= = = =
T E N
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By R. E.
(ranma_e@hotmail.com)
Illustrations by Irka
(irka@ciudad.com.ar)
= = = =
CHAPTER FIVE
"Waterskin"
= = = = = = = =
"Good," Ranma observed, "you're learning quickly."
Akane mumbled her thanks to the compliment as she ducked beneath a powerful
swing that sliced the air where her head had been moments before. She
straightened, quickly correcting her balance. Sweat stung her eyes, and
her arms and legs ached from the extended training.
The pair had been sparring for hours. Akane had long since given up on
counting how many. Most of her concentration was now focused on holding
down the parts of her sleep-deprived mind that seemed intent on floating
away from her body. This was not lost on Ranma.
"We should stop," Ranma said, lowering Garyoutensei. She bowed slightly,
acknowledging Akane's improvement with the sword. "There's no point
training you if I kill you by pushing you too hard, now, is there?"
"I guess," Akane panted, trying to hide her exhaustion. The relief in her
face showed through despite her best efforts.
"You handle Shoryoutensei gracefully," Ranma commented, bringing the tip of
her blade to press against Akane's weapon. A hiss filled the cavern as a
sliver of steam rose from the contact. "You seem to be a natural."
"I don't," Akane countered, between heavy breaths, "feel much like a
natural."
Ranma's sword withdrew and retreated into the billowing blackness that
surrounded her. Akane watched the blade disappear then turned her unsteady
gaze up to Ranma's face. A flush of irritation washed momentarily over her
as she observed Ranma looking as refreshed as if their sparring session had
never occured.
"How do you do that?" she queried.
"Do what?"
"You're not even tired," Akane explained, gesturing toward her opponent.
"It's as if you weren't even trying."
"I've been training longer than you, Akane. You can't expect to start at
the top."
"I just feel like I've been waving this sword around without learning
anything," Akane complained.
"Is that so?" Ranma asked, turning away from her student. She hummed
thoughtfully, stepping around the nearest pool. With a suddenness that
caught Akane completely off guard, Ranma picked up a small stone, whirled
in place and launched it toward Akane at alarming speed.
Akane caught sight of a small grey object for barely an instant before
her instincts kicked in and slammed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact
upon her face.
The stone did not impact - instead, Akane was surprised by a splash of cold
water in the face. She coughed, shaking her head as water went up her
nose, and opened her eyes. Her sword obscured her vision; she suddenly
noticed that her hands were holding the blade protectively in front of her
face.
"You seem to be doing okay, if you ask me."
"How did I ..." Akane muttered, staring at Shoryoutensei almost reverently
as she lowered it from her face.
"You wanted to stop the stone," Ranma explained. "The sword drew upon that
intent and turned it into action. The sword, the mind, the body, acting as
one. That is what you are beginning to learn, even if you didn't know it
at the time."
Akane considered Ranma's words as she stared into the rippling surface of
her sword. She had not even felt it move, yet it had, in an instant, moved
to defend her.
"Your mind created the intention, the sword acted upon it and blocked the
stone. The swords act solely on intent. Nothing is an accident."
"What do you mean?"
Ranma rose to her feet, and as she turned toward Akane, Garyoutensei swept
out from beneath her cloak. She raised the blade with one hand and sliced
quickly through her other arm with it. As Akane reeled in shock, Ranma
raised her arm to show that, besides the scars already present, it was
undamaged. "Obviously, I don't want to cut off my own arm."
"I ... how ...." Akane stammered, eyes wide as saucers.
"Don't look so surprised," Ranma chided. "Deep down, you already knew
that. That said, I do hope the explanation helps you feel like you're
learning something."
Wiping water from her face, Akane stepped over to the edge of a spring and
gently sat her aching body down, gingerly dangling her feet into the warm
water. She let Shoryoutensei rest across her lap, and let out a long, deep
breath. "Thanks, I think."
"You're welcome," Ranma replied, stepping around to the far side of the
spring. Garyoutensei was once again nowhere to be seen. "I must say,
you're picking this up very quickly. I'm impressed."
"Dad always said I was a fast learner," Akane replied with a weary smile.
"I've been studying martial arts nearly all my life."
"So have I," Ranma replied. "Martial arts IS my life. I ... wish my
father had been around to teach me for more of it."
"It must be difficult," Akane sympathised. "I'd be lost without my Dad."
"It is, sometimes. I know he's watching over me, but ... sometimes I'd
give anything to speak to him again."
Akane looked away from the sadness etched into Ranma's face, instead
concentrating on the dimly-lit depths of the spring.
"Tell me about your father," Ranma requested, turning away. "I really
don't know very much about him."
Akane looked up in surprise, but saw only the impenetrable blackness of
Ranma's back, the stark red trail of her ponytail the only relief from the
darkness.
"He's a good man," Akane began. "He teaches my family's school of martial
arts to anyone who wants to learn them. He's a patient teacher, and
everybody who tries his classes ends up coming back. He's ... looked after
me since Mother died. He's kind, and caring, and ... a good father."
"He must be proud of you," Ranma commented. "Sixteen, and already a
champion, many times over."
"I suppose he is," Akane agreed. "I hadn't really thought about it very
much."
"So, you study the Art for yourself?"
"What do you mean? Of course I do."
"I mean, you do it because you want to, not because your father wants you
to?"
"Of course," Akane replied with a shrug. "Don't you?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure what I would have done if I hadn't started
learning martial arts. I probably would have still studied the Art, but
maybe I would have been ... I don't know. A chef, perhaps."
"A chef?"
"Maybe. Or a painter, or a violinist, or ... I don't know. I get curious
sometimes, what my destiny would have been if things hadn't happened as
they did."
"Why? What's the point?" Akane asked. "I mean, if I lost a tournament
fight, I could wonder what would have happened if I'd blocked this punch
or that kick, or I could just learn from what DID happen and carry on with
my life. It's stupid to obsess over 'if's and 'maybe's."
"Your father taught you that?"
"No. I taught myself."
"I can see you're not going to need any help acting decisively," Ranma
commented, a smile on her face as she turned to face Akane once more.
"But, there is value to be had in examining the past."
"Sure, what happened is important, but not what -could- have happened. If
you spend your time worrying about that, you'll just end up regretting
everything you do."
"You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?" Ranma observed with
an air of amusement. Such idealistic zeal was refreshing.
Ranma's question echoed through the cavern, growing ever quieter until
silence consumed it. Ranma waited for Akane's reply, and was just about to
speak again when the raven-haired girl let out a sigh.
"When I was little," Akane spoke softly, sadly, "I used to lay in bed and
listen to Dad cry."
"Akane," Ranma said, biting her lip, all trace of amusement quickly
banished from her voice, "I'm sorry."
"Some nights, he'd cry for hours. I usually fell asleep listening to him.
I knew why he was crying, but ... for some reason, I didn't cry. Not even
once. I'd lay there, wondering why he couldn't just ... stop. I wished I
could make him stop, or cheer him up ... or cry with him. But I just lay
there, listening. Always, just listening.
"He probably thought I was asleep, that I didn't know any better. Oh, I
knew. I understood, better than he did. Nothing was going to bring Mother
back. All that we could do was move on with our lives.
"I don't believe in 'what if'. I could ask myself, 'what if Mother hadn't
died? Would Dad still cry?', but I can't answer those questions. What I
-can- do is find the person that killed her, and make them pay for what
they did. If I can avenge her death, I can look Dad in the eye, and tell
him not to cry anymore."
* * *
The nightmare was always the same.
"Listen ... Boy," Genma grunted, reaching up to squeeze Ranma's arm. "Take
the sword ... and go. It is the Saotome ... family legacy. The Saotome
name must live on. Don't ... let it die here today because of my foolish
act."
"I'm not going to leave you!" Ranma insisted.
"If you only ever obey me once ... obey me now. Please, Boy," Genma
pleaded, tears welling in his eyes, eyes dull with agony. "Take the sword
... go back to Japan ... don't ever lose Garyoutensei ...."
"I can't--"
"Promise!" Genma persisted, his pasty-white hand shaking as released
Ranma's arm. He took hold of his sword's scabbard and handed it to Ranma.
"You must do this ... it's important."
Ranma tried to reach out for his father, to pick him up and carry him to
safety, but could not move. He stood motionless, watching his father's
breathing, fast and shallow. Crimson blood puddled in the muddy earth,
deep red an evergrowing stain.
Ranma stared at his feet, stark white against the rusty ground; a drop of
blood splattered across his toes, washing over them as blood dripped from
the sword in his hand.
His arm slowly raised the sword, its blade stained red, and held it toward
his father, who looked back with hollow, accusing eyes.
"Father?"
And then, Genma was gone.
Gravity gripped Ranma's body, yanking him downwards with savage force. The
cold, grey rocks of a cliff face sped upwards past him. A chilling darkness
wrapped itself around him as the roaring sound of the ocean below filled
his ears ....
* * *
A piercing scream filled Ranma's mind, jolting her upright. Bringing her
hand to cradle her forehead, she panted for breath. Gods, she hated sleep.
She had managed to stave it off for almost a month; she chided herself for
giving in to its call.
The nightmare drove cold daggers of panic deep into her heart. She feared
the gaunt, lifeless face of her father more than any enemy she had faced.
Sleep was an enemy to be conquered, the dreams of the past were haunting
spectres that sought to drive her to madness.
Ranma forced herself to her feet, shook herself to banish the drowsiness
that fogged her mind, and stretched her muscles. Her body was unaccustomed
to sleep, meaning her muscles stiffened up during even the shortest of
naps.
Akane slept nearby, looking markedly uncomfortable on the cold stone floor
of the cavern. Dim light danced across her face, shadows darting back and
forth across her features.
Ranma watched the Tendo girl for a time, silent envy her only companion as
she watched over Akane's relatively peaceful slumber. Her father's ghost
had long since chased such rest from her life.
