Tempest

"You really didn't have to do this, you know," Akane pointed out, both touched and mildly irritated. "I'm a martial artist, too. I can take care of myself."

Ryouga didn't know how to respond to that, so he just shrugged. He wasn't sure why he had offered to walk her to school either, but he had, and before she could respond Mr. Tendou had jumped in behind the idea. He wasn't sure whether she would have accepted or declined, but at least part of her seemed to appreciate the gesture. On the other hand, part of her seemed annoyed at it, too.

Akane would never admit it, but she was glad that Ryouga was there. With Ranma no longer an obstacle, it was entirely possible that her daily battles would resume. She had no desire to fight, and she hoped that people would recognize Ranma's friend and back off.

They approached the school, and she could see that her fears were largely unfounded. Only one stood between her and the entrance: Kunou Tatewaki.

Akane sighed and began to prepare herself for the attack, but it did not come. Instead, he merely walked up to her. No hint of aggression was evident in his bearing, and it seemed that all would be well until he opened his mouth to speak.

"Ah, fair Akane," he began, oblivious to her reaction. "Now that you are free of that sorcerous animal Saotome--"

To Akane, his words were like a knife in the stomach, slowly twisted with each added insult. Fury sprang up behind the pain; her glare could have melted steel, and yet there were the beginnings of tears in her eyes. Her fists balled up tightly, her body tensed, and her words came out as a hiss. "Go away, Kunou."

He didn't take the hint. "--I would date with thee...."

Ryouga saw Akane stiffen, and he stepped between her and Kunou. His face only inches from the swordsman's, he growled, "She asked you to leave, Kunou."

"Who are you to challenge the Blue Thunder?" Kunou replied angrily, "and how dare you presume to speak for the noble Akane? Have you bewitched her also, as Saotome did before? No matter. I, upperclassman Kunou, will silence your foolish tongue!" Suddenly, he leaped to the attack with a savage swing of his bokken. Ryouga narrowly dodged, pushing a stunned Akane out of the way as well.

Unbridled fury consumed Ryouga as he turned to face the swordsman. "You have insulted my honor," he snarled, "and that of Saotome Ranma. Worse still, you have angered and hurt Akane." Recklessly charging, he screamed, "For that, you will pay!"

Kunou somehow managed to sidestep the frenzied assault, delivering a sharp blow to the back of Ryouga's head in passing. "It is you who will pay for your insolent presumption!" he taunted as Ryouga staggered away.

That... was stupid... Ryouga chastised himself, trying to collect his thoughts. The blow had dazed him, and overwhelming pain pulsed in his head. He... hits hard... with that thing.

Blinking, he suddenly found himself faced with two Kunous. That's not right. Blinking again, he saw only one... and it was charging toward him. A single thought pierced the haze : DODGE! and he did, putting a little distance between them.

"As with Saotome, you do not take me seriously!" Kunou accused, mistaking Ryouga's disorientation for deliberate inattention. "If you will fight, then do so!"

Ryouga shook his head violently, trying to pull himself together. Concentrating with all the willpower he could muster, he managed to push back the thought-obscuring haze a little. Still, he felt less than coherent. "Damn," he cursed angrily under his breath. "I have to win this... for Akane." Slowly he began to circle, and Kunou mirrored him; each sought an opening.

Akane watched in stunned silence as the two fought. She wanted to stop them before someone got hurt, but it seemed both of them were too angry for that now. Surprisingly, it seemed that Kunou had the upper hand; since the initial attack, Ryouga had fought poorly at best. Unless the pattern changed soon, Tatewaki would win.

Another reckless charge by Ryouga ended with him thrown to the ground, but still he staggered to his feet. He was taking a beating, and each fall was as a needle in Akane's fragile heart. He was fighting for her, she knew, and she desperately wanted to stop him. The wound was minor, and Kunou was so oblivious that he almost couldn't be blamed, but there was no restraining her 'protector' now.

Ryouga felt the blood trickle from his split lower lip as he regained his feet. He was losing--losing to this overgrown schoolyard bully--and the thought was intolerable to him. He knew that he was out of control, but the pounding in his mind wouldn't recede long enough for him to put up a real fight.

Kunou stepped in to attack, and Ryouga countered with a weak kick that pushed the swordsman backward a step; still, he seemed largely unfazed. What can I do? Ryouga despaired, unable to focus on the battle. It was then that he saw the stone wall surrounding the school's courtyard, and he had an idea. He ran for it as if seeking refuge.

