'This bites.'
Ranma could never remember being possessed before, if this is what was happening, but it totally sucked in her opinion.
When she first woke up, laying straight on her back, chalked full of sore muscles, and unable to open her eyes, she'd realized that she couldn't move. She then realized that Naraku was in the room, chuckling to himself, and her clothes had been changed to a more… fitted outfit. Ranma hoped one of her holders of before had done the honors, in league with Naraku or not, she'd enjoyed their company whilst she had it.
"Get up."
Ranma's body followed the order quickly, almost pulling muscles. Ranma growled internally, she hated following this sleaze ball's orders like some pet dog… but at least her eyes were open now. She got a new look at her surroundings.
Instead of the dreary indoors she'd been knocked out inside of, open air, if you could call it open, meet her gaze. The red-head guessed they were in the castle's courtyard, and it was full of demons. Their spitting jaws swam as mobs, through the air, in the rotting trees, and all over the ground. You could barely see through them to take in the cloudy, almost purple sky.
It would have made a frightening picture to anyone other than the pig-tailed girl.
Ranma would have concluded that she was the only human there, if it weren't for the boy. He stood in the line of demons beside Naraku, which she stood in front of, and just looked ahead with dead-eyes, without emotion.
His clothes were stained and torn; the only thing he carried was a sort of bone scythe on a chain. What use could he be to someone like Naraku? It made no sense, to have kids in a place like this…
Ranma wondered if her own eyes had that look, glazed over, or if Naraku could see her hate and defiance as he approached were she stood. She didn't think so. The look on his face was almost joyful as he spoke.
"We're going to take down Inuyasha today. With this girl." No one spoke, but the disbelief of his followers was almost tangible. Another small child-like demon with light lavender colored hair, holding a weapon so big it was almost comical in his small hands, scoffed audibly. Naraku had seemed to expect this and turned could eyes on the incarnation.
"This is not just a human; she has abilities yet to be known."
Ranma was only half-listening as he assured them of her power. She was fighting his hold over her body while the dark hanyou was distracted. Ranma needed to sock him a good one, right in the eye, he was just in range for it…
Strangely, the back of her neck is where the control seemed to be coming from. It throbbed in response to her efforts and sharp pain followed every pulse, but Ranma wasn't one to give up easily. Some would almost call her stubborn to the point of pig-headedness.
So, as Naraku gloated to his minions, she got the feeling back in her arm. Ranma felt sweat pop up on her brow as the index finger on her right hand twitched and the limb began to tremble. The pain was blinding now, but she ignored it. Just to wipe that disgusting smirk off his face…
There! Just as Naraku was turning back toward her, Ranma watched in relish as his face turned from smug to surprise as her closed fist made contact… and the dark hanyou was sent flying sideways twenty feet straight into the castle's stone wall. He left a large hole at the impact and disappeared into the confines of the building.
Ranma was glad to feel her face arrange itself into a grin of self-accomplishment, just like it should, but couldn't make her legs move to go hit him again. The red-head almost pouted.
XXXXXXXXX
Kagura was in shock. She stood side by side with her fellow incarnations, and they watched in complete silence as this tiny girl, tiny HUMAN girl, who looked as if she couldn't lay a hand on the smallest flea demon, did what they'd all wanted to do since their creation, punched their master straight through a wall, and then gloated about it.
All when she was apparently 'under his control'.
Kagura repressed the urge to woot and howl with glee before giggling like a school girl at Naraku's face as he pulled himself from the rubble.
For Ranma's benefit, she didn't flinch when the dark hanyou snarled at her and grabbed her throat. She just smirked at the side of his face without the black eye and spit straight into his good eye. Naraku's resolve broke.
He threw her into a tree as the incarnations watched; the crack of the truck snapping under the force rang through the courtyard loudly. But, even though that would have hurt one of them, when it should have completely broken the little human, she sat up, and smiled. This girl is so infuriating.
"Ya can't break me, bastard." Naraku obviously wanted to throw her again, but he needed her for his plot to work. And he needed her completely under the jewel shard's grasp, how she escaped was a mystery he needed to find out. How, to stop it as well.
Ranma was almost happy when Naraku knocked her out. No matter the front she put up, that hit to the tree had hurt like hell and she was surprised the black shirt she was wearing hadn't ripped under the pressure. It was way more durable than anything she'd had so far in this world.
Once the girl was safely out of it, Naraku took a look at the jewel shard in her neck, and then drew back in surprise.
Before putting the shard into her neck, the dark hanyou had made sure it was completely black with taint. He hadn't wanted her to break free of his control even once, too much was riding on her role.
