Redefined Honour
A BIG thank you to WSRaptor for his help. You just make the whole process easier.
Book 1 Ch 10: What's in a name?
Ranma took a deep breath as he focused on pushing himself to even greater speeds. He grinned savagely as he succeeded in increasing his pace and holding it. Long since having caught his second wind, he was now concentrating on getting to Tokyo as quickly as possible. It had been just over five hours since he had left his grandfather's and he was just less than a quarter of the way there. However, if he was to be in any condition to fight when he reached his destination, then he knew he would need to spend at least a few hours recovering thus making his trip to Tokyo around two and a half days. He hoped he wasn't too late.
Shifting the weight of his pack to rest more comfortably on his back, Ranma tried not to think about the danger he had left Kasumi and her father in or the peril he had sent his fiancés back into. Telling himself that he couldn't have possibly known didn't seem to ease his conscience. The images of the war zone that had once been Tokyo were forever burned into his mind. If anyone were killed from his absence, he would never forgive himself.
He growled in annoyance as the feeling of being watched intensified. Since he had left his grandfather's place earlier that day, he had felt that he was being followed. At first, he had assumed it was maybe Ryoko or one of the other members of his party. However, as time went on and they failed to join him or playfully ambush him, he felt that it was less and less likely to be someone he knew.
"All right, I know you're there! Come out and face me!" He shouted after coming to a halt. He immediately dropped his pack and assumed a ready position while glaring in the general direction of where the feeling was strongest. Ranma could almost feel time running out for his friends in Nerima. Against other martial artists they were world class but against a thug with a gun, he wasn't willing to lay any bets. He didn't have any time for meaningless confrontations right now.
"I have had enough! Face me! Now!" If it wasn't one thing, it was another. The feeling of being watched wasn't the only strange thing that had followed him from his grandfather's house. He had noticed an irregularity in the pathways of his chi. It was almost as if his chi was rebalancing itself with something else, some other energy. Since he had started to actively manipulate his chi, he had become more sensitive in the flows around him and in other people.
This slowly increasing sensitivity to the flows of chi made him unsure if the irregularities he was feeling was something new happening or whether he was just now starting to feel the changes. Still, the changes didn't seem to be causing him any immediate problems and what other possible energy could it be? He had just ignored it in favor of focussing on rescuing his friends and fiancés from whatever trouble he had left them in.
He had quickly become tired of being watched, however, and so he was going to force a confrontation here. "Meeeoooowww," Ranma just blinked as Ryoko's pet rabbit stumbled out of hiding.
"Hey, what's the big idea spying me like that?!?" He yelled at the strange rabbit angrily while releasing his ready stance.
"Meow meow," it seemed to look apologetic as it cautiously approached him.
"I don't care if Ryoko told you to and why would I be scared of a runt like you?" Ranma just shook his head remembering his first meeting with Ryoko's pet and put his fear down to that of being once again caught between two potentially jealous women. He didn't even question the fact that he could understand what the rabbit was saying. After all, a talking pet rabbit wasn't any stranger than Jusenkyö.
"Hop on then Ryo–Ohki," he announced as he picked up his pack and Ryo-Ohki to continue his dash to Tokyo. Neither Ryo-Ohki nor Ranma saw the worm, which had also paced Ranma from his grandfather's place. By now, however, 'worm' would be a rather inaccurate term since its skin had further hardened into massive scales and it had doubled in length. The over-scaled snake looking worm hissed aggressively at the martial artist and the rabbit riding on his pack as it leapt into the air and dived into the ground, burrowing a path in preparation to follow the pair.
*****
"What right do they have to dictate terms to me?!?" Ayeka watched calmly from the corner of the throne room as her father raged. She was as annoyed as he at the audacity of the council, but she retained her composure knowing that whatever decision he made would change her life.
"Those short sighted, self-serving sycophantic fools. They are walking a knife's edge and they don't even know it!" She watched his whitened knuckles gripping the sides of his throne and his reddened face seemed to steam in anger. It was the best thing her father had done for her by giving her command over the new defense fleet and moving her away from the immediate reach of the council. Dealings with the council were always painful and frustrating and she could see the impact shouldering the entire burden was having on her father. The council could be so infuriating at times. With the coming of the war and the disappearance of Tsunami, the council had degenerated even further. She didn't think they had the health and stability of Jurai foremost in their priorities right now, only the furthering of their own power.
In the past she would help her father deflect the council, but with her new role as commander of the fleet and with Sasami too young her father was left to deal with the council alone. Ayeka started as Azusa surged up from his throne, but quickly regained her composure as she watched her father pace with a nervous energy. She quickly ran though recent events knowing what was coming. Her father had almost reached a decision. "What is the state of the front daughter?"
