Subject: [FFML] Permanent 19 [Dark]
From: Ryoga P Hibiki
Date: 2/3/2000, 4:14 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com

	Permanent.

	Part 19

	The Devil in Miss Kuno...

	Ranma stood with her hand held up as the creatures charged, Ryoga and
Kuno gasped in shock as they slammed into an invisible wall in front of
them. The creatures repeatedly dove into the magic barrier like angry
piranha while making high pitched screaming sounds that sounded almost
human. Ranma smiled as she slowly closed her hand into a fist. The
creatures began to group together and started to move in every direction
at once. Ryoga and Kuno watched in awe as the girl's actions became
clear. Ranma quickly closed her hand tightly and a green ooze littered
with various chunks of flesh fell to the ground as the creatures were
crushed in the magical barrier. The girl had a wild and angered look in
her eyes as she did this; she calmly walked through the remains of the
monsters and motioned for the boys to follow.

	Akane felt the tears burn the left side of her face in intense pain as
she looked on at the monsters floating slowly towards her, seemingly
enjoying her terror. The lightning flashed creating a flash of blue light
in the hallway behind them. The girl stood and held her fists up; she
would die fighting like a true martial artist. The creatures hesitated
for a moment and the grins on their faces widened as they finally closed
in on her. Another flash of lightning caught the girl's eye and she
gasped in shock. Out in the hall way covered in boards was a window. She
grit her teeth and charged through the monsters punching and kicking her
way through them, they reacted and swarmed around her biting viciously
into her flesh and tearing at her hair as she rushed forward. Finally
somehow managing to keep going despite the pain and blood loss she
slammed into the window breaking through the rotting boards and glass
easily. She frowned as she saw the ground rush up to her face, it was
easily two stories up and she did not have the strength to right herself.
With a final laugh at the irony of the situation she hit the rocky ground
with an audible thump and did not move. A strange golden light seemed to
warm her body as her vision went out. "Ranma?" she dared to hope, but the
world seemed to fade away as she lay on the cool gravel and felt the
blood leave her body slowly. 

	Kodachi Kuno snarled at the boy as he completed the final rite of the
ritual. "Now, slay yourself and let the blood flow into the circle."
Gosunkugi smiled as he lifted the knife into the air and kneeled at the
center of the circle. He raised the knife into the air over his chest and
waited for his release to come finally. 
	Kodachi watched expectantly with the madness in her eyes becoming clear.
She raised her hands in triumph as the boy smiled quietly to himself.
"Come to me! My master!" her words died away in her mouth as she said
them. "Master? It cannot be! The noble house of Kuno serves on one!" her
mind tore desperately away from her task. An angry mask of hatred twisted
onto her face as she realized that she was not the one who wanted the
rite performed so badly. "No!" she screamed reaching for the boy. A spurt
of blood shot across the room somehow managing to catch her face. She
looked on in terror as the circle gave off a golden glow that seemed to
suck the light from the room as the blood from the boy's wound splattered
across the center of the circle.

	Gosunkugi screamed in terror as he was thrown from the circle violently
as a strange gust of wind blasted him in the arm. It was visible and
curved almost like a blade sending the appendage flying away into a
corner. The glowing form of the cursed key embedded in his wrist started
to spark and sputter violently and he watched in terror as it slowly
burned his arm away leaving a blackened skeleton behind. He looked over
at his right arm and saw nothing but a bloody stump and started to scream
in pain and fear as his nerves finally exploded in pain. He rolled over
on his side and whimpered pathetically as tears rushed down his face. He
almost didn't notice the dark shadow looming over him.

