Okay, this fic idea is over 2 years old now, and was finished before last summer. Therefore any editing I do will focus solely on increasing the quality of writing, and not the plot. I need the plot where it is so that I can finish the sequel :P Any comments are welcome, and pretty soon I'll be looking for pre-readers on the sequel. So without further delays...


Draxon's Review Corner Presents
An In-House Production
Ranma 1/2: A Demon's Delight
Chapter One: Food and Fists
Theme Song: Goo Goo Dolls 'A Boy Named Goo' Track 1 - Long Way Down


         Sounds of Ranma and Mr. Saotome practicing penetrated the kitchen of the Tendo Dojo. Akane looked to her left, where Kasumi was working on breakfast.  She turned back to her skillet, which was now hissing loudly.  She grabbed a spatula and flipped the western style pancake over.
"Why can't I get this right?" She asked nobody in particular as she grabbed a bottle of maple syrup and poured it into the skillet.  The hissing sound flared up, and the syrup began oozing around and into the half batter, half burned pancake.
	"Akane, maybe it would be better if you put the syrup on it after you cooked it," Kasumi said as she expertly worked beside Akane, "and you don't use frying grease, you use butter." 
	"Oh yeah!"  Akane said as she brightened up.  She turned to the fridge and opened it.  Kasumi looked at Akane, then at the mess in the skillet.  The oozing mixture scared her, so she turned back to her own work of Chinese style spiced rice.
	Akane pulled the butter from the fridge and quickly retrieved a cup of brown sugar.  She dumped the stick of butter and the brown sugar into the skillet, which hissed violently.
	"There we go!"  She said as she pulled the skillet off of the stovetop. 
	 She scraped the black, oozing contents of the skillet into a bowl and walked into the living room.  The window provided a clear view of Ranma and his father training.  She placed the hissing, still steaming bowl onto the breakfast table and looked at Ranma, who was dodging a flurry of kicks from Genma.  She smiled. "Raaanma!  I made you breakfast!" 
	Genma leaped at Ranma, throwing himself into a flying sidekick.  Ranma immediately looked to see Akane motioning for him to go eat... something.  Just as he began to think of ways to get out of eating her cooking, Genma's heel slammed into his chin.  He thought for a split second of returning the shot, but simply let himself fall to the ground.  Akane wouldn't try to feed him when he was knocked out...
	Genma slowly shook his head as he looked down at Ranma.  He began walking toward the Dojo, dragging Ranma behind him.  He lifted the unconscious boy with him as he entered, and dropped him to the floor. 
	"I've told him time and time again not to break concentration, even if it's for breakfast!"  He said as he shook his head in dissatisfaction, then turned to Akane.  He looked down at the table to see the... stuff that she had made for Ranma.
"Nice... Maybe the smell of a good, home-cooked breakfast will wake him!" Genma said, laughing at Ranma's fate.
Akane smiled as she grabbed the bowl and some chopsticks, and walked to Ranma.  He had a nasty bruise on his chin, and as she drew nearer she could make out a twitching action on his lip. She put the chopsticks into the mixture, quickly realizing they wouldn't work. She then ran into the kitchen and retrieved a spoon: something not usually used in the Tendo household, but useful in situations like this.
Ranma let out a sigh of pure relief as his senses told him that Akane was gone.  He began to sit up when he heard her returning.  He quickly looked for places to hide, and found none.  Disappointed, he returned to his original position just as Akane walked back into the room, holding a spoon in her left hand.  She placed the spoon into the now hardening mixture.  Suddenly, the mixture leapt up onto the spoon; Akane shrieked and released it.  The bowl began to dissolve.  Ranma bolted up as he felt the ooze creeping onto his left foot.
"You made this?"  Ranma asked, obviously frightened as he watched the ooze creeping toward him.
"Hey you jerk, I was nice enough to cook for you, the least you could have done is not insult me!"  Akane yelled at Ranma, who was keeping a careful watch on the ooze as it crept across the floor. 
Ranma backed off as the ooze crept ever closer to him. "H-how? It's like it's alive or something!"  The brownish blob of syrupy batter oozed along the floor, leaving no traces. "Don't just stand there, call the police. Wait, no! Call the military!  They could use something like this!"
Immediately Akane's eyes flickered, and a blue battle aura began to build around her. "What did you say?" She commanded, balling her fist in preparation to pound Ranma when her battle aura began to fade.  She looked down to see the ooze absorbing the energy.  It began to pulse green as it absorbed the last of Akane's excess anger and began to ooze toward Ranma.
Ranma entered a combat stance-Akane's cooking was nothing to underestimate.  "Akane, get out of here, I'll deal with this." He began concentrating on building chi as Akane quickly complied.  If it had absorbed Akane's aura it was going to be powerful.  He saw a lightning fast movement when the pulsating blob of energy launched itself at him.  Ranma attempted to knock the blob off of its course, only to find it attach itself to his arm.
"AAAHHH!  Get it off me!"  Ranma screamed as it began eating on his skin.  He began continuously pounding on it, to no effect. He drew back his right arm, the one with the blob on it, and smirked.  "Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken!"  His arm became a blur as he executed the technique.  The blob remained tightly attached to him.  Ranma stopped the rapid punching and looked for a way to get the thing off of him as the burning sensation increased.  Looking down the hallway, he saw Genma walking towards him.
"Foolish boy!"  Genma yelled as he grabbed Ranma by his non-infected arm and threw him toward the carp pond.  Ranma sailed through the air and out of the open entrance, loudly complaining about being thrown until he splashed into the pond.
"Why'd you do that!"  The now quite female Ranma roared.  Ranma then remembered the thing, and looked down at her arm.  The syrupy substance was still latched onto her, but some of the outer layer was dissolving slowly.  Ranma threw her hand back into the carp pond and shook it violently.  The remnants of the not quite food dissolved into the water.  Ranma leaped out of the pond, her wet clothing sticking closely to her body.  She entered the Dojo just as Akane ran from her hiding place in her room with her backpack.
"Ranma, we have to go NOW!  We start finals today and if were late again both of us will fail our first class, and if that happens I will KILL you!"  Ranma sighed as a backpack slammed into her face, knocking her back a step before she managed to get a grip on it and slip it on.
"Well at least let me get some hot water before we leave, I'm soaked," Ranma said as she began walking toward the kitchen.
Akane rushed past Ranma, grabbing her by the back of her shirt and pulling her along.  "There's no time.  Besides, what good will hot water do you if your still soaked in cold water?"
"But! Hey!" Ranma complained in vain as Akane began to drag her along, "Okay, okay! I can walk on my own."  Ranma-Chan said as she stepped in front of Akane, releasing the pressure from her throat and allowing her to breathe.
Akane upped her pace and began jogging quickly.  "You can be late, but I'm not going to fail any of my classes."  She then accelerated to a full sprint.
As Akane began to gain distance, Ranma hopped onto the fence and began to run along it.  She caught up with Akane after a few short seconds and kept within a few feet of her.
"Akane, I really need to know what happened back there.  I know you get mad at me sometimes, but cooking me food that actually ATTACKS me is beyond even what I thought you could do!"
Akane didn't understand either. She had simply followed the box instructions for pancakes, and she had ended up messing the whole thing up. Why? Why couldn't she manage to do even the simplest of tasks?
"We probably need to call some government agency to clean out the pond too. All I need tomorrow is an army of mutated fish trying to swallow me whole..." Ranma continued aimlessly, noting all of the possible world disasters that could be caused by something so badly cooked as the substance that was now settling in the bottom of the carp pond.
Akane did not interrupt Ranma as she continued her insulting spree.  "I was nice enough to cook Ranma breakfast, so why can't he just say thanks or something?  Why doesn't he ever say anything nice when I try to help him?" The thoughts rattled in her head for only a few seconds.
"Because he's a jerk." She answered herself aloud.
"At least I haven't tried to kill you."  Ranma stated, defending against Akane's half-hearted insult.  Fuurinkan High School was now clearly visible, and Ranma hopped off of the fence to run beside Akane.
Akane looked at the clock on the school.
8:29
The seconds' hand was fast approaching the 12.
56..57..58...59...
The bell rang.
Akane dropped from her sprinting speed as she approached the main entrance.  She gave Ranma a deathly look before entering.  Ranma followed, and the pair worked through the halls and entered the classroom together.
"I see that Ranma and Akane are late again... Go stand in the hall."  Akane closed her eyes as she turned and brushed past Ranma on her way out the door. 

