1A/N: Don’t own Ranma, wish I did, will always wish I did...so there. :)

Big thanks and appreciation to Innortal for his proofreading and assistance in this chapter. He helps make sure that I don’t suck...lol. The man’s got some impressive knowledge of the characters and insights into them as well.

Battle Lines

“I’ll get it!” called Nabiki as she made her way down the stairs to answer the shrill ringing of the phone.

“Tendo residence,” she said in a bored tone, cradling the handset on her shoulder as she observed her nails. ‘Gonna need a manicure soon...’ she thought, rubbing a thumb across an uneven edge of one of her nails.

“Hey Nabiki, it’s me. Ranma around?” said a business-like Bill, his voice tense.

She paused for a moment, her mind clicking that something was up and that Ranma was about to take a minor ‘trip’ once more. “Yeah, sure, hold on a minute.”

“RANMA!” called Nabiki, setting the phone down and walking towards the training hall where he was currently practicing.

The door was open and she caught sight of him mid-kata, his body a fluid motion that changed directions and forms flawlessly. His eyes were closed in concentration, though his face showed a kind of serene peace that had been denied him when he wasn’t in his element.

Nabiki was still awed by his skill, the controlled power he radiated when he moved. ‘That and he looks REALLY good without a shirt on!’ she added mentally, stepping onto the mat.

As if her single footstep were the signal to end, Ranma stopped his movements and opened his eyes. He looked at her for a moment and almost smiled, “What’s up?” he asked, reaching down and scooping up the towel on the floor.

“Phone call of the benefactor kind,” she told him, watching him as he toweled the sweat off his body with a sly smile on her face.

He paused and looked at her. “Okay, thanks Nabiki,” Ranma said, starting to walk past her, only to be stopped by her hand on his arm.

Looking at the martial artist intently, “Ranma, are you EVER going to tell me what’s going on and why he keeps calling you?” she asked quietly, curiosity eating her alive.

For all her attempts to discover what was going on, Bill and his friends had proven to be elusive and impenetrable to her contacts. No amount of money or blackmail seemed to garner her anymore information then she already had.

Ranma frowned at his friend, he enjoyed the word and the feeling it evoked within him, “I can’t Nabiki, and you saw what happened to Kuno when he talked too much. Besides, it’s kinda nice being able to pay my own way for a change...that and I get to keep a secret from you,” he chuckled, bounding away from the now annoyed girl.

“Oh, Saotome, you are SO going to pay for that,” she glowered after him, following him down the hallway.

Ten minutes later...

He was just finishing buttoning up his top when a light knock on his door sounded. “Yeah?” he called, sliding on the leather bracers he wore when training.

Akane poked her head in, a concerned expression on her face, “Hey Ranma?” she asked quietly, opening the door fully before stepping in. “You going somewhere?”

Nodding, he turned to face her, an expression of determination on his face. “Yeah, gonna go train for bit with Ryoga and a couple of others. Why?” he asked her, pausing as he started to leave the room.

“Can I come?” she asked tentatively, eyeing him carefully.

Snorting at her, he shook his head, “Nah, I don’t want you to get hurt. We’re gonna go all out and I don’t wanna worry about hurting you or nothin’,” he told her, cringing only slightly when he caught sight of the anger welling up around her.

Akane glared at him, her knuckles popping on her hand in frustration. “I’m a martial artist, too, ya know!” she challenged him.

Ranma took a quick step to clear from the immediate impact zone of her mallet should she decide to do a preemptive strike on him. “It ain’t like that, Akane! You know how Ryoga and me can get when we’re sparring. If you were there, you’d just hold...” he stopped, his eyes widening and his hands clasping over his mouth as he realized that he’d said too much of the wrong thing to her and eruption was imminent.

Her aura flared a deep and ominous red, fingers on both hands clenching into the brick breaking weapons she so loved. Before she could deliver justice in a fist, Ranma took to flight. He leapt back into his room to the window sill, the balls of his feet just touching the ledge before he launched himself into the yard below.

“RANMA! YOU GET BACK HERE!” she cried out, running down the hall to the stairs and down, almost bowling over Kasumi in the process.

“Sorry, Kasumi!” the now sprinting girl called over her shoulder as she pursued her fiancé.

“Oh my!” the taller girl uttered, blinking after her sister ran past her, with a sad shake of her head. Picking up her laundry, she continued her course to put it away. “It seems Ranma won’t be joining us for dinner tonight. I’ll make sure to save him some,” she said, closing the door to his room absently as she passed.

Nabiki watched the whole exchange and subsequent chase scene from her position in the living room, a stick of pocky paused in her mouth. Sighing, the girl looked over her shoulder as Akane left the compound and began trying to follow the rooftop borne Ranma.

“She’ll learn that she just doesn’t compete with him sooner or later,” she muttered, before watching the quickly bouncing form of Ranma disappearing in the distance. ‘Be careful Ranma,’ her thoughts went with the silhouette.

Outside Furinkan High...

Ranma landed and hit the ground running, reaching Bill, Ryoga, and Shampoo. His smile caught as he saw the expression on her face, one of forlorn sadness and loneliness. “Hey! What’s up?” he asked, trying not to make eye contact with Shampoo.

Bill grit his teeth together, hating himself more and more with each passing moment for having to have both Ranma and Shampoo together like this so soon after the abrupt termination of their engagement. “We’ve got a rather drastic emergency going on, that’s what. I’m going to have to send you and Ryoga in to provide distraction while Tsuruko and Shampoo close off as many of the rips as they can,” he explained, pairing up the men and women respectively.

Shampoo, pulling longing eyes from Ranma, glanced around to find her partner. “Where sword woman at?” she asked quietly, her normally bubbly voice subdued.

‘I’m so sorry, Shampoo,’ thought Bill reflexively, hating the tone in her voice and knowing he was the cause. “I’m not really sure, she should’ve been here by now,” he told her, looking around curiously before sighting the master swordswoman walking towards them with an angry expression on her normally placid face.

“Um, Tsuruko?” asked Bill, unsure he wanted to get her attention.

