Draxon's Review Corner Presents
An In-House Production
Ranma 1/2 : A Demon's Delight
Chapter 6 : Love and Hate go Hand-in-Hand
Theme Song: Metallica - LOAD - Until it sleeps


Being lost... for Ryouga, it was a way of life.  He was once again lost, but 
he had narrowed his location to Nerima, Tokyo.  It was still dark when he 
passed Fuurinkan high school.  He knew he had at least an hour before sunrise, 
a package for Akane was held securely by his right arm as he thought about the 
direction to take to find the Tendo Dojo.  After several seconds of guessing 
he started down a random road, trusting his instincts.

He smiled happily as he walked directly away from the Dojo.

[...]

Sweat slowly dripped from Ranma's glistening face as he continued performing 
one of the Anything-Goes katas.  He stepped forward and threw a lightning fast 
but well controlled volley of punches at the air in front of him, then 
performed a quarter turn to his left and adopted a deep stance.  He sighed as 
he took a finishing stance and bowed slightly out of pure habit.  He slowly 
began to walk a path around the dojo, thinking about demons, fiancees, and 
anything else that seemed important to him at the time.

He began to initiate one of the fastest katas he had learned in his study of 
Kempo, launching a furious combo of kicks and punches in front of him.  His 
knee popped from the force of the last kick, but Ranma ignored it, quickly 
turning to a two-thirds angle and performing a similar combo of kicks and 
punches.  Air began to whir around him as his rhythmic movements created a 
breeze which circled him lightly.

He turned fully to his left and performed a double roundhouse, then worked 
against his momentum  to deliver an arcing hook kick.  The floor wrenched 
slightly under the pressure of his movements, but soon stopped its screeching 
complaints as Ranma re-asserted his position and performed an exact mirror 
with his other leg before he injected the Anything-Goes style into the kata.  
Ceasing his rigid exercise of the kata, Ranma broke form and began using his 
training and instincts to produce a fluid and breathtaking series of 
movements.  He continued until something told him the form was complete, then 
turned to the door of the dojo.

Four feet in front of him,  Ranma imagined his father standing in a combat 
stance.  He assumed a similar stance.
The image of his father stepped forward cautiously, eyeing Ranma with a cold 
glare.

Ranma side-slipped close to his imaginary opponent and performed an 
inside-crescent kick which was easily dodged by his temporary training 
partner.  Ranma stepped back and to the side as a quick and precise counter 
attack ensued.  He frowned slightly, he wasn't getting the effect he wanted.  
He raised his arms into the air, stretching his slightly sore back, which 
happily popped and cracked back to normalcy.

"Too bad pop hasn't gotten up yet," Ranma thought, "I could use something that 
actually fights back."  He began stretching his arms into relaxation when the 
image of his father suddenly began to walk toward him.

"What the-"  Ranma's vision blurred as the image swung at him, striking him 
directly across the face, he stumbled back and re-assumed a combat stance, his 
nose trickling blood.  The image stepped forward and immediately side-kicked 
over Ranma's ducking head.  Ranma lunged forward for  a direct strike to his 
father's stomach when the image's heel slammed into the back of his head, 
knocking him face first into the floor.  Blood splattered from his face as he 
desperately rolled to his side -- Genma wasn't supposed to be that fast!  He 
quickly sprang to his feet as his opponent mercilessly charged forward.  As 
trickles of blood drizzled across his mouth, Ranma smiled sardonically .  
Whatever the hell was attacking him was about to have one seriously bad day.

[...]
"Wakeup, get ready."  Haratsu said softly as he tugged at Apsu's shoulder.  
Apsu shuffled on the recliner, and slowly opened his eyes.
"Hai..." he said in a deep yawn, before falling off of the recliner and 
slamming onto the floor.
"It's good to see your day has started off nicely," Haratsu said as he offered 
his right hand to Apsu.
Apsu yawned slowly and deeply before  taking his father's hand.  "I sleep..." 
he mumbled as his arm collapsed limply, landing audibly behind the recliner.

"Wake up Apsu,"  Haratsu said as he shook the boy by his shoulders, "we don't 
have time for this."

No response.  Apsu began to snore lightly.  Haratsu sighed, and began to build 
a blue aura of chi around his right hand, it's lively glow casting deep 
shadows around him.  He placed his hand on Apsu's face.

Then his arm fell limp.

"NANI? Haratsu perplexed as a cold feeling began tearing into him from his 
arm.  He saw Apsu slowly open his eyes, look up at him, and fall limp again as 
the force re-asserted it's control.

If Haratsu had forgotten what fear was like, he was completely reminded as 
consciousness began to slip away from him.  His link to Apsu strengthened as 
streams of raw chi energy exchanged between the two.  Slowly, his vision began 
to darken and blur, with the last of his energy, the master of the Tetsumi 
School of Various Martial Arts called out spiritually to anyone or anything 
that could help him...

Darkness...

[...]

Ranma slammed into the outer wall of the dojo, his face covered in blood and 
one of his eyes already swelling.  He slid down the rough surface for a few 
seconds before falling limply to the floor.  He struggled to stand, to no 
avail. His legs felt like rubber, his mind was jelly.  He looked up, straining 
his weakened and battered muscles, as what was, yet wasn't his father grabbed 
him from the shirt collar.  He attempted to resist, but several quick jabs 
across the face jarred his senses further.  He slumped as  he began to lose 
control over his body, and a cold feeling began to was over him.  Summoning 
all of his remaining strength, Ranma slowly grasped the image's now quite 
solid neck.

Emotions swirled through Ranma's mind in those few seconds, through the 
humiliation of utter defeat Ranma saw one final escape from his apparent 
weakness.  As he began to shiver violently, he tightened his grip as hard as 
he could, and stared at the image of his father with utter defiance.  
Summoning the last of his physical strength, he pulled himself closer to the 
image...

"Die..."  He said slowly,  cursing the former illusion as his strength 
weakened further.

"Hmph," A blast of light and force knocked Ranma back as his eyes closed 
slowly.  The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was his body 
impacting against the dojo wall.