Ranma 1/2: Ranma No More Alternate History By: Dani Yanega yanega@mindspring.com (please respond to this e-mail address) http://mindspring.com/~yanega/index.htm Chapter Fifty Five A twelve foot demon stands in the middle of the path its blood red tongue darting out and licking its blistered mucus encrusted lips. Its eyes flashing bright red as it stands waiting for the three victims heading straight for it. Its scream rips from its once hungry mouth as a dozen or more yellow spotted bandanas attach themselves to different parts of its body. The demon charges forward its clawed hand raising to slash the puny humans to pieces. "SHI SHI HOUKOU DAN!" A ball of greenish yellow chi slams into the demon dissolving it to nothing but a puddle of thick black sludge. "Husband not good, if depression come back!" La Si calls to her husband worry passing through her dark blue eyes. "I will be fine when we get the little girl to safety, La Si." Ryoga tells her trying to alleviate her fears and his. Ryoga can feel the depression and rage building, and he doesn't want to live like that anymore he is happy in his new life. He won't allow it, but what would Ran Koh do if this was happening to her. She would use the extra power it gives her to defeat the demons. Ryoga knows he can control his depression maybe for right now though the Shi Shi Houkou Dan is what this battle needs. The gasp from his wife brings him from his thoughts, in front of the little party is a group of ten demons all over ten feet tall. The little party stops about thirty feet from the demon war party. Ryoga begins to glow a color he thought he would never see again. His anger and rage builds to heights he didn't know they could when he hears the frighten crying of the child La Si is holding. The demons smile hungrily at the little group, they then begin to look at Ryoga with confusion. They feel his rage build but they have never seen a puny human glow like that before. The demons do not even have time to yell when a shout rings out across the park, and only Ran Koh and Ku Lon understand the significance. "PERFECT SHI SHI HOUKU DAN!" A pillar of yellowish green chi heads skyward, black light mingles with it. The pillar then descends and impacts the ten demons who stand with their mouths agape. Several were smart enough to move before the awesome power of Ryoga's attack reaches them. The only problem is they didn't get very far. /*\*/*\ "WING DAGGERS!" Kima lets lose with the dagger like feathers from her wings taking down one of the escaping demons. Another escaping demon meets face to face with Ly Me and Mi Nte, the two musk warriors use their blades and dissect the demon leaving only a puddle of slime behind. The last escaping demon comes face to face with its worse nightmare. Nodoka floats several feet off the ground in front of the demon her eyes blazing with blue fire. Her red kimono flapping gently in the breeze. She is the picture of a delicate china doll. Well she would be if it wasn't for the fact she is carrying a katana that is glowing with a blue fire. The demon stares at the warrior mother, it lashes out at her trying to cut her in half. She dodges out of the demons reach, then quickly brings her katana down on its extended arm. The demon howls in pain. It has never felt such pain before. The sword slices through him again leaving a large gash across the demon's stomach eliciting another scream of pain. The demon tries to heal the painful wound but nothing is happening. The demon looks up at the laughing sorceress warrior confusion and rage running through its mind. "It is a special spell my daughter and I thought up, pretty effective is it not. It is a spell of fire and ice. I think it will be very helpful when dealing with your leaders." Nodoka tells the demon as she brings her blade of glowing blue fire/ice in a smooth arc through the neck of the demon, decapitating it. Nodoka watches as the demon begins to dissolve then turns and floats into another group of demons that are trying to reach the shelter house where the innocent bystanders and warriors who have injuries are being tended to. "ICE SHARDS!" The magic spell of Samuel comes forth, and a series of ice daggers slice through one of the demons. Nodoka then sees a large battle spatula slice through another of the demons leaving it in two pieces on the ground. Nodoka tries to warn the young leader of the dragon sect as a demon looms up behind her. Before she even opens her mouth the demon is perforated with twelve arrows glowing an orange-yellow. Nodoka not wanting to miss the fun joins the two dragon leaders and the Shaman in ending the threat that this group of demons is to the makeshift medical room. The battle only lasts about five minutes as the shaman takes down another demon, Samuel casts another spell. "LIGHTING BLAST!" A pillar of lighting five inches around shoots from his hand and electrocutes another demon. Nodoka and Ukyo using their enchanted weapons slice through the demons, leaving them to dissolve on the ground around them. Soon all that is left is a large puddle of demon. The fighters bow to each other then turn and charge into another fray. /*\*/*\ Her Rbe leads his warriors into battle from the air his soldiers cheering as they swarm a large contingent of demons that materialize behind the fighting Light Warriors. The Musk warriors show why they are one of the most feared fighters in their area. The Musk once an enemy of the Phoenix and the Amazons, now fight side by side with them because the threat