All around him a tempest raged.
Fierce winds tore through the trees, breaking the thrashing branches, stripping the deep green leaves. Bright flashes of lightening illuminated the rolling black clouds above, each resulting thunderclap loud enough to shatter glass if there was some. Heavy rain pelted down, stinging bare skin with the force of its impact.
Whipped into a frenzy by the howling storm the low bushes edges the trail lashed about, braches cutting through cloth and skin alike.
But no matter how violently the storm threatened Ranma he refused to give up. Onwards he trudged, straining against the gale, eyes fixed upon his ultimate destination.
Close…so very close.
For ten days strait he’d been fasting, refusing all offers of food from Kagome’s well meaning family, allowing only a few sips of precious water to pass his lips as he prepared for his toughest battle to date.
Sinking deep into a meditative state Ranma’s conscious plunged inwards searching for the elusive Neko Ken. Farther and farther he delved, reaching out with his senses till at last he found the mental den in which the dreaded technique dwelt.
But finding the Neko Ken was only the beginning of his task. His next hurdle lay in reaching the beast to confront it.
His own mind was proving to be his greatest obstacle. In an effort to protect Ranma’s sanity his subconscious had formed amazingly strong mental barriers to shield him from the worst of the dark insanity the unleashed Neko Ken produced. The storm raging around him was just his interpretation of those barriers.
Just a little farther now…
Like stepping through a doorway into another room the change was immediate, the sudden cessation of the tempest Ranma had struggled against for so long made the young man stumble.
Where before he was in a lush forest Ranma now found himself standing in a barren rocky hollow at the far end of which lay the mouth of a large cave. Faint wisps of steam drifted up from cracks amidst the boulders, their sulfuric stench tainting the chilly air.
A deep rumbling growl echoed from the cave’s fathomless depths, two glowing red eyes filled with hate and bloodlust grew larger as their owner advanced towards the entrance.
Ranma felt the first tremors of fear shake his limbs. One hand drifted up on its own accord to touch the silver braid hanging about his neck and his resolve strengthened. Ranma would not fail; he would conquer the Neko Ken.
For his future..
For Inuyasha….
&&&
“Do you think Ranma’s all right Grandpa?” Sota asked the old temple priest.
The old man sighed. “We must have patience Sota. What that young man is trying to do is not something that is accomplished quickly or easily.”
“Is there any way we can help him?” The young boy pleaded.
“No, he must do this alone.” And with that he walked away before his grandson could see the fear and frustration reflected in his features. What Ranma was trying to do was something only the most accomplished priests, with decades of study and training, could hope to succeed at. The risks of failure were huge, one wrong move and he could quite easily lose himself in his own mind or wipe out his personality entirely.
If it were anyone else who’d come to the temple asking for sanctuary during his inner quest the old priest would’ve turned him away. But Ranma was special. In the boy he sensed a power the likes of which he’d never before encountered, power that Ranma had barely begun to tap. The feats the boy had accomplished so far in his life were amazing; mastering chi, besting one of the oldest Amazon elders, defeating the Musk Prince Herb, and killing the insane immortal Phoenix God Saffron.
After only the third time meeting this unique young man the old priest knew what he was. Ranma was a Legendary Hero like those of spoke of their people’s legends and mythology. Whether it was his fortune or misfortune to be born in this modern age was unknown to the old priest. But one thing he did know; whatever happened in the coming weeks and months would be passed down through tales for generations to come.
As the old man pondered the young martial artist lying on the floor of the sealed room moaned, a thin trickle of blood seeping from one nostril.
&&&
Ranma surged to feet, ignoring the loud protests his body was making, and turned to face his opponent.
The battle had been joined shortly after Ranma entered the Neko Ken’s barren sanctuary, pitting human teen against massive black feline. And while the cat’s ebony flanks showed signs of damage from Ranma’s attacks it was the martial artist who had suffered greater injury. Despite all his training, all the foes he’d faced and defeated, the incredible power of the Neko Ken in its truest form was greater than Ranma had ever imagined. His clothing was no longer recognizable as such, lying in ragged shreds against his bruised and lacerated skin, remnants streaked with blood and dirt. The only thing completely untouched on Ranma’s body was Inuyasha’s hair necklace. The fine silver strands shone in the dim light like a beacon in the night.
