The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are
the creation and possession of the brilliant
Rumiko Takahashi. They belong to Rumiko
Takahashi and her licensees (Shogakukan Inc.,
Kitty-Fuji TV, Viz Communications Inc.) No
copyright infringement is intended.
I would like to thank my pre-reader Angel, without
whom this would be a much poorer story, if it existed
at all.
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Yellow Dragon, Black Tiger
******************************************
Chapter 3
part 3
Shaking off his momentary stupor, and
shaking some life back into his arm, Ranma took a
few steps forward and grabbed Soun by the shoulder.
"What's with this shihanke stuff?"
"As we have done twice before in our
history," Soun replied without taking his eyes from
his youngest daughter. "the Tendou school has
divided it's leadership. I remain souke, spiritual head
of the house. Ak . . .Yoarashi is ----"
"Wait, wait," Ranma interrupted. "Why're
you and the old ghoul callin' Akane, Yoarashi?"
"It is customary for those who survive the
Yellow Dragon to take a new name . . .one that has
some personal significance relating to their
enlightenment."
Ranma grimaced at that. "Yeahbut
. . .Yoarashi?"
"Soun smiled slightly, the first time Ranma
could remember seeing him smile since he'd read the
letter from . . .Akane. He couldn't really think of her
by any other name.
"You will have to ask her why she chose the
name Night Storm."
"What means shihanke?" Shan P'u asked
impatiently.
"It means that A . . .Yoarashi," Soun was also
having some problems with the name change. "is now
the teaching head of the house Tendou. She has the
responsibility to maintain the techniques, choose and
train students," his voice faltered a bit. "and fight
challengers."
"Ah maaan. This is just crazy!" Ranma
wasted another moment staring at Oda and Akane
who were walking toward each other before he
headed across the yard at a half jog closely followed
by the others. Moments later the supporters of the
Tendou clan formed a semicircle to the right of the
front gate. Oda's supporters formed rank to the left
of the gate, leaving open a space directly in front of
the Tendou home.
Akane and Oda moved until they stood
almost within arms reach of each other. At a distance
it looked like an even match as Oda was only
fractionally taller than Akane, who appeared much
stockier than her opponent.
K'e Lwun was not deceived and wished Akane . . .no
Yoarashi . . . had more seasoning. She was much
improved. She had in fact surprised the Amazon elder
for the first time in many years with how much she
was improved. Oda however was decades old in the
ruthless honing of power and his ch'i reeked of the
blood he had spilled, the lives he had taken. He might
be a jackal to Akane's lion but Oda was in his prime
and Akane a mere infant in comparison.
"Kuronuma Oda challenges the Tendou
shihanke for primacy." K'e Lwun announced
formally. "Who accepts this challenge?"
"I do." Akane said simply.
"The winner of this combat will be decided
under the rules . . ."
"Ah, excuse me honor elder." Oda interrupted
smoothly. "But since this is a challenge between two
schools of _combat_ art, I think a taryou-jiai is more
appropriate."
K'e Lwun's lips thinned fractionally in anger.
"You are the petitioner here sonny. You are in no
position to dictate a no-rules match or any----"
"Agreed."
"WHAT!" Ranma stormed forward and
grabbed Akane by the shoulder, spinning her around.
"Are you out of your mind!"
"Husband right," Shan P'u planted herself
opposite Ranma. "this no time show off. Oda bad
man, strong fighter. Akane-chan no take chances."
Shan P'u wasn't quite up on the name change either.
"It will be alright." Akane tried to reassure
them. "He's right. The Tendou ryuuha has always
taught a fighting art. If I'm going to face a challenge
it's only right that it be a real test. To see if the
Tendou school deserves to live."
"Dammit," Ranma hissed, pressing his face
close to Akane's. "I don't give a damn if the fuckin'
school lives. I want _you_ to live."
"No be stupid," Shan P'u agreed. " go back
China. Let evil man have house. Just wood, stone.
You train hard with great grandmother. Come back
kick Oda butt up around ears."
Akane chuckled and enveloped Shan P'u and
Ranma in a big hug. "Thanks for worrying about
me."Anger turned her face hard. "But if I run he'll
just follow. I can't bring trouble to you." She
squeezed Shan P'u's arm slightly. "And I can't leave
Oda, knowing what he's done to Ryouga. I can't run
away knowing what he'll keep on doing with
techniques he learned from our school." Before
anyone else could argue with her she spun away to
face Oda.
"Let's do it."
Oda smiled sweetly and reached out with a
deceptively gentle strike at Akane's chest.
Akane stepped away from the blow, electing
to play a waiting game while she analyzed Oda's
moves. Oda continued to smile while launching a
combination attack of stately, feather light blows.
