This one ain't mine either. Please send comments to the list or
<z_haneyrm@TITAN.SFASU.EDU>
I split it into two parts, easier to post. This is the second part.
Message Continues...
________________________________________________________________________
Ryoga sat across the table from Ranma at dinner happily munching
on his curry and tempura pumpkin, every once in a while, smiling smugly
at Ranma. Ranma tried very hard to ignore him. As they ate, Natsumi's
mother kept looking nervously out the window. Ranma noticed this and set
his chopsticks down.
"Tokugawa-san, is something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, Ranma. I'm just nervous. I'm really glad you two
decided to stay with me. I guess it's just my imagination, but..." She
faltered, and Ranma and Ryoga leaned forward.
"But what?" Ranma asked, frowning.
"It's silly, I know, but it seems like lately, ever since Natsumi
got sick, I keep thinking I see a young man hanging around our house.
It's only at night, you know, and I guess I'm just... AIIIIIIIEEEEEEEK!!"
Natsumi's mother screamed loudly as she jumped out of her seat and
pointed at the window.
"What's wrong?" Ranma and Ryoga chorused, jumping out of their
seats and looking out the window. They saw no one, but looked at each other.
"Th-there's someone out there! I saw him! What if it's a burglar
or something?" Natsumi's mother was shaking, and Ryoga and Ranma
exchanged a knowing glance.
"You want to go check it out?" Ranma asked Ryoga, forgetting
about their argument. Ryoga nodded, and the two of them ran out the door
and looked around the back of the house.
"Hey, Ogre Slayer? Where the hell are you?" Ranma yelled, looking
around the trees. Ryoga was running around like a chicken with his head
cut off, searching for the young man with the sword. After a fruitless
search, Ryoga and Ranma started into the house again together.
"We couldn't find anyone outside, Tokugawa-san. But if you see
anyone, tell us. There's no way he could get past the two of us." Ranma
bowed to Natsumi's mother and was followed by Ryoga.
"I'm sorry, guys. It was probably nothing, anyways. But thank you
for your help. I don't feel much like eating anymore. I'm going to clean
up and go to bed."
"I think we're going to sleep too. But the dinner was delicious,
Tokugawa-san. Thank you very much." Ryoga bowed to her, and Natsumi's
mother smiled at them.
"Anytime, guys. Oyasumi!"
"Oyasumi!" Ranma and Ryoga said, waving as they went up the
stairs. Natsumi's mother went on cleaning the dishes, but not before she
pulled down the window blinds.
Upstairs, Ranma and Ryoga were unrolling their futons. Ranma
looked over at Ryoga. He sighed.
"Hey, Ryoga?"
"What?" Ryoga sounded annoyed, and Ranma shook his head.
"Sorry about the vase."
Ryoga went on unrolling the futon and covering it with the
blanket. He looked sideways at Ranma and mumbled something. "Sorry about
the insults."
"You're right, you know, Ryoga. We really do need to start
worrying about Natsumi, and not about our foolish pride." Ranma sat on
the futon, his legs crossed. Ryoga sat on his futon and nodded.
"I was looking at Natsumi tonight, while you were in the bathtub,
and I was....indisposed. That's just not Natsumi. It looks like her, but
that's not Natsumi. I'm beginning to think that guy with the sword was
right."
"Of course I was right."
Ranma and Ryoga turned towards the window, where the young man
had appeared, holding his package.
"I'm never wrong when it comes to ogres." He leaned up against
the wall and looked at the two guys on the floor. "So you finally figured
it out."
"Yeah,," Ryoga nodded. "We have to do something about it."
"True, but I didn't come to talk about that. I came to tell you I
need your help. It seems that some part of Natsumi remembers you, because
she's never awakened quite like that before."
"So what do you want us to do?" Ranma asked suspiciously, looking
at the young man. He shrugged.
"Nothing much. I just want you to help me awaken it. In about two
hours, the ogre will awaken and return to its home in the woods, taking
Natsumi with it. Fortunately, up to now, she's been too weak to help it
kill anything. But now that I've seen her after resonating with you..."
Ranma looked up at the young man, interrupting his speech.
"Resonating? Like in 'A, A prime'?"