Her expression was one of outrage, her left eye twitching uncontrollably. “I have encountered a troll...that was bent upon feeling my cleavage,” she ground out, her hand tightening on her sword.

All three teenagers winced, knowing exactly who the woman was speaking of. Though all eyes of the two strangers turned to Ranma for an explanation, the action caused him to flex back in fear. “It ain’t like that I tell ya! The old goat is a pervert and a lech!” he stammered by way of trying to disassociate himself from Happosai.

“THAT was the grandmaster of the Anything Goes Style of Martial Arts?” she asked incredulously, turning the full focus of her attention to the boy.

Seeing the fear she was instilling in him, she forced herself back into a calm state before speaking once more. “My apologies, Ranma, I know of your battles with the old man. You are not to blame for the follies of neither him nor your father,” she told him, smiling lightly once more at him.

Ryoga and Shampoo decided to step closer to Ranma once more, seeing that he wasn’t about to become target practice for the woman. “Man, Ranma! I’d hate to be in his shoes, how’d he find you anyways, Tsuruko?” asked Ryoga, looking from his friend to the woman.

Her answering smile wasn’t pleasant. “It would seem that one, Genma Saotome, decided to speak with his master about a conversation we had,” she told him, this time everyone winced in sympathy.

Bill, shaking his head. “Alright, looks like I get to move ahead with phase two of operation: Punish the Panda. At the moment though, I need you guys to focus. There’s something bad going down, and it’s going to affect all of you to some extent. I need you to do what you all do best and get back here as quickly as possible. Don’t take any unnecessary chances over there, we’re pulled way to thin to have anything bad happen to any of you,” he told them bluntly, folding his arms across his chest.

The four people nodded in understanding, waiting for him to send them off. Seeing that they were ready, Bill smiled grimly. “Alrighty then, let’s get moving. Ranma and Ryoga, you’re up first,” he told them pointing them towards the equipment storage room of the high school.

The two boys ran off into the darkness, almost instantly disappearing from sight as the shadows closed around them.

Seeing them off, he turned to face Shampoo. “You sure you’re up to this?” he asked her quietly, his voice and face full of sympathy.

She gave him a cold look but nodded bravely, “Shampoo fine, you no worry,” she told him, hiding the pain she felt.

It was Tsuruko’s gentle hand on her shoulder that reassured him. “She is a warrior, do not doubt her abilities, Bill,” she told him firmly.

Sighing he nodded to them. “Right...okay, let’s get you two moving. There’s your door,” he pointed towards the generator room’s entrance. The women calmly moved into the darkness and were transported to the place between.

Bill walked from the area, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how Drake had gotten ahead of him so quickly. The sound of shutter clicking shut caught his attention, seeing a glint of light from the bushes nearby.

The man growled low in his throat as he walked towards the sound, spooking free the hidden skeleton thin young man from his hiding place. Before the boy could escape, Bill had closed the distance and grasped the man’s collar, hoisting him from the ground.

“I shoulda known it was you, Gosunkugi,” he told the clearly frightened wannabe voodoo artist.

He shook his head violently from side to side, “No-no-no-no! You’ve got the wrong idea! Really!” he tried to defend himself.

Shaking him slightly to get his attention, Bill gave the man a skeptical look. “And I should believe you...why?” he asked darkly.

The thin boy looked directly at Bill and shuddered. “Because I’ve seen a real demon today...” he told the man that held him, stopping his struggling.

Bill paused and regarded him, trying to discern if he was being lied to. “Okay, I’ll bite, where at?” he asked, trying to call the boys bluff.

He stuck an arm out, pointing in the general direction of the Tendo Dojo, then yanked a stack of photos from within his shirt and showed them to him. “SEE! LOOK!” he practically shouted at Bill, his eyes wild with fear and determination.

He put the boy down and took the offered pictures, slowly sliding each one out and behind the stack, his face growing grimmer with each subsequent one. “How long ago was this?” he asked without looking at the young man.

Gosunkugi checked his watch, “About 2 hours or so I guess, I know a really good developer that owes me a favor for some work I did for him so,” he started to explain only to be shushed by Bill.

“TMI. Gos...TMI. Any reason I should know of that Akane Tendo is the principle of these shots?” he asked darkly, licking his lips nervously as he scanned the photos more closely, attempting to identify the small creature.

The blush on the boy’s face told him all he needed to know. “If she catches you she’s gonna pound you into a bloody splotch, you know that, right?” said the clearly upset man, sliding the pictures into his pocket.

“Look, keep an eye on this thing if you can, but don’t get too close to it,” he told the boy, shaking his head slightly and wondering how this could get any worse.

“What were you two talking about?” came the voice of any worse, that of Akane Tendo.

‘Me and my big mouth!” Bill thought looking to the heavens above and cursing the day he was born.

Gosunkugi did the wisest thing he could think of at that moment in time: he made a run for it.

Watching the little traitor run away, Bill made a mental note to tack him to a tree later. ‘See if I ask for your help again,’ he thought at the retreating form of Gosunkugi.

Turning he smiled at her, “Akane Tendo! What brings you here?” he asked innocently.

She looked at him suspiciously. “I was trying to find Ranma, only to instead I ran into you and Gosunkugi talking about pictures...of me.” she glowered at him, pointing to the pocket that held said pictures.

Bill winced slightly. “Well, it seems as if your friend had been taking pictures of you without your knowledge, and I happened to stumble across him doing so. Rather than let Ranma hear about it, I confiscated the pictures. I’ll just have them destroyed...” he started to say, only to have her take a step closer with an angry expression on her face.

“Oh, no you don’t! I know something weird is going on and I want to know what it is...AND I want those pictures!” she said darkly, looking up into the taller man’s face without fear.

He shook his head at her, “I can’t do that, Akane, sorry. It’s not personal, it just business. As far as weird things happening, in case you hadn’t noticed, this IS Nerima,” he said with what he hoped was a charming smile.

It failed, horribly.

“Listen, you pervert! I don’t know who you think you are but you’d better give me those pictures if you know what’s good for you,” she threatened, taking up a fighting stance.

