Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter out! Phew. Got some free time, and my muse is back! Some Ranma/Kasumi fluff here. On a side note, the branch with the Ranma/Kagura romance is gonna start at chapter 10, and I'm not sure when I'm gonna write that one up, 'cause I've been having way too many fanfic ideas flying around my head. Heh. Anyway, on with the story!
Chapter Fourteen: That Which Holds Us Here
Ranma dragged himself through the corridor towards his quarters. He was tired. In between the nightly fighting and his own training from the scrolls, he barely had time to sleep, and it was showing. Now, all he wanted was a bed or futon, and some peace and quiet. He considered just sleeping as he was, leaning against the wall, for a moment, but quickly dismissed that thought. The pig-tailed martial artist stumbled into his door and was snoring within moments.
He was sleeping so soundly he never heard the knock on his door. When no on answered, it slid open quietly, and Kasumi peeked in, a soft smile gracing her face as she took in the sleeping form.
V-------------------------V
Cracking an eye open to the rustle of cloth next to him, Ranma shot up, suddenly wide awake. "Ka-Kasumi?" The girl gave him a lopsided grin from where she sat next to him. "Good afternoon, Ranma-kun." The pig-tailed martial artist relaxed somewhat, gathering his wits. "So, uh, whatcha doing here?"
"I wanted to check up on you. Auntie Nodoka and I were worrying about you not getting enough rest." The eldest Tendo daughter inclined her head, mustering him for a moment. "Looks like she was right. Ranma-kun, you can't fight if you're tired." He chuckled without humor. "Tell that to them demons outside. If you can get 'em to lay off for a day or two I promise I'll catch some sleep."
She eyed him closely, and a flash of something in his sapphire eyes caught her attention. There was something about his body language that spoke of weariness, but not exhaustion. It seemed as if his body was rested while his mind was not. "There is something bothering you, Ranma-kun." It wasn't a question. His response was a quiet sigh, as he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, trying to shield them from her piercing gaze. "Please, Ranma-kun, let us help. Auntie and I aren't the only ones who worry about you. Ukyo, Nabiki, and Shampoo do, too."
"Remember a couple months back, just before the failed wedding, when all of us went to China to get Akane back?" At her nod, Ranma continued. "We never told you the details, did we? I needed the water of the main spring of Jusendo to cure Akane, and Saffron wouldn't let me have it. We fought. And I...killed him, Kasumi. I tore him to pieces. All my other tricks had failed, so I blasted him with a Hiryuu Shôten Ha, and he got shredded by the debris and ice."
"But Lord Saffron is still alive? I don't understand," Kasumi told him. If the boy admitted to killing the god-king of Jusendo, how come he was alive? "He's a Phoenix and a demi-god. When he died, he reverted back to an egg and hatched again." Ranma still had his eyes clenched shut against the torrent of images that flooded his mind, willing them to go away. "But that doesn't change the fact that I killed him. I took a life, Kasumi. I used the Art to harm someone. If he hadn't been what he is, he would have been gone. Dead."
The girl glanced down at the now shivering martial artist. "You did so to protect my sister, Ranma-kun. There is no shame in that. It is regrettable that you had to take a life...yet in the long run, no harm has been done, and you saved my sister. And I can only thank you for it."
"Y-you don't understand, Kasumi. If I'm not careful, I can easily kill people who aren't martial artists. If I ever loose control, if something happens, like the Neko-Ken, and I go nuts, people are gonna die!" "This isn't just about Saffron, is it?" Kasumi asked gently, as she moved to kneel next to him on the ground. He shook his head.
"No. On my training trip I came across this girl, and we travelled a bit together. A couple slavers popped up, and we tried to free the people they had caught. One of them held a gun to her and told me to stand down. He shot her anyway. He shot her, Kasumi! I felt so angry then, 'cause I couldn't help her, 'cause I wasn't fast enough, or good enough, and I got mad at them for what they did to other people...I killed him. He didn't even have time to scream. I killed another person, and this one didn't wake back up. I-" A single tear slid between his tightly shut eyelids, trickling down his cheek.
