Insertion
Part 53
The Trial of Ranma
++++++++++++
Akane walked along the beaches of Japan, a frown on her face as she strolled through the sand. She was walking along the tree line, taking advantage of the shade the branches provided. "This sucks," she muttered to herself. She hadn't seen anyone for some time now.
Giving a heavy sigh as she walked she stopped and looked out over the ocean. "Where is this stupid place?" She hadn't realized just how much beach there was. Still, she had to find the mountains; sooner or later she'd stumble on to them. "This is pretty boring."
Falling flat on her back, she paused as she looked up and saw something looking down at her in confusion. "What the?"
It was standing just behind a bush, and looked just as surprised as she did to be there. It was a hulking creature, humanoid, with two fangs jutting out from the bottom of its lower lip. It's arms hung almost to the ground, and it wore a loincloth and held a wooden club in its hands.
"Oh shit," she muttered as it seemed to snap out of it and raised the club over it's head.
With a roar it slammed it down into the sand, forcing her to roll out of the way. "What the hell are you supposed to be?" she snapped as she jumped into a combat stance.
The thing snorted and growled, stalking forward slowly. It swung the weapon at her a few times, driving her back. "What the hell?" she grumbled as she dodged. Finally, she saw an opening and rushed in, punching it in the gut with all her might.
The thing staggered back in pain, but after a moment, it merely rubbed the spot in irritation and started forward again.
Akane gasped as she saw the bruise that had already started to form melt away. "Uh-oh..."
It charged her again, raising the club over its head. She reacted by snapping her foot into its jaw, sending it sprawling onto its back.
She cursed as it stood up as if nothing had happened. Backing into a combat stance once again she snarled at it angrily. "What does it take to put you down ugly?"
It frowned at her and turned its head, giving a barking sound into the woods.
Akane simply stood silently as five more emerged from the woods, surrounding her completely. "Damn." She changed her stance after they had moved in. "So, you want to play rough do you?" Magical energy started to build up around her and she grinned at them with a wild look in her eyes. "All right then! Get ready!!"
A new voice interrupted her and she paused in confusion. "Huh?"
"Demonic Crystal!"
Three of the creatures fell over, all of them encased in ice. The others didn't seem to notice, and tried to attack Akane in her confusion. She dodged and jumped into one of the thing's face, turning and bouncing away as one of its companions tried to swat her and ended up flooring his friend.
The creature stood up from being on its back and shook its head for a moment in confusion. It quickly regained its senses and they focused on her again.
"What are these things made of?" muttered Akane in surprise as she backed away.
"Freeze Arrow!" cried the voice again. A man jumped in front of the things and shot a spell that froze another one of them in their tracks.
"You!" gasped Akane as she recognized him immediately.
"You look like you might be in a spot of trouble luv," said Ryoga as he tipped his bowl hat at the woman.
"I can handle myself!" she snapped in retort as she raised her hands over her head. "Fireball!"
The two remaining creatures shrieked in terror as they were hit with a ball of flames that promptly exploded, consuming them in flames and sending them to the ground in a pair of smoking heaps.
"Of course, I could have been mistaken," said Ryoga dumbly. He was dressed in a suit and tie, with a western style umbrella held carelessly over one shoulder. "I do believe we've met before," he commented as he smiled at her.
"You were in the tower, one of Ranma's men," she said with a frown on her face.
"Ah yes," he said as he frowned to himself. "It seems we meet again."
"What are you doing here?" she snapped at him.
"Traveling, and running into monsters these days," he said as he frowned at the things. "I'm not sure where they're coming from, but they've been all over the place over the past few days."
Akane frowned at this, but said nothing.
"It's dangerous to travel. All sorts of new monsters have been popping up all over. I've heard stories of dragons as well, but I've not seen one for myself."
Akane looked at him for a moment and sighed. "I guess I should thank you for helping me, even if I didn't need it. This is the first time I've run into anything like this."
"Is it?" he said as he looked down at one of them.
"Yeah. What are they? You say there's more?"
"Of these things? I'm not sure. I've seen a lot of monsters over the past few days, but this is the first time I've seen something like this."
"There's different kinds?" she said in horror.
"Yes. These are relatively weak. You won't do very well if you keep trying to fight them with your fists. I've found that out the hard way." he looked up at her and smirked. "It's dangerous to travel alone."
"I wonder if this has anything to do with the Silver Imperium Crystal?" she muttered.
"Pardon?" he said in confusion.
She frowned at him and thought about it for a moment. "I guess I can tell you. Someone's stolen it."
"Oh dear!" said the man almost prissily.
Akane scowled at him for a moment. "I'm leaving now."
"Wait! It's dangerous to go alone!" cried the man as he followed after her.
"I don't need any help," she snorted as she turned to look at him again.
"I didn't mean for just you," he replied calmly. "I'd rather not be walking around by myself either."
"You don't know where I'm going," she said as she started walking.
"I wasn't going anywhere in particular," he said with a shrug as he moved up beside her. "There are things out there that I'd rather not meet again on my own. Things you shouldn't meet on your own."
"Like what?" she snapped.
"Those beastmen I stumbled onto last night were particularly nasty," he replied with a shrug.
"Beastmen?" she said in confusion.
"Werewolves," he supplied calmly.
"I'm looking for trouble you know. You'd be better off going on your own."
"I'm wandering to atone for what I did while I was under Ranma's control. Maybe helping you would be a step in the right direction," he said calmly.
Akane growled. It seemed as if she wasn't going to get rid of him, at least, not short of blasting him. She couldn't do that, he'd just helped her out. "Fine. Do what you want."
"Oh. Right then," he said cheerfully.
"Stop with the stupid accent already!" she snapped.
"Accent? What accent? I hope I'm not picking up nasty habits! Oh bother," he said prissily.
Akane rolled her eyes and continued to walk.
++++++++++++
Tsuki woke up and looked around. She gasped as she found herself in some sort of prison. "What? Where am I? Mistress Pluto?" she looked around and stood up shakily. "What happened?"
"Awake are you?" said a chillingly familiar voice.
"No!" she muttered in horror. She clutched her head and fell to her knees. "No! Mistress! No!!" Sobbing violently, she fell to her knees and clutched at the grass at the bottom of the unusual cell. "Mistress...why?"
Ranma frowned at this and stood up inside his own cell. "Are you all right?"
She snapped her gaze up at him. "Die! Dead Scream!"
Ranma blinked at her as nothing happened. "I'm afraid that won't do you any good. Pluto is gone."
"What?" she muttered in horror.
"Ranma destroyed it," said the boy calmly as he looked at her with a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."
Tsuki leaned against the branches of her prison as tears ran down her face. She'd been cleaned up before she'd been placed inside the cell, and didn't realize the position she had been in when they'd found her.
Ranma was almost thankful for that given the pathetic condition she was in now. Well, most of him anyway. Carrot was a little upset, muttering something about them being 'spoilsports' or something.
"Are you all right? What happened?" he asked her gently.
Tsuki scowled at him and then her face softened. "Where are we?"
"On a Juraian Starship. I've been mistaken for that monster who destroyed the Earth, and your world. I had you with me when they captured me."
"Who are you?" said the woman in confusion. She looked a lot like the old Senshi of Pluto did, wearing the same clothes and the same hairstyle though. The long violet locks gave away who she was in reality though.
"I'm the real Ranma Saotome," he said with a smirk on his face. "That bastard stole my life, and used my position to take over."
"Right," muttered Tsuki hatefully. "There was only one Ranma Saotome."
"There still is," said the boy calmly. "I killed the other one. Well, it wasn't exactly me who did it, I just helped a bit."
"I'll destroy you for what you've done," she hissed as she tried to reach for him through the bars of her prison.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about girl. If I was Ranma Saotome, why would I be in this situation?"
"The Jurians finally got the balls to capture you!" she snarled.
"I can leave any time I want to," he countered calmly. "I suppose there's no point in talking to you about it. These people won't listen either."
She snorted at this and turned away. "Well, I'm not going to help you."
"I didn't ask for your help," he said calmly. "I'm afraid I've missed out on a lot over the past twenty years or so. I was dead for a while."
"You expect me to believe you?" she snapped hatefully. "I'm going to help them string you up!"
"I could have just left you floating in space, until the Garnet Orb gave out. You had maybe a year's worth of protection left at most."
Tsuki frowned at this. "What do you mean?"
"What year is it?" he asked her calmly.
"1990," she supplied.
"Seems Fifteen years ago is when things started to heat up then," he said to himself. "I'll bet that's when he started everything."
"What do you mean fifteen years?" said the woman as she clutched at the branches of her prison.
"It's 2005," he said calmly. "Ranma Saotome, or the one you know is dead. The Senshi have all returned, and Crystal Tokyo is just now beginning."
"What?" said the woman in shock. "You...you're lying!"
"Am I?" he said with a chuckle. "Ask our captors when they visit us next."
The pair sat in silence until a man entered the room with two small trays of food and water.
Tsuki stood up and moved forward.
"Stay back please," he said calmly.
"What year is it?" she asked him.
"Calendar year 175," he said to her.
"She's from Earth," said Ranma from where he was resting in the back of his cell.
"Oh. I believe it's 2005 there," said the man as he handed her the tray.
She stared at him in a sort of shocked awe. "But...fifteen years?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" asked Ranma casually, more out of boredom than anything else.
"Shut up!" she snapped hatefully.
"Sorry. Didn't realize it was a soft spot," he mumbled quietly.
Tsuki broke down into tears again, falling to her knees as the memory floated back to her.
+++++++++++++
"The planet is lost," said Pluto as she looked at her charge.
"Mistress?" muttered Tsuki in horror.
Overhead, the gray slivers of the Star fleet could be seen. They were preparing to unleash another barrage of fire down on them.
"It is too late, all is lost," said Pluto calmly. "We are about to be destroyed, and the timegates with us."
"We'll use them to stop it!" cried Tsuki.
"How?" said Pluto calmly.
"There must be a way!" cried Tsuki in terror. "Please Mistress! We have to try! It can't end like this!"
"He has won," said Pluto with an icy tone.
"What?" said Tsuki in horror. "No! I won't accept that!"
"Then perhaps, you are more worthy than I," said the woman as she shoved something into Tsuki's arms.
"What?" sputtered the young woman dumbly, not yet realizing what she had done.
"Goodbye, my..."
A red light formed around Tsuki's body, and everything went black.
Pluto merely looked at the figure inside the garnet orb, and raised her arms into the sky as the first massive laser slammed into the surface of the planet, vaporizing her in an instant.
++++++++++++
"So. You're awake," said an unfamiliar voice from outside her cell.
"Huh?" she muttered as she snapped out of her memory. Sadness was still etched into her features.
A young man knelt before her, his eyes were very gentle, but his face was somewhat stern. He also appeared to have a black eye.
"Who are you?" she asked softly. "Where am I?"
"You are on board my ship, the Tsunami," he said to her calmly.
"Tsunami? This is the Juraian Flagship?" she stammered.
"Yes. I am the Crowned Prince of Planet Jurai..."
"Tenchi Masaki," said Tsuki before he could finish. "I know who you are."
"Then you have the advantage," he said with a smirk on his face. "What were you doing in my room?" His face fell as he remembered the result of her discovery.
"Your room?" she stammered.
"Ah. That would have been my fault," said Ranma cheerfully.
"I'm not speaking to you," snapped Tenchi.
