Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Umbra Aureola ❯ Chapter 09 - Ryouga the Eternal Lost Boy ( Chapter 9 )

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

CHAPTER IX: RYOUGA THE ETERNAL LOST BOY


In the thick jungles of Okinawa a boy stood fiercely before the sea staring out as the sun set on the magnificent ocean whose breadth stretched as far as the eye could see. Crumbling a piece of worn paper in his hands the figure raised a hand vengefully into the air. "Ranma Saotome! For the crime of ruining Akane Tendo's wedding I shall make you pay!"

"Groan... crack.... groan... crack crack." Came the sound of straining wood from below the boy's feet.

"What is that infernal noise?" Ryouga asked out loud looking left and right. Finally, something registered through Ryouga's thick skull and the lost boy glanced down. "Ranma Saotome! This is all your faaaaauuuuult!" Yelled the boy as the branches holding the ledge he was dramatically standing on gave way dumping Ryouga strait into the ocean.

A moment latter out from the water a small black piglet emerged. Shaking itself partially dry the pig raised its nose into the air and announced. "Bwee Bwee Bweee!" Reorienting itself the pig charged off on its quest turning to the left of the setting sun. It was in this direction that P-chan knew instinctively he would find his hated enemy. Unfortunately, P-chan's instincts where, as they often where, at least when it concerned directions, absolutely and totally wrong.


**********************


"There, done." Anito said patting the wall.

Ranma yawned, he had been supplying Anito with extra ki for whatever enchantment the arch-mage had been working on the Tendo walls. It wasn't that the activity was tiring, though it was in part, the real problem was that Ranma had been sitting around essentially doing nothing for nearly two hours. An event that after extensive training at the institution often referred to as school caused near instantaneous sleep. "Yeesh, that took forever plus a few moments."

"Ooo, is Ranma attempting to be witty?" Nabiki asked.

"Hey, you got a problem with that?"

"I think what my sister is saying is that she didn't expect anything intelligent out of a dumb jock like you." Akane said picking a ripe moment to nettle her fiancee.

"As if you can talk muscle chick."

"Are you saying I am dumb Ranma?" Akane asked irritably.

"Well, it looks like all attempts at wit have completely fled." Anito noted idly as he watched the pair. "On the plus side though..."

"Uncute tomboy!"

"Ranma, you jerk!" Akane slammed Ranma's head hard into the wooden walls of the Tendo Household. Instead of going through the wooden wall as so many times before Ranma's head flattened against the wood and then slid down. The walls seemed not even fazed by the brutal force that Akane could produce.

"Nice demonstration Akane." Nabiki noted.

"Yes, that was most interesting." Soun said staring at his undamaged wall. From the looks of it Soun could burst into tears of joy any moment.

Still angry Akane whirled glaring at her sister and dad for their comments. "I am going out." She said angrily. Not for the first time the quivering and cowardly Soun was very happy that his daughter seemed only unable to control her anger when dealing with Ranma.

"Well... I suppose with that little demonstration, though unintended, I can cut strait to the chase. The enchantment I used is your basic strengthening enchantment. Often used on magical tools strengthening makes most materials invulnerable to all normal forces, and then plus some. That is not to say the walls cannot be destroyed, they can. Instead it simply requires much more force than normal to do damage." Anito explained.

Soun nodded quickly and rapidly to Anito's words. The arch-mage though continued with his explanation. "Now, strengthening your walls alone is not enough. As this house is subject to forces far more dangerous than any house ought to be I was forced to revise the enchantment. For this I carefully considered and left break points in the wall. Or basically areas not strengthened by enchantments. This is so that when the wall does break it breaks in the manner desired." Seeing that Ranma was back to his feet Anito quickly addressed the martial artist. "Ranma if you would please punch the wall as hard as you can."

Nodding, Ranma slammed his fist into the wall. A square chunk of wall was ripped free from the force. Its previous location left empty except for slightly uneven wood where the segment of wood broke free.

"Interesting." Noted Nabiki.

"Oh my." Replied Kasumi.

"What is the point of that." Read the Panda's sign.

Soun merely stared at his wall with a sinking feeling. Was he doomed to the eternal destruction of his property. Surely the arch-mage could do better than this? The only thing preventing the Tendo patriarch from wailing with sadness was the evidence that Anito wasn't done quite yet.

"Now for the next part of the demonstration I would like to ask Kasumi to fetch some water." Anito said.

Kasumi nodded pleasantly. "I would be happy to do so Anito."

"Now Ranma put the piece of the wall back where it was." Anito said as he awaited the water from Kasumi.