Kasumi could only sit in mute shock at his admission, her eyes trailing the teardrop's path down his face. "Ranma-kun...you are not a killer. I'm a pretty good judge of character, and you don't strike me as someone who would take taking a life lightly. You're proving my point even as we speak," she slowly began. "It is always regrettable, but no one would blame you in that situation. You've always been so passionate for your Art, and I truly believe that if you fear loosing control you will conquer that fear. It is not like you to let that fear rule you, Ranma-kun. Where is that pride of yours, the will to never admit defeat? It is what I admired about you the most. After all, 'Saotome Ranma never looses'."
"I thought I had...I wanted to be a martial artist again, not a warrior. I can't kill, Kasumi. I just can't. But now, every night, I have to kill youma, and oni, and demons, or they'll kill us. I don't know what to do anymore. Each time I fight, I find I'm loosing a part of myself to that bloodlust inside me, and it's scaring me, Kasumi." Ranma finally opened his eyes, and the girl reeled back in shock at what she saw there. These weren't the eyes of the happy-go-lucky martial artist she had known, these told her of inner conflict, despair, self-loathing, and fear.
"Sometimes, things have to be done, Ranma-kun. I wish they didn't, but these creatures are in the wrong. You have protected us so far, and I cannot find words to thank you for it. You have sacrificed more than we could ever imagine. Killing should never be easy, and you have just proven that you care about even your enemies. I would never think any less of you because you were forced to slay to keep others safe..." To make her point, she leaned closer towards him, her calm brown eyes never leaving his, as she closed the distance between them.
With a feather-light touch, their lips touched, and Ranma stiffened. After a moment, he relaxed again, nearly melting into her. Ranma looked into her eyes, searching for any sort of demand or hidden agenda...he found none. The touch wasn't demanding or seductive as the other girls', it was a simple gesture of comfort. They left it at that, even as she withdrew and smiled at him. A sudden crash jerked their attention back to their surroundings, only to find the door to the room flat on the ground, with Shampoo, Ukyo, Nabiki, and Nodoka piled on top.
"Way to go, girl!" Ukyo cheered from underneath Nabiki and Nodoka, while Shampoo just shot him a calculating grin. Nodoka wore her "my son is so manly" grin, and Nabiki winked at him, giving a wolf whistle.
Ranma and Kasumi glanced at each other, then back at the crowd at the door, a single thought echoing in their minds. Weirdoes.
V-------------------------V
"Ranma?" Said pig-tailed boy turned around at the voice, even as he closed the last of his shirt's wooden clasps. "Yeah, Shampoo?" The young amazon warrior was standing in his doorway, accompanied by a familiar figure in an okonomiyaki seller's outfit. "Shampoo come to ask you something. Spatula girl, too." That earned her a light jab in the ribs from Ukyo, who grinned at him. "What she said, Ranchan."
"Sure, come in you two." As the trio settled comfortably on the ground, Ranma eyed the two girls. Something seemed different about them. They were somewhat less hostile towards each other, and while they were lacking the battle-weariness he felt, they looked just as exhausted as everyone else. "So, what was it you wanted ta ask?" The two girls glanced at each other nervously, before starting at the same moment, "We wanted to-" They looked at each other again, each arching an eyebrow silmultaneously.
When they inclined their heads at exactly the same time, Ranma burst out into laughter, holding his sides as he slid down the wall, landing on the ground. It was a semi-hysterical laughter, but there was a part of him that found the situation genuinely comical. He was just glad that he could still laugh. Ukyo and Shampoo took one look at him, before rolling their eyes and waiting for him to calm down. "You done yet, Ranchan?"
"Yeah, kinda." He was still chuckling, but he had it somewhat under control. "Good, 'cause we wanted to ask you something...concerning our engagements." The pig-tailed martial artist snapped to upright attention in an instant. "Yes?"
