Ranma ½

Chapter 14

Showdown Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.

First off, I am sorry this chapter took so long; I was constantly adjusting it, trying to bring in more detail and believability in Nabiki's desires to make Ranma's life better.

I would like to first personally thank all of those reviewing my stories. I enjoy reading your comments, and try to correct the grammatical errors I miss with my final read-through as well as my spell checkers. The suggestions you all make will help make this story better for everyone to enjoy, as well as allow my to fix some plot holes I may unintentionally leave.

I find that if I let things sit for a while in my head; I can play them out farther. Plus by trying and keeping my chapters between 2500 and 3000+ words, it helps keep me from making the story slide out of control, turning a diamond to a pile of shit.

I also plan to start sending these out to have someone else proofread them before I post them. Volunteers are welcome. I have found a website (wwwwot-cluborg.uk/RanmaFAQ/arts/special.html#ranma1) where the moves have been listed. Just replace the with /. If I spell them incorrectly, then I apologize, as this is my guide.

If you need help, have questions about why my plot is turning out a certain way, or would like some help to bust through your own writer's block or write a new story on your own, tell me either through e-mail or reviews. I'm glad to help when I can.

Now, on with the show.

Special thanks to Howard Russell for the main conflict idea and the pre-reading.

Storming home, Nabiki's rage was focused on her sister. Her anger grew as she remembered her sister's betrayals; not only of the last few weeks, but the worst from the original timeline's future.

Nabiki sat at the bar in her mansion, sipping on whatever drinks her muddled mind had concocted. The damn note that had ravaged her mentality was still in her hand.

Nabiki,

I'm sorry for taking advantage of you last night. We are both married, and the last thing I'd want to do is mess up your marriage. I know we both were in a bad spot last night. I hope you can forgive me one day.

Ranma

She crumpled the note, flinging it across the room. Damn him! How could he just waltz into my heart like that and throw me aside! Wiping some tears from her face, she stared into her drink. Fear, anger, hatred, sadness; each playing across her face. She wasn't used to someone getting through her defenses like he had; something even her worthless husband had never done. Didn't he know how bad my own marriage is? We talked about our failed love lives enough for him to get that.

But before she could fully break down, before the mask of the "Ice Queen" could fall fully off her face, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Nabiki, that bastard left me!"

She smiled; glad at least some good had come from last night. "Why, Akane, whatever do you mean? Which bastard are we talking about?" She kept her smile, occasionally making some sound that led Akane to believe she was still listening to her as the youngest sister began to list every perceived offense Ranma had done to her. It was almost wrong for her; in her mind at least, to feel happy that Akane was so upset. But it did mean Ranma was finally putting his foot down and refusing to be Akane's scapegoat anymore.

"Nabiki, are you even listening!"

Damn, better pay attention to the Drama Queen. "Yes I am, sister dear. You have spent the last forty minutes bitching and moaning about how you feel Ranma has betrayed you and how you feel like he isn't worth your time and maybe you shouldn't have felt pity and married him. Did I forget anything?" Damn it, this is the same shit she spouts off every time she feels Ranma hasn't licked her boots enough.

"Uh, no. Why did that pervert do this to me? What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Anger began to rise in Nabiki's mind. That bitch doesn't even see any of this as her fault. That ends now! "I don't know, Akane. Maybe it was the fact you insist on feeding him food that even you won't eat. Maybe it is because you always hit him first and ask questions later with no apologies. Maybe it is because he came home last night and found his best friend FUCKING his wife in their marriage bed. You're right Akane, none of that makes any sense as to why he left you."

The silence on the end of the line was enough satisfaction for Nabiki. It made her feel pride that she was able to bring down her over-dramatic sister. "Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself, little sister, or are you going to try and blame this on Ranma as well?"

"How did you…I mean, what gave you the idea I cheated on Ranma?"

"Oh, he came by here last night and broke down in tears. Do you know he was coming to tell you that he wanted the two of you to get some counseling to find out why you were so violent and untrusting, and why you seemed to have no feelings for your marriage? Imagine what he felt finding you in bed with Ryoga of all people; someone he felt was one of his friends. I guess the two of you were quite lucky he didn't perform a Shishi Höködan and send both of your backstabbing asses to the next life."

