The Characters of Ranma 1/2 are Rumiko Takahashi's. Hopefully, she'll
forgive us for what we're doing.

0.o  :P  :)  :o  "o.o"   *-*   :P   @_@   +_+    (SMACK!)

She-Hulk:  Ow!! Whatd'ya do that for?!
Kahm:  Stop goofing off!

Ranma vs. Ranma! 
The Battle For Akane's Soul!
By She-Hulk and Kahm (brobinso@neocomm.net)
----------------------------

Part 3

	Ryoga Hibiki was lost. Again. However, he was pretty sure he was in Japan.
At least the people were speaking Japanese. Granted, it could have been
that weird place in America where they're obsessed with cartoons and
worship something called protoculture. They spoke Japanese too. Sort of.
But if this is Japan, then Akane can't be that far away. 

	Ryoga brightened considerably at this.  Akane must be worried about me,
I've been gone for months. <She's worried about P-Chan, you fool, not you!>
the voice inside his head was not always kind. <She thinks you're to be
pitied. After all, isn't Ranma always beating up on poor little Ryoga?>
Ryoga slammed his fist into the nearest wall. "Shut up!"

	 The man sized hole in the wall revealed a rather startled family on the
other side. "Excuse me," Ryoga apologized, bowing deeply and continuing
down the street.  The forlorn warrior took no notice of the ambulance that
raced past him, or of the wild maniacal screams emanating from the back.

	Kasumi shook out the freshly washed towel and pinned it to the clothes
line to dry. The sun was warm and she laughed as a small bird perched near
her on the line. "Why hello Mrs. Bird! How are the children today?" The
bird chirruped at Kasumi and she smiled. "Really? Oh that's wonderful! But
won't you miss them?" She reached for another towel.

	Nabiki, passing by the open window, overhead this exchange. She stopped.
The bird had flown to Kasumi's shoulder and now it cocked it's head to one
side, considering this question.. She warbled a little sadly, then seemed
to cheer up and trilled.
 
	"Yes, I guess they have to leave the nest sometime," Kasumi agreed. "But I
don't like to think about my girls leaving. I hope that I've taught them
what they need to know to be out on their own, but I still worry." Mrs.
Bird trilled again and she laughed. "How sweet of you to say so!"

	Nabiki shook her head and walked back to the living room muttering, "I
didn't see it. I didn't hear it. I Am Not Going Nuts!" Ranma was lying in
front of the TV. He looked up as she went past and snorted at her last
comment.

	"Kasumi's chatting with Mrs. Bird again, isn't she?"

	Nabiki turned around went back to her room to lay down.


The Kuno House


	Kuno sat meditating in his private garden. The study of the universe and
its complexities needed solitude and the study of the pig-tailed goddess
and Akane required privacy.  He shifted slightly, recreating the problem in
his mind. <How do I attain the unattainable? Akane's chaste demeanor
prevents her from fully embracing all that I have to give. The pig-tailed
goddess is be-spelled by that evil sorcerer Saotome. Saotome. If I remove
him then my goddess is free and Akane will be un-engaged! And perhaps more
open to the sweetly sung love suit. Now how->.

	"Excuse me, Master Kuno?" Sasuke popped up in front of the startled
warrior. "I have urgent news!"

	Kuno leapt back, "How dare you interrupt my meditation!" 

	Sasuke groveled at his feet. "But Master! It's about Mistress Kodachi...."


Ukyo's Restaurant


	Ukyo slid the piping hot okonomiyaki in front of the customer and then
surveyed the rest of the customers. There wasn't any. She sighed and shook
her head. <I'm swamped at lunch and dinner but let 2:00 roll around and
you'd think I'd been quarantined!> She morosely wiped the counter and
wished Ranma would come by. Or Ryoga. Even Akane would do. She wanted
someone to talk to. <Let's face it, I'm bored silly!.> Just then she caught
sight of a familiar figure walking past. Ranma! Ukyo was out the door like
a shot. "Ranma Honey!"

	Ranma turned and frowned at Ukyo. He wasn't looking for Ukyo. He was
looking for Akane. But maybe she knows... He smiled, even if she doesn't it
could be....amusing. He let Ukyo take his hand and drag him inside. Ukyo
seemed very glad to see him. He laughed.

