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Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Trials
Chapter 14
Taking a deep breath, Ukyo emptied the contents of the urn over
the pond. It strange, she decided, that her father would choose this
place. Her uncle said the two of them had spent some time here as kids,
and it was the place she had turned to for solace after Ranma had left
with her dowry.
But in a strange way, she supposed it was fitting then for her
father to want his ashes spread here. The funeral had been short, again
the way her father had specified in his will that he wanted it. But it
had helped Ukyo come full circle with her mixed-up feelings towards him.
On the one hand, she still hated him for the way he dealt with
her. On the other, she loved him, because he was her father and in his
own way, was trying to get her taken care of by engaging her to Ranma.
But now she felt she could move on with her life.
Thanks to Yoshiro's connections, she was now legally registered
as a girl. Her father had registered her as a boy when she was left
behind by Genma and Ranma because he couldn't deal with a disgraced
daughter. And since he was now gone, there would be no loss of honor for
the engagment to be declared null.
she thought with a slight smirk,
Her honor now satisfied, Ukyo packed the empty urn with her
belongings and headed for what she now considered her home: Nerima.
It really wasn't fair, and it definitely wasn't pretty.
"Yaaagghh!" came the girl's scream. *Thump!* went her body as it
hit the ground once again. "This isn't fair!!!" she cried, sitting up.
"You can always give up," Akari suggested.
Sakura glared at her and glanced at Ryoga. It had been her
dream to marry a strong, handsome martial artist, and now that dream was
slipping away every time she was hit by that giant freak pig. None of
her attacks seemed to be doing any sort of damage, but of course they
were designed to work on humans.
"I hate pigs!" she screamed. She didn't notice Ryoga wince
badly. She dried her eyes and settled her eyes on her beloved. "Ryoga-
chan, wouldn't you rather have me over this pig-girl?" She gave him her
best sad-lost-big-puppy-dog-eyes, complete with quivering-lower-lip.
Ryoga, having the same problem as Ranma when confronted with a
female's ultra kawaii attack, withered miserably. "I-I... t-that is... I
l-lo.. um.. a-heh.. I mean... I-I can't... because... I..."
Akari sighed at her fiance's lack of ability to form a coherent
sentence. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at
it), a distraction saved Ryoga from completing his babbling thoughts.
*Splash!*
"Woof!"
"What's that boy? Ryoga-san was out there?"
"Woof!"
"Oh that's right! I had him working that boulder exercise!"
"Woof!"
"Remind me next time to look before tossing the cleaning water
out."
"Woof!"
"Right, I know I'm blind! I can't look. Heh heh."
"Woof!"
"Ryoga-san, are you all right?"
Sakura blinked when her love disappeared following the splash
that lightly soaked him. "Ryoga-chan?" She dashed up to where he was
standing, but arrived a few seconds after Akari, who was picking through
his clothes. "What happened?" She watched, horrified, as Akari picked up
a small, black piglet and held it close to her chest.
"Oh, didn't you know?" Akari asked, surprised. "Ryo-chan turns
into this cute little piglet when he gets wet!"
You could see the synapses frying in her brain, one-by-one, as
she tried to reconcile the facts. "A p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pig!?" she
screeched. "He... you... what..." Her gaze flicked rapidly between an
amused-looking Akari and a frightened Ryoga-buta. As soon as the facts
finally snapped into place, Sakura took the only option open to her.
She screamed and ran for the hills.
"AAAAAAUUUuuuuggggghhhhh!!!!!" Her voice faded into the
distance, as did the dust cloud raised in her wake.
Ryoga sank back into depression at the fact that his pig form
was detested, but that was tempered by the relief he felt that she was
gone. Then he noticed how Akari had him nestled in a particular comfy
part of her anatomy, similiar to how Akane used to hold him. His
reaction, however, was the exact same.
He had a nosebleed and passed out.
"Now what in tarnation was all that screaming about?" Ryoga's
sensei asked. "And where is Ryoga-san? Did he run off again?"
Akari turned to the old man, after glancing downward at her
passed-out fiance. "Um, he'll back in a bit, sir. He was just getting
rid of a pest."
"Oh?" The old man sounded surprised. "And just who are you?"
The young girl smiled, feeling confident again for the first
time since the whole mess began. "My name is Unryuu Akari. I'm Ryoga's
iinazuke!"
"AKANE!" Ranma yelled. "What are you bastards doing to her!?"
As soon as Yuni grabbed ahold of Akane's arm, the latter
screamed in pain and collapsed to her knees. Her golden aura dimmed and
disappeared, as a light green one flowed from Yuni and overpowered it.
