Arc Three: Ragnarok

Chapter Thirteen: Jusendo Under Siege

"I'm glad you came, Saotome. We could use every helping hand right now," Saffron leaned against his throne wearily. He didn't really want to sit down in the thing – considering it was solid metal and had no cushions, it was rather uncomfortable and he avoided it whenever he could. The pig-tailed martial artist and his companions had spread around the throne room, which was serving as an improptu war room, somewhat. "Hi, Saffron, Herb." Ranma waved at the two cautiously. He hadn't exactly left them on the best of terms – well, Saffron, at least.

The prince of the Musk just grinned and waved back, while the phoenix god mustered him for a moment. "I am asking you for your help, Saotome. You saw what was going on. We face an assault like that every night, it's been going on for the last two days, and the Musk Citadel has already fallen." Herb nodded, sadness evident in his eyes. "What you saw out there were the remains of the Musk. There are no others left."

"I am wondering though, who these others are you brought with you? They are capable fighters for the most part, yet they weren't with you last time you were here." Saffron glanced across the room where a phoenix doctor and Kasumi were tending to Nodoka's wound, over Ryoko, who was conversing with Urd and Setsuna, and the Senshi, who were having their own little meeting. Ranma shot the phoenix a tired look. "Long story. I'm pretty sure most of them would want to stay and help, though. That's why we came in the first place."

"So, what do you know of the events here?" Saffron asked. "Well, let's see," Ranma started ticking items off his fingers. "There's a demon in the amazon village. Then that demon somehow casts a spell and jacks all the magic of Jusenkyo. He uses it to open a portal and teleport a whole buncha demons here, and wants to take over the world?" The martial artist glanced over to where Urd and Cologne were talking. "I don't know why, but Cologne and Urd are scared of it, I think."

The two rulers suppressed shudders at the thought that even a goddess would be afraid of the power that had been harnessed at Joketsuzoku. "We should get you and your friends settled, and get some rest. It will be a long night," Saffron noted. "You can say that again," Herb muttered quietly.

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With a snarl, Ranma reversed his blade and cut straight through the armored limb of the youma trying to eviscerate him. It shrieked in protest, only to be cut off as a gold-tinted ki blast incinerated it. The pig-tailed martial artist whirled around at a scream of pain, to find a phoenix guard who'd been holding off two youma going limp as bladed arms cut through him. His eyes narrowed, and he charged at the youma, chastising himself for getting too focused on his single opponent.

When he reached the dead phoenix, a leap carried him up into the air, and he came down towards the youma, with a cry of, "Ryu Tsui-Sen!" The ki-charged reversed blade cut easily through the youma, slicing it nearly in half. Even as one fell to dust, Ranma was already upon the other, exchanging lighting-fast blows with its four arms. From the corner of his eye he could see that their defensive perimeter was being overrun, and phoenix and Musk alike were being pushed back, many slaughtered with their backs turned to the battlefield as they ran for safety.

The remorse he had felt over killing these youma and oni had slowly waned as he had seen the battlefields, and the atrocities these monsters were capable of. He had seen them kill the helpless and the non-combatants without hesitation and without difference. It made his blood boil to see such evil run loose. They're not human. They know no remorse. They're monsters, he continued to turn these words in his mind over and over again, to keep himself from falling into the bloodlust he had experienced once before.

Anger boiled up in him, even as he struggled to keep it in check. Not loosing control was vital now. One slip-up and he would end up dead. Unknown to him, his eyes narrowed to slits as he heard more screaming from the other side of the battle, followed by the pleas and cries of the dying. This wasn't the way his life was supposed to be! His family and friends weren't supposed to be in this kind of danger!

People were dying, he knew. And he hated it. And he hated the creatures responsible for their deaths with a nearly reckless abandon. He'd been trying to reign in his hate as well as his anger...yet he had found out days ago he could not. He had seen too many comrades killed, too many bodies defiled to not hate the youma and their master. The pig-tailed youth had found that hate gave him a new focus, and a cold rage would overtake him, focusing his mind on the battle and nothing else.

It would help him keep in control of the burning anger he felt each time he was on the field. With a hiss, he parried a clawed swing and brought his free hand around in a tiger's claw, swiping at the youma. The nearly invisible ki-blades cut deeply into it, tearing it to pieces, and Ranma never noticed just what had killed it. It fell to dust even before it had it the ground, courtesy of the sun that was now once more rising over the valley of Jusenkyo.

