---------------------------
Spirit within part 29:Mousses Secret Technique...
-------------------------------------------
Mousse stood at the gates of Furinkan in wait the wind blew his hair
dramatically as the students filed around him. "Ranma," he said as Akane
Tendo approached. "Ranma Saotome I challenge you!" he cried pointing at
the bewildered Akane. Mousse fell to the ground as Ranma kicked him in
the back of the head.
"Over here stupid," said the boy looking at him with a confident smirk.
"Ranma Saotome I challenge you!" growled Mousse again as he got up and
faced him.
"Great when?" said Ranma.
"Now you fool!" yelled Mousse. Reiraku stood a small distance away and
approached casually.
"I can't now I got school," said Ranma pointing to the building.
"You fight us now," said Reiraku as he swung a the boy with a spear he
had hidden in his cloak.
"OK Shampoo I'll bite," replied Ranma as he jumped to avoid the spear.
He looked around the area there was a large crowd surrounding the fight.
"Damn, I was hoping they would back off till later."
Akane looked on in confusion as the two tried to get Ranma between them.
Then Shampoo did some thing strange. She seemed to avoid being directly
between Mousse and Ranma. "What is she doing?"
Ranma dodged the pair's strikes easily enough and backed away. "This is
to easy, better be ready for the real attack," he thought as they forced
him back. A new voice rang out from behind and he turned to see Kuno
behind him.
"Well Ranma Saotome it seems you are out numbered," he said looking the
situation over.
"And who you is?" asked Reiraku cautiously.
"I am Tatewaki Kuno the rising new star of the high school fencing
world! The sound of my voice strikes fear into the hearts of my peers,
they call me "THE BLUE THUNDER OF FURINKAN HIGH!" and I seek to free
Akane Tendo from the grasp of his evil heart!"
"Great all three of them," grumbled Ranma.
Kuno stood opposite the pair of Amazon warriors and smiled. "Today is
the day of your defeat Saotome!"
"Maybe I can use him, if I can get us away from the crowd..." thought
Ranma.
Ranma desperately dodged the attacks of the Three and even took a few
light hits from the battle. "Damn I can't take much more of this." he
rushed at Kuno again.
Mousse grabbed at Kuno with his chains. "What are you doing knave I
almost had him within my righteous grasp!" cried Kuno angrily.
"This fool is going to get us killed! Ranma is trying to use him for the
Hi ryu Shouten ha!" said Mousse. Reiraku nodded in agreement and turned
on the kendoist knocking him out cold in a few seconds as Ranma was kept
barely at bay by Mousse. "Now we end this Saotome," said Mousse as
Reiraku joined the fight once again.
Akane watched from the shade of a nearby tree as the pair pummeled Ranma
mercilessly barely keeping away from the blades they wielded.
"Ranma be careful." Mousse smiled and stopped his attacks as Reiraku slid
to the side and held her spear in ready.
"Now Ranma, we end this foolish battle," Ranma turned his head slightly
to see Akane was behind him watching with a worried expression.
Mousse lifted his arm and took up a strange stance. "What the?" thought
Ranma as Mousse pointer his sleeve at him. Ranma heard a familiar click
and his heart stopped. "No!" Akane was behind him and he couldn't dodge.
He turned and yelled "Akane get down! He's got a gun!" Mousses Robe
sleeve exploded in a loud bang sending scraps of cloth flying through the
air. Ranma felt the bullet whiz past him and through his shirt. He
turned to see Kuno with his back turned standing over Akane as she
crouched defensively on the ground as if waiting for the bullet that
never came.
Kuno Turned towards Mousse. "A dishonorable attack," he spat at him.
Mousse smiled. "If the end result is Shampoo being mine who needs
Honor?"
Kuno fell on top of Akane as a large red stain formed on his side. The
crowd snapped out of shock and stampeded.
Mousse cried out in frustration as Ranma disappeared into the crowd.
"Coward!" he yelled chasing after him.
"Ranma is gone," said Reiraku coolly.
Ranma collapsed after arriving in Dr. Tofu's clinic with Kuno and Akane
over his shoulders. "Ranma?!" said the Doctor rushing to his side. "A
bullet wound?" he said noticing Kuno as he breathed heavily where Ranma
had placed him before his own collapse. Akane was in mild shock, but did
not appear to be injured. Ranma had a few light cuts and a lot of bruises
but was not seriously injured.
Ranma awoke a few hours later with a start. "Finally awake?" said Akane
as she kissed him gently.
"Y-yea," he replied shakily. "How's Kuno?" he asked.
"Stable at Nerima General," Akane smiled. "You saved his life," she added
after a small moment of silence. He noted that they were still at Dr.
Tofu's clinic.
Akane saw him looking around and smiled. "Dr. Tofu went with Kuno he'll
be back later," she said. "He took a bullet for me," she said softly with
tears in her eyes. Ranma held her for a moment to comfort her.
