Travels of a Martial Artist

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, I'm an evil bastard. A broke bastard, but an evil one nonetheless. If I owned Ranma ½ or Sailor Moon, then I'd be a rich bastard, but still evil.


Travels of a Martial Artist
Part Five: Under the Red Moon's Glow

The moon had reached it's peak by the time Ranma kicked in the door to the Nekohanten with a yell.

“Where the fuck are you at old ghoul!” he yelled into the cafe, his voice easily carrying into the sleeping quarters above.

Moving back out into the street, he stalked back and forth, impatiently waiting for the old crone.

After a few minutes, the Amazon matriarch made her presence known.

“That was an awfully rude wake up call. A lady needs her beauty sleep,” she said casually.

“Whatever you did to Shampoo, tell me how to reverse it,” he demanded.

Cologne's eyebrows shot up before she managed to school her expression into neutrality. If Ranma wasn't willing to make obvious jokes and taunts, he had to have been deadly serious.

“I saved her from death you impudent male. You wish her to be executed when she goes back to China, or is it that you've chosen to take you're place as her husband and return with us?”

Ranma's eyes narrowed as she spoke those words.

“You know damn well I ain't goin back to China, and you know damn well that you haven't saved her from death. You just condemned her to a slower one. She's a warrior. A martial artist like me. The art is her life, same as mine. You took that away from her, and now she's wastin away without a single spark of the woman I knew left in her body. She said you used shiatsu on her, and I'm her for the counter points. One way or another, I'm taking them with me and I'm giving her her life back.”

Cologne sighed in weariness as she studied the moon. It's red glow only meant one thing, and after lived most of her younger life on the battlefield, she had hoped to never see that grisly glow above her again.

“Death is on the wind, and blood is in the skies,” she said solemnly. “Very well Ranma. Come and fight for what you desire.”

Without a word the young man charged, fists leading the way. He grunted in frustration as his attacks were deflected with apparent ease. He knew he was being foolhardy, but he couldn't restrain himself. His rage was overtaking him, and he could do naught to contain it. Almost snapping under the strain, he gave himself to his darkness.

"Kachuu Tenshin Amiguriken, Revised! Bloody Rave!”

The Amazon elder's staff was quickly reduced to splinters under Ranma's clawing frenzy.

Wide eyed, she hastily put distance between them. A slight sting in her arms alerted her to numerous superficial wounds, really nothing more than scratches.

“It seems I have no choice,” the withered crone remarked sadly as Ranma sprang to the offensive once again.

She started the spiral.

Blinded by his hate and rage, the dark haired youth never noticed his impending doom.

Throwing her fist into the air, Cologne voiced her attack.

“Hiryuu Shouten Ha!!!”

The tempest carried the startled man into the sky and pelted him with winds enhanced to a razor's edge by his own fury. Cologne watched as he screamed in agony, the crimson moon providing a dreadful back light to the slow torture.

She closed her eyes, not having the heart to watch any longer as she continued to pump cold chi into the tornado.

This proved to be a fatal mistake.

The tornado suddenly inverted itself, her cold winds slamming her into the concrete, driving her into the ground like a gigantic power drill.

Barely managing to open her eyes against the ungodly force, she saw Ranma's blood drenched form hurtling towards her, a glowing red fist held firmly at his side.

His victorious cry drowned out the furious din of the inverted hiryuu shouten ha, and she closed her eyes one final time and embraced death.

Only when something warm splashed her cheek did she realize that the winds had stopped, and that she was still alive.

Chancing fate, she looked up. Ranma stood above her, fist centimeters from her head. Another drop of blood traveled down his arm to splash against her wrinkled skin.

Looking into his eyes, she knew the fight was gone from him. His rage had been broken. Now all that was left was a terrified young man only moments from damning himself forever.

She carefully forced herself to her feet and gently took him by the hand.

“Come inside Ranma. I think we must have a talk.”

Nodding stupidly, Ranma offered no resistance as she led him inside.

Sitting him at one of the booths, she disappeared into the back before emerging with bandages and disinfectant.

She silently tended his wounds as he slowly began to calm down.

Once his breathing had normalized, she posed her question.

“What made you hold back the killing blow Ranma?”

He took a few steadying breaths before answering.