Ranma was tiring and he knew it, worse he knew the black beast had noticed it too. Here on this mental plane the limits against physical exertion meant little thus allowing Ranma far greater freedom of movement so long as he had the will to use it. The battle was brutal, neither side holding back, tearing into each other with fierce determination. But fatigue was beginning to wear Ranma’s will down and if nothing happened to change the course of this fight…
No, he refused to give up, refused to give in. He would win, he had to win!!
&&&
The Neko Ken growled, crouched down and ready to pounce. Finally it would seize the body denied it for so long. It would be free of this boring prison, able to roam and destroy at whim. Once the human’s mind was shredded the walls around this place would fall and the black beast would be free and the first thing it intended to do was kill the bitch who’d managed to placate it before. There would be no more purring in some girl’s lap, no more being forced back into this hellhole till the next time someone loaded the boy down with cats. Once the girl was dead it would deal with those other idiots. Bloodshed, carnage, and mayhem would rule!!
Just as he was about to pounce a feline roar was heard, only slightly smaller in volume. A black and white blur shot out from behind a boulder, placing itself directly between the Neko Ken and its prey.
Red eyes narrowed in rage. He was here, its nemesis, its jailer, the bane of its entire existence!!!
&&&
“What? Where’d the cat come from?” Ranma asked. He watched as the cat walked stiff legged towards the Neko Ken, growling deep in its throat, placing itself in a defensive position between Ranma and the black beast. It was clear from the two cats’ attitude that this wasn’t the first time the two had faced off against each other. And if the black and white cat was an enemy of the Neko Ken that made it a potential ally of Ranma’s.
With renewed hope and determination Ranma sprang back into battle with a sharp battle cry, keenly aware of his new leaping ally’s fierce roar.
&&&
Hariken”hurricane; a force of nature.
A wild uncontrollable storm that knew no boundaries and no mortal force on earth could ever hope to restrain. For thirteen seasons the black and white tom had lived up to that name before the fat cruel human had grabbed him.
Before that evil day he’d been so much more than a simple house pet to his beloved family. He’d been their friend, confidant, consoler, and protector. Secure in the knowledge her children were safe the mother would tend to the house chores while Hariken watched over her two sons. It was a task that Hariken accepted willingly, even eagerly. Humans fascinated him so!! They were so much like his own kind’s young; innocent and inquisitive.
Her trust was well founded. Countless praise was heaped onto his furry head when he brought down the child snatcher who’d been working the city’s rural areas. When the mind sick human attempted to abscond with one of his charges Hariken became a storm of fang and claws. Neighbors from blocks around heard the screaming man as the crackling ball of feline fury landed on his face and began shredding it to bits. It took three policemen to pry the enraged cat off the bloody mess that had once been a man’s face. He received a medal of honor from the mayor himself for that one.
He’d been the unchallenged master of his territory, father of many fine litters of kittens, and loyal guardian of all of loved. But age crept up on him like a thief in the night, stealing much of his strength and vigor. Aching joints made patrols impossible and his days were spent strolling and laying about his family home. During one calm night that the fat man came and grabbed the dozing tom and stuffed him into a moldy smelling bag. Of course Hariken didn’t go easily; he had the satisfaction of tearing several deep gashes into his captor’s hands before the bag closed.
Blacking out from the lack of air his next waking thought was of being thrown into a deep dark pit filled with many other cats. For days he and the others stayed within their dark prison given neither food nor water. The young and the weak were the first to fall to the ravages of starvation and Hariken was disgusted by those that fed on the corpses.
When the man finally opened the pit’s hatch he did so just long enough to throw something in. The smell of fish drove the cats into a frenzy. Hariken was in much the same state till he caught sight of the young child beneath the long wrappings of fish sticks. Protective instincts surged to the fore overriding his hunger. Hariken did his best to protect the young human receiving many deep wounds in return for his heroic efforts. Each time the monster man threw the boy in the cats attacks grew worse till Hariken’s old body finally failed him. His last thought before death claimed him was how he had failed to protect this little one.