She let out a weary sigh and turned her eyes toward the tunnel entrance.
The soft light of the torches perpetuated the day, leaving her wondering
what time it was outside. The thought passed quickly; the time was largely
irrelevant. When Akane awoke, her training would resume.
Her eyes narrowed as she watched the glimmering reflections of the torches
in Akane's sword. And so, she thought with a sigh, the nightmare rides on.
I'm sorry, Akane. I truly am sorry.
* * *
An armada of water-laden clouds continued their bombardment, launching wave
after wave of swollen droplets toward the earth below. The sun strained to
cast its rays between the clouds, the soft evening light shattering amongst
the downpour. The mountain peaks bathed in the rain and light, coruscating
amid the sunshower.
Far below, amongst the lush forest bed, a lone figure scoured the base of
one of the mountains. Raindrops unfortunate enough to fall into its path
froze solid on frigid air, falling as hailstones to shatter at its feet.
The crunching sounds of each of its footsteps were ignored as the figure
ran its fingertips across the rock surface.
"I can feel you," it muttered, deep in concentration. "I know you're
hiding. Show me the way."
Scanning back and forth across the desolate rock, it searched tirelessly,
methodically following a pattern with urgent efficiency. Suddenly, its
stare shot to the left, catching sight of an anomaly. Where once there had
been a bare rock face, there now was a small opening, partially submerged
amongst a nearby swamp.
A crooked smile spread slowly across its face. "Very interesting."
* * *
A sharp prod in the back jolted Akane from her sleep.
"Wha-? What?" she snorted, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. A vague ache
squeezed her lower back and she stretched to loosen her muscles. "What
time is it?"
"Good question. You slept for a few hours. I'm not sure what time it is.
Now get up."
"It feels like morning," Akane commented with a yawn, as she pulled herself
to her feet.
"That's because you just woke up," Ranma commented, peering intently into
the dark recesses of the cavern. "It probably isn't morning."
"What's up?" Akane asked, noticing Ranma's distraction.
"We may have to leave," Ranma replied, bristling. The redheaded girl rose
to her feet and folded her arms. "I don't think it's safe here anymore."
A burst of nervous energy detonated in Akane's stomach, her sleepy eyes
opening fully and staring at Ranma. "What? What do you mean?"
"I think they may have found us," Ranma replied grimly. Akane noticed
Ranma's hand disappearing into her cloak.
"They? The hunters? How do you know?" she asked, looking out into the
darkness alongside her mentor.
"I can ... I just know."
Akane cast a sideways glance to Ranma. Perhaps this was some sort of test,
to gauge her reactions. She swallowed nervously; the expression on Ranma's
face did not lend any credence to her theory. She looked back to the
shadows, eyes flitting back and forth, searching for any sign of an
intruder.
"Very perceptive, Afrit."
A new, male voice echoed through the cavern. Akane jumped back a step,
surprised. By the time she landed, Ranma's sword was already drawn and
held aloft.
With a disconcertingly casual movement, the shadows shifted, resolving into
a human figure that stepped into the light of the torches. A face was
revealed, bearing eyes that stared directly at Akane.
Ranma's face.
* * *
Akane stared, open-mouthed, as the hunter stepped forward into the light.
Buried beneath a billowing black cloak was ... Ranma. A taller, male
Ranma, with jet-black hair tied into a ponytail that touched the floor, but
Ranma nonetheless. The scars on his face matched Ranma's perfectly, the
intensity burning behind his eyes was identical, the expression he bore was
an exact replica.
She stepped back, her throat suddenly dry, and looked back and forth
between the two doppelgangers before her.
"How the hell did you get in here?" Ranma called, keeping her sword centred
upon the intruder.
"Such hostility, Afrit!" the hunter boomed, voice thick with contempt.
"Don't look so put-out. I'm not here for you, I'm here for the girl."
Akane stepped back again as the hunter took another step toward her.
Ranma swept into place before Akane, shielding her. She snarled viciously,
pointing her sword toward the intruder.
"You shouldn't have come here," she growled. "I won't let you touch her."
"Always -interfering-, Waterskin, in things that don't concern you. Very
well, then, if you wish to stand in my way, so be it."
"Afrit? Waterskin? What is he talking about?" Akane asked, bewildered,
looking over Ranma's shoulders. "Is he the one who killed my father?"
"Oh, you don't know? Allow me to introduce Afrit. Waterskin. Shezbeth.
Shafan. Kiyo. She goes by many names. It doesn't surprise me that she
didn't mention this to you," the hunter intoned, piercing eyes fixing Akane
with their gaze. "The truth does not come easily from her."
"You have no right to speak of truth!" Ranma seethed at her taller twin.
"Not while you wear that mask of lies!"
"Temper, temper," replied the hunter, dismissively waving a hand at Ranma.
He peered over Ranma's shoulder at Akane's face. "Tell me, what do -you-
call her?"
"R... Ranma," Akane replied, taking a step back, from both Ranma and the
hunter. "What's going on?"
"Ahhh, I see," the hunter replied, as if Ranma's name were a revelation.
"_Ranma_. How quaint. It must make you feel almost human, Waterskin."
Ranma clenched her fists, white knuckles straining around Garyoutensei's
handle, burning with anger at the hunter. A low, gutteral growl strained
to escape from between her tight lips.
"Well, let's dispense with the pleasantries," the hunter continued,
unsheating his sword. "I'm here for the child. Get out of my way,
_Ranma_, or I'll have to hurt you."
"I'll bleed you dry, you bastard!"
"Ranma, wait--!" Akane called, but her words went unheeded by the two
Ranmas.
"Akane, stay back," Ranma instructed without looking back. Her voice was
low, a feral growl that frightened Akane. "I'll protect you."
Meekly, her sweaty grip upon Shoryoutensei loosening, Akane complied.
* * *
Two figures faced each other across a myriad of pools. The air hung heavy
between them, a wall of steam, keeping the two apart. Garyoutensei threw
off a harsh, angry light that infused the steam with a reddish glow.
Unfazed by the waves of heat radiating from Ranma, the hunter stood his
ground, sword pointed directly at his opponent's chest, straight and
steady. He gave a confident smirk and beckoned Ranma to him.
Ranma growled in barely-supressed fury and accepted the invitation.
Garyoutensei arced gracefully through the fine mist, sailing straight and
true toward its target, leaving swirls of steam in its wake. Ranma cried
out, bringing forth a powerful overhead slash intended to cleave her
opponent's skull in two.
The hunter appeared calm, almost bored, as the pillar of fire hurtled
toward him. At the last moment, he raised his sword to parry the attack,
easily holding back Garyoutensei's fury. He looked up at the burning
sword, giving the scorching air that crackled over his head an apathetic
glance.
"You'll have to do better than that," he remarked, casually. With a simple
shove of his arm, he sent Ranma staggering backwards. "We've been
training, Waterskin. You're no longer as strong or as fast as you think
you are."
Ranma said nothing; she skidded to a halt near a pool, and immediately
leapt toward the hunter once more. Garyoutensei once more blazed a
brilliant trail through the mist, and again the blow was blocked.
Ranma adapted, quickly spinning to slash across the hunter's body, but it
too was deflected. A high slash, a low swing, all were blocked. Suddenly,
Ranma found herself on the defensive as a flurry of lightning-fast blows
rained down upon her from, it seemed, all directions.
With a snarl, Ranma focused her attention on deflecting the maelstrom of
attacks, and found herself pushing back at her opponent.
The pair drifted between the pools, trading blows with blinding speed.
Garyoutensei sent flames flying in all directions with each strike, flames
that burned hot enough to ignite the rock floor. Back and forth the two
combatants weaved, locked in an impasse. Blow met counter-blow, swing met
parry, offense met defense.
Damn it, Ranma thought, this guy is good.
Ranma ducked under a head-high swing and rolled across diagonally, catching
the hunter in the stomach with a powerful kick in mid-roll. The hunter
staggered back, off-balance for a moment, and Ranma took advantage,
launching herself up into a back flip that sent her feet swinging up to
impact on the hunter's chin. Landing with cat-like grace, Ranma raised her
sword, ready to lunge forward again.
"Not bad," the hunter observed, rubbing his chin. "That actually hurt a
little. I'm impressed. However, it's not going to be enough."
The hunter leapt into motion, blazing toward Ranma with superhuman speed.
Ranma barely had a chance to move before his shoulder slammed into her
chest, sending her rocketing backwards into the nearest wall. The cavern
itself shook with the impact; small rocks, dislodged from the ceiling,
rained down onto the floor below.
Ranma slumped down against the wall, gasping for breath. She struggled to
push herself up to her feet; a stabbing pain in her chest told her that she
had several broken ribs. She winced, and clutched her chest, trying to get
her bearings back. A dark shape loomed toward her, and she clumsily raised
her sword toward it.
The hunter stepped quickly over toward Ranma. A simple kick sent
Garyoutensei spinning from her grasp to land on the ground nearby. He
gripped her throat and with brutal force, yanked her upwards, throwing her
back against the cracked rocks. He held her squirming body easily against
the wall, her feeble struggles easily ignored. With a quick movement,
brought his sword up, and rammed it into her chest, skewering her body with
utter ease.
Ranma's eyes flew open as the cold steel pierced her heart, a choked gasp
escaping her lips as her body slumped, her arms and legs drooping uselessly
against the wall. Blood trickled down the blade, warm red liquid staining
the hunter's hands as he pinned her in place.
With a smile of satisfaction, the hunter pulled Ranma's limp body from the
wall, and using his sword to hold her up, carried her over toward the
nearest spring.
"Goodbye, Mother."
Releasing the handle, the hunter watched as Ranma fell into the water with
a tremendous splash, and quickly sank below the surface.
* * *
Akane stepped back, pressing herself up against the wall as the hunter
turned his attention toward her. It had all happened so fast; she hadn't
even had a chance to help, and now Ranma was ....
