In Fey Castle, where once a blank wall of stone had stood, a door now opened. A large panda bounced in, rebounding off the far wall to roll a few feet before finally stopping, and sitting up. This earned surprised stares from the guards at the end of the hall, but they were not particularly worried. Being in the household of two of the world's foremost magic users inured you a bit to their vagaries.
They had somewhat more difficulty controlling their hormones, though, when Xian Pu _bounced_ through, certain portions of her anatomy moving in enticing ways, followed by an achingly beautiful fire-haired girl with a luscious figure, and a brunette with long hair and a shapely figure. They were followed by a young man carrying a wooden umbrella, wearing a yellow and black bandanna, a clothing affectation they had never seen before, and a young man in white robes. Their concern and anxiety were beginning to rise, as they considered the size of the invading group, until finally, a third young man entered, shutting the door behind him. Lord Fey had returned.
"Ah, good," he said, "The sleeping hall, exactly where I wanted to be." He jogged swiftly towards the guards, stopping just before reaching them, giving them a quick salute, which they returned smartly, before snapping open a door and looking in. "Ah, Genma-san. Your room is here."
Genma had followed him, but took a bit longer than Ranma had to get there. He looked in, and stopped in awe. The room was huge, the bed was huge, and there was a furo off to the side. His own private furo, that he could soak in as long as he wanted. And a dumbwaiter! It must lead to the kitchens. The others laughed to see Genma capering about, clearly thinking he was in heaven.
"We'll eat supper at around seven, Genma-san," Ranma said, then turned to lead the others away, closing the door behind him.
Genma was immediately subdued. The honorific and the name... they hurt. Why couldn't the boy just call him Oyaji again? Even 'Old Man' was better than Genma-san, as if he were an unrelated man. But Genma knew why. It would be that way, until Genma gave Ranma a reason to respect him again. Genma sighed, as he wondered how he could do that. It was clear to him now that he had no hope of forcing this dynamic and self-possessed young lord do his father's will because he was his father. Ranma no longer recognized the relationship. Family honor would not be a strong lever, for the boy could just drop Saotome, and become Ranma Fey, any time he liked. He was a Lord here, a Duke or something, Genma wasn't real clear on what. He didn't need the Saotome name. Perhaps he could use the need for Master Happosai's approval before the boy could teach... but he didn't want anything to do with the Master. He couldn't use Ranko, he had learned, for her reactions to his engagement of Ranma and Ucchan had gone beyond even Ranma's threats. "Oh, Tendou-san, I am so sorry. My promise will mean nothing, for I have lost my son," he wailed after Ranma shut the door, and left him alone in the room. Alone with his grief, and his failure... which lasted for about five minutes, until he looked about himself, and realized that he didn't really need the Tendo agreement any longer. All he had to do was get Ranma to at least tolerate him, and he could retire here, and live in the lap of luxury far beyond what he would have had at the Tendo's.
Ranma showed Ukyou, Ryouga and Mousse to their rooms, pointed out Xian Pu's room to her, then guided her to the exercise hall. She oohed and aahed with delight at the marvelous equipment. In one corner, innumerable bars, just the length of the foot's width, hung in the air, suspended by nothing. Ranma gave her a short demonstration of the Anything Goes aerial style, and how to use the bars. She found it exhilarating, though doing it herself wasn't quite as fulfilling as watching him do it.
He left her then, there in her private heaven, and went to collect Ranko. This would be his first chance to speak with her alone. She looked up at him.
"Will you give me my body, now?" she asked softly. She felt she already knew the answer. The trading of flutes had implied it. But it was hard for her to accept the implications.
"You already have it, Ranko-chan. I will keep this one."
"But... but... this is your body. Yours! You're the real Ranma. I'm the one that's not real." She started sobbing.
Ranma soothed her, stroking her hair. "Shhhh, Ranko, its okay. You are real. You are me. You are as real as I am, and I love you. And I have another gift for you. If I'm going to let you be out, always, then its only right that Neko should be freed of me too."
Ranko sobbed again, "I don't want to be free of you. I am you. Don't leave me alone. Please." She finally allowed herself to speak her true fear. He had gone beyond the need for her... he no longer even needed a body. Was she losing him?
[You're not free of me Ranko. Not like that. We are all still one. This is only on the outside. Our house is still there, we can all still go there, and be together. No matter how far away you are, I will always be there with you.]
[Oh, Ranma, thank you. Thank you so much. I love you.]
[I love you too, Red.]
She laughed into his shirt.
Ranma gently pulled away from Ranko, caught her attention, then reached inside himself, and pulled from within his chest a huge black panther, who dropped panting to the floor. Ranko looked at it with wide eyes, then wispered, "Neko? Neko, is that you?" and laughed joyously as Neko padded up to her and rubbed against her legs, purring loudly.
Together, the three crossed a courtyard to a free standing building, built in the style of a mausoleum. Inside, they went down a spiral flight of steps, stopping when they came to an immense wall of stone. Ranma chanted something in a strange tongue, then rapped on the wall, and a doorway appeared in it. They walked through, into an elaborately tiled room, centered around a raised basin, in which floated the Lady Alana, submerged in golden light.
