"Who is it?"
"Ranma! I'm sorry it's so late, but this is important!"
"Just a minute, please!" Shinran scrambled around in the dark, looking for a robe to throw on. When he was finally dressed, Shinran turned on a small lamp to illuminate the room. He walked to the doors and slid them back. Ranma was standing before him, flanked on either side by Konatsu and Herb. All three were bundled for travel.
"What is it, my boy?"
Ranma held out a small wooden box with a letter attached to the top. He presented it with both hands, and bowed as he offered it forth. "For you kindness, Shinran. I shall not forget it or your teachings."
The monk took the offering and gently placed on the ground to one side. "Has the time come, then?"
All three nodded.
"I wish it wasn't so soon, but..." Shinran sighed. "Go in peace, then. If you would please just wait a moment?" He waited for their acknowledgement before turning and walking to a small closet in his room. He rooted around on the shelves for a moment before returning, three scrolls in his hand. The first he offered to Herb.
"For you, Herb. It isn't much, but..." Shinran held forth the scroll in his hands, palms up and fingers out. Herbs extended his hands and gently took the silk, bowing as he did.
"You may find this very useful later, Konatsu." Shinran turned to Konatsu, and offered a scroll as well. Again a silent exchange took place, with the two participants bowing to each other. Finally, to Shinran presented the final scroll to Ranma.
"May you find what you seek, young one."
Ranma bowed, holding the position a little longer than necessary. When he rose, Shinran caught his eye for a split second before turning away. Nothing else was said, and four bowed to each other once again. Afterwards, Ranma, Herb, and Konatsu simply straightened and walked away.
"Give me just a second, okay?" Ranma shrugged off his back pack and handed it to Herb. Konatsu gave Ranma a quick hug. Herb simply nodded, trying to hide the frown on his face. With that, Ranma jumped over the wall of the compound.
"Akane... Wake up." Ranma gently shook her sleeping form.
"huh..?"
"Shhhh... It's me, Ranma."
"Ran...ma?"
"I have to go."
"Hmmm...." Akane rolled back over in bed, still asleep, before what he said registered. Her eyes flew open. Before she could say anything, his hand covered her mouth. He drew very close, looking into her eyes as he spoke softly.
"Akane, I have to go back to China. Tonight."
She began to struggle, wanting to ask questions.
"Shh... be calm. I'm sorry, I have to go. I have no time." He held up a box and a scroll for her to see. "This will explain it. I can't stay." He gently removed his hand, and replaced it with his lips. Akane was uncertain for how long the kiss lasted, but it was over too soon.
"Ranma..." Her next words were interrupted by another kiss.
"Sleep, Akane." He poked a pressure point on her sternum, draining her body of energy. She struggled, but began succumbing to the effects quickly.
"But... I.. lov...e...y..."
"Shhh... I know. Sleep."
Ranma deposited the box and letter on her desk, and waited until she was fully asleep to leave.
"Are you alright?" Konatsu offered Ranma a handkerchief. Ranma accepted the tissue with a nod, and discreetly dabbed his eyes.
The flight to China was tense. Ranma read Herb's letter one more time just for something to do, having long ago memorized the contents. Nobody much felt like talking. Besides, once the plane landed, they would have plenty of time for discussion. After a while he got bored and fished around in his pack for the present that Shinran had given him. He opened the scroll and began to read. It helped take his mind off his troubles for a bit.
"Hello, is anybody there?" Ryoga knocked on the door, hesitantly stepping inside as he called out his greeting. He hadn't been away this long in a while, but somehow he had ended up in this weird place in China... He didn't want to think about that too much, though. He felt an immense sense of relief when Kasumi came to the front door.
"Oh, Ryoga! How nice of you to stop by! Please, come on in!" Kasumi attempted to help him with his pack, but was forced to abandon her efforts when it became obvious she couldn't lift it. She apologized profusely, which set Ryoga off to apologizing for it being so heavy. She led him to the living room, where the family was gathered eating some snacks.
