Ranma ½ doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the great Rumiko Takahashi, if I did own do you think I'd be here right now?
-/-
Once Upon A Time,
There is a world that is unseen by the human eye; it is a world where all the elements are fused together to make one country, one universe, where they can live in almost perfect harmony.
An unseen Lord controls all the elements in our world, including Lords for the four basic elements – The Lord of Fire, the Lord of Water, the Lord of Wind, and the Lord of Earth. There are also Guardian Lords that watch over the other Clans.
The Ice Guardian protects their master, the Water Clan, and freezes any enemy.
The Lightening Guardian serves two purposes – to fight along side with the Fire Clan in desperate times and protect the Light Clan.
The Fire Clan, the Lightening Clan, and the Light Clan are known as the 'Sister Clans'.
The Light Clan is the Leader of this Universe and the land sits atop a tall mountain and watches over all. The Light Lord is the peacemaker of their Universe, without the Light Lord not only their world, but the human world as well, will go into mass destruction.
Because every light has to have a shadow…
And that is where our story begins.
-/-
The young child tossed and turned in her futon as the older women tried to shake her awake; they pushed and prodded but the little sleeping form under the thick quilt wouldn't budge. "Come on you little brat wake up!" One of the maids slapped the form hard on the shoulder and immediately pulled it away and started to blow cool air on it – her hand had been lightly scorched, but enough to leave a nasty burn mark.
The child groggily got up on her elbows and then pushed herself up to her to sit on her knees'. Akane's long hair fell messily around her face and she looked at the women who were crowding her bed in annoyance; a calming red aura blazed around her body. The maids slowly backed away from her; the kid may be a smart-ass but she never hurt anyone before. "Why the hell did you burn me you bitch?" the woman who was hurt asked in disbelief; she slapped Akane on the cheek with her uninjured hand and was burned again.
"Oh my God."
"She's a monster."
"I don't want to work here anymore if that lives here."
"She scares me."
All the women rushed out of the room, escorting the injured woman to the infirmary, leaving Akane all alone in the dimly lit room; she trembled and tried to block out all the bad things they said every day and clenched her eyes closed. 'If I don't look it won't hurt, if I don't look it won't hurt, if I don't look it won't hurt.' She repeated her daily mantra but no matter how many times she said it to herself it never helped.
Akane dressed herself slowly, as if automatically, into her gi and walked down the dim, narrow hallways; the morning sun was just rising over the horizon and a pale light flooded in through the open windows. Since it was so early in the morning everyone was either sleeping still or busy doing their early morning duties.
Akane walked into the dining room and as soon as she sat down maids came rushing in and sat her breakfast down in front of her. Akane looked up at to see their faces but they were wearing thin veils – allowing them to see her but hiding themselves from Akane's eyes'. Akane imagined these women with geisha makeup on and holding puppet strings - Akane was the puppet.
"Where's my dad?" Akane asked when the maids came back in to clear her plates after she was done eating.
"How should we know?" One of them snapped harshly and walked back into the kitchen in a fast pace, her companion trotting behind her to keep up.
Akane stared blankly at the door the two women just left from; she got up and left for the dojo to do her morning training. 'I guess this is my life.'
Wind Clan
Little Ukyou trotted behind her father to keep up with him; he had his eyes glued to a letter he had received the previous day and continued to block out everyone that was around him, whether they were talking to him or not. Ukyou had remembered catching a glimpse of a familiar name on the letter when her father was eating dinner, and the name was… "Dad, can you tell me about Akane Tendo?" Ukyou didn't know much about Akane other than the rumors she heard about her.
The question was booming in the deadly silent hallway, everyone had heard it and stopped what they were doing to stare at the little girl who the question had come from and her father's abrupt stop had almost caused Ukyou to run into his legs. "Why would you want to know that?" He asked looking down at his daughter, trying to keep his smile in check.
"Well…um… I guess, I just wanna…" Ukyou twiddled her thumbs and the floor was suddenly very interesting.
Ukyou Kuonji was a sweet, but a bit naïve, little girl with a liking for martial arts but a passion for cooking. She was always closed off from everyone, afraid that if she ever let anyone in they wouldn't like the person she really was; she only had two true friends that liked the real her and cared about her no matter what, Ranma Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki. But she wanted something more than what was seen on the outside but could never find it.
