Ranma: Mazoku Factor Part 4 A duel of fate. ++++++++++++++++ Ranma stood casually as he watched Ryoga Hibiki struggle to stay on his feet as his face smoked angrily. "Arrrggghh! What the hell did you do to me?" snarled the lost boy as he glared up at his enemy. "Do?" replied Ranma calmly. Ryoga staggered back onto his feet as the sizzling skin on his face slowly stopped smoking. The flesh was still rotting away slowly from his face though. "Damn!" "That's a good look for you Ryoga," said Ranma as he smirked at the boy. "Just shut up and die!" snarled Ryoga hatefully as he charged forward. "Really Hibiki, I wouldn't talk about being dead," said Ranma as he lashed out with his hand again and caught the boy on his other cheek in a slap. Ryoga screamed in agony as he fell to his knees once again. "Aaaaarrrggghhh! What did you do to me?" The other side of his face began to smoke as the skin peeled away slowly and smoldered. "I'm putting you where you belong Hibiki," said Ranma calmly as he dusted off both his hands and took a single step back. Ryoga gasped as he saw several small white specks of powder fall from the boy's hands. "What?" "I doubt if this will take care of you permanently Hibiki, but it should keep you out of my hair until I find a more permanent solution." Ranma turned his back on Ryoga and started to walk away. Ryoga snarled and tried to lunge forward, but something stopped him. He looked down and gasped. His legs were stuck into the ground, and he was slowly sinking into the earth. "What?" "Have a nice nap Hibiki," said the ponytailed boy as he glanced over his shoulder and continued to walk away. "Damn you Ranma! I'll be back!" screamed the boy angrily. "I know," said the boy as he calmly strolled into the shocked crowd. The students looked on in shocked horror as Ryoga Hibiki slowly sank into the ground. It was something that would cause nightmares for weeks to come. Frightened muttering began to form within the mob as they parted for Ranma as he walked through them. He had gone silent and merely stared forward as his head slowly sank into the dirt. The ground where he sank was little more than a small pile of upturned soil. Akane rushed up to Ranma and grabbed his shoulder as he left. "What did you do to him?" she demanded. "Huh?" said Ranma as he looked at her. His face was once again the cheerful mask he usually wore. "Nothing really. I just put him to sleep for a little while that's all." "Some kind of sleeping powder?" muttered Nabiki as she moved up beside her sister. "You could say that," said Ranma as he held up a small bottle of something in front of her face. "Sleeping powder?" gasped Akane as she looked at it. "That's crazy!" "You're right, it is a little bit of a stretch isn't it?" asked Ranma calmly as he glanced at her. "A salt shaker?" muttered Nabiki as she took the small bottle from his hand. "Well, that is how you kill a zombie," replied the boy with a small shrug. "That's essentially what he is, but his healing ability will make it a merely temporary solution. I'm not sure how long it will last, and he won't be happy when he wakes up. I suggest we leave." "What?" muttered Akane dumbly as she looked at the small shaker. "Kasumi was very kind to loan it to me, I'll have to thank her later," said Ranma as he shrugged his shoulders and started towards the street. Kuno had stood silently as all this went on. He had a deep frown on his face as he watched Ranma talk with the girls. "Saotome, it seems you are more dangerous than I had first imagined. This does not bode well at all." Nabiki gave him a small gasp as she heard this and turned away. Kuno would have to be very careful or he'd end up getting himself killed. As much of an idiot as he was, she didn't want that for him. Ranma was showing himself to be someone that shouldn't be taken lightly. She walked over to his side and grabbed his sleeve. "Let me deal with this for now. He's too dangerous." Kuno glanced at her for a moment with his scowl never wavering. He seemed to ponder what she had told him for a moment. "Very well Nabiki Tendo. Do not think I will sit idly long though." The girl merely nodded and started towards the gates. ++++++++++++++++ Nabiki walked with Akane a short distance behind Ranma as they moved towards the Tendo home. "I don't like this," she muttered under her breath. "I don't get it either," agreed the younger girl. "How does he do that stuff?" "That doesn't worry me as much as what he's planning. He's up to something Akane, I can smell it." "So, you think he has some sort of plan?" asked the younger girl. Nabiki nodded. "I think we're involved somehow too. Maybe not before he came here, but now he's planning on using us in whatever it is he's doing." "What? Why?" asked Akane. Her face hardened a bit more as she glanced at his back. "Use us?" Nabiki glanced at her sister and looked back at Ranma once again. "He never pays attention to much, but with us, he's showing a little too much interest for my liking, especially you and me. He's ignored almost everyone else he's met." "What about that Ryoga guy?" muttered Akane with an uncomfortable looking shiver. "He couldn't ignore him, I get the feeling he's involved too now though." Ranma could hear the both of them, and said nothing as he merely continued walking. "Nabiki Tendo, you could become more useful than I had thought," he mused to himself with a small chuckle. Neither one of the girls noticed this. +++++++++++++++++ Evening at the Tendo dojo was relatively quiet. Ranma didn't speak and had his nose