"Akane, look who's here!" Kasumi led Ryoga to the table before running into the kitchen to get more tea. Akane looked up at Ryoga, and even though she smiled, it was obvious, even to him, that something was wrong. He looked around, only to notice that everyone was upset. Mr. Tendo was silently staring at the wall, not seeing anything, unaware of Ryoga's presence. Nabiki looked like she had just bitten into a sour plum. Akane looked ill. Ranma was...
"Hey, where's Ranma?"
Akane's quiet tears were heartbreaking; Soun's wailing, on the other hand, was just disturbing.
"Why would Ranma do this to you?" Ryoga clenched his fist, trying to maintain his calm. Akane didn't need him to be mad – she needed him to be strong for her. In response she pushed a scroll across the table.
"Are you sure you don't mind me reading this?" Akane shook her head as Ryoga took the scroll. He put down his cup of tea, reaching across to examine the scroll. The lettering on the top was neat, but there were several ink blots and markings that suggested it was a letter written in haste and distress. It was addressed simply, only 'To Akane,' visible on the outside. Ryoga opened the bindings on the scroll, unrolled it, and quickly perused the length of the letter.
He read;
"To Akane,
Akane, first, let me apologize. This letter may be hard to believe, but it is all true. Just remember, until you met me, you didn't believe in magic. As hard as it maybe for you to believe me, you must, if only for piece of mind. To begin, I want you to know that this was not my intention, but perhaps this is for the best. You can look at it as the hastening of the inevitable, for I always intended to return to China, but under different circumstances.
As for an explanation... We've discussed before a little of the history of the region where I came – there are three tribes; the Amazons, proud warriors and strong (to which both Konatsu and I are members of as females); The Musk, deadly enemies and powerful allies, to whom Herb is the Prince and Konatsu and I are honorary members as males.
The third tribe is secretive and dangerous, and Ku Lon, the Amazon elder, knows little of them. They are called the Phoenix tribe, and as strange as it may sound, they are a half-human, half-avian race of people that live in Phoenix mountain, a volcano on the edges of the Amazons and the Musk territory, but close enough to watch over the Jusenkyo Valley (where we acquired our curses.) Long before the Amazons first arrived to the valley over 3,000 years ago, the Phoenix people had made this valley their home.
Little is known about them except that their leader is named Saffron. If this is a hereditary title is unknown, but Saffron is always spoke of with awe and fear by the few captives that are found each year. Not much more is known, however, because all the captives who are taken burst into flame upon capture, with his name their last dying word.
Old writings hinted that the Phoenix are responsible for the creation of the Jusenkyo springs. But for what ever reason, there is a deep and mysterious link between the third tribe and the land. Once roughly every four hundred years, the springs go dry. When this happens, the volcano, Mt. Phoenix, the home of the Phoenix tribe, erupts. As the mountain spews forth smoke and ash, the tribe pours forth, an unstoppable horde sweeping across the nation bringing war and destruction to everything in its path. Nothing can stop them but time; when the mountain ceases its violence, the tribe slowly return to the mountain, fury spent.
The tribe is not limited in mobility like a traditional army. The gift of flight gives them long range and power, and I would place each individual warrior among the strongest I know. The last time this rampage happened was in the 1250's, when the 'Mongols' conquered China, as well as most of the known world. Historians have credited the Khans with atrocities and wiping out of cities, but the reality is that the Phoenix ravaged the land, sweeping all resistance before them, as well as bringing the Black Death to Europe. The Mongol hordes simply followed after, conquering lands that no one was left to defend.
That brings us back to my original intention. I learned today that the springs of Juskenkyo have run dry again. On top of that, the combined intelligence efforts of the The Amazons and the Musk have learned that the Phoenix are equipped with modern weapons purchased from a rouge state to the East.
They are preparing for War. We have records of a successful attempt at stopping the last Phoenix rampage during the 1600's, and it all hinges on the assassination of Saffron before the armies march. At the risk of our own lives, the Amazons and Musk plan on invading the Mt. Phoenix, and hopefully prevent a war on a much larger scale. With today's weapons, it is not hard to imagine this conflict growing to encompass all of China, if not all of Asia or beyond...
