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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here that belong to Ranma 1/2. The Ranma 1/2 cast belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Suikoden 3 or any other characters that I put into this story except for my own OCs. Neither do I own any of the character in any of the crossovers I do. I'm just using them in this fanfiction and I have no money so don't bother suing me. You'll just lose money instead of gaining any. And remember to leave a review!
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Chapter 37 – Death of a Child
The castle of Windia was unusually silent as a bleak dark cloud has cast its shadow over the residents of the castle. As news of what happen to the oldest of Ranma's daughters spread like wild fire throughout the city. The rumor mills of the city spread the story as the newspaper of Kidd and Author were trying to get all of the facts of the story. So far the two newsmongers hadn't been able to get an interview with either Ranma or Chris as both of them won't talk about it.
Ranma's been in his room holding, Iris close to him. Her sobs were muffled as she presses her tear stain face into his chest. Of all of the Flower inn girls she was taking this the hardest as, Reni was the closest one to her ages growing up on the island. Since she became her older sister she gotten closer to, Reni but now… It's bringing up so many bad memories of her past losing her mother and almost losing her papa. All she could do now was cry. Sakura and Koran have been supporting each other as well as, Kanna as she has been crying none stop since she found out what happened to Reni. Sumire buried herself in her work along with Lachette as neither has been good with dealing with lost. Maria is blaming herself for not being there when, Reni needed her and became detached from the others. Orihime has been in her room not wanting to see anyone after hearing the news.
Ranma's two older sisters are busy dealing with Yun hearing what happen to Reni. She had enjoyed being an aunt but with what happened to Reni… She has the power to see what maybe going to happen as Ranma has proved her wrong more then once but she felt useless as she didn't see this coming. Shabon who was with Reni at that time was with Nei as she was too weak to do anything. Melville and his group saw for the first time just because they thought of themselves as fighters they weren't at the same level of skill and power as the ones that took, Reni so easily. Lulu been in his room at Lake Castle that he shares with his mother Luce. He tried to save, Reni but he was too weak to save her. He has been training ever since Ranma came back as he wants to become a strong man as he is. But after Puppet took him down without even trying he knows that he isn't strong. He rested on his bed recovering from his wounds given to him by that girl Puppet as his mother look after him.
Emma and Wendy, Reni's two bodyguards had disgrace themselves as Chris had entrusted them with her own daughter to protect. They were hand pick by Chris herself out of all of the female knights for their skill with their weapons and how they got along with the other knights. As Chris needed people that are strong while being friendly too as they would be guarding a child. They were the best female knights that Chris could find to guard her most important thing to her, Reni her daughter and they failed. They couldn't protect her when an attack finally came. They have failed protecting her and they both knew that Chris's wrath once she snaps out of her shock, it will be severe.
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In Brass Castle –
"So when you got to the mine, Reni was already dead?" Salome asks Borus. They sat in the meeting room as once Salome heard what happened he wanted to learn everything that he could find out about what happened. The other knights were in the room as well.
"Yes by the time that we got there it was already too late," Borus muttered, "Those Skull-Gobs got in me and Ranma's way."
"The ones that took Reni according to the people that went to Ranma's world with him, they were the enforcers of Noclord," Roland said, "Those Skull-Gobs according to Watari are like those Lickers that Noclord created but there's a mixer of goblin in them as well. And the ones that were being led by Blight were Berserkers."
"If Fight didn't hold Blight off while we fought in the forest our losses would have been higher," Leo said as he's been doing weight training to make himself stronger. He still remembers when he had attack Ranma when they were marching towards the Great Hallow. He still couldn't believe that he held his axe like that with his fingers stopping him with just one hand. Since then he's been training hard to increase his strength as he still has the image that he's the strongest of all of the Zexen Knights, "Those Berserkers were insanely strong." He had taken one of those axes that some of them were using and he could barely hold it up.
"And the ones with those iron spike guns," Percival spoke up, "I'm guessing that those enforcers brought along some of the advance weapons from Ranma's world back with them. Which means the ones we fought could have just been a test run to see how they would do in real combat. And we saw the kind of damage that a single gun can do as we have seen with Maria."
