Author's note:
Well, this is it. The beginning of the end. I can't believe that after this interlude, I'll be the final act of this story… sniffle… Well, this chap is just filler and fluff.
Let's see, a few general notes. Yes, Hydra sucked @$$ in the game. I know that. But see, I was a fire-based sorceress and I built my character up to level 30 just so I could get that damn spell (I'm Greek… Hydras are a bit scarier in mythology then they were in this game).
As for following the story line completely as it was in the game… well, I guess I have to throw in some twist to keep the originality. Like what happens at the end of this chapter… that doesn't happen in the game. And if you're wondering where the hell its going to happen… well, picture a multi-player game. With no cap on the number of players allowed.
Saggit : LOL!!! How adorable, I humbly accept the ORBJ award ^_-. I'm glad you enjoy the twist. He's been in my notes as Diablo but I started to question it somewhere around Act 3. I'm glad it worked!!
Makotojs : Hope this was fast enough!!
Me: Watch out for the edge of the CHAIR!!
Ariel Stormcloud : Thank you very much
Someone : Well, I guess you understand why Hydra was the way it is. I'm just a bitter D2 player ^_^
Jessi-chan : Hope the fight lives up to the expectations.
Flameraven : Ah yes, the Mousse question… (shuffles through her notes) hmmm… I can't seem to recall whether he returns to normal or not.
MegaManX : I had the same problem in school ^_^ I went back and actually started the game again as an assassin (UkyoK).
Norad…what a long name : MSTing is fine. I'll get a kick out of seeing it. My only request is to wait until the story is done. I have a bunch of things planned for the end that I want to get done first.
* * *
The warm winds of hell danced with the flames in the lava lake. A bubble pushed its was to the surface, bursting and letting out a plume of sulfuric smoke. The red waves lapped against the side of stone wall, slowly eroding the foundation of the Chaos Sanctuary.
The room was silent. The bodies of the heroes lay still, save for the two warriors who faced each other now. Akane clutched her staff, knees bent slightly to prepare for an attack. She was drained physically and emotionally. And most importantly, she didn't have a drop of mana left in her.
From his side, Mousse watched her take a defensive position and smiled. She couldn't cast a spell and she was going to try to fight him with her staff. He brought his hand forward and prepared to cast his first summon spell.
"Akane! Don't stay here, just…"
Mousse shut his mouth. What the hell? That wasn't the spell.
"Mousse?" Akane called. But the Necromancer turned to face her with hatred in his eyes. Akane gripped the staff tighter. "I know you care hear me Mousse! With Diablo dead, their grip on you must be fading!"
Mousse frowned. She was probably right. The burning in his chest, the stupid desire to help them. And now, he had no control over his voice. He was caught between the two worlds of good and evil. But he still had control over the rest of this body.
"Mousse, please fight it," Akane said. "Please…"
He came at her, whipping out two yew wands and using them as weapons. Akane's staff went up quickly and she blocked the dual blows with the top and bottom of her staff. He took one hand back but kept pushing the top with the other. Thrown off balance, Akane couldn't block the yew wand that came at her stomach. It pierced the skin with it sharpen top and Akane fell to the ground.
Before Mousse could react, Akane countered from below, sweeping her staff on the ground and pulling his feet from under him. She stood up quickly, spinning the staff to bring it parallel to his body. She brought it down, aiming for his stomach to knock the wind from out of him but the necromancer rolled away quickly.
He crouched slightly and drove his wand straight at her exposed ribs. Akane quickly turned, connecting her staff with his wrist. She had blocked the move and shattered his wrist in the process. Mousse screamed in rage as the wand fell limply from his hand.
Akane brought the staff around again and down onto his shoulder, dislocating it and breaking the skin. A red spot began to form on the tattered uniform.
"Yield," she said bringing the staff up and holding it above his head. Mousse, still gripping his arm, nodded and started to stand up. Akane didn't let her staff waver for a moment, not believing he'd given up.
Mousse smiled and opened his mouth, letting the trapped voice out.
"Akane, don't it's a trap!" the voice called.
Akane was taken off guard for a moment by the familiar voice and didn't process the warning until was too late.
He swept her legs from under her and Akane hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her. She never had the chance to replace it as her staff came down firmly on her throat. She blinked and saw Mousse above her, one hand on the staff, one knee on the other end. He pinned her by a knee to the chest and smiled as she desperately to push the staff off of her neck.
Akane's eyes turned slightly, to look at her fallen friends. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, she thought as consciousness started to fade.
