Ok, sports fans, here it ends; at least this part of it. The second
story, Winds Calling, will take off of this, after the brief epilouge.
e-mail: oddball22@hotmail.com
DISCLAIMER: Isn't it sad when the only humor I can come up with are
disclaimer jokes?
And now, the conclusion...
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Winds of Change
Chapter 11
"It's just you and me now," Kenji intoned, still floating in his
self-made tornado. Winds continued to circle the cavern.
"You think you can stand against me, boy?" The floating Fire
Lord bellowed. Kenji was silent, causing his opponent to laugh. "I don't
care what powers you think you have, you'll never be at my level! I have
lived for over a century and I have more magic abilities than anyone on
the face of the planet. I proved that when I defeated the other lords
and entombed them with the Elemchrys. When they are dead, I shall use
the power the Elemchrys absorbed, and I will be truly unstoppable. And
not even you or your friends will be able to stand against me!"
With that, he launched his attack. Multiple fire balls burst
forth from the air around the fire lord and streaked toward their
target.
"KIJIN BOUHUUKEN!"
With arms out and palms foreword, powerful winds blew forth
from Kenji and sent all the fireballs off target to impact into the
cavern walls. The blast of wind continued on and slammed into the fire
lord, propelling him backwards. This time however, he managed to
compensate with enough force to avoid hitting the wall.
"Impressive, but ultimately futile!" the Fire Lord boasted. "You
only have one power. I have three!"
The now-berserked youth's eyes went wide as the fire lord
launched his second attack, which was ten times more furious than the
first. More fireballs appeared, rock spikes launched from various points
in the walls, and water molecules in the air condensed into rain.
In response, Kenji began to control the air, forming a dense
wind barrier around his body. He then took off, flying rapidly around
the cavern, weaving in and out of the path of fireballs and rock spikes.
The rain was easily blown off before hitting him, since they both knew
Kenji would lose if he got wet. The fire lord watched in glee as he
continued the assault, but his expression changed to sudden surprise
when Kenji kicked off a wall and shot like a torpedo into the burning
master.
Kenji's fists burrowed into the fire lord's stomach, doubling
his opponent over in pain, but the fire lord instantly responded by
exploding, sending Kenji spinning away and out of control. He stabilized
himself just enough that when he hit the rocky wall, it wasn't bad as it
could've been. Still, he was stunned for a few seconds, during which the
lord of fire renewed his attack.
The amnesiac took off again as more projectiles set their
sights on him, but this time was a little different. Instead of trying
to hit him directly, the fireballs were exploding as they got near him,
forcing him to concentrate even more on dodging. Kenji was beginning to
feel the heat from the explosions and from the air that was slowly
getting warmer. He had to do something fast, or it would become too hot
to breathe.
Putting on as much speed as he could, the boy completed his
latest pass around the cavern and sped for the fire lord. He feinted
with a wind blast then shot straight up. The fire lord laughed as he
easily dodged the wind blast, but then he lost sight of his opponent. He
snarled as he scanned the room then caught some movement from above.
Too late.
Kenji rebounded off the ceiling and shot straight down,
grabbing the fire lord on the way. The two grappled shortly in mid-air
before striking the ground that landed the fire lord on his back. Just
before impact however, he managed an explosion packed punch that struck
Kenji's midsection and sent him flying away to land a few yards off.
Both combatants lay on the ground, trying to recover their strength
before their opponent.
The younger man recovered a split second before his enemy, and
was up and running at him when the Fire Lord rose. This time, there was
no flashy attacks or ki blasts. The berserked amnesiac merely engaged
his opponent at point blank using all the martial arts abilities he had.
Punches and kicks were thrown that his enemy could barely keep up with.
On the ground Kenji held the advantage, at least that's what it seemed
like.
The Fire Lord tried to fight back at first, then with a grin,
held back as he worked on a different tactic instead.
With a crouching uppercut, Kenji broke through his enemy's
defenses and struck his opponent with such force, that the Fire Lord was
momentarily lifted off the ground and knocked onto his back. For a
second, the two combatants looked at each other, then the berserked
young man advanced on him.
"This ends now," Kenji huffed quietly.
The Fire Lord grinned. "Indeed it does."
Kenji realized almost too late what his opponent was up to. He
quickly threw himself to the right, which saved his life, but wasn't
enough to completely miss the rock spike that struck him from behind.
Instead of impaling itself through his heart, it wound up lodging itself
in his upper left arm. Kenji screamed as the pain tore at his mind and
body, forcing him to his knees. His strength began to leave him, even as
he desperately fought to keep it.
A shadow fell over his body, and glancing up confirmed his
enemy standing in front of him, laughing with his victory..
"Impressive boy," he spat out, "but I'm afraid it's over."
He lifted Kenji's head up by placing his left hand under the
boy's chin, then reared back with his right only to drive home with
another explosive punch into the youth's face that slammed the poor boy
against a wall. The rock surface siderwebbed behind him, then his body
slumped to the ground leaving him in a seated postion. The world was a
blur around him and Kenji tasted something salty and coppery in his
mouth: Blood.
The wound in his left arm was the worst however, since it felt
like he no longer had that appendage. The only feeling from his limb was
a slightly painful throbbing that was paled by the agony the rest of him
was experiencing. Kenji frantically racked his brain for an idea,
because if he didn't do something fast, he was dead.
That's when his eye caught the glint of the silvery object
glistening off to his right. A closer look revealed it to be Ukyo's
battle spatula, laying abandoned. His gaze snapped back up to see the
Fire Lord advancing.