It took some doing but Ranma managed to squeeze through the meter or so sized square and then get back into the house carrying the wooden block of wall. Pausing for a moment Ranma shoved the piece of wall back where it was a moment before. Having broken unevenly it was easy to tell that the area had been damaged moments ago.

Anito grinned. "Now here is the genius of this enchantment. Normally a piece of wall that breaks stays broken. In this case the piece of wall can easily be placed in the area it was knocked free from. Unfortunately the damage at this point still exists as is visible from the clearly visible breaking lines."

Anito nodded to Kasumi in thanks and took the water. "My thanks Kasumi. Now observe." Anito turned and splashed the wooden wall with the bucket of water. Clearly to the eyes of everyone the water was soaked up by the damaged areas and for a moment the wood along the break line appeared liquid-like. Then a second later the wall was as seamless as if it where never broken.

"Ooo, now that was interesting." Nabiki noted. It was one of those few times where Nabiki actual caught a gleam in her eye.

Soun expressed his interest simply by wailing with joy. "Oh my beautiful home. To think that I will never again go without a roof or walls."

Kasumi put it simply as always. "Why that is very nice Anito. It will make cleaning up so much easier." She said with an ever present smile.

The Panda didn't seem to care, but then again it wasn't his house. Ranma though was a bit startled with the reaction with the water. Anito had told him the basics of what he was doing, but had neglected to mention that repairs would be just a bucket of water away. "That's pretty useful."

Anito grinned. "Isn't it though? Enchantments or at least the study and theoretical creation of them is one of my specialties."

"Have you ever thought about going into business?" Nabiki asked her mind rolling through the possibilities.

"Unfortunately, Nabiki, the council frowns upon the selling of magical tools or creations to the general public. Even though I am an arch-mage, I would
rather not push my luck."

Nabiki seemed a bit disappointed with that answer. Ranma quickly added a response of his own. "I suppose that kinda makes sense. I mean, if you where selling magical items all over the place it might attract more attention then you want."

"Well that is the basic idea. Its more a matter of avoiding certain kinds of attention though..."

"Where am I now!?" The newly repaired wall exploded into a series of square wall chunks. Soun suddenly found himself very glad that that Anito had finished his enchantments earlier that day.

Dodging the raining wooden wall chunks Ranma grinned. "Hey, Ryouga long time no see."

"Ranma? What are you doing in Hokkaido?" Ryouga asked confused.

"Uh, Ryouga this is the Tendo Dojo."

Ryouga blinked in confusion. Then a moment latter the gears of his head slowly turned out a piece of important information. Namely, that Ryouga was on a quest to slay the evil man that had ruined Akane's wedding. Another gear turned and associated the said evil man with Ranma Saotome. One last turn of the gear informed Ryouga that Ranma Saotome stood in front of him. "Ranma Saotome prepare to die!"

Dodging smoothly out of the way of Ryouga's brutal charge. Ranma spun around so that the gaping whole in the wall was behind him. "Hey, hey bacon breath, if we are going to spar do it outside." Ranma didn't want Nabiki handing him off to pay an even greater accumulated debt. Even though now the walls could take damage at little expense he really didn't want to pay for stuff inside. It is amazing how having to pay your own bills, one way or another, makes one very aware of money.

"Spar Ranma! You insult me! I am not here to spar. I am here to crush the life out of your pitiful little body!" Ryouga yelled charging at Ranma once again.

"A tad dramatic isn't he." Remarked Anito easily from the sidelines.

"You have no idea." Replied Akane who had arrived to see what was going on.

"Hey P-chan, what did I do this time?" Ranma asked dodging a kick followed by two quick punches as he danced his opponent into the great outdoors.

"What did you do! Do you deny what you have done to the innocent Akane Tendo!?" Ryouga yelled his anger reaching new heights. Attacking with greater speed Ryouga threw punch past Ranma's head and though the stone wall behind him. Three more punches left large holes in the wall as Ranma rapidly dodged the high powered assault.

"I haven't done nothing to Akane." Ranma yelled back, finally making an attack of his own. He landed a fast kick to Ryouga's gut knocking him into the outer stone wall. Always quick to recovery Ryouga shook off the rocks and dived at Ranma in a selfless attack. His punch went wide by a mile and Ranma easily swept the eternal lost boy's feet out of under him. While Ryouga was falling Ranma easily smashed the lost boy down into the ground with a lightning fast hammer fist. Knowing the blow would have little effect on Ryouga's rock hard body Ranma hopped back.

"You deny what you have done! And I thought you had honor Ranma! How can you deny that you destroyed Akane's happiness!" Ryouga charged again, but Ranma landed easily on the lost boy's head and hopped off sending Ryouga into the ground.

