A Ranma ½ King of Fighters crossover fanfiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ and King of Fighters characters. Especially some macho chick! That's built like a stick! Dumb as a brick! Thighs are too thick! Can't even kick! *WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!* Ugh… shutting up now… oi…

Flames of Destiny

By Insane Blight

AN: Integra about the votes, if I counted all of them… Chizuru will be ahead by 2 votes over Shermie.

Chapter 11: Childhood Days

Tokyo, Japan

"Reiko, what is the status of the fighters?"

The dark-haired teen glanced at the list in her hand. "The Korea Team will be fine after a few days of rest, they'll stay with the tournament until we arrive at Korea. The Psycho Soldier Team however… Chin Gentsai is practically brain-dead, the doctors do not know when and if he can recover, Sie Kensou has received pretty severe third degree burns and so did Athena Asamiya but there is something else my lady…"

Chizuru had an inquisitive look. "Go on…"

Reiko took a deep breath. "Both Athena and Kensou are still in excruciating pain, whatever master Yasakani did, it has not yet receded. They have been throwing up day and night, and they said that they feel like they're being burned inside out. My lady, can't you do something about this?"

The Kagura priestess contemplated on it. 'Sounds like what the Yasakani clan did to their enemies way back then… their enemies shall suffer but will not have the privilege of dying because of it.' "Don't worry, I think that it shall disappear soon enough." she assured her friend.

"That's good to hear… anyway, the Hakkeshu Team will fight in the second match today lady Chizuru." she reminded the priestess.

Chizuru waved it off. "I'll worry about that later; right now I'm more concerned about the Boss Team's purpose for being in this tournament. So far, they have already 'advanced' to the second round. Geese Howard and Wolfgang Krauser have already manipulated most of the sponsors to do their bidding. Even as the main host, I can't do a thing to stop them now." she informed her servant.

Reiko gave off a mute gasp of surprise. "My lady, that means…!"

"I don't know what will happen anymore."

Forest Area

*WHAM!*

"Ow!"

*WHAM!*

"Stop! I don't want to learn anymore!"

*WHAM!*

"Aw… giving up already? You only got hit seven times!" Ranma shouted with a smirk at his student, who was currently all tied up while hanging upside down among the trees. "What happened to your enthusiasm? You wanted me to train you right? So… here it is!"

*WHAM!*

Chris shot a cold glare to the ponytailed boy. "You never mentioned anything about THIS!" he began. He smiled when he thought of something. "Say… I think it's time for your match, you shouldn't let your girlfriend wait for you… ow!"

*WHAM!*

"Annoying little… listen, the only reason I'm teaching you this is for you to be able to take punches, Yagami's punches to be exact. Not to mention it will give you a new move as well. Did you really think that your breakdancing is going to let you win matches in this type of tournament?" he asked with a laugh. "Anyway, you're right, my match is about to start… see ya later Chris!"

The brown-haired boy frantically tried to untie himself. "Hey! Wait! Help me down first! Ranma!"

Tokyo Tower: Ground Level

"Thank you everyone for coming to see the next match of the King of Fighters Tournament. The first match for today is… the Lonely Wolves Team vs. the Special Team!"

Terry, Andy and Joe faced their opponents. Joe cautiously eyeing Billy Kane, Andy was glaring at the grinning man in front of him… Ryuji Yamazaki while ol' Terry had an eyebrow raised at the somewhat pleasant atmosphere that greeted him when he looked at short-haired blonde.

"Well then, let the match… BEGIN!"

The crowd expected all six fighters to fight it out in a street fight but they were surprised when Joe and Billy walked to the right while Yamazaki and Andy went to the left, leaving Terry and Blue Mary in the middle. They were confused but then it hit them… the Lonely Wolves Team thrives on classic one on one matches so it seems fitting for them to do this kind of thing.

"I guess it's just you and me…" Terry said. Although he was a bit disappointed at this unexpected turn of events, but he had this gut feeling that Blue Mary is more than what she seems.

Blue Mary walked towards the Lonely Wolf. "Hello… handsome boy."

Terry would've face-faulted if he wasn't so surprised at the warm greeting. His eyes widened when Mary swiftly ran towards him, grabbed his right arm and placed it behind his back in an arm hold.

"You're Terry Bogard, right?" The short-haired blonde whispered into his ear.

The ponytailed man nodded slightly. "Yeah, that's me… who wants to know?" he whispered right back while countering Blue Mary's move with an arm lock of his own.

"Mary Ryan… it's nice to finally be able meet the legendary Lonely Wolf…" she whispered back while kicking Terry on the shin, forcing Terry to release his hold on her. She followed it up with a leg sweep and then into a leg bar.

Terry countered with a light kick to Blue Mary's face, causing the girl's head to jerk back. He chained the initial counterattack with an arm grab and into an arm lock on the ground.

"We have to talk later… right now I'd like you to knock me out."

The ponytailed blonde blinked. "What did you say?"

Mary sighed. She rolled to her side and stopped right on top of Terry's downed form. "I said… I'm going to take a dive in this match… I'll explain later so please knock me out. Geese is already a little wary of me so my loss would have to be for real." she explained.

