A Saiyan Tail.
Part 17
Battle.
+++++++++++++
Son Goku floated above the ocean and glared at Piccolo.
"Well? Shall we get started?" said the demon with a small smirk on his face.
"Anytime you're ready," said Goku with a nod.
"Come on then!" cried Piccolo as his aura flared around him.
Both men paused in mid strike as something seemed to hit them both at once.
"What was that?" said Piccolo as he turned to face the strange new power.
"Oh no. Ranma," muttered Goku in alarm. "We can finish this later," he said to his opponent as he flew away towards the disturbance.
"As much as I hate to do it, I've got to see what that was. It couldn't be Goku's brat! There's no way he's that strong! Ryoga, maybe? No. I didn't train him that well." He followed behind his hated rival.
+++++++++
Ranma grit his teeth and prepared for the impact as Ryoga slammed into him once again. "What's the matter, Ranma? Can't take the heat?" laughed the lost boy viciously as his opponent was knocked closer to the ground.
"Damn! He's gotten faster too!" muttered Ranma as he tried his best to deflect another barrage of strikes. "What the hell am I going to do?"
Ryoga floated back away from the boy and frowned. "He's still holding back. What's wrong with him? He's going to die if he doesn't go all out! Well, I suppose it won't matter, since he's going to die anyway." He placed his hands over his head and smirked.
"No! He's charging up again!" screamed Ranma's mind desperately. He charged forward and attempted to reach Ryoga before he could blast him.
"You should know better than that, Saotome! Shi shi houkou dan!" The reddish energy slammed into Ranma sending him into the ground in a massive explosion. Ryoga watched the small field vanish below him as everything within a quarter mile was vaporized.
"Heh, I expected better, Ranma," said the boy as he flicked his fingers on his forehead for a moment in a small salute. He paused and glanced at the dust cloud below as a sudden feeling hit him. "What the?"
"That hurt you jerk!" screamed Ranma as he blasted out of the cloud and slammed into the lost boy's gut.
"What? No way!" cried Ryoga angrily.
"What's the big deal, Ryoga? The one you survived in China was a lot bigger than that," said Ranma with a smirk appearing on his face.
"That doesn't matter! I'm stronger than you are!" snapped Ryoga angrily. "I'll kill you yet!"
"Ryoga! We don't have to do this!" pleaded Ranma again.
"I've seen hell because of you! I won't let you ruin my life anymore!" snapped Ryoga.
"No! We can fix it damn it!"
"No more words! Die, Saotome!" screamed Ryoga as he blasted forward and attacked. Ranma danced and weaved around the blows easily this time. "How? How is he doing this?" growled Ryoga from between his teeth.
"The dragon only made you stronger, Ryoga, but you're still not as fast, and you're sure not as powerful as I am!" Ranma seemed to explode. A ball of energy a hundred feet in diameter formed around him and pushed Ryoga back.
"What? No way!" snarled the lost boy as he attempted to push the energy back with his hands, but was steadily pushed away.
"I've been holding back my real power, Ryoga, because I didn't want to hurt you. I don't ever want to hurt anyone again. You've gotten so strong, that I can finally go all out!" said Ranma as the energy ball died down.
"What?" snapped Ryoga angrily as he stared forward. Ranma was surrounded by a blue aura of energy, it seemed to pulsate from him. His muscles had grown slightly larger as well, giving him a bulkier form.
"No way!" snarled the lost boy as he charged forward again. Ranma was far too fast though. He found himself striking nothing but air. He could feel the heat build up on his arms from the friction of the air.
"Are you finished yet?" said Ranma calmly as Ryoga was thrown back by a hard blow to the gut.
The lost boy sailed through the air, but managed to remain airborne. He steadied himself and smirked again. "I felt that one, Saotome."
"That was just a tap," warned Ranma with his eyebrows creasing.
++++++++++++
Goku and Piccolo stopped and floated a short distance away.
"Ranma," muttered the Saiyan with a slight worry in his voice.
"He's even stronger than you are," commented Piccolo with his mouth turning into a tight frown.
"Why do you think we've been gone so long?"