"The last of her ki is being drained," Hajime replied calmly.
"Only then, can what we seek be obtained. I'm sorry, but it has to be
done."
*Clang!* *Clang!* CLANG!*
Hajime turned around, his eyes widening in surprise as Ranma
put dent after dent into the steel cube. He turned back around and observed
his fellow comrades rejoining him.
Kujo actually seemed to be in some pain, but the big man was
hiding it well as he picked up Li Chun. Wen Ho was back as well, and he
was assisting Daimonji, who was injured pretty badly. Takao seemed
pretty shaken, never having been hit by his own attack before. He'd need
plenty of rest.
The old man turned his attention back to Akane, who was
writhing in pain from where she lay on her back. He felt sorry for her,
but better to sacrifice one for the good of the many. He watched
impassively, as her back finally arched, and a golden light burst out of
her chest. It stopped a meter above her and coalesced into a golden
ball.
"At last!"
"AKANE! NO!"
*SCREEEEEEEEECH!*
Watching Akane suffer was tearing Ranma apart like he'd never
known. He'd promised himself time and time again that he wouldn't let
anything happen to her, yet here he was, failing her again.
she swore.
Fear at what was happening to her iinazuke and at her
helplessness to do anything, ate away at her, and a startling
transformation took place.
Ranma didn't think at all, she just acted.
Hajime turned back around yet again, and was distressed to see
four slash marks diagonally across the steel-titanium reinforced box.
Also, was that girl... yowling? Another set of slash marks cut across
the other way, making an X mark.
Then the wall exploded and the girl inside pounced out.
"Leave her alone!" she screamed.
Before he knew what was happening, Hajime found himself easily
batted aside like a rag doll by the rapidly moving red-head. She then
implanted Wen Ho in a wall, flung Takao into the air, and sent Kujo down
for the count, all in a matter of seconds.
Hajime swore internally.
Across the way, Yuni had finished what she was doing, and the
golden ball above Akane formed into a multi-faceted crystal shard. The
raven-haired martial artist slumped to the ground, gazing at the crystal
with barely-recognized eyes.
And deep insider her, a memory resurfaced.
-------------------------------------------
"'Kasaan! You gonna be alright?"
Mrs. Tendo looked down at her 6-year old daughter from her
hospital bed. It was at her request that her youngest was here, for it
was only little Akane who showed the signs of a warrior's heart.
She reached out and stroked Akane's cheek. "I'm going to be
fine, Akane-chan. I'm just going to have to go away for awhile."
"Where?" Her young eyes showed no fear, only a strong curiosity.
"You'll find out later, but for now I need you to do a favor for
me," her mother told her. "Will you hold on to something for me?"
"Sure, `Kasaan!" Akane responded happily. "I'll be happy to!"
Mrs. Tendo rose to a sitting position on the bed, her legs
hanging over the side. She held up both her palms. "Well, first of all,
put your hands on mine."
Akane smiled. A game! "Okay!" She put her small palms against
her mother's and gazed upwards into her mother's brown eyes. For some
reason, she couldn't turn her face away, feeling strangely compelled to
keep looking.
A golden light began to emanate from the Tendo matriarch,
illuminating the darkened room. The glow expanded to surround young
Akane, even as it pulsed between them. A conduit of golden rays flowed
from Mrs. Tendo's chest to Akane's, faintly revealing a small crystal
shard within.
Akane watched it enter her body through her chest, but for some
reason she wasn't scared. It was if she knew this had to happen, and
this crystal was her friend. The glow faded slowly from the room and
from mother and daughter, and Akane found herself growing sleepy.
As she laid her head down in her mother's lap and began to doze
off, she could almost hear her mother's thoughts.
By the time they were found later, Mrs. Tendo had passed away,
and little Akane had suppressed all memories of the incident.
-----------------------------------------------
"Ka...saan..." Akane muttered, then closed her eyes.
It was taking too long. The one in the brown gi (who's style of
martial arts was disturbingly familiar) wasn't too much of a problem and
the Kuno boy was more annoying then anything else, but together they
were managing to hold him off.
And then this panda comes out of nowhere to join the fight
against him! (Lady Kuno attempted to revive Genma via a conviently
placed bucket of cold water) Was there no end to this circus? And all
of this was keeping him from his true target!
His blade met Kuno's in a clash of steel, but he easily used
his superior strength to send the younger boy tumbling back. However,
that left him open for a fraction of a second, enough for the panda the
ram into him, throwing him off balance with his superior bulk.