Terry nodded slightly. He performed a standard throw but Blue Mary flipped in mid-air to land safely on the floor. "Grrr… Power wave!"

The short-haired blonde took the full brunt of the attack. Whether her final scream was real or not, it was enough to convince the crowd. Terry breathed deeply. He dusted himself off with his hat before finding a place to sit down to watch his teammates fight the rest of the Special Team.

Yamazaki smirked at his opponent. He pulled out a knife from his pocket and began to lick its tip. "You're my opponent? You can't beat me, small fry!"

Andy frowned at the insult but managed to keep his cool. He took a deep breath, crouched low with his right feet extended forward and hands spread apart. "We'll see about that, laughing boy."

"Eheheheheh… come on! Show me what you've got little Bogard! Eheheheh!" Yamazaki called out, his hands signaling Andy to make the first move.

"Let's do it your way smiley!" Andy drove his elbow to Yamazaki's stomach. He followed it up with a kick to the ribs, to the thigh and finally to the ankle. Yamazaki pulled a knife out and managed to slash Andy a couple of times on the legs and on the stomach area but the younger Bogard fought back with an elbow smash to the back of Yamazaki's neck, making him drop to the ground.

Yamazaki played possum as he waited for Andy to drop his guard. He laughed when the younger Bogard did so and performed an uppercut followed by a knife slash to his face, grazing it a little bit but Andy recovered to slap the knife out of Yamazaki's hand and retaliated with a roundhouse kick to the back of Yamazaki's head, forcing him to meet the floor for the second time.

Andy wiped some blood on his face. "Yamazaki, you can't win against me in this fair fight."

"Yeah… there is only one problem little Bogard… I don't play FAIR!!!"

Andy's eyes widened when a thin yet durable wire wrapped itself around his neck. He tried jumping back but his opponent simply pulled the wire and sent him crashing down hard. He attempted to cut the wire with the knife on the floor but Yamazaki was onto his every move as he drove his knee to the younger Bogard's stomach just as Andy was going for it.

Yamazaki used this chance to pull out another knife from his shirt and he grinned like a madman when he successfully stabbed the dazed blonde on the leg. Yamazaki stared at the kneeling Bogard with those murderous eyes and that wicked smile.

Some of the fans were shaking in fear at the scene infront of them, most were already wondering if Yamazaki is really human with him being able to take that kind of damage and continue to get up and attack his opponent to no end.

"Eheheheheh! I'm gonna carve you into strips!"

"Haven't your boss died enough times? What is he up to now? Is he going for the most times thrown out of a building? Huh?" Joe mocked.

Billy drove his long rod weapon to Joe's exposed chest, making him gasp for breath. "Shut up boxer boy and maybe I'll let you live… only to be beaten in your next kick boxing fight." he taunted right back.

"We'll see about that! Ora! Hurricane upper!!!"

The bandana-wearing man smirked. 'Predictable.' "It's too easy, Higashi!" He jumped over the small tornado via high-jumping with his long rod and proceeded to kick Joe's face as he came down.

Blood spurted out of Joe's nose and by the looks of it… his nose seems to have been broken by that attack. "Son of a… Damn you, Billy! You're going to pay for this! Thrust Kick!"

Billy blocked the lunge with his rod. He counterattacked with a high knee to the chin followed by a kick to the sternum. Joe winced in pain but ignored it a few moments later as he ran towards his opponent with a couple of lefts and rights that hit home. Billy spun his rod infront of him as he jumped backwards to avoid any further attack.

"Shit…" the bandana-wearing man mumbled, spitting out some blood as he did so.

Joe gave him a goofy grin. "What do you say Billy? I don't like long fights so let's finish it right here, right now! Here you go stick boy! Eat this!"

"You're out of luck dipshit! Fire!!!"

A few blocks from the fight

'I'm starting to act like Cologne of all people… but I have to admit, it really does feel great to teach him… even if he'll probably be afraid of me when I tell him everything.' Ranma thought despondently. "I'm finally here! Huh? There are a lot of people watching the fight… wonder if we're already up? What the heck?"

Joe and Billy's clash of power resulted in creating a flaming tornado, causing several fans to run for their lives. Ranma studied the flaming attack with interest. 'Woah… a hurricane generated by your own energy… I guess I can do that but it will not be as powerful as the Hiryu Shoten Ha when you're already exhausted. It will still make a fine attack though… wonder if I should try it.'

His musings where rudely interrupted when he detected a familiar presence leaning on a wall to his right. Said presence was smiling from ear to ear as he looked at Ranma with those hate-filled eyes.

"Are you impressed by such a weak move, Saotome?"

Ranma closed his eyes and scowled. "Not now Yagami… now is not a very good time to mess with me… or are you saying that a hurricane that could knock you out is weak?"

Iori grinned at the question. He casually approached the blue-eyed boy all the while summoning his purple flames in the process. "I need to test my skills to see how far I have gone… and you're the only one that can do that for me now that Kusanagi is not a challenge yet. So… care to oblige, Saotome?"