"Give her a break my Lord." One of the maids spoke up. "She has a right to know; Akane Tendo is not a girl you want to make friends with. She is nothing but a mistake, she was the child of one of Soun's harem and the only reason she was kept alive was because they needed an heir for the Fire Clan. The harem girl wasn't even respectful enough to stay, she left right after Akane was born; I may not like the little curse but everyone deserves a mother. The little thing is nothing but a monster." The sassy maid was silenced by the look she was receiving from Ukyou's father.
"Back to work, all of you." He boomed, he grasped his daughter's smaller hand in his and started to walk even faster then before, making it harder for Ukyou to keep up. "You shouldn't listen to them." He said, breaking the silence between the two. "You'll know more about Akane Tendo soon." He had this faraway smile but the words from the maid still echoed in Ukyou's head, making her feel very uneasy.
Water Clan
"No Ranma, that's all wrong, do it again!" Genma barked at his only son; the two of them had been at it since four o' clock in the morning going through complex martial arts techniques that would make grown men cry like babies. Ranma bent over and rested his hands on his knees, he sucked in as much air as his lungs could hold and tried to get his aching muscles to move. "Come on Ranma; are you a man or aren't you?" at that Ranma stood up straight and started to go through the technique again.
Ranma Saotome was a gifted martial artist with the potential to be the best; he was the son of a commanding and abusive father, Genma Saotome, and a caring and sensitive mother, Nodoka Saotome. He always had a stone face in front of his father but on the inside he was always searching for who he really was besides the martial artist and precious heir Genma wanted from him – always searching for something more in life, something new.
His mother, Nodoka Saotome, stood in the doorway of the dojo and looked in worriedly; the little six-year-old boy shouldn't be going through such hell like things; she could have sworn that he sweated off ten pounds in just an hour. "Dear" Nodoka spoke up, interrupting Genma's so called training. "Don't you think that you should let Ranma rest?"
"Why should I?" Genma was a cruel, harsh, disrespectful man but when it came to his wife you would think that he was a different person, but training was his life and he made no exception for his wife to disrupt.
"Well…he needs his rest and strength since you two are going to the…" Nodoka licked her suddenly dry lips. "Fire Clan."
This was news to Ranma. "I'm going to the Fire Clan? Why? When?"
"Tonight." Nodoka said before her husband could say anything.
"Why?" the curious little boy asked.
"Yes Nodoka, why don't you tell our son why?" Genma asked; a cruel smile twisted on his lips.
Nodoka stood tall and proud "I'm not the one to tell him." She turned and walked out of the dojo.
Ranma looked up at his father with the same questioning expression and Genma sighed, resting his head in the palm of his hand. When he lifted his head from his hand and saw that Ranma was still staring at him he scowled. "What do you think you're doing standing around? Get back to training and don't stop until that technique is perfect!"
Fire Clan
After Akane's morning practice she went to the garden and sat on a decorated stone bench; she looked up at the clear blue sky and off in the distance she heard the mixed and muffled sounds of the towns' people doing their daily business in the market or the laughs of kids playing in the streets – it was all so peaceful, even though it might only be for that moment. Without warning she felt a dark, cold presence behind her that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and a pale, bony hand grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Eek!" Akane sprang up and whipped around in a sloppy defense stand. She immediately relaxed when she saw the person who had snuck up behind her; she place her both her hands on her hips and sighed exaggeratingly. "Hikaru" Akane mock whined. "What have I told you about sneaking up on me?" She said in a tone a mother would use when she as scolding a little child.
The sheepish blush stood out like a sore thumb on the boy's pale face and the slightest of smiles appeared on his face at Akane's cutesy look. "Sorry Akane-San, but I must inform you that your family is waiting for you in the tea room." As soon as those words left his mouth a cloud of dust replaced Akane's form.
"Kasumi, Nabiki!" Akane cried excitedly, throwing the door open to the tearoom and tackling the two unexpected girls head on.
Kasumi Tendo, oldest sister, and soon to be Light Lord; she had the face of an angel and her beauty surpassed all, her voice was as sweet as bells and could calm any raging heart. She was the sweeter sister of the other two, Nabiki and Akane, and the daughter of Soun Tendo and Hinako Ninomiya. She was the motherly type, especially to Akane, and if you ask her if she could change anything in her life she would say, "It's perfect for me, nothing should be changed."