Soun sprang in next, rapidly striking several vital points
along Drakon's face and chest, and ending with a judo throw into another
wall, which naturally crumbled to pieces upon impact. That didn't leave
very many walls left.
Drakon recovered quickly enough, bursting out of the debris to
stand before the three advesaries arrayed against him. He was just
starting to breath heavily, and still he was no closer to ending this.
His let his hand brushed against his pouch once more.
"Thy interference merely postpones that which is inevitable," he
told them with a grim look on his face. "I desired not this outcome, but
my hand hath been forced." Sudden determination dictating his actions,
he reached into his pouch and pulled out the darkened orb. `If you are
in need, throw this to the ground and break it, and your true powers
will return,' Darmando had told him.
"Behold that against which you stand!" He threw the orb to the
ground at his feet with all his strength. It shattered upon impact and a
pitch black cloud started to boil out of the remains.
As the three warriors watched in rapt amazement, the cloud
eneveloped Drakon, masking most of his body. His grim smile soon
dissolved, though, and he began to convulse as if in pain. His arms
began to shake, his mouth open and his eyes wide with confusion and
surprise. Tremors seemed to wrack his body every few moments, even as
veins stood out on his forehead.
Suddenly, he doubled over, his arms hugging his stomach. Genma,
Soun, and Tatewaki, took a nervous step back, as two green things
erupted from his backside. Then they unfolded, revealing themselves to
be giant bat-like wings.
"No, not bat," Soun said softly in realization. "Dragon
wings..."
Drakon straightened again, appearing to be over the worst of
it. "Now fools, prepare to-Aaauugghh!" He was stopped in mid-sentance by
another spasm wracking his body. His legs suddenly gave out on him and he collapsed to all
fours.
Before their very eyes, Drakon nearly doubled in size, as his
skin began to sprout dark-green scales. His lips formed a soundless,
"Nooo!", before his face elongated into a scaley snout. Then, speaking
was no longer within his capabilities as he growled in obvious pain.
His hands reformed into claws, a long scaly tail burst forth
from from his rear, and the transformation was almost complete.
Blackness crawled along his body, turning it from the dark-green, to a
sickly black.
It's work done, the ebony cloud of smoke dissipated, leaving
silence in the embattled courtyard.
Ariko sat up straight suddenly and shivered. She blinked once,
wondering what that strange feeling was. That's when she noticed Miyo
was doing the same thing.
"Ariko-san, are you okay?" Hikaru asked, rushing back into the
room. "I thought I felt something..."
"That's because you did, as I believe everyone here did," Toshi
replied, returning as well. "Though I suspect Miyo-san can tell us more
about it." Three pairs of eyes turned toward the fortune-teller.
Miyo's eyes were dilated, as if she were watching something
else entirely. "Powerful magic," she said after a few moments. "Nearby.
Evil, too." She shivered again, then blinked, her eyes returning to
normal. She took in the looks of her friends around around. "All of us
here have a magical sense that comes from our studies into the arcane. I
can see more clearly because of my special gift."
"So what's happening?" Ariko asked, eagerly.
Miyo shook her head. "The magic was so powerful, that I
couldn't get a clear reading, but I definitely felt the aura of dark
arts being performed." She stood up and moved to the nearest window,
opening the shutters slightly. "Dangerous, too. I don't know exactly
what's going on, but heaven help any who stand against such power."
Ariko and Hikaru glanced at each other nervously, wondering
what could be so powerful as to frighten Miyo. Even when they were all
prisoners of the mage clans, she wasn't the least bit scared.
Toshi merely sat down and rested his chin on his hand, his face
an impassioned mask.
"What the-!!" Ryu Kumon took several shaky steps backward at the
sight.
"Oneechan..." Kurumi whispered frightfully as she clutched her
older sister's arm.
Even Natsume was taken aback by the scene before them. They had
found out from Kasumi where their adopted father had gone to and had
decided to go and help, easily following the column of smoke rising in
the distance. Ryu tagged along reluctantly, just out of curiousity and
to see if there was a worthy opponent for him to fight.
They had just arrived just in time to witness Drakon's horrific
transformation.
Natsume's face hardened, determination deciding her course of
action. "Well, let us see if we can help."
"Forget this!" Ryu had come to see about challenging a human
opponent. Dragons weren't on the list of possibilities! "You can go out
there and get killed if you want, but I don't want any part of it!"
"Scared, Kumon-san?" Natsume taunted.
Ryu erupted in anger. "Of course! Fear simply warns us of
danger, and right now mine is saying that going in there would be a
fatal mistake!"