I do not expect to survive. You don't have to believe this letter. Then again, before you met me, curses and magic were not real either. I wish our time together had been longer, but I am happy with what I've had. If we are successful, you probably will never hear about it. If we fail, however...
Before I left, you told me you loved me. I love you as well, but I ask that you move on. There is little hope for me. I leave a gift for you, as a remembrance and a token of my affection. Do what you will with it, for I will have little use for it where I am going.
With fond memories,
Ranma
Ryoga quietly rolled up the silk, and carefully placed it on the table. He took a sip of his tea, watching Akane's face across the rim of his cup. "Nice that he kept it light hearted, isn't' it?" Ryoga took another sip, carefully considering his options.
A wry smile cracked Akane's grim visage. She asked, "Do you believe him?"
Ryoga felt his anger drain as he nodded.
"You do?"
"Call me crazy, but... I think I had a run in with those bird people not too long ago. I got lost, as usual, and ended up somewhere in China. I thought I was hallucinating, but..."
"But?"
"Well, these... people came down from the sky. They looked like angles, but I've never seen an angle with a Kalashnikov... Anyway, to make a long story short, they took me hostage. I was held in a cell for about two months, when one day they let me go outside for a breath of fresh air." Ryoga smirked. "I turned around, and all of the sudden I was in England."
"What do you mean, England?"
"Ranma's not the only one who's cursed. I don't like to talk about it, but, I have the world's worst sense of direction..."
Ranma hitched his backpack, glancing side to side as he continued to run through the forest. Konatsu was scouting ahead, while Herb flew silently above the canopy, searching the skies for signs of hostility. It had been two days since landing in central Qinghai, still hundreds of miles from their ultimate destination. They had made good time from the airport, relying on both private and public transportation. When the roads finally became too remote or hostile for vehicles, they ran. They were in a hurry to get back to the Jusenkyo valley, and only stopped long enough to catch a few hours of sleep at a time. Meals were perfunctory affairs, often consisting of foods that could be eaten on the run, like fruits and cold army rations.
They were drawing close to home. Ranma could see Konatsu up in the distance waiting. Ranma gave a sharp whistle to Herb before he drew next to Konatsu. Herb landed softly nearby, walking over to the pair. The married couple briefly engaged in a hug, even though both were currently male. As Herb drew away, he asked, "What is it, Konatsu?"
"Musk Patrols ahead, Prince. Do you intend to identify yourself, or do you still intend on arriving in secret?"
"In secret. I need to consult with my father before any decisions are made."
Konatsu nodded, assuaged by Herb's answer. The ninja indicated for the pair to follow him as he silently picked a path through the forest. The way began to climb steadily, and finally approached a ridge top. Again, at Konatsu's signal, Ranma and Herb dropped to the ground and crawled to the ridgeline. Below them stretched the Musk royal grounds, where they slowly examined the palace from the safety of the trees. Far in the distance, Mt. Phoenix stood out in harsh relief against the blue sky.
A vast army of men had assembled on the parade grounds, drilling in the heat of the day. Occasionally cries of the officers would echo up to their lofty perch, followed by an abrupt change in direction from one of the various assemble companies. Legions of archers could be seen taking target practice behind the drill grounds, as well as various weapon training regiments.
Ranma softly whistled. He had never seen the assembled might of the Musk. If they had this much man power, things couldn't be that bad, right? He said as much to his companions, who merely shook their heads. Herb's response chilled him.
"Had we ten times this much, Ranma, it would merely be a drop in the bucket next to the might of the Phoenix." Herb turned to Konatsu and simply commanded, "Find us a way in, Kenzan."
Herb dropped silently on the balcony, falling to one knee. He heard the two soft thuds behind him signaling the arrival of his friends. He glanced around briefly, satisfied that his arrival had been unobserved. He stood and immediately allowed his aura to flare briefly. Patiently he waited until the double doors he faced were thrown wide open, only to be greeted by the smiling face of his Father.
Herb dropped to a knee, simply saying, "I have returned, Father."
