What?! A Darkfic by me, Kai-Chan... and it's _not_ a SI?!
Yeah well, the reasons for my writing this are long, complex and boring, but I will just warn Akari fans
that they will _not_ like this. So anyway, on with the show!
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Disclaimer : Ranma 1/2 characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi etc., and are used here without
permission, but with no nefarious intent. Don�t sue me, �cos all you�ll get is a copy of my suicide note,
which will be nigh illegible, partly due to my atrocious handwriting, but mostly due to the fact that
blood doesn�t come out well in a photocopy/xerox.
This is a darkfic, meaning people will die in a variety of interesting ways during it. There _may_ also be
a separate lemon version available if you want, via private e-mail.
Yes, I watch too much anime (if that�s possible), and yes, part of this fic was inspired by Tokyo
Babylon, copyright CLAMP etc. So?
Bitter-Hearted Sweetheart
Chapter 1 - A Walk On The Dark Side
It was evening time in the Nerima district of Tokyo. Bright stars twinkled in the dusky hue of the
darkening sky. One by one, the numerous street lamps flickered to life and bathed the streets in their
warm, artificially orange light. Two figures, one far larger than the other, who had previously been lost
to the shadows, were now revealed to be a young girl... and a giant sumo pig.
�Are we going the right way, Katsunshiki?� Akari Unryuu asked her monolithic companion with a quiver of
nervous doubt evident in her tone.
�Bwee.� replied Katsunshiki, in a tone that could be described as reassuring.
Akari smiled faintly at this, �Well, as long as you�re sure we�re not lost - oh, goodness, I�m beginning
to sound like Ryoga-sama!� she added with a giggle, blushing slightly as a truly happy smile spread
across her face. Thinking of her dear Ryoga-sama always made her happy, and it had been such a long time
since she had last seen him - which was why she was looking for him. She had already tried his house,
with no success, and was now heading toward the next best place to find him - the Tendo dojo. Surely she
would find him there, he was always hanging around with his friend Ranma, trying to kill him and
generally having fun.
Whenever Ranma was around, her Ryoga-sama looked so fierce, so angry, like he had on the day fate had
interlinked their paths, hers straight and his wildly curving like a demented mountain river, when he had
batted away Katsunshiki as one does a troublesome fly. He had been the first person, the only person,
strong enough to accomplish such a feat, and as such had become her fiance - not that she cared about the
rule any more, as from that first moment Ryoga-sama had made his place in her heart, and from then on,
whenever she thought of him, it seemed that pink flowers sprung up all around her, and the very air
sparkled with her joyful love.
�Bweee...� Katsunshiki sighed, resignedly shaking his head as he glanced at his mistress, frozen in the
street with glazed, shiny eyes and a huge, sappy smile slapped across her face. His mistress was so
enamoured of that bandannaed boy, she would soon be hearing his voice when she thought of him...
Like Katsunshiki was now...
�Bwee?� he said as he turned his head towards the street around the corner, listening more carefully to
be sure - there was no doubt, he could hear the voices of the bandannaed boy and his pigtailed friend,
getting closer by the moment, �Bwee! Bwee bwee!� he frantically pointed and tapped his mistress�
shoulder.
�Hm? What is it, Katsunshiki?� Akari blinked, her smile fading as she descended from the clouds back to
the dreary Neriman ground. Then she heard it.
�Can�t catch me, Ranma!�
Her Ryoga-sama�s voice, carried to her on the sweet breeze like musky perfume!
�Oh, Ryoga-sama!� she gasped happily - he must be close by!
*SPLASH*
�Buki buki!�
�Oh, he�s turned into a pig,� she looked downcast for a moment, �Not that it matters!� she added hastily
as Katsunshiki gave her a Look, � But I should really turn him back into a guy...� just then, P-Chan
bounced into view, with Ranma chasing close behind.
�Why you - � yelled Ranma just before they were out of sight again, �Going to sleep in Akane�s bed again
tonight?!�
Akari froze, thunderstruck, mouth open to call out to her Ryoga-sama. Katsunshiki had turned to stone
from the shock.
�YOU PIG!!� Ranma�s voice echoed back from along the street as they disappeared.
�Sleep�� Akari mouthed soundlessly as her muscles slowly started to work again, �Sleep.. with� A..
Akane?� her thoughts reeled with shock as her heart shattered like glass on the rocks. Her Ryoga-sama, so
shy around her, was sleeping with Akane? Akane and not her?! How dare he.. how dare he cheat on his
fiancee! How dare he play with both their hearts! How could he choose Akane over her? That violent tomboy
over a beautiful, gentle girl like her, who had been trying so hard to be perfect for him! �That.. that
PLAYBOY!!!� she burst out angrily, startling Katsunshiki out of his trance.
