Black Rose, Blue Thunder:
An Altered Destiny
By: Dreiser
Chapter Fifteen:
Renewed Rivalries
"All right, it's a deal."
Moments after saying this, Ranma delivered what
appeared to be a devastating blow to Happosai who went flying
into the air while shouting various obscenities about being defeated
by a very impertinent Ranma.
"Perfect," said Ranma with a chuckle. Giving his most
brilliant and heroic smile which glinted in the sunlight, Ranma
pushed his hands through his bangs then turned to Kodachi and
said, "See, Dachi? Defeating him was easy. I was only teasing you
by waiting to deliver the final blow."
It was then that Ranma noticed Kodachi wasn't paying
attention to him. That no one was paying attention to him.
This was something that Ranma wasn't used to.
Turning his gaze in the direction of his companions, Ranma
looked at the figure of a fainted Nabiki who was being held by
Kodachi. He then noticed that his brother was giving Ukyo a hard
and threatening glare.
"Somehow I get the feeling that I just missed something
damn important," said Ranma under his breath.
One could definitely say that this was Ranma's
understatement of the month if not the entire year.
---
Perfume was pouting.
Or at least she was pouting before Shampoo and
Tatewaki had appeared to sit with her on the high wall to Furinkan
High and asked exactly why she was pouting.
When she told them the reaction was immediate.
Shampoo burst out into raucous laughter and Tatewaki
frowned at her in slight disapproval.
But once Shampoo had stopped laughing the pair turned
their attention to Perfume. And when they did they proceeded to
tell her that her pouting was pointless.
This was something that Perfume already knew but it was
still something that she didn't particularly want to hear.
"Perfume-san," began Tatewaki slowly. "I'm afraid to say
that I honestly don't understand what problem you have with your
Grandmother's suggestion. It's a nominal solution for getting rid of
the curse that you so despise."
"Maybe," said Perfume tightly. "But if I do this then I be a
pixie all of the time instead of some of it. I not know if I can stand
that. Especially with my luck as one."
"Cousin," Shampoo said with a sigh. "Since when have you
been believing in luck? You not superstitious."
Snorting at this, Perfume said, "You be believing in luck if
you having as many horrible things happened to you as I have
when in my pixie form. You can't understand."
"But I can," Tatewaki said softly.
The two Amazons turned to look at Tatewaki in some
surprise and offering a small smile, he said, "I have a curse just like
you, Perfume. Although mine leads me into situations less
harrowing than yours it still cause a good deal of pain and
frustration in my life. I also find it terribly embarrassing to change
into a phoenix that looks like a chicken. But tell me," Tatewaki
paused to gaze at Perfume with solemn eyes. "What of Kasumi
and your life with her? If you were to do this would you not gain a
semblance of the normality you once had? And what of..."
Tatewaki trailed off as he turned red then said, "Children?
Shampoo has informed me there are ways in which two women in
your tribe may have them but this isn't possible for you because of
your curse. If you were to do this then--"
"I could have babies with Kasumi," finished Perfume in
tones of utter wonderment.
"See, Cousin?" said Shampoo with a smile as she gently
clasped Perfume's arm. "Maybe Grandma Siren not come up with
such a bad idea after all. You thinking so?"
"Perhaps," said Perfume in quiet contemplation. "But I still
have to be thinking more on it before I decide."
Shampoo beamed at this and was about to say something
more when she caught sight of something flying their way. Or more
precisely, flying into the Furinkan High campus and towards where
Akane and her athletes stood in a large group talking amongst
themselves.
"Pretty ladies!" the flying thing shouted. "I'm back!"
Seconds later, it made contact and the horrified shrieks of
the athletes were heard. Shampoo, Perfume, and Tatewaki could
only blink at the scene before them as the athletes scattered as
what looked to be a dirty old man glomped onto all of their very
luscious bodies.
"Fiend!" Tatewaki shouted in deadly tones as he rose to
his feet and produced his katana. "I shall teach you a lesson about
treating ladies in such a vile manner!"
