Draxon's Review Corner Presents
   An In-House Production
        Ranma 1/2
    A Demon's Delight

Chapter 1: The Sugoiken

    Gimme fuel!
    Gimme fire!
    Gimme that which I desire!
    YEAH!
          --Metallica, Fuel

    Ranma stood with determination as a cold January wind washed across his
face.  His pigtail flapped in the wind as he considered how to complete his
objective.  Eight feet in front of him stood his opponent, Genma, and Ranma
knew exactly what he had to do.  He was going to kick his sorry ass.
    The pair, as if reading each other's minds, took flight at the same time
and collided above the koi pond in a raging flurry of kicks and punches.
They aborted the engagement by instinct when gravity began to take hold, and
landed on opposite ends of the pond.
    Round 1: Tie
    "Boy, you must be getting slower in your old age.  I haven't seen you
fight that sloppily in months!" He stretched his arms in preparation for the
next attack as he spoke, "You're never going to be good enough to take over
the Anything-Goes school if you don't take this simple training seriously!"
    Ranma stepped to the side of the pond in preparation to take the more
direct ground approach, "Well maybe if you hadn't stolen my last five meals
I'd be moving a bit faster," he ran forward and launched a flurry of
punches, "You lousy *thief!*"
    Genma blocked the first few shots of Ranma's Amaguriken attack with
general ease.  Unfortunately for him though, Ranma was *not* going to let
him get off that easy.  Genma took two seconds to look for an opening and
when he thought he found it *THWACK*
    Round 2: Ranma
    Ranma watched his father take flight for a few seconds, "That's what you
get for stealing my food, next time get some bamboo and I'll shove it down
yer throat!"  He winced a bit in sympathy pain when Genma slammed into the
ground, then waited for his father's inevitable attack.
    Genma flipped back to his feet, "Boy, you've been playing too much
Street Fighter.  Since when did you start using flying uppercuts?"
    "Hey, I won't get any better if I wait for *you* to teach me anything,"
he paused for a second and held his stomach, which growled angrily, "And at
least the TV has the common decency to not steal food!"
    Kasumi watched Ranma and Genma for a few seconds with a smile on her
face - they were so *good* at what they did.  *Sniff* *Sniff*, "Oh my,
what's that?" She looked toward the kitchen and saw a cloud of greenish gas
wafting in her general direction.  She looked at it for a few moments, but a
loud splash and a lot of yelling caught her attention and she looked where
Ranma and Genma had been fighting.
    "AHH!  GET OFF A' ME!!!" Onna-Ranma screamed in writhing agony.  Kasumi
noted that Ranma and Genma had apparently met with the forces of the koi
pond while she had been distracted.  Kasumi's face twitched with sensed pain
when she saw Ranma being crushed into the ground; she was one with the
Earth--literally.  Genma-Panda laughed triumphantly as he sat on her back,
then pulled her legs into an impossible twisted position and held them.
    Ranma screamed and tried every possible movement to escape from Genma's
impossible hold, then fell limp with hunger and defeat.  Genma, sensing that
his point was made, released Ranma and stood up.  *Mistake*
    Ranma bolted back to her feet and nailed the panda in the face with a
jumping crescent kick, then gave him an anatomically unsafe combination of
227 Amaguriken punches to the stomach and 41 snap kicks to the face. Ranma
finished the combo and slammed the giant panda on the ground with a powerful
sweeping throw maneuver.
    Round 3: Ranma
    Kasumi turned her attention from the fight to the more immediate issue
of Akane cooking. It was so sweet of her to work this hard to make Ranma
another breakfast, but-ErRrK-!  She doubled over, coughing herself nuts in
the process as the fumes washed across her face.  She produced a gasmask
from hammerspace when Akane ran out of the kitchen with... *IT*  Kasumi
looked at the pulsating sludge that oozed out of the bowl and realized that
if Ranma were to survive this day it would be because of divine
intervention.  Not that Akane hadn't tried, mind you.  She was so sweet when
she wanted to be.
    Akane looked at the monster that somehow resembled her sister, "Kasumi,
why the gas mask?  Is there a bomb threat?"
    Kasumi nodded, "North Koreans again," Okay, so it wasn't nice to lie,
but she wasn't going to be rude to her sister, geesh...  Genma-panda flew
past the two and slammed into the living room wall with a loud crash, then a
very female Ranma immediately leapt in for the attack.
    "Since when did you start up with these ridiculous holds, huh?"  Ranma
spat as Genma flopped to the floor in front of her, "You been messin' with
games too?"
    Genma-panda squiggled on a sign and held it up, "No, WCW wrestling!"  He
then found the sign crashed over his head rather violently.
    Round 4: Ranma
    "No wonder I never learn anything useful from you - huh? What's that -
oh no..."  Ranma finally noticed Akane (and why was she wearing a gas mask?)
motioning for her to eat... *IT*... This stuff, which could be called
nothing but *IT*, oozed and happily bubbled out of its ceramic bowl... And
oh god it looked bad.
    Ranma pointed at the food with a look of terror on her face, silently
asking a question who's answer could strike fear into the hearts of men and
gods alike.  The question that Ranma finally managed to stammer out in a
broken sentence, "D-did y-ou, m-m-m-ake... thathatha... THAT?"
    Akane nodded proudly, "Yup, looks good, *DOESN'T* it?"  She shoved the
bowl in Ranma's face, which turned a sickly color normally reserved for the
elderly.
    "Wha.. eew... What's the-" She exploded into a fit of coughing, "the
mask," HACK HACK, "for?"  She fell backwards and tripped over her father,
which had the effect of making her fall flat on her ass while feeling rather
nauseous. Ranma's stomach threatened to relieve her of its contents, but she
managed to get it under control.  Barely.
    "Oh yeah, I forgot!  Put this on!"  Akane pulled another gas mask from
hammerspace and tossed it to Ranma, "Kasumi said the Koreans are invading or
something," she looked at the fumes which filled the house now, "They must
be using Sarin or something."
    Ranma hastily put her gas mask on, "Yeah they're invading all right.
They musta' sent you one *hell* of a cookbook," She managed to gain the
courage to approach the... *IT* that Akane had cooked, "So, what all did you
put in this thing?"
    "Ranma you JERK, Japan is under attack and your worried about what I put
in your breakfast?  Who did you learn your priorities from?"
    "That idiot," Ranma pointed at the panda, which nodded affirmatively
before slumping over.
    "Small wonder," Akane ran to the front door and looked out to see if any
wartime events were occurring in Nerima, then ran back to the living room.
    "Akane, it's really important.  What did you put in that... That
*stuff?*"
    Akane huffed, "If you *must* know, I made pancakes!  I went out and
bought the batter last night because *you* were complaining about being so
hungry.  I guess you're not so hungry after all! HMPH!"
    "Akane, you had to have put something else in there... I mean, look at
it!  It's breathing, which means it's *alive*.  Pancake batter does *not*
come to life just like that, even you couldn't do that without putting more
junk in there.  Now c'mon, just tell me what's in it so I know if we need to
call poison control."
    Akane began to grow a little sheepish, "Well, umm, I *did* use some
stuff labeled E-Coli 168."
    Ranma began to shake slightly, "You're joking Akane."
    Akane shook her head, "No, I'm sorry if it didn't work but you don't
have to be-
    "AKANE.  You.  Are.  Joking."  Ranma nodded her head, "AREN'T you,
Akane?"  She pointed at the *IT*, "And ya know *why* you're joking?"
    "Ranma, if you don't like my cooking just say so!"  She threw the bowl
of *IT* on the table, cracking it open.  *Big* mistake.
    "This is beyond cooking!  You used a *fatal* disease!  E Coli kills
people!"  She looked at the panda, which appeared to be quite dead from the
stench, "Plus you've got this weird gas floating around and if we take off
these masks we're probably dead!  Thanks, Akane, you just made my day!"
    "*R*ANM*A*!!!!"  Ranma had two seconds of warning before her body set a
course for geo-synchronous orbit, courtesy of Akane's fist.
    Round 5: Akane
    Then *IT* stood.  Kasumi screamed in terror when... *IT* began to move
around.  Akane bolted to the side and turned around to se--Kami-sama.
    "R...Ran-ma... You can, uhh, come *back* now!!"
    The *IT*; a mass of syrup, batter, pestilence, and home cooking
ingredients grew to near-human size and lunged at Akane.  She had only
enough time to scream before *IT* plastered her into a nearby wall and
enveloped her body.

