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The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the
creation and possession of the brilliant Rumiko
Takahashi. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and her
licensees (Shogakukan Inc., Kitty-Fuji TV, Viz
Communications Inc.) No copyright infringement is
intended.
"The Green Lantern", copyright ALL-AMERICAN COMICS
# 16 (July 1940)
(Note: Green Lantern #16 provided the inspiration for this
story. However only the colour green remains.)
WARNING: This story contains scenes that some readers may
find sexually suggestive and/or violent.
Extended author notes will be added at the end of
of Chapter one and again at the end of the final chapter.
*******************************************************
Bedlam Fire
Chapter 2
******************************************************
Whistling cheerfully Nabiki toed off her shoes and put
on her house slippers. She'd made a bundle betting long odds
on Kuno versus Akane and the Pig-tailed-girl today. Almost
three hundred yen. Stuffing the bills back in her pocket she
sauntered into the family room, starting slightly at the sight of a
bundle of dirty laundry in the middle of the floor. That wasn't
like Kasumi, to leave trash just lying around. The bundle
stirred, giving out a slight groan.
"That's a new look sis," Nabiki tossed her book bag in
the corner and headed into the kitchen for a snack.
"Gosunkugi-Goth?" A few moments later she came back and
plopped down in front of the TV, munching on a bowl of Hello
Kitty Lips that she occasionally dipped in honey and
horseradish sauce.
Akane turned her head slightly and stared at her sister
through a bloodshot eye. The baleful orb fixed on Nabiki for a
moment, then the puffy lid slowly closed like a rusty gate.
"Boy, you look like hell," Nabiki said, cheerfully
downing a handful of Kitty Lips. "Listen, I've got even odds
on you and Kuno Monday. So, how do you think it will go?
He's still an idiot, but he's a buff idiot and in the shape you're
in now . . ."she let her voice trail off expectantly.
"You're going to _bet_ on whether I win against
Kuno?" Akane whispered, not opening her eyes.
"Nope," Nabiki grabbed a chip from the bowl and
examined it critically. "bettin' on how long you last before
Kuno clobbers you." She scooped up a blob of sauce and
popped the chip in her mouth with a sigh of relish, grinning at
Akane's shudder of revulsion.
"I hate you." Akane moaned, burrowing deeper into the
cushions.
"Are you still having nightmares?" Kasumi asked
sympathetically, coming in with a basket of laundry.
"Yes." Akane replied simply. She hated being so
abrupt with Kasumi but she didn't know how to explain the
strange dreams that felt almost like memories. Of places she'd
never been, things she'd never seen.
Weeping over the body of her dying child.
Fighting an evil magician as her sisters died around
her.
Dancing with shadows under an onyx sky while green
flames drank the blood of crystal angels. She shuddered half in
revulsion, half in need as she felt again the delicate beautiful
angels splinter in the hungry flames, felt the delicious agony of
their death as she lapped the sweet hot blood of pain and fear
from their shattered, still living hearts.
"Yes," she whispered again, "nightmares."
"Well, I've got someone here that you might like to
see."
Akane raised her head apathetically.
"Bweeee?"
"P-chan!" Akane clutched the piglet to her. "Oh,
P-can, I'm so glad to see you." The tiny piglet squealed in
worry as hot tears soaked his head.
"There now," Kasumi said comfortably. "you
shouldn't have any bad dreams as long as P-chan is with you."
The small piglet nodded vigorously, almost as if he
understood.
******************************************************
"You probably think I'm being silly," Akane confided
to P-chan as she snapped on all the lights in her room.
The piglet bweeed an indignant negative.
"But I feel better with the lights on." she got down on
her knees and checked under the bed, P-chan nosing in beside
her to add an additional pair of eyes. Satisfied there weren't
any monsters she got to her feet and climbed into bed.
"I'm really glad you're here P-chan," Akane hugged
the tiny piglet to her as she snuggled under the covers. "Ranma
would say I'm being a big sissy, scared of bad dreams,"
P-chan snorted in irritation. "But I really wish he could be
here." The small swine stiffened in shock, his tiny heart of
glass breaking, "I've never told anyone this, not even
Kasumi." She pressed close, so she could whisper in his ear.