Ranma slipped through the quickly closing doorway, thinking of how she could apologize to Akane, then the thought occurred to her; Akane had cooked the disaster that caused them to be late, so what did she have to worry about?  Ranma turned and looked at Akane, and paying close attention to her  facial expression, saw that she had more to worry about than she had expected.  Akane's expression showed pure anger, but she was also on the verge of crying.  Ranma hated it when Akane was like this.  She knew that Akane wanted some kind of reassurance, but was also ready at a seconds notice to channel everything into pure anger should she dare say anything.  Ranma slumped onto the floor and stared at the wall in front of her.  She thought of saying something, anything to break the silence, then she looked at Akane, who didn't seem to be in a talking mood.  Ranma realized that she had a long time to sit next to Akane, and say absolutely nothing...
[...]

Ranma sat on the ground at lunchtime.  He was slumped back; the backpack sitting to his left had no food in it.
"I'm going to starve to death..." Ranma said meekly as images of Kasumi's prepared lunches invaded his thoughts, causing his stomach to growl.  He saw Akane walking in his direction.  She seemed depressed, but not as badly as she had been earlier.  She tossed her backpack next to Ranma's and sat down beside him.
"How did your exams go?"  She asked plainly.
"Fine.  I had a little trouble on the English final but the history exam was easy."  Ranma looked around for any source of food available as he answered Akane's question.
"I failed English and Algebra."  She said as she closed her eyes and rested against the wall.
"What?  How?  You're better than me at English!"  Ranma immediately regained his energy at this news.
"Don't worry about it."  She said; her eyes were still closed.
"Come on, just tell me what happened and I'll stop bugging you."  Ranma's tone made it sound like a reward.
Akane drew a deep breath. "Because YOU had me so stressed I couldn't concentrate well enough to pass the test!"  She opened her eyes, and shot a glare at Ranma, who quickly backed off.
"Wait a second Akane, I haven't done anything to make you fail any of your classes, and you know why we were late, and we both know it wasn't my fault."  His tone was accusing.
"Then who's fault was it?"  It was more of a statement than a question; Akane knew what Ranma would say.
"Listen, I didn't cook that goo this morning, so stop trying to make everything sound like it was my fault, okay?"
That was all Akane was going to take.  Ranma had not even accepted any responsibility for what had happened.  Worse yet, he blamed everything on her?  Akane stood.
"Where ya' goin?" Ranma asked,

"You JERK!"  Akane drew her fist and punched at Ranma, who expertly dodged the shot.  He somersaulted forward and performed a handspring, placing him back on his feet in a few short seconds.
"What was th..a..t..." Ranma's face paled, and he became very afraid as he looked at Akane.  Her battle aura was quickly gaining size and intensity.  What he was worried about was the fact that Akane seemed to be harnessing some of it between her palms.  This was bad.  Akane could be bad for your health any day, but if she was actually learning to harness chi...
"Listen Akane, you wouldn't, I mean you couldn't-wait a sec what am I saying?  This is Akane I'm talking about..." Akane lost her control over the concentrated chi ball, causing it to spread along her aura, which was slowly fading.  She suddenly collapsed forward, being kept from hitting the ground only by Ranma, who caught her and gently sat her down next to her backpack.  She was disoriented, obviously from her attempt to use a chi blast.
"Are you gonna be okay?"  Ranma asked, looking into her eyes.
"Go away."  Akane's tone was flat.
"What?"
"I said GO AWAY!"  Akane crossed her arms over her knees and used them as a headrest as Ranma grabbed his backpack.  He silently slid it on, and after much hesitation walked away without another word.  He noticed that since Akane's outburst, the student population of Fuurinkan had migrated to the other side of the school.
At the corner of the school, Happosai watched intently as Ranma walked away from Akane.  He had been preparing to raid the women's locker room but now had a better plan. As the gears inside his head began to turn in their perverted way, Happosai grinned.  
[...]  

Akane walked out of the front entrance of Fuurinkan High School, still partially depressed, and fully angry with Ranma for making her fail two of her classes in the first semester.  As she walked out of the front derwear into a shopping cart.  When it was halfway full he dove into it, becoming one with the panties, immersing himself in silky style.  He disappeared, and seconds later his head burst out of the sea of underwear.  "Akane,  I can't thank you enough!"  He leaped out and ran for more racks, this time the bra department.
"Look at all the little dearies!  Which ones to take?"  Happosai looked across the wide selection of bras before him, then pulled a list from one of his pockets.  He examined the list for a few moments and then examined the bras along the wall.  He grabbed about ten and turned, looking for Akane.  He saw a woman staring at him.  Her dark brown eyes gazed into Happosai, who stepped back against the wall.
"I was going to get that."  She said, with an ominous tone in her voice.
"No!  It's mine!"  Happosai said, drawing the bras closer to him.
"Give me that bra!"  The woman reached for the mass of bras in Happosai's possession.
"Sorry lady but I must protect the dearies at all costs!"  Happosai laughed as he leaped around the woman in a blur of speed, expertly placing his hands on points known to paralyze any female.  He leaped off of her, now carrying one more bra and another set of panties.  "What a haul, what a haul!"  
The woman reached down on her shirt to her chest and poked, confirming that her bra had been stolen in less than 1.2 seconds.  She turned and ran after the two foot pervert.  "Give me back my braaaaaaaa!" A woman several feet in front of her turned just in time to be knocked aside, into a display case which fell over, starting a chain reaction.
"Get us outta here, Akane!"  Happosai commanded as he continued to run, the woman was gaining on him when he leaped into his shopping cart.  Men poured into the women's section to see the destruction as several displays fell over, spewing clothes and underwear through the air.  Cheers abounded from the male population as carnage erupted throughout the store.
"Come back here with my bras... both of them!" The woman thundered just before tripping over a newly exposed clothing rack.  She fell forward as the old man hopped into a shopping cart being pushed by a teenage girl.  She began to recover and stand.
Happosai grinned as he tossed a pair of silky green panties at the woman.  "Here you go lady, you can have these to replace the undies I got from you!"  He laughed, falling back into the sea of panties as Akane stopped at the register.  The woman behind the counter was already running to avoid a rack of clothes which was falling in her direction.  Akane's jaw drooped as a chain reaction of falling clothing racks engulfed the store, sending people running to avoid being hit.  Akane gritted her teeth as she began running toward the exit.  She just hoped the store didn't have cameras.
The woman felt sick as she felt along her waist, confirming that somehow, the pervert had managed to steal her panties as well as her bra.  She dropped the 'replacement' pair and sighed as she fell over, unconscious.


[...]

Akane sat on a bench at a small park as Happosai examined his loot.
"Isn't this the part where you start teaching me techniques?"  She was quite bored of watching him compare the stolen underwear with a list he had with him as he had done for the past 30 minutes.
"Of course, of course my dear Akane."  Happosai laughed joyfully as he tossed the panties and bras back into the cart.  He leapt out of the shopping cart and walked to a large oak tree.
"Founding School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts final attack... SUGOIKEN!"  He drew his right fist back as a battle aura began to build around it, he thrust his fist at the base of the tree, hitting it only lightly.  The battle aura  created a field of blue in front of the tree, which slowly moved through it. After a few seconds it reached the other side of the tree, where it dissipated.
"I can really hurt someone with-"  Akane was interrupted as the tree suddenly began to shake violently.  A massive wave of pure force slammed through it, ripping it apart. First the bark was shredded from the surface, then the insides seemed to disintegrate from the pure force of the attack.  Happosai laughed as sawdust rained across the park.
"Now, are you glad you took me on our little shopping spree?"  Happosai chuckled.  Akane was staring at the piles of dust that covered the ground for nearly twenty meters in all directions.
"I can't do that."  Akane said, beginning to come out of her state of amazement.
"You can my dear Akane... and you will."
Akane looked at her hands, then at Happosai.  "That's not what I mean.  If I get mad at Ranma and use that I would-"
"Don't worry deary!  This attack can't kill anyone, it wont even hurt that much, just enough to make Ranma think twice about what he says and does... The full effect cannot affect a human being."
Akane clenched her fist, and examined it as she spoke.  "How long will it take me to learn it?  I never was any good at special techniques."
"Sugoiken guaranteed in three hours or less.  Come on, we have to find a quiet place for you to learn the technique..."

