SMARTALECK PRODUCTIONS
Destiny
By arun
Chapter#02
This is a Ranma 1/2 - Sailor Moon crossover with certain
aspects of Ramayana.
Disclaimers:
Ranma and the cast members of Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko
Takahashi and Shogukkan. Rumiko Takahashi is one of the most brilliant
people to walk on the face of this earth. We the fans of the anime
world are forever indebted to her for giving us Ranma and co. Thank you
Rumiko Takahashi for bringing laughter back into our lives.
Sailor Moon and its characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi,
Toei animation and KODANSHA.
I do not own the characters of both these shows, nor do I
even pretend to own them. This work of fiction is but a tribute to the
above anime shows.
Guys:
!....* indicate thoughts. In the first and second chapters
indicates Japanese and "..." indicates Chinese.
In all the other chapters the reciprocal is true.
***********************************************************************
"She is beautiful." said Ranma. Xas Min smiled at the compliment.
Higashikaze was at the moment breast-feeding and Ranma was starring
star struck at his child and her antics with er... the feeding
instrument. He brought his forefinger to his daughters cheek and
caressed it gently. He looked up at her mother and looked lovingly at
her.
"She looks just like you." he whispered. Taking Xas Min's
head in his arms, he kissed her forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too." Xas Min whispered back.
Little Higashi gurgled and snuggled closer to her mothers
warm body. Ranma just shook his head in wonder.
"I have got to go now and take my classes. I be back when I
done."
"Be back as soon as you can." said Xas Min as he left the
room with a parting kiss to his wife and child.
Outside the house...
"So, Son-in-law, how is my great great great grandchild
coming along." asked Xiao poggoing towards him on her staff.
"She is doing just fine." replied Ranma. He paused for a
moment and looked at his _mother_. He had started calling her and Pher
Fom mother after he had married Xas Min. She understood his need for a
mother as he had never had one and did not object to the title.
"Mother, may I... I want to speak with you in private."
Xiao Lui nodded. She had an idea of what he wanted to talk
to her about. "Come with me then. I think that my little east wind can
wait a little longer."
She led to her house and seated him on a wooden chair.
"What is bothering you son-in-law?"
"I... I realized just yesterday that I am a father. I don't
know if I am ready for that role and...", he paused.
The nearly four hundred year old matriarch laughed. "What
happened to your confidence, son-in-law?"
"I... It is not easy for me, mother, to ask for help." he
paused wanting her to understand that he did not want to be teased.
"There is so much for me to do and think about now that I am a father.
I do not know whether I am upto the job."
Xiao Lui frowned. This was a facet of Ranma she had never
seen before. The Ranma she knew did not _fear_ even the mightiest of
enemies. This new Ranma was the socially insecure one who had grown
through his childhood without friends. As a member of the royal family
he was respected and obeyed but had no friends except his brother.
"You will do fine, son-in-law. I saw the way you looked at
my newest granddaughter when you first saw her. I saw the love and the
care in your eyes. It is enough to make all the difference."
Ranma rose. "Thank you mother, for your words of wisdom. I
feel much better now."
Xiao Lui smiled. The old Ranma had returned. "Won't you
stay and have some tea, son-in-law?"
Ranma shook his head. "No, mother, I do not have the time.
As it stands I am a good half an hour late for my beginners class."
Ranma had begun to take beginners class soon after he had married. He
said that he wanted to spend more time with his wife and the elders had
agreed. Spending time with his wife was okay with them, they too wanted
a progeny from their union to enhance the gene pool. He still taught
several warriors advanced ki techniques once or twice a week though the
classes lasted more than three or four hours at a stretch. He chose his
own students and with the elder's approval was grooming them for seats
in the council. Xiao Lui still was his best student and the matriarch
had learned some of the more complex techniques in his arsenal.
***********************************************************************
Xiao Lui proved to be right. Ranma turned out to a doting
parent who loved his daughter very much. He, Xas Min and little
Higashikaze turned out to be the most popular family in the village.
Ranma would skip classes just so that he could play and cuddle with his
daughter. Sometimes, he would take her to the mountains and show her
around while soaring across the treetops. Higashi loved these sessions
and everytime Ranma came home from his classes she would pester him for
the piggy-ride.
***********************************************************************
Inside the Phoenix mountain...
Pei Pei commander of the Phoenix forces and a concubine of
the God-king Saffron snuggled closer to her majesty. They had just
spent two hours 'discussing' the feasibility of their plan to attack
the Amazons and the Musk and bring the entire valley under Phoenix
control.
The thoughts of the battle plans had taken a less priority
after Saffron had invited her to his bedroom to continue the
'discussion' in private.
"My lord..." Pei Pei murmured dreamily.
Saffron raised his eyebrow. What would be more important
than the 'discussion' they were having?
"I am sure that we can defeat the Amazons but the attack
must be executed in secret. We cannot have them prepare for our attack.
If they had prepared than the chances of our victory are not so...
Ohhhh!"
Apparently annoyed with her interruption Saffron had
decided to continue the 'discussion', which she had so rudely
interrupted.
Pei Pei cursed herself. Tactics and strategies needed to be
discussed with her Lord but the 'things' he was proposing in their
'discussion' were so wonderful. She had never before felt so good in
her life. *I will wait until this discussion is over and then we can
continue with the war strategy.* "Ohhhhhh God!" moaned Pei Pei once
more as her Lord proceeded to the next step of their very private
'discussion'. She would wait for another time when he wasn't so busy so
that they may discuss the plans in detail.
***********************************************************************
People who knew Pei Fao said he was the shrewdest and most
successful businessman in the entire Amazon nation. He loved his wife
and kids but to him his business always took priority over these petty
concerns. He certainly was one of the richest men in the village and
perhaps in the entire world. His business dealings extended everywhere
beyond the boundaries of the Amazon nation. His contacts in Tibet and
India provided the spice and salts that were important for the survival
of the Amazon nation.
If anyone in the village wanted something that couldnot be
obtained within the Amazon nation they would go to Pei Fao and he would
arrange it for them. The commission he charged for these special cases
where very high but people came to him because he made sure that they
got what they wanted and his goods had good quality.
He did not have extensive training in martial arts and even
a ten-year-old in the village could have easily taken him on. However,
his status in the village and in the lands that surrounded it
guaranteed that he was one of the most powerful people in the village.
The matriarch of his family, Kho Om had spotted the boys unwillingness
to fight and the exceptional skill he demonstrated in business.
Therefore, she had apprenticed him to one of the village's premier
businesswoman. Pei Fao had started his own business after he had learnt
everything he could and then had promptly run all the other businesses
in the village to the ground.
By the time he was nearing his thirties he had amassed
quite a fortune by himself and married one of the most promising
warriors in the village. The marriage was not a match made in heaven as
proven by the frequent disputes between the both of them.
Like all businessmen, he had enemies and he plotted
endlessly to bring about their death or destruction. The topmost
candidate in the list was the village sweetheart Xas Min and her
husband Ranma. His son Goe Su had been the only joy and pride in his
life outside his business and that bitch had destroyed it. She had made
certain that his precious son could never father a child in his life.
He still fumed at the thought of what she had done to his son. Goe Su
had followed his father's example and had become quite the bully like
his father in the outside world. However, not everyone is cowed down by
huge body's and Goe Su had lost that essential psychological advantage
on that fateful day. Consequently, he had lost quite easily to the
healer bitch that day.
On this particular evening, he stood outside the village
waiting for a special parcel that he had ordered from one of his
contacts in India. The parcel contained an undetectable poison that
would kill whoever ingested it slowly. *The bitch will pay for what she
did to my son.* These were the dark thoughts that ran through Pei Fao's
mind.
There was a slight commotion in the bushes to his left.
Thinking that his parcel had arrived Pei Fao walked towards the bush
whistling to himself. He gave the signal for the messenger to come out
but none did.
Pei Fao's shrewd brain realized that something was wrong.
He went a little into the bush and found a badly mangled Amazon warrior
clinging to her life. He hollered for help and carried the woman into
the village. The village buzzed with activity as warriors ran hither
and thither and prepared to defend the village against an attack.
Inside Pher Fom's house, the elders interrogated the dying
warrior. The elder's had recognized the woman as a member of an outpost
that stood in the border between the Amazons and the Phoenix lands.
***********************************************************************
The Phoenix warriors discussed amongst themselves. They had
been ordered by the second in command, Mascara to chase and kill the
few Amazonian scum before they reached the village. They had succeeded
in killing all but one of them. The last one had burnt her own hands to
seal her blood vessels and had successfully eluded them for a whole
day. Just when they had been about to catch up with her some man had
rescued her and sealed their fates. They knew the punishment for
failure. They would be skinned alive and impaled on stakes if Pei Pei
felt lenient towards them.
"We cannot tell the commander, You know that any failure on
our part will lead to execution." murmured the Phoenix in command of
the chase.
His colleagues nodded. They in addition, did not want to
suffer such horrible punishments and die so young.
"Very well, then, we will tell Mascara that we have killed
the Amazonian scum of a warrior." spat the commanding officer. Their
little discussion finished the three Phoenix took to the sky.
***********************************************************************
"Tell me child, who attacked the outpost?" asked Xiao Lui
for the tenth time. The escaped Amazon was delirious and her wounds
were gangrenous. She would not live for more than a few hours.
The warrior was too lost in her own nightmares to answer
the question.
Slap!
Slap!
"I repeat again child, tell me who attacked the outpost?"
asked the matriarch. Xiao Lui knew that it was cruel and inhuman to hit
the dying woman. However, it had too be done if they were to have any
chance of winning the war that was about to erupt. She knew that it was
the Phoenix but without the woman's testimony, the elders as usual
would debate for hours and they may not have that much time on their
hands.
The warriors delirious ranting did not diminish but they
became more coherent.
"No! do not die on me! I love youuuuuu and you promised
that you wouldnot leave me." the warrior screamed, obviously she was
reliving the death of her lover.
The ranting kept on and on until her lover died, again, in
her mind. The woman let out an anguished scream that echoed through the
village. "I will have your head, Phoenix scum!!!!"
The matriarch nodded. She had all the information she
needed. She motioned Pher Fom to render the woman unconscious. They
would not kill the woman out of pity. The tribes laws were very
stringent on that one. Anyone who killed an Amazon would be subject to
immediate banishment from the tribe followed by a death hunt. With a
heavy heart, she asked one of the warriors to call Ranma.
Presently, Ranma arrived dressed entirely in black. He knew
that as the most proficient warrior in the village he would be chosen
for the intelligence-gathering mission. As Ranma entered the council
hall the bickering elders quieted and looked at him.
"Ranma, we have a mission of the utmost importance for
you." began Kho Om.
Ranma remained silent.
"We have discovered the identity of the attackers. They are
the Phoenix." Ranma raised an eyebrow at the name. The elders have been
receiving reports of Phoenix incursions into Amazon territories for the
past seven or eight months. The Amazon nation had been preparing for a
war for as long. He had suspected as much when he had first heard of
the attack.
"It seems that Saffron, has decided that he had waited long
enough and is now pushing to extend the frontiers of his people. We
have already sent the village's best runner to the Musk to inform them
of the attack. We need intelligence on the strength of the Phoenix and
since you are the most accomplished fighter in the village you have
been chosen for the mission."
Ranma bowed and left the room. Time was of the utmost
importance if they were to win the war.
***********************************************************************
Ranma gently probed the area with his ki. There were two
Phoenix warriors guarding the area. He could sense that they were both
inexperienced and had very loosely focused ki. He shook his head in
disapproval. It seemed that the Phoenix was not expecting incursions by
the Amazons. *Oh well, it makes my job that much easier! He thought as
he cloaked his ki and approached the two. Both were standing a little
distance away from each other as though they disliked the idea of
working together.
Without a sound, Ranma dropped in front of the nearest one
and pressed several pressure points on his head and shoulders. The move
was executed at Amaguriken speed and the Phoenix warrior did not even
open get over his surprise before all the voluntary muscles in his body
froze up. One of the pressure points he had pressed also stole the
guard's voice and it would be a matter of hours before all his muscles
tightened so much that his bones would break. The other guard who had
been looking away all along turned Ranma's way and Ranma was at his
side in a flash. He paralyzed the guards voice box and then moved onto
his voluntary muscles. One by one within a second, all the voluntary
muscle groups froze and Ranma gently applied his fingers to the guards
jugular vein until he lost consciousness. Having rendered the soldier
unconscious he tied his prisoner and hefted him onto a tree. The
pressure points he had used to paralyze the boy's voluntary muscles
would wear off in a few hours and he hoped to have finished his job by
then.
He reconnoitered around the destroyed outpost and saw
several hundred Phoenix soldiers resting at different points around the
outpost. He noted their positions and made his way to the area from
where the Amazons would most likely attack.
What he saw made his blood run cold with fury. Throughout
the terrain were crosses onto which the beheaded bodies of the Amazon
defenders had been mounted. That fact by itself was not sickening. What
was sickening was that several Phoenix were playing some kind of game
with one of the heads kicking it hither and thither. He masked his
anger and left to retrieve his prisoner. The boy would provide all
information that he knew about Phoenix troop movements and all that.
The elders would see to that.
His mission done he made his way to the Amazon village as
fast as he could.
***********************************************************************
Ranma stood infront of the captured Phoenix. The boy had
come to his senses halfway through the return trip and had struggled.
Not wanting to be slowed down Ranma had again rendered him unconscious
and had reached the village.
The elders had decided that Ranma would have a
psychological advantage over the prisoner and had entrusted him with
the not so pleasant job of interrogation. By his side stood two vases
and a dozen torture instruments. Behind the prisoner sat the elders
presiding over the interrogation. They would communicate with him
through hand signals in the dim light. The windows of the room, which
had not so long ago delivered Higashi into the world had been barred
and was lit by only a few animal fat lamps.
Ranma had protested upon being entrusted the distasteful
task. He was a warrior, not a sadist. He took a deep breath and sat
himself infront of the boy. The boy looked defiantly at him through his
horror filled eyes. He knew what was about to happen to him.
Ranma gritted his teeth. No matter how much he hated what
he had to do, it had to be done if innocent lives were to be saved. As
much as, he hated killing someone he would gladly do it if many may
live because of it.
With a emotionless gaze, Ranma asked the first question.
"What is your name and rank?"
The question was highly irrelevant, but the way the boy
answered the question would indicate his attitude towards the
interrogation.
The boy kept quiet. Ranma almost frowned. There was nothing
they could gain from learning his name and position. *Young and
foolish.*
"Listen very carefully. You have been captured and is now a
prisoner of the Joketsuzoku Amazons." The boys eyes widened. Since when
did the Amazons began using men in important roles. "I am going to ask
you some questions and you will answer them. If you don't you will be
tortured until you answer."
The boy spat at Ranma's face. Ranma swiped away the spit
from his face and allowed himself to frown.
"This is going to be painful."
Ranma bent forward and pressed a hidden pressure point in
the boys chest. *That will increase his sensitivity to pain.*
Without blinking Ranma took some chilli powder and rubbed
it against the boys wrists. The skin had been scraped there and the boy
screamed in agony. Taking a thorn Ranma rubbed it with chilli and then
inserted the thorn inside the boys forefinger. He left it there and
looked at his charge.
"Tell me what is your name and rank?" The voice was devoid
of emotions. It might have as well come from a dead body. This time the
boy complied.
The session continued on. Screams punctuated the calm air
in the village with growing frequency as question after question was
asked and answered.
"Tell me how many soldiers are there in you army?"
Silence.
"I repeat tell me how many soldiers are there in your
army?"
Silence.
Ranma called upon one of his assistants and together they
laid the boy on the floor. A gag was inserted into his mouth and
watered was poured over it. This went on until the boy nearly
suffocated.
"I repeat, tell me how many soldiers are there in your
army?"
The boy replied.
The next question was put before him and the torture
session continued.
"Tell me when and where your army plans to attack?" The
question was pointless as the soldier wouldnot have known the plans for
the attacks. The elders were rather insistent with their hand signals
that they ask and Ranma had complied with their request.
The boy did not reply. It seemed that he would break down
whenever he was tortured but defiance would creep into his soul when it
was stopped.
Ranma sighed. He hated what he was about to do. He pressed
a combination of pressure points and waited for a full minute. The
combination was a forbidden technique among the Amazons and only four
in the village knew it at any time. The combination made the victim
extremely susceptible to suggestions.
"Listen to me very carefully. You see that flame over
there?" Ranma pointed to a lamp mounted on the wall. The boy nodded. He
could see it though his eyes were almost swollen shut from the many
punches he had suffered.
"Good, that flame is a huge fire. You are very near to it.
You could feel the heat and it is barely bearable." The boy moved as
far as he could in his chair. "Now, the flame is growing and the heat
is becoming more intense. It licks your fingers and scorches it. The
pain is unbearable."
The boy screamed louder than he had ever before and the
skin in his arms boiled and blackened.
"I can put that fire out for you. Do you want me to put it
out for you?"
The boy nodded and continued to scream.
"I will put it out for you if you will tell me when and
where the Phoenix army plans to attack!"
The screaming ceased. "On the night with the full moon. I
don't know where."
"Good. See that fire. It's just a little flame. I put it
out for you."
The boy almost sighed in relief. Ranma shook his head. The
second combination he had used was irreversible and the boy would be
susceptible to suggestions throughout his life. It would be better if
he ended it now.
He looked at the elders. They motioned him to carry it out.
The boy maybe an enemy but none deserved such a life.
Ranma nodded. He took out his knife and the boys eyes
glistened with gratitude. The pain he was in made death seem like a
wonderful alternative to living. The knife touched the boys neck and
pressed on. The soft brown skin split under the cold, hard knife-edge
and blood seeped through. The knife continued on until the jugular was
severed.
Without so much as a gasp the boys eyes glazed over and he
left this world.
***********************************************************************
Based on information gathered from the now dead Phoenix
warrior an ambush was planned. The Phoenix had planned to travel by
land as that would reduce the risk of their detection at night. They
would have to walk through a mile long canyon to reach their goal. It
was here that the ambush was planned.
***********************************************************************
Li Chan walked at the head of the Phoenix forces. Behind
him followed just over six thousand warriors, nearly two-thirds of the
Phoenix army. Saffron himself followed at the rear of the army. With
him were Pei Pei and Mascara the supreme generals of the Phoenix
forces.
His lordship, the emperor had realized his mistake when he
had confronted the Amazons and their damned allies, the Musk a century
before. Though their enemy's numbers were smaller than their own, the
fools had won because of their martial art prowess. Thus, generation
after generation of Phoenix had been dumped at night into the cursed
springs away from the eyes of the accursed guardian of the pools. These
cursed Phoenix warriors had set out to the outside world and had become
formidable warriors with control over their chi.
That is why a small party of two hundred had been able to
easily overcome the fifty Amazons at the outpost. Their opponents too
were fairly good chi users and they had fallen under the attack.
Now the rest of the Amazon nation would fall under the
might of the now powerful Phoenix army. He had wanted his forces to be
the first to go into the Amazon village. As such he had volunteered his
forces, the finest five hundred in the army and the emperor had
accepted. After the Amazons had fallen the Musk would too and then the
entire valley would be under their control.
The army paused as the canyon loomed into view before them.
The forces reassembled and stepped into the canyon. He could feel the
other commanders carefully probing the canyon with their chi for signs
of intruders. The techniques they were using were taxing and depleting
on their ki reserves. They would have to rest a little boy when they
emerged out of the canyon.
At the very edge of his chi senses, he felt four large and
unfocused ki flows, two on either side of the canyon. There was no
emotion in them and the masters he had studied under had said that
emotion was the only way of controlling and focusing ki. Since he was
certain that the masters assumptions were true he relaxed and ordered
his forces to march at full speed. He did not like the idea of being
caught in a weak position. His forces were vulnerable to surprise
attacks and he knew it. They maybe powerful warriors with phenomenal
reserves of ki but they certainly couldn't sense arrows and such.
The army marched at full speed and the ki flows followed
them from the top of the canyon. Amazon spies, he guessed. As long as
they did not leave for their village they would be tolerated. He walked
back and consulted another commander and both agreed that nothing
needed to be done until the spies tried to make a run for their
village. That done he returned to his post.
Soon the entire Phoenix army was within the canyon.
*Just a few more minutes and we will be out of this hell
hole.* Thought Li Chan. His eyes would make out the trees that stood
several hundred meters from him. Suddenly his chi senses flared. There
were a lot of ki being drawn on top of the canyon walls. His eyes
widened in realization. They had made a bad mistake and were about to
pay for it. He looked up and saw two bright balls of ki the size of a
small rock glowing above. He turned towards the other side of the
canyon wall and saw two more balls of ki being formed. How they focused
their ki without their emotions was beyond his understanding.
All around him, the men formed tight groups to repel
attackers.
His surprise grew as more ki signals propped out of nowhere
all along the canyon walls. They had been led into a trap. He opened
his mouth to give the order to his troops to take to the air. It was
too late he realized as the four blazing balls of ki flew towards the
largest concentrations of men. He was amazed at the power he would feel
from those balls. With blinding flashes the four exploded on their mark
and a few moments later bones and flesh rained all over the canyon. A
thousand ki adepts he guessed. *A thousand dead in the first attack!
His mind couldnot comprehend the tragedy. All over the canyon walls ki,
balls began to flicker into existence and began to rain down on the
Phoenix army. Hell broke loose.
***********************************************************************
Ranma had been surprised to sense fairly strong and focused
ki signals emanating from the Phoenix army below when they had come
into view. He had signaled as much to Xiao Lui. She had consulted with
Liu Chi'n on the other side of the canyon through complex hand signals.
They had decided to follow the original plan and whilst the others
masked their ki, he, Xiao, Liu and master Yuan had all prepared a blast
and stored the ki in the air around them.
His surprise grew when he felt no less than twelve chi
signals from the path below probing him. He had not been alarmed as
much of the outside world had yet to learn that ki could be controlled
without emotions. Sure enough, the Phoenix army had walked straight
into the trap.
They had waited until all the Phoenix were within the
canyon. Not all of them could take into the air when they were attacked
as the air would become congested and they would be massacred. Those
who took to the air were in for a surprise. Behind him stood three
hundred highly skilled archers and a similar number stood on the Musk
side of the canyon.
Then at Xiao's signal, all four of them unleashed their ki
blasts at the largest concentrations of the Phoenix warriors. The
others followed their example and unleashed their very own ki blasts
into the canyon. For a whole minute huge explosions rocked the canyon
drowning out the screams of the Phoenix who were wounded by the blasts.
Xiao ordered the blasts to cease and the second round commenced.
***********************************************************************
Li Chan raised his head from the ground and with a shout
threw off the caved in head that had come to rest before his face. Who
would have thought that the Amazons wielded so much firepower. He now
realized that his entire company would have been slaughtered in a
matter of minutes if they had stepped into the Amazon village. *We
never had a chance against them.* He realized. Then he felt it. More ki
was being pumped into weapons for some purpose he would not guess at.
There was the whoosh of an arrow shaft through the air.
However, this arrow seemed to be alive.
Bang!
The chest of the man who had been hit by an arrow exploded.
He closed in eyes just in time to stop of a piece of heart from hitting
his eyes.
*We have to get out of here or we are all dead.* He looked
around and saw the horrified faces of the few dozen men who were still
alive around him.
"Take to the sky. We have to take the battle to the
Amazons." He shouted as loud as he could. The others seemed to realize
that their lives depended on it and took to the air where another
volley of arrows assaulted them. This time the volley was not ki
enhanced and those that survived the hit fell down to the grounds
below. The horrible cries they made when they fell to their death
sickened him. He looked about and estimated that around three thousand
had survived the initial attack.
With a cry, he dived into the ground below and into battle.
The others followed behind him.
***********************************************************************
Ranma cracked his knuckles and ran towards the nearest
Phoenix. He brought out his staff from beneath his robe and let his ki
flow through it. He had learnt a technique called the hidden weapons,
which allowed one to hide many things inside ones robe. The Phoenix
soldier's eyes widened in shock when he saw Ranma pull a six-foot staff
out of his robe.
