Chapter Twenty Four: The Limits of Determination
Taro bared his teeth, wiping sweat from his forehead. I can't be beaten! I am a Mazakin armor wearer! I'm invincible!
How his enemies kept getting up after he crushed them time and time again amazed and perplexed him at the same time. They weren't that much stronger than they had been a week ago, he was sure of it. What was it that was giving them the power to match him blow for blow that hadn't been there a just a few days prior? Where did their edge come from?
His eyes went hard and he set his teeth. I still have a few moves I haven't used yet and it's clearly time I went all out! Screaming with rage, he rushed at his hated foes, attacking with a renewed desire to kill. Occupied with his fist attacks, as he launched volley after volley in their directions, neither of the two boys noticed Taro's right foot turn red as power flowed into it, channeled from all parts of his body. The blaze intensified, engulfing his entire foot in an orb of fire. Falling gracefully onto one strong arm, he spun his leg around in a wide arc, catching the two completely off guard.
"Flame Kick!" The energy increased the strength of his kick and struck the two boy's in the chest in a side sweeping motion, hurling them backwards with devastating results. Bruised and singed from the move's powerful abilities, it weakened them further, bringing Taro that much closer to victory. Grinning arrogantly, the Chinese man ended the attack and dropped into a crouch, extinguishing the flame with his mind.
"How many special moves do you have?!" Ranma grunted in frustration, attempting to pick herself up off the ground.
He grinned savagely, looking around at the crowd of onlookers. "We're putting on quite a show, wouldn't you say? As strong as you both are, your moves sadly lack when compared to my own! You're not the only one who knows how to channel power to various parts of the body, Ranma. Believe it or not, that attack that is so very much like yours is one of my own designs. I mastered it over a year ago."
"You talk big," Ranma shouted, crawling to her feet, "but you're hurting too!"
"That's right. The odds are shifting in our favor now that you can't transform anymore!" Ryoga clutched his aching wound, simply struggling to remain upright.
Taro sneered. "Bold words coming from a little girlie and a half dead loser! I've defeated many stronger opponents, far more than either of you combined. In the end, you two wimps will fall just as they did! I targeted all of your past enemies not just to send you a message that I was coming, but to show you how very weak you truly were!"
He held his hands up high, powerful hands that desired blood. "Each of your three rivals that I crushed had managed to beat you at least once Ranma. The sheer fact that I beat them all, one after another, proves I'm far stronger than you could ever hope to be. The only reason you've lasted this long is because there are two of you. But I've faced two on one odds before and your futile struggles are about to become a moot issue!"
Most didn't believe him though. Elation and excitement spread through the students and teachers of the Nerima school watched their two hero's slowly push back the odds against them. The crowd was cheering Ranma and Ryoga on, issuing a roar of support that even a deaf man could hear.
The noise reached Taro's battled-hardened mind and for a moment, gave him pause. No one had ever cheered him on before! No one had ever supported him when the chips were down! It wasn't fair! Why did he always have to be the bearer of misfortune?! Why did he have to be labeled as a freak and an outcast?
Memories rushed back to him, painful times that he had tried so hard to forget…
"Take that, you monster!" Laughing, the boy threw a rock at the younger kid in front of him. He was a slightly heavyset lad, with brown eyes and a youthful face that was currently contorted into a hard, hateful look. He was clad in simple clothes customary to children of the villiage: a dirty shirt and jeans that had been torn at the knees and a pair of shapeless shoes. Behind him stood a group of five other children and, judging by the way they watched his movements, it was clear they looked to him as a leader.
The rock he threw struck the young boy Taro in the head and he fell backwards onto his rear, rubbing at the painful mark it had left on his forehead. He stared up at the older boy with a dazed and confused look on his face, and his shining eyes spoke of a haunting pain. This incident had occurred before, many times before. But that didn't matter, because no matter how many times it occurred, the pain never lessened.
"Isn't that a bit much, Yan? Calling him a monster, I mean." Another boy asked, moving stand behind the heavier lad.
Yan turned his head back to look at the inquiring boy and shot him a look, as if to say he had asked the most ridiculous question imaginable. "Don't be stupid, it's all true! Taro's a freak of nature and I don't trust him."
Taro stood up, shock turning into defiance. "I am not a monster or a freak!"