"According to Ranma's ninjas they found out that Sasarai has been seen with a mask man now and then. It isn't the Mask Bishop but someone who wears a mask that's half black and half red. I'm guessing is that he's connected with these enforcers," Salome said,
"Whoever he is he has a lot of resources and backing not to mention that he seems to be paired up with Zomba creating more of those monsters of his."
"And he struck when Ranma just got back from his battle with Top, Fight's sister and we weren't expecting an attack so soon. Whoever he is one thing we know is that his schemes are well thought-out. They waited till one of Ranma's daughters weren't being heavily watch then strike while all of our attention was place elsewhere," Borus pointed out.
"All so that they could set that cruel trap on Chris," Leo said his eyes hardening.
"How could someone do something like that?" Percival said not hiding any disgust in his voice.
"So she's still in her room then," Roland asks.
"I go and see how she's doing," Salome said as he had gotten everything he needed to hear from Borus. He's been through this kind of thing before helping one of the soldiers with their lost. But this was the first time that he has to deal with a female knight with the lost of her child as most of the women who joined the Zexen Knights were childless and sought support from other women when they lose one of their children. And this was the first time that a female knight had lost her child because she was the one who killed their child.
In the other part of the castle Louis has been in his room still recovering from his wounds. He couldn't believe that he failed so badly like that. If he could had held off that girl, Puppet off, Reni could have gotten away instead off… He is the youngest son of seven of an aristocrat in Vinay del Zexay. His father was good friends with Wyatt Lightfellow, so he had known, Chris from an early age even if he can't remember most of it. He became an apprentice under Chris in the Zexen Knights when he joined. He then became the squire for the Six Mighty Knights; although most of them namely, Borus and Leo treated him like a plaything, finding it hilarious to get him drunk, and in other ways taking advantage of his naivety. But he works hard at becoming a knight. But now how could he become a knight letting the Captains daughter be taken like that…
"Lady Chris, I'm sorry," Louis whispered as he lay on his back on his bed.
In her room, Chris stood over a washstand continuously and repeatedly washing her hands. No matter how many times she washes she still can see that blood… Reni's blood covering her hands the very ones that want and took her life. The smell and the feel of the blood on her hands she couldn't get rid off. She had taken the life of her own daughter the one she always wanted to protect. And that wasn't the worse of it.
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In Windia –
Ranma kicks open his door as he carried the body of Reni into his room. Chris followed closely behind the pair her clothes still stain with blood. Her mind was still racing with what had happen little more then an hour ago. Once Ranma saw Reni laying in a pool of blood he pulled out his sword and cast the Healing Blade spell upon her. But all Reni did was open her eyes staring at nothing her mind was locked in a deep state of shock. He stared at her as he held, Reni's body close to his eyes telling Chris once they get back there was a lot that she needed to tell him. Borus was standing by Chris sides as the daze she was in broke. He needed to help her onto her feet as she seemed to have lost all feeling in her body.
The attacking forces were withdrawing as Ranma carrying Reni and Borus supporting Chris rush out of the mine. The others in the mine with them watch as those Skull-Gob's began climbing up the walls of the mine disappearing in tunnels and cracks in the walls. Then they saw the reason as Ranma ran by carrying Reni. Once outside Ranma hops on Milia dragon Thrash's back along with Chris as she needed to be there when Reni snaps out of her shock. Ranma shouted to the others their heading for Windia and for them to meet them there.
In the forest Blight was in a stalemate with Fight as she was fighting without her limiter and he was still in his human form. Then a horn blew echoing throughout the forest. Blight smirk at Tina before shoving her away and shouted for all of his forces to retreat for now. The Berserkers and Skull-Gobs grab what wounded they could carry running off into the woods. The Grassland forces were going after them when the ones that went ahead came riding through the woods shouting that all forces withdraw back to the bases. Fight felt that something wasn't right as she had the troops gathered their wounded and their dead form the forest floor. She also had some of the soldiers gather the weapons and armor from their enemies to learn what they are dealing with.
Placing Reni down upon the bed, Ranma began taking off her blood stain clothes leaving her only clan in her underwear. She was alive but she wouldn't react with anything as she just stared in front of her with unblinking eyes. Whatever happened to her caused her to lock herself inside of her mind.
"What happen?" Ranma said turning to Chris his voice full of heat, "I saw those dolls that look like Reni what happen in there?"