The soldier left his defenses wide open and Ranma beheaded
him with a nice clean swipe of his staff. He was using the technique
that master Yuan had taught him. His ki senses picked up three trying
to outflank him. He pulled out shuriken from his robe, charged them
with ki and let them fly at his opponents. The shurikens exploded on
contact and the Phoenix fell with huge holes in their body.
He sidestepped a spear thrust and let the Phoenix have it
with a ki enhanced punch. The warriors facial structure collapsed under
the force of the blow and he heard the bones break. Without so much a
look he moved onto the nearest Phoenix and let him have it with a spin
kick to his head. The man's neck snapped and he fell to the ground dead
before he hit the ground.
His rapid kills attracted even more Phoenix towards him.
Ranma used his staff as a swatting instrument cleaving in half anyone
who came near him.
***********************************************************************
A few hundred feet from Ranma, Xiao Lui, three hundred-
year-old matriarch of the Amazons danced through the Phoenix spears and
swords as they were swung at her. She used her extensive knowledge of
Shaitsu to paralyze opponents and then kill them.
She jumped high over the Phoenix and from within her robes
extracted shuriken. She let them fly at Amaguriken speed and many of
her opponents fell their bodies mutilated beyond recognition. She
landed softly on the ground behind her attackers and then ran forward
to help an archer who seemed to be having a hard time with his
attacker.
***********************************************************************
Liu Chi'n smiled to himself and let loose yet another ki
charged vacuum blade at the Phoenix on the ground below. Bodies were
cleaved in half as the blade passed through them as though they were
butter. Then with a deafening explosion it blew several Phoenix to
kingdom come.
He landed onto the ground below and burst into a sprint
with his hands blurring whenever he neared a Phoenix warrior. He smiled
grimly to himself. From today on the Phoenix would cease to be a major
power in the valley forever. He Liu Chi'n, emperor of the Phoenix would
make sure of that.
***********************************************************************
Master Yuan used his superior speed to full advantage as he
weaved through the Phoenix bringing death and destruction wherever he
went. His hands and legs glowed white with ki as blow after blow rained
upon his opponents. Blows strong enough to crush rock met soft flesh
and the result was indescribable. The flesh turned into something the
mush and his opponents fell unconscious and death soon laid its hold on
them.
He saw a Phoenix woman of high ranking and considerable
skill mowing through the archers. Without the help of the archers the
Phoenix would reign in the sky and would have a definite advantage.
Realizing her plan he leapt towards her and blocked her killing blow to
the man's neck with his staff.
The archer retreated to the back where he could be of use
and Yuan Puyi, warrior and advisor to the emperor of the Musk dynasty
faced off against his opponent.
***********************************************************************
Pei Pei had realized that the archers must be dealt with if
they were to have any hopes of winning the battle. She had ordered
Mascara to take care of the Amazonian archers while she would take care
of the Musk archers.
The plan had gone wonderfully and the Musk archers found
themselves confronted by a highly skilled chi adept. She began mowing
through their ranks and was about to strike down her thirtieth victim
when her sword was blocked by a wooden staff of all things.
She looked at the man who had dared to get between her and
her quarry and saw a four-foot high oldman. His ki was powerful and
tightly focused.
"Get out of my way oldman if you value your life." she
warned.
The oldman smiled and relaxed his stance. "Hmmm... Tightly
focused ki, considerable skill in combat with some experience. Child,
you are a hundred years too young to defeat me." he replied and smiled
at her.
Pei Pei lost her control at that instant. *How dare that
insolent troll think that I cannot beat him?* "I, Pei Pei, commander in
chief of the Phoenix army will have your head for your insolence,
stupid old man." she shouted as she charged at him at her top speed.
"Allow me to introduce myself then, Pei Pei, commander in
chief of the Phoenix army," replied the old man mockingly. "I am Yuan
Puyi, advisor to emperor Liu Chi'n of the Musk dynasty. I am here to
kick your ass." The old man weaved in and out of her blows not caring
to even block them.
*He is teasing me.* She realized. "Argh! Fight me old man!"
shouted Pei Pei as she pumped ki into her hands and feet.
Yuan Puyi just shook his head. "I don't hit pregnant
women." he replied.
Pei Pei stopped in mid thrust. How had he known that she
was pregnant?
Yuan Puyi took that moment to strike at her sleep pressure
point. He pressed another that prevented her from accessing her ki and
then tied her up.
"She wasn't much of a challenge." he grumbled as he rubbed
his hands together. "Oh well! Back into the battle, I suppose."
***********************************************************************
Mascara, found herself faced with an archer with
considerable skill in Wu Shu. The woman just about weaved in and out of
almost all her thrusts. Growing weary of her opponent Mascara enhanced
her speed with her ki and thrust at her opponent. The sword buried
itself into the chest of the opponent. The light in the woman's eyes
faded and went out. Smiling at her latest victory, she was about to
remove her sword when it broke with a clang into three separate pieces.
She looked at the two-foot old woman who had just broken
her family sword with her bare fists. "Curse you old woman. I am going
to have your blood for breaking my family sword." spat Mascara.
The old woman did not even reply. Instead she jumped
forward and landed less than a foot away from Mascara.
***********************************************************************
Xiao Lui ran forward to help the archer. She knew that she
would never reach her in time to save the archer's life. She would
however personally see to it that her killer never saw the light of
another day.
The Phoenix woman sank her sword into the archers chest and
was about to pull it out when she reached them. Grabbing hold of the
sword with one hand she released her staff and struck at the sword with
a ki enhanced blow. The sword split into three pieces under the force
of the blow.
Her opponents face became a mask of anger and a red aura
blazed around her. "Curse you old woman. I am going to have your blood
for breaking my family sword." the Phoenix spat.
Not even bothering to reply Xiao Lui jumped into her
opponents defenses and shouted "Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken". Her fists
briefly disappeared and the Phoenix flew some twenty yards before
landing on her back.
Mascara got up and spat blood. She summoned her aura again
and formed a red ball of ki in her palms. "IKIDOORU RYUU" shouted
Mascara and released her most powerful attack.
Xiao Lui simply jumped over the blast. She landed on a tree
branch, leapt from it and brought her ki-enhanced punch to bear on
Mascara's head. Mascara tilted her head to the side and just escaped
from being hit. However, she couldnot maneuver out of the follow-up ki-
enhanced kick aimed at her skull and the blow connected with a
resounding crack. Mascara's skull exploded under the force of the blow
and her headless body fell lifeless to the ground.
"Phoenix scum!" spat Xiao Lui as she turned her attention
to the battle once more.
***********************************************************************
Most of the Amazons, Li chan found were more skilled than
the commanders of the Phoenix army themselves. He thus chose to attack
the archers as the archers were giving the Amazons a significant
advantage over the Phoenix forces. With the archers around they,
couldnot take to the air and this robbed them of their most important
ace in the hole.
He was busy fighting with two archers who in their
desperation had ganged up on him. They were no match for him in any of
the departments and he was about to slit one of their necks with his
sword when his ki senses flared. He quickly slit the throat and took to
the air.
His opponent followed his every move and threw a vacuum
powered blade at him. Li Chan tried to twist of the way and failed
miserably. the blade cut through the base of his right wing and
cauterized it. He fell down to the ground, his body making a dull thud
as it made contact with the soft earth.
Cursing to himself, Li Chan looked at his severed wing that
had fallen near him. His adrenaline drove him now and he spat blood
covered spit onto the ground and took his stance.
Ranma stood watching as his opponent picked himself of the
floor. Amazingly enough the man took a stance and glared hatefully at
him.
With a yell, the man threw himself at Ranma and his fists
blurred as he tried to tag Ranma with a hit. The loss of his wing had
played havoc with his balance and he struggled to maintain the balance
so essential for winning a fight.
As he staggered after one particularly strong swipe Ranma
went into the offensive. Blocking a fist aimed at his solar plexus,
Ranma grabbed it at just above the elbow with his other hand and
twisted. The bones broke and Li Chan howled in pain. Without pausing
Ranma raised his right hand and crushed his opponent's windpipe.
Li Chan heard the sound of his windpipe being crushed and
struggled to get a breath of fresh air into his lungs. Nothing happened
and he felt the blackness of unconsciousness lay its hold on him.
Ranma looked on at the death throes of the Phoenix warrior.
It had become clear that the Phoenix were loosing horribly. As Victory
was in their grasp now he paused to see the results of his handiwork.
He made no efforts to help the Phoenix as the man grasped his neck with
his working hand as he struggled to hold onto dear life. Ranma knew
that he was dead and turned away from his as the sight became
unbearable.
***********************************************************************
Saffron God-king of he Phoenix hovered in the air above the
Amazons and fired his blasts indiscriminately. Amazon warrior and
Phoenix fell to the heat from the resulting explosions if they were not
blown apart outright from the explosions.
An arrow embedded itself in his right wing and exploded.
The explosion blew away a significant part of his wing but he remained
hovering in the air. He let out a howl of fury and turned towards the
source of the arrow. His wing healed itself as he turned. His fury grew
rapidly as he saw Li Chin, the son of one of his concubines, in his
death throes with an Amazon warrior looking on.
The insult to his persona forgotten in the face of this new
information, Saffron let his full power blossom into existence. He
would wipe out the damned Amazons and their damned allied the Musk
before this day was out for the crime committed against his son.
***********************************************************************
Ranma turned around when he sensed the huge power that
emanated from the Phoenix he realized was Saffron. The Phoenix God
looked just about ready to explode, his face a mask of indescribable
fury.
Ranma assumed a stance and curbed all controls on his aura.
An aura of white bloomed around him and grew to about eight feet thick
in all directions. His dress fluttered in the wind that came into
existence around him.
***********************************************************************
Saffron saw the enormous amount of ki that surrounded the
landling and realized that the battle would take a little while.
"For killing my son in cold blood, I, Saffron, God-king of
the Phoenix sentence you and your nation with its allies to death."
boomed Saffron in a voice that was audible for miles around.
Ranma simply stood there and shifted his legs. Then he
burst into action and drew back his arms at hypersonic speeds. A five-
foot long ki charged vacuum blade sped towards Saffron. Saffron did not
even bother to move. He released two balls of fire and watched as the
two met. There was a blinding explosion of light when the two blasts
collided.
Ranma leapt out of the way, as the second ball of fire tore
into the ground. The blast left a huge crater and smoke and dust hung
in the air. Ranma twisted in midair, bounced off a tree trunk and leapt
high into the air towards Saffron.
As he passed by the God, he swung back his legs and gave a
kick to Saffron's chin that would have sent a ten ton rock into LEO.
Saffron flew through the air and impacted with a huge boom into the
canyon wall. The wall exploded on impact and huge cracks appeared. With
a rumbling, noise the whole section of the wall collapsed onto the
ground below.
Ranma landed on the Musk side of the canyon and took to the
air once again. He knew that Saffron couldnot be defeated by a single
blow.
The rocks down below began to glow red and then exploded
outwards. When the dust cleared, in the middle stood Saffron looking
none the worse form the damage he had sustained. The God took into the
air again and Ranma met his charge head on. He slid under Saffron's
talon swipe and kicked him in his guts. The air was knocked out of
Saffron's chest and Ranma pressed his advantage. Closing in for the
kill, he did a number on Saffron's thorax with a superfast Amaguriken.
The punches were ki enhanced and Saffron's fire blinked out of
existence for a moment before coming back.
The wounded God fell to the ground below but righted
himself halfway down. With a scream of righteous fury he powered up a
huge fireball and threw it at Ranma. Ranma brought his shield up and
tried to evade all the same. He was partially successful. the blast hit
one side of his shield and exploded in a huge ball of plasma. Lightning
from the clear blue skies above struck the expanding ball of highly
ionized gas repeatedly before it flickered out of existence.
When it did, Ranma stood in the middle with a sneer on his
face. "Is that all you can do, O mighty God of the Phoenix?" taunted
Ranma.
Saffron's flames grew in intensity around him and Saffron
howled before going berserk. Mindless with rage he tapped into the mana
lines in the area and the flames increased several fold.
Ranma did not even look intimidated as the God-king began
to throw huge balls of fire at him. Running at his top speed, he evaded
each and everyone of them and then replied with his own salvo of ki
charged vacuum blades. Several hit the fireballs and lit up the evening
sky in a dazzling display of light while one hit Saffron on his chest
and exploded. Saffron staggered under the force of the explosion.
Using the cover given to him by the explosions in the air,
Ranma again leapt into the air and delivered a spin kick to Saffron's
mid-section. Saffron returned the favour at the same instant and both
the opponents flew away. Ranma hit the canyon wall below. The rock
beneath exploded in protest and he shook his head to clear it.
Saffron righted himself with his wings in mid-air and leapt
for a showdown with Ranma. Ranma extricated himself from the rock and
collecting his ki punched into the air towards Saffron and shouted
"HIRYUU SHOTEN HA KAIHAN: KEN JOUKAI" a huge tornado blew into
existence. The heat that Saffron had released during the course of the
battle was absorbed and an inclined tornado headed towards Saffron. The
tornado cut off Saffron's wings and when it died out, he fell down to
the ground. This time however, Saffron's flames went out for several
seconds before coming back on. Saffron got up unsteadily and shook his
head. His wings grew back on their own accord and he flew up to meet
Ranma's latest charge. Both let loose energy blasts which collided
midway and exploded in a flash of light. Knowing that Ranma would try
to use the blinding light and stage another attack Saffron shifted
slightly and flew towards the explosion at even higher speed. Ranma
emerged from the explosion and was promptly kicked into the hard canyon
walls from behind.
The canyon wall once again exploded on impact and before
Ranma could reorient himself Saffron launched another attack. He
shouted "MIZUCHOUSENZHANYOKU" and brought his wing together at high
speed and infused the pressure wave that resulted with a huge amount of
mana. The X-shaped wave of high-pressure, mana charged air headed
towards Ranma and boom the entire section of the wall exploded in a
huge explosion. The dirt settled and showed Ranma standing on top of a
rock at the bottom of the canyon. There blood in his lips and he swiped
it away. He staggered a little and coughed up some blood. Then he
glared defiantly at Saffron.
His aura had protected him from the explosion and had saved
his life.
Saffron looked at the landling who had proved to be quite a
challenge and frowned. The wounds the landling had inflicted were quite
powerful and he would lose if he let the battle rage on. He again
tapped in to the mana flows and boosted his powers. He could also feel
the landling tap into the ki flows. Saffron was awed by the landling.
To stand alone against a God and give him a fair fight was beyond
compare. None except the Ashura's could stand up against them and fight
for this long.
*Too bad you have to die landling.* Thought Saffron as he
fired off his most powerful attack, a continuous beam of mana.
Ranma felt the God powering for an attack ad drew all the
ki he could into himself and brought forth his shields.
He tensed as the God let loose what he realized was the
God's final attack. *If I last out this attack then I will win.*
thought Ranma as he began pumping all the ki he had drawn in and still
some more into the shield.
The beam of pure mana hit the shield with a huge boom and
huge waves of plasma expanded outward from the point of collision. The
interaction between the two energies created an extremely powerful
tornado and rocks, several hundred feet long were picked up by the
supersonic winds.
Saffron forced himself to the brink as he channeled as much
mana as he possibly could without destroying himself in the process.
Even Gods have their limits. *I will not lose to a landling and a
mortal.*
Ranma felt the slightest increase in Saffron's beam but
couldnot find the ki to counter it. Slowly but surely the shield began
to buckle and when it was gone, altogether he would be vaporized, he
realized. However, there was nothing he could do that would stop the
beam in its tracks.
*Wait a minute. There is something that I CAN do.* He
realized. His thoughts drifted back to that day when Xiao Lui had
taught him about mana and ki. 'Mana is like the Yin, it is dark,
mysterious and not easily accessible. It is also vastly more powerful
than ki if you learn how to use it.'
He had been never been able to tap into mana but it was
worth a try. The fate of his wife and child depended on him and he
would not fail them. Ranma allowed himself to relax an looked into
himself. He clearly saw in his mind the ki flowing through his body. He
concentrated a little more.
The shield diminished in strength. He looked into himself
once again. There flowing side by side were two different veins of
energy. One he recognized as his ki. The other was soft and yet strong
in its own way. This was the power that he had felt inside the pit on
the day when he had lost his father and gained another. He embraced it.
The power that flowed through him was unbelievable. He felt it flowing
everywhere just like ki. He concentrated some more and tapped into it.
The shield that protected Ranma flickered out much to the
horror of Xiao Lui, Liu Chi'n and Yuan Puyi. The rest of the Phoenix
had been defeated and the Amazons and the Musk had been watching the
fight between Ranma and Saffron with interest. Each prepared to fire ki
bolts at Saffron.
Saffron felt the shield weaken and then remain so for a
couple of seconds before buckling completely. *Victory is mine.* He
rejoiced. His celebration turned out to be a little too early as he
felt the Shield come back up unbelievably more powerful than before.
Liu had formed a sizable ki ball when he felt the shield
come back up more powerful than ever before. He looked questioningly at
the Amazon matriarch and his master but both were dancing around in
each others arms in pure ecstasy in the midst of the chaos that the
tornado was creating. He shook his head to rid it of the horrifying
experience. The sight of a three hundred-year-old matriarch and his
hundred-year old master necking was definitely the ugliest and most
revolting sight in the universe. Then it dawned to him. Inorder to
defeat Saffron, Ranma had become a true master of the art. The ki ball
popped out of existence and he too began to dance. *My brother is a
true master of the art.*
Saffron felt fear seep into the core of his being. The
landlings mastery of ki was commendable. Even the most powerful of the
Ashura's wouldnot be able to last that long against his beam attack.
Now, he had somehow mastered mana manipulation. *What is he? Is he a
demon of some kind or is he a God?*
The new shield grew in strength at an incredible rate and
the tornado was simply absorbed by it. The winds became less powerful
and finally went away. The beam of mana now had no effect at all
against the shield as it was like throwing a pebble against a mountain.
Ranma smiled at the newfound power. Saffron would never
threaten the lives of Amazons and Musk alike. He concentrated and let
loose a hybrid blast of energy, made of both ki and mana at Saffron.
The blast shook the land in a cacophony boom and lit up the sky in a
brilliant display of colours. Saffron's beam spluttered out of
existence and the God fell down to the ground.
Ranma released his shield and jumped to land on one of the
rocks so that he may look at Saffron from above. The defeated God stood
admist the ruins that the battle had wrought.
"Saffron, you will never again threaten the Musk nor the
Amazons for they are my family." shouted Ranma. His voice was amplified
greatly by his aura that glowed yellow around him.
Saffron looked at the face of his enemy. He, a God, had
been defeated by a mere mortal and a landling at that. *No, I will
fight on. I will not lose to a landling.* "I fight on, landling. I will
not lose to the likes of you." shouted back Saffron in defiance.
Ranma's expression darkened. "Then prepare to end this
cycle of your life, Saffron." spat Ranma.
Saffron glared defiantly and his flames fluttered into
existence around him. His flames were the physical manifestation of his
mana and it changed with each God varying according to their
personalities. He was quick tempered and his flames reflected this
character. He tapped into the mana around him, formed a powerful ball
of fire and released it at Ranma.
Ranma did not even move. Just before the ball made contact
with his body he waved his hands and the mana in the ball dispersed.
Ranma smiled evilly. "Now its my turn." Ranma concentrated
and formed a wall of ki and mana and sent it towards Saffron. The wall
of energy hit Saffron and threw him against the canyon wall. Then it
slammed into him. Saffron found himself literally between a rock and a
hard place.
Saffron staggered to his feet and lost his balance. He got
up again unsteadily.
"It's over Saffron. Hurt my family ever again and I will
kill you in such a way that you will stay dead and not be reborn."
warned Ranma. "Oh! Did I not say that this is the end of your cycle.
Goodbye. HIRYUU SHOTEN HA KAIHAN: GENKAN JOUKAI KIRITE" shouted Ranma
and thrust his hand into the air at Saffron. A huge and extremely cold
tornado howled into existence around Saffron. When it died down a few
minutes later, the entire canyon was covered with a thick layer of ice
and Saffron's body stood in the middle frozen solid at a relatively
cool -153 degree centigrade. Ranma walked towards the God unharmed by
the tornado and pushed Saffron's frozen form. The frozen body of the
God shattered into many pieces as soon as it touched the ground.
***********************************************************************
Three years after Higashi's birth Xas Min became pregnant
with their second child. There were certain complications and Xas Min
had to stay in bed for the last five months of the pregnancy.
Ranma walked back and forth in the same room once again.
His wife was having their second child and as before he was having an
attack of the nerves. The screams of pain were more soul wrenching than
the first time and he had a hard time not running into the room.
Higashi was asleep in a neighbors house and Xiao Lui sat on a chair in
the corner.
Pher Fom came out of the room several times during the
course of the third hour and consulted with Xiao Lui. When he had asked
the matriarch about the conversation, she had been evasive.
Ranma paused as perhaps the weakest of the screams came
from the room. The back of his neck tickled and he felt his wife's ki
weakening. Sick realization came to him and he looked horror stricken
towards tear-faced matriarch.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!" he shouted and collapsed to his
knees clutching his chest in pain.
"I am sorry Ranma." a voice said. He looked up and saw Pher
Fom. She too had tears on her face.
Ranma shook his head in denial. It couldn't be. She
couldn't have left him without saying goodbye.
"I am so sorry. There were complications and both your wife
and your son are dead."
He wished he died immediately but destiny had plans for him
and wasn't about to let him out of its grasp. He couldnot think of a
life without his beloved wife and yet here he was faced with exactly
that life. He let out a gut wrenching, heartfelt scream.
"It's going to be all right." It was Xiao Lui who had said
those words. He turned towards her and glared.
"No, it's not going to be all right. She's dead and I
killed her." shouted Ranma and bounded off into the night.
The trees blurred around him as he ran in to the forest,
tears flowing freely. They glittered under the full moon that shone in
the clear sky up above. *Why does this happen to me? Why do I lose the
people I love most? Why... Why... Whyyyyyyyyyy?*
He wandered for hours running from himself and reality
through the forest. Finally, near dawn he came to rest at the glade in
which he had first started training Xiao, Pher Fom and... later her.
His aura flickered into existence and glowed green. The clearing lit up
under the glow and took on a greenish tinge. The aura grew and grew as
he continued to draw in the ki around himself. He lashed out his hands
and a small of ki perhaps three centimeters in diameter formed between
his outstretched palms. The aura around him diminished and the sphere's
glow intensified. Soon, it was like looking at the sun. Trees thirty
yards from him began to smoke and spontaneously combust. Winds buffeted
his body as it rose several hundred yards into the air. With an
agonized scream, he released the ki ball.
The ball flew through the air and crashed into the land a
hundred meters from the glade. As it approached the ground it cut a
clean swath though it and tore up trees and rocks alike. With a whoosh,
it impacted and all hell broke loose. There was a bright flash of light
and the air was torn away from the impact sight. The blast expanded
outwards and the hot air ignited trees as though they were fodder. An
area shaped like a butterfly was completely obliterated and a huge
crater lay near to one of its edges.
Ranma glowed and became transparent before landing softly
on the shattered landscape below. His body became opaque again. He fell
down to his knees and cried his heart out.
***********************************************************************
In the village, everyone woke up as they sensed a huge
disturbance in the ki flows. Inside Pher Fom's house, Xiao Lui gazed
strangely at the forest and told everyone to get down. She ran towards
the neighbours house and carried Higashi to Pher Fom's house. Then she
too lay over the now awake child and waited for the inevitable. It came
with a blinding flash of light. the air was deadly silent for nearly
twenty seconds. Then a boom, followed nearly a minute later by strong
winds. The winds buffeted the village and then died down.
She stood up and Pher Fom gathered little Higashi and
cradled her. Xiao Lui shook her head in wonder.
***********************************************************************
Eleven days passed...
Ranma broke down at the sight of his little Higashi or at
anything, that reminded him of Xas Min. He barely slept and would
wander aimlessly through the streets at night. He glowed green most of
the time and almost everyone was afraid to go near him lest he blew up.
On the twelfth day, Xiao Lui confronted him.
