Rumiko Takahashi owns Ranma ½
Glowing eyes surround me
Claws rip at me
Needlepoint fangs rend me
Hisses and yowls deafen me
Terror grips me
The Pit surrounds me
Help me…
Ranma woke up in midair again, he noted with some confusion that it was dark out. His father usually waited for after dawn to start his training. Ranma's thoughts were still on the incident yesterday
Ranma had spent most of yesterday looking for Akane after depositing the cut hair in a box under a loose floorboard in his room.
Ranma landed with a splash into the fishpond. Those koi must beginning to hate him and his father, they fell into the pond five times a day each minimum.
Spluttering she rose and glanced at the figure. Idly noting the rain she then noticed the red bamboo umbrella.
"Ryoga? What the hell are you doing here?" She exclaimed hotly. "It's the middle of the night!"
"Revenge waits for nothing Ranma." He lunged with an outstretched fist, ready to pound his hated foe into paste.
"C'mon man tell me what's got you so pissed?" Ranma asked, calmly dodging the lost boy's blows.
"Thanks to you I've seen hell Ranma, I followed you all the way to China." Ranma's eyes widened.
"Aw man don't tell me you went to Jusenkyou and now you turn into something?" Ranma said, a cloud of guilt settling on him.
"Be quite and DIE!"
The one reason Ranma was only dodging was because of Akane's strength training had been increased from four times his own weight to six times. Most of her punch's power was robbed by the simple fact that her arms weighed so much.
Briefly remembering this afternoon where she had managed to kick Ryoga over the fence, she knew that in her girl form she had virtually no strength to hurt Ryoga. Ryoga always had been a tough one.
There was one possibility to win, but that would be like using her own fear of cats against her, dishonorable.
So Ranma continued to dodge and wait.
"Fight me Ranma!"
"Why should I lost-boy? You're wearing yourself out just fine!"
Ryoga snarled at that, he knew it was true. If Ranma attacked she would have to stay still long enough for Ryoga to get a good solid hit in, as it was Ryoga was wasting his blows on the girl.
Ranma was in the middle of dodging another blow of Ryoga's fist when she noticed Ryoga had frozen with eyes wide.
"Huh?" Ranma turned her head to see what had distracted her opponent, on guard for a surprise attack. She saw a dark mass with two brightly shimmering gold specks. She knew immediately who it was, who would scare everyone just by being looked at… except her.
Turning back around at a slight noise behind her muscle tense to resume dodging she saw Ryoga backing away, pale with terror. She groaned.
"Aw man Ryoga it's just Akane!"
"It doesn't matter what you do Ranma, they hate me, it's a part of what I am."
"But Akane, I'm sure if ya point out what you've done…" She said turning back to argue with the winged girl.
"Sorry Ranma, I tried that, it didn't do any good, just let a few demon hunters get close enough to try their luck,"
Both of them turned at the loud splash. Akane noticed the sudden flow of magic expanding through the yard. She almost licked her chops at the smell then remembered; magical pot roast equals Jusenkyou cursed victim.
"Was that Ryoga?"
"Ya, here are his clothes." Ranma picked up the empty outfit. She hefted them, then asked. "Where'd he go?"
"Remember that piglet I told you about?"
"Ya?"
"I think that was him."
"Oh man, that's gotta suck! He must be on everyone's lunch menu from here to China!"
Akane nodded and Ranma hopped up to sit beside her.
"Hey Akane-chan, why were you so upset when your hair got cut?" She asked with her usual tact, which was to say none.
Akane lowered her head. "It's kind of silly but I started growing my hair long to compete for Doctor Tofu's affections. I felt that as long as I kept on growing my hair I could return to normal, it was my last link with my former life. My ex-Father burned everything I owned after I left."
She began to cry and leaned against Ranma's shoulder as Ranma put her arm around the sobbing girl. "I want to be normal Ranma, I want to be a normal girl with a high-school crush and normal problems, not worrying about Demons and demon hunters."
"Akane-chan, I'm here for ya, and I swear if there is a way for you to return to normal we will find it!"
"Ranma…" The Demoness Akane, Eater of Demons, Bane of All muttered and then wrapped both her arms around the smaller girl and covered them both with her wings sheltering them from the rain as her sobs intensified
- It's a good thing no one saw her last night, I coulda been seen as someone who worked for her or somethin! -
Ranma was running down the sidewalk, she had abandoned fence walking when she had felt the fence almost give from her increased weight.
Yesterday it had broken almost immediately when she had been in guy form. Figuring that if she increased her strength in girl form it would be more beneficial.
Today she would spend the entire day as a girl, even if Kuno were in her face from dusk till dawn!
There was _some_ advantages to this form, she thought and grinned at the extra treats she had received by acting extra cute.
Turning the corner she heard cries of pain. Leaping onto the wall mentally grumbling at the weight she looked at the scene with interest, some girl in a schoolgirl's uniform was facing off three guys wrapped in bandages.
"Get her!" The three guys charged at the girl with clubs in hand.
"OHOHOHO you think to challenge the beautiful flower of St. Hebereke's High?" The girl tore off her uniform revealing a leotard that reminded her of what Akane wore, complete with a black rose on the left breast.
Ranma smiled slightly at that as she watched the one in the leotard begin to beat on the three guys, Akane still wore the pants she had given her on that night she had met Akane. Maybe she would give her some more pairs Ranma mused.
Ranma noticed with a scowl that the guys were now cringing at the blows and the girl had beaten them to the ground and wasn't letting up.
