New story, new idea, all new.  It struck me as a good idea, maybe it will you too.

                ~~~~~~***   LEGEND OF HELL   ***~~~~~~

                He fought.  Each day he fought.  He fought because it lessened the pain in his heart.

                Hell is such a terrible place.  Even fighting provides no relief to most.

                Partly because each hit was felt by both parties.  Each attack, each defend.  Each stab to the soul was felt by both the attacked and the attacker.

                Satan didn't mind their fighting.  It was a part of being in hell.  They were not only allowed to take out their frustrations on others, it was actually encouraged.

                But he did not fight out of frustration.  He fought because it was what he did in life.

                Narrowing his eyes, those formless yellow orbs he had been given upon his entrance to hell, he stared down the charred form of the lost soul he was now beating down.  He had gotten used to the pain of the attack, Satan himself had made sure that he felt just barely less than his target.

                But that was only because Satan saw him beating down on the lost souls in his domain.  He saw him, a former hero, committing this odd-yet-effective torture on all the souls throughout hell.

                But if he could see the hidden part of it, he would surely disapprove.

                Smiling, he performed the final move.  "Force Feedback." A bright light of pure obsidian erupted from the ends of what served for hands to his decayed body, the one given him for the purpose of holding him down, as with all who were in Hell.

                The energy of darkness found its mark in the heart of the poor man who had committed his mortal sin.

                Unknown to Satan, or any others who had not experienced it, the connection was made.  "The pain I bring is also a message.  Give me your energy, your dark emotions, and I will give you hope.  The time has come, and Satan has held too many for too long.  If you trust me, then I can bring us from this place."  The connection was never broken.  Any offer of hope was taken by most of those in this place.

                Walking away from the battle, he spotted his next target.

                For the last thousand years he had been gathering them.  Connecting souls to his own, just as he had been told.

                This was why Satan would not have approved.  Because most Tyrants do not support their own downfall.

~~

                'Stupid Ryoga, stupid fathers, stupid Happosai.  Stupid fiancees.  Can't they see?'  "CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I JUST NEED A LITTLE TIME ALONE!?!?"

                "RANMA!!  YOU SHALL NOT HAVE AKANE!!"

                "RANMA!!  YOU MUST MARRY AKANE!!" The fathers were working together, fighting off Ryoga, who, as it had come to their attention, wanted to keep Ranma and Akane apart.

                "Ranma marry Shampoo, yes?" Shampoo was fighting with Ukyo, who for some reason wasn't using her spatulas, but instead was using a bunch of forks.

                "Shampoo!!!  I am his betrothed!!  He must marry ME!!"

                Akane was leaning against a wall, watching without interest.  She hadn't said a single word since the failed wedding.  She only shook or nodded her head to a yes/no question.

                Happosai, though he was not fighting, was having the time of his life, as the two girls fighing in the street were wearing rather brittle clothing, which had been shredded during the battle of sharp objects.

                Ranma knew that if it weren't for the weapons flying around, Happosai would have been latched onto one of those bosom's, and just the sight of that mad grin on the master's face sent his stomach into convulsions.

                Finally sick of the constant fighting, he had attempted to take Akane on a training trip with him.  Maybe they could get along better if they were alone for a while.

                But the moment they had heard of it, they started coming.  Ryoga appeared mostly by chance, but he sure didn't help any.

                Kodachi was the first to come, and the first to end up with a rather large lump on the head and in a hospital somewhere.  Then her brother attacked him at school, preventing him from talking to Akane, and recieving his own lump, along with a cracked rib.  His location was also unknown.

                Then, there was the current predicament.

                Truly, he should have just taken Akane and ran, then he could have avoided all this mess.  But then Akane would have yelled at him and refused to come.

                Gripping his forehead, he tried to contain his anger.  'What do I do NOW!!!???'  He learned long ago that trying to defuse a situation like this often went wrong.  But the fighting had to STOP!!!!!  "SSTOOOOOPPPPP IIIIITTTTT!!!!!!"

                All present stopped for a moment, even Akane came out of her passive gaze to look at him curiously.  All, that is, except for Shampoo, who seemed unaffected by the sudden outburst. "HA!  Have you, violent spatula girl!"

