Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: The time has come to decide. Do you continue to read and draw yourself into the horror ever more surely or do you stop now and return to the light? I assure you that things will get worse before they get better. If you're truly committed to this course than I will guide you through as safely as I can. Let's get on with the show.

Accident

Chapter 3: Within the Darkness Away from the Light

Ranma had been in many tough battles before but whoever heard of someone beating Death? He knew it wouldn't be easy but if he didn't try then he would be taken away from Kasumi. His fists were clenched tight as he maintained his ready stance in the face of Death's charge. He swayed easily away from the blade, right into a powerful right hook that blasted him down the street. The fear generated from the touch increased ten fold, taxing his control heavily. With a strange snarl he stood back to his full height.

"What do ya plan on doing with Kasumi?" he demanded of the specter.

"…same thing I will do with you…" was the response as the dark shroud flew at Ranma slashing downward at a diagonal. The boy leaped away from the attack as he cupped his hands together and brought them in front of his body.

"Mouko Takabisha!" he cried. The ball of brilliant blue ki flew with unerring accuracy into his opponent's chest. The shockwave generated from the collision actually caused windows to shatter and Death's body to be torn to shreds of darkness. Ranma felt the confidence surge as he saw the thing disintegrate yet the fear remained. If the fear remained then that meant he wasn't gone. His eyes scanned the street before a blade buried itself in his back and was torn upwards. He arched his back in pain and surprise at the sensation running through his spectral body.

"…fool I am not defeated so easily…" Death grasped Ranma's face from behind as it twisted the knife around. The fear growing exponentially with each second, but unlike in life, Ranma knew that he didn't have the Neko-ken. His mind filled with images of his life but what stood out were the memories of after he died. A single face was clearly seen and it filled him up with a terrible power. His aura built up rapidly, a powerful surge of otherworldly might suffused his being, and with a cry of rage the aura was released in a brutal wave. Death could hold on no longer and was blown away easily before coming back to his feet. When the specter looked up, the quarry was standing there with malice in his eyes. The boy's right fist was clenched tightly, drawing in power.

"She needs me to stay with her and even if she didn't I wouldn't let some scum-suckin' bastard like you anywhere near her! I'd say it was time to die but that would sound stupid. So why don't you vanish!" he roared as he seemingly teleported in front of his foe, releasing the attack he had built up in his fist, striking his face repeatedly with a one handed Amaguriken as the other hand grasped his black clothing. Finally ending the rain of blows with a light toss and a spinning back kick to the sternum, bending Death in half over his leg and hurling the shroud down the street. He grinned at the fallen form of his enemy but it was quickly wiped off his face as the still form on the ground rose up into the air.

"I'm through playing with you! This ends NOW!" Death roared in a great voice. A ghostly cacophony of sounds accompanied the howl. The greatest martial artist of his generation stared in shock as the great black shape flew at him and entered his body. Ranma's eyes widened in horror just a second before exploding in darkness.

-Hospital-

Kasumi frantically searched the lower level of the hospital seeking any signs of life. She knew that Nabiki was still down there because every route to the next floor was either locked or barricaded. The power to the elevator was cut so she couldn't escape that way. The gentle girl was panicking as she methodically searched the ground level. She had some time to find her because the one after her was still eating. That line of thought made her mind whirl dizzyingly as she struggled to comprehend what was going on.

"Ranma…Where are you?" she asked in a despairing whisper. Kasumi knew that she wasn't strong enough to handle this. She kept flashing back to the murderer. It was dark in the room but there was no mistaking the girl. The red hair, the blue eyes, and the power required to kill so effortlessly, it was Ranko. The sight of someone she held so dear acting in such a manner turned her world upside down even more than dying. It was difficult to comprehend what was going on since she knew that if Ranma was dead then there should be no Ranko.

"I don't understand any of this…" she moaned as she searched the last place on the floor. It was the nurses' lounge for between shifts and breaks. Kasumi looked inside and saw, to her relief that Nabiki was alright, but couldn't get out. There was s window up near the ceiling but the poor girl couldn't reach it, but even if she could, the girl was too big to fit through it. Tears of frustration streamed down her face as she realized that she was going to die down here. She would have rushed to her sister and hugged her, but she had no arms to hold her. The girl looked mournfully at her hands as she realized that even if she had found her than what could she do?

