Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or
concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that i claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:
The Annals of the Heroine Akane, and the Dreaded Demon King. A Tale of the Mirrorverse.
Chapter 11: Strange friends make odd bedfellows.
Ranko eyed the relaxed young woman sitting across from her. Even after several hours, it was hard to equate the bloodthirsty warrior with this morose young woman. So far, Ranko as Robin had seen Akane laugh, cry, get a forlorn look on her face and blush. She had seen her blush more than once, and more often the more she had drunk. It would appear that she could not handle her alcohol well, at all.
Ranko, of course, was resistant to its effects, even in this form. Mind you, it was more from frequently imbibing over a supernatural resistance. It seemed that bards were often paid in food and drink, sometimes lots of drink. It was not a bad thing, when you sang and played for hours on end some nights, depending on how busy the establishment was. It was also handy, in that people talked much more freely when plied with a bit of drink.
Robin had to admit, it was an oddly satisfying life. Perhaps if her life wasn't just his alter ego, then perhaps she would have enjoyed this life. But alas, she was Ranma, the Demon King and thus this would always just be an act done for a purpose.
Such as getting one heroine to talk freely about, well, everything, And she did mean everything. She had learned more than she would ever have wanted to know about the life and history of the woman who sat across from her with a pleasant smile on her lips.
It was honestly getting harder and harder to see her opponent in the young woman who smiled wistfully as she listened to the bard known as Robin play another wistful love song, the same as the last three that Akane had requested.
The amount that both women had drank might have something to do with it as well, considering that Ranko had started to feel the effects as well.
"You have such pretty eyes." Akane said as she cupped her chin in the palm of her hand, her eyes half closed.
Robin blinked and laughed softly. "Thank you. You have a surprisingly warm smile."
Akane narrowed her eyes at that. "Whatcha mean by that?" She slurred just a bit.
Robin shrugged as she took another drink and enjoyed the warm feeling. "You don't expect that from a hero, is all. You expect… I don't know, fierce and unwavering. Not smiling and requesting love songs."
"Nothin' wrong with hearing 'bout something I'll never find." Akane said as she took another drink as well.
Robin put down her drink as she strummed lightly on her lute. "And why won't you find it?"
"'Cause I'm the hero." Akane said in explanation as she tried to stand and slumped back into her chair.
"That doesn't mean anything." Robin said as she looked at the drunken heroine and sighed as she pushed herself up and pulled Akane to her feet. "C'mon let's get you to bed."
The two stumbled off to Akane's room with some difficulties since neither of them were exactly functional. To make things more difficult, not only was Akane taller and heavier, she was drunk and strong as an ox. It made for a challenging and tiring climb up the stairs and a difficult stagger to Akane's room as she half-carried the drunken warrior.
Ranko found that it was not easy to get Akane through the door but she managed it somehow. The next challenge was to get Akane to stagger in the direction of the bed. On some level, Ranko knew this was probably the perfect chance to get rid of the latest hero, but her drink-addled brain kept coming up with reasons that she could not kill Akane at this moment.
A bigger problem revealed itself when she let Akane slump onto the bed. As she turned away, a hand flailed out and latched onto her arm like an iron shackle. The next thing she knew, she had been pulled bodily into the bed and wrapped in the arms of the larger, stronger woman.
Rnko let out a very undignified eep, not what you would expect to hear from the Demon King, regardless of form. She tried to wriggle free, but the more she moved the more tightly entwined she found herself in the grip of the heroine, who was now spooning her in a way that could almost be described as aggressive. A few more frustrated wriggles and Ranko sighed as she let herself relax a bit. "I will let her fall asleep fully, then make my escape.' She thought to herself as she felt her eyes close on their own.
'Maybe,,, Just for a little bit' Ranko thought to herself as sleep claimed her as well.