The ponytailed boy gave him the cold shoulder and walked towards Tokyo Tower.

The red-haired man smirked. "Some other time then…"

Tokyo Tower: Ground Level

Terry watched with a hint of concern when Joe dropped to the ground along with Billy Kane. Joe tried as best as he could to get back up to his feet while Billy used his rod as a support to try and do the same but the two fighters already spent their last ounce of strength in the last attack. Both men fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Andy wasn't doing any better. He could barely stand up due to his leg wound along with a few cuts and slashes on the rest of his body. Yamazaki charged once more, Andy rolled to the side but the grinning psychopath anticipated the move. "Like I said… you're just a small fry!"

He kicked Andy in the sternum and he followed it up with a knife slash to Andy's left arm. The psychopath twirled his knife around his hand before licking the blood off of it. "Heheheheeeeeee… little Bogard… DIE!!!"

"Crack Shot!"

Yamazaki blocked the oncoming kick with his arm but lost his hold on the knife in the process. He grinned at the older Bogard, he pulled out yet another knife and tried to stab Terry's leg but the ponytailed blonde reacted by kicking the psychopath's other arm, immediately knocking the weapon out of his hand.

Andy scowled. "Bro, I can handle him by myself!"

"Your anger is clouding your judgment little bro. Andy, didn't you noticed it when you were fighting him? Yamazaki's power is increasing the longer this fight goes on." The older Bogard calmly explained.

The younger Bogard glared at his brother before the words kicked in. "You're… right… I should've noticed it sooner. I guess we have to take him down together huh?"

Terry nodded, his face turned serious. "Yeah… and let's do it right now… what?!"

Yamazaki ran towards them with surprising speed, catching the Bogard brothers off guard. He knocked Terry on the ground with a clothesline and he grabbed Andy's face with his other hand. "Die! Die! Die! Shaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Andy could do nothing but scream in pain when his face was being grinded against the floor as Yamazaki randomly ran around the area. Yamazaki finished it off by throwing the younger Bogard upwards. He pulled out three knives that he picked up along the way and two of them struck both of the long-haired blonde's arms. He twirled the last knife around his hand and was about to throw it to Andy's chest when he received a powerful punch to the face.

"Burn Knuckle!"

Yamazaki was thrown back a few feet from the attack. Terry ignored Yamazaki's downed form and immediately rushed to his brother's side. "Little bro! Andy! Are you alright? Answer me! Little bro!"

"I-I'm fine… Ter… just a little shaken up… eheh…"

"Eheheheheeeee… shaaaaaaaa!!!"

Terry and Andy were knocked down by Yamazaki's outburst of power. Said psychopath was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes were blood red and the Bogard brothers could've sworn that they saw Yamazaki licking his own blood not too long ago.

"Terry… let's do it!"

"Okay little bro!"

The ponytailed blonde shoulder tackled the deranged Yamazaki. "Eat this! Power… GEYSER!!!" he yelled as a wave of energy burst forth as he punched into the ground just under his opponent, sending Yamazaki flying to the sky. Andy ignored any pain in his body right now as he used Terry's back as leverage to finish it off.

"Chou Reppa Dan! (1)" Andy shouted as the move hit the maniac's chest. He finished it off with by driving Yamazaki's body deep into the ground. The crowd all freaked when Yamazaki laughed while bleeding from the mouth. He smiled maniacally before finally losing consciousness.

"Ladies and Gentlemen… Here are the winners of the match… the Lonely Wolves Team!"

Mai hurriedly ran towards Andy's side, she nodded to Terry before she and Andy slowly went to the medical room to receive immediate treatment. Terry did the same as he assisted Joe. He followed Mai a few moments later.

????

"Magnificent… he actually fought evenly with the Bogard brothers in that short period of time." 

"Of course but that is merely just a sample of the power his blood holds."

"True, but I cannot stand this waiting game any longer Geese."

"Just wait a little bit more Krauser… it will pay off soon enough."

Mature blinked at Yamazaki's downed form. 'Is he of Orochi blood? The bloodlust, the pleasure he gets in killing people and a few signs of awakening. Looks like we have a potential third here…'

"Did I miss anything?"

The blonde turned around to see a slightly exhausted Ranma. "What happened to you?"

Ranma took a couple of deep breaths. "Oh, just training… didn't realize that I was so far out 'till it was almost too late. I'm glad I made it in time."

"I see… anyway, let's go shall we? We wouldn't want our opponents to wait for long." The blonde said with a mischievous smile.

The ponytailed boy nodded, he was about to walk up the stairs when he paused in mid-step. "Say… Mature? I have a favor to ask. When we fight the Ikari Team… can you fight them without using your powers? Unlike Vice did to the Psycho Soldier Team? I really don't want that kind of thing to happen right now so… please?"

Mature raised an eyebrow at the request. The two stared at one another for a long time before Mature sighed and shook her head at the unpredictability of her partner. "Alright, I won't do anything of the sort unless absolutely necessary… I promise. Is that okay Ranma?"

Ranma smiled and nodded. "Thanks Mature. Now, let's go and win ourselves a match!"