Ranma explained quietly to Ranko what they had to do. He watched her in his mind, and waited as she sank into the meditative state, and examined the chains. As she began to describe them, he followed her in, and in their minds, they pictured what they saw, and looked, each, at the other's picture. To their joy, they saw that what Ranko was seeing was different from what Ranma saw. Ranko had been right, and they would be able to free Alana!
Even more delightful, there was already some overlap. Ranko could see the masculine strands, though but faintly. Ranma could see the feminine strands, though still faintly. Together, they reached out, and brushing lightly with their ki, they watched in wonder as the first knots fell apart. Working together, they moved eagerly from knot to knot, and as they did, the dragon in Alana's ki writhed, and seemed to tense with eagerness, shifting between a motionless patience, and a twisting fury. Finally, they severed the last bond, and the bonds that held the Dragon in chains fell, and the bonds that tied the Lady to Ranma fell with them. They arose from their meditation, and watched the Lady, as Neko flowed between them.
Ranko cried out in joy, as Alana rose from the water, and flowed from the form of a mature woman, into the long sinous coils of an ancient dragon, her coils slithering across one another as she floated in the air before them, face inscrutable but wise, eyes with depths upon depths, flame curling from the edges of her mouth.
Ranma and Ranko stood before her, silent and waiting. They had both accepted that if the Lady chose to take their lives in retaliation for her years of bondage, they would not resist. The only sign of the fear they held within, was Ranko's hand, seeking for Ranma's, and grasping it tightly, as Neko's purrs rose from beneath them.
Finally the Lady spoke, in her own voice, free of bondage, and awesome as the heavens. "You surpassed me in wisdom, child. I thought that only be becoming one again could you be whole and free me. You have become three now, and yet are more whole than when you were one. And now I find that though you have freed me from the bonds Fey laid upon me through his treachery and deceit, yet I am not free from my bonds."
Ranko burst into tears, and put her face in her hands. Ranma spoke calmly. "Lady, it worked, I know it did, We sundered the bonds, we found every knot. They are gone, there are no more!"
The Lady spoke again, and Ranma fell silent. "Yes Child, it worked. As I said, the bonds that Fey laid upon me are gone. But the bond of love for you that I have laid upon myself is as strong as ever. The love of a proud mother for her children, grown strong, for whom she need fear nothing. Will you accept my love, children? Will you be my children?"
Ranma and Ranko looked at each other. [We're not giving up on Mother, Red. We're just getting another Mother. Think you can deal with that?] He did not seem to notice, or perhaps simply understood and accepted, her tears.
[Baka,] she replied gently, [If you can, I can. I am you.]
They knelt before her, and Neko lay still. "Mother," they said together, as they looked up at her, beauty incarnate before them, "we are your children." Their voices sounded as one voice, every note and inflection identical, matching in every way except pitch. Ranma's eyes were clear, but Ranko's overflowed with tears of joy.
"Well said, my children. If my children you would be, then my blood must mingle with yours." So saying, she became a woman again, though now her true beauty shone through like a beacon. She stepped forward. "Draw your sword, Ranma Fey, and let our blood become as one." She took his sword, and cut his arm, and hers, and pressed the wounds together. He felt the shock of her blood entering his, and it spread like liquid fire through him. Ranko stared in awe, as he glowed golden, then gasped as the golden glow flowed on, filling her and Neko as well. It soared through her, burning away her tears, and she felt the fire in her veins, and smiled in delight and happiness as Neko roared.
They mounted the steps slowly. The glow had faded, leaving them feeling rather weak, and yet paradoxically, immensely strong. Though the glow was gone, still their skin seemed to hold a golden tint, and their eyes flashed gold as they looked at each other. Looking deeper into each other's eyes, they realized that their eyes looked like Neko's now, a vertically slit pupil, and they grinned at each other.
Hand in hand, they walked finally out of the mausoleum, to find Xian Pu and Genma there, with five guards before them blocking their way. Ukyou, Ryouga, and Mu Suu were standing some distance back, watching. Xian Pu was trying to get Genma to calm down.
Genma was frantically arguing with one of the guards, insisting that the roar had meant trouble, and that they had to go and help. He cut himself short, as he saw the pair stepping forth from the building, Neko loping beside them. They looked golden. From behind them came a glowing light, and a beauteous woman stepped into view, light spilling from her skin like water, to fall all about her. The guards parted like a curtain before them.
"Father, friends," Ranma and Ranko said, their voices in a curious unison, saying the exact same words at the exact same time, with identical intonations, but different timbres, "we want you to meet our Dragon-Mother Alana." Genma just stared, shocked beyond words. Dragon-Mother? What on earth did they mean... and how could anyone be so beautiful?
Xian Pu, on the other hand, knew what to do in the presence of a dragon. She immediately dropped to her knees, and put her hands before her on the ground, and rested her head on them, then spoke, "It is my very great honor and privilege to meet you, Venerable Lady."
Alana laughed, and her laughter was like the chimes of heaven, and she spoke. "Rise child. You need no ceremony with me. You are a friend of my son and my daughter, and that is enough for me."
Xian Pu rose immediately. "We were worried, Ranma. We thought we heard you roar."
"You did," and this time Ranma spoke alone, as he stroked Neko's fur, and scratched behind his ears. "Neko spoke aloud in his joy."
Xian Pu looked at him for a moment. "You are talking funny, Ranma. Where did you get the big cat?"