"What?" Piccolo whirled to face him with his fists balled up.
"I've been training him to contain his power," said Goku with a small passing glance.
"You knew about this?" said the Namek angrily.
Goku merely nodded. "We can fight later, we have to break up this fight Piccolo. Those two could destroy the entire planet if this gets out of hand."
The demon looked at him for a moment and turned back to the two warring youths. He hated to admit it, but Goku was right. Ryoga would get himself killed, and Ranma might not be able to contain that much energy again. That would be bad for him.
+++++++++
Ryoga was tossed through the air viciously as Ranma rained blows down on him from all around. He shakily steadied himself after an elbow strike that planted him in the ground, leaving a good sized crater in the ground. Ranma seemed to appear out of nowhere just in front of him.
"Are you ready to talk yet, Ryoga? You can't win," said the Saiyan boy darkly.
Ryoga wiped his chin and smirked. "I'll never give up. Not until you're dead."
"If that's the way you want to play it," said Ranma in reply.
"Come on! Show me what you've got!" snapped the lost boy angrily. As he spread his feet out and readied himself again.
"You've lost," whispered Ranma as he held up his palm and sent a relatively small ball of energy into the boy's chest. Ryoga was thrown off of his feet and slid across the ground into a large boulder. The rock shattered and landed on top of him as it crumbled into itself.
"You think you've won don't you?" snapped the lost boy as he threw several of the stones away and managed to stand above the rubble. His clothes were in tatters and hung loosely off of his body.
"Ryoga! Stop this! He's emitting enough energy to damage the whole planet!" said Piccolo as he landed between the pair.
Goku came down near Ranma's side. "Son! You've got to stop! Calm down!"
The pigtailed boy looked at his father for a moment and nodded. "All right." He powered down slightly and seemed to relax his stance.
"Get out of my way!" snarled Ryoga angrily as he glared at his teacher.
"You don't get it do you? You've lost! There's no way you can beat him!" snapped Piccolo in retort.
"Oh, you think so do you?" replied the lost boy with a chuckle. "One last time old man, get out of my way, or I'll go through you."
"Have you lost your head, boy?" said the demon with a serious look suddenly crossing his features.
"A long time ago. You don't think I was dumb enough to show you my real power, do you?" Ryoga balled up his fists and smiled again. Slowly, the stones around him began to rise into the air.
"What?" snapped Piccolo with a look of shock on his face.
"I must thank you, the lessons were good. I'm much stronger and faster than I was before," said the lost boy with his grin suddenly growing to almost inhuman proportions.
Ranma and Goku watched the scene in shock. "Piccolo! Move now!" screamed the pigtailed boy as he raised his power levels once again.
The namek jumped to the side just as Ryoga vanished. Goku was almost knocked over at the same instant by the force of the boy's passing.
"No way!" cried Goku in shock.
"I... I barely saw him move!" gasped Piccolo in horror. His face contorted to a mask of anger. "He's been toying with me all this time!"
"Ranma!" cried Goku as he looked towards the sky. Every once and a while, a flash of his son and Ryoga colliding could be seen. "Damn! We have to stop this!"
+++++++++++++++
Akane rushed forward and stopped cold at the edge of a large field. "They're close," she growled and clenched her fists at her sides.
Shampoo rushed up beside her, badly winded and staring at the girl in shock. She was still wearing the turtle shell. It had to weigh a good forty kilos. "How she do this?" said the girl as she rested against her knees and attempted to get her breath back.
Akane frowned and glanced around. Finally, she took the shell off her back and placed it on the ground.
"What you doing?" said Shampoo in confusion.
"We're here," replied Akane as she pointed to the flashing lights that appeared in the sky on occasion in the distance.
"What is this?" gasped Shampoo in wonder. Was Japan under attack?
"That, is the fight," said Akane coolly. She could feel the energy of the pair. She wasn't very good at it, but it was kind of hard to miss by anyone with a little training.
Shampoo jumped up in fright as a crater appeared in front of her for apparently no reason. "Aiyah!"
"You should leave. You could get hurt if you stay here," said Akane as she glanced back at the amazon for a moment.
