Black Waters
Part 3 Attack
(insert copyright information here)
The Tendos and the Saotome matriarchs were in hiding. Hiding from a monster with a friendly face.
When he leapt towards Akane, Genma had appeared and knocked him down, as part of the daily morning ritual. Akane took the chance and managed to get everyone away from that beast......Makio.
After she had explained everything, they had immediately gone to Dr. Tofu's. He began to take care of Kasumi, and assured everyone that she'd be fine.
Akane and Nodoka, who had some skill with the sword, went off to warn the others. So far, Sayuri, Yuka, Ranma's two friends (Akane didn't actually know them too well), the Amazon's and the Kuno's were all safe. The kuno's needed some convincing, but they eventually reached an agreement.
Now, to find Ukyo.
-----------------------------------------------------
Makio stood before her, 'communicating' with her. He had made sure to have his fill of her sexually, all while showing her the awful things he had done.
"Enjoying the show?" he asked, his voice mocking.
"You bastard. How inhuman are you? First Kasumi, then Akane, and now you're just killing random people! What kind of sick, twisted, perverted animal are you?" She couldn't fight back the flood of tears. She had enough. She just wanted it to end.
"It won't. Even when you're dead I won't stop, not until I have had my vengeance."
"I don't even know what you're talking about."
He turned away from her. "You will, soon enough."
She looked at the ground. "Just tell me, who's next?"
He grinned, triumphant and ecstacic. "You're best friend."
"No! Not her! You can't! I won't let you!"
His smile faded, replaced by annoyance and disgust. "You guys can continue from where you left off. She bores me."
He disappeared. And her suffering continued.
-----------------------------------------------------
Ukyo Kuonji was closing her okonomiyaki restaurant early, so she could focus on yet another futile attempt at seducing Ranma. Sometimes she wished things were simpler, like in the old days, but they weren't.
Speak of the devil, look who just went through the front door.
"Ranchan!" she exclaimed.
Ranma smiled at her. "Hey, Ucchan, come here. I have something to tell you."
"Ok, Ranchan!" she said happily. 'He's going to choose ME, I just know it!' she thought, rather deluded.
Ukyo jumped over the counter (the grill was turned off for once) and walked over to her fiancee...
And that's when Konatsu jumped in and kicked the pigtailed boy across the room. Where he came from is anyone's guess.
"Konatsu!" Ukyo cried, perplexed. "What are you--?"
"That's not the real Ranma, Ukyo-san." The cross-dressing ninja said.
Makio/Ranma got up, irritation on his face. "Okay, do I have 'homicidal imposter' written on me somewhere or something? I fucking hate it when no-one coopereates with my plans!" A dark aura flared around him, his eyes glowing red.
"Ranchan...." Ukyo murmured, fear rising.
Konatsu grabbed the stunned girl and ran away, just as Makio unleashed a powerful technique.
"Demon Lord Black Vengeance!"
--------------------------------------------------------
Everyone was gathered in the middle of Nerima (well, the Kuno's, Hiroshi, Daisuke, Sayuri, Yuka, and the elder Tendo daughters were led away somewhere safe. The Kuno's had to be restrained, of course). They were ready to face the imposter, but on their terms, not his.
"I'm sorry, even if you all gang up on me, you still won't win. Besides, it's not the final act just yet."
All gathered gaped upwards in total shock. Makio was levitating over them, a smug smile on his face.
Akane pointed at him angrily. "How long were you there?"
"Not too long, but long enough."
"Why don't you just get it over with you bastard!" Akane was getting really irritated by his smug face.
He shrugged. "I will kill you. But not yet. First, I'm going to explain to you exactly WHY this is happening."
"What purpose will that serve?" Cologne asked, incredulously. (Akane can't just say everything, ne?)
Makio chuckled. "It serves no purpose, but I just have a problem with loose ends. I always make sure all involved are aware of all the details."
"Get on with it then."
He grinned. "With pleasure. for starters, I'll explain myself. A long time ago, in China, there lived a mighty race of demons. They were a proud, pure race who feared nothing and enjoyed battle. However, all other lifeforms disgusted them, and so they waged war against the most threatening species: humanity.