in a book, and neither one of the girls related what had happened at school to anyone else. The atmosphere was quiet and tense as they ate dinner. Kasumi and both of the adults seemed oblivious to this, and Ranma seemed to rather enjoy it. At about ten o'clock, Ranma stood up and glanced at those around him for a moment. Most everyone was relaxing and watching a television show while waiting to go to bed. Without a word he started towards the door. "Where are you going?" asked Akane irritably as she noticed the boy leaving. "Just out for a bit, I need to check up on something," said the boy as he stopped just in front of the door. He didn't even bother looking back at her. "I shouldn't be long, but don't bother waiting up." The girl frowned and glanced over her shoulder. Nabiki was sitting at the table, watching the events unfold. The older girl narrowed her eyes and nodded at Akane. Reluctantly, Akane walked back into the home and sat down. There really wasn't anything she could do to stop him short of beating him into submission. Nabiki glanced at her sister. "We need to find out what's going on. Asking him won't do us any good." "What do we do?" asked the younger girl. "We watch, and wait," replied Nabiki. "Sooner or later, he'll have to reveal something. Then it's up to me to put it all together." Akane nodded. "All right." +++++++++++++++++++ Ranma stood under the moonlight staring at a small patch of dirt in the courtyard at Furinkan High. "Seems I'll have to wait," he muttered under his breath. He walked over to a nearby tree and leaned against it. The night was silent and he seemed to close his eyes as he waited patiently for almost half an hour. Finally, the ground started to shift as the dirt pushed itself up from below. "It's about time," commented Ranma as he became alert immediately and walked over to the disturbance. Ryoga Hibiki's head pushed itself out of the ground and his eyes opened. Ranma stood over him and smirked as he watched the boy slowly climb out of the ground. "Saotome. Why am I not surprised to see you here?" growled the lost boy. "Well Hibiki. It seems we have some things to discuss. Attacking me was rather stupid you know." Ryoga growled and turned his eyes aside. "You know I'll kill you sooner or later, why not get it over with?" "Behave, or I'll put you back where I found you," said Ranma cheerfully as he held out a canister of salt. Ryoga's anger flared, but he became visibly relaxed. "Damn you." "Enjoy your nap?" asked Ranma as he walked around the boy and looked him up and down. Ryoga was almost completely healed, if a bit dirty. Only a few small red marks showed he'd ever been injured in the first place. "It was rather relaxing, once the burning stopped," growled Ryoga as he watched the boy cautiously. "Good, now to business," said Ranma calmly. "What do you want from me?" snorted Ryoga. "Nothing really. I know that you'll try to kill me again sooner or later. Once you figure out how to avoid this new weakness of yours that is." Ranma turned to face him again and leaned against his staff. "You are a rather interesting piece of work though. I imagine being a Wu is quite useful at times." "Stuff it Saotome. I might not be able to beat you now, but you know sooner or later I'll find a way. There's nothing you can do to stop that." "You'd be surprised. For now, let's be civil." Ranma glanced over his shoulder at the building and then looked back at Ryoga. "What do you want?" snorted Ryoga as he crossed his arms and relaxed a bit more. "A good training dummy. You'll work nicely, but that's not why I'm here. You'd have become that regardless. It's nice to know I can't kill you actually. I don't have to worry about techniques that might get me into trouble if they're too strong for you." Ryoga growled and his anger flared once again. Ranma shook the salt once again and he backed down. "Yes, very nice," said Ranma calmly. "You do realize that it's going to take more than what you have now to beat me don't you? Even as a Wu, you're still a weak Wu. No match for me." "That will change," snarled Ryoga. "It would be rather simple for me to keep you in the ground actually. Salt will always be a weakness too you. There's no way for you to develop an immunity to it. It's the nature of what you did to yourself." Ryoga glared at him and went quiet. "I'd just need to keep salting the ground where you sleep. The more I use, the longer it will last. This container is good for about a month actually." He shook the salt canister and smirked at the lost boy. "You'd be quite helpless, and I'm sure I could figure out a way to take care of you on a more permanent basis with a little time. However..." "However?" snorted Ryoga. "I think you might be useful. I would have just killed you and gotten it over with if that weren't the case." "Useful? To you? Ha!" snarled Ryoga hatefully. "You'd think not, but I'm sure I can think of something," said Ranma calmly. "As for your newfound powers. You don't have a chance of beating me Hibiki. You'll just end up having to regrow yourself again. You'll have to become much stronger than you are now. I'd suggest a training trip, but you'd probably miss the point and just punch a few dozen trees down before coming back to fight again. I'd probably grow tired of that rather quickly." Ryoga narrowed his eyes at this, but didn't argue. "What do you want from me?" It's much more fun for me if I don't tell you," said Ranma. "I'll be seeing you around Hibiki." Ryoga growled. "You're right, you will." "Don't disappoint me." Ryoga