    Ranma shivered as the cold air of the stratosphere stripped away her
already non-existent body heat.  She could make out the shape of Japan below
her, and she swore by the Kami that Akane would never hear the end of
this--if she survived impact.

    Gosakugi Hikaru struggled frantically to keep his pencil moving at the
pace of his brain.  The event he was witnessing was totally unparalleled in
the history of the arcane Arts!  Akane Tendo was *truly* one of the greatest
(if not the most unaware) twisters of the ancient powers.  Nobody, *nobody*
could take a vial of various devastating diseases and mix it with household
ingredients to create... *IT*.  He smiled to himself; he never thought that
slipping that harmless looking vial into the Tendo kitchen would result in
these incredible events!  He watched as Akane's creation turned on her, and
for a second the thought crossed his mind that he could help her, and save
her!  She would be forever in debt to him!  Maybe even...  His mind began to
take a hentai turn, and he began to fantasize about his future with Akane.
Unfortunately for him, his fantasizing causing him to ignore the high
squealing sound in the sky above and Ranma crashed into him with a nuclear
payload.
    Ranma managed to stand after impaling Gos', and set about the task of
getting at least three of her six senses working again.  She wobbled around
in her quest for balance, but was brought back to herself by a series of
screams from the dojo.  She ripped off her gas mask and... d-AMN!
    "*WHEN* *I* *COOK* *SOMETHING* *IT* *DOES* *NOT* *EAT* ***ME***!!!!"
The *IT* exploded outward, and a very pissed-off-looking Akane emerged and
peeled it off of the other wall, "Mutant pancake or not, badly cooked or
not, city killing virus or not, YOU ARE STILL JUST A PANCAKE!"  She grasped
the pulsating blob and pulled it into the back yard, "Now, DIE!"
    Ranma was decently sure that Akane had the situation under control so
she took a few seconds to look over Gos's notes.  She fumed with anger when
she saw 'various life-threatening diseases' among the notes and turned the
page.  Eew, some badly written sex scene involving Akane.  ErK.  Well, Akane
would want to see it so she could further impale Gos at school, so Ranma
grabbed the notebook and ran to meet her most-uncute fiancee.
    "DIE DIE DIE!!!"  Akane, mallet pounding like Thor's Hammer, screamed at
the now not-so-big pancake.  She heard a clicking noise and nearly went
nuclear when her gas mask was pulled off of her.  She turned with murderous
intent, but allowed her anger to ebb when she saw Ranma looking rather...
pathetic.
    "Akane, I think the pancake is dead.  Listen, Gosunkugi was spying on us
a few minutes ago.  I got his notebook... did you actually use a bunch of
stuff that was just laying around?"
    Akane snatched the notebook and began reading, "...and I watched in
amazement as Akane's 'golem' pancake turned on her and attacked.  I must
sa-," and the pencil marks deteriorated into scribbles.  Akane looked back
to Ranma, "I don't believe this.  Next time I cook something I'll get it
right!"
    "Akane, maybe you should consider letting Kasumi cook the food from now
on.  I can't handle being threatened with this toxic stuff every day," she
wrapped her arms around herself to rebuild her supplies of body heat, "I
already have to rescue you from some weird pervert at least once every two
months or so, I've got this curse to deal with which is harder than you
might think, and I can't handle the thought of you cooking up another space
mutant every day on top of that!"
    "Don't you appreciate anything I do for you?  Do you think I like
messing up so much when I cook?  Maybe if someone would try to help me
instead of insulting me I'd get better!"
    "Kasumi's tried to help you before.  It didn't do any good, and she's
probably still having nightmares about being in the kitchen at the same time
as you."
    Akane started to give Ranma a piece of her mind but she stopped.  Her
angry expression withered away and was replaced by a look of... defeat?
"Ranma, I've put up with you being a pervert and a jerk for the past year
because occasionally you manage to act like a decent human being.  I... I
can't keep going like this anymore.  You are... well, I think you're okay
sometimes, but I can't spend my life waiting for those few moments when
you're not a total jerk.  Don't say anything, you'll just run your mouth if
you try.  I can't make you learn how to be nice to me, but if you don't
figure it out soon you're going to live the rest of your life in a
restaurant."
    Pervert?  Jerk?  Just who does she think she's talking to, anyway?
And... why is she being so calm about it... "Akane I know you think I'm a
perverted jerk.  I know that you think I enjoy fearing my next meal.  On top
of that, to you it seems like I enjoy having to fight off Shampoo every day,
and I know you can't understand what this curse really does to me.  That
leads me to one conclusion, Akane:  You don't know me.  Maybe nobody really
does."  She began to pace around in the cold, not minding that her skin was
getting a nip of frost bite, "If you don't at least try to understand me,
Akane, I *will* end up running an Anything-Goes Okinomiyaki restaurant,
because even though I don't really think of Ukyou the way she thinks of me I
know I can trust her to listen to me, and I can tell her nearly anything.
If you think I've spent the last year in the Dojo with you just because I
had nothing better to do or someth'an you're wrong."
    Akane stormed off toward the Dojo for a few seconds but halted when she
reached the entrance, "Ranma, I'm going to change into another uniform.
When I finish changing I'll spend an hour trying to get to know you, since
you seem to think I don't already.  I don't see why you think you can tell
Ukyou stuff that you won't tell me, it's not like I haven't seen you at your
worst."  She disappeared into the Dojo.
