Revision 2 Wed, Jan 24 2001.
by Kit
Greetings.
Like the first time this story posted, I will break it in two. (I hope that should make it a manageable size)
Auther notes to be appended at the bottom.
1 minor change, I have re-tagged this as semi dark. I am not quite sure where to draw the line. : )
Disclaimer:
This story is based on the work Ranma 1/2, by Rumiko Takahashi. As such, I neither own any of the charachers, nor plan to make any money off of this work. As I am returning to college, most of my moeny is tied up beyond my reach.
This is for fun and recreation only.
Oh yes, and don't try this at home.
=====
Of Cats and Men (part 2)
"Tis a bitter sweet moment that hath come to me this very day." Kuno started as he stepped out from around his favorite tree. "For this day, I shall end your enslavement of Akane and the pig-tailed girl finally freeing them from your ill begotten ways," Kuno boasted.
Ranma only shook his head as he cracked his knuckles in preparation of delivering a much-needed pounding to a pompous jerk.
"Be forewarned, Dark Sorcerer, I have come to learn the secret that binds your magic."
"That'll be the day!" Ranma called out as he got into a battle stance.
"Do not worry Akane nor the fair pig-tailed girl, I shall free you both into my embraces once I have defeated Saotome!" Kunou called to the skies, in hopes that the pig-tailed girl could hear, and have hope.
The pig-tailed girl, currently in her male form decided she had had enough, and the fight began.
Kuno had taken several hard blows, as he vainly attempted once again to parry and strike to no avail. Ranma wasn't going to let him go down quickly time either. He had decided that had been his mistake all along. He had always finished with Kuno unconscious. This time, Kunou would have to beg for unconsciousness.
Weaving in and out of Kunou's range, Ranma assaulted Kunou with just enough force and in places that would leave him standing. Kunou's hands where started to swell from constant strikes on his hands. Even if this didn't teach him a lesson, he wouldn't be able to try anything for a few weeks.
Ranma's eyes flashed with a darkness not seen in them in years.
As the fight wore on, Ranma became aware of Kuno chanting something softly, other than his normal command of 'strike!' He hadn't noticed at first, but he was getting louder. Soon, he could make out a single word, muttered over and over. "Hiromi."
"Something's wrong," Nabiki heard Akane pronounce. The fights had become almost boring to watch for her, since it was a forgone conclusion, now she turned her attention to the fight. Ranma was giving Kunou a beating. More than a beating really. From the size of the bruises that had started to appear, and the pain clearly lit in Kunou's eyes, it was clear that Kunou had somehow gone to far. He wouldn't be bouncing back from this one; he'd be lucky to be back up this month.
She started thinking about ways to try to stop this fight, when right before her eyes, the fight took a drastic turn. Both Akane and Nabiki gasped, having been the only two to catch the change. Ranma started pulling his punches just short of touching Kuno.
"What does he think he's doing," muttered Nabiki.
"He's going to lose, if he keeps this up." Akane looked worriedly on, as the now one-sided fight continued.
From a distance, a figure watched as the fight progressed. Yuota wasn't sure why he told Kuno to try shouting her name during their next fight. At the beginning, he had felt somewhat disappointed as it looked like what he had expected. Now he began to doubt his course of action, as he wasn't quite sure what to make of what he was seeing.
Ranma was now losing, and everyone could recognize it. Every time Ranma attempted a punch or kick, he would see that face that had plagued him for the past few days, and he couldn't follow through. And every time he pulled his punch, he was rewarded with blow from Kunou.
Then, Ranma noticed the looks of all the students watching the fight. He remembered the day all of the male students had acknowledged defeat to Ranma, as he alone had defeated Kuno. 'If Kuno wins now.'
"Alright!" Ranma shouted. "Play times over!" Ranma jumped up out of Kuno's reach. As Kuno looked up, Ranma planted his feet on his forehead and combining gravity and his leg strength, kicked Kuno to the ground.
"You dare mock the might house of." was as far as Kuno got.
"Just what kind of game did you think you were playing with him!" Akane shouted storming over to Ranma. "He could have hurt you!"
