Akane's Temper, Kodachi's Mistake
Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihiro Togashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.
Thanks for the feedback: Night-Owl123, Dragon Man 180, J,Wonderbee31, Virgil,mdizzle, Kikyou-sama, Peter Kim, Misawa Kaitou, Jerry Unipeg, Xoni Newcomer, AmnarRanma, nunofyorbiz, Killiara
Virgil:Sensui? Kizmet whistles innocently... I am planning on moving into more YYH-style action in a bit. I just need to plant a few seeds first.
mdizzle: Hiei/Shampoo isn't going to get anymore explicit than last, but they are married and Shampoo was turning up in Ranma's bed and bathtub with no encouragement from him.
Peter Kim: If I'm remembering correctly Kurama's mother remarries between the "Chapter Black Saga" and the "Three Kings Saga", Kurama delayed going to Yomi until his mother had left on her honeymoon. Now it's likely that Shiori was dating the guy long before that point, but I have to pick and choose which characters I'm going to use to keep the cast size managable for me.Mystory divergedbefore Shiori's husband and step-son were mentioned so I'm not going to include them. On Ranma's side of thingsNodoka is likely to remain missing because with Genma's influance waining and Genkai's waxing (and with Shiori's example of motherhood) I think Ranma would probable tellhis motherwho he was straight out and Genkai would definately put a halt to any seppuku plans running around in Nodoka's head if she didn't takeit well.
For the Anti-Akane folks: I just read Vol. 30 and cannon seems to be making your arguement for you. The"Legendary Armor" storyline did not inspire any positive feelings about the Akane/Ranma pairing for me. I thought Akane's behavior was worsethan Mousse's when hehad lens of invincibility; at least Mousse chose to give up his magical advantage in the end.
"You scream, I scream…"
"Stop embarrassing me Ranma!" Akane snarled.
The redhead skipping along beside Akane shot her an injured look.
Yusuke and Keiko took several quick steps to catch up with the other pair. "Why are you a girl anyway?" Yusuke asked Ranma curiously. "I thought this was like a double date."
Akane's scowl deepened as Yusuke hit on the reason for her bad mood. "Hey Akane, Yusuke an' Keiko are going out for ice cream. Wanna go along?" Okay so Ranma hadn't really asked her to go on a date; not that she wanted to date the perverted jerk in the first place; but it had sounded so nice and normal. It sounded like a real date, the type guys normally asked girls on, not like all the crap with the Henti Horde or Ranma getting in fights over the right to date her or their fathers practically dragging them down the aisle. It was like she had some say in who she dated. Sure Ranma's asking had been completely spur of the moment and casual but a guy was asking her on a date. Then Ranma detoured through the kitchen and came back a girl.
"Guys can't eat ice cream," Ranma explained to Yusuke.
Keiko bit her lip to keep from giggling. Yusuke rolled his eyes. "You're weird Ranma," he stated. Akane continued to glower.
Ranma ran ahead to be the first one in the shoppe and immediately started in on the guy behind the counter with her usual, over the top, flirting for food routine.
Akane pretended she didn't know the redhead as she stood in line waiting for her turn to order.
Yusuke left Keiko holding his place in line when he spotted a pair of familiar faces. Hiei was blissfully consuming his 'sweet snow'. Shampoo seemed more absorbed in watching her new husband's expression than in her own helping of ice cream.
"Taking a break for the honeymoon?" Yusuke asked with a smirk that Hiei completely missed.
"Is not honeymoon until after marriage presented to elders," Shampoo informed the spirit detective tartly.
"Her great grandmother is making travel arrangements," Hiei said. "If you can't stay out of trouble for a month it's not my problem."
"Aww, you're worried about us," Yusuke teased.
"Hn."
"Maybe gone longer than month," Shampoo said. "Shampoo tell Great Grandmother just get boat, we walk the rest of the way. Shampoo thought it nice to be away from smelly Japanese city for awhile, go camp out."
Yusuke smirked. "He's too claustrophobic to sleep in your room right?"
"I am not afraid," Hiei said in an offended tone. "Stupid humans, building cages for themselves."
"Yusuke!" Keiko called.