Another night of bloodshed was over.

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"Ranma!" The pig-tailed martial artist turned round at the voice, only to stare point-blank into dark red eyes. He blinked, before inclining his head, offering a simple, "What's up?" Ryoko grinned as he held up a scroll in between them. "Got something for you. These are some of the techniques of the Mugen Tenketsu, and some advanced ones of Anything Goes. Was wondering if you felt like training a bit?"

Exhaustion evaporated in an instant. Ranma grinned as he thought about the prospect of just practicing the art again. "Always," he smirked, his face lighting up in the familiar arrogant smirk that had infuriated so many opponents.

Jusendo had an impressive training hall, Ranma had to admit. It was an entire cavern, cut out of the side of the mountain and stocked up with nearly everything you'd ever need for martial combat, from practice weapons to dummies, to live blades. The two martial artists got settled in the center of the room, and Ryoko tossed the scroll at him. "Pick one."

As he glanced over the list of techniques described on the scroll, Ranma felt his jaw drop. The sheer number of ki-excercises was enormous, and extended well beyond the simple ki-blast he used. It took a while for the pig-tailed youth to read through the entirety of the scroll, and a good deal longer to decide which technique to attempt first. One particular entry caught his eye, and he grinned as he read through the description. It would certainly come in handy when fighting Ryoga or Cologne.

"Let's try this one," he finally said, handing the scroll back to the other martial artist. Ryoko's eyes flickered across the entry for a moment, before he chuckled. "Môkô Tenshin, eh? That's a difficult one, though I'd bet you'd get it done in three days, tops." Ranma closed the mouth he had opened to say just that, before chuckling. "So, how do we start?"

Ryoko settled down in a lotus position, drawing a surprised look from Ranma, who had moved into a defensive stance. "What are you waiting for? Come on, sit down already!" Puzzled, the pig-tailed boy sat down across from Ryoko, shifting until he was comfortable. "What's all this about?"

"The Môkô Tenshin is a shielding technique. However, with your current control over your ki, you will never be able to use it to its fullest extent." Holding up a hand to forestall the younger man's protests, Ryoko continued. "It is not a matter of your skill. Tell me, how much do you know about ki control?" "Uh...not much," Ranma admitted. "I picked up the basics on how to throw a ki blast from a scroll that one time Ryoga tried to kill me with the Shishi Hôkôdan, and I know how to project different temperature auras."

"Shishi Hôkôdan? You mean that lost boy knows that technique? Impressive," Ryoko mused, "If destructive. Depression usually isn't a good thing. Now, your own ki blast, the Môkô Takabisha...how do you access your ki to fire it?"

"I...hm...actually never thought about it, I just kinda...did it." Ranma looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I sorta copied Ryoga there. I'm trying to feel confident, and then all of a sudden there's this well of energy that comes flooding out, I guess. Something like that."

Chuckling a bit at Ranma's description of the process, the older martial artist closed his eyes and released his own battle-aura. It flared up in a silver fire, wafting around him in feather-light caresses, just barely visible. "What you are doing is you are using an emotion to create a connection between you and your reservoir of ki," he slowly began. "That means that whatever ki blast you're using, is going to be tainted with that emotion. That is why you've been feeling more confident after firing it off, and why Ryoga has been more depressed. However, if you form that ki into a shield, like the Môkô Tenshin, it will never stop ki attacks that are not the exact opposite of the emotion you're using as a focus."

"Huh?"

"What I mean is that if someone isn't using depression in a blast, like Ryoga, you won't be able to stop it." Ryoko thought for a moment. "You've fought Herb, right?" At Ranma's nod, he continued, "You ever sense any emotion in any of his ki blasts? Usually, either the color of the blast or the 'feel' you have for it will tell you what emotion is used."

Ranma thought back to his battle with the Musk prince, trying to come up with something, and ended up with nothing. "Nope. Never noticed a thing."

"That's because he isn't using any. What Herb is using is pure ki. Now try to 'feel' out my aura. Notice anything?" The pig.-tailed martial artist closed his eyes and extended his own ki, contacting the other man's aura. His eyes suddenly snapped open. "Nothing. Just like..."

