(REPOSTED BECAUSE THE OLD ONE GOT KILLED BY THE NEW FORMATTING)
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic Trilogy:
"The True Meaning of Love"
By: s16thunderjet
Story 1
"The Search for Atlantis"
Chapter 10:
The Waters of Proteus
Part 1:
The Fountain of Power and Life
Akane smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She blushed. she didn't want to be boastful or anything, but she had to admit that she looked very beautiful.
She was wearing a white, knee - length sun dress with spaghetti straps. She had a silver bracelet with her name engraved on it. From her neck, a silver necklace with a heart - shaped sapphire stone pendant hung, outlined with diamonds.
Both were given by Atlas, along with the silver crown that matched his own. It was also encrusted with a huge sapphire stone in the middle, with loads of diamonds from both sides.
It looked beautiful and majestic, and complemented Akane's beauty.
*If only Ranma were here to see this.* she thought, then suddenly shivered.
It was very kind and generous of Atlas to give her the necklace and the bracelet. Both really did look good on her. The crown also looked very good on her, appropriate even.
It was as if the crown was made for her.
But by wearing it, it would mean that she was accepting his proposal to be his wife, and the next queen of Atlantis. She doesn't even have a decision yet. She hasn't even thought about it that much.
All her thoughts for the past weeks had been about Ranma.
*Stop it Akane! Ranma is dead and he's never coming back.* she thought.
Suddenly, she felt tears in her eyes. She covered her face with both hands and started crying once more. While outside, Atlas waited patiently by her door.
"What's taking her so long?" he asked worriedly. Astevaes gently patted his shoulder.
"Do not worry, your majesty. Lady Akane will come out soon." he said with a smile. Merian stood by the door, instructing the helpers to prepare the things Akane will need for the trip.
"Please Merian, let me enter her room..." asked Atlas, almost begging.
"Forgive me your majesty, but Lady Akane asked not to be disturbed for a few minutes." she said.
"If you won't let me in, just check if she's OK." Atlas asked. Merian shook her head slightly.
"You can check on her yourself, your highness. You are my king and I'm supposed to follow your commands." she said. Atlas' face bore a frown.
"Besides, if Lady Akane gets mad for the intrusion, it wouldn't be my fault." she added. Atlas frowned at her.
"Just a little joke, your majesty." she said and bowed, opening the door slightly.
As Atlas passed, she momentarily stopped him, "Sire, please be gentle with her. She has been through a lot." she reminded him. Atlas nodded and went inside, Merian closing the door behind him.
Atlas straightened out his clothes out. He ran his hands through his hair as a form of brushing. He took a deep breath and walked towards Akane. Her back was to him as she sat on her vanity stool.
Her head was bowed and her hands covered her delicate face. Atlas stopped in mid - stride.
"Akane?" he asked. Her head instantly shot up and turned.
Atlas saw tears sliding down her cheeks and he immediately walked towards her. Akane's hand wildly flew towards her face and wiped vigorously. His hands rested on her shoulders, turning her to face him.
"What happened? Are you OK?" asked Atlas, concerned.
"No... nothing really. I'm OK." she muttered.
"Are you sure?" he asked again. It took Akane a few moments to regulate her breathing.
"I... I'm fine." she said and smiled weakly at him.
Atlas looked worriedly at her, not quite believing. Akane stood up and took one last look at herself in the mirror. Turning, she smiled, a truthfully happy one, and reached out to take his large hand into hers.
"C'mon, we have a happy day ahead of us." she said and tugged at his hand. Atlas sighed, trying to convince himself that Akane would be fine.
*If she's happy, who am I to argue?* he thought and nodded.
Outside, two of their most trusted advisers and friends were having a friendly conversation.
"What's happening? Why is Lady Akane putting herself in such seclusion?" asked Astevaes. Merian shook her head.
"You men really don't know anything about us women." she teased.
"Oh, come now. Stop teasing and answer." he said, a little annoyed. Merian straightened herself.
"Why Lord Astevaes, can't take a joke?" she teased once more and giggled.
"Merian!" he cried, his voice getting louder. Merian coughed into her fist.
"Remember that Ranma had just died..." she started, leaning into his ear to whisper.
"The sorcerer?" asked Astevaes. Merian simply nodded.
"Lady Akane told me that Ranma is... was her fiancé..."
"Fiancé?" he interrupted.
"Ssshhh... yes. Since young Saotome's death, she hasn't been the same." said Merian. Astevaes was silent. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.
"So that was the reason Lady Akane got upset and ill last week." he concluded. Merian could only nod in agreement.
They were about to continue their intriguing conversation when Atlas and Akane came out of the room. They quickly noticed that both were smiling and very happy in each other's company.
"Aren't we in a cheery mood?" Merian said, teasing the couple a bit.
"Yup! Atlas is gonna give me a tour of the city." Akane said, happiness obvious in her tone.
"Oh?" said Merian, a look of amusement in her face as she looked at Atlas. Merian was the one who suggested that Atlas take Akane out of the palace.
"Yes... I will." Atlas said with a smile of gratitude to their most loyal servant. Merian nodded at him in return.
The four of them walked along the hallway, down to the staircase and out the front door. These were the same doors that Akane wondered about on her first day in the palace.
On that same day, Akane wanted to go out of the palace and see the city, but Atlas didn't give her permission to go. Instead, she and Merian toured most of the palace. But Akane still wanted to go.
Now, her wish is going to be granted.
The huge doors opened and revealed a carriage waiting for them. It wasn't exactly a carriage. For one thing, it was kinda an open - air vehicle and didn't have a roof.
The so - called carriage was colored white, with traces of blue as it's design. Two white horses were designated to pull the carriage as they travel across the kingdom.
Akane smiled at the sight that greeted her. She made her way to the carriage and ran her hand over the fine furnishing. She then walked toward the horses and ran her hand through their mane.
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed.
Atlas was happy to see Akane up and smiling again. He had been scared to death by what just happened and promised himself that Akane would never be in such a predicament again.
"Thank you." he whispered to Merian in gratitude for her wonderful suggestion.
"You're welcome, your majesty." she said and smiled.
Atlas nodded and walked towards Akane, assisting her as she got into the carriage. Atlas followed after her, sitting comfortably as he took the reins.
"Are you ready, Akane?" asked Atlas.
"Let's go!" Akane exclaimed, very excited due to the fact that it was her first time to see the city. Atlas nodded.
They were about to go when Astevaes called. A few of Atlas' guards were slowly forming a battalion when he stopped the carriage and halted his warriors.
"I won't be needing any guards for this trip. I want Akane to enjoy this like a normal trip." he said. His guards started going back to their posts.
"But sire..." Astevaes pleaded.
"Do not worry Astevaes. Atlantis is a very peaceful nation. Aside from a few... unfortunate incidents..." said Atlas. His adviser was to speak when he interrupted him.
"I'm pretty sure that nothing will happen." he said with a smile.
Akane waved at Merian as they left. The main gates of the palace opened as Atlas and Akane went out. Astevaes shook his head in dismay. Merian giggled at the sight of the disoriented adviser.
"Do not worry Lord Astevaes... everything will be fine." she said and turned back to see to her duties.
*I hope that Akane and his majesty will have fun...* she thought as she entered the kitchen to prepare the dinner of the royal pair.
"So... what do we do now?" asked Ryoga. Silence was the response he got. Not even the winds spared him, or any of them of the deafening silence.
"We wait." Artemis answered. Incredulous faces stared back at her.
"Until Akane finds the power of water... we can't do anything..." Artemis finally said, breaking the silence.
"Where do we go?" asked Ukyo.
"I guess we can go back to Tokyo for the moment." said Mousse.
"Shampoo can see great grandmother again." she said, smiling.
"I can check on my restaurant..." said Ukyo, in a thinking pose.
"Yeah... maybe I can go back to my house and see if my family has returned or something." Ryoga said.
"Maybe... if you can find it... just joking..." teased Ukyo.
They all burst out laughing at the comment, with Ryoga blushing tomato - red before joining them in laughter. Ukyo, still laughing, turned to see a quiet Ranma.
Then she realized that, with that simple joke she made, they forgot the fact that they still had to help Ranma find his power and save Akane.
"Hey..." she said softly, gently squeezing Ranma's arm.
