Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ One-Half a Wing and a Prayer ❯ Rink-a-Dinks ( Chapter 14 )

Author’s Note: Ranma’s world was dreamed up by Rumiko Takahashi, produced by Kitty in Japan, and was licensed in the U.S. by Viz Communications, I’m just going to borrow them for a while to tell another story. This isn’t for money, just for fun. This story also contains adult themes, like sex and violence so be warned. Then again, if you like sex and violence, come on down.
P.S.: still and always for Janice.


The three of them sat in the corner of the small ramen shop, Nabiki and a male Ranma on one side, and a very pissed off looking Akane on the other. Ranma and Akane were blushing as Nabiki calmly sat back and waited for her sister to stop lecturing them in a whisper.

“I can’t believe you let your guard down with this monster,” Akane ranted, “How could you let yourself be…I don’t know what that was, but I should be telling Father so he’ll throw this creep out, not sitting here eating noodles.”

Nabiki sighed, “Are you quite done? Yes? Good. Now shut the hell up and listen to me before I lose my temper.” She collected herself and continued, “First off, what you saw was none of your damn business, and if you tell Daddy, you can forget about the college money I’ve managed to stash away when you weren’t blowing it on cinder blocks, or doctor bills for the boys you beat up. I’ve been covering your ass for two years now, and I’m just about done.”

Ranma tried to blend into the chair, disappear, vanish, or anything else to get away from the two hostile girls. Akane had spent the last hour telling them how evil it was to do what they did. That it was wrong for two girls to be that close, and Ranma was being a perverted, disgusting molester for forcing Nabiki to commit such acts. Nabiki had countered every point, shot down every argument and summed up her stance with one simple statement.

“Hey, has it ever occurred to you that I’m a pervert too? I like the wild lesbian sex, after all.”

Akane was rocked back by this and stammered out, “Don’t be ridiculous, Nabiki. That can’t be true.”

“Have you ever actually listened to your friends at lunch,” Nabiki asked, “They are two of the biggest, boy hungry pervs in the school. As for Dad, remember, he’s already ok with me and Ranma, have you considered that? As a matter of fact, the only one who’s being a jerk about this is you.”

Akane whispered, “Liar,” and stood, leaving the café. Nabiki sighed and lowered her forehead to the table, resting it lightly and rolling it from side to side.

“That went better then I thought,” Ranma quipped, and Nabiki rolled her head enough to glare at the boy for a second, and then laughed lightly when she realized that he was right.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sitting up and leaning heavily on him, “Akane has always been the little pure princess, and it’s getting old. She never thinks about what she’s doing, or who she hurts, just as long as she’s always right.” She placed her head on his shoulder and continued, “Just once, I’d like her to grow up and accept some responsibility, is that too much to ask?”

Ranma shook his head and put an arm around her, “She’s always had Kasumi and you to look out for her, and I get the feeling your dad lets a lot slip by. Actually, I’m a little jealous of her, she had people to help her when she messed up, all I had was the old fart.”

“You turned out ok.”

Ranma chuckled, “Only because I’m as big a pain in the ass as he is. When I was ten or so there was this kid I hung out with…”

As Ranma was about to continue, two boys from his class that he had gotten to know during the lunches he couldn’t spend with Nabiki plopped down in the seat across from them.

“Um, guys,” Ranma frowned, “Private booth here. Do you mind?”

Hiroshi said, “Actually we do. You have Nabiki there, so where are you hiding her?”

At Ranma’s blank look Daisuke added, “You know, the hot redhead that has your name.” He tossed a few pictures of the girl Ranma in her leotard from the gymnastics match on the table. “You already have a girlfriend, and now this one won’t even give a guy the time of day.”

“Oh, god,” Ranma mumbled and let go of Nabiki so he could lightly bang his head on the table.


One Half a Wing and a Prayer
By Seth

Chapter 14
Rink-a-Dinks


Hiroshi and Daisuke blinked at Nabiki as she began laughing at Ranma’s antics. This time it was his turn to glare as she took the pictures in hand and examined them.

“She does have a nice ass,” she commented, holding up a picture of Ranma in mid leap, her legs forward to avoid an attack, “And she has those long legs and large tits that tend to draw guys in. Throw in the mystery surrounding her, and I can see why you two are interested.”

