Chapter Twenty Five: A Reunion of Rivals

Two weeks after the decisive battle:

Upon his request, Ranma was placed in Ryoga's room where the two lay on their beds on opposite ends of the room. Akane and Ukyo sat beside them after school each day, keeping them company during the long, boring afternoons. Both of the boys had spent more time in the hospital than they wanted to already. As it turned out, Ranma was being released in another week while Ryoga, with his more serious wounds, would have to wait a while longer.

"You two are the hot topic all around school," Akane told them. "Everyone can't wait for you two to get out. The school officials are going to hold a party in your honor."

Ukyo kissed Ryoga on the forehead. "What you did took a lot of courage. I'm very proud of you! You must care about Ranma a lot to do what you did."

Ryoga smiled. "He would have done the same thing for me." The two boys made eye contact and they acknowledged the bond that had formed. It was deeper than friendship, formed from camaraderie, sacrifice, and the simple believe in the other's abilities. It had been this bond that Taro had failed to see, failed to crush. Because of that, it had cost him the chance for victory.

Nurse Nako came into the room with a nervous look on her face. "Um, there are three odd gentlemen here to see you two. I told them that visiting hours where over but they insisted on seeing you both right away."

"Let 'em in," Ranma said. I can't keep my adoring fans waiting."

The nurse nodded and disappeared out the door. A minute later three old rivals strode through the door one behind the other. Ranma blinked several times as his mind struggled to break way from the shock. Before him stood Toma, Kirin, and Herb, all clad in majestic ceremonial attire. Ranma tried to think of something to say, but he froze up. An uncomfortable silence followed thereafter. It wasn't often that three of his strongest rivals arrived before him without a word to anyone.

"We heard of your victory, Ranma," Herb said, breaking the ice. His normally cold, feral eyes shone with ill accustomed warmth. He didn't seem to be completely at ease with the lack of decorum, but the Dragon Prince kept such feelings to himself. "Thank you for avenging us."

"Hey guys, long time no see!" Ranma grinned. "You all the last people I'd expect to show up! Did you all plan to meet up together or what?"

"It was coincidence really," Toma answered, smiling broadly. His face still bore some of the marks from his fight weeks before but it did nothing to mar his good nature. "We all arrived at the Tendo Dojo for a visit at about the same time and we found that we had all been defeated in combat by the same scoundrel. Due to our injuries we didn't make it to Japan in time to pay Taro back."

" It is most unfortunate that Kirin did not arrive in time for the fight but we heard the whole story from your fathers. You two are indeed strong fighters. Kirin has never held as much respect for anyone as he does for you." The Nekonron Lord bowed to them humbly.

"There is one thing we never found out about this whole mess. What happened to Pantyhose Taro?" Herb asked.

"We don't know," Ryoga responded. "I guess he's on his way home to China. He was pretty hurt so he probably stopped somewhere on his way to rest and recuperate."

Herb nodded. "I will hold no grudges, this time. We three have discussed it and none of us are going to go looking for revenge. When a man of such great evil is defeated, he is essentially broken. He no longer posses a threat to me and for now, that is enough to satisfy me. I myself was inspired by my defeat and I've increased my training substantially in the meantime."

"How long are you going to be staying in Nerima?" Ranma asked.

"It depends. We all have matters to attend here. Plus, the three of us will help your school to hold a party in honor of you two valiant fighters." Toma held his hands out wide, enthusiastic as any normal young boy would be when a party was declared.

"Who is this young lady?" Herb asked, pointing to Ukyo. His interest suddenly peaked.

"Oh. Kirin, Herb, meet Ukyo, my life long friend," Ranma said.

The two Chinese men bowed to her. ""Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you.""

"Hey guy's watch it! Don't make any passes. Ryoga's got her!"

Ukyo blushed and bowed back. "Hi. I've heard a lot about you both."

Herb grinned wolfishly. "If it came from Ranma it couldn't have been good! I deny all charges."

"H-hey!" Ranma said indignantly. "I didn't say nothin' bad! Not that there's much good to say about the leader of a tribe who marries cursed animals..."

Herb frowned. "Hey, I banned that law."

"Hello, Akane! How are you? Its been a while!" Toma asked, walking over to her.

Akane bowed politely, but her facial expression matched that of an older sister talking to a beloved younger brother. "Toma! It's been a while! How have things been?"

"Pretty tedious, actually. Its such a bore doing the same things day after day."

Akane smiled good-naturedly. "Well, we'll do our best to see that you have a fun vacation while your here!"

Toma bowed. "You are truly generous, Lady Akane! My thanks to you!"

"Hey Toma, you and your animal men still bride hunting?" Ranma asked. "Just so ya' know, you make passes at Akane like you did last time and we're gonna' have words again."

"Bride hunting? Hmmm." Toma scratched his chin. "Well, that isn't exactly the term I would use. No. I've realized that I am still too young to think about marriage."

Herb coughed. "I have given up on such exploits for the time being as well. Besides, Mint and Lime are still recovering from their wounds and my people need me. It is not a proper time to be selfish."

"Maybe in another three years or so, I'll be ready," Toma added.