that is now coming threatens them all. The Musk use a combination of martial arts and magical weaponry, that is laced with chi. Their swords slice through the blackness that is the demons like a hot knife through cold butter. When they finish there are several wounded Musk soldiers being taken to the shelter house to have their wounds tended, but none are serious. The demons however did not fair as well since there is none left. Her Rbe leads his army onward into the main battle. He smiles as he watches the white hair sorceress take out fifteen with a tornado of fire. /*\*/*\ Daniel and Erin fight back to back slashing at demons while trying to keep from being overrun. Both fighters are covered in demon blood as it mingles with their own. Erin has a scratch from a demon that travels down the right side of his face. He can tell it will leave a nice scare. Daniel has several deep gashes on his arm and one across his chest. The demons surge forward to overrun the fighters. A large golden ball of fire lands in the group of demons they are fighting. They look around when they see no one they look and salute the prince of the Musk as he fires off another golden ball of chi at the demons trying to surge forward. The two warriors charge through the demons as warriors from out side that circle surge inward hacking as they go. The demons fall to the swift blades of the fighters under Daniel. As he fights with a sword in each hand. He pauses a moment when a shadow flies over him. He looks up and sees Ran Koh as she zeroes in on another group of demons. He is soon brought back to the battle when a demon tries to gut him. The only thing preventing this is Erin's swift action and razor sharp claymore. /*\*/*\ The battle rages, and the Light Warriors fight what seems to be a never ending supply of demons. The local police are busy keeping the bystanders moving and taking any injured to the shelter where medical help awaits. The police with the help of Doctor Tofu and Doctor Takashi have the ambulances from the local hospitals removing the seriously injured victims from the other side of the park. They do this under the protection of the Phoenix warriors. A limousine pulls up at the entrance to the park and Tomoko Kyoshi steps out the Takashi men behind him. The three men draw their swords then the elder Takashi turns to his friend with a wry smile. "I guess you will get your information now Kyoshi, get to that shelter house you can help with the wounded. I will get the Light Warriors there after the battle." Kyoshi nods and runs through the park toward the shelter, helping wounded people there as he goes. Keitaro watches him and smiles, his friend was always too good hearted for politics. His eyes narrow when he spots a camera crew near the entrance filming them. He turns and joins his sons in the battle. Their swords glowing brightly as that is the secret of their school. /*\*/*\ The Takashi men head into battle going toward the shelter house. They know that the demons consider the wounded there easy prey. They were watching the news cast when Ran Koh put a stop to a group of them heading for it. The Takashi fighters have decided they will protect the shelter house while the other warriors fight the incursion. The three men plant themselves in a line in the path to the makeshift medical station, the sons occasionally branching into the woods on either side to look for demons sneaking forward through them. Their swords glowing brightly. They didn't have long to wait for excitement. They hear breaking branches in the trees to the right of them Keitaro nods to his eldest son, and both he and his brother head into the woods while Keitaro guards the main path from other demons. Keitaro and his sons were correct the noise in the woods was a distraction as he watches three demons barrel down the path toward the shelter house. Keitaro takes a defensive stance and brings his sword glowing dark yellow in front of himself. The demons pause at the power being displayed but decide it is not enough to stop them and they charge Keitaro. Keitaro smiles as the demons continue on their journey to meet their demise. He can hear his sons fighting in the woods to his right knowing they are stopping the ones trying to sneak through undergrowth. "Let us show this evil that a Takashi blade is the deadliest!" Keitaro turns at the familiar voice his youngest daughter stands behind him her sword glowing a bluish-yellow. He smiles at her and nods as the two run forward to meet their enemy. They swing at the lead demon their chi enhanced blades slicing through its extended arms. The demon pauses and looks down at the stumps that are its arms, it then stares in shock as the arms do not grow back as they should. The Takashi patriarch and his daughter then lash out dissecting the demon into three parts. As their first victim dissolves the other to demons surge forward rage glowing brightly in their eyes. Keitaro and Mirako charge forward to meet them. These demons are a little more cautious then their leader and dodge the swipes from the glowing Takashi weapons. The demons figure on tiring out their opponents and then devouring the powerful warriors. Keitaro wants to end this stalemate he can see his daughter tiring as she has not been keeping up with her training. He will have to fix that. Keitaro steps up the power he is feeding to his weapon. The sword not only glows brighter but the chi enhancement extends the reach of the weapon another three feet. Mirako tries to follow suit