Ranma grumbled from the tabletop, “She’s not available.”

“Oh, come on,” Hiroshi whined, “are you gonna tell us that she’s your mistress or something?” Ranma began coughing and choking and Nabiki had to reach over and whack him on the back.

“What he meant to say was, the redhead is already being chased by Kuno, and she wants nothing to do with men to begin with. She is his sister so he looks out for her.”

“Sister,” the two boys asked.

Ranma caught on and added, “Yup, grew up and trained together. She’s almost as good as I am at fighting, so I usually let her handle her own problems. But a big brother has to look out, you know.”

Daisuke nodded and said, “I understand that, but that doesn’t explain why she wants nothing to do with men. I know Kuno is a dickhead, but isn’t that a little much?”

Ranma was drawing a blank, and Nabiki knew it, so she quickly answered, “She is going through a rough bit right now, ok? Mister Saotome treats her like crap, and her lifestyle doesn’t help.”

Ranma nodded, “The old man sees her as useless, when she has been through hell and back. She just wants to be left alone.”

“What is she, a dyke,” grumbled Hiroshi, and immediately felt Ranma’s hand around his neck.

Slowly Ranma growled out, “You got a problem with that, dip shit?”

“I’m sorry,” he managed to choke out, “I didn’t know. It was a joke, a joke.”

Ranma let the boy go, and noticed that Daisuke was giving his partner an ‘I don’t believe you’re so stupid’ look. He let it go at that, but decided he was no longer comfortable in the small café.

“Let go,” he said to Nabiki and they stood to leave.

Hiroshi quietly said, “I really am sorry. I’ll try not to be such a jerk, ok?”

Ranma nodded and turned to follow Nabiki as she headed to the door. She was about to walk out, when another young man walked in and bumped into her, causing her to lose her balance. Quickly the boy grabbed her and prevented her from falling.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and steadied Nabiki,” Forgive my clumsiness. By way of apology allow me to…” He lowered his face down to Nabiki and moved to kiss her. All the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as the boy leaned in, and because he still held her, her arms were not free to slap him away. Thankfully, she didn’t need her arms.

With a mental shove against the boy, she broke his grip and stumbled back into Ranma, who wore an expression of rage. Slowly he moved Nabiki to one side and stood before the taller boy.

“And just who the hell do you think you are,” he asked in a deathly quiet voice.

The young man nonchalantly tossed his hair and answered with an arrogant smile, “Mikado Sanzenin, and the young lady and I were sharing a moment here. Who are you to interrupt us?”

“I’m the young lady’s fiancé,” Ranma answered, “And I can’t say that she liked your idea of a moment much.”

Nabiki moved to stand next to Ranma and spoke up,” I think I can handle this, Ranma.” He was about to object, when he saw the look in her eyes. He smiled and made way for her. “You think you’re man enough for someone of my tastes,” Nabiki asked.

“Obviously,” Sanzenin answered, “I am a great improvement over this idiot.”

Ranma was about to deck the boy when Nabiki held up her hand to stop him. She turned her head so only Ranma saw her, and gave an evil smile that assured Ranma she knew what she was doing.

“”I hate to tell you this,” she said as she turned back around, “but you just don’t measure up. After all, what real man has to force a girl to kiss him? You’re just a pathetic little boy in my book.” She gave him a smug look as he stammered for a moment, and she and Ranma moved to leave.

Once more however, the door was blocked, this time by a shorter girl in an elaborate cloak giggling in what sounded like French. They were about to walk around her, when Ranma saw a panicked black piglet stuck in her arms.

Quickly he plucked the struggling Ryoga from the girl’s arms and held him up, “What happened to you, P-Chan?”

“Ryoga,” Nabiki asked, and was about to question the piglet herself, but she noticed the bubbly girl move behind Ranma, holding a chair above her head. Her eyes snapped wide, and she had just enough time to mentally shove the chair out of the girl’s grip before she brought it down on Ranma’s head. He heard the furniture clatter to the ground and whipped around into a defensive stance, guarding the pig.

“Give me back Charlotte,” the girl whined, and grabbed another chair, smashing it against Ranma’s arm as he blocked the attack.