	"Kodachi!" screamed Ranma as she revealed her presence to the room
flanked by the two boys. Her face was calm and icy, at his side stood a
strange boy and her brother.
	"So you've come to stop me?! It's to late!" fear now dominated her
features as she stepped away from the circle in terror. Her face and
torso were covered in blood from where Ranma had severed the boy's arm
preventing him from killing himself and finishing the ritual with a wind
spell of some sort.
	"It's over Kodachi," said the girl flatly as she lowered her arm. Ryoga
and Kuno were staring at her in shock. "You're not in control, the thing
waiting on the other side of that gate is."
	"Liar!" screamed the girl as she blasted at Ranma with a white bolt. The
girl casually waved her hand and sent the blast careening into a wall
creating an explosion that showered debris across the room. 
	"You don't have the power to beat me Kodachi, I know every spell in that
book and hundreds more," said Ranma calmly.
	All attention in the room suddenly turned as a low rumbling laughter
echoed off the walls, the two opposing sides turned slowly to see an
immense creature with it's torso jutting from the magic circle. "But can
you defeat me insolent sorceress?" The thing was a dark green color and
it towered to the ceiling scraping its horns against it as it turned its
head and surveyed the surroundings. It had huge bat like wings behind its
back and two massive horns that protruded ten feet behind its head. The
demon had its massive arms crossed in front of its chest as it glared at
them with golden eyes that glowed in the darkness.
	"I can handle this!" sneered the insane girl as she turned on the beast
she had summoned.
	The creature snorted and waved its hand; Kodachi found herself slammed
against the wall and lifted by an invisible force. "Do not forget that
you serve me now wench!"
	Gosunkugi staggered to his feet and slowly walked over to Ranma's side
clutching his arm; blood flowed freely from his mouth and he gave her an
appreciative smile. "Hello sensei."
	The girl shoved him into Ryoga's arms with a casual snort and the boy
pulled him away seeking refuge by a stone wall.
	"He intends to hide like a coward?" said Kuno in shock.
	"He's protecting the weak, and my powers can be made stronger by him;
but not if he fights. Besides, as long as Hikaru lives the spell is
incomplete," the pigtailed girl pulled a number of small white papers
from her sleeve. Kuno noticed that Ryoga also had several in his hand as
he watched them from behind his cover. He was currently tying one of his
bandannas onto Gosunkugi's arm tightly causing the boy to grit his teeth
in agony. "Come on!" cried Ranma as she rushed forward to attack the
beast.

	Kuno launched himself into the air towards the monster with his bokuten
in his hands and slashed at the creature with all of his strength. The
monster snarled and raised his palm blasting an energy beam of some kind
into his chest. The Kendoist screamed as he was thrown back into the
ceiling. His eyes went wide as a field of energy surrounded him and
prevented the impact of both the roof and the energy beam.
	"What?!" snarled the monster as it glared at him in shock. 
	Kuno looked down at his chest in equal shock and noticed the corner of a
ward jutting from his Hakama. "So, it seems I am protected."
	"Not for long!" snarled the demon as its massive claws shot forward and
pinned the boy to the wall, he screamed in pain as he felt his ribs
buckle under the pressure. Kuno's arm was still free though and he tossed
his wooden sword desperately into the demon's face. It howled in rage and
pain as the blade struck home and impaled his eye forcing him to release
the kendoist.
	"How!?" screamed the thing in rage as it pulled the sword from its eye.
	"The ritual was incomplete, you're as mortal as we are demon," said
Ranma with a smirk appearing on her face as she stood in the doorway to
the laboratory with several wards ready. 
	The beast snarled and reached out for her only to impact on a gold
colored shield that surrounded her. It screamed in pain as energy danced
up its arm, but still pushed forward through the barrier grabbing the
sorceress. Ranma looked up calmly as the thing clutched her torso pinning
her arms to her sides, she could smell its flesh burning against the
wards in her hands. She frowned slightly when the creature ignored the
pain and started to squeeze her body.
	Ryoga stood from behind his cover. "Ranma!" he took off one of his
bandannas and tossed it at the creature's head only to have them easily
batted away.
	"So, there are other pests as well," it snorted calmly as Ranma screamed
in its grip.

	Ryoga dove back beside Gosunkugi and slapped him hard across the face to
keep him awake. "Stay up damn it! If you die we all do!" The boy nodded
and struggled visibly to keep himself from passing out. Ryoga growled as
the blood still flowed freely from the boy's arm despite his efforts to
stop it. He turned and saw Ranma still in the creature's grasp and closed
his eyes with a strange light forming around his body; he wasn't sure if
the connection between them was still there, but he was damn well going
to try. 