"Just like Herb. We both use pure ki, which allows our ki blasts to punch through almost any defense, and our shields to deflect almost any attack. It also won't leave you as drained afterwards, and it won't leave you 'high' on your emotion of choice." Ryoko slowly rose, his seated form beginning to hover off the ground, an inch, then two, before dropping back onto the floor. "This wouldn't be possible with emotion-based ki, simply because the strain is too great. Even with pure ki, it is nearly impossible to project a ki cushion like Herb does. He can, because his draconic blood gives him a greater ki reserve and finer innate control."

Ryoko stook up and stretched, before sitting down next to Ranma. "You'll need to stop relying on your emotions to access your ki. Otherwise, you will never be able to perfect any of those techniques."

The pig-tailed martial artist grinned. "So...how do I do it?" Somehow, he didn't like the somewhat evil glint that appeared in Ryoko's eyes. "Breathing and control excercises. Oh, this is going to be fun." Somehow, Ranma doubted that statement.

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Cologne looked up from the tome she had been staring at for the last half hour at the sound of Urd slamming a massive book shut in frustration. "Damn it! There isn't anything useful in here!" The goddess grimaced as she fought the growing headache. She would have just contacted Yggdrasil or Asgard, but all the magic accumulated here presented too much interference to make communication possible. That also meant her powers were greatly diminished.

"Be patient, child. There will be something in the ancient texts about this," Soap tried to chide her softly, only to receive a growl in response. "There's nothing there! You know why? 'Cause this freaking spell is enough to blow up all of China! And don't call me child, I'm millennia older than you ever will be!" Urd squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. "I-I'm sorry. It's been a long and bad day. Excuse me." Without waiting for a reply, the silver-haired woman got up and left the dusty Phoenix library. Cologne glanced at Soap and simply shrugged.

Urd marched down the corridor with a scowl set on her face that sent everyone who wasn't overly foolhardy or had a deathwish scurrying out of her way. She slammed the door to the quarters she shared with Ukyo, Nodoka and Shampoo, and walked across the room, drawing inquisitive glances from the elder Saotome and the chef. "Something the matter, dear?" Nodoka asked gently. She could feel the anxiety radiating off of Urd in waves, and it wasn't like the usually cheerful goddess to show signs of depression.

Said goddess mumbled something under hear breath, causing Nodoka to arch an eyebrow. "Pardon me?" "I said, there's nothing in those damn records to help us. And I can't contact Yggdrasil," Urd repeated, growling. "We're gonna have to improvise in the field." She plopped down onto her bed with a tired sigh, closing her eyes and hoping to just forget all this had happened. Life at the temple had been so easy and simple before this mess. She was just glad her sisters were out of the way of this.

"Urd?" "Hm?" The silver-haired woman murmured a sleepy reply. "Just what is going on? I don't completely understand the situation," Nodoka asked as she sat down on a chair next to the goddess's bed. "Well, it's kind of a long story. I don't know what exactly Firkraag plans to do with all that power at his disposal, there could be several things he's after. I do know, though, that he wants your son because of the chaos that surrounds his aura. Ever wonder why the boy gets into so much trouble? It's because, as some cosmic joke, he was selected as a nexus for chaos. It means that if Firkraag absorbs his aura into the spell, it'll most likely go wild. Wild magic is extremely dangerous, because of the random effects that can occur, but also by far more powerful than controlled magic. With that kind of energy in a spell, he could do anything from fusing the three planes, to blowing up the solar system."

"So Ranchan's the main ingredient?" Ukyo didn't look all too pleased when Urd nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry you got dragged into it, but there's nothing I can do at the moment. With all the magic flying around there's too much interference for me to contact my sisters or even Yggdrasil. That means I'm not as powerful as I used to be, either. I'd put myself at the level of a decent mage, at the moment, can't guarantee more."

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Ranma ignored the beads of sweat that were flowing down his forehead. Finding his center was proving to be harder than he thought, and each time he thought he had succeeded, Ryoko would tell him to cut the connection and read his own aura. And each time, it was tinted with the blue of his confidence. When he got home, he'd be giving his father a good whack for saying meditation was wimpy. This was hard work!

An idea shot through his head, and the pig-tailed martial artist settled down, clearing his mind of any thoughts save for the memories of the battle the day they had arrived. The instant he had seen his mother hurt, yet still willing to sacrifice her life. It had been so clear then, and he grasped on to it, letting the memory ignite the whirling vortex of emotions once more. He felt his hatred and anger at the demons well up, paired with fear for his family's safety, pride and surprise at his mother's martial prowess, confidence in his abilities, love for his mother, all mixing to form a churning, broiling mass of emotions.