While Yusuke went to the counter to order Ranma pulled up a chair and plopped down beside Shampoo with a heaping ice cream Sunday. "And for the price of a single scoop! I am so good," The cute redhead gloated. "Hey Shampoo, Hiei."
"How did you do that?" Hiei demanded as he eyed Ranma's Sunday enviously.
Akane claimed a seat on Ranma's other side. "He's a pervert," she declared.
Shampoo shrugged, she had nothing to gain by enflaming Akane's temper anymore. "Ranma was being flirt." She smiled a little. "Amateur flirt at that."
Ranma gestured to her Sunday. "You think you can do better?" she challenged.
Shampoo stood up and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Of course. Shampoo is real girl." She sashayed up the counter and leaned halfway over it as she purred at the boy working there.
Hiei rolled his eyes. "Half of it's mine," he called across the room. He caught the boy behind the counter's attention as well as Shampoo's. Then he stared at the boy. As their eyes met the boy found that fear for his life was a very good deterrent for lust. When he turned back to Shampoo his demeanor was strictly professional.
Shampoo returned to the table shortly after Yusuke and Keiko with a disappointingly small helping.
Ranma smirked triumphantly. Hiei was looking a trifle smug himself.
"Hiei-Airen, Shampoo took challenge. Don't help." Shampoo flounced down in her chair.
Completely unrepentant Hiei leaned over to swipe some of Shampoo's ice cream.
Shampoo took advantage of his proximity and stole a kiss. "Him too much of coward to be worth flirting," she said and dismissed the incident.
Hiei turned into Shampoo's kiss and nuzzled her cheek. Akane averted her eyes and squirmed uncomfortably at their display of affection. Didn't they know people were staring?
"So I win, I got him to give me more ice cream," Ranma declared. Akane felt her irritation returning at this reminder of Ranma's shameless behavior.
Yusuke snorted. Then he grinned teasingly and gave Ranma a slow appraising look. "You can flirt with me anytime Ranma-chan," he leered.
Akane gritted her teeth. Ranma was so stupid about being a girl! He'd run around without a shirt. He'd take food from anyone. He even went on that moronic data with Kuno to get the wish-sword. It was like he didn't understand what boys were like, but that was just stupid.
Ranma's face turned as red as her hair at Yusuke's look. "Wanna fight?" she sputtered.
"Sure, after we finish eating."
Keiko punched Yuuske's shoulder lightly. "Stop being a pervert," she commanded. Keiko leaned across the table to pat Ranma's hand. "Don't be embarrassed, Yusuke just thinks he's funny." Keiko grinned conspiratorially. "If he gets fresh with you the lady-like thing to do is slap him."
"I'm not a girl," Ranma wailed then blushed even hotter.
Shampoo smiled mischievously. "Ranma be careful heat from face will melt ice cream." She raised her hand to Ranma's cheek as if to test to the redhead's temperature and Akane's temper exploded.
"You're such a pervert!" Akane shouted and punched Ranma hard enough to knock the startled girl out of her chair. "Is there anyone you wouldn't flirt with?"
"I wasn't doing nothing wrong!" Ranma shouted as she jumped to her feet.
Keiko put a calming hand on Akane's shoulder. "We were just teasing Ranma, it didn't mean anything," she said.
Yusuke pulled his girlfriend back, living with the Tendos he knew Akane's explosions of temper were almost always aimed at Ranma, but he wasn't going to risk Keiko getting caught in the crossfire.
Ranma stomped out of the Ice Cream Shoppe. "I'm spendin' the night at Kurama's," she called over her shoulder. "Tell Kasumi I won't be home for dinner tonight, maybe tomorrow too."
Akane stared at Ranma's retreating back in shock until the redhead disappeared around the corner. Ranma was supposed to insult her back, not walk away.
"Violent girl is lucky Shampoo is happily married," the purple haired Amazon stated. "But maybe I tell spatula girl Ranma finally getting sick of being punching bag. Hiei-Airen, we go now?"
Hiei took a last bite of ice cream then he and Shampoo left.
Akane looked around, she saw Yusuke standing protectively in front of Keiko. "What are you looking at me like that for? It was just Ranma, he wouldn't have let me hit him if he didn't know he deserved it."
