Before I begin, I'd like to give a special thanks to my prereaders,
particularly Stormy, who literally had his comments in my mailbox almost
before I'd finished saying "Whoops, didn't realize you wanted to
preread!" It's because of my goof that this chapter was delayed a day,
and his promptness that it was ONLY delayed a day. Thanks, buddy. ^_^

SO FAR: Quite a number of strange things have been happening in Nerima
recently. A demon using Ranma's form has kidnapped Kodachi Kuno, and
just made a failed attempt to kidnap Ukyo (it did, however, manage to
kidnap most of her clothing in the process); Ranma has been thinking
clearly, resulting in a strain on his relationship with Akane as well as
some very odd behavior; Shampoo and Cologne have been plotting to force
Ranma's hand in marriage with the help of a demon; and Ryoga has been
taking advice from a book as well as anyone he can find to learn how to
convince Akane to go on a date with him. In our last chapter, that date
finally came about, but Kuno and Ranma turned it into a double date, and
a huge misunderstanding on Akane's part ruined the entire evening when
she thought Ranma and Ryoga had served her Roast Suckling P-chan as a
cruel joke.

Ranma 1/2: A Deadly Choice
Chapter 8: Ranma-otoko vs. Ranma-oni

    Ryoga ran breathlessly through the streets of the Nerima District,
not pausing even for a moment to look back at his pursuer. He'd lost
track of how long he'd been running, but his aching lungs told him it
was far too long. He'd also lost track of where he was going, but that
went without saying. Still, he ran on, afraid that if he slowed down at
all, it would be upon him, ending his life in a manner he couldn't even
begin to imagine. It followed him with its boundless energy, never more
than a few feet behind him, waiting for the chance to strike. He didn't
plan to give it that chance.
    Suddenly, a delicate but firm hand closed on Ryoga's shoulder,
pulling him to a halt. "What's the big idea of spreading that ridiculous
story about me, you jerk?" shouted Ranma as she whirled him around to
face her. "I had to agree to a date with KUNO of all people!"
    "I can explain," began Ryoga, before realizing that his statement
was a total lie. He abandoned that line and tried another defense.
"Please don't kill me!"
    "Kill you? Why would I do something like that?"
    Ryoga sighed in relief.
    "That'd be way too quick. I plan to make sure you suffer for this."
    "Hey, be reasonable," pleaded Ryoga. "That's not like you, is it?"
    Ranma let go of him. "No, it's not. But you've been a real jerk
recently, and I know Akane's at the center of whatever it is. First you
steal her panties and do a really horrible job trying to frame me for
it - but it works - and sneak back into her room to make out with her.
Then you try to beat her up, again making me look like the bad guy -"
    "YOU stood on my head," Ryoga pointed out.
    "- and then you take her out to dinner, and even though she claims
it wasn't a date, I know the way you think better than that. So spill
it, piggy. What's the deal between you two?"
    "Nothing!" Ryoga protested. "Look, I could explain all of that, but
it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. It's all just a big coincidence!"
    "Don't tell me you and Akane just happened to be at the same
restaurant, at the same table, in fancy dinner clothes."
    Ryoga blushed. "Well, yeah, we arranged that ahead of time. But it
was her idea!"
    "Quit lying through your teeth! Akane's not interested in you!"
    "You think she's interested in YOU?" Ryoga shot back. "You can't
even treat her properly! You insult her constantly, you never eat her
cooking, and you don't give her the respect she deserves!"
    Ranma's hands curled into fists as she slowly began to lose control
of her temper. "Don't go there, pig-boy. You don't want to give me a
reason to hurt you."
    "Is it me who's making you mad, or is it the truth?"
    "I can't very well pound the truth," returned Ranma, her teeth
tightly clenched. "But I can sure as hell beat you into a bloody pulp!"
    Ryoga shrugged disinterestedly. "Egrul says 'the first one to resort
to violence is the one who has run out of intelligent things to say.'"
    Ranma paused, searching for a clever reply. After a few seconds of
deliberation, she hauled back and punched Ryoga squarely in the nose.
"You know something?" she asked. "I think that guy's got a point. I had
no idea what to say just then."
    Ryoga quickly slid his bandana down his face, securing it under his
nose to stem the flow of blood. "That was a cheap shot, Ranma. I'm
considering that a victory for me."