"Like Kuno could ever touch me!" Ranma claimed nonchalantly.
"Oh, yea?" Akane poked him in the chest; he collapsed right there.
"Like you care!" Ranma retorted from the ground, trying vainly to get up.
"Why would I care about a pervert like you!" she responded.
"Pervert! Who are you calling a pervert, you dumb, uncute, tom-boy!"
"I'm calling you a pervert, you dumb pervert!"
Yuota watched the spectacle before him with a frown. 'I have to, or she will be next.' He thought darkly to himself.
-----
"Hey, you! Homeless boy!" Yuota called out to Ranma, who was practicing hitting a post with his bare fists. His sister had come home crying the day before, but she hadn't let him go out to confront him. This had been his first chance.
"The name's Ranma!" He challenged. Looking the boy up and down, he knew he wasn't a match.
"You have been bothering Hiromi. I want you to leave her alone!"
"What's it." he started to retort, hoping to enrage him, but then he recognized him, Hiromi's brother. 'I bet she wouldn't be too happy if I beat him up.'
"I know your kind, and your all no good!"
"You should go!"
"Or what?" Yuota taunted back.
"I am not going to fight you!" Ranma said defiantly.
"Then maybe I'll just beat you to a blood pulp!"
"What would your sister think of you then?" Ranma called back. Yuota looked like he was getting very angry when Ranma heard the door to the house squeak open.
"Want to know what she really thinks of you?"
"What should I care what some dumb know-it-all-chan girl that thinks she can tell me what to do!" Ranma called out.
"Fine, then we don't have a problem do we!" Yuota shouted, getting really nervous seeing Ranma big father staring at him in a disapproving manner.
"Fine!" Ranma returned.
As Yuota turned to leave, Ranma turned to go back inside with his father. Yuota noticed for the first time a large bruise partially covered by his gi and several small scratches on his arms and legs. All of which would normally be covered by his school uniform.
"Just what do you think you're doing!" he heard Genma shout, just before the door shut.
-----
Akane and Nabiki left the school building slowly. Ranma had left early again, but after word made it around as to just how badly hurt Kunou was, no one seemed to mind that he was gone, not even the teachers.
The school day had been a complete haze for the both of them, as they both played the fight over and over in their heads.
"Just what happed out there?" Nabiki whispered allowed, once most of the crowd was past them.
"I don't know." Akane replied, equally soft.
"You're that girl that that drifter likes, right?" A voice broke into their silence.
"What are you talking about?" Akane returned indignantly. Both girls looked up. Nabiki recognized him as the boy that had talked to Kunou yesterday. Suddenly more pieces of the puzzle seemed to snap together.
"That no good low life drifter boy. Saotome."
"How dare you insult Ranma like that! If he were here." Akane began yelling out.
"If he knew I was here, he would probably kill me, just like he is planning on killing you!" Yuota's face flushed as he interrupted Akane. Both girls just blinked.
"He would never."
"Both he and his father already killed my sister, and who knows how many other children."
"I am not a child!" Akane returned, before she thought that through.
"You had something to do with the fight this morning, didn't you?" Nabiki stepped in.
"Maybe," he replied trying to meet Nabiki's stare, just not quite making it.
"What did you do to Ranma, and what do you mean he killed your sister?" Nabiki glanced at Akane to stop her from making her next comment. Akane closed her mouth, settling for just glaring death at the 'boy.' Ranma would never kill anyone!
"They moved into my neighborhood a few years back and started sacrificing children and animals." Nabiki didn't flinch. Akane wanted to do a lot more than just flinch. "We tried to stop them, but they ran away before they could finish on my sister."
"I thought you said they killed your sister." Nabiki responded.
"We scared them off before they could bath in her blood, but they had already stolen her soul."
Nabiki closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I think you should start at the beginning."
"You don't believe him do you!" Akane accused.
'After today,' Nabiki thought. "Let's just say that I would prefer to hear all sides before I make a decision." Akane looked like she was about to say something, but didn't.
They made their way to a nearby park, letting him collect his thoughts before starting.
