Storm Stallion
By
Jeremy Harper
Disclaimer – The characters and concepts in this story belong to their original creators, and are used without permission.
Chapter 1 – Apotheosis
"We're being followed again," Akane Tendo said softly to her fiancé.
Walking along the top of the wire mesh fence that ran along the canal, Ranma Saotome slowed his pace a trifle and rolled his shoulders, his book bag hanging from his right hand. He looked down at Akane. "Same person?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I wonder who she's following – you or me."
"Well, since it's a girl, it's probably you." Akane's tone was somewhat caustic.
"Tomboy wit. Ha." Akane blew a raspberry at him while Ranma glanced out of the corner of his eye before looking forward again. The girl was trailing twenty feet behind, a pretty little thing in a white and blue dress and matching sneakers, trying very hard not to look like she was shadowing them and failing miserably. She had long black hair, was shorter than Akane, and Ranma judged her at least two or three years younger than they were.
"I wonder what she wants?" Akane said softly.
"Dunno." Akane looked up at Ranma, alerted by the glowering cadence in his voice. "But there's one way to find out." He dropped his book bag to the street and kicked off the fence, jumping backwards in a high, graceful arc, spinning so to face the girl. He swore when he saw she was running and all ready had a good lead. She must have bolted the exact moment he went airborne, but how she anticipated him, Ranma had no idea. He knew damn well he had not telegraphed his intentions. She ducked into an alley a second before he landed, and he pursued, a tigerish blur of crimson and black. He rushed the alley's mouth, slapping a hand against the wall of the left hand house to help make his turn, then jerked to a stop. Save for litter, dust and a stray trash can, the alley was empty.
Ranma's blue eyes narrowed as his mind calculated. The strange girl was fast, but not amazingly so, and the alley was fairly long. There was no way she could have escaped out the other end before he came in and saw which way she went. Frowning, he went down the alley, quick but wary, stopping at the t-section forming its end. He glanced both ways, concentrating with every sense he possessed, physical and spiritual, and detected nothing. The girl was gone.
Perplexed and cross, Ranma walked back towards the canal, thinking. This little stalker was perhaps more than she appeared. That did not surprise him, since very rarely was anything in Nerima just what it seemed. He stepped into the street, nearly colliding with Akane. Neither of them noticed the small puddle of water behind Ranma, a few steps away from the entrance of the otherwise bone dry alley.
"Where did she go?" Akane asked.
"No idea." He glanced upwards at the rooftops and all around. "I can't even make a guess. It's like she vanished." Ranma shrugged and frowned. "I don't like it."
"Well, I don't really blame her for running. You probably scared her, jumping at her like that."
Ranma snorted. "Tough for her. If she wants something from one of us, she should just come out and say it, not skulk about like a wannabe Gosunkugi." Akane glared at him in irritation, but said nothing; she agreed with his sentiment, if not with the tactless way he stated it. Ranma retrieved his book bag, resumed his position on the fence and the two continued their way home. They did not see the young girl peeking cautiously at them around the corner of the alley, pointing a small gray rod in their direction and adjusting with a fingertip the receiver in her right ear.
Akane kept an eye on Ranma. He was still frowning in thought, occasionally scratching the back of his head. He suddenly noticed her attention and frowned at her. "What?" Akane gave him an arch smile.
"Nothing. It's just that I've never seen you thinking this hard, and I'm waiting to see smoke pour out of your ears when the gears in your head start to strip."
"Ha. And again, ha. You're an absolute joy to be around, Akane."
Akane laughed. "Seriously though, Ranma: a yen for your thoughts."
"You value them that much?"
Akane's smile softened. "Sometimes." Ranma looked at her for a moment and nodded. "I dunno. Something about that girl is bugging me."
"What, the fact that she's following us, or that she hasn't attacked us yet?"
"Neither. Hell, if she did try to jump us it'd be a relief. That I could handle." Ranma frowned again, and bit his lower lip. "She's familiar somehow. I think I've met her somewhere."
"Where?"
"Dunno. I just feel like I should know her. Maybe I saw her in a dream…" Ranma shrugged. "Like I said, it's bugging me. Like an itch on your back just out of reach. It also bugs me she managed to ditch me almost without trying. How the hell did she do it?" Ranma shook his head.
Now Akane was frowning in thought. Suddenly her eyes widened and she stopped walking. "Maybe she's another fiancée?"
Her words struck Ranma like a punch. He stumbled, nearly falling into the canal before managing to right himself. He jumped down in front of Akane, looking at her in disbelief and shaking his head.
"No… No way. Pop couldn't have. Even he couldn't be stupid enough to saddle me with another engagement on top of yours and Ukyo's. Besides, that girl is too young. She's thirteen at the most!"
Akane crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "And are you stupid enough to belief your father wouldn't engage you to any sort of girl if he was offered enough?" Ranma opened his mouth to retort but then snapped it shut with a loud click of his teeth. He considered her words, trying hard to ignore the insult, and then his mind leaped to thoughts of his father, sifting through memory of his past behavior. His face flushed red, then paled white as his anger began to soar almost to murderous heights. His blue eyes smoldered. A low, feral growl rumbled through his bared and grinding teeth. Akane took a step back, frightened, not by his anger, but by its deadly intensity. "Ranma…"
Ranma took a deep breath and swallowed his rage, calling upon past masteries to seal it within a cold chamber of his soul. He could whistle it back up easy enough, he reasoned, if he had need of it. He blinked, looked at Akane, and nodded to her. "You make a good point. Why don't we get home and ask the old bastard if he knows anything about this girl." Without waiting for a reply he turned hard on his heel and ran off. Akane watched him go, then shook her head, as if coming out of a daze. "Ranma, wait up!" She chased after him.
The young girl stepped out of the alley and stared after the two, her wide brown eyes stained with pain and longing. She wiped at them with the back of her hand, then removed her earpiece, opened the satchel at her hip and placed the earpiece and gray rod in it, next to a small thermos. She looked again in the direction Ranma and Akane ran off, and for a moment blue light shimmered on her cheeks and forehead, vanishing when she shook her head. She returned to alleyway, melding into the shadows.
Ranma entered the Tendo house without announcing himself, simply shucking his shoes in the foyer and storming in. Akane trailed in his wake, her lips pursed in a tight frown. "We're home!" she called out as she hurriedly kicked off her own shoes.
"Welcome home!" Kasumi answered as she stepped into the hallway. "How was your –" Kasumi stopped herself with a gasp, bringing a hand to her mouth and taking a step back, the expression of barely reigned, volcanic rage on his face startling her. Ranma's look softened a trifle and he sketched a nod of apology to her before entering the living room.
