Tsurugi chapter 1, Ryoga's awakening.

	He was alone. That was all he knew. The endless expanse of Nerima
surrounded him and he tried desperately to suppress his hunger as he
wandered. He knew it would not last. He was unable to leave the sent of
the human populous around him from some ancient and disturbing instinct,
he had to be near a food source. So far he had been able to keep himself
from killing anything but small animals, but the thirst was growing
impatient. He needed the blood of his own kind or it would not abate. He
struggled and leaned against a wall and noted the time on a billboard
with a digital clock shining on it, it was almost morning already. That
was when he saw it, a creature of horrible grace and terrible strength.
He would not have seen it if not for the tell tale signs of battle that
scarred its face. It was female and looked to be around twenty years old.
It's face was burned in a chillingly familiar way and it had hundreds of
small bruises on it's exposed skin. This was the one, the one who had
made Ranma.

	She stood against the wall and smiled seductively at the men who
passed her flashing her assets as they passed. It had been this way for
her for more years than she could remember. She had been unsuccessful in
her plans to lure a mortal away and make some quick cash while netting a
meal. It was getting early and she had to find someone soon or she would
go hungry or try to force someone. She didn't like doing the latter as it
was dangerous if they escaped, but sometimes it was necessary.
	A few nights ago, she had found a young boy wandering the streets
alone, after a brief scuffle she had managed to force him into an alley
way. He seemed reluctant to fight back against her until she closed for
the kill. As her teeth sunk into his neck he realized what was happening
to him and began to fight back. She had to force her meals away since
that time because of the scars. The boy had escaped and she had failed to
kill him, now he wandered free as one of her kind. She wondered if he
would thank her or try to kill her when they next met. She smiled darkly
as a man moved up to her and flashed a wad of bills her way. He was a
young and stupid looking boy who simply ignored her face and glared at
her chest. She licked her lips hungrily as she grabbed his shoulder. He
seemed aroused by it and grinned as she led him into the alleyway.

	Ryoga followed and watched as the pair wandered into the
darkness. "The poor fool." he muttered to himself. He didn't care about
the boy, but the woman must die for what she did to him and Ranma. He may
as well save the boy in the process. He steeled himself and stalked over
to the alleyway.
	What he found he wasn't expecting. Two less attractive women
stood around the boy with the first monster as he lay in a pile of
garbage still grinning dumbly.
	"Hey man, what the fuck? If you think I'm getting it on with
these ugly bitches..." He said with a nervous and crude laugh as he eyed
them. He hadn't even realized what was going on yet. The women just
smiled and closed slowly in around him. The boy began to grow restless
and looked nervously at his captors.
	They roared at him exposing their fangs and delighted in the
horrified reaction. Ryoga jumped in just as the first girl moved in.
	She jumped straight up and was positioned to land on top of the
hapless victim. Ryoga appeared out of nowhere and stopped her momentum
with a vertical splits kick that took her dead in the stomach. She hung
over his leg with a look of shock on her face and he jerked his leg to
the side sending her into the wall.
	His knowledge of the creatures was minimal, he knew that a wooden
stake to the heart or possibly fire would kill them. None of these things
seemed like an option at the moment. He would just have to do with what
he had.

