Until the End
Chapter 33
Finale
"Can you see anyone?" Ryoga whispered quietly to Ranma.
"No," Ranma replied. "Just a whole heck of a lot of darkness."
About 20 minutes had passed since they had heard the first mortar rounds being fired presumably at the Chinese, and everyone's nerves were understandably on edge. The Chinese could not have been more than a kilometer away from them, but there had yet to be any sign of them.
Movement behind the two caught there attention and they turned to look at the unexpected visitor. It was Parker.
"Just got word from the scouting team I sent out about a half hour ago. The Chinese are advancing, apparently those mortar rounds got them revved up, and they should come charging out here in about five minutes," Parker informed them.
"Thanks Phil," Ranma said softly. Parker nodded at both of them before quickly heading back into the thick shrubbery.
The two martial artists turned to look at each other.
"Long way from Nerima isn't Ranma?" Ryoga said.
"You said it buddy," Ranma intoned sadly. Silence befell the two for a moment.
"I just want you to know that no matter what happens here we'll be going home together," Ranma said softly. Ryoga affected him a gentle smile.
"You got it Saotome."
Without anything else to say, the two turned back to the far ridgeline, waiting for the inevitable appearance of the Chinese.
===============
As it turned out, Parker's estimate for how long it would take the Chinese to arrive was right on the dot. The artillery barrage started shelling the ridgeline without any signs of letting up. Luckily for the Allied troops, the Chinese Air Force had been beaten down into the ground for most of the war, so it could not spare any planes to run over the area to see where the troops were stationed, which led to poorly delivered artillery rounds that more often than not fell far out of range.
That's not to say that the barrage was ineffective, at least 3 squads were hammered by the artillery, all of which were not more than 20 feet from where Ranma and Ryoga had been positioned.
After an hour or so of it, the artillery stopped, and an eerie silence fell over the encampments. The only noise that could be heard was the moans and screams of those that were wounded. It then came as quite a shock when the sounds rifle shots began to ring out.
"Infantry! On the ridgeline!" a Japanese soldier screamed out. The declaration was followed out in both Russian and English shortly after.
Ranma and Ryoga found that they were positioned in just the right area that they could see the Chinese come pouring out of the woodlands. There needed no prompting from either of them, as both men brought there rifles to bear and began selecting targets.
Despite Ryoga's joking beforehand, he had actually found that he was quite a good shot, something that no doubt could be explained because of his extensive martial arts training. Keeping his hands firm and steady on the rifle was simple, even though he was facing an army that grossly outnumbered them, and was showing all the signs of a foe that was going to fight until the last man.
Round after round was fired and man after man fell. Ranma and Ryoga were selecting targets with a calm and cool aura, and eliminating them with no second thought spared to the fallen enemy. The emotions would come afterwards, but right now the two could only think about surviving this battle.
Despite the large number of Chinese that were falling, they were still pushing their way towards the Allied ridgeline. Machine gun nests began to hose approaching Chinese platoons and were in turn zeroed in by mortar teams. The action was intense, and men were falling quickly on both sides.
The deep rumbling felt in the ground was a signal that the Chinese Armor was about to enter the fray, and shortly after that thought crossed the minds of many of the men, the tanks emerged from the woods, their cold menace a promise of death and pain for all those that stood before it. The Allied Armor quickly made its presence known and the two sides began to fight it out, the metal machines fighting like two soldiers out in the middle of the battlefield. Explosive rounds were fired and landed all around the battlefield. Tanks and halftracks were hit and the sounds of the crew inside screaming were lost as the machine would become engulfed in flames, sending the men inside to a morbid death by fire.
The battle was barely even 2 hours begun, and already things were not looking good for the defenders of Siberia. The Chinese had begun to push them back, and at the moment, it looked as if their lines may be broken.
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1st Lieutenant Gogol listened solemnly as the sounds of battle raged to the west. He was part of the second force; the one that would move in from the rear flank and attempt to split the Chinese forces into two, and then hold them off till the Russian Air Force could arrive and bomb them into the ground.
Gogol had no illusions about the massive force he was going to be fighting, but he believed that they could win this battle. The Chinese were not going to take this part of his homeland and he would willingly give his life in this battle if it meant that the Chinese could be expelled from Russia, and sent running back to China.
Parker would send the word when they were supposed to attack, and already the urge was strong in the men to move now and save their comrades from fighting the battle by themselves, but they would hold till Parker gave the word.
Gogol's rifle felt heavy in his hands as he stood silently with the sounds of battle straight ahead of him. 'Let the order come,' Gogol thought to himself. 'The Chinese will not go one step further into Siberia.'
===============
Acting Prime Minister Isamu Kimura watched the clock that hung on the wall of his office remorsefully. While the thought that the forces in Siberia would be engaging right about now was floating around in his mind, he had a different matter that he was worrying over.
Shizuko had said that the Chinese had received some of the nuclear missiles that he had secretly developed over the past few years. The nuclear technicians that had been sent over from the UN had informed him earlier that morning that there were indeed missiles missing from their depots. That meant that China was capable of launching a nuclear strike at any country in the world of its choosing. If a miracle came to pass and the Russian, American, and Japanese forces in Siberia managed to defeat the Chinese, than Zhisheng would most likely launch a missile at either Moscow, Washington, or Tokyo. Or if he wanted, he could launch one at all of those targets.
Kimura had passed the news onto President Winnfield, and Winnfield has promised that he would get his government to locate those missiles and find a way to destroy them. Kimura wasn't holding his breath over whether the Americans may or may not find the missiles. The battle in Siberia could only last for a few more hours and if the Chinese lost, than it was entirely likely that a nuclear tipped missile could drop down on his head any second. Ordering a mass evacuation of the city would do only result in wide-spread panic and disorder.
The fate of the nation rests in the hands of the Americans right now.
===============
Parker pulled the spoon of the grenade and let it fly towards the approaching Chinese platoon. A few shouts in Chinese rang out and were followed shortly by the deafening detonation of the grenade. Parker popped up and fired a few rounds into the Chinese on the ground, making sure that they would not be getting up. He had gotten separated from his radioman a few moments ago, and knew that the other division would not move into action until he gave the word to go. As it stood now, the other division needed to move now, because the Chinese were at the ridgeline, and the fighting had quickly deteriorated into close-quarters battles. He knew that trench knives would be put into use, and thanked God that he had made sure to have everyone do some extra training in hand-to-hand combat.
The nearby rumbling of a tank shook him from his thoughts and he looked over to see a Russian M-2 Heavy Tank come rolling by. He got on his close-net radio and ordered them to halt. Sprinting the 20 feet to the tank Parker quickly ordered the driver to get him to the nearest platoon so he could find a radio. There was no room in the tank for Parker, so he had to sit on top of the hatch. It made for a pretty good target, especially considering that he had foolishly forgotten to remove the embroidered stars on his epilates.
The tank rumbled on and Parker soon remembered what it was like to be in one of the giant mechanical tools of war. The tank was headed out into the woodland area to go help out a Japanese contingent of infantry that had radioed for help a moment ago because of Chinese armor pinning them down. Parker hoped they hadn't been overrun yet, because he needed their radio.
===============
Things were not going well for Ranma and Ryoga. The Chinese had broken the line of defense and were now savagely moving up the flanks and showing no signs of slowing. The two martial artists had broken rank and charged up the line to hopefully lend some assistance to the men that were being assaulted by the Chinese. When they caught up though, they weren't prepared for the heavy Chinese presence. Tanks and halftracks covered the Chinese infantry as they charged up the middle, taking out mortar teams and temporary medic camps.
The sight of the Chinese shooting wounded and unarmed personnel set a deep fire in both men. Russian and American forces were assaulting the Chinese from the western corner of the area but the Chinese were moving unmolested through the northern portion of the lines.
Ryoga gave Ranma a glance before charging towards the Chinese, his rifle now hanging from his shoulder. He readied a few grenades and let them go as he ran, lobbing one towards a Chinese heavy tank. The grenade bounced off the open hatch and fell inside. The heavy *whoomp* that followed was all the confirmation that Ryoga needed to know the soldiers were dead. The Chinese now took notice of Ryoga as he let fly with another grenade, and they all reached a very short consensus that he should be shot and killed.
The Chinese soldiers dropped to a knee and fired at the fanged- soldier, which sent Ryoga scrambling for cover behind some trees. The sight of gunfire pelting the thick oak tree that Ryoga hid behind brought Ranma out of his daze and he slung his rifle round to his hands and opened fire on the Chinese soldiers. They were caught off guard and three men went down quick. The other soldiers scattered quickly as they assessed the new threat that was Ranma Saotome.
Ryoga took the opportunity to move from behind his cover and flung his last grenade towards a Chinese halftrack. It landed near the armored vehicles tracks and detonated, ripping to shreds the left side of the vehicles tracks, demobilizing it.
The Chinese were onto them now, and they split their remaining forces in two to face both men. Ranma was in the open and knew he had little chance to reach cover, so he performed the hand movements to invoke the Umisen-Ken, and slipped out of sight from the Chinese forces, leaving them baffled. Ryoga wasn't as lucky, and heavy fire was brought in on his position as he sprinted for cover. A heavy-explosive round exploded just a few feet from him, and the prevailing concussion sent him flying through the air. He quickly got control of his spin and fell to the ground without hurting himself. Bullets whizzed all around him and he had to duck behind a few trees again for cover.
Ranma had not been idle during this, and it became evident when a Chinese Light Tank suddenly found a grenade bouncing down its hatch. The tank had a few rounds left inside, and the resounding explosion was enough to knock most of the Chinese infantry in the area off their feet. Ranma moved swiftly through the Chinese positions, his movements ghost-like, and nigh invisible to the human eye. His hands lashed out, snapping the necks and stealing the lives of the enemy that surrounded him. In a few moments half the Chinese force was reduced to nothing but dead bodies. The other half that had been attacking Ryoga noticed this and shifted fire to bring Ranma under attack, but he wasn't visible, so they began firing madly.