[...]

Happosai sat on his new throne of panties as Akane warmed up in front of him.  It was a great sight, and Happosai enjoyed every moment of it, albeit quietly.  When Akane was done she stood in front of the cart, waiting.
"Good, good...  Now it is time for you to learn the Sugoiken technique.  Are you prepared?"  He was now puffing on a pipe that he had produced from his shirt.
"Yes!"  Akane was eager to get the training over with quickly-there were still two days in the first semester and she wanted to get a lot of sleep after the tests.
"There are several versions of the Sugoiken Technique," Happosai began,  "The one I demonstrated earlier is fueled by raw chi energy.  I have decided which version to teach you, and it should suit you appropriately."
"...And that is?"
"A version an old friend of mine termed "Hell's Fist".  It uses anger as it's primary energy, something you can use to your advantage from now on."
Akane watched Happosai intently as he explained the technique. "When you become angry, rather than building an aura, you simply channel all of the energy into one of your fists, and when you punch, release the energy before, or just as you strike your opponent.  The effects are tremendous.  Now, attempt the technique!"
Akane thought of anything that might make her angry, but nothing seemed to work.  She was simply too excited about learning the technique to concentrate on Ranma, or his other fiancées which had always managed to make her angry with a thought.
"Not good enough.  Here, let me give you some motivation!"  Happosai jumped toward Akane, and was sure to grab at her chest as he did so.  He flipped back to his original position, before dodging a furious punch.  "Concentrate!  Channel all of the anger to your hand with your mind!"  He leapt up as Akane snap kicked at him, and performed a handspring off of her foot.  He brushed over her head and kicked off of her back.
Akane turned to see Happosai land gracefully on the ground in front of her.  "You pervert!  You call this training?"  She punched straight for his head, but was stopped by a carefully placed pressure point attack.  Akane's right arm fell limp and began to dangle at her side.
"Never blindly attack an opponent.  You should have seen that block before I thought of using it."
"You jerk!  I can't move my arm!"  Akane  grabbed her right arm with her left and shook it, willing it to move.
"If I were a real opponent you might not have an arm anymore.  Improve or else you will not be able to perform any techniques! Attack!"
Time passed, with Akane continually attacking Happosai, and Happosai continually making Akane look like a fool.  After a few hours, Akane collapsed onto the ground, panting wildly.
Happosai flipped off of a tree and landed on Akane's head.  "I can't believe it.  During that entire time you could not execute the technique once."  Happosai waited for Akane to get up, she did not even attempt to stand.  He hopped off of her and shook his head as he thought of how to teach her the technique.  He noticed an eerie blue glow coming from behind him.
Akane drew her fist back as she channeled all of her energy into one punch, bolts of pure chi energy arced excitedly around her as her battle aura was finally harnessed into her fist.
Happosai smiled as Akane thrust her fist forward.  "Now, release the energy!" he commanded at her during half punch.  She released all of her frustrations-her anger-into the action just before she would contact.  Happosai ducked and ran under her arm as a shockwave of pure chi energy tore a path of destruction through the forest behind him.
Akane looked at her left fist, which still pulsed with a dying bluish glow.  "I... I did it."
Happosai leapt back to his shopping cart of underwear.  "Of course you did, I was teaching you.  I have to go find a place to put my collection, I'll be back soon.  What a haul, what a haul   a-hahaHahAha!!!" The cart began rolling down a nearby hill as Happosai ran off with his payment of underwear.
[...] 

Akane approached the doorstep of the dojo and looked around.  Everything seemed normal, considering it was nearly 11:30 at night.  She opened the door, and walked to the back of the dojo, where anyone would be had they stayed up waiting on her.  She saw nobody, and walked up the stairs to her room.  It was dark, so she quickly flipped on the light.  She pulled off her sweaty clothes and tossed them into a clothes hamper. She was tired and dirty from the training; a fact she would have to take care of the next day.  She unfastened her bra and tossed it in the hamper, then looked in her closet and retrieved her yellow pajamas.  She slipped them on and collapsed onto her bed.  She was tired and sore, but one thing seemed odd to her...
It felt good.
Draxon's Review Corner Presents
An In-House Production
Ranma 1/2  : A Demon's Delight
Chapter Two: The Unforgiven
Theme Song : Metallica Black - Track 4 - The Unforgiven 

Akane arose from the blackness of sleep, the sensation of movement jerking her away from a peaceful dream.
"Akane?  Are you alive in there?" It was Ranma's voice.  Wait a second!  Wasn't Ranma always the one impossible to wake up?
"Wha..." Akane yawned deeply as she opened her eyes.  Ranma was standing over her, with his left hand on her shoulder.  Ranma withdrew his hand as Akane became aware of the real world once again.
"Well I see you had a good time last night, where'd you go?"
"Wha.. Oh yeah..." Akane shook her head slightly as she sat up, casting off some of the drowsiness that seemed to dominate her.  She yawned again as she stretched.  "I was training just outside Tokyo, in the forest."  
"I know you had a bad day but that didn't mean you had to go running off like that Akane."  
Akane looked over at Ranma, he had apparently been up for some time, or had food since he woke up.  "I was learning a special technique."
Ranma laughed, "How long did you try before you came home?"  He continued laughing, as he awaited Akane's response, when she didn't respond immediately, Ranma's laugh turned into more of a nervous chuckle.
"I learned it."  Akane said, a sly, evil grin crossing her face. Ranma froze, then quickly made his exit from the room.
Akane grinned.  The days of Ranma being a complete jerk and getting away with it were over.  She looked at her clock.  It was almost 9 already.  Oh well, not like she could help her Algebra class anyway.  She stood and retrieved a school uniform from her closet and walked out of the room on her way to the bathroom.
[...]

