Summary of the Saffron Arc

by ReDragon37

Just what it sounds like. A detailed summary of the last two manga. Now separate from Finishing Moves.

Intro & Disclaimer: As you can see from the title, this is nothing fancy. Simply a detailed summary of the last two manga of Ranma 1/2, of which the esteemed Rumiko Takahashi holds ownership. I do not intend to infringe upon any Copyrights, and I am doing this purely for fun. If you sue, you won't get any money from me, seeing as how I'm pretty much broke.

A Side Note: This is taken directly from the two latest two chapters of Finishing Moves, so if it looks familiar, that's why. I separated this entirely and combined those two chapters into one, so you now have more original content per chapter. And this has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual summary. So on with it!

Legend:

"Quotes"

'Sub-quotes'

EMPHASIS

-Emphasis-

[Thoughts]

Sounds

|Panda signs|

(Manga Subtitle)

------------{ Ranma 1/2: The Saffron Arc }------------

After another wedding attempt, Ranma had saved a little girl from being kidnapped by a pair of strange, winged bird-man creatures, said little girl turned out to be the Jusenkyo guide's daughter with some bad news. ("What??! you're the daughter of the Jusenkyo guide??!" "Yes. I'm Plum. I have very important news to tell you, honored guest." " If he has a daughter, that means... the Jusenkyo guide... is MARRIED??") The Jusenkyo springs were about to be drained by the "legendary bird creatures of Mt. Pheonix."

As it turned out they weren't after Plum herself, but the map of Jusenkyo that she was carrying. (" In any case... we don't need the girl any more since you stole Jusenkyo's Secret, right?" "Wrong!! We didn't get that either!!" Thwap )The second attempt to retrive the map led to a fight involving Ranma, Ryouga, The Master of Hidden Weapons, Mousse, and the bird creatures from Mt. Pheonix, Captain Kiima and her underlings, Masara and Koruma, which resulted in the map being torn to pieces. ("It woud seem that you're not going to just hand over the Jusenkyo map peacefully." "Quite right. How about a map to Nerima hospital?! Hell, we'll even send you there... for free!!")

After driving them off, the Nerima crew split the torn map between themselves, but after being brainwashed into thinking of Kiima like a mother bird by a magical Surikomi Egg, the Chinese Amazon, Shampoo ambushed the others and took their map pieces, except for Ranma. (" I just want stay alone with you for while." "Captain, somehow I think the map... is not exactly on your landling's mind at the moment...") After being interrupted by a jealous Akane, Shampoo used her Jusenkyo curse's cat form to scare Ranma and grab the final map piece, delivering them all to her "mistress", Kiima. (" Koruma... Masara... our objective-- the map-- is secured. We will be returning to home base now.") In hot pursuit, the Nerima crew packed up and set sail for China, . ( [I sould go and say good-bye... but I... I don't... Why does he have to go, anyway? Why can't he just stay here?] [ Stupid Akane! Here I am, going all the way to China... and she doesn't even show up. Not even to wish me good luck or anything!] )



Upon reachng their destination, the group takes a quick break at a nearby hot springs. After handily fighting and defeating an inflatable lobster, the true "Hot Springs Devil" is revealed... a little well dressed kid wielding a powerful magical weapon, the Kinjakan. After being subdued, the kid offers to take them to Mt. Pheonix using the Kinjakan. ("If we use the Kinjakan... I can get us there by evening." "Welcome to the team, kid.") Upon reaching the entrance to Mt. Pheonix, the kid set off a trap, sending the crew deep underground. ("Thanks, kid. You were a really big help... You be careful on your way home, okay?" "Heh. I AM home." "Wha?? You mean this brat is.." "The successor to the throne of Mt. Pheonix... as well as the ruler-to-be of Jusenkyo, Lord Saffron.") Unfortunately for Saffron, they managed to take the Kinjakan with them when they fell, and used it to fight off Koruma and Masara, who had been sent down after the weapon.

In the confusion, Ryouga loses a pair of pictures of Akane and his girlfriend, Akari. Finally finding them, he steps over the edge of a cliff, but is saved by Ranma, who grasps the other half of the pictures. Just then the picture case breaks, dropping Ryouga as a landslide covers Ranma. Seeing Akane's picture, Ranma manages to dig himself out and Ryouga rides back up on their ticket to the summit, the dry well's bucket. Fighting their way to the top, the group confront Kiima and Saffron once more. ("Didn't we kill you?" "We got better. Shampoo and the map! Hand 'em over now!!")

While Ranma uses the Kinjakan to fight Kiima in mid-air over the mountain, the others discover more of the Surikomi Eggs used to brainwash Shampoo. After Kiima is defeated, Saffron offers a caged Shampoo-cat in exchange for the Kinjakan. (" Oh great! That moron Ranma is deathly afraid of cats!" "Is that so? TOO BAD!! Go rescue her!!") In his panic, Ranma manages to inadvertantly grab Shampoo-cat and the map, but Shampoo is called back to her "mistress", a reawakened Kiima. Saffron then drops them through a trapdoor to the bottom of the mountain and tells them to meet him at the "source of "Jusenkyo". At the bottom of the mountain the group realizes they will be traveling close by Jusenkyo... and that Ryouga is missing. Apparently the Eternally Lost Boy took the Kinjakan to get more food...

Back in Japan, Akane is worrying about Ranma when she is kidnapped by a flock of crows and dropped off at "the cursed training grouds, Jusenkyo", where Kiima is waiting. They fight, and Akane realizes she is losing and tries to run, only to fall into a boarded-up spring... ("It would appear that you are his weakness." "Feh, you gotta be joking. Ranma and I don't have anything that remotely resembles a relationship.") After recovering Ryouga, Ranma and company spot Akane on their way to Jusenkyo and take her to a hotel for the night. Akane walks in on Ranma as he is taking a bath and tells him that she "fell in at Jusenkyo". They are interrupted by Ryouga and Mousse, and Ryouga, who is struck by the un-reality of the situation, hits a faucet, which sprays Ranma and Akane with cold water... but Akane doesn't change. She then grabs the Kinjakan and reveals herself to be Kiima, diguising herself using the newly created "Spring of Drowned Akane" As Ranma realizes that Akane actually IS in China, Kiima snags the Kinjakan AND the map and escapes. With nothing else to do, the gang heads for Jusenkyo, only to find that the springs have all dried up.

Depressed, they continue on, with Plum leading them to "Jusendo, the Legendary Source-place of Jusenkyo". Reaching the entrance, they are confronted by Shampoo, who is still under Kiima's mind-control. In the scuffle, Genma-panda is inadvertantly wrapped in a Surikomi Egg and freed by Shampoo, thus becoming her mind-slave. Plum helps them slip away by using a secret passage which, coincidentally, leads directly to the main spring. Reaching the main area, Ranma sees Akane running away from a bunch of guards. Realizing it must be the REAL Akane, Ranma jumps down to rescue her, when Akane is snatched by Koruma and Masara. Ranma swings down on one of Mousse's chains and knocks them out, tossing Akane to safety inside one of the many holes in the cavern. ("Got ya!" "It's about time!") Missing the hole herself, Ranma plummets to the bottom while a hand wraps around Akane's mouth.

The hand turns out to belong to the missing Jusenkyo guide, but Akane doesn't realize that until AFTER she has slapped him silly. ("Your cheeks are a lot fatter than I had imagined." "Does Miss honourable young guest know this her own fault?") The guide leads her to "the heart of Jusendo", where lie a pair of giant water taps designed to look like a pheonix and a dragon. ("If young miss look down there, you see more clearly. Both Pheonix and Dragon connected to same body at base. Single body run deep into earth to great water source below. Only way to return water to Jusenkyo is turn key tool on Dragon's head.") However, this is easier said than done seeing as how the giant taps rise high in the air and are surrounded by Pheonix guards. Akane and the guide watch as Saffron and Kiima arrive and Saffron inserts the Kinjakan in the top of the Pheonix's head, turning it like a key. It glows, and the guide tells Akane that it releases a great heat while doing so. ("Aiyah! We already too late! There but single water main. Once hot water flow, it all hot. No cold left for Jusenkyo.") However something appears to be wrong with the taps... ("What the heck?? The hot water isn't flowing!!") Then the expected hot water gushes out... along with Ranma, Ryouga, Mousse, and Plum.

