Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma or Inu yasha.
Chapter 19"What's going on?"
Akane was surprised to find those words were her own. Surely her voice didn't sound so weak… She gulped and hid her discomfort when her father didn't even glance at her as he gestured to the TV.
"See for yourself," he said, and began to march solemnly towards the door, the clanking of his armor like the call of death. The door shut behind him with a resounding crash, bringing them all back to life. Akane fumbled with the buttons on the remote before Nodoka took it from her and calmly turned on the news.
"...footage of the underwear thief who appears in Nerima nightly…" a picture of a miniature old man with an oversized sack, bulging with panties, slung across his shoulder appeared on the screen in accordance to the anchor man's monotone. If she had been in any other situation the image would have been extremely comical. Akane's eyes met Ranma's and she knew he too was wondering if that was Sesshomarou's cursed form.
"Gah! That's – "
All eyes turned to Kagome, who seemed to be trying to look as if she hadn't said a thing. Next to her Inu-Yasha was rolling his eyes. He's related to Sesshomarou, so maybe he knows…
"You know about him, right?" Akane asked. Inu-Yasha looked at her skeptically.
"Do you?"
"What are you talking about?" Nodoka cut in before Akane could say anything. Her voice was cold with command and it chilled Akane, although she wouldn't let it show. Ranma, though, didn't seem to be affected as he stepped forward and matched hardened stares with his mother.
"That's not for any of us to tell you," he said harshly. He turned his attention to the rest of them. "I'll get an extra pair of clothes. Akane, you go get some hot water and put it in a thermos. You two – " he looked to Inu-Yasha and Kagome – "one of you go stop Soun, or at least slow him down. The other should contact her." There was no doubt that by 'her' he meant Rin.
"I tried to call her. I think she's already out there," Akane told him. Ranma only paused for a second.
"Then forget it. Maybe we'll see her. Now, let's go."
He immediately took off in the direction of his room, leaving no time to question him. Inu-Yasha looked as if he wasn't going to budge for a moment, but Kagome was already heading towards the door and he followed with a grudging 'Keh.' Before she left the room, Akane noticed that while Tofu and Kasumi only looked confused, Nodoka was thoughtfully staring after Ranma.
A short time later Ranma accepted a warm thermos from Akane and stuffed it in a pack slung over his shoulder along with a pair of clothes. After all, Happosai was very small and Sesshomarou was… not. So it was entirely possible that the extra clothing would come in handy. Ranma himself had no idea if they would even encounter Happosai, but Soun seemed to know where the old man was and with Ranma's luck they wouldn't have to search hard to find the 'raging hentai.' He stepped out the door with Akane and hoped Nodoka wouldn't kill him for so blatantly defying her.
Neither Soun, Kagome, or Inu-Yasha were visible once they left the front gate, so Akane and Ranma followed their scents, fast-fading with the smells of the city. It wasn't long before a shouted curse reached their ears, and they recognized Inu-Yasha's voice. Neither of them spoke a word as they simultaneously took off running.
When they reached the source, the first thing they noticed was that Soun was completely frozen in his tracks. Kagome was standing nearby, and Inu-Yasha was approaching them angrily, dusting off his clothes.
"I made his armor seem heavier," Kagome told him as he approached. Akane stayed carefully out of her father's view. "It's similar to Kitsune magic." Ranma nodded and studied Soun as if he knew just what she was talking about - which he didn't. He really had no idea what he was supposed to do now. I guess we should take Soun back home and keep him there.
"If he gets free of that spell, don't underestimate him," Inu-Yasha said, with an accusatory glance in Soun's direction. Ranma nodded again and watched Soun's face. Angry didn't begin to describe his expression. His eyes were shadowed, his face contorted, and his mouth a thin, unyielding line. When he spoke Ranma could've sworn he was foaming.
"What do you think you're doing!?" he ground out between gritted teeth. Ranma wasn't sure how to answer, so he was lucky that Akane did it for him, coming to stand by his side.
"You're making a mistake," she said solemnly. For just a moment, Soun's face was a mask of open betrayal, before it hardened into the same seething hatred.
"The only mistake I've made was letting him escape, all those years ago."
"You didn't let him escape," said Akane, shaking her head. "He defeated you. You can gain only more suffering, if you go up against him."