One day, a Japanese priestess came and battled their emperor. They were evenly matched. The priestess used the last of her strength to slay the demon. Of course, demons are very hard to kill, and so she sealed his soul inside a cursed spring the demon lord created when he was bored. She then fell in the spring from exhaustion and drowned.
That demon was me.
Some thousand years pass, and two martial artists come by the springs, not knowing the old legends about the place. One of them falls inside the spring my soul was imprisoned inside."
"Ranma." Cologne stated.
"Correct. His cursed form is actually the appearance of that of the priestess who defeated me. Anyway, my soul was also absorbed into his body, however I couldn't properly possess it. His will is too strong, ne? However, some.... aspects of my personality manage to seep through and affect his soul. The negative aspects of his being are a mixture of his father's teaching and my own personality. That's why he likes fighting so much. At first I thought that's all I could get, and never be free to continue my GLORIOUS campaign.
Then the crap starts.
The fights, the rivals, the fiancees, the misunderstandings. All this allowed me to get a stronger grip on his soul, allowing me to affect his being. That's when I started the nightmares."
"What nightmares?" Nodoka asked, nevertheless concerned for her child.
"I created this little dimension inside his mind; a place made from every ounce of doubt and loathing inside his head. This further served to weaken his hold on this body. Finally, I was fully freed when one of my lowly servants, Jinpachi, used some special water, 'Soul Liquid', to give me full control of this body.
But, of course, it wouldn't have worked in the first place if it weren't for all you guys and your petty actions weakening him."
"What are you saying?" Akane asked, fearful.
"It's all your fault this happened. Every single last one of you." he grinned, his eyes glowing slightly, and looked towards the youngest Tendo. "Especially yours, Tendo Akane. And now, allow me to explain why this is your fault and how you contributed to my rebirth.
Let's start with miss Tendo there.
Remember the first day the two of you met? You saw a shy, though beautiful young girl and immediately offered friendship. And then she beats you in a sparring match. But that's okay, she's a girl, right? Wrong. When you learned of the truth about Saotome Ranma, what was the first thing you did? You tried to crush him with a rock. A fucking rock! And then you went one to physically abuse him for any small grievance, even for the things that weren't his fault! If it were anyone else, they would be dead by now, but Ranma has a very strong and resilient body. That is the only reason he has managed to survive you this long.
One of these days, Tendo Akane, that temper of yours will get you into trouble, and nobody will save you. And most likely won't even try."
"But.... I only did those things because he deserved it" Akane said through tears and rage. "Because he...he.."
"Because he loved you." Makio interrupted with a smirk.
Akane looked up at him, disbelieving.
Makio continued. "Of course, at first, he just wanted your friendship. That's why he LET you hit him; because he felt you actually needed it. Like it was therepeudic. He only taunted you when he was feeling bitter about his lot in life, and nobody doing a single damn thing about it! He acted cheerful and cocky, but beneath it all, he was miserable and scared. And you were a major source of that pain, Tendo-san." He smiled. "In fact, it is my belief that you would have made a good demon."
That did it. Akane fell to the ground, and wept, not out of sadness.......but of shame.
Ryoga had somehow gotten lost and found his way in the middle of this procession. He saw Ranma levitating, and a crying Akane. Which means....
"RANMA!!! How dare you make Akane cry!" He leapt up towards his foe, ready to strike. "Prepare to --"
He was stopped by Makio breaking his arm and then throwing him to the ground.
"Heh. I see the lost pig is here. You're next, Hibiki. Ranma always saw you as his friend, you know? A very annoying friend with no emotional control and the logic processes of a Kuno, but a friend nontheless. Even while you were trying to kill him; took advantage of his kindness by hiding your secrets; blackmailing him; even after that Koi Rod incident, he still regarded you as a friend. Personally, I don't see the bother. A worthless coward like you who blames others for his own mistakes would've been killed off by now, due to the fact that you would've been a liability." He hovered down and lifted the lost boy up, so he was staring him in the face. "In fact, he loved you so much, that he held back a bit when he was fighting you. Just a bit, but all the same, that means something. He only holds back when fighting someone he cares deeply for." He threw Ryoga into the distance.
"RYOGA!" Akane and Ukyo screamed.
