Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma or any of the characters, they belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi.
AN: what a long break it was, and it broke my heart to read that some of you thought I'd abandon this story that I cherish so much. Yet life got in the way but I feel like now I can put even more emotion into my writing. However, I feel a bit rusty so please forgive me if I need time to get going again... Thanks for your patience and your trust, I hope some of you will return to this story.
oOo
It was obvious that Sato has lost a good portion of his energy. It was apparent in the diminishing force of his attacks, although they were still rapid and powerful enough. Also, his aggressiveness has exponentiated. And that, Ranma figured according to his analysis of Sato's style of combat, could only mean one thing: he was scared.
Rather quickly, Ranma had to adapt into a total defence style, dodging so swiftly, he couldn't even think about the next attack he could pull off. Meanwhile, Akane had regained her composure and she thought about a way to draw Sato out. Being struck by a girl bugged him… if I can trigger him again, he might go all in… I need Ranma to change… an idea came to her mind that send a smile to her face. She glanced towards the adjoining river.
"Hey Sato" she shouted. "Would you like another beating by a girl?" Sato regarded her admonishingly, not interrupting his attacks on Ranma. "Silence, girl. Weren't you taught to shut up when men are interacting?"
Akane blew her nostrils. Chauvinist. I'll shut YOUR mouth for good. She shouted: "Weren't YOU taught that nowadays women can equally converse with men?" A hint of surprise appeared on Sato's face; Ranma took advantage of this minor distraction and blew a hit right towards Sato's torso. He flew a couple meters into the dirt, but instead of bursting into fury, he commenced to laugh hysterically. "I can't help it, you young people are too delicious! Women, EQUAL, bahahah…"
"Are we?" Akane darted forward, grabbed Ranma's hand and turned towards the river. "Don't you dare run away. I am not done with you!" Sato's words rang behind the couple, as Ranma reluctantly followed Akane's pace. "What in the world… no, NO! Not the watrrrrrr…" His last syllables came out as bubbles in the frigid liquid. When his female body emerged from the river, he blurted: "Idiot, what did you do? He'll soak my power if I am female…."
"But you're faster" Akane interrupted his outburst. "And we are more likely to provoke him"
"You… you're absolutely right!" Literally, Akane could see the light bulb in his head flashing. Slow poke!
Before Akane could say anything, Ranma sensed Sato's glimmering aura; he grabbed her by the waist and rushed them both out of the water before the Ki-attack could hit them. Correction: not always a Slow Poke! Akane mused as her fiancé put her back onto solid ground, while facing Sato with a stern yet self-assured expression. He starts attacking with Ki, just as anticipated. "What is it old man, afraid of red heads?" The old man smiled viciously. "Afraid is not the word…raptured I dare say" His eyes beamed "I might almost state: ecstasized!" Sato's following movement was swift yet nonetheless Ranma reacted just in time to once again pull Akane to his side and jump out of the way to elude a Happōgoensatsu attack. Just as I thought… he's getting impatient…
"Come here you little…" Sato's voice roared behind them. "Akane listen" Ranma pressed between breaths as he held her tight. "I need you to do one thing for me. Run uphill and tell the others that we need them to be ready to attack only once he'll start Happōtsurisengaeshi. It won't take much longer…"
"What? But they already know about our plan… Oh, I knew it" she burst out, "You want me out of the way, that's it…"
"Stop it." He looked her dead in the eyes so that she had to swallow her breath. "I need you down here with me. I cannot take his final attack alone I need the suit…and you. Please." His eyes softened. "Just make sure you make it safe to the others, especially Ryoga… I need him to pull off any Ki attack. I doubt that the others are able to do that allone…. Then, I need you to come back to me, ok? I'll distract Sato, but you gotta hurry." Her heart ached. Fractions of memories raced through her inner eye as she tried to remember a situation when he'd truly asked for her help. None came to her mind… Silently, she nodded and headed off to the adjoining forest where the others disappeared. Almost surprised about her sudden and docile departure, Ranma looked after her, but was yet again disturbed by the approaching aura from his enemy. He faced Sato and grinned his most seductive smile. "Whooho, Sato-san" his sweet, feminine voice rang, "I bet you're too old and too slow to catch me!"
oOo
Akane managed to reach Shampoo and Ukyo in no time to fill them in on their battle plan. "Where is Ryoga? And Mouse?" she spluttered as she turned towards the clearing where Ranma was busy dodging Sato's attacks. "Ryoga took position behind that hill." Ukyo pointed towards the mountain to the East. That's too far away… Ranma need's me down there, now. How can I inform Ryoga in time…? Akane bit her lip. Sato might be out of strength in no time and his only chance to knock out Ranma was a massive Ki attack. Ranma needed the suit to cover up, otherwise he might get injured really badly… besides there was a good chance that Ryoga might have gotten lost, and he wouldn't be able to help them out anyways. "And Mou…" A quacking sound came to her ears as the impatient beak nibbled at her trousers. She sighed and came to a decision. "Alright, we just have to try without the men. You know what to do…" With these words she darted downhill towards her fiancé. Neither Akane nor Shampoo and Ukyo noticed that Mousse fluttered off secretly.