Recovering from the fall, Ranma starts to throttle Saffron while Ryouga takes out Kiima with another of Mousse's chains. However, a problem arises when Ranma suddenly discovers that he can't move his hands. ("Heh heh heh heh. Ranma, you are as gullible as all the landlings. You shall serve as food for my rebirth!" "Food?! What's going on??" "Since the beginning of time, the princes of my people have come to this place... to bathe in the hot spring and complete the transformation into the new king! Unfortunately, anyone caught up in the process is captured within the egg and used for food. In case you're behind on current events, this means you!") Ranma's hands have been captured in the threads used to form Saffron's tranformation egg. ("Give it up FOOL! As long as the hot water flows, you are doomed!!")

In an attempt to stop the transformation, Ryouga uses the Bakusai Tenketsu to create a drain-hole in the spring, but it's not enough. Mousse tries to pull Ranma free with a chain, but the transformation energies start climbing the chain and he is forced to let go to avoid being caught also. Seeing that Ranma is in trouble, Akane dashes to the Kinjakan and turns it back, stopping the hot water. ("RANMA!! Get ready to make a run for it! Hurry!!") With the hot water no longer strengthening the transformation threads, Ranma is able to break away from them. Just then, the Kinjakan produces a bright flash and Akane is seemingly vaporized by the great heat being given off of it. ("She... disappeared? What is going on here?" "Akane... No..." "She was a fool. No ordinary human could possibly withstand the heat of the Kinjakan during the transformation cycle! As soon as the water stopped passing below, the heat would vaporize all the water in her body instantly!" So saying, Saffron uses some strands of thread to reach out and turn the tap back on. Ryouga is forced to pull a comatose Ranma away from the energies as the transformation continues. At a safe distance Ryouga slaps Ranma to try and snap him out of it, but gets no reaction from Ranma. ( [Oh my dear Akane... If... If you really are gone, your last thought was for Ranma... Your final wish was for him to be safe. I will fulfill it for you! I SWEAR!! Ranma! If it's the LAST thing I do, I will NOT let you die in this dark pit!] )

Unable to do anything at the moment, the group retreats to one of the guide's summer homes. ("It's strange that the is such a fine house so high above Jusendo." "You think Jusenkyo guide so loyal to job because of crappy pay?? Job have great employee perks.") Ryouga tries to console a still listless Ranma. ("Ranma... There may be no way in the world for this to be of any consolation to you... but you have to cheer up. Akane wouldn't want you to be like this!" "Ryouga! You have got to be kidding me. You were in love with her every bit as much as Ranma. This false front is unseemly of you." "If you value your hide, Mousse, SHUT UP! You have no idea whatsoever what I'm going through! You dont't think I want to cry?! If I were alone I would, but... I have to be strong! Ranma's lost it and I have to be strong for Akane's sake! I have to... I have... I... I... I CAN'T BE EXPECTED TO HOLD IT IN FOREVER CAN I?!?!?! WWWAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! OH, AKAAAANEEE!!!!")

The Jusenkyo guide gets Ranma to show them his hands, and they see that the thread-like energies have hardened and crystalized. Telling Ranma that he was lucky his hands had frozen or he would have crushed them, he takes Akane's clothes from Ranma. If a fit of anger, Ranma lunges at the guide and crashes into a table. ("G... Give them BACK!!!") Rummaging, the guide finds what he was looking for, producing a tiny doll that looks like Akane from the folds of her clothes. ("No one more qualified for job than me. I know how Kinjakan work. Energy backlash dehydrate young miss into doll. There but one way to save girl now... Hot cursed water make many changes on Saffron. Cold cursed water work many wonders on humans." "The cold magic water should rehydrate her like a dried-out sponge!" Ranma tucks Akane-doll into his shirt collar.

Filled with new determination, Ranma and company make their way back to the main chamber, where Saffron is engulfed in an egg-like shell. Realizing that they need to turn off the hot water permanently, Ranma tells Ryouga to use a Shishi Houkou-dan to blast him THROUGH the Pheonix-head tap to the Dragon-head tap. ("But honoured and crazy guest, what about your hands? How turn key tool like that?" "Heh. This is no time to worry about such minor details. I HAVE to be the one to go... After all, I'm the strongest of us. And with my quick wits and amazing agility I'll gracefully leap to the Dragon's head!" "Izzat so??" "At least his ego can always make a speedy recovery."

Ryouga uses the Shishi Houkou-dan and blasts Ranma, but only succeeds in making a small dent in the Pheonix tap. Unfortunately this catches the attention of the transformation egg and it lashes out with a tendril of energy, which Ranma barely avoids. ("This too too bad. He catch eggs attention. He done for now!" "Done for nothing! He's got Akane with him! I will not allow her to be hurt!!" "Are you done planning for my funeral?" "Ack! Right, sorry! Shishi Houkou-dan Fire two!") The second ki blast misses the Pheonix tap completely, sending Ranma straight for the Dragon tap. Ranma manages to snag the Dragon key and Ryouga readies another Shishi Houkou-dan to blast the Pheonix tap apart, but the Dragon key breaks out of the tap itself.

The egg sends another tendril of energy Ranma's way, but he swipes at it with the key, severing the tendril... and the nose of the Dragon tap by mistake. Ranma realizes that the Dragon key must be another weapon like the Kinjakan, and the Jusenkyo guide confirms this. ("That key made as pair with Kinjakan. It being called Gekkaja.") Ranma sees how easily the Gekkaja cut the Dragon tap and cuts off the top of the Pheonix tap, wielding it with his feet. The top of the Pheonix tap falls forward and cracks the transformation egg. This seems to anger it and it lashes out with yet another tendril of energy. This one hits Ranma and knocks him unconscious.

Ranma wakes up in a strange bedroom with Akane-doll missing. He discovers he is tied with a ball-and-chain as Shampoo enters with a bottle of Jusenkyo water and some Surikomi eggs, and offers him a deal. ("Ranma willingly become Shampoo's slave. In return, Shampoo restore Akane to normal. Fair trade I think.") Ranma seems to concede and begs her to make him her slave, then unexpectedly knocks the Surikomi Eggs out of her hands with the ball-and-chain. ("I beg of you! My only desire shall be to serve you! Hyah! On second thought, YOU'D make a MUCH better slave!") Catching the eggs in his mouth, Ranma spits them at Shampoo, engulfing her again.

Or so it seems. He breaks the egg and finds only the bottle of Jusenkyo water inside. Shampoo drops from above and smashes his face into the bottle, breaking it and turning him into a girl again. Shampoo then tells him that she was trying to help. ("...As Shampoo slave, I could save you life. Now I must follow Mistress Kiima's orders again... KILL!!!") So saying, she turns him back into a guy and carries him over to her bed. ("We replay Romeo and Juliet episode! Shampoo be good Juliet, neh? We make sweet, sweet memory before die together!" "Um... Er... About that 'die together' thing..." "Shampoo feeling very cranky! Ranma play along or Shampoo kill Akane. Understand?")

In the room beside theirs, Ryouga and Mousse are wondering where Ranma went to when Plum interrupts them. ("Be quiet, silly guests. I trying to listen.") Ryouga and Mousse wonder what's up as Ranma tries to think of a way out his situation. Thinking that Shampoo must have a back-up batch of eggs some where, he takes a chance. ("Shampoo... Before we... uh... die together... I have one final request." "It no use begging. Shampoo have no mercy." "It's not that. As you say, I'd like to have one sweet final memory before we go. I want to see your hot, naked body one more time.") On the other side of the wall, Ryouga and Mousse are just a tad upset about this revelation...

Shampoo cheerfully begins to comply with his request, revealing a pair of Surikomi Eggs nestled in her cleavage. Ranma's hands are still frozen, so he lunges for the eggs with his teeth, providing quite a licentious scene for Mousse who chooses this time to break down the wall and attack Ranma. He is stopped by Shampoo, who is angry at him for ruining her happiness yet again. While they are arguing, Ranma makes another attempt at the eggs, but only succeeds in grabbing Shampoo's bra.("Saotome... if you could stop trying to molest Shampoo for five minutes, we were TRYING to have a serious conversation.")

Mousse attacks him with the Gekkaja and accidentaly shatters the crystal freezing Ranma's hands in place. Ranma warns Mousse about the Surikomi Eggs and Mousse finally realizes that THAT was what Ranma was after in the first place. Shampoo gets upset at being ignored and throws the eggs at them, but Ranma uses her bra like a slingshot and throws them both back at her, wrapping her up... for real this time.

