Disclaimer
Ranma 1/2 was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and anyone who doesn't already know this won't understand this story anyway. Bleach was created by Tite Kubo; you don't really need to have seen Bleach to understand this fic, but just so you know, anything not Ranma related in here was created by him.
- - -
Ranma asked, "What do you know about Jushenkyou?"
"A terrible place. It gives me nightmares."
"You and me both," he snorted.
- - -
"Why?" Akane's eyes glistened with tears. "Why the hell -wouldn't- you tell me? You are--were--my fiance!"
- - -
Happousai pulled a small ivory disk out of his robes and flipped it to Shampoo; she batted it aside, but the instant it touched her skin, she was wracked with pain, as though she were absorbing thousands of volts of electricity.
- - -
Akane leaned back against the dojo wall, then collapsed to the floor. Her eyes overflowed with tears.
- - -
"Those five will not remain separate for long; they are too used to working together."
Akane stared in horror. "They're gonna clobber her! I gotta help her!"
"No."
- - -
"Hold!"
Ranma raised a hand, and the two girls broke apart. Masami was breathing in shuddering breaths, and a red mark on her cheek would be browning up quite nicely. Akane, on the other hand, looked as fresh as when she'd begun.
"C'mon, Ranma. I wasn't even working up a sweat!"
"We got company." Ranma gestured to the door, where a young woman was standing.
She was an odd-looking thing, even for Nerima. Her hair was a silvery purple in colour, and she was dressed in black hakama and kimono. The look on her face was almost one of fear.
"I came to see Masami. And to see Shaolan."
Ranma rolled his eyes. "Listen, lady, ya can't just go around talkin' about this sorta stuff, okay? Not even in Nerima."
"I have some scrolls that you requested, Masami. And my Captain wanted me to meet with you, Saotome."
Ranma looked the newcomer over. "With me, or with her?"
"I should tell you the truth. I need to speak to both of you."
"We're the same person."
The woman tilted her head. "Then why did you make the distinction just now?"
"Because this is all gettin' to be too damn confusin'." Ranma sighed. "Want some tea?"
- - - - -
"Kotetsu Isane is the second in command - I believe your word is Lieutenant - of the Fourth Division of the Gotei Thirteen. The Fourth Division is, as I already mentioned, primarily made up of healers and support staff. They are not front-line warriors, but important to any major operation."
Isane smiled. "You do us justice. Many, especially those in the Eleventh Division, feel that we are an unneccessary waste of manpower."
Ranma considered this, then asked, "What do you know about Jushenkyou?"
"A terrible place. It gives me nightmares."
"You and me both," snorted Ranma.
Ranma snorted. "Unneccessary? No army can survive without support or docs."
"I did not say that I agreed with them," said Isane with a smile. She sipped her tea, then continued. "In addition to healers and support staff, we also number a few curse-breakers. Since magic has become less popular on this realm, we have fewer in that calling than before."
"Shaolan was a curse-breaker, right?"
"Yes. And one of the best." Isane nodded. "When she died, the Fourth Division took the Orchid as its symbol in her honour."
"Oy." Ranma paused. "My Chinese ain't so good. 'Shaolan' means Little Orchid, right?"
"Yes."
"When I'm out and about as a Death God, that part of me uses the name 'Ranko'."
"Orchids again," mused Isane.
"Not the way I think of it. But that other part of me..." He sighed. "The part that wants to be Shinigami..."
Isane drained her teacup, and set it down. "Now, about these scrolls. Masami, may I ask why you are requesting information on the Impureza? This seems to be more our department than yours."
"At the moment, it is both. But I have a Fourth Division Shinigami already on site to assist." Masami glanced pointedly at Ranma. "I thank you for the trouble of delivering them personally, however."
Ranma frowned. "Impureza?"
"I will discuss it with you at a later time."
"No, I think now is good." He turned to Isane. "What is an Impureza?"
Isane sighed. "They are not fortunate, that much is certain. Humans who have been tainted by the psychic venom of a Hollow tend to become darker, more sadistic, and generally unpleasant. They can cause their souls serious damage due to the way they act."
"So if...someone were tainted like this, they become evil?"