	The scarred one seemed to be the lead vampire and she screeched
at him angrily. "This prey is ours fool!" she said bitterly. The other
two hovered behind her and glared at Ryoga making hissing noises.
	Ryoga frowned and looked at them smugly. "Come and get him." he
snorted.
	The three vampires jumped towards him in unison and Ryoga jumped
into them with his arms spread. He clothes lined two of them sending them
into the ground hard beside him as he landed. The third sailed over his
head and spun around in surprise as she landed opposite him and realized
she was alone. Ryoga kicked out and stepped on the one to his right's
head and shoved his foot down until he felt the skull give way with a
sickening crack, the one to his left rolled away quickly.
	The boy in the corner started screaming as he watched. The one of
the vampires punched him in the face to shut him up and he just whimpered
pathetically holding his now bleeding mouth. Ryoga shot a punch at her
that forced her to back away from the hapless mortal. She and her comrade
glanced at the sky nervously as it began to grow lighter.
	Ryoga pressed his attack and kicked the first vampire three times
in the chest and finished with a spinning back kick to her head. The
second remaining vampire jumped for him and he back handed her in the
face sending her into a pile of garbage. He smiled and pulled his
umbrella off his back. The two vampires circled and hissed menacingly at
him as they closed in carefully. They knew they had to finish this
quickly.
	Ryoga snapped the umbrella downward opening it and twirled it in
his hand as he pulled it upright. He tossed it at them with a grunt and
frowned as he realized that this was the first time he had ever used it
with the intent of a death blow. It sailed into the nearest vampires neck
and her head rolled by the sobbing victims feet causing another fit of
screams. 
	The last remaining vampire was the one he had originally
targeted. The scarred beast ducked under the weapon as it sailed over her
missing by only inches. Ryoga frowned as he caught the umbrella and saw a
small smile twitch on her face for a split second.
	He jumped into the air just as the first vampire he had 'Killed'
tried to tackle him from behind. Her head was deformed from when he had
crushed it and she tried to scream at him as she attacked and fell on her
face as she missed. She turned upwards and stood waiting for him to land.
He spun around in the air and sent a volley of bandanna�s at her slicing
through her neck arms and right leg. She fell in pieces on the ground and
didn't move again. 
	The last remaining vampire smirked again and dove under a pile of
garbage just as the sun's rays finally appeared over the horizon. She
squirmed deep into the pile and lay silently there waiting for the
interlopers death screams to begin. They never came. Her frown vanished
as a familiar looking leg appeared just outside the hole she had crawled
into.
	"Day walker!!??" she screamed as Ryoga lifted the bags and
watched as she began to smoke in front of him.
	Ryoga watched in silent horror as the bodies of the demonic women
burned and blew away as the sun's rays found them. He had heard the
legend that vampires would die if exposed to sunlight of course but
decided that since he had been in the daylight that it was myth.
	"I'm not a vampire?" he thought in relief, but he realized that
something about him was different. He wasn't sure what he was and that
bothered him a great deal as well.
	He walked over and grabbed the boy by the shoulders and stood him
up. The boy promptly wet himself and started to scream again. "Don't kill
me! Don't kill me man!" he sobbed pathetically.
	Ryoga only frowned and looked the boy up and down. "You shouldn't
go out at night kid. It's dangerous." he said as he turned away.
	"Y-your not one of them?" stammered the boy.
	Ryoga turned and a small humorless smile appeared on his lips, he
pulled out a pair of Ray-ban sunglasses he had bought to shield his newly
sensitive eyes from the sun and placed them over his eyes coolly. He felt
as if a great burden had been lifted from his soul. He knew where he
could go and maybe find help. The one person who knew enough about magic
and the occult to maybe find a cure for the maddening thirst that
consumed him in the night. Fortunately the sun seemed to deaden the pain
somewhat. He smiled as he glanced around and saw the 'Cat cafe' only a
few blocks down the road.
	