Then, all of a sudden, the world snapped back into focus. He could hear the heartbeat of the older man sitting across from him, could feel the tiny vibrations in the cave caused by the footsteps of a passing warrior ten levels above, could see the tiny particles of dust floating in the air. A warmth filled him, and it took him a moment to realized he was wrapped in his aura, as it hovered around him glowing a soft golden color. Ranma could feel the same power at his fingertips that he always did when fighting Ryoga, when firing his ki blast...only this time it was more subtle, yet at the same time, more powerful.

The clapping that came from Ryoko seemed impossibly loud to his enhanced senses, and he nearly winced at the sound. "Good work. Now, that is pure ki. Getting down the rest of the technique should be easy," Ryoko noted with a hint of amusement in his tone. "Expand your aura, and focus it in your hands as if you're setting up for a ki blast. Then, instead of letting it build up and letting it go, imagine it in the shape of a wall in front of you."

Slowly extending his hands outward, cupped as if setting up for a ki blast, the aura slowly drained into his waiting palms, only to flare up and suddenly extend outwards, flaring from in between his spread fingers to form a fine golden mist before the pig-tailed youth. He concentrated, imagining the shimmering barrier in front of him, and the mist solidified until it became a semi-opaque wall. He slowly cracked his eyes open, only to stare at the barrier before him. His concentration wavered, and the wall fizzled out of existence.

"That was pretty good," Ryoko commented. "Now, all you need is practice." Ranma grinned. He'd have it down in no time flat.

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Ryoga watched from the entrance of the cavern as his archrival began to master yet another technique. Granted, at first it hadn't looked like much when the two martial artists had sat down and meditated, and Ryoga almost got tired of watching them do nothing. But then, Ranma's aura had flared, and he had felt a surge of power coming from the pig-tailed youth that exceeded everything he had ever felt from Ranma. It dawned on him that his rival might actually hold actual power, and the prospect scared him.

If Ranma was powerful enough to kill Saffron, Ryoga realized, what would happen if he ever lost control around one of them? Or if he got angry and decided to stop holding back? Ryoga believed that he could keep up with him, but what about others? He would have to protect Akane and her sisters...no, Ryoga admitted, Ranma would never consciously hurt the Tendo sisters. The lost boy hadn't said a word to his rival in the three days since their arrival at Phoenix Mountain; he hadn't said much, actually.

Ryoga had never been a talkative person, but even he seemed unusually quiet, contemplative. He had been out in the battlefield those three days, and seen things that scared him even more than the prospect of a powerful Ranma. At least, with the pig-tailed boy, he knew where he stood. Those creatures, he also knew, were evil. He had seen something he had thought would never see – actual death and destruction. It was a sight he could happily live without, yet the scene when they had arrived at the Musk Citadel would be forever burned into his memory. The sight of the burned ground and charred bodies, the smell of death and ash, the vision of death itself.

He wouldn't wish it upon his worst enemy. Not even Ranma. He had been horrified by it, and banished the thought of ever killing anyone from his mind immediately. Yet, had he not wanted to kill his pig-tailed nemesis? Had he not wanted to bring him to the brink of destruction and beyond? Had he not wanted to destroy all he held dear? Yet, Ryoga mused, he would never, ever be capable of unleashing the kind of destruction he had seen these last days on anyone. Beat the living snot out of Ranma, yes, but kill anyone...he would never do it, he swore to himself.

The lost boy realized that Ranma had always extended him the very same courtesy, in every single of their battles. While he had always attacked with the intent of severe bodily harm, and never cared much about collateral damage, or the means he used to achieve his goals, Ranma had always only used enough force to subdue him, never enough to put him down for good. Ryoga chuckled dryly as he realized he probably wouldn't have held back if someone constantly attacked him out of the blue screaming, "Hibiki Ryoga, prepare to die!"

It was time they talked, Ryoga thought. High time. So, he stepped into the hall, with deliberately heavy footfalls that were sure to alert Ranma. The pig-tailed boy did indeed turn around, his aura still hovering around him. "Hey Ryoga. 'Sup?" The boy greeted him with a grin. "Ranma...want to spar?" That came out wrong...Ryoga berated himself. "Sure!" Ranma was on his feet within moments, and Ryoga barely had time to duck under a straight punch. And then, the fight was on.

