Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Trial By Fire ❯ Chapter 4 - Thunderstruck ( Chapter 4 )

Trial By Fire

Section I: Melodies of Life

Chapter 4: Thunderstruck

Author: Jial Silverthorn (jial_silverthorn@hotmail.com)

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<....> denotes a thought, not verbally spoken. When it involves Ranma/Ranko/Akane, the other(s) can possibly ‘hear’ it.

[....] denotes a feeling or a short action, usually before speech takes place.

*....* denotes a sound effect

(....) denotes writing

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Carefully hopping from rooftop to rooftop, the shadows seem alive as someone moves towards the Nekohanten. Leaping into a tree, the figure takes a few breaths, his compact frame tired from the exercise.

???:          <So, this is the area where Ranma Saotome lives...somewhere. I have the name and the city...now for something a little more focused. After all, if he is as good as I keep hearing, he won’t mind a challenge.>

Leaning back, the wisp-like person begins running through the information he does know. Ranma Saotome resided in the Nerima district of Tokyo, although nobody would admit exactly where. And if even half of the reports of his skill were true, he was his own class of fighter. The cause of several major incidents throughout Japan and China, ranging from slightly abnormal to completely absurd...

???:           <Ranma, you had best be this good. I don’t make it a habit to find my opponents. Usually they find me...not the other way around.

Snapping his head up, his eyes barely catch Ranko leaving the Nekohanten, visibly shaken.

???:           <Pull it together, Shinai...Maybe she knows something about Ranma. What little I know of him mentions that he was seen there a lot. Maybe this girl can tell me something.>

Jumping out of the tree, Shinai glides down to the ground, his long silver hair creating a wraith-like appearance. Landing on the balls of his feet, he has no time to react as Ranko crashes into him. Picking herself up off the ground, Ranko glares at the sudden obstacle, her temper flaring up. The tears on her face evaporate from the surge of anger that draws her attention to the person on the ground.

Ranko:           [angrily] Hey, watch where you're going you clown!

Standing up, Shinai merely shakes his head and points his finger at Ranko.

Shinai:           <If it’s anybody that needs to learn to watch out, it’s you...>

Ranko:           Who ya pointin’ that finger at? It’s not like this was my fault…

Silently, Shinai nods. Brushing himself off, he takes a good look at Ranko, having to incline his head slightly to look directly at her face.

Shinai:           <Hmm, taller than me, and hits like a bull. Well, either she’s incredibly strong and has no clue about it, or she is a martial artist, and I have just gotten on her bad side.>

Ranko:           Ya know; if you're gonna say that sorta stuff, at least have the nerve to say it. Or are you too scared to talk, little man?

Shinai:           <Hmm, I highly doubt she knows Ranma. Maybe I just ran into some random sap...Great, just more of my time wasted.>

Turning, he begins walking away from Ranko, only to have a foot impact into his back sending him tumbling a few feet.

Ranko:           I asked you a question, and you try walking off? I’ve needed ta blow off steam for a while now. Looks like it’s your lucky day...if ya enjoy getting the tar beat out of you that is.

Shinai:           <Well, she’s a fighter, quite a decent one at that. Normally, I’d stick around and fight…especially after being jumped like that. She should count herself lucky that I make it a habit to avoid fighting with girls...>

Pulling his body inward, Shinai flips up and over Ranko, landing in a nearby tree. Swinging to the ground, he takes off in a light jog, totally oblivious to the now furious Ranko far behind him.

Ranko:           Who...in the HELL does he think he is?!

Hearing Ranko yell, Cologne watches the exchange, concerned for the wisp-like person arguing with her. Cologne:           I had better keep an eye on this. If she keeps at it like this, he could wind up seriously hurt.  

As the events of the past few days come crashing down, mixed with her current rage, Ranko snaps. Effortlessly, she begins following the silver-haired idiot, hell-bent on teaching him one simple lesson; don’t piss Ranko Saotome off...Within a minute, she stops as he jumps up and vanishes. Looking around, Ranko finds nobody and begins searching the area. Moving carefully outside her field of vision, Shinai finally gives in.

Shinai:           <This is ridiculous. If she wants a fight this bad, then she will get a fight.>

Tapping on Ranko’s shoulder, he jumps back as a fist lashes out at his head, his hair moving from the force of the blow. Settling back into an open stance, he examines Ranko carefully, realizing that something didn’t add up. Despite the size and weight difference, something else seemed off, and the odds aren’t looking too good for some reason.

Shinai:           <Just my luck to run into someone with a short fuse, and the ability to hold a grudge long enough to hunt me down...Add to that the fact I have no clue how she fights, and this is turning out to be a lousy day indeed.>

Ranko:           So, are ya gonna say somethin’? Or do I haveta beat it out of you?

