Disclaimer: I did not create Ranma 1/2, Dragonball Z, or anything belonging to them. Please have pity on this poor, poor lil’ beginning writer. *puppy-eyes*
Ranma 1/2 Z Neo: Part 13
(...) thoughts *...* actions ....^ author’s notes
The Powers That Be =.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=.^.=
*Just outside of a city, a city which holds a titanic battle, a being floats in the air. His green skin reflects the bright sunlight of the late morning, and his eyes behold flashing figures within the city, invisible to the eyes of a normal human. Fortunately for him, he is neither human nor normal. Piccolo watches the battle with surprisingly little emotion, considering its evident importance... and even more odd, considering the vast evil force he senses from his perch. He waits for the source of the evil to appear, but it does not reveal itself. It could be any one of the fighters, or perhaps, a fighter yet to show himself. Piccolo’s eyes narrow, as he studiously tries to figure out what is going on. He prays for the safety of the young warriors he barely had a chance to spar with, vibrantly hoping that they will be immune to the evil, whatever it is, when it reveals itself. He circles almost lazily to a better and closer viewpoint, all the while vowing not to interfere until he can work out what the evil is.*
*in the heat of the battle*
Ryouga: Come on, woman! You can do better than that!
Tempo: *growls* Shut up and stand still!
Ryouga: Not a chance! *he flaunts his speed and strength in her face, and it is all Tempo can do not lash out and debilitate him right there and then- the pressure points needed to paralyze a person are completely unguarded.*
Tempo: *kicks out instead, landing a solid yet ‘surprisingly’ light kick into his stomach* I’m just going easy on you, that’s all!
Ryouga: Try going a little less easy... I like a good fight! Or was that just a bluff?! (But I believe she can do better... this is like fighting Ranma! Why doesn’t she fight back???)
Tempo: *merely growls at him* (Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow! If this isn’t worth it, I’m coming after him and beating him back for this!!!)
*At Jet and Ranma’s battle*
Jet: *lightly knocking Ranma’s punch away* Hmmmm... That’s got about as much strength behind it as a baby’s punch!
Ranma: *dodging a roundhouse kick at his stomach* And that was as slow as as... well, I’d say molasses running uphill in January, but that would be insulting the molasses!
Jet Stream: Well, I didn’t know molasses hated being called blindingly fast.
Ranma: *chuckles* Compared to you, it is! *he dodges the retaliating blow* *saracstically* Oooh, I’m scared now!
Jet Stream: No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. If you’re going to practice begging for mercy, then do it right! More like *affects a panicky voice* ‘No, please don’t hurt me!!!’
Ranma: Ah, I see you’ve been expecting that you’d fight me. How long did it take you to master that?
Jet Stream: You misunderstand me. Out of sympathy, I listened to cries for mercy so that I wouldn’t let yours affect me too much, so that I could bring myself to swiftly end your pain.
Ranma: Hmmmm... You’re too wordy, you know?
Jet Stream: Hmmmm... This better? *thwacks a particularly savage blow at Ranma, who takes it in the shoulder.*
Ranma: Not bad. I think it sort of stings. *tries not to wince at the bruise*
Jet Stream: *catching the return blow on his forearm, it numbs briefly* Yes, same here.
Ranma: *looks around absently, almost negligently blocking the blows from his opponent* We’ve drifted quite far from the ship....
Jet: *also glancing around* True. Why don’t we drift back? I’d like to see how badly my comrades are beating your friends.
Ranma: Sure. I can’t wait to see the look on your face once you see ~your~ friends unconscious. *The two start drifting back in the general direction of Team Phalanx’s ship, still exchanging blows and words*
*Akane’s battle with Treble*
Akane: Urgh! *sweat trickles down her shirt* What’d you do, take six steroids every morning growing up?!?!
Treble: *smirking* Yeah, that’s it. Only, I didn’t eat steroids, I ate little girls like you.
Akane: *~looking~ at him* That’s sick, you know?