"Well...we think it's about time you choose," Ukyo began. "Airen leave us fight each other long enough. Now we can die each night, have to be sure of feelings. Want to know." Shampoo agreed. "Want to know who Airen...who Ranma love." She made a point of emphasizing her use of his name. "Shampoo want to know, because Shampoo, Ukyo, and Hiba-chan may be only Amazons left."
Something about that sentence seemed odd to Ranma, even as he mulled over it. Then it clicked. Shampoo, Ukyo, and Hiba-chan. Wait a minute...Ukyo? "What do you mean, Ukyo's an Amazon?" He spluttered out.
"Cologne invited me into the tribe. Judging from what we saw at the Musk place, there probably isn't much left of Joketsuzoku, so they offered me membership in the tribe," the chef shrugged. "I thought why the hell not. At least, I'll have some family. The way things are going I doubt my father's going to take me back – to be completely honest, I don't know if I could marry you, Ranchan. I love you...but maybe not that way, after all. I don't know, that's why I'm here. I want to find out once and for all."
Ranma opened his mouth as if to speak, then decided to close it again as he found he didn't really have anything to say. "So how do we solve this?" He finally asked. "Let's see...who are the suitors? Me, Shampoo, and Kasumi." Ukyo counted off her fingers. "No forget violent pervert girl," Shampoo added. Ranma shuddered. "No thanks. Akane's out. Definitely."
"You sure, hon?" At Ranma's nod, Ukyo shrugged. "Fine. Then it's still me, Shampoo, and Kasumi. So, who do you love?" Ranma's reply was a choked gulp, and he did a rather passable impression of a fish out of water. Shampoo and Ukyo giggled at his expression, and waited for his verdict.
"You're gonna let me choose just like that? I mean, you were always so insistent I choose you, and Shampoo and Cologne just about tried everything to get me into the tribe. I doubt the old ghoul would just let me be if I didn't choose Shampoo – right?" The amazon girl shook her head. "Shampoo talk to Hiba-chan later. Joketsuzoku in no position to demand anything right now, need help instead of enemies. We no going to make Ranma enemy." For a moment, a hint of sadness crossed her features, and Ranma began to dread having to turn her down. He'd been trying to avoid hurting any of the girls' feelings until now...now, it seemed inevitable. "Even if it mean Shampoo loose Ranma," the girl finished in a whisper.
Ukyo cut in, "Right, and as I said before, I'm not really sure what I feel about you anymore, Ranchan. I mean, part of me is still attracted to you...but a growing part of me can't see you as a lover. It'd be nice and we'd enjoy it, but it wouldn't feel right, I think. I don't know."
Ranma sank back against the wall, and onto his bed, unsure of what to say at the moment. He stared into the faces of both of the girls, his sapphire gaze boring into their eyes, searching for a trace of something to help him make a decision, to help him say anything at all. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything there that would give him a clue as to what to do. "Ucch-Ukyo," he began, deciding to get over with the more difficult of the two first. "You know you're my friend...I tried to imagine us together, but all I could see was us hanging out. You're my closest friend, Ukyo, my oldest friend, and sometimes, my only friend. I really appreciate that you've been there for me over the last year or so...but I don't love you, not that way. I do love you like my sister, but I-" he clamped up and decided to stare at his feet instead.
"I'm sorry, Ukyo," he whispered, waiting for her outburst of anger. What came instead wasn't entirely unexpected, but he hadn't dared hope for it. The okonomiyaki chef giggled slightly, and he felt a finger poking his ribs. "Hey, Ranchan. C'mon, whatcha staring at your feet for?" He looked up into her grinning face and laughing eyes, and managed a light chuckle. "That settles that, Ranchan. Oh well, guess I won't be becoming a Saotome anytime soon. I hope you still want to be friends, though," she told him. Ranma nearly leapt at her, but restrained himself and gingerly extended his arms around her, as Ukyo let herself be drawn into a hug. "Odd, how easy it is for you now to give me a hug," she noted, winking at him.