"Exactly like that," The young man. "And through that, she's
become stronger. As a result, she may be able to kill something...or someone"
Ryoga jumped up. "But then that would mean...."
"That she would be in synch with the ogre, and I would have to
kill them both." The young man spoke as if it were a fact of life, and
Ranma and Ryoga stared at each other, in shock.
"We have to do it," Ryoga said, nodding at Ranma. "If not, Natsumi..."
"She'll be dead." Ranma said, nodding back. He turned to the
young man. "What exactly do you want us to do?"
* * *
Ranma and Ryoga stood in Natsumi's room, silent. The young man
stood in the corner of the room watching. Ranma and Ryoga knelt, looking
over Natsumi.
"She'll awaken any time now," The young man said nonchalantly,
eating a sweet bean bun. Ranma looked over at him.
"How can you be so casual about this? Natsumi's life is at stake,
and an ogre could eat all of us, and you're eating a sweet bun!"
"I've been doing this longer than you've even been alive. Don't
think I'll be getting nervous now."
"But..." Just as Ranma began to speak, he heard Ryoga gasp.
"Uh...R-ranma?" Ryoga stuttered, pulling at Ranma's pants leg.
Ranma looked down to see Natsumi's breathing become faster. As Ranma
leaned over Natsumi's body, her blank eyes flew open and she grinned at
them both. Both Ranma and Ryoga jumped up, and Natsumi's body followed
them, hissing and snarling.
"This is great! Thanks, you guys!" The young man whistled. "Hey
ogre! How bout you come over here and play with me?"
Natsumi's body turned around, and in the moonlight, Ranma and
Ryoga could see that two bumps were growing on her forehead, and as she
opened her mouth, they could see the shining fangs glistening in the
moonlight.
"Wow, Ryoga, those fangs are longer than yours!" Ranma commented
loudly as Natsumi ran at the young man, who just laughed.
"This is no time for joking," Ryoga yelled, hitting Ranma in the
face. The young man motioned to the window, as if challenging the ogre.
"Why don't you just come on with me to your home and fight, you
big baby?" He laughed, jumping out the window. Natsumi's body leapt out
the window after him and chased him into the forest. Ryoga and Ranma
glanced at one another then ran out after both of them.
They followed Natsumi and the young man as they ran through the
forest and into the creek bed where she had first fallen down. The young
man seemed to know every path and trail that Natsumi went onto until they
made it to the glade, where the young man stood stoically before the
ogre. Natsumi's chest pulsed and writhed as her body stood before the
young man. Ryoga and Ranma stood in the glade, watching the young man
face off with Natsumi. Ogre Slayer was in his hand, and He leveled it at
Natsumi, looking down its point into her colorless eyes. Natsumi's body
grinned at the young man as he laughed out loud, shouldering the blade.
"What a coward you are! Hiding inside a girl! I don't know if I
even want to bother slaying you." He laughed.
Natsumi rushed forward, reaching at the young man with huge
clawed hands. The young man snatched a smaller knife from his pocket and
ran towards Natsumi. Ryoga saw the flash of metal in the moonlight and
jumped forward.
"What are you doing?"
"I have to get the ogre out of her or I'll have to kill them
both!" The young man raised the knife, and Ranma stepped in front of him,
grabbing his hand.
"NO!"
"Are you crazy?" The young man looked angry and bewildered as
Ranma wrenched the blade from his hand. Ranma shook his head.
"I can't let you do this to her. If someone's going to do it, it
has to be a friend." Ranma looked at the knife. "I'll have to make her
come to me." Ryoga looked at him and shook his head.
"Ranma, are you insane? If you call that thing to you, she'll rip
you apart!" Ryoga grasped the handle of the knife and tried to pull it
away from Ranma. "I'll do it."
Ranma shook his head and pulled Ryoga's hand off the knife. He
looked up at Natsumi, and spoke to Ryoga without even turning.
"Ryoga...take care of Natsumi. She always did love you the best." Ranma
ran toward the creature in the center of the glade, and Ryoga yelled
after him.
"Ranma, you jerk!" He yelled as Ranma moved ever closer to
Natsumi's body, and the young man readied his sword.
