Hinako just gaped at the destruction caused by the purple haired girl. Her
eyes narrowed when she saw the injured people moaning in pain on the floor,
clutching at their injuries. The sight made her blood boil, that someone
would be so callous at to cause such pain and not care...
Ranma stared at the girl in confusion. *Slave?* He asked himself, wondering just what the hell was happening. Why did this girl feel the right to hurt others to get to him?
When she noticed the Japanese man made no move to follow her instructions Shampoo growled. "Slave come now!" She commanded with even more force than the first time.
She got the same results. Ranma remained unmoving, though his eyes were hardening considerably as he took notice of all the people hurt on the floor around him. And particularly on the fact that Hinako nearly joined them.
The teacher turned her attention from the wounded ones to glare at the purple haired girl. "What do you think you're doing?!" She bellowed at the girl.
Shampoo didn't even flinch at the outburst. "Shampoo taking back Amazon property. Weak Japanese woman stay back." With that said she stepped forward, intent on giving Ranma a lesson for his disobedience.
What she didn't expect was for Hinako to actually step in front of her, blocking her path. "You're not getting him." The older woman said in defiance. "You're a delinquent and delinquents are to be punished."
"You obstacle!" Shampoo accused as she swung her sword at the woman, mostly a move to scare her away instead of a move to harm her at all.
Hinako's eyes sparkled as she prepared to fight off the Amazon. She wanted a chance to test what Ranma gave her, it seemed like it would be in a real fight.
Neither woman got what she wanted though. Even if the sword strike was not meant to hurt the teacher, it was more than threatening enough to Ranma. The Amazon had to jump back from a punch launched at her face by the pigtailed man.
Shampoo stared at Ranma as he recovered from the missed attack. His eyes were coldly focused on her, something that never happened in the village. *He's protecting this woman.* She thought, wondering what Hinako had done to gain this man's protection like that. In the past he didn't protect his own father, so his protecting a weak Japanese woman was confusing. *Doesn't matter. He's still Amazon property and should be taken back.*
Hinako stared at Ranma's back as he stood in front of her protectively. "Ranma."
He didn't answer her call as he charged the purple haired Amazon with another punch.
Shampoo skillfully ducked under said punch and redirected the attack at the same time she tripped him, effectively sending him flying over her. Ranma crashed against the wall face-first with a loud crash. The Amazon was surprised with the amount of force behind that blow. *If it came from a skilled opponent I would be impressed.* She thought as she turned to Hinako, who needed to be eliminated before the brainless slave could be taken back to China. The form behind the punch was very good, but for someone trained in the Amazon village it was nothing. Especially since he seemed to be used to having more reach.
Just as the Amazon was about to reach Hinako she heard steps behind her. She turned to see Ranma rushing her again, his right fist cocked back for another punch. Instead of using her sword to deal with the stubborn male she tried to submit him with her free arm. She didn't want him dead, after all. He was too good a worker.
She effectively managed to snake her way around the punch and take hold of Ranma's arm for a painful lock. When she applied pressure to make the male submit her eyes widened. She found unyielding resistance before feeling herself thrown through the air.
Hinako watched as Ranma threw the girl away with ease. She watched as the Amazon twirled in the air and met the wall feet first before letting herself drop to the floor. Her grace and skill were astounding, yet they didn't match the expression on her face. A look of realization, tinged with some fear, was there.
Shampoo stared wide-eyed at the slave as he brought his foot down on her sword, which she lost hold of in the last exchange. The blade snapped with the force of the stomp. *That's why...* She thought as Cologne's words came back to haunt her. 'If by any chance the male turns hostile stay away from him.' It had been shortly after Ranma was placed under her service, and Shampoo had forgotten all about it since Ranma always did as he was told. Besides the fact that she thought her great grandmother was joking around. What did Shampoo, champion of the tournament, have to fear from a male?
As Ranma took a step towards her the young Amazon started debating with herself for a course of action. In the end, and way before Ranma reached her again, she decided to follow her great-grandmother's advice. With a swiftness that would put to shame an Olympic gymnast's the Amazon jumped back and retreated through the hole she created in the first place.
Ranma was about to follow her when he felt a hand on his shoulder restraining him from moving. He turned to see Hinako looking at him seriously. "We can deal with her later, Ranma. We have to help the injured."
Even if her words would eventually convince him to refrain from pursuing the one that called him 'slave', Hinako's reference to the injured made him take a look around. His thoughts cleared somewhat as he nodded and they both started giving what care they could to the victims of the explosion.
The result of their care was half the injured people being completely healed before the ambulances arrived.
As they worked Hinako thought about their purple-haired attacker. She seemed like an obstinate and prideful girl, yet she instantly backed away when Ranma stood his ground against her. She would definitely be back, but maybe she'd try to avoid a confrontation with the pigtailed man.
It also didn't escape Hinako's notice that Ranma seemed to have a little more control over himself today, and that it was easier for her to prevent him from killing someone. She could only hope that he continued improving in that area.
Ranma glowed a faint green and was satisfied when the wound was healed. He couldn't help but feel sad when the woman looked at him in fear.
All around people stared at Ranma in varying states of shock. Some of them saw the chunks of stone hit him at high speed, only to bounce back with Ranma not even wincing in pain. Most of them saw the way he briefly fought with the Amazon, most particularly how he got up after crashing face first against the wall. Now they saw as he glowed green and the wounds he treated closed. Even if they felt grateful they were also nervous about the young man. Even in Nerima no human could do such things and make them look easy.
When the authorities arrived everyone had to make a statement. The commanding officer even thanked Ranma for his participation in fighting off the Amazon and helping he injured people. He didn't really believe what some said about him glowing, but when he arrived he did see Hinako and Ranma helping an injured man to assume a more comfortable position.