"Make this easy on yourself and I'll finish you quick," he
offered.
Kenji forced his strength back up. "Not... over... yet!"
With that he pointed his hand at the grinning wizard. This
time, he made a fist and the flames burning around his opponent suddenly
went out. The Fire Lord's grin disappeared and his hands went to his
throat. His face betrayed utter terror as Kenji continued the attack,
forcing all the air away from his enemy, including the air needed to
breath and fuel the flames. His advesary fell to his knees, hacking and
wheezing in an attempt to bring much needed oxygen to his burning lungs.
The amnesiac knew he couldn't keep up the attack for long, so
throwing his remaining strength out, he concentrated another blast of
air and lifted the spatula up. It floated up off the ground, oriented
itself on the gagging Fire Lord, and shot off like a bullet.
The powerful sorcerer couldn't even scream as the razor sharp
spatula bisected his midsection and implanted itself there. The lifeless
body of his enemy collapsed to the floor and silence prevaded.
In the silence that ensued, Kenji couldn't really believe it
was over. He forced his battered body to it's feet, then staggered over
to where the Fire Lord lay, unmoving. The sufferning youth studied the
face of the man who was his enemy, and was about to relax when the eyes
reopened and turned their glare upon him.
"Well... played," the downed adversary wheezed. "But neither...
shall you win. For with... this last spell... I entomb you with me!"
The Fire Lord's body began to spasm, catching fire once again.
Then his body blew apart in a fiery explosion. The exploding balls of
flame crashed into various parts of the weakened cavern walls and
pillars, causing a long overdue chain reaction. The whole cavern began
to tremble and shake as a pillar gave out and collapsed. The young boy
suddenly realized that the rest of the cavern would soon follow and if
he was still here when it went, he would be buried under tons of rubble.
Frantically, Kenji looked around for an exit, despair mounting
when he realized they all were blocked.
Now outside, the remaining members gathered together as they
felt the mountain vibrate with the force of a minor earthquake. Ranma
checked around and to see how badly everyone was hurt.
Shampoo had revived by then, but she couldn't walk via a
sprained ankle and a fractured arm. Mousse was also limping and part of
his robe and flesh on his right side was burned away due to a fireball
strike. Soun was sporting a broken leg and Genma had heavy burns on his
left arm and body. Ranma and Ryoga had no serious injuries, just
scratches and bruises. Akane was the least damaged with only a few
bruises. Ukyo was still alive though badly burned, and with a head
injury, she wouldn't last long unless they got her to a hospital. Of
Konatsu, there was no sign since his disappearence into the abyss
Cologne arrived a few minutes later.
"Where have you been, ya old ghoul!?" Ranma let out his anger.
"We could've used your help back there! Your great-granddaughter
could've used your help!"
Cologne bopped him on the head with her staff. "Don't question
me son-in-law. I had business that needed to be attended to." She
quickly surveyed the party. "I suggest we save the arguments for later
and get the wounded some medical attention."
Akane stood up and looked back towards the shaking mountain.
"But what about Kenji-kun and Konatsu-kun? We shouldn't have left them.
We have to go back for them."
Ranma nodded. "Okay, I'll wait for them. Everyone else should
head back down and take the wounded. Ryoga, you carry Ucchan and take
care of her."
Ryoga nodded as picked her up. "You can count on me, Ranma. But
you better come back." To which Ranma nodded.
"I'm staying too!" Akane said. Ranma tried to protest, but Akane
cut him off. "I'm not that badly injured and the others will be fine
without me. You may need backup if any elementals show up."
Cologne began to hustle the others away as the mountain shook
to some more internal explosions. Pieces of rocks and boulders broke
away and tumbled downhill.
"You think they made it okay?" Akane asked tentatively.
It doesn't look good. he thought to himself. Out loud he
said, "They'll make it. Kenji was sporting some pretty awesome power
there when we left. I think he can take care of himself. And Konatsu's
gotten out of worse situations before." Ranma's fists clenched. "Still,
I should've stayed! Then maybe..." his voice trailed off in frustration.
Just then, the top of the mountain exploded in a rush of fire,
rocks, and billowing gray smoke. Akane gasped and pointed as a large
object shot out of the mountain. It arced as it went a short ways up,
then began it's downward decent.
"What's that?" she asked. They both narrowed their eyes in an
attempt to figure out what the strangely moving object was. Then Akane
gasped as she made out the movements of arms and legs. "That's, that's
Kenji!" she cried in horror as the obviously unconscious form tumbled
helplessly through the air..
Ranma swore, then was off, moving as fast as he could to reach
him before the unconscious youth hit the ground. Akane took off after
her iinazuke, but could barely keep up. Ranma mentally calculated where
Kenji would end up, then as he reached the spot, he put all his strength
into a leap and to intercept the falling form in the sky. Snatching him
out of the air with grace, he returned to the ground and fell onto his
back with Kenji on top. Akane arrived and helped Ranma up while checking
the amnesiac's injuries.
"I don't think anything's broken," said Ranma. "But he's badly
beaten up and burned. And this spike has gotta come out so we can
bandage his arm." Akane held up the body, while Ranma grasped the spike.
He took a deep breath then slowly pulled the spike out, causing Kenji to
groan in pain in his unconscious state.
"At least he's still alive," Akane offered hopefully while Ranma
ripped his sleeve off and wrapped it around the wound.
"That should do for awhile, but we need to get goin' if we want
him to stay that way."
"What abou Konatsu?" Akane asked worridly, glancing back at the
moment.
