Permanent.
Part 19
The Devil in Miss Kuno...
Ranma stood with her hand held up as the creatures charged, Ryoga and Kuno 
gasped in shock as they slammed into an invisible wall in front of them. The 
creatures repeatedly dove into the magic barrier like angry piranha while making 
high pitched screaming sounds that sounded almost human. Ranma smiled as she 
slowly closed her hand into a fist. The creatures began to group together and 
started to move in every direction at once. Ryoga and Kuno watched in awe as the 
girl's actions became clear. Ranma quickly closed her hand tightly and a green 
ooze littered with various chunks of flesh fell to the ground as the creatures 
were crushed in the magical barrier. The girl had a wild and angered look in her 
eyes as she did this; she calmly walked through the remains of the monsters and 
motioned for the boys to follow.
Akane felt the tears burn the left side of her face in intense pain as she 
looked on at the monsters floating slowly towards her, seemingly enjoying her 
terror. The lightning flashed creating a flash of blue light in the hallway 
behind them. The girl stood and held her fists up; she would die fighting like a 
true martial artist. The creatures hesitated for a moment and the grins on their 
faces widened as they finally closed in on her. Another flash of lightning 
caught the girl's eye and she gasped in shock. Out in the hall way covered in 
boards was a window. She grit her teeth and charged through the monsters 
punching and kicking her way through them, they reacted and swarmed around her 
biting viciously into her flesh and tearing at her hair as she rushed forward. 
Finally somehow managing to keep going despite the pain and blood loss she 
slammed into the window breaking through the rotting boards and glass easily. 
She frowned as she saw the ground rush up to her face, it was easily two stories 
up and she did not have the strength to right herself. With a final laugh at the 
irony of the situation she hit the rocky ground with an audible thump and did 
not move. A strange golden light seemed to warm her body as her vision went out. 
"Ranma?" she dared to hope, but the world seemed to fade away as she lay on the 
cool gravel and felt the blood leave her body slowly. 
Kodachi Kuno snarled at the boy as he completed the final rite of the ritual. 
"Now, slay yourself and let the blood flow into the circle." Gosunkugi smiled as 
he lifted the knife into the air and kneeled at the center of the circle. He 
raised the knife into the air over his chest and waited for his release to come 
finally. 
Kodachi watched expectantly with the madness in her eyes becoming clear. She 
raised her hands in triumph as the boy smiled quietly to himself. "Come to me! 
My master!" her words died away in her mouth as she said them. "Master? It 
cannot be! The noble house of Kuno serves on one!" her mind tore desperately 
away from her task. An angry mask of hatred twisted onto her face as she 
realized that she was not the one who wanted the rite performed so badly. "No!" 
she screamed reaching for the boy. A spurt of blood shot across the room somehow 
managing to catch her face. She looked on in terror as the circle gave off a 
golden glow that seemed to suck the light from the room as the blood from the 
boy's wound splattered across the center of the circle.
Gosunkugi screamed in terror as he was thrown from the circle violently as a 
strange gust of wind blasted him in the arm. It was visible and curved almost 
like a blade sending the appendage flying away into a corner. The glowing form 
of the cursed key embedded in his wrist started to spark and sputter violently 
and he watched in terror as it slowly burned his arm away leaving a blackened 
skeleton behind. He looked over at his right arm and saw nothing but a bloody 
stump and started to scream in pain and fear as his nerves finally exploded in 
pain. He rolled over on his side and whimpered pathetically as tears rushed down 
his face. He almost didn't notice the dark shadow looming over him.
"Kodachi!" screamed Ranma as she revealed her presence to the room flanked by 
the two boys. Her face was calm and icy, at his side stood a strange boy and her 
brother.
"So you've come to stop me?! It's to late!" fear now dominated her features as 
she stepped away from the circle in terror. Her face and torso were covered in 
blood from where Ranma had severed the boy's arm preventing him from killing 
himself and finishing the ritual with a wind spell of some sort.
"It's over Kodachi," said the girl flatly as she lowered her arm. Ryoga and Kuno 
were staring at her in shock. "You're not in control, the thing waiting on the 
other side of that gate is."
"Liar!" screamed the girl as she blasted at Ranma with a white bolt. The girl 
casually waved her hand and sent the blast careening into a wall creating an 
explosion that showered debris across the room. 
