Well, you need to read the Prologue or you
won't get a thing here.
Find it on my homepage:
http://www.angelfire.com/anime/Slacker
The Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2? Not mine. It's
Rumiko Takahashi's. Vampire Hunter D? Not mine
either. It's...um, I forget. Any OTHER
characters that aren't original to me? They
belong to other people, too.
**************************
"The Darkness Within-Chapter 1"
A Ranma 1/2 X-over.
By: Slacker (rheins@pmt.org)
**************************
Nabiki hung up the phone and sighed. She was
beginning to despair.
Ranma had disappeared over six months ago.
Six months!
It was beginning to really annoy her, too.
Wherever Ranma was, he was hidden well. She
couldn't find any trace of him anywhere. No exit
records from Japan, no entrance records anywhere
else. Of course, Ranma claimed to be able to
swim from China to Japan, so that didn't mean
anything.
She had every one of her operatives looking
out for anyone who resembled either of his forms
in the least little bit, but so far had found
absolutely nothing. The only conclusion she
could draw was that he was deliberately hiding.
And doing a damn fine job, too.
Personally, Nabiki didn't care if Ranma
disappeared. She liked him well enough, but it
meant a lot less headache for her. Sure, it cut
into her profits a little, but she made that up
in repair costs.
But, since he had disappeared, Akane had
been at first depressed, than quickly slipped
back into her old behavior. Nabiki knew her
sister well enough to know that she was just
trying to cope with Ranma's disappearance. Which
meant that Akane was hurting.
And no one hurt her family. No one. Ever.
She was going to find Ranma for Akane even
if it was just so Akane could beat him into a
bloody pulp.
Nabiki leaned back in her chair and rubbed
her eyes. She looked at the clock.
Oh, man. One in the morning? I've got to
get to bed. I'll continue this tomorrow.
Nabiki got up and went over to her bed. As
she started to drift off to sleep, a final
thought went through her head.
Where in the hell could he be?
****************************
3 AM, the bad part of Nerima.
The girl had made a mistake. She was walking
by herself in the wrong part of town way too
late. Added to the fact that her body left no
doubt as to her femininity, especially dressed
in her tight blue jeans and T-shirt, this was a
VERY serious mistake.
Which explained why she was now backed into
an alley with three men blocking the exit.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" The
leader, a large, green-haired man with a
clothespin through his nose, asked with a lewd
grin.
"I don't know, boss. Maybe she needs some
directions?" The bald, lanky punk to his left
responded as he played with a length of chain.
"Maybe we need to help her out?" The short,
brown-haired punk to his right asked. He was
shirtless and body-pierced to the point of
chain mail.
"Good idea. Miss, do you need us to help you
out? Of those clothes, maybe?" The leader leaned
forward, his grin getting much larger at the
look on the girls face. I wonder if she's a
natural redhead? Well, I'll know in a few
minutes, won't I?
"I love to see the terror on their faces
when they realize they just made the biggest
mistake of their life." The bald punk commented
as the leader reached for the girl's chest.
"Funny. I was about to say the same thing."
The girl said in a calm tone. The leader
hesitated for a few seconds, then continued to
reach for her chest. She smiled calmly as she
grabbed his wrist and proceeded to squeeze. The
leader hit the ground from the pain she was
causing.
"Did I mention that I really, REALLY dislike
rapists?" The woman politely asked as she
casually crushed his wrist. He screamed in agony
and fell to the ground. The other two looked at
each other and ran for the street. They didn't
make it. Screams of agony rang out across the
street.
Thirty seconds later, the girl walked out of
the alley, brushing dust off her T-shirt as she
went. She smiled as she patted the new addition
to her petty cash fund resting in her pocket.
Well, that was useful, in a way. Nerima seems
to have slipped a bit. Those morons never would
have tried that a few months ago. Oh, well. They
won't be trying it again.
She brushed some hair out of her blue eyes
as she put her sunglasses on and grinned. I'm
gonna have some fun here. Ooooh, yes. A lot of
fun.
Ranma Saotome was back in Nerima. Let the
chaos begin anew.
**********************************
Tendo Dojo, the next morning.
Kasumi winced as the door slammed after
Akane's exit. Akane had been growing less
depressed and more angry over Ranma's
disappearance recently. She had reverted to
destroying large amounts of bricks in order to
work off her anger. So far, Kasumi was unable to
see any positive results.
"So, she left already." Nabiki stated from
the kitchen doorway.
"Yes. And she seemed rather...." Kasumi's
voice trailed off as she tried to find a polite
way to describe Akane's attitude.
"Try 'Bitchy.'" Nabiki suggested with a
smirk.
"Nabiki! Language!"
"Sorry. Just being truthful." Nabiki took
the bowl of miso that Kasumi handed her as they
both sat at the table. After she had eaten a few
mouthfuls, she spoke again. "I can't really
blame her. Between Ranma's little vanishing act,
Shampoo's and Ukyo's harassment, and the fact
that there's currently 20 to 1 odds on Kuno re-
issuing the `Beat her to date her' challenge,
she's got a right to be a bit...angry."
"Yes, you're probably right. I hope she
feels better after today." Kasumi said with a
sigh.
Fat chance. "Oh, I'm sure she will."
Nabiki said with sarcasm that Kasumi completely
missed.
"Oh, that's good."
Nabiki shook her head as she got up and went
out the door. I still can't tell if she's truly
that oblivious or just ignores the
unpleasantness.
She quickly put the thought out of her head
and began to mentally get in gear for school.
*******************
Furinkan high.
"Sakura, what are all those boys doing?" Jun
asked her friend, pointing at the large group of
boys gathering in front of the school. They were
both new to Furinkan, having transferred from
Juban. Their parents had said something about
'getting away from the chaos.'
"I...don't know, Jun." Sakura was beginning
to think that Furinkan might not have been the
best place her parents could have sent her. So
far, she had seen a boy who couldn't seem to
walk five feet without getting lost, a boy with
a bokken declaring his devotion to his 'two true
loves', and a girl who had a weird fetish with
pigs. Sakura had gone into a mild case of shock
when she saw the size of the pig following the
girl. Now she was at the 'comfortably numb'
stage. "And I don't think I want to know."
"You must be new to Furinkan."
Both of the girls jumped at the deep voice.
They spun around to see who had spoken. The
first thing they noticed were his clothes.
Dark blue Chinese shirt, black pants, black
shoes. Then they noticed other details. Black
hair. Wrap-around sunglasses with mirrored
lenses. Black leather gloves. His head was
turned to look down the street, so they could
see that he had a braid. The braid was long,
thin, and reached the middle of his thighs. As
he turned his head back to regard them, he
removed his sunglasses.
Sakura and Jun both tried to keep from
drooling. He was absolutely GORGEOUS! His most
striking feature was his eyes. They were an
incredible shade of blue.
Sakura turned to her friend. "Dibs!"
As Jun stared at her in disbelief, Sakura
began to edge closer to her new one true love.
Right before she latched herself onto his arm,
he spoke.
"Do you know martial arts?"
"Um, no. Why?" Sakura responded.
"Magic?"
"Noooo. Why?" Sakura was a bit puzzled at
the line of questioning.
"Are you a psi?"
"Nuh-uh. Why?!" And what's a 'psi'?
"How about just plain insanely tough or
fast?"
Sakura mutely shook her head.
"Well, then. You don't want to be my
significant other. Trust me."
"Why not?" Sakura asked in an indignant
tone.
"You wouldn't survive it."
"Excuse me?" Jun said in an incredulous
tone.
"I said she wouldn't survive it. Simple
fact."
As Sakura and Jun tried to figure out what
he meant by that remark, he turned his head and
grinned.
"Here she comes. Time for the show to
begin."
"What show?" Jun shook herself out of her
bemusement enough to ask. He has the NICEST
smile.
"That one." He said as he pointed towards
the gate just as shorthaired girl ran through
screaming. In short order she had rendered the
mob of boys unable to move, much less fight. She
was about to go into the school when the bokken-
wielding boy stopped her.
"Ah, Akane Tendo, my beauteous tigress, how
the heavens rejoice at the rejoining of our
love! Behold do the...."
Behind them, the boy smiled as he announced
"Kuno looks to have gotten better. Must have
been training. Might take Akane a few more
seconds to nail him than usual."
