This is going to be an extremely dark fic, so if you are of weak heart
or if your offended by violence and bad language (or if you just don't
like Ranma 1/2 in general) I would not recommend reading this. For
those who don't fit in those categories... I suggest that you let your
emotions run wild while reading this. It may start like any normal
Ranma adventure, but things don't always work out in our heroes favor
(I wouldn't consider it a dark fic yet, but remember that this is only
the prelude).

Most of the characters within the story are from the Anime Series,
Ranma 1/2 and are property of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else may
own the rights. I write this without permission and do so with no
attempt to profit off of the marvelous works. Please enjoy.

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction: Vengeance
	Prelude: Ryouga Plots Revenge
		by Ryan Erik


        The rain poured endlessly over the near flooding streets of
Nerima on that Monday morning. Merchants along Nerima's streets closed
shop early due to the storm and the people's unwillingness to leave
the safety of indoors. Hitoshi Yoshida was one such merchant, owning a
flower shop which did oddly well in all seasons.
        Hitoshi gazed outside through his glass door watching the rain
wash the street clean of anything and anyone who was stupid enough to
brave it. He didn't care much for the very odd weather patterns that
Nerima had picked up in the last couple years, but business certainly
has never been better. Strangely enough, his best customer hasn't been
seen for days though. "I wonder what happened to that poor fool Kuno?"
        He wouldn't see anyone else today so he went to flip the
'Closed' sign, but the door gave way to allow a young man enter.
Hitoshi looked at this customer closely not recognizing him to be one
of his regulars. 'Only Kuno would be foolish enough to actually buy
flowers on a day like this... but maybe not.' He smiled and allowed
his customer enter and set down his umbrella, allowing the merchant to
get a good look at the young man.
        Standing quite tall, the man loomed over the short merchant,
by a good foot or more. He had short, but somewhat shaggy, black hair
that was hiding a yellow and black spotted bandanna which only showed
on the back of his head. He wore a look of confusion on his face that
pointed that he knew not where he was. He had the look of a boy who
lost his way from home, but this was no child. The young man looked
Hitoshi's way giving him a good view of his face even though it was
somewhat dark in the shop. He had young but roughened features, as if
he had been through much weathering. Many girls would find him quite
attractive, or so Hitoshi thought. His eyes are what made the man seem
unordinary, which was by far very ordinary here in Nerima. They seemed
to carry a great burden and hopelessness that were probably fueled by
some inner self-loathing. Hitoshi considered himself a good judge of
people who he just met, and this young man seemed undyingly troubled.
        "Can I help you young man?" Hitoshi asked a few moments after
this young man had entered his shop. "Are you looking for something or
just trying to get out of the rain?" The man looked at him, with a
definite internal struggle going on within. The youth seemed very
unsure of himself at that moment.
        "Umm... well, I'm looking for Nerima. You wouldn't happen to
know where that is?" At least the boy knew Japanese. He looked at the
merchant and the merchant beamed a warm smile at the youth. "You do
not have to look far, young one. You are standing in my flower shop
that lies in the center of Nerima." The shock on the youth's face
turned to ecstasy after a few moments. Hitoshi thought he heard the
youth mumble something about thanking fate. "Well, you might as well
make yourself comfortable. No one with any common sense would walk
out in that downpour." The youth smiled at him showing a fang-like
tooth.
        He found some chairs in his storage room and set them down,
motioning for the youth to sit, as he took a seat himself. "Now why
