Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ The Chosen One ❯ The Approaching Darkness ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Chosen One

Chapter 3

By: Angel Princess of Heavens

Author's Ramblings:

Ohohohohoo!!! ^_^v Minna-san! Konnichiwa. Since there were some (ahem)
reviews saying

that I should continue this, I decided I will. Arigato to the readers
who

encouraged me. Ranma is not my property and doesn't belong to me.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Okaa-san, onegai! Onegai! Please stop the pain!"

Ukyo's wail was heard throughout the small house. Her husband
anxiously gripped

her frail hand. Ukyo's dark green eyes widened with pain. Her matted
light brown

hair was damp from sweat. Writhing with pain, Ukyo thrashed in the
bed.

Rain fell softly on the tin roof. Pitter patter. It was in rhythm with
Ukyo's

screams. Suddenly, two figures entered the tiny room. One of the
shadows rushed

towards the bed and tenderly brushed Ukyo's forehead.

"Shh. Ukyo, I brought the healer."

The other silhouette uncovered her veil to reveal a beautiful face.

"Ukyo-san. Everything is going to be fine. Just tell me where it
hurts."

"Everywhere." Ukyo whimpered.

"There has to be one spot where the pain is at the greatest. Please
Ukyo-san. I need to know where that spot is."

"I-I-can't!!! Please, don't ask!"

"Stop!" Kontansu cried out, "Can't you see she can't answer?" His long
messy silver hair covered his frightened, upset face.

"I need to know. Ukyo-san, focus," Akane replied softly but seriously.

Ukyo drew in a deep breath and tried to calm her body from the
convulsions. She closed her eyes and tried to locate the spot.

"Right...Right under my heart. It hurts, it hurts so much!"

"Okay. Now it's okay. Just relax."

"How can you say that?! Look at her!" Ukyo's mother glared at Akane.
"If anything happens to Ukyo, I swear to Kami-sama..."

"No need for threats, Kounji-san."

Akane closed her eyes and reached out with her hands. She carefully
placed one on top of Ukyo's heart and focused. Soon, a brilliant beam
of light flashed out of her hand into Ukyo's body. Then Ukyo began to
shake uncontrollably. And with each jerking motion of her body, she
let out a great shriek. Her mother, furious at Ukyo's pain, quite
stupidly slapped Akane. Hard. Akane turned her head and glared at
Ukyo's mother. Mrs. Kounji, realizing what she had done, cowered
beneath her unyielding gaze.

"There is no need for violence, Mrs. Kounji. Ukyo-san is perfectly
fine. She's just sleeping now."

Exactly as she said, Ukyo was now comfortably breathing and peacefully
asleep.

"I will give you some herbs for her medicine. Brew it into tea and
make her drink it at least once a day."

Mrs. Kounji whirled back to Ukyo and cooed to her. Akane, used to
being ignored after her purpose, quite calmly repacked her bundle. She
silently stepped out of the Kounji house.

"Wait! Hibiki-san!"

Akane turned around, surprised. Kontansu, Ukyo's husband was standing
behind her sheepishly holding an umbrella.

"It's raining. You should take our umbrella."

"It's fine. I enjoy walking in the rain."

"Also... Hibiki-san. Arigato for saving my wife's life. I don't think
I'll know what I would have done if she had-if she had died. Thank you
so much. I want to repay for your kindness. How much-"

"I don't need money. I don't heal to get something in return. I heal
because it is my duty. I don't heal because I love everybody but it's
simply a choice of honor. So you could take your money. We don't need
it."

Baffled, Kontansu examined Akane's face. This different person. She
and her twin were in a different group than he and everybody else
belonged in. They mattered. They were something rather than nothing.
Her golden eyes were shadowed and hard. Her voice had been polite but
Kontansu had sensed a slight bitterness.

"Still, then... I will visit your house with my wife and give our
proper thanks. Thank you so much. I cannot exist without my Ucchan."

"Well, if you are done now, may I leave?"

"Of- of course."

Kontansu bewilderedly stared at the ethereal figure before him. Rain
was swirling down all over her, yet it just added to her beauty. It
made her splendor a wild, natural thing. But what she said...what she
said was so cold. Unfeeling. With a bow, he returned to his wife,
silently pondering the secrets of the healer. He didn't see Akane
longingly looking at him. How she felt envious of Ukyo and Kontansu
for finding each other's beloved. Having somebody's love who wasn't
your only family. How she wanted that love too. Rain drops slid across
her smooth cheeks. She turned and soon became a shadow disappearing
into the night.

"Hime-chan, come in. You're soaking wet!"

Ryouga, fearful that Akane will become ill, quickly brought a towel
and started drying her waist-length hair off. When he tried to pat her
cheeks to soak up the moisture, he noticed the faint red mark.