Akane continued to back away, avoiding rather than
blocking even these seemingly innocuous blows and
refusing to reply with an attack of her own.
"Akane fighting smart, maybe she win?" Shan
P'u glanced questioningly at K'e Lwun.
"Perhaps." She was pleased to see Akane
was not fooled by Oda's deception but was worried
about what Oda had planned. She did not remain
worried long.
Almost faster than the eye could follow Oda
lashed out with a spinning crescent kick. Akane slid
away from this attack and into a savage spear point
fist directly over her heart.
Pain exploded in her chest and the world went
grey around her. Automatically her right hand arched
down and around in an axe-hand block even as she
moved away from Oda's attack. Oda moved with her,
seemingly tied to her with a steel rod, matching her
step for step as he continued with strike after strike
of short savage blows to her mid-section.
"Just like your Father," Oda remarked gently.
"slow, stupid and cowardly." He doubled her over
with a hammerhand-fist to the gut, emptying her
lungs with a woosh. Oda hooked his left hand behind
her head and accelerated her head down to meet his
knee driving upward; smashing her nose in a spray of
blood.
"Shit!" Ranma launched himself forward as he
saw Akane being battered into insensibility only to be
stopped short by K'e Lwun.
"What the _hell_ do you-----
"Softly, son-in-law,"K'e Lwun admonished
him, indicating Oda's watching men with a subtle nod
of her head. "Oda is playing with her right now.
Akane-chan is in no immediate danger." K'e Lwun
ignored Ranma's strangled protest. "I have already
made plans for this eventuality. Shan P'u, you see to
Kasumi-san and Nabiki-san. There is a car waiting
two streets over. We will meet you at the boat. Mu
Sz guard her back."
The blind magicians face glowed at the
thought of so important a duty.
"Genma and Soun have their instructions.
They will take Nodoka-san safely to the docks. I will
engage Oda. Son-in-law, you take care of Akane-
chan. Kuonji-san, if you would guard son-in-law's
back?" Ukyou grinned and loosened her battle-
spatula in it's sheath.
"Dammit, what are you waitin' for? Oda to
kill Akane?"
"Patience son-in-law. Timing is everything. I
will move at the appropriate moment and no sooner."
K'e Lwun spoke softly, seeming to pay little attention
to the fight. "We will have but one chance to escape
from Oda and his men."
"Great grandmother?" Shan P'u looked
worriedly at K'e Lwun. "What about you? If Oda is
as dangerous as you say, should you fight him
alone?"
"I thought you were going to practice your
Japanese?" K'e Lwun replied mildly.
"Do not try to distract me. You have seen to
everyone but yourself. What about you? How are you
going to escape?"
"Oda is three hundred years too early to get
the better----
"Don't change the subject. How----
Shan P'u's angry, whispered exchange with
K'e Lwun was interrupted by a loud crash. Shan P'u
jerked around to see Akane slam into the side of the
house. As she watched, Oda stalked across the yard
to stand over her prone form.
"Little Akane-ch-an. Dear, dear little Akane-
ch-an. Not a very "grand" master are you?" Stooping
slightly he grabbed Akane by the front of her tunic
and pulled her to her feet.
"Januniku----kyoushaku." He whispered,
kissing her softly on the forehead. The he slapped
her.
Blearily Akane tried to focus on the face in
front of her. Dimly she could hear Oda whisper the
Black Tiger's creed.
**The weak are meat; the strong eat.**
A hammer blow smashed into her cheek.
**The weak are meat.**
Another blow rocked her head, another, and
another.
**the strong eat**
Contemptuously Oda dropped Akane to the
ground, dusting his hands as if he'd touched
something soiled.
"Do you understand my power now? You
have no chance."
Akane looked up at Oda from where she lay
sprawled in the dirt. Wiping a hand across her
smashed lips she looked at the lacy pattern the smear
of blood left behind. The feathery design looked like
fractures in a crystal or . . . Groaning she pulled
herself to her feet.
"You----Are----Strong." Akane's words came
out stilted and overly formal. "Very----Fast----
Indeed. But-----My----Hands----Are----Faster. I----
Can----Defeat----You----Easily."
There was dead silence for a moment.
Then----
"Akane hit head?" Shan P'u asked worriedly.
Akane stared stone faced at the flabbergasted
Oda for a moment, then bent double laughing.
"Oh . . .oh . . ." She gasped around laughter,
"if you could _SEE_ your face."
"What are you blathering about." Oda spit,
thrown off his stride for once.
"Michelle Yeoh. Wing Chun?" When Oda still
looked blank Akane shook her head sorrowfully.
"Don't you watch Kung Fu movies? I've _always_
wanted to say that." She screwed up her face in what
she imagined a dramatic pose.