Tatewaki then leapt off of the high wall and went dashing
towards the fray but found himself stopping short as he saw that
someone else was punishing the perverted old man for him.
A very beautiful someone.
A very beautiful female someone.
A very beautiful female someone who looked vaguely
familiar to Tatewaki.
Then again, it was hard to really look at her features as she
was currently occupied with thrashing the old man by throwing
several hundred cannonballs at him and slamming a huge metal
mallet into his head.
Sensing that someone was watching her, the beautiful girl
paused in her work to look up at Tatewaki and on seeing him, she
turned deathly pale.
Blinking at this reaction, Tatewaki took a slow step
forward and asked, "Is something the matter? Are you feeling
unwell, Miss? Should I call a doctor?"
The girl didn't answer and instead began to back away,
looking as if she was about to make a run for it. It was then that
Shampoo's voice sounded in the air.
"Mousse!" the Amazon Champion declared in sharp tones
as she neared the beautiful girl. "You no try to run away! Not until
you telling Shampoo why you here."
"Mousse?" repeated Tatewaki. His tawny eyes widened as
he studied the girl before him. "Shampoo, do you mean to say that
this is the man who was bothering you back in China all those
months ago?"
Before Shampoo could reply, the beautiful girl who had
now been identified as Mousse said softly, "No."
"What you mean, 'no'?" asked Shampoo.
"I mean that I'm no longer a man," said Mousse in eerily
controlled tones. "I'm a woman now, Shampoo."
"What you talking about, Mousse?" asked Shampoo who
was now more confused than ever.
"Mousse?" repeated Perfume as she took in the beautiful
girl before her in certain amazement. "You mean this is what
Mousse looking like in his cursed form?" She paused to look at
Shampoo then said in low tones, "Why you not tell me he end up
looking like such a pretty girl?"
While Shampoo and Tatewaki sweatdropped at this
Mousse sighed and shook her head a bit. She then looked at them
with a calm gaze that made them shiver on seeing it.
"My life as a man is over," Mousse informed them. "I have
no interest in going back to who I once was. That includes both
mentally and physically."
While Shampoo, Perfume, and Tatewaki dimly stared at
Mousse in certain shock she continued to explain the changes
she'd made in her life.
"I came to Japan in hopes of making up for all the trouble I
caused you in the past, Shampoo," said Mousse. "All I want is for
you to find the happiness that I've found."
"Happiness you've found?" echoed Shampoo.
"Yes," said Mousse with a nod of her beautiful head. "The
happiness that I've found with--"
"Chocolate! There you are!"
Still in shock, Shampoo, Perfume, and Tatewaki observed
from their frozen places as Akane ran towards Mousse and gave
her a bright smile then kissed her in an all too passionate matter
before she noticed them.
"Hey, you guys!" exclaimed Akane happily. "I didn't see
you here." Noticing their frozen states, she gave a kawaii frown
then turned to Mousse. "Are they sick?"
"No," replied Mousse nervously, who now wanted to get
as far away from Shampoo as she could.
What if Shampoo gave away her cursed status and ended
up telling Akane about her really being a boy? Then all her
newfound happiness would disappear in a puff of smoke. And that
was something Mousse didn't know if she could handle right now.
She already loved Akane far too much to lose her.
Luckily, or unluckily, for Mousse it was right about now
that Happosai decided it was the perfect time to show up and start
glomping onto Shampoo's chest.
Needless to say this served in distracting the Amazon
Champion more than a little bit.
And that little bit was just enough time for Mousse to
make her escape with a very confused Akane.
Unfortunately, Mousse couldn't hide forever.
Especially not from a determined Shampoo.
---
When Akari woke up she saw the naked boy hovering
over her with a concerned look on his face.
Correction, the semi-naked boy. He was now wearing a
pair of turquoise colored silk Chinese style pants.
And staring into his stormy blue eyes, Akari couldn't help
but note that the once naked boy was drop dead gorgeous.
Forming a slow smile, the boy said, "Feeling any better?
