Disclaimer: (Buckling under the pressure.) These characters are not my own. They are the creations of Rumiko Takahashi. I'm merely using them.{Authors voice takes demonic edge while his eyes begin to glow}.Distorting, twisting, changing them at my whim.. dance puppets..DANCE!!! (I obey the letter of the law, not the spirit.)
Drain Bramaged Inc. Presents,
A Mad-Hamlet Production
General Advisory: This fic is...not nice. Dark would be a good term. Yes, we'll go with Dark. I suppose a heavy lime label could also be slapped on it. However as I equate 'lime' as somewhat erotic it wouldn't apply here as some of the goings-on herein are so far from erotic the light from Erotic will never, ever reach it.
Come in From the Cold
She hovered near the entrance of an alleyway. No other place seemed appropriate to one such as her. Here she hid in the darkness, surrounded by waste. Breeding ground for pain and betrayal. Things she knew well.
It was dark, always so very very dark. It was part of her, she held it in her arms, her heart..her soul. She was in black, void; cold...she was dark.
Soon though, soon she would find her light, all she had to do was wait. Her light would pass here soon and the Dark would be pressed back. Her light would help her, would protect her, and with her light, the wounds would heal. She could feel them, great gaping maws in her soul. Tattered edges flapping like old clothing in a storm. But they would heal, would heal and be whole, in the warmth, in the light. Wouldn't they?
Chubby little hands fumbled at her breast, seeking comfort and nourishment. She had to push they away though, for she had neither to give. All she could do was hide in the alleyway and wait for her. Her light.
Eighteen year old Akane Tendo trudged home from yet another day at Furinkan High, alone. Like she had for nearly twenty months now. Soon she would be going to a University and putting more and more distance between her and the past. At almost twenty she felt she had quite a past to distance herself from. At least when compared to other young adults.
Her eyes idly drifted to a chain link fence that ran parallel to the canal and for just a brief instant she allowed herself to remember a certain arrogant, yet naively charming, young man who could walk along it like she did upon the sidewalk. Mental defenses and old anger slammed down on any affectionate reminiscing. He had disappeared nearly two years ago, and taken with him love, dreams, and respect. Proving himself to be, much to her regret, much like his father. Her good mood now thoroughly crushed she began stalking home in great angry strides. Her jaw was clenched tight and between her teeth she was muttering a litany of curses that would have made a sailor blanche. It had all been said before but it didn't help the pain much. It still hurt, even after twenty months, ninety-nine weeks...six hundred and ninety-nine days...sixteen thousand, seven hundred and seventy-six hou- she almost didn't hear the voice calling her name.
"Kane....".
Akane spun on her heel and dropped into a defensive crouch. Instincts honed on the battlefield called 'school'. The foe was not one she had anticipated. The...person was lurching out from the maw of a darkened ally. Covered by, what might have been at one time, a cloak? It once had been dark purple but the color had long been destroyed by stains, time and...was that blood? His features obscured by a mangy hood. Then the smell hit her and Akane had to visibly struggle not to recoil. Whoever he was hadn't bathed for a very long time. The stench of waste, garbage H brow creased- pain assailed her. The figure held out one hand in a plaintive gesture or maybe he was seeking some support to rest against. Either way Akane wasn't about to let some stranger paw at her.
"Back off!" She warned.
"Akane, no...please...." The figure's voice was hoarse, tired and desperation seemed to echo. Akane got the impression the stranger barely had strength enough to speak much less stand. He kept lurching toward her though.
"I'm warning you! Another step and you'll regret it!"
Akane didn't want to hurt this person, whoever he was, but she was prepared to defend herself, even though it had been a while since she had gotten much practice.
"Akane..help.....hel...me..." The figure slumped to the ground. Akane slightly relaxed out of her stance.
"Great." She thought. "Now what?"
She wiped the nervous sweat from her brow with the back of one hand and looked around to see if there was anyone around who might help her. The street was deserted though and she wasn't about to check the recesses of the ally. She was on her own.
She approached cautiously, just in case a game of possum was being played. It wasn't like she could just abandon someone in pain.
"A true martial artist defends the weak. Defends the weak...the weak...defends...martial artist, defends the weak...defends.."
The mental litany ran through her mind as she took another hesitant step forward. She wrinkled her nose as a fresh wave of stench assailed her.