Yusuke rolled his eyes in disgust.
Tentatively Keiko pushed Yusuke aside. "We were teasing Ranma, he wasn't doing anything," she said quietly. "I know he wrecked your date by flirting with that guy and coming as a girl but… did you have to hit her like that? Ranma's so little in her girl-form. I know Ranma's stronger than he looks, like Yusuke, but you're bigger than she is and she doesn't even try to protect herself; it just looks so awful."
Akane's mouth fell open, her eyes widened with shock. "I didn't hurt him, even Ryoga can't hurt Ranma. I send him flying all the time; he never gets hurt, he knows how to take a blow."
"Then why act like you want to hurt him?" Keiko said. "Couldn't you just slap him when he hurts your feelings? Or maybe tell him what's wrong, instead of attacking him full out. I hit Yusuke sometimes, but even before he… I've never hit him hard enough that he needed training to protect himself from me."
Akane scowled. "I'm not some helpless little damsel in distress. I'm a martial artist too, Ranma ought to treat me like one."
Yusuke laughed. "You're slower than Kuwabara and, unlike him, you'd fold if anyone really hit you," he said. "You break bricks like a pro but you're no fighter."
"And you're no martial artist. You might be stronger and faster than I am…"
"That ain't sayin' a whole lot, babe."
"But in the end you're just a thug," Akane spat.
"A punk, sure, but even before Genkai started training me I beat martial artists and ninjas and it wasn't because I knew more kistuff than they did. Maybe I haven't spent my whole life in a dojo like you or trainin' like Ranma but I'm stronger and tougher than anyone you'll ever meet.I may not be as fast as Ranma but I'm in his league and you can't even see him move can you? Akane, you know why Ranma treats me like I'm worth fighting?" Yusuke asked poisonously.
"Yusuke," Keiko protested.
Yusuke ignored Keiko. "Ranma doesn't have to let me hit him." Yusuke gave Akane a dismissive look. "And Ranma doesn't have to worry about hurting me. I live with you you spoiled little brat. If he ever left a bruise on you your pop, his pop and your freaking mercenary of a sister would never let him stop paying for it."
"Ranma would never hurt me," Akane said with complete certainty.
"And you wonder why he doesn't treat you like a martial artist," Yusuke sneered. "Kami-sama, you don't even know what you want. I ain't surprised Ranma can't ever do right by you; he doesn't read minds well enough to know when to treat you like a princess an' went to treat you like the fighter you wish you were. I hate people like you. You're the type that lets your parents, the teachers or the cops step in when ya can't win a fight on your own merit. Come on Keiko, lets get out of here."
Ranma sat cross-legged on top of a train as it sped across Tokyo toward Kurama's district. Normally Ranma would have chosen to run but she was tired. When it came to Akane could never do anything right. One minute Akane would be happy, sweet and impossibly cute then; without meaning to or evenknowing what he'd done half the time; he'd say or do something wrong and just like that Akane would be angry, violent and uncute.
And Ranma was so tired. He didn't care about turning everything into training; he just wanted to be with Genkai, Kurama or Kurama's mom. He wanted people whose emotions were more consistent that the light from a firefly. He wanted people who liked him even when they thought he was wrong. Getting a lecture from Genkai-sensei or having Kurama's mom correct his table manners was I reassuring /I . They didn't get mad and kick him out like old man Tendo. They didn't go on and on about being ashamed of him like his pop… even after ten years his pop was still harping about him failing to master the cat-fist. They didn't spend years trying to get revenge on him like Ukyo or Ryoga. And they didn't hate him or want to hurt him over every little thing.
Ranma sighed. He'd always felt like he had to accept; that he had to win; any challenge no matter how stupid and he always felt utterly worthless whenever Ryoga managed to get ahead in their rivalry. Then Hiei cam along and refused to fight him for Shampoo and Shampoo chose Hiei. Ranma had successfully met each and every challenger who'd ever tried to take Akane away from him but he didn't think it mattered anymore. If Akane didn't want him thenwinning didn't matter; she'd chose someone else, like Shampoo had, and he'd let her go. Ranma wondered who Akane rooted for when he and Ryoga fought. Nothing he could do would matter in the end if she liked Ryoga and not him. Akane never hit Ryoga or called him names. She always accused him of being mean to Ryoga even when Ryoga started their fights. She was always on Ryoga's side and wasn't that what was really important?