"It wasn't my fault. If Ranma had just treated me like he should have…and stopped making fun of me…"

"Don't give me that bullshit, sister. I know exactly how he has been treating you. Hell, I'm surprised he hasn't done this sooner with as many times as I had to talk him down from killing himself over your little temper tantrums. Face it Akane, you fucked up, refused to grow up, and Ranma got tired of your little act."

"But…but…but he loves me."

"And that makes it okay for you to sleep with another guy and beat the hell out of the man who you know will never fight you back?"

"But he deserved to be hit Nabiki. He is always running around on me with those other whores. Hell, I bet he even tried to fuck you. That PERVERT, WHEN I FIND HIM—"

"ENOUGH!" Nabiki brought her free hand to her forehead, trying to stave off the migraine that her sister was causing. Its like talking to a brick wall—a dumb brick wall. "You know what, it doesn't matter. You know for a damn fact that Ranma was always faithful to you. Kami-sama knows that before you two tied the knot, Shampoo, Kodachi, and Ukyo threw themselves at him enough times, trying to make him cheat, but he always stayed by your side and defended you. And what did he get for his troubles? He got an abusive wife who didn't give a damn if he was innocent or not, who got off on the fact that she had him and no one else did, and who cheated on him with his best friend to prove how beaten he was. Well guess what, sis; he decided you simply weren't worth the trouble anymore. And you know what? So have I."

Slamming the phone back on the charger, Nabiki got up moving towards the lone window in the room. Tears begin to fall down her face, before she collapsed to her knees crying. Ranma, I'm so sorry. Maybe I'm not worth it anymore either.

But I will become worth it. I promise you that.

"YOU WORTHLESS, SELF-CONCEITED BITCH!"

Akane just had enough time to see the hatred in Nabiki's eyes before Nabiki caught her with a vicious right hook across her face.

The two fathers watched with amazement and fear as Nabiki's strike launched Akane out into the backyard. She stood before them, teeth tightly clenched, breathing heavily, holding a white ribbon in her left hand. Genma saw the rage in her eyes, and decided it was best to keep his mouth shut at this time. Soun, silently admitting how much Nabiki's current look reminded him of how Kimiko would look at him when he did something truly stupid, decided it was best as well to be quiet, but also began to discretely back away towards the living room.

"Oh my. Nabiki, why did you strike your sister?" Kasumi, unlike her father, did not care what temperament either of her sisters was in. At this point, all she knew was that her usually reserved sister had just insulted her younger, slightly violent sister before striking her and sending her out into the yard. Kasumi's disappointment was obvious in her voice, as well as on her face.

But Nabiki never turned to look at her; never made a move to acknowledge her. She just stared at the surprised Akane who was currently holding her cheek. "You wish to know, sister dear? Why not ask that bitch sitting outside. Because of her, the man I love hates me. Because of her, the entire school thinks Ranma is a freak. Because of her my life has been turned into hell!" She slowly began to raise the ribbon, holding her eyes to Akane, trying to convey the rage now welling up in her soul. "Next time you wish to torment someone, Akane, be certain you don't leave your hair ribbon behind."

Akane, now finally over the shock that her sister had struck her, began to stand, trying to appear innocent and self-righteous. "But, Nabiki, he was nothing but a perverted freak. I mean, there is no way you could love someone like him. Besides, you should be thanking me for freeing you from him. Now he'll leave you alone and we can all get back to our normal lives, like before the Saotomes showed up."

Now she was furious. Nabiki had been willing to concede that Akane and Ryoga were worth saving. Granted, she had figured Ryoga the worst offender; as even though he often helped Ranma battle strong opponents, he was Ranma's most hated enemy, even vowing to take Akane from him. Strange that the pig was always angry no matter if it looked like they would break up or stay together. But Akane—her own sister—had proven to be the worst of them all. Akane had purposely slandered both Nabiki's and Ranma's reputation, and took pains to make certain it all fell on the couple. "You made it look like I was the one to destroy Ranma's reputation—made it look like I sold him out—and you have the gall to ask me to thank you for betraying the guy I love!"