"What's wrong?" Kasumi whispered to her younger sister when Akane joined her by the living room door.
"A strange girl has been following us from school." Akane whispered back. "Ranma tried to catch her today, but she got away. We were talking about who she could be when I suggested that maybe she was another fiancée."
"Is she?"
"I don't know. Knowing Uncle Saotome it's possible." Akane, eyes bright with worry, stared at Ranma as he walked up behind Genma Saotome, who was bent over a shogi board with her father Soun, too focused on their match to notice the angry young man looming above them. "But I really wish I hadn't said it. I don't think I've EVER seen him this upset." Kasumi could only nod in concerned agreement.
Nabiki looked up from the television, blinking when she saw Ranma. She could feel the anger and resentment pouring off of him in palpable, crashing waves, and gave fervent thanks that it was not being directed at her. While she was a bit contemptuous of him, she also had a healthy respect for his prowess. She spared Genma and Soun a quick glance, wondering how anyone could be so obtuse as to not notice the smoldering time bomb lurking nearby. "Oh hell," she muttered to herself, grabbing her bag of snacks and retiring to the questionable safety of the hallway with her sisters. "A thousand yen says that Uncle Saotome doesn't last longer than a minute," she whispered to them.
"Little sister, be serious," Kasumi chided.
"Yo, Pop!" Ranma growled. "We need to talk."
"In a minute, Ranma." Genma reached for his farthest advanced knight, then withdrew his hand, reconsidering.
"I'm serious, old man. This is important!"
"Quiet, boy! Can't you see I'm busy?"
Ranma's hands clenched, their knuckles bleaching white. He took a deep breath, opened them, then in a blur of motion seized the collar of his father's gi, yanking it back and twisting. Genma let out a squawk of surprise as his son pivoted, heaved and hurled him through the open engawa doors, into the yard. Genma rolled as he hit the ground, coming to his feet near the koi pond, turning in time to see Ranma flying at him. Ranma put his father on the defensive with a jump kick, following with a hook kick immediately after gaining his footing, forcing Genma to one side. Ranma maneuvered so they were both parallel to the pond and then closed the distance between them, lashing out with a flurry of blows. "When I say I want to talk to you I mean I want to talk to you NOW!" Ranma gritted out between strikes.
Genma grinned at his son's anger as he defended himself, successfully parrying the entirety of Ranma's attack. "Absolutely, boy!" he growled back. "A good father always makes himself available when his son wants to talk." He deflected a punch to one side and stepped in to take advantage of Ranma's opened guard, aiming a forearm strike at his temple. Ranma fell back underneath it, rolling away, then surging forward with a side thrust kick. Genma slapped it down and barely managed to avoid having his nose clipped by the high spinning back heel kick that followed. "What the hell do you know about being a good father, you panda?" Ranma demanded.
"About as much as you know about being a competent martial artist," Genma retorted, launching a sequence of punches, hoping to catch Ranma before he recovered from his missed kick. His son was too fast; the elder Saotome gritted his teeth from the pain caused by Ranma's punishing hard blocks.
"Funny," Ranma snarled. "Shame your punches don't have the same snap your words do." Ranma shifted from defense to offense, making his father block and weave frantically, forcing him slowly back. "A girl's been following me around lately."
"Oh? Well, nothing wrong with that. Just further proof of how manly you are. As long as you remember just who you're engaged to, I don't see what the problem is." Ranma roared in rage. He sent an elbow thrust beneath Genma's guard, striking him squarely under the ribs, stunning him. "And that there's the problem: knowing who I'm engaged to!" Ranma shouted, hitting him again in the same spot with a palm strike. Genma grunted and staggered back, gasping a bit. Ranma did not follow up his advantage, instead flowing into the deceptively relaxed fighting stance he favored, holding his ground. "She's maybe twelve, thirteen years old, with long black hair and a pretty, sorta sad face. Never seen her before, but I got to wondering if maybe you had."
Genma had recovered from Ranma's hits and set into a side guard stance, but made no move to attack, watching the younger Saotome warily. His breath rasped slightly, and he fought the urge to reach under his gi top and rub at the bruise starting to form on his stomach. "I have no idea what you're raving about, boy."
"I bet you don't! What kind of dowry you bilk some sucker out of this time, old man? A takoyaki stand? Yaki-imo cart? Or maybe just a cheap hibachi and a package of fish sausage?" A fierce, furious snarl slashed across Ranma's mouth. "Spit it out before I beat it out of you, you old fool! What sort of trouble am I going to be in now?"
Genma's eyes narrowed as he considered his son, then snorted contemptuously, dropped his guard, and looked directly into the flashing blue eyes challenging him. "Ranma, I have no idea who this girl could be."
"Bull."
Genma shook his head. "No, it's the truth. Admittedly, your description is a bit vague, but I can say honestly that I never engaged you to anyone that much younger than you."
Ranma peered suspiciously at his father and grimaced. He knew Genma was sly and treacherous, but could not lie to save his life, preferring to conceal the truth through omission. He could equivocate, attempt to change the subject, or, if sorely pressed, revert to his cute, dumb panda act, but when it came to telling falsehoods he was almost as bad as his son. Ranma did not trust him, but silently conceded to himself his father was telling the truth. "If this ends up biting me, and I find out you had a hand in it…" Ranma trailed off into unspoken menace. He sneered at the air of wounded innocence Genma assumed and turned towards the engawa.
Ranma sensed the rush from behind. In truth he had been expecting it. He dropped beneath the punch aimed for the back of his head, planted his hands and mule kicked. He felt no contact and heard his father leap back as he twisted sinuously up to his feet. Genma stood facing him and at the ready, his expression stern and haughty. "Foolish boy!" he snapped. "Finish what you start."
Ranma cricked his neck and swiped the tip of his nose with the knuckle of his thumb. "Feh. And since when do you ever? Have it your way, Pop." Ranma closed in and attacked.
They exchanged blows for over a minute, neither Saotome yielding ground nor attempting anything sophisticated, merely blocking and punching, gaining speed the longer they attacked, rocking back and forth on their feet like willows in a breeze, their arms blurs, their faces snarling masks of concentration. Then in a blink it ended, Ranma breaking open Genma's guard, stepping close and striking him in the sternum with a one inch punch. Genma's eyes bulged behind his glasses, his face flushing deep red and his cheeks billowing out. He reeled and collapsed in a heap. Wheezing for breath, he lifted his head and looked blearily at his son posed above him at the ready, fierce with the arrogance of a fighter who knows his worth. Pride lifted Genma briefly above his pain. But sixteen years old, and all ready so skilled… he was lucky to beat his son two out of five spars, now - how strong would Ranma be in another ten years, he wondered. His vision wavered and he let his head fall back, letting out a breath. He was not hurt too bad, knowing from past experiences he would be all right by next morning, but the need to rest was overpowering.