oOo
The sweat burned in his eyes, yet Ranma wouldn't even find the time to wipe his forehead as Sato continued to chase him across the landscape. After some last attempts to suck his energy, Sato finally gave up as Ranma's speed was unparalleled. Instead, he continuedly threw Ki attacks- none that were truly dangerous or resembled Happōtsurisengaeshi. But now, Ranma knew, it was only a matter of time until Sato would lose his patience. That would be when Ranma had pull off his final provocation. Akane, where are you? Hurry…
As if she'd heard his prayers, he saw her approaching. A smile hushed over his face. "Ok Sato. I think we've played enough, it's time for you to give up. Tell us where Kasumi is and I'll let you live." Ranma's voice sounded exhausted, but confident.
"Bahaha." Sato's laughter was bitter. He also was tired of going back and forth with the half-boy-half-girl teenager. "I'll tell you. But only because this is the last minute of your short, pitiful life." He came closer. "She's safe at home. I gave her a sleeping potion and brought her to her domicile. As I said, I have no interest in hurting innocent people as long as they are not in the way. As for the panda" his eyes gleamed "I gave him a sleeping potion as well, then fettered him nearby. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to suck his energy and I admit that this little bit of Ki would have done good in this combat of ours, yet I'll just use him as an energy booster after I finish you off." He laughed. "Not much strength left within you boy, huh? Or should I say girl? Either way, speak your last words as I am going to destroy you for good…" DONK
The kettle in Akane's hand hit Sato's head hart. Loud curses emerged his mouth as he held his aching head. Akane rushed towards Ranma and stretched her hand holding the pot towards him. "Ranma, I got hot wa…" tip, tap… she tripped over a stone and crushed down face upfront. As a result, the hot liquid leaked from the kettle. "Arrrgh…" she cried as she saw the mess.
No…our only chance to win this fight was in this kettle. Without Ryoga, nobody can abbush Sato while he is attack me and Do-chan… I need Ranma to become a boy and use all his strength for a Ki attack… but how do I tell him now without the hot water? Now we can really only hope for Shampoo and Ukyo…or a miracle…
With watery eyes she looked up to Ranma who smiled at his little klutz. "Hey, Akane… don't you worry, I don't need to be a man now. Indeed, this female form is EXACTLY what I need right know!" Akane eyed him as he unbuttoned his shirt. "Ranma you…" His large breasts bounced out of his red Chinese shirt and Akane's eyes narrowed as Ranma's mad laughter echoed over the battlefield. "My final attack: the Saotome leap of provocation, BAHAHA"
"Don't you have any modesty?" Her embarrassment was swiftly erased by that dark aura that build behind her.
Sato tremored with anger. "How dare you, you brat… I will destroy you!" Akane reacted swiftly enough to jump beside Ranma before Sato exploded. The movement of his arms and fingers resembled Hinako-sensei's Happōtsurisengaeshi just as they remembered it from Hinako-sensei. Akane reached for Ranma's hand. "I am scared" she whispered reluctantly. He rose his eyebrows in surprise. Apparently, when he asked for her help, he opened up to her in a way that he never had before. He'd always been the strong, independent counterpart in their relationship that she could rely on. Equally, as the proud, intransigent individual she was, she rarely ever admitted fear. Consequently, this was her time to reveal her dread to Ranma. He squeezed her hand gently and whispered: "Don't worry, we'll make it. You can do it and when time's up, I'll save you." He winked at her in his usual cocky manner, and, surprisingly, instead of annoying her it gave her support and self-assurance. "Hai…."
The following events happened in a couple of seconds. With a giant roar Sato released a Happōtsurisengaeshi, more powerful that anything the teens have experienced from Hinako. In sight of the slaying energy burst, Ranma automatically stepped in front of Akane to meet the attack, but she fiercely grabbed his shoulder and pulled him behind her. In a defence stance, she crossed her arms before her and screamed: "You cannot defeat us!" With an enormous blast the attack hit Akane and plunged the surrounding in a glaring light.
As soon as Sato released his Ki attack, Ukyo and Shampo started to descend from their hideouts to attack the old man from the sites. They threw hard kicks and punches, yet none seem to work. It was the opposite: they made Sato angrier more than ever and he pushed more energy to the surface resulting in a shockwave that threw the two girls back.
Meanwhile, Akane and Do-chan stood their ground against the massive energetic beam that was fired in their direction. Ranma squinted at his fiancé in front of him. Her face was averted from the attack so that he could see her strained expression. C'mon guys, what are you doing, attack him… Where the heck is Ryoga?
He didn't know that the girls have already resigned themselves to the fact that the lost boy might already be on his way to Hokkaido. However, what no one knew is that Mouse had flown off to look for Ryoga and indeed found him heading off into the wrong direction. After changing back to human form thanks to a water kettle Ryoga had in store, the agitated Chinese boy shook Ryogas shoulders. "Wrong direction! Down there! They need you; Akane-san is not going to make it alone!"
