Right Moments 5

Author: Judah

(-chan implies endearment, familiarity)

(-san implies extra respect)

“The Illusion of the Abyss”

When Ranma awoke the next morning, she knew what had gone wrong.  She had forgotten her true ki reserves did not, could not change.  Practicing ki absorption for eighteen hours straight left her with substantially more ki ability at the end of the day.  When switching into a new repetition, it meant her ability to hold ki wasn’t what she thought it should be.  Quite simply, her own body limited her technique.

A great relief filled her as well, for she now knew without a doubt, during this one unending day, death was irrelevant.

When she died, Ranma felt herself spread across the universe, drifting into peaceful states of being.  Becoming one with the Dao, as her Tibetan instructors blathered.  She thought she felt the pulling of an enlightened tunnel, but before the way opened, awareness deserted her.

The experience no longer scared her; if anything death itself was soothing in an indescribable way.  It made her want to rethink her priorities, now that she experienced quasi-transcendence.

‘When you embrace the endless, you leave the useless, petty part of yourself behind in this world.  Or perhaps, taking a part of the Dao back with you, merely pierces all illusions.’  Such deep thoughts, Ranma’s inner voice mused... ‘First, that technique will be mine!’

The koi over her head roasted alive the next twelve times she awoke, as Ranma rapidly learned how quickly she could draw in and release ki.  Eleven of these twelve times, she killed herself as well... but the twelfth day changed her fundamental self.  Each time, she struggled with her deepest inner being, against sweet obliteration.  Surrender was defeat, and Ranma Saotome did not lose the battles she set out to fight.

On the twelfth attempt, she achieved a mental state that could be described as oneness, zazen, or pre-emptive deja` vu.  The ki she channeled became the pure white of total self-acceptance, and her thoughts achieved truer clarity.  She realized her curse was really a blessing, and marrying soon wasn’t the ultimate solution.  She felt a hole in her mind, but it vanished from her conscious awareness.

These realizations relieved stresses upon her inner energies, allowing greater control of the technique she appropriately called Kissing the Face of Life.

Until Akane was ready to live with herself, sharing her life would be sharing in Akane’s own painful self-recrimination, and Ranma was not a masochist.  Ucchan wouldn’t be happy unless Ranma was happy, and Ranma doubted that future.  The fiancée-tangled knots of honor still bound her, but now she saw paths perhaps leading to resolution.

Time enough for that later, thought Ranma, as he discovered a simple way to activate his curse with an application of cold and hot ki, only to find it ineffective while sitting in the koi pond.

This, and discovering her father and the Tendos staring at her in fearful awe, almost broke her oneness.  Examining her outward self, she found herself glowing with an ever-building amount of stark white, serene ki. The water in the pond actually began retreating from her in perfect ripples, and she became male once more.

He stopped drawing power reluctantly, and hesitantly sought the darkest part of his mind... the catfist.  Slowly, he cleansed the darkest cornerstone of his psyche.  After traveling the endless Abyss of death, he found his fears disappeared, and doubted physical pain would bother him again. Emotional uncertainty might unnerve him, but he would longer cringe from the stinging memories of sharp teeth and claws.

The feral emotional state of the nekoken was forever lost to him, abandoned near the triumphant trumpets of Valhalla, and Ranma did not mourn its loss. Such a state unbalanced his ki, and literally broke his mind.  While he could never replicate the unrestrained ferocity, Ranma knew he could mimic the catfist with Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu at his current level of mastery.

He forced himself to release his gathered ki, slowly, without destruction. The final realization as zazen left him, was depending on any emotion, even it, would be unhealthy.  Too much confidence meant he ignored problems because they would solve themselves.  Too much tranquility meant he would ignore problems because they could not truly hurt him, and therefore did not matter.

When he returned his full attention to the physical world, she (now that the waters of the pond had returned) found Kasumi kneeling at her feet, her parents having sex, Soun Tendo in a posture of relaxed meditation, and Akane crying.

Stepping out of the water, careful not to disturb the koi, she triggered the change, and dried his clothing with hot ki.