Ranma spun his fists over each other and settled into his relaxed stance. "You have enough, Pop?" Genma lifted a hand, conceding defeat. Ranma let out a satisfied grunt, turned to walk back into the house, stopping when he felt the impact of Tendo sisters combined stare. Kasumi's lips were pursed tightly, her eyes bright with concern and more than a little trepidation. Guilt stabbed at Ranma, and it increased three fold when he noticed Akane's expression mirrored her eldest sister's, though tinctured with another emotion he could not decipher, the presence of which brought a slight flush to his checks and made him want to duck his head. Nabiki seemed amused, looking him up and down appraisingly, but he could sense the tension in her. Her arms were crossed defensively and she was leaning away from him, ready to run if he startled her. He ignored Soun's mildly quizzical look – the Tendo patriarch's opinions carried little weight with Ranma, in comparison of those of his daughters.
Ranma looked down at the grass, feeling confused and ashamed, not understanding the Tendo sisters' fear. It was not like they never saw him fight with his father before. He looked back up and bowed to them. "Sorry about this," he murmured contritely, then entered the house, unable to look at them. They made way for him wordlessly, and he retreated to the uncertain solitude of his room.
Ranma sat on the roof, watching stars wink into existence as the darkness of the eastern night sky deepened and the shadows cast by the rapidly vanishing sun grew. He had stayed out of sight for the rest of the day as he wrestled with the feelings the Tendo girls had invoked in him. He did not regret the thrashing he had inflicted on his father – if he concentrated, he could hear the fat panda now, talking with Soun, the occasional soft click of a shogi stone being moved or swiped punctuating their dialog. Ranma made a face. Indeed, Genma Saotome seemed no worse for wear after fighting his son, but then he had always been, if nothing else, tenacious. Ranma heard Kasumi addressing the two patriarchs, saying something about going out tomorrow night after dinner was finished. Probably to the mahjong club she was a member of, since tomorrow was Friday, he surmised. He sighed deeply, covering his eyes, rubbing at their corners with middle finger and thumb, still unhappy with himself for scaring her and Akane.
He uncovered his eyes when he heard a clank of metal and saw a ladder leaning against the gutter, and a moment later, as if his thought had summoned her, Akane was on the roof. Ranma arched an eyebrow – she usually left him alone when he retreated to this perch. She seemed to sense his surprise, and asked softly "Do you mind if I join you?" He gestured at the spot next to him indifferently and she came over and sat down, drawing up her legs and wrapping her arms loosely around her knees. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and admitted to himself she looked good tonight, having changed out of her school uniform, into a golden tee shirt, jean shorts and white sandals. Ranma sighed and reclined, pillowing his head with his arms, eyes on the stars, but his attention focused on the girl next to him.
They said nothing for a while, the silence between them tense. Then Akane looked down at him. "You know, you're a very scary guy sometimes, Ranma."
Ranma visibly winced. "I don't know what the hell frightened you," he snapped. "It's not like you three have never seen me fight with Pop before."
"True, but my sisters have never seen you that angry ever. I've only seen you close to being that mad once – when Sanzenin kissed you way back when."
Ranma winced again. "I was worse than that?"
"I could feel your anger pump higher with every step you took. By the time we got back home I was amazed you hadn't exploded."
Ranma looked away from her, shaking his head vigorously, then sighing. "I'm sorry, Akane," he murmured, his voice so soft that Akane had to lean towards him to understand. "I'm sorry that I scared you and Kasumi. I didn't mean it."
Akane considered his apology. "What about Nabiki?"
Ranma looked up at her, grinning. "Nah - that I don't regret. She deserves a good scare every once in while."
Akane giggled. "Baaaka," she drawled affectionately.
"And proud of it," he retorted, laughing. They were quiet again, this silence much more relaxed and companionable. "Did you believe what your father told you?" Akane asked.
"Yeah."
"Do you feel bad about beating him up?"
Ranma snorted. "Hell no. He probably deserved it for something else I don't know about yet. The old man really pisses me off."
"I've noticed." Akane said dryly. "So… now what?"
Ranma sat up, shrugging his shoulders and rolling his head. "Now I try to talk to the girl and find out what she wants with me… or you… or whoever." He glanced over at Akane. "You wanna help?"
Akane answered him with a smile.
They did not see the girl again until Monday, during the walk home from school. Akane spotted her first, having apparently popped up from out of no where and following them from a distance, trying to seem that it was but a coincidence that she was traveling in the same direction as they. The way the girl alternated between staring intently at Ranma and Akane or else looking conspicuously around at anything but them spoiled her efforts. Again she was dressed in simple white and blue – this time a collared blouse and slacks, with matching sneakers and a large black satchel slung over one shoulder.
Why is she following us openly, still? Akane wondered. She knows we're aware of her. She's either determined or stupid. She considered the expression she had seen on the young girl's face. Determined, she decided. Now to find out why. Akane casually whistled a brief snatch of tune, the method she and Ranma had decided on using to signal their stalker was about.
Ranma waited for a moment, not missing a step as he walked the fence rail as he stared out across the canal thoughtfully, before looking down at Akane. "I feel like ice cream. Wanna come with? I'll buy."
Akane feigned a suspicious glance. "Why are you being so generous? Feeling guilty about something?"
"Can't a guy be nice every once in a while? Come on, I'll even buy you one of those strawberry and banana parfaits you like so much – though why you get 'em, I don't know. They're way too girly for a macho chick like you."
Akane struck the fence with her book bag, making it shiver. Ranma wobbled a little trying to keep his balance. He glared down at her. "Hey! Knock me in the water you can forget about me buying!" Akane sniffed imperiously.
"Jerk! A good dunking would serve you right. You're lucky that I want some ice cream right now. It's been so warm lately." Ranma flipped off the fence and landed neatly next to her, favoring her with a thoughtful, evil grin.
"In that case maybe you should be the one to go into the canal. It'd cool you off real good, believe me." Akane's eyes opened wide in alarm.
"Don't you even think of it, Ranma," she growled, waving a fist at him. Ranma held his hands up in placation.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" he said with a laugh. "So, you want the ice cream, or would you rather fight?"
Akane pretended to think over her options. "Ice cream," she answered.
"Good choice. Let's go."
"All right… but just to let you know, I in no way consider this to be a date."