His prediction was rendered moot when a
bandanna-clad boy slammed a fist into the back
of Kuno's head. Kuno dropped like a brick. Akane
promptly began to yell at her helper.
"Same Akane, I see. 'Appreciation? What's
that?' Sheesh, and they wanted me to marry her."
Sakura and Jun looked at each other. The
same thought was running through both of their
heads. Marry?
Seeing their looks, the boy quickly
explained. "Our dads got drunk off their asses
before we were even born and had this GREAT
idea."
"Oooooh." They said in comprehension.
"Yeah, neither of us were happy about the
idea." He responded.
"Happo Five-Yen Yatsu!" The girls turned in
time to see a extremely beautiful woman tuck
something into the pocket of her very tight
dress. Everyone in the yard was on the ground,
moaning.
"And Miss Hinako's still around, too.
Perfect." The boy sighed as he shook his head.
He turned to look at them and cocked an eyebrow.
"You'd better hurry, or you'll be late."
Sakura shot a glance at the clock tower. She
blinked. "Oh, crap!"
Jun was nearly given whiplash as her friend
grabbed her hand and dashed into the school.
Ranma chuckled as he watched the pair dash
into the school. He glanced up to the windows he
had spent so much time staring out of during
classes. Maybe I should drop in? Naw, the looks
on their faces wouldn't be worth the trouble
it'd cause.
Ranma walked over to some bushes and grabbed
a duffel bag, then walked out to the gate. As he
strode out, he started to talk.
"Oh, don't be like that. This is Tokyo. I
can't just carry you strapped to my back like I
could in China."
He paused, then snickered.
"Well, yeah. That's a good point. Still,
best if you stay out of sight. Cologne would
recognize you on sight, if not by aura."
He continued walking, maintaining a one-way
conversation. He received few looks. This WAS
Nerima, after all.
******************
Nodoka hummed a little tune as she pulled
the tray of cookies out of the oven. She loved
to bake. It was one of the few things other than
practicing her sword katas that could get her
mind off her son's disappearance.
She forced her mind away from her son's
continued absence. She endured his ten-year
absence by continuously telling herself he'd be
coming home soon. A lie, but one that made her
feel better.
But now, she had to admit that she had no
idea when or even if he'd return. He had just
upped and vanished. She feared that maybe he had
decided to just give up on Nerima and all it's
inhabitants.
She placed the cookies on a rack to cool,
then turned to place the tray by the sink. She
turned back and frowned a little. Roughly half
the tray was missing. She narrowed her eyes.
Genma. When did he return from Soun's? And how
many times do I have to tell him to stay away
from my baking?
She turned and grabbed a wooden spoon.
Keeping her back turned to the tray, she started
to mentally count down. 3...2...1...NOW!
*THWA-CRACK*
"Ow! Damn it! That stings like a sonuva...
Um, it stings." A familiar voice exclaimed.
The spoon hit the floor. Nodoka slowly
turned around, praying that she wasn't
hallucinating. She wasn't. Her son was standing
behind her, rubbing the back of his right hand
and grinning at her.
"Hi, mom. What's u-OOOF!" Ranma's breath was
driven out of his lungs as his mother wrapped
her arms around his waist and attempted to drop
his pants size by at least six inches.
"Mom...can't...breathe." he managed to gasp
out. Nodoka quickly let go of him, blushing
faintly. Then she blinked a few times, and
started a classic "mother rant", which then
devolved into a "Nodoka rant".
"Where have you been? Do you know how
worried we've been? Why did you up and disappear
for HALF A YEAR? Do you have any idea what that
did to me? Don't you EVER do that again! Well,
unless you take a couple of your fiancees with
you next time. I DO want grandchildren, you
know. Speaking of which, have you met any nice
girls while you've been gone?" she asked the
last in a tone of voice that suggested 'nice'
had an entirely different context than most
people were familiar with.
"No, mom. I didn't meet any 'nice' girls.
Met several who are now trying to kill me,
though." Ranma's voice was resigned.
Nodoka sighed disappointedly. She unwrapped
herself from her son's waist, grabbed his wrist,
and started to pull him towards the stairs,
chattering all the while. It was like she was
afraid to let the air grow silent.
"I hope you like your room. I tried to get
it as close as I could to how it used to look.
It's amazing how fast the construction crews
fixed the house." Nodoka was suddenly stopped in
her chatter when Ranma grabbed her wrist and
stopped. She turned to look at him. He had a
very serious look in his eyes.
"Mom, we need to talk about my father." His
voice was quiet.
"What did Genma do this time?" Nodoka
sighed.
"Mom, I KNOW." Ranma stated emphatically. "I
met him."
Nodoka stared at him a few seconds, then
made her way over to a couch and collapsed into
it. She seemed to in shock. "You...know?"
Ranma nodded silently, then added, "Like I
said, I met him."
Nodoka swallowed. Ranma continued, in a
voice full of satisfaction, "Then I helped kill
him."
Nodoka snapped her eyes up to meet his. He
grinned.
"And it was fun, too." He added. Nodoka
stared at him incredulously, then started to
giggle (although a bit hysterically), then broke
out in a full-blown laugh. Ranma soon joined
her.
*******************
"More tea?"
"Yes, thanks." Ranma held up his teacup so
his mom could refill it, then settled back into
his chair.
"Soooo...what will you tell the Tendo's
when you go see them?" Nodoka asked as she
refilled her own cup.
"Nothing. Ain't a chance in hell I'm gonna
go see them." Ranma calmly replied, sipping at
his tea.
"What? Why not?" Nodoka froze as she was
putting the teapot down.
"I'm in town for specific reasons. And
dealing with them doesn't even come close to
appearing on that list. And I DON'T want to get
them involved in my current set of problems.
I've got people after me who'd blow up the
entire block if they even thought I'd be injured
slightly." Ranma set his cup down, then stood.
"I need to be going. I have a job to do."
He sighed. "Time to look death in the eye and
laugh. Again."
"Wait! You're just going to leave?" Nodoka
asked desperately. I can't let him go! I've
already lost ten years with him!
"I'll be back. But I have a job to do. And
I have to do it soon." Ranma shrugged off her
hand from his arm. "Don't worry. If I have to
leave suddenly, I'll make sure YOU get an
address this time. Or at least an explanation. I
promise you that." Ranma's voice was firm.
Nodoka looked into her son's eyes. There
was something there that hadn't been there the
last time she had seen him. It was hard to pin
down, but there was a definitely a change. A
look of understanding that can only be won
through long, hard fighting. It announced that
her boy was gone, replaced by the man now
standing in front of her.
Nodoka lifted her hands and cradled her
son's cheeks. Her eyes glistened with unshed
tears as she whispered, "What has happened to
you?"
Ranma reached up and took her hands. "I
was forced to grow up. Maybe I lost something in
it. But at least I'm not as moody as D."
"Who?" As Nodoka asked her question, she
subtly tried to steer her son back to his seat.
Ranma went, but his face revealed that he knew
what she was doing.
"D. Vampire hunter. Damn good, too. He's
probably the best in the world. Vampyr. Been
REAL moody lately. I guess having a pseudo-
demonic alchemical experiment gone wrong bond
itself to your hand does that." Ranma snickered.
"I told him not to touch the damn thing."
Nodoka stared at him.
"Don't ask. Very long, and VERY weird,
story. I was there and I'm still not sure what
the hell happened." Ranma informed her. "If
Alucard hadn't been there, we probably would
have died. Painfully, too."
"Alucard? Who's that? Another enemy? You
just seem to stack them up." Nodoka commented as
she refilled Ranma's cup and placed it in his
hand.
"Another vampyr. We accidentally pulled
him out of a two century-long nap. He went back
to sleep after he helped us take down you-know-
who." Ranma saluted Nodoka with his cup.
"How DID you do that? Kill him, I mean?
I've researched it. He's been reported as dead
at least six times that I can find." Nodoka
inquired.
"Carefully. D spent a LONG time planning
it. D systematically destroyed all of his safe
houses, then waited for the right time. We
finally dropped the old bastard by staking him,
beheading him, gutting him, and cutting him into
four sections.
"Then, we burned the guts and body
sections separately, sowed the ashes with holy
water, had them blessed by a priest, then
scattered them over Europe, Australia, Africa,
Antarctica, and the Artic Circle. We hid the
ashes of his heart and brain on the American
deep-space probe that launched last month.