don't you tell me why you are so troubled while we wait for this
storm to pass us by?" The youth took a seat and set his large pack
on the floor. "Oh, I forgot my manners. I am Hitoshi Yoshida, owner
of this fine establishment, the Flower Emporium." He stood up briefly
and bowed to the youth.
        The young man stood up bowed and said, "I'm Ryouga Hibiki." He
sat down once more and appeared to be thinking deeply. The merchant
relaxed in his chair and gave Ryouga his time to answer his first
question. The youth looked eager to pour out his woes just as the
heavens poured rain upon them this very day.
        "I don't know where to began," Ryouga said honestly throwing
up his hands. The merchant reassured them that the rain would take a
while to pass, so the youth began his story. "I guess it all began
years ago when I first met him..." He put his hand through his hair
pushing it aside and away from his eyes. He then told the merchant
briefly about his first encounter with another youth named Ranma
Saotome, of whom the Hitoshi was familiar. He described how they first
met when Ranma kept stealing bread from him in the lunch line in
junior high school, and then about how Ranma 'skipped out' on their
duel. "...but the coward didn't have courage to show himself on the
fourth day!" Ryouga then told him how he pursued Ranma across the
ocean into China, and he described for Hitoshi, the many hardships
that he encountered. "So I followed him to this place called Jusenkyo,
but..."
        "You went to Jusenkyo??!" Hitoshi was shocked. He was familiar
with the accursed place. "Did you get cursed?" Ryouga nodded sadly
and cast his eyes upon the floor. Ryouga explained how the young girl
knocked him into the spring of the drowned pig, so that when the poor
youth comes into contact with cold water he turns into a small black
pig while hot water reverses the transition back into a human. After
that he told him of his hardships and how he once again he found Ranma
Saotome, and how he met his love Akane Tendo. He went into detail
about how Ranma teased him to no end. "So this Ranma, who is at fault
for turning you into a pig in the first place, not only isn't sorry,
but he also pokes fun at you?" Ryouga nodded causing Hitoshi to scowl.
        "So, what has happened since then?" Ryouga told him of his
wanderings and how they always took him back to Nerima. He also
explained the situation with Ranma, and how he leads on four women at
their, and their possible other suitor's, expense. Of this he was very
certain, for Ryouga made it very clear that he hated the young Saotome
and wanted revenge on him desperately. "I see. You want revenge but
hurting him would also in turn hurt Akane, and your chances with her."
He pondered on this young mans poor luck, and wondered if anyone
could have any worse?
        "Hmm, so does this Akane Tendo return your love at all?"
        "I don't know," was all Ryouga could say. "I know her love for
Ranma, if she has any, is misplaced. He is a horrible person and
can only insult her. Why can't she see that?" Hitoshi had been in the
same situation years ago when he was a youth, and felt for this young
man. "The only one who likes... well liked me, was a girl named Akari,
but our last meeting was our last." The young man that told him of the
girl named Akari whom loved him, but they were not fated to be. "She
wanted me to love her, but I couldn't for another held my heart. Akane
will always hold my heart and I would do anything for her." He
described their last meeting, which was a very bitter one. He told her
of his love for Akane, and she expressed her undying love. He said
that he could never love her back, and she left heart broken.
        "You should tell this Akane of your love for her. That is the
only way you'll ever know if she loves you, or could love you back."
Ryouga looked like he was about to cry but didn't. "You are having
problems working up the nerve, no?" Ryouga nodded and Hitoshi spoke
again. "Remember what you said. You said that you would do anything
for her? Well, you have to tell her now, or never."