"Ranma, you have to stop acting like this. Xas Min's death
was unfortunate and we all mourn her passing. But life must go on."
Ranma did not reply though his green glow began to
intensify.
"Stop this foolishness Ranma. You still have Higashi to
live for." shouted the matriarch into Ranma's face.
Ranma barely moved. "How can you say that? Am I foolish to
mourn my wife's death? She is dead and gone and I did not get a chance
to even say goodbye to her." The reply began as a whisper and gradually
grew into a full-blown yell.
Xiao Lui sighed. Why was so hard headed? Could he not see
that they were also hurting? "Ranma..."
He looked up.
"Please Ranma, you have to let go of the past." pleaded the
matriarch. It hurt her to see the child suffer by herself while her
father was still alive.
"I can't mother. I just can't." replied Ranma as quietly as
he could.
She found herself wanting to weep. "You have to, Ranma. For
the sake of your child you must." The matriarch's voice broke several
times during the speech.
Ranma looked away. "You don't realize mother. Everytime I
look at Higashi, my heart breaks. I was her husband. I was the one who
was supposed to protect her from all danger. Yet I was the one who
ended up killing her." he whispered. Tears flowing freely now. The
macho I can take on the world persona had died when Xas Min had.
"Ranma, you werenot responsible for her death. You couldnot
have known that she would die at childbirth." replied the matriarch.
"You don't get it mother. She did not want another child. I
did. I pressured her for the second one and in the end I lost both her
and my child."
"Ranma, let it go or it will kill you and Higashi."
Ranma looked at her when she mentioned Higashi. His face
became emotionless. "I cannot let it go and I will not let anything
harm my child," he paused, "Mother, I am leaving the village tomorrow.
See to it that my child grows up just like her mother. I want you to
make her the matriarch that her mother never wanted to be." The voice
was entirely devoid of emotion. He stood up and walked away into the
forest.
***********************************************************************
That night...
Ranma sat on a rock on the outskirts of the village. His
face had a vacant expression and he stared aimlessly at the stars that
lay across the clear sky above. There was a half-moon and soon he found
himself staring at it. The air was bitterly cold but his training in
the art had made his body resistant to huge variations in temperatures.
There was the slightest rustle as pebbles on the ground
behind him was disturbed. He tensed and probed the air around him with
his ki. It was Xiao Lui.
The matriarch poggoed onto the rock and sat by his side.
Tracks of tears on her cheeks glittered under the reflected light from
the half-moon. Like Ranma, she too had taken Xas Min's death badly. She
maybe the matriarch of the village but nothing could stop her from
mourning the death of her great great granddaughter. She tried to put
on a normal face during the day but allowed herself to mourn at night.
The two Amazons, one over three hundred years old and the
other barely over thirty years sat together in utter silence. The
chirping of a bird or the rustling of the leaves in the wind that blew
softly were the only sounds in the air for the better part of an hour.
"Mother!" Ranma whispered and broke the melancholic and
introspective atmosphere. A wolf pack howled in the distance.
Silence.
Ranma waited for a whole minute before calling to the
matriarch once again. "Mother!"
"Yes, Ranma." It was clear from the tone of the matriarch's
voice that she hadnot ceased crying.
"I... I will be leaving tomorrow early in the morning.
I...", he paused. "I will never again return to this village. It
reminds me too much of her and the time I spent with her." he broke at
the last part of the sentence and shuddered as he tried to control his
sorrow. Tears flowed freely across his cheeks.
Xiao Lui did not speak. She did not need to for Ranma
needed but a listener.
"I... I love Higashi very much. I want you to let her know
that she had a father who loved her very much. You must raise her to
become all that her mother was and more. I also want you to tell her
that her father had died soon after her mother did." The words were
barely a whisper. Yet, in the silent night air it was clearly audible.
"Ranma, I..." began the matriarch but was cutoff.
"Sshhh!" he said and laid a finger across her shriveled
lips. "Mother, you have to do it for me. I do not want her to think
that I was a coward eventhough I am."
"You are not a coward, Ranma." replied Xiao Lui.
Ranma laughed. It was a hollow laugh almost entirely devoid
of emotion. What little emotion showed itself immediately disappeared
and the laugh died as soon as it began. The cold emotionless mask
reasserted itself. "I am abandoning my family and friends because they
remind me too much of my dead wife! Do you not think that such an act
shows cowardice on my part?"
"Ranma, you are the bravest man I have ever laid my eyes
upon. You faced a God without a trace of fear in your heart. Your
actions had proved to the women in the village that men are not the
weakling creatures that we thought they were. Because of you, relations
between the Musk and the Amazons had improved dramatically. You have
brought peace to our people and to all the others in the valley. No,
Ranma, you are definitely not a coward." replied the matriarch in a
tone that excluded all rebuttals.
A look of surprise came to Ranma's face at this passionate
speech. "Thank you, mother. I'd better go now and prepare for
tomorrow." Ranma got up and prepared to leap of the Rock and onto the
hard ground below.
"Ranma, wait!"
Ranma turned towards the matriarch and sat by her side
again.
"I spoke with the elders about your decision to leave the
village and..." Xiao Lui paused.
"And..."
"They will not stop you though they say that you will
always be an Amazon and that the village will be always open to you."
Finished the matriarch.
Ranma nodded. "Is that all mother?"
Xiao nodded. "Yes, Ranma, that is all."
"Goodnight mother!"
"Goodnight Ranma!"
Ranma hopped off the rock and walked slowly towards the
village. Xiao Lui watched him until his outline disappeared and then
went to her house.
***********************************************************************
The next morning...
Ranma lifted Higashi onto his shoulders and kissed her on
her forehead and her cheeks. "Goodbye Higashichan." said Ranma to his
daughter. He put her down on the ground below but seemed reluctant to
let her go. He lifted her again and then kissed all over her face
before handing her over to Pher Fom.
He bid his farewells to the rest of his friends in the
village and left without looking back. He had nothing but two pairs of
clothes on him as he began his wanderings.
***********************************************************************
For the next three years, he wandered across the mountains
but his mind never ceased thinking about his beloved wife Xas Min. It
was through sheer coincidence that he chanced upon a monastery while
roaming across the mountains. He stayed there and helped the monks at
the head monk's urging. A couple of years later, he himself became a
monk in training at the monastery. His mastery of the art amazed
everyone in the monastery and many asked him to train them in the art.
He refused and politely turned down their offers. His wife's death had
robbed him of his love for the art.
Twenty years later he became a junior monk. His heart
finally found its center and he found his interest in the art once
again. He decided to leave the monastery as the world seemed to call to
him and on the thirty-fifth year of his life in the monastery, he left
the monks to begin his life anew as a wanderer. The life of a monk was
definitely not, what he wanted out of his life.
During his time at the monastery, he had mastered the monks
version of the Wu Shu which was very powerful indeed. Far more so than
the Amazonian version that a skilled novice in the monks techniques
would be able to beat an experienced veteran if the battle was fought
without ki attacks. Now, he wandered across mainland China learning
different styles from their masters. Over the course of several decades
he witnessed many styles disappear and he found himself the only
surviving practitioner of many powerful and dangerous styles. As time
passed his martial arts became an amalgam of all these styles and he
became a true practitioner of 'Matsubeto Katuto Ryuu' the school of his
origin.
During the course of his studies he was drafted into the
Emperor of China's troubleshooting force, er mercenaries. He served the
emperors of the Han dynasty with zeal and soon found himself a wealthy
man. He accumulated several tons of gold and thousands of karats of
diamonds and other precious stones. He always carried all his
belongings within his cloths by means of his 'Hidden weapons'
technique. For five decades he performed his job troubleshooting in
bandit infested areas. During this time, he brought hundreds of
bandits, thieves and murderers to justice. He learnt everything he
could about the healing and the fighting arts. He also learnt from the
few magicians that he chanced upon.
Finally, he grew tired of his life as a mercenary and thus
left China. He crossed the mountains of Tibet and stepped onto India or
Hindustan as it was called then.
His thirst for travel and learning did not leave him and he
found himself wandering across the country's huge expanse. He learnt
from Indian masters techniques, that were on the verge of becoming
extinct but were also the most powerful martial art forms he had ever
seen. Though the masters of the art were few in India, they had in-
depth knowledge of ki and mana manipulation techniques and he learned
from them. He was astounded at their mastery of Shiastsu. It was such
that they could do things that even the Amazons with their extensive
knowledge of the style could only dream about.
He loved the country in which martial arts was born and
spread to the rest of the world. His accumulated wealth grew through
his travels throughout India. During his six centuries of stay, he
witnessed the 'golden period' under the Gupta's and then their
subsequent fall. He witnessed the destruction of their cities and the
massacre of innocent civilians by the invaders as the wheels of time
slowly turned on.
When he left India he once again crossed the Himalayas and
settled along the silk route. His stay lasted two hundred years and
during those two hundred years he developed and perfected many new ki
and mana attacks. He also traded in silk and his wealth multiplied
manifold. It was in the middle of the ninth century AD that he grew
bored of the silk trade and decided to visit the country of his birth.
There he found the country under the rule of an emperor whose influence
was declining by the day. He witnessed history as the feudal lords
exerted their control the emperor and the country headed towards civil
war. He wandered across the country for a century learning the arts
from the masters there. He finally returned to China and commenced his
wanderings once again.
For the next five centuries, he perfected all he had
learned and developed still more techniques. He shied away from human
contact preferring the solitude of the forests to human company. When
he had attained even greater levels of skill, he once again mingled
with humans. He now followed the silk route and ended up in Europe. He
stayed in one of the monasteries there though he hated the entire
period of his stay. He wanted to improve his patience and what better
way to do that than by leading the way of life he had come to hate
most.
In the beginning of the sixteenth century he left for the
America's and stayed there until the end of the eighteenth century. He
landed in England and invested heavily there. Having done so he
returned to China to find its monarchy under decline and the country
under siege by the European nations and the Americans.
Disillusioned with the state of affairs there he made his
way to Japan and again invested a considerable portion of his wealth in
Japanese businesses. His eyes drifted to the western world once more
and his investments in both the Americas and in Europe grew.
Weary of the wars and petty feuds that plagued the western
hemisphere he traveled to India and found the nation under bonds and
the people a shadow of their former proud selves.
Disgusted he retreated once more into the forests of India
where he found peace and solitude. The peace was broken by the start of
the second world war. He refused to take sides in the conflict, as he
witnessed the cruel treatment of man and a general disregard for the
lives of the civilians by both the sides. During these years, he
wandered across the neutral countries until the war was brought to the
end by an act that he considered the epitome of the cruel nature of
war.
After the war he again invested heavily in huge
corporations in Japan and in the US and settled in rural Japan. Having
seen most of the world more than once he decided to visit the Amazon
village once more.
***********************************************************************
Present time...
A lone pathway across the Bayankala mountain ranges in the
Qinghai province of China...
Ranma walked briskly whistling to himself. It had been over
two thousand years since he had last been in the village and he
couldnot wait to see the village again. For the past, thousand years he
had been able to think of Xas Min without crying. He had prepared
himself for the day when he would be able to visit the village without
breaking down. Even now he knew in his heart that he hadnot gotten over
her loss and probably never would. He had put off visiting the village
for so long that visiting it had almost become an obsession for him.
He recognized the familiar magic of the pools as he
approached it. *Two thousand years have gone by and the pools are as
strong as ever before.* However, something felt amiss. He walked into
the valley and saw that all the pools were nearly dried up. He peered
into one of the pools out of curiosity, to see how deep it was.
"Mr. Customer, do not go near the cursed springs. You will
be cursed if you fall in!" shouted someone. Ranma turned towards the
sound and saw a potbellied man. *So, this man is the guide!
The guide ran forward carefully placing his steps so that
he may not accidentally fall into one of the springs. It had been a
very bad month and he did not want it to get any worse. The customer
must have been a very wise man because he retreated from the pools.
"Mr. Customer, you should never go near the cursed pools.
You would have turned into a mouse if you had fallen into that pool."
Again, the customer showed his wisdom by listening to what
he was saying, which in itself meant. Visitors to the pools seldom paid
attention to what he had to say before they got cursed.
"I was passing by the pools and I had heard of their
powers. I wanted to know why the pools had dried up?" explained Ranma
to the guide.
"Mr. Customer, birdpeople from Phoenix mountain came here
and drained the pools." replied the guide.
Ranma became angry. "What? Why would they do that?" he
shouted.
*Why me? Do the kami hate me that much?* Thought the guide
as the customer was obviously insane.
Ranma waited for an answer but when no answer was
forthcoming, he asked another question. The Amazons had learnt soon
after the defeat of the Phoenix forces the reason for the Phoenix
army's skill.
"Did you not inform the Amazons?" he asked as calmly as he
could given the circumstances.
The guide nodded. "Yes, Mr. Customer, I have already
informed the Amazons. I have also sent my daughter to get help from
some of the cursed ones in Japan."
Ranma stomped on the ground. "This is stupid. They haven't
seen you and left for the Phoenix mountain, have they?"
The guide nodded. Obviously, Mr. Customer was completely
insane and it would be wise to answer all his questions.
"When did they leave?"
"About a day ago, they ought to have reached the mountain
by now, Mr. Customer." replied the guide.
Ranma was worried. They couldnot defeat the God. He,
himself had been able to defeat the God-king only because he used his
mana. *Have to reach them, before Saffron slaughters them all!
Having decided on his course of action, Ranma focused his
ki and flew in the direction of Phoenix mountain. The guide just
shrugged and went to his hut. *Just my luck. Of all the accursed jobs
in the world, I had to get this one.* He was especially getting tired
of super powerful martial artists.
***********************************************************************
Ranma arrived at the mountain half an hour later. He
entered the mountain and followed the sound of battle. Saffron's signal
was weaker somehow and huge explosions were audible as he ran through
the maze of tunnels that covered the inside of the mountain.
Atlast he reached the battle scene. Glancing around, he saw
the reason for Saffron's weak signature. Someone had disrupted his
rebirth process and damaged the cocoon. Saffron seemed to be pretty mad
and threw fireballs in all directions. His attention seemed to be
focused on a brown haired boy who was taunting him. Blast after blast
flew from Saffron's hands and exploded within the cavern. The boy would
evade the blasts and then move in on Saffron. He would do a quick
number on Saffron's person and then retreat out of the God's reach. The
boys ki seemed familiar but he shrugged it off.
Ranma smiled. *I needn't have worried. At this rate,
Saffron would tire himself out before the end of the hour.* Ranma
leaned on the rock and looked amusedly around. Whilst the brown haired
boy took care of Saffron another boy with a yellow bandanna on his head
was busy kicking Phoenix warrior ass. From the way this new boy
shrugged of blows that would have done anyone in, Ranma realized that
this boy knew the Bakusai Tenketsu. The boy was definitely not an
Amazon and it was a surprise to him that the Amazons would teach the
technique to an outsider.
*A lot has changed since I left the village! Ranma
shrugged. He would worry about those changes later. Now, he wanted to
watch the brawl for that was what he considered the fight to be. He
noticed a two-foot woman with reasonably focused ki mowing through the
Phoenix line and leaving battered, bruised and generally unconscious
warriors in her wake. *Must be the matriarch of the village. Hmmmm! Her
ki seems similar... of course its my great great great something
granddaughter. Hmmm! She and that brown haired boy have a lot of
potential. Maybe I can train them both.* He resumed his scanning and
sensed the signatures of two men - one greedy and the other emotional.
Both were in their middle ages and both were not bad when it came to
fighting. He also detected a faint ki signature of a girl who was
dying. Her ki reserves, which were very small were the only thing
sustaining the husk that had become her body.
*This is as good a time as any to have a conversation with
the matriarch. Let's see, she should be able to sense this.* Ranma
probed the matriarch with one of the easiest ki probes that he
remembered from his days at the village. The matriarch stopped in her
tracks and nearly got cleaved in half by a high-pressure wave of air.
She jumped over the attack just in time. She took care of her
assailant, turned and looked at Ranma with a strange expression on her
face.
***********************************************************************
Cologne, three hundred-year-old matriarch of the Amazons
was having a jolly good time. The Phoenix warriors with their mediocre
skill may as well have been totally unskilled to her. Even though all
of them seemed to have some training in the art, their skills were far
below her own. The fight was completely one-sided all around her as she
ploughed through their ranks with the ferocity of a hurricane.
She was about to launch her staff at an airborne Phoenix
warrior who was preparing to deliver the pressure wave attack when she
felt someone probing her. The technique used for the probe was of
Amazonian origin. The user performed it flawlessly and skillfully.
Whoever he was (she sensed his ki), he was very skilled to have
mastered even that simple technique. The user was also a stranger. She
had never sensed the user at the village or among the few Musk who had
been taught the technique. She was shocked at the revelation that
people other than the allies of the village knew of this technique. She
stopped in her tracks and barely managed to save herself from the
attack. She took care of the Phoenix warrior and leveled her gaze at
the outsider who had mastered the technique.
The user was a young man of about twenty. What was amazing
about him was the fact that he was leaning against the rocky walls and
looking at the fight between Ryuuken and Saffron. He had a recognizable
smile upon his face, the same smile one had when they were having the
time of their life. Cologne attempted to probe him with her ki but he
momentarily turned his attention from the fight, smiled at her and
blocked her attempts with one of the most advanced Musk techniques. *He
knows Musk techniques too.* Thought the matriarch. The Musk generally
did not teach their techniques to outsiders unlike the Amazons.
Cologne retrieved her staff and moved towards the boy. His
smile had increased and his attention was firmly focused on her.
"Hello there, matriarch!" said the boy as she neared him.
Cologne looked at him strangely. "Who are you?" she asked.
the boys face struck a chord in her memory. However, she couldnot
remember when or where she had definitely seen it before. *I know his
face but from where.*
The boy evaded the question. "Nice brawl you have going on
here. By the looks of it you are winning." said he.
Cologne smiled. "Can you tell me who are you and how do you
know both Amazonian and Musk techniques?"
The boy laughed. "I learned my Amazonian techniques from
the matriarch of course. As for the Musk techniques, I learned them
from the advisor to the Musk emperor."
"Do not play with me child. I have been the matriarch for
over a hundred years and I have never seen you before in all my three
hundred years." replied the matriarch. She lied for it wouldnot do to
accept that she had seen him before. Her body tensed and she pulled in
her ki for a fight.
"Hey, Will you stop that. I am not here to fight you."
Ranma replied while waving his arms. He wanted her to know that she had
misinterpreted the situation.
"Then stop lying and start telling me the truth child."
replied Cologne. Her gaze never wavered and she did not relax her
guard. Her right foot was infront of her left one and she grasped her
staff lightly. Her stance would enable her to easily shift into any of
a number of offensive or defensive stances.
Ranma shook his head. *Some things never change.* "Surely,
matriarch, you must have seen me before since you appear to be a
descendant of the dragon." he said referring to his title in the
village.
Cologne almost fell off her staff at the word. Only the
Musk emperor and his council as well as the Amazonian elders knew of
her families origin and ties with the dragon. "How did you know that?"
The boy knew one of the most guarded secrets of the Amazons and she was
going to find out the leaks and plug them. You just cannot have the
truth about some of the legends getting around. If the communist
government heard the truth about them then the Amazons would become the
latest addition to the endangered species list.
"Ah! Come-on now, do I have to spell everything out for
you, matriarch or should I call you my great great granddaughter."
replied Ranma.
The images came flashing back to her. She remembered the
day some fifty years ago when she had last seen the statue of the
_dragon_ himself. The boy's face was hauntingly similar to the statue's
and the dragon _was_ supposed to be an ageless immortal.
*It couldn't be. Why would the dragon return now? The boy
had obviously seen the statue with the help of his collaborator in the
village and had undergone plastic surgery to fool the elders.* She
concluded. Being a matriarch meant knowing about the outside world and
she knew a lot about it. It was her job to keep the tribe's archives
upto date with news of the outside world and did a pretty good job with
some help from her contacts in the outside world. "You could have
undergone facial reconstruction surgery to fool us." she replied.
Ranma banged his head up the wall. The rock face developed
cracks. "What would I have to do to convince you?" moaned Ranma.
Cologne smiled. She had him now. He was obviously an
impersonator and only the real dragon would be able to beat Saffron.
"Why don't you defeat Saffron? If you can do it I will accept you as
the dragon."
Ranma groaned. "Anyone with skill can beat him now. Can't
you see that his blasts are weak." He pointed to the latest blast. The
whole area was charred and some parts of the mountain had melted under
the heat.
"Liar!" replied Cologne.
"He's weak. Someone, presumably the boy who is fighting him
now, must have disrupted the cycle. Saffron will probably die in a few
days from now." said Ranma. He was getting annoyed at her refusal to
believe him and his patience was wearing thin, his fifty years of
patience training be damned.
"Look, will you believe me if I stop the fight right now
and make Saffron listen to me." If she did not believe him then he
would have to return to Japan.
Cologne nodded. Saffron couldnot be in cahoots with the
boy. She was sure of it. What would a God gain by cheating them?
Ranma turned towards the fight once more. The bandanna clad
boy and the two middle-aged men were done with the Phoenix warriors and
were standing at the sidelines near the girl's body. The girls body had
been restored but she was going to die if something was not done to
save her.
Saffron was looking more steamed by the minute as the
relentless taunting continued. *The boy definitely does not lack skills
in that department! Ranma thought with a smile. Ranma had never seen
Saffron so worked up. Even during their battle two thousand-year back
the God had maintained his cool to a reasonable extent most of the
time. Now he just about looked ready to explode and take the entire
mountain and all those in it with him.
Saffron howled in fury as he launched yet another huge ball
of fire at the taunting martial artist. Ranma smiled and sent a ki
charged vacuum blade at the fireball. The boy could have easily evaded
the fireball but Ranma wanted to have Saffron's attention all to
himself.
The blade covered the distance between the fireball and
itself in the wink of an eye and exploded. Saffron seemed to be in
shock and the others turned towards Ranma and Cologne.
"Hello, Saffron. Long time no see." shouted Ranma. His ki
amplified his voice so that it was heard throughout the cavern.
Saffron's expression turned deathly pale. He knew whose
voice it was. He slowly turned towards Ranma and his expression
deepened. He could never stand upto the landling in his weak condition.
Ranma cleared his throat. "I remember saying that the
Phoenix would never hurt Amazons ever again."
Saffron landed on the ground and approached Ranma. He was
trying to look as haughty and uncaring as possible. He was scared to
death but he had to keep appearances for the sake of his image.
"They disrupted my rebirth cycle and because of them my
people will starve to death. I think that gives me the right to
revenge." replied the God, growing more and more confident. He was
right and the mortal dare not behave dishonourably though he did not
know what he would do if the mortal did so.
Ranma looked at the brown haired boy and his companions
with an annoyed expression on his face. he
asked. He remembered the guide telling him that these others were from
Japan.
The boy and his companion did not pay attention to him. The
boy's friend with the yellow bandanna had a dark green aura of
depression about him. He was mourning the girl's apparent death it
seemed. One of the men was also weeping uncontrollably whilst the other
two watched from the sidelines. Ranma turned to Saffron. "Wait, we will
resume this conversation as soon as I have helped that girl."
Ranma moved towards the bandanna boy and pressed a pressure
point that dispersed his heavy chi into the air. Then he pressed
another pressure point that made him unconscious. The other boy and the
man with the mustache tried to protest but Cologne bade them to stop
their interference. She was convinced of Ranma's identity after seeing
Saffron's reaction in the middle of the fight.
Ranma knelt by the girl and sensed her ki and mana lines.
*A ki transfer should do the trick.* He decided. Cupping his hands over
her chest, he began to gather a small amount of ki in his arms. The
others watched in amazement as the ki flowed into her body from his
hands. When the transfer was complete he pressed his hands over her
chest and focused his ki once more. The girl was a tomboy and he had
lost most of his nervousness around women during his stay at the
village. Concentrating hard, he released the exact amount of ki needed
to jump-start her heart. The girl's body shuddered. She moaned in a
little voice and her hands began to move.
Ranma got up and moved towards Saffron again. The man with
the mustache prostrated himself on Ranma's legs and raved about his
undying gratitude.