In the way back home, since the mall would close for the day because of the incident, Ranma and Hinako walked immersed in their thoughts. Neither broke the silence until they were already inside Hinako's apartment. And even then it was only to make casual conversation.
-----
Nabiki was going over her books as the entire family watched the evening news. Some incident in the mall was the main story, yet she paid it little attention as she wondered how she was going to pay for the bills this month. With Soun's 'friend' staying over the fragile balance on their finances was broken.
Of course as soon as she brought it up Soun told her everything would work out. *Yeah right!* Nabiki thought sarcastically. *You're not the one paying the bills around here. Why should you worry?*
As she calculated some quick numbers to cut on Akane's training material she was startled out of her thoughts by Akane's scream of rage. She looked up to see her little sister, together with Genma and Soun, glaring at the TV set.
When she turned to the frozen image on the screen her eyes quickly focused on a figure sitting in the place the explosion took place. *Ranma.* The image didn't have much quality. It was from one of the security cameras in the mall. The picture was then played in slow motion. They could all see how the wall exploded inward.
Many didn't react in time, but Ranma was on his feet in an instant and hugging a woman close to protect her with his own body. Nabiki didn't have to be a genius to know it was Hinako-sensei. The screen was then filled with static as a rock broke the camera. She turned to Akane, who seemed to have recognized the teacher as well. She could almost see the gears in Akane's brain start to work. Something Genma's influence was having a negative effect on. Her little sister was smart, but Genma was teaching her to do the thinking with her fists instead of her brain.
"The pervert did something to Hinako-sensei!" Was the brilliant conclusion Akane came up with at seeing him grope the woman.
Nabiki groaned, but was ignored as Genma and Soun jumped to their feet and started promising to teach that boy a lesson. Couldn't they see Hinako- sensei was protected from the explosion? Besides the fact that she was obviously having lunch with Ranma.
Nabiki then turned to Kasumi, who was just silently looking at the screen. *She should've been my first concern.* The middle Tendo sister thought guiltily as she caught her older sister's expression. Kasumi's face showed longing. It was clear she reached the same conclusion as Nabiki. Ranma was protecting Hinako-sensei as he once protected Kasumi from those thugs.
"Saotome, that son of yours must be stopped." Soun said seriously as he continued to glare at the television set.
Genma just nodded solemnly. "Quite so, Tendo."
Nabiki was about to protest when she caught a glance from Kasumi. The eldest sister simply shook her head, reminding Nabiki of her promise not to tell father about what really happened in the Dojo. *Damn it, Kasumi! If we don't do something someone will end up hurt.* She thought angrily. *And that someone won't be Ranma-kun.* She added grimly, knowing the young man was very vulnerable emotionally. Physically, though...
So Nabiki refrained from correcting a wrong that was leading her father and sister to make an already bad situation even worse. She had to give it to Kasumi, the young woman was very determined when she set out on a course of action. And Nabiki could also see all Kasumi wanted was to protect her family. Something she herself would do without thinking twice. *But she's doing it the wrong way.* She'd have to find a way to help Ranma without breaking her promise. Both for his and her family's sake.
-----
Parry.
Step to the side.
Downwards slash.
Jump back.
Forward thrust.
*Concentrate. Focus.*
Parry high.
*Control.*
Parry low.
Parry back.
*Control.*
Spin.
*Now.*
Decapitating blow.
The katana wielder held that position for five minutes. His eyes were closed as he continued to concentrate, feeling as his body assimilated the exercises. He needed to be ready. He needed, above all, control. If he didn't have it there would be consequences he didn't want to deal with. He needed to have 'it' under his control.
-----
The woman smiled with an insane light in her eyes. She had finally found him.
*Soon, I will learn all your secrets.*
The thought excited her so much. She would have to approach him carefully, least he consider her a threat. That would be a very bad thing. Very bad indeed.
She'd earn his trust in some way before putting in motion her plans. "But mark my words. I will get you."
Everyone that was unfortunate enough to be close shuddered at the sound of her laughter. A bad omen if there ever was one.
-----
The girl hid in the shadows. She knew where to find him. Now she had to find a way to get him. And a confrontation was entirely out of the question. Thankfully help was on the way. It wouldn't be more than a week before it arrived.
She stood up and walked away as silently as a ghost. She couldn't confront him, but that didn't mean she couldn't search for his father.
-----
*Finally.* She thought when she saw the picture in the newspaper.
It was difficult as hell finding someone in this overpopulated world. She'd narrowed the search to Japan, and more specifically Tokyo where she currently was, hoping he was in the general area of his birthplace. It seemed like she was right.
She stood up and quickly started emptying the drawers and placing her few belongings into her backpack. She needed to get to the Nerima district. She needed to get to him before he did.
-----
The girl stared at the scene with a heavy heart. "Even after all we've done. Will there be no end to it? Won't we ever know peace?" She whispered as she studied the landscape.
The place was in ruins, the fight having destroyed everything around them. What were once proud buildings were now nothing but rubble. Trees were reduced to ash, consumed by the flames where their enemy finally found its doom. Or at least one of them. *The demoness must've escaped once her ally was defeated.* She thought not knowing how to feel about having yet another enemy on the loose. And one as dangerous as her. In the background a giant crystal palace sparkled with the last rays of the sun.
To her horror, and that of her companions, she saw the figure stand once again. Amidst the flames he stood proud, as a demon from the deepest bowels of hell seeking retribution against his enemies. The black leather of his outfit smoked as it refused to be burn, the man turned his blue-green eyes on them. Eyes that reflected both sadness and coldness that promised revenge. For what she didn't know.
Then he moved.
He didn't rush them with the incredible speed he possessed. Neither did he raise his arm to let loose with fire or ice. The ground beneath their feet didn't tremble violently.
No.
That would have been a relief.
