The Dragon Within
Ranma Fanfic By Seras4545
A/N: Wow. Thanks for the reviews. First off, I'll continue this fic until it reaches at least chapter 60 or so so don't worry about me discontinuing it. Also, the Ranma pairing is not going to be completely lovey dovey, it will have plenty of 'bumps' that need to be smoothed out. Also, the character who receives Garyx will not necessarily to evil nor geared toward Ranma's destruction. Oh, an for those who don't like the repeats of the canon intro and such... well, it is a needed part of the story to set it up, plus there are plenty of twists to make it subtly (Sometimes not so subtle) different. Also on Ranma, he is still in the 'fledgling' stages of learning magic so to speak. His memories and powers are locked away in his subconscious until such a time as he needs them. Anyway, sorry for the long A/N.
On with the show!
Chapter 4: A Meeting Of Two Sorcerers
Nabiki slowly drug herself up from the darkness, not in any particular hurry to wake up. She buried her head deeper into her pillow, happy that it was so soft and firm and warm... Wait a minute! Warm!
Nabiki opened her eyes to find that she was currently laying on a futon next to Ranma and had been using her breast as a pillow. Embarrassed, she slowly disentangled herself from Ranma's sleeping form and stood up and stretched. She looked out the window and noticed that it was just barely dawn. Damn, it's way too early for me to be waking up!
She found that she couldn't get back to sleep however and so she sat down next to Ranma and stared at her. She looked exhausted and travelworn. Did she stay up watching over me? Nabiki shook her head in confusion. No one's cared about me that much since... She didn't let the thought finish, unwilling to travel that particularly sad memory lane.
She focused on the ring now instead. It was as beautiful as ever and it even still glowed slightly. The value of this thing must be immense! The ring itself could probably buy this house and the dojo, but with the sapphire... Again she wrenched herself away from her thoughts. Ranma hadn't wanted her to sell it and he had said that she probably couldn't get it's real worth. Besides, those other gems would more than suffice to pay for the mortgage, the repairs and some remodeling, and enough should be left to pay for living expenses for years to come!
Nabiki took out a blanket and pillow from a closet and covered Ranma and placed the pillow beneath her head, taking care not to wake her. Ranma stayed fast asleep however, and Nabiki wondered how long she had stayed up.
She left the room and gently closed the door. She wondered for a moment where Saotome-San had slept then was answered by a snore from the attic. Shrugging her shoulders she headed downstairs and into the kitchen. As she had thought, she was actually up and about before Kasumi even, so the kitchen was empty.
Nabiki started the coffee first, then set some water on to boil for some tea. Since she was up early she decided to do Kasumi a favor and started to get the ingredients for breakfast out. It was not widely known, but Nabiki could cook and was actually nearly as good as Kasumi, she just never usually cooked because she usually never rose before Kasumi.
As she started to pour the rice and got ready to cut the fish she heard a cough from behind her. She whirled to find a now male Ranma standing in the doorway, smiling at her.
"Thanks for letting me sleep, Nabiki-Chan. I really needed it. Would you like some help?"
Nabiki was both embarrassed by his casual use of Chan and was kind of surprised by his offer to help. "You can cook?"
Ranma simply laughed. "Of course! You don't think pops did any cooking, did you? No, I did the cooking, mainly because he couldn't cook an edible meal if his life depended on it. So yeah, I have about ten years of cooking experience under my belt. So, would you like some help?"
"S-sure." Nabiki showed him where the seasonings and other ingredients could be found and then they started making the morning meal. They found that they worked well together, able to turn the motions of cooking into a kind of weaving dance as they moved around each other to do something or other. They had lost themselves to the rhythm and didn't notice Kasumi watching them from the doorway with a beaming smile on her face.
When they finished she finally interrupted. "That was beautiful, you two. I've never seen two people work so well before. You look as if you belong together."
Ranma and Nabiki both blushed at Kasumi's words. Nabiki was the first to recover from her momentary embarrassment.
"Hey sis, why didn't you wake us up? I'm sure Saotome-San would have appreciated being able to sleep in an actual room."