“Damn, let me explain,” Ranma tried, but was forced back as the girl tried to smash him with yet another chair. He tossed the struggling pig to Nabiki and yelled, “Get Ryoga out of here! Even Akane is safer then this psycho.”

He was about to block another shot, when Sanzenin grabbed the chair out of the girl’s hands and yelled, “Azusa, calm down.”

“No! Give me back widdle Charlotte!” The girl flew into another tantrum and tried to grab a table, at which point the owner of the small shop came out wielding a large knife.

“All right you little brats,” the large man called, “Get the hell out or I’m gonna get pissed!” With a flick of the wrist, the knife sailed through the air and imbedded itself into the door frame.

“This is us,” Ranma and Nabiki chorused, “leaving!” They bolted for the door, and Mikado was about to follow when Azusa caught him

“Get Charlotte back NOW!” She promptly threw him out the door and was about to follow, when she spotted the knife in the doorframe. In an instant, she had pulled it out, tied a ribbon around the handle and declared, “Roberto, I’ve been looking all over for you!”

A very pissed off cook decided it was time to reach for his second favorite weapon for dealing with troublemaking teens, a phone with the ward police on speed dial.

Outside, Nabiki and Ranma had gotten to the corner of the street, and stopped to catch their breath. Once the crazed girl was out of sight, Ryoga had calmed down somewhat and sat quietly in Nabiki’s arms as the two teens shook their heads at the nuts they had escaped.

Ranma groused, “Why do all the nuts seem to find…” There was a large splash as the Third Annual Street Cleaners Appreciation Parade passed, sending a spray of curbside water to drench the three. “…me.”

Ryoga, already being in his curse form, simply gave a piggy chuckle at the misfortune of his rival. Behind them, Sanzenin came skidding face first out of the ramen shop. He immediately hopped up, and smoothed out his clothes in an attempt to return to his ‘cool as can be’ mindset, and turned to the two girls.

Jogging up to them he smiled, “Wait, miss. I want to apologize for my partner’s actions in there.” He saw the redhead standing next to Nabiki and decided to try his charm once again, “Your friend was forced to witness a rather unpleasant side of Azusa Shiratori. I wanted to extend my feelings two her as well as the young man who helped her, but that’s beside the point. Allow me to introduce myself.”

“I know who you are,” Ranma growled.

Mikado smiled, “Oh, you must have admired me from afar then, because I’ve never seen you before. And I’m sure to remember one as attractive as you.” He took her chin in hand and tilted her head up to meet his lips, but before they kissed he felt a sharp, hard slap across his face. He opened his eyes to see the redhead had struck, and wore a look of utter contempt on her face.

“Back off, creep,” snarled Ranma, “lay one finger on me again, and you’ll be singing soprano for the rest of your life. Same goes for my friend. As for your partner, this belongs to a friend. I’m just returning it.”

“NO!”

The group turned to see Azusa had joined them, sans knife, and was glaring angrily at the redhead, “Give back Charlotte now!”

Ryoga jumped out of Nabiki’s arms and scampered up to her shoulder, trying to hide and growl at the insane girl at the same time. From his surface thoughts Nabiki picked out that this Shiratori girl had picked him up off the street, and in the course of an hour had also stolen three loaves of bread, a stuffed duck, and some child’s lollypop and had given them all names as if they were pets.

Ranma may have a point about wackos, she thought.

Out loud she said, “First you try and molest me, then your klepto girlfriend snatches my sister’s pet pig. You are about one word away from jail time, buddy.”

“Or a trip to the hospital,” added an irate Ranma.

“If it’s a fight the mean girl wants,” Azusa haughtily stated, “Then she can have one. We challenge her and whoever she wants as a partner to a match this Saturday.”

“Why wait when I can whoop this twerp right now with one arm behind my back,” Ranma scoffed, dropping into an attack stance.

Azusa looked shocked, “How awful. Not something so barbaric, a Martial Arts Figure Skating contest. We let grace and skill on the ice determine the owner of Charlotte. Unless you’re afraid.”

Ranma scoffed, “If it’s got Martial Arts in it, I can do anything. You’re on.”

The two skaters turned and walked away, expressions of superiority on their faces. Ryoga actually looked grateful, and Ranma shot him a warning look, “I’m not doing this for you. Guys like that just give the rest of us a bad name.” P-Chan nodded his understanding, and then they both noticed the exasperated look Nabiki was giving them.