Ranma shook his head. "Knowing him, he'll probably be back at
the train stop or even Nerima by the time we return. That mountain's
coming down, so there's no chance of going back in to make sure."
Akane nodded hesitantly, knowing he was right, but still not
liking it. Ranma picked Kenji up, then the two rushed down the mountain
to join their friends.
In the shadows nearby, a pair of eyes watched the boy in the
red shirt pick up Kenji, then take off down the hill with the girl.
So, he did survive, the figure thought to himself. How very
fortunate. Krynn will want to know about this. He stopped and pondered
some things for a moment. But first, we will need to send for our
brethren in China. Once they are here, we can begin to rebuild the sects
and have our revenge.
He allowed himself a quick chuckle, then ran off to find his
new master.
Kenji slowly opened his eyes and suddenly wished he hadn't. His
body ached all over and the bright light was intensifying his headache.
He groaned and tried to move, then felt a pair of hands restrain him.
"Kenji-san, try not to move just yet," came a female voice he
barely recognized.
"Light... too much," his own voice came out very hoarse and it
surprised him since it didn't sound anything like his normal voice.
"I understand, hold on," replied the voice.
Kenji sensed the light level dim and he tried once again to
open his eyes. At first, everything was a blur, then gradually things
came into focus. He was in a room, lying on a bed with some equipment
nearby that was hooked up to him. He turned and saw the woman standing
by his side.
"You're, Saotome's mother..." he croaked, to which she nodded.
"Wh-where am I?"
"You're in a hospital," she replied. "My son brought you in
several hours ago, and you've been in surgery since then. You just got
out an hour ago. Ranma's visiting his other friends right now but I can
get him if you like."
Kenji shook his head. "Is everyone else, okay?"
Her brows furrowed, as if debating how much to tell him. "They
are all recovering and having their wounds attended to. I think you
should rest right now and save your strength."
Kenji nodded and suddenly felt very tired even as he closed his
eyes. "Saotome-san?"
"Yes?"
"Tell your son and his friends... thanks."
"I will, but you can tell them yourself later."
Kenji nodded again and closed his eyes; sleep quickly claiming
him.
Sometime later, he awoke once more, feeling much better than
before. This time, Ranma and Akane were sitting in his room. Ranma was
asleep in a chair across from his bed, and Akane was reading a magazine
when she noticed him and smiled.
"How are you feeling?" she asked coming over to him.
"A little weak, but much better," he replied. "How long has it
been?"
Akane inhaled. "Since you came in? Two days. You had several
serious injuries and your ki was all drained. I don't know what you did
back there, but it really messed you up."
Kenji sighed and glanced up at the ceiling. "I should've
expected that." (Power comes with a price), the thought echoed in his
head.
"How much do you remember of the past few days?"
He closed eyes and thought. "Not a whole lot. I woke up a while
ago with Mrs. Saotome here. Before that, well," and then he went on to
describe all that he remembered after being captured. "I remember Ukyo
screaming and some other voices, but that's it. I don't remember
anything after that."
"So, you don't remember any of those abilites you were using
before you made us leave?" came Ranma's voice as he walked over.
Kenji shook his head and sat up. "No, I just have vague
memories of the whole thing. Almost like a half-remembered dream." He
closed his eyes and sighed. "I wonder if this is just how I'm gonna have
to live now. Am I doomed to have a faulty memory for life?" He opened
his eyes again. "Hey, how's everyone else doing?"
"My pop's okay," Ranma laughed. "Gotta admit, it takes a lot to
keep him down. We're fine as you can see. Shampoo's got a fractured arm,
but she was released a short while ago with Mousse who just suffered
some bad burns. Tendo-san, though, has a broken leg. Really, you're the
only one left in the hospital since your injuries were the worst and the
doctors say you'll be gettin' out when you feel up to it."
Akane spoke up next. "Cologne examined you when you were
asleep. Whatever happened back there, the immense ki drain seems to have
affected your life force. She believes that you may have actually lost
several years off your life span."
"Several years?" Kenji asked disbelievingly. He sighed and
seemed to collapse further into his bed. "So that was the price." He
noticed their looks of confusion so he reluctantly explained. "When I
was trying to summon up my strength, I felt a power inside that I
couldn't get to. A voice warned me I shouldn't, since there was a price
attached to it, but I went for it anyway."
Kenji laid back down while he tried to figure out the small
detail that was nagging him. Out of the blue, he figured out what it
was. "What about Ukyo-san?" Akane and Ranma looked at each other and
exchanged worried glances causing something decidely unpleasant to form
in the amnesiac's stomach. "What's wrong?"
Akane sighed. "Most of her physical injuries are healed, it's
just that, well, she's in a coma. The doctors don't know when she'll get
out of it."
Crushing forces assaulted the bedridden youth, even as
dizziness and weakness made their effects known. His strength waned and
he closed his eyes. "This is all my fault," he said trying to
unsuccessfully hold back the tears. "If I had just been a little sooner,
stronger..." With a great force of will, Kenji held the tears back. I
will not cry!
He felt a hand on his shoulder and he heard Akane speak again.
"There was nothing you could've done. Nothing any of us could've done.
All of us, including Ukyo, knew the risks when we went after you."
"But don't you see!" he blurted out. "You shouldn't have come
after me! I told you idiots it was my problem and look what happened!
But no, you couldn't stay out of it and Kuonji paid the price!" He
turned his head away. "Just go away."
There was silence for in the room for a few moments.
"Fine!" Akane said, angrily. "If that's the way you feel, so be
it!"
Ranma frowned. "Akane..."