Ranma's sad and stoic gaze focused on her. Ukyo smiled a little, trying to make him smile, but to no avail. His edges of his lips slightly curved upward, then returned to its emotionless state.
Ranma's eyes were wet, he was on the verge of crying. Ukyo wasn't able to see Ranma's pained expression, gone at the instant he looked away from her and back to the nothingness from which he'd been staring.
The others saw this display and became silent. None of them could look Ranma in the eye. The way Ranma stared out into nothingness was sad and frightening at the same time.
No more was the look of superiority and arrogance. No more were the words filled with confidence, faith and hope. No more was the bright spirit that always kept him ready for anything.
For once, the great Ranma Saotome lost his greatness.
It was weird for them to see the great Ranma Saotome look like this. His eyes were dull, lifeless. His face showed true sorrow and hopelessness. His mind was in torment, his heart in despair.
And his pain was not lost on his friends.
"Hey! Don't you cry on me! Don't you dare just give up like this!" screamed Ryoga, stomping forward and pushing Ranma a bit with his hands, eliciting cries from the others.
"What're you doing you jerk?" Ukyo asked, trying to stop an impending fight.
"He's the jerk! What's wrong with you? C'mon you jerk... fight me!" he said, urging Ranma.
"Ryoga! Stop!" said Shampoo.
*What is Ryoga doing?* Artemis thought, holding her chin in her hands.
"C'mon you womanizing arrogant jerk! Are you scared?" he said,
eyeing Ranma carefully.
*C'mon... C'mon... this has got to work...* thought Ryoga, hoping that a little reverse - psychology would help.
Ryoga's words rang inside Ranma's head, his eyes coming to life. His hands balled into fists as energy and revitalized ki flew into him. The others stood back as they felt pure heat coming from Ranma.
"Maybe you'd like to transform into a girl first, after all, you are one..." he continued in his tirade.
*That's it... a little more Ranma...* thought Ryoga.
Mousse watched this little scene with curiosity. Suddenly, there was a smile on his face as he finally understood what Ryoga was trying to do. Just then, Artemis herself understood.
*I get it... Ryoga's doing reverse - psychology...* thought Mousse. He and Artemis looked at each other and nodded.
Mousse stopped Shampoo, who was about to strangle Ryoga. She turned to him with a glare that could have scared even Hercules. Mousse kissed her on the forehead and whispered his thoughts.
Shampoo nodded in comprehension. She looked back and noticed that Mousse's observations were correct. She lowered her hands and kept her bonbourri.
"Ryoga, you jerk! What are you doing? What's wrong with you?" asked Ukyo, furious at him.
"C'mon Ranma! You couldn't even save Akane..." he said, He saw something change in Ranma's eyes, the dullness slowly fading.
Suddenly, fire burned in Ranma's eyes.
*OK... this is it Ryoga...* he thought as he prepared himself for the upcoming blow.
"Once I defeat you... Akane is mine..." he said, and all hell broke loose.
"Grrrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Ranma bellowed unto the earth.
With blinding speed, Ranma charged Ryoga, arms at ready. For a few minutes, punches, kicks, and even elbows were thrown, neither one connecting.
"Akane... is... my... fiancée..." Ranma said as he and Ryoga exchanged blows.
Ryoga nodded as best he could, and jumped back a bit from him. He brushed back his hair and used his forearm to wipe off his sweat. He looked back at Ranma and snorted.
"You couldn't even save her..." he said.
Ranma ran once more and attacked him, not holding back. His eyes were ablaze, pure energy flowing into his veins. The only thought on his mind was Akane.
"I'll find Akane... I'll find her... even if it's the last thing I do!" he growled, a bit frustrated at not being a able to connect even once.
The others looked on in astonishment at the fighting skills being displayed by both men. For Ukyo, it was a look of utter disbelief and pure confusion.
*Ryoga taunted him and challenged him to fight... now he's holding back as much as he can... he's not even attacking... he's just waiting for Ranchan to attack him...* she thought.
"Then why are you sulking like this?" asked Ryoga, slowly inching towards his goal.
"I am not sulking!" he cried, doing a spinning heel kick and finally connecting.
Ryoga was thrown a bit back, but he regained his balance. He wiped the blood on his lips and spat out what came into his mouth. There was an amused smile on his face.
"Is that all you've got Ranma? Feh... you're getting weak... at this rate... you'll never find Akane." said Ryoga.
"That's it!" said Ranma and charged him once more, this time with one thing on his mind.
*You jerk! I'll beat you and then save Akane.* thought Ranma.
Once again, punches and kicks were thrown. Ryoga blocked Ranma's uppercut as he countered with a leg sweep that Ranma easily evaded with a back flip.
"I'll save her with or without the power and no one can stop me... not you... not anyone..." Ranma growled and, with all of his might, threw a straight punch.
Surprisingly, Ryoga, though a bit battered, caught the punch. He smiled and held Ranma's fist in his own hand.
"Then what's stopping you right now?" he asked softly.
Ranma was surprised with the tone of his voice. That was the first time he'd ever heard Ryoga say something so soft and soothing. It was as if the wind was the music and Ryoga sang the words.
Ranma's expression changed from enraged to calm. He was starting to understand what Ryoga was trying to. Now, he realized just how foolish he'd been acting.
"Nothing's stopping you... no one's stopping you Ranma." said Ryoga, slowly letting go of Ranma's hand. He was glad to see a smile forming on Ranma's lips.
"I... I..." Ranma drifted. He couldn't find the words to finish as tears threatened to flow.
Ryoga extended his hand, offering a handshake. Ranma looked at his hand, then at his face and the smile he had. Ranma turned his head to the others and saw smiles on their faces.
Accepting Ryoga's handshake, both men leaned forward and met in a fierce hug.
"Thanks Ryoga..." Ranma whispered, tears flowing.
"You're welcome Ranma... you'll find her... don't worry..." Ryoga said, his eyes getting watery.
They pulled back and saw each other's faces. Both burst out laughing. The others joined them as the tension was finally over. Handshakes, embraces and gentle taps were exchange.
"That's the spirit Saotome..." said Mousse, slapping him on the back, but not that hard.
"Don't lose hope Ranchan..." said Ukyo, embracing him.
"We find Akane..." said Shampoo, smiling happily for him.
Ranma came face to face with Artemis who had an pleased look on her face. They leaned forward and embraced briefly.
"Thank you..." said Artemis as her hopes of saving her people were restored.
"We can do it... thank you, too..." said Ranma as they pulled back.
Ranma stepped back and looked at all of them.
"Thanks guys... especially you Ryoga..." he said, blushing a bit.
"No problem Ranma." said Ryoga with a smile.
In an instant, that smile was gone, replaced by a look of pain.
Ryoga lifted his head from the hard, cold ground and glared at Ukyo. His face was covered with dirt and a bit of soil. The others burst out laughing while he and Ukyo stared gravely at each other.
"What did you do that for?" he asked, slowly picking himself off the ground.
"You scared the hell out of me you jerk!" she exclaimed with a whack on his head.
"I thought you went back to your 'Ranma! Prepare to die!' days..." she said.
"Jeez... sorry but it was the only thing I could think off, OK." he said, rubbing the back of his head.
"OK, OK... I'm sorry for hitting you." she said.
"Nah... it's OK." said Ryoga, this time, rubbing his jaw where one of Ranma's punches happened to land.
A shade of yellow and orange filled the skies as the sun rose against the horizon. Laughter grew as the six warriors found time to relax and enjoy life, as they watched destiny run it's course.
"Aww... it's so cute." Akane said, holding the teddy bear close to her chest.
"Do you like it?" asked Atlas.
Akane looked up at Atlas, a flicker of hope in her eyes. It was like looking up to one's father for a gift, or to one's love for a present.
She quickly shook her head, thoughts eliminated. Though Ranma had died a while back, Akane just would not let herself fall in love so soon. She just smiled, then nodded sheepishly.
"OK." said Atlas and pulled out his purse.
He paid the store owner ten times the price of the bear. The owner thanked him to no end, while Akane looked at him quizzically. He looked back at her with the same expression.
"How come you paid so much for just a bear?" she asked.
"It's not just a bear, it's your bear." he said and smiled innocently. Akane raised an eyebrow, waiting for the supposed punch line.
"Besides, it was the smallest amount of money that I had." he admitted.