"And, just to top it all off, we immersed
his skull in a vat of holy water lined with pure
silver and buried it under the alter of the
Vatican." Ranma finished his tea. "If he comes
back from THAT, it'll require an act of God. D
planned for every eventuality that he could
think of."
"It certainly was...thorough." Nodoka
commented, a little taken back.
"D decided that if he was going to try it,
he was going do it RIGHT. Good philosophy."
Ranma stood. "I really do have to go now, Mom. I
have to make sure things are ready."
"Ready? For what?"
"I've got a job to do tomorrow. And I'll
need plenty of time to prepare. I'll talk with
you after I finish the job." Ranma hugged his
mother, than smiled down at her. "So I really do
have to go."
Ranma disengaged from his mother and
walked to the door. He was about to open it when
his mother's voice stopped him.
"Wait. I...I have something for you."
Nodoka nervously announced.
Ranma watched in puzzlement as she quickly
exited the room and climbed the stairs. He could
hear her rustling around in her room, then
hastily coming back down the stairs. In her
arms, she carried a familiar bundle. A bundle
Ranma had lived in fear of for almost a year.
Nodoka unwrapped the silk covering her
family's clan blade and held the sword in her
hands. She sighed. "Normally, there would be a
long, formal ceremony in the presence of several
witnesses to do this, but since when has
anything involving you been normal? Here. The
clan sword is yours now. Be careful with it.
According to legend, it was forged by a
descended god named Yosho."
Ranma nearly dropped the sword when she
placed it in his hands, but quickly recovered.
He stared at the blade, then lifted his eyes to
his mother and said a single word.
"Why?"
Nodoka's eyes were clear as she met his
gaze. "Fixing past mistakes. I should have given
it to you before the 'Wedding Incident.'"
Ranma nodded. He picked up the silk
covering and re-wrapped the sword, then quickly
made a sling from his belt and strapped it
across his back.
"I also changed the family register.
You're clan head, now." Nodoka continued. Ranma
nodded again as he opened the front door and
stepped out.
"Are you sure you won't go see the
Tendos?" Nodoka asked in an almost pleading
voice.
Ranma's voice was sad as he answered. "I
am my father's son. I've had to accept that. Do
you think they could?"
Nodoka was silent. Ranma smiled tightly.
"Neither do I. A clean break is best. If
you have to, tell them whatever you need to."
"What about your fiancees?" Nodoka asked.
"When it comes right down to it, I have
none. All of the agreements were to engage
'Genma Saotome's son.' The only one that wasn't
is Shampoo, who can't marry me because of the
laws of her tribe. I'm an outcast to them
because of what I am." Ranma shrugged. "Not a
very elegant solution, but it works."
"Not very honorable, either." Nodoka's
voice was disapproving.
Ranma glanced at her, then turned and
started to walk out of the yard. As he walked,
he calmly called over his shoulder, "Honor's
over-rated. More trouble than it's worth most
times. I'd rather be moral than honorable.
'Honor' just gets in the way in a serious
fight."
Nodoka just stared at her son's back as he
walked away.
"My son, my son, what has happened to
you?" she whispered in a soft, sad tone.
***********************
The Neko-hanten.
"Welcome to Neko-hanten! How can Shampoo
serve you?" Shampoo cheerfully asked as the door
opened. Her customer, a middle-aged woman with
brown hair and green eyes dressed in jeans and a
white T-shirt, turned to her and raised an
eyebrow.
"You can serve me by getting Cologne. I
was told she was here." The woman calmly stated
as she crossed her arms and waited by the door.
"Great-grandmother very busy. Maybe you
want some lo mein? Is special today!" Shampoo
replied chirpily.
The customer's hand shot out and grabbed
the menu from Shampoo's hand, then imbedded it a
nearby table. Her voice was polite as she
informed Shampoo "Tell Cologne that Lotion is
here and wants to see her. She'll see me."
Shampoo nodded quickly, then hurried into
the back. It only took a few seconds for Cologne
to emerge. Her voice was cautious as she greeted
her visitor.
"Lotion. Seeing you here is...unexpected."
Lotion snorted. "Don't try to pull the
'Wise Old Elder' with me, Cologne. I was there
when you were born. I was there when your mom
caught you and Silk in the woodshed. I carried
you home after you found out just how strong
sake is. So don't even try it with me."
Cologne looked a little uncomfortable. She
quickly asked, "So why are you here?"
"I'm a Demon Hunter. Why do you THINK I'm
here? Use your head." Lotion pulled out a chair
and dropped into it. "I'm following a former
student of mine. I think he's going to make a
try for the Hunter's Holy Grail."
"The what?"
"Not what. Who." Lotion grinned. "Short,
perverted, and exceptionally hard to kill. Sound
like anybody you know?"
Cologne just nodded silently.
"Thought so. I need a room to meditate and
a steady supply of food. I'm commandeering this
one." Lotion gestured towards the front room.
"Don't disturb me unless it's vital."
"And what counts as vital?"
"If the restaurant catches on fire...."
Lotion's voice trailed off.
"Yes?"
"It's NOT vital. Get the idea?" Lotion
moved to the center of the room and began to
clear it of tables and chairs. "And I want all
of the Amazons in the area to stay close by.
When it goes down, I won't have time to hunt for
you."
"Why do you need us? I've seen you fight."
Cologne stated.
"Because when you go up against someone
like Happosai, it's best to stack the deck. My
student is good, but isn't nearly tough enough
to do it. So, after he wears the pervert down,
I'm going to finish him off. Simple as that."
*********************
Later that night, in a dimly lit hotel
room on the other side of Nerima, a figure was
carefully checking over its gear. The list was
large.
The clothing was first. Hand-made
undergarments made of silk and cotton. After
them came leather, skin-tight and black as the
void of space. Buckles were tightened over the
arms, legs, and chest, ensuring that there would
be no loose edges to snag on something during a
fight.
Over all of that came light, flexible body
armor to cover the torso, thighs, calves, and
arms. A bit restrictive, but his life had been
saved by the armor more than once.
A pair of leather gloves, black as the
rest of the outfit, secured by straps wrapped
around the wrists. Thin, so as to not impede his
sense of touch, and with reinforced backs and
palms. Sixteen ounces of powdered lead across
the knuckles added a little extra hit to each
punch.
Calf-high boots. Steel-toed, reinforced
soles, special treads. Again, a bit restrictive,
but they had kept him from broken ankles many
times.
After the clothing came the weapons:
Wards. Shinto mostly, with some other
religions tossed in. Secured in a specially
designed pocket.
A whole plethora of silver or silver-
plated weapons. Knives, garrotes, and throwing
blades of every description. Secreted in various
places on the body.
A single gun. A custom-modified Desert
Eagle .50 AE. Slipped into a holster on the
right hip. He'd usually carry others, but they'd
just be useless weight for this fight.
Clips for the Desert Eagle. Loaded with
custom-made ammo. Silver mostly, with a few
nasty surprises mixed in. Secured in pouches
made for that purpose.
Several bags of rather unusual items. Rose
petals, sand, various herbs, and one bag
containing chocolate chips. Put inside a series
of pouches at the waist.
Several insulated flasks of a crimson
liquid. Secured in various pockets. Thigh,
chest, and back.
Several explosive devices, both improvised
and military. Hidden where they weren't obvious.
A nylon harness is slipped over all of
this and secured. The harness is to hold two
scabbards securely on his back. It only used
to hold one, but a few hours with needle and
thread fixed that.
A quick check of all the buckles, snaps,
Velcro tabs, and buttons. Then comes the next
layer: an ankle-length leather trenchcoat.
Black, of course.
The trenchcoat was loose and supple. It
would take a careful eye to notice that
something was wrong with the way it draped over
his body. It would require an actual physical
examination to determine why it did that: Kevlar
was woven into it at several key places. The
elbows, hem, and all seams were triply
reinforced with the strongest material money
could buy, ensuring that they would hold no
matter what was done to them.
A quick adjustment to the coat and he was
ready to slide the swords home into their
sheaths. One, ancient beyond recorded time,
shining with an internal silver light, shaped
like a standard straight-edged katana. The
other, not nearly as old but carrying a much
greater emotional significance, forged by a
master of the craft, also a straight-edged
katana.
Both carrying a long and honorable past.
Both had seen much fighting. Both had spilled
blood. Both were now his, inasmuch as anyone
could be said to own a sword.