It was then that Bill realized just how bad his luck was, and how much this was going to hurt if he didn’t think of something quick. Holding up his hands, he tried to placate the irate girl. “Hold up Hold up! There ain’t any need for fighting right now. If they mean that much to you, here...just remember, YOU asked for them,” he told her, putting his hand into his pocket and finger counting the pictures.

Pulling the one’s that only showed Akane were relatively simple, a bit of sleight of hand that he easily performed before she could get too suspicious. Handing them to her, he frowned. “If he’s your friend, he’s got a weird way of showing it,” he told her darkly, turning away from her and starting to walk towards the equipment closet.

Akane, whose attention was glued on the various poses that she’d been photographed in, missed his departure until it was too late, looking up in time to see the door to the equipment locker swing shut with a bang.

“Come back here, I’m not through with you!” she cried, running to the door and throwing it open, only to stand slack jawed to find that various sports equipment met her gaze.

“Huh?” she said, taking a step in and rooting around for several minutes, in a vain attempt to find a secret door or passage. None appeared.

There was a low growling that seemed to loft from the shadows around her, chilling her to the bone with its ferocity. She slowly turned to find the location of the animal, but was unable to find any.

Taking a tentative step forwards, she glanced quickly back and forth, swallowing hard in an attempt to rid herself of fear. A pair of glowing red eyes materialized before her, the growl growing louder as they did.

Before the girl could even scream in terror, the shadows around her seemed to solidify and swallowed her whole. Within seconds the shadows receded, leaving her limp form on the cold cement.

Her eyes fluttered open, a low moan coming from her as they did. For the briefest of moments, her eyes flashed red, before fading back into their normal brown, though a devilish smile played on her lips.

The disturbing smile was in place as she left, exiting first the room then the school grounds as she headed home.

The Place Between...

“Bakusai Tenketsu!” cried Ryoga, driving his finger into the ground before him, causing it to erupt as if thousands of pounds of explosives had been detonated at once. The pack of demons that had been rushing him were launched into the air, yelping and crying as the sharp fragments of rock sliced deeply into them.

“Kachü Tenshin Amaguriken!” called Ranma, leaping up into the debris and slamming his fists thousands of times into the various demons, beating them into boneless masses that splattered with a disgusting noise as they slammed into the ground and were crushed by the debris of Ryoga’s attack.

Both fighters stepped gingerly over the remains, noses wrinkled by the stench. “We work pretty well together, Ranma,” said Ryoga, releasing the breath he’d been holding when they cleared the area.

Ranma chuckled and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “With all the fighting we’ve done against each other, it’s only natural that we know each other’s moves inside and out. Besides, how’re you gonna get any better unless you keep training with me?” he asked, smiling broadly.

Ryoga growled at the arrogant statement, slapping the hand from his shoulder. “It’s just like that with you, Ranma! Every time I try to be your friend, you have to go and say something stupid to ruin it!” he accused the pig tailed boy.

Blinking at the sudden hostility, Ranma looked at him confused, “What the hell are you talking about Ryoga? I was just sayin’...” he tried to say; only to have Ryoga cut him off.

“Just shaddup, Ranma! Forget it. I’m not going to fight you over this,” Ryoga told him, giving a frustrated sound as they continued their search for more demons.

“Geez, what’s YOUR problem?” grumbled Ranma falling back into step with him.

The strolled almost casually through the blackened streets; pausing only briefly at intersections to check for more targets. “Humph...looks like they learned their lesson to not mess with me,” Ranma told him, walking with his hands behind his head.

Ryoga snorted in derision. “As if Ranma, it’s my power they’re afraid, of not your speed. We both know I’m the stronger of us,” he said with a superior tone.

“Hey now! Just a minute, I don’t know whose been lying to you, but,” he started to yell, pointing a finger at him, only to have Ryoga wave a hand at him as he slipped into a defensive combat form.

“Shush...someone’s coming,” he told Ranma, starting to spin warily.

Ranma followed his lead, now also sensing the same presence. He caught sight of a shadow moving between buildings.

Tapping Ryoga on the shoulder, he motioned him forwards. They moved silently, each protecting the other as they moved through the streets. Standing on either side of the narrow and pitch black alleyway, they looked at each other with Ranma holding out a hand and counting down three fingers.

When he reached the last finger, both boys charged into the alley, only to discover a lone man standing there. “Well now, it certainly took you both long enough to find me,” said the man, smiling broadly at them.

“Who’re you and what are you doing here?” challenged Ranma, eyeing the man suspiciously.

The man held a hand to his chest and looked at them innocently, “Me? Why, my good fellows, I’m a simple traveler trying to find my way home from this horrid place. You wouldn’t happen to know of an egress I could use do you?” he asked, looking back and forth at them.

Both boys looked at the man suspiciously, not dropping their guard. He was well dressed in a grey western style suit, his black shoes shining slightly in the dim lighting of the place between. He wore a dark cloak that was draped over his shoulders, clasped tightly together by the base of his throat.

He wore his hair slicked back, nary a strand out of place. His face was sharp angles that seemed to play in the shadows, with a thin mustache and goatee that was as black as the sky above them.

Something in Ranma’s mind bothered him about the man and his appearance, though he couldn’t remember exactly what it was. “It ain’t easy to get here, how’d you get lost in here anyways?” he asked feeling minorly proud of himself for such an astute question on the fly.

The man blinked at them. “I haven’t the foggiest of ideas. I was about to enter a movie theater and as I stepped through the door there was this awful stench and howling. The next I knew I was running and screaming from monstrosities best left unsaid. I’m sure you’ve encountered them by now, given their prolific numbers,” he told them, as if it were an everyday event.

Ryoga stared hard at the man, his blood boiling at the sight of the man for reasons he couldn’t comprehend. He bared his fanged teeth to the man in a parody of a smile. “Puh-LEASE! I get lost all the time and I’ve never found this place without help,” he challenged, not liking the man’s story.

Ranma looked at his friend, sensing his rising power levels. “You’re right Ryoga, you’ve seen just about everywhere...and if YOU haven’t found this place...” he trailed off, now also staring at the man with open suspicion.