"Natsume, I-I'm scared, too," Kurumi admitted. "Do we have to go
in there?"
The older girl turned her gaze into the courtyard, where the
dragon was slowly stomping menacingly toward the other three martial
artists. She then glanced back down at her sister, and sighed. She could
tell Kurumi didn't really want to fight, not that she blamed her.
Natsume's gut feelings were warning her against this as well.
"Well, I'm outta here," Ryu said, turning to go. "Fight if you
want, but this doesn't have anything to do with me." The two girls
watched as he began to walk off.
"Ryu-san, wait!" Natsume called, but Ryu didn't stop, instead
just waving her off. A sinking feeling assaulted her. "Maybe..."
"Natsume?"
There was a long pause before Natsume spoke again. "Maybe we're
not ready to be heirs to the Tendo dojo. It would appear that our skills
our not up to the task."
Kurumi, if possible, clutched her sister's arm even tighter.
"We're not leaving again?" she whined. "I don't wanna leave Akane-
oneechan and Kasumi-oneechan!"
Natsume glanced down at her sister, but she didn't have any
response to give her.
The old woman couldn't believe her luck. She had just returned
to Japan yesterday with her new mission, but she hadn't expected to run
into any of them yet. But here he was, hiking through the woods all
alone. And he apparently hadn't sensed her yet. She had planned to pick
them off one by one and this was a great start, since she could use him.
"You can come out, old one," he called, not slowing or stopping
at all. "I know you're there."
Zhao Len started. she mused. She hopped out of the trees and into the dirt
path in front of him, and this time he did stop.
"What do you want?" he asked her gruffly.
Something seemed a bit off about him, but Zhao Len ignored it.
"I think that should be obvious, boy. The question is, will you
cooperate willingly, or-" she grinned ferally, "do I have to use more
persuasive methods?"
He looked at her, somewhat confused. "What is your problem? And
what does it have to do with me?"
The old, former-Amazon blinked. "I'm surprised, Kenji, don't
you remember me and all the fun we had?"
`Kenji' looked at the old woman liked she'd grown a second head,
then laughed. "I'm afraid whatever quarrel you had with this body's
previous host will have to wait. I have more pressing matters to attend
to."
"Previous host?" Zhao Len's eyes narrowed. As an Amazon
matriarch, she had read through much of their tribes ancient magical
lore. Soul transfers and possessions were spoken of, but she had never
really seen them in action before. "And just who are you?"
"My name would be meaningless to you," he replied. "But know
that I have survived for far longer than you. To challenge me, would
mean your death." His eyes glinted dangerously. "Out of my way."
Zhao Len chuckled. "Oh, that may be so, but I have a trick or
two up my sleeve. I can't let you leave, however, since I have need of
that body as well."
"And what will you do to stop me, old woman?"
"Just this." She reached into her robe and pulled out something,
holding it up between two fingers. It was a small gem, a ruby.
"Regardless of which soul is that body, it still has the same brain."
The boy froze, suddenly unable to move due to the paralysis
that enveloped his body. "What...? How...?"
"We have much work to do," Zhao Len told him. "I suggest we get
started."
She walked by him casually, and behind her, her puppet kept
pace.
--------------------------------
Author's notes:
The bit about Ukyo's engagement is not something I made up. Looking back
through the manga, you can easily put it together. Before Ranma and Ukyo
were engaged, they met up with the Gambler King. Ukyo lost an IOU to the
Gambler King for the yattai, and Ranma lost an IOU for the Tendo Dojo.
Ten years later when the Gambler King shows up, that IOU is valid enough
for him to claim the dojo. They eventually win it back, but nothing is
said about the yattai. Conclusion: the yattai did legally belong to (and
still does) the Gambler King long before Genma stole it.
Also, for those of you who don't know, an omiai is a formal meeting
between two people who look each other over and see if they want to get
married, as a prelude to an engagement (providing the omiai goes well).
Ranma and Akane's omiai happened with Soun's famous line: "Kasumi is
nineteen, Nabiki is eighteen, Akane is seventeen. Pick any one you want
and she shall be your bride." In which Akane is volunteered by her
loving sisters. According to family honor and duty, giri, (and comedy
^_^) they were engaged.
Ukyo never participated in the omiai in which Genma asked Ranma which he
liked better: Ucchan or okonomiyaki. And we all know which one Ranma
picked.
So Ukyo is correct when she says above, "With no dowry and no omiai, how
can there be an engagement?"
Just something to keep in mind as you read and/or write Ranma
fanfiction. From Ranma's standpoint, his only legal engagement, and
hence his honor, is to Akane.