"Oh kami… This can't be happening… U-uncle Genma…" Nabiki sobbed into her hands as she struggled to keep it together, but the stresses were too much for her to handle. She wished that Akane was there. What murderer could stand up to a girl who could take out Ranma with a mallet swing? That thought didn't reassure her like it should have because she also remembered the Genma was more highly trained than Akane and he was killed. Kasumi probably would have just made the girl some cookies she thought despairingly. Her reverie was broken by the sound of footsteps.

"Y'know we can do this all day but you've got better things to do, right? Why don't ya come out here and get on with your trip to the afterlife? Aw Nabiki-chan I'm hungry!" the girl's voice rang out down the hall causing the terrified girl to pause.

"D-did she just call me 'Nabiki-chan'?" she asked in disbelief. Only her sisters call her that or Ranma when he was teasing her. Now that she thought about it, didn't that girl sound like Ranma's girl form? If that was Ranma than why was he killing people? She became even more terrified when she realized that Ranma being the murderer meant that of course she was stronger than a normal human. Desperately she hid behind the couch in the room. It was set parallel to the corner so there was a space for her to curl up in.

"Man you are too easy to find y'know that? I think you are right about…here!" she caroled out triumphantly with a light laugh. The door was demolished by a flying object. The thing fell across the couch. Reflexively, Nabiki looked up to see what hit the couch and found herself face to face with Genma. His eye socket was still bleeding and his mouth hung open to reveal that it was without a tongue. She couldn't contain the scream that welled up inside her. The scream rang out for what seemed like forever before the face of her killer was peering over the back of the couch. Those blue eyes and that cocky smile could be from only one person.

"R-Ranma?" she asked in distress, but even as she asked the girl knew there was something wrong. The blood that should have been all over her had been meticulously cleaned. The murderous girl grabbed Nabiki by the neck and pulled her from behind the couch with one hand. The Tendo girl realized the grip wasn't choking, it was just tight. Her eyes leaked tears as she imagined what was going to happen.

"So good to see you… What kind of party would this be without friends, ne? What should we do first? Perhaps this?" the girl inquired as she suddenly shot her hand out and grasped Nabiki's chest, the fingers digging in painfully as if trying to burrow the tips into the soft flesh. Her victim cried out in pain from the vicious attack, her hands grasping the girl's wrist, digging her fingers into the tendon to make her lose her grip.

"P-please don't do it! D-don't kill me…What would my family do without me? I-I'm the only one left to care for them!" she cried. Nabiki tried to reason with the terrible killer who looked exactly like the girl that had been the other half of Ranma. The pressure increased until she thought that she would black out, but then it stopped. Slowly she was brought to the girl's face, her tormentor leering at her helplessness. Her tongue darted out to slowly lick Nabiki's face.

"You'll taste good…" she remarked as she brought her other hand up to stroke Nabiki's hair. The girl giggled at the sheer level of terror she was creating. Everyone always accused Ranma of being a pervert if they only knew how close and how far from the truth they were.

"Who are you?" Nabiki tried to be calm about it and look for a way out, but there seemed to be no hope of escape.

"Who am I? I'm the one you referred to as 'Ranko'. Did you ever wonder how the curse came about?" she asked teasingly. When Nabiki nodded her head the girl's grin widened.

"I was drowned fourteen hundred years ago for false crimes. I was the greatest warrior of my time that no one could stop, but I was led into a trap. Those damn Amazons lured me to Jusenkyo and drowned me there. My soul has waited for one with the strength and power I required. This magnificent body is my reward for my patience." Ranko laughed as she kissed Nabiki almost lovingly before pulling back.

"B-but I thought that Ranma died…?" the mercenary girl asked in confusion.