She cautiously knelt beside the prone individual who was laying face down with the one arm still outstretched. Akane slowly reached out toward their shoulder with the intent of giving them a good shake when a weak cry rent the air.
Akane cursed under her breath upon hearing it.
With little fanfare Akane gently turned the figure over, all hesitation cast to the winds. Parting the wretched fabric that passed for a cloak Akane saw that the mysterious woman, for now that cloak lay open the mangy shirt did little to hide the gender of its wearer, still held her other arm curled to her breast. Cradled in that protective embrace lay an infant.
Cooing softly Akane slowly pried the woman's death grip open and pulled the child into her lap.
"Come here little one." Akane soothed. "Shhh...I've got you, don't cry. You're safe."
Carefully she pulled the baby closer to her chest and got her first good look. Her breath caught in her throat.
It could have been because the child had stopped crying and was now staring at her with a carefully scrutinizing expression. Or it could have been the fact that the child's stare was so unnerving; as the child had one blazing blue eye and its mate was a deep, ominous purple. But no, the real attention getter was the shock of pure, blazing red hair that curled across the infant's head.
Turning to the still unconscious figure Akane firmly grabbed the hood that concealed her features.
"I don't know why." Akane thought. "But I'm not surprised."
Still holding the child with one arm Akane hesitantly reached down and slowly caressed the emaciated, tired, and thoroughly female face of Ranma.
"KAAASSUUMMIIII!!"
Startled by the unexpected shout the eldest Tendo daughter lost control of the knife for a fraction of a second and was rewarded with a small cut. Hissing at the pain she quickly tied a handkerchief around the wound before entering the living room.
"Yes Akane?" She asked calmly. "What's wr-" The question died on her lips. Kasumi saw her youngest sister carefully laying a figure on some cushions. That in itself was not all that strange. In the past Kasumi had seen plenty of unconscious people stretched out on those selfsame cushions. Though some time had passed since the last one. No what robbed Kasumi of the breath to speak was everything she saw at once. The figure's red hair, the baby still curled, protectively by Akane, also with flaming red hair.
Kasumi took one look at the baby, then a quick glance at Ranma, then another back at the baby. She shook her head in slight denial at that line of thinking.
"Oh my goodness." Kasumi exclaimed. "Ranma, what's happened to him?"
"I don't know Kasumi." Akane replied. Her anxiety clearly heard. "She..he..just came out of an alleyway at me on the way home! I didn't know who it was at first but when they collapsed I heard the baby cry and ... and..."
Akane's voice dwindled. Kasumi sympathized with her sister. She too had, once again, been yanked out of her emotional equilibrium by this sudden twist in life. But the storm she felt must be nothing compared to what Akane must have been going through right now.
"First things first Akane." Kasumi had to raise her voice slightly as the child decided to start crying again. "Give me the baby, I'll go warm some milk up. Why don't you get Ranma out those..'clothes'."
With an almost wistful look on her face Akane carefully handed the still squalling baby to her sister. Then, with her face set in determination turned to conquering her next foe: The incredibly smelly garments of the still comatose Ranma Saotome.
Kasumi was carrying the child in the crux of her arm and just had grabbed a bottle of milk from the fridge when the second scream of the afternoon sent it crashing to the floor.
"OH GOD, NO!!" The shriek rang throughout the house.
Kasumi, as quickly as she dared, rushed back to the living room.
"Akane! What's wro-" For the second time this day the same question died on Kasumi Tendo's lips. If she hadn't been holding a helpless infant Kasumi would probably have fainted at the hellish scene before her. As it was, she had to grit her teeth to fight off the wave of dizziness and nausea swam over her.
Akane, in her typical efficient manner, had decided the best way to remove Ranma's clothing was the direct approach and had torn the shirt open down the middle. From the neck up, other than appearing filthy and slightly starved Ranma appeared perfectly fine. It was the scaring that began just below her collarbone that demanded attention. Kasumi's eyes followed the curving of the scar tissue as it twisted to the right and neatly bisected Ranma's left breast, leaving it a mangled horror of tissue, before continuing down the sternum and finally tapering off just above her navel. The scar tissue was at least an inch wide over the breast leaving no doubt, even to those with zero medical understanding, that when it had been received, the wound had nearly cut the breast in twain.
