Ranma ½: A Deadly Choice
Chapter 8: Ranma-otoko vs. Ranma-oni
Ryoga ran breathlessly through the streets of the Nerima District, not pausing even for a moment to look back at his pursuer. He'd lost track of how long he'd been running, but his aching lungs told him it was far too long. He'd also lost track of where he was going, but that went without saying. Still, he ran on, afraid that if he slowed down at all, it would be upon him, ending his life in a manner he couldn't even begin to imagine. It followed him with its boundless energy, never more than a few feet behind him, waiting for the chance to strike. He didn't plan to give it that chance.
Suddenly, a delicate but firm hand closed on Ryoga's shoulder, pulling him to a halt. "What's the big idea of spreading that ridiculous story about me, you jerk?" shouted Ranma as she whirled him around to face her. "I had to agree to a date with KUNO of all people!"
"I can explain," began Ryoga, before realizing that his statement was a total lie. He abandoned that line and tried another defense. "Please don't kill me!"
"Kill you? Why would I do something like that?"
Ryoga sighed in relief.
"That'd be way too quick. I plan to make sure you suffer for this."
"Hey, be reasonable," pleaded Ryoga. "That's not like you, is it?"
Ranma let go of him. "No, it's not. But you've been a real jerk recently, and I know Akane's at the center of whatever it is. First you steal her panties and do a really horrible job trying to frame me for it - but it works - and sneak back into her room to make out with her. Then you try to beat her up, again making me look like the bad guy -"
"YOU stood on my head," Ryoga pointed out.
"- and then you take her out to dinner, and even though she claims it wasn't a date, I know the way you think better than that. So spill it, piggy. What's the deal between you two?"
"Nothing!" Ryoga protested. "Look, I could explain all of that, but it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. It's all just a big coincidence!"
"Don't tell me you and Akane just happened to be at the same restaurant, at the same table, in fancy dinner clothes."
Ryoga blushed. "Well, yeah, we arranged that ahead of time. But it was her idea!"
"Quit lying through your teeth! Akane's not interested in you!"
"You think she's interested in YOU?" Ryoga shot back. "You can't even treat her properly! You insult her constantly, you never eat her cooking, and you don't give her the respect she deserves!"
Ranma's hands curled into fists as she slowly began to lose control of her temper. "Don't go there, pig-boy. You don't want to give me a reason to hurt you."
"Is it me who's making you mad, or is it the truth?"
"I can't very well pound the truth," returned Ranma, her teeth tightly clenched. "But I can sure as hell beat you into a bloody pulp!"
Ryoga shrugged disinterestedly. "Egrul says 'the first one to resort to violence is the one who has run out of intelligent things to say.'"
Ranma paused, searching for a clever reply. After a few seconds of deliberation, she hauled back and punched Ryoga squarely in the nose. "You know something?" she asked. "I think that guy's got a point. I had no idea what to say just then."
Ryoga quickly slid his bandana down his face, securing it under his nose to stem the flow of blood. "That was a cheap shot, Ranma. I'm considering that a victory for me."
"Whatever," said Ranma. "I think I've made my point. Now, if I ever catch you doing anything I don't like with Akane, so help me, I'll -" Her threat was cut off as a nearly naked girl plowed into her from behind, knocking her flat on her face. She rolled over to find herself staring into Ukyo's terror-stricken face. "Ucchan? What are you doing here?"
Ukyo screamed and pushed herself away from Ranma, scrambling to get to her feet, but her legs tangled in Ranma's dress, and she fell back on top of Ranma, inadvertently pressing her lips against Ranma's.
Ryoga shook his head disapprovingly. "And you accuse Akane of cheating on you...."
Ranma grabbed Ukyo's arms firmly. "What gives, Ucchan? You're freaking out!"
"Not to mention unclothed," added Ryoga.
As if to prove Ranma's point, Ukyo twisted in her grip, trying to escape. "Let me go, you demon!"
Ranma felt Ukyo's knee land a hard blow in her groin and thanked the gods that she wasn't in her own body. "Hey, cut that out! What do you think you're doing?"
