Chapter 6
Attack
It was about early in the morning and about ten weeks after the "incident" that changed his life. Ranma was outside alone in his wheelchair. On the roof of the hospital, it was a place where he could usually be alone with his thoughts. They had just seen the sun rise and were just sitting there peacefully.
Ranma had come a long way since he was here weeks ago. He seemed to smile more and even laugh at times. To Cream and the other nurses, he seemed to come alive after what was a horrible life. The children were a boon to him. Their wonder about life that was unencumbered by the problems of the adult world.
In his stories, he took, not only the children but himself also, to the long forgotten places of his childhood. He had seen many things, done many things that was adventurous and magical. To him it was commonplace because he never really thought about it. He just reacted to what was thrown at him.
Suddenly, Ranma had gotten a feeling. It was like something was watching him.
"Mehh."
Startled, he looked around, ready to flee until he saw Ryo. She was just at his feet the first minute. It registered at the back of his mind that it was the first time he didn't freak out. Uneasy, yes, but not hustling for his life kind of fear. He began to realize that the time he spent with Sammi had made him to be accustomed to Ryo. In a way, he was actually more comfortable around Ryo than with a lot of other people. In many ways, he was really surprised how intelligent she was and a lot nicer than a lot of people he knew. She was very easy to please. Just a few carrots and she was happy. He sighed as he thought how uncomplicated her life was (unknown to him how hectic her life really was).
As he thought about it more, he did consider Ryo a kind of friend. One of a very few real ones he had.
After a second more, Ryo changed into a girl and wheeled him out. After that, she simply sat in his lap. It went to become a ritual for them to go in the mornings to relax. There was no need to talk. She seemed to simply want to be with him. This was a big change from people who wanted something from him, to change him, or to destroy him.
He still couldn't help, but smile at the times when he found her sleeping in his bed as much as she slept in Sammi's. He was surprised when she changed into a girl and snuggled. He sweatdropped, but decided to play along. She had to habit of doing that to him when he was sad that even he had to laugh. It surprised her that it didn't faze him in the least.
Hey, he knew she wasn't really a girl and he went through a lot of crazy things. This wasn't close to the craziest.
They were just staring at the sunrise when his danger sense went off and he threw himself to one side as a whistle came slashing down where he had been a second before.
This was when they heard a maniacally voice coming from behind him. It was Kuno.
He turned around and was surprises to see uncharacteristically apprehensive and silent Mousse. This unnerved him because of the silence. There was no death threats or insults, just a haunting look.
"Ho there, my white goddess! That foul Satome has once again enspelled a beautious and innocent with his dark sorcery!" Kuno raved, "No matter, I, Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High shall save you and banish the sorceror to the nether realms!"
"This isn't good." Ranma thought, "Kuno has become a lot better, but Mousse seemed to be distracted. What? Sasuke is pointing the sword..." breaking through his thoughts, "wait a minute, my legs..."
From Ranma's lap, Ryo was hissing at this idiot, but before she could do anything, she found herself looking up at a flying bokken aimed at her and Ranma. It was then that she changed back into a cabbit without thinking about it.
No one really blinked at this. Everybody still accepted it that weirdness still was around Ranma.
At this, Kuno yelled, "Foul creature! Begone!"
Signal for thunder and lightning. Also insert, we see Sasuke with a big mushroom sigh and signalling frantically at Ranma at the bokken.
With Ranma distracted, this was when Kuno attacked with a slashing motion. It still surprised Ranma that the idiot would attack with Ryo, the innocent, in front of him.
Ranma snapped back to reality and thought as he saw the bokken coming donw, "Shit!. Everything seemed to go into slow motion, as he fought to save Ryo and himself.
Kuno missed, but in his overextended slash he knocked the chair over and they all fell into a tangle with Ranma.
Ranma fell hard and then tried to roll frantically away. As Kuno came for him, he freed himself from his chair and threw his useless legs out and knocked Kuno down. From there, he struck Kuno upside the head as many times as he could then in his face. Kuno raged at being suddenly blinded. This tactic surprised Mousse and Sasuke. This was really the first time he used that underhanded trick. He may still be crippled, but he was far from being the "helpless" person everybody would pity.
Unknown to everyone else, Mousse had trained hard to overcome his disability with this vision. He used opportunity to train harder in secret with his friend, Al Lo. He wanted to surprise Shampoo, but instead he was the one who was truly surprised.
He may not have been able to see Ranma clearly, but he could hear and feel him. He knew that Ranma couldn't use his legs, but the lack of the catlike landing of old disturbed him deeply.
Mousse then threw his weapons from his sleeves. Clubs and staffs rained on Ranma and Ryo, not knives or chains.
Ranma had grabbed Ryo and rolled away from Kuno's slashing attacks when he realized what Sasuke was trying to tell him, that Kuno had a real sword that was painted to look like a bokken. It was hard for Ranma as he was out of shape and unaccustomed to fighting with only his upper body.
