Engagements
Oh such joy in one
On an eve of destruction
Such happiness
Followed by such sorrow
A small squat creature knocked on the door to a room deep within the darkened house.
"Enter."
Opening the door the creature approached a rich mahogany desk where a man sat scribbling on a piece of parchment with a quill.
"Yes?"
"We have a problem Lord. There is a mortal associating with the Demoness Akane."
"This concerns me… how?"
"Lord he is friends with her, he is teaching her more Martial Arts." The creature trailed off.
"Friends with her, this could be bad, go on."
"Sir, two nights ago one of the crow demons we have assigned to her saw something… that concerns me even further, around an hour ago I received additional reports that alarm me further."
"Before you do that, tell me what kind of 'friend' is this mortal?"
"A good one Lord, he teases her, plays with her and tries and make her smile more often."
"That is not good, if her chi becomes more balanced she will become increasingly hungry." The man rose from his desk revealing his almost skeletal figure. He began pacing.
"I thought her loneliness would cause her to become one of us, it might have taken a few centuries but it would have been worth it."
He stopped and frowned slightly, mortals and demons alike would quiver in fear at that frown.
"Kill him."
"Sir that might be a problem."
"Why?" His frown deepened and the creature stopped himself from bolting, it would only make his demise more painful if he didn't answer the question to his Lord's pleasure.
"He is as powerful as any Warrior class Demon, I believe he could take on a Soldier if pressed and take down a Knight If he gets lucky. There is also the problem with him I came to talk to you about sir."
The man's scowl was thunderous now. "What?"
"Sir, two nights ago the Crow demons saw a Shadow bonding with him."
"A Shadow?"
"Yes, not only that yet the Crow demons detected a Shadow already bonded with him from before."
"Is that possible?"
"Sir, the two Shadows were Neko-Ken fragments."
"WHAT!? Has he Changed?" The man was now holding the creature in his hand, choking him in the air.
"Yes, but only once and only for a minute while asleep. It gets worse sir, I have detected movement of the other eleven fragments of the Neko-Ken."
The man set the creature down.
"Call the Council." His face was grim.
"Lord?"
"NOW!"
"Lord! I shall do your will!"
"This could be bad, this could be very bad, the Prophecy might be at hand."
"You ready for your match today Ranma?"
"Yup, can't wait, that Black Petunia girl creeps me out. Did you know she was hanging all over me all day yesterday?"
"I saw it." Akane was still slightly miffed; she had wanted to bop Ranma on the head the whole time for not trying to get her off of him very hard.
"C'mon Akane I told ya she just wouldn't let go!"
"Sure." She looked away from him then grinned.
"Well Ranma, you will just have to make it up to me somehow."
"Uhhhh like what?" Ranma seriously didn't know how to deal with this Akane. It was like she was jealous or somethin but that was impossible.
"Hmmmmm… Let me think about that, now it's almost time for your match go on!"
"See ya Akane!"
Kuno Kodachi glared at her opponent as she dodged the first of her club blows. Not only did she have the gall to harm the Black Rose while exchanging greetings yesterday morning after her encounter with the wonderful Ranma, but Kodachi had heard from her delusional brother that this pig-tailed harlot held Ranma in thrall.
"Ooh isn't it exciting ladies and gentlemen that isn't a rope it IS a steel rod!"
Kodachi shivered slightly at the thought of being held in thrall and the brief image of Ranma. Ooh that would be simple delicious.
"Strike of the Thousand Clubs!"
But it was not to be that Demon had demanded she not use magic.
As the match continued she something around her opponents neck that fairly glowed with demonic energies.
So THAT was how the pig-tailed wench, who dared to use her darling Ranma's name, controlled him.
Charging her ribbon with both her life energies and magic she struck out unerringly fast at the necklace.
She would have only one chance at this, demonic creations had a weakness to this spell and it could cause a small explosion and also destroy the amulet.
Channeling the spell through her already charged ribbon she didn't have time to react when the girl grabbed a ribbon somewhere and trussed up Kodachi like a chicken and tossed her out of the ring.
By the time she had realized she was going to land too near the crowd to use her followers underneath the ring for assistance, the spell following her ribbon reached its target.
The necklace around the red haired harlot suddenly crumbled to dust and Kodachi landed onto the ground.
"The Winner Saotome RANMA!" The announcer shouted though her microphone. Then she started backing away; the winner was glowing a brilliant golden white.
Ranma Saotome's chi that had been holding her body from being crushed from the awesome powers of the amulet suddenly had no resistance. It surged through her widening and opening new pathways through her body.
The two Shadows within her were suddenly buffeted by the surge of energy and attempting to save themselves they bonded themselves completely to Ranma's life energy.
As Ranma struggled to control her chi Akane stared in surprise, nothing like this happened to her, she had barely felt the effects of wearing it at thirty times her own weight.
Snapping to a decision she called her aura, the blue-black shadow surrounded her and the moved to take the glowing girl to safety.
Akane sat by her friend, she had been glowing for the last hour, her energy had actually been growing during that time despite the effects of putting off a visible aura, Akane knew that that could be very draining.
"Ugh."
"Ranma you all right?"
"I think so?" The redhead said uncertainly.
"Then could you stop glowing?"
"Huh?" Ranma looked at herself; it was true she was glowing a pale gold.
Concentrating slightly she recalled her aura. "There! What happened?" Ranma asked after she finished.
"The training amulet was destroyed, she probably thought you were using it to enhance yourself. As to why you were glowing I don't know."
Ranma thought about it, it was actually taking effort to suppress her aura, and she felt a lot stronger then before.
"Hey Akane, mind if we spar I wanna test out if there's anything different."
"Ok Ranma, lets go, I took you to the building just outside our sparring grounds."
They both walked towards the large hole in the side of the building and hopped down.
"Conditions?" Akane asked.
"Ground only, first to knock the other on the back wins no restrictions on speed, strength or special attacks."
"Ok."
"BEGIN"
Akane was slightly startled; she was almost fast as a combat specialized Demi-Lord.
Akane was still faster though. She matched Ranma's speed after taking a few hits and then surpassed it slightly, striking her at half strength. Akane was slightly amazed that they didn't hurt Ranma as much as it should.