    "Whatever," said Ranma. "I think I've made my point. Now, if I ever
catch you doing anything I don't like with Akane, so help me, I'll -"
Her threat was cut off as a nearly naked girl plowed into her from
behind, knocking her flat on her face. She rolled over to find herself
staring into Ukyo's terror-stricken face. "Ucchan? What are you doing
here?"
    Ukyo screamed and pushed herself away from Ranma, scrambling to get
to her feet, but her legs tangled in Ranma's dress, and she fell back on
top of Ranma, inadvertently pressing her lips against Ranma's.
    Ryoga shook his head disapprovingly. "And you accuse Akane of
cheating on you...."
    Ranma grabbed Ukyo's arms firmly. "What gives, Ucchan? You're
freaking out!"
    "Not to mention unclothed," added Ryoga.
    As if to prove Ranma's point, Ukyo twisted in her grip, trying to
escape. "Let me go, you demon!"
    Ranma felt Ukyo's knee land a hard blow in her groin and thanked the
gods that she wasn't in her own body. "Hey, cut that out! What do you
think you're doing?"
    "Help! So-" Ukyo screamed, before Ranma clapped a hand over her
mouth to silence her. Ukyo quickly brought her free arm to bear,
swinging it at Ranma's head, but Ranma rolled aside and stood up,
pulling Ukyo with her.
    "Ukyo, calm down!" snapped Ranma. "Just look at me and tell me
what's going on!" She grabbed Ukyo's head and turned it so that they
were looking into each other's eyes. Ukyo's tear-filled eyes slowly
softened as she saw Ranma's concerned expression and realized that she
wasn't going to kill her.
    Finally, Ukyo blinked her tears away and sniffed. "You're... you're
really Ranma honey?"
    "Well, duh. Who'd you think I was?"
    Without giving an answer, Ukyo pulled free of Ranma's relaxed grip
and threw both arms around the redhead, burying her face in the front of
Ranma's dress. "Oh God! I was so scared! I thought you were that demon
that tried to kill me!"
    "I'm no demon," replied Ranma. "Tell her, Ryoga."
    "He may be a jerk to Akane, but he's no demon," confirmed Ryoga.
    "Thanks for the editorial," grumbled Ranma. Then, the clues
accumulating in the conversation finally came together in her mind.
"Wait... did you see a demon that looked like me?"
    Ukyo pried herself away from Ranma's chest, but still couldn't look
Ranma in the face. "It was your male form, but it looked just like you,"
she explained. "It came into the restaurant as I was closing up, and at
first I thought it really was you. But then it changed... into this big
black cloud... and I tried to fight it off with my spatulas, but it
threw them right back and pinned me to the wall! Then all my clothes
tore, and I ran out the back door and got away." Her head jerked up, and
she scanned the streets like a frightened squirrel. "Oh God! What if
it's still after me?"
    "Hey, calm down," said Ranma. "We're here to protect you. It's not
going to attack you again while Ryoga and I are here."
    Ukyo caught her breath at last. "Ranma... what am I going to do now?
Look at me! I'm a total mess, and I can't go back to my restaurant...."
    "We're going back there together," announced Ranma. "That demon
already kidnapped Kodachi Kuno, and now it's come after you. I want
answers, and I'm going to get them right now."
    Ukyo's eyes widened in horror. "No! We can't go back there! What if
it's still after me?"
    "That's what I'm hoping for," replied Ranma. "Ryoga, you go warn
Akane about the demon. I have a feeling it's going to come after her
next."
    Ryoga jumped at suddenly being included in the conversation again.
"Me? Why me? Why don't you do it?"
    "Because I have to go with Ukyo," replied Ranma. "The demon
obviously wants something from me, or it wouldn't be using my form."
    "But Akane hates me right now, remember?" Ryoga protested.
    "She hates me too," Ranma reminded him. "But if I know Akane, she's
already forgiven you and pinned the blame squarely on me." Her eyes
narrowed, and her voice grew slightly colder. "Besides, you and she are
an item now, aren't you?"
    "Well, yeah, but...." Ryoga began, completely missing the venom in
Ranma's statement. Then he caught a glimpse of Ranma's malicious stare,
and he quickly shook his head and started over. "No! We're not! Besides,
I thought you didn't want me having anything to do with Akane!"
    Ranma stepped aside, letting him get a good view of Ukyo. "Look, we
can't very well go in there with me in a dirty dress and Ukyo in her
underwear, can we? You know Akane's going to get the wrong idea about
that! Just go in there, warn her that there's a demon that looks like me
coming after her, and stay with her to make sure it doesn't get to her.