Nabiki leapt from her position, trying to drive another punch into the face of her betrayer; the sister, whom in the previous time line, she had fought so hard to protect.

Akane had managed to dodge the assault, finding her sister's moves coming at her much quicker than she was used to handling. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, NABIKI? I SAVED YOU FROM THE PERVERT'S PLAN!"

Nabiki continued to slowly build up her speed. "You don't give a damn about me; you just care about getting rid of any rivals! Me included!" Akane felt a kick get through her feeble defenses. "You only care about your Kuno-like delusions of being the best. Well, Akane, you suck!" Nabiki was able to land another punch and launch Akane into the wall behind the koi pond. "You only care about your own worthless and honor-less pride, claiming to be a martial artist and acting like a cowardly bully."

Meanwhile, Akane was barely standing up, feeling the effects of her impact on the wall. While she did practice martial arts, and claimed to be the heir to the Tendo School, Nabiki had put in far more hours in the last three weeks than Akane had in the last three months, perhaps years. Her ribs hurt from the punch her sister managed to land, not counting the kick that had also done some damage. "Damn it, Nabiki, does the pervert still have you under his control? Let me know so I can save you!"

"Save me? SAVE ME?" Now lividity filled Nabiki's mind. "How dare you, you worthless bitch! You think I need your help? You think I need saving from Ranma? He was the first man to treat me like a decent woman in over ten years; not that a self-conceited ass like you would know of such things. I loved him with all my heart, and would have married him in an instant if all he would do is ask and mean it with all his heart!

"But you…you can't accept such things. If a male doesn't love you, then they are up to something. If they don't bow to Akane before they bow to Nabiki or Kasumi, then they aren't worth shit to you!" She accentuated her points buy throwing punches and kicks at Akane—no real purpose in connecting, just making her sister sweat.

Finally knocking Akane to the ground, Nabiki stood over her, a fist raised to deliver a final blow; their father sitting at the side, afraid of what Nabiki might do to him for interfering. "No, you won't get off so easy. I know you're too stupid to even apologize for the shit you pulled lately; even if mother was here to tell you to."

Akane began to fume, but knew Nabiki held her at a disadvantage.

Nabiki smiled. "I was afraid I would have to do this, Akane, but your stupidity and refusal to grow has forced me. I CHALLENGE YOU, AKANE TENDO, FOR THE ROLE OF HEIR TO THE TENDO SCHOOL OF ANYTHING GOES MARTIAL ARTS! DO YOU YEILD OR ACCEPT!"

The residents were shocked. Since Kimiko Tendo's death, Nabiki had shown no interest in the Arts. But lately she had shown a revitalized interest, and now Akane was paying for her follies.

But now she was openly challenging her sister. "But, Nabiki, you hate the Arts."

Nabiki's face took on a scowl. "Maybe I did after mom passed on, but you have disgraced the school with your holier-than-thou attitude. I can't let you pull this shit anymore, Akane. If I win, you give up interfering in Ranma's life as well as surrender your title to me. This fight shouldn't have happened. But you can't stand not being the center of attention. So you had to ruin the only good thing I had going for me; the only thing I gave a damn about besides the family!"

Nabiki turned and headed towards the house again, tilting her head towards her fallen rival. "I'm going to get my stuff. We meet tonight at the old soccer field in the park at eight. Don't be late; even a single second means you forfeit. May mother have mercy upon your soul, dear sister, because I certainly won't."

She quickly turned her head back towards the three spectators. "If any of you interfere—including you Saotome and your Forbidden Techniques—then she will forfeit automatically. I would hate for you—either of you old fools— to try and stack the deck because you would hate to see the spoiled bitch lose."

Quickly jumping to the roof and entering her room, she missed the shocked expressions on the faces of the four people; including Genma's at the fact that she knew of his forbidden techniques.

"Hello, Dr. Tofu."