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Trials
Chapter 14
Taking a deep breath, Ukyo emptied the contents of the urn over
the pond. It strange, she decided, that her father would choose this
place. Her uncle said the two of them had spent some time here as kids,
and it was the place she had turned to for solace after Ranma had left
with her dowry.
But in a strange way, she supposed it was fitting then for her
father to want his ashes spread here. The funeral had been short, again
the way her father had specified in his will that he wanted it. But it
had helped Ukyo come full circle with her mixed-up feelings towards him.
On the one hand, she still hated him for the way he dealt with
her. On the other, she loved him, because he was her father and in his
own way, was trying to get her taken care of by engaging her to Ranma.
But now she felt she could move on with her life.
Thanks to Yoshiro's connections, she was now legally registered
as a girl. Her father had registered her as a boy when she was left
behind by Genma and Ranma because he couldn't deal with a disgraced
daughter. And since he was now gone, there would be no loss of honor for
the engagment to be declared null.
she thought with a slight smirk,
Her honor now satisfied, Ukyo packed the empty urn with her
belongings and headed for what she now considered her home: Nerima.
It really wasn't fair, and it definitely wasn't pretty.
"Yaaagghh!" came the girl's scream. *Thump!* went her body as it
hit the ground once again. "This isn't fair!!!" she cried, sitting up.
"You can always give up," Akari suggested.
Sakura glared at her and glanced at Ryoga. It had been her
dream to marry a strong, handsome martial artist, and now that dream was
slipping away every time she was hit by that giant freak pig. None of
her attacks seemed to be doing any sort of damage, but of course they
were designed to work on humans.
"I hate pigs!" she screamed. She didn't notice Ryoga wince
badly. She dried her eyes and settled her eyes on her beloved. "Ryoga-
chan, wouldn't you rather have me over this pig-girl?" She gave him her
best sad-lost-big-puppy-dog-eyes, complete with quivering-lower-lip.
Ryoga, having the same problem as Ranma when confronted with a
female's ultra kawaii attack, withered miserably. "I-I... t-that is... I
l-lo.. um.. a-heh.. I mean... I-I can't... because... I..."
Akari sighed at her fiance's lack of ability to form a coherent
sentence. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at
it), a distraction saved Ryoga from completing his babbling thoughts.
*Splash!*
"Woof!"
"What's that boy? Ryoga-san was out there?"
"Woof!"
"Oh that's right! I had him working that boulder exercise!"
"Woof!"
"Remind me next time to look before tossing the cleaning water
out."
"Woof!"
"Right, I know I'm blind! I can't look. Heh heh."
"Woof!"
"Ryoga-san, are you all right?"
Sakura blinked when her love disappeared following the splash
that lightly soaked him. "Ryoga-chan?" She dashed up to where he was
standing, but arrived a few seconds after Akari, who was picking through
his clothes. "What happened?" She watched, horrified, as Akari picked up
a small, black piglet and held it close to her chest.
"Oh, didn't you know?" Akari asked, surprised. "Ryo-chan turns
into this cute little piglet when he gets wet!"
You could see the synapses frying in her brain, one-by-one, as
she tried to reconcile the facts. "A p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pig!?" she
screeched. "He... you... what..." Her gaze flicked rapidly between an
amused-looking Akari and a frightened Ryoga-buta. As soon as the facts
finally snapped into place, Sakura took the only option open to her.
She screamed and ran for the hills.
"AAAAAAUUUuuuuggggghhhhh!!!!!" Her voice faded into the
distance, as did the dust cloud raised in her wake.
Ryoga sank back into depression at the fact that his pig form
was detested, but that was tempered by the relief he felt that she was
gone. Then he noticed how Akari had him nestled in a particular comfy
part of her anatomy, similiar to how Akane used to hold him. His
reaction, however, was the exact same.
He had a nosebleed and passed out.
"Now what in tarnation was all that screaming about?" Ryoga's
sensei asked. "And where is Ryoga-san? Did he run off again?"
Akari turned to the old man, after glancing downward at her
passed-out fiance. "Um, he'll back in a bit, sir. He was just getting
rid of a pest."
"Oh?" The old man sounded surprised. "And just who are you?"
The young girl smiled, feeling confident again for the first
time since the whole mess began. "My name is Unryuu Akari. I'm Ryoga's
iinazuke!"
"AKANE!" Ranma yelled. "What are you bastards doing to her!?"
As soon as Yuni grabbed ahold of Akane's arm, the latter
screamed in pain and collapsed to her knees. Her golden aura dimmed and
disappeared, as a light green one flowed from Yuni and overpowered it.