"Come here, you bastard," Ranma yelled to the creature as he
tried to put all thoughts of the former Natsumi behind him. Ryoga shook
his head angrily, then started off behind Ranma. Ranma met Natsumi's body
in the middle of the glade and Ranma bowed his head as he raised the
blade into the darkness.
"Forgive me, Natsumi-chan," He whispered. Then he plunged the
knife into Natsumi's chest until only the hilt was visible. Natsumi
screamed in pain, and Ranma closed his eyes, steeling himself against her
cries.
Only a friend, Ranma thought as he dragged the knife down her
body. He felt little resistance as the blade tore through her
bloodspattered nightshirt, and then through her flesh and muscle.
Natsumi's anguished screams brought tears to Ranma's eyes, and Ryoga, who
had been rushing to aid Ranma, stopped short when he saw Ranma jerk the
knife out of Natsumi's chest and back away. Natsumi stood in the moonlit
glade, looking almost dazed, as if some part of her were returning to
itself. She swayed back and forth as she tried to take a few steps
towards Ranma and Ryoga, holding her arms out to them. Then she winced
and looked down at the bleeding gash in her chest. She gingerly reached
down to touch it, stunned. Then, she saw the head.
Natsumi shrieked as she saw the head of the ogre trying to push
its way out of her chest, and the huge creature burst forth in a gout of
blood with a sickening sound. As the ogre departed her body, Natsumi was
thrown backwards with the force and flying toward the ground. Ryoga dove
beneath her.
"Natsumi!" He gasped as he caught her moments before she hit the
ground. Ryoga knelt down and gently lay Natsumi's head on his leg. She
was still bleeding badly from the wound on her chest, and as Ryoga looked
down at her, tears began to flow from his steel-grey eyes. Several tears
fell onto Natsumi's face, and her still colorless eyes fluttered open.
She realized who was holding her and smiled weakly.
"Ryo...Ryoga..."
"Shh, Natsumi, don't try to talk. " Ryoga gently brushed her
forehead with his fingertips, and found that Natsumi was soaked with cold
sweat. He noticed that her wound seemed to be bleeding even more, and
Natsumi coughed, sending a tremor through her body. Ryoga stroked her
damp hair and closed his eyes. "Oh, Natsumi, I'm so sorry." He looked up
at the ogre, who was standing in the glade, staring at the young man, who
had Ogre Slayer positioned and ready to fight. Ranma looked up at the
huge purple-grey creature, stained with Natsumi's blood, that was
towering over the young man who held the only weapon that could kill it.
"There's no way..." Ranma gasped, watching as the young man got a
running start, then leapt up to take a swing at the ogre. The ogre seemed
to be larger than usual, and was highly uncooperative. It swiped at the
young man with one clawed hand, knocking him to the ground. The young
man's back was slammed against a large pile of rocks, and he lay still
for a moment. Ranma ran over to him.
"You okay?"
"Fine! Just seems like this one was slightly more prepared for me
than I thought." The young man smirked. "But I don't bruise that easily."
"Looks like you bleed, though," Ranma said, motioning to the
young man's face. The young man reached up and touched his cheek, then
licked away the warm, slaty blood he found on his fingers.
"Huh. Bastard got me. Guess I'll have to get serious!" He leapt
up at the ogre again, and was greeted with another slap, this time,
sending the young man into a whole other grove of trees. Ranma felt the
anger rising within him.
"You son of a bitch!" He screamed, throwing a flaming amigurriken
into the ogre's leg. The hundreds of punches he threw only served to
annoy the ogre. It looked down at Ranma and raised a giant hand to crush
Ranma into the ground. Staring up into the huge hand, Ranma was sure he
was dead. Suddenly, the ogre stopped and looked up as three sharp yellow
objects flew into its face. Ryoga was standing next to Natsumi throwing
bandannas as fast as he could into the face of the ogre. It turned
towards Ryoga, and Ranma jumped out of the way as Ryoga leaned down and
scooped up Natsumi, who had long since fainted, then leapt into the trees
with her and disappeared, moving swiftly from tree to tree, then back to
the ground in his attempts to evade the angry ogre. Ranma knew he had to
do something. He felt an energy surge fill him, and stood up, facing the
ogre.