You've been passed out for quite awhile now."
"I'm fine," said Akari a bit nervously as she felt her heart
race on seeing his smile. "But I'm still a bit confused. How can you
possibly be the Clefairy I just battled?"
"I have a curse," said the boy simply. "When I'm splashed
with cold water I turn into a Clefairy but hot water can change me
back into my human form."
"A curse?" Akari repeated slowly.
Smiling again at Akari's shock, the boy gave an amiable
shrug then said, "Yeah, I know it's sort of strange to think that
magical curses actually exist. I guess because I've had my curse for
so long I'm just used to it. In fact, it doesn't seem like a curse to
me at all. Because of it I can talk to all of my friends, something no
one else can do."
"Your friends?" asked Akari curiously.
"Yeah," said the boy. "Like Tauros here."
As if on cue, the hulking figure of Tauros appeared at the
boy's side and when it did, the boy smiled and lifted a hand up to
scratch the Pokemon behind its ears. Tauros made a contented
noise at this and nuzzled the boy.
"You mean to say that you can talk to Pokemon in their
own language?" asked Akari in certain shock.
"Sure," said the boy easily. "And not just in my Clefairy
form either. I can talk to them anytime I want and just like I can
understand them they can understand me. For as long as I can
remember Pokemon have been my only friends. They're always
there for me and I'm always there for them. That's why I want to
be a trainer." He then paused to study Akari and asked, "How
about you? Are you a trainer as well? You must be, it's easy for
me to see how much you care for your friend Gyarados."
"I was, I mean, I guess I still am a trainer," said Akari
slowly. "But I'm heading for Nerima because I've been asked to
be the new Pokemon gym leader there."
"A gym leader?" said the boy in slight awe. "That's great! I
wish that I was that high up in the ranks."
"Why aren't you?" asked Akari in confusion. "The way you
defeated me in battle shows that you're a talented trainer and
Tauros loyalty to you reflects your skill also."
The boy formed a frown and his features seemed to
darken as he looked off into the distance. "It's because that in
order for me to join the Pokemon league I'd have to do something
that for years I've feared doing."
"Something you fear?" echoed Akari. "What is it?"
"It's horrible," the boy shuddered. "Even now just thinking
of it makes me want to bury myself alive and die."
"But what is it that you fear?" asked Akari in tones of
concern. "I'm sure that it can't possibly be that bad."
"It is," said the boy solemnly. A dark aura seemed to
surround him and as it did the boy locked his gaze with Akari and
said in grave tones, "In order for me to join the Pokemon league
they would make me write down my full name."
A long moment of silence passed before Akari blinked
then asked dimly, "That's it?"
"That's it?!" the boy repeated in an outraged scream as he
leapt to his feet. "You can't imagine the pain and suffering that I've
had to endure because of my full name! And if I join the league
under it every time that I go into battle in an official competition it
would have to be called out! Oh, the horror! Oh, the agony! Oh,
the searing embarrassment of it all!"
The boy then dropped to his knees and began sobbing and
as he did so, the Tauros crossed to his side and began nuzzling him
as it talked to him softly.
"Tauros, tauros," said the Tauros in gentle tones that
reflected obvious concern.
His cries quieting, the boy wiped his tears away and
looked up at the Pokemon. "I'll be okay, Tauros," he said after a
moment as he gave a wan smile. "I know what I have to do to
make everything right for me."
"What are you going to do?" asked Akari.
Turning to face Akari, the boy rose to his feet and gave a
slow and confident smile as he said, "I'm going to have my name
changed before I join the league. In fact, that's why I'm headed for
Nerima. I can't change my name without the signature of the man
who originally gave it to me and I've been told that's where he's
living these days."
"I'm sure that he'll agree to help you," said Akari
encouragingly. "I mean, why wouldn't he?"
"I don't know," said the boy skeptically. "When I consider
the fact that he was the one who gave me such a horrible name in
the first place I have to wonder about just what sort of person he
really must be."
There was another moment of silence before Akari said
very hesitantly, "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is your
full name anyway?"
