All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi
Little Boy Lost
Little Boy Found
Little Boy Gone
Little Boy Becomes Young Man
Young Man Lost
Young Man Found
Young Man Cursed
Young Man Almost Eaten
Young Man Blames it All On Ranma
Akane studied the pig in her hands.
No wonder she had thought she had smelled a tasty magical snack!
This pig exuded a strong magical aura; she also now knew why the pig smelled familiar.
He smelled like Jusenkyou!
She noticed with a touch of sadness the pig was deathly afraid of her, damnit, she had thought her luck had changed with Ranma.
Then she felt a brief pain in the hand she was carrying the piglet in. "Hey!" Akane cried out indignantly. Her hands open involuntary.
That had stung!
- Stupid pig - She thought as she watched the pig fall to the ground and then disappear running down an alleyway.
After looking for the piglet for a few minutes Akane decided to head back to Ranma, after all they did still have to spar.
"So, what did you mean when you said you smelled magic?" Ranma asked between gasps of breath.
"I can smell much better then I could before the Change, so well in fact that I can tell the difference between people, I also can smell demons and magic. Probably to aid me when I'm looking for a demon to eat."
Ranma nodded. "Did you find whoever you smelled?"
"Yes, I think it was a Jusenkyou cursed person in his cursed form."
Ranma's eyebrows shot up at that. "Really? I didn't know there were more people cursed."
"Yes, if you see a small black piglet with a bandanna around his neck get him some hot water." She grinned.
"Huh, well Akane want me to tell you what you did wrong while we sparred?"
"Sure."
Ranma began to move, using his incredible sense of recall during battles to act out her attack and defense, while talking. "You have a tendency to strike out with not enough control which telegraphs your moves and almost any decent fighter can read that. It also causes you to slightly overextend yourself."
Akane nodded, watching him move through what she had done pointed out some glaringly obvious holes in her attacks and defenses.
"You are also fairly weak at blocking, though it's probably because you can ignore most attacks right?"
At her nod he continued.
"There is always someone stronger then you 'Kane, or faster or tougher. So if you can improve on your defense it means that someone stronger then you can't get you in that crucial time before you pound his face in. Here lemme show you a kata that emphasizes blocks and dodging."
As Akane watched him move through the kata flawlessly she wondered briefly if it would be worth it to become more… romantically involved him. No, she might lose his friendship and to her that was worth any price, even watching him fall in love with someone else.
Of course it could be her complete lack of any type of relationship besides enemies with anyone was enhancing her feelings towards the young man so she should take everything she felt with a grain of salt.
There was also a chance that after he heard he entire story he would hate her, just like everyone else.
Well she wanted to get it off her chest.
Those needless death's.
Why didn't they just leave her alone?
She didn't want to kill them. But… They had threatened her domain; they threatened to kill people in Nerima. Nerima was hers, even if everyone hated her it was hers!
Damn those demon-hunters, anything for the kill.
Damn them.
Ranma's concerned gaze interrupted her thoughts. "Akane you ok? You sorta dozed off there."
At her nod and the smile that didn't reach her slightly glowing gold eyes he sat down in front of her legs crossed. "C'mon tell me what's bugging ya."
Akane's eyes turned downcast. "I'm worried that you'll hate me too Ranma. Oh gods I don't w-want you to hate me too."
Ranma realized that, to his rising panic, Akane was crying!
"Akane please don't cry, I won't hate ya." Akane looked up at him with a little hope in her eyes, though most of that was covered in resignation and a terrible loneliness. She began to speak, her voice hesitant but growing in determination.
"It was about six months after the Change. I was sleeping in an abandoned hotel room in a fairly well known hotel; somehow two demon hunters had managed to track a man a woman and me there. When I woke up they had just finished planting a large bomb near my door; I recognized it as a powerful chemical explosive from a weapons magazine I had stolen three weeks before. By the time I realized just what they were doing my time was up.
They had already exited the hotel and I could see them from my window. There were at least fifty guests and twice that would probably die when the hotel collapsed. I was through that window before I realized what I was doing. Before the woman even had time to react I had ripped off her arm. A few moments later I kicked her in the neck hard enough to tear her head off her shoulders and throw it through the glass storefront beside her. Before the man could even react I had punched him straight through the chest. That Ranma is why I know you'll hate me like everyone else does."
Ranma was staring at her, well not in horror, but something else close to it. Then his eyes cleared as she made to move away from the one person she thought she could be friends with.
"Akane you just did what you could to save others lives, it's the duty of the martial artist to protect the weak."
Akane smiled at that. "Ranma I could have done it without killing either of them, I should have more control then that but I ran on my instincts."
"Akane…"
She interrupted him. "Ranma how can you still be my friend? They were only doing what they thought was right, trying to keep a demon from killing and enslaving people. I reacted on my instincts, those of a predator, like your Shadow said, a Hunter."
"I'll always be your friend. What do you mean Akane-chan?"
Akane gaped at the suffix. "Chan?"
"You're my friend Akane, I wouldn't give that up for the world. Now what do you mean you're a Hunter?"
She sat back down stunned by his words.
Ranma still wanted to be her friend? Despite the fact that she had killed two people trying to do the right thing?
"You know I need to eat unbalanced chi, right?"
At his nod she continued.
"Creatures with sufficient unbalanced chi are too unnatural to exist normally. The only creatures I have ever seen with enough of it even to whet my appetite are Demons and other such creatures of the night. Humans don't even have enough for me to draw out at all."
She looked him straight in the eye. "Ranma, even Demons fear and hate me. It's a natural reaction to my presence. I am Demoness Akane, Eater of Demons, Bane of All."
Ranma chuckled, rose and bowed. "Alright Demoness Akane-chan, I gotta get home, my pop said he needed to train me more, seeya tomorrow."
Akane sat stunned as she watched Ranma disappear over the wall. - Ooh that… that… boy! How dare he make fun of my condition! -
Then Akane broke into a smile, her slowly rising anger forgotten. "He called me Akane-chan." She said softly with wonder in her voice.
