(REPOSTED BECAUSE THE OLD ONE GOT KILLED BY THE NEW FORMATTING)

I would just like to say that f. has totally killed my formatting. So this chapter and the rest of the chapters of the other two books I will be posting will have a slightly different format than the previous ones. I used the horizontal line instead of the asterisks for the changing of scenes, and I've put "Flashback" and "End of Flashback" in lieu of the brackets.

I would also like to thank all those who have supported me since the beginning, especially chibs! This fanfic is dedicated to all of you who have been with me from the start. Thank you very much for the support! :)

Also, special thanks to my brother for keeping me from going crazy because of all the formatting changes that has done. Thanks Ace!

That's about it. As promised, the final chapter of "The Search for Atlantis." Hope everyone enjoys! :)

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic Trilogy:
"The True Meaning of Love"
By: s16thunderjet

Story 1
"The Search for Atlantis"

Chapter 12:
The Spirit of the Dragon God

Part 1:
The Awakening of the Spirit

Artemis wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead with the back of her hand. She settled herself back on the ground as the little boy she had just healed gave her a toothy grin.

"Thank you." the boy said, smiling shyly at her.

"You're welcome. Run along now." she said with a smile, as she rumpled the boy's hair with her left hand.

The boy ran over to where his mother and father were, then turned back and waved at Artemis. She waved back, a genuine smile on her face as the boy went on to play.

The smile quickly wavered as she felt the scroll's energy fading inside her robes. She pulled it out and saw that it was flickering wildly, as though the light was about to go out.

She looked around the front lawns of the palace where most of the people had settled down to get treated for their wounds. Most of the wounded have already been taken cared of.

The majority of the people had no idea what was happening to them, just that there was a battle that involved their king, future queen, and a group of strangers with mystical powers.

Stories and rumors had already started to spread, all of which the palace officials were trying to stop so as not to instill panic and fear in the hearts of the people.

"My lady?"

Artemis turned around and saw a woman in her early thirties smiling graciously at her. There was a certain twinkle in the older woman's eyes, and Artemis knew that someone had recognized her again.

"Yes. It is me." she replied, returning the warm smile.

"I am Merian, my lady. I'm glad to be of service. But I do not understand. Lady Akane..." Merian trailed off, looking sadly at the palace, worry filling her heart for Akane and Atlas.

"In time, Merian. In time." Artemis assured her.

She then turned back towards the palace and closed her eyes, praying and hoping that the battle that would decide the fate of the world would soon end.

"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" Ryoga cried, but the tube holding him would not budge.

He was slowly losing power as the energy created from the attack just kept bouncing back at him. He settled for just slamming his fists on the glass to let out his frustration.

"TORNADO SPEAR!" Mousse roared, directing tendrils of air towards the barrier.

The spears of air just dispersed as they hit the glass, not even leaving scratches. Mousse used just about every and any weapon that he had left underneath his robes but none of them worked.

"It no use. Tube absorb power." Shampoo uttered, sliding down the tube as much as the liquid would allow her.

"We have to do something. Ranchan needs our help!" Ukyo cried, creating fireball after fireball and throwing them at the barrier.

Just like Ryoga and Mousse's attacks, it did not work. The okonomiyaki chef gripped her giant spatula and tried to slice the glass with it as the tears fell from her eyes.

"Your attacks won't work. Since finding out about Akane Tendo's power, I've put the barriers to maximum. No amount of force can break through it." Astevaes leered.

*Maybe if we combine our powers...* Mousse thought, his idea echoing through the minds of everyone.

*Do you think it'll work?* Ukyo asked, the tears stopping for a moment as hope resurfaced.

*We try.* Shampoo replied, determination replacing the sadness in her eyes.

*OK. Akane, we need your help.* Ryoga thought, looking over to his former beloved.

He bit his lip to keep himself from crying out in anger as he gazed upon the desolate girl. Akane just kept staring straight at Ranma, her thoughts and emotions in shambles.

*We can't reach her. Her mind's on overload.* Ryoga thought, turning his eyes away from her.

*Then what do we do? We can't exactly do this by ourselves.* Ukyo replied, the hope that had resurfaced moments ago beginning to die once more.

"Ranma... you told me that you love me... that time that I almost died..."

They all turned to see Akane still staring at Ranma's lifeless body, the tears falling from her eyes. She looked lost and in total despair as she knelt on the floor of the tube.

"You brought me back then... you brought me back to life... why can't I bring you back now..."

Ukyo had to turn away from the scene to keep herself composed. She could hear heart - wrenching cries as the tears fell once more. It was only then that she realized that she was the one crying.

Ryoga leant forward as much as he could until his forehead and hands hit the glass. He wanted so much to comfort the distraught Ukyo but the barrier was preventing him from doing anything.

"You gave me a reason to fight... a reason to live... am I not reason enough..."

Shampoo covered her mouth with her hand as she fought to keep silent. Her other hand wrapped around her body as she tried to keep herself from convulsing with grief.

Mousse closed his eyes as the image of a weeping Shampoo burned into his memory. His heart reached out to his beloved as he tried to soothe her aching soul.

"Come back to me Ranma... please... I need you..."

Astevaes sneered as Akane pleaded with the floating mass that was the body of Ranma Saotome. He wondered why she kept on begging when he was already dead.

"There's no use Akane Tendo. He's gone. And he's not coming back." he added for good measure.

It was around that time that Atlas regained consciousness. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs as he found himself encased in a transparent tube.

"Ast... Astevaes... what in the... what in the hell is going on?" Atlas asked, still trying to regain awareness of his surroundings.

"At last. The king awakens. Aww, but you missed the demise of your future wife's former fiancé." he spat, making his way towards Atlas.

"What are you... what do you mean?" the king asked, raising his head to get a better view.

He found five people locked up in a tube much like his, except that theirs was filled with some sort of liquid. He squinted his eyes and almost swore as he saw Akane inside one of them.

"You still don't know? Well, I suppose being unconscious does that to people. In any case, why don't you and Akane just get on with the ceremony." he said, pointing towards the stoic woman.

"A... Akane... are you alright? It's me, Atlas." he said, coughing slightly as blood entered his throat.

"Ranma... come back..."

"Ran... ma?" Atlas wondered, blinking back as blood managed to get into one of his eyes.

"Don't bother. She's too into that mantra. So let's just finish things so I can begin taking over the world." he said, waving his hand as though it were a trivial thing.

Atlas ignored him completely, his attention focused solely on the love of his life. A part of him though, was telling him that he was not hers. He never was. He never will be.

He looked around him and saw nothing but a vast expanse of space. There were no walls, no floors, no ceilings. He seemed to be floating, though his feet was firmly set on something.

Everything was in white, even the robes he was wearing was white.

"Is this heaven? Am I dead?"

"Not yet."

He whirled around and was surprised to see the old man that had haunted the last moments of his existence. The old man had an intrigued look on his face as he watched him closely.

"What am I doing here? Where is here?"

"They don't want to let you go. She doesn't want to let you go."

"She's already gone..."

The old man shook his head slightly and muttered something about having stubborn kids as bearers of the powers. He approached the young man and stopped just in front of him.

"Can't you hear her calling?"

He was taken aback as though a force of some kind hit his entire body. He shook off the aftereffects as he tried to clear his mind. It was only then that he heard the faint whispers.

("Ranma... you told me that you love me...
that time that I almost died...")

"No! She's already gone! She's dead!" he cried, covering his ears and closing his eyes to keep the tears in.

He was then flooded with images of her, alive and well, and having fun and enjoying life. The same images were suddenly replaced of her dead body in his arms.

("You brought me back then...
you brought me back to life...
so why can't I bring you back now...")

"Stop it! Why are you doing this? Haven't I suffered enough?" he asked as he fell to his knees, opening his eyes to stop the images from coming.

He thought he was going crazy when the images manifested themselves from his mind, his surroundings changing every time a memory of her was brought up.

("You gave me a reason to fight...
a reason to live...
am I not reason enough...")

"No... please... it's my fault that you died... I killed you... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..." he admitted, falling to his knees.

"She's not dead Ranma. At least not yet. And you're not exactly dead either." the man said as everything faded back to white.

"What?" Ranma asked, staring at the old man as though he held the winning number in the lottery. The pigtailed martial artist did not even bother hiding the tears anymore.

"She's waiting for you. She hasn't given up yet." the man said.

("Come back to me Ranma...
please... I need you...")

"What do I need to do?" Ranma asked as hope started to fill his heart once more. The white robe he wore was replaced by his favorite chinese shirt and black pants.

The old man studied him for a moment, as though he were studying a specimen for an experiment. He wondered how the young man could change from hopeless to confident in the blink of an eye.

The old man shook his head and waved his hand to give the boy one last chance to prove himself.

This time, the surroundings disappeared as a bright light engulfed the two of them. Ranma opened his eyes and found that he had come back to the one place that he never thought he'd return to ever again.

Ranma stood atop a cliff as he stared sullenly at the place where it all started. The pools looked exactly like the first time he and his father first arrived there.

"Jusenkyo..."

The old man suddenly appeared beside him just as two people came into the valley. One man, older than the other, had a white cloth wrapped around his head. The younger one had his hair in a ponytail.

"This is..."

"Yes... it is. This is your chance to change everything."

"What do you..." he trailed off, not quite understanding.

"A cure of sorts... for your curse. The one thing you've been searching for all this time. The one thing you've been fighting for. The most important thing."

Ranma took a step forward as he saw himself and his father get ready to take on the accursed training ground that was Jusenkyo. This was his chance to keep himself and his father from getting cursed.

He tensed slightly as he paused on the edge of the cliff. Part of him wanted to jump down and change history, while a part of him was telling him that this was just a test.

He shook his head, clearing all the doubts as he decided on what to do. He took a few steps backwards and prepared to propel himself over the cliff when he heard someone call him.

("Ranma... come back...")

*Akane...* he thought as he abruptly stopped.

Something jiggled from inside his shirt and he heard the slight tinkling of metal banging with metal. He pulled at the necklace that was on his neck and his eyes landed on a simple white - gold ring.

He smiled widely as tears began to fall once more. He was so happy to have been given the chance to keep himself from getting cursed that he almost forgot the real reason why he was fighting.

"Why do you fight, Dragon God?"

Ranma turned around and faced the old man, a genuine smile on his face. His eyes showed the confidence he had gained and the changes his heart had gone through in such a short span of time.

"I fight for love. I fight to protect my family and friends. I fight for their safety and their happiness." he paused as his heart swelled with pride.

"I fight for Akane. I fight because I want to be able to show her how much she truly means to me."

The old man had to smile as pride filled him as well. He was glad that Ranma had undergone such a transformation in only a short amount of time. His eyes began to water as he issued the final challenge.

"Will you still fight, knowing that in the end, none of them would remember all the events that have taken place and that things will go back to the way they were? Will you still fight, knowing that only you would carry the burden of the memories?"

Ranma was suddenly transported back to Nerima. He saw himself and Akane bickering over the smallest things, he saw himself fighting with Ryoga and Mousse over who had the worst curse.

He saw himself trying to run away from Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi, all of them vying for his attention. He saw himself in girl form being chased by Kuno and Happosai.

He saw himself being sold by Nabiki to the highest bidder. He saw himself being tricked by Cologne into marrying Shampoo. He saw himself sad and hurting, complaining about the mockery that was his life.

"It doesn't matter whether we get out of this with our memories intact... or whether I am the only one who remembers... we can make new memories... as long as we're together..."

Ranma was suddenly engulfed in a bright, golden pillar of light. He closed his eyes as he felt the power flowing inside of him. He eyes snapped open as another realization came to him.

He looked over to the old man, and had to do a double take as the old man who earlier just looked eerily like Luc now appeared to really be Luc.

"Luc?" Ranma asked in disbelief.

"Something like that. I am Dragos, your spirit guardian. I am also Luc, the mortal whose destiny is to ensure the completion of the prophecy." Luc answered, but with someone else's voice.

"So the power was inside me all along?" he asked.

"You were born with the power, Dragon God. It's one of the reasons why you've achieved so much in the art." Luc replied, proud of how far Ranma had come.

"How come I couldn't use it earlier?" Ranma asked, golden currents crackling as he clenched his fists.

"It was because you had begun to doubt yourself. Somewhere along the way, you had lost sight of why you truly fought." Luc explained, smiling sadly as he felt himself slowly fading.

"Luc! I mean Dragos! What's happening to you?"

"Stop asking stupid questions boy. She's waiting for you. They're all waiting for you." Luc said, his body fading from existence.

"Please tell Artemis that her destiny is now upon her, and that I will be with her in spirit." he said as he finally faded from existence.

"Thank you Luc... Dragos." Ranma whispered.

He closed his eyes and tried to envision where Akane and his friends were being held hostage. He saw all of them encased in the same tube that he himself was floating in.

"I'm coming Akane." he vowed as he was swallowed by the golden white light.

Tears fell onto the scroll as it glowed even brighter in her hands. Part of her was ecstatic that the final power had been found. That part of her knew that they now had the chance to save the world.

Another part of her was grieving for the loss of Luc. She ran her hands over the image of the old man that had suddenly appeared on the scroll, the man whom she had come to love as her grandfather.

"I love you, grandpa..." she whispered, laying a kiss on the image.

The wind blew lightly at her as she pulled back. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the soft caress of the wind. A smile graced her features as she felt the warmth of her grandfather.

*I love you, too... my granddaughter...*

She opened her eyes, eyes that were filled with determination and hope. She smiled as she heard the words in her mind, words that were now etched in the depths of her heart.

Atlas looked around him through blood - covered eyes and found that everyone was starting to fall unconscious. He realized that it was the liquid that was draining all of them of their energy.