"You no tell Shampoo what to do!" growled the Chinese girl in reply.
"Suit yourself, don't say I didn't warn you," said Akane as she rushed forward.
Shampoo followed behind her, but found herself being left behind easily. "Wait! What about, Crazy Turtle Shell Girl?"
Akane was watching the sky, waiting.
++++++++++
Ranma fought hard and fast. The confrontation had been physical so far, and Ryoga was still stronger than him. They were almost evenly matched in speed though. That was bad for him. He was covered in bruises and bleeding from several places on his face. He stopped and felt the energy around him for his opponent.
"What's the matter, Ranma? Getting tired?" said Ryoga as he appeared behind him and let loose a small blast of energy at point blank range.
The pigtailed boy appeared behind him, clutching his shoulder. A large portion of his shirt had been burned away. "Damn it, Ryoga! Stop it! I know another way!"
"I don't care! Don't try to pretend you aren't enjoying this, Saotome. I can see it on your face."
Ranma paused. "What the hell am I doing?" he thought in shock. It was true; he had a stupid looking grin plastered across his face.
"Come on! Let's see what we can really do!" said Ryoga with a similar expression on his own face. He paused and slowly turned around. Akane Tendo had found her moment.
++++++++++++++
Shampoo blinked as the girl in front of her took up a strange, unfamiliar, closed stance. "What is doing?"
Akane merely smiled, it was not a pleasant sight. "Ka"
Shampoo stepped back as she felt something in the air around her. A strange power build up that was unfamiliar to her.
"Me"
A light began to form in the Japanese girl's palm. The amazon's eyes went wide with shock.
"Ha"
"Is impossible!"
"Me"
The amazon found herself stumbling back over her own feet.
"HA!"
+++++++++++
In the air, Ryoga Hibiki narrowed his eyes and shifted to avoid the blast. It passed harmlessly by him, not that it was strong enough to do much anyway. Strangely though, he lurched forward and fell to the earth clutching his shoulder. "What the?"
Ranma glanced back over his shoulder and frowned as he saw Piccolo lower his hand. The beam had passed by him, missing by inches. "What the heck was that?"
++++++++++++
"Damn! I missed him!" snarled Piccolo as he turned to glare at the girl standing a fair distance away. He had attempted to strike before the girl could finish, but failed.
"That was your new move?" said Goku in wonder. "Pretty impressive."
"You'll find out how impressive it is later," snapped the demon in retort.
"Can't wait," chimed Goku cheerfully. His face became serious again immediately after. "Come on, let's go get them."
"Heh, they're both still green. Neither of them even noticed me powering up, they were too wrapped up in their own battle."
"They noticed her," commented Goku.
"Only because she's standing right under them," replied the demon.
"What the heck was she thinking?" grumbled Goku. He had to get Akane away from here! Soun would kill him if she was hurt.
+++++++++
Ryoga stood slowly to his feet, clutching his shoulder. It was hanging limply at his side, useless. "What the? Are you trying to get yourself killed girl? Get out of here!"
"You monster! You murdered my sister! I'll kill you!" screamed the enraged girl as she dashed forward.
The lost boy's eyes went wide with shock. He found himself frozen as her fist connected with his jaw. His head was turned, and a red mark became apparent. It had felt like nothing more than a slap to him though.
"Akane! What the hell are you doing here?" snapped Ranma as he grabbed her and pulled her away from him.
"You can't have him! He's mine!" snarled the girl as she tried to pull away from him.
Shampoo's jaw dropped like it had a lead weight in it. "Stupid BOY Ranma?"
"Not now Shampoo," replied the boy sharply. He turned back to his fiancee. "Get out of here! You'll only get yourself killed!"
"I don't care! I'll find a way to get him!" snarled the girl bitterly as she fell into tears in his chest.
Ryoga stood watching the scene. He had gone completely pale. "K-killed? You're her sister? Oh god! What have I done?" He fell to his knees with tears of his own falling down his cheeks. "A family...she had a family..." he was muttering the words over and over. The thought of others she had left behind had never occurred to him. He felt bad enough for just killing her, this made it worse than ever.
