Subject: [FFML] [Permanent: Devil Hunter Ukyo 1][R.5][Side story]
From: Ryoga P Hibiki
Date: 8/7/2000, 12:18 AM
To: ffml@fanfic.com

	This is the Permanent side story; it starts during chapter 28 of the
main story line.

	Devil Hunter Ukyo.

	Part 1: The way of light.

	

	Ukyo Kuonji stood alone in the field after the light that surrounded him
died down. His battle spatula was gone and was replaced by a long simple
looking spear. The handle was black wood that was polished to an almost
glass like surface and the tip was a simple but sharp looking blade that
shone in the moonlight. He staggered for a moment, as feelings washed
over him that were unfamiliar yet comfortable. Finally he fell to the
ground unconscious.

	When he woke up the sun was rising in the distance and a great calm ran
through his mind as he sat up and crossed his legs. He had never felt so
rested in his entire life. The spear lay at his side covered in a long
cloth bag of black velvet. He sucked in a few quick breaths and stood up.
"What happened?"

	That was when he appeared. Long golden locks fell from the white cloak
that covered his body and head. "Welcome to the land of the living Devil
Hunter."

	He stared at him for a moment and sighed. "Who are you? Do you know what
happened to me?"

	The man smiled looking up at him, his face was young and he glowed with
a strangely calming golden light.  "I am called Azriel, I am an
archangel. You have been given the power to hunt and slay the demons that
threaten our world."

	Ukyo blinked and sat back down on the ground across from him crossing
his legs. "All right, let's say I believe you. What the hell do you have
to do with this?"

	"Me? Nothing really. I am merely an archangel on a mission similar to
yours on this plane. You'll understand soon enough. I will help guide you
through your first trials."

	He nodded seeming to accept this almost immediately. "I'll bite, what do
I do first?"

	"Wait for the night to come of course," replied the man as he vanished
in a flash of light.

	"Great," muttered the boy as he sat alone watching the sunrise.



	A few hours later he was wandering through the streets of Nerima, school
was out for the day and he didn't have much to do. Speaking with Ranma
was something he didn't really want to deal with at the moment so he went
into the shopping district in order to avoid any accidental contact. He
paused and looked into a clothing store.
	



	To say the day was going well for Kurume would be something of a
problem. Her long time crush, Hiro, had finally found someone to love.
Needless to say it wasn't her; to make things worse, it was to a girl she
absolutely despised, Auska Shiranu. The loud mouthed friend to that
strangely brooding Keiko girl who was in her class. The girl was beyond
obnoxious; her family was well off, owning an electronics firm of some
kind. She was a snooty little bitch with curly brown hair and glasses. 

	She was pretty herself, long blonde hair and a thin, if not quite
developed body. She was only fifteen after all, so what if it took a
little longer for her to fill out? She kicked a small stone that rested
on the sidewalk as she walked. "It's just not fair."

	"Life seldom is sugar," said a soft voice from beside her. Kurume turned
to see a boy turn his attention away from a store window for a moment to
regard her. He moved silently away through the crowd taking his time as
he strolled down the street. He was handsome and mysterious, dressed in a
dark blue boy's uniform with a long bundle carried casually over his
shoulder. He vanished into the crowd leaving her alone to her thoughts.

	"Who?" she shook her head and turned to the shop he was looking at. "A
dress shop? He's probably got a girlfriend or something." She continued
on her way giving a few quick glances back over her shoulder in the hopes
of catching a glimpse of the handsome boy again. "He was kind of cute
though..." She smacked herself across the face and steeled her will. "No
Kurume! We have to remember Hiro!"



	About two blocks down the street a hissing sound caught her attention.
She paused and looked around. She almost jumped in shock when she found
the source. 

	In the alleyway next to her was a dirty looking figure covered in a
filthy brown shroud; a wrinkled finger lifted up and beckoned her to it.

	"I don't have any money! Leave me alone!" she screeched as she started
to hurry away.

	The figure grabbed her arm and stopped her. "I don't want anything from
you girl. I think I can help you with your little problem."

	"And what problem is that?" snapped the girl angrily.

	"Why, that boy you've been pining over for the last few hours," said the
figure. Her voice was cracked with age, but still very feminine.

	Kurume paused and looked at her in shock. "How did..."

	"You want him to notice you? I have a way that he will. No one will be
able to say no to you again, you'll become much better than you are now."
The old hag held forth a leather-bound tome that looked worn and old.

	"You mean..." gasped Kurume.

	"Yes child. Power over men, over everything. The world could be yours if
you so wished."

	"Then, this will really give me bigger breasts?"

	You could almost hear the old woman's eyes grow wide. "What?"

	"I know if I had a real chest I could get men to do whatever I want!
It's all I'm lacking!" cried the girl dramatically.

	"Unfortunately, no. This book doesn't grant such things," said the woman
with a sigh.

	"Then I don't want it, bye!" Kurume cheerfully turned away on her heels.
It seemed as if she had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be
depressed.

	"What if I told you...this book would guarantee that no one would ever
be able to push you around again. That you could rule completely over all
around you?"

	Kurume paused again and looked at the woman with a serious face again.
"But it doesn't increase the size of my bust?"

	A large drop of sweat appeared on the hag's head. "Uh, no."

	"Oh well, I guess I'll take your stupid book." The girl shrugged her
shoulders and skipped away.

	She never noticed the small evil looking glint appear in the old woman's
eyes beneath the shadows of the rags. "Well, that wasn't so hard. Soon
the doorways will be opened." The rags fell to the ground as whoever was
filling them vanished into nothingness. 


	
	Ukyo was almost out of the shopping district when something stirred
inside him. There was no immediate danger, but something felt not right
nearby. He glanced around for a moment stopping in his tracks forcing
pedestrians to walk around him. Almost as a reflex he frowned and tore
his attention away from the disturbance. "What the hell was that?"