"Hmph. He could never be killed by such a trivial thing. The boy had taken much stronger hits than that! It was merely a matter of waiting for the right moment. In his moment of panic over that weakling girl I took control of his mind and froze him in place. Too bad your sister wasn't as durable!" the girl laughed gleefully at the look out despair and outrage on her captive's face. This was too much fun. Nabiki was getting ready to protest despite her fear but the scalpel flashed through the air, slashing through the front of her blouse, leaving a thin red line of blood. Her hiss of pain was music to her ears. Torture seemed like a good idea. This was one of the people who made her life miserable. If it hadn't been for this bitch then she might not have killed Ranma, but such wasn't the case. With a wide smile she brought the scalpel up to the girl's face every so slowly. The girl in her grasp struggling and fighting but a quite shift of her arm trapped Nabiki against her body; her legs were bent to prevent her from getting her footing. Her screams growing more desperate as the blade descended towards her face.

Kasumi felt the rage welling up inside of her as she watched her sister's humiliation. It was too much for the gentle girl to bear as she saw the killer play with Nabiki. She cried as she realized that there was nothing she could do to save her. Nothing whatsoever could be done to free her sister.

"Mother help me!" she cried out to the sky. In a rage, she swung her fist for Ranko's head with everything she had behind it. Her intense focus turning the spectral attack into a solid blow that felled her enemy in one blow. The startled redhead looked around frantically for the cause of the strike but could find nothing. She shouted in fury as she saw Nabiki make a break for the door but a sudden lunge stopped her. Ranko cried out in triumph as she stabbed the weapon into her calf but the triumph turned to shock as blow after blow rained down on her. She pulled the scalpel out, slashing it in a frenzy as she sought out her enemy. Kasumi didn't know what came over her, but the crazy leer on her face would have sent the redhead running if she could see it. The hunter had become the hunted as the front of her shirt was grabbed just before she hauled her into the air. Kasumi's hair was flowing around her eerily, her right fist cocked back before it was thrown forward with tremendous force into her face.

Ranko's eyes widened in horror as she was borne into the air. She struggled mightily against whatever force held her before going limp from the powerful blow. All the rage, all the hatred, and all of the sorrow of the girl was used in a punch that would have stunned Ryoga. The limp body was hurled through the door over Nabiki's head and slammed into the wall across the hall.

Nabiki, in the meantime, hadn't stayed around to see the carnage as she limped as quickly as she could down the hall. The wound in her leg was pumping out blood. She was trying to find her way out but every door she tried was either locked, jammed, or chained shut. Just beyond the doors she could hear people working to get the doors open but it was easier said than done. The doors had been made to withstand a great deal of impact due to the super powerful martial artists in the area. It made her cry in frustration. Her wounds felt a thousand times worse because of fatigue and fear.

"Somebody help me!" she shrieked through the door.

"Are you okay?" a voice called back from the other side.

"There's a killer down here! Help me, please!" she sobbed.

"Just hold tight! We're working as fast as we can!" the voice said before renewed effort could be heard from the other side. The Tendo girl said down on the stairs, gasping from her effort, but her spirit buoyed by the news. She realized that she needed to stop the bleeding and removed her pantyhose to make a tourniquet while using her sleeves to bandage the wound. With her faith restored she was able to work efficiently.

"What happened back there?" she pondered as she took stock of the situation. Nabiki thought for sure that she was dead but then the tables had turned and she was able to escape. It was certainly a mystery but not an impossible one she thought. Since Ranma had come to Nerima she had been forced to accept many unbelievable things. Was her mother watching over her better than she thought or was something else acting on her behalf? When her head came up she caught a glimpse of Ranko at the bottom of the short set of stairs.

"Gee, it seems that my prey can move pretty good. Always knew ya had a good head on your shoulders!" the girl laughed hysterically as she revealed her scalpel. Ranko smirked.

"Good night, princess." She said just before striking the stairs. The stairs were made metal and linoleum. They didn't stand a chance against such a blow causing them to collapse. Nabiki flew forward as the stairs crumbled, tumbling uncontrollably down the stairs towards her demise, until she put her bad leg forward as she reached Ranko. The redhead didn't see the attack in time to dodge even if the kick didn't have force to knock her opponent down, it made her stagger, and that was all Nabiki needed to scramble to her feet and take off down the hallway.