No making out behind my back again. Can you handle that?"
     "But how do you expect me to find my way there?" asked Ryoga.
    Ranma slammed her hand against the sign nailed to the nearby wall
which read "Tendo Dojo of Anything-Goes Martial Arts". "Good luck
getting lost," she said sarcastically.
    Ryoga sighed and gave up trying to get out of the chore. "Fine. I'll
do it." He climbed over the wall and let himself into the Tendos' yard.
    "I hope he can behave himself." Ranma turned around and took Ukyo's
arm. "Come on. You go hide in the bushes while I sneak into my room and
get some hot water and some new clothes. I am NOT fighting a demon in a
dress."
    "Wait, Ranma...."
    Ranma turned to face her. "What?"
    Ukyo's gaze dropped to the ground. "Thank you."
    "Hey, I'm worried about this thing too. That demon's giving me a bad
name, and I'm going to put a stop to it, no matter what."
    Ukyo shook her head. "That's not what I mean." She stepped closer
and quickly kissed Ranma on the lips before she could react.
    Ranma blinked in confusion. "Uh... what was that for?"
    Ukyo shook her head and turned away so that Ranma couldn't see her
flushed face. "Never mind. I just got caught up in the moment."
    Ranma rubbed her cheek. "I just hope Akane didn't see that."
    Ukyo quickly took a few steps away and leapt over the wall, landing
in a bush on the far side. Ranma followed. "Hey, what's the matter?" she
asked.
    "Nothing," replied Ukyo, her voice slightly choked. "Just go do what
you have to do, and let's get out of here."
    "Right." Ranma made a beeline for the house, wondering why
everything in her life suddenly seemed to be changing more quickly than
she could keep up with.
*************************************************
    "So, you say Ukyo escaped, and you were unable to follow her?"
repeated Cologne.
    "Correct," replied the demon.
    Cologne's expression darkened. "Then she's probably gone to find
Son-in-law. But even he won't be able to stand up to the power of a
demon."
    "Indeed."
    "They will return to Ukyo's restaurant," Cologne pondered aloud. "I
want you to return there tonight?"
    The demon swirled questioningly. "Return...?"
    "It's for the best," Cologne replied firmly. "The kidnappings must
proceed on schedule if our plan is to work. We can't afford any
surprises. However...."
    "However?"
    "Something troubles me about Son-in-law's role in all of this. He's
too close to the missing girls now, and we will need his willing
participation soon, or everything will be lost. You had best not let him
discover your true nature."
    The demon's mass began to churn feverishly. "Elder?" it asked
uncertainly.
    "It is of the utmost importance," affirmed Cologne. "You know what
will happen if Ranma discovers that you work for me."
    The demon paused briefly before answering. "Yes."
    "Good. Then I am sure we will get what we need from him in due time.
I know you will not fail me."
    The demon chuckled confidently. "Indeed."
*************************************************
    Akane slipped the dress off over her head, carefully returned it to
its hanger, and crossed the room to retrieve her pajamas from their
daytime home in her dresser. As she slid the drawer open, however, she
heard a similar sliding sound behind her, and spun around to see a
figure clad in black climb in through her now-open window, with a dark
cloth tied under its nose. She wasted no time in throwing herself on top
of the intruder with an ear-splitting scream, knocking him to the floor
under her weight.
    "Akane, wait! It's me!" protested the hapless wanderer.
    Akane quickly sat up. "Ryoga? What are you doing here this late at
night? And why are you...?" She trailed off as she realized that he was
still wearing his tuxedo from dinner, which explained why his clothing
was so dark. As for the bandana... "What happened to your nose?"
    "Ranma punched me," he explained. "Then he asked me to come and tell
you -" He looked up and saw her for the first time since entering the
room, and his face turned bright red. "You might want to put some
clothes on."
    "Ranma said that?" asked Akane, very confused. Then, she remembered
her unclothed state and blushed fit to match Ryoga. "Oh. Yeah." She
chuckled weakly. "We seem to end up like this a lot, don't we?"
    "Heh heh. Yeah. Funny." Ryoga rubbed his head nervously. "You might
want to get dressed quickly. That was a really loud scream...."
    The bedroom door burst open and Ranma charged into the room, her
dress tearing as she stepped on it in her haste. "Akane, what's wrong? I
heard a scream, and - oh, it's you, Ryoga." She shook her head. "Why am
I not surprised?"