Ranma goes to break open the Egg, but is stopped by Mousse, who remembers that whoever Shampoo sees first will be her master. ("I see now! If Shampoo emerges and sees Mousse first, she'll become HIS slave then. An obedient, loving Shampoo. This must be the chance Mousse has been waiting for most of his life.") While Mousse daydreams his way through the moral dilemma, A minor earthquake alerts them to the fact that Saffron is hatching from his transformation egg. ("AAAUGH!! That can't be right!! It's too soon!!")

Genma-panda interrupts the party and attacks them, under orders from Shampoo to kill all intruders. Ranma and Ryouga hold him off while Mousse continues to daydream. Ryouga snaps him out of it, but he still can't decide what to do. ("That's only for sweethearts! She'd be a mere slave.") Ranma gets impatient and is about to crack the egg for him when another tremor passes through and the wall behind Mousse falls on him and the egg, forcing him to make up his mind quickly. ( [It would appear that I am a fool after all. Never again will this opportunity present itself. Yet if the true love I offer Shampoo cannot win her heart, what honour would there be in doing this way?] )

As Shampoo emerges from the egg, he holds up a mirror to her face, thereby making her no-one's slave. Mousse explains what he had done and Shampoo turns to glomp Ranma. ("Yes. I've set your heart free, Shampoo. It's better this way. I couldn't live with myself with a false love." "YIPPEE!! Did Ranma hear? Shampoo free to be with Ranma! I so happy! I was so scared!" "Good grief, Shampoo! You aren't acting any different NOW than you were BEFORE! Get OFFA me!" [I'm going to be kicking myself for this for years.] "Would you order this panda to chill, already??!

Down below, the transformation egg explodes, crumbling the ceiling and dropping Ranma and company back in the tap room. They watch as an adult Saffron rises from the remains of his egg and glares at Ranma. ("Oh CRAP.") He then throws a large beam of fire at Ranma causing him and Ryouga to dodge it. Saffron then dresses himself again as he explains the reason for the transformation. ("Once reborn from the egg... the true kings of the mountainbecome like the Pheonix himself. Heat and light pour endlessly from them. They fill the mountain with their radiance, giving freely of their power for the benefit of all their people. From this generosity the people know peace and comfort. The night is bright, the winter is warm. This is the contentment you have denied my people.")

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

(From this part on will be the dramatization, instead of merely the summary.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ranma's fists clenched in anger, "So to sum up your dissertation... you serve as the electricity and gas in this rural backwater. Jeeze, man. Just call Pepco or something. Do you handle the plumbing, too? You seem like the type to like that weird stuff. You greedy bastards! You put us through all this just for THAT??! Is it so hard to SHARE??! With Akane's life hanging by a thread, I get this crap?? That does it! Playtime is OVER!! I'm going to get that water for Akane now. Stay out of my way or get hurt."

Saffron raised his own clenched fist and it began glowing with fire, "So be it. The die is cast. Better show me what you got quick!! Before I fry you to the bone!!" He promptly launched a second beam of fire at Ranma and narrowly missed the dodging boy.

Ducking behind a rock, Ranma spoke to the Akane-doll in his hands, "Just hang on a bit longer, Akane! I'll put this guy on ice in no ti-" He stopped as he noticed something. [Akane!! Her eyes are starting to close! What the heck's going on?!?!]

The Jusenkyo guide looked over his shoulder, "Aiyah! That very bad! Eyes show her inner spirit. She strong girl. I surprise she last so long already. But she start to fade now. So sad. Once her eyes close all way, she be gone forever. Even cold cursed water no return her to normal, then."

"What??! So what you're saying is- " Ryouga interrupted him, "That she's going to die?!!"

The guide sweated nervously, "I no want to say it so badly, but you about right."

Ranma turned his attention back to the Akane-doll, "Akane!!! Hang in there!! I'll save you but you have to hang on!! Don't give up on me now!!" In response the tiny doll's eyes snapped wide open. "Her eyes!! They opened!" Ryouga's and the guide's heads whipped in his direction. Even as they watched, the doll's eyes slowly began to droop shut again.

The guide nearly shook his head, "Aiyah. It hopeless. Girl no have strength hold on long enough."

Ranma gritted his teeth, [Hopeless?! NEVER!! She could hear me! I know she could! He doesn't know you like I do, Akane. I know you. You're STRONG. You can hold on. Just listen to my voice. I believe in you!]

Saffron chose that time to make his presence known once more, "Ranma... You caused my premature birth, ruining the happiness of my people. This crime is unforgivable! I'll be sure to kill you slowly, so you will have time to regret your mistake!"

Ranma glared at him, [You arrogant little punk...]

Mousse moved up beside him, "Are we supposed to be scared by that?!! You defeat your own point! You admit your transformation wasn't completed, so you will only have a fraction of your abilities! Face it! YOU ARE WEAK!!"

Ryouga backed him up also, " Yeah! So hand over the water for Akane and we won't pound you back to a child!!"

Saffron's temper flared, "WEAK AM I?!?! Then get ready for a fraction of my abilities!!" With that, he raised his wings, a great gout of fire surrounding each. One of them scratched the cliff face, dropping flaming rubble nearby.

A stray thought flitted across Ranma's mind, [Subtle, isn't he?] More flaming debri fell from the cliff face, forcing the small group to duck and cover. Kiima and Saffron's advisor poked their heads up from where they had been hiding behing the transformation egg, and the old man squawked, "The pathetic fools! The king's ability to radiate light and heat is inherent in his adult form. The transformation is only critical to give him the ability to regulate the fire! Without that ability to regulate his heat output, he's like a flamethrower with no safety valve!! He couldn't turn the heat down if he wanted to!"

Ryouga looked up from patting his smoking clothes, "NOW he tells us!"

The old bird-man suddenly noticed Ranma leaping over to the Dragon tap, "Augh!! When did he??"

Kiima glared, "He made his move while we were explaining the the plot! How rude!!"

Ranma descended on the top of the Dragon tap with Akane-doll in one hand and the Gekkaja in the other, [All I gotta do is jam this in there hard enough to turn it! Once I've got the water for Akane, Saffron can transform his ass off! I don't care after that!]

"You DARE to ignore me??" Saffron aimed another beam of fire at Ranma. This one knocked him off of the Dragon tap and through the nearby wall, still holding on to the Gekkaja. The Jusenkyo guide looked worried, "Double AIYAH!! He go through wall and take Gekkaja with him! Now no can turn on tap!"

Ryouga took on an expression of determination, "No way!! We'll just find another way to do it!" Just then and idea struck him and he looked at the bottom of both of the taps, "WAIT!! There! The pipe that feeds both the taps. The water should be naturally cold, so all we have to do is smash it open there! Mousse!! Let's do it!!"

"Not in this lifetime, landling scum!" Kiima rushed toward them, along with a group of Pheonix guards. The old advisor stood nearby and shouted orders, "Quickly, guards! Get them! Get- GYACK!!" he exclaimed as the whole group of guards trampled him. Kiima took flight and was about to attack when Shampoo appeared from nowhere and shattered the ground in front of her with a jump-kick, "WHOA!! Airbrakes!"

Shampoo hopped back and took up a stance, "KIIMA!! Shampoo very pissed at you!! You die NOW!" In the background Genma-panda held up a sign, |Rah! Rah! Go, Mistress Shampoo!|

Kiima's face took on a look of consternation, "SHAMPOO?? What are you doing?!"

Shampoo's stance tightened, "For crime of making Amazon woman slave, only punishment there be is death!!"

Hiding behind an outcropping rock, Genma-panda held up another sign, |Show her who's boss, Mistress Shampoo! GO!!|

Kiima nodded calmly, "I see, so the landlings managed to undo the brainwashing after all. I'm surprised."

Meanwhile, Saffron had flown out of the hole in the cliff face to see nothing but a sheer drop nearly straight down the mountain, [Ranma! You cannot escape my vengeace so easily!] Looking around and seeing nothing he shrugged, "Hmph! Pathetic landlings. Looks like he fell down."

Ranma leapt from above, splitting a large boulder with the Gekkaja, "Let's see who can really fly!"

Saffron turned and released another beam of fire towards Ranma, who pulled the boulder haves in front of him to create a shield from the flames, "YOU ONLY DELAY THE INEVITABLE! FOOL!!"