Then Hell experienced something it had never felt before. The air around him crystallized, turning to snow. Mousse looked up slightly just in time to see a ball of ice headed straight for him. The blow knocked him off Akane and froze him in place several steps away from her body.
"Akane!" Soun called, quickly followed by Genma and Tofu. He knelt down by the body of his youngest daughter and checked her breathing.
Genma examined the frozen body of Mousse with surprise. "Soun… this is an ice-based spell. There's no way Akane could have cast this."
"She didn't."
Soun and Genma looked up at the woman approaching them. Her long brown hair was tied back with a pretty white ribbon. She was wearing a long, fur trimmed dress with an apron in the front and clutching an Eagle Orb in her hand.
"Ka… Kasumi??" Soun said.
"Hello Father," Kasumi said with a smile. "Now, we must get everyone out of here quickly. Please hurry." Several burly men appeared from behind her and moved quickly to the fallen fighters and Tofu, who eyes had gone slightly swirly.
"Kasumi?" Soun asked, watching them work. "What's going…"
"I'll explain later," she said. "But we must move quickly. Time moves more slowly in Hell then it does in the real world and if we stay too long, we will lose months."
"Months?" Genma asked.
"Yes. If the letter from your friend Kuno is any indication… you've been gone for four months."
* * *
Ryoga woke to a roaring fire. Well, that was it. He had died and was now roasting in Hell. He pushed himself up slowly, feeling the fur blanket slide down his arms. He blinked. This wasn't Hell…
Looking around, he finally began to take in his environment. The stone walls, the brown furs, the chill in the air despite the roaring fire. He stood up quickly and moved towards the door, throwing it open and gasping at the sight.
Harrogath unfolded in front of him. It looked a little beaten since the last time he had been there but he recognized things almost instantly. The smell of the meat cooking on spits. The tall tower in the center of town. The impassable cliffs that surrounded it.
Ryoga was home.
"Ryoga!"
Looking down, he saw a handsome man waving at him. "Midako??"
"Oi, where the hell have you been?" the thin barbarian asked.
Ryoga walked down and took Midako's arm firmly with one hand and patted him on the back with the other. "I never thought I'd see you again!" Ryoga said.
"Well… things change."
"Yeah but I thought they kicked you out of town after you tried to kiss…"
"Let's not talk about that," Midako said. "And you're right. I'm not living in Harrogath anymore. I came with the tribe that took me in."
"So, you're here to fight the demons too?" Ryoga asked.
Midako frowned. "I have been fighting them… for four months."
"Four… months?? What??"
"From what that foxy ice chick said, you were in Hell for a couple of weeks. But, it translates to four months here."
Ryoga was floored. And then he realized what he had missed the first time he seen his hometown. The fighters roasting rabbits were beaten, most of the armor dented and the blades dull. The tower in town was missing part of its roof. And the cliffs were dotted with scorch marks.
"What… what…"
"They came at us about three and a half months ago. My tribe's village was completely destroyed. We fell back to Harrogath and it was decided that we would fight from here. The other tribes were called in and…" Midako paused.
"And??" Ryoga said, his stomach beginning to knot. "Where are they? Where are all the fighters?"
"Ryoga…"
"If all the clans were here there wouldn't be room to walk! They're on an assault, aren't they? They're just out fighting." Midako was silent. "Where are they??"
"I think that I should get a nurse to…"
"WHERE ARE THEY?" Ryoga shouted. Midako's head lowered a bit and his hand pointed to the hill at the edge of town.
Ryoga pushed him out of the way and headed to where Midako had pointed. He heard the other barbarian call out for him but Ryoga pushed on, ignoring the pain in his side from the still fresh wound. His knees strained as his pushed against the snow and incline.
A second later, he stood up at the top of the hill in shock. Wooden crosses filled the field behind the hill, making the white snow almost seem brown. They filled every free space, pushing up against the mountain cliffs. Broken weapons lay in front of them, symbols of their owner's last fight.
"No," Ryoga said softly.
Midako reached him, huffing and puffing from his run up the hill. "Ryoga, you really need to…"
"What happened?" Ryoga asked, ignoring Midako's concern.
Midako sighed, realizing it was pointless to argue with him now. "They were too many of them. No matter how many we killed, more would come out of the portals. It was a losing battle from the start."
Ryoga felt his knees go weak. All of them. Dead. There had to be thousands of crosses out here. That didn't even account for the bodies left behind. The greatest fighters in the world had been obliterated in four months.
Looking to his right, Ryoga felt his heart clench. He pushed his way to the two crosses at the edge of field. A broken axe lay in front of one, a battered shield in front of the other. Carefully, Ryoga's stretched out his hand to touch the handle of the axe.