Still running, Ryoga was gasping for breath. He looked back at
the ogre and clenched his teeth. "Where is that damn Ogre Slayer?" Ryoga
saw a growth of bushes with space enough under them to hide a person. He
looked at Natsumi and nodded.
In the glade, Ranma was glowing blue with his battle aura as he
concentrated his energy into his body. Somewhere behind him, Ryoga was
pulling Natsumi under the bushes, unseen by the ogre, which had given up
on him and was going back for Ranma. Ryoga pulled off his shirt and lay
it over the gaping hole Natsumi's chest to keep leaves out of it as he
ran back to fight. As he was racing back to the glade Ryoga saw the young
man burst through the trees, carrying his sword. Ogre Slayer was glowing,
and humming louder with each step the young man took towards the glade.
Ryoga stepped into the glade just as a massive burst of energy ripped
through the forest with the cry of
"Hiryu Shosen Ha!"
Ranma's energy blast hit the ogre full in the chest, and knocked
it off balance just long enough for the young man to leap up with Ogre
Slayer and behead it with one clean slice. The ogre emitted half an
agonized scream before Ogre Slayer tore completely through its neck,
sending the ogre's head flying to the other end of the glade. The
gruesome lump of flesh rolled to a stop, and Ranma's blue aura slowly
disappeared as the remainder of the energy left him.
A scream tore through the trees, and Ryoga blanched, remembering
Natsumi. He raced back to the bush he had left her under and found
Natsumi writhing in pain.
"Natsumi," he gasped, quickly pulling on his blood-stained
shirt, then scooping Natsumi into his arms and running with her back to
the glade where the young man was occupied, shoving the blade of Ogre
Slayer through the skull of the ogre, driving it deep into its brain
while he held the still moving head down with his foot. Ranma was
watching this simple process when he heard Ryoga call his name.
"Ranma!" Ryoga yelled. Ranma looked up and saw Ryoga at the edge
of the glade, holding Natsumi in his arms. "Ranma, look at this!" Ryoga
seemed excited, and Ranma went over and looked at Natsumi's chest.
"Hey! What's going on?" Ranma looked at Ryoga, who looked pretty
confused himself. The young man looked over, wiping the blade of Ogre Slayer.
"It looks like she's healing." Ranma and Ryoga looked at him, and
the young man nodded. "Since she wasn't in synch with the ogre, her wound
seems to be healing."
The edges of Natsumi's fresh wound were turning pink and moving
together slowly covering the dark blood and pink muscle that were also
growing together and being covered by a network of veins and feathery
blood vessels that seemed to sprout before their eyes. Then, as they
watched, the warm pink skin wove itself together and faded to the same
soft ivory as the rest of her body, leaving not so much as a scar. Ranma
stared in amazement at Natsumi's chest.
"Does this happen often, Ogre Slayer?" Ranma asked, looking up at
the young man. Solemnly, the young man looked Ranma directly in the eye.
"My name is not Ogre Slayer. I don't have a name. Only the sword
carries the name, Onikirimaru." He bowed his head. "Ogre Slayer."
Ranma looked down at Natsumi again, then back up towards the
young man. "But..." The young man had already disappeared. Ranma looked
back at Ryoga, who was staring at Natsumi. She stirred suddenly, then her
eyes fluttered open. Ranma was relieved to see that her eyes were once
again a beautiful chocolate brown.
"Ranma? Ryoga? Where am I?"
"You're in the woods," Ranma said, softly as he brushed Natsumi's
face. She smiled, then her face changed as she suddenly remembered what
had happened.
"Is...is it gone?"
Ranma squeezed Natsumi's hand. "It's gone. And you'll never have
to go through that again."
Ryoga felt Natsumi shiver, and she looked up at them with eyes
that were very clearly still frightened. When she spoke, her voice was
shaking.
"Please take me home."
"Of course, Natsumi," Ryoga said softly, as he led the way to
Natsumi's house without getting lost once.
* * *
Back at the house, Ryoga lay Natsumi gently in bed. She looked up
at him and at Ranma and smiled as they knelt next to her.
"Thank you both so much," Natsumi said, hugging Ranma and then
Ryoga. "I'm so glad you came to see me. If you hadn't...I don't know
what would have happened to me if you hadn't."
