Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Umbra Aureola ❯ Chapter 12 - Connections ( Chapter 12 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Xylix 
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Adventure / Action / Martial Arts | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.17.2003 | Updated On: 12.27.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 466 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Adventure / Action / Martial Arts | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.17.2003 | Updated On: 12.27.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 466 | Status: Completed
CHAPTER XII : CONNECTIONS
"I cannot accept! I cannot accept!" A little spherical ball said as it hopped up and down energetically on the shelf. Anito gave the sphere but a glance and dismissed the plastic toy that was flapping its ears as it hopped up and down.
Anito frowned as his eyes stopped on a slim, well engraved, golden bracelet that he saw on sell behind a glass case. The bracelet had numerous gems embedded in a rather elegant pattern. A dark glint passed through the arch-mage's eye. Looking up from the golden bracelet Anito asked the pawn broker. "Excuse me, but where did you get this?"
The Pawn Broker smiled. "Ah yes, some traveler from Hong Kong sold it to me only three days ago. Are you interested? It is said to hold mystical powers." The pawn broker had picked the bracelet up figuring to sell it quick on the Nerima streets. His eyes practically gleamed at interest taken in the bracelet so soon.
"Mystical powers, hmm?" Anito asked voicing curiosity, there was something sly about the arch-mage's smile though. The Pawn Broker unfortunately didn't catch this.
"Yes, it was said to have been blessed by the Greek Goddess Aphrodite."
Anito sighed and looked at the shop keeper coldly, "You know that selling major magical items, and cursed items to the public is forbidden by council. Much less major, cursed items..."
"The council? I don't know what you are talking about. I am just a pawn broker." The man said sweating slightly.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk ... You really shouldn't lie to me." Anito said in an amused tone. His eyes though looked anything but playful, or more accurately, anything but the kind of playful you would want to see.
"Really I am not lying! Strictly pawn here."
Anito casually kicked in a nearby wall. Behind it was another case, this one filled with various items some of far more obvious magical intent. "Oh really, how do you explain this then, hmmm?" Anito said raising an eyebrow questioningly. The pawn broker gulped, but Anito continued. "Oh my, is this a fire orb? Standard make too... what do you know it even has the council's markings on it."
"Okay, maybe I wasn't quite truthful. We can talk about this right? No need to take it to the council."
"Oh yes, there isn't a need for the council at all." Anito smiled like a shark as he pulled out a pendant he kept under his shirt. The pendant marked Anito as an arch-mage. The Pawn Broker's eyes nearly popped strait out of his head upon seeing the insignia. "After all, in this issue, I am the same as the council, am I not?" Anito's eyes narrowed evilly as he leaned over the counter next to the man. Throughout it all the arch-mage's sly smile remained.
The Pawn Broker's hand trembled in fear. "Please, have mercy." The penalty of his crime could vary. Unfortunately, the maximum sentence for the crime was death. While there would be little risk of this happening with the council, unfortunately an arch-mage could be far more whimsical.
Anito closed his eyes thoughtfully. "That bracelet is far too dangerous to leave hanging around. I will take it off your hands. Because it is, damaged... I will keep this light." Anito smiled an evil smile. "As a punishment I'll be taking this." Anito grabbed the fire orb, "And you may choose half the of remaining items which will be surrendered in penalty." Anito noticed a set of magical books in the back and frowned for a bit. "Oh, yes one of each of those as well."
"This, this will ruin me! I have family a wife and a child. Please leave me more than that."
"Pack it up." Anito said coldly without emotion.
The Pawn Broker, and underground magic dealer gulped and did exactly that. He had a bad feeling that pressing the matter further would do him little good. Anito merely waited until the broker had everything packed away.
"Oh, I am not confiscating the books. Will this be sufficient to pay for them." Anito placed the fire orb back on the counter.
The broker nodded grateful. The fire orb was the most expensive legitimate item he had. The orb's price was well worth the value of the books, plus some.
"Good, good. Well it was a pleasure doing business with you. I am sure, next time the events will be far more profitable for you... won't they?" Anito left the implication hanging with an evil smirk.
"Ye-yes, they certainly will." The pawn broker stammered. He definitely wasn't going to pawn off any items like that for a while. Today's events had hurt him bad. The broker had never expected an arch-mage in Nerima. Instead he had been counting on that Kuno boy or one of the other wealthy families to take it off his hands where upon the connection to him would have been quickly lost.
Anito however, left with a smile. One thing he loved about being an arch-mage was that though there was no pay, he did get to take a cut of the fines for doing council business. Yes, corrupt politics where a wonderful thing... well at least when you where at the top of the political chain.
***********************
"Ranma!" Akane called out her fiancé's name while holding a tray of distilled death. Well actually it was an attempt to make something called food, but anyone with any degree of intellect, or even those that followed purely instinct could tell otherwise. The stench, the blackened charcoal, the dark aura of malevolence where a dead give a way. Of course in this case it was a particularly deadly concoction of death, the fact being owed to Akane's increased confidence in her cooking. As if her confidence wasn't already a product of a massive delusion. The fault owed to in part to recent ... praise ... during Ranma's training in aura sight. Not that Ranma would ever claim credit for that fact.
"I ain't hungry!" Ranma answered back in desperation as he crawled back from the dish in mortal fear. Of course, this was untrue as Ranma Saotome was always hungry. On the other hand, the thought of eating Akane's cooking was probably sufficient to cause even Ranma's voracious appetite to flee in terror.
"Come on Ranma, you know my cooking has been getting better!" Akane said desperately. Akane was sure that she did a good job this time.