Akane broke into a fit of giggles.
She still had a friend!
He didn't hate her!
Laughing she leapt into the air doing barrel rolls and swooping though the terrified crowds joyously. Most of Nerima cringed as the horrible laughter rang through district. There were stampedes to get to safety as the horrible black winged figure swept through them, obviously looking for some victims
Ranma stood impatiently with his father in front of a small worn-down house.
"Why'd ya bring me here oyaji?"
"Silence boy, I'm going to show you the most basic attack in the Yama-Sen- Ken, then we are going to train until you get it right!"
Genma stood in front of the house and got into an aggressive stance.
"LOOK OUT!" He shouted with a roar, and lunged forward where he hit the wall with his outward-cupped hands seemingly trying to spread the wall away and simultaneously kicking the wall.
To Ranma's shock the wall was shredded with the power behind the blow.
"That, son, was the Moukokaimonha! The least powerful of the Yama-Sen-Ken's attacks."
Ranma was openly staring. "Least powerful?" He asked with an awed whisper.
"Yes, the first of the eight. The most powerful and most lethal is the Saidaikyuukijinraishuudan."
Ranma blinked at the name. "Now boy, we just have to train you in the use of the Yama-Sen-Ken. After we finish that we can move onto the Umi-Sen- Ken!"
Ranma lay panting on his futon completely exhausted, he had mastered the first two moves of the Yama-Sen-Ken, but his oyaji hadn't given up, it wasn't good enough for him to do them perfectly, he had to make them instinct, like he would use those deadly techniques on instinct.
Maybe Akane would like to learn these too, though she did seem to be strong enough to not need special techniques to rip things into two.
Ranma had a sneaking suspicion that Akane was actually holding her true strength and speed back during their sparring sessions, even with Ranma moving at his fastest he was always only a step faster then Akane. He was vaguely annoyed at her holding back yet he also understood it. He would do the same thing against someone who wanted to spar, yet wasn't really in his league.
- I'll show her that I can be just as good as her, more training like Oyaji has me doing and sparring with Akane and I'll be able to match her at her best, just you wait! -
With these thoughts he fell asleep, plans to increase his already strenuous training regimen forming.
Ranma groaned as she went back to the restrooms to get some water. Today at school had not been her day. She had been changed between a guy and a girl six times so far and when Kuno-baka had saw it he had startled to babble something about sorcery and the vile Saotome who had enslaved his pig- tailed kami.
Not only that, he had wakened up extra early to begin his increased training regimen and had slept through half his classes. Which of course had earned him some time waiting in the hall holding buckets. Good thing he had learned how to sleep while standing.
Ranma brightened considerable as she got her hot water and transformed into a guy. Now that that was out of the way he could go back for his afternoon sparring with Akane.
Running out the restroom he sprinted towards the doors and out to the schoolyard. As he neared the gate his danger-sense pinged.
Above him?
Glancing up he saw… someone silhouetted in the sun, some sort of weapon aiming directly at him.
That and the words shouted from the figure were enough to warn him. "RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!"
Legs tensed in seconds Ranma dodged; absently noticing the ground he had just been standing on was now a five-foot wide crater.
In the center of the crater crouched his attacker. Unruly hair was kept in check with a yellow and black bandanna, Eyes flamed with hate, the boy had one hand resting on his weapon, an umbrella.
Ranma studied the boy, he was vaguely familiar. "You!" he exclaimed trying to place the boy.
The boy rose and took an aggressive stance, umbrella pointing at Ranma.
"You haven't changed, your still good at running away I see Ranma."
Ranma was perplexed, who was he?
After staring hard at Ranma the boy continued "Just tell me one thing Ranma, why did you run on our man-to-man fight?"
Those words clinched it and Ranma broke into a smile. "Ryoga, Hibiki Ryogo, I remember you, how's it going old buddy?"
Ryoga's expression darkened. "Just answer the question Ranma."
Ranma's tone was bored. "I waited for three days at the place you chose."
"And on the fourth day when I got there you were gone!"
Ranma took on a tone of exasperation. "Ryoga, it was the abandoned lot five hundred yards away from your house. How come it took four days to get there?"
"I traveled non-stop for days to get there. Thanks to you I've seen Hell!"
The murmurs of the crowd watching the confrontation begin to mutter amongst themselves.
"No sense of direction?"
"None whatsoever!"
"Looks like it."
"Ranma I'll destroy your happiness!" Ryoga shouted as he charged Ranma.
Idly wondering out loud if he was happy he dodged the boy's blows with his umbrella and leaped over him.
Ryoga charged off in the wrong direction shouting for Ranma to come back and face his punishment like a man.
Ranma stared after the boy for a few seconds, then shrugged and ran out of the gate.
Ranma sat on the roof where he had been meeting Akane every day since the time he had begun to call her Akane-chan.
Sometimes they would just talk about inconsequential things, other times Akane would get… well moody and tell him about another episode in her somewhat dark past. Then they would go spar for an hour. Ranma would show Akane what she had done wrong and then teach her something new. Thought most of it was normal Saotome Ryu, she didn't have enough control for the Yam-Sen-Ken yet.
Akane as they had agreed was helping Ranma on his speed, endurance and strength. Like he had suspected she was holding back on him.
For twenty minutes each day he would have to try and dodge and punch out at her flickering form that lashed out at him with lightning paced blows.
He could feel her training working, already his speed was up and everyday her blows stung less and less.
Idly wondering how she would help him develop his strength he watched the city.
"Hey Ranma."
That was annoying too, though he was getting better at detecting her he had trouble picking her up unless she was close by. He smirked, awareness training he guessed.
"Hey Akane-chan."
"So what was up with that Ryoga guy."
"You saw?"
"Yup" She replied sitting down besides him.
"I don't know."
"Any idea at all why he hated you so much?"
"Ummm…"
"Heh, so like you Ranma, nothing in that head of yours is there?" She smiled, eyes twinkiling.
"HEY!" Ranma shouted indignantly
"So… no clue whatsoever yet?"
