Bleach Fan Fiction / One Piece Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Dimensional Warriors: Assorted Stories ❯ As the Tower Crumbles ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Akane
The rain belted down on us as we spread out. The streets below were flooded, scraps of metal and bodies floated with the current. A lot of our troops were retreating to the cliffs, trying to gain higher ground as the cement and tight packed earth served as a bowl. The rooftops were still safe for now, but we were rapidly loosing time. An explosion above us shook the ground, the floating roof that Ranma had traveled up to was crumbling apart. Much more than that I couldn't see. Another tremor ran through the earth, and the sunlight began vanishing. Through the clouds I could just barely see what looked like an array of lights slowly floating away, into space. The rain fell heavier than before.

“Akamaru!” I turned and saw Kiba nearby, he was clinging to an enormous dog I hadn't seen before. In fact I hadn't seen any animals before.

“Kirara!” That was Sango, again a small kitten in her hands.

“Tech must have gotten control of the tower and released the animals.” Shadow said, pausing for a moment. I didn't quite follow, but I nodded anyway.

“Where are we going to hit this?” I said, Eggman's machine was still powering up while we were waiting patiently.

“We are not. The others are going to.”

“But.”

“Trust me. We have a plan.” As he spoke a white flash came from the leg closest to us. I could make out a few shapes firing energy at the base of the leg. Soon similar explosions lit up the night air. The turrets began responding with surprising speed and accuracy. “We're going.” Shadow said, grabbing my arm and lifting me onto his back.

I have never traveled faster than the speed of sound before, and as a first experience I never wanted to again. We bolted straight for the nearest leg. It was beginning to crumble from the combined assaults at its base. As a result the sheer wall was slanting slightly. Apparently just enough for Shadow to get traction.

“When we crest the top, I'm going to throw you at the center. That will keep the momentum, and if we're lucky your strength will be more than enough to break through.” Shadow said, just before bolting off the top of the tower and tossing me. I barely had time to register what had happened before I could see Eggman's cockpit rushing towards me at an unholy speed. Instinctively I shifted feet first, and with a little force of will moved my body so I would land something closer to a kick.

My foot hit a wall of metal, and kept going for a while; leaving a deep dent in his capsule. Unfortunately it was not enough. The edges of his small platform opened up, spraying bullets towards me. I managed to duck just in time. I heard Shadow hit the capsule as well.

“Shit, what did he plate this with!” I was just surprised he had time to talk with the turrets firing. I stayed flush with the ground, managing to rest just below the turret's line of fire, I could feel the bullets clipping my hair. I tried to build a fireball, but the constant rain kept putting out my flames. Frustrated I tried to think of something. As I did, the metal below me began to feel warm, it was absorbing my heat.

“Shadow! Get somewhere safe!” I yelled. My idea wasn't the greatest one, but it would have to do. I planted both hands firmly on the metal plating as far from myself as I could and began trying to make a fireball. With nowhere for the energy to go, it became heat, and the heat was absorbed by the plating. In a few seconds steam started to fill the air around me as the heated metal was being cooled by the rain. I tried to maintain focus and not hurt myself, but already I could feel my front burning. I heard a popping noise come from one side, then a creaking sound below me. The entire piece of metal I was lying on slowly shifted downwards, cracking and crumbling under my weight seconds before I fell in.

I shook myself out of my stupor as I got up. The front of my clothing was badly burned, and some of it had even glued itself to the metal. I looked around at the slightly hollowed out area beneath Eggman's cockpit. Tubing and wires had filled the room since my previous visit, by now I would have suffocated if we had stayed put. Or been crushed by one of the several new support beams. Now there was a hole, rain was pouring in as well, I reveled in it for a little while, letting it sooth my burnt skin.

“I see a little rat has gotten inside.” Eggman's voice boomed out of the speakers. “The electric floors ought to deal with you.” I could hear power start running through the room. My brain was running on overdrive as I looked around the dark space, hoping to see something. I moved out of the wet spot and lit up a fireball. I knew I didn't have much time left when I saw what looked like a power box on the wall. Taking my chances I tossed a blast at it, and was met with a shower of sparks. As quickly as it had begun powering up, it began shutting down.