Ranma hopped off the wall and landed in front of the three guys and seized the ribbon.
"You stopped my ribbon with your hand. You certainly aren't an ordinary girl!"
"You could say that."
The leotard-clad girl sneered. "That's good because I prefer not to treat girls with ordinary…" She dropped her ribbon and flipped one of the fallen clubs into her hand while talking and lunged at Ranma, "courtesy!"
Ranma easily dodged the blow by doing a perfectly executed sweep with her leg, which sent the girl tumbling.
The other girl showed her agility when she contorted her body and landed onto her feet in a pose arm stretched out. "You are good, know this I am the beautiful young flower of St. Hebereke's High School for Girls, Captain of the Rhythmic Gymnastics team, Kodachi the Black Rose! "
Then Kodachi tossed Ranma a black rose and leaped over the fence twirling her ribbon and laughing as she bounded away.
"Hey you guys are giving men a bad name, stop crying." Ranma scolded as she turned around.
"We aren't men!" The girls unwrapped the bandages around them showing familiar _female_ faces.
Ranma blinked.
"…so somehow those girls made me feel so ashamed at not recognizing they were girls in the first place that I'm now going to compete in the Rhythmic Martial Arts Gymnastics against that crazy Black Petunia girl."
"I think that was Black Rose Ranma."
"Whatever, so now I'm gonna have to learn all the rules to that sport and everything, I don't like rules!"
"You'll live." Akane was chuckling.
"Well Akane, you get to help me practice!"
"Hey!"
"Yes you will, after all how else am I gonna train in this girls sport without a girl to learn it from."
"I know nothing about Rhythmic Gymnastics Ranma!"
"Well too bad, you're helpin!"
"Tomorrow baka, you need the tools, I'll help you when you get them."
"Fine, but you better be here." Ranma hopped off the wall. "Oh hey Akane? Do you think you can survive one of these?"
Quickly performing the hand movements necessary to replicate the vacuum blade she shouted the name of the attack. "Kijinraishuudan"
Akane watches as the bolt of rippling air leaves a jagged hole in the wall beside her.
"Do that again, same spot, would you?"
"Sure!"
"Kijinraishuudan"
Akane stuck out her hand and watched as the vacuum blade approached it.
It hit.
Akane's hand exploded into gore, then the blood and bits of flesh and bone stopped in midair. A blue-black aura surrounded the mass of blood and flesh.
Ranma watched a horrified that his attack had hurt her that badly. Then his eyes bulged, the blue-black aura was gone, leaving a perfectly fine hand.
"I think I can handle it why?" Ranma stood there gawking.
Akane grabbed a chunk of the wall off and threw it at the comatose boy. "I said I think I can handle. Why?" She said after the piece of wall hit the boy in the forehead.
"OUCH"
"Umm… It might be a good idea if people see me and you fighting in the streets and that's the only long range attack I have."
"So you DO have a brain! And here I thought it was just a mass of bone and gristle." Akane smirked down at him.
"HEY! You wanna repeat that Demoness Akane-Chan?"
"Ooh is that a challenge? Hmmmm puny mortal?"
"Puny? Why you! HYAAAAA!" Ranma leaped at the winged-girl.
Laughing the two friends began to fight across the rooftops.
The tiny back pig just behind the bushes shuddered as he heard the yells and laughter fade away from him.
No wonder Ranma had tortured him and sent him through hell, he had been controlled by that demon the entire time.
That strange blast Ranma had sent at the demon, and the way the demon had healed itself, had proved to Ryoga that he didn't have a bat's chance in hell of killing either of them, but if they found out what he knew, who knows what horrible tortures could be inflicted on him.
He pondered it, then came to a decision, he would tell everyone who could to stay away from Saotome, without either him or the demon finding out.
Then, then he would get stronger and kill both the evil beings that they were.
Nodding his head and squealing in piggish out loud his vow he went looking for some hot water.
Akane floated back from another vacuum blade, then decide to give her a little surprise. Grinning she cupped her hands in front of her and began to summon her more destructive chi blast.
"Crimson BEEEAAM"
Ranma was hit full in the chest and lay against the way for ten seconds stunned.
"What was THAT?" She shouted at Akane when she recovered.
"My chi blast."
"How'd you do it?" She asked while she hopped onto the roof next to Akane, wincing slightly at the massive bruise on her chest.
"Summon a piece of your strongest emotion and channel it through your chi."
"Emotion?"
"Yes, I use hatred."
Ranma's eyes narrowed.
"Why hatred?"
"I hate the demons I eat for existing, since I'm pretty sure one of them cursed me, and I hate myself for letting me become something like them." Akane said somberly, all joy at their sparring session gone.
"Akane-chan you are nothing like the demons, hell would one of them bother to save lives like you did?"
"No… I guess your right Ranma."
"Of course I am!" She gave her a cocky grin, then started backing away as Akane raised her hand and a deep red flickered across it.
"Hey… Akane, ummmm… peace?"
"Puny mortal! Prepare to suffer at my hands." Akane grinned at Ranma.
Ranma pushed herself to her limits as she dodged the beam of energy, this one much weaker then before. Smirking she tried to replicate the blast herself, a faint flicker of golden energy surged around her hands.
Pleased with the result she continued to the heavy sparring match with Akane, Akane form blurred every now and then and Ranma's female formed flowed through the motions of blocking, dodging, kicking and punching.
There.
An opening, her emotion that she had chosen and the chi was simmering within her.
Her aura flared around her as she pumped the emotion through herself. Golden light surrounded her and focused in front of her hand.