    Ranma stood like an old, weary statue.  Her wet clothes flapped with a
gust of wind and her bones chilled like ice.  It felt strangely appropriate
to her, and mirrored the emotions that seeped slowly from her heart.  She
held her position, not having the motivation to move to warmer territory,
"Akane you just don't understand... There are some things I just can't tell
you..."  She looked at the ground where a dying mutated pancake wriggled
with its last desperate movements.  Appropriate.
    Final round: Akane
    Then *IT* attacked.

[...]  Fuurinkan High School, Lunch Time

    "Listen Akane, I know you've been wanting me to say this for a long
time, so I'll just up and say it!  I'm SORRY!  I'm sorry that your freakish
cooking made you miss a mandatory test!  I'm sorry if I wasn't able to kill
the damn thing without a trip to Doctor Tofu's afterward!  Of course it's
all my fault!  I should be strong enough to handle being used as a long
range missile, and after that I should still have it in me to kill off your
cooking projects before we come to school!  I'll work out more!"  Ranma
prepared to continue his onslaught, but stopped himself.  Akane's little
session of talking had been turned into a war of survival against the
mutated pancake, which had ended up being a lot harder than expected.  Ranma
had come out of that fight half-dead and only the wrath of Akane's mallet
had saved him from a worse fate.  Of course, after Akane remembered that
she'd missed a test while saving Ranma's sorry hide she took it out on him.
Typical.
    "Ranma the best thing you can do is just go off and spend some time with
the fiancee you actually like.  Either that or learn to shut up while you're
ahead.  I've still got that mallet and I think maybe another trip to Dr.
Tofu's clinic would do wonders for your ego."
    Ranma threw his backpack to the ground next to the tree that Akane was
sitting under, "Go ahead Akane.  Hit me and make it hard, why dont'cha?
C'mon, you know you want to.  That's your solution to everything these days,
isn't it?  I've already seen what happens when you get really mad.  Japan
looks beautiful from up in space but I must say the fall is a real pain."
He stepped forward so he could lower his voice signifigantly, "How can you
ask me to be nice and caring and open with you when you hold everything
against me?  How can you expect me to be the great reliable guy that you
want when I can't get you to so much as listen to me when there is a
problem?  If you truly knew me you would either kill me or you wouldn't
bother to talk to me.  This may sound weird but I *want* us to at *least*
manage some kind of a weird friendship.  The person that you offered a
friendship to last year still exists, and although I'm not quite as female
as you thought back then I still want at least that."  He threw himself down
and rummaged through his backpack until he found the lunch Kasumi had
prepared for him.
    Akane looked at Ranma; the man she liked... or, loved?  She hoped that
she'd have the time to figure that out, but that wasn't going to happen with
the pace of current events.  Her mind raced through several trains of
thought... Unless Hinako gave her a major break she had failed English, and
the same went for Ranma.  She began to regret what she'd said earlier, and
her emotional fortress began to collapse under the pressure of a continuing
siege.  She began to formulate a response to Ranma's emotional opening, but
couldn't bring herself to speak without allowing her defenses to collapse.
After a few seconds of trying she pulled her knees to her chest and buried
her face in them.
    "Akane, in case you didn't notice I just gave you a chance to take back
all that stuff you said earlier.  What's the deal?"
    Akane wrenched with an emotionally-induced shudder, then her fears,
doubts, and frustrations broke through the castle walls and slaughtered the
stability that had lived within.  Her eyes began to water, and that very
fact led her to surrender to pain.  It could be so much easier to cry
sometimes...
    "Whoa, Akane - hold up a second.  It's not that bad-
    "How would you know?"  She shot back, "You don't have to live my life!"
her sobs continued quietly, and she hoped that nobody had noticed her little
breakdown.
    "Akane, what's wrong?  Maybe I can help you or something..."  He noticed
a flickering blue battle aura that said in a clear threatening tone 'Akane
is pissed right now so leave her the hell alone' but if Akane was actually
feeling bad he had at least a small chance of getting inside her head for a
while...
    "Just go," Akane muttered softly between sobs, "All you can do is make
things worse."
    "No, tell me why you can't stick with one mood for more than an hour and
I'll be satisfied at that; but I can't sit here and just watch you freak out
without at least trying to help."  To his surprise Akane's battle aura
exploded in size and strength, and the girl bolted to her feet with a look
of sadness and anger plastered onto her face.
    "Ranma you jerk!  Can't you at least see when I want to be left alone?
When I actually want to be around you you're always off with one of those
other girls, but when I need to be alone you can be counted on to be there,
agitating me until I just want to DIE!"  Her expression changed quickly from
anger and sadness to something that resembled... Realization?  She brought
her hands together in front of her and began to channel energy into a ball
of chi...  Ranma stood and backed off a few steps - No way!  Akane was
actually channeling her chi?  Waitasec - didn't that mean she was about to
hit someone?
    Ranma's fears proved invalid, as Akane lost her concentration the ball
of chi simply dispersed harmlessly into the air.  Akane stumbled forward on
her way with a meeting with the ground but Ranma had the good sense to catch
her in mid-fall.
    "Akane," he said as he set her down next to the tree, "Don't worry,
things'll work out, somehow."
     Akane decided not to respond.