He felt a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ryoga," Midako said before walking away.
Ryoga's knees collapsed and he fell to the ground. His bare hands clenched at the snow, turning them red. He would not cry, barbarians did not cry.
* * *
Ranma stood at the doorway, looking out at the expanse of snow. So this was barbarian country. He took a few steps down and landed on the snow, feeling it chill his feet. He walked slowly towards the roaring campfire where his father and Soun were seated.
"So you're up," Genma said. "Nice of you to rejoin the living."
"What happened?" Ranma asked.
"Well, let's see… you fainted but your fiancée managed to save all of you." A memory of Akane in front of Hydra flashed through his mind. "Not just from Diablo but with her bare hands against a half deranged Necromancer."
Ranma paled. "What… where is she?"
Genma frowned. "Resting and recovering for her wounds."
"I have to see…"
Genma laughed. "So you can thank her? So you can apologize to her for being a weakling?" Genma stood up. "I saw her advance to a level that you can't hope to reach! Everyone has advanced in their arts. But you've grown cocky with that sword, thinking that it will be enough to defeat these monsters."
"I'm the best fighter in the group!" Ranma retorted.
"Yes, you are. Ryoga has brute strength. Ukyo has stealth. Shampoo has speed. And you have a bit of all them so you can fight well enough. But you still are missing the most important part."
"What the hell are trying to shovel now, old man?"
"This isn't a game, boy! You don't just kill the monsters and save the day and life goes on. Didn't the ideals of the Paladin teach you anything?"
Ranma blistered. "Maybe if someone had dragged me out of school when I was twelve, I would have learned more. But I know more about the Paladins then you do! They fight for honor and to protect the weak."
"And you failed in that! You failed because you only think with the sword! It's not enough," Genma said stalking off.
"Hey! Don't you leave…"
"Ranma," Soun said, grabbing his hand and pulling him down. "Sit down a moment."
"But…"
"Just sit down," Soun said firmly. Ranma frowned, watching his father disappear into the snow.
"You have to forgive your father," Soun said.
"Are you crazy, old man?" Ranma said. "After he said…"
"Ranma, I can forgive you for that because you have not seen what is going on here." Soun paused. "The Barbarians are defeated, their numbers dwindled to a few hundred."
Ranma paused. "Ryoga…"
"Has lost his parents, probably many of his friends and half of his tribe. But that's not the only reason why your father is upset. Ranma, this was the last full-strength human army left. Now that it is gone, there is nothing to stand up against the invading hordes."
"But we've defeated them before," Ranma said firmly gripping onto the sword at his side.
"Yes but that was localized groups. From what we've been told, this army numbers in the hundreds of thousands."
"The demons are just mindless hordes," Ranma said firmly.
"The sheer number of them will be enough." Soun paused. "Genma understand this and he knows that the last battle will be fought here."
Ranma paused. His father was worried he and his son were going to die. So he was trying to anger him, to make him stronger? But what did he mean when he said that Ranma was missing the most important part?
"There's more," Soun said, softly. "Genma left someone behind here, thinking it would be safe but now she's gone."
"Who?"
"Your mother."
* * *
Ukyo's feet hit the snow and she instantly realized that she was going to need more clothes. Walking down the path, she saw Shampoo emerging from one of the huts.
"Shampoo!" Ukyo said waving at the other girl as she ran up to her. "We made it!" Shampoo nodded sadly. "Wait… Mousse is…"
"No," Shampoo replied. "Mousse is still half… away."
Ukyo gripped her shoulder. "We'll get him back. I know we will." Ukyo looked around. "So this is Harrogath. Huh… so where's pig boy? I would have thought he would be running around the place celebrating…" Ukyo trailed off.
"Ukyo, what wrong?" Shampoo said following the other girl's eyes.
Eight horses galloped through the open gate. The small number of barbarians left in town walked up to them. The first rider and jumped off the horse and landed on the ground, pulling the cowl of the cloak off her head.
"Hinako!" Shampoo cried, recognizing the Rogue leader.
"Well, well," the woman said looking at them. "I'm glad to see you made it."
"What you doing…"
"You!" Ukyo cried, watching the two short figures de-cloak. "You're from Lut Gholeim!"
Daikasu smiled. "Told you they'd remember us," he said.
"What are you doing here?" Ukyo said, finishing the question she had interrupted Shampoo from asking.
"We're representatives from Lut Gholeim!" Horshi said. "We've been traveling with the army for a few weeks now but they sent us ahead to let you know they were coming."