Akane giggled, wondering why she even bothered to ask. Atlas is the king and money would never be a problem. Atlas smiled, noticing how Akane was starting to recover from all the pains that has come to her.
"C'mon on... where do we go next?" asked Akane. Atlas was a bit silent for a moment, thinking.
"Why don't we go to the market place? I'm sure you'll find a lot of interesting things there." he suggested and offered a hand which Akane gladly took.
They walked across the city, leaving their horses to rest. Akane found the city so enchanting, and the people so friendly and hospitable.
She also realized something about everyone.
Though Atlas was royalty, the king to boot, he never tried to establish himself around the place and show - off his supposed power. Instead, he enjoyed being with the ordinary people.
She then remembered her most recent conversation with Merian.
(Akane's Memory)
"He has changed a lot ever since you returned." said Merian, grooming Akane's hair.
"I dunno. You know I don't remember much about this place or its people." said Akane. Merian continued brushing, combing Akane's hair which was now past her ears.
"You know Merian..." she started, then turned around to face her friend.
"Maybe he has changed. I mean, he used to be so strict and all, especially with the servants. But now... he's kinder and friendlier with them." she said, a realization made.
(Present time)
*I can see that clearly now.* she thought, smiling slightly. Atlas noticed this, and his brow furrowed.
"Why are you smiling?" he asked, curious.
"I dunno. I just feel like smiling." she said, leaving half the reason for her smile.
"If you say so." he said, not wanting to question her even more.
They walked around the city, people bowing in respect. Akane waved happily to the people, enjoying the sights and scenes. After a few more minutes of walking, they reached the city square.
A song was being played, one that people can dance to. It wasn't a very fast song, just up - beat enough for one to dance to without getting very tired and sweaty.
Akane pulled Atlas towards the town square, her dress floating around her. Atlas held out his hand and they bowed to each other. They posed to stare at each other, then laughed at their serious faces.
They started dancing merrily, turning and twisting and hopping all around. People joined in the playing of the music, some sang while some danced as well.
As the music faded, the men bowed to their partners and all clapped their hands thunderously, cheering each other on, but most especially, Akane and Atlas.
They both sat along the edge of the fountain in the middle of the square. Breaths were deep and ragged, both a bit tired from all that dancing.
"That was fun!" exclaimed Akane, still trying to catch her breath.
"Hehe... I would have to agree on that one." said Atlas, trying to catch his breath as well.
A moment of silence passed between them. They suddenly turned to look at the other's face, so serious and calm. Once again, they burst out laughing.
"You look so serious... are you OK?" asked Atlas. Akane nodded.
"I guess I'm just a little tired." she said.
*Not to mention confused of how I feel... and scared about my most recent dream.* she thought. She shivered slightly at the thought.
"Akane?" Atlas asked once more.
"Yeah... I'm fine." she said, though she still couldn't get her mind off her dream.
*Like it was some sort of vision or premonition.* she thought. A few more moments passed, the sound of steady breathing very much audible.
Without warning, from out of the blue, a man came, screaming wildly.
"Fire! Fire!" he cried, informing the whole town.
Akane and Atlas turned around to see smoke about 10 meters from the town square. People from all over the town ran towards the fire, buckets and small hoses in hand.
"C'mon! We have to help them!" said Akane and ran towards the fire, pulling Atlas with her.
Meanwhile, in the palace of the City of Atlantis...
"Lord, a fire has broken out!" reported one of the warriors.
Astevaes turned to stare in disbelief. Merian, who sat beside him, was speechless as well. An identical thought crossed their minds and they both ran to the com room.
The location of the fire...
"More water! We need more water!" cried one of the town's people.
Akane lifted the big bucket mightily and passed it to the person in front of her. They formed a human chain, carrying buckets from the water source to the house which was on fire.
Atlas was directing the people on where to throw the water. Particular portions of the house burst into flames at certain intervals. Women and children stirred clear of the fire.
Children stared in shock as the flames grew bigger. The elder people watched in awe, seeing a fire this big for the first time. While all the women just watched and feared for the lives of the men.
All of the women, except Akane.
It was a shock to all the men to see a woman helping them extinguish the fire. But it was a bigger surprise when they realized that it was the 'princess' who was helping them, along with the king.
Buckets of water were passed along the human chain which they formed. The flames were starting to become smaller. They worked relentlessly, fighting the fire while they waited for the fire crew.
All of a sudden, a loud breaking sound could be heard.
The water pump where they were getting the water from broke, splashing badly needed water everywhere. The townsfolk tried to contain the outbreak but the water pressure was a bit too much for them.
Everyone helping with the fire ran back to save their market stalls. Because of that, the fire that they had already controlled grew once more.
Akane was torn between helping the remaining men stop the fire, and running back to the water pumping station to check on what was going on. She looked at Atlas who nodded back at her. She set off to stop the water.
People were thrown back as the water hit them head on. The market stands were being demolished every time the water hit. The mothers, along with their children, were hurriedly trying to escape the raging waters.
Too much pressure caused the pump to completely break down. The water was now splashing at every imaginable direction. More and more people were getting hurt along with the destruction of their livelihood.
Akane gasped at the sight. Tears formed in her eyes as she ran to help those that she could. She could not believe that the element of life could destroy so much property and injure so many people.
Just then, she saw a young boy about a few meters from the wild water pump. A direct hit could be fatal. Fear ran through Akane at the thought of losing an innocent child.
*I have to get to that kid.* she thought and ran as fast as she could.
Akane evaded splash after splash, wondering where she got the speed and power to do such. She was only a few meters away from the kid when she saw a huge streak of water darting towards the child.
She paused for about half a millisecond and sprung towards the child, hoping to be able to get there in time.
To the house in flames...
The fire grew even more as the people ran to save themselves. With an insufficiency in water, people began to lose hope. Atlas himself was growing hopeless, while a part of him was furious.
"Where the hell is that fire crew?" he asked, though no one heard him with all the screaming.
*I'm certainly gonna have a talk with Astevaes about this.* he thought angrily.
Inside the palace walls...
"Hurry up! Dammit!" Astevaes cried.
For some unknown reason, the fire crew could not assemble themselves fast enough to go to the city and put out the fire. Their equipment were missing, most especially the fire hose.
"Why does this have to happen now?" he asked.
"I hope they're both alright." said Merian as she stood beside an almost frantic Astevaes.
Back to Akane and the child...
"Look out!" cried Akane as she dove for the child.
The water hit the spot previously occupied by the child a split second after Akane had picked him up. Relief flowed through Akane's body as she held the weeping child to her.
"There, there... everything's OK now." she said, calming the child. The child's mother ran out towards them.
"My son! Oh, thank you very much for saving him." the mother cried as she held her son tightly against her.
"It's OK. Now you two have to get out of here." Akane said in a commanding tone.
"Thank you. I owe you my son's life." the mother said and ran off with her child.
Akane just nodded and smiled at their retreating figures. She turned back to the demolished water pump, and winced as she felt a part of her left shoulder twist in an unusual manner.
*Damn! Must have broken it when I dove for the kid.* she thought, cradling her left arm.
The water pumping station was completely destroyed. Water was still flowing from the broken pipe, this time without the pressure. Chunks of rocks and other broken pipes were scattered all around.
Akane stared in disbelief. Such destruction, she never imagined possible. Nature itself ran rampant and the people couldn't even control it, let alone stop it.
Suddenly, cries of anguish from the another side of town were heard.
*Oh no! I forgot about the fire.* she thought and ran back to the burning house as fast as her legs could carry her.
To the scene of the fire...
"Out of the way!" cried Atlas as he shoved a man out of the way of a falling debris.
"Thank you, my King." the man said in gratitude.
"You can thank me later. Right now we need your help with this fire." he said and extended his hand.
The man nodded and took the king's hand. They ran back into the line of men and helped with the carrying of the buckets. Though Atlas's clothes were soiled, he did not care. He wanted to get rid of the fire.
An injured and lightly bruised Akane got his attention. He ordered the men to continue working and ran to her. He touched her left shoulder then immediately regretted it as she hissed in pain.
"I'm so sorry Akane. What happened?" he asked, his faced filled with concerned.
"I'm gonna be fine." Akane said.
Atlas raised his hand and gently held Akane's right cheek. She leaned into his touch and savored the moment while it lasted. Atlas had the sudden urge to embrace her but quickly stopped himself.
