Disclaimer Ranma 1/2 was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and anyone who doesn't already know this won't understand this story anyway. Bleach was created by Tite Kubo; you don't really need to have seen Bleach to understand this fic, but just so you know, anything not Ranma related in here was created by him.
- - - "Please, Akane...I need your help." The girl took a step towards her, and stumbled, falling to her hands and knees. She dragged herself across the dojo floor. "Please...I beg you...I need you to help me." - - - Ryouga's expression was ugly. "How can you claim innocence? Remember? You told Ranma, you knew I loved you. But still, you pushed me away. 'Best friend.'" He said it with a sneer in his voice. "You did all you could to set me up with Ukyo, with Akari..." - - - The waves crashed higher than her head, lashing at her feet. She stepped backwards, her feet digging into the russet sand of the beach. The girl was an oppressive weight now, pulling her down, but she struggled to remain upright against the wind and rain. - - - Ranko's smile twisted in the firelight. "What of Akane?" Ranma's smirk was as arrogant as ever. "She -was- my fiancee. As far as she's concerned, our engagement never happened." - - - Akane walked towards the compound gates. The air was silent. Not even her feet, crunching the dead grass underfoot, made any noise at all. The only sound she could hear was the screaming in her own mind. - - - Tail Kinker Presents Pale Horse Chapter 10: Storm of Tears "Are you prepared?" Akane swallowed nervously. "I really don't know. I've never done this before." "Neither have I." Masami glanced down at the chart before her, then back up to Akane. "We need four corners for this, not including yourself. And you will need to be nude. Will you have a problem with this?" Akane glanced nervously at Ranma. "Well...he's already seen me nude once before." She looked back at Masami. "For this, I can stand it." "Very well. Ranko, lock the door." Ranko slid the door shut, and closed the lock. "Done." "Lieutenant? It's your show." Isane took over. "Ranma. East seat." "Uh...which one is east?" "By the shrine. Ranko, since you balance Ranma, I'll want you on the west. I need the north, so Masami, if you would take south?" "Yes, ma'am." "Akane, please strip down and lie in the center." Akane glowered at Ranma, then slowly removed her clothing. As she did so, she noted Isane moving around the Corners, lighting candles. "If Dad hears of an open flame in here, he'll flip." Isane raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I asked Ranko to lock the door in order to protect your modesty?" Akane shrugged. "Maybe I did. Silly of me." She strode to the center of the Corners, and lay down. Isane knelt before her. "This will require acupuncture. Are you all right with this?" "I want the Taint gone. I hurt Nabiki so bad..." "Keep that regret within you." Isane pulled a small packet out of her obi, opened it to reveal six long needles. She pulled them free, selected one, and rubbed the point between her fingers. "Brain." She carefully touched the needle to Akane's forehead, twisted a bit. Akane felt nothing but the slightest pressure. "Feet." Isane moved to the other end of her, ran a needle into her left heel. "Throat." Back to her head, and Akane felt the needle press into her neck. "Womb." This one went in just above her pubic hair; she shivered involuntarily, even though she felt nothing. "This last one is really going to hurt." Isane looked down at her. "And the pain is not going to go away until we are done." "I understand." "Heart." The needle entered her right breast, just above the aureolae. She felt nothing, until Isane let go of the needle. Then the pain came like a tidal wave, and she screamed. Isane moved above her head, out of her field of view. "Hands, all!" The pain continued to wash over her, beyond anything she'd ever felt. Isane's chanting faded out in a wave of red. - - - - - She was in the garden. The air was completely silent, with no traffic noise, no insects, not even the sighing of the wind. The grass under her bare feet was pale grey and lifeless. She glanced over at the sakura tree that stood near the pond, and saw that it, too, was white and dead. The stones near the pond were stained in red, as was the far wall. With a start she realized that she was still wearing nothing, not even the needles. She started to panic, then realized that there was nobody about. Not a trace of life was evident to her eye. "Hello?" Her own voice was somehow muffled. "Ranko? Masami? Isane?" She turned on the spot. "Ranma?" Nothing. She turned and walked to the dojo door. She grasped the handle, expecting to find