Disclaimer: According to certain theories on parallel universes, somewhere out there in some obscure vague reality, I really do own all the characters and ideas of Ranma ½. Has anyone ever heard of someone getting sued by Rumiko Takahashi anyway?

Chapter One more that Five:
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It was six days later that Ryouga returned to challenge Ranma. Nabiki had set it up so the two combatants could use the soccer field behind Furinkan. A large crowd of students were gathered and already betting on the fight. Most of the bets were on Ranma although with the odds Nabiki had set a few people were hoping for a long shot and bet on the lost wanderer. Nabiki had been hesitant at first to favor the odds on Ranma even though he was her fiancé after what she'd seen Ryouga do the first day she'd met him. Ranma however was confident he could handle the lost boy even without resorting to his powers.

Other than practicing his transformations, Ranma still had no idea what other uses if any his male side powers had. It was frustrating especially when his so called spirit guide seemed more interested in drinking his father's alcohol stash than offering guidance. All he knew was he could assume the properties of any inorganic substance he had physical contact with. Nabiki had suggested he try turning into the air around him but that freaked him out a little. What if he blew away or something?

Putting those thoughts behind him for the moment he focused on his opponent across the field from himself. Ryouga stood with a confident smirk on his face as he stretched his muscles in preparation for combat.

"So you want to tell me what this is all about?" Ranma asked.

"This is payback for all the hell you've put me through!" Ryouga yelled.

"What hell? You already said this wasn't about the bread. Is this because you missed the dual?"

"I didn't miss anything! When I showed up you'd already run to China!"

Ranma was dumbfounded, "I waited for three days man."

"Yes, but on the fourth day when I arrived you were already gone!"

"It was in the lot behind your house. If you'd just let me lead you to the lot like I suggested we wouldn't be having this discussion."

"This has nothing to do with the dual anymore! This is about Revenge!" Ryouga screamed and attacked.

Ranma leapt over his opponent's roundhouse kick and jumped back, "Revenge for what? If it's not about the bread feud or the honor duel then what exactly are you mad at me for?"

"My life has been ruined. Ever since I followed you to China!" Ryouga struck out with a bandanna and wrapped it around Ranma's wrist. "Now you can't run away!"

Ranma's mind was a whirl, only half focused on the fight. If Ryouga had followed him to China...

Before he could think on the subject any further he was forced to refocus on the fight at hand. Dodging a punch to the head he dropped low and rolled underneath Ryouga's feet to stand up behind him. Pushing forward he brought Ryouga's face to the dirt by standing on his back.

Pushing up, Ryouga spat out some dirt, "You think you can push me to my knees!? I will never submit to you!" He pushed himself up into the air with one hand, forcing Ranma to jump back again. Luckily Ryouga had let go of the bandanna connecting them. Ranma began dodging punches and kicks while making his own attacks. Ryouga was built like a brick wall however and seemed to ignore most of the punishment.

Another punch from the lost boy and Ranma stepped back and tripped over Ryouga's abandoned umbrella to fall flat on his back. Ryouga came forward with a foot stomp to drive Ranma into the ground when Ranma felt the sigil on his hand flare again. As Ryouga's foot came down, Ranma assumed the composition of the dirt in the ground and sank in disappearing from sight.

Nabiki was in shock as well a Ryouga and the rest of the crowd. Especially when Ranma formed out of the ground behind Ryouga and decked him. Ryouga fell forward and rolled to assume a defensive posture aimed at Ranma.

"Wha... How the hell did you do that?" He screamed at the pigtailed boy.

"A little something I picked up in China." Ranma countered. He was a little stunned himself at what had happened. He saw Nabiki giving him a look that promised explanations or pain later.

Ranma still as the silica component of soil took a couple of steps back, "Well, how about we kick this up a notch?"

Ryouga stood stunned as Ranma brought his fist down to the ground, "Quaking Fist!"

The earth beneath Ryouga shot up in a fist form forcing Ryouga into the air. Ranma again looked a little surprised that it actually worked then ran off in the direction of Ryouga's flight.

Nabiki took off after the fighting pair along with the entire audience. She had to be there to witness the end of the fight in order to pay off the winners of the bets. Running hard she could hear the sounds of combat and destruction of objects coming from the nearby park. She turned the corner in time to see the fountain explode showering the area in cold water.

Girl type Ranma was squeezing water out of her hair while glaring at a dry Hibiki. Her suspicions were becoming clearer about Ryouga's hostile attitude.

"So now you know. I've been cursed with this body." Ranma mumbled.

"Hah! You call that a curse? You turn into a cute girl and you think your life is worse than mine? I'll make you pay for what you did to me!" Ryouga started pulling off bandannas and spinning them.

"Ryouga, you're not making any sense. What did I do?" Ranma tried again.

"As if you didn't know! DIE!" He let loose four bandannas. They spun through the air like Frisbees. Ranma dodged the first volley and gasped when he saw them cut up a tree and some bushed as if they were razor sharp.

Ranma frowned, as much as he hated to admit it, it was time to pull out the big guns. The crowd had followed them and it was all too likely that someone would get hurt. Ryouga didn't seem to care about the bystanders. Wildly flinging weapons like he was showed he had little concern or attention to anything other than his opponent.

Nabiki moved a little closer with her camera to get some better shots. Some of the martial arts magazines might pay good money for scenes like this. Besides, it was proof in case someone decided to welch on the bet later.

Ryouga readied another group of bandannas, "Hah! I have you now! There's no way you can dodge all of these!" He let loose twenty squares of tiger striped cloth in a cloud of death aimed at Ranma.

Ranma let loose his antibodies with mental instructions to intercept as many bandannas as they could while he dealt with Ryouga. The black doppelgangers raced out to grab the cloth as Ranma rushed forward.

Lori, Mae, and Carla flew as fast as they could, grabbing or redirecting the linen missiles from the crowd. Mae reached out to grab the last one near her only to miss it by a fraction of a inch.

There was a scream. Ranma and Ryouga both stopped and turned to look at the crumpled figure lying on the ground. Ranma's spine went cold as he recognized who it was.

"NABIKI!"

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Author's Rant:

Wow... what can I say, Rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated. School has been out for a month and I think I'm safely relaxed enough to start writing this drivel I love so much once again. With the minor rewrite on this fic plus the new chapter (And a plot!) I should be able to continue this one once again. City of dreams is almost done yet I'm having a hard time writing the last few chapters. Sometimes these things nearly write themselves other times I have to threaten them with I love Lucy re- runs to get anywhere. Anyway, things are once again up and going here at House Tannius so expect more updates on my popular stories soon.