Everything moves in a cycle.

Everything from nature to those manmade.

Seasons rotate, tides flow, the moon changes

Kings and emperors rise and fall.

Death moves on to birth

Souls return and are reborn.

----------------------------

Vampire Cross: Forever Torment 
Chapter 12: Final Strafe / Fly away

by S.L Ong

----------------------------

"I killed him. I killed the bastard."

Ryoga traced his claws along the headstone he'd carved.

"Killed everyone, all the vampires. Dead."

He let his fingers slip of the edge and onto the words etched into 
the immortal stone.

"We won. New Eden is alright." His fingers traced her name. Ryoga 
gazed at the headstone bearing his lover's name with utter sorrow 
and regret. All around him were the graves of humans and vampires 
alike, all dug by him, all buried by him.

"Pure soul on wings of love. Angel among mortals, hope and love 
was thy name. May the lord welcome you into his flock. May you 
find peace."

He couldn't read anymore of it. Choking back sobs, he crumpled to 
his knees, sinking slightly into the freshly dug earth. His claws 
dragging along the stone, etching streaks down them.

Past the wrecked sobs and the spilling tears, he choked.

"I miss you."

----------------------------

"What is all this Mousse? Answer me!" Demanded the eldest vampire 
lord.

Mousse merely looked up from his vantage from the ground towards 
his airborne brother. He tucked his hands into his robes and 
smiled, his voice a cold and calm whisper, and "It's just the 
beginning of the end I've already told you. Do you not remember?"

Ranma landed a few feet away from Mousse, a scowl in place, "All I 
remember is your foolish prattling. What are you saying?" He 
raised a fist at Mousse, "Answer me..." The last two words were 
said with lingering fire from his voice. Mousse turned his back to 
Ranma, "An answer is not needed." He cast his view into the 
greyish sky. "No. It is not. Not at all."

"How dare you turn your back on me!"

Ranma summoned his newly acquired skill of fire into his ready 
hands. "Tell me now or burn in my flames brother!" The flames 
crackled and spit Ranma's fists barely able to contain them.

"You wish to know the meaning? The reason why we exist?"

Ranma stood from his hunched battle position, and pointed a 
flaming claw at Mousse's turned back, "We exist because Happosai 
made it so, we exist to carry out his rule. His rule of the 
pathetic human race, the inferior race. Or so you have forgotten?"

Mousse let his arms drop. "No."

"No? Then what might be the reason we were made? Due to the 
perverted whims of a mad man?"

Mousse faced his brother, "Ryoga's shunning of the darkness was 
the first step."

Ranma narrowed his eyes, "What?"

"We were human once were we not?"

Ranma scowled, "Yes, we were weak, now we are strong."

"Then why do you feel pain? Every time you think of the ones 
you've lost?"

Ranma fired gouts of flame that circled Mousse's position.

"I have no loved ones." He hissed. The corners of Mousse's lips 
went up a little more, "Oh? We all have lost love Ranma. Have you 
forgotten about your father?"

"My 'father'" he added poison to the word, "was a weakling, a 
coward and a despicable man. I was glad to be free of him."

"Yes to be free of human ties. We got a thrill of that didn't we?"

"You say your self, vampire's are the better race, then why all 
this?" Ranma gestured all around him, "Why all this... Prophecy 
rubbish you've been going on about?"

Mousse tucked his hands back into his sleeves and paced around. 
"We lost our humanity, because we wanted to. We let Happosai take 
it away from us."

"I let him have nothing. I took from him, he gave me immortality, 
I served him." Mousse shot Ranma a chilling glare, "He took Akane 
away from you."

"LIES! Humans killed her!" Ranma waved the words away, not wanting 
to hear them.

"Who do you think ordered the vampires to attack?"

"This cannot be. He did not know of..." Ranma's words trailed off. 
"My god!" He clutched his head and staggered about, as unwanted 
memories resurfaced. "Akane." In his mind Akane's pain filled 
scream replayed over and over and over and over...

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

Mousse stepped back as Ranma caused the surrounding area to go up 
in a fiery holocaust. He continued to lecture Ranma, "I was the 
same, whereas you wanted to escape your father, In my mind, I 
wanted to escape the life I had." A single tear ran down his 
cheek. "I wanted to escape the woman I loved." He felt a pair of 
arms hold him.

"I'm sorry Shampoo. I didn't mean to..." He let his head hang and 
he dropped his hand from his caressing gesture. "Had I known... 
Had I known that this would happen."

Ranma regained his composure, but did not snuff the flames in his 
hands, "Why now? Why tell all of this now?"