"After Hiromi." He closed his eyes. "She was my baby sister." He know had Akane's full attention. "I am sorry, I just haven't talked about this in a long time."
"It's okay." Nabiki attempted to reassure him. Though she though Kasumi would do a better job.
Taking a deep breath, he began his tale.
-----
"Come on guys," Yuota called as he grabbed his coat from the closet. "We need to go pay a visit to the local low lifes."
"Hey, I ain't going near that place. You know he put all of Jii's gang in the hospital!" one of Yuota's friends responded.
"My sister has been missing all day! And I know that kid has been pestering her every since they got here." He said with all the emotion he was feeling at that moment. "I am not looking for a fight, and I'll go alone if I have to."
Everyone else jumped up and started getting ready, including grabbing bats, lights, and just about anything else they could think of.
The house was dark and quiet when they arrived. Yuota called out, but no one answered. As they looked around, they could see signs that someone had been staying in what was left of the living room, but looked as if they had packed up and left. The house was old, and considering how expensive land is, it was surprising that such a place would remain unused except for the rift-raft that might blow through town.
"Hey, Yuota, I think I see her!"
"Where?" he came running toward the voice that called.
"She's in the back yard."
"It's freezing outside, what's she doing out there!"
"Hiromi!" Yuota called as he went out to her, but she didn't respond.
"Hey what's this?" another friend called out, but Yuota was focused on his sister.
He took off his jacket and flung it around her. She was just sitting there, staring into nothingness. All her clothes ripped to shreds. She was cold to the touch.
"Man, help me. She's freezing. Somebody call for a doctor!"
"Yuota, I think this is blood!" someone called out as another pulled out his cell and started to make a call. Everyone cast their lights where he was and gasped. Something that was a deep red seemed to cover most of the ground.
"I think there's something down there!" another shouted. He was looking down what appeared to be a pit of some kind. There had been a covering of some kind, but it had been broken to bits. As the cast their lights down into the pit, they heard very soft meowing.
"Cats?"
-----
"They where torturing cats. Over thirty in all. Most had died from malnutrition and the cold before the animal shelter could get there. We thought the blood must have been cats blood, but the police said it was human blood."
Nabiki and Akane were stunned.
"Hiromi, had caught pneumonia. She lived for several weeks, but never got any better. You could see it in her eyes." He wiped his eyes and looked up at the darkening sky. "They had stolen her soul."
Nabiki looked at him; "You said a pit of cats?"
"Her final words were a plea to help save her and the cats from Ranma," he said solemnly
"Come on, we have to go!" Nabiki said jumping up from the park bench.
"What where are we going?" He asked.
"Dr. Tofu's."
"Why there?"
"To get some answers!"
-----
Dr. Tofu checked on Saotome-san one last time before he started to close up. Saotome-san had been here since his son had gone into Neko. He was well enough to go home, but had complained about pains until he had agreed to let him stay here a few more days.
He didn't blame him, but he didn't feel sorry for him either. Having been forced into the Neko-ken several times over the past few weeks, it had probably heightened Ranma's sensitivity. Saotome-san's confirmation that they had avoided it for several years did not make Dr. Tofu's prognosis any better.
If Akane weren't the only one who could stop him, he would have suggested moving Ranma out until his anxiety level came back down. Until then, the safest thing for his father was to stay far away from Ranma.
As he stepped outside to lock up, he thought a silent prayer to what ever kami that watched over the boy that Ranma wouldn't be lost to the Neko-ken.
Just as he turned around to head home, three teens came running up shouting to him. Akane and Nabiki he recognized.
-----
Genma looked around him, and saw a lot of angry stares. He wasn't sure what this was about, but he knew it wouldn't be any good. 'I knew I should have kept that glass of water handy.'
"We need you to tell us about Ranma's cat-fist training." Nabiki announced once everyone was settled, and Genma looked sufficiently unsettled.
"I already told you all about it. It was dumb not to finish reading the procedure, but it sounded so simple." Genma said with a sigh. 'This again.'
Nabiki smiled in such a way that Genma felt the color draining from his face. Yuota, who had been watching her too, also felt very uneasy.
