Devil Games

BY: ToxicDragon

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Nothing, nada, zero, zilch, zip. I wish I did though but who wouldn't.

Akane and Ranma walked home that day after school. It was a very slow. You know; one of those days that a minute takes an hour. For some reason Ranma was more jumpy than usual. Akane noticed this half way through the day. But she thought it best not to ask what was wrong. Suddenly all silence was broke by the sound of a tractor-trailer was coming from behind them. Ranma was the first to react.

"What the hell is that noise?" Ranma looked down at Akane who watched in the direction in which they came.

"I don't know." Akane answered also curious on the noise. Suddenly a tractor-trailer plowed through one of the nearby shops; a drunk driver at the wheel.

It plowed down the one-way road doing high speeds easy. Ranma jumped and knocked Akane out of the massive vehicle's way. Before Ranma could save himself he heard the screeching of tires.

Akane sat at the side of Ranma's body. Blood was pouring out onto his already red shirt. Ranma's hand rose and touched Akane's cheek. He whispered his last words. "It's not your fault. Don't be sad. I love you Ak.k." His voice trailed off as he released his final breath and passed on. Akane looked over to the trucker who was getting out of his truck.

The ambulance arrived and took Ranma. Akane went with them. The ambulance also picked up the trucker. He was going to be having one hell of a medical bill. Broken ribs, broken arms, legs, all in the groinal area was crammed into his chest, and Akane did all this. He was going to have a bill of close to 1,000,000 yen ($8000 US).

At Ranma's wake, Mousse and Ryoga showed up to say farewell to the lost warrior. Shampoo and Ukyo said their good byes. Ukyo left with out another word. While Shampoo just sat and cried. Genma, Soun, Cologne, and Happosai were showing their respects to young martial artist. Nabiki and Kasumi paid their respects and watched the rest from afar. Kasumi went to the kitchen thinking cooking or cleaning could probably help clear her mind. Akane cried the most out of anyone it wasn't just a friend she lost. It was her fiancée. Genma closed the casket and Soun ushered the guests out. Everyone went to bed.

A man in a black hooded robe walked out of the shadows and walked up to Ranma's casket. He opened it and placed his hand on Ranma's forehead. Ranma's spirit floated out and stood next to the man. "So am I going to Hell or Heaven?"

"Neither." The man walked to the front door of the house and signaled for Ranma to follow.

"Then why are you here? I thought you took people to the afterlife." Ranma stated confused.

The man in the robe once again placed his hand on Ranma's head. Ranma disappeared.

He reappeared in a round room. There was no roof. And the walls were replaced with a five-meter high fence. It was like a separated room in Hell. Ranma walked over to the fence and looked down. There was a small red light at the bottom of a pit. He looked up and saw a small blue light in the sky. "Where am I?"

"In the mid-realm."

Ranma jumped at the deep voice from behind him and turned around. "W-who are you?"

"Name's Cloud." Answered the tall man with blonde, spiky hair and glowing sapphire eyes. Most of his hair was put into one large spike. He also wore black combat clothes and a maroon colored cape. (Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy 7 veterans should know who he is). He held out his gloved right hand in greeting. Ranma started to reach for it until he noticed the one demonic wing on the left side of Cloud's back. He shook Cloud's hand cautiously and stepped back. Cloud turned around. It was then that Ranma noticed the huge sword sheathed on Cloud's back.

Ranma swallowed hard at the look of the gigantic sword. It had to be at least five feet long tip to butt. Cloud held his left hand up and a light came on illuminating the room with a soft green glow. When the light came on Ranma noticed five doors on the opposite side of the room, each with number. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Cloud turned back to Ranma. "In these doors are the best fighters in the universe. They will train you starting tomorrow."

"Training?" Ranma asked confused. "Training for what?"

"We will discus this over dinner." Cloud turned to his left and opened another door Ranma never noticed. Ranma followed. In the door there was a bright white light. After Ranma got used to the light difference, he looked around. There was a small desk in the side where a woman was reading a romance novel. She had brown hair tied into a ponytail with a pink bow. She wore a pink button up skirt with a red opened vest. (Another Final Fantasy 7/Kingdom Hearts thing). Ranma walked over to her.

"Hey. So what's your name?" Ranma asked casually.

She looked up from her book. "So you're Ranma?"

"One and the same."

"Name's Aeris. So do you really have that curse?"