The train was nowhere near a station when it passed through the Minaminos' neighborhood, but that didn't stop Ranma from leaping off it. The little redhead bounced a couple of times to absorb the energy from her landing then started jogging toward Kurama's house. Just knowing she was only a few blocks from the Minaminos' made Ranma feel better.
She never noticed the narrowed eyes watching her as she approached their garden gate.
"What is that harlot doing visiting my Kurama-sama?" Kodachi hissed as she glared down at the redhead from the tree outside of Kurama's bedroom.
Ranma jogged across the lawn and knocked on the front door. A few moments later Shiori opened the door. She gave Ranma a friendly smile. "Good afternoon, Miss…"
For the first time since the ice cream shoppe Ranma realized he was in his female form and then he remembered that they'd never demonstrated his curse to Shiori or thought to introduce to his cursed form.
Ranma stood on the doorstep, staring at the ground and fiddling with the hem of her shirt, uncertain as to how she should proceed. In that moment Kodachi attacked. She filled the yard with a storm of rose petals and paralysis powder.
Accustom to Kodachi's tricks Ranma held her breath and leapt out of the chemical cloud. "If anything happens to his mom Kurama'll kill us," Ranma thought. "If I let anything happen to her I won't even try to stop him."
Ranma grabbed the end of Kodachi's ribbon and gave it a powerful yank. She pulled the gymnast right into an Akane-style punch and Kodachi went flying back toward Nerima. Ranma's shoulders sagged in relief, she felt a little bit bad about treating Kodachi as if she were her brother but the need to end the fight quickly outweighed girl/boy fight ethics. Girl or not, Kodachi couldn't just run around attacking people and not expect them to fight back.
The pig-tailed martial artist winced when she realized Shiori had been caught in Kodachi's paralysis powder attack. " 'M sorry Minamino-san," Ranma said softly as she picked up the older woman and carried her inside to lay her on a couch. "I should've known she was lurkin' around. I'm so sorry. It'll wear off in just a few minutes. You'll be fine."
Ranma hurried into the kitchen and started a kettle of water heating; whether it was for tea or explanations she hadn't decided yet.
A block from his home Kurama felt his stomach tighten at the cloying scent of Kodachi's specially bred black roses. He ran into the house and found his mother lying on the couch; her eyes were wide and frightened.
Ranma came back from the kitchen and opened her mouth to explain.
"Call the hospital, stay with Mother," Kurama ordered. "I will see that Kodachi does no more damage."
"Kur... Suichi, she's…" Ranma began.
"Do what I say," Kurama snapped, his eyes glowed amber and for a moment Ranma could see the ghost of a coldly beautiful, silver-haired being overlaying Kurama. Then Kurama darted out the door, his heart and soul intent on making Kodachi pay for her trespasses.
Ranma shivered. "He'll kill her," she thought. "Minamino-san, you'll be alright in a couple of minutes. I wanna stay, but I gotta go," she said then took off after Kurama.
Kurama didn't waste time tracking Kodachi. It didn't matter where she was he knew where she lived. He knew she'd return to her lair eventually. Kurama found himself wishing that he could transform at will; he wanted to assume his kitsune form and tear her apart with his teeth and claws and he wanted it now.
"Get a hold of yourself," Kurama hissed but Kodachi's persistence in pursuing him was matched only by the hunters who'd slain him in his previous existence. And during Shiori's illness Suichi had come home one day to find his mother on the floor in a dead faint; seeing her so still brought all that back. For almost two years he'd been forced to watch helplessly while the woman who taught him to love slowly wasted away. Almost two years of wondering if it were somehow his fault; wondering if her illness had been caused by his having taken the place of her unborn child. Kurama had never felt so powerless in all the centuries he'd been alive. Kodachi left Kurama overwhelmed with remembered emotions from the two worst times in his life. Only this time there was someone to blame, someone he could hunt and Youko's rage blended with Suichi's fears.