He sighed and slid them into their sheaths
through a pair of holes in the trenchcoat put
there for just that reason. Both blades ran
parallel to his spine and one hilt was visible
over each shoulder.
Then came the finally step, just as the
horizon started to lighten with the rising of
the sun: a pair of black, wrap-around mirror-
shaded Oakleys. Far from the cheapest of
sunglasses, but worth every penny.
All told, he was currently wearing well
over a million dollars in equipment and weapons.
Almost a full two million, if you counted the
bribes to get them in, and possible fines if he
was caught with them.
A quick kata to ensure that everything was
settled in its correct place, and then Ranma
flipped his pigtail over his shoulder. He made
sure it didn't get hung up on the sword hilts,
then clapped his hands together and grinned.
"Time to go to work."
**********************
Furinkan High School.
The girls piled into the locker room,
chattering as they went. School had only been in
session for a week now, and everyone was still
anxiously catching up on each other's summers.
It wasn't until the first few girls
emerged from the showers that trouble reared its
ugly head. It started with a seemingly simple
question from one of the new girls.
"Hey! Where's my bra?"
All the Furinkan veterans froze. There was
a mass exodus from the showers and a quick
grabbing of towels. It only took a few seconds
to determine that ALL their bras and panties
were gone. The veterans grabbed whatever weapons
were at hand, while a few newbies stared from
the showers.
"Jun? What's going on now?" Sakura's day
had been fairly weird already. The Principal was
a nut, her class had at least two cross-dressers
in it (no one was sure about that
Konatsu...person, but Tsubasa and Ukyo were for
certain), and now she was watching a group of
girls get ready for war.
"I have no idea." Jun asked, staring in
perplexed fascination. Is that a katana? Where
did she get that rake? And where do you even
FIND a torch these days?
Suddenly, they found out why everyone was
preparing for a fight. A two foot-tall...thing
leaped in through a window and cried it's
horrifying battle cry.
"SWEETO!" *glomp* Screams of rage rang
out.
Sakura and Jun stared in shock as the
troll proceeded to molest several of their
classmates. It seemed to be upset about
something.
"Happosai! Get the hell out of here!"
Screamed a shorthaired girl. Sakura thought her
name was Akane.
"Where are they? Where are my silky
darlings? Why have you hidden them?" The troll
seemed greatly distressed.
"Hidden them! You STOLE them!" Akane swung
her mallet, but missed by a country mile.
Happosai ignored her and bounced around the
room, looking for something. He suddenly
grinned.
"Ah, there they are! Bad girls, trying to
keep them from me!" He bounded over to a locker
and ripped it open. A huge mass of lingerie
spilled out.
"Sakura, isn't that your locker?" Jun
asked in a too-calm voice. She began to edge
away from her friend slightly.
Sakura gaped a few times, then finally
found her voice and screeched, "WHY THE HELL ARE
THOSE IN *MY* LOCKER?!?!"
A calm, MALE voice answered. "Bait."
Happosai's eyes opened wide from his
position just in front of the locker. He started
to jump back just a gloved fist emerged from the
locker and connected with his nose. Everyone
winced slightly at the sound of bone breaking.
Happosai was launched across the room and
imbedded in some lockers at the other side from
the force of the blow.
Sakura stared at the fist that had
unclenched and grasped the side of the locker.
Another hand joined it and slowly, impossibly, a
body emerged from the locker.
"That's not possible." Jun whispered. The
lockers were just large enough to store their
clothes and books, barely three feet tall, two
feet deep, and about a foot wide. There was NO
way someone could have fit in them. But, someone
had.
The figure dropped to the ground, and
straightened up, allowing them to make out
features, including the black trenchcoat,
sunglasses, and skin-tight leather. A voice
named the figure.
"RANMA! YOU PERVERT!" Akane swung her
mallet, only to have it effortlessly deflected
and a quick snap-kick planted in her stomach.
"Not now. I'm busy." Ranma didn't even
look at her as he spoke. He grinned. "Well,
'Happi', let's dance!"
Happosai pulled himself out of the lockers
and started to growl. "That wasn't very nice,
boy."
"Neither is this." Ranma snapped his coat
off of his right hip, revealing the pistol. He
drew it in a flash and started firing.
The girls started to scream and cower as
Ranma pulled the trigger at an insanely fast
rate, burning clips like there was no tomorrow.
Happosai was moving so fast he was just a blur.
Somehow, Ranma managed track him, missing all
the bystanders with his shots, but blowing huge
holes in the walls and lockers.
Happosai bellowed in pain as a spray of
red stained the wall. He stumbled in his jump
and Ranma slammed three more bullets into his
chest. The slide of the gun locked open on the
last shot.
"Out of clips. Damn. Knew I should have
packed more. Girls? I'd run if I were you. This
is about to get nasty." Ranma calmly announced
as he re-holstered the gun. Underneath his
sunglasses, his eyes briefly flared red.
The girls rapidly followed his advice.
Happosai rose to his feet, seeming not to
notice the three holes in his chest. "You've
made me angry."
"Too bad. I'm gonna make you more than
angry by the time I'm done." Ranma smiled as he
dropped into a ready stance. Happosai responded
with a ki blast of deepest crimson.
Ranma intercepted the projectile with his
own ki blast of gold shot through with the
deepest black.
Happosai froze for a second. "So, like
THAT, is it?"
Ranma's grin grew larger. "Yup."
**********************
Lotion's eyes shot open. Shock was evident
on her face. "I hadn't expected it THAT quickly!
Does that boy know no patience?"
Lotion rose out of her lotus position,
calling as she did so.
"Cologne! Shampoo! Mousse! It's time! Come
along! NOW!"
The trio barely managed to keep up as
Lotion ran into Nerima, guided by instincts
honed by long use.
*********************
A crowd was rapidly gathering outside of
the girl's locker room. First had been the
screams of outrage, then what sounded like
gunshots, then all the girls running out (most
only clutching towels, some without even that),
and now it sounded like a war was going on in
there. No one had managed to get any information
out of the near-hysterical girls.
"Oh, my. It certainly sounds
rather...lively in there, doesn't it?" Kasumi
remarked to her father. Akane had forgotten her
bento in her rush to school, so Kasumi had
decided to bring it to her. Her father and Genma
had accompanied her. (Actually, they were
planning on hitting a bar, but when Kasumi asks
you to do something....)
Lotion landed not far from her, staring at
the locker room.
"Both of them are in there. And they're
powering up."
"What does that mean?" Cologne asked
between gasps to recover her breath.
"Simple. Duck." Lotion hit the ground just
as the locker room was consumed in a fireball.
The explosion threw the bystanders to the
ground, a wash of heat flowing over them.
Happosai sprang out of the smoke, cackling like
mad.
Ranma emerged shortly after, staggering
slightly. His coat was ruined, hanging in
tatters around him. He shrugged it off, casually
commenting, "I lose more coats that way."
He lifted his right hand to his forehead,
where a large cut was bleeding. He turned his
head and spat out some blood, probably because
of his split lip. Then he reached over to his
left shoulder. Grabbing it, he pulled on it
sharply, causing a loud *POP*.
"That's better. You know, now...you've
gotten me pissed."
Happosai just sank into a ready stance and
cackled some more. "Whenever you're ready, boy.
I've taken better than you."
Ranma grinned and reached over his
shoulders, drawing both swords in one easy
motion, then sinking into a two-sword ready
stance. "I was trained by some of the best
hunters ever born. D taught me strength while
keeping speed. Alucard honed my skills to
perfection and taught me ALL the cheap moves he
knew. Lotion taught me all the lore she had
acquired in four hundred years of Hunting. So,
yeah. You've probably faced better than me. But
you've never faced anyone WORSE than me."
"We'll see, won't we?" Happosai's voice
was calm.
"Yeah, we will." Ranma replied.
Then, both charged.
TBC...
***************
Author's notes:
And that's it for now. I finally got a
definite idea of where I wanted to go with this
and now I'm gonna go there. (Maybe slowly.
After all, I place AtST first in writing
efforts.)
Ranma OOC? Hey, the Tendos only knew him
for a year. He's been gone for six months.
People can change a LOT in six months.
Especially with how crazy Ranma's life can be.
Of course, any C&C is greatly appreciated.
My e-mail address is at the top and bottom of the
fic. (Just look down about three lines.)
Ja Ne!
Slacker (rheins@pmt.org)
First draft 05/22/01
Released to MLs 06/14/01
won't get a thing here.