                Ranma's ruby aura didn't go unnoticed by those watching him as he grabbed Shampoo's wrist, which was pulled back and readied for an attack.

                Shampoo had only barely noticed that she couldn't move her wrist before the pain hit her.  His chi was generating a heat she would rather not have come in contact with, and it was now snaking its way up her arm as he pulled her away from Ukyo.

                Shampoo only looked pained and confused as she was tossed effortlessly through the air, but Ukyo, rather than seeing a knight in shining armor, saw a scary-looking Ranma with fury in his eyes.

                "SHAMPOO I SAID STOP IT!!!" As his energy ran through his body his voice seemed to boom through the area.  The man who had killed a god was now angry, and that was never a good thing.

                Shampoo pulled herself out of the rubble that was once a wall.  Looking at her airen, she rubbed her wrist with pain, confusion, and fear playing accross her eyes.  But for once, she stayed silent, too shocked to speak.

                Noticing that he had the attention of all present, he calmed down, letting his aura reduce to a flicker, barely outlining his features.

                Closing his eyes, he let out a sigh.  "I only wanted to talk to Akane, but someway, somehow, and for some reason everyone does their best to make it that much harder!  All the fighting, all the avoiding, running, hitting, yelling, and competition has to STOP!!!" His red aura flared a little before he got a handle on it again.  "I'm no good with words, but even though I've made it CLEAR what I want, everyone seems to think that I'm wrong!" He flashed a look to Shampoo, hoping she would get the message. Closing his eyes in an angry scowl, he growled out the rest to those in the group.  "Well for once I'm not going to let there be ANY confusion!  This is MY life!  And I'm gonna live it how I WANT!!"

                Shampoo was about to open her mouth, but the glare she recieved shut her up pretty quickly.  "If I am to keep my sanity, I have to do things MY way for a while!"  An insane killer of gods was not something any of them wanted to see.  Even his current mood frightened all but Ryoga, Ryoga only saw his rival trying to make his life worse.

                "RANMA!!" Ryoga didn't get the chance to finish his thought as he recieved a chi-enhanced foot to the face, which knocked him through three walls and straight into darkness.

                Akane was lost, her passive mood hung over her head, even as she witnessed the vicious attack. 'He was finally shut up.'  She didn't even think about yelling at Ranma, she didn't want to care anymore.

                But there was one thing she couldn't ignore.  The way Ranma looked at her.

                The sadness in his eyes always struck her.  Had he ever looked at her like that before?  Maybe she didn't notice?  Maybe when her mood quieted after that day she simply observed him better?

                Those sad eyes looked at her again, Ranma had turned to her and was now closeing in.  "Akane, you're the only one I couldn't stand to have angry with me.  You're the only one I couldn't stay angry with for long.  You're the only one..." He shook his head in an attempt to clear the cob-webs.  "I... I don't know what would happen if I were to lose you... and at Jusendo, I nearly did." The cracking in his voice betrayed his shadowed eyes.  He was fighting a losing battle.

                His silence lasted for a while, several emotions seemed to wash over the area as he went over his thoughts.  There was some anger, there was frustration, there was even a little bit of that helpless feeling.

                But Happosai could have sworn... was that sadness he felt?

                For an uncomfortable thirty seconds they stood there.  Akane had managed to stand straight.  She wanted to hear what he had to say.

                He looked at her with an angry determination, having wiped the tears away.  "Akane, I know we haven't always gotten along, but I want to try.  But to do that, I have to get away." His voice lost its force as he looked at her with a slightly softer expression.  "And I was hoping... you could come with me."

                As Ranma stood, holding both hands at his sides, he watched Akane for a reaction.

                Lowering her face, she slowly started walking toward him.

                In five steps she had covered the distance.  Ukyo looked saddened, Ryoga had just awakened to hear his proclimation, and was now waiting to see Akane's reaction, staying in the alleyway so as to not get lost.  The fathers looked happy beyond any description.  But Shampoo looked angry as she watched the scene the two were making.

                Akane stood there, in front of Ranma for a good ten seconds, not doing anything.

                Slowly, she reached out with one hand, and took Ranma's in her own.

                Ranma looked to her face and saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.  Wrapping his free hand around Akane's back and waist, he gave her a shoulder to cry on.