"Yes, the Rogues will be here in a few days as well," Hinako said.
"You've come to fight?"
"That we have." The remaining cloaks came off and Shampoo and Ukyo were floored. Paladin. Sorceress. Necromancer. Amazon. Assassin. Druid. Masters of the six classes, together.
"We have come to fight the evil," the Sorceress said.
"It has destroyed many of us already," the Druid continued. "But we will make our final stand here."
"All the classes have assembled," the Amazon continued, ignoring Shampoo's presence. "And we have called all our members back to travel here."
"The time for infighting amongst us is over," the Necromancer said looking over at the Paladin. "The enemy is too great to fight alone."
"So we have joined forces. And traveled here to end this." Ukyo's eyes opened wide as the Assassin finished talking. "Hello, Ukyo-chan," Aiko said softly. "It is good to see you again." Ukyo just stared at her mother silently
"In three days," the Paladin said, "the army of Harrogath will be supplemented with the greatest fighters this world has to offer."
* * *
By evening, the town was alive with activity. Four more horses had followed after the initial part, carrying four high-level Lightning Sorceresses. The women had created a barrier around Harrogath to prevent any further attack. The members of the six classes had crowded around the campfire at the edge of town to discuss plans. The only one missing was a Barbarian, but that was soon remedied.
"I am Hikaru Gosunkugi," the wiry and pale barbarian said joining them. His voice wavered a bit from nervousness. "And I have been placed in charge of this town until our leader's daughter came be found to replace him."
"Where did she go?" the Druid asked, eyeing the new addition wearily.
"If I but knew that, I would have stopped her from leaving. But she was so distraught over the death of her father…" He trailed off. "But she is our responsibility. Your main concern should be the demon army to the West."
The Paladin nodded, unfurling the parchment. "The Amazons have scouted ahead and determined that there are around seven portals in the area." He pointed to the markings on the map. "We need to destroy them and cut off the supply chain of the army."
"We should take the leaders out first," Aiko said. "Without them, there will be no one left to control the hordes. Leave that to my assassins."
"Agreed," the Necromancer said. "Let the Necromancers travel through the portals. We can determine how to destroy them from the inside."
"But how will you…" the Amazon started. She trailed off, realizing that whoever went in would not be returning. "We will finish off what is left outside," she said firmly.
"We will help with that," the Sorceress said. "Now all that remains is to wait for our forces to arrive."
"There is trouble in the north," Gosunkugi said timidly. "A small invasion force has been making its way to Harrogath. They've dug in but their numbers are small. A group of fighters might be able to clean the area out and allow our soldiers to use it instead."
"That would be a good idea," the Druid said. "But who do we send?"
Gosunkugi smiled.
* * *
Across the camp, the weary fighters attempted to find rest before the coming storm. Shampoo walked back into the small hut to check on Mousse. He was still bound against the wall but his mouth was free though he never spoke. She took one last sad look before she went to face the Amazon leader who had arrived. As she left, she brushed against the Necromancer who walked in to see Mousse.
Genma looked up from cleaning his armor as the Wolf's head landed at his feet. His Druid master smiled at him, landing a hearty pat on his back. He pulled out of jug of mead and listened while Genma related their tale.
Ranma walked down the road, kicking a few rocks, mulling over his father's words. What was he missing? And had his mother really been here? If she was, then why did she leave? He was so caught up in his thoughts that he never saw the Paladin until he ran right into the dark skinned man.
Akane woke up, last of all of them, to a sight more wonderful then she could have imagined. When the tears had stopped flowing, she slowly let go of Kasumi and saw the master Sorceress in the room with her. With a slow nod, the Sorceress beckoned her to begin her tale.
Ukyo sat by the fire, feet curled up to her chest. The light of the flames danced across her face as she let herself get hypnotized the fire. A shadow fell across the flame and Ukyo looked up, seeing the older Assassin across from her. Aiko looked at her sadly for a moment before taking the seat across from her daughter.
In a tiny hut, near the center of town, Ryoga struggle to pull the last bit of handle from his father's axe blade. When it was free, he grabbed the one he had removed from his axe and used the hammer to force it in. As soon as the hammering on wood stopped, the town was filled the sound of metal against metal as he hammered the dents out of the shield.
Three days away, the army of Light camped for the night. There was an air of revelry as old friends were reunited and celebrated over the union of classes. But they all knew in the backs of their mind, that this was needed to steel themselves for the coming battle. For across the mountains lay the demon horde led by the last Brother, set to destroy the world.