Mousse raised his head, "Because I remember."

Ranma faltered.

"And so do you. We remember the pasts taken away, pasts we, our 
selves locked away. Pasts we did not want to remember." His voice 
grew softer and pained with each breath, "Pasts we were ashamed 
of."

Ranma shook his head, and thrashed out, "I do not regret or an 
ashamed of my past! Ryoga let his human feelings take over! I will 
not be like him! I will not be human!"

Mousse dodged Ranma's wild flames as they seared over him. "We 
cannot be!" he shouted above the inferno. When Ranma stopped, 
Mousse toned down his voice, "We cannot be. Not anymore, Ryoga 
failed to see that."

"Then where does this leave us? My clan is dead. By one human." 
Spat Ranma, ashamed of his failure.

"Mine has been decimated. By my own hand."

Ranma recoiled at Mousse's confession, "Genocide?"

Mousse let himself smirk, "I wanted to free their pain."

"Pain? That justifies your act of genocide?"

Mousse's expression changed form calm to furious, "I cannot live 
with the pain anymore!" He thrust out his arms, a mist grew around 
his feet. "Everyday I see Shampoo, her face, her eyes, so sad, so 
hurt, so betrayed." He opened his eyes, Ranma's own widened at the 
white orbs.

"I betrayed her. I let Happosai violate and kill her." Mousse's 
voice was full of self-loathing. "Everyday she reminds me of 
that." He looked to his left and placed his hand on his shoulder, 
squeezing it. "It's okay Shampoo, all will be right with the world 
soon enough."

Ranma's mind was reeling, "Have you gone mad? There is no one 
there! Mousse! Shampoo is dead!"

Mousse flared again, "She is not!" The ground cracked as the mist 
froze the ground. "She's right here and she's waiting for me!"

To Ranma's surprise and shock, the mist rose behind Mousse, and 
formed a naked ghostly Shampoo, the apparition floated down and 
draped Mousse in her arms, and "She waits for me." Repeated Mousse

"That's not Shampoo!"

"She is!" Mousse's smiled turned insane, "And when the day is 
done, we will all join the ones we love."

"Then do it yourself! I will have no part of this!"

Mousse shook his head, "But you are a part of this. As is Ryoga 
and I. Happosai's curse of immortality must be lifted. His seals 
must be broken."

Realization flooded into Ranma's mind, "The seals on the sun? You 
plan to bring the sun out of its hiding?"

"It's the only way to free all our souls."

"You've gone Mousse, as your brother I lament for you. And this." 
He pointed to the ghostly mist that was Shampoo, "This is just an 
image of Shampoo. Not the one you remember."

"She is!" With a ghastly scream the Shampoo apparition flew 
towards Ranma, her legs lost in the trail of icy mist, her hair 
spiky with ice, her eyes white and her mouth open in silent 
scream.

Ranma flapped his wings and took to the air, Shampoo changed her 
course and followed him up into the tree tops. The branches and 
leaves burned as Ranma flew, only to have the flames crystallized 
as Shampoo followed suit.

Turning around Ranma let loose a dragon headed gout of flame, the 
fiery dragon met Shampoo head on. Both exploded into a cloud of 
ice and sparks. A wail let Ranma know he had not won yet, from out 
of the dust cloud, Shampoo emerged, still going at full force.

Ranma froze up as Shampoo passed through him, the biting cold from 
her body stopped every muscle from working. He hit the ground with 
a sickening crunch. Slowly he staggered to his feet, now Shampoo 
hovering above Mousse a trail of mist connecting the both of them. 
Mousse knelt to help his brother up, "Please we should not fight. 
When Ryoga arrives, we can break the seals. Then we can be happy 
again. Shampoo tells me Akane misses you."

"NEVER SAY HER NAME!" Ranma lashed out with a back fist, Mousse 
blocked it and ducked, Shampoo rushed forward sending another jolt 
of energy through Ranma before returning to Mousse. Without 
warning flames erupted all around Ranma.

Mousse smiled, "See you do remember her."

"I do not wish to remember the pain." Blurted Ranma readying a 
blast of fire.

"But you must, we must." Explained Mousse. "I do not seek to 
become human. But I do know that we must remember or else we will 
be lost. When the sun shines and god takes us back, we will need 
to focus. Focus on Akane Ranma. She'll tell you what is truth."

"SHUT UP!" Twin dragons roared towards Mousse, Shampoo floated in 
front of Mousse and took the full force of it. "I never loved 
Akane!"

"You are lying and you know it. You loved her."