He helped Kasumi up, and eldest Tendo asked reverently, with water dripping from her clothing, “Ranma-sama, make me your disciple and I will do anything:  bear your children, become your wife, renounce my family name, even commit honorable suicide.”

Taken by surprise, he replied briskly:  “You need not debase yourself for me Kasumi, I promise to teach you when today and tomorrow are no longer the same.  We may start at 4 am this morning, if you like.”

Kow-towing, Kasumi left to finish breakfast, ignoring the dripping mess her clothing had become.  (Kow-tow -- a very deep bow, meant to show extreme humility, in which one’s forehead touches the ground, or in this case, the waters of koi.)

“Akane-chan,” he asked, “why are you crying?”

“I don’t like myself that much,” she said between sobs.

Ranma smiled, “Don’t worry, you’ll get better.”

Her tears dried, and she smiled back hesitantly, making his heart jump as he reminded himself she wouldn’t remember tomorrow.

“R-Really?”  She stuttered out.

He nodded.

“Then I’m happy.”  Akane stepped inside around his parents, to wash her face, he presumed.

Soun looked up from his ponderings.  “Ranma-san, whenever did you become so eloquent?”

“Hinako-sensei helped me with pronunciation and language.”

Sighing, Sound replied, “Ah Hinako, such a good woman, I should marry her.”

Nodding, Ranma went inside to change clothing.  After tempering his ki control with complete acceptance, he needed the advice of a math professor at Tokyo University.

His talk with Minamoto-sensei lasted well into the night.

****

The next day, he attempted the grisliest facet of his mother’s advice, since he thought it might appease her when he broke the endless moment. Honorable suicide couldn’t truly kill him.

“If it means you’ll stay alive, I’ll sleep with you right now!”  Akane’s outburst greeted a stunned breakfast table, after Ranma calmly announced her intent to uphold Genma’s seppuku contract for unmanliness.

“Would you, could you, with a woman Akane?”  Ranma poured hot water over her head, and used a hidden bubble of cold ki to prevent the change.

When Akane hesitated too long, Nabiki spoke decisively “If she won’t, I will, and I know both Shampoo and Ukyo will too.  Is that ‘manly’ enough for you Nodoka-san?”

Ranma watched her mother nod her head, but snarled, “It ain’t enough for me!  Mother, dojo, now!”

Watching Nodoka gather the katana, she found Kasumi standing in her way.

“If it matters in this decision, I will also trade my virtue for your life, Ranma Saotome.”  Kasumi was in tears; the admission cost much.

Surprised, Ranma didn’t react fast enough.  Nodoka drew the honor blade, and turned to Akane.  “Break this now Akane-chan!” she said quickly.

Nabiki dashed over to the phone, and speed dialed Ukyo, then Shampoo. Hysterically yelling, she demanded they reach the Tendo compound as quickly as they could.

With a kiyahh!! Nodoka’s katana snapped.

Smiling, Nodoka turned to her daughter.  “My honor is not more important than my child.  So which of these caring young girls will you sleep with first?”

Ranma stepped into the Umisenken and vanished, watching as they fruitlessly searched.  It gave her a warm feeling, knowing she was loved.

The last lingering doubts about her manliness and Jusenkyo vanished from Ramna’s mind.  Before falling into sleep that night, she spoke the truth, “ I am who I am,” and meant it.

****

Awakening in the koi waters, she challenged Happosai with a flashy release of ki.  She knew the pervert homed in on THAT emotion.

Soon, Ranma found himself outlasting the effects of the Chilling Lips of Death.  When he entered zazen via channeling self-acceptance, he found the technique unable to unbalance his ki.  He felt centered and comfortable with himself.  So content he failed to counter with Chilling Lips of his own, more interested in the beauty of the weeds decorating the ground.

Observing the aura around his student, Happosai bowed his head.  “Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu imitating the Sharp Edge of Nirvana.”  Summoning the remains of his ki, the ancient grandmaster invoked a technique used to banish rampaging demons.

Hundreds of tendrils of ki assaulted the shield of Ranma’s battle aura, each different in temperature, emotion, power, length, and intent.  If Escher designed a kaleidoscope, he might have envisioned how the spinning patterns behaved.

