C&C is most welcome.

<Insert Usual Disclaimer>

An Awakening of Demons
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By Kagami

Chapter 1: Inheritance

Ryoga was being hunted.

The wind whipped the blistering rain around the small, dark
form as Ryoga ran between the gnarled clumps of roots and
massive wooden pillars that formed the ancient grove of
trees. If there was one thing Ryoga hated most about being a
piglet, it was being mistaken as a scrumptious ingredient
for many dishes. It was bad enough to be considered food by
humans, though he was fortunate enough to run into people
who seemed to prefer their pork boiled alive, but whatever
was chasing him certainly wasn't a member of the human
species.

His porcine nostrils, sensitive to a high degree, flared
wide upon scenting the sickening taint that stained the
humid air as his pursuer drew closer. No, the hunter was
definitely not human. Ryoga ran faster, his short, black
legs pumping furiously to escape the deadly chase. Speed
was his greatest ally in his cursed form, yet it lacked his
awesome human endurance. Already, he could feel the strain,
short spurts of vital breath bursting from his small lungs
and beads of sweat pouring down his rain-slicked flanks. All
the while, the vile scent grew stronger and thicker like a
foul miasma as his inhuman pursuer gained.

Trees loomed menacingly in his vision; warped, wooden giants
to his small form. Leaves and branches whipped about in the
gusting wind, shrieking their alarm over the intruder's
presence. The overpowering aura was so close that Ryoga
could almost feel the hot pants of air that his hunter
exhaled in hunger. He leapt between two huge tree roots,
seeking futile shelter. Ryoga spun around, brought to bay at
last. He trembled violently, fatigue wearying his limbs as
his black eyes searched desperately for any sign of the
approaching darkness. It was coming quickly now, secure in
the knowledge that no opposition remained in the exhausted
victim.

The stench filled his nostrils, signaling the arrival of
the hunter. Fear touched him as the shadows parted and the
darkness revealed itself at last. Sharp claws glinted in
the waning moonlight, mounted on long, warped limbs that
connected to a twisted and corded body. A long, black tail
writhed about menacingly, matched by a long member that
declared the demon male. The grotesque animal head, a
misshapen bull complete with a pair of gory horns, grinned
evilly in anticipation and revealed a mouthful of broken
fangs.

An oni. An ogre demon from the legends of history. How could
such a thing exist in this day and age, Ryoga thought
despairingly, and why had it sought him out? A piglet was
hardly a worthwhile prize for the malevolent beast. Then,
the demon spoke.

"I have found you at last, accursed one." The harsh
gutturals grated on Ryoga's ears as the demon continued his
gloating. "My master shall reward me well for bringing you
back."

He laughed uproariously.

---

"Why are we heading over to your home, Ranma?"

Nabiki's waspish voice, filled with irritation and
petulance, grated on Ranma's ears. He huddled miserably
beneath his oversized umbrella, holding the flimsy shelter
poised against the incoming enemy. The beat of slashing
raindrops added to his gloom, threatening to trigger his
curse at any time. All it would take would be a single gust
of wind at the wrong moment. "Why ask me? You're the one who
took the message from my mother," he answered.

"I meant," she clarified, "for what reason?" She was
obviously upset at being left out of the information loop.

"How should I know?" Ranma retorted, somewhat peeved at her
demand. Inwardly, he pondered Nabiki's questions. Of course,
his mother could have just asked them over for tea, but
somehow he doubted it. No, there had to be another reason.
What if ...

Nabiki sniffed in disdain. Even though she didn't say it,
Ranma distinctly heard a 'Oh, why am I asking you? You're
always so clueless,' embodied within that sniff. Instead,
she turned and arched an eyebrow at the other three people
accompanying them. "Do any of you know what this is all
about?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Akane muttered in reply. Ranma
could see that she was feeling just as miserable at being
forced out in such weather. He caught her eye, wondering if
she was thinking the same thing; that it probably had
something to do with the failed wedding over a month ago.
The pensive glance she shot back made it very likely.
Perhaps his mother was finally going to resolve the whole
fiancee mess. Now, that would make the entire wet journey
worthwhile.

"Now, now, Nabiki," Soun said placatingly, voice glowing
with false cheer, "I'm sure Saotome-san has her reasons."
Ranma had no trouble reading his thoughts. Since the Tendo
patriarch was as much in the dark as the rest of them, the
most likely question facing him was why hadn't his old
friend, Genma, told him anything?