"But I like it when Ranma holds my hand. It makes me feel
. . .all warm . . . and safe." She punched her pillow into shape.
"Pretty silly, huh." Rubbing at the pain in her temple she
shifted, trying to find a comfortable position. "I've got to get
some sleep P-chan." She was almost crying she was so tired.
"I've just got to get some sleep."
No bad dreams were going to get by _him_. Ignoring
the pain in his heart P-chan set his jaw, determined to stay
awake and on guard all night just like . . .like that guy in the
legends that stayed awake and on guard all night.
******************************************************
"Have you _got_ to carry _him_ with us?" Ranma
groused the next day from his position atop the fence.
"You leave P-can alone," Akane tickled the piglet
under the chin, eliciting a grunt of pure porcine bliss. "You're
mama's gooooood little piggy-wiggy," she crooned. "You kept
the bad dreams away all night." She made small circles on his
belly, then slipped a treat from her skirt pocket and fed it to
him.
"Ahhhh, maaaan. That's just sick!" Ranma hopped
down beside the duo. "He's gonna get fat if you keep feedin'
him like that." The piglet opened his eyes just long enough to
stick out his tongue. "An' his legs are gonna atro . . .atra . . .
they're gonna waste away if you keep carryn' him
everywhere!" Ranma added, poking P-can in his somewhat
rotund belly.
"Owwww!" He tried to suck on his pig-bit finger and
rub the lump on his head simultaneously, doing neither very
well. "See if I care!" He shouted after them. "Stupid tomboy.
You just go off with that pig. Stuff him with ice-cream 'till he
explodes. Then you'll be sor----" Ice cream!? Suddenly
Ranma remembered were they had been headed. _And_ who
had the money. "HEY! Wait for me!"
******************************************************
"Now, you be nice to P-chan," Akane emphasized her
point by poking Ranko in the side. "No more picking on a
defenseless little pig." Tucking the piglet securely under her
arm Akane turned her face to the sun, enjoying her first
headache free day in almost a week.
"Mrrphle," Ranko mumbled, buried ears-deep in a
deluxe, magnum, quintuple scoop death-by-chocolate, giant-
waffle-cone . . .with sprinkles. _Cute_ was the definitely the
way to go when buying ice-cream. She tried to ignore the fact
that P-chan's cone was bigger. Maybe a lower neckline would
help next time.
"Hey sugar," A familiar voice hailed him from the
street corner. " . . .how about a special . . .on the house?"
Ukyou had decided to take advantage of the nice weather and
was grilling okonomiyaki on the streets while Konatsu
watched the restaurant.
"Hey, thanks Ucchan!" Ranko giggled and bounced
over to the cart, sending several diabetics reaching for their
insulin. "Ummm . . .what happened to your face?" He asked
with a complete lack of tack while assembling his
in-between-bites snack.
"This? Heh, heh, heh." Ukyou touched her bruised face
self-consciously, wincing as the movement pulled at her
cracked ribs. "Ummmm . . .I ran into a door?"
"Get out of way, stupid-spatula-girl!" The Amazon-
door shouted as she sped down the sidewalk on her way to
make a delivery. Twisting the handle bars of her bicycle hard
to the right she attempted to miss the okonomiyaki cart.
Unfortunately the sudden move exceeded the rating of the
bungee cord securing her load, causing the basket of hot ramen
to part company with the bike. In horror Ranko watched the
steaming noodles form a perfect arc that intersected with----
"Watch out dummy!" With an adrenalin-charged leap
she snatched Akane and P-chan out of the way of the box of
nearly boiling noodles. "Tha----that was close!" she panted,
holding the noodle carrier in one hand, Akane in the other. P-
chan bweeeed agreement.
"You don't have any faith in me, do you?" Akane
huffed, embarrassed at being held. In Public. By a girl. More
embarrassed at how much she liked it.
"I saw that coming. I could have gotten out of the way
on my own." She jerked out of Ranma's grip before she lost
control and hugged him back. Unfortunately Ranma chose that
moment to also shove away from Akane, for similar reasons.
Which double action propelled Akane down the street and
into a group of young women just leaving a coffee house.