"It has never been stronger," she replied in a proud voice. "These invaders would do well to fear us now that our industrial might has been awakened." It was true. Every day more ships were built, more crew were trained and everyday more and more of them were sent to the front. Front may have been an inaccurate term with the invaders previous tactics, but Ayeka felt that Jurian empire had never been so strong. The inner worlds were flooded with defensive crafts.
"Yes, yes but what of the fleet's readiness?" he asked in an impatient voice. "Would even half the fleet be able to join an offensive campaign tomorrow if needed?"
"The fleet is, out of necessity, in a constant state of readiness. It would be able to respond to any threat almost instantaneously among the inner worlds. A short offensive could indeed be achieved as early as tomorrow, but in order to maintain a prolonged offensive, greater supply capabilities would need to be built up. That would take a little time."
Asuza grunted and stopped pacing, directing a passionate glare in her direction "And what of you? How have your studies been going? Do you have any chance of beating these things?"
Ayeka exchanged a look with Eishi who had so far seen fit to ignore his charges antics. "I maintain a 4-1 win loss ratio father. If anyone can beat these monsters, I can."
Almost collapsing in his chair Ayeka sighed, "The time for this unnatural ceasefire is almost over. I can feel in my bones a time coming where this entire empire will be fighting for survival and not just the reclamation of some lost territories. We can't afford to send any of the fleet away and yet the council has made a valid point. The people need a victory, moral is low and this government is floundering. I am floundering at a time when I must be seen as strong. Do what you must, but I want half of the fleet to remain here and be ready for anything. If we are attacked while you are tied up, then we could face disaster."
Ayeka nodded and walked out already thinking of all the things that needed to be done before she could leave. She wanted to punish the invaders for the destruction that they had spread across Jurai. The time was fast approaching where she would not just be destroying these fiends on simulators and she couldn't wait.
*****
"Am I doing the right thing Eishi by leaving such a large burden on my young, sweet daughter? Politically, it is the only thing I could have done but…" Azusa waited patiently for the old man's reply. With Tsunami gone, he could only rely on a few people for the advice he desperately needed and Eishi was among the oldest and most reliable.
"I believe it was the only thing you could have done old friend. However, I would be wary of the council. It is slowly building its own power and will move against you at the smallest sign of weakness. Even with the threat of war hanging over them, I fear that the respite in hostilities has only emboldened them. Even with our support it is only a matter of time before they strike."
Azusa held back an angry retort as he considered Eishi's words. His friend was right. Not all the ships built since hostilities started were under his control and with the rapid increase in their capabilities, the number of ships being built had seriously upset the carefully maintained balance of power.
"Would you do me a favor friend? Get me a list of those ships not directly under my or my daughters command. I need to be ready and not even your friendship will deter the council for long." Azusa sat back on his throne with a grim frown. No, they would make their move soon. He didn't know what threat he feared more, the council or the unknown invaders.
*****
It was even worse than what he had seen at his grandfather's place. The deserted markets, the rubble filled streets and the smoldering buildings all seemed to conspire to turn Tokyo into a desolate wasteland. The pig tailed youth walked down the deserted streets carrying a backpack filled to the bursting, accompanied by a strange looking rabbit. He had to restrain himself from making an ill informed dash to the Tendo dojo. If he didn't pace himself through Tokyo, then he would not be ready for whatever unhappy situation he expected to find.
Ranma strained his senses to the limit. He would be reaching the dojo any minute and he wanted to be prepared. Turning the corner Ranma stopped his approach in surprise. The dojo had been heavily fortified against attack. It was something that the dojo shared with some of the larger houses Ranma had passed. What halted Ranma, though, was the large crowd of armed men gathering to attack the dojo. It looked like he had paced himself perfectly.
Not even bothering to announce his presence, he jumped into the middle of the mob back-fisting one of the gun wielding men. The grating of bone beneath his fist and the warm spray of blood caused Ranma to hesitate in his attack. It was a hesitation that almost proved fatal as the mob turned on him and the sound of gunfire filled the air.
Regaining his center, he resumed his attack. Armed to the teeth as the mob was, Ranma couldn't afford to go easy on them though he might like to. Every crack of bone, spray of blood and moan of pain reminded Ranma of the responsibility he had as a martial artist and the deadly strength that he constantly tried to hold back. The sudden and vicious way in which he took down the mob seemed to betray those responsibilities and caused him to question his motivations.
Almost by instinct, Ranma fired a small chi blast destroying a gun, which one of the wounded had pointed in his direction. The shriek of pain further blackened his mood, but until this life and death struggle was over he would not question his actions or their consequences. Hesitation would not only kill him, but potentially those within the dojo. Leaping over a wildly swung crowbar, Ranma cringed at the whistling of a narrowly avoided bullet. Even worse was the sound of someone else taking the bullet. He just hoped that it didn't prove fatal. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for the deaths of even the meanest people.