Landing in front of Akane Ranma leaned close to your face. "Hey, Akane are you happy?"

"I was until you showed up!" She yelled at the perverted boy that was inches away from her face. Then she threw Ranma back into the battle with Ryouga. "Honestly, what does he think he is doing." Akane said with a huff.

"Perhaps he enjoys seeing how you jump?" Anito said having appeared an inch away from Akane's face himself.

"Get away from me you pervert." Akane yelled swinging a bokken at the arch-mage. She hit only air as Anito shadow stepped two meters away.

"Got to be faster than that." Anito teased vanishing again to the Tendo roofs before Akane could extract revenge. Akane abandoned pursuit to watch the fight again. After all, their was little chance she could land a blow on that crazy. Besides Akane just couldn't find the same kind of rage that she had when going against Ranma for Anito.

The fight between Ryouga and Ranma hadn't slowed by a beat. Landing lightly on the ground after Akane's toss Ranma rolled out of the way of two fist blows that shattered the surrounding earth and then flipped to his feet. Dancing past a kick Ranma teased Ryouga. "Come on pig boy, you haven't landed a blow yet. You done warming up now or is that all you got."

"Stand still and fight me like a man!" Roared back the enraged Ryouga as the lost boy threw himself into the fight once again.

Ranma grinned happily. "Since you asked for it!" Ranma slipped around Ryouga's kick like water then threw seven lightning quick punches into the lost boy's gut. Feeling a slight give Ranma tossed a front kick strait up into Ryouga's jaw causing the lost boy to stagger. Sweeping up one of Ryouga's poorly aimed punches Ranma followed the combination with two quick side kicks to Ryouga's ribs and then finished it with three punches to the lost boy's face before Ryouga could recover.

Ryouga slammed into the Tendo outer wall from the attack's force. Shaking his head clear Ryouga realized something. Ranma was faster than he had been in any of their past fights. To make matters worse Ranma had developed rather powerful punches and kicks since the two last sparred. There was no way he, Ryouga could win this fight. All his efforts where for nothing. Ranma would win no matter what, just like he always did. Yes, he, Ryouga didn't even have a chance. Grabbing this heavy emotion Ryouga shouted out the words. "Shi Shi Hokodan!"

Ranma didn't even lose his smile when Ryouga powered up his ki blast. Having been dodging the energy attacks Anito tossed around for the last several days dodging the Shi Shi Hokodan was almost too easy. Ranma flipped up and sailed over the energy attack. Catching Ryouga by surprise Ranma flipped a quick kick into Ryouga's gut and then answered with his own precharged ki blast at point blank range. "Moko Takabisha!"

The short range ki blast sent Ryouga sprawling along the ground. "Hey pig boy is that all you got?" Ranma said cockily as he walked up to his eternal rival. Ranma had been expecting a harder fight that this. So either he had gotten better, or Ryouga had gotten worse. Ranma wasn't sure of which but suspected the former. Continual practice against someone as fast as Anito was like Cologne all over again. except this time with energy attacks flying left and right.

Seeing that Ryouga hadn't answered Ranma squatted down next to the lost boy. Poking Ryouga in the ribs repeatedly Ranma asked, "Hey P-chan you just goina lie there?" Ryouga growled in response.

"Ranma! Don't pick on Ryouga!" Akane yelled emphasizing her point by bashing Ranma off into the horizon. Her accumulated anger unleashed Akane squatted down where Ranma had previously been. "You okay?"

Ryouga looked up at Akane. His world stopped as he gazed into Akane's pure, wonderful, perfect, light filled eyes. It was a moment of pure happiness, a drop of water in the desert that was his life. His heart quivered and Ryouga turned away. Jumping up to his feet Ryouga dashed in a random direction barreling through the stone wall surrounding the Tendo Home.

Stopping a block down the street Ryouga looked up into the sky. "Akane I am not worthy of your love. How can I look upon you while Saotome goes unpunished for his crimes. To be beaten so easily proves me to be only half a man." Ryouga cried out in anguish.

"Splash!" The old lady on the corner watered the distraught Ryouga turning him into a pig. P-chan squealed in indignation at the gods that struck him down twice in a day. Could they not see the righteousness of his cause. Surely they would give him the might to strike down the bane of his existence.

Suddenly the pig found himself being lifted into the air. An unfamiliar face looked upon him grinning like mad. "Well you certainly got the half a man part right. Though I fear the proof is more derived from the water than the loss of the fight..." Anito said.