"No, Ranma." She waved him off, then turned back to the boy in
the hospital bed. "Some of us were trying to be your friends and help
you, but if you insist you don't want that, then forget it." She turned
to go. "But just think about the kind of life you'll have if you
continue to push everyone away." She grabbed her fiance. "Come on,
Ranma. It's obvious he doesn't want our help."
Kenji felt a tightness in his throat and something else in his
stomach that was quite unpleasant, but he couldn't make himself say
anything.
Akane's exit stopped at the door. "Oh, I almost forgot! This is
for you." She pulled out a small blue spherical amulet and tossed it to
him. "It was given to us by some old guy in the mountain and said it was
for you. He died after giving it to us. Ukyo managed to hold onto it,
even through the injuries she incurred."
"For... me?" Kenji rolled the marble-like object in his hand. It
was cold to the touch.
"Don't ask us why we held onto it for you, we're just a bunch of
idiots, remember?" And then she was gone.
Ranma looked at him and shrugged. "Ya gotta trust someone,
sometime." Then he left as well.
No sooner had they left, then the amulet began to glow.
Different shades of blue swirled around the sphere. A cone of light
emitted upwards and within it, an image of an old man appeared.
The figure began to speak. "Soyokaze Kenji, if you are
listening to this, then I am dead. My name is Natao Quan, also known as
the Water Lord." The man's face fell a bit and his tone became heavy. "I
am responsible for your memory loss as well as where you are now. Allow
me to explain."
He's the reason I can't remember anything!? he thought, his
face darkening. This explanation better be good.
"During a meeting of the Lords, we held a scrying session to
glimpse the future. The results foretold the death of the Fire Lord by
one who wields the power of wind. This is nothing new; the foretelling
of the deaths of lords has happened before. Usually they take the time
to train a successor.
"Garon, the fire lord, chose instead to initiate a complex spell
to trap the wind sect using an Elemchrys, a powerful magic amplifier. He
only got as far as entombing the Wind Lord, however, in a cavern with
the Elemchrys. The rest of the wind sect sacrificed themselves to
prevent Garon from gaining their power, or sealed themselves away to
save their lives. Unfortunately, three people who could wield the power
of wind were still accessible to Garon. You, your sister Yuri, and your
father, Soyokaze Taynor.
Kenji's eyes widened. "My... family?"
Quan continued as if he didn't hear him. "Your father left the
wind sect to marry Suliya, a member of the ninja clan Garou. When Garon
discovered this, he hunted your family down and cast a flame spell on
the house where you lived. I learned of this and attempted to stop it,
but I could not. The best I could do was save you, as you were the only
person I detected still alive in the burning house. I sealed your
memories and sent you away to those who could protect you."
"Like that worked," Kenji spat out bitterly. "Stupid old man."
The old water mage ignored the comment and sighed. "My hope was
that Garon would not be able to find you until you were strong enough. I
sealed your memories so he wouldn't be able to track you if you used
your wind abilites, or if he tried to search for your mind through
telepathic means. I also wanted to spare you the pain of your family's
death until you could deal with it. I'm sorry. If you're reading this,
than chances are he's found you. I can only hope you'll be okay."
Kenji's rage broke loose. "OKAY!? I'm far from it, old man!
It's a good thing you're dead or else I'd kill you myself!"
In his angry haze, he nearly missed what Quan was saying.
"...has one other function. Hold it in your hands and rub it to warm it
up. It will designate a direction which will lead you to your home North
of Tokyo. It will only recognize your aura, so it's only usable by you.
Good luck, Soyokaze Kenji."
The image faded and for several minutes, silence reigned. Kenji
sat stunned, trying to absorb this new information.
"My family, dead?" he asked quietly, fear tinging his voice. He
received no answer to his question. I have no family. He then
remembered how he had just pushed Akane and Ranma away. I have no one.
What do I do? Quan said the amulet would lead me to my old home, but
what awaits me there? If my family is dead, what's the point?
All of a sudden, Kenji felt so very alone, and it scared him.
Ukyo slowly became aware of her surroundings. The first thing
she felt, was the hard ground she was laying on, face down. The second
was that in was pretty cold around here. She slowly opened her eyes and
sat up.
Where am I? she wondered. She was in what appeared to be a
forest and the sky was a sickly gray. Am I still in the Hago forest? If
so, where is everyone? She stood up.
"Hello?" she called. "Ranchan? Akane-chan?" No one answered, so
she tried a few more names. "Ryoga-kun? Konatsu-kun?"
Still nothing, then, "You called Ukyo-sama?"
She spun around and saw Konatsu leaning against a tree, still
wearing his dark red, faded and patched ninja outfit.
"Konatsu-kun, you're alive!" she said in a relieved voice.
"Where are we? Where are the others?"
The male kunoichi walked over to her. "Are you sure you want to
know?" Ukyo looked confused, but nodded. "If you want answers to your
questions, you must take a journey."
"A journey? Where?" Konatsu pointed and a path opened in the
forest. "How did you do that? And what's happening to you?"
Konatsu's form was becoming translucent as it slowly rose into
the air. "I can only stay so long."
Fear rose up in Ukyo's stomach. "Are you dead?"
He shrugged. "All I can tell you is that we will meet again if
you want, in this life or the next." He began to rise higher into the
air.
"Wait, don't go!" Ukyo begged. "Where am I!? Where do I go!?"
"That, you must discover for yourself, and you must do it by
yourself! Farewell, Ukyo-sama!" And then he was gone, leaving the
okonomiyaki chef by herself.