With coffee.
Hot coffee.
"ryouga?" Akane whispered in disbelief.
"I can explain," The wet, naked and wishing-he-were-
lost-right-now, Lost Boy, hastily disentangled himself from
Akane's arms, making a desperate bid to preserve his modesty
with a strategically placed bandanna in front and a slightly
dented ramen carrier behind.
"Stupid pig boy," Shan Pu tried unsuccessfully to
wrest her delivery from Ryouga's iron grip. "make Shan Pu
late with order." Giving up finally she stepped back and held
out her hand. "Is 5600 Yen for extra spicy chicken ramen," she
thought for a moment. "Extra for renting ramen box. Late order
is free for other customer so pig-boy pay for lost order.
Wasted time. Dent in box. Bicycle tire ----"
"_You_ knew!" Akane looked at San P'u in disbelief,
shrinking a little from the whispers and stares of the gathering
crowd.
"Shan Pu know," The Amazon replied impatiently,
more concerned about getting payed for her order. "All people
know." If she worked it right she'd get a nice tip out of this
without having to make excuses to her great-grandmother.
"Ranma?" She looked to him for help, drawing back
suddenly in realization. "You knew." It _wasn't_ a question.
"I made a warrior's promise." It probably wasn't the
best time to try and explain why a promise to Ryouga was
more important than Akane's honor and pride.
"You knew . . ." she started to shake from reaction.
"You knew . . ." She slapped aside his hand. "Don't TOUCH
me. Don't you _ever_ touch me again." She turned back to the
Lost Boy and Ryouga flinched from her look. She just stared
right through him, as if he didn't exist. Then, without a word,
she turned and walked away.
"Ahhh Maaaan," Ranma kicked at the ground in disgust
and walked over to the stunned Ryouga. "Ya just haddda make
trouble, didn't ya porky?"
"ME!" Ryouga rounded on Ranma with a roar, fist
drawn back to smash Ranma into the ground. "This is all
_your_ fault, Ranma!"
"Ohhhh, nice." A tiny grandmotherly woman gushed,
pinching Ryouga on the fundament.
"Yeah, some steamed buns would hit the spot right
about now." A young office lady commented.
"Pretty skinny, I'd say." Came a comment from the
center of the crowd.
"Eeeeeeep." Ryouga instantly covered himself, almost
unmanning himself in the process, with the forgotten box-of-
ramen.
"Man, you're pathetic," Ranma said disgustedly
peeling off his shirt and handing it to Ryouga. "Use this 'till
we get you back home."
"You _really _ don't have any feminine modesty, do
you sugar?" Ukyou opined from her cart where she was doing
a brisk business with the gathering crowd.
"What do I need with feminine . . .?" Ranma looked
down at _her_ self.
"Eeeeeep."
******************************************************
She was still shaking so hard by the time she made it
home it took her three tries to open the door. Finally she
managed, with a spasmodic surge that sent it slamming against
the stops.
"Akane?" Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen, the bowl
she was drying still in her hands. "What are you doing home
so early? Where's Ran----"
"Did you know?" Akane asked in a carefully
controlled voice?
"Know what?" Kasumi had never seen her little sister
like this before. It made her . . .not afraid. Exactly.
"About----" She couldn't say the name. "About that
PIG!" She spat. "Did. You. Know!"
Souun and Nabiki had come running at the sound of the
angry voice. Akane rounded on them as they entered the room
and they both skidded to a halt.
"Did _you_ know!" Akane took a heavy pace toward
her middle sister and Nabiki found that she _was_ afraid.
Images of things she'd done, deals she'd made and pictures
she'd sold flashed through her mind, intermixed with images
of Akane smashing concrete with her bare hands. She suddenly
felt _very_ fragile.
"DID YOU KNOW! About . . .about P-Chan?" The
whispered question didn't need an answer. She could see it in
their eyes. Kasumi. Nabiki. . . .even her _father_!
"I . . ." She couldn't talk. An invisible hand clamped
around her throat like a vise. Shaking with anger and
humiliation Akane dashed up the stairs, silent tears streaming
down her face.
"What was that all about?" Nabiki asked, afraid she
already knew.
