Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ In Darkness In Fire ❯ Shattered Skies ( Chapter 10 )

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

The dark of night and the ruins of the dojo house remained untouched, Genma having yet to decide the course of action to take with the property.
"Just as well." Ranma thought to himself as he started through the rubble. He had come here for one reason, and this was it he knew as he felt the surge of energy reacting to his own.
"Red Fang." He vocalized in scant above a whisper. This was his mother's blade, and before his eyes the blade indeed did take the red sheen that was suggested in the scrolls. He supposed that it was true than, that the Red Fang would only take true form in the presence of an ascended Knight. He bent then to take up the blade, feeling the ancient power course through his body before returning to the blade. It seemed to thrum with unspent energy in his hand. A few quick swipes through the air with it and the visible red streaks left behind for mere moments before he continued was incredible. A wicked smile crossed his features, and in his single-minded pursuit of the blade he had not noticed the crimson and ebon aura that had enveloped him as he spoke. His clothes and hair were lifted and had begun to fly in the ki wind that he had caused. Eyes closed he exalted in his own power. The aura disappeared then, and his eyes snapped open as he slid the katana easily into its sheath.
"It begins."
In Darkness In Fire
By: XZero
Disclaimer: I own nothing
A/N: See end notes for individual review responses
Chapter 10 - Shattered Skies
She had to hurry, her friends were most certainly well on their path to avenging her, and destroying the one they felt responsible for her death. It had taken her forever to reach the gate, and several passive scans of the immediate area for the senshi of time. Several times she had needed to slow her approach, and minimalize her own energy signature in order to avoid Setsuna's relentless search. The mercury computer could not tell her how long had passed, it's own reference for time being constantly distorted for the lack of temporal consistency. Time seemed to skip and jump in this null existence. Days it seemed would pass and at times minutes crawled and dragged on forever, all in the relative reckoning of a minute. She was certain that it was the effect of the gates of time, it had to be.
"Finally." She sighed upon reaching the time gate, which at the moment was open slightly. This was it, now or never, she gathered everything she had, bringing herself to the highest level of power she could before going through with it.
"Sailor Teleport." She cried to the void in which she stood. Her planet's sigil lit upon her forehead and she screamed with the incredible weight that the collected magical energy was released in the familiar pattern. Another scream that pierced the void was released from her throat before she simply disappeared.

Minato Ward
Ranma was hungry, he had spent several days searching desperately for any indication of the senshi's normal activity, only to come up with nothing. He had gotten some help from the inhabitants of the area, but others, staunch supporters of the senshi treated him as a blight. They seemed to believe that the senshi had been impersonated as they had once before, that this was perhaps another scheme by whatever forces the pretty soldiers defended them from that had perpetrated the act. At one point, he was told that he should feel ashamed of his slanderous accusations. To say he was shocked by the various responses he got was a gross understatement.
He was headed now to an arcade/restaurant for some food, it had been two days since he had last eaten. The somewhat familiar symbol caused his stomach to growl angrily, urging him forward faster. In his haste he narrowly avoided someone, a blonde man at first glance. He continued with a quick. "Excuse me." Before he continued on again.
Seating was relaxed, so he sat and waited for the waitress to notice him, something he was sure wouldn't take long. Waitresses, female attendants had always been quick to give service. He knew why now, but it was still a cause for concern, women were the last thing on his mind, and besides, he had only a few women left in his life worth a damn. Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane, Ukyo, hell, even Shampoo, he thought to himself. They were his family, and no other woman could fill the gap that would be left without them. Despite their imperfections they had each been there for him, helped him, regardless of the cost to themselves.

Outside the Crown Arcade
Haruka was late, a meeting was going to start in a half hour, and she hadn't even had time get home yet. To make matters worse some asshole had just bumped into her, making her spill her food. That was when she got the shock of her life. The flash of raven hair that she had seen, that was. . .
Quickly she tucked herself around the corner into an alley next to the arcade, her body trembled and a feral grin broke out over her features. This was it, she had been wanting to stick it to Setsuna ever since that fight with that woman. That damned woman; she had been a better swordswoman, something the prideful senshi of sky could not abide. She would prove herself with this one, if only to herself. She'd just have to wait awhile.