“What?”

Nabiki sighed, “I guess you wouldn’t know, but those two are a little famous around here in the sports circles. Shiratori and Sanzenin are known as the Golden Pair, and they are on the way to joining the Japan Olympic team for pairs figure skating. The only problem is that they have a reputation almost as bad as Kodachi Kuno.”

They started back to the dojo, and Nabiki continued talking, “Not to sound doubtful of my favorite demon or anything, but have you skated before?”

Ranma hesitated and replied, “How hard can it be? It’s just sliding along, right? If that pushy freak can do it, so can I. I just need to find a partner for this fight and who can fight the little klepto girl and we’ll be all set.” They turned in to the dojo and Ryoga hopped away, either to find some hot water or Akane, Ranma didn’t care which at this point.

Nabiki said, “Tomorrow, we are going down to the rink and see if you can put your money where your mouth is.” She sighed as the two girls went into the house and added, “I don’t think you can find anyone who can skate and fight on their level, so what are you going to do?”

Ranma shrugged, “I could always teach you how to fight.”

“Are you kidding,” Nabiki asked, “Those two nuts are expecting you to pair with a guy, and you already told them that your boy half was my fiancé.”

“Oh,” Ranma groaned, “I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe a red wig…”

“Not gonna happen, lover mine,” Nabiki stated flatly, “But if you really don’t care about it, we could try as a pair of girls.”

At that moment, Genma ran into the hall, slamming his sometimes son into the wall, “What is this?! First Akane tells us you were turning truly demonic, now you are running around hiding behind that horrid curse?”

“Let go,” Ranma commanded in a low tone, her eyes blazing as Genma released her, stumbling back.

Nabiki could tell that Ranma’s frustration led her to use her dominating abilities, and Genma was truly a worthy target, but she had her own fish to fry. Storming past the Saotomes she entered the living room to find her father wearing a stern look, and Akane sitting with him. She looked around for Kasumi, but the elder girl was nowhere to be seen. Letting her mind seek out her sister, she found that Kasumi was in the kitchen, and very frustrated. By the feel of her sister’s thoughts, she knew that Kasumi and her father were just in an argument.

“Nabiki,” her father began, “I think…”

She quickly interrupted, “Whatever you have to say, save it. I’m sure Akane has fed you some line about Ranma and I having sex after the gymnastics match today.” Soun nodded, and Nabiki continued, “Well aren’t you happy? The fiancé you dumped on us and I are getting along great, and your precious schools will be united. Anything else isn’t really your concern is it?”

“That’s not the point,” Akane shouted, “He’s a perverted jerk who’s trying to use you. He’s a monster that…”

A hard slap across the face silenced Akane, and Nabiki gave her sister a cold glare, “I warned you about this, little sister. You just pushed me too far, and there will be consequences.”

“What is this then, Nabiki,” her father calmly asked.

She turned and answered, “Since you stopped teaching, I’ve been pulling in money to keep us out of the red. I even managed to put some away for collage for the three of us, despite having to keep Akane out of jail.”

“THAT’S A…”

Another hard slap rocked Akane back, and Nabiki continued, “She has been beating the hell out of people for years now at school. Kuno hasn’t helped, and you know about that, but she still attacks anyone who she even thinks is crossing her. Paying off people to compensate and keep quiet is the only reason the police haven’t come here. This house doesn’t need that kind of dishonor.”

Before Akane could react, her father turned a stern look on her, “Is this true, Akane? Have you been using the Art to harm people?”

Akane shook her head, “No, Daddy. I only beat up people that deserve it.”

“We do not ‘beat up people’,” Soun stated. He turned to Nabiki and asked, “Do you have proof of this?”

Nabiki nodded and quickly went upstairs to retrieve one of her journals. Returning to the living room, she placed it in front of her father. As she sat at the table, she saw that Ranma had entered and was leaning against the wall, the redhead’s own father nowhere in sight.

“What happened,” she sent to her sometime girlfriend.

Ranma answered, “He tried to use one of those damn prayer strips on me again. I think we can only deal with one problem at a time, so I ‘ordered’ him to sleep and dumped him in the dojo for now. I can handle him later, right now you need support.”

