inside. "No, you
jackass, we want them to come in here!"
"Heh, he, well, we are, Ucchan!" leered the former
Hiroshi.
"Good, have somethin' to eat!" she yelled. Heaving, she
yanked Kuno behind her with one hand, and put her spatula
below the vat, heaving. It dumped out, spewing its doughy
contents all over the four possessed students.
"What, trying to cook us," laughed the demon inhabiting
Yuka. It reached forward, only to feel its arm slowly lock in
place. "What... what have you done?" it roared.
"Oh, a little of this, a little of that, a little
okonomiyaki batter, a little quick-drying cement... that sort
of thing," she smiled.
"Ah, verily the truth of your plan becomes clear,"
boomed Kuno. "You sought to immobilize these demons, that we
may give them a merciful death."
>KLANG!<
"Of course not, you idiot! I'm trapping them here so I
can find some way to cure them!" she shouted.
"Oh, look at the pretty redheads," mumbled the kendoist.
Shaking his head, he said, "Ugh... but how do you intend to
free your lost friends?"
Dropping her spatula, her shoulders sagged. "I don't
know, Kuno. I don't know."
Picking himself up off the ground, he hefted his sword.
"Though you have given these pause, countless more await our
justice."
Ukyou nodded. "Yes. But you go to the left, I'll go to
the right. I don't want to spend any more time with you than
I have to."
"But, milady Ukyou, how can it be that a flower of
maidenhood such as thou would not desire to spend as much
time with me as..."
>KLANG!<
Without pause, Ukyou climbed past the immobilized
demons, and off into the hallway. One bloodletter looked at
another. "Mortals. I'll never understand them."
**********************************************
Ryouga and Shampoo weren't exactly in the best of shape
when they reached the Principal's office. Though they fought
savagely, they had taken their share of lumps. Shampoo's left
arm had been grazed by a hellblade, and it now hung limply at
her side. The Shaman had reassured her that it would recover,
but it didn't help her fighting skills any. In Ryouga's case,
he was bruised and battered by the gripping claws of
demonetizes they had encountered shortly before they reached
the office. He felt them coming, but had not expected them to
teleport through the wall.
"The source of the evil is below here," said the ancient
psyker. "Be prepared for the worst." Feeling around, he found
a trap door, and opened it very carefully. A cloying,
sickeningly sweet stench assailed them, carrying overtones of
both corruption and seduction.
"Phew, we hafta go in there?" whined Ryouga.
"Why pig-boy complain? Pig-boy smell worse when he come
back after long trips," sniped Shampoo.
"Children we haven't the time. We must go below,
immediately." Stated the Shaman.
Nodding, the teenagers hopped down into the darkness.
Ryouga couldn't help but try to get some of his own back,
though, and quipped, "Y'know, it almost smells like your
litter box, Shampoo."
Shampoo growled to herself, but held her tongue. She'd
get back at him for that one, soon enough. If they survived,
that is.
The room below was warped and twisted beyond any
semblance of sanity. The walls were an organic tunnel,
pulsing and throbbing to a keening rhythm that slowly ate
away at the mind, and viscous fluids oozed across the fleshy
floor. Every step was rewarded with a warm, wet squelch, and
small creatures that may have once been rats darted across
every now and then.
"We are no longer fully within reality," said the
Shaman. "We are in an area where realspace, and the Warp,
overlap. The laws of things are slightly different here, and
some of your techniques may not work as you imagine they
would."
"Which way to the thing we hafta fight?" asked the Lost
Boy.
"Shampoo think it that way," she said pointing.
"And what makes you so sure?" asked Ryouga. He then
followed her outstretched arm, and saw why.
The creatures that barred their way were, in their own
way, even more horrific than the demons above. Their lower
bodies were stalk-like trunks, constantly spewing forth a
sickening stench to keep them aloft, and their heads were
eyeless, hook-like beaks. They did have arms, but no hands,
as their forearms ended in gaping, toothy maws. "Damn.
Flamers of Tzeentch," muttered the psyker.
They readied their weapons, and Ryouga asked, "Why are
they called that?"
As if in response to his question, one of the flamers
held out both arms, and flames shot out from the mouths at
the end. "Shampoo think that why, Pig-boy. HYAAAH!" she
cried, and dove headlong into the mass of creatures.
Ryouga opened his umbrella, and let his chi flow into
it. "Stop hogging the glory!" he yelled, and followed her,
plowing right through the front rank, scattering them like
tenpins while using his umbrella to shield himself from the
flames.
Rising off the ground in an aura of a thousand
shimmering colors, the Shaman merely watched, and dodged the
occasional blast of flame. "I hope they live long enough to
fight the beast at the heart of this mess," he muttered.
