The buzz of power filled the cave as arcane eldritch light cast long shadows against the cavern walls. Stalactites hung low and were daggers against the total darkness of the cave ceiling. Not even the otherworldly acid green light could pierce the darkness above. A single figure stood amidst a glowing array. The glyphs flowed in a script unknown to humanity. It was a sight from tales better left to children's stories.

The creature's grinning mouth was full of broken teeth all in various stages of rot. The almost lazy drawl of the vaguely masculine being's voice matched perfectly the pulsating of the oily shadows cast by the light of the glowing seal produced. Slowly, and methodically gnarled hands toiled at their work. It would take time yet to finish the array, but once it was complete, he would again have the strength to pursue his desires. He would find once more the pleasures of flesh. He would live once more.

So Cold

By: XZero

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 6 - Journey

Power welled against his flesh, and the mirror displayed his form. Finally, after so long, trying so desperately to re-attain the clarity and control, he had succeeded. His skin was different, no longer was he mildly tanned, instead his flesh was so light it was horrifying, his skin held a mild blue tint, as if he had become a frozen corpse and refused death. His hair, once a raven silk, was gone, replaced with a blue-black hue. Grey, not the natural and age-worn shade, now laced his wild mane. His hair had taken the appearance of black ice. He could feel the threat of his power looming inside him, it was as if he had broken the restraints that had been put in place years ago, and now, with an ocean of power lying in wait he was trying to construct a dam in place of those by comparison, paltry slews. He thought of the ancestral key tools that he had sheathed on his back in a pair of special baldrics. He recalled clearly the evening he had learned to control it this much.

Flashback

These control the faucets at Jusendo, the spillways for the water. Kinjakan for hot, Gekkaja for cold. Perhaps that is it; perhaps I have been trying too hard. These open the draw and when they release the water, it takes on the aspect of whatever tap it exited. That's it! Instead of trying to retain it all, and because it refuses to lie dormant, I must dam the power. Releasing less and less until it is fully under my command.

"Ranma, what is wrong?" The melodious voice shook him from his internal reverie; he had forgotten that Kiima was nearby. Now, taken from his thoughts he felt her hand on his shoulder. It was a comfort, isolated as he was from others. Her warmth seemed to penetrate the numbing cold that had kept him from death. Since she had held him that night, nothing of his power had repelled her as it had others; in fact, proximity to her was almost magnetic. It was as if being near her were drawing him toward her. He had thought for so long that he had known how ki worked, how it moved and manifested, but obviously, that had been youthful arrogance.

"Nothing, I think I just found a way to hold it back more permanently." He saw the understanding dawn almost immediately in her eyes. Their conversations were more than frequent now. It had become a rarity for the two to part for very long, and while they seemed only to be trading banter, it had developed to a kind of confidence neither had experienced before.

At first, he thought that she was just being nice, guilt of the past and whatnot. Now, their conversations were beyond that, they had become friends. After so long, even if he was inanimate for twenty years, he had a friend who held no ulterior motive, wanted nothing from him beside his friendship. His beaming smile at the thought of calling her friend, and the gentle squeeze she gave his shoulder brought a tear to his eye, and nothing in his mind told him to restrain it. She was his friend, and around her, he could be as strong or as frail as he wished. Besides, this tear was one of joy, and he would have it no other way.

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The next evening he achieved the state of gentle balance he had sought. The power stormed and raged against him, threatening to overcome him in a sea of his own strength. He needed a focus, something, anything to hold him steady. Images flashed through his mind and finally they settled on one that would not lower his morale.

Kiima stood before him at sunset, the crater lake beside them, and the cool breeze made her cold, with forgotten uncertainty he pulled her against him, willing his aura to part around her she was enveloped. Her body met his and once again, he felt her warmth. He knew his aura would insulate her from the cold, protect her. He willed it so.