Ryoga was out of grenades, and his rifle had fallen from his grasp when the tank shot had sent him flying through the air. His depression that had been built up over the past 5 years was suddenly brought to his mind as he let his body remember the techniques he had lost in his stay at the Chinese prison. A sickly green glow filled the area and the forest seemed to become illuminated all at once. Ryoga was at the center, his powerful arms slowly twisting and cultivating the ki that surrounded him. His hatred and sadness overwhelmed him and he let go of the power he had been holding in check.
"Shi Shi Houkodan!"
The enormous ball of ki shot into the air. American, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese forces alike stood dumbfounded as the ki erupted from the woods and filled out above it. It hung in the air for a moment, before it came slamming down into the woods with a force that had not been equaled that day. Trees were ripped from their roots and thrown through the air as if they couldn't have been heavier than a feather. The concussion that resulted was enough to rattle the bones of every soldier in Siberia. Those in the immediate vicinity were crushed to the Earth and had their breath stolen from them as the immeasurable force slammed down on them. The Chinese soldiers that had been the target of Ryoga's fury died as their breath was never returned to them.
There was a long period of silence that followed Ryoga's attack. The soldiers that had been fighting each other to the death only moments ago stood in confusion as the intense pressure around them slowly faded.
===============
Parker had been tossed quite casually from the top of the Russian tank when the blast from Ryoga's attack reached them. He had heard Ryoga's cry even though he was over a kilometer away from where Ranma and Ryoga had attacked the Chinese. The tank he had been riding on stopped and the soldiers inside popped out of the hatch to look out at the woodlands that still had the eerie green glow about them.
Parker got to his feet slowly, checking to make sure that he hadn't been injured in any way from his fall. He found himself shaking despite his best efforts. He had seen the power of Ryoga's Shi Shi Houkodan before, but what he had just seen surpassed anything he had ever seen. It was unlikely that anyone that had been near the man when he had let loose his fury would be alive or at least conscious when the heavy ball of ki came crashing down on them.
Parker heard the Japanese platoon he had been heading for approach him and he grabbed the radioman. The fighting had all but stopped after Ryoga's blast, and it was the perfect opportunity for the second division to move in and stop the Chinese for good. He could only hope that the break from fighting would last long enough for Gogol and the other soldiers to get into position.
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Ranma had been lucky. He was about 40 feet away from Ryoga when he had unleashed his attack, and was therefore in a prime position to run like the wind when he realized that it was gonna be the mother of all Shi Shi Houkodans. He had gotten an extra 60 feet from the blast center when it finally impacted, and he was still thrown for a loop.
After having the breath knocked out from him, Ranma was almost hit by several trees that had been uprooted and sent flying. It took him a few moments to get his breath back, but once he did he was running to where he suspected to find Ryoga.
The Lost Boy was in the center of an enormous crater, his body shaking violently, but Ryoga had managed to keep his footing and was still standing. The sickly green aura that had been emanating from his body dissipated and he looked around briefly, taking in the surroundings. The sight of the crushed and mangled bodies of the Chinese soldiers was the first things he saw, and it nearly made him nauseous. Before he could keel over, he felt a familiar presence and found himself enveloped in someone's powerful arms.
"Sheesh Ryoga, next time you decide to do that warn me," Ranma said chuckling next to Ryoga's head as he held him. Ryoga laughed as well, even though he felt like crying.
Both men picked up on the fact that there was no more gunfire or the earth shaking sound of tanks firing.
"Is it over?" Ryoga asked.
Ranma set Ryoga gently down onto the ground. "Not yet man, but I can tell most everybody's pissed their pants. You scared the shit outta everyone."
"Wasn't enough," Ryoga said remorsefully.
"You did your share and then some Ryoga," Ranma said sternly. "All you have to do is rest now, I'll finish up."
As Ranma stood, Ryoga's hand lashed out and gripped Ranma's arm.
"Don't die on me Ranma," Ryoga pleaded.
Ranma smirked, even though he was embarrassed. "Who do you think you're talking to huh? What are a few thousand Chinese soldiers when you've gone up against a flaming God or a son of a dragon?"
Ryoga smiled back before exhaustion took him and he released his hold on Ranma's arm as he drifted into unconsciousness. Ranma gave his hand a squeeze before laying it down and getting to his feet.
The sounds of battle began to ring out as Ranma made his way back out towards the battlefield. Ryoga had managed to take care of the Chinese that had broken through the defensive lines, so now the battle was once again raging out in front of the ridgeline. It hadn't been more than five minutes before the madness that was this battle soon broke out again.
Sadness flooded Ranma's body, but it was soon replaced by an intense anger. If everyone was so intent on fighting to death over some insignificant piece of land than they could go right ahead, but Ranma was not going to let them take away his chance to get back to Akane and his daughter, or from bringing Ryoga back home to his family.
Ranma's ki flared to life suddenly, and his intense aura suddenly expanded, his icy ki slowly forming around him. He emerged from the woods only to be greeted with a sight that would have made a lesser man feint. Soldiers were now fighting hand-to-hand, there knives ripping each other apart. Tanks rumbled over torn and fiery ground and crushed the corpses of those that had been killed or injured.
Ranma was not aware but the air surrounding him had begun to swirl, and his ki was expanding around him. The anger that grew within him had reached its peek, and Ranma let loose with an anguished scream.
The power of his voice carried across the battlefield, making men falter and stop in there attack. Much in the way Ryoga's attack made them stop fighting; Ranma's cry did the same.
Ranma was truly a sight to behold. He was standing just out of the dense wood, the air around him an icy blue color that swirled around him. Men stood in awe of him as his angry eyes swept over the battlefield. Unbeknownst to the most of them, a Chinese soldier had recognized the Japanese uniform on Ranma and took aim. The crack of his rifle ripped across the battlefield like a thunderbolt, startling men from their revere. His shot was good, as he was only a good 100 yards from the martial artist, and the round struck Ranma in the chest.
The shot was like a slap to the face of the other soldiers and they're intense fighting started again.
Ranma fell to his knees as he brought a hand up to the wound on his chest. The shot had missed his heart, and his back was in such pain that he knew it had to of passed through his body cleanly. The pain echoed throughout his body and tears came to his eyes. His vision blurred and his hands dropped to his sides. He swooned once, but stayed on his knees. Everything was beginning to darken around Ranma, and he could feel a strange calm sweep over him. Akane's face appeared before him as the world began to darken, and he smiled as his arm raised, and his hand reaching so that he could touch her cheek. Before he could touch her, the image faded, and Ranma fell to the dirt, his arm outstretched before him. Darkness engulfed him as he closed his eyes.
The battle raged on around him.
===============
Gogol leapt from the Humvee that had been carrying him and his platoon as soon as he was close enough to see the muzzle flashes of individual soldiers through the thick woods. He ordered his platoon to form up on him and then led them into the forest, towards the battlefield. Emerging from the trees gave everyone a sight that took their breaths away.
Standing far against the defensive ridgeline was a figure surrounded by a dark blue aura. It seemed to be swirling around the man as his feet slowly lifted from the ground. It took a moment before Gogol realized that the figure was Saotome, Parker's friend.
Ranma's intense ki seemed to sweep across the battlefield and capture the breaths of everyone in came into contact with. In moments the entire stretch of battle had been covered by the icy blue aura of the man that stood floating a few feet off the ground, his intense look peering deep into each soldier. In that moment Gogol felt his will for fighting seem to evaporate, and the heavy weight that was his guilt for the killing of so many men while fighting this war slammed down onto him. His rifle fell from his hands and dangled loosely by his shoulder.
Beside Gogol other soldiers were doing the same. It was a moment before anyone was able to notice the Chinese soldier taking aim on Saotome.
The shot seemed to echo deep into each man, much in the same way Ranma's look had, and that intensity that could only be felt while on the battlefield flooded their veins, as Saotome's aura faded and he drifted slowly to the ground. Rifles were picked up again and tanks resumed their terrible paths and earth-shaking fire.
Unnoticed by everyone, Ranma slowly fell to the earth, his body motionless as men died around him.
===============
Ryoga felt his eyes open rather than he actually noticed they did. He was lying on his back, and looking up through the thick canopy of trees at a wonderfully clear sky. It might have been a peaceful moment had it not been for the stench of dead bodies. Around Ryoga were the corpses of many Chinese soldiers, their faces screwed permanently into a position of sadness and horror. The full impact of what had happened just the day before hit him and he was suddenly overcome with the urge to empty his stomach.
He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic and glanced around him. There was a troubling calm about the whole area, and Ryoga began to wonder exactly what was missing to make him feel so worried.
Getting to his feet proved to be a task in itself, as his body told him just how much he had overused it the other day. He struggled to push the pain away, his mind telling him that he had more important things to do. He used trees as support as he maneuvered his way outside of the thick forest.
The battlefield looked remarkably different than it had the night before. During the night it had not been possible to see the actual extent of damage that was being dealt out by the weapons of war, but in daylight they became increasingly evident. There seemed to be not a single shred of earth that had not been ripped and torn by the battle the previous day. The sight of the large stacks of bodies was another thing that seemed to be clearer in daylight. The sheer volume of them made tears come to Ryoga's eyes. He stumbled and almost fell but a pair of arms caught him and held his steady.
"Whoa there pal," a deep voice rumbled out in English.
Ryoga looked up into the face of an American. He was one of the Green Berets that Parker had come in with.