"This is Neko-Ranma. You saw him once before. It can be a bit embarrasing having a human boy behaving like this around you, so I gave him a proper cat's body."
Xian Pu leaned closer, looking up at his face. "What happened to your eyes?"
Alana had been steadily dimming behind them, and when she spoke now, her voice was still beautiful, but as a human's voice might be, not the voice of dragon. "They accepted me as their mother, and became my children."
Genma could hold it in no longer. "Your children? Yours! But what of their mother? What of my wife? We were to go and meet her in the spring. Is she to be left alone?" He could not keep the fear from his voice. He knew that if he returned without Ranma, he would be committing seppuku, and even worse, he would be leaving his wife completely alone.
Ranko laughed, and hugged him. "No Papa-san. Mama-san is still our mother too. We have two mothers now." Her voice fairly shone with her joy.
Genma sighed with relief. "Good, then can we eat?" Ranma laughed at him, but nodded, and led the way.
As they left the grounds of the mausoleum, they passed several smaller gardens, and suddenly the Lady gasped in awe, and they all stopped to see what had caught her attention. In a small garden plot, surrounded by a low stone wall, the shattered remains of what had once been a crystal vase lay amidst the pieces of a marble pillar that had held it up, both cracked and shoved aside by a crystal rosebush, flooded with white blossoms. "Oh," cried Ranko, "Its beautiful!"
The Lady smiled, and nodded. "It is a promise, fulfilled." She hugged them both again. They all looked at in in awe for a while, as another few blossoms opened, and the scent carried the sweet rich scent to them.
That comment made Xian Pu think of the peculiar crystal flower in a vase in her room at home. Some strange crystal, that smelled like it was alive, she had thought at first. She had felt sorrow, when the first petals fell from the rose. She had thought it was a gift that would last forever, but apparently it was not.
When the bud had finally fallen, she felt heartbroken, until the next morning, when she saw a new bud forming. When it reached full bloom, she had gathered her courage, and plucked it from the crystal stem. Indeed, the next morning, a new bud had formed.
The second blossom, the one she plucked, never dropped its petals. It floated now in a small bowl of water, and around it floated the other beautiful petals, fallen from the first blossom. There were a few missing. They had gone to Kho Lon, who was steadily trying to figure out what they were made of, and which magic potion they would be good in.
Kho Lon had found, when she first bit one of the petals, that crystal is not a good thing to bite, and she had been forced to let Xian Pu carefully pluck the pieces of glass-like crystal out of her mouth. Later, she had set one on her tongue, and after a few minutes, it had dissolved quite suddenly. Her arthritic pains, which she normally suppressed with ki, had simply vanished for a week, and when they returned, they were lessened. Peculiar, but not overly informative.
She had mixed the petals into several potions, and observed that they dissolved, but had not been able to isolate the effects they had had. She had been surprised to note, however, that the petals that fell in the water in Xian Pu's room didn't dissolve in it.
---
When they entered the dining hall, Ranma was quick to make Lady Alana take the end seat, the seat of honor. Not only was this the day of her freedom, but he didn't want to deal with the confusion over whether he or Ranko should sit there, or what it might mean either way. Instead, he and Ranko sat on either side of the Lady. Xian Pu sat beside Ranko, and Mu Suu sat beside her. Beside Ranma was Ukyou, and then Ryouga, and finally Genma.
They ate in silence, each busy with their own thoughts, until the repast was finished. Ranma leaned back in his chair, and looked at Lady Alana. "Lady, you know that Ranko and I must leave again, and try to come to a reconciliation with my first mother. I do not expect it will be easy. We will return to you, eventually, but I cannot give you any guarantees. It may be a long time, before we return. I will leave the Land of Fey in your hands, and know that it will be well looked after. But we have a problem to lay before you, and maybe with your wisdom, we will solve it."
Ukyou was staring at Ranma through this speech. Ranko was far more like the Ranma she had known, than this man beside her, speaking so eloquently, and with such quiet power. She shivered at the thought of what would have happened had she faced him first. He might have decided, as Ranko did, that she had done something terrible to his childhood friend... but would he have allowed his pain to stop him? Looking at his calm poise, the complete control he held over himself, in spite of having just achieved the goal to which his life had been dedicated for nine years, she did not think his pain would have, or even could have, stopped him.
Ranma turned to Ryouga. "Ryouga here is a friend of Ukyou, who is a friend of my childhood. He is cursed, dear Lady. He has been cursed with a terrible sense of direction. I invited him to join us here, because I thought that you might have some insight on how to rid him of his curse."
The Lady looked at Ryouga, and smiled gently. "Come here, child, and let me look at you." She pushed the heavy chair back, turning it, so that as Ryouga came to her, she could face him with no barrier between them. She took his head in her hands, and as she did so, her skin took on a golden hue, and her eyes glowed with a golden light.
She looked deeply into his eyes, and he found himself lost in their depths. They seemed ageless, deep still pools of the distilled wisdom of uncounted years, and he seemed to lose himself in them forever. Finally, she released his head, and sat back, sighing.
She looked at Ranma. "I know of nothing that can help this man."
