A/N: Okay, that was the last chapter! I just had to finish it off! The Epilogue will tie up all the ends neatly, hopefully, and give an explanation of why Kulloden didn’t just kill off Akane when she was born, etc. What will happen to Akane now?

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Chapter 15

Kulloden’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly. He looked a bit like a fish, Akane thought dizzily from her position on the floor.

“Rouge? Is that really you?” Kulloden walked forward in a daze, examining the six armed demon from head to toe.

“Yes, it’s me,” Rouga affirmed. “And here you are, still playing at sorcery, trying to take over Nerima. Honestly, don’t you learn?”

Kulloden’s expression grew angry. “What are you doing here?” Abruptly, he thought of something, and looked around at Shampoo, who was crouched in a corner, still looking like Akane.

Rouge looked at Shampoo curiously but only saw a fake face. “I didn’t come here for you, Kulloden, but now that you’re here, old fool, I should warn you, my magic has grown. I WILL have my revenge.”

“Of course, dear Rouge,” Kulloden hissed softly. “My magic is substantially greater as well…”

“Liar!” Rouge strode forward. This time, Ranma didn’t do anything, Kulloden brought his own arm up, and blasted red light at Rouge, and sent her flying backwards. She crashed through a wall making a big hole in it.

Soldiers came running at the sound, but Kulloden used Ranma to dispel them. Akane got to her feet, quickly, and ran to her mother, who was trying to waken Soun and Happosai.

“Mother,” Akane’s voice trembled. “You have to get out of here. Kulloden only wants me.”

“Akane.” The Queen gripped her hand. “Remember what I told you?”

Rouge stood up from the debris that had been the wall, and stalked toward Kulloden with fury in her face. “Damn, you, sorcerer!” She blasted him with her own power. Kulloden retaliated.

“Akane,” The Queen shook her, forcing her attention away from the fight. “Listen to me! Remember the prophecy?”

“Prophecy? What prophecy?” The sheer power of the fight frightened Akane, and she only wanted to escape. If Kulloden turned his power on her again, she’d surely die.

“Akane!” Akane turned her attention finally to the Queen, who had a fierce look in her eyes. “Akane, don’t you realize it? Kulloden is the one who killed your family. HE framed your parents. HE made us forget them. HE is responsible for their deaths! Because he stole YOU from your mother’s arms, Akane!”

Each word drummed into Akane’s head like boulders falling, a landslide of words until she could only see red.

“Yes,” she said. “I understand.”

“Your sisters are not here,” hr mother said. ““You are his destruction, Akane.”

A fierce light glinted in Akane’s eyes. She stood up. She understood now. It was her responsibility. And it was time she took responsibility for something, damn it. “Gladly,” she said. “Just show me how.”

“That you will have to figure out for yourself, my dear,” the Queen said tiredly.

Akane looked around. Rouge was burnt and bleeding now, but still attacking furiously. How did she know Kulloden? Akane had a feeling it was important. How? How? She forced herself to think. They’d found Rouge in the forest, living by herself. She’d told Ranma she was….

A bright flash illuminated Akane’s brain. Jusenkyou! Rouge was cursed by Jusenkyou! That’s what she’d told Ranma. Which meant Kulloden must have cursed her.

Akane saw that Mousse and Ryouga were holding back Ranma, who was trying to attack them. Only Shampoo stood apart, watching it all with big eyes.

Shampoo…Akane remembered what Ranma had told her in the forest.

“Shampoo’s mother sold her to him. We’ve never met her. She was a servant who wanted to buy her passage to another country.”

Akane had seen Shampoo only briefly, but she remembered those distinct features. She looked around. Happosai! He lay close to where her father lay, moaning. Quickly, Akane crept along the wall to him.

“Happosai!” she whispered. “Wake up! I need your help!”

He groaned, putting a hand to his head. “Happosai!” Akane shook him. “You said you could do the disenchantment spell on the fake me. Do it now!”

“Now?” Happosai groaned.

“Yes! Now!”