"Well, so what?" he snorted defiantly. "She's been asleep for the last fifteen years. In a state of suspended animation."
"Then how does she know who I am?" said Tenchi as he looked at her for an answer.
She backed away from his gaze slightly, with her face becoming a mask of ice.
"She's the Senshi of Pluto," said Ranma calmly. "The past, present, and future are all an open book to her. Or rather, they were before Ranma Saotome destroyed the Gates of Time along with the rest of her planet."
Tenchi frowned at this. "Is it true?"
She nodded gently and looked over at Ranma for a moment. He still had that dumb looking grin on his face.
"Why did you bring her here?" he asked the boy.
"Why? I didn't want to just leave her floating there. This was the first place I could find to dump her off." The pigtailed boy stepped out of his prison, the bars shifting aside for him.
"What the?" muttered Tenchi in shock.
"It wouldn't have been right," continued Ranma almost casually. He turned to look at the prince. "Is Sasami all right? I had an accident when I first came here, and I hope she wasn't injured."
Tenchi stepped back, the Wings of the Light Hawk forming in his grip as he growled at the young boy angrily. "Get back in your cell!"
Ranma smirked and reached out, touching the weapon with his hand gently. "I'm afraid I haven't quite figured out how to control this yet. I was planning on staying in deep space until I did. Finding her sort of put a damper on those plans. I was taking her back to Earth, when I ran into you."
Tenchi fell to his knees, a look of complete horror on his face as Ranma absorbed the energy from his weapon into himself. "I'm not sure if I'm just replacing what I'm using or just absorbing new power. I've been using an awful lot these days."
"What are you?" said Tenchi.
"I am a god, and a demon," he said with a shrug. "I call myself a Mazoku."
"What do you want?" said the Prince as he stood up and backed away.
"I thought it might be nice to visit my daughter. I haven't seen her in over twenty years," he said calmly.
"What?" said Tenchi dumbly.
"Ryoko was not his daughter. She was mine," he said simply as he waved his hand and opened Tsuki's cage.
The girl rushed out to attack him, and he stopped her with one hand, shoving her against the wall. She closed her eyes and waited for a moment. When nothing happened she blinked and looked at him in confusion.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Stop acting like that," he said calmly. "Are we on our way to Jurai?"
Tenchi nodded and cautiously moved towards the door.
"If you're going to run away and get help, I won't stop you," said the pigtailed boy calmly.
"So. You've become a youma!" snarled Tsuki.
"No. I only drain magic energy. For example, if you were still able to activate your senshi powers, I might drain those. From what I've found anyway, I haven't been able to figure out how I can control it yet."
"Bastard!" she snapped.
"Oh stop that! I didn't kill your precious Pluto! I wasn't even around fifteen years ago!" he snapped. "Jeez." He tossed his arms into the air and walked around inside the small garden. He did pause though, when a few small wooden logs appeared in the air around him. "Great."
Ayeka appeared in the doorway with Ryoko beside her. Tenchi stood between them, and a mass of guards moved up behind them.
Ranma sighed and touched the field that surrounded him. "It sure is nice of you to keep feeding me this way, but I really wish you'd stop."
"What?" muttered Ayeka as her energy field failed. "No!"
"I'll get him!" snarled Ryoko as she charged him. Her hair changed into a golden color, and grew longer.
Ranma simply stood there, moving a single arm at an insane rate of speed and blocking her every strike with ease. "Temper. You're getting sloppy daughter."
She gasped and backed away cautiously. "Damn!"
"What are we going to do?" asked Ayeka nervously.
"I don't know!" growled Tenchi.
"He's like some sort of vampire!" snapped Ryoko as she suddenly felt weak and staggered a bit. Her hair changed into a bright red color once again as well.
"That would be a good way to describe my little problem," he agreed. "I'm supposed to be training in how to control it." He sighed as another field of power surrounded him, this one stronger than the last by hundreds of times. "Sasami I suppose."
The guards stepped aside as the teenager appeared in the doorway. "You! You hurt Tsunami!"
"It was an accident," he supplied cautiously. "Look. I'm sure you realize that putting this much energy around me is a bad idea. Could you stop it please? I'd rather not cause another blackout cause you pass out again."
Sasami smirked at him and turned towards Tenchi. "This isn't Ranma."
"Huh?" said everyone in the room in confusion.
The young girl smiled at the boy. "He spoke with Tsunami, before the accident. He's really weird, she thinks so anyway, but he's not evil."
"Huh? I'm part demon! How did she not pick up evil?" he muttered dumbly.
Sasami sighed. "He didn't come to destroy us anyway," she muttered halfheartedly. "He actually seemed quite nice to her."
"Thanks space tree!" he said as he pat one of the walls in the ship affectionately. His fingers tingled slightly for a second and he jerked back. "Oh. Sorry about that."
"Who is he?" asked Ayeka in confusion. "He certainly looks like Ranma."
"And I look like a teenage girl," countered Sasami. "Ryo-Ohki looks like a cute fuzzy little animal."
"I see your point," said the princess as she looked at him.
He was smiling cheerfully at her.
"Who is he then?" asked Ryoko with a distrusting frown on her face.
"I'm not sure," said Sasami. "He's definitely not Ranma though."
"Actually, I am, I'm the real Ranma. That guy was just an imposter!" said the boy happily. "He killed me, and I was dead for about twenty years or so. Then I came back, and killed him, with the help of some friends of course."
"Friends?" asked Tenchi.
"The Senshi!" said the boy. "Them and Akane."
"What are we going to do with him?" asked Ryoko.
"I'm not sure we can do anything," said Sasami calmly. "Our defenses are useless against him, he can just drain anything we throw at him."
"I'm workin on that," he said defensively.
Tsuki just looked confused. "So, what exactly is going on?"
"We'll be on Jurai in about three hours," said Tenchi.
"That might not be such a good idea," said Ranma nervously.
"What?" said Ayeka dumbly.
"Do you remember what happened when I got to close to Tsunami? The whole ship blacked out for a minute or two. Can you imagine what might happen if I landed on a planet full of space trees?"
Everyone looked at one another for a moment. "Um. Right," said Tenchi dumbly. "Well..."
"If you really want to take me there, I'm not gonna argue. To be honest though, I'd rather not." Ranma smiled at them.
"This isn't good," said Ryoko.
"She's right about that," agreed Ayeka.
"Well, we can't just dump him off into space," said Sasami.
Tenchi looked embarrassed, as if he'd actually been considering that option.
Ranma blinked at this. "Oh come on. I've been pretty nice about this. You can't possibly think I'm that bad!"
Everyone looked away from him.
"Right. I'll just go sit in my cell for a while then," he grumbled as he walked back into it and closed the branches behind him.
+++++++++++
"Where the heck are we?" said Akane as she looked at her companion angrily. "I told you he was in a castle by the shore! I don't even see any water!"
"Oh. Sorry about that," muttered the man nervously. "I suppose I forgot to mention it..."
"Mention what?" she said as she grabbed him by his collar.
"You see, I have this little problem...with directions..."
"What kind of problem?" she said with a dangerous gleam in her eyes.
"I um...get lost real easy...it sort of runs in my family..." he said sheepishly.
"What do you mean?" she said as she picked him up off the ground.
"I um...get lost on the way to the lavatory in my own house," he said quietly, turning beet red.
Akane set him down calmly and turned away. "Oh. You should have said something then..."
"Right. Sorry..." he mumbled.
"About four hours ago!" she snapped as she whirled around and decked him. "You idiot! The fate of the world depends on us!"
"Oh..." he muttered in embarrassment.
"Well, at least we can find out where we are!" she snorted as she saw the familiar columns of smoke a short distance away. It was a sure sign of a human settlement.
"Okay," grumbled Ryoga as he followed her.
+++++++++++
"We're where?" said Akane dumbly.
"Okinawa," said the villager.
"We didn't cross any water," said Akane dumbly. She turned and looked at Ryoga in a sort of horrified awe.
"There's water between Tokyo and Okinawa?"
"You mean you didn't know?" gasped Akane as she grabbed him again. "You idiot!"
"Well, at any rate," said the villager. "You want to go to Tokyo, you go that way." He pointed north.
"Right," said Akane flatly.
"Well, shall we be off then?" asked Ryoga cheerfully. He started walking to the south.
"I hate you," said Akane as she pulled him in the right direction.
"Oh. Very well then," he said dejectedly.
A loud noise echoed through the valley, causing everyone to freeze for a moment.
"What was that?" asked Akane nervously.
"Huh? That's just the dragon. Nuthin to worry about. We keep em nice and fed, with those silly witches. He won't bother you none." The man almost seemed cheerful as he said this.
"You feed it witches?" asked Ryoga in horror.
"Yup. Right unnatural they are," said the man flatly.
"Unnatural! Why you crusty old..." said Akane in shock. Ryoga held her back.
"Maybe we should leave, we aren't likely to be very welcome here," said the boy nervously.
"Hamazaki! Who these strangers is?" said a voice from down the road.
"Just travelers, lookin for Tokyo they says," said the old man with a chuckle.
"Stupid! Is wrong island!" said the woman who walked up to them. She was dressed in an elegant looking Chinese dress, and had her long violet hair pulled up into a bun on the back of her head. A fan covered her face, and she wore a good bit of expensive jewelry.
"It's all his fault!" snapped Akane in embarrassment.
"Of course, stupid mans not ask directions to where going," said the woman as she narrowed her eyes at the dumbfounded looking man in front of her.
"Who are you Miss?" asked Ryoga with a polite bow.
The woman closed her fan and smirked at him, not doubting that he was stunned by her beauty. "I is Shampoo!"
"That sounds like an Amazon name," growled Akane with a flash of anger in her eyes.
The woman narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Shampoo not have anything to do with traitorous evil tribe! Woman is right though, Shampoo amazon many years ago."
Akane seemed to relax at this. "Well, we'll just be on our way then."
"Shampoo no think so. Why you come here?"
"We're just travelers," said Akane before Ryoga could speak.
"Yes. Indeed we are!" agreed the man cheerfully.
"Is unusual to find travelers here," said the Chinese woman flatly.
Akane nodded. That wasn't surprising, Okinawa was small, and didn't have very many people on it from what she'd heard. There was no real reason to go there from the mainland anymore really. At least until about a week and a half ago. She paused suddenly and looked at the woman for a moment. "Have you heard the news?"
"News? What news is talking?" asked the Chinese in confusion.
"Ranma Saotome is dead," said Akane with a smirk on her face. "He was killed by a witch, with the help of the Sailor Senshi. Along with all of his soldiers."
Shampoo narrowed her eyes at this. "Is lie."
"It's true," said Ryoga calmly. "I was nearby when it happened. They managed to steal back the Silver Imperium Crystal, and destroyed him."
The woman's face scowled for a moment, but her eyes held a faint hope. "What you say is true?"
The pair nodded.
"Shampoo send someone to find out then," said the woman flatly.
"You're in charge here?" asked Ryoga.
"Is right. Shampoo is leader of all Okinawa."
Akane and Ryoga looked at one another for a moment after that statement. "You're in charge?"
"Yes. Shampoo is strongest fighter on island, so she in charge. Keep bad people in line," said the woman as she crossed her arms and smirked at them.
"What's this about a dragon? Feeding it witches?" said Ryoga in confusion.
"Dragon very bad. Eat villagers food, very few cows left, now even fewer," she said with her head hung low. "Shampoo cannot stop big stupid lizard. She not know what to do."