His stormy eyes locking on her own, the boy stared hard
at Akari as he said in dark tones, "Pantyhose Taro."
---
Only moments had passed since Ukyo announced to
Nabiki, and everyone else in the general vicinity, that he was falling
in love with her and wanted her for himself.
It was only moments but it felt like an eternity.
At least to everyone who was staring at Ryoga who was
getting more red faced by the second. Just when it appeared as if
smoke might start curling out of his ears, the lost boy chose to
speak in tight and controlled tones.
"How could you?" Ryoga said with a growl.
"How could I what?" asked Ukyo, who wasn't expressing
a hint of worry at Ryoga's attitude.
"How could you do this? Don't you have any honor at all,
Kuonji?" asked Ryoga in a snarl. "You know that Nabiki-chan is
my iinazuke and still, you do this!"
"All is far in love and war," Ukyo replied with a casual
shrug. "And don't start acting like honor is really a high priority for
you. It certainly never was in the past."
"What are you talking about?" Ryoga asked in tones of
both annoyance and anger. "I've always acted in an honorable
manner, just like my Mother taught me!"
Snorting derisively at this, Ukyo retorted, "Liar. You can't
even admit what you are. That makes you worse than I ever
thought you to be. Taking Nabiki honey away from you is going to
be more than just the honorable thing for me to do. It's going to be
the fun thing to do as well."
The world seemed to freeze at these words.
Or at least, it seemed to freeze for everyone who
happened to be looking at Hibiki Ryoga.
The air around him darkened and seemed to crackle with
electricity. His dark brown hair was flying upwards in the wind and
eyes that were normally kind in manner were filled with a sort of
insane fury.
All in all, it made for a pretty scary scene.
"Ukyo-kun?" Kodachi was the first to speak. "I think that
it might be wise for you to start running now."
But Ukyo didn't run. Instead, he stood in his place and
steadily met Ryoga's enraged gaze.
And giving a short chuckle of amusement, Ukyo
remarked, "That's the Ryoga I know. How about it? Are you
finally ready to come out and play, old buddy?"
Ryoga's only responded was to narrow his gaze and hold
his right hand up in the air so his palm was facing upward. Seconds
after he did so, a fiercely glowing ball of dark energy appeared
and everyone who was in range of the lost boy could feel the
power emanating from it.
On seeing the ball of energy, Genma pig released a high
pitched squeal of terror and immediately started to fly as far away
from the Tendo dojo as he could get.
Watching his father's departure, Ranma said, "For once
the old man has the right idea."
Ranma then leapt down to the ground with his usual agility
and swept Kodachi up so she was resting on one of his shoulders
with Nabiki draped over the other.
"Darling," said Kodachi in certain confusion as the wind
whipped in her face as Ranma leapt from rooftop to rooftop in
order to put some distance between them and the dojo. "As much
as I often fantasize about you doing this to me, I still feel that I
must ask why you're doing it."
"Simple, Dachi," said Ranma as he leapt onto another
rooftop. "I don't want me, you, or anyone else I care about
anywhere near my big bro right now."
"But why?" asked Kodachi perplexed. "Surely Ryoga-kun
isn't that dangerous. He seems to be a very amiable person, I'm
sure he'll calm down soon enough."
Ranma wanted to chuckle at this but couldn't because of
the sheer enormity of the situation. "I wish it was that simple,
Dachi," he said solemnly. "Ryoga is a nice guy, yeah, that's true but
he's also a berserker. One worse than our own Mom and that's
pretty damn bad."
"Berserker?" Kodachi echoed.
"Yeah," said Ranma who finally paused on a rooftop at
least a mile away from the dojo. "It takes a lot for Ryoga to get
mad thanks to Mother's training but when he does it's something to
be feared. Back home in Juuban nobody messes with him or Mom
because of the few times they've lost their tempers. When they're
angry they become a force of nature that's almost unstoppable."
"But if no one can stop them then what do you do when
they get angry?" asked Kodachi.