merely snorted and turned away. "You'll regret setting me loose Saotome." "I seriously doubt that Hibiki. There isn't much that I do and regret," said Ranma to himself. Ryoga turned towards the school gates and wandered into the street. Ranma watched him for a moment and turned towards the bushes nearby. "He's gone now, you can come out." The bushes near the school building shuffled a bit and Tatewaki Kuno stood up and glared at the boy. "So, we meet again Saotome." "Heh. You've been waiting there for some time have you?" "I knew you would return sooner or later villain." "You know just how to talk to me don't you. I'm starting to like you." "That causes me no end of displeasure," snorted Kuno as he calmly walked out of his hiding place and strolled in front of the boy. They stood for a moment regarding each other. "Did you find out what you wanted?" "I had suspected that thing was your creation," said Kuno as he glanced at where Ryoga had gone. "No, I'm afraid not. He's got focus if nothing else. He'd have attacked me right away if he hadn't known I had this." Ranma shook the salt in his hand once again before placing it inside his robes. "I see," said Kuno as he gave a short nod. "You're worried about me are you?" asked Ranma as he glanced at the boy for a moment. "Worried? For you?" asked the boy with a shocked looking frown on his face. "About me, not for me," clarified Ranma with a small chuckle. "Something about me bothers you doesn't it?" "That is obvious," snorted Kuno. "You are a villain, and do not disguise your intentions." "Hmmm. The best place to hide is in plain sight?" asked the ponytailed boy as his smirk returned once again. "It would seem that is true," said Kuno. "I wouldn't worry about me, I've got little interest in this group. I've got my own agenda." Kuno nodded at this. "Once again, I see that you wish to dissuade me from interfering." Ranma snorted at this. "Not really. Interfere all you want. Protect those girls if it makes you feel any better. Hibiki is my main problem so far, and he's much more dangerous than I am. He would think nothing of using those girls to get to me. I think he knows better though, I'm not the heroic type. I think anyway." "Hibiki would..." said Kuno as he turned his eyes towards the gates again. "He would tear you apart if you got in his way. Not that it would bother me much." "My skill..." started Kuno. A hand in his face cut his rant short though. "Your skill doesn't matter. Hibiki is immortal, and invincible by human standards. You would have to do much more than kill him to stop him. Beating him with a stick just isn't going to cut it. Even a sword would be of little use. He's quite relentless as you can probably see." Kuno growled, but hung his head. "I shall not fail." "Perhaps, perhaps not," said Ranma as he shrugged. "Do as you will, but Hibiki is more than you can handle as you are now. Don't say I didn't warn you." "How does one defeat such a monster?" growled Kuno. "Salt," replied Ranma as he shrugged again. "It's only a temporary solution, as you just saw. In a day or two, he'd just come back and he'd be quite irate with whoever put him in the ground." "You can slay this demon?" said Kuno as he gave Ranma a careful looking frown. "Perhaps one day," replied Ranma as he chuckled at this and started to walk away. Kuno said nothing and growled in frustration. "I wonder how he'll deal with a problem he can't beat into submission?" said Ranma to himself as he started towards the gates. He smirked at the wall that surrounded the grounds and paused just in front of the gate for a moment. "To say nothing of what Nabiki Tendo might have learned from that conversation. I wonder if she might tell me?" There was a small growling noise from the other side of the wall and Nabiki stepped out. She was wearing a jacket and had her arms crossed over her chest from the chill in the air. "Stuff it." "Hmmm. I suppose I should walk you home. I'm sure the parents would appreciate that. Possibly enough to schedule a wedding in the morning." "I can get home on my own fine," snorted the girl irritably. "Yes. However, it is a rather long walk. I'm sure we can talk on the way." The girl glanced down at the ground and started walking. "Did you learn anything useful?" "Only that you know more than you're letting on. Sending Kuno after that thing wasn't a good idea either." "Sending him?" said Ranma with a false surprise in his voice. "You know damn well how that idiot is going to react to what you told him!" snapped Nabiki. "Actually, I think you're the one who's reading him wrong here," replied Ranma. "We'll see though." "I've known Kuno for years! There's no way I'm gonna let you send him to die!" said the girl angrily. "Die?" replied the ponytailed boy with another fake looking pause for thought. "Perhaps. I'd like to think better of Hibiki than that." "You're going to get him killed," snarled Nabiki. "I won't allow that." "Well, I hope you can dissuade him if that is the case. I'd rather think of it as a learning experience for him." "You've had this planned for some time, haven't you?" gasped Nabiki. "You really think so? I've just been winging it actually," replied the boy as he smiled at her. Nabiki glared at him. She could tell that was a flat out lie. Ranma was not the type of person who did anything without some sort of plan. He was also very good at turning conversations away from things he didn't want to talk about, and hiding just how well he had things planned through. He seemed to know far too much at times, and