Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Visions of War ❯ Chapter 4

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Visions of War

Chapter 3

If a word could describe the sights before Ranma, it would have been
prosperous.

Ranma had just entered the outskirts of the city of Tokyo and already,
even in the suburbs of the city, there were numerous people milling
around doing whatever busy people do.

There were vendors with their own yakatoris (1), women walking around
buying groceries, men working on construction, and others were just
standing and talking with each other.

He had heard stories of city life when he was still living in his, now
destroyed, village, but nothing could have prepared him for the scene
before him.

As he walked through the streets, he noticed that the houses were built
out of stone, plaster, and wood and even had shillings for the roofs.
He was used to living in sods (2).

However, for all of Tokyo's splendors, he noticed that the people seemed
pre-occupied with something. It seemed that they were always in a state
of tension. Analyzing the situation even further, he could even
sense the greed from the crowds in front, behind, and on the sides of
him. The golden city of Tokyo didn't look so bright anymore.

He was about to speculate even further when he caught the sound of
people screaming in the distance. The sound was coming closer and
closer.

The people around him stopped what they were doing and heard the screams
themselves. Looking toward the distance, they saw a wave of people
rushing towards them. Somehow, they saw through the cluster of people
and saw a beast unfit for human eyes. Then they screamed and ran as
well.

All of them except for Ranma.

Even though he did not care for the behaviour and attitude of the
citizens of Tokyo, he did not wish them harm. And so, he rushed towards
to the monster with the intent of destroying it.

The monster itself was a bulging mass of muscles easily soaring to a
height of 8 feet. It had scale-like skin and had horns protruding from
his elbows, knees, shoulders, and head. It was red in color. It also had
a face not even a mother would love. If one was to look at it in person,
they would say it was a demon that was wrecking structures causing
massive property damage.

While the monster was creating havoc, it noticed a little girl assuming
a fetal position and crying her eyes out. Being the evil thing that it
was, the beast rushed towards the girl ready to pounce and enjoy hearing
and feeling the brutal slaughter of the innocent little child.

Ranma saw all this and his already hurried sprinting turned into a mad
dash to save the girl. To any that happened to glance, they would only
see a red and white blur.

The demon closed in for the kill and was ready to savor the flavors (3)
the little girl's blood would have to offer. It reached in with it's
bulky arm and felt a satisfying impact. However, when it looked at its
result, it noticed that its intended victim was not on the receiving
end. A young man had his hand over its fist. Ranma smirked.

Snarling, the demon launched into an array of moves designed to take out
the strongest of opponents. This same combo was able to take out an
entire army of samurai. Fire had a better chance against water than this
little boy had. In some cases however, fire would prevail.

Ranma just went inside the demon's guard and struck out, then struck
again and again. He followed with a crescent kick to the head
breaking one of its horns. The demon roared in pain.

However, Ranma did not let up. He continued to strike the demon over and
over again until the demon seemed to grow desperate and start trying to
scramble away. The demon would have a field day trying to explain the
event to its superiors. Ranma let it go.

Seeing the demon fleeing from the scene, the people in hiding started to
come out of their hiding places. They stared at Ranma in disbelief. Then
they cheered.

Some men had the courage to go to Ranma and lift him onto their
shoulders. The crowd paraded around celebrating.

Ranma was annoyed. Using one of his carrier's head as a springboard, he
launched himself out of their way and made his way towards the little
girl he saved earlier. The people did not notice this seeing as how they
were too busy celebrating.

However, Ranma couldn't find the little girl. At least until she came up
behind him and tugged on his red shirt.

"T-Thank you m-mister."

Turning around, Ranma could see clearly for the first time the appareance
of the red-haired little girl.

She seemed to be 6 years of age. She was wearing a plain cloth dress with
patches which indicated that she was not wealthy. In fact, it seemed she
was poor. However, all this did not matter to Ranma. To Ranma, he was
looking at a ghost. A ghost of his little sister. A little sister that
got in the way of the battle in his village. A little sister that was
run through by a sword. A little sister that was carelessly murdered. He
fell to his knees.

