Disclaimer:

I do not own or have any rights to Ranma ½, other than the right to read the manga and watch the anime, like everyone else.

Wait, was that another disclaimer? How many disclaimers we got on this story anyhow?

DISCLAIMERS: YO!!

I knew it, I'm surrounded by disclaimers. Keep firing, disclaimers!

Cologne was sleeping. Well, more accurately, she was trying to stay asleep. She kept having dreams. She had told everyone that the potion had never been made but once, and it was true. Mostly.

It had been made again, only two hundred years ago. She hadn't told them about it, because it had been made wrong. The poor girl who had been forced to drink it had downed a version that made her think everyone was out to kill her. The entire tribe had become an obstacle to her very existence, as far as she had been concerned. She'd beaten fifty people to death, and crippled or maimed another ninety-three before they could kill her. It was one of the bloodiest and most violent battles in Cologne's memory. The girl had been insane, and had not gone quietly.

It was therefore no surprise that she was having nightmares involving Ranma in the same situation. Screw-ups on potions with that kind of power were disturbing things, and she knew that the potion had not been made precisely. The fact that she didn't think there was one person on the planet capable of taking him down wasn't helping her sleep. Before she had lain down, she thanked the gods that the only side-effect that wasn't supposed to be there was the not-lying part, and the almost-rationality that let him fight at both full power and with full technique when enraged.

Scratch that, she wasn't thankful for that last part.

The fact that she was propped up against the end of the Tendo couch probably wasn't helping her sleep, but she'd been forced to nap in much more unpleasant places. She was finally falling back to sleep for the tenth time that night, when Akane bounced off her head.

"What?!" she shrieked.

Akane sat up, looking a little bruised. Her clothes had a burned look to them, and she was breathing heavy.

"Don't just sit there! Help me!" Akane snapped at her.

"What's going-"

Then Ryoga landed in the small of her back.

With a yell of outrage, she flung the lost boy off of her.

"Alright!" she roared. "Who's throwing bodies at me?!"

Ranma stepped through the door with the most terrifying look of fury on her face. She glared at Ryoga, then looked down. There was a troll in front of her.

It's in my way.

Cologne paled. He must be attacking the Hibiki boy! She glanced behind her. And I'm in the way! Oh, shi-

Then she was flying out the door. She landed against the wall not three feet from where her great-granddaughter had crashed earlier, but the crater she made was smaller. When she sat up, her eyes didn't want to focus properly.

So that's what obstacles feel when I run them over, she thought hazily. Unpleasant.

"Whoa!!" she heard, followed by two loud splashes.

Akane and Kasumi both surfaced in the koi pond. Kasumi looked very confused.

"What?" she said. "Ranma-kun?"

"Explanations later!" snapped Cologne. "Fighting now! Stop Ranma Saotome!" She and Akane charged back into the house. Kasumi followed, feeling a little lost. Had Ranma just thrown her off of the couch and into the yard?

Cologne got back inside in time to see onna-Ranma trying to pull one of Ryoga's legs off. She wasn't succeeding, but the screams from Ryoga insured it was still painful. She jumped, grabbing Ranma in a headlock.

"Soun Tendo! Genma Saotome! Mousse! Shampoo! Drag your lazy carcasses in here and help us stop Ranma!"

Mousse and Shampoo arrived in seconds. Shampoo was limping a little from her earlier beating. Their eyes widened, then they jumped into the fight.

Ranma was trying to throw Cologne from his neck and break Ryoga's leg at the same time. He reach behind his head, gripping Cologne by her hair, and threw her like a missile into the oncoming Shampoo. Shampoo forced herself up onto her feet as Mousse tried to tie Ranma down with chains.

"Child, how many fingers am I holding up?"

Shampoo looked at her ancestor. "Six."

"Sit down, Shampoo, I don't have six fingers on either of my hands!" Cologne threw a look behind her. Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome had both joined the fight, though they, too, were not being very successful in keeping Ranma from Ryoga. At least the fat man is finally awake to help.

"Shampoo help Airen, great-grandmother..."

"Stop moving, Shampoo, this is no time for heroics. You can't even stand!"

"Shampoo standing right now!"

"You are flat on your back, and are kicking your legs around! You probably have another concussion! Unless you want to die and turn your Airen into a murderer, you will stay here!"

Unable to even determine where her great-grandmother's voice was coming from in order to tell her she would stay where she was, Shampoo just nodded.

Cologne turned back to the battle, actually wishing Happosai was here to help.

What's happening?! she thought. What is the young Tendo doing?!