Isane shook her head. "Not so much evil; they definitely become selfish, and lose contact with the emotions and motivations of others. Only their own matters to them."
"Not overnight, though?"
"No, it can take years."
Ranma considered this, then asked, "What do you know about Jushenkyou?"
"A terrible place. It gives me nightmares."
"You and me both," snorted Ranma. "What I was thinkin' is, all the Cursed people that I've freed from their Hollows. What are the odds that they're these Impuwhatsits?"
Isane considered this. "There is a possibility, but I would doubt it personally. Generally, the Hollow needs to transfer energy between itself and its victim to infect them. Even then, it only happens one time in about ten.
"However, I would agree that it would be best to be sure. Who in this district has been cursed?"
Ranma began ticking them off on his fingers. "Pops; Mousse; Shampoo - we haven't dealt with her yet; me, but you know the score on that; Ryouga--"
He winced.
Akane looked up in surprise. "Ryouga had a Jushenkyou curse!?"
"Damn..." Ranma thought quickly. "Remember that night he attacked me in the middle of the night? When you found me talkin' to the dog? I thought that that was Ryouga, but it was just the neighbour's dog."
"Oh." Akane nodded.
"Yeah, the whole feud between me an' him is because he figured it was my fault he was cursed."
Akane chuckled. "I never knew that Ryouga could turn into a dog."
"Dog?" Masami looked puzzled. "Then why did his Hollow look like a pig?"
There was a dead silence, broken as Akane's teacup shattered in her grasp.
"Did you say...pig?"
"Yes. One of our officers on a routine patrol saw the fight." Masami scratched her head. "She said that the beast definitely resembled a pig."
Ranma raised his hands. "It's not what you think!"
"You always called him P-Chan, or pig-boy...You objected to him sleeping in my bed--and Ryouga had that crush on me--"
Ranma blinked. "You knew about that?"
"You could see it from space!" Akane stood up, a glower shadowing her face. "You knew! You knew that he was P-Chan, and you never told me!"
"I promised not to!"
"Why?" Akane's eyes glistened with tears. "Why the hell wouldn't you tell me, promise or no? You are--were--my fiance!" She turned and stomped off.
"Akane, wait!" Ranma jumped up and ran after her.
Isane watched the two leave, then turned to Masami. "Is this usual here?"
Masami nodded.
- - - - -
Shampoo dropped the cloth on the table with a snort of disgust.
Whatever had cured Mousse of his curse had also left the blind boy quite ill; with him curled up in bed upstairs, and her great-grandmother off running some errand, it left her the only person in the restaurant. Between the rushes, such as now, she could handle it, but she fervently hoped that Cologne would return before lunch.
The bell rang over the door. Shampoo assumed her most welcoming smile, and turned. "Welcome to--" She cut off. "You!"
Happousai grinned up at the Amazon. "Glad to see me?"
"You go away! Not welcome in place of Amazons!"
"Now, is that any way to speak to your master?" He pulled a small ivory disk out of his robes; Shampoo noted that it was ornately carved, and was instantly wary.
"Catch!" He flipped it to her; she batted it aside, but the instant it touched her skin, she was wracked with pain, as though she were absorbing thousands of volts of electricity.
Her screams were almost drowned out by Happousai's cackles of glee.
- - - - - -
"Akane, please listen to me for once!"
Akane whirled to face him. "You've kept this from me for almost a year! What else haven't you told me? Maybe you're really a girl who turns into a boy?"
"I wanted to tell you, but--"
"But you considered a promise to a low-life like Ryouga to be more important than your fiance!"
"Ever heard of bushido?" Ranma scowled. "This was Ryouga's weak spot; I couldn't tell anyone."
"But you let him sleep in my bed, you let him watch me change - I told him everything!"
"Stuff you couldn't tell me."
"Yes! I--" She paused.
"You see?" Ranma sighed. "Akane, when this whole thing started, we weren't gettin' along too well, and we were still fightin' our Pops on the whole engagement thing."
"But--"
"Akane, you just had your say. It's my turn."
It was the first time she could remember that he'd ever cut her off like that. She clamped her mouth shut and waited.