"Shut up!" Yan pushed Taro over with a palm slap to his chest. "You aren't a normal human, papa said so! You turn into a monster with water, don't you?"
"Its not like I wanted this stupid curse," Taro muttered, angry tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Once again he rose to his feet. "It was just something I was born with."
"Nobody likes you, Taro!" the elder boy jeered. "You don't belong here. You and your stupid mother should just leave town and save us the trouble of having to run you out."
"What did you call my mother?" Taro's eyes hardened with anger. He took a step towards the older boy, balling his little hands into fists. Children could be so terribly cruel sometimes, especially to those people different from themselves. Until now, Taro had come to believe that nothing anyone said could hurt him anymore. He had long since believed that the constant abuse and jeering from the fellow children had rendered him indifferent. But Yan had proven that idea wrong today and Taro felt a well of anger rise up inside of him.
"She's not much of a mother if she gave birth to a freak like you," Yan said, stirring the fire. He saw the reaction his words were causing in Taro's eyes and sought to intensify the confrontation. A slight, cruel smile creased his lips.
"Nobody talks about my mother like that. Nobody!" Taro stepped forward again.
The small group of children, sensing the brewing of a fight, formed a circle around Taro and Yan. Taking a hesitant step backwards, Taro felt a twinge of fear. There were too many for him to deal with, and none of the grownups could hear him if he cried out. Even if they did hear, they probably wouldn't come. The hard reality of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. His mother couldn't save him this time so he would have to do it on his own.
"Maybe if we beat some sense into you, you'll get the hint," Yan suggested smugly, moving towards Taro. "Let's get him!"
The other children, even those who secretly did not hate Taro obeyed the command of their leader out of fear. They pounced on Taro and reigned down blow after blow, knocking him to the ground where he curled up into a defensive ball to protect his face. Yan took that opportunity to kick him in the head and back, the little cruel smile spreading farther across his wide face.
The pain was terrible and Taro clutched himself tighter as tears sprung from his eyes. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!
A kick fell across his spine sending a spasm of pain spiking to his head. Punches continued to rain down across his sides and legs, and his muscles screamed in protest. Pain became his world and he fell into head first.
Momma, help me!
Pushing the other children back, Yan roughly hauled Taro up by his hair and punched him square in the nose. While the punch did not break his nose as was its intent, it propelled the boy backwards onto his rear where he sat in a daze, feeling a trickle of blood trailing down from his nostrils, dripping past his lips. He looked up at Yan with a look of more pain and confusion than any child should ever have to know.
"Why did you hit me? I'm just a little different… but I'm still human. Why are you so mean to me?"
Yan spit on the ground in his direction. "You're nothing but trash! You have no place here. Come on guys lets go."
Taro watched them go as he sat there in a stupor on the ground. No one came to check on him, to make sure he was ok. His body hurt all over but he knew he wouldn't feel safe until he made it home. Hauling himself up on limbs that screamed for mercy, he began to sob despite himself, wiping blood from his nose as he limped home. The villagers he passed made no attempt to help him, and most simply turned away, ignoring him completely.
His house was rather far away, nestled near a forest on the outside of town. As he approached the cozy cottage he could see his mother sweeping the front walkway with a straw broom. By chance she happened to turn his way as he approached and she took note of his condition, eye's widening in horror.
"Taro!"
She ran up to him and gently took him in her arms. Crouching down on one knee so she could look him directly in the eye, she clasped his shoulders. "What happened sweetheart?"
Taro turned his head away, looking at the ground. "I… I fell down."
His mother cupped his chin and made him look up at her. Her soothing brown eyes melted his resolve to stay strong in front of her. "Taro, it's ok. Tell me the truth."
His drying tears renewed. "I'm different and they hate me, Momma. They always hit and kick me. I hate being different! They call me a monster and a freak. Why did I have to be born different? I just want to be like everyone else!"
Suddenly his mother burst into tears of her own and she cradled her only child, her one love to her and held him, radiating as much love and warmth into her child as she could. "I'm so sorry, Taro. So very, very sorry."
For some reason her crying only made him feel worse and he clung to her as fiercely as his hurt body could. "Please don't cry momma. It isn't your fault."
"I love you so much, darling. The other kids can be so cruel sometimes, I know that. I'll fix this problem once and for all! No one picks on my son like that!"