"I apologize for their behaviour, Saffron." said Ranma.
"Your apology will not say me people from starving to
death." spat the God of the Phoenix.
"All you had to do is ask the Amazons or the Musk for help
and they would give it to you, wouldn't you matriarch?"
Cologne nodded. "We have had a bountiful harvest but there
won't be enough for the Phoenix to survive through the winter. But we
will gladly share what we have with them."
Saffron looked at the two-foot matriarch and scowled. "If
the food won't last through the winter, what good will it be of to my
people? They will still starve to death."
Ranma looked at Saffron and then turned towards Cologne.
"The surplus will be provided to the Phoenix as soon as possible,
matriarch." He turned towards Saffron. "I will provide you with the
rest. Give your shopping list to the matriarch here or any of the
elders in the village and I will see to it that you get everything you
asked for within three weeks."
Saffron nodded.
"Good. Nice seeing you after all these years, Saffron. Now,
we have to go. Send your army's commander with the list to the
village." said Ranma and motioned for the others to move out of the
mountain.
***********************************************************************
Ryuuken Saotome was curious... no, curious did not even
begin to describe what he was feeling now. Not only had the stranger
come and stopped the fight but he had also gotten Saffron off their
back. He had saved Akane's life and Ryuuken had seen the look on
Saffron's face when the God-king had first seen the stranger. It was a
look he recognized easily enough. He had seen the look quite a lot on
his friend Ryouga's face. Ryouga would assume that 'I am so dead'
expression just after something he did pissed his girlfriend royally.
Thinking about the pig-headed moron, he turned around and
looked for him. It wouldn't do for poor Ryouga's health to get lost
while carrying Akane. The girl would probably bash his head right in
with that stupid mallet of hers for getting them lost in China. Ryuuken
shook his head. He would never understand women. The girl loved Ryouga
and treated him like scum from the lowest pit of hell.
He turned his eyes towards the stranger. The man was
walking in the front talking quietly with Cologne. Ryuuken decided to
have a talk with him and walked to the front. His moronic father and
his friend would probably take care of Ryouga and Akane.
spoke Ryuuken as he approached the stranger.
Ranma turned around and acknowledged the greeting.
asked Ryuuken. His brain
failing make the obvious connection.
Ranma shook his head. The boy was definitely lacking in the
social department. replied he.
Ranma had asked his great great granddaughter to not reveal
his identity to none save the elders and the Musk emperor. Cologne had
accepted and had made him upto date on the political situation in the
valley of the cursed springs. Over the centuries, the relationship
between the two tribes had improved and the Amazons had gotten along
much better with the Musk. Even intertribal marriages between the two
tribes had become common in the last thirty years. The two tribes had
abandoned many of their idiosyncrasies such as the "beat 'em up to a
pulp, if you wanna marry 'em" rule and "dump a pig into the spring of
the drowned girl and get a woman free for life." The two tribes had
become the strongest of allies through the centuries.
Ryuuken kicked himself mentally for not having made
the connection.
Ranma's hand went to his pigtail. I am Ranma Qin. My
friends just call me Ranma.
replied Ryuuken, unsure as to how he should proceed
with the conversation. Cologne excused herself and dropped to the back.
said Ranma trying to keep the conversation going.
This bit of information got Ranma's interest.
Ryuuken nodded. I am also cursed. Stupid pops kicked me
into the spring of the drowned wolf after he got cursed. said Ryuuken.
replied Ranma. He did not know what to say
about a moron who would kick his son into the pools of sorrow.
Ranma nodded. A summary was enough as far as he was
concerned. asked Ranma.
Ranma was impressed. Most of the martial artists he had
encountered in the last fifty of so years did not even have rudimentary
control over their ki or chi. To know three techniques at such an young
age showed the boys skill.
Ryuuken
said proud of his achievements.
asked Ranma, his
curiosity piqued.
Ranma smiled. The Amazons had not taught the boy about ki.
He too would have done exactly the same. The tribe's and the Musk's
mastery of ki reigned supreme in the planet. There had been other
techniques that he had learnt and that were superior to the Amazons and
the Musk's mastery of ki. These techniques had all but died and he was
the only user of many of them.
Now Ryuuken was confused. If Cologne did not know
chi attacks what were the Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken and the rest
called.
asked Ranma.
replied Ryuuken.
Ryuuken shook his head. He had no idea where this
conversation was leading.
explained Ranma.
All these attacks used the
same energy source, so what's the big deal.
asked Ranma.
replied Ryuuken.
asked
Ryuuken. He had spent nearly a whole week coming up with the attack
after Ryouga had easily beaten him in their usual sparring match with
his Shi Shi Hokudan. It was the first technique he had created on his
own and he did not want to give it up.
replied
Ranma.
I must give it up then.
Ryuuken thought for a while. He asked Ranma.
I can give you advice on how to focus ki.
***********************************************************************
Ryouga Hibiki, the eternally lost boy, carried his precious
Akane-chan in his arms. His life had been devoid of friends and family
until he had met her five years ago. His family had the same
directional difficulties as him and he scarcely saw his father or
mother. In the last four years he had seen his father once and had
never laid eyes on his mother. His directional sense had been the cause
of many of his problems. The most important one being his trouble with
bullies at school when he had been a pre-schooler. He had trained very
hard to be able to defend himself and soon found himself one of the
best in his generation.
The worst effect of growing up without his family to
support and to teach him in a hostile world had been on his psyche. His
chronic depression had led to more than three suicide attempts (none
knew about them of course) and he had a psychotic and a slightly
sadistic streak in him. As a result, when he had broken the jaw of one
of the bullies soon after he started taking classes in martial arts the
bullies had decided to leave him alone. Moreover, he had enjoyed the
sensations that he had felt on breaking the boy's jaw very much.
Ryouga was rather proud of having broken the bully's jaw
and he taken to his new found passion like fish to water. He had
increased increased his training regimen and stretched his limits just
a little day after day, week after week.
He had been attending some school in Juuban when he had
been twelve. During the lunch interval, he had went to the bathroom and
got lost as usual. A month and a half later, he had somehow ended up in
the hallways of Furinkan high where he met his beloved Akane. She had
been the only one to show pity on him and he had fallen in love with
her. Akane loved him too, but after she had discovered that he
surpassed her in martial arts, she had become a _little_ violent. Now,
whenever he did something wrong she would give him a blow on his head
with that mallet of hers. After four years of beatings he still did not
know what it was that he did wrong. Ryuu had been of great help when he
had secretly taught him the Bakusai Tenketsu. He had become Ryuu's
friend after the kid helped him out and he had discovered that the
little kid was his equal in the arts. He would leave once or twice a
month with the GPS that Nabiki had bought him (The commission he had
given her had him bankrupt for a whole year.) and he would train in
some new technique and try to beat Ryuu. Mr. Saotome also taught him
and sparred with him daily. Therefore, his martial arts had not
suffered because of his stay at the Tendo's.
Akane did not beat him that often, he knew. It was only
when she got jealous that she vent her frustrations and anger on him.
As a result, he would get hit once or twice a month at the most. Then
those damned Phoenix had come and had kidnapped her for a reason that
only the kami knew. He had asked Ryuu's help and his friend had
consented. They had come to China with Akane's and Ryuu's fathers and
had tried to rescue Akane with the help of the Amazonian elder. Akane's
body fluids had been drained by accident and though he had restored her
body, her heart wouldn't resume beating. It was at that time that the
stranger had come. He had caught a glimpse or two of the new arrival
and had thought lillt of him until the man had made Saffron see sense
and brought Akane back from the dead. *Who is that man?* Lost in his
thoughts Ryouga shifted Akane's body in his arms and the inevitable
happened. His arm found something soft and before he realized what it
was, Akane woke up from her beauty sleep.
He knew from experience that a cranky Akane meant a trip
sooner than later via the infamous Akane express. Now, he had
compounded his situation by grasping her breasts accidentally. In
Akane's view that amounted to groping and groping was definitely a
hentai act demanding a swift retribute with the mallet. Ryouga's nose
began to bleed as his imagination took over and as his fate would have
it, Akane saw that too.
"Yeeewwww! Ryouga you pervert!" she shouted. She took his
nosebleed as evidence that he had touched her 'there' with some
perverted intention.
His love for her be damned Ryouga let go of her and tried
to run away. Unfortunately, his sense of direction made him step over
Akane, who was rubbing her sore butt after hitting the dirt and he fell
to the ground.
"RYOUGA YOU STUPID JERKKKK!" she shouted as she raised her
mallet to the heavens above.
Wham! Bonk! Kaboom!
The beating of the century went on infront of everyone.
Ranma was shocked at the girls behaviour and Cologne fell down from her
staff and rolled on the floor laughing hysterically.
***********************************************************************
Soun Tendo followed behind his daughter with his friend
Genma Saotome. Their friendship was formed during the days of their
training under the lecherous grandmaster of Matsubeto Katuto Ryuu, the
infamous women's underwear thief, the one and only Happousai. Soon
after their marriage they had been inebriated after several hours of
drinking sake in the company of their master when they had made taken a
vow. Soun had never been so squiffed in his entire life as he had been
that day. They would unite the two schools together with their
children's marriages, they had promised each other and they intended to
keep it too.
Several years after Genma took his son, Ranma on a training
trip Genma came to the Tendo dojo one day. Soun's wife had died a month
ago and Soun had been mourning the loss of his wife. He had abandoned
his children in his despair and stayed in his room uncaring as to the
affairs of the house. When Genma arrived with the news of Ranma's death
Soun had sunk deeper into the pit of despair. Genma had stayed with him
for two months and had brought him out of his despair with his jokes or
so Genma believed. More than anything else Genma's mere presence had
been the only thing that brought Soun out of the throes of despair.
Genma had left after those two months and a letter had arrived from him
telling him about Ryuuken Saotome.
Soun had rejoiced at the news. He still kept that letter
carefully tucked away in his room. Soun had stopped taking classes
after all his students abandoned him. They refused to study under him
and it had been his second daughter, Nabiki, who had kept the family
about with her shady dealings. Soun's honour, as it was, found no wrong
in that and Nabiki had grown and blossomed into a full-time mercenary.
Even if his honour had found his daughter's behaviour wrong, he
wouldnot, have done anything. He was afraid of her as it was. The girl
even blackmailed her own father.
His eldest daughter, Kasumi, was the one who had kept his
family together and she had grown up to be a woman as kind and gentle
as a soft breeze. Kasumi was one of the best cooks in the world and
would one day become a wonderful mother and a loving wife.
His youngest daughter, Akane, had been the youngest and
most unprepared of his daughters when her mother had died. She had
retreated into herself and the arts. Since none guided her in the art,
she was shabby at best and horrendous at worst. Her temper tantrums
were unbelievable in their intensity and she had become every bit the
spoiled brat. He knew in the pits of his soul that he was responsible
for his daughter's personality and therefore he tolerated it. He did
not know what that Ryouga boy found in her but given his psychotic
tendencies, he really did not want to know. He did not want to see his
youngest daughter married to that freak but he couldnot find it in his
heart and tell her to stop seeing him. The joy that reflected in her
face when she was with him and when she thought none was looking
ensured that things stayed the way they did.
When his dear friend Genma arrived with his son in their
cursed forms, he had fainted at first sight. Genma had been the first
to transform and after restraining the wolf, he had commenced his
woeful story of curses, hardship and magic. Soun's heart had been
touched at the troubles and triumphs that the father and son had
undergone. Finally, when the well-spun tale was finished Soun had
poured hot water over the boy and had offered the naked boy the first
two daughters to choose as his fiancee. The boy had beaten them up
after he had gotten dressed and had proclaimed that he would choose his
fiancee after he was eighteen and that too out of honour as he had no
intention of marrying girls older than himself.
He had sunk in to the deepest pits of depression when Akane
had been kidnapped. Ryouga had shouted something about hell to pay and
prepare to die or something in that context. He had not been listening
to the psychotic freak and thus remembered little of his lamentations.
Then the freak had gone and asked Ryuu for help. They did not know
where Akane's kidnappers where and this put a huge dent in their plans
for a rescue mission. Thankfully, the guide's daughter had arrived and
after hearing about the Phoenix, they had all left for China. Ryuu had
recruited an Amazon elder whose skills reminded them of their master.
They had went to the mountain and found out that they were facing a God
of all things.
During the fight Akane had become a dried up mummy and they
had given up all hope of seeing her alive when the stranger arrived and
rescued her from the dead.
***********************************************************************
Genma walked by Soun's side with his usual greed and
foolishness. Yes, Genma had changed some over the decade after he had
lost his first born. The few things that he had learned after Ranma had
presumably died were: a) Soun's wife had died. b) He had a second son
and a stupid wife who believed every damned lie he said. c) do not mess
around with the catfist. He had learned it from Ranma's presumed death,
of course. d) Happousai never dies. His lecherous traits only increase
at a rate that is directly proportional to the fourth power of his age.
e) Never mess around with Amazons. It would result in a lot of pain. f)
A healthy boy on the road meant a healthy diet as you can barter him
for pickles, rice and whatnot. If you do not have a boy with you, you
are not worth S*** in the eyes of the people you are planning to
freeload on. i) His second born, Ryuu, had lost all respect for him. He
had tried to gain his son's respect numerous times but he had failed
miserably.
After he had searched for Ranma, he had left for Tokyo with
a heavy stomach and a not so heavy heart. While on his way to Juuban
where his wife awaited him he stopped by his dear friends house. There
he had found Soun in the midst of a terrible depression. Soun's wife
had apparently died and he had stayed there for two months freeloading
on Soun's meager financial savings. He had somehow gotten his friend
out of the depression. He went home to find his wife with little
Ryuuken Saotome in her hands. His joy had known no bounds and he had
spun a really tale about monsters and such. He had told her about his
valiant yet futile struggle to save their son. In addition, Nodoka had
believed him. After all these years he still found it hard to believe
that his wife was as dumb as a rock who lived in her own little world
with her stupid and completely perverted notions of manhood.
He had badly wanted to train Ryuuken and make him succeed
where his first born had failed. He had easily persuaded Nodoka after
he had given the customary 'it was a samurai wife's duty' speech. He
had traveled throughout Japan using his innocent son as a bartering
card and a handy fiancee. *Thank God, those fools who engaged their
daughters to my son have not caught up with me. If they did, Ryuuken
would skin me alive.*
He still cursed the day that he had fallen into Jusenkyo.
He did not give a damn about whatever happened to his son but he too
had been cursed on that occasion. It was in anger more than anything
else at the thought of his newfound curse and how his own son had
caused it that he had kicked his son into one of the pools. The boy
must have known the truth behind the kick at some unconscious level.
His son had gotten angry, gone berserk and had tried to wring his
throat out but the Amazons had arrived just in time.
Their matriarch had insisted that the boy stay with them
and he had attacked her thinking that she would be easy to beat. That
had proved to be one of the worst mistakes of his life. She had given
him a thorough beating and had done things that made the sadistic
master look like a barbie doll with cute blonde hair. The pain he had
endured while she was busy with him had made the master's tortures seem
like the happiest moments of his life. He had spent the next one-month
recovering from the incredible beating that he had received.
He had wisely decided to stay out of their way for the next
three years. When the three years were finished, he had returned to the
village to claim his son from the Amazons. His son had become his equal
in those three years and with their advanced techniques easily beat
him. He had decided to teach his son the forbidden techniques to gain
his son's respect. He had squandered the final opportunity to gain the
boy's respect of course. The boy learned the techniques but now loathed
him and took every opportunity to beat the stuffing out of him.
He knew that he was not the greatest father in the world or
even one of the bad ones. Infact he knew very well that he was probably
the worst father in the world. In his mind, he had caused the death of
his first born and then lied to his very own wife to save his ass.
Father's did not get any worse then that. He only wished that things
had gone differently though he knew in his mind that he would have done
the same mistakes all over again if he got the chance to go into the
past and change it, for such was his personality.
When his friends youngest daughter, Akane had been
kidnapped he had wanted no part in the rescue effort. He had come
anyway as Soun was his only friend in the world and he did owe it to
Soun. Also, he thought that it might be another chance to gain his
son's respect, which it hadn't. Contrary to what people might think
Genma did have a sense of honour though it was perverted beyond
imagination. They had traveled to China after they had learnt the
location of the kidnapper's kingdom. Only when the Amazon elder had
joined them did he learn that they were about to face a God. His
cowardice had got the better of him after that and he had plotted. He
had thought that Soun would run off and he would use that as an excuse
to run away himself but Soun had been hell bent on saving his daughter.
During the fight he had taken care of the weakest of the Phoenix,
fighters letting the others do all the hard work.
Halfway into the fight, Akane had been changed into a
living mummy and he had thought that she would die. A part of him had
grieved for the child but another part of him was happy as they would
not have to confront Saffron to save her. It was then that the strange
yet somehow familiar boy had come and stopped the fight. He was
grateful, for the kid had saved their lives. A part of him was even now
telling him something that the pile of garbage he called his brain
could not even comprehend.
***********************************************************************
The group arrived at Jusenkyo the day after the battle with
Saffron. It was time for them to bid their farewells to one another.
"Cologne, you have great potential. I want to teach you
some of the things that I had learned in my wanderings." said Ranma.
Both of them stood under the shadows of a tree. It was midday and one
wanted to avoid the sun as much possible, though the temperature beyond
the shadows was tolerable.
The matriarch looked at her ancestor from atop her staff
and smiled. No matter how old you were, being praised always brought
joy. "You have finally decided to return to the village after two
thousand years?"
Ranma shook his head. "No, seeing you has brought back the
memories. I still cannot find the strength in my heart to enter the
village. I thought that I was ready but it seems that I was wrong. I
will visit the village someday in the future but for now I want you to
come to Japan with me and learn from me there, great great
granddaughter." said Ranma and smiled at the matriarch. They were alone
and none was in hearing distance.
Cologne found it amazing that he still loved his wife after
she had been dead for more than two thousand years. "You still haven't
forgotten her or stopped loving her, have you great grandfather?" It
was more of a statement than of a question. She smiled at the
grandfather part. It was nice to see someone who was her elder after
nearly seven decades.
Ranma returned the smile ruefully. He was never at ease
when he discussed about his wife or about the time at the Amazon
village. It brought too much memories to him.
"Can I bring along my great great granddaughter, Shampoo
along?" she asked.
"I don't see why not. Is she any good at the arts?" he
asked. He wanted to teach the Amazons some of the easier and less
dangerous things that he had learnt.
"She is good taking if you take into account the times in
which she lives but she is not even a match for Ryuuken. That boy is
the most skillful in this generation, I think!"
Ranma nodded. *You can't have them all.* "Fine then. I will
stay at the guides hut waiting for you and your granddaughter"
Cologne left the pools and hurried towards the village. It
wouldn't do to have her honourable ancestor waiting for long.
Ranma returned to the guide's house and found Ryuuken and
the others preparing to leave. Ryuuken walked upto Ranma.
he said. His three years in the Amazon
village had taught him some modesty.
Ranma waited for three hours after Ryuuken and the others
had gone. Cologne and Shampoo arrived and they began their journey to
Tokyo.
***********************************************************************
In Japan...
Fuji or Fuji-san as it is respectfully called is a volcano
of indescribable grace and beauty that evokes awe and wonder in the
hearts of those who lay their eyes upon it. The mountain is located in
the Honshu island in mainland Japan. To the vacationing tourist Fuji's
beauty lies in its massive yet isolated elegance. Countless pictures
have been drawn of this venerated mountain, which has come to symbolize
Japan in so many ways.
On the summit of Fuji are 'the eight petals of Fuji', the
eight peaks that adorn the summit. Between these peaks lies the Nai-in,
the sanctuary. Fuji is also thought to be the home of Amatersu Omikami,
the Goddess of the Sun. It was true that the Kami herself resided in
the mountain. Lines of mana from all over the world converged on the
mountain. Though there were similar convergence sites in all the
planets, this was the most powerful of them all.
Fuji with all its beauty and glory hid a terrible secret.
It's Nai-in was the doorway to a prison. A prison created by the Gods
themselves to seal away an evil that threatened all of existence. The
evil had been battering the door for countless millennia. Though the
door had nearly broken on several occasions, it would mend itself as
the force that had been applied was not enough to completely shatter
it. The door had weakened through the millennia and now it was about to
break releasing the ancient evil upon the world.
The door was pushed slowly towards its breaking point and
finally it broke and shattered. The Gods had known that this would
happen and had created eight seals to give the world the time to
prepare for this menace. Now with the doorway broken beyond repair the
hordes of Ashura's rushed out into reality. Their leader a middle-aged
man with a brownish complexion came out and was confronted by Amatersu
Omikami.
"You cannot kill me, God." said the man contemptuously.
"That maybe so Raja Chola but one can always try." replied
the kami glaring at him.
Raja Chola laughed. "Begone God. I have better things to
worry about."
Amatersu did not move. "Be warned Raja Chola. do not harm
the humans. If you do, you will be destroyed." she replied.
"None can kill me. My boon will prevent them from killing
me. Now move out of the way or should I kill you now?" warned the king
of the Ashura's.
Amatersu moved out of the way and retreated to her home.
Some fights are won by not fighting them at all.
Raja Chola watched her leave, his contempt for her kind
showing clearly in his face for all his minions to see. He glanced
towards the eight seals and shook his head. *Fools, do they think that
they can stop me with these seals.* "Indra!" he shouted.
The Ashura of that name appeared before him. "I can sense
those sailor scouts. They are weak but they are a threat to the
invasion. I want you to send two of your best warriors to kill them."
His previous experience with the sailor scouts had made him wary of
them and he wanted them out of the way as soon as possible. He would
have sent more to take care of them but though the doorway had been
broken, the tear was small allowing only one or two to pass through. It
would remain that way as long as the seals were in place. When they
broke, all his army would be free to invade the world and when they had
destroyed it they would go after the Gods and he would have avenged
dear Anita's death. Until then, he would send his best troops in little
groups to take care of the scouts and other threats.
Indra nodded. "Yes, My king. I will do as you please."
Hell was about to break loose on the streets on Juuban...
***********************************************************************
Author's rants:
That's the end of the second chapter.
The attacks used:
Ikidooru Ryuu - Angry Gragon. A chi based attack which uses
the users anger as a focus to channel ki.
Hiryuu Shoten Ha Kaihan: Ken Joukai - Flying dragon ascend
to heaven strike revision: Fist of Heaven. A variation of the normal
Hiryuu Shoten Ha. It is a tornado punch.
Hiryuu Shoten Ha Kaihan: Genkan Joukai Kirite - Flying
dragon ascend to heaven strike revision: Heaven's doorway cleaver.
I would like to take this free space and prostate myself
infront of my pre-readers and grovel on the ground.
The story is hosted at the following sites:
1. Mine (http://samrtaleck.anifics.com)
2. Lady cosmos (http://www.crosswinds.net/~ladycosmos/)
3. Rakhal's Penultimate Ranma Fanfic index
(http://www.rakhal.com/FFIndex/lstmain.html)
4. FFML archives
(http://miniarchive.dyndns.org:123/cgi-bin/MiniArchive.exe)
5. Mediaminer fanfic archives (www.mediaminer.org/fanfic)
I would like to take this oppurtunity to
prostrate myself in front of my pre-readers. Thank you, guys! This
couldn't have been possible without all of you:
jakub [jpilecki@poczta.onet.pl]
Kaz [kazblah945@aol.com]
Madcat [madcat08@hotmail.com]
Brain [bmccullough@nucles.com]
James Merritt [j.merritt1@home.com]
Philip Penty [plainswaker@hotmail.com]
Nathan Shuker [rezantis@hotmail.com]
Zero [shinzero@home.com]
Hints for you readers from the author:
Hint #1: Arun doesnot write to a schedule, he really has to
spend a lot of time with his psychiatrist.
Hint #2: (for those out standing critics out there[;)])Call
Arun anything you want in your mail provided (though he won't) he has
the right to call you by these same names. Arun appreciates
constructive negative comments and he really loves the positive
comments. Its the 'Go to hell you mother F***ing Freak of nature' and
such that he hates. Please send me your negative comments though I
would be most grateful if you would tone down the I hate you part a
little.
