Rage

by ashez2ashes

COMPLETE! Cowritten with AsheRhyder. Wolverine/Ranma crossover. Ryoga finally makes it back to Junsekyo...and jumps into the wrong spring. They really should repaint those signs...

4. Chapters 16-20 and Epilouge

Chapter Sixteen

Ryouga was by no means a genius, but he wasn't a complete moron, either. He knew he'd never get to Japan by himself, and without Logan to lead him, his chances were next to nil.

However, the need to save his friends was burning deep in the pit of his soul, and it was a fire that would not be quenched by any amount of self-hatred. He was determined not to fail.

And it was with that determination that he concocted what had to be one of his most hare-brained schemes of all time.

The lady at the desk of the airport was quite shocked when a young blind man stumbled into the terminal, looking quite worse for wear. He was garbed in black pants, which were dusty and slightly torn, and a coarse-looking gold shirt, which was covered by a heavy looking black jacket. His hand gripped tightly the pieces of a broken cane, the kind used to determine obstacles when one had no seeing eye dog.

"Excuse me, " he called out, his unfocused green eyes glittering. "But I seem to be lost, and I'm about to miss a flight..."

"Sir?" She walked up to him, and took a step back as he quickly turned in the general direction of his voice.

"Can I help you?"

"Oh, um, yeah," he stammered, looking quite embarrassed. "I'm needed back home, but I got lost on the way to the station, and I can't seem to get back on track." He dug absently into his jacket pocket, feeling around and pulling out a hand full of papers. Finding one he hoped to be the right size, he held out his plane ticket.

"Well, sir, you're at the airport now..." She gave him an odd look, knowing he wouldn't see it anyway.

"I am?" He broke into a grin, showing off his fangs. "Thank goodness! Please, can you help me? I'm supposed to go home for a very important problem, but I can't--"

"Sir, this is an open ended ticket, you realize that, correct?" She asked.

"Beg pardon?"

"You can get to almost any airport in the world with this ticket." The airline employee shook her head.' Open ended probably isn't the word for it. She didn't think these were made anymore . . . but there was the seal . . .

"I need to get to Tokyo." He admitted. "Please, miss--"

"We'll take care of it, sir." She assured him, taking him by the hand and leading him to a seat. "Just leave everything to us. "

"I'm much obliged." He smiled in relief.

"You're in luck. The next flight to Tokyo leaves in an hour and a half." She patted him on the arm. "I'll find someone to help you to the plane. Do you have any luggage?"

"Just my pack . . ." He shrugged out from under the heavy burden. "It's carry-on, right?"

"Yes, sir, as long as it fits in the over head compartment."

'It's not fitting I'm worried about,' he thought. 'It's whether or not the compartment is strong enough to hold it.'

"You just wait here, all right?" The kind woman smiled at him, then remembered he couldn't see her. "I'll have someone come for you when the plane is ready to board."

"Thank you very much, ma'am." Once more, he smiled. She couldn't help but think of what a handsome young man he was when he smiled. Even if he did have odd teeth.

One hour and fifteen minutes later, a young woman dressed as a flight attendant approached the youth who had remained motionless in his chair for the entire duration of time.

"Hibiki Ryouga?" She asked. The young man started, opening his brilliant green eyes and looking up. For a the briefest of moments, they remained focused, but this was unnoticed by the woman as she moved to help him up.

"Hello?" He asked, absently, allowing his eyes to un-focus almost as rapidly as they had focused. "Who's there?"

"I'm Sarah, I'll be helping you on the airplane, Mr. Ryouga." She reached for his pack, but his larger hand grabbed it first. 'Hmph. Guess he didn't realize we were going to pick that up for him.'

"It's Japanese," he explained softly. "The name on the ticket is last name first. Sorry about the mix up." He half-smiled.

"Oh, all right. Come with me, Mr. Hibiki." She took him by the hand and led him towards the boarding tunnel.

Ryouga followed, all the while thinking of how stupid this plan was and how he couldn't believe it was working.

Eight hours later, the plane Ryouga was on touched down at last. The martial artist could hardly contain his eagerness to return to Nerima, but he managed to maintain his facade until he was outside of the Tokyo airport. No meager feat, considering it took him another hour's worth of wandering to find the exit.

Not willing to take any chances, he flagged down a taxi, and instructed the driver to take him to the Tendo Dojo in Nerima.

Ryouga dug out his wallet, carefully counting out yen and all sorts of other coins. There was a small wad of paper money that Logan had handed him to buy supplies with. He had never gotten a chance to use it.

To his greater surprise, it was in yen as well. His eyes almost bugged out as he saw the denominations.

"What was Logan-sensei doing carrying around this much in yen while he was in Canada?!' he wondered.

'Oh well, too late to find out now.' He sighed. "Driver, I'll throw in an extra Nine hundred yen if you can get me there in under half an hour."

'Hang on, guys,' he thought darkly, sparks of blue light dancing from his body occasionally. 'I'm on my way.'

---

Ucchan's was closed for the evening, but that didn't stop Ranma and Akane from entering the establishment. The pig-tailed martial artist and his fiancee had pressing business with the proprietor.

"Ran-chan--" Ukyo brightened as he entered. ". . . and Akane-chan." She exclaimed, though with only a slightly lesser amount of enthusiasm.

"Hey, Ucchan, any word from Ryouga yet?" Ranma sat down at the grill. "We haven't heard from him at all, which is kinda odd. Usually, pork-butt sends letters, at least to tell us how he's getting along, or to send presents or something."

"Now that you mention it, Ryouga's been gone quite a while." The chef stopped cleaning aforementioned hot-plate, while her ninja-trained employee brought out sodas for the three of them. "Thanks, Konatsu."

"No problem, Ukyo!" The girl-raised boy smiled brilliantly. "I'll just go straighten up the front of the restaurant . . . if that's all right with you?"

"Um, sure." She waved him away.

"So you haven't heard from Ryouga either?" Akane noted glumly. "I hope nothing's happened to him. He's such a sweet boy, unlike some guys I know." She pointedly glared at Ranma, who had been leaning towards Ukyo. Ranma glared right back. Ukyo sighed.

"Please, Akane-chan, not at the table."

"Sorry Ukyo."

The three teens paused suddenly as they sensed an extremely malicious presence.

"Where Hibiki?" A coarse, accented voice came from outside the door, apparently addressing Konatsu.

"I don't know who you're talking about, there's no one here at the moment by that name." Konatsu replied. "Hibiki hasn't been here in almost a month--"

"Liar! Scent here!" The voice became angry, and much louder. Ukyo got out her spatula.

"What the--?!" Konatsu's voice became panicked, an unusual tone of voice for the gender-confused ninja. A mere moment later, he was thrown through the wall and skidded to a stop at Ranma's feet. The martial artist pulled back upon noting that the youth's chest had been splayed open.

"What the hell?" Ranma gasped.

"Oh my gosh!" Akane yelped.

"Konatsu!" Ukyo leapt over the counter.

"Ukyo-sama . . ." the ninja groaned. "Be . . . careful.."

"Where Hibiki?" A tall man slammed open the front door. Dressed in a dark trench coat and a hat. A feral grin crossed what was visible of his face.

"Ryouga's not here." Ukyo glared at him. "He left for America. What's your business with him?"

The man sniffed the air. "He wuz here," he muttered in English. "This place reeks o' him."

"He was here." The gaijin snarled in Japanese.

"Not in the last month or so." The chef's eyes narrowed. "Now please leave my store. Ranma, call the hospital. Konatsu needs help, and fast."

"I don't think so, frail." Muscles bulged under the coat, and the man leapt towards at them.

"Stay back, man." Ranma warned him, rising to his feet and slipping easily into a fighting position. The unnamed man lifted up one hand and showed the glittering claws that tipped his fingers, each one stained with blood.

"Come. Try."

----

Chapter Seventeen

Ranma sized up his opponent. The guy looked big and scary. He needed to lead him away from the others. His eyes darted back and forth trying discern what to do. The scary guy had more reach than him. One swipe with the claws and he was done for . . . and Akane and Ukyo for that matter to. The only solution was to not get hit . . . not even once.

"Who are you?" Ranma step sideways maneuvering his opponent in front of the door and biding himself some time.

"Creed." The figure grinned revealing a line of sharp teeth. Ranma built of his confidence. He wasn't going to lose. He couldn't let Akane and Ukyo down.

"Well, Creed. You do know, I NEVER lose." He stopped his sidestepping as Creed was lined up perfectly with the door.

"Heh I--"

"Moko Takabisha!" Ranma extended his palms. A large blast of blue chi erupted from them, sending Creed flying out the door. He impacted into a telephone pole. His body slid off the wooden surface and lay limp upon the ground.

Ranma walked out of the restaurant and smirked. He NEVER lost.

Creed casually stood back up and brushed off his jacket.

"Shit . . ."

The maniac flashed him another alarming grin and pounced. Ranma kicked off the building and flipped far over Creed's head, on his way down he grabbed the lamp post and switched his momentum. Going with his forward momentum, he did a sliding kick and knocked his opponent off balance then hit him with a few hundred punches before he even hit the ground.

He repeated the hit and run process several times, trying to wear him down. It always worked on Ryouga. Or at least . . . it used to work on Ryouga. Damn it! Why won't this guy fall down?!

