Chapter 13
Ryoga stumbled back in fear. His had gripped the stone of the battlements, which crumbled to dust under the force of his grip. "What the hell are you?" he asked, his voice low in barely controlled fear.
"I, and my family, are Gargoyles." The immense figure stated as he stepped fully into the light. His voice was incredibly deep and powerful. His whole being presented a sense of raw earthy power, of barely contained strength.
Ryoga had backed up as far as he could. His back was pressed against stone. He looked around desperately, trying to find a way out of this trap. He noticed that the older man was just standing there, a smirk on his lips. For a moment, his anger surged, blocking out the fear. He took a step forward, his eyes narrowing as his rage built within him. It was then that he noticed the smaller forms standing just behind the purple giant. His eyes widened with fear and he slammed back into the wall, his hands digging into the solid stone.
There were 8 figures behind the largest of them. They were widely different in appearance. There were two who were obviously female, judging from the fact that they were wearing halters to cover some quite significant chests. Under normal circumstances, seeing two woman dressed in the manner of these two would have sent Ryoga into oblivion with a massive nosebleed, but his fear overrode his normal responses.
Out of the shadows, a hispanic woman strode forward until she reached the lavender monster's side. Ryoga passed out again as she looped an arm around the waist of the monster and smiled up gently at him. The monster retured the favor, by gently placing one of his incredibly muscular arms around the woman's shoulder as a small smile grew on his lips.
Behind the woman, the scarlet haired demon scowled slightly at the sight. However, Ryoga Hibiki was not concious to notice, nor would he have noticed if he were awake for he was the typical Japanese teen in at least one sense: he was completely oblivious to anything subtler than a mallet to the head and with him, even that was more often than not too subtle.
"What's his problem?" asked Lex as he studied the boy. ********************************************************* The register stared down at the form in his hand. More than half of it was blank. No personal information at all except for name, age, and genders. Under any other circumstance, he would have laughed at the two teens who had handed him the form. However, these were not ordinary circumstance for under the name of the school was listed an extremely rare and secretive name.
Among regular schools, the Musabetsu Kakutou was almost legendary. It is reputed to be one of, if not the, single most powerful school of martial arts ever created. It's history was shrouded in myths and legends. The only concrete evidence of it's existence was in the criminal records of the few practitioners and the existence of a little known and almost never used Dojo in Nerima. Whereas all other schools had ranking systems (belts, beads, dan levels, etc...), the Musabetsu Kakutou was rumored to have only 3 positions. Student, Master, and GrandMaster. There was only 1 GrandMaster, and the largest known number of Masters at one time was 7, nearly 500 years prior to this event.
The students, few that there were, were virtual slaves to the masters, forced to endure training that not even the most avid of any other school would attempt. The masters were similarily subject to the GrandMaster. At this time, rumor had it that the small school had only been continued by 2 families.
Now, it seemed that the rumor was truth for standing before him were Saotome Ranma of the Musabetsu Kakutou Saotome-Ryuu and his fiancee Tendo Akane of the Musabetsu Kakutou Tendo-Ryuu.
And despite the fact that Saotome-san's form was less than half filled, he was forced to accept it and treat the young man with respect, as his employer, Meaiu Setsuna had been very direct in ordering him. When he had asked why he should treat the youth with respect deserving only to a true master of an actual school, the normally staid and proper Setsuna had stared at him with her purple-green eyes and collapsed back into her seat laughing. She had then dismissed him with a wave of her hand and a reaffirmation that he was to be most polite and respectful to the youth and to any others claiming to study the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryuu.
As he had opened the door to leave her office, her laughter had stopped. He shuddered as he remembered her next words.
'"Should a short, wrinkled old man come and claim title to the Musabetsu Kakutou as GrandMaster, page me immediately. Treat him with respect, and do not deny his claim. Warn the women and girls to guard their possesions and their persons. Do not anger him until I arrive."'
He would have dismissed her claims if he had not sensed the undercurrent of fear in her voice. The knowledge that she feared this man was enough to make him shudder in terror. As long as he had known her, Setsuna had never shown any fear of anything. He was most definitely not eager to face something that could terrify HER.
"Saotome-kun, Tendo-san, it is an honor to have practitioners of your schools at this tournament." he stamped the forms and slipped them into the appropriate folders. "Do to the nature of your schools, and your late arrival, you have been granted a by to the 2nd round. Your first fight, should all go well, will be this evening at 9:45 for you, Saotome-kun at Area 3, and at 10:15 for you, Tendo-kun in Area 6." He hand them each a small booklet. "Inside here, you will find a map of the stadium with all the locations for the battles. You will also find a copy of the rule book and a biography of some of the celebrities that shall be in attendance. It also directs you to the changing areas, food court, Nurses station, and a few other places you might need."
Not having a watch, Ranma looked around for a clock. "What time is it?" he asked the gaijin register, whose name tag read "Aaron".
The tall sandy haired man looked at the watch on his left wrist. "It is now 5:50. The first match, a demonstration match between 2 of our mystery celebrities is to take place at 7:05. It is in Area 3, which is the center of the arena."
Akane studied the map that had been in the booklet, and nodded. 'That's pretty nearby, actually. I want to see this, then Ranma and I can get something to eat.'