She jumped at Ranma as Akane began viciously began kicking Ryoga in the ribs.

Akane was holding Ranma's arm on a lock as her father tried to drag the martial artist to the ground. The real problem was that no matter what they did, Ranma's eyes never turned away from Ryoga. Ryoga was trying to stand and run, but Ranma was lashing out with his legs, knocking him back to the ground.

Damn it, Ranma! Why do you hate Ryoga so much?

Stupid jerk using my oath against me if I had known this is what he'd do I'd never have made it in the first place

Ranma shoved at her, hard, and she flew back, landing on the couch. A roundhouse later, and her father, bleeding from the mouth, flew over her and into the hall. Mousse himself was doing his best with his chains again, but it wasn't nearly as good as he had been a minute ago.

Ranma had thrown him into the koi pond.

Ducks aren't the best fighters.

What stupid oath?! she thought as she rolled off of the couch, and tried to kick Ranma's legs out from under him.

Damned oath I made to Ryoga after I found out about his secret I swore not to tell anyone Martial Artists vow but I want to take it back but I can't

Ranma jumped over her low kick, and landed on Ryoga's chest, on one foot. Ryoga gagged, and coughed blood onto his shirt. He kicked at Ranma, sending the martial artist back into his father, who pulled the boy turned girl into a headlock.

Why did you make an oath?

Ranma gripped her father's shoulders and jumped, bounding off the wall with a leg. Her other leg wrapped around Genma's neck as she rolled around in the air, and the man was smashed against the floor as Ranma finished the back flip and landed on her feet, charging at Ryoga again.

Made an oath to Ryoga not to tell his weakness his stupid curse but I want to tell Akane but she doesn't catch on dammit no matter how many clues I give her but the oath won't let me just tell her like I want to

Akane ran behind Ranma as another of the pig-tailed girl's kicks sent Ryoga flying into Mousse. Akane pulled Ranma's arm behind her back, twisting it up. Ranma snarled as she dropped and spun, getting Akane in front of her, and throwing her at her recovering father. They both hit the ground.

What damn curse of Ryoga's? she thought as she pulled her father to his feet.

Damned lost idiot followed me all the way to China to Jusenkyo...

"Akane! Akane! What's wrong?" Soun took a second to take in his daughter before he would rejoin the fight. He couldn't do much against the power of Ranma, but they had a chance, as long as he was still a girl.

But Akane had stopped moving a second after she had pulled him to her feet after Ranma had thrown them together.

"Speak to me, daughter! Are you injured?"

Akane blinked, her eyes clearing.

In her mind, her own rage combined with the voice of Ranma's fury.

"You perverted freak!!" Akane threw herself at Ryoga, landing a kick across his jaw. Cologne went past her in a blur towards Ranma. Akane's feet lashed against Ryoga's chest.

"Bastard!! You've been using me!!" She picked Ryoga up by his broken arm, ignoring the way it bent at his new second elbow, and threw him towards Ranma.

Ranma rolled his head back, slamming it into Cologne's face. She let go, and Ranma spun on his heel to catch Ryoga in the face with a kick.

Akane ran at Ryoga, smacking aside the small objects that had come from his direction when Ranma had kicked him.

She wasn't even aware she had just knocked aside two of Ryoga's blood-stained teeth.

The part of his mind that Ranma might have called his conscience, where it was determined on a constant basis that he shouldn't hit girls, that he should now hurt those who were weak, that killing was wrong, and that he had to be careful when he fought, for many of his opponents were fragile things, and that if he fought at full strength, most of them, if not all of them, would probably break, was silent. In it's place a frightening fire, with the color of the darkest lifeblood, burned away, with Ryoga's face as it's victim. He was aware that he was a girl, and that was why he fought off the pathetic attempts of those around him to keep him from that fucking bastard, the one who used Akane, the one who stole into her room, the one who kept getting in the way, who saw her naked, saw her bathe, saw her change, heard her secrets, shared her bed.

Today, it was Ryoga's day to die.

Why these moron's kept getting in the way Ranma didn't understand, but he knew, if they didn't back off soon, he'd kill them first.

Obstacles, that's all they were.

He also didn't understand why Akane was working with him, and no longer against him.

He really didn't care.

Akane helping him make the kill would be that much sweeter.

That damn duck on top of his head was starting to get on his nerves, though. Out of the corner of his eye, for he would never look away from his victim while Ryoga's heart kept beating, he saw Kasumi aiming a pot at his head.

Hot water, he thought, for the duck.