at other times he seemed far too ignorant. "This is some sort of game for you, isn't it?" she said hatefully. "Game? Why Nabiki Tendo, I do believe you're missing the point entirely," replied the boy as he turned and grinned at her. It wasn't his usual smile, he looked quite evil at that moment. "Point?" she gasped as she stepped back. "Of course, perhaps one day you'll understand." "Why don't you just tell me now then?" she said as she reasserted herself aggressively. "That wouldn't be near as much fun of course," he replied cryptically. "You're still missing a few pieces of the puzzle. Everything will fall into place soon enough." "What do I have to do with any of this?" she said as she forced herself to calm down. "Nothing," he replied with a small shrug. "Then why are you hanging around?" she countered. "Where else would I go?" he responded calmly. "That's what's bothering me," was the immediate response. "Well, as much as it irritates me, I'm not as independent as I'd like." Nabiki snorted and turned her head away from him. He was pushing just the right buttons and she knew it. That probably bothered her more than anything else, the boy was turning the conversation exactly the way he wanted it to go. "You're using us." "Of course not," replied the boy with a small shrug. "Having me around might be more useful than you imagine." "I doubt that. I won't be manipulated so easily." "All the more interesting," he replied as he turned the corner. Nabiki gasped. She was looking at the street her home was on. The corner they had just turned was at least ten blocks from her home. She quickly turned around and saw the street behind her was not the one they had just walked down. "Ah look. We're home already. I suppose we'll have to continue this discussion later." Ranma calmly walked towards the home and left her standing there. She was shaking visibly, from the cold mostly, but a little shock was also apparent. "Damn," she muttered under her breath as she realized that he was waiting for her at the gate. She jogged forward and shoved him aside as he tried to open the gate for her. "I'm not helpless." "No, that's what makes you interesting," he muttered under his breath as he walked in behind her. If she heard him, she didn't let on. ++++++++++++++++++++ Morning came at the dojo with its usual flair. It had been a week since Ranma's encounter with the Hibiki boy, and it seemed as if his rival had vanished completely. No one had heard anything about Ryoga Hibiki since he walked away from the school a week before. "Boy! Pay attention!" snapped Genma as he kicked at his son. "Huh?" muttered Ranma as he shifted out of the way clumsily. Genma sailed over his head and landed in the koi pond with a mighty splash. Ranma leaned against his staff and watched the panda emerge from the water. "Pay attention to what?" Genma growled animalistically as he readied himself for another attack despite his new form. Unfortunately, Kasumi's call stopped the battle before hostilities could rise any further. "Ranma! Mr. Saotome! Breakfast!" Ranma vanished and appeared at the table in his usual fashion. Genma's approach was a bit slower, but still well beyond the speed of any normal human. The father and son pair was in place before anyone else, and Soun and Akane were no more than three feet away from the table when the call had been made. "Oh my!" commented Kasumi nervously as she realized that both of them had a plate of food, and she hadn't yet set down the meal on the table. Ranma paused as he ate and frowned slightly. "Hmmm? You're not hungry Nabiki?" The girl in question was already walking out the door with her school bag on her shoulder. She frowned at him and looked at her family. "Not today. I've got some things to do before class starts." "You really should eat breakfast Nabiki," said Kasumi with a slight frown forming on her face. It was almost a scolding, but not quite. "I can afford to miss one meal," replied the girl with a small shrug. "Don't worry so much." "Well, I suppose if it's just this once," muttered her elder sister uncomfortably. "Well, you should be careful. I've got a feeling something interesting might happen today," said Ranma as he turned back towards his food. Genma's chopsticks were stuck in some sort of field that surrounded his plate. The older man could not pull them away and tugged almost violently on them. Ranma calmly took the morsel of food the man had snagged and put it into his mouth. The panda growled slightly at this, but quickly returned to his own plate after his chopsticks were freed. None of the Tendo family seemed to think much of it and the event was largely ignored. Akane looked slightly annoyed by it, but didn't voice it. Ranma shrugged and went back to his meal as the girl left. Nabiki frowned at Ranma's warning as she walked out the door. Every day with the boy had been 'interesting' in some way or another. For the boy to voice something like that meant that she'd have to be extra careful. Ranma ate somewhat slowly and deliberately as he mulled over something. He had much better manners than his father did, but he still ate rather quickly. It could have just been that sitting next to his father made his speed seem normal as well. He did seem slower than normal though and it was making even Genma somewhat edgy at the table. "What's with you?" grumbled Akane. "It's nothing, just thinking over some problems. Nothing serious anyway." The girl frowned even deeper. "If you don't want to say, just say so." "Okay. I don't want to say," replied