It took less than two minutes for the hall to clear of
the odd beasts. Ryouga's umbrella was scorched black, and had
begun to writhe in his grasp. "Hey, what the heck's going
on?"
"The flames of Tzeentch mutate that which they do not
destroy," came his answer. Alighting near the Lost Boy, he
let a tendril of his power snake out, and purified Ryouga's
weapon. "There. Now, beware, the source is beyond that
aperture."
Before them lay what looked like a sphincter of some
kind, holding shut the living walls of this tunnel. Every few
seconds, it would relax a little, opening slightly, but not
enough for them to fit, not even in their animal forms.
"Y'know," said Ryouga, "this place is getting pretty
disgusting. I'm filthy, covered in slime... I nearly lost my
umbrella... Akane is stuck outside with who knows how many
demons... Akane! SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
Even Shampoo, who had seen him use this attack before,
was shocked at the size of the blast. Around the edges, she
thought she saw bizarre tendrils writhe, and braid themselves
into the fabric of his chi blast. When it impacted the living
door, it ripped through like a jackhammer.
"Whoa," said Ryouga, "how'd it get that strong? I wasn't
even really that depressed, just angry!"
"Anger, too, is a part of your attack," said the Shaman.
"In here, with the wrath of the chaos god, Khorne, so close,
your chi attack drew with it elements of his thought-forms.
Beware of using that in here, for the more you draw on his
thought-forms, the more you call his power to you."
Shampoo reached up, and rubbed her numb shoulder. True
to the ancient young man's words, feeling was beginning to
return, but brought with it the pins and needles sensation
one would expect. "We go on, and stop this!" Without waiting,
she hopped through the devastated portal.
"Arrgh! Jeez, Shampoo, wait for us!" yelled Ryouga, and
he followed suit, accompanied by the Shaman.
**********************************************
Akane had seen Mousse fall, and rushed over to him. An
almost negligent slash of the Chinese broadsword she carried
took care of the daemonette that had struck him, and she
swung the blade in a wide arc, to buy her a little time to
help him. "Mousse, are you alright?"
The Chinese boy shook his head a little, then glanced up
in her general direction. He squinted, then sighed. "I can
fight no longer," he said. "It's gone. The blow robbed me of
the last of my sight."
Cologne fought her way to them easily. "Boy, stay down.
We must get you back to safety."
Mousse picked himself up. "Why bother, you old monkey,"
he said with a hint of humor. "To the Amazons, I am worse
than useless, now." A hand on his head forced him to a
kneeling position, as Akane swung wide to decapitate a
bloodletter. "I am a warrior who cannot see to fight, not
even as pitifully as I did before."
"Don't say that Mousse!" yelled Akane, ducking a
hellblade. "No one is useless, except maybe Kuno!"
"Tell me, are all the students gone?" he asked, an odd,
peaceful smile on his face.
"Yes, why?" answered the youngest Tendou.
"I wanted to know. Please, do not try to stop me." He
leapt in the general direction of the school, and flung his
arms out wide. Chains of every description lashed out of his
robes, flailing about blindly, but with the fury of a
thunderstorm. "Hidden Weapons Final Attack! Steel Hurricane!"
"What is he doing?" yelled Akane.
Cologne watched, and nodded. "He is doing what he can as
his last act in life. He is lashing out at anything that
enters his zanshen, and striking it down. He spares no
thought for defense, only destruction. We must remain on the
fringes of the fight, now, until he has finally fallen, lest
we be struck down, as well."
"You mean he's gone berserk? If he feels anything, he's
killing it?"
"Yes. And, blind as he is now, he cannot avoid their
blows much longer. A scant few will reach him, but they will
be enough." Cologne sighed. "One touch of a hellblade to his
head or chest, and Mu Tsu shall be dead forever."
"No! Even though he tried to turn me into a duck, he
doesn't deserve that! We have to help him!"
The wizened matriarch looked at her, striking out with
her cane at a bloodletter that thought she was easy prey.
"Even I cannot enter his presence unscathed, and to remain
there more than a few heartbeats is death. It is the most
dangerous technique of the Hidden Weapons school, and can
only be used when one is alone, surrounded by an uncountable
number of enemies. Perchance, do you have some means of
avoiding those chains I am unaware of?"
Akane frowned, striking out with a massive kick,
splitting a pink horror into two blue horrors, who were
knocked by the force of impact into the hemisphere of lashing
chains, and rapidly destroyed. "Will he make it if they can
close the gate in time?"
"I do not know child. He may be so far gone, that he has
entered a death trance. If that is so, only his death may end
his fury. Come, the fiends seek to escape the school grounds
over there, we must stop them!"