The good doctor turned from his desk, looking at the woman who stood in his doorway, leaning against the frame. Surprise was a good emotion for this moment, as he rarely saw the middle Tendo sister here; unless one of her associates got a little too physical, an event that had not occurred but three times. "Ah, Nabiki, what can I do for you?"

Nabiki smiled, trying to play off the news as completely harmless. "Oh, I came to tell you that after eight tonight, you will likely have two severely injured parties coming to you for emergency treatment."

The smile quickly left the doctor's face. "I see. Will it be Akane in her usual brawls or your fiancé?"

The smile grew on Nabiki's face. "My sister will be involved. She decided it would be best to break up my engagement by ruining my reputation and that of Ranma's, so I plan to kick her ass so bad, I'll need a bowl to hand it back to her."

Okay, now that is a new twist. Tofu tried to hide his shock. Nabiki had never been one for physical violence, from what he learned of her past. To openly say she was going to savagely beat her sister… "Should I assume her actions were so bad that this event will be necessary?"

The smile quickly faded from her face. "She did something I cannot forgive, nor will I tolerate, unlike the cowardly fathers I am forced to stay with. She has been spoiled far too long, and it's time she grew up. Since the only thing her brain seems capable of comprehending is a fist upside her empty skull, then so be it." She turned and began to walk out. "Just be ready. I am leaving a change of clothes for myself, since I can bet this outfit won't survive the encounter, but I couldn't care less what that bitch wears home. Just be expecting it, Doctor. This has got to happen."

As she left, the doctor took out the two folders from his file cabinet for the two sisters. Nabiki, I don't know what happened, but to get the supposed Ice Queen to lose her façade like this…

Please don't kill her, Nabiki. No matter what, she doesn't deserve to die.

Nabiki stood in the middle of the soccer field; arms folded over her chest, eyes closed. From here, she would be able to hear the school's clock tower chime off the hour. Her last look at it had placed the time at 7:52 pm. Now she stood in silent vigil. She knew Ranma had waited for Ryoga for three days, when the code of bushido would have allowed him to leave after Ryoga had failed to arrive at the appointed time.

Ranma knew of Ryoga's problems and gave the Lost Boy the benefit of the doubt.

Akane would get no such consideration.

Nabiki was still furious, but having finished her dinner around seven, she had tried to meditate and try to calm herself down. Since the merger, she had never experienced emotions this strong before —negative ones, anyway. She had given Ryoga the benefit of the doubt, tried to see him not as the one who destroyed Ranma's happiness at every turn, but as someone who could be saved before destroying lives. It had worked out for the best, and the lost boy had been gone long enough to make Nabiki think he really was trying to change. Even Kasumi had said the boy appeared to be in deep thought when he left; muttering about whether or not he was to blame.

Akane.

Akane was proving that she, if she ever went to Jusenkyo, would most likely end up in the Spring of Drowned Donkey. Very tragic tale of donkey that fall into spring and drown so many years ago. Now whoever falls in, turns into giant jackass when hit with cold water. A small smile and giggle escaped from her lips. She knew from Cologne that Jusenkyo brought out hidden character flaws—like Genma—or corrected an imbalance—such as giving Ranma, the eternal male chauvinist, a female side to dispel the bigotry his father had taught him about the female gender.

But some had truly deserved the curse, as a sort of karmic payback. She remembered Herb getting the same curse as Ranma, hell, even Ryoga in the previous timeline had deserved to become a pig, never looking above the ground, never truly seeing what was before him.

But that was beside the point. She was here waiting for her jackass…sister to show up and prepare for a pounding. Part of her was worried that Akane could be able to win; after all, she had a hit that could launch a pig-tailed martial artist from one side of the Nerima Ward to the other. Even if she had been only practicing for an hour or so a day for the last ten years, she still made easy work of the Hentai Horde every morning before Ranma showed up.

Of course, she had taken care of ten guys in a park who were all trying to land a punch on her, and they moved quicker than Akane. I can beat her ass. I MUST BEAT HER ASS! She can't be allowed to keep acting like this. I won't let her ruin the Tendo name because the little girl refuses to grow up. She has to pay for what she did to Ranma. He might not love me, or even be able to love me anymore, but I will avenge his honor, if nothing else.