Ranma looked at his father, who was indifferent to Akane having learned a technique.  "Why do you think it is so bad?  If anything, this will be good for the dojo when you and Akane take over." Genma's words seemed shallow.
"Because, she always hits me when she's mad, and I always manage to make her mad.  Now what are we going to do?  It's not like I can just ask her nicely to beat me up without using it, and she will use it, whatever it is, the first time she gets a chance.  If it is ANY good, I'm toast."
Genma lowered his mouth close to Ranma's ear, and whispered. "The Saotome Final Attack is always an option..."  The words were delivered with a dark tone, which sent a chill down Ranma's spine.
Soun entered the room and took a seat a few feet in front of the TV.  He turned it on to reveal a news program.  A reporter was talking about massive damage to an area in the forests not far outside Tokyo.
"... A 4 meter wide gap extending 40 meters in the forest has seemingly appeared overnight.  The only evidence as to the cause was a pair of brand new women's underwear found at the scene.  Tracing back with the only evidence, several wildlife preservation agencies have chosen this man as their suspect." An image of Happosai raiding a clothing store appeared on the screen, "This same man, seen here attacking the lingerie department of a clothing store, is also suspected for stealing women's underwear and putting new pairs in their place..."  Soun changed channels on the TV, cutting the news program off as it faded back to the news studios.
Ranma stared at the TV for a few seconds.  Akane had been training on a technique the night before, and Happosai had apparently been there as well.
"He couldn't have..." Ranma stated dryly, looking upstairs for any activity.  If Happosai had taught Akane one of his techniques...
This was bad.
[...]  Lunch Hour
"Give me a break Akane, all I want to know is what this new technique of yours does."  Ranma had been trying to find out all day, with little success, what her new technique was.  Whenever Ranma had asked, he had either been ignored, or Akane had changed the topic of the conversation.
Akane answered, "It's a surprise."
Ranma walked down the stairs of the back exit to Fuurinkan High.  Akane followed shortly behind.  Her mood had completely changed since yesterday-she was partially cheery, and several test insults earlier in the day had shown her temper was down to the microscopic range.  He began to walk toward the tree that he and Akane frequently ate lunch under when he noticed someone who was performing various martial arts techniques.  His black hair was cut just below the ears on the sides, and was wearing a pair of black sweats, complemented by a deep blue T-shirt.  He was the only person on campus other than Ranma not wearing a uniform.  As Ranma drew closer the person leapt at the tree, hitting it with a flying side kick, and gaining enough rebound to enable him to grasp to a branch-which he flipped off of in a rather impressive display of skill. He landed feet first on the ground just a few feet in front of Ranma.  He had crystal blue eyes that gave Ranma an odd feeling when he glanced at him.  Ranma slipped his backpack off and dropped it next to the tree.
"Nice."  Ranma said, referring to the last bit of maneuvering he had witnessed.
"Thanks.  Name's Apsu, Apsu Tetsumi of the Tetsumi School of Various Martial Arts."
Ranma smiled, if the guy wanted family martial arts titles...
"Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts."
Akane looked at Apsu. He seemed familiar to her... Wait a sec?  Various Martial Arts!  So THAT'S him!  "Hey Apsu, where have you been for the past..." 
"14 months?" Apsu smiled, "I know I recognize you but I can't place your name in my mind."
"Akane Tendo." she said smiling.  She had known Apsu over a year ago, and the two had become friends.  He was into the martial arts, and had left on an extended training trip at the end of her 8th grade year.
"Oh yeah, now I remember.  You'll have to forgive my memory, I've been all across eastern Asia training."  He sat down under the tree, and relaxed his muscles.
Ranma opened his backpack and retrieved a packaged lunch made by Kasumi.  Before he identified its contents he ate it, breaking speed records across the globe.
 Apsu retrieved his backpack, and began searching through it.  After a few seconds  He produced a sandwich, and took a decently sized bite.  "How's life been treating you lately?"
"Actually, not that great.  I guess things could always get worse, so I'm not complaining, but I have been working on my martial arts too, I think I've improved a lot.  We'll have to practice sometime."
Ranma listened the conversation.  He really wanted to know what technique Akane had supposedly learned.  Whatever it was, she learned it in one night, and she wasn't exactly the greatest martial artist.  It seemed the best way to find out was to actually get her to use it.  He nodded as his fears were pushed away by common sense.
"Akane since when did you start improving?  I didn't notice."  Ranma was sure to sound as insulting as possible with a single phrase.  The statement wrenched him as much as he had planned on it making Akane angry, but he couldn't stand not knowing for any longer...
Apsu looked up at Ranma strangely, that wasn't anything like what he had expected to hear.  "What's your problem?"  he asked.  Honorable martial artists wouldn't insult a girl like that for no reason...
Ranma smirked, "Nothing, just making sure Akane doesn't get her hopes up.  She really hasn't improved that much since I've been around... and that's a long time."
"And just who are you to treat her like that?" Apsu stood.
"She's my fiancée!"  Ranma blurted, as if it were obvious. It wasn't obvious to Apsu, who glowered at Ranma's overly rude attitude. 
"I'll handle this."  Akane said as she stood.
"And just what are you going to do Akane?  Cook me something?"  He closed his eyes and leaned back.  If Akane had learned any special techniques he could handle it, and he wanted to know exactly what the old pervert had taught her.  Suddenly the tree shook, and Ranma fell out, landing on his feet.
"Give me a break and let me get some rest while we still have some lunch period left, all I need is to go back to class sweaty and tired from dodging you for 30 minutes."
Apsu resisted the urge to pound Ranma.  If Akane didn't want him interfering in her relationships he could respect that.  He stood where he had been seated a second earlier, about four feet from Ranma, and side by side with Akane.  "This guy is your fiancé'?  I would have expected you to have gotten someone who was at least partially nice."
Akane walked forward, channeling chi into her newly clenched fist before it could form a battle aura that screamed "Special Technique!"  She thrust her fist at Ranma, rather slowly.  He snapped his head to the side, avoiding Akane's punch. Akane initiated a flurry of kicks and punches - all of which were dodged by Ranma.
"Get it over with Akane, either leave me alone or use your fancy technique."  He leapt over Akane, putting himself between Akane and the tree, which Apsu was leaned up against.  A savage battlecry gave Ranma the warning he needed to dart to the side.
Apsu watched as Akane's fist sailed toward him. He quickly considered dodging or blocking the attack, and decided to block it in order to save Akane from having a broken hand. He snapped his right arm up to intercept the punch, but was surprised when his block was actually knocked back into his chest with a lot of force. Apsu lost his composure for only a second, and swore he saw something flash blue right after Akane had hit him...
Ranma turned to see Akane's fist release a blue wave of energy that began to pulse through Apsu, who either didn't know or didn't care about what had just happened.
Akane opened her eyes.  After sensing impact she had released the full might of the Sugoiken on Ra-Apsu?  "Apsu!"  She exclaimed as the blue field of energy completed its penetration.
"What?"  Apsu asked.  Akane should have known that he could take a punch.  He felt an odd force, and was suddenly blown backwards, into the tree with tremendous force.  He screamed as another wave of energy formed just in front of him, and quickly passed through him, crushing him harder into the tree.
Akane's heart rate doubled as the second wave of chi energy passed through Apsu.  Happosai hadn't told her about a second wave!  An ear piercing scream from Apsu confirmed that he was in great pain when a third wave appeared.  It ignored Apsu and instead began the pulsing action through the tree. 5 seconds  after Apsu had been initially crushed against the tree it began to shatter into sawdust.  Apsu collapsed to the ground, clutching at his stomach, when another burst of energy exploded from beneath him.  Everyone at Fuurinkan High, and possibly the entire Nerima district heard savage cries of pure agony as Apsu was blasted into the air.  After a few short seconds he was no longer visible to the naked eye.
Akane retreated a step away from where Apsu and a tree once stood.  Happosai had told her it wouldn't... that it simply couldn't do this!
Ranma stood in shock.  What Akane had just done was beyond belief.  The technique she had used dwarfed even his special attacks if the screaming from Apsu was any indication.  Akane backed into him, then turned, her face frozen in fear and disbelief.  Ranma started to say something, but Akane ran.  He followed, a deep feeling of regret clawing at him.  Akane had finally mastered a special technique, and he had to take that and make it a bad, possibly even traumatic experience for her.  He had caused serious injury and possibly even death to someone who had never done anything to him...
Akane ran on, with no particular destination.  She knew Ranma was close behind her, and would eventually catch up with her, but her instincts told her to run, and she did so.  From Ranma, from the school...

...from herself.

Draxon's Review Corner Presents
An In-House Production
Ranma 1/2     : A Demon's Delight
Chapter Three : The Unknown 
Theme Song    : Soundgarden - Superunknown - Track 5 - Superunknown


