Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma or Inu yasha.
Chapter 10It was fairly dark in the early morning. Not as dark as the dead of night, of course, but too dark to be called anything else. The stars had faded, and the sky was black still, but it was a weak kind of black, becoming lighter even before the sun could make an appearance. It was a familiar sight to Ranma.
He sat atop the Tendo roof, where he had been for the majority of that night. Demons didn't really need to sleep. Although he slept quite often – because he found there was not much to do when no one else is awake – he didn't actually need it much of the time. He had spent a few nights up here before, and it was kind of relaxing. He only wished Akane would come up to the roof more often. Around the house, and the dojo or the shrine, her scent was lingering everywhere, but up here he could hardly make it out. That was probably why he had chosen the spot just over her room.
Ranma knew that she slept on most nights. At least, she always followed a nightly routine that ended in her room. He couldn't be sure if she slept or not. Either way, it really was a shame that she wasn't on the roof right now. To his knowledge, Akane usually missed the sunrise. And it was unusually pretty this morning, too. Maybe it's a good omen. A shriek rang through the air. Okay…maybe it's not…
Ranma leapt off the roof, and down to the porch where Kasumi was standing, staring at something and looking shocked. It was a pile of fur that was barely moving. Its chest rose and fell slightly, and a paw was moving through the air weakly. Pathetic mews reached Ranma's ears along with a scent he realized belonged to the injured animal in front of him. The injured cat in front of him. The cat in front of him. The cat.
He felt his mind become heavy with desire at the scent of its blood. Feral, disembodied yowls reached his ears, blocking out the sounds of reality. Blocking out Kasumi's cry, a cry he tried desperately to hold onto, but the blood pushed it away, the cat cries tore it up, the desire for more ate at it, until it was no more in his mind.
The scent of blood drove him on. He didn't register the arrival of his father. He saw only the enemy before him. He didn't see the arrival of Nabiki. He noticed only the yowls of hunger for his flesh. He didn't realize it when Soun arrived. He could only realize the haunting glow of eyes around him. The scent of blood drove him on.
And then, it was overpowered by a new scent. Different, and sweeter than the first. It was teasing and enticing. And it filled him with a different sort of desire. From the void of screams and eyes and death, he flung himself at this new source, and the world faded from his view.
Ranma awoke much later to Akane's worried face. She smiled to see him awake, and he knew she could hear his heart beat faster. But, while he loved to see her smile, and he could admit it had an effect on him, he was reacting that way for a different reason.
Her scent was different. Well, not different – it was still unmistakably her scent – but it was slightly more… enticing. Ranma's eyes traveled from her face to the rest of her body, where they lingered appreciatively at her curves, until he realized what he was doing and snapped his attention back to her face. He tried to keep it there, but the best he could do was focus on her lips, and listen to the soothing sound of her voice, and try to concentrate on what she was saying.
"So, your dad told us about the neko-ken. That's awful," said Akane. Then, in a whisper she added: "I guess if you were human you would be scared of them, instead of wanting to destroy them."
If she said anything else, it escaped Ranma as his attention was focused, once again, on her and not her voice. When he noticed this, he turned his attention elsewhere, but his eyes were drawn back to her. It was a battle not to watch her, not to touch her. This battle would continue the rest of the day. Whatever they happened to be doing at the time.
It was late afternoon, and Ranma was sitting by the coi pond. Akane was in the house, but he could still smell a hint of her scent around him. It took considerable willpower not to seek her out and… he wisely decided not to complete that thought. Many times during the day, Ranma had contemplated leaving the house, but he didn't want to escape the scent that was driving him mad, if it meant leaving Akane alone. So, he was immensely pleased when Ryouga showed up shouting a challenge. It would distract him, but keep him around the house.
"Hey, Ryouga!" Ranma said happily, in greeting. He dodged Ryouga's fist, and leapt to the roof where they continued to fight. Ryouga was not as fast as Ranma, but he was slightly stronger and it was almost an even match. They battled all around the Tendo compound, and Ranma was able to push Akane to the back of his mind as he lost himself in the Art for a time. He didn't know how, or why, but as fights taking place at the Tendo's often did, their battle came to an end with both he and Ryouga in the coi pond.