"You don't have the power to beat me Kodachi, I know every spell in that book 
and hundreds more," said Ranma calmly.
All attention in the room suddenly turned as a low rumbling laughter echoed off 
the walls, the two opposing sides turned slowly to see an immense creature with 
it's torso jutting from the magic circle. "But can you defeat me insolent 
sorceress?" The thing was a dark green color and it towered to the ceiling 
scraping its horns against it as it turned its head and surveyed the 
surroundings. It had huge bat like wings behind its back and two massive horns 
that protruded ten feet behind its head. The demon had its massive arms crossed 
in front of its chest as it glared at them with golden eyes that glowed in the 
darkness.
"I can handle this!" sneered the insane girl as she turned on the beast she had 
summoned.
The creature snorted and waved its hand; Kodachi found herself slammed against 
the wall and lifted by an invisible force. "Do not forget that you serve me now 
wench!"
Gosunkugi staggered to his feet and slowly walked over to Ranma's side clutching 
his arm; blood flowed freely from his mouth and he gave her an appreciative 
smile. "Hello sensei."
The girl shoved him into Ryoga's arms with a casual snort and the boy pulled him 
away seeking refuge by a stone wall.
"He intends to hide like a coward?" said Kuno in shock.
"He's protecting the weak, and my powers can be made stronger by him; but not if 
he fights. Besides, as long as Hikaru lives the spell is incomplete," the 
pigtailed girl pulled a number of small white papers from her sleeve. Kuno 
noticed that Ryoga also had several in his hand as he watched them from behind 
his cover. He was currently tying one of his bandannas onto Gosunkugi's arm 
tightly causing the boy to grit his teeth in agony. "Come on!" cried Ranma as 
she rushed forward to attack the beast.
Kuno launched himself into the air towards the monster with his bokuten in his 
hands and slashed at the creature with all of his strength. The monster snarled 
and raised his palm blasting an energy beam of some kind into his chest. The 
Kendoist screamed as he was thrown back into the ceiling. His eyes went wide as 
a field of energy surrounded him and prevented the impact of both the roof and 
the energy beam.
"What?!" snarled the monster as it glared at him in shock. 
Kuno looked down at his chest in equal shock and noticed the corner of a ward 
jutting from his Hakama. "So, it seems I am protected."
"Not for long!" snarled the demon as its massive claws shot forward and pinned 
the boy to the wall, he screamed in pain as he felt his ribs buckle under the 
pressure. Kuno's arm was still free though and he tossed his wooden sword 
desperately into the demon's face. It howled in rage and pain as the blade 
struck home and impaled his eye forcing him to release the kendoist.
"How!?" screamed the thing in rage as it pulled the sword from its eye.
"The ritual was incomplete, you're as mortal as we are demon," said Ranma with a 
smirk appearing on her face as she stood in the doorway to the laboratory with 
several wards ready. 
The beast snarled and reached out for her only to impact on a gold colored 
shield that surrounded her. It screamed in pain as energy danced up its arm, but 
still pushed forward through the barrier grabbing the sorceress. Ranma looked up 
calmly as the thing clutched her torso pinning her arms to her sides, she could 
smell its flesh burning against the wards in her hands. She frowned slightly 
when the creature ignored the pain and started to squeeze her body.
Ryoga stood from behind his cover. "Ranma!" he took off one of his bandannas and 
tossed it at the creature's head only to have them easily batted away.
"So, there are other pests as well," it snorted calmly as Ranma screamed in its 
grip.
Ryoga dove back beside Gosunkugi and slapped him hard across the face to keep 
him awake. "Stay up damn it! If you die we all do!" The boy nodded and struggled 
visibly to keep himself from passing out. Ryoga growled as the blood still 
flowed freely from the boy's arm despite his efforts to stop it. He turned and 
saw Ranma still in the creature's grasp and closed his eyes with a strange light 
forming around his body; he wasn't sure if the connection between them was still 
there, but he was damn well going to try. 
The pigtailed girl's hair went wild suddenly breaking free of its ties and 
floating over her head as if pulled upward by a strong wind; her eyes went white 
and seemed to glow with unnatural power. The monsters arm started to swell 
slightly as black acidic blood poured through several cracks that had appeared 
along the length of it's arm. "Die witch!" it screamed at her as it finally 
clenched its fist down all the way.
