Chapter #1

Chapter #1

Nerima District, 1990's-

Ranma Saotome peered around the high wall. Nothing. He then cautiously looked up and down the intersecting streets. Nothing. The coast must be clear! He smiled to himself as he confidently strode down the road. This day had been reasonably uneventful. Thus far.

"Vile Saotome, prepare to face your death! GAAAA!!!" Kuno aimed his wooden bokken at Ranma in a surprise attack. If he was to have his two goddesses, Ranma would have to go!

Ranma sprung backwards avoiding the strike. The crazy kendoist was at it again. Ranma put his hands on his hips and yelled, "C'mon, Kuno! Don'tcha have kites to fly or somethin'? I don't have time for this!"

Kuno slowly raised his pretty face and grinned. Taking a better grip on the sword, he charged forward. "Time? I'm sure you'll have plenty of time once I put you in the afterlife! No other man will have the hand of the beauteous Akane Tendo or the wistful pig-tailed girl!" He made another series of slashes and attacks which Ranma parried with ease. It was obvious that he was superior to the brown haired boy.

Suddenly, a small white cat with a creasing moon bald spot on its head crossed their path. Ranma shrieked and cornered himself against a wall stricken with fear.

Artemis was only visiting the Nerima District, but this fight looked interesting. Perhaps he could give Sailor V a few hints on battle if he watched closely enough. The cat sat down by the young man in Chinese style clothing. But he felt disturbingly uncomfortable. The boy was giving him an intense stare which chilled him to the bone, so he got up and left. After all, he still needed to find the other Sailor Scouts, too, and Nerima was a big place. Perhaps he was looking in the wrong places?

Seeing the cat, Kuno knew Ranma would be incapacitated. "Ha! An opening!" He raised his bokken and started his deadly strike. One good hit from this technique could kill even the mightiest of warriors. "YAAAAH! Die you evil scorcerous being!"

"Right back at ya, freak!" Ryoga Hibiki came out of the sidelines delivering a fierce flying kick to Kuno's head. *SMACK!!!* Kuno landed with his head buried in the asphalt; totally unconscious.

Ryoga brushed off his hands and walked over to the shivering Ranma. The young Saotome still wasn't responding to the outside world. Giving him a cross look, Ryoga slapped him in the face. Though he used only a fraction of his strength, it was enough to snap Ranma back into the present.

Ranma came to and blinked. "Huh?" he looked and saw Ryoga was standing in front of him wearing a contemptuous smirk.

A strange wind blew past both of them. It rustled the hair of both the boys and carried with it an unpleasant chill. Ranma looked up for a moment. The trees had not shivered and the grass had not bent. How odd. In some way, this was disturb-

"Heh. Don't thank me or anything for saving your life." The silence broken by Ryoga, Ranma jerked to reality.

Never liking to admit weakness, he replied, "Yeah right. I could have handled that Kuno if it really came down to it." He gave Ryoga an awkward look. They had been getting along without so many fights recently, but that didn't mean that they'd necessarily help each other out voluntarily. "Why did ya intercede anyway. I seriously doubt it was outta your good will for mankind."

"Feh. Sure, that's it Ranma." Ryoga placed his hands on his hips in a very matter-of-factly way. "It's merely that I want the pleasure of killing you for myself."

"Hmp. I suppose so since that's the only light in your lonely life, eh P-chan?" He stuck out his chest and turned up his nose at the last comment.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!" Ryoga balled his fists. "Hey, if you want to die right now, that's be fine, too. I was just giving you time to-"

"Oh God!" From behind Ryoga, Ranma spotted the girl squad barreling towards him. Shampoo was in lead with her bonbari, Akane followed with mallet in hand, Kodachi lashed out with her ribbon, and Ukyo brought up the rear brandishing her spatula. "Look man, we can finish this later, but right now I'm outta here!"

He began to bolt when Ryoga caught his shirt collar. The girls were coming ever closer. Ranma could see the anger etched in each individual face. "C'mon, Ryoga! Let me go!"

Pulling him towards his face, Ryoga knitted his brows and demanded, "What did you do to Akane now?! I won't have you mistreating her!"

Throwing his arm around, Ranma pushed away. "I didn't do nothin'! That stupid girl just isn't happy any day of the week! Now leave me alone!!" Before the Lost Boy could react, Ranma jumped onto and off of Ryoga's head like a human spring-board and bolted for the woods. "See ya later, P-chan!"

"Don't call me that!" In the tiff, he had forgotten about the girls who were now roaring behind him. Hearing the clamor, he turned around in just enough time to see the rampaging females trample him into the ground.

The girls left a large cloud of dust in their wake. When the air finally cleared, all that was left was a moaning Kuno as he pulled his head out of the cement, and a trodden Ryoga with shoe marks covering his backside.