“Thanks,” she replied and watched her father read as Akane sat and fumed.

Soun read the notebook, which had page after page of medical bills, half filled police complaints, and receipts taped to each page. Several times Akane had tried to stand, or tell her father it was all a lie. But each time, a stern look and a low cough from her father quieted her. Kasumi had returned to the table, and when asked, she confirmed Nabiki’s story. Akane had never before seen the look of disappointment that her father gave her now.

“I see that I have failed. As a father and a teacher, I have failed,” Mister Tendo told the assembled teens. “The first principle of the Anything Goes style is to protect those who can not protect themselves.”

“But he attacks people all the time,” Akane said, pointing at the redhead leaning against the wall, “And he was attacking Nabiki…”

With a slam, Soun dropped the book on the table and silenced his daughter, “No, you are wrong. Ranma has only fought those who have challenged either himself or those who could not stand up themselves. As for Ranma and Nabiki, I will not discuss that with anyone but them.”

Ranma spoke up quietly, “Thank you, sir. We appreciate that.”

Soun nodded at the boy turned girl and went back to speaking calmly to his daughter, “Akane, this is not about these two, it is about you and I. Nabiki has reminded me that I have an obligation to this house.” He turned back to his other daughters, “I am sorry, but after your mother passed on, I couldn’t find the strength in me to teach anyone. Perhaps it was an error, but I was deeply affected. I placed a large burden on you, Kasumi and Nabiki, to keep our home intact. I do not know if I am ready to resume my proper duties, but I will try and contribute more then I have. And I apologize to the two of you, please be patient with an old fool.”

Nabiki nodded and Kasumi gave the Tendo patriarch a small smile and answered for them both, “We are strong, Father. All we ask right now is that you try.”

Soun sighed in relief, and looked to Ranma, “You and I will speak later on other matters, Son.” Ranma gulped, but nodded as well. Finally he turned back to Akane, who had gone from anger to sadness at the soft tone of her Father’s voice, and the mention of her departed mother.

“Akane,” he started, “I can see you are also strong, and willing to face any challenge. Long age, even before I met Genma, I was a lot like you. I had little control over my anger and lashed out at those around me. Had it not been for patient friends, I never would have learned to control my anger, not let it control me. One of those friends was very good at helping me, and eventually became someone who helps many people. Tomorrow we are going to see him, and see if he can help you.”

“What does he do,” asked Akane, guessing an answer she didn’t like.

Soun responded, “He is a psychologist. And before you judge him, daughter, let me tell you this, he was also the one to introduce your mother to me, and so you should be very respectful to him.”

Akane quietly nodded, torn between anger over her own family telling her she needed to see a shrink, and a kind of vulnerability as her father had admitted to a weakness that she was told she shared with him.

As the Tendo’s continued to talk, Soun’s deep voice a calming influence on the girls, Ranma slipped out and drifted to the dojo for a heart to heart with her own father. She doubted it would be as quiet as the Tendo’s had become during their talk.

Entering the dojo silently, she spotted the old man still asleep on the floor. Quickly she riffled through his shirt and removed a dozen prayer strips, careful not to touch them directly. She placed them into a small pile in one corner of the dojo, and sat down between them and her father.

Before she released Genma from her hypnotically induced slumber, she allowed her wings to sprout from her back and spread to their full width, and her eyes began to glow a soft red in the twilight.

She took a deep breath and commanded, “Wake up.”

Groggily, Genma awoke. Sitting up and taking in his surroundings, his gaze fell on his son turned demon in full demonic form. He waged a brief internal battle between fear and anger. Fear due to his son’s ability to absolutely decimate him in this form, as proven many times since they had been transformed in China. His anger however was that his ungrateful son was slipping further out of his control. Judging by the posture the demon girl was currently using, and the fact that with a quick search he noted the few wards he had left were on the other side of the room, Genma was about to have his hold lessened further.

He was about to leap at Ranma, planning on putting her down quickly and reasserting dominance, but stopped as flames began to lick up and down her arms, and the glowing red in her eyes tripled in intensity. Then Ranma spoke, and her voice had the cold intensity of Death’s hand reaching for his throat.