Happosai groaned, gathered his strength, and waved his hand feebly. A blue light shone around his fingers. Across the room, Shampoo lost her disguise.

Akane studied her carefully. “I knew it,” she said, pleased. Now all she had to do…What had Ranma done? She spied a carafe of water. Ah, yes.

Rouge spluttered and choked a couple of minutes later when she felt warm water splash her. Her extra arms shrunk and disappeared and she reverted to normal.

“Princess Akane?” she muttered. “What are you doing?”

Akane flashed her a quick smile of apology and got out of the way. Kulloden’s next blast caught Rouge unawares, and she went flying. Her human body was weaker, and it hurt more.

“Coming over to my side after all, Akane?” Kulloden asked, pleased with her actions. He blasted Rouge again, following her into the outer study area.

Akane rushed to Shampoo’s side, who looked at her doubtfully.

“Shampoo! Listen, I’ve got something really important to tell you. Rouge is your mother.”

“Whaaat?” Shampoo stuttered. “That woman, fighting Kulloden?”

“Yes! Don’t you see? Rouge was his servant! He got rid of her by cursing her with Jusenkyou’s power, and kept you for himself!”

“Wha…?Why? What rubbish!” Shampoo exclaimed. “You’re just trying to get me to betray him!”

“Yes! Because what did he ever do for you?” Akane demanded. “I can see Rouge’s features in your face. So can you. You can see they know each other! And have you ever seen her before? No? I didn’t think so! She’s your mother. She never abandoned you. Kulloden made her!”

“Kulloden would never betray me like…” Shampoo paused in her vehement denial, her eyes turned to the bespelled Ranma, fighting off Mousse and Ryouga. She choked.

“You see?” Akane asked gently. “He’s a monster. All he ever wanted was Nerima, and he didn’t care how many families he trampled on to do it.”

“H…he killed Kunou,” Shampoo whispered, her eyes tearing up. “With the Book. I’m sorry.”

Akane gasped. But this was no time to think about that. She had to act. “He’s a monster,” she repeated. She took a deep breath. “Please, Shampoo, tell me how to defeat him before he kills your mother as well.”

“Only iron can kill a sorcerer,” Shampoo said. “But he has a shield around him. He never lets go of it.”

“I have an idea,” Akane said.

Rouga moaned as she lay in the rubble, unable to move. Kulloden stood over her, grinning madly. “Now, Rouge,” he said.

“Master! Ranma has escaped!” Shampoo ran forward, tugging at Kulloden’s arm. Kulloden felt for his bond with Ranma, and was surprised when he couldn’t feel it. What had happened? The geas was unbreakable! Cautiously he explored the line further, but met only darkness.

Oh, no. It would be trouble if Ranma escaped his leash now! Casting caution aside, he let go of his shields and tentatively reached out.

“Now, Akane!” Shampoo shouted. Kulloden looked down, as Akane rushed into his arms, almost as if to hug him. Her breasts brushed up against him as she smiled up into his eyes. But instead of putting her arms around him, she plunged a dagger deep into his stomach.

“That’s for my family,” she murmured into his ear. He gasped, and tried to staunch the wound, but the iron wouldn’t let him use his magic to close the wound. He fell, gasping, feeling blood bubble in his throat.

“For Nerima,” Akane bent and whispered into his ear. “For Kasumi and Nabiki, who lived without me for so long. Die, damn you!”

A grey fog came over Kulloden’s vision, and at the edges he glimpsed the fires of hell. “I knew…it would…be you,” he whispered. Then, he died.

Akane got off of him, her short hair hanging in wet sweaty strands around her face. It was done. She’d killed the sorcerer. She moved away, feeling nauseous. She looked down. The bloody dagger was no longer in her hand, but her hand was covered with blood. Kulloden’s blood

Who would have thought a sorcerer could bleed like that, she wondered, and fainted.

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A/N: Well there you go! It was bit hurried, but I absolutely had to get it out! Now the epilogue will show up pretty soon. And we’ll see Ranma and Akane again. ;)

So review!