A New Challenge

- Chiba Hiro

(I do not own Ranma ½ or any of its content. All of it belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, and other creators of the series.)

... ... ...

Chapter 14: Initial Meeting

… … …

Ranma bolted down the path indicated by Shiru after he was given crucial information on the whereabouts of his master. So many puzzling thoughts clouded his mind as he ran under pressure. Who was Hikari? What did he want? Is he someone he knows? If so, how does he know Ranma?

"There's no time to consider questionsto ask this guy. I have to know how Ryoga and Mousse are doing!" Ranma put an end to the overwhelming thoughts that clouded his mind.

Ranma came to a corridor that led to a fork, and there were three paths to choose from. I was told to go straight once I hit this corridor, but what if it was a trap? Ranma thought.

"There's only one way to find out if it really is a trap." Ranma said out loud, and concentrated on the paths that lay ahead. He closed his eyes and scanned the three pathways for any signs of traps, and sure enough…

"They're all fully loaded with traps, but the one on the right looks promising. I know he said to keep going straight, but I'm gonna have to go through the one that's the most booby-trapped. After all, if they have something to hide, it's natural that they filled one with more traps than the other two. Alright, Saotome, now's your chance to decide." Ranma said to himself.

He closed his eyes under pressure, and bolted down the right pathway, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

Ranma is a skilled martial artist, and he was trained in the art of sensing where traps lay, and where they can be activated. He quickly put this skill to good use, and scanned the areas around him, never leaving an area unchecked. For a tiny mistake on his part could mean a fatal one.

"Alright, so far so good. I haven't sensed any real trap. There are just normal traps like spikes, trapdoors, spears, and projectile weapons upon contact, there's nothing to worry about." Ranma said.

He spoke too soon. He was so busy talking to himself that he failed to detect a button that he clicked and pressed in with his foot as he ran. His foot left a depression, and immediately, the ground below him erupted with water, like geysers.

He was splashed with the cold water, and transformed into his redheaded female form. But, that was not the end of it, geysers erupted from the ground within a hundred meters from her position, and she was stuck in the middle of it.

"Damn it all! Why'd it have to be water?" she cursed. Filled with rage for her own carelessness, she dashed forward, avoiding all the geysers as she did. Even though she was careful enough not to get hit again, she caused another depression with her foot, and pressed it in.

"Great, what trap is it this time?" she asked herself. Glint. Ranma heard it, and dodged the speeding arrowhead that came from behind. Too easy, she thought. But, she thought too early again, and a dozen more arrowheads came from the same direction and aimed for the vital parts of her body.

Remember the training, avoid getting hit in the vital parts, knock out the rest, she thought, and ran forward, away from the arrowheads.

The first three arrowheads aimed at her back, and she dodged each of them by moving to the side, and they hit the wall instead of her. The next four came, two aimed for the back of her neck, and the middle of her shoulder blades. She turned around in response to that, and dodged caught the ones aiming for her neck, and spun out of the other two arrowhead's path.

Next came five that aimed for her arm, leg, midsection, and neck. She armed herself and used the two spearheads to knock out the ones that aimed for her arm and leg, then dodged the ones targeting her chest and neck.

"Is that the best they can do?" Ranma challenged, and walked forward with an air of confidence, but failed again to realize that she activated yet another trap.

She looked around her, and then the sides of the walls seemed to grow closer to her. Wait a minute, they don't look like they're moving toward me, they are moving toward me, and they're about to crush me if I don't move out of the way! She thought.

With all the strength her legs could endure, she sprinted down the pathway with her lightning speed, and avoiding activating the other traps that lay ahead. Suddenly, the way cleared and a light showed at the end of the path. That looks like an exit, maybe I did choose the right path after all, she thought. Then the exit's walls started closing in, and she looked like she wasn't going to make it through alive.

Oh no, the exit's closing, and I'm gonna get crushed if I don't get out of here fast! She thought fiercely. Then an idea sprang into her mind and she gathered her ki energy into her hand. I hope this works in delaying the closing, she thought. She focused and released the ki energy in a blast at the exit, and managed to destroy a good chunk of the closing sides.

After that, she raced out of it, and the walls closed behind her, closing the path she came through. Looks like I won't be able to go back the way I came from, she thought. She paused to gather her breath, and take in the scenery. It was not what she was expecting. Moonlight shown through giant holes in the ground (or ceiling from her position).

It's already nighttime, I spent so much time down here that it means I won't get a break. She managed to yawn, and decided against getting some rest right then and there. This is no time to be dozing off! I'm here to defeat the master of the plan, and rescue Ryoga and Mousse! She thought. I'm not doing this for their sake, what would Akane and the others think if I just left them to die? No, it wouldn't be honorable. Besides, if I was in their position right now, they'd probably do the same thing as I would do, go to the rescue.

"Now, where should I go? Damn it, Shiru never told me where to go to if I reached this point. But, he thought he was going to trick me, and told me to go straight, when in reality, I had to go right. The best strategy to use in that situation is never take the straight path." Ranma marveled at his insight, and kept moving ahead.