"Actually, there is a way. Mom could always adopt you into the clan. Don't think you'd want to, though, even if I'd be honored to have you as my sister." Ranma looked contemplative. "With all the stuff oyaji has pulled, there's pretty much no honor left on the name, and people are going to come after you for whatever he owes them." Ukyo shrugged. "So? Better then being a ronin. I'd love to be your sister. Tell ya what, hon, when all this is over, let's go ask her."
The pig-tailed boy slowly disengaged himself from the brunette, before leaning back against the wall again and turning his attention on Shampoo. "Shampoo...you're cute, and attractive, and strong, and intelligent." He smirked as her eyes widened. "Trust me, I know. You'd be surprised at what you can see in other people's eyes when you know what to look for. You're just really good at hiding it." The amazon broke out into a weary smile. "Ranma too too good to be fooled."
The martial artist shrugged. "Shampoo...let me ask you something. Why don't you marry Mousse?" "Shampoo no love him. Even though he good friend, it like Ranma and Spat-Ukyo. We friends, but for long time he think we can be something more." The chef had the decency to chuckle and blush at the reference.
"Right. And I don't love you, Shampoo. Not that way." It drew a sigh from the girl, but he was surprised at her lack of a more...violent reaction. "Shampoo guess for long time that Ranma no love Shampoo. Shampoo think did wrong when chasing Ranma, think should have become friend instead of enemy first." Ranma just nodded. "Yeah. Things might have been different if I didn't have to keep looking out for potions, or weird shiatsu. It...if you accept, I would be your friend, but I can't be more."
"Ranma love too too nice girl?" Shampoo winked at him. "It good choice, fit Ranma well. Shampoo still love Ranma, but will be friend. Better than nothing. Now got to tell Hiba-chan. Shampoo wish Ranma luck with nice girl Kasumi, and if Ranma ever need help with 'intimacies', Shampoo too too happy to help!" He nearly choked on that, but matched her grin when he realized she was joking. "Thanks, Shampoo. It means a lot to me."
"Shampoo know. Shampoo not have many friends, either." Ranma's eyes told them all they needed to know. Even if he wasn't good with words, they knew how important their friendship was to them. And they smiled.
V-------------------------V
The room was dark and gloomy, just as she always liked it. However, at this time the darkness wasn't as soothing as it used to be; rather, it was like a premonition of the impending destruction that awaited them. And Setsuna didn't like it one bit. What was even worse was the fact that the Gates and her personal precognition had shown her it was inevitable.
The Gates of Time had always been reliable, to the extent of the probabilities they showed. Then she recalled what Urd had once called them. Skuld is more reliable than that piece of junk you use. But the Gates had showed it was the only possible path, no matter what they did, as if dismissing their actions as inconsequential, mocking them with its inevitability.
Could they really be wrong? The night raid alert shook her out of her thoughts. Footsteps were rushing past her quarters, and she could hear henshin phrases being called through the thin door. The Senshi were going back out to fight tonight. But did it really matter if they fought? Did it really matter what they did, if their deaths were coming either way?
Her eyes clenched shut in anger. They had worked for a world without wars and disease, and this was how it was supposed to end? All they had achieved so far, all they had fought for...would be gone in an instant of irreversible insanity. The insanity of a single person. The thought was infuriating, and she felt her anger grow at the demon responsible. But then again, was there any reason left to fight, if they were all doomed anyway?
The Senshi were going out to battle, even the wounded were going out now, rushing into the fray to protect those who couldn't fight themselves. It was rather pathethic, she realized, even if it was futile, she was sitting around feeling sorry for all her lost work and herself while her friends and family were out fighting for their lives. Even if it was for naught, they still were determined to combat the odds.
The door to her quarters slid open, and a winged figure entered, bringing her up short. The person was not tall enough to be a Phoenix, and as a flash of magic lit the room, Setsuna stared at Sailor Moon. "Setsuna," Usagi began. "Who are you?"
"Meiou Setsuna." The green-haired woman replied on reflex.
