Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sealed Past ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter 11

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Ranma slowly emerged from sleep, awareness seeping into his conscience. His mind foggy, only remembering through the haze with some clarity the exorcism from two days ago and snippets of conversation with Kagome after The Incident.

 

Chaotic images flashed through his mind. Martial Art tournaments. Demons and monks battling. Grey buildings that speared into the sky. Castle fortresses and flat rice fields. Samurai and bandits. Kids in school uniforms. A mountain valley of springs.

 

Desperately he pushed them all aside, focusing on what his senses were telling him instead of the other inside.

 

Movement in the house as others awakened, the sounds of the never sleeping city outside his window, the light clatter of pots as Kasumi began breakfast in the kitchen.

 

The other growled at being ignored, forcing itself forward for it would not be ignored or denied. His senses expanded tenfold.

 

Nabiki was in the bathroom, muttering something about his actions last night while in the shower. His old man was on the dojo porch with Soun as shogi pieces whispered across the board. Akane was in her room dragging a brush through her hair. And someone was approaching his room from the roof.

 

Eyes snapped open to look at the beams above his head, tracking the soft male footsteps above him. A combined animal and human growl escaped from his throat as his nostrils flared. Past and present blending together.

 

“Happousai.”

 

***

 

Happousai chuckled soundlessly as he sneaked over the Tendo's roof, only a few drops of water dropping from the overfull bucket he carried. He'd missed the boy last night but intended to make up for it today.

 

Swinging over the eaves he swung through Ranma's window—and was seized by a strong hand that slammed him back against the frame. Eyes bulging he looked up at the form holding him pinned against the wall. Ranma had never been able to catch him before.

 

Canines bared as a growl rumbled in his chest, Ranma snarled, “Morning old bastard.”

 

The founder of the School of Indiscriminate Grappling would have squeaked if he could. All that emerged was a muffled sound from beneath the hand that was wrapped around his throat.

 

Ranma shook his body like a dog would. Drops of water sprayed about as they were shook off, some droplets landing on his captive's face.

 

Impossible though it seemed, Happousai's eyes widened even more until they were fairly bulging from his head. The bucket of water had been spilt upon Ranma when the boy had seized him, but he was still a guy! When the hell had the boy gotten rid of the Jusenkyo Curse?!

 

A chuckle like growl issued from Ranma's throat as he sensed his captive's surprise. He stood, hoisting his old man's “master” into the air as he did so. His expression shifted unexpectedly, to one of puzzlement.

 

Happousai tried to squirm away as Ranma hauled him closer and sniffed him!

 

“Flea?” The tone was curious as the hand around his neck loosened a touch.

 

Happousai blinked and swallowed hard as he started up at Ranma's face, only now sensing that there was definitely something different about the boy's aura. No one, not even his two prize students knew of his heritage, but to have the boy guess it through scent meant only one thing….

 

The senior martial artist cautiously poked at the boy's aura, turning pasty white when it—whatever `it' was—poked back. Realisation struck. There was now something trulydemonic within the boy.

 

Ranma shook his head, fighting something inside as he dropped the School of Indiscriminate Grappling's Creator to the floor. Happousai wasted no time in fleeing. Throughout his long years he had had the misfortune to encounter those who were of purer demon blood or even those of demon souls.

 

Whatever Ranma had become, it would be best to stay out of the boy's way until the division between `man' and `animal' was settled.

 

***

 

Genma glanced over at his son as the boy entered the dojo, also keeping a close eye on his shÅgi partner to insure that some pieces didn't `miraculously' move. He snorted as he saw that like last night, the boy had his arms wrapped around his torso and a definitely unfocused expression on his face.

 

Those were the actions of a weakling and that shudder last night? Unacceptable. Still, all he was really interested in was the new technique the boy had displayed last night. Such transformation spoke of a great skill.

 

“Well boy?”

 

Ranma's head turned towards the voice, not really registering anything but the impatient tone, still trying to grapple with his inner turmoil. Maybe Kagome had been right. Maybe it'd been too soon to come back to the Tendo's. He snorted, knowing that he'd done it out of typical masculine stupidity that insisted he didn't need help of any sort.

 

He'd always been able to handle anything that his whacked out life had tossed at him before. Why should now be any different? Just `cause he had this thing inside him didn't mean that—

 

“Boy! I am talking to you!”

 

The other growled at his old man's tone and he was a little surprised to find that it agreed with him at all. Ever since he'd left the Sunset Shrine grounds it'd been fighting him, demanding to be let out. But most importantly, it had been fighting him to go back.

 

It wanted absolutely nothing to do with anything here. All the thing was interested in was Kagome.

 

He shook his head in mute stubbornness. No, he wouldn't go back to the Shrine. He would deal with this on his own.

 

“Boy!”

 

Ranma swayed to the side, cleanly avoiding the blow that his now fully irate old man had thrown at him.

 

Genma growled, even when the boy had avoided his kick, he'd still been ignoring him! Such things were unacceptable!

 

“Genma!” A voice snapped out.

 

Turning around, the eldest Saotome male drew to sharp attention when he saw his master seated on the dojo porch beside Soun.

 

“Leave the boy be, the technique you are curious about has not been fully mastered yet.” Happousai said imperiously as he drew on his pipe, trying desperately to hide his nervousness. If Genma fully managed to rouse what was inside the boy now... More sweat broke out on his brow.

 

“Master?” Genma questioned in confusion.

 

“You will see it in time,” Happousai said in a firm voice, indicating that the subject was to be dropped. Puffing a ring of smoke he warily eyed not the boy's body language, but the strength of the boy's aura. The stronger the aura, the more awake the demon would be.

 

Ranma blinked, distantly curious that Happousai seemed to know what was going on. But he had more importing things to worry about—like contending with his own real `inner demon'.

 

***

 

Kagome hummed slightly as she whisked the broom over the flagstone ground, pushing her own concern for Ranma to the back of her mind in order to enjoy the soft afternoon weather. She really didn't think that it had been a good idea for him to return to his own home so soon after the awakening of Inuyasha's soul, there was no telling what could happen.

 

“Kagome?”

 

Perking up in surprise, she looked up to see Ranma standing between the torii pillars, that dazed expression that had been on his face when he'd left yesterday morning still slightly present in the glaze of his grey eyes.

 

“Ranma,” she greeted warmly, concern worming deeper into her mind, “Would you like to come in?”

 

“Kagome…” He trailed off as he slowly walked towards her.

 

“Ranma? What's wrong?” She asked as she propped the broom against the stone fence.

 

“It wouldn't leave me alone.”

 

“It?”

 

“This thing inside,” Ranma growled angrily as he stood before her.

 

“Oh Ranma,” Kagome said as her eyes softened, somehow knowing what had happened when he'd left yesterday. Like any young male, he was fighting what he didn't understand. And that was the very root of his problem.

 

“Ranma, don't you get it?” She said softly as she reached out and touched his cheek, “That `thing' is you.”