"No!" he heard that old damn ghoul scream. "He'll still be too fast for us as a man, but he'll be that much stronger!"

It was too late, the water hit them both dead on. Ranma felt a large weight on the top of his head, and threw it like it was nothing to him.

It wasn't.

He advanced on Ryoga, ignoring the blows that came from Cologne. They couldn't hurt him. Now he, not she, but he, was beyond all of them.

Ryoga needed to die before he'd stop, that was all there was.

He saw the look in Ryoga's eyes as he picked the boy up from the floor. He chuckled as his now-superior strength let him rattle the bastard around.

When he heard the lost boy beg, he couldn't help it.

He smiled.

It was funny.

Akane kept lashing out at Ryoga, and Soun Tendo was finding it hard to stop her. He shoved her back into his friend, and Genma Saotome held her in a headlock, while her father tried to grab onto her feet to keep her from kicking.

"One berserker is bad enough, what the hell set her off?!" demanded Genma.

"No idea, hold her still!" shot back Soun.

Akane gripped the sometimes-panda's shoulders and jumped, bounding off her father with a leg and kicking him in the head. Her other leg wrapped around Genma's neck as she rolled around in the air, and Genma was smashed against the floor as Akane finished the back flip and landed on her feet. She spun, and glared at the shocked Saotome.

But I only ever taught Ranma that move! his mind protested.

"Back off, Oyaji!" Akane snarled. "Or next time, I'll knock you out!"

Oyaji? Genma thought, confused.

Akane ran at Ryoga, who was being held on his knees by a male Ranma. Ranma had a hand around the lost boy's throat, and was grinning. Cologne was actually on Ranma's head, pounding on him, but Ranma didn't seem to care. A swipe of his hand, and she flew towards the wall, and dropped, unconscious next to the equally out Mousse. Akane stood next to Ranma, and closed her hand around Ranma's, joining him in squeezing Ryoga neck. Ranma shot a glance at her from the side of his eye, and his grin grew wider before he turned his full attention back to Ryoga.

Ryoga felt Ranma squeeze a little harder, and opened his eyes to find that Akane was next to him. Akane, please, help me!

He wasn't aware that it had been Akane's feet cracking his ribs when he was on the floor. So he was shocked to find that it was her hand making Ranma crush his throat, and she was in no way stopping him.

Ryoga was lifted from the ground by Ranma and Akane's hands, his feet dangling in the air uselessly. He was Tendo-san and Saotome-san were pulling at Ranma's arm, but Ranma never wavered. Ryoga looked into Ranma's eyes, and for the second time that day, he saw the fires of hell. They burned in Ranma's eyes, and Ryoga knew true fear.

When Ryoga heard Akane speak, and saw the look of outrage on her face, he knew he was going to die.

Ranma felt a hand close around his, and knew it was Akane. He stole a quick look at her, before he saw the look on her and the added pressure from her hand on his, making him choke Ryoga a little harder. He grinned wider, and looked back at Ryoga. He still didn't know why Akane was helping him, but he really didn't care, nor did he object.

It was better that way, with her helping him.

He picked Ryoga up by his neck, that neck that always held that bandanna when he was a pig, and squeezed when he felt Akane's hand demand more pressure. His father and Akane's father pulled at his arm, but it stayed in the air.

Idiots, I'm better than them. I'll kill them too if they keep getting in the way.

He heard Akane whisper to Ryoga, and he knew that only he and the soon to be dead Hibiki could hear it.

"Die, pig-boy."

Oh, so that was why she was helping. She'd figured it out.

Akane's hand demanded even more pressure, and Ranma was far too happy to oblige. He felt Ryoga's pulse against his fingers as he pressed into the flesh of his throat.

Maybe he should say something.

Let Ryoga know for sure. Just in case he had a doubt.

Nothing like a little certainty, right?

He twisted his hand, putting on more pressure as he made Ryoga look him in the face.

He saw the lost boy's one open eye focus on him. Good, now I know he can hear me.

He chuckled. It was kinda funny, really.

"Ryoga," he said. "Prepare to die."

And Ranma roared with laughter as he continued to strangle his rival.

A/N

Ah, what a great place to leave off this chapter, ne? Poor Ryoga, I always felt he was an honorless baka. I think he deserves it, don't you?

As usual, any grammatical errors or manga/anime oversights you notice are more than welcome to be pointed out. Flames are also accepted, as I need something to roast some marshmallows over. Thanks to those who read and review! I'd like to name Hououza and dogbertcarroll by name, you two are great! See you next chapter!