"Umm… I think it might be over lunch at when I knew him at school."
"Over lunch?"
"Ya, that's it, lunchtime in that school was war, you see it was an all- boys school and at the end the cafeteria lady would throw out the final bread of the day. I bounced off Ryoga's head and grabbed the croquette bread. He cried tears of bitterness and swore revenge."
"It seems a bit much for him to be so angry at you for one piece of bread."
"Well there was the shrimp bread, the cheese bread, the seafood bread…" Ranma continued to list almost every type of bread there was and Akane began to laugh.
"Oh Ranma…"
Akane and Ranma stood there breathing hard after a good hour's spar. Ranma was still black and blue all over from the force of Akane's blows and Akane had a similar mass of bruises though already fading.
"Wow, you did well today Akane-chan, your form's improved a lot."
"Ya Ranma, I can't believe how fast you've gotten in this past week. I think though its time to work on your strength, c'mon."
With that Akane lifted him up in her arms and jumped straight up. Though Ranma didn't really mind being carried by her it was disconcerting how safe he felt with her arms around her.
Idly wondering why he trusted Akane so much he watched the city far below past by in a blur.
Why did he want to be around her so much?
Dismissing the questions he looked around.
Realizing that they were actually headed out of the city he turned around to look at the girl gently cradling him in her arms. Her face was staring forward; ragged waist length hair swept back by the force of the wind, wings beating rhythmically.
"Where we going Akane-chan?"
Briefly glancing at him she replied. "It's where I store most of my stuff, a fairly extensive cave system only accessible from high on a cliff. I keep my stuff there"
"Ah." Ranma turned back around and saw where they were headed, Akane had taken a gentle half-circle and was heading towards the sea, and she was speeding up and to Ranma's slight shock both he and her were being surrounded by a blue-black aura.
The aura seemed to have immediate effects, as he could no longer feel the wind rushing against him. Wondering why she was producing the aura he gasped, the ground was moving far faster then it had before.
At the gasp she saw him looking at the ground.
"It's a fair distance away, I have to go fairly fast if we want to get there and back in time after getting the items we need."
Soon after the aura darkened completely so that Ranma couldn't see out. Akane's eyes began to flare brightly.
After five minutes of traveling in complete darkness Akane stopped, flapping three times to stabilize herself.
The aura dissipated and Ranma looked at the opening, it had a slight lip facing outward, which Akane slowly approached and set down.
Ranma got out of Akane's arms and looked around. Almost immediately a light began to shine from the ceiling.
Looking up he saw a gentle green glow from a lumpish stone set in the rocky ceiling.
Seeing Ranma'a gaze she explained "Demon detection stones, fairly common in most sorcerers and demon hunters inventories, I steal them off the weaker Demons all the time."
Ranma nodded and followed her as she walked down the tunnel.
Ranma watched her wings, in their natural folded position. They sat against her back slightly outspread, wings reaching from where their tips barely brushed against the uneven floor to about three feet above her head. Akane was about a head shorter then him but her impressive wings gave her the illusion of being much taller.
Her slight frame definitely belied her strength, Ranma had seen her easily picking up huge boulders and flying with them, just too redecorate their sparring ground.
Thoughts of Akane vanished when the tunnel opened up into a vast cavern.
As soon as Akane had entered lights had winked into existence as various swords; amulets, rings and stones began to glow.
Looking around in awe at the vast array of things laid out on boards set on bricks that made makeshift benches he wandered around as Akane began to browse the amulets.
Reaching the bench of the swords he picked up one particularly well crafted katana.
A strange feeling came over him and a voice began to mutter in his head.
- kill the demons, kill the demons kill the demons… –
The voice repeated over and over again like a mantra, Ranma glanced at Akane once and the voice began to clamor louder.
- Kill the demon kill the demon, kill the demon… -
He set the sword back down and the feelings and voice disappeared immediately.
Walking back to Akane when she suddenly gave a small cry of satisfaction as she picked up a necklace with a medium sized stone that looked like a lump of obsidian.
"Here Ranma, put this on."
Looking at her questionably he did so.
Once satisfied that he had done what she had asked she gestured for him to follow him.
"That's it?"
"Yes, that, Ranma, is a punishment item I got off a demon who made humans wear it. It causes the entire body of the wearer to become heavier when activated; only a demon can remove it. I wore it for nearly three weeks at the heaviest before I finished using it; it's like wearing your weights all the time. A great trainer!" She said enthusiastically.
Ranma blinked. "Is it activated?"
"No Ranma, I'm going to wait till we get back to the city, your heavy enough as it is without me having to carry you doubled in weight."
He smirked at her.
Ranma had noticed Akane didn't smile a lot or if she did smile it didn't reach her eyes, she usually had this sad, haunted expression on her face, which was a shame because even with those teeth she had a beautiful smile.
That was why Ranma always joked with her, instead of insulting her. She seemed to smile the most when they sparred so he quenched his uneasiness at fighting with a girl, even one as tough as Akane.
With Ranma in Akane's arms she leapt out of the opening, black aura immediately surrounding them as they sped to the glowing mass of lights that was Tokyo.
Ranma glared at Nabiki.
Nabiki glared at Ranma.
There had been a silent war raging between the two, Ranma had begun to play childish pranks on Nabiki and in retaliation, Nabiki had been egging Kuno on and selling Kuno pictures of Ranma in her girl-form. It was her fault that Kuno know thought him a sorcerer who had enslaved the pig-tailed kami.
They weren't a pair of happy fiancées, to tell the truth they hated each other's guts and it showed.
Also Akane had activated the amulet and weighing three times your own weight was not fun.
Turning away he smiled as Kasumi finished bring in the dishes of food. Despite Nabiki it was nice to have a home and steady meals everyday. Glancing around his eyes settled on Soun, an ok guy when he wasn't harping on how he would find hi ex-daughter and kill her he was quite good in the Art, and it showed in his students. Idly wondering if Tendo-san had any special techniques he asked him the question that was plaguing him.