But now, even as he stood there, the jewel was getting lighter. It'd almost on a pink hue underneath her skin. The strangest thing about this was the fact that he felt no miko power. There was nothing special about this girl besides her unusual strength and speed. Now way that she could be purifying this shard.
Naraku's expression darkened as he put a hand over where the shard lay, feeling it taint once again under his influence. This was not good at all…
XXXXXXXXXX
They were avoiding him and Ryoga was almost glad because of it. With this much bad feeling crowding around him, he might set off the Shi Shi Hokodan attack accidently.
The group had decided, while he stood outside and listened in, that Naraku had most likely captured Ranma for some reason, some plot or plan of his designed to torture. Miroku had grimly reminded them all that he may have even tortured Ranma to get whatever he needed.
Ryoga knew the kind monk would never have proposed that if he knew that the martial artist was listening, but he needed to know. Ranma could be in any condition when Naraku came to fight them. She may be…
Ryoga would face anything when it came. But he was sure; Ranma would never give up without a fight. Naraku'd have to do something big to ever mute her spirit.
After they'd moved to different topics Ryoga had left. He didn't really have anywhere to go, his thoughts were so jumbled. So he went to find the well.
It was far from the village, farther then he thought it'd be. Easier to find too.
Ryoga knew he'd found the right one right when he saw it. The wooden structure looked ancient. It had vines growing up and around it and a rope ladder hung down into the confines, but it was more than that. The whole area felt light, his hand even tingled when he brushed the wood. It was definitely magic.
Ryoga had settled down beside the well, not quite touching, and been there ever since. No one bothered him. That was probly the reason he was so startled by a twig snapping from the direction of the village.
His head jerked up and he turned to take in the gruff hanyou Ryoga barely knew. Ryoga didn't speak, but Inuyasha didn't seem to be bothered. He crossed his arms and snorted, one ear twitching in the direction of the village, always alert.
"There you are. Kagome's been lookin' her head off for you." Ryoga didn't respond, only put his head back on his hand and looked away. Inuyasha grunted again, then there came a whooshing sound and when Ryoga looked he was gone.
"What're ya doin' up here anyway." Ryoga started and almost cursed, it wasn't often that people surprised him this much. But this guy and Ranma seemed to make a hobby of it.
"What are YOU doing up here?" Ryoga shot back instead of answering, just as he spotted to half-demon lying in the largest tree in the clearing.
Inuyasha cracked one eye, noticed Ryoga looking and tapped the branch below him with a clawed hand.
"Keh, my tree."
Ryoga almost shook his head. Why someone would want to be up in a tree instead of on the ground was beyond him. Ranma always used to do the same, perching atop buildings instead of being inside them.
All fell silent. Ryoga couldn't help but wonder what the half-demon was doing out here. Unless that tree was really the most comfortable in the whole forest, he didn't see a reason for the sudden visit. They'd never really interacted besides sparring a couple of times, so why…
"Naraku's a bastard. There ain't no way he'd just kill that girl, though." Inuyasha sounded entirely awkward and scratched an ear absently when Ryoga looked up at him.
Then Inuyasha froze and stood up in the tree. The sight of his nose working furiously to catch another whiff of something would have been funny if it weren't for the complete seriousness with which he did so.
"Shit! Miroku you sense that?" Ryoga turned with confusion back toward the village, and was met instead with the sight of the full gang, weapons out.
"Yes, is it who we think it is?" Miroku unwrapped the beads around hi wrist as if he already knew the answer.
Even as Ryoga watched, Kirara jumped down and transformed before taking to the skies with the slayer in tow… and a giant wave of demons crested the hill and crashed down toward the village.
"Naraku." Inuyasha bite out, and drew Tessaiga.
"Inuyasha, the village!" Kagome glanced between the scattering of buildings behind them and the demons in front, biting her lip worryingly.
"It'll be fine." Inuyasha responded curtly. "We'll keep up here and away from it."
His gold gaze turned momentarily to Ryoga. "You. Don't die." Before refocusing on the battle ahead.
That's when they all noticed her.
On the feather, where the wind witch usually sat in front she had taken the back this time to make room for the red-headed martial artist.
Ryoga watched as Ranma drew closer. She was covered in bruises, crouching without a sound, obediently next to Naraku.
What did he do to her? The Ranma Ryoga knew never could have done that… not with such dead eyes…
"Inuyasha, he's using jewel shards on her!" Kagome informed them as Sango let her boomerang fly from up above, taking out demons but missing their main target completely. Naraku had made sure to stand close enough that they couldn't hit him without risking Ranma.