His eyes focused on the still semi - catatonic Akane, and he couldn't stop the growl of fury that rose from his chest. He pulled at the bonds as he tried to get himself free.

"Astevaes! I command you to release us!" Atlas roared, gathering whatever confidence he could in his state.

"Forgive me, your highness. But you're in no position to command me." he taunted, bowing ever so slightly to add insult to injury.

Atlas ground his teeth together in anguish as he bit off a long string of curses. He didn't need to aggravate the situation by annoying Astevaes further.

"Akane... Akane snap out of it!" he cried, turning his attention instead to Akane.

Ryoga and Ukyo turned to Akane as he spoke, with Mousse and Shampoo following in turn. They had to keep themselves from collapsing, and Akane looked like she was about to give up.

"Akane no fall sleep. Liquid absorb all energy faster!"

"Don't give up Akane. You have to believe in Ranma."

"He'll pull through Akane. Saotome's tough like that."

"C'mon Akane! You have to fight, please. Ranchan won't forgive us if you... if you..."

"Please Akane. The whole city needs you... I need you..." Atlas pleaded, tears mixing with the blood in his eyes.

Astevaes broke out in laughter as the five of them pleaded for Akane to keep on going. He earned five similar glares as the others thought of how to torture him when they got out.

"You... you're making my stomach hurt. Do you really think you'd win? The Dragon God is missing... and this Ranma is dead. There's no use believing..." he said, moving to stand in front of Atlas' tube.

"You still don't get it. She will never love you! I'm surprised she even agreed to marry you." he said, enjoying the moment.

Atlas looked like he wanted to retort but a part of him was disturbed by what his former friend and comrade had said. Astevaes just shook his head and headed over to Akane's tube.

He hunched closer to Akane and poked at the glass in front of her face. She looked straight through him and at Ranma, who was floating in the tube behind Astevaes.

"And you... you should be thankful that you're part of the prophecy... It's the only reason I've kept you alive for this long." he said, staring idly at the stoic woman.

For some unknown reason, he just felt like talking to them. Even though all he received were angry stares, confused and disturbed expressions, glares that promised pain, and just plain lifeless looks.

*I must be going crazy.* he thought, continuing his conversation with the despondent Akane.

Shampoo glared at Astevaes through the glass, her eyes turning into slits as she thought of amazon torture techniques that would be the most appropriate for him when she got out.

There was a tingling sensation down her spine as she felt another power growing inside her body. She raised her arms and saw sparks of golden light surrounding them.

A huge smile appeared on her face as she realized why.

Ryoga juggled his brain and tried to think of an attack that would help him get out of his prison. He was about to combine what's left of his energy with one of his chi attacks when something told him to stop.

He could feel the earth trembling beneath him, and his brow furrowed in confusion. He knelt close to his element and felt the power wanting to burst out from under him.

Small orbs of golden light seemed to seep into the tube through the ground. He closed his eyes as his body reveled in the golden energy that his power seemed to be merging with.

He opened his eyes and smiled as he saw the cause.

Mousse grit his teeth as he thought of using his power to amplify his chi and create his own chi attack. He's seen Ranma and Ryoga do it so many times, and he was at his wits end already.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to gather as much power as he could. He then felt an intense wave of energy different from his enter his body.

His eyes glowed gold as he realized that victory was within reach.

Ukyo wiped the tears that fell from her eyes. She was caught between wanting to save Ranma and wanting to dismember Astevaes once she got out of the tube.

She suddenly felt the side of her body getting warmer. She looked to see the dagger Ryoga had given her alternating between glowing red and glowing gold.

She held it in her grasp as she smiled as hope shone in her eyes.

Atlas looked on as Astevaes taunted Akane through the glass. His heart broke with every insult that was thrown at his beloved, and he berated himself for not being able to defend her.

His shoulders sagged in defeat as he realized what he had been trying to deny since having seen Akane in a catatonic state. He smiled bitterly as the truth started to sink in.

*I will never be enough. Her heart will always belong to...*

His train of thought vanished as his eyes widened in disbelief. He understood then just why Akane loved him so much, and why she had so much faith in him.

Akane continued to stare through Astevaes as though he wasn't there. Part of her wondered just why this man was talking to her when she wasn't showing any kind of response.

Another part of her was waiting for her body to collapse, for her mind to just outright die, and for her heart to stop hoping. So numb was she that she could not even feel her own power.

Just then, she could feel heat all around her body. She could suddenly feel something through the numbness, and she felt her heart beat faster in anticipation.

The light of hope returned to her eyes as she gasped in surprise. She squinted her eyes as she saw Ranma floating higher in the tube, his body enshrouded in flames of gold and white.

*Ranma...*

"Why do I even bother? I should go and find the priest so we can finish everything before all of you die." Astevaes finished, shrugging to himself when he got no response.

"I pity you somewhat Akane. You had so much faith in him, I understand why you're like this. Don't worry, you'll be joining him soon." he promised.

It was only then that he realized that none of them was looking at him. He glanced at the others in confusion, then back at Akane. He swallowed nervously as he turned to what they were all staring at.

"It can't be..."

The glass tube shattered as the golden white flames became too much for it to hold. Shards of glass flew everywhere as the liquid flowed out of the tube.

"Oh... it feels good to be out of there..." Ranma said, making his bones pop with every moment.

A chorus of greetings followed shortly thereafter.

"Ranma alive!"

"You bet I am Shampoo!"

"Ranchan! Thank the heavens!"

"The gods say you're welcome, Ucchan."

"Saotome's back!"

"You missed me that much Mousse?"

"Ranma! You keep your promise to make Akane happy!"

"You don't gotta tell me twice Ryoga!"

"Ranma..."

"Hello Akane..."

Astevaes inched backward and slammed into the tube as he saw Ranma come back to life, and with the power of the Dragon God. He lurched forward and pushed a few buttons as a glass barrier erected itself.

Ranma floated down onto the ground, energy crackling all around him. He raised his hand against the glass barrier and smirked as the barrier melted under his touch.

He stepped past the barrier as he slowly made his way over to where Akane and his friends were being held. He stopped for an instant as he saw Astevaes reach for something in the controls.

"Take another step, and they all die." Astevaes threatened.

Ranma's eyes squinted as he tried to gauge whether or not the man was bluffing. He himself was a victim of having has his life force drained earlier, and he didn't want any of them to go through the same.

"Just let them go and fight me you coward! Or are you afraid of little ol' me?" he taunted.

That just about did it.

Astevaes' eyes turned black as his rage was turned into dark energy. His body was engulfed in black flames as the power grew from within him.

Ranma poised himself for an attack as he stood before Astevaes. He was again engulfed by golden white flames as his power reacted with the dark energy of his opponent.

Silence reigned in the chamber as everyone waited in anticipation.

It only lasted for a moment. Battle cries were heard as they engaged in a struggle that would ultimately decide not just their own futures, but the rest of the world's as well.

Artemis shivered as she felt a chill down her spine. She looked back towards the palace and felt immense power building up as the ground shook a little.

She turned towards Merian and saw that the old woman seemed to know what she was thinking. She nodded towards her, and Merian ordered the people to vacate the premises.

Questions flew all over the place as fear and panic slowly crept into the hearts of the people. Merian looked slightly disconcerted as she thought of what to say when Artemis appeared beside her.

"Everyone, there is no need to worry. We need to survey the whole palace carefully for any damages and we can't do that with all of you here." she said, looking over at Merian, who caught on instantly.

"We've prepared a banquet by the river. The guards will be escorting everyone there." Merian added.

The people voiced their thanks as they slowly made their way out of the palace. The river was a good two kilometers from the palace, and distance would keep the people safe.

"You should get the banquet ready so that the people won't have any complaints." Artemis said.

"I would like to accompany you here my Lady." Merian said, worried for Artemis' safety.

"I have to stay here, Merian. I want you to go and protect everyone... just in case... just in case..."

"It won't come to that, my Lady."

Artemis looked at Merian and was surprised at the determination and faith that shone in her eyes. She waited patiently as the old woman gave an explanation.

"It won't come to that, my Lady. Lady Akane won't allow it." she said with conviction.

*She's right. Ranma and his friends won't allow anyone to get hurt.* she thought, a smile slowly forming on her lips.

Artemis looked more confident than she did a few moments ago as she gazed at the palace. She closed her eyes as she prayed to whoever was listening.

*Please... for the sake of everyone's future.*

Astevaes floated down to where Ranma stood, his body immersed in black flames. His black eyes flickered ever so slightly as he raised his arms to fire a blast at Ranma.

"Here we go." Ranma uttered as he evaded the blast.

He fired an attack similar to his mokou takabishya at Astevaes who countered with a ball of dark energy. The two attacks slammed against each other until the dark energy blast won out.

Ranma did a double back flip as he tried to evade it. The dark energy blast hit the wall and shattered it, creating a huge crater. Ranma shuddered at the thought that it could have been him.

"What's the matter Saotome? Lost confidence already?" Astevaes asked, taunting him.

Ranma stormed at him with twice the speed that he ought to possess, attacking with a barrage of punches and kicks that were more than twice as powerful as his regular ones.

Astevaes blocked all of them with ease as he attacked with a few punches of his own. Ranma was just a tad slower as he was hit with a dark chi blast in the stomach.

Ranma doubled over for just a split second, before he found himself soaring backwards and into the crater that decorated one side of the chamber. He landed on the ground face first.

He shook his head slightly amidst the rubble as he tried to get his focus back. A hand gripped his throat as he was lifted off the ground, his free arm pulling at Astevaes as he struggled to get free.

"There's a reason why I'm second in command. And it's not just my good looks." Astevaes said, before throwing Ranma in the air and kicking him into the far wall.

Ranma's body slammed into the wall, his form imprinted on the concrete. He fell to the floor on his hands and knees as he tried to suck air into his lungs.

"Ranma behind you!" Akane warned, her fist slamming onto the glass.

"Get up Saotome!" Mousse cried.

Astevaes' hand hauled him up by the roots of his hair. Ranma grimaced in pain as his head was pulled back. He now stared at endlessly dark pools that were formerly known as Astevaes' eyes.

"Where's the power now Ranma Saotome?" he asked, his hand threatening to pull out all of Ranma's hair.

The pain helped Ranma focus on something other than trying to breathe and he launched another set of punches and kicks. He landed some of them as the hold on his hair loosened enough for him to escape.

He flipped over the top of Astevaes and rolled on the ground a few feet from him. He closed his eyes to concentrate as he gathered his power and his chi.

"MOKOU TAKABISHYA REVISED: DRAGON'S WHIP!"

Astevaes raised his arms in time to block Ranma's attack. He staggered backwards as he felt something lashing at him from just about everywhere.

Droplets of his blood fell to the ground as he landed on one knee. He touched his wounds in disbelief, wondering just how they were able to get through his defenses.

"What was that?" Ukyo asked, trying to figure out Ranma's newest attack.

"It was like the mokou takabishya, except there was something lashing out at Astevaes..." Ryoga said.

"Like dragon's tail..." Shampoo finished.

"How'd you like that?" Ranma sneered.

Astevaes shook his head as he rose from the ground. He eyed Ranma menacingly as he popped his knuckles. There was a glint of malice in his eyes as a smirk formed on his lips.

"That was a good one, Ranma Saotome. I honestly didn't see that coming." he said, brushing himself off.

"That's because you underestimated me you asshole!" Ranma fired back.

"Well then, I think it's time to get serious." Astevaes said, removing the robe that he was wearing.

He threw the robe to the side, then attacked Ranma with a speed that could only be described as god - like. In an instant, Ranma found Astevaes in front of him.

Ranma was caught up in a whirlwind of punches, kicks, elbows and knees that landed on every part of his body. He collapsed onto the floor as Astevaes finished, the robe finally touching the ground.

"What in the..."

"Did you see how fast he..."

"Ranma!"

Ranma raised himself up on his arms and rolled over to lie on his back. His vision was blurred with tears as he tried to breathe through the pain from his broken ribs.

His eyes widened and he willed himself to move as he saw Astevaes foot descending upon his head. He scrambled across the floor, cradling his midsection as he tried to get as far away as possible.

Astevaes walked towards Ranma, intent on breaking the pigtailed boys' bones one by one for interfering with his plans. As he got within a couple of feet of him, Ranma again ran from him.

"What's this? The great Ranma Saotome... running away?" Astevaes said, looking at Ranma with mocking eyes.

Ranma bit off a round of retorts. He didn't want to get distracted with the insults. He needed to stay focused and to keep some distance between him and Astevaes while he tried to recover from the last attack.

Astevaes again approached the injured Ranma, but the martial artist evaded him yet again. Their game of cat and mouse continued as the others looked on.

"What Ranma doing?" Shampoo wondered, looking worriedly at the scene before them.

"He's buying himself some time. Those ribs aren't gonna hold if he gets hit again." Mousse answered.

"They're already broken. His lungs are probably punctured, too." Ukyo added, grimacing at the image that flashed through her mind.

"Still, he can't run forever. He has to come up with a plan." Akane said, her stomach rumbling in anticipation.

"He already has a plan. Look!" Ryoga exclaimed.

The others watched as Ranma continued to move away from Astevaes. It was only then that they noticed the pattern that he was following. A few more turns, and the cycle would be completed.

"You've run out of places to go, Ranma Saotome." Astevaes said as he stood in front of Ranma.

"Hiryu..."

"What are you mumbling about now?" he asked.

He started to walk towards Ranma, who was kneeling on the ground with his head bent. Ranma had his eyes closed as he concentrated all of his power.

"Shoten..."

Astevaes stopped a step away from Ranma, wondering what he was whispering. He reached out with his right arm to grab Ranma by his hair when the pigtailed martial artist slapped it away.