"We want to hear the whole story this time."
Akane backed Nabiki's glare with one as hard as she could at Genma.
"This is Yuota." Genma only nodded his acknowledgement. 'What is it with Saotome's and names' Nabiki thought. "Yuota Kimuwara of Kurai Naishin High School," she continued. He only nodded again. "Brother to Hiromi Kimuwara." Genma nodded once again.
Yuota stared to declare what a waste of time this was when the big man before him suddenly looked terrified of him. 'Well, maybe this wont be a waste after all,' he thought.
"How." Genma felt his throat dry up. "How is your sister." His voice almost bounced up two octaves.
"She's dead." He spat with as much venom as he could muster. Tofu jumped when he said that. Genma began to look terribly burdened.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he almost lied. He was sorry to hear that. But thought for a minute, that she had come back to try to take Ranma. He was never sure exactly what Ranma's feelings for the girl were; he had been very young at the time. Considering how things where not going well to his perception between Akane and Ranma, she might have stood a good chance. He had hoped that since he acted similar to Akane as he had to him about that girl, there was some hope. But Ranma was hard headed and needed some pushing to see things the way they had to be.
"Yea, right. That's why you left her there to die." Tofu was intensely studying both Yuota's and Saotome-san's reactions.
"N-no, I- I tried to give her a blanket. I told her to go home." Genma sputtered though his shock. Lying, cheating, and stealing he could and had justified to his own conscious, but he would never abandon a child. 'Okay, there was that once, but I didn't really abandon her, her father was just a few blocks away, when she finally gave up the chase. Ranma had already been engaged to one of Tendou's daughters, so he couldn't really take her along anyway. Besides the road is no place for a woman, much less a girl.'
"What happened!" Akane demanded.
"Ranma had become weak." He said at least. His eyes focusing on events that he had truly regretted, even as he made the same mistakes over and over. Events, he never wanted to think about again. Even as they sometimes hunted him in his sleep, when Ranma would have a particularly restless night.
Everyone sat back and waited.
"Ever since we had moved into that neighborhood. We should have moved on immediately, but it was nice to have a roof over our head for the winter, even if the walls where drafty." He had also gotten a temporary job as a bouncer at a bar. He had wanted to bring Ranma in, to get some experience, but it had been a topless bar. And if his dear sweet wife ever found out.
"It was subtle at first. He seemed to be putting less than his full amount into his training. Each day, it almost seemed as if I had to start over."
"He had saved some other kid from being scared by some other kids, and he dealt with them sufficiently. But later I heard from his teachers that he had run from a fight at school. He hadn't even attempted to put up a proper offense. That was inexcusable."
"That's when I decided it was time to start his advanced training."
"The Cat-Fist," Akane supplied. Genma nodded his acknowledgement.
"What this Cat-Fist you keep talking about?" Yuota asked.
"An ancient and powerful form forgotten by most."
"With good reason," Akane added as Nabiki pasted Yuota a copy of Genma's training book.
Yuota turned pale as he read the description.
"Of course, he was a stubborn boy, and hadn't learned it the first time. But when he realized how important it was, he went back until he finally mastered it." Genma eyes, watery with tears sparkled a little at the single bright spot in that whole ordeal. Genma himself had been ready to give up that last time, but Ranma couldn't stand the disappointment he saw in his father's eyes.
"Of course, by that point, the inherent weakness in that form became apparent."
Yuota looked confused so Akane mouthed 'fear of cats.'
"So, I embarked on a more dangerous path to try to help him overcome this fear."
"You kept doing the same thing." Nabiki added sarcastically.
"Yes, but this time, I would have to deal with the Cat-Fist each time he emerged."
"He acts like a cat when he's doing this?" Yuota asked.
"Actually, he thinks he is a cat, and forgets everything that happed while he is a cat after he comes out of it."
"So, that's why he started showing up again, just before they left."
Everyone else in the room turned to look at Yuota.
"Yes, each time, I would have to go and hunt him down. He always ran to that same girl. Your sister I assume?" Genma asked, Yuota nodded.
