Lock Down
By Abby Kitty
Enough with the casualties, on with the story!!!!
Chapter 2
Ranma the Orphan?
The sun shinned down on furinkin high with a golden glow. The afternoon making it the warmest time of the day. Cars whizzed out of the school grounds as the bell tolled the end of the day. Students raced of the school grounds in a chaotic wave of excitement. Another educational day was finished, now onto the weekend!
One person seemed not to hurry like the rest of the mob. In his stormy blue eyes all he saw the weekend as was another two days of non-stop work. A sigh escaped his moist lips and his bangs fell into his face hid9ing the dejected look in his eyes. Ranma Saotome was probably the only one NOT looking foreword to the weekend at all. His spirits seemed to drop lower with every step he took off the school grounds. He didn't notice the beautiful young woman running to catch up with him of course; his brooding made it impossible for him to notice anything at all!
Akane glared at his back as she ran up to him. She'd called out his name several times only to get the cold shoulder as answer.
"Idiot Ranma." She muttered.
She had noticed that something was terribly wrong with him as the day had gotten closer to ending, and whatever it was she was bound and determined to figure it out. She grabbed his shoulder and he did the most unexpected thing she'd ever see him do. He literally FLIPED away from her hand. She stared at him in surprise and he looked at her with an equal expression on his face. They both stood stunned for a few seconds before Ranma scratched himself behind his head in embarrassment.
"Uh," He muttered oh-so intelligently, "sorry 'bout that."
Akane shook off her surprise and smiled at him, "Well, it just startled me a bit, I was actually wondering when you'd show your obvious Martial artist ability. It's no big deal, really."
He grinned sheepishly, "No," his eyes suddenly looked sad, "I'm no Martial Artist."
Akane was startled at the self-resentment held in that one small little phrase. She was about to delve deeper into the enigma that was her friend but didn't have a chance to as a figure loomed up behind Ranma menacingly. She barely had time to cry out a warning before Ranma went flying into a nearby tree. The tree cracked from the impact and Ranma's eyes opened wide from pain, he lost all of his air and he gasped as he touched the ground.
A chuckle was heard as a tall boy with blue hair stood over Ranma massaging his knuckles, "Hello Fem-boy." He grinned.
Ranma's right fist clenched and he grated his teeth.
"I would think you of all people would know your place in society, on the ground, in the dirt." A new voice chimed in with a kick to Ranma's ribs, "Taoru, don't be too hard on him now, we don't want him dead." Another kick followed his proclamation.
Blood shot out of Ranma's mouth. Akane was about to rush over to him but was stopped as a strong arm wrapped around her torso.
"Such a beauteous flower shall not be soiled by the presence of such a vile commoner such as that Saotome." The third and most grating voice whispered into her ear.
Akane was starting to get angry.
Ryoga picked Ranma up by the scruff of his shirt; Ranma's hair covered his eyes, Ryoga snarled, "Stay away from Akane Bastard." He growled into Ranma's ear.
A red aura began to cover Ranma's fallen form and he lifted his eyes to his greatest rival, "No."
Suddenly Ranma seemed to move to quickly for the untrained eye to see as he pulverized Ryoga in less the ten seconds. Ryoga dropped to the ground unconscious as he turned toward Taoru. Taoru stared at him in awe and fear as Ranma faced him. Ranma stared at him with eyes of malice under his bangs. Taoru whipped out a knife and charged at Ranma. Ranma dogged and punched Taoru in the ribs as Taoru turned around and stabbed Ranma in the ribs. Ranma screamed in pain and grabbed Taoru's hand snapping back with a sickening crack before booting him to the ground. His last victem looked at the two fallen on the ground and threw Akane to the side before unsheathing a bokken and holding it out infront of him menaceingly.
"Those weak imbaciols were easy prey for such a demon as yourself, but know this; vile sorceror, it is I whom you must...Ugh!" Kuno's ramblings were cut short as Ranma jumped in a spin kick catching him in the side.