"Or nine or ten!" Ranma added with mock cheerfulness.

"Were you wounded badly?" Herb asked Ryoga, kneeling beside his bed. "I heard the town's people talking…"

Ryoga pulled up his shirt and the group gasped. The skin around the wound was bright purple and the tissue was red and irritated. Fortunately the doctors had managed to stop the internal bleeding before it became a critical medical problem but all the pain killer medicine in the world couldn't stop the dull throb that beat over and over within him, like a set of drums.

"How did you continue to fight the Shadow Warrior with such a wound?" Herb reached into his pocket and pulled out a container. "Here. This herb is found only in my land and it is famous for its ability to help heal wounds very quickly. Just crumble it up in your tea or water and you will see a remarkable difference right away. It will take away all the pain, at least."

"Thank you. Your gift is most appreciated," Ryoga said, taking the box.

"Well, it's the least I could do for a fellow martial artist."

"Ha! That's the dragon's blood in ya' talking! All honorable and junk," Ranma teased.

Herb shot him a look. "I can be… nice when the situation calls for it, Saotome."

"Kirin too has something to present." He removed a red box from a satchel at his side. "Kirin presents you with the 'God's Fire' Ranma." He opened the box and pulled out a necklace. Just as the name implied, there was a God's fist surrounded by flames in a pendant. "It is only given to the most honorable of fighters by a Nekononron prince. Kirin wishes you to wear it and wear it proud." He placed it around Ranma's neck.

"Awww Kirin, I don't know what to say." Ranma said.

"Say nothing. One's true feelings come not from the lips but from the heart."

That's certainly true. Ranma smiled at Akane who blushed furiously and looked away, smiling softly.

Herb cleared his throat. "Sadly, I must depart for now. I have an important business appointment and I can't be late. Farewell everyone! I will see you all tomorrow."

"Bye Herb." Ranma waved good-bye. Herb turned around and offered up a rare smile before quietly teleporting from the room.

Kirin hit himself in the head. "Oh! Kirin forgot! Kirin promised to take Lichee shopping tonight in Tokyo. Good-bye everyone. Kirin will see you all tomorrow!" He dashed out the door like hell on wheels.

While no one in the room knew it yet, their different paths and destinies would cross again. Each would have their own trials and challenges to overcome. The shadow of evil was watching them all, eager to provide more chaos than Pantyhose Taro could have ever dreamed of supplying. For the present though, there was only a much needed sense of peace and accomplishment and it did much to soothe the souls of everyone who had been touched during the fiasco.

Ryoga chuckled, grabbing everyone's attention.

"What's so funny Ryo-chan?" Ukyo asked.

"We are among the strongest fighters in the world. We've faced foes both human and inhuman and yet, despite our skill and powers, we always fall all over ourselves to serve the person we love of the opposite sex. You gals don't realize the power you have over us."

Akane and Ukyo giggled. "Someone's gotta' keep you two in line," the short-haired girl teased.

"He speaks the truth," Toma said. "It is said that to have a female companion to love and be loved in return is the greatest joy a man could have."

Ranma nodded. "That explains how you had the energy to perform that last Shishi Hokodan. You loved her so much and her words hurt so bad it helped you break your own limits."

Nurse Nako came back into the room. "Ok, everyone visiting time is over. These two warriors need their rest."

Ukyo and Akane both kissed their respective boyfriends good-bye.

"Come ladies! I shall escort you home." Toma held the door open for them, smiling with surprising charm for a boy of fourteen. Ranma and Ryoga shot him slightly peeved looks; the little runt was far too charismatic and suave for his age. Ranma shook his head and chided himself for his immature feelings, Toma was a good kid, and had earned his respect.

Ryoga turned his head and looked at Ranma when they had gone. A gentle silence engulfed them, settling them into a more relaxed mood. "It's finally over, Ranma. We can live our lives in relative peace now."

"Yeah. It'll be nice to have some quiet for once. But I don't think Kuno or Kodachi will be going away anytime soon. I'm sure they'll cause enough mischief to make up for things."

"One can't have everything. Besides, we can't let things get too boring around here," Ryoga said, smiling. "You know, we fight really well together, don't we? I was thinking that when I get out I'll start teaching Ukyo how to use ki. If Akane can do it, so can Ukyo."

"Ha! Just don't use a depression attack. We don't need her blowing up city blocks while training."

Ryoga threw a pillow at him. "It won't be depression based you moron! Ukyo is too cheerful to use the Shishi Hoko-Dan properly."

"It was a joke, P-chan! Man, you're really dense sometimes."

"What did you call me?! Why if I could get out of bed I beat the ever living crap out of you!"

Ryoga's eyes shot up in mock surprise. "Oh really?!"

The two glared at each other for a moment then burst into laughter. Ryoga winced in pain. "OW! This wound is a pain in the neck!"

"Don't worry Ryoga, you heal up in no time! Sucks to be you, having to stay in the hospital a while longer, I mean."

"Yeah. You know... I've been having funny feelings a lot lately. It's like… I dunno, like something big is coming at us, like a storm. You ever feel like that? Like there's always something stronger waiting to challenge us, lurking in the shadows?"