There, the floodgates had been made, and his power leaked out of his form slowly, imperceptible but for the unearthly glow of his eyes. The other occupants of the training area in which he stood bore witness to a truly amazing sight, before their eyes his power seemed to explode outward one final time before ebbing, pulled in as if by vacuum into his form. His eyes drifted closed. He could not see that the clothing he wore was ragged from the storm of life force he had caused. Clarity shone in his eyes, before they glazed over. What was that firmament beneath him, he had not been lying down when he began.

Kiima held him, head in her lap, shouting something. He could not hear her; the world danced and swam, sparks of darkness floated through his vision, spreading until he had succumbed to unconsciousness.

End Flashback

Since then he had been training, and today, that was when he and Herb would have their match, his power against the Dragon Prince's own. He stood now, overlooking the other mountains Bayankala range, toward the area they would have their duel. That mountain will be a proving ground; I will finally be able to gauge my strength.

Kiima

She stood before the entrance to Saffron's chambers, where the royal guard stood firm. She motioned them apart and in response the moved from her path, offering crisp salutes as she in turn nodded at them, sliding a fist into position against her breast, over her heart. It was their custom: a fist over the heart, symbolic of strength of conviction, as was taught to all within the mountain. She pushed open the doors and felt the tug against them as she was through, the door attendants pulling them closed behind her. Before her was the silken bundle containing Saffron's Egg.

She stopped only a few feet from the egg and dropped fluidly to a single knee. Her balled fist over her heart with her other hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Lord Saffron." She addressed carefully. She knew that the request she would make was unorthodox, and unheard of in all the histories of her people, but she needed to know.

'Rise Kiima.' The formality in his tone was not one he often took with her, after all, she had been his mother his last incarnation, and before that she was a young girl that he remembered fondly as a friend. He obviously knew what her request would be, though what his reaction would be to her query given voice made her uncertain.

"Lord Saffron, I have come before you to request leave. I wish to journey with Ranma when he returns to Japan. I want to help him reach the destination he searches for. This I humbly beg of you, my King." She could not look up from the floor, despite knowing that his senses were not as normal mortal means. Where she looked was unimportant, but in her mind she knew that looking downward, in shame, was how she should be.

'Kiima, long you have served me, at first you were a young girl, whom I watched grow, and for whom I have many fond memories. In my next incarnation, you were the one who raised me, despite only being barely old enough to do so when you began. Now, I recall you as both mother and younger sister, and I find that I cannot deny you this voyage. Though I feel you deserve this warning, some horror will visit his homeland upon his return, and the results are unseen. Guide him, and give him hope Kiima, let what is between you be not a burden, but an uplifting spirit of joy.'

Saffron's words had confused her then, mentally drained as she had been almost a week ago, after the arrival of Ranma's myopic friend. It would be at least two days before they left, tomorrow was the day of Herb and Ranma's bout, one she had great anxiety about, she wanted to watch, but did not know if she could bare to see Ranma lose. Herb had two decades of practice using his vast power stores that Ranma did not, and would certainly hold nothing back when their battle reached its climax. It would take a miracle of miracles for him to prevail against such an overwhelming foe.

Tendo Dojo - Mint

 This was truly proving to be a stressful situation. While Lime had not made too foolish a move, the tension he felt every time someone spoke during the meal, which, despite the rumor he had heard from Herb, was excellently prepared. No matter how good the food was, it still came to the fact that the message he had for these people could be unsettling. He knew, just as Lime did, the pain of losing families... friends. They would have to tread carefully this business.

He looked up from the half-empty bowl of rice and gazed at the other occupants of the room. Ryouga, he sat in contemplative silence, something that Lime realized was glaringly incongruent with the teen he had met years ago. A ghost of a smile graced his lips at the thought of the old days, when it was not this dire, nothing they could not solve with a short stint into the big world for a quick fix. A sigh now, left him as his eyes dropped once again to the meal in his hands.

He chanced a look at Lime, and was distraught by his burly companion's inattention to his own meal, instead sneaking furtive glances at the impressive swell in the blouse of the home's caretaker. With little room to innocuously his friend innocuously, he settled for taking stock of the girl. Hibiki's daughter was nothing of her father, or at least, very little. It seemed that like her mother and aunts, the women in the family all gained their mother's appearance. He noted the aural similarities between father and daughter, but only as far as family went. Oddly, though, the energy pattern was unlike either of her parents fighting strength, instead...