"Like I'd be caught dead on a date with you, tomboy," he smirked. Akane gave him a light slap on the back of the head, which made him laugh again. She glanced out of the corner of her eye towards the young girl and nearly stumbled. The girl had stopped walking and was now glaring at them. No, Akane amended, glaring at me. The girl was trembling, her mouth screwed up in an angry frown, her fists clenched tight at her sides. Akane firmly resisted the temptation to look directly at the girl as she crossed the street with Ranma. She's angry with me for fighting with Ranma, so that must mean she has an interest in him. Figures. She's young, but not too young. Maybe she is another fiancée… I agree with Ranma about Uncle Saotome not knowing about her… Could maybe Auntie Nodoka have something to do with her? I don't think so… Auntie's a bit strange, but she also seems to approve of my engagement to Ranma." Akane blushed a little at that thought. I can't see her doing anything to undermine it. But then again, we don't know her all that well yet. She exhaled softly through her nose. Hopefully we'll get some answers in a minute.
The young girl watched Ranma and Akane round a corner onto an adjoining street and leave her line of sight. She seemed to have gained control of her temper, though she was frowning. She took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder, as if wondering if she should end her pursuit for the day. Suddenly her frown became fierce and decisive. She turned back towards the direction her quarry had gone in. Blue light glimmered briefly on her cheeks and forehead. "If she hits him again…" she muttered, her hands clenching. Thrusting a hand into her satchel, she started swiftly following their path. She turned the corner, took three steps down the sidewalk, then stopped with a gasp. Akane Tendo was standing in her way, her book bag slung over a shoulder, smiling. "Hello there! Is there something I can help you with, Miss? You seem lost." The girl turned to flee, but found her path cut off when a red and black blur descended from the top of the nearby house. She gasped again, taking a step back as Ranma appraised her with cool eyes, arms folded across his broad chest. "We need to talk," he growled. The girl's face, all ready pale, blanched. She swallowed visibly and began to blink, as if trying to hold off tears. Ranma faltered at this – he was, admittedly, annoyed at being followed by a stranger. Too much sudden strangeness had occurred over the past months for him not to be wary of such a thing. Still, this was a kid, and a girl to boot, and the way she looked at him made Ranma feel like a bully.
"Ranma, ease off. She's only a child," Akane chided. Ranma grimaced and looked across the street, scratching the back of his head, while Akane circled the young girl to stand next to him. "Don't be afraid, we're not going to hurt you. We just want to ask you a few questions."
The frightened look vanished the moment the girl was addressed, replaced instantly by the fierce glare she had favored Akane with before. "I'm not a child! Don't call me that. And why should I even talk to you, you… you… violent witch, you!"
Ranma snapped his eyes back onto the girl, his annoyance surging, submerging his guilt. "Don't talk to her that way," he snapped. The girl flinched away from him, ducking her head so her black hair fell before her like a veil, and she scuffed at the pavement sidewalk with the toe of a sneaker. Again Ranma's anger receded, and he felt a shame similar to that he had experienced a few days before when he had frightened Akane and her sisters, and this guilt was made worse be the nagging feeling of familiarity he had about this girl. He knew he had seen her somewhere before, but where and when he could not place. It bothered him tremendously – he knew his memory was fractured and incomplete, but there was a sense of… importance… about this girl, as if it were completely and utterly wrong for him not to know exactly who she was. Ranma's mouth curled into a tight frown as a shiver ran up his spine.
Akane shook her head, taken aback by the young girl's outburst and trying to recover her composure. It was not the girl's fierce anger that surprised her, but the raw jealousy in the strident voice and flashing eyes. She definitely does not like me. But what's Ranma to her? She glanced over at her fiancé, conflicting emotions clashing openly on his face as he looked at the young girl hard, trying to cudgel up a source behind his feelings of recognition. "It's all right, Ranma," Akane murmured softly. "I don't blame her for yelling. We startled her."
Ranma made a face. "So what? It's not like she deserves to be coddled. She's been chasing after us for over a week now. You're too damn empathetic sometimes times, Akane."
Akane arched an eyebrow. "And you're not?" Ranma muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath, which she graciously chose to ignore. She turned her attention back to the young girl, who was watching the pair of them warily, her lips pursed in a tight, petulant pout that looked quite cute on her. Akane looked at her closely – there was something a bit… off… about her appearance. The girl was not precisely Asian, but did not quite look Caucasian either, despite her pale skin. Eurasian, Akane decided hesitantly, but that did not quite fit. Akane shook her head again – the young girl's ethnicity was not really all that important. "What's your name, miss?"
The girl frowned back resentfully in answer, then flinched and relented when she felt the force of Ranma's narrow eyed glare. Reluctantly she whispered something.
"What was that? I couldn't hear."
"I said Skuld. Are you deaf or something?" Ranma and Akane blinked and looked at each other. That's an odd name, Akane thought. Even by Nerima standards. Ranma looked distracted, his expression distant. Does he recognize it? Suddenly he started and began to scan the sky.
"What's wrong?"
"I thought I heard thunder…"
Akane looked around herself, frowning. "There's not a cloud in the sky. Don't start freaking out on me here, Ranma." Ranma shook his head. The young girl's name echoed in the corridors of his thought. "Skuld…" he muttered, and again he swore he could hear a distant whisper of thunder.
"So, Miss Skuld… would you mind explaining why you've been following us around?"
"I have not!" Skuld protested. "I just happen to be going in the same direction as you two. If anyone owes an explanation it's you two… or you in habit of accosting people minding their own business for no reason at all!" Ranma rolled his eyes in disgust. Akane merely pursed her lips in thought.
"Are you going home?" Akane asked.
Skuld hesitated. "Y-yes."
"And where are you walking home from?"
The young girl bit her lip, hesitating for a longer moment. "The junior high school!" she blurted out, blushing at the looks the two older teens gave her.
"You mean Furiken Junior High?" Akane asked gently. Skuld looked at her warily before giving a slight nod. "Funny. I've lived in Nerima all my life, and I've never heard of a Furiken Junior High." Skuld's blush deepened, and she bowed her head, again hiding her face behind her hair. "Not to mention the fact," Akane continued, gently but relentlessly, "junior high classes aren't dismissed for the day until an hour after the high school lets out." Akane folded her arms and looked at Skuld firmly. "The truth this time, if you please: why are you following Ranma and me?"
Skuld's head snapped up, her brown eyes ablaze with anger and frustration. "I'm not following YOU anywhere," she hissed contemptuously. She checked her temper with a sharp breath, and her expression shifted from anger to one of sadness and worry. She darted a look at Ranma than quickly turned away. "I'm following him."