Kasumi's smile became even wider, if that was even possible. "Well, it's just that you two looked so cute sleeping together and you two were both girls at the time so there wasn't anything wrong with it exactly, and you were both obviously very tired so I just let you sleep. Uncle Saotome said that it wasn't a problem and settled himself in the attic." Kasumi's smile grew devious now. "If you want, I could move Ranma's things over into your room and give the other to Uncle Saotome. I'm sure this won't be the last time something like this happens."
Nabiki blushed once again, thinking of the many things that could happen in such a situation. Ranma became as red the hair of his female half as the situation hit him. Nabiki then decided to take her sister up on her offer.
"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt. After all, we are engaged, so it shouldn't make a difference should it?"
Kasumi was the one who blushed this time. "I-I was only kidding Nabiki. If you really want to however, I won't stand in your way. He is your fiance, after all."
During all of this Ranma was turning an interesting shade of red as he continued to be embarrassed. Nabiki noticed this and began laughing, her sister soon joining in. Ranma continued to turn a very deep red and Nabiki decided to have some mercy on him.
"Well, I guess we should set up a pallet for you. Also, if you feel uncomfortable still, you could just change into a girl. That would help right?"
Ranma finally regained control of his thoughts and emotions and nodded as his skin returned to a more normal shade, though it was still tinted a slight red.. "Yeah, I guess that would be fine. You sure about this?"
Nabiki looked at his completely serious face. He was giving her an out at his own expense and she knew it. She had made up her mind however. He could have done many things to her when she had fainted but he hadn't, he didn't even take the time to change back so that he could watch over her.
"I'm sure, Ranma. Hell, we already slept together, might as well sleep in the same room."
Ranma smiled. "Thanks Nabiki. Your trust means a lot to me."
He began to set out the table and Nabiki and Kasumi helped. When the table was set Kasumi thanked Ranma and Nabiki.
Nabiki smiled at her sister. "It was the least I could do sis. After all, it is you who works so hard to keep the house and cook for the family all the time. The least I could do is make some breakfast every once in a while."
"That's true. I have no wish to be a burden on you or your family. Besides, you have something you want to do, right?"
Kasumi smiled at Ranma. "That's right. I want to go to college someday and maybe even marry... But Ranma, you are our guest. You aren't being a burden!"
Ranma shook his head. "That's not true Kasumi, and you know it. If you want to go to college and such, then I'll take up some of the chores, as will pops. Oh, and here."
Ranma dug in his pockets and pulled out two piles of yen and placed them in Kasumi's hands. "This one is for food and lodging. The other is for you to go to college and for anything else you want."
Kasumi stood there in shock for a moment, then tried to hand the money back to Ranma. Ranma simply refused to take it back.
"But you're our guest. You shouldn't have to pay!"
Ranma smiled sadly at her. "Listen Kasumi. Take the money, it's not often I get to help someone like this. Think of it this way, it's my way of repaying the world for the sins of my father."
Kasumi frowned at this, then nodded her head and pocketed the money, accepting his donation. Her eyes then glazed over and she leaned down and kissed Ranma on the forehead. "May you be blessed then, Ranma Saotome. May the Kami watch over you." Kasumi then slumped and Ranma caught her.
Nabiki helped him carry her into the living room and lay her down on some cushions. She then glanced over at Ranma and noticed that he looked healthier and more energetic than he had previously.
"Just as I thought." He muttered with a thoughtful look on his face.
"What just happened, Ranma?" Nabiki asked, a worried look on her face.
Ranma smiled at her, trying to comfort her. "Nothing much, just confirming a suspicion I had and helping someone who needed it. I felt power from Kasumi, but not that of a mage like me or you. That's why I told you I couldn't teach her. She is the favorite of the Kami, a cleric or monk if you will. She unconsciously channels the will and power of the Kami, as you just saw her do when she blessed me."
Nabiki looked at her sister with even greater respect now. "So you mean that it was a true blessing? Is that why you look so much better now?"
Ranma grinned, glad she caught on so quickly. "Yeah, it was a true blessing. Unlike magic, unless you do something that angers the Kami the blessing is permanent. I have more energy and stamina now than I would normally, not to mention other effects that I don't know of."
Nabiki frowned, confused. "What do you mean 'other effects'?"