Ranma was looking around, studying the people around him. He was looking with more than his eyes. He was trying to see the ki levels of the people taking part in the tournament. He could sense several strong powers in the building, but could not pinpoint the origrins. Some of the powers were strangely different from ki, but similar enough that he could detect them. Some were even vaguely familiar.
*Ranma! Saotome Ranma?!!* a voice screamed from. *What the Hèl are you doing here, of all places?*
Looking around franticly, Ranma spotted a large figure moving towards him. His reflexes started to prepare for a fight, but he could sense no hostility from the advancing figure.
*Who are you?* he asked as the figure approached. While he trusted his sense for danger, he still placed himself between Akane and the man who was almost at the desk. The crowd was beginnning to part willingly, as the large figure simply pushed aside anyone who did not get out of his way.
The figure stopped a few feet away. *Don't you remember me? We trained together at the Ket Jung Do Dojo in San Fransisco.*
Ranma frowned, looking up at the redhaired giant. Something was tickling his mind, a name and a face. He could not quite make it out. *Hey, the last time I was in San Fransisco I was only about 9 years old. How do you recognize me?* he asked puzzled.
The giant roared with laughter. Several of the nearby people recoiled at the boisterous sound being emitted. *After what you did to me? I could never forget your face. Or your pigtail. You're the only guy I've ever seen wear it like that. Not to mention your fat old man. How is the old geezer?*
Ranma blinked again. Before he could reply, Akane grabbed his arm and moved to his side. He glanced down at her, as she stared up at the man who must have been more that 7 feet tall.
"Ranma, do you know who this is? What is he saying?" Akane asked.
Ranma smiled. He remembered who this was now. "Just a moment Akane."
He turned back to the giant. *You yellow son of a halfbreed mongrol dog, you ask me what I am doing here? This is my home, you dog ugly horse eater.*
The giant roared. His face darkened with emotion. More of the crowd started to back away. The tall man was more than 2 feet taller and probably a few hundred pounds heavier than the younger man.
*Who are you to talk you yellow slant eyed coward?* he stated in a angry tone of voice. None of the people nearby could understand the language, but they did understand the tone.
Ranma grinned. *Coward? Who are you calling a coward, Irishman?*
*Irishman? IRISHMAN?* The giant began to growl. *I am a son of Iceland. Not the damned isle of Eyre.*
Ranma looked the man over, a sly grin on his lips. *Oh? I see. I must have been mistaken. After all, Irishman look alot like Icelandic women. I'm sure you can understand the error, you being so womanly and all.*
The giants face darkened even more. Suddenly, without warning, he grasped his sides and fell to his knees, his whole body shaking with the effort of containing laughter. Unfortunately, he was not successful. *It is indeed a good thing to see you again, my little friend. It has been a long time.*
Ranma smiled and thrust out his arm. The giant grasped it below the elbow, and Ranma effortlessly hauled the big man to his feet. *It is an honor to see you again as well, Ulaf. What are you doing in Japan? When we last met, you had planned to return home to take over for your father.*
*The fool recovered. It was simply a bad case of food poisoning combined with a heart attack. He had nearly recovered by the time I arrived home. We had a discussion about it when the doctor cleared him.* The giant looked down at Akane. *And who is the pretty little thing here?*
*This is my mate, Akane.* Ranma stated proudly, his arm wrapping around her shoulder. He also looked at Akane and blinked at the frustration he saw in her face. *Do you think we could speak Japanese. I'm afraid she does not speak the language of the frozen isles.*
The giant waved a hand. "Certainly, little friend. I must practice it anyway. My father has decided to extend his business to your country. That is a large part of why I am here. That, and this tournament. I received an invitation." Something seemed to click in his mind. He looked at the girl standing next to Ranma more closely. "This is Akane? The same Akane you told me about all those years ago?"
Ranma grinned. "Hai. My idiot of a father conveniently engaged us at birth. He didn't bother to tell me about it until we returned from China and were a few blocks away. He also did not tell me that the person he had engaged me to was Akane. He only told me that we were going to an old friend of his and that I was going to marry one of his daughers. He knew all along that Akane here, was the same one I had met after that damn Nekoken training. Hell, the bastard even convinced her father to put her through the same sort of training. Nekoken, Jhusenkyou, and a bunch of other stupid training methods."
Ulaf frowned. "I know about the Nekoken, but what is Jhusenkyou?"
Ranma shuddered, but it was Akane who answered. "Trust us, Ulaf-san. You do not want to know."
"Hey, Ulaf, when is your first fight? Akane and I got some kind of bye thingy to the second round for some reason. I don't have a fight until 9:45, and Akane until after 10:00. I'd love to see your match."
"My match is in the first round, right after the opening emonstration by the 'surprise guests'." Ulaf stated, looking around. "If I understand these brackets, I am to fight a Hawaiian named Edmond Honda."
"Oh? Have you heard what style he uses?" Akane asked. She had placed an arm around Ranma's waist and was leaning her head on his shoulder.
"From what I overheard others saying when they thought I would not understand, being gaijin and all, he is supposed to be a Sumo wrestler who has competed in the underground Street Fighter tournaments that are run by Shadowloo."