In the bar a few hours before Ranko, in her persona of Robin, ended up entrapped in the iron grip of the heroine Akane. Nabiki sighed again as she looked away from the cat she had been having a glaring contest with for the past half an hour and looked over at her sister and the lady bard. It was clear that the two of them had forgotten the rest of the bar some time ago as they seemed to be lost in conversation between the bards performances. If Nabiki was going to be honest with herself, she might be a tad jealous of her sister right now. Not that she was particularly interested in the little redhead, but that she had found some company. Not that Nabiki expected anything to come of it, Akane was firmly in denial that she had any romantic feelings towards anyone.
Of the three sisters, she was the only one who was honest with herself. Her sisters were firmly in denial of their own bodies and urges. Kasumi because she had dedicated her life to the church and others, and Akane because she thought that as the hero she would never be able to love anyone. Now, Nabiki saw herself as more… Opportunistic. She didn't really care if her partner was male or female, it was more that she found them interesting and attractive enough to attract her attention.
Nabiki had her doubts about how asexual her sister Akane believed herself to be, perhaps she just hadn't met the woman that wouldinterest her, if she was moe of a sapphic than she had imagined. Now Kasumi was about as straight laced as she could imagine, and Nabiki figured it would take a very special man to get past her sister's self-imposed chastity.
Nabiki decided it was about time to get some air, and ignored the two sitting at the table not mooning over each other. Honestly, they should just head to a room and take care of things instead of pining away in the corner.
Of course, Nabiki knew she was the practical one of the three.
She exchanged one last glare with the feline who was still perched on her table then dropped a coin on the table and slipped out into the night for some air.
Once her human adversary was gone, Xian Pu gave herself a good lick to calm herself and eyed the coin, half tempted to hide it just to spite the cheeky human. Lord Ranma had ordered her not to kill anyone in the town, not wanting any outcry to risk the cover of his identity as Ranko and Robin. It was understandable, it was the reason she hadn't exposed the full glory of her true self to the impertinent human who's scent still lingered in her nose. It was oddly enticing. It made her want to hunt, to play and nibble just a bit. Only slightly maul the annoying little human.
As long as she didn't KILL her, then Lord Ranma couldn't be mad, right? Xian Pu grinned a feline grin as she cast a look towards her master and slipped quietly out after the human.
She was going to enjoy this.
Nabiki sighed and stretched as she walked through the dark streets and alleys. Usually, she would not suggest anyone do what she was right now, but she had far more confidence in her abilities than she did in anyone else's in this particular instance.
It was what she excelled at, after all.
Nabiki skulked along, even as she knew that the drink had dulled her edge a bit, she still trusted her skills and the fact most of the shadier characters were lying low right now with the guard being on alert right now. Still she could not feeling that she had been followed.
Xian Pu was rather pleased with herself, she had to admit. The human, even in her lessened state, was still rather good at what she did. No match for her, of course, but still good. Respectable prey, a good hunt. Worthy of her time and attention. She slinked along the rooftops in her feline form, waiting for the right moment for a good pounce. Perhaps the alleyway ahead, it would give her just enough room to maneuver, but the prey couldn't avoid her well enough to get away. She wouldn't kill her, no. She would just maul her, a little bit. Give her something to remember her by, yes.
Her tail quivered in anticipation of what she was sure would be fun.
Nabiki hesitated as she walked, that sense she had at the back of her mind warning her of something wrong. She stopped and looked about, her eyes sweeping the ground level, and then casting a quick look at the rooftops. She didn't see anything, certainly nothing that would make her cautious like this. Perhaps it was the drink, dulling her mind and blurring her senses. She should head back to the inn and get some rest, sleep it off so that she would be in good shape when they left tomorrow like Akane planned. With no sign of the Demon King's army in the area, she wanted to finally make her way to the capital.
It was so very much like her sister she thought as she entered the dim alleyway.
Xian Pu shook with excitement as she watched her prey. She had barely ducked in time to avoid being seen by the annoying human. She didn't want to be seen, not even in her feline form. She nodded to herself, mentally preening a bit at her excellence before she shifted form and dropped from the rooftop, landing on the startled human before she had a chance to fully react.