He started, and decided to discontinue his train of thought, studiously returning to his meal. From then he found no reason to raise his head from his meal until he had emptied the bowl completely. Not a grain of rice remained. He could no longer avoid it; he lifted his eyes and at once met the questioning glances of all the others who sat at the table.

"My apologies, I was really hungry." They saw the lie, all of them, but realized that whatever had kept him so entranced must be important to him. Even Lime, as dense as the stone of the Citadel of the Dragon, knew that his friend carried a gravity that seemed to crush him beneath its weight.

Mint tilted his head in either direction, a litany of wet pops going off in machine gun fashion.

"I supposed now is the time to get to the message. Before anything else, I am supposed to deliver this to you, Ryouga." He handed the brawny man the scroll case that had until now been slung over one shoulder. The other man's hands popped the cap from the watertight waxed-leather case off easily, and drew out the parchment scroll he held. Herb did have a flair for the dramatic, and so, when writing had taken great care to reproduce the elegant style of his ancestors. Luckily, he had not gone so far as to write the language in ancient form.

He could only watch as the man read the message that had plagued him since he saw its conception. Herb had insisted on writing this himself, trusting no scribe to take dictation as was usual for his station.

Ryouga

Ryouga, this message should reach you nearly a month after their departure, but I feel it important to relay this information to you. Saotome is alive.

The pause in the message was staggeringly obvious, almost as if he were chewing his pen to look for the words. The kanji was perfect, but the brush strokes were cautious, and that gave it away.

I know what you must be thinking. How? When? I too seek the answers to these questions. I must ask that you not come to the JusenkyoValley, as there are other, pressing matters that will arise if my historians are correct.'

This part confused him even more, first his daughter's dream, then the style she had been practicing, a style that was impossible for her or any other human being to know, and now, finally Herb's confirmation. Dark times were coming, and finally, his age-old battle cry was correct. "Ranma, this is all your fault.

They have found prophecies made thousands of years passed, three, all in reference to the same person. They refer to this man as the frozen flame, the storm warrior, and the proud tiger. When I learned he'd been trapped within the ice created by the Phoenix Artifact, and then, the enormous surge of power that freed him must have been his aura, it was him, and we are both aware of the manifestation his aura has. Primarily, his battle aura rises as a flame. The other titles are what name him truly. For what other man of unimaginable strength uses an attack that bends storms to his whims. Alternatively, the naming "proud tiger?" I have no intent to tell him of my findings, but I have no doubt that Saffron will try to help him prepare for what he must face. Yes, I speak of the very same Saffron who attempted to slay you all. Some of the prophecies within our archives bear the seal of the Phoenix, just as we suspect some of theirs may bear the seal of the Dragon, but I digress. It is my guess that after some time, he will return to Japan. I will try to meet with him, both to confirm my suspicions, as well as to help him in any way I can. His power now is without doubt, equal to my own, and equally to the full and focused power Saffron is capable of bringing to bear. I will challenge him to the match I sought years before; hopefully he will prove as intuitive as he was during our last engagement. For now, I will leave your questions to Mint and Lime.

Best Regards,

Herb of the Musk

Ryouga could barely understand what he read, the depth of meaning. Finally, he understood, and looked up at Mint, the scroll falling from nerveless fingers. His jaw quivered, and suddenly, he felt a hand dart out, grasping the parchment in his lap. Almost before he realized it, Akane had snatched up the letter, her eyes widening in terror as she read on. His own child seemed to be calm, though he could sense her anticipation. She knew something. How?

Akane

"Alive." The words cycled in her mind repeatedly. A lost love, a flame quenched in the prime of life, for her. He had been her heart, and now, was alive again. Would he come here seeking her, seeking revenge? No, this was Ranma, he would never hurt her, but what was she to do. Could she bear to see him? Could she stand to see him, she had settled her feelings for him, and had moved on. A touch of her temper flared and her mind entered ludicrous threads of thought before she squashed them mercilessly by a logic taught to her by years. That would get her nowhere.