Ranma. Akane growled at this and clenched her chopsticks a little tighter than she should have. The wood held though and they didn't break. "You certainly are difficult to please," commented the boy as he glanced at her for a moment. With a heavy sigh, Akane decided to not let it bother her, and promptly got even angrier. "You jerk." "Only when it suits my needs. Otherwise I'm simply annoying." Akane stood up and put her chopsticks over her bowl. "I'm leaving." Ranma merely nodded and continued to eat. Both of the adults looked at him for a moment. "I've got a stop to make before school today. I'm afraid I'll be late no matter what." They both blinked at this and neither one thought or cared enough to ask. The meal went on as Akane walked out the door. ++++++++++++++++++++++ Meanwhile, in a forest just outside Nerima... Jiro sat with Sato on a rock overlooking a beautiful valley. It was tiny and little more than a dip between two large hills in the forest. The view was quite stunning, and they were alone. Both of them were wearing hiking gear and seemed to be merely taking in the scenery. "Jiro! It's beautiful!" "Yeah. I thought you might like to see it," said the man as he grinned at her. "Wow. I never thought I'd see anything like this so close to Tokyo," said the girl as she brushed her ponytail back over her shoulder again. "It's amazing!" "Yeah, and quiet. There's no one out here but us," said the boy as he put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed in contentment. "I'm glad you decided to share this..." "Yeah. It's a great spot..." His voice trailed off as he cocked his head. "What's that noise?" "Huh? What noise...?" Sato paused. It was very quiet, but quickly growing louder. It was a most unusual sound that she couldn't quite place. "It's coming from behind..." started Jiro. It was a high pitched thumping sound, almost like a whine, but rhythmic. They both turned and looked towards the tree line and noticed something moving in the trees. "Get down!" screamed Jiro as he jumped over Sato and shoved her to the ground. A long yellow disk shot out of the tree line just over them and screamed across the air just above them. Sato put her head up and stared at it as it continued forward. "What the hell was that?" A painful sounding groan sounded from the forest behind them and the pair looked on in silent horror as the trees behind them began to topple like dominoes. The entire forest resounded with the crackling boom of trees hitting the ground all around them. Remarkably, the pair was unscathed. "Holy shit!" cried Jiro as he started to climb to his knees after things settled down. Both of them froze though when a figure walked out of the mess and looked down at them. "Who the..." muttered Jiro dumbly. "No! It's coming back!" cried Sato as she pointed behind her. Jiro threw himself on top of her and pinned her to the ground as the whirring sound started again. This time he got a good look at it though as it screamed towards them. It was ten feet in diameter and spinning at an amazing rate of speed. The figure standing over them merely watched calmly as it bore down on him. "Look out that thing is...!" started Jiro. The boy merely reached up his hand and caught the spinning disk in his hand. It seemed to fly into a thousand pieces that spun off into the forest hacking limbs and small trees behind him. Deep gashes could be seen in some of the tree trunks as the boy held on to what he caught. He shook it one time and calmly tied it around his forehead. "Forgive me. I thought I was alone in these woods. Could you tell me where Furinkan High School is?" "Huh?" was the stereo reply. ++++++++++++++++ Ranma Saotome smirked as he looked at the sign in front of Dr. Tofu's clinic. He was standing outside simply looking at it for a moment without so much as a hint of reason. The boy spoke while he was looking up at the sign. "Good morning doctor." Tofu paused, he was walking down the sidewalk with a bag under his arm of groceries. The boy turned to face him and seemed to look him over without moving from where he was standing. "Good morning," said the doctor politely. Ranma noticed the man tense up though and arched his eyebrow slightly. "Do I make you nervous Doctor?" asked the boy calmly. The man flushed slightly at his own reaction. "Not really, you just surprised me." "Yes, practicing martial arts I see. Anything can be made into a training exercise if properly executed. Your stealth techniques are quite impressive." "I'm surprised you noticed me," admitted the man. "I have other ways of sensing things, but that's not why I'm here," said the boy with a small shrug. "Ahem. Then why are you here, if I might ask?" said the older man as he adjusted his glasses. "Why don't we go inside, and have a cup of tea while we discuss things?" said the boy cheerfully. "I'm certain you'll find it most interesting." "Oh! How rude of me!" exclaimed the man as he started to walk towards the door. "Please come in." Ranma merely nodded and followed silently. +++++++++++++++++++ Tofu set a cup of tea in front of Ranma and made one for himself as they sat at a small kitchen table in the back of the office. "I should have patients arriving soon, but we have a little time." Ranma nodded and accepted the cup. He peered into it for a moment before taking a sip. "Ah. The people of this area do know how to make a good cup." "Thank you," said the man as he nodded. "Moxibustion and acupuncture, two arts that are considered mystical in some circles." "Modern medicine doesn't take