�Bwee? Bwee!� he snarled, making to chase after that scumbag of a human, the bandannaed boy � but then he
noticed his mistress.
�Is it me?� she sobbed, tears running down her cheeks in silvery rivers as she turned to him, �Is there
something wrong with me, that he would choose Akane?� she asked him, pleading with both her voice and
eyes.
�Bwee.� Katsunshiki reassured her, patting her shoulder gently.
�I�ll get you this time, Saotome! Hahaha!� cackled a weak voice from the shadows nearby. This was
followed by the sound of someone hammering something.
*WHAM*WHAM*WHAM*
Including their thumb.
�AAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!�
�Who�s there?� Akari asked nervously, Katsunshiki standing ready to defend her if need be.
�Huh?� the person said, walking out and revealing themselves to be a tall, skinny in the sense that
skeletons are slender, boy with unkempt black hair and dark shadows under his eyes. He had a pallid
complexion which was not helped in the least by his outfit, a black Furinkan High boy�s uniform. Akari
had about five seconds to take all this in before he started screaming, �AAAAHHHHH! A GIANT KILLER PIG!!
I�M GONNA DIE!!!!�
�Um.. excuse me..�
�OH MY GOD!!!! A GIANT _TALKING_ KILLER PIG!!!!! HUMANITY IS DOOMED!!!�
�Over here.� Sighed Akari.
�AA � huh?�
�I�m the one who spoke.�
�Oh. Sorry, I didn�t notice you because of the giant killer pig.�
�He is not a killer! Just a maimer.. anyway, he�s my pet and he won�t hurt you.�
�Oh good.�
�Not unless I tell him to. What�s your name?�
�Uh.. Hikaru. Hikaru Gosunkugi.�
�Hi, I�m Akari Unryuu and this is my sumo pig Katsunshiki. What were you just doing?�
�Who, me? Just a little voodoo. It never seems to work though.�
At that moment, in the Tendo dojo, Ranma walked into the room to see Genma-Panda led out on a tatami (a
mat-like bed) with a folded cloth on his head.
�Yo pop, what�s wrong?� asked Ranma.
Genma-Panda held up a sign <My back aches>.
�You�re getting� old, is all.� shrugged Ranma.
<Insolent boy! I�d kick your head in�> Genma-Panda paused and held up another sign, <If my back didn�t
hurt so much>.
�Voodoo? As in black magic?� Akari asked interestedly.
�Well, yeah. I thought I oughta stick to simple stuff until I get it right.�
�Hmm� black magic�� she muttered thoughtfully, *This is interesting.. maybe I should try it.. I mean, it
is a horrible thing, but I can just give that cheating Ryoga a stomachache or something.. nothing serious
though. Even though he did break my heart, I don�t want to kill him� although, if I killed Akane, he�d
have to choose me � NO! I don�t want to kill anyone!* having convinced herself that it would just be a
simple bit of virtually harmless revenge, and that she definitely wouldn�t kill anyone, Akari decided to
take the plunge, � Oh, Hikaru, do you think I could try?� she asked sweetly.
�Hm? Uh� I don�t see why not�� Gosunkugi blushed very faintly, *Wow, we�ve only just met, and here she
is, talking to me like we�re real friends! She�s even taking an interest in my interests! Maybe I should
give up on Akane � for a while, anyway � and see how this works out!* he thought excitedly, �Here�s the
book. There�s a lot of bigger spells in there too, but I wouldn�t advise trying them until later. If they
backfired, the results could be disastrous!� he warned as he handed Akari an ancient book with crumbling
yellow pages, bound in faded scarlet leather. The title, �Arcana Occultis�, was stamped in inch-deep,
patchily gilded gothic lettering. Opening the book to a middle page, Akari saw that it was all written in
this hard-to-read script, except for the diagrams. They were clearly hand-drawn, and neatly depicted the
pentagrams, hexagrams and octograms necessary for the darkest of rituals.
�Wow,� she breathed in awe.
Akari�s path had just turned a dark corner.
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And that's the end of chapter 1! Please send any C&C etc. to me, right here!
Ja ne, Kai-Chan
Member 30 of SSoAGMA, Deadly Everyday Object Weaponary Technique, Dragon Warrior Style
Mousse no miku; Generally dangerous English otaku; Supporter of cliched pairs;
Member of the Chan club; WoS; SCG; COURT; SOotCiP;CotMHW - Launderer of the Robes of Death;
Head Castrator of the Hotnit Feminisation Project; Keeper of the Moneybags for the Hotnit Fan Club;
4th Gen. EOE; Image Consultant For "That Guy"; #WASHU#;AKPReSS, Gen. Div.; SLAP;
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Coming soon to list near you.. the legendary 50 foot sig of Team Chan !