Sorry this chapter took so long. Been kinda hung up with a lot of RL
stuff. Previous chapters can be found at:
www.geocities.com/akane_chan13/demons.html
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"Man, it sure smells in here," Akane mumbled in the darkness.
"Yeah, and I think it's getting worse," Ryouga agreed.
"Do you hear that?" Ranma stopped and held up a hand. "Sounds like
thunder."
Akane and Ryouga came to a halt behind him, nodding their heads in
agreement.
"Maybe we should turn back," Akane said nervously.
"Looks like the tunnel opens up a little further ahead. Maybe it leads
outside, let's go," Ranma said shrugging.
The group walked through the damp tunnel. As they got closer to the
opening, the sound became quite apparent. It echoed and rolled through
the tunnel sending shivers down the group's spines.
"Umm, I don't think that was thunder..." Ryouga commented as the light
from Ranma's ki ball spilled into the cavernous opening to reveal at least
fifty orcs, deep in slumber.
"Okay, time to turn around; nice and quiet like." Ranma and co. slowly
made an about face and prepared to tip-toe back from wence they
came. However, a loud, ominous voice broke the much desired silence.
"Step away from Akane you heathens!"
"Kunou! Shut up!" Akane whispered forcefully.
"Alas, what majiks have you performed on her to cause such reactions? You
shall pay for your interloping!"
"Fine, we'll pay. Just shut the hell up," Ranma growled.
"How dare you speak to me in such tones. Prepare to suffer!"
"Kunou, you idiot! You're going to wake them up!" Akane mumbled angrily.
"Too late... Run!" Ryouga screamed as he looked over his shoulder to see a
mass of squinting orcs. He quickly sprinted in the opposite direction.
Akane and Ranma followed suit, leaving a stunned Kunou yelling after them.
"Cowards! Stand your ground! This paltry band of orcish demons won't stop
the great Kunou Tatewaki! Fine, I shall first dispose of these wretched
creatures. Men, prepare for battle!"
Kunou's men slowly started backing up. One had the courage to speak up.
"Sir, I believe the odds are not in our favor. Retreating would be the
best option."
"Kunou Tatewaki does not know the meaning of the word retreat."
"I suggest..."
"Silence, we fight on!" Kunou interrupted, shoving the man backwards.
Before anyone else could object, the sleepy orcs charged.
-----
"I think... we can stop... running now," Akane panted as she came to a
halt.
"Yeah," Ranma agreed. "Think Kunou can handle them?"
"As if I even care," Akane grumbled.
"What is with him anyway? Was he always that annoying?" Ryouga asked as
the group made their way back into the circular chamber they started in.
"Far as I can remember. I don't even know why he tries to court me. If he
wants the throne, he should court Kasumi."
"Yeah. Who would want to court such a macho tomboy anyway? He must be
crazy."
"Ranma, you jerk!" Akane yelled as she picked up a nearby boulder and
hurled it at Ranma.
He ducked under the boulder and started to stick out his tongue. He failed
to noticed Ryouga's fist coming at his head.
"What did you do that for?" Ranma growled, turning his attention to
Ryouga.
"Do you even have to ask? Leave her alone."
"Leave HER alone? I'm not the one who threw the boulder at her head."
"Just drop it, we've lost enough time. Let's go down the other
tunnel," Akane said as she walked past the arguing boys.
"Fine, but he started it."
"Like hell, Ranma started it!"
Akane moaned and turned around. She stormed back up to the too boys and
stopped in front of Ranma. "I said, CUT IT OUT!" she yelled as she shoved
Ranma backwards into the pool of dark water.
A rather angry redheaded girl surfaced. "What did you go and do that
for?" she screamed, wringing her hair out.
"R-ranma?" Akane stammered.
"Who do you think I am? Oh yeah, the curse... Forgot, heh," Ranma shrugged
and put a hand behind his head nervously. "Guess you wanna know what
happened, huh?"
"You... you're a girl!"