Ranma climbed out, and Ryouga paddled over to the side of the pond, where he proceeded to shake himself dry. Ranma glanced at Ryouga, and with a 'follow me', headed towards the house. They entered the kitchen to find Akane boiling water. Under their questioning gazes she shrugged and said: "I heard a splash." Then she glanced at the both of them. "Oh! Is that Ryouga's dog?"
Before Ranma could answer, she had leaned over to scratch Ryouga's ears. For his part, Ryouga seemed to be enjoying the attention far too much for Ranma's piece of mind. It wasn't until the dog's eyes were closed, his tail was thumping the counter, and his tongue was making its way toward Akane's hand that Ranma booted him out of the house.
Akane frowned at her. "Ranma, what did you do that for? It was only a dog."
"That wasn't a dog!" Ranma growled. "It was Ryouga!" Akane looked at her in surprise, and opened her mouth to say something, but the kettle whistled and she went to get it. Ranma could only watch her backside as she left. And while they talked, and while they ate, and while they sparred, Ranma's battle continued. It continued while a pale, skinny boy ran from the Tendo house to prepare for his revenge, and it continued while Nabiki wondered about her sister and her sister's fiancé.
Akane read the note in her hand once more, glanced up at Ranma, and frowned. "Who wrote this?"
Ranma shrugged.
"No idea," he said, as they walked down the hall. He seemed to be watching her closely, and she had caught him looking her way more than once that day, and the day before. She wondered if this was some kind of prank, and read the note again.
"Who wrote what?"
Akane handed the note to Ukyo, who had joined Furinkan high soon after their meeting. She read the note once, glanced at Akane and burst out laughing.
" 'Terrible villains', eh?" she said. "You must be real scared, Akane."
"Terrified," Akane replied dryly.
School had just ended, and students were clearing the campus as Akane, Ranma, and Ukyo made their way to the gym, where 'Akane' was being 'held hostage by terrible villains', according to the note. The gym was a large building, with wooden floors and a stage along one end. Atop that stage was a boy none of them recognized, both by his looks and his scent, although he seemed vaguely familiar.
"Oh, Ranma! I'm so happy! You have come to rescue me!" he cried, unconvincingly. He was in a Furinkan girls' uniform, and had somehow managed to tie himself up. "Don't you know me? It's Akane! Come up here and rescue me!"
Akane twitched in anger, and was on the stage immediately. She lifted the boy by his collar and growled, in angry tones: "What do you think you are doing!?"
It was just after she said this, just after a look of bliss appeared on the boy's face, just after Ranma appeared next to her, that Akane made out the scent of many, many cats permeating from the floor. She opened her mouth to speak, but the boy let out a triumphant cry and pulled a nearby lever and the floor opened beneath her. Above her, Ranma leapt over the pit, aiming to land on the boy's head, but midway the smell hit him full- blast and he toppled below the stage, trying desperately to grab the edge and pulling in the skinny boy instead. Akane watched as Ranma stiffened, his eyes went wider than she had imagined possible, and his breathing became measured.
"Heh. Heh. Your weak spot… is cats!"
The boy was laughing triumphantly when Akane finally was able to name him, Hikaru Gosunkugi. But that didn't matter now. What was foremost on her mind was Ranma. He stood shakily, and fixed his eyes on Gosunkugi.
"W-weak spot? No way," he breathed, and his voice became colder and harder than Shampoo's. "Now, get out. Or I'll kill you" – he looked through the trap door where Ukyo was watching, a blank, surprised expression on her face – "Get him out of here, Ukyo!"
Ukyo looked startled at his voice, but she regained her composure and nodded, pulling Gosunkugi out by the hand, despite his protests. Akane reached toward Ranma, but he turned his cold eyes on her and she backed away.
"Get away," he seethed at her. She almost hesitated, but the look in his eyes changed to pleading and she leapt out of the trap door, the stage erupting in wood and cats behind her. Akane barely noticed Kuno watching the explosion as well, as Ranma came flying out after his prey. All around him felines hit the gym walls and collapsed into piles of fur. Those that got up were shot back down by Ranma, who zipped around the gym, tearing up the floor as he went.
Akane couldn't get a good look at him until he slowed down enough to approach Kuno on all fours, and then she noticed his hair was streaked with red, and his ears were pressed against his skull as he growled at Kuno, displaying his fangs. Kuno brandished his boken, trying not to look afraid, and swiped at Ranma with a cry of: "Ranma Saotome!? Demon!"
