Chapter 3

Shattered Lines

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"Do you promise me Ranma?" A little girl with bright white hair held onto the arm of a little boy with black hair, held with a pigtail.

"Of course I promise ya Kito. Ranma Saotome always keeps his promises."

"You won't forget me would you?"

"Nah, how could I forget a girl like you Kito? I mean, ya beat me every time we spar. It ain't likely I'll believe pops again when he says girls are weak."

The white haired girl began to giggle. She was glad to have Ranma as a friend, someone who wasn't afraid of the stuff that her family was into. If what she heard her father talking about was true, Ranma may end up engaged to her, which was fine for her. This boy showed so much promise, such a pure heart, part of her couldn't help but fall for him.

But it was his father she didn't trust, and her father as well knew of the dangers of trusting this Genma Saotome. For their family, information on any subject could be easily obtained. What they had found out about Genma had made her very nervous, but for some reason, seemed to please her father.

If daddy is happy with this Genma, maybe I shouldn't ask if we can just get Ranma to stay and send that ugly man to some demon dimension. It's not like anyone will miss him, save the people he cheated.

She looked once again to her friend, noticing how he had leaned back onto the ground, watching the stars now that the sun had gone down. I mean, he never even told his son that Ukyo was a girl.

She laughed a little when she remembered how shocked Ranma was to learn that Kito herself was a girl. She remembered what Ranma had told her his dad had said about the difference between men and women.

'Women grow here and men grow there.' He of course was pointing at his chest for the first part and his groin for the second part.

Needless to say, her and her father had had quite a laugh about that one in private, and had even taken Ranma aside while Genma was getting drunk, explaining the difference. When Ranma had learned that Kito had beaten him, and was a girl, it was a shock to his system.

"Remember Ranma," her father had said, "girls can be just as strong as boys. They just do it differently. Your father was wrong about that. If he ever says that again, ask him about a woman named Nodoka and her family honor blade."

Kito leaned back into the grass as well, snuggling up against Ranma, looking at the stars. The future was theirs, and nothing could stop them.

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Genma was pulling Ranma along, after leaving the Okari compound. He had hoped to make Ranma stronger there, but that weird white haired girl was not only beating his son, but becoming a danger with the agreement he made with his old buddy Soun.

Not that he minded the warm meals, the hot baths and beds, as well as the great assortment of saké that his host had available. Nor did he mind the techniques the boy had made up when he faced the small demons the young girl could conjure.

But the magic would be distracting the boy from his art. That girl would make him weak, just like that Kuonji girl.

They had even told the boy the difference between boys and girls, and made him think that women were good fighters.

He couldn't have that. That would only serve to distract the boy from the art and Genma's plans for his future.

Taking out a book from his backpack that he had 'borrowed' from the Okari's library, he looked at the title.

Unbeatable Martial Art Techniques

Opening up the book to the first chapter, he smiled. Maybe teaching the boy the Nekoken would make him forget those crazy thoughts the Okari told him.

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Kito crouched on a rooftop across from the Tendo compound. From the far right edge of the roof, she could barely make out the group down in the dining area, still trying to revive that worthless bag of skin Genma Saotome, the man who had single-handedly destroyed her future and that of her father. She had no false disillusions like some people that little Ranma had been responsible in any part for their disappearance from the compound that night. All one needed to do was look at the light traces of blood on Ranma's futon that night to know Genma had hit the child in the head to keep him quiet, from screaming about him being dragged from yet another friend.

Genma had taken Ranma that night, as well as ¥400,000, some rare books, and some other valuables that they had retrieved from several pawn shops the next few weeks.

But Ranma, Ranma had pretended to be a person of high honor, promising to return and help her complete her destiny.

But he had never shown.

Now, her destiny was forever lost to her.

The power her father and she were once meant to have forever beyond their reach for another several hundred years.

All because she had made the mistake of believing that child had a pure soul.

Before she moved to the left side of the roof, she spotted a boy with a single fang appearing in his mouth. She stared for a moment, smiling. "Good, that spell is still active. I wonder if the asshole even remembers calling me a freaky little spook. Not that it matters. I wonder if he even can find his own shoes in the morning."