Ranma slowly pulled herself out of the water. "Unfortunately."
Akane promptly passed out. Ryouga quickly reached over and caught her
before she hit the ground.
"So much for keeping it a secret. Dammit, where is hot water when you need
it?" Ranma grumbled taking off her soaked leather shirt.
"Ranma!"
"What?"
"Your chest..." Ryouga stammered.
"What about it?"
"It... it's exposed!"
"Oh yeah, heh. Sorry 'bout that," Ranma said sheepishly as she reclothed
herself.
"Yeah, sure you are," Ryouga mumbled trying to keep his nose bleed in
check and hold Akane at the same time.
Ranma stepped forward and kneeled by Ryouga and Akane. "Well, I guess this
means we have to tell her."
"Maybe you do, but she doesn't know about mine yet."
"No way, jerk. You're telling her about yours too or I'll do it for you."
"Like hell!"
"Ya can't stop me." Ranma pulled down his eye lid and stuck out his
tongue.
"Ranma.... prepare to die!" Ryouga set Akane down gently and jumped up.
"You want a fight, you got one," Ranma growled as he stood up.
Ryouga screamed and charged at the very wet and still quite female
Ranma. He clinched his fist and punched at Ranma's head with all his
strength. Ranma easily ducked his head out of the way and tripped Ryouga
as he ran by.
"Ha! Is that all you've got, Ryouga?"
Ryouga slowly picked himself up of the ground and wiped his chin. "You
wish."
Ranma smirked and charged Ryouga. As the two fought, a rather beat up
looking Kunou staggered into the chamber.
"Do mine eyes deceive me?" he babbled as he caught sight of Ranma and
Ryouga's scuffle. "She's beautiful... and skilled. She is as swift as the
wind itself. I shall have her!"
Ryouga and Ranma seperated slightly. "If I knock you down Ranma... I get
to decided when to tell Akane. Deal?"
"Heh, you got it. Like you could ever beat me."
"On your honor?"
"You bet. Bring it on, Porkbu..." Ranma's rebuttle was cut off by Kunou.
"Alas my goddess in pig-tails. Jump into to my arms!" Kunou shouted as he
ran towards Ranma.
Ranma quickly turned his head to see what the idiot was babbling about,
only to be on the receiving end of Ryouga's fist. He flew across the
chamber and crashed into the wall with a thud.
"Ow dammit! That wasn't fair!"
Ryouga only smirked, that is, until he was punched by Kunou. "What in the
hell did you do that for you idiot?"
"How dare you treat such a beatiful woman such as this so harshly," Kunou
said waving towards Ranma.
Ryouga's eyes widened. "You mean... Ranma?" he choked out between fits of
laughter.
"Ah, so her name is Ranma. Allow me to introduce myself." Kunou extended
his hand to help Ranma up.
Ranma slapped it away and jumped up. "I already know who you are."
"Ah so my fame has spread further than even I had known. Very well, I
shall court thee."
Ranma slugged Kunou in the face, knocking him backwards on his rear. "As
if."
"Such... ferocity..." Kunou whispered before drifting unconcious.
Ranma cracked her knuckles and grumbled as she walked back towards
Ryouga. "What the hell you laughing at?"
"You... and Kunou, hahaha!"
"Just shut up before I change my mind about telling Akane about your curse
anyway. Pick Akane up and let's get out of here before he wakes up. The
stupid jerk."
"Sure thing, my goddess in pig-tails," Ryouga went back into fits of
laughter.
Ranma scowled and stomped off down the other tunnel. Ryouga quickly picked
up the still unconcious Akane and jogged after him.
"The nerve of that jerk. Like anyone would want to marry him
willingly," Ranma grumbled as she trudged through the tunnel, looking down
at her feet.
"Ranma, slow down already will ya? We're going up hill and I'm the
one carrying Lady Akane remember?" Ryouga shifted Akane's weight higher
on his shoulders.