Then, as quickly as he had appeared among the horde of weapon bearers, the fight was over. He was the last person standing or even conscious. With an exasperated sigh and a bowed head Ranma knelt amongst the bodies of his fallen foes. No one had died and if they got some medical attention no one would. If it wasn't for the immediate threat of the guns, he could have taken the mob down with more finesse. As it was, he felt like a bully. Worse than that, a bully only gave his opponents temporary wounds. He could see that some of these guys would be permanently maimed even if they got medical attention in time.
The choice to take the mob down had been taken without a moment's thought, but only now were the consequences becoming apparent to him. These people, even armed with weapons, just couldn't take the damage that he and his friends regularly dished out on each other. Some of the injuries were worse than they might have been with a little more constraint on his behalf.
"Ranma, prepare to..." Ranma looked up from the injured that surrounded him and stared at Ryoga's disgust filled face. It seemed fitting somehow that his rival would be here to witness this, the lowest point of his life.
"So, you really are a monster Ranma! I never thought that you would so debase yourself but today I WILL kill you! Such a cowardly, dishonourable and bloodthirsty brute cannot be allowed to live!"
"Shishi Höködan!!!!"
Ranma stared at the greenish ball of chi headed towards him and wondered if perhaps Ryoga was right. Anyone who saw him at this moment, covered in the blood of his victims would probably feel the same way. That ball of chi might not be enough to take him out, but if he didn't resist he had no doubt that Ryoga would and could kill him.
But if he allowed that in order to assuage his own shame, who would look after his fiancés and the Tendos? The amazons wouldn't as it was more than likely that they would return to china upon his death. Ryoko? He shook his head. She had only started to recover from the death of Tenchi. Ryoga sure wouldn't. He would be too busy getting lost or blaming someone else for his problems. No, he had the feeling that letting Ryoga kill him would be too easy. It wouldn't solve any of his problems and perhaps could create even more.
In fact Ryoga caused a lot of those problems. "No Ryoga..." he whispered as he stood up. "NOOOOOO!!" Ranma roared as he allowed his chi to flood his body. He was also aware that the strange power that he had noticed earlier seemed to be growing. "I will atone for this action on my own terms. I will not let you or anyone else judge me for them."
He ran straight at Ryoga, not noticing the lost boy's smirk as his attack was about to hit or the way that the ball of chi seemed to dissipate upon contact with Ranma's manifested battle aura. The look of dismay upon Ryoga's face as he lashed out registered though, just as the cracking of the lost boy's ribs seemed to snap him out of his momentary anger.
"Stop picking on Ryoga!!"
All colour seemed to drain from Ranma's face as he turned to face the Tendo's and the rest of his companions. Apparently, they had caught up with him unnoticed in the midst of his fight. The look of anger on Akane's face was unmistakable just as the reason why Ryoko was lazily draped over her, so as to prevent Akane from attacking him. Ryoko's amused smirk contrasted the concerned looks from his mother and the rest of the Tendo's. The hungry gaze of the Amazon's seemed strange, but then he had always thought the amazons were a little bloodthirsty.
"Ryoko, Shampoo please see to everybody's safety." He needed to think about what he had just done and to think about the consequences of his viscous takedown of the mob of armed men. If there was one thing he had learned on his training trip that made it worth his time, it was that every one of his actions had consequences and it was best to plan for them before they caught up with you.
*****
Bob faced off against the young military man who he had begun to know as the general. His knees were healing rapidly from the operation and he felt confident that he should be able to participate in missions soon. That is, if the general allowed him to he thought sourly.
"We can't possibly allow you to actively participate. It's too dangerous and your life is too important to the moral of the troops." Bob Clark grimaced at the rehashing of such an old argument. He should've known that the single victory earlier would have ended the maneuvering for power.
"General, why fix my knees if you were so against my participation in this war?" he asked in frustration.
"I'm not against you participating in the war Mr. President. I'm against you participating in high risk activities that would directly threaten your life." The general held up his hand forestalling any further comment, "Before you say anything else, there is someone I would like you to speak to."
The general opened a door and escorted a middle-aged soldier into the room. "May I introduce Second Lieutenant Curtis." Looking closely Bob could tell that this man was a professional soldier, a veteran. If that was the case, though, what had happened he wondered to make this soldier so twitchy and emotionally unstable? He couldn't imagine that Curtis had been able to reach the rank of second lieutenant if he had always been like this.
"Report!" barked the general.
Second Lieutenant Curtis immediately snapped to attention. "I was a part of charlie battalion Mr. President, stationed just outside of Chicago. On receiving word of the routing of the National Guard, we fortified on the outskirt of the city. Our lieutenant colonel was smart sir. The fortifications were the best I had ever seen. It gave us an unrestricted view of the city and the alien activity while providing an excellent deterrent."