Sighing, the man shook his head sadly, “Of course, why should you believe me, after all we’re all here in a place that shouldn’t exist, fighting things out of our worst nightmares. Very well, gentlemen, if you’ve desire to help someone from his peril, I bid you good day...night...whatever,” he said, looking around with a confused look before waving his hand to the sky, shrugging and turning to walk back down the alley.

They watched him go, unsure if they were doing the right thing, doubt showing readily on their faces. “Say Ranma, maybe he really did get stuck in here...you know, like walked through a door at the wrong time,” said Ryoga, looking over at the pig tailed boy.

“Feh, like I know for sure. You want tall, dark, and freaky along while we’re supposed to be fighting? C’mon, Ryoga, let’s keep moving, that guy gave me the creeps,” he told him, as they both turned and walked in the opposite direction.

The two were able to travel only a few blocks in the endless night before hearing the haunting yowls of the demons, heading away from them.

“Hey, Ryoga! Let’s make this interesting, whoever kills the most is the winner and the loser has to buy dinner, deal?” he asked, smiling wickedly as he cracked his knuckles.

Ryoga shook his head to accept the challenge, “I just hope you’re not cheap, Ranma! I’m going to work up quite an appetite showing you up!” he replied charging off after the sounds, taking a direct route through the buildings using his breaking point technique, literally leaving Ranma in the dust.

“HEY! Come back here you cheater, I didn’t say go!” called Ranma, taking to the rooftops in an attempt to overtake the lost boy.

They both arrived virtually at the same time, Ryoga bursting from a solid stone wall while Ranma landed atop the boys head before somersaulting off and landing in a fighting stance. “I win, pig boy...” he started to crow, only to stop his words mid sentence.

“Damn you, Ranma! That hurt!” cried Ryoga, rubbing his head and glaring at Ranma.

Ranma wasn’t listening to his friend’s complaints; his attentions were solely on the sight of the man they’d just left trying to fend off a trio of large winged demons neither boy had seen before. The creatures bore spines that broke through their scaly hides, each of the hundreds dripping with a viscous substance. They stood easily 10 feet tall, even in their hunched over stances as they circled the man clearly frightened man.

Long snouts like those of an alligator with a tri-forked tongue slithered from open maws of nasty pointy teeth. Clawed fingers on the end of abnormally long arms reached out in tentative grasps at their cornered prey, searching his defenses for weakness.

The man, noticing the two fighters arrive, called out to them in desperation. “I say, you chaps wouldn’t mind lending me a hand as the case may be...though a foot or two would be JUST as acceptable,” he begged, slapping away another probing claw with his cane.

One of the creatures turned to regard the newcomers, roaring out a challenge before charging the pig tailed martial artist that had intruded on their meal.

Ranma twisted easy from its opening attack, using the things arm as a spring board to get behind in and landing a vicious thrust kick to the monsters very scaly behind, propelling forward into Ryoga. “Head’s up Ryoga, here’s one for ya!” he called, rolling to the side just as another monster tried to wrap its huge arms around him from behind.

Ryoga, barely able to recover from the head landing that Ranma had given him, got his umbrella out in time to divert the claws. They left huge raking trails in the red umbrella, almost yanking it from his hands. “My mother gave that to me!” he snarled, looking at the damage the thing had given the gift. “YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT!” he called out, beginning a series of blinding fast thrusts with the umbrella, forcing the monster to cover it’s head and torso with it’s arms in a perfect blocking stance.

“Bloody good show!” called the man, now dancing arrogantly around the final creature, wielding the cane like a rapier, making a valiant thrust against the creatures face in an attempt to pierce one of it’s eyes.

Ranma was slapping away claws that kept grabbing at him, forcing the boy to take a retreating direction. “This...is really ticking me off!” he called, his voice rising in anger as he began his counter attack.

He stepped inside the long reach of the monster, striking with punishing force against the limb, cracking bones as he did before finally slamming an elbow home into the main shoulder joint. The sheer power that Ranma put into the strike caused the fingers of his hand to numb and tingle, but the satisfying crunch and subsequent dangling of the limb from its socket was more than worth it. “Hey, Ryoga, these guys have thicker skin then you do,” he called out, giving the monster an off hand upper cut that rocked it back several paces.

“You be quiet, Ranma!” growled back the lost boy, his anger driving him forwards and slamming fists and punishing round house kicks into his monster, causing it to stumble to a knee. With a mighty cry, Ryoga leapt into the air and used his ki energy to speed his descent back down. He led with his fist, a wild eyed look in his eyes as he blurred downwards, before his fist connected to the top of the things head.

The force of the impact was perpendicular to the ground, leaving nowhere for the monster to go but down. The thing crumpled under the attack, the ground beneath it first crumpling then disintegrating into dust around them. Its body flattened, as the head came crushing down onto then past it’s shoulders, lodging it near it’s sternum.

Ryoga’s hand was buried to the wrist in the brain pan of the creature. Ichor, bits of flesh, and gore covered his normally yellow sleeve as well as creating a lock on the boys hand and arm. As it began to teeter back, Ryoga pulled desperately against the skull, bracing legs on either side of it’s now misshapen head and body in a futile effort to pull his hand free. “Leggo!” he said through clenched teeth as the monster finally began to fall backwards in the crater that it had created.

With a sickening suction sound his hand slid free, though the power of the attempt at yanking his arm to freedom was hardly dissipated. He flew straight into the side of the almost 14 foot deep crater, forming a Ryoga shaped impression in its side, where he hung in a dazed state...upside down.

The explosion caught all the remaining combatants off guard as they all turned to regard the minor drama unfolding. Ranma clucked his tongue and whistled at the new attack Ryoga had unleashed. “Wow! Way to go Ryoga. Ryoga?” he called out as the dust settled, not hearing from his friend.

“Great, now I gotta rescue his pig butt, too,” he complained before turning back to the monster he’d wounded. He shook his hand vigorously in an attempt to return total feeling to it. The creature was still clutching its ruined joint tenderly, hissing loudly at the man that had given it so much pain.

“Shaddup already and die, will ya!” he cried out, darting towards the monster causing it to lean forwards and expose it’s spine covered back to the attack. Without warning several of the spines shot out towards the pig tailed boy. He violently threw himself to the side to avoid the surprise attack, narrowly avoiding the quills. Looking over his shoulder, he observed the stone dissolving under the substance that covered the spines.