Find it on my homepage:
http://www.angelfire.com/anime/Slacker
The Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2? Not mine. It's
Rumiko Takahashi's. Vampire Hunter D? Not mine
either. It's...um, I forget. Any OTHER
characters that aren't original to me? They
belong to other people, too.
**************************
"The Darkness Within-Chapter 1"
A Ranma 1/2 X-over.
By: Slacker (rheins@pmt.org)
**************************
Nabiki hung up the phone and sighed. She was
beginning to despair.
Ranma had disappeared over six months ago.
Six months!
It was beginning to really annoy her, too.
Wherever Ranma was, he was hidden well. She
couldn't find any trace of him anywhere. No exit
records from Japan, no entrance records anywhere
else. Of course, Ranma claimed to be able to
swim from China to Japan, so that didn't mean
anything.
She had every one of her operatives looking
out for anyone who resembled either of his forms
in the least little bit, but so far had found
absolutely nothing. The only conclusion she
could draw was that he was deliberately hiding.
And doing a damn fine job, too.
Personally, Nabiki didn't care if Ranma
disappeared. She liked him well enough, but it
meant a lot less headache for her. Sure, it cut
into her profits a little, but she made that up
in repair costs.
But, since he had disappeared, Akane had
been at first depressed, than quickly slipped
back into her old behavior. Nabiki knew her
sister well enough to know that she was just
trying to cope with Ranma's disappearance. Which
meant that Akane was hurting.
And no one hurt her family. No one. Ever.
She was going to find Ranma for Akane even
if it was just so Akane could beat him into a
bloody pulp.
Nabiki leaned back in her chair and rubbed
her eyes. She looked at the clock.
Oh, man. One in the morning? I've got to
get to bed. I'll continue this tomorrow.
Nabiki got up and went over to her bed. As
she started to drift off to sleep, a final
thought went through her head.
Where in the hell could he be?
****************************
3 AM, the bad part of Nerima.
The girl had made a mistake. She was walking
by herself in the wrong part of town way too
late. Added to the fact that her body left no
doubt as to her femininity, especially dressed
in her tight blue jeans and T-shirt, this was a
VERY serious mistake.
Which explained why she was now backed into
an alley with three men blocking the exit.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" The
leader, a large, green-haired man with a
clothespin through his nose, asked with a lewd
grin.
"I don't know, boss. Maybe she needs some
directions?" The bald, lanky punk to his left
responded as he played with a length of chain.
"Maybe we need to help her out?" The short,
brown-haired punk to his right asked. He was
shirtless and body-pierced to the point of
chain mail.
"Good idea. Miss, do you need us to help you
out? Of those clothes, maybe?" The leader leaned
forward, his grin getting much larger at the
look on the girls face. I wonder if she's a
natural redhead? Well, I'll know in a few
minutes, won't I?
"I love to see the terror on their faces
when they realize they just made the biggest
mistake of their life." The bald punk commented
as the leader reached for the girl's chest.
"Funny. I was about to say the same thing."
The girl said in a calm tone. The leader
hesitated for a few seconds, then continued to
reach for her chest. She smiled calmly as she
grabbed his wrist and proceeded to squeeze. The
leader hit the ground from the pain she was
causing.
"Did I mention that I really, REALLY dislike
rapists?" The woman politely asked as she
casually crushed his wrist. He screamed in agony
and fell to the ground. The other two looked at
each other and ran for the street. They didn't
make it. Screams of agony rang out across the
street.
Thirty seconds later, the girl walked out of
the alley, brushing dust off her T-shirt as she
went. She smiled as she patted the new addition
to her petty cash fund resting in her pocket.
Well, that was useful, in a way. Nerima seems
to have slipped a bit. Those morons never would
have tried that a few months ago. Oh, well. They
won't be trying it again.
She brushed some hair out of her blue eyes
as she put her sunglasses on and grinned. I'm
gonna have some fun here. Ooooh, yes. A lot of
fun.
Ranma Saotome was back in Nerima. Let the
chaos begin anew.
**********************************
Tendo Dojo, the next morning.
Kasumi winced as the door slammed after
Akane's exit. Akane had been growing less
depressed and more angry over Ranma's
disappearance recently. She had reverted to
destroying large amounts of bricks in order to
work off her anger. So far, Kasumi was unable to
see any positive results.
"So, she left already." Nabiki stated from
the kitchen doorway.
"Yes. And she seemed rather...." Kasumi's
voice trailed off as she tried to find a polite
way to describe Akane's attitude.
"Try 'Bitchy.'" Nabiki suggested with a
smirk.
"Nabiki! Language!"
"Sorry. Just being truthful." Nabiki took
the bowl of miso that Kasumi handed her as they
both sat at the table. After she had eaten a few
mouthfuls, she spoke again. "I can't really
blame her. Between Ranma's little vanishing act,
Shampoo's and Ukyo's harassment, and the fact
that there's currently 20 to 1 odds on Kuno re-
issuing the `Beat her to date her' challenge,
she's got a right to be a bit...angry."
"Yes, you're probably right. I hope she
feels better after today." Kasumi said with a
sigh.
Fat chance. "Oh, I'm sure she will."
Nabiki said with sarcasm that Kasumi completely
missed.
"Oh, that's good."
Nabiki shook her head as she got up and went
out the door. I still can't tell if she's truly
that oblivious or just ignores the
unpleasantness.
She quickly put the thought out of her head
and began to mentally get in gear for school.
*******************
Furinkan high.
"Sakura, what are all those boys doing?" Jun
asked her friend, pointing at the large group of
boys gathering in front of the school. They were
both new to Furinkan, having transferred from
Juban. Their parents had said something about
'getting away from the chaos.'
"I...don't know, Jun." Sakura was beginning
to think that Furinkan might not have been the
best place her parents could have sent her. So
far, she had seen a boy who couldn't seem to
walk five feet without getting lost, a boy with
a bokken declaring his devotion to his 'two true
loves', and a girl who had a weird fetish with
pigs. Sakura had gone into a mild case of shock
when she saw the size of the pig following the
girl. Now she was at the 'comfortably numb'
stage. "And I don't think I want to know."
"You must be new to Furinkan."
Both of the girls jumped at the deep voice.
They spun around to see who had spoken. The
first thing they noticed were his clothes.
Dark blue Chinese shirt, black pants, black
shoes. Then they noticed other details. Black
hair. Wrap-around sunglasses with mirrored
lenses. Black leather gloves. His head was
turned to look down the street, so they could
see that he had a braid. The braid was long,
thin, and reached the middle of his thighs. As
he turned his head back to regard them, he
removed his sunglasses.
Sakura and Jun both tried to keep from
drooling. He was absolutely GORGEOUS! His most
striking feature was his eyes. They were an
incredible shade of blue.
Sakura turned to her friend. "Dibs!"
As Jun stared at her in disbelief, Sakura
began to edge closer to her new one true love.
Right before she latched herself onto his arm,
he spoke.
"Do you know martial arts?"
"Um, no. Why?" Sakura responded.
"Magic?"
"Noooo. Why?" Sakura was a bit puzzled at
the line of questioning.
"Are you a psi?"
"Nuh-uh. Why?!" And what's a 'psi'?
"How about just plain insanely tough or
fast?"
Sakura mutely shook her head.
"Well, then. You don't want to be my
significant other. Trust me."
"Why not?" Sakura asked in an indignant
tone.
"You wouldn't survive it."
"Excuse me?" Jun said in an incredulous
tone.
"I said she wouldn't survive it. Simple
fact."
As Sakura and Jun tried to figure out what
he meant by that remark, he turned his head and
grinned.
"Here she comes. Time for the show to
begin."
"What show?" Jun shook herself out of her
bemusement enough to ask. He has the NICEST
smile.
"That one." He said as he pointed towards
the gate just as shorthaired girl ran through
screaming. In short order she had rendered the
mob of boys unable to move, much less fight. She
was about to go into the school when the bokken-
wielding boy stopped her.
"Ah, Akane Tendo, my beauteous tigress, how
the heavens rejoice at the rejoining of our
love! Behold do the...."
Behind them, the boy smiled as he announced
"Kuno looks to have gotten better. Must have
been training. Might take Akane a few more
seconds to nail him than usual."
His prediction was rendered moot when a
bandanna-clad boy slammed a fist into the back
of Kuno's head. Kuno dropped like a brick. Akane
promptly began to yell at her helper.