"You okay?" the American asked in English. Ryoga nodded his head, and the American smiled. "Alright, General Parker's giving all you Japanese soldiers a speech at the north end of the field, its important so ya better haul ass over there."
Ryoga caught the gist of what the American soldier had said, and thanked him. He noticed the mass of men near the northern tip of the woodland and started over there. The other soldiers had apparently not been clearing bodies for very long, because Ryoga was forced to maneuver his steps around many dead bodies. It took him almost 20 minutes to reach the other Japanese soldiers.
Ryoga looked around and spotted Parker standing atop a Russian tank addressing the crowd. He had to strain to here what he was saying.
"-apan. You have done your country proud, and if there was any doubt that you were all soldiers than your actions have proved that sentiment wrong. Your skill in battle has stopped China from its tyrannical course, and set the enemy running."
Parker seemed to become solemn for a moment.
"Many of your friends were lost in battle last night, but they gave their lives so that you may live. You were forced into battle before by a madman, and you willingly went into battle again so that you could right the wrongs that had been committed. Every single man here has my most undying respect. I want you to go away from this battle, not with a heavy heart, but with your head held high. You are soldiers, the best I have ever had the honor of commanding. When you go back to your homes in Japan, let not anyone tell you otherwise."
Parker's words were puffing the men up, even when it looked like each man was drained to their last ounce, both physically and emotionally. They were hanging onto his every word, and a few of them seemed to be fighting back tears. Parker seemed to sense this and smiled at them. His hand snapped up to his forehead in a salute and the Japanese returned it with a salute and a bow. They held it for a long moment.
===============
Ryoga found Parker talking to a Russian general once everyone had begun to filter out. As he approached Parker noticed him and smiled. He excused himself from the general and made his way over.
"Well, if it isn't the man who single-handily stopped over 200,000 Chinese soldiers in their tracks," Parker proclaimed as he wrapped Ryoga up in a tight hug.
"Huh?"
Parker set Ryoga back on the ground and smiled. "Your blast last night stopped the Chinese long enough for me to get the second division into action."
"Oh," Ryoga said, looking down at the ground. "I-I killed a lot of people last night."
Parker saw the tortured look on Ryoga's face and sighed.
"Ryoga, you did what you had to do last night. We all did. You stopped a lot of people from dying with what you did, and there isn't a man here today that would not want to shake your hand."
Ryoga smiled. "Well, that might be nice, but right now I'd settle for seeing Ranma."
Parker's face showed his confusion. "You mean you haven't seen him?"
"Not since last night before I passed out. He said he was going to go finish up. I haven't seen him since."
Ryoga's voice had become slightly strained as he said the last bit. Parker put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Ryoga, Ranma made it this far in the war without getting hurt I'm sure he wouldn't do it right at the end, that just isn't his style. Ranma Saotome walks between raindrops."
Ryoga still wasn't convinced, and the feeling of dread that had crept up on him when he first awakened returned.
"W-we have to go find him Phil," Ryoga said quickly. "We promised each other that we'd both get through this together."
Parker nodded. "Alright, how's about you and me go do a quick look around?"
"O-okay," Ryoga said. Both quickly started off, with the same feeling of uneasiness about the whole situation.
===============
Ryoga's nervousness seemed to get worse by the minute. If Ranma had escaped the battle unscathed then there would have been no reason for Ranma to not have come back for him. Thoughts of seeing Ranma's corpse in the same condition as the many other dead soldiers made him want to feint. Other soldiers had not proved to be helpful, as none of them knew what Ranma looked like, and they didn't seem entirely willing to want to go about and look for one soldier that may or may not be dead.
He had made his way all the way back to the woodland where he had first emerged, and by then he was beginning to shake. Ryoga stopped and tried to sense Ranma rather than try to get a lucky break and see him, but there was no familiar presence near him so he decided to move on.
Ryoga had gone maybe another 10 feet before he nearly stepped on Ranma's body.
===============
Parker had started in the opposite direction as Ryoga, and had about as much luck as the fanged-soldier at first. It wasn't till he bumped into Gogol that he realized he was searching in vain.
"You wouldn't happen to have seen Ranma around here anywhere have you?" Parker asked as Gogol approached him. The sad look on the Russian's face did little to settle Parker's unease.
Gogol relayed all that he had seen last night, including the Chinese soldier that shot Ranma in the chest. He shamefully admitted that he had not gone to check on the man afterwards.
"The shot looked to be fatal, general. Even one as strong as Saotome could not have survived for very long."
Parker was about to offer a rebuke when they heard Ryoga's voice break out over the dim.
"Medic!"
===============
Ryoga looked down at his feet where the body lay. All doubts that it was Ranma were tossed aside as he noticed the long black pigtail just tucked inside of his helmet. He was afraid to even move, but after a long moment he finally knelt down, his hands reaching out hesitantly to touch Ranma gently on the arm. His hand moved up to his back, and he felt his hand run over the hole protruding from Ranma's back.
Tears came to his eyes and Ryoga flipped Ranma over onto his back. The front of his tunic was soaked with blood, and the wound on his chest had seemed to have gone right through his heart. He must have bled every last drop of blood in him.
"No," Ryoga whispered. He clutched Ranma's body to himself and began to weep. "Goddamnit you said you wouldn't die!" Sobs began to rack his body. "You said we'd go home together," he whimpered out.
Without thinking he screamed out for a medic. When no one answered he called out again. There was the sound of someone huffing and puffing as they came running at a full-sprint towards him.
An American Green Beret came charging up the ridge and pulled Ranma from Ryoga's arms. He placed his head to Ranma's chest when he failed to find a pulse in his neck and wrist.
"His hearts still beating," the American medic said in English. He opened up a sash he carried with him and placed a dressing over the wound on Ranma's chest. He reached underneath Ranma and found the exit wound and similarly dressed that wound as well. He grabbed at a radio he carried on his back and called for a chopper to come pick him up.
"Help me get him up," The medic ordered as he grabbed at Ranma's arms. Ryoga got to his feet and moved towards Ranma's legs. They hoisted him up and carried him down into the clearing where a chopper could safely land and pick them up. As they placed Ranma back on the ground Ryoga got a good look at Ranma's face. It looked pale beyond anything he had ever seen before. Even the bodies of the dead didn't seem as pale as Ranma.
"Will he be alright?" Ryoga asked in broken English. The medic looked thoughtfully at Ranma for a moment before answering.
"He's gonna need some surgery for sure, and a blood transfusion. If were lucky the chopper will be able to get us to a camp that's still in one piece and they'll be able to do some meatball surgery on him till we can get some transportation to a Russian hospital or maybe a cruiser out in the Pacific. If he can hold on till then he might just have a chance."
Ryoga nodded his head at the medic's words. The first chance they got he was going to have them get the blood for a transfusion from him. Ranma would need a lot, but he was determined to give him all of his own if it meant he'd awaken again.
The chopper appeared over the canopy of trees a few moments later, just as Ryoga heard someone approaching from behind them.
"Is he alive?" Parker asked, out of breath. Ryoga nodded, unable to speak. As the chopper touched down Parker ran towards the pilot. The pilot was dumbfounded and quickly snapped a salute as Parker appeared beside him.
"I want him to be taken to the closest thing that could be regarded as a hospital. Whatever other missions they had planned for you are effectively cancelled until he is in stable condition."
"But sir," the pilot stuttered.
"But nothing!" Parker flared. "He is to get the best attention and I don't give a flying fuck what anyone says at this point Lieutenant! If anyone gives you any trouble direct them to me, if they still don't get out of your way, I am giving you permission to shoot them."
The pilot heard the iron in Parker's voice and decided that it would be in his best interest to do whatever the hell he said.
"Y-yes sir," the pilot stammered and effected another salute but Parker was already walking away.
===============
President Winnfield took a long and deep breath as he sat down onto his chair in the Oval Office. The Joint Chiefs had just awoken him a half hour ago with the news that the Chinese had been defeated in Siberia, and were now in full retreat. The news had been the perfect way for him to start the day, though the next news delivered was not so pleasing.
Satellites had only been able to discover 2 of the missing nuclear warheads, which left 1 missing. Winnfield could not order the immediate destruction of the 2 warheads without knowing where the last one was, for it would be the perfect incentive for Zhisheng to launch the last hidden missile at a target of his choosing.
While continued surveillance of China was continuing, they had yet to discover where the last missile was hidden. With the defeat of the Chinese army in Siberia, Zhisheng would most likely order the launch of the missiles, but there was a chance that he wouldn't. That was the dilemma facing Winnfield. He could both order the immediate destruction of the other two warheads and have Zhisheng launch the third, or wait, and hope that the man showed some restraint and didn't launch any of them, thereby giving them time to find the last missile. The problem with that was he might launch all 3 missiles once he learned of his army's defeat.
None of the options were safe in any manner, and the advice from his staff was not very helpful. He would have preferred to just send out a squadron of B-52 bombers and let them bomb the two missile sites and then have them go and take out Zhisheng in Beijing, but that would not go over very well with the world press or the UN.
Winnfield laid his head down onto his desk and sighed. It was going to be a long day.
===============
Premier Zhisheng was not having a very good morning. He had been awoken early in the morning with the message that his invasion force had been defeated and captured in Siberia, and all remaining forces were on the retreat. He had ordered a meeting of his top advisors shortly thereafter.
"Were you not the same men that promised me a simple victory not even 12 hours ago?!" Zhisheng bellowed as he slammed his fist down onto the large table. The men around the table cringed.
"Sir, we did not factor into the equation that the Americans and Russians would use the Japanese prisoners they acquired before the Japanese defected," a PLA general explained.
"Well the Russians certainly did!" Zhisheng shouted. "Even with those pitiful Japs how the hell could they have defeated our forces?"