"R-Ranko...?" He grabbed the girl by her arms and looked straight into
her eyes. He was trying very hard to come with an explanation for this.

The girl in question had wide frightened eyes. A shimmer of tears was
just starting to appear in the corners of her eyes.

Seeing that the little girl was about to cry, Ranma quickly let go and
started to apologize for his mistake when he was interrupted by a fierce
hug.

"Thank you for giving me a name mister." At this, Ranma was crestfallen.
It seemed his sister did not come back from the dead.

"You mean you didn't have a name before?" Ranko shook her head.

Ranma was about to speculate further when he was cut off by a
loud-mouthed fellow.

"You! One who claims to have defeated a demon!" Ranma looked around him
searching for anyone who fit that description. He found none.

"You mean me?" He pointed to himself.

At this question, Kuno turned toward the crowd of people gathered in a
ring around the two. He addressed them.

"It seemeth our saviour does not have the wit to comprehend such a
simple call!" The people laughed and jeered at Ranma already having
forgotten the incident with the demon.

Ranma simply glared at them sending the crowd a reminder of the battle
which quickly quelled the noise emitted from all of them. All of them
except for a certain samurai armor wearing loud-mouthed idiot.

"I will not accept the fact that a vagabond such as yourself, would
actually have the skill to defeat a demon! Only samurai have the skill
necessary to quell such beasts!" With that he unsheathed his katana
pointing it at Ranma.

"Wilt thou fight to prove thy worth, ronin (4)?"

Ranma just glared at him.

Crying out a battle cry, Kuno charged Ranma intending to cut him in half.

Ranma got into a battle stance then leaped at his opponent.

The two crossed paths (5) and landed on either side of each other. The
two did not not more for a while. Ranma turned back to Kuno and gave a
digusted look at him.

People were wondering why Kuno was just standing around. One man was
brave enough to walk up to him and waved his hand in front of Kuno's
face. Kuno did not react.

"Hey everyone! He's in shock!" He took out an ink set and brush and
started doodling on Kuno's face.

Everyone else scrambled for their own set, eager to doodle on the local
samurai.

Ranma bigsweated.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

A scream rendered through the air and the people tensed thinking that
the demon had come back with reinforcements.

They shuddered when signs of love declarations to Kuno (6) were thrusted
into the air.

"Kuno's been defeated!"

The crowd parted to allow a group of women to go toward Ranma. They
looked furious.

The females stopped and glared at Ranma. Then one of the women spoke up.

"Kill him!"

Kuno's fan club rushed Ranma.

Meanwhile, the rest of the people continued doodling on Kuno.

----Erehwon (Nowhere)

A woman stands, gazing at the visions put forth by the liquid in the
cauldron in front of her. It was currently confusing her.

It was not a vision of the past. It was not a vision of the present. No,
it was not any of the above. It was not even a vision of the future. It
was a premonotion.

However, this particular one was very obscure.

Looking into the viewing water, the woman could see only darkness. But
the strange thing was that the darkness continued becoming darker. If
that was possible. A luminous dot of light appeared.

No matter how dark the vision became, the ray of light continued to
shine bright, pushing against the darkness.

Then an image of man appeared, shimmering. The image was continualy
wavering around but it was gradually becoming still. When it stopped
flickering, the identity of the man became clear.

It was Ranma.

"Hm... Who is he? What does the future hold for him? Why him?" These
questions and more were coursing through the lady's mind.

At the height of her speculation, the vision inside of the cauldron
suddenly wavered and dissapeared leaving behind a moving image of a
scene.

The image was cloudy and when the sound kicked in, she could hear sounds
of a people screaming, yelling, and generally causing a ruckus.

When the smoke cleared, the group of women were leaving a tangled mess
of a human being called Ranma.

The woman sweatdropped.

"What was that?" Before she could say anything further, a tall muscular
armored figure walked in. He had a white streak in his long hair which
was tied back into a simple pony-tail. He had cat-like eyes.

"Lady Tendo, we have located the vagabond. It appears he goes by the
name as Ranma Saotome," The man sneered. "Shall I send troops to destroy
him for you?"