Ukyou sighed, and Ryouga's eyes flicked to her. Why was she sad? Was it because she wanted to be free of him? Was she sad for him, or for herself? He wished he knew. He had felt his feeling for her grow steadily over time. When she had faced Ranko, and been defeated, and later, when she had faced Ranma, and accepted that he was not hers, and given up her quest, he had been torn. He was terribly happy that she was no longer driven, she could think of other things now, do whatever she wanted. He was also desperately afraid that she would leave, and he would have no reason, no excuse to stay by her side. She was here to see Ranma's home... and him cured. If he were not cured, would she leave him? Or would she stay with him until he was cured, and leave then? Did she perhaps see it as an obligation? To help him, as he helped her, so her debts would be paid, and she could leave him without guilt?
"You know the one who can help him, Ranma. Do you not?"
Ryouga looked up at the Lady's words. Hope and fear warred in his heart, and he did not know what he wished more... for Ranma to agree, and tell him, or for the Lady to say that it wouldn't matter, couldn't work, and leave him to return to his own world with no cure. Did he hope and wish that Ukyou wanted to see him free because she... she liked him... or did he want there to be no cure, so that he would still need Ukyou, and she would have a reason to allow him to follow her.
"Sylie. I cannot go with him, though. Nor can you, Lady. My people need their leader. Who can guide him? Beorn, perhaps."
"Beorn and Li can guide him to Sylie."
Ranma looked at her, showing his surprise on his face for the barest instant. "Li has returned, then? Was he successful?"
"He would not say. He said only, 'it is over.'"
Ranma turned to Ryouga. "There is one who could help you. She is an elder dragon, and she cured me of the fear induced by the Nekoken. I cannot go with you. I must return, and find my mother, so that Ranko can have a family."
Ranko looked up, startled again at being put first in Ranma's thoughts. Was her happiness truly that important to him? Why? She was him, so it made some sense... but not that it would be more important than his own.
"I can offer you two guides. Both have experience in this world, beyond my own realm, and both are masters of my school."
Genma looked up in surprise. 'He's been teaching? But...' "Ranma, what have you done? You know you cannot teach until the Master licenses you!"
Ranma looked over at Genma. "I trained under the Master for three months, and won my license from him when I was seven, Genma-san."
Ranma looked back to Ryouga, ignoring his father's shocked expressions, and sputtered protests, "There are sufficient masters now to hold the dojo in their absence. They are masters of ki, as well, and can train you, if you wish it. You have great potential. As for Sylie, they can lead you to her. Dealing with her will be up to you. If you choose to go, the Lady Alana can return you to our world, when you make it back here. Will you go, or will you return with us?"
Ryouga looked at Ukyou. He knew she wanted him to be free of his curse... he just wished he knew why. It didn't matter. She wanted it, and he did, even if there were reasons to consider retaining it. He could not back away from this. "I will go, and seek my cure."
"I will go with you, if you want me to come, Ryouga." Ukyou said, looking at him. His face lit up with a wide smile, and she wondered. She had become attached to him. He was a good companion, and now that her entanglement with Ranma was over, Ryouga was the person she was closest too. But his reaction was so... so powerful. Did it really mean so much to him? After all, it was merely doing for him what he had done for her. "It is the least I can do for you." She was shocked at the way those words, meant kindly, nonetheless wiped the smile from his face. He nodded though.
---
Arkus stared at the message he had just received by crow from his spy in the castle of the Lord Fey. "Fey has returned!," he shouted, exulting. "Finally, I shall destroy him forever!" Arkus found himself filled with new energy after the enervation of being unable to even find the slightest hint of his enemy's whereabouts. He moved with a speed he had forgotten down the halls to his summoning room.
The circle was ready, the ritual prepared, his power was at its height, this time Fey would die! Arkus began the ritual, and several hours after dark, Arkus left his castle in the company of a being wrapped in darkness and cloaked in evil, though not before setting in motion the final stages of a trap that he had spent months preparing.
Ranma, Ranko, and the Lady Alana suddenly sat bolt upright, heads cocked, listening and feeling the weight of untold evil as it approached their demesne.
"Arkus," Ranma and Ranko said in unison.
"And something darker," warned the Lady.
Ranma looked at Ranko, "I'll face the challenge head on, you suppress your aura and work around till we can get them in a V attack. My bet is that Arkus doesn't know about you." He turned to his Lady, "Lady, I'm also betting that he doesn't know you've been freed. If you would, could you guide my friends to the parapets? If needed, you can act from there, and take them by surprise, and until then, my friends can watch, but be safe."
"I will do as you ask, my Lord," she replied, bowing to him. Ranma nodded, encased suddenly in golden armor, and he raced from the room towards the front lines. Ranko kept her wakizashi hidden, not wanting its magical aura to reveal her presence, and she leapt from the window to work her way around the castle.
Alana led the rest of the small group, several of whom protested that they should join the fight, though none were willing to directly act against the lady, up to the balconies, the parapets upon which the archers would defend the castle in a normal defense, that they might watch the battle unfold.
Arkus stood proudly, wearing his finest fighting robes, ready to unleash magical fury, before the gates of Fey castle, his minion hidden in the darkness behind him, held in reserve for a surprise attack that would utterly destroy the upstart whelp.