Through her callus, unthinking pursuit of her own desires Kodachi had harmed his mother his most priceless treasure. Kurama had slaughtered the foolish demon who dared to threaten Shiori without hesitation or remorse but because Kodachi was human he had let her go with a warning, that was a mistake he meant to rectify.
At the Kuno Estate Kurama leapt effortlessly to the top of the wall. He saw Kodachi's bokken wielding brother facing off against a man with a palm tree growing out of his head who brandished a pair of barber's shears like a weapon. Kurama snarled and fought the urge to rip them apart for simply being associated with Kodachi.
The pair paused in their epic battle and glanced up in surprise. The man's eyes lit upon Kurama's fiery tresses. "Oooh keiki, you be needing a haircut most grievously!" he exclaimed. The younger Kuno declared, "Foul sorcerer you dare to trespass against me, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, in my own home? Have at you!"
"Rose whip!" Kurama cried. He moderated the thorns on his weapon, these two weren't his prey; their lives weren't worth bring the wrath of the Spirit world down on his head, but they could use a little educating. Both Kuno's fell to their knees, bleeding from dozens of gashes.
They stared at Kurama in shock as their blood dripped onto the grass. Despite the frequency of the Nerima Wrecking Crew's battles blood was rarely drawn and never in such quantities.
Kurama glared down at them. "Consider those wounds my final warning. Attack me again and I'll separate your limbs from you body." With that Kurama continued on to the house.
Sasuke and Mr. Green Turtle chose the better part of valor and hid at his approach.
Kodachi looked at Kurama and only saw her love coming to claim her. Her warped view of reality allowed no room for the recognition of Kurama's mood. Without a moment's hesitation she threw herself at him when he stepped into the foyer.
Kurama caught Kodachi by the throat and slammed her to the floor. He knelt over her and watched dispassionately as the lust in her eyes mutated into panic. He flexed his fingers and felt his nails dig into her flesh; in his Youko body he would have ripped out her throat but Suichi's fingers were tipped with flimsy, worthless nails rather than claws.
Kodachi writhed helplessly as her body fought for oxygen. Her hands reached up to pluck at Kurama's fingers then fell away as her vision tunneled in.
Ranma darted through the open door. She paused for a moment to assess the situation and a look of utter misery crossed her face. Then Ranma kicked Kurama solidly in the center of his chest. The blow broke Kurama's hold on Kodachi and sent the redheaded boy rolling across the floor.
Kurama collected himself and smoothly rose to his feet.
Ranma planted herself between Kodachi and Kurama. "Your mom's fine," she cried. "It was just Kodachi's stupid paralysis powder. Ya can't kill her, please!"
Kurama paused in the face of Ranma's unhappy but determined opposition. For a long moment they simply stared at one another while Kurama regained his normal calm.
"What about the next time?" Kurama asked quietly. "I warned her. I told her plainly to stay away from me and mine and not a day later my mother is caught in the crossfire."
"No one ever gets hurt, not really," Ranma protested. "We do this crap all the time but no one ever really gets hurt."
"Accidents happen, I can't risk that, not when it's my mother," Kurama said. "Kodachi won't stop chasing me, you've told me as much. Get out of my way Ranma."
"I can't. You were strangling her!"
"Ranma, I'm warning you," Kurama said. "You might be the better martial artist but it won't matter, I don't fight by the same rules you observe."
"I'll make sure Kodachi doesn't bother you or your mom again," Ranma promised.
Kodachi crawled to her knees, bruises from Kurama's hands had already begun to darken around her throat.
Kurama took a step toward her. He stared into her eyes. "Do you understand Kuno Kodachi? If you play games with me you'll get hurt."
"See, she's scared of you now," Ranma said.
Kodachi blinked in confusion. "Kurama my love?" she whimpered.
Kurama sighed. "She's not sane enough; she'll rewrite this like she rewrote her promise when you won your freedom from her harassment. I will not allow Shiori to be hurt because of me."