"Hey Tendo-san, do you have any good techniques? Oyaji here won't teach me the Umi-Sen-Ken until next week."
"I suppose I could son, after all you will be teaching the combined Tendo/Saotome schools."
Ranma nodded his head and began the serious business of eating.
"Oh Ranma, when your finished there is some mail for you in the front hallway. Someone named Hibiki Ryoga sent it." Ranma absently noticed Kasumi's dress; it wasn't what she normally wore.
"You going out Kasumi?"
Kasumi looked surprised, the only person to notice her change in attire was Ranma?
"Yes Ranma, Doctor Tofu asked me out today, he was so silly dancing around with his skeleton after I said yes." She raised her hand to her mouth and giggled.
Soun nodded, the doctor was a fine young man, and his daughter could do well with him. His eyes darkened slightly as he thought of the changes in the ward since that night two years ago.
Yes it might be good for young Ranma to learn these skills, after all Ranma was almost his Father's equal now and he was half his father's age.
Then that horrid creature would pay.
"Would you like to start son?"
Ranma smiled and nodded. He then bounced into the dojo trying to ignore the extra weight.
Ranma waited patiently by the field, Ryoga had sent him a challenge letter nearly a week earlier.
That meant he was due soon, maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow but soon.
"WHERE IN THE WORLD AM I NOW?!?" Ranma smiled, that was Ryoga, checking himself for his consolation gifts he called out.
"Ryoga this way!"
Confusion to where he was turned to hatred at his foe. "Ranma are you prepared to suffer?"
"Here Ryoga." Ranma called out tossing the lost boy something.
"What is this?" Confusion was clear on the lost boy's face, a packet of bread in his hand.
"Aren't you greedy here!" Ranma began to toss him packet after packet of bread listing them off.
"What? Do you think you can appease me with bread?"
"This isn't a bread-feud?"
"RANMA DIE!" The lost boy charged Ranma and began to jab with his umbrella.
"C'mon man tell me what this is about."
"Do you think mere words can convey my suffering." The lost boy continued to lash out.
- When had Ranma gotten this fast? - Ryoga thought with frustration.
Getting increasingly agitated at his inability to strike his opponent he snapped open his umbrella and threw it in a particular fashion. Spinning like a buzz saw Ranma dodged the umbrella where it sliced apart a tree and returned to Ryoga's hands.
Once again sending it at Ranma Ryoga this time charged after it trying to surprise him. Ranma didn't dodge it that well as his shirt got ripped.
The umbrella sliced into the ground and came to a rest near some of the watching students. One of them tried to pick it up and exclaimed at its heaviness.
Ranma continued to dodge and Ryoga continued to get increasingly angry.
"Hey that was my favorite shirt"
"Ranma you sound like a girl!"
At that comment Ranma snapped, his curse had been particularly annoying since Kuno and Nabiki wouldn't let up on him.
"DON'T" Ranma blurred into the front of the lost boy.
"CALL" His fist lashed out and punched the lost boy in the stomach causing Ryoga to bend over slightly and gasp for air.
"ME" A second punch followed this time into his face jerking Ryoga back upright.
"A GIRL!!" Ranma followed through with a snap kick to his chin that sent Ryoga flying over the tall wire fence that surrounded the park. Ranma followed with a snarl.
In a nearby tree a pair of golden eyes looked on worriedly.
Ryoga coming to his senses hastily dodged the enraged boy.
Ranma's kick impacted with the fountain behind the lost boy spraying water everywhere.
Ryoga quickly intervened with his umbrella, which had been picked up before Ranma had gotten angry.
To say he was surprised when a short redhead came out of the water and kicked him in stomach was an understatement.
"Wh-Wh-Who are you?!?"
"Who do you think lost boy?" The 'girl' snarled.
"R-R-Ranma?"
"Who did you think I was?" She said anger evident in her voice.
"You're a girl?"
"I AM NOT A GIRL!" It was then that she noticed her change.
"Oh." She looked down ashamed.
"I guess you think this is funny eh Ryoga? Go ahead and laugh, I have a curse."
Ryoga laughed all right. "You think that beautiful body is a curse Ranma? You have no idea what a curse is like! DIE!"
He threw the bandannas that were already spinning in his hands. Ranma absently dodged them.
"Hey Ryoga." Ranma hopped forward peering intently at the boy.
"How many bandannas are you wearing anyway?"
Instead of replying the lost boy unleashed another set of whirring bandannas.
Ranma knocked one of them into the tree's branches behind him.
After a few more seconds of fighting, Ryoga have abandoned the bandannas and backing Ranma against a tree Ranma noticed something on the ground in front of him.
It looked oddly familiar, though why would a three-foot long bundle of blue- black hair look familiar?
Blue-Black Hair?
Uh-Oh.
Ramna looked behind him.
Yep.
Akane's tree.
He then looked up and straight into a set of angry gold eyes.
Ryoga, wondering what had distracted his foe also looked up and gulped. He then looked down.
Hair.
He looked up.
Demon with short hair.
Bandanna stuck in tree behind demon.
Not good, he knew one thing; he had just cut off a demon's hair.
A demon who looked like she had liked her hair the way it had been.
Ryoga wasn't a coward.
But this time he decided discretion was the better part of valor.
Ranma glanced down and slowly picked up the cut hair. Timidly he held it up to her.
"Umm… sorry Akane?"
Instead of replying she merely snarled at him eyes bright with unshed tears. She then strreaked across the schoolyard, flying low.
Was she… crying?
Ranma turned around and headed home dejected, hair still in his hands.
He had a feeling there wouldn't be a sparring session today. He'd go look for her later.
Well there we go how'd you like the latest installment of On Wings of Black?
OK we've introduced Ryoga, seen some more of Akane's troubled past and Ranma's mastered the Yama-Sen-Ken. Ranma has also begun strength training ala modified demon torture necklace.
Will Ryoga find out about Ranma being friends with Akane?
What will Ranma think of Ryoga's curse?
What will happen when the Black Rose meets the Demoness Akane?
All this and more!
Next chapter of On Wings of Black!