"huh. Must be pretty good, then." Ranma stated. "I've seen some of those, though I've never been in one." He shuddered. "I think I was 6 when I saw the first one. It was right after the tournament that oyaji decided to train me in the Nekoken. I think he was planning on entering me for the prize money and the bets." He swallowed. "It was the first time I saw someone die."
Akane and Ulaf's faces became grim.
"What happened, Ranma?" Akane asked gently.
"This guy in a mask, with a set of claws on his hand was fighting this other guy with a staff. It looked pretty even for most of the fight, until the staff guy hit the mask guy in the face. That guy then clutched his face and started screaming in some language I didn't know. I learned later that it was Spanish. Any way, he went nuts. He went into a roll with the claw extened. The staff was sliced early, and then the claws were sticking out of the guy's back, straight through the heart. Claw guy yanked down before pulling the claws out."
Ulaf nodded while Akane looked ill. "I think I know this man you speak of. I hear he is called Vega and that he is some high ranking assasin for Shadowloo and M. Bison. If even a tenth of the rumors concerning that group are true, they are a danger to the world."
Ranma grinned. "I know. That's what the Street Fighter tournaments are about. They're a front to hide Shadowloo's recruiting of the best fighters in the world. I happen to have come across a small group that's trying to stop them, by hiding their intentions by fighting in the tournament." ********************************************************* A tall blond man behind Ranma started. His hair was cut very short in a military style and he was wearing blue combat fatigues. Over one shoulder, he was carrying an army issue duffel bag. Beside him, an oriental woman dressed in a maroon business suit stopped and the two started eavesdropping on the conversation.
The man looked over the three people talking about the Street Fighter tournament. Turning to the woman with a concerned expression on his face, he spoke in heavily accented Chinese. *Chun, do you recognise any of them?*
The woman carefully studied the small group. Half closing her eyes, she extended her senses. Her eyes shot wide open and her face paled. *I do not know these people* she stated, her voice shaking. *But I sense they are very powerful, especially the young man.*
*What do you mean?* Guile asked.
*During my childhood, I was taught how to read a persons aura, to learn how powerful they are and whether they were a threat or peaceful.* she explained, her voice still quivering. *My father's grandmother taught me the trick during one of her many visits.* Taking a breath, she tried to calm her racing heart. *There is as much power in that young man as there is in anyone I have ever faced. And, he is hiding a much larger source of power, as is the girl.*
*So what you're saying is that you can tell how strong someone is just by reading their aura, and that the kid is stronger than most of the fighters you know? What about Bison or Ruy?*
Chun-Li shook her head. *I do not know. They too are capable of hiding their strength. Let me put it this way. If the young man were to remove the constraints he keeps on his power, he could likely destroy a medium sized stadium such as this with just the release.*
*Do you think you could teach me this trick? It would help us a lot, if others could tell if someone nearby was an enemy or a threat to others.*
Chun-li hesitated before answering. *I do not know if I should. The technique is a secret of my father's people, the Jokoketsu. Great- grandmother once told me to never teach the technique to outsiders, especially males.*
Guile groaned. He had heard a lot over the years of the legendary chinese amazons. *Would I be able to learn the technique in the first place?* he asked.
Chun-li grinned. *Oh yes. Most people are instinctively capable of it on a much smaller scale. You yourself have trained it about as far as you can without a few minor meditative aids the amazons have developped. It's that sense that tells you when someone is watching you, or the feeeling of danger you get when being stalked by a large predator. But my ancestors were able to extend it in many ways.* She turned to face the convention door. *For one, they have made it possible to recognize the presence of a close friend within a certain distance.*
"Hey, Honda!" She cried as her eyes spotted the figure her senses had noticed seconds before. "We're over here!"
A large man turned to face the shout and a smile broke on his huge face. "Konnichiwa, Chun-Li, Guile-san. You'll never guess who I ran into at a restaurant a few blocks from here."
From behind the large man stepped a familiar figure to the two government agents. Clad in his standard white training gi and red belt stood Ryu. ********************************************************* Chapter 14
Ranma nearly staggered as his senses were suddenly overcome by a powerful aura. Akane also stumbled. Ulaf simply looked down at the two, not understanding why they were so startled by the door of the elevator opening.
Ranma looked around, trying to sense the source of the powerful and somehow familiar aura. Akane also looked around, extending her enhanced senses. Her chi training was not as progressed as her mate's but her mutated body was still dozens of times more sensitive than any normal humans.
"Where is it, Ranma? I can feel it, but I can't pinpoint it. There are too many powerful sources near it."
"There are other ways, anata. Look for a group of 4 that are just standing around. It feels like they just got together, so they should be exchanging greetings."
Ulaf, still not understanding what they were really talking about, decided to try and spot a group like the one Ranma mentioned. He spotted four people standing not far from the desk, where he had run into Ranma. He noticed that one of the figures was quite bulky and wondered if it was Honda.
"Over there, my friends. Near the desk." he stated softly. Ranma's and Akane's head whipped around to face the direction he had pointed out.