The blonde stood there for a moment, a blush creasing on her cheeks as she thought about the smile but she quickly shook it off. 'No, he's a Hakkeshu… nothing more, nothing less.'

Meanwhile,

Mt. Horaisan Ruins

"I gotta get another job…" Ash muttered in annoyance as he cleared large chunks of rocks with small bursts of energy. His tirade ended when he came upon a small cave entrance. The white-haired man smiled, and breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well… at least she wasn't lying about this one, stupid old hag."

The white-haired boy warily took a step forward, several arrows shot out of the walls. Fortunately, he was able to jump back in time. "I… will… kill… her!" he said with clenched fists. He cupped his hands together and concentrated, a green ball of energy quickly formed between them. Ash threw it inside the cave, lighting the area along the way, the blast dissipated as it struck an odd statue at the far end.

Ash lost his balance as the ground shook underneath him. "What is going… oh shit!" he swore as he found himself falling into a trap door.

"Ohhh… what hit me?" he said groggily while rubbing the back of his head. He looked up to see a room full of dragon statues, except for the one in the middle, which was in the form and size of a regular human. "Ah, so this is where you have been hiding! Nice place, if you like living inside an oversized coffin."

He walked past the line of statues, glancing around as he did so. He stopped however, when he noticed an oblique-shaped pendant that was being worn by the middle statue.

"I'll take that if you don't mind." he said excitedly as he jumped up and snatched the pendant. Ash's moment of triumph was interrupted when all the statues' eyes glow bright green, he screamed in pain as huge amounts of energy from those eyes struck the pendant in his hand, as if telling him to let go. His eyes were already wide open, his mouth has gone dry and his clothing was being singed little by little but his hold on the artifact still hadn't faltered.

On a final, desperate attempt, he summoned his own green flames in hopes to counteract the energy surge. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the pendant, those blue eyes of his turned red as he released the last ounce of his power towards the pendant. The earth trembled as Ash's power caused a backlash, shattering the statues one by one.

The white-haired teen sat down heavily, his breathing was erratic, his clothes were burnt and he was a feeling a little worse for wear but what really pissed him off was the damage done to his fingernails. "Oh this is great!" he said sarcastically. "Now I have to do them all over again…"

He placed the pendant into his pocket as he stood up, he dusted himself off afterwards. As he was exiting the cave, Ash managed a smile. "That's one less problem to worry about."

Tokyo Outskirts

"Kurai Yagare!"

The flame traveled a few feet from its caster, burning several trees in the process. Kyo dropped to his knees, panting heavily. Who wouldn't? He got up very early in the morning and started training in who knows what type of Kusanagi flame techniques.

"Haaaaahhhhh!!!" he yelled, crimson flames slowly appearing around him. He punched into the ground, the flames traveled in a rough circular pattern, like a shockwave gone array. It continued for a few feet, burning tree leaves and branches along the way before it died out.

"Don't push yourself too hard Kyo."

Kyo quickly turned around to see a brown-haired girl standing a few feet from him. "Yuki? What are you doing here? You should be in Osaka attending school!"

Yuki blinked. 'Look who's talking…' "I-I thought that I should be here… it just felt right for some reason. Kyo, you'll drive yourself crazy one day with your obsession on being the best."

"You wouldn't understand…"

"You're right. I won't understand any of this if you don't tell me what's bothering you. I'm here for you Kyo…I want to help you so… please… don't avoid me…" she said through sobs as she embraced her boyfriend.

Tokyo Tower: Ground Level

"We will now begin the second match between the Hakkeshu Team and the Ikari Team."

Both teams faced one another. Mature, Ralf and Clark cautiously studied their each other while Leona and Ranma bowed their heads as a sign of respect. Their teammates were confused by this odd gesture though…

"Let the match… BEGIN!!!"

Ranma and Mature simply stood there, tempting their opponents to make the first move… and they did. Ralf was the first one to charge, Clark looked at Leona and the girl replied with a nod, they soon joined their teammate in their attempt at first strike.

Mature easily jumped over the two men but to her surprise, Leona met her in mid-air and kicked her on the sides causing her to fall to the ground. The blonde recovered by doing a one arm handstand to prevent her fall, she followed it up with an upward kick that struck the descending Leona on the chest.

Clark grabbed the ponytailed boy by the arms and tried to hold him down for Ralf to tackle with his shoulder. It was useless when Ranma engulfed himself in purple flames, forcing Clark to release the hold. Ranma proceeded to perform the Amaguriken on Clark and finishing it off with a brutal uppercut that sent the man in shades flying a few feet away.

Ranma turned to the side to see a charging Ralf but Mature cut him off with a wicked slash to his arm. He then saw an airborne Leona throwing a very sharp projectile towards his partner so he grabbed the blonde and quickly rolled out of the way.

"Mouko Takabisha!"

A golden wave of ki traveled past Ralf and Leona but they weren't the targets in the first place. Clark was just beginning to come to when he found himself being slammed to a wall thanks to the ki blast.