The greetings had been brief but intense before Herb was ushered into the war room with his father. Konatsu had transformed into her female form, and held Herb's arm as they were led. Ranma trailed behind, holding everyone's bags.
The war room was a bustle of activity. Servants, bearing arm loads of maps and scrolls were running around frantically, attempting to keep up the constant cry of the planners that crowded the room. Ranma snagged a servant's sleeve on his way in the room, and wordlessly dropped the three backpacks into his arms.
"Take these to Prince Herb's chambers." The servant bowed and hustled out. Ranma turned to find the King, Herb, and Konatsu assembled around a large circular table in the middle of the room, on top of which sat a model of Mt. Phoenix and the surrounding grounds. He joined the group just as the conversation turned to strategic matters.
The king was using a low intensity lance of ki to point out various features of the model. He pushed various markers used to represent the Musk and Amazon armies to various points on the map, indicating the plan of attack and expected results. "Near as we can tell, Herb, most of the entrances near the bottom are traps or dead ends, designed to fool those who cannot fly." He indicated a small strike team that was just visible around the corner of the model. "The frontal assaults are fully expected to fail, but..." He gently grabbed the edge of the table and spun it away from him. The table top had been set on bearings, allowing the entire surface to rotate until the back of the model faced the King.
"We did find one entrance, marked, 'employees only,' that seems to be a legitimate entrance to the interior. A small strike force should be able to breach this entrance during the ensuing battle, and hopefully find Saffron before the mountain erupts." The King shook his head.
Herb frowned as he examined the map. "Hopefully?"
The King grimaced. "Plainly put, we don't know. Unfortunately, our intelligence at this point is severely limited. The Musk are not trained in the arts of stealth, and most of our spies have been... silenced."
Konatsu cleared her throat lightly. "What kind of intelligence do you need, your Highness?"
"I was hoping you would ask, Princess..."
Ryoga leaned back to dodge a weak crescent kick from Akane, catching her ankle at the apex of it's arc, quickly transferring his own momentum into her leg, causing her to topple over. Ryoga moved in to finish the sparing match while his opponent was down, but stopped when he noticed tears in Akane's eyes. He immediately began to stammer out an apology.
"I'm so sorry, Akane-san! Did I hurt you?"
Akane fought back the tears, trying to smile as she shook her head. "No, Ryoga, you didn't. I was just reminded of Ranma just now... He'd do that to me a lot. Once, he used that as an excuse to..." she trailed of as she started to blush, but then began crying in earnest. Ryoga just stood there, hopelessly lost, unsure of how to comfort the girl. He had been extremely distressed to learn that Akane had been, ahem, intimately acquainted with Ranma, and it showed in his response to her pain.
He wanted to comfort her, but felt strange to do so, given that she was in so much agony over Ranma. Finally, he just settled for sitting on the ground next to her, and awkwardly patting her shoulder as she cried. It had only been a week since Ranma had departed, and the pain was still very fresh for Akane.
"We can stop sparring if..." Ryoga began lamely, but trailed off when Akane's bleary eyes looked up at his.
"NO!" She stopped and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she began getting her emotions under control before she opened them again. "I'm sorry Ryoga. I don't want to stop. I need this..." Getting up from the floor, she took a ready stance and a deep breath. "And Ryoga?"
"Yes?" He stood as well, taking a stance opposite from her.
"Thanks. You really are such a good friend."
Lost in her own emotional pain, Akane never noticed the stricken look that crossed Ryoga's face.
A bird's shrill cry pierced the air, and Ranma immediately took cover. She heard a slight rustle in the tree tops and Herb landed, hiding as best he could in the foliage. They waited tensely, unmoving for several minutes until the patrol passed by in the distance. Ranma slow counted to fifty in her head before she moved again, peering cautiously in the direction of the foot patrol that had passed.
Answering the previous bird call with one of her own, Ranma quickly sprinted to from tree to tree, using the boughs for cover as she steadily made her way forward. Herb stuck to the tree tops, not trusting his ground camouflage for this mission. When Ranma caught up to Konatsu, Herb dropped out of the tree tops to examine the crude map that was drawn in the dirt.