Ryo has started to struggle to try to get out of Ranma's grip and transform into her spaceship mode, but it became apparent that if Ranma didn't protect her she would be sushi.
An opening came when in a high slashing motion from Kuno, Ranma surprised Kuno by stopping the sword with his two hands and then yanking the sword closer and head butting him in the head with Ryouga type force.
After, he tripped Kuno with the violent swing of his free swinging legs, a move that he had adapted for this kind of situation. With Kuno was down for a second, he gathered himself and shot a fast moving raw ki blast at Mousse, his first use of raw ki since the incident. It was a new kind of ki blast, the ones that didn't rely on emotions. He knew that his normal Mouko Takabisha would be too draining for him in battle, so he tried to use raw ki. He hadn't really perfected it until...right now and it took more concentration to use, but found that it didn't drain him in energy or emotions like the Mouko Takabisha.
Early on in his stay, he realized that he needed an edge, but he never practiced the technique before. Now he had to use a technique that he hadn't perfected yet and used only in desperation. He formed it in his hand and let it loose. As it sped towards Mousse, it threatened to break apart, but it held together with the utmost concentration from Ranma. It was his energy and he controlled it. What surprised him was that it was much quicker to gather as well as moving much faster and seemingly twice as powerful than his Mouko Takabisha. In an afterthought, it seemed that the medium was the problem. He had to summon his confidence, shape his attack and the medium drew at least half the energy as the actual attack itself to keep it together.
Ranma was tired, but not as tired as he would have if he used his Mouko Takabisha. It explained why he didn't feel as drained when he did the new raw ki attack. He did remember the warning of many sensis of the weakness of using too much raw ki, especially when using the Hadoken.
Even with the new raw ki attack, it was a much stronger than normal ki attack because he improvised it so that it also takes chi from where it travels over to make it stronger as it goes on. Over the weeks, Ranma's ki had slowly increased, but still way below his previous levels. This was why he was healing so slowly for the first few weeks and why after he was able to move more quickly after he recovered.
For a second, it totally took Mousse by surprise because he never sensed the build up of ki, by its speed and power, but when he could make out the blast it finally dawned on him to move. Unfortunately, it was the sound. Kaboom! The attack embedded Mousse through the wall and taking him out of the fight.
Cologne nearly fell off her staff as she was totally surprised at this. Raw ki attack and perfected so that it stayed together outside the body. She knew that Ranma was good, but to adapt so quickly was amazing. He was the material that legends were made of. Unfortunately, she also saw that he was still paralyzed and that no matter how good he was, the other Council of Elders would never agree to have one who is a 'cripple' into the tribe. She sighed as to their short sightedness.
As she looked over at Mousse, she couldn't help but feel the guilt that she carried for these years. It was for the good of the village that the secret be kept, but she could feel that the time was approaching for Mousse to come into his own without the Amazons. Only then can she unburden herself from the silence she had kept.
In his desperation, Ranma had to gamble on the new ki attack because he couldn't fight both Kuno and Mousse as they both had tremendously improved. He knew he couldn't fight them until he was healed. He had to take themout quickly before he tired or made a mistake. Unfortunately, he was feeling low because he wasn't used to using his attack in a very long time and it drained him tremendously. His reserves were greatly depleted and he still had to take on Kuno with that sword. So, he used his other technique of drawing ki from the environment at a faster rate.
At the same time with Kuno down, Ryo slipped from his grip and started to change to her spaceship mode, but she underestimated how fast Kuno could recover. So crazed with delusions and adrenaline, all he wanted was to destroy the sorcerous Ranma and didn't care that Ryo was in the way. In that instant, she became an obstacle to be taken care of.
This was the first time someone attacked her in this form and it was understandable that as Kuno came at her so fast that she froze for a fatal instant.
When Ranma saw Kuno had actually kept on coming despite Ryo being in the way, with Kuno's sword held high for the killing blow as, time had started to slow...
Kuno's attack had started his final attack like his attack on the first day, but faster.
In Ranma's subconscious mind, he started to analyze the situation and he reviewed his options. He realized that he was tired and needed more energy to get him moving to save Ryo.
As the attack continued to slow, the sword started to descend and headed straight at Ryo. He racked his brain for SOMETHING and he needed it NOW.
As he tried to draw ki from around him, it was too little. He had already drawn tremendous amounts of ki from the surrounding area for the attack. He would have had to draw it from a larger area that would take more time than he could afford and thus would be too late. This was his worst nightmare, a real friend was about to die and he was helpless. In desperation, a memory of power flashed in his mind. He searched within himself for that power and found... The Nekokken.
For the first time, ever, he consciously summoned the Nekkoken. In the past when the Nekkoken happened, his mind would have backed away so fast he would hardly remember it, but today was different. Because of Ryo, because her impact on his life and especially now because she was in peril, he faced it for the first time in nearly twelve years. Needing its energy and fighting strength to save her. He needed the Nekkoken's power, but also needed to use his own ki and be fully conscious to execute the save.