Ralf dashed once more and attacked with very fast punches that forced Ranma to counter with his Amaguriken, fist for fist, punch for punch. Ranma has the speed advantage but Ralf had the power behind the punches so both of them quickly became exhausted the longer they fought.

The ponytailed boy jumped back, surprising his opponent. He arched back his arm and summoned his flame but he stopped when it collided with something. He turned around and saw Leona knocked out cold with a little blood coming out of her mouth.

Mature was calmly observing the fight from a certain distance. 'So that's Guidel's daughter huh? Leona, a potential Orochi Hakketsu Shuu of Water. And it looks like she has already served her purpose without even realizing it.'

Ranma on the other hand, immediately knelt beside Leona, already forgetting that he has another opponent behind him. A little angry at being ignored and showing some signs of jealousy at the scene infront of him, Ralf started to charge up his arm.

With his attention focused solely on Leona, Ranma ignored his senses as he tried to snap the girl out of it. That's why he jumped up in surprise at the loud voice that suddenly roared behind him.

"Galactica Phantom… Dokkan!!! (2)"

Ranma barely had time to raise an arm infront of him in a desperate attempt to block the attack. Ralf's punch connected to the boy's right arm. The horrid sound of bones breaking could be heard as the full impact took its toll, the ponytailed boy grimaced in pain as that blow sent him sliding all the way back. He only stopped when he come into contact with a wall a few feet from Tokyo Tower.

The ponytailed boy barely had time to recover from the attack when he found himself being slammed right back into the wall by Ralf's shoulder tackle. Ralf followed it up by a barrage of punches that finally destroyed the wall sending both him and Ranma inside the store.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Ranma summoned his purple flames that quickly set the entire store on fire. Ralf tried to cover himself but to no avail, smoke was everywhere and the flames were slowly burning his clothes.

Ranma just sat a few feet infront of Ralf, aiming his left hand at Ralf while doing so. Purple flames soon came out of his left hand in the form of a fireball. He yelled as the fireball swiftly went forward and burned the Ikari warrior whole. The ponytailed boy concentrated once more.

"Mouko Takabisha!"

The ki wave sent Ralf flying back to the outside, apparently knocked out. Ranma winced when the pain in his right arm finally registered. He slowly went outside the store via the hole they made earlier.

Ranma kneeled in pain as he clutched his right arm. He endured the pain when he saw Leona waking up from that hard strike he accidentally gave her. He limply walked towards the girl as he spoke. "Leona…"

The blue-haired girl immediately went on alert. "Who is it? Ranma… tell me… you know something about my past, don't you?" she asked in her usual icy tone.

"Yes… yes I do know something. Let me ask you first… do you remember me? Think back Leona, please remember… remember everything." he said calmly.

Leona was taken back by this. "I can't! I only see their terrified faces when I try to recall the past! Who are you anyway?! What do you know about me?!"

"Please Leona… remember everything. Remember? Those days of happiness you had at your tribe? Please don't focus on only the bad memories of your past. I know there were good ones too. Just try to remember Leona…" Ranma said with a small smile of reassurance.

Leona looked at him blankly before her eyes widened as she finally began to recall everything from that time.

****

"It has been a long time, Guidel."

Guidel smiled. "Yes it has, Nodoka."

Nodoka noticed the girl next to Guidel. She smiled sweetly at the blue-haired girl. "Hi… I'm a childhood friend of your father, my name is Nodoka Saotome. May I know your name little one?"

"L-Leona."

The auburn-haired woman beamed at the little girl. "Leona, what a nice name you have there little one. I hope we can get a chance to know each other Leona-chan."

Leona's father did the same to the young, innocent looking child hiding behind the auburn-haired woman. "Let me guess, you must be Ranma. You really do look a lot like your mother…"

Chibi-Ranma stared innocently at the tall man in front of him. "Are you mommy's friend?"

Guidel smiled. "Yes I am."

The blue-eyed child smiled back. "Can I be your friend too mister?" he asked enthusiastically, extending his little hand out to the Hakkeshu of Water.

The Hakkeshu chuckled as he shook the blue-eyed boy's hand. "Of course young man but first, let me introduce you to my daughter. Leona, can you come here for a second?"

Both Chibi-Leona and Chibi Ranma curiously looked at each other. Leona was hesitant in speaking to the blue-eyed boy while Ranma blinked a few times before deciding to break the silence. "Hi! I'm Ranma!" he exclaimed happily, smiling at the shy blue-haired girl.

Chibi-Leona tried to shy away but she couldn't help but smile back at the hyperactive youth. "I'm Leona… p-pleased to meet you Ranma."

"Do you wanna play?" Ranma asked in an innocent tone.

With a smile still on her face, Leona eagerly nodded in affirmative, her shyness being overshadowed by the boy's friendliness.

****

"I… I remember…"

****

"BWAH!!!"

Chibi-Leona bopped the boy on the head. "Stop scaring me like that!"

"Ah, you're no fun… tag! You're it!"

Leona pouted. "No fair! No fair! I wasn't ready! Ranchan!"

****

"R-Ranchan…"

****

"They're really getting along, aren't they?" Nodoka asked.