The soldier started shuddering, but stopped at a sharp reprimand from the general. "It was inhuman Sir. The aliens seemed to be killing civilians at random and anyone they didn't kill was herded to some sort of slave pen. We accepted any refugees that reached us however, not nearly enough escaped from the aliens though. They allowed just enough for us to know what was happening outside our visual range and to lower moral. It caused problems, Sir. A few troops wanted to go in, but our lieutenant reasoned that they wouldn't leave such a large target alone for long. Besides, that's exactly how the National Guard got beaten."
Curtis paused and after gulping in some air he continued, "Sometime on the third day, the entire camp was roused in the early hours by a concussive blast. Even behind our barricades we could feel the scorching heat. Everyone thought it was an attack and raced for their posts, only to be greeted by nothing. The city... it was gone. Sir, it was as if God had just decided to erase it. No trace could be seen. Except for that concussive blast and scorching heat, no one heard anything. The city had just disappeared. I've got to tell you Sir, it scared us that they had access to that much firepower, but it also confused us. Why hadn't they used it on our position yet?"
Bob felt his stomach churn at the expressions of anguish and fear that twisted the experienced veteran's face. "Throughout the next couple of days, we all waited for the attack to come. It belied belief that the enemy would allow us to continue watching their operations unhindered. Especially now, that our view was unhindered by the city. Mr. President, there were only two of them and yet they cowed a whole army of slaves. What was left alive of the population of Chicago. It was a relief when they finally attacked," Curtis's face twisted into a disbelieving expression. "Two of them, against a dug in battalion." Curtis barked a bittersweet laugh. "They charged through a focused barrage of automatic and artillery fire, the mine field didn't even slow them down. I think we got one. It kind of disappeared, so it's hard to say. The one that got through, though, turned our fortification into a slaughterhouse. I..." Curtis added sadly "...don't remember much after that. Although that shadowy figure slicing through tanks like it required no effort..."
Curtis shuddered, and then shakily asked, "Permission to be dismissed sir?"
The general nodded and waited for him to vacate the room before directing a pointed look Bob's way. "That was one of our last battalions. Except for what we have here our forces are scattered the length of the country. You would be more of an asset helping us come up with a plan than foolishly rushing in and getting yourself killed."
Bob watched as the general left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the story told by an emotionally scarred veteran.
*****
Ranma morosely walked around what was left of Nerima staring blankly at the smoldering houses and stepping unconsciously around the rubble strewn across the streets. 'Am I turning into a monster... into the blood thirsty brute that Ryoga believes?' he thought. 'Are these hands and feet any good for something besides destruction? How had it come to this?' he could easily answer that question. It started when that thing had tried to kill him. Was it inevitable that he use what he had spent his life learning so destructively? 'No' he decided. There was nothing wrong with the art. That meant that the problem was him or more precisely, his lack of guilt and remorse. After thinking about it, he did not regret the decision to quickly take down the mob and he would do so again in the defense of those he cared about. Even after helping kill that thing in the forest, he had never seriously hurt anyone before. Beat them up sure, but permanently maim them... no. Yet, he felt nothing for that fact. He didn't feel sorry for those men whose lives he had no doubt ruined. THAT made him worry that he was firmly set down a long dark road would end with him nothing more than a mindless killer. Was that where he was headed? If so, was it perhaps better for him to end it here and prevent his fiancées even more grief and tragedy? A rabid dog could take down one's enemies, but there was no telling when he would turn on his allies as well.
Ranma stopped his musings at the surreal sight in front of him. It was a child, less than 12 months old sitting quietly by her upturned cot. She seemed to stare inquisitively up at him, unfazed by her surroundings. The burning house behind her, which probably hid her dead parents, created an evil backdrop to the child's innocence. Looking around for some other likely relative and not seeing any, Ranma carefully approached the infant. This was why he continued to fight, even knowing that he was probably treading a dark path. He was protecting people and that was the ultimate purpose in his art. That was where his honour lay. Perhaps surrounded by the very people he was protecting, he could avoid the trappings of the path he walked. Carefully picking up the babe so as not to harm her, he started to trot back to the dojo.
He didn't much know how to look after a baby. He had never been around the young much and he doubted if his father's behavior could be counted as any kind of instruction despite how he himself had turned out. Kasumi would know though, rationalized Ranma as he nodded to himself. Kasumi would help him look after little Nanashi and he would continue to follow where his honor led him. He had not been unmoved by the little bundle in his arms. No one deserved to be orphaned at such a young age or indeed at any age.
Still, Ranma idly wondered what had caused such destruction. It was the first thing he would need to address after he had seen to the safety of non – combatants.
A/N – Okay a little note about little Nanashi. It means without name.
Also, I have started to group this into books starting with Book 1. It makes a little sense from my point of view and when I eventually get up to it, hopefully any readers will agree with me.
I left the angst in, but changed its focus, which in hindsight is a good idea.