"Help! So-" Ukyo screamed, before Ranma clapped a hand over her mouth to silence her. Ukyo quickly brought her free arm to bear, swinging it at Ranma's head, but Ranma rolled aside and stood up, pulling Ukyo with her.
"Ukyo, calm down!" snapped Ranma. "Just look at me and tell me what's going on!" She grabbed Ukyo's head and turned it so that they were looking into each other's eyes. Ukyo's tear-filled eyes slowly softened as she saw Ranma's concerned expression and realized that she wasn't going to kill her.
Finally, Ukyo blinked her tears away and sniffed. "You're... you're really Ranma honey?"
"Well, duh. Who'd you think I was?"
Without giving an answer, Ukyo pulled free of Ranma's relaxed grip and threw both arms around the redhead, burying her face in the front of Ranma's dress. "Oh God! I was so scared! I thought you were that demon that tried to kill me!"
"I'm no demon," replied Ranma. "Tell her, Ryoga."
"He may be a jerk to Akane, but he's no demon," confirmed Ryoga.
"Thanks for the editorial," grumbled Ranma. Then, the clues accumulating in the conversation finally came together in her mind. "Wait... did you see a demon that looked like me?"
Ukyo pried herself away from Ranma's chest, but still couldn't look Ranma in the face. "It was your male form, but it looked just like you," she explained. "It came into the restaurant as I was closing up, and at first I thought it really was you. But then it changed... into this big black cloud... and I tried to fight it off with my spatulas, but it threw them right back and pinned me to the wall! Then all my clothes tore, and I ran out the back door and got away." Her head jerked up, and she scanned the streets like a frightened squirrel. "Oh God! What if it's still after me?"
"Hey, calm down," said Ranma. "We're here to protect you. It's not going to attack you again while Ryoga and I are here."
Ukyo caught her breath at last. "Ranma... what am I going to do now? Look at me! I'm a total mess, and I can't go back to my restaurant...."
"We're going back there together," announced Ranma. "That demon already kidnapped Kodachi Kuno, and now it's come after you. I want answers, and I'm going to get them right now."
Ukyo's eyes widened in horror. "No! We can't go back there! What if it's still after me?"
"That's what I'm hoping for," replied Ranma. "Ryoga, you go warn Akane about the demon. I have a feeling it's going to come after her next."
Ryoga jumped at suddenly being included in the conversation again. "Me? Why me? Why don't you do it?"
"Because I have to go with Ukyo," replied Ranma. "The demon obviously wants something from me, or it wouldn't be using my form."
"But Akane hates me right now, remember?" Ryoga protested.
"She hates me too," Ranma reminded him. "But if I know Akane, she's already forgiven you and pinned the blame squarely on me." Her eyes narrowed, and her voice grew slightly colder. "Besides, you and she are an item now, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah, but..." Ryoga began, completely missing the venom in Ranma's statement. Then he caught a glimpse of Ranma's malicious stare, and he quickly shook his head and started over. "No! We're not! Besides, I thought you didn't want me having anything to do with Akane!"
Ranma stepped aside, letting him get a good view of Ukyo. "Look, we can't very well go in there with me in a dirty dress and Ukyo in her underwear, can we? You know Akane's going to get the wrong idea about that! Just go in there, warn her that there's a demon that looks like me coming after her, and stay with her to make sure it doesn't get to her. No making out behind my back again. Can you handle that?"
"But how do you expect me to find my way there?" asked Ryoga.
Ranma slammed her hand against the sign nailed to the nearby wall which read "Tendo Dojo of Anything-Goes Martial Arts". "Good luck getting lost," she said sarcastically.
Ryoga sighed and gave up trying to get out of the chore. "Fine. I'll do it." He climbed over the wall and let himself into the Tendos' yard.
"I hope he can behave himself." Ranma turned around and took Ukyo's arm. "Come on. You go hide in the bushes while I sneak into my room and get some hot water and some new clothes. I am NOT fighting a demon in a dress."
"Wait, Ranma...."
Ranma turned to face her. "What?"
Ukyo's gaze dropped to the ground. "Thank you."