Ranma mused for a moment, thinking of how deep he should go on how blessings worked, then decided to keep it simple. "Well, like every Kami is different from the other, so are their blessings. They each have their own effects unique to that particular Kami, and since I have not tested it in any way, I have no way of knowing who Kasumi's patron is, nor the effects of the blessing." Ranma heard the other residents of the house begin to stir as the smell of food wafted up to their rooms. "Well, I better wake Kasumi before everyone gets downstairs for breakfast."
Ranma walked over to Kasumi and traced a sigil above her prone form and a glowing light bathed her for a few seconds then faded. Kasumi slowly opened her eyes and rose from the cushions. She looked at Ranma and Nabiki in confusion. "What happened? How did I end up here?"
Before Nabiki could tell her Ranma jumped in. "When we finished setting the table and I gave you the money you fainted. You should really get some more rest Kasumi, it's not good for you to work yourself so hard." Nabiki gave Ranma a confused look and then shrugged her shoulders, deciding to ask him about it later. There was much that he needed to explain.
Kasumi rubbed her forehead, as if she had a headache or something. "Maybe you're right. I have been working a lot lately. Maybe I'll take a break today."
Ranma nodded his head in satisfaction. Just then Akane and Genma and Soun came down the stairs.
"Ohayoo!" Akane said with great cheer. Soun and Genma looked like they had been drinking all night and only managed a weak 'ohayoo' as they entered.
"Ohayoo!" They greeted the stragglers. Ranma then noticed a backpack that Genma was carrying which he threw at Ranma. Ranma caught it and nearly overbalanced.
Ranma struggled to lift the pack. "Hey pops, what the heck is this? It weighs a ton!"
Genma glowered at the boy's weakness but his hangover prevented him from challenging him today. "It's your school supplies and your training all in one, boy. And it only weighs a hundred and fifty pounds! Get used to it, 'cause I'm not gonna have any mercy on you just 'cause you're engaged and are going to school now. It'll be two hundred next week."
The bastard's relentless. Ranma thought as he put the bag down next to the wall. He opened it and saw that it did have school supplies but also had various pockets all over inside. He opened one of them and took out what looked like liquid metal wrapped in rubber. What surprised him was the weight, it must have weighed nearly twenty five pounds by itself! He looked around some more and noticed that most of the pockets were empty. Just how much is this thing gonna weigh when I'm done with this training?
Ranma didn't care much that he was going to a school. He actually liked school when he went. What really irked him was that no one had even bothered asking him if he had wanted to go or not. "What's this about school?"
Genma knew he had stepped over that invisible line again, seeing his son glare at him. "Well, we are going to be staying awhile. Cheer up boy, school's not that bad. Besides, Nabiki and Akane go there as well."
Ranma still grew angrier. "It's not going to school that I have a problem with pops."
Genma was now confused, his face screwed up in thought. You could literally see the gears grind on for a while and then just fall apart. "It's not?" Was his oh so intelligent response.
"No! It's not! What I have a problem with is others making decisions for me without even asking me or talking to me about it!" Ranma shouted as Genma backed up in fear. Then he noticed that everyone was looking at him in either surprise or fear and he let up a bit.
"Next time you interfere without my knowledge, you know the consequences." Ranma continued in an even, if very cold, tone.
With that they sat down to breakfast. Everyone stayed silent and some still watched Ranma, though it was probably because of the fact that his food was disappearing at an abnormal rate, as was Genma's.
"Umm... You two should probably take at least some time to taste the food." Nabiki said, smiling ruefully. He might be smart and powerful and polite when it counts, but his manners need a little working on.
Ranma had the grace to look ashamed at his behavior though Genma merely slowed down a little bit.
"Sorry, force of habit. Pops and I always fought for the food and such as training. I'm sure that won't happen here, right pops?" Ranma said as he shattered the chopsticks that were attempting to steal some of his rice.
Genma looked at Ranma and saw the implied threat and decided to leave it be for now. "Right, son. It won't happen here."
Ranma smiled with his little triumphs today at the expense of his father. Ranma knew that he would be in no shape to fight today because of his habit of drinking large amounts of sake whenever he could. The hangover was enough to suppress any will to fight or cause any large noises.