Kurama lunged forward. Ranma threw herself at him to counter. As they collided Kurama planted a seed on Ranma in the second before he was sent flying. Ranma yelped in surprise as hundreds of vines wrapped around her body like a straightjacket.
Kurama stood. He pressed a hand to his bruised ribs and grimaced. "I don't want to do this, Otooto," he apologized.
"Then don't!" Ranma pled. As fast as his ki burned through Kurama's vines new ones grew to replace them.
Kurama pounced on Kodachi. "I don't love you; I want to kill you," he informed the girl.
Kodachi started crying. "No, I want you; you have to love me."
"I don't," Kurama told her. He slid one hand behind her head and Kodachi squawked as she felt him push something under the skin at the base of her skull. "I despise you. If I ever see your face again I will kill you."
Ranma used up his ki stores in one intense blast that not only withered the vines it toasted the seed. Ranma tore away the last remnants of the vines and dragged Kurama away from Kodachi. The smaller redhead buried her face against Kurama's back and held on to him with all her strength. "Stop it!" she cried.
Kodachi felt tendrils burrowing under her skin, wrapping around her bones and threading through her muscles. She screamed and beat at herself.
"It's a Death Plant," Kurama said to Kodachi. "I've halted its growth but it will always be in you. You will always feel it. All I have to do is think it and you will die. No one will be able to save you. I refrain out of respect for Ranma's moral beliefs but your life means nothing to me." Kurama clasped Ranma's forearm. "I'm done here, you can let go now," he said.
Slowly Ranma released Kurama. She half expected Kurama to resume his attack on Kodachi the moment he was free but the older boy calmly proceeded Ranma out of the Kuno Mansion.
The two redheads walked away from Nerima in silence. Kurama's expression was pensive. Ranma determinedly avoided looking at Kurama at all. Finally Kurama reached out and caught Ranma's shoulder. Ranma's eye focused on the tall teen's chin. Kurama tilted Ranma's face up and stared into her eyes for several seconds. He sighed and stepped back. "You're horrified. I imagine my mother would look at me the same way if she'd been here."
Ranma flinched guiltily. "You didn't kill her," he protested.
"If you hadn't been there I would have," Kurama stated. "If not for Shiori I would have killed her weeks ago and it would have been like swatting a mosquito."
"I wanted to spend the night, Akane hates me again. I came 'cause you and your mom likin' me doesn't change, not even when I screw up." Ranma hesitated. She paused to think about what she was trying to say. "I don't mean to look at ya different. I don't hate you. I just… I know Kodachi shouldn't 've…. It's just… I don't like killing or even really hurting someone…. I'm sorry," Ranma finished miserably
"I'm glad you stopped me," Kurama offered. He shook his head ruefully. "I warned Shampoo about playing games with Hiei. I told her he lacked the experience to respond appropriately. I thought I knew better, but Kodachi has – a knack for pushing my buttons. I overreacted."
Ranma gave Kurama a relieved smile. "It's okay. I mean it was your mom and who wouldn't wanna kill Kodachi every now and then? It's not like you actually did it."
Kurama smiled back and squeezed Ranma's shoulder.
Ranma caught sight of their reflections in a store window and stared. In his girl-form he could easily pass himself off as Kurama's real sibling with their red hair, light eyes and lithe builds.
"Kurama, I wanna tell your mom about my curse," Ranma said. "I know ya don't like her knowing about weird stuff but I don't hardly even think about the boy/girl thing with you guys; I mean not until your mom didn't recognize me; I'm gonna slip up and Genkai likes it better when I tell her stuff than when she finds out; besides if I tell her about me you can find out how she reacts to weird without telling her about you."
Kurama held up a hand to halt the flow of words. "It isn't the same," he said. "You are under a rather odd curse; I replaced the soul of her unborn child with my own. But you may tell her. If she knew something of existence beyond the mundane it would provide an opening should I need to warn her."
"Like about Kodachi?" Ranma asked guiltily. "Kodachi wouldn't have even know about you except for you knowing me."
"As you said, Kodachi meant no harm, but there are demons who would try to get at me through my mother," Kurama said. "You aren't the one who should feel bad about today. Lets go home or have you decided you would rather return to the Tendos after all this?"
"No, I wanna stay with you."