Kasumi found herself completely numb. The hysterical sobbing of her sister didn't reach her; the cries from the babe she carried didn't touch her. She could only stand and watch. Watch as Akane, still sobbing, with her fists pressed over her mouth, sank to her knees beside her former fiancé.
Watch as with a shriek of her own, Ranma sat bolt upright with fire, and fury burning in her eyes. Watch as the panicked, topless figure lashed out instinctively and backhanded her youngest sister across the room before leaping at her with another shriek on her lips.
Akane slammed against the wall, blood leaking from her split lip. Lights danced in front of her eyes but she ignored them and focused on the events going on beyond the lights. She watched the berserk redhead hurtling at Kasumi with her hands pulled back in a killing blow. Akane had to react, protect her sister, stop Ranma, do something!
"Move you stupid tomboy, MOVE!" Screamed Akane's mind.
But there was no time..no damn time.
A flicker of purple.
Akane realized things had changed.
Ranma now pinned beneath someone who had not been there a second before, still screaming.
Kasumi losing balance to land on her butt with a slight 'whoof'.
The screaming of the child.
Ranma screaming.
Child screaming.
And Akane realized she was screaming along with the others. A final voice in the chorus.
Kasumi now was sobbing as she squeezed the baby closer.
Everyone still screaming...
It took a few seconds for some semblance of coherence to reassert itself in Akane's mind. She took in again the scene before her and, in that bizarre way that people in a crisis do, calmly took stock of the situation.
Kasumi crying? Check.
Baby crying? Check.
Ranma screaming? Check.
Strange person standing in her home restraining said screaming Ranma? Check.
"Gee," Akane thought to herself. "Seems things are getting back to normal."
Akane screaming? No.
"Well that's good." She decided.
Akane's head ringing while pain carved new and interesting patterns along her nervous system? Check.
"Well that's diffrent. Never actually got hurt before, specially by Ranma."
With the grey matter reporting that, while she hurt, everything seemed to be in working order, automatic reactions shut down letting Akane resume a little more control of herself. Time unfroze.
"Kasumi!" With a shout Akane rushed to her sister's side.
"Kasumi, talk to me..are you alright?" Akane demanded.
She gripped her sister's shoulders and gave her a firm shake.
"Kasumi!"
Kasumi blinked a few times while slowly pulling back from that black place minds flee too when they are sure they are about to die.
"Akane?" She inquired weakly.
"Akane you're hurt!" She exclaimed while grasping Akane with her free hand. "Let me see that."
Kasumi began to make fussying noises while trying to make a closer examination of Akane's condition.
The baby was still screaming.
"I'm fine Kasumi." Akane replied, slightly annoyed. "The question is: Are you all right"
Kasumi paused as if considering this. She unconsciously began to lightly jog the baby in effort to get it to stop crying. Seeming to come to a decision Kasumi nodded slightly and reached out for assistance from Akane.
Awkwardly, as if unsure of her limbs still being there, Kasumi allowed Akane to pull her to her feet. She swayed a bit but remained stubbornly upright.
In an odd coupling Ranma's continued shrieks mingled well with those of the child's.
"Kasumi, go to the kitchen, take care of the baby." Akane ordered, practically shoving her sister in the right direction. Nodding numbly, still somewhat lost in a fugue, Kasumi complied and vanished into her shelter. Akane could now afford to focus her attention on Ranma and the stranger still pinning her to the ground.
Ranma was bucking and writhing, trying to get free but was held firmly by a white-knuckled grip. Akane became aware of the strange sing song language the stranger was using, it sounded like she was trying to console the struggling redhead.
The intruder was dressed simply enough. A plain black T-shirt with a brown travelling vest over it providing basic protection from the elements. The silk pants were also of simple design being an unoriginal dark grey.
The gender of the stranger was easy to guess at as her breasts strained against the T-shirts fabric, that and the long-
Akane's eyes narrowed. The stranger's long ponytail hung to the small of her back, but that wasn't what got Akane's attention. The ponytail was a bright, purple color.
Her fists instinctively closed. Akane, in the privacy of her own mind alone, could admit she wasn't the most observant person in the world. But she knew the amazons had disappeared from Nerima at the same time Ranma had, and now that Ranma was back, so were they?
