Eternal Sleep?: Part Seventeen

Written by: Liz Donovan

Akane looked over her shoulder at Cologne. The old ghoul just watched Tatewaki and Ryouga from on top her staff. Akane glared and looked back to them. She pulled Tatewaki off Ryouga, and begin shaking him.

"Ryouga?" she called. He slowly moaned and his shut eyes fluttered, but remained shut. Akane felt a hand fall on her shoulder and she spun around, on the defense.

Mousse stepped back, hands up innocently. Akane glared at him, then she stood, leaving both Tatewaki and Ryouga behind her. Mousse glanced behind him at Cologne then he leaned to Akane, and whispered.

"Your time is up. She will see that we do not survive." He softly said. Akane narrowed her eyes more.

"And you expect me to believe you?!" she turned back to Ryouga. There she saw Tatewaki blearily coming to his senses. The upperclassman got to his hands and feet and then spied Ryouga. He frowned.

"What…happened?" he questioned, rubbing his head.

"Tatchi-chan, I, I couldn’t let you kill him! You aren’t a murder!" Akane cried. She looked down at Tatewaki. He looked back at her with sympathy.

"I understand, Acchan." He replied, slowly getting to his feet. Then he called. "Sasuke! Get this vile scum out of my house!" Akane looked at Ryouga. No one answered Tatewaki’s cry.

"I’m afraid you’ll find all your servants are a little too tied up to help you now." Cologne cackled from behind. Both Tatewaki and Akane turned to look at her.

"What?!" Tatewaki cried, bewildered. He clenched the bokken still in his hand tighter. "Why you old…" he brought the bokken up to bear. "…haggard!" he cried, and charged Cologne. "Haaa!" he cried.

Cologne raised a narrow eyebrow, an then hopped to the side defiantly. Tatewaki ran past and stopped short of plunging into the water. He turned and glared at Cologne. "It was you! You were the one who brought this Hibiki back, you are the one who disgraced my house! You are the one I shall fight!" he hollered and charged Cologne again. The old lady once more hopped aside.

"No one has ever defeated me in battle, boy. My first son-in-law came close, and your skills are not matched to his." She laughed. "You stand no chance against me."

Tatewaki panted a little where he was. "Saotome lost to HER?" he madly thought. "Impossible! She’s nothing but skin and wrinkles!" his hand tightened on his bokken. "You bluff, old lady." He said out loud. Akane’s jaw dropped.

"Tatchi-chan, stop! You don’t know what you’re saying!"

Tatewaki looked at Akane. "You mean she really…" he looked at Akane, and she nodded quickly yes. Tatewaki looked back at Cologne. The old woman was off her staff. She held it in one hand, and now was swinging the round knobby end at Tatewaki’s head. Tatewaki’s eyes widened, and then his feet went out from under him. He fell on his rear and the staff passed harmlessly above him with a harsh whiz sound. Tatewaki clutched his wildly beating heart and wondered just what happened. He looked up, and saw Ryouga’s crooked grin peering down at him. "Hibiki-kun?" he muttered.

"You actually thought…" Ryouga breathed, one hand to his sore head. "…that I’d let her take you down?" Tatewaki blinked, confused. "You’re mine!" he added, and then looked up at Cologne. "Peace with you, and let us finish this like men." he responded. He got to his feet, and watched Tatewaki get to his own. Cologne observed, bemused.

Ryouga watched Tatewaki, ready to finish the fight soon. Tatewaki watched Ryouga, wanting blood. Ryouga spoke up. "You know I went easy on you the first time because I didn’t think you were very good, right?" he stated. Tatewaki’s eyes narrowed.

"The nerve!" Tatewaki howled. Then he charged Ryouga again. This time he swung his bokken in mid charge, and Ryouga leapt back, defenseless.

Akane watched the two continue. She found it unfair the Ryouga had no bokken to counter with. What’d happened to the umbrella he use to always fight with? The two men fought, with Tatewaki slashing, and Ryouga on the quick defense. Dodge, dodge, duck. Mousse stood silently, watching the two, and Cologne smiled as the two fought closer to the pool.