a lot into account, it's true. I am also a licensed chiropractor," said the man as he shrugged. "Still, you have a unique practice here. Most of the clinics I've seen are run by half witted hacks and misunderstanding fools. You were quite fortunate to have such a good teacher." Tofu nodded. "Yes. Although I hate to brag, I did have several very good instructors. Even though I am largely self taught." "It's the only real way to learn," said Ranma with a small shrug. "Something I understand better than most would." The man nodded. "So, that's it is it?" "Our arts are not as dissimilar as you might imagine Tofu. You focus on manipulating the spirit through the body, adjusting the flow of energy through the joints and pressure points. Quite useful I imagine. I merely find ways to manipulate the same energies without the use of physical stimulation." "Very interesting," said the man as he frowned slightly. It was more a contemplative gesture than anything else. "I wouldn't have thought it possible actually. Manipulating energy is difficult enough as it is." "Only if you don't know how. It's all a matter of focus and training. Plus, there are a few more far fetched extremes involved. I won't go into that now." "Perhaps later?" said the man as he pushed his glasses up his nose again. "That's an interesting gesture. I can see that you don't like the way it sounds much." "I'm eager to understand more," said the man as he forced his hand down onto the table to stop the nervous movement. "I'm certain you are. Perhaps we can exchange information sometime. I'm sure there's a problem or two you're eager to see vanish if at all possible." Tofu narrowed his eyes at this. "I'm listening." "That's a long involved discussion for a later time. I'm fairly certain that Kasumi Tendo will remain unattached for some time." The man gasped at this. "You...know about that?" "That you're highly allergic to her? Yes I do." "Allergic?" muttered the man dumbly. "You didn't know?" said Ranma as he arched his eyebrow at the man and smiled. "How interesting. I assumed if anyone could spot an allergic reaction, it would be you." Tofu had a somewhat sullen look on his face as he stared at the table. "In any case, there are more pressing matters I've come to discuss." "Huh?" said the man as he looked up at the boy in confusion. "I've encountered a rather nasty tempered Wu, he's probably roaming around the area near here. This one is quite dangerous, but he's also somewhat useful. The medical benefits of such a technique alone are enough to pique your interests I'm sure. However, controlling him is somewhat problematic." "A...Wu?" muttered Tofu dumbly. "It's a human without a soul. A zombie of sorts actually. Salt will contain him for a time, but his healing abilities make it a less than permanent solution. I need a way to keep him in check if need be." "You were hoping I would help you out with it?" said the man suspiciously. "Not in so many words. I'm aware of how much you trust me. However, this is something I'd rather not deal with alone if I don't have too. You see, he's immortal, and can heal himself quite easily from any injury. That includes decapitation or the loss of limb." "That's a little hard to believe," said Tofu as he frowned at the boy. "You're right about one thing. I don't trust you, you've got a bad aura." "A byproduct of my art, I assure you. However, I'm also aware that it will take more than my word to convince you of this. I'm not about to go off and say I'm completely trustworthy either. However, the presence of something this dangerous should allow for a bit more leeway between us." "An alliance of sorts?" asked the man as he frowned at the boy. "You could say that. I've got my own agenda, and it shouldn't really pose a problem for you. I doubt if we'll find ourselves at odds." Tofu nodded and sipped at his tea calmly. "I see." "I'd rather think of it as a business arrangement. I can supply you with knowledge and items that you would find difficulty finding on your own." "I've got good sources for what I need." "Mine are better, and more direct," said Ranma. "You've got my attention, but not much else," said Tofu as he leaned forward. "I didn't expect more," replied Ranma with a small shrug. "In any case, I can help you with your unique problem." "What?" muttered Tofu quietly. "It will take a bit of time, but I think it can work out well for us. We can both get what we want, and you can leave with your conscience intact when it's all over." "That's the part I have trouble believing," replied Tofu. "Really? That's fixed easily enough." Ranma stood up and picked up his staff. "Be at Furinkan High when the final bell rings this in exactly one week. Any unpleasant feelings about this deal will likely be dealt with then." "What do you mean?" said Tofu as he frowned at the boy. "You'll see. Be sure to bring a shaker of salt. I'll put all your doubts to rest then." +++++++++++++++++++ Ranma walked into the gates of Furinkan casually. His face was stern and he moved quickly despite his relaxed posture. "Soon, things will begin to move more quickly. I need to be ready." He glanced up at the sky and chuckled at the dark clouds that began to form over his head. "Still, there's time enough to prepare the players in my little game. It's time I made the first move, the others should arrive soon enough." ++++++++++++++++++++ Ranma Saotome stood outside his classroom with a pair of buckets in his hands. He didn't seem very upset with the punishment and took it rather well. "Hmmm. I'm surprised