"Hey, I'm worried about this thing too. That demon's giving me a bad name, and I'm going to put a stop to it, no matter what."
Ukyo shook her head. "That's not what I mean." She stepped closer and quickly kissed Ranma on the lips before she could react.
Ranma blinked in confusion. "Uh... what was that for?"
Ukyo shook her head and turned away so that Ranma couldn't see her flushed face. "Never mind. I just got caught up in the moment."
Ranma rubbed her cheek. "I just hope Akane didn't see that."
Ukyo quickly took a few steps away and leapt over the wall, landing in a bush on the far side. Ranma followed. "Hey, what's the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing," replied Ukyo, her voice slightly choked. "Just go do what you have to do, and let's get out of here."
"Right." Ranma made a beeline for the house, wondering why everything in her life suddenly seemed to be changing more quickly than she could keep up with.
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"So, you say Ukyo escaped, and you were unable to follow her?" repeated Cologne.
"Correct," replied the demon.
Cologne's expression darkened. "Then she's probably gone to find Son-in-law. But even he won't be able to stand up to the power of a demon."
"Indeed."
"They will return to Ukyo's restaurant," Cologne pondered aloud. "I want you to return there tonight?"
The demon swirled questioningly. "Return...?"
"It's for the best," Cologne replied firmly. "The kidnappings must proceed on schedule if our plan is to work. We can't afford any surprises. However...."
"However?"
"Something troubles me about Son-in-law's role in all of this. He's too close to the missing girls now, and we will need his willing participation soon, or everything will be lost. You had best not let him discover your true nature."
The demon's mass began to churn feverishly. "Elder?" it asked uncertainly.
"It is of the utmost importance," affirmed Cologne. "You know what will happen if Ranma discovers that you work for me."
The demon paused briefly before answering. "Yes."
"Good. Then I am sure we will get what we need from him in due time. I know you will not fail me."
The demon chuckled confidently. "Indeed."
*************************************************
Akane slipped the dress off over her head, carefully returned it to its hanger, and crossed the room to retrieve her pajamas from their daytime home in her dresser. As she slid the drawer open, however, she heard a similar sliding sound behind her, and spun around to see a figure clad in black climb in through her now-open window, with a dark cloth tied under its nose. She wasted no time in throwing herself on top of the intruder with an ear-splitting scream, knocking him to the floor under her weight.
"Akane, wait! It's me!" protested the hapless wanderer.
Akane quickly sat up. "Ryoga? What are you doing here this late at night? And why are you...?" She trailed off as she realized that he was still wearing his tuxedo from dinner, which explained why his clothing was so dark. As for the bandana... "What happened to your nose?"
"Ranma punched me," he explained. "Then he asked me to come and tell you -" He looked up and saw her for the first time since entering the room, and his face turned bright red. "You might want to put some clothes on."
"Ranma said that?" asked Akane, very confused. Then, she remembered her unclothed state and blushed fit to match Ryoga. "Oh. Yeah." She chuckled weakly. "We seem to end up like this a lot, don't we?"
"Heh heh. Yeah. Funny." Ryoga rubbed his head nervously. "You might want to get dressed quickly. That was a really loud scream...."
The bedroom door burst open and Ranma charged into the room, her dress tearing as she stepped on it in her haste. "Akane, what's wrong? I heard a scream, and - oh, it's you, Ryoga." She shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Ranma, it's not what you think!" protested Ryoga. "She was getting changed when I came in!"
"Actually, that's about what I thought," Ranma informed him.
"Who are you to talk?" Ryoga shot back. "You're in a dress!"
"And Akane isn't," Ranma retorted. "So what are you doing with her in there?"
Akane's blush deepened, and she picked up a chair to throw at Ranma. "Get out of my room already, you pervert!"
Ranma quickly darted into the hall and closed the door behind herself to block the chair. "So I'm a pervert, but Ryoga gets to sit there and get a full view?" she shouted through the door. "I'VE got a girl's body of my own to look at if I feel like peeping. What's his excuse?"
"Ryoga isn't a pervert like you!" Akane shouted back. "And this isn't about him anyway!"