"Same Akane, I see. 'Appreciation? What's
that?' Sheesh, and they wanted me to marry her."
Sakura and Jun looked at each other. The
same thought was running through both of their
heads. Marry?
Seeing their looks, the boy quickly
explained. "Our dads got drunk off their asses
before we were even born and had this GREAT
idea."
"Oooooh." They said in comprehension.
"Yeah, neither of us were happy about the
idea." He responded.
"Happo Five-Yen Yatsu!" The girls turned in
time to see a extremely beautiful woman tuck
something into the pocket of her very tight
dress. Everyone in the yard was on the ground,
moaning.
"And Miss Hinako's still around, too.
Perfect." The boy sighed as he shook his head.
He turned to look at them and cocked an eyebrow.
"You'd better hurry, or you'll be late."
Sakura shot a glance at the clock tower. She
blinked. "Oh, crap!"
Jun was nearly given whiplash as her friend
grabbed her hand and dashed into the school.
Ranma chuckled as he watched the pair dash
into the school. He glanced up to the windows he
had spent so much time staring out of during
classes. Maybe I should drop in? Naw, the looks
on their faces wouldn't be worth the trouble
it'd cause.
Ranma walked over to some bushes and grabbed
a duffel bag, then walked out to the gate. As he
strode out, he started to talk.
"Oh, don't be like that. This is Tokyo. I
can't just carry you strapped to my back like I
could in China."
He paused, then snickered.
"Well, yeah. That's a good point. Still,
best if you stay out of sight. Cologne would
recognize you on sight, if not by aura."
He continued walking, maintaining a one-way
conversation. He received few looks. This WAS
Nerima, after all.
******************
Nodoka hummed a little tune as she pulled
the tray of cookies out of the oven. She loved
to bake. It was one of the few things other than
practicing her sword katas that could get her
mind off her son's disappearance.
She forced her mind away from her son's
continued absence. She endured his ten-year
absence by continuously telling herself he'd be
coming home soon. A lie, but one that made her
feel better.
But now, she had to admit that she had no
idea when or even if he'd return. He had just
upped and vanished. She feared that maybe he had
decided to just give up on Nerima and all it's
inhabitants.
She placed the cookies on a rack to cool,
then turned to place the tray by the sink. She
turned back and frowned a little. Roughly half
the tray was missing. She narrowed her eyes.
Genma. When did he return from Soun's? And how
many times do I have to tell him to stay away
from my baking?
She turned and grabbed a wooden spoon.
Keeping her back turned to the tray, she started
to mentally count down. 3...2...1...NOW!
*THWA-CRACK*
"Ow! Damn it! That stings like a sonuva...
Um, it stings." A familiar voice exclaimed.
The spoon hit the floor. Nodoka slowly
turned around, praying that she wasn't
hallucinating. She wasn't. Her son was standing
behind her, rubbing the back of his right hand
and grinning at her.
"Hi, mom. What's u-OOOF!" Ranma's breath was
driven out of his lungs as his mother wrapped
her arms around his waist and attempted to drop
his pants size by at least six inches.
"Mom...can't...breathe." he managed to gasp
out. Nodoka quickly let go of him, blushing
faintly. Then she blinked a few times, and
started a classic "mother rant", which then
devolved into a "Nodoka rant".
"Where have you been? Do you know how
worried we've been? Why did you up and disappear
for HALF A YEAR? Do you have any idea what that
did to me? Don't you EVER do that again! Well,
unless you take a couple of your fiancees with
you next time. I DO want grandchildren, you
know. Speaking of which, have you met any nice
girls while you've been gone?" she asked the
last in a tone of voice that suggested 'nice'
had an entirely different context than most
people were familiar with.
"No, mom. I didn't meet any 'nice' girls.
Met several who are now trying to kill me,
though." Ranma's voice was resigned.
Nodoka sighed disappointedly. She unwrapped
herself from her son's waist, grabbed his wrist,
and started to pull him towards the stairs,
chattering all the while. It was like she was
afraid to let the air grow silent.
"I hope you like your room. I tried to get
it as close as I could to how it used to look.
It's amazing how fast the construction crews
fixed the house." Nodoka was suddenly stopped in
her chatter when Ranma grabbed her wrist and
stopped. She turned to look at him. He had a
very serious look in his eyes.
"Mom, we need to talk about my father." His
voice was quiet.
"What did Genma do this time?" Nodoka
sighed.
"Mom, I KNOW." Ranma stated emphatically. "I
met him."
Nodoka stared at him a few seconds, then
made her way over to a couch and collapsed into
it. She seemed to in shock. "You...know?"
Ranma nodded silently, then added, "Like I
said, I met him."
Nodoka swallowed. Ranma continued, in a
voice full of satisfaction, "Then I helped kill
him."
Nodoka snapped her eyes up to meet his. He
grinned.
"And it was fun, too." He added. Nodoka
stared at him incredulously, then started to
giggle (although a bit hysterically), then broke
out in a full-blown laugh. Ranma soon joined
her.
*******************
"More tea?"
"Yes, thanks." Ranma held up his teacup so
his mom could refill it, then settled back into
his chair.
"Soooo...what will you tell the Tendo's
when you go see them?" Nodoka asked as she
refilled her own cup.
"Nothing. Ain't a chance in hell I'm gonna
go see them." Ranma calmly replied, sipping at
his tea.
"What? Why not?" Nodoka froze as she was
putting the teapot down.
"I'm in town for specific reasons. And
dealing with them doesn't even come close to
appearing on that list. And I DON'T want to get
them involved in my current set of problems.
I've got people after me who'd blow up the
entire block if they even thought I'd be injured
slightly." Ranma set his cup down, then stood.
"I need to be going. I have a job to do."
He sighed. "Time to look death in the eye and
laugh. Again."
"Wait! You're just going to leave?" Nodoka
asked desperately. I can't let him go! I've
already lost ten years with him!
"I'll be back. But I have a job to do. And
I have to do it soon." Ranma shrugged off her
hand from his arm. "Don't worry. If I have to
leave suddenly, I'll make sure YOU get an
address this time. Or at least an explanation. I
promise you that." Ranma's voice was firm.
Nodoka looked into her son's eyes. There
was something there that hadn't been there the
last time she had seen him. It was hard to pin
down, but there was a definitely a change. A
look of understanding that can only be won
through long, hard fighting. It announced that
her boy was gone, replaced by the man now
standing in front of her.
Nodoka lifted her hands and cradled her
son's cheeks. Her eyes glistened with unshed
tears as she whispered, "What has happened to
you?"
Ranma reached up and took her hands. "I
was forced to grow up. Maybe I lost something in
it. But at least I'm not as moody as D."
"Who?" As Nodoka asked her question, she
subtly tried to steer her son back to his seat.
Ranma went, but his face revealed that he knew
what she was doing.
"D. Vampire hunter. Damn good, too. He's
probably the best in the world. Vampyr. Been
REAL moody lately. I guess having a pseudo-
demonic alchemical experiment gone wrong bond
itself to your hand does that." Ranma snickered.
"I told him not to touch the damn thing."
Nodoka stared at him.
"Don't ask. Very long, and VERY weird,
story. I was there and I'm still not sure what
the hell happened." Ranma informed her. "If
Alucard hadn't been there, we probably would
have died. Painfully, too."
"Alucard? Who's that? Another enemy? You
just seem to stack them up." Nodoka commented as
she refilled Ranma's cup and placed it in his
hand.
"Another vampyr. We accidentally pulled
him out of a two century-long nap. He went back
to sleep after he helped us take down you-know-
who." Ranma saluted Nodoka with his cup.
"How DID you do that? Kill him, I mean?
I've researched it. He's been reported as dead
at least six times that I can find." Nodoka
inquired.
"Carefully. D spent a LONG time planning
it. D systematically destroyed all of his safe
houses, then waited for the right time. We
finally dropped the old bastard by staking him,
beheading him, gutting him, and cutting him into
four sections.
"Then, we burned the guts and body
sections separately, sowed the ashes with holy
water, had them blessed by a priest, then
scattered them over Europe, Australia, Africa,
Antarctica, and the Artic Circle. We hid the
ashes of his heart and brain on the American
deep-space probe that launched last month.
