By RankoSaotome
Disclaimer on first chapter. Theme song of the fic is 'Forever' from Erementar Gerad (Elemental Gelade in the US).
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The wind-like melody that's moving within our hearts
Vibrantly leads us towards the yet-unseen tomorrow
If we create the future with each thing we think
Could we grasp the "moment" the miracle smiles upon?
I feel 'I need you.'
... I just miss you in my life.
Please don't let go
Ah, Let's join hands
Heading toward a sparkling place in the wide-open future
Open up your heart
And turn this pain and loneliness into kindness
Don't get lost along my way
Both at the moment we met and now, you surpassed time
Shine together with me forever...
The pledge that echoes in this dreary night is fleetingly falling apart
My heart beats to the fate of the stars that pass each other
At the meeting place of the broad sky, our pulses raced
What is there behind those tears you held back?
I will never leave you.
I want to promise you!
Don't forget
Ah, You gave me the courage to move forward
Let's hold on to it and fly
If we were bonded together
Embrace and don't ever lose the strength of
Protecting the people you can't replace
At the moment I learn my weaknesses, I will become stronger again
Yes, forever...
I feel 'I need you.'
... I just miss you in my life.
Please don't let go
Ah, Let's join hands
Heading toward a sparkling place in the wide-open future
Open up your heart
If we share the seemingly broken affection
As it keeps overflowing from our hearts, it will be like Heaven
At times when we're bewildered, let's keep building our unending dream
Yes, forever...
Open up your heart
And turn this pain and loneliness into kindness
Don't get lost along my way
Both at the moment we met and now, you surpassed time
Shine together with me forever...
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Chapter 7 - Assault On Langoud
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"If anyone peeks..." Ranma delivered to the men as she had them leave Wyna's room. She'd had Kasumi head out and get her some new clothes, which she was thankful for. She said the next part while looking at Ryouga. "You'll lose that which makes you a man."
Pretty much every man in hearing distance shuddered.
Ranma closed the door, even the girls were outside. Ranma had lost a lot of trust for people after her assault, but the girls knew Ranma still liked them all. She just needed space, for the sake of herself and her growing baby.
When she came out, few could recognize her. She was wearing a black loose, baggy shirt with a red vest over it. Her pants were red as well, with a few zipper pockets. Her forearms were covered by cloth bangles, with silver bracelets decorating her left wrist, five of them. On her feet, silver colored boots. Connected to her waist was her sword and a few tools, like a grappling hook, and on her back was Tofu-sensei's hammer.
And, almost as soon as she left, there was a quaking on the ship. It was almost like they'd been hit by something...
An alert came on. Then, the intercom. "Chief Grapple, the Dark Acolyte fleet is attacking!" Without any further words, the group plus one rushed to the bridge.
"Status report!" Grapple yelled as he entered.
"It's the Dark Acolytes! They're on the ship!"
Before anyone could answer, Ranma was off in a flash. "Ranma!" She heard, but did not heed immediately. In the hall, she halted long enough for everyone to catch up, but immediately rushed to the outside once again.
On one of the outer areas, they found a single Dark Acolyte there to greet them. "Get off this ship, now!" Came Wyna's yell, as she and they all pulled their weapons.
"I AM SHUTVALTZ LEADER... PREPARING ANNIHILATION SEQUENCE..."
Ranma rushed forward, her sword seeming to fly into her hand as she readied herself for battle.
But she was surprised when two strikes suddenly sent it packing. Blinking, she had expected that to be harder...
"Ranma, behind you!"
She turned, to see three more drop down, between her and her friends. One shot at her, and she moved to defend herself, but it deflected her sword with little effort. She gasped, as she thought she was a goner...
Then, it picked her up. "MISSION COMPLETE."
"H-Hey! Let me go, you bucket of bolts!" She screamed, driving her sword into the thing's back. It dropped her, and she beheaded it on her way down. It fell.
Meanwhile, the group had disposed of the rest with a few well-placed Twister Blades from Ryouga.
Two more dropped down, and Ranma growled. But then, something happened. She felt like something just... snapped in her.
And the others could see the change. Her eyes glowing red, as she cried out.
"AHHHHH!" She screamed in primal fury, her sword glowing brightly as she unleashed the power... Unleashed the power deep inside her being, born of frustration and fear... Frustration for the endless fighting and... Fear... for the child she had to protect. She would not let them have her, or they'd take her child away from her forever!
"AQUA REACT!" She continued in another scream, as she seemed to... physically change. Her entire body, clothes and all, turned a deep blue as she swung her sword in a wide arc. Streaming geysers of water shot away from her weapon, her deep blue eyes narrowed in anger.
The geysers struck precisely against the enemy, sending them packing into the ocean in bits and pieces.