She stared numbly at the pool, the waters rapidly turning crimson red. How
had this happened? Only a moment ago she was speaking with Ranma, and now,
Ranma was dead, at the bottom of a spring.
Tears filling her eyes, she looked up at the dark hunter, a feeling of
helplessness filling her as he stepped easily through the white-hot pools
of liquid rock left behind by Garyoutensei. A weighty dread gripped her as
she realised she would probably be joining Ranma very soon.
The hunter drew near, a smile upon his face. His eyes fixed upon hers and
he spoke, not in the booming voice of moments ago, but in a voice Akane
somehow knew was Ranma's.
"Come with me, Akane. I want to help you."
And then, there was a colossal roar.
* * *
The hunter turned, eyes widening as Ranma's blood turned to fire; the calm
waters of her grave were instantly transformed into a fiery inferno,
belching forth clouds of dark smoke as the water burned. He gasped as
Ranma leapt from the flames, twisting through the air, and landed hard on
the rocky floor of the cavern.
"How did ... how did you ...."
Ranma rose slowly to her feet, staring at the hunter with eyes stained
purest black as she gripped the handle of his sword. She yanked hard,
wrenching the weapon free. The blade glowed red hot, hissing violently as
she tossed it into a nearby spring.
"Fool," she spoke, her voice a low rumble. "Now you will die."
She thrust her arms back, throwing her cloak off her shoulders. A blast of
heated air surged out from her, launching the garment into the air. The
cloak shattered into a million droplets of liquid, each sizzling in the
heat of the inferno behind her. It quickly evaporated, forming a dark mist
that drifted upwards into the clouds of smoke.
The hunter stepped back as Ranma advanced, her dark eyes burning with
furious intensity, her hair glowing an ethereal hue of red. Her bared
teeth gleamed dangerously in the light of the dozen fires that surrounded
her.
She held out one hand behind herself; Garyoutensei leapt from the floor and
flew through the flames to her. She caught it easily and swept the sword
forward in a slow arc, bringing it level to point at the hunter. A
dangerous smile crept across her face.
The hunter backed further away, but found his back pressing up against the
wall. He desperately looked left, and right, but to no avail. He was
trapped and unarmed. Cursing his arrogance, he threw caution to the winds
and hurled himself toward Ranma. He charged at her with blinding speed,
letting out a cry as he hurtled toward her. At the last moment he turned
aside, attempting to dodge past her and turn toward the cave entrance.
His last-ditch attempt was utterly unsuccessful; Ranma caught him easily, a
scorchingly hot hand closing around his throat. She spun with him, letting
his momentum carry him in a circle around her, and threw him face-first
into the wall.
His face shattered as he slammed into the hard rock wall. He slumped to
the ground, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. The flaming intensity of
Ranma's presence behind him only intensified the pain; he rolled over onto
his back and looked up at her.
"What ... what are you?" he rasped through his shattered jaw.
"I'm not surprised they didn't tell you," Ranma replied, dark, empty eyes
staring down at him. Gripping him by the throat, she yanked him upwards,
and pinned him up against the wall. "The truth does not come easily from
them."
He squirmed desperately in her solid grip, knowing exactly what fate
awaited him; knowing he was powerless to stop it. The desperation in his
eyes faded, replaced by a hopeless resignation as he felt the heat of
Garyoutensei draw near.
Ranma pressed the tip of the blade to his chest and with excruciating
slowness pushed it into his body. A scream of agony tore through his lips
and echoed through the cavern as the fiery blade worked its way through his
chest. She looked at him with half-lidded eyes as he writhed in agony, and
leaned in close to his bloodied face, pressing her cheek to his.
"I can taste your death," she breathed hotly into his ear. "Can you feel
your soul burning?"
A surge of unbearable heat tore through his body, scorching his mind as it
seared him to the core. He tried to scream, but could not move his mouth.
All he could do was watch, witness the joy on Ranma's face as she killed
him.
She leaned in and ran her tongue along his bloodied lips, purring into his
mouth as she tasted his blood. She pressed her mouth to his, kissing him
sensually in the very moment before his body and his soul turned to ash.
* * *
Thin wisps of smoke rose from the hunter's smouldering remains as Ranma
stepped away, wild eyes scanning the cavern, looking for another soul to
destroy, another death to create.
Her search was fruitless; she was alone. Snarling in frustration, she
started toward the cave entrance. There would be others outside. Others
to find and kill.
A wave of realisation slammed into her, a cold tsunami of dread that washed
her fury away. If she was alone, where was Akane?
Akane ....
Garyoutensei fell from suddenly-numb hands; Ranma crumpled to her knees,
hands pressing at her temples. What had she done?
A droplet of black liquid fell from above, hissing as it struck the heated
flesh of her arm. Crying out in pain, she grabbed at her forearm, nursing
it to her chest as an icy sensation stabbed at her body.
The first droplet was joined by another, and another, and another; in
moments the dripping had become a downpour, black rain soaking Ranma's
body, penetrating it with unbearable cold. She shrieked in agony, her mind
attacked by a thousand stabbing, frozen needles. The cavern spun wildly
before her, and suddenly all she could see was the ground.
The liquid soaked Ranma's motionless body, running together to form small
black puddles that quickly coalesced into larger puddles. It took only a
few moments for the liquid to join together into one large mass that
covered her body entirely.
Ranma shivered uncontrollably, barely managing to hold on to her
consciousness as the black mass folded around her, forming itself into the
shape of her cloak.
The pain slowly subsided, leaving her gasping for breath. She exhaled
shakily, a puff of frozen mist rising from her mouth. The cold spread
quickly through the cavern, extinguishing the raging fires as it went.
The torches too succumbed to the frozen air, dying one by one until Ranma
was left alone in the darkness.
Dry smoke filling her lungs, the metallic taste of blood on her lips and
sin dripping from her soul, she curled up into a ball and sobbed.
* * *
Akane sprinted wildly through the forest. She had no idea where she was
going and her feet bled from the sharp edges of dozens of rocks, but she
could not slow down.
What she had seen had changed everything. Two black-clad demons trying to
destroy each other. No matter what Ranma had tried to say to her, she had
seen the proof for herself. Ranma was no better than the "hunter" she was
fighting against. Both were killers, murderers. Monsters.
The look in Ranma's eyes had told her everything she needed to know in an
instant. Those eyes were not human. Humans did not survive being stabbed
in the chest and drowned. Humans did not ... bleed fire.
The moment she had seen Ranma's face, those eyes filled with hate, she had
fled. Both Ranmas were too preoccupied to notice her leaving, and that
served her purposes ideally. Whatever Ranma was, Akane wanted to be as far
away from her as possible.
There were no more questions to be asked.
Trees and bushes flew past her as she charged through the forest, panting
as she looked desperately left and right for some recognisable scenery.
The valley had been fairly easy to traverse on the journey down, but
without the benefit of an elevated vantage point, she found herself
sprinting blindly uphill, hoping against hope that she was running in the
right direction.
The thought crossed her mind that she had no idea how far she had travelled
from home. It had taken several days; it would take her even longer, since
she would be guessing most of the way. All she knew was, she had to stay
ahead of Ranma, who would surely be in pursuit.
She did not need Ranma's protection. If anything, she needed protection
from Ranma.
She scanned the distance, trying to peer through the dense foliage as she
battled her way up the steep valley incline. The trees seemed to stretch
on forever; however, she rememered they reached barely halfway up the
valley.
Damn it, she thought, slowing to a stop as the daunting prospect of running
all the way home finally sank in. She leaned forward, panting for breath
as her muscles loudly complained.
Her body dripped with sweat, and the humidity in the air doing little to
help her cool down. The only part of her that was not hot was the hand
that gripped Shoryoutensei; the sword chilled her hand to the bone. She
tried, unsucessfully, to ignore it.
She straightened, letting out a deep breath as her momentary rest came to
an end, and prepared to continue up the hill. The journey ended after only
one step. A loud cracking sound burst through Akane's ears as the ground
beneath her gave way, sending her tipping forward into a deep abyss.
* * *
A panicked yelp echoed back and forth along the thin crevasse as Akane
dangled by one arm, swaying back and forth in the cold wind that buffeted
the moist walls.
She swung her head around wildly, taking huge gulps of air as she tried to
orient herself. Dizziness gripped her head as she started to
hyperventilate. With considerable effort she managed to still her body,
closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the rock wall until her
breathing slowed to something resembling normal.
Oh gods oh gods oh gods I'm going to die, she thought in a flurry, panic
fighting to take control of her brain. She tried to calm herself and think
of a way out of her situation, but the quivering sensation of dread that
lingered in the bottom of her stomach kept crawling upwards no matter how
hard she tried to ignore it.
She cursed her inattentiveness as she looked up at the broken tree root
above her; the ground had not been ground at all, merely a cluster of tree
roots overgrown with weeds and moss. As a result of her midjudgement she
dangled precariously, a tenuous grip upon a wet, rocky outcrop the only
thing between her and the jagged rocks far below.
Glancing upward, she noticed another clump of rocks that stood out from the
edge, but it was much too high for her to reach, and so she dangled,
rocking back and forth on an arm that was growing ever more tired.
What the hell do I do now?
She looked down, trying to find a ledge, or some other foothold to take the
weight off her arm, but could see only blackness below her feet. She
swallowed nervously, and adjusted the grip of her exceedingly sweaty hand
upon the single handhold she could reach.
A featherlight touch upon the back of her neck made her jump in surprise,
very nearly losing the loose hold she had. She looked upwards, and saw the
outline of a head at the mouth of the abyss. A long red ponytail dangled
down, its tip touching ticklishly against the back of Akane's neck. Two
deep blue eyes, wide with concern, stared down at her.
"Akane, give me your hand," Ranma instructed, her voice reverberating
through the chasm as she reached her hand down into the blackness.