*No time for that now! We have to stop the fire!* he thought and tried to lead Akane to the side. She stopped him from doing so and shook her head.
"I'm going to help them." she said, showing her stubbornness.
"But..." Atlas started, but was quickly cut off by Akane.
"Please... I want to help them." she pleaded. Atlas saw the sincerity in her eyes and nodded.
Just outside the palace...
"Hurry men! The king and the princess are in danger!" the captain of the fire crew bellowed as they were finally able to collect enough equipment.
They left in a haste as they saw from a distance, the heavy, black smoke of the fire in the middle of the city where the king and the princess were at the moment.
To the fiery furnace once more...
"My king! We're running out of water!" the man cried, slowly losing hope.
"Do not worry. The fire crew will arrive soon." Atlas said, trying to find a way to keep his people calm.
Just then, parts of the house began to collapse. People ran from the house to save themselves. The roof tiles began to fall off, the window panes started to crumble.
What's worse was, the flames were starting to get bigger, now threatening the neighboring houses.
Atlas ran back to where Akane was. He gently lifted her in his arms and started to move away from the burning row of houses. He lowered his head in shame for not being able to save his people.
"Atlas! Put me down! We have to help them!" she screamed, squirming in his arms. She finally succeeded in making him put her down.
"We can't do anything until he fire crew gets here." he said, pleading with her.
"The king is right, princess." said one of the town's people.
"With the water pumping station destroyed, there isn't enough water to extinguish the fire." said another.
"Please... there must be something we can do..." she said, barely a whisper.
Akane fell onto her knees. She clasped her hands together and prayed silently, pleading with whoever was willing to listen to her pleas.
*Please help us... We need more water... Please...* she thought.
Suddenly, there was a tingling sensation at the base of her spine.
Akane felt a strong passion for power, like chi energy flowing through her entire body.
*What is this? What am I feeling?* Akane asked as she let herself be consumed by the energy that was surrounding her.
She can hear the sound of waves crashing against the rocks on a shore echoing in her ears. She can hear the noise of water splashing down from a high waterfall and the sounds of a raging river.
Akane closed her eyes and meditated, tapping the energy within her that she never thought she had. She felt the heat, the burning desire to release that energy.
"Akane? Akane what's wrong?" Atlas asked, a bit worried.
"You're majesty! Look!" the man exclaimed and pointed at the burning house.
From out of nowhere came a stream of water, effectively extinguishing most of the fire upon contact. At the same time, Akane's body was being enveloped by the same bluish - white light surrounding the water.
People looked on, astonished as the water, surrounded by a bluish - white light, splashed all over the flames. Even Atlas was amazed at the sight. He stared intently at the water, thanking the gods.
For this reason, no one saw Akane being enfolded with the same light around the water. The water vanished along with the light encompassing Akane's body just as the flames were utterly extinguished.
"Do not be afraid child." said someone.
Akane opened her eyes and saw a human form in front of her. But because of the light shinning towards her, she could not make out the face of the person.
"Who are you?" Akane asked.
"I am Proteus, the spirit of water, your guardian." it said. Akane wanted to ask a ton of questions but Proteus shushed her.
"I know you have a lot of questions, most of them, I know not the answers. But one thing I am sure of is that you have proven yourself to be the rightful heir to the power of water." said Proteus.
The spirit of water touched Akane's forehead and she felt overwhelming energy flow into her. Proteus knelt down beside her and gave her a hug. After a few moments, he released her.
"Use the power I have given you to protect these people. Always remember to use the strength of your mind, the will of your soul, and the love in your heart. Farewell." he said and slowly vanished from her sight.
"Thank you... for giving me the strength... thank you..." thought Akane just as sleep claimed her.
*It is your own strength that saved all of them.* Proteus thought as he rejoined his fellow spirit guardians.
Atlas turned back just as the light left Akane's body. He scooted beside her supported himself on one knee. He shook Akane's body in an effort to wake her up.
Just then, the fire crew arrived and took control of what was left of the situation. The doctors took Akane from Atlas's arms and put her under observation.
Atlas stayed at the site while Akane was taken back to the palace, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for what just happened. He took one last look at Akane then went back to join his people.
Ranma paused in mid - stride. He turned his head in every direction possible as if searching for something. They other stopped as well, looking oddly at him for his behavior.
"Did you guys feel that?" he asked, his thumb pointing at an unseen object or thing.
Ukyo gazed towards the direction the thumb was pointing, but saw nothing. She turned to Ranma with an amused expression. This amused expression suddenly turned into confusion.
"Feel what, Ranchan?" she asked.
"I... you know... like there's some kind of energy flowing within you..." he said.
Ukyo looked back at the others, asking for confirmation. Shampoo and Mousse both shrugged, while Ryoga scratched his head. Artemis though, remained still.
"What are you talking about?" Ryoga asked, still scratching his head.
*Can't they feel it? Am I the only one who can feel that power?* Ranma asked himself.
"Uh... never mind..." he said.
*Hmm... how come Ranma can feel the power of water? He doesn't even have his power yet... the others should have felt it before he did...* thought Artemis.
The others just nodded and they continued their journey back to Nerima. The trip would take about four to five hours more. Then they will finally have the chance to get some rest.
They still don't have a clue on where to find Akane, let alone exactly how to get to where she is. The trip back to Nerima will give them the chance to explain to everyone what has happened so far.
The only other thing they can do now, is wait.
Part 2:
Leaving the Past Behind
Akane blinked rapidly as she tried to open her eyes. She was in the middle of raising her left arm to shield her eyes from the blinding light when she found that she couldn't.
Using her other arm, she shielded her eyes for a moment until she could focus. She looked down on her arm and found that her left shoulder was heavily bandaged, probably to keep her from moving it.
*Oh yeah... I hurt it when I saved that kid.* she thought, and lay her head down on the bed once more.
It was then that she realized that she was back in her room in the palace. She tried to look around for Merian, but she wasn't around. She felt her eye lids closing and surrendered herself.
Outside her room, Merian and Atlas were deep in conversation.
"Will she be fine?" Atlas asked, obviously worried.
"She will be, your majesty. Please, I suggest you return to your room and fix yourself up." she said and shooed him away.
Atlas wanted to stay and wait for Akane to wake up, but knew that Merian was right. He let himself be ushered away from Akane's room and into his own.
"Oh... it's so nice to be back." Ukyo said as she cheerfully walked down the street that would lead to her restaurant.
"You said it, Ucchan!" Ranma said, genuinely happy to be back home.
"We get to see great grandmama again!" Shampoo exclaimed, and then froze right after.
Everyone stopped in their tracks, trying to sense if there was any imminent danger approaching them. When they felt none, they all turned to Shampoo, wondering why she had stopped.
"Is there a problem, Shampoo?" Mousse asked, a bit worried.
"Great grandmama! If she finds out about us... she'll..." she paused, dreading her own thoughts.
"Don't worry Shampoo. I'm sure Cologne would understand." he said, reassuring her.
"You're right." she said and relaxed.
They both turned around to see three pairs of eyes looking intently at them, as if waiting for something. They looked at each other, obviously confused, then back at the three.
"Translation please, for us non-speakers." Ranma said.
"You worry too much Saotome! It's about the two of us, nothing to worry yourselves over." Mousse said with a smile.
"Oh..." Ranma said, then shrugged and continued walking.
The six of them came up to the intersection where they were supposed to part ways. They huddled together for a moment and talked about their plans.
"We all go home tonight and then meet at the Ucchan's tomorrow. Any questions?" Artemis asked.
"Where will you stay?" Ryoga asked.
"I'll be around. Don't worry about me Ryoga, I can take care of myself." she assured him.
"Until Ranma has his dream about the power, we all take our time to rest, OK? We all need it." she said.
Everyone nodded in acknowledgment. They said their good-byes and went on their separate ways. Each looking forward to the comfort of their own homes, knowing in the back of their minds that after tonight, they'd probably be spending most of their remaining journey days away from it.
Akane woke up a few hours later with a splitting headache and a twisted left shoulder. She looked around her room for a moment and found that there was food on the table set beside her bed.
*Thank you, Merian.* she thought, thinking very fondly of Merian.
She struggled to get herself to sit up and eat. She winced ever so slightly at the pain caused by her shoulder. Slowly, gradually, she was able to put herself in a sitting position.