"Plasma FLARE."
Ranma had felt the heat from the faint aura that had surrounded her hand's the first time and the golden color had reminded her of the Sun… and well Akane's eyes but it was the same color.
Akane's eyes twinkled, she had known Ranma was good, but this, this meant he could do a technique after having it explained to him and only seeing it once!
"Has your father begun teaching you what was it? The Umi-Sen-Ken?" She asked between blows
"No, he's irritated at my lack of progress and backsliding."
"Awwww, is the poor little wanma brought down low by merely weighing eight times his own weight?"
"Ha! You wish."
After continuing for a few more minutes in companionable silence and battle Ranma spoke up. "Oh that reminds me, would you like to learn some of the Tendo-Ryu? It's mainly advanced weapon techniques."
Akane faltered at that and Ranma gave a crow of victory as he managed to grab on to her arm midair and slam into the opposite wall.
"Ranma… I'd love to learn some advanced Tendo-Ryu!"
"Great. Meetcha in the sparring ground." Ranma smiled and began to roofhop his way across Nerima.
Ranma wiped her forehead, three long hours in the Dojo learning advanced Tendo-Ryu was tough, especially since it concentrated in channeling chi through the weapons. She remembered the first time she had seen the most advanced and forbidden moves of Tendo-Ryu
Chi forged weapons.
Weapons actually built and stabilized by chi, it was an amazing thing, they looked like the real thing and felt like it but the creator could dispel or form a weapon quite quickly, depending on how good you were.
He remembered how he nearly gotten skewered on Soun's nagatania. The damn thing had appeared while him and Soun had been exchanging blows unarmed.
Akane's lessons had gone well, she had already picked enough to take on most kenpo practitioners with a sword and it wasn't the only weapon she practiced with. She wouldn't be ready for someone of Kuno's caliber in pure skill in kenpo for a good month, but her training in Anything-Goes had already laid the foundation for the advanced Tendo-Ryu.
She flopped on to her bed and stared, right above her was the Black Petunia, with a black flower in her mouth, and she was holding a rather large hammer.
- Why did the mallet remind me of Akane? - Ranma thought to herself as she rolled off her bed.
Scowling at the girl she blurred and with a single throw sent the Black Petunia out the window.
"Saotome Ranma you shall pay for that!" The girl said arrogantly as she landed outside and began to bound off.
Disgusted and adrenaline still running through her veins she decided to change back to a guy. Opening the door and heading back downstairs she entered the kitchen.
Spotting the kettle she raised it over her head and looked outside as she poured.
Ranma rose his eyebrows… was that a pig?
Abruptly remembering what Akane had said about Ryoga he smiled.
"Hey Ryoga I have some hot water here."
The pig looked at him and then ran.
Ranma stood there for a few seconds and then followed.
"Hey come back I wanna talk to you."
Ranma quickly looked around and noticed the pig was bounding up to the fence and then across the rooftops.
"Hey pork-for-brains come back here!" Ranma shouted as he neared his prey.
**CLANG**
Feeling something hitting the kettle in one hand he looks down and sees the Black Petunia girl from before, instantly noting her rather dazed expression as she fell headfirst towards the ground.
Ranma reacted instantly, with his superior training in mid-air combat he rocketed towards the falling figure, grabbing her and bouncing back onto the roof
Cradling Kodachi in his arms he looked at her. "Hey you alright?"
Seeing the girl stir and begin to move her heads towards his Ranma panicked and set the girl down. – What was she doing? – He thought as he backed away.
"What is your name kind Sir?" Kodachi asked as she tried to climb back into his arms.
"S-S-S-Soa-tome R-R-R-Ranma."
"Ranma-Sama…" She sighed.
"What?"
Kodachi whipped out a bouquet of black roses from somewhere and shoved them into Ranma's face.
Powder exploded and Ranma fell over backwards completely numb.
- I can't move! -
"Ranma-Sama partake these virgin lips of mine in a gentle sweet kiss. "
"Urrrrrr." He tried to move, shout, ANYTHING to get away as the girl lowered her head to his.
Akane watched as her friend… only her friend she reprimanded herself again was knocked over by the girl.
Akane frowned at the appearance of the roses; they smelled faintly of magic, though not very strong magic.
She felt irritation as the girl moved into kiss HER Ranma.
Damnit she did it again. She was lately thinking Ranma as hers.
Akane moved.
One second the leotard girl was leaning over Ranma to kiss him and the next she was knocked head over heals to the opposite side of the roof.
Kodachi froze at the sight before her. In front of her was the creature her brother ranted day and night about, the one who had stolen his precious sword.
Akane the Demoness.
Though she was a very minor witch she found it distasteful to use the darker side of her magic so she avoided trafficking with demons. Even so she had heard the frightened whispers of her fellow witches in the nearby area.
An entire coven had been wiped out of existence.
By one Demon, and that same Demon was standing in front of her.
Kodachi was frozen in fear at the extreme malice; distantly almost detached from her body she noted the demon looked like a well-formed eighteen-year old girl. She had on black, baggy pants; a skintight shirt with a black rose motif… wait that wasn't a shirt that was the top of one of her leotards!
The Demon's black blue wings were matched the girls short and ragged hair color perfectly, her wings half spread and she was frowning at Kodachi, her eyes had no pupils and were a burning gold color that glowed in the dark.
As she stared in fear at the Demon it began to speak in the half-Demon tongue known by all competent magic users.
~ Little One, Ranma is MINE ~
Kodachi nodded jerkily, afraid.