She tended to his wounds with more love and care than any nurse could hope to give. After that, she had gone to town to deal with the problem, anger glistening in her eyes like the sun on a pond in the early morning. She had returned in just over an hour later with a large bruise on her cheek, her angry expression turned defiant. She had remained strong in front of her son, promising him that things would only get better from then on.
But Taro was not fooled and it would have taken a deaf man to not hear her muffled sobs that night. She always tried so hard to defend him, even at the cost of her own pride and safety. She was far from well liked by the village population too and somehow, getting beat by the other kids hurt far less than the pain that stirred from within the confines of his heart when he heard her cry.
Why do things have to be too hard? Why do people have to hate me because I'm different? I don't understand.
Covering his ears tightly in an attempt to escape the pain, he had rolled around his bed that night in the grip of agony. Someone, please tell me why….
A renewed cheer from the crowd brought Taro back to his senses a moment later. Anger blossomed up and his eyes narrowed to slits. So Ranma and Ryoga wanted to be heroes, did they? He'd just have to kill them! Let the crowd try and cheer then! The flowers and grass below him would drink in their blood.
He spit on the ground in disgust. "It's not over. Don't celebrate yet! You two have yet to see my ultimate attack, far stronger than any pitiful final attack you two have! I designed it myself over weeks of hard training in the mountains of China! I will not lose! The crowd is cheering you both on to your deaths!" Clenching his fists, he howled loudly at divine creation, summoning the greater reserve of his power into a blazing sphere in his right hand.
Not to be outdone, Ranma and Ryoga also dove into their souls, salvaging the last scraps of power they had left. As waves of power rose from their tense forms like steam off water, the very air became charged with power. The sky crackled ominously, sensing the climax to the greatest fight Nerima had ever seen.
"Ranma, you can do it!" Akane's encouragement found its way to his ears, strengthening his resolve. He had to win, if not for himself, then for her. So long as his life mattered to even one individual, he would fight as hard as he could to survive. Someday he would marry Akane and anyone who tried to take that away from them would be punished.
"Ukyo, tell me you hate me!" Ryoga ordered.
Ukyo hesitated, bringing her hands up and clasping them together. "But, Ryoga...I..."
"Do it! It's important!" He barked. "Say everything you can to hurt me!"
Ukyo took a deep breath and closed her eyes because she knew there was no way she could lie to him so blatantly and make eye contact. "I hate you, Ryoga Hibiki! Ranma is ten times the man you are! You're weak, overly sensitive, and a loser! You're a child, a total gullible fool! "She hated saying it. The words she spoke tore though her heart like glass. Why had he asked her to say such a hurtful thing when he was out there fighting while under tremendous pain?
Ryoga's eyes went wide and he began to tremble. He was gullible but it worked to his advantage this time and he forgot that he had ordered her to say those things in the first place. The words tore into him like knives.
She hates me! I knew it! I knew it! It was too good to be true…. No woman could ever love a man like me…
Depression consumed his soul and he felt his dark ki strengthen to an unimaginable level. His plan utterly forgotten, he succumbed entirely to his own darkest emotions, howling like a demon as if he intended to crack the foundation of the heavens with his anguish.
"Chaos Maelstrom!"
A huge column of black power flew from Taro's right hand. The ground beneath him cracked and gave way and he nearly lost his footing. The onlookers gasped in shock and horror. It wasn't that the move was anything special in appearance; it was just a straight beam after all. It was the sheer depth of sadness and raw hatred it unleashed into the air around it, the fuel Taro had used to create it. No doubt the negative feelings of hatred that powered the attack had long been kept in his heart, swirling like its namesake.
This is it, Ryoga! Moko Takabisha!"
"Shishi Hoko-Dan!'
Ranma's yellow beam attack and Ryoga's blue one merged together, forming a huge beam of pure energy, equally balanced between light and dark, and sharing the powers of both. Taro's blast slammed into theirs, creating a huge tide of power as the two waves pushed against the other over and over again, each struggling to break through the other.
"This match is mine! Blood Lance!"
From his left hand, Taro fired the now infamous attack into the Chaos Beam, merging the two sources of his power. The beam strengthened and he grinned, knowing the battle was his! His energy pushed Ranma and Ryoga's back towards themselves, threatening to envelope them in their own devastating power! Their current energy convection was no match for the column of absolute hate that came from Taro's very heart.