    "Ranma, it's not what you think!" protested Ryoga. "She was getting
changed when I came in!"
    "Actually, that's about what I thought," Ranma informed him.
    "Who are you to talk?" Ryoga shot back. "You're in a dress!"
    "And Akane isn't," Ranma retorted. "So what are you doing with her
in there?"
    Akane's blush deepened, and she picked up a chair to throw at Ranma.
"Get out of my room already, you pervert!"
    Ranma quickly darted into the hall and closed the door behind
herself to block the chair. "So I'm a pervert, but Ryoga gets to sit
there and get a full view?" she shouted through the door. "I'VE got a
girl's body of my own to look at if I feel like peeping. What's his
excuse?"
    "Ryoga isn't a pervert like you!" Akane shouted back. "And this
isn't about him anyway!"
    Ranma fell uncharacteristically silent for a few seconds. Finally,
her voice came back through the door, barely more than a whisper. "I
told you so, Ryoga." The sound of footsteps marked her retreat to her
own room.
    Akane blinked. "Told you what?"
    Ryoga sighed. "He said you'd have forgiven me for the restaurant
thing, but not him."
    "Oh!" Akane gasped, remembering something. "I almost forgot in all
the excitement! I have to apologize!"
    "Apologize?"
    Akane nodded shamefully. "Yeah... I overreacted and ruined our
evening. Even if it was a mean joke, it didn't really hurt anyone, and
all I did was make the problem worse by leaving everyone behind. But I
was so angry that if I hadn't left just then...."
    Ryoga encircled Akane with his arms, forgetting about her lack of
clothing. "It's okay, Akane. It's all over now, so let's just forget
about it."
    "Uh, Ryoga... could you not do that?"
    Ryoga quickly let go and turned away. "I'm sorry too, Akane. I
shouldn't have... done what I did."
    "It's okay," replied Akane, as she slipped into her pajamas at last.
"I'm just worried about P-chan. That's all. I haven't seen him since the
restaurant, and I was really worried."
    "P-chan?" repeated Ryoga. "I'm sure he'll turn up eventually."
    "Yeah, he always does," agreed Akane. "You always know just what to
say to make me feel better."
    "Well...."
    Akane smiled. "It's okay. I just want to thank you for stopping by.
You're a real friend, Ryoga."
    "Hey, anytime," said Ryoga, turning around just in time to catch the
beginning of Akane's smile. He quickly stood up and returned to the open
window, his job done now that Akane was happy once again. "I'd better
go. Have a good night's sleep."
    "You too," Akane called after him as he leapt.
    Once in the backyard and out of sight, Ryoga quickly shed his
clothes and threw them into the bushes before hopping into the pond. It
wasn't until after he'd climbed out, shaken himself dry, and started
back toward the house that he remembered he was supposed to warn Akane
about the demon coming to get her. Oh well. At least he'd be at her side
all night to protect her.
    Minutes later, Ranma emerged quietly from the house and made his way
to the bushes near the front gate, carrying a bundle of clothes. "Hey,
Ukyo? Where'd you go?" he whispered.
    "I'm over here, Ranma honey!" called Ukyo from the far end of the
yard. She stepped into view wearing Ryoga's shirt and pants.
    Ranma blinked. "Where did you get...? He was wearing...."
    "Ryoga took off his clothes and threw them over here," replied Ukyo.
"I figured it was better than nothing until you got back. It's freezing
out here."
    "Sorry I took so long," Ranma apologized. "There was some... stuff."
He clenched his fists, scrunching the clothes into a ball. "I swear I'm
going to kill that jerk for this, one of these days."
    "Well, in the meantime, do you mind if I get changed?" asked Ukyo,
pointing to the ball of cloth in his hands.
    "Huh? You want to wear these? But you've already got clothes."
    Ukyo pulled at her shirt uneasily. "I don't like the way these fit."
    Ranma sighed and tossed the bundle of clothes to her. "Fine. But
hurry up. I want to get this demon problem over with."
    Ukyo sheepishly retreated into the thickest bushes to change.
    Ranma waited as patiently as he could, going for nearly a full
thirty seconds before he felt the need to say something. "Hey, are you
just stalling because you're afraid to go back?"
    "N-no!" stammered Ukyo in a tone that made it quite clear that he'd
hit the nail on the head.
    "I'm not looking forward to this either," said Ranma. "This demon
got the better of Kodachi, and she's no pushover. And you barely managed
to escape alive. But you can't spend the rest of your life running
away."