He pulled back in surprise as Ranma raised his head, his eyes burning with fury. Astevaes was about to lean forward to grab him again when Ranma screamed with all his might.

"Ha!"

Astevaes did not have enough time to react as he was swallowed by the whirlwind that seemed to come from Ranma's arm. His feet left the ground as he was thrown up into the air by vortex.

The intensity of the hiryu shoten ha seemed to multiply as three smaller twisters appeared around the biggest one, surrounding Astevaes completely.

He was driven up into the ceiling by the force of the tornado, his form burrowing into the concrete. His body slammed into the ground as the attack dissipated into the air.

Ranma promptly fell to the floor afterwards, his body mimicking Astevaes.' He slowly breathe in and out as all energy seemed to have left his body.

"He... he did it! Ranchan did it!" Ukyo exclaimed, a huge smile on her face as she saw the unmoving form of Astevaes.

The liquid suddenly started to drain out of their tubes, the glass gradually lowering with it. They stared in amazement as they waited to be freed from their prison.

"What happen?" Shampoo asked, her hand against the glass.

"The blast must have nicked its power source." Mousse offered, his head surfacing from the liquid.

The glass holding Atlas also started to lower itself as the king stumbled out from his seat. Ryoga moved towards him to catch him before he met the ground.

"Thank you." Atlas whispered, his strength leaving him as his bruised and battered body adjusted to being out of the tube.

"Ranma!" Akane cried, looking below them.

She could see Ranma lying on his stomach, his back moving up and down the only indication that he was still breathing. Akane leaned forward, trying to gauge how high up they were from him.

She was about to throw caution into the wind and jump to where Ranma was when a hand held her wrist. She turned to see Atlas looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Don't! It's too high. You could do it if you had your power, but you've had you're energy drained. You could get yourself hurt." he admonished her.

"Ranma needs me... I have to go to him. I'll be fine." she said to him, before jumping down into the lower chamber.

"Akane!" Atlas cried as he willed himself forward.

He looked down to see that Akane had landed safely, albeit awkwardly onto the ground, her momentum carrying her as she rolled a good few feet forward.

The others slumped beside him as they watched Akane limp slightly towards Ranma's form. The tube had taken too much of their energy, and they knew that Akane was running on sheer desire to see Ranma.

This fact was not lost on Atlas as he gazed upon the love of his life. Akane was currently struggling to reach the unconscious Ranma, despite her depleted energy and probably a sprained ankle.

"I've lost her..." he whispered, a single tear falling down his cheek.

The others turned to him, sadness showing in their eyes as their hearts went out to the dejected king. They wanted to ease the pain he was feeling, but none of them knew how.

Ukyo raised her hand to lay it upon Atlas' shoulder, wanting to comfort him somehow by squeezing it. She paused as he heard him speak, and it took all of her self - control not to cry with him.

"No... I haven't lost her... because she was never mine to lose..." he said, the tears flowing freely.

"Ranma! Ranma, wake up!" Akane cried, looking down worriedly at her unmoving fiancé.

She slowly reached out and carefully turned him on his back, so as not to aggravate any of his injuries. His back landed with a soft 'thud' as Akane cradled his head in her lap.

"Ranma... Open your eyes. It's me... it's Akane." she whispered, gazing lovingly at his sleeping face.

Ranma stirred a little, and Akane held her breath in anticipation. Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, his eyes landed on the one person that he had been dying to see all this time.

"A... Akane?" he asked, unsure if he were truly seeing her or if he was just hallucinating.

"Hey..." she replied, tears escaping as she was filled with relief.

"Is it really you?" he wondered, lifting up his right hand against her cheek.

Akane grasped his hand as if it were a lifeline. She pressed it upon her cheek as she felt his warmth. Tears of gladness continued to fall as she laid a soft kiss on Ranma's palm.

"Yes, it's me Ranma. Everything's fine now. It's over." she said, her eyes not leaving him.

"Good. I can rest now..." he murmured as he slowly closed his eyes.

"No! Please... I..." she stammered, worry written all over her face.

"Don't worry Akane, I won't leave you. I just need to rest for a few. That fight took a lot out of me." he assured her, smiling weakly at her before falling asleep once again.

Artemis looked on worriedly as the light coming from the scroll started to dwindle. She closed her eyes as she tried to sense whether or not Ranma and the others survived.

"They're alive. It's a little faint, but I can feel them." she said out loud, not sure who she was trying to convince.

*So why don't I feel relieved?* she thought anxiously as she waited for them to come out of the palace safely.

"Thanks Shampoo." Ryoga said, flexing his newly healed left arm and right leg.

"Me, too Shampoo. I can breathe easier now." Ukyo smiled, patting her chest where her now fully healed ribs should be.

"No problem. Mousse next." Shampoo said, waving her hand at her love.

"You don't have to heal me Shampoo. You should conserve your energy." Mousse insisted.

"What's the use of this power if I can't heal my future husband?" she retorted, giving Mousse a pleading look.

The hidden weapons master finally relented, blushing ever so slightly at the declaration from Shampoo. He reached his arms forward as he sat gingerly beside her.

"Thanks." he said, laying his head on her shoulder.

The amazon warrior placed one hand just above Mousse's forehead, while the other she placed at the back of his head. Her hands glowed with power as she closed both wounds.

She leant back on the wall as she finished healing Mousse. Beads of sweat formed all over her face as she panted for breath. She smiled weakly at Mousse as she rested.

"Shampoo!" he cried, worry all over his features.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry. Bring the king over here so I can heal him, too." she said.

"Are you sure?" Mousse asked, looking into her eyes.

He knew that Shampoo was a fighter, always has been, and always will be. If he was going to be her husband, he needed to learn to trust in her.

"I am." she answered.

Mousse nodded, even though a part of him was a bit hesitant. He stood up and walked over to where Ukyo was helping Atlas stay awake. The king looked really beat up, and Mousse knew that he needed to be healed.

"Here Ukyo. I'll take him." he said, lifting the king up and helping him walk towards Shampoo.

"Well, I think Ranma's OK." Ryoga said, watching the couple below them.

"That's great. But how do we get out of here?" Ukyo asked, looking around the chamber.

"There should be a button somewhere on the control panel to open the doors." Atlas supplied, leaning slightly on wall behind him.

"Ukyo, could you?" Mousse asked, keeping Atlas sitting upright. Shampoo had tried to heal him, but she had already reached her limit. She didn't even have enough to heal herself.

The okonomiyaki chef nodded and walked towards the panel from her place beside Ryoga. She looked over the control panel for the button to open the doors when something else caught her attention.

"Uhm, guys... I think you should take a look at this." she said, swallowing past the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

Ryoga walked over to where Atlas, Mousse and Shampoo sat. He carried most of Atlas' weight for him as they made their way towards the control panel.

Mousse stood afterwards, stretching a bit as he leaned to help Shampoo. She raised her arms for support but was surprised when Mousse bent forward and lifted her off the ground and into his arms.

A slight blush appeared on her cheeks in embarrassment. She didn't know what to do or say as Mousse carried her across the floor to where Ukyo stood.

"Don't worry about it OK?" Mousse assured her.

Shampoo nodded, not entirely sure if she was embarrassed about showing weakness by being carried by a man or if she was embarrassed that Mousse was carrying her like he always did in her dreams.

The image of a small white orb was on the center of the screen. It glowed brightly as it spun, floating in a tube much like the ones that held them earlier, only smaller.

Below it, a huge, bright red and blinking 'MAXIMUM' on the screen stared back at all of them. Still below it, a smaller white timer just passed the '7:00' mark and was gradually decreasing.

"He's going to..."

"...blow up..."

"...the entire palace..."

"We have to get out of here!" Mousse cried, lowering Shampoo onto the ground. The two of them frantically began searching the panel for something that would open the doors.

Ryoga continued to shoulder most of Atlas' weight as Ukyo ran past the both of them. The okonomiyaki chef ran towards the edge of the upper level of the chamber and looked down at Ranma and Akane.

"Ranchan! Akane! We have to get out now! This place is gonna blow in the next..." she trailed off, her eyes widening in disbelief at the scene unfolding before her.

Akane turned as she heard Ukyo. She kept Ranma's head cradled on her lap to keep him from hitting the floor. She only heard the first part of what Ukyo had said and then turned back to Ranma.

"Ranma, wake up. Ukyo says we need to go now." she said, raising his head and upper back to help him sit up.

"Waah? Oh, OK." Ranma croaked, his throat a bit dry from overexertion.

Ranma lifted his head from Akane's lap and proceeded to stretch a bit when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He rubbed his eyes to clear his vision and what he saw made him tremble.

"What's wrong Ranma?" Akane asked, concerned with the expression on Ranma's face.

"We've gotta go Akane!" he cried instead, getting up hastily and carrying Akane with him.

Akane looked confused as she was lifted off the ground in a hurry. She wrapped her arms around Ranma's neck as they ran towards the upper level of the chamber, completely oblivious as to why.

A few moments later, she saw that Astevaes had risen from the debris and was engulfed in dark energy. His eyes had gone back to the black orbs that they were earlier.

The disoriented man looked as though he was looking around for a moment, before letting his gaze land on the two of them. A maniacal grin formed on his lips soon after.

She was about to tell Ranma to run faster when Astevaes suddenly appeared before them, blocking their path. Ranma placed Akane on the ground and pushed her behind him.

"That was better than the last one Saotome. I actually lost consciousness." Astevaes said.

Ranma crouched into a fighting stance, part of him thinking of a way to attack while another part of him looking for a way to get Akane out of there.

"Akane... you have to run when I give you the signal, OK?" he whispered.

"No! I want to fight with you Ranma!" she insisted, trying to push past him.

"You have to go Akane. I need to know that you're safe so I can fight him without any distractions." Ranma replied.

"So I'm just a distraction now?" Akane asked, incredulous.

"Dammit Akane! We don't have time for this!" Ranma cried, turning to her and shaking her shoulders for emphasis.

Akane was forced to look Ranma straight in the eye, and she knew that he was plenty serious about what was happening. She mentally cursed herself for being foolish at a time like this.

"I'm sorry Ranma... I..."

"Never mind that, OK? Just go when I tell you to." Ranma said, then turned back to face Astevaes.

He saw Mousse, Ryoga and Ukyo on the upper level of the chamber, ready to help in the fight. He caught Mousse's attention, and the two martial artists nodded.

"Now that I'm back, why don't we continue this?" Astevaes asked, glowing dark orbs of energy crackling in both of his hands.

"My pleasure! Now Mousse!" Ranma cried, lifting Akane into his arms and taking cover.

"What the..."

"TORNADO SPEAR!"

A barrage of spears made of air launched themselves at Astevaes, giving Ranma and Akane enough time to take cover. Ryoga and Ukyo jumped from their perch to attack from the ground.

Ryoga flung bandanna after bandanna at Astevaes while Ukyo threw fireballs at will. Mousse continued his attack from above as they bombarded Astevaes from every conceivable direction.

Ranma glanced at the ongoing battle, then searched the chamber for anything that could help Akane get to the upper level. He found none that could be used and grimaced in frustration.

"Damn. It's too high for you to jump and I don't think I have enough to get you up there. You stay here behind this machine, OK? Don't get out until it's over, OK?" Ranma said.

"OK." Akane answered.

"Good. Don't go using your powers 'coz I know you were drained the most, got it?" Ranma said. He was about to run right back into the fray when Akane held his arm.

"Be careful." she pleaded.

"Ain't I always?" he replied, winked at her, then joined the battle.

Atlas limped over to Shampoo as they tried to shutdown the self - destruct mechanism. They couldn't open the door since all of the machine operations had been disabled.

"There has to be something in here." Atlas said, typing in a few commands.

Shampoo didn't understand some of the controls, but tried her best to aid the king anyway. She knew that she had used most of her power to cure the others, and she wouldn't be of any help in the ongoing battle.

An explosion rocked their area of the chamber, and Shampoo had to use her power to create a shield to protect herself and Atlas from the debris.

*Please... whoever's watching... protect us!* she thought, as she fell to her knees, already on the brink of collapse.

Ryoga was hurled into the air as Astevaes threw dark energy balls at him and Ukyo. The spatula - wielding martial artist ended up sliding along the floor and just barely keeping herself from hitting the wall.

Mousse almost fell from the upper level of the chamber when Astevaes crushed part of where he was standing. He was able to evade in time and saved himself from an untimely demise.

"Is that all you've got? Even if you combine all of your powers, you can't defeat me... GAAH!" Astevaes almost bit off his own tongue as he felt his side getting pummeled.

Approximately ninety - five punches and kicks landed on Astevaes' side as Ranma performed a mixed kachuu tenshin amaguriken. The Atlantis warrior landed solidly on the ground with one last kick.

Astevaes pushed off the ground with his arms, glaring angrily at Ranma. He pulled himself upright and began to chant softly, closing his eyes as black flames surrounded his body.

He opened them a moment later, and a growl rose from his chest as he ran towards Ranma with blinding speed. Ranma didn't even see him move, and as a result, found himself propelled across the room.

Mousse attacked from the upper level, swooping towards Astevaes like an eagle hungry for its prey. He was surprised when Astevaes raised his left arm to block and throw him into the ground.

Ryoga and Ukyo attacked him from different directions, then found themselves flying the opposite way as Astevaes used one arm for each. The two of them made small craters as they crashed into the wall.

"Tsk. Tsk. Silly mortals. Even with your powers, you can't defeat me." he said, walking slowly towards the semi - conscious Ranma.

Ranma watched him through heavy eyes as he approached, trying to push his battered form off the floor. He winced as he realized his left arm was broken, and clenched his jaw in frustration.

*How in the hell are we gonna beat him?*

"I've got it!"