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Ranma threw a straight right punch, slowly, only to grin as Ryoga ducked under it, and leapt over the lost boy's sweep. He came down in an axe kick, which impacted with Ryoga's shoulder, and hurt him more than his opponent. He felt Ryoga grab a hold of his still-extended leg and twist, but instead of slamming into the ground as he was supposed to, Ranma bent and slid through Ryoga's legs, and, with a yell of "Shichuû Rakuchi Sei!" toppled the other boy. Ryoga dropped forwards, extending a finger, and the ground below both of them exploded, tossing them into the air.

Turning in mid-air, Ranma landed easily, sliding into a defensive stance while he waited for the dust to clear. Before it had even settled, he could feel Ryoga rushing out of the blast zone, and slid sideways, avoiding a powerful snap-kick, then lashed out in a palm-strike that stopped the lost boy dead in his tracks with its force.

Ryoga felt the impact and the breath exploded out of his lungs. When had Ranma gotten so strong? He threw a weak left cross, followed by a quick side kick, both of which Ranma evaded with infuriating ease. The lost boy tried to raise his depression again and launch a ki blast at his rival, but the darkness wouldn't come. How could he feel depressed for himself when there were people dying before their eyes every night? He noted Ranma leaping back in anticipation of a ki blast, and saw his chance. He charged forwards with a roar.

His eyes snapped open when Ryoga charged, trailing an unusual dark purple glow. Instead of throwing the blast he had expected, he had launched into a spin kick that connected hard even as Ranma attempted to turn aside. The impact sent the pig-tailed martial artist flying backwards, sliding on the ground from the force of the blow. He rose, a grin on his face. "Not bad, P-chan." Then he leapt forwards, propelled by powerful muscles, crossing the distance between them in a single horizontal leap. "Kachuû Tenshin Amaguri-Ken!" He began raining blows upon his opponent.

Ryoga had known what was coming from the moment he sensed the ki buildup in his rival, and braced himself for it. Arms crossed before him, he took the brunt of the assault head-on, attempting to find a hole in Ranma's defenses, only to come up empty-handed. If anything, it felt as if the repeated impacts were coming even faster, and Ryoga grunted as he felt his arms going numb. So he couldn't use the Shishi Hôkôdan anymore...wasn't that depressing? Unfortunately, his old trail of logic picked that moment to fail him, and With a final set of punches Ranma sent the lost boy flying backwards.

Panting for air and high on the adrenaline of combat, Ranma took a moment to catch his breath as he wound down from the Amaguri-Ken, but he looked up in shock at Ryoga's cry of "Hinokuruma!" The purple sphere of ki blasted into Ranma, as potent as Ryoga's old Shishi Hôkôdan.

With a satisfied grin set on his face, Ryoga got up from the ground, settling into a ready stance. His jaw hit the ground as he could finally make out the silhouette of his pig-tailed rival through the dust, arms crossed and a shimmering golden barrier between them. Ranma straightened and grinned. "What the hell is that, Ranma!"

"Pretty darn cool, that is, if you ask me," Ranma smirked. "When'd you come up with a new ki blast?" "Just now," Ryoga chuckled, scratching the base of his neck with his left hand, unaware of how much he actually looked like Ranma doing that. "Figured depression kinda didn't work for me anymore, so I thought of what I saw out there, and it sorta got me really angry." For the first time in a long time, Ryoga had fun in a fight. It was a feeling he openly admitted to himself he had missed since...since that day he had missed Ranma for their duel on the lot behind his house.

"You should get Ryoko to teach you about pure ki sometime. It'd work wonders for you. Seriously." The pig-tailed martial artist's smirk slowly turned into a grin. "Ready for round two?" His reply was a yell and a wild charge, which he met head-on.

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"I'm gonna...beat the crap outta you..." Ryoga groaned. "Dream on, Ryoga...dream on," Ranma replied. The two boys were slumped on the ground, leaning on each other's backs, their eyes nearly dropping closed. "Seriously, though, ya got a lot better, P-chan." The lost boy managed a wry grin. "Thanks, Lady Ranko." The two glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, and broke out laughing, something that, they rather quickly found out, hurt.

"Been a while since we had this much fun, eh, Ryoga?" Ranma finally asked when they had calmed down somewhat. "Yeah. When was the last time we actually fought just to beat the crap outta each other?" Ryoga mused. "I think it was back in elementary school, wasn't it?" "Yup," Ranma confirmed. "You miss those times, too?"

"Definitely." The pig-tailed martial artist sighed and glanced up at the ceiling. "Hey Ryoga?"