It looked like Ranma was enhanced considerable with that aura he was putting out.
He was about four times as strong and the equal amount as fast.
Akane grinned; this was more like it.
"Crimson BEAM!" She shouted scoring a direct hit on the smaller girl.
"Plasma FLARE!"
Ranma's return fire was dodged, then she managed to throw Akane.
Ranma gloated slightly, she had forgotten about Akane's wings though, in a desperate attempt to gain an advantage even at the limits Akane had set upon herself Akane lashed out with her wings.
Surprised Ranma was tripped over the rapidly moving wing and fell back onto her back.
"I win Ranma!" She gloated over her friend.
"Ya, I guess I'm not used to this new strength and speed, well if there's one thing the old man is good at it's being used as someone to test out new techniques on."
Akane giggled at that, she still didn't forgive Genma for doing all those things to her friend.
"Hey Akane, that was a nice move you did with your wing, you should use them more in sparring, see what you can do with 'em."
Akane blinked and she brought one of her wings forward to look at.
"You think so?"
"Ya, it was quite strong and it felt very hard."
With that the two resumed another bout of sparring, Ranma testing out her new strength and speed and Akane trying out her wings. Akane discovered to her delight that Ranma had to leap far higher then before in order to avoid her combination leg/wing sweep.
She also discovered that she didn't even feel the full power blows of Ranma on her wings, unlike those on her body. They made excellent shields, though the vacuum blades still penetrated her wings.
Akane grinned, thanks to a desperation move she had discovered something else that Ranma didn't have that would further her Art! Something besides her demonic enhancements.
Ranma shivered slightly, ever since he had woken up he had felt something near him that scared him. It felt like Cat.
It was worse then the time where he had saw the Neko-Ken while examining his aura, the reason why was because he felt as if there was TWO Cats there.
He remembered vaguely Akane telling him that a Shadow had attached himself to him so he could learn the Neko-Ken.
He shivered again, if wanted to retain his balance he would have to focus, and focusing meant that he had to face himself.
With two Cats that meant it was likely that he would face a part of himself he DIDN'T want.
But he had to do it.
So he did.
He slowed his breathing and closed his senses, he knew Akane was there and she would not allow anything to hurt him.
As he focused his mind on himself he began to glow the same white gold he had before. He had no room for concentration on maintaining his aura non- visible.
As before he saw his aura, instead of mainly blue now it radiated a pure white gold, he could see other colors beneath the shimmering luminescence. Wondering what the white gold color represented he watched his chi rotate in his minds.
Then he saw it, two small balls of black orbiting one another, just overlaying his chi, in fact they were closer to his chi then had the single one been before.
Restraining from actually looking directly at them he approached them. He then noticed something else; shivers of black, then a silvery blue would flash across his chi representation periodically.
Wondering what those were he waited to see if they would reappear.
They did.
Akane was getting worried, if Ranma stayed away too long people would begin to get suspicious.
Nodding to herself she picked his limp body up and jumped through the window.
Akane headed to the place where Ranma called home and where Akane had spent her childhood.
The Tendo Dojo
Akane landed on the roof and set him down, after checking to make sure he was all right and fairly comfortable she hopped to the opposite roof and invoked the Umi-Sen-Ken, it was _much_ better at masking her presence then the Doctor's masking trick. With a sigh she waited for her friend and beloved to awaken.
Akane then laughed quietly at herself, listen to her, she was actually in love with Ranma!
She knew that Ranma would never return the favor, ah well it was for the best. He deserved better then a Demon in the making.
Ranma muttered to himself in his mind "What was that?"
"That Child, was Jusenkyou and the magic powering the demon amulet." Ranma shuddered at the voice. It was the voice of sounds he had heard in the Pit, those of enraged cats fighting over some food.
A second voice appeared this one was the hisses of the cats that had backed away when he fell into the Pit for the first few times. "Yes Host, Death magic and Demon magic now part of you! Make you worthy of Us. Host even stronger now!"
"Us?" Ranma choked out to the too horrifying voices.
"We are two pieces of the Shadow known to man as the Neko-Ken, we had grown far too powerful and a demon, along with several human magic users shattered us." It was the first voice.
"Ever since We shattered We searched out different Hosts depending on what the Fragment liked." The second voice.
"My friend here is drawn to fear, me I'm drawn to bloodlust, the two other closest Fragments are drawn to berserker rage and mother-protecting-cubs respectively."
"Fear in Host is unsettling. Yes? I take fear away."
"Yes, yes Fear, we know… You see because Fear creates a cat persona in its hosts to fight it is rather simple minded."
Ranma managed to break through his terror at the voices. "Why me?"
"Host is STRONG. Host strong as DEMON. Host RE-FORGE Neko-Ken with strength. Host grow stronger, Host help Neko-Ken?"
"Will I stop being afraid of c-c-c-cats?"
"When we join as one, yes."
"Then Ok, I'll help"
The two Shadows smiled.
When Ranma had started to glow after winning the match Genma was slightly worried. When something had grabbed him off the ring he grew slightly more worried. Now that it had been two days since he had started glowing and Kasumi had found him on the roof Genma was frantic.
Another three days passed when Ranma gave a slight sign of waking up, but he quieted down again after his aura flashed first a silver blue then midnight black.
Growing depressed Genma was startled awake as his son suddenly leapt out of bed yelling loud enough to wake the dead.
"Boy! Why were you unconscious for so long? What if you had been challenged?"
"Aw shaddup Oyaji, my chi was out of whack, I couldn't have fought effectively that way, If I had been challenged I would have lost. I had to focus myself, that took a while."
Genma slapped his son on the head for the remark.
"And tell me Boy, why was your chi out of 'whack?'"
"Huh? Oh the training amulet I was wearing got broke in my fight with Kodachi."
"Training amulet?"
"Ya, my sparring partner, Kan, gave it to me, it increased my weight so I felt I was training constantly, resting or not. I believe I was up to twelve times my own weight when that crazy chick broke it."
"So that is why you were moving so slow. Tell me boy did it do any good?"
"I'm about three times as fast and three times as strong as I was before I think. Plus my chi has increased by about ten times."