As time resumed
As the sword descended, Ranma was surprised that he wasn't tired anymore. Strange. It seemed like Kuno was going in very slow motion as Ranma shifted just a bit to grab Ryo and dodge Kuno's strikes.
Cologne nearly fell over again when she saw the speed of Ranma's hand. She didn't sense any build up of ki. It was almost like his natural speed. Unfortunately, she would never know that she was witnessing the rebirth of the REAL Nekkoken. A technique that came from the gods, but were corrupted by the demons when practiced all those eons ago. Ranma had become the first mortal practitioner since the beginning of the world to have truly mastered it. He wouldn't know that it was the first true step to godhood. The conquering of FEAR.
He felt really tired of Kuno and his idiotic attacks as his eyes narrowed and his hands started to glow as claws were about to be unsheathed.
This wasn't the nice kitty claws that the he and the other practitioners had used when in the Nekkoken.
No.
These were claws of a very big and angry full grown feline.
As time slowed again almost to a stop, he realized that he may have to unleash them despite what he knew about Kuno...then...SMACK!
That stopped everything. A hand print on Kuno's face. Urd still shaking her hand.
As Kuno, you know the flower routine, was about to begin, a sudden glare from her was enough for even him to give pause.
Disgusted, she raged, "How dare you do that!"
"I see the foul sor-" was as far as Kuno got before another smack struck him again.
"Don't you even think that! You are by far not worthy of even mentioning his name! How dare you attack an unarmed and injured man." interrupted Urd.
Ranma was almost started to say that he could take care of himself when he paused as she continued, "As I have heard, the Kuno honour is no more."
As Kuno was about to deny that, she shouted, "Shut up! I have heard you rant and rave about how honour and the bushido. How it must be sorcery when a girl doesn't like you...well, tough. If you can't face the fact that they don't like you. I can see why they don't. The great Kuno attacking an unarmed and injured man. There is no honour. None whatsoever.
She turned and said, "This day is a blight on the Kuno name."
Kuno froze. He didn't know what to do as his mind started to actually think of what she said.
Suddenly, a sad laugh filled the air, "Hohohohoho!"
It was Kodatchi. Everyone tensed up with the leotarded martial artist. She looked proud and noble then shook her head.
She said, "Alas, I see now that my Ranma-sama is no more. He is but half man now. I, a noble Kuno, couldn't marry such that is beneath me." With that, her eyes sharpened into daggers as she continued, "He doesn't deserve to live. He stained the Kuno name! Take came of him for Tendo Akane and your pig tailed goddess as well as the nurses he enslaved." with that she leaped over the wall and was away and made good her escape.
Everyone in the garden was downfounded and then the present situation came in.
A roar of vengence came bursting forth from Kuno as he burst forward in his final attack, "Vile Sorceror! I will smite thee and free the beauties!"
Kuno leaping around Urd, he headed for Satome with his sword held high. As Urd saw this, she saw red and did what she instinctively does all the time.
"Urd Lightning Bolt!"
Flashing bolt of electricity blew from her fingertips to the back of Kuno. His sword became an excellent conductor.
Unfortunately, two things happened. The first was that Kuno was hit by lightning many times when he was practicing with the Kuno Secret Opening Speeches Technique and thus was partially immuned to the effects. The second and more unfortunate thing was that it pushed him closer to Ranma.
Kuno kept on coming at Ranma until he stopped and falling face forward unconscious into the ground about with his sword tip about a finger width from Ryo and Ranma.
A huge lump forming on Kuno's head courtesy of a bamboo umbrella. Ryouga was here and proceeded to just leave Mousse and Kuno where they lay.
As Ranma recovered from the shock of both the lightning and Ryouga's rescue of him, what surprised him even more was when Ryouga just picked him up and put him back into his wheelchair.
He started to whispered something to Ryouga as Cologne came back to collect Mousse, but stopped when he recognized her deneamor to him. It had clearly changed to showed that he was no longer worthy of her tribe, but she gave him a warrior's salute and then splashed Mousse and left with him.
Sasuke was about to drag his master back home when Ranma had signalled him to.
Suddenly as Sasuke neared Ranma while dragging Kuno when Kuno revived and everyone tensed, but what came to a shock to everyone.
Instead of attacking, Kuno sobbed, "I'm sorry." It wasn't what he said that shook him, but how he said it. It was as if a deep down in an unspeakable torment. It was so bad that even Ryo started to feel bad.
Not knowing why, Ranma gestured that it was all right. As Kuno passed out, it was Sasuke that tensed when Ranma made the gesture. Sasuke kept on staring at him until he just nodded.
Still puzzled, Ranma turned to the matter at hand as he thought, "This was the easy part, now came the hard part."
Author's note:
Surprising, is it not? Things are starting to come around as the events start to turn back to the beginning.
I really appreciate the trouble battle scenes make now.