"It would seem sir," the same general started shakily, "that the enemy split itself into two halves and outflanked us as well as cut up the middle of our army, then encircled them. A few hours of fighting ensued and we looked to have the advantage, but Russian bombers arrived shortly before dawn and attacked. Our army surrendered not too long afterwards."
Zhisheng visibly forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and then let it out.
"So what options are available to us right now?" he asked.
"Well sir, we do have the nuclear missiles that Japan was able to smuggle out to us before they exited the war."
"And how am I to know that our enemy does not also have knowledge of this?!" Zhisheng demanded.
"Even if they do know sir, it is very unlikely that they would know the positions of our missiles," an aide responded.
"What targets are available to us?" Zhisheng asked, his demeanor calmer than before.
"Most anywhere in Russia sir, as well as Japan. We can hit some targets on the American coastline and maybe a few states inland."
"Alright," Zhisheng said. "We will launch our nuclear missiles, and we will deal a blow to our enemies that they will not soon forget."
The men around the table readily agreed to the line of reasoning. Before anyone could go on though, the door of the room burst open and Zhisheng's personal secretary came running in.
"I said that I was not to be disturbed!" Zhisheng admonished.
"I apologize sir," the secretary bowed. "But this message just came in and it was of the utmost urgency."
Zhisheng grabbed the paper from the secretary's hand and skimmed the document. By the third line he had paled clearly, and his hands were shaking. The document fell from his hands and Zhisheng feinted. One of the aides knelt down to retrieve the paper and read it.
===============================================================
Top Secret
Eyes only Premier Zhisheng
At around 0400 hours, the convey taking one of the warheads to its destination point in Bayankala Range, Qing Hai Province, was attacked. PLA soldiers were either captured or killed and nuclear technicians were captured. The warhead was taken as well, and the following message from the attackers provided.
Dear Beijing;
We are the Joketsuzoku. A tribe of Amazons that
has little care over your policies and world-wide desires for world dominance. We have taken possession of this nuclear device and its engineers to stop your petty little game of world conquest. If you desire to continue this war, do so with the knowledge that we will launch this nuclear device with the aide of your technicians at Beijing, with the intention of killing you and your pitiful government. If you do not send surrender to the Russians and Americans in 24 hours of you acquiring this message, we will send your weapon back to you in a manner you shall find most unpleasant.
Signed,
Elder Kho Lon of the Joketsuzoku
End of message
===============
Ranma felt his chest begin to send pain messages to his brain as soon as he awoke, which was odd, considering that he had been quite sure that you stopped feeling pain after you died. He opened his eyes to realize that he was not dead, and was in fact alive, though in a heck of a lot of pain.
"Oh shit," Ranma moaned as the stitches sealing the wound on his chest and back stretched and pulled with every movement he made. He looked around and realized that he was in a hospital room, though it was quite dirty. His body shook again as another shot of pain lanced through him. "Ain't hospitals supposed to supply their patients with morphine?" Ranma asked the empty room, or what he thought was an empty room.
"Normally yes, but this particular hospital ran out of morphine a couple of weeks ago," a voice answered in Japanese from across the room.
Ranma spun around and looked to where the voice had come from, a move that was a mistake as his body protested quite loudly that it wasn't in any shape to do so. He fell back onto the bed he was on and nearly screamed out.
"Careful Ranma, those stitches are only a couple hours old, and we don't need you ripping them," the person responded.
"Who are you?" Ranma asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. The sound of footsteps sounded and they stopped just to the side of him. Ranma cracked his eyes open so he could get a look at who it was.
"I'm hurt that'd you forget me," Ishii Inafune said with a smirk.
"Ishii?" Ranma said in disbelief. "H-how the hell did you find out I was hear?"
Ishii smiled and sat down on a nearby chair.
"Parker got a call relayed to Kimura a couple hours after the doctors decided you were going to actually make it. Akane and Akari of course wanted to go, but since the Chinese surrender is still quite new and it was a worry that they may not decide to follow through with it, I opted to go instead, something that will no doubt earn me a few beatings by yours and Hibiki's wife."
"It's good to see you," Ranma said. "Really good."
Ishii smiled again. "Well, just as soon as the doctors decide that you won't kill yourself by trying to leave, Parker has arranged for a Navy plane to take you, me, Hibiki, and someone else back to Japan."
"Someone else?" Ranma asked.
"Just a sec, I think she was waiting outside," Ishii said as he got to his feet and walked out of the room. He came in a few moments later holding the hand of a small child. "Parker said that this little angel was going to be very interested in seeing you again."
"Natalie," Ranma breathed softly. The child looked at Ranma shyly for a moment that released Ishii's hand and rushed towards Ranma's bed. She hopped up and latched herself onto Ranma's waist.
"Now Ranma," Ishii began, "I'm not one to judge, but I can certainly say that Akane is not going to be happy when you bring home other children."
Ranma was snapped out of his shock and laughed. "Well, not quite, but I'm sure she'll understand, I just hope she decides to hear me out before deciding to hit me all the way back to Russia."
Ishii smiled. "Well, as soon as Hibiki regains consciousness, we'll be able to have a little talk about everything that has happened in the past 6 months."
"What happened to Ryoga?" Ranma asked worriedly.
"Oh, well when they brought you in here you needed a blood transfusion more than anything and before the docs could go scrounging for some Ryoga was rolling up his sleeve. You needed a bunch, and Ryoga has been a little out of it for the past little while."
Ranma shook his head a few times and laughed. "I'm gonna give him a thorough talking to as soon as he wakes up. I didn't go through all that trouble just to have him kill himself for my behalf." Ishii laughed as well. "So where's Parker? I thought he'd be the first one to want to come back to Japan with us."
"Oh don't worry, he'll be coming back, it's just that with the Chinese surrender he's got a little bit more work on his hands than he first thought he would."
"I thought I heard you say the Chinese surrendered before," Ranma said as he reached down and picked Natalie up and brought her close to his chest. The small girl snuggled close to him and laid her head onto his chest. The pain that accompanied the movement was little consequence to him.
"Oh trust me; it came as quite a shock to everyone else as well. You aren't going to believe why they surrendered either," Ishii said with a laugh. Ranma gave him a curious look. "I'll wait till Ryoga comes around; this is something I'll only be able to tell once without falling over laughing."
===============
Ryoga woke up much sooner than expected, and joined them all in Ranma's room where the two martial artists hugged each other as they both struggled to hold back tears. As soon as they both had calmed down Ishii related the story of why the Chinese surrendered, which resulted in both Ranma and Ryoga being reduced to tears once again, though this time from laughing. Ryoga took the story of what happened with Natalie at face value, and the little Russian girl took to Ryoga almost as fast as she had to Ranma. As it was, Ryoga was holding Natalie in his arms when the door to the room opened and two men walked in.
"Good morning gentlemen," General Phillip Parker said with a smile as everyone in the room looked dumbly at him and the man he came in with. "Allow me to introduce the President of Russia."
President Andropov laughed at the reactions of Ranma, Ryoga, and Ishii and shook hands with all of them.
"When it came time for President Andropov to hear the story of how we beat the Chinese yesterday, it came about that there were two Japanese soldiers who were quite instrumental in the victory."
Andropov then surprised Ranma and Ryoga by presenting them with medals. He said something to them in Russian and Parker translated.
"You have my utmost respect for your actions in battle. Both of you are heroes to Russia, and we are forever in your debt."
Andropov kissed each of them once on the cheek and then had Parker take a photograph of him pinning the medals to their chests. He left a little after that, leaving Parker to explain everything.
"You two just received the highest medals for valor that the Russian army gives out, you should be damn proud," Parker explained. To his amusement both Ranma and Ryoga blushed. "Just so you know, I've had a talk with President Winnfield and he is going to personally pin the Distinguished Service Cross on both of you in a couple of weeks, and I'm sure that Kimura will have a little ceremony for the both of you once you arrive back in Japan. Congratulations, your both certifiable heroes."
The news hit both martial artists hard and they sat in a dazed stupor for a long moment.
===============
The next morning Parker saw them both out to the Navy transport that would fly them to Japan. He gave everyone a hug, and in turn received a kiss from Natalie.
"Don't you guys worry about taking Natalie either. President Andropov assured me that he would personally approve your adoption of her into the Saotome family."
"Thank you for everything Phil," Ranma said. "We both owe you more than you can imagine." Ryoga nodded his agreement.
"Aw hell you guys," Parker said with a smile. "I was just doing what I get paid to do. Now, when you two get home I want you both to try and stress to Akane and Akari that I didn't hold you up here any longer than needed."
Ranma and Ryoga laughed hard.
"Don't worry Phil," Ryoga said. "I'm sure that by the time you get back to Japan we'll have everything straightened out and it'll be safe for you to come over."
"Good," Parker said. He gave them another smile and then saluted. The two returned it enthusiastically. Parker smiled again and then turned his back and walked out to a helicopter that was waiting to take him into China.
Ranma and Ryoga turned to each other and sighed.
"Well, it's been a hell of a ride but, were finally going home," Ranma said.
Ryoga looked at the ground as he tried to fight the tears that threatened to spill.
"Home," Ryoga mouthed, the word seeming like a dream as he said it.
Ranma smiled and threw his arm over Ryoga's shoulder and they walked towards the plane that would carry them back to Japan.
===============
Author's Notes: Well, there it is the last chapter of Until the End. Don't scream. I'll have everybody come together in the epilogue, which I'll release in a week or so.
I want to take this time to thank everybody that has stayed with this story and Balance of Power over the last 3 years. It's been an amazing time and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all those that read the story and offered me their praise and even their criticism. You have all been instrumental in shaping this story, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Chapter 33
Finale
"Can you see anyone?" Ryoga whispered quietly to Ranma.