Destiny
By arun
Chapter#02
This is a Ranma 1/2 - Sailor Moon crossover with certain
aspects of Ramayana.
Disclaimers:
Ranma and the cast members of Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko
Takahashi and Shogukkan. Rumiko Takahashi is one of the most brilliant
people to walk on the face of this earth. We the fans of the anime
world are forever indebted to her for giving us Ranma and co. Thank you
Rumiko Takahashi for bringing laughter back into our lives.
Sailor Moon and its characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi,
Toei animation and KODANSHA.
I do not own the characters of both these shows, nor do I
even pretend to own them. This work of fiction is but a tribute to the
above anime shows.
Guys:
!....* indicate thoughts. In the first and second chapters
indicates Japanese and "..." indicates Chinese.
In all the other chapters the reciprocal is true.
***********************************************************************
"She is beautiful." said Ranma. Xas Min smiled at the compliment.
Higashikaze was at the moment breast-feeding and Ranma was starring
star struck at his child and her antics with er... the feeding
instrument. He brought his forefinger to his daughters cheek and
caressed it gently. He looked up at her mother and looked lovingly at
her.
"She looks just like you." he whispered. Taking Xas Min's
head in his arms, he kissed her forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too." Xas Min whispered back.
Little Higashi gurgled and snuggled closer to her mothers
warm body. Ranma just shook his head in wonder.
"I have got to go now and take my classes. I be back when I
done."
"Be back as soon as you can." said Xas Min as he left the
room with a parting kiss to his wife and child.
Outside the house...
"So, Son-in-law, how is my great great great grandchild
coming along." asked Xiao poggoing towards him on her staff.
"She is doing just fine." replied Ranma. He paused for a
moment and looked at his _mother_. He had started calling her and Pher
Fom mother after he had married Xas Min. She understood his need for a
mother as he had never had one and did not object to the title.
"Mother, may I... I want to speak with you in private."
Xiao Lui nodded. She had an idea of what he wanted to talk
to her about. "Come with me then. I think that my little east wind can
wait a little longer."
She led to her house and seated him on a wooden chair.
"What is bothering you son-in-law?"
"I... I realized just yesterday that I am a father. I don't
know if I am ready for that role and...", he paused.
The nearly four hundred year old matriarch laughed. "What
happened to your confidence, son-in-law?"
"I... It is not easy for me, mother, to ask for help." he
paused wanting her to understand that he did not want to be teased.
"There is so much for me to do and think about now that I am a father.
I do not know whether I am upto the job."
Xiao Lui frowned. This was a facet of Ranma she had never
seen before. The Ranma she knew did not _fear_ even the mightiest of
enemies. This new Ranma was the socially insecure one who had grown
through his childhood without friends. As a member of the royal family
he was respected and obeyed but had no friends except his brother.
"You will do fine, son-in-law. I saw the way you looked at
my newest granddaughter when you first saw her. I saw the love and the
care in your eyes. It is enough to make all the difference."
Ranma rose. "Thank you mother, for your words of wisdom. I
feel much better now."
Xiao Lui smiled. The old Ranma had returned. "Won't you
stay and have some tea, son-in-law?"
Ranma shook his head. "No, mother, I do not have the time.
As it stands I am a good half an hour late for my beginners class."
Ranma had begun to take beginners class soon after he had married. He
said that he wanted to spend more time with his wife and the elders had
agreed. Spending time with his wife was okay with them, they too wanted
a progeny from their union to enhance the gene pool. He still taught
several warriors advanced ki techniques once or twice a week though the
classes lasted more than three or four hours at a stretch. He chose his
own students and with the elder's approval was grooming them for seats
in the council. Xiao Lui still was his best student and the matriarch
had learned some of the more complex techniques in his arsenal.
***********************************************************************
Xiao Lui proved to be right. Ranma turned out to a doting
parent who loved his daughter very much. He, Xas Min and little
Higashikaze turned out to be the most popular family in the village.
Ranma would skip classes just so that he could play and cuddle with his
daughter. Sometimes, he would take her to the mountains and show her
around while soaring across the treetops. Higashi loved these sessions
and everytime Ranma came home from his classes she would pester him for
the piggy-ride.
***********************************************************************
Inside the Phoenix mountain...
Pei Pei commander of the Phoenix forces and a concubine of
the God-king Saffron snuggled closer to her majesty. They had just
spent two hours 'discussing' the feasibility of their plan to attack
the Amazons and the Musk and bring the entire valley under Phoenix
control.
The thoughts of the battle plans had taken a less priority
after Saffron had invited her to his bedroom to continue the
'discussion' in private.
"My lord..." Pei Pei murmured dreamily.
Saffron raised his eyebrow. What would be more important
than the 'discussion' they were having?
"I am sure that we can defeat the Amazons but the attack
must be executed in secret. We cannot have them prepare for our attack.
If they had prepared than the chances of our victory are not so...
Ohhhh!"
Apparently annoyed with her interruption Saffron had
decided to continue the 'discussion', which she had so rudely
interrupted.
Pei Pei cursed herself. Tactics and strategies needed to be
discussed with her Lord but the 'things' he was proposing in their
'discussion' were so wonderful. She had never before felt so good in
her life. *I will wait until this discussion is over and then we can
continue with the war strategy.* "Ohhhhhh God!" moaned Pei Pei once
more as her Lord proceeded to the next step of their very private
'discussion'. She would wait for another time when he wasn't so busy so
that they may discuss the plans in detail.
***********************************************************************
People who knew Pei Fao said he was the shrewdest and most
successful businessman in the entire Amazon nation. He loved his wife
and kids but to him his business always took priority over these petty
concerns. He certainly was one of the richest men in the village and
perhaps in the entire world. His business dealings extended everywhere
beyond the boundaries of the Amazon nation. His contacts in Tibet and
India provided the spice and salts that were important for the survival
of the Amazon nation.
If anyone in the village wanted something that couldnot be
obtained within the Amazon nation they would go to Pei Fao and he would
arrange it for them. The commission he charged for these special cases
where very high but people came to him because he made sure that they
got what they wanted and his goods had good quality.
He did not have extensive training in martial arts and even
a ten-year-old in the village could have easily taken him on. However,
his status in the village and in the lands that surrounded it
guaranteed that he was one of the most powerful people in the village.
The matriarch of his family, Kho Om had spotted the boys unwillingness
to fight and the exceptional skill he demonstrated in business.
Therefore, she had apprenticed him to one of the village's premier
businesswoman. Pei Fao had started his own business after he had learnt
everything he could and then had promptly run all the other businesses
in the village to the ground.
By the time he was nearing his thirties he had amassed
quite a fortune by himself and married one of the most promising
warriors in the village. The marriage was not a match made in heaven as
proven by the frequent disputes between the both of them.
Like all businessmen, he had enemies and he plotted
endlessly to bring about their death or destruction. The topmost
candidate in the list was the village sweetheart Xas Min and her
husband Ranma. His son Goe Su had been the only joy and pride in his
life outside his business and that bitch had destroyed it. She had made
certain that his precious son could never father a child in his life.
He still fumed at the thought of what she had done to his son. Goe Su
had followed his father's example and had become quite the bully like
his father in the outside world. However, not everyone is cowed down by
huge body's and Goe Su had lost that essential psychological advantage
on that fateful day. Consequently, he had lost quite easily to the
healer bitch that day.
On this particular evening, he stood outside the village
waiting for a special parcel that he had ordered from one of his
contacts in India. The parcel contained an undetectable poison that
would kill whoever ingested it slowly. *The bitch will pay for what she
did to my son.* These were the dark thoughts that ran through Pei Fao's
mind.
There was a slight commotion in the bushes to his left.
Thinking that his parcel had arrived Pei Fao walked towards the bush
whistling to himself. He gave the signal for the messenger to come out
but none did.
Pei Fao's shrewd brain realized that something was wrong.
He went a little into the bush and found a badly mangled Amazon warrior
clinging to her life. He hollered for help and carried the woman into
the village. The village buzzed with activity as warriors ran hither
and thither and prepared to defend the village against an attack.
Inside Pher Fom's house, the elders interrogated the dying
warrior. The elder's had recognized the woman as a member of an outpost
that stood in the border between the Amazons and the Phoenix lands.
***********************************************************************
The Phoenix warriors discussed amongst themselves. They had
been ordered by the second in command, Mascara to chase and kill the
few Amazonian scum before they reached the village. They had succeeded
in killing all but one of them. The last one had burnt her own hands to
seal her blood vessels and had successfully eluded them for a whole
day. Just when they had been about to catch up with her some man had
rescued her and sealed their fates. They knew the punishment for
failure. They would be skinned alive and impaled on stakes if Pei Pei
felt lenient towards them.
"We cannot tell the commander, You know that any failure on
our part will lead to execution." murmured the Phoenix in command of
the chase.
His colleagues nodded. They in addition, did not want to
suffer such horrible punishments and die so young.
"Very well, then, we will tell Mascara that we have killed
the Amazonian scum of a warrior." spat the commanding officer. Their
little discussion finished the three Phoenix took to the sky.
***********************************************************************
"Tell me child, who attacked the outpost?" asked Xiao Lui
for the tenth time. The escaped Amazon was delirious and her wounds
were gangrenous. She would not live for more than a few hours.
The warrior was too lost in her own nightmares to answer
the question.
Slap!
Slap!
"I repeat again child, tell me who attacked the outpost?"
asked the matriarch. Xiao Lui knew that it was cruel and inhuman to hit
the dying woman. However, it had too be done if they were to have any
chance of winning the war that was about to erupt. She knew that it was
the Phoenix but without the woman's testimony, the elders as usual
would debate for hours and they may not have that much time on their
hands.
The warriors delirious ranting did not diminish but they
became more coherent.
"No! do not die on me! I love youuuuuu and you promised
that you wouldnot leave me." the warrior screamed, obviously she was
reliving the death of her lover.
The ranting kept on and on until her lover died, again, in
her mind. The woman let out an anguished scream that echoed through the
village. "I will have your head, Phoenix scum!!!!"
The matriarch nodded. She had all the information she
needed. She motioned Pher Fom to render the woman unconscious. They
would not kill the woman out of pity. The tribes laws were very
stringent on that one. Anyone who killed an Amazon would be subject to
immediate banishment from the tribe followed by a death hunt. With a
heavy heart, she asked one of the warriors to call Ranma.
Presently, Ranma arrived dressed entirely in black. He knew
that as the most proficient warrior in the village he would be chosen
for the intelligence-gathering mission. As Ranma entered the council
hall the bickering elders quieted and looked at him.
"Ranma, we have a mission of the utmost importance for
you." began Kho Om.
Ranma remained silent.
"We have discovered the identity of the attackers. They are
the Phoenix." Ranma raised an eyebrow at the name. The elders have been
receiving reports of Phoenix incursions into Amazon territories for the
past seven or eight months. The Amazon nation had been preparing for a
war for as long. He had suspected as much when he had first heard of
the attack.
"It seems that Saffron, has decided that he had waited long
enough and is now pushing to extend the frontiers of his people. We
have already sent the village's best runner to the Musk to inform them
of the attack. We need intelligence on the strength of the Phoenix and
since you are the most accomplished fighter in the village you have
been chosen for the mission."
Ranma bowed and left the room. Time was of the utmost
importance if they were to win the war.
***********************************************************************
Ranma gently probed the area with his ki. There were two
Phoenix warriors guarding the area. He could sense that they were both
inexperienced and had very loosely focused ki. He shook his head in
disapproval. It seemed that the Phoenix was not expecting incursions by
the Amazons. *Oh well, it makes my job that much easier! He thought as
he cloaked his ki and approached the two. Both were standing a little
distance away from each other as though they disliked the idea of
working together.
Without a sound, Ranma dropped in front of the nearest one
and pressed several pressure points on his head and shoulders. The move
was executed at Amaguriken speed and the Phoenix warrior did not even
open get over his surprise before all the voluntary muscles in his body
froze up. One of the pressure points he had pressed also stole the
guard's voice and it would be a matter of hours before all his muscles
tightened so much that his bones would break. The other guard who had
been looking away all along turned Ranma's way and Ranma was at his
side in a flash. He paralyzed the guards voice box and then moved onto
his voluntary muscles. One by one within a second, all the voluntary
muscle groups froze and Ranma gently applied his fingers to the guards
jugular vein until he lost consciousness. Having rendered the soldier
unconscious he tied his prisoner and hefted him onto a tree. The
pressure points he had used to paralyze the boy's voluntary muscles
would wear off in a few hours and he hoped to have finished his job by
then.
He reconnoitered around the destroyed outpost and saw
several hundred Phoenix soldiers resting at different points around the
outpost. He noted their positions and made his way to the area from
where the Amazons would most likely attack.
What he saw made his blood run cold with fury. Throughout
the terrain were crosses onto which the beheaded bodies of the Amazon
defenders had been mounted. That fact by itself was not sickening. What
was sickening was that several Phoenix were playing some kind of game
with one of the heads kicking it hither and thither. He masked his
anger and left to retrieve his prisoner. The boy would provide all
information that he knew about Phoenix troop movements and all that.
The elders would see to that.
His mission done he made his way to the Amazon village as
fast as he could.
***********************************************************************
Ranma stood infront of the captured Phoenix. The boy had
come to his senses halfway through the return trip and had struggled.
Not wanting to be slowed down Ranma had again rendered him unconscious
and had reached the village.
The elders had decided that Ranma would have a
psychological advantage over the prisoner and had entrusted him with
the not so pleasant job of interrogation. By his side stood two vases
and a dozen torture instruments. Behind the prisoner sat the elders
presiding over the interrogation. They would communicate with him
through hand signals in the dim light. The windows of the room, which
had not so long ago delivered Higashi into the world had been barred
and was lit by only a few animal fat lamps.
Ranma had protested upon being entrusted the distasteful
task. He was a warrior, not a sadist. He took a deep breath and sat
himself infront of the boy. The boy looked defiantly at him through his
horror filled eyes. He knew what was about to happen to him.
Ranma gritted his teeth. No matter how much he hated what
he had to do, it had to be done if innocent lives were to be saved. As
much as, he hated killing someone he would gladly do it if many may
live because of it.
With a emotionless gaze, Ranma asked the first question.
"What is your name and rank?"
The question was highly irrelevant, but the way the boy
answered the question would indicate his attitude towards the
interrogation.
The boy kept quiet. Ranma almost frowned. There was nothing
they could gain from learning his name and position. *Young and
foolish.*
"Listen very carefully. You have been captured and is now a
prisoner of the Joketsuzoku Amazons." The boys eyes widened. Since when
did the Amazons began using men in important roles. "I am going to ask
you some questions and you will answer them. If you don't you will be
tortured until you answer."
The boy spat at Ranma's face. Ranma swiped away the spit
from his face and allowed himself to frown.
"This is going to be painful."
Ranma bent forward and pressed a hidden pressure point in
the boys chest. *That will increase his sensitivity to pain.*
Without blinking Ranma took some chilli powder and rubbed
it against the boys wrists. The skin had been scraped there and the boy
screamed in agony. Taking a thorn Ranma rubbed it with chilli and then
inserted the thorn inside the boys forefinger. He left it there and
looked at his charge.
"Tell me what is your name and rank?" The voice was devoid
of emotions. It might have as well come from a dead body. This time the
boy complied.
The session continued on. Screams punctuated the calm air
in the village with growing frequency as question after question was
asked and answered.
"Tell me how many soldiers are there in you army?"
Silence.
"I repeat tell me how many soldiers are there in your
army?"
Silence.
Ranma called upon one of his assistants and together they
laid the boy on the floor. A gag was inserted into his mouth and
watered was poured over it. This went on until the boy nearly
suffocated.
"I repeat, tell me how many soldiers are there in your
army?"
The boy replied.
The next question was put before him and the torture
session continued.
"Tell me when and where your army plans to attack?" The
question was pointless as the soldier wouldnot have known the plans for
the attacks. The elders were rather insistent with their hand signals
that they ask and Ranma had complied with their request.
The boy did not reply. It seemed that he would break down
whenever he was tortured but defiance would creep into his soul when it
was stopped.
Ranma sighed. He hated what he was about to do. He pressed
a combination of pressure points and waited for a full minute. The
combination was a forbidden technique among the Amazons and only four
in the village knew it at any time. The combination made the victim
extremely susceptible to suggestions.
"Listen to me very carefully. You see that flame over
there?" Ranma pointed to a lamp mounted on the wall. The boy nodded. He
could see it though his eyes were almost swollen shut from the many
punches he had suffered.
"Good, that flame is a huge fire. You are very near to it.
You could feel the heat and it is barely bearable." The boy moved as
far as he could in his chair. "Now, the flame is growing and the heat
is becoming more intense. It licks your fingers and scorches it. The
pain is unbearable."
The boy screamed louder than he had ever before and the
skin in his arms boiled and blackened.
"I can put that fire out for you. Do you want me to put it
out for you?"
The boy nodded and continued to scream.
"I will put it out for you if you will tell me when and
where the Phoenix army plans to attack!"
The screaming ceased. "On the night with the full moon. I
don't know where."
"Good. See that fire. It's just a little flame. I put it
out for you."
The boy almost sighed in relief. Ranma shook his head. The
second combination he had used was irreversible and the boy would be
susceptible to suggestions throughout his life. It would be better if
he ended it now.
He looked at the elders. They motioned him to carry it out.
The boy maybe an enemy but none deserved such a life.
Ranma nodded. He took out his knife and the boys eyes
glistened with gratitude. The pain he was in made death seem like a
wonderful alternative to living. The knife touched the boys neck and
pressed on. The soft brown skin split under the cold, hard knife-edge
and blood seeped through. The knife continued on until the jugular was
severed.
Without so much as a gasp the boys eyes glazed over and he
left this world.
***********************************************************************
Based on information gathered from the now dead Phoenix
warrior an ambush was planned. The Phoenix had planned to travel by
land as that would reduce the risk of their detection at night. They
would have to walk through a mile long canyon to reach their goal. It
was here that the ambush was planned.
***********************************************************************
Li Chan walked at the head of the Phoenix forces. Behind
him followed just over six thousand warriors, nearly two-thirds of the
Phoenix army. Saffron himself followed at the rear of the army. With
him were Pei Pei and Mascara the supreme generals of the Phoenix
forces.
His lordship, the emperor had realized his mistake when he
had confronted the Amazons and their damned allies, the Musk a century
before. Though their enemy's numbers were smaller than their own, the
fools had won because of their martial art prowess. Thus, generation
after generation of Phoenix had been dumped at night into the cursed
springs away from the eyes of the accursed guardian of the pools. These
cursed Phoenix warriors had set out to the outside world and had become
formidable warriors with control over their chi.
That is why a small party of two hundred had been able to
easily overcome the fifty Amazons at the outpost. Their opponents too
were fairly good chi users and they had fallen under the attack.
Now the rest of the Amazon nation would fall under the
might of the now powerful Phoenix army. He had wanted his forces to be
the first to go into the Amazon village. As such he had volunteered his
forces, the finest five hundred in the army and the emperor had
accepted. After the Amazons had fallen the Musk would too and then the
entire valley would be under their control.
The army paused as the canyon loomed into view before them.
The forces reassembled and stepped into the canyon. He could feel the
other commanders carefully probing the canyon with their chi for signs
of intruders. The techniques they were using were taxing and depleting
on their ki reserves. They would have to rest a little boy when they
emerged out of the canyon.
At the very edge of his chi senses, he felt four large and
unfocused ki flows, two on either side of the canyon. There was no
emotion in them and the masters he had studied under had said that
emotion was the only way of controlling and focusing ki. Since he was
certain that the masters assumptions were true he relaxed and ordered
his forces to march at full speed. He did not like the idea of being
caught in a weak position. His forces were vulnerable to surprise
attacks and he knew it. They maybe powerful warriors with phenomenal
reserves of ki but they certainly couldn't sense arrows and such.
The army marched at full speed and the ki flows followed
them from the top of the canyon. Amazon spies, he guessed. As long as
they did not leave for their village they would be tolerated. He walked
back and consulted another commander and both agreed that nothing
needed to be done until the spies tried to make a run for their
village. That done he returned to his post.
Soon the entire Phoenix army was within the canyon.
*Just a few more minutes and we will be out of this hell
hole.* Thought Li Chan. His eyes would make out the trees that stood
several hundred meters from him. Suddenly his chi senses flared. There
were a lot of ki being drawn on top of the canyon walls. His eyes
widened in realization. They had made a bad mistake and were about to
pay for it. He looked up and saw two bright balls of ki the size of a
small rock glowing above. He turned towards the other side of the
canyon wall and saw two more balls of ki being formed. How they focused
their ki without their emotions was beyond his understanding.
All around him, the men formed tight groups to repel
attackers.
His surprise grew as more ki signals propped out of nowhere
all along the canyon walls. They had been led into a trap. He opened
his mouth to give the order to his troops to take to the air. It was
too late he realized as the four blazing balls of ki flew towards the
largest concentrations of men. He was amazed at the power he would feel
from those balls. With blinding flashes the four exploded on their mark
and a few moments later bones and flesh rained all over the canyon. A
thousand ki adepts he guessed. *A thousand dead in the first attack!
His mind couldnot comprehend the tragedy. All over the canyon walls ki,
balls began to flicker into existence and began to rain down on the
Phoenix army. Hell broke loose.
***********************************************************************
Ranma had been surprised to sense fairly strong and focused
ki signals emanating from the Phoenix army below when they had come
into view. He had signaled as much to Xiao Lui. She had consulted with
Liu Chi'n on the other side of the canyon through complex hand signals.
They had decided to follow the original plan and whilst the others
masked their ki, he, Xiao, Liu and master Yuan had all prepared a blast
and stored the ki in the air around them.
His surprise grew when he felt no less than twelve chi
signals from the path below probing him. He had not been alarmed as
much of the outside world had yet to learn that ki could be controlled
without emotions. Sure enough, the Phoenix army had walked straight
into the trap.
They had waited until all the Phoenix were within the
canyon. Not all of them could take into the air when they were attacked
as the air would become congested and they would be massacred. Those
who took to the air were in for a surprise. Behind him stood three
hundred highly skilled archers and a similar number stood on the Musk
side of the canyon.
Then at Xiao's signal, all four of them unleashed their ki
blasts at the largest concentrations of the Phoenix warriors. The
others followed their example and unleashed their very own ki blasts
into the canyon. For a whole minute huge explosions rocked the canyon
drowning out the screams of the Phoenix who were wounded by the blasts.
Xiao ordered the blasts to cease and the second round commenced.
***********************************************************************
Li Chan raised his head from the ground and with a shout
threw off the caved in head that had come to rest before his face. Who
would have thought that the Amazons wielded so much firepower. He now
realized that his entire company would have been slaughtered in a
matter of minutes if they had stepped into the Amazon village. *We
never had a chance against them.* He realized. Then he felt it. More ki
was being pumped into weapons for some purpose he would not guess at.
There was the whoosh of an arrow shaft through the air.
However, this arrow seemed to be alive.
Bang!
The chest of the man who had been hit by an arrow exploded.
He closed in eyes just in time to stop of a piece of heart from hitting
his eyes.
*We have to get out of here or we are all dead.* He looked
around and saw the horrified faces of the few dozen men who were still
alive around him.
"Take to the sky. We have to take the battle to the
Amazons." He shouted as loud as he could. The others seemed to realize
that their lives depended on it and took to the air where another
volley of arrows assaulted them. This time the volley was not ki
enhanced and those that survived the hit fell down to the grounds
below. The horrible cries they made when they fell to their death
sickened him. He looked about and estimated that around three thousand
had survived the initial attack.
With a cry, he dived into the ground below and into battle.
The others followed behind him.
***********************************************************************
Ranma cracked his knuckles and ran towards the nearest
Phoenix. He brought out his staff from beneath his robe and let his ki
flow through it. He had learnt a technique called the hidden weapons,
which allowed one to hide many things inside ones robe. The Phoenix
soldier's eyes widened in shock when he saw Ranma pull a six-foot staff
out of his robe.