"All you have?" The tall man laughed, stretching in a distinctly feline manner. Truth was, Creed was hurting, but it was only a little. Besides, the bruises were all ready well into the healing process.

"Moko Takabisha!" Ranma ki-blasted his opponent once more, pushing the blonde into the perfect starting position for the Hiryuu Shoten Ha spiral.

Creed lunged, and Ranma flipped backwards to escape, kicking sharply upwards in the same movement. The heel of his foot caught the taller man in the chest. The blonde grunted.

"Pathetic." He snorted, looking coldly down at the martial artist. "Friend can do better."

"Friend?" Ranma blinked, and was almost caught in the swiping of claws.

"Japan boy in America." Creed nicked the youth's face with his lethal claws, barely enough to draw blood.

"Ryouga." The martial artist realized. "What did you do to Ryouga?!"

The blonde mutant smiled in a blood-chilling manner, barring a set of fangs that nearly put Ryouga's to shame. He quickly drew his first finger across his throat in a slitting motion.

Ranma let out a strangled cry, partly because of the shock of his best rival being dead, and partly because his opponent had managed to hit him in the ribs with a blow nearly as powerful as Ryouga's. He doubled over, then rolled between Creed's legs and attempted to sweep him. The foreigner's mass was too much, though, and Ranma was only able to get him to stagger off balance for a moment. The martial artist reset the spiral, pain burning not only in his wounds, but in his eyes in the form of tears.

"He was my friend, you slime-sucking son of a bitch," Ranma snarled. "He was my friend!" Ranma meant it. He didn't realize it at the time, but he did.

Dodge. Swipe. Duck. Slash. Roll. Punch. Twist.

'Three more steps,' Ranma thought, 'and he'll have finished the spiral.'

Lunge.

Two.

Kick.

One.

"HIRYUU SHOTEN HA!" A huge twister of brilliant ki energy rose into the air, hurricane force winds battering at the target in the center. Blow after blow after blow rained down...

Ryouga, sitting in the cab, suddenly felt a great peak of energy. A mere second afterwards, the sky was abruptly lit up by the tornado of the Rising Dragon.

The driver shuddered.

"Glad we aren't going in that direction, ne?" he asked his passenger. "Must be one of those good for nothing martial artists again . . ."

Ryouga, for his part, was stunned. What would cause Ranma to use the Hiryuu Shoten Ha? He only needed it on his strongest enemies... oh shit. Creed was here. And it may already be too late! Somehow, the bandanna wearing martial artist managed to restrain his battle aura. Flinging the remainder of his money to the driver, he shouted:

"It's all yours if you'll just get me to the site of that fight!"

Ranma's shoulders heaved, and his side ached. His opponent had to be down after that attack. He just had to. And yet, when the glow of the attack's energy had faded, and the dust had settled, Creed stood in the epicenter, bruised and bloody, but not down at all.

"Bad move." The blonde growled, flexing. "Die now." Ranma nearly fainted right there. His energy was nearly gone; he barely could stand. His enemy was still standing, and he was still coming.

The pig-tailed martial artist couldn't even dodge this time when Creed attacked. The huge man's movements were blurry to him, even the pain he felt from where the mutant's claws ripped up his chest was distant.

He barely even heard the squeal of rubber on asphalt as a taxicab ripped around a corner and slammed into Creed's back. The tall mutant was thrown over Ranma's head, and directly into a wall. The passenger door opened, and there were distant footsteps. Someone called his name . . .

"Saotome?" Ryouga examined his rival's wounds, sizing up the damage as he ripped off the other boy's shirt to make bandages. The taxi driver had already run off, glad to have made an incredible sum of money and to have escaped with his life.

"Damn it, Ranma." Ryouga tied a bandage tightly around one of Ranma's worse wounds. Ranma blinked through and looked up at Ryouga through bleary eyes.

"I was just getting warmed up." He coughed up a small trickle of blood.

"Overconfident jerk." Ryouga looked over his shoulder. "Ranma, where's Creed?"

His former rival groaned as his mind started to receded into unconsciousness. A scream from inside the restaurant alerted Ryouga to his enemy's whereabouts. Something large smashed through the one remaining window. Glass shards flew across the pavement like a jagged blizzard.

The large figure seemed to be carrying something as it ran off. Ryouga was about to chase after it, when Akane ran out of the restaurant. Her face was streaked with tears. She dropped down next to Ranma's half-conscious form.

"Ryouga . . . he took Ukyo. He said to tell you to come after him. We couldn't . . . I couldn't do . . . Oh god Ranma be all right please." She cradled his head in her lap and stroked his hair, lovingly as Ranma muttered softly. Ryouga felt his heart twist in two as he looked at the pair. It was all his fault. If he hadn't been there . . . If he could just leave them alone . . .

He tore his gaze away and looked down the alley.

"I'm going after him."

"You can't!" Akane locked her gaze with his. "He's too strong, Ryouga. He beat Ranma. We have to regroup, get the others--"

"Why?" Ryouga gazed hardened. His green eyes turned to steel. Akane felt as if she was looking into an abyss, an abyss of a man that had nothing left to lose. "Do you want them to be injured to?"

Akane looked away.

"This is MY fight. I didn't start it, but I am damn well going to finish it. No one messes with my friends. I'm going to make that bastard pay. For once, Ryouga Hibiki is going to win."

His gaze softened for a brief moment. "Goodbye Akane."

He turned and ran off following the trail of destruction Creed left in his wake as the ambulance pulled up.

Akane sighed. "Come on you stupid jerk. Keep it together."

"Child!" A voice called to Akane as the paramedics rushed to Ranma's side while the rest went inside the restaurant to help Konastsu. She looked up to see Cologne, sitting atop her cane. The old woman's face looked deeply troubled.

"Child what happened here?" Cologne's face darkened. Ryouga wasn't here. Had he . . .No if he had there would be nothing left. "Where is Ryouga? I must see him."

Akane stood up to let the paramedics tend to her fiancee. "This monster attacked us. He was after Ryouga but . . . he wasn't here yet. Then he took Ukyo and . . . what are we going to do?"

"We _HAVE_ to find him. The curse on the spring has mutated. Ryouga can achieve the state of absolute Rage now without the curse. His metal skeleton and healing factor transferred over to the other side of the curse as well, and the berserker is slowly slipping through. If he manages to fall completely into his Rage without the curse, his human mind would be lost. Forever."

Akane's face paled as Cologne's ancient eyes bore into her soul.

"Where is he?"

"He went after Ukyo . . . He's gone. You're too late."

For the first time in two-hundred years, Cologne had nothing to say.

----

Chapter Eighteen

That bastard! How dare he . . . how dare he! Fighting in some far away country was one thing, it was another to mess with his friends, or with Ukyo. Damn him! What if Creed hurt Ukyo? Ryouga would never forgive himself.

Ryouga didn't notice the red aura growing around him as he almost subconsciously followed Creed's trail.

He was going to make him pay. The stench of blood still hung around him. Did blood even have a stench? . . . well it sure as hell did now. Damn Ranma! How dare he allow himself to almost get killed! Who would take care of Akane?! Damn him, he better not die.

Ryouga clenched his eyes shut tightly and balled his fists, desperately trying to contain his anger. If he lost his temper now, Creed would win. Ukyo would be dead. Creed would win.

Hell, Ukyo could already be dead . . .

He shook his head, chasing the vestiges of his despair away. He couldn't let himself fall into that pit right now . . . if he couldn't win against himself, how could he defeat anyone else?

He stopped.

"Great, Hibiki. You finally found out what was wrong with you. Too bad it's to late to do anything about it now."

----

It was three in the morning, and the airport was almost deserted. A few janitors meandered around, cleaning various scraps of trash, and a few others dozed lightly, but for the most part, there was no one to disturb the short man dressed in heavy black clothes while he leaned against the wall by the phone. His steel-colored eyes peered over top of the sunglasses he wore, despite the fact that it was still dark out. His wild black hair was partially contained by the cowboy-style hat he wore.

"Tendo Dojo, Furinken High School, Nekohaten, or Ucchan's?" He spoke in English into the receiver. "Yer sure that's all there is?" The voice on the other end of the line garbled something.

"Yeah, yeah, I realize it's hard to locate someone like him. I'll ask around. Thanks." He hung up, glanced around again, and removed his sunglasses.

"Pardon me," he asked one of the night staff in perfectly fluent Japanese. "But how do I get to the Tendo Dojo?" The man paused and leaned on his broom.

"Hibiki-san, huh?" he asked. "Your boy wandered through here earlier today. About nine o'clock or so."

"No, no, I'm not his father." Logan felt a drop of sweat roll down his face. How many times was he going to get confused for his pupil's father?!

"Oh!" The janitor bowed in apology. "I'm so sorry, sir. It's just the only other one who asks for the Tendo Dojo is Hibiki Ryouga . . ."

"I understand." The Canadian-bred mutant relented. "I am a friend of his. It's very important that I find him."

"I do believe he left in a taxi, sir." The custodian replied.

"How do you know Hibiki-san, sir?" Logan asked, equally polite. "Are you a friend of his as well?"