"You shouldn't just be thanking us, you know," Ryoga said,
patting Natsumi's head. "There was someone else who helped you most of
all. It's a pity you can't thank him, too." Natsumi nodded and gently
squeezed Ryoga's hand.
"I think he already knows how I feel."
Ranma and Ryoga stood up to go to their own room, and Natsumi
waved at them. Just before they left, Natsumi motioned Ryoga back to her.
He knelt next to her as Ranma went back into the guest room.
"Is something wrong, Natsumi?"
"I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't totally oblivious
yesterday." She smiled at Ryoga, who looked confused. "Thanks for the
nuzzle, piggy."
"You...you knew about that?" Ryoga looked completely shocked, and
Natsumi put a finger to her lips.
"Shh, it's a secret! Right?" Natsumi winked. Ryoga blushed deeply
as she hooked her pinky around his. "Yubikiri."
"Yubikiri." Ryoga smiled. "I never thought you would find out
about that." Natsumi grinned.
"It's not like it's the end of the world, Ryoga." Natsumi
stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. Ryoga slapped a hand to his
nose as it started bleeding. Natsumi giggled as he ran out of the room.
"Goodnight, Ryoga!" She called.
"Goog nite!" Ryoga called back, pinching his nose. Natsumi
laughed and snuggled into bed. Ryoga walked back into his and Ranma's
room. Ranma was leaning on his hand staring malevolently at Ryoga, who
was busy putting pieces of tissue paper up his nose.
"Where you been, P-chan?"
"Nothing you can say will make me mad right now, Ranma," Ryoga
said, pulling off his shirt and pants and getting under the covers of his
futon. He put his hands behind his head and sighed happily. Ranma scowled
and rolled over.
"Good night, jerk." Ranma mumbled.
"Good night, moron," Ryoga replied, still sounding happy. Ranma
closed his eyes, thinking of a pork dinner.
What's that jerk so damn happy about?
* * *
In the morning, Natsumi's mother was ecstatic to find her
daughter sitting up in bed talking to Ranma and Ryoga. She hugged her
daughter tightly as Ranma and Ryoga smiled. Both of the guys were glad to
see that she didn't ask about Natsumi's chest. The first thing Natsumi
wanted to do was take a hot bath, and her mother was only too happy to
oblige. The bath was filled, and Natsumi went in, happily. Ranma and
Ryoga sat in the living room staring at each other. Ryoga looked smugly
at Ranma, who was still glaring hatefully at him. Natsumi's mother popped
in brightly.
"Ohayo, boys! I'm so happy today!! I can't help but wonder if
your visit helped make Natsumi better! She seems like a whole different
person!"
"I'm glad," Ranma said, thinking about the night before when
Natsumi had first opened her eyes. Ryoga was drinking a glass of juice,
and Ranma decided to instigate. "Hey, was that vase Ryoga broke expensive?"
"Hey! I didn't break---" Ryoga began, but was interrupted by
Natsumi's mother.
"It's okay! It was an ugly vase anyways! I just never got rid of
the darn thing!" She grinned, and Ryoga laughed. Ranma was very
irritated. As he was about to speak, Natsumi walked out of the bathroom
dressed in a blue kimono..
"I'm going upstairs to change, Kachan!" She went up the stairs,
and Ranma watched her. He looked up at the clock.
"It's almost time for us to go," Ranma said. "I'm going to run
upstairs and grab my backpack." He started up the stairs. Ranma was
walking into the guest room when he heard Natsumi talking to someone.
Ranma peeped into her room and to his surprise, saw the young man from
the night before. standing in front of Natsumi.
"You...called me?" He asked, looking at Natsumi. "Is there
another problem?"
"Yes, I did call you but there's no problem. I didn't know if
you'd respond, but I'm really glad you did." Natsumi handed him a small
package. "Here."
"What's this for?"
"A present. Not much, but I wanted to thank you." She smiled at
the young man who shook his head.
"I can't. You loved this butterfly pin." He handed back the gift,
but Natsumi pushed it back into his hand again.
"Please. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive right now.
I'm so grateful." Natsumi watched as he put it in his pocket. She smiled.