The group just stared, as she seemed to slide along the ground, wiping out Dark Acolytes as they dropped onto the ship with geysers and seemingly endless water. With each shot, they were knocked right off the ship before shattering to bits.
Then, Wyna heard it. The intercom. "Prepare the Elemental Cannon!"
Without hesitation, she ran to Ranma.
Ranma regarded her dangerously at first, before shifting out of... whatever that blue form of her was. She looked a little tired, exhausted really, but recovered fast. "H-Huh...?"
"We have to get to the Reactor Room! We're firing the Elemental Cannon!"
"Elemental...?"
"Let's just go!"
Along the way, Wyna explained. "The Elemental Cannon is a weapon which fires the Spirit of a Dragon. It takes time for the priestesses to summon it. While the Spirits are being summoned, we have to defend the ship from the enemy."
There was a crash. Ranma looked in the direction of it, when they had just reached the Reactor Room.
"We're being attacked! Protect the Power Room." Came a voice. "Ugh!"
Some kind of freak with red skin and green armor entered, his body covered in bolts. Ranma screamed, as she instantly identified the person.
"That's Bolt! He's a general of the Dark Acolytes! Be on guard!"
And the group readied their weapons, each looking for a chance to strike.
But Bolt was on the defense from the beginning. They could hardly damage him, much less deal critical damage to his body. And... he wasn't doing anything to damage them. This left Ranma a bit confused, as she wondered why he wasn't fighting back.
He had a good amount of power... Why was he letting himself get beaten up?
But, not as soon as she finished those thoughts, he shot a series of humongous bolts at them all. Everyone, but Ranma, was caught by surprise and went down for a second. She used the moment to move in and attack.
'There!' She thought, seeing an opening on her right leg. She slashed for it, and was treated to a hit to his armor. Her reward was a strike to the face that sent her to the ground. She'd cried out at the hit, having felt like her neck was going to snap at the force of the blow.
"Ranma!" Ryouga cried, leaping in and firing a Twister Blade, but finding it hardly effective.
Bolt was about to attack Ryouga, but Ranma did something knew. She took her grappling hook from her belt, and threw it for all she was worth, hooking it in the back of Bolt's neck.
"Wh-what?" He'd questioned.
"Everyone! Unleash all you have against him! Don't let him live!" She screamed, pulling sharpling on the hook and sinking the bladed tip into Bolt's neck.
"You'll die, no matter what they want with you!" He said, reaching for the cord. But he was too late, as a series of deadly attacks flew into his body. A knife came out of nowhere and imbedded itself in Bolt's forehead, a Twister Blade took one arm from him, and Wyna's hammer struck his midsection, sending him stumbling.
But still, he pulled on the cord, flinging Ranma towards him.
"Die!"
"You are denied! May the afterlife be merciless to your rotting corpse!" She screamed, readying her sword.
There was a flash of light.
When the flash cleared, Ranma was behind Bolt, sword in an afterswing position.
Bolt's body fell apart, literally. There was no blood, just clean destruction. Bolt was no more.
Ranma dropped to her knees, and her friends rushed to her side.
"Elemental Cannon, fire!"
But Ranma was hard pressed to keep her consciousness, before she felt a massive tremor. But, at the same time, she didn't feel it. She was too busy trying to think of things other than what she had just done.
To kill a Gearman was one thing, since Gearmen weren't living...
But she had just taken a person's life for merely being her enemy. Someone who had thoughts of their own... Not to mention, she took a nasty hit there...
"Ranma! We need to get out of here, his remains... They're chuckling!" This brought Ranma to consciousness a bit, as she rose, but nearly staggered into the abyss of machinery below. Kasumi grabbed her to help her balance, then they all ran out.
There was an explosion as they escaped. Then, the feeling of the Langoud accelerating...
Then, a shockwave that sent everyone on the ship down as they hit ground and came to an abrupt halt.
Only, upon her fall... Ranma lost consciousness.
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She awoke later, hearing Grapple's rough voice talking. "With the destruction of the Reactor Room, we need to fix this beast of a ship. There's got to be someone who can fix it on the mainland. Can you go find someone?"
"Of course, Chief Grapple. We'd be more than happy to help."
"Ugh..."
"Oh, she's awake."
"We... better get going..."
"We can wait, Ranma! You're not feeling well, and..."
"O...Okay... I'll rest, Kasumi..." She said, smiling softly before her head lulled to the side, and she fell into a soft, merciful sleep.
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MEANWHILE...
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"Rest while you can, girl... Because the moment our child is born... You will suffer like no other before you." And the laughter was so strong, his words haunted Ranma, even in rest.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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Okay, some may have noticed the lack of a 'To Be Continued' in the last chapter. Well, I'm ashamed to say I just noticed the lack of it when I finished this chapter. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this part. Ja ne!