RANMA 1/2: THE ULTIMATE POWER
                              by JJ Corley.
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        "Puny humans, Give it up. All we want is your..."

        "I don't care if all you wanted was a pair of Akane's Panties!"
That was Ranma, this time; "Leave now, or we'll..."

        "You'll what? ALL of your attacks have failed. Give up your 
realm
for ours, then we'll leave." A slight shadow of a smile played it's self 
across the Interloper's face. <I know him,> I thought; <But how, and 
where?>

        "You KILLED her..." I looked at Mousse; who was cradling shampoo 
in 
his arms, protectively. "You bastards... ALL SHE WANTED WAS FOR YOU TO 
LEAVE 
HER ALONE AND YOU KILLED HER!!!!! ONE THOUSAND DEMON POINT STRIKE!!! 
Mousse 
launched himself at a shadow-thing, throwing every weapon he had at it.

        It fell. But two more took it's place.

        I fear to think about what happened next. The things - for that 
is 
what They are best described as; humanoid shadows, blacker than the 
blackest
depths of despair - grabbed Mousse and simply vanished; appearing only 
seconds 
later with a badly burnt corpse.

        A pair of thick glasses fell to the earth, shattering on impact.

        "Hot Damn..." That was Kuno. "Alas, we do but despair for the 
los of
our friends; But we must think of what will happen if we fail." With 
that he 
raised his shinai, and struck a defiant pose. "I shalt not cower in fear 
like 
a lowly dog! For thou to claim to have honor is an injustice I shalt not 
endure _ANY_ longer! For I am Tatewaki Kuno, The Blue Thunder of 
Furenkin
High!" I watched, amazed, as a bolt of lightning shot out of clear blue 
sky 
to strike a Thing. It fell, a crispy-fried chicken, to the ground. Even 
more amazing was the fact that no more rose to take It's place.

        "Humn... Interesting. Ah, well. It is of no matter, WE SHALL 
claim 
This Dimension to be ours!" The strange half-Thing, half-human 
Interloper
laughed.

        "Die! Da dadadadadadadadadadada daa! Strikestrikestrike!"
Kuno actually managed to push the halfling back.

        "Take this!" That was Akane, flying twords the Halfling with a 
jump 
kick. The Halfling simply jumped into the air, avoiding Kuno's attacks, 
and
grabbed Akane's out stretched foot. It then spun her in a circle, and 
threw 
her at Kuno. Seeing this, Kuno simply dropped his shinai, caught Akane, 
and
jumped back. Akane's foot was undoubtedly broken, as it was hanging - 
limply
 - at a very unnatural angle. She was crying in pain.

        "That's it! You _DARE_ To hurt Akane?!?! Prepare to be in hell!"
That was Ryoga. <Strange,> I thought as I watched him build up his ki to 
critical, Then launch a "Full Shishi Hohodan" at the halfling, pushing 
him back further; <I never did like the Hibiki boy.>

        "I warned you about hurting MY iinazuke, you gutless coward."
Every one - except me, Being half unconscious does limit your movement, 
just a 
little - moved back as Ranma built up ki to critical and beyond; "YOU. 
WILL.
DIE. _NOW_! MOKO TAKABISHI, REVISED! MOKO TAKABISHI-AMAGURIKEN!" Ranma's 
fist
blurs into the Kashu Tenshin Amaguriken, but with a big difference: each 
Amaguriken punch had a full blown Moko Takabishi at the receiving end.
I winced in sync with the Halfling's cry of pain and anguish.

        That's when I fully came to. I rose, unsteadily, to my feet.
No one came to help me, but then again I didn't expect any help to begin 
with.
Ranma stopped his attack. The Halfling was on one knee, sporting a nose 
bleed. "I say to you, only this." I began, pointing an unsteady hand - 
wither
from pain or anger, I couldn't tell - at The Halfling, who was starting 
to 
rise. "Any one, or thing in YOUR case;" I spat out the word 'your' like 
it 
was vulgar; "Who wants to save his world by damning another, has no 
honor
left; not just you, but your ENTIRE race has lost It's honor upon 
stepping 
onto this world and cursing it's soil; We will fight until we die, if 
the 
powers that be have so decreed, but I promise you this: The second you 
die,
we will be there to PERSONALLY SEND YOU TO _HELL_, HICKRANDO MYANOMAR!

        What's this? A trace of fear across It's features, perhaps? Did 
I 
Hit a nerve? I hope to God I did.

        "SO, The heathen dog has survived his punishment? You surprise 
me, 
PANSUTO; I thought you dead. But how do you know me?"

        "The scroll. You, of all people I Knew, Was most interested in 
that
damned thing. I read it, once;" at this, the Halflings eyes light up; 
"But
I did not want what it had to offer... You sold your soul to MALBOSIA; 
now
cursed in the hell of The Desert, you want this Earth's life force."
I pointed at him again, he seemed to shirk away. "You let that Demon 
Free to 
roam here, but you got stuck there! You weak minded fool! Did you really 
believe He would give you the Ultimate power?"

        "What The HELL are you talking about, Pan?!?" Ranma screamed at 
me.
"Mousse and Shampoo are both dead because of this.. this.. MONSTER, and 
you
are talking about demons and life and ultimate power? You should be 
beating 
him up, not talking him down!"

        I looked at Ranma, so arrogant and strong willed. <He will make 
a good 
father to his children..> I mused, <If he lives through this, that is>
"Exactly." A look of confusion crossed his face, but was replaced by one 
of
understanding. I looked back to.. well, what was left of my friend 
Hickrando.
"Exactly. Shampoo demonstrated the Ultimate Power when she took the hit 
for
Mousse. Mousse showed it in his hopeless abandon while attacking the 
shadow.."