Ranma hissed, grimacing. Again he heard thunder, this time louder and nearer. He spared Akane a quick glance, but she gave no indication she had noticed it, her own gaze locked on Skuld as she frowned. "Are you engaged to me?" he asked the young girl bluntly. Skuld stiffened, then rapidly shook her head. "Then why are you interested in me?"
Skuld did not answer immediately, keeping her head turned away from him. Finally she spoke, her voice so soft and so low that by all rights Ranma and Akane should not have heard her, yet her words were as clear and distinct as the dulcet chimes of a silver bell, the sorrow and longing in them touching the young couple to their core. "I've been watching you from afar for a long time now. I shouldn't be here. I know I'm breaking the rules that Yggdrassil set down and that we agreed to, but I couldn't help it. You're so near now, and you've been gone so long and I've missed you so much I couldn't help myself!"
Ranma took a step away from Skuld. His heart was beginning to race and again the thunder only he seemed to hear boomed through the air. Something pressed and strained in the dim recesses of his memory, but whatever it was it could not escape from the vault that contained it. "Skuld," he said. Akane looked sharply at Ranma – there was an imperiousness, a note of command, in his voice that she had never heard before, the sound of which sent soft lightning playing through her nerves, making her shiver. "Skuld," he repeated. "Who am I to you?"
Skuld whipped her head to face him, tears streaming down her face. "You're my big brother, and I miss you so much!" Her hands flew to her mouth, and with a sob she spun away and fled. Akane gaped after her, too stunned to respond, then heard the sound of a hard impact. Ranma had collapsed against the nearby house, leaning against it with his shoulder for support, shaking hard, as if in the throes of a fit, his breath coming so fast he was practically hyperventilating. Thunder rumbled, and finally Akane heard it. She looked up and saw that the once clear sky was now completely covered by dark clouds, lightning crawling in their depths.
"Ranma," Akane whispered, taking a step towards her fiancé, her hand held out tentatively.
"I'll kill him!" Ranma gasped, his hands clenching as he struggled to master his raging anger, staring after the fleeing Skuld. "That goddamn, mother fucking panda! First not telling me about my mother, and now I find out he's been hiding a sister from me! I'm going to murder him!"
Akane bridged the distance between her and Ranma, laying her hand on his trembling shoulder. "Ranma, please calm down! You're making yourself sick."
"I feel sick! Why does he always pull shit like this? Selfish, ignorant bastard… Goddamn him!"
"Baka, use your head!" Akane snapped at him, more afraid for him than angry. The rage he had been in days before seemed but a candle flame compared to the apocalyptic emotions tearing through him now, and she feared what he may do to Genma or himself if she could not calm him. "We don't know if your father has anything to do with this girl. We don't know anything about her. We don't even know if she's telling the truth!"
Ranma grew still and he looked at Akane. She stared into his eyes, and as she discerned the pain and confusion swirling in their azure depths, she felt tears begin to prickle in her own eyes. "Do you think she was lying?" he asked.
"No… yes… I don't know! She looks nothing like you, and she definitely looks nothing like your father - or your mother, for that matter. I've never seen anyone who looked quite like her." Akane took a steadying breath. "Ranma, we don't know enough yet to make any conclusions. It's not right to blame Uncle Saotome until you know he had something to do with this."
Ranma stared hard at Akane for a moment, then snorted humorlessly. "That's good, coming from you. Wish you'd follow your own damn advice sometimes, Akane."
Akane flinched. Her hand clenched on his shirtsleeve as anger spiked through her, only to fade when the truth of Ranma's retort struck home. She stared down at her feet, unable to keep looking Ranma in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I know I get angry at you for things that aren't your fault, and I'm sorry for it." She glanced up at him through her bangs. "But I don't think I've ever gotten mad the way you've been getting lately."
Now Ranma turned away, covering his eyes with his hand. "I've scared you again," he whispered.
"Yes," she whispered back, nodding. Ranma sighed. "I'm sorry, too," he murmured. He felt her rub his shoulder, this small, intimate act comforting him. Ranma sighed, dropping his hand from his eyes and letting it cover Akane's, and he pushed himself off the wall. "You're right. The panda will keep, for now." His eyes hardened. Skuld was far down the street, but not yet out of sight. "She won't." He gently removed his fiancée's hand from his shoulder, squeezing it softly before releasing it, and ran off in pursuit of the young girl. Akane watched him for a moment before following. Neither noticed the storm above chasing after them all.
Ranma ran after Skuld with peerless speed, moving in great bounds, his legs devouring the distance between himself and the young girl. Skuld slowed for a moment, looking over her shoulder and crying out in distress at the sight of her gaining pursuer. "Wait! Don't run! I wanna talk!" Ranma shouted. She did stop running, but only for the quick moment it took for her to bend over and slap the sides of her sneakers. That moment almost ended the chase, but just as Ranma reached out to grab her shoulder a blue, shimmering aura enveloped her feet, and when she started running again she seemed a bolt of white and azure lighting racing along the pavement. Ranma stumbled to a halt, shocked. "Holy…" he whispered. How the hell did she do that? Letting out a growl of frustration, he resumed the chase, redoubling his efforts. He just managed to keep Skuld in sight, and was vaguely aware that Akane was managing to do the same with him. He hoped the girl would tire soon – he could run all day with little effort, but there was no way he could maintain this level of speed for long. The world around him blurred past, his entire concentration focused on his goal. Skuld made a sharp turn down a right hand street, and when Ranma rounded the corner he swore as he watched her run into the small park at its end and lost sight of her amongst the flora. He cut his cursing short to save his breath and continued running. Hopefully she needed to rest and was hiding somewhere on the grounds. If not, then there was no way he could find her trail again. He did not want that. She had the answers to the questions she called forth, and he wanted them. Her name continued to toll through his thoughts. Skuld… who are you to me?