... Ranma was finally within arms reach of Akane when she began to slow.  His chest was pounding, partially from the run, but more-so from his fears about what HE had caused to happen only a few moments earlier.  Akane came to a stop at the corner of a building, which she used for support.  Ranma stopped beside her.  She was panting wildly, fresh tears dripped off of her face as she turned to Ranma.
"I-I..."  Akane's phrase was cut off as she drew large amounts of air to her lungs.
Ranma gently placed his hand on Akane's left shoulder.  "I'm sorry Akane..."  he said solemnly as Akane's breath  began to slow somewhat.  "What happened back there was... my fault.  Forgive me."
Akane wiped some of the tears from her face, which was now rose colored on and around her cheeks.  "I... I didn't know!"  She broke back into tears as she continued, "I didn't know it could do that, and now... and now..."  She closed her eyes and attempted to suppress the waves of emotion screaming to be expressed.  "I've killed him!"  She exclaimed as she began to collapse.  Ranma grasped her firmly, and pulled her to him.  He spoke softly into her ear. 
"Listen to me Akane.  What happened was my fault.  I wanted to find out what you had learned, so I decided to-"
"That doesn't matter!"  Akane stepped back so she could see Ranma's face.  Her legs were shaky, but she was able to stand now.  Ranma was obviously concerned for her, something which set off more triggers within her mind.  "If I had-If you hadn't moved out of the way- I... I... Apsu... I hit him!  And now he's..."  Akane was interrupted by Ranma pulling her close to him.  She didn't resist.  She held him tightly, like a lifeline, as the flow of tears continued.
Ranma held onto Akane.  He couldn't think of anything else to do.  Minutes passed with Akane sobbing as Ranma provided support that she desperately needed.  Akane's crying slowed as she ran out of energy to continue.  She held onto Ranma more loosely now.
"What am I going to do?"  Akane asked softly.
Ranma stepped back, and looked at Akane.  He had to help her.  "The first thing we're going to do is to go home, Akane.  You need some rest, and I need time to think.  After you're ready we are going to work on your control over that technique.  I don't know what else we can do."
"But, what about Apsu?  Can't we-"  Ranma interrupted her softly, cutting her off before she could break back into tears.
"Apsu will be just fine.  When we see him again-which should be soon-I will talk to him.  Everything will be fine, Akane, everything.  I promise."  Ranma hoped he wasn't lying.
"Okay..."  Akane wiped as many of the tears from her face as she could, increasing the redness, which was dominate on her cheeks.  She then began walking in the direction of the Tendo Dojo.  Ranma walked closely beside her, and the pair walked silently until they reached the doorstep of the dojo.
"Be in the training room in 45 minutes if you can, okay Akane?"  Ranma said, being as polite as possible.
Akane turned to Ranma.  He had a serious and caring face, so much unlike what she was used to seeing on him.  Was it that something bad always had to happen before he could be nice to her?  Akane dismissed the thought and entered the dojo, then solemnly walked up the stairs.
Ranma watched to make sure Akane was okay as she walked up the stairs.  As Akane entered her room Ranma sat down near the breakfast table.  He saw no signs of Kasumi or Mr. Tendo as he crossed his legs and closed his eyes.  With no light, and no sounds other than the occasional chirp of a bird, Ranma began to do something he wished he had done earlier in the day; he began to think.
He could hear Akane's door opening, and footsteps heading in the direction of the bathroom.  Ranma decided that his outlook on Akane had to change.  During small periods during their relationship, usually just after something bad happened to Akane, he would be nice to her.  It seemed to come naturally to him then.  Normal situations were a completely different story, however.  His carelessness and simple lack of ability to show Akane the respect that he knew she deserved had caused a disaster... and now he also had Apsu to worry about.  If he wasn't okay, Akane would never forgive herself.  If he didn't come back, the police would undoubtedly get involved, making a bad situation even worse.
[...]

Akane slipped off her uniform as the bath continued to fill with warm water.  She was covered in now-evaporating sweat, and needed to relax badly.  She tossed her uniform into a clothing hamper, and looked at her martial arts dogi, which she would be wearing shortly when training with Ranma.  She took a bucket and began pouring warm water over her head, washing some of the sweat from her body.  She repeated the process one more time before proceeding to wash her wet, soiled body.  After she was relatively clean she stepped into the bath, and slowly sank into a relaxing position while warm water creeped over her.  She cut the water off when the bath was full and relaxed, closing off her thoughts, and focusing on normal life.  She ducked her head below water for a few seconds, soaking it again with warm water. She sighed, her gaze locked on the ceiling.  Ranma had said that what happened to Apsu was his fault when it really wasn't.  Akane took comfort in the knowledge that Ranma was trying to help her.  An image of Apsu appeared in her mind, not of the one she had seen today, but one of him a little over a year younger, smiling happily after a sparring match which Akane had watched.  Akane began to smile until another image of him flashed in her mind, of him asking her "What?" just before the Sugoiken had taken effect.  She hoped desperately that Apsu was okay, and that he would come back so that she could apologize... 
[...]