                Akane gave up the hand she had held onto in preference to wrapping Ranma in, as if he were a teddy-bear that would give her comfort.  For the first time in two weeks, she found her voice.

                Practically forced through the sobs, she whispered out against Ranma's chest her own message.  "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear you say that, Ranma."

                The aura that once surrounded Ranma now seemed to wrap the both of them in a shimmering red glow.

                Shampoo had finally had enough.  Ranma was HER husband!  Pulling out her trusty bonbori's she began to advance on the two.

                Until she was knocked on her back, finding a strange creature suddenly attached to her bosom.  Looking down angrily at the infuriating master, she saw those big eyes looking mockingly up at her.  "Such a perfect moment should not be interrupted!"

                "Old pervert man not stop Shampoo from getting Ranma!" Using her left hand to remove the attachment (along with the remnants of her shirt) she rammed him into the ground with her right.

                As she stomped toward the two, she saw Ranma look at her with a determined look, but he was not her target.  The violent girl needed punished!

                "VIOLENT GIRL NOT GET RANMA!!" She swung her weapon true and forcefully at the girl, ignoring Ranma's embrace.

                But her swing hit cement as the two of them seemed to disappear before her eyes.  She felt a sudden leap in Ranma's aura, and then they were gone.  She couldn't even feel them anymore!

                She looked perplexedly at the spot where they had been standing, and the end of her weapon now sat embedded into the street.

                Happosai sat up in his hole. "I don't have to, as it seems fate already has."

                Shampoo sat on the ground, feeling lost.  'What do I do now?' After a good two minutes, she resolved to ask her Great-Grandmother.

                Ukyo had left for her resturaunt as the fathers went to the nearest bar to celebrate.  As for Ryoga, well, he was probably in India by now.

                Ranma watched the goings-on below him, having hid his aura he could be no further than fifteen meters from them and even Happosai couldn't sense them.

                In his mind, there was only one thing left to do, but it could wait until Akane was ready.