"And, just to top it all off, we immersed
his skull in a vat of holy water lined with pure
silver and buried it under the alter of the
Vatican." Ranma finished his tea. "If he comes
back from THAT, it'll require an act of God. D
planned for every eventuality that he could
think of."
"It certainly was...thorough." Nodoka
commented, a little taken back.
"D decided that if he was going to try it,
he was going do it RIGHT. Good philosophy."
Ranma stood. "I really do have to go now, Mom. I
have to make sure things are ready."
"Ready? For what?"
"I've got a job to do tomorrow. And I'll
need plenty of time to prepare. I'll talk with
you after I finish the job." Ranma hugged his
mother, than smiled down at her. "So I really do
have to go."
Ranma disengaged from his mother and
walked to the door. He was about to open it when
his mother's voice stopped him.
"Wait. I...I have something for you."
Nodoka nervously announced.
Ranma watched in puzzlement as she quickly
exited the room and climbed the stairs. He could
hear her rustling around in her room, then
hastily coming back down the stairs. In her
arms, she carried a familiar bundle. A bundle
Ranma had lived in fear of for almost a year.
Nodoka unwrapped the silk covering her
family's clan blade and held the sword in her
hands. She sighed. "Normally, there would be a
long, formal ceremony in the presence of several
witnesses to do this, but since when has
anything involving you been normal? Here. The
clan sword is yours now. Be careful with it.
According to legend, it was forged by a
descended god named Yosho."
Ranma nearly dropped the sword when she
placed it in his hands, but quickly recovered.
He stared at the blade, then lifted his eyes to
his mother and said a single word.
"Why?"
Nodoka's eyes were clear as she met his
gaze. "Fixing past mistakes. I should have given
it to you before the 'Wedding Incident.'"
Ranma nodded. He picked up the silk
covering and re-wrapped the sword, then quickly
made a sling from his belt and strapped it
across his back.
"I also changed the family register.
You're clan head, now." Nodoka continued. Ranma
nodded again as he opened the front door and
stepped out.
"Are you sure you won't go see the
Tendos?" Nodoka asked in an almost pleading
voice.
Ranma's voice was sad as he answered. "I
am my father's son. I've had to accept that. Do
you think they could?"
Nodoka was silent. Ranma smiled tightly.
"Neither do I. A clean break is best. If
you have to, tell them whatever you need to."
"What about your fiancees?" Nodoka asked.
"When it comes right down to it, I have
none. All of the agreements were to engage
'Genma Saotome's son.' The only one that wasn't
is Shampoo, who can't marry me because of the
laws of her tribe. I'm an outcast to them
because of what I am." Ranma shrugged. "Not a
very elegant solution, but it works."
"Not very honorable, either." Nodoka's
voice was disapproving.
Ranma glanced at her, then turned and
started to walk out of the yard. As he walked,
he calmly called over his shoulder, "Honor's
over-rated. More trouble than it's worth most
times. I'd rather be moral than honorable.
'Honor' just gets in the way in a serious
fight."
Nodoka just stared at her son's back as he
walked away.
"My son, my son, what has happened to
you?" she whispered in a soft, sad tone.
***********************
The Neko-hanten.
"Welcome to Neko-hanten! How can Shampoo
serve you?" Shampoo cheerfully asked as the door
opened. Her customer, a middle-aged woman with
brown hair and green eyes dressed in jeans and a
white T-shirt, turned to her and raised an
eyebrow.
"You can serve me by getting Cologne. I
was told she was here." The woman calmly stated
as she crossed her arms and waited by the door.
"Great-grandmother very busy. Maybe you
want some lo mein? Is special today!" Shampoo
replied chirpily.
The customer's hand shot out and grabbed
the menu from Shampoo's hand, then imbedded it a
nearby table. Her voice was polite as she
informed Shampoo "Tell Cologne that Lotion is
here and wants to see her. She'll see me."
Shampoo nodded quickly, then hurried into
the back. It only took a few seconds for Cologne
to emerge. Her voice was cautious as she greeted
her visitor.
"Lotion. Seeing you here is...unexpected."
Lotion snorted. "Don't try to pull the
'Wise Old Elder' with me, Cologne. I was there
when you were born. I was there when your mom
caught you and Silk in the woodshed. I carried
you home after you found out just how strong
sake is. So don't even try it with me."
Cologne looked a little uncomfortable. She
quickly asked, "So why are you here?"
"I'm a Demon Hunter. Why do you THINK I'm
here? Use your head." Lotion pulled out a chair
and dropped into it. "I'm following a former
student of mine. I think he's going to make a
try for the Hunter's Holy Grail."
"The what?"
"Not what. Who." Lotion grinned. "Short,
perverted, and exceptionally hard to kill. Sound
like anybody you know?"
Cologne just nodded silently.
"Thought so. I need a room to meditate and
a steady supply of food. I'm commandeering this
one." Lotion gestured towards the front room.
"Don't disturb me unless it's vital."
"And what counts as vital?"
"If the restaurant catches on fire...."
Lotion's voice trailed off.
"Yes?"
"It's NOT vital. Get the idea?" Lotion
moved to the center of the room and began to
clear it of tables and chairs. "And I want all
of the Amazons in the area to stay close by.
When it goes down, I won't have time to hunt for
you."
"Why do you need us? I've seen you fight."
Cologne stated.
"Because when you go up against someone
like Happosai, it's best to stack the deck. My
student is good, but isn't nearly tough enough
to do it. So, after he wears the pervert down,
I'm going to finish him off. Simple as that."
*********************
Later that night, in a dimly lit hotel
room on the other side of Nerima, a figure was
carefully checking over its gear. The list was
large.
The clothing was first. Hand-made
undergarments made of silk and cotton. After
them came leather, skin-tight and black as the
void of space. Buckles were tightened over the
arms, legs, and chest, ensuring that there would
be no loose edges to snag on something during a
fight.
Over all of that came light, flexible body
armor to cover the torso, thighs, calves, and
arms. A bit restrictive, but his life had been
saved by the armor more than once.
A pair of leather gloves, black as the
rest of the outfit, secured by straps wrapped
around the wrists. Thin, so as to not impede his
sense of touch, and with reinforced backs and
palms. Sixteen ounces of powdered lead across
the knuckles added a little extra hit to each
punch.
Calf-high boots. Steel-toed, reinforced
soles, special treads. Again, a bit restrictive,
but they had kept him from broken ankles many
times.
After the clothing came the weapons:
Wards. Shinto mostly, with some other
religions tossed in. Secured in a specially
designed pocket.
A whole plethora of silver or silver-
plated weapons. Knives, garrotes, and throwing
blades of every description. Secreted in various
places on the body.
A single gun. A custom-modified Desert
Eagle .50 AE. Slipped into a holster on the
right hip. He'd usually carry others, but they'd
just be useless weight for this fight.
Clips for the Desert Eagle. Loaded with
custom-made ammo. Silver mostly, with a few
nasty surprises mixed in. Secured in pouches
made for that purpose.
Several bags of rather unusual items. Rose
petals, sand, various herbs, and one bag
containing chocolate chips. Put inside a series
of pouches at the waist.
Several insulated flasks of a crimson
liquid. Secured in various pockets. Thigh,
chest, and back.
Several explosive devices, both improvised
and military. Hidden where they weren't obvious.
A nylon harness is slipped over all of
this and secured. The harness is to hold two
scabbards securely on his back. It only used
to hold one, but a few hours with needle and
thread fixed that.
A quick check of all the buckles, snaps,
Velcro tabs, and buttons. Then comes the next
layer: an ankle-length leather trenchcoat.
Black, of course.
The trenchcoat was loose and supple. It
would take a careful eye to notice that
something was wrong with the way it draped over
his body. It would require an actual physical
examination to determine why it did that: Kevlar
was woven into it at several key places. The
elbows, hem, and all seams were triply
reinforced with the strongest material money
could buy, ensuring that they would hold no
matter what was done to them.
A quick adjustment to the coat and he was
ready to slide the swords home into their
sheaths. One, ancient beyond recorded time,
shining with an internal silver light, shaped
like a standard straight-edged katana. The
other, not nearly as old but carrying a much
greater emotional significance, forged by a
master of the craft, also a straight-edged
katana.
Both carrying a long and honorable past.
Both had seen much fighting. Both had spilled
blood. Both were now his, inasmuch as anyone
could be said to own a sword.