Guidel chuckled at the question. "Leona still has some problems with Ranma's 'protect the weak, especially the women' motto though… haha! Ranma has been bopped on the head so many times that I've lost count already."

"Well, Ranma is devoted to being a martial artist. He believes in the art, he puts his heart into every move he performs, that is how dedicated he is at this young age." Nodoka said with pride.

"True… I think he will go a long way with that passion but! I think Leona has found a weakness in him…" Guidel snickered, pointing at the two children.

Chibi-Leona was sitting on the ground, crying her heart out. Chibi-Ranma was frantically mumbling apologies left and right, totally oblivious to the fact that Chibi-Leona was already giggling at the scene in front of her.

"Hahaha! Gotcha!"

"AH! You fooled me!"

And the two playfully got into a tussle, with Nodoka and Guidel laughing with them.

****

"Father… Mother… Auntie… Ranma…"

****

"Nodoka, this is my wife, Matsuri."

The auburn-haired woman smiled. "Hello Matsuri-san, I'm Nodoka Saotome. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The blue-haired woman bowed in return. "It is a pleasure to meet you too Nodoka-san, my husband has told me many wonderful things about you… huh?"

"Ne? Ne? Can I be your friend too ma'am?" Chibi-Ranma seemingly popped out of nowhere, eagerly tugging the tall woman's dress.

"I'd be honored to be your friend, young one."

Chibi-Ranma beamed at the woman but suddenly grew pale when he heard Chibi-Leona's angry voice getting closer and closer.

"I'm going to get you yet!"

"Um… can'ttalkrightnowthecrazygirlisrightbehindmebye!"

The three adults sweat dropped at the blue-eyed youth's retreating figure.

****

"Hahah… crazy girl…"

****

"You're leaving already?"

"I'm sure me and momma will visit some time soon."

"You promise?"

"Yup! We're friends, right?"

****

Leona was still wide-eyed from recalling her past. "I… I remember… my Father, Mother and Auntie… everyone in the village and you, Ranma. I recalled everything that has happened… which means that I really did do all those things to them. No… I-I killed them! I-I'm a murde-" she was cut off when Ranma hugged her tight.

"Shhhh! I know… I know what you're going through. I went through the same thing Leona… shhhhh… It's not your fault. It's not your fault. You had no control over it… it's not your fault." he whispered soothingly into her ear.

The blue-haired girl couldn't take it anymore as she cried her heart out and hugged Ranma for all he's worth, much to the surprise of her teammates, especially the man watching from the monitors.

Leona sobbed even harder as Ranma whispered comforting words to her ear. The wonderful memories she recalled with everyone. Then meeting her childhood friend after all these years… lastly, finding out that there is someone that knows what she is going through… someone who truly understands her… someone who she can share her pain with and the comfort in knowing that she is not alone anymore.

Ranma looked at his childhood friend with teary eyes. 'I'm glad to see you too Leona. Huh? Passed out? I guess the emotional strain was too much for her to handle… eheh, geez… I'm starting to sound like doc Tofu.' Ranma thought with a light chuckle.

Ralf and Clark both got up at the same time, they were about to tackle the ponytailed boy when Mature decided to block their way. "Now, now… are you going to interfere with two childhood friends in their moment together? I thought you military types have a heart… guess I was wrong." 'Yes… I won't allow you to interfere with these Orochi clan members… especially two potential Orochi Hakketsu Shuu.'

"Outta the way lady!"

Mature shook her head. "Hmph… what barbarians you are. That really is no way to treat a lady you know. Since your superiors failed to teach you some manners, I guess I'll have to do it for them."

She had a murderous gleam in her eyes after she said that, she raised her arms up high and begins to concentrate. Both Ikari warriors covered their eyes as a blinding surge of light (3) appeared out of nowhere. "You men… you take advantage of weaker people… you take advantage of defenseless people! Well, this time it's different! Now is a good time to pray to your god!"

The light intensified, causing everyone within a few miles from Tokyo Tower to shield their eyes. But to Ralf and Clark, that intense light was burning their skin out. The Orochi Hakketsu Shuu member had a maniacal smile on her face as she spoke, "Come! It is time to meet your maker!"

"MATURE!!!"

The blonde's concentration was snapped when she heard his voice. She tried to ignore her partner but in the end, she reluctantly withdrew her attack. 'Damn it… why couldn't I do it?'

Ranma gently placed the sleeping Leona on the floor. He turned to the two Ikari warriors with a critical eye, he dashed towards them with speed Mature has never seen him do before. He promptly pressed a few well placed paralyzing points through their still lax defenses before finally pressing their sleep point. "Whew… it's over."

"Ladies and gentlemen, here are your winners of the match… the Hakkeshu Team!"

Mature was slightly scared at Ranma's bowed head when he turned to face her. That's why she almost jumped in surprise when the ponytailed boy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Thank you… for keeping your promise. I really appreciate it." Ranma said as he looked up and smiled at the blonde.

The ponytailed boy gently carried the sleeping blue-haired girl once more. He was almost at the clinic when he encountered a tall man with an eye patch. The fact that the man was wearing a military uniform didn't escape him either. "Yes…?"