"I'm not eating it until you try it." Ranma said, attempting to use reason.
"Are you saying my cooking is bad!?" Akane replied with a glint of death in her eye. Ranma was reminded once again why he shouldn't put to much stock into reason, or logic.
"Na ah!" Ranma responded shaking his head quickly. Even he knew better to say that when Akane was already manifesting a battle aura.
"Then why won't you eat it!?"
Ranma gulped and picked up a pair of chop sticks like a condemned man heading for the electric chair. He could sense the dark, twisted ki energy rising from the food as if it where possessed by a demon. An awareness he could thank his aura sense training for. That aura alone told him this was amongst the deadliest meals Akane had cooked to date. So it was with some measure of anticipation and hesitance that Ranma reached out with his chopsticks trying to grab the lesser of the evils, if such a thing existed in this dish.
Selecting the piece emanating weakest aura Ranma quickly put it in his mouth. He swallowed immediately not even allowing enough time to taste the food, if he even bothered to chew something this bad Ranma wouldn't last a second. Sighing with relief that he had escaped the worst of it without any more harm than a mix between the flavor of ash and rotten meat profaning his mouth.
"So? How is it?" Akane said waiting for the approval that she somehow believed she would receive. As if past experience wasn't enough for her to learn otherwise.
"Uhg!" Was all Ranma was able to muster off as a sharp stabbing pain lashed out of his stomach with more force than one of Safforn's fire balls. A cold shiver passed through him as Ranma collapsed to the ground awaiting the arrival of the unconsciousness that would protect him from the mind bending pain.
"What is going on in here?" Anito asked with mild curiosity, having arrived on the scene still toting bags of magical goods confiscated from the law breaking pawn broker.
"This, jerk, is pretending that my food killed him!" Akane said angrily.
Anito took a look at the food and looked back at Akane seriously. "Have you ever considered studying necromancy?"
Akane's battle aura flared. "How do you know its bad! You haven't even tried it yet!"
Anito laughed softly in amusement, "Cooking is about peace and harmony, not chaos and war. The aura alone is sufficient to me."
Akane threw the plate at the arch-mage. It failed to hit by a mile as Anito easily shadow stepped out of the way allowing the dish to explode on a nearby wall. "I hate you!" She yelled at Anito who stood not perturbed in the least.
"Is that so?" Anito said rasing an eyebrow, not moving even a muscles in response to Akane's statement. If anything the arch-mage looked faintly amused.
Akane gave her trade marked, "Humph!," and stomped up to her room.
Akane gone Anito broke out into a wide maniacal grin. Then he turned to the food that lay scattered across the floor his smile if anything became larger. "Now now, aren't these interesting little specimens." Anito began carefully gathering the food into a small jar he pulled out of an unknown location.
******************
Ranma lay on the top of the roof staring at the stars in deep thought. Laying on the roof was common pastime for the pig tailed martial artist. There was something about the being up here at night which allowed Ranma the kind of peace that was unacquirable during the day. It was an escape, no matter how temporary, from the insanity that was Ranma's life. Given this perhaps it was not surprising that Ranma was often found in this location almost every night.
Having just recovered from Akane's cooking recently, Ranma was not surprisingly thinking of her. Why, he wondered, why can't we get along. It had seemed back during the events at Phoenix Mountain that the two had finally let go of their reservations. He, Ranma, the denier of all emotion, had admitted his love for his fiancee. Yet, now those moments of tenderness had fled and he felt himself again on square one. Back where he started, nothing earned, nothing gained.
Well, not nothing gained. If Akane hadn't changed he certainly had. The Ranma that stood here now, was not the Ranma that had stood here so long ago. If nothing more he could admit, if only to himself, that he indeed loved Akane. Something he would have denied immediately, even to himself, before that.
"Thinking?" The word was a question. Ranma tensed for a second, before he felt the aura and immediately identified the arch-mage. Ranma relaxed recognizing the presence that appeared out of nowhere. The pig tailed martial artist should have known immediately. There where only two people that could get close to him without Ranma noticing, Anito and Genma, and the latter could only do so with the Umisen-ken.
"Yeah, just wonderin' why Akane keeps trying to poison me." Ranma replied loosely, a bit annoyed at Anito's presence.
There was a pause, and then Anito said thoughtfully, his usual grin and playful tone in absence. "You lover her don't you?"
"Me! I don't love that uncute tomboy!" The words came out of Ranma's mouth before he could think about them. It was a Pavlovian response.
Anito seemed faintly amused. "You can't lie to me, I have perfect aura sight. She loves you as well, though she would deny it just as quickly."
Ranma felt uncomfortable about where the conversation was going and seized the chance ask something that had been bothering him for a while. "You know? I have been meaning to ask, what exactly is Perfect aura sight? My pops and the old ghoul have rambled on about it, but no one has actually told me what it is."
Anito grinned ear to ear at let out a low chuckle. "Well, it isn't a common thing. Perfect aura sight is exactly that, perfect. In the world people have, in general, a limited sense of ki. Those that refine this sense are generally able to feel it only to a slight degree. The truest masters are able to see as well with aura sight as they do with their other sense. Those rare individuals with perfect aura sight take this to a whole new level."
"To understand this let me put it in perspective. Most of the world is blind to ki. A martial artist of say, Ryouga's level, can taste strong flavors of ki. His sense is perhaps comparable in composition to the human sense of smell. Weak, but capable of identifying types, and even a vague sense of location. A master of Cologne's level compares more closely with the human sense of hearing. Clear directional, and fine tuned differentiation. However, identifying say, an individual source, out of a mass is very difficult unless it stands out, or if she is very close. I am however the man with 20 / 20 vision in this blind world. I literally can, and have, read books with my aura sight alone."