Swallowing hard, he turned his attention back to the monster, a serious expression on his face. “Looks like I’ve gotta get serious with you,” he muttered, calling upon his vast stores of ki as he circled the totally defensive monster.

Ranma rolled forwards, and then launched himself out of the way of the spines well before they could get near him. Coming to his feet he called out the attack he’d been summoning up. “Möko Takabisha!” he yelled, unleashing the power of his overwhelming confidence into the creature at near point blank range.

It never saw the attack that destroyed it, the massive ki energy fueled by the boys confidence illuminated the monster to the core, exposing its bones before vaporizing all that was left. The huge ball of energy kept traveling along its course, slamming into buildings at the far end of the small square they’d been battling.

The man pulled his cane from the monsters skull, looking at the dripping goo with an expression of distaste. “How uncivilized,” he quipped, shaking it up and down in an attempt to rid it of the ichor.

His eyes widened as he watched the attack level three buildings in quick succession before exploding in a brilliant ball of light that momentarily stunned both men. “I say,” he muttered, nodding his as he admired the attack’s culmination.

Ranma stood up with a cocky smile, “Told ya not to mess with me,” he said, dusting off his hands. Remembering the crater, he moved over to the rim and peered over, “YO! Ryoga, you alive down there?” he called in, seeing his friend showing signs of life before falling onto his back in the center of the crater.

“Stupid monster,” muttered Ryoga, glaring up at Ranma. “I’m fine, Ranma, no thanks to you. Haven’t you learned not to distract me when I’m in a fight? I coulda been seriously hurt,” he growled, getting to his feet and leaping from the crater.

“Bloody good form, mates!” clapped the man, the cane tucked neatly under his arm as he walked near them.

The boys stopped fighting and looked the man, “You okay?” asked Ranma, still not sure if he could trust this man.

“A bit smelly, but nothing a good soak won’t fix. I must say that I’ve not seen such skillful fighting in many years. Jolly good,” he congratulated them, bowing slightly as he saluted them with his right index finger to his forehead.

“You really should find your way out soon, no telling how many more of them there are,” Ryoga told him, still not wanting the man around him, fighting the rising anger that was building in him at the mere sight of him.

Nodding carefully, he looked at them before answering. “Well, now that’s the rub, eh? It would seem that I’m unable to locate a suitable egress. Would you be so kind as to travel with me until I find one?” he asked, rubbing the thin goatee expectantly.

Rolling his eyes, Ranma groaned, “Just don’t get in our way, alright? I ain’t gonna be responsible for ya,” he said finally, nodding off in a direction and beginning to walk that way.

“Quite right, quite right,” the man said with an oily smile, falling in behind the boy with Ryoga growling as he hefted his umbrella and brought up the rear.

No one spoke for some time and the only sounds they could hear were the echoing of their own footsteps. “I say, chaps, you both seem to have a bit of curse about you if I’m not mistaken...Chinese, if I know my curses,” said the strange man, causing both Ranma and Ryoga to stop dead in their tracks.

“How the hell could you know that!” growled Ranma, suddenly appearing before the man and lofting him off the ground.

Ryoga’s umbrella was touching the base of the man’s skull. “Who are you really?” he asked; his tone deadly calm.

The man’s voice was slightly strangled as Ranma twisted his shirt. “This is very uncivilized, you know,” he said raspily, though he made no attempts to remove the power grip.

Shaking him violently, Ranma finally brought him down so he could look at the man face to face. “Start talking or get ready to bleed,” he threatened, glaring daggers into the man.

“There really is no cause for this you know. I’m simply stating what is now obvious. I happen to be something of an expert on curses, and how to remove them,” he said offhandedly, as if it were a simple skill.

Both martial artists started at the statement, leaning in close to the man with narrowed eyes. “You know how to lift a Jusenkyo curse?” asked Ryoga breathlessly, images of a pig free life dancing before his eyes.

The man nodded solemnly at them. “It’s really child’s play once you understand the nature of a curse,” he affirmed to them, a slow smile playing on his lips.

Ranma, used to having his hopes raised then crushed by various bogus curse cures, narrowed his eyes at the man. “How do we know this is the truth, huh? It’s a little too convenient that we just happen to find you in a place where no one should be, AND you just HAPPEN to know of our curses, and how to cure them. Nope, I ain’t buying it. Spill now or I’m gonna get really mad!” he said, his voice lowering dangerously.

Ryoga, still wanting desperately to believe in a cure so easily, looked at his long time friend and rival, knowing how much he hated his curse. “That makes sense, you ARE a little too good to be true,” he conceded, remembering where they were.

With a heavy sigh the man’s cane came up and broke the grip the boy had on him, the cloak he’d been wearing unfurling into wings that carried him up and away from them, to land atop a darkened light pole. His tail, also revealed, swished with annoyance from side to side.

“You were chosen properly, now I can see. Good show, both of you,” he congratulated them, his smile revealing sharpened teeth.

“What the hell are you?” roared Ryoga, whipping off a bandana and charging it with ki, turning it into deadly sharp edged weapon.

His smile made Ranma’s skin crawl, like he’d taken a bath full of oil and slime. “I am here to offer you both the answer to your greatest problem and your fondest dreams,” he said, extending his arms out to his sides. His wings extended to their full scope, darkening the dim lighting behind him.

“Listen to my offer. I will cure both of your curses and grant your deepest wish and desire. All I ask in return is your assistance with some minor details, more directly, the meddling of the one you know as Bill,” he told them, pointing first to Ranma, then Ryoga.

“You’re the one he talks about, the counterpart or whatever,” snarled Ranma, his fists clenching in anger.

The man’s laughter was chilling. “He hasn’t even given you my name. How unspeakably rude! Allow me to introduce myself, I am Drake, at your service,” he said with a bow.

Ryoga shook his head in anger. “You want us to turn on the guy that’s helped us out? You’re not only evil, but nuts as well,” he said, unleashing the bandana at the man.