"No way!" Akane called back, voice filled with panic. "Get the hell away
from me! I'll get out of here myself, and then I'm going home!"
"Please, let me help you," Ranma pleaded. "There's no other way."
"I don't need help from demons!"
A long silence followed, punctuated only by the echoed grunts of Akane's
struggle to hang on to the wall.
"You saw that?" Ranma asked softly, her voice heavy with dejection as it
tumbled down into the chasm. She looked away from Akane, down into the
abyss. Her voice grew tiny, its tone sad. "I'm not a demon."
"Liar!" Akane shrieked, eyes filled with betrayal and anger. "I saw you
die! You said you'd tell me the truth but you didn't tell me anything!
For all I know, you might want to kill me too! This is probably just some
sick -game- you're playing with me."
Ranma flinched, wincing at the ferocity of the accusation.
"I ... I'm sorry," she lamented, "I didn't want you to know. I thought
I would be able to get you through this without ... telling you the truth.
I'm sorry, Akane. I thought it was for the best."
"I don't even care anymore," Akane called defiantly, as she struggled to
grip the wall with her bare feet. "I don't even want to -know-. I just
want to go home. You can keep your hunters, and you can keep your sword."
"At least let me explain--"
"I don't want to hear it! Just leave me alone!"
"Akane," Ranma said with a sigh, "if you don't take my help, you're going
to fall, and you're going to die. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't be
trying to help you out, would I?"
Akane said nothing, the sound of her feet slipping against the moist rock
her only response.
"I don't want you to die," Ranma added after a time. "I ... can't let you
die."
"Why would I believe that any more than any of your other lies?" Akane
asked, her voice straining as she struggled to lift herself upwards.
Ranma looked into Akane's eyes, chewing her lip apprehensively as she
watched the Tendo girl struggle for her life. She sighed in resignation,
and closed her eyes.
"All right, the truth," she said, her tone suggesting she regretted the
words the moment they left her mouth.
"Akane ... I am eight hundred and ninety-four years old."
The sounds from the crevasse ceased as Akane stared upwards in shock.
"What?"
"I was born in what would have been the year eleven hundred and eight. For
nearly nine hundred years, I have served as a guardian for your ancestors.
One by one, I watched each and every one of them die before their time.
I ... can't bear to see you join them. Please, Akane. Serving your family
is all I know. Let me help you."
"You're ... serious, aren't you?"
Ranma nodded silently.
Akane stared up into Ranma's eyes as they opened. The sincerity, the
shame, that hung in those blue eyes pushed aside any doubt in her mind.
Finally, Ranma was telling her the truth.
Akane looked hard into Ranma's eyes for just a moment longer. She tossed
Shoryoutensei upwards, watching the sword as it flew out of the crevasse to
fall to the ground nearby, and reached upwards with her sword hand toward
her companion.
Ranma lowered herself into the abyss and with one outstretched hand,
managed to take hold of Akane's. "Thank you," she said, as their hands
touched, "for believing me."
* * *
The deep grey clouds parted for a moment, letting a ray of moonlight break
through, if only for a short time. Akane squinted her eyes and watched the
light creep out of existence as the clouds squeezed together to close the
gap once more. She lay flat on her back, breathing heavily as she rubbed
at her aching shoulder.
"Just because I let you help me," she commented, "doesn't mean I trust
you."
Ranma stood off a small distance away, facing away from Akane. Her usual
habit of looking off into the distance had been displaced by a new
preoccupation with the ground at her feet.
"I ... don't blame you. I wouldn't trust me if I were you."
"So tell me why I should trust you. Tell me why I shouldn't be walking
home right now, or that's exactly what I'll be doing."
"The only reason I didn't tell you everything from the beginning was for
your own protection. The less you know, the better. I just didn't want
you to ... to think I'm a monster."
"I saw your face when you came out of that spring, Ranma. I saw something
that terrified me. I want to know why you think I shouldn't be afraid,
because right now, I ... I'm terrified of you."
"Please don't say that," Ranma replied, her voice barely more than a
whisper. "I could never hurt you."
"Why? You haven't even known me for very long. What makes me so special?"
"I swore to my father ... I ... I've spent my entire life trying to defend
your ancestors from the hunters. Every single time, I have failed. Every
single time. Gods, I can still see their faces every time I close my eyes.
"Nothing means more to me than keeping my promise, Akane," Ranma said, eyes
moist as she turned to look at her companion. "You are the last of your
entire family tree. Your father married into your family, and your mother
is dead. If you die, everything I've tried to accomplish for nine hundred
years means nothing. Protecting you is the only thing I care about now."
Akane reeled, taken aback by Ranma's confession. She looked into Ranma's
eyes, saw the hurt that lingered, everpresent, behind them.
"I don't know what to say," she admitted at length. "Why ... why is my
family so special?"
"My father knew that, but he didn't tell me. I'm sure I'll find out one
day, but that day hasn't yet come."
"So you're just ... waiting for that day?"
"When you live as long as I have, you do a lot of waiting," Ranma said with
a nod.
"You've been doing this for over eight hundred years? And you can't die?"
"Death has abandoned me," Ranma said, turning away again. "It's taken away
everyone I've ever known, but it refuses to come for me. I imagine most
people think of immortality as a wonderful gift, but they are wrong. Who
would wish for such a thing? What stain does my soul carry that even death
refuses to touch it?"
Akane said nothing, letting the question hang in the air between them. She
tried to imagine what such a life would be like but could not even begin to
comprehend a life of eight hundred years.
"I want to help you, Akane. I want to keep my promise. The hunters will
keep coming for you, and I will stop them."
* * *
"Tell me about the hunters. You know more than you're letting on."
Ranma sighed as she wrapped strips of fabric torn from her pants around
Akane's injured feet. She finished one foot and tied off the makeshift
bandage tightly. Lowering the foot to the ground again, she dusted off her
hands and raised the other foot.
"They are led by a group that calls themselves the Phoenix. They are just
lackeys doing what they are told."
"So, they are the ones that killed my mother?"
"The Phoenix gave the order; the hunters just do what they are told. I
don't think, individually, they are very smart."
"Why do you say that?" Akane asked, wincing as Ranma tightened the bandage
around her ankle.
"Well, they probably wouldn't keep trying to kill me if they knew I was
immortal. They therefore can't be very bright."
"I guess not," Akane hesitantly agreed. "Maybe they're just
overconfident."
"The hunter you saw was after you. He probably hadn't been told to fight
me; I just got in the way. Too bad for him, I guess."
Ranma pulled the fabric tightly around Akane's foot, and tied it off. She
lowered the foot to the ground and stood, looking down at Akane. The
expression on the Tendo girl's face made it clear what she was wondering.
"You're probably wondering why he looked like me," Ranma surmised.
"Of course I am," Akane admitted. "He called you 'Mother'. Truth be told,
it scared the hell out of me."
"Like I said; not that smart. I'm not his mother."
"What, then?"
"The truth of the matter is," Ranma said with a sigh, as she slowly lowered
herself to sit and leaned up against a tree, "he was a Hidari, a copy of
me. Phoenix grew him in their flesh vats, based on my genes."
"What? Why?" Akane asked, recoiling in horror. "And ... -how-?"
"How, I don't know. Why ... well, they've tried everything they can think
of to kill me, but nothing has ever worked. I suppose they thought the
only weapon strong enough to kill me would be ... me."
"So they ... cloned you?"
Ranma nodded. "It's a strange thought, isn't it?"
Akane suppressed a shudder. "It's sick. You're ... kidding, right?"
"I wish I were," Ranma replied with a sigh. "Hidari are remarkable copies,
physically alike in every way to the original. But, they are not perfect.
They're slower, weaker, and mortal."
"If they're copies of you, why was it a ... you know ... a boy?"
"If I knew, I'd tell you," Ranma replied with a shrug. "All of the Hidari
I've come across have been boys."
"So you ... fight yourself."
"Yes. I find them, and I kill them."
* * *
"Which way?"
Ranma looked up to Akane, who stood atop a small mound of earth, looking
questioningly back at her. The Tendo girl hobbled slightly on her injured
feet, so Ranma had stayed behind her, not wanting to rush her.
"We should head west. The most important thing is that we get away from
Tokyo. Now another Hidari is dead, Phoenix will send more into this area
to find out what happened. If we're still here, that means trouble for
us."
"Wait - is my father going to be all right? I'm not leaving if he's in
danger, and--"
"Your father doesn't matter to them," Ranma replied, holding up a hand to
silence Akane. "You are their target, not him."
"Are you sure?" Akane asked, looking Ranma dead in the eye. "Absolutely
sure?"
"I'm certain. Your concern for him is admirable, but unnecessary. He's in
no danger."
"I won't let anything happen to him, Ranma. Tell me the truth."
"I swear, Akane. The further away from him you are, the less danger he is
in. He doesn't know where you are - they have no interest in him. I
promise, he will be fine."
"All right," Akane relented, still sounding unconvinced. She had seen what
the Hidari had done to Ranma, and knew her father would stand no chance.
It pained her greatly to leave her father alone knowing those ... things
were out there, but if Ranma was speaking the truth, leaving was the best
thing she could do for him. "Let's go. West it is."
Ranma nodded, following Akane up onto the mound and watching her step down
off it. A glimmer of blue atop Akane's head caught her eye; she blinked in
surprise and looked closer. A thin streak of deep blue mingled amongst
the Tendo girl's hair, stretching from the centre of her forehead in a
jagged line toward the nape of her neck.
Oh gods, she thought, it's happening already.
"Are you going to come, or are you going to stand there all day?"
Akane's voice snapped Ranma out of her reverie. She was some distance
further away, looking impatiently over her shoulder.
"I thought you said we were in a rush," she continued.
"Sorry," Ranma replied, tearing her eyes from Akane's hair as she stepped
down off the mound. "Let's go."
