Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma 1/2: The Truth and the Tempest ❯ A Secret Revealed ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

[Author’s Note: The characters and setting herein- with the exception of one or two O.C.’s of my own design- are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Without any further ado, on with the show.]

Ranma ½: The Truth and the Tempest

Chapter 6: A Secret Revealed

“Where are they?” Nodoka wondered aloud as she sat at the table in the Tendo’s tearoom. “School should have been finished some time ago.”

“I’m not sure, Auntie Saotome,” said Kasumi as she approached the table with some tea. “I do hope they didn’t run into any problems.”

“With those two, you never can tell,” Nabiki piped up from her place at the far end of the table. “I’ll bet they’re just taking their time, not a care in the world.”

“Are you sure about that, Nabiki?” Kasumi asked. “I thought you said they got into a big argument just as they left the gates this afternoon.”

“They were fighting again?” Nodoka’s hand unconsciously brushed the tsuba of her katana, causing Nabiki’s eyes to widen slightly.

“Yeah, but don’t jump to conclusions yet. I’ll bet you anything they didn’t mean a word they were saying.” She took a sip of her tea before continuing. “Look at it this way- everybody at school is so used to the way they’ve been acting, the whole ‘engaged-but-I-hate-you’ attitude that in all honesty was WAY transparent to begin with. How do you think they’d react if all that changed overnight? You think any of those morons would give them a moment’s peace- let alone the ones that keep trying to get in their way?”

Kasumi nodded. “So you think they might have faked a fight to get some peace and quiet?”

“That’s my theory, anyway. Besides, I saw the looks on their faces in the locker room; they were so caught up in each other they didn’t even notice when I peeked around the corner.”

Nodoka breathed a sigh of relief. “I hope you’re right, dear. I’ve been praying those two would start to get along at some point or another; I’m very glad you chose to confide in me about their chat last night.” Her face became serious for a moment. “I’m not one who would condone eavesdropping, mind you. It wasn’t very polite to listen in on a private conversation…”

“We know, Auntie,” said Kasumi. “We didn’t intend to spy on them. We were just on our way upstairs when we heard them talking, and it wouldn’t have been right to burst in on them. Gods know that’s what Father and Mr. Saotome would have done, had they been in our place,” she finished with a sour look on her face. Nodoka nodded, a similar look of disgust in her eyes.

“Yes, you’re certainly right about that. Well, if anyone had to overhear… and let’s just say it was an accident… I’m glad it was you,” she said with a warm smile. “I do wish they would hurry up and come home, though. Soun and my fool of a husband might be home soon, and I’d rather they not know what we’ve been talking about. After what happened in their last push for a union of the houses, I think I’d prefer it if they were left unawares for the moment.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about daddy or Mr. Saotome,” said Nabiki with a smirk. “I saw them both headed for their favorite bar the moment they were out the gate. Looks like they took my ‘gentle prod’ to get out and forget about the repair costs quite well. They’ll be gone a good long while if I know Mr. Saotome’s drinking habits.” She chuckled, and Kasumi and Nodoka both laughed lightly. Just then the sound of the front door opening met their ears.

“We’re home.” The tone in Ranma’s voice caused them to pause for a moment. He sounded tired, and a bit raspy. Nabiki hopped up from the table and made her way to the front hall, followed closely by Nodoka.

“Well, it’s about time you kids made it back. Where ya been? Did you take my kid sister on a sightseeing tour of town or something, Ran…ma?” Nabiki trailed off as she rounded the corner and caught sight of Ranma and Akane in the doorway. Both of them looked absolutely haggard; Ranma’s face still bore signs of exhaustion and pain despite the lack of bruises and his healed wound, to say nothing of the bloodstains adorning his torn shirt. It was also hard to miss the fact that Akane’s dress had been torn at the hem, and her blouse and right hand still bore crimson stains from her attempt at first aid. She was leaning heavily on Ranma’s left shoulder, while he had his arm protectively wrapped around her waist. She looked like she had been on a high-speed roller coaster several times, which was just how she felt- shaky, miserable and more than a little nauseous. She tightened her hold on Ranma’s arm, lacing the fingers on her right hand through the ones on his left.

Nabiki reacted as they had expected. “Holy crap! What the hell happened to you two?” Just then Nodoka joined them in the hall and stopped, her eyes going wide.

“Oh my goodness! Son, what on Earth happened? Are you both alright?” Nodoka almost dropped her katana as she approached the two of them, glancing over them both. Kasumi entered the foyer at that point, gasping as she noticed their conditions.