The flames struck the boulder with enough force to crumble it, but his shield tactic succeeded for the most part, leaving him mostly unscathed, "You got it backwards, BRAT!! I just gotta get through your flames and then it's MY vengeance you can't escape!" The flames passed, and he swiped at the flying Saffron with the Gekkaja, severing one of his wings, "You are GROUNDED, feather boy! Normally I wouldn't resort to crippling you, but I have no time to fight fair! Akane's in danger and I have to put your ass on ice and FAST!!" Ranma shouted as jumped down the mountain after the falling Saffron.

Saffron merely released a powerful, intertwining set of fire beams towards the ground and floated back upwards on the intense heat, "Heh." Maintaining the first set of beams keeping him aloft for the moment, he released a third one at Ranma, who was barely able to move out of the way, "You foolish landling! I am as the Pheonix!! The greatest of my people! Even should I die, I would rise eternally from the flames!!" That said, he raised whole wings aloft and flapped them once, "Give up your foolish quest, landling! I am immortal! YOU CAN NEVER WIN!!"

Ranma stared in amazement, [His wings! They grew back?! THAT'S CHEATING!! I cut off his wings and they just grew back! WHAT A GIP!! How am I supposed to beat this jerk NOW?!]

Saffron hovered in front him, flapping his wings to stay in the air once more, as Ranma himself perched on the sheer slope of the mountainside, "Heh. Fool! I am immortal, landling. I cannot be killed. To even defeat me on this day, you'd have to cut my entire body to pieces! But then, to do that..." Saffron reached behind him and grasped a wing, tearing it from his body, "YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET CLOSE TO ME!! LOTS OF LUCK, LANDLING SCUM!!"

Ranma gasped in shock, [He tore off his own wing??]

Setting the torn wing aflame, Saffron threw it at the pigtailed boy like a boomerang, "Koutei Kaen Yoti!! (Blazing Emperor's Wing)" Acting quickly, Ranma knocked it out of the air with the Gekkaja, but more of the wings weer thrown at him and he was forced to dodge them. One finally struck him, and he lost his grip on both the weapon and Akane-doll, "Akane! NO!!"

Having flown in front of him, Saffron released a large fireball at Ranma, hitting Akane-doll first. Panic welled up in Ranma, [AKANE!! DON'T YOU HURT HER!!!] The fireball made contact, slamming him into the ground at the bottom of the mountain and creating a crater.

Saffron watched the steam rise from the crater from a short distance away, hovering confidently above the ground, "How pathetic... looks as if even his bones were reduced to ash." He was proven wrong as the steam in the crater wafted away, revealing a groaning Ranma on his back in the middle of it, "What??!" He landed on the ground in dazed amazement, "A puny mortal like that survived a direct hit of my fire ball?! Inconceivable!! In the name of the egg!! HOW??!"

Abruptly, Ranma sat up, "Ah!! AKANE!!?" He felt something fall off of his chest as he sat up, and looked down to see Akane-doll lying on the ground beside him. He snatched her up, "Akane! Are you all right?! Stay with me!!" As he held her close, the heat finally registered, [What the...?! Her body is hot!!]

Ranma began to struggle to his feet as Saffron explained it, "You have a fool's luck, Ranma. I see now. That girl tried to save you before. All her water must have been evaporated by the Kinjakan. In such a state she couldn't possibly be dried out any further."

Having made it to a crouching postition, Ranma's muscles painfully protested their angry tensing, "Saffron... Why you..." he growled out.

Saffron continued, unfazed, "Still, who would have thought she'd absorb the heat and be a shield for you. You landlings are such sentimental fools."

Ranma nearly fell back down in astonishment, [A shield? For ME?!!] He stared down at the doll in his hands, [Akane! Why?! I'm supposed to be the one saving YOU...] Her eyes caught his attention, [Ohmygod! Her eyes are almost completely closed!!!]

The bird-man began to wrap up his speech, "My condolences on the girl's death. My vengeance was not directed at her. But, like her, I have little time left."

The words didn't really register in Ranma's mind as he staggered to a standing position. His mind raced as it tried to come up with a quick solution to the mess he was currently in, and he absentmindedly replied, "Time?" He finally got an idea. Though it wasn't a solution, it would do until he could think of one, [The Gekkaja! I still have a chance.]

Meanwhile, Saffron hadn't yet noticed that Ranma wasn't listening, "I must soon return to the hot spring bath to complete the transformation. I cannot turn my fire off and I must gain the regulating ability before I burn myself out." Flames sprang up around him once again, "So, sorry to say... YOU WON'T BE TOUCHING THE COLD WATER SPRING IN THIS LIFETIME, LANDLING SCUM!!"

He launched another fireball at Ranma, who leapt ahead of it toward the Gekkaja behind him, [Gotta get to the Gekkaja! This isn't a duel anymore. I've got to restore the water for Akane!!] He reached out and grabbed the Gekkaja as he flew past it, but it refused to move. Instead, the handle fell to the side with a SNAP, [IT BROKE??!! What the hell am I supposed to do now?!!]

Meanwhile, inside Jusendo, Ryouga and Mousse had just finished disposing of the last of the Pheonix guards. Ryouga scoffed, "Hmph! What wimps! Looks like Saffron is the only one that can fight worth a damn."

Mousse gripped one of his many chains, "And lucky for us that Ranma is keeping him busy! Now's our chance to destroy the water main."

Behind an outcropping rock, the old advisor had caught the attention of Captain Kiima's underlings, Koruma and Masara. Masara finally asked the question both were thinking, "A special assignment?"

The old man ducked and looked toward the Pheonix tap leaning over Saffron's transformation egg, "Yes! Very urgent! Masara! Koruma! You have to get the Kinjakan to Lord Saffron! The landlings are far more dangerous than we expected! The one with the Gekkaja especially must be stopped!"

Koruma looked uncertain, "But... If we touch the Kinjakan..." Masara finished his thought, "Yeah! No one lower than the royal family would ever dare to touch the Kinjakan. We'd be dried up just like that landling female."

The advisor's determined look turned slightly nervous, "A sad truth! So we must find a fair way to decide who goes!" He took an underling's hand in each of his own, looking serious, "Rock, Paper, Scissors! On three..."

The earnest looks on the underlings' faces turned to anger, and as one they booted the old man toward the Pheonix tap, "I've got a better idea! YOU GO GET IT!!"

"Yeah, no kidding! You're all dried up already!!"

On the other side of the cavern, Kiima's fight with Shampoo was not going so well. She dodged a jump-kick from Shampoo that shattered the stone beneath her, and immediately retaliated, "Thousand Wings Of Seabird Attack!!" Dozens of air blades flew from her position, generated by the rapid flapping of her wings. A stray blade flew toward the Pheonix tap, shearing the top off and accidentally freeing the Kinjakan before the old man could reach it.

Koruma and Masara gasped in amazement, "She freed the Kinjakan!"

"Such amazing precision from a middle-aged lady!"

Kiima took a moment from her fight to bop them each on the head, "WHO is middle-aged??!"

Outside, Saffron threw yet another fireball at Ranma, who frantically tugged at the Gekkaja, which refused to pull free of the ground, "It is time to end this little dance! DIE RANMA!!"

Ranma continued to tug at the Gekkaja as the fireball approached, but was forced to abandon his position at the last second. He dodged out of the way as the explosion hurled him into a nearby rock formation. Ignoring the impact, he sat up and peered through the fog suddenly hanging over the area. The Gekkaja now lay at the bottom of a shallow crater, steam rising off of it and water vapor glinting off of it's metallic surface, [The Gekkaja survived! And hey... what's that coming off it?? Water vapor? What's going on here? The whole area is steaming, but there's no water there... AH!! If it's doing that, then maybe...] He quickly ducked out from behind the rock formation and made a break for the weapon, [Maybe the shape of the Gekkaja isn't because it's broken... but that's how to turn it on!! I've still got a chance!!]

Saffron flew in above him, preparing another fireball, "You are a fool to expose yourself!"

Ranma turned and threw a blurry object at flying pheonix, "Play with THIS for a while, feather-brain!"

Saffron paused as he made out the clothes of Akane-doll, "How could you?! Using the girl who gave her life for you as a shield on PURPOSE!! You SCUM! You disgust even ME!" He gasped as she flew closer revealing "her" to be a stick with Akane's clothes. "A FAKE??! Damn you!!" His rage peaked agian and he released another fireball at Ranma, obliterating the decoy.