Drake’s cane blurred into motion, easily striking the ki charged weapon from the air and to the ground below. He tsked several times and looked at the boy sadly, “You’re mistaken, my dear boy. You’re nothing more than a tool to him, to be tossed away when no longer needed. I offer something tangible in return for your assistance, not just monetary compensation,” he countered, making no effort to return an attack.

“I don’t make deals with bad guys, lunatics, or people that hurt others. I bust’em up, instead!” yelled Ranma, taking to the air and throwing himself at Drake.

Just as Ranma attacked with his Kachü Tenshin Amaguriken, Drake shimmered and disappeared. His laughter echoed through the clearing. “Come now, gentlemen, let us speak as the civilized beings we are, before we resort to such violence,” he taunted, reappearing on a building across the square.

“We ain’t gonna listen to a loser like you, so you might as well just shut up!” challenged Ranma, landing on the pole Drake had left. ‘This guy's really fast!’ he thought, getting ready to press his attack.

Drake’s smile was sinister. “I take it that means you won’t accept my offer. More’s the pity, really. I’ll just have to ‘convince’ you then. I’m sure the one’s you care for will provide ample opportunity for me to sway your way of thinking,” he said, his laughter was low and ominous.

“You stay the hell away from Akari!” cried Ryoga, leaping into the air with his umbrella, bringing it down in a double handed over head strike at the man’s head.

Drake caught the super heavy weapon in his left hand, never moving or flinching from the hit. His smile was cruel and vile as he looked into the eyes of the now frightened Ryoga. “You’ve NO idea of the power I wield, boy,” he hissed, his right hand slamming into the tough boy’s midsection, all but folding him in half.

Blood and spittle flew from the mouth of Ryoga, his eyes going ultra wide and distant as the pain and damage from the single punch overwhelmed even his rock tough body. Before Ranma could even move, Drake leapt into the air, his right hand still buried deeply into the midsection of the boy, soaring high into the lightless skies above.

Ranma, a master of mid air combat, immediately jumped to his long time friend’s aid, roaring in outrage as he did.

Drake never hesitated nor turned to pay attention to the man; instead he reversed his direction and streaked towards the ground. His fist, with Ryoga still attached to it, leading his way down.

Ranma could only scream for his friend in impotent fury as he watched the horrible event unfolding. They slammed into the ground with terrible and horrific force, the resulting crash and explosion rocking the silence of the city around them for miles.

He landed nearby and quickly sped to the scene of the devastating landing, not sure he wanted to see but unable to desert Ryoga. “RYOGA!” cried Ranma, fighting his way through the dust to the edge of the huge crater.

“I’m afraid he can’t hear you, Ranma, in fact, he might not hear anything for quite some time,” came the mocking voice of Drake from the dust around him.

The shadowy outline of the man appeared before the pig tailed boy, slowly taking more definitive shape the closer it got. “You’re SO gonna pay for that,” growled Ranma his anger swelling deeply within him, combining with his confidence for a lethal combination.

Drake paused less then 10 feet from him; his arms open to his sides. “Think carefully Ranma, you too have something to lose...or shall I say...someone,” he almost whispered, though the words echoed within Ranma’s soul.

His eyes widened as a face floated to his mind, his jaw locking in determination to stop this monster from getting anywhere near her, his one friend that he could trust. He thrust both hands out before him, venting all of his anger, confidence and determination out from between the palms.

The energy had taken on a kind of polar opposite effect, with one palm creating a pure white energy stream while the other emitted a pure black one. They swirled and hissed towards the unmoving Drake, connecting with him simultaneously with each other, exploding with a force Ranma had never seen before.

He was thrown back into and then through the building behind him, coming to rest beneath a massive pile of debris while the explosive force of his attack was still raging.

With a muted groan he pulled himself from the pile, rubbing his head delicately. “Think I grew another head,” he muttered darkly, wincing as he touched the huge lump.

“Bloody good thing you’ve got a thick skull then, eh mate?” asked an annoyed Drake, stepping through the hole Ranma had involuntarily created. His suit was ruined, only scraps and remnants remaining that hung off his painfully thin frame.

His skin was unmarred though smoke still rose off him like primordial steam, giving him a dreamlike quality as he closed the distance to Ranma. His cane was now revealed in its true form, that of a pure black blade that crackled with purplish energies that surged up and down it’s vile surface. Glowing blood red runes bloomed and faded, to be replaced with new ones every few seconds.

He pointed the weapon towards Ranma, anger evident on his sharpened features. “Congratulations mortal, few have been able to harm me without specially created weapons. I will remember you long after I’ve destroyed not only you, but EVERYTHING you hold dear,” he hissed at the still drained and battered boy.

Stumbling to his feet Ranma prepared to fight to the end, determined to take a part of this thing with him. He grit his teeth together, bracing himself for the impending attack when a musical voice lofted to them, causing both men to pause.

“I take it that would mean a weapon like this then?” came the question, moments before a glowing blade swung at the monsters back, causing him to leap upwards into the ruined second floor.

Drake hissed from his crouching position as Tsuruko walked calmly but cautiously into the room. “You will not harm them further, monster,” she promised, taking up a ready stance before him.

His laughter was grating. “You cannot win here, Tsuruko, even you know this. Your bluster is meaningless,” he taunted, though he came no where near the glowing sword.

Her answering smile was serene. “I may not be able to win, but I can cause your irreparable damage, foul beast. Now either fight or flee, I’ve no time for you,” she said, slashing the sword and attacking with her spirit cutting attack.

Powerful waves of pure life energy poured from her into the whirlwind that closed on him mercilessly, only him taking flight and bursting through the wall of the building saved him from harm.

He flapped his wings slowly, almost lazily as he regarded them from the dark sky. “This isn’t over Tsuruko! You and your family will not be able to stop me soon,” he promised, spinning rapidly in the air until he was nothing more than a shadowy blur that abruptly vanished with a thunderous clap of displaced air.

Shampoo raced to her side, bracing the swordswoman up as she swooned from the effort of driving off Drake. Her cute face was a mask of concern for the seemingly invincible swordswoman. “You okay? You no look so good,” observed the mighty Amazonian warrior to her friend.

