Disclaimer:
Ranma 1/2 is Copyright (c) by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan Inc., Kitty, and Fuji
TV. Exclusively licensed throughout
the United States and Canada by Viz Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Denotes thoughts.
Blood
Feud
Chapter
1. And She Stole My Heart of Hearts
With a Smile
Ranma Saotome, Grand Master and Chief of all the Saotome Clan, stood on
the terrace above the training grounds. His
face was marked by lines of age, and the sparkle in his gray-blue eyes was
dimmed by the experience accumulated from decades of war. His shoulders were squared. He
stood straight and tall like all born warriors should.
For the past
30 years, his clan had been at war with the Hibikis, a war that started with a
feud between best friends. Most
didn't remember what the feud was, nor did they care. Each day, many young recruits are trained for war, and each day old
veteran's die because of that war.
Ranma took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His left hand instinctively moved to tug fiercely at his pigtail. He would give his soul if he could somehow end this war and bring back
peace, but he knew it was already too late. Throughout the years too many clan members on both sides had been killed,
too many wrongs committed that can only be righted with bloodshed.
Alas, the
Hibikis and Saotomes, once great allies against the forces of evil, had somehow
succumbed to evil itself. This war
would continue. Neither clan would
surrender until the other was destroyed.
A deep voice from behind Ranma broke the chain of his thoughts. "Master, your spies inform me that the Hibikis have attacked the
City of Nerima. They plan to make
their camp there to prepare for a strike at our Dojo."
Ranma turned
to look at his old friend. Craven
stood a full foot shorter than him, but what Craven lacked in height, he more
than made up with his skills in battle. Ranma
let out a small sigh and balled his right hand into a tight fist. "So, Ryouga wants to go another round," he turned to look at
the training grounds once again. "Then
so be it. Tell the others to
prepare for battle. We will leave
for Nerima in one hour."
----
In one hour, the Saotomes were assembled. They
were dressed in light leather armor and armed with razor sharp, katana. Ranma mounted a powerfully built black stallion and addressed
his warriors. All eyes turned upon
him, and he could see the fierceness of their spirits. "Today, we march against our mortal enemy, the Hibikis. They have taken the City of Nerima and are now preparing to attack our Dojo." He paused to allow his words to be absorbed.
"But we will not let this happen. We
ride to Nerima to bring this fight to them and away from our families. We will destroy the Hibikis and show them once and for all that the
Saotomes are a force to be feared!" With
the utterance of his last words, Ranma roared a fierce battle cry and urge his
mount on a fast gallop eastward, towards Nerima.
Standing upon the terrace overlooking the training grounds, Akane watched her
husband ride off as tears rolled silently down her face. She knew of his silent oath and wished that things had turned out
differently. "Oh,
Ranma…"
----
Nerima was once a peaceful and prosperous city. People from all over the known world would come to its marketplace to
exchange goods while trading tales of adventures with its people. Its tall marble buildings were built by the science of a long dead
civilization. No other city could compare to its beauty.
That all
ended when the jealous feud between the Saotomes and Hibikis erupted and turned
into a full-scale war. Nerima was
caught in the middle, its people terrorized by both factions.
Suddenly, the tourists and traders stopped coming. Nerima was closed off from the rest of the world, the first among many
casualties of the Hibiki and Saotome war. Within
a year, the once prosperous people of Nerima were reduced to scavengers. Their fields no longer grew crops because the blood of the fallen
polluted it.
Throughout the years, the people of Nerima tried to rebuild and re-plow their
lands. Hoping that their city could
once again be a wondrous place and for a time it was working. The fields were slowly recovering. Their
crops were beginning to grow tall and healthy.
One
ironically beautiful day, the villagers saw death itself come. All hopes for a better tomorrow was instantly destroyed, and the people
fell to their knees and prayed to whatever kami may be listening. They prayed for mercy and if they must die, they prayed for a swift and
painless death.
Over the eastern horizon the Hibiki clan came, riding their powerful mounts, and
sending dust devils behind their passage. They
rode into Nerima and immediately started killing man, woman, and child. They trampled over people and chopped heads off with their
shining curved blades. Homes were
burnt to the ground, and the villagers ran in all directions, fear consuming
them to a point where all reason was destroyed.
As the day grew older, the death and screams of the villagers became less and
less. By nightfall, nothing was
left but the bodies and ashes of the dead. The once proud people of Nerima were no more.
The Hibikis put away their bloodstained swords and dismounted, the fire of their
berserker rage slowly ebbing away.
Ryouga Hibiki, Grand Master, and Lord of the Hibikis looked at the handiwork of
his men and smiled. This village
was now theirs and soon, so will Saotome's head! He raised his right fist and shouted a chant. "Victory! Victory!" Soon all the others joined him. Their
chants and laughter could be heard for miles.