"A girl named Puppet went and created those puppets to mess with me. She made them out people their shells with muscles from humans to move them. Once, I discovered that the Reni doll wasn't real, I killed it as more of those things came out. Then that's when Puppet started speaking to me," Chris muttered, "They all sounded like Reni taunting me and screaming in hr voice as, I fought them. Then Puppet said that some of her dolls were… having Reni for lunch. When, I got to the back, I saw ten of them eating what's left of that child in the cave. I… thought that it was Reni and flew into a blind rage swinging at those dolls. Then one of them came out of a side tunnel and… (gulp) I… (gulp) stab Reni." Tears stream down Chris's face as the weight of what she has done fell on her, "I thought she was just a doll. I was set up so that, I would kill her myself. They plan everything just so, I would kill her."
Ranma eyes harden as his body trembled with inner rage. His knuckles turn white as his fingers dug into his palms in a closely tight fist, "Chris," Ranma growled in a voice showing his strain in controlling himself, "Go back to Brass Castle, I send for you once Reni wakes."
"I understand," Chris said as she turns to leave as she saw that look in his eyes when it wasn't time to talk him out of something. Leaving, Ranma alone in his room with his daughter sleeping a dreamless sleep.
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That happened nearly a week ago and Reni still hasn't awaken from the shock induce coma. Ranma still hasn't sent any word to her as she couldn't blame him. She's been in her room ever since then as she stood over the washstand trying to wash the blood covering her hands that only she could see. The other knights have been trying to snap her out of her shock state for days now. The ones that been doing the cheering up were the women of the castle since it was something that most of the men of the castle really didn't know how to handle something like this.
A knock on her door echoed loudly in the room as there was only the sound of splashing water as Chris continued to wash, "Lady Chris may, I come in?"
"Salome come in," Chris said grabbing a towel wiping her hands dry.
Salome entered the room and was taken aback at the state of the room. Clothes days old were left lying on the floor, the bed looks like a rats nest. The windows were closed as it reflected the person living inside of it. With no light, her skin had paled greatly as she hasn't left her room for a week. One would consider her to be an albino now as she was always had a pale skin but now it became even paler. Looking at her Salome saw that she was still wearing those clothes that were laid out from her seven days ago. The smell coming off of her and how she had let herself go like this her eyes and face had sulk as she hadn't been eating well ever since she came back here. The maids had told him that the meals they took to her room return with a full plate that was barely touch.
"Chris are you well?" Salome asks worried about her health and well being.
"How can, I be fine?" Chris moaned in a voice full of grief, "I went and kill Reni even if Ranma did go and brought her back, I still killed her."
"Lady it wasn't your fault," Salome stated firmly.
"I know but, I saw her face as she died the look of betray on her face as it was me. A woman that became her mother killed her without reason. And the look that Ranma gave me when, I told him," Chris look up at Salome with a sad smiled, she wasn't crying as there wasn't any tears left for her to shed, "And least, Ranma now has a firm reason to fulfill his promise in killing me."
Salome look at Chris in shock as his mind took everything in. Chris has given up hope as she doesn't know what will happen once Reni wakes up and sees the woman that killed her. Looking at her, he didn't know what to do as he just stared at his captain. He could only take her into his arms and hug her close to him, letting the tears shed from his as her eyes didn't have any tears left in them to shed anymore.
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In the forest area near Windia –
The air was cold as soldiers are training in the woods. Some of the archer units were being train in moving along the forest unseen in wooded area for surprise attacks. Tents were set up as the soldiers needed to learn all they can about hiding in the forest as they can while there was still time to train. The cooking fires spitted on green sticks and suspended over hot coals. Fresh meat from the nearby stockyard cook as groups of soldiers waited for their meals to roast. Around one campfire three old friends sat together in front of a fire in the first time in years.
"Jimba you need to talk to your daughter," Piccolo said as he seen the bonds between Ranma and Chris breaking, "She needs you now."
"I know but what can, I say to her?" Jimba ask.
"Tell her what she needs to do now," Geddoe said to him.
"Jimba you young fool," Piccolo said to him a hard glare, "Your daughter has just killed her own daughter, your granddaughter thanks to that trick they play on her. She needs support now. Ranma is torn between his love for her and for Reni and from what, I have seen he's holding everything back so that he won't let his rage take the better of him."