Genma's eyes sparkled that training method sounded almost as good as the Neko-Ken.
"You going to continue that boy?"
"Maybe, if Kan has another amulet."
Ranma had made up the name Kan because it wouldn't do for his father to know that his sparring partner was Akane, the creature his father wanted to kill.
"Well boy, its time to see how much of an edge you have lost while sleeping for a week."
After beating Genma into submission Ranma entered the house.
"Hello Ranma-kun how are you?"
"All right Kasumi."
"Would you mind doing me a favor?"
Ranma didn't even consider it, Kasumi was the best cook he had ever met and she deserved anything he could do for her. "Sure, go ahead."
"I need to go shopping but father is a little too busy at the moment to carry everything I need."
"Say no more, be glad to help."
"Oh good, we can leave right away. Thank you Ranma-kun." Kasumi smiled sweetly.
"No prob."
As the left the door Ranma tried to start up a conversation.
"So how's it going between ya and the doc?"
"It is going well, he isn't acting so silly around me." Kasumi giggled slightly.
"That's nice to hear." Ranma briefly shuddered after he remembered the time he had a rather nasty bruise and had gone to get the doctor to check it for him.
Kasumi had shown up and he had ended up looking like a human pretzel.
Kasumi passed him a bag full of ingredients, interrupting his reverie.
Ranma idly noted some guy kissing a girl then getting decked by both her and her boyfriend. In the background she heard the shrill cries of 'Jean- Paul, Jean-Paul give me Jean-Paul.'
"Shall we continue?"
"Sure."
Three more stops and Ranma's arms were loaded with goods when he got splashed. Now a she, she scowled at the old woman then shrugged it off.
Then she heard something that she had never expected to hear again.
"RANMA, SHAMPOO KILL!"
"Yipe!" She ducked the first bonbori strike and jumped over the second, quickly jumping over the nearest roof with groceries still in hand, yelling over her shoulder. "Shampoo you're the only person I can't deal with!"
Jumping down into the alleyway she was splashed by warm dirty dishwater. Ranma saw Shampoo looking around for him and sighed in relief when he caught back up to Kasumi.
"Oh my, who was that?"
"Crazy girl who wants my head because I beat her at a tournament in China!"
"You have such interesting friends Ranma."
Ranma stared at Kasumi in disbelief, the only thing that seemed to phase the girl was Akane.
In silence they continued into the Tendo house where they were greeted by the sight Ranma had left behind not minutes before.
"What is SHE doing here?"
The panda sitting at the table lifted up a sign 'She followed me home!'
"Look Ranma it's your friend from before."
"Is Ranma?" Ranma nodded a little shakily. "Man." The Chinese girl said patting Ranma's chest. "Yup I'm a man all right." He said nervously.
Shampoo turned and pointed one of her bonbori at Kasumi.
"You tell Shampoo where girl-type Ranma is."
"Oh dear, I'm afraid I don't know."
"You lie, tell truth or I hurt!"
Shampoo took a swing at dear sweet, gentle Kasumi Ranma acted. With a single kick he shattered the bonbori and struck the Amazon in the chest, knocking her against the wall, and knocking her out.
"Oh dear, you defeated her again." Ranma jerked up as if shot. He paled and began to blabber.
'Kasumi is right!' The panda held out another sign.
"Ooh Ranma now why should _this_ be a problem hmmmm?"
Ranma glared at Nabiki then started as the girl groaned and rose. He began to babble at her at how this was an accident.
Then she kissed him.
"Wo Ai Ni Airen" She said and sighed against his chest.
"He… Hey! Whatcha doing!"
This was like Kodachi!
In response the girl handed him a small booklet. "Amazon Tribal Law"
Nabiki gleefully snatched the booklet out of Ranma's hands and began to read.
"It says here if an outsider female defeats an Amazon she must hunt her to the ends of the Earth and kill her. If the outsider is male however the Amazon warrior must wed him."
Nabiki gave an evil giggle. "Ooh too bad Ranma, looks like you have another suitor."
Ranma shivered, what was happening to him?
First he gets engaged to Nabiki, who hated his guts and charged an arm and a leg for every little thing.
Then came Kodachi with her clinging and narcotics so she could steal kisses from him.
If those two weren't bad enough he has almost every single girl staring at him in school.
Now Shampoo who wanted to kill his girl type and marry his guy type.
Both of them he didn't want to happen.
Moving out of Shampoo's grip he backed out into the yard waving his hands in protest.
"There ain't no way I'm marryin ya Shampoo!"
He ran around to the side of the house, Shampoo close in pursuit.
After hopping onto the middle of a stone fountain so Shampoo couldn't get near him he turned around. "Now Shampoo I can't marry ya, I'm already engaged for my family honor, even if I don't like it! You got that?"
Shampoo giggled, nodded and leaned against the stone fountain. "Wo Ai Ni."
"I don't think ya get it."
He hopped down and grabbed her by the shoulders. Shampoo reciprocated by snuggling against him. "Sh-Shampoo! You gotta listen to me, I'm…"
Ranma was interrupted and Shampoo suddenly was all business as the voice was heard, with the threat clear in the tone.
"Well, well Ranma, got someone else there I see."
Knowing full well he was being observed by other's he put on his demon hunter's mask.
"Akane."
The two sisters watching from around the corner gasped. They looked; yes there was Akane, in all her black-blue-winged glory, sitting on the wall smirking.
Silently Ranma thanked her and in response Akane's golden orbs twinkled with laughter in response.
"'Scuse me Shampoo looks like Akane here wants to play a bit."
The Amazon warrior nodded fearfully, she was an Amazon but this girl scared her.
Gathering shimmering gold energy that was darker then his now visible aura he called out his attack.
"Plasma FLARE."
His blast struck the air squarely; Akane had already lifted herself into the air with her large wings.
Ranma grinned then closed his eyes. "I wanted to try this out, no time like the present."
Concentrating a sword hilt began to form in his hands. "Tendo-Saotome Forbidden Techniques Combined: AIR CLEAVER!"
Above the hilt was a shimmering mass of air, which seemed to cut the very space around it. He waved it a few times and there was a ripping sound as the very air was cut.
"Like?"
"Very nice Ranma, shall we?"