"I hope we aren't interrupting anything," said an icy voice from behind
them. Akane turned to see Ryoga and an annoyed looking Ukyo standing in
the door.
"Ryoga-kun, Ukyo-san! What are you doing here?" she asked surprised.
"This fool wanted to see you after he heard what happened," said Ukyo
with a tone that said she had to be talked into bringing him.
"You OK sensei?" asked Ryoga looking at Ranma with a smirk.
"Yea," said Ranma. "So how are things between you two?"
"Shut up Saotome I still haven't forgiven you for that," snapped Ukyo.
Ryoga just scratched the back of his head. "Why you gotta be so uncute
in front of my friends?" he grumbled, she promptly hit him over the head.
Ukyo and Ryoga stopped Fighting when Mr. Tendo appeared in the doorway.
He was not happy. "You have endangered the life of my daughter," he said
as Akane pulled away from Ranma slowly. "I will not allow this
relationship to continue," he said as he roughly took Akane by the arm
and pulled her away.
"Akane...he's right," said Ranma looking sadly at her. Soun stopped and
looked at him in surprise along with everyone else in the room. "Until
those two are stopped you can't see me. It isn't safe, I'd never forgive
my self if something happened to you because of me." He could not bring
himself to look at her.
A look of dread crossed Akane's face. "NO! she screamed as she pulled
away from her father.
"Akane please try to understand," pleaded Ranma.
"Never I will die before I leave you like this." she cried with tears in
her eyes, desperately pulling away from her father's grip again in an
attempt to rush towards him.
Ranma got up form the cot and walked out the back way. "Akane...I'm
sorry I love you too much to see you hurt in this."
Soun held his daughter and smiled as he comforted her. "It will be all
right Akane. I'm sure you just need time."
In his mind he thought of his friend Genma. "In time she will forget
Ranma, and then Genma's son can meet her and they will both fall in love
and the Tendo family legacy will be secure!" He was almost giddy that
Akane was finally free of that evil Ranma boy; but still, he was not
completely heartless, he felt sorry for what his daughter felt now and
tried to comfort her as best he could.
Ranma walked into the streets of Nerima with a heavy heart and sighed.
He stood confidently and stared into the sky as it began to rain. "This
ends tonight," he said defiantly and headed towards the Cat Cafe.
When he arrived there he looked in silent horror at the empty building.
"I-Its gone."
"I had a feeling you would come here tonight," said a familiar voice.
"Ryoga?" said Ranma as he turned to see his friend standing in the rain.
It felt strange seeing Ryoga in the rain unchanged. Ukyo walked up behind
Ryoga and smirked.
"You were right Ryoga he did come. You're in no condition for a fight
like this and you know it," she growled at him. Ranma hung his head.
"Your lucky they moved somewhere else or I'd have to stop you from
getting yourself killed."
"What?" he said looking at her in surprise.
"I may not like you very much Ranma, but Akane would never forgive me if
I let you get killed," she grumbled at him blushing.
"You're right, but Mousse has no honor. He'll try to get me in my
weakened state," said Ranma with a deep scowl.
"Doubtful, they'll have to lay low for a while because of the police.
Why do you think the Cat cafe is empty?" said Ryoga.
"That little stunt he pulled has got every cop in Nerima looking for the
two of them," agreed Ukyo.
"But Cologne and Shampoo can still move around freely," said Ranma.
"Yes." agreed Ukyo.
Soun and Genma drank another toast to the end of Akane's relationship
with the evil boy. "At last we can bring our families together!" cried
Genma.
"Yes, but Akane needs time to recover," slurred Soun solemnly.
"You think a week is long enough?" asked Genma.
"Plent,." said Soun as he poured another cup of sake.
-------------------------------------
Spirit within part 30: 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 the girl as she sent her fianc�e 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�"
Ranma smiled and stood up. "Thanks for every thing Ukyo
I'm almost completely healed."
"Ranma wait. Where are you going?" said the girl surprised.
"Home," said Ranma simply. "I'm better now and I can't hide forever."
Ukyo blinked and muttered. "Whatever."
"How is she?" he asked standing in the doorway.
"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."
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?!"
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 ghoul 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.
He watched as Shampoo rose from his side awakened by his movements.
<What's wrong?>
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 daughter's 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 everyone 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 newspaper in front of his face
and tears in his eyes. "I can't believe I never saw it before," he
thought. 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."
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."
Soun growled and quickly closed the door behind him as he stood outside
with the boy. "What do you want? Akane is upset enough as it is!"
"If you haven't forgotten I am the heir to the Anything 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?"
"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 surprised 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
and she saw desperation and fear in them.
"I didn't know." she said looking ashamed.
"So that's why you left me," said Akane as she walked out from behind a
tree nearby.
Nabiki turned and looked at her in shock. "Akane?!"
Ranma smiled and turned away. "Now you know."
