Hi there! My favorite hobby is to read fan fiction so it comes as natural that I wrote a little one shot to practice my English skills in hopes of getting a little better. The grammar corrector helped me a lot but even if I did my best I have no doubt that there must be some grammar errors and misspells left around here (even in this sentence). So I hope that you are all patient with me and report me any fault in the text.
I don't own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters, they belong to the genius Rumiko and whoever has the rights of the show and the manga.
The Death
I walk towards my objective. The cold night giving my normal humor a more natural glow of darkness. As I follow the path towards my destination, I take into everything. The hard street that supports my pace. The dimmed lamp lights that illuminate my path. The night is perfect for a walk... or so I think. My steps are soundless in the cold environment that my presence triggers. Cold wind announcing my pass, as my feet take me down the road.
The moon, my companion for centuries, shines showing me everything around me... not that I really need it. My mind sees everything clear, my eyes take in no darkness. As I walk I can see the animals hiding from me... like if that would help them if I was to look for them.
It have been sometime since I took upon my role... But then again I have to go and complete my mission. That's all I know.
I can't help look at the pedestrians. I'm invisible to them. Even the animals can feel me, but this creatures, the humans, the so called superior species of this world, don't even know that I'm near until they see my eyes shining in front of them... until my fingers have taken the most precious thing that they have... until I have destroyed their lifes.
But then, they are interesting to say the least. Even if they don't know...or acknowledge my presence, they fear me and even... in a primitive way... they feel me. I know this... I can see their true self, their very souls. I can feel the tremor on their core as I near them.
A couple. The woman is nervous... women have always being more sensitive to the world that men. I can see the goosebumps as I near them. She tells her companion that she has fear. He laughs telling her that the street is clear and the neighborhood is safe... but even his false facade of braveness can't escape my eyes. I near them and the coldness of my presence is on them... but they are safe... It's not their date with me.
I pass them hearing how their steps increase in pace, and once again I'm alone with the moon. I walk until I see the sign: Tendo Dojo. The doors are closed but they are nothing to me. Nothing can stop the death itself. Yes, that's me. I'm older that everything exiting, even the so called gods.
How did I come to exist? That I don't know. My first memory is from the void. Just me and energy. I didn't know who I was... but one thing I knew. I had to destroy. That's my destiny. That's what I was born for. I assumed this form and proceeded. That energy succumbed to me. Have you ever heard about the 'unbeatable death'? That's true. My power surpass anything on this world... or any other. But as you know, from destruction comes creation, and that explosion brought two things: The universe and the inhabitants that called themselves gods. Gods and demons... did you know that they were one people once? it was them and me on the vast universe. But there were differences. Between that people stood one group that were proud and limited themselves with rules and morals... then there were others that let themselves free to their desires... gods and demons. And where did I stood? In the middle. I'm a being that it's not able to feel a thing, not anger, not happiness... nothing. There are few... feelings? I don't really know if call them that. Curiosity is the one thing that I can feel once in a time. And curiosity is what took me here on the first place. Nerima. I stop one instant feeling the hole city, the souls of everyone, the energy on everything. I'm on the living room and I resume my path toward the stairs. Destroy, that's everything I have known for the longest times. Many humans question themselves about their purpose... poor fouls. They think that the gods created them to fulfill a destiny, to have an important piece in a giant schema.Reality would be hard on them. As I said, I only know destruction, and the so called immortals are not immune to me. I destroyed many of them, returning their energy cores to the universe, just to be freed again in the endless cycle of life, of destruction and creation, that I started at the beginning. They fought... but as I said Death is unbeatable. Their pride didn't let them think of something that they couldn't control, much less about the end of their lifes. I wouldn't go on mass killing... no, it doesn't work like that. I can see the signs of a soul that is ready to be freed... of a life ready to be destroyed. I can feel when something must be destroyed. The gods however were not happy about it... and since they couldn't defeat me, they distracted me. Yes, you guessed. In the moment that they acted on their plan was the moment where immortals and mortals were born. Beings like the gods but with a limited amount of energy. My eyes fell upon the new race of mortals. And then the death was born. I still fall upon the gods, but not like before. Immortals they are because I'm more attracted to mortals, not because they can't die.
I'm on the top of the stairs and I can feel the beings of the house creeping at my presence. I have not freed a life since Soun's wife passed away on the very room that is under my feet. I walk towards my destination.
Humans, they really got my interest. Their lifes would not go for long, but they would put up a good fight. They aren't as powerful as gods or demons, but their hearth would held the strength to fight against everything. Even when I'm in front of them they have put up strength that I have seen on few immortals. For that I have let the most interesting live longer: Colonge, Happosai. They are proofs that death does feel amused some times. I reign over death, I carry the clock and the threads of life. Both elders should have passed away many years ago, but I felt curious.
They, as many others, ignited on me the desire of knowing what being a human would be, to feel, to desire... being a demon and a god in one, but choosing a path. That's why so many years ago I decided to take the chance and live a life... that's how I meet them: Akane, Ranma, Kasumi, Nabiki... all of them. With them I learned rage, sadness, love... and finally something akin to happiness. But you can't really be happy knowing who you are and that the life you have is a facade that will end the instant the time comes.
Finally I arrive to the room I was looking for. In front of me, illuminated by the moon, are two figures. One a giant Panda, the other a boy. Ranma, I'm in front of him as many times before. He fought a few weeks ago with the phoenix god saffron. He won, but inside him are the weapons that have called me here. Smoke that is destroying his lungs, internal wounds that are the result from freezing himself in order to win. That is what brought me here. As I knee at his side I can't help to remember... I can't feel anything right now. I'm not human at the moment. However, the memories gives me more than just feelings. He is a challenge. A challenge that I have never had before, and even when I could crush his very being without even blink... i like the challenge.But everything has its time, his body is in bad shape and his soul must be set free. I just know about destruction, I'm the death. That's my job. I know that one day I'll return everything to the way it was, infinite void, as I can't stop being who I am.
My hand enters his chest and I see the tremor of his soul at feeling my cold fingers. It's done. I see how his fast breathing slows down as I return to my feet. Ranma Saotome is just a mortal, and he has to succumb to death like any other being or thing.
"But not today" I let my lips say as I glance at his cured body, resting on his mat "I'll decide when the time's right" and so I disappear and reappear a few streets from there, on a dark alley.
"Time to resume my life" I say while preparing myself to being human. My shadow leaves, signaling the lost of most of my powers, knowledge and memories as The Death. In front of me stays a dark clone of my person, a part of me that will carry the duty while I take my role as human. As I open my eyes I sigh relieved. I didn't know if as the death I would feel curious enough to let Ranma live a little longer.
"You may go now" I tell to Shadow and he nods. He dissapears to continue being the dark reaper of souls. I walk out the alley, wondering how much time will I keep forgiving Ranma's life. Right now I'm fully human, and I must say that it's weird. Suddenly I feel vulnerable. Without Shadow I can't return to being the Death for a long period of time, and even then my powers are very limited. As a human I am as weak as any other person, with the difference that I'm a martial artist. I can die just like any other person and that gives me fear... fear of stoping fearing, loving, hating... stopping feeling. I shake my head. I must stop thinking like that. Right now I have a life to resume, a love to fight for and a battle to prepare.
"Tomorrow Ranma, tomorrow will be the day that I'll finally defeat you!" I say as the moon shines over my fangs.
I hope it wasn't too bad. Any comment will be welcome
Thanks.