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Accidental Pawn
"I still don't get it," Ranma-chan said,
shaking herself dry and seriously considered removing
the spell on herself.
"What," Akane asked, irritated at the wanderer.
"What isn't there to get, they're both crazy." They
were on their way home after an irritating session at
court involving Kuno and his sister, the same
priestess that Akane was supposed to fight.
"Yeah, but I expect that of a priestess of
Ayeka," Ranma said. ~Or Ryoko.~ "But I just don't get
why she tolerates her brother." She paused for a
moment and looked around.
"I don't know how anyone tolerates him," Akane
said. "But I know there's no way I'm gonna let that
stuck up Jurain beat me in this match." She turned
back to look at Ranma and noted the other girl's
watchful attitude. "What's up?"
"Somebody was watching me," Ranma said. She
touched her scars. "Something about my face." She
frowned and started walking along, checking back over
her shoulder.
Akane blinked, feeling a slight chill. She
knew Ranma understood the trick of reading minds, but
sometimes the martial artist's powers seemed to be
pulled up to naturally to be just a spell. It was
somewhat disturbing actually.
~Musta caught me watching,~ Ranma thought.
~Too much background.~ She glanced back at Akane.
"Come on, I'm sure the jerk's missing you right now."
********
"Are you certain?" one of the men asked.
"I saw it," the man said. "A pair of scars
forming an 'x' on her face."
"Anybody can have that," someone said. "Half
his worshippers do."
"She had red hair," the witness said,
continuing. "She looked like
she stepped out a picture of the Bandit Killer, and
with those scars." He shook his head. "I don't
believe in coincidence when it comes to someone that
looks like the gods. Especially a resemblance to more
than one."
"'Her'," the third of the group noted
questioningly. "Are you certain. There is no reason
for any of them to even know of her existence, much
less be looking for her."
"Even if it was known," the first said again.
"We are well shielded from magic and unfriendly Gods."
"It was an Outsider," the one who had seen the
woman said. "I'm sure of it." In truth he had
nothing to go on but the appearance the woman had
given him. Somehow she had noticed when he started
watching her. "And she was with a priestess of
Ryoko."
"Both of them," said a feminine voice. There
was a snort. The three men turned to a woman in the
shadows. "My my, they want this kid badly, don't
they?"
"M...mistress," one of the men stammered.
"Just keep an eye on the girl," the woman said.
"I don't want to lose another weapon."
"What about the berserker and this 'demon'
Barth 'saw?'" one of the men asked. "You really can't
expect us to act normal with them hanging arou-" The
man was cut off as he suddenly turned into solid
stone.
"Anyone else want to question me?" the woman
asked. There was no response.
"Good," she smiled. ~Time to test the playing
field.~ The shadows deepened around her, swallowing
the woman's already indistinct form. When they pulled
back she was gone.
********
"Are you going to keep that crazy woman away
from my priestess?" Ryoko demanded.
"What about that pet demon you have distracting
my priestess?" Ayeka demanded. Ryoko blinked.
"You have to be joking," Ryoko said. "Didn't
you notice who that demon was?"
"Well, he did seem familiar," Ayeka noted.
"Ranma," Ryoko said. Ayeka looked at her in
disbelief.
"That is not possible," Ayeka said. "Ranma is
just a little bit of a thing." She held her hand to
about waist level.
"Ayeka, how long has it been since you last saw
Ranma?" Tenchi asked wearily.
"It was just a little bit ago," Ayeka said.
"Around when we last saw Nodoka. That was...eight
years ago. Oh! They grow up so quickly."
"So you see..." Ryoko started.
"How dare you use that sweet little child in
your schemes," Ayeka accused.
"ARRGGG!" Ryoko shouted.
********
"This must be one of the pair she wants us to
test," a masculine voice said. A smaller figure next
to him nodded.
"The young man is an Outsider," she said.
"Like you, not the Mistress."
"Yeah, I feel it too," the taller figure
smiled. "I shouldn't worry about him, but maybe we
should take the priestess out of action for a time."
"Oh, you plan to approach her?" the young woman
asked.
"Not with him there," he said. "I leave this
to you. Something accidental."
"Perhaps, I'll send one of my pretties after
her," the woman smiled.
********
"Where is he?" Akane wondered angrily. "I
should have known he'd get lost."
"You actually expected him to be reliable?"
Ranma asked tartly, dropping into view. "I told you
the jerk is never around when you neeed him."