"And the witches?" asked Akane.
"What is talking?" said Shampoo.
The old man was now nervously edging away.
Ryoga grabbed him and turned him to face the angry looking Shampoo. "Tell her what you told us."
The man swallowed and smiled at her nervously. "We've been feeding the dragon, to keep it away from us."
"Is smart idea," said Shampoo. "Wish Shampoo thought of."
"What have you fed it so far?" asked Akane as she cracked her knuckles.
"Amonkeyahorsetwoyounggirlsaboyandsixchickens," said the old man very quickly.
"Sound's okay to Shampoo," said the Amazon in confusion. It was obvious she hadn't understood a word of it.
"What's that about two young girls and a boy?" snapped Akane as she shook him.
"It wasn't my fault! Some of the counsel of elders decided that they didn't like some of the younger people getting those new powers! No one knows how or why they started! It hasn't been done in a few days, once we started seeing some more animals around! But the dragon just got bigger, and now we don't have enough to feed it. We had no choice!"
"Powers?" muttered Shampoo dumbly.
"Magic," said Akane with a snort. "They're killing anyone who starts to learn magic."
Shampoo frowned at this. "Bad!"
The man whimpered and cowered before her. "I'm just an old man! I didn't have anything to do with it! I'd only heard!"
"And decided to keep quiet, since it was keeping that thing away from your food," said Ryoga with a scowl on his face.
"Right! You understand! It wasn't any of my business!"
Akane tossed him aside roughly. "Well. Are you going to do anything about this?" she asked Shampoo.
"Shampoo, will do something about this right now," said the Chinese woman hotly. "Where is village elder's home?"
"The largest hut in the town just ahead!" cried the old man from where he was lying on the ground.
"Great," said Akane as she started walking away.
"We aren't going to help?" said Ryoga in confusion.
"We've got our own problems. You can go off with her if you want," snorted Akane.
"I suppose you're right," said the lost boy with his head hung low. "Still, they may be able to help us find this place!"
"How? We're on the wrong island. What would they know?" she snorted in reply.
They both paused when they saw a young boy rushing towards them along the road.
"No!!" he whimpered as the sound of the dragon's roar came to them from the distance once again. He stumbled on the ground and fell face first in the dust. "Hitomi!"
Akane and Ryoga blinked and looked at one another. "Hitomi?"
He got up immediately, rushing into them in his rush.
"Hey! Watch where you're going kid!" snapped Akane.
"Oh dear. Why are you in such a rush young man?" asked Ryoga as he halted him. He looked to be about fifteen years old, with short sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.
The boy looked up at them in surprise. As if unsure why he hadn't been able to move them. He quickly shook it off and started to rush away. "I can't talk right now! I have to save Hitomi!"
Akane stopped him dead in his tracks by simply reaching out and grabbing his arm. "Who's Hitomi?"
"Hitomi is...she's my..." stammered the boy lamely. "You've got to let go! They're gonna feed her to the dragon!" he cried in terror.
"Dragon?" said Akane nervously. "Oh no..." The impersonality of the situation had suddenly vanished. "Damn."
"Please! I've got to save her!" cried the boy as he pulled on the woman's arm desperately. He was unable to dislodge her grip though and Akane halted him.
"What can you do against a dragon anyway?" she snapped at him.
He looked away in shame. "I've got to try! I can't just..."
"Look kid. Maybe we can help?" said Akane cheerfully. "Where is this place? You seem to know where you're going."
The boy paused and looked at her. "I don't need your help lady!"
"Well you've got it, now shut up and tell me what you can," she said as she smacked him upside his head.
The boy was thrown across the dust by the force of the strike.
"I think you over did it," commented Ryoga.
"Ya think?" said Akane sheepishly.
"Come my boy, tell us who you are? What is this about feeding a maiden to the dragon?"
The kid frowned at them. "I don't have time for this! They're gonna sacrifice her tonight!"
"When?" asked Akane.
"Only four hours from now!" he cried.
Akane frowned at this. "That does sound like trouble. Shampoo went to stop them though."
"She'll never make it in time!" cried the boy. "The dragon lives by the shore! The villagers taking her there would have already left. I've got to hurry so I can catch them before they get there!"
Akane scowled at this. "Right. We'll get you there with plenty of time! What's your name kid?"
The boy paused and looked at them. "My name is Kasumi. Do you have a horse or something? I'd be so grateful!"
"I've got something better than that!" said Akane cheerfully.
"You do?" asked Ryoga dumbly. He looked around. "I say, Lady Akane, I don't see anything of the sort!"
"Shut up. It's a new spell, I just thought up!" she said cheerfully as she flexed her arm.
"Pardon?"
Akane waved her arm and grinned. "Ray Wing!"
The group was lifted into the air by an unseen force, Ryoga and Kasumi clutching the girl's leg as she flew off. "Which way is this dragon of yours?" asked Akane calmly.
"Towards that mountain! It'll be by the ocean!" said the boy as he pointed at where she needed to move. "They'll be on the road that leads to it. We need to stop them before they get there!"
"That would seem wise," agreed Ryoga.
"Right! Don't worry about a thing! I've got it covered!" said Akane.
++++++++++++
Shampoo strolled into the middle of the town hall. The elders were sitting around in a meeting.
"So, on to the next order of business..." said the old man who stood at the head. "Ah! Your highness!"
The woman narrowed her eyes at them all. "Shampoo hear that you is feeding big lizard."
"Yes. That is correct, we are sacrificing a few animals and things to keep it satisfied, and out of our hair," said the man proudly. "It is working out quite well.
"What is feeding?" she asked calmly as she sat down in one of the chairs at the end of the long table where everyone was sitting.
"Ahem. Mostly animals, It's getting easier, with the increased amount of wildlife we've been finding..." The old man smiled at her nervously.
"No young boys? No young girls?" she said with a frown on her face.
"Oh. That," said the man with a grin forming on his face. "You should be quite pleased! We're controlling those freaks that keep showing up. It's rather convenient, a nice way to get rid of them you see."
Shampoo cleared her throat. "Freaks?"
"Yes. Some of the younger children are developing strange and unnatural powers. It's only been a few isolated incidents, and we've managed to keep it contained so far. Relatively easy really. You'd be quite proud."
The rest of the council nodded in agreement. Muttering to each other proudly.
"Shampoo realize you is very stupid, and not council anymore," said the girl flatly.
"Pardon?" said the old man as his face fell.
"Power should be good thing, make children stronger, people stronger. You is stupid old man, Shampoo not stand for it," said the girl with a cold smile forming on her face. "In fact, Shampoo fire you now."
"You can't do that! We were voted into our positions by the majority..."
"Vote or not, Shampoo queen here. She rule all island, and say you fired. If Shampoo say is fired, is fired."
The man stammered. "I will not allow these freaks to taint our bloodline with their filth!"
"Shampoo say watch mouth, is very bad talk about people who is stronger that way."
"Stronger?" snorted the man in disgust. "If they're so much stronger, why aren't we the ones on the way to see that dragon right now?"
Shampoo snarled at him. "Can be arranged." She raised her hand and a white ball of power formed there. "Stupid people, don't even know magic when see it. Sorcerers very valuable, make village stronger. Now, you weak and pathetic. Shampoo...destroy you now old man!"
The man staggered back as his fellow counsel members gasped in shock.
"Flare Arrow!" said Shampoo as she grabbed the ball of light, changing it into an orange arrow shaped light. She tossed it into the old man, and he burst into flames. "Stupid. Shampoo pick new counsel, smarter counsel. All stupid peoples is fired now. Go home."
"Um...but I voted against feeding them to it," said one of the men in the back.
"Oh. Can keep job then, everyone else is fired now," said Shampoo as she walked out of the room.
The man simply sat back down and smiled to himself cheerfully. "See. I told you it was a bad idea."
++++++++++++
"No! I thought I had more time!" cried Kasumi as he noticed a small cart below them in the road. It was moving in the other direction, towards the distant town.
"This isn't good," muttered Akane.
"Hitomi!" cried Kasumi in anguish.
"Very dramatic," said Ryoga.
"Will you shut up?" snapped Akane as she shook her leg a little.
They landed where the road ended, and became a small rocky path.
"There!" cried the young boy as he rushed forward. "Hitomi! I'll save you!"
A young girl of about sixteen was chained to a rock about two hundred yards away. She was sitting quietly, as if waiting for something. "Oh. Hi Kasumi!"
"Hi!? You're about to die, and all you can say is hi!?" he cried in shock.
"Naw. I new you'd come to save me!" said the girl cheerfully. She was a little younger than Kasumi, and had her green hair tied back in a ponytail. "Who's this?"
Akane blinked as the girl jerked her thumb back at her.
"Oh...she's um..."
"You pervert! I knew it! You've been sleeping around on me!"
"What?!" screamed Akane. "I'm old enough to be his mother!"
The girl blinked and looked at her again. "Oh. You're right. I guess I should have noticed that. It's so obvious now that I think about it. I'm sorry Kasumi, I know you've got higher standards than this."
The boy sweat nervously, wisely not saying anything.
"What? You little brat! I ought to let that dragon eat you!" snapped Akane.
"It's not my fault you're so old!" said Hitomi in retort.
"I oughta..." growled Akane as she started to roll up her sleeves.
"Akane! She's just a young girl, please!" cried Ryoga.
"That's right! We're both girls, so I can kick her scrawny little ass!" snapped the woman hatefully.
"I suppose mine would be scrawny compared to yours," said Hitomi lazily.
"Hitomi. They came to help me save you, please don't be so mean!" whined Kasumi.
"For you my love!" she said with her eyes growing really big and watery all of a sudden.
"Oh Hitomi!"
"Kasumi!"
"I think I'm gonna be sick," grumbled Akane.
"Akane? Is that you? Imagine meeting you here!" said another familiar voice.
Akane shrieked and turned around, only to find Xellos sitting in a lounge chair with a drink in his hands. He was wearing a pair of shades and relaxing by the ocean.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she cried.
"Me? Oh I thought I'd take a vacation," he said cheerfully.
"Next to a dragon's cave?" asked Ryoga dumbly.
"It adds to the atmosphere," replied the priest calmly as he removed his shades.
"Oh," said the man flatly.
"Well, this is certainly a nice surprise," commented Xellos.
"Right. Surprise my ass! You've been following me!" snapped Akane.
"Now why would I do that?" asked Xellos with his eyebrow arched a little.
"So you can get your hands on that crystal!" said the girl as she pointed at him.
"Well, I'd never thought about that. I guess if I wanted it, finding it would be easiest by following you though," reasoned Xellos out loud. He sipped at his drink and relaxed a bit more.
"Don't worry Hitomi! I'll set you free," said the love struck boy as he put his hands over the chains. They glowed red for a moment, and then snapped away.
"You did it Kasumi!" cried the girl as she threw her arms around the boy.
"Now. I'll just wait for the dragon, and hit it with a fireball!" said the boy proudly.
"Yes! That'll destroy it for sure!" said Hitomi as she hugged him.
"You can cast a fireball?" muttered Akane dumbly.
The boy blinked and looked at her. "Um...yeah..."
"What about you. If they stuck you out here, you must be able to cast something."
"I can, but it doesn't do much besides make a little bit of light," said the girl with a blush on her face.
"Oh," said Akane as she stood up and scratched her head. "Well. I think it would be better if we left the dragon alone."
