This fic is not yet complete. It's something I pounded out in one
night, so go easy, okay? ^_^ Seriously, expect it to be finished inside the
week, and I'd appreciate any C&C.
The Rage
======================================
HIkaru Gosunkugi stood in the flickering light of the candles, the
shadows of the basement dancing to some unheard rhythm on the walls and
floor. On the floor before him was a mystic sygil painted in colored sand, a
red diamond surrounding a series of ancient symbols each painted in a
different color.
Taking a deep breath, Gosunkugi carefully stepped into the center of
the diamond, slowly so as not to alter the sygil. He clapped three times,
bowing his head as he chanted the spell from the old text.
As he repeated the chant, he called forth an image of Ranma Saotome,
his eternal nemesis. Gosunkugi focused his anger, his hate, into the image
of Ranma.
He then called forth an image of Ranma fighting, concentrating on
his strength in battle. He pictured that strength diminishing, Ranma's
bravado and arrogance fading alongside it. Gosunkugi held the image in his
mind, seeing the power drain from Ranma until he was no more than a
simpering coward running from everything and everyone.
The sygil beneath him flared to life, an angry red glow filling the
room. The light pulsated in a fashion akin to a heartbeat. growing quicker
and more frenetic with each passing second.
With a burst of violent fury, the light streaked up through the roof
and vanished. Gosunkugi stood there for a moment, panting from the exertion
of the spell. After regaining his breath, he opened his eyes and stepped out
of the sygil.
The mystic design had completely vanished, no trace of its very
existence left anywhere. He looked around, finding the candles still lit and
in their respective places. Had it worked? Had he done it right? Gosunkugi
walked about to extinguish the tiny flames dotting the room. He would learn
his answer tomorrow.
============================================
//Man, I feel weird.\\ Ranma sat on the floor of the bedroom, eyes
shut as the feelings washed over him again and again. His blood ran hot
through his veins, his skin practically burning despite the air conditioning.
His head was filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions, the
warring sensations nearly filling his conscious thoughts with their
confusing battle. Was he getting sick?
"I don't get sick," he said aloud. Restless, he rose to his feet and
strode over to the wardrobe. The all too familiar sight of his Chinese
clothes greeted him, filling him with an alien sense of disgust. Honestly,
wasn't there something else in here? Snarling to himself, Ranma slid on his
traditional garb and headed downstairs for breakfast.
Akane ate her rice steadily, the sounds of a food war conspicuously
absent. Curious, she looked up to find Ranma concentrating soley on his own
food instead of sparring with Genma over it. Had he finally outgrown that?
//Doubt it,\\ she thought, returning to her own dish. Sure enough,
after a few seconds, she heard the sound of chopsticks clashing. Couldn't
those two eat peacefully for once? Did everything have to be a contest
between them?
She stole an annoyed glance at the two, but the expression on
Ranma's face froze her. His features were twisting into a scowl of anger as
he defended against Genma's assaults, an anger she had never seen before.
Not the usual indignant kind he normally showed, but something akin to rage.
His eyes grew narrow and focused, brows furrowing together as his mouth set
itself into a thin line.
"What the hell's yer problem?" Ranma shouted at Genma, startling
everyone at the breakfast table. Genma reared back, momentarily stunned at
Ranma's reaction.
"Ranma," Genma said shakily, "you must be..."
"Don't EVEN start that with me!" Ranma was practically screaming
now. His slitted eyes glared flaming arrows into Genma's, his shoulders
heaving with every deep breath. His face was flushed, teeth bared in an
almost feral snarl. Akane just stared at him, unsure what to make of it. She
had seen Ranma angry several times, but she had never seen him like this.
"Ah, forget it, I'm goin' to school." With that, Ranma turned and stormed
out toward the front door where is shoes and bag waited.
"Oh, my."
"What side of the bed did he get up on?" Nabiki asked, genuinely
confused. Akane, too stunned by the display to speak, simply sat there for a
moment before rising to follow Ranma.
==================================
"Ranma, wait!" Ranma kept walking atop the fence as if he hadn't
heard Akane's shout. She ran up to him, glaring at his back. The confusion
she had felt at the breakfast table was quickly being replaced by
frustration at the pigtailed jerk. "Hold up!"
"WHAT!"
"What's wrong with you?" Akane asked as she slowed alongside him. He
stared directly ahead, his eyes almost burning. Despite herself, Akane felt
concerned for him. Ranma had never reacted to anyone like he had to Genma
earlier.
"Nothin'," he grunted, still glaring ahead.
"Something's wrong, Ranma, what is it?"
"I said nothin'! Now get lost!" Akane stopped cold, barely
registering Ranma's retreating form. She should have been angry, furious
even, but the anger just wouldn't come. All she felt was a pain deep in her
heart at his angry words, like a knife had been been jammed in her chest.
He'd never told her to get lost before, nor had he shouted at her with such
force. Something was wrong with him, but what?