        On our side of the battle field, everyone nodded in agreement.
On The other, they shook their heads in confusion and disgust.

        "You MEAN to tell me that the Ultimate Power is..." Hickrando 
Myanomar
trailed off.

        "Yep. Love. Devotion. The kind of all powerful love that makes 
you
WANT to take the hit that kills you, instead of the one you love; or," I 
pause; taking time to look at Ranma, who was holding Akane in his arms, 
comforting her by mere presence; "The kind of love that it takes, to 
give 
yourself to someone else - fully and unconditionally - for the first 
time."
I paused again, motioning Ryoga and Ranma to Me. They came over to where 
I
stood, and I continued; "Your 'Ultimate Power' you were promised was 
right 
in front of your nose, and you MISSED it!" Hickrando grabbbed his head 
with 
both hands and screamed. Confidant he wouldn't hear me, I whispered to 
Ranma
& Ryoga. "I want you to charge up ki until you can't build any more."
They nod at me. <Now the had part.> "Then I want you to aim the blast, 
directly at me."

        "Are you nuts?!?" Ranma said, hushed.

        "Yeah, or do you just have a death wish?" Ryoga said, 
astonished.

        "Nither. I know a move that will put a stop to this madness. 
Permanently." I crack my nuckles for emphasis. "So just do it, will ya?"
They nod again, and start building their ki. <Damn,> I thought, <Can I 
remember the sequence for the 'Dragon Star' kick? I hope so.> I began to
do several katas, all to warm up for this one final blow. "'So it 
begins,'"
I quote my master; "'That to end things, you must begin them anew first;
and render asunder, completely, the soul from the body.' I am but the 
tool, 
an open container for energy. Let it begin, again, for the Ultimate of 
Ultimate Techniques. The Cotton Fist Death Bringer, The Ultimate Raising
Dragon Star Flying Kick! Now!!"

        Ranma and Ryoga unleash the ki they have built at me. I hold out 
my arms and the energy flows INTO me. Propelling me forward at 
incredible 
speeds. I flip upside down and extend my right foot forward, bringing my 
left
leg back. The ki, along with my own, turn my right foot into a streaked 
Fire ball, hotter than the hottest flame.

        For a split second, before I connected, he looked at me. He gave 
me a look that said: "Now I understand. I am sorry." Then my foot went 
through 
his chest; drilling a hole where his heart would have been.

        Except now, it was beating on the ground.

        Hickrando's eyes rolled back into his skull, and he fell 
backward 
with a wet *thump*. <At least he realized his error, before he died. 
Maybe he 
won't go to hell, after all. Nah...> The Shadow-Things screamed, 
lamenting
their defeat. I rose, yet again, to challenge them. They looked at me, 
then
disappeared. <Finally. It's over...> I turned, to look at my... Friends.

        "Is it done?" That was Happosai. <I'm gonna kill that little 
runt,
But not today.>

        "It's finished. I hope I never have to do that, ever, again..."
I suddenly realize just how battle weary I am. I start to lose my 
balance,
The world going black... I was just conscious enough to hear Ukkyo say:

        "Don't worry, hon. I got ya..." 

        <At least.. It's.. over.....> I welcome the blackness, an excape
from the pain...
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Epilogue
---------------------------------

        I awoke with a start... And soon regretted waking up at all. 
"GOD! What a headache... Ano, where the hell am I?" I said, looking 
around.
I was in a very small apartment, with only a tv and a sofa being the 
other
furniture; as I was on the futon. 

        "Oh, You're awake. I was wondering when you'd come to, Pan."
That was Ukkyo, coming in with a cold cloth. She laid it on my forehead.
It felt good. "You're in my apartment, hon. The Tendo's had their hands 
full,
Taking care of Akane; SO I offered to take care of you. Shush, now. You 
need
your rest. Dr. Tofu said you'd be bedridden for a week, at least."

        "But... I didn't receive any serious injuries. Did I?" I looked 
into
her big brown eyes, and realized something. She WANTED to take care of 
me.
"I hope I'm not being a burden..."

        "Oh, no. Not at all. And no, you didn't get hurt TOO badly, But 
you 
did drain yourself. Tofu said he had never seen anything like it 
before."
She looked into my eyes and said "Thank you. For saving us." She bent 
over 
to kiss me.

        I met her half way.

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        Well, now; that was certainly strange, now wasn't it?

        A standard disclaimer posted here please. Any & all C&C is 
welcome, 
same goes for flames (Yes, flame me, flame me! fire fire fire!). Not bad 
for 
my second post, eh? I think I might do a Pan-Ukkyo (or Ukyou, whichever)
Pairing story. Not the first one to have that idea, am I? I do believe
in tandem weirdness, after all. Ah, well...

        And no, I'm not going to apologize for writing out of character.
I think I did a fairly good job. But still, what is a fan-fic if some 
one
doesn't go out of character once? COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT! So don't sue 
me,
ok? 

        And now, to quote his almighty-ness, Kuno-sempai:

        'For It So Falls Out;
        That What We Have, We Prize Not The Worth;
        Whiles We Enjoy It;
        But Being Lacked And Lost;
        Why, Then We Rack The Value;
        Then We Find The Virtue That Possession Would Not Show Us,
        Whiles It Was Ours...'


        JJ Corley. c 1997, MAY be distributed as freely as clean water.
And can be quoted in any part, with prior permission...(yeah, right.
Like I could get you to ask first.)
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