As he'd hoped, Kunou charged him, bokken raised for a devastating attack. It was the opportunity he'd needed. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" he cried, stepping sideways and jabbing the wall with his finger.

Kunou cried out in pain as hundreds of rock fragments exploded in his face, and instinctively his sword-arm went to cover his eyes. Seeing his chance, Ryouga drove the real attack home; a quick punch to Kunou's gut doubled him over, and a rising kick planted him firmly on his back. Ryouga smiled thinly even through the overwhelming pain, thinking he had won.

It was too soon. Ryouga still wasn't at full strength, and the only real injury was to Tatewaki's pride. "Very well," Kunou spoke slowly as he rose. "I shall show you the true wrath of the Blue Thunder!" Hefting his weapon again, he shouted, "Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!"

Ryouga was caught entirely off-guard by the sheer force of the barrage, and it drove him backwards over the rubble. He fell, and this time he couldn't find the strength to stand. He lay motionless as Kunou stood gloating over him.

Akane was stunned; Kunou had *beaten* Ryouga. Picking herself up from where Ryouga's quick-thinking shove had put her on the grass, she moved over toward her fallen protector to assist him. Before she could get there, though, she saw him stir.

"No," Ryouga whispered savagely, fighting to remain conscious with sheer force of will. "He *can't* beat me like that." Summoning the memories of weeks past, he called upon the death of Ranma, and Akane's sorrow, and his own guilt. He drew from the torment of his recent days, and felt the depression growing within him. He let it flow freely now as he had rarely done before, feeding it with his present agony as well, knowing intimately the surge of power that accompanied it. Physical pain fell away as the emotional torture consumed him, and slowly, he began to drag himself to his feet.

"So you fight still, Hibiki Ryouga," Kunou laughed contemptuously, drawing back his sword for the final blow...

"SHISHI HOUKOUDAN!" The words were a primal scream, the outpouring of Ryouga's soul in one savage roar; the ki equivalent was a devastating blast of concussive force that lifted the would-be samurai from his feet and threw him backward as it might a rag doll. Time seemed to slow for Ryouga; the blast had been far more powerful than he had intended, and he watched in horror as Kunou's body slammed against a the pedestal of a nearby statue and fell to the ground limp.

"No...." he heard himself whisper; his own voice seemed distant. The last thing he realized before the darkness took him was that Akane was at his side.

"Ryouga? Ryouga!" Akane cried. "Talk to me!" Desperately, she checked his pulse; it was still strong. He was breathing normally, too, she noticed, and she began to worry less. Still, he was in a bad way. His eyes had been badly dilated before he passed out, the telltale sign of a concussion, and that worried her. Carefully picking him up, she ran to Dr. Tofu's.

Ryouga awoke to the realization that he was in pain. That was good... it meant he was still alive. Familiar voices could be heard around him, though they seemed far away. After a few moments, he recognized Akane's voice amid the others, and slowly opened his eyes.

"Akane... ?" The sight that greeted him was all he could hope for. Akane sat beside his bed, as if watching over him. Evident worry gave way to relief at the sound of his voice, and she looked down at him with a slight smile.

"Where am I?" he asked, glancing about at the unfamiliar surroundings. Everything was white, with little to no decoration. For someone accustomed to sleeping outdoors, or wherever he could, it was disturbingly austere.

"You're in the hospital," Akane answered. "Kunou's in the next room over."

"Nani?" Ryouga tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness pushed him back to the bed.

"Don't," Akane cautioned, her voice a whisper. "The doctors say you have a severe concussion, and shouldn't be moving around for a day at least."

He sighed. Well, at least Akane would be here with him. He sighed more loudly when she rose to her feet, as if to leave.

She smiled again. "Don't worry, I'll be back. They wanted me to tell them when you were awake."

He nodded, and immediately regretted it, then shifted to a slightly more comfortable position. Deciding that was the best he could do, he tried to relax. After all, he was going to be there a while.

"Shishi Houkoudan!"

All sensation was lost to Ryouga, save that of the ki-shockwave erupting from his body, and instinctively he knew he had lost control. Hauntingly slow, as if time itself stood in awe of this devastating blast, the ripple of explosive force tore through the air. His face registering helpless surprise, Kunou tried desperately to deflect it; his bokken splintered under its force. Without even time to brace himself, he was struck with force like that of a small car.

Horror gripped Ryouga's heart as the swordsman was lifted from he feet and thrown backwards. Still hauntingly slow, the energy wave carried his now-limp form backward, slamming him against a statue with a sickening thud, and he crumpled.

"No...." Ryouga whispered...