Just as she was about to reach for the spoon, something fell from the bed. Akane looked down and wondered what it was. She pushed the table with her left hand, then bent down as far as she could.
When she lifted it up, she realized that it was her wallet.
*I'd forgotten all about this. Must have been in my pocket when I was brought here.* she thought.
She set aside her food and opened her wallet, to check what was inside. There was some money, a few cards and little trinkets. There was a picture of her family and her friends from the Christmas party.
As she turned the picture sleeve, her breath got caught in her throat. The next picture was of her and Ranma, sometime before the wedding.
It was then that everything came back to her. Everything that she had been trying to forget since that dream where Ranma had let go of her, where Ranma had given her the will to live.
She started thinking of all the things they used to do together.
Walking or running to school every morning, sometimes eating lunch under a mango tree in the yard, or even getting into trouble. They almost did everything together, anything from getting kidnapped by some prince or guy in love with Akane and getting saved.
Ranma was the one that gave Akane back her life, her reason to live normal again.
Ever since their mother's death, the Tendo household changed forever.
Soun, the man of the house, was out of it for a while, mourning over the loss of his wife. He collapsed right after the burial, and was unconscious for some time, leaving Kasumi to take care of everything in the house.
That was where it all started.
Forgetting about going to college and about her own life, Kasumi became their second mother. She took care of everything, the cooking, the cleaning, name it, she can do it.
She sacrificed her own happiness to take care of her ailing father and younger sisters, thus, falling into a state of responsibility. That is what she'd rather call it, responsibility, than calling it loneliness.
Nabiki though, turned into who she is now. Never the type to show her emotions to anyone other than to her mother, she became silent.
She became the cold, monopolizing Nabiki she is now because of that. She thought that love was nothing, only foolishness. She thought it was the weakness of the soul.
Being young, she thought that any person she loved would go and leave her, just like her mother. Yes, she did love her father and sisters, but there still isn't any other love stronger than for your own mother.
Since then, she put herself into seclusion, isolating herself from everyone else. Not letting anyone get really close to her, not even trusting anyone that much anymore. The only one she trusted was her father and her sisters, and no one else.
Just like Kasumi she became truly alone. The least she could do to help Kasumi with the so - called responsibility was to pay for all the bills of the household.
Everyone thinks of her as the money - loving mercenary, but only a few know her as the loving sister, disguising herself. Afraid of showing her vulnerabilities to anyone. Afraid of letting anyone know that she too was alone.
Of the three, Akane was affected the most.
She was only barely able to walk when her mother left. She didn't know anything about life, still a little child. She didn't even understand death at that time.
She thought that their mother left for a trip and would come back after. But after a few weeks, she never came back.
Kasumi did everything she could to explain to her, but she couldn't understand. She couldn't understand why her mother had to leave. She couldn't understand it before.
But now, she does understand why her mother left.
The only thing she couldn't understand was why Ranma had to leave, too.
Three weeks since the incidents of that day...
"Atlas! Catch!" cried Akane as she threw the disc towards her friend and soon - to - be husband.
They were out in the east gardens of the palace, just outside the Aviary. Akane had invited everyone out for a picnic and was glad that they all worked something out, with their busy schedules and all.
Her shoulder had been completely healed, thanks to the doctors and their medicine, lots of rest and lots of food, and the constant presence of Atlas and Merian.
Along with her physical recovery was her emotional stabilization and mental restoration. She had already regained much of her old self after having accepted Ranma's death.
Her laughs now come from the bottom of her heart, not like the hollow ones before. Her smiles now are genuine and true, unlike the fake ones she did to keep up appearances.
She had truly recovered, in mind, in body, and in spirit.
Atlas caught the disc, but not without falling flat on his back. This caused most of their audience, Astevaes, Merian and a few guards, to laugh mercilessly.
Akane ran towards Atlas to see if he was fine. She stood over his prone form, expecting him to look back at her. She frowned when she found his eyes closed and his breathing a bit labored.
"Atlas? Are you OK?" she asked, kneeling down beside him.
Still no response. She was starting to get worried. Things have just gotten well and peaceful over the past few weeks. She didn't need something like this to happen, none of them did.
"Atlas? Answer me!" she cried, shaking him. Still no response.
She was already in a state of panic. She had cried and motioned for both Merian and Astevaes to come forward and take a look at Atlas, and if need be, to call for help.
She turned back towards Atlas and was surprised to see him smiling at her. She could see that he was trying to hold back from laughing as much as he could. He couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing.
"Wha... what the?" Akane cried incredulously.
"Damn I'm good! I fooled you didn't I?" he said, smirking.
"Men!" she roared and got on her feet, stomping back into the palace. Atlas stood from his position and hurriedly tried to run after her.
"Hey! Akane... it was merely a jest." he said, panting a bit as he caught up to her.
"Well it wasn't funny! I was really worried, I thought something had happened to you." she said, on the verge of tears.
"Akane... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Atlas said, enveloping her in an embrace.
Akane leaned into his arms and felt her anger dissipate into nothingness. She felt his warmth flow into her and somehow forgot that she wanted to yell at him. She started to sob.
Atlas realized that he had done a stupid thing. It had taken Akane such a long time and so much pain to get over the loss of Ranma. And now he played with her emotions with such a practical joke.
He pulled back and bent to level his eyes with hers. He wiped the tears on her cheeks and kissed her there. Akane's tears ceased and her sobbing came to a halt.
"Forgive me, Akane." Atlas apologized.
"Don't ever do that to me again!" she said and threw her arms around his neck. Atlas' arms went around her waist and he hugged her with all his might.
There was silence for a moment, neither of them wanting to speak.
"Why don't I cook dinner for you?" Atlas asked, finally breaking the silence.
They pulled apart, Akane looking at Atlas, somewhat curious, while Atlas stared at her, amazed with the beauty she possesses just by standing in front of him, looking all confused.
"Think of it as my apology." he said, almost sounding as though he was pleading. Akane wrinkled her nose for a moment as she thought. She then smiled.
"Why don't I cook with you?" she asked, then smiled.
Atlas nodded and gathered her in his arms once more, before releasing her and walking beside her towards the kitchen, their hands not once leaving the other.
Herion sat in his chair, waiting for one of his men to approach him with news. A few minutes later, one of his men addressed him.
"What is it? Have you found them?" he asked, a bit impatient.
"We've been searching for the past three weeks, my Lord. But none of them have been using their powers enough to register anything on the radar." the warrior said.
"And Artemis? What of her?" he asked.
"Still no sign of her. It's as if she's fallen of the face of the earth." the warrior answered.
*This is bad. I've only got at least one more week to dispose of Artemis before the festival. And with no sign of her or the others, I can't make any kind of move. Dammit!* he thought furiously.
"My Lord?" the warrior asked.
"Keep on searching and alert me on any other happenings. The next time she appears, I will personally go and kill her." he said in rage.
"Yo Ucchan! What's up?" Ranma asked as he entered the restaurant.
It was sometime after lunch, and the place was just about empty save for a few customers. He strolled into the restaurant and sat facing Ukyo on the grill.
"Heya Ranchan! Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" she asked, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Yeah... well, nothing much has happened. Still no dream about my power, and Artemis has been gone for weeks already." he said, tapping his fingers on the table.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Ukyo said, a little sad.
"Gah! Don't worry about it. When the time comes, I know we'll all be prepared. Anyway, where's Ryoga?" he asked, popping his knuckles a bit.
"He's in the kitchen, washing the dishes. With warm water." she said.
"Oh... is it OK if we kinda spar for a minute. It's been a while, ya'know?" he said, waiting for her approval.
Ukyo thought about it for a minute, contemplating on the possibilities. After a while, she concluded that it was fine.
"Why not? Just don't be too rough, OK? And no insults, just plain sparring. And don't destroy my back yard!" she cried as Ranma made his way to the kitchen.
"Mousse! Three ramens for table 6 and a chopsuey for table 12." Cologne said, flinging the orders into the air. Mousse intercepted them and landed gracefully in front of table 6.
"Here you go!" he said and placed the bowls on the table.
Three teenage girls happened to be the occupants of table 6. They were thrilled to have such a handsome waiter serving them. They cheered and giggled at him, trying to get more of his attention.
Mousse just smiled at them, then continued on to table 12 which accommodated more teenage girls. They also cheered to get his attention, much like the other table.