"I believe Akane didn't enjoy her time out with Ranma
and P-chan." Kasumi understated, looking up the stairs, a
slight frown of worry creasing her normally smooth brow.
"Yah got that right." All heads turned at the sound of
the familiar voice to see a petite red-head holding a small
black piglet securely under one arm. "Anybody seen Ryouga's
pack?"
If a pig could look depressed, this one did, Nabiki
thought looking at the limp black form. Only the faintest of
motions showed the tiny animal was still alive. Nabiki never
thought she would ever feel sorry for Rouga but----
"Here," she reached out and took the unresisting form
from a surprised Ranma. "his pack's in the doujou. You fill
Kasumi and daddy in on what happened. I'll take care of P-
chan." The piglet flinched, as if in pain, on hearing that name,
but didn't resist as Nabiki held him at arms length by his
bandanna.
"Uhhhh, I don't think----" Ranma started, only to be
brutally cut off by Nabiki.
"No, you _don't_ think," Nabiki curled her lip in a
fashion that indicated what she thought of Ranma's cognitive
abilities. "and don't hurt yourself by starting now. You just
explain how you managed to screw up taking my sister out for
ice cream."
Ranma started to defend himself, but found he was
talking to Nabiki's back. Reluctantly he turned to face his
fiancee's sister and father. There was never a blood thirsty
challenger around when you needed one. Maybe Fuji-san
would erupt.
******************************************************
"You are one pitiful piece-of-shit." Nakiki remarked
conversationally as she held out the tea kettle she'd snagged
from the kitchen on the way to the doujou. Tipping the pot
slightly she watched water, only a bit below boiling, pour
over the piglet. The naked boy didn't react, either to the gibe
or the scalding water.
"It's not any fun if you just sit there like a lump."
Nabiki tossed him pants and a shirt from the pack, almost
wishing for a camera. Unfortunately his extraordinarily
depressed demeanor would make any pictures unsaleable.
"So, you want to tell me what happened?"
"My life is over." Ryouga sat apathetically on the floor
of the doujou, water dripping from his head to splash on the
hardwood.
"Yeah, yeah," Nabiki sat beside him, drumming her
fingers impatiently on the floor. "I've heard it before. And it's
getting old." Sighing, she shifted, trying to get comfortable.
"All right, tell me _exactly_ what happened. Then I'll tell
_you_ if your life is over."
"She bought me an ice cream cone," Ryouga began in a
whisper, "strawberry swirl. For keeping the bad dreams
away----" his voice broke, and Nabiki waited for him to
continue.
******************************************************
" . . .an' then she just _looked_ at Ryouga." Ranma
finished his story. "Kinda looked right through him, an'
walked away." He looked apologetically at Kasumi. "I hadda
figure out what to do with Ryouga so Akane beat us home." He
nervously twiddled his fingers. "So . . .ahhhh . . .how is she?
Can I . . .uhhhh what do you think I should . . ."
"Akane just walked away?" Kasumi asked, standing
behind her father rubbing his shoulders. Tendou Souun's
expression was unnervingly blank.
"Uhhh, yeah. She just looked at Ryouga and----"
"Oh dear. She feels so much better after she hits
someone. Doesn't she seem to feel better after she hits
someone, father?" Kasumi asked, not really expecting an
answer but wanting to make him feel included. "Are you sure
she didn't hit anyone?"
Ranma shook his head no and Kasumi sighed softly.
"Oh well, I'm sure she'll hit you after she has a little rest.
Perhaps after breakfast tomorrow or on the way to school."
Kissing her father softly on the top of his head she moved
gracefully toward the stairs. "I'll just go check the first aid kit
for bandages and iodine." She looked consideringly at Ranma
for a moment. "And perhaps some pain killers." Smiling
sweetly she left Ranma to contemplate his fate.
******************************************************
Stupid. She was so _stupid_! Akane lay staring up at
the ceiling, with eyes dry and aching from crying. How could
she have been ----Closing her eyes she turned over, burying
her face in her pillow. Trying to shut out the world.