"You find exit, yes?" Shampoo asked, hovering beside Atlas.

"Not an exit. Astevaes drained your powers right? Well, your powers were contained in the orb that's on the screen. If we can just access it..." he trailed off, continuously typing commands.

"Then use orb to beat Astevaes!" Shampoo exclaimed.

"Legend says that only the Dragon God can use the combined energy of all the powers. The Dragon God is the only one that can use the orb without being burned." he explained, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Shampoo looked on as Atlas worked on the controls. She had to admire the king's determination under pressure, and hoped that she would also be up to the task.

"There!" Atlas cried, entering the last commands.

The side of the control panel ejected the small tube that contained the orb. The automatic lock opened by itself, then the hatch on top of the tube was raised up.

"Be careful. You have maybe two minutes before your powers get absorbed. If that happens, you could get burned alive. You must get Ranma to break the orb in his hands for him to absorb your powers."

Shampoo looked over to the timer on the monitor, the clock showing '5:30' and still decreasing. She looked back to the task at hand, then closed her eyes.

*Listen everyone! Atlas find orb with all our power. Shampoo bring it to Ranma, OK?* she thought, hoping that even with the low levels of power that they had, they could still hear each other.

*Got it, Shampoo!* Ranma exclaimed.

*Be careful.* Akane thought.

*We'll keep him busy.* Ukyo replied.

*Just get that orb to Ranma.* Ryoga added.

*Don't worry Shampoo. I will protect you.* Mousse promised.

Shampoo nodded her response to all of them, gently lifting the orb out of the tube. She called on the last of her powers to enable her to carry it without letting her body go up in flames.

Beads of sweat formed on her face as she ran towards the edge of the floor, looking down at the battle below. She scanned the area, and found Ranma a few meters away from the far wall.

The amazon warrior closed her eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath. She jumped downwards to the lower part of the chamber, bracing herself for the impact.

She slammed onto the ground, twisting an ankle as she rolled forward, contorting her body around the orb to keep it from crashing to the floor.

She hissed through clenched teeth as the pain shot up her spine, but ignored it along with the tears that welled up in her eyes. She focused on Ranma's form and on her mission.

*Great - grandmama... pray for me...* she thought as she ran across the battlefield on sheer force of will, twisted ankle and all.

"SHI SHI HOKOUDAN!" Ryoga cried, forcing the last ounce of power out of his body.

The attack hit Astevaes right in the chest, but it wasn't strong enough to have any effect on him. Ukyo followed Ryoga's attack with a flurry of flaming arrows, but her attack was easily thwarted.

Astevaes blasted the both of them with dark energy attacks, and the two slammed up against the machine where Akane was hiding. She peaked out from behind the machine and saw the two trying to get up.

*I have to do something! I can't just hide like this. Oh, but I don't have any powers left. I don't know how I'll be able to help.* she thought. She was about to join the fight when Ryoga called to her.

"Don't even think about it Akane." Ryoga warned, breathing slowly as he lay face down on the floor.

"Stay there. You weren't healed by Shampoo so you have almost zero power. You won't last two seconds." Ukyo wheezed, lying down flat on her back as she tried to get the dizziness to subside.

"But I want to help!" Akane insisted.

"You can help by believing in us, in Ranchan." Ukyo said, managing to sit up with her back laying against the wall.

"And by staying here. We've got this under control. Right Ukyo?" Ryoga said, pushing himself up on his arms.

"Yep. You can count on us!" she proclaimed, trying to convince Akane, though she sounded as if she were trying to convince herself.

"You ready?" Ryoga asked, wiping the blood that trickled from his nose.

"Bring it on... Dammit!" she cried, eyes transfixed ahead. Akane and Ryoga looked to where she was staring and found their eyes widening in horror.

"Behind you, Shampoo!"

Shampoo barely had time to react as she heard someone scream a warning at her. She turned around and saw an energy ball headed straight for her.

She knew that she didn't have the mobility to evade the attack so she continued on her path and prayed that she would reach Ranma before the energy ball reached her.

There was a gust of wind behind her as a tornado intercepted Astevaes' attack. She looked to her left to see Mousse on his hands and knees, breathing heavily from exhaustion.

*Thank you, Airen.* she thought, hoping that Mousse got the message.

*You're welcome. Now go!* he thought back.

"Stupid amazon!" Astevaes roared, throwing an dark energy ball three times Mousse's size.

Mousse raised both his arms for protection he was swallowed by the attack. His arms weren't enough though, as they were burned to a cinder along with his face.

He cried in agony as darkness enveloped him, the blast rendered him completely blind. He was unconscious when slammed into the wall. He fell face first into the ground, a pool of blood forming around him.

Astevaes scanned the area for the other amazon, another dark energy ball brewing in his hands. He spotted the girl limping towards Ranma and smiled menacingly.

He was about to send her into oblivion when he felt the ground beneath him shake. The next thing he knew, he was being swallowed up by lava that seemed to have come from beneath him.

He looked around and saw Ryoga touching the floor, using his power to hold him in place. Ryoga's eyes then burned with fury as he charged towards Astevaes with all the negative energy that he could muster.

Astevaes struggled to free himself from the lava that was slowly surrounding him. The burning liquid had no effect on him other than as a prison that was holding him down.

Ryoga appeared in front of him, his head bowed down as he gathered all the depression he could muster. He looked at Astevaes with desolate eyes, then crossed his arms in front of his chest.

He recalled how Ukyo was devastated by the dream about her power, and the time she was hurt in Mt. Fuji. He remembered the look in Ukyo's eyes, and that was enough to send him over.

"SHI SHI HOKOUDAN FULL BLAST!"

The bandanna - clad martial artist felt all his chi leave him as his power manifested into a giant ball over him and Astevaes. He had an empty expression on his face, but inside, he was smiling smugly.

Had the smile been on his face, it would have been wiped off prematurely when Astevaes raised his arm towards Ukyo. Astevaes had a smiled devilishly as he fired a blast.

Ryoga lost control of his emotions at that point and screamed a warning at an unsuspecting Ukyo. That slight change in disposition was enough to cost him his victory.

He saw Akane diving behind another set of machines, and Ukyo escaping the blast with her. It was the last thing he saw as the chi blast descended upon him and Astevaes.

Ryoga's shi shi hokoudan full blast shook the chamber like an earthquake. Debris flew all over as the entire place almost collapsed in on itself, dust floating all around.

The force of the attack threw Shampoo across the room and away from Ranma, who ended up getting caught between the wall and a machine that flew towards him because of the blast.

The amazon warrior blinked rapidly through watery eyes as she tried to locate Ranma. The orb in her arms was starting to grow hot, and she knew that she didn't have much time.

*Ranma... where Ranma?* she thought, fear for both her life and everyone else's finally sinking in.

Ranma grimaced as he tried to push the machine with one good arm, his broken arm lying useless on top of his chest. Blood was slowly trickling into his eyes from a gash on his forehead.

He managed to move the machine enough to allow himself to breathe properly. He rested on the ground for a moment, blinking to keep the blood from completely going into his eyes.

*Dammit, I can't even see clearly now!* he thought, growling in frustration.

Akane coughed as she waved her arms in front of her, desperately trying to see what had happened. She called out for Ryoga, and began to fear the worst when he didn't answer.

The dust started to settle, and she eagerly watched for any sign of movement from the crater. The tears came unbidden when she saw Ryoga hanging lifelessly in the air as Astevaes gripped his neck.

The Atlantis warrior staggered slightly as he raised the arm that held Ryoga, his momentary lapse the only semblance of an injury from Ryoga's attack.

He lifted Ryoga's body into the air as if the boy were made of paper, then blasted him with a dark energy blast. Ryoga slammed solidly into the far wall, another crater formed on impact.

His body slid slowly down the wall, leaving a trail of blood on the concrete behind him. He finally lay unmoving on the ground, blood the only thing decipherable on his burnt chest and lower body.

"No..." Ukyo whispered hoarsely, her throat dry.

Akane turned to her friend and saw the disbelief in her eyes. She knew that look, and she knew what Ukyo was thinking behind that look. She scrambled towards Ukyo in an effort to stop her but was too late.

Something in Ukyo snapped and the okonomiyaki chef gripped her giant spatula in one hand and her dagger in another as she flung herself towards Astevaes in a fit of rage.

Her spatula slammed into Astevaes' arm, and instead of slicing through, it was crumpled as though it were thin foil. Letting it drop to the ground, she thrust her dagger towards Astevaes with all her might.

*This is it. Spirit of fire, lend me your power.* she prayed, thinking that it was all over.

To her surprise, blood came gushing out like a geyser as the dagger pierced through Astevaes shoulder. She pulled the dagger back out and jumped away from her target, realization dawning upon her.

*He's not so invincible after all.* she thought, looking down at the dagger that was glowing in her hands.

But instead of attacking Astevaes while he was preoccupied with the gash on his shoulder, Ukyo tossed the dagger back to Akane. The youngest Tendo caught it clumsily in surprise.

"Give it to Ranma. Tell him to imbue it with our powers. It's the only way to damage that bastard!" she cried, facing Astevaes once more.

"Then what are you going to use?" Akane asked.

"I still have my power, and my shurikens, so don't mind me Akane. Just make sure Ranma gets that, OK?" she answered, glaring at Astevaes as the man slowly approached her.

Akane nodded albeit reluctantly as she ran across the room where Ranma was the last time she saw him. She looked back towards Ukyo as the spatula - wielding martial artist faced off against their enemy.

*Good luck Ukyo.* she thought.

Astevaes saw Akane running with the weapon responsible for the glaring wound on his shoulder. A dark energy ball formed in his free hand as he started to attack.

A flaming shuriken grazed his cheek, another wound forming as a result of his momentary distraction. He glared at Ukyo menacingly and focused his attention on the girl standing before him.

Ukyo gripped a number of shurikens in both hands as she stared Astevaes down. She closed her eyes and began to chant as her shurikens glowed with power.

"You insolent bitch! I'm going to tear you apart piece by piece for what you did to me." he growled, his left hand pressing against the wound on his right shoulder.

"Aww... the big bad man hurt by innocent little me." Ukyo taunted, finishing her chant.

She flung the shurikens in both of her hands at him, the glowing weapons bursting into flames as soon as they left her. They slashed at Astevaes body, leaving wounds everywhere.

Astevaes stumbled forward but caught himself as a few shuriken slashed across his lower leg. Blood seeped from all of his wounds as his body was decorated with red all over.

Ukyo saw this as her opportunity and lunged at Astevaes, a couple of glowing shuriken in her grasp. She knocked him flat on his back and proceeded to straddle him.

"This is for Mousse and Ryoga..." she murmured, slamming one shuriken into Astevaes chest, the weapon flaring up upon contact.

The flames grew over Astevaes upper body and the man writhed in agony beneath her. Ukyo raised the other shuriken but paused in mid strike, savoring the man's look of anguish.

Blinded was she by her thoughts of revenge that she didn't see Astevaes creating a dark energy ball in each hand. She didn't even feel him raise his arms as he prepared to fire.

"And this one is for... Ack..." Ukyo choked on her own blood as the dark energy balls burned into her back.

Ukyo was thrown off of Astevaes body and into the air, landing on the ground with a loud 'thud.' Her arm bounced off the floor and away from her body, the last shuriken still held firmly in its grasp.

Moments later, a heavily injured Astevaes stood over the fallen Ukyo, snarling at the inanimate girl. He was about to burn her with another dark energy blast when something else caught his attention.

His snarl turned into a maniacal grin as he turned towards the amazon girl that he was targeting earlier. He sized her up as she limped across the room, then fired the dark energy ball at her.

Ranma looked up through blood - covered eyes and saw Shampoo limping towards him with the orb in her arms. He could see puffs of smoke forming around her as she struggled to reach him.

The pigtailed martial artist tried to pull himself up to meet Shampoo but found that his lower body was still wedged between the wall and the machine.

He looked over his head at the approaching girl when he saw a dark energy ball heading straight for her. He didn't have enough time to shout a warning as the attack hit Shampoo in the back.

"Shampoo!" he croaked, his throat completely dry.

Shampoo fell to her knees, her momentum carrying her forward. Tears fell from her eyes as her back throbbed in agony. Pain also erupted in her arms as the orb began to burn her skin.

To Ranma's amazement, the amazon warrior kept going, limping towards him even with the scorched back and inflamed arms. She managed to place the orb in Ranma's outstretched hand just as she collapsed.

Ranma turned his head to his right just as Shampoo turned her head to him. He fought to keep the tears in check as he gazed upon a true amazon warrior.

"Crush orb wi... with hand. Ranma a... abso... absorb power after." she mumbled.

"Ranma hurry. Chamber e... explode in mi... min... minutes." she added, even managing to smile encouragingly at him. The smile lasted only for a moment, as Shampoo finally closed her eyes.

"Shampoo..." he whispered sadly. He gripped the orb in his hand as a single tear escaped.

The machine pinning him to the wall was suddenly pulled enough to free him. Ranma opened his eyes to see Akane coming towards him from the other side of the machine, a dagger in her hand.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in..."

"You can lecture me later. Ukyo sent me. You have to imbue this dagger with power. It's the only way to kill Astevaes." Akane said.

Ranma eased himself up, placing the orb in his lap as he took the dagger from Akane, his broken arm still cradled against his chest. He studied it carefully, then turned to Akane.

"Thank you. Now, I want you to stay here until I finish that bastard for good." he said.

He was waiting for an argument from Akane, but this time, there was none. With everything that she had seen just now, all the death and destruction that she had witnessed, all she wanted was for it to end.

"I will. Please be careful, Ranma." she said, moving behind the machine.

Ranma nodded his reply, stepping forward into the open. He crushed the orb with his right hand, and he instantly felt all the power flowing into him.