"I know," Jimba said as he remembers the last time he seen that look on Chris's face when he saw her following Ranma out of the mine holding Reni in his arms. That was the day that her mother had died.
"Then don't just stand here," Geddoe said firmly, "Go to her now."
The two watch as the only remaining member of the Fire Bringers left to reunite with his child. Piccolo turned to Geddoe, "So any word on who plan that trap?".
"No, none of my informants in the Harmonian camp have heard of anything of this trap. Which means that those enforcers of Noclord are working independently with the Harmonian forces."
"Zomba is behind those monsters that attack in the forest. But the one who's controlling everything… I have a feeling this is the only first of many such traps."
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In Windia –
Ranma stood by his bed watching Reni as she sleeps a dreamless sleep. Tuta told him that she was in deep shock. Mio and Kodachi been trying potions on her trying to get her to wake up even smelling salts but she remains in a state of shock. The other girls have been taking turns watching over Reni using their body warmth to keep her warm as she lay next to her. Currently, Shampoo is laying next to her hugging Reni's limp form to her furry body as Iris had cried herself to sleep next to her. Both Shampoo and Ranma heads lifted up as they felt someone appearing in the room. They relax their guard when they see it's just Lachette with that report on those monsters that had attack in the mine and the forest.
"So what has Kohron and her team found out on what we're up against?" Ranma asks as he turns to the newcomer.
Lachette nodded as she looks at the chipboard in her hand looking over the papers on it, "The armor and weapons that were recovered from what Mose can tell about the metal is that it's very well refine and of a high grade. The equipment is on the same level as ours in armor value as well as in offence capabilities. And also, Ranma if you saw the 'Lord of The Rings' movies the weapons and armor that they were using came right off of the movie."
"Yes, I'm well aware of that fact," Ranma said, "Anything else what about those Urukkins and those Skull-Goblins."
"What we got out from those surviving enemy troops that we captured they said that they were all born out of a birthing-pit of some kind. The Urukkins were the first ones to be created out of those pits," Lachette read off of the clipboard, "Their leader is a man that wears a mask that's half black and red all of the time, who calls himself Anarchy. He seems to be able to open portals to other worlds which would explain why their equipments are so advance like ours are."
"So this person can open portals like the Chaos Mirror can," Ranma said as he stared at Reni and Iris, "Anything else you manage to get out of them?"
"No anything else we ask we couldn't get them to talk. Their loyalty to him is too strong. The Urukkins won't give an inch no matter what we do to them and the Skull-Gobs can't talk at all," Lachette said as she saw what Watari and Ayame did to them to get them to talk.
"Then that means that whoever he is this Anarchy is either puts fear into them so much so that they fear what he would do to them if they talk or…"
"What Airen?" Shampoo asks from the bed.
"That he's worth the pain they have been through," Ranma stated.
"You mean a villain leader that's worth all the pain that Watari and Ayame put them through?" Lachette said as she never heard of a villain like that before.
"Shampoo heard stories like this in the 'Three Kingdom' era," the catgirl spoke up, "The lord Cao Cao of the Wei kingdom was a man that was worth dieing for even if he was totally ruthless."
"Which means if he is like, Cao Cao then it means trouble since he's was also a fighter as well as a leader," Ranma said eyes narrowing.
They all turned their attention as, Sasuke suddenly appeared in the room. "Ranma he's here the Gun Knight."
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In the streets of Windia –
Clive couldn't help but stared at the sights of the city as he walks along the sides of the streets keeping mostly out of sight. The streets were clearer then most cities this size as he could see people with brooms sweeping up the streets. He had taken a ship to the Grasslands since it was the fastest way to his destination without going through the Harmonia army camps.
He had docked into Vinay del Zexay the capital of the Zexen Federation gather information before leaving for Windia. He traveled for three days on the main road to the new city he heard about. The number of caravans, wagons, mules and other pack animals constantly increased as people took their produce to the ever hungry city. Farmers and traders were not the only users of the road. There were also a constantly growing number of people who were off to see the new city that said to appear out of thin air one day. According to what, Clive has heard from the Harmonian spies that manage to slip by the guards, was that the city what built by that huge giant that had fought against the master of the castle.
