Ranma 1/2: Ranma No More Alternate History By: Dani Yanega yanega@mindspring.com (please respond to this e-mail address) Chapter Twenty Eight On a plane in route to Japan, a redheaded woman is sleeping fitfully while her companion a black man, watches over her with concern. Suddenly the woman's emerald green eyes snap open as she bolts up gasping for breath. She feels like her lungs are being seared from the inside. Her friend turns to see if he can aid her when he suddenly goes stiff then doubles over in excruciating pain. The woman following suit not long after. They can feel the burning, as it slowly washes over their bodies, they bite down hard to keep from screaming out, the pain making everyone of their nerve endings raw. The flight attendants are summoned by the other passengers, the young couple tries to wave them away, since the pain begins to slowly die down, but they still search the plane for a doctor. The man slowly looks up into the pained eyes of his friend, the same pain showing in his eyes. They slowly settle back into their seats, sweat streaming down their faces. They feel fear and worry mingling with the pain. /*\*/*\ On an another plane a group of five friends laughing, talking and enjoying each other's company. When two of them bend over in pain. A young Japanese girl with long brown hair tied with a white ribbon, of sixteen, and a young man of American Indian descent, their friends come to their aid. An ash blonde of twenty three, with her hair cut in a short pageboy, reaches out and touches the girl. When she makes contact their empathic link becomes stronger. The woman cries out in pain as she feels the raging fire course over her. The others reach out to help their friends when they begin to feel the pain through the empathic link with their three friends. The pain washes over them like a tidal wave, leaving them all gasping for breath and swimming in sweat. Five flight attendants arrive and against the protests of the weakened five, help them to the first class lounge which is empty. They then summon a doctor that is on the plane heading home to Japan. The five friends try to say they're fine but the attendants won't take no for an answer. They introduce Dr. Takashi Mirako, who has been training abroad in more unconventional medicines. She examines the five passengers, and gasps when she realizes the implications of what is happening to them. While the five friends begin to relax, the pain slowly recedes to a dull ache. /*\*/*\ A third plane, this one carrying the four friends from Greece. They are discussing what they will do when they reach the airport, how they will handle the meeting with the others. Then, suddenly Alex and Taj collapse with great pain. Mousse and Roberto come to aid them, when they succumb to the pain being felt by their two friends. They feel the fire consume them, tearing through their bodies, much like a raging firestorm through the forest. The flight attendants come to them but they are turned away as the four friends begin to feel the pain fade. The pain does not completely go, this begins to worry the travelers. They fear they may be too late, when they arrive in Japan. /*\*/*\ "_RANMA NOOO!" Nodoka, screams for her child, having broken free from her father, she runs toward the dining room. She is unable to go to far, because her older brother grabs hold of her. She can do nothing but struggles against the grip of her oldest brother. He catches her before she can enter the private dining room filled with a black purple aura. Soun stands there watching, tears streaming down his face as he wonders if his friend will survive. La Si like Nodoka struggles against the grasp of Che Ri which is preventing her from entering the chifire that fills the small dining room. Ku Lon stands nearest the room stretching her sense checking for her great niece and nephew, she is frantic with worry and despair, for she has come to care very deeply for the two soul mates. Mas Cra comes up beside her old friend and places a hand on her shoulder. Ku Lon shakes her head; they hear Nodoka scream again then she collapses against her brother. "NNNNOOOOOOOOO!" It is then, that two forgotten people come to the edge of the room. Two people who know what the others don't. With Tao symbols glowing one of bright white and gold the other of copper and fiery red. They enter the chifire before anyone can stop them. Cy Sin rushes forward only to be stopped by Ku Lon. Who press pressure points on the young Amazon causing her to loose the use of her legs. Xian Pu then picks her up and places her at a table near the group, watching over her closely. Keeping a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The group stares at the dining room and waits for the spell to dissipate, so the bodies can be recovered. There are many in the room left crying for the imprisoned friends. Nodoka for the loss of her child again. La Si and Cy Sin for the men they have begun to care for. Ku Lon for the loss of her new family. /*\*/*\ The Tendo daughters stare with wide-eyed terror, while