"Alive." Her word was bare whisper, but it cared with dreadful gravity.

That was when it became too much for her, and she found relief in the blissful darkness of unconsciousness.

Mu Tzu

It never ceased to amaze, even dead Saotome had grown beyond his own strength. He was not jealous. In the end, he had won the girl, had a family. His life had become peaceful. While he had never given up his training, martial arts were not the end-all be-all that it was for Ranma. He was surprised when he had first 'seen' the man, and none could mistake the man who by rights should be among the honored dead for a boy. He was certain that Ranma seemed to be maturing rapidly, both physically and mentally. His power seemed to demand a mature form, capable of harnessing his full strength, and so he was changing to fulfill that ultimatum, far faster than normal maturation would allow. He truly was incredible, this man that he had come to see safe.

'Odd, in our youth I would have attacked him, insulted him, and done everything to make him miserable. But now, it is only the wonders he brings about with his presence that dominate my mind.' Mu Tzu marveled at the change in demeanor both he and Saotome displayed toward one another.

'Perhaps he never bore me the ill will that I did him. He never did me undo harm, even if I attacked him by surprise, or held a captive.' That did not hold his attention much longer than a moment, what did was the revelation of the status of the Phoenix King, a sometimes enemy of his people.

Saffron was an egg, strange, but not beyond the myth of his people, the royal families of the Phoenix people were muddled in mystery and misinformation. One such bit that seemed more than coincidence and heritage was the depictions of their crown prince. Three thousand years and every image of the Phoenix King was the same. All of them, and in that an observer could be lead to what he now found to be truth. There was no 'new' prince of the Phoenix, every generation was a new king, but always was his name Saffron, and always, was he the same man.

The egg was proof that Saffron truly was a legendary firebird. His memories of their first meeting were vague, his mind distracted by the strange ki based communication of the Phoenix King. It was unbelievable, it was as if a fully matured man spoke and was contained within the egg. Ku Lon would be much impressed with the information that he had gathered regarding the life of the phoenix, though he doubted it would make much difference given the circumstances.

A mantle clock chimed, and drew him from his reverie. Nearly time, he would have to hurry not to miss the beginning of the bout, his flying speed was much below that of the phoenix, even if they were going to be carrying Herb and Ranma to their bout match, not to keep up he would have to follow closely, and use liberal amounts of energy.

This match would prove to be one of incredible proportion, and an idea of what Ranma was capable of now.


Herb

Wind blew gently across the isolated valley, kicking up motes of dust. Atop the mount there was but a single lake, barely large enough to qualify as such. From it ran a plethora of streams often these too would disappear, disappearing underground to feed the countryside below. An abundance of rocky terrain contrasted grassy rises that followed the river. The streams and creeks stemming from the spring lake sustained life here. Other than the low plants of the river, nothing grew. Areas of blasted terrain, littered with shattered boulders. This small valley seemed unnatural in its undisturbed tranquility. It would not last.

Herb took only a moment to survey the battleground, grunting his singular approval of the terrain as the phoenix that carried him spoke to inform him of the end of their journey. With a noncommittal response, the leader of the Musk fell silently from the arms of the soldier. He twisted reflexively, spreading himself to slow his descent. It would not do to use energy unnecessarily. His plummet slowed dramatically only three stories from the stony Earth below, a golden aura erupting from him as he righted himself for landing.

His bout with Saotome would require a level head and full reserves. Ranma was by far the most adaptive and clever opponent he had ever faced. A minute amount of power flared around him as he reached the ground, and he could not help but chuckle as his friend, in classic form, did much the same as himself, releasing his blazing power in a pulse of enormous strength.

"Truly amazing." Herb vocalized in scant above a whisper as he watched his friend copy the trick with no more than a second's analysis. He sobered though as the other man drew in his fighting strength. Both fighters turned eyes skyward to ensure that their ferrymen were clear of the fighting zone. The entire mountain was deemed safe earlier, no travelers would visit this lonesome crag, and for that, they were grateful. Nonetheless, Saffron had deployed soldiers around the mountain both to observe the match, and to watch for any innocents. For that, Herb was more than grateful. They had not been so careful at Mt. Horai, and for all they know, someone could have died during their foolish escapades.