"Is she alright?" he asked bluntly.

Ranma looked at Leona before answering. "Don't worry, she just passed out. I guess recalling her past memories must have taken its toll on her." he explained.

Relief washed through the man's features, he sighed and stared at the ponytailed boy. "Did you know her well? From the look on her face now, she seemed really glad to have met you."

"Yeah… she was my first childhood friend."

"I see…"

The man introduced himself as Heidern, Leona's father figure after that incident from her village. The two took Leona into the clinic to let her rest for awhile. Ranma left Leona to Heidern's care a couple of minutes later. He thinks that those two really need to sort things out.

"Ouch… darn, my arm hurts like hell…" he mumbled.

"Um… Mr. Ranma?"

Ranma looked to his left and saw a familiar Kagura servant. "Oh… Reiko, was it? I haven't seen you in awhile, how have you been?" he said while trying to ignore the pain in his arm.

Reiko timidly glanced at him. "I-I'm doing fine Mr. Ranma but I came to see if you're alright. The punch that Mr. Jones gave you should've taken your arm off!" she said in concern. "I should take a look at it. If it is broken then you have a chance to recover. We'll spend another week or two here before we head to Kowloon, China for the next match."

"I'm fine Reiko. I think it will heal in time for my next match."

"But I insist! I already have some anesthetics, operating knives and injections ready to use! Let me treat it please Ranma-san, please!"

Tokyo Park

Ranma hopped onto a tree branch, barely avoiding Reiko and her medical kit. 'Sheesh, I don't need that kind of treatment. Dang, I hope my arm is not broken… too much.' He ripped off his sleeve and used it for support on his right arm just in case. He popped out his head to check if the dark-haired teen is gone. Finding no one around, he jumped down from the branch and started to leave the area.

'Leona, I hope you're alright… and sorry about that punch.' He blinked when he noticed a figure standing in front of him. He looked up, only to receive a thunderous slap on the cheek. The birds immediately fluttered away and silence took over the entire area. Ranma placed a hand on his cheek as he spoke, "Ucchan…"

He was about to say more when he was caught by surprise by the sudden embrace. "You jackass! Why didn't you tell me you're alive?! I had to hear it from someone else! Dammit! I'm your fiancée Ranchan! You should've contacted me first!" Ukyou shouted in between sobs.

"Ukyou… let go of me…" Ranma whispered calmly, his eyes already narrowed at a certain part of her statement. "I said let go…" he said once more.

Ukyou removed her grip albeit hesitantly, she stared at 'her' Ranchan with a questioning gaze. "What's wrong Ranchan?"

Ranma gave her a very intimidating glare. "Did you come all the way here just to push this damn engagement? Answer me Uccha… Ukyou."

"Yes, of course! Now that the Chinese Bimbo and Akane are no longer a problem, we can get married without any more nuisances!" she said boastfully, as if she just one in a contest.

The ponytailed boy grabbed her by the shoulders. "Ukyou… what exactly did you hear? Especially about Akane…"

Ukyou pondered on it. "Konatsu said that Akane was hospitalized, that's it."

Ranma started to laugh, softly at first but soon turned into a full-blown manic laughter. "Kami-sama! I didn't know that Konatsu was stupid enough to leave out one very important detail…"

"What is it?"

The Orochi half-breed grinned as he grabbed her by the neck. "I WAS THE ONE THAT SENT HER THERE!!! If I am capable of doing that to the person I care about the most there in Nerima then think of what I can do to you! Listen carefully Ukyou, I love you only as a friend… nothing more… and I certainly will not marry you so stop pushing this worthless engagement onto me!" he bellowed as he released his hold on the slightly shaking girl.

"You're mine! I'm your fiancée and you're going to marry me! Don't you have any honor Saotome?! Or are you really just an honorless pig like your father?!" The girl in serious denial quickly shut up when purple flames surrounded her, she screamed in fear when the flames began to make its way up her body. "Ranchan! Help me please! Help me!"

Ranma gave her a neutral look. "Do you want to die?"

"W-what?" she managed to squeak out.

"I said… do you want to die? Hurry up, you don't have all day… those flames will burn you alive any minute Ukyou…" he once again said in an eerie calm tone that sent shivers up the okonomiyaki girl's spine.

Ukyou shook her head in response, the flames around her died out seconds later, and Ranma allowed a scowl to appear on his features. "Then stay the hell away from me! I'm not a possession Ms. Kuonji, if you can't get that through your immature head then leave me alone!"

Ranma turned around and left, but anger marred his features when he sensed Ukyou coming at him with her spatula. He quickly slapped the spatula away from Ukyou's hands. His eyes were filled with rage when he reached for the brown-haired girl's neck. "Ukyou…"

The girl frantically tried to pry herself from the hold but Ranma wouldn't let her. Her vision was starting to become blurry as she struggled to breathe. Lucky for her, Ranma threw her backwards, her body slamming on a tree, knocking her out.