Well, this is it. The beginning of the end. I can't believe that after this interlude, I'll be the final act of this story… sniffle… Well, this chap is just filler and fluff.
Let's see, a few general notes. Yes, Hydra sucked @$$ in the game. I know that. But see, I was a fire-based sorceress and I built my character up to level 30 just so I could get that damn spell (I'm Greek… Hydras are a bit scarier in mythology then they were in this game).
As for following the story line completely as it was in the game… well, I guess I have to throw in some twist to keep the originality. Like what happens at the end of this chapter… that doesn't happen in the game. And if you're wondering where the hell its going to happen… well, picture a multi-player game. With no cap on the number of players allowed.
Saggit : LOL!!! How adorable, I humbly accept the ORBJ award ^_-. I'm glad you enjoy the twist. He's been in my notes as Diablo but I started to question it somewhere around Act 3. I'm glad it worked!!
Makotojs : Hope this was fast enough!!
Me: Watch out for the edge of the CHAIR!!
Ariel Stormcloud : Thank you very much
Someone : Well, I guess you understand why Hydra was the way it is. I'm just a bitter D2 player ^_^
Jessi-chan : Hope the fight lives up to the expectations.
Flameraven : Ah yes, the Mousse question… (shuffles through her notes) hmmm… I can't seem to recall whether he returns to normal or not.
MegaManX : I had the same problem in school ^_^ I went back and actually started the game again as an assassin (UkyoK).
Norad…what a long name : MSTing is fine. I'll get a kick out of seeing it. My only request is to wait until the story is done. I have a bunch of things planned for the end that I want to get done first.
* * *
The warm winds of hell danced with the flames in the lava lake. A bubble pushed its was to the surface, bursting and letting out a plume of sulfuric smoke. The red waves lapped against the side of stone wall, slowly eroding the foundation of the Chaos Sanctuary.
The room was silent. The bodies of the heroes lay still, save for the two warriors who faced each other now. Akane clutched her staff, knees bent slightly to prepare for an attack. She was drained physically and emotionally. And most importantly, she didn't have a drop of mana left in her.
From his side, Mousse watched her take a defensive position and smiled. She couldn't cast a spell and she was going to try to fight him with her staff. He brought his hand forward and prepared to cast his first summon spell.
"Akane! Don't stay here, just…"
Mousse shut his mouth. What the hell? That wasn't the spell.
"Mousse?" Akane called. But the Necromancer turned to face her with hatred in his eyes. Akane gripped the staff tighter. "I know you care hear me Mousse! With Diablo dead, their grip on you must be fading!"
Mousse frowned. She was probably right. The burning in his chest, the stupid desire to help them. And now, he had no control over his voice. He was caught between the two worlds of good and evil. But he still had control over the rest of this body.
"Mousse, please fight it," Akane said. "Please…"
He came at her, whipping out two yew wands and using them as weapons. Akane's staff went up quickly and she blocked the dual blows with the top and bottom of her staff. He took one hand back but kept pushing the top with the other. Thrown off balance, Akane couldn't block the yew wand that came at her stomach. It pierced the skin with it sharpen top and Akane fell to the ground.
Before Mousse could react, Akane countered from below, sweeping her staff on the ground and pulling his feet from under him. She stood up quickly, spinning the staff to bring it parallel to his body. She brought it down, aiming for his stomach to knock the wind from out of him but the necromancer rolled away quickly.
He crouched slightly and drove his wand straight at her exposed ribs. Akane quickly turned, connecting her staff with his wrist. She had blocked the move and shattered his wrist in the process. Mousse screamed in rage as the wand fell limply from his hand.
Akane brought the staff around again and down onto his shoulder, dislocating it and breaking the skin. A red spot began to form on the tattered uniform.
"Yield," she said bringing the staff up and holding it above his head. Mousse, still gripping his arm, nodded and started to stand up. Akane didn't let her staff waver for a moment, not believing he'd given up.
Mousse smiled and opened his mouth, letting the trapped voice out.
"Akane, don't it's a trap!" the voice called.
Akane was taken off guard for a moment by the familiar voice and didn't process the warning until was too late.
He swept her legs from under her and Akane hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her. She never had the chance to replace it as her staff came down firmly on her throat. She blinked and saw Mousse above her, one hand on the staff, one knee on the other end. He pinned her by a knee to the chest and smiled as she desperately to push the staff off of her neck.
Akane's eyes turned slightly, to look at her fallen friends. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, she thought as consciousness started to fade.