He shook his head, clearing the past as he reigned in his own power, this contest would be of both physical strength and spiritual focus, and he could feel himself tremble in anticipation of the combat. The soldiers had maneuvered into an updraft well outside the hot zone. Grinning he turned eyes to his adversary, rolling his neck atop his shoulders, before shaking his arms outward. Simultaneously, they fell into their respective stances.

His opponent matched his maneuver, and at a silent agreement, the battle was joined.

Their contest would begin slowly, opponents only three meters from one another, circling as they studied the form of the other. Finally Herb took initiative, dashing forward with tight probing strikes. None would penetrate Saotome's defenses. Herb fell back as the other man's controlled counter attack began. Ranma replied in kind with Herbs assault and though his attacks were slightly less controlled, the variety and consistency of his attacks kept the other man from utilizing the small holes in his defenses. It was uncanny the way he seemed to change angles and bend ludicrously. His style seemed nonexistent, and was different from what Herb remembered. Finally, they clashed; a double punch from the Musk leader was caught by an odd cross block, bringing Ranma within the range of his opponent. Herb was unconcerned; he fell backward slightly, jumping into a fall-away drop kick. He was rewarded in his unique approach as the pony-tailed fighter took the blow in the chest. The force threw the fighters away from one another as a result. Herb threw a hand down as he flew parallel to the ground below, descending slightly to land. He continued to slide only a moment before coming to a stop.

For a moment, billowing clouds of dust stood between them, giving the two men ample chance to resettle themselves. As the wind kicked up again, pushing the dust away the dragon prince caught a glimpse of his friend's eyes.

"Let's quit the warm-ups." Herb spoke, darting forward only meters behind his words.

Ranma seemed to agree, and matched Herb stride for stride. Great furrows of earth formed from their charge, and ended as the two met in a savage hit-trade. Blows passed back and forth, dodged, parried, blocked, and traded relentlessly in a barrage that would pulverize companies of lesser men. Herb felt the backlash as his fist broke through a wall of air, and the resulting vacuum tore along the path of his fist, displaced air adding to the concussive force of his opponent. Saotome spun past the pressure and slapped his hand aside, breaking his assault to deliver a spinning reverse kick.

The prince could not parry or block, but instead doubled backward, falling out of the way until his torso was in line with the ground. Like a coiled spring, he came up and threw the heavy right into Ranma's midsection, throwing the other man back.

This would be a contest to birth legends, he knew.

Surprise registered on Saotome's face, but it transformed quickly into the joyous smile he himself wore. This was battle strictly for the sake of its enjoyment. Ranma was flung to one side by the force of the blow, his growing own aura shielding him gratefully from the majority of the damage. The silver maned prince wasted no time, even before the other fighter had so much as landed he was closing the gap between them, a crater forming around him as he pushed from the ground in a nearly horizontal leaping, seeming to blaze along the ground.

"Akanesasusora Ryuujin Hanone!" Herb roared and reared back a fist, an ethereal flame erupted from it was terrifying, but his opponent had apparently not been as stunned as he appeared, and his eyes shot open the moment the attack came to fruitition. Herb breached the range that he had come to know as the point of return for this attack, everything was set, and nothing would allow Saotome to defend in time. He knew his fist would connect. He had not expected a reversal of tactics, from the almost savage attack strands to a flowing evasion. His speed had not been enough and Saotome had instead of meeting the attack as he had seemed apt to do, twisted to the side narrowly, tapping the silver haired dragon prince almost lightly on the bicep as his foot swept out, sending him careening head over heels. His recovery was not quick enough and a tumbling twenty meters passed before he regained his feet. Analyzing the situation required less than a second's though, and his smile widened as he saw in his mind's eye the counter that the other man had utilized. Tai Chi, he realized, this would be an interesting change of pace.