"The last of her ki is being drained," Hajime replied calmly.
"Only then, can what we seek be obtained. I'm sorry, but it has to be
done."
*Clang!* *Clang!* CLANG!*
Hajime turned around, his eyes widening in surprise as Ranma
put dent after dent into the steel cube. He turned back around and observed
his fellow comrades rejoining him.
Kujo actually seemed to be in some pain, but the big man was
hiding it well as he picked up Li Chun. Wen Ho was back as well, and he
was assisting Daimonji, who was injured pretty badly. Takao seemed
pretty shaken, never having been hit by his own attack before. He'd need
plenty of rest.
The old man turned his attention back to Akane, who was
writhing in pain from where she lay on her back. He felt sorry for her,
but better to sacrifice one for the good of the many. He watched
impassively, as her back finally arched, and a golden light burst out of
her chest. It stopped a meter above her and coalesced into a golden
ball.
"At last!"
"AKANE! NO!"
*SCREEEEEEEEECH!*
Watching Akane suffer was tearing Ranma apart like he'd never
known. He'd promised himself time and time again that he wouldn't let
anything happen to her, yet here he was, failing her again.
she swore.
Fear at what was happening to her iinazuke and at her
helplessness to do anything, ate away at her, and a startling
transformation took place.
Ranma didn't think at all, she just acted.
Hajime turned back around yet again, and was distressed to see
four slash marks diagonally across the steel-titanium reinforced box.
Also, was that girl... yowling? Another set of slash marks cut across
the other way, making an X mark.
Then the wall exploded and the girl inside pounced out.
"Leave her alone!" she screamed.
Before he knew what was happening, Hajime found himself easily
batted aside like a rag doll by the rapidly moving red-head. She then
implanted Wen Ho in a wall, flung Takao into the air, and sent Kujo down
for the count, all in a matter of seconds.
Hajime swore internally.
Across the way, Yuni had finished what she was doing, and the
golden ball above Akane formed into a multi-faceted crystal shard. The
raven-haired martial artist slumped to the ground, gazing at the crystal
with barely-recognized eyes.
And deep insider her, a memory resurfaced.
-------------------------------------------
"'Kasaan! You gonna be alright?"
Mrs. Tendo looked down at her 6-year old daughter from her
hospital bed. It was at her request that her youngest was here, for it
was only little Akane who showed the signs of a warrior's heart.
She reached out and stroked Akane's cheek. "I'm going to be
fine, Akane-chan. I'm just going to have to go away for awhile."
"Where?" Her young eyes showed no fear, only a strong curiosity.
"You'll find out later, but for now I need you to do a favor for
me," her mother told her. "Will you hold on to something for me?"
"Sure, `Kasaan!" Akane responded happily. "I'll be happy to!"
Mrs. Tendo rose to a sitting position on the bed, her legs
hanging over the side. She held up both her palms. "Well, first of all,
put your hands on mine."
Akane smiled. A game! "Okay!" She put her small palms against
her mother's and gazed upwards into her mother's brown eyes. For some
reason, she couldn't turn her face away, feeling strangely compelled to
keep looking.
A golden light began to emanate from the Tendo matriarch,
illuminating the darkened room. The glow expanded to surround young
Akane, even as it pulsed between them. A conduit of golden rays flowed
from Mrs. Tendo's chest to Akane's, faintly revealing a small crystal
shard within.
Akane watched it enter her body through her chest, but for some
reason she wasn't scared. It was if she knew this had to happen, and
this crystal was her friend. The glow faded slowly from the room and
from mother and daughter, and Akane found herself growing sleepy.
As she laid her head down in her mother's lap and began to doze
off, she could almost hear her mother's thoughts.
By the time they were found later, Mrs. Tendo had passed away,
and little Akane had suppressed all memories of the incident.
-----------------------------------------------
"Ka...saan..." Akane muttered, then closed her eyes.
It was taking too long. The one in the brown gi (who's style of
martial arts was disturbingly familiar) wasn't too much of a problem and
the Kuno boy was more annoying then anything else, but together they
were managing to hold him off.
And then this panda comes out of nowhere to join the fight
against him! (Lady Kuno attempted to revive Genma via a conviently
placed bucket of cold water) Was there no end to this circus? And all
of this was keeping him from his true target!
His blade met Kuno's in a clash of steel, but he easily used
his superior strength to send the younger boy tumbling back. However,
that left him open for a fraction of a second, enough for the panda the
ram into him, throwing him off balance with his superior bulk.