Treble: *smirks* I know. *Akane flits too and fro about him, feeling about to drop, though she till speaks. She is soaked with sweat, while Treble barely glistens in the warm day, as if it doesn’t bother him a bit. Suddenly, Akane feels her strength start to go out, as she passes the point of exhaustion. She jumps backward, out of Treble’s range, and concentrates*
Akane: yyyaaaAAAAHHHHH! *she powers up to Super Saiyajin* Alright, time to get serious! *the sudden surge of power revives her, and she feels as if she has just taken a nice cool shower and a long refreshing nap. Her hair peaks almost gracefully over her head. Her eyes glint with hidden power.*
Treble: Good, I was starting to get bored with warming up. *draws a bit of power to himself* This should do the trick. *restarts his attack*
*Like Ranma and Jet, Treble and Akane start heading back to the ship; however, their return journey is the mark of coincidence rather than purpose*
*Jet and Ranma’s fight*
Ranma: *pauses in his attack, catching Jet’s fist just as something catches his eye* Wait a sec, okay? I’ll be right back. *flies down to the ground as Jet watches, confused. Minutes later, Ranma emerges from the building he entered, tossing a small black box into the air and catching it again*
Jet: You done?
Ranma: *mumbles to himself* Now I see why Nabiki loves doing that so much... *fingers the yen in his pocket that he avoided paying the lone jewelry shop owner, having convinced the man that Ranma was doing the guy a favor by buying from him now, never mind that he paid only a hundredth of the typical price*
Jet: Hello? Anyone there?
Ranma: Yeah, yeah, I’m coming! (Sheesh. Some people are just ~so~ impatient.)
*The boys resume fighting*
Jet: So, what did you get? Your tombstone?
Ranma: No, but I should’ve gotten one for you... d’oh! How silly of me to forget.
Jet: Well then?
Ranma: None of your business. *inside his pocket, still in its case, is a lovely diamond ring, the diamond encircled by blazing rubies, all set in gold* Besides, why do you want to know?
Jet: *shrugs* Just curious.
*The boys come into sight of the ship. They can just see Treble fighting with Akane, and Tempo and Ryouga easily stand out against the solid grey-silver of the ship. Ranma notices instantly Akane’s struggle, while Jet’s eyes widen to behold his sister, loosing badly. Neither boy pays attention to the other as he rushes to help his respective cohort. Ranma’s hair blazes to gold as he jumps to help Akane, while Jet merely imposes himself between Tempo and Ryouga*
Ranma: *pulling her out of reach* Akane, are you okay?
Akane: Ranma! Let go! I’m fine!
Treble: *laughs nastily* Sure you are.
Akane: *glares at the overly large brute* Shut up. *turns to Ranma* I’m just a little bruised, that’s all. I can handle it.
Ranma: *is about to argue, but then sees something in her eyes* Sure?
Akane: Yes! Go back to your own fight!
Ranma: *backs away* Alright, then.
*other end of the ship*
Jet: *catching Ryouga’s arm* Tempo, what’s all this?!?!
Tempo: *tries desperately to think of someway to get Jet away* (I can’t let him beat up this guy after all that to make sure he’s still okay!) I’m fine! I’m... just a little out of breath, that’s all. I haven’t been training enough lately. Now let me get back to my fight.
Jet: *peering closely at his sister* You’re not sick, are you?
Tempo: *anxious, snaps at him* Do I look sick to you, mold-head!?
Jet: *Hearing her old, familiar jibe at his hair-color, he relaxes a bit* Not too sick, I suppose.
Tempo: Now let me fight my own battle! Go away!
Jet: *backs off* Sure, what ever. *flies back to where Ranma waits, halfway between Treble’s and Tempo’s battles* So they don’t want help.
Ranma: *lifts his shoulders in a sign of defeat* I’ll never get women.
Jet: Me neither. Now, then... *kicks out. Ranma, still in Supersiayjin, blocks his punches with unexpected strength. Surprised, Jet bounces back, and raises his own power level. Ryouga and Tempo, seeing their partners have all dispensed with the normal fighting, likewise power up. Suddenly, Ryouga’s eyes narrow dangerously. He charges her, and she jumps into the air, expecting him to follow. Instead, he touches the ground*
Ryouga: Bakusai tenketsu^!!! *rocks shower off the ground, distorting Tempo’s vision*
^Breaking point technique
Tempo: What is this? Ooomph! *She doesn’t see Ryouga’s charged uppercut, thanks to his smoke shield. She takes the blow to the chin, and flies high, catching herself before she starts to descend to the ground*
Ryouga: Ka... me.... ha... me... ha!!! *he opens fire at her body high in the air. Tempo, caught totally unaware, takes the brunt of the blast before she can retaliate. She does so with a vengeance, summoning her own wave of energy which not only battles Ryouga’s, but then negates his and blasts him. He remains unhurt, for neither blast was as strong as it could have been.*
Tempo: *pants briefly* You caught me by surprise!