**********************************************
Ranma had walked the Webway within Valdur-Avendel
before, and had ridden the paths off the Craftworld while in
a Wave Serpent. However, this was the first time he had
actually walked the Webway on his own two feet, away from the
Craftworld. Unlike his experiences in the Wave Serpent, he
saw absolutely nothing except the Solitaire beside him.
The journey was over in a moment, although at times it
felt like he had been in there his entire life. Memories
flashed, doubly strong, and for a moment, he shifted back and
forth from male to female, before returning to male form.
Shortly, they stood before a hole in space and time. "Um,
what's this?" he asked.
"Bad news. Some force of Chaos has ripped the veil
between reality and the warp, a tear that blocks our journey.
I would have taken you to the moment you left, but we can go
no further. We must travel through the rift, and end it,
before you can be where you need to be."
"Okay, whatever you say." Together, the two leapt
through the hole in space and time.
**********************************************
Ukyou raced through the halls of the school, her combat
spatula tracing a deadly arc ahead of her. Despite her best
efforts, her side was torn and bleeding, thanks to the claws
of a pair of blue horrors that had caught her unawares. Her
adrenaline was pumping, though, and she didn't have time to
bind her wounds.
After a few minutes of running, she found herself
outside the open door of the principal's office. Smelling
something foul, she decided to enter. After all, there had to
be something in there she'd have to destroy. She hopped in,
and swung her spatula full circle to clear anything out of
her way. Glancing, she saw the outer office was clear, and
crept into the inner office.
She was met by a growling, snarling face, reminiscent of
a wolf or dog, but hairless, and covered in blood-red skin. A
finned wattle arced back from around its neck, covering its
breast, and a spiked iron collar encircled its neck. The
canine body behind was the size of a pony, but low-slung, and
each paw ended in four, six-inch talons. It growled low in
its throat, and pounced.
The okonomiyaki chef managed to get her weapon in the
way in time, but her weakened side betrayed her. Spinning to
the ground, she felt the thing's hot breath on her face. It
opened its mouth in a hideous parody of a grin, drooling
acidic slime on one of her throwing spatulas. Its eyes
gleamed bright green as its whuffing laughter met her ears,
and it opened its jaws wider than her head. It slowly lowered
its face, as she struggled unsuccessfully to dislodge the huge
hound.
Its head suddenly jerked up, and howled in agony. It
hopped away, ichor streaming from its side. Ukyou glanced
over to see Kuno standing over her, his katana at the ready.
"Fear not, milady, I suspected you might find yourself in
such danger, and did follow thee."
She picked herself off the ground, and dropped to a
knee, pointing the sharpened front edge of her battle spatula
at the beast. "This is probably the only time I'll ever say
'thanks' to you, but thanks." She saw the thing crouch, and
readied herself. Praying that the kendoist would get the
hint, she caught it on the underside, and used its own
momentum to throw it over her.
A flash of steel, and a thousand sparks told her he
understood, but his blade had hit its collar. Fortunately, he
had hit it hard enough to knock it aside, and had pressed his
attack. The thing was fast, but too large to effectively
dodge in the small office. Seeing an opportunity, she tossed
the spatula the beast's own saliva had dripped on, striking
it in the eye. "The right side, Kuno, it's blind there now!"
Nodding briefly, Kuno lashed out, striking with repeated
thrusts to the beast's head. Thirty strokes, and three
seconds later, and it finally fell, bleeding ichor from
dozens of wounds before it faded back to the hell that
spawned it.
"And now I must proffer my own thanks, milady. Thy
weapon, befouled though it was, provided the opportunity for
my prowess to win the day!" proclaimed the still mildly
deranged kendoist.
"Shut up, and follow me. I think we have to go down
here," she said, and dropped down the trap door. Pausing
momentarily to ensure nothing was following them, Kuno jumped
in, as well.
**********************************************
As Shampoo, Ryouga, and the Shaman passed through the
destroyed aperture, they were greeted by the sight of a huge
chamber. It was draped in luxurious silks, and enormous
mosaics covered the walls, ceilings, and floors. At the
center sat a large, gem encrusted throne, upon which sat a
hideous monstrosity. It was almost twenty feet tall, and was
relatively humanoid. However, its long neck was topped with a
featherless vulture's head, and its arms and legs ended in
the talons of a bird of prey. Huge, multicolored wings
sprouted from its back, as a contrast to the pale blue of its
skin. Around its waist, a beautiful tapestry served as a
kilt, and rings, armlets, and amulets dangled from its
extremities. In one hand it held a thirty foot long staff,
while the other caressed a bust of Principal Kuno.
"Welcome, humansss, to the heart of my power. It isss
here that you ssshall perisssh!" it crooned. It gestured with
the hand that rested on the bust of the principal, and the
heroes saw, behind it, a swirling mass of darkness and light,
boiling with infinite corruption.