"Let's dance!"
Both figures leapt at each other, Akane dodging the sword to sole else, her grunting when his fist that was not holding the blade and his feet hit her.
Blurring they moved out of the yard.
The occupants stared after them; they had both seemed to enjoy fighting like that.
Genma looked stern, Soun's face was bewildered.
"They looked like they have known each other for a while."
"Yes Saotome."
"The demon was good, she was actually faster then the boy."
"Yes, much faster then I had thought."
"Akane is playing with Ranma I'm afraid he will only kill that Demon if he gets incredible lucky."
"Is there no hope Saotome?"
"There might be. Did you see what the boy did though Tendo?"
"Sheer brilliance Saotome"
"He combined two techniques in our Schools flawlessly Tendo!"
Their conversation was interrupted when they heard a large cracking sound. A beam of red light laced the Nerimian night sky, closely followed by beam of golden light.
"Gods, what power that boy has." Genma whispered
"Thanks Akane, that Shampoo actually thought I was going to marry her because I defeated her."
"No problem Ranma."
"I'd rather marry you then anyone else 'round here!"
Akane grinned. "Is that a proposal?"
Ranma turned and stared at her. "WHAT!?"
"That's OK Ranma I can wait." Her grin grew wider.
"Wait?" He squeaked.
"Oh Ranma, I just want you to be happy. If its me you'll be happy with, well I can't say I'll complain. Of course you are engaged to my ex-sister and that Shampoo's tribal laws already marry you. Its not like I have much of a chance is there." She fluttered her eyebrows and her grin grew even more so at his flummoxed expression.
Then Ranma grinned back at her as an idea popped into his head to get her back for her zinger. "Your right, it isn't like you have a chance… unless."
Akane frowned, now what was Ranma getting at. "Unless?"
Ranma concentrated and his aura flared. "Will you, formally Tendo Akane, now Akane the Demoness, Eater of Demons, Bane of All, Hunter of the Hunters, marry me?"
He presented to her a ring, the band was white-gold, in a bed of sapphires and rubies sat a single diamond that if you looked closely enough had a living flame trapped in it's center.
Her eyes widening she whispered. "Ranma…how?" Gesturing at the ring.
"Say yes and I'll tell ya!"
Akane grinned. "Yes." She took the ring and put it on her finger.
"You know how you can create chi weapons to exist outside the body?"
"Yes."
"Same principal except that..." He pointed to the ring. "…Is a little more permanent, it actually is a physical representation of my chi, completely separate from me. So Akane-chan, you will always carry a piece of me around!"
Her eyes glowed. "Ranma I'll hold you to this proposal if you don't fall for another girl in two years." She grinned as he paled. "Remember, you just proposed to me, only I can take that back."
Seeing his panicked expression she grinned again. Ranma was so funny like this! And now she had proof that he at least saw her as a girl instead of just a friend and sparring partner.
"Ranma, relax, it's for two years, even if you don't fall in love with someone else we can always get it annulled. Honestly I said I'd hold you to the promise that we'd get married, I didn't say we'd have to stay married!"
"Plus…" She continued as she saw him relax. "I want to try out married life once." She grinned wickedly at the next thought, this was a little naughty but what the hell, and she was a demon. "I don't want to die a virgin and I'm not going to do _it_ without being married first!"
Ranma stiffened, paled then fell over. Akane giggled, she had never seen someone pale, then redden so fast, and that nosebleed, it was a lot more then she had expected.
"So where you going to take me?" Akane asked after Ranma had recovered.
"Huh? Take you?"
"Ranma when a guy proposes he usually does it _after_ a romantic date, like a moonlit walk or candlelit dinner. Since you proposed after a grueling battle across the rooftops, which I might add isn't romantic, we need to go on our date!"
"Uh… sure." Ranma decided to humor his friend, maybe she deserved to go on a few dates, even if it was with him. After all she couldn't exactly wait for someone to ask her.
Ranma then grinned; he knew exactly what to do. He had been helping Kasumi a bit in the kitchen and ten years on the road with his Oyaji did nothing but help him learn to cook a decent meal.
Maybe a nice dinner cooked just for her would satisfy this strange mood she was in.
Ranma also knew one of her hideouts had a nice dining table and working kitchen. For some reason she didn't use the kitchen much but he could always grab the ingredients he needed from the nearby shops.
"C'mon Akane!"
Akane, curious, followed him. Ranma would occasionally flicker as he went into the Umi-Sen-Ken, grabbing food from the nearby stores.
Her eyebrows quirked when they reached one of her more richly furnished hideouts.
"Go and sit at the table, dinner will be ready soon." He paused, she had said something about candles?
Well he didn't have any candles but how about a low power ball of chi!
Separating some more of his essence he left it floating gently above the table.
Akane had been sitting patiently staring into the gentle glowing ball of chi when she heard Ranma coming in from the kitchen.
She laughed at the sight. "Show off!" She then grinned at Ranma's indignant expression.
Ranma had around three dishes balancing on each arm, holding another in his hands and one on his head.
Carefully he placed a plate in front of her, complete with chopsticks. Then setting everything else down he served her, then served himself.
"Let's eat." Ranma said cheerfully and began to eat slowly; Akane had said a romantic dinner that meant manners and stuff.
Akane watched Ranma for a few minutes and began to eat also, savoring the first real meal she had had since she stole some dinner around six months ago. This was certainly better then the instant ramen and meat and bread she usually had.
"So Ranma how did you meet Shampoo."
"Well it went something like this…"
The two continued their idle conversation throughout the night.
You might be wondering where Ranma is compared to the magna in strength, speed, endurance and skill.
Speed, strength and endurance he is slightly higher then at the end of the manga, skill wise though would only be slightly better then he would be at this point in the magna because of his lack of highly skilled opponents like Ryoga, Cologne, Happosai, etc.
Though he does have more special techniques.
The Yama-Sen-Ken
The Umi-Sen-Ken
The Plasma Flare (comparable to a high-end Moko Tokobashi)
Tendo-Ryu forbidden techniques (Chi forged weapons)
Oh Ranma's memory of his conversation with the cats is completely forgotten, he will only remember when he confronts another Shadow or talks to the Fragments in his mind.