'Soul of ice…' "I don't know you anymore Kuonji, and I am certainly not your Ranchan. The engagement will never happen, if you still insist on bothering me about that then I will gladly renounce my family name… if it is the only way to be free from that pathetic panda's promises then so be it. I'm sick and tired of people using my honor against me."

He knelt in front of Ukyou and cupped the girl's face. "The Ranma that treated you as a friend and the Ranma that you have loved is dead Kuonji. If you want to regain your tarnished honor so much then go to the Tokyo General Hospital, you can kill the panda there. Konatsu… I already know you're here so stop hiding. You better tell her all of this and you better keep her away from me or else I don't know what I might do to her."

Konatsu appeared beside Ukyou, normally he would've attacked the person who would harm Ukyou in such a way but this time… he simply looked into Ranma's eyes and nodded. It wasn't because the ponytailed boy was stronger than him nor was it the dark aura surrounding him. It was because of his eyes… the look of loneliness, and the despair of losing another loved one. He glanced at Ukyou and was surprised to see her wide-awake with tears falling freely from her eyes. "Ranchan…"

Ranma walked down the road with his head hung low, his bangs covering his eyes. He clenched his teeth as he slammed his injured arm on a wall. Teardrops slowly fell onto the cold ground as he muttered his childhood friend's name, maybe for the last time. "Ucchan…"

Local Bar

"Another shot!" a familiar, drunken teen demanded.

The bartender dumbly nodded at the demand, he wouldn't want to cross him again, he still has the bruises from the last time he tried something stupid as that. "H-here y-you go sir, enjoy y-your drink."

Most of the people inside the bar were hardcore fans for the tournament, and they were really getting freaked out at the behavior of the ponytailed boy. He cried tears of joy when his match ended a few hours ago and now he's sulking, wallowing in despair for some reason they can't understand.

Ranma gulped down another shot of wine, his vision was starting to get fuzzy but he shrugged it off and ordered yet another shot. "This is great… just great… wonder what's next in my damned life." he muttered to himself.

"Hey Mister! Give me a glass of wine if you would… or else he'll beat you up!" a familiar brown-haired teen shouted.

The bartender glumly agreed to it. Ranma turned his head a little to get a good look at Chris. "You're still alive… congratulations. By the looks of it, you have gotten the move down too…"

"Barely…" Chris mumbled. "You do know that you're a lousy drinker, right? So… why are you wasting your time sulking here?" he asked. Curiosity was evident in his voice.

Ranma held up his glass. "I have one childhood friend back but I lost another in return. Does that answer your question? Now leave me alone." he said, pushing his student away. He was about to drink another glass but the alcohol finally won the battle. He slumped on the table head first, his hand still gripping the glass of wine.

Chris shook his head, he tried to carry his master but he was too heavy for him to lift given his current condition. He whispered a few words into Ranma's ear, he smiled as the ponytailed boy responded with a 'yeah, whatever'. The brown-haired boy was about to try and assist him again when he saw Mature come up to them and carefully placed Ranma's arm around her neck for support.

"Thank you, I'll take it from here if you don't mind."

The boy nodded but accompanied the two outside the bar before going their separate ways. Mature watched as Chris walked down the other end of the street. She sighed, turned her head and began to address Ranma. "You really must've had quite a day huh? Well, I think that's enough merriment for now."

Hakkeshu Team Hotel Room

"Easy…" Mature whispered to the drunken teen. "Really now… I can't believe you drank that much, even I can't drink that many times."

She carefully guided her partner to his own bed. The ponytailed boy quickly fell asleep a few seconds later. Mature studied her partner's sleeping form with a sad look. She brushed her partner's hair as she spoke. "A child from the sacred tribe… Ranma… I wish that we haven't met… I just wish that…"

Mature stopped in mid-sentence as she bit her lower lip. Her deep blue eyes gazing at Ranma's calm and peaceful face. She never did notice her head leaning closer to the sleeping boy nor her luscious red lips inching closer to his. Her eyes widened significantly when their lips met but she soon closed them a few moments later as she became too enthralled at the feel of the kiss.

A moment… it all happened in a brief moment but to a certain Hakkeshu, it felt as if it lasted an entire lifetime.

Finally snapping back to reality, the blonde broke the kiss as she backed away from the still sleeping ponytailed boy. Her breathing was heavy, and her face was flushed in a mixture of embarrassment and excitement at what just transpired. It was like nothing she has ever felt before in her entire life. She got up and glanced at Ranma one more time. "Sweet dreams… Ranma…"

(1) – Super Violent Ripping Bullet

(2) – Galactic Phantom… Burst!

(3) – Mature was named the Hakkeshu of Light in the HK manga but SNK didn't mention her official element though. I guess they were a little lazy on it (Or maybe they didn't really do it since they were going to kill her off in '96…) ^^; Anyway, I'll go with the element of light in this fic.

# # #

AN: Well, I told you I'd make it up to you guys this chapter. I just hope you enjoyed this one. Oh… the last scene? I did say that those actions will be explained later on… *sweat drops*… promise! Errrr… ah… summer! Gotta go! Until next time! Ja ne!

Next The Dragon and the Serpent

Enough with the breasts already!!!

- Three guesses on who said that… ^^