[...] Fuurinkan High School, 3:32 P.M.

    After the second half of her school day proved uneventful Akane began to
walk home, not really sure exactly how she felt.  She just hoped that
nothing else went wrong... She really couldn't handle anymore on this
particular day.
    Rule number one of being Akane: Don't hope that nothing else goes wrong.
The laws of reality inherently worked against her.  How else could she have
ended up with a perverted aqua-transsexual for a fiance?  Well anyhow, Akane
had broken the golden rule and the universe had to choose a punishment of
some sort.
    "Akane my dear, you're looking rather, uhh, pathetic."  Happousai.  Go
figure.  The elder martial arts master perched himself on Akane's right
shoulder and began to speak;
    "I've heard that you nearly executed a special technique today, is it
true?"
    Akane grabbed Happousai and slam-dunked him into the concrete wall that
surrounded the school, "Yes I did, and if you even start being perverted
with me today I will personally beat you into a bloody pulp."
    Happousai recovered and hopped in front of Akane, "Let me guess - that
ingrate Ranma made you mad and you came close to plastering him."  Akane
nodded, "Akane, I'm not a total fool.  I am growing old, and I may not have
too many years left in me.  I can't teach Ranma the techniques of the Higher
Arts of the Anything-Goes school of martial arts because he just does not
learn, but *you* might be a different story!"
    Akane found a bench and sat down, "You've got five minutes to convince
me not to seriously hurt you."
    "Ahh, Akane!  It isn't about hurting me.  It is about teaching you to
deal with your problems through the power of the Art!  Within this aging
mind of mine are locked the secrets to devastating techniques.  Techniques
that dwarf all of Ranma's attacks combined.  Techniques that you may be able
to learn *if* you do a little work for me first..."
    Akane sighed - she did *not* have time for this nonsense, "I am not
helping you steal some poor girl's underwear.  I am not going to pull any
photo shoots for you - unlike Ranma *I* have some modesty.  I am not going
to help you sneak around in the hot tubs and I am most definitely not going
to stick around long enough for you trick me into doing any of that stuff.
Goodbye!"
    "Akane--" the seriousness of the old man's tone managed to halt Akane's
planned departure, "--although you refuse to take part in what I consider to
be basic training for Anything-Goes martial arts I am willing to make a
compromise of sorts.  There is a clothing store just down the road that has
an excellent selection of dearies.  All you have to do is push a shopping
cart around while I handle the rest.  Deal?"
    Akane stood and stared at the little freak, "You must be out of your
mind, I knew you'd snap someday, and now that you're into *new* underwear I
guess you must have finally lost it.  Go feed your fetish somewhere else,
pervert.  I have better things to do."
    Happousai hopped onto the bench as Akane began to walk off.  Teaching
her a technique of the higher arts was *mandatory,* and he had to do it
*today*.  If he didn't... he didn't want to consider what was in store for
him.  Time for some persuasion.
    "Akane, don't you at least want Ranma to see that you can be strong?
Does your heart not burn with desire to show the world that Akane Tendo is
not a person to be run over?  I spent a good deal of my younger days being
rejected and run over by those who were stronger than myself.  I *know* how
you feel, Akane.  I can make you strong.  I have the knowledge that will
become raw power once you are in possession of it.  If you trust me for just
this day I will give you the key to that knowledge and you will become the
Akane Tendo that you want to be so much.  An Akane that is worthy of
carrying on the traditions of the Anything-Goes school.  An Akane Tendo that
is equal with any Saotome."
    Akane wanted to storm off and leave the old pervert eating dust.  She
*wanted* to show everyone that she was already not someone to be run over -
but was she?  She wanted to ignore the pervert's lies... But did he somehow
tell the truth through those lies?  True, the stronger she was the more she
could stand up for herself; but what if she humiliated herself for the old
man's sick pleasures only to be betrayed and hurt?
    Whether she knew it or not, her mind was set.  To the higher arts - and
god help Happousai if he was lying.