"You're only delaying the inevitable!" Ranko called out gleefully as she followed closely behind, she had plenty of time, but her eyes roamed the halls nervously. Her playful façade crumbling in the face of her dawning fear. There was something else stalking the halls.

Kasumi was following behind the procession, trying to master her anger, but each gasp of fear, each whimper of pain driving another spike through her soul. The gentle girl had undergone a radical transformation. Her hair was unbound, flowing behind her like a light brown cloak. Her eyes were glowing with an ethereal light. She clenched her fingers into claws as she contemplated what she was going to do. The part of her that she let everyone see was a calm and kind individual, but that was merely the surface. During her childhood she was always forced to restrain her darker impulses but when her mother died she had to make them disappear entirely. The thing about death is that it is very liberating and in this case her darkness was released. Her sister needed her and she would protect her no matter what.

"I'm coming for you…" she called softly as she picked up speed. The one she was directing it at clenched her scalpel even tighter in dread.

-Somewhere-

The darkness was far from comforting, it was stifling. There was no way to escape for every direction he looked in was the same, just darkness. He felt as if he had wandered for years as it became apparent that he wasn't going to escape from here but if he found the bastard who brought him here then he might be able to leave. All he could remember was that he had clearly defeated the black cloaked individual but then found himself here.

"Where are you?" he roared into the darkness as he sought out his opponent. His bright blue aura flaring outward as if to burn away the shadows but even that considerable brightness failed. This was wasting his time. Even thought he was dead there was plenty of things he could be doing right now rather than this crap. He had the sinking feeling that something was happening that required his attention but he was stuck here. Helplessness enveloped him as he sought not his opponent, but to escape.

"Get out here!" he cried. The martial artist growing angrier but then he felt a presence behind him. He spun to see what was going on in a ready stance. The shape before him showed no signs of intimidation.

"Twice commanded but never compelled. I am not someone to order around as you must know. Death comes for all but can never be forced. Until now." The black shrouded figure said as it pulled the hood back. The skeletal visage seemed to vanish and was replaced by a beautiful face. Ranma had assumed that Death was male but was shocked when it turned out to be a woman. The black shroud was replaced by a brilliant white cloak. Her clothing underneath the cloak was tight and black consisting of a shirt and a mini skirt. Her black boots were thigh-high and had little heels. Death had silver hair and green eyes, definitely not what the boy was expecting at all.

"What the hell? Where'd the damn bastard go that I was fighting?" he demanded.

"I am the 'bastard' that you're referring to, Ranma Saotome. Call me Shadow and know that we have quite a bit to discuss." The woman beckoned, not imperiously like he was used to from people like Cologne or Happosai, but kindly. He really wanted to know what was going on, but held back as he remembered the fight.

"Hold up. Why'd ya attack me?" the boy asked confused.

"I was testing you. I am sorry for using your friends as I did but I had to be sure about you. Are you ready?" she asked rhetorically. Shadow already knew that he was and that he was fairly easy to manipulate, but she was surprised when he shook his head.

"No. There's something that I gotta do. I can't leave Kasumi and I get the feeling I'd be gone awhile so thanks but no thanks." He said. This was the test. If she tried to force him than he would never come willingly, but if she let him go he might never come back. The decision was difficult for Death but it really was the only option.

"Fine. You may return but remember that my offer still stands." She said as she waved a hand. Ranma felt as if he was being pulled apart as a wave of power engulfed him. It was brighter and warmer than anything he had ever known. He knew in that instant that she was far from evil. His instincts hadn't led him astray yet.

"What was the offer?" he called out through the maelstrom.

"To replace me." She replied softly as he vanished.

-Hospital-

The chase was growing harder to maintain as her leg went numb from the pain and blood loss, if it wasn't for the bandages then she would have bled out. Nabiki strove to escape the murderer on her heels but no amount of running would save her. This person has the skills and power of Ranma but the heart of a cold psycho-killer. Her tears had dried long ago but her heart continued to hammer as if seeking to break free from her chest. If she didn't keep going her heart would be removed. Something caught her eye and she smiled. It was a fire axe and hose. The nozzle needed to be operated manually but she had a way around that. With the axe in hand, she tossed the hose out onto the floor and chopped the end off with two powerful strokes. She may not have taken martial arts in a while but she could still do that much. Now came the frightening part, waiting for Ranko to come around the corner.