Ranma's eyes narrowed as he studied the figures. He could sense that they were all very powerful. The weakest of them was easily a match for his father and Tendo-san. Maybe even a match for Akane. Ignoring the sumo and the American, he started by studying the Chinese woman. Something about her kept reminding him of the Amazons. Perhaps she was one. But it was the fourth figure that caught his attention. He could almost sense the power radiating from the man, even without chi-enhancing or his metahuman sense. A growl started in his throat and he moved to position himself between the figure and his mate.
While he could not sense any hostility from the man, he knew better than to rely on that. All this took place somewhere in Ranma's subconcious mind. His concious mind was busy trying to place where he had felt that aura before and why the man seemed so familiar to him. ********************************************************* Ruy studied the faces of the people standing around in the hotel lobby, trying to appear casual. He could feel the presence of a familiar aura, but there were to many others interfering for him to pinpoint it.
While he recognized the aura as one he knew, he could tell that there was a difference in it that was not there the last time he had felt it. For one, it was much more powerful, almost as strong as his own. It was also hiding a much greater power within it. There was another very large power near it and a slightly less powerful force with them.
His gaze slowly crossed the bank of elevators before moving on. Something below the concious level of his mind caused him to turn back and stare at the elevators.
A face passed through his minds eye, followed by the image of a bucking horse. His gaze bore into the face of the young man, who was also now staring directly at him. The rest of the world faded away and the image of the horse shifted into a name.
"Ranma." Ruy stated quietly. He sweatdropped when the others turned to look at him. ********************************************************* "Ryu" Ranma's voice was soft and his stance shifted from one of agression to a more relaxed defensive stance.
Akane, not liking the feel of the lobby, dragged Ranma into the elevator. She pressed the button for their floor, as did Ulaf. ********************************************************* Chapter 15
Ryoga awoke with a start, sitting up abrubtly, causing the person leaning over him to jump back in fear.
"Was I dreaming?" he asked the air, not having noticed the person in the lab coat.
"No sir, Mr. Hibiki." came a timid voice from the man in the hospital scrubs.
Ryoga looked around, noticing the man and the room. Obviously, he was in some kind of examination room, judging by the expensive equipment. He watched as the man spoke into a device built into the wall, speaking too quietly for him to hear.
Less than a minute later, the door swung open and Xanatos entered, followed by the blond man who brought him here, a tall red-haired woman with a strange looking blue-tattoo on her face and the olive skinned woman in the jeans and red bomber jacket.
"What's going on here?" Ryoga asked. "What were those things I saw?"
"Those were gargoyles, Mr. Hibiki. The Wyvern clan, to be precise." replied the blond man in a monotone.
"What's a gargoyle and what is Wyvern?"
"Wyvern is the name of this castle." answered Xanatos. "And those beings you saw are gargoyles. They are the reason I need your help in finding Jhusenkyou."
"So those monsters are gargoyles and they are why you need Jhusenkyou." Ryoga frowned. "You want to make it so they can pass for human? Why?"
"Let's just say it's personal and leave it at that, okay?"
Ryoga frowned as something occurs to him. "It has to do with keeping them safe, right? And with the way the big one was looking at her?"
Xanatos blinked. He hadn't know the youth for long and even he could see how oblivious he was. "Yes. But the reason why isn't important. If you are willing, we need to get a supply of the water, both nannichuan and nyannichuan."
Ryoga frowned. "In case you're wondering, I think there's also a spring of drowned gargoyle." he offered, deciding to take the offer. This Xanatos person's help would be a godsend. With a steady pay, and official papers, his search for Saotome would progress much quicker and he would be able to have his revenge.
Xanatos looked towards Eliza, both of them wearing expressions of shock. *How does he do that? He seemed almost a little dim, then he springs this on me.* "Are you certain of that? That would be of great interest to me if it is true."
Ryoga scratched the back of his head. "As certain as I can be. When I fell off the cliff into the spring, I saw something climbing out of a spring near the one I fell in. Thinking about it, it looks a lot like that small green one, except it was more yellow then green, and had horns curving over his head and hair."
"Detective, do you recognize the description?" asked Owen. "Does it sound like a member of one of the clans you've met?"
Eliza blinked. "I've never met one that looked like that. And I've been around gargoyles in most parts of the world."
"Not quite all the world, detective, but close enough, I suppose." Owen stated in his dry voice. "And remember, the gargoyle that drowned in that spring could have died centuries or even millenia ago."
At one time, Eliza would have bristled and attacked him for the manner in which he addressed her, but a few years of close proximity and several life and death situations shared by those in the room, had relaxed her somewhat. She wasn't fond of being called detective by any of this crowd. Not since Demona had started using it to taunt her with durng the Rift as it was now called. She and Demona still had their problems but they could go whole hours in each other's prescence without thinking of killing the other.
"So it could have been from one of the many lost clans." she stated.
"I guess. I wouldn't know anything about that. I only know what I saw." Ryoga stated, looking around. "Where are they? I'd like to meet them."
"Dawn is approaching and they are taking their places around the castle walls. They turn to stone during the day, reawakening at dusk." Owen stated. "If you'd like, I will show you them later. You are alright now?"
"Yeah, I'm just not good at being surprised like that." He hoped off the table, and everyone in the room took a step back. His stomach took that moment rumble, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in a while. "Er, could we stop for something to eat first?" *********************************************************
Ryoga stumbled back in fear. His had gripped the stone of the battlements, which crumbled to dust under the force of his grip. "What the hell are you?" he asked, his voice low in barely controlled fear.