Ranma fell uncharacteristically silent for a few seconds. Finally, her voice came back through the door, barely more than a whisper. "I told you so, Ryoga." The sound of footsteps marked her retreat to her own room.
Akane blinked. "Told you what?"
Ryoga sighed. "He said you'd have forgiven me for the restaurant thing, but not him."
"Oh!" Akane gasped, remembering something. "I almost forgot in all the excitement! I have to apologize!"
"Apologize?"
Akane nodded shamefully. "Yeah... I overreacted and ruined our evening. Even if it was a mean joke, it didn't really hurt anyone, and all I did was make the problem worse by leaving everyone behind. But I was so angry that if I hadn't left just then...."
Ryoga encircled Akane with his arms, forgetting about her lack of clothing. "It's okay, Akane. It's all over now, so let's just forget about it."
"Uh, Ryoga... could you not do that?"
Ryoga quickly let go and turned away. "I'm sorry too, Akane. I shouldn't have... done what I did."
"It's okay," replied Akane, as she slipped into her pajamas at last. "I'm just worried about P-chan. That's all. I haven't seen him since the restaurant, and I was really worried."
"P-chan?" repeated Ryoga. "I'm sure he'll turn up eventually."
"Yeah, he always does," agreed Akane. "You always know just what to say to make me feel better."
"Well...."
Akane smiled. "It's okay. I just want to thank you for stopping by. You're a real friend, Ryoga."
"Hey, anytime," said Ryoga, turning around just in time to catch the beginning of Akane's smile. He quickly stood up and returned to the open window, his job done now that Akane was happy once again. "I'd better go. Have a good night's sleep."
"You too," Akane called after him as he leapt.
Once in the backyard and out of sight, Ryoga quickly shed his clothes and threw them into the bushes before hopping into the pond. It wasn't until after he'd climbed out, shaken himself dry, and started back toward the house that he remembered he was supposed to warn Akane about the demon coming to get her. Oh well. At least he'd be at her side all night to protect her.
Minutes later, Ranma emerged quietly from the house and made his way to the bushes near the front gate, carrying a bundle of clothes. "Hey, Ukyo? Where'd you go?" he whispered.
"I'm over here, Ranma honey!" called Ukyo from the far end of the yard. She stepped into view wearing Ryoga's shirt and pants.
Ranma blinked. "Where did you get...? He was wearing...."
"Ryoga took off his clothes and threw them over here," replied Ukyo. "I figured it was better than nothing until you got back. It's freezing out here."
"Sorry I took so long," Ranma apologized. "There was some... stuff." He clenched his fists, scrunching the clothes into a ball. "I swear I'm going to kill that jerk for this, one of these days."
"Well, in the meantime, do you mind if I get changed?" asked Ukyo, pointing to the ball of cloth in his hands.
"Huh? You want to wear these? But you've already got clothes."
Ukyo pulled at her shirt uneasily. "I don't like the way these fit."
Ranma sighed and tossed the bundle of clothes to her. "Fine. But hurry up. I want to get this demon problem over with."
Ukyo sheepishly retreated into the thickest bushes to change.
Ranma waited as patiently as he could, going for nearly a full thirty seconds before he felt the need to say something. "Hey, are you just stalling because you're afraid to go back?"
"N-no!" stammered Ukyo in a tone that made it quite clear that he'd hit the nail on the head.
"I'm not looking forward to this either," said Ranma. "This demon got the better of Kodachi, and she's no pushover. And you barely managed to escape alive. But you can't spend the rest of your life running away."
"That depends on how long the rest of my life is," replied Ukyo. "Or is it the other way around?"
"Ha ha," said Ranma, without a trace of humor. "Do you want my help or not?"
Ukyo gasped and dropped the shirt she was holding, causing the leaves to rustle. "You wouldn't leave me alone, Ranma honey!"
"That's why we're going to face this demon together," agreed Ranma. "And I want to do it before I fall asleep on my feet."
There was a brief pause. "Sorry," Ukyo said at last. "I'll hurry up."