Instead of that he walked. One step at a time, purposely. The significance was not lost on the girl. They were weak after the arduous battle. He didn't need to attack as before. That would only mean overkill. And sure she was that he could kill them all. After the many battles they fought against so many different enemies, never before had they met such an impervious opponent.
A gleam caught her eye, and when she recognized it for what it was her blood ran cold. The steel of his gigantic katana, which by all rights should have been destroyed.
So shocked were her companions and her that they didn't react until it was too late. The man walked out of the flames and stopped in front of their leader, of their queen. Her regal blue eyes locked with his cold blue-green ones. Without breaking her gaze he raised the katana over his head and struck down.
The last thing the girl saw was the crystal palace shatter in a million pieces, taking with it all of her dreams and hopes.
-----
Ranma, after walking Hinako to school, wandered aimlessly through the streets of the Nerima district. He had a purpose as he walked, though. *I need to find a job.* He didn't like freeloading off Hinako like he was currently doing. Even if the teacher said it was fine he didn't feel comfortable.
Hours passed and Ranma found himself having made absolutely no progress in his quest.
The problem with finding a job was that he was, legally, only seventeen years old. The truancy officers weren't a problem only because he appeared to be physically older. But should anyone ask for an identification or some sort of school record Ranma would have to answer that he had none.
"Maybe I should ask Nabiki-san for help." Ranma said to himself as he passed in front of a junior high school. He couldn't ask Hinako because she would tell him there was no need for him to get a job. But the middle Tendo sister might come up with a good idea. He'd just have to figure out a way to speak with her without Akane finding out.
As he walked in front of the school he longingly saw some of the children play in the field. He was jealous of them. Jealous because they had what he didn't. He would never wish what happened to him to happen to anyone else, of course. But seeing those boys and girls playing innocently he realized he was a lot younger when he was ripped of his own innocence.
So distracted was he that he didn't notice someone was running behind him. In fact he didn't notice until a blow to the back of his head sent him stumbling forward. Once he regained his balance he turned, a frown on his features, to see who attacked him from the back. He groaned when he saw it was Akane's boyfriend. *Great.*
Ryoga was feeling very well with himself right now. Even if he had yet to find his way to the Tendo Dojo, and back to his beloved Akane, he had stumbled upon the monster that dared to threaten his loved one. "RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!" He bellowed, and somehow the words simply felt right, as he charged again, not for one second stopping to wonder how his opponent could keep standing after receiving a blow that would've knocked out an elephant.
Ranma had to take a step back to avoid being clobbered with the heavy umbrella. He didn't know why the boy was so enraged, but he could guess what Akane and Soun must've told him. "Why are you attacking me?" He asked in a clearly annoyed tone of voice as he felt himself becoming angry. Here was another person that was attacking him, assuming he was to be eliminated even before listening to his side of the story.
Ryoga was slightly surprised when Ranma managed to avoid his first attack, but didn't let that stop him from pressing on. "SHUT UP AND DIE!"
The shouting attracted the attention of the children. All of which turned to see the fight excitedly. Ryoga didn't notice, so focused was he on beating the life out of his opponent, while Ranma started to block the umbrella swings with his forearms.
Ranma quickly analyzed the fight, something Ryoga in his enraged state could obviously not do. It seemed like the younger boy was used to fighting weaker opponents than himself. Unlike the Amazon in the mall, who used incredible skill to fight, Ryoga seemed to confide too much on his physical superiority.
The only problem with that logic is that there's always someone stronger. The bandana-clad fighter should've realized something was wrong when Ranma started effortlessly blocking the attacks with his forearms.
By now the commotion had called the attention of a couple of teachers, who had joined the children in watching the fight. One of them called the police, hoping that for once they would arrive on time.
Ranma got tired of blocking and the next time Ryoga thrust with his umbrella he used the boy's momentum to throw him over his shoulder and against a wall. He was surprised when Ryoga crashed through it, not expecting for that to happen.
The observers all grew a sweat drop at what happened next.
Instead of running back through the hole he created, Ryoga stood up only to smash through the opposite wall. "COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!" He roared.
The sweat drops increased in size when they heard Ryoga's shouts of anger vanish in the distance.
Ranma just stared incredulously, the shock having overwhelmed the anger, at the retreating form of the fighter. *Did I hit him that hard?*
-----
After lunch break Hinako made her way to her next class. The one where Tendo Akane was.
She had mixed feelings in that. Akane was responsible for inflicting a lot of pain on Ranma, yet at the same time she wasn't aware of it. On the other hand it was her duty as a disciplinarian to look over her personal feelings and help her students as much as she could. Then there were the morning fights. Even if principal Kuno's son was responsible for them she would sooner or later have to get involved to stop them. It was a miracle no one had been too seriously injured.
As she walked down the hall Hinako caught sight of the person involved in the morning conflict. She was currently talking to her friends, a smile on her face. *How can this girl be responsible for so many bad things?* The teacher asked herself. Akane was a good student, always paying attention, though lately she'd been a little lax in her studies.
As she was about to walk past the small group she was stopped when Akane noticed her. "Hinako-sensei!" The girl called as she made her way to the teacher.
*This is unusual.* Hinako thought. Usually none of the students spoke to her outside the classrooms. "What can I do for you, Tendo-san?" She asked as she turned to the approaching girls. She noticed Akane's friends giving her nervous looks, something that always happened where she was concerned.
As soon as Akane caught sight of Hinako she called the teacher's attention. When they approached the disciplinarian she had a look of true worry on her features. "Are you alright, Hinako-sensei?" She asked.
Hinako was slightly taken aback by the question. "I'm fine, Tendo-san. I thank you for your concern, but what brought this on?"
"That monster did nothing to you, did he?" Akane asked forcefully, and the others could see she was almost expecting for Hinako to say it did wrong her.
