Back on Kami’s Lookout, the situation had changed slightly…
“LET ME GO!!! PAN’S IN TROUBLE!!!”
Goku was bearhugging Gohan trying to keep him from flying down to the battlefield. They were both powered up to Super Saiya-Jin Two. Gohan struggled against the grip his father had on him. “Settle down Gohan! You have to let them take care of it!”
“THAT’S MY LITTLE GIRL DOWN THERE! DON’T YOU CARE THAT YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER IS IN DANGER!”
“Calm down, Gohan! Don’t you trust Dende?”
Dende cringed internally at that comment.
Gohan slowed a little bit. “But she’s only at Super Saiya-Jin One! She’s no match for Cell! I don’t want to loose my only child!”
Videl was watching from the side with tears in her eyes. She knew she couldn’t do anything to help her baby or her husband. She felt so powerless. Maron walked up behind her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It will be okay. You’ll see.” Maron gave the worried mother a reaffirming smile.
“I just don’t want to loose her. I know Cell was powerful enough to kill Goku, and Pan is nowhere near as strong as he is. I’m just so worried.” Tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Maron hugged her. “Kami knows what he is doing.”
Dende cringed again. Damn you Setsuna for making me do this. Do they really have to die?
On the side, watching the action below, Uub just stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists.
Pan took a couple of steps back and assessed her situation. Okay, the full Ginyu Tokusentai, no sweat. Freezer and King Cold, no problem, just need to conserve my energy with the Ginyus. Cell…I think I just soiled my fuku.
“Houston, we have a problem.” Ranma-Chan stepped up beside the Saiya-Jin.
“No kidding. I don’t think we can do it.”
“Come on, Pan, you definitely won’t do it with that attitude.”
“Ranma, I haven’t trained enough to take on Cell. Freezer is enough to keep my hands full. I can’t take them all!”
Ranma-Chan put a hand on her shoulder. “Your not the only one here, y’know. You’ve got nine other people here to back you up.”
“But none of you are even on par with the Ginyus! I’m the only one that can do this! I can already tell that you lost a lot of power when Sailor Moon healed you.”
Ranma-Chan raised an eyebrow. She turned her senses inward. Pan’s right. I’ve lost all the power I gained from Ramadan, but I’m not finished yet! “I still have other tricks up my sleeve. You take care of Freezer and King Cold. I’ll take on the Ginyu Tokusentai.”
Pan turned to the redhead. “Are you sure about that?”
“Hey, I beat you before you started training me. I think I can handle them.”
“Don’t forget that they can fly.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“One more thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t be afraid to use lethal force. They’re already dead.”
“Check.”
Up ahead, the reunited family was finishing up their reunion and introductions. King Cold looked over the participants on the battlefield. “You brought us here to take care of a bunch of little girls?”
Shiver shook her head at her husband. “You’re just here to help me reconquer our empire, dear. The little girls are of no consequence for the most part. We just needed Cell to finish off the Super Saiya-Jin. We’ll kill the girls and then retake our throne.”
King Cold smiled. “Very well. Let’s let the Ginyus have the little girls then. What do you think?”
“I think that is brilliant. Freezer?”
Freezer smirked an evil grin. “Anything you say mother dearest, but I’d really like another chance at fighting a legendary Super Saiya-Jin. After all, she’s still just a monkey, and a child to boot!”
Shiver waved her hand dismissively. “Suit yourself, but don’t hesitate to call for help. I’d hate to have to retrieve you from Hell again. Beryl will probably get smarter eventually.”
“Hey!” Metallia/Beryl shouted.
Shiver turned and fired a Ki blast that knocked the dark queen off her feet. “Sit down. Thank whatever gods you pray to that you are still alive. Freezer!”
“Yes! Captain Ginyu! Dispense with the little girls! The Saiya-Jin is mine!”
The five Ginyu all struck odd, goofball poses. “Yes!” They all called together.
Captain Ginyu stood up. “Sound off!”
The tall, over muscular man with a small patch of red hair on his head struck a ballerina pose, standing on one foot with hands over his head. “Reacoom!”
The blue reptilian one leaned to one side and threw both hands in the air like a referee signaling a touchdown. “Butta!”