I guess I'm gonna have to navigate on my own this time, she thought. The moonlight showed in bright pillars, and it made it easier to keep everything in sight. So far so good, I must be going down the right path, she thought.

Along the ground, she noticed that there were three large springs. I guess Hikari must be fond of swimming in the moonlight. These springs must be here for a reason, she thought. Looking at the ground, a frog jumped into one of the three springs, and a light sprang from it, blinding Ranma for a moment.

Ranma managed to clear her vision at this point, and a dog came out of the water in the frog's place.

"It's a cursed spring! But, what's it doing way down here? Unless, this place is somehow connected to Jusenkyo, and there's an underground network of cursed springs!" Ranma rationalized.

She went a little further, and that confirmed her theory, there was a network of springs ahead, and she had to be careful not to activate their curses. This must be a form of traps, and one wrong move down here means that I might mix with that curse, she thought. She moved down the path with extreme caution, and found it to be weird that she was tiptoeing to get through the network.

Ah, what am I thinking? I don't have to be that cautious, now do I? She thought. Suddenly, at that moment a duck came quacking in a peculiar way, and it flew to her feet, and even weirder, it hugged her ankles in the least animalistic way.

"Hey, what are you doing, stupid duck?" Ranma asked, and the duck quacked a storm in response. "Hey, calm down, stupid duck! Quit quacking so much, I can't understand a quack you're quacking." Ranma stopped the duck, and the duck developed a tick mark on its head. In anger, the duck threw chains at Ranma, and wrapped around her legs and arms, and she fell to the ground, completely at the mercy at the mysterious duck.

"Let me go, stupid duck! I have to rescue my friends! I don't have time to quack around with you!" Ranma shouted. The duck waltzed up to her, and slapped her repeatedly with the back of its wings, and quacked some more.

"Wait a minute. A duck that can use chains, and looks as if it's as blind as a bat? I get it! You're Mousse, and you escaped, didn't you!" she exclaimed, and the duck rushed to cover her mouth with his wings.

Quack! That translated into: "I'm Mousse, and don't say that! Then they'll know for sure that I escaped by switching places with a random duck!"

Ranma read the picture clearly, and nodded her head. Mousse the duck let her breathe, and he sat next to her.

"Okay, I understand now. Where is Ryoga?" Ranma asked.

Mousse the duck shook his head, and quacked a sour note. It could only mean: "I don't know. I wasn't with him at the time that I escaped, and he could still be back there somewhere."

"You don't know? Okay, take me to where you were captured, then I'll catch us a clue as to where Ryoga is, and if I'm lucky, I'll miss Hikari completely and get you guys out of here." She said.

Quack? Quack! That translates to: "You want me go back there? It was like hell! No thanks, you're on your own, Ranma!"

"Look, if you don't help me, I'll make you into duck stew! We all got into this mess together, and I'm pulling us out together! You got that?" Ranma threatened.

Mousse the duck sighed as best a duck could, and it flew down the path. Ranma followed after him, and wearied for any sign of danger.

… … …

Ranma followed Mousse the duck for some time before he landed on the ground, and looked up at Ranma. She stopped and looked back at him, puzzled. Why are we stopping, she thought first.

"Um, Mousse, is there any reason we should be stopping? I don't see a way to our friend, and it looks like we stopped in the middle of a very crucial rescue mission. So if you don't mind, keep going!" Ranma urged Mousse the duck, but Mousse turned around, and flew up a hole in the ceiling.

"It must be way in." Ranma said to herself, and followed after Mousse with her incredible agility.

Mousse landed on a second level, and Ranma followed after. Mousse indicated with his wing to the path that lay ahead, and this time, Ranma got the picture. I think I can get there on my own, she thought.

"Alright, Mousse, if you wanna bail on me, you can. I'm getting Ryoga out, so I'll be fine on my own. You're free to go." She said, and ran ahead of the duck.

Filled with determination, bailing on someone was not in Mousse's code of martial honor, nor giving up, so he followed after her, and flew like a dart.

… … …

Ranma ran toward an exit, and it was revealed to be a very large dueling platform with a giant throne-like chair in the back, and moonlight hitting the center. Ranma was taking the large platform into view, and she marveled at the scenery. This is just perfect, she thought.

Then, squealing was heard, and she turned to find Ryoga the pig, or P-chan, in a small cage to the right. Without thinking, she ran to Ryoga's cage, and prepared to break Ryoga free.

"I'm here to rescue you." She said, and prepared to fire her chestnut fist technique, but she was interrupted in mid-strike by a voice.

"Oh, but not until we have our duel." It said, and Ranma turned to face the source. The voice came from the throne, and it was coming a small figure dressed in a beige cloak, cowl pulled up over its head so that the shadows concealed all of its features, but the voice was definitely male.

"Hello, Ranma Saotome. We finally meet, face to face. I am Hikari."

… … …

A/N: Here we are at last, the launching of the final challenge for Ranma. Is this his last duel, and will he rescue Ryoga, alive? The master of the plan has finally met Ranma, and the duel to decide their fate has come. Please rate, comment, review, subscribe, and I'll update as soon as possible! Thank you!