    "That depends on how long the rest of my life is," replied Ukyo. "Or
is it the other way around?"
    "Ha ha," said Ranma, without a trace of humor. "Do you want my help
or not?"
    Ukyo gasped and dropped the shirt she was holding, causing the
leaves to rustle. "You wouldn't leave me alone, Ranma honey!"
    "That's why we're going to face this demon together," agreed Ranma.
"And I want to do it before I fall asleep on my feet."
    There was a brief pause. "Sorry," Ukyo said at last. "I'll hurry
up."
    True to her word, Ukyo emerged quickly wearing a set of clothes
identical to Ranma's. "You know something?" she asked, tugging at the
shirt fabric. "I can see why you wear these all the time. They're pretty
comfortable. Feels like they were made for me."
    Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, they're good clothes. You ready to go or
what?"
    Ukyo swallowed nervously. "Ready when you are, I guess." She
clenched her fists and steeled what confidence she could muster. "Let's
do this."
*************************************************
    Ranma roughly shoved the door open as he strode into Ucchan's. "Yo,
demon! Come on out and face me like a man!"
    Ukyo quickly shushed him. "What do you think you're doing? Do you
want it to hear you?"
    "Well, yeah," replied Ranma. "How else am I supposed to call it out
so I can fight it?"
    "Actually, I wouldn't mind if it decided to stay hidden for the
night," Ukyo pointed out.
    "Would you be able to sleep?" retorted Ranma.
    Ukyo shivered. "Fine, let's go find it then."
    "Stay close to me," advised Ranma. They wove their way between the
tables and made for the back of the restaurant, watching and listening
closely for any sign of the demon. However, the building was eerily
silent save for their own breathing and footsteps.
    Ranma cautiously pushed the kitchen door open and peered inside.
"Anyone home?" He pulled his head out of the room and shrugged. "Not in
there." He turned to see Ukyo lovingly retrieving her spatula bandolier
from her fallen clothes and strapping it around herself.
    "Ah, that feels better," she said as she made the final adjustments.
"I was beginning to feel naked without my belt."
    "You mean, more than you were without your clothes on?"
    Ukyo smashed Ranma in the face with her battle spatula, a blush
coloring her face. "Don't talk about that! It was embarrassing enough
already!"
    Ranma rubbed his nose, which was the same shade of red as Ukyo's
cheeks. "Well, geez. And I thought the demon was going to be a threat."
    Ukyo's blush deepened. "Sorry. You know I can't control myself when
I get excited."
    "Yeah, well, be that as it may, I don't see any sign of the demon
here."
    Ukyo sighed her relief. "Thank god."
    "We're not safe yet. We'll have to stay together for tonight and
sleep in shifts in case it comes for you."
    "Stay together?" repeated Ukyo. "Like... a sleepover?"
    Ranma shook his head. "This isn't like that. This is life or death."
    "Yeah, I know." Ukyo forced a smile. "But still, we can try to make
the most of it, right? No sense feeling down when we've got each other!"
    Ranma sighed. "I hope Akane's okay. The demon might have gone after
her instead."
    Ukyo grabbed Ranma's chin and turned his face to hers. "Ranma honey,
you're with me, remember? Why do you always have to talk about Akane
when we're together?"
    "Because I'm here to protect you, but I'm not there to protect
Akane," Ranma replied levelly. "So I'm worried about her."
    Ukyo fretted. "I know, but still...."
    "You know, I could have told Ryoga to stay with you while I waited
with Akane," Ranma pointed out. "But I picked you over her. So don't get
jealous, okay?"
    "I am not jealous!" shouted Ukyo, far too forcefully. "Well, maybe a
little...."
    Ranma shook his head again. "Well, we can't go back to my place, so
we're going to have to go to yours."
    "We're already here," said Ukyo. "I'm renting the apartment
upstairs."
    Ranma blinked in surprise. "There's an upstairs?"
    "Yeah. The rent's steep, but my profits more than cover -" She broke
off as she realized what Ranma was so worried about. "... We should have
checked upstairs, shouldn't we?"
    "Stay here," said Ranma, his voice cold with masked fear. "If I give
you the signal, run as fast as you can and get back to the Tendo Dojo. I
don't know whether Ryoga will be able to fight the demon if I can't, but
he's probably your best chance."
    "But Ranma honey, I can't just leave you here!"
    "There's no sense in both of us getting killed. I'll keep the demon
busy so you can escape."