but it has been so long since she has practice she can not manage the extra power. The demons sense her weakening and they charge the young doctor. Mirako backs up but trips on a tree root on the dirt path. She falls back with a shout of surprise, her katana flying from her grasp. She watches in terror as the two demons converge on her, her father trying to reach her before they can harm her. Mirako realizes that even if her father stops one of them he can not stop the other. "MIRAKO!" Keitaro shouts as he tries to get to his daughter. "SHI SHI HOUKOU DAN" Keitaro and Mirako watch in fascination as yellow-green ball of light encompasses the demon. They watch as the demon is obliterated from existence. Keitaro snaps out of his awe as the last demon tries to decapitate him, he just manages to dodge by ducking under the swipe. He then twists his body and slashes upward with his glowing sword removing the arm of the demon. Still slicing with the sword he turns again completing his arc and brings the sword through the body of the demon. He watches with satisfaction as the demon dissolves into a puddle of thick black liquid. /*\*/*\ Hayashi and Hiroshi head into the woods listening for their targets. Their swords glowing brightly. The hear a tree limb snap and they spilt up to circle around their target to pin it between them. The men pick up quiet whispers and didn't realize the demons can communicate with each other. They slowly close in on the attackers when they finally are able to attack they are in shock. The Takashi sons burst through the last of the trees that block their view of the on coming demons. With their swords glowing they crash through the trees, ready to slice through their targets. When they see what they have been staking they quickly turn so their blades miss the frighten reporter and her cameraman. Hayashi seething with anger storms up to the woman, rage burning in his blue eyes. "_WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!_ Are you nuts woman were fighting a war here we don't' need you and your cameraman getting in our way!" He continues on the reporter now in an element she can understand lashes back. "My viewers have a right to know what is going on! I have every right to be here!" She snarls back at the older Takashi. "They have the right to see you cause the death of innocent people just so you can further your career." The woman whirls to face the other Takashi brother rage and shock on her face. "Because of you we have left our father guarding the only path to the wounded, because we thought _YOU_ and your lackey were demons" Hiroshi continues as he pulls out a cell phone. He talks quickly and a few minutes later several police burst through the trees and surround the reporter and her cameraman. The Takashi men glare at the reporter, who even though she is very nervous does not allow these men to see it. "These officers will lead you out of the park I would advise you not to try this again because the next time it may not be one of the warriors you run into." Hiroshi tells her. "MIRAKO!" The two men turn at the cry then back to the police. "GET THIS TRASH OUT OF HERE! If anything happens to my sister _woman_ you better not be in Japan when this is over!" Hayashi tells them as he turns and runs toward the shout his younger brother close behind. The reporter tries to follow but the police block her way. She tries to push past them but they force her and the camera man back through the trees the way they came in, leading them to a park exit. One of the officers pulls out his own cell phone and calls for reinforcements to strengthen the parameter of the battle area. /*\*/*\ La Si runs past her husband to the Takashi doctor and helps her to her feet. She smiles at the young newlywed as she picks up her dropped sword. Her father runs up and takes her in a big bear hug, which she tries to squirm free of. "DDDAAAADDD! I am alright, come on your embarrassing me!" She whines to her over protective father. The four warriors turn to the sounds of running feet and see Mirako's two brothers burst through the trees worry etched on their faces. When they see the demon remains and their father clutching their sister they think the worse and run to their sister checking her for wounds. "I am alright, thanks to Ryoga!" She tells them directing their attention to the Tiger Sect leader. It is then that they also notice something is wrong with the warrior, his eyes are full of rage, depression, and pain. La Si moves next to her husband and tries to get him to let go of something he is carrying. They are surprised they did not see it before. "Come husband she fine now with doctor!" La Si tries to reassure him, he looks down at his wife then back up to the Takashi Clansmen. Mirako steps forward, Ryoga turns and glares at her. She pauses for an instant then moves closer. She tries to ignore Ryoga's rage as he seems to now be directing it towards her. She knows he will not hurt her but it is unsettling. La Si talks soothingly to her husband and gently pries his firm grip from what he is carrying. Mirako takes it from him and the Takashi men gasp when they see Mirako sit down with a small child in her arms. The child looks to Mirako then back to Ryoga. She cries out in fear and reaches for the Tiger Sect leader in an effort to return to him. Mirako talks quietly to the child belaying her fears. "It is alright child he will stay right there. My name is Mirako and if it is alright I just want to see that you're not hurt." The little