"A Changer of Ways. Tzeentch must have a great deal
invested in this plan to have you present for its execution,"
said the Shaman.
"So? It's just bigger, that's all," said Ryouga.
Shouting "Kiai!", he leapt at it, umbrella poised to strike.
"Ryouga, no!" yelled the ancient psyker, but it was too
late. The great demon gestured, and a bolt of green energy
lanced out, impacting with the lost boy, and sending him
across the room. He impacted with a particularly horrific
mosaic, and crumpled to the ground.
With effort, Ryouga picked himself back up. "Wha... what
was that?" he wheezed.
"I tried to warn you," said the Shaman. "The Greater
Demons of Tzeentch are master sorcerers."
"Ssso true," hissed the demon. "And, now, you will all
die." Its hands rose, and dark tendrils of energy writhed
around its foretalons, entwining with bright red flames.
"I don't think so," called out a familiar voice.
Distracted, the demon released its spell, and spun, to see
two figures leaping out of the warp gate. One was a veritable
riot of color, although the bandannas around its head and
thigh were jet black. The other was a young man, in a red
Chinese shirt and black pants, his dark hair pulled back in a
pigtail, and his blue eyes flashing.
"Airen!" shouted Shampoo, smiling broadly.
"Ranma?" groaned Ryouga, holding the blackened burn mark
on his chest.
"That's right...er, whatever you are. You ain't gonna
hurt my friends!" Ranma took up a stance next to the
Solitaire, who adopted a similar stance.
"Ah, but warrior, there isss little you have to sssay in
the matter." Its beak deformed into a hideous semblance of a
smile. "Now, you die," is shrieked, as a sphere of utter
darkness engulfed the two newcomers.
**********************************************
Cologne finished off the last of the stragglers on the
outside, and looked to the boy who wished to be her granson-
in-law. Demons still strove to enter the reach of his chains,
but they were not repulsed as easily as before. He had
already been struck by several, including a bloodletter,
whose hellblade had deadened his left leg. Soon, he would be
overwhelmed.
Akane rushed over to just outside his reach, and cut
down a pink horror, and the resulting two blue horrors.
"There has to be something we can do to help him!" she
yelled.
"We cannot. We can only hope that they shut down the
portal before anything more dire..." She abruptly broke off,
and almost idly swatted a daemonette away. "He has returned,"
she said.
"Ranma?" asked Akane, hopefully.
Cologne only nodded.
**********************************************
Ukyou and Kuno raced through the living hallway, and saw
the carnage wrought on the walls by the earlier fight.
Following the scorchmarks, and other signs of battle, they
reached the entryway to the grand hall. Looking in, they had
just enough time to see the great demon cast its spell at
Ranma. "RANCHAN!" cried out the okonomiyaki chef.
Inside the darkness, the Solitaire sought with all his
strength to maintain his center. The spell that had been used
against them was one that fed on the victim's own fears, and
strengthened them, until one was completely overwhelmed. He
then lost respect for his human companion, as he felt the
terror well from deep within the boy.
"Alright," shouted Ryouga, "nobody kills Ranma but me!
SHI SHI HOKODAN!" As before, his anger added new elements to
the chi blast, as the stray thought-forms of Khorne were
incorporated into it. The energy shattered the very air
around it as it raced to the demon, and pulsed as it flew.
The Changer of Ways noticed it, and held up a hand to cast a
shielding spell, but the blast pierced right through it,
slowed down but not stopped. It was enough, though, and the
demons concentration was shattered, along with his spell.
Ranma, meanwhile, could not keep the fear at bay. Sharp
teeth, sharper claws, and wicked eyes attacked him from every
corner of his mind. Soft fur belied the evil intent within,
and he was once again six years old. They gnawed at his brain
and body, the sickening smell of raw fish and a hint of blood
assailed his nose. He sunk deeper and deeper into the fear,
and was lost.
"Pathetic foolsss, how do you hope to ssstop a demon
older than your entire world?" hissed the great demon. It
pointed one gnarled claw at the Lost Boy, and the blue
lightning once more flashed out at him. This time, though, it
was blocked by the umbrella, and deflected to the side.
"MmmmmMMMMMREEOOOWWW!"
Ryouga, Shampoo, and Ukyou shuddered when they heard the
telltale sound of the Neko-ken claiming Ranma. The Solitaire,
Kuno and the demon were momentarily confused, and the Shaman
ignored it. He had other matters to worry about, and began to
slowly force the rift to contract. He could not assist in the
battle, and could only hope that this new development would
help them, and not hinder them.