True to her word, Ukyo emerged quickly wearing a set of clothes identical to Ranma's. "You know something?" she asked, tugging at the shirt fabric. "I can see why you wear these all the time. They're pretty comfortable. Feels like they were made for me."
Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, they're good clothes. You ready to go or what?"
Ukyo swallowed nervously. "Ready when you are, I guess." She clenched her fists and steeled what confidence she could muster. "Let's do this."
*************************************************
Ranma roughly shoved the door open as he strode into Ucchan's. "Yo, demon! Come on out and face me like a man!"
Ukyo quickly shushed him. "What do you think you're doing? Do you want it to hear you?"
"Well, yeah," replied Ranma. "How else am I supposed to call it out so I can fight it?"
"Actually, I wouldn't mind if it decided to stay hidden for the night," Ukyo pointed out.
"Would you be able to sleep?" retorted Ranma.
Ukyo shivered. "Fine, let's go find it then."
"Stay close to me," advised Ranma. They wove their way between the tables and made for the back of the restaurant, watching and listening closely for any sign of the demon. However, the building was eerily silent save for their own breathing and footsteps.
Ranma cautiously pushed the kitchen door open and peered inside. "Anyone home?" He pulled his head out of the room and shrugged. "Not in there." He turned to see Ukyo lovingly retrieving her spatula bandolier from her fallen clothes and strapping it around herself.
"Ah, that feels better," she said as she made the final adjustments. "I was beginning to feel naked without my belt."
"You mean, more than you were without your clothes on?"
Ukyo smashed Ranma in the face with her battle spatula, a blush coloring her face. "Don't talk about that! It was embarrassing enough already!"
Ranma rubbed his nose, which was the same shade of red as Ukyo's cheeks. "Well, geez. And I thought the demon was going to be a threat."
Ukyo's blush deepened. "Sorry. You know I can't control myself when I get excited."
"Yeah, well, be that as it may, I don't see any sign of the demon here."
Ukyo sighed her relief. "Thank god."
"We're not safe yet. We'll have to stay together for tonight and sleep in shifts in case it comes for you."
"Stay together?" repeated Ukyo. "Like... a sleepover?"
Ranma shook his head. "This isn't like that. This is life or death."
"Yeah, I know." Ukyo forced a smile. "But still, we can try to make the most of it, right? No sense feeling down when we've got each other!"
Ranma sighed. "I hope Akane's okay. The demon might have gone after her instead."
Ukyo grabbed Ranma's chin and turned his face to hers. "Ranma honey, you're with me, remember? Why do you always have to talk about Akane when we're together?"
"Because I'm here to protect you, but I'm not there to protect Akane," Ranma replied levelly. "So I'm worried about her."
Ukyo fretted. "I know, but still...."
"You know, I could have told Ryoga to stay with you while I waited with Akane," Ranma pointed out. "But I picked you over her. So don't get jealous, okay?"
"I am not jealous!" shouted Ukyo, far too forcefully. "Well, maybe a little...."
Ranma shook his head again. "Well, we can't go back to my place, so we're going to have to go to yours."
"We're already here," said Ukyo. "I'm renting the apartment upstairs."
Ranma blinked in surprise. "There's an upstairs?"
"Yeah. The rent's steep, but my profits more than cover -" She broke off as she realized what Ranma was so worried about. "... We should have checked upstairs, shouldn't we?"
"Stay here," said Ranma, his voice cold with masked fear. "If I give you the signal, run as fast as you can and get back to the Tendo Dojo. I don't know whether Ryoga will be able to fight the demon if I can't, but he's probably your best chance."
"But Ranma honey, I can't just leave you here!"
"There's no sense in both of us getting killed. I'll keep the demon busy so you can escape."
"But -!"
"Just do it," spat Ranma in a tone that left her speechless. Without giving her another chance to protest, he swept through the kitchen door, leaving Ukyo alone in the restaurant. She brought her arms in close and shivered, suddenly feeling very cold and scared. Every tiny creak and cricket chirp made her jump and her heartbeat speed up to double time. It seemed like Ranma had been gone forever, but he'd only just left. She knew she had to calm down, or her nerves would be a mess when all this was over with, but having had Ranma at her side was so comforting that without him, she felt like the demon would attack at any moment.