A shorter man with white hair and pink skin twirled his long hair around and stood on one leg with his hands straight out. “Jheese!”
The green midget with three eyes knelt to one knee and put both fists to the snow. “Gurd!”
The last one, a tall man with horns and wrinkles on his head like a brain turned around and bent over and looked between his legs at the Sailors with his hands in a ‘Nyah, Nyah’ position, sans tongue hanging out. “Ginyu!”
“And together we make!” They all shouted in unison. “The Ginyu Tokusentai!” They all changed poses for a farce of a superhero group shot.
The Senshi and Pseudo Senshi all sweatdropped.
Captain Ginyu took a step foreword. “Know that you die by the greatest force to ever…” CRACK!!!
Ranma-Chan backflipped away from the horned Ginyu and landed in a stance. Ginyu put a hand to his face to hold his newly broken jaw.
Akane looked at Ranma-Chan. “What did you do that for?”
Ranma-Chan shrugged. “Dunno. Somethin’ just told me to do it.”
Up on Kami’s Lookout, Dende looked at Goku and shook his head. Goku just scratched the back of his head and whistled innocently.
Ranma-Chan cracked her knuckles. “Okay, goofballs. Let’s go!”
Gurd pointed at Ranma-Chan. “Look! A puny human is trying to take on the whole team at once!”
Ranma-Chan raised an eyebrow. “Who you callin’ puny, shorty?”
Gurd growled at him. “I’ve got more power than you’ve ever dreamed about!”
Ranma-Chan gave him a cocky grin. “We’ll see about that.”
Reacoom put a fist out. “We need to Ro Sham Bo to see who kills her.”
Ranma-Chan faded from sight and reappeared with a foot planted in the over- muscled man’s groin. He bent over in agony. “Okay. You win.”
Jheese got an irritated look on his face. “Arrogant little punk isn’t she?”
Butta nodded his head. “I couldn’t even see her! No human could be faster than me!”
Ranma-Chan appeared behind him. “You sure about that?” Butta took a swipe behind his back, but she had already disappeared again.
Gurd looked around. I’ll get the little earthling. He blinked to trigger his power. Time froze, but there was no Ranma-Chan to be found. “Where is she?” He searched around until he ran out of breath. I can’t find her anywhere. Can she teleport? He released time.
Jheese was starting to get a little miffed. “She’s hurt the Captain and Reacoom! I think we should give her, her wish.” A double line of puncture marks appeared running up his back. He arched his back in pain.
Ranma-Chan appeared in front of all of them. “About time! Come get some!” She unleashed a barrage of Ki bolts and started flying backwards, fading in-and-out using the Umisen-Ken techniques. The ticked off Ginyu Tokusentai followed closely after.
Ranma-Chan led them away to an open field, well away from the others. Once there, she started a spiral. The Ginyus followed like good little suckers. She reached the center of her spiral and threw her hand into the air. “Hiryu Shoten Ha revised! Rising Demon Dragon Assault!”
A whirlwind of deadly vacuum blades swept up all the Ginyu Tokusentai. The effect was…well…Have you ever put a frog in a blender? <Author’s note: If you haven’t, check out Joecartoon.com…and I didn’t even get anything for that shameless plug…> Suffice to say, the Ginyus were all cut to ribbons. Their remains swiftly turned to dust.
Ranma-Chan was breathing heavily, her shoulders sagging. “I can’t believe that worked!” She said with her trademark cocky grin on her face.
About the time that Ranma-Chan was leading the Ginyus away, Freezer was staring across the field at Pan. “It looks like it’s just you and me, little monkey.”
Pan cast her eyes to the others standing behind freezer, a little tense at Cell. “Plus the ones behind you…”
“You have your own help…as small as it is…”
The Senshi tensed up.
Pan narrowed her eyes. “I’m enough to take you out. I’m a third generation Super Saiya-Jin, personally trained by Son Goku, and an Amazon warrior. I’m going to show you what a ‘little monkey’ can do!”
“I’m the conqueror of millions of worlds! I’m the one that destroyed your homeworld!”
“Earth is my homeworld! You were stopped before, and you’re going to be stopped now!”
“Oh really? By you? And how do you plan to do that?”