= = = =
T E N
= = = =
T E N
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By R. E.
(ranma_e@hotmail.com)
Illustrations by Irka
(irka@ciudad.com.ar)
= = = =
CHAPTER FIVE
"Waterskin"
= = = = = = = =
"Good," Ranma observed, "you're learning quickly."
Akane mumbled her thanks to the compliment as she ducked beneath a powerful
swing that sliced the air where her head had been moments before. She
straightened, quickly correcting her balance. Sweat stung her eyes, and
her arms and legs ached from the extended training.
The pair had been sparring for hours. Akane had long since given up on
counting how many. Most of her concentration was now focused on holding
down the parts of her sleep-deprived mind that seemed intent on floating
away from her body. This was not lost on Ranma.
"We should stop," Ranma said, lowering Garyoutensei. She bowed slightly,
acknowledging Akane's improvement with the sword. "There's no point
training you if I kill you by pushing you too hard, now, is there?"
"I guess," Akane panted, trying to hide her exhaustion. The relief in her
face showed through despite her best efforts.
"You handle Shoryoutensei gracefully," Ranma commented, bringing the tip of
her blade to press against Akane's weapon. A hiss filled the cavern as a
sliver of steam rose from the contact. "You seem to be a natural."
"I don't," Akane countered, between heavy breaths, "feel much like a
natural."
Ranma's sword withdrew and retreated into the billowing blackness that
surrounded her. Akane watched the blade disappear then turned her unsteady
gaze up to Ranma's face. A flush of irritation washed momentarily over her
as she observed Ranma looking as refreshed as if their sparring session had
never occured.
"How do you do that?" she queried.
"Do what?"
"You're not even tired," Akane explained, gesturing toward her opponent.
"It's as if you weren't even trying."
"I've been training longer than you, Akane. You can't expect to start at
the top."
"I just feel like I've been waving this sword around without learning
anything," Akane complained.
"Is that so?" Ranma asked, turning away from her student. She hummed
thoughtfully, stepping around the nearest pool. With a suddenness that
caught Akane completely off guard, Ranma picked up a small stone, whirled
in place and launched it toward Akane at alarming speed.
Akane caught sight of a small grey object for barely an instant before
her instincts kicked in and slammed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact
upon her face.
The stone did not impact - instead, Akane was surprised by a splash of cold
water in the face. She coughed, shaking her head as water went up her
nose, and opened her eyes. Her sword obscured her vision; she suddenly
noticed that her hands were holding the blade protectively in front of her
face.
"You seem to be doing okay, if you ask me."
"How did I ..." Akane muttered, staring at Shoryoutensei almost reverently
as she lowered it from her face.
"You wanted to stop the stone," Ranma explained. "The sword drew upon that
intent and turned it into action. The sword, the mind, the body, acting as
one. That is what you are beginning to learn, even if you didn't know it
at the time."
Akane considered Ranma's words as she stared into the rippling surface of
her sword. She had not even felt it move, yet it had, in an instant, moved
to defend her.
"Your mind created the intention, the sword acted upon it and blocked the
stone. The swords act solely on intent. Nothing is an accident."
"What do you mean?"
Ranma rose to her feet, and as she turned toward Akane, Garyoutensei swept
out from beneath her cloak. She raised the blade with one hand and sliced
quickly through her other arm with it. As Akane reeled in shock, Ranma
raised her arm to show that, besides the scars already present, it was
undamaged. "Obviously, I don't want to cut off my own arm."
"I ... how ...." Akane stammered, eyes wide as saucers.
"Don't look so surprised," Ranma chided. "Deep down, you already knew
that. That said, I do hope the explanation helps you feel like you're
learning something."
Wiping water from her face, Akane stepped over to the edge of a spring and
gently sat her aching body down, gingerly dangling her feet into the warm
water. She let Shoryoutensei rest across her lap, and let out a long, deep
breath. "Thanks, I think."
"You're welcome," Ranma replied, stepping around to the far side of the
spring. Garyoutensei was once again nowhere to be seen. "I must say,
you're picking this up very quickly. I'm impressed."
"Dad always said I was a fast learner," Akane replied with a weary smile.
"I've been studying martial arts nearly all my life."
"So have I," Ranma replied. "Martial arts IS my life. I ... wish my
father had been around to teach me for more of it."
"It must be difficult," Akane sympathised. "I'd be lost without my Dad."
"It is, sometimes. I know he's watching over me, but ... sometimes I'd
give anything to speak to him again."
Akane looked away from the sadness etched into Ranma's face, instead
concentrating on the dimly-lit depths of the spring.
"Tell me about your father," Ranma requested, turning away. "I really
don't know very much about him."
Akane looked up in surprise, but saw only the impenetrable blackness of
Ranma's back, the stark red trail of her ponytail the only relief from the
darkness.
"He's a good man," Akane began. "He teaches my family's school of martial
arts to anyone who wants to learn them. He's a patient teacher, and
everybody who tries his classes ends up coming back. He's ... looked after
me since Mother died. He's kind, and caring, and ... a good father."
"He must be proud of you," Ranma commented. "Sixteen, and already a
champion, many times over."
"I suppose he is," Akane agreed. "I hadn't really thought about it very
much."
"So, you study the Art for yourself?"
"What do you mean? Of course I do."
"I mean, you do it because you want to, not because your father wants you
to?"
"Of course," Akane replied with a shrug. "Don't you?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure what I would have done if I hadn't started
learning martial arts. I probably would have still studied the Art, but
maybe I would have been ... I don't know. A chef, perhaps."
"A chef?"
"Maybe. Or a painter, or a violinist, or ... I don't know. I get curious
sometimes, what my destiny would have been if things hadn't happened as
they did."
"Why? What's the point?" Akane asked. "I mean, if I lost a tournament
fight, I could wonder what would have happened if I'd blocked this punch
or that kick, or I could just learn from what DID happen and carry on with
my life. It's stupid to obsess over 'if's and 'maybe's."
"Your father taught you that?"
"No. I taught myself."
"I can see you're not going to need any help acting decisively," Ranma
commented, a smile on her face as she turned to face Akane once more.
"But, there is value to be had in examining the past."
"Sure, what happened is important, but not what -could- have happened. If
you spend your time worrying about that, you'll just end up regretting
everything you do."
"You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?" Ranma observed with
an air of amusement. Such idealistic zeal was refreshing.
Ranma's question echoed through the cavern, growing ever quieter until
silence consumed it. Ranma waited for Akane's reply, and was just about to
speak again when the raven-haired girl let out a sigh.
"When I was little," Akane spoke softly, sadly, "I used to lay in bed and
listen to Dad cry."
"Akane," Ranma said, biting her lip, all trace of amusement quickly
banished from her voice, "I'm sorry."
"Some nights, he'd cry for hours. I usually fell asleep listening to him.
I knew why he was crying, but ... for some reason, I didn't cry. Not even
once. I'd lay there, wondering why he couldn't just ... stop. I wished I
could make him stop, or cheer him up ... or cry with him. But I just lay
there, listening. Always, just listening.
"He probably thought I was asleep, that I didn't know any better. Oh, I
knew. I understood, better than he did. Nothing was going to bring Mother
back. All that we could do was move on with our lives.
"I don't believe in 'what if'. I could ask myself, 'what if Mother hadn't
died? Would Dad still cry?', but I can't answer those questions. What I
-can- do is find the person that killed her, and make them pay for what
they did. If I can avenge her death, I can look Dad in the eye, and tell
him not to cry anymore."
* * *
The nightmare was always the same.
"Listen ... Boy," Genma grunted, reaching up to squeeze Ranma's arm. "Take
the sword ... and go. It is the Saotome ... family legacy. The Saotome
name must live on. Don't ... let it die here today because of my foolish
act."
"I'm not going to leave you!" Ranma insisted.
"If you only ever obey me once ... obey me now. Please, Boy," Genma
pleaded, tears welling in his eyes, eyes dull with agony. "Take the sword
... go back to Japan ... don't ever lose Garyoutensei ...."
"I can't--"
"Promise!" Genma persisted, his pasty-white hand shaking as released
Ranma's arm. He took hold of his sword's scabbard and handed it to Ranma.
"You must do this ... it's important."
Ranma tried to reach out for his father, to pick him up and carry him to
safety, but could not move. He stood motionless, watching his father's
breathing, fast and shallow. Crimson blood puddled in the muddy earth,
deep red an evergrowing stain.
Ranma stared at his feet, stark white against the rusty ground; a drop of
blood splattered across his toes, washing over them as blood dripped from
the sword in his hand.
His arm slowly raised the sword, its blade stained red, and held it toward
his father, who looked back with hollow, accusing eyes.
"Father?"
And then, Genma was gone.
Gravity gripped Ranma's body, yanking him downwards with savage force. The
cold, grey rocks of a cliff face sped upwards past him. A chilling darkness
wrapped itself around him as the roaring sound of the ocean below filled
his ears ....
* * *
A piercing scream filled Ranma's mind, jolting her upright. Bringing her
hand to cradle her forehead, she panted for breath. Gods, she hated sleep.
She had managed to stave it off for almost a month; she chided herself for
giving in to its call.
The nightmare drove cold daggers of panic deep into her heart. She feared
the gaunt, lifeless face of her father more than any enemy she had faced.
Sleep was an enemy to be conquered, the dreams of the past were haunting
spectres that sought to drive her to madness.
Ranma forced herself to her feet, shook herself to banish the drowsiness
that fogged her mind, and stretched her muscles. Her body was unaccustomed
to sleep, meaning her muscles stiffened up during even the shortest of
naps.
Akane slept nearby, looking markedly uncomfortable on the cold stone floor
of the cavern. Dim light danced across her face, shadows darting back and
forth across her features.
Ranma watched the Tendo girl for a time, silent envy her only companion as
she watched over Akane's relatively peaceful slumber. Her father's ghost
had long since chased such rest from her life.