Little Boy Lost
Little Boy Found
Little Boy Gone
Little Boy Becomes Young Man
Young Man Lost
Young Man Found
Young Man Cursed
Young Man Almost Eaten
Young Man Blames it All On Ranma
Akane studied the pig in her hands.
No wonder she had thought she had smelled a tasty magical snack!
This pig exuded a strong magical aura; she also now knew why the pig smelled familiar.
He smelled like Jusenkyou!
She noticed with a touch of sadness the pig was deathly afraid of her, damnit, she had thought her luck had changed with Ranma.
Then she felt a brief pain in the hand she was carrying the piglet in. "Hey!" Akane cried out indignantly. Her hands open involuntary.
That had stung!
- Stupid pig - She thought as she watched the pig fall to the ground and then disappear running down an alleyway.
After looking for the piglet for a few minutes Akane decided to head back to Ranma, after all they did still have to spar.
"So, what did you mean when you said you smelled magic?" Ranma asked between gasps of breath.
"I can smell much better then I could before the Change, so well in fact that I can tell the difference between people, I also can smell demons and magic. Probably to aid me when I'm looking for a demon to eat."
Ranma nodded. "Did you find whoever you smelled?"
"Yes, I think it was a Jusenkyou cursed person in his cursed form."
Ranma's eyebrows shot up at that. "Really? I didn't know there were more people cursed."
"Yes, if you see a small black piglet with a bandanna around his neck get him some hot water." She grinned.
"Huh, well Akane want me to tell you what you did wrong while we sparred?"
"Sure."
Ranma began to move, using his incredible sense of recall during battles to act out her attack and defense, while talking. "You have a tendency to strike out with not enough control which telegraphs your moves and almost any decent fighter can read that. It also causes you to slightly overextend yourself."
Akane nodded, watching him move through what she had done pointed out some glaringly obvious holes in her attacks and defenses.
"You are also fairly weak at blocking, though it's probably because you can ignore most attacks right?"
At her nod he continued.
"There is always someone stronger then you 'Kane, or faster or tougher. So if you can improve on your defense it means that someone stronger then you can't get you in that crucial time before you pound his face in. Here lemme show you a kata that emphasizes blocks and dodging."
As Akane watched him move through the kata flawlessly she wondered briefly if it would be worth it to become more… romantically involved him. No, she might lose his friendship and to her that was worth any price, even watching him fall in love with someone else.
Of course it could be her complete lack of any type of relationship besides enemies with anyone was enhancing her feelings towards the young man so she should take everything she felt with a grain of salt.
There was also a chance that after he heard he entire story he would hate her, just like everyone else.
Well she wanted to get it off her chest.
Those needless death's.
Why didn't they just leave her alone?
She didn't want to kill them. But… They had threatened her domain; they threatened to kill people in Nerima. Nerima was hers, even if everyone hated her it was hers!
Damn those demon-hunters, anything for the kill.
Damn them.
Ranma's concerned gaze interrupted her thoughts. "Akane you ok? You sorta dozed off there."
At her nod and the smile that didn't reach her slightly glowing gold eyes he sat down in front of her legs crossed. "C'mon tell me what's bugging ya."
Akane's eyes turned downcast. "I'm worried that you'll hate me too Ranma. Oh gods I don't w-want you to hate me too."
Ranma realized that, to his rising panic, Akane was crying!
"Akane please don't cry, I won't hate ya." Akane looked up at him with a little hope in her eyes, though most of that was covered in resignation and a terrible loneliness. She began to speak, her voice hesitant but growing in determination.
"It was about six months after the Change. I was sleeping in an abandoned hotel room in a fairly well known hotel; somehow two demon hunters had managed to track a man a woman and me there. When I woke up they had just finished planting a large bomb near my door; I recognized it as a powerful chemical explosive from a weapons magazine I had stolen three weeks before. By the time I realized just what they were doing my time was up.
They had already exited the hotel and I could see them from my window. There were at least fifty guests and twice that would probably die when the hotel collapsed. I was through that window before I realized what I was doing. Before the woman even had time to react I had ripped off her arm. A few moments later I kicked her in the neck hard enough to tear her head off her shoulders and throw it through the glass storefront beside her. Before the man could even react I had punched him straight through the chest. That Ranma is why I know you'll hate me like everyone else does."
Ranma was staring at her, well not in horror, but something else close to it. Then his eyes cleared as she made to move away from the one person she thought she could be friends with.
"Akane you just did what you could to save others lives, it's the duty of the martial artist to protect the weak."
Akane smiled at that. "Ranma I could have done it without killing either of them, I should have more control then that but I ran on my instincts."
"Akane…"
She interrupted him. "Ranma how can you still be my friend? They were only doing what they thought was right, trying to keep a demon from killing and enslaving people. I reacted on my instincts, those of a predator, like your Shadow said, a Hunter."
"I'll always be your friend. What do you mean Akane-chan?"
Akane gaped at the suffix. "Chan?"
"You're my friend Akane, I wouldn't give that up for the world. Now what do you mean you're a Hunter?"
She sat back down stunned by his words.
Ranma still wanted to be her friend? Despite the fact that she had killed two people trying to do the right thing?
"You know I need to eat unbalanced chi, right?"
At his nod she continued.
"Creatures with sufficient unbalanced chi are too unnatural to exist normally. The only creatures I have ever seen with enough of it even to whet my appetite are Demons and other such creatures of the night. Humans don't even have enough for me to draw out at all."
She looked him straight in the eye. "Ranma, even Demons fear and hate me. It's a natural reaction to my presence. I am Demoness Akane, Eater of Demons, Bane of All."
Ranma chuckled, rose and bowed. "Alright Demoness Akane-chan, I gotta get home, my pop said he needed to train me more, seeya tomorrow."
Akane sat stunned as she watched Ranma disappear over the wall. - Ooh that… that… boy! How dare he make fun of my condition! -
Then Akane broke into a smile, her slowly rising anger forgotten. "He called me Akane-chan." She said softly with wonder in her voice.