                *               *               *

        The rain stopped and Ryouga Hibiki bid the very generous
flower shop owner farewell. He looked at the beautiful bouquet of
roses that he held in his hands, of which Hitoshi-san had been very
generous and offered them for half of the cost. He would win Akane's
heart tonight... 
	He neared the Tendo dojo at dawn the next day and was
exhausted from lack of sleep. He day dreamed as he walked in the
doors...

        "Oh Ryouga!" Akane fell into his arms and embraced her. His
fantasy was short lived though, for he failed to watch where he was
going and walked right into the koi pond. **SPLASH**!
        "Bwee!!" A small black piglet, wearing a familiar yellow
bandanna with black spots emerged from the pool instead of the young
man. The small pig squealed and barely stayed afloat until he felt
someone pick him up by his bandanna.
        "So Ryouga, you decided to show up after all." The black pig
glared at the young red head who held him and tried to bite her. "Hey
now! No need to be rude, sheesh." She dropped him away from her and
the pig fell to the floor squarely on his behind causing pain to
spread throughout his being.
        The young woman collect Ryouga's gear from the koi pond and
also managed to grab the flowers before they became ruined. "Are these
for me Ryouga?" she teased. "You shouldn't have." Anger flooded the
mind of the small black pig. The flowers that he got for Akane would
now be stolen by Ranma, the bastard. 'You are so dead!' the small
black pig thought.
        The girl named Ranma managed to pick up Ryouga by the bandanna
and carry him into the dojo. "You stay right her now, I'll get us some
hot water." She left him alone in the now gigantic dojo. He thought
of all the horrible ways he wanted to kill Ranma.
        A handsome young man returned in her place, his hair soaking
wet. "So, did you get our invitation? We knew we'd have to send one
out to you earlier then everyone else's so that you'd arrive on time."
Ryouga looked at him in confusion as he changed back into a human when
the young man poured hot water over him.
        Ryouga quickly dressed himself and picked up the floors. "I
don't know what your talking about Ranma, but I won't fall for any of
your tricks today!" He brushed passed Ranma angrily. Ryouga turned to
look at him and glared. "Invitations for what?" His face was wrought
with confusion.
        "Well, the wedding of course! So you didn't get it?"
        "Who's getting married? Did Dr. Tofu finally ask Kasumi to
marry him?" Ranma laughed out loud. 'He will pay for mocking me.'
Ryouga attacked him with a fierce punch to the face, which Ranma
dodged with ease.
        "Cool down man!" Ranma tripped Ryouga and sent him sprawling
onto the floor. "Akane and my wedding, you dolt!"
        Ryouga stopped dead. He started to pull himself off of the
floor but his legs were unwilling. His whole world seemed to be
crashing down on top of him at that moment, and he hoped it would
crush him. There was nothing left. Nothing. He felt nauseous and fell
back to the floor unconscious.

                *               *               *

        Ryouga opened eyes and stared into the eyes of his goddess. He
gazed into those brown orbs and drowned himself in them. His head
flooded with pain and he moaned softly. "Oh I think he's awake!" came
a soft voice, the soft voice that he loved so much. It was the voice
that cared for him so many times when he was down or injured. "You
okay Ryouga?"
        Ryouga came to and looked around. He was in the Tendo's living
room, and above him was his one and only love. Akane. "Yeah," he
muttered faintly. He sat up and looked Akane smiling at him. 'Can this
be a dream? I'm with her and I'm not a pig! She seems happy to see
me!' He then noticed Ranma a few feet back and realized the gravity of
the situation. "Is it true Akane? Your getting married?"
        Akane's eyes dazzled and she beamed a beautiful smile at him.
"Yes! We're getting married in the spring!" That was like a dagger in
the heart to poor Ryouga who lay back. Ranma had won. Ranma had won
a battle so final that there was no surviving, no second chances.
His mouth ran dry and his thoughts simply vanished. She was marrying
his most hated enemy.
        Ranma also came over and smiled at him but Ryouga's icy return
cause him to back off. "I'm going to head out. I'll be back soon
Akane." Ranma's departure enabled Ryouga to breath once more. How
could this be happening?
        A few moments passed and Akane stood up. "Can I get you some
tea or water Ryouga? You've been out for most of the day." He knew
what he had to do. "Ryouga?" Akane pressed her hand against his
forehead trying to feel for a temperature. "You don't have a fever."
He stood up next to her and grabbed her hands gently.
        "Akane... I... I... I'm sorry. I have to go for good this
time." She looked at him with a compassion that only she could show to
him, the lost boy. She tried to stop him as he turned and fled.
        "Ryouga wait! Please don't go!" Her pleas turned his heart to
mush as he ran from the accursed dojo. "Ryouga! Please stop..." He ran
as fast as he could, putting as much distance as he could between him
and her. Tears flooded his eyes and he had no idea where he was going,
but he didn't care anymore. His heart of glass was shattered, and it
was all HIS own fault. He never had the nerve to tell Akane his true
feelings, and Ranma beat him to the punch. Wandering forever sounded
good right now.