All these things made it easy for the travelers to tell that they were approaching a large city, but in the end they could smell the city well before they could see its scope and grandeur. The city of Windia straddled the intersection of a major trade route like an obese warthog wallowing in a river, and smelled almost as unpleasant. But to Clive surprises the smell coming from the city wasn't that bad as he was use to. It reminded him of the big cities of Harmonia where the sanitation codes for the city were heavily enforced.
Going down alleyways and the side streets, Clive headed down to the pub that reportedly from what he heard the gunwomen, Maria frequently went to. From what he heard about the pub it was fast becoming a place to go to as most of the people he saw on the road along the way here was going to the pub they heard so much about. The most popular restaurant/bar in Windia: The Wild Horse Delight!
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In the pub –
Anna had open up this pub along with Mamie and Orihime when they had first came into the newly built city. The two chiefs work the kitchen and restaurant area of the pub; their fine foods and dishes that made people come back for more. Anna meanwhile work the bar area serving drinks to the crowds. Their shops that they open in Lake Castle were still up and running being run by some of their workers.
Anna was serving a drink when she heard a fight breaking out. A group of four guys at a table were making a big racket when one of them grabbed a waitress passing by the table causing her to spill the tray she was carrying. She growled as she lashed out her foot kicking the guy who grabbed her in his jaw knocking him out of his chair. His friends got up pulling out knives when Kanna appeared behind two of them and crack their skulls together. The last guy fell in the heap as the waitress slam his fist into his nuts.
"Hey Kanna would you throw those pieces of trash out back would you?" Anna shouted across the room. She was glad that she gotten her waitresses to learn how to defend themselves from the likes of those guys.
"Sure," Kanna shouted as she grabs two of them dragging them out to the back. Two waitresses help her as they grab the other two.
A pair of fast-moving waitresses quickly cleaned the table and brought the tall redhead a pitcher of beer from the cellars after she had thrown those four guys out the back door. Anna wondered why she had let, Orihime talk her into making the uniforms that their staff wears look like something out of a dirty guys mind.
To start with from the bottom, they wore shoes with extremely high heels; two or three inches high. They wore no dress, but a tight fitting cloth that barely covered their breasts and privy members. The back of this skimpy garment had an absurd puff of fur, like a rabbit's tail. Their legs were covered with tight hose of a material suitable for netting small fish. There were bands of cloth at their necks and wrists suggestive of shackles and a strange sort of hat, reminiscent of a rabbit's ears. And that was all. Sure the outfits they wear give them better tips but perverts kept on coming onto them which all of the staff could handle as they know how to kick butt. She would never be caught wearing one of those outfits; well maybe if Ranma was involved. She could see it all now as she wore one of those outfits that was so skimpy that it would cause a nose bleed to anyone that saw her in it. She would be sitting on Ranma's lap while hand feeding him or serving him a drink and then she would spill some on her outfit 'forcing' her to take it off while she sat on Ranma's lap that would led to some interesting things they would do with each other…
Anna's wet-daydream ended as the guy she gave the drink to became cross-eyed and pass out. This new drink that Kanna came up with weren't for lightweights even for some heavyweight either. It had started when a batch of beer had gone bad. When she was about to dump it down the sewers, Kanna stop her as the barrel held more than six thousand gallons. She had Kohran make a still that she said that would have any moonshiner would be proud of.
With help from her staff they put forty gallons of bad beer into the boiler kettle and got a fire going under it. They fill a washtub around the condenser kettle with cool water and then they sat back to watch it work. By dark the level in the boiler had gone down about ten percent before Kanna said it was all they're gonna to get from that batch.
Sure enough, there were about four gallons of clear liquid in the bottom of the condenser. Kanna took a pitcher of it into the inn and told one of the cooks to put the rest into a barrel someplace. What was left in the boiler was fed to the pigs out in the back since it would just be a waste just to throw it all away.
Anna tried the drink and couldn't believe that people actually drink this stuff. Kanna said that it just needed to age for a couple of years before it turned into whiskey. Anna could drink it but after having one glass of it she didn't want to take another without having to show off to someone that she could. It took the cooks of the pub over a month to process the entire six-thousand gallons of bad beer. In the end, they had six-hundred gallons of what, Kanna called white lighting, which were stored in oak barrels in the pub's basement. Wan Fu, Joker, and Leo who all took part of the Heavy Drinker's Championship at Lake Castle which Anna beat all of them. They all took a drink of the stuff and were out cold which, Kanna and Anna laugh up a storm as they saw that they couldn't hold up their drinks. Rina tried some of it and said that the new drink is too strong for lightweights as it burn her when she took a drink.