Then Hell experienced something it had never felt before. The air around him crystallized, turning to snow. Mousse looked up slightly just in time to see a ball of ice headed straight for him. The blow knocked him off Akane and froze him in place several steps away from her body.
"Akane!" Soun called, quickly followed by Genma and Tofu. He knelt down by the body of his youngest daughter and checked her breathing.
Genma examined the frozen body of Mousse with surprise. "Soun… this is an ice-based spell. There's no way Akane could have cast this."
"She didn't."
Soun and Genma looked up at the woman approaching them. Her long brown hair was tied back with a pretty white ribbon. She was wearing a long, fur trimmed dress with an apron in the front and clutching an Eagle Orb in her hand.
"Ka… Kasumi??" Soun said.
"Hello Father," Kasumi said with a smile. "Now, we must get everyone out of here quickly. Please hurry." Several burly men appeared from behind her and moved quickly to the fallen fighters and Tofu, who eyes had gone slightly swirly.
"Kasumi?" Soun asked, watching them work. "What's going…"
"I'll explain later," she said. "But we must move quickly. Time moves more slowly in Hell then it does in the real world and if we stay too long, we will lose months."
"Months?" Genma asked.
"Yes. If the letter from your friend Kuno is any indication… you've been gone for four months."
* * *
Ryoga woke to a roaring fire. Well, that was it. He had died and was now roasting in Hell. He pushed himself up slowly, feeling the fur blanket slide down his arms. He blinked. This wasn't Hell…
Looking around, he finally began to take in his environment. The stone walls, the brown furs, the chill in the air despite the roaring fire. He stood up quickly and moved towards the door, throwing it open and gasping at the sight.
Harrogath unfolded in front of him. It looked a little beaten since the last time he had been there but he recognized things almost instantly. The smell of the meat cooking on spits. The tall tower in the center of town. The impassable cliffs that surrounded it.
Ryoga was home.
"Ryoga!"
Looking down, he saw a handsome man waving at him. "Midako??"
"Oi, where the hell have you been?" the thin barbarian asked.
Ryoga walked down and took Midako's arm firmly with one hand and patted him on the back with the other. "I never thought I'd see you again!" Ryoga said.
"Well… things change."
"Yeah but I thought they kicked you out of town after you tried to kiss…"
"Let's not talk about that," Midako said. "And you're right. I'm not living in Harrogath anymore. I came with the tribe that took me in."
"So, you're here to fight the demons too?" Ryoga asked.
Midako frowned. "I have been fighting them… for four months."
"Four… months?? What??"
"From what that foxy ice chick said, you were in Hell for a couple of weeks. But, it translates to four months here."
Ryoga was floored. And then he realized what he had missed the first time he seen his hometown. The fighters roasting rabbits were beaten, most of the armor dented and the blades dull. The tower in town was missing part of its roof. And the cliffs were dotted with scorch marks.
"What… what…"
"They came at us about three and a half months ago. My tribe's village was completely destroyed. We fell back to Harrogath and it was decided that we would fight from here. The other tribes were called in and…" Midako paused.
"And??" Ryoga said, his stomach beginning to knot. "Where are they? Where are all the fighters?"
"Ryoga…"
"If all the clans were here there wouldn't be room to walk! They're on an assault, aren't they? They're just out fighting." Midako was silent. "Where are they??"
"I think that I should get a nurse to…"
"WHERE ARE THEY?" Ryoga shouted. Midako's head lowered a bit and his hand pointed to the hill at the edge of town.
Ryoga pushed him out of the way and headed to where Midako had pointed. He heard the other barbarian call out for him but Ryoga pushed on, ignoring the pain in his side from the still fresh wound. His knees strained as his pushed against the snow and incline.
A second later, he stood up at the top of the hill in shock. Wooden crosses filled the field behind the hill, making the white snow almost seem brown. They filled every free space, pushing up against the mountain cliffs. Broken weapons lay in front of them, symbols of their owner's last fight.
"No," Ryoga said softly.
Midako reached him, huffing and puffing from his run up the hill. "Ryoga, you really need to…"
"What happened?" Ryoga asked, ignoring Midako's concern.
Midako sighed, realizing it was pointless to argue with him now. "They were too many of them. No matter how many we killed, more would come out of the portals. It was a losing battle from the start."
Ryoga felt his knees go weak. All of them. Dead. There had to be thousands of crosses out here. That didn't even account for the bodies left behind. The greatest fighters in the world had been obliterated in four months.
Looking to his right, Ryoga felt his heart clench. He pushed his way to the two crosses at the edge of field. A broken axe lay in front of one, a battered shield in front of the other. Carefully, Ryoga's stretched out his hand to touch the handle of the axe.