Oh such joy in one
On an eve of destruction
Such happiness
Followed by such sorrow
A small squat creature knocked on the door to a room deep within the darkened house.
"Enter."
Opening the door the creature approached a rich mahogany desk where a man sat scribbling on a piece of parchment with a quill.
"Yes?"
"We have a problem Lord. There is a mortal associating with the Demoness Akane."
"This concerns me… how?"
"Lord he is friends with her, he is teaching her more Martial Arts." The creature trailed off.
"Friends with her, this could be bad, go on."
"Sir, two nights ago one of the crow demons we have assigned to her saw something… that concerns me even further, around an hour ago I received additional reports that alarm me further."
"Before you do that, tell me what kind of 'friend' is this mortal?"
"A good one Lord, he teases her, plays with her and tries and make her smile more often."
"That is not good, if her chi becomes more balanced she will become increasingly hungry." The man rose from his desk revealing his almost skeletal figure. He began pacing.
"I thought her loneliness would cause her to become one of us, it might have taken a few centuries but it would have been worth it."
He stopped and frowned slightly, mortals and demons alike would quiver in fear at that frown.
"Kill him."
"Sir that might be a problem."
"Why?" His frown deepened and the creature stopped himself from bolting, it would only make his demise more painful if he didn't answer the question to his Lord's pleasure.
"He is as powerful as any Warrior class Demon, I believe he could take on a Soldier if pressed and take down a Knight If he gets lucky. There is also the problem with him I came to talk to you about sir."
The man's scowl was thunderous now. "What?"
"Sir, two nights ago the Crow demons saw a Shadow bonding with him."
"A Shadow?"
"Yes, not only that yet the Crow demons detected a Shadow already bonded with him from before."
"Is that possible?"
"Sir, the two Shadows were Neko-Ken fragments."
"WHAT!? Has he Changed?" The man was now holding the creature in his hand, choking him in the air.
"Yes, but only once and only for a minute while asleep. It gets worse sir, I have detected movement of the other eleven fragments of the Neko-Ken."
The man set the creature down.
"Call the Council." His face was grim.
"Lord?"
"NOW!"
"Lord! I shall do your will!"
"This could be bad, this could be very bad, the Prophecy might be at hand."
"You ready for your match today Ranma?"
"Yup, can't wait, that Black Petunia girl creeps me out. Did you know she was hanging all over me all day yesterday?"
"I saw it." Akane was still slightly miffed; she had wanted to bop Ranma on the head the whole time for not trying to get her off of him very hard.
"C'mon Akane I told ya she just wouldn't let go!"
"Sure." She looked away from him then grinned.
"Well Ranma, you will just have to make it up to me somehow."
"Uhhhh like what?" Ranma seriously didn't know how to deal with this Akane. It was like she was jealous or somethin but that was impossible.
"Hmmmmm… Let me think about that, now it's almost time for your match go on!"
"See ya Akane!"
Kuno Kodachi glared at her opponent as she dodged the first of her club blows. Not only did she have the gall to harm the Black Rose while exchanging greetings yesterday morning after her encounter with the wonderful Ranma, but Kodachi had heard from her delusional brother that this pig-tailed harlot held Ranma in thrall.
"Ooh isn't it exciting ladies and gentlemen that isn't a rope it IS a steel rod!"
Kodachi shivered slightly at the thought of being held in thrall and the brief image of Ranma. Ooh that would be simple delicious.
"Strike of the Thousand Clubs!"
But it was not to be that Demon had demanded she not use magic.
As the match continued she something around her opponents neck that fairly glowed with demonic energies.
So THAT was how the pig-tailed wench, who dared to use her darling Ranma's name, controlled him.
Charging her ribbon with both her life energies and magic she struck out unerringly fast at the necklace.
She would have only one chance at this, demonic creations had a weakness to this spell and it could cause a small explosion and also destroy the amulet.
Channeling the spell through her already charged ribbon she didn't have time to react when the girl grabbed a ribbon somewhere and trussed up Kodachi like a chicken and tossed her out of the ring.
By the time she had realized she was going to land too near the crowd to use her followers underneath the ring for assistance, the spell following her ribbon reached its target.
The necklace around the red haired harlot suddenly crumbled to dust and Kodachi landed onto the ground.
"The Winner Saotome RANMA!" The announcer shouted though her microphone. Then she started backing away; the winner was glowing a brilliant golden white.
Ranma Saotome's chi that had been holding her body from being crushed from the awesome powers of the amulet suddenly had no resistance. It surged through her widening and opening new pathways through her body.
The two Shadows within her were suddenly buffeted by the surge of energy and attempting to save themselves they bonded themselves completely to Ranma's life energy.
As Ranma struggled to control her chi Akane stared in surprise, nothing like this happened to her, she had barely felt the effects of wearing it at thirty times her own weight.
Snapping to a decision she called her aura, the blue-black shadow surrounded her and the moved to take the glowing girl to safety.
Akane sat by her friend, she had been glowing for the last hour, her energy had actually been growing during that time despite the effects of putting off a visible aura, Akane knew that that could be very draining.
"Ugh."
"Ranma you all right?"
"I think so?" The redhead said uncertainly.
"Then could you stop glowing?"
"Huh?" Ranma looked at herself; it was true she was glowing a pale gold.
Concentrating slightly she recalled her aura. "There! What happened?" Ranma asked after she finished.
"The training amulet was destroyed, she probably thought you were using it to enhance yourself. As to why you were glowing I don't know."
Ranma thought about it, it was actually taking effort to suppress her aura, and she felt a lot stronger then before.
"Hey Akane, mind if we spar I wanna test out if there's anything different."
"Ok Ranma, lets go, I took you to the building just outside our sparring grounds."
They both walked towards the large hole in the side of the building and hopped down.
"Conditions?" Akane asked.
"Ground only, first to knock the other on the back wins no restrictions on speed, strength or special attacks."
"Ok."
"BEGIN"
Akane was slightly startled; she was almost fast as a combat specialized Demi-Lord.
Akane was still faster though. She matched Ranma's speed after taking a few hits and then surpassed it slightly, striking her at half strength. Akane was slightly amazed that they didn't hurt Ranma as much as it should.