When they finished, Genma and Soun and Akane all thanked Kasumi for the delicious meal. Kasumi shook her head and smiled. "I didn't make breakfast this time. Ranma-Kun and Nabiki worked together to make this wonderful meal." She turned to the couple and bowed. "Thank you very much for the meal."
Meanwhile the others merely looked at them in surprise. They had hardly noticed a difference in the taste or quality, yet it was Ranma and Nabiki who prepared the meal, not Kasumi. They finally remembered their manners and thanked Ranma and Nabiki.
Ranma smiled. "It was no big deal really. I just would like for everyone to help out with the household chores and help Kasumi out every once in a while. I'm not asking for anything dramatic, just a little something here and there will help."
They all agreed, though very reluctantly on Genma's part. When he saw Kasumi's bright smile however, he just couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Nabiki smiled, glad that Ranma had somehow managed to fix yet another part of their messed up family. "Come on Ranma, let's get dressed and ready for school. You don't want to be late on your first day do you?"
Ranma shook his head and Nabiki grabbed his arm and dragged him up to her room. Ranma looked around in confusion. The room was very spartanly furnished. There was a bed, dresser, desk, and bookcase. The dresser and desk had a few pictures on them and the bookcase was filled with manga and a few DVDs and there was a laptop on the desk with some papers scattered around it but otherwise the room was bare. There was also a closet with a large if mismatched collection of clothes.
"Why'd you bring me to your room, Nabs?" Ranma asked, wondering how this was supposed to help him get ready for school.
Nabiki smiled at him then in such a way that he knew that he wasn't going to like this one bit. "Well, when your father told me to enroll you at the school, I hadn't known about your curse quite yet. So, umm, you're kinda registered as a girl." Nabiki finished with an apologetic look on her face.
Ranma knew something like this was going to happen sometime. He sighed as Nabiki led him to the bathroom where he splashed himself with cold water, becoming a she yet again. Then Nabiki dragged her back to her room and began laying out clothes and Ranma was growing redder by the second. When she finally added a particularly lacy pair of panties and bra, Ranma finally put her foot down.
"Nabs, I appreciate this, I really do, nut there is no way I am going to wear a bra and panties! Especially not ones with so much lace!" Ranma instantly regretted her outburst as she saw the pain and disappointment on her face but she was determined not to wear those damn things.
Her determination was short lived, however, in the face of an even more determined Nabiki, someone who is used to negotiating to get her way.
Ranma ended up wearing one of Nabiki's shirts and shorts, as she had refused to wear the uniform, and had ended up wearing some plain panties and a sports bra. She had given in mainly due to her exceptional skills as a negotiator and by her tenacity. She had hooked her with the thought that this would annoy their fathers to no end, particularly Genma. Ranma smiled at the thought, always remembering the jibes of her father calling her girly and weak. Now she knew this would be a source of torment for him. And wouldn't it be fun to prove the lesser half of his complaint false when she kicked his ass to the moon and back?
Ranma actually enjoyed the outfit she now wore, as it was far more comfortable than her normal clothes and fit her rather well considering it had been bought for someone else. It was a form fitting sky blue top which had patterns and swirls of color that ranged from dark blue to an emerald green. The shorts barely covered her vivacious thighs and accentuated her hips and butt. Ranma was slightly embarrassed by how girlish she now looked but was assuaged by Nabiki pointing out that a girl with looks of her caliber should be eager to flaunt herself and that it would look strange if she didn't.
When Ranma pointed out that she had looks to match hers, Nabiki shrugged and went back into her room. When she came out Ranma was breathless by how beautiful she looked. She wore the opposite of Ranma's attire, a top with crimson reds swirled with bright magentas and some yellow and red oranges. Ranma's female half, as she had come to term that bundle of instincts and thought patterns that accompanied the curse, noted with some jealousy that the clothes fit Nabiki much better and showed her body off to it's greatest potential without her being actually naked or using body paint. Ranma pushed those thoughts aside, as it was only normal for the clothes to fit her better, as they were hers.
Nabiki was satisfied with Ranma's look of astonishment and when she came close enough she helped her out by closing her mouth which was hanging open. She winked at a sufficiently enchanted Ranma, who started to snap out of her stupor. "Shall we get going? Or would you rather stay home today? I can think of many ways to pass the time, Ranma-Chan." She said seductively with a mischievous grin.