Akane broke into a fit of giggles.
She still had a friend!
He didn't hate her!
Laughing she leapt into the air doing barrel rolls and swooping though the terrified crowds joyously. Most of Nerima cringed as the horrible laughter rang through district. There were stampedes to get to safety as the horrible black winged figure swept through them, obviously looking for some victims
Ranma stood impatiently with his father in front of a small worn-down house.
"Why'd ya bring me here oyaji?"
"Silence boy, I'm going to show you the most basic attack in the Yama-Sen- Ken, then we are going to train until you get it right!"
Genma stood in front of the house and got into an aggressive stance.
"LOOK OUT!" He shouted with a roar, and lunged forward where he hit the wall with his outward-cupped hands seemingly trying to spread the wall away and simultaneously kicking the wall.
To Ranma's shock the wall was shredded with the power behind the blow.
"That, son, was the Moukokaimonha! The least powerful of the Yama-Sen-Ken's attacks."
Ranma was openly staring. "Least powerful?" He asked with an awed whisper.
"Yes, the first of the eight. The most powerful and most lethal is the Saidaikyuukijinraishuudan."
Ranma blinked at the name. "Now boy, we just have to train you in the use of the Yama-Sen-Ken. After we finish that we can move onto the Umi-Sen- Ken!"
Ranma lay panting on his futon completely exhausted, he had mastered the first two moves of the Yama-Sen-Ken, but his oyaji hadn't given up, it wasn't good enough for him to do them perfectly, he had to make them instinct, like he would use those deadly techniques on instinct.
Maybe Akane would like to learn these too, though she did seem to be strong enough to not need special techniques to rip things into two.
Ranma had a sneaking suspicion that Akane was actually holding her true strength and speed back during their sparring sessions, even with Ranma moving at his fastest he was always only a step faster then Akane. He was vaguely annoyed at her holding back yet he also understood it. He would do the same thing against someone who wanted to spar, yet wasn't really in his league.
- I'll show her that I can be just as good as her, more training like Oyaji has me doing and sparring with Akane and I'll be able to match her at her best, just you wait! -
With these thoughts he fell asleep, plans to increase his already strenuous training regimen forming.
Ranma groaned as she went back to the restrooms to get some water. Today at school had not been her day. She had been changed between a guy and a girl six times so far and when Kuno-baka had saw it he had startled to babble something about sorcery and the vile Saotome who had enslaved his pig- tailed kami.
Not only that, he had wakened up extra early to begin his increased training regimen and had slept through half his classes. Which of course had earned him some time waiting in the hall holding buckets. Good thing he had learned how to sleep while standing.
Ranma brightened considerable as she got her hot water and transformed into a guy. Now that that was out of the way he could go back for his afternoon sparring with Akane.
Running out the restroom he sprinted towards the doors and out to the schoolyard. As he neared the gate his danger-sense pinged.
Above him?
Glancing up he saw… someone silhouetted in the sun, some sort of weapon aiming directly at him.
That and the words shouted from the figure were enough to warn him. "RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!"
Legs tensed in seconds Ranma dodged; absently noticing the ground he had just been standing on was now a five-foot wide crater.
In the center of the crater crouched his attacker. Unruly hair was kept in check with a yellow and black bandanna, Eyes flamed with hate, the boy had one hand resting on his weapon, an umbrella.
Ranma studied the boy, he was vaguely familiar. "You!" he exclaimed trying to place the boy.
The boy rose and took an aggressive stance, umbrella pointing at Ranma.
"You haven't changed, your still good at running away I see Ranma."
Ranma was perplexed, who was he?
After staring hard at Ranma the boy continued "Just tell me one thing Ranma, why did you run on our man-to-man fight?"
Those words clinched it and Ranma broke into a smile. "Ryoga, Hibiki Ryogo, I remember you, how's it going old buddy?"
Ryoga's expression darkened. "Just answer the question Ranma."
Ranma's tone was bored. "I waited for three days at the place you chose."
"And on the fourth day when I got there you were gone!"
Ranma took on a tone of exasperation. "Ryoga, it was the abandoned lot five hundred yards away from your house. How come it took four days to get there?"
"I traveled non-stop for days to get there. Thanks to you I've seen Hell!"
The murmurs of the crowd watching the confrontation begin to mutter amongst themselves.
"No sense of direction?"
"None whatsoever!"
"Looks like it."
"Ranma I'll destroy your happiness!" Ryoga shouted as he charged Ranma.
Idly wondering out loud if he was happy he dodged the boy's blows with his umbrella and leaped over him.
Ryoga charged off in the wrong direction shouting for Ranma to come back and face his punishment like a man.
Ranma stared after the boy for a few seconds, then shrugged and ran out of the gate.
Ranma sat on the roof where he had been meeting Akane every day since the time he had begun to call her Akane-chan.
Sometimes they would just talk about inconsequential things, other times Akane would get… well moody and tell him about another episode in her somewhat dark past. Then they would go spar for an hour. Ranma would show Akane what she had done wrong and then teach her something new. Thought most of it was normal Saotome Ryu, she didn't have enough control for the Yam-Sen-Ken yet.
Akane as they had agreed was helping Ranma on his speed, endurance and strength. Like he had suspected she was holding back on him.
For twenty minutes each day he would have to try and dodge and punch out at her flickering form that lashed out at him with lightning paced blows.
He could feel her training working, already his speed was up and everyday her blows stung less and less.
Idly wondering how she would help him develop his strength he watched the city.
"Hey Ranma."
That was annoying too, though he was getting better at detecting her he had trouble picking her up unless she was close by. He smirked, awareness training he guessed.
"Hey Akane-chan."
"So what was up with that Ryoga guy."
"You saw?"
"Yup" She replied sitting down besides him.
"I don't know."
"Any idea at all why he hated you so much?"
"Ummm…"
"Heh, so like you Ranma, nothing in that head of yours is there?" She smiled, eyes twinkiling.
"HEY!" Ranma shouted indignantly
"So… no clue whatsoever yet?"