Ryouga: *grins* I know.
Tempo: Good. *She draws one hand back over her head, as it stretching. Suddenly, the hand fills with light* Okibi hindama^!!!!!!!!!!! *She brings the hand forward, throwing the glowing ball at Ryouga. His eyes widen, and he brings his hands to his chest, cupping them*
^Blazing star
Ryouga: Shi shi Houdokan!!!! *he combats the energy blast with one of his own. Tempo falls back, and Ryouga rushes her* Hyaa! *He attempts to slam his knee into her gut, but she rises above his head, dancing out of range.*
Tempo: Too slow! *With the stakes so high, she realizes she can’t afford to just let Ryouga beat up on her. At their current power levels, it could kill her. She dodges around, starting to take the battle seriously. Jet, watching from his battle absently, sees this, and is reassured enough to return his attention back to his own fight. He takes a hint from his sister, and ups the ante*
Jet: *He skips back from Ranma and brings his hands even with his chest, palms flat.* Berugu momiau!!!!^ *He shoves his hands away from his body, sending a wall of energy flying at Ranma. Ranma, sensing more than seeing the attack, has only time to cross his arms to defend his face as the attack hits him. He braces himself, and pushes through it, his toughened body proving equal to the task he sets it to.*
^mountain push
Ranma: *as the wall passes, he immediately begins his own attack* Hiyruu Shouten Ha!!!!!!!!!! *Ranma’s practically patented water cyclone whips out. Both boys turn cold as the cyclone adsorbs Jet’s attack and becomes stronger; Ranma, having long since lost the need for an opponent’s energy to begin the vortex, has forgotten this little detail. Both are sucked into the twister. Seconds later, Jet hurtles a ki sphere into the bottom of the tornado, ending it. Jet and Ranma-onna^ land side by side.*
^female Ranma
Jet Stream: *looks at Ranma for a minute, then remembers Syme’s warning about the gender-switching ability of the boy* Don’t think I won’t hit a girl!
Ranma-chan: I didn’t do that on purpose! This, on the other hand... Tenshin Amigurikan! *her punches increase in pace*
Jet: Not bad. *While they fight, Akane keeps pace with Treble, on a level playing field again now that she’s Super Saiyajin. Sensing Ranma’s release of energy, she decides she’s also tired of being overwhelmed. She flies up into the air*
Akane: I wonder, can such a big bulk actually fly? (In the air, his size isn’t such an advantage. Add ki attacks, and we may be nearly even) *Treble also flies into the air, rising to her bait*
Treble: With a vengeance! Kyodai Kobushi!!!!^ *He uses his ki to reinforce and quicken his punch. Akane barely dodges, knowing that such a hit would be the end of the fight*
^Gigantic fist
Akane: I don’t ~think~ so!!! BAKYUUMU NO KEN-HA: SHANSUU!!!!^ *With a mere twist of her arms, the sideways twister bursts forth and steals the air from Treble. The blast that Akane punches into the center slams him head-on, knocking him head over feet*
^Vacuum fist: revised
Treble: *panting as he regains his breath* Why... You l-little... *his eyes blaze with anger as he gets his breath back. He flips backwards, and draws his hands together, interlocking his fingers at Akane* KYUUKYOKU HAMETSU BAKUHA!!!!^
^Final destruction blast
*Inside the ship*
*Ukyou squirms forward, hot and tired by now. The heat of the tunnels blinds her, and she finds it difficult to breath. Still, she continues on, to the sound of Trunks’s voice over the pendent*
Trunks: You ought be right at another intersection.
Ukyou: Yeah.
Trunks: Go left. *Ukyou does*
Ukyou: Ugh. Now it’s starting to stink in here, too.
Trunks: You’re right over the kitchen.
Ukyou: Whoever was last down there, they evidently cooked as bad as Akane does.
Trunks: *sensing Ukyou is trying to make light of her situation in order to keep on going* Ukyou...
Ukyou: Yes, Trunks?
Trunks: ... I’m sorry that I brought you into all this.
Ukyou: (I know he means all of us, but still... It’s nice to hear it) Thanks, Trunks. It’s okay.