                *               *               *

        Ranma Saotome left the dojo in low spirits. He didn't want to
be on bad terms with any of his old friends, especially not so near to
his wedding. Ryouga showed up on que and he expected the pig-boy to
listen to reason and just live on. 'I expected that? from Ryouga?' He
laughed inwardly, but he found little humor in it. He set his mind up
for what he was doing next.
        Ukyou Kounji, his best friend, was leaving town today and he
was going to her restaurant to wish her farewell. Another friend was
leaving his life today. She had refused his invitation to the wedding
stating that it would be too painful, and that she needed to move on
into the next chapter of her life. Life without her wouldn't be as
pleasant but life always goes on.
        He neared Ucchan's, Ukyou's restaurant and his pet name for
her. There were no customers today, for she was packing up and moving
out. As he walked in he received his familiar greeting, "You came,
Ranchan." She seemed to say that to reassure herself more then
anything. She smiled and greeted him with a hug.
        "Of course I did Ukyou! What are best friends for?" His last
words seemed to make the mood a little more dim, but she brightened
up quickly. "I'm sad that you have to leave Nerima... I'll miss ya."
He smiled faintly at her, and she beamed one back.
        "You'll have very little time on your hands, especially with
Akane becoming your wife and running the dojo." He nodded but it was
only half sincere. "Since your here, why don't you help me pack?" He
nodded and they went about most of the day packing her stores
equipment, and other items.
        Day turned to night and their job was finished. "Thanks
Ranma." She walked over to him from her seat at the grill. "I'm going
to miss you so much." Tears started to flow from her eyes and she
reached out for him.
        "Don't cry Ucchan... I'll always be there for you when you
need me." He always hated when girls cried, especially when he was to
blame. He held her tightly, and then she tilted her head and kissed
him fully on the lips causing him to look back in shock.
        "You have my promise that I will never interfere with yours
and Akane's lives again." He nodded sorrowfully as she walked him
out of her shop and closed the doors behind him. Tomorrow would be
a day of new beginnings for her, and he only could hope and pray that
she would be okay.
        He headed back to the dojo not noticing the figure whom stood
across the street, witnessing the whole scene.

                *               *               *

        Night fell upon the lost boy, and he once more knew not where
he was. His eyes still red from a recent cry, scanned his
surroundings, which were still within a city. He noticed the signs
were still in Japanese, so he couldn't have wandered too far from
Nerima, even though that was his intent.
        As he chose to lose himself in the vastness of the world, fate
took over and guided him to where he was meant to be at the right
moment. Ryouga never supposed that he ever went places without purpose
but that simply wasn't true, for he had saved more people without
trying then Jackie Chan had in all of his movies put together. Ryouga
never thought twice about this and therefore was given renewed hope of
life with meaning.
        Why he ended up at Ucchan's he did not know but he decided to
approach it and maybe get a few bites to eat. Ukyou was always a good
friend to him when it came to feeding him.
        He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the young man in the
red Chinese shirt, and baggy pants that he knew too well for his own
liking. "Rannnnma," he growled under his breath in an attempt to not
catch anyone's attention. He watched intently on the scene before him.
Ranma and Ukyou were talking when suddenly they embraced and he saw
them began to kiss deeply. His thoughts burned with hatred and renewed
anger for Ranma Saotome. He would kill him right now if he were able
but that would only bring more trouble then good it could possibly do,
as of now anyway. 'Ranma will pay for his unfaithfulness to Akane!'
        He concealed himself in the shadows as Ranma exited Ucchan's
and walked down the street. He thought about following for a moment,
but it was already too late for Ranma disappeared out of sight. Maybe
it wasn't such a good idea to visit Ukyou after all.

                *               *               *

Four days later.

        It was another one of those long days for young Ranma Saotome.
He was woken up early, like always, for practice with his father. As
always, he fell into the koi pond then requiring hot water for his
curse. Unfortunately, he never got to use it for Akane punted him far
away for some reason he did not know. He landed squarely on Kuno, who
chased him around Nerima for a good half an hour before he could get
back to the dojo and change back with the hot water he had prepared
earlier. Now he was off to try and convince Cologne and Shampoo, for
the thousandth time, to back off and let him marry Akane.
        "Airen!" The expected cry came from the restaurant that he
was approaching and a familiar purple-haired girl came rushing at
him. He sighed an prepared for the upcoming glomp, but it never
came. "You get rid of Violent Tomboy and marry Shampoo now, yes?"
        Ranma sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy task,
but it had to be done. "Shampoo, please listen to me for a minute."
She nodded in consent and he continued. 'Shampoo, I can't marry
you. I love Akane, and nothing is going to break the bond that we
share. Great, now all I have to do is say it!' "Umm... Shampoo?"
        "Hai?" She smiled at him affectionately.
        "I don't love you." He regretted his words right after he said
them. 'Good going slick,' He thought to himself. She only stared at
him in disbelief. She was about to say something but he cut her off.
"I l... love Akane, and nothing anyone can do will ever make me
change my mind." His heart beat quickly as he held his breath, waiting
for a reaction.
        She sighed aloud and spoke, "Great Grandma prepare Shampoo for
this moment last night. Shampoo no cry." He finally took in a breath.
He hated seeing women cry. "Come here Ranma." She pulled him by the
collar of his blue Chinese shirt that he wore today and into a side
alley that was currently unoccupied by anything. She looked at him
long and hard and drew him close into an embrace and kissed him for
a moment and then released.
        "What was that for Shampoo?" he wondered how the old Ghoul had
prepared her for him and he started to panic even more. Shampoo let
him take a few steps back then she sighed.
        "That how Shampoo say good bye Air... Ranma."