girl looks to the doctor then back to Ryoga who nods to her and smiles his fangs showing slightly. Mirako turns her full attention to the little girl pressing some pressure points rendering the child unconscious. Ryoga lunges for the child but is stopped by his wife, when wraps her arms around him and rests her head against his chest. "Is alright Airen, is sleep pressure point." Mirako smiles at the young girls knowledge as she continues to examine the child. "Where did you find her?" Keitaro asks wanting information and trying to distract the warrior from his daughter. Ryoga tells them what happen and how Sera heard the commotion and is the one who led them to the little girl. The tiger steps from behind his master and inches closer to Mirako and the little girl. Sera's eyes narrowing with suspicion. Mirako looks up at the tiger, she leans slightly forward and with a wry grin whispers to the big cat. "Don't you give me that look young man or I will tell your mother!" Sera's eyes open wide with surprise as he looks from the child to the smiling face of his momma's aunt. "She doesn't have any physical injuries although she is in shock. I will take her to the shelter house and we will look after her there. My father and brothers are guarding the path from the demons they seem to be trying to get to the wounded." Mirako tells Ryoga as he helps her stand with the little girl. She turns to head toward the shelter house when the little girl cries out in her sleep, her voice full of fear and reaches instinctively toward Ryoga and La Si. Ryoga starts to head toward her when his wife steps in front of him and shake her head. She walks up to the child and takes one her out stretched hands in hers. She leans down and kisses the tiny appendage then looks up at the little girl. "Little one is ok. Nice doctor lady take care till La Si and husband come get, ok?" La Si whispers in the sleeping little girls ear a whimper escaping her lips as she latches onto Mirako. Ryoga watches Ran Koh's aunt disappear his depression still flowing about his body. He jumps when a gentle hand rests on his shoulder. He turns and faces his wife worry adorning her beautiful face. He takes her into a tight embrace and sighs deeply into her neck. Keitaro turns to his sons for information and to give the young couple a few minutes. "What about the demons in the woods?" He asks drawing Ryoga and La Si's attention. "They weren't, it was a stupid reporter and her cameraman. Luckily we had a cell phone Hiroshi used it to call the police that have been keeping the civilians out of the fighting. They sent a half dozen or so police to lead them out of the area." Hayashi tells his father with disgust. "The problem is we are not going to be able to keep this quiet now. Ryoga you and the other sect leaders will half to talk with Kyoshi Tomoko after this battle. I will bring him to your apartment building after we _win_ this battle." The elder Takashi tells the Tiger leader who nods. Ryoga turns to head back to the fighting giving one last glance over his shoulder toward the directions Mirako has gone with the little girl. He then heads back to the fighting his wife and Sera close behind him. /*\*/*\ The battle rages while Soun, Genma and Akane watch spellbound to the television. Akane fuming that she wasn't there defending the idiots that where standing around and watching. In her mind she finally turns all the arguments her father gave her earlier to the fact that he doesn't believe her capable of helping. Akane rises and leaves the family room for the dojo. Soun and Genma stare after her confusion and curiosity written on their faces. They follow the youngest Tendo out to the training hall and watch as she rummages through the weapons cabinet. Genma watching in disgust that a Master of the Anything Goes Martial Arts would even have a weapons closet let alone teach weapon use. They back up a step when Akane pulls free what she is looking for and swings a razor sharp katana in an arch as she spins and faces her father and Genma. "I am going to join the fighting and you can't stop me!" She snarls at the shock on the faces of the fathers. "Daughter you _can't_! Their weapons are magically enhanced you saw them glowing! You need a special weapon to fight those things." Soun tries desperately to convince his rash young daughter. Akane just snorts and pushes past them. She is gone before they can stop her. The two men look where Akane was before turning to each other. Soun starts crying and Genma was not able to move fast enough to avoid the inevitable. "AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGUUUURRRRFFFFFF!" Genma-Panda is kneeling on the floor panting heavily as the change finishes. [I knew I shouldn’t have changed back to human. Well at least I am not passing out any longer. The damage I received from Ranma must have healed enough.] Genma-Panda thinks and he collapses onto this stomach still gasping for air. /*\/*\ Akane exits her front gate only to be confronted by the one person she did not want to see at this time. She takes a ready stance and begins to glow a dark angry red. Her battle aura causing her long hair to flutter and move as if it had a life of its own. "Ah my tigress! You have finally blessed the eyes of this humble samurai with your ferrous beauty. To thank me personally for guarding you from the evils in Nerima!" He rants not noticing her slow movement toward him his hand on his heart and his bokken high above his head. "Do mine eyes deceive me that my tigress