“Got in a fight,” Ranma said tiredly. Nodoka glanced up at those words, giving him a hard look. “Not with each other, Mom, geez.”

Nodoka shook her head. “I’m sorry, I‘d just heard you had a quarrel earlier, I was afraid that was true for a moment.” She looked down briefly, noting their joined hands and allowing herself a small smile. “I should’ve known better- but what was it that happened? Did someone try and hurt both of you, Ranma?”

“Was it Kuno again?” Nabiki asked with her eyes narrowed. “Or that demented sister of his?”

“Nah,” Ranma replied, “Kuno got a pretty painful message earlier today.”

“Oh… yeah,” Nabiki said with a wicked grin. “I’d almost forgotten about that…” Her eyes danced as she recalled hearing about it. Bet Kuno won’t be walking straight for a week, she thought.

Akane loosened her hold on Ranma slightly, staggering a bit as she tried to stand up. “Oh, Akane, don’t try and strain yourself,” Kasumi admonished gently as she stepped forward and steadied her little sister. “Does it hurt anywhere?”

Akane shook her head. “I wasn’t the one attacked,” she said softly. “Ranma was… and then… then…” She broke off, shaking her head against a fresh wave of tears. “One moment aside, this afternoon has just been pretty lousy. I really don’t feel so good, sis…” She sniffled.

Nodoka was in the process of examining Ranma, casting worried looks at the amount of blood on his shirt. “Mom… you don’t have to panic, I’m gonna be alright,” he said as gently as he could manage.

“Alright? Son, look at yourself! I’ve never seen you like this before…” She trailed off as she lifted one of the torn pieces of fabric on his left side, where the largest stains were. She blinked in surprise, expecting to find a nasty cut and finding what looked to be a healing scar. Curiosity got the better of her and she pressed a finger gently across the line. Ranma winced, breathing in sharply. “That… still hurts a bit, Mom…”

Nodoka stood up. “I don’t understand it, wounds that bad couldn’t possibly close that fast by themselves. What’s going on?”

“Some kinda healing technique,” Ranma replied. “Once the fight was over, the guy I fought was nice enuf to patch me up.”

Nabiki stared. “Someone bushwhacked you after school and then sewed you back together again?” Ranma nodded in response.

“Oh my,” said Kasumi. “Who did all this?”

“I did,” said a low voice just beyond the door. The others turned to see Shingen stepping over the threshold, duffel bag in one hand and his silk-wrapped naginata in the other. His leather jacket was draped over his shoulders; the hall light illuminated some of the etchings on the back of said jacket, revealing a circular pattern of runic sigils mixed with complicated kanji inscriptions. They were so darkly shaded, however, that few ever even noticed them under normal light. He brushed lightly at the dried patch of blood on his left arm, looking up at the people before him with a repentant look.

Nabiki narrowed her eyes at him. “Who are you? Never seen you in town before.”

He set his duffel bag down just inside the door. “My name is Shingen Yamashira. You don’t mind if I come in, do you?”

“You did this?” said Nodoka, her voice quickly becoming quite sharp. “You attacked Ranma?”

“I’m afraid the answer is yes,” Shingen replied. He glanced at her face, then Ranma‘s. “You are related to him, are you not?”

“Indeed. I am Nodoka Saotome; Ranma is my son.”

Shingen bowed his head. “Then I owe you an apology for my actions as well.”

“I believe for now an explanation would suffice,” she replied. “I would be very interested to find out what reason you would have to assault my son and his fiancée on their way home from school. In truth, this sort of incident has occurred on numerous occasions over the past year, most often due to the past actions of his father… my husband,” she added, icily. “Is this another such incident? Were you seeking revenge for something done to you in the past by one Genma Saotome?”

“I wouldn’t really be surprised if it is, personally,” said Nabiki. Add another tally to the Genma goof-up list, she thought. Kasumi said nothing, but nodded in agreement, a vexed expression on her normally pleasant face.

Akane straightened up. “No, Auntie, this time it wasn’t Mr. Saotome’s doing, or Ranma’s,” she said in a wavering tone. “This… this was all… this was all Ryoga’s fault.”

“Ryoga???” Kasumi asked, startled.

“That young Mr. Hibiki?” said Nodoka. “How does he fit into this?”

“He set me up,” said Shingen as he unlaced his hiking boots and shook them off. “He told me something I wanted to hear, and in my impatience and foolishness I forgot to use proper judgment in the matter. Because of that, I made a horrible mistake and initiated combat with this young man, mistaking him for something which he is obviously not.”