Kasumi smiled slightly, ignoring the downpour like it was a
gentle, spring shower. "We'll be there in just a few more
minutes, Nabiki. Why not wait and see?" Her obvious good
cheer perked them all up. After all, how bad could it be?
Ranma quickened his pace slightly, ignoring the loud crack
of thunder.

"I hate waiting," came Nabiki's reply.

---

"They'll be here soon," Nodoka said as she polished the
glittering katana in her hands for the umpteenth time. The
unsheathed blade gleamed like new as she rubbed the silk
cloth over the deadly sharp edge yet again. "Is everything
ready?"

"Yes, dear," Genma answered. He stared into his tea cup,
concentrating on the billowing steam rising from the pale
jade liquid and trying not to twitch every time his wife
ran her polishing cloth over the naked sword. "Would you
mind putting the katana away, Nodoka?" he asked hesitantly.
"I'm afraid it's making me quite nervous."

"Hmm?" Nodoka looked down at the sword in puzzlement as
though wondering what she was doing with it. "Oh, sorry,
dear. I totally forgot." She picked up the lacquered wooden
scabbard and sheathed the katana in one smooth motion. "I
guess I'm more nervous than I thought."

"Tendo-kun will be here soon," Genma replied obliquely.
"Along with Ranma and the girls."

"I know, dear. And the others?" she asked pointedly.

Genma shifted uncomfortably on his tatami mat, unable to
meet his wife's daunting eyes. Instead, he drew the black,
flower-patterned teapot over and poured more of the
steaming liquid for himself. "They'll be here as well," he
said reluctantly.

A brisk knock sounded, interrupting the uneasy silence that
developed. Nodoka rose and moved to answer it. Genma
tracked his wife's movement towards the door, face pensive,
but failed to follow.

Nodoka opened the front door and greeted the Tendos.
"Tendo-san, please come in out of the rain."

"Ah, thank you, Saotome-san," Soun said gratefully as he
stepped into the house. Kasumi followed her father in,
bowing gracefully and politely adding, "So nice to see you
again, Aunty." Nabiki inclined her head as she stepped
past Nodoka, only saying, "Hello, Aunty."

Ranma and Akane entered together. Akane with a cheerful "Hi,
Aunty" that was rather at odds with her earlier grumpiness,
while Ranma added a more subdued "Hi, Mom."

Nodoka acknowledged all the greetings and gave Ranma a brief
hug, before motioning all of them into the sitting room
where Genma awaited. "Please help yourselves to the biscuits
and tea, everyone. We just need to wait for a few more
arrivals."

"More arrivals? Who else is coming, Aunty?" Nabiki was quick
to ask.

"Ukyo-san and Shampoo-san are also on their way. I have some
information to give to all of you," Nodoka explained calmly.

Akane jerked her head up to stare at Ranma's mother. Was it
possible? Was Aunty Nodoka really going to do something
about the entire situation? Why else would she call
everyone? She realized the exception and was quietly
grateful for it.

"Would you like me to call that nice Kuno girl, Aunty?"
Kasumi inquired politely. Beside her, Nabiki quietly excused
herself to go to the bathroom.

"The Kuno girl? Whatever for?" Nodoka furrowed her brows in
query.

"I think she believes that she's one of Ranma's fiancees."

"I see. And is she?" Nodoka asked, eyebrows twitching as she
glanced at her son and husband.

"No!" replied Ranma and Akane in unison, with Ranma
shivering involuntarily at the very thought of Kodachi Kuno
as an 'official' fiancee.

"Then, I see no reason to involve her," Nodoka said briskly.

---

Ryoga bared his teeth and snarled in defiance.

A Hibiki would never go down without a fight. Even if he was
currently a defenceless pig. No, not defenceless.
Overmatched certainly, but he still had a chance. He was
much faster than the towering brute, and he'd been able to
recover slightly from his exhaustion. There was a small
possibility of eluding the first strike and then running
again. Ryoga crouched and prepared himself.

"So, there's still fight left in you, accursed one?" the oni
rumbled in amusement. "Then, die!" it roared, launching it's
claws in a blindingly quick strike at the small, black
piglet.

Ryoga hurled himself forward, evading the descending claws
by a hairsbreadth and rebounding off the demon's right leg.
He used the energy of the impact to angle himself away from
the constraining tree behind him. Did it, he crowed within.
Now to ...

