The Journey is the Destination Chapter 31 By poetheather The Epic Final Showdown between Ranma and Cologne begins!

The door to the Nekohaten restaurant flew across the room to splinter against the wall in a number of pieces. Ranma could barely be seen as she lowered her leg and walked into the dining room, her battle aura blazing visibly, fists clenched and her face a mask of anger that had last been seen on Phoenix Mountain. She glared at the Amazons and her voice was cold, heartless, “Where is my mother?!”

The customers froze in fear, looking between Ranma and the Amazons who ran this place, noodles halfway to mouths. Being trapped in a battle between Ranma and anyone was never high on their lists and clearly they had gotten used to the quiet. Some shrunk down in their chairs hoping not to attract attention. None of them wanted to be here, with front row seats for a fight between Ranma and the Amazons.

Shampoo turned to face Ranma but her words died on her lips as she looked not at her Airen but at the Godkiller, who had fought her on Phoenix Mountain. True she had been under a spell but this was not a face she would ever forget. Unconsciously, she took a step back, holding up the tray in front of her chest for protection. Mousse took a step closer to Shampoo to offer a bit of protection for the girl he loved, even though he was having his doubts now about being able to win this fight. Cologne hopped forward and stared at Ranma, seemingly unaffected by this display of power and anger. She smirked at the red headed girl and said calmly, “Ah, Son-in-Law, you received my invitation.”

“Give me back my mother ghoul or I swear on the honor of the Saotome Clan that I will end you and yours.” Ranma growled this out and took a step closer to the Amazons, her foot sliding closer, always ready to spring into combat. This was not lost on Cologne.

This was too much for the customers. Their will broke and they fled, bowls of ramen flying everywhere, a few screams puncturing the tension, Chairs and tables getting shoved out of the way. In mere moments the Nekohaten restaurant was empty except for those four. The silence held for a few moments before Cologne spoke, “Here’s the deal whelp. I am tired of all these games we have been playing and I want to go home. You end this deception, marry Shampoo or I will drop your mother into a vat of water from Jusenkyo and her curse will not be an easy one to bear. Do you understand me, Boy!”

Ranma glared at Cologne and then flicked her eyes over Shampoo. Her lips twitched in a cruel smirk and she countered with, “So you want your great granddaughter to be married to someone who will kill her at the first chance she gets? That’s a bright plan you old fool.”

Shampoo gasped at this and began to tear up. This was not her Airen. Ranma was never like this. He never treated her like this before, ever after the destruction of the wedding. Had they done something wrong? Had they pushed Ranma too far?

Cologne narrowed her eyes, weighing the boy standing there in his female form. It was clear in his aura that he was telling the truth. This was not how she wanted things to play out. “I see. Then perhaps instead of Shampoo being your bride, maybe Mousse is more to your liking?”

The Amazon in question started at this, turning in shock to face the Elder and was about to respond when Ranma said, “Same result. Granted, it’s not like you would mind the death of a lowly male as much as your precious Shampoo. Now give me my mother before I tear this whole building down around your ears.”

“Heh… you are two hundred years too young to be any threat to me child. But I will indulge your little tantrum. Let us fight over this issue. If you win, we will leave Nerima and bother you no more. However, if you lose, you are mine to do with as I will.” Cologne stood there still, eyes boring into Ranma’s, unflinching.

Ranma narrowed her cold blue eyes and the flames of her aura burned brighter. The moment stretched and then she said, “Deal.”

Cologne headed out the back of the restaurant, hopping swiftly away and Ranma followed, ignoring the others. The two of them bounded out of the populated areas of the city, speeding towards the more run down industrial areas on the fringe of Nerima. Cologne stopped in an open area, balancing on her stick. Ranma landed before her, sliding naturally into her fighting stance, ready to attack. The old woman chuckled, “Here I thought you were supposed to be a young woman who was not that skilled at combat Ranma. What happened to that story?”

“And what good is it playing games with you when I know you can see right through them? You know I am still me. I’ve always been me.” Ranma’s voice sounded tired but resolute.

“I do indeed. I do not know the reason for this deception but it certainly has confused both Shampoo and Mousse. Last time I saw Ryouga he was thoroughly confused. I doubt your father saw through the deception as well. It was excellently done. However, your Chi gave you away as you cannot mask that from me.” stated Cologne.

“Are we here to fight or jabber?”

“I am content to jabber, as you say, for now. Tell me Ranma, do you hate the Amazons?” asked Cologne.

“No, I hate you, Shampoo and Mousse for constantly trying to ruin my happiness, my life, and for taking my mother.” Ranma shifted ever so slightly closer, trying for a better starting position.

Cologne raised an eyebrow at him and smiled, “But what of the skills I have taught you? Surely I have taught you more than your idiot father has?”

Ranma growled, unsure where this was going. This was not what she had expected when she had challenged the Amazon Elder. “Yeah, you have. But you put me through hell to learn it.”