"Well, normally, Mother would stop them," said Ranma
rather sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"And she isn't here now," Kodachi said with a sigh.
"There's little time to call her as it is." Turning to look in the
direction of the dojo, she murmured, "It seemed as if Ukyo-kun
knew what he was doing when he made Ryoga angry. But why
would Ukyo-kun purposefully make Ryoga angry if he knew that
he was a berserker? What's the point of it?"
"I don't know," said Ranma softly. "But whatever Ucchan's
planning it's one hell of a dangerous scheme."
---
"Oh my," said Kasumi. "Perfume-chan really took your
news of how she can cure her curse that badly?
Moments after arriving at the newly opened sorcery shop
in search of her Amazon iinazuke, Kasumi heard the explanation
for Perfume's absence.
And frankly, the other girl's actions confused her.
"Goodness," Kasumi murmured as her light brown eyes
turned thoughtful. "I knew that she didn't enjoy being in her pixie
form but I had thought that she'd consider any option available to
rid herself of her Jusenkyo curse."
"That's what I thought too," said Siren with a sigh. The
normally carefree Mage wore a troubled expression on her lovely
features. "But apparently Perfume is against the idea. She simply
hates her pixie form that much."
"Well, it is her decision," said Kasumi slowly. "Although I
myself think that she's making a mistake."
On hearing this, both Siren and Cologne turned their
attention to Kasumi and said, "You do?"
"I do," replied Kasumi as she looked at the two Amazons.
"Perfume-chan hasn't even given herself the chance to even think
this over. She simply came to a rash decision caused by purely
emotional reactions. What she really needs to do is to think this
over rationally."
"Kasumi dear," said Siren after a moment of silence.
"Would you consider repeating those exact words to Perfume the
next time that you happen to see her?"
Tilting her head slightly, Kasumi gave a warm smile of
understanding and said, "Certainly."
And with that one word, the future suddenly seemed a
whole lot brighter for both Siren and Cologne.
---
Nabiki woke up to the sound of distant explosions.
Distant explosions and Ranma ranting.
"Dachi, I'm not kidding here!" Ranma was saying as he
paced back and forth. "My big bro isn't about to be stopped right
about now. If I tried I would just get myself stomped in the
process and I'm not letting that happen."
"Darling, you exaggerate. You've told me of the many
instances in which you've bested Ryoga--"
"But not when he was like this! He's not even himself right
now, Dachi! He's like some kinda demon!"
There was a slight pause and as Nabiki pushed herself up
slightly she saw Kodachi walk towards the edge of the building
and gaze off into the distance where smoke was curling into the air
in massive waves.
"If he's truly that bad then why did Ukyo-kun incite
Ryoga's anger? And how can he hope to win this battle?"
It was by this time that Nabiki had heard enough and
clearing her throat she gazed into the shocked faces of Ranma and
Kodachi then asked tightly, "What's going on?"
The look of dread that appeared on the couple's faces
along with another monstrous explosion sounding in the
background was all the answer that Nabiki needed.
---
"He's not dead yet. The boy must not be as mad as I had
thought. That's lucky for Kuonji."
Turning to stare at the now human form of Genma, who
was huddled next to him in some bushes, Soun said in tones of
extreme disbelief, "You call this lucky?"
Looking over the half destroyed Tendo dojo, the toppled
abandoned mitten factory, and not to mention all of the gaping
craters in the street, Genma nodded sagely.
"Very lucky," said Genma as he pushed his glasses up the
bridge of his nose. "Ryoga could do much worse." Genma then
looked Soun hard in the eyes and said, "He is his mother's son,
after all."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Soun gave a nervous
nod of his head before he turned back to the battle which was still
going on. Somehow Ukyo was holding his own against Ryoga who
hadn't said a word since the actual fight had began.
And that was what had Soun so worried.
Ryoga's eyes had an almost dead look in them as he
fought Ukyo. They were the eyes of a man without a soul.
The eyes of a machine.
A machine that appeared bent on destroying Ukyo and in
order to do this he'd use anything at hand.