"What's this?!"

"Nothing," Akane replied wincing slightly from the sting.

"Hibiki Akane! What is this?!"

When Ryouga sternly used her full name, Akane cringed with dread. When
Ryouga got serious, there was not stopping him. And because of their
bond he knew whether or not she was lying or not. She inwardly sighed.

"Mrs. Kounji couldn't control her emotions. By the way, did you feed
Aeril? I hope you didn't feed her fish."

"WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ryouga, ignoring the second part of her statement, exploded.

"How dare that lowlife witch lay a hand on you! I swear I'm going to
make her pay!"

He leaped up and whistled for his loyal wolf. Shadow, like his
namesake, appeared silently. Ryouga was about to run out of their
cottage in the raging rain, basically ready to inflict some damage to
the Kounji household, when Akane gripped his shirt and pulled him down
to the seat.

"Onii-chan. Listen. It's okay."

"NO! It's not okay! Lemme go!!!"

"Ryouga! Control your temper!"

Ryouga huffed but he quieted and sulkily sat down. Shadow glanced at
its master, bewildered that there was going to be no hunt, crouched.

"Now, Ryo-chan. Are you going to be sane enough to eat dinner?"

"Hai. But I don't understand why you want to help these people,
Hime-chan! They're nothing but unworthy trash!"

"And are we divine?"

"Well," Ryouga started.

"Ryo-chan. We were born with power and magic. We can do things that an
average human can't do. But we were born onto this land for a purpose.
And I do this task not out of kindness but out of duty. In a way,
Ryo-chan you too help these villagers."

"ME? NO WAY IN HELL!"

"Don't you stay in the forest and help the trees grow? Don't you talk
to the forest plants? In an aspect, that is an aid to these people.
Don't you understand? It's our purpose. Whether or not we like it or
not, it is a matter of honor and fate."

Ryouga silenced. Ever since their youth, they had been shunned. He
didn't want these people to be saved. He wanted to see them burn. Yet
his imuoto was right. And one thing Hibiki Ryouga never ever destroyed
was the Hibiki sense of honor.

"All right, Hime-chan. I won't stop you any more. But if anybody ever
hits you again, I'm going to make them pay heavily."

"Okay, onii-chan."

Akane smiled softly. But Ryouga didn't know. As much as she loved her
onii-chan and shared this link with him, Ryouga had always been
emotional and rather simple. Oh, he was smart, but he let his feelings
get in the way. But Akane wasn't like that. She never did this out of
good. Simply because she represented light and purity, she helped the
people. An ice goddess as the symbol of light; how ironic. There was
nobody who she could love except for Ryo-chan. The only one who had
not forsaken her. There were moments of weakness, though. The longing
to feel completed. She sadly turned around.

"So what are we having for dinner, Hime-chan?"

"I was thinking in the lines of tempura. Since shrimp is hard to come
by, I wanted to make vegetable tempura."

"No, no meat?"

"Ahem~ Ryo-chan, you do have to eat other things than meat."

"All right, all right."

With a grin, Akane turned towards the kitchen.

~*~

In another realm cast by shadows and where the air was cool, a young
woman bowed, her shoulder-length light brown hair fluttering slightly.

"My Lord, did you call for me?"

"Hai, Nabiki," said a dark figure sitting on a throne. His armor was
black and shadows obscured his face. The only features detectable was
a strong jaw line and a grim mouth.

"What is your will, sire?"

"I'm bored. Bring a challenge to me. Isn't it ironic how my Shadow
World can get so boring? I want some amusement."

"Hai, Lord. I will look for a suitable setting."

"Good. After all, The King of the Shadows shouldn't be bored to death.
Not when he already lives among the dead."

With a haunting chuckle, the figure stood up and stepped into the
light. His blue-grey eyes shone with sardonic amusement.

"Hai, Lord Ranma."

~*~

The moon seemed brighter today, for some reason. The old crone stared
into the moon, willing it to give her some answers. She sighed. Ahh...
It seemed as if destiny will continue on, blissfully unaware of the
sorrow and grief it will cause.

~*~

Heh~ I'm going to leave the chapter like that for now. It focused
mostly on Akane's feelings on her for the symbol of Light. I was
messing around with the idea why light has to be all good. Can't she
not be that "good" but still represent light? So Akane isn't
necessarily the kindest person on earth, but she is honorable and it's
her duty. Also Ranma is the King of Shadows. The next chapter is going
to focus on him more. R+R!

:sigh: I just finished watching Escaflowne, and can you say
disappointing ending? The story was so beautiful and great, but the
ending left me feeling empty inside. As if something is unfulfilled.
Literally, I was staring at the screen in shock for twenty minutes
after the last scene. Guess I'll be reading Esca fics now! T_T