"I, and my family, are Gargoyles." The immense figure stated as he stepped fully into the light. His voice was incredibly deep and powerful. His whole being presented a sense of raw earthy power, of barely contained strength.
Ryoga had backed up as far as he could. His back was pressed against stone. He looked around desperately, trying to find a way out of this trap. He noticed that the older man was just standing there, a smirk on his lips. For a moment, his anger surged, blocking out the fear. He took a step forward, his eyes narrowing as his rage built within him. It was then that he noticed the smaller forms standing just behind the purple giant. His eyes widened with fear and he slammed back into the wall, his hands digging into the solid stone.
There were 8 figures behind the largest of them. They were widely different in appearance. There were two who were obviously female, judging from the fact that they were wearing halters to cover some quite significant chests. Under normal circumstances, seeing two woman dressed in the manner of these two would have sent Ryoga into oblivion with a massive nosebleed, but his fear overrode his normal responses.
Out of the shadows, a hispanic woman strode forward until she reached the lavender monster's side. Ryoga passed out again as she looped an arm around the waist of the monster and smiled up gently at him. The monster retured the favor, by gently placing one of his incredibly muscular arms around the woman's shoulder as a small smile grew on his lips.
Behind the woman, the scarlet haired demon scowled slightly at the sight. However, Ryoga Hibiki was not concious to notice, nor would he have noticed if he were awake for he was the typical Japanese teen in at least one sense: he was completely oblivious to anything subtler than a mallet to the head and with him, even that was more often than not too subtle.
"What's his problem?" asked Lex as he studied the boy. ********************************************************* The register stared down at the form in his hand. More than half of it was blank. No personal information at all except for name, age, and genders. Under any other circumstance, he would have laughed at the two teens who had handed him the form. However, these were not ordinary circumstance for under the name of the school was listed an extremely rare and secretive name.
Among regular schools, the Musabetsu Kakutou was almost legendary. It is reputed to be one of, if not the, single most powerful school of martial arts ever created. It's history was shrouded in myths and legends. The only concrete evidence of it's existence was in the criminal records of the few practitioners and the existence of a little known and almost never used Dojo in Nerima. Whereas all other schools had ranking systems (belts, beads, dan levels, etc...), the Musabetsu Kakutou was rumored to have only 3 positions. Student, Master, and GrandMaster. There was only 1 GrandMaster, and the largest known number of Masters at one time was 7, nearly 500 years prior to this event.
The students, few that there were, were virtual slaves to the masters, forced to endure training that not even the most avid of any other school would attempt. The masters were similarily subject to the GrandMaster. At this time, rumor had it that the small school had only been continued by 2 families.
Now, it seemed that the rumor was truth for standing before him were Saotome Ranma of the Musabetsu Kakutou Saotome-Ryuu and his fiancee Tendo Akane of the Musabetsu Kakutou Tendo-Ryuu.
And despite the fact that Saotome-san's form was less than half filled, he was forced to accept it and treat the young man with respect, as his employer, Meaiu Setsuna had been very direct in ordering him. When he had asked why he should treat the youth with respect deserving only to a true master of an actual school, the normally staid and proper Setsuna had stared at him with her purple-green eyes and collapsed back into her seat laughing. She had then dismissed him with a wave of her hand and a reaffirmation that he was to be most polite and respectful to the youth and to any others claiming to study the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryuu.
As he had opened the door to leave her office, her laughter had stopped. He shuddered as he remembered her next words.
'"Should a short, wrinkled old man come and claim title to the Musabetsu Kakutou as GrandMaster, page me immediately. Treat him with respect, and do not deny his claim. Warn the women and girls to guard their possesions and their persons. Do not anger him until I arrive."'
He would have dismissed her claims if he had not sensed the undercurrent of fear in her voice. The knowledge that she feared this man was enough to make him shudder in terror. As long as he had known her, Setsuna had never shown any fear of anything. He was most definitely not eager to face something that could terrify HER.
"Saotome-kun, Tendo-san, it is an honor to have practitioners of your schools at this tournament." he stamped the forms and slipped them into the appropriate folders. "Do to the nature of your schools, and your late arrival, you have been granted a by to the 2nd round. Your first fight, should all go well, will be this evening at 9:45 for you, Saotome-kun at Area 3, and at 10:15 for you, Tendo-kun in Area 6." He hand them each a small booklet. "Inside here, you will find a map of the stadium with all the locations for the battles. You will also find a copy of the rule book and a biography of some of the celebrities that shall be in attendance. It also directs you to the changing areas, food court, Nurses station, and a few other places you might need."
Not having a watch, Ranma looked around for a clock. "What time is it?" he asked the gaijin register, whose name tag read "Aaron".
The tall sandy haired man looked at the watch on his left wrist. "It is now 5:50. The first match, a demonstration match between 2 of our mystery celebrities is to take place at 7:05. It is in Area 3, which is the center of the arena."
Akane studied the map that had been in the booklet, and nodded. 'That's pretty nearby, actually. I want to see this, then Ranma and I can get something to eat.'