“Ryoga did that?” asked an incredulous Nabiki.

“More or less,” Ranma sighed. “Never thought he had the foresight ta play people like that.”

“I never thought a lot of things about that jerk…” Akane muttered softly.

“Akane, what was that?” Kasumi asked. “Did you just call Ryoga…” She got no reply except for Akane nodding viciously.

Ranma cleared his throat. “Maybe we’d better start at the beginning, it’s a bit of a long story, OK?” He gently wrapped his arm around Akane’s waist and the two made their way in to the tearoom.

“You’re right, they do deserve a full explanation of things,” said Shingen. “If I may come in, I’ll explain all that I can. It’s the very least I can do.”

“I would appreciate that greatly, Mr. Yamashira,” said Nodoka, the edge in her voice softening somewhat. “Do come in.”

“Thank you, Nodoka-san,” he replied with a bow. Nodoka smiled slightly as he did so. He does have a sense of decorum, that much can be said…

“Say, what happened to your arm?” Nabiki piped up. Shingen glanced at his bloodstained left arm and smiled wanly.

“Just a reminder, miss. Nothing to be concerned with.” At that moment a loud thunk emerged from the tearoom, followed by the sound of something falling over, a splash of some kind, and a very disgusted female groan. The others gathered themselves up and swept into the room. Akane was sitting on the floor looking embarrassed, while a newly female Ranma sat nearby rubbing her shin. A small vase was lying on its side on the table and there was an obvious wet spot on Ranma-chan’s pants leg.

Ranma-chan sighed. “Didn’t look where we were going,” she mumbled. “Almost made it through a whole day without changing, too.” Nabiki rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Good to know some things stay the same,” she chortled, eliciting a very icy look from Ranma-chan. Nodoka went to get some hot water while Kasumi began straightening out the vase and the table.

Shingen gazed levelly at Ranma-chan. This is most intriguing, he thought. Both he and this Ryoga altered forms with the same trigger- contact with water. That means it can’t be a form of therianthropy- not like a werewolf, otherwise the trigger would be cyclical. He shifted his perception, wincing again as he did so. Still can’t get a clear look at his aura patterns, though there’s a definite disruption. Might be able to see better in the morning, then I can get a bit closer to nailing down a cause. Looks like I was right, though, there’s some chaotic energies weaving their way around him at a pretty high pace. Whatever the cause of his curse is, it’s a pretty strong one…

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A short while later, after Shingen had been properly introduced to the other girls, the six of them had gathered around the table, half listening closely as the other half recounted the events of earlier that day. Ranma and Akane had been startled, to say the least, when they learned Kasumi and Nabiki had overheard their conversation the night before. A reassuring smile from the former and a sworn oath to keep it secret from the latter, though, allowed them to relax a bit. At least they understand we don’t want to make a big deal of this, least of all around our dads, they thought with a sigh of relief. Even more surprising to them was Nodoka’s assurance that she wouldn’t pressure them on the issue, that the last thing they needed was another parent looming over them expectantly. Ranma, especially, had felt his mother would be the most adamant they get married soon, if for nothing else than a show of ‘manliness’; he even began to mention something on the issue but stopped when he noticed a look of remorse on her face. It was something he had seldom seen before, and he made a mental note to ask about it later.

Then Shingen began to recount the events leading up to the fight, and all attention was on him. By the time he had reached the part where he had realized his mistake and used the Naosu Kousen to mend Ranma’s wounds, Kasumi was shaking her head in disbelief, Nodoka had a very severe look in her eyes and Nabiki was trying to appraise the value of Shingen’s naginata.

“I never would have thought there were such a thing as Demon Hunters in this day and age,” said Nodoka. “I always thought such people were the stuff of legends and myths, not real-life people. My father used to tell me fantasy stories about warriors who hunted monsters long ago, before even the Warring States Period…”

“So a real-life Ghostbuster beats up a ghost and finds a human instead?” Nabiki quipped. “Talk about mistaken identities.”

“Please, it’s not a laughing matter,” Shingen said in a low voice. “Because of my own impetuousness I unintentionally violated one of the tenets of the Hunter’s Code. It’s my own fault for listening to Hibiki’s claims.”

“I can’t believe Ryoga could be so cruel,” said Kasumi softly.

“He was willing to chase me all over Japan over a years-old feud, Kasumi, don’t forget that,” said Ranma with a scowl. “I’d find it hard to put anything past him at this point.”