It looked like Ranma was enhanced considerable with that aura he was putting out.
He was about four times as strong and the equal amount as fast.
Akane grinned; this was more like it.
"Crimson BEAM!" She shouted scoring a direct hit on the smaller girl.
"Plasma FLARE!"
Ranma's return fire was dodged, then she managed to throw Akane.
Ranma gloated slightly, she had forgotten about Akane's wings though, in a desperate attempt to gain an advantage even at the limits Akane had set upon herself Akane lashed out with her wings.
Surprised Ranma was tripped over the rapidly moving wing and fell back onto her back.
"I win Ranma!" She gloated over her friend.
"Ya, I guess I'm not used to this new strength and speed, well if there's one thing the old man is good at it's being used as someone to test out new techniques on."
Akane giggled at that, she still didn't forgive Genma for doing all those things to her friend.
"Hey Akane, that was a nice move you did with your wing, you should use them more in sparring, see what you can do with 'em."
Akane blinked and she brought one of her wings forward to look at.
"You think so?"
"Ya, it was quite strong and it felt very hard."
With that the two resumed another bout of sparring, Ranma testing out her new strength and speed and Akane trying out her wings. Akane discovered to her delight that Ranma had to leap far higher then before in order to avoid her combination leg/wing sweep.
She also discovered that she didn't even feel the full power blows of Ranma on her wings, unlike those on her body. They made excellent shields, though the vacuum blades still penetrated her wings.
Akane grinned, thanks to a desperation move she had discovered something else that Ranma didn't have that would further her Art! Something besides her demonic enhancements.
Ranma shivered slightly, ever since he had woken up he had felt something near him that scared him. It felt like Cat.
It was worse then the time where he had saw the Neko-Ken while examining his aura, the reason why was because he felt as if there was TWO Cats there.
He remembered vaguely Akane telling him that a Shadow had attached himself to him so he could learn the Neko-Ken.
He shivered again, if wanted to retain his balance he would have to focus, and focusing meant that he had to face himself.
With two Cats that meant it was likely that he would face a part of himself he DIDN'T want.
But he had to do it.
So he did.
He slowed his breathing and closed his senses, he knew Akane was there and she would not allow anything to hurt him.
As he focused his mind on himself he began to glow the same white gold he had before. He had no room for concentration on maintaining his aura non- visible.
As before he saw his aura, instead of mainly blue now it radiated a pure white gold, he could see other colors beneath the shimmering luminescence. Wondering what the white gold color represented he watched his chi rotate in his minds.
Then he saw it, two small balls of black orbiting one another, just overlaying his chi, in fact they were closer to his chi then had the single one been before.
Restraining from actually looking directly at them he approached them. He then noticed something else; shivers of black, then a silvery blue would flash across his chi representation periodically.
Wondering what those were he waited to see if they would reappear.
They did.
Akane was getting worried, if Ranma stayed away too long people would begin to get suspicious.
Nodding to herself she picked his limp body up and jumped through the window.
Akane headed to the place where Ranma called home and where Akane had spent her childhood.
The Tendo Dojo
Akane landed on the roof and set him down, after checking to make sure he was all right and fairly comfortable she hopped to the opposite roof and invoked the Umi-Sen-Ken, it was _much_ better at masking her presence then the Doctor's masking trick. With a sigh she waited for her friend and beloved to awaken.
Akane then laughed quietly at herself, listen to her, she was actually in love with Ranma!
She knew that Ranma would never return the favor, ah well it was for the best. He deserved better then a Demon in the making.
Ranma muttered to himself in his mind "What was that?"
"That Child, was Jusenkyou and the magic powering the demon amulet." Ranma shuddered at the voice. It was the voice of sounds he had heard in the Pit, those of enraged cats fighting over some food.
A second voice appeared this one was the hisses of the cats that had backed away when he fell into the Pit for the first few times. "Yes Host, Death magic and Demon magic now part of you! Make you worthy of Us. Host even stronger now!"
"Us?" Ranma choked out to the too horrifying voices.
"We are two pieces of the Shadow known to man as the Neko-Ken, we had grown far too powerful and a demon, along with several human magic users shattered us." It was the first voice.
"Ever since We shattered We searched out different Hosts depending on what the Fragment liked." The second voice.
"My friend here is drawn to fear, me I'm drawn to bloodlust, the two other closest Fragments are drawn to berserker rage and mother-protecting-cubs respectively."
"Fear in Host is unsettling. Yes? I take fear away."
"Yes, yes Fear, we know… You see because Fear creates a cat persona in its hosts to fight it is rather simple minded."
Ranma managed to break through his terror at the voices. "Why me?"
"Host is STRONG. Host strong as DEMON. Host RE-FORGE Neko-Ken with strength. Host grow stronger, Host help Neko-Ken?"
"Will I stop being afraid of c-c-c-cats?"
"When we join as one, yes."
"Then Ok, I'll help"
The two Shadows smiled.
When Ranma had started to glow after winning the match Genma was slightly worried. When something had grabbed him off the ring he grew slightly more worried. Now that it had been two days since he had started glowing and Kasumi had found him on the roof Genma was frantic.
Another three days passed when Ranma gave a slight sign of waking up, but he quieted down again after his aura flashed first a silver blue then midnight black.
Growing depressed Genma was startled awake as his son suddenly leapt out of bed yelling loud enough to wake the dead.
"Boy! Why were you unconscious for so long? What if you had been challenged?"
"Aw shaddup Oyaji, my chi was out of whack, I couldn't have fought effectively that way, If I had been challenged I would have lost. I had to focus myself, that took a while."
Genma slapped his son on the head for the remark.
"And tell me Boy, why was your chi out of 'whack?'"
"Huh? Oh the training amulet I was wearing got broke in my fight with Kodachi."
"Training amulet?"
"Ya, my sparring partner, Kan, gave it to me, it increased my weight so I felt I was training constantly, resting or not. I believe I was up to twelve times my own weight when that crazy chick broke it."
"So that is why you were moving so slow. Tell me boy did it do any good?"
"I'm about three times as fast and three times as strong as I was before I think. Plus my chi has increased by about ten times."