The frown lost some of its anger and the Demon continued.
~ If you wish to pursue him I will allow it, I wish to have this one of his own free will, you will do the same Little One, no magic to persuade him, no drugs. ~
Kodachi stared in wonder; the demon was going to let her live? It would let her convince Ranma-Sama of his love for her?
~ Do you understand Little One? ~
Kodachi nodded then ran, for once not laughing her wonderful laugh.
Akane watched the gymnast/witch run away and turned back to Ranma.
After examining him for a few moments she spoke. "The drug in you should just keep you paralyzed for the night Ranma. I'll be right back, going to steal you a blanket or something so you don't get so cold."
"Urrrrrrrrr." Nodding she turned and began to look for a good place to steal from.
Ranma shivered with cold as he waited for Akane to return. He then froze
Something was nearby, something horrible, something out of his worst nightmare.
Moving his eyes around he tried to see what had alerted him. His eyes widened as he saw what it was.
Focusing all his will power he tried to move… he didn't even twitch.
It's gonna get me, and I can't move, it's gonna tear out my throat… it's gonna eat my eyes… It's gonna rake it's claws across my face…
Ranma's mental babble continued as the fear wormed its way further into him.
He then froze even further then the drug made him, his eyes staring.
The creature had climbed onto his chest and was looking at him.
It was twice the size of a large housecat and had sleek black fur. It's eyes were deep brown, almost black.
Just as Ranma felt the Pit begin to close around him the cat vanished.
It was gone, all Ranma felt was relief, he didn't wonder where it had gone and why it hadn't sunk it's gnashing teeth into his flesh.
With Ranma still breathing heavily from the experience he felt something drape over him, moving his eyes he saw Akane smiling at him, she sat down besides him.
"There you go Ranma, sleep well."
He managed to mumble something. "'ignth kan-an"
It took a few minutes for Ranma to drift off while Akane sat by his side looking over Nerima.
She didn't notice the aura of black flicker across Ranma changing him slightly. Nor did she notice Ranma was slightly larger; his nails became more claw-like and most of his features became slightly catlike.
After a full minute of remaining that way Ranma changed back to normal.
Genma watched his son with pride as he moved through his kata; his son had created it on his own after mastering the chi weapons.
He had been practicing lately in female form forging things like ribbons, gymnastic clubs, hoops and balls. That puzzled Genma slightly though he dismissed it.
Genma then thought with growing admiration of the other totally new kata Ranma had invented.
He had had Genma and Tendo stand to the side with large water guns and fire them randomly throughout the kata.
It had taken only three repetitions of the kata to instantly adjust to his or her new form. He was a true master of the Art, making one of his own greatest weaknesses, that of being a girl into a strength.
His son's control over his motions had grown considerable since they had arrived here, whoever this boy's sparring partner he spent most of the day with was one hell of a martial artist.
Then Genma frowned slightly, Why had his son slowed down so much during this last week, every time he made progress over his old high he would slow down and weaken again.
Well the Umi-sen-Ken did require more technique then physical prowess.
He nodded once; yes it was time to start training him. Then maybe he could see the full potential of both schools of techniques realized through his son.
Then that Demon would die.
"Boy, When you are finished your practice meet me in my room."
Akane looked around; she was perched on the roof of a local butcher's waiting for an opportunity to snatch a meal when she sensed a presence. Seeing no one she centered herself and began to scan for auras.
Her eyes widened, it wasn't so much as an aura as it was an absence of one. Demon's who could hide themselves that way were very powerful.
Thinking that way she prepared herself, which was why when Ranma appeared she lashed out full strength and speed she had while not producing her black-blue battle aura.
Ranma gave out an 'Oomph' barely managing to absorb a portion of the blow, merely bruising his ribs instead of shattering them. He then impacted into the opposite building and slid down to the street.
Seeing whom it was Akane rushed over to him. "Ranma you all right?"
He moaned then slowly stood up. "Ya, sorry for startling you."
"My fault, I thought you were some sort of demon with the way you were hiding your aura." Akane looked ashamed.
"Huh?"
"I've only encountered Demons who can hide themselves as well as that, some you can't even detect because they manage to blend themselves into a area's natural aura."
"You mean you could detect me?"
"Only that someone was there and when I tried to look around I only got an approximate location, instead of emitting an aura Ranma, I could see the absence of an aura."
"Oh, cool, something I could work on!" Ranma begin to think on how he could improve the Umi-Sen-Ken.
"So, why'd you come here Ranma?"
"Huh? Oh I thought you might like to learn the Umi-Sen-Ken!"
"Really?" Actually Akane was perplexed by the ultimate trust Ranma showed in her, he told her everything. From techniques to childhood problems.
It was all she could do to return the favor… but it was still hard to talk about certain things in her life. Time and time again she recounted another episode of the last two years, sometimes he would nod and then grin that infuriating grin while he degraded into teasing her.
Other times where he would just sit there at let her know there was someone there for her.
"Yup, c'mon, then we can practice for my match!"
"Fine Ranma, honestly is the Art all you think of?"
"No!"
"Well, you were going to show me the Umi-Sen-Ken?" She said grinning as she changed the subject at his outraged expression.
"Ah sure, sure. C'mon"
With that Ranma jumped back onto the roof and began to head to their training ground, Akane slowly flying above him, exchanging chi-blasts and Kijinraishuudan's.
A/N:
Hello again, perhaps you are wondering why I'm having Ranma learning so many deadly techniques and using that amulet to gain strength?