Tatewaki knew Ryouga’s stragity. He’d be a fool not to realize it. Ryouga was trying to tire him out, so he could attack, but Tatewaki wasn’t about to let that happen. Just a few more steps…and…

Ryouga knew Tatewaki’s stragity. He’d be a fool not to realize it. Tatewaki was trying to attack him with the sword so that he could catch him off guard and flip him into the pool. There Ryouga would transform into his familiar pig form, and Tatewaki could destroy him, but Ryouga wasn’t about to let that happen. Just a few more steps…and…

Tatewaki’s bokken came down, and Ryouga’s foot backed over onto nothingness. Ryouga could either take the bokken hit, or fall back into the water. There was no choice…or was there? Ryouga’s arms went out to balance himself, and they clamped on to the blade of the fast swinging bokken. With both feet now levered on a 45 degree angle to the pool, Ryouga fell backwards, towards the water. His grasp on the bokken kicked in, and Tatewaki, taken by surprise, lifted off the ground and flew through the air. Ryouga didn’t release the bokken though. Tatewaki’s flight eventually had a down fall to it, and when Tatewaki was at his lowest point, Ryouga was situated above him, at his highest point. THEN Ryouga let go. The lost of momentum cause Tatewaki to crash feet first into the pool. Ryouga spread his legs and soared over, landing on the opposite side of the pool.

A huge splash sounded, and the water shot up around Tatewaki’s now submerged body.

Ryouga stood, back to the pool, and let the water rush up, and then fade into a ripple on the surface. Then he turned…in time to get smacked across the face with Tatewaki’s bokken. Ryouga’s head turned with the unexpected hit. His body followed with the momentum. Fortunately for him, his path took him only to the cool tile, and not the cold water. Tatewaki’s aim was good, well placed and hard, and as a result, Ryouga’s entire body took the hit. His head spun with his body and legs followed, he hit the ground hard, cracking the tile beneath him.

And Tatewaki was upon him like a lion. Ryouga barely had time to roll onto his back before he was using his arms to parry Tatewaki’s hits. Tatewaki’s strikes were solid and hard. Ryouga could only block them with his forearms. One block or two was doable, but at the rate Tatewaki was striking, Ryouga’s arms would break in no time. This, Tatewaki could see too.

Ryouga, unable to use his hands to strike back, tried kicking Tatewaki. His attack only brushed Tatewaki’s legs. Finally, his arms throbbing from the relentless strikes, Ryouga grabbed the bokken by the blade, stopping it. The two men made eye contact, and then Ryouga shoved the bokken to the side, and in that second of hesitation, he used his elbow to prop himself up, and swung his leg up, and kicked Tatewaki in the seat of his pants.

The young Kuno leapt back, and then whirled again on Ryouga. However, Ryouga wasn’t one to just sit for nothing. As soon as he got Tatewaki off him, he was on his feet. And so now they faced each other again; Ryouga cradling his beaten arms, Tatewaki coughing from water inhalation. Neither seemed fit for another round, but neither seemed ready to forfeit either.

This time Ryouga made the pass, he moved towards Tatewaki, and tried kicking the older man. Tatewaki countered with his bokken, and then struck for Ryouga’s gut with his other hand. Ryouga took the hit in the stomach, and then sprung up and hit Tatewaki with his other leg. Tatewaki stumbled as he got hit in the side, dropping his bokken, but he rose, and rounded on Ryouga, fists flying.

Ryouga caught all of Tatewaki’s punches, and soon held both the Upperclassman’s fists in his hands. Tatewaki, angered at this, used all his momentum, turned and forced Ryouga to get knocked towards the pool. Tatewaki almost laughed upon seeing Ryouga’s feet above the cold water in the pool. Ryouga un-righted himself, and then extended his forefinger towards the pool. Everyone watched him closely.

Ryouga neared the water, and he stuck his right arm out, extending his index finger. Upon contacting the water, he cried out: "O Mizu Bakusai Tenketsu!"