His eyes widened as the ogre's tail lashed out in a short
arc, slamming into his vulnerable body and driving him into
the ground. He choked on the gritty soil, then coughed
weakly, expelling blood along with earth. Damn, he thought
dizzily, forgot about that.

"Fool! Do you take me for a novice? My Master commanded me
to bring an accursed one back alive. And that shall be you,"
it gloated smugly.

The demon laughed, enjoying Ryoga's pain as the piglet
cringed back futilely from his sharp claws.

>From the wind slashed, rain-soaked trees, another laugh
answered it. Rising higher and higher.

---

"I'm afraid Kodachi-sama is not home currently, Tendo-san."
Sasuke's voice echoed politely out of the telephone handset.
"I am not certain when the mistress would return."

"I see," Nabiki said pensively as she pondered her options.
There wasn't much else she could do which was a great shame.
Kodachi would have paid through the nose for such
information. But what about Kuno? That had worthwhile
implications. After all, his 'pig-tailed girl' was also at
risk.

"Can I take a message for you, Tendo-san?" Sasuke's voice
continued clearly.

Nabiki was just about to answer when a sharp rap resounded
from the front door. "No, no message," she replied
hurriedly and replaced the handset. She casually wandered
down the hallway, stopping as Nodoka emerged to answer the
door, and then deciding to follow her.

Ukyo stepped in, closing her umbrella gently, bowing and
murmuring, "Very nice to see you, Saotome-san."

Nabiki noted absently that she had come fully dressed
despite the wet conditions. The formal kimono was slightly
damp in spots but otherwise seemed to have escaped the
rain's attentions. The apparel accentuated the fact that
Ukyo could be a very lovely girl. When she chose to be so.

Behind her were two familiar Chinese Amazons who had
obviously met up with Ukyo earlier. What, Nabiki wondered,
had they said to each other? Shampoo was dressed in fine
silkwear. A fighting costume but one that suited such
occasions. Cologne pogoed in on her stick, wearing her
usual clothes. Mousse was not present. Probably locked in
a cage at the Nekohanten, she mused. Then, her attention
focused on a curious fact. Neither of the two Amazons had
a single drop of water on them, she realized belatedly.
Interesting.

"Ranma mother, Shampoo bring greeting from Chinese Amazon
tribe," Shampoo said, bowing deeply as though to an elder.

Nodoka answered their greetings, then stared Cologne in the
eye momentarily. They bowed politely to each other. Nodoka
made an inviting gesture towards the sitting room. "If you
wouldn't mind coming this way."

Nabiki followed them and quickly seated herself next to
Kasumi. It was easy to see how the seating arrangements had
worked out. Nodoka sat at the head of the table, Genma on
her right and Ranma on her left. Her family lined the side
of the table down from Ranma, having stolen a march on the
other fiancees. Akane, she noted with amusement, had
positioned herself next to Ranma and was looking fiercely
at each of her competitors. The Chinese Amazons were on the
other side of the table next to Genma; Shampoo matching
glares with Akane. Ukyo sat at the end of the table.

Nodoka bowed to all of them. Nabiki observed the Saotome
matriarch's hands as they gracefully traced the flower
patterns lacquered on the scabbard of her katana lying
before her on the table. Ranma's mother wasn't as calm as
she seemed, Nabiki concluded. Catching Cologne's eye,
Nabiki realized that she wasn't alone in noticing.

"I called you all here today because I wished to tell you
something important," Nodoka began. She looked at Akane,
Ukyo and Shampoo in turn. "The three of you each have a
claim of honour on my son. So, what I have to say involves
you the most."

---

The oni jerked his head up at the high-pitched laughter.
What foolish mortal dared to laugh at him? He was a three-
hundred year old demon, capable of crushing any mortal
being. His eyes narrowed as the slim figure dropped from
the overhanging tree. The female human wore a black form-
fitting outfit, with a yin-yang symbol outlined prominently
on the front. A glowing lash dangled from her right hand.
"Devil Hunter," he hissed, voice shaking with hatred.

Ryoga stared at the figure in surprise. He wasn't surprised
that some girl had just jumped in to save him, rather it was
that he knew her. More than a year ago, she had used him in
a match against Ranma. Her name, it was ...

"Beware, oni, for the 106th. generation Devil Hunter of the
Kuno Clan, Kodachi Kuno is here! I will not permit you to
lay your hands on such an innocent animal, you commoner
demon. Ohohohohohohoho," Kodachi chortled.