[...] 5:27

    Akane's heart thumped and crashed about in her chest in protest of the
most-unnecessary levels of stress she was feeling.  The last two hours or so
had been any girl's worst nightmare!  Basic training?  Yeah, right.  Akane
shook with nervousness.  The police would probably be stopping by the Dojo
within the next few hours to arrest her after her supposed 'training', which
consisted of helping the old man rob about 10 clothing stores back to back
while raising general hell through the city.
    "Well, now that I won't be able to face my friends again for a few years
I guess you can go ahead and teach me this higher technique of yours."  She
continued to shake nervously; now she'd dropped to the level of her father
and Mr. Saotome...  Che.
    Happousai looked over his most-awesome collection of lingerie and
feminine intimate wear.  If only they had been graced by the touch of a
female's fine skin he would feel content, but for now he had a more
immediate issue to deal with.  He decided to give the clothes to Ranma and
maybe even snatch them back later - He'd heard increasing rumors that Ranma
had been checking out his 'other self', but he hadn't had time to confirm
the rumor yet.  Either way, the look on Ranma's face would be classic.  Now
to deal with Akane...
    "Akane, you have proven today that you are indeed enough of a student to
hold the secrets of the Higher Arts.  As a reward for your faithful work you
will learn a technique of power beyond that which Ranma has *ever* mastered.
Behold the power of... *Sugoiken.*"
    The old man approached a large tree.  The tree's presence was one of
durability, of strength, and of determination.  Its size indicated that it
had stood for at least one hundred years, through even the wrath of the
second World War, the Meiji Restoration, and the modernization of Japan.
Now a two foot tall old man stood at the base of the tree and decided its
fate.
    "Anything-Goes Higher Art - SUGOIKEN!"  Happousai tapped his fist on the
side of the tree and watched with satisfaction as a blue aura of destructive
power aligned itself next to the symbol of stability.  The wave of energy
completed its formation and began to move through the tree - depositing
small inklings of explosive energy throughout the plant as it moved.  The
wave of energy dissipated once it moved through the entire body of the
plant, and Akane waited.
    "Well, so far it looks just great, but I don't see why you consider a
light show to be a higher art."  Akane's pulse rate dropped back to an
acceptable level and she prepared herself to kill the old lech if he didn't
have something better to show her.
    "Akane, you fool.  I have not even executed the damaging part of the
technique yet - I could have done it immediately but the damage would have
been dealt too quickly for you to see the true power you are soon to
command."  He held his right hand in the air, waved it to his left to get
Akane's full attention, then turned his side toward the tree.  He aimed his
palm at the tree and pushed on the air.
    Akane fell out of the bench she had been sitting on as a violent shaking
overcame the very Earth.  She regained her bearings and focused on what was
happening to the tree which had been the target of Happousai's attack and
for the first time she was in utter awe of the old man's power.  Beautiful
blue streams of energy encircled the tree's entire height for a few seconds,
then jetted off into the sky in a looping maneuver.  The streams of raw
power coalesced into a single star-like ball of chi which held its position
about 20 feet from the tree like a predator ready to hunt.
    "Akane, observe carefully.  I am executing this technique painfully
slowly so that you can see the kind of power you will soon posses.  Do not
blink your eyes for even a second - for if you do you will miss the true
meaning of power."  He held his concentration and pushed the stolen shopping
cart away from what was about to become ground zero.  He looked at Akane,
who was staring intently, then he looked at the ball of chi that waited for
his command to trigger the Sugoiken's true power, "May the Kami forgive me
if this technique is ever mis-used..."  He triggered the final phase of the
technique.
    The bolt of chi energy shot forward, ripping the earth beneath it with
pure force.  Akane bolted to her feet in shock when the energy once again
met with the tree.  The side of the tree that Happousai had tapped began to
warp and arc inward, then a wave of pure heat erupted from the tree's
innards and washed across its surface.  The tree began to glow like a
Supergiant star in the final stages of life, and a sharp screeching sound
began to scream forth from the force of the attack.  Akane covered her ears
but nothing could stop the sensations of pain that threatened to overcome
her consciousness.  Just as she prepared to surrender to physical pain the
noise ceased and another wave of energy appeared next to the tree.  This
time the energy slammed into the tree like the shockwave of a nuclear blast
and promptly shredded the tree on the cellular level.  The ground shook
again with the power of the blast, and this time Akane, having been too
paralyzed with awe and anticipation to keep her balance, fell flat on the
ground.
    "Akane.  THAT is power.  Now observe the technique at full speed."  He
walked to another tree and tapped it.  This time, however, the wave of
energy bored through it voraciously and less than a second later the tree
was shattering into sawdust...
    Akane's mind was set - that technique was going to be hers at any
cost... It held the potential to maybe, just maybe put her on Ranma's level
if she mastered it...
    "Happousai, how should I go about learning that technique?  I *will*
learn it."
    Happousai nodded sagely, "Are you so sure that you want to go through
the training?  You may find it to be a bit emotionally, hmm, stimulating."
    Akane approached the old lech, knowing full well what he meant, "I don't
care what kind of training it is.  I'll do anything."  She waited for a
second, then added "Almost," to keep Happousai from getting any lecherous
ideas.
    "Very well Akane.  We must go to a location where we can have absolute
privacy, where I will proceed to teach you the power of the Sugoiken."