They seemed to hover and mutate around the pig-tailed martial artist, and Genma was the first to realize none were able to touch his son, and that Ranma’s battle aura seemed to be spinning... until it exploded outward in a ki-storm equaling the energy blasts of Saffron.

By unspoken agreement, the masters present endured the storm behind their auras, until its fury faded.  Ranma smiled, and said gratefully, “Thank you for teaching me such a technique Master Happosai.  My turn... Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu imitating the Neko-ken.”

“Very well, Master Ranma, Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu imitating the Essence of Sea.”

They clashed, and Ranma found himself confronted with an inconceivable defense:  Happosai took no damage from the claws of ki... he merely channeled Ranma’s own ki around himself, much like waves broke over a rocky shoreline.  So this was what Ucchan had meant...

Retreating, Ranma replenished his energy by Kissing the Face of Life, and he watched Happosai pull out a bra and a playboy, doing the same.

“Break!!” Yelled the old letch in a tone of command Ranma instinctually obeyed.  Later he would realize it was a ki-voice.

“I award upon you the rank of Master of the Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu, Ranma Saotome, however I will not permit a grandmaster challenge until you can create a ball of ki like this one.”

Abruptly, a ball of swirling pink and muted purple ki pulsated in the air above Happosai.  Looking at the emotions present, Ranma admitted he could not create a ball based off of consummated love.

“As I thought, Master Ranma.”  The wizened gnome seemed disappointed.  “So many pretty ladies, and you haven’t had one yet?”  His eyes teared up at such opportunity lost.

Ranma held the bridge of his nose in disgust.  Then the old man came over and demonstrated the ki flows needed to use the Chilling Lips of Death in the empty air.  Ranma matched him exactly, and the gnome beamed in pride.

“M’boy, I learned that technique from a French prostitute 75 years ago.  It works on the balance of the yin/yang; male and female.  If used by a man on a man with weaker inner strength, the stronger ki will imbalance the weaker, leading to immense pain.  I don’t know what will happen if a woman uses it on a woman.  The Chilling Lips has a different result when used by a man on a woman, or a woman on a man.  It’s how your father convinced your mother to marry him.”

Genma nodded.  “My son, please only use that technique on a woman you can truly love, for she will follow you to the ends of the world afterwards, and forgive anything.”

Soun added, crying sadly, “Yes, my dear wife would never have looked at a poor man like me without such an awesome technique.  I’m afraid I used it too much, and she developed wasting sickness from an imbalance in her ki. Be careful with such a responsibility, especially around my daughters!”  A demon-headed Soun finished with a scream.

The masters of Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu left the field of combat, having gained in strength by one.  For now, he had exhausted Happosai’s willingness to teach him, but surely, his father kept secrets.

****

Quickly shaking off the lingering koi, Ranma rose into a strange stance. Genma, who recognized the form in dread, stopped abruptly, ending their morning session fearfully.  ‘This time you aren’t getting away old man.’

Experimentally slashing at the air, the red-headed girl watched in satisfaction as a shallow cut appeared on her father’s hide.  Taking a cue from Happosai, she had already let her ki diffuse throughout the Tendo backyard, while setting her ruse.

When the older Saotome attempted to vanish with his Way of the Silent Thief, she yelled “Ha!!” using a ki-voice like Happosai’s.  Beads of her aura condensed and blasted into Genma, ruining his attempted flight.  The echoes sounded like thunder crashing down upon a parched meadow, and hung solemnly in the air.

Ranma stepped out of the pond, and quickly wove the hot-ki trigger upon his curse.  He continued toward his father; this reckoning he had waited for, since Jusenkyo.

The Hell’s Cradle technique had been infuriating, but the Thousand Fists had earned his respect.  Having battled Happosai using his father’s techniques, he knew why Genma had not bested his Master.  None accounted for the next level of ki control, a level he knew his father never reached. A level he expected to surpass within the year.

Slowly walking toward his father, he spoke in cold anger.  “Old Man, this is your last chance to impress me.  In my lifetime I’ve gone from utter trust in you, to utter contempt.  Trying to run my life for the benefit of your lazy ass.  The catfist!”  He swiped the air, leaving a bloody gash on Genma’s chest.  “The Curses!”  She triggered the transformation, and continued onward.  “The Engagements!”  Now she stood facing her father. “You have one last chance old man, before I leave you a bleeding wreck begging for mercy.  Don’t bother with that pathetic Crouch of the Wild Tiger, face me like the man you’ve forced me to become!”