That would spoil the story if I told you!
Glowing eyes surround me
Claws rip at me
Needlepoint fangs rend me
Hisses and yowls deafen me
Terror grips me
The Pit surrounds me
Help me…
Ranma woke up in midair again, he noted with some confusion that it was dark out. His father usually waited for after dawn to start his training. Ranma's thoughts were still on the incident yesterday
Ranma had spent most of yesterday looking for Akane after depositing the cut hair in a box under a loose floorboard in his room.
Ranma landed with a splash into the fishpond. Those koi must beginning to hate him and his father, they fell into the pond five times a day each minimum.
Spluttering she rose and glanced at the figure. Idly noting the rain she then noticed the red bamboo umbrella.
"Ryoga? What the hell are you doing here?" She exclaimed hotly. "It's the middle of the night!"
"Revenge waits for nothing Ranma." He lunged with an outstretched fist, ready to pound his hated foe into paste.
"C'mon man tell me what's got you so pissed?" Ranma asked, calmly dodging the lost boy's blows.
"Thanks to you I've seen hell Ranma, I followed you all the way to China." Ranma's eyes widened.
"Aw man don't tell me you went to Jusenkyou and now you turn into something?" Ranma said, a cloud of guilt settling on him.
"Be quite and DIE!"
The one reason Ranma was only dodging was because of Akane's strength training had been increased from four times his own weight to six times. Most of her punch's power was robbed by the simple fact that her arms weighed so much.
Briefly remembering this afternoon where she had managed to kick Ryoga over the fence, she knew that in her girl form she had virtually no strength to hurt Ryoga. Ryoga always had been a tough one.
There was one possibility to win, but that would be like using her own fear of cats against her, dishonorable.
So Ranma continued to dodge and wait.
"Fight me Ranma!"
"Why should I lost-boy? You're wearing yourself out just fine!"
Ryoga snarled at that, he knew it was true. If Ranma attacked she would have to stay still long enough for Ryoga to get a good solid hit in, as it was Ryoga was wasting his blows on the girl.
Ranma was in the middle of dodging another blow of Ryoga's fist when she noticed Ryoga had frozen with eyes wide.
"Huh?" Ranma turned her head to see what had distracted her opponent, on guard for a surprise attack. She saw a dark mass with two brightly shimmering gold specks. She knew immediately who it was, who would scare everyone just by being looked at… except her.
Turning back around at a slight noise behind her muscle tense to resume dodging she saw Ryoga backing away, pale with terror. She groaned.
"Aw man Ryoga it's just Akane!"
"It doesn't matter what you do Ranma, they hate me, it's a part of what I am."
"But Akane, I'm sure if ya point out what you've done…" She said turning back to argue with the winged girl.
"Sorry Ranma, I tried that, it didn't do any good, just let a few demon hunters get close enough to try their luck,"
Both of them turned at the loud splash. Akane noticed the sudden flow of magic expanding through the yard. She almost licked her chops at the smell then remembered; magical pot roast equals Jusenkyou cursed victim.
"Was that Ryoga?"
"Ya, here are his clothes." Ranma picked up the empty outfit. She hefted them, then asked. "Where'd he go?"
"Remember that piglet I told you about?"
"Ya?"
"I think that was him."
"Oh man, that's gotta suck! He must be on everyone's lunch menu from here to China!"
Akane nodded and Ranma hopped up to sit beside her.
"Hey Akane-chan, why were you so upset when your hair got cut?" She asked with her usual tact, which was to say none.
Akane lowered her head. "It's kind of silly but I started growing my hair long to compete for Doctor Tofu's affections. I felt that as long as I kept on growing my hair I could return to normal, it was my last link with my former life. My ex-Father burned everything I owned after I left."
She began to cry and leaned against Ranma's shoulder as Ranma put her arm around the sobbing girl. "I want to be normal Ranma, I want to be a normal girl with a high-school crush and normal problems, not worrying about Demons and demon hunters."
"Akane-chan, I'm here for ya, and I swear if there is a way for you to return to normal we will find it!"
"Ranma…" The Demoness Akane, Eater of Demons, Bane of All muttered and then wrapped both her arms around the smaller girl and covered them both with her wings sheltering them from the rain as her sobs intensified
- It's a good thing no one saw her last night, I coulda been seen as someone who worked for her or somethin! -
Ranma was running down the sidewalk, she had abandoned fence walking when she had felt the fence almost give from her increased weight.
Yesterday it had broken almost immediately when she had been in guy form. Figuring that if she increased her strength in girl form it would be more beneficial.
Today she would spend the entire day as a girl, even if Kuno were in her face from dusk till dawn!
There was _some_ advantages to this form, she thought and grinned at the extra treats she had received by acting extra cute.
Turning the corner she heard cries of pain. Leaping onto the wall mentally grumbling at the weight she looked at the scene with interest, some girl in a schoolgirl's uniform was facing off three guys wrapped in bandages.
"Get her!" The three guys charged at the girl with clubs in hand.
"OHOHOHO you think to challenge the beautiful flower of St. Hebereke's High?" The girl tore off her uniform revealing a leotard that reminded her of what Akane wore, complete with a black rose on the left breast.
Ranma smiled slightly at that as she watched the one in the leotard begin to beat on the three guys, Akane still wore the pants she had given her on that night she had met Akane. Maybe she would give her some more pairs Ranma mused.
Ranma noticed with a scowl that the guys were now cringing at the blows and the girl had beaten them to the ground and wasn't letting up.