Ranma stood, his stomach growled violently despite him having had lunch a little less than an hour ago.  He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.  He looked inside, only to be disappointed by a lack of food.  There was, however, some iced tea in a two quart container.  Ranma took the tea and prepared a glass, adding a few extra spoonfuls of sugar to give him an energy boost.  He downed the glass in a single drink, the sudden introduction of sugar into his body giving him a slight dizzy feeling.  He then began a process of filling the glass, and downing it faster than he had filled it.  After he had drank the entire container he walked into the training room of the Dojo.  He could hear Akane walking down the stairs, so he turned to face the entrance.
Akane walked into the training/sparring room of the dojo.  Ranma was standing in the center of the room, and motioned for her to come closer.  She walked to Ranma, thinking about how he intended to help her control a technique that he didn't know.  When she was only a few feet away, Ranma began to speak.
"Before I can help you with your technique, I need to know how you learned it, what it is supposed to do, and how you use it."  His tone was even, like that of a seasoned instructor.
Akane thought back to her training with Happosai.  "Happosai taught me the Sugoiken.  He said that it focuses anger into a punch.  When he taught me, he acted like a complete pervert and made a fool of me when I couldn't use it.  Just when I was about to give up, I felt the power...  It was almost like something in my body suddenly clicked, and I could use it."  She hoped her explanation had been clear enough.
Ranma thought about what Akane was saying.  His face changed drastically as Akane told him about Happosai's training methods, he would pay dearly for teaching Akane a technique when he knew that she wouldn't be able to control it.  Being based on anger must have been what made it so powerful when it hit Apsu, and why Akane didn't build a battle aura like she usually did.  He only needed one more piece of information,  "What do you do when you want to use the technique?"
Akane thought back to the two times she had used Sugoiken.  "I just channel my anger into my fist, at least, that's how I imagine it before I use it."
Ranma nodded his head.  Akane had been channeling all of her anger into the attack, which was making each strike extremely powerful.  Controlling the level of anger used should give Akane more control over the attack, so...
"I know what's wrong," Ranma said, "When you've seen me using a special attack, have you noticed that it isn't always at full force?"
Akane nodded.
Ranma continued, "When you used this "Sugoiken" technique, you used it at the maximum level you could at the time, didn't you?"
Akane looked at her right hand, the one she had used in the attack when she began to realize what Ranma was talking about. "Yes..."
Ranma smiled, "All you have to do is control your emotions when you use it, and you will be fine,"  He looked around the room.  "I've got it.  I'm going to start attacking you.  I will start off slow, then build speed as time passes.  When I get to a speed you're comfortable with, start to counter attack."
Akane nodded, "Okay..." 
Ranma assumed a combat stance. "Begin!"  He stepped forward, and threw a punch with his right hand.  Akane snapped her left forearm at Ranma's, knocking it aside.  She saw his left foot leave the ground as he executed a roundhouse.  She jumped back, barely evading Ranma's attack as his foot created a breeze just in front of her face. "Okay, okay!"  She snapped at Ranma as she faked a hammer-strike with her left arm, then thrusted with her right fist.  Ranma quickly dodged the attack, then launched a flurry of his own kicks and punches, each connecting just as he had planned.
Akane stepped back after the massive barrage of attacks.  Ranma had hit her at least seven times in 4 seconds, but the strikes had been very controlled, and very light, leaving only a small stinging sensation where he had hit.  Ranma relaxed his stance for a moment as he watched Akane.
"That is what I want you to be able to do, Akane.  It is exactly like you and your Sugoiken technique, once you learn to control it, it's yours.  If you don't learn to control it - imagine each of my strikes being at full strength. All you really have to do is control the amount of energy you throw with the punch."
Akane understood what Ranma was talking about, it seemed so simple now...                                                                                                                                
Ranma continued, "Now, begin!"                                                              
Hours passed in that room as Ranma and Akane repeated the same pattern over, and over, and over...  Occasionally Akane would become angry and throw an actual punch at Ranma, and each time she did Ranma was sure to stop and lecture her on control.  The teaching seemed to come naturally to Ranma, and sharing his knowledge gave him a sense of satisfaction that was, in some ways, new to him.
[...]  6 Days Later
Ranma dodged a massive series of punches thrown by Akane, the training had been proceeding exceptionally well, and kept Akane's mind off of Apsu for nearly a week.  The trouble was that Akane had nearly mastered her self control in sparring matches against Ranma, and once that was over he had nothing else to keep her occupied.  Ranma initiated the last section of Akane's training, hoping that she had the same control over the technique that she had demonstrated in her regular strikes.
"Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken!"  Ranma extended his index finger on his right hand as he continuously connected with the rapid punches.  Each time he connected he tapped Akane, as the two had been doing for nearly a week now.  Akane stepped back, overwhelmed by Ranma's onslaught.
"Just what do you think I am?  A punching bag?"  Akane snapped as Ranma stepped toward her and continued attacking.  He began aiming his shots more carefully, lightly hitting several pressure points on Akane's body.  Akane's legs began to buckle beneath her as she lunged her left fist forward, connecting solidly with her index finger on Ranma's face.
Ranma felt the impact of Akane's finger as he once again upped the beat of the sparring-In order for Akane to use the Sugoiken he had to be winning the match utterly.  He began using both fists as Akane retreated under intense pressure.
"You jerk this isn't training!  How do you expect me to keep up?"  Akane's breath was labored as she screamed her frustration, rattling the room.
	"Use it Akane!  If you want to have any chance of winning this then use your fancy technique!"
A memory flashed across Akane's mind, of Ranma leaping over her as she vainly tried to strike at him, then of him saying "Get it over with, use your fancy technique!"  Akane frowned.
"Okay Ranma, you baka.  If that's what you want..."
"USE IT ALREADY!"  Ranma commanded loudly and rudely.
Ranma watched as Akane drew back with her left fist.  As it shot forward he quickly dodged to his left - only to be hit by Akane's other fist.  He braced himself for the impact as a menacing blue field of energy began to form in front of him.  It quickly passed through him, and he was knocked back onto a wall with tremendous force.  After a few seconds the force dissipated, and Ranma collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
"R-Ranma?  You okay?"  Akane ran to him and helped him into a sitting position.
"I'm fine."  Ranma said in a dazed tone as his head wobbled from side to side.
Akane watched as Ranma slowly recovered.  It took a full three minutes for Ranma to stand.
"Well Aka-"  Ranma stopped speaking as Kasumi entered the room carrying an envelope.
"I'm sorry if I interrupted you, but this just arrived for Akane."  Kasumi held out the envelope as Akane slowly took it.
"Not at all Kasumi, thanks."  Akane looked at the envelope.  The return address was non-existent.
"Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes, so try to finish by then if you can," Kasumi said as she turned and slowly walked out of the room.
Akane opened the letter.
Akane Tendo of the Tendo Dojo,
This is a formal challenge to you.  I have tracked the disappearance of my fiancée to you and intend to make you pay dearly for it.  Meet me at 7:00 PM the day you receive this letter two blocks west of your dojo.
Michelle Chang
Akane's mouth slumped open as she read the challenge.  A fiancée??? Since when did Apsu have a fiancée?
"What are you going to do, Akane?"  Ranma asked as he finished reading the letter over Akane's shoulder.
Akane turned to look at Ranma.  She then looked down at the note.  "I've caused her a lot of trouble."
Ranma put his hand on Akane's shoulder.  "Listen, that wasn't your fault, we've been over that before.  It's the old freak's fault for teaching you that technique without teaching you how to control it, and my fault for pushing you to use it."
Akane sighed, "I can't ignore her."
Ranma lifted his hand from Akane's shoulder.  "Listen, when we get to the assigned place I'll talk with Apsu's fiancée.  I'll explain what happened and if she still wants to challenge you, I will be there in case something happens."
Akane smiled meekly, "Thanks, Ranma."
"No problem Akane, no problem..."
[...] One Hour Later
Ranma stood two blocks down the street from the Dojo.  It was night, and being January, was rather cold.  There was no traffic, as most of the residents of the city were busy keeping warm.
Akane was freezing.  She had skipped dinner because of the challenge, a fact her stomach was reminding her of constantly.
"I wish she would hurry up and show."  Akane said, agitated, as she drew her arms in closer.
"Wish GRANTED!"  A female voice shouted as a figure leaped from the darkness in front of Akane.  The girl that Akane assumed was Michelle was well dressed, in a uniform emblazoned in gold with the words 'Various Martial Arts'.  She had black hair, and the same twinkling blue eyes that she remembered on Apsu.
Ranma stepped forward, placing himself between Akane and Michelle.  "Listen Michelle,-"
"I don't want to hear it!  Get out of my way, I have a fight to take care of!"  Michelle was furious, both her face and tone reflected it well.
Akane stepped around Ranma, stopping when she was directly beside him.  "If that's how it has to be," she paused, then glanced at Ranma, "Ranma-stay out of our way for a few minutes."
Ranma looked at Akane, considering her chances, then stepped away from the two women to allow them a decent fighting area.  "Akane, if things get out of hand I will stop this fight."  he said as he walked a short distance away.
Akane did not hear him as she began to speak.  "I'm sorry for what happened to Apsu, I didn't mean-"
"Shutup and fight!"  Michelle leaped into the air, flashing out of Akane's sight, who assumed a defensive position.  She heard a battlecry from above and quickly moved to the side as she was caught in the right shoulder by a flying side kick.  She stumbled back from the force as Michelle backhanded her in the face, before punching her in the stomach.  Akane gasped as she leapt back, avoiding the follow-up attack.  She was already trickling blood from her nose, and her stomach felt sick.
"Pathetic."  Michelle stated as she ran up to Akane.  "Is this all you have to show for your family?"  A jab followed the statement.
Akane ducked as quickly as she could, barely evading the punch from Michelle.  She clenched her right fist as tight as she could as she leapt up, slamming her fist directly into Michelle's chin.
Michelle stepped back, rubbing her chin.  "I can see you have some skill after all.  Well, not like it will help you.  Prepare to feel pain, Akane Tendo."  With that Michelle ran at Akane, before leaping at her in another flying side kick.
Akane desperately swung her right arm to the side just as Michelle's foot entered range.  She hit it with her wrist, deflecting the kick.  In a flash of movement Michelle placed her right foot on the ground and used her forward momentum to add power to a lunging punch, which connected with the center of Akane's chest.
Akane gasped as air evacuated from her lungs.  She stumbled backward and grasped  Michelle's wrist. She managed to fall back and throw Michelle over her before quickly standing. 
Michelle quickly flipped back to her feet.  "This is where you pay for what you have done to me."
Akane stepped back.  Why?  Why couldn't she just explain what had happened and get it over?  She felt her mouth, rubbing off a large portion of blood, which began to drip from her fingers.
"I've had enough of you."  Akane stated as Michelle stepped forward.  Akane quickly adopted a defensive position as Michelle launched another series of punches.  She knocked Michelle's right fist aside, and quickly returned the attack.  She quickly punched Michelle in the face and the stomach, before roaring a battlecry as she lunged forward with her right fist.
Michelle's senses were jarred by the last punch Akane had thrown.  She stumbled back, and looked at Akane as another punch landed on her stomach.
Akane's face twisted with anger as blood dripped off of her chin, and dried on her hand.
"Sugoiken."
Michelle stepped back as a blue energy wave began to engulf her, she looked desperately at Akane, and screamed "No!" just as she was knocked back with tremendous force. She slammed into the ground with a loud thud nearly 20 feet down the street, and lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
Akane closed the distance between herself and Michelle by ten feet.  Ranma ran up beside her.
"You okay Akane?" Ranma asked,
Akane quickly nodded as she walked closer to the gasping Michelle.  "I'm sorry Michelle. I-I cant-"
Michelle scrambled to her feet, still breathing heavily. Her eyes were widened, and her expression was kept hard as steel. "You... have no idea of what you just did... Prepare to pay for your actions, Akane Tendo."
"Hold on, you attacked me, and your mad because I fought back?"
Michelle retrieved a vial from her pouch, "No, but I think you'll understand much better in a few seconds." She gazed into the clear liquid contained within the vial, then threw it into the air.  She looked up, keeping a close eye on the vial's location as she raised her right hand to aim at it.
Akane watched as a cone of flame erupted from Michelle's hand, striking and engulfing the vial for a few seconds.
Michelle caught the glass vial, burning her skin as she crushed it.  Blood flowed freely from the now deeply wounded hand.
"Why, hello Akane,"  said Apsu Tetsumi of the Tetsumi School of Various Martial Arts.  "I hope you didn't miss me too much..
"A-Apsu?  How - I mean what -" Apsu cut her off
	"Shutup! All I want right now is to beat you into a bloody pulp, do you understand me?"
	Ranma stepped forward, fuming, "You dishonorable bastard! You would come back after what is obviously a mistake and attack someone you dare call a friend, someone who is also a GIRL?"