"What are you?"
"Sailor Pluto, guardian of time."
"Who do you owe allegiance to?"
"You."
Usagi shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "No, Setsuna, not me. I may be the Moon Princess, and I may be Serenity, but ultimately, you only answer to yourself. The choices you make are yours alone, and not mine to make. I can only hope and ask you. We would love to have your help, Setsuna. There are innocent people here who are suffering, and since when have you been able to stand seeing people suffer? That's not the Setsuna I know."
"But no matter what we do..."
"We do what we must." Usagi's blue eyes bored into her crimson ones. "We have faced overwhelming odds before. And even if it truly is the only path left, no matter what we do, I will continue to fight. I believe that humans can make their own choices and their own destiny. I fight because it is the right thing to do. It is the human thing to do. I will never give up, as long as I stand, as long as there are people suffering. Defeat is not an option. Now, you have to make your choice, Meiou Setsuna, Sailor Pluto." During the course of her speech her demeanor changed, and she looked more regal, more dignified. She seemed taller than real life. This was Queen Serenity.
They were fighting destiny. And if her Queen ordered them to do so, then they would. If their Queen never gave up, then they wouldn't, either. After all, who were they to question their queen?
The time Senshi rose and produced her henshin rod. Her brother had been right. She'd been sitting around for too long. If her friends were willing to fight every night and damn the odds, then so would she. It was the human thing to do, after all.
V-------------------------V
Ryoko's danger sense tingled in the middle of his kata, and he dodged. He hadn't lived this long by ignoring his instincts, and he launched into a reverse leg-sweep even as he ducked under the punch, only to see his opponont leaping backwards. His closed eyes opened and he arched an eyebrow. "What brings you here, Setsuna?"
His sister shot him a cocky grin. "You got what you wanted. I'm off my lazy behind. So now, it's training time – after all, I'm a little rusty." She threw a snap-kick, followed by a palm-strike, both of which her brother evaded. Ryoko chuckled and retaliated with a knife hand aimed at her ribs which she easily slapped aside. The two leapt apart, into ready stances. "So...is it a challenge?" Setsuna grinned. "You bet!"
Ryoko leapt at her in a flying jump kick, which clipped her shoulder even as she turned away, and stumbled as Setsuna reached out and slammed a palm-strike into his back. The martial artist caught himself – and a snap kick, courtesty of his sister, as well, sending him careening backwards. "Not bad," he commented. "You're a bit faster than before."
"Or maybe you're just getting old, ne, Ryo-chan?" a new voice cut in. The siblings turned to see a grinning Urd at the entrance. Ryoko snorted at the goddess's comment. "Maybe. So, what can we do for you, Urd?" "Well...we need to get to Joketsuzoku," she replied, inclining her head. "I can't do anything from here, and the wild magic is interfering with my uplink to Yggdrasil. There's nothing on the records that would be of any use, so we'll have to disrupt the spell itself."
"Destroy the mandala?" Ryoko asked, "isn't that rather dangerous? If all that energy is released uncontrolled, then it could blow us all to pieces." "Best shot we have," was the silver-haired woman's sour reply. Any further comment was forestalled by a yell of outrage and a cry of pain from the other side of the training hall. All present turned their attention to the pair of fighting martial artists in an instant.
V-------------------------V
Ryoga slammed into the ground hard. It didn't really hurt, and he knew Ranma was holding back – after all, the concrete ground didn't even chip from the force of the blow. The lost boy had to admit, it was good to be rid of the ever-present depression that had taken up so much of his life before. Now, he had a friend back, and he was finally working on getting his life back under control.
Sparring with Ranma proved to be fun, fun Ryoga hadn't had since elementary school. It was the pure, heartfelt joy at competing with another, fighting just for the sake of fighting, without any hidden agendas or motives behind it. It felt...liberating. And now, he could finally see all the subtle nuances about his rival's style, the way he twisted in mid-air to remain airborne a few scant seconds longer, the way his eyes lit up when they clashed, the way he teased him.
