What happens when the Lord of Darkness finds out his favorite pawn is reborn? Makes a visit of course! He has set the board for a new game, and waits for Kami-sama to make a move. Calling upon a retired demon slayer, fallen angel, lamia, and a human who has no idea of the power she wields. What happens when all this goes after Ranma? Why, sex, blood, death, and destruction. But, as more and more is revealed, are they so sure they want to do this? A universe based on lies awaits saving...and the truth is the one thing that will destroy it all.

------------


Do you believe in things that go bump in the night?
Of hidden figures taunting the edge of your vision,
to disappear when the head is turned? You should...
If you want to live very long. You see, we can probe
your mind, innermost thought lay before us like an
open book; nothing hidden, nothing escaping the
intensity of our dark gaze. We can burn out your brain,
set bodies on fire, both desire and pain heeding our
call. We are the Night, the Death...The Blood. And
maybe, just maybe, you might begin to believe. Just
pray that it's not too late.

You should listen to us, for Ranma didn't. And look
where that got him now...

---------------

Waterfalls of Blood
A Sera Luanma Production
Disclaimer: Don't own it, any of it.

Chapter 1 - Return to the Night

---------------

It crept around him, seeping into corners and following
the seams of the walls, creeping across the ceiling
and dripping down in thick clumps, a grim parody of
blood. Soon, utter darkness encased the room, allowing
no light in and no soul to escape. It curled in and
around itself as it slunk further into the room, soft
sliding sounds the only indication the blackness wasn't
typical twilight shadows. And then, all movement ceased,
only a small circle of shadowy light surrounded the futon
and the figure in martial artist's stance at the center.

Ranma was confused, only a few moments ago, his room had
been filled with a rosy orange glow as the sun sunk low
into the horizon, sliding down into the depths of the
sea, only a few golden tendrils left as it fell of the
edge. And within a few seconds, those two had faded,
leaving a slowly emerging evening to sweep over the Land
of the Rising Sun. But now, pools of ebony ink called
his name in sibilant hisses, whispering things in a
language millennia-dead on Earth. He watched in trepidation
as small tendrils of midnight felt along the floor in a
path leading directly to his futon.

|A martial artist does not fear...a martial artist does
not fear...a martial artist does not fear...|The mantra
was repeated continuously in Ranma's mind as he closed his
eyes for a brief moment while thinking about the ocean
and it's warm glow of a few minutes back. They flew open
when one of the tendrils crept up his leg and twined
around his upper thigh. It was all Ranma could do not
to cry out, the others touching his legs and ankles in
ways that reminded him of soft cat paws...Until they bit
into his skin with unseen teeth.

"Oh kami-sama, no!" He cried as he went to grasp the one
on his thigh and fling it away. Ranma gripped it in his
right hand and tugged, wincing as the teeth held fast
into his skin. |This is going to hurt like a bitch.| He
thought as he gave a strong jerk and nearly fell to his
knees when he hurtled it back into the shadows, crushing
the ones at his heels as they too continued to bite down.
Ranma felt at the tattered mess that was left of his
black pants and the bleeding skin beneath. He took a
deep breath and pushed his chi to the top layer of skin,
sighing in relief as the glow suffused him and the shadows
drew back. The hissing intensified and then all was silent
when a figure parted from the shadows, clothed in robes
that were total absence of light.

The feeling of death filled the room and Ranma felt the
tug of the otherworld calling to him. Scared, he drew the
chi back into his body and buried it deep into his core,
suffusing it with life. The feeling that eyes were upon
him caused Ranma to glare into the deep cavity of the
robe's hood. ::Chi...So long since I have seen that
particular kind of grayness. Even you do not know what
taint lies on your soul.::

"Screw you. Who in the hell are you?" Ranma spat out,
furious and disgusted at the...thing in front of him.

::Hell...I like it.:: A soft roll of thunder easily mistaken
for deep thunder crawled across Ranma's skin and cause every
hair on his body to stand on end. ::I have been called many
things, but my base is darkness. *You* call me Lord.::

"I call no one master you asshole!"

::Oh, but I am. I could lay you bare and read your life,
your fantasies...your deepest desires. Then I could burn
you from your body, leaving an empty shell of a creature.
You would be my plaything. What could you possibly say to
that, young one?::

"I'd say you were full of shit." Ranma stated, for once
scared out of his mind. Even battling Saffron, he hadn't
felt this terrified. But the entity wasn't a self-proclaimed
god...He was Master of Darkness himself.

There was a brief flare from inside the robes and a horrible
growling filled the room. It took a moment for Ranma to
realize it was laughter. ::Spunk, just as I remember
Miquizteli. But be careful what you say, impudence is not
smart in my presence.::

"My name is Ranma..." He ground from between clenched teeth.

"Miquizteli, Ranma, Kali, Hades, Pluto...It matters not
what you are called. You are and always will be second to
my throne. But my time is short and midnight is almost past.
I have only one last thing before you walk on His time
again.:: The figure spat at the mention of his adversary,
spittle sizzling as it hit the floor. Then, Ranma only had
time for a chocked scream when the thick shadows parted,
leaving the figure standing bare in the room. The Lord of
Darkness stood in all his filthy glory, rushing forward as
Ranma fell, heart stopped and a small trickle of blood
seeping out his nose.

The sickly-sweet scent of rotting flesh filled the room when
his breath hissed out over Ranma's neck. Eyes of reflected
flames filling Ranma's vision before things began to go hazy.
He felt a sharp pain in his wrist and tried to gasp, body
not obeying as it shut down completely. Thick sucking sounds
filled his ears as the blood was drawn out in steaming droughts
to slide down the back of the thing's throat. When it finished,
the Master's head lifted and Ranma barely comprehended the
smeared cherry colored substance on his jaws. A clawed finger
touched the wound and a thick collar banded his neck, ruby
gemstone reflecting the twin points of light drilling into
Ranma, even reaching the place where his soul drifted, a
passenger in his own dead body. Echoes of shadow danced in
his head.

::Rise again, slave to the Master, and master of the Darkness.
Reawaken, soul of hate, fear, and rage. Let the blackness taint
the light and the life once more succumb to the beauty of
eternal night!:: The thing split it's own throat and pushed
Ranma's unmoving mouth to the wound. As soon as the blood touched
his lips, it seared through the neural passage ways in Ranma's
brain, and lit fire to his body. His heart beat once, twice,
and then was completely still as the cavern once again yawned
in Ranma's soul, drawing in the filthy liquid and pushing it
out, filling every particle and atom in the teen's corpse. Lips
like suckers fastened onto the wound and drew more of the un-life
into himself.

::I said I would have you again at my side, even if you were
taken by the light once more.:: The Master of Filth purred
as he pulled back from the figure the mewled for more. Ranma
exerted himself once more before the ebon inside of him took
complete control.

"Bastard..."

::Ahh, Ranma...You have no idea. Let the blood work on your
body, and in seven days you will once again waken as my own.::
It was the last thing Ranma heard as he slipped into the
bliss of unconsciousness.

|...akane...|

~Sera Luanma
http://kristi_8.tripod.com/choice.html


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