But that was not the end for the old tom. His regret, rage, and determination to protect the boy propelled his soul into the traumatized child’s mind. Hariken had failed to protect the boy in life he now would do his best to keep the Neko Ken from destroying child’s mind. Here wounds meant nothing, age meant nothing, only will and determination mattered.
Now the boy was here, succeeding in passing through the storm barrier, to face the monster that dwelt within his own mind. Well, he wouldn’t have to face the beast alone. Hariken would stand by him, fight beside him, to the bitter end.
&&&
Falling back both Ranma and the cat paused to regroup. The Neko Ken was far stronger than the young martial artist had first thought. He desperately needed a new plan of attack.
Hariken was not so confused; he knew what needed to be done. In order to defeat a cat one had be a cat. Hariken was just a small cat; he lacked the speed and power to truly defeat the Neko Ken. But Ranma possessed both speed and power in abundance. Therefore Hariken merely needed to be a part of Ranma, to fully integrate himself with the boy’s soul. It would be a permanent merging; no chance of separation, but the old tom had lived a full life and was willing to give himself to the boy if it meant his winning this all important fight. So it was decided. Without another thought Hariken launched himself at the boy’s back.
Ranma jerked as the cat’s surprisingly heavy body landed on his shoulders. Blue eyes widened as the strangest sensation he’d ever experienced washed over him. It felt as if the cat’s body was ….melting into him!
New emotions flooded his mind, senses exploding as their strength increased a hundred fold. Filled with the cat’s power he turned to face the Neko Ken again with a wild grin on his face. It was a whole new ball game now!
&&&
“GRANDPA!! GRANDPA LOOK!!!” Sota yelled, stumbling away as blinding blue light erupted from the small shed Ranma was in. It looked as if someone had set off a hundred flare all at once. The light pulsed repeatedly for almost a minute before slowly fading away leaving the old man and his grandson to creep hesitantly towards the door.
“Ranma? Ranma? Are you all right?” Grandfather called out.
Silence was his only answer.
“Ranma?” He tried again.
From inside the now darkened room a slight moan was heard.
That was heartening; you needed to be alive to moan.
Unlocking the door the pair peered inside and gasped at the sight that greeted them.
&&&
Absolutely livid with rage but unable to vent it in this all too public place Nabiki signed the last form on her sister and father’s release papers.
All in all it had been far easier to garner her family’s release than it was to gain her own.
Years worth of carefully hidden funds were secretly tapped, bribes laid out, and favors called in from officials who’d benefited from her operations in the past all contributed to gaining her release. With luck and her lawyers combined cunning they could tie the state’s case up, bury it up under a mass of movements, motions, and legalities. It might be three years or more before Nabiki would ever have to set foot in a courtroom again if she was so inclined to do so.
With Akane and Soun all it took was calling in one of her more juicy little blackmail secrets and a hefty bribe to the institute’s head to free the pair. This wasn’t saying the two Tendos were getting off Scott free.
After evaluation Soun Tendo was diagnosed as emotionally unstable and out of touch with reality. The doctors’ findings would prove useful when the D.A. pressed charges. The police would most certainly find enough evidence to charge Soun in both Happosai and Genma’s crimes here in Japan; if not for aiding than at least for hiding them from the authorities.
Akane was facing more serious charges stemming from her morning fights and assaulting those police officers. As a stipulation for her release on bail the youngest Tendo was to attend Anger management classes three times a week till her trial. However Nabiki agreeing to these terms and getting Akane to actually attend was another matter. Her sister was the picture of blind ignorance when it came to her own faults, preferring to blame her countless mistakes on everyone else. When Ranma came along he was the perfect scapegoat for Akane and she used him mercilessly.
Now Ranma was gone and the entire country knew the uppermost fraction of her family’s dark secrets. It fell to Nabiki to make sure they didn’t find out the rest till her safety, freedom, and personal assets were secured.