"Me? Oh, no." The other man shook his head fondly. "Hibiki-kun often wanders through here. There is not a person on staff who does not know Hibiki-kun. He is a great friend to us all. Occasionally, he even helps out with the cleaning or storage. We never can leave him alone for a minute, though." He chuckled.

"Ah, I see." Logan nodded. "Thank you very much, sir."

"You're welcome," the janitor smiled and continued on his way.

Logan exited the airport, and found a taxi that was still operating.

"Take me to the Tendo Dojo, please." He requested. The driver glanced at him.

"You're the second person tonight who's wanted to go there." He said. "What is it about that place? It doesn't even have any students..."

"Another person asked to go to the dojo?" Logan's eyes widened. "Was it a young man, about sixteen or seventeen, in a yellow shirt and black pants? With a bandanna?"

"That was him. You're son, perhaps?"

"Er, no..." The X-man sighed. 'Somewhere, I just know that Cyke is laughing at me.'

"Too bad about that kid, though." The driver shook his head, pulling away from the curb.

"What do you mean?" Logan felt his blood turn to ice.

"Oh, didn't you hear? There was another one of those martial artist fights down in the commercial district tonight."

"Another fight?"

"Yeah. Supposedly, the best fighter in Nerima went down today. Some kind of wild man, fighting with claws..."

"Shit...."

"Yeah, really. The kid wanted to go right to the scene of the fight. While it was happening, no less! Crazy, huh?"

"You mean, it wasn't him fighting?"

"Nah, the kid just hopped out and started bandaging up the fighter . . ."

"Driver, I'll double your fare if you take me there."

"I'll be able to retire after tonight." The taxi cab driver laughed, taking a sharp turn to the direction of the fight scene.

The cold wind bit into his face. The temperature was dropping dramatically the higher he rose in altitude. The ragged tress did little to shield him from the icy wind, or even detour it. The air was becoming thin. Ryouga felt slightly lightheaded, but he stubbornly pushed the feeling down.

He stopped for a moment and sniffed the air. There was something familiar about the scent . . .

His eyes darted to the ground and the underbrush next to the path. A small flash of silver caught his eyes and he bent down next to a bush. A small throwing spatula lay between the thorns. Ryouga picked it up.

It had to be Ukyo's. Hell, it SMELLED like Ukyo. She must have dropped it to help him follow the trail. It had been a nice gesture, but really useless. There was no way she could have dropped it without Creed's heightened senses noticing. He had let her do it. He wanted him to follow. How long he would keep up the charade though, no one knew.

"I'm coming Ukyo . . . hold on."

----

Ukyo couldn't believe it. She had been kidnapped. Of all the stupidest, sexist, things in the world to happen . . . Damn it! She didn't want to be part of a cliché! It was so embarrassing. She might as well tripped on her high heels. Well, she didn't wear high heels, but if she did, she'd probably trip on them. It wasn't fair. ONLY AKANE WAS SUPPOSED TO GET KIDNAPPED!

The walking carpet monster slightly in front of her stopped for a moment and sniffed the air. A feral grin spread across his twisted face. He looked back at her and pointed to the ground.

"Sit now. We eat."

She grudgingly sat down. The carpet monster . . . er, Creed sat a few feet across from her and began to build a fire.

Ukyo glared at him. "We eat?"

"No. I eat. Heh heh heh heh. You no eat." He snickered to himself as if he made some grand joke. Perhaps it would have sounded more witty if he didn't sound like a preschool program on crack.

Ukyo stared at the mossy ground for a moment, feeling the smooth blades of grass between her fingers. She was so hungry. Her stomach felt like it could burn a whole through itself. She'd be damned though if she let this ass-hole see her suffer.

"Why are you doing this?" She looked up as her kidnapper ignited a fire.

His cold ruthless eyes that had long ago forsaken any emotion save blood lust and hatred, glanced up at her. "Because I can."

Ukyo clinched her fists. She couldn't let herself die here, in some abandoned wilderness. She WOULDN'T. She refused to go out like some maiden in distress. If only Ran-chan were here . . .

She winced inwardly as the memory as Ranma's beaten form came to mind.

Even Ryouga would do at this point . . . But would he even care enough to come? She wasn't his girlfriend, they were barely even friends. She hadn't even been nice to him most of them time. He was a nice guy, really sweet when he wanted to be. Kinda like Ran-chan sometimes . . .But would he really go after her? Could he even find her if he wanted to?

----

The hospital doors swung open soundlessly, and much in the same manner, a man entered the building. His steel colored eyes swept over the area, scanning for something specific. His nostrils flared, and his jaw tightened as he found what he was looking for.

"Can I help you, sir?" a nurse asked as he silently walked down the hall.

"No, thank you, I know where I'm going." He replied. His grim expression deterred the medical aide from asking further questions as he passed her.

He stopped outside the elevator.

'Crap,' he thought. 'This is going to make things harder.' He pressed the button for 'up', and then crossed his arms and wished he had a cigarette. The scowl he wore further developed, so that by the time the elevator arrived, people scurried away from him.

He got on, pressed the button for the next floor up, and waited. When the doors open, he stuck his head into the hall and sniffed the air. Not finding whatever it was that he was seeking, he re-entered the elevator and pressed the button for the next floor up.
Thirteen floors later, he found the scent again.

A group of people sat mournfully around one room, each one appearing both disheartened and afraid. The two most notable scents were those of a young woman with short, dark blue hair and an old woman with long white hair. Both of their scents had been at the fight scene.

From the other end of the hall, the old woman sensed his approach. His keen sight caught her movement as she opened her large eyes and watched him in return.

No one else paid him much mind as he walked towards them.

He stopped a few feet away from the nearest person, a young man with long black hair, white robes, and thick glasses. If Logan hadn't known better, he would have guessed the figure to be a girl, but his senses told him otherwise. They also told him that the young man was carrying an almost incalculable amount of weaponry.

Beside the boy was a purple-haired girl dressed in Chinese-style clothing. She was crying, wiping her eyes on his sleeve every so often. The boy didn't seem to mind, rather, he was offering the use of his garment as a tissue. Logan's mind officially noted him down as 'whipped'.

The short-haired girl was praying silently, too absorbed in her hope to contact a higher authority. Only the old woman was paying him any mind.

"Why have you come here, Eternal One?" She asked him quietly in Chinese.

"You're an Amazon," he realized out loud, speaking in the same tongue. Only the Amazons had called him Eternal One.

"I am." She nodded. "But you have not yet answered my question. Why have you come here, Eternal One? The boy is not with us."

"Great-grandmother." The purple-haired young woman looked up, causing her self-designated Kleenex to follow suit. "Why do you address him as Eternal One? He cannot be even as old as you. He doesn't look much older than Akane Tendo's father."

"Appearances can be deceiving." The boy beside her whispered, all of them speaking the same language. "Xian Pu, his aura his ancient. Older than Kuh Lon's."

"Eh?!" Her eyes opened wider. "You're right, Muu Tsu. His aura is old... And... odd."

"Child, show respect!" Cologne snapped. "This is Logan, the Eternal One. The one we sent Hibiki to find. He was the last berserker."

"Until you sent the boy to me." Logan crossed his arms. "I am not the last anymore."

"Why are you here, Eternal One?" Cologne asked again. "The boy is not with us. He went after the Man-Beast that attacked the boy who is in there." She pointed to the hospital room.

"Tell me what happened." Logan asked quietly. "Where is the boy?"

"The boy went after the Man-Beast." Cologne repeated. "The Man-Beast attacked the other boy, and abducted a girl. He went to go retrieve the girl."

"A Man-Beast?" The older man's eyes narrowed and darkened. "Tell me. Was this creature tall, with blonde hair?"

"We don't know." Cologne shook her head. "The only one who saw the beast was her." She nodded to the praying girl. Logan swiftly crossed the remaining distance between them, then politely tapped her on her shoulder.

"Who are you?" She asked in Japanese, looking up. "What do you want?"

"Miss, my name is Logan. I'm--" He began, switching languages as necessary.

"You're the one we sent Ryouga to find." She whispered. "Have you seen him? Do you know where he is?"

"Miss, I want to ask you about the creature that attacked you earlier tonight." He shook his head, avoiding her questions. "Can you please tell me what he looked like?"

"I didn't see very much of him." She admitted. "It was dark. All I could see was that he was tall and big, in a muscled way. I think he was blond, too, but it was difficult to tell. He spoke English, though. He yelled at both Ukyo and I before he took her. Said something about 'Runt Junior's woman' . . .?"

'I wonder why Creed thought this Ukyo was Ryouga's girlfriend...?' Logan thought. 'He never mentioned her. Besides, his scent would have faded from her by now, even if they had been together.'

"Poor Ryouga." The girl whispered. "He must think that this is all his fault . . ."

"In a way, it is." He snorted. "He accidentally let slip where he was from in a battle against the creature you fought. He's probably going to try to atone by getting this Ukyo back, and, if possible, killing Creed."

"Creed?" Shampoo blinked, breaking into the conversation.

"That's the creature's name." Logan growled.

"Do you think Ryouga can win?" Mousse asked.

"Maybe." The older man snorted. "If he doesn't fall into Rage, then he has a chance."