"First. I didn't let him do anythin'. If you recall, I was constantly tryin' to keep him out of there. Remember? You hit me a lot because of it."
"But--"
"Second." He raised his voice, to cut her off again. "I dropped plenty of hints. Like you put it, you could see it from space!"
"But I--" She paused, the tears now flowing freely from her eyes. "Didn't you care? Didn't it matter to you that Ryouga, with that crush of his, was sleeping in my bed with me?"
"Didn't I just say that?"
"I..." She choked back a sob. "I told him everything, Ranma. Everything about how I felt, when you made me angry."
"And he'd try to pound me over it later."
Her features hardened. "At least he stuck up for me! At least he never lied to me or insulted me! Maybe I would have been better off if I'd listened to him, just once!"
- - - - -
"What a haul!"
The howls of angry women receding behind him, Happousai bounded along the wall, a large sack of silky treasures over his shoulder. He chortled. Liberating such darlings was even easier today, what with--
The walking stick caught him square across his forehead, knocking him off the wall. He picked himself up, and glared at Cologne.
"Haven't you already learned to leave me alone."
Cologne held up a scroll. His eyes widened.
"So that's what this is about."
Cologne's voice was trembling with anger. "It took me three days to completely decipher this scroll. What on earth possessed you to give this to Son-In-Law?"
"He can handle it--"
"No! No-one can handle this!" Cologne hopped down off the wall. "You have no knowledge of Jushenkyou! When I finally learned what this technique will do, what it will set loose on this world--"
"You are quite wrong, my dear." Happousai drew his pipe from his robes and carefully lit it. "I know exactly what effect this technique will have on the boy. And the best part is, you helped him learn it!"
"More fool I. I should have fully transcribed the scroll for him. Instead, I may have doomed him, and many of those around him."
"Now, now...you win some, you lose some." Happousai made a careless wave with the pipe. "But don't give up on the boy yet. You see, you don't really know as much as you claim about Jushenkyou."
Cologne's eyes narrowed. "I have guarded the Cursed Springs for the last hundred years. If anyone else knows--"
A trace of fire crept into Happousai's eyes. "And I have spent the last three thousand years learning all about them, at the most intimate level."
"Three--"
A hand struck the back of her neck, precisely targeting between two vertebrae. Her entire body seemed to light up with pain, and she collapsed helplessly to the ground.
Shampoo knelt next to the old woman, and smiled coldly.
"Out cold, but not dead."
"Good." Happousai drew another mouthful of smoke before continuing. "Keep her restrained. We may yet have a use for her."
- - - - -
Akane stalked into the dojo, and glared at Masami.
"There is no need to stare," said Masami. "I have done nothing wrong."
Akane deflated. "I guess not." She sat down opposite the Shinigami.
"Akane, I am growing more concerned. The taint of the Hollow is growing stronger. Your physical abilities are boosted, but so is your anger and depression."
She scowled again. "My anger, and what you call my depression, are growing because I've just found out that my so-called 'fiance' has betrayed me."
"No. He has not."
"Just like any woman around Ranma. Quick to jump to defend him." Akane stood again. "No need to waste my time talking to you; you're just another bimbo ready to crawl into bed with him--"
Masami was on her feet in a flash, and her hand lashed out almost of its own accord. The echo of the slap was loud in the dojo.
Akane stared at her in shock.
"Have I managed to get past your rage? Is it Akane listening to me now, and not the Hollow?" Masami's voice was cold. "You want to hear me say that I am attracted to Ranma. I am. It is hard not to be. He is handsome, fearless, honourable and kind. In so many ways, he is a most admirable individual."
She scowled. "You--"
"I will do nothing about it. Attraction is one thing. Ranma loves you." Masami scowled. "We can treat your infection. With your assistance, we can probably remove it entirely. But you must want it gone. Do you understand me?"
"And what if I don't want it gone?"
"Then it will consume you. You will lose Ranma, and everyone else you hold dear. You will lose yourself as well." Masami's voice was becoming colder by the second. "Every time you feed your anger, every time you give yourself over to fear, rage or self-doubt, the taint becomes stronger."
- - - - -
Ranko stepped away from her male body, and turned to the two girls.
"Akane...what the heck happened to your cheek?"