Damn R/L, it never leaves time to do the things you truly want to do only the things you must
A BIG thank you to WSRaptor for his help. You just make the whole process easier.
Book 1 Ch 10: What's in a name?
Ranma took a deep breath as he focused on pushing himself to even greater speeds. He grinned savagely as he succeeded in increasing his pace and holding it. Long since having caught his second wind, he was now concentrating on getting to Tokyo as quickly as possible. It had been just over five hours since he had left his grandfather's and he was just less than a quarter of the way there. However, if he was to be in any condition to fight when he reached his destination, then he knew he would need to spend at least a few hours recovering thus making his trip to Tokyo around two and a half days. He hoped he wasn't too late.
Shifting the weight of his pack to rest more comfortably on his back, Ranma tried not to think about the danger he had left Kasumi and her father in or the peril he had sent his fiancés back into. Telling himself that he couldn't have possibly known didn't seem to ease his conscience. The images of the war zone that had once been Tokyo were forever burned into his mind. If anyone were killed from his absence, he would never forgive himself.
He growled in annoyance as the feeling of being watched intensified. Since he had left his grandfather's place earlier that day, he had felt that he was being followed. At first, he had assumed it was maybe Ryoko or one of the other members of his party. However, as time went on and they failed to join him or playfully ambush him, he felt that it was less and less likely to be someone he knew.
"All right, I know you're there! Come out and face me!" He shouted after coming to a halt. He immediately dropped his pack and assumed a ready position while glaring in the general direction of where the feeling was strongest. Ranma could almost feel time running out for his friends in Nerima. Against other martial artists they were world class but against a thug with a gun, he wasn't willing to lay any bets. He didn't have any time for meaningless confrontations right now.
"I have had enough! Face me! Now!" If it wasn't one thing, it was another. The feeling of being watched wasn't the only strange thing that had followed him from his grandfather's house. He had noticed an irregularity in the pathways of his chi. It was almost as if his chi was rebalancing itself with something else, some other energy. Since he had started to actively manipulate his chi, he had become more sensitive in the flows around him and in other people.
This slowly increasing sensitivity to the flows of chi made him unsure if the irregularities he was feeling was something new happening or whether he was just now starting to feel the changes. Still, the changes didn't seem to be causing him any immediate problems and what other possible energy could it be? He had just ignored it in favor of focussing on rescuing his friends and fiancés from whatever trouble he had left them in.
He had quickly become tired of being watched, however, and so he was going to force a confrontation here. "Meeeoooowww," Ranma just blinked as Ryoko's pet rabbit stumbled out of hiding.
"Hey, what's the big idea spying me like that?!?" He yelled at the strange rabbit angrily while releasing his ready stance.
"Meow meow," it seemed to look apologetic as it cautiously approached him.
"I don't care if Ryoko told you to and why would I be scared of a runt like you?" Ranma just shook his head remembering his first meeting with Ryoko's pet and put his fear down to that of being once again caught between two potentially jealous women. He didn't even question the fact that he could understand what the rabbit was saying. After all, a talking pet rabbit wasn't any stranger than Jusenkyö.
"Hop on then Ryo–Ohki," he announced as he picked up his pack and Ryo-Ohki to continue his dash to Tokyo. Neither Ryo-Ohki nor Ranma saw the worm, which had also paced Ranma from his grandfather's place. By now, however, 'worm' would be a rather inaccurate term since its skin had further hardened into massive scales and it had doubled in length. The over-scaled snake looking worm hissed aggressively at the martial artist and the rabbit riding on his pack as it leapt into the air and dived into the ground, burrowing a path in preparation to follow the pair.
*****
"What right do they have to dictate terms to me?!?" Ayeka watched calmly from the corner of the throne room as her father raged. She was as annoyed as he at the audacity of the council, but she retained her composure knowing that whatever decision he made would change her life.
"Those short sighted, self-serving sycophantic fools. They are walking a knife's edge and they don't even know it!" She watched his whitened knuckles gripping the sides of his throne and his reddened face seemed to steam in anger. It was the best thing her father had done for her by giving her command over the new defense fleet and moving her away from the immediate reach of the council. Dealings with the council were always painful and frustrating and she could see the impact shouldering the entire burden was having on her father. The council could be so infuriating at times. With the coming of the war and the disappearance of Tsunami, the council had degenerated even further. She didn't think they had the health and stability of Jurai foremost in their priorities right now, only the furthering of their own power.
In the past she would help her father deflect the council, but with her new role as commander of the fleet and with Sasami too young her father was left to deal with the council alone. Ayeka started as Azusa surged up from his throne, but quickly regained her composure as she watched her father pace with a nervous energy. She quickly ran though recent events knowing what was coming. Her father had almost reached a decision. "What is the state of the front daughter?"