“Especially after what he did to me…” Akane whispered harshly.

“I beg your pardon, Akane? What was that?” Nodoka asked. Ranma winced; he knew what Akane was about to say and he hadn’t been looking forward to it. Akane took a deep breath and began to continue recounting the events of that afternoon, beginning with Shingen’s apology and his accosting of Ryoga shortly thereafter. As she got further along, her voice began to crack, and when she recounted seeing Ryoga fall into the fountain, her shoulders shook and she fell onto Ranma’s chest, bursting into tears.

“Wait a minute!” said Nabiki, eyes wide. “Are you telling me that Ryoga and that pig of yours, P-chan, are the same person???”

Kasumi and Nodoka gasped as Akane nodded her head. “Turns out Ryoga was cursed all this time,” she continued, her voice shaky. “He just never… and I didn’t… and…” She shook her head viciously, wiping her tears with the heel of her hand.

“Oh my,” whispered Kasumi, a trembling hand over her mouth. “I don’t believe it… and you were so fond of that little pig, you even took him to bed with…” She stopped, a look of total horror in her eyes as Akane nodded, a scowl on her own face. “Oh gods… how dare he do that to you!!!”

“This is utterly unconscionable,” murmured Nodoka in a cold rage. “If this is true, that young man has broken virtually every basic rule of proper conduct in a woman’s presence; I have never heard of a deception more dishonorable in my life.” She took a deep breath. “With the possible exception of some of Genma’s actions, perhaps…”

“Ryoga’s not all bad, though… mostly he’s stupid,” Ranma muttered, eliciting several surprised looks around the table. “I ain’t saying what he did was right, because it isn’t. Believe me, I know all too well he screwed up big time… but he’s also been there to give a helping hand sometimes. I know there’s at least a few occasions where he and I even put aside our differences and fought on the same side, an’ if we hadn’t, things woulda been a lot worse.”

Akane paused for a moment, then nodded a bit. “I know what you mean, but that still doesn’t excuse the fact he lied to me… lied to all of us,” she said in a low voice. “It would’ve been worse if you hadn’t tried to keep him away from me… and now I’m actually thankful that you did…”

“Just a moment,” Nabiki interjected. “Does that mean Ranma knew about this curse of his?”

“Ryoga forced an oath of silence on him the second he found out,” Akane said quickly. “It was that night I first discovered that damn pig; Ranma must’ve found out when he took him and gave him a bath. Then that bastard played on Ranma’s sense of honor and made him swear not to tell anyone… and you tell me, has Ranma ever broken his word once he gave it? Even if he didn’t like what he was doing?”

A long moment of silence passed, eventually broken by Kasumi. “No… I don’t think I’ve ever seen him break a promise once he made it.”

Ranma let out a heavy sigh. “I felt sorry for him; at the time I figured he’d be embarrassed if I blabbed his secret. Then he turns around and uses that oath against me, so I figure if I can’t say anything about it I might as well try and keep his damage to a minimum. So I’d try an’ keep him out of her room or give the odd hint that something was up with him- I’d only sworn not to tell outright, nothing was said about subtle hints. But that usually got me in more trouble…” He stared at his hands. “Gods, I am such a moron. I wish I’d never sworn that damn oath.”

“Yet you kept it, even with all the trouble it caused you. You kept your promise.” Ranma looked up, surprised to see an almost sympathetic look in Nodoka’s eyes.

“I couldn’t go back on my word, Mom… but I couldn’t let him get away with spyin’ on her either.”

She reached over and placed a hand gently on his. “I understand. As much as that may surprise you, I do understand your position, my son. Believe me, I know how it feels to swear an oath that turns sour on you.” She closed her eyes against a tear that was threatening to escape. I know it all too well…

“This is all too weird,” muttered Nabiki. “I mean, how’d he even get cursed in the first place? With his sense of misdirection he couldn’t have tracked you guys down.”

“Just dumb luck, really. He showed up the same day Pops and me got our curses, an’ he walks right in front of the two of us just as I’m about to beat the living hell out of the old man…”

“And so he probably got knocked into…” Nabiki paused, waiting for confirmation, which came in the form of a nod from both Ranma and Akane. “Talk about some major bad karma.”

“What was he doing following you in the first place?” Kasumi asked.

“That stupid duel of his I waited three days for in Junior High.”

“You mean that foolish challenge over a few pieces of bread?” Nodoka asked. “The one he defaulted on by arriving four days late?”