    "But -!"
    "Just do it," spat Ranma in a tone that left her speechless. Without
giving her another chance to protest, he swept through the kitchen door,
leaving Ukyo alone in the restaurant. She brought her arms in close and
shivered, suddenly feeling very cold and scared. Every tiny creak and
cricket chirp made her jump and her heartbeat speed up to double time.
It seemed like Ranma had been gone forever, but he'd only just left. She
knew she had to calm down, or her nerves would be a mess when all this
was over with, but having had Ranma at her side was so comforting that
without him, she felt like the demon would attack at any moment.
    When Ranma finally did return, it was a welcome relief. "No sign of
the demon upstairs either," he announced as he entered the room. "It's
all clear."
    Ukyo sighed and pressed a hand to her still-racing heart. "Man, I
was so scared. Don't leave me like that again."
    "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe." Ranma offered her his hand. "Come
on, let's go upstairs and get to sleep."
    Ukyo smiled. "Yeah, let's." She reached out to take Ranma's hand.
    "Ukyo, don't!" shouted Ranma from the kitchen. The door burst open
as he flew through it, his foot aimed at the demon's head. The demon
spun around, grabbing Ranma's leg and swinging him easily around in a
circle, throwing him into the wall next to the door, where Ukyo had been
pinned earlier. Ranma cried out in pain as a protruding spatula handle
jabbed into his spine, but managed to keep his wits about him and land
safely on his hands and knees. "Ukyo, run!" he shouted. "Don't let it
get near you again!"
    Ukyo stared at both Ranmas, trying to figure out what was happening.
"Ranma honey? But then...."
    "I thought it would come after you if I left you alone, so I went
upstairs to lure it out," Ranma explained quickly. "Now get out of here
so I can fight it!"
    "But I can't!" Ukyo shouted back, brandishing the battle spatula and
preparing to face the demon. The demon simply grabbed the spatula's
handle in one hand and reached for her face with the other, moving so
quickly that she had no time to react.
    Fortunately, Ranma hadn't been caught by surprise. He quickly threw
a spatula that he'd pried from the wall at the demon, aiming for the
hand in front of Ukyo's face. The demon caught the projectile, and with
a flick of its fingers, sent it right back at Ranma, who plucked it from
the air and hauled back to throw it again.
    Seizing advantage of the demon's distraction, Ukyo quickly pulled
her spatula out of the demon's grip and backed away, pulling it back to
swing it at her opponent.
    "Don't!" Ranma shouted again. "It'll just attack you again! Get out
of here now!" He leapt to his feet and plucked more of the spatulas from
the wall, arming himself to defend Ukyo while she made her escape.
However, Ukyo still wasn't ready to retreat. She took a swing at the
demon, who stuck out a hand and stopped the spatula instantly. The shock
of the impact sent shivers through Ukyo's entire body, paralyzing her.
The demon reached for her again, but Ranma threw the entire salvo of
spatulas at it at once, forcing it to use both hands to catch and return
them all. This time, Ranma had to throw himself aside, taking a few
glancing blows as he dodged the worst of the attack.
    Ukyo gathered her senses and stepped back, hefting her spatula
again. "Ranma honey, hang on!"
    "Just go already!" Ranma shouted back. "I can't fight it while
you're here!"
    That got her attention. The last thing she wanted was to make Ranma
lose because he was too busy trying to defend her. She cut quickly past
the demon and broke for the kitchen door. Surprisingly, the demon made
no move to stop her, and she made it to the kitchen unopposed.
    Once she was gone, the demon chuckled. "You realize she's only going
upstairs to hide, don't you?"
    "Fine by me," said Ranma, wiping the spit from his lips. "As long as
it's just you and me, I don't have to hold back."
    "Excellent," said the demon, breaking its fighting stance to stand
perfectly erect. "That's exactly what I was hoping for."
    Ranma blinked. "What, you're not gonna fight back?"
    "Try me and see."
    Its voice was completely non-threatening, but Ranma wasn't fooled
for a second. The situation was obviously a trap. "What do you want from
me, demon?"
    "Nothing at all," replied the demon. "Your form is simply the most
convenient for what I have to do."
    "And what's that?"
    "I can't tell you. It would negate my purpose, and without my
purpose, I am nothing."