Nabiki Tendo, the middle sister, and soon to be Lightening Lord; she was devious and conniving and she always found a way to get yen, even if she had to cheat the money out of her younger sister, Akane. She had a mask of ice but it melted when with her sisters, she was always the protective one of the three, ever since Akane was a baby; she was the daughter of Soun Tendo and Hinako Ninomiya. She was dangerous for just a seven year old and no grown men wanted to cross paths with her.
"It's good to see you too, Akane." Kasumi said in a giggle at her little sisters energy, she had managed to knock Nabiki and Kasumi to the ground. Kasumi hugged Akane tightly and fixed her mussed hair.
"Yeah, it's good to be back with the klutz." Nabiki got off the uncomfortable tatami mats and popped her back; the two traded annoyed looks but they were also smiling.
"So what are you two doing here anyway?" Akane asked, getting up and helping Kasumi to her feet.
"What? We can't come here and just visit our little sister?" Nabiki said in her usual indifferent tone of her, the look she received from Akane showed that she was not pleased.
Before a fight could break out Kasumi intervened. "The reason we came was because father came to get us so we could all be together."
Well that explained why she couldn't find her dad this morning and her heart swelled with joy at the thought of spending time with some of her favorite people; but wait, Kasumi said "us" and that must mean that she was here.
"Akane-Chan!" Akane cringed at the high-pitched voice that could break glass if the person tried; she turned around and saw the she-devil in all her glory, Hinako Ninomiya.
Hinako Ninomiya, the wife of Soun Tendo and mother of Kasumi and Nabiki Tendo; she was a tramp and always wore short yukatas and skimpy Chinese dresses. She was childish and intolerable but Soun found it cute; Akane and Hinako never got along and absolutely hated each other, Hinako more than Akane for her own reasons. She was an innocent angel in front of Soun but the horns came out when he wasn't in the room. Her voice was shrill and sharp to the point of annoyance and could be the jealous and power hungry bitch if rubbed the wrong way.
Hinako bent over and gave Akane a bone-crushing hug that cut off her air. "Oh, I missed you so much." Hinako released her from her "hug" and clutched her Akane's face with her sharp nails.
"Hinako?" Soun entered the tearoom to find Hinako practically choking Akane. "Hinako, what are you doing?"
Akane smiled cheekily at Hinako in a way of saying 'busted'.
"Oh, uh, Soun honey I-I was just telling Akane-Chan…um, how…how cute she is?" Hinako said, obviously making it all up on the spot.
Akane gave her father a look that said, 'please don't tell me you believe this crap'.
Hinako waited anxiously to see if Soun would believe the story, sweating profusely. Soun stared at her curiously and then a wide smile found its way to his face. "Well isn't that nice, the two of you are getting along."
Everyone sweat dropped and Kasumi shook her head sadly. "Oh father, father, father."
Akane didn't waste anytime at all to get back to reality and get on her father's case. "Why weren't you here this morning? And why are my sisters here? What's going on dad?"
He fidgeted in his spot while he tried to find the correct words to phrase what he was going to say and soon Nabiki, being Nabiki, got tired of the awkward silence and her fathers unmanliness – look at him, he was afraid to tell a six year old girl something. "You have to go to a meeting and he brought us here to help you clean up." She said abruptly.
Akane didn't miss a beat and immediately said, "I'm six! Why the heck do I have to go to some stupid meeting?"
"Akane, it's very important that you go, it could decide your future." Soun said as calmly as he could manage as rage bubbled up inside him.
Before things could get out of hand Kasumi intervened. "Please Akane, it's very important that you go. If your not going to do it for father, at least do it for me."
It didn't take long for Akane to agree with Kasumi and they silently made their way out of the room, none making eye contact with Soun or Hinako.
And so the two older sisters dressed their littlest sister in a beautiful white kimono with the pattern of cherry blossoms catching on fire and pinned her long hair up in decorative crystal chopsticks. The process of getting her ready took nearly the whole day; Nabiki and Kasumi put her in a scented bath and they all argued on what she was going to wear. By the time they were done the sun was going down and just in time for the meeting to start.
"Oh Akane, you're just in time." Soun said when he saw her enter the garden. He had obviously been worried that she wouldn't show up judging by the look of relief on his face and his slightly disheveled hair. "Come Akane, let me introduce you to these people."
He guided her over to where a group was waiting for them. "These are the Hibikis, Lord Ichii Hibiki and his wife Ayumu Hibiki." The beautiful couple wore friendly smiles as they bowed slightly to Akane and she mirrored their movements.