When Ranma finally did return, it was a welcome relief. "No sign of the demon upstairs either," he announced as he entered the room. "It's all clear."
Ukyo sighed and pressed a hand to her still-racing heart. "Man, I was so scared. Don't leave me like that again."
"Don't worry. I'll keep you safe." Ranma offered her his hand. "Come on, let's go upstairs and get to sleep."
Ukyo smiled. "Yeah, let's." She reached out to take Ranma's hand.
"Ukyo, don't!" shouted Ranma from the kitchen. The door burst open as he flew through it, his foot aimed at the demon's head. The demon spun around, grabbing Ranma's leg and swinging him easily around in a circle, throwing him into the wall next to the door, where Ukyo had been pinned earlier. Ranma cried out in pain as a protruding spatula handle jabbed into his spine, but managed to keep his wits about him and land safely on his hands and knees. "Ukyo, run!" he shouted. "Don't let it get near you again!"
Ukyo stared at both Ranmas, trying to figure out what was happening. "Ranma honey? But then...."
"I thought it would come after you if I left you alone, so I went upstairs to lure it out," Ranma explained quickly. "Now get out of here so I can fight it!"
"But I can't!" Ukyo shouted back, brandishing the battle spatula and preparing to face the demon. The demon simply grabbed the spatula's handle in one hand and reached for her face with the other, moving so quickly that she had no time to react.
Fortunately, Ranma hadn't been caught by surprise. He quickly threw a spatula that he'd pried from the wall at the demon, aiming for the hand in front of Ukyo's face. The demon caught the projectile, and with a flick of its fingers, sent it right back at Ranma, who plucked it from the air and hauled back to throw it again.
Seizing advantage of the demon's distraction, Ukyo quickly pulled her spatula out of the demon's grip and backed away, pulling it back to swing it at her opponent.
"Don't!" Ranma shouted again. "It'll just attack you again! Get out of here now!" He leapt to his feet and plucked more of the spatulas from the wall, arming himself to defend Ukyo while she made her escape. However, Ukyo still wasn't ready to retreat. She took a swing at the demon, who stuck out a hand and stopped the spatula instantly. The shock of the impact sent shivers through Ukyo's entire body, paralyzing her. The demon reached for her again, but Ranma threw the entire salvo of spatulas at it at once, forcing it to use both hands to catch and return them all. This time, Ranma had to throw himself aside, taking a few glancing blows as he dodged the worst of the attack.
Ukyo gathered her senses and stepped back, hefting her spatula again. "Ranma honey, hang on!"
"Just go already!" Ranma shouted back. "I can't fight it while you're here!"
That got her attention. The last thing she wanted was to make Ranma lose because he was too busy trying to defend her. She cut quickly past the demon and broke for the kitchen door. Surprisingly, the demon made no move to stop her, and she made it to the kitchen unopposed.
Once she was gone, the demon chuckled. "You realize she's only going upstairs to hide, don't you?"
"Fine by me," said Ranma, wiping the spit from his lips. "As long as it's just you and me, I don't have to hold back."
"Excellent," said the demon, breaking its fighting stance to stand perfectly erect. "That's exactly what I was hoping for."
Ranma blinked. "What, you're not gonna fight back?"
"Try me and see."
Its voice was completely non-threatening, but Ranma wasn't fooled for a second. The situation was obviously a trap. "What do you want from me, demon?"
"Nothing at all," replied the demon. "Your form is simply the most convenient for what I have to do."
"And what's that?"
"I can't tell you. It would negate my purpose, and without my purpose, I am nothing."
Ranma tensed in preparation. "Got news for you, pal. You ain't nothing anyway!" With that, he leapt, swinging his fists. The demon leaned back, sticking out a foot to intercept him. While Ranma twisted around the attack, the demon caught his wrist and brought its foot up under Ranma, throwing him into the ceiling. Ranma hit hard enough to leave a dent in the plaster, then fell down right into the demon's arms. It caught him and pulled him down, ramming its knee into his gut, then threw him to the floor.