She took a last glance around, shrugged, and began to walk down
the path.
story, Winds Calling, will take off of this, after the brief epilouge.
e-mail: oddball22@hotmail.com
DISCLAIMER: Isn't it sad when the only humor I can come up with are
disclaimer jokes?
And now, the conclusion...
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Winds of Change
Chapter 11
"It's just you and me now," Kenji intoned, still floating in his
self-made tornado. Winds continued to circle the cavern.
"You think you can stand against me, boy?" The floating Fire
Lord bellowed. Kenji was silent, causing his opponent to laugh. "I don't
care what powers you think you have, you'll never be at my level! I have
lived for over a century and I have more magic abilities than anyone on
the face of the planet. I proved that when I defeated the other lords
and entombed them with the Elemchrys. When they are dead, I shall use
the power the Elemchrys absorbed, and I will be truly unstoppable. And
not even you or your friends will be able to stand against me!"
With that, he launched his attack. Multiple fire balls burst
forth from the air around the fire lord and streaked toward their
target.
"KIJIN BOUHUUKEN!"
With arms out and palms foreword, powerful winds blew forth
from Kenji and sent all the fireballs off target to impact into the
cavern walls. The blast of wind continued on and slammed into the fire
lord, propelling him backwards. This time however, he managed to
compensate with enough force to avoid hitting the wall.
"Impressive, but ultimately futile!" the Fire Lord boasted. "You
only have one power. I have three!"
The now-berserked youth's eyes went wide as the fire lord
launched his second attack, which was ten times more furious than the
first. More fireballs appeared, rock spikes launched from various points
in the walls, and water molecules in the air condensed into rain.
In response, Kenji began to control the air, forming a dense
wind barrier around his body. He then took off, flying rapidly around
the cavern, weaving in and out of the path of fireballs and rock spikes.
The rain was easily blown off before hitting him, since they both knew
Kenji would lose if he got wet. The fire lord watched in glee as he
continued the assault, but his expression changed to sudden surprise
when Kenji kicked off a wall and shot like a torpedo into the burning
master.
Kenji's fists burrowed into the fire lord's stomach, doubling
his opponent over in pain, but the fire lord instantly responded by
exploding, sending Kenji spinning away and out of control. He stabilized
himself just enough that when he hit the rocky wall, it wasn't bad as it
could've been. Still, he was stunned for a few seconds, during which the
lord of fire renewed his attack.
The amnesiac took off again as more projectiles set their
sights on him, but this time was a little different. Instead of trying
to hit him directly, the fireballs were exploding as they got near him,
forcing him to concentrate even more on dodging. Kenji was beginning to
feel the heat from the explosions and from the air that was slowly
getting warmer. He had to do something fast, or it would become too hot
to breathe.
Putting on as much speed as he could, the boy completed his
latest pass around the cavern and sped for the fire lord. He feinted
with a wind blast then shot straight up. The fire lord laughed as he
easily dodged the wind blast, but then he lost sight of his opponent. He
snarled as he scanned the room then caught some movement from above.
Too late.
Kenji rebounded off the ceiling and shot straight down,
grabbing the fire lord on the way. The two grappled shortly in mid-air
before striking the ground that landed the fire lord on his back. Just
before impact however, he managed an explosion packed punch that struck
Kenji's midsection and sent him flying away to land a few yards off.
Both combatants lay on the ground, trying to recover their strength
before their opponent.
The younger man recovered a split second before his enemy, and
was up and running at him when the Fire Lord rose. This time, there was
no flashy attacks or ki blasts. The berserked amnesiac merely engaged
his opponent at point blank using all the martial arts abilities he had.
Punches and kicks were thrown that his enemy could barely keep up with.
On the ground Kenji held the advantage, at least that's what it seemed
like.
The Fire Lord tried to fight back at first, then with a grin,
held back as he worked on a different tactic instead.
With a crouching uppercut, Kenji broke through his enemy's
defenses and struck his opponent with such force, that the Fire Lord was
momentarily lifted off the ground and knocked onto his back. For a
second, the two combatants looked at each other, then the berserked
young man advanced on him.
"This ends now," Kenji huffed quietly.
The Fire Lord grinned. "Indeed it does."
Kenji realized almost too late what his opponent was up to. He
quickly threw himself to the right, which saved his life, but wasn't
enough to completely miss the rock spike that struck him from behind.
Instead of impaling itself through his heart, it wound up lodging itself
in his upper left arm. Kenji screamed as the pain tore at his mind and
body, forcing him to his knees. His strength began to leave him, even as
he desperately fought to keep it.
A shadow fell over his body, and glancing up confirmed his
enemy standing in front of him, laughing with his victory..
"Impressive boy," he spat out, "but I'm afraid it's over."
He lifted Kenji's head up by placing his left hand under the
boy's chin, then reared back with his right only to drive home with
another explosive punch into the youth's face that slammed the poor boy
against a wall. The rock surface siderwebbed behind him, then his body
slumped to the ground leaving him in a seated postion. The world was a
blur around him and Kenji tasted something salty and coppery in his
mouth: Blood.
The wound in his left arm was the worst however, since it felt
like he no longer had that appendage. The only feeling from his limb was
a slightly painful throbbing that was paled by the agony the rest of him
was experiencing. Kenji frantically racked his brain for an idea,
because if he didn't do something fast, he was dead.
That's when his eye caught the glint of the silvery object
glistening off to his right. A closer look revealed it to be Ukyo's
battle spatula, laying abandoned. His gaze snapped back up to see the
Fire Lord advancing.