Her eyes snapped open, looking at the clock, reading how her sister now had seconds to arrive, before turning towards the field entrance and seeing Akane marching towards her, wearing her white training gi. She thinks this is a training match! "Glad to see you made it, sister dear. I was afraid your ego decided to bow out and finally allow you a glimpse of reality."

Akane stood before her on the other side of the center field circle. "I'll give you one last chance, Nabiki, to drop this. Family shouldn't fight like this."

The fury began to burn in Nabiki's eyes. "How dare you claim to know what we should fight about after what you did! Because of your arrogance, I may have lost Ranma forever. The whole reason I had to live after that bastard of a husband ruined my life. Now you have the gall to think you can claim the moral high ground and get out of this. No, sister dear, you'll pay for the stupidity that we let you continue. Today, Akane Tendo learns there are consequences for her actions; the princess gets dethroned."

"Nabiki, quit this. You're fighting over a pervert! This isn't right." What the hell was the spiel about a husband? Akane was trying to appeal to her sister. Truthfully, a part of her wanted to take Nabiki out for punching her with that cheap shot in the dining room; after all, no one cheats and tries to beat Akane Tendo. But another part of her realized she shouldn't be fighting her sister. Nabiki was weak compared to Akane and, despite how much she used to enjoy it when the three sisters sparred against each other, it would not prevent her from trying to hurt Nabiki for the insult. "Give up now. I don't want to hurt you."

"A fine thing to say now, Akane, after you made everyone think I betrayed Ranma; after you sold pictures of his cursed form to Kuno, knowing damn well he would come to me asking for more; after you spread those rumors about Ranma around the school. You know how hard a time he was having with that side of him—how he was trying to accept the fact he might never get cured. But did you care? No! You only saw a guy who had a curse those assholes who chase you would die to have and immediately jumped to the conclusion he must be a pervert. Well, Akane, I can tell you with utmost certainty that Ranma is the kindest, gentlest, most honorable person you will ever meet. And if you can't see reason, then maybe me beating the hell out of you and stripping your crown will make you see the truth."

Nabiki launched what she felt was a slow punch, and smirked as Akane barely dodged it, trying to flip out of the way like a beginner was taught to. This will be fun! Nabiki had already decided she wouldn't use any of her Amazon moves against Akane. It just wasn't fair and, more than likely, Akane would just blame the superior speed and strength as a cheating tactic; forgetting both the facts that Nabiki was training her in those same skills, and that their school was titled Anything Goes, so cheating just didn't exist.

Of course, that never stopped her from "cheating" with those super noodles and that enchanted training outfit. No; if Akane can't do it better than you, then you are cheating by using it.

But as the punches and kicks were launched—and when Akane was delivering them, blocked—Nabiki failed to notice that, like Akane, her rage was growing. She had spent so much time trying to save her and watching the results fall short, that she was beginning to release enough adrenaline to break through her Ice Queen façade. Her rage had been building from her time in the previous timeline. "I don't know why I even bothered to help you, Akane!" The anger and the rush of battle were causing her tongue and mind to slip. In truth, her future self had been able to fight among the best Amazons and never once lose her cool. Her past self had done the same in the underworld of Nerima and Furinkan; maintaining her cool while dealing with people who seemed utterly ruled by their emotions, like her sister.

But now, she had forgotten an important fact: since the merger of the two to create the new Nabiki, she had never had to face an opponent that she felt rage and anger towards. She should have noticed it in how she confronted Akane at home. But now, she was too far gone. Her rage demanded vengeance and acknowledgement of the crimes. "Ryoga…Ryoga was able to change; he was able to grow. You know that asshole spent the better part of a decade hunting down Ranma; first because of bread, and then because of you! Every time you cried your little spoiled eyes out, he attacked Ranma. Hell, I bet you always knew your beloved P-chan was actually Ryoga, but you got off on the fact that Ranma could never tell you! You couldn't have been that stupid in a house full of people with Jusenkyo curses that the pig with a spotted yellow bandana and the Lost Boy who wore them were the same person!"