"Wow, that sounds pretty handy. So can you read your books from here?" Ranma said impressed, yet still curious. It also explained why he had yet to ever pull a surprise ki attack on Anito.
"It is quite useful." Anito said with a smile. "As for your question, no, I can only read a book at about arms length. Though the book need not be open, it makes it much easier. I can however tell you that Kasumi is currently cleaning up pieces of chopping board from the kitchen floor, that Nabiki is fiddling with her calculator scheming up new money making plots, and that Akane is fuming in her room over what happened tonight."
"Wow." Ranma said. That ability really was useful. For a second Ranma was very glad Nabiki didn't have it. Then again, Anito hadn't been much better. Thinking about what Anito said Ranma asked, "So can you read minds?"
"Nope just emotions, or at least the major emotions an individual is feeling. From there I can make a darn good guess as to what they are thinking though." Anito suddenly grinned. "That is why I knew you lied when you said you didn't love Akane."
"I don't lo-" Ranma cut himself off. Anito was right, he was lying, Ranma had even admitted to himself that he loved her. "Yeah, I suppose I do love the tomboy. If only she wouldn't mallet me so much ..." Ranma trailed off shifting uncomfortably on the roof top. He really didn't like talking about this stuff.
Anito closed his eyes in thought as though considering something. "I am not one usually to get involved in such discussions, but I could give my take on the subject."
Ranma nodded, any help he could get on dealing with Akane would be useful. For that Ranma could put up with a conversation on this kind of junk. Even if the whole thing felt weird.
Anito took Ranma's confirmation with and oddly serious look. "Know first that I have not known either of you for long, nor do I know the whole story of what has happened. I have however, collected bits and pieces from Nabiki and Cologne."
Ranma nodded, wondering how Anito had managed to get anything from Nabiki. Then again, from what Ranma had seen Anito and Nabiki seemed to get along pretty well. That fact sent shivers down the pig tailed martial artist's spine. Nabiki was scary enough normally. "I gotcha."
"From what I can see there are several problem between you and Akane. First is the fear of admitting your feelings as neither of you are ready to truly commit to marriage. Next, Akane has a deep seated fear of inadequacy. From this derives the fear that she is not, worthy, of your love. This is unfortunately paired with a very strong jealousy. Probably, from what I have seen, because she has been proven incompetent, at least in comparison, in all the attributes she defines herself by. These are unfortunately very large obstacles."
Ranma thought as Anito gave a pause. Akane had always been saying that she was a martial artist too, that she could cook and what not. Yet, as a martial artist she was pathetic in comparison to all of Ranma's fiancees, much less the people that collected around them. Akane had gone from the top elite of her world to barely above the rest of humanity.
Ranma could understand very well what that would feel like. Martial Arts was his world, to find out that he wasn't any good in comparison to everyone he knew would probably destroy him as well. Anito was right, this was a big obstacle, especially considering that powerful martial artists tended to gravitate towards him, and he, his cohort, and his enemies where all get stronger. If anything, as the past had indicated many times, these factors would only get worse.
"Yeah, I get you. I don't see what I can do about it though." Ranma replied scratching his head. Unfortunately this was true. Akane though talented didn't take the art seriously enough to reach, much less keep up, with the level he was hanging at now.
"Which only makes matters worse. The biggest problem is not this however... it is trust. The greatest enemies can work together if they have it. Equally, the best of friends will not be able to work together without it. Akane does not trust you. She doubts your words, your actions, even though you have never, in my knowledge, lied to her. Without trust no matter how much you love each other there won't be a lasting relationship."
Anito paused thoughtfully. "I haven't an idea how to earn her trust. A large part of it is derived from her feeling of inadequacy though, so by helping her get over that you may remove the largest block in your relationship."
Ranma was silent. He knew that Akane blamed him for things that wasn't his fault. She accused him of picking on Ryouga when Ryouga literally challenged him. She accused him of going off with his fiancees when it was obviously not his fault. Sure he made his mistakes, oh did he make his mistakes, but the proportion of mistrust was not equal to his actions.
Ranma had never thought much about trust, but what Anito said made Ranma think of Ryouga. While Ranma might like Ryouga, there was no questioning that Ryouga really seriously came after Ranma's blood. Yet, strangely enough, when the shit hit the fan Ryouga was the first at his side, equally when Ryouga had problems he first turned to Ranma. It was an eerie parallel, trust was what he and Ryouga had. Trust that they wouldn't betray one another, that they would help no matter the cause. Despite all the anger they where able to get along because of trust.
Ranma had that with a certain extent with Akane. Akane knew when all the chips came down that Ranma would protect her. Yet, unlike Ryouga that seemed to be the limit of it. If trust was truly the key to a relationship, then if Ranma could get the kind of trust he had when he was saving Akane's life during everyday things then perhaps things would be better.
"Yeah I getcha, so If I get her to trust me then things will be better?" Ranma said putting on his common cocky grin. If anyone could get Akane to trust him it was Ranma Saotome.
Anito chuckled with a smile. "Certainly, though I don't imagine it will be easy. There is another problem though, this one stands on your end."
"Eh? What is that?"
"Ki." Anito said as though it where the simplest thing in the world.
Ranma frowned, "What about it?"