Skuld blurred into a grove in the heart of the park, set her back against an elm tree and desperately tried not to fall over from fatigue. Her mouth was awash with copper, a ferocious stitch throbbed in her side, her feet felt like they were on fire and every muscle in her body ached. She looked down at her sneakers and let out a sound of dismay when she saw them blackened and smoking. Great! Now on top of everything else my prototype acceleration generators are ruined. She sat down in the grass, pulled her sneakers off, scowling at them before throwing them across the grove. Oh well. They were only a kitbash anyway. They definitely need refinement. She stripped off her socks, sighing at the feel of cool grass soothing her abused feet. She closed her eyes, assuming a lotus position as she turned her energies inwards, returning her body to balance and banishing pain and fatigue. While she yet had little proficiency with evocations, no one could deny she had excellent body control. She was definitely going to need an ice cream binge after this day, however. As she continued her healing meditation she stretched out with her senses, sending her awareness to search for Ranma. She found him at the edge of the park – he had just entered it, slowing to a trot and moving in a methodical pattern. Searching for her… great…
Skuld's face tightened. Her sisters were going to kill her… well, Urd would yell at her and call her a selfish brat – that she could handle - but she just knew that Belldandy would give her that sad eyed stare and tell her how disappointed she was with her actions, and for Skuld that was the equivalent of getting a thorough spanking. But she had not seen Ranma for so long, and when she came to Earth to be with her sisters, to find out he was so close by… the temptation had been too great. Even if he was manifested as an avatar, his true essence sealed away in slumber, she still wanted to see him. She had broken the rules Yggdrassil had set down, to make it easier for Ranma to fulfill his obligation, for he was of one of the Outer Orders, and knew little of how to deal with the mortals of the Core. Skuld could feel his true self stirring, trying to rouse to wakefulness, and knew that one way or the other she was going to Get It. Her best bet was to return to the temple as soon as she could, confess to her sisters what happened, then stay far away and hope her brother eventually fall back into complete torpor. Skuld sighed and slipped out of concentration, feeling tired but able, making a face when her stomach grumbled at her. Right. Teleport, ice cream, then tearful confessions and righteous scolding. Always good to have these things planned out. She stood up and peered around the elm tree shielding her, scanning the area for her pursuers while she reached into her satchel and rummaged for her thermos.
Someone grabbed her from behind, slapping a hand hard over her mouth. Before she could react her satchel was torn from her and she was pulled back and thrown to the center of the clearing. She cried out when she hit the ground hard, but quickly recovered and scrambled to her feet. A man dressed in black stood before the elm tree, facing her, her satchel dangling negligently from one hand. He was tall, thin but strong looking, with large hands and a sharp chin. Eyes black as anthracite leered out at Skuld from a corpse pale face, crimson runes writhing and burning across its cheeks.
"Demon!" Skuld cried out, backing away frantically.
"Yes," agreed the man, as he stalked closer. "I am Asmodar, and you are Skuld… young little Skuld, so pretty, and oh so helpless, when deprived of her toys." Asmodar tossed the satchel behind him. "You should not have strayed so far from your sisters, Norn."
Skuld turned to run, but Asmodar was on her in an instant, seizing her cruelly. She struggled, but could not break free from the demon's grasp, his wiry arms possessing terrible strength. He leered at her, and to her horror she saw his teeth were like a shark's, white blades of razor sharp bone. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her throat.
"I've been watching you, Skuld," the demon crooned. "Watching you follow those two mortals around like a brainless sheep, unaware of your surroundings, waiting for a chance. I nearly took it when you fled from the boy some days back, but you teleported away before I could. I didn't think you'd return, but I decided to bide my time anyhow, and see now how my patience rewarded me." A sinuous gray tongue emerged from the black hole of his mouth, wetting his lips. "What terrors I will show you, before we are through."
Skuld shivered, her stomach clenching in terror as her mind cast about desperately for some defense. The demon was right about her lack of sorcery, and most of her gadgets were in her satchel. "The doublet…" she protested.
"To be so naïve," laughed Asmodar. "There are many things I can do to you, my sweet, which will not trigger the doublet system." He cocked his head and gave her a coldly appraising look that nearly paralyzed her. "Sandalphon once told me it was a pity to harvest in the spring. I do not agree. Nothing compares to the taste of spring cherries…" His mouth dove for Skuld's throat, and she screamed. Thunder crashed in the skies above, and a blur of red and black flashed through the clearing, tearing Skuld from Asmodar's grip and knocking the demon to the ground. Asmodar bellowed in outrage as he stood. The mortal youth had attacked him, hurt him. The demon glared murderously across the clearing at the boy. He stood in front of the goddess, his blue eyes burning with anger and disgust. "How dare you…" Asmodar hissed.
"You bet I dare," The boy snapped back. "Just what the hell did you think you were doing?"
"Fulfilling my function, as we all must do," the demon retorted. "Walk away now, boy. You are in waters far too deep for you."
Ranma sneered, feeling his blood rush angry and quick through his body. To stumble upon Skuld, so important to him in some mysterious way, being molested by this hideous pervert sent his barely reined anger to heights he never imagined. With a wolfish howl he rushed the man, determined to cause him pain, lashing out with a punch aimed to crush his nose. The man spat out a word and a strange blur briefly enveloped his form. The sound of flesh striking flesh snapped through the clearing, and Ranma goggled. The man had caught and held his punch with ease, as if it were but a gently tossed softball. Before the young martial artist could react the man spoke another word. His free hand arced and slapped Ranma across the face, the impact sending unimaginable pain exploding in his head. He sagged to his knees, barely conscious, his head lolling on his shoulders.
Asmodar laughed. "I warned you, boy." With a negligent twist of his arm, he sent Ranma flying to one side. He returned his attention to Skuld, and saw her making a dash across the clearing. He bounded after her, seizing her by the hair just before she grabbed her satchel. She cried out in pain and desperation as Asmodar pulled her back. Suddenly, the demon was aware of a third presence in the clearing. He turned in time to see the other mortal Skuld had been following rushing him, fury bright on her face. Asmodar growled and again spat at a word. Again he blurred, and Akane gasped in surprise as her punch was casually intercepted, Asmodar's large, hairy hand grabbing her wrist. He jerked her around, dragging her over next to Skuld, and twisted her hand, forcing her to her knees.
Asmodar leered at the two young women, his tongue snaking out through his shark-like teeth again to wet his lips; Akane stared in horror at the demon's inhuman features. "Indeed this is my lucky day; two rare beauties for the price of one! And for you, little mortal chit, there is no doublet to give you even a shred of protection." Akane shook her head sharply, fighting through her pain and fear and punched Asmodar in the pit of the stomach. He gasped, staggering slightly, then with a curse threw Skuld to the ground and raised his hand to strike Akane.
Ranma struggled to sit up, trying to will away the shadowy veil that obscured his vision. His head throbbed, and it felt as if shards of glass were piercing his neck. The veil shredded and faded away, and he saw Skuld and Akane struggling in the grasp of Asmodar. Resurgent anger burned away his pain, though his body still responded sluggishly. Again in the shadows of his mind something strained and railed against confinement, its demands for release far stronger now, yet it still could not break free. As he struggled with physical and mental turmoil, he watched Akane punch Asmodar, seeing how only her awkward position on her knees kept the man from being knocked away. Ranma heard him swear, watched him brutishly throw Skuld aside, and felt fear turn his blood to ice as Asmodar raised an open hand in preparation to strike Akane down.