Shinai:           <Why me? I just came to test somebody’s strength, and here I am dealing with some half-crazed femme fatale, literally.>

Tossing off his blue cloak, Shinai bows to Ranko, his face as hard as granite. 

Shinai:           <Just because she wants this doesn’t mean I have to like it.>

Ranko:           The hard way? Fine by me!

Charging at Shinai, Ranko is surprised to feel him calmly vault off of her back, a smirk on his face as he springs away from her, landing softly on his feet. Cracking his neck, he smiles.

Shinai:           <Think, before you try to hit me next time...I could dodge that again, blind.>

Looking at the smug look on Shinai’s face, Ranko charges again, only to change her momentum and tackle Shinai. Landing on top of him, she glances down into his eyes, and is stopped in her tracks.

Ranko:           <His...eyes...>

Noticing the indecision, Shinai decides that his best option is escape. Tensing his body, he barely squirms out from under Ranko. Edging away carefully, Ranko makes no immediate effort to follow him, yet.

Shinai:          <The eyes...The eyes have it. It is amazing how many people get stunned by them. Can’t say I blame them though...red eyes are almost unheard of.>

Walking over to his cloak, he tosses it on over his shoulders, and looks to where Ranko was, only to find empty grass. Suddenly, a pair of feet sends him flying into the nearby tree trunk, dazing him lightly. Landing on the ground, Ranko’s face has returned back to the mask of rage. Ripping the cloak from Shinai’s shoulders, Ranko’s voice is razor sharp.

Ranko:           I’m not done with you yet, fire-eyes. You need to learn when to stick around, and take your punishment like a good little boy.

Shinai:           <Damn. I thought she’d give up...>

Gazing into Ranko’s arctic blue eyes, a shiver runs down Shinai’s spine.

Shinai:           <So much skill, and yet so much anger and resentment...

Launching a roundhouse kick at Shinai, Ranko is surprised to see him block it with his forearm. Stepping back, she watches her silent antagonist with a mixture of confusion and interest.

Ranko:           Who are you, and why the hell won’t you say anything?!

Shinai:           <Nearly didn’t catch that kick in time; that could have been my neck otherwise...

Pushing off the tree, Shinai wobbles slightly and then shakes his head. Focusing on Ranko, his eyes narrow.

Shinai:           <If ‘Zaku could see me right now, he’d have a fit.>

Ranko:           [angrily] FINE! No more games!

Dashing at Shinai, she begins a series of fast kicks intertwined with an Amaguriken barrage. Ignoring the rain of blows, Shinai keeps moving back, pain coursing through his body. Sensing this shift, Ranko lands an axe kick on Shinai’s shoulder, a resounding crack echoing in the area. Watching Shinai stumble in pain, Ranko stops for a moment, content that he has been taken care of.

Shinai:           <Pain...is a reminder...that you still live...>

Flipping over Ranko, Shinai wraps his right arm around her waist, swinging her to the ground. Rolling out of the way, a foot crashes into his skull, sending him reeling.

Ranko:           I’m not going to ask this again; who are you?

Shinai:           <You’d get a better reply out of a rock.>

Focusing on the pain in his left shoulder, Shinai watches Ranko warily, the pain clarifying the haze of fatigue slightly. Catching her move to the left, Shinai shifts his position in time to avoid having his busted shoulder damaged further by a dropkick, the damage being shifted to his chest instead. Gasping for air, he barely has time to vault over Ranko’s back as she charges at him again.

Shinai:           <You’re fast...too fast. I can barely avoid taking full force shots.>

Waiting for another attack from Ranko, Shinai is surprised to see her taunt him, her face a mask of calm. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Shinai launches a handspring kick at Ranko, only to have her move to the side effortlessly. Re-focusing his direction, Shinai tries a variety of maneuvers, ignorant of the consistent spiral he’s moving in.

Shinai:           <Blessing or not, my shoulder is numb. Wait a second, it’s not hurting…how did it get so cold so fast…>

Looking up, a smile creeps over Ranko’s face as Shinai takes that final step, completing her trap.

Ranko:           GOTCHA! HIRYUU SHOTEN HA!

Feeling a blast of icy wind send him flying upward, Shinai’s mind focuses on his rapid ascent, quickly assessing the situation.

Shinai:           <Focus…you were trained on how to deal with something similar. Just slow the rise, and prepare for one painful fall…>

Ranko:           How the hell did that work….I sensed no hostile aura….nothing except a calm demeanor….But there he is….airborne….how?

Flipping his body around once in a somersault kick, Shinai feels a slight drop in his upward momentum and smiles. Noting that change, he repeats the exercise until his rise upward is almost a glide. As he reaches the ‘top’ of the spiral, he twists his body around so that he is facing the ground. Ceasing his struggle; he begins to drift to the ground.