The maniacal laugh sent a deadly chill down Ryoga's spine.
He could feel the sweat freezing on his skin in reaction.
Yet the demon hardly seemed intimidated. If only because he
had absolutely no idea who he was facing. Instead, the bull
ogre growled his derision and turned his bulk to face his
new opponent. Claws glittered in the waning moonlight as
corded arm muscles flexed the bitterly sharp tines.

"Stupid bitch, I'll tear you apart and then rape you!" he
snarled. "I am Hiwai Oushi, most ferocious of the Bull
Ogres and your death!"

Kodachi grimaced in distaste at the demon's crudity.
"Vermin! Come then, and face the Soul-Whip of the Black
Rose!"

With that, the two ancient enemies leapt to do battle,
leaving Ryoga on the sidelines and feeling unsure as to
who he'd prefer to win the battle.

Kodachi ducked beneath a deadly blow that would have
shattered every bone in her body had it connected. She
rolled to her right, flicking out the glowing soul-whip to
entangle her opponent's legs. "Fool!" she snapped, hurling
back the demon's earlier words. "Do you think you're facing
a novice?" She lunged backwards, throwing her entire weight
in an effort to unbalance the great beast. The crystal-like
coils around the demon's legs tightened abruptly, wrenching
the two great trunks of flesh together and sending it
crashing to the ground.

"Spear of Fuma!" she commanded. The lash straightened and
quivered into rigidity, the tip becoming a piercing needle.
Kodachi launched herself into the air, spear extended and
seeking the demon's soul. The mighty weapon arced down at
the prone oni, driven by her descending body-weight, ...
and promptly missed as she was knocked out of the air by
the demon's tail. Off-balance from the blow, she slammed
into the ground hard.

She wiped the trickling blood from her lip and picked
herself up. Oushi was quickly recovering as well. Damn,
Kodachi thought, this wasn't going to be easy.

---

Words have power. That is a truth that has been acknowledged
many times over the ages. Words can create, hurt, bind or ..
. they can destroy. The old proverb about 'Sticks and stones
...' had never been more untrue than it was now.

"Ranma," Nodoka said, staring at her son with love and a
tinge of fear, "you are not the true son of my husband,
Genma."

Dead silence greeted the words of the Saotome matriarch as
eight pairs of eyes riveted themselves upon her. To each and
everyone present, those words meant change and much, much
more.

Ranma stared at his mother in shock. He felt the disbelief
ripple through him like a cold shower. His mouth opened but
nothing emerged. He struggled to respond, to say something,
to say anything and yet he couldn't find the words.

Akane felt the fear congeal within her at Nodoka's words.
What did they mean for herself and Ranma? Did it mean the
end to the arrangement between the Tendo and Saotome
families? "How do you mean that, Aunty?!" she burst out.

Ukyo ran the same gamut of reactions as Akane - surprise,
disbelief and consternation. Then she went two steps
further. Dawning realization and blossoming joy. With the
engagements off and since he couldn't stand Shampoo, Ranma
would be forced to come to her. She kept her calm and
waited.

Shampoo looked surprised at the announcement. She moved to
speak when Cologne placed a restraining hand on her arm. The
Amazon matriarch shook her head once, forbiddingly, and
struggled to hide a growing sense of elation within her at
such tidings. Years of experience told her not to count her
chickens just yet though. Much as she had restrained
Shampoo, she forcibly relaxed herself and sat back
awaiting further explanation.

Nabiki remained cool and collected. There was more to come,
she just knew it.

Soun was less restrained and much more voluble. He leapt to
his feet indignantly. "Saotome-kun, how could you keep
something like this from me? Do you know what this means
for the engagement? This ... this is dishonourable!"

Everyone flinched as though Soun had thrown a gauntlet on
the table in direct challenge. Metaphorically speaking, he
had. Family honour was a delicate thing, powerful and
deadly if provoked.

Kasumi intervened before her father said something
irrevocable. "Perhaps Aunty Nodoka could explain further,
father."

"I'm sorry, Soun," Genma answered. "He is still my son
though. I formally adopted him when he was born. Thus,
Ranma is a Saotome through Nodoka's bloodline and by name
as well." He looked at his old friend calmly, with more
control than anyone had ever seen. "What you make of it
is entirely up to you," he finished.

Cologne controlled the flare of disappointment bitterly.
If only ... if only Ranma hadn't been a Saotome, then his
other engagements to Akane and Ukyo would have been
worthless. On the other hand, matrilineal descent was all
that mattered to the Amazons and in the case of outsiders,
even that wasn't much of a concern. It could have solved
everything.