"But I wanted so much to thank you." The young man smiled at her.
"Once my job is done, few people ever see me again. You called to
me, and I came to you. Consider yourself special, Tokugawa Natsumi." He
turned to go out Natsumi's door, and Ranma ducked back into the guest
room. "And take care of those two young men. They both care very much for
you."
Natsumi blushed. "I know."
The young man walked out her door with a small smile. "Take care,
Tokugawa Natsumi." He walked silently down the hall, but when Natsumi ran
to her door to look after him, he had already disappeared. Natsumi
sighed. She had a funny feeling that when she turned back around, the box
she had given him would be on her dresser. But as she turned, she saw
that it wasn't. Natsumi smiled and looked out her window.
Thank you, she thought.
* * *
Ranma and Ryoga stood on the porch, backpacks on shoulders, ready
to leave. Natsumi stood before them in a pair of shorts and a sweater,
tears in her eyes.
"Do you really have to go?"
"Yeah. We have some business at home in Tokyo," Ranma said.
Natsumi nodded, understandingly.
"Yeah. Well, come back and see me sometime, okay?" She leaned
over and kissed Ranma on the cheek. "Thank you, Ranma." She turned to
Ryoga and winked at him. Then she kissed Ryoga on the cheek. "Thank you,
Ryoga."
"Anytime!" they both chorused, then scowled at one another.
Natsumi giggled. Ryoga was relieved that his nose had not started to gush
blood. Ranma started down the steps and Ryoga followed slowly after him.
Natsumi watched them walk down the path to the road and sighed. Ryoga turned.
"I'll be sure to write to you!" He called, waving. Natsumi waved back.
"I'll be waiting!" Natsumi watched her two friends walk down the
road until they were just specks in the afternoon sun, then she wiped her
eyes and went into the house.
Ranma and Ryoga were walking in complete silence for a while
before Ryoga's look got too smug for Ranma.
"What're you grinning about?"
"Nothing you'd want to know." Ryoga started to whistle, and Ranma
almost growled at him. Ryoga smiled knowingly. "Why, Ranma...are you
suspicious of me?"
"I am not jealous of you!" Ranma yelled...then realized Ryoga
hadn't said a word about jealousy. Ryoga grinned.
"Jealous, Ranma? How childish! Just because Natsumi likes me
better than you is no reason to be jealous!" Ryoga taunted as Ranma
started to turn bright red.
"I am not jealous of YOU, Ryoga!"
"Just admit that you were jealous, and be done with it, Ranma!"
"I AM NOT JEALOUS!!!"
* * *
The young man watched from behind a tree as Ranma and Ryoga
fought. He smiled and shook his head, watching the two guys walking away
together down the road and into the afternoon.
"I guess it's time for us to be going, too, my friend," He said,
looking at the sword, which was now quiet. The young man slung it higher
on his shoulder and allowed himself one last glance at the Tokugawa home.
No longer would he lurk around the windows at night. Natsumi's mother
could rest easily again. The young man smiled as he gave a last thought
to Natsumi, silently praying for the day when he, too would be human, and
own a name.
As he turned to leave, a wandering ray of sunlight glinted off
the golden butterfly pin on the young man's lapel.
________________________________________________________________________
The characters portrayed in this fanfic were created by Rumiko
Takahashi, Kei Kusunoki and also by lil' old me! They are also copyright
of Viz video, Shogakukan video, etc, etc, etc.
I would like to thank several people for their part in this.
First, I would like to thank my friend Neil for telling me my stories
were good. I would also like to thank my buddy Kara, and my iinazuke
Ray-chan for their help in keeping both Ranma and Ogre Slayer in line.
And last but not least, I'd like to thank you for downloading my first
attempt at a real live fanfic! If you liked this fanfic (or didn't like
it) then let me know!!! E-mail to z_haneyrm@titan.sfasu.edu! Leave me any
comments you may have, and I'll eventually get them and probably write
back! ^_^! I hope you enjoyed it!!!
Natalie Smothers
________________________________________________________________________
************
Mark Doherty - mdoherty@mailbox.uq.edu.au
My fanfics are at http://www.uq.edu.au/~zzhdoher
"Kawaii must die."