"No," Ranma replied. "Just a whole heck of a lot of darkness."
About 20 minutes had passed since they had heard the first mortar rounds being fired presumably at the Chinese, and everyone's nerves were understandably on edge. The Chinese could not have been more than a kilometer away from them, but there had yet to be any sign of them.
Movement behind the two caught there attention and they turned to look at the unexpected visitor. It was Parker.
"Just got word from the scouting team I sent out about a half hour ago. The Chinese are advancing, apparently those mortar rounds got them revved up, and they should come charging out here in about five minutes," Parker informed them.
"Thanks Phil," Ranma said softly. Parker nodded at both of them before quickly heading back into the thick shrubbery.
The two martial artists turned to look at each other.
"Long way from Nerima isn't Ranma?" Ryoga said.
"You said it buddy," Ranma intoned sadly. Silence befell the two for a moment.
"I just want you to know that no matter what happens here we'll be going home together," Ranma said softly. Ryoga affected him a gentle smile.
"You got it Saotome."
Without anything else to say, the two turned back to the far ridgeline, waiting for the inevitable appearance of the Chinese.
===============
As it turned out, Parker's estimate for how long it would take the Chinese to arrive was right on the dot. The artillery barrage started shelling the ridgeline without any signs of letting up. Luckily for the Allied troops, the Chinese Air Force had been beaten down into the ground for most of the war, so it could not spare any planes to run over the area to see where the troops were stationed, which led to poorly delivered artillery rounds that more often than not fell far out of range.
That's not to say that the barrage was ineffective, at least 3 squads were hammered by the artillery, all of which were not more than 20 feet from where Ranma and Ryoga had been positioned.
After an hour or so of it, the artillery stopped, and an eerie silence fell over the encampments. The only noise that could be heard was the moans and screams of those that were wounded. It then came as quite a shock when the sounds rifle shots began to ring out.
"Infantry! On the ridgeline!" a Japanese soldier screamed out. The declaration was followed out in both Russian and English shortly after.
Ranma and Ryoga found that they were positioned in just the right area that they could see the Chinese come pouring out of the woodlands. There needed no prompting from either of them, as both men brought there rifles to bear and began selecting targets.
Despite Ryoga's joking beforehand, he had actually found that he was quite a good shot, something that no doubt could be explained because of his extensive martial arts training. Keeping his hands firm and steady on the rifle was simple, even though he was facing an army that grossly outnumbered them, and was showing all the signs of a foe that was going to fight until the last man.
Round after round was fired and man after man fell. Ranma and Ryoga were selecting targets with a calm and cool aura, and eliminating them with no second thought spared to the fallen enemy. The emotions would come afterwards, but right now the two could only think about surviving this battle.
Despite the large number of Chinese that were falling, they were still pushing their way towards the Allied ridgeline. Machine gun nests began to hose approaching Chinese platoons and were in turn zeroed in by mortar teams. The action was intense, and men were falling quickly on both sides.
The deep rumbling felt in the ground was a signal that the Chinese Armor was about to enter the fray, and shortly after that thought crossed the minds of many of the men, the tanks emerged from the woods, their cold menace a promise of death and pain for all those that stood before it. The Allied Armor quickly made its presence known and the two sides began to fight it out, the metal machines fighting like two soldiers out in the middle of the battlefield. Explosive rounds were fired and landed all around the battlefield. Tanks and halftracks were hit and the sounds of the crew inside screaming were lost as the machine would become engulfed in flames, sending the men inside to a morbid death by fire.
The battle was barely even 2 hours begun, and already things were not looking good for the defenders of Siberia. The Chinese had begun to push them back, and at the moment, it looked as if their lines may be broken.
===============
1st Lieutenant Gogol listened solemnly as the sounds of battle raged to the west. He was part of the second force; the one that would move in from the rear flank and attempt to split the Chinese forces into two, and then hold them off till the Russian Air Force could arrive and bomb them into the ground.
Gogol had no illusions about the massive force he was going to be fighting, but he believed that they could win this battle. The Chinese were not going to take this part of his homeland and he would willingly give his life in this battle if it meant that the Chinese could be expelled from Russia, and sent running back to China.
Parker would send the word when they were supposed to attack, and already the urge was strong in the men to move now and save their comrades from fighting the battle by themselves, but they would hold till Parker gave the word.
Gogol's rifle felt heavy in his hands as he stood silently with the sounds of battle straight ahead of him. 'Let the order come,' Gogol thought to himself. 'The Chinese will not go one step further into Siberia.'
===============
Acting Prime Minister Isamu Kimura watched the clock that hung on the wall of his office remorsefully. While the thought that the forces in Siberia would be engaging right about now was floating around in his mind, he had a different matter that he was worrying over.
Shizuko had said that the Chinese had received some of the nuclear missiles that he had secretly developed over the past few years. The nuclear technicians that had been sent over from the UN had informed him earlier that morning that there were indeed missiles missing from their depots. That meant that China was capable of launching a nuclear strike at any country in the world of its choosing. If a miracle came to pass and the Russian, American, and Japanese forces in Siberia managed to defeat the Chinese, than Zhisheng would most likely launch a missile at either Moscow, Washington, or Tokyo. Or if he wanted, he could launch one at all of those targets.
Kimura had passed the news onto President Winnfield, and Winnfield has promised that he would get his government to locate those missiles and find a way to destroy them. Kimura wasn't holding his breath over whether the Americans may or may not find the missiles. The battle in Siberia could only last for a few more hours and if the Chinese lost, than it was entirely likely that a nuclear tipped missile could drop down on his head any second. Ordering a mass evacuation of the city would do only result in wide-spread panic and disorder.
The fate of the nation rests in the hands of the Americans right now.
===============
Parker pulled the spoon of the grenade and let it fly towards the approaching Chinese platoon. A few shouts in Chinese rang out and were followed shortly by the deafening detonation of the grenade. Parker popped up and fired a few rounds into the Chinese on the ground, making sure that they would not be getting up. He had gotten separated from his radioman a few moments ago, and knew that the other division would not move into action until he gave the word to go. As it stood now, the other division needed to move now, because the Chinese were at the ridgeline, and the fighting had quickly deteriorated into close-quarters battles. He knew that trench knives would be put into use, and thanked God that he had made sure to have everyone do some extra training in hand-to-hand combat.
The nearby rumbling of a tank shook him from his thoughts and he looked over to see a Russian M-2 Heavy Tank come rolling by. He got on his close-net radio and ordered them to halt. Sprinting the 20 feet to the tank Parker quickly ordered the driver to get him to the nearest platoon so he could find a radio. There was no room in the tank for Parker, so he had to sit on top of the hatch. It made for a pretty good target, especially considering that he had foolishly forgotten to remove the embroidered stars on his epilates.
The tank rumbled on and Parker soon remembered what it was like to be in one of the giant mechanical tools of war. The tank was headed out into the woodland area to go help out a Japanese contingent of infantry that had radioed for help a moment ago because of Chinese armor pinning them down. Parker hoped they hadn't been overrun yet, because he needed their radio.
===============
Things were not going well for Ranma and Ryoga. The Chinese had broken the line of defense and were now savagely moving up the flanks and showing no signs of slowing. The two martial artists had broken rank and charged up the line to hopefully lend some assistance to the men that were being assaulted by the Chinese. When they caught up though, they weren't prepared for the heavy Chinese presence. Tanks and halftracks covered the Chinese infantry as they charged up the middle, taking out mortar teams and temporary medic camps.
The sight of the Chinese shooting wounded and unarmed personnel set a deep fire in both men. Russian and American forces were assaulting the Chinese from the western corner of the area but the Chinese were moving unmolested through the northern portion of the lines.
Ryoga gave Ranma a glance before charging towards the Chinese, his rifle now hanging from his shoulder. He readied a few grenades and let them go as he ran, lobbing one towards a Chinese heavy tank. The grenade bounced off the open hatch and fell inside. The heavy *whoomp* that followed was all the confirmation that Ryoga needed to know the soldiers were dead. The Chinese now took notice of Ryoga as he let fly with another grenade, and they all reached a very short consensus that he should be shot and killed.
The Chinese soldiers dropped to a knee and fired at the fanged- soldier, which sent Ryoga scrambling for cover behind some trees. The sight of gunfire pelting the thick oak tree that Ryoga hid behind brought Ranma out of his daze and he slung his rifle round to his hands and opened fire on the Chinese soldiers. They were caught off guard and three men went down quick. The other soldiers scattered quickly as they assessed the new threat that was Ranma Saotome.
Ryoga took the opportunity to move from behind his cover and flung his last grenade towards a Chinese halftrack. It landed near the armored vehicles tracks and detonated, ripping to shreds the left side of the vehicles tracks, demobilizing it.
The Chinese were onto them now, and they split their remaining forces in two to face both men. Ranma was in the open and knew he had little chance to reach cover, so he performed the hand movements to invoke the Umisen-Ken, and slipped out of sight from the Chinese forces, leaving them baffled. Ryoga wasn't as lucky, and heavy fire was brought in on his position as he sprinted for cover. A heavy-explosive round exploded just a few feet from him, and the prevailing concussion sent him flying through the air. He quickly got control of his spin and fell to the ground without hurting himself. Bullets whizzed all around him and he had to duck behind a few trees again for cover.
Ranma had not been idle during this, and it became evident when a Chinese Light Tank suddenly found a grenade bouncing down its hatch. The tank had a few rounds left inside, and the resounding explosion was enough to knock most of the Chinese infantry in the area off their feet. Ranma moved swiftly through the Chinese positions, his movements ghost-like, and nigh invisible to the human eye. His hands lashed out, snapping the necks and stealing the lives of the enemy that surrounded him. In a few moments half the Chinese force was reduced to nothing but dead bodies. The other half that had been attacking Ryoga noticed this and shifted fire to bring Ranma under attack, but he wasn't visible, so they began firing madly.