P-chan squealed and attempted to strike down the man that so cruelly carried him. Anito though kept a firm hold around P-chan's ever present bandana. Holding the pig further away Anito continued his one way conversation. "Feisty aren't you." Anito plucked up Ryouga's stuff from the ground. "Well shall we go somewhere to change you back, hmmm?"

"Bwee, Bwee!" The pig squealed in what sounded to be a confirmation.

"Oh? Was that a no?" Anito asked grinning holding out P-chan to his side, as if preparation to drop the pig.

"Bwee bwee bweee!" The pig squealed as if trying to get attention.

"Just kidding." Anito said grinning.

P-chan felt a few jerks as if his guts reversed directions several times. His eyes blurred as the world seemed to shift suddenly without understanding. Then P-chan noticed in shock that he was now in an abandoned lot. The only marking structures where a pile of I-beams off to the side and several more forming the basis of what was to be a building. "Bwee." P-chan squealed startled at the change.

Anito pulled a thermos out of Ryouga's clothing. Unloosening the top the arch-mage held the silvery cylinder for a while. Moments later breaths of water vapor where raising from inside the container. "Convenient isn't it." Anito commented to the pig before dumping the contents and forcing the form shift.

A naked Ryouga popped into existence. Eyeing Anito suspiciously Ryouga snatched back his thermos and asked. "Who are you?"

Anito paused deep in thought, fingering his chin carefully. In a burst of movement Anito grinned and raised a finger. "Aha! I... am a mysterious stranger." Anito said nodding proudly to himself.

Ryouga looked blank for a few moments. Then instantly his features switched to annoyance. "Are you making fun of me?" Ryouga said threateningly.

"Yes." Anito replied immediately.

Roaring Ryouga shouted. "I'll teach you to make fun of Ryouga Hibiki!" Ryouga, being Ryouga, followed up that statement with a fist. Instead he found himself suddenly flying at high speeds into one of the standing I-beams. Crashing into the I-beam he felt the metal bend from the force of his impact. Standing back up he looked at the arch-mage startled. Blinking Ryouga found himself wondering how the heck the guy had gotten behind him.

Anito clicked his tongue and waved a finger in the air. "Tsk, tsk, tsk is that how you treat a person that has something to offer?"

Ryouga is normally not one to pay attention to individuals making offers. However being knocked clean into an I-beam by a person that did not move like a true martial artist made Ryouga think twice. He had after all discovered all of his special techniques from people of exactly this sort. "What do you want."

Anito grinned. "What I want is simple, but rather unimportant because there is no possible way you could offer it to me. However, what is important is how I can help you."

"And how could you possibly help me?"

"Ah! A very good question. One I am afraid I cannot answer until I know a little bit more about your capabilities. I know you can use that depression ki blast of yours, but what other special techniques can you use. Given that your ki seems strongly associated with earth, much more so than the human norm I would say some sort of earth ki based technique?"

"If you can't help me then I am leaving." Ryouga gathered up his stuff to do exactly that.

"I didn't say I can't help you, I merely said I need to know you ability before I can help you." Anito pointed out.

Ryouga eyed Anito with some confusion and suspicion. Anito seemed to catch this and spoke again before Ryouga could say anything. "Basically, I have neither the time nor inclination to teach you all my techniques, instead what I offer is a single technique. In order to make sure that this technique is sufficiently useful for you... I need to know what other techniques you know. Though just out of curiosity is the earth technique perhaps the bakusai tenketsu?"

Ryouga nodded. "The bakusai tenketsu isn't worth much in battle though."

"In its current form yes. However...." Anito smiled an evil grin, given that Anito happened to have very, very, dark power inside of him his evil grin truly did feel evil. In fact Ryouga felt his hair stand on end when he saw it. "An application of science and ... ki manipulation theory can yield an astoundingly different result. For example break that I-beam." Anito pointed out an I-beam.

Ryouga walked over to the I-beam and then tapped it with a single finger. True to the bakusai tenketsu the I-beam exploded shooting metal fragments in every direction. "That was easy." Ryouga said doubting the arch-mage's usefulness.

"And pointless, now this on the other hand is a completely different matter..." Anito paused and softly chanted imbuing his targets with the elegantly woven ki. "That which stirs slowly in the deep" Anito whispered as he lifted up his staff and slammed it into the ground. Where the staff's end hit the earth shattered from the force of the blow sending rock and dirt flying. Half a second latter all the remaining I-beams planted in the ground nearly twenty meters away exploded pelting Ryouga with metal fragments.

Anito grinned. "Pretty useful eh? That is what I can teach you. Well not exactly that, but the principles are the same. So what do you say?"