Trunks: I’m the one that should be thanking you. Left again, by the way.
Ukyou: *smiles* It’s not so bad.
Trunks: *a brief pause* According to the map, you’re almost there.
Ukyou: How much further, exactly?
Trunks: About three feet.
Ukyou: *stops where she is* Trunks...
Trunks: What?
Ukyou: (Baka^....) Nothing. You just need to give me more warning.
^idiot/silly
Trunks: Oh. Sorry. Well are you there yet?
Ukyou: *feels around in front of her* Well...
*inside a small, pitch-black room*
Goku: Oooh, and Chichi’s lemon cake! That’s it, I’ll have her lemon cake first when we get out of here!
Goten: Dad, you’re making me hungry!
Vegita: *growls* Shut up, Kakaroto.
Gohan: Hey- what’s that?
Goku: What’s what, Gohan?
Gohan: I heard someone. Above us.
Vegita: You’re hearing things, boy. There’s nothing above us. Just a ceiling. And you know we can’t hear anything through that.
Goku: *listens hard* No, he’s right, Vegita. There’s someone up there.
Vegita: I told you to shut up, Kakaroto! I’m ashamed of you. A bunch of Saiyajin, and you’re hearing things.
Goten: Well, if that’s so, then I’m hearing things too.
Vegita: *is about to retort, but then he hears the scuffling, too. A mutter comes from seemingly the ceiling, but the warriors can’t tell in the darkness. A clatter sounds from above, and a foot lands on Vegita’s [broken] leg. His eyes widen in pain, but his pride enables him not to yell out. Instead, he tackles the foot, expecting it to be one of his captors. He yanks it sideways, out from under the person. A female yelp sounds, and a crash. Vegita travels his hand up her back and grabs her arm, twisting it behind her.*
Goku: *Finds he is the pillow of Vegita’s victim* Hey, who’re you?
???: Ow! Let me up! I’m here to help you people!
Vegita: *doesn’t let go* Prove it!
???: ‘Tousan^, let her go!
^Dad
Vegita: *hears Trunks’s voice* Trunks! Where are you?
Trunks: I’m over one of Mom’s radios. She’s telling the truth. She’s there to help you.
Vegita: *grudgingly lets go of Ukyou’s arm* Then hurry up and help.
Ukyou: *rubbing her arm* Sheesh. You really didn’t have to be so rough.
Vegita: *irked, he addresses her* I am Prince of the Saiyajin. I have been locked up these last seven days with these low-class dimwits, humiliated! I have every right to be rough!
Ukyou: *rolls her eyes. Luckily for her, it’s pitch black, so Vegita can’t see* Right. *takes out a small lamp from her shirt and turns it on. The tiny light brightens the whole room just enough so that the outlines of the inhabitants can be distinguished. Though the room is still dim, Ukyou has enough light to see what she’s doing*
Gohan: *sighs in relief* Ugh. That’s much better. *He looks up at their rescuer [now sitting up, in Goku’s lap], and sees a slim young man’s profile with long hair. Then he remembers his initial impression, and corrects himself: a slim woman with long hair. She stands up and stretches*
Ukyou: Ugh. You’re right. Those vents are much too narrow.
Vegita: Well, woman? What are you going to do?
Ukyou: *suppressing a surge of annoyance* This. *takes out the capsule box Trunks had given her, and takes one out.* Would you two scoot over? I’ll need someplace to put this down.
Gohan/Goku: Sure. *scoots over. Ukyou depresses the capsule and a stand pops up with medical supplies in the open space.*
Ukyou: Alright, who’s hurt the worst?
Goku: *looks around* I think Vegita is.
Vegita: Shut ~up~, Kakaroto.
Ukyou: *peers closely at the irate man* Ummm... No, I think you’re worse off.
Goku: No, not at all. Vegita definitely got the most beat up.
Vegita: *veins pop out on his head* Kakaroto, I warn you...
Ukyou: *sighs, knowing she’s defeated* Right. *takes out a bandage from the large kit beside her and approaches Vegita* I’ll take care of the broken leg first.
Vegita: *looks as if he’s about to argue, but then thinks better of it* Just be quick, woman. *looks away*
Ukyou: *quickly splints and wraps the leg, to Vegita’s great pain* Almost done.
Goku: Didn’t Trunks give you any senzu beans?