Piccolo stood behind him with Goku at his side.
"It's over, boy," snarled the demon.
"Yes, you're right. I am prepared to die," said the lost boy in reply.
"Good," growled Akane as she stared at him hatefully.
"I'll make this quick then," said Piccolo as he raised his hand and prepared to strike.
Goku was about to jump forward to stop the demon, when Ranma seemed to explode in rage.
"No! No one is going to kill anyone!" His power flared once again around him.
Akane stepped back with a betrayed and hurt look in her eyes. "How could you?"
Piccolo paused and stared at him as well. "Why shouldn't I kill him? You already said he's a murderer."
"It doesn't have to stay that way," replied Ranma sharply.
"Just let me die! I don't care anymore!" snapped Ryoga from his knees. He had not yet moved from his position.
A dawning crossed Piccolo's face. "Oh, I get it. You want to use the dragon balls."
"That's right. He doesn't have to die, Piccolo. His mistakes can be erased," said Goku sharply.
The demon considered his options. Ryoga was useless, Goku would undoubtedly protect the boy, and Ranma appeared to be quite adamant about him staying alive. "All right. I can see I don't have much choice, for now." He turned and started to float away. "We'll finish our fight another time monkey. As for you," he turned and glared at Ryoga. "The next time we meet; I'll destroy you."
"What do you mean erased?" said the lost boy as he slowly rose to his feet. His scowl was still there, but it had softened a great deal.
"We can use the dragon balls to wish her back to life," replied Ranma.
"What? I don't have time for fairy tales! We'll finish our fight!" snapped the angry boy as he started to move forward again.
Goku put his hand on the lost boy's shoulder. "It isn't a fairy tale."
The boy gave him a questioning glance and turned back to the young girl who was still giving him dirty looks. She had calmed considerably, but was still way beyond pissed. Ranma's hand on her shoulder was all that was keeping her away from him. "What do you mean?"
"You dope! You already know! We'll bring her back the same way you got your tail," said Ranma finally.
"You mean, that dragon...can?"
"Bring back the dead," said Goku with a nod.
"I don't have to be a killer?" said the boy as he looked at the ground and contemplated the idea.
"Unfortunately, you used them. It'll be another nine months or so before we can use them again," said Ranma with a sigh.
"Huh?" stammered Ryoga as he looked up from his thoughts.
"The dragon balls can only be used once a year. After that, they look like ordinary rocks. After a year goes by, they change back again," explained Goku.
"I see," muttered Ryoga as he turned away.
"Do you want to help us find them?" said Ranma as he sat down in the dust.
"All right. In nine months, I'll come back here. I'll help you find those balls of yours to atone for what I've done. After that, we'll finish our fight Saotome. I still haven't forgiven you yet."
"Right. If you aren't here, we don't have time to wait for you. We won't be the only ones looking," warned Ranma.
"I understand," said Ryoga with a small nod.
"You think that will make it all better?" snapped Akane angrily.
"No, but it's the best I can do," replied Ryoga before he floated into the sky and vanished.
Akane hung her head and turned into her fiancee's chest again. She pounded on him lightly with her fists as she cried. "Why? Why did you save him? You jerk!"
"Because it was the right thing to do. I'm proud of him Akane," replied Goku.
"Come on, lets go home," said Ranma with a heavy sigh.
"Ranma. I dropped my shell," said the girl sleepily as he lifted her up into his arms and started to float away.
"Don't worry, I'll get it," said Goku cheerfully as he moved away and allowed a little privacy.
+++++++++++++++
Shamoo simply stared at the scene. She had been unable to speak for some time now. The boy Ranma's power was even greater than her beloved's. It was unimaginable, as was the Hibiki boy's. There was no way what she had seen could have been real. She pinched her arm and slapped herself several times. Even the Turtle Girl was easily more powerful than her.
"Is impossible! Shampoo Amazon! Greatest warrior tribe in world!" She had heard the words many times within her village. Apparently, they were much more wrong than she had thought. Her mind worked desperately for an explanation, any explanation. "I must consult Great Grandmother about this." She turned away and started the long walk back towards Nerima. She had a letter to write, a really long one. Hopefully, they wouldn't think she had gone insane.