“Like this!” Pan shot into the air and put her fingers to her temples. “Taiyouken!” The world went white as everyone was blinded. Pan shot in and kicked Freezer away from everyone, opposite the direction where Ranma went.
Freezer landed and displaced a few tons of snow. He powered up to melt all the snow around him. “Was that your great plan, little monkey?”
“Kienzan! Kienzan! Kienzan!” Pan threw a barrage of Ki buzzsaws at Freezer.
Freezer dodged back and forth to dodge all the disks. The blades cut through the frosty top layer and started striking the ground below. Again more snow was melted. Freezer blasted a barrage of finger blasts at Pan. Pan juked and dived around them. She charged around and made Freezer blast the cliffs around himself, causing them to avalanche on the shapeshifter. Freezer had to power up further to melt the new incoming.
“Bah! What am I doing! I can fly out of this!” Freezer started to lift off, only to be intercepted by a huge overhead, double handed hammer blow from Pan. He traveled down several feet and finally struck earth. The lake surrounding him rushed in and swallowed him. He kept it from freezing again, but his feet was beginning to get mired in the mud.
That should slow him down enough. Pan thought. She crouched over and cupped her hands together. “KA! ME!” A small ball of Ki formed between her hands. “HA! ME!” The ball grew bigger than her. She strained her face in concentration, trying to put all of her power into one shot. “HA!!!” She thrust her palms forward and sent the Ki ball hurtling toward the mired shapeshifter. The ball struck in a massive explosion.
When the smoke and debris had cleared, Freezer was floating in the air above the explosion, albeit without his left arm, right leg, and half his tail. “You arrogant little monkey! I’m going to turn this planet into a memory!” He held up his index finger and generated a huge red ball of Ki.
The planet buster! Pan remembered what Uncle Kuririn had told her about when the future Trunks had defeated Freezer before. She chunked a smaller Ki bolt into the expanding ball of planet killing Ki. Freezer’s eyes went wide as the smaller ball struck. The planet buster exploded in mid-air. Pan was blown back into the freezing lake. Freezer wasn’t as lucky. Pan broke free in time to see the dusty remains of Freezer fall to the ground. One problem down. Better check on Ranma. She closed her eyes and tried to find the Kis of the Ginyu Tokusentai. They were all gone! She shook her head. You really are something, Ranma. Too bad you have too many fiancées already.
She lifted off and headed back to the original battlefield. She was met by a tired, but smiling, Ranma-Chan. “Hey, stranger! How goes?”
Pan smiled. “Pretty good. Down one shapshifter.”
“Cool. Now to wipe out two more, an android, and a dark queen. I call dibs on the shapeshifters.”
“Suuure, take the easy ones.”
“Enough!” King Cold shouted. “I destroy you myself!”
Ranma-Chan smiled and faded from sight. She appear directly in front of King Cold. “Poison Snake Deep Hole Blow!” She implanted her arm into the king’s chest. She pulled it out and looked at the blue ichor on her arm. They may already be dead, but it still doesn’t seem right to kill. But then again, this is life or death of the planet. He thought briefly to what he had done to protect Akane, killing a God. I have to do it.
King Cold clutched his chest and doubled over, swiftly turning to dust.
Shiver’s eyes flared at the little redhead. “You little witch! You’ve killed my family! Cell! Kill them all!”
Cell nodded his head. “Right away.” Then I’ll kill you and that dark queen and start taking the universe for myself. He shot forward in such a burst of speed that Ranma-Chan didn’t have time to react. She was knocked back across the field and landed in the middle of the Senshi.
“Ranma!” Akane ran to her side. She held the pigtailed martial artist head up. “You okay?”
Ranma-Chan gave her fiancé a lopsided, punch-drunk grin. “Sure, just gimme a sec.” She turned her head and passed out.
Cell chuckled from across the field. “All my power, and the best they field against me is a bunch of little girls!”
Sailor Moon turned her head from Akane and her fiancé and looked down at her boyfriend’s head in her lap, still unconscious. She laid his head gently onto the snow and stood up and walked to the middle of the other Senshi. “I’m the beautiful soldier, Sailor Moon. In the name of love and justice, we the Sailor Senshi, will punish you!” The senshi all nodded their heads.