Ryoga was out of grenades, and his rifle had fallen from his grasp when the tank shot had sent him flying through the air. His depression that had been built up over the past 5 years was suddenly brought to his mind as he let his body remember the techniques he had lost in his stay at the Chinese prison. A sickly green glow filled the area and the forest seemed to become illuminated all at once. Ryoga was at the center, his powerful arms slowly twisting and cultivating the ki that surrounded him. His hatred and sadness overwhelmed him and he let go of the power he had been holding in check.
"Shi Shi Houkodan!"
The enormous ball of ki shot into the air. American, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese forces alike stood dumbfounded as the ki erupted from the woods and filled out above it. It hung in the air for a moment, before it came slamming down into the woods with a force that had not been equaled that day. Trees were ripped from their roots and thrown through the air as if they couldn't have been heavier than a feather. The concussion that resulted was enough to rattle the bones of every soldier in Siberia. Those in the immediate vicinity were crushed to the Earth and had their breath stolen from them as the immeasurable force slammed down on them. The Chinese soldiers that had been the target of Ryoga's fury died as their breath was never returned to them.
There was a long period of silence that followed Ryoga's attack. The soldiers that had been fighting each other to the death only moments ago stood in confusion as the intense pressure around them slowly faded.
===============
Parker had been tossed quite casually from the top of the Russian tank when the blast from Ryoga's attack reached them. He had heard Ryoga's cry even though he was over a kilometer away from where Ranma and Ryoga had attacked the Chinese. The tank he had been riding on stopped and the soldiers inside popped out of the hatch to look out at the woodlands that still had the eerie green glow about them.
Parker got to his feet slowly, checking to make sure that he hadn't been injured in any way from his fall. He found himself shaking despite his best efforts. He had seen the power of Ryoga's Shi Shi Houkodan before, but what he had just seen surpassed anything he had ever seen. It was unlikely that anyone that had been near the man when he had let loose his fury would be alive or at least conscious when the heavy ball of ki came crashing down on them.
Parker heard the Japanese platoon he had been heading for approach him and he grabbed the radioman. The fighting had all but stopped after Ryoga's blast, and it was the perfect opportunity for the second division to move in and stop the Chinese for good. He could only hope that the break from fighting would last long enough for Gogol and the other soldiers to get into position.
===============
Ranma had been lucky. He was about 40 feet away from Ryoga when he had unleashed his attack, and was therefore in a prime position to run like the wind when he realized that it was gonna be the mother of all Shi Shi Houkodans. He had gotten an extra 60 feet from the blast center when it finally impacted, and he was still thrown for a loop.
After having the breath knocked out from him, Ranma was almost hit by several trees that had been uprooted and sent flying. It took him a few moments to get his breath back, but once he did he was running to where he suspected to find Ryoga.
The Lost Boy was in the center of an enormous crater, his body shaking violently, but Ryoga had managed to keep his footing and was still standing. The sickly green aura that had been emanating from his body dissipated and he looked around briefly, taking in the surroundings. The sight of the crushed and mangled bodies of the Chinese soldiers was the first things he saw, and it nearly made him nauseous. Before he could keel over, he felt a familiar presence and found himself enveloped in someone's powerful arms.
"Sheesh Ryoga, next time you decide to do that warn me," Ranma said chuckling next to Ryoga's head as he held him. Ryoga laughed as well, even though he felt like crying.
Both men picked up on the fact that there was no more gunfire or the earth shaking sound of tanks firing.
"Is it over?" Ryoga asked.
Ranma set Ryoga gently down onto the ground. "Not yet man, but I can tell most everybody's pissed their pants. You scared the shit outta everyone."
"Wasn't enough," Ryoga said remorsefully.
"You did your share and then some Ryoga," Ranma said sternly. "All you have to do is rest now, I'll finish up."
As Ranma stood, Ryoga's hand lashed out and gripped Ranma's arm.
"Don't die on me Ranma," Ryoga pleaded.
Ranma smirked, even though he was embarrassed. "Who do you think you're talking to huh? What are a few thousand Chinese soldiers when you've gone up against a flaming God or a son of a dragon?"
Ryoga smiled back before exhaustion took him and he released his hold on Ranma's arm as he drifted into unconsciousness. Ranma gave his hand a squeeze before laying it down and getting to his feet.
The sounds of battle began to ring out as Ranma made his way back out towards the battlefield. Ryoga had managed to take care of the Chinese that had broken through the defensive lines, so now the battle was once again raging out in front of the ridgeline. It hadn't been more than five minutes before the madness that was this battle soon broke out again.
Sadness flooded Ranma's body, but it was soon replaced by an intense anger. If everyone was so intent on fighting to death over some insignificant piece of land than they could go right ahead, but Ranma was not going to let them take away his chance to get back to Akane and his daughter, or from bringing Ryoga back home to his family.
Ranma's ki flared to life suddenly, and his intense aura suddenly expanded, his icy ki slowly forming around him. He emerged from the woods only to be greeted with a sight that would have made a lesser man feint. Soldiers were now fighting hand-to-hand, there knives ripping each other apart. Tanks rumbled over torn and fiery ground and crushed the corpses of those that had been killed or injured.
Ranma was not aware but the air surrounding him had begun to swirl, and his ki was expanding around him. The anger that grew within him had reached its peek, and Ranma let loose with an anguished scream.
The power of his voice carried across the battlefield, making men falter and stop in there attack. Much in the way Ryoga's attack made them stop fighting; Ranma's cry did the same.
Ranma was truly a sight to behold. He was standing just out of the dense wood, the air around him an icy blue color that swirled around him. Men stood in awe of him as his angry eyes swept over the battlefield. Unbeknownst to the most of them, a Chinese soldier had recognized the Japanese uniform on Ranma and took aim. The crack of his rifle ripped across the battlefield like a thunderbolt, startling men from their revere. His shot was good, as he was only a good 100 yards from the martial artist, and the round struck Ranma in the chest.
The shot was like a slap to the face of the other soldiers and they're intense fighting started again.
Ranma fell to his knees as he brought a hand up to the wound on his chest. The shot had missed his heart, and his back was in such pain that he knew it had to of passed through his body cleanly. The pain echoed throughout his body and tears came to his eyes. His vision blurred and his hands dropped to his sides. He swooned once, but stayed on his knees. Everything was beginning to darken around Ranma, and he could feel a strange calm sweep over him. Akane's face appeared before him as the world began to darken, and he smiled as his arm raised, and his hand reaching so that he could touch her cheek. Before he could touch her, the image faded, and Ranma fell to the dirt, his arm outstretched before him. Darkness engulfed him as he closed his eyes.
The battle raged on around him.
===============
Gogol leapt from the Humvee that had been carrying him and his platoon as soon as he was close enough to see the muzzle flashes of individual soldiers through the thick woods. He ordered his platoon to form up on him and then led them into the forest, towards the battlefield. Emerging from the trees gave everyone a sight that took their breaths away.
Standing far against the defensive ridgeline was a figure surrounded by a dark blue aura. It seemed to be swirling around the man as his feet slowly lifted from the ground. It took a moment before Gogol realized that the figure was Saotome, Parker's friend.
Ranma's intense ki seemed to sweep across the battlefield and capture the breaths of everyone in came into contact with. In moments the entire stretch of battle had been covered by the icy blue aura of the man that stood floating a few feet off the ground, his intense look peering deep into each soldier. In that moment Gogol felt his will for fighting seem to evaporate, and the heavy weight that was his guilt for the killing of so many men while fighting this war slammed down onto him. His rifle fell from his hands and dangled loosely by his shoulder.
Beside Gogol other soldiers were doing the same. It was a moment before anyone was able to notice the Chinese soldier taking aim on Saotome.
The shot seemed to echo deep into each man, much in the same way Ranma's look had, and that intensity that could only be felt while on the battlefield flooded their veins, as Saotome's aura faded and he drifted slowly to the ground. Rifles were picked up again and tanks resumed their terrible paths and earth-shaking fire.
Unnoticed by everyone, Ranma slowly fell to the earth, his body motionless as men died around him.
===============
Ryoga felt his eyes open rather than he actually noticed they did. He was lying on his back, and looking up through the thick canopy of trees at a wonderfully clear sky. It might have been a peaceful moment had it not been for the stench of dead bodies. Around Ryoga were the corpses of many Chinese soldiers, their faces screwed permanently into a position of sadness and horror. The full impact of what had happened just the day before hit him and he was suddenly overcome with the urge to empty his stomach.
He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic and glanced around him. There was a troubling calm about the whole area, and Ryoga began to wonder exactly what was missing to make him feel so worried.
Getting to his feet proved to be a task in itself, as his body told him just how much he had overused it the other day. He struggled to push the pain away, his mind telling him that he had more important things to do. He used trees as support as he maneuvered his way outside of the thick forest.
The battlefield looked remarkably different than it had the night before. During the night it had not been possible to see the actual extent of damage that was being dealt out by the weapons of war, but in daylight they became increasingly evident. There seemed to be not a single shred of earth that had not been ripped and torn by the battle the previous day. The sight of the large stacks of bodies was another thing that seemed to be clearer in daylight. The sheer volume of them made tears come to Ryoga's eyes. He stumbled and almost fell but a pair of arms caught him and held his steady.
"Whoa there pal," a deep voice rumbled out in English.
Ryoga looked up into the face of an American. He was one of the Green Berets that Parker had come in with.