"So how am I supposed to train then?" Akane
asked. "I have to be ready for tomorrow."
"Yeah, I wouldn't want you to lose tomorrow,"
Ranma said. "That's for sure."
"Listen you, I'm not fighting for you," Akane
snapped.
"I didn't say you were," Ranma retorted. "But
I wouldn't want to disa..." He stopped and looked
around the dojo.
"What is it now?" Akane asked. She thought
about calling on her own magic to see what the cursed
sorcerer-martial artist felt.
"Mew," the quiet sound seemed thunderous in the
quiet of the dojo. Akane turned to see a small cat
sitting just outside the dojo. It seemed very
uncomfortable in the cold of the night.
"C..c.ccattt!!" Ranma yelled next to her, and
by the time Akane turned around he was plastered
against the wall.
"What's wrong with you?" Akane asked, she shook
her head, confused. She forgot about casting a spell
as the situation turned more confusing. Ranma was
cowering against the wall. The young man didn't seem
like he had heard her, focus wide-eyed on the cat,
which had for some reason not crossed into the dojo
from outside. "Look, I'll get rid of the cat, okay,"
She walked towards the mewling cat and felt a
small sense of reluctance as she moved to pick it up.
"A..A...Akane," Ranma stuttered. "G..get away
from it."
"It's just a cat," Akane said, hesitantly. She
stepped out of the dojo and the mewling, sad looking
cat instantly seemed to become a rabid beast, leaping
up at her. "What the..!?"
Akane lifted her arm up in front of the little
attacker and it tore at her arm rather than her
throat. She tossed it away from her into the
courtyard and watched as it landed and started to
bound back towards her. Her torn hand and arm made it
difficult to cast an appropriate spell in defense.
She growled and got ready to crush the little thing as
it jumped at her. Something slammed her out of the
cat's path.
"Get it offa me!!" Ranma yelled.
Akane whirled to see him shielding his face and
curled up as the little monster clawed at his back.
Akane snapped out with her uninjured arm and grabbed
the cat, snapping its neck. The small animal turned
briefly limp in her grasp before its body faded into
mist.
"A summoning," she said irritably. "That's why
it wouldn't come in the house." Akane knelt down next
to the still shivering Ranma. "It's gone Ranma, it's
gone."
"Akane, what happened?" Kasumi demanded as she
rushed in from the house.
"Somebody sent something to attack me," Akane
said angrily. She showed her arm to Kasumi.
"A devil," Ranma muttered. "Just like be...a
devil."
********
"Well, so much for your 'pretty'," the 'man'
said dryly.
"That little bitch killed my Jean-Pierre!" the
woman huffed angrily. "I won't be able to call him
back for a day or more!"
"I might have to do something about the little
demon after all," her partner responded. "Or
half-demon, I should say." ~If this is who I think it
is...~ He smiled evilly.
********
"The spell is not working," Kasumi said. "I'm
afraid this won't be healed before tomorrow."
"But I can't fight like this!" Akane protested.
"That Kodachi is behind this, she wants me to forfeit
the match!"
"Not Ayeka's style and you know it," Nabiki
said. "This was something else."
"I don't believe you, boy," Genma's voice
carried from the courtyard. "After all my training
you become a quivering useless mass over something so
trivial."
"Shut up, old man!" Ranma snapped. A moment
later Genma was seen landing in the pool as a cloaked
form that had to be Ranma leaped over the wall.
"Where do you think you're going!" Akane
demanded loudly, moving past the pond and panda.
"Hunting!" Ranma's angry voice carried back,
already a fair distance away.
"What's wrong with him?" Akane wondered.
"First that cat scaring him spineless now this."
"He was saying it was a devil like before,"
Kasumi said. "And that no one would heal the scars
this time." The elder sister moved to stand next to
Akane, Nabiki moved behind her and turned to look at
Genma in the pool.
"Why do I get the feeling you know something
about this?" she asked.
*I don't know what you're talking about.*
Genma's sign read. Nabiki arched an eyebrow as Akane
and Kasumi turned around.
"Genma," Soun said grimmly, appearing out of no
where. "What have you done?"
"I'm sorry, I'm having a little trouble reading
that," Nabiki said. "Maybe a little light would..."
*NO!NO!NO!* Genma's sign declared loudly. Of
course everytime Nabiki had so much tried to cast a
cantrip with her wizardly magic there was a loud bang.