Realizing escape was impossible; Genma Saotome acknowledged his fate.  With odd nobility, like a prisoner walking the plank with his chin high, Genma assumed a stance unknown to his son.  He bowed his head, and left his arms at his sides, appearing to relax.  “Musubetsu Kakuto Ryuu imitating the Ghosts of a Thousand Fists.  This is the technique I never perfected, never recorded, never had the will to unleash.  Know this my son, whatever else happens, you have made me proud.  On three, we finish this, and perhaps, I will be redeemed.”

Speaking together, the girl and her father counted the numbers, and on the third beat in the cadence, they began, heedless of the watching Tendos. Heedless of the shocked expressions, and soft disbelieving mutters of their audience.

“Ancestral Demon Whip Kick!”  Genma yelled, as his form blurred, appearing ghostlike.  Dodging both the kick itself, and the follow-up vacuum pulse, Ranma appeared to hover in the air as she bounced off small platforms of semi-solid ki, building momentum and velocity.

Knowing what his son was doing, if baffled at the mechanics, Genma whispered “Embracing Raging Anger.”  His form blurred further, and with sweat soaking his gi, the master of a thousand fists heard the air buzz angrily.

When Ranma’s Meteor Kick met her father’s vacuum barrier, Genma’s form blasted through the walls of the Tendo compound, finally coming to rest across the street in a neighbor’s living room.  In upsetting the equilibrium of her father’s aura, Ranma had leapt into the equivalent of a huge triggered vacuum guillotine.  Her ki was under such tight control that it merely shredded her clothing and left deep, arcing gashes across her leg and stomach, rather than cutting her into three pieces.

Using semi-solid ki to stop herself from bleeding to death, she forced pressure on her wounds, and walked to where her father lay unconscious. Either the neighbors weren’t home, or they weren’t coming out.

Idly, she formed small ki balls and shot them at her father’s face.  With the force applied, she knew it felt like he was being slapped awake. Finally, Genma struggled upright, dislodging fragments of furniture caused by his impact.  Like a scolded dog, he looked to his son.

“It’s not finished yet old man,” she told him icily, “neither of us in the hospital yet.”  Then employing the Splitting Cat Hairs Technique, Ranma mercilessly pummeled him in the remains of a stranger’s living room.

Not even trying to block, Genma closed his eyes and said in a pained and breathy voice “Angelic Feast of Souls.”  The technique was meant to cleave opponents apart, when one was surrounded by foes.  Three expanding circular vacuum waves emanated from Genma, destroying Ranma’s images, and the structural integrity of the house they fought in.

Learning from her earlier mistake, she employed the Essence of the Sea, and sharp air broke around her in a mighty thunderclap, shattering a television screen and doing no damage at all.  By now she knew the old man’s ribs were cracked and possibly more, plus his right leg fractured.

Noting her father had fallen to one knee and assumed another vacuum shield, she idly disrupted it with hot and cold ki.  It collapsed in a thunderclap, leaving Genma missing a large chunk of his upper arm.

Satisfied her father had fought with everything, she told him:  “It is enough, you may collapse. I’ll make sure you live.”  He obeyed.

Shortly thereafter, she jumped out the house carrying Genma.  Immediately, it rumbled in on itself, falling in pieces cut with finer tools than human hands allowed.

Forcing pressure on her father wounds, she absently told Kasumi to call an ambulance.  When the Tendos and her mother began berating her for reckless behavior, she released part of her aura, lighting up with command presence.   Swiftly they fell silent, and Ranma recognized an unfamiliar emotion in those she cared for:  mindless fear.

Refusing treatment, she would spend the remainder of the day at Ucchans, not even noticing she never changed back.  As she walked off, Akane whispered to herself, in a saddened voice “Ranma, what have you become?”

****

“Ucchan, you told me before you managed to get rid of Tsubasa Kurenai while I rearranged Jusendo.  What happened?”  He didn’t date with her now, but the pleasant company of his best friend drew Ranma back.