“I think its time we settled a few things, old man,” Ranma began. She let power flow through her and Genma felt an oppressive wave push him back into a sitting position. “I’m tired of the crap you put me through. For ten years, you’ve beaten me, harassed me, and belittled me, all in the name of turning me into some kind of super martial artist. Twice in the last month I’ve come close to being truly happy, and each time you start again. In China, it was honor that made me leave my wife, and here you are constantly trying to bring me down around Nabiki, who I have another connection with. You say it’s because my curse makes me a weak little girl, but we both know that’s wrong.”

She took a deep breath and continued, “I learned something over the past couple of days. You’ve always been the one in control, of my life, my honor, everything. You used word and actions to demonstrate that you were stronger, better, than I was at every opportunity. That changed in China, didn’t it?”

Genma gulped at the fire in Ranma’s eyes. He had heard Ranma’s declaration of freedom at the gymnastics match, and the power the demon girl displayed now made him worry even more. For the most part, his plan was intact, but Ranma was quickly coming to a point where he would be uncontrollable.

“Son,” Genma began, “I don’t know what you believe, but all I have done is for your sake. Your training has made you strong, and having a proper Japanese wife will allow you to focus on growing as a martial artist. But you are endangering that now, by letting the corruption of your cursed form to overwhelm you. How do you expect to be a great warrior if you are a weak little girl?”

“Do I really seem weak,” Ranma asked, letting even more power out until the entire dojo was cast in red light. “The Amazons were not weak, after all Cologne handed you your ass quite nicely. Nabiki isn’t weak, she has already put you in your place once, and she can outsmart you every time. I think you are actually just afraid. You’re afraid that I’m stronger then you and I don’t have to obey you any more.”

Genma thought fast, and played a gamble, “Perhaps you are strong, but only because you use the powers of a demon. When was the last time you fought as a man? Can you even still do so? If you really want to prove that you are not corrupt, as I know the demon is, then face me as a man.”

Ranma was actually surprised at this. She knew her father was a lying, scheming thief, but this almost made some kind of sense. She figured that Genma figured that Ranma was stronger then him in succubus form, and his male half was weaker. But Ranma was confident that with all the training she had undergone away from her father, then as a man or a female demon, she could kick his ass.

“I have another challenge in one week,” she calmly said and a smirk grew on Genma’s face as he guessed that Ranma was not going to fight him. Before he could gloat, Ranma continued, “Two days after that I will face you. A man to man fight, as you requested. What are the stakes?”

Genma hid his surprise and looked down on the expressionless girl, “Stakes? What do you mean, boy?”

“I am learning,” she smirked, “I won’t fight for no reason, just like Mister Tendo is trying to teach Akane. And I won’t fight for no gain, just as Nabiki taught me. I’m willing to put up or shut up, how about you?”

Genma grunted noncommittally while he considered this new twist. Ranma was getting smarter, and that wasn’t good for him. He had to think of something that would make the boy back down and admit he wasn’t ready to take on a real master of the art. At the same time, he had to think of something to offer up that would be worthless to him, but seem priceless to Ranma.

Finally he spoke, an evil glint in his eye, “When I win, you will immediately marry Nabiki, renounce that Amazon floozy you picked up, and never again use your cursed form for sexual activities. If by some miracle you win I will acknowledge you as an instructor in the Saotome School.”

“Not enough,” barked Ranma, “You’ve already made marrying Nabiki a matter of honor for me. I want something more from you. I want to be acknowledged as a master of the school, equal to you or Mister Tendo and I want it in writing, registered with the ward office.” Ranma fought down a smile at that last bit. She knew that Genma may tell her that she was an equal, but she could never be regarded as such without documentation. She had forced Genma’s hand, and the look on his face told her he knew it. As a registered master, Ranma didn’t have to obey his father blindly out of obligation to the school. It was the first step to freedom.

Genma fought down his emotions at the unexpected demand from his son. Ranma had all but conceded to Genma’s prize, but the cost of a defeat would be to publicly pronounce Ranma an equal, something he was never going to do. He figured he still had the advantage over the boy in skill, but if Ranma did transform the power imbalance in the match would be overwhelming.