"Then you might want to explain what's wrong
with Ranma," Nabiki said.
********
Ranma sat in the tavern and tried to ignore the
feeling of the blood dripping down her back. No one
had come near her yet. All the thoughts she was
picking up seemed to just pass her over. Before she
came to Nerima she could turn the eyes of any man that
saw her, and make women swoon in her male form. Now
she was hiding in a cloak and the only attention she
got was a cautious appraisal.
She was a threat now, not an object of beauty.
Of course, she had always been a threat to some. Now
they just seemed to know it.
~Such a pity,~ someone thought. ~Such a flower
sitting all by herself.~ Normally Ranma would have
been suspicious of such attention to a girl that was
hiding in a cloak hard to see. Desperation made her
somewhat reckless though.
Ranma glanced in the direction of the thought
and saw a tall man striding toward her purposefully.
She scanned his surface thoughts enough to realize
that he was the type of pervert she was used to
preying on. She smiled in anticipation as the man
approached her.
"Hey kid," somebody said, plopping down next to
her. The tall man frowned and backed away. Ranma
growled and turned to see Lina in the chair next to
her. "You know, you won't get anybody to come talk to
you mope about like that."
"GAH!!" Ranma shouted in frustration. The
tavern momentarily turned toward her and then looked
away. Ranma continued, quietly angry. "You just
ruined another meal!"
"Oh, that guy?" Lina asked she looked around a
moment and frowned, there was something about the man
that she didn't like. "Sorry about that. I just
wanted to cheer you up."
"Why?" Ranma asked. "What's my life to you?"
Lina snorted
"You DO realize that you're like one of the
most active Bandit Killers right now," Lina said.
"I don't kill anyone," Ranma protested.
"That's not the point," Lina shrugged. "I need
an example for my priests and priestesses, and so far
this generation your it. I can't have you falling
into depression and ruining that, can I? Why are you
banging your head on the table?"
********
The pigeon listened to the discussion at the
table. Ranma had allowed Akane to be hurt by some
summoned monster. All because the evil creature was
to cowardly to stand up to a cat.
"You'll have to postpone the match," Kasumi
said.
"I can't," Akane said. "The only choice she'll
give me is forfeit, I just know it."
"Well, you'll have to find someone to take your
place," Nabiki said.
"And where are we going to find another girl
that can represent Ryoko," Akane asked. "Fight in
that style, AND look good in an acrobats outfit?" All
three stared blankly for a moment.
"Think he'll do it?" Akane asked. "How are we
going to convince a guy to wear that outfit?"
"That shouldn't be a problem," Nabiki muttered
under her breath.
~Yes!~ Ryouga thought. ~If Ranma loses this
match, Akane will never forgive him, and then she'll
be safe from his influence!~ He flapped past the
three girls, and Akane glanced up at the pigeon
irritably.
"Ranma's right," Akane said. "He does show up
at the worst times."
"What?" Nabiki asked supiciously.
"Nothing."
********
"Have a good hunt Ranma?" Nabiki asked as Ranma
walked back into the house.
"Lina decided to cheer me up," Ranma muttered.
"Oh?" Nabiki said, arching her eyes. She
seemed to consider something and then smiled.
"Ranma," Kasumi said as she came into the room.
"How's your back?"
"I'm fine," Ranma said.
"Come over here and let me see," Kasumi said.
"I probably won't be able to do anything but I should
at least try."
"Maybe later," Ranma said hesitantly. "What
about Akane?"
"She probably won't be able to fight tomorrow,"
Kasumi said quietly. "She'll either have to forfeit
or postpone."
"Or find a replacement," Nabiki said as Akane
walked into the living room.
"Ranma," Akane said nervously. "Are you okay?"
She moved next to him and started to fuss over him a
little.
"What's with you?" Ranma asked nervously.
"Your father told us about your accident with
those cats," Kasumi said. Ranma growled and shook off
Akane.
"Hey, I'm just worried about you," Akane said
angrily.
"Did he happen to say how I ended up in a pit
of cats?" Ranma asked.
"No, he didn't," Nabiki said. ~Nor how normal
cats in any number would be a problem for you.~
"Didn't think so," Ranma grumbled, then changed
the subject. "What about the duel tomorrow. Somebody
said something about a replacement."
"Well, we haven't talked to..." Akane started.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Ryoko looked around at
the group she had just materialized into. She took a
moment to look over the memories of the group to save
on conversation. "It wasn't Kodachi. Neither of us
allow devil or demon summoning. You should have
considered asking me to heal you though."