+++++++++++++++
Piccolo stared out across the empty valley in silence. He floated high in the air meditating on his current situation. Things had gone from bad to worse.
Ranma was much stronger than he had anticipated. He knew about the boy exploding when he was younger of course, but his power had actually grown almost four times stronger since then. It had been a grave underestimation on his part. Plus the fact that Ryoga had hidden his true power as well. That was two new enemies, both of them more powerful than Goku himself.
"I've got a lot of work to do," growled the demon as he finally lowered himself to the ground and opened his eyes. "I'd best get started."
He smirked as he began to prepare his mind for combat. Even if he failed now, he would easily outlive the monkeys in the end. There was no way he could lose.
+++++++++++++
Goku Saotome sat in the Tendo home, much like Piccolo, in silent meditation.
"This is just great. Ranma's stronger than even I thought. Piccolo's probably going into training himself, which means I have to step up as well. Especially with that new move he's got. I've got a lot of work to do myself it seems." He tried his best to frown as he thought this, but somehow, it just wouldn't come.
Ranma seemed to have forgotten all about his rival at the moment. He was sitting with Akane, watching television. It seemed that way anyway. Goku knew the look the boy had on his face. He was very much aware of the situation, and probably planning his next move as well. "We'll train together. Ranma's going to need it for that fight with Ryoga next year."
+++++++++
Ranma was becoming irritated. This television show boring, something about two lovers, Akane had wanted to watch it with him for some reason. Unfortunately, he was also getting hungry. His brow furrowed at the thought. Kasumi made great meals, but she sure was slow. "Maybe I should teach her some speed exercises or something?" he thought to himself. He glanced over at his father for a moment and realized the man was watching him. "I wonder if he's as hungry as I am? What's he looking at anyway?"
Both Saotome men, no longer able to contain themselves looked up at the ceiling. "I'm hungry," the chimed in unison.
Akane looked up at her fiancee in irritation. "Oh well, it was nice while it lasted I suppose. She looked back at the television again and pushed at him gently.
"I can go? Thanks, Akane!" said the boy cheerfully. "Sorry. I know you wanted to watch this together and stuff."
"Whatever, just go, before your stomach drowns the movie out," grumbled the girl in embarrassment.
+++++++++
Meanwhile, Ryoga Hibiki stood in the middle of a jungle, somewhere in Africa. He didn't particularly care where he was. He had no real destination in mind. He did feel like a great weight was lifted off of his chest. A small smile formed on his lips. "Ranma. I still hate you, but if this works out, I won't kill you. After all, I'm going to need somebody around to put my real power to the test. I'll just spend the rest of my life tormenting you instead."
A low growl came from behind him. He smiled at the sound the big cat that had been stalking him for a while made. He hadn't seen it yet, but it was easy to tell it was there. He turned to face the brush and called out to it playfully. "Come on! Let's see what you've got!"
++++++++++++
On a small island in the pacific, a few hundred miles away from the Kame House...
"Master, are you certain this course of action will allow me to defeat Saotome?"
"Shut up and run stick boy!" snapped Happosai as he stood perched on top of the bloated sack Kuno carried. A huge mob was steadily gaining on him from behind. "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"
"Curse you Saotome! The torments I endure to see you finally defeated are almost too much for me to bear! Fear not Akane Tendo! Pigtailed girl! I shall soon free you from his vicious grasp!"
Kurillin looked over at the scene and smiled. "Hey, the new guy ain't too bad."
"Shut up and run baldy!" cried Roshi as he hit his student on the head with his staff from the top of Kurillin's own sack.
"Man! It was never this bad before Master Happosai came." He took a quick glance at the mob of women chasing him, and started to cry as he ran. "I'll never get a girlfriend!"
++++++++++++
TBC...
Next time: A new threat enters Nerima. Boy is he in for it or what?
C&C to Carrotglace@juno.com
Previous parts can be found at Http://www.Fanfiction.net and R&C Books International Fanfic Company @ Http://members.nbci.com/rc_books_int.html