"Ki as you know is life energy. Having a lot of it has side effects, for instance enhanced endurance, strength, speed, reaction time and the like. In addition to this is improved health, and improved life span. Now for most the last is not all that important, as the effects are minor until very high levels are reached, levels that are almost never reached by those not already extremely old."
"Kinda like the old freak and the ghoul?"
"Yes, kind of like them. At the level you where at when I met you, your aging was slowed perhaps twenty or so percent. Not that significant, but as you continue to train your power will raise, and your aging will slow proportionally. In other words in way of age it is reasonable to believe that if you continue to pursue the art the way you have been that you will become, age wise, essentially immortal."
Ranma scratched his head and asked, "So what does that have to do with anything?"
"Akane does not and most likely will not benefit from this ki reduced aging." Anito replied making the connection for the pig tailed martial artist.
Ranma frowned, "So you are saying that I will outlive Akane?"
"Not merely outlive, but outlive her by such a margin that Akane will be little more than a footnote of your life no matter how your relationship turns out. As it stands your power would probably normally reach a point where it became stunted, largely due to the lack of the need to exercise or use it."
"So your sayin if I don't train really hard then my ki won't get that strong." Ranma replied, he didn't like the way this was going. The art was Ranma's life, more so than anything else.
"Yes."
"So your telling me that Akane and I won't work out." Ranma said in an annoyed tone. Ranma didn't like others telling him what to do.
"No, I am merely informing you of the state of affairs. It is a fact that will become very important in a few minutes." Anito paused.
"What are you talking about?" Ranma asked confused by the arch-mage's approach.
Anito took a deep breath. "I am strong. You know how strong I am, as you have fought me. That strength however, will pale in what I will wield in a few years, or even in a few months. As strong as I am, I am equally dangerously unbalanced. I teeter constantly on the edge of sanity. For any normal person this is acceptable, for me, with the power I have this situation is far too dangerous."
"For this I seek to create a balance, like the balance I created between the dark and the light in my soul. A counter weight, an individual if you will that can peer me in my power so that should I lose control I can either be stopped... or even killed." Anito closed his eyes thoughtfully before continuing. "The only person I have met that has the strength to defeat me is you. Happosai, and Cologne are strong yes, but they are too old, they cannot grow or adapt enough to keep stride with me. Ryouga your only peer at your age lacks the, intellect, to stand against me."
Ranma gulped. "So you want me to kill you if things go wrong."
Anito nodded. "That is essentially the core of the proposition." Anito reached behind him and pulled a large stack of books out of nowhere and set them down. "You must choose the path yourself. These books will introduce you to arcana, if you wish to learn to use your ki to work magic as I have I will teach you. My knowledge, and that of these books should give you the strength, adaptability, and the know how to stand against me. This strength though is something you can only achieve for yourself. I will not make your work any easier, for if I go bad you will need to hold step with me even should I vanish to gain strength myself."
Ranma didn't quite know how to react to such seriousness. Though given a few of Anito's attacks Ranma really wanted to know what was in those books. On the other hand, as Anito had said it if Ranma should follow then would he really be able to live with Akane? Ranma put on his cocky smirk, of course he was Ranma Saotome and he would find a way to achieve all that he desired. "Heh, if you think I would let you be better than me no matter the situation you have another thing coming. If there is one thing certain in this world it is that Ranma Saotome is the best, and I won't let anyone else take that title for anything."
Anito grinned his normal grin and let out a laugh. "I'll happily knock you off that throne of yours. Well I suppose I should get going."
Before Anito could vanish Ranma said. "Just a second, I have two questions. First since when could you use hidden weapon's techniques?"
Anito chuckled, "Well, I convinced that amazon boy to teach me. Given it was a pure ki technique it was fairly easy for me to pick up."
"I'm surprised that Mousse would teach you something like that." Ranma's eyes narrowed, "You didn't teach him a new technique now did you?"
****** Neko Haten *******
Several high school girls walked into the Neko Haten. A tall man in white robes slid in front of their table with practiced ease. Smiling down he looked at the girls through his crystal clear glasses. These glasses unlike the old coke bottle lenses he used to wear gave him that cool college professor look, instead of the wimpy geek look. Casually Mousse lifted a finger and adjusted the glasses giving off the tell tell anime flash.
"Kokkoii!" The girls breathed as one.
Mousse merely grinned. "How may I help you?" He said smoothly.
"Shampoo think duck boy like those new glasses too much." Shampoo said watching Mousse again doing a routine that was becoming annoyingly familiar.
"Well at least he is actually wearing them." Cologne replied.
Shampoo understood that perfectly. Glancing at her bicycle she wondered out loud. "Maybe arch-mage enchant Shampoo's bike."
******Back to the Roof ******
"Not exactly." Anito said, in reply to Ranma's question. "So what was your second question?" All traces of the earlier seriousness was gone, instead Ranma could see Anito's eyes dancing in amusement.
"Oh yeah," Ranma paused then remembered his second question. "Why did you teach Ryouga that technique anyway?"
Anito grinned like a maniac. "For the sheer fun of it! Of course it did have notable side benefits. Such as allowing me to see how good he is, and could be. Then there is the fact that his learning of the technique provided research for a technique I was working on myself. Then of course I was able to give the technique Ryouga did a lot of work inventing to the amazons in return for the scrolls Cologne gave me earlier. Finally, I made 40,000 yen doing it!"
"Wait, you betted on Ryouga though!"
"Yes, but I had also bet on you before the fight was even announced, and got Nabiki to give me a cut for arranging the match." Anito said with an evil smile.
Ranma looked confused. "Then why did you bet on Ryouga if you already bet on me?"
