[Episode 176678] [Episode 176678]While Kasu, Ranma and a troop of her men were leaving the castle and hurried down to the harbor, the ships of the Riders already landed at the harbor.
When Ranma and Kasu reached the harbor, they could see just how badly wounded most of the Steppe Riders were.
"By the gods..." Kasu groaned. She instructed her men to take care of the wounded.
Ranma peered through the crowd. "There's Naki," he finally said, and he and Kasu moved through the masses of onlookers and helpers until they reached the biggest of the ships.
Princess Naki had been put on a stretcher by several strong men. Kasu knelt down next to her sister. "Naki! Sister! What happened?"
Naki coughed. "Fourincan... Fourincan has... fallen!"
The white mage gasped, while Ranma let out a silent curse. "Are there any more survivors?" Kasu asked. "Are more ships coming?"
Naki shook her head. "No one... we were the last... survivors... everyone else... everyone is dead..."
Kasu looked at her with shimmering eyes. "And... and father...?"
Naki didn't respond, but lowered her head. Kasu let out a small sob. "May the gods take care of his soul..." she finally whispered.
Naki looked at Ranma. "You... you were right. We... we didn't stand a chance against the black army. At first, we managed to win every single battle. But after the first wave, there came another. And another... After that, I lost count... We still might have won, if it wasn't for the Black Valkyrie..."
"The Black Valkyrie?" Kasu said with a shocked voice. "Did you meet her?"
"I only saw her from afar, on the battlefield... and she was stronger than five of our strongest men. No one was able to stop her... she massacred anyone who stood in her way... There's no way..." Naki desperately grabbed her sister's robe convulsively... "No way we can't beat her... We're helpless! We're..." And then, she fell down on the stretcher.
"She's unconscious," a healer told Kasu. "She will be fine... a few days of rest, and she will be as healthy as ever."
While the healers were taking Naki to their quarters, Kasu let out a sigh.
Ranma looked over the waters of Tokoi's lake and growled. They had to stop Ekana and the Black Valkyrie... and he knew just the way how to do it.
'Wait for me, Akane...' he thought to himself. 'Just a little longer... until I have returned from the castle of the Rainbow King.'
----
Later that day, Ranma went to the healer's quarters in town, alone. He wanted to pay Naki a visit.
He knew Naki was on the upper floor of the big building, so he just went upstairs. But before he could enter the room, a healer came out of the door. The white-robed man stopped Ranma with his outstretched hand. "I'm sorry, Lord Saotome... But the princess has to rest."
"I know," Ranma said. "I just wanted to visit her."
When the man didn't move aside, Ranma smiled. "It's all right... Kasu knows I'm here."
That was a lie, and Ranma instantly felt guilty, but the man sighed and nodded. Ranma went inside and closed the door behind him.
Naki was lying on the big bed, her upper body wrapped in bandages. Her leather armor was leaning in one corner of the room. Her eyes were closed.
Ranma thought she would sleep and pondered if he should come later. But then, without opening her eyes, Naki said: "It was a poisonous arrow that hit me."
Ranma stepped forward. "Are you... are you feeling better?"
Naki opened her eyes and looked at him. "Yes, the healers managed to extract the venom out of my body... I just need some rest."
"I'm sorry... I should leave." Ranma said, but Kasu's younger sister shook her head. "No, that's all right... Please stay, it has been pretty boring since I was here."
She gestured at the end of her bed, and Ranma sat down.
Naki smirked when she looked at his face. "So... you're Akane's fiance, huh?"
"You know her?" Ranma asked in surprise. Naki nodded. "Yeah, she really was something else... She always told me about her sister... about the similarities Nabiki and I had, and also the differences."
Ranma hesitated. "Did she... did she ever meet someone who looks like me... Here in Ja'an, I mean?"
Naki shook her head. "No, but I think she didn't need some double in exchange for you... as far as I could tell, you always seemed to be someone special to her."
Ranma grinned. "I'd have guessed she would call me an insensitive jerk, and a macho..."
Naki snickered. "Yeah, actually, she called you that... But I could feel that she didn't mean it... You know how they say that lovers always prattle? I believe it is true..." She sighed. "It was a fun time with her, even if she reminds me of my own..." She looked down, in the corner of the room. "My own younger sister..."
Ranma gasped. Could it be? "You... you mean..."
Naki gave him a weak smile. "Ekana? So you already guessed it, huh? But yeah, Ekana is Kasu's and my younger sister."
"But how... How could she turn into the ruler of the Shadow Realm?"
"I can't say for sure... We always had different ideas about life. But somehow, we managed to get along. Until one day, Ekana suddenly disappeared." Naki sighed. "And only a few days later, the Shadow Mountains appeared... and with them, Yokot and the Shadow Realm."
"Have you seen her since then?" Ranma asked. Naki shook her head.
"No... but I don't think that it would have made any difference. Still, knowing that it is your sister you're fighting isn't as easy as it might sound... That's why I was so glad when Akane came into our realm... Somehow, she acted as Ekana's... substitute."
Ranma scratched his head. This whole subject made him feel uncomfortable...
"Listen, Naki... we don't know each other very well, but I'm here to ask a favor of you... Of course, after you feel better."
"I think I already know what you want... You want me to train you in our way of fighting, huh?"
Ranma nodded. "Well, yeah... Martial Arts was always the only way of fighting I knew... and you know, fencing really isn't my style... And Kasu told me that you use mana instead of ki... So, could you show me how to do it?"
Naki smirked. "Hey... can I say 'no' to the fiance of one of my best friends? Sure, I'll be happy to."
Ranma grinned. "Great! So, um... Hope you feel better soon. See ya!"
He stood up and wanted to leave.
Naki called him back: "Ranma... you're thinking about going to the Rainbow King, are you?"
Ranma stopped. "How... how do you know?"
Naki sighed. "Kasu told me what happened in the throne room... So, you really are determined to go?"
Ranma nodded. "Yes! It may only be a slight chance, but a chance we have to take. I saw Ekana's army, and from what you told me, what I saw was only part of her whole forces. So Tokoi would have no chances of winning, right?"
"We should have left Fourincan instantly to come with you to Tokoi..." the princess grumbled. "That way, we could have saved the others. You know, after you left, the council pondered if we should leave right away or not. In the end, the majority voted for staying, to fight against the black knights."
Naki looked at Ranma grimly. "You wanna know how many people made up this majority?" She laughed bitterly. "One person, Ranma! I was the only one that wanted to stay and fight... and in the end, the others listened to me, even my father."
She sobbed with anger. "I could have... prevented this tragedy from happening... my father would've been still alive... It was all my fault..."
Ranma felt sorry for her and wanted to comfort the princess, but suddenly, she glared at him with a fierce look. "That's why I'm coming with you, Ranma! I have to make up for my past mistakes... I know the way to the end of the world as well as Kasu does... and I'm going to lead you there. Please, try not to talk me out of it. I have to do that!"
Ranma looked at her, then nodded. "I understand... And I need a guide, after all." He grinned. "I think I would get lost as Ryger if I would try to find the way by myself. And on the way, you can train me, how does that sound?"
She grinned back. "All right. Then it is settled... After I'm feeling better, I'll come to your room in the castle... and then we can talk about how we're going to do this."
"Sounds good!" Ranma stood up. "Now, as I said: Hope you're feeling better soon!"
Naki looked back at him and smirked in a very Nabiki-like way. "Don't worry, Ranma... you just gave me a reason to get well pretty soon. See you then!"
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(Posted Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:50)
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