Akane began to lose her concentration and her anger. "What the hell are you talking about, Nabiki? Who the hell is P-chan?"

Nabiki just ignored her and continued to push her speed and strength up slightly, trying to further press home how outclassed Akane was. "But noooo, you just couldn't stand that you weren't the best. You couldn't stand that Akane Tendo didn't even rank in the top six million martial artists in the world. It was always 'I am the best' or 'I am a martial artist too, Ranma' or my favorite; 'You cheated'. How could he cheat BITCH, WE PRACTICE ANYTHING GOES?"

Getting a little scared, Akane pulled out her mallet and tried to deliver an overhead shot, only to have Nabiki pull up fast and sever the mallet head from the handle, causing the head to fall to the side, tripping Akane. She was able to stand back up before Nabiki's fist hit the ground, creating a small crater. "Damn it, Nabiki, what the hell has gotten into you?"

"Me? ME? I'll tell you what's gotten into me! It was the fact that my selfish BITCH of a sister thinks I need her help. She thinks I need her protection. THE TRUTH IS YOU CAN'T EVEN PROTECT YOURSELF! DO YOU KNOW HOW OFTEN ON A MONTHLY AVERAGE RANMA HAD TO SAVE YOUR ASS? AND WHAT DID HE GET? 'RANMA NO BAKA' AND A MALLET UPSIDE HIS HEAD FOR HIS TROUBLES! YOU COULD NEVER ADMIT YOU NEEDED HELP, BUT YOU THINK WE NEED YOUR HELP?" Nabiki continued to release punches and kicks at her sister, countering her feeble attacks with throws and easily plowing through her defenses. Her goal had changed. It no longer was the simple embarrassment of her sister—using her superior speed and knowledge of Akane's pitiful fighting style to stay ahead—but to make Akane suffer for everything she had done to Ranma; not only in this timeline, but in the previous one as well.

By now Akane was becoming nervous. Despite the occasional glancing hit delivered to her older sister, Nabiki had demolished her mallet, as well as left several distinct bruises along her chest and legs. She has to be cheating, how else could she be beating me? Every time I try and hit her, she just avoids it and hits me with a hard punch. She isn't even trying to use those techniques she tried to teach me! She is cheating!

Well, I'll just have to use one of those new moves against her! She's obviously crazy, blaming me for shit I never did. It'll serve her right to get hurt! And when we get finished, and I prove to her I am the best martial artist, then she can get back to teaching me those moves that father doesn't have the time to teach me. After all, it's her duty to make certain that the true heir of Anything Goes knows all those moves. With that thought, Akane began to lead Nabiki into the spiral.

But Nabiki was beyond thoughts of her own welfare. The suppressed rage both her and her elder counterpart had felt towards her sister was at full boil. "He gave you everything you worthless bitch! He gave up on the other women chasing him for you and you had to FUCK ANOTHER GUY TO PROVE TO EVERYONE HE WAS TRULY YOURS! Akane Tendo, because of you I have seen hell, and I will make you pay for making Ranma see it as well!"

Akane continued to follow the spiral, hating the fact that she was being forced to use this strong of an attack against her sister, but realizing it was the only way to win; to free her from this supposed "love" of Ranma After all, she's obviously crazy. She keeps blaming me for stuff I've never done. And she thought she could beat me—the best martial artist in Nerima.

"You never deserved his love; his devotion. He killed a fucking god for you and it still wasn't enough to earn your trust! But all you could do was fuck his best friend! Why? Why couldn't you return his love you cold-hearted BITCH?"

Nabiki's rage continued to grow, allowing Akane's meager control over her own emotions to act as the cold chi needed for it. Finally the spiral was complete and Akane quickly thrust her fist upwards. "Hiryü Shöten Ha!" She stared with satisfaction as the now formed tornado sucked her obviously crazy sister into itself, surrounding Akane.