"She thought he was trying to make up with her by acting like a cat, since he knew she liked cats that's what I thought."
Akane started to get angry.
"So, he must have trusted your sister very much." Nabiki commented, hoping to forestall Akane's rage.
"I take it, your sister didn't like fighting?" Dr. Tofu asked Yuota. Not seeing where this was going, he only nodded.
"So, after meeting your sister, Ranma started to hold back when facing new or weaker opponents, until he can adjust to their level. Still fighting, but only so much as he has to."
Yuota blinked as he put it that way.
Nabiki blinked, as she started to see the picture being formed. "So your saying, Ranma tries to be a better person, all for someone he doesn't even remember?" Nabiki considered allowed.
Akane couldn't decide weither to be moved by such a thing, or to go ballistic. He certainly didn't care that much about her!
"That doesn't make since!" Yuota said shaking his head. "Then why did he leave her like that?"
Genma sighed. "You don't understand. It wasn't supposed to happen that way. There was nothing I could do."
-----
'Genma,' he told himself, 'you have failed.' So many attempts to undo what he had done. In the beginning it sounded so simple. Then once things started, there was just no place to turn back.
He looked as his son curled up in the lap of that same girl as he had done each time before. She giggled as he started to purr. Once he fell asleep, it was safe for him to go up, acting happy to finally have found his son after searching for so long. She hadn't trusted him at first, but once he told her who he was, she didn't mind as much, when he would come and pick him up. Besides, he was a little heavy for her lap.
Having found that Ranma didn't remember anything while in the nekoken, he made an effort to bring him back before he could wake up somewhere else. He hadn't noticed that she followed him that one night, until suddenly, there she was.
"He's not playing kitty is he?" She asked jumping off the fence that blocked off the backyard. A feature that had finally convinced Genma that this was the perfect place. He knew not everyone understood the dedication a true martial artist needed.
"He's fine. There's no need to worry about him."
"You didn't answer my question. What did you do to him?"
"Sometimes a person must make great sacrifices. Ranma is going to be the greatest martial artist in the world." He replied proudly.
Then Ranma moaned.
"Ranma!" she called out, and he began to stir. Genma set him down, not sure it this was a good or bad sign; usually he slept through the night.
"Hiromi?" Ranma asked through the haze of mid-awakeness. "What are you doing here?"
"I followed you. After your dad came to pick you up from my house." She said, pronouncing 'your dad' like it was the worst curse imaginable. Which said a lot coming from a 10 year-old girl.
"I haven't been to your house." Ranma said, almost a question, as he looked to his father. At least he didn't remember going there, he had been having lots of blackouts lately. He hoped he would soon learn this Neko-ken stuff so his father wouldn't be so disappointed in him.
"Y-you don't remember." She said softly.
Ranma looked at her wanting to remember. This was bad, if he was going places and not remembering.
"You have been coming over to my house for most of the past week acting like a cat," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "I thought you were being silly trying something lame to make up with me. But you weren't acting where you." She had never wanted anyone to hurt in her entire life, but the monster that stood before her and dared to call itself Ranma's dad was pushing that temperament.
"I was acting like a c-c-ca-ca-..." Ranma said unable to finish the sentence. Looking over at his father, looking for some explanation.
"Yes, son. You had mastered Nekoken. But." he tried to explain but Ranma was in his face.
"I already learned it?! And you still kept on throwing me in that. " Ranma yelled, as he motioned toward the pit, a shiver went up and down his back. For a second, he forgot why he was yelling.
"You don't.." Genma started, only to be interrupted again.
"And what's the big idea teaching me some technique that I can't remember or use!"
Genma felt too guilty at this point to be upset that his son was back talking him. His words only matched those of his conscious these past few days anyway.
Ranma had been slowly advancing on his father the whole time, and was about to release some of his growing frustration when they heard the meows from the pit. Ranma froze in place, his eyes wide open.
They had been too busy to notice her go over to the pit that Ranma had indicated. She needed to see what Genma had done to Ranma. The trap door had been very heavy, especially for a 10-year-old who hadn't been training since she was four, but she managed to lift it open. There wasn't enough light now for her to see down there, but she could hear the cats perk up and hiss. After all, they were always feed right after the door was lifted.