Genma's eyes sparkled that training method sounded almost as good as the Neko-Ken.
"You going to continue that boy?"
"Maybe, if Kan has another amulet."
Ranma had made up the name Kan because it wouldn't do for his father to know that his sparring partner was Akane, the creature his father wanted to kill.
"Well boy, its time to see how much of an edge you have lost while sleeping for a week."
After beating Genma into submission Ranma entered the house.
"Hello Ranma-kun how are you?"
"All right Kasumi."
"Would you mind doing me a favor?"
Ranma didn't even consider it, Kasumi was the best cook he had ever met and she deserved anything he could do for her. "Sure, go ahead."
"I need to go shopping but father is a little too busy at the moment to carry everything I need."
"Say no more, be glad to help."
"Oh good, we can leave right away. Thank you Ranma-kun." Kasumi smiled sweetly.
"No prob."
As the left the door Ranma tried to start up a conversation.
"So how's it going between ya and the doc?"
"It is going well, he isn't acting so silly around me." Kasumi giggled slightly.
"That's nice to hear." Ranma briefly shuddered after he remembered the time he had a rather nasty bruise and had gone to get the doctor to check it for him.
Kasumi had shown up and he had ended up looking like a human pretzel.
Kasumi passed him a bag full of ingredients, interrupting his reverie.
Ranma idly noted some guy kissing a girl then getting decked by both her and her boyfriend. In the background she heard the shrill cries of 'Jean- Paul, Jean-Paul give me Jean-Paul.'
"Shall we continue?"
"Sure."
Three more stops and Ranma's arms were loaded with goods when he got splashed. Now a she, she scowled at the old woman then shrugged it off.
Then she heard something that she had never expected to hear again.
"RANMA, SHAMPOO KILL!"
"Yipe!" She ducked the first bonbori strike and jumped over the second, quickly jumping over the nearest roof with groceries still in hand, yelling over her shoulder. "Shampoo you're the only person I can't deal with!"
Jumping down into the alleyway she was splashed by warm dirty dishwater. Ranma saw Shampoo looking around for him and sighed in relief when he caught back up to Kasumi.
"Oh my, who was that?"
"Crazy girl who wants my head because I beat her at a tournament in China!"
"You have such interesting friends Ranma."
Ranma stared at Kasumi in disbelief, the only thing that seemed to phase the girl was Akane.
In silence they continued into the Tendo house where they were greeted by the sight Ranma had left behind not minutes before.
"What is SHE doing here?"
The panda sitting at the table lifted up a sign 'She followed me home!'
"Look Ranma it's your friend from before."
"Is Ranma?" Ranma nodded a little shakily. "Man." The Chinese girl said patting Ranma's chest. "Yup I'm a man all right." He said nervously.
Shampoo turned and pointed one of her bonbori at Kasumi.
"You tell Shampoo where girl-type Ranma is."
"Oh dear, I'm afraid I don't know."
"You lie, tell truth or I hurt!"
Shampoo took a swing at dear sweet, gentle Kasumi Ranma acted. With a single kick he shattered the bonbori and struck the Amazon in the chest, knocking her against the wall, and knocking her out.
"Oh dear, you defeated her again." Ranma jerked up as if shot. He paled and began to blabber.
'Kasumi is right!' The panda held out another sign.
"Ooh Ranma now why should _this_ be a problem hmmmm?"
Ranma glared at Nabiki then started as the girl groaned and rose. He began to babble at her at how this was an accident.
Then she kissed him.
"Wo Ai Ni Airen" She said and sighed against his chest.
"He… Hey! Whatcha doing!"
This was like Kodachi!
In response the girl handed him a small booklet. "Amazon Tribal Law"
Nabiki gleefully snatched the booklet out of Ranma's hands and began to read.
"It says here if an outsider female defeats an Amazon she must hunt her to the ends of the Earth and kill her. If the outsider is male however the Amazon warrior must wed him."
Nabiki gave an evil giggle. "Ooh too bad Ranma, looks like you have another suitor."
Ranma shivered, what was happening to him?
First he gets engaged to Nabiki, who hated his guts and charged an arm and a leg for every little thing.
Then came Kodachi with her clinging and narcotics so she could steal kisses from him.
If those two weren't bad enough he has almost every single girl staring at him in school.
Now Shampoo who wanted to kill his girl type and marry his guy type.
Both of them he didn't want to happen.
Moving out of Shampoo's grip he backed out into the yard waving his hands in protest.
"There ain't no way I'm marryin ya Shampoo!"
He ran around to the side of the house, Shampoo close in pursuit.
After hopping onto the middle of a stone fountain so Shampoo couldn't get near him he turned around. "Now Shampoo I can't marry ya, I'm already engaged for my family honor, even if I don't like it! You got that?"
Shampoo giggled, nodded and leaned against the stone fountain. "Wo Ai Ni."
"I don't think ya get it."
He hopped down and grabbed her by the shoulders. Shampoo reciprocated by snuggling against him. "Sh-Shampoo! You gotta listen to me, I'm…"
Ranma was interrupted and Shampoo suddenly was all business as the voice was heard, with the threat clear in the tone.
"Well, well Ranma, got someone else there I see."
Knowing full well he was being observed by other's he put on his demon hunter's mask.
"Akane."
The two sisters watching from around the corner gasped. They looked; yes there was Akane, in all her black-blue-winged glory, sitting on the wall smirking.
Silently Ranma thanked her and in response Akane's golden orbs twinkled with laughter in response.
"'Scuse me Shampoo looks like Akane here wants to play a bit."
The Amazon warrior nodded fearfully, she was an Amazon but this girl scared her.
Gathering shimmering gold energy that was darker then his now visible aura he called out his attack.
"Plasma FLARE."
His blast struck the air squarely; Akane had already lifted herself into the air with her large wings.
Ranma grinned then closed his eyes. "I wanted to try this out, no time like the present."
Concentrating a sword hilt began to form in his hands. "Tendo-Saotome Forbidden Techniques Combined: AIR CLEAVER!"
Above the hilt was a shimmering mass of air, which seemed to cut the very space around it. He waved it a few times and there was a ripping sound as the very air was cut.
"Like?"
"Very nice Ranma, shall we?"