Hinako's face was instantly drained of emotions. She didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know which 'monster' Akane was referring to. "Excuse me?" She asked, trying to get more information out of the youngest Tendo.
Akane pressed on. "You know. When that monster attacked you in the mall. We all saw it on TV." She said, and as if to make her point she turned to the other two girls, who nodded in the affirmative.
Hinako understood then, she'd seen the recording on the evening news, and she wondered how these girls managed to misinterpret it. "Oh, you mean Ranma." She said casually. "He didn't attack me, Tendo-san. Far from it, since he protected me from the explosion."
"You know that bastard?" Akane asked in between clenched teeth as her fists balled to her sides. She completely ignored everything the disciplinarian said after Ranma's name was mentioned.
"Tendo-san!" The teacher barked out, making Akane involuntarily take a step back. "You will refrain from using such language in my presence. Is that understood?"
The vehemence in Hinako's voice made Akane nod even before the words registered in her brain. "Yes, sensei."
Satisfied with Akane's quick compliance, and taking advantage of Akane being still shaken, Hinako decided to drop the conversation before she could inquire about Ranma again. A confrontation with the Tendos was inevitable, but Hinako knew Ranma wasn't ready for it right now. "Class is about to start. Get moving, ladies."
She was glad the three girls complied.
-----
Hinako entered the park, her school supplies still on her arms. She told Ranma to meet her here when school was over so they could get something to eat. She didn't feel like cooking today.
She looked all around, looking for the pigtailed man. The park was nearly deserted, so it was no problem finding Ranma, who was sitting under a tree with his eyes closed.
She approached him silently, intent on surprising him. As she got closer she could tell Ranma was not going to notice her even if she screamed at him. There was so much ki around him she was certain he was connected to the life stream.
For others the scene was nothing special, but for someone with her advanced chi senses it was an incredible spectacle. She could actually see the life energy of the plants around the pigtailed man being strengthened, the complicated patterns the ki formed were art in motion.
Hinako was mesmerized by the beautiful show. So much that she didn't even realize when she sat in front of Ranma only to watch and, most importantly, feel around her.
-----
It was a full hour later when Ranma finally opened his eyes. He felt refreshed, as he always did after coming into contact with the life stream. He focused his sight in front of him and blinked in surprise. "Hinako?"
The woman just smiled at him. "That was beautiful, Ranma."
He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Sorry about making you wait. How long have you been waiting?"
She giggled at his awkward apology. "Not too long. Now help me up so we can go get something to eat." She said. Almost instantly he was on his feet and offering her a helpful hand, which she gracefully accepted.
"Where to? The Uchan's again?" Ranma asked as he pulled her to her feet, then helped her with her things. He placed the books and papers under his arm.
Hinako shook her head. "I'd like to try something a little bit different today. You don't mind, do you?"
The pigtailed man smirked. "Whatever you feel like is fine." And for the first time since Hinako could remember, she usually dragged him around after her, he offered his right arm for her to take.
The woman blinked at the gesture, not having expected it. She realized she was just staring at him and quickly took a hold of his arm. She felt her cheeks warming up and realized with no small amount of surprise that she must be blushing. She would've laughed had she not been so surprised. When shopping for clothes she walked in front of Ranma nearly naked not minding at all, yet a show of affection as simple as his offering his arm embarrassed her.
Ranma noticed Hinako stare off into space and decided not to disturb her from her thoughts. He did wonder, though, how it was that he was so at ease with her. He remembered clearly shaking nervously when being in close proximity to Kasumi, yet being so close to Hinako didn't feel awkward at all. He assumed it had something to do with the fact that they'd both been in the life stream together.
-----
She couldn't believe her good luck. Not even an hour had passed since she started looking for him. *There he is!* She thought as she rushed towards the pigtailed man.
-----
Ranma suddenly felt someone tackle him from the left. As he fell he wondered what was happening to him today that everyone seemed able to take him unawares.
Hinako, lost in thought as well, was ill prepared to react in time and avoid the falling Ranma. She fell flat on her back and felt the air forced out of her lungs when Ranma and their attacker fell on top of her, the school supplies he carried under his arm knocked to the ground.
"Zack!" A female cry echoed throughout the park, gaining the attention of the pedestrians.
The male ones shook their heads and eyed the pigtailed guy enviously. The women all looked away in disgust at the display, though some of them wished to be on the human pile on the ground if only to feel those muscles against their skin.
An elderly couple turned away. The man muttering something about indecent youngsters.
What they all saw was a breathless Hinako resting on her back. Ranma had somehow managed to land with his face firmly planted between her breasts and his right hand under her butt. Finally there was a brown-haired girl in her late teens wearing very tight jean shorts and a skin-tight purple t- shirt. She had her arms around the man's waist and was hugging him tightly, unintentionally stopping his attempts at getting up and out of the embarrassing position.
Even if Hinako was fighting to get her breath back she quickly took notice of the warmth coming from Ranma's body. She blushed furiously, not because of the heat, but because of the places she could feel the heat coming from. "Ranma! Get off me!" She said suddenly feeling even more breathless.
"I'm trying." He mumbled as he placed his free arm on the ground and pushed, finally able to get off her, though his right hand was still trapped.
"I finally found you!" The girl cried out as she let go of him and sat back, crossing her legs in a relaxed lotus position. "I've been looking all over for you." She said happily.
When Ranma sat up, and helped an utterly flustered Hinako to a sitting position as well, he turned to the girl that tackled them to the ground. His eyes widened in shock. "Aeris?"
END PART 6
Author's notes: Who's this girl Aeris girl? What's her relationship to Ranma and why did she call him Zack? The relationship between Ranma and Hinako seems to be developing, though he's still ignorant of the fact.