Ukyou: *pretending not to hear the hiss of pain from Vegita as she ties off the bandage* No, he said you were out.
Goku: Oh. *Ukyou finishes with the leg, and then starts on Vegita’s left arm. Apparently, it is much worse.*
Vegita: Don’t you know how to be gentle, woman?!?! I could do a better job than that!
Ukyou: My name’s not woman. And if you don’t stop complaining, then I’ll let you do a better job than me- on your own.
Vegita: *shuts up*
Trunks: *over the pendant* Well, what did you expect, ‘tousan?
Vegita: *warningly* Trunks...
Trunks: *shuts up*
Ukyou: *looks at Goten* Would you hand me a pair of scissors? *he does* Thanks. *Ukyou finishes treating Vegita [to a serenade of alternating icy silence and burning obscenities]. She then moves on to Goku, and treats each Saiyajin in turn, in the tiny room*
*Akane and Treble’s fight*
*Energy traces Treble’s arms from his shoulder to his fingers. His arms seem to glow, and his eyes shine eerily golden in reflection. The energy transverses to his fingertips. When it seems to have all collected there, he rips his hands apart, flinging the glowing sphere at Akane. She gasps in fright, then forces herself not to panic as the ball nears her. She draws upon the attack most natural to her to counter the destruction ball*
Akane: CHOUKYOSEI HANMAA UCHIKUDAKU!!!!^ *She takes out her mallet of ki and wallops the incoming attack like a baseball. It flies away into the air, harmlessly exploding in space^^*
^Super Hammer Smash
^^Well, harmlessly except for the small group of would-be invading aliens that it completely destroyed, not to mention all that space clutter that’s been piling up over the years
Treble: *staring at the petite girl, gasping from shock but quickly recovering* Not bad.
Akane: *finishes panting* Thanks. *jumps back out of the range of his punch* And no, you didn’t catch me off guard.
Treble: Well, one can always hope. *suffers a tap in the leg from Akane* I didn’t even feel that, shrimp. *distracted, he doesn’t see Akane start to twist her shoulders in a circular pattern*
Akane: Then how do you know that I did anything? *arms go out to her sides*
Treble: I sensed it. Not that there’s much of you to sense, though.
Akane: Really? Well, sense this! BAKYUUMU NO KEN-HA: SANSHUU^!!!! *her vacuum wave slams Treble, and she punches a blast of energy down the center, sending him once more tumbling away breathless* Yata. Don’t believe that actually worked twice!
^Vacuum wave: Revision
Treble: *Recovering* You little brat!!! *Starts punching at her angrily, sending her into a flurry of dodging.*
Akane: *sticks tongue out* Nyah-nyah! *jumps up to avoid a ferocious punch*
*Jet & Ranma’s battle*
Jet: *kicks out at Ranma-chan, who dodges in a blur of golden hair* You’re faster as a girl.
Ranma-chan: Yup. But either gender, I’m faster than you, so it doesn’t really matter. *viciously blocks Jet’s kick and ducks under his raised leg to throw him*
Jet: *catching himself* You really think so? *throws a roundhouse at Ranma. Ranma jumps backwards out of his reach and circles around Jet, getting back within range on the other side, while Jet spins around. Jet just manages to bend over backward under Ranma’s attack, and takes advantage of this position to drive his foot into Ranma’s gut. Ranma flies a few feet off the ground, and the powers herself to stay in the air, with Jet at just the right level for a roundhouse kick. She nails him in the jaw, and he falls back a bit before taking to the air to retaliate with a barrage of attacks, starting with an uppercut super-powered by his own rising body. Ranma-chan takes the hit, and spins a brief circle around Jet, dizzying him. She slams the fronts of his knees with her own, and lets his face meet her elbow. Annoyed, Jet takes the advantage by blasting a ki-blast into her face, making her back off enough for him to recover. Jet elbows her and concentrates* HANEKAERU HAPPA^!!! *A small, concentrate sphere of energy forms at his foot level, and he kicks it, like a soccer player scoring a goal*
^Ricochet blast
Ranma-chan: *Dodges the flying blast carefully. However, it hits a building behind her, and bounces off. She notices the returning blast too late to dodge, thanks to Jet’s physical attacks, and barely counters it as Jet flies out of the way. Ranma-chan ducks into the building damaged by Jet’s ricocheting blast, seeing something. Instants later, before Jet can follow her, a male Ranma emerges. The two continue fighting*