For a time the situation looked hopeless. But love and desperation can often times form a power that even the blackest hate can not penetrate! Ranma and Ryoga cried out, pouring their heart and souls into their attacks, increasing their ferocity to a level that shattered glass on houses from blocks around them as a shockwave lashed out in all directions. It surprised even them, drained as they were, and startled Taro to no end. Such a feat should have been impossible for two so injured as they were.
Impossible! Taro set his legs and fought against their renewed strength as his attack was pushed back in his direction. He fought it will all his strength of will and mind but, inch by inch, Ranma and Ryoga's power closed in on him like a snapping predator, and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
I can't hold it back! Fear and exhaustion broke his concentration and, with a blinding flash, his powerful beam dissipated into nothingness as the convection of power died from his hands. His energy reserves spent themselves completely, leaving him without means to defend his own faltering body. Colossal as it was, his strong spirit had no more to give. He had no power left to call on as his own and this realization caused his face to whiten as doom descended upon him.
"It's not possible!"
His eyes widened and his mouth opened to scream as their combined beams struck him dead on in the chest. The power of the attack flowed through his soul and played across his body, submerging him in a sea of pain. He howled again as the beams flung him backwards, exploding against his skin, sending smoke billowing skyward for untold miles. He disappeared amidst the chaos as the already damaged ground cracked completely and fell out from beneath his feet, spilling him into the shifting rock and dust below.
For an endless moment, nothing stirred, and no one dared to breathe.
Ranma fell to one knee, spent beyond all description. Wiping her brow she stared over at Ryoga smiling weakly. "That... should... have done it."
"No!" Taro charged out from the smoke, ignoring his singed body. He ran towards Ranma with murder written in his eyes, staggering badly from his severe burns. "I won't lose! I cannot be defeated!"
Ranma's heart fell into her stomach. "That's... insane!" I don't have any extra energy to fend him off with! There's just no putting him down! All that negativity and hatred, he's going to destroy himself too if this keeps up!
The depths and power of hatred are strong indeed, especially when coupled with a strong, stubborn soul like a martial artist's. Taro didn't care if he destroyed himself so long as he won, and that made him far more dangerous than any normal enemy could have ever hoped to be.
Ryoga intercepted Taro and grabbed onto his hands before Ranma could even react. He faced Taro head on, bearing his fangs. "I'll never forgive you!"
Amidst tear-stained, vacant eyes, the darkest chaos consumed his will and mind like a cancer, leaving his vulnerable soul to the ravaging devil that was depression and sadness. His face twisted in agony, as Taro actually shrunk back a bit, twisting to free himself. The potency of the words Ukyo had said had taken Ryoga far away from reason, and at the moment it appeared that his dark depression was the strongest weapon they had left. Its repercussions might just be too much for Ryoga's body to handle, and this worried Ranma to no end.
"Ryoga, be careful!" She took a step backwards. She didn't have the strength to stop Ryoga's maelstrom of depression and besides, it might be their only hope left. She only hoped his damaged body could hold up against the sheer strain his attack would put upon it.
She hates me! It's his fault! He's the reason she hates me! Ryoga's eyes turned bright red and his body glowed with dark energy that was beyond black. A demonic, tortured howl rose form his mouth and his eyes gleamed beneath the afternoon sun.
Ranma stared wide-eyed at his friend in fascinated horror. "R-ryoga!?"
"Taro, you won't escape," Ryoga hissed, muscles convulsing painfully. "I'm going to make you pay a hundred times over for making Ukyo hates me! Suffer the hellish agony I've come to experience you bastard! Ultimate Shishi Hokodan!"
A dark beam of energy shot several hundred feet skyward in the form of a vertical cylinder, hitting Taro with great strength and ferocity. As it passed upwards, it struck Taro hard all across his body and the only thing that kept him from being thrown backwards was Ryoga's death grip on his hands. Watching with panic stricken eyes as the huge sphere of power collected in the sky before starting a rapid decent, Taro attempted to dislodge himself from Ryoga's grasp by using the most vicious attacks he could think of. When that failed to work, he kicked at Ryoga's wound over and over but the Lost Boy just stared blankly ahead as tears of hatred and sadness stained his cheeks. His grip tightened even as his vacant eyes closed and his head slumped down, chin touching his chest, as if it had become too heavy to hold up.