The soldier left his defenses wide open and Ranma beheaded
him with a nice clean swipe of his staff. He was using the technique
that master Yuan had taught him. His ki senses picked up three trying
to outflank him. He pulled out shuriken from his robe, charged them
with ki and let them fly at his opponents. The shurikens exploded on
contact and the Phoenix fell with huge holes in their body.
He sidestepped a spear thrust and let the Phoenix have it
with a ki enhanced punch. The warriors facial structure collapsed under
the force of the blow and he heard the bones break. Without so much a
look he moved onto the nearest Phoenix and let him have it with a spin
kick to his head. The man's neck snapped and he fell to the ground dead
before he hit the ground.
His rapid kills attracted even more Phoenix towards him.
Ranma used his staff as a swatting instrument cleaving in half anyone
who came near him.
***********************************************************************
A few hundred feet from Ranma, Xiao Lui, three hundred-
year-old matriarch of the Amazons danced through the Phoenix spears and
swords as they were swung at her. She used her extensive knowledge of
Shaitsu to paralyze opponents and then kill them.
She jumped high over the Phoenix and from within her robes
extracted shuriken. She let them fly at Amaguriken speed and many of
her opponents fell their bodies mutilated beyond recognition. She
landed softly on the ground behind her attackers and then ran forward
to help an archer who seemed to be having a hard time with his
attacker.
***********************************************************************
Liu Chi'n smiled to himself and let loose yet another ki
charged vacuum blade at the Phoenix on the ground below. Bodies were
cleaved in half as the blade passed through them as though they were
butter. Then with a deafening explosion it blew several Phoenix to
kingdom come.
He landed onto the ground below and burst into a sprint
with his hands blurring whenever he neared a Phoenix warrior. He smiled
grimly to himself. From today on the Phoenix would cease to be a major
power in the valley forever. He Liu Chi'n, emperor of the Phoenix would
make sure of that.
***********************************************************************
Master Yuan used his superior speed to full advantage as he
weaved through the Phoenix bringing death and destruction wherever he
went. His hands and legs glowed white with ki as blow after blow rained
upon his opponents. Blows strong enough to crush rock met soft flesh
and the result was indescribable. The flesh turned into something the
mush and his opponents fell unconscious and death soon laid its hold on
them.
He saw a Phoenix woman of high ranking and considerable
skill mowing through the archers. Without the help of the archers the
Phoenix would reign in the sky and would have a definite advantage.
Realizing her plan he leapt towards her and blocked her killing blow to
the man's neck with his staff.
The archer retreated to the back where he could be of use
and Yuan Puyi, warrior and advisor to the emperor of the Musk dynasty
faced off against his opponent.
***********************************************************************
Pei Pei had realized that the archers must be dealt with if
they were to have any hopes of winning the battle. She had ordered
Mascara to take care of the Amazonian archers while she would take care
of the Musk archers.
The plan had gone wonderfully and the Musk archers found
themselves confronted by a highly skilled chi adept. She began mowing
through their ranks and was about to strike down her thirtieth victim
when her sword was blocked by a wooden staff of all things.
She looked at the man who had dared to get between her and
her quarry and saw a four-foot high oldman. His ki was powerful and
tightly focused.
"Get out of my way oldman if you value your life." she
warned.
The oldman smiled and relaxed his stance. "Hmmm... Tightly
focused ki, considerable skill in combat with some experience. Child,
you are a hundred years too young to defeat me." he replied and smiled
at her.
Pei Pei lost her control at that instant. *How dare that
insolent troll think that I cannot beat him?* "I, Pei Pei, commander in
chief of the Phoenix army will have your head for your insolence,
stupid old man." she shouted as she charged at him at her top speed.
"Allow me to introduce myself then, Pei Pei, commander in
chief of the Phoenix army," replied the old man mockingly. "I am Yuan
Puyi, advisor to emperor Liu Chi'n of the Musk dynasty. I am here to
kick your ass." The old man weaved in and out of her blows not caring
to even block them.
*He is teasing me.* She realized. "Argh! Fight me old man!"
shouted Pei Pei as she pumped ki into her hands and feet.
Yuan Puyi just shook his head. "I don't hit pregnant
women." he replied.
Pei Pei stopped in mid thrust. How had he known that she
was pregnant?
Yuan Puyi took that moment to strike at her sleep pressure
point. He pressed another that prevented her from accessing her ki and
then tied her up.
"She wasn't much of a challenge." he grumbled as he rubbed
his hands together. "Oh well! Back into the battle, I suppose."
***********************************************************************
Mascara, found herself faced with an archer with
considerable skill in Wu Shu. The woman just about weaved in and out of
almost all her thrusts. Growing weary of her opponent Mascara enhanced
her speed with her ki and thrust at her opponent. The sword buried
itself into the chest of the opponent. The light in the woman's eyes
faded and went out. Smiling at her latest victory, she was about to
remove her sword when it broke with a clang into three separate pieces.
She looked at the two-foot old woman who had just broken
her family sword with her bare fists. "Curse you old woman. I am going
to have your blood for breaking my family sword." spat Mascara.
The old woman did not even reply. Instead she jumped
forward and landed less than a foot away from Mascara.
***********************************************************************
Xiao Lui ran forward to help the archer. She knew that she
would never reach her in time to save the archer's life. She would
however personally see to it that her killer never saw the light of
another day.
The Phoenix woman sank her sword into the archers chest and
was about to pull it out when she reached them. Grabbing hold of the
sword with one hand she released her staff and struck at the sword with
a ki enhanced blow. The sword split into three pieces under the force
of the blow.
Her opponents face became a mask of anger and a red aura
blazed around her. "Curse you old woman. I am going to have your blood
for breaking my family sword." the Phoenix spat.
Not even bothering to reply Xiao Lui jumped into her
opponents defenses and shouted "Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken". Her fists
briefly disappeared and the Phoenix flew some twenty yards before
landing on her back.
Mascara got up and spat blood. She summoned her aura again
and formed a red ball of ki in her palms. "IKIDOORU RYUU" shouted
Mascara and released her most powerful attack.
Xiao Lui simply jumped over the blast. She landed on a tree
branch, leapt from it and brought her ki-enhanced punch to bear on
Mascara's head. Mascara tilted her head to the side and just escaped
from being hit. However, she couldnot maneuver out of the follow-up ki-
enhanced kick aimed at her skull and the blow connected with a
resounding crack. Mascara's skull exploded under the force of the blow
and her headless body fell lifeless to the ground.
"Phoenix scum!" spat Xiao Lui as she turned her attention
to the battle once more.
***********************************************************************
Most of the Amazons, Li chan found were more skilled than
the commanders of the Phoenix army themselves. He thus chose to attack
the archers as the archers were giving the Amazons a significant
advantage over the Phoenix forces. With the archers around they,
couldnot take to the air and this robbed them of their most important
ace in the hole.
He was busy fighting with two archers who in their
desperation had ganged up on him. They were no match for him in any of
the departments and he was about to slit one of their necks with his
sword when his ki senses flared. He quickly slit the throat and took to
the air.
His opponent followed his every move and threw a vacuum
powered blade at him. Li Chan tried to twist of the way and failed
miserably. the blade cut through the base of his right wing and
cauterized it. He fell down to the ground, his body making a dull thud
as it made contact with the soft earth.
Cursing to himself, Li Chan looked at his severed wing that
had fallen near him. His adrenaline drove him now and he spat blood
covered spit onto the ground and took his stance.
Ranma stood watching as his opponent picked himself of the
floor. Amazingly enough the man took a stance and glared hatefully at
him.
With a yell, the man threw himself at Ranma and his fists
blurred as he tried to tag Ranma with a hit. The loss of his wing had
played havoc with his balance and he struggled to maintain the balance
so essential for winning a fight.
As he staggered after one particularly strong swipe Ranma
went into the offensive. Blocking a fist aimed at his solar plexus,
Ranma grabbed it at just above the elbow with his other hand and
twisted. The bones broke and Li Chan howled in pain. Without pausing
Ranma raised his right hand and crushed his opponent's windpipe.
Li Chan heard the sound of his windpipe being crushed and
struggled to get a breath of fresh air into his lungs. Nothing happened
and he felt the blackness of unconsciousness lay its hold on him.
Ranma looked on at the death throes of the Phoenix warrior.
It had become clear that the Phoenix were loosing horribly. As Victory
was in their grasp now he paused to see the results of his handiwork.
He made no efforts to help the Phoenix as the man grasped his neck with
his working hand as he struggled to hold onto dear life. Ranma knew
that he was dead and turned away from his as the sight became
unbearable.
***********************************************************************
Saffron God-king of he Phoenix hovered in the air above the
Amazons and fired his blasts indiscriminately. Amazon warrior and
Phoenix fell to the heat from the resulting explosions if they were not
blown apart outright from the explosions.
An arrow embedded itself in his right wing and exploded.
The explosion blew away a significant part of his wing but he remained
hovering in the air. He let out a howl of fury and turned towards the
source of the arrow. His wing healed itself as he turned. His fury grew
rapidly as he saw Li Chin, the son of one of his concubines, in his
death throes with an Amazon warrior looking on.
The insult to his persona forgotten in the face of this new
information, Saffron let his full power blossom into existence. He
would wipe out the damned Amazons and their damned allied the Musk
before this day was out for the crime committed against his son.
***********************************************************************
Ranma turned around when he sensed the huge power that
emanated from the Phoenix he realized was Saffron. The Phoenix God
looked just about ready to explode, his face a mask of indescribable
fury.
Ranma assumed a stance and curbed all controls on his aura.
An aura of white bloomed around him and grew to about eight feet thick
in all directions. His dress fluttered in the wind that came into
existence around him.
***********************************************************************
Saffron saw the enormous amount of ki that surrounded the
landling and realized that the battle would take a little while.
"For killing my son in cold blood, I, Saffron, God-king of
the Phoenix sentence you and your nation with its allies to death."
boomed Saffron in a voice that was audible for miles around.
Ranma simply stood there and shifted his legs. Then he
burst into action and drew back his arms at hypersonic speeds. A five-
foot long ki charged vacuum blade sped towards Saffron. Saffron did not
even bother to move. He released two balls of fire and watched as the
two met. There was a blinding explosion of light when the two blasts
collided.
Ranma leapt out of the way, as the second ball of fire tore
into the ground. The blast left a huge crater and smoke and dust hung
in the air. Ranma twisted in midair, bounced off a tree trunk and leapt
high into the air towards Saffron.
As he passed by the God, he swung back his legs and gave a
kick to Saffron's chin that would have sent a ten ton rock into LEO.
Saffron flew through the air and impacted with a huge boom into the
canyon wall. The wall exploded on impact and huge cracks appeared. With
a rumbling, noise the whole section of the wall collapsed onto the
ground below.
Ranma landed on the Musk side of the canyon and took to the
air once again. He knew that Saffron couldnot be defeated by a single
blow.
The rocks down below began to glow red and then exploded
outwards. When the dust cleared, in the middle stood Saffron looking
none the worse form the damage he had sustained. The God took into the
air again and Ranma met his charge head on. He slid under Saffron's
talon swipe and kicked him in his guts. The air was knocked out of
Saffron's chest and Ranma pressed his advantage. Closing in for the
kill, he did a number on Saffron's thorax with a superfast Amaguriken.
The punches were ki enhanced and Saffron's fire blinked out of
existence for a moment before coming back.
The wounded God fell to the ground below but righted
himself halfway down. With a scream of righteous fury he powered up a
huge fireball and threw it at Ranma. Ranma brought his shield up and
tried to evade all the same. He was partially successful. the blast hit
one side of his shield and exploded in a huge ball of plasma. Lightning
from the clear blue skies above struck the expanding ball of highly
ionized gas repeatedly before it flickered out of existence.
When it did, Ranma stood in the middle with a sneer on his
face. "Is that all you can do, O mighty God of the Phoenix?" taunted
Ranma.
Saffron's flames grew in intensity around him and Saffron
howled before going berserk. Mindless with rage he tapped into the mana
lines in the area and the flames increased several fold.
Ranma did not even look intimidated as the God-king began
to throw huge balls of fire at him. Running at his top speed, he evaded
each and everyone of them and then replied with his own salvo of ki
charged vacuum blades. Several hit the fireballs and lit up the evening
sky in a dazzling display of light while one hit Saffron on his chest
and exploded. Saffron staggered under the force of the explosion.
Using the cover given to him by the explosions in the air,
Ranma again leapt into the air and delivered a spin kick to Saffron's
mid-section. Saffron returned the favour at the same instant and both
the opponents flew away. Ranma hit the canyon wall below. The rock
beneath exploded in protest and he shook his head to clear it.
Saffron righted himself with his wings in mid-air and leapt
for a showdown with Ranma. Ranma extricated himself from the rock and
collecting his ki punched into the air towards Saffron and shouted
"HIRYUU SHOTEN HA KAIHAN: KEN JOUKAI" a huge tornado blew into
existence. The heat that Saffron had released during the course of the
battle was absorbed and an inclined tornado headed towards Saffron. The
tornado cut off Saffron's wings and when it died out, he fell down to
the ground. This time however, Saffron's flames went out for several
seconds before coming back on. Saffron got up unsteadily and shook his
head. His wings grew back on their own accord and he flew up to meet
Ranma's latest charge. Both let loose energy blasts which collided
midway and exploded in a flash of light. Knowing that Ranma would try
to use the blinding light and stage another attack Saffron shifted
slightly and flew towards the explosion at even higher speed. Ranma
emerged from the explosion and was promptly kicked into the hard canyon
walls from behind.
The canyon wall once again exploded on impact and before
Ranma could reorient himself Saffron launched another attack. He
shouted "MIZUCHOUSENZHANYOKU" and brought his wing together at high
speed and infused the pressure wave that resulted with a huge amount of
mana. The X-shaped wave of high-pressure, mana charged air headed
towards Ranma and boom the entire section of the wall exploded in a
huge explosion. The dirt settled and showed Ranma standing on top of a
rock at the bottom of the canyon. There blood in his lips and he swiped
it away. He staggered a little and coughed up some blood. Then he
glared defiantly at Saffron.
His aura had protected him from the explosion and had saved
his life.
Saffron looked at the landling who had proved to be quite a
challenge and frowned. The wounds the landling had inflicted were quite
powerful and he would lose if he let the battle rage on. He again
tapped in to the mana flows and boosted his powers. He could also feel
the landling tap into the ki flows. Saffron was awed by the landling.
To stand alone against a God and give him a fair fight was beyond
compare. None except the Ashura's could stand up against them and fight
for this long.
*Too bad you have to die landling.* Thought Saffron as he
fired off his most powerful attack, a continuous beam of mana.
Ranma felt the God powering for an attack ad drew all the
ki he could into himself and brought forth his shields.
He tensed as the God let loose what he realized was the
God's final attack. *If I last out this attack then I will win.*
thought Ranma as he began pumping all the ki he had drawn in and still
some more into the shield.
The beam of pure mana hit the shield with a huge boom and
huge waves of plasma expanded outward from the point of collision. The
interaction between the two energies created an extremely powerful
tornado and rocks, several hundred feet long were picked up by the
supersonic winds.
Saffron forced himself to the brink as he channeled as much
mana as he possibly could without destroying himself in the process.
Even Gods have their limits. *I will not lose to a landling and a
mortal.*
Ranma felt the slightest increase in Saffron's beam but
couldnot find the ki to counter it. Slowly but surely the shield began
to buckle and when it was gone, altogether he would be vaporized, he
realized. However, there was nothing he could do that would stop the
beam in its tracks.
*Wait a minute. There is something that I CAN do.* He
realized. His thoughts drifted back to that day when Xiao Lui had
taught him about mana and ki. 'Mana is like the Yin, it is dark,
mysterious and not easily accessible. It is also vastly more powerful
than ki if you learn how to use it.'
He had been never been able to tap into mana but it was
worth a try. The fate of his wife and child depended on him and he
would not fail them. Ranma allowed himself to relax an looked into
himself. He clearly saw in his mind the ki flowing through his body. He
concentrated a little more.
The shield diminished in strength. He looked into himself
once again. There flowing side by side were two different veins of
energy. One he recognized as his ki. The other was soft and yet strong
in its own way. This was the power that he had felt inside the pit on
the day when he had lost his father and gained another. He embraced it.
The power that flowed through him was unbelievable. He felt it flowing
everywhere just like ki. He concentrated some more and tapped into it.
The shield that protected Ranma flickered out much to the
horror of Xiao Lui, Liu Chi'n and Yuan Puyi. The rest of the Phoenix
had been defeated and the Amazons and the Musk had been watching the
fight between Ranma and Saffron with interest. Each prepared to fire ki
bolts at Saffron.
Saffron felt the shield weaken and then remain so for a
couple of seconds before buckling completely. *Victory is mine.* He
rejoiced. His celebration turned out to be a little too early as he
felt the Shield come back up unbelievably more powerful than before.
Liu had formed a sizable ki ball when he felt the shield
come back up more powerful than ever before. He looked questioningly at
the Amazon matriarch and his master but both were dancing around in
each others arms in pure ecstasy in the midst of the chaos that the
tornado was creating. He shook his head to rid it of the horrifying
experience. The sight of a three hundred-year-old matriarch and his
hundred-year old master necking was definitely the ugliest and most
revolting sight in the universe. Then it dawned to him. Inorder to
defeat Saffron, Ranma had become a true master of the art. The ki ball
popped out of existence and he too began to dance. *My brother is a
true master of the art.*
Saffron felt fear seep into the core of his being. The
landlings mastery of ki was commendable. Even the most powerful of the
Ashura's wouldnot be able to last that long against his beam attack.
Now, he had somehow mastered mana manipulation. *What is he? Is he a
demon of some kind or is he a God?*
The new shield grew in strength at an incredible rate and
the tornado was simply absorbed by it. The winds became less powerful
and finally went away. The beam of mana now had no effect at all
against the shield as it was like throwing a pebble against a mountain.
Ranma smiled at the newfound power. Saffron would never
threaten the lives of Amazons and Musk alike. He concentrated and let
loose a hybrid blast of energy, made of both ki and mana at Saffron.
The blast shook the land in a cacophony boom and lit up the sky in a
brilliant display of colours. Saffron's beam spluttered out of
existence and the God fell down to the ground.
Ranma released his shield and jumped to land on one of the
rocks so that he may look at Saffron from above. The defeated God stood
admist the ruins that the battle had wrought.
"Saffron, you will never again threaten the Musk nor the
Amazons for they are my family." shouted Ranma. His voice was amplified
greatly by his aura that glowed yellow around him.
Saffron looked at the face of his enemy. He, a God, had
been defeated by a mere mortal and a landling at that. *No, I will
fight on. I will not lose to a landling.* "I fight on, landling. I will
not lose to the likes of you." shouted back Saffron in defiance.
Ranma's expression darkened. "Then prepare to end this
cycle of your life, Saffron." spat Ranma.
Saffron glared defiantly and his flames fluttered into
existence around him. His flames were the physical manifestation of his
mana and it changed with each God varying according to their
personalities. He was quick tempered and his flames reflected this
character. He tapped into the mana around him, formed a powerful ball
of fire and released it at Ranma.
Ranma did not even move. Just before the ball made contact
with his body he waved his hands and the mana in the ball dispersed.
Ranma smiled evilly. "Now its my turn." Ranma concentrated
and formed a wall of ki and mana and sent it towards Saffron. The wall
of energy hit Saffron and threw him against the canyon wall. Then it
slammed into him. Saffron found himself literally between a rock and a
hard place.
Saffron staggered to his feet and lost his balance. He got
up again unsteadily.
"It's over Saffron. Hurt my family ever again and I will
kill you in such a way that you will stay dead and not be reborn."
warned Ranma. "Oh! Did I not say that this is the end of your cycle.
Goodbye. HIRYUU SHOTEN HA KAIHAN: GENKAN JOUKAI KIRITE" shouted Ranma
and thrust his hand into the air at Saffron. A huge and extremely cold
tornado howled into existence around Saffron. When it died down a few
minutes later, the entire canyon was covered with a thick layer of ice
and Saffron's body stood in the middle frozen solid at a relatively
cool -153 degree centigrade. Ranma walked towards the God unharmed by
the tornado and pushed Saffron's frozen form. The frozen body of the
God shattered into many pieces as soon as it touched the ground.
***********************************************************************
Three years after Higashi's birth Xas Min became pregnant
with their second child. There were certain complications and Xas Min
had to stay in bed for the last five months of the pregnancy.
Ranma walked back and forth in the same room once again.
His wife was having their second child and as before he was having an
attack of the nerves. The screams of pain were more soul wrenching than
the first time and he had a hard time not running into the room.
Higashi was asleep in a neighbors house and Xiao Lui sat on a chair in
the corner.
Pher Fom came out of the room several times during the
course of the third hour and consulted with Xiao Lui. When he had asked
the matriarch about the conversation, she had been evasive.
Ranma paused as perhaps the weakest of the screams came
from the room. The back of his neck tickled and he felt his wife's ki
weakening. Sick realization came to him and he looked horror stricken
towards tear-faced matriarch.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!" he shouted and collapsed to his
knees clutching his chest in pain.
"I am sorry Ranma." a voice said. He looked up and saw Pher
Fom. She too had tears on her face.
Ranma shook his head in denial. It couldn't be. She
couldn't have left him without saying goodbye.
"I am so sorry. There were complications and both your wife
and your son are dead."
He wished he died immediately but destiny had plans for him
and wasn't about to let him out of its grasp. He couldnot think of a
life without his beloved wife and yet here he was faced with exactly
that life. He let out a gut wrenching, heartfelt scream.
"It's going to be all right." It was Xiao Lui who had said
those words. He turned towards her and glared.
"No, it's not going to be all right. She's dead and I
killed her." shouted Ranma and bounded off into the night.
The trees blurred around him as he ran in to the forest,
tears flowing freely. They glittered under the full moon that shone in
the clear sky up above. *Why does this happen to me? Why do I lose the
people I love most? Why... Why... Whyyyyyyyyyy?*
He wandered for hours running from himself and reality
through the forest. Finally, near dawn he came to rest at the glade in
which he had first started training Xiao, Pher Fom and... later her.
His aura flickered into existence and glowed green. The clearing lit up
under the glow and took on a greenish tinge. The aura grew and grew as
he continued to draw in the ki around himself. He lashed out his hands
and a small of ki perhaps three centimeters in diameter formed between
his outstretched palms. The aura around him diminished and the sphere's
glow intensified. Soon, it was like looking at the sun. Trees thirty
yards from him began to smoke and spontaneously combust. Winds buffeted
his body as it rose several hundred yards into the air. With an
agonized scream, he released the ki ball.
The ball flew through the air and crashed into the land a
hundred meters from the glade. As it approached the ground it cut a
clean swath though it and tore up trees and rocks alike. With a whoosh,
it impacted and all hell broke loose. There was a bright flash of light
and the air was torn away from the impact sight. The blast expanded
outwards and the hot air ignited trees as though they were fodder. An
area shaped like a butterfly was completely obliterated and a huge
crater lay near to one of its edges.
Ranma glowed and became transparent before landing softly
on the shattered landscape below. His body became opaque again. He fell
down to his knees and cried his heart out.
***********************************************************************
In the village, everyone woke up as they sensed a huge
disturbance in the ki flows. Inside Pher Fom's house, Xiao Lui gazed
strangely at the forest and told everyone to get down. She ran towards
the neighbours house and carried Higashi to Pher Fom's house. Then she
too lay over the now awake child and waited for the inevitable. It came
with a blinding flash of light. the air was deadly silent for nearly
twenty seconds. Then a boom, followed nearly a minute later by strong
winds. The winds buffeted the village and then died down.
She stood up and Pher Fom gathered little Higashi and
cradled her. Xiao Lui shook her head in wonder.
***********************************************************************
Eleven days passed...
Ranma broke down at the sight of his little Higashi or at
anything, that reminded him of Xas Min. He barely slept and would
wander aimlessly through the streets at night. He glowed green most of
the time and almost everyone was afraid to go near him lest he blew up.
On the twelfth day, Xiao Lui confronted him.
"Ranma, you have to stop acting like this. Xas Min's death
was unfortunate and we all mourn her passing. But life must go on."