He nodded and continued the negotiation, “You say I ask too much of you, and maybe you are correct. You seem to see something in Nabiki I do not, and it has gone better then I hoped. But now you ask me to give you something that is dear to our school, a master’s title. You have not earned it yet.”

“I will when I defeat you,” Ranma stated without emotion.

Genma could not suppress a shudder at the coldness in Ranma’s expression even as the fire continued to flow along her arms. He knew he was out of time, and made one last bid against the demon.

“I want something more if you are to be elevated to master. You will never again question my instructions. I want the obedience I have been denied since China,” he demanded.

Ranma seemed to consider this, and Genma fought a sweat as the demon girl finally stood, extending a hand, “Done.” Genma grasped the hand, sealing the deal. When he tried to pull away though, her grip tightened to the point when he felt bone begin to creek.

“If you back out on this,” Ranma growled, “I may forget I’m a human for a moment, and eat your soul.” With that she released his hand, spun on one heel, and marched out of the dojo, taking flight as soon as she was outside.

Genma shook out his hand, wincing in pain as he saw a bruise begin to form. It seemed that all his planning was coming to a head, and he had only nine days to prepare for a conflict he was hoping to postpone for at least a few more years.

Something had changed in his son. A combination of a demons power, the bizarre teachings of some old woman in China, and the mercenary mind of Nabiki Tendo had conspired to take the power away from him and place it in the hands of someone unworthy. Not since the final days under the founder of the school had Genma been backed so far into a corner.

“Good thing I like to fight dirty,” Genma smiled, and started to plan.

Outside, Ranma had taken to the air, and climbed as high as she could, almost close enough to touch the clouds, and hovered above the city. It had taken everything she had, but she had kept her frustration and anger in check, and now she let it out in one long, primal scream. Her whole body shook as she vented ten years of abuse, yelling her frustrations into the night.

Spent, she slowly began to drift back down to earth, gliding on the air back to the Tendo compound to alight on the roof. She breathed in the young night, and allowed herself to feel refreshed as the darkness finished engulfing the sky.

For a moment she allowed herself to feel at peace.

The thunk of a ladder against the side of the house startled her, and she almost fell. After she recovered, she waited until a head popped up over the lip of the roof, and Nabiki climbed out onto the tile.

“How did it go,” she asked Ranma, walking up next to her.

Ranma shrugged, “About how you would expect. Pops tried to badger me, and when I didn’t take it he figured he’d challenge me. Two days after we cream the Bronze Duo I face him.”

“Is that a good idea? The Golden Pair won’t be pushovers you know,” Nabiki told him.

“Maybe,” the redhead responded, “but it’s something I have to do. If I don’t then I’ll always be living in his shadow. But enough about that stuff. How did it pan out after I left?”

Nabiki sat down, and Ranma joined her, “Well, I’m guessing that Akane will go see this therapist friend of Dad’s, but she’s not happy about it. It seems like she’s absolutely convinced that what we were doing was wrong.” She sighed and leaned against Ranma, “Oh, and Dad wants to see you downstairs. That’s what I came up here to find you for.”

Ranma cringed and chuckled, “I don’t suppose you have a sudden urge to take a quick trip to Hawaii or something?” Nabiki joined in the much needed laugh as Ranma stood and left to face the firing squad. Ranma jumped off the edge of the roof, watching Nabiki start back down the ladder, and glided down to land just outside the back porch.

She saw Soun sitting alone at the table and went in, folding her wings away as she passed inside. Giving the girl a nod, Soun gestured for Ranma to sit across from him. For several long moments there was silence, and Ranma began to feel more nervous then when she confronted her own father.

At long last, Soun spoke, “Ranma, when you came into this house, it was for the purpose of uniting the two divergent branches of our school. As the head of the Tendo School, I was overjoyed at the prospect, but as a father I was concerned about whichever daughter would end up marrying you. My girls are precious to me, and I would be understandably upset. In the time you have been here, you have faced many challenges, and I do not pretend to understand the nature of your dual existence. But you seem to have persevered. Now my youngest daughter comes forward with a claim of certain actions between you and Nabiki.”

Ranma was about to object when Soun held up his hand and continued, “As Nabiki said it is not my place to attack you over the act itself. I am a father, and maybe someday you will understand, I must know if my daughter was harmed, or forced, or if she is not telling me everything. I must know why you have done this thing.”