Then she notice that there was a cloak man walking up to the counter. He seated himself in front of her, "So what you have?"
"Can you tell me where, I can find a woman name, Maria Tachibana?" the man asks. Anna's eyes narrowed as she stared at him. Clive caught her eye movement to someone in back of him.
The sound of a click echo as Maria step out of the shadows holding her gun aiming at him, "So you're the Gun-Knight, Clive leader of the Howling Voice Guild."
"So you're, Maria the gunwoman," Clive said as he couldn't move without her getting in a shot at him.
"Yes and unlike last time, I won't be a sitting target," Maria said as she tighten he finger on the trigger, "That sniper you sent might have gotten away but you're not gonna to finish the job." Clive eyes widen as he heard of rumors that someone tired to kill her but he didn't know it was one of his people one of the elders must haven sent someone to kill her behind his back.
"So what are you going to do?" Clive asks his voice not hinting to anything.
"Giving you the same chance as that sniper of yours gave me," Maria said as she pulled the trigger.
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In the plains of the Grasslands at the Greenhill boarder –
Teresa Wisemail rode in a carriage as the Greenhill army marching under the Zero Nation banner march towards the Grasslands. With her in the carriage are Apple and Nanami trading stories with each other. As always Shin stood close by watching over her. Klaus who Shu sent to lead the army rode ahead of the army as the other forces of Zero needed time to gather up.
"So what kind of man is this Ranma fellow?" Maximillian asks the two youngsters riding next to him.
"He's a man that does what needs to be done," Lexx said as he kept an eye on Hortez VII so that he doesn't get lost again.
"Ranma is a great friend to have," the lost boy of this world said. As most people never tried to be his friend as he keeps getting lost all of the time. But Ranma never minded in leading him around when he needed to go somewhere.
"Does he care about his men?" the aged knight asks.
"Yes that's why he fights so hard in battle as he wants to make sure that the people fighting for him won't die in a meaningless death. He seen to many people that go and send their troops to die in battle while themselves had never pick up a sword before," Hortez VII said.
"Reminds me of you and Rand during the wars," Maximillian said to Lexx.
"Except that, neither one of us didn't have hordes of women after us," Lexx said as he chuckled glad that Eilie was the only woman that fell for him in the army. Thinking about it his wife was from the Grasslands but they really didn't talk about their past much.
Rina who had become an ageless beauty like everyone thought she would become had told him some of their past. She had gotten her fortune telling talent from her mother even if they're not that good. Her and Eilie parents were killed by bandits when she was young, so Rina had to raise Eilie and thus she had become quite mature for her age at the time. She had been traveling with Eilie as an entertainer for years and met Bolgan at a circus in Zexen where she and Eilie were guest performers. Because Bolgan was treated so badly at that circus, she told him to escape, but Bolgan insisted on paying off his debts. After Bolgan paid off his debts years later, he joined them and they have been traveling together since. She joined the Zero Army by coincidence. First, they ended up traveling to Kyaro with him and Jowy Atriedes when the pair escaped from Viktor's mercenaries.
After that, they traveled to Highland through the Tenzen pass, but due to lack of business in Highland, they headed back towards South Window. At Coronet, her party got stuck due to Highland's ban on ships from leaving port. There she ran into him, Nanami, and Pilika obtaining a ride across Lake Dunan. They traveled together to South Window, but after South Window was also defeated by the Highland Army, she joined the Allied Army along with Eilie and Bolgan. She stayed at North Window, and was given the position of 'Royal Guard'. After the Zero Unification War they traveled around before years later they met up with hi, Jowy his wife Jillia and Nanamai traveling around and he still not sure how he and Eilie got married. Then they traveled to Milit Village, where they put on another performance. But during this they were swept up with a bandit raid by a group calling themselves the 'Keepers of the Flame', they helped defeat this group of frauds with the help of Camus and Miklotov who were revealed to be fakes using the legend for personal gain. (1)
"So where's that girl that Jowy adopted?" Max asks breaking Lexx out of his train of thought.