Well, another chapter out and there seems to be trouble brewing. Too many people with a common interest are about to collide in a battle of epic proportions. Who will be the victor? Only time will tell.
Ranma stared at the girl in confusion. *Slave?* He asked himself, wondering just what the hell was happening. Why did this girl feel the right to hurt others to get to him?
When she noticed the Japanese man made no move to follow her instructions Shampoo growled. "Slave come now!" She commanded with even more force than the first time.
She got the same results. Ranma remained unmoving, though his eyes were hardening considerably as he took notice of all the people hurt on the floor around him. And particularly on the fact that Hinako nearly joined them.
The teacher turned her attention from the wounded ones to glare at the purple haired girl. "What do you think you're doing?!" She bellowed at the girl.
Shampoo didn't even flinch at the outburst. "Shampoo taking back Amazon property. Weak Japanese woman stay back." With that said she stepped forward, intent on giving Ranma a lesson for his disobedience.
What she didn't expect was for Hinako to actually step in front of her, blocking her path. "You're not getting him." The older woman said in defiance. "You're a delinquent and delinquents are to be punished."
"You obstacle!" Shampoo accused as she swung her sword at the woman, mostly a move to scare her away instead of a move to harm her at all.
Hinako's eyes sparkled as she prepared to fight off the Amazon. She wanted a chance to test what Ranma gave her, it seemed like it would be in a real fight.
Neither woman got what she wanted though. Even if the sword strike was not meant to hurt the teacher, it was more than threatening enough to Ranma. The Amazon had to jump back from a punch launched at her face by the pigtailed man.
Shampoo stared at Ranma as he recovered from the missed attack. His eyes were coldly focused on her, something that never happened in the village. *He's protecting this woman.* She thought, wondering what Hinako had done to gain this man's protection like that. In the past he didn't protect his own father, so his protecting a weak Japanese woman was confusing. *Doesn't matter. He's still Amazon property and should be taken back.*
Hinako stared at Ranma's back as he stood in front of her protectively. "Ranma."
He didn't answer her call as he charged the purple haired Amazon with another punch.
Shampoo skillfully ducked under said punch and redirected the attack at the same time she tripped him, effectively sending him flying over her. Ranma crashed against the wall face-first with a loud crash. The Amazon was surprised with the amount of force behind that blow. *If it came from a skilled opponent I would be impressed.* She thought as she turned to Hinako, who needed to be eliminated before the brainless slave could be taken back to China. The form behind the punch was very good, but for someone trained in the Amazon village it was nothing. Especially since he seemed to be used to having more reach.
Just as the Amazon was about to reach Hinako she heard steps behind her. She turned to see Ranma rushing her again, his right fist cocked back for another punch. Instead of using her sword to deal with the stubborn male she tried to submit him with her free arm. She didn't want him dead, after all. He was too good a worker.
She effectively managed to snake her way around the punch and take hold of Ranma's arm for a painful lock. When she applied pressure to make the male submit her eyes widened. She found unyielding resistance before feeling herself thrown through the air.
Hinako watched as Ranma threw the girl away with ease. She watched as the Amazon twirled in the air and met the wall feet first before letting herself drop to the floor. Her grace and skill were astounding, yet they didn't match the expression on her face. A look of realization, tinged with some fear, was there.
Shampoo stared wide-eyed at the slave as he brought his foot down on her sword, which she lost hold of in the last exchange. The blade snapped with the force of the stomp. *That's why...* She thought as Cologne's words came back to haunt her. 'If by any chance the male turns hostile stay away from him.' It had been shortly after Ranma was placed under her service, and Shampoo had forgotten all about it since Ranma always did as he was told. Besides the fact that she thought her great grandmother was joking around. What did Shampoo, champion of the tournament, have to fear from a male?
As Ranma took a step towards her the young Amazon started debating with herself for a course of action. In the end, and way before Ranma reached her again, she decided to follow her great-grandmother's advice. With a swiftness that would put to shame an Olympic gymnast's the Amazon jumped back and retreated through the hole she created in the first place.
Ranma was about to follow her when he felt a hand on his shoulder restraining him from moving. He turned to see Hinako looking at him seriously. "We can deal with her later, Ranma. We have to help the injured."
Even if her words would eventually convince him to refrain from pursuing the one that called him 'slave', Hinako's reference to the injured made him take a look around. His thoughts cleared somewhat as he nodded and they both started giving what care they could to the victims of the explosion.
The result of their care was half the injured people being completely healed before the ambulances arrived.
As they worked Hinako thought about their purple-haired attacker. She seemed like an obstinate and prideful girl, yet she instantly backed away when Ranma stood his ground against her. She would definitely be back, but maybe she'd try to avoid a confrontation with the pigtailed man.
It also didn't escape Hinako's notice that Ranma seemed to have a little more control over himself today, and that it was easier for her to prevent him from killing someone. She could only hope that he continued improving in that area.
Ranma glowed a faint green and was satisfied when the wound was healed. He couldn't help but feel sad when the woman looked at him in fear.
All around people stared at Ranma in varying states of shock. Some of them saw the chunks of stone hit him at high speed, only to bounce back with Ranma not even wincing in pain. Most of them saw the way he briefly fought with the Amazon, most particularly how he got up after crashing face first against the wall. Now they saw as he glowed green and the wounds he treated closed. Even if they felt grateful they were also nervous about the young man. Even in Nerima no human could do such things and make them look easy.
When the authorities arrived everyone had to make a statement. The commanding officer even thanked Ranma for his participation in fighting off the Amazon and helping he injured people. He didn't really believe what some said about him glowing, but when he arrived he did see Hinako and Ranma helping an injured man to assume a more comfortable position.
In the way back home, since the mall would close for the day because of the incident, Ranma and Hinako walked immersed in their thoughts. Neither broke the silence until they were already inside Hinako's apartment. And even then it was only to make casual conversation.