She'd trusted them. Her father, Nabiki, Kasumi, Ra----
she'd trusted all of them. No one else hid their curse. Shan Pu,
Mu Si, even Tarou . . .why should she have expected _him_ to
hide his curse.
She _trusted_ them and they took advantage of her.
Laughed at her.
But how could she have been so stupid!
They were laughing at her.
Her thoughts kept chasing themselves around and
around, like a snake eating it's own tail as, exhausted, she fell
into dream troubled sleep.
******************************************************
She sped across the blasted heath, a flaming shadow
that fed on fear and pain. Hunting was poor, the few prey left
pale and sickly compared to earlier days.
A movement caught her attention.
Prey! Young and strong perhaps.
Craftily she slithered through the tumbled rubble,
thinning herself like a snake to fit into places impossibly
small. Closing to within a short span she struck----not to kill,
but to wound.
Shrieking in fear and pain the prey fled. She followed.
Lashing the prey with green fire when it faltered, driving it to
an ever higher peak of fear. Pain.
Soon, all too soon, the prey flagged. Stumbling,
gasping for breath. It's skin hanging off it in strips.
She killed it then. Slowly. Preserving it's brain until
the end. Savoring the terror. All too quickly it's pathetic life
was snuffed out. Leaving her with a hollow, unsatisfied
feeling.
Extending her senses to their utmost she could detect
only a few of these creatures left. The sickly remains of a race
that had once spanned the planet. It was time to leave. To find
new hunting grounds. Suiting thought to deed she reformed
herself, surrounding the sensitive electric field that was her
body with a shell of protective metals for the long journey
through space. Twisting the planetary gravity field with
unconscious ease she launched herself into the void.
Like a seed pod she drifted, dormant, until her
sleeping mind detected the faint signs of prey. Rousing only
slightly, she directed the metallic kernel that protected her
essence to this new world.
The descent through the planets gas envelope warmed
her slightly after her long voyage, rousing her to a half
dreaming state.
No others of her kind had ever ventured this far and
she was weak after her millennia in stasis. Too weak to break
free of the shell that had protected her during her voyage. The
shell that was now her prison. But there was a solution. And
so she waited, not patiently, for that was not the nature of her
kind, but she waited. Until finally she touched a mind similar
to her own, in the way that playground fight is similar to a
world war.
Prey that thought it was predator. Ridiculous as it
was, it did provide some deaths.
Small, almost painless; nowhere near the levels she
could produce were she free. But she wasn't free. And had to
be satisfied with the poor efforts of her instrument.
And thus the first ward was broken.
Time passed. She rested and gained strength from the
normal pain and grief of the prey that passed, all unknowing,
past her prison. Until the day she touched another mind. And
saw, dimly in her diminished state, how to manipulate the
currents of chaos to bring fire and terror to her resting place.
She chose life therefore, and in the choosing ensured a future
of flames--and a hundred thousand shrieking souls rode an
atomic flame to hell.
The second ward was broken.
Stronger now, she had more latitude in choosing her
tools. Preparing her escape. Breaking the last and strongest
ward.
Only the third seal remained.
******************************************************
Tossing and muttering in her sleep Akane was locked
in the grip of a nightmare. Unseen by human eyes green sparks,
like maggots of flame, crawled and writhed across the room
from the icon of the Goddess of Mercy.
******************************************************
"Mama! Mama!" Five year old Tendou Akane was
bored. Daddy had taken her sisters out to the park but _she_
had to stay home. "Let's play Mama!" It wasn't _her_ fault that
stupid old wall had broken. She only nudged it . . .well maybe
she had hit it. But only a little bit. And mama had told her to
play quietly because she had a headache and needed to lie
down for a while. But Akane was tired of being quiet.
"Mama?" She shook her mother again, feeling scared
for some reason. "Mama . . ." Her mother's head rolled limply
to the side, empty eyes staring unblinking . . .unseeing, at her
youngest.
"Mamaaaaaaaa!"
******************************************************
The tiny sparks danced and roiled over Akane's dream
tossed body.
******************************************************
"Tendou Akane! Just look at the mess you've made!"
Akane stared uncomprehendingly at Kimiko-sensei,
hair and clothes covered with paste and paint.
"Why are you always so messy! Why can't you be
more like your sisters? Now clean up this mess."