	"Wait just a second," Ranma said as he quickly stepped in front of Akane, "You're not going to touch her again. If you try, you'll have to fight through me first." His deathly tone sent a shiver down Akane's spine, and she backed off a few steps.

Apsu swatted his hand, dislodging some of the larger shards of glass, "If you understood what I have been through since that 'accident', maybe you wouldn't have such a problem with my motives. Now stand aside! Akane and I have business."
"The only way you are going to get to Akane is by fighting through me first," Ranma said with resolve.
      "I can already tell I will enjoy testing out my training on you,"  Apsu said as he looked Ranma in the eye.
Ranma prepared for combat. "Only if you enjoy getting messed up, man."
Apsu walked toward Ranma, "Then let's see what you've got," he lashed out with a flurry of blows which connected with air as Ranma quickly dodged them. Apsu took evasive action as Ranma's foot nearly planted itself in his face, and stepped back and to his left. Ranma capitalized on Apsu's awkward dodge and pressed his attack forward, sending several quick jabs toward Apsu's face. Apsu dodged the onslaught, and after a few seconds ran toward Ranma and knocked his fists aside.
Ranma quickly stepped back in an attempt to recover his advantage when a large concussion blast slammed into him. His entire body was rattled, and he barely brought his defenses up in time as Apsu stepped toward him with a combo of snap and crescent kicks. He couldn't dodge in time, so he quickly blocked the first three kicks. Apsu followed through with a hook kick, and Ranma leaped  back to avoid the strike.
Apsu slowed his onslaught, and waited for Ranma to make the next move, Ranma stood, analyzing Apsu. Apsu was wearing down quicker than he should have, assuming he had been training a lot recently, but he still had an aura of confidence and power that Ranma could not ignore, "How 'bout it, Aps'? We stop now, and maybe you sit down and tell us what happened to you?" he didn't expect common sense to prevail, but had to show Akane that he was thinking of alternatives to fighting.
"You don't deserve to hear my story," he raised his left  hand as a deep blue aura began to ripple across it, "But I will tell you a little secret of mine."
"Oh? And what's that?" Ranma tensed in preparation for whatever Apsu was about to pull...
"I hate flying!" Apsu released a bolt of greenish energy, which flew at Ranma. Ranma dodged to the side as the bolt hit the ground in front of him, throwing concrete shrapnel through the air. If the shot had hit him, he noted, it would have killed him. Apsu was flinging chi energy as powerful as his own best techniques like it was nothing. As another blast slammed near him Ranma looked up to a telephone pole - his best chance was to get close as soon as possible. Using the dust and shrapnel as a smoke screen, he leaped up and used a telephone pole to swing himself at Apsu.
Apsu scanned the area in front of him when a motion above him caught his attention. He looked up just in time to see Ranma flying straight at him, he crossed his wrists in front of his face and braced himself as Ranma's attack slammed into him, knocking his hands hard against his face, and sending him in a 360. An abrupt scream was silenced as Apsu's head slammed into the concrete with a loud, muffled crunching sound.
"Ranma, is he ok?" Akane asked as she walked back to her fiancé's side.

"I doubt it, but I didn't see any other way to stop him at the time," Ranma knelt down beside Apsu, "He seems like he's pretty tough, what do we do with him?"

"I don't believe he just attacked me like that... He was really the only guy I ever trusted around here... he was interested more in a friendship than anything else while I knew him..."

"Wow, a guy around here that isn't a pervert? Unreal... I guess we should take him back to the dojo. Hopefully he will have calmed down when he wakes up."

"Ran...ma..." Ranma turned to see Apsu barely conscious, holding his right hand out to him, "Help...me..." his voice became choked as he struggled to continue, "Please... 'elp me..." his head and hand slumped, and he fell back to the ground unconscious.

Akane walked beside Apsu and kneeled next to him, after examining his apparently intact head she moved him to the side, "What was that about?" she asked Ranma, who sat in front of her.

"I don't know, but I'd like to find out why the quick change of mood.... Maybe I knocked some sense into him. Whatever the case lets get him back to the dojo. He wasn't exactly in top condition when he attacked you or myself, but then again if he got that curse the way I think he did, it's a wonder he is still alive," As he picked Apsu up, a light shower washed over the neighborhood, causing him and his cargo to shift sexes nearly instantly. He noticed Apsu convulsing lightly as the shift took hold over him, and silently wondered just what the hell was going on.

[...]  Ten Minutes Later
A blur of images and emotions raced through Apsu's head as consciousness came ever closer, "He..hello?" she said softly as she opened her eyes to a squint.
"Apsu???"  Akane asked.
"Oh god it hurts..."  Apsu's words trailed off into drowsiness as she began to fall unconscious again.
Ranma ran downstairs and retrieved some hot water, and after changing his own form he returned upstairs with a pot of hot water. He splashed the water over Apsu, causing him to return to his male form.
Apsu opened his eyes, and sighed. "Thanks for stopping me... I wasn't exactly myself out there."
"No kidding, what the hell got into you?" Ranma demanded
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it scares the hell out of me," he attempted to sit up, but winced as his body failed miserably, "If I could ask for something to eat, it would help immensely... I'm starved." 
Kasumi moved from her position behind Apsu, "I'll go get something, one minute." She then exited the room on her way downstairs. There had been nothing leftover from dinner, so Kasumi decided to make some sandwiches to hold Apsu over temporarily. She returned after only a moment and sat a plate with several various sandwiches next to Apsu, who downed them in only a few seconds.
Apsu sat up, willing his body to move. After a few seconds he managed to stand as a light flickering blue aura washed over his body.
Ranma quickly stood and motioned Kasumi and Akane out of the room, "If you even try something again you'll regret it!" He said as the aura continued to glow a flickering blue.
"Hold on a second," Apsu said as he closed his eyes, "This is just a healing technique, that's what I wanted the food for," Ranma watched carefully for a few seconds when Apsu's aura faded. Apsu looked over to Ranma, "That technique directly uses your body to use it's more standard fuels to heal itself a lot faster than normal... I still need to eat a lot more, and I might as well take you two out to eat as reparations for attacking you. I think I need to explain some things while I'm at it..."
Kasumi, who had been quietly listening since Apsu had awakened opened the door, "I'll go get something. I'll be back in one moment," Apsu and Ranma both said "Thanks," simultaneously, and Kasumi exited the room. She returned five minutes later with a large supply of sandwiches, which Apsu attacked as soon as he got his hands on them. After eating he stood and closed his eyes, raising a weak aura of blue which washed over his entire body.

"If you EVEN do this, Apsu, you will seriously regret it!" Ranma stood and motioned Akane and Kasumi to leave the room.

"Hold it," Apsu said calmly, "I'm not attacking you." The aura spread and became larger for a few seconds, then flashed as the energy entered Apsu. 

"Much better," he said as he looked at his right hand, "That was simply a healing technique I picked up during my training."

Ranma relaxed his guard a little, "Why didn't you use that on your hand before you fought me earlier?"

"This might sound weird, Ranma... but that was not me you fought... I don't know what it was... I don't know what I am, anymore, either. Listen, that healing technique uses a good deal of energy, those sandwiches I just ate aren't going to hold out long... I need more food, so why don't I take you all out to eat, and I'll try to explain what's happened to me."