“Hmm, those adventures were painful, and are not mine to truly share Ran- chan.  But, this much won’t hurt!  I needed his help, so I promised to get Tsubasa laid.”  Her expression of satisfaction involuntarily made Ranma step backwards.

Horrified, he stuttered “Y-you mean... you did it... with him?”  Betrayal brought an almost physical illness.

Applying her spatula to his head, she recaptured his attention.

“No, moron, I made him disguise himself as the cutest, teeth-rotting, let- me-barf-now thing he could dream up.  Then I brought him over to Azusa Shiatori’s and he got inside her panties within fifteen minutes.  Once he found out how to get Azusa’s legs spread on demand, Tsubasa stopped chasing me.”

Relief allowed him to observe he’d raised a small aura.  Dismissing it, he said nonchalantly,  “I didn’t know you knew that little ditz Ucchan.”

“How could I forget the story of your ill-omened first liplock as a girl?”

“It didn’t count! It didn’t count!”  Ranma made a mental note to kick Sanzenin’s ass again tomorrow.  ‘Damn it! It *didn’t* count.’

Laughing, Ukyo served him a chef’s special, fresh off her grill.

*****

What had those fools meant about the true nature of the Chilling Lips of Death?

Testing an unknown like this on a girl he felt close with wasn’t right. The old ghoul hung around Shampoo too much, and he didn’t really want to mess with Kodachi either.

Where would he find a normal girl?

***

“Hiroshi, what’s a good place to find women?”

“Hey Ran-man, you already have a collection, why not let some range free?”

“Yeah, whatever.  How about if I pay, and you bring Daisuke too?”

“Cherry Blossoms.  It’s a night club for high school students trying to score at the college level, but the cover charge isn’t cheap.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”

***

Cherry Blossoms was around half full, and they noticed a brand new red hotrod being taken away into valet parking as the taxi dropped them off.

Whistling, Hiroshi began babbling about vintage cars, how those tires were original and newly rethreaded....

Leaving their enraptured compatriot behind, they went in, letting the doorman know their babbling friend’s cover was paid.

After a full ten steps inside, Daisuke stopped abruptly, and looked like he’d had a large wooden plank broken over his head.

“Yuka what are you doing here?”

Ranma and the newly entered Hiroshi exchanged glances, each verifying the other’s ignorance.

“You don’t own me you idiot!  Plus I wanted to see how a real man could treat a lady.  Groping my breasts a movie theater isn’t a date, you know.”

Yuka’s glare melted off Daisuke’s lecherous grin.

“Hey, when you let *your* hands wander down my body, I took it to mean the invitation was open!”

“I didn’t ‘let my hands wander’ – you stuck the popcorn between your legs and picked seats so I couldn’t see!  If I hadn’t been half falling out of my chair trying to watch the movie, I’d have *never* touched you there! You arranged for me to make that horrible mistake!”

Swiftly walking away from the rapidly cut down Daisuke, Ranma and Hiroshi held a swift whispered conversation.

“You know, I can almost sympathize, but let’s cut to the chase Ranma... I see some serious babes over there!”

“Yeah, poor guy, I bet she told him to hold the popcorn and picked the seats herself.”  Actually happened once, thanks to Akane’s temper.

Implementing his brilliant plan with perfect calm, Ranma walked up to the indicated group of four college girls sitting at a booth, and asked, “Hey ladies, I’m a wandering martial artist, and I need some help with a technique I’m working on.  It will only take a minute, and I’ll pay your bill here tonight if you help.”

Hiroshi watched in awe at the results of his friend’s audacity.

“Ayane, that pick up line has to be lamer than the last one... you owe me 300 yen!”

“No way!  ‘Let me take you for a ride with my smashing cherry red hotrod, and smell the burning rubber, baby’ was far more sexist; like that loser could even afford rubbers to begin with.”  Turning to Ranma, she added: “Women are more than just sex organs, you know.”  Ayane’s generously condescending statement was greeted by the squeals of the other two girls from across the table, which caused a vein to throb in her forehead.