He felt a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ryoga," Midako said before walking away.
Ryoga's knees collapsed and he fell to the ground. His bare hands clenched at the snow, turning them red. He would not cry, barbarians did not cry.
* * *
Ranma stood at the doorway, looking out at the expanse of snow. So this was barbarian country. He took a few steps down and landed on the snow, feeling it chill his feet. He walked slowly towards the roaring campfire where his father and Soun were seated.
"So you're up," Genma said. "Nice of you to rejoin the living."
"What happened?" Ranma asked.
"Well, let's see… you fainted but your fiancée managed to save all of you." A memory of Akane in front of Hydra flashed through his mind. "Not just from Diablo but with her bare hands against a half deranged Necromancer."
Ranma paled. "What… where is she?"
Genma frowned. "Resting and recovering for her wounds."
"I have to see…"
Genma laughed. "So you can thank her? So you can apologize to her for being a weakling?" Genma stood up. "I saw her advance to a level that you can't hope to reach! Everyone has advanced in their arts. But you've grown cocky with that sword, thinking that it will be enough to defeat these monsters."
"I'm the best fighter in the group!" Ranma retorted.
"Yes, you are. Ryoga has brute strength. Ukyo has stealth. Shampoo has speed. And you have a bit of all them so you can fight well enough. But you still are missing the most important part."
"What the hell are trying to shovel now, old man?"
"This isn't a game, boy! You don't just kill the monsters and save the day and life goes on. Didn't the ideals of the Paladin teach you anything?"
Ranma blistered. "Maybe if someone had dragged me out of school when I was twelve, I would have learned more. But I know more about the Paladins then you do! They fight for honor and to protect the weak."
"And you failed in that! You failed because you only think with the sword! It's not enough," Genma said stalking off.
"Hey! Don't you leave…"
"Ranma," Soun said, grabbing his hand and pulling him down. "Sit down a moment."
"But…"
"Just sit down," Soun said firmly. Ranma frowned, watching his father disappear into the snow.
"You have to forgive your father," Soun said.
"Are you crazy, old man?" Ranma said. "After he said…"
"Ranma, I can forgive you for that because you have not seen what is going on here." Soun paused. "The Barbarians are defeated, their numbers dwindled to a few hundred."
Ranma paused. "Ryoga…"
"Has lost his parents, probably many of his friends and half of his tribe. But that's not the only reason why your father is upset. Ranma, this was the last full-strength human army left. Now that it is gone, there is nothing to stand up against the invading hordes."
"But we've defeated them before," Ranma said firmly gripping onto the sword at his side.
"Yes but that was localized groups. From what we've been told, this army numbers in the hundreds of thousands."
"The demons are just mindless hordes," Ranma said firmly.
"The sheer number of them will be enough." Soun paused. "Genma understand this and he knows that the last battle will be fought here."
Ranma paused. His father was worried he and his son were going to die. So he was trying to anger him, to make him stronger? But what did he mean when he said that Ranma was missing the most important part?
"There's more," Soun said, softly. "Genma left someone behind here, thinking it would be safe but now she's gone."
"Who?"
"Your mother."
* * *
Ukyo's feet hit the snow and she instantly realized that she was going to need more clothes. Walking down the path, she saw Shampoo emerging from one of the huts.
"Shampoo!" Ukyo said waving at the other girl as she ran up to her. "We made it!" Shampoo nodded sadly. "Wait… Mousse is…"
"No," Shampoo replied. "Mousse is still half… away."
Ukyo gripped her shoulder. "We'll get him back. I know we will." Ukyo looked around. "So this is Harrogath. Huh… so where's pig boy? I would have thought he would be running around the place celebrating…" Ukyo trailed off.
"Ukyo, what wrong?" Shampoo said following the other girl's eyes.
Eight horses galloped through the open gate. The small number of barbarians left in town walked up to them. The first rider and jumped off the horse and landed on the ground, pulling the cowl of the cloak off her head.
"Hinako!" Shampoo cried, recognizing the Rogue leader.
"Well, well," the woman said looking at them. "I'm glad to see you made it."
"What you doing…"
"You!" Ukyo cried, watching the two short figures de-cloak. "You're from Lut Gholeim!"
Daikasu smiled. "Told you they'd remember us," he said.
"What are you doing here?" Ukyo said, finishing the question she had interrupted Shampoo from asking.
"We're representatives from Lut Gholeim!" Horshi said. "We've been traveling with the army for a few weeks now but they sent us ahead to let you know they were coming."