"What?" said the two teens as they looked at her in shock.
"But, the hero always vanquishes the evil," said the boy.
"Yeah! And then he marries the princess!" said the girl dreamily. "Of course, someone as old as you would never understand that..."
Akane growled reached for her.
"Miss Akane! Really!" exclaimed Ryoga as he stopped her. "You two lovely young people could always skip the vanquishing part."
"I doubt if the dragon will let you," said Xellos calmly as he removed his shades and looked up at the now nonexistent sun. "Do you mind? You're in my light."
A claw crashed down and he jumped away as his lawn chair was smashed.
"Uh-oh," said Akane nervously.
"Freeze Arrow!" cried Ryoga as he shot a blast of ice at the thing. It did little more than make a patch of ice along it's huge neck. It towered overhead for hundreds of feet. At the top was nothing but seven feet of jaws and teeth. It roared angrily and looked down at them.
"How old is this thing?" stammered Akane in shock.
"About two weeks," said Xellos calmly. "He seems quite angry at you for rescuing his dinner."
"It was all her fault!" cried Kasumi as he pointed at Akane.
"Traitor!" snapped the woman as she backed away.
"Fireball!" cried the boy as he blasted at the thing. It exploded on its neck and the thing ignored the flames as it bent down to look at them.
"What are we gonna do?" muttered Ryoga.
"Fly us away!" cried Kasumi as he looked at Akane.
"Actually, that would put us at a rather convenient biting level," pointed out Xellos. He was completely calm, and actually looked like he was enjoying himself.
"So...now what?" muttered Akane.
"I dunno," said Ryoga. "Perhaps fleeing would be our best option?"
"Right," agreed Hitomi as she pulled her boyfriend's arm and hauled him off.
Ryoga ran straight for the dragon for a moment, until Akane snagged him by his ear and cast her flight spell. "This way lost boy!"
She stayed low to the ground and sailed through the tree trunks at an amazing rate of speed. Xellos followed right behind her as the thing lumbered towards them, smashing anything in it's way. It cleared out a thirty-yard section of forest in its wake, and beat its wings in frustration as it gave chase.
"What am I gonna do?" muttered Akane as she passed by the two young children and realized that the dragon was going to overtake them soon.
"Well, there is one option you haven't tried yet," commented Xellos.
"What?" gasped Akane.
"They do call it the 'Dragon Slayer' for a reason you know," commented the priest casually.
Akane stopped and looked at him in mid air. The thing was lumbering forward towards them in the background.
Ryoga looked up at her and sighed as he let go of her leg and plummeted to the ground. "I'll take care of these two. You go ahead and do it!"
"Hmmm. How noble of him," said Xellos. "Well. I'm going to run away now, before I get blasted."
"At least he's honest," commented Akane as she watched him fly away.
Ryoga grabbed both of the children as the caught up with him on the road. "We've got to get out of the way!"
"What? Why?" asked Hitomi as she gasped for breath.
Kasumi was panting rather pathetically.
"You'll see," said Ryoga.
"What's that?" said the young boy as he cocked his head. "Chanting?"
"A spell!" cried Hitomi as she realized what she was hearing. She looked overhead and saw Akane floating in mid air. "Wow! She can fly?! That must have taken her years to learn! I'll bet she had plenty of time though..."
Ryoga hung his head and jumped behind a particularly large rock. A half-second later, both teens were peering over the top of it with him.
++++++++++++
Akane was just finishing her spell at this point.
"May the fools who stand before me be destroyed, by the power that you and I possess! DRAGON SLAYER!"
The beam of red energy shot from her hands, it blasted across the sky and tore up the ground below as it slammed into the beast's chest and exploded.
On the ground, the children watched, their hair being blown back by the force of the wind created in the spell.
"Whoa!" they cried in unison.
Ryoga merely nodded as the light died down, revealing only a crater.
"Lady Akane!" the pair cried as she landed on the ground. The prostrated themselves before her and groveled pathetically.
"What the?" said Akane as she looked down at them.
"Please! You must teach us!" the both cried at the same time.
"What? You? No way!" snapped Hitomi.
"You've been insulting her since you met her! Why would she teach you?" cried Kasumi.
"Because I'm cuter!" snapped the girl.
"I'll give you my body! Anything! Just teach me!" cried Kasumi.
"You...you...PERVERT!" snapped Hitomi.
Akane smacked her head and stared at them. "What the hell?"
"I'll give you my body!" said the girl as she grabbed her leg. "Anything is worth that spell!"
"Now who's the pervert you traitor!"
"You said it first!"
"Enough!" screamed Akane.
Both of them looked up at her and she pointed down at them. "I'm not teaching anybody anything!"
They both stared at her with their jaws hanging open.
"What kind of pervert do you think I am anyway?! I'm old enough to be your mother!" she continued to berate them and they slink back a little.
"We're sorry, but...you must be a great sorceress!" said Kasumi as he fell to his knees in front of her.
"Not really," she replied calmly. "Look. Just go home. The dragon is dead, I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Won't you come with us?" gasped Hitomi.
"No. Ryoga and I have something to do," said the girl as she frowned at them. "Right?"
The man put his umbrella on his shoulder and smiled. "Right luv."
Akane kicked him. "Quit calling me that."
"Right-o" he replied from under her foot.
The two children looked at her for a moment. "I'll go with you!" they cried together.
Both of them paused and then glared at one another. "No! You're staying here!"
"You're both staying here," said Akane with a small sigh. "I don't have time to baby-sit some kids."
"I'm not a kid," said Kasumi angrily.
"Yeah, you are," replied Akane as she pat him on the head and started walking.
"You can't stop us from following you!" cried Hitomi.
"Ryoga, you lead the way," said Akane.
"Huh? Are you sure?" he asked dumbly.
"Yeah. It'll be a good way to lose them, and we're bound to end up on the mainland sooner or later," she said with a sigh.
"Okay," said the man with a small smirk on his face. "This way!"
+++++++++++++
"Well, they is killing dragon then?" asked Shampoo as she looked at the man who stood next to her.
"Indeed," said Xellos calmly. "I thank you for your assistance."
"Is not problem," said the woman cheerfully. "Shampoo not know you though. It better if you leave."
"I agree actually. I have much else to do," said the priest calmly.
"Why man do this though?"
"It's a secret. I did get rid of the dragon as promised, didn't I?" he asked calmly.
"Yes, help Shampoo uncover stupid counsel too," she agreed with a nod.
"Well, then you needn't worry about why," said the man as he turned away. "I'll send them back to the mainland the same way I brought them here. They won't bother your little kingdom, so don't worry."
Shampoo nodded and sighed. Everything had worked out in the end, and the people were still as dumb as ever. She'd have some trouble whipping them into a new Amazon tribe, but they'd come around sooner or later.
Xellos smirked at her one last time before he left. She didn't realize that he brought the dragon here personally. He'd gotten it from Phibrizzo on Mars. The planet was pumping out monsters at a steady rate, but they couldn't over do it either. He sighed and shook his head. Things had to maintain a balance, it was just the nature of things. Sooner or later, he'd be able to play a little chaos, but for right now, things had to be stabilized first.
"I hope those idiots know what they're doing. The master too for that matter," he said to himself as he vanished into the shadows.
++++++++++++
Ranma frowned as he found himself sitting in a courtroom on a satellite that orbited Jurai.
"So, the charges against you have been cleared?" said the judge calmly as he went over the report.
"Cleared? They weren't my charges to begin with," said Ranma calmly.
"You have proof of this?" asked the man.
"Tsunami's word isn't enough?" asked the pigtailed boy flatly.
"Well, the counsel..." started the judge.
"Let me get this straight. The counsel doesn't take the word of it's own Goddess?"
The judge cleared his throat and looked away. "Well, yes but..."
"Then what is the problem?" asked Ranma as he arched his eyebrow at the man. "I'd like to get back to my home system you know. Usagi has a new government to set up. I'd hate to leave her alone to do that. Who knows what that ditzy chick might do."
"Hey!" snapped Tsuki as she jumped up from her seat nearby.
"Sit down!" snapped the judge. "I won't have such outbursts in my court."
"He's getting away with this?" growled Ryoko softly as she clutched Tenchi's arm.
The prince looked at her and smiled sadly. "Ryoko. If Tsunami says he's not him, then he isn't him."
"You trust her that much?" asked Ryoko as she looked at him oddly.
"I wouldn't even be here if not for her," he replied calmly.
The former space pirate nodded at this. "Even if he is the same man, he's obviously changed. You weren't so different from him at one time."
Ryoko gasped and looked hurt. "What? I was...under Kagato's control!"
"It doesn't change the fact that people can change. No matter how bad they become," said Tenchi. "I trust Tsunami's judgement."
"Sometimes more than I do," said Sasami quietly. Ayeka had been sitting silently between her and Tenchi, and gave the girl an odd look.
"At any rate, the Prince seems to support your claim. I shall dismiss the charges," said the Judge as he stood up and sighed.
Ranma nodded and smirked at the gathered people. "Well. I guess I should go home now. Are you coming Tsuki? I'm sure Usagi would be happy to see you again."
"What about the others?" said the woman as she gave him an odd look.
"Survived in their daughters. I'm sure they'd love to hear about their parents," said the boy with a shrug.
Tsuki got a horrified look on her face.
"Oh...oh damn," said Ranma as he watched her turn away. "Damn it."
"How could you do such a thing?" gasped Ayeka.
"I'm just so used to being back. I'd forgotten what it was like at first," he said as he hung his head. He turned towards the women. "She's never liked me much. Would you mind...?"
"Come on Sasami," said Ayeka sharply as she took her younger sister out of the room.
Tenchi merely nodded at him. "I suppose you're expecting us to give you a ride home?"
"You did drag me all the way here. I wasn't planning on going any farther than Pluto on my own," replied the pigtailed boy with a shrug. "Besides. I'm sure you'd like to see your home planet again, up close and personal again."
The prince turned away from him and sighed. "Grandpa would like that as well."
"Well, he's invited too I suppose. It will never fall into Juraian hands again I'm afraid. There's a lot that has changed. Crystal Tokyo is rising, and there's a lot of work to be done yet."
"You are so odd," said Tenchi as he narrowed his eyes at the boy.
"I've been through more horrible things than you could possibly imagine," he replied with a shrug.
"I can imagine quite a bit," said Tenchi calmly.
"Tenchi. I've been to hell and back, you can't imagine what that is like," said the pigtailed boy calmly. "I've changed, some for the better, some not so much. However bad that is, I'm just glad I was able to get rid of that bastard finally."
"Fine. I'll take you back, just leave the ships power supply alone this time," said Tenchi as he looked at the boy for a moment. "Come on."
"Right," said Ranma cheerfully as he followed.
Out in the hallway, Tsuki had calmed down a bit. He gave her an apologetic smile and walked after the prince.
Ayeka rubbed her shoulder and Sasami stepped away from her to watch Ranma. Her gaze gave away no emotion, and it was impossible to say what she was thinking at that moment.
Ryoko scowled from the shadows, not wanting to be bothered for the moment. She watched the two men round the corner, and phased out of the room, and into Ryo-Ohki.
After a moment onboard, Ayeka's face appeared on the screen. "What are you doing Ryoko?"
"I'll follow behind you in Ryo-Ohki. I've got a lot to think about."
"Very well," said Ayeka as she bowed her head slightly in understanding.
+++++++++++++
TBC...
Next Time: The Return!