"So nice to meet you Akane-Chan." Ayumu said cheerfully, her honey colored hair matching the setting sun; Akane simply smiled shyly and nodded her head.
"Yes, I've been looking forward to meeting you." Ichii's face was stern but his eyes were warm and friendly.
Soun placed his hand gently on Akane's shoulder and guided her over to a broad shoulders man that stood tall. "Akane, now this is Lord Zen Kuonji."
Akane shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of Kuonji, they bowed to each other and only the silent conversation with their eyes was exchanged.
"Did you forget about me Soun?" Akane was startled by the last voice; she had only seen three people when she came. She looked at her father and the look in his eye held an indescribable emotional.
"Of course not Genma" Soun grasped Akane's hand almost to the point of pain. "Akane, this is Lord Genma Saotome, someone I've known for a long time."
Again Akane bowed politely to him like she did to everyone else. "It's nice to finally meet you, I've heard so many good things about you." Akane couldn't tell but it looked liked Genma was staring at her fondly, maybe even…lovingly.
"Genma may I speak to you for a minute?" Soun asked with an irritated look, Genma nodded and all Akane heard as they walked away was, "son".
Akane looked around to see the rest of the adults talking about some type of business and easily became bored; her father wanted her here but he was ignoring her. Akane made sure that no one was looking and quickly escaped into the woods, she walked as quickly as she could, trying not to snap a twig or crunch the leaves with her feet. When she was sure that she was out of earshot from everyone she slowed down to admire the scenery, the wind blew gently through her hair and a sudden peace overcame her, it was just starting to get dark and the full moon shown in the pitch-black sky like a pure pearl lying in black velvet.
As she walked on she started to hear the distant sound rolling water and the slight murmur of voices, and with her curiosity piqued she walked on; as she got closer to the murmurs she started to smell the hypnotic fragrance of cherry and plum blossoms. She pushed back a veil of veins that separated her from her destination and saw a dream – the long, silky grass was being played with by the wind and blossoms danced through the air, the smoothness of the koi pond reflected the moon in the sky like a mirror and fireflies played hide-and-seek in the greenery; she completely forgot about the voices and the owners that were watching her.
Ukyou sat there staring at Akane in rage and fright, rage because she was disturbing the sacred peace of their secret place and fright because she might destroy it and take away one of the most important things to her, her eyes wondered over to Ranma.
"Hi" Ukyou blinked and saw Ranma walking over to Akane; she jumped up and followed him. "I know you, you're Akane right, what are you doing here? Are you lost?"
"No, I don't think so, if I was lost I wouldn't know where I am or how to get back to where I came from."
'Well you need to.' Ukyou thought when she heard the last part of Akane's sentence. "Well then, what are you doing here?" Ukyou said with attitude.
Akane simply shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I was just wondering around and ended up here. If you want me to leave I will."
Before Ukyou could get a chance to cry, "Yes!" Ryouga got up and slapped his hand over Ukyou's mouth and shook his head. "No, please stay." He said with a cheeky smile. "I'm Ryouga Hibiki and this is Ukyou Kuonji by the way, sorry, she can be a bit cranky at times."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought she was a boy."
A vein burst on Ukyou's forehead and she ripped herself from Ryouga, stalking away from the three and found a spot where she could sit away from them.
"Um, Don't worry about her." Ranma said encouragingly. "I'm sure we'll all be the best of friends." He patted her shoulder friendly and Ryouga ruffled her hair in a playful manner.
"He's right."
That night little Akane felt like she belonged for once in her life, she made friends with the two boys quickly and she was determined to make Ukyou like her. That night, when she snuck into the woods and found her way into the clearing, someone had followed her in the shadows.
Hikaru Gosunkugi watched on as his beloved Akane laughed and talked and shared her feelings with someone other than him. "Akane-San, how could you? I should be you're only friend, I should be the only one you spend time with. I should be enough for you and you're enough for me, we don't need anyone but the two of us. You're mine, and I'll make sure it stays that way." He seemed to melt away as thick clouds passed over the moon and when they floated away he had completely disappeared.