Draxon's Review Corner Presents
An In-House Production
Ranma 1/2 : A Demon's Delight
Chapter 4 : My Friend of Misery
Theme Song: Metallica Black - Track 11 - Misery

Ranma sat down at the third table in the Cat Cafe'.  Akane seated herself to his left, while Apsu sat directly in front of them.  He spotted Shampoo taking an order on the other side of the restaurant as he looked past Apsu.
"I guess now is as good a time as any to attempt to explain my actions earlier," Apsu said.  He crossed his arms on the table and looked at Ranma, then to Akane. "You saw what happened to me when I was hit with cold water, right?"
Ranma nodded, Akane simply watched Apsu.
"Well, when you hit me with Sugoiken, Akane,"  he turned to her with a very serious face, "I was knocked an extremely long distance, directly at the training grounds of Jusenkyo."  He lowered his head for a second, trying to decide exactly how to word what he was trying to say.  "I was knocked directly into the spring of drowned girl.  The collision knocked me out, and blew the spring apart.  As I slept I was tortured by nightmare after nightmare, more realistic than any I have ever had before.  When I woke up three days later I could not move, every joint in my body was broken."  he slowly rubbed his elbow in memory of the pain, "I used my healing technique at very low energy, and nearly starved myself on the spot when I should have had at least some energy."  Ranma spoke while Apsu was thinking of what to say next,
"Hey man, get the main point across real quick if you can,  the girl behind you is going to go crazy when she sees me and our peaceful little conversation will probably be ruined." Akane started to react to Ranma's bragging, but decided to wait until another time.
Apsu nodded, "The guide was baffled by what had happened.  After a day I learned that my change was far more complete than anyone else's had been.  I not only took the form but everything else that goes along with it.  When I change, every male hormone in my body disappears and is replaced by female ones.  It makes me sick.  I also learned on the fourth day that I was far weaker in female form, another thing the guide thought was strange.  We talked for a while, and I told him exactly what had happened.  This is how I learned about your technique.  He said that he had not told me earlier, but two others similar to me had fallen into the spring after battling one named 'Happosai'."
Ranma glared, he felt a need to crush the two foot perverted martial arts master.  Utilizing a large amount of his self control, he suppressed as much of his emotions as he could, but a light flickering battle aura still washed over his skin.
Apsu looked at Ranma, "Do you know him?"  His tone still carried the calm, even tone that had characterized him during the conversation.
"Yeah, I know him," Ranma said, sending chills down Akane's spine with the ominous tone he portrayed.  "He is supposed to be the founding master of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts..."
Apsu's eyes narrowed, "I will speak with him as soon as possible,"  He turned to face Akane, "He taught you this, didn't he?"
Akane could only nod meekly in response at first, but after a few seconds she regained her voice.  "I-I didn't know that it would do that.... He didn't tell me!"
Apsu nodded slowly, at once sending a feeling of reassurance through Akane, while at the same time his furious face scared her slightly.  Apsu turned to Ranma, who sat quietly, harboring his emotions under a mask of self control.  "Ranma, when you were first affected by the change, did you have nightmares?"
Ranma looked down at the table as he slowly traced his index finger across it's surface.  "Yeah, but not the way you described them."
Apsu closed his eyes for a few seconds, and his head drooped a little.  H sniffled and Akane and Ranma could make out a shivering motion.  Apsu looked up, his eyes now glistened with newly forming tears.  His crystal gaze distorted behind the liquid, creating a swirling hue of crystalline blue.  "That's the worst part!"  He wiped his eyes clear, making them puffy red in the process.  "I... I can't sleep with these..."  He closed his eyes tight, attempting to repress his memories of visions and emotions he had never thought he would feel in such power within his lifetime.  "I haven't slept in six days.  I used my healing technique to partially sustain me, but I can't take it any longer!  It's even worse when I sleep...  I can't stand it.  I wake up screaming..."
Ranma listened to Apsu carefully, comparing him with the person he had met for a few moments six days ago.  "He's so different,"  he thought over and over.  The person he had met six days ago had been well reserved, self confident, and very much less troubled.  "Is there anything Akane or I can do to help?"  He asked, regret once again clawing at his consciousness.
"Welcome to Cat Cafe.  Nihao, Ranma!  You come to see Shampoo?"   Shampoo looked happily at Ranma,  "Shampoo so happy!"
Ranma looked up at her, "Shampoo, could you take our orders and give us a few minutes?  I'd really appreciate it."  He looked at Apsu, then back to Shampoo.
Shampoo looked over the group of three at the table.  She could tell that not everyone was as happy as she was, so she simply nodded and pulled a notepad from the sash tied around her apron.  "I take order now."  she said, disappointed.
"Large spiced ramen."  Apsu said as normally as he could, failing miserably.  After he ordered he took some comfort from Akane and Ranma caring about what had happened to him.  "Not like it'll help,"  he thought, "I can't carry on a normal life like this... Father will kill me.  And what am I going to say to Michelle?  'Oh sorry Michelle,  I was gone seven days instead of six because I had to use your name in a duel completely lose it."  A bowl of Ramen was placed a few inches in front of him on the table, he looked at the girl named Shampoo as she placed everyone's orders down.  He looked solemnly into the bowl for a few seconds.  "And I intend to take Happosai out with me."
Ranma looked at Apsu, examining him closely.  "I want the freak," he thought.  He then thought of all of the previous fights he had with Happosai.  None of them were life or death, so he knew that the pervert hadn't been using his most powerful techniques.  "Listen man, I can take Happosai and get away with it... If you go crazy on him he will probably kill you," Ranma said seriously.
Apsu looked at Ranma.  "It's better than... than this.  That bastard is going to meet a friend of mine who happens to be the Tetsumi ultimate technique.  If I do die in combat, consider it suicide with style."  the streams of tears ceased as Apsu found a goal, an escape from the hell that was his very existence.
"Apsu no!" Akane pleaded as she broke into tears, "I'm sure we can find something to help!  You don't have to-"  Apsu interrupted her as he quickly stood and walked to her side of the table, stopping shortly behind her.
"Stay still, and see what I have seen, feel what I have felt,"  he grasped her head on either side, just above the ears, and summoned a devastating combination of images - sounds, smells, pain, and feelings.
Akane screamed in horror at the twisted images and feelings which invaded her mind.  A demonic laughing began to resonate throughout her head when her connection with Apsu was terminated.  She collapsed forward, barely catching herself before she would slam into the table.  People around the restaurant leapt out of their seats and watched Apsu carefully.
"And just what is your problem?" he said, with venom dripping from his voice.
"What did you do to that girl?"  Apsu guessed the man that had decided to confront him was in his lower 30's.  A quick examination revealed a low muscle mass and a seemingly weak structure on him.
"And just who the hell are you to care?"  He raised his right hand in front of his face, then quickly clenched it, causing his battle aura to begin to spill from his fist in a cascading crystalline color.
Ranma bolted out of his chair, placing himself between Apsu and the man.  He looked to the man, who was simply staring over him at Apsu.  "It's okay, my friend here has just had a little too much stress recently."
The man nodded, and slowly returned to his seat.  Ranma turned to Apsu to see energy spilling out of both his hands and eyes, creating a cloud of pulsating crystalline energy that covered his face and chest.  "Apsu!  Calm down!" he shouted above the growing roar of a full fledged chi buildup.  Arcs of lightning-like energy pulsed through the clouds of energy, before the energy stressed and warped as if it were beginning to be harnessed.  "Damnit Apsu!  Get a grip over yourself!"  A flash of imploding light blinded him.  He stumbled back and desperately covered his eyes with his hands and arms.  As the flash of light cleared Ranma opened his eyes and looked at Apsu, who was absorbing several streams of energy through his chest.  Apsu looked at Ranma with a face of even and controlled anger.
Apsu turned to see a small woman on a cane behind the counter.  She was watching him carefully.  "I guess I know where I'm not welcome," he said angrily as he turned and walked toward the door.
Akane stood as she finally began to recover from the blast of emotion Apsu had bored into her mind.  She slowly stood, shaking wildly with fear, as Apsu neared the door.  She felt her chest, which pulsed rapidly with her heavy breathing.  She looked at Ranma, who was shaking his head as he walked to her.
"Are you okay?"  Ranma looked at Akane's tortured face, her bruises were now acting as crossroads of tears.
"We have to help him," Akane said as the flow of tears lost its initial intensity, "C'mon, don't just stand there!" she pleaded as she ran to the door.
Ranma shook his head slowly as Akane neared the door, "As much as I