"Jewel shards?" Inuyasha shouted down incredulously, he and Miroku had jumped into the fight and where taking down demons back to back, both in the air and on the ground. Ryoga was still standing shell-shocked as the battle went on, until the demons noticed him and he was forced into the battle. Punching demons away as fast as he could and taking hits that would fell a normal human anyway.
Kagome let loose a glowing pink arrow straight into the mob of demons. "There are five, one in each arm and leg, and one in her neck."
"Damn, she must have fought." Inuyasha sounded awed as he cut another demon in half and glanced back at the red-head. "Shit!"
Naraku had finally revealed his purpose for capturing Ranma. Inuyasha barely got his sword out of the way and caught her fist before it could hit him.
Ranma didn't react other than to wrench her fist out of his larger hand and shoot toward her next target… Kagome. Inuyasha shot after her, but there were demons in the way and others coming up behind…
"Kagome!" Both humans on the ground looked up from where they stood. Ryoga watched as Ranma pulled her fist back emotionlessly, aiming for the defenseless miko, and acted on instinct. Putting himself between fighting was easy. Catching Ranma was another story.
Ryoga had forgotten just how fast Ranma had used to be when he fought in his girl form. So, when he put himself in the way of her punch and tried to catch it… he ended up taking the punch instead. But he didn't go flying away, and Ranma stayed on him.
Ryoga couldn't bring himself to hit back, but Ranma pounded him ruthlessly. He didn't even know whether it was Naraku making her do it or not. He deserved it after all. But, the dark hanyou's control still needed to be broken.
So, Ryoga dodged her hits if he could and tried to reach her.
"Ranma!" No reaction, even as he called and called. Always no reaction. "This isn't you! Don't let that bastard take control!"
She lifted her leg to kick him and Ryoga blocked it. They were right up against the well now.
"Break free Ranma!"
Then he saw it, even as Ranma ripped her leg away, jumped back and began gathering energy in her hands, she was fighting it.
"Ry… Ryo… ga… run… get… away… idiot…" The ball in her hands was getting larger by the second, but Ryoga didn't run.
"It's my fault your caught like this, I deserve it."
"Stupid, you… love her… Akane… right?" Ranma seemed to be breaking through the control bit by bit, but the power still wobbled and grew, aimed in his direction. "What… do I… matter?"
Her words tore through Ryoga. Is that what she thought?
"You're the stupid one! You're the ONLY person who matters!" Ranma's eyes widened with surprise and, just as she realized that he was everything to her, the energy in her hands broke free, straight toward him.
"RYOGA!" Whatever control Naraku had snapped and Ranma sprinted after the energy she'd made, her limbs seemed to move three times as slow as the ki ball hit Ryoga straight in the chest and expanded outward, ripping through clothing and skin alike. She watched his eyes widen and his teeth clench in pain, and felt her heart rip.
But, Ryoga didn't fall. Her stood and caught her when she reached him. Ranma felt his arms wrap around her and couldn't hold it in, she sobbed.
"See I can take anything." His voice was rough, but there, full of the confidence she hadn't gotten to hear much lately. Ranma hugged him back and cried into his chest, because he was there and not dead. She'd killed him, but he hadn't died and he was there, there, there…
"Stupid, wonderful, idiot." Ranma lightly punched his shoulder and leaned back to grin up at him, but Ryoga was looking up, past her, and his eyes were widening in fear.
XXXXXXX
Naraku wasn't stupid.
He knew when he was losing. His lower demons were long gone and that pesky group was focusing all of their strengths on his incarnations and himself. It made him furious to see his plan fail so miserably… so when he saw Ranma break his control and her blast fail to kill the other boy… He snapped.
XXXXXXX
Ranma tried to turn to see what had Ryoga freaked, but was pushed back before she could, behind his back.
"What's…" Ranma didn't finish her question as she saw what was happening, what would happen.
Naraku had sent one of his many tentacles straight toward the place where her back had been seconds ago. But, now Ryoga was there and the deadly spike was still coming… and there was nothing she could do about it.
It hit with a thunk and went straight through his abdomen. Ranma watched in horror as the end of it pierced though his back and sprinkled her with dark, warm blood. Ryoga slumped backward as Naraku pulled his appendage out with a squelching noise and made his escape. She heard Inuyasha curse and chase after, but it was muted. The world seemed to slow down.
Ranma tried to catch Ryoga as he fell, but the back of her legs hit the side of the well and he was too heavy… they fell and Ranma barely felt his heart fluttering faintly against hers, as her head hit the side of the well.
The last thing she saw were blue lights.
The next chapter may be the last. Just so you know.