Akane glared at the security guards as she passed them on the way out but didn’t attempt anything physical. She wanted out of here and if refraining from punishing those perverts in uniform gained that then so be it. Retribution would come later when all this mess was done with. Nabiki would see to it she was sure; after all it was her sister’s duty to the family.
Akane was looking forwards to things being back to normal. Once all the charges were cleared they’d drag Ranma back to the dojo and she could spend a few days pounding the little pervert. This was all Ranma’s fault anyway so her breaking every bone in his body would be entirely justified. She could almost hear his screams of pain; feel the bones fracture beneath her skilled hands.
Soun was nearly giddy with excitement. Nabiki obviously had fixed everything; they were going home and soon he and Genma would find and then force Ranma to marry Akane and take over the dojo. His little girl would be so happy and his soft retirement firmly assured. Soun could almost see it; Akane smiling happily as she took care of his first grandchild while Ranma slaved away with the huge classes the boy’s reputation had drawn in, Kasumi would be in the kitchen fixing dinner, and Nabiki would be in her favorite seat totaling up the day’s revenue. He and Genma would of course be relaxing, playing shogi and drinking sake. Life would be perfect.
Whether it was from intelligence or just being lost in their impossible fantasies Akane and Soun kept quiet all through the cab ride home; a fact which Nabiki was imminently thankful for.
The house and dojo were a bit worse for wear after the police searches. Nabiki’s room was worst hit, virtually stripped clean of anything that could be remotely related to her illegal activities. Her computer and all her file disks had been confiscated as evidence, books removed, and every nook and cranny searched for her stash of photos and blackmail material. The room looked like a typhoon had hit it.
Thank Kami they hadn’t touched the grounds outside so the fake rock at the bottom of the koi pond should still contain all her real logs, photos, blackmail files, and personal account books.
Nearly growling in disgust Nabiki made her way back downstairs and took her usual seat at the family table.
“Well, now that everything’s been taken care of we need to start planning the wedding.” Soun clapped his hands together to gain his daughters attention.
“Daddy! I’m not marrying that damned pervert!!” Akane nearly shrieked at her father, a red battle aura forming around her body.
Nabiki knew her father was a bit out of touch with reality but this was too much! “Daddy, everything has not been taken care of.”
“What are you talking about Nabiki? Of course everything’s all right. We’re free, the master’s gone, and all that’s left is to see your sister married to Ranma.”
“The charges have NOT been dropped Daddy! We’re just out on bail.” Nabiki rubbed her temples feeling a migraine coming on. “The lawyers are stonewalling our cases but as soon as the trial dates are set--.”
Soun looked perplexed. “Trial dates? What on Earth would we have done to deserve trial dates?”
“Well Daddy you harbored two known criminals under your roof, deliberately misled the police about their location, and you attacked several police officers.” She counted off the charges on her fingers. “And Akane’s facing over a dozen charges of assault from her morning fights, assaulting two police officers, and resisting arrest.”
Still her father didn’t seem to grasp their situation here. “Akane? Assault? Nonsense! My little girl was just protecting herself.”
“Yeah sure Daddy, why don’t you go down to the hospital and tell that to the transfer student who asked her where the office was. She broke three of his ribs; hit him so hard one bone punctured his lung.”
“He touched me.” Akane growled.
“He tapped you on the shoulder.”
“He was a pervert and got what he deserved. They’re all perverts! And when Ranma comes back I’m going to break every bone in his body!!” The youngest Tendo was seething, aura beginning to glow about her. Her sister, her own sister was taking the perverts side!!
Nabiki held her temper rigidly in check just as she had done for years now. While her morning fights, pounding Kuno, and her constant malleting of Ranma for ever slight real or fake Akane had made the middle sister an exorbitant amount of money. When the other girls showed up with their claims on Ranma her cash flow tripled. It nearly tripled again when the boys cashing after Ranma’s fiancées came and challenged Saotome time and again. Their fights did create a few repair bills but it brought in far more cash than it pulled out of her wallet.