*Akane & Treble’s fight*
Akane: Outta my way! *She bats aside a flying brick that Treble has levitated at her, along with a hundred or so of others. She jumps high into the air to avoid the flying rubble. Treble also flies up. The two now face off on top of a large office building, abandoned and tall, right beside the spaceship. Treble continues to keep Akane on her fleeting toes, lashing at her with not only flying rubble, but also his fists. She feels no strain yet upon her endurance, but at this rate, she can only last so long. Treble has plenty of energy laid away beneath the surface to last a while, for Akane has yet to fully power up; he therefore decides not to bother to tap into his reserves more so than he already has.*
Treble: *Carefully studying his opponent as she flits around, he senses something odd* (She holds a latent power... what is it? It seems so hot. Does she even realize it is there?) *He growls, angered at this enigma. His anger drives him to drive Akane yet harder. She increases her jumping rate; any normal observer would see a large man with a golden halo around him, if anyone was brave enough to approach the fight. No one apparently is. Therefore, Akane’s dodging remains a defined figure moving around a big, ugly man. She ducks beneath punches powerful enough to shatter her if they were to land, and skims the ramming kicks capable of destroying whole mountain ranges at a time. Through all this, Akane keeps her cool.*
*Tempo & Ryouga’s fight*
Tempo: Hey! Pay attention! *Ryouga’s attention has once more wandered to trying to figure out where he is. Since he is still right in front of the spaceship, Tempo glares at him. She kicks into his stomach to get his attention. He retorts with a head-but, dizzying them both. Tempo clears through the stars quickly enough to jack her ankle into his armpit, flipping him sideways. He easily catches himself, and punches at her. She dodges, doing her best to stay defensive. Suddenly, all the dirt and debris around her rises, and she follows it to Treble’s battle with the other girl. She pays for this inattention by eating what dirt remains on the ground when Ryouga’s foot knocks her over*
Ryouga: You were saying? *Tempo rolls to avoid a stomp to the ribs. She blocks an attack aimed at her head, then an elbow at the gut. She catches Ryouga’s roundhouse kick on her shin. Ryouga levels a fist at her chest, but she blocks with her forearm, and ducks the follow-through. Ryouga’s fist gets tangled in her hair, and she delivers a quick uppercut (lightly) to his chin. He tries to yank his hand out of her locks, to her dismay*
Tempo: Yow!!! Ow! Itaiiiiiiii!!!!^ Stop that! *She carefully untangles his arm for him, in an attempt to spare herself more pain. Her bright eyes trace the inevitable path of this arm as it races at her, and then over her, as Ryouga instantly resumes the fight.* (Boy, he’s got a one-track mind, doesn’t he?)
^Ouch!!!
Ryouga: (She’s still not fighting back...) *Ryouga and Tempo fight diligently on the ground, opposed to Ranma’s and Akane’s battles. Tempo answers his punches only with blocks and the occasional replying punch. No longer does she pay attention to the rising dust, which joins Treble’s battle with Akane as he attempts to wear her out. He is starting to succeed, as Akane feels again a strain upon her endurance. Her body starts to burn once more with the return of exhaustion, and a trickle of sweat traces the small of her back before absorption into her light battle gi. Soon, it is joined by other beads of sweat. Akane ducks flying objects as well as flying punches, barely missing a concrete slab the size of her body. Treble sends these very awkward objects at her as accents to his slamming fist, hoping to distract the girl enough to land a punch. Both know one punch will essentially finish her resistance. Akane struggles to find an opportunity to attack. She lays occasional blows upon her antagonist. Treble barely bothers to notice. Akane senses the bigger man’s continuing endurance, and her own lack thereof. She faces her biggest challenge in realizing where the next attack will be, and what from: Treble, or his escort of flying objects? Akane’s brow wrinkles in concentration, and she briefly wishes that she could just incinerate the debris.*