"_If you can smash my tofu you will defeat me._"
She misquoted.
At Oda's blank look she shook her head again. "You
don't know what you're missing." She grinned at
Oda as if talking with an old friend, not a man who
moments before had been trying to beat her senseless.
Trying and succeeding. Now, however, it appeared
Akane had gotten her second wind.
"You stupid little girl." Oda moved in on
Akane, intending to finish her quickly. "I'm going to
break your back. I know a whore-house in Thailand
that specializes in cripples." A quick Dragon kick that
would have fulfilled his promise to cripple Akane
missed by scant millimeters. "The bitch with the bow
is going into the room next to you."Akane danced
aside from a hammer-hand to the chest. "And when
I'm through with big-sis," he sneered the word as he
attacked with a lightning fast Tiger-fights-swallow .
"I'm going to stake her out naked in a room with no
door and charge a hundred yen a pop. Maybe if Soun
is a good boy I'll let him watch." Suddenly Oda
realized that not a single blow had landed, and Akane
wasn't even breathing hard.
"Dammit, I'm through fucking with you!"
Gathering his ch'i Oda attacked with a raking tiger-
claw fist, intending to smash Akane's chest and shred
her heart. Akane turned aside, and the killing blow
missed.
"Gently, gently." She admonished, patting
Oda on the back as he stumbled past.
"You fuckin' bitch!" Foam flecked Oda's
mouth as he rounded on Akane in a fury. A cold fire
burned in his eyes as he threw himself at Akane like a
tiger on a lamb. A bewildering storm of kicks and
strikes landed on Akane, or rather where Akane had
just been moments before.
"Ahhhh,"Shan P'u sighed in appreciation,
watching Akane dance aside from everything Oda
could throw at her. "How Akane get so much faster
than Oda?"
"She is not faster," K'e Lwun answered
watching Oda's men, more than Oda himself. "She is
merely quicker."
"Huh?" Ukyou grunted, unable to look away
from the fight. She comforted herself with the
thought that she was still cuter and a much better
cook. And maybe Akane would never find out all
about that 'Cave of Lost Love' thing.
"Yoarashi," K'e Lwun decided that Akane
had earned her new name. "is able to reach her
maximum speed and strength sooner than Oda. He is
still faster and stronger but Yoarashi is able to use
her strength and speed more effectively." A slight
smile crossed her face. "After proper training she will
make a magnificent Amazon."
"You think she has a chance then?" Ukyou
couldn't forget how savagely Oda had beaten Akane
at the start of the fight.
"As you can see . . ." K'e Lwun made a slight
motion toward the fight, never taking her eyes off
Oda's men. "she has found her center."
Ukyou blinked, then did a double take. In the
brief moment she had been distracted talking to K'e
Lwun, Akane had taken the fight to Oda. Although it
didn't look much like a fight. Oda was scowling
mightily as he lashed out with killing blows, but
Akane was laughing as she danced Oda around the
yard.
"Bitch. You . . .bitch." Oda growled at the
familiar smiling face. The same face he'd seen over a
decade earlier as she'd chased him from her house
with a broom. "I'll kill you. Kill . . .you all." The
same threat he'd made and been unable to fulfill.
"You're pretty good." Akane commented
through swollen lips. She slapped aside a stone
crusher fist with a tap light as a butterfly's kiss. It
wasn't powerful . . .just enough force to cause the
killing blow to miss. "But a martial artist's duty is to
protect the weak and serve justice." There was no
mistaking Akane's sincerity. "If you keep on this way
your karma will be to spend ten thousand years in
hell.
Oda stopped short, staring at her
incredulously. "You really believe this?" He shook his
head in amazement at Akane's nod. "And you think
you can beat me?" Another nod. Oda snorted in
disbelief. His attitude was understandable. Akane
looked like she'd been dragged backwards through a
minefield by a rabid bobcat while Oda still looked as
if he'd stepped out of a fashion magazine.
"You are fast,"Oda admitted graciously,
regaining his composure. "However there is more to
a fighting art than running away." Ranma didn't like
Oda's tone or his smile. "I propose an exchange of
blows to see who is the stronger. One blow each. The
first to go down is the loser. Should _I_ lose," he
bowed smoothly. "I pledge to leave you and your
family in peace."
"And if I lose?"
"Then you will become mine . . .my toy to do
with as I wish."
"The hell you say!" Ranma shrugged off K'e
Lwun's grip and stormed forward. "What the hell do
you think you're talkin' about! Ain't no way----"
Akane put out a hand to stop him.
"You will let my father and sisters . . .all my
friends leave?"
"Of course." Oda flicked a bit of imaginary
dust off his still immaculate tunic, bringing Akane's
torn and bloody appearance into greater contrast. "I
will have regained my honor after the Tendou's
shameful treatment of me."