“Jun Ken Pow!” (rock crushed scissors) “Jun Ken Pow!” (scissors clashed) “Jun Ken Pow!” (paper covered rock) “Jun Ken Pow!” (rock was enveloped by paper) “Jun Ken Pow!” (scissors cut paper)

“Ha, that’s three out of five... this hunk is mine!  Move your overly generous ass out of the way for me and my new date!”  Glaring at her friend reproachfully, the chubby girl on the aisle side of the booth exited to make room.

Emerging from the booth was a girl who would take non-descript as a complement.  She wore fairly thick glasses, and a generic green/black school fuku, though she seemed to be college age.  By her grooming habits, she learned fashion sense from half-dead geriatric squirrels.

Shaking his head sadly, Hiroshi wondered if Ranma would accept a desperate college nerd-girl.  The two babes looked like they were only here to help out their friends.  Compared to Ranma’s other options, this seemed like tossing giant lobsters away for the chance to catch minnows with mercury poisoning.  Watching his friend sit the girl down at an empty table, he slunk closer.

“Ok, er, um...”

“ Meiko!”

“Yeah, Reiko, sit and relax, this should take less than five minutes.”

Not caring the hunk had butchered her name, the girl leaned back in her chair, and tensed up tighter than a tongue against a metal pole at –50 degrees.

With a moderate amount of concentration, Ranma focused the Chilling Lips of Death on the girl, not knowing what to expect.  An almost invisible flickering in the air indicated the activity of the technique.

Meiko arched her back, sucked in a deep breath, unexpectedly sneezed, and then frantically grabbed a napkin across the table, inadvertently spilling a glass of ice water.  Gasping loudly, she overturned the chair she was in, and appeared to knock herself out on the carpeted floor.

Noticing the return of his feminine side, Ranma switched back, arranged the girl so she looked comforted, and left after paying for her tab.  He deduced the Chilling Lips of Death made girls sneeze, and possibly made them clumsy too.  Marginally useful in future fights, when he didn’t want to hurt a would-be fiancée.  Awfully complex for so little result, but then it probably acted like a mild aphrodisiac.  He’d read somewhere sneezing in the middle of the act supposedly made it better, and even a trained martial artist of his caliber couldn’t sneeze on command merely by tensing muscles.

‘Nabiki would be proud of me for figuring it out,’ thought Ranma smugly. ‘Name probably came from someone who caught sick from sneezing.’

Hiroshi said farewell to his friend and examined Meiko intently.  She appeared to have a nosebleed, her fuku was soaked though the ice water spilled toward Ranma, and an odd grin adorned her face.

Minutes later, the nerd-girl awakened with the face of an inquisitive Hiroshi blocking her vision.

“Damn that felt good!” Meiko shared happily.  “I’ve never had one like that, especially one in public.  Scandalous!  I’ve got to go back and change my underwear now, here’s my meishi “(she handed a damp card with her phone number on it to Hiroshi), “please tell your friend to call me, and that I’d like another demonstration.... Kami... I’d do anything to experience that again!”

Watching the girl stagger away, Hiroshi frowned.  It might hurt more than he could dream, it might slaughter his grades and ruin his college chances... but he’d learn that technique if it killed him!

.

“Ayane, why is that strange boy laughing?”

“Hormones.  Let us have a moment of silence for men who won’t get laid until they are over thirty.”

The three girls bowed their heads solemnly.

*****

Armed with a technique to unbalance a woman, Ramna entered the grounds of the Kuno mansion.  His mission objective was making Kodachi Kuno face the reality of his curse.

Swiftly, upon learning his desire, Sasuke ushered him into Kodachi’s room and fled.

Placing the grabby Kuno girl on the chair by her desk.  Ranma gave a quick once over about his cursed situation, then proceeded to trigger his change.

A red-headed girl looked back expectantly.

“Vile seductress, I don’t believe you!”  Kodachi began the attack.

“Wait, what would it take to convince you?”  Ranma ducked a razor hoop.

“Undeniable proof!”  The exclamation was accompanied with a fine steel bola.  Kodachi sure had interesting stuff in her lair.

“Fine!”  Ranma switched genders.  “This should make you listen!”