[...] 5:37 Ucchan's Okinomiyaki Restaraunt

    Ranma inhaled another round of okinomiyaki with record speed.  His mouth
moved with speed and power that could only be produced by a world-class
martial artist.  His hands moved at Amaguriken speed and danced with the
harmony of a pure eating machine... Nothing was to avoid the wrath of his
stomach on this night.  Or as Ukyou put it; he was stressed out and damn
near starving.  Ukyou had already closed the restaurant in order to fill
Ran-chan's noisy stomach but something told her that the one she loved
wanted to let off some steam, and she had a pretty good idea of what was
troubling him.  After all, the big talk around school after lunch had been
about Akane nearly blasting Ranma into oblivion.  That, and one other little
rumor...
    Ukyou brought another batch of Okinomiyaki to the table that Ranma had
occupied for the past 20 minutes and sat down in front of him.  She watched
him quietly and waited for either his appetite to ebb or for him to exhaust
his food supplies.  Of course, the food ran out before his appetite was
satisfied - but despite the room for more food Ranma sank back into his seat
feeling like a king.
    "Have you been trying out some new recipes Ucchan?  That was awesome."
    Ukyou smiled, "I'm glad you like it so much, but it's the same old
okinomiyaki," her expression dimmed a bit, "Why didn't you come in here a
few days ago?  You look like you haven't eaten in weeks."
    "I dunno," he said as his cheeriness left for better places, "That damn
thief father of mine is trying to starve me to death, and this morning Akane
cooked me what she swears up and down was supposed to be a pancake.  It
nearly killed me, then Akane got mad at *me* for not being able to fight off
her kitchen-made hordes of hell."
    "She's not *that* bad now, is she?  I'm glad that *I* can cook... are
you okay?"
    "Ucchan - I don't think you really understand what I meant.  The pancake
stood up and *attacked* me.  It's dissolved in the koi pond now, but
tomorrow I'll probably have to deal with mutated fish or something just as
ridiculous.  I'm also trying to figure out how I'm going to spend the rest
of my life with this curse and Akane is not helping me one damn bit in that
area."
    "Whoa - what's there to figure out about the curse?  You turn into a
girl with cold water and turn back with hot water--" wow, as if Ranma wasn't
well aware of that little factoid, "--but I thought after you all nearly
trashed Jusenkyou you decided you could handle it."
    Ranma fidgeted a bit, "It's not so much that I need to figure the curse
out... It's more like I need to figure out what it means to me.  Do I need
to just ignore what form I'm in at a given time?  Should I avoid being a
girl at all costs?  I've got a few hundred of those kinds of questions
floating around in my head and you're probably the only person that can help
me figure this mess out.  I... I do have, uhh, feelings for Akane - but she
just doesn't understand me the way you do.  She's still convinced I'm a
perverted jerk and with the way she's acting now she may never get the
picture."
    "I've got a feeling this is going to be one of those long talks... Hold
on honey, I'll get us something to drink."  With that Ukyou slid out of her
seat and hopped behind the counter.  A moment later she returned with a few
pitchers full of various types of soft drinks - from sweet iced tea through
the more popular ranks of the Coca-Cola beverages.  One more quick run and
she was armed with a set of glasses with which to drink from.  She checked
the setup - All set!
    "Okay.  Ran-chan, do you know about the rumor that's been floating
around recently?"
    "If you mean the thing with Akane trying to blow me up at lunch today
it's not much of a rumor.  Actually, hard fact would probably be a better
term for it."  Ucchan gave him one of those 'not that rumor' looks and had
to fight off a smile to keep the conversation on-track.
    "Ranma-honey, not that... Everyone knows that Akane's finally starting
to get one of those chi blast attacks down.  I'm talking about last Friday."
    "Uhh," he laughed innocently, "What about... last Friday?"
    O-boy.  At this point Ukyou was sure that the rumor was true.  Time to
break the news, "A couple of my more reliable customers said they saw you
running around last Friday wearing girl's clothes.  I mean, *real* girl's
clothes."
    Ranma filled his glass from the Mountain Dew pitcher and took a long
drink, "Okay, so there's a rumor running around.  What did they say I was
wearing and did they say anything else?"
    Ukyou took a sip of Pico Guyavana, "One of the guys said you were
wearing a full length, black silk dress and that you went by yourself to see
a movie."
    "Note to self - Find and destroy the source of that rumor - oh, I uhh,