                But Akane was content to just stay right there, with Ranma.

~~~

                Ranma had taken them away from there, not caring to get caught up with anyone else.

                Akane had cleared the tears from her eyes, yet refused to let Ranma let go of her.  After a while, she noticed their surroundings.  "Why are we here?"

                "Doctor Tofu promised me, if I ever needed to, I could come here."

                "Hmm, that's nice." She still refused to move, but she was still curious.  "So... what now?"

                Ranma smiled.  "How soon will you be ready to leave?"

                Closing her eyes, she answered honestly.  School was finally out, so she was free.  "Anytime."

                "How about right now?"

                Akane smiled.  "I'll have to get my things."

                Ranma laughed slightly.  "You know, Akane, for once, I thought ahead." Akane pulled away from him and looked puzzled.  He took the opportunity to stand up and walk to a corner of the store-room they were in.

                Reaching behind the counter, he produced two backpacks.  One purple, one red.  "I've been having Kasumi help me secretly get the things you would be needing and packed them in this bag." He held out the purple one for her.  "And I've got my stuff in here." He shouldered the red one, which matched effortlessly with his red shirt.

                Accepting the bag offered her she looked at and in it questioningly.  "Yes, everything.  Kasumi knew what you would need, and she helped put those things away." Seeming satisfied with that, she shouldered it as well.

                "If you want to, we can leave right now."

                Akane looked at the bag, as if hoping it would give her the answer she was seeking.  After a while, she spoke, uninhibited.  "Where are we going?"

                Ranma smiled again.  "China, I already know most of the terrain, and most of the places we should avoid.  And it's close enough that it seems like the obvious choice."

                "And you plan on swimming there." It wasn't even a question.

                "Hehe, yeah.  It makes more sense that way, or for me it does.  And besides, I can help you with the swimming part that way."

                Worry came across her features, she was afraid of that.  But Ranma's confidence was catchy, and she admitted to herself that she felt... safer with him around.  "Then let's get started!"

                Dr. Tofu listened in from the next room, barely holding his attitude at the mention of her name.  He knew this day would come, he knew that Ranma would eventually take him up on that offer.  He was also glad he had given Ranma that book on Medicines and herbs.  That should help to keep disaster at bay.

                Hearing the door swing open, he saw Ranma, and then Akane exit the room.  "Hey doc, we're leaving now.  Thanks for all your help." Ranma smiled gratefully, and Tofu returned the smile without saying a word.

                He waved the duo off as they left the office.

                'And now they're gone.' Taking a look at his schedule, he saw that he had no more appointments and he could effectively close up shop.  Basically that meant he could turn the 'open' sign around and lie down for a while.

                True, accidents happen, in which case there were a number of people who could get his attention if someone came to his office.

                Besides, he felt that things would be a bit calmer with Ranma gone.

~~

                'The time is near.  All those centuries in this place, and it is finally time.' His silence was lost, lost in the constant wails and shouting that served as the constant reminder.

                He was in hell, and as long as he was, there would be no peace.

~~

                It was time, and his growing anticipation was obvious only to him.

                It did not suit for a diety of his stature to grow impatient, with anything.

                But it was coming, and only he knew.  Well, there were those four at the gates, but they knew everything that transpired between the worlds.

                His name was Hara, the spirit of forgiveness.  And his day was coming.

                He couldn't wait.

~~

                "What is this?" Akane asked Ranma with an unsure tone as she eyed the boat curiously.  "I thought we were swimming there?"

                Ranma smiled.  "We are!  But we're going to take this thing with us!" Throwing his bag in the simple wooden boat, he fished around in it and pulled out his swimming suit.  "Might as well get changed!"

                Nodding, Akane put her own bag on the ground and started fishing around it in.

                PLOOSH!!

                Akane looked up to see a soaked Ranma-chan walking back to shore and wiping the water out of her face.  "Now I should probably change my clothes." Seeming rather indifferent, she then went to strip down as Akane did the same, sheltered from prying eyes by the dock they were standing under.

                Ranma changed into a red suit with two white stripes going up the sides and ending at the armpit.  Across the front was the word 'Cute' in yellow lettering.  As she saw this a blush worked its way to her cheeks as a sweatdrop formed behind her head.  'What made Kasumi think I wanted that?'

                Akane's was a floral pattern, a yellow backdrop with bright red and blue flowers.  Looking at it, she decided she liked it.  'Kasumi always knew what looked good.'

                Deciding to ignore the 'Cute' thing, Ranma walked out to the front of the boat and produced two ropes tied to the front of it.  "Well, we might as well get started."  She didn't see Akane's unsure glance to the sea.

                'You will NOT get the best of me!!!  I will do this!!' Grinding away the unsure feeling and finding her courage, she took a step forward.

                She felt water around her foot.  "I did it!  I'm in the water!"

                "Good!  Now just twelve more of those and you'll be in the shallow water!"

                Akane could feel the tear start, the one that just hung at the bottom of her eyes.

~~

                It took her a good minute, but she did work her way into deep enough water where she had to start using her arms, where Ranma was.

                Ranma had started giving her lessons in power-swimming.  She held Akane up as she got used to the motions and the feel of pushing against water.  This was good, as all she had known up to then was the doggy-paddle, and even that was iffy.