"Umm… I think it might be over lunch at when I knew him at school."
"Over lunch?"
"Ya, that's it, lunchtime in that school was war, you see it was an all- boys school and at the end the cafeteria lady would throw out the final bread of the day. I bounced off Ryoga's head and grabbed the croquette bread. He cried tears of bitterness and swore revenge."
"It seems a bit much for him to be so angry at you for one piece of bread."
"Well there was the shrimp bread, the cheese bread, the seafood bread…" Ranma continued to list almost every type of bread there was and Akane began to laugh.
"Oh Ranma…"
Akane and Ranma stood there breathing hard after a good hour's spar. Ranma was still black and blue all over from the force of Akane's blows and Akane had a similar mass of bruises though already fading.
"Wow, you did well today Akane-chan, your form's improved a lot."
"Ya Ranma, I can't believe how fast you've gotten in this past week. I think though its time to work on your strength, c'mon."
With that Akane lifted him up in her arms and jumped straight up. Though Ranma didn't really mind being carried by her it was disconcerting how safe he felt with her arms around her.
Idly wondering why he trusted Akane so much he watched the city far below past by in a blur.
Why did he want to be around her so much?
Dismissing the questions he looked around.
Realizing that they were actually headed out of the city he turned around to look at the girl gently cradling him in her arms. Her face was staring forward; ragged waist length hair swept back by the force of the wind, wings beating rhythmically.
"Where we going Akane-chan?"
Briefly glancing at him she replied. "It's where I store most of my stuff, a fairly extensive cave system only accessible from high on a cliff. I keep my stuff there"
"Ah." Ranma turned back around and saw where they were headed, Akane had taken a gentle half-circle and was heading towards the sea, and she was speeding up and to Ranma's slight shock both he and her were being surrounded by a blue-black aura.
The aura seemed to have immediate effects, as he could no longer feel the wind rushing against him. Wondering why she was producing the aura he gasped, the ground was moving far faster then it had before.
At the gasp she saw him looking at the ground.
"It's a fair distance away, I have to go fairly fast if we want to get there and back in time after getting the items we need."
Soon after the aura darkened completely so that Ranma couldn't see out. Akane's eyes began to flare brightly.
After five minutes of traveling in complete darkness Akane stopped, flapping three times to stabilize herself.
The aura dissipated and Ranma looked at the opening, it had a slight lip facing outward, which Akane slowly approached and set down.
Ranma got out of Akane's arms and looked around. Almost immediately a light began to shine from the ceiling.
Looking up he saw a gentle green glow from a lumpish stone set in the rocky ceiling.
Seeing Ranma'a gaze she explained "Demon detection stones, fairly common in most sorcerers and demon hunters inventories, I steal them off the weaker Demons all the time."
Ranma nodded and followed her as she walked down the tunnel.
Ranma watched her wings, in their natural folded position. They sat against her back slightly outspread, wings reaching from where their tips barely brushed against the uneven floor to about three feet above her head. Akane was about a head shorter then him but her impressive wings gave her the illusion of being much taller.
Her slight frame definitely belied her strength, Ranma had seen her easily picking up huge boulders and flying with them, just too redecorate their sparring ground.
Thoughts of Akane vanished when the tunnel opened up into a vast cavern.
As soon as Akane had entered lights had winked into existence as various swords; amulets, rings and stones began to glow.
Looking around in awe at the vast array of things laid out on boards set on bricks that made makeshift benches he wandered around as Akane began to browse the amulets.
Reaching the bench of the swords he picked up one particularly well crafted katana.
A strange feeling came over him and a voice began to mutter in his head.
- kill the demons, kill the demons kill the demons… –
The voice repeated over and over again like a mantra, Ranma glanced at Akane once and the voice began to clamor louder.
- Kill the demon kill the demon, kill the demon… -
He set the sword back down and the feelings and voice disappeared immediately.
Walking back to Akane when she suddenly gave a small cry of satisfaction as she picked up a necklace with a medium sized stone that looked like a lump of obsidian.
"Here Ranma, put this on."
Looking at her questionably he did so.
Once satisfied that he had done what she had asked she gestured for him to follow him.
"That's it?"
"Yes, that, Ranma, is a punishment item I got off a demon who made humans wear it. It causes the entire body of the wearer to become heavier when activated; only a demon can remove it. I wore it for nearly three weeks at the heaviest before I finished using it; it's like wearing your weights all the time. A great trainer!" She said enthusiastically.
Ranma blinked. "Is it activated?"
"No Ranma, I'm going to wait till we get back to the city, your heavy enough as it is without me having to carry you doubled in weight."
He smirked at her.
Ranma had noticed Akane didn't smile a lot or if she did smile it didn't reach her eyes, she usually had this sad, haunted expression on her face, which was a shame because even with those teeth she had a beautiful smile.
That was why Ranma always joked with her, instead of insulting her. She seemed to smile the most when they sparred so he quenched his uneasiness at fighting with a girl, even one as tough as Akane.
With Ranma in Akane's arms she leapt out of the opening, black aura immediately surrounding them as they sped to the glowing mass of lights that was Tokyo.
Ranma glared at Nabiki.
Nabiki glared at Ranma.
There had been a silent war raging between the two, Ranma had begun to play childish pranks on Nabiki and in retaliation, Nabiki had been egging Kuno on and selling Kuno pictures of Ranma in her girl-form. It was her fault that Kuno know thought him a sorcerer who had enslaved the pig-tailed kami.
They weren't a pair of happy fiancées, to tell the truth they hated each other's guts and it showed.
Also Akane had activated the amulet and weighing three times your own weight was not fun.
Turning away he smiled as Kasumi finished bring in the dishes of food. Despite Nabiki it was nice to have a home and steady meals everyday. Glancing around his eyes settled on Soun, an ok guy when he wasn't harping on how he would find hi ex-daughter and kill her he was quite good in the Art, and it showed in his students. Idly wondering if Tendo-san had any special techniques he asked him the question that was plaguing him.