Time ground to a near halt, micro-seconds stretching into eternities, and in the depths of his thoughts Ranma heard clicks, like locks being opened, and the rattling of metal against metal, as if chains were falling free. A howl like typhoon winds, fierce and joyful, cried out through his mind, and in the sky above thunder exploded in greeting. Electric blue light flooded his consciousness, and in this burst of satori Ranma knew who Skuld was, what she meant. He remembered his power and his purpose, what he truly was, what duty demanded of him, and understood how it coincided with his desire, burning away all childish denials. The light of his rebirth faded, and looked out upon the world with illuminated eyes. He saw, suspended between the moments, his beloved younger sister sprawled on the grass, crying out in distress. He saw Asmodar the petty demon, his face contorted in rage and pain, twisting the arm of Ranma's charge, hand lifted to strike her. He saw Akane looking up in horror, trying her hardest to break free. A fiery wave of anger washed through Ranma, but instead of allowing it to tsunami out of control, he seized it, rode upon its crest, directing it to fuel his purpose.
Time reasserted itself. Ranma was ready.
"STOP!"
At that shout, everyone froze, ceasing their struggles and looking across the clearing. Ranma was on his feet, swaying slightly in his relaxed, open stance. He was smiling, but the hot gleam in his eyes belied the humor in it. Ranma licked the tips of two fingers then ran them over his swelling, bruised cheek. In an instant the wound deflated, its color fading away, and was gone, totally healed. Skuld sat up, letting out a happy breath of joy and relief. Akane slipped from Asmodar's suddenly slack grip and scuttled away before gaining her feet. She looked at Ranma in wonder, instinctively aware of a radical change in him, put unable to perceive its exact nature. How did he do that? She wondered. I know he heals fast, but I've never seen anything like that before… Without knowing why, she was suddenly afraid.
Asmodar forgot about the retreating girl and the goddess behind him, his attention focused on Ranma. Pain and anger clouded his perception, so he could sense the sudden awakened power in the boy, but could not discern its source. "What sorcery is this?" he growled, perturbed. Ranma laughed, and Asmodar felt a small trickle of fear run through his depths, generated by the purpose and wild mirth in the boy's laughter.
"Come and find out, demon," taunted Ranma. Asmodar's brows arched. "Come and fight me."
"So you want another beating?" Asmodar snarled, forgetting his fear. "I'm more than happy to oblige!" He spat out a word as he charged, his form blurring with impossible speed, lashing out at Ranma's head with an open hand. Silent and smiling, Ranma negligently lifted a hand and intercepted the strike, easily taking hold of his opponent's wrist. Now it was Asmodar's turn to goggle in surprise, and he gasped when he saw Ranma's azure eyes suddenly turned a solid electric blue. Understanding and terror caromed through the demon, and he struggled desperately to extract himself from his opponent's hold, but it was as if his hand was entrapped in concrete.
"Orlanth's Whip," said Ranma, and from the black clouds above a bolt of lightning descended, striking Asmodar. The demon screamed, hair charring, flesh blistering, clothing burning, and though Ranma still held his wrist the electricity did not harm the martial artist, instead dancing around him in arcs. The bolt finished its work, and as Asmodar began to drop Ranma buried his fist in the demon's stomach, lifting him off his feet. Thunder roared through the sky on the moment of impact. Still holding the demon up, Ranma spun a full revolution and hurled Asmodar across the clearing, bouncing off a stout elm tree and falling hard on the ground.
Skuld picked herself up, grinning from ear to ear as she retrieved her satchel. Akane stared at the fallen demon groaning in the grass then back over to Ranma. She felt so odd – dizzy and weak as if experience an onset of vertigo. Licking dry lips, she stepped back, trying to control her breathing. Ranma stood slightly bowed, his bangs covering his face. When he looked up his eyes had returned to their normal deep blue, but azure light glimmered on his face. Twin lightning bolt tattoos slashed down his cheeks, and a spiral adorned the center of his forehead. He canted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he considered his defeated enemy, then took a step forward and launched into the air, arching gracefully and landing before Asmodar. Akane gasped again, bringing the heel of her palm to her mouth, for though he had flexed his knees slightly, Ranma had not jumped across the clearing so much as he had flown. He leaned down, grabbed Asmodar by the collar of his smoldering shirt, heaved him up and slammed him against the trunk of the elm, holding him there. "Little demon," Ranma growled, his eyes burning dangerously, teeth bared in a feral snarl. "Do you know what I am?"
Asmodar struggled briefly and futilely, and was quelled by Ranma slamming him again. He stared at Ranma, blearily studying the tattoos on it, then shuddered. "You're Orlanthi…" he stuttered out.
Ranma's snarl momentarily became a grin. "Good. Now, do you know who I am?"
Asmodar blinked as he considered the question. Comprehension dawned in his eyes, and he blanched snow white and began to tremble violently. "Storm Stallion!" he wailed, voice pitched high by fear.
"You should have stayed in Hell," Ranma growled before dashing Asmodar to the earth. "You should not have struck me." He planted his foot on the demon's left shoulder, grinding his heel into the joint, ignoring Asmodar's howls. "You should not have awoken me," Ranma continued relentlessly, grabbing Asmodar's arm and pulling it upward. "And you most definitely should not have laid your filthy claws on my little sister and my charge." He pried the demon's fist open and took hold of his index finger.
"You can't! The doublet!" protested Asmodar, abandoning all poise and pride. Ranma's answering chuckle was a thing of dread.
"I recall you saying to Skuld," Ranma sneered, 'before I interrupted you, that there's many things one can do without triggering the doublet. It works both ways, demon. I'm gonna break you apart, slowly, molecule by molecule, and when I'm finally done I'm gonna put you back together again and start all over." Ranma's wrist tensed as he readied to break Asmodar's finger.
"Ranma, stop," Skuld called out. Ranma looked up at her. She had drawn her hammer out of her satchel, and was staring at him, eyes wide with concern. "Don't, big brother. Please. He's not worth it."
Ranma growled. "I will not let what he tried to do go unpunished, Skuld."
"I know, and you didn't. You struck him with the Whip. That's punishment enough. It's incredible that he's even coherent. And you've scared him good – far more than he scared me." Skuld's eyes became imploring. "Please, big brother. You're not meant for such things; you'll end up hurting yourself more than you will Asmodar."
Ranma just stared at Skuld for a minute, his expression still fierce and angry. Then he relaxed, and his sudden laugh was gentle. "Wonder of wonders, my little sister is becoming wise about matters other than mechanics."