Part 53
The Trial of Ranma
++++++++++++
Akane walked along the beaches of Japan, a frown on her face as she strolled through the sand. She was walking along the tree line, taking advantage of the shade the branches provided. "This sucks," she muttered to herself. She hadn't seen anyone for some time now.
Giving a heavy sigh as she walked she stopped and looked out over the ocean. "Where is this stupid place?" She hadn't realized just how much beach there was. Still, she had to find the mountains; sooner or later she'd stumble on to them. "This is pretty boring."
Falling flat on her back, she paused as she looked up and saw something looking down at her in confusion. "What the?"
It was standing just behind a bush, and looked just as surprised as she did to be there. It was a hulking creature, humanoid, with two fangs jutting out from the bottom of its lower lip. It's arms hung almost to the ground, and it wore a loincloth and held a wooden club in its hands.
"Oh shit," she muttered as it seemed to snap out of it and raised the club over it's head.
With a roar it slammed it down into the sand, forcing her to roll out of the way. "What the hell are you supposed to be?" she snapped as she jumped into a combat stance.
The thing snorted and growled, stalking forward slowly. It swung the weapon at her a few times, driving her back. "What the hell?" she grumbled as she dodged. Finally, she saw an opening and rushed in, punching it in the gut with all her might.
The thing staggered back in pain, but after a moment, it merely rubbed the spot in irritation and started forward again.
Akane gasped as she saw the bruise that had already started to form melt away. "Uh-oh..."
It charged her again, raising the club over its head. She reacted by snapping her foot into its jaw, sending it sprawling onto its back.
She cursed as it stood up as if nothing had happened. Backing into a combat stance once again she snarled at it angrily. "What does it take to put you down ugly?"
It frowned at her and turned its head, giving a barking sound into the woods.
Akane simply stood silently as five more emerged from the woods, surrounding her completely. "Damn." She changed her stance after they had moved in. "So, you want to play rough do you?" Magical energy started to build up around her and she grinned at them with a wild look in her eyes. "All right then! Get ready!!"
A new voice interrupted her and she paused in confusion. "Huh?"
"Demonic Crystal!"
Three of the creatures fell over, all of them encased in ice. The others didn't seem to notice, and tried to attack Akane in her confusion. She dodged and jumped into one of the thing's face, turning and bouncing away as one of its companions tried to swat her and ended up flooring his friend.
The creature stood up from being on its back and shook its head for a moment in confusion. It quickly regained its senses and they focused on her again.
"What are these things made of?" muttered Akane in surprise as she backed away.
"Freeze Arrow!" cried the voice again. A man jumped in front of the things and shot a spell that froze another one of them in their tracks.
"You!" gasped Akane as she recognized him immediately.
"You look like you might be in a spot of trouble luv," said Ryoga as he tipped his bowl hat at the woman.
"I can handle myself!" she snapped in retort as she raised her hands over her head. "Fireball!"
The two remaining creatures shrieked in terror as they were hit with a ball of flames that promptly exploded, consuming them in flames and sending them to the ground in a pair of smoking heaps.
"Of course, I could have been mistaken," said Ryoga dumbly. He was dressed in a suit and tie, with a western style umbrella held carelessly over one shoulder. "I do believe we've met before," he commented as he smiled at her.
"You were in the tower, one of Ranma's men," she said with a frown on her face.
"Ah yes," he said as he frowned to himself. "It seems we meet again."
"What are you doing here?" she snapped at him.
"Traveling, and running into monsters these days," he said as he frowned at the things. "I'm not sure where they're coming from, but they've been all over the place over the past few days."
Akane frowned at this, but said nothing.
"It's dangerous to travel. All sorts of new monsters have been popping up all over. I've heard stories of dragons as well, but I've not seen one for myself."
Akane looked at him for a moment and sighed. "I guess I should thank you for helping me, even if I didn't need it. This is the first time I've run into anything like this."
"Is it?" he said as he looked down at one of them.
"Yeah. What are they? You say there's more?"
"Of these things? I'm not sure. I've seen a lot of monsters over the past few days, but this is the first time I've seen something like this."
"There's different kinds?" she said in horror.
"Yes. These are relatively weak. You won't do very well if you keep trying to fight them with your fists. I've found that out the hard way." he looked up at her and smirked. "It's dangerous to travel alone."
"I wonder if this has anything to do with the Silver Imperium Crystal?" she muttered.
"Pardon?" he said in confusion.
She frowned at him and thought about it for a moment. "I guess I can tell you. Someone's stolen it."
"Oh dear!" said the man almost prissily.
Akane scowled at him for a moment. "I'm leaving now."
"Wait! It's dangerous to go alone!" cried the man as he followed after her.
"I don't need any help," she snorted as she turned to look at him again.
"I didn't mean for just you," he replied calmly. "I'd rather not be walking around by myself either."
"You don't know where I'm going," she said as she started walking.
"I wasn't going anywhere in particular," he said with a shrug as he moved up beside her. "There are things out there that I'd rather not meet again on my own. Things you shouldn't meet on your own."
"Like what?" she snapped.
"Those beastmen I stumbled onto last night were particularly nasty," he replied with a shrug.
"Beastmen?" she said in confusion.
"Werewolves," he supplied calmly.
"I'm looking for trouble you know. You'd be better off going on your own."
"I'm wandering to atone for what I did while I was under Ranma's control. Maybe helping you would be a step in the right direction," he said calmly.
Akane growled. It seemed as if she wasn't going to get rid of him, at least, not short of blasting him. She couldn't do that, he'd just helped her out. "Fine. Do what you want."
"Oh. Right then," he said cheerfully.
"Stop with the stupid accent already!" she snapped.
"Accent? What accent? I hope I'm not picking up nasty habits! Oh bother," he said prissily.
Akane rolled her eyes and continued to walk.
++++++++++++
Tsuki woke up and looked around. She gasped as she found herself in some sort of prison. "What? Where am I? Mistress Pluto?" she looked around and stood up shakily. "What happened?"
"Awake are you?" said a chillingly familiar voice.
"No!" she muttered in horror. She clutched her head and fell to her knees. "No! Mistress! No!!" Sobbing violently, she fell to her knees and clutched at the grass at the bottom of the unusual cell. "Mistress...why?"
Ranma frowned at this and stood up inside his own cell. "Are you all right?"
She snapped her gaze up at him. "Die! Dead Scream!"
Ranma blinked at her as nothing happened. "I'm afraid that won't do you any good. Pluto is gone."
"What?" she muttered in horror.
"Ranma destroyed it," said the boy calmly as he looked at her with a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."
Tsuki leaned against the branches of her prison as tears ran down her face. She'd been cleaned up before she'd been placed inside the cell, and didn't realize the position she had been in when they'd found her.
Ranma was almost thankful for that given the pathetic condition she was in now. Well, most of him anyway. Carrot was a little upset, muttering something about them being 'spoilsports' or something.
"Are you all right? What happened?" he asked her gently.
Tsuki scowled at him and then her face softened. "Where are we?"
"On a Juraian Starship. I've been mistaken for that monster who destroyed the Earth, and your world. I had you with me when they captured me."
"Who are you?" said the woman in confusion. She looked a lot like the old Senshi of Pluto did, wearing the same clothes and the same hairstyle though. The long violet locks gave away who she was in reality though.
"I'm the real Ranma Saotome," he said with a smirk on his face. "That bastard stole my life, and used my position to take over."
"Right," muttered Tsuki hatefully. "There was only one Ranma Saotome."
"There still is," said the boy calmly. "I killed the other one. Well, it wasn't exactly me who did it, I just helped a bit."
"I'll destroy you for what you've done," she hissed as she tried to reach for him through the bars of her prison.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about girl. If I was Ranma Saotome, why would I be in this situation?"
"The Jurians finally got the balls to capture you!" she snarled.
"I can leave any time I want to," he countered calmly. "I suppose there's no point in talking to you about it. These people won't listen either."
She snorted at this and turned away. "Well, I'm not going to help you."
"I didn't ask for your help," he said calmly. "I'm afraid I've missed out on a lot over the past twenty years or so. I was dead for a while."
"You expect me to believe you?" she snapped hatefully. "I'm going to help them string you up!"
"I could have just left you floating in space, until the Garnet Orb gave out. You had maybe a year's worth of protection left at most."
Tsuki frowned at this. "What do you mean?"
"What year is it?" he asked her calmly.
"1990," she supplied.
"Seems Fifteen years ago is when things started to heat up then," he said to himself. "I'll bet that's when he started everything."
"What do you mean fifteen years?" said the woman as she clutched at the branches of her prison.
"It's 2005," he said calmly. "Ranma Saotome, or the one you know is dead. The Senshi have all returned, and Crystal Tokyo is just now beginning."
"What?" said the woman in shock. "You...you're lying!"
"Am I?" he said with a chuckle. "Ask our captors when they visit us next."
The pair sat in silence until a man entered the room with two small trays of food and water.
Tsuki stood up and moved forward.
"Stay back please," he said calmly.
"What year is it?" she asked him.
"Calendar year 175," he said to her.
"She's from Earth," said Ranma from where he was resting in the back of his cell.
"Oh. I believe it's 2005 there," said the man as he handed her the tray.
She stared at him in a sort of shocked awe. "But...fifteen years?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" asked Ranma casually, more out of boredom than anything else.
"Shut up!" she snapped hatefully.
"Sorry. Didn't realize it was a soft spot," he mumbled quietly.
Tsuki broke down into tears again, falling to her knees as the memory floated back to her.
+++++++++++++
"The planet is lost," said Pluto as she looked at her charge.
"Mistress?" muttered Tsuki in horror.
Overhead, the gray slivers of the Star fleet could be seen. They were preparing to unleash another barrage of fire down on them.
"It is too late, all is lost," said Pluto calmly. "We are about to be destroyed, and the timegates with us."
"We'll use them to stop it!" cried Tsuki.
"How?" said Pluto calmly.
"There must be a way!" cried Tsuki in terror. "Please Mistress! We have to try! It can't end like this!"
"He has won," said Pluto with an icy tone.
"What?" said Tsuki in horror. "No! I won't accept that!"
"Then perhaps, you are more worthy than I," said the woman as she shoved something into Tsuki's arms.
"What?" sputtered the young woman dumbly, not yet realizing what she had done.
"Goodbye, my..."
A red light formed around Tsuki's body, and everything went black.
Pluto merely looked at the figure inside the garnet orb, and raised her arms into the sky as the first massive laser slammed into the surface of the planet, vaporizing her in an instant.
++++++++++++
"So. You're awake," said an unfamiliar voice from outside her cell.
"Huh?" she muttered as she snapped out of her memory. Sadness was still etched into her features.
A young man knelt before her, his eyes were very gentle, but his face was somewhat stern. He also appeared to have a black eye.
"Who are you?" she asked softly. "Where am I?"
"You are on board my ship, the Tsunami," he said to her calmly.
"Tsunami? This is the Juraian Flagship?" she stammered.
"Yes. I am the Crowned Prince of Planet Jurai..."
"Tenchi Masaki," said Tsuki before he could finish. "I know who you are."
"Then you have the advantage," he said with a smirk on his face. "What were you doing in my room?" His face fell as he remembered the result of her discovery.
"Your room?" she stammered.
"Ah. That would have been my fault," said Ranma cheerfully.
"I'm not speaking to you," snapped Tenchi.
