(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Battle Beneath the Mansion

From the last chapter: Ranma pointed, "Don't be a idiot, Kuno! Put that sword down so we can save Akane."

As the Kuno boy charged he bellowed with rage, "Do not speak of the Mistress!"

Ranma was the first to react to Kuno's charge. Giving the boy a visible target he moved off to one side and taunted the insane kendoist with a smirk, "Hey, what's the matter, Kuno? Afraid we'll find about your little love affair?"

Tatewaki said nothing but with surprising speed, moved to within striking range. Steel flashed as the Kuno boy quickly sliced the air with a skill Ranma had not seen before. No longer acting as the laughable buffoon, Kuno moved skillfully with cold, deadly eyes as he pressed the attack. Tatewaki was no longer tied to the strict code of kendo, but was instead using the katana as a means to kill his opponent. Slicing diagonally, the insane swordsman spun and swung the blade across in an attempt to cut Ranma open. Before Ranma could recover, Kuno spun the blade and swung forcing Ranma to dodge again. As he fought to stay clear of the deadly blade, Ranma began to realize this was no ordinary fight. One particularly wicked strike cut through his pants leg, missing the skin by less than centimeter.

Ranma sensed the blade rushing past so close to his skin and blinked, "Damn! That was too close. I gotta break his concentration."

Everywhere he moved, the blade sliced through vulnerable openings keeping Ranma on the defensive. Nodoka turned towards Cologne as she drew her own blade, "I can't stand by and watch this any longer, Elder. That boy is getting through my son's defenses!"

Before Cologne could comment, there was a blur of white as the Saotome matriarch leaped into the fight. With her sword already drawn she landed in the fray, deflecting the blade from its intended target. Sparks flew as the two blades ground against each other, spinning off to one side, only to sing as the combatants struck again. The Kuno boy had stopped concentrating on Ranma and had switched all of his attention to his new adversary. No longer on the offensive, Kuno found himself unable to approach his intended target and was now forced to protect his own life from the woman's blade. As Nodoka continued to block the attacks, frustration within Kuno built into a mad rage.

As Kuno again struck with an overhand attack, Nodoka intercepted the blade with her own and pressed herself close to the boy. Steel rang out sharply as the blades locked between them and for a moment Kuno's eyes softened, "You are truly a worthy adversary. As beautiful as you are deadly. I do not wish to harm you, but I must do as I am commanded."

Nodoka's eyes flashed like steel before she smiled, "We must all do as destiny commands, dearie. Bring it on!"

Kuno's eyes widened as she shoved him back and moved into a much more aggressive stance. Tatewaki had just enough time to react as the woman went on the offensive, leaping towards him and rapidly striking with her blade. Steel flashed and sparks flew as the two combatants swiftly sliced the air with their katanas, moving ever closer to drawing blood.

Cologne turned to Nabiki and Ukyo for a moment, "This has become a dance of steel… Unless something is done to stop it, one of those two could be killed."

Ukyo turned towards the old woman, "Are you saying this fight is to the death?"

"Unless someone or something stops the fight, it will probably end so."

Nabiki stared as she placed her hand over her mouth, "Mom…"

As the sound of steel sang through the air, Genma turned towards Nabiki, "She's adjusting, changing her tactics as the boy changes his. She wants to beat him, but not kill him. You will see today why I respect and fear my wife and her blade."

Cologne glared at Genma, "Perhaps so, but we are running out of time, Saotome. This fight needs to end soon."

Before the elder Saotome could answer, the far door exploded in a cloud of splinters. A young man appeared out of the dust and stared at the group for a moment. He wore black pants and a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off. Around his head he wore a yellow polka dotted bandanna.

Ranma approached his long time rival, "Hey Ryoga, you're just in time. Give me a hand with Kuno over there and we can go save Akane before it's too late."

Ryoga said nothing until Ranma was close, then without warning, punched him squarely in the chest. The powerful blow sent Ranma flying back into a pillar, nearly breaking it loose. The lost boy slowly approached Ranma while cracking his knuckles, "What makes you think I want help you stop the Mistress, Ranma. For too long I have stood by while you abused her. Now, thanks to her power and kindness, I have the means to finally kill you once and for all."

Ranma was still shaking the cobwebs out of his head when Ryoga punched him in the stomach, again slamming him into the pillar. Dust fell from the ceiling as mortar and brick loosened from the impact.

Ukyo had her battle spatula ready, "Hey, Jackass! You're going to bring the whole roof down on us!

Ryoga turned towards Ukyo and gave her a grim smile, "If it stops you from reaching the Mistress, then I've done my job."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She swung her weapon with the intent of knocking the lost boy out and ending the fight, but when the spatula impacted the boy's head, there was a loud 'tong!' as the metal bent around his head. Much to Ukyo's surprise, he casually reached up and pulled the sheet metal off with his bare hands. Smirking as he crushed the remains into a small ball, he gave Ukyo a deadly glare, "You're far too predictable, Ukyo. Once I've taken care of Ranma, it will be your turn."