Nabiki let out a muffle sound of shock and surprise as a large, furry form landed on her and bore her down with its weight. It had to be large, from the force of the impact on her. Yet, it seemed to be able to move well, as it had corrected it's landing minutely when Nabiki had tried to dodge it in the confines of the alley. She had a very sinking suspicion who or what had just landed on her, and worried how exactly that damn feline demon had managed to sneak into the town.
Her concerns would have to take second place, though. Right now, she had to fight. She had to escape. She tried to go for one of her many knives as strong, furry arms ended in clawed hands wrapped around her torso. One of them happened to get a rather full grip on Nabiki's chest, and pulled a sound that seemed to surprise both of them from her. The soft moan was completely unintended, and both parties seemed to stop for a long moment before the struggle for capture or escape commenced once more.
Xian Pu had to admit, this was even more thrilling than she had anticipated. The feel of the struggling woman in her arms, the sounds she made, the scent of her… It was almost intoxicating. It had been far too long since Xian Pu had enjoyed herself like this. A prey worthy of her indeed. She wrapped her arms tighter around her struggling adversary, her clawed hand gripping the firm breast tighter and eliciting another throaty sound from the woman in her arms. The urge to bite, to scratch, to mark was growing stronger by the moment. Xian Pu wrapped her forelegs around the waist of the woman, her powerful clawed paws gripping her prey tightly against her body.
Nabiki flushed as she struggled as yet another sound was drawn from her throat. It didn't help that the damned demon had grabbed her waist now, and she could feel the claws digging lightly into her hips. She could feel the strong, supple muscles as they shifted against her back as she was pulled tightly against the belly of the demon. She could feel the large, firm mounds that adorned the demon's chest pressed firmly into her back and she was certain now of who and what had her. She fumbled for one of her knives even as she felt the jaws of the demon latch onto her shoulder. The shock sent waves through her body. Possibly it was the combination of adrenaline, fear, and alcohol but she felt like she was going to lose her mind.
Xian Pu had given in to her urge to bite the human, and was pleasantly surprised by how good it felt, how the sounds her prey made excited and exhilarated her. She let go of the shoulder she had briefly latched onto and wrapped her powerful jaws around the back of her prey's neck, letting her fangs press into the exposed flesh of the human's neck.
Nabiki lets out another throaty sound as she feels those powerful jaws wrapped around the back of her delicate neck. Her eyes closed for a moment as she reveled in a sensation she had never felt before, the fear and pain thrummed through her veins like liquid fire. She decided in that instant if she would die, she would at least take the demon with her. With that thought in mind, she drove her knife into the side of her opponent.
Xian Pu yowled as she let go of that damned human and kicked her away from her as she yanked the bloody knife from her side. Xian Pu had never felt like this, her body was practically vibrating with energy and her senses seemed to be honed to a razor's edge. It had to be this damn human. No other fight had excited her like this, and it made the lecture she was sure to receive almost worth it. Her feline ears perked up as she heard the sound of heavy footfalls rushing towards them. It seemed that they had not gone unheard. A pity, she would have loved to have stayed and played some more but it would seem that her time had run out. Next time, she would see what other noises the human could make, what other experiences she could take from her. Next time, she would taste her flesh and blood once more. She cast a long look at the human and licked at her bloodied muzzle.
"Next time, we will continue where we left off, human." Xian Pu said before she scaled up the wall and vanished.
Nabiki watched Xian Pu go and then sunk down against the wall as she took long, deep breaths to try and calm herself down. She dreaded and anticipated the next time she saw that damned demon. She didn't want to examine her state of mind or body too closely at the moment. Perhaps it was best not to mention the demon. It would ruin her reputation if it got out that she had been bested and molested by a demon.
The fact that on some perverse level she hadn't wanted their little fight to end so soon certainly had nothing to do with her decision.
One thing was for sure, though.
Kasumi would not be amused by her current condition.
Nabiki sighed as she intercepted the guard, and gave them some spiel about being attacked by cutpurses, but driving them off. Let the guard be active and look for a while, it would let her get back to her bed and let Kasumi patch her up.
She sighed once more.
Why couldn't things be simple?