“What! What's happening!” I felt the floor shift as the entire machine began to slump downwards, loosing power. The room began filling with fire as a jet started in the center. I jumped back as the cockpit shot off into the sky, carrying Eggman along with it. The machine shuddered again and began collapsing.

“Are you okay in there!” Shadow yelled down to me, I looked up and nodded. He held his hand out. “Come on, we gotta get to safety.” I grabbed his hand, and he lifted me up easily before swinging me onto his back and jetting down one of the failing limbs.

Sonic
I jumped easily from shard to shard, I could see others both ahead and behind me, and in a few simple jumps I broke into the hovering platform.

The inside was relatively dark and constructed of mostly reflective surfaces. Goku was already up here, and a few seconds later the other six were as well. The thing stood there watching us, almost disinterested.

“Why have you come here?” I spoke, almost bored. But even as it did, a power seemed to flow from its mouth, it felt like being coated in oil.

“Where are the Crystals!” I said. It's eyes shifted to me.

“You mean these?” It pulled open the surrounding darkness like lifting a shroud. Beneath I could see the seven crystals embedded in its gut. “They are keeping me alive for now. Soon the lives below us will do that for me.” I felt pressure surge through the room. It seemed to give us another look over. “I see you do not approve. You may attempt to stop me; but I assure you, there is no victory to be had.” Goku was the first to move, immediately transforming from his usual humanoid form, to one with thick red fur coating much of his body.

The first blow shook the entire room, as his fist sunk deep into the black shroud; however he did not stop, he plowed right in, his arms blurring with the speed of his attack. The room shook under the excessive amounts of power being let of with each strike. Yet through all of it, the creature just watched, its expression unchanging. Finally Goku finished with a burst of raw blue energy, but even this dissipated before getting too close to the creature. It's mouth twitched into a smile.

“Yes I believe that is enough. Thank you.” I didn't see it until there was a black hand reaching out of Goku's back, shining red. He fell as soon as the arm retreated, blood was rapidly filling the wound. Even so Goku didn't seem to have lost consciousness. Ichigo dashed past us next, followed closely by Yusuke, both were charging large amounts of energy as they attacked. Neither one managed to loose their blows, both were pierced by nearly invisible tendrils. I turned to see the others getting ready; I felt for their charge and ran in with them.

InuYasha was quick to go down, the floor spiked up around him, pinning his body with gravity. Ranma also fell fast, her body pierced by a few tendrils. My attention was interrupted as Luffy was swung into me like a bat. I flew backwards across the room, and busted into the wall, discovering it was made out of some very tough metal. Even as I tried to recover, tendrils wrapped around me, preventing my movement. Then a burst of light filled the room, Naruto was surrounded by yellow energy, black marking running along his frame. Around him a giant ball of energy was forming, taking the shape of an enormous fox. The room crumbled around him, the floor breaking apart under his power. I could see he was bound by another tendril, and despite that he was pouring energy out, when finally the floor shattered, dropping us into the sky below.

My ears were filled with the sound of the wind ripping around me as the whole lot of us began falling, the rubble of the roof falling around us. Naruto was now fully entangled and struggling.

“Look below you.” It spoke, even as we fell. “The torrents guide their souls, fueling me. Their despair gives me strength. You cannot stop this, no one can.” I looked up at the creature and saw something, Ranma had gotten free. She was bleeding slightly and her red overcoat was gone, but she had gotten loose, and was slowly climbing towards the creature. “Here me lowly creatures! Childe shall be your ruler from now on!”

“I don't think so.” Ranma hissed, firmly placing her hand on one of the embedded crystals and removing it with a deft tug.

“No!” It yelled, moving to stop her. She gripped the green crystal tightly, moving just enough to dodge the oncoming tendrils.

“Luffy!” She called, pitching the crystal to him. He managed to get a hand free to catch it, both he and the crystal shimmered with energy. His body bulked up suddenly, like it was inflated, loosening the tendril's grip. His skin turned black, and steam began pouring off of him.