"Let's dance!"
Both figures leapt at each other, Akane dodging the sword to sole else, her grunting when his fist that was not holding the blade and his feet hit her.
Blurring they moved out of the yard.
The occupants stared after them; they had both seemed to enjoy fighting like that.
Genma looked stern, Soun's face was bewildered.
"They looked like they have known each other for a while."
"Yes Saotome."
"The demon was good, she was actually faster then the boy."
"Yes, much faster then I had thought."
"Akane is playing with Ranma I'm afraid he will only kill that Demon if he gets incredible lucky."
"Is there no hope Saotome?"
"There might be. Did you see what the boy did though Tendo?"
"Sheer brilliance Saotome"
"He combined two techniques in our Schools flawlessly Tendo!"
Their conversation was interrupted when they heard a large cracking sound. A beam of red light laced the Nerimian night sky, closely followed by beam of golden light.
"Gods, what power that boy has." Genma whispered
"Thanks Akane, that Shampoo actually thought I was going to marry her because I defeated her."
"No problem Ranma."
"I'd rather marry you then anyone else 'round here!"
Akane grinned. "Is that a proposal?"
Ranma turned and stared at her. "WHAT!?"
"That's OK Ranma I can wait." Her grin grew wider.
"Wait?" He squeaked.
"Oh Ranma, I just want you to be happy. If its me you'll be happy with, well I can't say I'll complain. Of course you are engaged to my ex-sister and that Shampoo's tribal laws already marry you. Its not like I have much of a chance is there." She fluttered her eyebrows and her grin grew even more so at his flummoxed expression.
Then Ranma grinned back at her as an idea popped into his head to get her back for her zinger. "Your right, it isn't like you have a chance… unless."
Akane frowned, now what was Ranma getting at. "Unless?"
Ranma concentrated and his aura flared. "Will you, formally Tendo Akane, now Akane the Demoness, Eater of Demons, Bane of All, Hunter of the Hunters, marry me?"
He presented to her a ring, the band was white-gold, in a bed of sapphires and rubies sat a single diamond that if you looked closely enough had a living flame trapped in it's center.
Her eyes widening she whispered. "Ranma…how?" Gesturing at the ring.
"Say yes and I'll tell ya!"
Akane grinned. "Yes." She took the ring and put it on her finger.
"You know how you can create chi weapons to exist outside the body?"
"Yes."
"Same principal except that..." He pointed to the ring. "…Is a little more permanent, it actually is a physical representation of my chi, completely separate from me. So Akane-chan, you will always carry a piece of me around!"
Her eyes glowed. "Ranma I'll hold you to this proposal if you don't fall for another girl in two years." She grinned as he paled. "Remember, you just proposed to me, only I can take that back."
Seeing his panicked expression she grinned again. Ranma was so funny like this! And now she had proof that he at least saw her as a girl instead of just a friend and sparring partner.
"Ranma, relax, it's for two years, even if you don't fall in love with someone else we can always get it annulled. Honestly I said I'd hold you to the promise that we'd get married, I didn't say we'd have to stay married!"
"Plus…" She continued as she saw him relax. "I want to try out married life once." She grinned wickedly at the next thought, this was a little naughty but what the hell, and she was a demon. "I don't want to die a virgin and I'm not going to do _it_ without being married first!"
Ranma stiffened, paled then fell over. Akane giggled, she had never seen someone pale, then redden so fast, and that nosebleed, it was a lot more then she had expected.
"So where you going to take me?" Akane asked after Ranma had recovered.
"Huh? Take you?"
"Ranma when a guy proposes he usually does it _after_ a romantic date, like a moonlit walk or candlelit dinner. Since you proposed after a grueling battle across the rooftops, which I might add isn't romantic, we need to go on our date!"
"Uh… sure." Ranma decided to humor his friend, maybe she deserved to go on a few dates, even if it was with him. After all she couldn't exactly wait for someone to ask her.
Ranma then grinned; he knew exactly what to do. He had been helping Kasumi a bit in the kitchen and ten years on the road with his Oyaji did nothing but help him learn to cook a decent meal.
Maybe a nice dinner cooked just for her would satisfy this strange mood she was in.
Ranma also knew one of her hideouts had a nice dining table and working kitchen. For some reason she didn't use the kitchen much but he could always grab the ingredients he needed from the nearby shops.
"C'mon Akane!"
Akane, curious, followed him. Ranma would occasionally flicker as he went into the Umi-Sen-Ken, grabbing food from the nearby stores.
Her eyebrows quirked when they reached one of her more richly furnished hideouts.
"Go and sit at the table, dinner will be ready soon." He paused, she had said something about candles?
Well he didn't have any candles but how about a low power ball of chi!
Separating some more of his essence he left it floating gently above the table.
Akane had been sitting patiently staring into the gentle glowing ball of chi when she heard Ranma coming in from the kitchen.
She laughed at the sight. "Show off!" She then grinned at Ranma's indignant expression.
Ranma had around three dishes balancing on each arm, holding another in his hands and one on his head.
Carefully he placed a plate in front of her, complete with chopsticks. Then setting everything else down he served her, then served himself.
"Let's eat." Ranma said cheerfully and began to eat slowly; Akane had said a romantic dinner that meant manners and stuff.
Akane watched Ranma for a few minutes and began to eat also, savoring the first real meal she had had since she stole some dinner around six months ago. This was certainly better then the instant ramen and meat and bread she usually had.
"So Ranma how did you meet Shampoo."
"Well it went something like this…"
The two continued their idle conversation throughout the night.
You might be wondering where Ranma is compared to the magna in strength, speed, endurance and skill.
Speed, strength and endurance he is slightly higher then at the end of the manga, skill wise though would only be slightly better then he would be at this point in the magna because of his lack of highly skilled opponents like Ryoga, Cologne, Happosai, etc.
Though he does have more special techniques.
The Yama-Sen-Ken
The Umi-Sen-Ken
The Plasma Flare (comparable to a high-end Moko Tokobashi)
Tendo-Ryu forbidden techniques (Chi forged weapons)
Oh Ranma's memory of his conversation with the cats is completely forgotten, he will only remember when he confronts another Shadow or talks to the Fragments in his mind.