Now Ryoga realized that Ranma was teasing him only to incite him to achieve even greater heights, spurring him on to try and overcome his pig-tailed rival and overcome his own limits time and time again. It had worked, too, oh how it had worked. For the moment, at least, the lost boy could forget the death that awaited them each night, and loose himself in the simple movements of his own family's art.
He felt the repeated impacts of the Amaguri-Ken, shied from the heat of the explosive contact of their ki blasts, and dodged Ranma's attempt to lead him into a spiral. Making the ground explode with the Bakusai Tenketsu, Ryoga charged forward, hoping to catch Ranma before he came down from his jump. He was only partially successful, his kick meeting his opponent's block, and he followed it with a quick ki blast. The golden barrier Ranma produced flared to life again as he worked on mastering the technique, and left both of them standing amidst the settling dust.
"Nice one, Ryoga. Almost caught me there," Ranma noted. Ryoga chuckled, before imitating his rival's trademark smirk. "I'll get you next time, Ranma." Next time...prepare to die! The lost boy wondered why that thought had suddenly popped into his head. Think about it...all the death outside, all the suffering, and he's the one responsible. If he dies, everything ends, and the nightmare will be over, the voice continued. Trying to push these thoughts out of his head, Ryoga missed a dodge and hit the wall with far more force than intended.
He grunted as he stood up shakily, trying to rid himself of the growing depression and anger, emotions that felt all too familiar, and were directed at their old target – the pig-tailed youth who was rushing towards him, stuttering apologies and asking if he was all right. Ryoga didn't know where those thoughts were coming from, but he didn't like where they were leading. He didn't like it one bit. The thoughts grew in intensity, until they developed into a throbbing headache that forced his own consciousness back into the dark recesses of unconsciousness and oblivion.
Ranma stopped dead in his tracks when Ryoga's aura became visible, turning from its new brilliant violet to a dark shade of reddish-green, to an ominous gray. "Ranma..." The lost boy's eyes were widened in shock and fear, and the pig-tailed martial artist could see a new emotion in his rival's eyes, something he'd never expected to see there. Helplessness. The aura grew in intensity, until the lost boy moved forward, his arm flashing forward faster than Ranma had ever seen, catching him by surprise.
The ki-charged blow connected with his ribcage, and Ranma swore he could hear ribs crack, and it was getting difficult to breathe. Skittering across the floor for a good ten feet, he picked himself off the ground and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. Ranma's eyes widened. Ryoga wasn't holding back. Before he could finish another thought, a dark grey energy blast slammed into him, blasting into his crossed arms. He was shielding his eyes against the intensity of the blast, and didn't see Ryoga pulling off a bandanna.
Ranma's cry was due more to surprise than pain, and he turned out of the path of the remaining projectiles before they could hit him. Rolling sideways, he kicked off the ground, springing forward in a two-handed hammerblow that clocked Ryoga's head around, and followed it with a spinning kick that connected solidly with the lost boy's side. Panting heavily, Ranma backed off and took stock of his injuries. He had several cracked ribs, and the bandanna had done its part as well, cutting deeply into his hip. Warm blood was flowing down his leg, and the pig-tailed boy knew it wouldn't support his weight for much longer.
"Time to die, Saotome," Ryoga snarled, charging forward again. Ranma was barely able to mount a defense against his opponent's blows which came hard and fast – faster than anything Ryoga should be able to manage, the analytical part of Ranma's mind noted, but that information quickly took a backseat to survival instincts as he continued to try to dodge around the blows that came at near-Amaguri-Ken speeds.
"C'mon, Ryoga, what's up with you, man?" His eyes narrowed as a blow clipped his shoulder, causing him to cough up blood, and the pig-tailed martial artist lashed out once, unconsciously. Four nearly invisible distortions traversed the distance between them, and to both their shock four parallel gashes appeared on the lost boy's chest. What the hell's with him? He's shrugging off everything I throw at him like it's nothing! Ranma ducked under an uppercut that would have taken off his head, and unleashed an Amaguri-Ken of his own at the lost boy's chest, following it by a point-blank ki blast. "Môkô Takabishâ!" The explosive force of the blast blew them apart. Ranma landed hard on his back while Ryoga simply slid back, his feet digging deep trenches into the ground.