His body started to glow and his wounds started to heal as the powers of fire, air, earth, water and nature combined with the power of the Dragon God inside his body.

He picked up the dagger from the ground and saw it glow with him as he imbued it with power. He looked from the dagger to the approaching Astevaes and looked confident for the first time in a long while.

Atlas looked over the edge of the upper level, just as the clock reached '2:30' and continued decreasing. Part of the upper level of the chamber was inclined towards the ground after the last shi shi hokoudan.

The king studied the area below him and found that some of the machines had managed to form some sort of structure leading up to the upper level after being thrown all over by all the blasts.

He scanned the lower level again and grimaced as his gaze landed on the unmoving trio of Mousse, Ryoga, and Ukyo. He looked a bit farther and saw Shampoo lying lifeless as well.

He still couldn't see where Akane had gone to, but he hasn't seen her lying body anywhere either so that was a good sign. His spirits were then lifted a little when he finally saw Ranma using the orb.

Atlas somehow felt relieved at that, and decided that he needed to get down to at least find Akane. He was never a powerful warrior, but he was the king and dammit, he was going to save his queen and his people.

His eyes landed on his former adviser and friend, and he had to wonder where Astevaes was getting his power. It was true that he was the most powerful of all the warriors, but he was never this strong.

He studied him for a while, and it was only then that he realized that Astevaes was not only using his powers, but was also using dark magic in his attacks.

*No... he couldn't have. The use of dark magic is forbidden! Why would he go through such lengths?* he thought as he began to make his way down.

Astevaes paused in mid - stride as he saw Ranma glowing with power. He realized then that the amazon girl had succeeded in bringing the orb to the Dragon God.

Ranma looked every bit like a dragon raging with fury. His eyes burned with anger as he stared daggers at the Atlantis warrior. Power came off of him in waves, bathing the chamber with light.

"Now, now Ranma. There's no need to get angry." Astevaes groveled, backpedaling a bit.

He saw Ranma advancing towards him and fired two dark energy balls at the boy. He wasn't entirely surprised when Ranma deflected both attacks as if he were swatting a pair of flies.

"First, you kidnapped Akane." Ranma started, slowly walking towards his enemy.

Astevaes gathered dark energy in his hands and started to fire volley after volley of dark energy balls at Ranma. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as Ranma deflected each of them.

"Then, you held our families hostage." Ranma continued.

Astevaes closed his eyes and began to chant, his hands in front of his chest. A dark energy ball bigger than the ones before started to grow in between his hands.

The dark energy ball expanded until it became about the size of three basketballs. Astevaes arms tensed as he just about reached the limit that he could hold.

He opened his eyes, black, endless orbs replacing his human eyes, and fired the dark energy blast at Ranma. He staggered backwards a bit after firing, but regained his stance just as quickly.

Ranma braced himself for the impact that the attack would have on him. He raised his arms in front of him in an 'X' as the dark energy ball slammed into him.

He was pushed back a bit by the force of the blast, but the attack did not have the same painful or powerful effect that it had just moments earlier.

The pigtailed martial artist pushed the attack with his arms, then veered them to the side. The dark energy blast dispersed as it hit the wall.

"Now, my friends are lying dead on the ground, and you tell me not to get angry?" Ranma roared, anger burning in his eyes.

Astevaes wasn't surprised that Ranma could block some of his stronger attacks that easily. That was how much stronger the orb had made him.

With the wound on his shoulder opening up a bit more, along with the shallow and deep cuts all over his body, Astevaes knew that was already losing too much blood.

"It's pay - back time you bastard!"

Ranma flew towards Astevaes like a man possessed, leaving a trail of golden white energy following behind him like a comet's tail. His hands and legs were a blur as he attacked Astevaes relentlessly.

The Atlantis warrior was still able to block some of Ranma's attacks, but more and more of them were landing on his already bruised and bloodied form.

Astevaes still managed to retaliate, but the speed of his punches and kicks weren't a match for Ranma's kachuu tenshin amaguriken technique. All of his attacks were blocked, not one connecting.

His blood continued to drip to the ground as his vision started to blur. He grimaced as a number of Ranma's punches connected with his side, but willed himself to stay upright.

*I guess I have no choice.* Astevaes thought, kicking at Ranma and then firing a number of dark energy balls, forcing his opponent to flip away to evade.

Astevaes jumped backwards a bit, landing on one knee as he began another chant. Dark energy started to surround his body as he concentrated his power in a much bigger energy ball in front of him.

"No..." Atlas said, his eyes widening in fear.

"Astevaes, stop it! You're going to die if you don't stop using dark magic!" Atlas cried, running towards his former friend.

Astevaes stopped his chant for a moment, then faced Atlas with a snarl. He created a small dark energy ball in one hand and threw it at the king.

"You! This is all your fault. If it hadn't been for you, I would have been king!" he growled, then threw the energy blast.

Atlas was thrown back as the dark energy ball hit him in the chest. He slammed into the machines and stayed there, barely breathing but still alive.

"That's the last time you interfere with my destiny." he snarled, the resumed his chant.

Black flames surrounded him as he concentrated his power. The chamber started to shake with the amount of power that Astevaes held. Ranma had to take a step back as he shielded his eyes with his arm.

Waves of energy were coming off of Astevaes as the wind started to pick up. Debris began to fly everywhere as though they were trying to escape from its grasp.

"It ends now Ranma Saotome." he said, the dark energy ball bigger than any other rising above his head.

Ranma closed his eyes as he called upon all of the powers residing inside his body. He crossed his arms in front of his body as a ball of light was formed.

The two stood at opposite ends of the chamber as they fired their attacks. The two balls of energy slammed against each other, each pushing the other back.

Astevaes struggled for control as his arms began to strain. He forced all of his remaining power out of his body, the dark energy ball becoming stronger and pushing back Ranma's attack even more.

Ranma grimaced as Astevaes increased his attack. His arms began to shake as his foot began to slide backwards. He gritted his teeth, thinking that he was going to lose when his load suddenly lightened.

He turned to see Akane beside him, arms raised upwards. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration as she focused all of her remaining energy towards Ranma's attack.

"Use the dagger. I'll hold it for as long as I can." she said, her gaze not leaving the attacks.

Ranma was about to argue when he realized that it was his turn to listen. Akane was risking her life to help him, and he needed to do his part for them to succeed.

Astevaes began to smile as he felt Ranma's attack start to weaken. He then went for the kill, pushing forward even more as the ball of light began to crumble.

He was so concentrated with his impending victory that he didn't see Ranma flying towards him until Ranma was about a foot above him, the dagger glowing brightly in his grasp.

Astevaes let go of the dark energy ball in his hands and let it sail towards the ceiling. He tried to lift his arms to block Ranma, but he was a split - second too late.

"Grrrrraaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Ranma cried as he slammed the glowing dagger into Astevaes' chest, his eyes glowing gold along with it.

As soon as he thrust the dagger at Astevaes heart, Ranma felt all the powers leave him. He felt woozy for a moment and had to tighten his grip on the dagger to make sure that his enemy could not escape.

"You're right. It ends now." he said, taking a step backwards as Astevaes fell to the ground.

Ranma waited for a few moments, wearily watching his opponent, hoping that this fall was his last. Astevaes lay unmoving, his eyes left open and back to his human ones.

Deciding that Astevaes was not going to get back up, Ranma started to check on his friends. He saw Mousse starting to get up, Ryoga shaking his head, Ukyo clutching her shoulder and Shampoo looking around.

The powers had obviously gone back to restore the lives of their respective owners. He looked towards Akane and saw that she was alive, slow to get up after fighting off Astevaes, but she was alive.

Ranma had to smile to himself. They had finally defeated Astevaes, they had saved Atlantis and the world from destruction, and they had rescued Akane.

They had finally won.

"Akane! Akane we did it!" he cried, running towards her.

Upon hearing Ranma's words, Akane's heart leapt with joy. Finally managing to stand up, she started to run towards Ranma, happiness and relief filling her heart.

Ranma smiled warmly as his gaze landed upon her. Akane was about to call to him but the words died on her lips as he saw Astevaes slowly getting up.

"Ranma! Look out!" Akane warned.

Ranma turned back and saw Astevaes forming one final attack in his hands. The Atlantis warrior was on his knees as he chanted softly, the dagger still buried in his chest.

The pigtailed martial artist concentrated all of his remaining chi as he prepared to fire back. The power of the Dragon God may have left him already, but he still had power of his own.

Ranma fired the mokou takabishya at the same time Astevaes shifted the wave of black energy towards Akane. The pigtailed martial artist was not expecting the attack and had no time to react.

Astevaes was thrown backwards into the wall by the force of Ranma's blast, the wall finally collapsing after suffering through the entire battle. He was buried under the rubble for the last time.

The black energy wave pierced through Akane's chest like a spear, creating a gaping hole the size of a fist. She fell lifelessly to the ground as Ranma and the other's ran to her.

"Akane! Akane! Oh God, please!" Ranma cried, cradling her body in his arms.

The blood from her wound seeped into Ranma's favorite shirt, but he didn't care. Shampoo limped towards them, and knelt on the ground next to the pair.

Ranma laid Akane's body back on the ground and gave way to Shampoo. The amazon warrior laid her hands on top of Akane's chest and her hands glowed.

The horrible wound started to close, and it seemed that Akane would be saved. The light coming from Shampoo's hands flickered slightly, and she started to shake.

"What's happening?" Ukyo asked, walking gingerly towards them as she clutched her shoulder where her arm used to be attached to.

"Our powers are slowly fading. We were only given them to defeat Astevaes. Now that he's dead..." Mousse answered, worry evident in his features despite his blindness.

"Artemis said that the power to heal will eventually drain Shampoo of her life force..." Ryoga whispered, blood still dripping from the wound on the back of his head.

Ranma looked at Akane, then at Shampoo's trembling form. He loved Akane very much, he loved her more than life itself. But he couldn't be selfish, he couldn't sacrifice Shampoo's life to save Akane.

He would never be able to forgive himself. And he knew, deep inside, that Akane would never forgive him as well. He took one last look at the seemingly sleeping Akane, then held Shampoo back.

Shampoo looked incredulously at Ranma as she collapsed into Mousse's waiting arms. She pushed back against Mousse and tried to continue the process but an arm stopped her.

"It's alright Shampoo. I can't let you sacrifice yourself." Ranma said.

"But..."

"No... Thank you, but no." he said, lowering his arm and gathering Akane back into an embrace.

"I'm so sorry Akane... I'm so sorry..." Ranma whispered, slowly rocking himself and Akane, tears streaming down his face.

"It should've been me. That blast was intended for me."

The others could only watch helplessly as Ranma continued to mumble in despair. He begged, he got mad, he apologized, but there was nothing that he could say that would bring Akane back.

"You shouldn't have warned me. Why did you, Akane? Why?"

"Because she lov..." Ryoga paused as Ukyo laid her uninjured hand on his shoulder. She shook her head slightly at him.

"He knows Ryoga. He knows..."

The wound in Akane's chest had healed, but she did not regain consciousness. Her body remained unmoving in Ranma's arms, her eyes closed for all eternity.

The scroll glowed immensely in Artemis' hands, floating steadily into the air as it unfolded itself before her eyes. Merian had gone to the river as she was instructed, leaving her alone to see this event.

She looked towards the end of the scroll, and found that the prophecy had finally reached its conclusion. The scroll glowed brightly for a moment, then vanished into the air.

"It's over. It's finally over." she said.

She took one last look at the palace, then ran towards the river to get Merian and some of the servants. They needed to prepare for when the combatants emerged, and she wanted to be there when they did.

"Thank you, everyone." she whispered, a genuine smile on her face as she thought of the wonderful future ahead.

"I wish I still had my powers." Shampoo whispered, tenderly tracing the cloth that covered the hideous scar formerly known as Mousse's eyes.

"It's fine. I'm kinda blind most of the time anyway." Mousse answered, raising his hand in front of him as he sought to touch his beloved's face.

Tears fell from Shampoo's eyes as she watched Mousse search for her, pain crushing her heart bit by bit. She reached for his hand and kissed the inside of it, then laid it on her cheek.

"Are you alright? Is your twisted leg bothering you?" he asked worriedly when the tears landed on his hand.

Shampoo pulled back as she fought back a sob, a hand covering her mouth. Even with his grave injury, Mousse still found it in his heart to worry about someone else.

She leant on his shoulder for comfort more than anything else, then shook her head to answer his question. She didn't trust her own voice and didn't want Mousse to worry anymore.

"Besides, from what you've told me, there are others who would need your healing abilities more." he said quietly, remembering what Shampoo had told him a moment ago.

Ryoga continued to lose blood from all of his head injuries, Ukyo sitting beside him trying to keep him awake, her severed arm lying beside her underneath a tattered piece of clothing.

"C'mon sweetie. Stay awake for me." Ukyo murmured, nudging Ryoga with the shoulder he had been leaning on.

She shifted her position to lift his head up, and hissed as her movements disturbed her damaged shoulder. The pained whimper jolted Ryoga awake and he pulled his head up to lean on the wall behind them.

"I'm sorry Ukyo. I didn't mean to... I just... can't seem to... stay awake..." he mumbled, his head drowsily bobbing up and down in front of him.

"It's alright. Lean your head on my shoulder. You'll lose more blood if you keep on doing that." Ukyo warned, raising her arm to gently push Ryoga's head back on her shoulder.

*Crap.* she thought as pain shot through her body once again.

She stared at the cloth that covered her detached limb and winced internally. She then looked over to where Ranma sat, still rocking himself and Akane, and found that she was still luckier than others.