He laughed as Lord Fey strode from the gate, wearing his golden armor, and wielding that damned sword. "Today it ends, Lord Fey! Today I take your life, and your woman, and your lands, and most of all, today I take back the divine gift that you stole from me when you took my enemy's life!"
Fey Ranma felt a cold rage boil in him at the words. How dare he threaten the Lady! Yet that rage boiled beneath a wall of ice, and no sign of it appeared on his features. "Arkus, since I first came to this world, you have plagued me. This is the last time, Arkus. I am tired of playing your game."
Fey released his hold on the Juushin Jisei Juuryoku, just a bit, and his aura sprang into snaking cerulean flames, then he released his hold on his aura, and it sprang into full life, blazing about him, reaching nearly twice his height.
Arkus grimaced. That damned blue flame was the one spell of Fey's that he'd never managed to duplicate, or even understand. No matter, it would not avail him, for Arkus would not be denied. He summoned his first wand to his hand, and launched a mote sized point of light at his opponent.
Ryouga, standing on the parapet, laughed to his companions. "Man, does he really expect to hurt Ranma with that peashooter?"
The mote reached Fey, and just before it would have impacted his aura, it blossomed into a searing sphere of flame that engulfed Fey completely, hiding him from view, concealing even his brilliant aura.
"Oh," muttered Ryouga.
Ranma focused, noting idly that the Lady's gift of blood seemed to have had more of an effect than he had realized, for though he felt the searing heat, it did not bother him, even before he focused his aura against it. He concentrated, remembering the several techniques he had learned for absorbing magical and normal energies, and focused his ki.
The flames were suddenly sucked inward, leaving trailing wisps of smoke to be forced away by Fey's aura, still intact. He looked entirely untouched, though there was a light tinge of red to his aura.
Arkus growled, and pulled out a different wand, brandishing it at Fey, and a bolt of lightning streaked from it. It impacted with Fey's aura, and he forced a grin, gratefully absorbing the extra energy, but increasing his hold on his aura to prevent the increase from being noticed. So nice of Arkus, to help beef him up, but damn, that was a lot of energy to soak at once. If Arkus realized, he could overload him pretty quickly. Better get rid of some of it.
Fey lifted his blade, and retaliated with a peculiar bolt of what looked like green lightning, otherwise identical to Arkus's blast. Arkus disappeared, reappearing five feet away, allowing the bolt to pass harmlessly through his former location. He laughed. "Ha, Fey, you'll have to do better than that!" He waved the wand, and chanted something, and a shadow fell across the field.
The watchers on the parapet looked up to see an ominously black cloud, and even as they did so, it flared a brilliant white, and a bolt of lightning crashed down from above, slamming into Fey. They looked on in shock and dismay. That bolt was at least six feet wide, and it wasn't stopping!
Finally the lightning dissipated, and the cloud was ripped apart by a breeze too high to feel, and when they could see again, Fey was still standing, aura blazing, and they could see ripples of electricity flashing across his armor. 'Kuso, kuso, kuso. If he keeps pulling stuff like that, I don't know how much more I can soak.'
[I'm in position Ranma.]
[Hold until he brings on his toy, Ranko. I can take whatever Arkus is dishing out, so I want you in reserve for that. So far all he's managed to do is fill my reserves.]
[Gotcha.]
Arkus screamed in fury at the failure of one of his more powerful attack spells, and began casting, weaving a spell this time, rather than using a wand.
Ranma eyed the spell, and decided it was time to stop being stoic, and start introducing Arkus to what he was really facing. Besides, it rather looked like that would hurt when it hit. He examined it carefully, even as the deep azure sphere left Arkus' hands and hurtled towards him. Ascertaining that it would do no harm to the castle when it hit, he leapt easily out of its way.
Arkus chuckled, and shouted, "You'll not escape my vengeance so easily, Fey!" Ranma realized instantly what Arkus meant, for the azure streak had zipped past, but immediately pulled around, coming at him again, rather than impacting the castle walls. Ranma led it towards a tree, noting that Arkus was casting again, but forced to focus on the sphere to avoid it. Standing firm before the tree, he waited, and at the last possible moment, used all his speed to dodge. When he saw the tree become stone, instantly, he was very glad he had avoided it, rather than taking the punishment.
Even as he was congratulating himself for the successful avoidance, he sensed more incoming, and leapt to avoid them. Multiple silver streaks passed beneath, but Arkus was being more cagey this time, and had held some in reserve, and as Ranma leaped, he fired more. Ranma, who had momentarily focused on the silver streaks to determine what manner of spell they were, moved just a hair too slowly to avoid the new attack, and was slammed into by an immense force.
He halted his supersonic flight with the Juushin Jisei, then leapt to the side to avoid another attack, as golden flashes of light speared past. 'Kuso, what did he hit me with? It felt like a mountain fell on me.'
Ranma fired several quick ki blasts followed by magical arrows of force at Arkus, to give him a moment to recover his bearings, and hopefully disrupt whatever Arkus was in the process of casting.
Arkus teleported out of the way of the attack, and fired a sickly green beam from a wand. Ranma sought to avoid it, but it twisted in the air to meet him, and unlike the azure sphere, ignored momentum and inertia. The beam hit him, and Ranma realized the severe error he had made by trying, as he usually did, to fight on an even level with his opponent, as he could feel his ki being drained.