"By the way," Logan turned back to the blue-haired girl, finally remembering why he had come. "How's the boy?" He nodded towards the ICU room, wherein lay the victim of Creed's twisted fighting.

"They think he'll be all right." She tired to smile. "I'm praying for him."

"Heh." He crossed his arms. "I'm going to find Creed. Hopefully, your friends will still be alive by that time."

'Although the real question whether it's Creed or Ryouga that's more dangerous right now...' he thought grimly, walking away from the others.

---

Ryouga hunched in the hollow of an old tree and slept restlessly, dreaming of blood.

---

Chapter Nineteen

Ukyou had never felt more helpless in her life. All those years of martial arts training had been for nothing. When it came down to it, they didn't matter a damn bit. She was still a sheep being preyed on by the wolves. No matter how good you are there was always still someone better. But she'd be damned if she let this bastard get any satisfaction from it.

"Boyfriend not coming." Creed laughed to himself a short distance in front of her. "He must found new girl."

Ukyou clinched her fists but remained silent.

"Die here all alone. No tears for you." Creed stopped a moment and turned back to her. Ukyou stiffened as he approached. He stopped a few feet in front of her. He stared at her a moment, unmoving until--

"Boo!" He feigned jumping out at her. Ukyou involuntarily recoiled. She mentally cursed herself as he turned around and continued their walk. Damn that bastard! She never would have thought it, but there was one man in the world that made Genma look good. Damn him . . . She desperately held back tears. No, there would be no tears for that scum.

Several more minutes passed before Creed stopped again and sniffed the air. His sneer widened. He looked around the clearing for a moment, as if searching for something. Seemly finding what he wanted, he stopped down and reached for something in a hole. To Ukyou's horror he pulled out a white baby bunny by the scruff of its neck. It writhed and squealed in protest.

"Ribbon and spatula." He held out a hand expectantly. Ukyou hesitated. The baby bunny's eyes reflected such a primal fear. Creed growled impatiently again, a growl that promised the many things that he would do to her if she did not obey. Reluctantly she handed him the spatula and closed her eyes tightly.

She couldn't, however, drown out the animals screaming and the blood that sprayed on her hands and face.

Creed dropped his present in their path and continued on in morbid glee.

---

Ryouga was getting closer. He could hear it in his heart. He could hear it in his bones. His senses were alive like they had never been before. It was like all his life he had been blindfolded and then suddenly the blindfold had been taken off and a whole new world opened up.

The forest was alive. It wasn't like when he had turned into a pig, that was different. They weren't hunters, they were the hunted. This time _HE_ was the hunter. _HE_ was the one that was going to kill. Wait no . . . he was here to save Ukyou. He had to remember Ukyou. She was important. She was a friend. Hunters don't have friends. So he wasn't a hunter? NO! He was Ryouga Hibiki damn it! He couldn't let this curse have him. He had to save Ukyou, nothing else mattered. He never could save Akane, he couldn't save Akari from himself, but he DAMN well was going to save Ukyou.

He stopped abruptly. Hanging on a tree in front of him was one of Ukyou's spatula's covered in blood. The crimson drops dripped down a white ribbon and fell onto the grass. Upon the tree was scratched a message in English.

To RUNT JR:
What do you think little girls are made of ?

---

A haunted scream filled the air, echoing across the lonely hills. Ukyou shivered in the frigid night and wondered what kind of animal could be making such a tortured sound . . . and why.

---

The sky was filled with the color of blood. Sunset fell over the forest like a peaceful blanket. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of the forest were very unpeaceful. The dying light cast long shadows over the trees and rocks, black shrouds of mystery against the rusty-hued earth.

In particular, the sunset threw it's brilliant crimson mantle over the figure running between light and darkness. The figure of a young man sped over the uneven terrain as if it were nothing; his body was strong and used to nature's many quirks. His feet found holds where a normal man would have fallen, and he easily cleared in a single leap fallen logs and ditches that would have taken any one else several minutes to climb.

Nothing stood in his way. He was a man on a mission, and his targe lay just ahead.

His eyes were the color of bricks in late afternoon, but the tint wasn't from the sunlight. His mouth was turned down in what could have been a permanent scowl, but his upper lip was curled back slightly to reveal his sharp fangs. His hair brushed by his eyes unnoticed as he nimbly wove inbetween the trees.

His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air, hunting down a scent with the ruthlessness of a wild dog. He slowed, halting in his hunt, and shook his head to clear the red haze from his eyes.

'I have to stay in control,' he thought. 'For Ukyo's sake, if she's still alive, that is. Creed, you bastard, you better have not killed her, or I swear to every god in existence, I will make you wish you had never been born..." Blood ran down his clenched hand in a brief trickle as his own nails broke his skin, but the wounds were healed almost immediately thereafter.

'I need a plan.' His broad shoulders trembled with his effort to maintain a clear mind despite the urgency the situation presented. 'Creed's scent is really fresh. He probably only has a few minutes worth of distance on me. I...' His thoughts trailed off as he noticed the forest had gone uncharacteristically silent.

'He must be close.' Ryouga Hibiki's eyes narrowed maliciously. 'Need a plan, need a plan, need a plan!' His eyes scanned the landscape around him. Up ahead, the mountainside was broken into tiers, forming cliffs over itself due to cold weather breaking the rocky formations. The already thinning trees died out to more or less non-existant, but the few that stood were ancient and strong.

He eased further along the trail, keeping on his guard, until he found it. Creed's camp, barely six hundred feet away.

The tall blonde mutant was sitting, probably eating. Next to him was a figure clad in muted tones of blue and black. The shadows falling on this still form nearly blotted her from existence, but Ryouga's eyes caught her. To Creed's back was a cliff; 'The walking carpet bag is probably using it as a wind breaker,' Ryouga thought with disgust as he finally began to notice the chilled, thinned air.

The barest bones of a plan formed in his muddled mind; a meager plot in comparison to some that had been lain before him in the past. However, when filtered in with the bloody, gory images that had filled his dreams and sometimes even his waking moments, that simple plot seemed to be heaven-sent.

Six shining claws slipped free of the grisly sheaths of his forearms without sound. The sunset's light barely glinted off of them, but the death of day turned them red like the blood that would soon bathe the ground.

His eyes reflected the very same glint of blood... and death.

---

"He's here." Creed smiled darkly. Ukyo shuddered at the expression and silently began to pray.

---

Ryouga crept silently up the hill. The last rays of light were dying from the horizon; already, stars were beginning to make their appearance in the midnight-blue sky above his head.

His calloused hands found the end of the cliff quickly. The cold wind stung his hands and face, but his mind didn't register the chill. He quickly peered over the edge. He was right above Creed.

His upper lip curled back from his fangs again, but he silenced the growl that was building in his throat. He shook his head again to try and clear the red haze from his vision once more.

'Stay in control!' He thought viciously, pushing the gruesome thoughts of eviscerating Creed to the back of his head. 'First you have to win.'

Drawing himself up to his full height, he smirked darkly. Pure crimson flashed through his eyes.

'This one time . . . I won't lose.' He promised this to himself as he clenched his fists, extended his claws to their full length, and then took the final step off the ledge. 'Ryouga Hibiki will not lose!'

He jumped.

---

Chapter Twenty

Sabertooth chuckled as he heard the boy jump from above him.

'That boy's an idiot to think that I wouldn't know he's here!' the mutant thought, a dark smile revealing his razor sharp teeth. Every muscle in his body tensed as he tingled with anticipation . . . then suddenly spun around and sliced upwards. His estimation paid off; his claws entered the falling boy's flesh right below his rib cage.

"RYOUGA?!" The girl on the other side of the camp screamed as the boy's own weight and momentum further impaled him on Victor Creed's claws. The tall man smiled viciously, his wild eyes locking solidly with the youth's wide, shocked earthen eyes.

"Hello again, Runt Jr." The blonde snarled, tossing the wounded boy into the cliff. A crater four feet in diameter was formed from the impact, and several shards of rock went flying.

"Damn you..." Ryouga growled, climbing slowly to his feet even as the torn flesh knitted back together. "I won't lose to the likes of you!"

"I don't think yer gonna get much of a say in the matter!" Creed said in English, laughed, and lunged again. The martial artist saw the attack coming, however, and twisted to the side so that instead of having his chest ripped apart, only his arm was lightly cut.

Sabertooth's attack left him over-extended, and Ryouga leapt on the opportunity that the mistake presented. The Lost Boy turned using the momentum of his dodge and delivered a strong kick to his opponent's back, shoving the heavier man straight into the sheer rock surface.

The blonde man pushed off from the cliff and faced the young man, who's abdominal wound was almost completely healed. The mutant grinned in a feral manner, and with a sickening crunch, set his nose back in place so it, too, could heal. The younger fighter slipped into a defensive position, totally unaware of the crimson hue his eyes were adjusting to.

Ryouga easily fell into the role of the aggressor, his superior martial arts training giving him a slight edge over the larger man. His claws slipped in and out throughout the duration of the fight to allow him to deliver crushing blows that were designed to cripple, but not kill. He wasn't finished with Ukyo's abductor quite yet.

And then Ryouga made a mistake.