When their combined powers dispersed from Ranma's body, each of their individual powers returned to their bodies. The powers left their bodies soon after finishing its final task.

Shampoo, Ukyo, Mousse and Ryoga had their lives restored them. Ranma and Akane, both being alive when it happened, had most of their injuries healed instead.

Astevaes' final attack came after their powers had gone, so Akane was left completely defenseless when the dark energy wave was suddenly fired at her.

Ranma didn't realize that Astevaes was going to shift his attack until the dark energy wave had left the man's hands. His reaction wasn't quick enough, and Akane paid the price.

"I'm sorry Akane... I'm so sorry... Please come back..." his pleas were almost inaudible as his body was wracked with sobs.

Suddenly, an orb shining with a golden light materialized in front of them. Encased inside that orb was the scroll about the prophecy, and both burst into a blinding light that shone through the entire room.

When the light subsided, the six spirit guardians appeared before them, each with a solemn smile on their face. Each guardian went towards their respective charge, gratitude evident in their eyes.

Part 2:
Because I Love You

It had been a week since the defeat of Astevaes. A week since the City of Atlantis and the whole world was saved from the hands of a man driven to madness by revenge and greed.

A week since the six powers of the earth were once again returned to their respective spirit guardians. A week since Ranma Saotome had lost the love of his life.

Well, almost.

"Ranma! Come join now, yes?" Shampoo called, waving at him from the palace gardens.

The palace held a banquet for the whole city in culmination of the annual festival which was forcibly canceled due to the events that happened a week ago.

Food was overflowing as people from all walks of life once again gathered to share in each other's joy and celebrate not only the festival but also the beauty of life.

Ranma smiled down at Shampoo from the balcony facing the gardens, nodding his assent. He watched as she ran towards Mousse, throwing her arms around her beloved.

They stood together with arms intertwined, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes as though they were the only people in the world. The crowd cheered for the couple, with the two blushing in earnest.

Ranma had to admire how far the two of them had come, in terms of their friendship with everyone and their relationship with each other. Those two believed in love no matter what.

Even when everything was falling apart, even when it seemed that all hope was lost, they held on to their love for each other. Their love had become their source of courage and strength.

*And look at them now.* he thought, smiling at the interplay between the couple and the people. He then remembered what had happened back at the chamber, and his smile grew even more.

(Flashback)

Shampoo's eyes widened in disbelief as Patrios and Hurrias, the spirit guardians of nature and wind, respectively, slowly approached her and Mousse.

"What is it?" Mousse asked, hearing Shampoo gasp beside him.

He tensed for a moment, fearing that some unknown enemy had come to finish them off. He suddenly felt the wind gently caressing him, and his shoulders relaxed.

"Greetings Amazon warriors." Hurrias addressed them cheerfully, crouching in front of Mousse. Patrios nodded his head in greeting, kneeling beside Shampoo.

"What's going..." Shampoo paused as Patrios shushed her.

"We have a proposition for you, Shampoo." Patrios said, looking very seriously at Shampoo.

Shampoo readily nodded, her attention fully on the spirit guardian of nature. Beside them, Hurrias was carefully removing the cloth covering Mousse's wound.

"Remember when you first received your healing powers? Artemis told you that if you could harness it enough you could probably heal your curse." Patrios began, his gaze and voice unwavering.

The amazon woman nodded again, getting somewhat nervous at the seriousness of the subject at hand. She swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat, looking at Patrios with a slight bit of fear.

"Patrios, there's no need to frighten her." Hurrias chided playfully, laying the cloth on the ground as he studied Mousse's wound intently.

"I wasn't trying to frighten her." Patrios explained, glaring at the offending guardian.

"You're too serious for your own good." Hurrias commented, turning to face Shampoo, who looked baffled and surprised at the banter between the two guardians.

"Here's the thing. Because of the courage and compassion that you've showed throughout this entire journey, Patrios here is willing to give you a gift." Hurrias stated.

"Gift?" Shampoo asked, not too clear on the subject.

"I think you've scared her silly, Patrios. Anyway, a gift. He's willing to heal your curse." Hurrias finished, giving his attention back to Mousse.

A jubilant smile lit up Shampoo's face. Having her curse removed meant that she would never turn into a cat again. It also meant that she could return to the Joketsuzoku village as a complete woman.

"That's great Shampoo! You'll finally be rid of your curse!" Mousse exclaimed, almost hitting Hurrias in the face with his wayward arms.

Thoughts of her triumphant return to the village vanished as soon as she heard Mousse's words. She turned to her beloved, to the one man she loved above all else, and her decision was made.

"You don't have to remove my curse. I ask you to heal Mousse's eyes instead." she said, looking Patrios in the eye.

"Shampoo, what are you..." Mousse asked, incredulous.

"I've lived with my curse for this long, I can live with it for the rest of my life if need be." she declared.

"But Shampoo!" Mousse protested.

"No. This is my wish Mousse." she said, then faced Patrios once more.

"Heal Mousse's eyes. Please." she asked, her body touching the ground as she bowed reverently at Patrios.

The spirit guardian of nature was silent for a moment, studying the amazon woman who just a moment ago refused a cure for her curse and instead asked for the return her beloved's vision.

He received a strong pat on his shoulder from Hurrias, who was standing beside him with an approving smile on his face. Patrios nodded, placing his hands on Shampoo's shoulders and lifting her up.

"Done." Patrios uttered.

Mousse was instantly lifted off the ground as he was engulfed in a whirlwind of light. The light brought warmth all over his body, and he felt a sudden heat in the upper part of his face.

He could feel the skin slowly being removed, but there was no pain. The light returned to his eyes as he opened them, his vision still not perfect but back to its former state nonetheless.

He blinked a couple of times as he tried to get a feel for his surroundings. His gaze landed on two figures, Hurrias and Patrios, and then to a lovely image that he thought he would never see again.

"Shampoo..." he whispered, gladness filling his heart.

"Airen..." she sobbed, erupting in tears of joy.

Shampoo turned to Patrios and Hurrias once more, no doubt to express her deepest gratitude towards the two spirit guardians. A hand stopped her, Hurrias' hand, and she paused in confusion.

"Don't thank us yet." Hurrias said.

Now, it was Shampoo's turn to be immersed in a whirlwind of light. She looked around her body as she was lifted from the ground, then back at the two guardians, disbelief in her eyes.

The warmth from the light spread throughout her entire body, Shampoo wrapping her arms around herself a she felt a slight tingle all over.

When her feet touched the ground, she knew that she had been cured of her curse. She looked at Patrios, then Hurrias, and the amazon woman was not able to stop herself.

Shampoo threw arms around the unsuspecting Patrios, who stood in surprise for a moment before holding her gently in his arms. She pulled back, blushing slightly as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you." she whispered, before letting him go and then flinging herself towards Hurrias next.

"Woah... easy there..." Hurrias said, steadying himself with Shampoo clinging to him.

"Thank you." she said, laying a kiss on his cheek as well.

"Well now. I knew there was a reason that I accepted being a spirit guardian. I think that was it." Hurrias said, smiling at the blushing amazon.

"And you're not even her spirit guardian... imagine that." Patrios teased, standing beside him as they watched the two amazons engaged in a fierce embrace.

"Oh, hush. They look happy together don't they?" Hurrias watched, glad to witness their joy.

"That they do." Patrios agreed, proud of the two amazons.

(Present time)

Ranma was torn from his musings by ecstatic squeals of laughter. He quickly scanned the crowd and found a group of kids wrestling playfully with Ryoga.

His friend was currently tickling a young boy in one arm and a young girl in the other, while three other boys and one other girl jumped onto his back and tried to take him down.

Not too far from them was Ukyo. His best friend sat atop a picnic blanket and was in the midst of preparing food for all of them. She had a satisfied smile on her face as she watched the match in front of her.

Ryoga let out a muffled groan as a knee landed on his groin. He slowly knelt towards the ground as the pain caught up to him, much to the delight of the children.

Ukyo couldn't stop herself from laughing when a cross - eyed Ryoga raised his arms towards her for help as he found himself pinned under four boys and two girls.

It was as if they were a family having a picnic in a park, with the children draped all over their father, and their mother watching them with loving eyes as she prepared their meal.

*And somehow, they still deny that they love each other.* Ranma thought, shaking his head slightly. A knowing smile graced his features as another set of memories came back to him.

(Flashback)

"Ryoga... Ryoga wake up!" Ukyo cried, shrugging her shoulder to jolt him into consciousness. Worry filled her heart when she received no response, and she began to fidget in nervousness.

She practically jumped in her seat when someone knelt in front of them, and her eyes almost fell out of their sockets when she recognized just who that someone was.

"You're..." she trailed off, eyes then wandering over to the other who also knelt beside her.

"We meet again, Ukyo." Ferrion said, smiling at his charge.

She stared in awe at the spirit guardian of fire, something telling her that everything was going to be fine. She tensed when she felt Ryoga's head being lifted off her shoulder, and turned in return.

"Wait. You can't move his head. He's got wounds all over... a... and..." she babbled, raising her hand to pull Ryoga back.

"I can't very well heal him if I can't see his wounds." Koseidon explained with a firm voice, as he held Ryoga upright with his arm.

"I... I..." Ukyo mumbled as she shrank back against the wall and away from the spirit guardian.

"It's alright, Ukyo. Let Koseidon take care of Ryoga." Ferrion interjected, looking the stunned girl in the eye.

Ukyo nodded, relaxing somewhat. Ryoga's condition had made her jumpy, and she realized that she should needn't worry anymore because help had arrived.

"Now, let's take a look at you." Ferrion said, studying the girl's injured shoulder.

The spirit guardian of fire had to hide a grimace as he saw the wound up close. He looked over to his side where her detached arm lay, then lifted the cloth that covered it.

He thought for a moment, his brows furrowed as he examined the appendage carefully. He lifted it off the ground and turned it slightly, then turned to Ukyo with a smile on his face.

Ryoga mumbled incoherently as he felt warmth behind his head. Someone was holding him up, and judging by the size of the arm that was around his back, that someone wasn't Ukyo.

He slowly opened one eye, peering at the one holding him, and Ryoga thought that he must've hit his head one too many times. A hand was then moved to his forehead, a warm light closing his wound.

Ryoga blinked his eyes rapidly as he tried to focus, when his gaze landed on the spirit guardian of the earth. His body pooled sluggishly around him as he pulled back in surprise.

"What are you... am I dead?" he asked, looking around worriedly.

"Far from it. You're feeling woozy because you've lost too much blood." Koseidon replied, helping Ryoga lean back against the wall.

"Thank you, Koseidon, for healing me." Ryoga breathed, still tired from everything that had happened.

"You're journey hasn't ended yet, Ryoga. You've still got a long way to go." Koseidon said.

Ryoga looked at him quizzically, not really understanding what the spirit guardian was telling him. He was about to ask him what he meant when Koseidon motioned for him to turn.

Beside them, a bright reddish white light gradually began to fade. Ryoga then saw Ukyo smiling widely as she flexed her arm which was once again connected to her newly reconstructed shoulder.

"How does it feel?" Ferrion asked, admiring his work. There was nothing that would even suggest that her shoulder and arm had been injured.

"It feels great! Thank you very much! And I don't have any scars, too." Ukyo exclaimed, moving her arm in every possible direction.

"That's good."

Ukyo gasped in surprise and turned to the source of those words. He gaze fell on a smiling Ryoga, and tears fell from her eyes in gladness.

Ryoga pushed himself off the wall, wanting to hold Ukyo in his arms. He leaned forwards in an attempt to reach her and would have landed on the floor had Ukyo not been there to catch him.

"Idiot. You're still weak from your injuries." Ukyo admonished him, but there was no edge in her tone.

"Thank God you're alright." was Ryoga's response.

The two friends held each other tightly as though the other would disappear if they let go. There weren't any declarations of love yet, but their actions spoke volumes.

"Not bad huh?" Koseidon said, gesturing to the two.

"Yup. That's why I told her that she would never be alone." Ferrion nodded, his eyes lingering on the lovely sight before them.

(Present time)

Ranma leant forward with his arms on the balcony as he enjoyed the scenery. The top of his shirt was open and the necklace fell out once again, revealing the white - gold ring he had bought for Akane.

He held the ring up with his palm, a tender smile gracing his features. His eyes became suspiciously wet as he remembered the second time he almost lost Akane.

(Flashback)

"Hello Ranma."

Ranma blinked, unbelieving, at the sight before him. Standing before him and Akane were Dragos and another being, presumably Akane's spirit guardian.

"I am Proteus, the spirit guardian of water." he said, as if hearing Ranma's thoughts.

Ranma's gaze followed the spirit guardian as he and Dragos knelt before him and Akane. Sparks of light formed as Proteus trailed the tips of his fingers along the side of Akane's face.

The spirit guardian of water then looked up at Ranma, who was staring back at him in trepidation. Proteus could feel the mixed emotions inside the boy, and he turned to Dragos for a little help.

"Ranma, I know this is a hard time, but Proteus and I have come to help." Dragos began, trying to see if the martial artist would loosen his hold on Akane.

Ranma seemed to relax a bit with Dragos' words, and his hold did loosen on his beloved Akane. His eyes though, still carried doubt in them as Proteus offered his hands.

"May I?" Proteus asked, waiting for his reply.

Ranma stared at the man before him, trying to gauge what the man's true intentions were. He turned to Dragos, who was silently pleading with him, then nodded towards Proteus.

The spirit guardian then laid one hand on Akane's chest, while the other he placed on her forehead. Proteus fought back a wince as he felt how cold Akane's body was.

He felt Dragos lay a hand on his shoulder and saw the guardian's other hand gently settle on top of Ranma's head. Proteus closed his eyes in concentration as Dragos spoke.