Soun sprang in next, rapidly striking several vital points
along Drakon's face and chest, and ending with a judo throw into another
wall, which naturally crumbled to pieces upon impact. That didn't leave
very many walls left.
Drakon recovered quickly enough, bursting out of the debris to
stand before the three advesaries arrayed against him. He was just
starting to breath heavily, and still he was no closer to ending this.
His let his hand brushed against his pouch once more.
"Thy interference merely postpones that which is inevitable," he
told them with a grim look on his face. "I desired not this outcome, but
my hand hath been forced." Sudden determination dictating his actions,
he reached into his pouch and pulled out the darkened orb. `If you are
in need, throw this to the ground and break it, and your true powers
will return,' Darmando had told him.
"Behold that against which you stand!" He threw the orb to the
ground at his feet with all his strength. It shattered upon impact and a
pitch black cloud started to boil out of the remains.
As the three warriors watched in rapt amazement, the cloud
eneveloped Drakon, masking most of his body. His grim smile soon
dissolved, though, and he began to convulse as if in pain. His arms
began to shake, his mouth open and his eyes wide with confusion and
surprise. Tremors seemed to wrack his body every few moments, even as
veins stood out on his forehead.
Suddenly, he doubled over, his arms hugging his stomach. Genma,
Soun, and Tatewaki, took a nervous step back, as two green things
erupted from his backside. Then they unfolded, revealing themselves to
be giant bat-like wings.
"No, not bat," Soun said softly in realization. "Dragon
wings..."
Drakon straightened again, appearing to be over the worst of
it. "Now fools, prepare to-Aaauugghh!" He was stopped in mid-sentance by
another spasm wracking his body. His legs suddenly gave out on him and he collapsed to all
fours.
Before their very eyes, Drakon nearly doubled in size, as his
skin began to sprout dark-green scales. His lips formed a soundless,
"Nooo!", before his face elongated into a scaley snout. Then, speaking
was no longer within his capabilities as he growled in obvious pain.
His hands reformed into claws, a long scaly tail burst forth
from from his rear, and the transformation was almost complete.
Blackness crawled along his body, turning it from the dark-green, to a
sickly black.
It's work done, the ebony cloud of smoke dissipated, leaving
silence in the embattled courtyard.
Ariko sat up straight suddenly and shivered. She blinked once,
wondering what that strange feeling was. That's when she noticed Miyo
was doing the same thing.
"Ariko-san, are you okay?" Hikaru asked, rushing back into the
room. "I thought I felt something..."
"That's because you did, as I believe everyone here did," Toshi
replied, returning as well. "Though I suspect Miyo-san can tell us more
about it." Three pairs of eyes turned toward the fortune-teller.
Miyo's eyes were dilated, as if she were watching something
else entirely. "Powerful magic," she said after a few moments. "Nearby.
Evil, too." She shivered again, then blinked, her eyes returning to
normal. She took in the looks of her friends around around. "All of us
here have a magical sense that comes from our studies into the arcane. I
can see more clearly because of my special gift."
"So what's happening?" Ariko asked, eagerly.
Miyo shook her head. "The magic was so powerful, that I
couldn't get a clear reading, but I definitely felt the aura of dark
arts being performed." She stood up and moved to the nearest window,
opening the shutters slightly. "Dangerous, too. I don't know exactly
what's going on, but heaven help any who stand against such power."
Ariko and Hikaru glanced at each other nervously, wondering
what could be so powerful as to frighten Miyo. Even when they were all
prisoners of the mage clans, she wasn't the least bit scared.
Toshi merely sat down and rested his chin on his hand, his face
an impassioned mask.
"What the-!!" Ryu Kumon took several shaky steps backward at the
sight.
"Oneechan..." Kurumi whispered frightfully as she clutched her
older sister's arm.
Even Natsume was taken aback by the scene before them. They had
found out from Kasumi where their adopted father had gone to and had
decided to go and help, easily following the column of smoke rising in
the distance. Ryu tagged along reluctantly, just out of curiousity and
to see if there was a worthy opponent for him to fight.
They had just arrived just in time to witness Drakon's horrific
transformation.
Natsume's face hardened, determination deciding her course of
action. "Well, let us see if we can help."
"Forget this!" Ryu had come to see about challenging a human
opponent. Dragons weren't on the list of possibilities! "You can go out
there and get killed if you want, but I don't want any part of it!"
"Scared, Kumon-san?" Natsume taunted.
Ryu erupted in anger. "Of course! Fear simply warns us of
danger, and right now mine is saying that going in there would be a
fatal mistake!"
