SMST: Earth, Wind and Fire! – By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: "SM", "R1/2", "ST" and other genres belong to their respective owners.

Note: This is a multi-genre story.

Part 4

Ranma turned sharply towards his son.

'What are you doing-?' Ranma thought.

Goku Saotome steps forth to face the scarred teen that demanded to meet the Avatar. He didn't want his new friend Aang to face a possible threat, if he could not defend himself. So…

"Yes, I am the Avatar," Goku says. "What's up?"

Prince Zuko, of the Fire Nation, smiles.

"At last," Zuko says. "I am Prince Zuko of the 'Fire Nation'. You will come with me. NOW."

"What if I don't?"

"Then I will take you…by force!"

Ranma notices a sudden spike in this new person's aura.

"Goku, watch-" Ranma began to yell. But-

FWOOSH!

After performing some sort of kata, before releasing a concentrated blast of fire towards Goku.

'Wait,' Ranma thought to himself. 'Isn't that an Itachi attack?'

Before getting lost across the space-time continuum, Ranma fought a person named "Itachi Uchiha", who claimed to be his cousin on his father's side. Ranma had barely one the fight, but not before realizing his potential as a "Sharingan" user. As such, Ranma realized why he could easily adopt other people's martial arts techniques, as well as possessing phenomenal reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Itachi had used a similar fire elemental attack during their fight, which Ranma had quickly adopted. Ranma would not know until later, that he would be the reason for such attacks, having gone back in time to inspire the very founder of the Uchiha clan, and their signature attack strategy. But for now, Ranma was on a course to fulfill a paradox of significant proportions…

Goku was about to respond, when-

FWOOSH!

A gust of concentrated air blew the attack apart.

"What?" Zuko says, as he turns to see Aang.

"I'm the Avatar, Prince Zuko," Aang says, as he steps forth. "I will go with you, if you leave my new friends alone."

"Aang?" Katara says with worry.

Usagi turns to Ranma.

"Ranma-"

"Not now," Ranma replied. "Later."

"I'm not going to let you take my new friend," Goku says. "I-"

"Goku, later."

Goku was about to protest, when he sees his adopted mother nod her head.

"Okay…"

"Well, it looks like you are successful, Prince Zuko," says an older man, who comes up behind Zuko.

"So it seems," Zuko replied.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Aang says to his new friends.

"Eh, it's been nice to meet you, kid," Sokka says.

After waving good-bye, Aang is escorted onto Zuko's ship.

"How can you all just stand there and do nothing?" Katara complained, as Zuko's ship leaves her village.

"Because, my child, our new friend has a reason for his silence," says Gran-Gran, as she steps forth. "Right, Ranma?"

"Yes," Ranma says, as he gets his gear ready.

"I get now," Goku says. "You didn't want to risk harm to this village."

"Yep."

"Ranma, what's the plan?" Usagi asks.

"Well-"

"Wait," Katara says. "I'm coming."

"Katara-" Sokka begins to say.

"Someone has to watch out for Aang, and we can't let these strangers do ALL the work."

"Then, I shall give this to you," Gran-Gran says, as she took off her necklace. "This was given to me by a special person, of whom I was intended to marry."

"Gran-Gran…?" Katara says, as she accepted the gift.

"Wear it with pride…and honor."

"Well, if Katara is leaving, then I better come along, too," Sokka says. "Someone has to watch out for 'little sister'."

"Thanks, Sokka."

"It's been nice to meet you, ma'am," Goku says with a bow.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of the kids," Ranma says.

"Hey!" Sokka yelled.

"I know. I have a feeling that my grandchildren will have great destinies."

"Come on," Usagi says, as she began to float into the air. "We have to get Appa and catch up."

Everyone, save for Ranma and Goku, was looking at her in disbelief.

"What?"

"Um, why are you up there?" Sokka says.

"We have to hurry," Goku says, as he takes out a capsule. He then smashes it on the ground.

POOF!

Out pops a solid cloud.

"Nimbus!" Goku says happily, as he hops on.

"Wow, you guys are full of tricks," Katara says.

"Heh, you have no idea," Ranma says.

A short time later, the gang catches up to Zuko's ship. From their vantage point, they could see Zuko and Aang fight on the deck of Zuko's ship.

"Wow, that didn't take long," Usagi says.

"With all that fire, how can we reach them?" Sokka says, as he held onto Appa's saddle.

Ranma looks at the situation.

"Goku, swoop down to the port of the ship. Katara, when I give you the cue, use your waterbending to create a nice tidal wave. Usagi, prepare to use your Solar Flash technique."

"Right!" says the aforementioned names.

"And what about me?" Sokka asked.

"You just sit there and watch."

"Ah, man…I get to do NOTHING?"

Usagi gets into place.

"Okay," Usagi says. "I see Goku moving into place…there! He just yelled to Aang to jump unto Nimbus. Their flying away…that Zuko guy is yelling. Oh, Katara is causing a mild wave to keep Zuko and that other guys off balance…NOW."

Usagi forms a triangle over her forehead, as Zuko and his uncle Iroh was about to respond. Her crescent moon mark appears within that triangle.

"Solar…FLASH!"

FWOOSH!

"What the-?" Zuko says, as he and Iroh are blinded. When they could see again, the object of their pursuit was gone.

"Where did they go?"

Iroh merely chuckled. Whatever they attractive girl—the one with the weird hairstyle—did, she used a classic fake-out.

Yep, life was about to get very interesting indeed.

"I would not worry, nephew," Iroh says, as he straightens his clothes. "I have a feeling that we will soon see them again."

"I better," Zuko says. "Without the Avatar, I can't reclaim my honor."

Iroh could only sigh, knowing that his nephew's quest to reclaim his honor will be a lot more difficult to achieve in the end.

Meanwhile, the Avatar and his new friends are flying northward on Appa's large back.

"So, can you teach me?" Sokka asked. Sokka decided to break down and study martial arts from this strange couple.

"Huh? Huh?"

Usagi and Ranma look at each other. Usagi nods her head.

"Sure, but I expect real commitment from you."

"Hey, I have NO problem with commitment."

"We'll see."

"Aaang, be careful!" Katara calls out.

"Hey, Katara, this is fun!" Aang says, as he and Goku fly around Nimbus. Only a person with a pure heart could fly the elemental.

"Ha-ha!" Goku says, as he performs a loop.

"What do you think we'll find at this…'Southern Air Temple'?" Usagi asks.

"Hopefully, more techniques," Ranma says. "If nothing else, we can exchange ideas and stuff."

"You think you can learn 'bending'?" Katara asks.

"I don't see why not. The basic properties seem to same as any other technique. I just got to figure out a way to convert them to my use."

Usagi ceased to pay attention to the conversation. She was thinking about how she wished that she had brought Tho-Ohki—her pet cabbit—with her on the trip. Then again, Tho-Ohki had been staying with Neo-Queen Hoshi, of Crystal Tokyo, since he had been too sick to make the trip to Chikyuu from Earth (for the last martial arts tournament there). That's why the Saotomes were heading back to Earth in the first place, so that Usagi could visit her pet…

"Usagi?"

Usagi turns to Ranma.

"Yes?"

"You okay?"

"Ah, it's nothing," Usagi says, as she turns around. "The fact of the matter is that we're committed to the place."

"So, you're staying?" Katara asked.

"Yep. Besides, we DID promise to teach Sokka how to actually fight, you know."

"Hey!" Sokka replied with indignation.

Katara could only giggle.

Tbc.

Next Time: A visit to the Southern Air Temple reveals a tragedy! Plus, the gang meets the warriors of Kiyoshi Island! See you then!