Smiling, and feeling a little bit better that some of her past "efforts" had not been detected or defeated, she moved to the left of the roof, allowing her to see the curtained windows of the room that her enemy was in. Cautiously creating a small clear bubble; as it would do no good for her to get caught at this point, she released it. Closing her eyes, she saw through what it saw, glad she had been able to see as if they were her own eyes, rather than a warped reflection one could get from the bubble. She watched and commanded it as it went through the window, the curtains, to appear in the room.

To say the image did not remove her former smile would have been an understatement.

She felt absolute fury at seeing those two girls hugging her former fiancée, let alone in a bed with him. Those vile, ignorant, inept, sluts! How could they steal him like that? A pure soul my ass! He was probably banging those two whores before they even got hurt. No wonder he didn't come back!

She took a couple of deep breathes, struggling to maintain her control to prevent her detection. Opening her eyes once again, she concentrated until she could see the auras of those three.

She gasped as she saw the strength in Ranma's. Even in a state where his aura should have been weakened, barely keeping itself from being drawn into the void, it had powered itself up to levels that made her cringe; recalling how the information she had uncovered about his fight with the demon had indicated its death. In a small way, I am proud I chose one with such skill and talent.

Too bad the fucker betrayed me.

Now he'll have to die.

But first, I have a mission to complete.

The orb moved forward, touching the aura at a spot to receive only Ranma's knowledge, his experience. It would do them no good to have any of the girls' experiences, though a small part of her wondered if her new enemy had at least treated those women with respect both inside and outside the bedroom.

But such things could wait until later. As the orb, now the blue color of Ranma's aura, returned to her, she prepared to float off towards her apartment, when curiosity got the better of her. She brought the orb to her mind's eye, concentrating on the memories of her time with Ranma. She wanted to know why he had betrayed her.

She nearly screamed when a wave of fear and darkness descended on her, being stopped only by her training. As she struggled once again to get her emotions under control, she began to feel confusion slipping in. What the hell was that?! That never happened while I was with him!

She decided this time to skip that barrier, trying to limit its appearance. She used her technique again, this time starting from the moment Ranma left that Ukyo girl. She watched as the memory of a few days afterwards entered her mind, but then the memories began to grow darker, as if the light illuminating them was being drained. Sensing the barrier again, she pushed beyond it, trying to find a memory not tainted by the darkness.

When it appeared, she noticed that Ranma appeared to be older than when he left her, constantly gazing around, as if something was going to jump out after him.

She removed the orb from her temple, trying to understand what she had seen. Whatever that barrier was, it was obscuring all of the memories of her, and since this orb was in fact an accurate reflection of what Ranma's mind now was; it made sense that his memories would also be blocked.

Floating off towards her father, she began to wonder what darkness could do this, as well as knowing that it was somehow Genma's fault.

It appears I was right though. I should have disobeyed father and killed that swine when I had the chance. A few dozen necro-imps and my problems would have been solved.

But I guess even if father still wishes him dead, I do hope I can play around with him.

An evil smile crossed her lips as she gained altitude. Oh yes, she would enjoy the slow death of Genma Saotome. Of that much, she was certain.

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The three souls once again woke up, Ranma glancing at the clock to look at the time.

"9:34 am"

All three knew the time now, their minds still throwing every new detail together, still not allowing any semblance of a personal thought.

Each one felt warm in the bed.

Each one felt comforted by the others being there.

Each one felt that this was as close to a perfect moment as they had been in a while.

None of them felt lonely.

None of them felt unloved.

None of them felt sorrow, felt anguish, felt as though their life was out of their hands.

But each knew that this wasn't real.

Each knew that this bond wasn't real.

Each knew that this feeling was fake as well, that this completeness was a pale trick of the process to save them.

Each drew closer to the others, trying to force those thoughts away. It wasn't the fact that they didn't know of what was happening; Ranma's memories of what little Cologne had had the time to tell him had explained some, but not all.

They would need her to explain the rest.

They would need her to come here, as none was ready to meet the others yet.

"You should do it Ranma; they'll stay down there if you tell them to." Nabiki loosened her grip, hoping that he would take her hint, knowing he would fight back when her own fears began creeping up.