"Oh Nabiki-chan!" Ranko caroled out. "Come out; come out, wherever you are! I wanna show ya a few things. Really, I don't want to kill you! Can we be friends? I'm not as smart as you are." The girl giggled as she walked around the corner and saw Nabiki standing there defiantly. Her right hand clenching tightly on an axe much to the girl's shock. So her quarry was ready to fight? The smile that was threatening to break finally broke and she laughed.

"What's so funny?" Nabiki demanded, her voice holding a brittle edge of hysteria. Ranko was laughing so hard that she had to hold onto the wall to steady herself, but made her way slowly. The fear was slowly replaced by a more comforting emotion, anger, and she was pissed at what this bitch had done to her family.

"O-oh my! Y-you really intend to fight me! This is just so rich!" the girl doubled over laughing. Her supposed prey grabbed hold of the water release and gave the wheel a giant spin. Latent ability burst forth with the adrenaline and the wheel came of completely. Nabiki didn't stick around to see what would happen as she turned and ran away as fast as her bad leg would carry her. Ranko didn't even realize the trouble she was in until the length of hose snapped out full length and fired out a blast of pressurized water into her chest. The blast so intense that it tore into her shirt and hurtled her down the hallway a good thirty feet from the blow.

"Wow… That was good." She admitted grudgingly as she struggled to her feet. Breathing was difficult due to the impact, judging by the feel she may have a few bruised ribs. Getting to her feet was a problem due to the water flooding the hall but she managed. Since she couldn't chase the girl through that then she would have to go around. Turning, she noticed steam rolling along the water. The water swirling around her ankles growing warmer by the second. She could sense a powerful, and hostile, aura leveling it's malevolent power on her. Ranko was an accomplished killer and ki adept, but this was beyond her experience.

"You're going to die!" Kasumi screamed in rage as she dropped into a fighting stance, her left fist held around chest level with her right fist cocked at her side. With a fierce cry that went unheard she drove her fist forward into the girl's stomach. Eyes widened in terror and pain, the redhead went flying back down the hall into the midst of the water. Her eyes burned with hatred as she found herself flying down the hall at her enemy.

"Oh shit!" the girl exclaimed, but her exclamation resulted in swallowing water. She gagged a hacked out the water as she tried to stand, but a sudden impact in her stomach dropped her again. A strange weight settled on her back made her want to scream. It was as soft as a lover's caress or the breath of the grave. Powerful fingers pressed her cheek to the floor. Terror wasn't lending the girl new strength or even a way to combat this menace. The hose was suddenly shoved into her face. She tried to hold her breath and escape when the pressure left her head but a blow to the ribs made her involuntarily gasp, the water going into her mouth and into her lungs. Another blow caused her to swallow more water. She knew she was going to die. Whatever was attacking her was strong. Ranko felt fear touch her again.

"How do you like this? Does this bring back memories? I heard to mention how you drowned. Kind of fitting." Kasumi remarked as she set about her grisly work, but a voice from behind her startled her.

"Kasumi!" Ranma called out as he rounded the corner to see the bizarre sight. There was gentle Kasumi killing someone. He didn't even know how she figured out how to hold objects but she seemed to be a pro at it.

"Ranma?" she said hesitantly, her concentration broken. When she focused on Ranko again she snarled softly as she saw the girl take off down the hall where Nabiki had gone, vomiting water the entire way.

"What the hell's goin' on?" he demanded as he ran over to her. The girl before him radiated malice and a terrible power that made even him shudder. What he wasn't expecting was the girl to suddenly throw herself at him.

"R-Ranma! She wants to kill Nabiki. That thing killed your father as well. Oh I've been trying to stop her but she keeps getting away!" she wailed. Whatever he had been feeling earlier was gone but he knew that it could come back. When he pressed her for more details she told him what she knew. He couldn't help but empathize with the redhead, but her killing spree made no sense. There was only one way to find out what was going on and that was to question Death.