"Kitties?" She said softly.
Ranma meowed. Genma couldn't take his eyes off his son, as he watched in horror as his son slowing entered the Neko-ken.
First he was looking frantically around, not really seeing anything. Genma could almost feel the fear evident on Ranma's face. He was surrounded by cats. Not really, but you couldn't see them in a pitch black hole either. Ranma's body made panicked little motions, as if he was trying to get free of something, though he was not tied up this time.
Ranma let out little shrieks as hundreds of non-existent claws attempted to tear away the non-existent food.
Genma got up, wanting to run over and hug his son, apologizing for everything but was frozen in place as those soft eyes of his son locked into his own. Then he saw a sight that tore at his soul. A sight that he had forgotten, save in his worst nightmares. Those same dreams he always had after Ranma woke him up in the middle of the night screaming. He watched as the humanity of his son drain out of those eyes, and unable to turn away, those eyes transformed into pure animalistic hatred.
Genma remembered Hiromi and tried to go over to her and pull her away from the pit, but Neko-Ranma, sensing him as a danger launched at Genma with everything he had. She dropped the cover and screamed as Ranma clawed Genma, leaving a trail of blood along his side. Genma had been knocked several feet away.
As Neko-Ranma readied to pounce on him to finish, he felt a strike on his side. Turning he hisses, ready to strike whatever dared to strike him.
She was frozen with fear as she saw the wild fire in his eyes. Ranma stopped. Not a hesitation, but a full stop. Genma recognized his immediate change as Ranma's body suddenly absorbed his full momentum. Even in his Nekoken form, he would not strike her, even as she had attacked him first, Genma realized. 'The Nekoken, truly is a failure.' He thought.
Hiromi, however, was not a marital artist, and thus, in that half second, didn't understand that Ranma had stopped. As her mind attempted to start again, she lost her balance and fell straight through the poorly patched cover. The cats had been ready and waiting, and attack her before she hit the ground, fighting to get their food, that seemed to be missing this time.
Neko-Ranma was there in an instant, busting the rest of the way through the door. After an eternity, to Genma, he leaped out of the pit, holding her from his mouth by the back of her jacket. Her clothes had been shredded, and Ranma had several new cuts too.
Genma had tried to bring a blanket over to them, but got warned off by Neko-Ranma before he could get close to the girl.
The rest of the night saw Genma once again trying to clean his wounds from Neko-Ranma. Then he began packing his and Ranma's gear all the while, Hiromi softly petted Ranma. Cooing in his ear that she would help him and keep him away from the bad kitties.
By the time daylight came, they were both asleep. He carefully lifted Ranma up and started to make his way out of this town before anyone else got evolved.
"Stop, you can't take Ranma!" Hiromi yelled. "She tried to get up, but her legs were too numb from Ranma laying on them all night.
"He is my son. I can take him anywhere I deem necessary." Genma shot back. "You should go back to your home, your parents must be worried about you."
Then he leaped over the wall. Briefly, Genma thought of calling her parents, but not only didn't he have a phone, but didn't know their number, and certainly wasn't going to take the risk of waking Ranma up.
-----
"I thought you said it was an old woman who lived nearby, that brought Ranma out of Nekoken." Akane asked, burning up that someone else could bring him out, although she didn't know why she was upset.
"That's right. In the next town, we went to. That's where we meet her," Genma answered while pulling his gi top back on, after having shown them the scars that he still had from that night. "The Nekoken was still fresh, so anything could set it off, seeing a cat, hearing a cat, sometimes I think all he had to do was think of a cat and he slipped into the Nekoken. The old woman was nice enough, but sometimes, I think she actually thought Ranma was a cat." Genma said. The tears from his long tail drying up, as he began to banished those memories back to the dark places of his mind where he kept all such memories he didn't want to remember, like most of his training under the master.
"He really did like her." Yuota finally said, very softly.
Akane turned to glare at Yuota, but found she couldn't.