Akane unknowingly brought in a sizable amount of questionable money in a way the younger sister wasn’t aware of. It was a good thing she was ignorant; if Akane found out she’d most likely try to kill Nabiki sister or not. It was a secret Nabiki was absolutely determined to keep the investigating police from discovering even if she had to kill to do it, or have someone kill for her.
Every time Akane attempted to cook Nabiki would secretly collect some of the grotesque concoction. Several shadowy people paid heavily for the vile goop which was then turned over to scientists who refined and concentrated it to create one of the most potent and deadly toxins available on the black market. That her sister’s innocent attempts to cook were being used to slaughter people in war torn third world countries didn’t bother Nabiki a bit; the money was more important than the lives of people she’d never met.
And now everything she’d worked for, all the money she’d amassed was in danger.
“Now Akane that’s no way to talk about your future husband.” Admonished their father, waving his finger and sporting that silly smile of his.
“Ranma’s not going to come back Daddy. He’s ronin now.”
“Of course he’s coming back Nabiki. The schools must be joi--.”
SLAP!!!
Soun reeled back; a deep red mark in the shape of a hand was imprinted on one cheek. He looked at his middle daughter in shock.
“Get through your head Daddy. Ranma is not coming back. Akane is not going to marry him. And with all this publicity there’s no one in the entire world that’ll have anything to do with the Tendo School!!” Nabiki’s voice was uncharacteristically harsh as she held her father’s gaze.
“HOW DARE YOU HIT OUR FATH”.”
SLAP! SLAP!!
Akane’s forward charge was abruptly halted by Nabiki’s blows.
“SHUT UP!! IF YOU TWO IDIOTS HAD KEPT YOUR TEMPERS AND WHAT LITTLE BRAINS YOU HAD IN CHECK WE WOULDN’T BE IN SUCH A BAD STATE!!” She screamed at her little sister and father.
“But-but the s-schools…” Soun weakly protested.
“The schools are dead!!! No one wants to learn from violent morons and two lazy and lying old men taught by Japan’s most hated pervert Happosai!!! It’s only a matter of time before the police dig up Genma’s criminal record and issue a warrant for his arrest. The only thing we can do is try to get out of this with our own skins intact!!”
Soun and Akane didn’t know that Nabiki really meant getting out with her skin intact. If her case took a turn for the worse the middle Tendo was prepared to flee the country. Her black market contacts were making arrangements for her to escape to one of the countries that had no extradition agreements with Japan. With her overseas accounts carefully concealed Nabiki could start again. Of course her plans didn’t include her family. Akane had served her purpose, and Soun became useless years ago. It would be all too easy to leave the two idiots behind to face their fates. Naturally Akane’s temper got the better of her and she snapped at her sister. “And what about you Nabiki? You’re the one they came here to arrest! You’re the one that started this mess!!!” “And who’s fault is that huh??” Her sister retorted. “Where do you think the money came from that bought our food, paid the bills, and kept clothes on our backs? Daddy is useless, has been for years!! He’s nothing but a weak-minded idiot that doesn’t have the patience to teach a fly! And you’re nothing but a bully!! A stupid little twit that’s deluded herself into thinking she’s a great martial artist simply because she beats up a bunch of untrained boys and one brain dead moron!! If it wasn’t for Ranma risking his life to save your ass you’d have been dead or married off to one of your kidnappers long ago!!”
“WHY YOU!!” The mallet of doom appeared in Akane’s hand and she swung it at her sister, fully intent on smashing the girl’s face in.
Only to stare in shock when the head of prized mallet fell to the floor with a thump, the handle cut cleanly by the dagger which Nabiki currently had pointed at Akane’s exposed neck. The younger Tendo froze, eyes staring at the gleaming blade in shock and horror. Her sister, her own sister was threatening her with a weapon!
“Don’t try that again Akane, you won’t like the results.” Nabiki smirked. It looked like all those secret little lessons from that Yakuza enforcer were paying off.
“WAAHHH!!! MY DAUGHTERS ARE FIGHTING EACH OTHER!! WAAHH!!” Wailed Soun, Tendo waterworks in full swing.
“OH SHUT UP!!” Both Nabiki and Akane screamed.
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