Ranma shredded the wooden sword to the handle, and Kuno's eyes widened. He glanced from his sword, and back to Ranma, and then shouted 'fetch' and threw it out of the gym. To Akane's amazement, the ploy worked, and Ranma chased after it.
"Feh. The coward has turned tail and run," he said, putting on a superior face. Akane didn't spare him a glance, as she ran after Ranma.
Following his scent, Akane reached a tree in the Furinkan yard, where Ranma had begun to sniff the trunk, and was currently so occupied by this that he didn't seem to notice Ukyo, who was watching from a distance. Ukyo only glanced at Akane from the corner of her eye.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked.
"This is the true neko-ken."
Neither Ukyo nor Akane were surprised by Genma's voice, they had heard him coming, but what he said gave him their attention. "Words cannot reach Ranma now," he continued. "The only thing that has ever snapped him out of this was an old woman who once lived in our neighborhood."
"We have to find that woman!" Akane said immediately after Genma finished talking. Genma shot her an irritated glance, and pulled on a wig and dress. Akane and Ukyo could only stare at him with mixtures of shock and horror on their faces.
"I'll have to do," he said, his face set in a grim, determined expression as he approached his son. Ukyo shook herself out of her trance and followed slightly behind him. Akane watched them, frowning, and decided to stay back. They were lucky that the school was empty; it wouldn't be a good idea to crowd Ranma. Ukyo shouldn't have gone.
Her frown only grew as Ranma became aware of intruders. He turned to them and growled threateningly. Then Genma jumped in to attack, and Ukyo followed. So much for calming him down…
Akane could tell it would e a hopeless battle before it even started. Ranma was far too fast for the both of them in this state, and he showed it as he leapt away from their combined attack. Ukyo and Genma, continued to press him back, and his growl deepened and became a full roar that echoed around the yard and in the air like thunder. Akane's eyes went wide as she watched Ranma dispatch his attackers with an ease that sent shivers down her spine. He batted them into the air, and watched them go. Then he turned to Akane, just as she turned to him, and she realized that she was alone.
It was all she could do not to crumble under Ranma's wild blue gaze as he stalked towards her. Her mind reeled and her body froze, and before she knew it Ranma was standing inches from her, so close that she could feel his breath on her face. He lifted a clawed hand, and raised it above her, Akane's fear rising in anticipation. Instead of shredding her, though, he brought it down slowly, and she felt the feather-light touch of his claws where her ear would have been, and her disguise rippled and disappeared under his almost sensual touch. Then he leaned down and kissed her hungrily, pulling her to him.
Suddenly, Akane could feel the desire radiating from him, she could smell his imminent arousal, and she could taste his blood boiling as he slit his tongue on her fangs. Her senses were drowning in him, and she tried hard not to let it affect her. It was an uphill battle, though, and she was losing, until she felt Ranma's claws begin to rip into her shirt and she opened her eyes wide and tossed him into the sky with as much force as she could muster. For a moment she stared after him, and then she sank to her knees, balling her hands into fists and mentally berating both herself and Ranma.
Not for the first time, Akane wished she were human. Then, she wouldn't have been affected that way. She wouldn't have to question what it was she wanted from Ranma, and what he wanted from her. She wouldn't have even noticed that, just for a moment, as he was fighting Ukyo and his father, Ranma was a full demon. And maybe, she wouldn't have to wonder why she could hardly think of herself without thinking of him too.
Shakily she got to her feet, and went after him, pulling on her disguise. Behind her, a pair of purple eyes watched, and Nabiki's camera silently recorded her exit, as they had done during all the other events that happened that afternoon.
A/N: Well, I worked really hard on this chapter, so I hope it's okay. I don't know much about the full demon thing, but Inu yasha can do it so I decided to put it in the story. Also, I thought that since Ranma is an inu hanyou he would naturally not like cats much and the neko-ken would intensify his dislike for them. He still kind of fears them, but he hates them more. I don't think he actually killed all the cats in the gym, though. That would be kind of creepy… anyway, he is less predictable this way. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I really love getting comments, but I don't get enough suggestions, and I only have an idea of what will happen after the next few chapters. So, if you only want to comment that's fine, but please try and suggest something or just tell me what you'd like to happen. Thank you! C ya next chap!