[Damn straight, punk.] Ranma thought as the fireball closed in on him. Akane-doll was now tucked into the collar of his shirt, and he held the Gekkaja in his hands. "HYA!!" He slammed the weapon into the ground, and with a great cry of effort, lifted up a huge chunk of frozen ground and blocked the fireball. [YES!! It's just like I thought! The two key tools are exact opposites of each other! The Kinjakan is a fire weapon, and the Gekkaja is a freezing weapon. This thing can freeze solid stone in an instant. That's why the water vapor came from the ground with no water.] With that thought in mind, he began tearing at the ground, moving in a specific pattern. [... and when fire and ice meet each other...]

"What are you digging up the ground for, foolish landling? You won't need to dig your own grave! I will leave only your ashes!" Saffron shot another fireball- directly at the center of the iced spiral Ranma had just finished digging.

Ranma snarled. "Oh, yeah?? It's party time, PUNK!!" [Little brat has only one attack to throw, his fireball. When it strikes down onto the ice spiral, the rush of steam will create a huge temerature differential.] He threw his fist skyward, activating the technique that he had set up. [For endangering Akane's life, YOU WILL PAY!!] "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!!!!!" A rush of wind signaled the activation of the huge tornado that formed around him, and Saffron nearly gasped in surprise as the whirlwind engulfed him.

Meanwhile, the Jusenkyo guide contemplated the base of the water taps, which had a few minor scratches as the result of Ryouga and Mousse's repeated attempts to break it, "Hmmmm. Ancients build to last. Pipe no even cracked."

Ryouga and Mousse ignored him and stared toward the exit, "Wha...?"

"A tornado! Saffron must have pissed Ranma off something fierce!"

"ACK! / EEP!" Koruma and Masara had just got caught in the tornado in front of them.

Saffron continued to fly within the tornado, mostly unhindered by the high winds, "Tricky little bastard! But what do you hope accomplish by this attack?! You are a fool! I am a bird! No wind attack can defeat me! I can simply fly through them!!"

"THAT'S WHAT -YOU- THINK!!!" Ranma called from BEHIND Saffron. Blown by the high winds, he floated in mid-air, now at the same level as Saffron. "EAT -THIS-, BASTARD! GEKKAJA!!" He swung the ice weapon at Saffron, who raised an arm to try and block it. The bird-man's arm, shoulder, and wing were abruptly frozen solid.

"Who's the fool??! I knew full well the tornado wouldn't blow you away! But it's all the cover I need to get in close to you!! YOU ARROGANT SCUM!!! You think you're so superior! That no one else matters! You nearly killed Akane!! For this, YOU WILL DIE!!"

The ice surrounding Saffron's arm began to crack, "Damn you!!"

Ranma focused on Akane-doll in his collar, [Please stay with me Akane! Don't close your eyes! I won't be long now! I promise!] He suddenly noticed the circle of energy that the blade of the Kinjakan turned into when thrown flying toward them. He started to break away when it flew between them severing Saffron's whole shoulder and wing, separating the two combatants.

"Damn it!!"

The circle of energy circled around to reconnect to it's handle, and Saffron tracked it's path, "The Kinjakan! This isn't over yet!" The blade attatched itself to the handle and Saffron snatched the weapon out of the air with his good hand. "Heh. I WILL NEVER YIELD!! Just try your futile attack again! I will prove the error of your ways by your death!"

With the Gekkaja in one hand and Saffron's frozen wing in the other, Ranma allowed himself to be blown toward the pheonix once more, "If you want it, your going to get all you can handle and then some!!" He aimed for Saffron again, and the bird-man met his weapon with the other. Upon touching each other, the two weapons emitted a bright flash.

At the base of the mountain, the tornado howled on. Ryouga, Mousse and the guide poked their heads out of the entrance. Mousse nodded, "I was right! Ranma's thrown his Hiryu Shoten Ha into the fight!"

Ryouga noticed something in the nearly opaque winds, "What's that light?!" Mousse and the guide stared through the winds, spotting two spheres of pure energy within the tornado. Mousse whistled, "Look at the power in there!!!"

Ranma struggled with the freezing cold being thrown at him, "What the... ?! The Gekkaja's freezing power is boucing back at me!!" Saffron, on the other hand, merely smirked, "Sucker! You are a fool to so brazenly use a weapon you know nothing about! The two key tools mirror each other perfectly reflecting the other's attack. The irony is delicious. How is your resistance to cold, stupid mortal?! You will freeze yourself to the bone, while bathing in the fires of the Kinjakan are like a cool summer's breeze for me! Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you understand!"

Finally breaking down, Ranma was blown backward by the freezing blast. Saffron prepared another fireball, his largest yet, "Now that you've had a chance to cool your jets, it's time to kick the tires and light the fires! Specifically, YOURS!!" Unexpectedly, the winds from the ongoing tornado tugged and pulled the fireball in Saffron's hands, spreading the flames to cover the whole area.

"DWAH!! RattafrattabraggaarrogantpunkaHOTHOTHOT!!!!!!!" Ranma frantically tried to brace himself against the flames that the tornado was now composed of.

Down below, Shampoo had defeated Kiima and had her in a headlock. She joined Ryouga and Mousse in watching what they could of the fight, "Aiyah! Now it fire tornado! Saffron such hothead!"

Ryouga watched his rival with concern, "Get outta there Ranma!!"

Ranma struggled to the edge of the tornado, where his trajectory took him near the mountain, "GRAHG!!" [An outcropping! If I can only grab onto it and...] He whipped the Gekkaja out of the tornado and slammed it into the side of the mountain, [ESCAPE!!]

Mousse and Ryouga looked on, "He snagged it!"

"Pull yourself to safety, Ranma! PULL! PULL HARDER!!"

With a crack, the now frozen ground broke free of the rest of the mountain and was pulled into the tornado with Ranma, "CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!!!!!!"

Saffron flew to meet him as he was sucked back inside the tornado, Give it up! Even if you escape the force of the flames, I will only-" He was cut off as the ice bouler slammed into him, an overheated Ranma trailing behind. Stunned, Saffron fell backward, and the heat lessened, the source of the flames no longer feeding them.

As the temperature cooled down, Ranma came back to himself and looked around, "What?! The force of the flames is getting weaker!"

Down below, Mousse and Ryouga looked surprised, "Hey! Saffron is stunned! But he only got hit by a 3-ton boulder! Ranma does that to US all the time!"

"Of course! For all his resistance to energy attacks like fire and ice, he's still a prince! Pampered his whole life by aides and protected by guards! He probably can't take a hit worth a damn!!"

Behind them, the old advisor grasped his face, "D'oh-eth!!"

Ryouga jammed his finger into the ground, "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!!" The resulting explosion threw many large rocks into the air, which Ryouga grabbed and hurled at the howling tornado, "RANMA!! Help is on the way! Give that brat a face-full of these!!"

"GYOW!!" An unexpected boulder slammed into Ranma's back, while Saffron flitted back and forth, desperately dodging the huge boulders caught up in the whirlwind, "Keep them away! Damn you, fight fair!!" He frantically released twin fire-beams, obliterating a couple of the large obstacles.

Ranma, on the other hand, moved between the boulders easily, still holding the Gekkaja, "He sure panics easily! They're just rocks. Of course! I see it now! He really IS a wimp! I could hack him to bits, but all I really need to do is beat the punk senseless!!" He moved through the boulders and closer to Saffron, who busy dodging his own set of rocks. "TAKE THIS! CHOKETSU SHUUDA RYUUSEI KYAKU!!! (Direct Kick-Attack: Meteor Kick)" His Ki-charged kick connected with the distracted Saffron's face and knocked him out. With him went the heat, and the tornado began to dwindle. With nothing to support him, Saffron drifted down through the eye of the whirlwind. Still floating on air currents, Ranma looked after his falling body, "HA!! Serves you right, you little pu... ?!"

He drifted off as he noticed more heat originating from below. A flash of light accompanied a sudden rise in heat levels and he could see a few falling rocks as they began to melt. Ranma quickly shoved the Gekkaja with the frozen ground stuck to it under himself, using it as a shield from the rising magma.

Down below, Mousse and Ryouga watched as the lave drifted past the pig-tailed boy, "Holy crap! A pillar of lava!!"

"Saffron's heat has risem to molten levels! The rock itself is melting!!"