Ranma studied Akane from the corner of his eye. Her expression was sober, and she held herself with melancholy, but her eyes burned with the restrained fires of her fury. Their golden brown depths were luminous with passion and Ranma could almost see the demonic blood boiling beneath her pale skin. Her scent was heated with rage.
But Soun didn't seem to see any of this. Actually, he didn't seem to see Akane at all. He appeared to be looking past her, and Ranma didn't think it was possible, but he looked even more enraged. Then the cries of angry women reached his ears, and he whirled to see Happosai round a corner and hop into a nearby pot, closing the lid behind him. A second passed in profound silence before a mob rounded the corner, passing the pot and the group watching it. Only one woman stayed behind once the mob had faded in the distance. Rin.
She too watched the pot for a moment, before turning to them and, winking conspirationally, raised her index finger to her lips for silence. She snuck closer, pulling a thermos from her purse. Just as she reached for the lid, it opened under her hand and the old man leapt out and latched onto her chest. Rin didn't pause to shake him off as she opened the thermos and tried to dump its contents on Happosai. She only succeeded, however, in wetting the front of her shirt because her target had jumped away, cackling.
"Nice try, Rin-chan!" he called, waving her bra at her mockingly. She looked down at her unbound chest beneath the soaked black cloth of her shirt. Her hair shaded her eyes as her shoulders shook and she raised a fist.
"That is," she began, and her voice rose as she raised her face, "the last time!" Happosai blinked innocently.
"Eh? Surely you wouldn't deprive an old man of – "
"Happosai! Demon!"
Both Happosai and Rin turned to Soun in unison. Recognition dawned quickly on their faces and Happosai only smiled, while Rin drew in a sharp gasp of breath.
"Hello, Soun," he said, raising a hand in greating.
"I'll destroy you!" Soun growled. "For taking my daughter!"
Happosai's expression darkened and lost any pretense of mocking. "Not yours. Mine." The last word came out in a deep, thunderous growl that shook the ground and shook the buildings on either side of them, but did not appear to shake Soun. The Tendo patriarch began to edge forward beneath the weight of Kagome's spell.
"I've got to release him!" Kagome cried, her breathing was labored and she was leaning heavily against her mate, who was trying to watch Kagome and the rest of them at the same time. "Don't let him get too far."
Ranma met Akane's fierce eyes for the barest of seconds and they each went for one of his sides. Before they could reach him the spell broke and Soun sped up, fitting an arrow to his bow. Ranma and Akane increased their paces to match his, and they weaved in and out of his arrows fluidly as if they were one. Ranma was as aware of Akane as they moved as he was of himself, and it gave him a sense of elation to be so connected with her.
They didn't have to speak as they moved through Soun's assault. Normally they could have taken Soun out without a second thought, but now he was… driven. He fought like something possessed, though Ranma knew he was not. Still, he was not perfect – and neither were Ranma and Akane. Ranma learned that far too well as he and Akane switched paths suddenly and one of Soun's arrows – one that was meant for Ranma – tore into Akane's shoulder.
Ranma's eyes widened for a prolonged second, and he thought he could feel the ghost of her wound in his own shoulder before their harmony was broken and Akane's shocked eyes traveled to the arrow. She only looked at it for a moment before raising her eyes to her father's. Soun stood stock still, his trembling hands held as if he had never let the arrow fly. Their eyes stayed locked, as Akane reached slowly for the arrow and pulled it out without flinching, her body lurching just slightly. She held the arrow in front of her steadily and then opened her hand, letting it fall at her feet in the deafening silence.
"Wha… what…?" Soun's voice came out in a breathy, disbelieving whisper, and then the wind cried and there was a different type of silence. Happosai cackled.
"Come now, Soun! Surely you knew a hanyou could take one little arrow!"
Soun stood straight and rigid in his battle armor. He dropped his hands to his sides and scanned the area, his eyes falling on each of the spectators. Ranma could see his hand tighten on his long bow as he held it erect like a staff with one end on the ground and the other pointed to the heavens. His expression was perfectly neutral before his face contorted in rage and he slammed down the lower end of his bow.
"Show your true form!" he bellowed, his voice like ominous thunder.
It was impossible to tell just who he was talking to.
A/N: This took a little longer than I thought, but… here it is! I'll try to get the next chapter out quick but you must give me feedback! I'm asking for REVIEWS! Why? Because I don't have much else to say for this chap. So please review. C ya next time.