Ukyo clenched her fist in dismay at having her faint hopes
crushed. To have come so close ...

"This shame is mine entirely, Tendo-san. If you feel this
dishonour impacts upon your family, I would be happy to
commit seppuku to reclaim both your honour and mine." Nodoka
eyes glinted, filled with steely resolve. Soun sat down
uncertainly, Nodoka's offer having deflected his mood of
righteous fury.

"Mom!" Ranma protested, finally finding his voice. "What
the heck do you mean that Pops isn't my father?!"

---

The deadly dance between the two fighters fascinated Ryoga.
Kodachi with her delicate skill, agility and speed paired
against the brutish and powerful Oushi. It brought
disturbing parallels of the duels between himself and Ranma
to his mind. He quickly shook himself free of the past and
watched for a moment where he could make the difference in
the match. Ryoga didn't intend to just stay back and let a
girl rescue him without helping.

Kodachi panted softly, filling and expelling the breath from
her lungs. The demon was too strong. She had nicked him a
half-dozen times but had failed to come anywhere close to
the centre of the chest where most demons kept their souls.
Each time she'd been force to retreat from Oushi's deadly
blows. One hit was likely to knock her unconscious. There
was no choice though. She'd have to leave herself open and
gamble on being quick enough to strike the final blow.

She darted forward, snaking out her soul weapon in whip form
to entangle the oni's legs. The demon was wise to the move,
having fallen victim once before, and sprang back. He landed
clumsily, momentarily thrown off-balance by his bulk and
spread out his arms to recover. That was enough, Kodachi
judged. She lunged forward, spear extended.

"I have you now!" Kodachi cried as the spear slid smoothly
into the centre of the demon's chest. Oushi howled with
pain as she rammed the spear further in. Black blood sprayed
out from the wound. Yes, she thought elatedly!

Then Oushi grinned, his beady eyes mocking her.

A pile-driver smashed into her body, sending her flying into
the tree behind. Only the greatest presence of mind allowed
her to keep hold of the Spear of Fuma, dragging it from the
beast's body. Kodachi groaned as she staggered upright. Her
breath felt tight in her chest. Were her ribs broken? No,
merely very bruised, she decided. She spat out a glob of
blood.

"Foolish little bitch," Oushi jeered. "Maybe I will keep you
alive as I rape you. Or perhaps, I'll torment you for
eternity. What do you think of that?"

Think, Kodachi, she commanded. The soul wasn't there, so it
had to be elsewhere. Her soul weapon and innate power
indicated that the demon hadn't removed its soul and
safeguarded in a vessel. So, if it wasn't in his chest,
perhaps somewhere ... lower. Her eyes dropped and she cursed
herself for a fool.

She covered the ground between them and lunged forward,
striking with desperate speed.

"Again? You bore me, girl." Oushi batted the spear aside and
thundered another powerful punch into the slight devil
hunter, sending her flying yet again. "Let's finish this,"
he growled and charged forward, arms upraised to rip and
maim.

Ryoga dove forward and bit hard, fastening his blunt teeth
into the demon's calf. Oushi glanced down but didn't even
break his stride in order to club the small pig to one side.
Then he looked up.

Kodachi twisted in the air, shaking off the effects of the
blow. It wasn't as bad this time. She had been prepared and
had rolled with most of it. She slammed the spear butt into
the tree behind her, legs buckling against the hard bark and
taking the impact. Then, she extended her knees, body and
spear arching like a bow with the spear-point angled just
right. Even if the demon hadn't been distracted by Ryoga,
the tactic would probably have worked. The oni's momentum
would have been too much to overcome for him to avoid the
spear. As it was, he was distracted at the critical moment.
Fatally so.

Hiwai Oushi, bull ogre of three hundred years, looked up
just in time to see and feel the Spear of Fuma ram into his
manhood.

Ryoga winced involuntarily. That, he decided, really had to
hurt. A fact that was confirmed by the demon's piercing
screams of agony.

Kodachi twisted the spear into the howling demon with cold
satisfaction. She watched Oushi's soul perish, followed by
his body's rapid decay into a pile of dust and ash. "I
hope you enjoyed that, demon. I know I certainly did," she
whispered, pulling the spear from the remains. "Now then,
little piglet," she said, turning towards Ryoga, "what
shall we do about you, hmm?"

Ryoga shivered.