Ranma was a bit stunned at Nabiki's forwardness until she realized the girl was intentionally teasing her. She smiled at the vision of beauty before her. "Tempted, nabs, very tempted. But I don't think it would be good to miss my first day of school. Maybe I'll take you up on your offer another time." She noticed that Nabiki seemed a little put out at first but when she mentioned later she perked up once again.
She grinned as if she were a cat that had found the cream. "I'll be sure to hold you to your word, Ranma. I'll have something to look forward to at night now, thanks to you. Just stay a girl, 'cause I have plans... Oh yes, I have plans." Ranma sweatdropped a bit at the sight of an eager and, unbeknown to her, aroused Nabiki. She looked very predatory and seemed to have very specific ideas of what to do to her.
Oh well. Can't go back on my word now. Besides, who knows, it might be fun! Ranma thought with resignation. She had no idea as to what an orgasm felt like in a female form as she had never spent enough time to have urges to 'experiment' and when she did she never had the privacy to do so. Ranma was in for an experience that would rock her world, as Nabiki had had plenty of time to develop her 'abilities' and build up her collection of 'toys'. But that is for later...
They went downstairs and were satisfied by the shocked silence that greeted them. Genma was the first to recover. His face grew instantly angry. "Boy! How many time have I told you not to act like a girl! You'll become weak like one if you do!"
Ranma cracked her knuckles and assumed a challenging stance when Nabiki grabbed her arm and drug her out of the room. "We haven't got time for this Ranma. Kick his ass later. I need to be at the school early today."
As Ranma was pulled out of the room she shot a glare at her father. "You heard her. I'll prove ya wrong after school. Be ready to get your ass handed to you, old man, 'cause I'm no weaker as a girl! You can count on that!"
Genma grumbled under his breath at the disrespect of the boy but decided to wait till after Ranma came back to prove who was the master of Anything goes. If he lost then he vowed to give the title to Ranma, 'cause he deserved it if he could stand against the 'sealed' techniques that Genma had stolen from the 'master' and perfected over the years.
Soun came out of his shock after the two had left and nearly started crying. The only thing that held him together was the fact that Nabiki still seemed quite attached to the aquatransexual. He was still confused though as to why Ranma was going to school as a girl and why she was dressed as one as well. Then he shrugged, as Nabiki seemed to be the one who instigated this and he knew better than to butt into her business.
Meanwhile Nabiki and Ranma were making their way to the school, Ranma was of course doing her little fencewalk training. Nabiki looked wistfully at how easy Ranma made it look but knew that it was kinda tough to get that kind of balance. She decided that she wanted to take up the Art again, if only to be able to relate to Ranma better and prove she was her equal in all things. Suddenly Ranma jumped down from the fence and joined her on the sidewalk.
"So, anything you want to know?" She asked nonchalantly.
"Huh?" was Nabiki's intelligent response. She wasn't quite sure what he meant.
Ranma smiled at her slight lapse in concentration. Then he saw the potential for a game of words and wits and his smile broadened. "What I mean is, is there anything you're curious about pertaining to me? How about this, you ask a question and I answer then I get to ask a question and you answer. Alright? You first."
Nabiki nodded, seeing this as a fair deal, info for info. "Well, I was kinda curious about what you meant when you said you were 'repenting' for the 'sins' of your father. And why didn't you tell Kasumi about her powers?"
"I guess I'll answer both as a freebie, but next time it counts as two questions." Ranma said with a smile, then frowned as she tried to formulate the words she would need to explain Genma's unique situation.
"I guess I'll answer the second first, 'cause it's easier to explain. The reason is 'cause the Kami work in strange ways and if they had wanted Kasumi to know about her status and power then she would have known already. If I had told her and that had ruined the Kami's plans then she could very well lose her power and status because of it and I don't want that. It would prove very hard for her and everyone who knows her as it would change her greatly to be suddenly bereft of her gifts."
Nabiki nodded at the reasoning behind Ranma's actions and how it made sense in a way. She waited for her to continue, which she did after thinking for a few more moments. She noted that while she explained she had a slightly pained expression on her face.