Ranma sank to his knees, "I loved her... I killed her. She died 
because I was... am a vampire. I caused her death." The coiling 
snakes of flame around his arms dead out. Mousse moved closer, 
"But I'm not going to let you win!" Mousse was caught by surprise 
when Ranma rushed up from his kneeling position and punched him in 
the stomach, dragging him into the air.

"I will never remember her again! My past brings pain and regret I 
will not live with it!" He screamed he opened up his palm and let 
loose his flames, setting Mousse alight.

Ranma staggered back as Mousse fell to the ground. He leaned 
against a tree for support and watched as a mist enveloped Mousse.

"Damn you Mousse." Ranma pushed himself into a battle ready 
position. Mousse stood, letting the cooling mist wash away the 
pain from the burns.

"Vampires will rule Nerima." Stated Ranma, "And if you..." His 
speech was interrupted Ryoga appeared, eyes dull. His whole being 
shouted of great hurt and sorrows.

"Is this your duty Mousse? Or is it mine?" He said, "What's left?"

"Ryoga." Ranma lit up a fireball, "I told you the next time we 
met, it would not be as brothers. What are you doing here?" He 
took notice of Ryoga's wings, smaller than his and thinner, but 
they seemed to exude an air of majesty, Ryoga said, "I used to 
have nothing to lose. I've felt what it's like to be human. 
Despite the pain and suffering, there is always hope. Don't you 
want to live for something more?"

"Then join me in breaking the seals Ryoga." Said Mousse.

"I cannot. I will not. You're insane Mousse. I heard what you told 
Ranma. Face it. Shampoo is gone. Her, Akane, Ukyo. They're all 
gone."

"And we can join them. The seals will be broken, then we can join 
them. The three of us. We are the last vampires in Nerima. It 
started with one and now it ends with three."

"What makes you sure that we will join them?" Asked Ranma his 
claws alight once more. "We deserve to burn in hell for what we 
have done. I cannot face that. I will not face that!"

"Listen to me Mousse." Implored Ryoga, "Shampoo is gone, she's 
better off where she is..." Mousse cut him off, "And I want to be 
with her. Even if it means sacrificing my own kin. And I can do so 
with a clear conscience as I will help you meet your loved ones."

"GOD DAMN IT MOUSSE!"

Mousse cut him off again, "You've lived as a human. You've seen 
the pain and suffering, don't you want to end it all?"

"Humans suffer yes, but they also have joys. You said so yourself 
when I was banished, that I would learn that I could not be a 
complete human again. Yes I could not be a complete human, but 
I've loved and been loved. We can all share this."

"Not with humans." Cursed Ranma. "Have you come here to preach 
Ryoga? If you have nothing else to say, either stand down or die." 
A dragon coiled around Ranma's body.

"You want to join Mousse in his fratricide? The seals are real 
Ranma. Do you want to die before you've seen the true beauty of 
the world?"

"Yes, it's beauty when it's ruled by vampires again." Shampoo rose 
out from behind Mousse as Ranma readied himself.

"No!" hissed Ryoga, "Do not start the wars again. We've seen and 
felt enough sorrow and pain."

Ranma didn't turn his stare away from Mousse. "It's the only thing 
we know and have." He said, a tinge of pain in his voice.

"And soon we will have more." Continued Mousse.

"We have to learn to move on Mousse! Ranma! We have to learn from 
our pasts not be doomed to repeat them!"

The two brothers paid their youngest no heed and charged at each 
other. Ice and fire collided. Dragons roared and Shampoo's image 
wailed her torment.

As the elements waged war, their masters had it out themselves.

"Soon we will be together Shampoo." Duck, counter, side step.

"I cannot face Akane. Not after what I did." Punch, kick, kick, 
spin, fly, fire. Mousse rolled out of the fireball's way, he 
motioned with his fingers and an icicle from Shampoo intercepted 
the ball of heat.

Ryoga watched as his two brothers waged battle. One obsessed with 
returning to his love, the other, unwilling to live with his past.

"They will destroy each other." He whispered. "And the rest of 
Nerima will follow if they're not stopped."

Mousse managed to grab onto Ranma and hold him, "Why? Why are you 
so obsessed with this Mousse?" Struggled Ranma.

"Anything to be with Shampoo again." He grinned as Shampoo 
screamed and charged towards Ranma.

She never made it as Ryoga stood in front of Ranma and deflected 
the ice wraith's attack.

"Ryoga?" Both of them wondered.

"I can't let you destroy Nerima over this."

"Destroy Nerima?" laughed Mousse, "I'm saving it!"

"Destroy it?" scoffed Ranma "Then what would I rule over? The 
humans must feel the pain they caused me!"