-----
Nabiki was going over her books as the entire family watched the evening news. Some incident in the mall was the main story, yet she paid it little attention as she wondered how she was going to pay for the bills this month. With Soun's 'friend' staying over the fragile balance on their finances was broken.
Of course as soon as she brought it up Soun told her everything would work out. *Yeah right!* Nabiki thought sarcastically. *You're not the one paying the bills around here. Why should you worry?*
As she calculated some quick numbers to cut on Akane's training material she was startled out of her thoughts by Akane's scream of rage. She looked up to see her little sister, together with Genma and Soun, glaring at the TV set.
When she turned to the frozen image on the screen her eyes quickly focused on a figure sitting in the place the explosion took place. *Ranma.* The image didn't have much quality. It was from one of the security cameras in the mall. The picture was then played in slow motion. They could all see how the wall exploded inward.
Many didn't react in time, but Ranma was on his feet in an instant and hugging a woman close to protect her with his own body. Nabiki didn't have to be a genius to know it was Hinako-sensei. The screen was then filled with static as a rock broke the camera. She turned to Akane, who seemed to have recognized the teacher as well. She could almost see the gears in Akane's brain start to work. Something Genma's influence was having a negative effect on. Her little sister was smart, but Genma was teaching her to do the thinking with her fists instead of her brain.
"The pervert did something to Hinako-sensei!" Was the brilliant conclusion Akane came up with at seeing him grope the woman.
Nabiki groaned, but was ignored as Genma and Soun jumped to their feet and started promising to teach that boy a lesson. Couldn't they see Hinako- sensei was protected from the explosion? Besides the fact that she was obviously having lunch with Ranma.
Nabiki then turned to Kasumi, who was just silently looking at the screen. *She should've been my first concern.* The middle Tendo sister thought guiltily as she caught her older sister's expression. Kasumi's face showed longing. It was clear she reached the same conclusion as Nabiki. Ranma was protecting Hinako-sensei as he once protected Kasumi from those thugs.
"Saotome, that son of yours must be stopped." Soun said seriously as he continued to glare at the television set.
Genma just nodded solemnly. "Quite so, Tendo."
Nabiki was about to protest when she caught a glance from Kasumi. The eldest sister simply shook her head, reminding Nabiki of her promise not to tell father about what really happened in the Dojo. *Damn it, Kasumi! If we don't do something someone will end up hurt.* She thought angrily. *And that someone won't be Ranma-kun.* She added grimly, knowing the young man was very vulnerable emotionally. Physically, though...
So Nabiki refrained from correcting a wrong that was leading her father and sister to make an already bad situation even worse. She had to give it to Kasumi, the young woman was very determined when she set out on a course of action. And Nabiki could also see all Kasumi wanted was to protect her family. Something she herself would do without thinking twice. *But she's doing it the wrong way.* She'd have to find a way to help Ranma without breaking her promise. Both for his and her family's sake.
-----
Parry.
Step to the side.
Downwards slash.
Jump back.
Forward thrust.
*Concentrate. Focus.*
Parry high.
*Control.*
Parry low.
Parry back.
*Control.*
Spin.
*Now.*
Decapitating blow.
The katana wielder held that position for five minutes. His eyes were closed as he continued to concentrate, feeling as his body assimilated the exercises. He needed to be ready. He needed, above all, control. If he didn't have it there would be consequences he didn't want to deal with. He needed to have 'it' under his control.
-----
The woman smiled with an insane light in her eyes. She had finally found him.
*Soon, I will learn all your secrets.*
The thought excited her so much. She would have to approach him carefully, least he consider her a threat. That would be a very bad thing. Very bad indeed.
She'd earn his trust in some way before putting in motion her plans. "But mark my words. I will get you."
Everyone that was unfortunate enough to be close shuddered at the sound of her laughter. A bad omen if there ever was one.
-----
The girl hid in the shadows. She knew where to find him. Now she had to find a way to get him. And a confrontation was entirely out of the question. Thankfully help was on the way. It wouldn't be more than a week before it arrived.
She stood up and walked away as silently as a ghost. She couldn't confront him, but that didn't mean she couldn't search for his father.
-----
*Finally.* She thought when she saw the picture in the newspaper.
It was difficult as hell finding someone in this overpopulated world. She'd narrowed the search to Japan, and more specifically Tokyo where she currently was, hoping he was in the general area of his birthplace. It seemed like she was right.
She stood up and quickly started emptying the drawers and placing her few belongings into her backpack. She needed to get to the Nerima district. She needed to get to him before he did.
-----
The girl stared at the scene with a heavy heart. "Even after all we've done. Will there be no end to it? Won't we ever know peace?" She whispered as she studied the landscape.
The place was in ruins, the fight having destroyed everything around them. What were once proud buildings were now nothing but rubble. Trees were reduced to ash, consumed by the flames where their enemy finally found its doom. Or at least one of them. *The demoness must've escaped once her ally was defeated.* She thought not knowing how to feel about having yet another enemy on the loose. And one as dangerous as her. In the background a giant crystal palace sparkled with the last rays of the sun.
To her horror, and that of her companions, she saw the figure stand once again. Amidst the flames he stood proud, as a demon from the deepest bowels of hell seeking retribution against his enemies. The black leather of his outfit smoked as it refused to be burn, the man turned his blue-green eyes on them. Eyes that reflected both sadness and coldness that promised revenge. For what she didn't know.
Then he moved.
He didn't rush them with the incredible speed he possessed. Neither did he raise his arm to let loose with fire or ice. The ground beneath their feet didn't tremble violently.
No.
That would have been a relief.