“That’s the one.” Nodoka practically face-faulted.

“My word… maybe you’re right, maybe that boy is just stupid,” she murmured. “A lunchroom quibble isn’t any reason to follow you and your father to China. If you ask me, it’s his own fault for trailing you all the way to Jusenkyo in the first place…”

“JUSENKYO???” Everyone at the table jumped in surprise at Shingen’s sudden outburst, which was followed by him pushing off the table to his feet. He turned and stared at Ranma, mouth open and his eyes dilated in shock.

A moment of silence passed, with a sweatdrop running down the back of Ranma’s head.

“Did I hear you correctly?” Shingen asked in a low, serious tone. “Is it true that your curse is the result of an accident at the Cursed Training Grounds of Jusenkyo?”

“Um… yeah,” said Ranma warily. “Pops’ curse too, and Ryoga’s… and a few others… why?”

The shock in Shingen’s eyes faded, replaced by a vexed look. “No wonder the chaos stream is in motion the way it is… this is not good. Not good at all.” He backed away from the table and began pacing. “Out of all the possible means of contracting a curse…”

“Wait a sec… what’s going on?” Ranma asked, standing up. “What’s the big deal?”

“I take it you’re familiar with the Cursed Springs, then?” Kasumi asked.

Shingen turned to face them all with a sigh. “More than just familiar, Miss Kasumi. I destroyed that place no less than four days ago.”

Ranma’s jaw practically hit the floor. “Huh… wha… WHAT DID YOU SAY???”

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Ryoga groaned softly. Visions were dancing through his head to a madcap rhythm, punctuated by flashes of fire in his veins and a dull stomping throb behind his eyes. Light flared up and just as quickly dwindled away again, and fiendish laughter and screams echoed through the corridors of his mind. He could make out a voice, mirthlessly chuckling at him, taunting him. It’s all your fault, it’s all your fault… He squirmed, trying to escape the sound that kept coming at him from all directions. Another shriek erupted not far from him, and he recognized its intonations. He turned and saw what he had hoped not to see… Akane, despondent and glaring at him with wounded eyes. You lied to me… you tried to turn me against him… you never thought about my feelings… Each word sent daggers of ice into his heart; he tried to clamp his eyes shut but found that he couldn’t.

The visions began to swirl. Suddenly Akane’s clothes became entangled by an unseen force; Ryoga blanched and swung at the air around him uselessly as her dress and blouse ripped themselves to pieces. He could hear her screams, her pleas to be left alone; he slammed his hands over his ears but that only seemed to amplify it. Suddenly a menacing laugh pierced the veil of images and noise… a hellish, baritone laugh. Ryoga stared helplessly as a shadowy figure loomed in front of him, twice as tall as he was with burning vermilion eyes. The figure became swarthy, indistinct- then suddenly snapped into focus, and he gasped as he realized he was staring at himself. A giant, deformed, monstrous caricature of himself that seemed to blend his facial features with that of a wild black boar. It glared down upon him, seizing up the half-naked Akane and holding her, weeping, in front of his face. Go ahead… take her… she is beautiful, is she not? And a fiery spirit, too… so delicious… she can be all yours…

“No… no, make it stop… I don’t want this… I’m not a monster… someone… help me…”

Something warm and wet pressed gently on his forehead. Abruptly the visions dwindled and disappeared, replaced by the overwhelming sensations of his broken and bruised body screaming at him. His eyelids fluttered, opening slowly.

“Ryoga sweetie? What happened to you? Are you going to be okay?” He glanced up, blinking his eyes hard. His vision slowly swam into focus, revealing the concerned face of a pretty green-haired young woman kneeling beside him, dabbing his bloodied forehead with a warm washcloth.

“Akari…” he sighed in relief. “How… how did I get here?”

Akari smiled weakly, caressing his cheek with her free hand. “I heard a loud crash outside and came out to check on the pens, and I found you there,” she said. “Grandfather and I brought you inside; you look really awful.” She dipped the washcloth in the basin of hot water near the futon and wiped the corner of his mouth, cleaning away a dried trickle of blood. “What happened to you, Ryoga?”

The wave of guilt began to wash over him once more. He looked at her concerned face and shut his eyes, fighting back the tears he knew were there. “Akari… I’m afraid I’ve done a terrible thing…”

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“You DESTROYED Jusenkyo?” Akane gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Effectively, yes,” Shingen replied. “It’s nothing more than a lot of freshwater springs now.”