Upon touching the surface of the water, the molecules began exploding, and breaking up. Hydrogen and oxygen filled the room, and the area of the pool directly below Ryouga was almost immediately free of water. His feet touched the dry pool bottom, and then he sprang up and out. The water around him then rushed back into the void area of the pool. He landed safely on tile on the opposite side.

Tatewaki smirked, and tilted his head. "Very clever Hibiki."

Ryouga didn’t waste the breath to respond to the compliment and was already hurling several bandanna’s in Tatewaki’s direction. Tatewaki managed to avoid them, and they whirled back to Ryouga. He held caught, and continued spinning them. Seeing Ryouga’s plan, Tatewaki knew he could no longer stand still. Ryouga hurled the razor sharp bandanna’s once more and Tatewaki ran from them. He dove, reclaiming his bokken. Still he knew it was futile to deflect the projectiles with his wooden bokken. The cloth would shred his sword. Now Ryouga was hurling another round of bandanna’s at him. Tatewaki now found himself among Akane, Mousse and Cologne. Ryouga flung another well aimed bandanna at Tatewaki. The upperclassman, ducked to avoid the first round, but was caught off guard on the second round. Turning to duck, one of the bandanna’s sliced his shirt sleeve. He turned surprised, and another bandanna whizzed past his ear, shaving part of his hair. Across the pool, Ryouga grinned maniacally. Both Mousse and Cologne stood back away, avoiding the deadly match.

Ryouga reclaimed the thrown bandanna’s and began spinning them once more for an assault on Tatewaki. Unwilling to be brought down by headbands, Tatewaki took a firm stance, and hurled his bokken at Ryouga, knowing his opponent was unprepared for such an attack. Surprisingly, Ryouga released one bandanna which intercepted the bokken in mid air. The navy blur severed the bokken into two. Tatewaki gasped as the two halves splashed into the pool, and then Ryouga released the other bandannas at him at top notch speeds.

This time Ryouga didn’t stop with a mere three bandanna’s. Once he got them off, he spun and threw them, by the dozens. Tatewaki, unable to deflect, began to dodge. The air was soon filled with the sound of the buzzing bandanna’s. Tatewaki had a new bokken in hand now, and he was erratically lunging to avoid the deadly shots.

Then as planned, the bandanna’s began their return flight. Flying much like boomerangs, the bandanna’s started returning to Ryouga’s direction. Tatewaki, still busy dodging the incoming weapons, became oblivious until one bandanna flew back and sliced him in the rear. He yelped, his bokken flying from his hand, and he stumbled forward.

The bandannas then seemed to fade and Akane rushed to Tatewaki’s side. The now injured upperclassman clung to Akane for support. She helped stabilize him, but he was far heavier than her, and his downward decent did not falter. The two fell forward and into the pool with a huge splash of water and Akanes cry of help.

Ryouga watched the two go down with content. Once the initial splash died away, Tatewaki rose. Another bokken was in his hand now, and he hurled it with all his might at Ryouga. Taken off guard Ryouga barely managed to avoid the bokken, but it allowed time for Tatewaki to leap from the pool, and plow into Ryouga. Now wet, Tatewaki tried to get Ryouga into the pool. He knew now, of Hibiki’s curse, and knew that in his cursed form, he’d be far easier to defeat. Ryouga knew this as well, and so he kept Tatewaki at bay.

He’d allowed Tatewaki to ram him, but Ryougas firm body prevented Tatewaki from knocking him down. Ryouga kneed Tatewaki in the face, and sent the upperclassman reeling. Seeing Tatewaki drawing upon another bokken from Bokkenspace, Ryouga began unfastening his belt. He snapped it stiff, and held it ready like a sword. Tatewaki miffed at the belt and charged.

Ryouga parried the bokken easily with his belt, and Tatewaki’s eyes widen in disbelief. Ryouga then twisted his belt and the edge dug into the wood bokken. Shortly the sword collapsed into two halves. Tatewaki dropped them uselessly. Now utterly angered at Hibiki, Tatewaki drew upon a metal bokken. Ryouga parried the attack again, and took note of the far deadlier weapon.