Mousse kicked Ranma away and sent Shampoo to deal with Ryoga. 
"This is my gift to you little brother, soon you will join those 
you love."

Ryoga jumped and kicked against a tree to give him the speed to 
out maneuver the ice wraith. He barely made it as Shampoo 
crystallized the tree he was standing in front of. He spread his 
wings and glided to safety, he turned his head to see Shampoo 
coming from the left. She caught him straight on.

It came down to fisticuffs between Mousse and Ranma, both 
determined to see it their way.

"Shampoo."

"I will not lose!"

The broke of only to reengage in a flurry of punches and kicks 
before breaking of once more.

Slide, kick, punch, dodge, roll, duck, counter, slash, throw, fire 
blast, flip, kick Swerve, block, counter, kick, punch, hammer 
blow, block, spin, roll, ice mist, flip, kick

Both their legs impacted against each other with the cracks of 
lightning. They stayed that way for a moment before breaking off. 
Only to continue.

Ryoga lay in a heap as he watched Shampoo rejoin Mousse against 
Ranma.

"Must stop them."

Ranma pulled his head back from a claw swipe, as he fell backward, 
he kicked upward catching Mousse in the jaw. Not to be defeated, 
Mousse caused spikes of ice to form under Ranma.

"What the?" catching himself in time, Ranma flapped his wings and 
rolled out of death's way.

They charged at each other once again, this time a third party 
joined it.

"Ryoga?"

It became a three-way battle, each vampire taking advantages where 
they found it.

"I won't let you destroy each other! You are my brothers and I 
love the both of you! We are family!" He shouted dodging Ranma's 
fire blast.

Mousse laughed, "Family? Ranma was the one who served Shampoo to 
Happosai!" He nailed Ranma in the ribs with a blast of diamond 
dust.

Mousse began to grow wings, but unlike the other two's his were 
clear and ice like.

Soon the three to their battle to the sky, Ranma stayed mostly up 
top, blasting down at everyone else. Ryoga could only dart from 
tree to tree using his wings to glide. Mousse used the same tactic 
as Ryoga, mostly because he was going after Ryoga. He sent Shampoo 
to deal with Ranma, while he produced a long spear. He pulled back 
and skewered Ryoga's left wing, tearing it through the joints 
where it grew from his back. Ryoga howled in pain and slammed 
against the tree, pinned to it.

Mousse had not time to finish the job as a mortified scream was 
heard, Ranma formed a sword of fire and cleaved Shampoo in half. 
Ranma raised his arm in triumph, only to see Shampoo reform and 
collide with him sending him tumbling. Mousse darted from tree to 
tree and jumped a ball of energy in his claws. "The first seal 
breaks now!" He shouted just as he was about to unleash the energy 
on Ranma.

Grunting, Ryoga tore the spear from his wing, he fell to the hard 
ground. Looking up he saw Mousse ready to slay Ranma. A faded 
memory flashed back, of when his father and mother died. The 
vampire who killed them was Mousse. Something inside him clicked, 
his eyes glowed red and his fangs grew, his time his wings grew as 
well. With healed wings he leapt towards Mousse, kicking his 
brother in the head sending him tumbling down. Straight into the 
ice spikes he had created earlier.

The ice spikes slid into Mousse with ease. Mousse's face as a 
mixture of shock, pain and relief. He moved his head and regarded 
the now crimson spikes of ice, jutting out of his chest. He let 
out a huff and chuckled, "The... First... S... see... seal... 
seal... is broken." Above him the ghostly Shampoo shrieked and 
faded away. "I'm... I'm coming Shampoo."

Ranma and Ryoga looked at their dying brother then at each other. 
Ryoga looked at his hands, "No. No. What have I done?"

Ranma fired a blast at him, Ryoga barely dodged in time. They 
stopped as they saw Mousse stop moving, they looked up as the 
rumbling of thunder was heard. Ranma took the chance to attack.

"Stop it! Ranma! Mousse is dead! Do you want to kill me as well?"

Ranma kicked Ryoga in the side, he let his kick continue in swing 
and as his foot passed Ryoga's head he hooked it slamming the sole 
of his foot into Ryoga's temple.

"I said that the next time we meet it would be as enemies!" He 
punched Ryoga in the gut. He flapped his wings and flew, ramming 
the Ryoga into a nearby mountain.

Ranma landed just as Ryoga hit the ground, he formed his fire 
blade, "My clan is dead, killed by a human. A human! I hate them, 
I will destroy them!" He slashed won, Ryoga rolled out of the way, 
the blade cut into the rock.