Neko-Ranma leapt at the demon, twisting in mid-air to
avoid a bolt of power, and landed on the things chest. Pawing
at its blue flesh, claws of pure chi ripped nasty gashes
across it, until id dropped from shock. Unfortunately, it
managed to get one talon hooked onto the boy's belt, and
tossed him across the room.
"A ssshape-changer? How appropriate." It clicked its
claws like a man snaps his fingers, and male Ranma was
suddenly female Ranma. As usual, the shock of the
transformation snapped him out of his feral state.
The Solitaire, meanwhile, raise his own shuriken pistol,
and snapped off several shots. Every single one merely
bounced off the creature's supernatural skin. Irritated, he
holstered the weapon, and snapped a large, tubular weapon
onto the back of one arm. Watching as his erstwhile allies
moved into position, he also drew a small sword hilt, and a
meter-long beam of energy crackled into place.
Ukyou grabbed her battle spatula in a low-handed grip,
and charged. She thrust forward with the sharpened forward
edge, and half expected the weapon to merely glance off the
demon. To her shock, it bit deep into the creature's thigh,
and it roared in pain. "Whaddya know," she marveled. "Grampa
wasn't kidding - it _is_ a Masamune!"
"Don't get distracted now!" yelled Ranma. "Kiai!" he
yelled, hurling his confidence forth as his familiar Mokou
Takabisha.
"Exactly!" yelled the Shaman. "You must defeat the
Changer of Ways, so I can close the gate!" He was surrounded
by an aura of a thousand shimmering colors, as was the rift
in time and space. Slowly, as sweat broke out on his brow, it
began to shrink.
Kuno stepped forward, taking position between Ukyou and
Ryouga. "Fear not. My family blade is famed throughout the
land as a demon slayer. Surely, one stroke from this noble
sword shall prove the beast's doom!" Leaping forward, he
swung his blade in a powerful arc, to end upon the top of the
demon's head.
The creature glanced up briefly, then laughed.
"Foolisssh mortal, that blade doesss not even have the
resssidual magic of the girl'sss ssspatula! Lesser fiendsss
may be vulnerable to itsss edge, but I am not!" A negligent
wave of its staff, and the kendoist was sent flying by a
violet bolt of power.
As it laughed, it failed to notice the purple-haired
amazon creeping around to the side with the bust. Without a
single battle cry or shout, she leaped, silent as a cat. Her
bonbori were left behind, and her fists lashed out into its
side. She was rewarded with a roar of pain, and a huge talon
crashing into her back.
"Two of you have fallen before me! Only five remain!
Sssoon, you ssshall all die!" It reached out, and snatched
the bounding Solitaire, right through the illusionary fog of
his holo-field. Squeezing tight, he tossed the Eldar across
the room, into the unconscious form of Kuno Tatewaki.
However, the Solitaire was wearing his flip belt, as well,
and was able to roll with the impact. He staggered to his
feet, and readied his weapons once more.
"Just a little... more... time," grunted the Shaman.
"The rift is almost closed, and then I can aid you!"
Ryouga glanced at Ranma, and caught his rival's
attention. They nodded, and took to the air at the same time.
The pigtailed martial artist impacted the things shoulder
with a Shooting Star Kick, even as Ryouga landed between the
fiend's legs, and used the Bakusai Tenketsu right between its
feet. The combination of the impact, and the lack of a floor,
caused it to stumble forward, landing right at the feet of
the Shaman.
"Foolisssh mortalsss! You may defeat me, but I can
alwaysss return! Without your puny ssshaman, there isss no
one to maintain the field!" It stretched its neck, and
snapped up the ancient psyker by his waist.
"NO!" yelled Ukyou, and lashed out with her Spatula at
the thing's neck. She hit it with the dull side, snapping the
thing's huge, vulture like head to one side, and freeing the
Shaman.
Ranma saw the thing's claw move before Ukyou did, and
raced across the room, knocking her aside in time, only to
take the brunt of the impact. He skidded across the floor,
and left a small crater in the mosaic that encrusted the
wall.
"One by one, you fall," hissed the demon, as it used its
staff to right itself. "Are there any more who wisssh to
die?"
The Shaman could not answer. Half of his mind was busy
trying to close the gate, while the other was struggling to
keep his shattered body alive. Neither task was easy, and he
was nearing the end of his power. He hoped that he could
finish what must be done in time.
"Shut up!" shouted Ryouga. Swinging his umbrella in a
wide arc, he filled it with all the chi he could, and plowed
into the fiend's torso. The impact shuddered throughout the
room, and rattled the lost boy's teeth, even as he knocked
the thing over.