Unfortunately for them, it was Shampoo's attention that they caught. She griped the handle of the ladle to the point of breaking it into half.
"Mousse! Get back in here!" she roared from the kitchen.
Mousse was oblivious to all the other girls trying to get his attention, and was surprised to find Shampoo fuming at him. He looked a little too innocent for Shampoo's liking, and she fumed even more.
"What in the world were you doing flirting with those girls?" she cried.
"Flirting? What are you talking about? You know you're the only one for me." he said, assuring her that she has been and will always be the only one for him.
Shampoo blushed helplessly, completely forgetting her train of thought. She turned away from him and back to what she was cooking, trying not to look embarrassed.
"Mousse! Table 2 and table 8!" Cologne called.
Mousse stepped forward to kiss Shampoo on the cheek. He smiled, then walked back out to the restaurant with the orders for tables 2 and 8. Cologne just shook her head, smiling to herself.
Behind the curtain of purple hair, Shampoo was smiling, too.
Ranma was on his way back from his little practice session with Ryoga when he felt it. He felt that someone was watching him. He turned and looked around in all directions but found no one.
He paused for a while to tried to concentrate. He then opened his eyes and turned left. And was surprised to feel someone touching him on his right shoulder.
"Aaaaahhhhhh!" he screamed so loud people stared at him in surprise.
"It's me. Artemis. Remember me?" she asked, surprised with Ranma's reaction.
"Don't scare me like that!" he said, heaving a sigh of relief. he then looked quizzically at her.
"Where in the world have you been? It's been three weeks!" he cried as they started walking towards the Dojo.
"I've... been around." she said, not really the answer he was expecting.
Silence reigned between the two, until they reached the dojo. Ranma welcomed Artemis into the house and even invited her over for dinner.
"C'mon in. Dinner will be in a while." he said, removing his shoes as he entered the house, and motioned for Artemis to do the same.
"Hey Kasumi! I brought a guest over for dinner, OK?" he announced, then walked up to his room with Artemis trailing behind him.
"No problem Ranma! Just be down in time for it." she answered.
In Ranma's room, Artemis sat patiently while Ranma started packing. Silence once more ruled over them. Artemis eyed Ranma carefully, and was curious as to why he was already packing.
"Have you had the dream?" she asked, a bit hopeful.
"Nope. Not really." he answered, as he continued packing.
"Then why..." she trailed off, part of her knowing why.
"I kinda sensed it in you." he said with a smile.
Once more, silence...
"The house seems kinda different. Kasumi seems even more involved with the chores, while your fathers are so completely hooked up on their game. I didn't see Nabiki, though." she commented.
Ranma paused with what he was doing and thought for a moment before he replied.
"I guess everyone's trying to cope up in their own way." he said, finished with packing his bag.
"And you?" she asked, and immediately regretted it. Ranma smiled bitterly, then turned to face her.
"I guess I'm hanging. I can't lose hope ya'know." he quietly said.
Again, there was silence...
"Let's go down for dinner, then we can call Ucchan and the rest. We can talk later." he said, and smiled, but Artemis saw through it.
"Ranma... I..." she said, her hand raised as if to reach out.
But Ranma was already out the door.
"Dinner was great! I think we make a very good team!" Akane exclaimed, proud of herself and of Atlas for that very delicious and satisfying dinner.
They've made it back to Akane's room, and both were allowing the time to just pass them by. Atlas noticed that there was a new picture beside Akane's bed and decided to ask.
"Oh that... it's a picture of me and my family from last year's Christmas party." she said, handing him the picture.
"Is this..." he trailed off, pointing at a boy with a pigtail.
"Yes... that's Ranma." she said, not a single trace of emotion in her voice.
"I... I'm sorry Akane. I shouldn't have..." he trailed off yet again, not knowing what else to say. He placed the picture back on the side table.
"It's OK Atlas. I guess I'm kinda over it. Ranma did help me through it." she said, a hint of pride in her voice.
Atlas kept his head bowed, torn between his own feelings. He was feeling sorry for Akane, and at the same time angry at Ranma for making Akane feel this way.
"You helped me through it, too." she said and smiled at him.
Atlas looked into her eyes and felt like he was drowning in them. He's been wanting to ask her something for the past few weeks, but he never really got the chance to.
*It's now or never...* he thought as he built up his courage and took a deep breath.
"Ak..." he was interrupted by someone knocking on the door.
*Damn!* he thought, silently cursing at whoever was at the door.
"Come in." Akane said.
Astevaes came into the room and excused himself for the intrusion. Atlas had called for him earlier in the day and he wanted to get things over with as soon as possible.
*I've got a lot of other things to worry about.* he thought as he made his way to the royal pair.
"Your majesty? You summoned me earlier?" he asked.
"Yes... I did. It's about the festival next week. How are the preparations?" Atlas asked, then turned to Akane.
"It's an annual event here in Atlantis." he said and started to explain it to her.
*If only I can find Artemis, then my preparations would be complete!* he thought fiercely, while Atlas was talking with Akane.
Astevaes was both trying to think of what to do with Artemis and something to say to Atlas about the festival when something caught his eye. He reached for the picture on Akane's bed side table.
"My Lady, what is this?" he asked, a certain gleam in his eyes.
"Huh? It's a picture of my family. But not all of them. Just them..." she said and pointed at her immediate family plus Genma and Ranma.
Astevaes was silent for a moment as a plan started to form in his mind. He could feel the himself start to laugh maniacally as he found an answer to his problems.
"Is there a problem?" asked Akane.
"No... none at all." he said nonchalantly.
"Are you feeling well? We can talk about the preparations later Astevaes." Atlas said, half concerned for him and half annoyed at him for interrupting his moment with Akane.
"As you wish." Astevaes said and left Akane's room.
Astevaes walked into the hidden chamber with a huge grin plastered on his face and a wine glass in his hand. Everyone stood and bowed as he made his way to his chair.
"Herion!" he called, pointing to Herion.
"Bring five men with you to kidnap these people." he instructed him. He pushed a few buttons and motioned them to look at the screen.
The screen showed two men, one bald and wearing a white gi, and the other with shoulder length hair, wearing a dark brown gi.
Another part of the screen showed two girls, one having short brown hair and the other having long brown hair tied back, wearing an apron.
The last screen showed a picture of two old people. One of them having long white hair and a staff to walk around, or hop around with. The other wearing a small black gi and having hair only above his ears. Both of them maybe only two feet high.
"Be careful with the two old ones." he reminded them.
"The woman is an Amazon Matriarch, the man is the master of the Anything - Goes Style." he added.
"Why do we need to kidnap them, my Lord?" Herion asked.
"They will serve as bait for Artemis and her friends." he said.
"Now go!" he ordered.
Herion and his men nodded and teleported out of the room. The remaining men continued their search for the whereabouts of Artemis and her group.
*I've got you now Artemis! If we can't come to you, then you will come to us!* he thought and laughed wickedly, his laughter filling the room.
"So... what do we do now?" Ryoga asked.
They were now all at Ucchan's talking about their next move. With no dream about the power, they practically had no lead. But according to Artemis, they didn't have much time.
"The festival will be in a week's time. We've got to get to Atlantis and stop the conspiracy before that." Artemis said.
"Then we leave tomorrow!" Ranma exclaimed. The others looked sadly at him.
"Hey! Don't look at me like that! I know I don't have the power yet, but we've all managed to get this far. We can do this!" he cried.
"But Ranma, we no have lead." Shampoo interjected.
"She's right, Ranma. We don't even know how to get there." Mousse added.
"Artemis can get us there!" cried Ranma, rambling a bit.
They all looked away from Ranma's piercing gaze. They wanted to help him save Akane, but not like this. Not when they are two powers short and they don't have the slightest hint of what to do next.
After a moment of silence, it was Ukyo who spoke.
"Alright! Why don't we all start preparing for it now? So we can leave early tomorrow." Ukyo suggested.
The tension that once filled the air seemed to dissipate. They all felt more than heard Ranma's sigh of relief. It was a sure sign that part of him wasn't entirely sure that everyone would agree with him.
They all nodded and agreed to meet at Ucchan's again the next morning to leave for Atlantis. They were about to leave for their respective homes to prepare when they felt a sudden chill in the night.
It was just for a moment, then it was gone.