Biting back hot tears Akane moved stiffly toward the
trash can, trying to ignore the whispers and giggles of her
classmates. Carefully she tore and re-tore the large colorful
card, expressionlessly watching as "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"
vanished letter by letter. Finally nothing recognizable was left
but "KIM", written in a large childish scrawl. Neatly Akane
folded this into a small square and put it gently in the trash
before returning to her seat.
******************************************************
Faster and brighter the sparks swirled around Akane's
sweat soaked body.
******************************************************
"Who'd want to marry a tomboy like you?"
"It's not my idea----" Akane turned to face Ranma.
"Pervert girl no can win . . ."
"I'm a martial artist too." She twisted to face Shan Pu.
"I'm Ranchan's _cute_ fiance."
"You're _not_ his fianc^�!" Akane whirled to face her
new attacker.
"She's a violent maniac."
"Kasumi?" Bewildered, Akane stared helplessly at her
sister.
"You're not ready for a challenge. You've just been
jogging lately, haven't you?"
"Nabiki! That's not----"
"You are soooo un-cute!"
"Wait. I can't----" They were all around her. Towering
over her as they accused her. Poked at her failures and
failings. Laughed at her.
"So stupid----"
"Slow, clumsy----"
"Stop it. Stop it!" She wrapped her arms around her
head, trying to shut them out.
"Built like a brick----"
"Stupid, clumsy-----"
******************************************************
Blazing with excitement, the tiny shadows gathered
over Akane's heart.
******************************************************
"Please." She begged. "Please stop."
******************************************************
The green fire stabbed deep into the sleeping girl's
chest. She gasped once, arcing off the bed, then collapsed to
lie still and quiet. An emerald glow filled the room, emanating
from her body, then faded slowly, like the end of day.
******************************************************
"C'mon Akane," Ranma tried not to sound as worried
as he felt. "Yah gotta talk to me sometime." It wasn't in his
nature to worry much about the future. Nothing in his
upbringing had encouraged him to believe there was much
point in planning for tomorrow, when surviving today was so
chancy. He'd never really worried about tomorrow. Until
now. Until . . .
"How 'bout yah lay one on me?" He danced in front of
his steadily jogging fiance. "Right here?" Closing his eyes he
thrust out his jaw as an inviting target. A moment passed,
without pain or blacking out. Cautiously he opened his eyes to
see nothing but . . .nothing. Whipping his head around he spied
his fian . . .Akane . . . disappearing around the corner.
Sprinting hard he caught up to her just outside the gates to
Furinkan High School.
"C'mon Akane. We didn't mean nuthin' by it."
Grabbing her book bag he hung it, with his bag, by one finger
over his shoulder while he jogged backward in front of her.
Stoney faced Akane snatched her bag back and
continued walking briskly, ignoring Ranma. Several clumps
of students turned from their own conversations to watch the
odd progression. They didn't often get the chance to see
Ranma pleading with Akane. A beautiful young man,
immaculate in his school uniform, seemed particularly
interested in the feuding pair.
Akane ignored all of them. The only thing she didn't
ignore, couldn't ignore, was the pain in her head. The migraine
of the day before was back with a vengeance. And it had
brought friends. She had awakened feeling like the entire
Russian Army had marched through her skull in hob-nailed
boots. Things had gone downhill from there. Now someone
was driving a red-hot needle through her eye into her brain.
"C'mon Akane," Ranma wheedled, "It ain't the end of
the world. Quit bein' so stupid."
Not Ranma's wisest choice of words. This was
brought firmly home when Akane snatched him up by his shirt
front, dragging him in close, so that he could clearly see tiny
red veins crawling over the whites of her eyes like a nest of
snakes.
"don't. call. me. stupid." She whispered with dreadful
calm.
"Insolent peasant! Unhand Tendou Akane at once!"
Ranma was ashamed of the rush of relief he felt as
Akane's attention was diverted from him by the arrival of the
Blue Thunder.
"I will not allow you to sully the fierce tigress of love
with your dirty hands." So saying, Kuno Tatiwaki yanked
Akane away from Ranma and into his arms.