Ranma groaned, and pulled himself out of the wall. He
glanced over, and saw the Solitaire motionless, covered in an
aura similar to the Shaman's, but comprised out of primarily
black, reds, and yellows. The aura seemed to flow along the
floor, past the demon, and braid itself around and through
the Shaman's, strengthening it as it slowly compressed the
rift.
Ryouga whaled over and over again on the chest of the
creature, and slowly began to raise welts with every impact.
His feral grin grew as his chi-charged weapon, and he felt
himself begin to lose his self control.
To the horror of the others, they saw the lost boy's
skin begin to redden slightly. His hair began to wind around
itself into a pair of horns, and his legs began to grow
another set of knees. "No!" yelled the Solitaire. "Don't give
in to the rage so close to Chaos! You will doom us all!"
It was enough to give Ryouga pause. He hopped back, and
discarded his umbrella. It was horribly misshapen from the
force of his own blows, despite being reinforced by his chi.
Ukyou immediately jumped over his head, and landed, spatula
edge first. It ducked its incredibly flexible neck, and
rammed her in the gut with its stone-hard beak. She screamed
from the pain as the impact caused her wounds to tear open
even further. She crumpled to the ground, barely able to
move.
"You have hurt me, mortalsss! For sssuch impertinenssse,
you ssshall all die in the mossst painful waysss imaginable!"
It once more stood, and faced the four remaining fighters.
"Let it begin!"
Ranma growled. "You're dead! You've hurt my friends! And
no demon gets away with that!" He raced forward, and jumped
up to unleash a hailstorm of punches at Amaguriken speed.
Every third punch landed on the creatures head or neck, and
he soon forced it back to the rapidly closing gate.
Ryouga glanced at the Shaman, who nodded. "Ranma, move!"
he yelled. Seeing the pigtailed martial artist dive to the
left, he thought of Akane, alone, outside the school,
surrounded by demons... "Shi shi Hokodan!"
The lance of energy, still spiraled with the dark
energies of his rage, ripped through the air until it
impacted with the Changer of Ways. It howled, and tried to
gain a grasp on the floor, walls, and ceiling, anything to
hold its ground. The force of the chi bolt slowly pushed it
back, until it was partly passing through the gate to the
Warp.
A silent signal passed from the Solitaire to the Shaman,
and they redoubled their efforts. Before the demon could
wrench itself fully back into reality, they slammed the gate
shut, in a silent noise that deafened the mind.
**********************************************
The chains whipped slowly across the field, as the
demons realized their foe was horribly weakened. The blind
Chinese boy was on his last legs, and had lasted this long by
sheer willpower alone. "Haw," said one bloodletter, "time to
play with the little duckyboy!"
"Idiot," muttered Mousse, using a large amount of the
strength he had left to impale the demon who had just spoken
on a spearshaft. His endurance was spent, and his chi nearly
exhausted. He could no longer maintain his Steel Hurricane,
and he would now fall before the remaining demons. He tried
to draw a dagger, to kill himself so the demons could not
destroy his soul, and passed out.
Akane and Cologne saw this, and rushed to him. Demons
flew out of their way, not entirely under their own power. By
the time they reached his side, he had already been savaged
by a pair of blue horrors, and a daemonette, and looked
horrible. Nodding to each other grimly, they took up
positions back to back, to stand guard over their fallen
comrade.
As the demons closed in, a shockwave seemed to erupt
soundlessly from the school. As it rippled outward, every
demon it encountered howled, and imploded, vanishing back to
the infinite chaos of the Warp. Eventually, the two woman
warriors stood alone, and could stop to tend to Mousse.
Cologne was relieved to see that most of his injuries
seemed to be superficial muscle damage. None of the claw
marks seemed to have penetrated into any internal organs, and
several months of Amazon medicine would bring him back up to
speed. "Don't worry. He'll make it," she said, quickly using
strips torn from the bottom hem of both his robe, and her
own, to bind his worst injuries.
"But what about his sight?" asked the youngest Tendou.
"I don't know, child," answered the aged matriarch. "I
do not know."
**********************************************
As the gate slammed shut, ripples echoed forth from the
spot it once occupied. Reality twisted in agony, and the
walls crumbled away into nothingness. Everything seemed to
wink out for a moment, then reality exploded back into
existence. They were in a simple room, with the bust of
Principle Kuno resting on a small pedestal, with a tatami in
front of it.
The Solitaire dropped to his knees, grateful that his
mask his how greatly he had been affected by the strain of
closing the gate. He looked over at the two human martial
artists that remained standing. Naturally, one was Anial
Gorwydd, while the other seemed to have remnants of the Chaos
taint he nearly engendered in his rage. At least, the boy's
fangs were larger than any other human's he had seen, other
than a member of the Space Wolves Marine Chapter. Struggling
to stand again, he walked over to them. "Congratulations, the
both of you. Few there are who can say that they survived in
close combat with a greater demon."