They briefly went over the plans once again. Checking to see that all watches were synchronized, Herb nodded briefly to Ranma and gave Konatsu a quick kiss before heading off towards the front of Mt. Phoenix. Konatsu and Ranma watched until he disappeared.
As Ranma watched Herb go, she began to rub her chin. "So, what kind of distraction do you think he's got planned?"
"Knowing Herb like I do, probably something spectacular." Konatsu chuckled briefly. She was currently female, because stealth was slightly easier in that form.
"I wish I was going to be there to see it."
"I think we will be able to, regardless." With that, Konatsu took off towards her objective, leaving Ranma to find hers.
Akane walked along, lost in thought. She didn't have any real interest in going to school, but it wouldn't do well to skip too many days. She idly began to finger the pendent that hung from her neck, wondering about Ranma. It had been his parting gift to her, along with a set of instructions. At first glance it was nothing special – just a small silver hammer on a slender platinum chain. With a sigh, she looked up to see the gates of Furinkan looming before her.
As expected, Kuno stood before the entrance, dressed in traditional gi and hakama, bokken held at the ready. Fingering her pendant once again, Akane smiled grimly as she thought about Ranma's instructions. She briefly focused, pulling up what meager battle aura she could, and channeled it.
She examined the mallet that appeared in her hands, hefting it to test for balance and weight. "Perfect." Her grin was genuine this time, until she remembered the incident that had probably inspired the gift. Instead of crying, she marched through the gates with poor Kuno in her sights. He never had a chance.
Herb's 'demonstration' had been quite dramatic, indeed. Herb had knocked on the front entrances to the mountain using the biggest ki blast in his arsenal. Like an anthill that had been trampled, the fort had poured forth its soldiers, intent on neutralizing any threat. In the pandemonium, Ranma had quietly slipped inside one of the entrances that had issued forth combatants.
Ranma thanked the long dead spirit of her father once again as the two Phoenix guards looked right through him before turning away. Safely invisible within the Umisen-ken, Ranma swiftly worked his way up the passage, carefully charting her progress, drawing a map as she proceeded deeper within the Phoenix stronghold.
At back entrance, Konatsu put the blow gun down as she watched the two guards expressions turn blank. She merrily strolled up to the pair, plucking the needles out of their necks and carefully incinerating them with a small burst of ki. These two wouldn't remember anything for the next fifteen minutes. Another interesting side effect of the drug was that it worked like a truth serum. Konatsu quickly lifted the keys off the waist of one guard, and began asking questions.
Herb held his breath as yet another patrol passed within feet of his hiding spot. After his demonstration, he had run as fast as he possible, attempting to put as much distance between himself and the blast crater, sticking to the forests for added cover. His father's estimates about the size of the army were woefully inadequate... The Musk would greatly appreciate the information, provided he managed to live to tell anyone.
Ranma had no idea what the purpose the room served, but she took notes anyway. The dominate feature was a huge basin in the middle of the room, behind which stood two giant statues, one of a dragon, and the second of a phoenix. A strange staff stuck out of the top of each statue. He quickly sketched the two designs before he turned to leave. Suddenly, he heard voices echoing down the only entrance to the room.
"... my lord. It will not be long now until the bath is ready. And after that..." Ranma carefully peaked around his vantage point from on top of the dragon statue, he observed an older Phoenix in ornate robes accompanying a small child of regal bearing. He was too far to hear all the conversation, but the snippets he heard were interesting enough.
The older phoenix was answering questions from the younger. "Yes, my Lord. Preparations are well underway. The spouts will begin to pour forth in just over a week."
The child spoke again, but his voice was too soft and high pitched to carry to far. It must have been praise, as the older Phoenix murmured some platitudes in response to whatever had been said. At that moment the conversation was cut off as a beautiful female Phoenix soldier flanked by two attendants entered the room in a rush.
"My Lord Saffron!" All three immediately dropped to a knee and waited for a response.