Yanking and migraines do not go together well. Kuno
felt a bomb explode just under his heart, stealing the breath
from his lungs. His legs collapsed and he would have fallen,
had Akane not grabbed him around the throat, her left hand
drawn back for another palm-strike.
"You filthy pervert," her voice was an ugly rasping
sound. "I'll teach you to paw me with your dirty hands." Like
a thunder bolt her hand hit him again and he felt something
break deep inside.
"T . . .truly thou ar . . .art like Diana," he couldn't
seem to catch his breath. "Diana . . .huntress. I . . . will . . .
date . . ."
Rage filled her so much she wanted to vomit it at him.
She imagined hitting him again. And again. Hammering him
until his bones cracked, his skin split. Hitting him over and
over. Glad of every groan.
"That's enough!" A hand caught her wrist as she
brought her arm back for . . . for . . .the killing stroke? Her
rage broke as suddenly as it had come and her headache
receded to a dull ache.
"Get him away from me," she said simply, yanking free
of Ranma's grip. "Get him away and keep him away."
"Why . . ." Ranma licked his lips and tried again,
choosing his words carefully. "why don't you . . .uhhhh . . ."
he gathered the unconscious Kuno carefully in his arms.
"Look, I'm sorry. I was wrong. Me and Ryouga," he saw her
lips tighten at the name and hurried on, "we're sorry. We
didn't mean nuthin'. It was stupid. If . . .if you want . . . to
pound me, I got it commin'. Just . . .just don't . . ."
"I'm going home," Akane said stiffly, her head starting
to throb once more. "I don't feel good."
"Yeah. Uhhhh . . .maybe you should go see Dr. Tofuu?"
"Tofuu?" Akane seemed bewildered, as if that hadn't
occurred to her before. Her brow lightened slightly. "Dr.
Tofuu. That's a good idea."
Ranma watched her until she was out of sight beyond
the gates. "Better get you some help." he muttered to his
burden. Kuno groaned and mumbled something through pink
frothed lips. Ranma leaned close to hear.
" . . .date you both."
"Maaan, don't you _ever_ give up?" Ranma asked, not
really expecting an answer. He could feel Kuno's ribs grate
slightly and shifted his grip so as not to jostle him. The bloody
froth was a worry but his color was good and his pulse steady,
if a little fast. From his own experience with broken ribs
Ranma figured blunt trauma had probably ruptured some blood
vessels. Moving cautiously Ranma headed for the school
nurse. He wanted to get Kuno taken care of as quickly as
possible so he could get after Akane. He just hoped she would
stay out of trouble until he could find her again.
The beautiful boy moved to follow Ranma when a cute
girl stepped in front of him.
"Thank you for lending me your literature notes,
senpai." she said shyly, bowing as she held out a notebook.
"Ummm, no problem Bando-san," 'senpai' replied,
taking the proffered notes.
"Y . . .you can call me Fumiki," she replied daringly.
"if . . .if you want." She peeped up at him through her lashes to
see how he took the offer of her first name.
"Ummmm, yeah. Fumiki. Right." The boy watched
Ranma disappear in the direction of the school nurse. "Gotta
go now," he said absently, oblivious of Fumiki's adoring
stare. "Bye now." He pulled free of Fumiki's light hold and
bounded off.
Fumiki watched 'senpai' vanish in the crowd, his short
thick pony-tail bouncing with every stride. "Good bye,
Kuonji . . .chan," she called softly, daringly, dreaming of the
day she would be able to say it to his face.
Off to one side, unnoticed, Tendou Nabiki scribbled in
her notebook. *NEW picture market. Transfer students &
freshmen. Buy more film!!!*
******************************************************
Akane never made it to Dr. Tofuu's. Instead her
footsteps lead unconsciously home. Almost blinded by the
pain in her head she staggered up the stairs to her room,
ignoring Kasumi's worried call. Reaching her room she shut
and locked the door behind her. Without thinking about it she
grabbed the statute of Kwannon from her desk and , clasping it
to her breast, fell into bed. The sudden secession of pain was
such a relief that the was dizzy for a moment. Grateful for the
respite she cuddled the statue to her and fell asleep almost
immediately. Green fire seemed to crackle between the statue
and the sleeping girl for a moment. When the fire subsided
there was a faint flush to the sleeping girls cheeks. And the
statue seemed diminished.