"Save your congrats," growled Ranma, "we have to help
the others!"
The Shaman stirred. "Solitaire, lend me your strength."
He reached out his hand toward the Eldar, but was scanning
the room, and looking at the fallen Ukyou, Kuno, and Shampoo.
The Harlequin nodded, and began to glow with his own, special
psychic aura. The energy flowed out from him into the Shaman,
who reached out, and let it flow through the fallen fighters.
Slowly, the worst of their injuries closed, but they would
still take a while to fully recover. One by one, each of them
groggily regained consciousness.
Ukyou's eyes locked on to the ancient psyker's. *Kuonji
Ukyou, only you can hear me.*
*Wh-what's... umm... going... on?*
*You could see the manifestation as strongly as Akane.
But your love for him is not as strong as you think it is,*
he answered in her mind.
*But, then... why?*
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them with great
effort. *Because you are descended from me.*
Ukyou's jaw opened and closed. *You're my great -
however many great-grandfather ?*
Nodding, the Shaman continued. *And my heir.*
*WHAT?*
*I am dying. When the creature grabbed me, I was
unprepared, and something deep inside has ruptured. I have
not the strength to repair it, and will soon leave this
Earth.*
*But,* she started, *what did you mean by heir?*
His eyes bored into her soul, and she felt an
indescribable rush. *Into your hands, I commend my power.*
She blacked out for half a second, as she felt the very
fabric of the universe come under her mental control. Along
with the power, however, came memories, ancient ones, and the
knowledge of how to control her power. Soon, she was back to
herself, but she also knew that she would never be the same.
Ryouga went to help Shampoo, then helped the amazon pull
the kendoist out of the wall. Ranma, on the other hand,
helped the okonomiyaki seller get to her feet. "Ya okay,
Ucchan?" he asked.
"Y-yeah. I can't really explain what just happened. But
the Shaman, he's dying!" she said.
"Who's the Shaman?" he asked.
"He is!" she yelled, pointing.
The Solitaire staggered over, and examined the fallen
psyker. "No, he is not," said the Eldar.
"What do you mean?" she asked. The Solitaire remained
impassive. "oh..." she muttered.
As the martial artists forced open the trap door above,
Ukyou tried to figure out how to carry the Shaman back up to
the ground level of the school. Before she could stop it, she
had begun to glow, and the body of the Shaman was lined in a
thousand shimmering colors, echoed with a deep blue streak.
He gently rose up from the floor, and drifted through the
opening.
After only a few seconds, all of the warriors had made
it back to the office. Ukyou realized something, then slapped
her forehead. "Waitaminute, guys, we still have a problem!"
Quickly, she told them about Hiroshi, Daisuke, Sayuri, and
Yuka.
The Soltaire's mask frowned, echoing his emotion. "If
they have, indeed, been possessed, then the demons would
remain, despite the loss of the gate."
"Possessed?" asked Ranma. "I have an idea..."
**********************************************
Akane cradled Mousse as she carried him inside. Cologne
followed her to the Nurse's Office, where she could find
further medical supplies. "Child, you may set him down."
"Okay. Um, do you mind if I try to find him?"
The matriarch looked up. "Go to him, child." Nodding
briefly, the youngest Tendo dashed off, as Cologne began to
use the tools now at her disposal.
As she raced down the hall, she screeched to a halt
outside the Home Ec room. There, she saw Ranma, Ryouga, and
the rest, all gathered around four demons, with the demons
encased in concrete. "Ranma!" she cried, and almost ran to
him, but she caught herself. "How did you get back?"
He pointed a thumb at the Solitaire behind him. "This
guy helped me find my way back. Anyway, Akane, I'd like you
to meet Hiroshi, Daisuke, Sayuka, and Yuri. Guys, this is
Tendou Akane."
"Yeah, right. Hey, cutie, toast these dudes and free us,
and we promise we won't kill you!" snarled the second one
from the left.
"To borrow a phrase, oh my! Should I go get Cologne?"
she asked.
Ryouga shook his head. "Not yet. Ranma says he has an
idea."
Nodding Ranma looked at her. "Remember about six months
ago, when that Kumon Ryu guy and I fought, an' I used some of
Pop's Forbidden Techniques?"
Akane's mind boggled. "Six months? Ranma, that was only
four weeks ago!"
He shrugged. "Well, I guess I haven't been away as long
as I thought. Anyway, one of Pop's techniques might take care
of this. Stand back, and be ready to fight."
"Hey, come on, free us!" whined the leftmost
bloodletter.