---

"Please," Nodoka said imploringly, "let me explain." The
words were directed to all of them but mostly to Ranma.
"Eighteen years ago, when I was young, I was courted by a
handsome man. He was bright and wonderful and I fell in
love with him quickly."

Unnoticed, Genma's hand tightened on his teacup.

"Foolishly, I slept with him before marriage. Many times,"
she added self-consciously, "and I soon found myself
pregnant. I told him and he promised me marriage. I was
delighted, happy beyond belief but then he vanished. I
couldn't find him or contact him and I knew I had been
deserted. I was determined to kill myself because my honour
had been soiled. Your father ... your adopted father, Ranma,
was another who had been courting me. He came just in time
and stopped me. I was so ashamed that I confessed everything
to him and begged him to let me die. Instead, he chose to
marry me, even taking my name so that none would guess the
truth. And in time, I grew to love him as well."

She paused, looking at Genma, who stared back with age-old
pain and love. Kasumi wiped a tear away from her blurry eyes.
Ukyo did the same. Akane looked like she was trying not to
cry. Both the Amazons looked grim at the thought of male
betrayal. Ranma looked away, uncomfortable at the raw
emotions between his parents. Soun sat like a stone but the
trickle of tears down his face showed his inner turmoil.

It was Nabiki who broke the uncomfortable silence which had
built up. "But why are you telling us this now, Aunty? It
doesn't seem likely to change the current situation much.
Daddy may have second thoughts but our family honour is
invested in joining the two Schools of Anything Goes Martial
Arts, and Ranma is legally a Saotome. I don't think Ukyo or
Shampoo will be deterred either. Both have too much at stake
as well."

Nodoka shook her head in negation. "That wasn't why I
called you all here, dear. There's is more to the story than
I have mentioned. A month after I gave birth to Ranma, a bit
premature but not enough that people would gossip, he showed
up again. The man who had betrayed me. He appeared on our
doorstep one night, bleeding from many wounds. He was dying.
He had been hunted, fighting against one whom he had trusted
and even loved. We made him as comfortable as we could but
there was nothing else we could do. He asked to see Ranma
and that was when we learned what he was."

"What he was?" echoed Akane.

"Perhaps, he was not human," Cologne guessed.

"What?!" The shout seemed to come simultaneously from Ranma,
Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo.

"Very good, Elder," Nodoka confirmed. "The reason I called
you all here today is because tomorrow is my son's
eighteenth birthday. Ranma, the powers that your father
sealed within you as a baby before dying will awaken
tomorrow." Nodoka stared at her son. "Your father," she
whispered, "was Yami-no-tsume, Demon Lord of the East and a
Cat Demon of great power."

This time the "What?!" echoed from everyone's lips except
for Kasumi and Ranma. Her response was true to form, and his
also.

"C...ca...cat?!"

---

The grove of trees was silent once more. The only traces of
the previous battle was the small pile of ash and various
claw and spear marks on the ground and trees. Falling rain
had rapidly turned the remains into black mush and washed
away the blood and sweat and pain. Then, the night stirred
again.

The darkness flowed around the figure like an enveloping
cloak, coldly caressing and hiding the indistinct form which
strode forward purposefully. It paused, staring down at the
remnants of Hiwai Oushi.

"It appears I've lost another servitor, Jakuten." The dulcet
tones chimed like breaking crystals, addressed to an unknown
recipient. The shadow cocked its head to one side, listening
momentarily then answering. "It matters not. Oni are
worthless anyway; such clumsy brutes."

Ashes scattered heavily as a black foot absently stirred the
sooty pile of demonic remains. "Near eighteen years, I've
slumbered awaiting this day," the figure mused, then with a
mercurial change of mood, angrily snarled, "How dare our
father ever pass on any of his powers to you? A damned half-
breed?!" It spat on the heap of ashes as though envisioning
another corpse in its place. "If only father had not managed
to seal me away with the last of his powers ..." It seemed
to quiver in rage, shaking a clenched fist at the uncaring
night. "You've had eighteen more years of life than you
deserve. But tomorrow, I shall steal both your powers and
your soul, dear brother!"

---

Author's Notes:

1) Canonically speaking, Genma does make a few statements in
the manga indicating that Ranma is his true son.
Specifically, his claim in the Dragon Whisker story that
Ranma will inherit his baldness. All I can plead is artistic
license.

2) Hiwai Oushi means 'obscene bull'.

3) Yami-no-tsume means 'claw of darkness'.

4) Jakuten means 'weak point' or 'weakness'.