Nabiki could feel the sides of the tornado trying to suck her battle aura from her to feed it, nearly tearing it from her body. Damn it, that bitch caught me in my own stupidity. I should have recognized the spiral! She forced her mind to calm itself, trying to produce her old Soul of Ice, but found the tornado barely weakening. Shit! I can't reduce it quickly enough!

What a second, shouldn't it be feeding off of my entire aura? Why is it dragging off from my limbs? Nabiki tried to open her eyes, barely pushing away the fear of the tornado sucking them out—a fear that Cologne had worked for days trying to remove from her.

What she found shocked her. A Hiryü Shöten Ha tornado normally bent slightly as it ascended, trying to maintain a straight column.

But Akane's tornado was wobbling too much, nearly bending upon itself, creating a null zone in the center where the spiral was not pulling in any battle aura, resulting in low power loss as Nabiki lowered hers.

She smiled. This warp created a second effect: her body had to be in direct contact outside the null zone in order to draw her aura; aura released inside the null zone could not be absorbed without a flesh connection to the normal absorption zone of the twister.

I have a straight path to get to her. But all thoughts of thrusting herself down the null zone were quickly disposed of, as she would most assuredly come into contact with the absorption zone; even now she couldn't keep herself steady enough to do so.

Which left one option: she would need to use an attack she was trying to grow beyond. She would need to use a powerful chi or ki attack to force it through the null zone with any hopes of impacting Akane and destroying the funnel.

In her current state, she knew there was only one she had any likelihood of pulling off.

So she began to play images through her mind; painful images of the man she loved. She saw Ranma constantly hit by Akane for some perceived mess-up. She saw Ranma arrive at her house sporting bloody cuts and bruises. She saw Ranma crying at Akane's infidelity.

Then she remembered the most painful memory she had; more painful then the memory of her last few moments with her mother: she remembered the look in his eyes when he thought she had betrayed him to Kuno.

She thrust her arms forward, waiting for the rotation to be right, a sick and dark green aura growing on her body, glowing more than someone with her limited time of training in this time should have been able to generate, feeding the tornado. "For Ranma, for my heart, for the dark attitude you have lived by, I give you this: Shishi Höködan!"

The large green ball of depression chi flew down the pipe, slowly shrinking as it fought the upward force of the tornado.

Akane kept her eyes upward, watching the funnel of the tornado, a smug look on her face for mastering the move before her sister did. I beat you sister! Now we can put this mess behind us and you can get back to making me the best!

Her eyes grew wide as she saw a dark green light coming down the funnel towards her, fear keeping her from moving anything but lowering her arms and bracing for an impact. How? How can she attack inside the tornado?

Ranma stared at the stars, wondering what he would do now. True that he felt betrayed by Nabiki; but her eyes, when he assumed she was to blame revealed, a depth of hurt that he had never seen before, save the few times he was able to look into a mirror and reminisce about his old life. Before he could continue his tirade of how depressing Nabiki's apparent betrayal had made him feel, he caught sight of a tornado forming a mile away.

Damn it, that looks like what Nabiki said the Hiryü Shöten Ha was supposed to generate, but I thought the funnel was supposed to go straight to the heavens. Before he could compare what he knew of the technique to what he was seeing, he caught sight of a green light traveling down the funnel, and impacting on the ground, destroying the base for the funnel and causing the tornado to fall apart.

I don't know what's going on, but I need to get there now!

Without further thoughts on Nabiki, he leapt from the tree and began to roof-hop to the explosion. No matter what, someone was bound to be hurt and would need help.

Besides, maybe they could show him that green light technique.

Nabiki fell hard upon the earth, feeling her already bruised ribs scream under the strain, her left arm hanging by her side, sore and numb in several places from where the blast had sent her outside the null zone and into the pounding winds of the funnel. Simply having a null zone inside the funnel did not spare her from the physical harm being inside the tornado would and did cause. Damn, I forgot how hard the final stop was! But I gotta finish it. She forced her body, now sending more signals of pain than her senses should have been able to handle, to stand.