Cell bellowed out a laugh that filled the area. “You are too funny! I haven’t laughed like this in a long time! I will grant you a swift death for amusing me so!”
“Attack!” Sailor Moon commanded. She pulled her tiara off her head. “Moon Tiara, Action!”
“Fire Soul!”
“Crescent Beam!”
“Shabon Spray!”
“Supreme Thunder!”
The Senshi’s attacks combined to form one power disk. The disk hurtled toward Cell, who just smirked at the insignificant attack. He waited until it was within easy reach and batted it away. He shook out his arm briefly. “Not bad. You made my hand go numb.”
All the Senshi’s jaws dropped. Sailor Moon cursed herself for not using the Moon Healing, but she didn’t feel like she had enough energy to pull it off once more before it drained the life from her. She still had Beryl to worry about.
“Bastard!” Pan powered up and charged at the Android.
Cell grabbed her by her throat at the last instant. “I’ll get to you eventually. Wait your turn.” He threw her away with such force that crashed through a snow-covered mountain. Pan shakily got back to her feet, flew upward, and charged up for a Ki blast. “Still alive, eh?” Cell, in a massive burst of speed, closed the distance between them and planted a knee in Pan’s gut. Pan doubled over and coughed up some blood. “Now wait your turn. You’ll be dead soon enough.” Pan dropped to the snow. Cell turned back to the Senshi. “Where was I? Oh yes, dispensing with some little girls in short skirts.”
Ukyou swallowed hard from behind the Senshi’s ranks. “Don’t you hate guilt by association.” She said to the Neko-Shampoo in her arms. The cat nodded her head.
“Pan!” Akane’s eyes were filling with tears. She picked up her fiancé and carried her over toward where the young Saiya-Jin had fallen. She laid down Ranma-Chan and checked on Pan.
Pan stood back up holding her stomach. “I’m good. I’ve got to stop him.” She wiped some blood out of the corner of her mouth.
Cell opened his hand and loosed a Ki bolt at the grouped Senshi, causing all of them to be scattered across the field. He flew down and landed in the middle of the blast. He looked about as the Senshi were struggling to stand back up. “Hmmm. Now who should I kill first?” He walked over and picked up Sailor Venus. “How about you, little one? Would you like to die first?” He gave her neck a brief squeeze. Her breath seized in her throat. “Seems almost a waste of energy.”
Up on Kami’s lookout, Uub’s eyes flared. He aura leapt to life around him and he burst off the lookout.
“Uub! No!” Goku turned to follow him, but Dende put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
“Let him go.”
“What are you doing?!”
Dende turned to see a peeved Sailor Pluto standing behind him. Everyone else didn’t know what to make of the tall woman in the Sailor fuku. “There was a loophole.”
“What loophole?”
“Uub is of their generation. He has every right to be down there. I’m not going to let them all die.”
“Then only one will die instead, but it will not be a senshi. Your actions have disturbed the flow of time irrevocably.”
“Letting Ranma go to Juuban did that already. One death is better than nine.”
“Even if it is someone you care about?”
Dende cringed. “Damn you.” He whispered under his breath.
Setsuna’s heart was torn, she was glad her princess would live without expiring her life using her powers, but she’d have to redo all of her plans for the coming of Crystal Tokyo. The future of which was now up in the air.
Back at the battlefield, Cell was getting ready to crush the Senshi of Love’s windpipe. “How about a little scream before you die? Would that make you feel better?” SLASH!!! “Arrgh!” Cell looked at his now severed arm.
Uub stood out in front of him, holding Venus in his arms. He pulled the disembodied hand off the Senshi’s neck. “You okay, Mina-Chan?”
She nodded. “Thank you, Uub.”
He smiled back at her. “Get the others to safety. I’ll deal with Cell.” She nodded as he put her back on his feet.
Cell laughed. “This changes nothing, you know. They’re still going to die.” With a oozing sound, Cell’s arm healed itself. “You cannot stop me. Goku’s not the only that has been training in the afterlife.”
Uub turned to him. “I’ve been training on all the worst planets in the universe.” He charged up his aura. “You will pay for threatening the one I love.”