Ukyo's eyes widened in horror as a scream died in her throat. The Lost Boy had just attempted a double-back-hand with his claws extended, an attack designed to blind his enemy forever. But Creed had been ready for such a maneuver, and had ducked under the blow. For one brief moment Ryouga was completely unguarded; his arms were both extended to his sides, and his legs were busy keeping him balanced. All the young man could do was think, "Shit," while the tall fighter lunged upwards with both clawed fists. One set sank deeply into the boy's chest, sharpened fingers digging past cold metal plated bones. The other pierced the soft flesh of Ryouga's throat, splashing pure red blood everywhere.

The Lost Boy's ruddy, earthy eyes were covered in the crimson liquid that filled his lungs and mouth and ran down his face like tears.

"Ry . . . RYOUGA!" Ukyo screamed at the top of her lungs, wishing that she had some kind of weapon. Hand-to-hand combat was her weakness, and Sabertooth's strength. She'd never be able to avenge her friend without something . . .

"Almost forgot you," the blonde, blood-drenched mutant dropped his prey, turning quickly to the girl who scrambled to find something to attack with. He managed to take two steps towards her before an iron grip caught his ankle and twisted.

Sabertooth howled in pain as every bone in his ankle was shattered, and turned to see what caused his agony. What he saw was a monster in its own rights.

The darkness had fallen during their fight, causing most of the younger's distinctive traits to be shadowed heavily. He kept low to the ground, balanced unnaturally easily on all fours, with claws extended and glinting under the moonlight. Sharp fangs were bared to the night, but it was the blood red eyes that startled Creed the most. Sharp, angled crimson eyes that the mutant had seen once before, in a fight that almost killed him.

A low, animalistic growl sounded from the youth's healed throat.

"How?" Creed gaped. "Even Runt can't heal that fast . . ."

In a blur of shadows, the Rage possessed Ryouga had cut deeply into the mutant's vital organs, effectively crippling him. All six talons plunged into Sabertooth's stomach and twisted. The blonde's eyes darted rapidly from side to side, seeking some measure of escape. He tried to back up to get the metal talons out of his body so that he could begin healing, but the Lost Boy dug his claws deeper into Creed's flesh until they pierced the other side. Victor's eyes fell on the edge of the mountain, the pain distorting the distance between himself and a possibility of escape. Gritting his teeth, the mutant shoved backwards with all of his strength, causing them both to go off balance. Ryouga was thrown to the ground, but Sabertooth pitched off the side of the cliff, where the enfuriated youth couldn't follow.

Sabertooth's formed disapeared into the misty depths of the chasm, grinning sadistically like a sinner going to hell. Ukyou could hear her heartbeat in the silence that followed. A feeling of terror crept up her spine as the seconds ticked by. Ryouga stood pefectly still, his shoulders slumped. Long trickles of blood ran down his arms and legs like rivers, and fell to the ground creating crimson pools in the dirt.

"R-Ryouga?" Ukyou's soft whisper shattered the cold silence. She stood to her feet slowly. Still Ryouga did not move, staring at the place Creed had once stood. The blood flow was lessening to tiny freckles tainting his arms and legs.

"Ryouga? Snap out of it. I know your strong--" She was abruptly cut off by a deep gutteral growl coming from the figure she had once called her friend. But . . . nothing human could make that sound. Nothing human could be that filled with hate, anger, . . . and animalistic rage.

"Damn it Ryouga." Ukyou's voice caught slightly with supressed tears. Deperation welled up within her, but was quickly pushed down. She wouldn't die here. She couldn't. It just wasn't fair and . . . NO DAMN IT! SHE WASN'T GOING TO DIE LIKE THIS! NOT NOW! NOT HERE! NOT LIKE THIS!

Ryouga's trio of deadly claws glistened with fresh blood, as Ukyou watched with an almost morbid fascination. Whether it was Ryouga's or Creed's blood she couldn't tell. Not that it mattered really now.

"Don't do this. Your better than this."

Ryouga's body slowly turned around. His scarlet filled eyes gazed into Ukyou's hazel ones. She stared back into the dark twin abyss, where nothing lived, nothing grew, and nothing ever escaped. They weren't human eyes. They belonged to a being of pure hate that knew no caring . . . no love. There was nothing but unbridaled uncontrolled RAGE. . .

Ryouga took a step toward her.

It wasn't fair . . . She didn't want to die. She was too young to die. There was so many things she hadn't experienced yet, hadn't felt. For it all to be taken away like this . . . for her life to end so quickly by . . . by. . .

Something snapped within Ukyou's pyche.

WHO THE HELL DOES HE THINK HE IS?!

"YOU JACKASS!" Ukyou echoed off the hills. Ryouga's step faltered. "DAMN IT! Your just going to let it end like this?! Are you just going to let this end like everything else?! Are you going to let yourself lose again?!"

Ryouga stopped. Something was wrong . . . something wasn't right. But the rage . . . we had to fufill the rage . . there was nothing but the rage . . . hehadtofueltheragehecouldn'tstopnow . . . he he

"Are you a born loser Hibiki? Are you just going to give up and succumb to it? Like some . . . some WHIPPED DOG?!" Salt tears slipped down Ukyou's cheeks.

But but . . . loser . . . he wasn't a loser . . . but . . . the abyss was so close he couldn't get through . . . he had to kill her . . . yes . . . yes . . . kill her and make the hurting stop . . . NO! no . . . nonononono if the voices would just stop screaming he could . . .

"Are you just going to lay down and die?! OR ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT?!"

NO!!!!! . . . he wasn't going to lose . . . not this time . . . no he couldn't . . . he wasn't a . . . Ukyou said . . . he . . . didn't want . . . to . . . no . . . he didn't want to kill . . . he didn't want to . . . he . . . oh the screaming . . . was that Ukyou screaming? No! . . . Was someone hurting Ukyou? . . . was it him? . . . would he . . . NO! He wasn't going to lose! but the voices . . . they wouldn't . . .

Ryouga collapsed to the ground, falling to his knees in the cold dead earth. The voices inside his head seemed to rise in intensity. Betrayl, hate, lose, depression . . . murders, victims, mothers who had lost their children to war, victims of disease, victims of accidents, people who were taken before their time, they were all screaming inside his head with one voice . . . yet many voices. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair. It wasn't fair! Why wasn't it fair?! They just kept screaming and . . . and . . .

"Ryouga?" Ukyou's voice was barely above a whisper as she knelt down beside him. Ryouga craddled his head into his hands and shut his eyes tightly, trying to block the voices. Bloody tears streamed down his face and chin.

"I can't . . ." Ryouga's voice was choked with sobs. "They won't be quiet Ukyou. I can't make them stop. It's all my fault . . . and I can't fix it. I'm so sorry . . . so sorry."

Ukyou, not sure of what to do, put a hand tentivley around Ryouga's shoulders. "It's ok. I'm ok."

Ryouga, beyond embarrassment, desperatley tried to choke back his sobs. Satly tears streamed down the side of his face and fell to the ground to mesh with the pools of blood.

"It's just that--" Ryouga swallowed. "I can't seem to do anything right. I always freak out and mess everything up. I just wanted to save you, and make it all better. But I messed up again and I almost . . . I almost . . ."

"But you didn't. You _DIDN'T_." Ukyou tightened her hold around Ryouga's shoulders. Ryouga looked up and leaned back on his knees. Ukyou smiled. "You didn't. You kicked some ass sugar. You saved me." Her eyes softened. "You won."

"I . . . did?"

"Yeah you did." She reached down and helped him rise to his feet. He winced in pain slightly, promting Ukyou to sling his arm around her shoulder. Ukyou winked at him. "Not that I needed help or anything of course."

Ryouga scowled for a moment, then his face cracked into a small smile. "Of course not."

"Thanks for lying jackass."

Ryouga's grin widened, showing a small fang. "Anytime."

Ukyou laughed, and turned toward the direction they had came, shouldering Ryouga's weight until he healed fully. "Come on jackass, let's go home."

----

Epilouge

Logan tensed up as the scent of blood hit his senses, strongly. After he left the hospital, he returned to the site of the battle and followed Ryoga's, and consequently Sabertooth's, trail far into the wilderness outside of Nerima. The sudden change from nature's own scents to those of destruction and carnage hit him like an adamantium-coated fist to the gut.

The scent of the blood wasn't fresh; it had probably been spilt hours ago and was now just drying. Both Ryouga's and Sabertooth's scent were very potent.

"Honest, Ukyo, I'm alright now!" A young man's voice in the distance was caught by his enhanced senses.

"Sugar, I saw you get ripped up and tossed around like a rag doll by that . . . that . . . thing!" A girl's voice retorted. "There's no way that you, even with this amazing healing power you've told me about, can be alright this quickly."

The breeze carried their scents towards him; one was definately Ryouga, while the other was the slightly familiar scent of one of the girls who had been at the restaraunt when Creed had attacked.

Speaking of the walking carpet bag, his scent lingered on both children, but, as they were both relatively near by and still capable of arguing with each other, Logan came to only one conclusion.

"Ryouga?" The older man shouted, and his voice carried through the night air. He could hear the children's footsteps cease as they heard his voice.

"Who's that?" The girl whispered tenatively.

"That?" Logan could almost picture his student grinning ruefully. "That's my teacher."

"Who?" She demanded.

"Logan-san!" Ryouga shouted. "We're over he--"

CLANG! Something metal hit the Lost Boy upside the head.