"Make this easy on yourself and I'll finish you quick," he
offered.
Kenji forced his strength back up. "Not... over... yet!"
With that he pointed his hand at the grinning wizard. This
time, he made a fist and the flames burning around his opponent suddenly
went out. The Fire Lord's grin disappeared and his hands went to his
throat. His face betrayed utter terror as Kenji continued the attack,
forcing all the air away from his enemy, including the air needed to
breath and fuel the flames. His advesary fell to his knees, hacking and
wheezing in an attempt to bring much needed oxygen to his burning lungs.
The amnesiac knew he couldn't keep up the attack for long, so
throwing his remaining strength out, he concentrated another blast of
air and lifted the spatula up. It floated up off the ground, oriented
itself on the gagging Fire Lord, and shot off like a bullet.
The powerful sorcerer couldn't even scream as the razor sharp
spatula bisected his midsection and implanted itself there. The lifeless
body of his enemy collapsed to the floor and silence prevaded.
In the silence that ensued, Kenji couldn't really believe it
was over. He forced his battered body to it's feet, then staggered over
to where the Fire Lord lay, unmoving. The sufferning youth studied the
face of the man who was his enemy, and was about to relax when the eyes
reopened and turned their glare upon him.
"Well... played," the downed adversary wheezed. "But neither...
shall you win. For with... this last spell... I entomb you with me!"
The Fire Lord's body began to spasm, catching fire once again.
Then his body blew apart in a fiery explosion. The exploding balls of
flame crashed into various parts of the weakened cavern walls and
pillars, causing a long overdue chain reaction. The whole cavern began
to tremble and shake as a pillar gave out and collapsed. The young boy
suddenly realized that the rest of the cavern would soon follow and if
he was still here when it went, he would be buried under tons of rubble.
Frantically, Kenji looked around for an exit, despair mounting
when he realized they all were blocked.
Now outside, the remaining members gathered together as they
felt the mountain vibrate with the force of a minor earthquake. Ranma
checked around and to see how badly everyone was hurt.
Shampoo had revived by then, but she couldn't walk via a
sprained ankle and a fractured arm. Mousse was also limping and part of
his robe and flesh on his right side was burned away due to a fireball
strike. Soun was sporting a broken leg and Genma had heavy burns on his
left arm and body. Ranma and Ryoga had no serious injuries, just
scratches and bruises. Akane was the least damaged with only a few
bruises. Ukyo was still alive though badly burned, and with a head
injury, she wouldn't last long unless they got her to a hospital. Of
Konatsu, there was no sign since his disappearence into the abyss
Cologne arrived a few minutes later.
"Where have you been, ya old ghoul!?" Ranma let out his anger.
"We could've used your help back there! Your great-granddaughter
could've used your help!"
Cologne bopped him on the head with her staff. "Don't question
me son-in-law. I had business that needed to be attended to." She
quickly surveyed the party. "I suggest we save the arguments for later
and get the wounded some medical attention."
Akane stood up and looked back towards the shaking mountain.
"But what about Kenji-kun and Konatsu-kun? We shouldn't have left them.
We have to go back for them."
Ranma nodded. "Okay, I'll wait for them. Everyone else should
head back down and take the wounded. Ryoga, you carry Ucchan and take
care of her."
Ryoga nodded as picked her up. "You can count on me, Ranma. But
you better come back." To which Ranma nodded.
"I'm staying too!" Akane said. Ranma tried to protest, but Akane
cut him off. "I'm not that badly injured and the others will be fine
without me. You may need backup if any elementals show up."
Cologne began to hustle the others away as the mountain shook
to some more internal explosions. Pieces of rocks and boulders broke
away and tumbled downhill.
"You think they made it okay?" Akane asked tentatively.
It doesn't look good. he thought to himself. Out loud he
said, "They'll make it. Kenji was sporting some pretty awesome power
there when we left. I think he can take care of himself. And Konatsu's
gotten out of worse situations before." Ranma's fists clenched. "Still,
I should've stayed! Then maybe..." his voice trailed off in frustration.
Just then, the top of the mountain exploded in a rush of fire,
rocks, and billowing gray smoke. Akane gasped and pointed as a large
object shot out of the mountain. It arced as it went a short ways up,
then began it's downward decent.
"What's that?" she asked. They both narrowed their eyes in an
attempt to figure out what the strangely moving object was. Then Akane
gasped as she made out the movements of arms and legs. "That's, that's
Kenji!" she cried in horror as the obviously unconscious form tumbled
helplessly through the air..
Ranma swore, then was off, moving as fast as he could to reach
him before the unconscious youth hit the ground. Akane took off after
her iinazuke, but could barely keep up. Ranma mentally calculated where
Kenji would end up, then as he reached the spot, he put all his strength
into a leap and to intercept the falling form in the sky. Snatching him
out of the air with grace, he returned to the ground and fell onto his
back with Kenji on top. Akane arrived and helped Ranma up while checking
the amnesiac's injuries.
"I don't think anything's broken," said Ranma. "But he's badly
beaten up and burned. And this spike has gotta come out so we can
bandage his arm." Akane held up the body, while Ranma grasped the spike.
He took a deep breath then slowly pulled the spike out, causing Kenji to
groan in pain in his unconscious state.
"At least he's still alive," Akane offered hopefully while Ranma
ripped his sleeve off and wrapped it around the wound.
"That should do for awhile, but we need to get goin' if we want
him to stay that way."
"What abou Konatsu?" Akane asked worridly, glancing back at the
moment.
