Vermillion
Chapter 19
Dance of Illusions
By: Kazuma20
Arc Two: Demon Children
The others started to come back to the campsite as lunch drew near. Ranma was still cooking the food. He turned and saw that the others were coming his way.
"Guy's you all come at the same time."
"Well is the food cooked, then?" asked Kakyo.
"Yeah, I just about finished."
"So, is it going to be good?" asked Seishiro.
"Yes, it is good very good."
"Good, I can't wait to eat it." commented Yuto.
"Me, too."
"well serve yourself and dig in." replied Ranma.
They served themselves and ate the meal. They sat there and ate for an hour before going back to there training. Ranma stayed behind to clean the dishes before he joined Seishiro and Yuto.Kakyo and Subaru walked into the woods. They had headed back to there previous spot. They continued to walk in a quite compellations before Subaru asked.
"So, how long have you know Ranma?"
"I have know Ranma for about a couple of months."
"That's not a long time. To put your life on the line for someone else."
"What about you? Why did you want to join Ranma's crew?"
"I wanted to learn how to fight from a true legend. Ranma is sort of urban legend in my Junior High. The story of his time in Nermia is well known. Even his final battle with a god named Saffron, before he disappeared. People thought he was just a legend. I just knew I had to find him and get train by him."
"I had known he was a famous martial artiest, but I didn't know he was a legend like that."
"Yeah, kids praise his status as a fighter. He could do anything."
"True."Ranma sat by himself in a tree and was thinking of the final move. He was having some doubts that he could pull off the move again. He was trying not to let it worry him and should think positive.
"I shouldn't let myself be field with all these doubts of my own ability." he said to himself. "I should trust in my ability."
"Ranma why are you talking to yourself?" asked Yuto.
"Sorry, didn't know anybody was there."
"Yeah, me and Seishiro were walking by going back to where we were training."
"I see, I'll maybe join you later."
"All right well see you later."
"See you, Ranma."
"Later guys." he replied and leaned against the tree and wondered what Ami was doing.Ami sat with her friends under a tree as they ate lunch. She was reading a book while she nibbled with her food.
"Tell us more about your boyfriend?" asked Makoto.
"Besides being a college student?"
"Yeah, like what's he majoring in?"
"Well he's majoring in Literature with a minor in Teaching."
"So, he's going to be a teacher?" asked Usagi.
"Yes, that's what he want anyway."
"We know he's on a trip, but is he smart?" asked Makoto.
"Yes, he is."
"I can't wait to meet this guy your going out with."
"Well I can't wait to introduce him to you."
"I hope he doesn't dump you constantly like Mamoru does to Usagi."
"He doesn't." replied Usagi.
"No, he wouldn't. He loves me very dearly. I doubt he will break up with me for no reason."
"I hope not."Ranma had jumped down from the tree and headed to where Subaru and Kakyo were training. It was the time of the year that it started to get hot. And the night were also going to be hot. It was a perfect time to head to the beach.
'Maybe I should ask the guys about it.' he thought.
"Ranma what are you doing here?" asked Subaru.
"What? Oh, I came to see how your training is going."
"His is going good. So, are you finish yours?"
"Yeah, I finished but I'm still preparing for a tough fight."
"I hope it's not that tough."
"It will."
"So, Ranma can't to get back to Ami?"
"Who's Ami?" asked Subaru.
"Yes, I can't wait to get back to her."
"Who's Ami?" repeated Subaru.
"Ami is Ranma's girlfriend."
"I didn't know you had a girlfriend."
Yes. We have been going out for a couple of months now."
"Cognates, Ranma."
"Thanks."Seishiro and Yuto were training together trying to be able to harness there ki in a different way. They need to channel it through there swords with out it destroying the sword metallic properties. But right now they were sitting and thinking of there swords and ki.
"Have you got anything?" asked Yuto.
"No, I didn't. You?"
"I won't be asking if I didn't."
"Good point."
"So, do we go ask Ranma."
"No, let's figure this out by ourselves. I don't think we should burden Ranma with our problems."
"Well get it tomorrow."
"We do need more time on this problem."
"That sound like a good idea."
"It does maybe by sleeping on it an idea might come to mind."
"Then let's go back."
"Alright."Ranma and the others sat on the train back to Tokyo. It was Sunday morning on there final day of training. Some of them couldn't wait to get back home and take a hot bath.