the teacher had the guts to do this to me with everything that's gone on for the past few days or so." He was calm as usual as he stood there patiently waiting to be let back into class again. It had been a relatively quiet day so far, but it was just starting and he knew it. ++++++++++++++++++++ Ryoga Hibiki stood on a mountainside staring at the scenery before him. The valley below him was dark and foreboding. Dead trees could be seen spotting the harsh rocky ground below him. "Where am I?" he muttered to himself with a frown forming on his face. He had little fear of course, his condition made him impossible to kill really. Anything he met would find a hard battle, and it would end with his escape eventually, or him wearing whatever sort of monster he found down. With a casual shrug he walked forward into the valley. "Can't be any worse than I am." After about an hour of walking he found himself standing in front of an unusual looking rock formation. It was two stone pillars with another slab of stone resting on top, forming a sort of gateway from the look of it. It was a gateway to nothing though as there was no wall or any other object blocking the sides. It was just sitting in the middle of nowhere. "Who would put something like this here?" he muttered as he looked it up and down. "Someone who wishes to keep something hidden I'd imagine. Doorways like this are rare indeed," said an unfamiliar voice. It was old and weak, like that of an old man on his final legs of life. Ryoga slowly turned to face the old man and stared at him. "What do you know about this thing?" The man looked to be in his eighties, he leaned over a walking stick and had a hooded cape hiding his body from view. "A great deal my boy. I suggest you leave, it's dangerous to be here." Ryoga snorted at this. "There isn't anywhere I can go that's dangerous to me." "My, aren't you full of confidence?" asked the man with an amused sounding tone in his voice. "Still, such magic is best left untouched. It is powerful, difficult to control, and taxing on the soul." Ryoga merely turned to look at the stones once again. "What does it do?" The old man was grinning now, Ryoga could almost hear it in his tone. "Why, it's a gateway of course. A gateway to a place where men cannot tread." Ryoga nodded at this. "What's there then?" The old man merely turned away and started to hobble off. "That is an interesting question indeed Hibiki." Ryoga was too engrossed in watching the stones to listen, or notice the golden eyes of the figure as he glanced back at him from the shadows of his hood. "A very interesting question indeed." Ryoga stepped towards the stones. "I guess I'll have to figure it out myself. If it will help me defeat Ranma, I shouldn't ignore it." The old man paused. "You wish to defeat someone?" "Yes," said Ryoga as he glared at the doorway. "Then you have come to a very good place indeed boy." A dusty wind blew and obscured the old man from view. Ryoga narrowed his eyes as the dust finally settled and he found himself alone. "I get the feeling, I was supposed to find this place." He stared forward at the open space between the two pillar stones and reached forward with his hand. Words began to form in his head, words he could not understand, and doubted if anyone living could. "Wha?" Out of the whispered voices a single more powerful voice called out to him. "You seek power?" "I want to destroy Ranma Saotome," he replied simply. "You have no soul to give...but to destroy Ranma Saotome?" The voice almost sounded interested. "That, we shall see about." "Huh?" muttered Ryoga as he pulled his hand away from the opening. "Step through young warrior, and discover the power you so desire," offered the voice darkly. It was strong and firm, yet somehow inviting in an uncomfortable way. "You can help me defeat Ranma?" "You will become much stronger," said the voice cryptically. "As for destroying Ranma Saotome. That is something even I cannot promise. He is strong, and dangerous, more so than I think you realize. Come, perhaps you can be of some use to me in ridding ourselves of such a bothersome thorn in both of our sides." Ryoga closed his eyes to think about it for a mere moment. "All right." +++++++++++++++++++++++ "I sense a disturbance in the force," said Ranma as he paused in the middle of the street suddenly. Akane and Nabiki both looked back at him. He was standing in front of Tofu's office and simply stared at it. "What are you looking at?" snapped Akane angrily. "Something dark and strong has been awakened," said Ranma calmly. He pointed with his staff. "That way." "What?" said Nabiki dumbly. "What should we do about it?" snorted the younger girl irritably. "At the moment? Nothing. We'll be seeing it soon enough I think. It's best to use time like this to relax and enjoy ourselves. The time to fight will come soon enough." Akane blinked at this, and Nabiki found herself slightly unnerved. "Why does it sound like we'll be involved with this to me?" asked Nabiki as she frowned at him. Ranma turned to look at her with a rather blank expression. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much. That comes later I think." "What's that supposed to mean?" grumbled Akane as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Mean? Do you look for meaning in everything in life?" responded the boy as he chuckled a little. "Some things just happen." "Yeah. Like you," grumbled Nabiki as she frowned at him. "Now you're getting it," said the ponytailed boy a little too cheerfully. "Sometimes the best way to deal with this sort of thing is to just ignore it for a while." "In other words, you hope this thing you claim to feel will just leave us alone, and that you don't have to bother with it," said Nabiki flatly. "Oh. I suppose that is what I mean then," replied Ranma as he shrugged his shoulders and started walking. "In any case, we've probably got a few days to rest a bit before anything of real interest happens," replied the ponytailed boy as he shrugged again. "There's no point in worrying about it anyway." Akane found herself frustrated, but couldn't quite find the words to voice it. She merely snorted and started walking again. Nabiki followed immediately after her and didn't pay any more attention to her fiancee. Ranma didn't seem to care much and simply looked at the office in front of him. "I wonder..." He didn't move for about a minute and focused his attention on the doors. "Ah well. In time, that too will be answered." +++++++++++++++++++++ Tofu stood in his office alone. His thoughts filled his mind as he looked at the back wall of the practice and said nothing. "It's so strong even I can feel it. Not that far away, but still contained somehow. This isn't good." He paused when he realized that something was off outside the clinic. "Wha?" He made it to the doorway just in time to see Ranma Saotome turning away. The boy walked slowly and methodically, tapping his cane on the pavement with each step. Ranma didn't look back at him, but had a serious expression on his face as he moved towards the Tendo home. "Something is up?" muttered Tofu. "Well, something has definitely gotten his attention anyway. I wonder if this is related to that Wu he was talking about?" Tofu had read up a bit on Wu over the course of the past few days. He'd had to go into the restricted section of the Tokyo library to even find a single reference. The only thing he found was a rather vague paragraph in an old Chinese Mythology book. Needless to say, although he'd never admit it, he was growing very interested in what he might see in the coming week. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Three days later... A shadowy figure strolled through the trees of a dark and thick forest in the wilds of Japan. If you could consider three miles outside the city 'the wilds'. His pace was methodical and he had little fatigue in his step, despite many days of hard training and walking. "At last. The time has come Saotome. I shall face you and destroy you for certain this time!" Ryoga Hibiki laughed as he turned around one of the trees and found himself looking at a street. "Is this Tokyo?" It was a back road, but it did lead into the city. He cracked his knuckles as he started down the street, taking care to remain on the pavement. Roads usually lead him somewhere, so it was a good idea to follow it until he could get his bearings straight. Several hours later he found himself standing in a small poor looking neighborhood. There were children running around with no shoes and second hand clothes, and a few students hanging around the neighborhood in uniform despite the late hour. School had ended more than four hours before. He found himself standing in front of a local convenience store and decided to stop and see if he could figure out where he was exactly. It was uncomfortably warm outside, but heat didn't bother him much. He was basically out of sweat from his travels anyway, and he was feeling a little dry. It wasn't like he could dehydrate or anything though. A soda machine hummed quietly next to him and he glanced at it. With a small shrug, he decided that a small comfort like a drink was within his budget. He reached into his pocket and dug out a few coins. It was basically all he had left. With a simple shove of his hand, he pushed the button for a cola and waited for it to clank down to his waiting hand. He popped the top and drank deeply, enjoying the cool sensation for a moment. When he was through he turned and started walking again. There was nothing of any real interest to see in the area. He couldn't make out any landmarks, and the neighborhood looked unfamiliar too him. Not that many did look all that familiar, in fact, they all looked pretty much the same as far as he was concerned. Being reminded of his curse enraged him once again. "Damn. That stupid Saotome! I'll make him suffer for this!" He started to run deeper into the streets, his yearning for revenge driving him harder and harder to find his enemy. About a half-hour of running later, Ryoga Hibiki stopped cold in his tracks. His eyes went wide and he simply stood in the middle of the road, not caring about the cars honking angrily at him as he blocked traffic. Slowly he began to pat down his clothes, but his pace quickened to an almost frantic searching. "Where?" The boy fell to his knees as he clutched his head in agonized terror. "Oh shit! It's gone!" A group began to form on the sidewalk muttering in pity and just plain disgust. "Shameful." "Sounds like he lost something important!" "Still, making such a scene!" "It'll probably still be where ever he left it anyway. This isn't America you know." Ryoga didn't hear any of this. His heart raced as he spun around and around in search of something he couldn't bear to lose. The soda machine was nowhere in sight, and he was probably more than a mile away from it. He didn't even have a clue about where he was when it happened. Ryoga Hibiki had just spent his soul on a can of soda, literally. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TBC...