His leg picked that moment to give out, and the pig-tailed youth collapsed. His vision began to blur as the blood loss took effect, and he coughed up blood. "Heh. Great, I'll kick his butt for this," Ranma muttered as he tried to get back to his feet. Ryoga was moving towards him, seemingly none the worse for wear, a sadistic grin plastered across his face. "Game over, Saotome."
A lightning bolt and a purple ki blast rocked the lost boy to the side, knocking him off balance. "What the hell you think you're doing, Hibiki!" Ryoko launched into a flying kick, only to have Ryoga grab his leg and drop an axe kick on the inside of his knee. The elder martial artist rolled his body with the momentum and swung his other leg into a kick across Ryoga's face, springing into a handstand and a forward flip as soon as the lost boy's grip loosened.
Urd thrust twin lightning bolts at Ryoga, only to watch as they dissipated against his battle-aura, doing minimal damage. He turned his attention to her, and the goddess shuddered at the vacant and bloodthirsty look in his green eyes. She leapt up and levitated as he barreled through the spot she had vacated a moment ago, and dodged sideways as he throw a ki blast at her. World of Elegance appeared, summoned by her mistress's call, and the two flew around the cavern, trying to pin down the cursed martial artist with their blasts.
Ryoko had managed to limp over to Ranma and tore off a strip of his shirt, binding off the wound while Ryoga was chasing around his two flying opponents. The martial artist was staring critically at the wound, assessing its seriousness. It was deep enough he was worried about whether the bone had been damaged, and would most likely require stitches. The muscles might have been damaged by with the amount of time Ranma had lasted before it gave out they should be fine. But the bleeding wasn't stopping, not with a cut this deep, and the blood was pooling around them.
"I'll take him to the medical ward," Setsuna told him as she appeared next to Ryoko. "You go take down that insane nut." He glanced at his sister for a moment, before nodding and rushing towards Ryoga. The Senshi of time waved her staff and teleported herself and the injured martial artist to Jusendo's hospital.
Ryoko gritted his teeth as his blows had no effect of the lost boy, leaping back and twisting in mid-air to avoid a bolt of energy. "What the hell's up with him?" "He's possessed," Urd replied as she caught him and moved them both out of the way of a series of ki blasts. "Wonderful."
"I think Firkraag placed a geas on him sometime before he appeared, not sure when." Urd's reply was cut off when Ryoga jumped high and floated, his aura condensing below him to form a cushion. The goddess reeled back from the blow and slammed against the far wall of the cavern, while Ryoko grabbed hold of the lost boy's arm, whispering, "Munashii Raishuu."
Ryoga buckled in mid-air under the repeated palm strikes, and Ryoko could feel the ribs crack under his blows as he kept up the attack. Finally, Ryoga swung his arm around and kicked out, catching his opponent's shoulder. With a grunt of pain Ryoko let go and drew a fan with his good hand, stabbing it at a pressure point on the lost boy's arm as he dropped. He twisted in the air, and narrowed his eyes. "Tenmou."
The ground in front of the martial artist exploded into geysirs of energy, that lanced out at his enemy, buffeting him around. Ryoga hit the ground, actually taking a moment to get back up as World of Elegance continued to rain energy blasts on him. Ryoko settled into a defensive stance, only to have the fight end with a splash as Urd conjured up a deluge above the lost boy's head. "Should've thought of that earlier," she chided herself.
"Heh, yeah," Ryoko agreed as he limped forward and picked up the little black pig by its bandanna. "Can you purge the geas?" "No problem."