*At the door of the ship*
*Observing the fight, Argos sees multiple instances of trouble all about him, most for Tempo. What confuses him, however, is the strange energy that crackles about him. It reflects, in a way, Tempo’s own: strange, mysterious, robust; it lances at him from each of the strangers and Tempo, each different yet alike. He was so greatly annoyed by Tempo’s mystery that he had built the walls of the ship to concentrate a person’s signature within an area, and so every blast fired within the ship rebounds harmlessly against the walls, and every presence inside the ship is deadened to a person in the next room. Now, with these four powers beating upon him, a strange desire steals into him. He puts it off; hunger is an instinct conquered easily enough with practice, no matter what type of hunger it is. Argos has had plenty of practice. His eyes trace his fighters’ battles, watching them innocently combat with the natives, believing it will glorify their race.*
Argos: (Fools. They are such willing puppets, following every order I give them. Someday I shall finally drain them, and return to myself. Such pathetic creatures....) *The man stands in the door of the ship, watching the fight. He decides to go outside to get a better view, and a balcony of light forms where the gangway once was. Argos steps onto it, and watches carefully. As he emerges from the partial shielding of the ship, his hunger increases tenfold. Little does he know he himself is observed.*
*High in the air, watching the battle also, a green figure studies the monster that steps out of the ship. Part of him having once been the King of the Demons, Piccolo understands at once the nature of this evil. His eyes widen in fear and realization as he recognizes the evil this thing is capable of. The great green amalgamation of Kami, Piccolo, and Nail grimaces in relief that neither he nor the Saiyajins have joined the fight. Energy and life drainers hold far more evil within them than even Piccolo Daimao had ever experienced. Only the Earthlings, with their changeling states of human to Saiyajin and back stand a chance against this creature.*
*Akane & Treble’s battle*
*Akane sees a motion in the corner of her eye coming from the spaceship. Her vision flits to it briefly, then returns to the task on hand: dodging Treble.*
Treble: KYODAI KOBUSHI^!!!!!!!! *A fist looms in her eyes, hurtling toward her face. Her inattention to the battle leaves her in dire straights. A fire of fear burns in her, untouched before. For the first time, she looses her cool. Fear seems to burst out around her*
^gigantic fist
Akane: *Reflexively, without thinking about what she’s doing, she draws back her arm, and summons the painlessly painful hot fear into her arm.* HOUOU SHOUNETSUJIGOKU!!!!!^ *She punches forward, flames outlining her arm and swirling around her fist. Her hand collides with Treble’s, and a phoenix forms from the flames, engulfing the collision of fists. It then disperses in a supernova, making the air boom with the sudden heat. Ranma looks up from his battle with Jet Stream; the crack of thunder and the sky turning red distract both boys. Ranma feels a burst of triumph at the return of Akane’s powers; Jet tastes a hint of fear. Ryouga and Tempo watch, both stunned, at the explosion. They both share Ranma’s feeling of elation, though Tempo can not understand why she should be so happy. The air suddenly clears, and Akane stands alone atop the building, swaying a little on her feet from using a power so deeply hidden for so long. She knows she put too much energy into that counter; she is now worn out. Akane slowly regains her head, watching all the while for Treble to return. He does not fail her. Minutes later, he emerges from far away, practically steaming with hateful energy. His fist is severely burned, yet he barely notices, so great is his anger.*
^Phoenix inferno
Treble: *The air around him radiates with angry frustration* Now you die, girl!!!
Ranma: *still watching from far off* Akane...
Jet Stream: *Shaking off the cold grip of fear, and disliking the taste very much, he decides to take it out on Ranma-chan* Pay attention to ~this~ fight!!! *Swings a punch at Ranma, and spirals yet higher into the air. Ranma follows*
Tempo: *shivering, despite the now-warm air* Right.