"Natsume, I-I'm scared, too," Kurumi admitted. "Do we have to go
in there?"
The older girl turned her gaze into the courtyard, where the
dragon was slowly stomping menacingly toward the other three martial
artists. She then glanced back down at her sister, and sighed. She could
tell Kurumi didn't really want to fight, not that she blamed her.
Natsume's gut feelings were warning her against this as well.
"Well, I'm outta here," Ryu said, turning to go. "Fight if you
want, but this doesn't have anything to do with me." The two girls
watched as he began to walk off.
"Ryu-san, wait!" Natsume called, but Ryu didn't stop, instead
just waving her off. A sinking feeling assaulted her. "Maybe..."
"Natsume?"
There was a long pause before Natsume spoke again. "Maybe we're
not ready to be heirs to the Tendo dojo. It would appear that our skills
our not up to the task."
Kurumi, if possible, clutched her sister's arm even tighter.
"We're not leaving again?" she whined. "I don't wanna leave Akane-
oneechan and Kasumi-oneechan!"
Natsume glanced down at her sister, but she didn't have any
response to give her.
The old woman couldn't believe her luck. She had just returned
to Japan yesterday with her new mission, but she hadn't expected to run
into any of them yet. But here he was, hiking through the woods all
alone. And he apparently hadn't sensed her yet. She had planned to pick
them off one by one and this was a great start, since she could use him.
"You can come out, old one," he called, not slowing or stopping
at all. "I know you're there."
Zhao Len started. she mused. She hopped out of the trees and into the dirt
path in front of him, and this time he did stop.
"What do you want?" he asked her gruffly.
Something seemed a bit off about him, but Zhao Len ignored it.
"I think that should be obvious, boy. The question is, will you
cooperate willingly, or-" she grinned ferally, "do I have to use more
persuasive methods?"
He looked at her, somewhat confused. "What is your problem? And
what does it have to do with me?"
The old, former-Amazon blinked. "I'm surprised, Kenji, don't
you remember me and all the fun we had?"
`Kenji' looked at the old woman liked she'd grown a second head,
then laughed. "I'm afraid whatever quarrel you had with this body's
previous host will have to wait. I have more pressing matters to attend
to."
"Previous host?" Zhao Len's eyes narrowed. As an Amazon
matriarch, she had read through much of their tribes ancient magical
lore. Soul transfers and possessions were spoken of, but she had never
really seen them in action before. "And just who are you?"
"My name would be meaningless to you," he replied. "But know
that I have survived for far longer than you. To challenge me, would
mean your death." His eyes glinted dangerously. "Out of my way."
Zhao Len chuckled. "Oh, that may be so, but I have a trick or
two up my sleeve. I can't let you leave, however, since I have need of
that body as well."
"And what will you do to stop me, old woman?"
"Just this." She reached into her robe and pulled out something,
holding it up between two fingers. It was a small gem, a ruby.
"Regardless of which soul is that body, it still has the same brain."
The boy froze, suddenly unable to move due to the paralysis
that enveloped his body. "What...? How...?"
"We have much work to do," Zhao Len told him. "I suggest we get
started."
She walked by him casually, and behind her, her puppet kept
pace.
--------------------------------
Author's notes:
The bit about Ukyo's engagement is not something I made up. Looking back
through the manga, you can easily put it together. Before Ranma and Ukyo
were engaged, they met up with the Gambler King. Ukyo lost an IOU to the
Gambler King for the yattai, and Ranma lost an IOU for the Tendo Dojo.
Ten years later when the Gambler King shows up, that IOU is valid enough
for him to claim the dojo. They eventually win it back, but nothing is
said about the yattai. Conclusion: the yattai did legally belong to (and
still does) the Gambler King long before Genma stole it.
Also, for those of you who don't know, an omiai is a formal meeting
between two people who look each other over and see if they want to get
married, as a prelude to an engagement (providing the omiai goes well).
Ranma and Akane's omiai happened with Soun's famous line: "Kasumi is
nineteen, Nabiki is eighteen, Akane is seventeen. Pick any one you want
and she shall be your bride." In which Akane is volunteered by her
loving sisters. According to family honor and duty, giri, (and comedy
^_^) they were engaged.
Ukyo never participated in the omiai in which Genma asked Ranma which he
liked better: Ucchan or okonomiyaki. And we all know which one Ranma
picked.
So Ukyo is correct when she says above, "With no dowry and no omiai, how
can there be an engagement?"
Just something to keep in mind as you read and/or write Ranma
fanfiction. From Ranma's standpoint, his only legal engagement, and
hence his honor, is to Akane.