kinda said that out loud didn't I?"  Ranma finished off his drink and began
pouring another,
    "Ranma, you need to loosen up a bit.  Think about who you're talking to!
I'm not exactly the most normal person around, and think - I'm around
Konatsu almost every day.  You're almost normal by comparison.  So did you
actually do it?  Without some mind altering drug or some mind controlling
force?"
    "Well, yeah...  It wasn't my idea.  Nabiki wanted to collect on an old
debt and for once I wasn't able to pay her back when we'd agreed.  Let's
just say she managed to get some, uhh, incriminating pictures of me and she
said that if she didn't get some kind of payment she was going to start
posting them up on every telephone pole in Tokyo.  Well, I asked her if
there was anything I could do to at least get some more time and she decided
to go for the humiliation factor."
    "Wow, really?"
    "No - I mean yes!  Shimata, I can't keep this stuff up."  He hesitated
for a few seconds then continued, "I did it on my own, kind of an impulse or
something.  Nabiki... had nothing to do with it."  Ranma slumped forward and
suddenly found that he couldn't bring his eyes to meet Ucchan's.
    "Well, the first thing to do is get your reputation cleaned up.  So, do
you wanna say it was a drug or mind control?"  Ranma shook his head, took a
drink of Mt. Dew, and laughed,
    "I don't care about a reputation anymore.  I've tried to patch it up for
the past year and every attempt just backfires.  Just let people think what
they will.  I've gotta start worrying about myself, and I can't handle all
of this on my own.  If I told anyone but you about that movie thing I'd
probably find myself sitting next to my good-for-nothing father within a
week thinking of the quickest way to kill myself, but rumors just don't have
the same effect.  Nobody seems to understand that I am a girl almost half
the time, and nobody can really know what that means to me."
    "Well, do you like being a girl?"
    "No, I'm kinda neutral to it now, but still... It's like I've been
denying myself something over the past year, and I can't figure out what or
why.  I think it has to do with the curse, which is why I did that movie
gig.  I should have done something slightly more private, but I'll have to
forgive myself for being stupid.  If the only way for me to finally get over
all of this is to 'play dress up' not only am I going to very unhappy but
all hell will break loose when people start to notice.  Akane will send me
into orbit, pops will probably try some stupid training trick on me, and
Nabiki will have a field day.  So the question is - What am I supposed to
do?"
    Ukyou took a few seconds to develop some advice, and sipped her drink,
"Okay - Here's what ya do.  You need to figure something out that has
everything to do with *you* and nothing to do with anyone else.  Take your
time, figure out what you want to do with your life, and go for it.  If
things get really bad and you need to get away from everyone you can always
stay with me.  I know that *I* wouldn't bother you about it...  Tell me, is
Akane the reason you're suddenly starting to change?"
    "I haven't really thought about it, but maybe.  Sometimes I think she
would have been happier all along if I'd just been a girl to spar with
occasionally.  But then again, It can't all center around Akane."
    "Well, I hope you figure this all out.  If your dad keeps stealing your
food just stop by tomorrow and I'll keep you fed.  Is there anything else?
I can always make you some more food if you're still hungry."
    Ranma finished off a pitcher of Coke, "Nah... I feel better already.
Listen, in case I made myself sound like some kinda freak; I'm still 100%
guy, and I always will be.  That outfit thing was probably a mistake anyway,
I need to think this stuff out more before I start running around making an
idiot of myself."  He stood up, "I'll see you tomorrow, Ucchan.  Thanks,
you've done more than you know."
    Ukyou stood and gave Ranma a quick hug, "Anytime Ran-chan.  Listen, if
Akane tries to cook anything else call me and I'll make you something to
eat.  I couldn't bear to stand by while she tried to make you eat that...
stuff."
    Ranma looked at Ukyou and smiled, "I'll have to take you up on that
offer.  Well, I wanted to get home by 6, but that isn't going to happen.
I'd better head on out so Akane doesn't feel too abandoned."  He walked out
of the cozy little restaurant feeling much better than he had when he first
decided to visit Ukyou.  Somehow he wasn't worried about the curse anymore,
and although he expected hellfire from Akane over something or another he
really didn't give a damn.
    He felt like the guy he wanted to be, and somehow that made everything
seem better.