Said bird-man flew out of the eye of the tornado, glowing brightly with pure heat and growling. "How DARE you strike royalty!! You landling peasant!"

Ranma groaned as the heat nearly overcame him, [God damn it. What does it take to drop this bastard? Neither Akane nor I can take much more of this.]

"MT PHEONIX ROYAL FAMILY FINAL ATTACK!!!"

[What now??!]

"TENKA SHUNMETSU KOUKYUU-DAN!!! (Any-mortal Instant-annihilation Emperor-sized Ball-shaped-blast) " With that, Saffron released a HUGE fire-beam that easily dwarfed the previous ones, and aimed it at Ranma.

Below, the small group watched the beam exit the tornado and continue on to shear off the top of the mountain. "The entire mountain-top was blown away!"

"What about Ranma? And Akane??!" Ryouga suddenly spotted someone falling from the edge of the tornado. "AHH!! Look there!"

"He alive?! How he do that??!"

As Ranma fell closer, Ryouga could make out the glint of ice on his shirt, "He froze himself!!!"

"I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ESCAPE!!" Enraged, Saffron threw the blade of the Kinjakan at Ranma, which circled around and knocked the frozen boy back into the whirlwind. Up close, he spotted the ice on Ranma's body, "You actually froze yourself with the Gekkaja to stop my attack?! Your persistence is incredible for a mere mortal!! And very, VERY ANNOYING!!! A clever trick, but you only delay the inevitable! My next blast will shatter your frozen body to pieces!!" With that, he began gathering power for a second blast.

Ranma groaned as his body protested his frozen state, [I'm nearly at my end. I've only got one chance left to defeat him. With my frozen fist, I'll punch through the fire... and drive a Hiryu Shoten Ha right into that bastard's heart! But with so mush heat everywhere, the cold spiral will be sqeezed to a razor's edge... It should cut him to ribbons, but my aim must be perfect. I won't get a second shot at this!!]

"TENKA SHUNMETSU KOUKYUU-DAN!!!" Time seemed to slow down as Saffron released another giant fire-beam.

"DAMN!!!" [Augh!!! I can't see a damn thing through the fire! I have no aim point! It's no good! I have no chance of hitting him!!] Seemingly in response, Akane-doll began to let off a great heat of her own. "Akane! She's burning hot!!" Suddenly she slipped out of his collar, blowing straight into the on coming fire-beam. Panic and confusion welled up inside him, "A... AKANE!!!" [What's going on??! She gave off so much heat, she melted the ice!!!]

He watched hoplessly as Akane-doll blazed a trail straight through the middle of the fire-beam. "A-...!!!" He started to call out to her again when realization suddenly washed over him, [She's using her frozen body to punch a hole through to Saffron! I CAN SEE HIM!!!]

Saffron finished throwing the fire-beam and noticed the sizzling doll flying toward him, "Foolish girl! How many times do you wish to die??! My blast will incinerate you!!"

On the other side of the fire-beam, Ranma gathered his ki one last time, [NOT IN THIS LIFETIME, BASTARD!] "HIRYU SHOTEN HA SPECIAL EDITION!!!" [GO, DRAGON OF ICE!] "HIRYU HYOU-TOPPA!!! (Flying Dragon Ice-Breakthrough)" A minature whirlwind of freezing-cold energy spiraled from Ranma's fist, punching straight through the oncoming fire-beam, blasting through Saffron as it encountered him. It dissapated as his heat faded, leaving a large spike of ice embedded in his chest.

Kiima struggled from her position in Shampoo's headlock, "Lord Saffron! No!!"

Ryouga raised a fist in victory, "Ranma did it! Got him!"

Saffron slowly fell through the left-over rising heat, his consciousness fading, [But... but... I'm... I am immortal!]

Above him, Ranmawas filled with elation, [I... WON!!] Then he realised that he couldn't see Akane, "AKANE! Where are you??!"

Looking down he finally spotted Akane-doll falling down, near Saffron, "AKANEEEE!!!" Pushing himself, he aimed his falling body toward Akane-doll. [AKANE!! Please! Keep your eyes open for a few more moments!] Catching up with her, he snatched the falling doll out of the air clutching her to his chest, [She... She's smiling! She's still with me!] "Akane! I won! Just hold on one minute! I'll get the cursed water for you right away. Then we can be together again!!"

Suddenly, he noticed somthing else, [Her eyes closed!! But... she's smilling?! What IS this??! Is it too late??!] "AKANE..." [Oh, god. NO! If her eyes have closed then it's too late?!] "Akane! Don't leave me now! Not like this!" He looked down and saw that they were still a good ways from the ground, "AARGH!! We're still floating on all this damn hot air! I don't have TIME to wait for us to fall down!"

Still floating, he threw the Gekkaja toward the ground, where it embedded itself in the top of the dragon tap. The Jusenkyo guide watched this, "What shot! Quick, lost guest! Turn tap before too late!"

Ryouga dashed toward the dragon tap, "Right! I'm on it!"

Ranma comtinued to slowly float downward, "I can't wait another moment! Akane can't hold on any longer! WAIT! There's still al this hot air floating around up here... If I can throw one more cold fist down into this heat...] "I CAN CALL THE WATER!!" [Don't die yet, Akane! I can still save you!] "A strike for life!!" [Please, Dragon! Look up to the sky and bring her back to me!]

"HIRYU GYOTEN HAAA!!! (Flying Dragon Staring-up-at-heaven Strike) " This time a large wirlwind emerged from his fist and headed for the dragon tap. Ryouga stopped trying to turn the Gekkaja, "GYAH!!!" [Hiryu Gyoten Ha?!?!] With no time left, he jumped off of the tap and out of the way of the oncoming tornado.

Mousse looked on in confusion, "What the heck are you doing, Ranma??!"

The whirlwind hit the neck of the dragon tap and it shattered. Pulled by the winds, the head itself flew into the air. The Jusenkyo guide gasped in dismay, "AIYAH!!! He destroy dragon tap! Jusenkyo up creek, no paddle!!"

Mousse continued to try to figure it out, "Ranma, have you lost your mind?? What about our cures??!"

Just then, the tornado dissipated, and the head of the dragon tap fell back onto the neck- facing up. The ground suddenly began to rumble, and a great spout of water shot up from the dragon tap, heading straight for Ranma and Akane-doll. Realization washed over the small group, [The dragon... He made it look up at the sky!]

Up in the air, water from the geyser washed over Ranma and Akane-doll, turning him into his cursed form. Ranma deserately stared at the small figure in her hands, [Akane! I got the water for you! Please! Please, I beg you, come back to me!!] For several long, agonizing moments, nothing happened. Then, with the rushing sound of displaced air, Akane's body absorbed the magical Jusendo water like a sponge and returned to full size.

[A... Akane!!!] Happiness flooded the pig-tailed girl as she waited for Akane to open her eyes. Only, she didn't move. Ranma's happiness slowly trickled away to be replaced by dismay as she continued to stare hopefully at Akane's unresponding face. [She... She's not breathing. No...]

A short while later, the small group looked on as Ranma sat next to the still flooding dragon tap with Akane's body in his arms, covered in his chinese shirt. Mousse watched him sadly, "After all that, he still wasn't able to it in time. How tragic." Shampoo also watched him cradle her rival's body, a myriad of emotions running through her. Ryouga just sighed and stared at the ground depressedly.

The Jusenkyo guide's daughter, Plum, sat on a rock next to her sniffling father, "And he even managed to restore the Jusenkyo water, too. Just a little longer..."

Ranma cradled Akane's body closer, finally letting his emotions run free, "All this is just 'cause you wanted to save me... It would have been better if it were me. You should have let me die. But you're always butting in... Why did you have to get involved? Damn, Akane. You fool. Why didn't you let me go?"

He stared at the ground for a moment. He knew what Akane's reaction would have been. He hit himself in the face for her, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant... What I'm trying to say is... thank you. I'm so sorry, Akane. I'm so awkward with words. There are so many things I wanted to tell you, but I could never get the words out. Over and over again... I tried to tell you how I really felt, but it always came out wrong. I just ended up bothering you and making you angry. But that was never what I meant to do."

Tears filled his eyes as he looked down at her still body, "Wake up, Akane. There's something I need to tell you. I've waited too long to say it, but it can't wait another moment. Akane? Can't you hear me? Please, Akane. I need you... to hear me now... I wanted to tell you..."