And now the two fought viciously. Both men surprised each other immensely with each others sword fighting skills. Tatewaki soon overcame his shock at Ryouga fighting with a belt, and he fought with a new vengeance. Ryouga ignored the rest of the world, and only focused on Tatewaki. His mind was now set to kill, and he’d stop at nothing until he’d reached his goal.

Neither noticed the small splash as Mousse fell into the water, transforming into his duck form on contact. The two were busy in a lock. Ryouga held his belt, keeping the metal bokken from killing him, and Tatewaki held his bokken, keeping the belt from killing him. Both men stared each other in the eyes, and auras began emanating from them both.

Finally Ryouga found a last reserve of arm strength and with all his might he hurled Tatewaki back. Surprised Tatewaki stepped back, and Ryouga pulled his belt back and then went into cut at Tatewakis leg. With the speed of a professional, Tatewaki lowered his bokken, and barely intercepted the incoming belt. Tatewaki held his bokken at a precarious angle, and the strain brought forth by Ryougas belt didn’t help matters at all. Finally Ryouga, still pressing his belt trying to dismember Tatewakis leg, kicked forward. His leg caught Tatewaki on his other leg and the upperclassmans knee buckled in.

Tatewaki dropped to his knees, his hand still holding Ryouga’s belt at bay. Then Ryouga swiftly ceased his forward thrust, and instead slide his belt along the un-sharp side of Tatewaki’s bokken. Soon his belt found the skin of Tatewaki’s knuckles. Without a moments hesitation, Ryouga sliced up and cut the skin at the top of Tatewaki’s hand, and arm.

Tatewaki howled in pain, but he did not drop his bokken. Ryouga, drew his belt back, dead skin and blood now on the blade. Tatewaki then brought his bokken up, and Ryouga barely managed to deflect the metal point near his ear. Ryouga over powered Tatewaki’s weakening form, and pushed the bokken back, his belt biting into Tatewaki’s shoulder.

Blood spilt down Tatewaki’s arm, pooling on the tiles beneath them. Water dripped from Tatewaki’s hair and mingled with the blood. He breathed harshly, his teeth clenched tightly. His fingers gripped his bokken desperately, but he could not fight. Ryouga’s belt dug deep into his right shoulder. Even now the younger man purposely withdrew his bokken, and tilted the blade so the blood immersed blade was at Tatewaki’s throat. Kuno swallowed hard, and felt his Adam’s Apple bob against the belt.

He looked at Ryouga. The boy’s eyes were alight with dark fire. His mouth was slightly open, and his dual fangs could be seen protruding past his lips. His face was dripping with foul sweat, and blackened from repeated hits. His hands were crusted with blood, and tightly gripping to his belts handle. His long hair hung around him in strands, limp with sweat. He breathed harshly, like an animal.

Tatewaki swallowed again, and then lifted his chin in dignity. Hibiki had won. Tatewaki was a man of honor, and he would not deny himself an honorable death. His cool dark brown eyes met with the almost glowing Hibiki’s. Tatewaki finally let his fingers go limp, and his metal bokken clattered to the tile. Ryouga’s gray eyes filtered no emotion back to Tatewaki. The only readable expression on his face was enjoyment. His smile was enough to unnerve the dead. Tatewaki felt his neck hairs stand on end. The two held their gaze a long deathly silent moment. There was no sound, and neither man seemed to even breath. Tatewaki awaited the finally strike, knowing that Hibiki would take it. Now he was only torturing him with life.

An unreal ‘wank’ of agony pierced the unearthly silence. Ryouga’s eyes darted to the source of the sound, as did Kuno’s. Immediately Ryouga dropped his belt, and broke away from Tatewaki. He took a step towards the sound, and paused, his legs turning to jelly.