Ranma did not reply though his green glow began to
intensify.
"Stop this foolishness Ranma. You still have Higashi to
live for." shouted the matriarch into Ranma's face.
Ranma barely moved. "How can you say that? Am I foolish to
mourn my wife's death? She is dead and gone and I did not get a chance
to even say goodbye to her." The reply began as a whisper and gradually
grew into a full-blown yell.
Xiao Lui sighed. Why was so hard headed? Could he not see
that they were also hurting? "Ranma..."
He looked up.
"Please Ranma, you have to let go of the past." pleaded the
matriarch. It hurt her to see the child suffer by herself while her
father was still alive.
"I can't mother. I just can't." replied Ranma as quietly as
he could.
She found herself wanting to weep. "You have to, Ranma. For
the sake of your child you must." The matriarch's voice broke several
times during the speech.
Ranma looked away. "You don't realize mother. Everytime I
look at Higashi, my heart breaks. I was her husband. I was the one who
was supposed to protect her from all danger. Yet I was the one who
ended up killing her." he whispered. Tears flowing freely now. The
macho I can take on the world persona had died when Xas Min had.
"Ranma, you werenot responsible for her death. You couldnot
have known that she would die at childbirth." replied the matriarch.
"You don't get it mother. She did not want another child. I
did. I pressured her for the second one and in the end I lost both her
and my child."
"Ranma, let it go or it will kill you and Higashi."
Ranma looked at her when she mentioned Higashi. His face
became emotionless. "I cannot let it go and I will not let anything
harm my child," he paused, "Mother, I am leaving the village tomorrow.
See to it that my child grows up just like her mother. I want you to
make her the matriarch that her mother never wanted to be." The voice
was entirely devoid of emotion. He stood up and walked away into the
forest.
***********************************************************************
That night...
Ranma sat on a rock on the outskirts of the village. His
face had a vacant expression and he stared aimlessly at the stars that
lay across the clear sky above. There was a half-moon and soon he found
himself staring at it. The air was bitterly cold but his training in
the art had made his body resistant to huge variations in temperatures.
There was the slightest rustle as pebbles on the ground
behind him was disturbed. He tensed and probed the air around him with
his ki. It was Xiao Lui.
The matriarch poggoed onto the rock and sat by his side.
Tracks of tears on her cheeks glittered under the reflected light from
the half-moon. Like Ranma, she too had taken Xas Min's death badly. She
maybe the matriarch of the village but nothing could stop her from
mourning the death of her great great granddaughter. She tried to put
on a normal face during the day but allowed herself to mourn at night.
The two Amazons, one over three hundred years old and the
other barely over thirty years sat together in utter silence. The
chirping of a bird or the rustling of the leaves in the wind that blew
softly were the only sounds in the air for the better part of an hour.
"Mother!" Ranma whispered and broke the melancholic and
introspective atmosphere. A wolf pack howled in the distance.
Silence.
Ranma waited for a whole minute before calling to the
matriarch once again. "Mother!"
"Yes, Ranma." It was clear from the tone of the matriarch's
voice that she hadnot ceased crying.
"I... I will be leaving tomorrow early in the morning.
I...", he paused. "I will never again return to this village. It
reminds me too much of her and the time I spent with her." he broke at
the last part of the sentence and shuddered as he tried to control his
sorrow. Tears flowed freely across his cheeks.
Xiao Lui did not speak. She did not need to for Ranma
needed but a listener.
"I... I love Higashi very much. I want you to let her know
that she had a father who loved her very much. You must raise her to
become all that her mother was and more. I also want you to tell her
that her father had died soon after her mother did." The words were
barely a whisper. Yet, in the silent night air it was clearly audible.
"Ranma, I..." began the matriarch but was cutoff.
"Sshhh!" he said and laid a finger across her shriveled
lips. "Mother, you have to do it for me. I do not want her to think
that I was a coward eventhough I am."
"You are not a coward, Ranma." replied Xiao Lui.
Ranma laughed. It was a hollow laugh almost entirely devoid
of emotion. What little emotion showed itself immediately disappeared
and the laugh died as soon as it began. The cold emotionless mask
reasserted itself. "I am abandoning my family and friends because they
remind me too much of my dead wife! Do you not think that such an act
shows cowardice on my part?"
"Ranma, you are the bravest man I have ever laid my eyes
upon. You faced a God without a trace of fear in your heart. Your
actions had proved to the women in the village that men are not the
weakling creatures that we thought they were. Because of you, relations
between the Musk and the Amazons had improved dramatically. You have
brought peace to our people and to all the others in the valley. No,
Ranma, you are definitely not a coward." replied the matriarch in a
tone that excluded all rebuttals.
A look of surprise came to Ranma's face at this passionate
speech. "Thank you, mother. I'd better go now and prepare for
tomorrow." Ranma got up and prepared to leap of the Rock and onto the
hard ground below.
"Ranma, wait!"
Ranma turned towards the matriarch and sat by her side
again.
"I spoke with the elders about your decision to leave the
village and..." Xiao Lui paused.
"And..."
"They will not stop you though they say that you will
always be an Amazon and that the village will be always open to you."
Finished the matriarch.
Ranma nodded. "Is that all mother?"
Xiao nodded. "Yes, Ranma, that is all."
"Goodnight mother!"
"Goodnight Ranma!"
Ranma hopped off the rock and walked slowly towards the
village. Xiao Lui watched him until his outline disappeared and then
went to her house.
***********************************************************************
The next morning...
Ranma lifted Higashi onto his shoulders and kissed her on
her forehead and her cheeks. "Goodbye Higashichan." said Ranma to his
daughter. He put her down on the ground below but seemed reluctant to
let her go. He lifted her again and then kissed all over her face
before handing her over to Pher Fom.
He bid his farewells to the rest of his friends in the
village and left without looking back. He had nothing but two pairs of
clothes on him as he began his wanderings.
***********************************************************************
For the next three years, he wandered across the mountains
but his mind never ceased thinking about his beloved wife Xas Min. It
was through sheer coincidence that he chanced upon a monastery while
roaming across the mountains. He stayed there and helped the monks at
the head monk's urging. A couple of years later, he himself became a
monk in training at the monastery. His mastery of the art amazed
everyone in the monastery and many asked him to train them in the art.
He refused and politely turned down their offers. His wife's death had
robbed him of his love for the art.
Twenty years later he became a junior monk. His heart
finally found its center and he found his interest in the art once
again. He decided to leave the monastery as the world seemed to call to
him and on the thirty-fifth year of his life in the monastery, he left
the monks to begin his life anew as a wanderer. The life of a monk was
definitely not, what he wanted out of his life.
During his time at the monastery, he had mastered the monks
version of the Wu Shu which was very powerful indeed. Far more so than
the Amazonian version that a skilled novice in the monks techniques
would be able to beat an experienced veteran if the battle was fought
without ki attacks. Now, he wandered across mainland China learning
different styles from their masters. Over the course of several decades
he witnessed many styles disappear and he found himself the only
surviving practitioner of many powerful and dangerous styles. As time
passed his martial arts became an amalgam of all these styles and he
became a true practitioner of 'Matsubeto Katuto Ryuu' the school of his
origin.
During the course of his studies he was drafted into the
Emperor of China's troubleshooting force, er mercenaries. He served the
emperors of the Han dynasty with zeal and soon found himself a wealthy
man. He accumulated several tons of gold and thousands of karats of
diamonds and other precious stones. He always carried all his
belongings within his cloths by means of his 'Hidden weapons'
technique. For five decades he performed his job troubleshooting in
bandit infested areas. During this time, he brought hundreds of
bandits, thieves and murderers to justice. He learnt everything he
could about the healing and the fighting arts. He also learnt from the
few magicians that he chanced upon.
Finally, he grew tired of his life as a mercenary and thus
left China. He crossed the mountains of Tibet and stepped onto India or
Hindustan as it was called then.
His thirst for travel and learning did not leave him and he
found himself wandering across the country's huge expanse. He learnt
from Indian masters techniques, that were on the verge of becoming
extinct but were also the most powerful martial art forms he had ever
seen. Though the masters of the art were few in India, they had in-
depth knowledge of ki and mana manipulation techniques and he learned
from them. He was astounded at their mastery of Shiastsu. It was such
that they could do things that even the Amazons with their extensive
knowledge of the style could only dream about.
He loved the country in which martial arts was born and
spread to the rest of the world. His accumulated wealth grew through
his travels throughout India. During his six centuries of stay, he
witnessed the 'golden period' under the Gupta's and then their
subsequent fall. He witnessed the destruction of their cities and the
massacre of innocent civilians by the invaders as the wheels of time
slowly turned on.
When he left India he once again crossed the Himalayas and
settled along the silk route. His stay lasted two hundred years and
during those two hundred years he developed and perfected many new ki
and mana attacks. He also traded in silk and his wealth multiplied
manifold. It was in the middle of the ninth century AD that he grew
bored of the silk trade and decided to visit the country of his birth.
There he found the country under the rule of an emperor whose influence
was declining by the day. He witnessed history as the feudal lords
exerted their control the emperor and the country headed towards civil
war. He wandered across the country for a century learning the arts
from the masters there. He finally returned to China and commenced his
wanderings once again.
For the next five centuries, he perfected all he had
learned and developed still more techniques. He shied away from human
contact preferring the solitude of the forests to human company. When
he had attained even greater levels of skill, he once again mingled
with humans. He now followed the silk route and ended up in Europe. He
stayed in one of the monasteries there though he hated the entire
period of his stay. He wanted to improve his patience and what better
way to do that than by leading the way of life he had come to hate
most.
In the beginning of the sixteenth century he left for the
America's and stayed there until the end of the eighteenth century. He
landed in England and invested heavily there. Having done so he
returned to China to find its monarchy under decline and the country
under siege by the European nations and the Americans.
Disillusioned with the state of affairs there he made his
way to Japan and again invested a considerable portion of his wealth in
Japanese businesses. His eyes drifted to the western world once more
and his investments in both the Americas and in Europe grew.
Weary of the wars and petty feuds that plagued the western
hemisphere he traveled to India and found the nation under bonds and
the people a shadow of their former proud selves.
Disgusted he retreated once more into the forests of India
where he found peace and solitude. The peace was broken by the start of
the second world war. He refused to take sides in the conflict, as he
witnessed the cruel treatment of man and a general disregard for the
lives of the civilians by both the sides. During these years, he
wandered across the neutral countries until the war was brought to the
end by an act that he considered the epitome of the cruel nature of
war.
After the war he again invested heavily in huge
corporations in Japan and in the US and settled in rural Japan. Having
seen most of the world more than once he decided to visit the Amazon
village once more.
***********************************************************************
Present time...
A lone pathway across the Bayankala mountain ranges in the
Qinghai province of China...
Ranma walked briskly whistling to himself. It had been over
two thousand years since he had last been in the village and he
couldnot wait to see the village again. For the past, thousand years he
had been able to think of Xas Min without crying. He had prepared
himself for the day when he would be able to visit the village without
breaking down. Even now he knew in his heart that he hadnot gotten over
her loss and probably never would. He had put off visiting the village
for so long that visiting it had almost become an obsession for him.
He recognized the familiar magic of the pools as he
approached it. *Two thousand years have gone by and the pools are as
strong as ever before.* However, something felt amiss. He walked into
the valley and saw that all the pools were nearly dried up. He peered
into one of the pools out of curiosity, to see how deep it was.
"Mr. Customer, do not go near the cursed springs. You will
be cursed if you fall in!" shouted someone. Ranma turned towards the
sound and saw a potbellied man. *So, this man is the guide!
The guide ran forward carefully placing his steps so that
he may not accidentally fall into one of the springs. It had been a
very bad month and he did not want it to get any worse. The customer
must have been a very wise man because he retreated from the pools.
"Mr. Customer, you should never go near the cursed pools.
You would have turned into a mouse if you had fallen into that pool."
Again, the customer showed his wisdom by listening to what
he was saying, which in itself meant. Visitors to the pools seldom paid
attention to what he had to say before they got cursed.
"I was passing by the pools and I had heard of their
powers. I wanted to know why the pools had dried up?" explained Ranma
to the guide.
"Mr. Customer, birdpeople from Phoenix mountain came here
and drained the pools." replied the guide.
Ranma became angry. "What? Why would they do that?" he
shouted.
*Why me? Do the kami hate me that much?* Thought the guide
as the customer was obviously insane.
Ranma waited for an answer but when no answer was
forthcoming, he asked another question. The Amazons had learnt soon
after the defeat of the Phoenix forces the reason for the Phoenix
army's skill.
"Did you not inform the Amazons?" he asked as calmly as he
could given the circumstances.
The guide nodded. "Yes, Mr. Customer, I have already
informed the Amazons. I have also sent my daughter to get help from
some of the cursed ones in Japan."
Ranma stomped on the ground. "This is stupid. They haven't
seen you and left for the Phoenix mountain, have they?"
The guide nodded. Obviously, Mr. Customer was completely
insane and it would be wise to answer all his questions.
"When did they leave?"
"About a day ago, they ought to have reached the mountain
by now, Mr. Customer." replied the guide.
Ranma was worried. They couldnot defeat the God. He,
himself had been able to defeat the God-king only because he used his
mana. *Have to reach them, before Saffron slaughters them all!
Having decided on his course of action, Ranma focused his
ki and flew in the direction of Phoenix mountain. The guide just
shrugged and went to his hut. *Just my luck. Of all the accursed jobs
in the world, I had to get this one.* He was especially getting tired
of super powerful martial artists.
***********************************************************************
Ranma arrived at the mountain half an hour later. He
entered the mountain and followed the sound of battle. Saffron's signal
was weaker somehow and huge explosions were audible as he ran through
the maze of tunnels that covered the inside of the mountain.
Atlast he reached the battle scene. Glancing around, he saw
the reason for Saffron's weak signature. Someone had disrupted his
rebirth process and damaged the cocoon. Saffron seemed to be pretty mad
and threw fireballs in all directions. His attention seemed to be
focused on a brown haired boy who was taunting him. Blast after blast
flew from Saffron's hands and exploded within the cavern. The boy would
evade the blasts and then move in on Saffron. He would do a quick
number on Saffron's person and then retreat out of the God's reach. The
boys ki seemed familiar but he shrugged it off.
Ranma smiled. *I needn't have worried. At this rate,
Saffron would tire himself out before the end of the hour.* Ranma
leaned on the rock and looked amusedly around. Whilst the brown haired
boy took care of Saffron another boy with a yellow bandanna on his head
was busy kicking Phoenix warrior ass. From the way this new boy
shrugged of blows that would have done anyone in, Ranma realized that
this boy knew the Bakusai Tenketsu. The boy was definitely not an
Amazon and it was a surprise to him that the Amazons would teach the
technique to an outsider.
*A lot has changed since I left the village! Ranma
shrugged. He would worry about those changes later. Now, he wanted to
watch the brawl for that was what he considered the fight to be. He
noticed a two-foot woman with reasonably focused ki mowing through the
Phoenix line and leaving battered, bruised and generally unconscious
warriors in her wake. *Must be the matriarch of the village. Hmmmm! Her
ki seems similar... of course its my great great great something
granddaughter. Hmmm! She and that brown haired boy have a lot of
potential. Maybe I can train them both.* He resumed his scanning and
sensed the signatures of two men - one greedy and the other emotional.
Both were in their middle ages and both were not bad when it came to
fighting. He also detected a faint ki signature of a girl who was
dying. Her ki reserves, which were very small were the only thing
sustaining the husk that had become her body.
*This is as good a time as any to have a conversation with
the matriarch. Let's see, she should be able to sense this.* Ranma
probed the matriarch with one of the easiest ki probes that he
remembered from his days at the village. The matriarch stopped in her
tracks and nearly got cleaved in half by a high-pressure wave of air.
She jumped over the attack just in time. She took care of her
assailant, turned and looked at Ranma with a strange expression on her
face.
***********************************************************************
Cologne, three hundred-year-old matriarch of the Amazons
was having a jolly good time. The Phoenix warriors with their mediocre
skill may as well have been totally unskilled to her. Even though all
of them seemed to have some training in the art, their skills were far
below her own. The fight was completely one-sided all around her as she
ploughed through their ranks with the ferocity of a hurricane.
She was about to launch her staff at an airborne Phoenix
warrior who was preparing to deliver the pressure wave attack when she
felt someone probing her. The technique used for the probe was of
Amazonian origin. The user performed it flawlessly and skillfully.
Whoever he was (she sensed his ki), he was very skilled to have
mastered even that simple technique. The user was also a stranger. She
had never sensed the user at the village or among the few Musk who had
been taught the technique. She was shocked at the revelation that
people other than the allies of the village knew of this technique. She
stopped in her tracks and barely managed to save herself from the
attack. She took care of the Phoenix warrior and leveled her gaze at
the outsider who had mastered the technique.
The user was a young man of about twenty. What was amazing
about him was the fact that he was leaning against the rocky walls and
looking at the fight between Ryuuken and Saffron. He had a recognizable
smile upon his face, the same smile one had when they were having the
time of their life. Cologne attempted to probe him with her ki but he
momentarily turned his attention from the fight, smiled at her and
blocked her attempts with one of the most advanced Musk techniques. *He
knows Musk techniques too.* Thought the matriarch. The Musk generally
did not teach their techniques to outsiders unlike the Amazons.
Cologne retrieved her staff and moved towards the boy. His
smile had increased and his attention was firmly focused on her.
"Hello there, matriarch!" said the boy as she neared him.
Cologne looked at him strangely. "Who are you?" she asked.
the boys face struck a chord in her memory. However, she couldnot
remember when or where she had definitely seen it before. *I know his
face but from where.*
The boy evaded the question. "Nice brawl you have going on
here. By the looks of it you are winning." said he.
Cologne smiled. "Can you tell me who are you and how do you
know both Amazonian and Musk techniques?"
The boy laughed. "I learned my Amazonian techniques from
the matriarch of course. As for the Musk techniques, I learned them
from the advisor to the Musk emperor."
"Do not play with me child. I have been the matriarch for
over a hundred years and I have never seen you before in all my three
hundred years." replied the matriarch. She lied for it wouldnot do to
accept that she had seen him before. Her body tensed and she pulled in
her ki for a fight.
"Hey, Will you stop that. I am not here to fight you."
Ranma replied while waving his arms. He wanted her to know that she had
misinterpreted the situation.
"Then stop lying and start telling me the truth child."
replied Cologne. Her gaze never wavered and she did not relax her
guard. Her right foot was infront of her left one and she grasped her
staff lightly. Her stance would enable her to easily shift into any of
a number of offensive or defensive stances.
Ranma shook his head. *Some things never change.* "Surely,
matriarch, you must have seen me before since you appear to be a
descendant of the dragon." he said referring to his title in the
village.
Cologne almost fell off her staff at the word. Only the
Musk emperor and his council as well as the Amazonian elders knew of
her families origin and ties with the dragon. "How did you know that?"
The boy knew one of the most guarded secrets of the Amazons and she was
going to find out the leaks and plug them. You just cannot have the
truth about some of the legends getting around. If the communist
government heard the truth about them then the Amazons would become the
latest addition to the endangered species list.
"Ah! Come-on now, do I have to spell everything out for
you, matriarch or should I call you my great great granddaughter."
replied Ranma.
The images came flashing back to her. She remembered the
day some fifty years ago when she had last seen the statue of the
_dragon_ himself. The boy's face was hauntingly similar to the statue's
and the dragon _was_ supposed to be an ageless immortal.
*It couldn't be. Why would the dragon return now? The boy
had obviously seen the statue with the help of his collaborator in the
village and had undergone plastic surgery to fool the elders.* She
concluded. Being a matriarch meant knowing about the outside world and
she knew a lot about it. It was her job to keep the tribe's archives
upto date with news of the outside world and did a pretty good job with
some help from her contacts in the outside world. "You could have
undergone facial reconstruction surgery to fool us." she replied.
Ranma banged his head up the wall. The rock face developed
cracks. "What would I have to do to convince you?" moaned Ranma.
Cologne smiled. She had him now. He was obviously an
impersonator and only the real dragon would be able to beat Saffron.
"Why don't you defeat Saffron? If you can do it I will accept you as
the dragon."
Ranma groaned. "Anyone with skill can beat him now. Can't
you see that his blasts are weak." He pointed to the latest blast. The
whole area was charred and some parts of the mountain had melted under
the heat.
"Liar!" replied Cologne.
"He's weak. Someone, presumably the boy who is fighting him
now, must have disrupted the cycle. Saffron will probably die in a few
days from now." said Ranma. He was getting annoyed at her refusal to
believe him and his patience was wearing thin, his fifty years of
patience training be damned.
"Look, will you believe me if I stop the fight right now
and make Saffron listen to me." If she did not believe him then he
would have to return to Japan.
Cologne nodded. Saffron couldnot be in cahoots with the
boy. She was sure of it. What would a God gain by cheating them?
Ranma turned towards the fight once more. The bandanna clad
boy and the two middle-aged men were done with the Phoenix warriors and
were standing at the sidelines near the girl's body. The girls body had
been restored but she was going to die if something was not done to
save her.
Saffron was looking more steamed by the minute as the
relentless taunting continued. *The boy definitely does not lack skills
in that department! Ranma thought with a smile. Ranma had never seen
Saffron so worked up. Even during their battle two thousand-year back
the God had maintained his cool to a reasonable extent most of the
time. Now he just about looked ready to explode and take the entire
mountain and all those in it with him.
Saffron howled in fury as he launched yet another huge ball
of fire at the taunting martial artist. Ranma smiled and sent a ki
charged vacuum blade at the fireball. The boy could have easily evaded
the fireball but Ranma wanted to have Saffron's attention all to
himself.
The blade covered the distance between the fireball and
itself in the wink of an eye and exploded. Saffron seemed to be in
shock and the others turned towards Ranma and Cologne.
"Hello, Saffron. Long time no see." shouted Ranma. His ki
amplified his voice so that it was heard throughout the cavern.
Saffron's expression turned deathly pale. He knew whose
voice it was. He slowly turned towards Ranma and his expression
deepened. He could never stand upto the landling in his weak condition.
Ranma cleared his throat. "I remember saying that the
Phoenix would never hurt Amazons ever again."
Saffron landed on the ground and approached Ranma. He was
trying to look as haughty and uncaring as possible. He was scared to
death but he had to keep appearances for the sake of his image.
"They disrupted my rebirth cycle and because of them my
people will starve to death. I think that gives me the right to
revenge." replied the God, growing more and more confident. He was
right and the mortal dare not behave dishonourably though he did not
know what he would do if the mortal did so.
Ranma looked at the brown haired boy and his companions
with an annoyed expression on his face. he
asked. He remembered the guide telling him that these others were from
Japan.
The boy and his companion did not pay attention to him. The
boy's friend with the yellow bandanna had a dark green aura of
depression about him. He was mourning the girl's apparent death it
seemed. One of the men was also weeping uncontrollably whilst the other
two watched from the sidelines. Ranma turned to Saffron. "Wait, we will
resume this conversation as soon as I have helped that girl."
Ranma moved towards the bandanna boy and pressed a pressure
point that dispersed his heavy chi into the air. Then he pressed
another pressure point that made him unconscious. The other boy and the
man with the mustache tried to protest but Cologne bade them to stop
their interference. She was convinced of Ranma's identity after seeing
Saffron's reaction in the middle of the fight.
Ranma knelt by the girl and sensed her ki and mana lines.
*A ki transfer should do the trick.* He decided. Cupping his hands over
her chest, he began to gather a small amount of ki in his arms. The
others watched in amazement as the ki flowed into her body from his
hands. When the transfer was complete he pressed his hands over her
chest and focused his ki once more. The girl was a tomboy and he had
lost most of his nervousness around women during his stay at the
village. Concentrating hard, he released the exact amount of ki needed
to jump-start her heart. The girl's body shuddered. She moaned in a
little voice and her hands began to move.
Ranma got up and moved towards Saffron again. The man with
the mustache prostrated himself on Ranma's legs and raved about his
undying gratitude.
"I apologize for their behaviour, Saffron." said Ranma.