[...]  8:39  - Tama prefecture  (Forested area outside of Tokyo)

    "So, how do I use the Sugoiken?"  Akane was primed and ready to learn
how to kick ass, and if one word would describe her it would have to be
'anxious'.  Happousai sat nearby and puffed on a pipe as he considered
exactly how he was going to get Akane in the correct mood to channel her chi
and draw upon the power of the Sugoiken.  Actually, he knew exactly what he
was going to do.
    "Now Akane, the version of the Sugoiken which you witnessed earlier
today was fueled by the power of concentration.  It fits me perfectly
because I can channel great power into it quickly, and I do not have to rely
on an emotional trigger to use that power.  I believe that at this point, at
least, you will need to find an emotional trigger to harness the power of
chi.  Think of your most powerful emotions, clench your fist, and try to
fill your fist with that energy."
    Akane closed her eyes and began to consider exactly what her most
powerful emotion would be.  After a few seconds she decided to try anger;
afterall, she always had an immediate source of anger nearby...  She
concentrated and began to think of stuff that made her mad... nope.  No
effect.
    "Well Akane, you're just going to have to find the proper trigger.  I'll
supply the motivation!"  With that the perverted old man attached himself to
Akane's chest.  Akane  reached to pull him off of her but before she could
get to him he was bouncing off of a nearby tree in preparation for his next
'attack'.  Akane punched at the old man, but was rather surprised when the
lech threw her into a nearby tree with her own momentum.
    "Akane, you're just not understanding this exercise, are you?"  He
watched as Akane slumped to the ground and groggily made her way back to her
feet, "The point is to learn a new technique, not to fight with me!"  Akane
attacked again, and Happousai promptly plastered her into another tree.
    "You jerk!  If I can't even fight back how am I supposed to try out this
technique?"
     Happousai puffed on his pipe, "That's exactly what you're here to find
out."  Akane immediately attacked, and Happousai replied by knocking her
feet out from under her and feeling on several places old men aren't usually
well versed in.  Akane stood up and dusted herself off to have the
appearance of a normal mood, then became hell-bent on killing Happousai.
Needless to say, the old lech didn't appreciate that one bit, so he sent
Akane flailing into another tree
    Minutes passed, and minutes soon became hours.  After almost three hours
of waging a futile war against Happousai Akane collapsed to the ground; and
this time she had no intention of trying to get up again.
    "Akane," Happousai said as he tapped her on the back of her head, "Get
up.  This little session isn't going to be over until you are throwing
Sugoikens.  Drill that into your head - I am not going to let you off this
easy.  I've already wasted too much time on you to walk away without having
taught you the technique."
    Akane just wanted to die - the old lech had made a total fool out of her
and if he really was trying to teach her the Sugoiken she wasn't exactly
picking it up very quickly.  She tried to pull herself to her feet but her
body wasn't complying.  Happousai noticed this little weakness and decided
to offer the ultimate in motivational tactics.
    "Akane.  The Sugoiken is a very powerful technique, but I have one that
is even more powerful and if you don't get up I'm afraid I'll have to use
it."
    Akane brought herself back to her knees and locked her eyes onto the
aging martial arts master.  If she could just get ahold of the freak...
    "Too slow Akane!  ANYTHING-GOES ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE, *GUOKEN PARK
SPECIAL*"  Happousai unloaded with a small volley of Happo-Firebursts, which
had the unfortunate effect of burning Akane's clothing off of her, "Phase
two!  Bean Jam Blowout!"  Akane found herself in a position normally
reserved for Ranma as she exploded into the atmosphere on a ballistic course
for the moon.  If anything, she felt hopeless now.  Her skin burned from the
bombs and now it seemed that Happousai was just going to beat the crap out
of her for a while before he gave up on her.
    Happousai ran to the shopping cart and quickly pulled a set of intimate
wear from his new collection.  Time for the phase that would really leave a
mark.  He jumped into the air and matched speed with Akane.  By the time the
pair fell back to the ground Akane looked like she should have been doing a
model shoot for Victoria's Secret.  Happousai looked at her and laughed
hysterically.  "I never thought I'd have to resort to *that* attack, but I
must say the pink teddi is definitely you!"
    Akane stood and looked over herself.  What she saw made her sick.  She
looked at Happousai for a few seconds, her mind numb from the recent turn of
events.  Finally the words came to her, and she spoke them slowly, smoothly,
and matter-of-factly.
    "You're dead," Akane took her attention off of Happousai and looked at
her right hand,  "Sugoiken."  She drew her fist back and felt the fire of
her hot chi energy coalescing within.  She threw the punch with a power that
even she had never used and somehow she knew that within the next few
seconds the old man would be nothing more than a pile of dust on the ground.
Happousai had other plans, and dodged Akane's punch; but that didn't stop
her from releasing the energy.  She reveled in a rush of pure power as a
shockwave of energy began to tear a path of nuclear destruction through the
forest.  Happousai watched - the feelings of pride and sadness competing for
expression.  After watching Akane stand motionless for a few seconds he
decided he had best leave, and went to his shopping cart.
    "Oh yeah, Akane.  Since you'll have to go back to the dojo here's
something slightly more covering to wear."  Akane looked at him for a
second - since when did the freak *ever* offer to put more clothing on a
female body?  Akane pondered the question for a second but was snapped from
her trance by a trench coat that happily slammed into her face.
    "Uhh, thanks," she slipped the coat on, "Hey, thanks.  I mean, for the
technique.  Maybe now I can get Ranma to at least respect me."
    "Akane.  You must be careful when using that technique against a human.
The Sugoiken is not a killing technique - when it hits a human being it will
knock them a distance proportional to the energy you channeled into it.  You
can smash almost anything that isn't alive with the Sugoiken, but beware of
showing off with this new power.  Goodbye."
    Akane's sense of touch kicked in, and suddenly she began to freeze.  She
pulled the trench coat tighter around her, and looked down at her fist.  On
her mental command it began to glow lightly, and she drew unmeasurable
comfort from the fact that  Ranma was no longer the only indispensable
martial artist in Tokyo, Japan.
    "Look out world, here comes Akane Tendo," she laughed and began walking
toward the train station that would take her back to Nerima, and like Ranma
she strangely felt better as she closed the distance to her destination.
She tried to put her finger on it... Maybe, just maybe it was because now
she had a chance at being the Akane Tendo that she'd always wanted to be...

[...]  Tendo Dojo, 11:00 PM

    Akane quietly slid into the front door of the Dojo and checked the
living room for anyone who might still be waiting on her.  Nope, oh well.
That just meant she didn't have to bother explaining her absence to anyone.
She made her way up to her room and once she was safely within its confines
she slipped off the trench coat and collapsed onto her bed.  She thought
about the hellacious day she'd had and on cue her body began to ache and
cramp in every possible manner.  She thought about taking Happousai's 'gift'
off, but found that she didn't have the energy to pull herself out of her
bed.  She pulled her blanket over her and allowed her body to hurt and
complain, but despite her physical pain she felt, well... Damn good.


Notes: I did a rush job on the tab stops, so I'll apologize in advance if I
missed any.  When I convince Wordpad and my email proggies to live together
things should go a lot smoother.  I'll post chapter 2 as soon as I fix the
tabs on it too...  I am very close the the 'lingering point' on chapter 3,
meaning that I am waiting for a good spot to cut it off and start chapter 4,
so expect it to appear conveniently in your in-box sometime soon. In the
original write of A Demon's Delight chapters 4, 5, and 6 were all very
short, and chapter 8 was the size of the rest of the chapters combined, so
it could take me anywhere from a week to several months to get chapter 4
out -- it depends on whether or not I keep the old story structure (Which,
so far, I have not.)

Chapter 2 is coming to an in box near you in roughly 20 minutes.