	The pigtailed girl's hair went wild suddenly breaking free of its ties
and floating over her head as if pulled upward by a strong wind; her eyes
went white and seemed to glow with unnatural power. The monsters arm
started to swell slightly as black acidic blood poured through several
cracks that had appeared along the length of it's arm. "Die witch!" it
screamed at her as it finally clenched its fist down all the way.
	The glass ceiling of the greenhouse like portion of the laboratory
shattered as a blood covered figure fell through the windows and screamed
in rage as it impacted against the monster's arm in a diving punch. The
pigtailed girl's spell finally pushed it to its limits and the arm
shattered severing it completely from the monster's arm. It screamed in
rage and pain. "Don't just stand there! Fight!" it screamed at Kodachi.
	The girl looked up at it and then back to Ryoga and Gosunkugi. "I serve
no one!" she retorted angrily as she dashed forward and pulled a ribbon
out from behind her back. She charged and changed direction as she neared
the demon's head, closing in on Ranma. The girl was standing perfectly
still fearlessly in front of the demon with a blue aura surrounding her,
Kodachi snarled as the demon smiled and moved it's remaining hand as if
he was moving a puppet.
	Another figure jumped out from the shadows and slammed into Kodachi with
a roar of anger. The girl turned to face the offender and smiled
slightly. "Who dares to oppose the Black Rose?" 
	It was a girl, she was covered in the black blood of the demon mixed
with the red of her own. Her hair was mangled and matted against her head
while her face was nothing but a huge red stain with a single eye on the
right side glaring angrily at the gymnast. "You're not going near my
friend!" she screamed in rage.
	Ryoga stepped away from Gosunkugi and stared in shock at the figure, the
glow he had gained in his concentration wavered for a moment. "A-Akane?" 
	The girl nodded silently and clutched her arm in pain as the demonic
blood started to eat away at her skin. She held her resolve and stepped
towards Kodachi wordlessly. 

	Kuno managed to stand again and looked on in shock at the Tendo girl. He
managed to pull his bokuten up defensively and snarled at Kodachi. "If
you hurt her sister..." He was not in good shape and it was easy to see;
he was leaning against the wall with one of his wings hanging limply at
his back.
	"You'll what? You're in no condition to..." it was as far as she got
before the Tendo girl jumped at her with a feral sounding scream. She
slammed her fist into the girl's jaw sending Kodachi to the ground hard.
The gymnast stood and glared at her before spinning her ribbon into the
air and catching the girl around the neck. It was all Akane's body could
take, she collapsed on the ground just as the demon's fist sailed over
her head and slammed into the blue field around Ranma. The claw was sent
flying away into the wall and crushed the stone wall behind the beast as
it focused all of its attention on destroying the young sorceress.
	Ranma's eyes opened again and she spoke the final passage to her spell.
The magic circle below the demon started to grow blue as a swirling
whirlpool of energy started to form around its chest. "Nooooo!!!"
	The creature was sucked into the vortex as a strong wind started to form
inside of the room, it groped around and Kodachi's face changed suddenly
to a look of uncomprehending bewilderment. "What happened?" she looked
down at the broken figure on the end of her ribbon in confusion. 
	"Sister," gasped Kuno as he stepped towards her.
	"Tachi?" said the girl as she turned to face him. The look on her face
was peaceful and confused; it was the way he would remember her for the
rest of his life. The demonic claw swooped down as the creature
desperately clung for any purchase as it was sucked back into its level
of hell. Kodachi vanished into the claw with a scream of terror as it
clutched her and vanished into the swirling blue that pulled at him and
everyone else in the room. He staggered back and clutched the wall with a
look of shock and terror crossing his face yet again. "S-sister?"
	Ranma appeared beside him pulling desperately at his arm with Akane over
her shoulder. "Come on! Move it!" she screamed, she spared a glance over
towards Gosunkugi and Ryoga and saw them vanish into the doorway they had
entered from. She struggled with the two dead weights as Kuno had simply
shut down. The vortex reached its peak and tore bricks and stone from the
floor and walls sucking everything it could into the porthole it had
created. Finally she made it to the doorway and fell through with both of
them crashing across the ground in front of her.