“It was Shampoo. If I had killed you, she would never get the help she needs, and she'd hate me forever. I'm her friend. I'm supposed to protect her from pain. Not cause it.”

Cologne nodded before giving her reply.

“Let me tell you a story Ranma. When Shampoo was a little girl, she was in a terrible accident. She had just finished the first stages of her training in wu shu, and it was her greatest joy in life. The accident left her paralyzed, and the village healers said she'd never be able to walk again. Little Shampoo was devastated. Without use of her legs, she would never be able to practice her art again.”

Ranma looked at the matriarch in confusion.

“But, she's one of the best martial artists I know? How could she do that if she was paralyzed?”

Cologne rapped him on the head with a boney knuckle.

“Don't interrupt. As I was saying... For weeks she refused to eat. Her parents and I were afraid that she would give up and will herself to die. To this day, I thank the our ancestors for Mousse. He gave her her spark back. No one else could get through to her, but somehow he did. One year later, and she was one of the best warriors of her age. That is why I had no worry of using the exile shiatsu on her. I knew she would eventually seek you out. You, Ranma, are the only anchor she'll have when I leave. You will become her determination, and once again she will rise from the ashes. This is something I doubt you know, but the other warriors of the village called her the 'Little Phoenix'. No matter how grievous an injury she has received, no matter how humiliating her defeat, she has always risen anew and overcome the odds. Except, maybe, with you. Your heart is the only hurdle she has yet to overcome, though I imagine it's a close thing,” she said with a knowing grin.

Ranma's puzzlement increased with those words, so she decided to clarify.

“The ferocity you demonstrated outside, that rage was borne from a protectiveness that one would reserve for either one's offspring, or one's mate. No one fights as hard as they do to protect their loved ones. Fear not Ranma, for the Little Phoenix shall rise from her ashes again. Of that I have no doubt. I think it's time you went home Ranma. I fear that we shan't meet again. I am returning to China, with Mousse, on the morrow. Tell Shampoo to write me. Since she has been exiled, she isn't suppose to have further contact with the Joketsuzoku, unless its by spear point, if you catch my drift. Therefore, I request that you act as the middle man. Send me her letters in your name, and I shall do likewise, as I am getting too old for all this traveling.”

Ranma nodded in agreement.

“I'll do that. I'll have to talk with a friend of mine though. Me and U-chan have plans to do some traveling for a good while, and I figured Shampoo could come with us. Since we'll be on the move, I'll ask if she would let you send the letters to her place, and then forward them to us since we plan on keeping in touch. If that doesn't work, we could always stop by there now and again and pick up whatever you had sent before.”

“That is acceptable. Now, I believe you have my great granddaughter to take care of? Go and see to her, and let this old woman get some more rest before she has to start the day,” she said with a happy cackle.

-ooo-

Ukyo flung herself towards the door as it opened, tackling the surprised Ranma in a desperate embrace.

“Damn you Ranma. I thought I had lost you again! That's twice in one night I've been worried sick!”

“It's okay U-chan. Nobody got hurt. I'm fine, see?” he replied as he extracted himself from her arms. Pulling to her feet, he approached Shampoo.

“So Little Phoenix, are you gonna let somethin like some lame ass shiatsu keep ya down?” Ranma inquired.

Shampoo jumped at recognition of her old nickname.

“Little Phoenix. That what old warriors call Shampoo when young girl.”

As she thought back to her training days, a prideful fire burned in her eyes.

“Shampoo think it time for Phoenix to return. Ranma will help Shampoo yes? Ukyo too?”

“You bet your ass, Shampoo.”

“Of course we will Sugar.”

Ranma and Ukyo looked at each other, then back at Shampoo.

“What are friends for?” they asked in unison.

End 5

A/N: Well, there's another two chapters down, all in one smack too!

I know the confrontation wasn't much, but when you're attacking blindly, it isn't going to be. And no, Ranma wasn't suffering a relapse from the dark energy. He simply gave in to his own dark side, however misguided that act was, out of sheer desperation.

It's terribly easy to convince yourself that there's no hope left and fall into that trap, especially when someone you care about is involved.

Anyhoo... Not sure when I'll get to work on the next chapter, but I will write it eventually.

As it stands, its way past my usual bedtime, so I think that's all for tonight.

Laters.