"It has never been stronger," she replied in a proud voice. "These invaders would do well to fear us now that our industrial might has been awakened." It was true. Every day more ships were built, more crew were trained and everyday more and more of them were sent to the front. Front may have been an inaccurate term with the invaders previous tactics, but Ayeka felt that Jurian empire had never been so strong. The inner worlds were flooded with defensive crafts.
"Yes, yes but what of the fleet's readiness?" he asked in an impatient voice. "Would even half the fleet be able to join an offensive campaign tomorrow if needed?"
"The fleet is, out of necessity, in a constant state of readiness. It would be able to respond to any threat almost instantaneously among the inner worlds. A short offensive could indeed be achieved as early as tomorrow, but in order to maintain a prolonged offensive, greater supply capabilities would need to be built up. That would take a little time."
Asuza grunted and stopped pacing, directing a passionate glare in her direction "And what of you? How have your studies been going? Do you have any chance of beating these things?"
Ayeka exchanged a look with Eishi who had so far seen fit to ignore his charges antics. "I maintain a 4-1 win loss ratio father. If anyone can beat these monsters, I can."
Almost collapsing in his chair Ayeka sighed, "The time for this unnatural ceasefire is almost over. I can feel in my bones a time coming where this entire empire will be fighting for survival and not just the reclamation of some lost territories. We can't afford to send any of the fleet away and yet the council has made a valid point. The people need a victory, moral is low and this government is floundering. I am floundering at a time when I must be seen as strong. Do what you must, but I want half of the fleet to remain here and be ready for anything. If we are attacked while you are tied up, then we could face disaster."
Ayeka nodded and walked out already thinking of all the things that needed to be done before she could leave. She wanted to punish the invaders for the destruction that they had spread across Jurai. The time was fast approaching where she would not just be destroying these fiends on simulators and she couldn't wait.
*****
"Am I doing the right thing Eishi by leaving such a large burden on my young, sweet daughter? Politically, it is the only thing I could have done but…" Azusa waited patiently for the old man's reply. With Tsunami gone, he could only rely on a few people for the advice he desperately needed and Eishi was among the oldest and most reliable.
"I believe it was the only thing you could have done old friend. However, I would be wary of the council. It is slowly building its own power and will move against you at the smallest sign of weakness. Even with the threat of war hanging over them, I fear that the respite in hostilities has only emboldened them. Even with our support it is only a matter of time before they strike."
Azusa held back an angry retort as he considered Eishi's words. His friend was right. Not all the ships built since hostilities started were under his control and with the rapid increase in their capabilities, the number of ships being built had seriously upset the carefully maintained balance of power.
"Would you do me a favor friend? Get me a list of those ships not directly under my or my daughters command. I need to be ready and not even your friendship will deter the council for long." Azusa sat back on his throne with a grim frown. No, they would make their move soon. He didn't know what threat he feared more, the council or the unknown invaders.
*****
It was even worse than what he had seen at his grandfather's place. The deserted markets, the rubble filled streets and the smoldering buildings all seemed to conspire to turn Tokyo into a desolate wasteland. The pig tailed youth walked down the deserted streets carrying a backpack filled to the bursting, accompanied by a strange looking rabbit. He had to restrain himself from making an ill informed dash to the Tendo dojo. If he didn't pace himself through Tokyo, then he would not be ready for whatever unhappy situation he expected to find.
Ranma strained his senses to the limit. He would be reaching the dojo any minute and he wanted to be prepared. Turning the corner Ranma stopped his approach in surprise. The dojo had been heavily fortified against attack. It was something that the dojo shared with some of the larger houses Ranma had passed. What halted Ranma, though, was the large crowd of armed men gathering to attack the dojo. It looked like he had paced himself perfectly.
Not even bothering to announce his presence, he jumped into the middle of the mob back-fisting one of the gun wielding men. The grating of bone beneath his fist and the warm spray of blood caused Ranma to hesitate in his attack. It was a hesitation that almost proved fatal as the mob turned on him and the sound of gunfire filled the air.
Regaining his center, he resumed his attack. Armed to the teeth as the mob was, Ranma couldn't afford to go easy on them though he might like to. Every crack of bone, spray of blood and moan of pain reminded Ranma of the responsibility he had as a martial artist and the deadly strength that he constantly tried to hold back. The sudden and vicious way in which he took down the mob seemed to betray those responsibilities and caused him to question his motivations.
Almost by instinct, Ranma fired a small chi blast destroying a gun, which one of the wounded had pointed in his direction. The shriek of pain further blackened his mood, but until this life and death struggle was over he would not question his actions or their consequences. Hesitation would not only kill him, but potentially those within the dojo. Leaping over a wildly swung crowbar, Ranma cringed at the whistling of a narrowly avoided bullet. Even worse was the sound of someone else taking the bullet. He just hoped that it didn't prove fatal. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for the deaths of even the meanest people.
