Coming within range of his firebending abilities, Zuko released a blast of pure flames at the young red headed woman to drive her back on the defensive. Ranma however moved with the flames slipping out of them with a grace of a dancer. Her lips quirked in a smile Ranma spoke out loud, "So firebending is based on Northern Shaolin style. Well that makes things a little easier now that I know the kinds of moves that you're going to make."
Zuko moved carefully as he wondered what it was that Ranma was talking about. In his mind he asked, 'What is Shaolin style? Why would it allow Ranma to know how I firebend? Could he have some kind of special power like Mousse, an ability to read minds? ' The young prince was growing even more frustrated with the woman that was before him, especially after his mistake over the sex of his opponent. His rage was boiling over as the thought of loosing the Avatar appeared in his mind.
The firebender decided to continue with the offensive by launching a volley of flame strikes that would distract Ranma long enough for him to find the weak spot in the woman's fighting style. Quick sharp punches released jets of flames that were quickly and skillfully dodged by the young girl, with the final punch being accented with a kick that shot flames across the ground. Ranma just jumped up to an amazing height moving over Zuko and gliding down with a gentle flow, her breasts jiggling in a way that made Zuko feel shameful.
"Well, you've dished out a good couple of attacks. Now it's my turn scar face!" Ranma then moved her hands in a way that caused the wind to blow and gather around him. Then he thrust out his hands with a speed that caused the wind to flow at Zuko like catapult stones. Zuko barely had time to dodge the wind blast as Ranma pressed his attack.
Zuko soon discovered that Ranma was an airbender, but one with a different battle tactic than those that had been employed by the Avatar himself. The Avatar was more a defensive fighter from what Zuko had seen; Ranma on the other hand had the ability to shift from defense to offense with ease. Zuko countered with the only way that he could by blasting the wind with his fire, letting his anger fuel his bending so that it became more powerful.
Ranma was cool in both movements and in attitude as he moved the wind in a way that shielded him from the damage that Zuko was trying to do with his firebending. The prince was having a hard time finding a weakness in the woman, or at least finding a true weakness and not the image of weakness that Ranma projected from time to time. The firebender had thought that he had found an opening before only to have Ranma reveal that it was bait in a trap for Zuko.
In more than one way, Ranma Saotome was rubbing Prince Zuko the wrong way and the prince of the fire nation was going to find a way to pay him back in full. As long as Mousse held the Avatar in a securely Zuko was free to teach this peasant a lesson on taking on his betters in combat.
Meanwhile...
Aang could only watch as Ranma and Zuko faced off with each other. Ranma had only used a basic form of attack with the throwing of wind blasts that was blended with the circular bob and weaving of airbending. The young boy could also see that there was a new element that was added to the skills that the Avatar had taught the sex changing boy. It was more aggressive than the airbending that was common to the Air Nomads, with attacks flowing with the speed usually given to avoiding the opponent's thrusts.
'How do I get out of this? I'm not sure how long that Ranma could hold off Zuko. But these chains are too tight to escape from, let alone going through the motions for bending.' The Avatar also observed that the firebending soldiers that had followed Zuko were causing secondary fire damage to the village. The knowledge that the damage was the result of his coming to the island filled Aang with despair.
Lifting his head his eyes caught sight of something from behind the teenager that was holding him with the strong chains, the flash of purple hair that could only be one person. 'Shampoo, ' thought the airbender, but looked like that Shampoo needed Mousse's attention to be distracted.
"So Mousse is it, why are you working for Prince Zuko?" Aang asked trying to keep the man in the white robes focused on the captured boy.
"I made a deal with him so that if I was to capture and hold you for him, he would help me find my love Shampoo and take her away from that Casanova Saotome." Mousse said as his face began to redden with the final word that he had spoken. Aang could only listen as Mousse then went on and on with how much of a jerk that Ranma was.
"He's so arrogant about his skills thinking that he is the best martial artist in the world. Plus the fact that he has three other women chasing after him while he leads Shampoo around on a leash, mocking the proud warrior that she truly is. Not caring about her feelings, the feelings of his other fiancées or the feelings of anyone else that he hurts on the way." While Mousse was going on with his rant, Shampoo was slowly sneaking up behind him and she was holding what looked like a bucket.
'Why is Shampoo carrying a bucket? Wait a second, a bucket... that means water! Mousse must have a curse like Ranma and Shampoo, a curse that turns him into something else when he is splashed with water. But what does he turn into and how is that going to help me get free? ' The twelve year old asked him self mentally.
Coming into throwing range, Shampoo tossed the bucket that was filled with near freezing water at the white robed one. The rapid shape shifting of the water curse instantly changed him into another creature covered with the robes that he had previously been wearing. Crawling out of the robes came what looked to be a chicken duck to Aang, only looking slightly different from the fowl that was normal in this world.
"Is Aang alright? Shampoo wanted to get you out from Mousse's chains as Shampoo knows how hard it is to get out of them." Shampoo said as she rushed up and tried to free the Avatar from the loosened chains. The young man started to massage his wrists as the chains came off of him, trying to get the feeling back into his limbs.
"I think that it might be best to leave the island as soon as possible," came a voice from behind Aang. Turning to see who it was the boy found that it was Cologne. "I know that it seems to be cowardly, but as Ranma has found out running can sometimes help avoid the greater damages that occur during a fight. I have told Katara to get Appa ready as soon as she finishes finding a safe spot for the children of Kyoshi."
Aang nodded as he moved to get ready to escape from the disaster that had followed him, feeling guilt at leaving the people of Kyoshi with so much damage but knowing that to save them he must run.
"You two get to Appa and prepare for our departure. I am sure that Katara will need your help in getting Appa ready for a quick flight out of Kyoshi. I'm going to do my best to pull Son-in-law out of his fight with the scarred teen, though I am going to need a lot of luck to convince him that it is time to leave." Cologne said as she hopped away on her staff in a rapid manner to the place that Zuko and Ranma were battling.
Elsewhere in the Village...
Sokka and Suki had dodged behind a building to try for another surprise attack against the firebenders, hoping to get them in a moment of weakness. The two warriors stopped to take a good looked at each other as they took their time.
"There no time to say good-bye," Suki said as they had learned from Cologne that the friends of the Avatar would have to leave as soon as possible to avoid the further destruction of the village.
"What about I'm sorry?" Sokka asked, feeling the need to express his change of view from those he held before arriving at Kyoshi.
"For what?" The young woman asked as she was not sure what it was that he was trying to tell her, especially with their time together drawing to a close.
"I treated you as a girl when I should have treated you as a warrior." The water tribesman said, trying to express his new found respect for the female warrior and her band of followers.
Suki leaned forward to the young man, as she spoke to him softly. "I am a warrior," She told him as she kissed him on his cheek, adding, "But I also a girl, too." Sokka's hand reached up to his cheek to the place where she had kissed him and his eyes grew in surprise as he blushed bright crimson.
"Now get out of here. We'll hold them off." Suki then rose to meet the challenge of the fire nation invaders that threatened her homeland. Sokka rose as well as he went looking for Appa so that they could all leave together, protecting Suki's home from Zuko and his forces.
'I hope that Suki will be alright, ' He wished as he took one last look at her, adding in his mind, 'I bet that I’ll never meet another girl like her.' At the North Pole, a white hair girl sneezed.
(Posted Mon, 07 Aug 2006 16:56)
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