******************************************************
"Whadya mean she's not here?!" Ranma was not
having a good day. First Akane had half killed Kuno. Then the
idiot had tried to challenge him as they were loading him in
the ambulance. After that the principle had caught him as he
was going out the gate and decided . . . he shuddered, not even
wanting to _think_ about that idiot. He'd _finally_ gotten
home----and Akane wasn't even there!
"Ranma! How dare you speak to Kasumi that way!"
Souun loomed over Ranma, hiding his worry about his baby
daughter with bluster and anger. "I insist that you----"
Ranma tuned Tendou-san out and concentrated on
figuring out where Akane might be. She was angry, and
operating on a hair trigger. He needed to figure out where she
would go, what she would do. . . A sudden thought chilled
him.
"Where's Ryouga!" Souun and Kasumi jerked in
surprise at Ranma's sudden outburst. "I need to find him
before----"
"Ranma? Kasumi-san? What are you doing in
Kyouto?" The Lost Boy looked up from his map of the
Okinawa rail system as he wandered in from the kitchen.
"Idiot!" Ranma sagged in relief on seeing Ryouga still
alive, then smacked him on the head, ripping the map from his
hands. "You're still in Nerima!" Before Ryouga could
completely digest that Ranma grabbed him by the arm,
dragging him out the door behind him. "C'mon Bacon-Boy,
Akane hasn't been gone long. If we hurry maybe we can catch
her."
"RANMA!" Souun started after them, stopping
suddenly as Kasumi put a gentle hand on his arm.
"Let them go father." She smiled gently. "I'm sure
Ranma will find Akane." She looked at her father and Genma.
"Shall I serve tea?"
******************************************************
Dammit! Kuonji Ukyou brushed futilely at the stained
crease in her uniform jacket. Didn't the Tendou's _ever_ clean
their gutters? Swinging back up on the roof she watched
Ranma and Rouga for a moment and saw they were headed for
Dr. Tofuu's.
Ranma-honey was acting _much_ too concerned about
Akane, she thought, dusting herself off. The dratted girl was up
to something and Ukyou needed to find her first and put an end
to her underhanded manipulations. Ranma sugar was entirely
too trusting and _that_ girl was taking advantage of his good
nature. Making him worry and feel sorry for her. Ukyou would
just have to save him from himself.
Jumping rapidly from roof to roof she headed in the
opposite direction, toward the nearest park. It was just a
hunch, but she had a feeling she might just get lucky. She'd
teach that scheming hussy to play with Ran-chan's emotions
like that!
******************************************************
End Chapter 2
Note:
1)Extended notes will be reposted with the final chapter.
If you missed chapter 1 with the notes, e-mail & I'll
send it to you. I don't want to take up band-with
repeating them with every post. ^_*
2)My wife decided that graduate courses
were more important than
proof-reading BF. :(
I did what I could but I
still haven't figured out all those little
dots and squiggly things that go between the words.
3)Since I don't have to wait for proof-reading
I'll try to get the rest of the chapters out
on a faster basis.
4)I'm at 98% on BF. Once that's done I'm going
to clear out a HUGE back-log of C&C. THEN I'll get
back to work on Sukeban Senshi Chapter 8, revision 1.
5)Next up, re-start work on Tyger,Tyger;
Chapter 2, I'm a Guy;
Finish Dream Catcher;
Almost certainly a "Jubei-chan The Ninja Girl,
Secret of the Lovely Eye Patch"
fanfiction (for all those FFML members
who say they are tired of Ranma/SM) ^_*
(D4 Princess, KKJ and a few others also possible)
6)No idea when/if web page will be updated.
My good friend and fan who makes/hosts
our page is busy with real life
and can't work on it right now.
I can either
code HTML or write. I write. ^_*
Anyone who wishes to volunteer to help/host
feel free to e-mail me. ^_0
Thanks for reading. Chapter 3 probably
Sunday or Monday. I don't want to flood
the list and the whole thing is
430KB .TXT with about 30KB to go.