"Oh, well, I sort of thought that would be
rude," Akane said.
"You're right," Ryoko said. "But you could of
asked."
"So can you..." Akane started after a moment.
"Nope," Ryoko said. "Made a deal with Ayeka,
no intervention at all. So no magic. No divine
healing. I have no trouble with Ranma fighting
though, I'll need to talk to Akane though. Be right
back." Ryoko vanished again.
"Wait...me?" Ranma asked trying to catch Ryoko
before she disappeared.
"You're the only one with the skills who can
represent Ryoko," Akane said.
"But I'm..." He touched his scars briefly. "I
haven't trained for this." There was a splash of
water and Ranma found herself changed into a woman,
she glared up at the culprit and saw Ryouga standing
there gripping her cloak.
"I guess this will be an all nighter," Ryouga
said smirking triumphantly. Ranma shook out of her
cloak and stomped toward the dojo.
"Let's get this over with then," Ranma said.
"Before I pound your face in, jerk."
"I should make sure they don't kill each
other," Akane said, following them.
"Ayeka ranted a lot, but..." Ryoko glanced
around. "Where'd they all go?"
"Practice," Nabiki said.
"Ah, in that case," Ryoko rubbed her hands
together. "I guess I can sample the local
establishments." She walked out of the door in
anticipation of sampling mortal liquor.
********
"Ranma," Ryouga pointed to the redhead.
"You're bleeding."
"I know!" Ranma snapped. "It's nothing. I'll
just have to wear read or something dark tomorrow."
"Whatever," Ryouga said smirking. "It's not my
problem."
"Yeah," Ranma said, then continued reluctantly.
"You don't have to do this you know."
"Of course I do," Ryouga said, smiling.
"You do?" Ranma asked, glancing at Ryouga.
First Akane's worried about him and now...
"I have to make sure you lose tomorrow," Ryouga
said, making sure no one was in the dojo yet. Ranma's
face fell and she stared down at the ground for a
little bit.
"I should have known," she muttered. "You
JERK!!" She charged forward wielding the gymnastics
club in her hand. Suddenly, Akane was in the way, and
Ranma stopped.
"Finish your fight AFTER tomorrow's match,"
Akane snapped. "Really, what is the problem with you
two!?"
"I told you already," Ranma muttered angrily.
She returned to a starting position and entered stance
sullenly. "Let's get this over with."
"Don't you dare mess this up just to get at
he...him," Akane whispered to Ryouga. Then she walked
to the edge of the dojo to watch. The celestial
sweatdropped nervously. Ranma watched the display and
growled quietly, clenching her fists around her club.
********
"Someone tried to assassinate Lord Ranma and
Akane Tendo today," Kodachi gasped as she came out of
meditation.
She was not found of Akane at all, but the
woman was one of Ryoko's priestesses. Whether she
liked it or not, the temples were pledged to protect
each other in times of real trouble. And of course
any attempt on the life of her demonic love could not
be forgiven.
"Well," she said. "After I humilate this
replacement of hers tomorrow, I shall have to see
about investigating this."
********
"You didn't accomplish much," the speaker was a
'woman' with pale blonde hair. "I wanted you too
watch them, nothing else. If you felt you had to try
something, you should have succeeded in killing at
least one of them."
"They were more than little too much for
Azusa's 'pretty'," the man said. "Maybe more than
one, but I think they'll be ready for it now."
"And the redhead?" their mistress asked.
"A half-demon, afraid of cats," the man said,
smiling. The blonde turned to look at him and arched
an eyebrow.
"You think its that one?" she asked.
"What are you talking about?" Azusa asked.
"Azusa want to know about beast that kill her
Jean-Pierre."
"I'm suddenly more interested in her friend,"
the other woman asked. "Do you think you can collect
the half-breed, Sanzenin?" The man smiled.
"Their may be difficulty," Sanzenin said. "The
creature is desperate for attention, but Little Girl
Lina seems to be taking an interest in it."
"Do so. Alive and willing if possible."
=====
"Caffeinated Kender? What's that, a berserk spell?" -
Tribble, Kender Warrior of the Celestial Kingdom
"God has to have a sense of humor, it's the only explanation for sex." - my
father
"I have to write a how-to paper for class, so I'm writing a paper on how to
be psuedo-evil." - my brother
http://members.aol.com/thrythlind/snake.html
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