Akane's aura snapped on faster than G.E's best product and through clenched teeth the name hissed out in a tone that embodied pure, black hatred.
"Xian Pu!"
Without looking over her shoulder the so identified intruder said "No. Not Xian Pu. Xian Pu dead. I kill Xian Pu."
"Cut the crap Xian Pu, I know its you. You can change your hair all you want but life isn't like a soap opera, there are no 'long lost twins'."
"I NOT XIAN PU!" The purple-haired girl practically shouted. "Xian Pu dead. Her name dead, Xian Pu as Amazon dead. There no more Xian Pu!"
Akane almost took a step back. If that was true than that meant...
Her thoughts were interrupted.
The girl visibly swallowed her anger. "Akane, please. Sit. No shout at me. Wait. I explain later. We help Ranma now. Explain later."
Akane blinked a few times. Xian Pu had been polite...called her by name..and not referred to Ranma as 'airen.' Reluctantly Akane slowly knelt next to where Ranma lay pinned.
Her ex-fiancé by this time had exhausted herself trying to break free. She lay spent and gasping, her chest heaving with effort. The light coming in from outside cut a wicked bask relief over her scarred chest, revealing in all too realistic detail the puckering of the flesh and myriad discoloration; again Akane felt tears threatening to spill over.
Ignoring the drama going on beside her the purple haired girl firmly grasped Ranma's head and forced the redhead to look at her.
"Peace Ranma." She intoned. "Quiet. Shhh..you safe. Baby safe. Ranma safe. Shhh..Good Ranma."
With a gurgling sound Ranma attempted to wrench her head away, her eyes swirling widly in their sockets. Xian Pu gave Ranma a fierce shake forcing her to reestablish eye contact.
"Ssshhh..." She started again. "Sshh..Ranma. Look. Look who here. You find her Ranma. You find Akane."
Akane gave a small start. Ranma had been looking for her?
"Look Ranma..Akane's here. See?"
Slowly, with her hands guiding her Ranma turned her head to look at Akane seated beside her. Akane met that gaze with difficulty. Staring into those wild, insanity filled eyes brought back memories; memories of a fanged boy screaming the words 'Because of you've I've seen Hell!'. Somehow Akane now doubted the Lost Boy's claims. The specter before her, she had seen Hell, mayhaps even stayed there for a while. Akane met Ranma's gaze and looked at her. Looked at her eyes, saw into her eyes. Sadness met pain, grief met hurt, and betrayal greeted betrayal.
An understanding was reached.
Ranma's mouth opened and closed a few times. She closed her eyes for a few seconds then tried again.
"A..Akane?"
"Right here..I'm here." She reached out slowly and lay a hand on Ranma's shoulder.
"Really..Akane? Not another dream? Really real? Really really real?"
Xian Pu (Who was not Xian Pu) nodded and softly replied, "Is so Ranma. Is real. No dream now, you home. That is Akane. Baby here too. Safe now, we all safe now."
"Yes," Akane agreed. "You're safe Ranma I'm right here with you."
The hand moved up to cup the redhead's cheek and Ranma's eyes fluttered at the sensation.
"Really real.." She muttered. "Akane's really real..She's real..she's realshe'srealshe'srealshe'srealrealRealREAL....AKANE!!!"
Ranma tossed the purple haired ex-amazon aside like flypaper.
Xian Pu impacted the far wall at the exact same time Akane found herself with a double armload of half-naked, crying martial artist.
"Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry Akane, please..I'm sorry." Ranma wrapped herself around Akane, burying her face in Akane's shoulder.
"I'm sorry." She kept saying. Over and over, and Akane had no idea what to do, or say or think. She did the only thing she could. Pulling Ranma closer, so the smaller girl was cradled in her lap, Akane started rocking slowly, back and forth.
"Shhhh...." She began.
"Sorry, so sorry."
"Shhh..its alright."
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
"Sorry, please, I'm sorry."
" It's ok, it's ok...shhhh....."
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
" I forgive you Ranma."
Stop.
"You..mean it?" Came the querulous reply.
Akane nodded. "Yes. I forgive you, for everything."
"Now if only I could figure out what I was forgiving you for." Akane thought to herself.
Fate did not give her the opportunity to reflect on this mystery however.