Ranma was now really confused. "How did you know about." Ranma was cut off by a cup of cold water having contents poured on him now her. ".That?"

"So it is true!" Aeris stated with a smile pouring a kettle of warm water on Ranma's head. Aeris held out her hand for a shake. "I'm the clinic nurse incase you get hurt or die."

Ranma shook her hand and almost double taked at the last comment. "What do you mean die?"

"Well, since you are hear to train for the new oncoming evil, you have to train in such harch conditions that have severe chances of your death in the mid-realm. But I am hear to resurrect you if you die."

"How can you do that?"

"Oh. You want a demonstration?" Aeris took out a letter opener from the desk she was at and slashed at Ranma's arm making him bleed all over inner elbow area.

"What did you that for?" Ranma asked severely pissed off.

"Calm down and let me see your arm." Aeris took Ranma by the arm and placed her hand on the wound. When she removed it the blood and the wound were gone without a trace. She looked back to Ranma's face. He looked like he was about to go into shock from what he just saw.

"How did you.?" Ranma was now thoroughly confused. "Thanks. Um, do I have a room?"

Aeris pointed to the five doors across the room from her. Cloud walked into one of them. "Follow Cloud. Him, you, and, Sephiroth will be staying there." Ranma nodded and followed. Aeris went back to her book.

Ranma followed Cloud through the door and saw three beds, dressers, and three closets. Ranma also noticed in the middle of the room was a table with huge Japanese dinner set up for three people. "Wow!" was all that came out of Ranma's mouth as it started to water.

Back in Nerima, Akane was taking Ranma's death pretty hard. She nearly killed Kuno when he started bad mouthing Ranma. She practically cried every time mentioned his name. This went on for a while. Ryoga was staying at the dojo in hopes to try to cheer up Akane. Chances were that he wasn't helping. He and Akane both knew he was to be cremated the next day. Ukyo came over every now and then to try to listen to Ryoga's preaching on trying to forget about his death but to still keep him in your heart. Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne found no more reason to stay in Japan and went back to the Amazon Tribe. Soun and Genma were in shock on how the schools would now never be united. Happosai found that the pilfering didn't have the kick it used to, knowing that there was no one that could stop him. or try to.

In the Mid-Realm, Ranma and Cloud were feasting when a man wearing a black trench coat, black pants, and no shirt walked in. He had long silvery gray hair with glowing emerald eyes. He also had a lone wing. But not a demon wing like Cloud. His was a black angel wing. And it also was on this man's right side instead of the left, (Final Fantasy 7 and Kingdom Hearts veterans know him and fear him.) He sat next to Ranma and held out his hand. "So you're who we have to train. You don't look like much, but orders are orders. Name's Sephiroth."

"Nice to meet you." Ranma shook Sephiroth's hand and went back to eating. He then looked back to Sephiroth. "Why am I in the Mid-Realm?"

Cloud and Sephiroth looked at each other then back to Ranma. Cloud spoke up. "In six months the planet Earth will be taken over by the same monster that destroyed our planet. You will be resurrected at that time. You also need your body in tact. So you will need to talk to your fiancée tonight in her dreams and tell her not to cremate your body and to protect it with her life. Your pulse has begun to flow and your heart is pumping as if you were alive. Your body act as if it were asleep and role over and such. Problem is, is that is you are hurt here it will show on you body until Aeris cures you. You have three hours to warn your friends about this. They will all need to pull together to help you. It will be their prayers that bring you back. Magus will take you to Earth in five minutes to tell your friends. Some may say they hate you but they will help you. They are more of friends then they let on. Tomorrow you will train in the dodge room to improve your evasion. It's door three."

Suddenly the door open and a man in black hooded robe walked in. Ranma jumped. "You're the guy that brought me hear."

"That's right." He took off the robe to reveal himself to have long silvery blue hair. He had long elfish ears, middle evil type body armor, and navy blue pants. In his right hand was a scythe. "You know how hard it is to be death?" The man was sweating heavily. "That robe needs to be made out of lighter material. It's just to heavy."

Ranma looked to Cloud. "Who's this."

Sephiroth chuckled. "That's Magus." (Chrono Trigger veterans should know him well.)

Magus walked up to Ranma. "Time to get going. You have three hours." Magus pulled out an hourglass and flipped it over. "Let's go."