Tsuruko nodded. “To banish such a demon requires a direct drain on your life energies, in this case, a rather substantial one. I’ll be fine with rest,” she assured her.

“Thanks Tsuruko,” said Ranma, closing the distance to the two women, limping visibly and favoring his right arm.

She smiled at him. “You are welcome, Ranma Saotome, though I would prefer not to repeat that encounter. Let us retrieve Ryoga and let us be gone from this place,” she said tiredly, leaning heavily on the two younger people.

“Aw man! I forgot about Ryoga! He’s hurt really bad!” grunted Ranma, trying to move quickly and finding his body unable to comply with his desires.

The unlikely trio made their way to the crater, finding the eternally lost boy at the bottom, unmoving and pale.

Without thinking, Ranma leapt into the crater to his friend’s side, collapsing in pain when he landed, his body beaten and drained past its considerable endurance.

“Hang on, man, you’re gonna be alright,” he told Ryoga, worry evident on his face as he cradled the still boy’s body.

A light set of hands and lavender eyes met his, Shampoo assisting Ranma to retrieve Ryoga from the bottom of the crater. “Shampoo help,” she said quietly, unable to speak beyond the few words or hold his eyes more than a few seconds.

He nodded at her and together they hefted Ryoga from the rubble, his body limp and bloody, his ribs held at odd angles. “He’s in bad shape, Shampoo,” said Ranma, looking up to gauge if he could make he jump without harming him further.

Shampoo also looked up. “Shampoo can do it Ranma, you no worry about pig boy,” she told him, her voice taking on a measure of its old confidence and fire.

He released Ryoga and watched as Shampoo easily cleared the rim of the crater before he too followed; once more collapsing to the ground as the effort all but drained him once more. “Dammit!” he cursed, hating his weakness.

Tsuruko, still weak from her attack, helped him to his feet, a look of understanding on her beautiful face. “Come, let’s leave,” she said quietly, and together the wounded warriors left the place between.

The Cat Café...

“I will make sure Ryoga gets the best medical attention,” assured Cologne, finishing the bandaging of Ryoga’s broken and abused body. She turned to regard Bill, Ranma, Shampoo and Tsuruko closely. “It would appear that events have changed rather greatly,” she stated, turning her attention to Bill, who could only nod.

“Yeah, we never expected something like this, not yet at least,” he told her, standing as he did. “I’ve gotta get back and find out what else has happened. We’ve got at least 5 of those things loose and running amok,” he confirmed, shaking his head sadly and turning to the door.

“By the way, I’ve gotten Gosunkugi to pull surveillance for me, so don’t jump to too many conclusions if you catch him taking photos. He’s not the best at voodoo, but the kid does know how to disappear in plain sight, even from them,” he told Ranma, alerting him to another of the team he’d recruited.

Ranma, too shocked by the power and speed of Drake and the resounding defeat of Ryoga, could only nod his understanding.

“Stay home and take care of your family, Ranma, they’re gonna make a play for you guys again, count on it. You and Cologne as well, Shampoo,” he said, then left the room, his footsteps disappearing down the stairs.

Tsuruko stood slowly, her face having regained some of its color from her exertion against Drake. Touching Shampoo lightly on the shoulder, she gave the girl a reassuring smile. “Remember all we talked of Shampoo, and take heart in what you do have, not what you’ve lost,” she told her softly, squeezing gently before also stepping towards the door.

“I must see to several matters since I will be staying in Nerima for a time. I thank you for your hospitality honored elder,” she bowed as she spoke to Cologne, who waved off the comments with a warm smile.

“Nonsense, you honor us by staying with us during this time,” she assured the woman before watching her leave.

She looked at the uncomfortable pair sitting at the foot of Ryoga’s bed. “You should get home, sonny boy, you mustn’t leave the safety of your family in the hands of the likes of Genma and Soun,” she told him quietly, pogoing out the door to leave them alone for a moment.

Ranma couldn’t bring himself to look at the girl, instead focusing his attentions on Ryoga. “I’m sorry, Shampoo...for the way it turned out,” he told her quietly, remembering the warning from Nabiki about the Amazons.

She sniffed quietly, trying to master her emotions. “Tell Shampoo why you hate Shampoo so much that you no want marry her,” she said finally, her voice tremulous as she struggled for control.

He swung his head up to see her tear filled eyes, his resolve cracking at the mere sight of her pain and tears. “I don’t hate you or nothin’ like that! Ya gotta believe me; I just don’t wanna get married because of some law. All you wanna do is haul me back to China and treat me like Mousse, an’ I can’t live like that,” he told her, his voice dropping as he tried to explain himself to her.

Her eyes went wide. “Shampoo no want you be like Mousse, we stay here if make Ranma happy,” she offered, hope trying to shine in her eyes.

He shook his head, closing his eyes to avoid the sight of her pain only to find in readily on display within his mind. “I ain’t a prize, Shampoo, that’s all you’ve ever treated me like...even when I needed you as a friend,” he told her, standing and taking a step towards the head of the bed, pulling the sheet up closer to his friends chin before continuing to speak.

“You almost killed a buncha people at the wedding, Shampoo, you an’ Ukyo both. All because you couldn’t see beyond what YOU wanted,” he finally said, turning back to face her, his face showing his pain now.

He looked into her eyes for a long moment. “Me an’ you’ve been around each other for a while and you still don’t know me. Cuz, if you did, you would never of attacked at the wedding like that. I wouldn’t do anything to harm an innocent, no matter what...even at the cost of my honor,” he said to her, his dropping to his sides.

He hung his head as he heard her crying, unable to bring himself to look upon her lest he lose what little resolve he had left. “I still wanna be your friend, Shampoo, when we work together we’re a pretty good team, I just don’t wanna get married to you. I hope you understand,” he told the crying girl as he quietly left the room and headed downstairs.

Her sobs broke his heart, reverberating through him as he got to the main floor, passing dejectedly past Cologne.

“Don’t worry, Ranma, she will always be your friend, my great-granddaughter wouldn’t desert someone she cares so deeply for,” she told the morose young man.