"I love you Akane." And before Akane's mind could even register 'The Words', before she could even begin to consider a reply to 'The Words' Ranma had pulled her head down and kissed her.
It was quite a kiss. Ranma's tongue danced between her lips and feelings coursed through Akane's mind; new sensations tingled along nerve endings she had not known she had.
It was sweet, and hungry, with a blazing fire coursing along her spine, yet at the same time icy chills swept along beside the heat. Fire and ice all wrapped up in a lovely package of sensation with tiny motes of pleasure sweeping along her flesh. She was lost in the swirling miasma of new sensation and powerful emotions that consumed mental barriers like a fireball would a forest.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the kiss ended and Akane hung there, savoring the moment. Ranma was resting her head on Akane's shoulder, a small smile on her face and a light rumbling sound at the back of her throat. Almost like a purr.
Pride, anger and pain came screaming back with reinforcements. They roared across Akane's mind, sweeping aside facts like Ranma's condition, her confession of love and the pleasant activities afterwards.
He had kissed her! When she was a girl!!
Ranma had hit her and almost hit Kasumi! How DARE he?
After vanishing for two years he think he can just waltz back into their lives with a smile and a wink? After leaving with the..the...Amazon?
Akane began to get angry, her muscles tensed and a sneer started to ripple across her face, she opened her mouth to scream and cocked an all to ready fist to strike down the offender.
An iron claw clasping her shoulder stopped her cold.
Turning she came eye to eye with Xian Pu whose face was no more than an inch away from her own.
"I know what you thinking." Xian Pu hissed into Akane's ear.
"And I know you wrong. Ranma tell truth. Ranma love you, Ranma die for you, Ranma already been through Hell. Worse part is, Xian Pu take her there. Now she back. You say you forgive, you say she safe. Now you want to hurt? You hurt Ranma, she die. If Ranma die," She paused for emphasis. "You I kill!"
Akane listened to the words, but she focused on the eyes. Words can lie, but eyes... Xian Pu's eyes glowed with all the warmth of the coldest side of a frozen rock. They held but a promise, no compassion, no humanity, just one single promise.
Believe or die.
Akane believed.
"She tell you the truth, she loves you." Xian Pu pressed on. "Now you tell her truth. No lie to her, no lie to self. Do so, now." She squeezed Akane's shoulder painfully hard to add weight to her command.
Akane nodded dumbly and looked at Ranma who, during the hushed conversation, had turned to look up at Akane.
Those large... huge, impossibly huge, blue eyes bored into Akane. They were... uncomfortable for Akane to gaze into. The Eyes are windows to the soul it is said. Well, these eyes showed a soul that had been brutalized, bent, wasted, crushed, clawed, beaten and a used by a large host of nightmares.
Yet still that soul kept hoping, and loved and still waited. Waited for her.
She couldn't deny it. Pride died first, wailing and screaming into the blackness of her mind, banished for the meantime. Anger was next, now crushed by that incredible will it had regularly fed on and used for its own ends. She gulped audibly.
"I..." She began.
Those eyes bore into her.
"I...I lov..."
Bore, bore, bore.
"I love you too Ranma."
Ranma's eyes snapped shut and she slumped in Akane's arms. Surprised Akane saw Xian Pu removing her finger from a particular spot on Ranma's neck.
"She rest now." Xian Pu explained. "Rest for first time in weeks. Maybe, now knowing how you feel, she finally rest well, rest deep."
She paused and gazed at Ranma's now slumbering form still in Akane's arms. "Yes, Ranma finally able to sleep."
Xian Pu sat down, indian style directly across from Akane. "And while she sleep," Her eyes narrowed. "We talk Akane Tendo. We talk."
End Cold-01
Authors notes: Welcome to chapter one of my newest project. Ok so it's not much bigger than the teaser. That's ok though as I've already started working on chapter 2. No this does not mean COS has been forgotten. Actually after I post this I'll begin typing out COS 1.4 at last. This is, as I've mentioned, my first attempt at 'Dark Fiction'. I'm trying to set the mood her y'know and if there is anything here that destroys that feeling that I've missed in proofing it and having it proofed, let me know. My goal is a story that would have Torquemada running from the room, screaming. (Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!)
If the C&C isn't positive or I get people telling me to chuck it and go back to COS.... Nahhh... I'll write em' both!
I remain, as always,
Mad-Hamlet