Taro looked up again as hopeless fear filled his body. He realized with a numbing fear that, for once, there was nothing he could do. No feat of strength was going to save him this time. He struggled regardless, pushing away with all his might.
"Nooooo!"
For a brief second, something in Ryoga stirred and he let go of Taro, pushing the stricken boy backwards. A second later, the mass of power slammed into the ground around Ryoga, crushing Taro completely. Dark power consumed the Chinese boy's body and pushed him deep into the hard ground that had once been a street as it splintered around his feet. Crying out with inhuman agony, his form vanished amidst a blanket of furious energy light waves sprayed out across the midday sky. Rubble shards of various sizes flung themselves in all directions as the attack died down, firmly burying Taro in a sea of rubble.
The lights went out in Ryoga's eyes, dimming slowly as exhaustion took the place of depression. Staring blankly at Ukyo, renewed tears fell from his face onto the ruined ground in which he stood. "Ukyo..." A mass of blood sputtered from his wound and he collapsed into an unmoving heap on the ground.
"Ryoga!" Ukyo started to run out to him, pushing Soun and Genma away from her with great strength. "Let me go! He needs me!"
Ranma held up her hand. "Wait, Ukyo, I don't think Tar-"
"Damn you, Ranma!" An inhuman growl announced itself and the ground exploded outwards with violent force. Taro rushed from the crater in which he had been buried, clutching his severely wounded right arm as blood trailed down onto the ground. His scorched and cut body somehow continued to support him and his vicious assault. The extent of his willpower was simply astounding. Ranma could not help but be impressed.
"I… will... succeed! I will… beat you..." Taro struggled to put one foot in front of another. "I've worked too hard… planned too much… to be defeated…"
Ranma shook her head, sighing. The wind snapped at her pigtail as gust whipped by. "Stop, Taro. The fight is over. You've got nothing further to gain by this besides pain."
Taro turned and leapt toward Ranma with an outstretched fist. "No! I won't lose! I can't lose! Not again! Not after how hard I trained!"
Ranma blocked a flurry of kicks and swept Taro's legs out from under him. Rolling backwards onto his feet, Taro landed a clean uppercut as Ranma advanced, clipping her jaw and throwing her back. She turned her fall into a midair flip and planted her foot into Taro's sternum, spinning the enraged boy to the ground
"Flame Kick!" Taro dropped down and spun on one arm, igniting his foot and aiming for Ranma's temple.
"No you don't!"
Ranma blocked his attack by intercepting with her fist, which also glowed with the same brilliant flame. Sparks flew as their attacks collided then broke away, causing a ripple in the air around them that the entire crowd of onlookers could see. Taro hadn't expected his move to be countered and he dropped low, warily scanning Ranma with something resembling hesitation. Taro was running on his last legs at last, and he knew he couldn't make any more mistakes.
"I guess it doesn't take much power to perform that trick, eh Taro? Ryoga's attack has crippled you! Put some clothes on and go home already. I don't wanna' hurt you anymore."
Taro spat blood from his mouth. "Good, because you won't be doing the hurting!"
Jump kicking, he brought both his feet up into Ranma's stomach, doubling her over and kicking her body back across the street that had already been torn up far beyond repair. She staggered to her feet yet again; vomiting blood as incapacitating pain filled her mind and body.
"I have you! Matrix Orb!"
Taro rushed forward, planting his hand on Ranma's forehead and flexed his arm, calling on power that would destroy Ranma once and for all. Her head rose blankly ahead, eyes moving to look from Taro's hateful gaze, to his hand. Fear consumed her as her certain execution commenced.
Nothing happened.
"What?!" Taro gritted his teeth and, balling his hand, calling on some shred of power. He tried to summon his power again but nothing happened. Suddenly, he was flying backwards as Ranma's fist clipped his nose, breaking it cleanly. As his back hit the ground, he stared blankly upward, cursing his ill fortune.
I must have run completely out of energy... Shit...SHIT!