Ranma shook his head. "Knowing him, he'll probably be back at
the train stop or even Nerima by the time we return. That mountain's
coming down, so there's no chance of going back in to make sure."
Akane nodded hesitantly, knowing he was right, but still not
liking it. Ranma picked Kenji up, then the two rushed down the mountain
to join their friends.
In the shadows nearby, a pair of eyes watched the boy in the
red shirt pick up Kenji, then take off down the hill with the girl.
So, he did survive, the figure thought to himself. How very
fortunate. Krynn will want to know about this. He stopped and pondered
some things for a moment. But first, we will need to send for our
brethren in China. Once they are here, we can begin to rebuild the sects
and have our revenge.
He allowed himself a quick chuckle, then ran off to find his
new master.
Kenji slowly opened his eyes and suddenly wished he hadn't. His
body ached all over and the bright light was intensifying his headache.
He groaned and tried to move, then felt a pair of hands restrain him.
"Kenji-san, try not to move just yet," came a female voice he
barely recognized.
"Light... too much," his own voice came out very hoarse and it
surprised him since it didn't sound anything like his normal voice.
"I understand, hold on," replied the voice.
Kenji sensed the light level dim and he tried once again to
open his eyes. At first, everything was a blur, then gradually things
came into focus. He was in a room, lying on a bed with some equipment
nearby that was hooked up to him. He turned and saw the woman standing
by his side.
"You're, Saotome's mother..." he croaked, to which she nodded.
"Wh-where am I?"
"You're in a hospital," she replied. "My son brought you in
several hours ago, and you've been in surgery since then. You just got
out an hour ago. Ranma's visiting his other friends right now but I can
get him if you like."
Kenji shook his head. "Is everyone else, okay?"
Her brows furrowed, as if debating how much to tell him. "They
are all recovering and having their wounds attended to. I think you
should rest right now and save your strength."
Kenji nodded and suddenly felt very tired even as he closed his
eyes. "Saotome-san?"
"Yes?"
"Tell your son and his friends... thanks."
"I will, but you can tell them yourself later."
Kenji nodded again and closed his eyes; sleep quickly claiming
him.
Sometime later, he awoke once more, feeling much better than
before. This time, Ranma and Akane were sitting in his room. Ranma was
asleep in a chair across from his bed, and Akane was reading a magazine
when she noticed him and smiled.
"How are you feeling?" she asked coming over to him.
"A little weak, but much better," he replied. "How long has it
been?"
Akane inhaled. "Since you came in? Two days. You had several
serious injuries and your ki was all drained. I don't know what you did
back there, but it really messed you up."
Kenji sighed and glanced up at the ceiling. "I should've
expected that." (Power comes with a price), the thought echoed in his
head.
"How much do you remember of the past few days?"
He closed eyes and thought. "Not a whole lot. I woke up a while
ago with Mrs. Saotome here. Before that, well," and then he went on to
describe all that he remembered after being captured. "I remember Ukyo
screaming and some other voices, but that's it. I don't remember
anything after that."
"So, you don't remember any of those abilites you were using
before you made us leave?" came Ranma's voice as he walked over.
Kenji shook his head and sat up. "No, I just have vague
memories of the whole thing. Almost like a half-remembered dream." He
closed his eyes and sighed. "I wonder if this is just how I'm gonna have
to live now. Am I doomed to have a faulty memory for life?" He opened
his eyes again. "Hey, how's everyone else doing?"
"My pop's okay," Ranma laughed. "Gotta admit, it takes a lot to
keep him down. We're fine as you can see. Shampoo's got a fractured arm,
but she was released a short while ago with Mousse who just suffered
some bad burns. Tendo-san, though, has a broken leg. Really, you're the
only one left in the hospital since your injuries were the worst and the
doctors say you'll be gettin' out when you feel up to it."
Akane spoke up next. "Cologne examined you when you were
asleep. Whatever happened back there, the immense ki drain seems to have
affected your life force. She believes that you may have actually lost
several years off your life span."
"Several years?" Kenji asked disbelievingly. He sighed and
seemed to collapse further into his bed. "So that was the price." He
noticed their looks of confusion so he reluctantly explained. "When I
was trying to summon up my strength, I felt a power inside that I
couldn't get to. A voice warned me I shouldn't, since there was a price
attached to it, but I went for it anyway."
Kenji laid back down while he tried to figure out the small
detail that was nagging him. Out of the blue, he figured out what it
was. "What about Ukyo-san?" Akane and Ranma looked at each other and
exchanged worried glances causing something decidely unpleasant to form
in the amnesiac's stomach. "What's wrong?"
Akane sighed. "Most of her physical injuries are healed, it's
just that, well, she's in a coma. The doctors don't know when she'll get
out of it."
Crushing forces assaulted the bedridden youth, even as
dizziness and weakness made their effects known. His strength waned and
he closed his eyes. "This is all my fault," he said trying to
unsuccessfully hold back the tears. "If I had just been a little sooner,
stronger..." With a great force of will, Kenji held the tears back. I
will not cry!
He felt a hand on his shoulder and he heard Akane speak again.
"There was nothing you could've done. Nothing any of us could've done.
All of us, including Ukyo, knew the risks when we went after you."
"But don't you see!" he blurted out. "You shouldn't have come
after me! I told you idiots it was my problem and look what happened!
But no, you couldn't stay out of it and Kuonji paid the price!" He
turned his head away. "Just go away."
There was silence for in the room for a few moments.
"Fine!" Akane said, angrily. "If that's the way you feel, so be
it!"
Ranma frowned. "Akane..."