Before he could say or do anything more, the lost boy was hit hard in the stomach, chest and face by a triple combination as Ranma slammed him with rapid fire punches, "Not if I can help it, pig boy!"

As the boy staggered back, Ranma leaped up and kicked him several times directly in the chest. Ryoga shook his head just before Ranma pressed the attack with his 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire' assault. Unlike his fight with Akane, Ranma was using all of his speed and strength against the lost boy. Although Ryoga was more than strong enough to take the punishment, the onslaught of so many punches per second began to take their toll. Suddenly Ranma stopped and before Ryoga could get his bearings, he was hit squarely in the chest by a powerful punch. Ryoga slammed into the far wall of the chamber hard enough to knock a half dozen bricks to the floor. For a moment he seemed to be down for the count, but like a stubborn mule, he stood up and glared at Ranma.

Ryoga casually brushed the dust off his arms, "Heh. That wasn't too bad, Ranma. I think I might have felt something from that last hit. Unfortunately, playtime's over now and it's time for you to die."

The lost boy leaped towards Ranma and the two began to trade punches at high speed. The air filled with loud thuds as the two struck and blocked powerful blows that would have killed a normal person.

Nodoka, in the mean time was continuing her fight with Tatewaki. She had seen Ryoga enter the chamber and as much as she wanted to help her son, continued to keep the Kuno boy at bay. She knew also that sooner or later, she would have to extract blood. The boy was far too skilled with the blade to released against the others.

Cologne could see this as well, and turned towards Nabiki, "This is not good, Miss Tendo. We are running out of time and unless the boy can be subdued, she will be forced to deal a mortal blow to the fool."

Nabiki thought for a moment before she smiled evilly. She leaned over and whispered into the old Amazon's ear. Cologne's eyes widened and she cackled, "You don't say?"

As Nodoka deflected Kuno's blade yet again, Cologne yelled, "Nodoka! The boy's still a virgin!"

Nodoka raised an eyebrow and laughed to herself as she dodged the boy's strike. Turning, she deflected his sword and allowed the boy to spin. As he came around, she moved within his reach and jammed her sword into the ground catching his arm and sword behind him. The boy's head continued to turn and his eyes widened to find her within inches of his face. Before he could react, she pulled him close with her free arm and kissed him full on the lips.

Kuno's first reaction was of shock. His eyes widened and for a few moments he squirmed in protest. But Nodoka's hold was extremely tight and with his arm caught behind him with her sword, there was no where to go. He soon became aware of the woman's close presence, her soft lips, and rising warmth. All too soon, she released the boy and took a small step back.

While he staggered with his arms hanging loosely at his sides, she smiled seductively and purred, "Was that too much for you?"

Tatewaki didn't have time to answer the question. From off to his right a large fist suddenly slammed into his face, knocking him out cold. Genma glared at the unconscious boy for a moment before turning to his wife. He smiled with a bit of pride, "It's good to see you're still a master of Anything Goes."

As Genma turned towards the far wall, she returned the smile with an affection she hadn't felt in many years. She raised an eyebrow, though, as she noticed him reaching for one of the wooden wine kegs, "Husband, this is no time to be drinking!"

He smiled back as he lifted one of the smaller kegs over his head, "I'm not going to drink it, No-chan. I'm going to end this fight!"

Genma ran towards the fighting pair and stopped when he was within range. The two fighters were trading punches at a rapid rate when Ryoga got in a particularly hard punch and sent Ranma slamming against the far wall. The moment the two were separated, Genma tossed the wooden keg at Ryoga. The Lost Boy sensed the keg and turned just in time to see it within a meter of his face. Instead of dodging the keg, he struck it with his fist. The keg exploded on impact, covering Ryoga with cool wine and triggering his curse.

Where there was once a raging young man, there now stood a little black pig. Ryoga squealed and charged towards Ranma, not realizing the curse had been triggered. As he leapt up, Ranma reached out and grabbed the little pig by the scruff of the neck. He walked over towards his mother and father and smiled, "Nice work. Kuno's out cold and the pig's not going to do us any harm like this."

Nabiki glared at the pig, "He's pretty resourceful. Even though he gets lost, he might find some hot water and become trouble again."

Cologne reached over and hit the pig on a nerve point causing it to become limp, "He can't do anything if he's asleep. That should keep him out for the next hour while we take care of the demon."

She pointed towards the doorway, "Alright now, no more delays! We have to hurry!"

Nodoka reached for her Kimono, "Just a second Elder. The boy sliced up my clothing and I need to fix it."

Before anyone could speak, she undid the kimono and let it drop to the ground. Much to everyone's surprise, Nodoka was wearing a pair of loose fitting white pants and white long sleeved blouse. She adjusted the pants before taking her katana and slinging the sheath over her shoulder. Not giving it a second though, she reached down to Tatewaki and removed the sheath he was carrying. She then took his sword and after giving it a quick look, slid it into the sheath and tied it over her other shoulder. After crossing the sheaths across her back and securing the tips of them to her waist, she reached over her shoulder with both hands and quickly pulled the katanas out. She twirled them at her side like a pair of buzz saws before slipping them back over her shoulder and into their sheaths.