Before him in the pool, was Mousse in duck form. The duck was miserable, screaming in duckish, and flapping crazily. In the deep end of the water, floated Akane. Her backside faced out of the water. Her arms floated beneath her. Long black hair drifted on the glassy surface, and her face remained buried in the water, bobbing gently with the splashing the duck created. Akane’s clothes floated in the water around her, dancing on after death. Her entire body seemed to sway in a dead movement, not only with the ripples of the water, but with a riveting beckon, like that so similar to life. As though she were a creature of the sea, breathing not air, but water. Yet the dance was not so convincing, and as the waves died into cold stillness, her sea dance stopped, and she ceased to be a creature of the sea, and became only a drowned victim of the land.

A wicked cackle broke the sound of silence. Cologne stood at the waters edge, her wrinkled face brought into a distortion of a smile. Ryouga tore his eyes from Akane’s limp body to the old ghoul. She stopped laughing, and looked harshly at him.

"Only too late do you realize your destiny." Cologne coldly spoke. Ryouga listened, the blood rushing though his head, dulled his thoughts, his eyes blurred his vision, but he heard Colognes words crispy and clearly. "My son-in-laws death at your hands was unforgivable. It was the cause of my great-granddaughters death, and now it has seen then end of your loves death. Soon it will see the end of your fate." She continued. Cologne raised her gnarled hands together at her waist. "The only heir to the Joketsuzoku village has been slain by one Hibiki Ryouga. My Shampoo never would have taken her life if Saotome had lived. His sleep is forever, but yours shall not be." Now her hands began to glow, and a bright red sphere formed from her fingertips.

Ryouga found himself planted to his place firmly. Either his will to move had gone, or he was unable to move. His eyes fixated on Cologne’s glowing hands. What she said was true. Not only had his own selfishness killed Ranma, it had now killed Akane. Whatever Cologne had awaiting for him, he would take it. He deserved whatever the woman could give. He did not deserve to live. Even now he could sense Cologne’s ki energy building up. He welcomed it.

Ryouga’s heart pinched. Akane was dead. Because of his own foolishness. She might have been happy…living this life with Tatewaki. He had stolen that from her. He had stolen her life with Ranma, he stolen her life with him, he’d stolen her life with Tatewaki, and now he’d stolen her life all together. On top of which he’d been the cause of Shampoo’s death. His heart seemed to flutter, contorting. How could he have been so blind? Was his own greed that strong?

Now Cologne’s ki signature read strong. She spoke again, breaking Ryouga from his thoughts. "When at first it began you deserved death." She began to turn her hands, the kinetic energy ball crackling as she held it. "As time progressed your death sentence grew heavier. With the death of Akane, you have completed the cycle, yet your punishment has but yet begun. Whist Akane may proceed in the afterlife, you shall never know of it." and at that, she released the red sphere of ki without so much as a cry of attack.

Ryouga braced for the impact. The energy ball slammed into him, hurling him across the room, and smashing his head against the wall. The energy crackled around him, seeping into him, filling him, and coursing through his body. His mouth opened to scream, but nothing issued from it. He felt pain.

The world turned black with pain.

The dark flames ignited inside of Ryouga. His soul burning with the flames. Once that vital part of him was gone, he was nothing but the shell of a man. His eyes became vacant and lost their life. He dropped to his knees in agony. The flames flicked around him, and then flowed up the walls and into infinity. Ryouga’s body then lost all of its willpower and he hit the tile, his head smacking the floor.

Cologne watched it silently. As Ryouga hit the floor she spoke: "Now your eternal torture has begun. Yet you shall not be granted such a merciless death." She waved her hand. The soulless body of Hibiki Ryouga stirred. Soon the body rose, and his vacant eyes looked at Cologne. "Eternity is forever. Your ‘sleep’ will be that." She said. The soulless man listened to her, his mind barely functioning. "Never again shall you hurt one, and take your life for it. Immortality will prevail to that. To out live not only those you knew, and once loved, but to dwell in your own wrongs, and to out live yourself. That is your fate. Once your mortal body is gone, your mind will exist, and the knowledge of the things you’ve done shall forever haunt you. This is your end. This is the dream you shall never awaken from, the dream you live whist you are awake. This is your eternal sleep."

The End

Eternal Sleep?: Epilouge