Ranma waited to answer, and spoke softly, “My old man is right about one thing, I am a demon. If I go too long without feeding, I may die. As a demon, I can only get energy from…sex…and, well…Nabiki knew this, and agreed to help me. I never really forced her into anything. We’ve become close, closer then I thought we would. She doesn’t see me as a monster, or just a cursed boy, or just a demon girl. She sees the whole me. There has only been one other person to do that, and it makes her almost as precious to me as she is to you.”

The man and the boy turned girl locked eyes, and Soun saw a reflection of himself at that age. The conviction Ranma had in her voice was just like when he spoke to his long lost wife’s parents. He knew that there was probably nothing Ranma wouldn’t do for Nabiki, and felt relief. They talked into the night, less about Ranma’s past, and more about the present, and the future.

On the other side of town, Kodachi Kuno was tossing and turning in bed. Part of it was that no matter how she settled there would be pressure on some sore part of her anatomy, but for the most part she was unsettled because she had found two things that she was searching for all her life.

The redhead called Ranma had made her submit, it was true, but the short, exotic beauty was intriguing to her for another reason. She didn’t care at all about Kodachi’s station as a member of the wealthiest and most powerful family in Nerima. She may have even been ronin since she used the name of another person in her match, but that didn’t seem to matter to her either. She came and did exactly what she said she was going to do, win.

And then there was the one who had taught this lithe firebrand, the Black Rose Queen, Kasumi Tendo. Kodachi saw that Kasumi Tendo had crafted an excellent successor in the girl, Ranma, but jealousy burned through her body. She wanted the redhead’s place, to be the rightful heir. And serve at the feet of such a powerful woman.

But this Ranma had taken her title away, and disappeared into the night like some kind of shadow thief. Kodachi had no idea where the girl went, but before she had dismissed all her servants she had instructed them to find out everything they could about the redhead.

Kodachi shivered. She tried to stop thinking about the Queen, and her nimble Princess, but the more she tried the harder it was, and the wetter she got.

It was going to be a long night for Kodachi Kuno.

Halfway to China, another girl was having a rough night. Shampoo was spending less time worrying about her prey though, primarily due to the fact that she had discovered that she was susceptible to seasickness. Her condition, combined with the fact that it was the first sleep she had since leaving her Mistress, caused her to have a strange nightmare.

She was hunting, deep in the woods, two Amazon sisters flanking her, their faces oddly blurred. Even if she couldn’t see them, she knew that they were the most reliable warriors she knew. They were tracking an intruder with orders to kill on sight.

Soon the forest opened into a large field, where the intruder stood. He was handsome, and unclothed in the night air, and Shampoo approached silently, undetected. At the instant before she struck, her two companions yelled a warning to her, telling her to stop.

The male turned in time to receive Shampoo’s sword in his chest, but as it slid into him, all he said was, “Wo Ai Ni, Shampoo.” His form blurred, and in front of her stood one of her companions, the redhead, with the sword buried in her breast.

The other girl was crying behind her, and Shampoo watched as blue fire faded from the redhead’s eyes.

Shampoo’s scream tore through the night as she awoke. Drawing herself up into a ball, she shivered against the cold and the emotions that ran through her. After a few moments, the dream seemed to fade away, and she was left wondering why she felt drained.

Even when the dream was completely gone, and she lay back down to try and sleep again, she could not dismiss an image of those blue eyes, fading into darkness.


To be continued.


Endnote: First off, I’m sorry this chapter took so long. Like I said, I was stumped on what to do about the Golden Pair, so their story really begins next time with Ranma and Nabiki training for the match. I also want to apologize for getting kinda heavy here on the emotional side of things. I know it’s lacking the usual humor, and I hope to bring that back soon, but I think Akane and Genma need to be dealt with soon if I don’t want to keep tripping over them. Finally, it has been asked if some scenes from various chapters were inspired by other works. If it seems like it was, it’s purely coincidental. I’m trying to be as original as I can, but the fact is that there are so many Ranma stories out there, there is bound to be some overlap. Ok, enough of my crabbing. Next time, Ranma teaches Nabiki to fight, and Nabiki teaches Ranma to skate, what could possibly go wrong? Until then, Browncoats forever!