"Pilika is still in Harmonia," Lexx said as they had waved her goodbye when they traveled to the Grassland. She had saved Jowy from drowning after Jowy and he had leapt into the river off of Tenzan Pass. When Luca Blight attacked Toto, she was one of the few survivors, making her an orphan. When Luca attacked the fortress of Viktor's mercenaries, Pilika was almost killed by Luca Blight. She was saved, but the shock from that incident made her mute. Since then she was taken care of by Jowy, Nanami and himself until the fall of Muse. She was then taken care of by the newly formed Allied Zero Unification Army and stayed there until the peace conference that followed the death of Luca Blight. There she was used as a deterrent by Shu to protect him and Teresa Wisemail from being killed. Since then, Pilika was taken care of by Jowy and Jillia Blight. After the war, Jowy asked Jillia to take care of Pilika at a manor in Harmonia prepared by him.
"Kids grow up so fast," Max said as he remembers how Fred and Rico use to play together in the backyard in that little fort they made when they were younger. He also been seeing how Rico been staring at Fred as they gotten older he knew that look all too well.
"So what you're planning once we get to Windia?" Lexx asks him.
"Going to show you young whiper-snapers what a warrior like me has pick up over the years besides most knights don't get to my age without learning a thing or two."
"And that most never reach your age," Hortez VII said.
"That's the sad fact that all people who take up arms must live with," Max said as they rode onwards.
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Deep underground of Lake Castle –
The sound of shoveling dirt could be heard as a short person was busy at work making the tunnel that connected Lake Castle and Windia together bigger. Twaikin is a dwarf whose greatest joy comes from digging holes, and even uses his shovel as a weapon in combat. As years of digging in all kinds of soils have made his body very strong in fact he spent so much time in the dirt that he shaved his beard off something that's unheard of in the dwarf sociality. As it was just too much trouble cleaning it all of the time. If anybody wants him to dig a hole anywhere, for any reason, he will do it. He's been claiming to have dug a hole all the way to Toran, but nobody thinks that it's true.
He heard what happen to Ranma's daughter Reni. He knew lost as with most other dwarves he had a long lifespan as he was just in his mid-fifties as most dwarves live well into their hundreds as well as some that live to their two-hundreds. But losing a child especially their own child was always hard. He was lost in his work that he almost didn't spot a figure moving along the cave walls.
'Who's that?' Twaikin wondered to himself as he made his way after the figure. It was easy for him to follow without getting detected by the figure as he was in his element and all dwarves know how to get around underground. When he finally got a good look at him he saw it was Nash. He heard plenty about him from other dwarves as they had a network that supplies information about anyone worth mentioning to other dwarves. And he had gotten information about him when he had heard rumors about him.
Nash is the eldest son of the powerful and well-known Latkje family of Harmonian. As a first class citizen, Nash grew up surrounded by everything he needed, including the love of his parents and his sister, Julie. He also grew up with Lena Suphala, who is technically Nash's aunt, but is only three years older than him. The Latkje family had a very strict view on education and thus Nash was sent to the Howling Voice Guild for training on combat skills under the tutelage of Master Sauro.
After enduring two years of training that at times made him throw up blood, he gained great skill in combat as well as the knowledge of the secret of gunpowder. Which the dwarves had already figured how to make and used it to blast through solid rock while digging but kept that secret to themselves. With these skills, he entered the Temple Guards and mastered the use of his family heirloom--the Double Snake Sword, Grosser Fluss. Which Twaikin knew of as it was made by a dwarf weapon's smith and any weapon like the Grosser Fluss would be brag about to other dwarves. Since then misfortune struck the Latkje family when Nash's father and mother both died of a mysterious illness. The only good news after this was the engagement and marriage of his sister Yulie with her tutor, Zaj Quilos, an adopted son of the Quilos family. However, Nash discovered the true identity of Zaj after taking a tissue sample of his dead father to Master Sauro. His father was poisoned by a type of slow-acting poison only known to members of the Howling Voice Guild. Nash then discovered a squire class gunner called "Zaj of the Black Moon". On the night before his sister's wedding, Nash confronted Zaj about his true identity. Zaj at first acted as if he had no idea, but further probed he admitted that he gave the poison to Nash's parents. He regretted that his plans to take over the Latkje household didn't go as he has planned. Nash then saw a small pistol slide into Zaj's hand and whether it was reflex or anger--he drew Grosser Fluss and gave Zaj a mortal wound. After that, Nash fled Crystal Valley. Since then the Latkje family was virtually destroyed and Yulie was taken under the protection of a Harmonian high priest.