Ranma slowly rolled away and climbed to his feet. "That was a lucky shot."
"You think so?" asked the demon. "Then why don't you try attacking me again?"
"Oh, I will," spat Ranma. He felt the hate rising within him and channeled it, determined to defeat the demon at any cost. This was the attack that never failed him, and even a demon would fall to its power. He raised his hands and drew the energy from deep within. "MOKO TAKABISHA!"
"Now there's an attack!" cheered the demon as the ball of energy shot across the room at it. It stuck out a hand and caught the energy as if it were a mere basketball. "Pure self-confidence in handy soul energy form. Quite a useful tool, in the right hands." It tossed the ball into the air and clapped three times before catching it.
The color drained from Ranma's face as he watched the demon play with his attack like a toy.
"Awww, what's the matter?" asked the demon teasingly. "You look like you've lost your confidence! Then maybe I should... give it back!" It caught the ball and threw it at Ranma, who was too drained to dodge. The attack threw him into the far wall, and he collapsed to the floor.
The demon shook its head disapprovingly. "You just don't understand, do you?" It shrugged. "Well, if you're not going to stop me, I may as well go upstairs and claim my prize."
Ranma pushed himself to his hands and knees. "Stay away from her!"
"Don't interfere with me in the future," advised the demon. "Next time, I won't be so inclined to leave you alive."
"I... said...." Ranma climbed to his feet and raised his fists. "Stay... away... from... her!" He ran toward the demon again, ignoring his fatigue as he thought only of protecting Ukyo. The demon prepared to meet his charge, but Ranma leapt aside at the last second, spinning around the demon in a circle to prevent it from targeting him. Tables flew as he pushed them out of his path, clearing a large space around his opponent.
The demon's eyes narrowed as it watched Ranma circle it. "What are you thinking?" it asked.
Ranma didn't answer as he continued to whirl around his foe, sending the air into a rising spiral as the heat of his battle aura raised its temperature. Normally, the technique would require the demon to follow him, but that didn't seem like the demon's style; rather, it seemed to find a way to counter every attack he could throw at it. But perhaps an indirect attack would work....
In a carefully calculated instant, Ranma cleared his thoughts and let his battle aura become cold. The heart of ice that Cologne had taught him was his weapon, as the cold air of his motion mixed with his own hot air rather than that of his opponent. He had to do this quickly, before the heat could dissipate, and the attack would probably not be as strong as usual, but that was for the best. He didn't want to wreck Ukyo's new restaurant any more than he already had. As long as it was enough to disorient the demon, it would be enough.
He felt the tornado forming, and knew that the time was right. He pulled his fist back and let loose the signature uppercut of the ultimate Amazon technique. "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!" The spiraling air swirled inward, engulfing the demon in its raging vortex. He quickly stepped back out of the range of the attack to watch his victory unfold - but as the air grew opaque around the demon, he saw a twisted, knowing smile cross its face, and the room exploded around him.
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Ukyo jumped at the sound from beneath her feet. "Oh my god! Ranma honey!" She started to run for the stairs, but quickly stopped as she remembered why she'd come upstairs in the first place. If the battle was heating up, she couldn't afford to get in the way. Besides, Ranma would be angry if he discovered that she hadn't run away as he'd commanded... but hopefully, once he'd beaten the demon, he'd be so elated that he'd cast that anger aside. Who could tell, with the way he'd been acting lately?
It was deathly quiet downstairs now, which could only mean one thing - the fight was over. The only question now was who had won. Who was waiting for her down in the restaurant? Ranma, or the demon? And would she be able to tell the difference? Twice now, the demon had fooled her into thinking it was Ranma, and she'd been duped easily both times. What would happen if she walked right into its arms without Ranma to protect her? Obviously, the safest thing to do was stay where she was and wait to see what would happen. Maybe the demon would assume that she'd left and go searching for her, not suspecting that she was right above its head the whole time.