"You okay?" the American asked in English. Ryoga nodded his head, and the American smiled. "Alright, General Parker's giving all you Japanese soldiers a speech at the north end of the field, its important so ya better haul ass over there."
Ryoga caught the gist of what the American soldier had said, and thanked him. He noticed the mass of men near the northern tip of the woodland and started over there. The other soldiers had apparently not been clearing bodies for very long, because Ryoga was forced to maneuver his steps around many dead bodies. It took him almost 20 minutes to reach the other Japanese soldiers.
Ryoga looked around and spotted Parker standing atop a Russian tank addressing the crowd. He had to strain to here what he was saying.
"-apan. You have done your country proud, and if there was any doubt that you were all soldiers than your actions have proved that sentiment wrong. Your skill in battle has stopped China from its tyrannical course, and set the enemy running."
Parker seemed to become solemn for a moment.
"Many of your friends were lost in battle last night, but they gave their lives so that you may live. You were forced into battle before by a madman, and you willingly went into battle again so that you could right the wrongs that had been committed. Every single man here has my most undying respect. I want you to go away from this battle, not with a heavy heart, but with your head held high. You are soldiers, the best I have ever had the honor of commanding. When you go back to your homes in Japan, let not anyone tell you otherwise."
Parker's words were puffing the men up, even when it looked like each man was drained to their last ounce, both physically and emotionally. They were hanging onto his every word, and a few of them seemed to be fighting back tears. Parker seemed to sense this and smiled at them. His hand snapped up to his forehead in a salute and the Japanese returned it with a salute and a bow. They held it for a long moment.
===============
Ryoga found Parker talking to a Russian general once everyone had begun to filter out. As he approached Parker noticed him and smiled. He excused himself from the general and made his way over.
"Well, if it isn't the man who single-handily stopped over 200,000 Chinese soldiers in their tracks," Parker proclaimed as he wrapped Ryoga up in a tight hug.
"Huh?"
Parker set Ryoga back on the ground and smiled. "Your blast last night stopped the Chinese long enough for me to get the second division into action."
"Oh," Ryoga said, looking down at the ground. "I-I killed a lot of people last night."
Parker saw the tortured look on Ryoga's face and sighed.
"Ryoga, you did what you had to do last night. We all did. You stopped a lot of people from dying with what you did, and there isn't a man here today that would not want to shake your hand."
Ryoga smiled. "Well, that might be nice, but right now I'd settle for seeing Ranma."
Parker's face showed his confusion. "You mean you haven't seen him?"
"Not since last night before I passed out. He said he was going to go finish up. I haven't seen him since."
Ryoga's voice had become slightly strained as he said the last bit. Parker put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Ryoga, Ranma made it this far in the war without getting hurt I'm sure he wouldn't do it right at the end, that just isn't his style. Ranma Saotome walks between raindrops."
Ryoga still wasn't convinced, and the feeling of dread that had crept up on him when he first awakened returned.
"W-we have to go find him Phil," Ryoga said quickly. "We promised each other that we'd both get through this together."
Parker nodded. "Alright, how's about you and me go do a quick look around?"
"O-okay," Ryoga said. Both quickly started off, with the same feeling of uneasiness about the whole situation.
===============
Ryoga's nervousness seemed to get worse by the minute. If Ranma had escaped the battle unscathed then there would have been no reason for Ranma to not have come back for him. Thoughts of seeing Ranma's corpse in the same condition as the many other dead soldiers made him want to feint. Other soldiers had not proved to be helpful, as none of them knew what Ranma looked like, and they didn't seem entirely willing to want to go about and look for one soldier that may or may not be dead.
He had made his way all the way back to the woodland where he had first emerged, and by then he was beginning to shake. Ryoga stopped and tried to sense Ranma rather than try to get a lucky break and see him, but there was no familiar presence near him so he decided to move on.
Ryoga had gone maybe another 10 feet before he nearly stepped on Ranma's body.
===============
Parker had started in the opposite direction as Ryoga, and had about as much luck as the fanged-soldier at first. It wasn't till he bumped into Gogol that he realized he was searching in vain.
"You wouldn't happen to have seen Ranma around here anywhere have you?" Parker asked as Gogol approached him. The sad look on the Russian's face did little to settle Parker's unease.
Gogol relayed all that he had seen last night, including the Chinese soldier that shot Ranma in the chest. He shamefully admitted that he had not gone to check on the man afterwards.
"The shot looked to be fatal, general. Even one as strong as Saotome could not have survived for very long."
Parker was about to offer a rebuke when they heard Ryoga's voice break out over the dim.
"Medic!"
===============
Ryoga looked down at his feet where the body lay. All doubts that it was Ranma were tossed aside as he noticed the long black pigtail just tucked inside of his helmet. He was afraid to even move, but after a long moment he finally knelt down, his hands reaching out hesitantly to touch Ranma gently on the arm. His hand moved up to his back, and he felt his hand run over the hole protruding from Ranma's back.
Tears came to his eyes and Ryoga flipped Ranma over onto his back. The front of his tunic was soaked with blood, and the wound on his chest had seemed to have gone right through his heart. He must have bled every last drop of blood in him.
"No," Ryoga whispered. He clutched Ranma's body to himself and began to weep. "Goddamnit you said you wouldn't die!" Sobs began to rack his body. "You said we'd go home together," he whimpered out.
Without thinking he screamed out for a medic. When no one answered he called out again. There was the sound of someone huffing and puffing as they came running at a full-sprint towards him.
An American Green Beret came charging up the ridge and pulled Ranma from Ryoga's arms. He placed his head to Ranma's chest when he failed to find a pulse in his neck and wrist.
"His hearts still beating," the American medic said in English. He opened up a sash he carried with him and placed a dressing over the wound on Ranma's chest. He reached underneath Ranma and found the exit wound and similarly dressed that wound as well. He grabbed at a radio he carried on his back and called for a chopper to come pick him up.
"Help me get him up," The medic ordered as he grabbed at Ranma's arms. Ryoga got to his feet and moved towards Ranma's legs. They hoisted him up and carried him down into the clearing where a chopper could safely land and pick them up. As they placed Ranma back on the ground Ryoga got a good look at Ranma's face. It looked pale beyond anything he had ever seen before. Even the bodies of the dead didn't seem as pale as Ranma.
"Will he be alright?" Ryoga asked in broken English. The medic looked thoughtfully at Ranma for a moment before answering.
"He's gonna need some surgery for sure, and a blood transfusion. If were lucky the chopper will be able to get us to a camp that's still in one piece and they'll be able to do some meatball surgery on him till we can get some transportation to a Russian hospital or maybe a cruiser out in the Pacific. If he can hold on till then he might just have a chance."
Ryoga nodded his head at the medic's words. The first chance they got he was going to have them get the blood for a transfusion from him. Ranma would need a lot, but he was determined to give him all of his own if it meant he'd awaken again.
The chopper appeared over the canopy of trees a few moments later, just as Ryoga heard someone approaching from behind them.
"Is he alive?" Parker asked, out of breath. Ryoga nodded, unable to speak. As the chopper touched down Parker ran towards the pilot. The pilot was dumbfounded and quickly snapped a salute as Parker appeared beside him.
"I want him to be taken to the closest thing that could be regarded as a hospital. Whatever other missions they had planned for you are effectively cancelled until he is in stable condition."
"But sir," the pilot stuttered.
"But nothing!" Parker flared. "He is to get the best attention and I don't give a flying fuck what anyone says at this point Lieutenant! If anyone gives you any trouble direct them to me, if they still don't get out of your way, I am giving you permission to shoot them."
The pilot heard the iron in Parker's voice and decided that it would be in his best interest to do whatever the hell he said.
"Y-yes sir," the pilot stammered and effected another salute but Parker was already walking away.
===============
President Winnfield took a long and deep breath as he sat down onto his chair in the Oval Office. The Joint Chiefs had just awoken him a half hour ago with the news that the Chinese had been defeated in Siberia, and were now in full retreat. The news had been the perfect way for him to start the day, though the next news delivered was not so pleasing.
Satellites had only been able to discover 2 of the missing nuclear warheads, which left 1 missing. Winnfield could not order the immediate destruction of the 2 warheads without knowing where the last one was, for it would be the perfect incentive for Zhisheng to launch the last hidden missile at a target of his choosing.
While continued surveillance of China was continuing, they had yet to discover where the last missile was hidden. With the defeat of the Chinese army in Siberia, Zhisheng would most likely order the launch of the missiles, but there was a chance that he wouldn't. That was the dilemma facing Winnfield. He could both order the immediate destruction of the other two warheads and have Zhisheng launch the third, or wait, and hope that the man showed some restraint and didn't launch any of them, thereby giving them time to find the last missile. The problem with that was he might launch all 3 missiles once he learned of his army's defeat.
None of the options were safe in any manner, and the advice from his staff was not very helpful. He would have preferred to just send out a squadron of B-52 bombers and let them bomb the two missile sites and then have them go and take out Zhisheng in Beijing, but that would not go over very well with the world press or the UN.
Winnfield laid his head down onto his desk and sighed. It was going to be a long day.
===============
Premier Zhisheng was not having a very good morning. He had been awoken early in the morning with the message that his invasion force had been defeated and captured in Siberia, and all remaining forces were on the retreat. He had ordered a meeting of his top advisors shortly thereafter.
"Were you not the same men that promised me a simple victory not even 12 hours ago?!" Zhisheng bellowed as he slammed his fist down onto the large table. The men around the table cringed.
"Sir, we did not factor into the equation that the Americans and Russians would use the Japanese prisoners they acquired before the Japanese defected," a PLA general explained.
"Well the Russians certainly did!" Zhisheng shouted. "Even with those pitiful Japs how the hell could they have defeated our forces?"