"Humans took everything away from me." He formed a fireball in his 
other hand. "They took Akane away!" He let the fireball fly.

Ryoga jumped of the ledge and spread his wings, Ranma gave chase, 
"And I'll be damned if I let you stand in my way!"

Ryoga made a desperate landing. Ranma touched ground a few feet 
from him. "Damn it Ranma! Listen to yourself!"

Ranma gathered all the strength he had left. "SHUT UP! I WON'T 
HEAR OF IT! NOT FROM YOU, MOUSSE, HAPPOSAI OR THAT DECREPIT FILTH 
I USED TO CALL FATHER!" He let the energy level with his target. 
"DIE!"

"What about Akane? Would you listen to her?"

"SILENCE!"

Ranma let the flame dragon come streaming out of his hands.

Ryoga gritted his teeth as the roaring column of fire sped towards 
him. Silently he prayed.

He felt himself heat up fearing it was the fire he screwed his 
eyes shut. "I'm sorry Ranma, Mousse. Everybody, I'm sorry Ukyo."

He heard a gentle voice, a familiar voice. A loved voice.

     (Piano music)
     (First time I set eyes on you.)
     (The first time, I had a feeling that it was true)
     (You'd be the one.)

"Ukyo?"

Time seemed to slow down as the world turned golden yellow. He 
opened his eyes,

no Ranma in sight. He felt something, soft brush against him.

"Feathers?"

     (Fly away to my dreams)
     (Fly away to my hopes)
     (Fly away to my heart)
     (Fly to you.)

He turned around, "Ukyo?"

He was greeted with a warm smile and a pair of wondrous white 
wings.

He stared in amazement as Ukyo floated at an angle towards. He 
felt her warmth pass into him as she cupped his cheek with her 
hand.

"Ryoga."

     (Two of us, sharing a dream)
     (One of beauty and charm)
     (That we'll be here)
     (Together in each other's arms)

They kissed for the first time since they were separated, he felt 
her strength course through his entire body. He felt something in 
him break and disappear.

"The seal?"

But she parted from their kiss

"Ukyo... wait... please."

She just smiled and as she withdrew into the light, she trailed 
her hands across his cheeks.

"I'll be here. I'll be waiting." She mouthed

     (Smile to me, sharing your thoughts)
     (Ones of love and hope)
     (So we'll be here)
     (Sharing our souls)

Ryoga blinked as he opened his eyes.

"A dream?"

The fire column demanded his attention. Galvanizing into action, 
with one smooth fluid motion he swerved around the fire blast. He 
gripped the spear in his hands.

"Sorry Ranma."

With one final act he jammed the spear into Ranma's heart. The 
moment the steel pierced his heart the clouds rumbled and parted.

All of Nerima was flooded with long overdue sunlight.

Ryoga's wings spread wide and the skin cracked and peeled. He 
watched as the leathery skin peeled away. He saw a single feather 
sticking out from a tear in his wing, it was soon joined by more

He looked up to the sky and smiled as the sunlight shone on him.

     (Fly away to my dreams)
     (Fly away to my hopes)
     (Fly away to my heart)
     (Fly to you.)

"I'm coming Ukyo."

----------------------------

"Finally done!"

"Yay Ryo-chan! Now let's have a looksie at it."

Ryoga slammed the notebook shut and held it to his chest blushing. 
"No way. It contains sensitive materials."

"You wrote a sex scene didn't you?" She quipped placing her hands 
on her hips.

Blushing even more red, he denied, "N... no. I did..."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Okay okay I did. Ranma said that the story would be better with 
it."

"Ran-chan suggested it?"

"Yeah. I didn't read it though... err... I mean I didn't think 
about it after I wrote it. Honest."

Pouting, she didn't really believe him, Ryoga had had his share of 
stupid things done. She hmphed and turned her back on him.

"Ukyo... don't do that..."

She whirled on him and snatched the book.

"Hah! Now let's see what kind of ecchi story did you write!"

Ryoga gave up trying to get the book back and went to hide in a 
corner. He noticed it was a bit too quiet. He looked up to get the 
shock of his life. Ukyo was lying on the bed, a seductive twinkle 
in her eye.

"Oh Ryoooooo-chan." Smiling at him predatorily.

Ryoga didn't know whether to be very happy or very afraid.

She slapped him on the arm, "Boy you're easy to spook. Relax I was 
just kidding."

"Grrr oh yeah!"

He pounced on her and whacked her with a pillow

"Eeeep! Ryo-chan!"

End.

Note: the song Fly Away is my own.