Then, as quickly as he had appeared among the horde of weapon bearers, the fight was over. He was the last person standing or even conscious. With an exasperated sigh and a bowed head Ranma knelt amongst the bodies of his fallen foes. No one had died and if they got some medical attention no one would. If it wasn't for the immediate threat of the guns, he could have taken the mob down with more finesse. As it was, he felt like a bully. Worse than that, a bully only gave his opponents temporary wounds. He could see that some of these guys would be permanently maimed even if they got medical attention in time.
The choice to take the mob down had been taken without a moment's thought, but only now were the consequences becoming apparent to him. These people, even armed with weapons, just couldn't take the damage that he and his friends regularly dished out on each other. Some of the injuries were worse than they might have been with a little more constraint on his behalf.
"Ranma, prepare to..." Ranma looked up from the injured that surrounded him and stared at Ryoga's disgust filled face. It seemed fitting somehow that his rival would be here to witness this, the lowest point of his life.
"So, you really are a monster Ranma! I never thought that you would so debase yourself but today I WILL kill you! Such a cowardly, dishonourable and bloodthirsty brute cannot be allowed to live!"
"Shishi Höködan!!!!"
Ranma stared at the greenish ball of chi headed towards him and wondered if perhaps Ryoga was right. Anyone who saw him at this moment, covered in the blood of his victims would probably feel the same way. That ball of chi might not be enough to take him out, but if he didn't resist he had no doubt that Ryoga would and could kill him.
But if he allowed that in order to assuage his own shame, who would look after his fiancés and the Tendos? The amazons wouldn't as it was more than likely that they would return to china upon his death. Ryoko? He shook his head. She had only started to recover from the death of Tenchi. Ryoga sure wouldn't. He would be too busy getting lost or blaming someone else for his problems. No, he had the feeling that letting Ryoga kill him would be too easy. It wouldn't solve any of his problems and perhaps could create even more.
In fact Ryoga caused a lot of those problems. "No Ryoga..." he whispered as he stood up. "NOOOOOO!!" Ranma roared as he allowed his chi to flood his body. He was also aware that the strange power that he had noticed earlier seemed to be growing. "I will atone for this action on my own terms. I will not let you or anyone else judge me for them."
He ran straight at Ryoga, not noticing the lost boy's smirk as his attack was about to hit or the way that the ball of chi seemed to dissipate upon contact with Ranma's manifested battle aura. The look of dismay upon Ryoga's face as he lashed out registered though, just as the cracking of the lost boy's ribs seemed to snap him out of his momentary anger.
"Stop picking on Ryoga!!"
All colour seemed to drain from Ranma's face as he turned to face the Tendo's and the rest of his companions. Apparently, they had caught up with him unnoticed in the midst of his fight. The look of anger on Akane's face was unmistakable just as the reason why Ryoko was lazily draped over her, so as to prevent Akane from attacking him. Ryoko's amused smirk contrasted the concerned looks from his mother and the rest of the Tendo's. The hungry gaze of the Amazon's seemed strange, but then he had always thought the amazons were a little bloodthirsty.
"Ryoko, Shampoo please see to everybody's safety." He needed to think about what he had just done and to think about the consequences of his viscous takedown of the mob of armed men. If there was one thing he had learned on his training trip that made it worth his time, it was that every one of his actions had consequences and it was best to plan for them before they caught up with you.
*****
Bob faced off against the young military man who he had begun to know as the general. His knees were healing rapidly from the operation and he felt confident that he should be able to participate in missions soon. That is, if the general allowed him to he thought sourly.
"We can't possibly allow you to actively participate. It's too dangerous and your life is too important to the moral of the troops." Bob Clark grimaced at the rehashing of such an old argument. He should've known that the single victory earlier would have ended the maneuvering for power.
"General, why fix my knees if you were so against my participation in this war?" he asked in frustration.
"I'm not against you participating in the war Mr. President. I'm against you participating in high risk activities that would directly threaten your life." The general held up his hand forestalling any further comment, "Before you say anything else, there is someone I would like you to speak to."
The general opened a door and escorted a middle-aged soldier into the room. "May I introduce Second Lieutenant Curtis." Looking closely Bob could tell that this man was a professional soldier, a veteran. If that was the case, though, what had happened he wondered to make this soldier so twitchy and emotionally unstable? He couldn't imagine that Curtis had been able to reach the rank of second lieutenant if he had always been like this.
"Report!" barked the general.
Second Lieutenant Curtis immediately snapped to attention. "I was a part of charlie battalion Mr. President, stationed just outside of Chicago. On receiving word of the routing of the National Guard, we fortified on the outskirt of the city. Our lieutenant colonel was smart sir. The fortifications were the best I had ever seen. It gave us an unrestricted view of the city and the alien activity while providing an excellent deterrent."