Kuno twirled in the air a few times before impacting unpleasantly into the ground. Ranma jumped onto Kuno and began to repeatedly punch the life out of him. Akane watched in horrid fascination as Kuno began to be punched into death.
She quickly snapped out of it as realization dawned on her, he was going to kill Kuno if he didn't stop.
"Ranma." She called.
He didn't listen.
"Ranma!" she called a bit louder.
He continued to punch Kuno in a blind rage.
This time Akane ran over to him and flung her arms around him yelling, "RANMA! STOP IT! YOU"RE GONNA KILL HIM!!!!!"
Ranma froze as he felt a warm liquid penetrate his shirt. He looked down at the bloodied up Kuno and began to shake as he pushed himself away.
"Oh god, oh god.." He muttered as he looked at his bloodied hands, "n-not again." He muttered clutching his hands to his face, "Not again!"
Akane held onto him and looked at him in wonder, "Ranma, it's ok."
He shoved her away, "NO! It's NOT ok!" his blue eyes were intense, "I KILLED him!"
Akane shook her head, "No Ranma, he's not dead, not yet. His auras still strong."
Ranma shivered, Akane continued, "Your hurt, we should get you home."
He stiffened in her arms but after some hesitation he nodded, "Yea, home."
Akane helped him up and they began to walk down the street toward Ranma's "Home".
*^&^*^&^*
The Saotome manor was a beautiful two story traditional Japanese manor that was probably around 200 years of age. The Manor had been in the Saotome line for just as long as well. The hose was empty, completely devoid of life. To Akane it just looked like a shell, a shell of what it should have been. Ranma pointed her to his room and she stared in awe at the large room. It had large windows on two of the walls with white near-transparent drapes flowing in from a breeze outside. He had a four-poster bed in the middle of the room with black silk covers and sheets adorning it, on this she helped him lie down. On the wall next to the bed on either sides two bamboo tapestries hung with intricate paintings of a black dragon and a white phoenix dancing in the starry night. By the windows a black couch and ataman sat with a matching lounge chair and antique black ivory coffee table.
Ranma traced her awe filled stare to the paintings and smiled inwardly, "Do you like them?" he asked quietly snapping her out of her trance like gaze.
His voice seemed to boom through the empty room and she looked at him and smiled, "Well, can you blame me? They are beautiful paintings."
Ranma nodded, "They were my mothers." He said with that sorrow lacing his words again.
"Ranma." Akane sat next to him and he shook his head and struggled to smile.
That's when she remembered the stab wound, "OH!" he looked at her strangely, "Take off your shirt."
Ranma's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as she said that, "WHAT?!"
She playfully hit his chest and he grunted in pain, "Pervert, don't get the wrong idea, your wound needs to be seen to."
He nodded still dazed and a tiny bit disappointed as he let her help him out of his over coat then out of his under shirt. She asked him where the first aid was and he pointed to his bathroom, which was connected, to his bedroom.
Akane stuck her head out of the bathroom and playfully scrunched her nose up in mock disgust, "Gee Ranma, you need to clean this place up more!"
He smiled and tried to laugh only to find it to difficult to do so, his bathroom was always spotless. She soon emerged with a wet towel and first aid supplies. She walked over and resumed her place by him on the bed. Ranma shivered as he felt her soft slightly calloused fingers brush his bare chest as she cleaned out his wound before binding it and putting some balm on the bandages only to bind it once again with more gauze. There was a scar that ran across his chest that pulled at her eyes. On impulse her hand reached out to it and traced the scar down his chest, realizing what she was doing her hand began to quickly pull away from the soft skin. Ranma impulsively shot his hand out to grab her own had gently. Their eyes met for a minute before Ranma regretfully pulled his eyes away and let go of her hand. The sorrow was back, only this time Akane didn't just let it be.