"Hm?"

"How come you haven't told me to bugger off and die yet? I mean, usually by this time you're going on about something or another I did to Akane, or you." Ranma chuckled. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

Ryoga sighed before replying. "I dunno. Feels like it really ain't worth it to blame you, not with all that's been going on around here. Even I can see that there are people dying here...and compared to what's been done to the people here...I kinda feel real petty blaming you for me getting lost, ya know? I mean, I could go ahead and blame you for this mess, and I'm pretty sure you have something to do with it, but it's more important we get something done. I can still blame you for everything after we kicked these bad guys outta here."

"Ryoga?"

"Hm?"

"That was the sanest thing I've heard you say in a long time." That earned Ranma a snort and a playful jab in the ribs. "Yeah, pick on the pig 'cause I'm being nice for once. Hell, Jusenkyo doesn't even bother me much anymore. With all the mages and goddesses around, I'm pretty sure they could find a cure for Jusenkyo between them." Ryoga grinned, knowing Ranma couldn't see it. "Besides, I kinda missed having someone to beat on."

"In your dreams, P-chan," Ranma repeated, before both began snoring.

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"Anything?" Urd sat herself down in a chair across from Cologne, as she eyed the sleeping Soap on the next table over. "There were some references, but those mostly refer to the setting up of the spell and the legend around it. There is no way to stop it, it seems." Even the ancient amazon seemed aggravated by the lack of progress by this time. Urd rubbed her temples, sighing. "Haven't been able to contact my sisters, either. Look, the spell is set up from a mandala, right?"

At Cologne's nod, an idea sprang up in her mind. It was risky, uncertain, and most certainly foolish. It was also their best shot. "What if we interrupt the mandala?" The elder asked. Urd shook her head violently. "Oh no. You don't wanna break a mandala if there's a spell in progress, especially not if there are energies of this magnitude involved. You'd risk releasing them into thin air, and anything could happen. There's a big probablility that instead of dissipating peacefully, it'll go boom and take the whole valley with it."

"We haven't got another way to stop Firkraag. We cannot let him succeed in completing the spell," Cologne argued. Urd's eyes narrowed. "That's not it. If I can get close enough I can use the setup and dissipate the energy...if we can get rid of Firkraag." "That's a big if," the amazon commented. Urd was forced to agree. "I need to go take care of something, Urd-sama," Cologne finally said after a moment of silence. "I'm worried about son-in-law. He seemed angry these last days, and then that blast he threw the other day."

"You might want to reconsider calling him son-in-law, though," Urd smirked. "'Cause I don't think he's going to choose Shampoo. Go and check up on him. I'm pretty sure whatever it was, he's worked through it. He isn't the type to be bothered by such things for long."

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Cologne hopped towards Jusendo's training hall, only to find Ranma and Ryoga peacefully asleep leaning against each other. "They deserve some rest," Ryoko said from beside her, even as he slid to a stop silently. "They've been fighting for their lives the last several days. It's something they shouldn't have to do." Cologne glanced at the martial artist beside her. "They had a fight? I haven't ever seen one of their battles end like this...they look peaceful."

Ryoko chuckled. "Heh. I think they sorted out a few things. Let them rest before you go ask Ranma about what's been bothering him. Well, I gotta go."

"Where to? I was hoping I could have a sparring match with you." Cologne grinned, causing Ryoko to arch an eyebrow. Her expression was somewhat comical, if slightly creepy. "Another time, elder Khu Lon. Another time. I'm going to pay my sister a visit. She's been a little...short-tempered lately." Cologne cast one last look at the peacefully snoring martial artists, before chuckling and turning around.

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The knock on her door startled Setsuna out of her short-lived reverie. She growled, mentally preparing to give a thorough tongue-lashing to whoever wanted to talk to her now. Couldn't people see she was sulking? It was getting rather annoying, having her thoughts of raining divine justice and vengeance upon the heads of that demon and his accomplice interrupted every ten minutes or so.

"What do you want?" She snapped, not even really bothering to check who was at the door. "Honestly, that any way to greet your brother?" Setsuna groaned. It just had to be her brother, with his usual infuriatingly cheery grin. "Hey Setsa." He walked in the door, past her, and plopped down in the seat she had previously occupied. "Haven't seen much of you lately." His eyes turned serious. "Setsuna, the other Senshi are worried about you. So are Nodoka, Kasumi, Ranma, and everyone else."