"I don't care," she said to him.
Ranma turned to face her. "Akane don't do this you don't know what you're
getting into."
"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."
Mousse smiled as he watched the exchange from the bushes. <He can't
protect her forever,> Shampoo in her female guise sat next to him.
<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, you're 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."
Happosai turned and looked at Ranma impatiently. "Hurry it up boy!"
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 doorway.
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."
Akane poked her head in behind Ranma. "Ukyo are you coming?"
"Are you joking? I have a business to run here!" she cried putting her
hands on her waist.
Akane blinked and smiled "O.K.,"
Ukyo turned off the grill and grabbed a small bag from under the
counter. "If you insist."
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!" shouted Ryoga defensively.
"I think you're just worried about him," said Ranma from beside Akane.
Ryoga blinked and looked at Ukyo, "Really?"
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 31: 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, that's right you haven't heard yet. She ran away with her boy
friend yesterday." said the girl 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."
"Akane, I envy you," said Ukyo looking at her roommate 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 you're going to pound him for it." she rolled over in
her bag. "I wish I had someone that trusted me that much."
Akane smiled. "Ryoga isn't being very discrete about his actions
either."
"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 bathhouse 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?"
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 smiled 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. The two Chinese whirled around and
backed defensively away from it.
"Great Grandmother!" snapped Shampoo angrily with a small amount of fear
in her voice.
"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."
"Ghoul, 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 and tightened his grip on the sheet. "They
won't get away with this."
"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?!"
shouted Ryoga.
"Somebody had to say it and Kasumi isn't here, besides since when is
Ukyo your girlfriend?" said Happosai with a knowing smile.
"She's 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 what's 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?"
"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!"
"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 too 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?"
Shampoo stood in surprise. "Great grandmother what you doing here?"
"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 hanging 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 what's he up to?" said Ryoga as he watched from over his
companion'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 away from the hiding place
towards the hidden weapons master, 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!"
"Where did he learn that?" thought Ranma in surprise. 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." 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 of room to run. "Damn," he muttered as he rolled as flame shot
over his head. "Almost."
"That's right Ranma, you're almost out of room," noticed 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."
Shampoo's eyes went wide. "No! Mousse no lose is Impossible. I die
before I marry Ranma! Mousse no let Ranma win!"
Cologne sighed. "Believe what you like."
A strong wind blew in 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 the girl 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. "You're lucky you were behind these statues or it might
have gotten you as well. It's a good thing you passed out and couldn't
feel that or Mousse would have killed you."
"What ever you..." Ryoga's eyes went wide as he stopped mid sentence.
"Oh god!"
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.
"Let's go," said Ranma coldly as he helped the boy to his feet.
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?"
"If you truly love this girl, yes," said Cologne as she stripped the
rope a little.
Ranma stood and glared at Akane. "Ghoul 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."
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."
"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. "You're 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. The girl 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 kill woman he love in front of eyes," She brought her Bonbori
down on Ryoga's leg several times and he felt it snap before jumping on
his back. Ryoga screamed in agony. Shampoo giggled as she beat him in the
head with her Bonbori. "After I kill student."
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, then she felt something give.
Ranma rolled away from Colognes staff and wiped the blood from his eyes.
The ghoul 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, only to fall 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 the insane girl's back. Ryoga
did not move. Ukyo growled and stared at Shampoo hard. "You killed my
fianc�e,'" she said and shoved the spear hard.
Shampoo performed a back flip 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," stuttered Ukyo bitterly through her sobs.
She looked up 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 as 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 again, 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 leapt into the
cloud.
"SHIN BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"
Ukyo cried softly as she held Ryoga against her chest. She looked at his
battered face and frowned. "You're dirty," she said with a small laugh
and she rubbed some of the dirt off his face using her tears to clean him
up. 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 the girl she seemed
almost reluctant to put her fianc�e on the ground to do it.
Akane waited and watched Ranma's battle as Ukyo climbed up the ten-foot
tall guardian. A few moments passed and the girl called from the top.
"Akane grab my spear."
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. Her face contorted as she started to scream, she
felt her torso begin to swell and tear apart. Finally 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 for a
moment before laying still forever. 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 hallway. 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?"
"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 a lot 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 her elder sister with a sad look on
her face.
"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. The girl 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 his daughter, 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
surprise.
"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 the girl lazily.
"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," replied 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 surprise.
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.
"Y-y-you?" 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 Ucchans. 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."
"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."
Ukyo blushed and said nothing.
"She fights pretty good for an uncute tomboy," said the lost boy with a
smile. 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!"
"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
cheerfully.
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 trashcans snuck up behind Ukyo.
"Don't' even think about it," she cried and slammed it out of the
doorway. 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 by all three of them.
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
springboard.
Ranma sighed and leapt 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
Carrotglace@juno.com. Hope you enjoyed it.
Ja-ne!
Carrot Glace