"What if it's Creed, playing a trick?" The girl hissed. "How do you know it's really him? And isn't that Logan guy supposed to be in America?"

"It's not Creed." Ryouga grumbled. "I can tell."

Logan swiftly approached the two, studying their situation in the dim light.

"I'll take it you won?" the short man grunted in English, crossing his arms. Ryouga scowled, an expression Logan had become all too familiar to seeing on the boy's face.

"Creed fell off a cliff," the boy responded in the same language. "I couldn't follow him."

"Then I'll just have to take care of him permenantly next time I see him." Logan growled. "Don't worry about it, kid. I'll handle him for you. You've earned your rest."

Ryouga glared at him.

"Hey, I can take care of myself, and my friends!" he objected. "I'm a martial artist--"

"And I'm an X-man." The older cut him off. "I'm trained to deal with that psycho."

"Logan-san, don't you think I can take him? I already beat him once--"

"I'm not saying that you can't take him down." Logan sighed, understanding his student's wounded pride. "I'm just saying that I'd like to do it for you--"

CLANG! CLANG!

Both men were floored as Ukyo screamed, "PLEASE SPEAK IN JAPANESE!"

Logan pulled himself out of the soil and brushed off the dirt.

"And this is the girl you've chosen?" He asked Ryouga, just quietly enough for the Lost Boy's enhanced senses to hear.

Ryouga only blushed in reply.

"I'm sorry," Logan apologized with a small bow. "I sometimes forget to switch languages."

"Ah, well, it's okay." Ukyou replied, the large spatula-- 'Spatula?'-- disappearing as she dusted off her hands.

"Logan, this is Kounji Ukyou; one of my friends." Ryouga introduced them as he stood up. "Ukyou, this is Logan, my teacher."

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Logan." Ukyou bowed deeply after the initial shock had set in. 'So this is the man who trained Ryouga to fight like that?' She repressed the urge to shudder; if Ryouga fought like a demon, and he had only just begun to train, how would this man fare?'

"How are Ranma and Konatsu?" Ryouga broke in quietly. "You've been to the hospital, I can smell the disinfectant."

Ukyou blinked in surprise, but Logan merely snorted.

"They'll be fine, I think," he replied. "I did drop by the hospital, and I met up with a bunch of Amazons. Creepy people, those Amazons. 'Kept calling me Eternal One."

"Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne." Ukyou groaned. "Figures they'd be there."

"Do you . . . want to go and see them?" Ryouga asked cautiously, gently touching her shoulder. "We could swing by the hospital, if Logan leads the way, that is."

"Heh, we're swinging by the hospital anyway, just to make sure you didn't damage anything important, sugar." Ukyou glared at him, but she was smiling as she rapped his forehead with her knuckles.

"Argh, I told you, I'm all healed up!" The Lost Boy objected, looking highly indignant.

"So you say, sugar, but I'm not about to let you wander off and fall off a cliff or something and not be able to get up because something doesn't heal right. Now, if you'll please, Logan-san, lead the way to the hospital?"

Logan just snorted, and gestured for them to follow him. The darkness hid his knowing smirk.

---

Ukyou, Ryouga, and Logan finally reached the hospital, after a few days of travel. It had been an interesting trip if nothing else. Ukyou and Ryouga seemed an endless supply of entertainment to Logan. Unfortunately, the trip had to come to an end, saving Ryouga from further embarrassment. Like the kid thought he was covering it up . . . yeah right.

The hospitals curving hallways seemed to melt together in Ryouga's mind. These things were always built like mazes. They probably made it that way on purpose so people would run into walls and have to stay longer. Evil bastards.

A quick question to a nurse sent them to the third floor. Sounds of an epic battle seemed to rage from within the hospital room was they stood before it. Ryouga frowned. What the hell could be going on? Ranma had the most enemies of anyone he knew . . . except maybe Logan but he never seemed to be the 'make nice with the crowd' type anyway. Damn it...what if someone was taking advantage of his condition?!

Ryouga rushed into the room, only to discover . . . something far worse.

"No way! I'm not doing it! You can't make me! Nonononono....I refuse to be brought down by--"

"Jerk! Just eat the food I made for you!"

"No! I'm not going back to the brink of death again!"

"Come on Ranma! I worked hard on these cookies!"

"No way!"

"Come on!"

"Damn it Akane I'm in a freaking hospital bed. Can't you have a little sympathy?"

"That's why I made the cookies jerk."

" . . . oh thank you then."

"Your welcome."

Ranma...apologized? Yes, Ryouga decided, the world had inverted. The sky was now green, grass was pink, birds flew backwards, and he was going off to the mountains to become a peaceful monk. It was better this way really, he'd get one of those neat little robes...Yes, then hell would freeze over, popcicle stands would be set up and the demons would run through the sprinklers.

Better say something now before they start making out. Logan would get pissed if he Shishi-Hodokaned the hospital.

"Hey, Ranma. Eat your damn cookies and be happy about it." Ryouga stepped through the door with Ukyou. Logan lagged behind, staying next to the door frame to let the old friends catch up.

Ranma and Akane froze and glanced up as one. Ranma's arm jutted out at an odd angle, desperately trying to fend off the demon spawn cookies. Akane's eyes glinted with fear for a moment, but the emotion faded as she saw Ukyou standing next to Ryouga, unharmed.

"Your all right!" Akane jumped off Ranma's bed. "We were so worried about you guys." She made a motion like she was going to run up and hug the both of them, but stopped. "After what Cologne said, I . . .oh god Ryouga what happened?"

"What did Cologne say?" Ryouga asked, his blood suddenly running cold as he glanced over to Ukyou.

"She said that the curse had changed, had mutated, and that you were able to lose yourself to Rage without getting wet..." Akane trembled as she spoke. "She said that if you ever lost your control completely without being under the curse we'd lose you, Ryouga Hibiki forever. You'd just be . . . that mindless anger-filled . . . It didn't happen, though, thank Kami . . ."

"It's taken care of, Akane-chan." Ukyou smiled weakly. "He won't be reaching full Rage anytime soon, at least, not with me around. If he tries anything, he's gonna be meeting up with the blunt end of my spatula." She winked at Ryouga, who breathed a sigh of relief.

"But it's still there." Ryouga's face clouded. "I haven't been cured. But . . ." His face hardened as his eyes burned with a fiery determination. Ranma wasn't the only one determined not to be brought back to the brink of death. "I think I have it under control now. I'm not...angry anymore ya' know?"

Ryouga smiled a genuine smile, the first that any of them had ever seen on his face. It was nice to see, though Ranma had always thought his muscles just couldn't do it, like a disability or something. So he said so.

"Wow, don't do that Ryouga it's creeping me out!"

Ryouga opened his mouth to reply when a large crash resounded from the hallway.

"I SAW HIM COME IN HERE! I KNOW HE'S HERE!" a women's voice yelled, in a tone that promised violence, pain and yet more violence.

"Um..." The frightened male nurse mumbled back, trying to breath through the women's death grip on his collar.

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HIM? IS HE HURT? IS HE SICK? NO OF COURSE NOT! HE CAN'T BE SICK! MY LITTLE BOY NEVER GETS SICK AND...hmm? Oh you can't breath? Sorry about that. I get carried away sometimes."

"I believe he went in there ma'am..."

"Thank you so very much! It's nice to know there's still nice people in the world these days." The women giggled.

Inside the hospital room, the group tensed up as they heard the madwoman's footsteps approach. New people in Nerima were trouble. The old one's you could deal with, you already knew how they stood, if they wanted to marry you, kill you, rename you and put you on their shelf etc. etc. but the new ones...they were the most trouble.

Unconsciously Ukyou and Ryouga fell into a fighting stance. Logan relaxed his limbs a bit moving himself in-between the injured martial artist and his girlfriend. His fingers clinched tightly around the cup of coffee he had brought with him. The women's footsteps approached and . . . turned around the other way.

Huh?

"HEY! I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE WAS IN THE ROOM OVER HERE! EEEEEEEEEEeeee where can he be? This isn't fair!"

"Uh, ma'am," the voice of the nurse floated down from the hallway, "See that open door on your right?"

"Hmm? OH! Thank you again! Oh my, these places are like mazes. I bet they built them like this one purpose so people would hit their heads on walls and have to stay longer. Evil bastards."

Logan felt his heart stop as the women walked into the room.

It . . . couldn't be. Arieru was dead! He had seen her fall and . . . there was no way. Not that he hadn't had a long love come back from the dead before, but it was surprising every time damn it! Her eyes, her hair, she had barely changed. His love's face had grown older, perhaps a bit more weathered. Her long beautiful hair cascaded over her shoulders, like a wave of dark chocolate. She was beautiful, she was--

"MOM!" Ryouga ran up and hugged the woman.

OH. MY. GOD.

"OH MY POOR LITTLE BABY! ARE YOU OK? HAVE YOU BEEN EATING WELL? WHERE DID YOU GET THAT UMBRELLA? OH YOU'VE GROWN SO MUCH! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU I--"

"Mom, I can't breath."

"YOU LOOK SO HANDSOME! JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER!"

Three feet away, Logan began to choke on his coffee.