"I'm fine." The emerald-haired Senshi didn't exactly believe it, but it was as good an excuse as any. "Really? So that's why you've been brooding in here for the last three days while everyone's been fighting?" He snorted. "I doubt there's nothing wrong. Everyone has some sort of problem or another these days. You're no exception, Setsa. We all gotta deal with this situation."

"Situation?" Setsuna yelled, "You call this a 'situation'? All we've been working for, all the millennia I spent at the Time Gate, guarding the time line, watching over the Senshi...and one moment of randomness throws it all out the window! Do you even know what the Gates showed me? Death and destruction beyond all you can imagine! Compared to what is to come the destruction Beryl brought to the Moon Kingdom looks like an amusement park!" She stalked over to her brother, anger welling up inside her. He didn't understand anything. He hadn't been the one to stand guard over the time line for uncounted centuries, he hadn't worked towards achieving paradise, he wasn't the one whose dreams had been shattered in an instant. He didn't know what it was like.

"You know what I saw? For the first time ever, the Time Gate showed me a branch with a hundred percent probability! Nothing we do can alter the course from it! Nothing! It's all gone! The whole damn Crystal Tokyo's gone, hell, the whole world will be gone!" She snorted in disgust. "Does this classify as a 'problem'?"

Shaking his head tiredly, Ryoko eyed her carefully. This was a new side to his sister, a fragile, unstable one. He wasn't too sure how to deal with it. "We don't know for certain, Setsuna. There might be a chance..." The Time Senshi cut him off violently. "There's no chance! The Gates don't lie, and if they say a hundred percent, then it's inevitable! Get it into your damn skull! That blasted demon destroyed everything!"

"You want to just give up and die?" The martial artist stared at her incredulously, his own pride and anger starting to stir. "Listen to yourself – you sound pathethic. Your friends are out there, every night, risking their lives to help these people, and you only sit here and wail about how miserable you are because your precious Time Gate showed something damned ugly!" He took a deep breath, trying to get his emotions back under control. The last thing they needed now was to yell at each other. "The Gates have been wrong before. They are wrong now. We're not going to let it happen, Setsuna."

"You don't understand a single god-damn thing!" His sister screeched, "The Gates can be wrong if there's even a tiny chance that there's another branch! Which part of one hundred percent don't you understand? There's no way to stop it! All I've done-" She cut off abruptly as she felt a harsh sting in her cheek and stared stupidly at her brother's hand. Ryoko glared at her. He knew he was going too far, but he didn't care for the moment. He'd feel sorry later.

"So, this is all about you, isn't it? You've worked for ages setting up events so they'll lead to Crystal Tokyo. You've been the one to watch the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. You've been making sure Crystal Tokyo happens, and now someone took your hard work and just made it disappear like that!" He snapped his fingers. "Now listen to me. Your friends are fighting for their lives, and you know why? Because they trust in their ability to make a difference! If you want to take your destiny for granted, go ahead and lie down and prepare to die! I, for one, will fight it to the end. We make our own destiny, Setsuna. We make our own choices. And every single person in this mountain is prepared to die to change destiny."

He got up and headed for the door, hesitating only an instant in the doorway. "Other people have their problems, too, you know. Ranma still is afraid of taking lives – yet he kills the youma every night, to protect his family. Urd and Cologne haven't gotten a single step closer to breaking the Ragnarok spell, and Nodoka is worried about her son. The Senshi are cracking under the pressure of fighting every night. People are fighting to survive here. So don't talk as if you're the only one with major problems here." Before she could reply, he left.

Setsuna sank back into her seat, staring unblinkingly at the space he had occupied moments before, her unspoken words echoing in her mind. But the Time Gates said...

Ryoko swore as he heard the alert. He turned on his heel and rushed towards the gates, passing the Senshi on his way, and threaded his way towards Kiima, who was staring out into the night from her guard post. Ranma and Ryoga were still sleeping, Setsuna wouldn't join them tonight, either, and Nodoka was still recovering. Soap was asleep, and Cologne and Ukyo on her way. He could feel the ancient amazon's ki as it moved through the mountain, along with the okonomiyaki chef's. "How's it look, Kiima-san?"

The Phoenix woman quickly glanced at him before returning her focus to the night before them. "Patrols have spotted the first youma rising. It's looking like the typical pattern." She sighed. "It's going to be a long night," she muttered. Ryoko could only nod in agreement.