“As a Martial Artist, haven’t you been willing to eat the bitter for the sake of training?” Cologne asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Ranma paused before answering, as a few wisps of her red hair blowing across her face. “I have. Are you saying that all of this, all of your attempts to marry me to your granddaughter, all of this has been for the sake of training me?”

Cologne chuckled, a disturbing sound, “Well, not all, but yes. It took little time to see that you are the greatest of your generation. I had hoped that would be my granddaughter, but alas it is not. I wanted to see where you could go with the training and I have been amazed.”

“So that’s why you tortured me and drove me to this. So, did you want to know the why?” asked Ranma in a voice that Cologne had never had heard before.

With a raised eyebrow, she replied, “Yes, what is the purpose of this deception?”

“I did this to confound people to get some peace in my life. And it really was working until you took my mother.”

“You think lying to yourself and others can bring you peace?” asked Cologne, trying to follow what passed for Ranma’s logic.

Ranma gritted her teeth at this and roared out, “Screw this! Where is my mother!”

“Quiet boy, do not interrupt your elders when they are talking!” spat back Cologne. “I am interested in figuring you out!”

“All you are doing is talking and making no sense. Give me my mother or we continue this after I beat you!”

“Very well then.” Cologne flicked her staff upwards and the manhole cover she had been balancing on flew right at Ranma’s head in a blur.

Ranma shifted to the side, allowing the manhole cover to just miss her head, trying to stay on line in her attack on Cologne. At Chestnut speed she attacked Cologne with punches and kicks which the old woman blocked with her staff. She started striking back with her staff as well, forcing Ranma back as she was trying for pressure point strikes.

“Like I am going to let you win this that easily you old prune.” She taunted, evading the strikes and continuing the attacks against the old woman.

“Little whelp. Are you really going to risk the safety of your mother for this?” Cologne spun her staff, creating a tiny cyclone that threw Ranma back into some exposed metal pipes, a few rivets bursting along some of the scenes.

“You would never risk harming someone like that for no reason and if you did that to my mother I would kill you.” Ranma’s aura blazed cold, as she used the soul of ice to a greater intensity. The small puddles on the pavement froze under the force of her aura.

Cologne kept her smile to herself. Surely Ranma was aware that there was no way she was going to teach a non-Amazon something that she did not know how to defeat. That the red head would try for the Hiryu Shoten Ha against her was this early in the fight was just foolish. To counter the teenagers assault she generated her own cold chi with the soul of ice; there was nothing Ranma should be able to do with that.

The air grew colder and colder, icicles starting to form on the various pipes that surrounded the area as the aura of cold spread. A few of the pipes burst under the strain that the cold chi put on them. Frost began to cover the two opponent who were circling each other, taking what shots they could.

Suddenly Ranma’s aura switched from the soul of ice to the blazing furnace of her anger with a shout. The result was that a powerful burst of air that was easily at typhoon force threw Cologne up and into one of the metal warehouse buildings faster than she could react to. The air held her in place briefly and then she dropped to the ground, barely managing to land on her feet. Ranma was on her, attacking with punches and kicks before the older woman was able to hit the floor, with a smirk on her face at her success. “What’s the matter Cologne? A bit windy for you?”

Muttering a curse under her breath, Cologne redoubled her efforts, spinning her staff, managing to deflect Ranma’s attacks, and then driving a finger into the ground at one of the visible breaking points. “Bakusai Tenketsu!”

Shrapnel from the ground erupted into Ranma, driving her back away from the Amazon Elder, rock and ice cutting her arms and face some, tearing her clothes. Cologne was panting slightly when she said, “Interesting variation on the Hiryu Shoten Ha Ranma. Too bad you used it too early.”

Ranma snorted in derision, dismissing the opinion. “You think that is my only trick old woman? As if! Moko Takabashi!”

The blast of Ki lashed out from Ranma and Cologne barely managed to avoid it. The corner of the warehouse was torn off under the assault and the groan of metal strain began to fill the air as strips of the siding began to come loose. Ranma grinned and said, “Willing to follow me inside?”

Ranma dove into the building and immediately used one of the techniques her father had sealed, needing it for what she had in mind. Cologne followed along behind and scanned somewhat dark room carefully. There was no sign of the boy pretending to be a girl anywhere. She raised an eyebrow and then scanned the room with more than just her five senses. This technique was very useful and something that made it tough for her to feel where her opponent was. Suddenly she dove to the side, as the air rippled. She taunted the boy, “Taking lessons from your father I see.”

“I ain’t nothing like him!” yelled Ranma, blinking into sight as her concentration wavered, losing concentration on her father’s invisibility technique.

Cologne smirked and thrust forward with her staff, catching Ranma in her right shoulder, in a vital nerve plexus. The arm dropped lifelessly to her side, all sensation ceasing. Leaping backwards to give herself some better space, Ranma was a bit panicked, hoping that she would be able to turn the tide of this fight while she still had the chance.

Cologne chuckled and slowly advanced, well aware that the cornered animal was the more dangerous. She began to build a ball of chi in her own hand, ready to attack, chuckling cruelly, “So Ranma, what tricks do you have now?”