                Ranma bobbed away from the boat, which was anchored in place, and smiled.  "Now go between me and the boat a coupla times."

                Akane smiled teasingly.  "Yes, sensei." She went to it as she kicked off of the boat.

                Ranma smiled teasingly as well.  "Of course I am!" She saw Akane stumble a little, but stay afloat

                When she got to Ranma, Akane pulled one hand on each of her shoulders and pulled her head out of the water.  "What do you mean you are?"

                "Well, from here on I will be teaching you everything I know!" The teasingly prideful smirk never seemed to leave.  "So, that technically makes me your sensei!"

                Scowling a little, Akane dived back under and turned around.

                Dodging the kicks Akane sent her way, Ranma laughed as she watched Akane practice swimming.

                "Good, now tie one of those roped around your waist and pull the boat with you." Akane looked puzzled for a moment, but decided that it wouldn't do for her to be tired.  And besides, that was what they'd be doing the rest of the way to China anyway.

                Ranma watched Akane struggle with the boat for a while.  "Okay!  I think we're ready!  Let's get started!"

                Akane treaded water (something else Ranma helped her with in the last three hours) and watched Ranma tie the end of the other rope around her own waist.

                "Now!  Let's go!!" Ranma took off, pulling the boat behind her.

                "AAAAAHHHHH!!!!  RANMA!!  TOO FAST!!!" Akane shouted as she stayed plastered to the front of the boat, holding her index and pinkies out on both hands for good measure.

                Ranma stopped, thinking she heard shouting.  Looking back curiously, she shouted as well when she saw the tip of the boat heading for her head.  "AAHH!"  Ploosh!  She just barely managed to duck under the boat, but was then pulled to the surface by the speeding boat.

                It didn't take too long for the boat to come to a rest.  Akane looked at Ranma angrily and yelled at her.  "Stupid!  Slow down!"

                Ranma put her hand behind her head.  "Uh, I guess I don't know my own speed!"

                Akane moved to the opposite side of the boat to Ranma and held onto the side.  "Get in!"

                "What?"

                "Get in!  I'll hold this side down." Ranma got in, as told, and offered her hand to the girl still in the water.

                "No.  I'm gonna pull for now.  When I'm done then you can pull." Akane moved out to the front of the boat and started pulling on her own, preferring this to the scare she had just had.

~~

                Slowly, Akane opened her eyes.  Seeing the distorted look of a ceiling she blinked the morning fuzz away.

                She was content to lie there for a time.  'Was it a dream?  It felt so real!'

                Rolling over in bed, she got a nose full of red hair.  Ranma-chan was sleeping right next to her!  "RANMA!!!"

                Ranma got up immediately and backed into the corner, still wearing the 'Cute' suit.  "WHAT!?  WHAT'S WRONG!!"

                The anger left rather quickly as Akane suddenly latched onto Ranma around the waist.  'So it wasn't a dream.  I'm so glad.'

                Ranma fussed a bit with the other girl around her waist.  "Am I missing something?"  Tapping lightly on Akane's head, Ranma got her attention.  "Can I go back to bed now?  It's like two in the morning."

                Akane blinked once... twice, and then pulled Ranma to arm's length.  "How did we get here and why were you in my bed!?"

                Ranma shrugged under the other girl's gaze.  "When you started complaining about being tired, I switched places with you.  You apparently went to sleep and I got us the rest of the way to China.  By the time we got here it was getting dark so I found a hotel near the shore.  But we don't have a whole lot of money so we had to share." Yawning, the redhead looked back at Akane, too tired to explain any more.  "Now can I go back to bed?"

                Akane let her go but wasn't finished asking questions.  In the dim lighting she watched Ranma crawl back to the bed.  "How come you're still a girl?"

                "Too tired... sleep now, change later."

                'Well, I guess that answers that.' Akane decided it wasn't all that bad to be sleeping next to Ranma.  Which means that she didn't really want to sleep on the floor.

                Ranma noted this as she drifted off to sleep.

                Akane noted the way Ranma mumbled in her sleep.  Saying such things as "Hello mister purple demon, do you want to fight me some more?  Oh come on!  Please?!?"

                She decided not to get on Ranma's bad side from then on.  Not that she really wanted to.

                ~~~~~~***   End of Chapter 1   ***~~~~~~

                Well, that's it for chapter one!  I'll bet you thought I was talking about Ranma for a while there, didn't you?  Hehe, nope!  I've got other plans for him!  ^.^

                This is the first chapter, and I haven't even really began yet!  But I really would like to hear what you guys think!  Review me plz!!

                Alex: Hey, which hell is this?  Christian?  Jewish?

                Alex Ultra: Actually, it's basically the generic hell.  And I only call Satan Satan because that's what he calls him.  He would be closer to a Japanese Demon Lord, simply being the most powerful, and so, the one with the most authority.

                Alex: So what... is it Japanese hell?

                Alex Ultra: NO!!  It's not any of them!  It's all of them together!!!

                Alex: But how would you know?

                Alex Ultra:  -_- I don't.  But it seems to fit a lot better than the H.F.I.L. of DBZ.  That seemed like the only JAPANESE reference I had.

                Alex: Um, okay.  Whatever.  Hey, do you have any anchovies?

                Alex Ultra: Why?

                Alex: Because I'm making pizza!

                Alex Ultra: O.o No, I don't.  I live in NEBRASKA for pete's sake!

                Alex: So... I know that means something.  But I can't place my finger on it.

                Alex Ultra. X.x Whatever.  We just don't have any Anchovies.

Bringer of Hope and Creator of Worlds

                Alex and Alex Ultra

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