"Ranma," Her hand shot up to caress his check, "What are you so afraid of? Why so much sorrow?"
He sighed while he debated internally weather he could fully trust her or not. Her worried eyes convinced him and his internal battle to tell her was won over by those deep chocolate irises.
"Akane, you know I'm not the most popular kid in school right?" Akane nodded, " well it's because I have no family and yet I live on my own with no legal guardian and no financial help."
Akane looked around the room with a raised eyebrow, "Ok," He muttered, "Maybe a bit of help, I don't have to pay for this house, its debts were paid off long ago. You see I go to school because I get good grades and I work part time as well, full time on weekends. None of the other kids have to work at their own school now do they?" he looked at the sheets in anguish, "I'm alone."
Akane nodded understanding beginning to dawn on her face, "Where are they, your family I mean."
That sorrow filled look crossed his features as he looked at her, his blue eyes pained and depressed, "Their dead."
Akane's hand shot to her mouth as she looked at him in sudden sorrow. She was no stranger to the pain of losing a loved one, hell, she'd lost her mother when she was barely able to walk! But to loose you're whole family.
Akane suddenly flung her arms around a startled Ranma and she began to cry for him. Her sobs racked her body as she held onto her friend. Ranma unsteadily wrapped his arms around her in confusion and awe. Why was she crying? Could it be that she was crying for.him?
"You're not alone any more Ranma," She whispered, his eyes widened, "You never need to be again!"
Ranma shut his eyes as he tightened his hold on her and held her until she feel asleep against him. Eventually he too fell into a deep slumber. The lights in the room turned off by an unseen hand as the moon fell through the windows to land across the two children. Slowly the silk covers were pulled over their still forms and a shimmer in the air was the only indication that anything was there at all.
Well, that's all for now! Hope you enjoyed it! Oh, and there is a plot! I swear it! I just needed to get this explanation out of the way! Flames will be shot and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and compliments will be blessed and applauded! Thanx for reading!
Ja ne
-Abby Kitty
By Abby Kitty
Enough with the casualties, on with the story!!!!
Chapter 2
Ranma the Orphan?
The sun shinned down on furinkin high with a golden glow. The afternoon making it the warmest time of the day. Cars whizzed out of the school grounds as the bell tolled the end of the day. Students raced of the school grounds in a chaotic wave of excitement. Another educational day was finished, now onto the weekend!
One person seemed not to hurry like the rest of the mob. In his stormy blue eyes all he saw the weekend as was another two days of non-stop work. A sigh escaped his moist lips and his bangs fell into his face hid9ing the dejected look in his eyes. Ranma Saotome was probably the only one NOT looking foreword to the weekend at all. His spirits seemed to drop lower with every step he took off the school grounds. He didn't notice the beautiful young woman running to catch up with him of course; his brooding made it impossible for him to notice anything at all!
Akane glared at his back as she ran up to him. She'd called out his name several times only to get the cold shoulder as answer.
"Idiot Ranma." She muttered.
She had noticed that something was terribly wrong with him as the day had gotten closer to ending, and whatever it was she was bound and determined to figure it out. She grabbed his shoulder and he did the most unexpected thing she'd ever see him do. He literally FLIPED away from her hand. She stared at him in surprise and he looked at her with an equal expression on his face. They both stood stunned for a few seconds before Ranma scratched himself behind his head in embarrassment.
"Uh," He muttered oh-so intelligently, "sorry 'bout that."
Akane shook off her surprise and smiled at him, "Well, it just startled me a bit, I was actually wondering when you'd show your obvious Martial artist ability. It's no big deal, really."
He grinned sheepishly, "No," his eyes suddenly looked sad, "I'm no Martial Artist."
Akane was startled at the self-resentment held in that one small little phrase. She was about to delve deeper into the enigma that was her friend but didn't have a chance to as a figure loomed up behind Ranma menacingly. She barely had time to cry out a warning before Ranma went flying into a nearby tree. The tree cracked from the impact and Ranma's eyes opened wide from pain, he lost all of his air and he gasped as he touched the ground.