"No, Ranma." She waved him off, then turned back to the boy in
the hospital bed. "Some of us were trying to be your friends and help
you, but if you insist you don't want that, then forget it." She turned
to go. "But just think about the kind of life you'll have if you
continue to push everyone away." She grabbed her fiance. "Come on,
Ranma. It's obvious he doesn't want our help."
Kenji felt a tightness in his throat and something else in his
stomach that was quite unpleasant, but he couldn't make himself say
anything.
Akane's exit stopped at the door. "Oh, I almost forgot! This is
for you." She pulled out a small blue spherical amulet and tossed it to
him. "It was given to us by some old guy in the mountain and said it was
for you. He died after giving it to us. Ukyo managed to hold onto it,
even through the injuries she incurred."
"For... me?" Kenji rolled the marble-like object in his hand. It
was cold to the touch.
"Don't ask us why we held onto it for you, we're just a bunch of
idiots, remember?" And then she was gone.
Ranma looked at him and shrugged. "Ya gotta trust someone,
sometime." Then he left as well.
No sooner had they left, then the amulet began to glow.
Different shades of blue swirled around the sphere. A cone of light
emitted upwards and within it, an image of an old man appeared.
The figure began to speak. "Soyokaze Kenji, if you are
listening to this, then I am dead. My name is Natao Quan, also known as
the Water Lord." The man's face fell a bit and his tone became heavy. "I
am responsible for your memory loss as well as where you are now. Allow
me to explain."
He's the reason I can't remember anything!? he thought, his
face darkening. This explanation better be good.
"During a meeting of the Lords, we held a scrying session to
glimpse the future. The results foretold the death of the Fire Lord by
one who wields the power of wind. This is nothing new; the foretelling
of the deaths of lords has happened before. Usually they take the time
to train a successor.
"Garon, the fire lord, chose instead to initiate a complex spell
to trap the wind sect using an Elemchrys, a powerful magic amplifier. He
only got as far as entombing the Wind Lord, however, in a cavern with
the Elemchrys. The rest of the wind sect sacrificed themselves to
prevent Garon from gaining their power, or sealed themselves away to
save their lives. Unfortunately, three people who could wield the power
of wind were still accessible to Garon. You, your sister Yuri, and your
father, Soyokaze Taynor.
Kenji's eyes widened. "My... family?"
Quan continued as if he didn't hear him. "Your father left the
wind sect to marry Suliya, a member of the ninja clan Garou. When Garon
discovered this, he hunted your family down and cast a flame spell on
the house where you lived. I learned of this and attempted to stop it,
but I could not. The best I could do was save you, as you were the only
person I detected still alive in the burning house. I sealed your
memories and sent you away to those who could protect you."
"Like that worked," Kenji spat out bitterly. "Stupid old man."
The old water mage ignored the comment and sighed. "My hope was
that Garon would not be able to find you until you were strong enough. I
sealed your memories so he wouldn't be able to track you if you used
your wind abilites, or if he tried to search for your mind through
telepathic means. I also wanted to spare you the pain of your family's
death until you could deal with it. I'm sorry. If you're reading this,
than chances are he's found you. I can only hope you'll be okay."
Kenji's rage broke loose. "OKAY!? I'm far from it, old man!
It's a good thing you're dead or else I'd kill you myself!"
In his angry haze, he nearly missed what Quan was saying.
"...has one other function. Hold it in your hands and rub it to warm it
up. It will designate a direction which will lead you to your home North
of Tokyo. It will only recognize your aura, so it's only usable by you.
Good luck, Soyokaze Kenji."
The image faded and for several minutes, silence reigned. Kenji
sat stunned, trying to absorb this new information.
"My family, dead?" he asked quietly, fear tinging his voice. He
received no answer to his question. I have no family. He then
remembered how he had just pushed Akane and Ranma away. I have no one.
What do I do? Quan said the amulet would lead me to my old home, but
what awaits me there? If my family is dead, what's the point?
All of a sudden, Kenji felt so very alone, and it scared him.
Ukyo slowly became aware of her surroundings. The first thing
she felt, was the hard ground she was laying on, face down. The second
was that in was pretty cold around here. She slowly opened her eyes and
sat up.
Where am I? she wondered. She was in what appeared to be a
forest and the sky was a sickly gray. Am I still in the Hago forest? If
so, where is everyone? She stood up.
"Hello?" she called. "Ranchan? Akane-chan?" No one answered, so
she tried a few more names. "Ryoga-kun? Konatsu-kun?"
Still nothing, then, "You called Ukyo-sama?"
She spun around and saw Konatsu leaning against a tree, still
wearing his dark red, faded and patched ninja outfit.
"Konatsu-kun, you're alive!" she said in a relieved voice.
"Where are we? Where are the others?"
The male kunoichi walked over to her. "Are you sure you want to
know?" Ukyo looked confused, but nodded. "If you want answers to your
questions, you must take a journey."
"A journey? Where?" Konatsu pointed and a path opened in the
forest. "How did you do that? And what's happening to you?"
Konatsu's form was becoming translucent as it slowly rose into
the air. "I can only stay so long."
Fear rose up in Ukyo's stomach. "Are you dead?"
He shrugged. "All I can tell you is that we will meet again if
you want, in this life or the next." He began to rise higher into the
air.
"Wait, don't go!" Ukyo begged. "Where am I!? Where do I go!?"
"That, you must discover for yourself, and you must do it by
yourself! Farewell, Ukyo-sama!" And then he was gone, leaving the
okonomiyaki chef by herself.
She took a last glance around, shrugged, and began to walk down
the path.