“Is that so?” Cell charged up his aura as well. The two leapt at each other and appeared to disappear from view. The only evidence of their battling was sonic booms and explosions across the land.
The Senshi all gathered around Akane. Mars and Moon laid Mamoru down beside Ranma-Chan. Moon looked at the redhead. “Is he going to be alright?”
Ranma-Chan’s eyes flashed open. He had felt the two massive Ki buildups. “Holy crap! What happened while I was out?”
Akane laughed. “He’ll be fine. Ranma, we have to get out of here.”
Ranma-Chan shook her head. “I ain’t running from a fight, not now, not ever.” She stood up and brushed the snow off her fuku. “Uub’s still going to need our help.”
Showers of Ki bolts started striking around them. Pan and Ranma-Chan deflected the ones heading toward the Senshi with blasts of their own. After a little bit, Uub came out of nowhere and skidded across the snow. Cell stopped, hovering above the snow. “Go home pup, you’re no match for Cell.”
Uub stood to his feet again. “We’re not even close to done, Cell.” Uub powered up again. “Round Two.” He leapt into the air to continue the fight.
“Uub!” Sailor Venus cried.
“Let’s go, Pan.” Ranma-Chan shot into the fight.
“Ranma!” Akane and Pan both shouted. Pan powered up to her remaining strength and charged in again.
Cell felt the two Ki levels come in at once. He ducked under a kick from Uub, slapped Pan to the side, and tried to kick Ranma-Chan. Ranma-Chan faded from sight at the last instant. Cell looked around. All the sudden his head was covered with cloth.
“Now!” Ranma-Chan shouted.
Pan and Uub fired large Ki bolts at Cell. He managed to tear the cloth off his head in time to dodge the brunt of the blows. “He’s too fast!” Pan shouted.
“Try again!” Ranma-Chan faded from sight one more. “Demon Deep Sea Wrap!” Ranma-Chan threw out a large blanket in such a way that it caused a huge vacuum that sucked up Cell and a few tons of the snow below.
Pan and Uub blasted the mass of snow and it exploded in a blizzard. Cell, missing half his torso, managed to fly to the side. “You little punk! AHHH!” Cell regenerated himself. “I’ll kill you for doing that.”
Ranma-Chan smiled. “You’ll have to catch me first.” She faded again.
Cell looked frantically about for Ranma-Chan. While he was distracted Pan came in and planted a knee in his back. Cell tumbled toward the ground, but righted himself before he struck it. “You I CAN see!” He shot back up behind her and landed a shot to her kidneys. She cried in agony. She swung her arm around to elbow him in the face. Cell punched the elbow coming at his face and broke it. Pan yelled out again. “Such a waste of my energy. He flipped over and kicked her in the spine and sent her crashing to the snow below. She landed, but didn’t move.
“Pan!” Ranma-Chan shouted.
“There you are!” Cell turned and fired a Ki blast.
Uub flew in and swatted it away. “We’re not finished yet!”
“Uub! I think I know how we can end this.” Ranma-Chan whispered in his ear.
“How?”
“When I had him packed in the snow, he slowed down, right?”
Uub nodded remembering the condition Cell had escaped in. “So?”
“Just be ready to fire a maximum power blast.”
Jupiter rushed over to where Pan had fallen. “Pan! Are you alright?”
Pan moaned and tossed her head to the side. “I can’t feel my legs!”
Jupiter gasped. “You’ve been paralyzed!”
“Help me back up! I have to do something!”
Jupiter shook her head. “I’ll rolled you back to your back, but you’re not going anywhere.” Jupiter arranged Pan until she was lying on her back.
Pan cried as her hair shifted back to black and her eyes went back to brown. “I’m sorry, Ranma. I can’t help you anymore.”
Ranma-Chan saw the scene below. Pan’s still alive. Time to finish this before someone gets killed.
Cell watched the redhead fade from sight again. He tensed up and looked around frantically, trying to detect any hint of her. Uub, in the meantime, was gathering up his remaining energy for a final blast.
Ranma-Chan appeared again on Cells back! Her arms had him wrapped in a full nelson, and her legs were wrapped around the front of his. He couldn’t move his arms and legs to his own defense. “What are you thinking little girl?”
