Dragon Exile

Italics are thoughts

Bold is Japanese

I do not own Ranma ½. I write this for entertainment only. But if you copy what I wrote, shame on you!

Chapter the Fifth: One Without the Other

"I wish Yukima hadn't done that," Suzuma sighed, nestling closer to Kama. She was snuggled into her love's lap, sitting at the fire with her mother and sister.

"I know, Suzuma, so do I," Kama murmured, tightening his grip.

"All right, it's about time to head out," Akane sighed, getting wearily to her feet, then she glance up at something, "what the…" and immediately dropped into a defensive stance. Her children scrambled to their feet, mirroring her action without a word.

A minute later, the pink-haired Amazon Perfume staggered out of the brush and nearly jumped out of her skin at their stances, "I not here for fight!"

"Then what are you here for?" Akane demanded sourly.

"You must come! Yukima is in Cat Fu!"

"What! Akima! Yukima is in the Nekoken!" Akane yelled, dumping dirt over the fire as they all scrambled for their gear. All while Perfume waited impatiently, shifting from foot to foot.

"So…what happened?" Suzuma asked as they ran.

"Betrothed bring kitten. Godslayer freak like normal. Betrothd put kitten in Yukima's lap and he change."

"What about Ranma?" Akane asked, taking a forty-foot jump over a narrow gorge as easily as hopping over a puddle.

"What that matter!" Perfume demanded hotly, "he never comes to anyone!" she yelled as they came within sight of the palace.

"If you say so. I hope someone separated them," Kama mused.

"What you mean?"

"Yu always got pretty testy whenever other guys were around in 'his territory'," Kama explained, "he ignored me, but that's because we're family. He nearly tore one of Akima's admirers a new one when he came calling."

"Where you going!" Perfume demanded when the group split at the wall of the palace gardens.

"Yu never liked being indoors when he's a cat. We're going to search for him," Suzuma called out before she disappeared into the brush.

"Stupid Japanese! Now…where is Lord Herb…" Perfume took off for the palace gates.

"Baka," Akima grumbled, staggering into a clearing centered within a Bamboo grove. I'm so stupid, she thought, sinking onto a log. Running like that. My leg is about to give out…

Suddenly, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, the grim feeling that she was being watched. Slowly lifting her gaze, Akima sighed in relief when she spotted Yukima, on all fours, watching her closely from the branch of a nearby tree.

"Yu!" Akima cried out, then hastily added, "here. Here, Yu! Come here! Good kitty! Come on!"

While she called to him, Yukima did a quick scan of the surrounding area. Satisfied, he leapt down and padded over to her. That's it, Akima thought, come to me.

"Baka. Why didn't you warn them?" she sighed when he settled beside her, his shoulder leaning against her side while he bent to sniff at her leg, "you should have told them about the Nekoken."

Yukima stared at her, then stiffened and hissed at something off to her left. When Akima turned, she shivered at the feral blue eyes staring back at her. Saotome Ranma stepped easily into view, his shoulders moving like a tiger's, his gaze steady.

It was obvious that he did not approve of the other male and it was also obvious to Akima, by the way he moved, that Yukima was no match for him. He still acted like a kitten, not a fully-grown adult.

"MROWWWW!" Yukima called out, standing and beginning to bristle. The response was a low roar from the older martial artist.

"Akima! Don't move!"

"Mom!" Akima cried out when she saw her mother appear out of the bushes, "Mom! Don't come any closer! They're going to fight!"

"I know, Akima," stepping boldly over to the growling Ranma, she tapped him on the shoulder and smiled when she got his attention, "I can handle Ranma, baby. You deal with Yukima." And she knelt, speaking soothingly to the wary adult male. Soon, though, he nuzzled against her leg and allowed himself to be petted, occasionally casting dark looks at Yukima from over his shoulder.

"How did you so that!" Akima gasped, "Yu is like a kitten but…that's no kitten!"

"Ranma knows who I am. He would never hurt me in this state," Akane smiled, stroking his hair, "he's older, but he's still a cat. And like any man, he's more interested in women than he is in fighting."

Akima giggled, then hastily soothed Yu when he eyed her curiously, "what's that got to do with me and Yu?"

"Think about it," Akane challenged, then looked up and heaved a sigh, "I was wondering when you would show up."

Perfume glowered while Herb merely shrugged, "can you blame us?"

"Get away from the Godslayer, you witch!" Perfume spat, advancing on Akane, "you you, you trollop!" she added to Akima, "how dare you try to steal Jing Mei's husband!"

Akima scowled, "I'm not stealing anyone! HE came to ME!"

"Perfume, stop. You're making him mad," Akane cautioned, less angry and more concerned, trying to distract a very still Ranma from Perfume.

"No, I'm not! You're just trying to keep him away from the people who are actually good to him!"