Making her way to the hole dug out by Akane's final move and her own counter, she saw her sister lying on her back, her gi ripped to shreds and covered with small amounts of blood; her skin covered in bruises, cuts, or dirt. She was stronger than me physically but she never had a chance. The moment I was able to tap into my chi, she never had a chance.

I'll work on why my Shishi Höködan was so large later.

Now I need to finish this.

Finally standing above Akane, she looked down upon her sister. Akane's breaths were coming in gasps quicker than Nabiki's. Her condition far worse as well, considering she had received a near perfect Shishi Höködan that destroyed what energy the insane woman had had left. Slowly raising her good arm and forming a fist, she smiled at her defeated sister, Akane's eyes locking on to her. "I win, sister dear. It ends now. Just know I didn't cheat, I just never taught you a move that would only get yourself killed."

The fist descended.

Ranma witnessed this as he quickly approached the field, noticing also how damaged it was. He tried to scream at Nabiki to stop, but could only watch as the fist connected, a shower of dirt and rocks flying into the air. His mind became covered with fearful images of Nabiki having punched through her own sister's head, but the fears were quickly silenced when he got close enough.

Her hand had hit the ground beside Akane's head.

"Little sister, you are no longer the heir to the Tendo School or Dojo. You will explain everything to Ranma and beg his forgiveness for what you did. Or next time, I won't miss."

Slowly turning, she began to walk away a few feet towards a fallen tree before turning and facing her audience. "Get her to Tofu's, Ranma. I'll survive but she'll have some problems if you don't hurry."

Ranma stood beside her battered sister, but still looked at her with worry. "But, Nabiki—"

Her face became unyielding to her emotions. "No buts! She's more wounded than me, so get her there and come and get me. Now MOVE!"

Ranma saw her rage; saw her resistance to his desire to save her first. I don't know what happened, but I know Akane needs help first. "I'll be back, just stay alive till I return." Grabbing the injured Tendo from the ground and holding her carefully, he began to roof-hop to Dr. Tofu's, praying he would return in time to save Nabiki as well.

Nabiki, as soon as he was out of sight, made her way to a fallen tree and sat beside it. Placing her hand on the ground, she winced from the pain her sore body invoked as she touched the earth. A small river of blood pouring down her injured arm; a sight she had kept hidden from the man she loved, knowing he wouldn't leave if she was obviously hurt worse than her sister. Damn, the tornado did more damage to me than I thought. I'm lucky to be conscious, even if the move was flawed.

Nabiki carefully began to gather the ki from the earth itself, trying to focus it to heal her wounds; a trick Cologne had taught her. She knew Ranma would be going at top speed to get Akane to Dr. Tofu's. In about ten to fifteen minutes, depending on how the wind blew, he would return. Also, depending on how alert her sister was, she would no doubt try and tell Ranma about Nabiki's supposedly "mad" rantings. I'll need to explain everything to him now. I doubt the bitch will be awake long enough to make her confession, and when she is, it'll no doubt be how I had to have cheated to beat her.

But Nabiki had another more important problem at the moment.

She also knew there was someone else watching her, but had no idea who. She should have picked up on it before or during the battle—whenever this person had shown up—but had been too occupied with her own rage to notice. Half the ki that she absorbed from nature was diverted to hopefully maintaining some form of defense against whoever was watching her. Nabiki could only hope that whoever it was would not try to confront her, or at the least be weak enough that Nabiki could hold her off until Ranma returned.

However it seemed that the fates that brought chaos to Ranma's life did not like the fact that she was trying to bring order to it.

They apparently wanted revenge.

And now, they had a chance to get it.

"How strange girl know Amazon moves?"

Nabiki sighed. She definitely did not have the body or the energy to take on the scandalous Amazon, even if she was at peak form. She turned towards the girl and spoke in perfect Mandarin, "Hello, Xian Pu."

If I messed anything up, then let me know including typos.

Any suggestions on how I should continue the story or improve it would also be accepted.

Also, if you have any suggestions for how this should go, let me know. My own imagination, while vast, always enjoys a new thought. Also, catch me if you don't think I am making the characters true to form, or a way to make them better.