it still locked, but was surprised when it opened easily. The foursome were not within. Inside was only one person. A girl. She was a fair bit shorter than Akane, though she stood with her head bowed, making it difficult to determine her exact height. Her hair was long, but lank and lifeless. Like Akane, she was nude. Her breasts were small, her arms and legs painfully thin, and her ribs easily visible. Water dripped from her hair and ran in ragged rivulets down her ashen, bloodless skin. She looked up, and Akane's breath caught in her throat. Despite the large sunken eyes and lipless gash of a mouth, it was obvious that this was...Akane. "Please...help me." "No..." Akane shook her head. "This can't be." "Please, Akane...I need your help." The girl took a step towards her, and stumbled, falling to her hands and knees. She dragged herself across the dojo floor, wrapping a hand around Akane's ankle. Akane tried to will herself to pull the foot away, but could not make herself do it. "Please...I beg you...I need you to help me." She could not help herself, did not know why she knelt next to the girl. "How can I help?" "School..." Akane gathered the girl up in her arms, and walked towards the compound gates. Still, the air was silent. Not even her feet, crunching the dead grass underfoot, made any noise at all. The only sound she could hear was the screaming in her own mind. - - - - - The trees in the schoolyard, and the grass underfoot, was just as dead as those in the Tendo yard. The boundary wall and bricks of the school dripped red as rain lashed against them. The sudden shock of lightning overhead illuminated a single figure on the cobblestones ahead. Kuno. "Tendo Akane. Such a pure and delicate flower of womanhood." Akane carefully laid the girl on the ground, then stood and snapped into a fighting stance. The fact that she was standing before Kuno, dressed only in rainwater, mattered little at this point. "I've beaten you many times before, Kuno. This time will be no different." "I speak not to you. Your very presence is a blight on this fair town." Akane blinked. The Kendoist knelt next to the girl. "Fair Akane, your beauty grows more every day." "I'm over here! That's not me, I am." He looked up at her with scorn in his eyes. "Be silent. Your muscular frame hides a diseased mind." The girl reached up and caressed Kuno's cheek. "My protector, my saviour...How I adore you." Akane's scowl deepened. "Beauteous Akane, let us retire to my private mansion." "Kuno, no!" He glanced up at her. "You cannot stop me. You never could. At any time I wished..." He set the tip of the boken between the girl's breasts. "I could take what I wished..." He slowly dragged the tip down the girl's torso. "For you know that I am superior to you." The tip of the boken came to rest on the girl's crotch. Akane stepped forward, and one foot snapped up, connecting with the side of Kuno's head. The upperclassmen slumped to the ground, his head leaking blood on the wet pavement. Akane stared at the lifeless body in shock. "Why did I--" "He would only two-time us. You know that." Akane looked down at the girl. "Did you make me..." "No." The girl shook her head mournfully. "I could never make anyone do what I want. Not even if it was something that they really wanted. Like to kill him. Can we go to the Nekohanten?" Wordlessly, Akane picked the girl up and left the courtyard. She glanced behind, to see the colour washing out of Kuno's body, until he was as pale as the girl in her arms. - - - - - Akane paused in her run; the girl was heavier than she seemed. She set her down on a street bench, and paused to catch her breath. "Not bad, Akane." She whirled, to see Ryouga standing nearby, leaning against a crimson streetlamp. As with Kuno, he was in his usual attire, minus the overshirt. His black tank-top clung to his muscles like paint. "Of course, it's not like I haven't already seen it all." He smirked. "Pig!" "Not anymore." He raised his arms in the rain. "You see? All cured." "You used me! Betrayed me! And Ranma, as well!" "Ranma?" Ryouga sniffed. "He was in on it all, remember?" "Only because you trapped him." "And he was far from the only one, if you recall." Ryouga's expression turned ugly. "Besides, how can you claim innocence? Remember? You told Ranma, you knew I loved you. But still, you pushed me away. 