Ranma hopped off the wall and landed in front of the three guys and seized the ribbon.
"You stopped my ribbon with your hand. You certainly aren't an ordinary girl!"
"You could say that."
The leotard-clad girl sneered. "That's good because I prefer not to treat girls with ordinary…" She dropped her ribbon and flipped one of the fallen clubs into her hand while talking and lunged at Ranma, "courtesy!"
Ranma easily dodged the blow by doing a perfectly executed sweep with her leg, which sent the girl tumbling.
The other girl showed her agility when she contorted her body and landed onto her feet in a pose arm stretched out. "You are good, know this I am the beautiful young flower of St. Hebereke's High School for Girls, Captain of the Rhythmic Gymnastics team, Kodachi the Black Rose! "
Then Kodachi tossed Ranma a black rose and leaped over the fence twirling her ribbon and laughing as she bounded away.
"Hey you guys are giving men a bad name, stop crying." Ranma scolded as she turned around.
"We aren't men!" The girls unwrapped the bandages around them showing familiar _female_ faces.
Ranma blinked.
"…so somehow those girls made me feel so ashamed at not recognizing they were girls in the first place that I'm now going to compete in the Rhythmic Martial Arts Gymnastics against that crazy Black Petunia girl."
"I think that was Black Rose Ranma."
"Whatever, so now I'm gonna have to learn all the rules to that sport and everything, I don't like rules!"
"You'll live." Akane was chuckling.
"Well Akane, you get to help me practice!"
"Hey!"
"Yes you will, after all how else am I gonna train in this girls sport without a girl to learn it from."
"I know nothing about Rhythmic Gymnastics Ranma!"
"Well too bad, you're helpin!"
"Tomorrow baka, you need the tools, I'll help you when you get them."
"Fine, but you better be here." Ranma hopped off the wall. "Oh hey Akane? Do you think you can survive one of these?"
Quickly performing the hand movements necessary to replicate the vacuum blade she shouted the name of the attack. "Kijinraishuudan"
Akane watches as the bolt of rippling air leaves a jagged hole in the wall beside her.
"Do that again, same spot, would you?"
"Sure!"
"Kijinraishuudan"
Akane stuck out her hand and watched as the vacuum blade approached it.
It hit.
Akane's hand exploded into gore, then the blood and bits of flesh and bone stopped in midair. A blue-black aura surrounded the mass of blood and flesh.
Ranma watched a horrified that his attack had hurt her that badly. Then his eyes bulged, the blue-black aura was gone, leaving a perfectly fine hand.
"I think I can handle it why?" Ranma stood there gawking.
Akane grabbed a chunk of the wall off and threw it at the comatose boy. "I said I think I can handle. Why?" She said after the piece of wall hit the boy in the forehead.
"OUCH"
"Umm… It might be a good idea if people see me and you fighting in the streets and that's the only long range attack I have."
"So you DO have a brain! And here I thought it was just a mass of bone and gristle." Akane smirked down at him.
"HEY! You wanna repeat that Demoness Akane-Chan?"
"Ooh is that a challenge? Hmmmm puny mortal?"
"Puny? Why you! HYAAAAA!" Ranma leaped at the winged-girl.
Laughing the two friends began to fight across the rooftops.
The tiny back pig just behind the bushes shuddered as he heard the yells and laughter fade away from him.
No wonder Ranma had tortured him and sent him through hell, he had been controlled by that demon the entire time.
That strange blast Ranma had sent at the demon, and the way the demon had healed itself, had proved to Ryoga that he didn't have a bat's chance in hell of killing either of them, but if they found out what he knew, who knows what horrible tortures could be inflicted on him.
He pondered it, then came to a decision, he would tell everyone who could to stay away from Saotome, without either him or the demon finding out.
Then, then he would get stronger and kill both the evil beings that they were.
Nodding his head and squealing in piggish out loud his vow he went looking for some hot water.
Akane floated back from another vacuum blade, then decide to give her a little surprise. Grinning she cupped her hands in front of her and began to summon her more destructive chi blast.
"Crimson BEEEAAM"
Ranma was hit full in the chest and lay against the way for ten seconds stunned.
"What was THAT?" She shouted at Akane when she recovered.
"My chi blast."
"How'd you do it?" She asked while she hopped onto the roof next to Akane, wincing slightly at the massive bruise on her chest.
"Summon a piece of your strongest emotion and channel it through your chi."
"Emotion?"
"Yes, I use hatred."
Ranma's eyes narrowed.
"Why hatred?"
"I hate the demons I eat for existing, since I'm pretty sure one of them cursed me, and I hate myself for letting me become something like them." Akane said somberly, all joy at their sparring session gone.
"Akane-chan you are nothing like the demons, hell would one of them bother to save lives like you did?"
"No… I guess your right Ranma."
"Of course I am!" She gave her a cocky grin, then started backing away as Akane raised her hand and a deep red flickered across it.
"Hey… Akane, ummmm… peace?"
"Puny mortal! Prepare to suffer at my hands." Akane grinned at Ranma.
Ranma pushed herself to her limits as she dodged the beam of energy, this one much weaker then before. Smirking she tried to replicate the blast herself, a faint flicker of golden energy surged around her hands.
Pleased with the result she continued to the heavy sparring match with Akane, Akane form blurred every now and then and Ranma's female formed flowed through the motions of blocking, dodging, kicking and punching.
There.
An opening, her emotion that she had chosen and the chi was simmering within her.
Her aura flared around her as she pumped the emotion through herself. Golden light surrounded her and focused in front of her hand.