He paused, trying to regain control of his tears as they ran down his face and fell onto Akane's, [I wanted to tell you that I LOVE YOU!!!!!] "AKANEEEEEE!!!" He hugged her closer as hot tears continued to stream down his cheeks.

[...Ran...] So caught up in his overwhelming sadness, he didn't notice the subtle shifting of her body until she slowly reached up to touch his face, wetting her fingertips with his tears. He froze, praying that this was not a figment of his imagination, "A... A... Akane?"

Akane weakly returned his hug, "Ran... ma..."

[AKANE!!!]

She looked up at him and smiled, "Hello, Ranma..."

[She's alive! She's smiling!!] "Akane..."

"I'm sorry. I could hear everything... I just couldn't move to respond."

"Eh?" He REALLY froze this time. "Eh?! Everything, did you say??!" he asked, blushing furiously.

She grinned cheerfully, "Yup! Every word!"

He clapped his hands to his face, mortified, [Oh. Crap. What was I saying?! I can't even remember!! Think! Think! Think!]

A tearful Ryouga stomped him to the ground and took one of Akane's hands in his, "AKANE!!! Thank god you're okay!"

She smiled gently at him, "I'm sorry for worrying you."

Shampoo looked on, irritated and relieved at the same time, "Akane tough girl."

Mousse was distracted from looking on when Kiima and the old man knelt and picked an object up from the ground, "How pitiful of us. Here we are, back to where we started."

"Oh, my poor Lord Saffron."

Mousse pulled his glasses down over his eyes, "Did you say Saffron?!"

Ryouga moved over from fretting over Akane, "You mean to say that egg there is Saffron?" Kiima just sighed and nodded.

Just then the egg began to crack. After breaking through the shell, a little baby Saffron started to cry. Ranma looked over at the sound, "Gee, guess he wasn't kidding when he said he'd be reborn in the fire. Didn't think he meant it so literally."

Kiima handed the baby a pacifier with a longsuffering expression on her face, "It is the way of our people. He burned out all his fire in his fight with you. The last spark of flame within him turns into an egg, and we start the cycle all over again. Guess who gets to play nursemaid?"

Turning, the flock of bird-people took to the air, "With Saffron returned to this state, this battle has lost all meaning. We will return to Mt. Pheonix. There is nothing more for us here."

Cupping his hand, Ryouga shouted after them, "Hey, you! Try to raise that kid with a better personality this time around, okay?!"

Ranma suddenly realized something, "Hey, wait a sec, here... If he's gonna grow up all over again... Won't he need to do his transformation again, too?! That means..."

"They'll attack Jusendo again and start this idiocy all over again?" Mousse finished for him.

(However, back at Mt. Pheonix...) water gushed from the broken fountain, spewing high into the air. "WATER!!!"

"We have water! It's coming up from all over!"

Kiima stared in amazement, "Wow! It's shooting out with such force! It didn't even do that when it worked. What was it? A blocked pipe?"

The old man stopped staring long enough to answer her, "Hmmmmm. I don't think that's the cause of this... In the course of Ranma and Lord Saffron's intense battle, the very earth below them was ripped apart. With so much damage done right above Jusendo, the course of the underground water vein must have been altered." He sniffled happily, "Now Mt. Pheonix is finally at peace."

Kiima looked off into the disance, "It appears the battle wasn't totally in vain after all."

Koruma and Masara wearily pulled their battered bodies up off of the ground and groaned, "We sacrificed a lot for it..."

(And so, after so much strife and hardship, we reurn to the legendary training grounds of Jusenkyo.) Ranma stood in the rain and stared out over the valley. "Jeeze, can you believe this? After coming so far I'd forgaotten all about returning my body to normal. All I cared about was getting the cold cursed water for Akane." She lifted her head to the sky, letting the rain wash over her face, "I'm not sure when, but I guess somewhere along the line, I just stopped caring about it."

Akane stood a short distance behind her, listening, "Ranma..."

"I suppose, in the end... I understand that my girl side was always a part of me anyway. Maybe it was never a curse to begin with."

"Oh, Ranma... That's it Ranma. Be strong." Ranma just sighed. The pools were all flooded. (Such a tragedy.)

The Jusenkyo guide warned the rest of the cursed people, "Pools all flooded and mixed by rain. Much too dangerous to enter now."

Ryouga held up his umbrella and barked at the guide, "Don't you think I can see that?!?!"

(On the way back to Japan, Shampoo finally got around to freeing Pops from her control.) "Panda bother Shampoo. Go do as wish from now on." |OK|

(Later on, back in Japan.) Ranma hit the floor witha thud, swirling eyes a sign of his unconscious state. Soun and Genma descended on him like a pair of vultures.

"Hurry! We have to finish while he's unconscious!"

"I know! Just a bit of this! And some of that!"

Ranma awakened with a groan, then noticed the uncomfortable feeling of his clothes, "What the-?! What the heck am I wearing?!"

Soun moved in front of him, "A tuxedo, SON! You have to dress appropriately for your wedding don't you?"

"My what?"

Genma spoke up from behind him, "Akane has consented to rpoceed with the wedding."

Ranma's mother, Nodoka, walked up, wiping tears of happiness from her face, "Oh, Ranma! You look SO strong and manly!"

In Akane's room, rapid tapping sounds preceded the slamming of her door as it flew open and Ranma burst through, "HEY AKANE! What's this nonsense about you agreeing to the we-" He stopped and stared at Akane, who was dressed in a beautiful white wedding dress. A shiver ran down his spine, "Aguh... Gwufa? Ooga? Whoa."

She looked away from him, blushing prettily, "Do you like my dress, Ranma? I guess the Japanese-style one would've been better after all."

Ranma blushed as he felt his heart beat loudly in his chest, "Ah... no. I mean they're both c... cute. Wow. You look really beautiful, Akane."

"You really think so? I'm so happy." They stood in uncomfortable silence. Akane lookied at the floor and Ranma twiddled his fingers as another shiver ran down his spine.

Ryouga looked at the letter he held in his hands, a plain envelope sealed with a bouquet sticker, [A formal invitation to the wedding of Ranma and Akane.] He sighed. [ My dear Akane. Please forgive me for not being there. I feel it's better to go on a long journey now. I knew this was inevitable. After all, no technique I ever learned was powerful enough to fight fate. I wish you all the happiness that life can bring, and maybe I'll still wander by... from time to time.]

He paused in his walking and looked up at the sky, [And... To my dearest Akari, please also forgive me... The present I bought for you has passed it's sell-by date. But as soon as I find you, I'll get a new one.]

A closed sign hung on the outside of the door to the U-chan's restaurant, but the grill was being put to use anyway. Ukyou Kuonji flipped another okonomiyaki with a sad, but set expression, while her assistant, Konatsu Kenzan, looked on in concern, "Oh, my poor Miss Ukyou..."

Ukyou sighed, "My deluxe modern celebratory okonomiyaki. Perfect for special occasions."

"My dear Ukyou. Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to go."

She looked away with a sad smile, "It's okay. I've known for a long time that this day was coming. All that's left for me to do now is pour my heart and soul into the cooking of my okonomiyaki."

A tear trickled from Konatsu's eye, "Oh, Miss Ukyou! I'm so moved!"

Another closed sign hung in the door at the Cat Cafe. Inside, Mousse paused in wiping tables together with Shampoo, "Shampoo, I've been thinking... Isn't it about time you gave up on Ranma? I mean, his wedding being today, what more is there for you to do?" He turned and looked at her earnestly, "I mean, my heart has been true to you all this time. Ranma will be married soon, and I thought now, if ever... well, you know what I mean. No need to say it."

Shampoo stayed facing away from him for a moment, "Shampoo know what Mousse mean. Shampoo always known. Deep down." she turned and smiled brightly, "Mousse! Come and help me. We make celebratory meat-buns together, okay?"

Tears came to his eyes and he grasped her hands with his own, "Then you DO understand my feelings, Shampoo! I'll make you happy! I swear it!"

Cologne left her hands in his and glared at him, "Glasses, duck-boy. Look into them."

In Akane's room, the fidgeting couple had shifted to a sitting position. Ranma continued to twiddle his fingers, "Um, well, Y'see... um..."

"Yes, Ranma?"

He timidly looked up at Akane, who was blushing as bad as he was, "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Her blush deepened, "Well..." She looked up at him, "Ranma, you love me, don't you?"