'Best friend.'" He said it with a sneer in his voice. "You did all you could to set me up with Ukyo, with Akari..." "I wanted you to be happy!" Akane screamed at him. "I had no idea that you were P-Chan!" "Well, you've made me very happy, indeed." Nabiki stepped out from behind the lamppost. Akane blinked in surprise. "Sis?" Ryouga stepped around behind Nabiki, and reached around her; Nabiki raised her arms above her head as he began to unbutton her shirt. "Oh, yes, Akane, very happy indeed." The shirt dropped to the ground, landing in a puddle with a wet plop, and Ryouga began to caress Nabiki's breasts. Nabiki smiled at her. "Thank you, Akane. Without you, this would never have happened." "No!" Akane grabbed the girl, and turned and ran off. Ryouga's mocking laughter chased her all the way down the street. - - - - - The girl was riding piggyback now. Before her, the Doctor's clinic stood. She paused at the gate. She'd been welcomed here so many times, but now it seemed...forbidding. Almost repulsive. The coppery walls stood in stark relief to the dead white bushes in the gardens. The door hung on its hinges like an open wound. She strode in; perhaps the Doctor could help the girl. "Doctor? Doctor Tofu?" The Doctor was seated at his desk, the front of his gi stained with blood. A single candle illuminated the work area. His pen scratched ochre letters on the vellum before him. "Doctor? This girl, she..." Akane trailed off; the Doctor was ignoring her. Or simply not seeing her at all. "Doctor Tofu?" The voice behind her startled her, and she turned to see Kasumi. Tofu looked up. "Kasumi! How nice of you to drop by." Kasumi swept past Akane, stepped up to the doctor. "I was hoping I'd catch you here." "Of course; where else would I be right now?" "I was afraid that you'd gotten away by now." "Never! I've been waiting for you." "Good." Kasumi sighed, and ran a hand through her long hair. "I've been worried about Akane." "Sis! I'm right here!" Tears started to well in her eyes. Why couldn't Kasumi see? "She is here often. She always seems to need something from me. An injury repaired, a helpful word...nothing important." "I'm sorry she is such a bother to you." "I'm always willing to help out your sister." Tofu stood, and walked around the desk. He gently took Kasumi's hand. "Whenever you're around me..." "I know..." She smiled sadly. "But soon, we can be together." "And then I'll take you away from all annoyances." The two turned and walked from the office. Akane watched them leave, a lump forming in her throat. "Doctor? Why can't you see me...?" "It's her hair. He likes her hair." The girl's voice was quiet in her ear. "Maybe if you grow your hair long like hers..." Akane shook her head violently. "That didn't work." "It wasn't enough. You need to be more like her." "But I'm not like her!" "He knows." Akane choked back a sob. "Akane." It wasn't the girl; it was another voice, coming from the next room. A familiar voice. She turned, and glanced at the door. "Oh, God, no." The tears were flowing thickly now, and her voice caught. "I can't go in there." "You know this room." "I can't go in!" "You're right. You couldn't before, and you can't now." Akane gritted her teeth, and stepped through the door. She stood at the edge of a raging maelstrom. The waves crashed higher than her head, lashing at her feet. She stepped backwards, her feet digging into the russet sand of the beach. The girl was an oppressive weight now, pulling her down, but she struggled to remain upright against the wind and rain. In the waves, she spied a figure. A tall woman, with brown curly hair and kindly face. "Mother!" The woman was foundering badly. Akane took a step towards the water. "No, Akane." Her mother shook her head sadly. "You cannot help me." "I have to...you'll die!" "You cannot go where I must." The girl's whisper in her ear was strangely loud against the wind and crashing waves. "How can you save her?" "I can go out there--" "You know you can't." "I can!" "You couldn't even go in the room where you knew she was dying." The girl's voice was as mournful as before. "You knew she was dying, that you couldn't help her. If you couldn't then, how can you now?" "Mother!" Akane reached out a hand, took a step forward, but the girl's weight pulled her down at last, dragging her down to the sand. She watched with horror as her mother's form was lost among the waves. "Noooo!" The waves crashed around her, and she found herself in the sea. The girl was like an anchor, drawing her down to the depths, and her breath burned in her throat. A hand like a steel vice clamped around her arm, and pulled her free from the waves. She landed on the floor of the dojo, coughing water on the tatami. Ranma leaned over her. "You okay, Akane?" "Yeah..." She coughed again. "Good." Ranma straightened up. "Not a bad bit of rescuin', if I gotta blow my own horn." Akane glared up at him. "Lemme know if ya need anythin'." He leaned back against the wall. Akane stood slowly, the girl still clinging to her back like an anchor. She took an