"Pops wasn't always like the way he is now. At heart he really is a good person, if somewhat dimwitted and greedy and lacking in foresight. I don't know what caused him to change the way he did, but soon after we had left on the training trip he became cruel, cold, and heartless." Nabiki saw that Ranma had unshed tears in her eyes but didn't stop her explanation as it would help her understand Ranma as a person. She saw her eyes glaze over as she recounted her horrifying experience under Genma's 'training'.
"He constantly beat me at any sign of weakness he saw and he applied ruthless if efficient training methods to me. It was not unusual for me to be thrown off high buildings or hit with boulders to toughen me, nor was it strange for me to be subjected to horrifying techniques in order to learn them. He also sold me often times in exchange for food or money, then stole me back under cover of night. He often stole from those who gave us shelter and tutelage in the Art and we often had to flee under cover of darkness from angry monks and priests."
Ranma sighed and Nabiki could tell that she was near to breaking down, but she continued, swallowing her feelings. "I was ten when he subjected me to the most frightening and forbidden training method of all. The basic instructions were to dig a pit, fill it with starving c-cats, and throw the sacrifice in and seal the hole and not open it for three days."
She wondered at the word 'sacrifice' but stayed silent. Nabiki listened with increasing shock and horror as Ranma related to her the terrible feeling of being literally eaten alive by hungry cats and and used as their scratching post, how Ranma had barely survived and had come out bloodied and nearly driven insane. Her blood ran cold when she heard how Ranma had been beaten by her father for being 'weak'. She listened intently as Ranma continued her story in a flat tone, not noticing that they had stopped completely as she told her tale.
"After a week he was ready to try it again and he threw me in the pit once again, despite my cries and pleas. I was on the verge of giving up and going insane when by some twist of fate and luck, Lethander saved my soul. I don't remember much of what had happened but when I exited the pit I was changed, I had merged my soul with that of a dragon god. I also knew the truth about the 'training'. Originally it was meant as a ritual to bind the souls of a dragon and their chosen partner so that they could become dragon riders, companions, and even mates at times. They assumed the powers and knowledge and abilities of their companions and vice versa."
Ranma's tone became darker then and took on a cold caste. Nabiki was slightly surprised to find that ice was actually forming around her and mist was beginning to rise from her skin. "What pops had used, in full knowledge of what it actually was I might add, was a twisted version of it created by a dark demonologist who had traveled here long ago. It was used to crush the soul of the sacrifice and replace it with that of a cat demon, an unstoppable force of destruction and power once it had a host. If performed correctly the one overseeing it would gain control of the beast and would be able to wreak havoc throughout the world. Pops was no user of magic, however, and had no idea how to bind a demon to do his bidding. He would have unleashed something more horrible and destructive than a hydrogen bomb on this world."
Now Nabiki could see that despite Ranma's best efforts she had begun to cry silently. She continued on as if nothing was happening however. "It took the death and sacrifice of a GOD of dragons to save me from my fate. When I got out of the pit I was ready to rip pops limb from limb but Lethander was still there, within me, but he was growing faint. He saw how pops had been corrupted with some kind of magic and had done... something... through me that got rid of the corrupt power. What pops is right now is the basis of his very being, good and kind, but often gruff and greedy with a lack of thinking ahead. He remembers very little of what had happened between us leaving for training and the incident with the Neko-Ken. After Lethander had worked his magic on pops he had dissipated completely, merging fully with my soul. Well... Merging is not the best way to describe it. More like my soul incorporated what was left of his soul into me, giving me his powers, knowledge, and memories, though most of it seems to be locked away for some reason. In essence, he died and became part of me, all to save me..."
Ranma suddenly had trouble talking and Nabiki noticed that the redhead was now outright crying and couldn't get any words past her tears. Nabiki did the only thing she could and brought Ranma into a comforting hug. Ranma buried her head into Nabiki's shoulder and cried her heart out. When she finally regained control of her emotions Nabiki noticed that she seemed less stressed than before.
Ranma smiled at Nabiki, wiping her tears from her eyes. "Thanks Nabs, I needed that pretty badly. Pops has always said that it was a weakness to show emotion, so I often bottle it up. When I'm a girl though, It's much harder and it seems easier to cry in this form. Anyway, I don't think I can talk about this anymore for now."