To Ranma's surprise, the child answered. "Rise, Kiima. What have you to report about the earlier disturbance?"
Kiima rose. "It was a ki blast of considerable sized, Milord. The perpetrator has not been found, but little damage was done. A few false entrances were disturbed, and most of the traps within the mountain will need to be reset as a result of the vibrations."
"How long will that take?"
"We can have it done within two weeks, Milord."
"You have one, Kiima. My transformation is coming soon."
"One... week, Milord? We shall have to work through the night in order to accomplish that!"
"Will that be a problem, Kiima?" Even from Ranma's perch, the menace in Saffron's voice was clear.
Kiima paled. "No, Milord. One week, as you request. Is there anything else, Milord?"
"If you find who did this, kill them."
"Yes, Milord!" Kiima remained kneeling as Saffron and his advisor swept out of the room, followed afterwards by the three soldiers. Ranma ruminated for a bit before writing the conversations down. At least now she had a time frame.
Konatsu examined the throne room carefully, taking precautions not to disturb anything. She examined the both models that were laid out before her. One was of the Jusenkyo Valley and a strange room with a Phoenix and Dragon Statue. The second was a representation of China and the surrounding countries, with various markings depicting army movements. She pulled out a camera, and merrily began to take pictures. It wasn't often she got to utilize the true skills of a kunoichi. She had gone through several rolls of film when she heard footsteps outside the door.
Saffron flung the doors open, followed closely by his advisor. The child leader strode up to his throne, examining the models that sat close by. Saffron pointed at the mock up of the room with the two statues. "Let's go over the mobilization process once again."
"Yes, Milord."
"How many prisoners do you have for my transformation?"
"We have thirteen condemned criminals and two captured Amazons. They will be in the bathing chamber to fuel your transformation when the Jusenkyo water pours forth."
"And the first targets?"
"Here, Milord." The old man hobbled forward to point at a supply depot close to the Jusenkyo Valley. "It is a forgotten PLA supply dump for campaigns against the western Muslims. Our secondary targets are here and here." The old man illustrated by pointing the corresponding places on the map.
"What of the news about the Musk and Amazon mustering?"
"It is being monitored, my lord. I have spies patrolling the areas now. I will know more when they return."
Conversation continued in this vein for quite a while. Outside the window Konatsu hung on by only her fingertips with a drop of nearly a thousand feet stretched out before her. The only problem was that she couldn't record anything she was hearing.
Ranma slipped outside the door, past the guards that were patrolling the entrance. She stuffed the map of the mountain she had drawn into a waterproof case and hung it around her neck. Waving goodbye to the guards that couldn't see her; she quickly headed down the mountain, back in the direction of the Musk.
Konatsu wanted to sigh, but the noise would have given her away. There was no way out of it. Saffron was still in the chambers, and unlikely to leave soon. This info had to get back... Considering she was hanging from her fingertips off a window sill, Konatsu shrugged as best she could before letting go. Free fall was an exhilarating feeling, at least till you hit the ground.
Falling at terminal velocity, Konatsu waited until she was a mere twenty feet above the ground before flaring her Ki as strongly as possible, channeling it into flight like Herb had taught her. It managed to slow her decent enough that she touched down with a heavy thud, jarring her legs. She immediately released her ki and looked around, checking for signs of pursuit. Not sensing anything, Konatsu quickly ran down the mountain, heading back home.
Ryoga shouldered his pack as he looked at the sign of the Tendo Dojo one last time before turning with a sigh. It was painful for him to stay here and watch Akane suffer. He began to walk away, when he heard her voice.
"Ryoga, where are you going?"
"Akane..." Ryoga clammed up. How do you tell someone that you are being torn apart watching them suffer over love? Particularly when you suffer from unrequited love yourself? "I've got to go... I just remembered I'm supposed to visit someone..."
"Oh? Who are you visiting?"
"My friend in Osaka. Goes by the name of Ukyou."
Akane cocked her head to the side. "How wonderful! Do you mind if I walk with you to the train station?"
"Err..."