He regained his feet in the time it took to breath and yet it was too late. Saotome was already within striking distance, leading with a flying kick enshrouded in pale white flame. Herb knew that maneuver's effect, and strafed safely evading the attack. He was not prepared, however, for the sudden twist as his opponent touched ground, collapsing the stone beneath him, spraying pebbles and dirt in all direction. In all, the attack seemed to go unrealized as once again they met in a surge of violence.

At some unseen signal both men disengaged leaping backward until they were a goodly distance from one another before resuming their stances. Kiai, a spirit yell, was an understatement of the invocation of their essence that now occurred. Their swirling power coiled trails of dust around them, adding thick strands of reflected light to the palpable energy the two radiated. The earth around them trembled under the strain of energy it supported. The two men were lost amidst the torrential storms of spiritual force for only an instant, before anti-climatically falling back into the corporeal forms from which they sprang, not leaving the men unchanged in appearance.

The two defied gravity in ways that other, lesser men would believe unimaginable as both martial artists took to the air. A mistake Herb should not have made. Ranma was a master of aerial combat, and while the dragon prince was no stranger to midair battle, his strength was not fighting in the air. He matched well against the other man, but could not continue at this pace. His flight technique slowed him marginally as he willed himself to move as needed to keep pace. His opponent used only bursts of power and the rebound from their collisions to maintain the air.

Another midair bout, though this time, he did not exchange blows with the raven-haired man, but instead thrust forward a palm, his power escaping him in a nameless release of energy. The other was surprised, that much showed on his features as the beach ball sized orb overtook him. Despite that, he accepted the blow well, gathering a hasty defense as the compressed spirit struck him and reversed his approach violently.

"Moko Takabisha." The words were barely above a whisper, but the effect was instantaneous. A stream of energy bridged the shrinking gap between him and the valley floor. His fall slowed and he met the ground, cutting off the stream of power as he slid backward on his feet. He took a moment to wipe the blood from his lips and tear the ruined shirt from his back. Herb was impressed at the resilience the other man showed, and spiked his energy again. It was time to get serious

"Saotome! It is time to take this to the limit. Don't hold anything back." He announced clearly, as he stopped levitating plummeted to the valley floor, his aura sharpening around him as he descended faster and faster

Ranma leapt back only a heartbeat before the silver haired man crashed into the earth, spraying bits of rock in all directions. Ranma found he was ill prepared for the prince to come at him again so quickly. Hastily the pony-tailed man flared his battle strength, grasping desperately every bit of power that would answer his call. Herb was unprepared for the sudden release of Ranma's full strength. His blazing charge halted violently, as the other man became the proverbial unmovable object

Suspended in the air the other man reigned in his power once again, and pushed forward, battling against the other man, similar shrouded within his essence

A roar escaped them, as the two brought to bear their strength, the ground around them buckled, and formed twin craters, hissing fractures in the mountain on which they stood, sending a spider web of fissures for hundreds of feet in all directions

A cliff fell victim to this pressure and collapsed under the strain, debris blown outward by the pressure differential. Pebbles lifted into the air as they became less dense than the surrounding environment, pulverized moments later by the awesome strength of their opposing souls

Even hundreds of feet away the shockwave of their eruptions struck the winged witnesses of their bout, staggering some, while others were overwhelming, forced to ride the flow of power before it had faded enough to push through

"Yes! This is it, the battle I have wanted for so long." Herb cried exultantly as he felt the overwhelming pressure from his rival's aura. Like his opponent, he was lost within the energy. This had become a battle strictly where one would overwhelm the others spiritual strength. The deftness with which they wielded their massive spiritual force would determine this clash. A truly breathtaking sight of painfully bright gold and sapphire auras struggled against one anothe

Herb remarked that this was a great deal like the dojo game of pushing hands, searching to put the other off balance for the final strike.