	Ukyo smiled widely at Ranma. "I'm so glad you came by, I've been so bored!
The slump between lunch and dinner is the pits, but now I get to spend some
time with you."

	Ranma walked up behind the customer and tapped him on the shoulder. The
man turned, mouth full and raised his eyebrows in question. "Get out. Now."
The man stared in to Ranma's eye's for a moment, then nodded. He threw down
some money and got out quickly. Ukyo stared at Ranma in shock.

	"Ranma! What are you doing? That's no way to treat a customer!" Ukyo was
totally confused by Ranma's next actions. He locked the front door and
turned the sign to closed. Then he pulled down the blind in the front window. 

	"I want to be alone with you...Ukyo. Is that so bad?" Ranma smiled as he
moved to stand in front of her. He kept moving closer until Ukyo was
pressed back against the counter. "Is it?"
	
	Ukyo flushed and stammered, "N-N-No I guess not. Uh , Ranma wha-" She
broke off as he took her chin in his hand. 

	"Ukyo," he whispered softly. "Where is Akane?"

	"Huh?" She didn't understand. "A-Akane? I don't unde-"

	Ranma moved like a striking snake. The gentle grip on her chin became
bruising as he shoved her back against the counter. Her head slammed
against the top of the counter as he arched her over it. "It's a simple
question. And you're a simple girl, aren't you? So answer it. Where is Akane?"

	Ukyo gasped as the pain shot through her head. What's wrong with him? She
looked up into the face of a stranger. "Ran..Ranma I don't know where Akane
is. I haven't seen her in days."

	Ranma laughed softly. Ukyo shivered at the sound. That's not possible.
Ranma sounds....evil.

	"That's really too bad Ukyo, I had hoped that this would take longer. Now,
in the interest of time, I'll have to make this short." He reached for
something behind her. Ukyo heard a faint sizzling sound. The grill. Why
would...? He wouldn't. Ukyo tried to move away.

	Ranma grabbed her wrists and started to push her off the counter. Toward
the grill side. Ukyo didn't think, she just reacted. Swinging her legs up
she managed to snare Ranma's head. With a twist she threw him across the
counter and into the back kitchen wall. She reached over and shut off the
grill completely, extinguishing the pilot light. Something whizzed passed
her ear and she felt a flash of cold then a trickle of warmth. The glass
front door shattered  She looked at Ranma. He had a handful of her
spatulas. He smiled. 

	 Ukyo jumped off the counter, trying to angle herself towards the open
store room door. Cold fire licked across her thigh as she rolled in to the
room. Against the wall was her ever faithful, four foot long, Kick-Ass
Spatula. Ukyo gripped it and swung hard, barely deflecting a shower of
blades. Ranma stood in the door way. "Ukyo that's not fair. Yours is bigger
than mine." He smiled again. Ukyo paled as she realized that in gaining the
weapon, she had boxed herself in.
 
	"Why?!" She braced herself for his attack and his reply.

	"Because I can, of course." Ranma shrugged, then attacked. He threw the
remaining blades then hurled himself into the air, twisting.

	Ukyo rapidly deflected the missiles and moved as if to run through the now
open doorway, but it was too late. Ranma already had her. His rapid blow to
her back numbed her legs and she fell. He then reached down and casually
removed the spatula from her. 

	She lay on the floor trying to get her breath back. The pain was bad, but
if she gave up now it would be nothing compared to what would follow. As
Ukyo watched the man she thought she would love for the rest of her life
toss her weapon out of reach, something in her died. She reached for one of
the spatulas that had fallen beside her. Ukyo threw it at Ranma with all of
her skill and strength. She prayed that it would kill him.
 
	The blade should have killed him. It sliced through his back and out off
his chest, neatly bisecting the bones, muscles, and tissue that were
wrapped around his heart. But to destroy something it must first exist. 

	"Nice shot." Ranma turned around and Ukyo saw the flesh folding over, the
blood disappearing and her chance at escape this alive, vanishing. "My turn."
	
	Ranma washed the blood from his hands in the kitchen sink, then turned to
leave. Ukyo lay against the wall here he had tossed her. Blood seeped from
innumerable wounds. Not bad for a rush job.  He studied his final touch
critically. Not bad at all. Chuckling softly, he walked out.