Ranma dove on him a second later, launching frenzied punches, pummeling his defenseless body until the concrete beneath him shattered, dumping his form into a small impact crater. Stepping away at last, Ranma clutched her burning shoulder as it trailed blood, shaking with exertion. "It's over!"
Taro slowly rolled over, scrapping at the ground with his hand, carving rivets with his nails. "Gonna'... kill... you..."
His eyes fell on Ryoga as he lay helplessly on the ground, blood trailing from his wounded side. A wild grin filled his features, stretching from ear to ear. In his weakened state, Ryoga would be defenseless to an attack. He might not be able to beat Ranma, but if he was going to lose, he'd at least have the satisfaction of killing one of them first! Howling, he leapt skyward with outstretched arms, avoiding Ranma's grasp as he passed overhead. He just needed a few seconds and everything would be done. All he needed was one clean punch to crush Ryoga's windpipe.
Just one clean punch... Taro knew he could do it.
Screaming in fear, Ukyo started sprinting forward to shield Ryoga with her own body. Even as she moved, running as fast as she could, a part of her knew she wouldn't get to her love in time. Taro leapt forward with great speed, determined to murder, to take the life of a man so many had come to care for. The look in his eyes showed his desire to drench his fist with blood.
Ranma shook with absolute horror. She didn't have anything left to fight with and her ability to use ki in her weakened state was impossible. She watched Taro dive forward with naked anger and as her stomach turned cold, she realized there was nothing she could do. Broken and hurt as she was, she had nothing left to give and her reduced speed wasn't enough to reach Ryoga in time.
Abruptly, she slapped herself in the cheek. Bull! I can't just give up! I got to find a way!
She gritted her teeth as her cool blue eyes closed, wishing, and hoping for a solution. She was more than a little surprised when she opened them again and saw a small ball of energy flickering in her hand like a candle. Then she realized, it wasn't that she couldn't fight, she simply had no choice! She had to keep fighting because a friend's life depended on it! Her body reacted instinctively and while it nearly caused her to pass out, she fought back against the darkness forming at the edge of her vision and concentrated the power into a desperate attack.
"Perfect Moko Takabisha!"
Firing a hurried blast with the very last drop of her strength, Ranma struck Pantyhose in the side with a glancing shot. The energy ran through his already ravaged body, causing all of his nerve endings to scream out in agony then go numb. His nervous system temporarily shut down as bolts of yellow power caressed his body with its destructive touch. There was no human way to describe the pain his scream contained.
Taro fell to the ground in a broken heap near his chosen target, whimpering pitifully at his unfortunate turn of events. Pain filled his existence and he vomited blood, struggling just to breathe as he retched in agony. The body and spirit of the invincible warrior had finally been broken once and for all. Unable to move his body, Taro simply ran his head along the ground until he could look at Ranma with a questioning look on his face.
"How did you… have any energy left to do that? It's no fair... All I wanted was…" Gasping for breath, his eyes rolled up into his head and his trashed body shuttered and became still as unconsciousness took him.
The crowd cheered and rushed out to meet the two victorious fighters as one solid mass. As Ranma stood on shaky legs, Akane embraced her fiercely, weeping tears of joy. Ranma held her, and felt a few tears fill her eyes as well. For once she didn't care though, and just let indulge in the joy of the moment.
"I couldn't let him take what we're forming away from us, Akane. I fought for you, I did it all for you," she whispered.
Akane kissed her cheek, sniffling and trying to appear brave. "I know," she whispered back. "I'm so proud of you!"
Soun and Genma embraced Ranma next with tears in their eyes and proud smiles on their faces. She smiled weakly, leaning on them for support. Her body felt bruised and broken but sheer elation and the feeling of love around her made the pain fade some, as if by magic. She even managed her trademark 'that was nothing, I'm the best!' cocky grin and winked at her family as everyone around her went wild with relief. Tension and stress seemed to bleed away into the atmosphere above.
Ukyo ran to Ryoga's side and knelt next to him, wrapping her arms gently around him as he struggled to rise to a sitting position, his body trembling terribly. "Oh, Ryoga, you were magnificent! I don't hate you; I don't hate you at all! Never believe that again! I love you!"
Ryoga's eyes fluttered open and traces of a blissful expression appeared on his face. "I hurt, Ukyo. My body feels like its on fire... I don't think I can walk..."