Mercy didn't even seem to be an option.
And why was he doing this? Because of Soun's little girl,
because of Nabiki.
Because Soun made her his chosen iinazuke and as such
Ryoga had to defend the honor of their bond.
That and because Ryoga liked her. Perhaps even loved
her even after such a short time of acquaintance.
It was right about now that Soun was left wondering why
all the decisions in his life that regarded his little girls always turned
out so damned complicated.
Perhaps it was the fate of all fathers.
Or at his fate as one, at least.
---
"Not bad," Ukyo pronounced in between deep breaths.
"Not bad at all. I guess you have been keeping up with the art
these past years, Ryoga. That's nice to see."
Ryoga didn't answer, and instead a glint surfaced in his
dark brown eyes. In a decisive but somehow still rather animalistic
dive, the lost boy swung at Ukyo who captured Ryoga's fist in his
hand and held it in a tight grip.
Releasing a mix between a grunt and a growl, Ryoga
glared into sandalwood eyes that burned with a fierce combination
of arrogance and bitterness.
He didn't know how but Ukyo was holding him at bay. As
hard as he tried, Ryoga couldn't manage to free himself from the
grip that the other boy had on him. Nor could he move his fist
forward to connect in a punch.
"Surprised?" asked Ukyo with a harsh grin. "Lets just say
that I'm the new and improved Kuonji Ukyo."
"How?" Ryoga ground out.
"Like I'd really tell you," Ukyo said in mocking tones.
Tightening his grip on Ryoga's hand he smirked as he saw the lost
boy wince under the pressure. "All that you really need to know is
that now I'm more than a match for you. In fact," said Ukyo in a
slow drawl. "Once Nabiki's mine I'm going to prove once and for
all that I'm your superior."
After Ukyo said this, all was silent and a cold wind blew
across the frozen boys as their gazes locked.
Then slowly, a fire emerged in Ryoga's eyes.
One that made Ukyo smile as his gaze focused on not
Ryoga but something in the background. It was almost as if he'd
been waiting for this moment to arrive all along.
Releasing a low and ferocious growl from his throat,
Ryoga broke free of Ukyo's grasp and landed a solid punch to the
Kung Fu star's chin which sent Ukyo flying several feet back and
into a nearby soundproofing wall which crumbled from the impact.
The air was silent again, except for the sound of the
toppling rubble. Then slowly, it was pushed aside and the top of
Ukyo's dusty head was revealed. He was smiling yet again and
had a taunting look in his eyes.
"That it?" asked Ukyo with a smirk. "I'm disappointed,
Ryoga. I really am. And here I thought you'd be a somewhat tough
opponent in a fight at least. If you're this easy now then taking
Nabiki from you is going to be a snap. Especially since we both
very well know how much she already wants me."
Ukyo didn't even see Ryoga move.
That was how fast he had been. That was how fast the
attack had hit him. That was how fast he had fallen.
But he did see the fist descend on his face. And he did see
the homicidal rage in Ryoga's eyes. And he did see him freeze in
utter horror only mere seconds later.
And why did Ryoga freeze?
Not because of what he was doing. No, Ryoga was far
too gone in berserker mode to be horrified about that.
It took a lot to snap a berserker out of their rage. Usually
the strength of an opposing emotion to block the rage out. And
that emotion was most often love.
Because do remember, love conquers all.
And in this particular case, love caused Ryoga to snap out
of his berserker rage. All because he heard the person that he
loved call out to him. Call out to him to stop his attack on Ukyo.
So he stopped.
Just like she asked. And as he slowly returned to himself,
Ryoga looked down at the badly beaten figure of Ukyo who
appeared to be drifting into unconsciousness he felt his stomach
tighten. What had he done?
"No," said Ryoga softly as he let go of Ukyo, causing the
Kung Fu star to fall into the rubble with a loud crash. "No... no... I
didn't mean to..."
Turning around with a helpless look of desperation in his
dark brown eyes, Ryoga looked into his love's eyes and pleaded
with what that he saw lurking there.