"Now Ranma. We need your help. Akane's in a far away place right now, and we need you to lead her back to us, alright?"

Ranma nodded earnestly, and the spirit guardian of the dragon had to smile at the grim determination that was now burning fervently in the boy's once desolate eyes.

The two of them finally closed their eyes as Proteus began. Ranma winced slightly as he felt a searing heat flow from Dragos and into him. He grit his teeth as he strengthened his resolve.

A golden white light surrounded the four of them as one guardian began to heal Akane while the other served as a conduit for Ranma's thoughts.

*Akane. Akane, can you hear me? It's me, Ranma. Come back to us, please.* he channeled his thoughts through his connection with the two guardians.

The light that surrounded the four of them began to fade, and Ranma eagerly opened his eyes in anticipation. Akane didn't look as pale as she had earlier, and Ranma took that as a good sign.

Ranma's eyes began to water as Akane stirred in his lap. She let out a groan as she tried to clear her dry throat, eyes blinking rapidly as her vision began to focus.

Akane shook her head slowly in an effort to clear the cobwebs and was greeted by Ranma's winning smile and exquisite gray - blue eyes. He choked back a sob as he gazed at his beloved in relief.

"Ran... ma?"

"Akane!"

Ranma pulled Akane into an embrace and held her tightly to him. Akane let herself be held, her body still too weak to do anything but lay nestled in Ranma's arms.

"You came back. I thought I'd lost you forever this time." Ranma mumbled, the tears now flowing freely down his cheeks.

Akane smiled to herself as she enjoyed the feel of Ranma's body all around her. His tears mixed with hers as they cherished being back in each other's arms.

"You're an idiot, y'know? You shouldn't have gone out to help me. You never listen to me." Ranma whispered, but he sounded more relieved than angry.

"You're welcome." Akane whispered, her smile growing.

Ranma slowly loosened his hold on her and just settled with cradling her in his lap. He looked down at her and part of him still couldn't believe how lucky he was.

"I love you, Akane, though I could never understand why you'd do something stupid like that..." he said, a genuine smile on his face.

"It's because I love you, you idiot." Akane replied, smiling playfully at him.

A sudden movement tore their attention away from each other, and the two of them saw their guardians watching them intently. They blushed profusely, and the guardians laughed in amusement.

"Thank you, for bringing her back." Ranma said, looking at both guardians with respect and gratitude.

"You brought her back, Ranma." Dragos said.

"We just assisted." Proteus added.

A bright light suddenly began to form behind the guardians, and the two had to shield their eyes. They felt the warmth of the light envelop them as the guardians faded from their eyes.

"Live a happy life, Ranma. You've certainly earned it." Dragos whispered as them farewell.

(Present time)

A cheer from the crowd that had gathered brought Ranma out of his thoughts. Atlas had just graced the event with his presence, the king having finished his inspection of the palace grounds.

After everything that had happened, the king wanted to make sure that all that was destroyed would be reconstructed as though they were never damaged.

The palace had been around for as long as anyone remembered, and it was the symbol of peace and prosperity for the city. Atlas wanted the palace to remain that for the next generations to come.

Atlas smiled and cheered with his people, shaking hands and conversing with everyone. There was a certain sad gleam in his eyes though, and only a few select knew why.

The self - destruct mechanism was a bluff, which meant that destroying the palace was never Astevaes' intention. This lead Atlas to investigate about his former friend's past.

The king had no idea what he was looking for, so he was utterly devastated when he uncovered the real reason why his former friend and comrade had betrayed him.

Behind Atlas was Artemis, the former bearer of the scroll smiling at the crowd that had gathered. There was a certain light in her eyes as she cherished interacting with her people.

Artemis had yet to be proclaimed as the true destined queen of Atlantis, but she had no complaints whatsoever. Those who truly knew her also knew that there was no need for any declaration.

She had trained all her life for the purpose of protecting the city and the people, and she did so out of love for those who truly meant everything to her.

*If that didn't scream Q-U-E-E-N...* Ranma's thoughts trailed off as he recalled what had happened some three days ago, when the mysteries surrounding Astevaes and Atlantis were explained.

(Flashback)

"Some 3000 years ago, Atlantis was known as the richest and most powerful city in the world. The city had everything in abundance, food, gold, treasures, you name it."

A three dimensional holographic image of Atlantis appeared in the middle of the room. Ranma and others were astonished at the sight while Artemis continued telling the story.

"The citizens of Atlantis were both admired and envied by all peoples not just for their riches, but also for the powers that they possessed.

Unlike most of the humans who lived during the time of the gods, the people of Atlantis all carried some sort of power, be it physical, mental or spiritual."

The image changed from the city to a number of its citizens. The next set of images showed the different powers and abilities that the people had.

"It was said that Zeus himself had bestowed those powers because the god owed the first King of Atlantis some sort of debt for assisting him in a secret mission."

A picture of Zeus was shown, along with a man who looked uncannily like Atlas. The two men were sitting amongst the royalty of the city as they celebrated their successful return from their mission.

The next image showed Zeus placing his hand over the head of the king, and then his hand glowing bright gold. When it was finished, the king's body began to glow with power.

Zeus repeated this process for the rest of the people in the room, and then again for the rest of the city. Images of the city's people glowing with power flooded everyone's vision.

"That power would end up corrupting the inhabitants of the city, as they used their gifts to invade the neighboring cities, ravaging and pillaging at will.

The people then began to incorporate dark magic with their powers to increase its magnitude, until they were completely intoxicated by their greed and their desires."

The holographic imaging then showed the atlantis warriors wreaking havoc in different cities. Houses were destroyed, villages were burned, men were tortured and then killed.

Another series of images showed land, money, gold, and many more being taken by the warriors. Women raped and then killed right of front of the children, who were also killed thereafter.

Artemis paused for a moment. The last set of images had her enraged at her ancestors, and by the looks of the people who were watching with her, she wasn't the only one.

She felt a hand touch her arm, and Artemis was drawn from her musings. She saw Atlas looking worriedly at her, and she made an effort to smile at him in return before she continued.

"News of their conquests had reached Mount Olympus, and the gods were beyond outraged. Zeus then warned the reigning king to stop his exploits, but by then the power had already gone to the king's head.

Only a handful of citizens, some members of the High Council, heeded the god's warning. They tried to persuade their king, who was the great - grandson of the first king, but it was already too late."

Images of a tribunal discussing were shown, followed by what looked to be an audience with the king. Members of the council begged their king to stop, but found themselves incarcerated instead.

"Zeus finally grew tired of the king's antics and ordered the destruction of the city. Fire came down from the heavens and the city was turned into one giant, burning furnace.

Thunderbolts struck down the towering structures and buildings that adorned the city, and everything was thrown into havoc. The earth was then opened up and the city of Atlantis vanished from the surface."

The images showed in detail just what Artemis had described, and some of the people in the audience found themselves cringing at the brutality of it all.

Though they sympathized with the people of Atlantis, they felt that the city got the punishment it deserved for abusing their gifts and performing acts of savageness towards others.

"Atlantis was somehow saved from eternal damnation by the same group of people who tried to stop their king. They had created a magical dome that would protect the city as it plunged to the depths."

The final images showed some members from the council performing a spell, then the entire island of Atlantis encased in a transparent dome as it submerged into the sea.

Light came on in the room as the last of the holographic images faded. Artemis then walked over to her seat around the circular conference table.

Atlas cleared his throat as he addressed everyone. They were all gathered inside one of the smaller com rooms in the palace. Ironically enough, it was the same room that Astevaes used to spy on them.

In his hands was a small journal whose pages had yellowed with age. It was found among Astevaes possessions, and believed to have belonged to the warrior and his family.

"As most of you know, Astevaes was the highest ranking warrior of Atlantis, and was second in command. His family has served the royal family of Atlantis ever since the beginning of the kingdom."

The king paused momentarily, his grip on the journal tightening ever so slightly. He looked down at the notebook in his grasp and then opened it to a marked page.

"What all of us didn't know, was in the event that no eligible heir was produced, the oldest male in their family would take over the throne." he paused again, his eyes lowered as if to avoid the others.

"Your majesty, are you saying that Astevaes would have become king..."

"...if I hadn't been born? You're assumption is correct, Merian." Atlas answered, a sad look lingering in his eyes.

Everyone kept silent as they watched the interplay of emotions on the king's face. Sadness prevailed as the king continued on his explanation.

"It says here that the grandfather of my great, great, great - grandfather made the agreement with Astevaes' family. It was a reward for their loyal service, especially during the Dark Era."

"Dark Era? You mean the time with Zeus and the wars and all that stuff?" Mousse said.

"Yes. It seems that it was one of their ancestors that led the plea with the king to stop the attacks. It was the also that ancestor who thought of the dome."

"That's why he was so intent in taking over the crown." Ukyo stated.

"That was also the reason why he would go so far as to use dark magic even when he knew that it caused the fall of our city." Atlas added.

"How does Artemis fit into all of this?" Ranma asked. He had been wanting to get some answers ever since the beginning, and now was his chance.

"Because of the prophecy..." Merian answered.

"'That in 1000 years, marriage of the bethroted ones at that time, will give the city great power. Power strong enough for the city of Atlantis to rise again.'" Artemis said.

"The prophecy is just that... a prophecy." Atlas interjected.

Everyone looked at the king in surprise. He had a solemn look on his face as he recalled the entries in his father's journals. He too was surprised with what he had read.

"After reading this journal, I checked my father's journals to confirm the truth. I found out that the prophecy was a fake. That it was only created to give the people of Atlantis hope."

"Hope?" Shampoo asked.

"Yes, hope. After the city had sunk to the bottom of the sea, the morale of the people was extremely low. The palace officials had to think of something to give the people hope for a better future."

"So who kidnapped Lady Artemis? And why?" Merian asked, bringing another topic into the conversation.

"I wasn't exactly kidnapped..." Artemis mumbled, somewhat uncomfortable as all of the people turned to her. Everyone was silent however, as they waited for her to speak.

"Luc, he told me the reason why he took me from the palace that day. He was the one who trained me in the mystical arts to prepare me for the battle against Astevaes." she explained.

"So he knew..."

"Yes, he did, your majesty. He said that everything had to happen for the people to finally learn the truth."

"What do you mean, Lady Artemis?" Merian inquired.

"That Atlantis will never rise again." Mousse answered for her.

Silence once again reigned in the room as its occupants took in the veracity of Mousse's words. It had a ring of finality to it that no one knew what to say next.

"It shouldn't matter right?" Akane said, breaking the silence.

"It shouldn't matter because Atlas will never let anything happen to his people." she continued, smiling at the king.

"She's right. And now, Artemis is here to help." Ukyo added, laying a hand on Artemis' shoulder.

Artemis blushed redder than the ripest tomato at the insinuation. Laughter finally broke out in the room as everyone spoke of better lives and greater futures.

(Present time)

"Ranma?"

Ranma turned from the balcony and gazed upon the lovely figure of his beloved Akane. They were to leave Atlantis later this afternoon but she still wore an ensemble from the 'queen's' wardrobe.

The color drained from Ranma's face at the implication and he fought to keep a straight face. Akane walked forward and stopped just beside him.

"I talked to Atlas." she spoke, her eyes lingering on the people gathered in the palace gardens.

Ranma faced her as he leant on the balcony more for support than anything else. He could feel his legs about to give as he waited for her to continue.

Akane had told him earlier that morning that Atlas wanted to talk to her, and Ranma had gritted his teeth to keep himself screaming bloody murder in jealousy.

The youngest Tendo had giggled at him, enjoying the play of emotions on his face. She had assured him that he had nothing to be jealous of, and that had lifted his spirits.

Now, as he gazed upon her solemn features, he felt as though his entire world would crumble. He couldn't read her expression, and the anticipation made his heart hammer wildly in his chest.

"I'm sorry Ranma, but I can't leave with you today."

Ranma's face contorted in agony for a split - second, just a split - second, as her words sunk in. He regained his composure, but had to hold on to the cold, marble balcony to keep himself from falling apart.

Akane turned to him, her expression now a mixture of sadness and regret. She reached towards him and touched the hand that lay on the marble, her eyes never leaving his.

She almost expected him to pull back, but he didn't. They stood there in their own little world, the sounds of the party below them seeming nonexistent.

"Try to understand." she pleaded, looking him in the eyes.

Ranma started shaking his head in disbelief as a familiar scene flooded his mind. Akane's words had brought up one of the most painful memories in his existence.

*Just like then, with Shinnosuke. I've lost her.* he thought hopelessly.

"I... I understand." he spoke almost automatically, in the same tone of voice he did back then.

Only this time, he didn't run away. He maintained eye and hand contact with her as he etched her beauty in his memory. It was Akane that broke both as she smiled and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Really? Oh, wow! I'm so happy! I'll tell Atlas that we'll be leaving tomorrow morning!" she roared in glee.

Ranma nodded his assent, happy that he was able to bring a smile to Akane's features one last time. His brain had apparently short - circuited for it took him a moment to understand.

"Huh? What?" he asked, confusion all over his face.

"Atlas told me I could cook a special dinner for everyone later. So he suggested that we go home tomorrow morning instead. I've already told the others and it's fine with them." Akane explained.

Ranma looked increasingly dumb for a few moments as he jump - started his brain. He finally snapped out of his stupor, and put a hand at the back of his head.

"That's what I thought! Ha ha ha ha ha ha..." Ranma flushed in embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" Akane asked as they both made their way back into the palace.

"Yup. No problems here." he chirped.

"OK." she said, though she looked somewhat dubious.

"How are you feeling?" Ryoga asked.

"I'm adjusting." Artemis answered.