Ranma floated around Nerima to the Tendo dojo. When they arrived a Akane was already down stairs looking at Ranma's 'corpse'. She looked to be in shock. Ranma floated around her and looked down at his body. His cheeks were rosy. His chest was rising. He was breathing. He looked over to Akane who was hysterical. She ran to the upstairs hall way and screamed two words at the top of her lungs. "HE'S ALIVE!!!" Every one woke up and followed Akane down stairs. They all were amazed at he fact that he was, of coarse, breathing. Ranma watched as Kasumi called Dr. Tofu. He noticed how every one was celebrating including P-Chan. Ranma smiled and looked at the time. It was 12:30 am. He had Two and a half hours to find and tell Ukyo and make it to China to tell Cologne.

Ranma took off towards Ukyo's house. When he arrived Ukyo was sound asleep. Rest stood next to her and placed his hand on her hand as Magus instructed. He entered her dreams. Ukyo found herself now in outer space. But she didn't need air. She was standing on solid ground but nothing was under her.

"Hi Ucchan." Ukyo recognized the voice and turned around.

"Ranchan." Ukyo ran over to Ranma to hug him but went right though him.

"Sorry Ukyo. You can't touch me and I can't touch you. I need to warn you."

"About.?"

"I am alive and I need you to help protect my body. A new evil will be coming to Earth in six months and I will be needed to help destroy it. If you don't believe the dream you can go to the dojo and find out there. Every one is awake and cheering for my unbelievable revival. Please Ukyo, help Akane don't fight with her."

"Ok Ranchan." Ukyo had tears in her eyes at the good news. She walked up to him and slowly tried to touch his face. Her hand went right through and Ranma vanished. She woke up and got dressed. She ran as fast as she could in the nighttime surroundings to get to the dojo. When she made it there, sure enough, the lights were on and it sounded like a party was happening. Ukyo ran up to the door and knocked. Soun answered and let her in. Ranma looked down at the scene below him and smiled as he floated towards China with only two hours left.

He arrived in the Amazon village with twenty minutes to spare. He found Cologne's hut and entered her late night meditations. He gave her the same message he gave Ukyo. When he left her meditations Cologne started to pack while laughing hysterically. Shampoo woke up at this and entered her great grandmother's room only to have a suitcase chucked at her along with the words. "Pack, wake Mousse, tell him to pack and collect the rest of our money. We're going back to China. I'll tell you more later on the boat." Shamppo did as told.

Magus appeared behind Ranma. "Nice job. Most people don't make it all their friends."

Ranma looked back to Magus. "Well I ain't most people." Ranma and Magus vanished and return to the Mid-Realm for some sleep.

That morning Ranma ate the breakfast Aeris prepared and walked towards the door marked '3'. He opened it and found himself in a room that was designed to be a mountainous dessert landscape. The room was a perfect cube: A kilometer on each side. Ranma jumped as two bullets pelted the walls on either side of him. He noticed two people in front of him. One had wild black that went don to his mid back. He also had a maroon colored cape like Cloud but it wasn't as turn up. He had a thick maroon bandanna around his head to keep hair out of his eyes. He also had black clothes and his left arm was a metallic arm and claw. In his right hand was a shotgun. Aimed at Ranma with smoke coming from its barrel. The other wore cowboy type clothes, hat and all. In his right hand was a shotgun also aimed at Ranma with smoke pouring from the barrel. He also had brown hair tied into a ponytail in the back They let the arms rest to greet Ranma before the training started.

The man with the black hair walked over to Ranma and held out his metallic hand in greeting "Name's Vincent Valentine." (Final Fantasy 7 veterans should know him.)

The other man walked up to Ranma as he shook Vincent's hand. The cowboy also held out his hand. "Name's Irvine, but you can call me Irvine." Ranma also shook his hand and spoke up.

"What will I be doing here?"

Irvine pointed towards the landscape behind him with his gun. "You hide and we seek. You will have to dodge our bullets to live. If you last long enough we will upgrade to better guns and you will have to dodge faster bullets. This is evasion training. You have half an hour to run. Get going cause we won't hold back." Irvine pointed his gun at Ranma's face. Ranma got the point and ran for dear life.

Vincent pulled a stopwatch from his pocket. "Hope he lasts long then the last people we tried to train in evasion."

"I hope so to." Irvine cocked his shotgun and waited for the thirty minutes to pass.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

ToxicDragon - That's chapter one. Hope you like it. Since I am grounded from my Playstation I have plenty of time to work on Chapter two. Please review good things. I have burn shield for just in case.