Ranma was looking around, studying the people around him. He was looking with more than his eyes. He was trying to see the ki levels of the people taking part in the tournament. He could sense several strong powers in the building, but could not pinpoint the origrins. Some of the powers were strangely different from ki, but similar enough that he could detect them. Some were even vaguely familiar.
*Ranma! Saotome Ranma?!!* a voice screamed from. *What the Hèl are you doing here, of all places?*
Looking around franticly, Ranma spotted a large figure moving towards him. His reflexes started to prepare for a fight, but he could sense no hostility from the advancing figure.
*Who are you?* he asked as the figure approached. While he trusted his sense for danger, he still placed himself between Akane and the man who was almost at the desk. The crowd was beginnning to part willingly, as the large figure simply pushed aside anyone who did not get out of his way.
The figure stopped a few feet away. *Don't you remember me? We trained together at the Ket Jung Do Dojo in San Fransisco.*
Ranma frowned, looking up at the redhaired giant. Something was tickling his mind, a name and a face. He could not quite make it out. *Hey, the last time I was in San Fransisco I was only about 9 years old. How do you recognize me?* he asked puzzled.
The giant roared with laughter. Several of the nearby people recoiled at the boisterous sound being emitted. *After what you did to me? I could never forget your face. Or your pigtail. You're the only guy I've ever seen wear it like that. Not to mention your fat old man. How is the old geezer?*
Ranma blinked again. Before he could reply, Akane grabbed his arm and moved to his side. He glanced down at her, as she stared up at the man who must have been more that 7 feet tall.
"Ranma, do you know who this is? What is he saying?" Akane asked.
Ranma smiled. He remembered who this was now. "Just a moment Akane."
He turned back to the giant. *You yellow son of a halfbreed mongrol dog, you ask me what I am doing here? This is my home, you dog ugly horse eater.*
The giant roared. His face darkened with emotion. More of the crowd started to back away. The tall man was more than 2 feet taller and probably a few hundred pounds heavier than the younger man.
*Who are you to talk you yellow slant eyed coward?* he stated in a angry tone of voice. None of the people nearby could understand the language, but they did understand the tone.
Ranma grinned. *Coward? Who are you calling a coward, Irishman?*
*Irishman? IRISHMAN?* The giant began to growl. *I am a son of Iceland. Not the damned isle of Eyre.*
Ranma looked the man over, a sly grin on his lips. *Oh? I see. I must have been mistaken. After all, Irishman look alot like Icelandic women. I'm sure you can understand the error, you being so womanly and all.*
The giants face darkened even more. Suddenly, without warning, he grasped his sides and fell to his knees, his whole body shaking with the effort of containing laughter. Unfortunately, he was not successful. *It is indeed a good thing to see you again, my little friend. It has been a long time.*
Ranma smiled and thrust out his arm. The giant grasped it below the elbow, and Ranma effortlessly hauled the big man to his feet. *It is an honor to see you again as well, Ulaf. What are you doing in Japan? When we last met, you had planned to return home to take over for your father.*
*The fool recovered. It was simply a bad case of food poisoning combined with a heart attack. He had nearly recovered by the time I arrived home. We had a discussion about it when the doctor cleared him.* The giant looked down at Akane. *And who is the pretty little thing here?*
*This is my mate, Akane.* Ranma stated proudly, his arm wrapping around her shoulder. He also looked at Akane and blinked at the frustration he saw in her face. *Do you think we could speak Japanese. I'm afraid she does not speak the language of the frozen isles.*
The giant waved a hand. "Certainly, little friend. I must practice it anyway. My father has decided to extend his business to your country. That is a large part of why I am here. That, and this tournament. I received an invitation." Something seemed to click in his mind. He looked at the girl standing next to Ranma more closely. "This is Akane? The same Akane you told me about all those years ago?"
Ranma grinned. "Hai. My idiot of a father conveniently engaged us at birth. He didn't bother to tell me about it until we returned from China and were a few blocks away. He also did not tell me that the person he had engaged me to was Akane. He only told me that we were going to an old friend of his and that I was going to marry one of his daughers. He knew all along that Akane here, was the same one I had met after that damn Nekoken training. Hell, the bastard even convinced her father to put her through the same sort of training. Nekoken, Jhusenkyou, and a bunch of other stupid training methods."
Ulaf frowned. "I know about the Nekoken, but what is Jhusenkyou?"
Ranma shuddered, but it was Akane who answered. "Trust us, Ulaf-san. You do not want to know."
"Hey, Ulaf, when is your first fight? Akane and I got some kind of bye thingy to the second round for some reason. I don't have a fight until 9:45, and Akane until after 10:00. I'd love to see your match."
"My match is in the first round, right after the opening emonstration by the 'surprise guests'." Ulaf stated, looking around. "If I understand these brackets, I am to fight a Hawaiian named Edmond Honda."
"Oh? Have you heard what style he uses?" Akane asked. She had placed an arm around Ranma's waist and was leaning her head on his shoulder.
"From what I overheard others saying when they thought I would not understand, being gaijin and all, he is supposed to be a Sumo wrestler who has competed in the underground Street Fighter tournaments that are run by Shadowloo."