"Let me put it this way. How did you feel about the way the match would go before and after I made that bet. Now think how that would relate to how others would bet."
"Oh." Ranma said as understanding dawned on him.
"Exactly."
"I cannot accept! I cannot accept!" A little spherical ball said as it hopped up and down energetically on the shelf. Anito gave the sphere but a glance and dismissed the plastic toy that was flapping its ears as it hopped up and down.
Anito frowned as his eyes stopped on a slim, well engraved, golden bracelet that he saw on sell behind a glass case. The bracelet had numerous gems embedded in a rather elegant pattern. A dark glint passed through the arch-mage's eye. Looking up from the golden bracelet Anito asked the pawn broker. "Excuse me, but where did you get this?"
The Pawn Broker smiled. "Ah yes, some traveler from Hong Kong sold it to me only three days ago. Are you interested? It is said to hold mystical powers." The pawn broker had picked the bracelet up figuring to sell it quick on the Nerima streets. His eyes practically gleamed at interest taken in the bracelet so soon.
"Mystical powers, hmm?" Anito asked voicing curiosity, there was something sly about the arch-mage's smile though. The Pawn Broker unfortunately didn't catch this.
"Yes, it was said to have been blessed by the Greek Goddess Aphrodite."
Anito sighed and looked at the shop keeper coldly, "You know that selling major magical items, and cursed items to the public is forbidden by council. Much less major, cursed items..."
"The council? I don't know what you are talking about. I am just a pawn broker." The man said sweating slightly.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk ... You really shouldn't lie to me." Anito said in an amused tone. His eyes though looked anything but playful, or more accurately, anything but the kind of playful you would want to see.
"Really I am not lying! Strictly pawn here."
Anito casually kicked in a nearby wall. Behind it was another case, this one filled with various items some of far more obvious magical intent. "Oh really, how do you explain this then, hmmm?" Anito said raising an eyebrow questioningly. The pawn broker gulped, but Anito continued. "Oh my, is this a fire orb? Standard make too... what do you know it even has the council's markings on it."
"Okay, maybe I wasn't quite truthful. We can talk about this right? No need to take it to the council."
"Oh yes, there isn't a need for the council at all." Anito smiled like a shark as he pulled out a pendant he kept under his shirt. The pendant marked Anito as an arch-mage. The Pawn Broker's eyes nearly popped strait out of his head upon seeing the insignia. "After all, in this issue, I am the same as the council, am I not?" Anito's eyes narrowed evilly as he leaned over the counter next to the man. Throughout it all the arch-mage's sly smile remained.
The Pawn Broker's hand trembled in fear. "Please, have mercy." The penalty of his crime could vary. Unfortunately, the maximum sentence for the crime was death. While there would be little risk of this happening with the council, unfortunately an arch-mage could be far more whimsical.
Anito closed his eyes thoughtfully. "That bracelet is far too dangerous to leave hanging around. I will take it off your hands. Because it is, damaged... I will keep this light." Anito smiled an evil smile. "As a punishment I'll be taking this." Anito grabbed the fire orb, "And you may choose half the of remaining items which will be surrendered in penalty." Anito noticed a set of magical books in the back and frowned for a bit. "Oh, yes one of each of those as well."
"This, this will ruin me! I have family a wife and a child. Please leave me more than that."
"Pack it up." Anito said coldly without emotion.
The Pawn Broker, and underground magic dealer gulped and did exactly that. He had a bad feeling that pressing the matter further would do him little good. Anito merely waited until the broker had everything packed away.
"Oh, I am not confiscating the books. Will this be sufficient to pay for them." Anito placed the fire orb back on the counter.
The broker nodded grateful. The fire orb was the most expensive legitimate item he had. The orb's price was well worth the value of the books, plus some.
"Good, good. Well it was a pleasure doing business with you. I am sure, next time the events will be far more profitable for you... won't they?" Anito left the implication hanging with an evil smirk.
"Ye-yes, they certainly will." The pawn broker stammered. He definitely wasn't going to pawn off any items like that for a while. Today's events had hurt him bad. The broker had never expected an arch-mage in Nerima. Instead he had been counting on that Kuno boy or one of the other wealthy families to take it off his hands where upon the connection to him would have been quickly lost.
Anito however, left with a smile. One thing he loved about being an arch-mage was that though there was no pay, he did get to take a cut of the fines for doing council business. Yes, corrupt politics where a wonderful thing... well at least when you where at the top of the political chain.
***********************
"Ranma!" Akane called out her fiancé's name while holding a tray of distilled death. Well actually it was an attempt to make something called food, but anyone with any degree of intellect, or even those that followed purely instinct could tell otherwise. The stench, the blackened charcoal, the dark aura of malevolence where a dead give a way. Of course in this case it was a particularly deadly concoction of death, the fact being owed to Akane's increased confidence in her cooking. As if her confidence wasn't already a product of a massive delusion. The fault owed to in part to recent ... praise ... during Ranma's training in aura sight. Not that Ranma would ever claim credit for that fact.
"I ain't hungry!" Ranma answered back in desperation as he crawled back from the dish in mortal fear. Of course, this was untrue as Ranma Saotome was always hungry. On the other hand, the thought of eating Akane's cooking was probably sufficient to cause even Ranma's voracious appetite to flee in terror.
"Come on Ranma, you know my cooking has been getting better!" Akane said desperately. Akane was sure that she did a good job this time.
"I'm not eating it until you try it." Ranma said, attempting to use reason.
"Are you saying my cooking is bad!?" Akane replied with a glint of death in her eye. Ranma was reminded once again why he shouldn't put to much stock into reason, or logic.