"Well, so what?" he snorted defiantly. "She's been asleep for the last fifteen years. In a state of suspended animation."
"Then how does she know who I am?" said Tenchi as he looked at her for an answer.
She backed away from his gaze slightly, with her face becoming a mask of ice.
"She's the Senshi of Pluto," said Ranma calmly. "The past, present, and future are all an open book to her. Or rather, they were before Ranma Saotome destroyed the Gates of Time along with the rest of her planet."
Tenchi frowned at this. "Is it true?"
She nodded gently and looked over at Ranma for a moment. He still had that dumb looking grin on his face.
"Why did you bring her here?" he asked the boy.
"Why? I didn't want to just leave her floating there. This was the first place I could find to dump her off." The pigtailed boy stepped out of his prison, the bars shifting aside for him.
"What the?" muttered Tenchi in shock.
"It wouldn't have been right," continued Ranma almost casually. He turned to look at the prince. "Is Sasami all right? I had an accident when I first came here, and I hope she wasn't injured."
Tenchi stepped back, the Wings of the Light Hawk forming in his grip as he growled at the young boy angrily. "Get back in your cell!"
Ranma smirked and reached out, touching the weapon with his hand gently. "I'm afraid I haven't quite figured out how to control this yet. I was planning on staying in deep space until I did. Finding her sort of put a damper on those plans. I was taking her back to Earth, when I ran into you."
Tenchi fell to his knees, a look of complete horror on his face as Ranma absorbed the energy from his weapon into himself. "I'm not sure if I'm just replacing what I'm using or just absorbing new power. I've been using an awful lot these days."
"What are you?" said Tenchi.
"I am a god, and a demon," he said with a shrug. "I call myself a Mazoku."
"What do you want?" said the Prince as he stood up and backed away.
"I thought it might be nice to visit my daughter. I haven't seen her in over twenty years," he said calmly.
"What?" said Tenchi dumbly.
"Ryoko was not his daughter. She was mine," he said simply as he waved his hand and opened Tsuki's cage.
The girl rushed out to attack him, and he stopped her with one hand, shoving her against the wall. She closed her eyes and waited for a moment. When nothing happened she blinked and looked at him in confusion.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Stop acting like that," he said calmly. "Are we on our way to Jurai?"
Tenchi nodded and cautiously moved towards the door.
"If you're going to run away and get help, I won't stop you," said the pigtailed boy calmly.
"So. You've become a youma!" snarled Tsuki.
"No. I only drain magic energy. For example, if you were still able to activate your senshi powers, I might drain those. From what I've found anyway, I haven't been able to figure out how I can control it yet."
"Bastard!" she snapped.
"Oh stop that! I didn't kill your precious Pluto! I wasn't even around fifteen years ago!" he snapped. "Jeez." He tossed his arms into the air and walked around inside the small garden. He did pause though, when a few small wooden logs appeared in the air around him. "Great."
Ayeka appeared in the doorway with Ryoko beside her. Tenchi stood between them, and a mass of guards moved up behind them.
Ranma sighed and touched the field that surrounded him. "It sure is nice of you to keep feeding me this way, but I really wish you'd stop."
"What?" muttered Ayeka as her energy field failed. "No!"
"I'll get him!" snarled Ryoko as she charged him. Her hair changed into a golden color, and grew longer.
Ranma simply stood there, moving a single arm at an insane rate of speed and blocking her every strike with ease. "Temper. You're getting sloppy daughter."
She gasped and backed away cautiously. "Damn!"
"What are we going to do?" asked Ayeka nervously.
"I don't know!" growled Tenchi.
"He's like some sort of vampire!" snapped Ryoko as she suddenly felt weak and staggered a bit. Her hair changed into a bright red color once again as well.
"That would be a good way to describe my little problem," he agreed. "I'm supposed to be training in how to control it." He sighed as another field of power surrounded him, this one stronger than the last by hundreds of times. "Sasami I suppose."
The guards stepped aside as the teenager appeared in the doorway. "You! You hurt Tsunami!"
"It was an accident," he supplied cautiously. "Look. I'm sure you realize that putting this much energy around me is a bad idea. Could you stop it please? I'd rather not cause another blackout cause you pass out again."
Sasami smirked at him and turned towards Tenchi. "This isn't Ranma."
"Huh?" said everyone in the room in confusion.
The young girl smiled at the boy. "He spoke with Tsunami, before the accident. He's really weird, she thinks so anyway, but he's not evil."
"Huh? I'm part demon! How did she not pick up evil?" he muttered dumbly.
Sasami sighed. "He didn't come to destroy us anyway," she muttered halfheartedly. "He actually seemed quite nice to her."
"Thanks space tree!" he said as he pat one of the walls in the ship affectionately. His fingers tingled slightly for a second and he jerked back. "Oh. Sorry about that."
"Who is he?" asked Ayeka in confusion. "He certainly looks like Ranma."
"And I look like a teenage girl," countered Sasami. "Ryo-Ohki looks like a cute fuzzy little animal."
"I see your point," said the princess as she looked at him.
He was smiling cheerfully at her.
"Who is he then?" asked Ryoko with a distrusting frown on her face.
"I'm not sure," said Sasami. "He's definitely not Ranma though."
"Actually, I am, I'm the real Ranma. That guy was just an imposter!" said the boy happily. "He killed me, and I was dead for about twenty years or so. Then I came back, and killed him, with the help of some friends of course."
"Friends?" asked Tenchi.
"The Senshi!" said the boy. "Them and Akane."
"What are we going to do with him?" asked Ryoko.
"I'm not sure we can do anything," said Sasami calmly. "Our defenses are useless against him, he can just drain anything we throw at him."
"I'm workin on that," he said defensively.
Tsuki just looked confused. "So, what exactly is going on?"
"We'll be on Jurai in about three hours," said Tenchi.
"That might not be such a good idea," said Ranma nervously.
"What?" said Ayeka dumbly.
"Do you remember what happened when I got to close to Tsunami? The whole ship blacked out for a minute or two. Can you imagine what might happen if I landed on a planet full of space trees?"
Everyone looked at one another for a moment. "Um. Right," said Tenchi dumbly. "Well..."
"If you really want to take me there, I'm not gonna argue. To be honest though, I'd rather not." Ranma smiled at them.
"This isn't good," said Ryoko.
"She's right about that," agreed Ayeka.
"Well, we can't just dump him off into space," said Sasami.
Tenchi looked embarrassed, as if he'd actually been considering that option.
Ranma blinked at this. "Oh come on. I've been pretty nice about this. You can't possibly think I'm that bad!"
Everyone looked away from him.
"Right. I'll just go sit in my cell for a while then," he grumbled as he walked back into it and closed the branches behind him.
+++++++++++
"Where the heck are we?" said Akane as she looked at her companion angrily. "I told you he was in a castle by the shore! I don't even see any water!"
"Oh. Sorry about that," muttered the man nervously. "I suppose I forgot to mention it..."
"Mention what?" she said as she grabbed him by his collar.
"You see, I have this little problem...with directions..."
"What kind of problem?" she said with a dangerous gleam in her eyes.
"I um...get lost real easy...it sort of runs in my family..." he said sheepishly.
"What do you mean?" she said as she picked him up off the ground.
"I um...get lost on the way to the lavatory in my own house," he said quietly, turning beet red.
Akane set him down calmly and turned away. "Oh. You should have said something then..."
"Right. Sorry..." he mumbled.
"About four hours ago!" she snapped as she whirled around and decked him. "You idiot! The fate of the world depends on us!"
"Oh..." he muttered in embarrassment.
"Well, at least we can find out where we are!" she snorted as she saw the familiar columns of smoke a short distance away. It was a sure sign of a human settlement.
"Okay," grumbled Ryoga as he followed her.
+++++++++++
"We're where?" said Akane dumbly.
"Okinawa," said the villager.
"We didn't cross any water," said Akane dumbly. She turned and looked at Ryoga in a sort of horrified awe.
"There's water between Tokyo and Okinawa?"
"You mean you didn't know?" gasped Akane as she grabbed him again. "You idiot!"
"Well, at any rate," said the villager. "You want to go to Tokyo, you go that way." He pointed north.
"Right," said Akane flatly.
"Well, shall we be off then?" asked Ryoga cheerfully. He started walking to the south.
"I hate you," said Akane as she pulled him in the right direction.
"Oh. Very well then," he said dejectedly.
A loud noise echoed through the valley, causing everyone to freeze for a moment.
"What was that?" asked Akane nervously.
"Huh? That's just the dragon. Nuthin to worry about. We keep em nice and fed, with those silly witches. He won't bother you none." The man almost seemed cheerful as he said this.
"You feed it witches?" asked Ryoga in horror.
"Yup. Right unnatural they are," said the man flatly.
"Unnatural! Why you crusty old..." said Akane in shock. Ryoga held her back.
"Maybe we should leave, we aren't likely to be very welcome here," said the boy nervously.
"Hamazaki! Who these strangers is?" said a voice from down the road.
"Just travelers, lookin for Tokyo they says," said the old man with a chuckle.
"Stupid! Is wrong island!" said the woman who walked up to them. She was dressed in an elegant looking Chinese dress, and had her long violet hair pulled up into a bun on the back of her head. A fan covered her face, and she wore a good bit of expensive jewelry.
"It's all his fault!" snapped Akane in embarrassment.
"Of course, stupid mans not ask directions to where going," said the woman as she narrowed her eyes at the dumbfounded looking man in front of her.
"Who are you Miss?" asked Ryoga with a polite bow.
The woman closed her fan and smirked at him, not doubting that he was stunned by her beauty. "I is Shampoo!"
"That sounds like an Amazon name," growled Akane with a flash of anger in her eyes.
The woman narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Shampoo not have anything to do with traitorous evil tribe! Woman is right though, Shampoo amazon many years ago."
Akane seemed to relax at this. "Well, we'll just be on our way then."
"Shampoo no think so. Why you come here?"
"We're just travelers," said Akane before Ryoga could speak.
"Yes. Indeed we are!" agreed the man cheerfully.
"Is unusual to find travelers here," said the Chinese woman flatly.
Akane nodded. That wasn't surprising, Okinawa was small, and didn't have very many people on it from what she'd heard. There was no real reason to go there from the mainland anymore really. At least until about a week and a half ago. She paused suddenly and looked at the woman for a moment. "Have you heard the news?"
"News? What news is talking?" asked the Chinese in confusion.
"Ranma Saotome is dead," said Akane with a smirk on her face. "He was killed by a witch, with the help of the Sailor Senshi. Along with all of his soldiers."
Shampoo narrowed her eyes at this. "Is lie."
"It's true," said Ryoga calmly. "I was nearby when it happened. They managed to steal back the Silver Imperium Crystal, and destroyed him."
The woman's face scowled for a moment, but her eyes held a faint hope. "What you say is true?"
The pair nodded.
"Shampoo send someone to find out then," said the woman flatly.
"You're in charge here?" asked Ryoga.
"Is right. Shampoo is leader of all Okinawa."
Akane and Ryoga looked at one another for a moment after that statement. "You're in charge?"
"Yes. Shampoo is strongest fighter on island, so she in charge. Keep bad people in line," said the woman as she crossed her arms and smirked at them.
"What's this about a dragon? Feeding it witches?" said Ryoga in confusion.
"Dragon very bad. Eat villagers food, very few cows left, now even fewer," she said with her head hung low. "Shampoo cannot stop big stupid lizard. She not know what to do."