"huh. Must be pretty good, then." Ranma stated. "I've seen some of those, though I've never been in one." He shuddered. "I think I was 6 when I saw the first one. It was right after the tournament that oyaji decided to train me in the Nekoken. I think he was planning on entering me for the prize money and the bets." He swallowed. "It was the first time I saw someone die."
Akane and Ulaf's faces became grim.
"What happened, Ranma?" Akane asked gently.
"This guy in a mask, with a set of claws on his hand was fighting this other guy with a staff. It looked pretty even for most of the fight, until the staff guy hit the mask guy in the face. That guy then clutched his face and started screaming in some language I didn't know. I learned later that it was Spanish. Any way, he went nuts. He went into a roll with the claw extened. The staff was sliced early, and then the claws were sticking out of the guy's back, straight through the heart. Claw guy yanked down before pulling the claws out."
Ulaf nodded while Akane looked ill. "I think I know this man you speak of. I hear he is called Vega and that he is some high ranking assasin for Shadowloo and M. Bison. If even a tenth of the rumors concerning that group are true, they are a danger to the world."
Ranma grinned. "I know. That's what the Street Fighter tournaments are about. They're a front to hide Shadowloo's recruiting of the best fighters in the world. I happen to have come across a small group that's trying to stop them, by hiding their intentions by fighting in the tournament." ********************************************************* A tall blond man behind Ranma started. His hair was cut very short in a military style and he was wearing blue combat fatigues. Over one shoulder, he was carrying an army issue duffel bag. Beside him, an oriental woman dressed in a maroon business suit stopped and the two started eavesdropping on the conversation.
The man looked over the three people talking about the Street Fighter tournament. Turning to the woman with a concerned expression on his face, he spoke in heavily accented Chinese. *Chun, do you recognise any of them?*
The woman carefully studied the small group. Half closing her eyes, she extended her senses. Her eyes shot wide open and her face paled. *I do not know these people* she stated, her voice shaking. *But I sense they are very powerful, especially the young man.*
*What do you mean?* Guile asked.
*During my childhood, I was taught how to read a persons aura, to learn how powerful they are and whether they were a threat or peaceful.* she explained, her voice still quivering. *My father's grandmother taught me the trick during one of her many visits.* Taking a breath, she tried to calm her racing heart. *There is as much power in that young man as there is in anyone I have ever faced. And, he is hiding a much larger source of power, as is the girl.*
*So what you're saying is that you can tell how strong someone is just by reading their aura, and that the kid is stronger than most of the fighters you know? What about Bison or Ruy?*
Chun-Li shook her head. *I do not know. They too are capable of hiding their strength. Let me put it this way. If the young man were to remove the constraints he keeps on his power, he could likely destroy a medium sized stadium such as this with just the release.*
*Do you think you could teach me this trick? It would help us a lot, if others could tell if someone nearby was an enemy or a threat to others.*
Chun-li hesitated before answering. *I do not know if I should. The technique is a secret of my father's people, the Jokoketsu. Great- grandmother once told me to never teach the technique to outsiders, especially males.*
Guile groaned. He had heard a lot over the years of the legendary chinese amazons. *Would I be able to learn the technique in the first place?* he asked.
Chun-li grinned. *Oh yes. Most people are instinctively capable of it on a much smaller scale. You yourself have trained it about as far as you can without a few minor meditative aids the amazons have developped. It's that sense that tells you when someone is watching you, or the feeeling of danger you get when being stalked by a large predator. But my ancestors were able to extend it in many ways.* She turned to face the convention door. *For one, they have made it possible to recognize the presence of a close friend within a certain distance.*
"Hey, Honda!" She cried as her eyes spotted the figure her senses had noticed seconds before. "We're over here!"
A large man turned to face the shout and a smile broke on his huge face. "Konnichiwa, Chun-Li, Guile-san. You'll never guess who I ran into at a restaurant a few blocks from here."
From behind the large man stepped a familiar figure to the two government agents. Clad in his standard white training gi and red belt stood Ryu. ********************************************************* Chapter 14
Ranma nearly staggered as his senses were suddenly overcome by a powerful aura. Akane also stumbled. Ulaf simply looked down at the two, not understanding why they were so startled by the door of the elevator opening.
Ranma looked around, trying to sense the source of the powerful and somehow familiar aura. Akane also looked around, extending her enhanced senses. Her chi training was not as progressed as her mate's but her mutated body was still dozens of times more sensitive than any normal humans.
"Where is it, Ranma? I can feel it, but I can't pinpoint it. There are too many powerful sources near it."
"There are other ways, anata. Look for a group of 4 that are just standing around. It feels like they just got together, so they should be exchanging greetings."
Ulaf, still not understanding what they were really talking about, decided to try and spot a group like the one Ranma mentioned. He spotted four people standing not far from the desk, where he had run into Ranma. He noticed that one of the figures was quite bulky and wondered if it was Honda.
"Over there, my friends. Near the desk." he stated softly. Ranma's and Akane's head whipped around to face the direction he had pointed out.