"Na ah!" Ranma responded shaking his head quickly. Even he knew better to say that when Akane was already manifesting a battle aura.
"Then why won't you eat it!?"
Ranma gulped and picked up a pair of chop sticks like a condemned man heading for the electric chair. He could sense the dark, twisted ki energy rising from the food as if it where possessed by a demon. An awareness he could thank his aura sense training for. That aura alone told him this was amongst the deadliest meals Akane had cooked to date. So it was with some measure of anticipation and hesitance that Ranma reached out with his chopsticks trying to grab the lesser of the evils, if such a thing existed in this dish.
Selecting the piece emanating weakest aura Ranma quickly put it in his mouth. He swallowed immediately not even allowing enough time to taste the food, if he even bothered to chew something this bad Ranma wouldn't last a second. Sighing with relief that he had escaped the worst of it without any more harm than a mix between the flavor of ash and rotten meat profaning his mouth.
"So? How is it?" Akane said waiting for the approval that she somehow believed she would receive. As if past experience wasn't enough for her to learn otherwise.
"Uhg!" Was all Ranma was able to muster off as a sharp stabbing pain lashed out of his stomach with more force than one of Safforn's fire balls. A cold shiver passed through him as Ranma collapsed to the ground awaiting the arrival of the unconsciousness that would protect him from the mind bending pain.
"What is going on in here?" Anito asked with mild curiosity, having arrived on the scene still toting bags of magical goods confiscated from the law breaking pawn broker.
"This, jerk, is pretending that my food killed him!" Akane said angrily.
Anito took a look at the food and looked back at Akane seriously. "Have you ever considered studying necromancy?"
Akane's battle aura flared. "How do you know its bad! You haven't even tried it yet!"
Anito laughed softly in amusement, "Cooking is about peace and harmony, not chaos and war. The aura alone is sufficient to me."
Akane threw the plate at the arch-mage. It failed to hit by a mile as Anito easily shadow stepped out of the way allowing the dish to explode on a nearby wall. "I hate you!" She yelled at Anito who stood not perturbed in the least.
"Is that so?" Anito said rasing an eyebrow, not moving even a muscles in response to Akane's statement. If anything the arch-mage looked faintly amused.
Akane gave her trade marked, "Humph!," and stomped up to her room.
Akane gone Anito broke out into a wide maniacal grin. Then he turned to the food that lay scattered across the floor his smile if anything became larger. "Now now, aren't these interesting little specimens." Anito began carefully gathering the food into a small jar he pulled out of an unknown location.
******************
Ranma lay on the top of the roof staring at the stars in deep thought. Laying on the roof was common pastime for the pig tailed martial artist. There was something about the being up here at night which allowed Ranma the kind of peace that was unacquirable during the day. It was an escape, no matter how temporary, from the insanity that was Ranma's life. Given this perhaps it was not surprising that Ranma was often found in this location almost every night.
Having just recovered from Akane's cooking recently, Ranma was not surprisingly thinking of her. Why, he wondered, why can't we get along. It had seemed back during the events at Phoenix Mountain that the two had finally let go of their reservations. He, Ranma, the denier of all emotion, had admitted his love for his fiancee. Yet, now those moments of tenderness had fled and he felt himself again on square one. Back where he started, nothing earned, nothing gained.
Well, not nothing gained. If Akane hadn't changed he certainly had. The Ranma that stood here now, was not the Ranma that had stood here so long ago. If nothing more he could admit, if only to himself, that he indeed loved Akane. Something he would have denied immediately, even to himself, before that.
"Thinking?" The word was a question. Ranma tensed for a second, before he felt the aura and immediately identified the arch-mage. Ranma relaxed recognizing the presence that appeared out of nowhere. The pig tailed martial artist should have known immediately. There where only two people that could get close to him without Ranma noticing, Anito and Genma, and the latter could only do so with the Umisen-ken.
"Yeah, just wonderin' why Akane keeps trying to poison me." Ranma replied loosely, a bit annoyed at Anito's presence.
There was a pause, and then Anito said thoughtfully, his usual grin and playful tone in absence. "You lover her don't you?"
"Me! I don't love that uncute tomboy!" The words came out of Ranma's mouth before he could think about them. It was a Pavlovian response.
Anito seemed faintly amused. "You can't lie to me, I have perfect aura sight. She loves you as well, though she would deny it just as quickly."
Ranma felt uncomfortable about where the conversation was going and seized the chance ask something that had been bothering him for a while. "You know? I have been meaning to ask, what exactly is Perfect aura sight? My pops and the old ghoul have rambled on about it, but no one has actually told me what it is."
Anito grinned ear to ear at let out a low chuckle. "Well, it isn't a common thing. Perfect aura sight is exactly that, perfect. In the world people have, in general, a limited sense of ki. Those that refine this sense are generally able to feel it only to a slight degree. The truest masters are able to see as well with aura sight as they do with their other sense. Those rare individuals with perfect aura sight take this to a whole new level."
"To understand this let me put it in perspective. Most of the world is blind to ki. A martial artist of say, Ryouga's level, can taste strong flavors of ki. His sense is perhaps comparable in composition to the human sense of smell. Weak, but capable of identifying types, and even a vague sense of location. A master of Cologne's level compares more closely with the human sense of hearing. Clear directional, and fine tuned differentiation. However, identifying say, an individual source, out of a mass is very difficult unless it stands out, or if she is very close. I am however the man with 20 / 20 vision in this blind world. I literally can, and have, read books with my aura sight alone."