"Hey Tendo-san, do you have any good techniques? Oyaji here won't teach me the Umi-Sen-Ken until next week."
"I suppose I could son, after all you will be teaching the combined Tendo/Saotome schools."
Ranma nodded his head and began the serious business of eating.
"Oh Ranma, when your finished there is some mail for you in the front hallway. Someone named Hibiki Ryoga sent it." Ranma absently noticed Kasumi's dress; it wasn't what she normally wore.
"You going out Kasumi?"
Kasumi looked surprised, the only person to notice her change in attire was Ranma?
"Yes Ranma, Doctor Tofu asked me out today, he was so silly dancing around with his skeleton after I said yes." She raised her hand to her mouth and giggled.
Soun nodded, the doctor was a fine young man, and his daughter could do well with him. His eyes darkened slightly as he thought of the changes in the ward since that night two years ago.
Yes it might be good for young Ranma to learn these skills, after all Ranma was almost his Father's equal now and he was half his father's age.
Then that horrid creature would pay.
"Would you like to start son?"
Ranma smiled and nodded. He then bounced into the dojo trying to ignore the extra weight.
Ranma waited patiently by the field, Ryoga had sent him a challenge letter nearly a week earlier.
That meant he was due soon, maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow but soon.
"WHERE IN THE WORLD AM I NOW?!?" Ranma smiled, that was Ryoga, checking himself for his consolation gifts he called out.
"Ryoga this way!"
Confusion to where he was turned to hatred at his foe. "Ranma are you prepared to suffer?"
"Here Ryoga." Ranma called out tossing the lost boy something.
"What is this?" Confusion was clear on the lost boy's face, a packet of bread in his hand.
"Aren't you greedy here!" Ranma began to toss him packet after packet of bread listing them off.
"What? Do you think you can appease me with bread?"
"This isn't a bread-feud?"
"RANMA DIE!" The lost boy charged Ranma and began to jab with his umbrella.
"C'mon man tell me what this is about."
"Do you think mere words can convey my suffering." The lost boy continued to lash out.
- When had Ranma gotten this fast? - Ryoga thought with frustration.
Getting increasingly agitated at his inability to strike his opponent he snapped open his umbrella and threw it in a particular fashion. Spinning like a buzz saw Ranma dodged the umbrella where it sliced apart a tree and returned to Ryoga's hands.
Once again sending it at Ranma Ryoga this time charged after it trying to surprise him. Ranma didn't dodge it that well as his shirt got ripped.
The umbrella sliced into the ground and came to a rest near some of the watching students. One of them tried to pick it up and exclaimed at its heaviness.
Ranma continued to dodge and Ryoga continued to get increasingly angry.
"Hey that was my favorite shirt"
"Ranma you sound like a girl!"
At that comment Ranma snapped, his curse had been particularly annoying since Kuno and Nabiki wouldn't let up on him.
"DON'T" Ranma blurred into the front of the lost boy.
"CALL" His fist lashed out and punched the lost boy in the stomach causing Ryoga to bend over slightly and gasp for air.
"ME" A second punch followed this time into his face jerking Ryoga back upright.
"A GIRL!!" Ranma followed through with a snap kick to his chin that sent Ryoga flying over the tall wire fence that surrounded the park. Ranma followed with a snarl.
In a nearby tree a pair of golden eyes looked on worriedly.
Ryoga coming to his senses hastily dodged the enraged boy.
Ranma's kick impacted with the fountain behind the lost boy spraying water everywhere.
Ryoga quickly intervened with his umbrella, which had been picked up before Ranma had gotten angry.
To say he was surprised when a short redhead came out of the water and kicked him in stomach was an understatement.
"Wh-Wh-Who are you?!?"
"Who do you think lost boy?" The 'girl' snarled.
"R-R-Ranma?"
"Who did you think I was?" She said anger evident in her voice.
"You're a girl?"
"I AM NOT A GIRL!" It was then that she noticed her change.
"Oh." She looked down ashamed.
"I guess you think this is funny eh Ryoga? Go ahead and laugh, I have a curse."
Ryoga laughed all right. "You think that beautiful body is a curse Ranma? You have no idea what a curse is like! DIE!"
He threw the bandannas that were already spinning in his hands. Ranma absently dodged them.
"Hey Ryoga." Ranma hopped forward peering intently at the boy.
"How many bandannas are you wearing anyway?"
Instead of replying the lost boy unleashed another set of whirring bandannas.
Ranma knocked one of them into the tree's branches behind him.
After a few more seconds of fighting, Ryoga have abandoned the bandannas and backing Ranma against a tree Ranma noticed something on the ground in front of him.
It looked oddly familiar, though why would a three-foot long bundle of blue- black hair look familiar?
Blue-Black Hair?
Uh-Oh.
Ramna looked behind him.
Yep.
Akane's tree.
He then looked up and straight into a set of angry gold eyes.
Ryoga, wondering what had distracted his foe also looked up and gulped. He then looked down.
Hair.
He looked up.
Demon with short hair.
Bandanna stuck in tree behind demon.
Not good, he knew one thing; he had just cut off a demon's hair.
A demon who looked like she had liked her hair the way it had been.
Ryoga wasn't a coward.
But this time he decided discretion was the better part of valor.
Ranma glanced down and slowly picked up the cut hair. Timidly he held it up to her.
"Umm… sorry Akane?"
Instead of replying she merely snarled at him eyes bright with unshed tears. She then strreaked across the schoolyard, flying low.
Was she… crying?
Ranma turned around and headed home dejected, hair still in his hands.
He had a feeling there wouldn't be a sparring session today. He'd go look for her later.
Well there we go how'd you like the latest installment of On Wings of Black?
OK we've introduced Ryoga, seen some more of Akane's troubled past and Ranma's mastered the Yama-Sen-Ken. Ranma has also begun strength training ala modified demon torture necklace.
Will Ryoga find out about Ranma being friends with Akane?
What will Ranma think of Ryoga's curse?
What will happen when the Black Rose meets the Demoness Akane?
All this and more!
Next chapter of On Wings of Black!