Shinai:           <And HERE is where the pain comes into play…>

As he falls in a downward spiral, Shinai scans the ground quickly, looking for a reasonably safe place to crash. Catching note of Ranko, his face darkens.

Shinai:           <What is she thinking? I am not stopping for anything, but she’s standing there, just watching me…Ah well, might as well use her for the landing pad.>

His thoughts are cut off as he crashes into Ranko, sending them skidding a good thirty feet before stopping. Standing up weakly, Shinai’s left arm is ablaze with fire and pain. Glancing down at Ranko, his first instinct is to reach out and help her up.

Shinai:           <If I do that, she may rip my arm off. Especially after a stunt like that...Good thing I got used to having my body turned against me...>

Watching Ranko stir, Shinai’s eyes widen as Ranko sits up. Opening her eyes, she doesn’t know whether to laugh or kill the impudent fool standing in front of her. Looking him over, Ranko wonders how he is still conscious, let alone standing.

Ranko:           You really are somethin’. Now, since you seem to be worn out, will ya tell me your name, or do I have to guess?

Sighing, Shinai kneels on the ground and traces out a few characters in Japanese. Flipping back, he lands on his feet unsteadily. Watching his actions, Ranko looks over to the lone word scratched in the dirt.

(Shinai)

Ranko:           Hmm, you do seem to fit your name. Well, since you seem to be reasonably intelligent, I guess I owe you that much in return. My name is Ranko Saotome.

Hearing the name Saotome, Shinai’s head snaps up, focusing on Ranko. Calling up the mental image of Ranma, the resemblance nearly knocks him to his feet.

Shinai:           <Just my luck to run into one of Ranma’s relatives. If he’s anywhere near as good, I may have a challenge on my hand. Speaking of my hand, I’d better get out of here before I trash this arm anymore. I’m already going to be nursing it for a few days at any rate.>

Bowing to Ranko, Shinai turns around; his silver hair reflecting in the sunlight like a giant mirror. Shielding her eyes, Ranko is forced to look away for a brief second, which Shinai uses to pass out of her field of vision. Blinking a few times, Ranko knows that finding him again won’t be as easy. Getting to her feet, a sharp pain passes through her back.

Ranko:           Damn, he actually hurt me. Oh well, at least I feel a little better. I don’t feel like Ryoga anymore, so I oughta thank that little kid, wherever he is...

Walking back towards the Dojo, Ranko’s thoughts are a mix of confusion over this new problem, and relief from the pain she felt earlier.

Shinai:           <Take care, Ranko. Next time, I might not be so inclined to be as nice to you...>

Heading back to where his cloak is discarded, Shinai picks it up and drapes it over his right arm. Feeling the wind shift slightly, he reaches behind him with his left arm, grabbing onto a stick of some sort. Whipping it forward, he is caught off guard by the diminutive person perched on the top. Ignoring the pain in his arm, Shinai focuses on the person in front of him.

Cologne:       Hello, child. I mean you no harm. <Especially since sneaking up on you seems to be a futile effort.> My name is Kho Lon. I am a Joketsuzoku Amazon, more specifically an Elder.

Shinai:           <I do not think she would lie. Amazons do not tolerate impostors. And if she is lying, then it will be a simple matter to leave.> Cologne:       So, what is your goal here; Shin’yuu?

Setting Cologne down, Shinai scratches a small question in the dirt.

(How do you know what I am?)

Cologne:       [cackling] Come with me, and I will tell you what I know. That and you can recover from your little encounter with Ranko. I know that arm must be hurting, and you are tired.

Shinai:          <Great...she’s almost as bad as ‘Zaku. The fact she knows anything about me is a wonder in and of itself.>

Nodding, Shinai begins to follow Cologne back to the Nekohanten, his left arm hanging limply at his side.

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Author’s Note: Time for the confusion to set in...

1)     Shinai IS NOT a self-insertion. I made this character specifically for this story...nothing else.

2)     Please review... Scenes with Shinai are going to be difficult with him for a while. You’ll find out why if you haven’t figured it out yet.

3)     Ranko’s had one hell of a day. And this little annoyance has just put the icing on it. That’s in case you were wondering why she went from zero to berserk.

4)     Shinai has his reasons for hunting down Ranma, and none of them pertain to a certain panda. 

5)     And, to those of you who are reading this, you won’t be disappointed.

6)     This chapter did NOT turn out how I like, but I am not postponing the story any more simply because I don’t like this chapter…I’ll re-write this eventually. Both the fight, and Shinai’s introduction turned out….bad, but I’ll try to fix that.

Next Chapter: Chapter 5 – Fade to Black (Artist: Metallica, Album Ride The Lightning)