By RankoSaotome
Disclaimer on first chapter.
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Ranma slowly moved to the Tendo Home with Kasumi. This morning was very weird, as now she was supposed to head to Mist Valley, but... Did she really want to go? Did she really want the Spirit Blacksmith that much?
Yes... She'd been forced to make decisions lately, from being forced to have a certain violent tomboy named Akane Tendo as her fiance, to kissing Tofu-sensei in order for him to be able to fix her sword. She liked the guy, she truly did with how nice he was to her.
And... when she had to give up being a man for a while in the sake of training... She did mind, truly, but her want, her desire to be a Spirit Blacksmith overided her want to be her correct gender. If she had to be a girl from now on, so be it.
Besides, when was she given many choices? Not since she'd disgraced the path of the martial artist for that of the Spirit Blacksmith.
But that could wait. Thoughts could come later. She had to catch up to Schmidt, and soon! As she and Kasumi entered the house to get supplies for the travel, announcing themselves, Ranma found the feeling of the house to be... wrong. It felt like a very evil presense was in this house, an evil weapon or something... Either way, the spirit of her sword was scared. It was strong...
Then, her eyes widened before she rushed in. She could tell those feelings anywhere... The feelings of malicious intent upon someone. And not just the want to harm, the want to kill was thick in the air.
She rushed into the family room, her blood turning cold was she saw Schmidt standing over Nabiki Tendo, about to deal her a killing blow. Ranma wouldn't be able to fend off the attack... So, she rushed in, and dived, shielding Nabiki with her own body as the blade came down.
"AGH!" Came Ranma's scream, as blood was spilled from her back, the blade of Schmidt's sword coming down twice more mercilessly upon her back. Schmidt was grinning, as he pulled back his sword and rested the heel of his boot on Ranma's back. With a malicious grin, he pushed down, causing Ranma to cry out.
"Well, well. Playing hero, huh? Trying to protect these filthy vermin, huh? Well, girl, if you want to die that badly..."
"You... bastard..."
"Heh. You can barely talk. This will be no fun without your screams." He said, diving his sword down at Ranma again.
Another slice opened on her back, as Ranma nearly passed out from the blood dripping down her back.
'I... I'm going to die...' She thought, as she tried to hold onto consciousness. She briefly thought of all those she knew, tears flowing down her face. 'I... I'm sorry, everyone...' She thought, the sword coming down on her back again. She writhed in pain for a moment, her eyes closing before she lay still.
"Heh. Not even worth the effort. Why Tofu even thought she could stand up to me is beyond reason..." Schmidt said, completely missing the glow that erupt around Ranma's still form. In a moment, she was fully healed, while her sword shot out of her sheath. It was glowing with power, more than it had at the smithy earlier.
Schmidt noticed it just before the sword could take his head. "WHAT THE HELL! A floating sword!" He yelled, defending himself from the angry spirit.
Before long, he made a run for it, the sword returning to its mistress. Slowly, it went back to trying to bring her around with magic.
When she did come to, she was groggy and still in a bit of pain, but nothing as compared to earlier. She saw the floating sword, and listened. She could hear its worry for her, its caring, and she smiled.
"I'll be okay..." She said, trying to soothe the sword. "Thank you for protecting me... What's your name...?"
The sword replied, with Ranma smiling again. Everyone there, except Kasumi, thought she was crazy. "Sodina, huh? Well, Sodina, will you please go with me to Mist Valley? I have a score to settle with Schmidt..."
When Sodina, the sword, replied, Ranma nodded her head. Nabiki was still unconscious when Ranma rose, Sodina going back to her sheath. Finally, she went to her room, grabbed enough supplies, and came back down to find Kasumi. "Let's go, Kasumi."
"Hai."
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Chapter 2 - Of Mists and Disasters
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"Kasumi, look out!" Ranma cried out as she leapt up into the air, more like vaulting up and over Kasumi to land behind the enemy. The enemy forces were made up of a few Freelance Knights, nothing too dangerous. Ranma easily and quickly dispatched them all. That was, though, before a large rock hit her.
"Ranma!" Kasumi cried, moving to the new Mandara and slicing him open.
The fighting was numerous, but they eventually got to Mist Valley. Ranma shivered as she looked about, realizing this place was quite cold. "Brrr... So cold..."
"Just try not to think about the cold, Ranma."
And the paths of Mist Valley reminded Ranma of a maze of highway roads. It was like she was standing on a highway and a car could, at any time, run her over.
Some of the paths were so very hard to see, that Ranma almost fell off. She was scared of this place, she really was. She knew a drop from here could kill her. She also knew, just about anything could appear from the mist.