unsteady step towards him. "Why even bother with him?" The girl again. "You killed Kuno. He won't be bothering you anymore. Ryouga and Nabiki seem happy together. Leaving them alone was the right decision." Akane squeezed her eyes shut, praying that the tears wouldn't come again. "Tofu just looked straight through you. Same as he always does. And, of course, your mother. We both know there was nothing you could do. Am I right?" "No..." She shook her head. "What has he ever done for you? He belittles you, he's arrogant and condescending, he's a pervert to boot." The girl's voice had turned mocking. "And like you said last year, he's a couple all by himself." Ranko stepped through the open door. "Ranko!" The girl glanced over at her. Her scarlet kimono and fiery hair glinted in the candlelight, and the chalky scar on her face seemed to mock her. "He doesn't need you. He has her." Ranma pushed away from the wall, walked towards the redhead. She smiled up at him. "We've been together for more than a year..." "Your body and soul, all mine." The redhead stepped closer to him, laid a hand on his cheek. "And now I have a real body..." "Ranma!" She staggered another step closer. Ranko's smile twisted in the firelight. "What of Akane?" Ranma's smirk was as arrogant as ever. "She -was- my fiancee. As far as she's concerned, our engagement never happened." -Keep that regret within you.- "NO!" She twisted, grabbed the girl's arm, and threw her from the dojo. She rushed forward, grabbed Ranma. "Ranma, I'm sorry I said that!" He looked down at her. "Akane--" "Please, I'm so sorry, I should never have hurt you--" The dojo was again brown and tan. Three other people were gathered around her and Ranma. And her breast hurt. Isane gently pulled her away from Ranma, and extracted the needle still lodged over her heart. "It seems that we were successful." - - - - - "Rage. Fear. Loneliness. Despair. Jealousy. All weapons of the Hollows." "I nearly lost myself, didn't I?" Akane had redressed, more for the warmth than any remaining modesty. Her shivering had nothing to do with the temperature, however. Isane laid a hand on her shoulder. "We may never know the whole story." Ranma draped a blanket around her shoulders. "You gonna be okay, Akane?" She turned, and hugged him fiercely. - - - - - Ranko turned away from the scene, and caught Masami's eye. "She's strong. She'll come through this okay." "I know." Masami nodded. "Anyone else would never have survived." Ranko darkened. "You mean her life was in danger? And you two decided to go ahead with this anyway?" "I knew she could survive." Masami smiled. "That young woman has the strongest will of anyone I've ever met. I had no fear for her." Ranko considered the Shinigami, then sighed. "Guess so." She looked down. "But we still got Happousai to deal with, and I ain't expectin' Akane to help with that. We got no idea how powerful he is, or what he can do, but judgin' by what he did to Shampoo..." "You have no idea how dangerous Happousai is." "Eh?" Ranko frowned. "We've beaten him often enough." "If he's truly awakened to his full power, you are in grave danger facing him." Masami's face was clouded. "Your reappearance gives me renewed fear that he has. The body that you call Happousai was never a grave threat, until he visited Jushenkyou." "Huh?" Ranko's confusion was even more obvious. "He ain't cursed, I know that." "Not by Jushenkyou," conceded Masami. "But that makes it much worse. The spirit that now lives in that body is far older than you know. Almost three thousand years old, and he spent most of that time in Jushenkyou. "Have you never wondered why he knows so much about the cursed springs? How he knew of the technique that brought you back into being?" "Well, after three thousand years, I expect--" Masami cut her off. "Why do you think he's only now regaining his power? Why has he tried before to split you into male and female?" "Because he wants to molest my female side!" "No. He wants to kill you. -You-, not Ranma. Because Shaolan bound him to the Cornerstone, and left him trapped in Jushenkyou for almost fourteen hundred years. Because Shaolan nearly undid his greatest achievement. "Happousai is one of the Espada, one of the most powerful of Arrancars. A Hollow of the greatest power. He knows Jushenkyou, because he created it." -- Homepage: http://www.tailkinker.net ICQ: 66022322 eMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- .-------Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List--------. | Administrators - [EMAIL PROTECTED] | | Unsubscribing - [EMAIL PROTECTED] | | Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject | `------------ FAQ URL coming soon.... -------------'