    Ranma tensed in preparation. "Got news for you, pal. You ain't
nothing anyway!" With that, he leapt, swinging his fists. The demon
leaned back, sticking out a foot to intercept him. While Ranma twisted
around the attack, the demon caught his wrist and brought its foot up
under Ranma, throwing him into the ceiling. Ranma hit hard enough to
leave a dent in the plaster, then fell down right into the demon's arms.
It caught him and pulled him down, ramming its knee into his gut, then
threw him to the floor.
    Ranma slowly rolled away and climbed to his feet. "That was a lucky
shot."
    "You think so?" asked the demon. "Then why don't you try attacking
me again?"
    "Oh, I will," spat Ranma. He felt the hate rising within him and
channeled it, determined to defeat the demon at any cost. This was the
attack that never failed him, and even a demon would fall to its power.
He raised his hands and drew the energy from deep within. "MOKO
TAKABISHA!"
    "Now there's an attack!" cheered the demon as the ball of energy
shot across the room at it. It stuck out a hand and caught the energy as
if it were a mere basketball. "Pure self-confidence in handy soul energy
form. Quite a useful tool, in the right hands." It tossed the ball into
the air and clapped three times before catching it.
    The color drained from Ranma's face as he watched the demon play
with his attack like a toy.
    "Awww, what's the matter?" asked the demon teasingly. "You look like
you've lost your confidence! Then maybe I should... give it back!" It
caught the ball and threw it at Ranma, who was too drained to dodge. The
attack threw him into the far wall, and he collapsed to the floor.
    The demon shook its head disapprovingly. "You just don't understand,
do you?" It shrugged. "Well, if you're not going to stop me, I may as
well go upstairs and claim my prize."
    Ranma pushed himself to his hands and knees. "Stay away from her!"
    "Don't interfere with me in the future," advised the demon. "Next
time, I won't be so inclined to leave you alive."
    "I... said...." Ranma climbed to his feet and raised his fists.
"Stay... away... from... her!" He ran toward the demon again, ignoring
his fatigue as he thought only of protecting Ukyo. The demon prepared to
meet his charge, but Ranma leapt aside at the last second, spinning
around the demon in a circle to prevent it from targeting him. Tables
flew as he pushed them out of his path, clearing a large space around
his opponent.
    The demon's eyes narrowed as it watched Ranma circle it. "What are
you thinking?" it asked.
    Ranma didn't answer as he continued to whirl around his foe, sending
the air into a rising spiral as the heat of his battle aura raised its
temperature. Normally, the technique would require the demon to follow
him, but that didn't seem like the demon's style; rather, it seemed to
find a way to counter every attack he could throw at it. But perhaps an
indirect attack would work....
    In a carefully calculated instant, Ranma cleared his thoughts and
let his battle aura become cold. The heart of ice that Cologne had
taught him was his weapon, as the cold air of his motion mixed with his
own hot air rather than that of his opponent. He had to do this quickly,
before the heat could dissipate, and the attack would probably not be as
strong as usual, but that was for the best. He didn't want to wreck
Ukyo's new restaurant any more than he already had. As long as it was
enough to disorient the demon, it would be enough.
    He felt the tornado forming, and knew that the time was right. He
pulled his fist back and let loose the signature uppercut of the
ultimate Amazon technique. "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!" The spiraling air swirled
inward, engulfing the demon in its raging vortex. He quickly stepped
back out of the range of the attack to watch his victory unfold - but as
the air grew opaque around the demon, he saw a twisted, knowing smile
cross its face, and the room exploded around him.
*************************************************
    Ukyo jumped at the sound from beneath her feet. "Oh my god! Ranma
honey!" She started to run for the stairs, but quickly stopped as she
remembered why she'd come upstairs in the first place. If the battle was
heating up, she couldn't afford to get in the way. Besides, Ranma would
be angry if he discovered that she hadn't run away as he'd commanded...
but hopefully, once he'd beaten the demon, he'd be so elated that he'd
cast that anger aside. Who could tell, with the way he'd been acting
lately?
    It was deathly quiet downstairs now, which could only mean one
thing - the fight was over. The only question now was who had won. Who
was waiting for her down in the restaurant? Ranma, or the demon? And
would she be able to tell the difference? Twice now, the demon had
fooled her into thinking it was Ranma, and she'd been duped easily both
times. What would happen if she walked right into its arms without Ranma
to protect her? Obviously, the safest thing to do was stay where she was
and wait to see what would happen. Maybe the demon would assume that
she'd left and go searching for her, not suspecting that she was right
above its head the whole time.