"Easy there, its okay. I'm here and nothing will happen to her. You've been doing a great job of protecting her. Can you do it some more? I need to talk to someone about this. Just don't kill her until I get back unless that's the only way to stop her." He silenced her questions with a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. It was the wrong time to indulge but she needed this badly. The fear of kami had been put in the killer so there was some time. When they pulled back, Ranma gave her an encouraging smile.

"Hurry back. It's getting harder to control myself…" her voice sounded so small that it made the pigtailed boy's heart lurch. He nodded. With a grateful smile, she turned and ran down the hallway. What made him wonder was just how out of control she would get. When he had arrived, she had been actively trying to kill the redhead. He wasn't sure who needed protection more, Nabiki or the killer.

-Nabiki-

It was not easy to ignore the pain in her leg. Every step was becoming an agony incomparable to anything she had felt before. She had no way of knowing if her would-be murderer was right behind her or would be kept out of commission for awhile by the hose. She needed to find a phone to call for help since the people trying to open the doors were so slow. Her panting sounded impossibly loud to her ears as she frantically checked behind her, hoping not to catch a flash of red which would mean that she was there. Suddenly, she slammed into what felt like a wall and almost fell down, but a hand steadied her. Her disbelieving eyes told her that the person in front of her was real and not a mirage. For once she was genuinely glad to see him. It was Ryoga.

"Excuse me miss, but do you know the way to the Tendo Dojo?" he asked his familiar question before he realized who was in his arms. His mind threatened to shut down as he contemplated the trouble he was in. Once did not just touch Nabiki without needing money for the blackmail. The Lost Boy realized something was wrong when he saw her crying and the blood lightly trickling through her makeshift bandage. Her face seemed to transform as a genuinely happy smile broke through.

"Ryoga!" she cried, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight, much like one holds an anchor in a storm. The startled young man pondered why he wasn't getting a nosebleed but something else was bothering him.

"What happened?" he asked in concern, for once forgetting about his eternal enmity for Ranma. The girl before him seemed to shudder and look away. She didn't want to tell him but he had to know as well.

"Okay, I'll tell you. I won't even charge." She quipped, hoping to lighten the mood a little. Killers and cannibals were far from her mind as she realized that she had Ranma's greatest rival in front of her. The chance that this redheaded murderer could kill him was slim.

"A-alright… Here, let's get you bandaged up." Ryoga said as he actually led her into a small room used for examinations. Feeling a little whimsical, she hopped up on the table and extended her leg. He couldn't help but get a small nosebleed, but a couple cotton balls fixed that. Ryoga Hibiki may not be as great with ki as Ranma, but he had to heal himself for much longer. As he bandaged her leg, he used a minute amount of ki to help with the healing and soothing the wound. The Tendo girl took a breath and told him the whole story. When she finished, Nabiki took a look up and was surprised to see tears standing in his eyes.

"You bastard…I still hadn't beaten you yet and you died…W-why? This isn't fair. That red-haired bitch killed you and took Kasumi away from her family. Because of you… I HAVE SEEN HELL!" he roared out in a great voice that echoed in the tiny room and rang down the hallway. After the anger came more tears. He buried his face in his hands and wept. Nabiki had never seen him cry before. With some slight hesitation, she brought him towards her for a hug, whispering soothing words.

"It's okay, Ryoga-kun… We can just leave. Come back when you're ready to fight, okay? Just punch through the wall…" she whispered. The Lost Boy was supposed to be strong, but she never realized that he might not be emotionally strong. It was understandable since his condition made getting around difficult and he hadn't seen his family in years. When the tear-streaked gaze of Ryoga found hers, she was surprised at the strength she saw there. His eyes held the same determination that Ranma had before a major battle.

"I can't leave Nabiki. I have to settle this so their souls can rest. I am lost no longer. This will be my path." He said quietly as she stood to his full height.

End Chapter

Author's Notes: Whew this chapter took a lot of time to write but it was worth it. Now that Ryoga is here how will this affect things? Do they really have anything to worry about with Ranko or will Kasumi end up killing her first? Keep reading to find out.