Instead of that he walked. One step at a time, purposely. The significance was not lost on the girl. They were weak after the arduous battle. He didn't need to attack as before. That would only mean overkill. And sure she was that he could kill them all. After the many battles they fought against so many different enemies, never before had they met such an impervious opponent.
A gleam caught her eye, and when she recognized it for what it was her blood ran cold. The steel of his gigantic katana, which by all rights should have been destroyed.
So shocked were her companions and her that they didn't react until it was too late. The man walked out of the flames and stopped in front of their leader, of their queen. Her regal blue eyes locked with his cold blue-green ones. Without breaking her gaze he raised the katana over his head and struck down.
The last thing the girl saw was the crystal palace shatter in a million pieces, taking with it all of her dreams and hopes.
-----
Ranma, after walking Hinako to school, wandered aimlessly through the streets of the Nerima district. He had a purpose as he walked, though. *I need to find a job.* He didn't like freeloading off Hinako like he was currently doing. Even if the teacher said it was fine he didn't feel comfortable.
Hours passed and Ranma found himself having made absolutely no progress in his quest.
The problem with finding a job was that he was, legally, only seventeen years old. The truancy officers weren't a problem only because he appeared to be physically older. But should anyone ask for an identification or some sort of school record Ranma would have to answer that he had none.
"Maybe I should ask Nabiki-san for help." Ranma said to himself as he passed in front of a junior high school. He couldn't ask Hinako because she would tell him there was no need for him to get a job. But the middle Tendo sister might come up with a good idea. He'd just have to figure out a way to speak with her without Akane finding out.
As he walked in front of the school he longingly saw some of the children play in the field. He was jealous of them. Jealous because they had what he didn't. He would never wish what happened to him to happen to anyone else, of course. But seeing those boys and girls playing innocently he realized he was a lot younger when he was ripped of his own innocence.
So distracted was he that he didn't notice someone was running behind him. In fact he didn't notice until a blow to the back of his head sent him stumbling forward. Once he regained his balance he turned, a frown on his features, to see who attacked him from the back. He groaned when he saw it was Akane's boyfriend. *Great.*
Ryoga was feeling very well with himself right now. Even if he had yet to find his way to the Tendo Dojo, and back to his beloved Akane, he had stumbled upon the monster that dared to threaten his loved one. "RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!" He bellowed, and somehow the words simply felt right, as he charged again, not for one second stopping to wonder how his opponent could keep standing after receiving a blow that would've knocked out an elephant.
Ranma had to take a step back to avoid being clobbered with the heavy umbrella. He didn't know why the boy was so enraged, but he could guess what Akane and Soun must've told him. "Why are you attacking me?" He asked in a clearly annoyed tone of voice as he felt himself becoming angry. Here was another person that was attacking him, assuming he was to be eliminated even before listening to his side of the story.
Ryoga was slightly surprised when Ranma managed to avoid his first attack, but didn't let that stop him from pressing on. "SHUT UP AND DIE!"
The shouting attracted the attention of the children. All of which turned to see the fight excitedly. Ryoga didn't notice, so focused was he on beating the life out of his opponent, while Ranma started to block the umbrella swings with his forearms.
Ranma quickly analyzed the fight, something Ryoga in his enraged state could obviously not do. It seemed like the younger boy was used to fighting weaker opponents than himself. Unlike the Amazon in the mall, who used incredible skill to fight, Ryoga seemed to confide too much on his physical superiority.
The only problem with that logic is that there's always someone stronger. The bandana-clad fighter should've realized something was wrong when Ranma started effortlessly blocking the attacks with his forearms.
By now the commotion had called the attention of a couple of teachers, who had joined the children in watching the fight. One of them called the police, hoping that for once they would arrive on time.
Ranma got tired of blocking and the next time Ryoga thrust with his umbrella he used the boy's momentum to throw him over his shoulder and against a wall. He was surprised when Ryoga crashed through it, not expecting for that to happen.
The observers all grew a sweat drop at what happened next.
Instead of running back through the hole he created, Ryoga stood up only to smash through the opposite wall. "COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!" He roared.
The sweat drops increased in size when they heard Ryoga's shouts of anger vanish in the distance.
Ranma just stared incredulously, the shock having overwhelmed the anger, at the retreating form of the fighter. *Did I hit him that hard?*
-----
After lunch break Hinako made her way to her next class. The one where Tendo Akane was.
She had mixed feelings in that. Akane was responsible for inflicting a lot of pain on Ranma, yet at the same time she wasn't aware of it. On the other hand it was her duty as a disciplinarian to look over her personal feelings and help her students as much as she could. Then there were the morning fights. Even if principal Kuno's son was responsible for them she would sooner or later have to get involved to stop them. It was a miracle no one had been too seriously injured.
As she walked down the hall Hinako caught sight of the person involved in the morning conflict. She was currently talking to her friends, a smile on her face. *How can this girl be responsible for so many bad things?* The teacher asked herself. Akane was a good student, always paying attention, though lately she'd been a little lax in her studies.
As she was about to walk past the small group she was stopped when Akane noticed her. "Hinako-sensei!" The girl called as she made her way to the teacher.
*This is unusual.* Hinako thought. Usually none of the students spoke to her outside the classrooms. "What can I do for you, Tendo-san?" She asked as she turned to the approaching girls. She noticed Akane's friends giving her nervous looks, something that always happened where she was concerned.
As soon as Akane caught sight of Hinako she called the teacher's attention. When they approached the disciplinarian she had a look of true worry on her features. "Are you alright, Hinako-sensei?" She asked.
Hinako was slightly taken aback by the question. "I'm fine, Tendo-san. I thank you for your concern, but what brought this on?"
"That monster did nothing to you, did he?" Akane asked forcefully, and the others could see she was almost expecting for Hinako to say it did wrong her.
Hinako's face was instantly drained of emotions. She didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know which 'monster' Akane was referring to. "Excuse me?" She asked, trying to get more information out of the youngest Tendo.