Ranma let out a low growl, moving to stand beside Akane, his eyes fastened angrily on Perfume. Meanwhile, Yukima was advancing on her, already, growling low in his throat, while Akima tried, in vain, to restrain him.

"Perfume! Get back!" Herb called out, spotting the aggressive mannerisms of angry male cats protecting their females.

"Lord Herb!" Ryu-shen cried, rushing into view with Mei Ying on his back, "what's going on!"

"They're both in the Nekoken?" Mei Ying gasped, hurrying to her husband's side, "why aren't they attacking one another?"

"YU!" Akima screamed angrily, digging her feet in, "stop it, baka!"

"Akima!" Kama rushed into view, then ground to a halt when Ranma swung to glower at him, "uh oh…"

"You trollop," Perfume sneered at Akima, who was straining to hold Yukima back, "he no want to be with you anymore."

"Perfume! Stop this at once!" Mei Ying gasped, "he isn't fighting her, he's coming after you!"

Despite the volatile atmosphere, chaos didn't break out until Perfume calmly leveled a bow up and shot at the most offending target. Ranma, who was eyeing Kama narrowly, didn't realize what was going on until Akane gasped in pain and warm blood spurted out, staining his back.

"MOM!" Akima screamed, releasing Yukima in time to barely dodge an arrow herself, though it still cut up her arm pretty badly.

The stench of fresh blood filled the air as Akane staggered back, staring numbly at the arrow shaft protruding from her chest, just above her heart. Suzuma was screaming while Kama tried to pull her back, his blue eyes large in his pale face. Meanwhile, Akima's leg gave out and she went sprawling on the ground with a surprised yelp.

Ranma stood over Akane, making low, urgent sounds and sniffing at the arrow shaft, obviously at a loss as to what to do. He looked so lost that Kama almost felt sorry for him, even as he moved to protect his own love.

Yukima, meanwhile, was watching all of this from a protective stance beside Akima, who was trying to stifle sobs of pain. His lavender eyes took in his fallen mother, his frightened sister, and his injured best friend.

"GROWWRRRR!"

Herb jerked Mei Ying into his arms and dove away, Perfume and Ryu-shen scattering before the enraged heir. Yukima landed easily in the spot where the Amazon had been a moment earlier, his eyes alight with rage.

"Perfume, you fool! Now look what you've done!" Ryu-shen cried as Ranma turned to survey what was going on. The members of Herb's party began to sweat when the Godslayer decided that Yukima had the right idea and began to approach as well, his movements as menacing as a hunting tiger.

"Mom! Mom, answer me!" Akima cried to Akane, who was still mesmerized by the arrow shaft.

"Akima! Get out of there!" Kama yelled at his sister, moving towards her.

The two Nekoken-addled humans were a blur, each trying to kill Perfume and anyone who happened to get in their way. Yukima hit like a truck, whereas Ranma was as swift as the wind, the two having come to some mutual agreement and were hunting in unison now.

"We can't escape!" Ryu-shen cried, bloody at the leg from a hit from one of the two angry cats.

Perfume didn't answer, still dodging the pair, desperate to stay alive through their united attacks. It isn't true! Perfume was thinking, they can't be attacking me for those second-rate females. And yet, that was exactly what was happening.

"YANG'S WRATH!"

The group looked up, then scattered as Akima came roaring out of the sky, her eyes glowing red and her chi burning like white fire around her. She hit the ground a split second after they dodged, a wave of white chi roaring outwards from her, burning the ground and singing their clothes.

"FIRES OF BALANCE!" she screamed, turning with a savage swipe of her curled fingers, sending sweeping stripes of flame after the two Nekoken.

"PHOENIX CALL!"

Akane had punched out towards them, a sonic boom roaring through them and sweeping everyone in range off their feet. She couldn't move, but it was obvious that she could still fight.

"YOU BAKABAKASHII!" Akima screamed at Yukima, "SNAP OUT OF IT RIGHT NOW! OR…OR…OR I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU AS LONG AS I LIVE!"

"AKIMA-SAN!" Yukima cried, going from four legs to two as he lunged at the collapsing girl, catching her before she hit the ground, "AKIMA-SAN! AKIMA-SAN! WHAT'S WRONG! WHERE ARE YOU HURT! AKIMA!" he screamed, catching her face in his hands and sobbing, "PLEASE! AKIMA!"

"What's wrong with her?" Ranma asked, from where he stood with Herb and Mei Ying.

"MOM!" Kama's cry startled the Godslayer and he went as pale as his offspring when he laid eyes on Akane, who was slumped to the ground, trying to breathe despite the arrow.

"Akane!" catching her up like a gust of wind, Ranma spun on Yukima, who was clinging to his friend and sobbing uncontrollably, "kid! Follow me!"

Yukima stared at him, then grimly pulled himself to his feet, Akima hanging unconscious in his arms, "lead the way!"