Ranma shook his head. "Man, I hope you're wrong! We almost died in winning this fight! Who'd wanna' fight anyone stronger?! Saffron and Taro were more than enough for me. Knocking on death's door twice in just a few month's time is more than I ever wanted to do."

"Destiny is destiny, Ranma. You can't fight it. All you can do is go along with it."

Ranma snorted. "I don't believe in destiny, Ryoga. You make your own as far as I'm concerned."

Ryoga half shrugged. "Believe what you will, everyone has their own opinion."

"You certainly have changed over these past few weeks," Ranma noticed thoughtfully. "I don't know what to make of it."

"I have changed and it's for the better. Blame it on Ukyo's personality, its rubbing off on me."

"What about your berserk rage that you always used to get into? Is it gone forever?"

"Nah, not gone, just buried deep inside me. I'm pretty sure it'll resurface when I need it." Ryoga laid his head down on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. "Now that I'm not driven to fight for Akane, a girl I could never have to begin with, I think I'll be much better off. Having someone to care for me and be cared for in return really helps to beat the negative energy I used to rely on down to an all time low. And I couldn't be happier either.

Ranma nodded and turned to look up at the ceiling. "Ryoga?"

"What Ranma?" Ryoga asked, turning his head again.

"I was just thinking about the premonition you just told me about. That whole 'waiting to strike from the shadows' speech you just made. It got me thinkin'. Did you get the feeling throughout all this that everything felt…? I dunno… planned out? As if everything happened exactly as it did for a purpose? There have been too many coincidences this past week for my taste."

Ryoga looked quizzed. "What do you mean?"

Ranma stared at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment. "It's just weird. I mean for two years we live out our crazy lives then all of a sudden, within the space of a week, Taro returns and nearly kills us. Then you nearly die twice. So many terrible events happening so close together… It's not natural."

Ryoga closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. "The day I nearly committed suicide, it felt like…" he paused, struggling to properly word what he was feeling, "like someone or something was planting thoughts into my head, capitalizing on my anguish. I know it sounds crazy, and I can't properly explain it, but I know that under normal circumstances I would never have tried to kill myself, and I know that Ukyo would never have hurt me. Stress and heartache can make people do strange things, but we both have too much strength and discipline for that. Something else is at work here…"

Ranma shifted his head to rest more squarely on the pillow and chuckled. "Maybe we're reading into all this too much?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Hey Ryoga?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for being my friend. It really… ya know, means a lot."

Ryoga smiled wolfishly, settling himself back into his bed. "You are my friend and comrade now, Ranma. I will always fight beside you. Besides, no one is allowed to beat you up besides me. That's one rule I'll never change."

Ranma smiled and looked out the window. The sun was sinking amidst the sea of distant buildings and the stars were appearing, eager to start twinkling overhead. It soothed him, this peaceful dusk scene, and he took a deep breath, allowing his head to rest on his rather small hospital pillow.

It would take some getting used to Ryoga's new personality but he had to admit he liked his former rival better this way. Excluding the Kuno kids, everyone was growing closer to each other. And more importantly, everyone had found someone to love at last, as if nature had finally woken up to how things should be. Things were definitely looking up in the world! For the first time in a long time, Ranma Saotome was looking forward to see what tomorrow would bring. He had finally found happiness in the chaotic district of Nerima.

"It's over..." Smiling, Ranma closed his eyes and drifted off to a fit, restful sleep.

Shying away from the retreating rays of the intrusive sun that came in through the window of his room, a robed man nodded his head as another figure approached and knelt before him. Straight faced and obedient, the larger man adverted his eyes respectfully, awaiting his master's permission to speak. When he was given permission with a nod of the robed one's head, he smiled slightly, allowing a pint of his excitement to leak into his expression.

"It is time, my master," the strong man said. "I may have found those whom we require to gain your salvation. I'll continue to have our men observe them for the next few weeks. If my guess is right, the path to your ascension is but a few steps away."

"Has it been verified, Zero?"

The robed man smiled, revealing glistening, needle-sharp teeth. His subordinate's words pleased him greatly, even if it was too early to be sure yet. His eye's shown with a hellishly bright red power that knew no depth.

"Do I dare to hope at last for a lead that will service our desires?" He laughed, a ragged choking sound that one usually heard from a dying old man, discharging red energy with relish from his body that blotted out the sun as it peaked in through the window.

"It has not," came the reply. "At least not yet. I believe all will be as you wish. As I've said before, several members of the Hand went out to verify."

"Well done."

His apprentice had truly outdone himself in his search and that was worthy of the lord's praise, which he certainly did not give out freely. He turned to sear back out at the window. If his subordinate's words were indeed fact, there was much cause to be excited. At last he would achieve what had been denied to him for far too long. His dreams had brought him here, and all that he had seen was coming true.

It was time at last.

His terrible, broken laughter echoed throughout the expansion of the building around him, chilling its occupants to the bone. As excitement raced through him, his hands tightened until his knuckles popped. He would not be stopped, he would not be denied. With the conclusion of his mission, every government on the planet would shake under his command.

Then the world would see what a true monster looked like.

He grinned again. At last! Oh, at long last!

To be continued...