	Ryoga stared at Ranma as she sat over Akane with a white light in her
hands doing her best to repair what damage she could. The young martial
artist writhed in pain as the burning coursed through her body, but
managed to stay silent despite the pain.
	"What can you do? What happened to her?" gasped Ryoga desperately as he
inspected Gosunkugi's wound, fortunately the boy had passed out and could
not feel anything for the time being.
	Tatewaki looked over at them with a dead expression on his face. "The
scream we heard earlier."
	Ranma merely nodded and continued her work. The bleeding had stopped,
but she would not heal completely. "She's going to live, it's all I can
do." With that she stepped over to Hikaru's side and grabbed his arm. The
boy shot awake and started to scream as the flames of Ranma's healing
power burned his entire body. The girl stood up and looked between the
pair, Kuno was hurt as well, but he would survive. She fell to the ground
in exhaustion and slept.
	Akane turned her head and looked at the girl in concern, Ryoga leaned in
and smiled at her warmly. "Don't worry, she just over did it a bit;
she'll be fine." A comprehending look crossed the Tendo girl's face as
she followed Ranma's example and passed out quietly.

	Akane woke up in her room at the Tendo house. She staggered to her feet
and wavered slightly. "Was it a dream?" she asked herself as she looked
at her hands in shock. Slowly she walked out of her room and into the
hallway; idly she ran her hand along the back of her neck and froze. Her
hair was gone, she reached up and felt the short cut of her youth there.
For a moment a deep fear rose in her heart as she fingered it slowly, but
it quickly died away as she turned to see the sun shining brightly into
the home from the back porch. 
	Sitting around the table where her friends. Ranma and Ryoga sat directly
across from Gosunkugi and Kuno. Her father and sisters were also in the
room but appeared to be distracted by something slightly.
	Akane turned and saw the three Amazon women from the Cat Caf� emerge
from the kitchen and move over to the table with a few bowls of ramen in
their hands. Ryoga looked up at her and stood slowly touching Ranma's
shoulder gently.
	The pigtailed girl slowly looked up at her and smiled weakly, she didn't
look well. Akane gasped and stepped back from the scene. Her family
looked almost as disheveled and tired as Ranma did.

	"Ranma? What's going on?" she managed as she made her way down the
stairs. Soun stood up and rushed her grabbing her in his arms in a rough
hug followed by both Nabiki and Kasumi. Tears ran down her family's faces
as she found herself overwhelmed by them.
	Ranma stood up and walked behind them with a quiet smile on her face
waiting for them to finish the reunion. Soun and his daughters had to be
pulled away from her as she struggled away from them in confusion. Akane
glanced around in confusion, she noticed Hikaru Gosunkugi stand and walk
out of the house, his right shirtsleeve on his school uniform was rolled
up and pinned just below the stump on his shoulder. Kuno nodded to
himself and ruffled his wings lazily as he followed the boy; neither of
them looked interested in the moment. The kendoist had a haunted and
rather vacant manner about him that got a small sympathetic stare from
her. He walked by seeming to not notice her and turned up the stairs
heading for Ranma's room and entering it quietly.
	The pigtailed girl walked between them and stopped in front of Akane,
she reared back her hand and slapped her hard across the face with tears
running down her cheeks. Akane looked shocked and hurt by the action. 
	"I'm sorry," she muttered without looking back at her.
	"That isn't going to cut it Akane!" screamed Ranma angrily. "You almost
died!"
	"But last night you..." stammered the girl in shock.
	"Last night?!! Akane you've been halfway dead for two weeks!" screamed
the pigtailed girl with a sudden rage appearing on her face. "Never ever
do that to me or your family again!"
	"B-but..." Akane a look of terror crossed her face as she stepped back
away from the girl.
	"But nothing! Akane..." Ranma rushed into her arms and sobbed holding
her tightly. "You idiot," she managed after a moment.
	"Ranma?" gasped the girl, she had never seen her act this way before.
	The pigtailed girl kissed Akane gently on the lips causing her to freeze
up in embarrassed shock. "I love you, you stupid girl. Good bye." With
that she turned and walked out of the Tendo home never looking back once.
Akane stepped forward and held out her hand in confusion. Ryoga and the
Amazons followed her slowly out giving Akane sharp and relieved glances
as they walked by her.
	"Ranma? Wait!" she rushed out of the house after the girl and stopped as
she saw a large truck vanish around the corner. "What's going on?"
	"Ranma felt it would be best to leave Akane," said her father as he took
her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "Rather than risk something
like this happening again. She was careless and let you leave the house
alone to face the sorceress. You almost died."
	The girl turned and looked at her father for a moment before hanging her
head in shame. "But I..."
	"You did not listen when Ranma warned you against it," he said simply.
Akane had never seen her father look this serious before. 
	"She left because I..." Akane trailed off and looked down the road.
"Where is she going?"
	"She plans to stay in Nerima for a time, she'll be staying with the
Amazons as a part of their tribe," Soun turned away and went back into
the home. "She spoke with us about it the night after you returned."
	Akane nodded her head and walked back into the house. "I'll see her
again then?"
	"I don't know Akane, she may not want to see you," said her father
calmly as he closed the door behind him.
	The girl stood in the street for a long time, her hand went up to her
lips and she wiped them gently, the kiss was still lingering there and
she wasn't sure what to say or do. Finally she walked back into the
house. 