He screamed in pain, and ignoring his ki, afraid to use it while this attack continued, threw magic threads into a shield using the old techniques the traditional mages used. Finally he managed to force the beam away, and with that momentary respite, he let out the Juushin Jisei Juuryoku until he was back at his prior ki level, then lashed out with his ki, and used his skill in dispelling to unweave the magic of that hideous wand. 'Chikuso, I can't allow him to get anything like that on me again. It's just too dangerous.'
Arkus was gloating, delighted in the success of the attack, for he was the recipient of the drained energy, and he had received such a surfeit of power from the attack that he could be forgiven for believing the Lord Fey to be drained beyond any ability to recover.
His fury was unmatched, then, when the Lord Fey appeared before him, aura undimmed, and fired a blast of blue fire at him. Arkus teleported away, then felt his teleport ring's magic dweomer collapse into nothingness. He attempted to fire the draining wand again, only to discover that it was now an unmagical stick. He cast it aside in anger, and retrieving his lightning wand, moved to attack with it.
It too lost its magic as soon as he moved to use it. Ranma was tired of being on the defensive end of this fight, and was steadily divesting Arkus of his advantages. He fired another small ki blast, and when Arkus' instinctual attempt to use his teleport ring failed, he was too late to avoid the blast, and was knocked back, the wind driven from his lungs.
Moving quickly to try and throw the Lord Fey off-balance to give him time to make a more competent attack, Arkus cast a quick and easy spell, turning the ground on which the Lord Fey stood to mud. Ranma recognized the casting, and rather than acting against it, and perhaps giving Arkus time to respond, he focused the Juushin Jisei, holding himself above the mud, and threw a massive dispelling at Arkus, hoping to both disrupt whatever Arkus was casting, and perhaps take out some more of his magical objects, those wands and rings that were allowing him to keep up such a pace.
Arkus screamed in fury as he felt several more of his wands fail, and the spell he was beginning die as well, then pulled out all the stops, pulling out two wands and snapping them before Fey had a chance to dispell them. Their energies began mixing visibly before him in the air before them, as he prevented their explosion. Finally a ball of sickly green and black energy floated before him, and he looked at Fey, gloating. "Even if you survive this attack, Fey, your castle and home will be destroyed!"
'Ok, gotta get ready... I can hit it with a ki blast at the right moment, and redirect it into the sky...' Arkus laughed, evilly, not noticing Fey's sword lifting, as a thin beam of ki speared out, impacting almost unnoticeably with the sphere, doing nothing more than holding it in place, for the moment, but ready to throw it off course the moment it moved, or expanded. Arkus stopped laughing, not seeing the ki, as the globe obscured his view of it, and shoved forward, a move that should have sent the ball flying. It was held by Fey's ki though, and the result was Arkus driving his hands directly into the ball, and screaming in agony.
[Damn! I didn't think he'd be stupid enough to still try and attack, I gotta help him!]
Fey's ki beam rose and fell, slicing the ball, dissipating it, but Arkus collapsed to the ground, black and green energies still swirling about him. Fey ran toward him, but a sudden blackness moved over Arkus, coming between them.
"Now you must face me!," roared the dark beast, piercing his own shroud of darkness with a dark red flame that appeared, licking about the massive sword he held. The sound of a whip cracking was followed by flashed of blue and white light, sparks flying from the end of the now visible flail.
[Damn, I bet he wants Arkus to die, so he will be free of whatever compulsion is on him. He's going to keep me from Arkus, Ranko, can you get to him, I'll lead big ugly off here.]
Fey faded back before the beast, who laughed, then roared in triumph. Fey drew in his ki about his sword, so that it glowed with golden flames, then shot a beam of ki at the beast.
It blocked it with its own sword. "Unlike yon fool, I know about the power of the spirit, boy, it will not defeat me so easily!"
Fey allowed his posture to show concern, as he carefully lead the beast away from Arkus, but before Ranko could reach him, the beast realized it, sensing her presence now that she was closer, and turning, unleashed a blast of dark lightning, then fired flame from his sword, lighting a circle of hell-spawned fire about the wizard's crackling, pain-wracked body.
Fey roared in anger, and rushed the beast. Their blades met with a flare of light, then again and again. As he had before, so long ago, Fey matched the beast's skill, taking the time to learn what he could. He wanted to keep the beast occupied, and give Ranko time to make it through the flames.
The watchers viewed the scene with trepidation, unable to see clearly what it was that Fey was facing, but clearly seeing the flash of light from the impact of the darkness and the light.
Ranko was using her wakizashi, her own ki flaring, to carve through the demon's red flame, and make her way to the dying wizard. She finally reached him, and knelt by him, focusing on her training in the Amazon village, turning her ki a brilliant white, as she poured it on him. He looked up at her, through eyes filled with pain, that suddenly cleared. "I have lost, and in losing, I finally see how I have failed. In attacking innocence, I betrayed my own oaths, I fought against evil once, now I have fallen into it. Forgive me, if you can." His eyes fell shut.
"I forgive you," Ranko whispered, then jerked back, realizing the implications. Though she had purged him of the fire, he would not be healed if he did not fight for life, and he was not fighting. "No! Don't give up, you can still live!," she screamed at him, tears springing to her eyes. "Please!"