"And the witches?" asked Akane.
"What is talking?" said Shampoo.
The old man was now nervously edging away.
Ryoga grabbed him and turned him to face the angry looking Shampoo. "Tell her what you told us."
The man swallowed and smiled at her nervously. "We've been feeding the dragon, to keep it away from us."
"Is smart idea," said Shampoo. "Wish Shampoo thought of."
"What have you fed it so far?" asked Akane as she cracked her knuckles.
"Amonkeyahorsetwoyounggirlsaboyandsixchickens," said the old man very quickly.
"Sound's okay to Shampoo," said the Amazon in confusion. It was obvious she hadn't understood a word of it.
"What's that about two young girls and a boy?" snapped Akane as she shook him.
"It wasn't my fault! Some of the counsel of elders decided that they didn't like some of the younger people getting those new powers! No one knows how or why they started! It hasn't been done in a few days, once we started seeing some more animals around! But the dragon just got bigger, and now we don't have enough to feed it. We had no choice!"
"Powers?" muttered Shampoo dumbly.
"Magic," said Akane with a snort. "They're killing anyone who starts to learn magic."
Shampoo frowned at this. "Bad!"
The man whimpered and cowered before her. "I'm just an old man! I didn't have anything to do with it! I'd only heard!"
"And decided to keep quiet, since it was keeping that thing away from your food," said Ryoga with a scowl on his face.
"Right! You understand! It wasn't any of my business!"
Akane tossed him aside roughly. "Well. Are you going to do anything about this?" she asked Shampoo.
"Shampoo, will do something about this right now," said the Chinese woman hotly. "Where is village elder's home?"
"The largest hut in the town just ahead!" cried the old man from where he was lying on the ground.
"Great," said Akane as she started walking away.
"We aren't going to help?" said Ryoga in confusion.
"We've got our own problems. You can go off with her if you want," snorted Akane.
"I suppose you're right," said the lost boy with his head hung low. "Still, they may be able to help us find this place!"
"How? We're on the wrong island. What would they know?" she snorted in reply.
They both paused when they saw a young boy rushing towards them along the road.
"No!!" he whimpered as the sound of the dragon's roar came to them from the distance once again. He stumbled on the ground and fell face first in the dust. "Hitomi!"
Akane and Ryoga blinked and looked at one another. "Hitomi?"
He got up immediately, rushing into them in his rush.
"Hey! Watch where you're going kid!" snapped Akane.
"Oh dear. Why are you in such a rush young man?" asked Ryoga as he halted him. He looked to be about fifteen years old, with short sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.
The boy looked up at them in surprise. As if unsure why he hadn't been able to move them. He quickly shook it off and started to rush away. "I can't talk right now! I have to save Hitomi!"
Akane stopped him dead in his tracks by simply reaching out and grabbing his arm. "Who's Hitomi?"
"Hitomi is...she's my..." stammered the boy lamely. "You've got to let go! They're gonna feed her to the dragon!" he cried in terror.
"Dragon?" said Akane nervously. "Oh no..." The impersonality of the situation had suddenly vanished. "Damn."
"Please! I've got to save her!" cried the boy as he pulled on the woman's arm desperately. He was unable to dislodge her grip though and Akane halted him.
"What can you do against a dragon anyway?" she snapped at him.
He looked away in shame. "I've got to try! I can't just..."
"Look kid. Maybe we can help?" said Akane cheerfully. "Where is this place? You seem to know where you're going."
The boy paused and looked at her. "I don't need your help lady!"
"Well you've got it, now shut up and tell me what you can," she said as she smacked him upside his head.
The boy was thrown across the dust by the force of the strike.
"I think you over did it," commented Ryoga.
"Ya think?" said Akane sheepishly.
"Come my boy, tell us who you are? What is this about feeding a maiden to the dragon?"
The kid frowned at them. "I don't have time for this! They're gonna sacrifice her tonight!"
"When?" asked Akane.
"Only four hours from now!" he cried.
Akane frowned at this. "That does sound like trouble. Shampoo went to stop them though."
"She'll never make it in time!" cried the boy. "The dragon lives by the shore! The villagers taking her there would have already left. I've got to hurry so I can catch them before they get there!"
Akane scowled at this. "Right. We'll get you there with plenty of time! What's your name kid?"
The boy paused and looked at them. "My name is Kasumi. Do you have a horse or something? I'd be so grateful!"
"I've got something better than that!" said Akane cheerfully.
"You do?" asked Ryoga dumbly. He looked around. "I say, Lady Akane, I don't see anything of the sort!"
"Shut up. It's a new spell, I just thought up!" she said cheerfully as she flexed her arm.
"Pardon?"
Akane waved her arm and grinned. "Ray Wing!"
The group was lifted into the air by an unseen force, Ryoga and Kasumi clutching the girl's leg as she flew off. "Which way is this dragon of yours?" asked Akane calmly.
"Towards that mountain! It'll be by the ocean!" said the boy as he pointed at where she needed to move. "They'll be on the road that leads to it. We need to stop them before they get there!"
"That would seem wise," agreed Ryoga.
"Right! Don't worry about a thing! I've got it covered!" said Akane.
++++++++++++
Shampoo strolled into the middle of the town hall. The elders were sitting around in a meeting.
"So, on to the next order of business..." said the old man who stood at the head. "Ah! Your highness!"
The woman narrowed her eyes at them all. "Shampoo hear that you is feeding big lizard."
"Yes. That is correct, we are sacrificing a few animals and things to keep it satisfied, and out of our hair," said the man proudly. "It is working out quite well.
"What is feeding?" she asked calmly as she sat down in one of the chairs at the end of the long table where everyone was sitting.
"Ahem. Mostly animals, It's getting easier, with the increased amount of wildlife we've been finding..." The old man smiled at her nervously.
"No young boys? No young girls?" she said with a frown on her face.
"Oh. That," said the man with a grin forming on his face. "You should be quite pleased! We're controlling those freaks that keep showing up. It's rather convenient, a nice way to get rid of them you see."
Shampoo cleared her throat. "Freaks?"
"Yes. Some of the younger children are developing strange and unnatural powers. It's only been a few isolated incidents, and we've managed to keep it contained so far. Relatively easy really. You'd be quite proud."
The rest of the council nodded in agreement. Muttering to each other proudly.
"Shampoo realize you is very stupid, and not council anymore," said the girl flatly.
"Pardon?" said the old man as his face fell.
"Power should be good thing, make children stronger, people stronger. You is stupid old man, Shampoo not stand for it," said the girl with a cold smile forming on her face. "In fact, Shampoo fire you now."
"You can't do that! We were voted into our positions by the majority..."
"Vote or not, Shampoo queen here. She rule all island, and say you fired. If Shampoo say is fired, is fired."
The man stammered. "I will not allow these freaks to taint our bloodline with their filth!"
"Shampoo say watch mouth, is very bad talk about people who is stronger that way."
"Stronger?" snorted the man in disgust. "If they're so much stronger, why aren't we the ones on the way to see that dragon right now?"
Shampoo snarled at him. "Can be arranged." She raised her hand and a white ball of power formed there. "Stupid people, don't even know magic when see it. Sorcerers very valuable, make village stronger. Now, you weak and pathetic. Shampoo...destroy you now old man!"
The man staggered back as his fellow counsel members gasped in shock.
"Flare Arrow!" said Shampoo as she grabbed the ball of light, changing it into an orange arrow shaped light. She tossed it into the old man, and he burst into flames. "Stupid. Shampoo pick new counsel, smarter counsel. All stupid peoples is fired now. Go home."
"Um...but I voted against feeding them to it," said one of the men in the back.
"Oh. Can keep job then, everyone else is fired now," said Shampoo as she walked out of the room.
The man simply sat back down and smiled to himself cheerfully. "See. I told you it was a bad idea."
++++++++++++
"No! I thought I had more time!" cried Kasumi as he noticed a small cart below them in the road. It was moving in the other direction, towards the distant town.
"This isn't good," muttered Akane.
"Hitomi!" cried Kasumi in anguish.
"Very dramatic," said Ryoga.
"Will you shut up?" snapped Akane as she shook her leg a little.
They landed where the road ended, and became a small rocky path.
"There!" cried the young boy as he rushed forward. "Hitomi! I'll save you!"
A young girl of about sixteen was chained to a rock about two hundred yards away. She was sitting quietly, as if waiting for something. "Oh. Hi Kasumi!"
"Hi!? You're about to die, and all you can say is hi!?" he cried in shock.
"Naw. I new you'd come to save me!" said the girl cheerfully. She was a little younger than Kasumi, and had her green hair tied back in a ponytail. "Who's this?"
Akane blinked as the girl jerked her thumb back at her.
"Oh...she's um..."
"You pervert! I knew it! You've been sleeping around on me!"
"What?!" screamed Akane. "I'm old enough to be his mother!"
The girl blinked and looked at her again. "Oh. You're right. I guess I should have noticed that. It's so obvious now that I think about it. I'm sorry Kasumi, I know you've got higher standards than this."
The boy sweat nervously, wisely not saying anything.
"What? You little brat! I ought to let that dragon eat you!" snapped Akane.
"It's not my fault you're so old!" said Hitomi in retort.
"I oughta..." growled Akane as she started to roll up her sleeves.
"Akane! She's just a young girl, please!" cried Ryoga.
"That's right! We're both girls, so I can kick her scrawny little ass!" snapped the woman hatefully.
"I suppose mine would be scrawny compared to yours," said Hitomi lazily.
"Hitomi. They came to help me save you, please don't be so mean!" whined Kasumi.
"For you my love!" she said with her eyes growing really big and watery all of a sudden.
"Oh Hitomi!"
"Kasumi!"
"I think I'm gonna be sick," grumbled Akane.
"Akane? Is that you? Imagine meeting you here!" said another familiar voice.
Akane shrieked and turned around, only to find Xellos sitting in a lounge chair with a drink in his hands. He was wearing a pair of shades and relaxing by the ocean.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she cried.
"Me? Oh I thought I'd take a vacation," he said cheerfully.
"Next to a dragon's cave?" asked Ryoga dumbly.
"It adds to the atmosphere," replied the priest calmly as he removed his shades.
"Oh," said the man flatly.
"Well, this is certainly a nice surprise," commented Xellos.
"Right. Surprise my ass! You've been following me!" snapped Akane.
"Now why would I do that?" asked Xellos with his eyebrow arched a little.
"So you can get your hands on that crystal!" said the girl as she pointed at him.
"Well, I'd never thought about that. I guess if I wanted it, finding it would be easiest by following you though," reasoned Xellos out loud. He sipped at his drink and relaxed a bit more.
"Don't worry Hitomi! I'll set you free," said the love struck boy as he put his hands over the chains. They glowed red for a moment, and then snapped away.
"You did it Kasumi!" cried the girl as she threw her arms around the boy.
"Now. I'll just wait for the dragon, and hit it with a fireball!" said the boy proudly.
"Yes! That'll destroy it for sure!" said Hitomi as she hugged him.
"You can cast a fireball?" muttered Akane dumbly.
The boy blinked and looked at her. "Um...yeah..."
"What about you. If they stuck you out here, you must be able to cast something."
"I can, but it doesn't do much besides make a little bit of light," said the girl with a blush on her face.
"Oh," said Akane as she stood up and scratched her head. "Well. I think it would be better if we left the dragon alone."