Ranma paused on the way past, his head nodding only slightly in acknowledgment before he left into the night.

Cologne sighed after him, shaking her head sadly before heading upstairs to comfort Shampoo. ‘Be strong, our hopes are riding on you now,’ she thought to herself, wrapping Shampoo into a hug as the young Amazon cried her heart and soul into the shoulder of her great-grandmother.

Tendo Dojo, Outside Nabiki’s window...

A light but insistent rapping at her window caused Nabiki to jump to her feet only seconds before it slid open to reveal a downtrodden and disheveled Ranma. “Heya, Nabs...” he said quietly, pulling himself into her room.

His appearance and attitude shocked her, so much so that she didn’t even correct his use of the nickname she despised.

“What happened to you?” she asked quietly, sitting on the bed next to him, unsure of how to comfort the obviously upset boy.

He spoke in a hesitant voice, a monotone that scared her. “Ryoga got hurt really bad, and if Tsuruko wouldna of showed up when she did...” he trailed off unable to finish the sentence, blinking rapidly as he tried to come to terms with what happened, both in the place between and with Shampoo.

She swallowed the fearful lump in her throat at his words. ‘Ryoga is damn near indestructible...’ the girl thought, wondering what exactly happened to put Ranma in such a state, afraid of what she might learn.

“It’s okay, Ranma, you’re safe, and you can always talk with me,” she told him quietly, not pushing him but giving him the opportunity to talk without fears of reprisal.

He took a deep breath, looking up into her deep concerned eyes. “I, uh, talked to Shampoo tonight, too,” he said to her, his voice still quiet.

Her heart froze, cold anger flaring up slightly at the words, wondering if he’d done something stupid without meaning to. “I never said not to talk to her, Ranma, just to be wary of them,” she said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone.

The fact that he didn’t flinch or run outright let her know that it’d been successful. “Mind coming with me for little while? I don’t feel much like being alone right now, but your room ain’t makin’ me feel too comfortable...no offense,” he added at the end, his words so eager it almost ripped her heart out to hear them.

‘He’s scared...of what, though?’ she thought, nodding to him and standing up with him.

“Ya gotta trust me, okay?” he told her, scooping her into his arms and leaping out the window into the cool night air. With the grace and speed she’d long associated with him, he deftly caught the roof edge and swung them both atop it, landing lightly on his feet.

It was the slight stumble afterwards that worried her, though the exhilarating feeling of being held in his powerful arms was intoxicating to her as he displayed the prowess he was so known for.

“Ranma?” she asked cocking her head to the side as she observed him closely.

He smiled faintly at her, and then tilted his head to the stars above. “Ya know...I come up here to think when my life gets too crazy.” he said distantly, finally sitting gently down and patting the space next to him.

When she was seated, he took a deep breath and held it for long moments, releasing it in a breathy expulsion. “I can’t tell you exactly what’s going on, it ain’t safe to do that yet. I just gotta tell ya...” he started, his brow wrinkling in frustration as he labored what was safe to talk about with her.

“Look, things happened tonight that are really, really, bad, okay? An’ I need to stick by you until we know what to do about them,” he finally said, opting to go with the purposefully vague statement to be safe, hoping she’d show some of the trust they’d talked about.

Nabiki regarded him, but nodded her consent. “So long as you don’t interfere with my money making schemes at school, that’s fine with me, Ranma. I trust you, but promise me you’ll tell me what’s going on when you can, deal?” she offered in return, realizing that he was about to get a crash course in betting pools and loan sharking.

He blinked at her for a moment then smiled, “Deal,” he agreed, looking less worried then he did before.

“About Shampoo...” he said, looking away again.

‘Here it comes, steady, Tendo, it can’t be that bad, right?’ her mind prepped her, willing to give the normally clueless Ranma the benefit of the doubt while her cynicism tried to steer her towards less amiable ends.

“I tried to explain that I wasn’t a prize to be won...an’ that what her an’ Ukyo did at the wedding was something that I couldn’t tolerate. I don’t hate her, but I can’t marry her like she wants,” he said, running down the conversation with her for Nabiki.

She didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, hug him, or all of the above. ‘Heavens above, the boy CAN be taught!’ her mind trumpeted.

He swallowed hard and looked away from her, blocking all sight to his face. “She, uh...even cried...a lot,” he said, his voice getting thick.

She set a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You knew she would, Ranma, she’s been chasing you for years. In her own twisted way, she loved you,” she told him, watching his head bob in a nod at her words.

“Still hurt though, Nabiki...knowin’ I was the one that hurt her like that,” he said quietly, his voice cracking.

Nabiki stayed silent, allowing him the time and space to come to his own words without her prodding.

He looked back at her, tears glistening in the light of the stars and moon above. “This don’t mean I’m weak or nothin’, so don’t get no ideas, but, uh...would you, uh stay here a while with me?” he asked hesitantly, visibly afraid that she would say no and crush what little confidence he’d grown with her.

Rather than answer in words she nodded silently, brushing away a lone tear with her thumb.

For the first time since she’d known Ranma Saotome, she watched the cocky and arrogant young fighter break down and cry. He leaned into her, seeking comfort and understanding at the weight of the emotional toll taken on him this evening.

They sat in silence, only the stars keeping them company with their twinkling lights, keeping silent witness as the two isolated and proud young adults sought company from the world, if only for a few moments.

Inside the Tendo Dojo...

Akane’s eyes flared red as she heard the telltale creaking that signaled Ranma’s perching on the roof. “Just wait til Daddy finds out about him and Nabiki spending such time alone up there,” she said to herself, plotting revenge against the boy, an unstoppable rage fostering within her, fueling her mind.

Her smile was disturbing as she resumed her writings, promising that Ranma would pay for humiliating her like this, and if Nabiki got in the way...well, she still had ONE older sister left.

Her quiet giggle of glee didn’t carry from the room, but both Ranma and Nabiki shivered in the cool air.

End of Chapter notes: Well, this chapter just kinda wrote itself...lol. I’ll get to Ukyo next time, I hope anyways. Hope you all enjoyed this installment. Thanks again to all my reviewers for your support and comments, you humble me. R&R if it moves ya to do so.