"Plasma FLARE."
Ranma had felt the heat from the faint aura that had surrounded her hand's the first time and the golden color had reminded her of the Sun… and well Akane's eyes but it was the same color.
Akane's eyes twinkled, she had known Ranma was good, but this, this meant he could do a technique after having it explained to him and only seeing it once!
"Has your father begun teaching you what was it? The Umi-Sen-Ken?" She asked between blows
"No, he's irritated at my lack of progress and backsliding."
"Awwww, is the poor little wanma brought down low by merely weighing eight times his own weight?"
"Ha! You wish."
After continuing for a few more minutes in companionable silence and battle Ranma spoke up. "Oh that reminds me, would you like to learn some of the Tendo-Ryu? It's mainly advanced weapon techniques."
Akane faltered at that and Ranma gave a crow of victory as he managed to grab on to her arm midair and slam into the opposite wall.
"Ranma… I'd love to learn some advanced Tendo-Ryu!"
"Great. Meetcha in the sparring ground." Ranma smiled and began to roofhop his way across Nerima.
Ranma wiped her forehead, three long hours in the Dojo learning advanced Tendo-Ryu was tough, especially since it concentrated in channeling chi through the weapons. She remembered the first time she had seen the most advanced and forbidden moves of Tendo-Ryu
Chi forged weapons.
Weapons actually built and stabilized by chi, it was an amazing thing, they looked like the real thing and felt like it but the creator could dispel or form a weapon quite quickly, depending on how good you were.
He remembered how he nearly gotten skewered on Soun's nagatania. The damn thing had appeared while him and Soun had been exchanging blows unarmed.
Akane's lessons had gone well, she had already picked enough to take on most kenpo practitioners with a sword and it wasn't the only weapon she practiced with. She wouldn't be ready for someone of Kuno's caliber in pure skill in kenpo for a good month, but her training in Anything-Goes had already laid the foundation for the advanced Tendo-Ryu.
She flopped on to her bed and stared, right above her was the Black Petunia, with a black flower in her mouth, and she was holding a rather large hammer.
- Why did the mallet remind me of Akane? - Ranma thought to herself as she rolled off her bed.
Scowling at the girl she blurred and with a single throw sent the Black Petunia out the window.
"Saotome Ranma you shall pay for that!" The girl said arrogantly as she landed outside and began to bound off.
Disgusted and adrenaline still running through her veins she decided to change back to a guy. Opening the door and heading back downstairs she entered the kitchen.
Spotting the kettle she raised it over her head and looked outside as she poured.
Ranma rose his eyebrows… was that a pig?
Abruptly remembering what Akane had said about Ryoga he smiled.
"Hey Ryoga I have some hot water here."
The pig looked at him and then ran.
Ranma stood there for a few seconds and then followed.
"Hey come back I wanna talk to you."
Ranma quickly looked around and noticed the pig was bounding up to the fence and then across the rooftops.
"Hey pork-for-brains come back here!" Ranma shouted as he neared his prey.
**CLANG**
Feeling something hitting the kettle in one hand he looks down and sees the Black Petunia girl from before, instantly noting her rather dazed expression as she fell headfirst towards the ground.
Ranma reacted instantly, with his superior training in mid-air combat he rocketed towards the falling figure, grabbing her and bouncing back onto the roof
Cradling Kodachi in his arms he looked at her. "Hey you alright?"
Seeing the girl stir and begin to move her heads towards his Ranma panicked and set the girl down. – What was she doing? – He thought as he backed away.
"What is your name kind Sir?" Kodachi asked as she tried to climb back into his arms.
"S-S-S-Soa-tome R-R-R-Ranma."
"Ranma-Sama…" She sighed.
"What?"
Kodachi whipped out a bouquet of black roses from somewhere and shoved them into Ranma's face.
Powder exploded and Ranma fell over backwards completely numb.
- I can't move! -
"Ranma-Sama partake these virgin lips of mine in a gentle sweet kiss. "
"Urrrrrr." He tried to move, shout, ANYTHING to get away as the girl lowered her head to his.
Akane watched as her friend… only her friend she reprimanded herself again was knocked over by the girl.
Akane frowned at the appearance of the roses; they smelled faintly of magic, though not very strong magic.
She felt irritation as the girl moved into kiss HER Ranma.
Damnit she did it again. She was lately thinking Ranma as hers.
Akane moved.
One second the leotard girl was leaning over Ranma to kiss him and the next she was knocked head over heals to the opposite side of the roof.
Kodachi froze at the sight before her. In front of her was the creature her brother ranted day and night about, the one who had stolen his precious sword.
Akane the Demoness.
Though she was a very minor witch she found it distasteful to use the darker side of her magic so she avoided trafficking with demons. Even so she had heard the frightened whispers of her fellow witches in the nearby area.
An entire coven had been wiped out of existence.
By one Demon, and that same Demon was standing in front of her.
Kodachi was frozen in fear at the extreme malice; distantly almost detached from her body she noted the demon looked like a well-formed eighteen-year old girl. She had on black, baggy pants; a skintight shirt with a black rose motif… wait that wasn't a shirt that was the top of one of her leotards!
The Demon's black blue wings were matched the girls short and ragged hair color perfectly, her wings half spread and she was frowning at Kodachi, her eyes had no pupils and were a burning gold color that glowed in the dark.
As she stared in fear at the Demon it began to speak in the half-Demon tongue known by all competent magic users.
~ Little One, Ranma is MINE ~
Kodachi nodded jerkily, afraid.