The train was three hours from Tokyo. Ranma was thinking of that he need to take a bath, a clean shave, and some nice cloths for tonight. He didn't know what the others were going to do when all of them get home. His mind was on Ami on there date tonight.
Ranma had just decided to sleep for the next three hours. He closed his eyes again and drifted to sleep as the others talked.Ranma woke up with a jolt as the train pulled into the station. He soon stood up and stretched the kinks out of his body. He saw that the others had got there bags and were waiting for him. He grabbed his bag and his concealed sword and walked to the door. The others soon fallowed him.
"It's good to be back in Tokyo, huh?" asked Yuto.
"We were only gone for maybe four days."
"That's not the point."
"Could your point be that it is an exciding city."
"That's it!"
"That's good. Well I'm sorry to split guys, but I have other plans." replied Ranma as they got out the train station and on the street. He then ran off.
"What was that about?"
"I don't know."
"He probably made other plans to do something else."He had headed back to his apartment to take a bath, shave, and change his cloths. He was now heading to Ami's house. He wore a black blazer with a black dress shirt without a tie and black pants with black dress shoes. Over the suit he had on a black trench coat. He was about to knock when the door opened.
Ami opened the door to Ranma and she had on a blouse with a marine blue skirt. She also had on a pair of brown slip on dress shoes. She smiled at him and he rubbed the back of he neck a little embarrassed.
"Ami are you ready to go?"
"Yes, I'm, but first I would like to stop by my friends house."
"Sure we can do that."
"Thank you, Ranma." she replied and grabbed his hand.
"So, then shall we go?"
"Yes." she replied and walked out and closed the door.
The walked away from the house. Then down the street.Ranma and Ami walked down the street and stopped in front of some steps. They lead up to a shrine. Ranma looked up the stairs. They proceeded to walk up the stairs and talked.
"This is the place?"
"It is?"
"Yes, and my friends really want to meet you."
"If you say, so Ami."
"I do you will like them too. I'm sure of it."
"I guess I'm worried for nothing. You know we can only stay for a little while."
"I know."
The reached the top of the stairs and Ami's friends were waiting for her. Ranma and Ami saw them and walked to them.
"This is your boyfriend Ami?" asked Minako.
"Yes, this is Ranma."
"He quite a catch." replied Makoto.
"Thank you. I took after my mothers side of the family."
"We saw you exit a train station a month or so ago." stated Rei.
"That's true I forget that." commented Usagi.
"You forget the smallest details."
Ranma leaned over and whispered into Ami's ear. "These are your friends?"
"Yes They are."Ranma and Ami sat in the audience and listen to the Orceastra play. In the auditoram it was simi-dark. Ami sat to Ranma's left and she was holding his left hand.Soon the music stopped and announcer came on to say it was an intromission.
"So, what should we do during the intromission?"
"I don't know maybe we could just sit here, and talk till it begins again."
"That sounds like a good idea."
"I have a better one." sad a voice out of nowhere.
Ranma turned to where the voice came from. As a sword came down on them. Ranma quickly grabbed Ami and ran across the top of the seats. His eyes caught movement of the person that attack. He was chasing them parallel to him on top of the seat.
The man had on an ash gray dress shirt and black pants with brown dress shoes. He had white hair and blue eyes. He held his sword in his left hand with the sheath on his right side in his belt.
Ranma hit the last seat and pushed off before he jumped onto the stage. The other man fallowed him. Ranma put Ami down on the stage and took off his coat. He then pulled out his sword from his coat, and put the sheath into his belt.
"Who are you?" asked Ranma.
"I'm Ajira Kumo Maboroshi one of the Demon Children!!"
"Are you now?"
"Yes, And I Ajira Kumo Maboroshi the Spider Illusions is here to challenge you!!"
"You challenge me? And if I say no?"
"You can't say no."
"Why is that?"
"Because it's a challenge on your family's honor."
"I can't turn down something tries to stain my family honor. So, I Ranma Himura accept your challenge."
Ranma got into his stance and so did Ajira. He held his sword above his head with both hands. Ranma's hand hovered above the hilt of his sword. Ami stood off to the side with Ranma's trench coat and blazer in her hands.
"So, are you going to make the first move?" asked Ranma.
"I think you should."
"You're the one who issued the challenge."
"Fine."
Ajira took off at Ranma at full speed.
To Be continued….In Chapter 20: Calchas.Author's Note: I finished another chapter of the story. It finally going to start. The final chapters of this story's Arc begun. I have a surprise at the end of this arc. So read and review. Kazuma20 signing out.