	Kasumi turned and saw her sister walk by the kitchen, she tentatively
walked over to her and hugged her yet again. "Akane, I'm so sorry."
	The girl was still in mild shock and merely shook her head in agreement.
She brushed her bangs back idly as her mind still felt numb somehow.
	"Akane, does it hurt very much?" Kasumi leaned in and looked worried as
she raised her hand to her sister's face.
	"Does what hurt?" asked Akane with a sudden sense of dread creeping into
her voice.
	Kasumi's eyes went wide when she realized that her sister didn't know
yet. "Akane, I need you to sit down..." The young Tendo girl rushed away
passing Nabiki and her father in the living room, she slammed open the
bathroom door and rushed up to the mirror. What met her was more than she
could take. The family shuddered as a scream erupted from the doorway.
	Akane's hand shook as she reached up to touch the black and red mark
that took up most of the left side of her face. A yellow and hollow
looking, pupil-less, eye stared back at her from the center of the mark
where the strange eyeball monsters had burned her face. Her reflection
simply looked back in terror and she collapsed to her knees holding
herself and shivering.

	Dr. Ono Tofu walked up to the house and smiled as Soun Tendo met him at
the door. "She's awake Doctor," he said quietly.
	Tofu wondered why he didn't look happy. "Is something wrong Tendo?"
	"Yes, but my daughter has her heath again, I can only pray that this is
the end of this business," said the man with a small sad smile.
	"Ranma gave her OK? She's been purified of the blood in her system?"
Tofu gave the man a hopeful smile.
	"She said only time would tell, and that she had done all she could to
help her," Soun ushered him into the home and had him sit at the table to
wait patiently.
	A few moments later her two sisters carefully led the still shaking form
of Akane Tendo out of the bathroom. She looked up at the man and smiled
weakly. "Hello Doctor," she said quietly.
	Tofu smiled warmly at her, she was a very brave young girl, despite
everything that had happened to her over the past few weeks. He could
still see the warmth in her face as he stood and took her from the two
girls. "I need to do a few tests Akane, we aren't sure you're completely
healed just yet."
	She nodded and followed him after taking a moment to regain her
composure.

	TBC... 

	Next time: The Aftermath... Ranma deals with living with the Amazons;
Ryoga tries to put his feelings in perspective, and Ranma's as well.
Plus, find out some of the details about what happened to everyone during
Akane's recovery. Kuno tries to deal with the loss of his family, and
Gosunkugi struggles with his own motivations.

Web page, containing previous parts and other stories:
Http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/fountain/3203

	The Kodachi arc comes to a close with a bit of a shocker. Cool huh?
Ranma has a lot to deal with right now and her motivations and reasons
for this will be explained in greater detail in the next Ch. Don't expect
to much action as the next part is mostly to tie up loose ends. That way
you can be ready for the next story arc: Happosai.


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