Nabiki nodded her agreement. Secretly though, she thought it was a relief to see some emotion in Ranma, for a while she thought that she had left her humanity behind sometime during her training and it had kind of scared her.
They continued on toward the school after realizing they had been standing in the same spot for awhile.
Ranma perked up after a while of thought. "Okay, now it's my turn." And she smiled what Nabiki could only term as a dragonlike grin, so much like a cat's but then again it was wholly different. Nabiki was reminded of common lore of dragons. They loved to twist words and play with riddles.
"Tell me about yourself and your life up till now." Ranma stated with the ever present grin.
Nabiki knew she had been one upped by her. She tried to find a way out and was ready to try her best. "Not fair, Ranma! You said only one question! Not to mention that that was a command or statement, not a question."
Ranma continued to grin and she knew she was going to lose. "Fine. Would you tell me of yourself and your life up till now? It is a fair question and as I answered your first two, it is only right you answer mine now."
Nabiki confirmed that it was wise advice to never bandy words with a dragon, for they loved to play games and twist your words. Then she noticed a loophole in the rules and she smiled her customary smile that told her opponents that they had lost this round. It was a smile she was famous for at Furinkan. "Yes"
Ranma looked confused. "What do you mean, 'yes'?"
Nabiki's smile widened. "I believe it is my turn to ask a question as I answered yours, though I'll answer you for free this time. You had asked 'would I tell you about myself and my life up till now' and I answered 'yes'. Neither you nor I stated 'when' I would tell you, merely 'if' I would tell you." Now she was truly smiling at her triumph as Ranma thought hard for a second.
Finally she admitted defeat, chuckling as she did so. "Not quite fair, but you beat me at my own game Nabs. If you were pops it would have taken him hours to find out how to stop the game. Now that you found the loophole though, it is no longer fun for we could continue dancing in circles forever and never learn a thing except that we are both persistent and stubborn, something we both know and have no need to prove." Ranma then looked at the sky for a second. "Besides, if I'm right we are running late to get to school 'early'." She stated.
Nabiki looked at her watch and noticed that she was right, they were running quite late for her plans. "Shit" she muttered as she started running, with Ranma keeping pace behind her. When she started realizing how out of shape she was and started breathing heavy she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and felt breasts upon her back as she was suddenly lifted into the air. She barely held back a yelp of surprise as Ranma continued to roof hop her way toward the school, soaring through the sky. She saw that they were going very high in the air and she latched on to Ranma for all she was worth. She noticed that she could get a good view however and saw that they overtook her little sister as she ran toward the school from a different direction.
When they arrived, it surprised many students to see two women flying through the air and into an open window, especially when one of them was the Ice Queen herself. When they landed, in what was coincidentally Nabiki's classroom, Ranma stood with the currently frightened girl still latched on around her neck. Ranma started to find it was getting hard to breathe and tapped Nabiki on the shoulder.
Nabiki looked up into Ranma's face and noticed that it was turning into a very unhealthy shade of blue and let go. As Ranma regained her breath and Nabiki settled her nerves, the other students merely muttered a little about the strange sight and then gathered around the windows to watch Akane's daily 'fight'.
Wondering what was going on, Ranma went to the window and watched, fascinated, as a large horde, there was no other word for it, of boys attacked Akane. She saw now why she had difficulty focusing on a single target when she had faced Akane yesterday and why she was so against boys. She observed as Akane laid out the group with effective, if inefficient, brutal and powerful attacks. She was a natural at fighting large groups it seemed, and was at the beginnings of learning a berserker's rage, though it still was able to control her and her actions.
Then Ranma noticed that there was one left and felt that he was no pushover and had a huge advantage over Akane in power and skill and ki reserves.
As she was about to jump out the window and help Akane, Nabiki grabbed her shoulder. Ranma looked at the worried face of Nabiki. "Don't, Ranma. While Akane always wins against him, Kuno is extremely powerful. I suspect that he can do magic too but I haven't seen him actually do anything like drawing symbols or such. I doubt he would take your getting in his way lightly, even if you are a girl. You could get seriously hurt."