Nash then joined the Harmonian Southern Fringe Security Force at Kaleria. The H.S.F.S.F. was a place for similar people, most of them had no place to return to and all of them had some sort of skill that made them uniquely powerful special ops agents. Nash survived many missions within the H.S.F.S.F, but on one mission he was sent to Jowston to search for clues on True Runes. During this mission he learned that Zaj was still alive and was still trying to kill Nash. He ran into Zaj at Greenhill, where Nash was helping Teresa Wisemail fight against Highland. Nash then set on a return journey to Crystal Valley to fight with Zaj. After many problems, he finally returned to Crystal Valley and after a deadly duel, defeated Zaj. Lena Suphala asked Nash to stay, but Nash simply disappeared until he showed up here in the Grasslands. Somewhere in the next 15 years, he got married, but nobody knows who the lucky lady is as his wife really didn't want him to mention her name to other people. And because of her Nash continues to look so young.
In battle, Nash uses a wide arsenal of weapons. Nash is a psychological fighter who uses many tricks in battle to defeat his opponents. However, he also possesses inhuman fighting skills when wielding Grosser Fluss. He was able to fight with Seed and Culgan, both powerful Highland generals, at the same time using his sword. However, he prefers to use Grosser Fluss only when it is absolutely necessary due to a 'curse' on the sword which makes, Nash loses distinction between friend and foe. (2)
Twaikin saw him staring at something looking over where he was looking at saw that pet monster of Ranma's daughter, Kuriboh sitting near the underground pool that huge reptile Mr. Green Turtle made. He had to say that the reptile knew how to dig as his owner Kodachi told him when he asks her why her pet was digging was that gators regularly dug gator holes or caves. And the dwarf had to admit that he was a fast worker. He wondered what Nash was doing follow that monster around. That monster was more playful then dangerous as it was just a floating furball with arms and legs. Kuriboh seemed to be looking for something as it floated around the room. Then it spotted what it was looking for as it suddenly flew towards something at the end of the pool.
A small black haired child dress in a white robe was hugging her legs close to her chest. From the looks of things she's been crying for hours a wand lay next to her. It took Twaikin only a moment to recognize her as Little Viki who's been missing since Reni was taken.
"Kuriboh," she sniffed staring at the pet monster. It started cooing as it landed near her, "So you know who, I'm really am don't you." As she petted the monsters head Kuriboh turned towards something behind her.
"Ranma was looking for you earlier," Jeane said as she kneeled down next to the small child.
"I know but, I couldn't have help him, I wanted to but, I…" Viki broke down beginning crying again. The older woman grabbed her and hugs her to her statuesque body as she cried.
"I already know the reason," Jeane said in a calming voice stroking the girl's long hair back, "Why you couldn't change things as they played out."
"But now will he even want to have me after this auntie?" Little Viki cried into Jeane's chest.
"I know he will," as she continued to comfort the crying child.
Nash eyes widen as he realized who Little Viki really was all along as with Twaikin who creep back into the cave not wanting to be discovered. 'So it is possible to travel through time,' Nash thought to himself as he realized that Little Viki would know what was going to happen as she had grew up hearing stories, 'Better get word back to the boss.'
Nash started to walk back when he felt the press of cold metal on the back of his neck, 'No one can sneak up on me like this.' He looks back and saw Pesmerga holding his sword to the back of his neck.
"You're not going to be telling anyone anything spy," the Black Knight said coldly. (3)
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Next Time – Things come together as Maria and Clive fight. While Chris finds out what Ranma thinks of her now as well meets someone that she has thought dead for along time in 'Awaken.'
Author's Notes
1 – From the Suiko Gaiden game.
2 – SuikoGaiden Volume 1 and 2 which you play as Nash. But can only be brought in Japan no English version of the game.
3 – Don't you just love cliffhangers?
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