takes up the sword to honor her love for the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School. Come to me my beauty and together we will fight our love bonding us for..oof!" Akane spins and kicks knocking Kuno into the wall of the Tendo compound. She watches as he slowly slides down the wall his dazed eyes closing in unconscious bliss. She smiles as she turns from the moronic kendoist and heads toward Nerima park. As she runs through the streets her aura brightens with the expectations of showing everyone she is just as good as that pervert Ranma. When Akane reaches the park she her path is blocked by the local police. "LET ME THROUGH I AM HERE TO FIGHT! I AM MARTIAL ARTIST!" She screams at the police barricade. "Sorry missy no can do we have strict orders to _let no one else in_! it is too dangerous. Akane fumes but she is not going to let these morons stop her from showing up that perverted baka. She pushes her way back through the crowd, she knows a way into the park. She heads back the way she came then climbs down the embankment by the bridge that crosses the canal. Once down by the canal she follows it back toward the park and to the dam that keeps the small lake in the park. She climbs back up the embankment and comes face to face with a twelve foot demon he smiles down at her saliva dripping from his sharp jagged teeth as he runs his tongue over them in a hungry manor. Akane gulps and tries to take a step back only to still find herself at the edge of the embankment. She steels her courage and swings her katana at the demon. Without the magical or chi enhancements her sword lodges in the demons arm. The demon cries out in pain and jerks his wounded arm back pulling the sword from Akane's grasp. It rips the sword from its arm and Akane's eyes widen with fear and shock as the wound heals instantly. The demon lunges toward the frozen girl who snaps to in time to duck a swipe by the monstrosity before her. However since she is so close to the embankment she slips and falls back down to land unceremoniously in the canal. The demon jumps from above with every intension of landing on the slowly rising girl. Akane looks up her mouth open in a silent scream. She turns and covers her eyes as a golden white ball impacts the demon above her. She watches as the demon dissolves into a black oozing mass that rains down onto her. She looks up in rage at her savior. /*\*/*\ A pair of gold eyes watch from a small bush as Akane climbs up the embankment. It stares curiously as she comes face to face with a twelve foot demon. The eyes widen as they watch the short fight ensue. The bush rustles as a small calico cat dashes away toward her momma nearby. {MOMMA! MOMMA! THAT MEAN LADY IS HERE AND IN TROULBLE!} Ran Koh looks quickly around and spots Cali coming toward her. She flies toward the kitten going low to the ground and scoops the little animal up in her arms. Ran Koh’s danger sense goes off and she rolls quickly to the side just missing a claw strike to her back. She fires off a chifire blast the sneaky demon dissolves into a black pool of demon blood. She flies at the directions of her little friend in time to see Akane duck a swipe by the large demon and fall down the embankment. She watches as Akane slowly tries to rise. Ran Koh sees the demon jump from the embankment toward the still dazed Anything Goes heir. Ran Koh glows golden white and shoots of a blast of magical chi at the demon causing it to dissolve all over the youngest Tendo. She turns to leave when Akane shouts at her. "HOW DARE YOU! I COULD HAVE HANDLED IT! I AM TRAINED JUST LIKE THE REST OF YOU!" She screams at a floating Ran Koh. "You are trained to break bricks and beat up school boys who don't know how to fight. This is a life and death battle. The last thing we need is you running around getting in the way. Because I am here others could be dying. Go home miss Tendo you are not needed or wanted." With a wave of her hand several policemen show up and begin to escort Akane out of the area. Akane watches the sorceress fly away back toward the battle. She pushes one of the policemen away from her and tries to go after the leader of the Tiger Sect only to find another officer in front of her with a baton and pair of handcuffs. "Don't make us have to arrest you miss, now please turn and head back from where you came." The officer was over six feet tall with short cropped hair. Akane believes she can take him even though he is very powerful looking. She glares angrily at him and takes her ready stance. The officer looks down at her with narrowing eyes. Then he laughs out, Akane's rage grows and her battle aura forms a bright red around her. [How dare he laugh at me!] Races through Akane's mind as she reaches out and her mallet forms in her hand. She raises the mallet ready to strike when a loud *CRACK* is heard and Akane cries out in pain. She drops her mallet and whirls to find her father standing there a wood bokken in his hands and a look of anger, pity and disgust on his face. "I am sorry officer, I will take care of my daughter." It has been a long time since Soun has taken responsibility for the action of his children, but attacking an officer doing his duty is not how his children were raised. Akane glares at her father as he takes her arm and leads her away. She tries to pull free but is unable to break his iron grip. She then realizes were she gets her physical strength. Soun drags Akane home, while Akane stares at him in awe as he is surrounded by a dark red aura.