"Eh?" He froze, blush forgotten. "Um... I do? What made you think that all of a sudden?"

Akane looked at him, surprised, "When you were crying over me at Jusenkyo... I could have sworn I heard you... Y'know, say you loved me."

Sweat ran down his face as he rested his chin on his hand, thinking furiously. Finally, he bolted upright, "I'm sure I didn't say it out loud! I didn't! NO WAY!!"

"What's the difference?! I'm just as sure I heard you in some way!!"

Ranma jumped back into a fighting stance, "What?! You wanna fight about it?! You'll ruin that pretty dress of yours like that!"

"HMPH!! Fine, be that way. Obviously I made a mistake when I pushed myself to go through with the wedding." She looked at him with an angry pout, "But I'm warning you, Ranma... If you call it off at this point, you'll regret it!"

"Wuh??" he asked, taken aback.

Out in the dojo, Kasumi and Nabiki began to wrap up the presentation of building. "If you think they'll work, Kasumi, We'll keep them."

"Hehehehehehehe" Sinister laughter drew their atention to their father, who was leaning over something and chuckling maniacly.

"Daddy, you look very suspicious. You're hiding something from Ranma there, aren't you?" Nabiki asked him.

"The Jusekyo guide called. He said 'Flood waters have receded. Jusenkyo back to normal. I send extra special thank you for all you help.' It's just enough Naniichuan for one! Until the opening of the barrel at the reception... Ranma isn't going anywhere near the Naniichuan!"

Nabiki looked at him flat-eyed, "I see. So THAT'S what you said to Akane to sell her to this idea. At least -I- only swindle people out of money, Daddy."

"And WHEN were you going to tell ME about this, Tendo?" Soun gulped as Genma clamped a hand on his shoulder. "How could you think so little of me that I might steal it?!" So saying, he jumped on his friends head and grabbed the barrel, "MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE!"

"WHERE AM I??!" At that moment, Ryouga broke through the wall of the dojo and knocked the barrel out of Genma's hands and into the air.

At the same time Mousse ran up, looking around, "HEY! Ranma! Akane! Where are you two?! Hurry it up and get married before you change your minds!"

Ryouga looked up and read the label on the flying barrel, "Naniichuan??! HERE?!?!"

"WHAT?!"

Down the hall Ranma overheard this, and dashed toward the dojo, "They sent some Naniichuan?!?! Jeeze, Akane, why didn't you tell me right away?!" Akane just fumed as she was left behind.

Ranma noticed an okonomiyaki and several meat-buns just as they hit him and exploded. The smoke cleared, and shampoo and Ukyou stepped forward. Shampoo was dressed in a beautiful Chinese dress, while Ukyou wore a formal kimono.

"Aiyah! Shampoo was aiming for Akane!"

Don't worry! It's now or never for us! I made us plenty of my special modern celebratory Gun-powder Okonomiyaki!"

Konatsu sadly clung to the ceiling above, "Oh, Miss Ukyou. Must you?"

Kodachi suddenly appeared from nowhere, wearing a black rose-themed wedding dress and cradling Ranma's dazed and burnt body, "Hang in there, my darling Ranma! I'm here, ready to save you from that harpy Akane!"

"Aiyah! Is psycho flower girl, Kodachi!"

"Showing up here in a WEDDING DRESS?! Have you no shame?! Why didn't -I- think of that?!"

"Ranma, you cur!" Said boy recovered just in time to avoid a slash from a REAL katana, which belonged to Kodachi's brother, Tatewaki Kuno. Kuno struck a pose with his katana and brandished a fan labeled |DENIED|, "How DARE you attempt to conduct a wedding with the fair Akane Tendo without MY permission!" With that, he began to slash at the pig-tailed boy with his weapon, "I will not allow it!!"

Ranma deftly dodged the mad swipes, "And since when do we need YOUR permission?!" Suddenly, he slipped on a bucket of water, accidentally splashing himself and turning into a girl.

Kuno dashed up to her, holding a ceremonial dish of sake, "AH! My pig-tailed girl! Quickly! While we're dressed for it! Let's hold a double wedding here and now!" She whacked him over the head in response.

Akane directed her anger at Nabiki for once, "Nabiki! This is your fault, isn't it?! You sent out invitations to every lunatic in Tokyo!!!"

Unfazed, Nabiki held up a wrapped present, "Of course! Lookit what we get from them!"

Kasumi looked over at them, "Oh my! What an amazing number of congratulatory presents!"

Meanwhile, Genma, Ryouga, and Mousse were engaged in a three-way fight over the barrel of Naniichuan. Battling hands kept the barrel in the air until one of them fumbled, the lid popped off, and it fell toward the ground. Ranma dashed toward the barrel, "AUGH!!! You idiots!! The Naniichuan!!!"

"Whoo-hoo! The celebratory sake is mine!" Happosai suddenly appeared from nowhere, snagged the barrel out of the air, and promptly drank every drop.

"GYACK!!!" Ranma's, Ryouga's, and Mousse's eyes bugged out.

His belly sloshing with the contents, Happosai angrily threw the empty barrel to the floor, where it shattered, "Of all the NERVE! This isn't sake! It's only stupid WATER!!"

The Jusenkyo-cursed guys stared at him with a mad gleam in their eyes, "He drank..."

"The WHOLE THING?!" Snapping into action, Genma grabbed his legs, while Ranma and Ryouga pulled his mouth open, and Mousse attempted to gag him with a stick.

"GIVE IT BACK, YOU BASTARD!!!"

"Quickly, Master! Cough it up!"

"Auga!! Ooga!! Unga?!"

"HAPPO-DAIKARIN!!!" BOOM And there went the dojo...

Meanwhile, a crowd of students from Furinkan High-school made their way toward the dojo, including their teacher, Hinako Ninomiya, Ranma's friends, Hiroshi and Daisuke, a number of Akane's friends, and a sobbing Hikaru Gosunkugi.

"Whoo-hoo! wedding food, here I come!" Hinako ran forward energetically.

"You really think Ranma and Akane will go through with it?" Hiroshi asked Daisuke.

A random student looked at his invitation while the rest of the students continued to chat amongst themselves. "Let's see, the meeting spot is..."

(WRECKED......) The students stared. Finally Daisuke spoke up, "Um... Somehow this... doesn't really seem like the right place." Indeed, the dojo hardly looked in any condition to hold a wedding anymore. The doors were knocked off of their hinges, the walls had fresh holes in them, and the ornaments were scattered all over the place, not to mention the whole place had a scorched look to it.

At the doorway, Nabiki held out her hand cheerfully, "Gift money!"

Hinako immediately headed for the cake, which had fallen to the floor, "Yay! The cake! The cake! Mine! Mine! Mine!"

Kuno attempted to glomp Akane, who planted a foot in his face, "Oh my lovely Akane Tendo! Let us be wed here and no-UNPH!!"

Happosai happily clung to her wedding dress, "BWAHAHAHA! My sweet young bride!!"

Mousse fussed over Cologne while Shampoo and Ukyou fussed over an unconscious Ranma. Konatsu sneaked around, fussing over Ukyou and Ryouga stared at the broken barrel of Naniichuan in depression.

"Oh my dear Shampoo!!"

"RANMA!"

"Ranma-honey, snap out of it!"

"Oh, Ukyou. It's so tragic."

sigh

Kodachi searched the opposite end of the dojo for Ranma, "Oh my darling Ranma! Why are you hiding from me? Let us wed! I'm ready for you!"

Nodoka watched the goings-on while Soun sat with his face a picture of gloom and Kasumi watched everything happily, "Oh my! They're all so... energetic!"

After the mess had calmed down and the guests had left, Soun sat at the table, talking to Ranma and Akane, "sigh Clearly the wedding cannot proceed under these conditions. As is proper, lingering relationships should be settled before a couple can be married. We can all see you have plenty of those. So we have arranged for the wedding to be delayed, until you can sort out your personal affairs..."

"Pay attention! All this mostly applies to YOU, Ranma."

"It was just as much YOUR fault, AKANE."

(And so, the wedding was postponed... but only for a little while.)

Ranma and Akane smiled at each other and took off toward school, side by side, "We're off!!"

------------{ End of Summary }------------

Well, there you are. If you've never read the last two manga before, now you know what happened. If you HAVE read them, which is most likely, I hope you had fun reminiscing.