He glared at them. "I'm not done yet. But, is this taking too long, so I'll be quick. The fiancees: Ranma doesn't love you. At best, he sees you as friends. Though that seems to be cracking, since you see him as a trophy, a prize to be won rather than a person. You claim you love him, but that is a lie: if you loved him, you wouldn't force, trick or bewitch him into loving you; instead you would wait, see and accept his decision. Now, he is afraid you.
To the fathers: Soun, you are pathetic. You lack a backbone, and only attack when your opponent is substantially weaker than yourself. You and Genma share an underhanded sneakiness that blemishes your so called honour. The only redeeming trait is your devotion to your daughters and your dead wife. However, your parenting is atrocious. You have allowed Nabiki to be a criminal more feared than the yakuza; Kasumi is nothing more than an unappriciated maid; and Akane is a potential murderer. You are a failure as both a martial artist, and as a father.
Genma, you treat your son as trade goods, selling him off to someone to get what you want, and stealing him back, like a coin on a string. You then berate him and belitlle him, taunting his manliness; because then you can hide your own shame and cowardice. You are a disgrace to life.
Nodoka, your own son is terrified of you. After all, the idea of ones own mother willing to take their child's life is simply cruel and horrifying. And it's not even for a good reason. My mother tried to kill me you know, said I was a blemish on her reputation; she was a princess who was raped by a demon. She gave birth to me, only to tell me I'm worthless. Then, she tried to starngle me when I was only six years old. I broke her neck. Then, I found my father and killed him, so I could become the Demon Emporer. Do you want your son to wake up and have to defend himself in such a manner as I? We both know the answer to that.
To the rivals, I have only this to say: get a life. You blame Ranma for all your problems, never accepting the slightest posibility that the problem may lie with yourselves. And one day, you'll be alone and will be forced to face reality, and you will find it is not what you believed it to be.
And finally, to his so called friends, and since they're not here you can pass this along: You are liars. You call yourselves friends, but not once have you acted as such. Like everyone else, you have always assumed matters to be going one way, never realising that there might be more to things than what you believe. And not once have you ever, as true friends should, asked him whether he is okay or how he feels about things. Not once have you done anything more than bet on his fights and pester him about whether or not he has 'done it'. The answer is, of course, he hasn't. He knows nothing about the fairer sex other than what he has gleaned from his curse. He is a virgin, and a naive one at that. He didn't even know what intercourse was, that is until I gave him the are unworthy of his friendship, because you are simply parasites.
And now that you understand why exactly this you fault, I can kill you. Oh, you may doubt the authenticity of my words, but sooner or later you will see for yourselves the unquestionable truth. That is, of course, if you manage to live beyond this day, which I very highly doubt.
Oh, and by the way: Ryoga is the pet pig, P-chan."
And with doubt said and done, and Akane looking dumstruck, Makio's aura flared up for all to see; a horrid mixture of green, red and black, mostly black.
He outstreched his arm, ready to launch his powerful technique
"Demon Lord.....!"
-----------------------------------------------------
Ranma was finally left to be alone. She hadn't stopped crying once. She was ready for it to end, for her wretched existance to finally be laid to rest, when she sensed a horrible ki. She recognized this ki all too well: it's owner had used on her far too many times. And she knew in an instant what was happening since he cut of the images of his attack.
'No.' she thought. 'I won't let you do this. Not to Akane. Not to anyone.'
She called upone her desperation, her fear, and most of all, her depression, and fired it all at once.
--------------------------------------------------------
Well, that's that done. Hate to end on such a cliffhanger, but it was too good to resist. You will find out what happens next chapter. Don't worry, I will continue this, but it may take some time. I am incrediably lazy after all :P.
A note on the Demon Lord Black Vengeance technique: This is a demon only technique that only Makio has managed to master. Like Ryoga's Shi Shi Hokodan and Ranma's Moko Takabisha, it is powered by an emotion, namely hate. But, unlike those two techniques, the Demon Lord Black Vengeance not only takes power from the user, but from all lifeforms feeling or exhibiting hatred in any form. This potentially means that this one technique could be feasibly stronger than all others seen already. However, it is not as effective at the moment due to makio's weakened state, on account of being sealed inside a human vessel and having his influence quashed down. But now things are changing.
Hope you have enjoyed this and look forward to future installments.