He turned the Chilling Lips of Death on her, at full power, expecting a sneeze and ruined coordination.  Surprised by the appearance of her love, the Black Rose hesitated in the middle of throwing a taser web.

This time no cold water interrupted the ki-composition of the technique, which Ranma had performed flawlessly.  No yin counterbalanced the magnetic yang.

Blushing severely, Ranma learned the true power of the Chilling Lips of Death, when a man used it on a woman.  Doing his best to ignore the screams of passion, he politely turned away.

^_^

When the panting finally stopped, he turned back, and saw Kodachi had torn off the bottom of her leotard, and maintained a full split against her carpet throughout the experience.  Her exhausted smile, along with the room’s new musky aroma was statement enough.

“You wanted undeniable proof, right?”

Kodachi nodded.

Embarrassed by the necessity, Ranma removed his pants.

“You are undeniably a man, Ranma-sama.  I’d prefer you not proceed further for now, since I feel quite sore.”

“Watch closely, and don’t attack me, OK?”

With Kodachi’s leering nod, he let cold ki trigger the curse.

“Normally, I would disbelieve such illusions, but I feel too mellow to fight.  Can your trick pass this test though?”

Hobbling over, Kodachi poked.

Feeling the other girl’s probing finger, Ranma asked with embarrassment, “Could you please stop that?”

After the finger withdrew, Ranma changed back, and winced as he got grabbed.  With Kodachi’s hand in contact, Ranma switched again.  Surprised at her palm’s position, the gymnast poked upwards again, and then withdrew her finger quickly.

“Yes... the evidence is undeniable.  Very well, I believe you.”

Suddenly, as if something became suddenly aware of a new connection, Kodachi clutched her forehead in pain, and let loose a keening scream.

A corona of black energy surrounded her head, and staggering backwards, the girl fell onto her bed.

With great pain in her voice, she whispered:  “By the nine spokes of heaven, grant me skill to overcome the corruption of eternity!”

A fine bracelet of silvery white appeared on Kodachi’s hand.  Streamers of light projected from it, obscuring her clothes, and coalescing into a black and white outfit with a prominent yin/yang motif.  Embroidered on the sleeves were holy symbols of Japanese deities.

Jumping to attention, Kodachi stared at Ranma-chan with a black halo over her head, and incomprehension in her eyes.  She burst into motion, a pattern unfamiliar to Ranma’s experience.  Attack or defense?

“Whatever you are, the balance of this universe is disrupted.  It is my duty to eliminate the threat you represent!  Weapon of my identity, emerge!”

Triply faster than her normal speed, the girl attacked Ranma with the weapon that appeared.  Looking between dodges, Ranma saw it was a silvery white Kodachi (small Japanese hand sword; could be considered a large dagger) with a black rose emblazoned on the hilt.

“What are you supposed to be?”  Ranma asked conversationally after a missed disemboweling stroke.

“I am the fulcrum of balance for this land; you will find yourself defeated by Devil Hunter Kodachi!”  With an intricate set of attacks, the transformed girl proved she talk and fight at the same time.

Snorting after a dozen dodges; Ranma infused her index finger with ki, and began parrying the weapon contemptuously.  She ignored the small thin cut appearing on her finger from the first clash.  An angry buzzing accompanied every parry, like a lightsaber duel from Star Wars.  Upping her aura’s power after the first block, Ranma felt the silvery-blue sparks as magic and ki struggled for dominance.  Rather than fading, the energies peppered the room in a surreal light.  Eventually, Ranma maneuvered Kodachi into slashing the dark halo overshadowing her head with a skillful redirection.

The darkness flashed, and seemed to melt back into strangely dressed girl, who blinked, confused.

Lowering her sword, Kodachi spoke wonderingly:  “I remember now!” Concentrating, she sighed.  “I still can’t recall how this happened; whatever controls my memories has only suffered a temporary setback.”

Uncomfortably, Ranma fidgeted under Kodachi’s piercing stare.  The loon was really a demon slayer?

“Why Ranma-sama, you appear to be under the affects of a curse.  Would you like it removed?”  Devil Hunter Kodachi dismissed her weapon and sat on her bed.