And as they got further, the mist got thicker. And thicker. The fights weren't too bad, though Ranma now HATED anything to do with those Merman Knights. Finally, they came into the chamber of the Mirror of Souls.
Schmidt was already there.
Schmidt was looking at a black reflection. "So, is this how they see me... Evil energy? All I want is a powerful sword... Is this what it has come to? Are you spirits saying my desire is upon the same level as evil intentions?"
"But, a sword is merely a tool! It is meant to kill your enemies! I want to focus all my strength into one swing of my sword. Isn't that enough to make me worthy of the secret art?"
Then, Ranma noticed, something floating. Glowing and generating evil energy that washed over her. She felt like she was going to suffocate in that energy, gasping slightly and bringing Schmidt's glare upon her.
"You!"
Then, the being spoke.
"Yes... If what the mirror sees is your true self, so be it... You are right about the sword being a weapon for battle. A cursed sword is fine. It is important that YOU control the spirit and the sword. You are a Spirit Blacksmith of Darkness. I have seen your true soul, you are meant to serve me. You don't need the secret art. Forge swords on your own. Come with me. You are one of us now."
"Schmidt! Don't let him... Don't let him fool you!" Ranma said as she ran towards him, the boy drawing his sword upon her again. But this time, she would not stand down. She kept running at him. But he merely sidestepped her, and she nearly ran into the Mirror of Souls. When she turned, Schmidt was moving towards the evil being.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha..."
Then, the being turned its 'gaze' on her. "Who is this child? I see the spirit of Light. This does not please me... Come! You, who belong to the Darkness."
And Schmidt disappeared.
"No!"
"Schmidt!"
"Blacksmith of Light, we need you not. This is the only Spirit Blacksmith I need." And, with that, the being vanished, leaving a message on his departure. "I need no Spirit Blacksmith other than Schmidt. Even if you survive, you will have no home to go back to."
Then, a Dark Acolyte appeared on the path back out of the chamber.
"Ranma! Watch out!"
It was a Mace Gearman. The two girls were trapped in the chamber by it. Ranma, moving to the front, attacked.
And took the entire brunt of a wrathful attack by the Gearman, knocking her flat on her back with no breath. She was gasping for breath, as Kasumi, seeing an opening, launched a series of knives at the Gearman. It stopped and looked at her, then moved passed Ranma.
Ranma, seeing an opening, leapt and brought her sword down on the thing's back, skewering it. It fell, but still seemed able to fight. It knocked her off of it, her head colliding with the forewall of the chamber and knocking her out.
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When she awoke, she found herself outside Mist Valley, with Kasumi there watching over her. Kasumi immediately smiled upon Ranma's awakening. "Oh god... I thought you weren't going to wake up, Ranma..." Kasumi said, her eyes downcast as she hugged the redhead.
Ranma, though still in a bit of pain, did her best to return the gesture. "What... What happened?"
"That Gearman knocked you out. I managed to kill it, but only because you weakened it so much. Then, I carried you out here..."
Ranma seemed to remember, before she leapt up. "Oh no! We have to get to Nerima! That guy... Remember what he said!"
"You... you're right! We have to get back!"
And the two ran for all they were worth, hoping to get home before anything should happen. Ranma got there first, to a hill overlooking the city and gasped.
The town was being overrun by the Dark Acolytes!
"It's like... It's like Juuban... All over again..." Ranma muttered, staring in shock before choking and running down the hill. She would not run this time, not like the last time!
"Ranma!"
"Find the survivors and get them out of here! I have to do what I was born to do!"
And that, Ranma did. She tore through Dark Acolytes left and right, her sword and body getting covered in blood as her eyes flashed. She was a mere machine now, a killing machine that delighted in taking the lives of those that would take others' lives. Her eyes flashed again as she leapt, tearing heads from their bodies, as she moved into the city.
She had to... The Tendos! Oyaji! Tofu-sensei!
"Tofu-sensei!" She yelled as she got to the smithy, pushing her way towards it. The debris was awful, and she feared she was too late. Then, she heard it. The sound of fighting from inside, before Tofu came out, the door leveled and destroyed. "T-Tofu-sensei!"
"Stay away, Ranma!"
Ranma wanted to help, but the debris was too large to jump over and too heavy to merely shove out of the way.
"Ranma! Watch, and learn!" And with that, Tofu pushed the other swordsman back, and unleashed a bright light from his blade. It weakened the other swordsman before the light formed into a creature. But before it could strike, Tofu fell and the man vanished.