Inside
"Ah, good food." That depressed him for a moment; he was missing Kasumi's food already. He was standing to leave when he noticed a waitress heading toward him, looking down he saw the paid bill and receipt on the table, so she must have other intentions.
"Time to get out of here." He whispered to himself and hastily exited the arcade. Not a minute down the road and his danger senses began blaring in his mind like sirens. Instinctively he took to the air, a powerful leap that saw him thirty feet in the air by the time the explosion beneath him began to subside. The dust was thick, but as he reached the forty-five foot peak of his jump he saw what lurked inside.
"Sailor Uranus." He muttered darkly to himself. He had begun to descend and would soon land. Deciding to not give his adversary a moment's breath he gathered his energy.
"Mouko Takabisha!" His scream penetrated the day just as the golden energy rocketed from his palms. The senshi looked on at the incoming attack in curiosity for a moment before strafing to the side. She rolled to the side quickly, just as the energy contacted the ground beside her.
A grunt of pain issued from Uranus as some sharp rock fragments tore past her, scratching her side. Just as she pushed herself to her feet did she notice the incoming enemy. Right into the path of her attack, she noted as he rapidly crossed the distance toward them. Sixty feet remained between them when finally the sky senshi struck the Earth with a fist.
"World Shaking!" She bellowed, watching in satisfaction as the energy was shunted into the ground and went ripping through the asphalt toward her charging foe. Now was the time; She was charging him down, Space Sword in hand before she could register her own call for the talisman.
Ranma flew backward, having been caught in the mid-section with the blast. He could feel the bruises forming from the attack. It had been at least as strong as the Shi Shi Hokodan at full strength. Not quite enough to qualify in the true form of the attack, but close. It kept pushing him, taking him toward the wall. Summoning his strength he pushed himself off of the orange orb of power. Despite the short distance he'd been thrown still he skid some distance before coming to his feet.
"Damn." He muttered to himself, trying to wipe the dirt from his eyes. The first thing his unclouded eyes caught sight of was the familiar form of the tomboy senshi dashing toward him. The same sword she'd wielded against Red Fang glinting in the daylight. His eyes turned cold at that instant, and before he himself knew his actions the crimson blade seemed to spring into his hand. He was charging to meet her when he felt it, the same strange well of energy that he'd felt when holding his mother's body. These vigilante women had stolen his mother from him, how long would it be before others like her were deemed monsters, before they began hurting other people, or. . .
"No." He ground through grit teeth, his right arm bulging from the strain of staving off Uranus' magically enhanced strength. The contest of strength ended when a spike of ki shot through his arm and he pushed her blade back, sending his left in a series of quick jabs.
"Ugh." Uranus felt her body rock and reel from the repeated blows. "Dammit, this guy hits like a semi." She concluded even as his last punch, a heavy straight struck her in the chest. Her form went careening backward, and further digging through the wall of a building. She struggled to her feet. Hoping desperately to call for backup before he could re-engage. She knew her mistake now, he truly was too powerful for one of them at once. But if she was to die, she would do so exactly how she had lived, fighting.
"Space Sword Buster!" She cried after hitting the panic button on her communicator. The blade attack shot toward her foe, only to meet his own blade. The contest of energies was titanic, and she gasped watching it for a moment. She only had one chance now, to go on the offensive and hold nothing back until the others arrived.
A cry of primal rage erupted from the senshi of sky's throat as she charged from the building. Swiftly she closed on Ranma, who had just managed to deflect the attack she had sent for him before. Dodge, parry, block, parry, parry, parry, block. They began moving in a lethal dance, with Uranus leading the direction. Her intensity was saving her, she could feel it. It was than that an attack slipped through. "Funny." she thought, how very fitting it seemed that they would match each other in a hit trade. His fist collided roughly with her stomach in that instant. And he leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"Shadow Lance." She heard his words and then the searing pain arose in her gut. Her eyes widened as she felt the blade of energy punch through her torso, taking vital parts with it in a spray of gore so totally different from the demons she had slain. This pain was so very different from any she was used to. She was going to die right here, she realized sorrowfully.
Her resolve firmed for a moment as she thought of Michiru trying to avenge her, she couldn't. No, she wouldn't.
"Spacial Disruption!" She spat through the blood that had leapt into her throat. Point blank, she felt should hurt him enough to be finished. Indeed, he was blown across the street, meeting headfirst the plate glass that separated a local florist from the day outside. Through the glass, and shelves of flowers, and finally into the alley behind the building. All this and the pigtailed Knight struggled desperately to his feet. He knew that the senshi of the sky was dead, no matter how long she tried to hold it off, her ki signature was fading quickly.
"Shit." He coughed up blood just after that singular curse, his vision blurring and his focus waning momentarily. He could feel them, their power was heading in this direction. He was in no condition to fight. He looked down at his right hand to note that the crimson blade was still clutched tightly in a white-knuckled fist. He slipped the Red Fang into its scabbard, fleeing as swiftly as his injured body could manage.

Tendo Dojo
The news that evening brought a grim message for the inhabitants.
"As you can see here, a fierce battle was fought today, and in its conclusion, Sailor Uranus was struck down. Her killer is assumed to be the son of one Saotome Nodoka, the recent victim of the senshi's horrible betrayal. Collateral damage, as always with the one-time heroines is large, however, some may sleep safe knowing there will be one less of these vigilante gone villainesses in town. I'm Kaneda Ichiro with Channel 7 news, good night."
None knew what to say, and none could understand what this meant, except the residents of a single home in the Nerima Ward. Here they saw what marked the true beginning of the end. The end of what, none were certain, but all recognized that an end was forthcoming. It could only be hoped that it would not be the end of Ranma.

Somewhere near Sapporo
"What do you think she's doing out here?" Came an unfamiliar voice, it was a rich baritone sound, masculine.
"I don't know, but she seems pretty beat up." Another unfamiliar voice, a woman. The world was too much a blur for her to do anything.
"Let's take her to the house, we can see what we can do there." The man suggested, she could feel herself being lifted. The darkness was heavy, and seemed to impose on her vision more and more. Just before losing herself to it, a single thought brought a smile to her lips. I made it.
To Be Continued. . .
A/N: What can I say, up here I have a lot of writing time. Though that may change in a few chapters, depending on my job status. As the Tendos have seen, this does mark the beginning of an end, though I must admit that I have not decided what kind of end for certain, though to sate any curiosity, Setsuna WILL be receiving her comeuppance regardless of the overall outcome.