“InuYasha!” My head spun as I saw her tossing the red crystal out. She had all of them now, and was using the falling rubble as cover. InuYasha had been freed when the floor had fallen out, but hadn't managed to find a footing amongst the rubble. As his claws gripped the crystal his body lit up, his eyes turning red and his claws growing out. Slowly he began slowing in his decent.

“Naruto!” The yellow crystal flashed, before falling into the squirming ninja's hands. His body burst free, the growing fox below him solidifying completely.

“Ichigo!” The violet crystal. He manged to grip it, almost immediately his skin was coated in a pure white armor; leaving just a bit of his face visible. His eyes went black, and long white horns stretched out from his head, his orange hair cascading down his back even as it turned pitch black.

“Yusuke!” The cyan crystal. He desperately grasped it, even as his hair grew out and turned white. His body radiating with power.

“Goku!” The silver crystal, right into his chest. It merged with him, returning the thick red fur and making the rest of his hair turn a lighter red, even as his wounds sealed up.

I saw the last one heading my way, the blue crystal and had managed to get my hand free. Immediately I felt power surge through my body, my blue fur immediately turning golden. Even as I transformed, energy from all seven seemed to redirect towards Ranma, her own body glowing with a white light. If one looked close enough they could almost see the image of wings and claws over her body. The counterattack began now!

The sky opened above us as our combined power lit up the air. The day split open, letting starlight flood the planet. Childe burst into a swarm of tendrils, filling my view. But in my super form they might as well have been frozen as I cut my way in. We tore into Childe, ripping at its defenses, cutting through the dark flesh. But even as we did it just grew back.

“Guys! I fought someone like this before. We gotta destroy it in one go!” InuYasha called from behind, his sword was turning black. “Stand back! I'll open a pit into Hell! Meidou!” InuYasha's energy cut right through Childe's tendrils and expended just a little below the creature. It formed a black circle in the air, a second later it began to draw Childe in. However the creature resisted, firmly clamping tendrils on the sides.

“Futile! I am your Master!” It yelled up at us, against assaulting us with the dextrous tendrils.

“Spirit Gun!” Yusuke called out suddenly as an enormous burst of golden energy flew from his finger into Childe and began pressing him into the hole. Some of the others seemed to get the idea.

“Ka- Me- Ha- Me- Ha!” Goku channeled his energy calmly, slowly drawing everything into one point, before firing a streaming burst of pure blue energy into the back of Yusuke's Spirit Gun attack.

“Bijudama!” Naruto suddenly called, his human form standing defiantly atop the giant fox beneath him. The two had formed an excruciatingly large black ball, which burst into a beam, pressing next to Goku's blast.

“Kongosoha!” InuYasha called again, firing silver spines from his blade.

“Getsuga Tensho!” Ichigo called, a massive amount of black energy pouring out of his blade as he launched his attack into the swirling mix of energies that were slowly pushing Childe back, and at least preventing it from attacking us. That's when I spotted Ranma closing in towards the center of the blast, the point where the other attacks were meeting and in a lot of cases diffusing each other. Deftly she smashed her palm into that center.

“Hiryu Shoten Ha!” With one burst of energy the other forces swirled, mixed, and merged into one blast of focused white energy, pressing forward with unified force. Still it wasn't enough. Childe was defiantly holding on.

“Gomu Gomu no...” I heard Luffy behind me, his leg stretched out far into the air. It turned black, bulged out, and steam spewed from it. I saw my chance.

“Red Hammer!” His gigantic foot came crashing down with inhuman speed and force. Nimbly, I planted myself on the bottom of his foot, absorbing the acceleration as only my body could I braced myself and prepared to launch off the high speed attack.

His foot smashed into the combined energy, pushing it down further, but more importantly injecting me at high speed into the core of the blast. I took up that energy, adding it to my acceleration as I balled up and spun forward, going much faster than I could ever remember going. I saw Child, skin burning, limbs tearing, then shock as he spotted me pointed right at him. I uncurled seconds before coming in arms length of him and shifted my spin so my leg took up all the speed and force of the attack.

With a sound like an explosion my foot crashed into his face, shattering bone and launching both of us into the open pit below.
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