She smiled and walked towards the group, "Alright, I'm ready."

Ranma just stared, "Whoa."

Nabiki leaned over and whispered, "Your Mom's starting to scare me, Ranma."

He leaned close, "Yeah, remind me to never get on her bad side."

Kodachi walked towards the ruined door, "It isn't very far to the main chambers. All we need to do is go through that corridor and then head up the stairs. From there, we will be at the same level as the underground living chambers. Because they're the most secure place in the mansion, she's probably there."

* * *

As they made their way towards her, Akane was preparing her own destiny. She had long ago memorized the process and had the candles ready to proceed with the final step that would give her the ultimate in martial arts power. She glanced at the clock on the dresser and noted it now read 11:59. Reaching in front of her, she undid her robe and walked over to the old wooden table where she had placed the three candles. Taking one of them, she carefully lit it and when enough of the wax had melted, let it drip on the spot below and between her breasts. Hissing through her teeth at the sudden heat, she whispered the incantation and rubbed the wax with her finger until it was no longer visible. She repeated the process with the other two candles, carefully dripping them on their respective places below her collar bones.

The moment she was finished, there was a soft bluish flash as she was transported to her imaginary room. Bright and beautiful, it was everything she ever wanted. Birds could be heard singing outside the window and the rays of the sun were warm and comforting as they lit up the room. The door opened and Kimiko walked in, more beautiful than every before, she glided to Akane and gave her a warm embrace.

After a moment, the woman smiled with loving eyes, "I am so proud of you, daughter. Now we can be together forever."

Akane cried into her mother's kimono, far too emotionally drained to realize what 'forever' might actually mean.

* * *

Downstairs one level, the group was standing before a steel door. Kodachi was attempting to unlock the door but was having no luck. She swore, "Something's wrong here! The latch is released, but the keyed mechanism for the deadbolt still seems to be locked."

Ukyo bent over a bit to look at the lock, "Is there a way to get it open without a key?"

Kodachi shook her head, "No. If the deadbolt has been latched, the only way to unlock it is with the key."

"Do you think your brother has it?"

"It's possible but it will take time to run back down to him."

Nabiki moved towards the door, "Here, let me take a look."

She kneeled before the door and took a look at the keyway for a moment. Reaching around behind her, she removed the backpack she had been carrying and pulled out a small pack. She untied the pack and unrolled a set of small tools and a tiny flashlight. She handed the flashlight to Ukyo, "Here, shine this on the keyhole, will you?"

Ukyo's eyes widened, "Are those lock picks?"

Nabiki smirked for a moment, "Indeed they are."

Ukyo questioned, "Why in the world would you need those things?"

Nabiki began to work the tools in the lock, "Let's just say they come in handy and leave it at that, okay?"

There were several small clicks as she worked the key slot and in less five minutes, she smiled and gave the keyway a twist. The lock gave an audible click as the deadbolt slid away, allowing the door to swing open. Nabiki smiled as she packed up the tool pouch and placed it in her pack, "It's nice to see I haven't lost my touch."

Kodachi pointed down the hallway, "The bed chamber is on the first door on the left."

Ranma was the first to reach the door and after quickly entering, came back out and shrugged, "She's not here. Some of her clothes are laying on the bed, but she's not here."

Nodoka pointed down the hall, "One of the other roo-."

She was interrupted by a loud bang from above that shook the chamber with enough force to fill the corridor with falling dust. Ranma grabbed Nabiki by the hand, "That doesn't sound good, we gotta get out of here."

Kodachi headed towards a door, "Follow me, this leads directly to the gardens."

This time the door wasn't locked and they quickly entered and climbed the short stairway to the top. They found themselves standing under a garden patio with the Kuno family gardens spread out before them. Nodoka smiled, "Nice garden."

Cologne hopped up onto a table and pointed, "I'm afraid it won't be looking nice for long. We're too late!"

Ukyo swore, "Oh crap…."

Across the garden nearly 30 meters away stood a vulgar monstrosity of a creature. At nearly three meters in height, it dwarfed an adult human in both size and power. Its dark greenish black skin, huge hooved feet, massive legs, and muscled arms and chest gave no doubt of the creature's immense strength. But it was the hideous head with its huge ooze-dripping fangs, glowing red eyes, and long demonic horns that made everyone's blood run cold. The demon hefted a giant double edged axe with a head the size of a motorcycle and taunted them in a low, evil sounding laugh as it pointed a clawed finger at the group. "You're too late, mortals. The girl is mine now, and you are all dead."

The demon sneered as a fluorescent green coil of energy snaked out from behind it. Less than three meters long, the glowing cable ended in a sickly green ball of pulsing energy. Within the suspended globe, Akane Tendo could clearly be seen.