----
Hours later, when the Hibikis settled themselves around a blazing fire, Ryouga
watched his men from afar. His
stance was honorable, almost regal. He
had a large scar running from the tip of his chin to the top of his forehead,
running over his nose and between two narrowed brown eyes.
He touched the scar on his face and frowned slightly, he remembered who had
given it to him, and his voice was filled with hatred when he uttered the name. "Ranma, you will die for humiliating me, you and all your kin. This I swear,"
His oath was
disturbed by the sound of hooves. Before
Ryouga knew what was happening, the Saotomes came down upon him and his men with
the vengeance of titans.
Ryouga screamed for his men to arm themselves even as a sword was thrust deep
into his chest. The pain was unbearable and his eyes began to lose its focus. He stared at the sword and up to the face of the man wielding it before
his body collapsed and all life left his eyes.
Ranma withdrew his sword and stared down at the body of his enemy. All around him, Saotomes and Hibikis fought with the ferociousness of
rabid animals, and the fields were once again bathed in the blood of fallen
warriors. Only this time, there
would be no rebuilding.
The
battle lasted throughout the night. The
Hibikis fought bravely and well, but they were simply not match for the shear
numbers of the Saotome warriors.
After
the battle, Ranma ordered the bodies of both clans to be piled at the center of
the village. He looked once more at
the body of Ryouga and somehow he was not gratified. His archenemy was dead. His
own sword killed the leader of the Hibikis. He should have been happy, but all he felt was guilt.
He remembered
the happier times of his youth, times when he would spar playfully with a
certain bandanna clad, lost boy. He knelt down onto one knee and began to pray
for the dead. The others did the
same as the pile of bodies was lit on fire.
The stench of
burning flesh filled the air and entered Ranma's nostrils, almost making him
sick. With his head bowed, his warriors did not see a small tear
escape his eyes and run down his cheek. Were
all these deaths necessary? Was
Shampoo's? Was Ukyou's? Was Ryouga's? he asked himself, momentarily letting go of his
emotions as his body was racked with grief.
Everyone
stood up and gazed at the huge bonfire of bodies, each of them wrestling with
inner demons of their own, and wishing that this war would end with the death of
Ryouga but knowing that the only end will be in their deaths.
Ranma
remained kneeling. His strength had
left him, and he would have stayed kneeling if not for the voice calling him. "Master. Master,
are you all right?" Craven
asked as he put his hand gently upon Ranma's shoulder.
Ranma rose
slowly and addressed his friend, his tears, and grief hidden behind a mask of
confidence. "I'm all right,
Craven," he looked once more
at the bonfire. "When the fire
dies, order everyone to spread the ashes in all directions. Let the evil of this night be abolished by the wind."
"Yes, Master," Craven bowed respectfully and left his master
alone.
Ranma turned
from the fire and walked away, deep in thought. He thought about the war between his clan and the Hibikis. Were all these deaths worth it? Was
there a way to end this needless bloodshed and somehow reunite the clans? Deep inside him, he new there was none. In fact, with the death of Ryouga, the Hibikis would have just one more
reason for war. His thoughts wandered back to a time before all this, a time
before the bloodshed and war.
----
"Ranma! I'll never forgive you for this! Give me back my bread!" Ryouga
screamed as he chased a pig-tailed youth through the streets of Nerima.
Ranma looked
behind him and gave a confident smirk. "Oh
come on, Ryouga. It's not my fault
that you're too slow! Besides, I'm
hungry. My pop always told me to
eat when you can 'cause you'll never know when you're next meal will be."
Ryouga let
out a grunt of frustration as his lungs began to burn like wild fire. How the hell was Saotome so fast? That coward, always running away, why
can't he stand and take his punishment like a man? Ryouga's thoughts were
interrupted when he collided with Ranma's back, sending both boys sprawled to
the ground.
"Uhgg,"
Ryouga winced as he regained his feet, his anger already forgotten. "why'd you stop like that for, Ranma?"
The boy in
question was already on his feet, his gaze locked onto a woman riding on
horseback. She was beautiful and bore the bearing of a noble woman. Her long dark hair cascaded behind her shoulders reaching to her mid
back. Her eyes were a deep brown
and her smile, at least to Ranma, was breath taking.
Ryouga looked
towards the woman currently occupying his friend's attention and held his
breath. Never before had he seen such beauty. His mind attempted to go into shock and would have, if it
weren't for the fact that this vision of loveliness was heading straight for
him.
The woman
dismounted and stood before the two slack-jawed individuals. She gave them a friendly smile and introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Akane. Could
you please direct me to the Hibiki Dojo?"
End
Chapter 1.