"Doctor Tofu," Ukyo called urgently. "Ryoga's hurt bad!"
The kindly doctor pushed through the crowd of people and looked the boy over, using what supplies he had in his portable kit. "We'll get him to a hospital right away. With a lot of bed rest, he'll be good as new! It doesn't look like any of your vital organs were seriously damaged but then again; I don't have the proper equipment here to tell for sure. We'll take him right to the emergency room, Ukyo! You can ride with." Paramedics rushed to the scene shortly thereafter and took Ryoga and Ukyo to the hospital.
As another ambulance prepared to load up Ranma, the crowd of people went silent as Taro limped toward him with pain written on his face. Placing one foot in front of the other was almost beyond him but he stubbornly continued on. He had covered his naked body with loosely snapped together parts of his armor, but its formerly magnificent image was gone forever. He had somehow rigged it together to form a very crude, broken image of what it had once been, a former vision of strength and terror.
He stopped and looked at Ranma with a sad expression. "Ranma, you two have defeated me. I announce you and Ryoga as the winners."
Ranma shook her head with exhaustion. "This has gone far beyond victory or defeat. You look like you're in pretty bad shape. We'll get you to a hospital where they can-"
"No!" Taro cut her off. "Thank you, but I wish… for no treatment after such a disgrace. These wounds will help serve as a reminder… of my failure on this day. Farewell, Ranma. Perhaps someday, we will… meet again..."
Dark mist covered his body, and when it cleared, Pantyhose Taro was gone, teleported away by some small scrap of power he had managed to regain during his short rest.
The fight of their lives was over, the threat was gone. At last, Ranma and Ryoga could live in peace. Sighing heavily, Ranma allowed herself to fall onto the stretcher and fell asleep even before the ambulance crew had finished closing the back doors.
Storm clouds which had been gathering dispersed then, sending the winds of nightmares elsewhere.
The powerful entity trapped in the body of a small baby, turned his mind away from the view of Ranma he had been observing. The fight had been interesting and even up until the end even he couldn't deny that he had been impressed by the powers the three combatants had displayed. He had placed his hopes on the Shadow Warrior, hoping that the variable to his plan would kill Ranma and his friend, thereby enabling his goals to jump farther ahead. There was a tinge of dissapointment in the outcome of the duel but at least it had allowed him to properly gauge Ranma's newfound skill and the extreme limits of his abilities.
The young martial artist had vastly improved and would probably continue to do so. His body was young, hardy, and still growing. His overall potential would probably continue to rise, especially after fighting a powerful opponent like Taro. He would have to be dealt with. He was after all, the one problem that stood in the way of the Entity's grand plan.
The baby shifted in its crib, awaiting one of the attendants to come check up on him. This body would take time to develop. Not as long as a human child, but a considerable amount of time none-the-less. He would have to activate his pawns, people he had chosen while scouring the world with his mind's eye. None of them knew that they would be his servants of course; he didn't control them through direct means. He would merely put thoughts into their heads, suggestions, hints, fragments of visions that would lead them to Ranma. Then, with his subtle influence, he would create situations where battle would occur. Eventually, Ranma would die, hopefully in a most painful way. Yes, he would probably survive against some of pawns, but he had many to call on and nothing but time to kill.
The first of his two pawns should already be in motion. He had learned of their goals and desires, searching through human minds and reading their desires was all too easy to do. Finding these two strong pawns, he studied their ideals, dreams and motivations and had triggered rumors and idea's into their heads pointing to Japan, convincing them that what they sought could be found there. Like moths to a flame, they would surely be lured, completing the task for their unknown master.
Everyone allows themselves to hope and dream, and to chase after what they seek the most. He was a master of manipulating these desires and capitalizing on them. It was his greatest strength at present. Mortal man was so weak minded and willed as a whole, so easy to control if one knew how.
Within the child, the entity settled down, allowing his power to submerge for the time being. It would be a very interesting time and he was going to enjoy every second of it.
Allowing himself to become the child once more, he opened his mouth and started to cry, summoning the attention of the nurse. Sucking on a bottle a moment later the baby coo'ed happily and soon drifted off into a deep sleep.
The nurse attendant smoothed the thick white hair from the child's forehead. "Such a good baby," she smiled affectionately and went back to her seat, awaiting the next awakening of the child.