She let out a weary sigh and turned her eyes toward the tunnel entrance.
The soft light of the torches perpetuated the day, leaving her wondering
what time it was outside. The thought passed quickly; the time was largely
irrelevant. When Akane awoke, her training would resume.
Her eyes narrowed as she watched the glimmering reflections of the torches
in Akane's sword. And so, she thought with a sigh, the nightmare rides on.
I'm sorry, Akane. I truly am sorry.
* * *
An armada of water-laden clouds continued their bombardment, launching wave
after wave of swollen droplets toward the earth below. The sun strained to
cast its rays between the clouds, the soft evening light shattering amongst
the downpour. The mountain peaks bathed in the rain and light, coruscating
amid the sunshower.
Far below, amongst the lush forest bed, a lone figure scoured the base of
one of the mountains. Raindrops unfortunate enough to fall into its path
froze solid on frigid air, falling as hailstones to shatter at its feet.
The crunching sounds of each of its footsteps were ignored as the figure
ran its fingertips across the rock surface.
"I can feel you," it muttered, deep in concentration. "I know you're
hiding. Show me the way."
Scanning back and forth across the desolate rock, it searched tirelessly,
methodically following a pattern with urgent efficiency. Suddenly, its
stare shot to the left, catching sight of an anomaly. Where once there had
been a bare rock face, there now was a small opening, partially submerged
amongst a nearby swamp.
A crooked smile spread slowly across its face. "Very interesting."
* * *
A sharp prod in the back jolted Akane from her sleep.
"Wha-? What?" she snorted, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. A vague ache
squeezed her lower back and she stretched to loosen her muscles. "What
time is it?"
"Good question. You slept for a few hours. I'm not sure what time it is.
Now get up."
"It feels like morning," Akane commented with a yawn, as she pulled herself
to her feet.
"That's because you just woke up," Ranma commented, peering intently into
the dark recesses of the cavern. "It probably isn't morning."
"What's up?" Akane asked, noticing Ranma's distraction.
"We may have to leave," Ranma replied, bristling. The redheaded girl rose
to her feet and folded her arms. "I don't think it's safe here anymore."
A burst of nervous energy detonated in Akane's stomach, her sleepy eyes
opening fully and staring at Ranma. "What? What do you mean?"
"I think they may have found us," Ranma replied grimly. Akane noticed
Ranma's hand disappearing into her cloak.
"They? The hunters? How do you know?" she asked, looking out into the
darkness alongside her mentor.
"I can ... I just know."
Akane cast a sideways glance to Ranma. Perhaps this was some sort of test,
to gauge her reactions. She swallowed nervously; the expression on Ranma's
face did not lend any credence to her theory. She looked back to the
shadows, eyes flitting back and forth, searching for any sign of an
intruder.
"Very perceptive, Afrit."
A new, male voice echoed through the cavern. Akane jumped back a step,
surprised. By the time she landed, Ranma's sword was already drawn and
held aloft.
With a disconcertingly casual movement, the shadows shifted, resolving into
a human figure that stepped into the light of the torches. A face was
revealed, bearing eyes that stared directly at Akane.
Ranma's face.
* * *
Akane stared, open-mouthed, as the hunter stepped forward into the light.
Buried beneath a billowing black cloak was ... Ranma. A taller, male
Ranma, with jet-black hair tied into a ponytail that touched the floor, but
Ranma nonetheless. The scars on his face matched Ranma's perfectly, the
intensity burning behind his eyes was identical, the expression he bore was
an exact replica.
She stepped back, her throat suddenly dry, and looked back and forth
between the two doppelgangers before her.
"How the hell did you get in here?" Ranma called, keeping her sword centred
upon the intruder.
"Such hostility, Afrit!" the hunter boomed, voice thick with contempt.
"Don't look so put-out. I'm not here for you, I'm here for the girl."
Akane stepped back again as the hunter took another step toward her.
Ranma swept into place before Akane, shielding her. She snarled viciously,
pointing her sword toward the intruder.
"You shouldn't have come here," she growled. "I won't let you touch her."
"Always -interfering-, Waterskin, in things that don't concern you. Very
well, then, if you wish to stand in my way, so be it."
"Afrit? Waterskin? What is he talking about?" Akane asked, bewildered,
looking over Ranma's shoulders. "Is he the one who killed my father?"
"Oh, you don't know? Allow me to introduce Afrit. Waterskin. Shezbeth.
Shafan. Kiyo. She goes by many names. It doesn't surprise me that she
didn't mention this to you," the hunter intoned, piercing eyes fixing Akane
with their gaze. "The truth does not come easily from her."
"You have no right to speak of truth!" Ranma seethed at her taller twin.
"Not while you wear that mask of lies!"
"Temper, temper," replied the hunter, dismissively waving a hand at Ranma.
He peered over Ranma's shoulder at Akane's face. "Tell me, what do -you-
call her?"
"R... Ranma," Akane replied, taking a step back, from both Ranma and the
hunter. "What's going on?"
"Ahhh, I see," the hunter replied, as if Ranma's name were a revelation.
"_Ranma_. How quaint. It must make you feel almost human, Waterskin."
Ranma clenched her fists, white knuckles straining around Garyoutensei's
handle, burning with anger at the hunter. A low, gutteral growl strained
to escape from between her tight lips.
"Well, let's dispense with the pleasantries," the hunter continued,
unsheating his sword. "I'm here for the child. Get out of my way,
_Ranma_, or I'll have to hurt you."
"I'll bleed you dry, you bastard!"
"Ranma, wait--!" Akane called, but her words went unheeded by the two
Ranmas.
"Akane, stay back," Ranma instructed without looking back. Her voice was
low, a feral growl that frightened Akane. "I'll protect you."
Meekly, her sweaty grip upon Shoryoutensei loosening, Akane complied.
* * *
Two figures faced each other across a myriad of pools. The air hung heavy
between them, a wall of steam, keeping the two apart. Garyoutensei threw
off a harsh, angry light that infused the steam with a reddish glow.
Unfazed by the waves of heat radiating from Ranma, the hunter stood his
ground, sword pointed directly at his opponent's chest, straight and
steady. He gave a confident smirk and beckoned Ranma to him.
Ranma growled in barely-supressed fury and accepted the invitation.
Garyoutensei arced gracefully through the fine mist, sailing straight and
true toward its target, leaving swirls of steam in its wake. Ranma cried
out, bringing forth a powerful overhead slash intended to cleave her
opponent's skull in two.
The hunter appeared calm, almost bored, as the pillar of fire hurtled
toward him. At the last moment, he raised his sword to parry the attack,
easily holding back Garyoutensei's fury. He looked up at the burning
sword, giving the scorching air that crackled over his head an apathetic
glance.
"You'll have to do better than that," he remarked, casually. With a simple
shove of his arm, he sent Ranma staggering backwards. "We've been
training, Waterskin. You're no longer as strong or as fast as you think
you are."
Ranma said nothing; she skidded to a halt near a pool, and immediately
leapt toward the hunter once more. Garyoutensei once more blazed a
brilliant trail through the mist, and again the blow was blocked.
Ranma adapted, quickly spinning to slash across the hunter's body, but it
too was deflected. A high slash, a low swing, all were blocked. Suddenly,
Ranma found herself on the defensive as a flurry of lightning-fast blows
rained down upon her from, it seemed, all directions.
With a snarl, Ranma focused her attention on deflecting the maelstrom of
attacks, and found herself pushing back at her opponent.
The pair drifted between the pools, trading blows with blinding speed.
Garyoutensei sent flames flying in all directions with each strike, flames
that burned hot enough to ignite the rock floor. Back and forth the two
combatants weaved, locked in an impasse. Blow met counter-blow, swing met
parry, offense met defense.
Damn it, Ranma thought, this guy is good.
Ranma ducked under a head-high swing and rolled across diagonally, catching
the hunter in the stomach with a powerful kick in mid-roll. The hunter
staggered back, off-balance for a moment, and Ranma took advantage,
launching herself up into a back flip that sent her feet swinging up to
impact on the hunter's chin. Landing with cat-like grace, Ranma raised her
sword, ready to lunge forward again.
"Not bad," the hunter observed, rubbing his chin. "That actually hurt a
little. I'm impressed. However, it's not going to be enough."
The hunter leapt into motion, blazing toward Ranma with superhuman speed.
Ranma barely had a chance to move before his shoulder slammed into her
chest, sending her rocketing backwards into the nearest wall. The cavern
itself shook with the impact; small rocks, dislodged from the ceiling,
rained down onto the floor below.
Ranma slumped down against the wall, gasping for breath. She struggled to
push herself up to her feet; a stabbing pain in her chest told her that she
had several broken ribs. She winced, and clutched her chest, trying to get
her bearings back. A dark shape loomed toward her, and she clumsily raised
her sword toward it.
The hunter stepped quickly over toward Ranma. A simple kick sent
Garyoutensei spinning from her grasp to land on the ground nearby. He
gripped her throat and with brutal force, yanked her upwards, throwing her
back against the cracked rocks. He held her squirming body easily against
the wall, her feeble struggles easily ignored. With a quick movement,
brought his sword up, and rammed it into her chest, skewering her body with
utter ease.
Ranma's eyes flew open as the cold steel pierced her heart, a choked gasp
escaping her lips as her body slumped, her arms and legs drooping uselessly
against the wall. Blood trickled down the blade, warm red liquid staining
the hunter's hands as he pinned her in place.
With a smile of satisfaction, the hunter pulled Ranma's limp body from the
wall, and using his sword to hold her up, carried her over toward the
nearest spring.
"Goodbye, Mother."
Releasing the handle, the hunter watched as Ranma fell into the water with
a tremendous splash, and quickly sank below the surface.
* * *
Akane stepped back, pressing herself up against the wall as the hunter
turned his attention toward her. It had all happened so fast; she hadn't
even had a chance to help, and now Ranma was ....