He opened his eyes again, looking on her, "Now you have the final prize, child, all is as it should be." His eyes closed, and his breath rattled in his chest, then stilled. Ranko screamed in fury. If only that beast hadn't slowed her down!
Her aura burst forth, a pure white, and washed away the red flames, and Ranma, sensing it, stepped up the attack, ceasing to merely match the beast's skill, but surpassing it, pushing himself to move fast, pouring ki into his limbs. The heads of the flail fell, severed, one by one, as the demon roared in sudden confusion, then laughed, as it too increased its skill, and Ranma felt the darkness about it grow. "You're not the only one holding back, insignificant pest!"
It spun away from Ranma suddenly, feeling a pure power from behind it, like that of an angel, fearing that it faced a second attack. It saw before it what did veritably look to be an angel, haloed in an aura of pure white so intense that to look upon it burned it, and even as it realized this, a blade burst through its chest, glittering with golden flames, as Ranma took full advantage of his enemy's distraction.
Instantly recognizing its peril, should its opponents use that powerfully enspelled blade to funnel their spirit into its innermost being, it lunged forward, ripping itself from the blade. It leapt to the side, out from between the two, and faced them, dark flames roaring about it.
It snapped its flail, and the heads regrew. It lunged for Fey, and moving impossibly fast, slammed its fist, hardened by the sword hilt it held, into Fey's chest, sending him flying back across the field, then turned to face the angel.
"You are too late, servant of Light! My summoner has died, and I am freed. This world is Mine!"
Ranko screamed in defiance, and fired a blast of ki at it. It batted the ki aside almost casually, only to discover that it had been but a distraction on Ranko's part, for she was now within its black flames, her own sword piercing its side.
It threw itself backwards, enraged beyond belief that these puny mortals had twice managed to pierce its defenses, and defile its flesh. It leapt forward again, casting aside its flail, to grab the now armored angel about the throat. It began draining her, and it groaned in pleasure as the pure power coursed through it.
Its pleasure was cut off, quite literally, as its arm below the elbow fell to the ground, and it bellowed in pain, darting back on wings of black flame. It roared, as its black aura flared, and a new arm shot forth from the bloody stump.
"Playtime's over!" With a shattering roar, it cast black flame at its tormentors, the male now standing beside the angel, lending her his strength.
Ranma leapt, pushing off against Ranko so that she too was driven out of the way of the dark blast. [Ranko, we need to power up. Go half-dragon, so at least we'll cut down its size advantage.]
The demonic beast gaped as both auras flared twice, and its opponents became great winged beasts. Was it mistaken? Was it perhaps facing other demons here?
It fired another dark blast, and this time, it was Fey who batted its attack aside as if it were nothing. It leapt back to the attack, pushing its speed still higher, trying to disarm the beast it faced. Fey released the Juushin Jisei Juuryoku still further, until he could match the dark being's speed, nearly losing his sword before he got there.
Ranko faded back, and began weaving a spell about them both. The demon fought with desperate power. It would not allow its chance to ravage the mortal plane be so easily denied! Focusing, it began drawing more energy from the life around it.
It was the Lady Alana who first noticed and recognized the implications, as the trees, shrubs, and grass around the combatants began wilting suddenly, for Ranma was focused on his opponent, and Ranko on her spell. The Lady's warning to Ranma in his mind came just too late, as the demon dumped all his collected and hoarded energy into a single movement, pushing his speed, in that instant, far beyond what it had been, and in a lightning fast movement, he struck off the Lord Fey's head.
The watchers on the height cried out in dismay and despair, as for the first time, Fey's aura dimmed, and they could see him clearly, and watch, as the head rolled slowly away from the body.
Ranko screamed in denial, as streams of tears poured from Alana's eyes. Ranko finished her spell with a cry of vengeance, and released the Juushin Jisei Juuryoku in a single swift rush of power. Moving far beyond the speed that even the dark beast had achieved in its moment of triumph, she struck of its limbs and then pierced its chest with her blade.
Its flames died about it, as it screamed in fear. This was impossible, this was its moment of triumph, it could not be defeated now! It strove once again to throw itself back, to remove itself from the piercing blade that had riven its chest, but it found itself held still, unabled to escape, as Ranko focused the Juushin Jisei upon it.
Ranko poured the full force of her released aura into her blade, and the cleansing flames surged down the dragon blade, searing its flesh from the inside, as heat built within. It screamed then, white flames bursting from its mouth, then its eyes, and ears. Wounds opened that had healed long centuries before, it felt again the touch of every weapon of light it had faced, and white light poured from those old wounds as they split.
The demon vanished, cleansed from existence by the searing fire of one pure spirit, and Ranko collapsed to the ground in tears of agony.
[r...ranko?]
Ranko looked up, then looked about wildly. Where had that voice come from?
[Ranma!?]
[Ohhh... that hurts...]
[Ranma, where are you!?]
[Itetete... I'm back in the house, Ranko... the house you built. I guess... since that wasn't really my body... I didn't go with it. Give me a minute to recover here.]
Ranko was startled away from her conversation by the impact of the Lady Alana, wrapping her in a tearful hug. "I'm so sorry, Ranko. He... he was doing so well... I was too slow, oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Alana sobbed as she held Ranko tightly, feeling sorrow at her loss, and gratefulness that her daughter had survived in equal measure.