    The sound of footsteps ascending the staircase quickly dispelled
that notion. The demon somehow knew that she was upstairs and was coming
for her now that Ranma was lying de- unconscious on the floor below. She
had to escape! If only there was another room up here, or someplace she
could hide and wait for an opportunity to sneak past it and down the
stairs....
    Ranma's head poked up over the edge of the staircase. "Ucchan? Are
you up here?"
    "Ranchan?"
    Ranma quickly climbed into the room, breathing heavily from the
exertion of the battle. "I did it. I beat the demon!"
    "Really? That's incredible!" She ran to give him a grateful hug, but
stopped short. "Wait... how do I know you're not the demon pretending to
be Ranma again?"
    Ranma's face fell. "But I'm not!"
    She raised her spatula threateningly. "Stay back! I can't trust
anyone who looks like Ranma!"
    "I'm not the demon!" repeated Ranma. "I'm really Ranma!"
    "Ucchan, watch out!" shouted Ranma's weak voice from the floor
below. "The demon's coming after you!"
    "Dammit!" spat the Ranma in front of her. "I thought I killed him!"
    Ukyo didn't need to hear any more. She immediately turned and leapt
through the window, shielding her face with her arms as she crashed
through the glass and fell to the street below. She rolled clear of the
broken glass and got to her feet, looking back to make sure Ranma wasn't
following her. He appeared in the window, leaning over the sill. "Wait!
Don't go!"
    The restaurant door shuddered and fell off its hinges as the other
Ranma stepped out, his clothes torn and covered with blood. "Run, Ukyo!
Don't let the demon get you! I'll keep it busy as long as I can! Get to
the Tendo Dojo and warn Akane, then get out of town together!"
    "But Ranma honey -"
    "JUST GO!" he shouted, hobbling toward her. "It's not just going to
wait for you to get away!"
    "Don't listen to it!" shouted the Ranma from upstairs, leaping down
from the window. "Wait... no, it's right! You should be running away!"
    Ukyo felt a headache coming on. "Which one is the real Ranma? Or are
they both demons?"
    The battered Ranma at the front door lurched forward to block the
unhurt Ranma's path. "Ukyo, go! Don't worry about me! Save yourself, and
Akane!"
    "No, he's the one you should be running away from!" shouted the
unhurt Ranma. He charged, raising his fists. A solid punch landed on the
weakened Ranma's jaw, sending him flying backward right into Ukyo's
arms. She caught him and pushed him to his feet.
    "Don't worry, Ranma honey," she said, rubbing his back lightly.
"I'll fight right here with you!"
    "Good," he whispered. "I want you to be with me forever."
    "What?" asked Ukyo, stepping away from him. But her fingers were
attached to his back, and as she watched, her hands sank into the fabric
of his shirt. His back disappeared into a cloud of black mist that
swirled around her, rising from the street to engulf her. "Ranma!" she
screamed as it covered her head.
    "Ukyo!" shouted the real Ranma, making a grab for the demon's back.
His hands passed right through the black mist without touching anything.
    The demon swirled out of reach, laughing as it turned back into a
perfect, unblemished copy of Ranma. "Know this, Ranma Saotome; the only
reason I would lose to the likes of you is that I am still getting what
I want. I will always win in the end."
    "What have you done with Ukyo?" demanded Ranma. "Where is she?"
    "She's in a place you cannot reach," replied the demon. "But don't
worry. You may see her again, once my task is done."
    "What do you mean, 'may' see her again? What are you going to do to
her?"
    The demon shook its head. "I can't tell you that. But I can assure
you that her last thoughts will be of you."
    "Bastard!" shouted Ranma. "If you lay so much as a finger on
her...!"
    "Oh, on the contrary," the demon assured him, "I'm not going to kill
her."
    Something about the demon's words sickened Ranma. "What do you want
from her, then?"
    "Nothing that I don't already have," the demon replied with an evil
smile. It bowed mockingly, then vanished, leaving no trace of its
presence.
    "Come back here!" Ranma shouted to the now-empty night sky. "Bring
her back!"
    There was no answer.
    "Dammit!" Ranma fell to his knees and pounded the street with his
fist. But even the satisfying crater it left didn't dampen the pain of
knowing that he'd failed the girl he'd promised to protect. If only he'd
been more careful.... "Ukyo," he whispered, barely holding back the
tears that threatened to seep from his eyes. "I'm sorry."

-------------------------------------------

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it himself.

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