"Wow, that sounds pretty handy. So can you read your books from here?" Ranma said impressed, yet still curious. It also explained why he had yet to ever pull a surprise ki attack on Anito.
"It is quite useful." Anito said with a smile. "As for your question, no, I can only read a book at about arms length. Though the book need not be open, it makes it much easier. I can however tell you that Kasumi is currently cleaning up pieces of chopping board from the kitchen floor, that Nabiki is fiddling with her calculator scheming up new money making plots, and that Akane is fuming in her room over what happened tonight."
"Wow." Ranma said. That ability really was useful. For a second Ranma was very glad Nabiki didn't have it. Then again, Anito hadn't been much better. Thinking about what Anito said Ranma asked, "So can you read minds?"
"Nope just emotions, or at least the major emotions an individual is feeling. From there I can make a darn good guess as to what they are thinking though." Anito suddenly grinned. "That is why I knew you lied when you said you didn't love Akane."
"I don't lo-" Ranma cut himself off. Anito was right, he was lying, Ranma had even admitted to himself that he loved her. "Yeah, I suppose I do love the tomboy. If only she wouldn't mallet me so much ..." Ranma trailed off shifting uncomfortably on the roof top. He really didn't like talking about this stuff.
Anito closed his eyes in thought as though considering something. "I am not one usually to get involved in such discussions, but I could give my take on the subject."
Ranma nodded, any help he could get on dealing with Akane would be useful. For that Ranma could put up with a conversation on this kind of junk. Even if the whole thing felt weird.
Anito took Ranma's confirmation with and oddly serious look. "Know first that I have not known either of you for long, nor do I know the whole story of what has happened. I have however, collected bits and pieces from Nabiki and Cologne."
Ranma nodded, wondering how Anito had managed to get anything from Nabiki. Then again, from what Ranma had seen Anito and Nabiki seemed to get along pretty well. That fact sent shivers down the pig tailed martial artist's spine. Nabiki was scary enough normally. "I gotcha."
"From what I can see there are several problem between you and Akane. First is the fear of admitting your feelings as neither of you are ready to truly commit to marriage. Next, Akane has a deep seated fear of inadequacy. From this derives the fear that she is not, worthy, of your love. This is unfortunately paired with a very strong jealousy. Probably, from what I have seen, because she has been proven incompetent, at least in comparison, in all the attributes she defines herself by. These are unfortunately very large obstacles."
Ranma thought as Anito gave a pause. Akane had always been saying that she was a martial artist too, that she could cook and what not. Yet, as a martial artist she was pathetic in comparison to all of Ranma's fiancees, much less the people that collected around them. Akane had gone from the top elite of her world to barely above the rest of humanity.
Ranma could understand very well what that would feel like. Martial Arts was his world, to find out that he wasn't any good in comparison to everyone he knew would probably destroy him as well. Anito was right, this was a big obstacle, especially considering that powerful martial artists tended to gravitate towards him, and he, his cohort, and his enemies where all get stronger. If anything, as the past had indicated many times, these factors would only get worse.
"Yeah, I get you. I don't see what I can do about it though." Ranma replied scratching his head. Unfortunately this was true. Akane though talented didn't take the art seriously enough to reach, much less keep up, with the level he was hanging at now.
"Which only makes matters worse. The biggest problem is not this however... it is trust. The greatest enemies can work together if they have it. Equally, the best of friends will not be able to work together without it. Akane does not trust you. She doubts your words, your actions, even though you have never, in my knowledge, lied to her. Without trust no matter how much you love each other there won't be a lasting relationship."
Anito paused thoughtfully. "I haven't an idea how to earn her trust. A large part of it is derived from her feeling of inadequacy though, so by helping her get over that you may remove the largest block in your relationship."
Ranma was silent. He knew that Akane blamed him for things that wasn't his fault. She accused him of picking on Ryouga when Ryouga literally challenged him. She accused him of going off with his fiancees when it was obviously not his fault. Sure he made his mistakes, oh did he make his mistakes, but the proportion of mistrust was not equal to his actions.
Ranma had never thought much about trust, but what Anito said made Ranma think of Ryouga. While Ranma might like Ryouga, there was no questioning that Ryouga really seriously came after Ranma's blood. Yet, strangely enough, when the shit hit the fan Ryouga was the first at his side, equally when Ryouga had problems he first turned to Ranma. It was an eerie parallel, trust was what he and Ryouga had. Trust that they wouldn't betray one another, that they would help no matter the cause. Despite all the anger they where able to get along because of trust.
Ranma had that with a certain extent with Akane. Akane knew when all the chips came down that Ranma would protect her. Yet, unlike Ryouga that seemed to be the limit of it. If trust was truly the key to a relationship, then if Ranma could get the kind of trust he had when he was saving Akane's life during everyday things then perhaps things would be better.
"Yeah I getcha, so If I get her to trust me then things will be better?" Ranma said putting on his common cocky grin. If anyone could get Akane to trust him it was Ranma Saotome.
Anito chuckled with a smile. "Certainly, though I don't imagine it will be easy. There is another problem though, this one stands on your end."
"Eh? What is that?"
"Ki." Anito said as though it where the simplest thing in the world.
Ranma frowned, "What about it?"
"Ki as you know is life energy. Having a lot of it has side effects, for instance enhanced endurance, strength, speed, reaction time and the like. In addition to this is improved health, and improved life span. Now for most the last is not all that important, as the effects are minor until very high levels are reached, levels that are almost never reached by those not already extremely old."