"Go back to K'e Lwun, Ranma. She will get
you and my sisters out of here." Ranma started to
protest again, but was stopped by a warning squeeze.
His anger cooled enough to realize Oda's men were
all around them. Grim faced he stalked back to stand
beside K'e Lwun. Ranma realized Akane was afraid
Kasumi and Nabiki would get hurt, or worse, if
Oda's men started a fight to save their master. And
there was his mother to consider. And Ukyou and
Shan P'u . . .Ranma was sickly aware of how many
potential hostages Oda had if his men entered the
fight. Even if Ranma won, he would lose if anything
happened to his mother or . . .
Ranma wished he could just say to hell with
Kasumi and Nabiki and the rest. But he couldn't.
He'd have to let Oda think he'd won, let Akane take
her hits until Oda let his guard down. K'e Lwun's
plan would get everyone clear and then----Oda didn't
want to kill Akane, Ranma kept telling himself. K'e
Lwun and Akane seemed convinced that Oda wanted
to humiliate Akane more than he wanted her death.
Blood dripped from his clinched fists as his nails bit
into his palms.
Ranma would let Oda think he'd won when
he knocked Akane down. Then he'd fry him with a
Mouko Takabisha and piss on his corpse.
Ukyou's nose wrinkled as she caught the sent
of burning cotton. Looking around she could see
Ranma's aura flaring with an ugly blood-red fire.
Flinching at the look in his eyes she unsnapped the
safety strap on her battle spatula and slipped a double
brace of throwing spatulas into her left hand. Ranma
was getting a hell of a lot of millage out of telling her
she was cute Ukyou thought, picking her targets
carefully.
"You may strike the first blow." Oda offered
graciously.
"You are our guest." Akane dropped her
arms to her side, awaiting the blow.
Oda stood quietly for a moment, gathering his
ch'i, choosing his target. One blow to regain his
honor. One blow to show them who was the real
master. A demon fist, focusing all of his ch'i, all of
his power into a point the size of a 100-yen piece.
He'd drive straight through her rib cage and rip her
heart from her chest. His men would kill the old
Chinese and the others standing with her. Then he'd
settle with the old man and his daughters.
"Oh shit!" Ranma had a moment to realize
what Oda intended, sensing his gathering ch'i, just as
Oda's demon fist smashed into Akane's unprotected
chest with enough force to shatter stone.
Grunting slightly Akane swayed gently like a
flower in a spring breeze. Oda's massive ch'i bolt was
swallowed by Akane's battle spirit and disappeared
like a pebble thrown into the sea.
Oda blinked, drained and dazed by his
massive use of ch'i and unable to believe Akane was
still standing.
"My turn." Was all she said. The temperature
dropped suddenly and a small breeze kicked up some
dust and leaves around Akane's bare feet. The breeze
became a wind, the wind a torrent, lifting Akane's
hair like a battle flag and actually pushing Oda back a
step. Slowly she brought her hands together over her
head. Slowly she brought them down in front of her
face; as if praying. If it was a prayer, it was a prayer
for the dead and no one was in any doubt about who
was going to do the dying.
"All right Akane!" A manic grin split Ranma's
face as he cheered. He had a simple philosophy. You
hit Akane, you die. He'd have preferred twisting
Oda's head off and pretending he was a toothpaste
tube . . .but this wasn't bad; and that flaming aura
thing Akane was doing was pretty neat. He especially
liked the smell of ozone.
Looking into Akane's eyes Oda could see the
burning lake of iron that surrounded Emma Dai-O's
throne. Behind the King of the Dead were arrayed all
of Oda's victims. All the people he had killed or had
killed. The lives he had destroyed, the souls he had
corrupted. The flames grew higher and hotter and he
could see a host of demons waiting to devour his
soul. No, not _waiting_. A demon was here, in front
of him.
Akane stepped toward him, wreathed in
flames. She drew back an iron fist, burning with the
blood, rage and hate of all his victims.
"Nooooo!" Screaming Oda covered his face
with his hands."
"I win." Akane tapped Oda lightly between
the eyes, knocking him over.
Shivering Oda looked up at Akane.
"Wha . . ."
"I win."
"I don't think so."
End Chapter 3
part 3
This is a much expanded and revised version of a
story originally posted to FFML and submitted to
AnimeFEST as Chapter One, Yellow Dragon, Black
Tiger. The original Chapter One is _now_ Chapter
Two and contains an additional 1500 words.
Chapters One, Three, prologue and epilogue are
entirely new and never before seen on FFML.
The original, {award winning ^_^}, version of
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http://www.iguild.com/homes/kazama/
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