When Akane came home that night she wore a broad smile and was cheerful to everyone, even the people that were rude to her – everyone didn't know why the sudden change but they weren't complaining at all. Now, Akane went to that clearing every night to meet with her friends when the moon was at its highest point and stay with each other until they could see the first glimmer of sun in the horizon. As the years past Ukyou became more doubtful of the rumors she heard when she realized that Akane was just like any girl, just misunderstood; and soon Ukyou and Akane became inseparable.
Akane didn't even notice that her young advisor, Hikaru, had disappeared without a trace, and no one else seemed to care.
As time moved on the four became closer and more open, they could relax and truly smile when they were together – that's what Ukyou, Ryouga, and Ranma thought. Akane always was the most distant from the rest, maybe because the other three had known each other longer but Akane knew that wasn't true, she was afraid to let them in and show her the real her so she just put up a façade like she did with everyone else and took life as it was until she could find the strength to break out of her shell.
When they entered their teens everything became more complicate – an oblivious love triangle formed between Ryouga, Akane, and Ranma while Ukyou tried to decide between Ranma and Ryouga. As the four friends grew older, Akane's hair grew longer and she would never tell them why she never cut it when her friends asked.
Of course, all good things must come to an end.
"You're training to become Lords?" Akane asked with awe and surprise, her two older sisters were just enunciated as Light Lord and Lightening Lord and from watching those two stress she knew it was an emotional experience. "I'm happy for you." Akane smiled in delight, a small secret was held within that smile, little did her friends know that she was going to become Fire Lord soon due to her father's health.
"Well why are you telling us?" Ranma sounded like he didn't have a care in the world, he didn't like to plan ahead, he just liked to live in the moment.
"Well" Ukyou twiddled her thumbs and twirled a piece of her long brown hair between her finger. "Because, since we are starting to train we won't be able to come back for a while."
'Why did I know this was coming?' Akane thought blankly and in a single moment something indescribable passed through her eyes and had gone as soon as it had come; Akane put her cheerful mask back in place and shook Ukyou and Ryouga's hand excitingly. "I'm so happy for you! Good luck!" Akane looked up at the sky and saw that it was still dark. "Well, I think I'm going to go home early tonight, bye!" She walked back to her home blindly.
Now it was just Ranma and Akane and with their alone time their feeling grew and it was harder to hide things from each other… but they still managed to do it.
Water Clan
"Boy, get in here!" Genma shouted from his spot on his thrown, when his son didn't respond he shouted it louder and soon after his son came in, slick with sweat, it was obvious that Genma had interrupted his training.
"What do you want, pops?" Ranma asked, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Lets cut to the chase boy, do I look like an idiot to you?" Genma asked, not expecting an answer.
"Well…" Ranma said, trailing off, the rest implied.
Genma glared at his son and clenched his teeth. "Point is, I know that for the past eight years you have been meeting with the other heirs of the Clans, most especially Akane." Ranma did an excellent imitation of a fish as his mouth opened and closed, trying to form words, Genma didn't wait for his son to collect his words. "I also know that Akane will become Fire Lord very soon."
This was news to Ranma. "How soon?"
"Tomorrow." Genma said bluntly.
"So why are you telling me this?" Ranma asked, not catching on quiet yet.
"Stupid boy! Haven't you heard of the ritual of Fire Lords and the legend?"
The Flame, one of the most powerful things in their world, no one knows where it came from or why it has such power, it just does. Bathing in The Flame is a sacred ritual that all the soon to be Fire Lords must go through before they can lead the clan. However, if anyone other than the soon to be Fire Lord steps in The Flame will attack and turn the intruder into what's classified as their worst nightmare.
Ranma stared at his father blankly for a second and then realization hit, his eyes widened. "Oh no pops, I'm not going to do it, I can't believe your that stupid." Ranma flipped his father off and turned around to leave.
"If you don't do it Ranma I'll put you in that pit again." Genma threatened; when he saw Ranma stiffen he knew he had him cornered. He smiled like the Cheshire cat would in the sick satisfaction of torturing his only son. "Now that you are willing to cooperate, go convince Akane to let you take some of that power from The Flame." Ranma disappeared from sight, faster than the eye could see.
That night
Ranma paced the ground, creating a small rut, as he waited for Akane to come. 'What if she doesn't come? Then what? Will pops be too impatient and not wait? What if she doesn't let me get the power? What if she-'
"Ranma?" Akane asked, snapping him out of his daze, she was just inches from his face and she seemed unaffected by it but it turned Ranma's face the color of her ribbon. "What's wrong, when I came you completed ignored me? What were you thinking about?" Akane asked curiously, she went over and sat on one of the rocks bordering the pond and patting the space beside her where Ranma could sit – he obliged. "What's up?"