	
	Nearby Azriel stood on a rooftop watching the boy intently. "You should
follow your instincts more Kuonji." He turned away from the edge and went
about his business.

	

	Keiko sat next to Auska at the public bus stop and frowned. "Have you no
shame? In public no less."

	The girl pushed her glasses up her nose and snorted. A blush crept onto
her face for a moment as she turned her attention away from the boy who
was walking away at the moment. "You're just jealous." 

	"Jealous of what? Having a hormone crazed boy shove his tongue halfway
down my throat?" replied the girl as she pushed her blond ponytail over
her shoulder.

	"I seem to recall a certain boy you bumped into on the street got an
interesting reaction out of you..."

	Keiko blushed remembering the person in question. Something about him
made her feel uncomfortably warm. He was handsome, almost beautiful.
"That's different, I still wouldn't let him stick his hand down my shirt
at a bus stop."

	"If not here, then where?" prodded the girl with an evil looking smirk. 

	"Let's not talk about this!" screeched Keiko in embarrassment. 

	"Ha! You're so easy to tease Mrs. Devil Hunter, you'll be an old maid in
no time with your attitude."

	Someone cleared his voice behind them. Both girls turned around to see
Ukyo standing directly behind them. "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt such
an interesting conversation...say do I know you?" He broke off for a
moment and looked directly at Keiko.

	"Eep!" cried the girl as she turned completely red.

	"Whoa! What a babe!" noted Auska out loud.

	Her companion promptly punched her in the leg. "We met the other day..."

	"Oh right, you're that devil hunter girl. I'm looking for a restaurant
nearby, could you point me in the right direction?"

	Both girls stared at the boy in shock. It was as if what he said didn't
register with him completely. "I'll take you there! I'll buy you lunch!"
said Keiko cheerfully. "I know it's supposed to work the other way around
but he's a real babe!" she thought privately.

	"No thanks, I'm all right on my own," said the boy nervously as he
backed away with an odd look on his face. If Auska didn't know better
she'd have thought it was fear.

	"But...wait! I mean..." it was too late, Keiko watched in confusion as
the boy rushed away.

	"Such a shy boy," noted her companion.

	"You keep your hands off him! He's mine!" snapped the demon hunter.

	"All's fair in love and..." started Auska.

	"You forget that I run around the city at night with a sword," said
Keiko calmly.

	"He's all yours. Wow, that's the guy you were talking about?"

	The devil hunter nodded and blushed demurely. 

	"Now I know you'd let him put his hand down your shirt at a bus stop!"
said Auska with a crude laugh.

	"Damn it! Don't say things like that!"


	
	Ukyo breathed a sigh of relief as he ducked into a restaurant a few
blocks down the road. "Whew, that was close." 

	"Welcome to Cat Caf�! How can Talcum help you today?" said a cheerful
looking Chinese girl. 

	Ukyo blinked and looked up at the menu; it mostly consisted of Ramen,
with a few regional Chinese dishes thrown in for good measure. "Uh, I'd
like a table for lunch please."

	A few moments later his order came; it was a bowl of steaming hot Ramen.
He glanced up at the girl as she looked at him quizzically. "Is something
wrong?"

	"You is Ranma's friend, Ukyo, yes?" said the girl a little nervously. 

	"My name is Ukyo," confirmed the boy. He did not elaborate on that.

	The Chinese girl nodded and walked away silently. Ukyo blinked and
started on his lunch lazily. 

	He didn't get far though. Almost a half-minute later the chair in front
of him pulled out attracting his attention. He looked up and froze in
surprise; Ranma Saotome was looking at him nervously across the table.

	Ukyo smiled at her weakly. "Hello Saotome."

	"Ukyo," replied the red head as she shifted slightly in her seat. After
a long moment of silence between them Ranma spoke up. "We need to talk
Kuonji."

	"We sure do honey," agreed the boy. "What's she up to?" he wondered
nervously. Something about her just didn't sit well, perhaps the fact
that he had thought she was a boy for the last ten years.

	Ranma ignored his informality and raised her hand. "First off, what in
the world did my father do to you to get you so mad at me?"

	This caught Ukyo by surprise. "You really have no idea?"

	Ranma grit her teeth and shook her head from side to side slowly.

	"Well, I guess I can't really blame you then can I?" replied the boy
with a smile. Somehow he felt relieved at this. His old friend didn't
appear to have betrayed him after all. There was still a twinge of doubt
though, enough to keep him distant.

	"I guess not, but still. I'd like to know Ukyo," said the girl guiltily.

	He gave her a wry grin and chuckled. "Well Ranchan, that's in the past.
I'm convinced you didn't have anything to do with it. Let's just forget
about it all right?" Something about the girl's face was slowly melting
the ice he had placed around the name Ranma Saotome. It was honestly the
most unusual experience he had ever had up until now. He hadn't even
noticed his usage of the old nickname until it was too late.

	Ranma blinked and stood up in her chair she wasn't sure if she should be
happy or just frustrated. "Ucchan?"

	"See you around Ranchan, I'm going to be hanging around town for a
while." The Okonomiyaki chef walked out the door after placing his money
on the table in front of Ranma. As he left he looked back. Somehow he was
unable to stay angry with the girl for long. It was something that defied
explanation. Even though she represented everything he had suffered for
all those years ago, she could not place the blame on her no matter how
hard he tried.

	As he started down the street again he sighed. "I guess I'm going soft."


	TBC...

	Next time find out what the heck that book is about! Also, Ukyo starts
his devil hunting career.

	C&C to Carrotglace@juno.com

	For the previous chapters of Permanent, which this is a spin off of, go
to my site!

	Url: Http://www.geocities.com/misatira/


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