Between Asleep and Awake

A Ranma ½ fanfiction by:

Mika The Raven

Chapter 9: World of Warcraft

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or any affiliated properties. All OC's hath sprung from the aetheric abyss i call my mind.

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Darkness surrounded her, it permeated her very being, frightening in its intensity but with a strange aura of harmony, like there was nowhere else that she was supposed to be. The darkness enveloped her, made her its own for she had noone else. To the rest of us this would be terrifying, but in her case there were entire stretches of time that elapsed where she had little idea of who she was or if she even truly existed. She would often half remember-half dream that she had made a deal with a man she trusted, a man who had betrayed her into darkness, a man she would revenge herself upon along with everybody else. But for now at least she was bound into servitude, until her task was complete. Now if only she could remember what she was supposed to do…

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Ranma continued along the black forest trail, unencumbered by fear, his encounter with Raven and the Kamaitachi having bolstered his belief that he was strong enough to deal with anything that this strange shadow world threw at him.

He had no idea where he was going, or in what direction but every time he veered from his heading a sharp pain lanced through his head informing him that moving in any other fashion would result in more of the same. Off in the distance was the same neolithic structure in front of which he had battled the vorpal spider. Every now and again he would pass some frightening analogue of the real world, a jungle gym that was in actuality a giant trap door spider, or a frisbee golf course that had screaming heads mounted on the flagpoles. Cries of agony and torment ebbed and flowed from a fiery mountain castle that seemed to grow out of a mountain. Off to his left there was a meadow of brightly colored flowers and trees with leaves made of razor blades, that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the world around him. He saw vaguely human shapes kneeling and praying in supplicance to a figure that looked like the King of Hearts.

"Gambler King?" He asked aloud, as he continued forward by passing the creppy meadow completely, pain in his head caused by the attempt to approach it.

"THAT IS NOT CHANCE G. KING AS YOU KNOW HIM. HE IS AN ASPECT WITH MUCH POWER TO INFLUENCE THE WAKING WORLD, HE IS THE SUICIDE KING." The Cats languid voice boomed behind his ear drum.

"Whattaya mean by aspect? What's that?" The pigtailed martial artist queried as he avoided a nasty looking tree root that was bleeding what appeared to be pus and bile.

He stopped suddenly as once again his brain was assaulted by agony.

"WHY ARE YA DOIN' THIS?! ALL I DID WAS ASK A QUESTION!" He screamed at his tormentor.

The pain subsided immediately as a tall thin man with a ghost white face and fierce cat like eyes stepped out of the shadows, and spoke in a familiar voice.

"I am not the one that causes you pain, it is not within my power to do so. Not to one as innately powerful as yourself." The man said in an apologetic tone.

"I believe introductions are in order." He said with a low sweeping bow. "My name is Bartholomew, Aspect of Those who Prey. Also known as The Cat. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in "person" so to speak."

Ranma's eyes widened in recognition and he jumped into the most aggressive combat stance that he knew.

"Whattaya want with me?" he growled out.

He tensed as the man now identified as Bartholomew chuckled. It was a harsh sound, like old steps creaking.

"My dear boy, I merely wish to help you as you make your transition. Surely you've noticed that no matter what you try to do in your life it always blows up in your face? Why do you suppose that is?" The etherial man said as he walked around Ranma in a lazy gait.

Ranma relaxed his stance a little and replied.

"I'm under a curse, several if tha old ghoul is right. The strongest one being tha "May you live in interesting times curse." He relaxed further as the man made that harsh rasping chuckle again.

"That's what you believe?" He barked out a laugh.

"My boy you are not influenced by anything other than yourself!" The laughter got louder more intense, and a strong breeze had begun where before the air had seemed stagnant. Strange dancing lights began moving out of the surrounding landscape, and began to coalesce into vaguely humanoid shapes, some horrifying, others so beautiful it was painful to look at them.

The Old Gods had come to welcome a new addition to their ranks. One that was possessed of a power that if left unchecked it could shatter the worlds. They were all there, yet not. They had without Ranma's realization moved to what appeared to be an immense council chamber.

Lucifer, Baal, Cthulu, Dagon, Alla, Yaweh, Willow, Cernunos, Czernobog, Kali, Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Amatarasu, Susanowo, Woden, Thor, Loki, Zeus, Athena, Pan, Hades, Dais, Rathmar, Zoamalgustar, Soff, Bhudda, and countless others all staring directly at him. God and Demon alike, all singing in a forgotten yet wholy familiar tongue, a beautiful and ugly sound.

Ranma was vaguely aware of the tendrils of dark energy that were weaving their way up and down his body.

"Ranma." The Cat whispered. "You are a curse, You are the Variable, The Cosmic Fulcrum, The Lord of the Ogdru Jahad, The Darkest Shadow, you are everything and nothing."

Ranma exploded.

Ranma was no more.

Ranma was Khaos.

Ranma was rebuilt.

Ranma Knew.

Ranma was a God.

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A/N Sorry about the huge delay folks, holy cow it's been a wild couple of years. But now I have a new computer and this story along with Hold the line will be updated on the tenth of every month until they are finished. Ciao!