"Well, you see I'm in a bit of a dilemma."
"Can I help in any way? I mean, that's what friends are for, right?" Akane put a comforting hand over his clenched fist and it relaxed instantly.
"Actually, it involves you." Ranma gulped audibly and started to sweat bullets. "I know that you're going to become the Fire Lord soon and I want to know if… if you could…c-could…"
Akane saw where this was going, it's not like he was the first one to bring this up. "Hell no!" Akane bolted up and turned her back to him
Ranma stuttered and stared at her in complete shock. "W-what? You don't even know what I was going to say!" Ranma got up as well and forcibly turned her around, he didn't let go of her shoulder and as he became madder his grip tightened until it began to hurt.
Akane's face twisted in pain. "You're hurting me." Akane ground out, Ranma snapped back to reality and his eyes cleared.
"Sorry" Ranma said guiltily, he let go of her shoulder and Akane felt immediate relief, she started to rub the feeling back into her shoulder.
"Why do you want The Flame's power?" Akane asked more calmly. "The Ranma I know isn't power hungry."
"The you must be thinking of a different Ranma, because people change." Akane cringed at the look in Ranma's eyes – it reminded her of something dark, something so unlike Ranma.
"Obviously, because the Ranma that I'm talking to is a heartless basterd!"
"Why are you being so stupid? You're just like everyone says, you're just greedy and you don't want to share the power!" That was a low blow, he knew that she didn't like bringing up rumors about her and you could see her flinch – like he had struck her.
"Well I'm sorry for being a good friend and trying to help you!" unshed tears glistened in her eyes and threatened to spill free, Ranma didn't seem to notice… or care.
"I don't need protection from someone like you, if you hadn't met me you would be a lonely girl who had no friends and no respect, you were just a violent tomboy! I guess Ukyou's first impression of you was right, you are a bitch!" Akane slapped him across the face and made an audible smack that scared away a few animals residing nearby.
Akane let the tears spill free willingly, letting him know how he hurt her. "You low life, get out of here, I never want to see you're face again; you're now dead to me Ranma Saotome!"
Ranma brought his hand to his cheek and stood there frozen for a moment and then walked away slowly, as if in a trance, he couldn't believe he had said that to her, so what if he was mad? It was completely uncalled for. The last thing that penetrated through his daze was the distant sound of sobbing.
Akane trudged her way home, not even caring if she tripped or fell, she felt incomplete, she had no one left. When Akane came home, for the first time in years, she called out for Hikaru. She needed someone to comfort her and make her feel like everything was okay, like she was a little girl again, but he never answered and she finally realized that he was long gone – he had been long gone for a the longest time. She had lost everyone.
Later that night
"Ranma, you sure about this?" Shampoo asked, she was crouching low in the bushes watching The Flame dance and catch even the slightest shadow in it's light, like it was looking for them. Shampoo knew Ranma really didn't want to do this but when he came home and told Genma that he couldn't convince Akane he threatened to put Ranma in the pit.
"Would you quit asking me that already, Shampoo? We're going to do this so shut up!" Ranma snapped, even though his voice was sure and confident you could see his hand shake. Shampoo looked at Ranma sympathetically and turned to Mousse, he saw the look in her eyes and shrugged his shoulders in a "nothing we can do" way.
"Ranma, you don't have to do this, we can always go back." Ryouga reassured.
"You know what Ryouga, that's a great idea." Ranma said sarcastically. "We can all go home and then line up as that old basterd throws us into the pit one by one." He finished in anger and more volume than he intended. "Come on, it's now or never, lets go!" The Flame shot to life when it finally spotted the intruders but the group would not back down and they ran head long into the now sliver flame.
Ranma felt his body twist and morph painfully, he didn't even feel a burn from standing in fire and if he did it would be little to the way he was feeling now as he transformed. A scream was working its way up his throat and finally tore through his lips.
-/-
Akane bolted up right in bed. "Ranma?" she asked the empty room, she could have sworn that she heard him. "Oh well," she told herself, she let out a giant yawn and went back into the world of dreams.
Dream, sweat dreams little hime, for these will be the last you will have in a long time, something is lurking and hiding behind the light, waiting for the right time to come out and reveal itself...
It's a shadow.