Ranma was already up and running towards the Tendo Dojo, Artemis right behind him. Shampoo and Mousse were also racing towards the Nekohanten. Ukyo and Ryoga stayed to prepare and guard the restaurant.
They were all hoping that none of them were too late.
Inside a dark and unused warehouse...
"Do you think they'll come?" asked one of Herion's men.
"I'm sure that our kidnap note would lead them straight here." answered another.
They both turn around to watch their captives trying to free themselves from their bonds. Nabiki and Kasumi were both tied to a foundation pillar, while Soun and Genma were pinned to another.
Cologne was being held inside an energy sphere, Happosai was being held in another just like it. Both energy spheres were being controlled by Herion himself. This was to make sure that neither can escape.
"Don't worry, men. They're already here." Herion said, grinning evilly as he saw through the window, Ranma and the others gather outside the warehouse.
"You got one, too?" Ranma asked, though he wasn't a tad surprised to find Mousse and Shampoo waiting just outside the warehouse.
"Yes. We found it just outside the door." Mousse answered, his face grim.
"Damned Herion! He's gone too far!" Artemis roared.
"Don't worry, it all ends tonight." Ranma said, his face filled with determination.
They split up into two teams, Shampoo, Mousse and Artemis on one team, with Ukyo, Ryoga and Ranma in the other. In this case, there was no need for Artemis to not interfere.
Both groups entered the warehouse, Ranma's group entering first, with Mousse and the others covering them. They made their way into the warehouse without any interruptions.
The warehouse was filled with huge crates, boxes both empty and filled, and barrels made of metal and wood. The place seemed to be an old factory where firecrackers are made.
The place was dark, their only source of light was that of the moon whose rays were shining through the windows. Just as they were about to declare the floor clear, the lights went on.
And horror filled their faces.
"Welcome, my dear friends. Welcome." it was Herion, all smiles as he got the reaction he wanted.
Behind him were Nabiki, Kasumi, Genma, Soun, Cologne and Happosai, each bound and gagged and being guarded by Atlantis warriors. They all look to be pretty safe for the moment.
"Let our families go!" Ranma cried.
"Tsk, tsk. If you had surrendered Artemis like I had wanted, none of this would have happened. Now, it would be my pleasure to end all of your lives. Attack!" Herion growled.
Hidden from all over the warehouse were more Atlantis warriors. There were about ten of them, not counting the ones who were guarding their captives.
"Oh, boy... this could get ugly." Mousse said and evaded a flying kick from one warrior, then spun to evade an uppercut from another.
Shampoo was standing a few feet from Mousse, also battling two warriors with intense fervor. Ukyo and Ryoga were standing with their backs together, battling four more.
Ranma was trying to maneuver the remaining two away from Artemis whom he was trying to protect. Being the only one without the power, Ranma was having a very tough time.
"You don't have to protect me, Ranma! I can fight on my own." she cried and tore away from him, only to find the remaining warriors who had been guarding the hostages confront her.
"Artemis! Dammit!" he cried and tried to run after her but got hit by a roundhouse in the solar plexus which sent him flying into some of the crates.
"Ranma!" "Ranchan!"
*That hurt... huh?* Ranma thought as he tried to stand up. He found himself atop tons of firecrackers.
*I've got an idea!* he thought, then grinned widely at his opponents.
Somehow, without them really knowing how or why, they all knew about Ranma's plan. It was as if they could read each other's minds and feel each other's emotions.
At that moment, things happened all at the same time.
Shampoo used the her power and summoned a huge venus fly trap from out of nowhere. Her two opponents were surprised by this and were conveniently eaten. Only their cries of pain were heard thereafter.
"Tornado Spear!" Mousse cried and the air around him gathered to form several spears.
He flung the spears at his adversaries and both men were pierced right through. They slammed into the wall and fell to the ground, bathing in their own blood.
Ukyo's giant spatula was knocked out of her hands when she turned to glance at Ranma. She summoned her power and concentrated on firing at her enemies without harming Ryoga who has right behind her.
"Flare Arrow!" she roared and from her palms came forth a huge bow made of fire. She fired arrows at will, until the warriors were nothing but ashes on the ground.
Ukyo jumped away from Ryoga and steered clear of him, knowing that he was summoning his power at that moment and was preparing to strike. Ryoga, knowing Ukyo was at a safe distance, paused for a moment.
"SHI SHI HOKOUDAN REVISED: SHOOKU NAMI!" he cried, punching the ground beneath him. The two warriors didn't have much time to act as they were both swallowed up by the ground.
The four of them then proceeded to help both Ranma and Artemis. Ranma's opponents had started backing down when they saw Shampoo and Mousse running towards them.
They tried to get away, but they weren't able to. Shampoo summoned her vines and caught one of the warriors. The vines completely covered him and crushed him until his screams ceased.
Mousse caught the other one in a real tornado. The warrior was caught by the force of the tornado and was thrown into the air. Mousse again fired one of his spears and it pierced right through the warrior's heart.
Ranma got up from the crate and was about to tell Shampoo and Mousse of his plans when both raised their hands to stop him. The three of them nodded to each other and headed off to help the others.
Before the remaining warriors could get to Artemis, they were caught up in a circle of fire that was created from Ukyo's power. Ryoga then commanded the ground to swallow them as well.
Herion stared in disbelief. Minutes ago, he was the one who had them outnumbered. He had at least ten more men. As he looked around the warehouse, he found he was the only one left.
"How's about it? You're the only one left." Ranma said.
"No matter. I'll kill you all with my own hands!" Herion cried.
Ryoga and Ukyo were the first to attack him. Their attacks were followed by Mousse and Shampoo's attacks. They had all used their powers to fight him but none of their blows worked.
"Your petty tricks won't work against me!" Herion bellowed and summoned balls of chi. He fired off volley after volley and each shot succeeded in hitting its targets.
Shampoo and Ukyo were both flung to the far side of the warehouse. They slammed into some of the boxes and were then covered by them. Mousse smashed into some of the barrels not far from them.
Ryoga had managed to put up a barrier against himself, Ranma and Artemis just in time to shield them from Herion's attacks. Since he had used up most of his energy, he was not able to put up one for everyone.
"Eh? A barrier, huh? You won't be able to hold that for long!" Herion fired another volley of chi blasts, this time twice as big and twice as strong in magnitude.
True to the prediction, Ryoga was not able to hold all three barriers. With most of the blasts directed at him and Ranma, they were both thrown back and landed in a heap not far from each other.
Artemis fell to the ground, admittedly a bit frightened of Herion. She knew that her powers were not made for attacking anyone. She also knew that she didn't have enough to save everyone from Herion's wrath.
"What now Artemis? Your protectors have been defeated. You know you cannot defeat me." he said, slowly advancing towards her.
Artemis put up a barrier to protect herself, but Herion was too powerful. He walked through the barrier as if it wasn't there. He held Artemis in the neck and raised her off the ground.
"You've caused me a lot of problems Artemis, but it ends now!" he cried and squeezed her neck even more.
With the force of Herion's hands on her neck, Artemis could feel herself slowly giving in. She couldn't come up with any form of escape, and she could barely breathe.
She saw her life flashing before her eyes. She saw images of the city of Atlantis, the people celebrating the festival. She saw the happy faces of the people as they cheered and sang.
She saw herself as a baby, being taken from her home and away from her supposed family and life. She saw herself as a child, being trained in the psychic and magical arts.
She saw the face of the man who she had come to know as her father. The man who had kept her alive for all these years. The same man who had entrusted her with this task of saving the city.
Shampoo, Mousse, Ukyo, Ranma and Ryoga had all gotten up from their positions and took turns in attacking Herion, in the hopes of making him let go of Artemis.
But they couldn't even touch them, for every time they get close they are flung back by the immense psychic energy that Herion is using to create a barrier around himself and Artemis.
*It can't end like this. I have to save everyone.* she thought, barely able to stay awake.
Just as she thought that it was the end, she felt some form of energy start to flow from inside of her. She felt it fill mind, body and spirit.
Herion also felt this, and was surprised when Artemis suddenly had the power to take his hands from her neck and fling him towards some of the crates.
He stood up after a moment, staggering a bit at the force of the blow. He charged at her once more, only get himself caught by Artemis. He was now the one being held by the neck.
Ranma and the others felt more than saw it coming. Artemis was building up huge amounts of chi and energy that was enough to blow up the entire warehouse.
