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| Part Thirteen: Death of a Friend | ||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||
| In the temple - surrounded by the battered bodies of numerous fighters - Ryoga and Ranma attacked the dazed Talon. Ranma knocked Talon face first into the floor - Ryoga used the breaking point technique on the floor beneath their enemy sending him flying into the far wall. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Talon slid down to the floor and fell limp. Ryoga was about to leap in to make sure that the vile villain stayed down - but Ranma motioned for him to stay where he was. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "We have to finish him off," Ryoga stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "He's setting us up," she replied seriously. Ryoga was going to dispute the claim when Talon slowly began to rise. "He wanted us to rush in so he could catch us off guard," she added. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "My dear little Ranma - you are so precious. No matter how many times I put you down you keep popping up like some pretty little weed," Talon remarked as he plucked two long serrated swords from the wall. "And you Ryoga - for shame - I thought for sure that you were being sincere. You were stalling for time so that your girlfriend could get her second, third or whatever wind," he added. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ranma is NOT my girlfriend," Ryoga retorted seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can't match strength with him," Ranma whispered. Ryoga looked over and could see that Ranma starting to feel the effects of this long drawn out battle. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Leave the matter of strength to me," he retorted. Ranma looked over at Ryoga and saw him staring at Talon. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "For what it's worth Ryoga - thanks," Ranma stated quietly. Ryoga looked over at the girl standing beside him. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "For what? Not accepting the deal? Think nothing of it Ranma. When I win Akane's heart I want it to be because she loves me not because she doesn't have you," he retorted with a smirk. Ranma shook her head. "By the way - why haven't you changed back yet?" he asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I've had the chance - when?" Ranma pointed out. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Point taken," Ryoga stated as the two stood side by side and watched as Talon slowly walked towards them. "You ready?" Ryoga asked. Ranma nodded. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I want to share with the both of you a special technique," Talon began. They watched as his battle aura pulsed and extended into his swords. One blade burst into flames - the other one was surrounded by cold aura. "By channeling your chi into an object - you can make something hot or cold depending on the power that backs it," he continued. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Talon walked over to a suit of fallen armor and touched the fire blade to it. Ranma and Ryoga watched as the iron armor melted into a puddle of molten metal. He then removed the sword and moved the other weapon over the pool of liquid metal. Almost instantly - it froze. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "If either of those things come near us," Ranma began. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "We're toast," Ryoga finished. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think this is for me? Oh heavens no," Talon rebutted as he stabbed the two weapons into the floor. The handles a mere inch away from the other. "I am letting you children use them," he taunted as he slowly walked away. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ukyo watched as he walked and concentrated. when she opened her eyes - she could see a thin line that extended from each of Talon's hands to each of the weapons he had planted in the floor. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "It's a trap!" she shouted as she threw three spatula knives. Talon looked over and watched as two of them cut the invisible strands. He looked over and watched as the two weapons touched. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| A powerful explosion shook the room. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "That my dear - was very rude," Talon remarked - pointing at Ukyo. She wielded her giant spatula weapon in case the villain opted to bring the fight to her. But before he had that chance - Ranma and Ryoga attacked! | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ukyo watched as the two fought as one. Ranma's speed complimenting Ryoga's great strength - the two seemed unbeatable. But in the blink of an eye - it changed. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ryoga threw a punch at a dazed looking Talon. The villain smiled as he redirected the punch at his friend! Ranma recoiled from the hit. Talon spun around and hit the stunned Ranma repeatedly until she fell motionless to the ground. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ranma!" Ryoga shouted. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ran-chan!" Ukyo cried out. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Now - normally I'd say - that she would be down for good from that beating. Fool me once they say," Talon remarked as he stepped over Ranma's unmoving body. "You had your chance to walk away from this one - that chance - like a passing breeze - is gone," he stated coldly. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think I care? You think I would sacrifice my friends just to save my life?" Ryoga demanded as he led Talon away from his fallen friend. Talon moved his neck to the side - causing several bones to crack. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know human nature well enough," Talon rebutted as he slowly followed Ryoga. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nothing is working against this guy. Ryoga thought as he looked over to where Akane and Ukyo were. With Ranma down - he knew that he was most likely the only thing that stood between them and a painful death. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "There is no way I can beat you," Ryoga began. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "This much is true," Talon said with a smile ebbing closer. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "The world will die - everything I have known and loved will be erased," he continued as his aura began to expand. Talon blinked as he watched the way the boy's aura began to grow and pulse. "I can not let this happen!" he shouted. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - this could get messy," Talon muttered. His hands began to glow as he leaped up and over at the concentrating fighter. Ryoga could feel power swelling within and without. His eyes flashed as he glared at the enemy that was a few feet away. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Shishi Hokodan!" Ryoga screamed as a blast more potent than anything Ukyo had ever seen engulfed Talon and Ryoga. It blasted a huge hole in the temple wall and the roof causing debris to fall all about the place. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ukyo deflected the debris that was flung her way - keeping Akane safe. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| After a few long - loud seconds - the shaking stopped. Ukyo blinked as the smoke began to settle at the heart of the blast. She looked over and saw Ranma beginning to come around again. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ryoga?" Ranma muttered. Her eyes drifted back into focus as she saw the scope of the damage done to the temple. "Shishi Hokodan - he wouldn't have used that unless he thought," she began as her heart sank. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Laughter... | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ukyo and Ranma both watched as Talon stepped out - unscathed from the devastating blast. He was dragging the unmoving body of Ryoga beside him. Ranma could tell that his friend was still alive - but barely. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh good - you're awake," Talon remarked as he lifted Ryoga up so that Ranma could see. "I was hoping you would be awake - so that you could watch as I kill your boyfriend," he mocked. Ranma forced herself up to her feet. she wanted to run over to help him - but every muscle in her body screamed at her. All she could do was watch helplessly as Ryoga's aura was slowly absorbed by Talon. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ryoga," she muttered. Talon tossed the body aside. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Body count is rising my dear," talon stated as he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "You are running out of people to hide behind. I guess that means - you - are next," Talon hissed. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||