"YOU ARE SO ADORABLE! ONE OF THESE GIRLS _MUST_ BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND RIGHT? OR MAYBE THEY ALL ARE EH? OH DON'T TURN SO RED HONEY!"

"MOM!"

"Yes?"

"I think I'm going to pass out if you don't let me go."

"Oh sorrrrrrrrrry." She let her son go and turned toward the rest of the room.

A crowd of frightened teenagers stared back, along with an extremely pale X-men.

"Guys, this is my mom." Ryouga indicated her with a wave of his hand. "Mom, this is Ukyou, Ranma, and Akane." He pointed to each consecutively. "And this is--"

"LOGAN?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Huh? He didn't remember his mom being able to read minds . . . Hey why is she running toward him....Ouch that had to hurt. Err, she's hugging him now? Hugging? Hey! WHAT THE HELL?!

"MOM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY MOM LOGAN?!"

Logan, still in a state of shock, numbly watched the world go by. Down in hell, Satan played ice skating tag with Tanya Harding, and passed ice cream sandwiches out to his minions.

"I can't believe you . . ." Ryouga's mom sniffled and clutched onto Logan's neck tighter. "I CAN'T BELEIVE YOU FINALLY FOUND YOUR FATHER!"

FATHER?! LOGAN WAS HIS FATHER?! HOW IN THE....hey that was pretty cool but...HOW IN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?! HE WAS TRAVELING ALL THIS TIME WITH HIS FATHER AND HE HADN'T KNOWN IT? LOGAN WAS HIS FATHER?. . . hey he had a lot better father than Ranma . . . heh heh . . . BUT . . .

OH. MY. GOD.

And then Ryouga did the only thing he could do in a situation like this . . .

"Oh man Ryouga! Like you had to pass out on my bed!" Ranma reached over and tried to pry the lost boy from atop his broken leg. Ranma gave up after a few moments and tried pushing the nurse help button a few times.

Logan just knew that somewhere, Cyke was laughing his ass off.

------


It was a beautiful day. The sun sparkled in a perfectly blue sky, warming the earth to a pleasant temperature of seventy five degrees. Unusual for March, a few butterflies flew across the grass in a happy little fluttering thing that they like to do. Early spring flowers bloomed and swayed in the breeze.

It quite possibly the weirdest situation Logan had ever been in. Sure he had seen aliens, vampires, changed the course of time, had his memory erased, practically died a couple of times, went to alternate universes, etc. etc. . . . That had been peanuts compared to what he was doing now . . . eating at a picnic with his long lost love and SON of all things. It was mind boggling. What was he supposed to do in a situation like this?

"Pass the pickles DAD."

He was started to think Ryouga was calling him that just to get a rise out of him. He reached over and handed the container of pickles over to him.

"Heh, what's wrong _DAD_? You look a little uncomfortable."

"Quit it kid." Weird, definitely weird. Maybe he fell into some kind of 1950's sitcom alternate universe, or maybe he wasn't here at all but stuck in a giant machine controlled by two maniac depressive teenage girls. Weirder things had happened.

"Oh it makes me so happy to here you call him that!" Arieru smiled happily and passed the pickles down the line.

"Really? Then I'll make sure to call him that ALL THE TIME." Ryouga grinned evilly.

Logan glared.

"I think its wonderful that a father and son finally find each other after all this time!" Kasumi smiled one of her perfect smiles and continued to pass out the food to the other picnickers. "And a husband and wife to find each other after being so cruelly separated . . . oh my it's so touching."

Logan grimaced slightly and Ryouga blushed. Logan actually had never . . .

"Well . . ." Logan shifted his sitting position. "We never actually--"

"Of course we did!" Arieru reached into a side pocket on her pants and pulled a piece of well worn paper out. She unfolded it onto the clean green grass. "See? I still kept the marriage certificate."

Marriage certificate?! What the hell?! When did that happen? Great, something ELSE he had forgotten.

"Arieru, don't you need the other person's permission to make one of those?" Or hell, doesn't the other person actually have to BE there?

"Not if you do it right dear." Arieru winked.

Ryouga grinned, watching the exchange between both his parents. So this was what it was like to have a family? He had always wondered. Granted, this was a little different than his daydreams . . .

"COME ON RANMA EAT IT! I WORKED HARD ON IT!"

"No way! You can't make me!"

"Aiya! Eat Shampoo's food instead!"

"Err. . . ."

"RRRRRRRRANMA!"

"QUACK!"

Make that VERY different. But still it was nice. He wasn't sure if he deserved this peace and quiet but he wasn't going to waste it.

"Here ya' go sugar, one specially made okinomiyaki." Ukyou smiled and tossed him the heart shaped food. Hmm, why was he getting a heart shaped one? Must have made too many for Ranma. Ryouga smiled back showing his fangs.

Maybe this was that inner peace Cologne had been speaking about. He turned his eyes upward to the sky, watching a small wispy cloud slowly pass by. That one reminded him of P-chan . . . pigs . . . Was Akari OK? After the horrible thing he did to her . . . he hoped she would find happiness someday.

----

Last night, at the Unyruu farm . . .

Akari sat in her living room next to a large window watching the rain fall down. A book sat in her lap, half forgotten. Occasionally she would gaze down at the bandages covering her hands. The doctors had said they would be able to repair most of the damage, but her hands would never be the same.

It wasn't fair. She wasn't a bad person, just a little obsessed. Pigs were her life, she couldn't help it. Was it so wrong to enjoy what you do? It wasn't fair. She was a nice girl. She deserved someone too.

She sighed and opened her book again.

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

Akari looked up from her book. Someone was at the door. Odd for someone to be out in this weather.

She sat her book down and slowly stood, careful not to put too much pressure on her hands. A few minutes later she stood in front of a screen door. Carefully she slid the screen door back slowly slid the screened door back. For a moment she could have swore she saw Ryouga standing in front of her, then a flash of lightening illuminated the face for an instant, revealing another young man. He wore combat boots and camouflaged pants. He carried a large backpack on his shoulders and wore a white bandanna underneath a mass of wavy dark hair.

"Sorry to bother you Miss. I got sidetracked from the main road, and was wondering if you could tell me the quickest path back to the main crossroads." Water ran down his well toned arms, dripping onto the wooden floor of the entrance. Akari blinked as the man sneezed loudly.

"Are you all right? You look like a drowned pig!"

Drowned pig? The man raised an eyebrow and sneezed again.

"Would you like to come in for some tea? Your half froze. It wouldn't be right to turn you out into the night like this." Akari smiled warmly.

"I don't want to impose..." Wait, a pretty girl asking him to come in for tea. "Sure I'd love to."

He stepped into the doorway and sat down his pack. He grinned and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ryu Kumon."

Akari blushed and smiled softly. "I'm Akari Unryuu."

----

Yes, he hoped she would find someone someday. No one deserved to be alone. He looked over to his left and nearly laughed out loud as his mother teased Logan that she had three other children of his running around. He had forgotten how vexing his mother could be when she wanted to.

He had a dad. No matter how many times he went over it in his mind he still couldn't wrap his mind around it. Not to mention his dad was . . . well a lot cooler than Ranma's dad that was for sure. Hell, he was cooler than just about everyone's dad.

Almost everyone was here, except Happosai. What ever happened to that old pervert anyway?

---

2 weeks ago USA . . .

"What a haul!" Happosai tightened his grip on his large bag of loot. An Oscar, Golden Globe, Hope diamond, , Key to Fort Knox, and a yellowed document with something along the lines of 'Constitution' written on it, fell out of his bag. He shrugged and moved on. Oh well, it's not like those items were very important anyway!

Happosai pulled a large spiked bra out of the bag and snuggled next to it. It was beautiful. It was magnificent. It was--

"Madonna's bra! Oh my life is complete! I can die a happy old man!"

BOOM!

The old pervert's ancient martial arts senses kicked into gear. Someone was coming. Someone powerful. Deadly.

A monstrosity stepped from behind the hills. His aura was pure ancient evil. This creature had seen civilizations rise and fall, seen eons of knowledge.

He was Apocalypse.

The two great evils of the world sized each other up. Gazing into their opponents cruel and uncaring eyes, waiting for the other to relent. Nothing could result from this encounter but a fight of epic proportions. Who would give in first?

Happosai felt the tension rise in the air until it became liquid matter, permeating everything around them until--

Apocalypse stepped on him.

----

Ryouga laughed. Good riddance. If the old pervert didn't come back, the better the world would be.

"Ukyou I . . . have something to tell you."

Ryouga's eyes shifted to the other end of the meadow, where Ukyou stood next to Konatsu. The gender confused ninja seemed nervous about something. He hung his head as if a great weight was on his shoulders. Ukyou stood by him, confused by her friends reactions. Technically, they were too far away for any normal person to hear or see them clearly, but with Ryouga's heightened senses . . .What the hell, might as well use the damn perks.

Besides, he was given these senses that means he was supposed to use them right? Yeah, he was MEANT to use them. He was in no way eavesdropping. He was only going with the gifts the gods had given him. Besides, he wanted to see what they were saying. He better not be proposing to Ucchan or anything.

"What is it Konatsu?" Ukyou shifted her feet, uncomfortable with the atmosphere. Konastu was acting really strange.