watching the scene unfold before them. Kasumi trying to be a comfort for her younger siblings, but the tears still stream down her face Dr. Tofu stands behind her with his hand on her shoulder giving her the added strength to hold her family together. She reaches up with one small delicate hand and places it on his to let him know she is glad he is there. Nabiki just stares transfixed, she has never seen anyone die, not like this. When her mother died they had kept the sisters out of the room. This sight is causing cracks in her _Ice Queen_ façade, as she trembles at such raw power. Akane stares disbelieving, shock coursing through her. Soon the shock turns to awe at the ability of those martial artists, then it turns to jealousy when she realizes, that they are better than her. She then gets angry when she begins to comprehend, that she is no longer the premier martial artist in Nerima. /*\*/*\ Nodoka struggles against the grasp of her brother, Hayashi, but can not break his iron grip. She watches in terror as the chifire burns brightly, she wonders why it does not leave the small private dining room. She stares horror struck when the two gajins walk up to the room. The man begins to glow a golden white and the woman a coppery red then they push through a barrier that becomes visible as they make their way through it. It is a blackish forest green in color, once they are behind it the barrier disappears but is still containing the magic spell. While tears stream down her cheeks she prays quietly to herself praying to the Kami-sama that her child and _his_ friend is alright. Nodoka reaches out toward the room she can see the coppery red glow and the golden white glow of the two young people that went looking for her _son_. She again tries to break free, if her child must die then so shall she. She can not live any longer without her baby. /*\*/*\ Taji stands with tears streaming down her cheeks while she watches the destruction of her missing grandchild. She turns her face into the chest of her husband Keitaro. He holds her tightly giving her the comfort she needs. He stands ramrod straight staring icily into the small dining room. Although unshed his eyes brim with tears. Hiroshi walks up beside them, his blue eyes burning with rage and promised vengeance against Genma, and Soun, that is if Genma is alive. Hiroshi watches mutely while his family is torn apart at the loss of a young girl they just met but care deeply about. He watches fascinated as the blackish purple mass begins to lighten slowly to a medium purple. He can now make out the movements of Anna and Michael while they move through the burning room glowing brightly. Silently he prays that his niece and her friend are still alive. /*\*/*\ Keitaro's anger rages, his grandchild finally finds some peace and a family to support her, when that moron had to do this. He watches his granddaughter's glowing friends move through the now purple chi, wondering how they are able to move through it without being killed. His mind working overtime in figuring a way for the Takashi's to claim vengeance on this Soun Tendo and especially Genma Saotome. He could not believe what Cologne had told him, until he had seen with his own eyes Ran Koh change shape back to Ranma. Genma effectively killed Ranma at Jusenkyo, and with the finale merging of Ra Koh and Ranma, his grandson is no more. He wants to know this new child that rose from the life that was Ranma. He hopes; he gets that chance, to know that new individual. Now that he knows his daughter is not dumb enough to have agreed to that stupid promise, his family may now have a chance to heal _but_ without the presence of Genma. His attention is pulled back to two glows as they stop moving. The golden white glow grows brighter then before, but he can still see nothing definite. /*\*/*\ Michael and Anna watch as the small dining room fills with the powerful magic of Ran Koh, while her mother fights with Ran Koh's grandfather. Michael walks toward the chi barrier he knows Ryoga has formed around the dining room to contain the chifire. Anna senses what he is planning and joins him at the door to the room. Michael then flares his golden white aura to the maximum possible strength, with Anna following suit. Then before anyone can stop them they enter the room. They needed to push through the chi barrier left by Ryoga, once get pass the field they can feel the intense heat of the chifire, trying to break through their auras. They begin to head in the direction of were they last saw their friends. Michael reaching out with his empathic senses hoping to detect them, hoping beyond hope that they are still alive. Michael feels Anna's hand touch his arm; he looks up at her and sees she is pointing at something. He turns to see what it is. His eyes go wide and he freezes with shock almost causing him to lose his protective aura. He and Anna hurry to the object; they bend down to examine it tears stream down their faces. They then flare their auras even brighter and the golden white aura flares even brighter still.