	Ryoga entered the restaurant and frowned as he glanced around.
Cologne was sitting on her perch at the counter and was surveying the
room while Mousse scrubbed at tables diligently. Shampoo walked up to him
and forced a smile. "Nihao, Welcome to Cat Cafe...Oh, is just stupid pig
boy." said the girl cheerfully at first. Her tone took a sharp turn
downwards as she realized who she had been speaking to and she walked
away. Ryoga frowned as he watched her.
	She was dressed in a tight form fitting Chinese silk dress and it
didn't hide much. That wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the fact that
Shampoo looked pale and slightly dazed. Ryoga looked around and noticed
Mousse was giving him a dirty look as he scrubbed the table.
	"What are you looking at Hibiki?" he said to Ryoga as he noticed
him studying Shampoo. 
	Ryoga noted that Cologne had froze and was studying him as well.
She frowned and said nothing to him.
	Ryoga ignored both of them and rushed the girl grabbing her by
the throat before she could react. He forced her down on a table hard and
pulled the tight collar of her dress down almost exposing her chest. He
let her go and backed away as he saw nothing but smooth skin, she did not
appear to have been bitten, but his neck had healed as well. So he could
not be sure.
	Mousse reacted instantly and sent a volley of chains at the lost
boy without a single word. Ryoga jumped up and sent a few bandanna's into
the mess of chains knocking enough away to easily escape. 
	Shampoo stood shakily and glared at Ryoga in shocked anger. "What
you doing?!!" she managed to say.
	Ryoga ignored her questions and rushed Mousse with blinding
speed. He punched him in the face before the boy could react. Mousse
crashed through several tables and slumped down against the wall next to
the doorway unconscious.
	Cologne's expression changed to one of complete surprise for a
moment. It quickly vanished and she watched Ryoga silently again saying
nothing.
	"Tell me, Has Ranma visited you in the past three nights?" he
said coolly looking at Shampoo indifferently.
	"None of business Pig!" said the Amazon bitterly as she turned
away like a frightened deer.
	Ryoga frowned and jumped from table to table chasing her across
the restaurant until he cornered her by the kitchen. "Don't play with me
woman, have you seen him or not? Did he visit you or try to get in to
this place?" said Ryoga with a wild anger in his voice. Shampoo stood
terrified under his gaze and could not bring herself to answer. She had
always known Ryoga to be strong, but now he was absolutely terrifying to
her. No one had ever brought such a fear to her before.
	Ryoga's head was replaced by a gnarled staff and her grandmother
suddenly stood before her. A look of shock was on the goul's face as she
realized that her strike had missed. Ryoga came down almost on top of her
completely silently. She turned and struck him in the chest sending him
into a wall and destroying a few more tables. "What is the meaning of
this? What do you know about the son-in-laws disappearance?" she demanded
as Ryoga staggered to his feet. 
	"Pig boy know where Ranma is?" said Shampoo as she suddenly
perked up.
	Ryoga felt a little ashamed as he realized that the girl had been
worried sick about Ranma, literally. "Not where, what." he said to
Shampoo.
	She simply looked at him uncomprehending and said nothing. "Good,
he hasn't come here." said the boy with a sigh.
	"You haven't answered my question boy." said Cologne in a
threatening tone.
	"Stow it hag, Ranma is dead." was the reply. Ryoga looked up at
her and replaced his sunglasses and grinned exposing his fangs to Cologne
and Shampoo. 
	"Get behind me!" cried Cologne as she pulled a long needle from
her hair and shoved her great granddaughter behind her.
	Ryoga's eyes went wide as she threw the dart at his heart and he
reached up and plucked it out of the air. Cologne froze and stared at him
in shock and horror. "Damn."
	"Relax old woman, I didn't come here to kill you, I need your
help." said Ryoga as he tossed the needle to the floor and stalked
towards the pair. "I wouldn't have hurt Shampoo...much."  he said as he
glared at the two of them. Mousse began to stir and he woke groggily. 
	"No one can help you now I'm afraid, you are dead and you must be
destroyed to find peace." said Cologne as she jumped onto the counter and
pulled three throwing knives from a drawer.
	"I'm not dead, I don't know what I am, but I'm not dead." said
Ryoga bitterly as he dropped back defensively. He knew there was no way
he could catch all three.
	Cologne paused and looked at Ryoga from a distance. He stared
back at her, his skin was still colored, and he did not look pale or even
sick. "What happened to you boy?" she asked him as she lowered her hand
carefully.
	"Ranma bit me three days ago. We fell into the canal and I
changed into this. I think my curse protected me from the worst of it."
	Cologne paled at what Ryoga was implying. "Are you sure..." she