The sound of footsteps ascending the staircase quickly dispelled that notion. The demon somehow knew that she was upstairs and was coming for her now that Ranma was lying de- unconscious on the floor below. She had to escape! If only there was another room up here, or someplace she could hide and wait for an opportunity to sneak past it and down the stairs....
Ranma's head poked up over the edge of the staircase. "Ucchan? Are you up here?"
"Ranchan?"
Ranma quickly climbed into the room, breathing heavily from the exertion of the battle. "I did it. I beat the demon!"
"Really? That's incredible!" She ran to give him a grateful hug, but stopped short. "Wait... how do I know you're not the demon pretending to be Ranma again?"
Ranma's face fell. "But I'm not!"
She raised her spatula threateningly. "Stay back! I can't trust anyone who looks like Ranma!"
"I'm not the demon!" repeated Ranma. "I'm really Ranma!"
"Ucchan, watch out!" shouted Ranma's weak voice from the floor below. "The demon's coming after you!"
"Dammit!" spat the Ranma in front of her. "I thought I killed him!"
Ukyo didn't need to hear any more. She immediately turned and leapt through the window, shielding her face with her arms as she crashed through the glass and fell to the street below. She rolled clear of the broken glass and got to her feet, looking back to make sure Ranma wasn't following her. He appeared in the window, leaning over the sill. "Wait! Don't go!"
The restaurant door shuddered and fell off its hinges as the other Ranma stepped out, his clothes torn and covered with blood. "Run, Ukyo! Don't let the demon get you! I'll keep it busy as long as I can! Get to the Tendo Dojo and warn Akane, then get out of town together!"
"But Ranma honey -"
"JUST GO!" he shouted, hobbling toward her. "It's not just going to wait for you to get away!"
"Don't listen to it!" shouted the Ranma from upstairs, leaping down from the window. "Wait... no, it's right! You should be running away!"
Ukyo felt a headache coming on. "Which one is the real Ranma? Or are they both demons?"
The battered Ranma at the front door lurched forward to block the unhurt Ranma's path. "Ukyo, go! Don't worry about me! Save yourself, and Akane!"
"No, he's the one you should be running away from!" shouted the unhurt Ranma. He charged, raising his fists. A solid punch landed on the weakened Ranma's jaw, sending him flying backward right into Ukyo's arms. She caught him and pushed him to his feet.
"Don't worry, Ranma honey," she said, rubbing his back lightly. "I'll fight right here with you!"
"Good," he whispered. "I want you to be with me forever."
"What?" asked Ukyo, stepping away from him. But her fingers were attached to his back, and as she watched, her hands sank into the fabric of his shirt. His back disappeared into a cloud of black mist that swirled around her, rising from the street to engulf her. "Ranma!" she screamed as it covered her head.
"Ukyo!" shouted the real Ranma, making a grab for the demon's back. His hands passed right through the black mist without touching anything.
The demon swirled out of reach, laughing as it turned back into a perfect, unblemished copy of Ranma. "Know this, Ranma Saotome; the only reason I would lose to the likes of you is that I am still getting what I want. I will always win in the end."
"What have you done with Ukyo?" demanded Ranma. "Where is she?"
"She's in a place you cannot reach," replied the demon. "But don't worry. You may see her again, once my task is done."
"What do you mean, 'may' see her again? What are you going to do to her?"
The demon shook its head. "I can't tell you that. But I can assure you that her last thoughts will be of you."
"Bastard!" shouted Ranma. "If you lay so much as a finger on her...!"
"Oh, on the contrary," the demon assured him, "I'm not going to kill her."
Something about the demon's words sickened Ranma. "What do you want from her, then?"
"Nothing that I don't already have," the demon replied with an evil smile. It bowed mockingly, then vanished, leaving no trace of its presence.
"Come back here!" Ranma shouted to the now-empty night sky. "Bring her back!"
There was no answer.
"Dammit!" Ranma fell to his knees and pounded the street with his fist. But even the satisfying crater it left didn't dampen the pain of knowing that he'd failed the girl he'd promised to protect. If only he'd been more careful.... "Ukyo," he whispered, barely holding back the tears that threatened to seep from his eyes. "I'm sorry."