"Where did he take off to, anyway?" Nabiki looked at Akane.
"He was so wound up this morning, I told him he should try soaking in the furo when he got home." Akane smiled, "I told him he should try some of that relaxing bath oil that Kasumi bought."
Yuota looked up in alarm. "You said what?" He was looking frantically at her. Everything fit, how he was acting, even the fight.
Akane looked confused. "What's wrong with the bath oil?" Nabiki asked.
"My family makes bath oils. T-that was a special family formula that only the women of our clan used."
"Including Hiromi." Akane answered aloud, her eyes growing big.
Everyone jumped up, except for Dr. Tofu and Saotome-san, and took off running out the door.
Nabiki cursed herself for not having noticed sooner that Ranma had started acting strange the day Kasumi brought that stuff in. Scents, she had read once in her high school psychology textbook, were one of the most powerful of the senses for memory recognition.
-----
"It's this way." Yuota shouted, at a dead run. He had never ran so hard in his life. Nabiki was just keeping up. Akane hadn't even broken stride yet, and she was fretting the entire way. She knew she could get there faster, if she just knew where there was.
They had arrived at the Tendou family home fairly quickly, only to find they hadn't been quick enough. From Kasumi, they learned he had been soaking in the furo until just moments ago, when he rat out the door looking like he had seen a ghost.
Nabiki introduced one ghost, the kind boy who had insisted she try the bath oil, Yuota. They didn't have time to explain, but had no idea where Ranma may have run off.
Nabiki was about to start making calls when Yuota turned a very pasty white and announced he might know where to look.
Both Akane and Nabiki felt a lump in their throat. Each remembered how they had treated Ranma when they learned of his 'cute' little fear of cats.
Hearing about the Neko-ken training and how this had lead to Ranma fear hadn't made it feel real to them. I mean, no body could really do that to their child, could they.
Even seeing the full power of the Nekoken released both by Gos and Shampoo hadn't brought it home to them. I mean, that pervert kissed Akane in front of everyone, right. He had to know what he was doing, and was just trying to take advantage of it. When he didn't seem to remember had hurt, but Akane wasn't thinking about that at this moment.
What both sisters were thinking about was what darkness lay ahead of them. Now they were going back to where it had all started. They both shivered. They were going to see once and for all, the truth.
Neither girl was sure they wanted to see it. But neither girl could turn away at this point.
Both girls felt a gnawing in their stomachs. The growing reality of just how harsh the world could be. And it had only been a few blocks from there home.
-----
"It's just a stupid dream, it's-only-a-stupid-dream." Ranma chanted to himself. He knew it was a dream. It had to be a dream. Why, because before him stood a place that only existed in some of his nightmares. A place he only knew as The House.
"Giru had to go to the hospital last night," the voice of a young girl echoed out of the dark
"Who are you!" Ranma shouted out.
"You did it, didn't you?" she shouted out accusingly.
Slowly, Ranma walked up the steps. There was a condemned notice on a banister, saying something about knocking down the house next week. The subtle detail of his imagination only served to unnerve him further.
Once inside, Ranma saw the young girl, still in her brown school uniform.
"Silly, its me!" she laughed.
"Hiromi?" Ranma called out, uncertainly. She seemed to smile at him. "You shouldn't be here. This is a dangerous place." Ranma scowled the little girl.
"Duh, I go to school here. Are you transferring here?" The girl giggled out.
The room was completely devoid of furniture. He could see by the streetlights long tears along the walls, like some caged animal had been let loose in here. "'Course me and the old man been in lots worse places than this," he told himself. Silently Ranma hoped that no one had been here when whatever it was had been released.
"No body deserved that," He felt more than heard the disappointment in her voice.
"People like that never learn. You have to show 'em." Someone shouted from the back.
"Anyone can change, if given the chance." Hiromi turned to shout through a window in the back. "And everyone deserves the chance to redeem themselves." She took off running tight through the wall.
He tried to make his way toward the back, but the girl was no where to be seen.