"Ukyou I . . . I . . ." Konastu clenched his fists.

"What?"

"I . . . I . . . love--"

Ryouga froze in shock, his chop sticks in mid air.

"I love tea more than okinomiyaki!"

Ryouga fell forward into his bowel of curry.

"I'm sorry! I'm going to have to leave the restaurant and follow my own path. I tried dear Ukyou, oh how I tried to grow to love it more, but my heart was tied to a beverage. I must blaze my own trail and start my own tea shop. The road will be long and strenuous I know. Can you ever forgive me for abandoning you?" Konastu looked determined, yet on the verge of tears at the same time.

Several feet away, Ryouga attempted to pick curry out of his hair.

"Err. . . sure sugar. You have to um . . . follow your heart and stuff."

"I knew you would understand! Don't worry, broken hearts do eventually mend. It just takes time." Konastu really was crying now, and making dramatic gestures with his girlie hands.

"Um . . . yeah my heart will go on."

"We'll get through this Ukyou!" Konastu glomped on onto Ukyou, depriving the okinomiyaki chef of oxygen. You'd think with all those recovering wounds Konatsu would be a little less sturdy . . .

Ryouga glared daggers of death as Konastu hugged Ukyou tightly. Of course, he didn't really care or anything . . .

"Hey former pork butt." Ranma flopped down next to Ryouga, setting his crutches down next to him. The ends of the piece of wood were slightly bent from beating up on Kuno, leave it to Ranma to invent a martial arts called, "Crutches Fu".

"Hey transsexual boy." Logan was right, the name didn't bother him anymore. Of course, it didn't apply to him anymore either, but whatever.

"Hey! So what's up with your curse now? Are you cured or what?" Ranma reached over and stole a few of Ryouga's pickles.

"Get your own pickles!" Ryouga rolled his eyes. "I got some bread ya' gonna steal that too?"

"Hey....." Ranma said around a mouthful of pickles. "Well . . . so? Haven't answered my question."

"Didn't you hear when Cologne was explaining it to everyone at the dojo?"

"Um . . . I wasn't paying attention."

"Figures." Ryouga sighed. "No, Ranma. I'm not cured completely. I've got a good grip on this curse, though. My Dad . . . he's a good teacher. Better than yours, anyway." The Lost Boy smirked.

Ranma's eyebrow's crinkled. "So what happens when you get hit with cold water now?"

"The curse's original ability was to bypass whatever emotional state I was in and instantly turn me into a dangerous killing machine with a metal spine, healing factor, and claws. However, the metal bones did not vanish in the change back to my normal form because of the genetic patterns. My genetics allowed my body to instantly accept the adamantium bonding, but refused to change back, because it was beneficiary. Apparently, they say I already had abnormal healing ability...whatever. Anyway, therefore, my body strove to complete the match of genetics between my cursed and non cursed form, as a healing method. The uncursed form, via magic, recognized the good traits of having a metal spine, and overrode the curse to keep the adamantium bound bones. Seeing as how my genetics are very close to Logan's, after all."

Ranma blinked several times. He had lost him way back when he started talking about that genetic what-ja-call it. Hey, look at that pretty butterfly . . .

"So no, I don't go completely into Rage anymore. I become something in-between, like a feral state and I'm only dangerous when provoked. Of course, we tested it before we even came back, after we met up with Logan."

"Oh man, I'm sorry I asked."

Ryouga smirked. He was really glad he had memorized the speech Cologne and that bald guy Professor Z or X ...something like that . . . had given him. Take that Ranma.

"So it's just like, a generic version of the Neko-ken now?" Ranma retaliated back, not liking his patented arrogant smirk to be used against him.

"I AM NOT COPYING OFF YOU!" Ryouga's eyes glinted brick red for a brief moment.

"Whoa, sorry man. Calm down. You know were like, buddies now or something." Jeez . . . Ranma pulled at his collar. Was it getting hotter outside? Maybe he should put the bread that he just stole from him back . . .

"And give me my bread back too."

Damn.

"Split it with ya'?"

Ryouga held down his first reaction to break a plate over the pigtailed boy's head. He supposed this was supposed to be one of those meaningful moments, like they were burying the hatchet of past transgressions, forging a new tomorrow . . . become friends or something etc. etc.

Either that or Ranma was starting to be intimidated by him.

Ryouga decided he liked the second option best and reached out to take the bread--

Suddenly a strong wind buffeted the area, sending napkins, paper plates, and anything else light enough into the air. The sound was almost a deafening roar. Ryouga held his hands over his ears in pain. The sound was painful to a normal person, but to Ryouga it was excruciating. Only one thought shot through his brain: Whoever was causing it was going to be in a lot of pain, very, very soon. The large roar softened to a dull whine as Ryouga looked up. A large black jet hovered near the camp, creating the air currents that were wreaking havoc on their already unstable picnic.

"Logan!" A visored man in spandex (someone, somewhere was making a hell of a lot of money off that stuff), descended from the plane, and jogged up to the picnickers turned post apocalyptic survivors. "Hey, Logan we need you there's been--" The man stopped. "Uh, who are these people?"

Ryouga grinned, despite his still ringing ears. Life wasn't dark and desolate all the time.

"Logan honey, who is that man?" Arieru snuggled up closer to Logan, which made the stranger arch an eyebrow.

"Listen Arieru, I think I'm going to have to leave I've--"

"YOUR LEAVING?! I GET TO SPEND A FEW WEEKS WITH YOU AND THEN YOU LEAVE?!"

Logan winced. Damn, now there was a scary sight. To hell with The Brood, the blob, those brain sucking zombies, and all those other things. What he was seeing now was putting them all to shame.

"I'm sorry Arieru." Logan kissed her softly on the lips. "I have ta leave. I have responsibilities. A man of honor doesn't leave his friends." Ryouga felt proud of his father, and kinda embarrassed too. It was weird seeing someone kiss his mother . . . In the back, Genma held up a sign saying 'showoff'.

"Wow, Ryouga's pop's pretty cool," Ranma whispered to Akane. His father next to him held up another sign reading: I'm just as good a father as he is!

"Heh, right old man. Hey, are you sure I wasn't adopted or nuthing? Mom didn't have any liaisons with the flash or anything?"

Genma held up another sign quickly. 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT!'

A bead of sweat rolled down Ranma's brow. "Um . . . jeez Pop I was just kidding . . ."

"But Logan, it's not fair! You know with my sense of direction . . . will I ever see you again?" Arieru stood up and looked with at Logan, tears brimming in her eyes. Logan's face consorted in grief.

Ryouga was getting really embarrassed. If his parents started quoting Casablanca, he was going to scream.

"Come on Logan! We don't have much time!" The guy with the visor scowled and looked back at the waiting jet anxiously.

"DAMN IT CYC! Let me say goodbye to the wife and kid first OK?!" Logan glared, his grumpy look of death at his companion and turned back to his wife.

"Heh OK just hur--" Cyclops paused. "Wife and kid?!"

"Here." Logan pulled something that looked like a large X out of his jacket pocket. He picked up Arieru's hand sat it in her palm, wrapping her fingers around it. "Ya can contact me with this any time." Unless he was he was getting in skeleton ripped out by Magneto, in space, sucked into another dimension, or temporarily dead. But hey, how often did those things happen?

Logan kissed Arieru tenderly one last time and then stood up. "Come on let's go." He paused and turned around. "Hey kid ya' wanna come?"

"Sure!" Ryouga jumped up and grabbed his backpack. His dad was actually asking him to go somewhere with him! Cool! Well, maybe not so cool if he was going to fight brain sucking vampire zombie leeches, or psycho mutants bent on world conquest, but the bonding thing was still there. Nothing brought a person closer to a parent than helping them dismember evil alien leeches.

Ah, he'd had good times with his mom.

"Your not just going to leave are you?" Ukyou looked slightly hurt. There goes all the free help she had been getting at the restaurant the past couple of days. Ryouga was a good worker . . . yeah that's why she was feeling what she was feeling. Good worker yeah . . .

"Bye Ucchan! I'll see ya when I get back!"

Ukyou scowled. He called her Ucchan! Who said he could call her Ucchan?! Kinda sweet but...hey! She didn't say he could do that!

Ranma and Konatsu's faces darkened. Who said he could call her Ucchan?

Akane smiled. Awwww he'd called her Ucchan.

"Ki-kid?" Cyclops stood dumbfounded as Logan dragged him off, Ryouga tagging along in tow.

"Hey dad, what's wrong with your friend?"

"I gotta a name kid."

"Sure you do . . . DAD. Heh heh."

"Grrr."

The three companions boarded the jet and departed, in a flourish of wind blown fury that anyone could purchase for a few million dollars. Ukyou and Arieru watched the jet disappear into the distance, till it was only a pin prick in a sea of blue.

"Men and their multi-million dollar jets and quests after psychopathic killers... so typical." Arieru sighed.

"Yep, typical, typical. I'm feeling a little of that rage myself right now." Ukyou's eyes darkened.

"Hmm, yes I am too dear." Arieru's eyes seemed to almost tint red. "We'll just have to . . . talk to them when they return eh?"

The two woman chuckled as the sky turned a shade darker and the sun turned a bit dimmer.

Ryouga's problems with rage were far from over . . .

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

THE END?