                *               *               *

        From across the street, once more Ryouga watched Ranma take
advantage of another girl! His day of death is now!!

                *               *               *

        Ranma started to make his way away from Shampoo and back to
the Tendo Dojo when he heard a familiar battle cry. "Die Ranma!" He
rolled his eyes and took a defensive stance as Ryouga charged him.
"You'll pay for what you've done to Akane!" Ryouga closed the ground
between them quickly and Ranma prepared for Ryouga's very anticipated
attack. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" The ground exploded, spraying pieces of
concrete everywhere but Ranma was well aware of the range that
Ryouga's over used move gave him. "Die for Akane!" He rushed Ranma
like the fool he was and jumped into the air bringing his foot down
to crush the life from his victim.
        Ranma dodge this attack, moving just far enough not to get hit
then closed in on Ryouga. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ryouga managed
to block a few of the punches, but nearly one hundred slipped through
his defense.
        "Gah!" Ryouga, taking the beating, then attacked Ranma with a
few swipes of his umbrella but Ranma again dodged his strikes and
then countered with several punches that struck Ryouga.
        Ranma knew he had won this battle even before it started as
Ryouga fell back stunned. "Come on man, lets talk about this?"
Ranma offered which Ryouga answered with a rising battle aura.
'Damn it! He's going to use the Shishi Houkou Dan! He'll level
the whole area for sure!' Unwantingly, Ranma charged Ryouga and
leveled him with a kick that could've destroyed a brick wall.
        Ryouga fell the the floor obviously unconscious and beaten.
"Stupid P-chan! Why do you gotta always go pickin' fights with me?"
He looked at Ryouga's limp form and decided he'd had enough of
him and left him on the street.

                *               *               *

        "Ryouga... are you okay?" He heard a voice interrupting his
nightmares and giving him a single ray of hope. Pain flushed away
his conscious mind again, not allowing him to answer the voice.
"Ryouga, please wake up?" The voice seemed sad, and concerned for
him. He so desperately wanted to answer its call. He managed to shift
one eyes open, but his vision was blurred and he couldn't see much.
        'How many times this week will I need to be revived?' he
wondered. He shifted his other eye open and tried to focus on what
was in front of him. White. A white ceiling was what he stared at.
"Your going to be okay Ryouga." A familiar voice reassured him. "You
just had a nasty concussion, but you should heal pretty quickly
and be ready to leave tomorrow." He returned Dr. Tofu's stare.
        He tried to pull himself into a sitting position but Tofu
held him down. "Try not to strain yourself. You'll recover quicker
that way." Yes. He must recover to exact revenge on Ranma somehow.
All of a sudden he felt very drowsy  'I... can't stay... awake.'

        Ryouga's eyes shot open and he sat up immediately. He felt
strangely refreshed, and his head barely hurt at all. He remembered
the day before's events and he tried to hold back his anger. 'No
reason to get upset now... I must concentrate and get revenge on
that filthy cheating bastard.'
        "I'm glad your awake. You can go whenever you want now for
I held you back a couple more days so you could at least be in
good shape before you go out charging into a fray once again."
Dr. Tofu knew him too well. Ryouga gathered his gear after
thanking the good doctor and made his away towards the Tendo
Dojo which, because of fate, he would not see for a good deal of
time.


______________________________________________________________________

This series is far from over as you will see.
In the next part Ryouga wanders and finds himself
in China, with a cure to all of his problems.
Thanks to Sam Vilsmeier (who wrote Ranma x2, a 
very funny/trippy fic), for letting me use his
fanfic idea, couldn't have done it without'em.
(Contact Sam at sam_74@email.msn.com)


C&C to
Email:  	ryanerik59@hotmail.com or
                magusbloodstone@hotmail.com (this one
		gets kind've spammed with FFML emails)

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