Ranma's eyes narrowed as he studied the figures. He could sense that they were all very powerful. The weakest of them was easily a match for his father and Tendo-san. Maybe even a match for Akane. Ignoring the sumo and the American, he started by studying the Chinese woman. Something about her kept reminding him of the Amazons. Perhaps she was one. But it was the fourth figure that caught his attention. He could almost sense the power radiating from the man, even without chi-enhancing or his metahuman sense. A growl started in his throat and he moved to position himself between the figure and his mate.
While he could not sense any hostility from the man, he knew better than to rely on that. All this took place somewhere in Ranma's subconcious mind. His concious mind was busy trying to place where he had felt that aura before and why the man seemed so familiar to him. ********************************************************* Ruy studied the faces of the people standing around in the hotel lobby, trying to appear casual. He could feel the presence of a familiar aura, but there were to many others interfering for him to pinpoint it.
While he recognized the aura as one he knew, he could tell that there was a difference in it that was not there the last time he had felt it. For one, it was much more powerful, almost as strong as his own. It was also hiding a much greater power within it. There was another very large power near it and a slightly less powerful force with them.
His gaze slowly crossed the bank of elevators before moving on. Something below the concious level of his mind caused him to turn back and stare at the elevators.
A face passed through his minds eye, followed by the image of a bucking horse. His gaze bore into the face of the young man, who was also now staring directly at him. The rest of the world faded away and the image of the horse shifted into a name.
"Ranma." Ruy stated quietly. He sweatdropped when the others turned to look at him. ********************************************************* "Ryu" Ranma's voice was soft and his stance shifted from one of agression to a more relaxed defensive stance.
Akane, not liking the feel of the lobby, dragged Ranma into the elevator. She pressed the button for their floor, as did Ulaf. ********************************************************* Chapter 15
Ryoga awoke with a start, sitting up abrubtly, causing the person leaning over him to jump back in fear.
"Was I dreaming?" he asked the air, not having noticed the person in the lab coat.
"No sir, Mr. Hibiki." came a timid voice from the man in the hospital scrubs.
Ryoga looked around, noticing the man and the room. Obviously, he was in some kind of examination room, judging by the expensive equipment. He watched as the man spoke into a device built into the wall, speaking too quietly for him to hear.
Less than a minute later, the door swung open and Xanatos entered, followed by the blond man who brought him here, a tall red-haired woman with a strange looking blue-tattoo on her face and the olive skinned woman in the jeans and red bomber jacket.
"What's going on here?" Ryoga asked. "What were those things I saw?"
"Those were gargoyles, Mr. Hibiki. The Wyvern clan, to be precise." replied the blond man in a monotone.
"What's a gargoyle and what is Wyvern?"
"Wyvern is the name of this castle." answered Xanatos. "And those beings you saw are gargoyles. They are the reason I need your help in finding Jhusenkyou."
"So those monsters are gargoyles and they are why you need Jhusenkyou." Ryoga frowned. "You want to make it so they can pass for human? Why?"
"Let's just say it's personal and leave it at that, okay?"
Ryoga frowned as something occurs to him. "It has to do with keeping them safe, right? And with the way the big one was looking at her?"
Xanatos blinked. He hadn't know the youth for long and even he could see how oblivious he was. "Yes. But the reason why isn't important. If you are willing, we need to get a supply of the water, both nannichuan and nyannichuan."
Ryoga frowned. "In case you're wondering, I think there's also a spring of drowned gargoyle." he offered, deciding to take the offer. This Xanatos person's help would be a godsend. With a steady pay, and official papers, his search for Saotome would progress much quicker and he would be able to have his revenge.
Xanatos looked towards Eliza, both of them wearing expressions of shock. *How does he do that? He seemed almost a little dim, then he springs this on me.* "Are you certain of that? That would be of great interest to me if it is true."
Ryoga scratched the back of his head. "As certain as I can be. When I fell off the cliff into the spring, I saw something climbing out of a spring near the one I fell in. Thinking about it, it looks a lot like that small green one, except it was more yellow then green, and had horns curving over his head and hair."
"Detective, do you recognize the description?" asked Owen. "Does it sound like a member of one of the clans you've met?"
Eliza blinked. "I've never met one that looked like that. And I've been around gargoyles in most parts of the world."
"Not quite all the world, detective, but close enough, I suppose." Owen stated in his dry voice. "And remember, the gargoyle that drowned in that spring could have died centuries or even millenia ago."
At one time, Eliza would have bristled and attacked him for the manner in which he addressed her, but a few years of close proximity and several life and death situations shared by those in the room, had relaxed her somewhat. She wasn't fond of being called detective by any of this crowd. Not since Demona had started using it to taunt her with durng the Rift as it was now called. She and Demona still had their problems but they could go whole hours in each other's prescence without thinking of killing the other.
"So it could have been from one of the many lost clans." she stated.
"I guess. I wouldn't know anything about that. I only know what I saw." Ryoga stated, looking around. "Where are they? I'd like to meet them."
"Dawn is approaching and they are taking their places around the castle walls. They turn to stone during the day, reawakening at dusk." Owen stated. "If you'd like, I will show you them later. You are alright now?"
"Yeah, I'm just not good at being surprised like that." He hoped off the table, and everyone in the room took a step back. His stomach took that moment rumble, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in a while. "Er, could we stop for something to eat first?" *********************************************************