They stood outside in the garden with Mousse, Ukyo and Shampoo. They had dined and partied so much the previous day that they hadn't realized it was already morning.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Merian seemed like a nice lady." Ukyo said.

"And Shampoo think Atlas likes you." Shampoo teased.

Artemis visibly flushed, and the others laughed in amusement at her antics. It was good diversion as they tried not to think of their departure.

"Don't worry too much, alright?" Mousse added.

"Thank you, all of you... for everything." she said.

"Group hug!" Ukyo cheered as the four of them wrapped their arms around Artemis.

Their laughter rang throughout the gardens as they smothered each other with hugs. They looked like a family that had just been reunited and that was how they were when Ranma and the others arrived.

"Hey! Don't forget me!" Ranma cried, running up to them and joining in the fun. Akane just shook her head in defeat as Atlas and Merian laughed.

"I guess this is it then." Atlas said suddenly.

Akane tore her attention from her friends as she gazed at Atlas for the last time. The king looked gallant and regal in his attire, and she had to smile at the effort she knew he was making.

It wasn't everyday that you have the love of your life leave you for someone else, and she knew that that thought had taken up residence in his mind for the past few days.

She had accepted his proposal, but that was before she found out that Ranma was alive. The moment she saw Ranma, all of her feelings for her fiancé come rushing back, and she knew that she had to tell Atlas.

She had decided to tell him the truth, but was surprised when Atlas beat her to it. He didn't deny that it hurt, but he was happy that she had her fiancé back, and said that he wouldn't stand in the way.

Akane also returned all of the gifts that she had been given since she had arrived, but Atlas insisted that she keep them as a remembrance of her stay in the palace and the city.

The two had reasoned for about five minutes until they reached a compromise. Akane agreed to take something home with her, and had chosen the teddy bear that Atlas had bought for her when they went to the city.

Atlas had finally conceded, albeit reluctantly.

"I'll never forget you." Akane said, then leaned forward to envelop him in a hug. They held each other for a moment, then slowly pulled apart.

"Take care on your trip, Akane." Merian said as Akane turned to face her.

"Thank you for everything, Merian." Akane replied, before wrapping her arms around the older woman as well. Merian was the first person in Atlantis to befriend her, and Akane would never forget that.

"Yo Akane! Get over here!" Ranma called.

Akane pulled away from Merian and excused herself from the two. She hurriedly ran towards her friends and shrieked as she was pulled into the group hug.

"Akane looks happy doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does. You did a very noble thing, your majesty." Merian said, moving to stand beside her king.

"I just want her to be happy, and that's something she wouldn't be if she stayed here." Atlas said.

"Even if her happiness means letting her go?" Merian asked.

"She was never truly mine. Ranma will always have her heart, and no man, not even a king, can change that." Atlas answered.

They were silent for a moment as they watched the others running around like little kids in a playground. Artemis pulled away from the pack and sat to the side, her face glowing as she laughed.

"Will Artemis be staying in the palace?" Atlas asked, watching the young woman intently.

"I've talked to Lady Artemis. She wishes to pay her last respects to her grandfather before settling here." Merian answered, studying Atlas in turn.

There was a certain tenderness in the way Atlas looked at Artemis, and Merian wondered if it were gratitude and respect for everything that Artemis had done for the city, or something else entirely.

*Well, it's too soon to tell.* she thought, smiling slightly.

Atlas then began his stride, moving towards the others as their activities began to wind down. Artemis said her good bye's as she walked towards Merian, who was standing behind the king.

"It's time." Artemis said, using the same words she used when they teleported to Atlantis.

The six of them nodded and stood in a circle, with Atlas, Artemis and Merian standing a little bit behind them. They all held each other's hands as Atlas and Artemis concentrated their power.

A golden - white light surrounded the six of them for a moment, and Merian had to shield her eyes as the light blinded her. The light then faded as the three people left behind all shared the same thought.

*Thank you, everyone.*

"Home at last." Ranma said, stretching his arms above his head.

After the teleportation had finished, they found themselves at the Furinkan High School football field. They were all very thankful that their journey was over, and were all very glad to be home.

They all wanted to celebrate their success, but decided to return to their respective homes first. Shampoo and Mousse were the first to leave, followed by Ryoga and Ukyo.

"I missed this place." Akane said, looking around Nerima.

The two continued walking towards the Tendo Dojo, Akane enjoying the familiar scenery while Ranma just itching to have some of Kasumi's home cooking and a nice, warm bath.

They suddenly came upon Ranma's favorite bridge, and both just came to a stand still.

The streets were empty, no children running around, no housewives going to the market, or teenagers going to the park or to the mall. Even the river bank was empty, no small boats or jet ski's splashing about.

Ranma looked over to Akane, and found that she was looking at him in return. They shared a single thought as both swallowed past the lump that had formed in their throats.

"You've gotta be..."

"...kidding me."

They both tensed as they watched their surroundings, expecting someone to attack them. The whole place was silent, and the two entered into defensive stances just to be safe.

A little boy suddenly came from around the corner, riding his mini bicycle as two of his friends came running after him. A group of teenagers appeared from another corner, laughing and teasing each other.

Then everything started happening all at once. There were small cars and delivery trucks in the streets, a few women on their way to the markets and even a small boat in the river.

Ranma breathed a huge sigh of relief, while Akane started giggling at the hilarity of it all. Ranma began to chuckle as well, and two started laughing as they made their way home.

The giant doors of the Tendo Dojo came into view, and Akane smiled as her gaze landed on her home for the first time in a very long while. She was poised to run into the house when Ranma reached for her hand.

Akane paused mid - stride and turned to look at Ranma, who had a very serious look on his face. The two stood there, seemingly lost in their own world.

"Akane, there's something I have to tell you." Ranma began, his face solemn.

"What's the matter?" Akane asked, suddenly worried.

"I... You need to know that I..." Ranma paused, butterflies having a field day in his stomach.

"Yes?" Akane asked, light dancing in her eyes.

"I... While we were traveling all over the world to save you... I... I fell in love with someone."

The light in Akane's eyes died instantly at Ranma's words. She fought back a sob as she felt her world collapse all around her. Only Ranma's grip on her hand kept her from meeting the ground face first.

"Oh..." Akane whispered, looking away as her face contorted in pain.

"I... I didn't know that it would happen. I didn't know that it was possible, really. I just... I just woke up one morning and realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her."

Akane nodded, not trusting her own voice anymore. Ranma's words felt like daggers to her heart and she fought to keep her composure. She forced herself to smile at him as she listened.

"I've never loved anyone this strongly. I just wanted to tell you this before... well..." Ranma shrugged, gesturing to the dojo.

She nodded again, thinking that it was the end. She looked up at the dojo to keep the tears from falling, then mustered up all the courage that she could.

"It's alright. I understand completely, Ranma." she said, her eyes not leaving the dojo.

*It's only fair, I guess. I had Atlas. I suppose he had someone as well.* she thought, her lower lip quivering ever so slightly.

Akane saw something glisten out of the corner of her eye, and found Ranma removing a ring from his neck. She clamped her eyes shut, and it was all she could do to keep herself from falling apart.

"Will you be getting married?" she asked finally, her voice wavering towards the end.

She felt Ranma release her hand, and she couldn't help but whimper at the loss of contact. She took deep breaths to calm herself, but found it useless against the torrent of emotions building inside her.

*It's over. I've lost him forever.*

"Well, that depends on you, Akane."

Akane gasped in disbelief as Ranma's words echoed in her ears. She slowly turned to look at him and found that he was on one knee, looking up at her with the ring in between them.

A small crowd had gathered around them, from small kids to teenagers about to squeal in delight. There were also a few neighbors watching the drama unfold.

"Oh, Ranma..." she murmured, leaning down to wrap her arms around him.

Everyone cheered as the two held each other in the middle of the street, not caring whether the whole neighborhood was in attendance. Tears streamed down Akane's cheeks as she Ranma with all of her might.

Ranma looked a bit uneasy for a moment with all of the attention, but that was soon forgotten. He laid a soft kiss on Akane's temple and thanked the gods for letting him meet such a wonderful girl.

They pulled back from each other for just a second, and Ranma eased the ring on to Akane's finger. The leaned towards each other for a kiss and the crowd erupted even more.

The door to the Tendo Dojo finally opened and one by one the members of their family came out both to welcome them home and to congratulate them on their 'official' engagement.

Later that night, Akane was preparing to sleep when she heard someone knock. The door opened and Ranma poked his head in, then smiled as his eyes landed on his fiancée.

"Nabiki said you wanted to see me." he said, easing into the room.

Akane smiled and nodded, patting the space beside her on the bed. Ranma sat on the bed facing her and took Akane's hand in both of his. She blushed slightly at the gesture, her cheeks a bright red.

"I just wanted to ask you something."

"What about?"

"Uhm..." she hesitated, looking down at the covers. Ranma stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Earlier you said you fell in love with someone while you were trying to save me, what did you mean by that?" Akane asked nervously, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

"Oh. I did." Ranma stated a - matter - of - factly.

"Huh?"

Ranma smiled at her and inched closer. He lifted Akane's hand to his chest and held it there with one hand, while he laid his other hand on Akane's cheek.

"Whenever I thought that I would never see you again, I just closed my eyes and tried to imagine your face. Every time I did that, I fell in love with you all over again."

Tears again welled up in Akane's eyes at the declaration. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Ranma's neck. He held her body close to him with a smile and laid a kiss on her cheek.

"You alright?" Ranma asked, rubbing her back gently.

"Unn..." Akane nodded, her face brightened by her smile.

The two lovers held onto each other for a very long while after that. Even as they parted to sleep that night, they knew that their love would always keep them together.

After all, that's what forever is for. Right?

End of Chapter 12

From the Author:

The words in UNDERLINE are spoken or thought in Chinese in this chapter.

Why didn't Ranma, Ryoga, Mousse and Shampoo change into their cursed forms when they got immersed in the liquid inside the tube?
OK... simple answer would be that the liquid was not water, and that it was not cold enough to change them. The liquid is also part magical because it absorbs their energy and their life force. Besides, they're all practically dying already... I didn't want them to witness the last battle in their cursed forms. It was the least that I could do after putting them through hell.

Whatever happened to Dragos saying that things would go back to the way they were if Ranma were to defeat Astevaes? Well, nothing really. It was all a test to see if Ranma really was deserving of the power. :)

MOKOU TAKABISHYA REVISED: DRAGON'S WHIP! literally means Haughty Tiger Revised: Dragon's Whip. ( I think ) It's the mokou takabishya chi attack with the added bonus of a dragon's tail lashing at the opponent. It's like getting hit with a chi blast and getting whipped at the same time.

For those who got confused as to how the chamber actually looked like:
It kind looks like the Nirvana command center from "Vandread." In "Vandread," the upper part of the command center held most of the controls of the ship. The lower part served as a multipurpose hall that doubled as a park of sorts. There were some episodes that showed just how high the upper part of the command center was, and I'm assuming there's about twenty to thirty feet between the upper and lower parts of the command center.
In this story, a part of the chamber is elevated, and that is where Akane and the others were situated. The lower part of the chamber is where Ranma's tube was placed, and where he and Astevaes battled it out. I'm going to say that there is a good thirty feet between the two parts of the chamber, so you can just imagine trying to jump when you've had most of your energy drained from your body.

Why was the dagger able to damage Astevaes the way it did?
Earlier, when they used their powers against other Atlantis warriors, they were able to either knock them out or beat them. But Astevaes is like at the top of the food chain. He's much more powerful than the other warriors, so just using their powers on him wasn't enough to wound him. Sure they hurt him and knocked him around for a bit, but they couldn't damage him completely.
When Ukyo used her giant spatula to slash as Astevaes, she did it using her physical strength only. When she used the dagger that Ryoga had given to her, she stabbed at Astevaes with all of her power, including her power of fire. It was only then that she realized that she can infuse her weapons with her power, and use the said weapons to damage Astevaes.
That's also why she gave her dagger to Ranma, for him to be able to use it since he didn't have any weapons on him.

Astevaes was pretty pesky wasn't he? Sorry about that! I didn't want their final battle to be over just like that.

FLashback Galore #2 is Ranma's recollection of events that happened after the final battle, and also those that happened within the week after. I figured that it was better to present it that way so that I could also put in some of Ranma's insights about everything that had happened. I also didn't want to do things chronologically in the last part of this chapter. :)

History of Atlantis
I just invented all of that. I know some of the theories about the mysterious city, but the one I used here was my own theory. No need to go scholarly on me, OK?

By the way, Mousse's eyes were only healed of the wound, so Mousse's vision is basically the same as before. As for Shampoo getting cured of her curse, well, I'm not just being biased because she's my favorite Ranma 1/2 female character. I think Shampoo's extraordinary generosity justifies her curse being cured. I also did that because it kinda sets up some things for the second book of this trilogy entitled, "Against All Odds," the first chapter of which should be out in a couple of months or so. :)

I was actually planning to end this chapter with a cliffhanger and all, but I figured I'd spare everyone from it. It's the least I could do for all of you who have been waiting for the end of this first book! The epilogue will be posted in a few minutes, btw. ;)

Note:

This chapter is sorta a rewrite of the original. I've been able to find the final two chapters of this first book and some of the other drafts from the second and third books that have been missing from my old hard disk, the one that crashed, but they've all been corrupted somehow. So I just took whatever parts were salvageable from the old 1999 version of the chapter and just added some parts now, 2004. Hence, the two copyright years below. Just thought I'd mention it. :)

Also... since this and most of the next chapters would be rewrites, I would like to apologize for misspelled words or any grammatical errors. I don't have pre-readers / betas anymore, so any mistakes should be blamed on me.

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.

©2004 Shirley Joy Gadia, all other characters mentioned above and the story, all rights reserved.

Thank you!