The frown lost some of its anger and the Demon continued.
~ If you wish to pursue him I will allow it, I wish to have this one of his own free will, you will do the same Little One, no magic to persuade him, no drugs. ~
Kodachi stared in wonder; the demon was going to let her live? It would let her convince Ranma-Sama of his love for her?
~ Do you understand Little One? ~
Kodachi nodded then ran, for once not laughing her wonderful laugh.
Akane watched the gymnast/witch run away and turned back to Ranma.
After examining him for a few moments she spoke. "The drug in you should just keep you paralyzed for the night Ranma. I'll be right back, going to steal you a blanket or something so you don't get so cold."
"Urrrrrrrrr." Nodding she turned and began to look for a good place to steal from.
Ranma shivered with cold as he waited for Akane to return. He then froze
Something was nearby, something horrible, something out of his worst nightmare.
Moving his eyes around he tried to see what had alerted him. His eyes widened as he saw what it was.
Focusing all his will power he tried to move… he didn't even twitch.
It's gonna get me, and I can't move, it's gonna tear out my throat… it's gonna eat my eyes… It's gonna rake it's claws across my face…
Ranma's mental babble continued as the fear wormed its way further into him.
He then froze even further then the drug made him, his eyes staring.
The creature had climbed onto his chest and was looking at him.
It was twice the size of a large housecat and had sleek black fur. It's eyes were deep brown, almost black.
Just as Ranma felt the Pit begin to close around him the cat vanished.
It was gone, all Ranma felt was relief, he didn't wonder where it had gone and why it hadn't sunk it's gnashing teeth into his flesh.
With Ranma still breathing heavily from the experience he felt something drape over him, moving his eyes he saw Akane smiling at him, she sat down besides him.
"There you go Ranma, sleep well."
He managed to mumble something. "'ignth kan-an"
It took a few minutes for Ranma to drift off while Akane sat by his side looking over Nerima.
She didn't notice the aura of black flicker across Ranma changing him slightly. Nor did she notice Ranma was slightly larger; his nails became more claw-like and most of his features became slightly catlike.
After a full minute of remaining that way Ranma changed back to normal.
Genma watched his son with pride as he moved through his kata; his son had created it on his own after mastering the chi weapons.
He had been practicing lately in female form forging things like ribbons, gymnastic clubs, hoops and balls. That puzzled Genma slightly though he dismissed it.
Genma then thought with growing admiration of the other totally new kata Ranma had invented.
He had had Genma and Tendo stand to the side with large water guns and fire them randomly throughout the kata.
It had taken only three repetitions of the kata to instantly adjust to his or her new form. He was a true master of the Art, making one of his own greatest weaknesses, that of being a girl into a strength.
His son's control over his motions had grown considerable since they had arrived here, whoever this boy's sparring partner he spent most of the day with was one hell of a martial artist.
Then Genma frowned slightly, Why had his son slowed down so much during this last week, every time he made progress over his old high he would slow down and weaken again.
Well the Umi-sen-Ken did require more technique then physical prowess.
He nodded once; yes it was time to start training him. Then maybe he could see the full potential of both schools of techniques realized through his son.
Then that Demon would die.
"Boy, When you are finished your practice meet me in my room."
Akane looked around; she was perched on the roof of a local butcher's waiting for an opportunity to snatch a meal when she sensed a presence. Seeing no one she centered herself and began to scan for auras.
Her eyes widened, it wasn't so much as an aura as it was an absence of one. Demon's who could hide themselves that way were very powerful.
Thinking that way she prepared herself, which was why when Ranma appeared she lashed out full strength and speed she had while not producing her black-blue battle aura.
Ranma gave out an 'Oomph' barely managing to absorb a portion of the blow, merely bruising his ribs instead of shattering them. He then impacted into the opposite building and slid down to the street.
Seeing whom it was Akane rushed over to him. "Ranma you all right?"
He moaned then slowly stood up. "Ya, sorry for startling you."
"My fault, I thought you were some sort of demon with the way you were hiding your aura." Akane looked ashamed.
"Huh?"
"I've only encountered Demons who can hide themselves as well as that, some you can't even detect because they manage to blend themselves into a area's natural aura."
"You mean you could detect me?"
"Only that someone was there and when I tried to look around I only got an approximate location, instead of emitting an aura Ranma, I could see the absence of an aura."
"Oh, cool, something I could work on!" Ranma begin to think on how he could improve the Umi-Sen-Ken.
"So, why'd you come here Ranma?"
"Huh? Oh I thought you might like to learn the Umi-Sen-Ken!"
"Really?" Actually Akane was perplexed by the ultimate trust Ranma showed in her, he told her everything. From techniques to childhood problems.
It was all she could do to return the favor… but it was still hard to talk about certain things in her life. Time and time again she recounted another episode of the last two years, sometimes he would nod and then grin that infuriating grin while he degraded into teasing her.
Other times where he would just sit there at let her know there was someone there for her.
"Yup, c'mon, then we can practice for my match!"
"Fine Ranma, honestly is the Art all you think of?"
"No!"
"Well, you were going to show me the Umi-Sen-Ken?" She said grinning as she changed the subject at his outraged expression.
"Ah sure, sure. C'mon"
With that Ranma jumped back onto the roof and began to head to their training ground, Akane slowly flying above him, exchanging chi-blasts and Kijinraishuudan's.
A/N:
Hello again, perhaps you are wondering why I'm having Ranma learning so many deadly techniques and using that amulet to gain strength?
That would spoil the story if I told you!