Ranma-Chan’s voice was emotionless. “Your going to die again, and I’m a guy.”
Cells skin started frosting over. “How?!”
“Ancient Chinese Amazon Technique, Soul of Ice.”
Cell struggled to try to break the redheads hold. The whole time more of his body became covered in ice. The climate did nothing to help his struggle, but it did increase the effectiveness of the technique. Cells arms froze first from lack of circulation. The legs soon followed. He powered up to full to try and break Ranma-Chan’s hold and melt the ice.
Ranma-Chan grit her teeth as her skin was starting to blister. Have to hold on! But this was the moment he had been waiting for. “Now Uub!”
Uub cupped his hands together. “KA-ME-HA-ME-HA!” He unleashed the full power of the reincarnated Majin Buu.
Cell’s aura was taking the brunt of the blow, but it breaking up. Ranma-Chan huddled her head behind Cell’s torso. If I’m right, his Ki and body should give me enough time to get away. She didn’t dare power up herself, for fear that Cell would be able to get away.
The struggle was at a stalemate. Cell managed to muster enough power to form a shield to match Uub’s blast. Uub continued to pour it on.
Jupiter from down below clenched her fists in determination. There has to be something I can do! Something more powerful! Something from the Moon Kingdom! She dug into the back of her mind, willing the memories of the past to come forward. Remember!
Suddenly, she stood bolt upright. She put her hands together in front of her and electricity started arcing between her fingertips. She started to twirl in place. “SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!” A massive dragon composed of lightning flew up toward Cell.
Cell and Ranma-Chan recoiled from the shout. Ranma-Chan still held on. We need more power to break through!
The other Senshi saw what Jupiter had done. It awakened memories of their own. “We all have more powerful attacks!” Mars shouted.
“But Ranma’s still up there!” Akane shouted.
A voice came to her in her brain. Let them do it, Akane. It was Ranma. He has to be stopped here, or he’ll kill us all. I love you.
Tears streamed down her face. “No! Ranma!”
The other Senshi had heard the conversation in their heads as well. “How did he do that?” Venus asked.
“I don’t know, but he’s right.” Mars stepped forward. “Forgive us, Ranma. FIRE SOUL BIRD!” A phoenix of fire shot forward at large powerball already forming.
Venus summoned her courage and stepped forward. “CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!” A barrage of bolts flew upwards.
Mercury powered up for her attack. “SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!” A fusillade of ice shot out.
Moon dried the tears that were forming in her own eyes. “I can’t. If I do, I’ll die!”
Akane put a hand on her shoulder. “I understand. You’ve used the crystal too much already. Just let us handle it.” Akane took a few steps forward and began to think. She thought of everything that was happening here. She thought about all the happiness that this battle would cost her. She thought of what Cell had done to Pan. She began to get angry. She thought some more and began to become livid. Her aura burst out around her. She became a nova unto her own. “RAIDEN HANMAA BATSU!” Her anger blast leapt up and toward an unsuspecting Cell.
All the blasts collided on Cell. Ranma-Chan held on for dear life. Then she felt Cells aura give out. Now! He jumped off of Cell’s back. Cell exploded in a ball of consuming energy. Ranma-Chan wasn’t fast enough. She threw up her aura as fast as she could, but it wasn’t fast enough. She fell to the ground, motionless.
As Cell’s ashes was falling from the sky, Akane was running to Ranma’s side. She cradled his head in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Ranma!”
Ranma-Chan coughed. “It’s okay. It had to be done. Wish me back…” She closed her eyes and turned her head, dead.
“Ranma! RANMA!” Akane shouted at her fiancé. “You can’t be dead!” Tears were streaming down her face. Ranma’s body faded from sight, leaving an empty fuku behind. Akane fell to her knees and cried even harder.
The others dragged themselves over to her side. They had all spent their energy to defeat Cell. Most of them were lucky to be alive after that effort.
Across the field Shiver was laughing. “Revenge is mine! You killed my family and now you all will be helpless as I kill you!”
Everyone turned to see Shiver start to walk toward them. Akane clenched her fists. “This is all YOUR FAULT!”
Shiver laughed again. “You don’t have enough power for another anger blast. You can’t harm me.”