started.
	"I'm positive. It was Ranma, I have to warn Akane." said Ryoga
calmly. "If it isn't already too late." 
	Cologne hopped down off the counter and peered at Ryoga more
closely. He looked very much alive. "Well, I've heard of legends
creatures like you, day walkers. Interesting, I never thought I'd see
one." she looked much more relaxed but an air of unpleasantness hung
about her voice. If what Ryoga was saying was true, it was very likely
that Shampoo would be targeted, as well as the young Konji girl. 
	"I doubt, if what you say is true, that Akane Tendo is in much
danger at this time." said Cologne finally. She was still skeptical at
the moment.
	"It is." said Ryoga seriously.
	"Their kind do not hunt near their lair, it would be dangerous
for him to. If the home is lived in it is much better camouflage for his
slumber. I think the Tendo's are relatively safe until he is discovered.
Ranma may not be the most intelligent person in the world but he is smart
enough to realize that." said Cologne somberly. 
	Shampoo just sat in the corner and looked on in confusion. "Isn't
she going to do anything? He attacked me!" she thought angrily. "What you
is talking about?" she said to the pair.
	Cologne tensed up and looked at her for a moment. A sorrowful
look crossed her face. "Oh dear." she said softly. "Come along Shampoo, I
have something important to tell you." said the woman as she lead the
confused girl into the kitchen. Ryoga sat watching Mousse clean up the
mess they had made, occasionally the boy would give him a bitter glance
and then look away in disgust. A few moments went by and an anguished
scream echoed through the room from the kitchen. Mousse stood and was
about to storm into the kitchen to find out what was going on when a
strong hand on his shoulder held him back.
	His first reaction was shock. He had not felt or heard Ryoga
coming from behind. He turned to face the lost boy and almost attacked
him when Ryoga only shook his head. 
	"She doesn't need you now." he said simply and released his grip
on Mousse's arm. 
	The Chinese boy glared at him and sat across from him at a table.
"What's going on?" he said simply as he tried to ignore the sobbing
coming from the kitchen. He forced his ears shut and glared at Ryoga. 
	"Ranma is dead, every one we know here is in danger." said Ryoga
to him.
	"What do you mean?" said Mousse as he backed away from the stare
Ryoga was giving him.
	"I mean exactly what I said." said Ryoga as he smiled darkly and
exposed his fangs to Mousse for the first time, they were much longer and
sharper than before.
	Mousse shot up like a rocket. He jumped back and pulled out a
variety of weapons as he stood on a table facing Ryoga with an angry
stare. "What the hell? Is this some kind of joke?" he screamed as his
heart raced.
	"Ranma attacked me three nights ago, He bit me on the neck, but
something went wrong and I escaped. I didn't turn completely into
whatever it was that Ranma had become." said Ryoga as his face became
sullen all of a sudden.
	"I trust you'll be leaving us now that we've been warned?" said
Cologne as she emerged from the doorway to the kitchen.
	"How is..." started Mousse.
	"Sleeping, we will have to keep a careful eye on her, she did not
take the news well." said the old woman with a sigh.
	"I have something else I need to ask you." said Ryoga as he
turned towards Cologne.
	"Go ahead my boy." said Cologne as warily as ever.
	"Alone." said Ryoga.
	"I don't think so, I'm not that convinced of your story yet boy."
said the hag as she stared him down.
	Ryoga glanced at Mousse who had yet to put his weapons away.
"Fine, I'm...getting...thirsty, I guess that's the best way to describe
it. I need your help to stop it. Animal's blood will last me a few more
days at most, I need a way to stop it without killing somebody." said
Ryoga finally.
	Cologne looked at him and frowned. "That will be an interesting
challenge. I can promise you nothing boy. I shall see what I can find out
about creatures like you, but text on such subjects is more rare than you
think. For now I suppose I can have Mousse escort you to the Tendo
residence, you can return here with him after night fall and I can share
what I have learned if anything at all."
	TBC...

	C&C to Catbert25@juno.com

	This is only the beginning in a long story that will encompass
the entire cast. Don't think vampire Ranma won't take to being the very
best vampire he can be. Ryoga couldn't beat him when he was human, how
the hell will he defeat a supernaturally powered Ranma Saotome? If he
can, don't think it will be easy, or clean. Bwahahahahahahaaa!

	We'll find out what Ranma's been up to next time, so don't worry
your little Otaku heart.

	P.S. Cologne is not Encyclopedia Britannica, she does not know
everything. Ryoga will find her useful, but she isn't going to have all
the answers right away either. Just thought I'd put some minds at ease
about that.
	Ja
Catbert25



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