Ranma ignored it, and simply took up a Snake stance. His
hands were cupped downward, and one foot was raised, to rest
on his knee. "White Snake Venom Reliable Fist!" he shouted,
repeatedly striking the possessed boy down each side of his
chest and thigh at amaguriken speeds. For a split second, the
thing's back bulged, before the demon was explosively ejected
from Daisuke's body.
"What the...?" said Ryouga, before tossing a headband at
the thing to disarm it. A quick strike from a battle spatula,
and it left this reality.
One by one, Ranma used this technique on each of the
possessed teenagers. Finally, they were free. Or, as free as
someone can get while covered in cement mixed with
okonomiyaki batter
Ukyou looked around the room. No one knew what had just
happened to her, or so she thought. That was until she saw
Shampoo's eyes. Another glance, and she knew that the
Solitaire knew. What was she to do?
The Solitaire interrupted her angst-filled thoughts.
"Come. We must bring the Shaman's body to this 'Cologne' you
mentioned. He must be mourned."
Slowly, after scraping the cement off of the four non-
martial artists, they trudged to the Nurse's office. The
school was safe, and Ranma was back... but there were a lot
of answers that had not come.
EPILOGUE
Time is a funny thing. The paradox that culminated in
the death of the Emperor, before he ever became the Emperor,
caused a rupture in time. This rupture solidified into a new
timeline, one with Kuonji Ukyou as the Empress of an Empire
of Humanity that, from the start, allied itself with the
slowly fading Eldar. The previous reality, with an Emperor
forever trapped in his Golden Throne, continued, and Man and
Eldar slowy grew together, barely in time to prevent the
final push of Chaos.
In the meantime, Mousse eventually recovered from his
wounds, but never regained his sight. With the help of
Cologne, he learned how to use his Zanshen, or chi awareness,
to get around, but was a warrior no longer. Instead, he
became a teacher. In time, he and Shampoo grew estranged. He
married a loving healer, while she married a travelling
boxer, and strengthened her family line.
Two events concerning Akane and Ranma would occur within
days of his return, however, that would change their lives
forever. They happened within days of each other.
It was a cool morning, and breakfast at the Tendou Dojo
was interrupted by the sharp rapping of a cane upon the
wooden gate. As usual, Kasumi went to get it, and came back
in leading Cologne. Akane, at the sight, stood, and bowed
briefly. "Um, hello, Cologne. How's Mousse?"
"Better, child," was her answer. "Now, kneel."
Confused, Akane did as she was asked. Before anyone
could react, Cologne had reached up, and kissed Akane on the
forehead.
"Huh?" said Ranma. "That wasn't a kiss o' death, or a
kiss o' marriage... what was it?"
"No. It was a kiss of adoption."
The room erupted into murmurs, and a few 'growfs'. "What
do you mean, adoption?" asked Nabiki.
"It means that she is now a Chinese Amazon. She fought
at my back, and trusted me to fight there, despite my
previous actions against her. Her courage and trust are
exemplary." Cologne bowed slightly to her. "And, my daughter
has no living mother."
Ranma glared at her, eyes narrowed. "Does that mean you
ain't gonna keep pushin' Shampoo at me?"
"Yes - but on one condition. At least one month of every
year she, and her husband, must come to the Amazon village
for training, and to assist in training the next generation"
Cologne fixed him with a glare. "And that will be the last
outsider I train, if you understand me, Son-in-law."
"Waitaminute,' he protested, "I thought you said you
weren't gonna push Shampoo on me anymore!"
"I am not. However, you have defeated Akane in battle,
have you not?"
"Uhh...uh...uh..."
"I thought so. I will be seeing you later, Daughter,
Son-in-law. I must tend to Mousse." She walked out of the
room with a slow, dignified step, as opposed to her usual
pogo step.
"Oh, my," said the three Tendou sisters at once.
The next major incident came a short while later. I
cannot describe the meeting, for that is the tale of another
day, but Ranma took as his student the Laughing God. From his
techniques began the fighting style of the Harlequins, a
style that replaced the previous, less effective dance.
Eventually, all doors will open, and all doors will
close. But the journey through the halls of Time will never
end.
NOTE:
The White Snake Venom Reliable Fist is a technique of Genma
Saotome's Forbidden Techniques. It is used by Genma against
Ranma when training him, and against Ryu by Ranma later. It
involves poking several shiatsu spots down the chest and
thigh. The overall effect causes the victim's own Chi to
explode out their back. I felt it was an appropriate exorcism
technique.
At long last, it's over.
=====
- Valandar the Red of the Empty Tankard
Captain of the Guard of the Barony of the Far Woods
Empire of the Iron Mountains
and Ruler of the Spammish Main
http://members.tripod.com/~Valandar/fanfic.html
http://members.tripod.com/~Valandar/ran40k.html
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