Akane pressed on. "You know. When that monster attacked you in the mall. We all saw it on TV." She said, and as if to make her point she turned to the other two girls, who nodded in the affirmative.
Hinako understood then, she'd seen the recording on the evening news, and she wondered how these girls managed to misinterpret it. "Oh, you mean Ranma." She said casually. "He didn't attack me, Tendo-san. Far from it, since he protected me from the explosion."
"You know that bastard?" Akane asked in between clenched teeth as her fists balled to her sides. She completely ignored everything the disciplinarian said after Ranma's name was mentioned.
"Tendo-san!" The teacher barked out, making Akane involuntarily take a step back. "You will refrain from using such language in my presence. Is that understood?"
The vehemence in Hinako's voice made Akane nod even before the words registered in her brain. "Yes, sensei."
Satisfied with Akane's quick compliance, and taking advantage of Akane being still shaken, Hinako decided to drop the conversation before she could inquire about Ranma again. A confrontation with the Tendos was inevitable, but Hinako knew Ranma wasn't ready for it right now. "Class is about to start. Get moving, ladies."
She was glad the three girls complied.
-----
Hinako entered the park, her school supplies still on her arms. She told Ranma to meet her here when school was over so they could get something to eat. She didn't feel like cooking today.
She looked all around, looking for the pigtailed man. The park was nearly deserted, so it was no problem finding Ranma, who was sitting under a tree with his eyes closed.
She approached him silently, intent on surprising him. As she got closer she could tell Ranma was not going to notice her even if she screamed at him. There was so much ki around him she was certain he was connected to the life stream.
For others the scene was nothing special, but for someone with her advanced chi senses it was an incredible spectacle. She could actually see the life energy of the plants around the pigtailed man being strengthened, the complicated patterns the ki formed were art in motion.
Hinako was mesmerized by the beautiful show. So much that she didn't even realize when she sat in front of Ranma only to watch and, most importantly, feel around her.
-----
It was a full hour later when Ranma finally opened his eyes. He felt refreshed, as he always did after coming into contact with the life stream. He focused his sight in front of him and blinked in surprise. "Hinako?"
The woman just smiled at him. "That was beautiful, Ranma."
He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Sorry about making you wait. How long have you been waiting?"
She giggled at his awkward apology. "Not too long. Now help me up so we can go get something to eat." She said. Almost instantly he was on his feet and offering her a helpful hand, which she gracefully accepted.
"Where to? The Uchan's again?" Ranma asked as he pulled her to her feet, then helped her with her things. He placed the books and papers under his arm.
Hinako shook her head. "I'd like to try something a little bit different today. You don't mind, do you?"
The pigtailed man smirked. "Whatever you feel like is fine." And for the first time since Hinako could remember, she usually dragged him around after her, he offered his right arm for her to take.
The woman blinked at the gesture, not having expected it. She realized she was just staring at him and quickly took a hold of his arm. She felt her cheeks warming up and realized with no small amount of surprise that she must be blushing. She would've laughed had she not been so surprised. When shopping for clothes she walked in front of Ranma nearly naked not minding at all, yet a show of affection as simple as his offering his arm embarrassed her.
Ranma noticed Hinako stare off into space and decided not to disturb her from her thoughts. He did wonder, though, how it was that he was so at ease with her. He remembered clearly shaking nervously when being in close proximity to Kasumi, yet being so close to Hinako didn't feel awkward at all. He assumed it had something to do with the fact that they'd both been in the life stream together.
-----
She couldn't believe her good luck. Not even an hour had passed since she started looking for him. *There he is!* She thought as she rushed towards the pigtailed man.
-----
Ranma suddenly felt someone tackle him from the left. As he fell he wondered what was happening to him today that everyone seemed able to take him unawares.
Hinako, lost in thought as well, was ill prepared to react in time and avoid the falling Ranma. She fell flat on her back and felt the air forced out of her lungs when Ranma and their attacker fell on top of her, the school supplies he carried under his arm knocked to the ground.
"Zack!" A female cry echoed throughout the park, gaining the attention of the pedestrians.
The male ones shook their heads and eyed the pigtailed guy enviously. The women all looked away in disgust at the display, though some of them wished to be on the human pile on the ground if only to feel those muscles against their skin.
An elderly couple turned away. The man muttering something about indecent youngsters.
What they all saw was a breathless Hinako resting on her back. Ranma had somehow managed to land with his face firmly planted between her breasts and his right hand under her butt. Finally there was a brown-haired girl in her late teens wearing very tight jean shorts and a skin-tight purple t- shirt. She had her arms around the man's waist and was hugging him tightly, unintentionally stopping his attempts at getting up and out of the embarrassing position.
Even if Hinako was fighting to get her breath back she quickly took notice of the warmth coming from Ranma's body. She blushed furiously, not because of the heat, but because of the places she could feel the heat coming from. "Ranma! Get off me!" She said suddenly feeling even more breathless.
"I'm trying." He mumbled as he placed his free arm on the ground and pushed, finally able to get off her, though his right hand was still trapped.
"I finally found you!" The girl cried out as she let go of him and sat back, crossing her legs in a relaxed lotus position. "I've been looking all over for you." She said happily.
When Ranma sat up, and helped an utterly flustered Hinako to a sitting position as well, he turned to the girl that tackled them to the ground. His eyes widened in shock. "Aeris?"
END PART 6
Author's notes: Who's this girl Aeris girl? What's her relationship to Ranma and why did she call him Zack? The relationship between Ranma and Hinako seems to be developing, though he's still ignorant of the fact.
Well, another chapter out and there seems to be trouble brewing. Too many people with a common interest are about to collide in a battle of epic proportions. Who will be the victor? Only time will tell.