"Yes, the Rogues will be here in a few days as well," Hinako said.
"You've come to fight?"
"That we have." The remaining cloaks came off and Shampoo and Ukyo were floored. Paladin. Sorceress. Necromancer. Amazon. Assassin. Druid. Masters of the six classes, together.
"We have come to fight the evil," the Sorceress said.
"It has destroyed many of us already," the Druid continued. "But we will make our final stand here."
"All the classes have assembled," the Amazon continued, ignoring Shampoo's presence. "And we have called all our members back to travel here."
"The time for infighting amongst us is over," the Necromancer said looking over at the Paladin. "The enemy is too great to fight alone."
"So we have joined forces. And traveled here to end this." Ukyo's eyes opened wide as the Assassin finished talking. "Hello, Ukyo-chan," Aiko said softly. "It is good to see you again." Ukyo just stared at her mother silently
"In three days," the Paladin said, "the army of Harrogath will be supplemented with the greatest fighters this world has to offer."
* * *
By evening, the town was alive with activity. Four more horses had followed after the initial part, carrying four high-level Lightning Sorceresses. The women had created a barrier around Harrogath to prevent any further attack. The members of the six classes had crowded around the campfire at the edge of town to discuss plans. The only one missing was a Barbarian, but that was soon remedied.
"I am Hikaru Gosunkugi," the wiry and pale barbarian said joining them. His voice wavered a bit from nervousness. "And I have been placed in charge of this town until our leader's daughter came be found to replace him."
"Where did she go?" the Druid asked, eyeing the new addition wearily.
"If I but knew that, I would have stopped her from leaving. But she was so distraught over the death of her father…" He trailed off. "But she is our responsibility. Your main concern should be the demon army to the West."
The Paladin nodded, unfurling the parchment. "The Amazons have scouted ahead and determined that there are around seven portals in the area." He pointed to the markings on the map. "We need to destroy them and cut off the supply chain of the army."
"We should take the leaders out first," Aiko said. "Without them, there will be no one left to control the hordes. Leave that to my assassins."
"Agreed," the Necromancer said. "Let the Necromancers travel through the portals. We can determine how to destroy them from the inside."
"But how will you…" the Amazon started. She trailed off, realizing that whoever went in would not be returning. "We will finish off what is left outside," she said firmly.
"We will help with that," the Sorceress said. "Now all that remains is to wait for our forces to arrive."
"There is trouble in the north," Gosunkugi said timidly. "A small invasion force has been making its way to Harrogath. They've dug in but their numbers are small. A group of fighters might be able to clean the area out and allow our soldiers to use it instead."
"That would be a good idea," the Druid said. "But who do we send?"
Gosunkugi smiled.
* * *
Across the camp, the weary fighters attempted to find rest before the coming storm. Shampoo walked back into the small hut to check on Mousse. He was still bound against the wall but his mouth was free though he never spoke. She took one last sad look before she went to face the Amazon leader who had arrived. As she left, she brushed against the Necromancer who walked in to see Mousse.
Genma looked up from cleaning his armor as the Wolf's head landed at his feet. His Druid master smiled at him, landing a hearty pat on his back. He pulled out of jug of mead and listened while Genma related their tale.
Ranma walked down the road, kicking a few rocks, mulling over his father's words. What was he missing? And had his mother really been here? If she was, then why did she leave? He was so caught up in his thoughts that he never saw the Paladin until he ran right into the dark skinned man.
Akane woke up, last of all of them, to a sight more wonderful then she could have imagined. When the tears had stopped flowing, she slowly let go of Kasumi and saw the master Sorceress in the room with her. With a slow nod, the Sorceress beckoned her to begin her tale.
Ukyo sat by the fire, feet curled up to her chest. The light of the flames danced across her face as she let herself get hypnotized the fire. A shadow fell across the flame and Ukyo looked up, seeing the older Assassin across from her. Aiko looked at her sadly for a moment before taking the seat across from her daughter.
In a tiny hut, near the center of town, Ryoga struggle to pull the last bit of handle from his father's axe blade. When it was free, he grabbed the one he had removed from his axe and used the hammer to force it in. As soon as the hammering on wood stopped, the town was filled the sound of metal against metal as he hammered the dents out of the shield.
Three days away, the army of Light camped for the night. There was an air of revelry as old friends were reunited and celebrated over the union of classes. But they all knew in the backs of their mind, that this was needed to steel themselves for the coming battle. For across the mountains lay the demon horde led by the last Brother, set to destroy the world.