Blinding white light was the first thing that informed him of his state of wakefulness. Ranma blinked several times, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light, and took stock of his situation. Hm...lying down, somewhere. My leg doesn't hurt anymore, and that pressure is probably a bandage. Major headache, and bruises all over. His stomach growled, and he mentally added, hungry, too. Wonder what happened to Ryoga?
He finally opened his eyes and glanced around the assembled faces that displayed a mixture of concern and anger. "Eh...hi guys?" He greeted them lamely. Kasumi sat by his side, smiling serenely, with Nodoka occupying the other side of his bed, a worried expression set on her face. Akane was at the foot of his bed alternating between staring at him and something else, which turned out to be Ryoga lying on the next bed over, and Cologne was rebandaging his leg.
"What happened, Ranma?" His mother asked. "Setsuna appeared in here all of a sudden with you, but she didn't tell us anything." He glanced over at his rival on the next bed, before replying. "Ryoga kinda went nuts. Dunno what happened to him, though, I think I passed out halfway through the fight."
"That wasn't Ryoga, at least not quite," Urd noted as she strolled over, Ryoko limping in after her. "He was under a geas that somehow kicked in now. I cleared it out of him, so he should be fine now." "So, how's he now?" Ranma asked, faintly recalling the fight.
Ryoko grumbled a reply as he sat down on a stool. "He's fine. But there's something odd...there's four parallel cuts on his chest, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't me." The pig-tailed martial artist's eyes widened. "You think...the Neko-Ken?" The older man shrugged. "Beats me. If you want my personal opinion, yes. Only thing that could have done that kind of damage in that situation."
Ranma thought back, mulling over his previous fights. There was something odd nagging on the edge of his memory. Each time I blacked out for a moment, and afterwards the youma was dead, he realized. He mentally skimmed the last several nights. The memory gaps were still there, but growing shorter, and he could recall blurry images. Oh no...I'm loosing control of the Neko-Ken.
The fight with Ryoga was all a blur, the adrenaline mixing with his survival instincts to dim the memory of it, but now that he thought about it, there was one instant of crystal clarity. Let's see...Ryoga threw that punch...and then...The lost boy seemed to move in slow motion as the pig-tailed martial artist replayed the battle in his head. The punch flew at him at a snails pace, he remembered spinning around, remembered the pain, rememebered his instincts kicking in...and then raking his hand through the air, and the distinct feeling of dissipated ki.
"Damn," Ranma mumbled. Everyone was staring at him. What was it Kagura had told him? The Neko-ken is the manifestation of your basic survival instincts. Your body is conditioned so that when a survival situation comes up your mind shuts down when a very strong and uncontrollable emotion appears, and your body takes over. "What is it, Ranma?" Nodoka asked him softly, worried about the frightened look she had seen crossing her son's eyes.
"I'm loosing it, mom. The Neko-Ken's coming out." The stares around the bed ranged from inquisitive to outright scared, a feeling Ranma was all too familiar with. Then again, he had been in a critical situation, and had had to rely on his survival instincts. And each time the memory had gotten clearer. What did it mean? Your fear of cats is the trigger for the Neko-ken, but any powerful emotion that would be too much for your mind to take would do. You need to control your mind's reaction, in order to control the Neko-ken, the words echoed in his mind.
The answer was simple, each time he was on the battlefield he'd felt a an overwhelming hatred, directed at the person responsible for causing all of them to have to fight for their lives. And then, with Ryoga...desperation, born out of the need to survive and see this through, anger at the betrayal, hatred at the person he subconsciously knew was responsible for doing this to his friend. It had opened ki pathways in his body he never knew existed.
As he replayed the battle in his mind, he could almost feel the ki surging through him, at an intensity that made the memory almost tangible, almost real. "Ranma." He turned at the mention of his name. "Get some rest," Ryoko told him. "Tomorrow we can figure things out."
V-------------------------V
Firkraag cracked an eye open and smirked. Winds were howling around him, kicking up dust from the ground as he moved across the deserted town square of the amazon village. So, the boy knows the Neko-Ken, eh? This will make matters a lot more interesting.