Akane shook all over as she knew what she had said was true. She turned back to where Ranma’s fuku was laying on the ground. A sparkle of gold caught her eye. She reached forward and dug out the henshin rod of Sailor Earth. It seemed to glow in her hand as power started to flow through her again. Akane turned back to Shiver with a smile on her face. “You’re wrong. This ends now!” She held the rod over her head. “Earth Power! Make Up!” A swirl of molten rock surrounded her as a pecan red fuku replaced her blue one. “In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!” She threw a hand into the air, palm up. “Terra’s Heart!”
The ground around Shiver started to shake. “What’s going on?” These were the last words that escaped her lips before a column of molten lava shot out of the ground underneath her. She was consumed completely.
Akane smiled, but the smile left her face as she started to swoon. Moon caught her before she fell. “Are you all right?”
Akane gave her a weak smile. “I just need some rest.”
“It’s not over yet, sugar!” Ukyou pointed across the field where Beryl was getting back to her feet.
Sailor Earth turned to Sailor Moon. “You have to use your power once more.”
“But it will drain my life force too much!”
Sailor Earth put a hand on her shoulder. “Use ours.”
The other Senshi nodded and put their hands on Usagi’s shoulders. Usagi felt the power from all of them start to flow through her. She looked up across the field at the dark queen who was weaving a spell to finish them all off. Sailor Moon decided it was time to show her new attack. “MOON PRINCESS HALATION!”
The combined powers of the Sailor Senshi soared across the field and struck Metallia Beryl. The spell she was weaving backfired on her. She and the dark portal behind her were consumed in the final blast that ended the long battle.
The Senshi all sat down in the snow, too tired to walk anywhere. Ukyou dropped Shampoo and walked over to where Ranma’s clothes were. She dropped to her knees and wept for him.
Shampoo started nuzzling the clothes that until just recently had covered her airen.
Akane could only shed tears from where she was, too tired to move.
Uub got to his feet and walked over and helped Sailor Venus back to her feet. She buried her face in his chest and cried as well.
Tears fell from Pan’s eyes from a combination of physical and emotional pain. Her real friends were few and far between. She had lost one of them today. She turned her head when she felt another presence come onto the scene. A shadow was cast over Pan. She couldn’t see who it was through her tears.
“You really went all out, Pan-Chan. I’m proud of all of you.” Goku knelt down and slipped a senzu bean in her mouth.
She chewed it up and was regenerated. “Why couldn’t you help him?!” She shouted at Goku.
“Dende forbade us, and you all had to do it on your own. Someday we won’t be here anymore to help you.”
Pan beat her fists on his chest. “It’s not fair!” She collapsed in a fit of tears on his chest.
Goku wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry, but he’ll be back.”
She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “What?”
“The Dragonballs.” He said simply.
Pan jumped up and clapped her hands. “Of course! The Dragonballs!”
Akane heard Pan’s cheer. “We can wish him back with the Dragonballs! That’s what Ranma meant!”
Goku smiled and handed Pan the bag of Senzu. “Give these to everyone. I think they’ll need it.
Ukyou looked up from Ranma’s fuku. “You mean he’s coming back? My fiancé is coming back?”
Goku turned to her, remembering what Dende had told him before he had teleported down here. “He not anyone’s fiancé anymore. He’s dead. But yes, Ranma will be returning.”
Shampoo, Ukyou, and Akane stiffened. Pan snapped her fingers. “That’s right! He’s free! He can marry anyone he wants!”
Akane began to look sad again. Sailor Moon put an arm over her shoulder and hugged her. “Don’t worry Akane-Chan, Ranma will pick you! He has too!”
Akane smiled as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. “I hope you’re right.”
Moon smiled happily. “Of course, I’m right!”
Ukyou stiffened again. “Oh crap!”
Akane turned to the chef. “What?”
“That means Kodachi’s on even footing with us!”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that.” Akane stated. “We just need to make sure his food is clear of drugs for a while.”
“Good point.”
Goku was laughing at the exchange. “Come on! All aboard for Juuban!” Everyone gathered around and put a hand on Goku.
As they were about to leave, Akane turned once more to Sailor Moon. “Just one more question.”
Moon looked back at her. “What?”
“How do we get out of these fukus?”