"Hey!" Skuld said in protest, but she laughed when she did, and she and Ranma looked at each other fondly for a moment. Then Ranma sighed, becoming fierce again. He grabbed Asmodar by the throat and heaved him up again, holding him suspended in the air with one arm. "When you get back to Hell, you best get on your knees and thank Hild for my sister's forbearance, because that's all that saved you from my wrath this day. Now engrave these next words in your soul: if I ever even think you're anywhere near me and mine again, I will make you hurt, long and hard." Ranma's eyes narrowed and he smiled wickedly, as if suddenly struck with an excellent idea. "And after I'm through, I'll tell my blood brother Zorak Zoran what you tried; anything he decides to inflict on you will make my attentions seem like a lover's caress. Understand?" Asmodar nodded frantically, a torrent of supplication gushing from his lips. Ranma silenced him with a sharp shake. "Good. Now hie yourself out of my sight." He threw down the demon, who instantly bounced back up to his feet and ran, shimmering and fading from sight before he reached the clearing's edge. Ranma scowled after him, then turned towards Skuld, who in turn gave a happy squeal as she ran up and hugged him.
"I've missed you sooo much, big brother!" Ranma sighed and embrace her in return.
"I've missed you too," he murmured, before taking hold of her by the shoulders and carefully peeling her off. "But I would be lying to say I was entirely happy with you right now. Roaring Chaos, Skuld, what are you doing here down on Earth? You're supposed to be maintaining Yggdrassil, and you very well know we all agreed it was for the best that everyone stayed away from me while I was in torpor."
Skuld ducked her head for a moment before reluctantly looking up at him. "I'm sorry, Ranma. I couldn't help it. You've been gone for such a long time, and I missed you. Then Belldandy got herself bound to the Earth a half a year ago-"
"WHAT?" Ranma shouted, not believing what he just heard. "Bell's here too?"
Skuld nodded in affirmation. "Urd, as well. All three of us are on Earth now."
"Empty Night," Ranma swore with fervor. "How did all this happen?"
Skuld shot a fierce glare over Ranma's shoulder at Akane, who was watching their exchange, her arms wrapped around herself and shivering slightly. Ranma did not notice, still surprised by Skuld's news. "Belldandy's stuck for the same reason you are: a mortal made a stupid wish. Urd's bound for being… Urd. Punishment for lying, not that she seems to mind being here, the cow."
"Watch your mouth, young lady," Ranma admonished. Skuld ducked her head again, while he eyed her critically. "What of yourself? Are you bound, too?"
"No. I came because Belldandy and Urd were attracting a whole lot of bugs. We resolved the problem, and I decided to stay to make sure nothing else went wrong…" She couldn't bring her self to look back up at Ranma, knowing that he sensed she was not revealing the complete truth. Ranma just clucked his tongue and waited for her to continue with her explanation. "A lot of craziness happened afterward – I don't know if you sensed it, when you were asleep, but I'll fill you in later – but after things settled down and I got comfortable at the temple we're living in at Nekomi I checked up on your location, and found that you finally stopped wandering all over the place…" She lifted her face, her dark brown eyes brimming with tears. "Over sixteen years, Ranma. I haven't seen my big brother in almost a generation, and now you're so close by… I couldn't help it!"
Ranma sighed, running a hand through his unruly black bangs. He was about to speak when he heard Akane softly, desperately, call out his name. He froze, then slouched, closing his eyes. "Orlanth's bones…" he murmured before turning to go to his fiancée.
"Ranma, what's going on?" Akane demanded, trying to keep the growing hysteria within her out of her voice as she watched Ranma walked towards her. She did not quite succeed. "How… how did you get those marks on your face? How did you call down that lightning bolt? What is going on?" She flinched slightly when he reached out for her, then gasped when he cupped her cheek, gently stroking her face. His smile was regretful, and there was sadness and longing in his eyes. "I'm sorry about this, Akane," Ranma said quietly and kissed her. Her eyes widened in shock, then rolled back as she fainted, collapsing as if boneless, a sigh escaping her lips as she fell. Ranma carefully caught her before she hit the sward. He held her tenderly, again stroking her cheek. "I've wanted to do that for a while, now," he murmured. "I only wish you could remember it." He released a resigned sigh as his tattoos began to glow. He touched his forehead to hers, whispering words of power as he carefully folded her memory back upon itself, so that the events she saw from before he put her to sleep to just after he entered the park would be an impenetrable haze. He sealed those memories away but lightly, unwilling to compromise her mind any further – he found what little he had all ready done distasteful enough, but necessary to protect her, considering the frantic state she had been working her self into. Despite all the wizardry and wild romance she had seen in her life, it was obvious she was not ready to deal with this newest revelation. The memory charm was the work of moments, and once finished Ranma rose, cradling Akane in his arms. He turned to face Skuld, and the young goddess winced at his sternness.
"We're going to have a talk about this, Skuld – you, me and our sisters. I have to take Akane back home and see her settled, but I shouldn't be too long. You're all in Nekomi, you said?" Skuld just nodded. "I'll be there in an hour, two at the most."
"Okay, big brother," Skuld answered, looking away from him. Ranma nodded, walking past her and away. But just as he reached the edge of the clearing he sighed, summoned a disc of gentle force to hold Akane suspended in the air, and turned back to sweep Skuld up in a strong embrace. "And though I've slept these long years away, I've truly missed you too, little sister." Skuld clung to him fiercely, crying a little. They held each other for awhile, then Ranma pulled away to kiss her on her the forehead, then each cheek, then softly on the lips, after which they parted. Ranma returned to Akane, dismissing his spell and carrying her away. Skuld took her thermos from her satchel, opened it and tossed its contents in the air. The instant the cascade of warm water touched her, she vanished. In the sky lighting crawled across darkened clouds one final time before they leavened and began to dissipate, their labor finished, for their master was awake now, free and restored to his proper might.
Full Disclaimer – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Oh My Goddess is the creation of Kosuke Fujishima. Other concepts and deities are the creations of, or are owned by, Greg Stafford. All are used without permission.
Blame Karaohki for this. Not that she gave me the idea, or even knows who I am. On a whim I started rereading her work a few months back, the act of which – God help me – got me interested in Ranma ½ again. Wish you were writing more, Ms Geraci, but I know life happens.
Like most of my recent fan fiction, this story has been kicking around in my head for years. I actually started to write this one some five years back, but got nowhere with it – the fate of most of my pre-Deathless fan fiction. We'll see where I go with this. I'd like to finish one long Ranma ½ story, before I'm through.
Cheers,
Jeremy Harper