Ranma muttered something incoherently as she slowed her pace slightly. She
was about to say something else when she noticed the floor of the tunnel
was lit naturally. "Hey, Ryouga, notice something?"
"What, that you're an idiot?"
"No, stupid. I ain't lighting this tunnel."
"And..."
"That means we're near an exit."
"I knew that."
"I bet, I need to change back. Give me your waterskin." Ranma turned and
snatched Ryouga's water container from his hip.
"Don't use all of it!"
"Yeah, yeah..." Ranma grumbled as she fumbled around in her satchel for a
flint. She gathered a few twigs and piled them up quickly. Picking up a
rock, she set the waterskin down. She knocked the flint into the rock a
few times until a spark finally caught the twigs making a small flame.
"Hurry up already, she isn't getting any lighter you know," Ryouga
mummbled, shifting Akane's weight higher again.
Ranma said nothing as she held the skin over the flame long enough for
the container to get warm. She then dumped some of its contents over her
head. As his body filled out his cloting normally, he handed the skin back
to Ryouga. "Come on, lets hurry," Ranma said over his shoulder as he
stomped out the flame. He then took off running for the exit.
"Easy for you to say." Ryouga grumbled, taking off after him.
After a bit of running they came to the mouth of the tunnel. The
two squinted in the sunlight as they looked down into a valley. A castle set
in the middle of a small township. Around the town all sorts of monsters
and tough looking brusers were mingling about. The only women to be seen
were scantily clad and each were being led around by a guy who seemed to
be their 'master'.
"What the..." was Ranma's only response.
"You there! Unhand Lady Akane at once," a voice from slightly below them
growled.
The duo looked down to see a small group of men from Kunou's army standing
at the foot of the hill they were on.
"What do you mean unhand her? We didn't ask her to follow us in the first
place. Then she went and fainted, what did you want us to do, just leave
her there?" Ranma shouted back at the man who was staring at him
accusingly.
"Shhh!" The man demanded. "Can't you see we are in enemy teritory?"
Ranma sulked slightly.
Ryouga started down the hill with Akane and Ranma followed behind him. As
the group got closer to the army, the man who seemed to be their leader
spoke up again.
"So it is you two that Lord Tendou sent after his daughters?" he said, a
look of realization coming over his face.
"Exactly," Ryouga responded.
"Why aren't you with Kunou?" Ranma asked.
"Well we split up to cover more ground. Where is he?"
"Well, he's on the floor somewhere back in there," Ranma replied, pointing
back up towards the cave.
"What happened to him?" the man asked, glaring at Ranma.
"Let's just say he put his hands where they didn't belong," he responded,
cracking his knuckles.
"I see... by the way, my name is Akira. I guess you will be coming with us
now."
Akane slowly came to and looked around. She stood up slowly and leaned on
the wall for support. "What a dream..." She looked down and noticed Ryouga
and Ranma talking to a man she recognized from Kunou's troops. She slowly
climbed down the hill to the ground, walking up to the group.
"Your highness!" The group of men whispered in unison before bowing.
"As you were."
They quickly stood. Akira spoke first.
"We were just discussing the manner in which we will rescue your sisters."
Akane nodded, unable to keep from looking at Ranma. 'It seemed so real...'
she thought.
Ranma glanced at Akane out of the corner of his eye. 'What is she lookin'
at me like that for?'
"We were trying to decide who would be the scouts that will be sent into
town. However, no one was willing to dress as the girl slave," Akira
offered.
Akane broke her stare at Ranma and nodded at Akira. "No problem. I can do
it."
"What?" Ranma, Ryouga, and Akira all said at once.
"You heard me. I said I'll do it. You don't want to go against one of my
orders do you?"
"N-no, My Lady."
"I thought not," Akane replied as she took the clothing out of one of the
men's hands.
She quickly removed her armor, handing it all back to the man who was
holding the disguise. She quickly threw on the silky dress and ran her
fingers through her hair.
"There. Shall we?" she grabbed Ranma's arm and slung him in front of
her. "After you."