"What about Ranma, what is he…"
"He's in female form and he is provoking Sato's final attack, but we need to attack him together. We need your ambush." Ryoga clenched his fist. "I am coming."
And it was in that moment that Ryoga arrived the scene, seeing Sato attack Akane with this gigantic Ki beam and Ranma standing behind her. The sight made the fire is his eyes flare "This coward…. I can't believe he's hiding behind her…he calls himself a man? What a SHAME!" He darted towards Sato. He was only seconds away, as a shock wave threw back everyone and everything around Ranma and Akane. It was in that moment, that Do-chan was not able to withstand the energetic density of Sato's attack. Before everyone's eyes, the fine fabric illuminated in strange blue flames before fulminating in a million glittering pieces sending out a shockwave as a last resort to protect Akane. The suit has tried it's best to save her. She felt it, the imminent heat that kept increasing until she thought she couldn't withstand it anymore. Unintentionally, a deafening scream of pain escaped her lips when the fabric burst, and her bare skin was exposed to the gleaming heat of Sato's attack. She lost her consciousness too soon, when Ranma, who had been holding on to her the entire time like a madman (or woman), turned her around to shield her with his own body from the attack. His reaction was fast, not a split of a second passed since Do-chan vanished into thin air. Was I too slow? Akane, wake up, AKANE!
"Akane!" Ryoga watched the spectacle and trembled with fear. "Ranma what have you doooone… ." He roared as his spirit dropped and his heart ached: "Shishi…Hōkō…DAN!"
Shampoo and Ukyo, defeated, seated on the edge of the battlefield, as well as the baffled Mouse were blinded by the dazzling light of the Lion's Roar attack. No one had thought about the possibility of Ryoga pulling THAT move, although it was apparent that only the force of the Shishihōkōdan will be the end of Sato. Their enemy looked back, feeling the immense power of the key attack, but it was too late to turn around and make a move for the Happōgoensatsu. His laughter appeared one last time, almost hysterically, before his figure was entirely swallowed from Ryoga's Lion's Roar. The assault on Ranma ended abruptly, with both Akane and Ranma falling to the ground while Ranma still held his fiancé tightly. Silence followed. Mouse, still limping, descended the hill joining the girls who held their breaths. As the dust settled, the three teens could see the motionless body of Sato in the dirt. It was done, Ryoga has defeated their enemy. However, it could only be done with the aid of Akane's magic suit and Ranma's insanely dangerous plan.
Ranma moaned with pain. His back was burned, and his bones ached yet all he could think of was if his fiancé was alright. He lightly slapped her cheek to wake her up when her eyelids began to flutter. "Akane, are you alright?" Faintly, he recognized a soft smile around the corners of her mouth, reassuring him that she was fine. "Ranma, did we make it? Did we win?" She whispered eyes still closed. "Yeah, YOU made it. But the suit is…"
"Do-chan?" She opened her eyes. "Ranma, I am sorry. I didn't tell you that Do-chan was still in the attic. I never really had the intention to wear it again, but after I heard what Happosai told me about Sato…" She coughed again. "Don't worry about that 'Kane." As if by itself, he stroked her hair to calm her. "We finished Sato, that's all that matters. And we couldn't have done it without your help." They looked each other deep in the eyes, as if there was something more pressing to say, but suddenly Akane remembered that there was still one thing to take care of. "We need to look for your pa…" She was interrupted by violent coughing, and Ranma used the opportunity to take off what was left of his shirt and wrapped it around Akane. He smiled at her fondly. "Yeah, let's do that."
oOo
It took the teens about ten minutes to find Genma safe and sound, snoring under a huge tree. Not being able to wake him up, the group shortly settled down next to him to catch their breaths. Ukyo had fetched the still unconscious Taro from their previous hideout and put his head on her lap, softly stroking his hair.
After being told multiple times, Ryoga finally understood that Ranma's actions were part of the plan, and that the suit had protected Akane just as anticipated. Nevertheless, he mumbled some curses into the beard he didn't have, eying Akane with a worried look on his face. "We should head home; your family must be worried about you."
"Hai" Akane yawned and stumbled when she got up. The combat had left her even more tired than she first thought. It only took a second until she was scoped up by her fiancé who positioned her on his back. Inwardly, she smiled broadly. "Let's go guys" Ranma shouted as he already turned towards the city. "Hey Saotome, wait a second" Ryoga shouted. "What about that big furball over here?"
Ranma waved him off "Not my cup of tea, pork chops. I got a big load to handle over here."
"Baka!"
And so, Shampoo carried the pinnate Mouse, who once again searched the cold liquid to sneak a ride with his beloved Amazon, Ukyo piggybacked Taro, Ryoga lugged the furry Genma, and Ranma carried the weakened Akane, who dozed off after two minutes riding the warm back of her fiancé.
oOo