"What?" said the two teens as they looked at her in shock.
"But, the hero always vanquishes the evil," said the boy.
"Yeah! And then he marries the princess!" said the girl dreamily. "Of course, someone as old as you would never understand that..."
Akane growled reached for her.
"Miss Akane! Really!" exclaimed Ryoga as he stopped her. "You two lovely young people could always skip the vanquishing part."
"I doubt if the dragon will let you," said Xellos calmly as he removed his shades and looked up at the now nonexistent sun. "Do you mind? You're in my light."
A claw crashed down and he jumped away as his lawn chair was smashed.
"Uh-oh," said Akane nervously.
"Freeze Arrow!" cried Ryoga as he shot a blast of ice at the thing. It did little more than make a patch of ice along it's huge neck. It towered overhead for hundreds of feet. At the top was nothing but seven feet of jaws and teeth. It roared angrily and looked down at them.
"How old is this thing?" stammered Akane in shock.
"About two weeks," said Xellos calmly. "He seems quite angry at you for rescuing his dinner."
"It was all her fault!" cried Kasumi as he pointed at Akane.
"Traitor!" snapped the woman as she backed away.
"Fireball!" cried the boy as he blasted at the thing. It exploded on its neck and the thing ignored the flames as it bent down to look at them.
"What are we gonna do?" muttered Ryoga.
"Fly us away!" cried Kasumi as he looked at Akane.
"Actually, that would put us at a rather convenient biting level," pointed out Xellos. He was completely calm, and actually looked like he was enjoying himself.
"So...now what?" muttered Akane.
"I dunno," said Ryoga. "Perhaps fleeing would be our best option?"
"Right," agreed Hitomi as she pulled her boyfriend's arm and hauled him off.
Ryoga ran straight for the dragon for a moment, until Akane snagged him by his ear and cast her flight spell. "This way lost boy!"
She stayed low to the ground and sailed through the tree trunks at an amazing rate of speed. Xellos followed right behind her as the thing lumbered towards them, smashing anything in it's way. It cleared out a thirty-yard section of forest in its wake, and beat its wings in frustration as it gave chase.
"What am I gonna do?" muttered Akane as she passed by the two young children and realized that the dragon was going to overtake them soon.
"Well, there is one option you haven't tried yet," commented Xellos.
"What?" gasped Akane.
"They do call it the 'Dragon Slayer' for a reason you know," commented the priest casually.
Akane stopped and looked at him in mid air. The thing was lumbering forward towards them in the background.
Ryoga looked up at her and sighed as he let go of her leg and plummeted to the ground. "I'll take care of these two. You go ahead and do it!"
"Hmmm. How noble of him," said Xellos. "Well. I'm going to run away now, before I get blasted."
"At least he's honest," commented Akane as she watched him fly away.
Ryoga grabbed both of the children as the caught up with him on the road. "We've got to get out of the way!"
"What? Why?" asked Hitomi as she gasped for breath.
Kasumi was panting rather pathetically.
"You'll see," said Ryoga.
"What's that?" said the young boy as he cocked his head. "Chanting?"
"A spell!" cried Hitomi as she realized what she was hearing. She looked overhead and saw Akane floating in mid air. "Wow! She can fly?! That must have taken her years to learn! I'll bet she had plenty of time though..."
Ryoga hung his head and jumped behind a particularly large rock. A half-second later, both teens were peering over the top of it with him.
++++++++++++
Akane was just finishing her spell at this point.
"May the fools who stand before me be destroyed, by the power that you and I possess! DRAGON SLAYER!"
The beam of red energy shot from her hands, it blasted across the sky and tore up the ground below as it slammed into the beast's chest and exploded.
On the ground, the children watched, their hair being blown back by the force of the wind created in the spell.
"Whoa!" they cried in unison.
Ryoga merely nodded as the light died down, revealing only a crater.
"Lady Akane!" the pair cried as she landed on the ground. The prostrated themselves before her and groveled pathetically.
"What the?" said Akane as she looked down at them.
"Please! You must teach us!" the both cried at the same time.
"What? You? No way!" snapped Hitomi.
"You've been insulting her since you met her! Why would she teach you?" cried Kasumi.
"Because I'm cuter!" snapped the girl.
"I'll give you my body! Anything! Just teach me!" cried Kasumi.
"You...you...PERVERT!" snapped Hitomi.
Akane smacked her head and stared at them. "What the hell?"
"I'll give you my body!" said the girl as she grabbed her leg. "Anything is worth that spell!"
"Now who's the pervert you traitor!"
"You said it first!"
"Enough!" screamed Akane.
Both of them looked up at her and she pointed down at them. "I'm not teaching anybody anything!"
They both stared at her with their jaws hanging open.
"What kind of pervert do you think I am anyway?! I'm old enough to be your mother!" she continued to berate them and they slink back a little.
"We're sorry, but...you must be a great sorceress!" said Kasumi as he fell to his knees in front of her.
"Not really," she replied calmly. "Look. Just go home. The dragon is dead, I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Won't you come with us?" gasped Hitomi.
"No. Ryoga and I have something to do," said the girl as she frowned at them. "Right?"
The man put his umbrella on his shoulder and smiled. "Right luv."
Akane kicked him. "Quit calling me that."
"Right-o" he replied from under her foot.
The two children looked at her for a moment. "I'll go with you!" they cried together.
Both of them paused and then glared at one another. "No! You're staying here!"
"You're both staying here," said Akane with a small sigh. "I don't have time to baby-sit some kids."
"I'm not a kid," said Kasumi angrily.
"Yeah, you are," replied Akane as she pat him on the head and started walking.
"You can't stop us from following you!" cried Hitomi.
"Ryoga, you lead the way," said Akane.
"Huh? Are you sure?" he asked dumbly.
"Yeah. It'll be a good way to lose them, and we're bound to end up on the mainland sooner or later," she said with a sigh.
"Okay," said the man with a small smirk on his face. "This way!"
+++++++++++++
"Well, they is killing dragon then?" asked Shampoo as she looked at the man who stood next to her.
"Indeed," said Xellos calmly. "I thank you for your assistance."
"Is not problem," said the woman cheerfully. "Shampoo not know you though. It better if you leave."
"I agree actually. I have much else to do," said the priest calmly.
"Why man do this though?"
"It's a secret. I did get rid of the dragon as promised, didn't I?" he asked calmly.
"Yes, help Shampoo uncover stupid counsel too," she agreed with a nod.
"Well, then you needn't worry about why," said the man as he turned away. "I'll send them back to the mainland the same way I brought them here. They won't bother your little kingdom, so don't worry."
Shampoo nodded and sighed. Everything had worked out in the end, and the people were still as dumb as ever. She'd have some trouble whipping them into a new Amazon tribe, but they'd come around sooner or later.
Xellos smirked at her one last time before he left. She didn't realize that he brought the dragon here personally. He'd gotten it from Phibrizzo on Mars. The planet was pumping out monsters at a steady rate, but they couldn't over do it either. He sighed and shook his head. Things had to maintain a balance, it was just the nature of things. Sooner or later, he'd be able to play a little chaos, but for right now, things had to be stabilized first.
"I hope those idiots know what they're doing. The master too for that matter," he said to himself as he vanished into the shadows.
++++++++++++
Ranma frowned as he found himself sitting in a courtroom on a satellite that orbited Jurai.
"So, the charges against you have been cleared?" said the judge calmly as he went over the report.
"Cleared? They weren't my charges to begin with," said Ranma calmly.
"You have proof of this?" asked the man.
"Tsunami's word isn't enough?" asked the pigtailed boy flatly.
"Well, the counsel..." started the judge.
"Let me get this straight. The counsel doesn't take the word of it's own Goddess?"
The judge cleared his throat and looked away. "Well, yes but..."
"Then what is the problem?" asked Ranma as he arched his eyebrow at the man. "I'd like to get back to my home system you know. Usagi has a new government to set up. I'd hate to leave her alone to do that. Who knows what that ditzy chick might do."
"Hey!" snapped Tsuki as she jumped up from her seat nearby.
"Sit down!" snapped the judge. "I won't have such outbursts in my court."
"He's getting away with this?" growled Ryoko softly as she clutched Tenchi's arm.
The prince looked at her and smiled sadly. "Ryoko. If Tsunami says he's not him, then he isn't him."
"You trust her that much?" asked Ryoko as she looked at him oddly.
"I wouldn't even be here if not for her," he replied calmly.
The former space pirate nodded at this. "Even if he is the same man, he's obviously changed. You weren't so different from him at one time."
Ryoko gasped and looked hurt. "What? I was...under Kagato's control!"
"It doesn't change the fact that people can change. No matter how bad they become," said Tenchi. "I trust Tsunami's judgement."
"Sometimes more than I do," said Sasami quietly. Ayeka had been sitting silently between her and Tenchi, and gave the girl an odd look.
"At any rate, the Prince seems to support your claim. I shall dismiss the charges," said the Judge as he stood up and sighed.
Ranma nodded and smirked at the gathered people. "Well. I guess I should go home now. Are you coming Tsuki? I'm sure Usagi would be happy to see you again."
"What about the others?" said the woman as she gave him an odd look.
"Survived in their daughters. I'm sure they'd love to hear about their parents," said the boy with a shrug.
Tsuki got a horrified look on her face.
"Oh...oh damn," said Ranma as he watched her turn away. "Damn it."
"How could you do such a thing?" gasped Ayeka.
"I'm just so used to being back. I'd forgotten what it was like at first," he said as he hung his head. He turned towards the women. "She's never liked me much. Would you mind...?"
"Come on Sasami," said Ayeka sharply as she took her younger sister out of the room.
Tenchi merely nodded at him. "I suppose you're expecting us to give you a ride home?"
"You did drag me all the way here. I wasn't planning on going any farther than Pluto on my own," replied the pigtailed boy with a shrug. "Besides. I'm sure you'd like to see your home planet again, up close and personal again."
The prince turned away from him and sighed. "Grandpa would like that as well."
"Well, he's invited too I suppose. It will never fall into Juraian hands again I'm afraid. There's a lot that has changed. Crystal Tokyo is rising, and there's a lot of work to be done yet."
"You are so odd," said Tenchi as he narrowed his eyes at the boy.
"I've been through more horrible things than you could possibly imagine," he replied with a shrug.
"I can imagine quite a bit," said Tenchi calmly.
"Tenchi. I've been to hell and back, you can't imagine what that is like," said the pigtailed boy calmly. "I've changed, some for the better, some not so much. However bad that is, I'm just glad I was able to get rid of that bastard finally."
"Fine. I'll take you back, just leave the ships power supply alone this time," said Tenchi as he looked at the boy for a moment. "Come on."
"Right," said Ranma cheerfully as he followed.
Out in the hallway, Tsuki had calmed down a bit. He gave her an apologetic smile and walked after the prince.
Ayeka rubbed her shoulder and Sasami stepped away from her to watch Ranma. Her gaze gave away no emotion, and it was impossible to say what she was thinking at that moment.
Ryoko scowled from the shadows, not wanting to be bothered for the moment. She watched the two men round the corner, and phased out of the room, and into Ryo-Ohki.
After a moment onboard, Ayeka's face appeared on the screen. "What are you doing Ryoko?"
"I'll follow behind you in Ryo-Ohki. I've got a lot to think about."
"Very well," said Ayeka as she bowed her head slightly in understanding.
+++++++++++++
TBC...
Next Time: The Return!