Akane fell into step with Ryoga, not particularly paying attention to where they were going. "It's been real nice having you here, Ryoga. With Ranma gone..." She sighed and trailed off.
Ryoga frowned, but said nothing. Silence reigned for a while as the pair just continued to walk for a while. Finally, Ryoga worked up the courage to speak. "Do you really... love Ranma, even after what he's done?"
A wisp of a smile flashed across Akane's face. "Yeah, I do. I don't blame him. He was always honest about leaving, but it's going to take time to accept..." Akane glanced up, taking stock of her surroundings for the first time. "Umm.. Ryoga?"
"Yes?"
"Where are we?"
"Isn't that supposed to be my line?"
"Honestly, Ryoga! How could you get us so lost in just a few minutes?" Akane spat out a mouthful of leaves as a branch caught her in the mouth. She ripped the offending branch off the tree, tossing it to the ground.
"I said I'm sorry! I told you I was cursed!"
"Well, do you have any idea where we are?"
"No, I don't. But I did see some smoke over that way..." Ryoga gestured
in the way they were heading, and promptly turned around.
"Ryoga!"
"Yes?"
"THIS WAY!!!"
Ryoga just chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. Akane was scary when she glowed. That mallet didn't help appearances any, either.
Akane finally broke free of the forest to see a log palisade and watch tower stretch out before her. She noticed people walking atop the palisade, and immediately started walking towards it. Her journey was stopped short when a few arrows embedded themselves in the ground by her leading foot. Not long afterwards, both she and Ryoga were surrounded by a bunch of spear wielding women.
"Um... Does anyone speak Japanese?" Akane hung her head when no one seemed to understand.
"How did you find us, girl?"
"My name's Akane, not girl!"
"Very well, Akane. How did you get here, past our patrols?"
"Like I said, I was walking with my friend here," Akane slapped Ryoga on the back of the head before continuing, "and next thing I know I'm outside your gates. I don't even know where here is. I have no clue how I got her. Last I knew, I was in Tokyo, Japan, Nerima ward."
Ku Lon looked at Ryoga, who just shrugged. "This is the Joketsuzoku Village."
Akane perked up. "Amazons? As in Ranma Saotome?"
Ku Lon narrowed her eyes. "You know him?"
"Know him? We're engaged!"
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope everyone is enjoying this story, particularly as it winds down... This chapter practically wrote itself. I hope people enjoyed the re-introduction of some bit characters. I always had planed to have Ryoga participate in the final saga, and this worked for me. Questions, comments, and criticisms welcome.
Now, to reply to some reviews! (my favorite part!)
C. Rose writes:
"I'm still enjoying this story quite a bit, my only complaint really is the fight scenes aren't really all that expansive. We usually see the beginning, then the end of the fight, but never the whole fight and what the two fighters are thinking as they fight. Either that or the fight is just completely skipped over and all we see is the after math.
Akane the horny girl is funny. ;;"
I'm glad you enjoy the story, and keep reading it. Perhaps I'm not being blatant enough, but my whole effort was to write this from the point of view of a Buddhist philosophy, which abhors violence of any kind. By glossing over (or completely ignoring it), I felt that I was adding another layer (even if subtle)
I never claimed to write a good fight scene - in fact, on many occasions, I publicly declared I would not write them, as I had 'no flair' for them. I'm sorry if you find that disappointing, but I don't think you need them to advance the story. Where important to plot development, I have included important elements, but I feel that most people have either read enough Ranma or seen enough to imagine what the fights look like. If not, then perhaps I'm doing a disservice.
Lord Strife writes:
"I always knew ranma was incredible powerful in neko-mode, heck even cologne wasn't a match for him."
Yeap - deus ex machina, in a way.
mr-sexy27 writes;
"Excellent story. I must admit, this is an incredibly original piece, and that is one thing unfortunately lacking in most stories. Great job, and keep up the good work."
Thanks for the encouragement. I will try to keep the qualitiy high, if i can. Thanks for reading!
nonengel writes:
"nice chapter... i shudder at the idea of Happosai's plans"
hehehee... fun, ain't it?