He sighed and slid them into their sheaths
through a pair of holes in the trenchcoat put
there for just that reason. Both blades ran
parallel to his spine and one hilt was visible
over each shoulder.
Then came the finally step, just as the
horizon started to lighten with the rising of
the sun: a pair of black, wrap-around mirror-
shaded Oakleys. Far from the cheapest of
sunglasses, but worth every penny.
All told, he was currently wearing well
over a million dollars in equipment and weapons.
Almost a full two million, if you counted the
bribes to get them in, and possible fines if he
was caught with them.
A quick kata to ensure that everything was
settled in its correct place, and then Ranma
flipped his pigtail over his shoulder. He made
sure it didn't get hung up on the sword hilts,
then clapped his hands together and grinned.
"Time to go to work."
**********************
Furinkan High School.
The girls piled into the locker room,
chattering as they went. School had only been in
session for a week now, and everyone was still
anxiously catching up on each other's summers.
It wasn't until the first few girls
emerged from the showers that trouble reared its
ugly head. It started with a seemingly simple
question from one of the new girls.
"Hey! Where's my bra?"
All the Furinkan veterans froze. There was
a mass exodus from the showers and a quick
grabbing of towels. It only took a few seconds
to determine that ALL their bras and panties
were gone. The veterans grabbed whatever weapons
were at hand, while a few newbies stared from
the showers.
"Jun? What's going on now?" Sakura's day
had been fairly weird already. The Principal was
a nut, her class had at least two cross-dressers
in it (no one was sure about that
Konatsu...person, but Tsubasa and Ukyo were for
certain), and now she was watching a group of
girls get ready for war.
"I have no idea." Jun asked, staring in
perplexed fascination. Is that a katana? Where
did she get that rake? And where do you even
FIND a torch these days?
Suddenly, they found out why everyone was
preparing for a fight. A two foot-tall...thing
leaped in through a window and cried it's
horrifying battle cry.
"SWEETO!" *glomp* Screams of rage rang
out.
Sakura and Jun stared in shock as the
troll proceeded to molest several of their
classmates. It seemed to be upset about
something.
"Happosai! Get the hell out of here!"
Screamed a shorthaired girl. Sakura thought her
name was Akane.
"Where are they? Where are my silky
darlings? Why have you hidden them?" The troll
seemed greatly distressed.
"Hidden them! You STOLE them!" Akane swung
her mallet, but missed by a country mile.
Happosai ignored her and bounced around the
room, looking for something. He suddenly
grinned.
"Ah, there they are! Bad girls, trying to
keep them from me!" He bounded over to a locker
and ripped it open. A huge mass of lingerie
spilled out.
"Sakura, isn't that your locker?" Jun
asked in a too-calm voice. She began to edge
away from her friend slightly.
Sakura gaped a few times, then finally
found her voice and screeched, "WHY THE HELL ARE
THOSE IN *MY* LOCKER?!?!"
A calm, MALE voice answered. "Bait."
Happosai's eyes opened wide from his
position just in front of the locker. He started
to jump back just a gloved fist emerged from the
locker and connected with his nose. Everyone
winced slightly at the sound of bone breaking.
Happosai was launched across the room and
imbedded in some lockers at the other side from
the force of the blow.
Sakura stared at the fist that had
unclenched and grasped the side of the locker.
Another hand joined it and slowly, impossibly, a
body emerged from the locker.
"That's not possible." Jun whispered. The
lockers were just large enough to store their
clothes and books, barely three feet tall, two
feet deep, and about a foot wide. There was NO
way someone could have fit in them. But, someone
had.
The figure dropped to the ground, and
straightened up, allowing them to make out
features, including the black trenchcoat,
sunglasses, and skin-tight leather. A voice
named the figure.
"RANMA! YOU PERVERT!" Akane swung her
mallet, only to have it effortlessly deflected
and a quick snap-kick planted in her stomach.
"Not now. I'm busy." Ranma didn't even
look at her as he spoke. He grinned. "Well,
'Happi', let's dance!"
Happosai pulled himself out of the lockers
and started to growl. "That wasn't very nice,
boy."
"Neither is this." Ranma snapped his coat
off of his right hip, revealing the pistol. He
drew it in a flash and started firing.
The girls started to scream and cower as
Ranma pulled the trigger at an insanely fast
rate, burning clips like there was no tomorrow.
Happosai was moving so fast he was just a blur.
Somehow, Ranma managed track him, missing all
the bystanders with his shots, but blowing huge
holes in the walls and lockers.
Happosai bellowed in pain as a spray of
red stained the wall. He stumbled in his jump
and Ranma slammed three more bullets into his
chest. The slide of the gun locked open on the
last shot.
"Out of clips. Damn. Knew I should have
packed more. Girls? I'd run if I were you. This
is about to get nasty." Ranma calmly announced
as he re-holstered the gun. Underneath his
sunglasses, his eyes briefly flared red.
The girls rapidly followed his advice.
Happosai rose to his feet, seeming not to
notice the three holes in his chest. "You've
made me angry."
"Too bad. I'm gonna make you more than
angry by the time I'm done." Ranma smiled as he
dropped into a ready stance. Happosai responded
with a ki blast of deepest crimson.
Ranma intercepted the projectile with his
own ki blast of gold shot through with the
deepest black.
Happosai froze for a second. "So, like
THAT, is it?"
Ranma's grin grew larger. "Yup."
**********************
Lotion's eyes shot open. Shock was evident
on her face. "I hadn't expected it THAT quickly!
Does that boy know no patience?"
Lotion rose out of her lotus position,
calling as she did so.
"Cologne! Shampoo! Mousse! It's time! Come
along! NOW!"
The trio barely managed to keep up as
Lotion ran into Nerima, guided by instincts
honed by long use.
*********************
A crowd was rapidly gathering outside of
the girl's locker room. First had been the
screams of outrage, then what sounded like
gunshots, then all the girls running out (most
only clutching towels, some without even that),
and now it sounded like a war was going on in
there. No one had managed to get any information
out of the near-hysterical girls.
"Oh, my. It certainly sounds
rather...lively in there, doesn't it?" Kasumi
remarked to her father. Akane had forgotten her
bento in her rush to school, so Kasumi had
decided to bring it to her. Her father and Genma
had accompanied her. (Actually, they were
planning on hitting a bar, but when Kasumi asks
you to do something....)
Lotion landed not far from her, staring at
the locker room.
"Both of them are in there. And they're
powering up."
"What does that mean?" Cologne asked
between gasps to recover her breath.
"Simple. Duck." Lotion hit the ground just
as the locker room was consumed in a fireball.
The explosion threw the bystanders to the
ground, a wash of heat flowing over them.
Happosai sprang out of the smoke, cackling like
mad.
Ranma emerged shortly after, staggering
slightly. His coat was ruined, hanging in
tatters around him. He shrugged it off, casually
commenting, "I lose more coats that way."
He lifted his right hand to his forehead,
where a large cut was bleeding. He turned his
head and spat out some blood, probably because
of his split lip. Then he reached over to his
left shoulder. Grabbing it, he pulled on it
sharply, causing a loud *POP*.
"That's better. You know, now...you've
gotten me pissed."
Happosai just sank into a ready stance and
cackled some more. "Whenever you're ready, boy.
I've taken better than you."
Ranma grinned and reached over his
shoulders, drawing both swords in one easy
motion, then sinking into a two-sword ready
stance. "I was trained by some of the best
hunters ever born. D taught me strength while
keeping speed. Alucard honed my skills to
perfection and taught me ALL the cheap moves he
knew. Lotion taught me all the lore she had
acquired in four hundred years of Hunting. So,
yeah. You've probably faced better than me. But
you've never faced anyone WORSE than me."
"We'll see, won't we?" Happosai's voice
was calm.
"Yeah, we will." Ranma replied.
Then, both charged.
TBC...
***************
Author's notes:
And that's it for now. I finally got a
definite idea of where I wanted to go with this
and now I'm gonna go there. (Maybe slowly.
After all, I place AtST first in writing
efforts.)
Ranma OOC? Hey, the Tendos only knew him
for a year. He's been gone for six months.
People can change a LOT in six months.
Especially with how crazy Ranma's life can be.
Of course, any C&C is greatly appreciated.
My e-mail address is at the top and bottom of the
fic. (Just look down about three lines.)
Ja Ne!
Slacker (rheins@pmt.org)
First draft 05/22/01
Released to MLs 06/14/01