Tatewaki Kuno stood tall and stoic before the doors to Furinkan
High, bokken pointed toward the earth and eyes staring directly ahead. The
student body passed by unnoticed by him. They were mere vassals and serfs,
no more worthy of his attention than the common flea.
Rather, he lept his gaze forward in wait for his one true love,
Akane Tendo, and his other one true love, the Pig-tailed Goddess. He could
almost hear the swelling musical score as he waited, the sounds of love
soothing the souls of those in attendance.
Instead, the vile Ranma Saotome came striding through the gates to
his kingdom! The soundtrack changed to a dramatic composure, swelling toward
its crescendo as his hated adversary drew ever closer.
"Halt, foul cretin!" he shouted, levelling his bokken at Ranma's
approaching form. Ranma said nothing, only kept walking toward him. "Didst
thou not..." Kuno trailed off, a first for him, when he saw the look on
Ranma's face. Never had he seen such anger, such determination! Was this it
then, the final battle?
"Get outta my way, Kuno."
"Cur! Thou dares address your superior such?"
"I said PISS OFF!" Kuno sputtered in shock for a few seconds before
regaining his composure, and his anger.
"You DARE!" Kuno charged his hated nemesis, bokken held high to
smite the lowly sorcerer.
Akane walked through the gates in time to hear Ranma shout for Kuno
to piss off. She stopped cold, the charging kendoist screaming at the top of
his lungs as he prepared to attack Ranma.
Ranma's counterattack came swiftly, almost too fast for her to
follow. The top half of Kuno's bokken clattered to the ground as the sound
of bones cracking reached her ears. She gasped involuntarily as Kuno dropped
to his knees, his face twisted in an agonized grimace as he held his left side.
//Wha... what?\\ Akane didn't want to believe what her eyes had just
seen. Ranma stood over Kuno, literally shaking with rage. His fists were
balled tightly at his sides, trembling with barely restrained violence
begging for release.
"F.. foul... cur..." Quick as a lightning strike, Ranma's hand
clamped around Kuno's throat. The ailing kendoist's eyes grew wide as he
struggled for air, Ranma hoisting him to his feet and pulling their faces
within centimeters of each other.
"Listen up, limp-dick," Ranma snarled in a tone that said he would
not hesitate to hurt Kuno even more, "cuz I'm only gonna say this once! If
you EVER mess with me again, I'll shove that bokken so far up your..."
"RANMA!" He turned to face her, still holding Kuno by the throat.
Akane's heart began to triphammer from the fear that had sunk its claws into
her. "Let him go!"
"You want him that bad? HERE!" Ranma viciously tossed Kuno by the
neck, the choking man landing hard at her feet. She looked down at him for a
brief moment, his neck already turning purple as he coughed from each
desperate gasp of air. When Akane looked back up, Ranma was gone.
"What's happening to you?"
=============================================
Hikaru Gosunkugi shrunk behind the tree, fear and guilt battling for
dominance. The spell hadn't worked, that much was obvious, but he had never
expecting anything like this!
It would have been bad enough it the spell had no effect, but this!
What had gone wrong? Ranma was supposed to have become a cowering weakling,
not a raging berzerker! Gosunkugi slumped to the ground, his mind racing
about what to do. Not that he cared for Ranma, but in his present state he
could really hurt someone, maybe even kill! One thing was for certain,
nobody could find out he was responsible.
=============================================
Akane paid little attention to Miss Hinako, instead keeping a wary
eye on Ranma. He sat quietly in his seat, the diminutive instructor droning
on and on about palendromes and proper nouns while he trembled slightly.
Ranma's eyes were squeezed shut, the pencil in his hand shaking in time with
his hand.
What had happened to him? Akane had never seen Ranma so enraged
before, nor had she seen him hurt Kuno so badly. He usually stopped at a
whap on the dolt's head, not at a serious injury. Kuno would be out of
fighting commission for a while until his ribs healed. And that threat!
The wheels began to turn in Akane's mind, obviously something had
happened, literally overnight. He was his, well, somewhat normal self the
night before. Now, he was flying off the handle at just about everything.
She immediately began to suspect two certain Chinese nationals when she
finally registered Miss Hinako's voice.
"Akane!" the child-like woman shouted. "Pay attention!" Akane
started at the sound, snapping her head forward and apologizing quickly.
"And, you, Saotome! Open your eyes! I won't tolerate delinquents!"
The pencil in his hand snapped, his eyes slowly opening. Hinako took an
involuntary step back when his fiery gaze fell upon her, the rage in them
almost a physical thing. He said nothing, just continued to glare at her
menacingly as the entire class gawked in disbelief.
Akane traded a brief look with Ukyo, who sat across the room from
her. The long-haired chef's worried glance matched her own, confusion and
uncertainty in her deep brown eyes.
"Saotome!" Hinako shouted, "quit staring at me like that!" Ranma
slowly rose, his kncukles cracking as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
"Take your seat!" Ranma ignored her, remaining in place as he bared
his teeth. "Fine, then! Have it your way!" With practiced ease, she pulled
out a fifty yen coin with a hole through the center. After her traditional
battle cry, the thin beam of yellow light lanced into Ranma, her body
growing by leaps and bounds as she drained his battle aura.