She stared numbly at the pool, the waters rapidly turning crimson red. How
had this happened? Only a moment ago she was speaking with Ranma, and now,
Ranma was dead, at the bottom of a spring.
Tears filling her eyes, she looked up at the dark hunter, a feeling of
helplessness filling her as he stepped easily through the white-hot pools
of liquid rock left behind by Garyoutensei. A weighty dread gripped her as
she realised she would probably be joining Ranma very soon.
The hunter drew near, a smile upon his face. His eyes fixed upon hers and
he spoke, not in the booming voice of moments ago, but in a voice Akane
somehow knew was Ranma's.
"Come with me, Akane. I want to help you."
And then, there was a colossal roar.
* * *
The hunter turned, eyes widening as Ranma's blood turned to fire; the calm
waters of her grave were instantly transformed into a fiery inferno,
belching forth clouds of dark smoke as the water burned. He gasped as
Ranma leapt from the flames, twisting through the air, and landed hard on
the rocky floor of the cavern.
"How did ... how did you ...."
Ranma rose slowly to her feet, staring at the hunter with eyes stained
purest black as she gripped the handle of his sword. She yanked hard,
wrenching the weapon free. The blade glowed red hot, hissing violently as
she tossed it into a nearby spring.
"Fool," she spoke, her voice a low rumble. "Now you will die."
She thrust her arms back, throwing her cloak off her shoulders. A blast of
heated air surged out from her, launching the garment into the air. The
cloak shattered into a million droplets of liquid, each sizzling in the
heat of the inferno behind her. It quickly evaporated, forming a dark mist
that drifted upwards into the clouds of smoke.
The hunter stepped back as Ranma advanced, her dark eyes burning with
furious intensity, her hair glowing an ethereal hue of red. Her bared
teeth gleamed dangerously in the light of the dozen fires that surrounded
her.
She held out one hand behind herself; Garyoutensei leapt from the floor and
flew through the flames to her. She caught it easily and swept the sword
forward in a slow arc, bringing it level to point at the hunter. A
dangerous smile crept across her face.
The hunter backed further away, but found his back pressing up against the
wall. He desperately looked left, and right, but to no avail. He was
trapped and unarmed. Cursing his arrogance, he threw caution to the winds
and hurled himself toward Ranma. He charged at her with blinding speed,
letting out a cry as he hurtled toward her. At the last moment he turned
aside, attempting to dodge past her and turn toward the cave entrance.
His last-ditch attempt was utterly unsuccessful; Ranma caught him easily, a
scorchingly hot hand closing around his throat. She spun with him, letting
his momentum carry him in a circle around her, and threw him face-first
into the wall.
His face shattered as he slammed into the hard rock wall. He slumped to
the ground, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. The flaming intensity of
Ranma's presence behind him only intensified the pain; he rolled over onto
his back and looked up at her.
"What ... what are you?" he rasped through his shattered jaw.
"I'm not surprised they didn't tell you," Ranma replied, dark, empty eyes
staring down at him. Gripping him by the throat, she yanked him upwards,
and pinned him up against the wall. "The truth does not come easily from
them."
He squirmed desperately in her solid grip, knowing exactly what fate
awaited him; knowing he was powerless to stop it. The desperation in his
eyes faded, replaced by a hopeless resignation as he felt the heat of
Garyoutensei draw near.
Ranma pressed the tip of the blade to his chest and with excruciating
slowness pushed it into his body. A scream of agony tore through his lips
and echoed through the cavern as the fiery blade worked its way through his
chest. She looked at him with half-lidded eyes as he writhed in agony, and
leaned in close to his bloodied face, pressing her cheek to his.
"I can taste your death," she breathed hotly into his ear. "Can you feel
your soul burning?"
A surge of unbearable heat tore through his body, scorching his mind as it
seared him to the core. He tried to scream, but could not move his mouth.
All he could do was watch, witness the joy on Ranma's face as she killed
him.
She leaned in and ran her tongue along his bloodied lips, purring into his
mouth as she tasted his blood. She pressed her mouth to his, kissing him
sensually in the very moment before his body and his soul turned to ash.
* * *
Thin wisps of smoke rose from the hunter's smouldering remains as Ranma
stepped away, wild eyes scanning the cavern, looking for another soul to
destroy, another death to create.
Her search was fruitless; she was alone. Snarling in frustration, she
started toward the cave entrance. There would be others outside. Others
to find and kill.
A wave of realisation slammed into her, a cold tsunami of dread that washed
her fury away. If she was alone, where was Akane?
Akane ....
Garyoutensei fell from suddenly-numb hands; Ranma crumpled to her knees,
hands pressing at her temples. What had she done?
A droplet of black liquid fell from above, hissing as it struck the heated
flesh of her arm. Crying out in pain, she grabbed at her forearm, nursing
it to her chest as an icy sensation stabbed at her body.
The first droplet was joined by another, and another, and another; in
moments the dripping had become a downpour, black rain soaking Ranma's
body, penetrating it with unbearable cold. She shrieked in agony, her mind
attacked by a thousand stabbing, frozen needles. The cavern spun wildly
before her, and suddenly all she could see was the ground.
The liquid soaked Ranma's motionless body, running together to form small
black puddles that quickly coalesced into larger puddles. It took only a
few moments for the liquid to join together into one large mass that
covered her body entirely.
Ranma shivered uncontrollably, barely managing to hold on to her
consciousness as the black mass folded around her, forming itself into the
shape of her cloak.
The pain slowly subsided, leaving her gasping for breath. She exhaled
shakily, a puff of frozen mist rising from her mouth. The cold spread
quickly through the cavern, extinguishing the raging fires as it went.
The torches too succumbed to the frozen air, dying one by one until Ranma
was left alone in the darkness.
Dry smoke filling her lungs, the metallic taste of blood on her lips and
sin dripping from her soul, she curled up into a ball and sobbed.
* * *
Akane sprinted wildly through the forest. She had no idea where she was
going and her feet bled from the sharp edges of dozens of rocks, but she
could not slow down.
What she had seen had changed everything. Two black-clad demons trying to
destroy each other. No matter what Ranma had tried to say to her, she had
seen the proof for herself. Ranma was no better than the "hunter" she was
fighting against. Both were killers, murderers. Monsters.
The look in Ranma's eyes had told her everything she needed to know in an
instant. Those eyes were not human. Humans did not survive being stabbed
in the chest and drowned. Humans did not ... bleed fire.
The moment she had seen Ranma's face, those eyes filled with hate, she had
fled. Both Ranmas were too preoccupied to notice her leaving, and that
served her purposes ideally. Whatever Ranma was, Akane wanted to be as far
away from her as possible.
There were no more questions to be asked.
Trees and bushes flew past her as she charged through the forest, panting
as she looked desperately left and right for some recognisable scenery.
The valley had been fairly easy to traverse on the journey down, but
without the benefit of an elevated vantage point, she found herself
sprinting blindly uphill, hoping against hope that she was running in the
right direction.
The thought crossed her mind that she had no idea how far she had travelled
from home. It had taken several days; it would take her even longer, since
she would be guessing most of the way. All she knew was, she had to stay
ahead of Ranma, who would surely be in pursuit.
She did not need Ranma's protection. If anything, she needed protection
from Ranma.
She scanned the distance, trying to peer through the dense foliage as she
battled her way up the steep valley incline. The trees seemed to stretch
on forever; however, she rememered they reached barely halfway up the
valley.
Damn it, she thought, slowing to a stop as the daunting prospect of running
all the way home finally sank in. She leaned forward, panting for breath
as her muscles loudly complained.
Her body dripped with sweat, and the humidity in the air doing little to
help her cool down. The only part of her that was not hot was the hand
that gripped Shoryoutensei; the sword chilled her hand to the bone. She
tried, unsucessfully, to ignore it.
She straightened, letting out a deep breath as her momentary rest came to
an end, and prepared to continue up the hill. The journey ended after only
one step. A loud cracking sound burst through Akane's ears as the ground
beneath her gave way, sending her tipping forward into a deep abyss.
* * *
A panicked yelp echoed back and forth along the thin crevasse as Akane
dangled by one arm, swaying back and forth in the cold wind that buffeted
the moist walls.
She swung her head around wildly, taking huge gulps of air as she tried to
orient herself. Dizziness gripped her head as she started to
hyperventilate. With considerable effort she managed to still her body,
closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the rock wall until her
breathing slowed to something resembling normal.
Oh gods oh gods oh gods I'm going to die, she thought in a flurry, panic
fighting to take control of her brain. She tried to calm herself and think
of a way out of her situation, but the quivering sensation of dread that
lingered in the bottom of her stomach kept crawling upwards no matter how
hard she tried to ignore it.
She cursed her inattentiveness as she looked up at the broken tree root
above her; the ground had not been ground at all, merely a cluster of tree
roots overgrown with weeds and moss. As a result of her midjudgement she
dangled precariously, a tenuous grip upon a wet, rocky outcrop the only
thing between her and the jagged rocks far below.
Glancing upward, she noticed another clump of rocks that stood out from the
edge, but it was much too high for her to reach, and so she dangled,
rocking back and forth on an arm that was growing ever more tired.
What the hell do I do now?
She looked down, trying to find a ledge, or some other foothold to take the
weight off her arm, but could see only blackness below her feet. She
swallowed nervously, and adjusted the grip of her exceedingly sweaty hand
upon the single handhold she could reach.
A featherlight touch upon the back of her neck made her jump in surprise,
very nearly losing the loose hold she had. She looked upwards, and saw the
outline of a head at the mouth of the abyss. A long red ponytail dangled
down, its tip touching ticklishly against the back of Akane's neck. Two
deep blue eyes, wide with concern, stared down at her.
"Akane, give me your hand," Ranma instructed, her voice reverberating
through the chasm as she reached her hand down into the blackness.