“Nah, that’s alright, I have control over the blessings of Jusenkyo and they are part of my identity.  Did you know I was accursed from the beginning?”  Was she traitorous or stupid?

“No, I can only sense magic when I’m a normal girl, though I admit part of my behavior after we met did involve hunting the red-haired ‘witch’ to see if she was a succubus controlling you.  My brother has not the gift, but he can sense magic as well.”

So that was why Kuno thought he was a sorcerer!

“Why not just transform and investigate?”  She had to have considered that.

“My artifact only reacts to the intentions of hostile, dangerous agencies. My calling is maintaining the supernatural peace; if I abuse my power, it will leave me forever.  From what little abilities I have naturally, I could tell your magic was mostly harmless.”

In disbelief, Ranma-chan recounted incidents that plagued her life in Nerima.  (This took some time.)  Dismissingly, Kodachi explained the circumstances weren’t threatening enough to demand her attention:  “No one died or used death magic.  When I’m not hunting I can’t even remember I have this power, and my relic reacts most selectively.  I’ve only been called twice before, both times before we met.”

As if sensing the discussion, the bracelet began flickering, sending spheres of light around the room.  Several touched Kodachi herself, but were turned away by answering pulses of darkness.

“Whatever is controlling my normal self is beginning to reassert itself. I’m sorry Ranma-sama, but I’ll soon be trying to kill you again.”

“Not if I can help it!  White Snake Reliable Fist revised:  Sweet Steady Chestnuts Bringing Illumination!”  Striking with Amaguriken speed, Ranma attempted to vanquish what held Kodachi.

In under a second, the girl’s entire body was bathed in purification. Using her well-earned ki mastery, Ranma saw the enemy hiding inside a blemish on Kodachi’s aura that shouldn’t exist.  This unknown stain could not be cleansed, and ignored the energies brought against it.

“No use Ramna-sama, devil hunters like me are sanctified against direct possession by our artifacts.  I only know an insidious non-magical attack opened a hole in my protection.  Whatever torments me dwells in and is shielded by this hole.”

Rallying against defeat, Ranma swore an oath:  “Whatever happens Kodachi, I promise you I’ll free you of this, by the honor of my soul.”

Staring with infinite gratefulness, Kodachi spoke strongly with tears running down her cheeks:  “Listen carefully, my hope, before it is too late.”

Hugging the Devil Hunter, unmindful of her own semi-nudity, Ranma rubbed Kodachi’s back and paid careful attention.

“If you fight too closely against the minions of the Abyss, you must take care not to become like them.  No demon hunter escapes such a trap, which is why our society does not regard us great respect.  It is why I am treacherous for fighting in all fairness.”  She laughed, not her usual, but almost like wracking sobs.

“Ranma-sama already I feel that which holds me in abeyance re-establishing itself.  Remember my love:  when carrying fights into the endless dark, avoid taking wounds.  When you visit the Abyss, it visits you.  In fighting too long, you match the enemy’s methods.  When you take What Is as a coherent whole, even darkness has a place.  Be careful my love, see through the Illusions of the Abyss.  Apparently, I did not...”

With a whimper, Kodachi clutched her head and began breathing erratically. The artifact granting her transformation unclasped, and fell softly on the floor.  The girl reverted to her previous state of undress, her costume disappearing.

Hovering by the gymnast’s side, Ranma gently whispered her name, with awed understanding.

Time passed.

The Black Rose opened her eyes, and saw only the hated red-haired girl. “Harridan!” She screeched, jumping up, “Have you stolen my virtue within my own chambers?  Have at thee!”

Mentally slapping herself for missing that little detail, Ranma grabbed her pants and escaped with the Umisenken.  This newest promise demanded immediate action.

But how?

****  --end Illusion of the Abyss--

next:  “337 Split Ends”



AN: (Skippable),  I’m through fiddling with this, let me know if its too unbelievable, too pat, or too much of a summary.

--Order of events is still bothering me in CH 7 & 6... my numbering isn’t off, I just write ahead, though my posting is catching up with what I have prepared.

--Estimate between 10 and 18 chapters total; am shooting for 15 (for the curious)

--Please leave feedback, and remember to be harsh and constructive... I won’t break.