"Your apology will not say me people from starving to
death." spat the God of the Phoenix.
"All you had to do is ask the Amazons or the Musk for help
and they would give it to you, wouldn't you matriarch?"
Cologne nodded. "We have had a bountiful harvest but there
won't be enough for the Phoenix to survive through the winter. But we
will gladly share what we have with them."
Saffron looked at the two-foot matriarch and scowled. "If
the food won't last through the winter, what good will it be of to my
people? They will still starve to death."
Ranma looked at Saffron and then turned towards Cologne.
"The surplus will be provided to the Phoenix as soon as possible,
matriarch." He turned towards Saffron. "I will provide you with the
rest. Give your shopping list to the matriarch here or any of the
elders in the village and I will see to it that you get everything you
asked for within three weeks."
Saffron nodded.
"Good. Nice seeing you after all these years, Saffron. Now,
we have to go. Send your army's commander with the list to the
village." said Ranma and motioned for the others to move out of the
mountain.
***********************************************************************
Ryuuken Saotome was curious... no, curious did not even
begin to describe what he was feeling now. Not only had the stranger
come and stopped the fight but he had also gotten Saffron off their
back. He had saved Akane's life and Ryuuken had seen the look on
Saffron's face when the God-king had first seen the stranger. It was a
look he recognized easily enough. He had seen the look quite a lot on
his friend Ryouga's face. Ryouga would assume that 'I am so dead'
expression just after something he did pissed his girlfriend royally.
Thinking about the pig-headed moron, he turned around and
looked for him. It wouldn't do for poor Ryouga's health to get lost
while carrying Akane. The girl would probably bash his head right in
with that stupid mallet of hers for getting them lost in China. Ryuuken
shook his head. He would never understand women. The girl loved Ryouga
and treated him like scum from the lowest pit of hell.
He turned his eyes towards the stranger. The man was
walking in the front talking quietly with Cologne. Ryuuken decided to
have a talk with him and walked to the front. His moronic father and
his friend would probably take care of Ryouga and Akane.
spoke Ryuuken as he approached the stranger.
Ranma turned around and acknowledged the greeting.
asked Ryuuken. His brain
failing make the obvious connection.
Ranma shook his head. The boy was definitely lacking in the
social department. replied he.
Ranma had asked his great great granddaughter to not reveal
his identity to none save the elders and the Musk emperor. Cologne had
accepted and had made him upto date on the political situation in the
valley of the cursed springs. Over the centuries, the relationship
between the two tribes had improved and the Amazons had gotten along
much better with the Musk. Even intertribal marriages between the two
tribes had become common in the last thirty years. The two tribes had
abandoned many of their idiosyncrasies such as the "beat 'em up to a
pulp, if you wanna marry 'em" rule and "dump a pig into the spring of
the drowned girl and get a woman free for life." The two tribes had
become the strongest of allies through the centuries.
Ryuuken kicked himself mentally for not having made
the connection.
Ranma's hand went to his pigtail. I am Ranma Qin. My
friends just call me Ranma.
replied Ryuuken, unsure as to how he should proceed
with the conversation. Cologne excused herself and dropped to the back.
said Ranma trying to keep the conversation going.
This bit of information got Ranma's interest.
Ryuuken nodded. I am also cursed. Stupid pops kicked me
into the spring of the drowned wolf after he got cursed. said Ryuuken.
replied Ranma. He did not know what to say
about a moron who would kick his son into the pools of sorrow.
Ranma nodded. A summary was enough as far as he was
concerned. asked Ranma.
Ranma was impressed. Most of the martial artists he had
encountered in the last fifty of so years did not even have rudimentary
control over their ki or chi. To know three techniques at such an young
age showed the boys skill.
Ryuuken
said proud of his achievements.
asked Ranma, his
curiosity piqued.
Ranma smiled. The Amazons had not taught the boy about ki.
He too would have done exactly the same. The tribe's and the Musk's
mastery of ki reigned supreme in the planet. There had been other
techniques that he had learnt and that were superior to the Amazons and
the Musk's mastery of ki. These techniques had all but died and he was
the only user of many of them.
Now Ryuuken was confused. If Cologne did not know
chi attacks what were the Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken and the rest
called.
asked Ranma.
replied Ryuuken.
Ryuuken shook his head. He had no idea where this
conversation was leading.
explained Ranma.
All these attacks used the
same energy source, so what's the big deal.
asked Ranma.
replied Ryuuken.
asked
Ryuuken. He had spent nearly a whole week coming up with the attack
after Ryouga had easily beaten him in their usual sparring match with
his Shi Shi Hokudan. It was the first technique he had created on his
own and he did not want to give it up.
replied
Ranma.
I must give it up then.
Ryuuken thought for a while. He asked Ranma.
I can give you advice on how to focus ki.
***********************************************************************
Ryouga Hibiki, the eternally lost boy, carried his precious
Akane-chan in his arms. His life had been devoid of friends and family
until he had met her five years ago. His family had the same
directional difficulties as him and he scarcely saw his father or
mother. In the last four years he had seen his father once and had
never laid eyes on his mother. His directional sense had been the cause
of many of his problems. The most important one being his trouble with
bullies at school when he had been a pre-schooler. He had trained very
hard to be able to defend himself and soon found himself one of the
best in his generation.
The worst effect of growing up without his family to
support and to teach him in a hostile world had been on his psyche. His
chronic depression had led to more than three suicide attempts (none
knew about them of course) and he had a psychotic and a slightly
sadistic streak in him. As a result, when he had broken the jaw of one
of the bullies soon after he started taking classes in martial arts the
bullies had decided to leave him alone. Moreover, he had enjoyed the
sensations that he had felt on breaking the boy's jaw very much.
Ryouga was rather proud of having broken the bully's jaw
and he taken to his new found passion like fish to water. He had
increased increased his training regimen and stretched his limits just
a little day after day, week after week.
He had been attending some school in Juuban when he had
been twelve. During the lunch interval, he had went to the bathroom and
got lost as usual. A month and a half later, he had somehow ended up in
the hallways of Furinkan high where he met his beloved Akane. She had
been the only one to show pity on him and he had fallen in love with
her. Akane loved him too, but after she had discovered that he
surpassed her in martial arts, she had become a _little_ violent. Now,
whenever he did something wrong she would give him a blow on his head
with that mallet of hers. After four years of beatings he still did not
know what it was that he did wrong. Ryuu had been of great help when he
had secretly taught him the Bakusai Tenketsu. He had become Ryuu's
friend after the kid helped him out and he had discovered that the
little kid was his equal in the arts. He would leave once or twice a
month with the GPS that Nabiki had bought him (The commission he had
given her had him bankrupt for a whole year.) and he would train in
some new technique and try to beat Ryuu. Mr. Saotome also taught him
and sparred with him daily. Therefore, his martial arts had not
suffered because of his stay at the Tendo's.
Akane did not beat him that often, he knew. It was only
when she got jealous that she vent her frustrations and anger on him.
As a result, he would get hit once or twice a month at the most. Then
those damned Phoenix had come and had kidnapped her for a reason that
only the kami knew. He had asked Ryuu's help and his friend had
consented. They had come to China with Akane's and Ryuu's fathers and
had tried to rescue Akane with the help of the Amazonian elder. Akane's
body fluids had been drained by accident and though he had restored her
body, her heart wouldn't resume beating. It was at that time that the
stranger had come. He had caught a glimpse or two of the new arrival
and had thought lillt of him until the man had made Saffron see sense
and brought Akane back from the dead. *Who is that man?* Lost in his
thoughts Ryouga shifted Akane's body in his arms and the inevitable
happened. His arm found something soft and before he realized what it
was, Akane woke up from her beauty sleep.
He knew from experience that a cranky Akane meant a trip
sooner than later via the infamous Akane express. Now, he had
compounded his situation by grasping her breasts accidentally. In
Akane's view that amounted to groping and groping was definitely a
hentai act demanding a swift retribute with the mallet. Ryouga's nose
began to bleed as his imagination took over and as his fate would have
it, Akane saw that too.
"Yeeewwww! Ryouga you pervert!" she shouted. She took his
nosebleed as evidence that he had touched her 'there' with some
perverted intention.
His love for her be damned Ryouga let go of her and tried
to run away. Unfortunately, his sense of direction made him step over
Akane, who was rubbing her sore butt after hitting the dirt and he fell
to the ground.
"RYOUGA YOU STUPID JERKKKK!" she shouted as she raised her
mallet to the heavens above.
Wham! Bonk! Kaboom!
The beating of the century went on infront of everyone.
Ranma was shocked at the girls behaviour and Cologne fell down from her
staff and rolled on the floor laughing hysterically.
***********************************************************************
Soun Tendo followed behind his daughter with his friend
Genma Saotome. Their friendship was formed during the days of their
training under the lecherous grandmaster of Matsubeto Katuto Ryuu, the
infamous women's underwear thief, the one and only Happousai. Soon
after their marriage they had been inebriated after several hours of
drinking sake in the company of their master when they had made taken a
vow. Soun had never been so squiffed in his entire life as he had been
that day. They would unite the two schools together with their
children's marriages, they had promised each other and they intended to
keep it too.
Several years after Genma took his son, Ranma on a training
trip Genma came to the Tendo dojo one day. Soun's wife had died a month
ago and Soun had been mourning the loss of his wife. He had abandoned
his children in his despair and stayed in his room uncaring as to the
affairs of the house. When Genma arrived with the news of Ranma's death
Soun had sunk deeper into the pit of despair. Genma had stayed with him
for two months and had brought him out of his despair with his jokes or
so Genma believed. More than anything else Genma's mere presence had
been the only thing that brought Soun out of the throes of despair.
Genma had left after those two months and a letter had arrived from him
telling him about Ryuuken Saotome.
Soun had rejoiced at the news. He still kept that letter
carefully tucked away in his room. Soun had stopped taking classes
after all his students abandoned him. They refused to study under him
and it had been his second daughter, Nabiki, who had kept the family
about with her shady dealings. Soun's honour, as it was, found no wrong
in that and Nabiki had grown and blossomed into a full-time mercenary.
Even if his honour had found his daughter's behaviour wrong, he
wouldnot, have done anything. He was afraid of her as it was. The girl
even blackmailed her own father.
His eldest daughter, Kasumi, was the one who had kept his
family together and she had grown up to be a woman as kind and gentle
as a soft breeze. Kasumi was one of the best cooks in the world and
would one day become a wonderful mother and a loving wife.
His youngest daughter, Akane, had been the youngest and
most unprepared of his daughters when her mother had died. She had
retreated into herself and the arts. Since none guided her in the art,
she was shabby at best and horrendous at worst. Her temper tantrums
were unbelievable in their intensity and she had become every bit the
spoiled brat. He knew in the pits of his soul that he was responsible
for his daughter's personality and therefore he tolerated it. He did
not know what that Ryouga boy found in her but given his psychotic
tendencies, he really did not want to know. He did not want to see his
youngest daughter married to that freak but he couldnot find it in his
heart and tell her to stop seeing him. The joy that reflected in her
face when she was with him and when she thought none was looking
ensured that things stayed the way they did.
When his dear friend Genma arrived with his son in their
cursed forms, he had fainted at first sight. Genma had been the first
to transform and after restraining the wolf, he had commenced his
woeful story of curses, hardship and magic. Soun's heart had been
touched at the troubles and triumphs that the father and son had
undergone. Finally, when the well-spun tale was finished Soun had
poured hot water over the boy and had offered the naked boy the first
two daughters to choose as his fiancee. The boy had beaten them up
after he had gotten dressed and had proclaimed that he would choose his
fiancee after he was eighteen and that too out of honour as he had no
intention of marrying girls older than himself.
He had sunk in to the deepest pits of depression when Akane
had been kidnapped. Ryouga had shouted something about hell to pay and
prepare to die or something in that context. He had not been listening
to the psychotic freak and thus remembered little of his lamentations.
Then the freak had gone and asked Ryuu for help. They did not know
where Akane's kidnappers where and this put a huge dent in their plans
for a rescue mission. Thankfully, the guide's daughter had arrived and
after hearing about the Phoenix, they had all left for China. Ryuu had
recruited an Amazon elder whose skills reminded them of their master.
They had went to the mountain and found out that they were facing a God
of all things.
During the fight Akane had become a dried up mummy and they
had given up all hope of seeing her alive when the stranger arrived and
rescued her from the dead.
***********************************************************************
Genma walked by Soun's side with his usual greed and
foolishness. Yes, Genma had changed some over the decade after he had
lost his first born. The few things that he had learned after Ranma had
presumably died were: a) Soun's wife had died. b) He had a second son
and a stupid wife who believed every damned lie he said. c) do not mess
around with the catfist. He had learned it from Ranma's presumed death,
of course. d) Happousai never dies. His lecherous traits only increase
at a rate that is directly proportional to the fourth power of his age.
e) Never mess around with Amazons. It would result in a lot of pain. f)
A healthy boy on the road meant a healthy diet as you can barter him
for pickles, rice and whatnot. If you do not have a boy with you, you
are not worth S*** in the eyes of the people you are planning to
freeload on. i) His second born, Ryuu, had lost all respect for him. He
had tried to gain his son's respect numerous times but he had failed
miserably.
After he had searched for Ranma, he had left for Tokyo with
a heavy stomach and a not so heavy heart. While on his way to Juuban
where his wife awaited him he stopped by his dear friends house. There
he had found Soun in the midst of a terrible depression. Soun's wife
had apparently died and he had stayed there for two months freeloading
on Soun's meager financial savings. He had somehow gotten his friend
out of the depression. He went home to find his wife with little
Ryuuken Saotome in her hands. His joy had known no bounds and he had
spun a really tale about monsters and such. He had told her about his
valiant yet futile struggle to save their son. In addition, Nodoka had
believed him. After all these years he still found it hard to believe
that his wife was as dumb as a rock who lived in her own little world
with her stupid and completely perverted notions of manhood.
He had badly wanted to train Ryuuken and make him succeed
where his first born had failed. He had easily persuaded Nodoka after
he had given the customary 'it was a samurai wife's duty' speech. He
had traveled throughout Japan using his innocent son as a bartering
card and a handy fiancee. *Thank God, those fools who engaged their
daughters to my son have not caught up with me. If they did, Ryuuken
would skin me alive.*
He still cursed the day that he had fallen into Jusenkyo.
He did not give a damn about whatever happened to his son but he too
had been cursed on that occasion. It was in anger more than anything
else at the thought of his newfound curse and how his own son had
caused it that he had kicked his son into one of the pools. The boy
must have known the truth behind the kick at some unconscious level.
His son had gotten angry, gone berserk and had tried to wring his
throat out but the Amazons had arrived just in time.
Their matriarch had insisted that the boy stay with them
and he had attacked her thinking that she would be easy to beat. That
had proved to be one of the worst mistakes of his life. She had given
him a thorough beating and had done things that made the sadistic
master look like a barbie doll with cute blonde hair. The pain he had
endured while she was busy with him had made the master's tortures seem
like the happiest moments of his life. He had spent the next one-month
recovering from the incredible beating that he had received.
He had wisely decided to stay out of their way for the next
three years. When the three years were finished, he had returned to the
village to claim his son from the Amazons. His son had become his equal
in those three years and with their advanced techniques easily beat
him. He had decided to teach his son the forbidden techniques to gain
his son's respect. He had squandered the final opportunity to gain the
boy's respect of course. The boy learned the techniques but now loathed
him and took every opportunity to beat the stuffing out of him.
He knew that he was not the greatest father in the world or
even one of the bad ones. Infact he knew very well that he was probably
the worst father in the world. In his mind, he had caused the death of
his first born and then lied to his very own wife to save his ass.
Father's did not get any worse then that. He only wished that things
had gone differently though he knew in his mind that he would have done
the same mistakes all over again if he got the chance to go into the
past and change it, for such was his personality.
When his friends youngest daughter, Akane had been
kidnapped he had wanted no part in the rescue effort. He had come
anyway as Soun was his only friend in the world and he did owe it to
Soun. Also, he thought that it might be another chance to gain his
son's respect, which it hadn't. Contrary to what people might think
Genma did have a sense of honour though it was perverted beyond
imagination. They had traveled to China after they had learnt the
location of the kidnapper's kingdom. Only when the Amazon elder had
joined them did he learn that they were about to face a God. His
cowardice had got the better of him after that and he had plotted. He
had thought that Soun would run off and he would use that as an excuse
to run away himself but Soun had been hell bent on saving his daughter.
During the fight he had taken care of the weakest of the Phoenix,
fighters letting the others do all the hard work.
Halfway into the fight, Akane had been changed into a
living mummy and he had thought that she would die. A part of him had
grieved for the child but another part of him was happy as they would
not have to confront Saffron to save her. It was then that the strange
yet somehow familiar boy had come and stopped the fight. He was
grateful, for the kid had saved their lives. A part of him was even now
telling him something that the pile of garbage he called his brain
could not even comprehend.
***********************************************************************
The group arrived at Jusenkyo the day after the battle with
Saffron. It was time for them to bid their farewells to one another.
"Cologne, you have great potential. I want to teach you
some of the things that I had learned in my wanderings." said Ranma.
Both of them stood under the shadows of a tree. It was midday and one
wanted to avoid the sun as much possible, though the temperature beyond
the shadows was tolerable.
The matriarch looked at her ancestor from atop her staff
and smiled. No matter how old you were, being praised always brought
joy. "You have finally decided to return to the village after two
thousand years?"
Ranma shook his head. "No, seeing you has brought back the
memories. I still cannot find the strength in my heart to enter the
village. I thought that I was ready but it seems that I was wrong. I
will visit the village someday in the future but for now I want you to
come to Japan with me and learn from me there, great great
granddaughter." said Ranma and smiled at the matriarch. They were alone
and none was in hearing distance.
Cologne found it amazing that he still loved his wife after
she had been dead for more than two thousand years. "You still haven't
forgotten her or stopped loving her, have you great grandfather?" It
was more of a statement than of a question. She smiled at the
grandfather part. It was nice to see someone who was her elder after
nearly seven decades.
Ranma returned the smile ruefully. He was never at ease
when he discussed about his wife or about the time at the Amazon
village. It brought too much memories to him.
"Can I bring along my great great granddaughter, Shampoo
along?" she asked.
"I don't see why not. Is she any good at the arts?" he
asked. He wanted to teach the Amazons some of the easier and less
dangerous things that he had learnt.
"She is good taking if you take into account the times in
which she lives but she is not even a match for Ryuuken. That boy is
the most skillful in this generation, I think!"
Ranma nodded. *You can't have them all.* "Fine then. I will
stay at the guides hut waiting for you and your granddaughter"
Cologne left the pools and hurried towards the village. It
wouldn't do to have her honourable ancestor waiting for long.
Ranma returned to the guide's house and found Ryuuken and
the others preparing to leave. Ryuuken walked upto Ranma.
he said. His three years in the Amazon
village had taught him some modesty.
Ranma waited for three hours after Ryuuken and the others
had gone. Cologne and Shampoo arrived and they began their journey to
Tokyo.
***********************************************************************
In Japan...
Fuji or Fuji-san as it is respectfully called is a volcano
of indescribable grace and beauty that evokes awe and wonder in the
hearts of those who lay their eyes upon it. The mountain is located in
the Honshu island in mainland Japan. To the vacationing tourist Fuji's
beauty lies in its massive yet isolated elegance. Countless pictures
have been drawn of this venerated mountain, which has come to symbolize
Japan in so many ways.
On the summit of Fuji are 'the eight petals of Fuji', the
eight peaks that adorn the summit. Between these peaks lies the Nai-in,
the sanctuary. Fuji is also thought to be the home of Amatersu Omikami,
the Goddess of the Sun. It was true that the Kami herself resided in
the mountain. Lines of mana from all over the world converged on the
mountain. Though there were similar convergence sites in all the
planets, this was the most powerful of them all.
Fuji with all its beauty and glory hid a terrible secret.
It's Nai-in was the doorway to a prison. A prison created by the Gods
themselves to seal away an evil that threatened all of existence. The
evil had been battering the door for countless millennia. Though the
door had nearly broken on several occasions, it would mend itself as
the force that had been applied was not enough to completely shatter
it. The door had weakened through the millennia and now it was about to
break releasing the ancient evil upon the world.
The door was pushed slowly towards its breaking point and
finally it broke and shattered. The Gods had known that this would
happen and had created eight seals to give the world the time to
prepare for this menace. Now with the doorway broken beyond repair the
hordes of Ashura's rushed out into reality. Their leader a middle-aged
man with a brownish complexion came out and was confronted by Amatersu
Omikami.
"You cannot kill me, God." said the man contemptuously.
"That maybe so Raja Chola but one can always try." replied
the kami glaring at him.
Raja Chola laughed. "Begone God. I have better things to
worry about."
Amatersu did not move. "Be warned Raja Chola. do not harm
the humans. If you do, you will be destroyed." she replied.
"None can kill me. My boon will prevent them from killing
me. Now move out of the way or should I kill you now?" warned the king
of the Ashura's.
Amatersu moved out of the way and retreated to her home.
Some fights are won by not fighting them at all.
Raja Chola watched her leave, his contempt for her kind
showing clearly in his face for all his minions to see. He glanced
towards the eight seals and shook his head. *Fools, do they think that
they can stop me with these seals.* "Indra!" he shouted.
The Ashura of that name appeared before him. "I can sense
those sailor scouts. They are weak but they are a threat to the
invasion. I want you to send two of your best warriors to kill them."
His previous experience with the sailor scouts had made him wary of
them and he wanted them out of the way as soon as possible. He would
have sent more to take care of them but though the doorway had been
broken, the tear was small allowing only one or two to pass through. It
would remain that way as long as the seals were in place. When they
broke, all his army would be free to invade the world and when they had
destroyed it they would go after the Gods and he would have avenged
dear Anita's death. Until then, he would send his best troops in little
groups to take care of the scouts and other threats.
Indra nodded. "Yes, My king. I will do as you please."
Hell was about to break loose on the streets on Juuban...
***********************************************************************
Author's rants:
That's the end of the second chapter.
The attacks used:
Ikidooru Ryuu - Angry Gragon. A chi based attack which uses
the users anger as a focus to channel ki.
Hiryuu Shoten Ha Kaihan: Ken Joukai - Flying dragon ascend
to heaven strike revision: Fist of Heaven. A variation of the normal
Hiryuu Shoten Ha. It is a tornado punch.
Hiryuu Shoten Ha Kaihan: Genkan Joukai Kirite - Flying
dragon ascend to heaven strike revision: Heaven's doorway cleaver.
I would like to take this free space and prostate myself
infront of my pre-readers and grovel on the ground.
The story is hosted at the following sites:
1. Mine (http://samrtaleck.anifics.com)
2. Lady cosmos (http://www.crosswinds.net/~ladycosmos/)
3. Rakhal's Penultimate Ranma Fanfic index
(http://www.rakhal.com/FFIndex/lstmain.html)
4. FFML archives
(http://miniarchive.dyndns.org:123/cgi-bin/MiniArchive.exe)
5. Mediaminer fanfic archives (www.mediaminer.org/fanfic)
I would like to take this oppurtunity to
prostrate myself in front of my pre-readers. Thank you, guys! This
couldn't have been possible without all of you:
jakub [jpilecki@poczta.onet.pl]
Kaz [kazblah945@aol.com]
Madcat [madcat08@hotmail.com]
Brain [bmccullough@nucles.com]
James Merritt [j.merritt1@home.com]
Philip Penty [plainswaker@hotmail.com]
Nathan Shuker [rezantis@hotmail.com]
Zero [shinzero@home.com]
Hints for you readers from the author:
Hint #1: Arun doesnot write to a schedule, he really has to
spend a lot of time with his psychiatrist.
Hint #2: (for those out standing critics out there[;)])Call
Arun anything you want in your mail provided (though he won't) he has
the right to call you by these same names. Arun appreciates
constructive negative comments and he really loves the positive
comments. Its the 'Go to hell you mother F***ing Freak of nature' and
such that he hates. Please send me your negative comments though I
would be most grateful if you would tone down the I hate you part a
little.