Ryouga: *Upon hearing Tempo’s words, he returns to her* Uh, yeah. *The two continue their battle. They soon become absorbed in it, their attention strung between the flying fists and feet. Tempo ducks under Ryouga’s high kick. Ryouga attempts to follow through with a low kick, but Tempo catches his foot and swings him around to throw him. He has plenty of time to catch himself, and so he does. He whips out a bandana and frisbees it at Tempo. She jumps out of the way, then jumps again as his fist follows the flying bandana. He pulls off seven more bandanas. Tempo idly wonders how many he wears, all the while staying just a step ahead of Ryouga. She catches one and throws it back, reinforcing it with ki as she senses him doing. The boy draws out a humongous umbrella and deflects the bandana. Tempo draws a little more power into herself. The rate of the fight triples with Ryouga’s addition of using hammerspace.*
*Piccolo watches the scene from high above. Ranma and Jet Stream perform a ballet in the air, dancing above the others. Akane and Treble clumsily clash upon the rooftops of high office buildings. Ryouga and Tempo race along the ground. *
Piccolo: (I sense a balance among the young warriors. They move together, flowing in their battles. The only mar to the picture is that hulking ogre, who seems so out of place, and that feeling of something missing... Any minute now, the cracks in the pattern of the fight shall either be expanded or obliterated. I just wonder which... and which would be for the ultimate better... It all lays on the shoulder of the girl, Akane.) *Piccolo’s reflections mirror the battle, for Akane’s fight with Treble is the only fight that seems clumsy. The giant’s size and Akane’s petite-ness create an almost comic picture. It is surely this battle that will determine the day*
*Akane & Treble’s battle*
Akane: Uhh- *She groans a little as she jumps back, very winded since her fiery regaining of her phoenix powers. Luckily for her, her attack had incinerated the debris surrounding her. *
Treble: Tired, little girl? *he keeps her moving. Akane’s resistance begins to wear down, and her vision grows fuzzy around the edges. It clears up again, but too late to dodge the foot in her side. She tumbles across the roof, catching multiple bruises all along her sides. She flies through the air and stops as she crashes against the side of a building, then starts to fall. Treble flies up. Realizing what he’s about to do, Akane crosses her arms in front of her stomach in an attempt to protect herself. Treble rams his knee into her arms, opening her belly for attack, and kicks upward again, sending Akane flying back into the air. This time, she regains enough control to land herself on a building. Treble appears beside her. His fist crashes into her stomach with enough power to shatter mountains. Akane has only enough time to feel her cranberry juice breakfast rise up before she falls unconscious.
*Above*
*Ranma fights ferociously with Jet Stream. He hasn’t the time to spare a glance at Akane’s fight; he is easily matching Jet, but a moment’s inattention would destroy that. He swings to block Jet’s flailing attack, and answers with a savage shove of his own. Jet Stream punches at Ranma’s neck, and Ranma ducks, kicking Jet in the stomach. Jet looses his breath, but spins out of reach before Ranma can continue the attack. Ranma follows through with a punch to Jet’s shoulder, but misses as Jet moves out of the way. Jet dodges his next punch also, then dives in toward Ranma with a punch of his own. Ranma leans to one side, and Jet goes beyond him. Ranma turns, following Jet’s motion. He slams his fist into Jet’s head as the other boy rises upwards with an uppercut, sending him back down. With Jet out of his line of sight, Ranma catches his first glimpse of Akane’s battle since her phoenix punch. His eyes fill with horror as he witnesses a fist to her stomach.*
Ranma: *As she coughs up something red, then collapses* A-Akane... *Anger clouds his vision. He does not notice the dust swirling up from the ground, nor the clouds drawing inwards at his anger at the one who dared do such a thing to his fiance. His mind draws one conclusion about the red trickle running down her otherwise serene face, the only conclusion most people would reach. He feels a grief so strong that it seems tangible to Jet Stream, who backs away from his opponent holding so much raging power. Ranma swears vengeance on the man who has, to his eyes, murdered Akane*
*Ryouga starts at the sudden increase of power around him. He and Tempo both abandon their fight and look up to the skies, searching for the source of power. His eyes behold Ranma blazing in the sky, with Jet cowering in the background. Ranma stares at something upon a rooftop, but Ryouga can’t see Akane lying prone on the rooftop; at street level, she is blocked by the building. Ryouga watches in amazement as Ranma’s energy increases exponentially, growing at an amazing rate. Behind him, a watery dragon steams, painting the sky blue. Ranma’s hair grows yet more golden, and his eyes turn completely green, as he ascends to Super Saiyajin 2.*
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Author’s notes:
This was probably the hardest chapter to write so far, so I hope you enjoy it! Sorry it took so long, but like I just said... Anyway, no more “tune in next times”, ‘cause I don’t want to give anything away before it happens. Well, I guess there’s not that much to say, then... I hope you’ve enjoyed the fanfic so far. Hard to believe it’s come so far, since I first asked Tony if I could make a continuation... *nostalgia* Alright, alright, I’ll get going now. Send all C&C to Fanime_Lynn@hotmail.com and remember this: getting feedback makes me more inspired to write! =^] (That also applies to most of the writers I know, too!!!) Well, gotta go, so ‘Bye for now! --Fanime Lynn