"Are you kidding? The moment he goes asking for the old ghoul, you just know everyone downstairs will be popping up here, demanding to know what is going on!" Kasumi brought a hand to her mouth. "Oh my, I didn't mean to be so rude."

Ranma simply sighed, trying to sit up and move off the bed towards the door. He wasn't surprised to see the girls follow his path, let alone reach for the door at the same time. The two looked at him, blushing, before nodding for him to continue.

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Genma had just been returned to the waking world, when the call came from the second floor. "Um, excuse me, but could Elder Khu Lon please come up to Kasumi's room. We have important business to discuss, and if anyone else besides the old ghoul comes up here, I'll personally do something very mean, leave you penniless, and break your bones! Oh my, I didn't mean to be so rude again."

The others could only stare at the stairs.

Shampoo and Mousse kept their eyes on Genma, now securely tied to ensure he wouldn't escape until he revealed the information on the newest fiancée to enter the fray.

Soun was crying his river of tears, proclaiming how proud he was that his daughters were still alive.

Ukyo sat at the side, noticing that Ranma's request sounded like a mixture of himself (old ghoul, break bones), Nabiki (business, penniless), and Kasumi (something very mean, Elder Khu Lon). She was beginning to worry if her Ranchan was even still in there anymore.

Akane was caught between states. Part of her wanted to go upstairs and pound Ranma for a myriad of reasons, but was stopped with the voice in her head from Shampoo, asking her if she hated Ranma so much that she would attack him, knowing that doing so could and would lead to her sisters' death. She was happy that all three were awake, but not certain what all three meant anymore. If she had any indication from the way Ranma had just acted, she could very well imagine Kasumi calling her an uncute tomboy and Nabiki saying Akane was built like a brick and twice as thick.

Cologne took it all in stride. "I am going up there to better inform them of what must happen now, as well as what little we know." She turned towards Genma. "Shampoo, Mousse, if he tries to flee or makes any attempt to distance himself from this problem, you have my permission to begin removing his legs. Mousse, I trust you still have that blowtorch to cauterize the wounds?"

Genma turned towards the Master of Hidden Weapons, as he stealth-fully removed the gas tanks and lit the torch.

If he had the fluids, the part time panda would have pissed himself at the sight of the smile on the male Amazon's face.

Cologne, now smiling at the pure sight of fear on Genma's face, began to make her way upstairs. She had just ensured that when she returned, Genma would spill everything he knew about these people and their connection to Ranma. Whoever they are, they know enough of how to summon such a powerful demon without a human sacrifice, as well as to communicate their desires to it without being around. They knew that that particular demon tended to kill the messenger.

So that can only mean one thing: the fool panda pissed of a powerful clan of demonic summoners and engaged his son to one of their children.

Perhaps it was a bad idea to even come back for son-in-law.

But then again, I haven't had so much fun in over one hundred and forty years.

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Kito once again entered her father's room, the blue orb still in her hands. Noticing he still appeared to be sleeping, she turned to leave.

"Don't go child, my eyes may be closed, but I am simply resting." He turned to face his daughter, his only pride and joy, and say the look of confusion on her face. "You looked into the orb, didn't you child?" She shook her head, confirming it. "What has you so troubled then my child?"

"Father, I think there are other forces against us, which may have led Ranma to betray us."

Her father's eyes were now wide. While it was no secret some demonic summoners tended to "corrupt" the spells of others to "thin out the bloodlines", to do what had occurred to his daughter was beyond any wisdom for any summoner to be such. Even revenge would not seem worthy to deny his daughter her destiny. But if one was stupid enough to do this…

"What proof do you have of this child?"

She held the orb out to him. I can't believe I am actually trying to defend the fucker for this. But if he is innocent… "Father, when I tried to see Ranma's memories of me, they were blocked by something very powerful, full of fear and horror. From what I can tell, Ranma Saotome has no memories of meeting the Okari clan."

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If I messed anything up, then let me know including typos.

Any suggestions on how I should continue the story or improve it would also be accepted.

Also, if you have any suggestions for how this should go, let me know. My own imagination, while vast, always enjoys a new thought. Also, catch me if you don't think I am making the characters true to form, or a way to make them better.