"Tofu-sensei!" Ranma screamed, leaping over the rubble, attention be damned. She dropped down next to her mentor, looking him over. She knew the wounds were far too fatal for her to heal, the girl biting her hand in worry.
"Ah... Don't look like that, Ranma-chan... I have no regrets..."
"Please, don't talk... I... I can heal you until we can find a doctor!"
"No... Ranma, I want you... To have this..."
Ranma felt the tears running down her face as she saw her master's hammer in his hand. Slowly, she looked backat him and away from the hammer. "But... Master... I don't need that hammer... I'll get you out of here and we'll all live happily... Me, you, and Kasumi..."
"Don't be silly, child... You deserve my hammer. You always were the best, most brilliant... Student I've had..."
"Master, don't say that... You're not going to die... You... You can't..."
"Ranma-chan... What did... The Mirror of Souls show you...?"
"I... I saw white... A white reflection of me..."
"Then I know... That this hammer would best... Serve you... Ranma-chan... Don't cry..."
But Ranma would not hear of it, as the tears continued to run while she kept talking. "Don't talk like that! We should be living in peace... I'd gladly serve you to make weapons for all my life if I could..."
"Do not worry, child... I am going somewhere that peace... Is not just a dream..."
"No! Master, please don't die!"
"Ranma-chan... Go to Lucent Cave... Find the Sacred Altar. There lies... A sacred torch. The Holy Flame... It shall guide you..."
"Tofu-sensei, no!"
But there was no answer. His eyes had closed, and his body went limp. Ranma herself could not stop the tears, as she beheld her deceased master. Yelling as loudly as she could, she wished with all her heart for the gods to grant her mercy, just this one.
"TOFU-SENSEI!" She screamed, before starting to cry in earnest. She held her master's body against herself, trying to feel just a little warmth to hold onto hope... But like the warmth that was rapidly fading, Ranma felt that hope dashed. She just couldn't stop the tears.
As the tears subsided, though, she sniffed and got to her feet, taking Tofu's hammer and pulling her own out. Dropping hers to the ground, she secured Tofu's hammer to her back and looked at her master. Softly, she chanted a spell and watched as her master's remains lit aflame, turning to ash. She chanted again, the ashes floating up as she pulled an urn from her bag and the ashes went inside. She would later release the ashes high over Mist Valley, releasing her master to the wind.
But now was a time for action. Picking up Tofu's sword and sheathing her own, she sore Tofu's sword would have its vengeance. Moving quickly, she leapt, the Dark Acolytes moving in to kill the newcomer. Ranma merely dashed into their ranks, her arms swinging the sword about wildly. Heads of Dark Acolytes rolled and body parts and blood filled the air.
Ranma would not allow a single one to escape. They had taken her mother's life at Juuban, her friend Ucchan's in Okinawa... Xian Pu's in Joketsuzoku... Were they following her? These... beasts would not escape this time. Too many people were dead because of her.
And as the tears ran down her cheeks, her furious eyes not letting a single Acolyte go unnoticed, her arms slicing and dicing... She killed and killed.
And yet, amongst the bodies, when it was all over, she dropped the sword to the ground, and cried. She cried hard, she cried long, and her cries filled the air as she let all know her anguish and despair.
"WAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" She cried out, her body being wracked by sobs as she knealt amongst the corpses. And when Kasumi finally appeared with the remaining survivors... Ranma looked up, before being gathered up in Kasumi's arms.
And Ranma cried. She cried as much as she could. And when Kasumi beheld Tofu's sword on the ground...
She joined Ranma in tears.
Tofu-sensei, beloved friend and mentor, was gone forever.
And high atop Mist Valley, over the Pacific Ocean, Ranma tossed Tofu's sword with all the strength she could. The sword flashed once, before vanishing, the spirits of the sword appearing and coming back to her.
She listened well, even through her veil of tears. They were glad she were leaving Tofu to rest in peace. Slowly, Ranma pulled out the urn, pulling up the lid and gently shaking it at an angle. Tofu's ashes came out, before scattering to the wind. And Tofu left them, with the spirits of his weapon as his guide to the afterlife.
And Ranma cried, for the one man she could have possibly come to love with all her heart.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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Believe me, I did not want to kill off Tofu-sensei, and definately not so soon. However, it was necessary and provided a truly heartful scene with Ranma. She had revealed more of her feelings and reasons to fight in this chapter, however some of you may be wondering why Ranma is remaining a girl. That will be explained soon.
Hope you all enjoyed this rather quick second chapter. Ja ne!