Ranma

Herb was incredible, his power was awesome and terrifying all at once, but throughout the battle, those thoughts remained banished to the recesses of his mind. Now was not the time to be appreciating his opponent's strength. Now, in this battle of wills the victor would be decided. Control was difficult, and the strain he felt on his body and mind was both, wonderful and crushing. Now, in this time his blood and soul sang. He stood, locked in battle with an opponent of overwhelming power, and to him, there was no greater joy

Their game was ending and he knew it, he did not have the years of experience that Herb did, and did not utilize his power as efficiently. He knew that for truth. If he could not win with strength, his keen tactical mind would have to find something. If he faltered right now, he would die, crushed beneath the weight of his adversary's aura before the other could know to stop. There, it clicked into place, but if it panned out, he would have all that he needed.

Herb

Herb surged his strength out once more, pushing aside his competitor's aura as if it were a silk curtain

"No, something is wrong; he shouldn't be giving up this easily." Just as the thought came, he felt it, his power enveloped. For a moment a bit of him panicked, but then the cool calculation slid over him, he could feel Ranma's aura doing the oddest thing, swirling around his own aura, constricting like a snake

A massive concentration of the power above him, and he knew what he must do. The air within his aura began to heat, the already wavy distortion of the air increasing. He found his collection and directed it all around

Perhaps that was why the cry surprised him

"Hiryu Kourin Dan!" Shocked by the exclamation, Herb froze, and by the time he realized his folly, his own power was turning against him. First came the feeling of his power being pulled away, this much was familiar, but even as he ceased to exert his power he knew that this was the true purpose of the technique. Hastily he tried to release more power, but it was futile. His enemy drew his strength away as fast as he could summon it into an aura. The crushing weight of his enemy bearing down on him came next. This was what he supposed gave his rival the time necessary to complete the maneuver, falling through his own rising energies like a lead weight. He ceased summoning his aura now, instead focusing as much power as possible into his arm. This would decide things

"Oiuchi!" Invoking the technique, he threw his fist upward, a fierce uppercut to match the descending ki powered strike his opponent offered. Eyes widened throughout the skies as their strikes came to completion. The swirling forces surrounding their hands glanced off one another. The feeling of his fist embedding in Ranma's abdomen sent a wave of exultation through him before the realization hit.

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His eyes crossed, and the wind rushed out of him faster than he could expel it on his own, the world lurched as he crashed into Herb. He smiled despite the darkness that crept over his vision; his fist too had found its mark. As he collapsed to the ground, the dragon prince fell along with him.

The battle had ended.

Unknown

The gnarled staff and equally twisted form that clutched it slunk quietly through the night. The battle atop the nameless peak had been felt, though to this one it was irrelevant. The wrinkled female form continued to the almost-mesa. Two Phoenix patrolled the skies nearby, and unfortunately for them were too close for the dried husk of human flesh's liking. Drawing from her robe a pair of cruelly barbed daggers, she waited only a moment before sending first one than the other into the air, weighted against the wind by a unique application of dark power. The two sky guards fell without a cry, the long daggers jutting from vitals. They had been unfortunate fools in the wrong place. Without pause the woman continued

Quietly she made her way into the passage under the earth, where the cool stone beneath her feet thrummed with power.

A shiver ran through the ancient being as she moved silently into the cavern within the hill, the otherworldly light spilled out of the depths of the earth in a hellish manifestation. Her wicked features became even more malicious as the dried face twisted into a cruel smile. There was no warmth there

Something that would terrify man and god alike was revealed as the ancient woman shed her robe, before she fell into place opposite the other. The male form did not seem to take notice, never breaking his chant, feeding power to the arcane glyph. As she joined him, another, equally complex, pattern flared to life, stark contrast to the male. Balance in all things it seemed. Her wicked cackle rose into the night as they chanted in eerie harmony.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Sorry to disappoint you all, but after rechecking the chapter after a certain review, I found that I had shortchanged you all, and as such went about fixing it. I promise that there is another chapter already half finished, though entirely unpolished, so it will take more time. My computer has been down for quite some time and is only now on the road to recovery. Expect the next chapter within the next couple of weeks.

Herb's Techniques:

Hikaru Hanone no Ryuujinto shine Fang of Dragon God (literal) Shining Fang of the Dragon God (intended)

Oiuchi: Final Blow (literal)