Akane scowled at the floor.
"Oh, right, you're still not talking to me." She turned to Masami. "Standard Hollow patrol tonight?"
"No." Masami shook her head. "Isane gave me some interesting information just before you left. A powerful martial artist, with a Jushenkyou Curse, came to the district this morning. She senses multiple Hollows within him; probably, he suffers from more than one Curse."
"Taro."
"We will be proceeding to this individual, and then we will watch you battle him."
"We?" She glanced over at Akane again. "Does this 'we' you're talkin' of include the Tomboy?"
"Yes. I think it is important that she see this."
"Okay. You're the sensei." Ranko unlimbered her nagimaki. "So where's Pantyhose?"
- - - - -
The butt of the nagimaki knocked the Hollows out of Pantyhose. However, it was not two, as Ranko had expected, but five. Ranko backed off worriedly, as they began to coalesce around her.
From the top of a nearby building, Akane and Masami watched the scene below.
"Those five will not remain separate for long; they are too used to working together."
Akane stared in horror. "They're gonna clobber her! I gotta help her!"
"No."
The five forms merged into one, and stretched vertically, until they stood ten meters tall at least. Massive wings stretched out from its back, ten arms reached out in all directions, and the white mask was adorned with two long, wicked horns.
Akane turned to stare at Masami in shock. "What are you saying!?"
Ranko leaped into the air, dodging a claw attack, but was promptly blasted to the ground by an energy attack.
"Did you not turn away from him? Did you not tell him that you were no longer his fiancee?" Masami's voice was cold as an Arctic wind. "Did you not call him traitor, uncaring, liar?"
Ranko picked herself out of the dirt, shook herself off, and raised the nagimaki before her. A second energy blast rippled around her, but failed to connect directly, as though the glaive was shielding her.
"You--you heard me?"
"Quite easily." Masami pointed down at the battle below them. "Do you see that Hollow? It is a Menos Grande - a smaller one, but still very dangerous. They come into being when too many Hollows gather in one area."
Three more Hollows moved into the battle area; Ranko leaped forward and cleanly split its mask, destroying it. The other two ignored her, however, and merged with the larger Hollow.
"Some kind of super Hollow?"
"Yes. They feed voraciously on other Hollows, increasing their size until they can become almost invincible."
Ranko scowled, and jumped in closer to the Menos Grande.
Masami continued relentlessly. "This is the path before you, Akane."
Ranko twisted to the side, dodging another energy blast, and let the turn pull her back towards the Hollow.
"This is where your anger, jealousy, all your negative emotions lead."
The creature raised one massive foot, and stepped on Ranko.
"These emotions feed on each other, and grow."
Ranko grasped the glaive firmly over her head, and the Hollow's foot would not descend to crush her.
"If you let that part of you consume you, this is what you could become."
She slashed, severing half the creature's foot, and was drenched in its blood.
"A monster."
Akane shuddered.
"You have two choices. Let Ranma help you now..."
Ranko leaped backward, her feet touching the tree behind her.
"Or let Ranko help you later."
She leaped into the air, and with one firm strike, cut the Menos' head clear in two.
- - - - -
Akane leaned back against the dojo wall, then collapsed to the floor. Her eyes overflowed with tears.
Masami knelt beside her, and wiped a tear from her cheek.
"That you can still weep tells you that the Impureza has not won."
"I can't let that happen to me," Akane sobbed. "I've gotta...gotta let him know that--"
"No. You don't need to let him know." Masami smiled. "You just need to know it yourself."
Akane looked up at Masami. "I'll do it...I'll help you clear the taint from my soul. I want to be free of it. I hurt him so bad..."
"I will help you."
"Thank you." Akane's voice was almost a whisper.
"Look strong, now. They are coming." Masami stood and turned to face the door, as Ranma and Ranko entered.
"Looks like it was a hell of a fight, Masami." Ranma grinned. "I can't wait to remember it."
"I think you will appreciate it." Masami glanced over at Ranko. "You need to recharge; I think it's time to re-integrate with your other half."
Ranko scowled. "No."
- - - - -
Special thanks to ChaosBurnFlame, who supplied a lot of feedback on this chapter.