To the surprise of the entire class, Ranma remained standing as if
the energy drain wasn't affecting him at all. A red glow surrounded him,
permeating the yellow beam. Hinako shouted a curse, breaking off the attack
and dropping the coin. The fifty yen piece clattered to the tile floor,
smoke wafting from its surface while she rubbed her hand. Ranma continued to
stand there, panting and gnashing his teeth.
"Take your seat," Hinako said, her sultry adult voice filled with
uncertainty and traces of fear. Ranma took a step forward, Hinako taking one
back as he approached. To the collective relief of the class, he merely
stalked out the door and vanished. Akane and Ukyo glanced at each other,
both thinking the same thing. What the hell just happened? They rose from
their seats, charging after Ranma.
==========================================
"Ranma-honey, hold up!" Ranma kept walking, ignoring Ukyo's shout.
She kept after him, running up to him and spinning him around in the empty
hallway. The look on his face made her blood run cold, his eyes burning into
hers.
"What the hell do you want?"
"What's wrong with you?" Akane came up a second later, echoing
Ukyo's question.
"None of your business," Ranma growled, Ukyo stepping back at the
tone. "Now beat it!"
"Damnit, Ranma, what's your problem?" Akane exclaimed.
"Didn't I tell you to get lost?" Akane's jaw dropped open, a choked
sound of hurt and anger coming forth. Unconsciously, she lashed out at him
with her left fist, the flying appendage sailing directly at Ranma's head.
The blow never landed. With inhuman speed, Ranma's hand intercepted
the strike before it got anywhere near him. His baleful glare switched from
Ukyo to her, causing Akane's own anger to fade quickly.
"Y'know," he snarled, "I'm gettin' REAL tired of you thinkin' I'm
yer personal punching bag." His grip began to tighten, Akane wincing as the
pain increased. "Maybe you oughtta get a taste of yer own medicine!"
"Ranma," she said, for the first time actually terrified of him,
"let go. You're hurting me, damnit, let go!"
"Ranma, stop!" Ukyo cried as she broke Ranma's grip. Akane stumbeld
backward, tears stinging her eyes. Her hand throbbed slightly, but that pain
was insignificant compared to the pain in her heart. Ranma.. he... Ranma...
she couldn't even bring herself to complete the thought, even though it had
only happened a few scant seconds ago. "What's going on here!" Students were
beginning to step out into the halls, attracted by the commotion outside
their classrooms. A low murmur pased amongst them as each discussed Ranma's
new attitude.
"Get away from me, Ukyo," he said, turning to leave.
"Oh, no ya don't!" She grabbed his arm, but was unprepared for the
spinning strike that landed against her cheek. She fell to the ground, her
face stinging from the impact. Stunned, she just looked up at him. Ukyo
couldn't comprehend what Ranma had just done. He had... HIT her!
"Did you ever think that maybe I don't want you around?" Ranma
shouted, "that I don't care about you? Well, here's a newsflash, I DON'T
NEED YOU! I DON'T NEED ANYBODY! Now GET OUTTA MY LIFE!" The words hurt her
worse than any blow, reaching into her chest and mangling her heart without
mercy. The world seemed to fall apart around her under Ranma's hateful
glare. He turned around, facing the shocked crowd of students. "WHAT'RE YOU
STARIN' AT?"
The crowd parted hastily as Ranma stormed through, the looks on
their faces betraying their surprise and unease. Ukyo didn't notice this,
however, lost in her own world of anguish and despair.
======================================
Ranma crouched alley, hands grasping his head as the battle raged
on. A war was being fought in his mind, a whirling maelstrom of rage and
hatred wreaking havoc throughout him. He could hardly hear anything outside
it, the raging storm louder than any noise outside.
The pain was becoming unbearable, tears escaping his eyes as the
stress continued to mount His mind and body felt like they were being torn
apart, and yet he couldn't stop it. The anger continued to grow, its flames
consuming every conscious thought and leaving a blackened husk of torment in
its wake. It destroyed all other emotions as Ranma fell to his stomach, his
heart continuing to race out of control with his mind
//What's happening to me?\\ that one thought had taken a herculean
effort of will, and was consumed with the others. Even his fear was drawn
into the battle, the conflicting negative feelings threatening to grow and
expand until his head exploded.
The feelings eased after a few moments, some of his sanity returning
as he lay on the hard pavement. Breath came in deep and ragged gasps, his
confused and disoriented mind strugling to pull together all that had
happened. All it could say, however, was to go home and rest. Maybe it would
be better in the morning.
Calling on hidded reserves of energy, Ranma slowly rose to his feet
and began his trek back to the dojo.
=======================================
Well, that's it for this one. If responses are good enough, I'l
finish it. Otherwise, I'll just shuffle it to the proverbial "Forget It"
pile. So, what do ya think of the fic? BTW, this was written to the song
"Gotta Get Away" by the Offspring. You can find it on the "Smash" album.
Jed