"Nabiki," he whispered on seeing her. "I..." Swallowing the
lump in his throat, Ryoga blinked back the tears he felt coming on
and cried out, "I'm sorry!"
And moments later, he ran away.
From Nabiki and from that look in her eyes. A look that
he knew all too well and never wanted to see from her. Never
wanted to see from anyone that he loved.
Because it was a look of utter fear.
---
"Damn! That stings!"
She shot him a disapproving look as she gently took hold
of his chin and murmured, "You're lucky that I can fix this. I doubt
that your fans would favor this new beat up and battered look."
"Hey, you're the one who helped me come up with this
whole plan, sugar," Ukyo said as he winced. "And might I also
remind you that you're the reason that I was even able to find
Ryoga in the first place."
Releasing a soft sigh, she favored him with a look of dry
humor then said, "I plead guilty. But I have to say I didn't think
you'd test your new skills so violently at first."
"It's all part of the plan," said Ukyo smoothly. "If you
could've seen the look on Nabiki's face when she saw him
pounding me... well. It was all worth it. My revenge is in the bag
for sure. I'll see Ryoga crushed if it's the last thing I do."
"I can't say how happy it makes me to hear that," she
replied with a smile. With one last touch to his tender cheek she
looked over her work then said, "There. You're as good as new
and as handsome looking as ever."
With a chuckle, Ukyo's sandalwood eyes crinkled up and
dipping his head, he then said, "I thank you kindly."
"Tease," she replied with a smirk as she languidly rose to
her feet and crossed the room. Pausing to look back at him she
asked, "So what will you do now?"
"Win Nabiki's love, of course," Ukyo said. His
sandalwood eyes followed her across the room and as he pushed
himself up in his bed he murmured, "But I think it's time for me to
ask you a few questions, sugar. Like why you're helping me. I can
deal with not knowing exactly what or who you are but I'd still like
to know why you seem so interested in helping me." He formed a
slow smile and said, "It's gotta be something steep. Am I right?"
Forming a smile to match his own, her dark brown eyes
that glinted with scarlet seemed to glow in the light of the afternoon
as she tossed her curly blonde hair over one shoulder. To Ukyo,
and anyone else, she made for an all together enticing and
dangerous looking picture.
"Lets just say that I enjoy making trouble for Ryoga
because of his unfortunate happenstance in what relatives he has,"
she said with a revealing smirk. "It just happens to be the most
entertaining part of my job."
Narrowing his eyes a bit, Ukyo finally gave a careless
shrug and said, "Whatever. Just remember that this is my gig,
Mara. But I am glad that you're helping me with it."
"So am I, my dear Ukyo," said the demon known as Mara
with a sensual purr. "So am I."
To be continued...
All characters in this fanfiction are from Ranma 1/2. This fanfic was
inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi but the craziness
behind it is purely my own. I'd like to thank Jim Robert Bader,
Red Death, and my brother Patrick for listening to my goofy ideas.
Also special thanks to Wade Tritschler for allowing me to be a
part of his Altered Destinies project.
Author's Comment: Ack! Forshame! BRBT has gotten <gasp,
shock, infamy> dark! Yeesh. Anyway, I know it got serious
towards the end with Ryoga and Ucchan's battle but black is in the
title of this fic so I guess that it had to happen eventually.
Send me comments and late Christmas presents at:
Dreiser1@ix.netcom.com
Chat with me on ICQ! My ICQ # is: 37674780
Thanks to Red Death all of my fanfics are archived at:
http://www.lvdi.net/~reddeath/dreiser.htm
For previous chapters of BRBT visit Altered Destinies at:
http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/attenborough/249/index.htm
Next up: Now that a real demon has hit town things in Nerima get
even more weird. If that's really possible.
A RANDOM AND RATHER KAWAII SCENE FROM EVA:
ASUKA: Lets be good friends!
REI: What for?
ASUKA: Because it would be convenient. You
know what I mean.
REI: If I am ordered to, I will do it.