"Kinda like the old freak and the ghoul?"
"Yes, kind of like them. At the level you where at when I met you, your aging was slowed perhaps twenty or so percent. Not that significant, but as you continue to train your power will raise, and your aging will slow proportionally. In other words in way of age it is reasonable to believe that if you continue to pursue the art the way you have been that you will become, age wise, essentially immortal."
Ranma scratched his head and asked, "So what does that have to do with anything?"
"Akane does not and most likely will not benefit from this ki reduced aging." Anito replied making the connection for the pig tailed martial artist.
Ranma frowned, "So you are saying that I will outlive Akane?"
"Not merely outlive, but outlive her by such a margin that Akane will be little more than a footnote of your life no matter how your relationship turns out. As it stands your power would probably normally reach a point where it became stunted, largely due to the lack of the need to exercise or use it."
"So your sayin if I don't train really hard then my ki won't get that strong." Ranma replied, he didn't like the way this was going. The art was Ranma's life, more so than anything else.
"Yes."
"So your telling me that Akane and I won't work out." Ranma said in an annoyed tone. Ranma didn't like others telling him what to do.
"No, I am merely informing you of the state of affairs. It is a fact that will become very important in a few minutes." Anito paused.
"What are you talking about?" Ranma asked confused by the arch-mage's approach.
Anito took a deep breath. "I am strong. You know how strong I am, as you have fought me. That strength however, will pale in what I will wield in a few years, or even in a few months. As strong as I am, I am equally dangerously unbalanced. I teeter constantly on the edge of sanity. For any normal person this is acceptable, for me, with the power I have this situation is far too dangerous."
"For this I seek to create a balance, like the balance I created between the dark and the light in my soul. A counter weight, an individual if you will that can peer me in my power so that should I lose control I can either be stopped... or even killed." Anito closed his eyes thoughtfully before continuing. "The only person I have met that has the strength to defeat me is you. Happosai, and Cologne are strong yes, but they are too old, they cannot grow or adapt enough to keep stride with me. Ryouga your only peer at your age lacks the, intellect, to stand against me."
Ranma gulped. "So you want me to kill you if things go wrong."
Anito nodded. "That is essentially the core of the proposition." Anito reached behind him and pulled a large stack of books out of nowhere and set them down. "You must choose the path yourself. These books will introduce you to arcana, if you wish to learn to use your ki to work magic as I have I will teach you. My knowledge, and that of these books should give you the strength, adaptability, and the know how to stand against me. This strength though is something you can only achieve for yourself. I will not make your work any easier, for if I go bad you will need to hold step with me even should I vanish to gain strength myself."
Ranma didn't quite know how to react to such seriousness. Though given a few of Anito's attacks Ranma really wanted to know what was in those books. On the other hand, as Anito had said it if Ranma should follow then would he really be able to live with Akane? Ranma put on his cocky smirk, of course he was Ranma Saotome and he would find a way to achieve all that he desired. "Heh, if you think I would let you be better than me no matter the situation you have another thing coming. If there is one thing certain in this world it is that Ranma Saotome is the best, and I won't let anyone else take that title for anything."
Anito grinned his normal grin and let out a laugh. "I'll happily knock you off that throne of yours. Well I suppose I should get going."
Before Anito could vanish Ranma said. "Just a second, I have two questions. First since when could you use hidden weapon's techniques?"
Anito chuckled, "Well, I convinced that amazon boy to teach me. Given it was a pure ki technique it was fairly easy for me to pick up."
"I'm surprised that Mousse would teach you something like that." Ranma's eyes narrowed, "You didn't teach him a new technique now did you?"
****** Neko Haten *******
Several high school girls walked into the Neko Haten. A tall man in white robes slid in front of their table with practiced ease. Smiling down he looked at the girls through his crystal clear glasses. These glasses unlike the old coke bottle lenses he used to wear gave him that cool college professor look, instead of the wimpy geek look. Casually Mousse lifted a finger and adjusted the glasses giving off the tell tell anime flash.
"Kokkoii!" The girls breathed as one.
Mousse merely grinned. "How may I help you?" He said smoothly.
"Shampoo think duck boy like those new glasses too much." Shampoo said watching Mousse again doing a routine that was becoming annoyingly familiar.
"Well at least he is actually wearing them." Cologne replied.
Shampoo understood that perfectly. Glancing at her bicycle she wondered out loud. "Maybe arch-mage enchant Shampoo's bike."
******Back to the Roof ******
"Not exactly." Anito said, in reply to Ranma's question. "So what was your second question?" All traces of the earlier seriousness was gone, instead Ranma could see Anito's eyes dancing in amusement.
"Oh yeah," Ranma paused then remembered his second question. "Why did you teach Ryouga that technique anyway?"
Anito grinned like a maniac. "For the sheer fun of it! Of course it did have notable side benefits. Such as allowing me to see how good he is, and could be. Then there is the fact that his learning of the technique provided research for a technique I was working on myself. Then of course I was able to give the technique Ryouga did a lot of work inventing to the amazons in return for the scrolls Cologne gave me earlier. Finally, I made 40,000 yen doing it!"
"Wait, you betted on Ryouga though!"
"Yes, but I had also bet on you before the fight was even announced, and got Nabiki to give me a cut for arranging the match." Anito said with an evil smile.
Ranma looked confused. "Then why did you bet on Ryouga if you already bet on me?"
"Let me put it this way. How did you feel about the way the match would go before and after I made that bet. Now think how that would relate to how others would bet."
"Oh." Ranma said as understanding dawned on him.
"Exactly."