A chuckle was heard as a tall boy with blue hair stood over Ranma massaging his knuckles, "Hello Fem-boy." He grinned.
Ranma's right fist clenched and he grated his teeth.
"I would think you of all people would know your place in society, on the ground, in the dirt." A new voice chimed in with a kick to Ranma's ribs, "Taoru, don't be too hard on him now, we don't want him dead." Another kick followed his proclamation.
Blood shot out of Ranma's mouth. Akane was about to rush over to him but was stopped as a strong arm wrapped around her torso.
"Such a beauteous flower shall not be soiled by the presence of such a vile commoner such as that Saotome." The third and most grating voice whispered into her ear.
Akane was starting to get angry.
Ryoga picked Ranma up by the scruff of his shirt; Ranma's hair covered his eyes, Ryoga snarled, "Stay away from Akane Bastard." He growled into Ranma's ear.
A red aura began to cover Ranma's fallen form and he lifted his eyes to his greatest rival, "No."
Suddenly Ranma seemed to move to quickly for the untrained eye to see as he pulverized Ryoga in less the ten seconds. Ryoga dropped to the ground unconscious as he turned toward Taoru. Taoru stared at him in awe and fear as Ranma faced him. Ranma stared at him with eyes of malice under his bangs. Taoru whipped out a knife and charged at Ranma. Ranma dogged and punched Taoru in the ribs as Taoru turned around and stabbed Ranma in the ribs. Ranma screamed in pain and grabbed Taoru's hand snapping back with a sickening crack before booting him to the ground. His last victem looked at the two fallen on the ground and threw Akane to the side before unsheathing a bokken and holding it out infront of him menaceingly.
"Those weak imbaciols were easy prey for such a demon as yourself, but know this; vile sorceror, it is I whom you must...Ugh!" Kuno's ramblings were cut short as Ranma jumped in a spin kick catching him in the side.
Kuno twirled in the air a few times before impacting unpleasantly into the ground. Ranma jumped onto Kuno and began to repeatedly punch the life out of him. Akane watched in horrid fascination as Kuno began to be punched into death.
She quickly snapped out of it as realization dawned on her, he was going to kill Kuno if he didn't stop.
"Ranma." She called.
He didn't listen.
"Ranma!" she called a bit louder.
He continued to punch Kuno in a blind rage.
This time Akane ran over to him and flung her arms around him yelling, "RANMA! STOP IT! YOU"RE GONNA KILL HIM!!!!!"
Ranma froze as he felt a warm liquid penetrate his shirt. He looked down at the bloodied up Kuno and began to shake as he pushed himself away.
"Oh god, oh god.." He muttered as he looked at his bloodied hands, "n-not again." He muttered clutching his hands to his face, "Not again!"
Akane held onto him and looked at him in wonder, "Ranma, it's ok."
He shoved her away, "NO! It's NOT ok!" his blue eyes were intense, "I KILLED him!"
Akane shook her head, "No Ranma, he's not dead, not yet. His auras still strong."
Ranma shivered, Akane continued, "Your hurt, we should get you home."
He stiffened in her arms but after some hesitation he nodded, "Yea, home."
Akane helped him up and they began to walk down the street toward Ranma's "Home".
*^&^*^&^*
The Saotome manor was a beautiful two story traditional Japanese manor that was probably around 200 years of age. The Manor had been in the Saotome line for just as long as well. The hose was empty, completely devoid of life. To Akane it just looked like a shell, a shell of what it should have been. Ranma pointed her to his room and she stared in awe at the large room. It had large windows on two of the walls with white near-transparent drapes flowing in from a breeze outside. He had a four-poster bed in the middle of the room with black silk covers and sheets adorning it, on this she helped him lie down. On the wall next to the bed on either sides two bamboo tapestries hung with intricate paintings of a black dragon and a white phoenix dancing in the starry night. By the windows a black couch and ataman sat with a matching lounge chair and antique black ivory coffee table.