The woman paused in thought for a moment resting her chin on an upraised
hand.

"No, I want him alive. Bring him to me, Herb."

Herb, narrowed his eyes and without a word, was about to step out when
Nabiki called him back.

"Herb. Do not damage the boy. Do I make myself clear?" She looked
straight in his eyes as if she was challenging him.

"I understand fully milady." Herb said this through clenched teeth.

Nabiki just turned back to her cauldron, pondering.

----Tokyo, Japan

It took Ranma a little while but he got back up, brushed his clothes off
and look none the worse for wear and tear.

In the background, the people were still fascinated with the concept of
doodling on Kuno with ink sets that they did not notice that Ranma was
leaving the scene.

He was walking away when he was stopped by a tug on his pants. Wondering
who or what the hindrance was, he turned around. It was the little girl
he named Ranko.

She was looking up at him with wide-eyes and with adoration.

"Mister, are you leaving?" She barely whispered.

"Yes I am." He replied.

"C-Can you take me with you?" Ranma looked like he was a deer caught in
the headlights of an on-coming truck.

"Uh.. Um.. That is.." He used his hand to start scratching the back of
his head.

Before Ranma could answer any further, he and the little girl were
attacked.

A group of ninjas like before on his way to Tokyo, suddenly sprouted of
the darkness.

They rushed the unprepared Ranma.

Suddenly fearful for her benefactor's health, Ranko jumped in front of
him and closed her eyes ready for anything.

The ninjas too far into their trajectory, grabbed the little girl by
accident and jumped away into the shadows. Their element of surprised
was ruined. They did not want to end like the Alpha team (7).

Shocked out of his stupor, Ranma leaped for the ninjas but it was too
late.

"Rankoooooooo!!!" He leaped into the alleyways and onto the rooftop but
there was not sign of the ninjas anywhere.

"No.." Ranma fell onto his hands and knees. "I failed. I failed again.."

Deep in his sorrow, Ranma did not notice a figure that appeared behind
him.

The figure turned out to be a male who appeared not to have had any
sleep for the last year.

"Ahem! I think I know who took that little girl.."

Gosuskugi was lifted by the collar of his robes by Ranma.

"You'd better tell me everything you know or else."

Gosunkugi started sweating like mad.

"Ano... I don't know anything..."

Enraged, Ranma was about to punt Gosunkugi into LEO when he felt the
tremors.

"Um... Could you let me down?"

Ranma put a finger against his lips.

"Shhh"

Thinking the demon would be back, Gosunkugi started trembling. He then
started wriggling in Ranma's grip trying to get himself free when felt
the tremors of the earth shaking.

"Please let me down!" He started crying.

Without giving him any attention Ranma let him down. With that,
Gosunkugi just ran away screaming at the top of his lungs.

Ranma's attention was on the tremors that seemed to be coming from down
the street where the people already fled in panic. Only Kuno was left
behind. But Ranma didn't care for him.

A cloud of dust formed in the distance not unlike the one created before
when Kuno's fanclub beat him within an inch of his life.

A shine of light flash in Ranma's eyes and he had to shield his eyes
from it. Then it hit him.

"Ow!" A stinging slapping feeling hit him in the face. When he opened
his eyes, he could only see dark. Pulling the offending object off his
face he saw an alien object.

"What is this..?" He was interrupted by the yells of the women that were
creating the dust in the distance, and who were bearing down on him with
cries of "Pervert!" "Thief!"

In a panic, Ranma started shaking but his legs wouldn't move.

The women took advantage of this and pounced on him.

For the second time today, Ranma felt pain like he never felt before.

"Ow!" "Ite!" "Not There...!" "AHHHHHHHH!"

Happosai just stood by swinging a panty around his finger, smirking.

"Looks like I found a new toy."

----

(1) A portable restaurant.

(2) A house made of the mud, wheat, or any other stuff handy that was on
the ground.

(3) It rhymes!

(4) Japanese for vagabond

(5) Sorry about the pun. I couldn't resist.

(6) Bet you didn't see that coming!

(7) Refer to Chapter 2

End of chapter 3