"No way!" Akane called back, voice filled with panic. "Get the hell away
from me! I'll get out of here myself, and then I'm going home!"
"Please, let me help you," Ranma pleaded. "There's no other way."
"I don't need help from demons!"
A long silence followed, punctuated only by the echoed grunts of Akane's
struggle to hang on to the wall.
"You saw that?" Ranma asked softly, her voice heavy with dejection as it
tumbled down into the chasm. She looked away from Akane, down into the
abyss. Her voice grew tiny, its tone sad. "I'm not a demon."
"Liar!" Akane shrieked, eyes filled with betrayal and anger. "I saw you
die! You said you'd tell me the truth but you didn't tell me anything!
For all I know, you might want to kill me too! This is probably just some
sick -game- you're playing with me."
Ranma flinched, wincing at the ferocity of the accusation.
"I ... I'm sorry," she lamented, "I didn't want you to know. I thought
I would be able to get you through this without ... telling you the truth.
I'm sorry, Akane. I thought it was for the best."
"I don't even care anymore," Akane called defiantly, as she struggled to
grip the wall with her bare feet. "I don't even want to -know-. I just
want to go home. You can keep your hunters, and you can keep your sword."
"At least let me explain--"
"I don't want to hear it! Just leave me alone!"
"Akane," Ranma said with a sigh, "if you don't take my help, you're going
to fall, and you're going to die. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't be
trying to help you out, would I?"
Akane said nothing, the sound of her feet slipping against the moist rock
her only response.
"I don't want you to die," Ranma added after a time. "I ... can't let you
die."
"Why would I believe that any more than any of your other lies?" Akane
asked, her voice straining as she struggled to lift herself upwards.
Ranma looked into Akane's eyes, chewing her lip apprehensively as she
watched the Tendo girl struggle for her life. She sighed in resignation,
and closed her eyes.
"All right, the truth," she said, her tone suggesting she regretted the
words the moment they left her mouth.
"Akane ... I am eight hundred and ninety-four years old."
The sounds from the crevasse ceased as Akane stared upwards in shock.
"What?"
"I was born in what would have been the year eleven hundred and eight. For
nearly nine hundred years, I have served as a guardian for your ancestors.
One by one, I watched each and every one of them die before their time.
I ... can't bear to see you join them. Please, Akane. Serving your family
is all I know. Let me help you."
"You're ... serious, aren't you?"
Ranma nodded silently.
Akane stared up into Ranma's eyes as they opened. The sincerity, the
shame, that hung in those blue eyes pushed aside any doubt in her mind.
Finally, Ranma was telling her the truth.
Akane looked hard into Ranma's eyes for just a moment longer. She tossed
Shoryoutensei upwards, watching the sword as it flew out of the crevasse to
fall to the ground nearby, and reached upwards with her sword hand toward
her companion.
Ranma lowered herself into the abyss and with one outstretched hand,
managed to take hold of Akane's. "Thank you," she said, as their hands
touched, "for believing me."
* * *
The deep grey clouds parted for a moment, letting a ray of moonlight break
through, if only for a short time. Akane squinted her eyes and watched the
light creep out of existence as the clouds squeezed together to close the
gap once more. She lay flat on her back, breathing heavily as she rubbed
at her aching shoulder.
"Just because I let you help me," she commented, "doesn't mean I trust
you."
Ranma stood off a small distance away, facing away from Akane. Her usual
habit of looking off into the distance had been displaced by a new
preoccupation with the ground at her feet.
"I ... don't blame you. I wouldn't trust me if I were you."
"So tell me why I should trust you. Tell me why I shouldn't be walking
home right now, or that's exactly what I'll be doing."
"The only reason I didn't tell you everything from the beginning was for
your own protection. The less you know, the better. I just didn't want
you to ... to think I'm a monster."
"I saw your face when you came out of that spring, Ranma. I saw something
that terrified me. I want to know why you think I shouldn't be afraid,
because right now, I ... I'm terrified of you."
"Please don't say that," Ranma replied, her voice barely more than a
whisper. "I could never hurt you."
"Why? You haven't even known me for very long. What makes me so special?"
"I swore to my father ... I ... I've spent my entire life trying to defend
your ancestors from the hunters. Every single time, I have failed. Every
single time. Gods, I can still see their faces every time I close my eyes.
"Nothing means more to me than keeping my promise, Akane," Ranma said, eyes
moist as she turned to look at her companion. "You are the last of your
entire family tree. Your father married into your family, and your mother
is dead. If you die, everything I've tried to accomplish for nine hundred
years means nothing. Protecting you is the only thing I care about now."
Akane reeled, taken aback by Ranma's confession. She looked into Ranma's
eyes, saw the hurt that lingered, everpresent, behind them.
"I don't know what to say," she admitted at length. "Why ... why is my
family so special?"
"My father knew that, but he didn't tell me. I'm sure I'll find out one
day, but that day hasn't yet come."
"So you're just ... waiting for that day?"
"When you live as long as I have, you do a lot of waiting," Ranma said with
a nod.
"You've been doing this for over eight hundred years? And you can't die?"
"Death has abandoned me," Ranma said, turning away again. "It's taken away
everyone I've ever known, but it refuses to come for me. I imagine most
people think of immortality as a wonderful gift, but they are wrong. Who
would wish for such a thing? What stain does my soul carry that even death
refuses to touch it?"
Akane said nothing, letting the question hang in the air between them. She
tried to imagine what such a life would be like but could not even begin to
comprehend a life of eight hundred years.
"I want to help you, Akane. I want to keep my promise. The hunters will
keep coming for you, and I will stop them."
* * *
"Tell me about the hunters. You know more than you're letting on."
Ranma sighed as she wrapped strips of fabric torn from her pants around
Akane's injured feet. She finished one foot and tied off the makeshift
bandage tightly. Lowering the foot to the ground again, she dusted off her
hands and raised the other foot.
"They are led by a group that calls themselves the Phoenix. They are just
lackeys doing what they are told."
"So, they are the ones that killed my mother?"
"The Phoenix gave the order; the hunters just do what they are told. I
don't think, individually, they are very smart."
"Why do you say that?" Akane asked, wincing as Ranma tightened the bandage
around her ankle.
"Well, they probably wouldn't keep trying to kill me if they knew I was
immortal. They therefore can't be very bright."
"I guess not," Akane hesitantly agreed. "Maybe they're just
overconfident."
"The hunter you saw was after you. He probably hadn't been told to fight
me; I just got in the way. Too bad for him, I guess."
Ranma pulled the fabric tightly around Akane's foot, and tied it off. She
lowered the foot to the ground and stood, looking down at Akane. The
expression on the Tendo girl's face made it clear what she was wondering.
"You're probably wondering why he looked like me," Ranma surmised.
"Of course I am," Akane admitted. "He called you 'Mother'. Truth be told,
it scared the hell out of me."
"Like I said; not that smart. I'm not his mother."
"What, then?"
"The truth of the matter is," Ranma said with a sigh, as she slowly lowered
herself to sit and leaned up against a tree, "he was a Hidari, a copy of
me. Phoenix grew him in their flesh vats, based on my genes."
"What? Why?" Akane asked, recoiling in horror. "And ... -how-?"
"How, I don't know. Why ... well, they've tried everything they can think
of to kill me, but nothing has ever worked. I suppose they thought the
only weapon strong enough to kill me would be ... me."
"So they ... cloned you?"
Ranma nodded. "It's a strange thought, isn't it?"
Akane suppressed a shudder. "It's sick. You're ... kidding, right?"
"I wish I were," Ranma replied with a sigh. "Hidari are remarkable copies,
physically alike in every way to the original. But, they are not perfect.
They're slower, weaker, and mortal."
"If they're copies of you, why was it a ... you know ... a boy?"
"If I knew, I'd tell you," Ranma replied with a shrug. "All of the Hidari
I've come across have been boys."
"So you ... fight yourself."
"Yes. I find them, and I kill them."
* * *
"Which way?"
Ranma looked up to Akane, who stood atop a small mound of earth, looking
questioningly back at her. The Tendo girl hobbled slightly on her injured
feet, so Ranma had stayed behind her, not wanting to rush her.
"We should head west. The most important thing is that we get away from
Tokyo. Now another Hidari is dead, Phoenix will send more into this area
to find out what happened. If we're still here, that means trouble for
us."
"Wait - is my father going to be all right? I'm not leaving if he's in
danger, and--"
"Your father doesn't matter to them," Ranma replied, holding up a hand to
silence Akane. "You are their target, not him."
"Are you sure?" Akane asked, looking Ranma dead in the eye. "Absolutely
sure?"
"I'm certain. Your concern for him is admirable, but unnecessary. He's in
no danger."
"I won't let anything happen to him, Ranma. Tell me the truth."
"I swear, Akane. The further away from him you are, the less danger he is
in. He doesn't know where you are - they have no interest in him. I
promise, he will be fine."
"All right," Akane relented, still sounding unconvinced. She had seen what
the Hidari had done to Ranma, and knew her father would stand no chance.
It pained her greatly to leave her father alone knowing those ... things
were out there, but if Ranma was speaking the truth, leaving was the best
thing she could do for him. "Let's go. West it is."
Ranma nodded, following Akane up onto the mound and watching her step down
off it. A glimmer of blue atop Akane's head caught her eye; she blinked in
surprise and looked closer. A thin streak of deep blue mingled amongst
the Tendo girl's hair, stretching from the centre of her forehead in a
jagged line toward the nape of her neck.
Oh gods, she thought, it's happening already.
"Are you going to come, or are you going to stand there all day?"
Akane's voice snapped Ranma out of her reverie. She was some distance
further away, looking impatiently over her shoulder.
"I thought you said we were in a rush," she continued.
"Sorry," Ranma replied, tearing her eyes from Akane's hair as she stepped
down off the mound. "Let's go."
= = = =
T E N
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