“Whadja have to do that for?” Ranma groaned, slumping down at the table again. “Guess I shoulda known I’d never get my hands on the Nannichuan.”

“You don’t seriously think that would solve the problem, do you?”

Ranma stared at him. “Why not? It’s about the only way for me to counteract the curse, anyway…”

“No, you don’t understand,” Shingen continued, his tone a great deal sharper. “There are several different means by which a person may be cursed to transform against his will. They aren’t well-known because often the one cursed takes great pains to conceal his malady, but there are those of us who know of them. And those Cursed Springs…” He paused, shutting his eyes. “If a person is merely splashed with their water it’s not nearly as bad, but something tells me you fell into the spring directly. Am I right?”

“Yeah… both Pops and me fell in. Ryoga too… when we accidentally knocked him off a cliff above the springs…”

“Damn,” Shingen expectorated. He took a long breath before opening his eyes again.

“Do you even know the true power behind those springs?”

Ranma blinked. “You mean the fact a person or creature drowned in each spring, so now anyone falling in takes their form? Yeah, we found that out a bit too late.”

Shingen shook his head. “That’s only a small part of the story. Hardly anyone alive knows what’s behind it all; even the Chinese, since they’ve lived in close proximity for so long, don’t even give it a second thought. They never grew curious enough to actually investigate, so they never knew.” He scratched the back of his head. “My family knew. We made it our business to know, as we do with all things supernatural. Up until recently, though, we’ve been too busy to actually do anything about it.”

“So what’s the deal, then?” Nabiki asked. “You did this to keep any more people from being cursed or something?”

“You may as well know, the springs of Jusenkyo were more than just a nuisance,” he continued, his face hardening. “They were dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Ranma asked, eyebrows raised.

“The entire valley complex is situated over one of the most concentrated intersections of ley lines in the Eastern Hemisphere. That makes it incredibly saturated with magical energies, which in turn act as a beacon for chaotic forces. Look at it this way… didn’t it ever strike you as odd that so many creatures would have drowned in the exact same location? Given, the time between different drownings was considerable, but for one hundred different beings to have migrated to the same location and met identical fates? That is a spectacularly improbable coincidence- especially when you consider that some of the victims were water-friendly animals! In all seriousness, have you ever heard of an octopus drowning, let alone a duck?

“No, it wasn’t a coincidence at all. Something was drawing the victims there…” He paused, gazing around the room. “Drawing them in to act as gateways between worlds.”

Akane froze. “Gateways… between worlds? You mean the afterlife, the realm of the dead?”

Shingen shook his head. “I mean the realm of my bloodline’s ancient foes… the demons.”

There was dead silence in the room as five sets of eyes stared at Shingen in disbelief.

“De… demons?” Ranma eventually stammered. “You mean…”

“Every one of those springs acted as a one-way portal,” Shingen continued. “Every being that drowned in those springs… they became a template, a key if you will. Each spring served as a means for different demons to migrate into the physical world, by subconsciously luring new victims to the valley. The spirits could not escape unless a living being actually descended into one of the portals; this would enable their essence to merge with the victim, effectively bestowing a curse upon their body and mind. A simple splash of water would be an imperfect bond, only resulting in a physical transformation… but actually falling into the spring would be far worse. At first the curse would merely be an irritant, but the longer the curse lasts… the more influenced the person’s mind would be by the demon’s presence.”

“Oh my,” Kasumi gasped, her face ashen. “Then that means…”

“Yes,” Shingen nodded. “In all likelihood, Ranma has been infected by the presence of a demon.” Which would explain the distortion I was seeing in his aura patterns; no wonder the chaos energies are so high.

“Ranma…” Akane whispered, a worried look in her eyes.

“Oh, my son…” said Nodoka softly.

Slowly Ranma got to his feet, a blank look on his face. “Would you excuse me for a moment… I… I really don’t feel so good…” He stumbled, then ran out of the room, clapping a hand over his eyes. A few seconds later the training hall doors slammed open, then slammed shut again.

To Be Continued…

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Author’s note: Yes, a nice little cliffhanger to welcome in the new year. Things are, as you may have noticed, beginning to heat up quite a bit. Now the truth behind the Jusenkyo springs may not match precisely with the canon material, but I’ve always thought of it as odd that so many creatures would perish in said springs. Spring of Drowned Octopus? Gimme a break… there had to be something or someone pulling the strings, and there had to be a reason. Well, that’s part of what I’m exploring herein.

Thanks again for your support. -Neon Ronin
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