The soldier started shuddering, but stopped at a sharp reprimand from the general. "It was inhuman Sir. The aliens seemed to be killing civilians at random and anyone they didn't kill was herded to some sort of slave pen. We accepted any refugees that reached us however, not nearly enough escaped from the aliens though. They allowed just enough for us to know what was happening outside our visual range and to lower moral. It caused problems, Sir. A few troops wanted to go in, but our lieutenant reasoned that they wouldn't leave such a large target alone for long. Besides, that's exactly how the National Guard got beaten."
Curtis paused and after gulping in some air he continued, "Sometime on the third day, the entire camp was roused in the early hours by a concussive blast. Even behind our barricades we could feel the scorching heat. Everyone thought it was an attack and raced for their posts, only to be greeted by nothing. The city... it was gone. Sir, it was as if God had just decided to erase it. No trace could be seen. Except for that concussive blast and scorching heat, no one heard anything. The city had just disappeared. I've got to tell you Sir, it scared us that they had access to that much firepower, but it also confused us. Why hadn't they used it on our position yet?"
Bob felt his stomach churn at the expressions of anguish and fear that twisted the experienced veteran's face. "Throughout the next couple of days, we all waited for the attack to come. It belied belief that the enemy would allow us to continue watching their operations unhindered. Especially now, that our view was unhindered by the city. Mr. President, there were only two of them and yet they cowed a whole army of slaves. What was left alive of the population of Chicago. It was a relief when they finally attacked," Curtis's face twisted into a disbelieving expression. "Two of them, against a dug in battalion." Curtis barked a bittersweet laugh. "They charged through a focused barrage of automatic and artillery fire, the mine field didn't even slow them down. I think we got one. It kind of disappeared, so it's hard to say. The one that got through, though, turned our fortification into a slaughterhouse. I..." Curtis added sadly "...don't remember much after that. Although that shadowy figure slicing through tanks like it required no effort..."
Curtis shuddered, and then shakily asked, "Permission to be dismissed sir?"
The general nodded and waited for him to vacate the room before directing a pointed look Bob's way. "That was one of our last battalions. Except for what we have here our forces are scattered the length of the country. You would be more of an asset helping us come up with a plan than foolishly rushing in and getting yourself killed."
Bob watched as the general left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the story told by an emotionally scarred veteran.
*****
Ranma morosely walked around what was left of Nerima staring blankly at the smoldering houses and stepping unconsciously around the rubble strewn across the streets. 'Am I turning into a monster... into the blood thirsty brute that Ryoga believes?' he thought. 'Are these hands and feet any good for something besides destruction? How had it come to this?' he could easily answer that question. It started when that thing had tried to kill him. Was it inevitable that he use what he had spent his life learning so destructively? 'No' he decided. There was nothing wrong with the art. That meant that the problem was him or more precisely, his lack of guilt and remorse. After thinking about it, he did not regret the decision to quickly take down the mob and he would do so again in the defense of those he cared about. Even after helping kill that thing in the forest, he had never seriously hurt anyone before. Beat them up sure, but permanently maim them... no. Yet, he felt nothing for that fact. He didn't feel sorry for those men whose lives he had no doubt ruined. THAT made him worry that he was firmly set down a long dark road would end with him nothing more than a mindless killer. Was that where he was headed? If so, was it perhaps better for him to end it here and prevent his fiancées even more grief and tragedy? A rabid dog could take down one's enemies, but there was no telling when he would turn on his allies as well.
Ranma stopped his musings at the surreal sight in front of him. It was a child, less than 12 months old sitting quietly by her upturned cot. She seemed to stare inquisitively up at him, unfazed by her surroundings. The burning house behind her, which probably hid her dead parents, created an evil backdrop to the child's innocence. Looking around for some other likely relative and not seeing any, Ranma carefully approached the infant. This was why he continued to fight, even knowing that he was probably treading a dark path. He was protecting people and that was the ultimate purpose in his art. That was where his honour lay. Perhaps surrounded by the very people he was protecting, he could avoid the trappings of the path he walked. Carefully picking up the babe so as not to harm her, he started to trot back to the dojo.
He didn't much know how to look after a baby. He had never been around the young much and he doubted if his father's behavior could be counted as any kind of instruction despite how he himself had turned out. Kasumi would know though, rationalized Ranma as he nodded to himself. Kasumi would help him look after little Nanashi and he would continue to follow where his honor led him. He had not been unmoved by the little bundle in his arms. No one deserved to be orphaned at such a young age or indeed at any age.
Still, Ranma idly wondered what had caused such destruction. It was the first thing he would need to address after he had seen to the safety of non – combatants.
A/N – Okay a little note about little Nanashi. It means without name.
Also, I have started to group this into books starting with Book 1. It makes a little sense from my point of view and when I eventually get up to it, hopefully any readers will agree with me.
I left the angst in, but changed its focus, which in hindsight is a good idea.
Damn R/L, it never leaves time to do the things you truly want to do only the things you must