Ranma was torn between helping Akane and staying with Nabiki and following her advice. Her choice was made for her as she noticed Kuno throw something at Akane. The bastard! Attacking without warning! He'll pay!
Ranma flew out the window and quickly traced a symbol in the air and the object flew into her hands. When she landed she noticed that the object was actually a rose and she dropped it in disgust. She turned to face the young man wielding a bokken. While Ranma's female half observed that he was actually quite handsome, Ranma shoved that part into a far corner of her mind and focused on what was likely to be a tough battle, as she could sense that Kuno did indeed have a strong magical aura she hadn't noticed before.
Kuno threw an angry glare at Ranma which twisted his good looks into a mask of hate. Akane was still standing in shock that Ranma had actually intervened in her fight in order to help her. No boy, even if said boy was currently a girl, had ever tried to help her like this before. Akane continued to stand stock still while trying to process the situation. Nabiki watched as the two faced off and had a sinking feeling that this would end very badly indeed and she hurried downstairs.
Kuno sized up his opponent and decided she was below his level, if but only a little. "Who are you to dare interfere, wench! I warn you, I don't take resistance well. Name yourself, for you stand before the mighty blue thunder of Furinkan high!" With this a lance of blue lightning struck the ground behind him, illuminating the scene with an eerie blue light. "Tatewaki Kuno, age 17."
Ranma noticed that the spell had come from Kuno's bokken and she focused her senses there. What she found was that the bokken held a cleverly hidden sword with runes of power engraved on it's blade. While Kuno could use magic and had probably enchanted the sword himself, his advantage was in not having to actually scribe the runes while in combat.
Figuring this would be an interesting challenge, Ranma laughed at Kuno contemptuously. "Blue thunder? Yeah, right. Well, nice light show, true blunder, but you're going to have 'ta do better than that. I'm Ranma Saotome of the Anything goes school of martial arts and I accept your challenge!"
Incensed at the insult to his, albeit self proclaimed, title, Kuno launched his attack without further ado. Ranma easily dodged it and saw the wall behind her shatter. Shit, I might have bitten off more than I can chew at the moment. Ranma landed on the bole of a nearby tree and leaped clear once again as Kuno swung at him. Ranma saw the blade leave it's sheath this time and saw as it sliced clean through the tree as if it were made of butter.
Ranma decided to make his opponent even more angry to make him clumsy. "Come on, is that all you got! Man, I was hoping for a real fight. Not this excuse for a samurai."
Ranma had underestimated his opponent, however, and Kuno smiled. "If that is what you want. Now you will see why I am called Blue Thunder. Fare thee well, Wench, give my regards to the Kami of the underworld!"
Kuno then unleashed a vicious attack on Ranma and while Ranma had evaded the blade, if just barely, she did not evade the lightning bolt that was lancing off it. The plasma reached into the backpack that Ranma was still wearing and Ranma was enveloped in a hellish blue glow for a few seconds, her bones lit up for all to see and her pigtail standing on end, her eyes wide open in surprise and shock. Then she collapsed into a smoking and charred heap while Kuno laughed madly and walked off in triumph, completely forgetting about Akane.
Nabiki had just reached the courtyard to see Ranma get hit by the lightning and watched in horror as she was enveloped in the blue strands of plasma and then keel over, smoking, charred, and by all appearances, dead.
Nabiki stood in shock, unable to believe her eyes. Then it started to hit her. "OH... MY... OH KAMI! RANMAAAAAAA!"
She ran over to the redhead's prone form and tried to find any sign of life. She found none, she wasn't even breathing nor did she have a pulse. Nabiki fell to her knees, tears running down her face. Then she turned her face up toward the sky and railed at the heavens. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
She then collapsed into tears over the body of her friend and who she believed could have been her lover.
Then the rain began to fall...
A/N: So, What did you think? I'm evil, aren't I? Well, I always liked this style and it suited my mood well. Anyways, sorry for the late chapter, but this one took longer to write than I thought it would. Oh, and I'll start updating TCFC as soon as TDW reaches chapter six. Also, I have yet another story idea to work on but this time I need some help. Please visit the topic RanmaInuyasha AU on the Ranma forums, it's self explanatory there. I appreciate any and all ideas and help from fellow readers and authors.
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Seras Out. Till Next Time!