"Ryouga," Akane's voice cut into his reverie, calling him back to reality.

He blinked, then looked at her oddly for a moment. Finally, he asked. "How is Kunou?"

What? Akane returned the odd look before answering, "Some broken ribs, whiplash, a concussion like yours. Not too bad. Why?"

Ryouga sighed. "I... lost control. I didn't mean to hurt him."

"He deserved it," she replied, the residual anger still clear in her voice.

Shaking his head, Ryouga said, "I just wanted to end it. He didn't realize what he was doing."

"This is really bothering you, isn't it?" Akane was surprised.

Ryouga nodded. "I lost control," he echoed himself. "A martial artist must remain in control."

That never used to bother him, she thought, wondering what had changed. Still, she tried to soothe him. "Ryouga, you heard what the doctors said. It's a wonder you could throw that blast at all."

He sighed with resignation, not sounding entirely convinced. "I suppose...."

Several hours later, Ryouga was alone again. Akane had gone home for a little while, though she had promised to return, and no one else had seen fit to drop by.

He sighed. Of late he had come to hate being alone; it was at times like this that the memories came back to haunt him, and he could only suppress them so long. He was nearing the limit when a knock came at his door. "Come in," he sighed gratefully.

Nabiki entered, and his level of gratefulness fell a few notches. Still, she was better company than his past failures, so he couldn't really complain.

"Hello," she greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he answered truthfully.

"They say you can go home tomorrow, if you keep improving," she informed. "I just wanted to tell you that you have a room to stay in."

He nodded. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." She flashed a wicked grin, a none-too-veiled reminder of the terms he was under, and he shuddered. For a moment the room was quiet, then Ryouga realized something. Nabiki wasn't leaving.

"Why did you really come here?" he asked.

She grinned slightly at his sudden perception. "You're learning, Ryouga." Pausing for a moment, she said, "I was hoping you would tell me how Akane is holding up. You've spent more time with her than anyone else lately."

Ryouga nodded, concern evident in his eyes. "She... is doing better, though she's still hurting a lot," The realization that Akane had loved Ranma had come very difficultly to him, and even now it was not easy for him to accept. The blow to her soul -- a soul far more fragile than she would admit -- had been devastating, and the healing of that wound would be a slow one.

Nabiki nodded. "As well as can be expected, anyway." Picking up her purse, she rose to leave, then turned to speak one more time. "Thank you, Ryouga."

He nodded, then settled back into his bed. Moments later she was gone, and shortly after that he fell asleep.

Struggling for the focus, trying to draw on the hopelessness of their situation, Ryouga cried out, "Shishi Houkoudan!" Sadly, the ki-blast that resulted was little more than a firecracker; the guardian shrugged it off effortlessly. As dire as their straits were, Ryouga just couldn't summon the depression to make it hurt.

"Shimatta! Nothing works!" Ranma shouted over the wyrm's angry roar. It was bearing down on them quickly now, and they were backed up against the cliff. For a moment he hesitated, then suddenly leapt into the air, screaming, "Ryouga! Get clear!"

Ryouga hastily clambered away from the edge, where Ranma was coming down over the dragon's head. He heard his friend's cry....

"Dragon's Fire!"

The world went blinding white for an eternal instant as the explosion of ki threw Ryouga to the ground. Dragging himself back to his feet, he looked up in time to see the dragon rear back in agony, shudder, and fall with a thundering crash to the valley below. Ranma neatly landed on the edge of the cliff, and Ryouga turned just in time to see that edge buckle.

Ranma's cry of surprise galvanized Ryouga into action. Breaking into a dead sprint, he quickly closed on the now-sliding Ranma. He would make it easily, he knew; this confidence was bolstered as Ranma reached out and grabbed a still-planted rock, halting his slide.

Then something else caught Ryouga's eye... five feet from Ranma, the relic was slipping down the now-sloped edge. Could he save it? A quick glance at Ranma convinced him he could. Two steps to his left put him within reach, and he picked it up in mid-stride, turning again toward Ranma.

Just then, the rock that Ranma was holding broke loose, and he started to fall. Ryouga dove for him, reaching for his hand...

... and feeling Ranma's fingertips slip past his own.

Ryouga sat bolt upright in his bed, and his first thought was to wonder why he had not screamed. His breathing was ragged as terror and revulsion mixed, the combination hardening like a knot in his stomach, leaving him nauseous. Swallowing hard, he tried to calm himself... it was just a dream, after all.

But it wasn't just a dream. It was a memory... a memory that would haunt him for the rest of his life.