'Got dark quick," he thought as he found the back door and let himself out. Looking around the backyard, he had to remind himself it was just a dream. As his deja-vu and fear began to take stronger holds, he began his chant again, "It's-only-a-dream."
"Hey, you! Homeless boy!" Came a shout from nowhere. Ranma was in full stance, but he couldn't pinpoint the direction the danger was coming from.
"You have been bothering Hiromi. I want you to leave her alone!" The voice called out again.
"I thought she needed help," Ranma called out. He was ready for the attack from any direction.
"I know your kind, and your all no good."
He completely froze, when he saw the metal slab, which seemed to cover something.
"Would you like to see my cat?" The little girl cooed, now sitting on top of the cover.
"W-wh-what is that?" Ranma almost whimpered, having complete lost his fighting stance.
"Just what do you think you're doing!" he heard he father shout. Every nerve in Ranma's body went off. "A martial artist life is fraught with peril. Were you not ready to give your life?"
The cover may have been heavy, but it was nothing after the training Ranma had received during his life.
There before him was the darkest dark, blackest black, and the deepest hole in the universe. Any rational thought he had held onto up to that point left, as he stared into the abyss. At first there was nothing, not even a sound. Then a noise touched upon his soul. It came from within the house, but he wasn't paying that much attention.
"Kittens?" He asked meekly.
"Ranma!" Akane shouted from the doorway as they had made their way through the house. She started running toward him as she saw the fear etched in his face. She could never imagine that sight on anyone, especially Ranma Saotome.
"I know where that is," came the innocent voice up from the pit. "Follow me."
His grip wavered and he fell backwards into the pit. The heavy metal slab slamming down with such a clang, that it echoed off of everything.
"Kami, he was able to lift that thing!" Yuota exclaimed, everything taking a surreal turn in his mind. He hadn't wanted to believe Genma's story, but he had felt that perhaps he had judged Ranma prematurely. Now that his wish to seeing Ranma experience his sisters fine moments was coming true, he felt like he had become the greater evil in some bizarre story. This was not the way it was suppose to happen.
Akane tried vainly to lift the slab, but the latch was stuck from the force that had slammed it shut. So she began pounding and punching her way through. After all, this is what she practiced with her bricks for all the time, right.
Nabiki just sat back, watching and praying. Kami only knew what was going on in Ranma's head right now.
Quickly, although an eternity for those present, she broke though the aging and rusted slab that had covered the pit for the past six years. As she forced a whole big enough to jump through Nabiki called out.
"How do you know he will know its you!"
"Ranma!" Akane shouted as she prepared to jump. She took one last quick look at Nabiki, who was as pale as a sheet. With one last forced smile she said, "I know he will."
She jumped.
-----
"I'm so proud of you!" Soun began to cry out. "Now out house will surely be joined!"
"It's a great day, Tendou!" Genma cheered with him.
"What's goin' on here," Ranma moaned as he tried to sit up from his place on the couch. That weird dream already fading from his head.
"We should have the ceremony tomorrow!" Genma suggested.
"There's no way we're getting' married!" Akane and Ranma shouted at almost the same time.
"B- b- but after you saved Ranma." Sound began.
"What!" Ranma exclaimed. "There's no way I'd ever need some uncute tom-boy to save me!"
"What! You jerk." Akane responded. "You wouldn't know trouble if it hit you in the face!"
As the argument mounted to its usual conclusion, Soun continued to cry, this time because it looked like the school may never be joined, while Genma dumped a glass of water over his head and lamented the same conclusion.
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Auther's notes: This story takes place after Shampoo has returned and Ranma has defeated the 'old mummy' : ) for the Phoenix Pill. Thus Ranma is male, amazingly enough for most of this story. Also the Neko-ken training has been reveiled, and is still fresh on most of their minds.
Some sceens still need a little work, i think. As for the changes from Rev 1 to Rev 2: I have extended some of the minor plot points some what, as well as added a few new clips. The largest change was breaking from the more contrived plot point to bring the story to a conclusion, to something that (hopefully) flows with the story better. Any and all C&C would be welcome. I would really like to know if using the auroma theropy oils seems to work or not. And if not, why.(please)