Ranma traced her awe filled stare to the paintings and smiled inwardly, "Do you like them?" he asked quietly snapping her out of her trance like gaze.
His voice seemed to boom through the empty room and she looked at him and smiled, "Well, can you blame me? They are beautiful paintings."
Ranma nodded, "They were my mothers." He said with that sorrow lacing his words again.
"Ranma." Akane sat next to him and he shook his head and struggled to smile.
That's when she remembered the stab wound, "OH!" he looked at her strangely, "Take off your shirt."
Ranma's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as she said that, "WHAT?!"
She playfully hit his chest and he grunted in pain, "Pervert, don't get the wrong idea, your wound needs to be seen to."
He nodded still dazed and a tiny bit disappointed as he let her help him out of his over coat then out of his under shirt. She asked him where the first aid was and he pointed to his bathroom, which was connected, to his bedroom.
Akane stuck her head out of the bathroom and playfully scrunched her nose up in mock disgust, "Gee Ranma, you need to clean this place up more!"
He smiled and tried to laugh only to find it to difficult to do so, his bathroom was always spotless. She soon emerged with a wet towel and first aid supplies. She walked over and resumed her place by him on the bed. Ranma shivered as he felt her soft slightly calloused fingers brush his bare chest as she cleaned out his wound before binding it and putting some balm on the bandages only to bind it once again with more gauze. There was a scar that ran across his chest that pulled at her eyes. On impulse her hand reached out to it and traced the scar down his chest, realizing what she was doing her hand began to quickly pull away from the soft skin. Ranma impulsively shot his hand out to grab her own had gently. Their eyes met for a minute before Ranma regretfully pulled his eyes away and let go of her hand. The sorrow was back, only this time Akane didn't just let it be.
"Ranma," Her hand shot up to caress his check, "What are you so afraid of? Why so much sorrow?"
He sighed while he debated internally weather he could fully trust her or not. Her worried eyes convinced him and his internal battle to tell her was won over by those deep chocolate irises.
"Akane, you know I'm not the most popular kid in school right?" Akane nodded, " well it's because I have no family and yet I live on my own with no legal guardian and no financial help."
Akane looked around the room with a raised eyebrow, "Ok," He muttered, "Maybe a bit of help, I don't have to pay for this house, its debts were paid off long ago. You see I go to school because I get good grades and I work part time as well, full time on weekends. None of the other kids have to work at their own school now do they?" he looked at the sheets in anguish, "I'm alone."
Akane nodded understanding beginning to dawn on her face, "Where are they, your family I mean."
That sorrow filled look crossed his features as he looked at her, his blue eyes pained and depressed, "Their dead."
Akane's hand shot to her mouth as she looked at him in sudden sorrow. She was no stranger to the pain of losing a loved one, hell, she'd lost her mother when she was barely able to walk! But to loose you're whole family.
Akane suddenly flung her arms around a startled Ranma and she began to cry for him. Her sobs racked her body as she held onto her friend. Ranma unsteadily wrapped his arms around her in confusion and awe. Why was she crying? Could it be that she was crying for.him?
"You're not alone any more Ranma," She whispered, his eyes widened, "You never need to be again!"
Ranma shut his eyes as he tightened his hold on her and held her until she feel asleep against him. Eventually he too fell into a deep slumber. The lights in the room turned off by an unseen hand as the moon fell through the windows to land across the two children. Slowly the silk covers were pulled over their still forms and a shimmer in the air was the only indication that anything was there at all.
Well, that's all for now! Hope you enjoyed it! Oh, and there is a plot! I swear it! I just needed to get this explanation out of the way! Flames will be shot and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and compliments will be blessed and applauded! Thanx for reading!
Ja ne
-Abby Kitty