"It would seem sir," the same general started shakily, "that the enemy split itself into two halves and outflanked us as well as cut up the middle of our army, then encircled them. A few hours of fighting ensued and we looked to have the advantage, but Russian bombers arrived shortly before dawn and attacked. Our army surrendered not too long afterwards."
Zhisheng visibly forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and then let it out.
"So what options are available to us right now?" he asked.
"Well sir, we do have the nuclear missiles that Japan was able to smuggle out to us before they exited the war."
"And how am I to know that our enemy does not also have knowledge of this?!" Zhisheng demanded.
"Even if they do know sir, it is very unlikely that they would know the positions of our missiles," an aide responded.
"What targets are available to us?" Zhisheng asked, his demeanor calmer than before.
"Most anywhere in Russia sir, as well as Japan. We can hit some targets on the American coastline and maybe a few states inland."
"Alright," Zhisheng said. "We will launch our nuclear missiles, and we will deal a blow to our enemies that they will not soon forget."
The men around the table readily agreed to the line of reasoning. Before anyone could go on though, the door of the room burst open and Zhisheng's personal secretary came running in.
"I said that I was not to be disturbed!" Zhisheng admonished.
"I apologize sir," the secretary bowed. "But this message just came in and it was of the utmost urgency."
Zhisheng grabbed the paper from the secretary's hand and skimmed the document. By the third line he had paled clearly, and his hands were shaking. The document fell from his hands and Zhisheng feinted. One of the aides knelt down to retrieve the paper and read it.
===============================================================
Top Secret
Eyes only Premier Zhisheng
At around 0400 hours, the convey taking one of the warheads to its destination point in Bayankala Range, Qing Hai Province, was attacked. PLA soldiers were either captured or killed and nuclear technicians were captured. The warhead was taken as well, and the following message from the attackers provided.
Dear Beijing;
We are the Joketsuzoku. A tribe of Amazons that
has little care over your policies and world-wide desires for world dominance. We have taken possession of this nuclear device and its engineers to stop your petty little game of world conquest. If you desire to continue this war, do so with the knowledge that we will launch this nuclear device with the aide of your technicians at Beijing, with the intention of killing you and your pitiful government. If you do not send surrender to the Russians and Americans in 24 hours of you acquiring this message, we will send your weapon back to you in a manner you shall find most unpleasant.
Signed,
Elder Kho Lon of the Joketsuzoku
End of message
===============
Ranma felt his chest begin to send pain messages to his brain as soon as he awoke, which was odd, considering that he had been quite sure that you stopped feeling pain after you died. He opened his eyes to realize that he was not dead, and was in fact alive, though in a heck of a lot of pain.
"Oh shit," Ranma moaned as the stitches sealing the wound on his chest and back stretched and pulled with every movement he made. He looked around and realized that he was in a hospital room, though it was quite dirty. His body shook again as another shot of pain lanced through him. "Ain't hospitals supposed to supply their patients with morphine?" Ranma asked the empty room, or what he thought was an empty room.
"Normally yes, but this particular hospital ran out of morphine a couple of weeks ago," a voice answered in Japanese from across the room.
Ranma spun around and looked to where the voice had come from, a move that was a mistake as his body protested quite loudly that it wasn't in any shape to do so. He fell back onto the bed he was on and nearly screamed out.
"Careful Ranma, those stitches are only a couple hours old, and we don't need you ripping them," the person responded.
"Who are you?" Ranma asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. The sound of footsteps sounded and they stopped just to the side of him. Ranma cracked his eyes open so he could get a look at who it was.
"I'm hurt that'd you forget me," Ishii Inafune said with a smirk.
"Ishii?" Ranma said in disbelief. "H-how the hell did you find out I was hear?"
Ishii smiled and sat down on a nearby chair.
"Parker got a call relayed to Kimura a couple hours after the doctors decided you were going to actually make it. Akane and Akari of course wanted to go, but since the Chinese surrender is still quite new and it was a worry that they may not decide to follow through with it, I opted to go instead, something that will no doubt earn me a few beatings by yours and Hibiki's wife."
"It's good to see you," Ranma said. "Really good."
Ishii smiled again. "Well, just as soon as the doctors decide that you won't kill yourself by trying to leave, Parker has arranged for a Navy plane to take you, me, Hibiki, and someone else back to Japan."
"Someone else?" Ranma asked.
"Just a sec, I think she was waiting outside," Ishii said as he got to his feet and walked out of the room. He came in a few moments later holding the hand of a small child. "Parker said that this little angel was going to be very interested in seeing you again."
"Natalie," Ranma breathed softly. The child looked at Ranma shyly for a moment that released Ishii's hand and rushed towards Ranma's bed. She hopped up and latched herself onto Ranma's waist.
"Now Ranma," Ishii began, "I'm not one to judge, but I can certainly say that Akane is not going to be happy when you bring home other children."
Ranma was snapped out of his shock and laughed. "Well, not quite, but I'm sure she'll understand, I just hope she decides to hear me out before deciding to hit me all the way back to Russia."
Ishii smiled. "Well, as soon as Hibiki regains consciousness, we'll be able to have a little talk about everything that has happened in the past 6 months."
"What happened to Ryoga?" Ranma asked worriedly.
"Oh, well when they brought you in here you needed a blood transfusion more than anything and before the docs could go scrounging for some Ryoga was rolling up his sleeve. You needed a bunch, and Ryoga has been a little out of it for the past little while."
Ranma shook his head a few times and laughed. "I'm gonna give him a thorough talking to as soon as he wakes up. I didn't go through all that trouble just to have him kill himself for my behalf." Ishii laughed as well. "So where's Parker? I thought he'd be the first one to want to come back to Japan with us."
"Oh don't worry, he'll be coming back, it's just that with the Chinese surrender he's got a little bit more work on his hands than he first thought he would."
"I thought I heard you say the Chinese surrendered before," Ranma said as he reached down and picked Natalie up and brought her close to his chest. The small girl snuggled close to him and laid her head onto his chest. The pain that accompanied the movement was little consequence to him.
"Oh trust me; it came as quite a shock to everyone else as well. You aren't going to believe why they surrendered either," Ishii said with a laugh. Ranma gave him a curious look. "I'll wait till Ryoga comes around; this is something I'll only be able to tell once without falling over laughing."
===============
Ryoga woke up much sooner than expected, and joined them all in Ranma's room where the two martial artists hugged each other as they both struggled to hold back tears. As soon as they both had calmed down Ishii related the story of why the Chinese surrendered, which resulted in both Ranma and Ryoga being reduced to tears once again, though this time from laughing. Ryoga took the story of what happened with Natalie at face value, and the little Russian girl took to Ryoga almost as fast as she had to Ranma. As it was, Ryoga was holding Natalie in his arms when the door to the room opened and two men walked in.
"Good morning gentlemen," General Phillip Parker said with a smile as everyone in the room looked dumbly at him and the man he came in with. "Allow me to introduce the President of Russia."
President Andropov laughed at the reactions of Ranma, Ryoga, and Ishii and shook hands with all of them.
"When it came time for President Andropov to hear the story of how we beat the Chinese yesterday, it came about that there were two Japanese soldiers who were quite instrumental in the victory."
Andropov then surprised Ranma and Ryoga by presenting them with medals. He said something to them in Russian and Parker translated.
"You have my utmost respect for your actions in battle. Both of you are heroes to Russia, and we are forever in your debt."
Andropov kissed each of them once on the cheek and then had Parker take a photograph of him pinning the medals to their chests. He left a little after that, leaving Parker to explain everything.
"You two just received the highest medals for valor that the Russian army gives out, you should be damn proud," Parker explained. To his amusement both Ranma and Ryoga blushed. "Just so you know, I've had a talk with President Winnfield and he is going to personally pin the Distinguished Service Cross on both of you in a couple of weeks, and I'm sure that Kimura will have a little ceremony for the both of you once you arrive back in Japan. Congratulations, your both certifiable heroes."
The news hit both martial artists hard and they sat in a dazed stupor for a long moment.
===============
The next morning Parker saw them both out to the Navy transport that would fly them to Japan. He gave everyone a hug, and in turn received a kiss from Natalie.
"Don't you guys worry about taking Natalie either. President Andropov assured me that he would personally approve your adoption of her into the Saotome family."
"Thank you for everything Phil," Ranma said. "We both owe you more than you can imagine." Ryoga nodded his agreement.
"Aw hell you guys," Parker said with a smile. "I was just doing what I get paid to do. Now, when you two get home I want you both to try and stress to Akane and Akari that I didn't hold you up here any longer than needed."
Ranma and Ryoga laughed hard.
"Don't worry Phil," Ryoga said. "I'm sure that by the time you get back to Japan we'll have everything straightened out and it'll be safe for you to come over."
"Good," Parker said. He gave them another smile and then saluted. The two returned it enthusiastically. Parker smiled again and then turned his back and walked out to a helicopter that was waiting to take him into China.
Ranma and Ryoga turned to each other and sighed.
"Well, it's been a hell of a ride but, were finally going home," Ranma said.
Ryoga looked at the ground as he tried to fight the tears that threatened to spill.
"Home," Ryoga mouthed, the word seeming like a dream as he said it.
Ranma smiled and threw his arm over Ryoga's shoulder and they walked towards the plane that would carry them back to Japan.
===============
Author's Notes: Well, there it is the last chapter of Until the End. Don't scream. I'll have everybody come together in the epilogue, which I'll release in a week or so.
I want to take this time to thank everybody that has stayed with this story and Balance of Power over the last 3 years. It's been an amazing time and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all those that read the story and offered me their praise and even their criticism. You have all been instrumental in shaping this story, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.