"Lady... he didn't die," whispered Ranko, trying to soothe her.
Alana pulled back, staring with wide eyes into her face. "He lives?!"
Ranma appeared suddenly behind Alana, and Ranko turned her to face him. He was pale and transparent, like a ghost, and the blood drained from Alana's face. "It's alright Alana," whispered Ranko, holding her tightly from behind, "He's not dead."
She looked at Ranma. "I guess you need a new aura, huh?"
He looked down sheepishly. "Uh, yeah... if you don't mind."
With the Juushin Jisei Juuryoku completely released, Ranko was feeling surfeited with power, but rather than following the procedure they had once before, she decided to try a technique she had learned from the Amazon healer.
Granted, it was intended to share ki between two individuals in two separate bodies, but then Ranma had always been one for improvising. A thin thread of ki reached out from Ranko, and wrapped about Ranma, then thickened, and the flow began. In moments, Ranma had enough aura to recreate his body.
"Thanks, Ranko love." Ranma enveloped his sister in a hug. "It won't take long now for my ki to recover.
---
Several days later, they said their goodbyes to Alana. She took Ranma aside first. "Ranma. You have the blood of a dragon now. And if you find someone worthy, you can give them your blood, as I gave you mine. It is your choice to do so, and it will affect them less than mine did you, but remember, once given, it cannot be taken back, and it will affect them and their heirs for many generations. Be careful."
"I will Mother. I promise. Will you stay here, in Fey castle?"
"Yes child. I grew to loathe it in the years I was Fey's servant. In the years with you, I have grown to love it again. I will maintain your place in this kingdom. I hope you will bring your bride to meet me, and I hope even more that you will consider bringing her here to live with us. And if you do, Ranma, consider this. If you bring your loves here, you are the law. You have more than enough love for one woman. Many societies allow multiple wives, and most of those that surround us do so. If you have only one wife, I fear they will never stop trying to capture you for their daughters, as they did when you were at the Mage Towers. If you find you cannot choose without hurting where you do not want to hurt, bring them here, where you can love them all. And now that you have given Ranko her own life, let her find a love, or loves, as she will. Do not let jealousy come between you. And should you grow to love Ranko too much, bring her too. She is you, and there is no shame in loving yourself."
She looked into his troubled eyes. "And the body Jusenkyou gave her is not your body, and its seed is not your seed. Even should she have your child, it will not bear harm. Now stop gaping at me, and go find your birth mother, and at least one to love." So saying, she led Ranma back to the group. He had been fighting a blush throughout her little speech, but by the time he had gotten back, it was gone. Ranko, however, was blushing like a little cherry, and would not look at him, and Xian Pu was looking at her curiously. He said nothing to her about it, afraid of what it might mean, but strangely hopeful.
---
Ukyou and Ryouga followed the Lady Alana, as she led them from the castle proper through several courtyards. Ukyou's eyes watered as they passed the crystal rosebush, and she thought again of the story Xian Pu had told them. If Ranma had done that for someone he had hardly known... she sighed, trying to imagine what it would be like if he had stayed with her, and loved her. It would not have been the same... he would not have been the same, and this beautiful Dragon Lady would still be in terrible bondage to a cruel and evil man. She could not wish that on anyone, and she held Ryoga's hand tighter.
Ryoga heard her sigh, as she pulled him along, keeping him from getting lost. He did not notice the crystal rosebush, nor have any idea what made her sigh, but when he felt her grip tighten, he smiled at the thought that whatever it was that pained her, it was to him that she turned for comfort. It didn't bother him that in fact she had not turned, and was still hauling him along. He hoped he understood what that additional pressure meant, and believed he did, and his heart soared to think that he could give her comfort.
The Lady led them to some stables that stood near the massive front gates. There were seven horses there, three well-laden, sturdy horses, and four saddled horses carrying much lighter loads.
Both Ukyou and Ryouga were shocked when a young Japanese looking man moved towards them from amongst the horses. Despite being skilled martial artists neither of them had noticed the man. He had short black hair, and was wearing black leather. He looked young, younger than themselves, maybe fourteen or fifteen.
He stepped towards them as they approached, and bowed low toward the Lady, then turned towards Ukyou and Ryouga, and bowed again. "Greetings. I am Fey Li, Master of the Fey Musabetso Kakutou Ryu. I will be one of your guides to the Lady Sylie."
"Greetings," Ukyou replied, responding with a bow of her own. "I am Kuonji Ukyou."
"And I," Ryouga replied, bowing in turn, "am Hibiki Ryouga. I thank you for your willingness to guide us."
"It is my duty and my pleasure to serve the Lord Fey. No thanks are required." Li bowed again to the Lady.
She bowed slightly in return, then turned to glance at Ukyou and Ryouga. "I will leave you in Li's care. Please return safely." They bowed to her, and she left.
Ukyou watched her leave, then turned back to look at Li.
Two hours later, the Lady Alana sat at a window in the library tower, and watched as the small party rode out of the gates. She sighed... alone again. She might be able to survive Ranma's distance, now, but it did not ease the ache in her heart.
She mulled over several possibilities before finally settling on one. She would train a replacement to manage the day to day affairs of the nation, then she would journey to Ranma's world. The thought made her feel young again.