They all knew that they would not be able to stop her even if they tried. With his power weakening, Herion's hold on Cologne and Happosai's energy spheres had weakened and both slumped to the ground.
Ranma and the others saw this as their chance. They ran past the two and freed Nabiki, Kasumi, Soun and Genma from their bonds. Ukyo lead Soun, Genma and Nabiki out of the warehouse, with Ranma carrying an unconscious Kasumi.
They were followed by Shampoo who cradled the drained Cologne in his arms, while Mousse held Happosai in his. They all made it safely outside when they noticed that Ryoga was not with them.
"Where's Ryoga?" Ranma asked, handing Kasumi to Soun.
"Dammit! He stayed inside!" Ukyo cried and tried to go back in.
The entire warehouse was engulfed in flames. There was no way in. Ukyo was frantic to the point of collapse. She wanted to go back in to help Ryoga, but stopped when she heard his voice in her head.
*Don't, Ukyo. Believe in Artemis. Believe in me.* Ryoga thought. His message got through not only to Ukyo, but to Ranma, Mousse and Shampoo as well.
They could only look on as parts of the warehouse started to explode because of the fireworks.
Inside the warehouse, Artemis was already at the brink of releasing all her energy in one huge blast. Fury could be seen in her eyes as she stared into Herion's.
"You're right Herion, it ends now!" she cried.
There was a blinding light.
The entire warehouse exploded without mercy. Bits and pieces of the entire complex flew all over the place. The whole building was immersed in flames.
"Ryoga!" Ukyo cried and almost ran towards it, if not for Ranma holding her back.
"Let me go, Ranchan! I have to get to Ryoga! I have to..." she cried, then burst into tears.
"Believe in Ryoga, Ucchan. Just as he said." Ranma said, holding her in his arms as she wept momentarily.
"Look!" Nabiki said, pointing at a ball of light that emerged from the fiery furnace.
"It's Ryoga and Artemis!" cried Genma.
Ukyo turned from Ranma's embrace and saw Ryoga and Artemis surrounded by a ball of light. He cradled an unconscious Artemis in his arms as they both descended to the ground.
Ryoga landed gracefully on the ground, and was met by Ranma. He took Artemis from him and into his own arms. Just then, Ukyo came flying into Ryoga. And he caught her.
"Damn you! How dare you scare me again!" she cried, trying to sound angry but knew that she was more relieved than mad.
Ryoga said nothing and just held her tight.
In the background, the sirens of the police cars and the fire trucks rang throughout the neighborhood. People had started coming out from their homes to watch.
Oddly enough, no one was at the site. Only the burning building remained.
In a hidden cave, somewhere in Atlantis...
An old man wearing a monks' robes shivered as he felt more than heard the crystal ball he had been entrusted with for the past centuries crack ever so slightly in its resting place.
He knew what was about to happen. It was what he has been waiting for these past centuries of his life. Everything that was predicted had come true.
He had to smile a bit to himself as he felt the other side beckoning him. He knew that it was nearly his time to go, and was happy that most of the prophecy had been fulfilled.
He had done his part, he had accomplished what was entrusted to him. From this point on, the warriors of the spirits must find a way on their own.
"Oh... my dear Artemis... you've come a long way..." he whispered against the wind.
He ran his hands over the paintings and drawings that adorned the walls of the cave. He lightly ran his hand over the last act, the one Artemis herself does not know of.
"Just a little bit more..." he whispered yet again, then blew at the candle that served as the only source of light in the cave.
*Finally!* Atlas thought as the last of the maids left Akane's room.
He's had all he could endure and knew that he couldn't take another interruption. He silently thanked the gods for not letting any other person come in.
"You were saying something? Just before Astevaes came in?" Akane reminded him.
Atlas once again took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He closed his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts and to concentrate. He opened them and found Akane staring right back at him.
*This is it!* he thought.
"Akane... for years I've lived my life alone in the palace. I've only had my responsibilities as the king to keep me occupied. I never really had much of a life, until I found you." he paused, and swallowed.
Akane stared at him in disbelief. She could feel her heart throbbing in her chest. She's never felt that way before, and she never thought she'd feel like that for any man other than Ranma.
"I know we haven't known each other long enough, and I know that I won't be able to replace Ranma in your heart. But I promise to love you forever. Everything I am, I give to you." he paused yet again.
Akane looked into his eyes as he did hers. She could see the fear and anxiety in them, and found herself feeling the same way. Atlas knelt down in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat. This was it.
"Akane, will you marry me?" he asked.
At that moment, time froze.
*What am I going to do? I mean... I like him. But do I like him enough to marry him? What about Ranma? What would he want me to do?* Akane's mind was filled with such questions.
Then she remembered the time Ranma appeared to her.
(Akane's Memory)
"Ranma, I love you!" she said as she slowly drifted away.
"Akane, I love you, too." he said and saw Akane's soul disappear.
"Thank you Ranma... for releasing me..." she said.
(Present time)
Mere seconds felt like hours to Atlas, hours that turned into days, and years. He couldn't bring himself to speak anymore for fear of bursting into tears.
He was about to stand, to accept that he was never going to win Akane over from the memory of a dead lover when he heard her utter the one word that he needed to hear.
"Yes." she said, with a smile on her face.
Atlas stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment, then stood up and took her into his arms. He felt like the luckiest man in the world, and silently thanked the gods.
They stayed like that for a moment, neither wanting to let go. Both of them had burst into tears, both for completely different reasons.
*Good-bye Ranma. I will always love you.* thought Akane, as she bid farewell to her first and only love, and welcomed the one that could be something more.
End of Chapter 10
From the Author:
The words in UNDERLINE are spoken in Chinese in this chapter.
I'm really sorry for the long wait. I've been stuck in the mountains and this is the first time that I've been on a computer in a very long while. I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed with myself in this chapter. I won't blame you guys if you agree. It'll take me a while before I can update again. But don't worry, as one of the reviews pointed out, this fanfic is already finished. I'm just revising the last chapters. I hope you guys stay with me until I post the final one.
About the carriage...
OK.. I really don't know how to describe it. For those who have watched Walt Disney's "The Little Mermaid"... do you remember the carriage that Eric and Ariel used when Eric decided to give Ariel a tour around the kingdom... well, that's what I'm trying to describe OK. Just picture that scene, but instead of Eric and Ariel, it's Atlas and Akane.
Reverse Psychology?
I'm not sure about the definition... I think it means doing the reverse of what you really mean or something... to get the attention of the person you're referring to and to get that person to realize what you're trying to tell him. Something like that... Sorry but I really can't explain it very much.
How come Ranma almost went insane?
Well... actually, Ranma didn't actually go insane or something. He just felt so depressed, frustrated and sad at not being able to find Akane immediately. Plus the fact that the dreams, their only lead, had stopped. Technically, he was about to either: (1) go berserk; (2) break down and cry; (3) run off, never to be seen again. I would've gone for the second choice, but Rumiko Takahashi herself has used that in Vol. 38 of the manga, where Ranma thought Akane had died. But thanks to reverse-psychology, I was able to do away with the remaining choices.
As usual, my formatting got screwed. So Akane's memory of a conversation with Merian had to be broken up using parentheses.
Um... about this line...
""OK." said Atlas and pulled out his purse."
It's not funny OK! I don't know what to call a king's wallet. It sounds so plain to be called a wallet. I know... I know... it sounds a bit too girly to call it a purse. But what the heck... it works.
SHI SHI HOKOUDAN REVISED: SHOOKU NAMI! Explanation in chapter 8.
Akane agrees to marry Atlas even though she's not quite sure if she loves him? *Dodges rotten tomatoes, pies...*
Easy people. I believe Akane saw that she could probably love Atlas in the future. Same thing with Shinnosuke in the "An Akane to Remember" OAV. Akane figured then that she could love Shinnosuke somehow, and that was with Ranma still alive. Here, Akane thinks Ranma's dead. Atlas has been nice and caring enough to her, y'know. So I guess there's a possibility.
All comments, suggestions, criticisms and the like, please click the link below.
All Ranma 1/2 characters copyright to Rumiko Takahashi. They are used without permission. Please do not sue me, I don't have money.
©1999 Shirley Joy Gadia, all other characters mentioned above and the story, all rights reserved.
Thank you!