The glass ceiling of the greenhouse like portion of the laboratory shattered as 
a blood covered figure fell through the windows and screamed in rage as it 
impacted against the monster's arm in a diving punch. The pigtailed girl's spell 
finally pushed it to its limits and the arm shattered severing it completely 
from the monster's arm. It screamed in rage and pain. "Don't just stand there! 
Fight!" it screamed at Kodachi.
The girl looked up at it and then back to Ryoga and Gosunkugi. "I serve no one!" 
she retorted angrily as she dashed forward and pulled a ribbon out from behind 
her back. She charged and changed direction as she neared the demon's head, 
closing in on Ranma. The girl was standing perfectly still fearlessly in front 
of the demon with a blue aura surrounding her, Kodachi snarled as the demon 
smiled and moved it's remaining hand as if he was moving a puppet.
Another figure jumped out from the shadows and slammed into Kodachi with a roar 
of anger. The girl turned to face the offender and smiled slightly. "Who dares 
to oppose the Black Rose?" 
It was a girl, she was covered in the black blood of the demon mixed with the 
red of her own. Her hair was mangled and matted against her head while her face 
was nothing but a huge red stain with a single eye on the right side glaring 
angrily at the gymnast. "You're not going near my friend!" she screamed in rage.
Ryoga stepped away from Gosunkugi and stared in shock at the figure, the glow he 
had gained in his concentration wavered for a moment. "A-Akane?" 
The girl nodded silently and clutched her arm in pain as the demonic blood 
started to eat away at her skin. She held her resolve and stepped towards 
Kodachi wordlessly. 
Kuno managed to stand again and looked on in shock at the Tendo girl. He managed 
to pull his bokuten up defensively and snarled at Kodachi. "If you hurt her 
sister..." He was not in good shape and it was easy to see; he was leaning 
against the wall with one of his wings hanging limply at his back.
"You'll what? You're in no condition to..." it was as far as she got before the 
Tendo girl jumped at her with a feral sounding scream. She slammed her fist into 
the girl's jaw sending Kodachi to the ground hard. The gymnast stood and glared 
at her before spinning her ribbon into the air and catching the girl around the 
neck. It was all Akane's body could take, she collapsed on the ground just as 
the demon's fist sailed over her head and slammed into the blue field around 
Ranma. The claw was sent flying away into the wall and crushed the stone wall 
behind the beast as it focused all of its attention on destroying the young 
sorceress.
Ranma's eyes opened again and she spoke the final passage to her spell. The 
magic circle below the demon started to grow blue as a swirling whirlpool of 
energy started to form around its chest. "Nooooo!!!"
The creature was sucked into the vortex as a strong wind started to form inside 
of the room, it groped around and Kodachi's face changed suddenly to a look of 
uncomprehending bewilderment. "What happened?" she looked down at the broken 
figure on the end of her ribbon in confusion. 
"Sister," gasped Kuno as he stepped towards her.
"Tachi?" said the girl as she turned to face him. The look on her face was 
peaceful and confused; it was the way he would remember her for the rest of his 
life. The demonic claw swooped down as the creature desperately clung for any 
purchase as it was sucked back into its level of hell. Kodachi vanished into the 
claw with a scream of terror as it clutched her and vanished into the swirling 
blue that pulled at him and everyone else in the room. He staggered back and 
clutched the wall with a look of shock and terror crossing his face yet again. 
"S-sister?"
Ranma appeared beside him pulling desperately at his arm with Akane over her 
shoulder. "Come on! Move it!" she screamed, she spared a glance over towards 
Gosunkugi and Ryoga and saw them vanish into the doorway they had entered from. 
She struggled with the two dead weights as Kuno had simply shut down. The vortex 
reached its peak and tore bricks and stone from the floor and walls sucking 
everything it could into the porthole it had created. Finally she made it to the 
doorway and fell through with both of them crashing across the ground in front 
of her.
Ryoga stared at Ranma as she sat over Akane with a white light in her hands 
doing her best to repair what damage she could. The young martial artist writhed 
in pain as the burning coursed through her body, but managed to stay silent 
despite the pain.
"What can you do? What happened to her?" gasped Ryoga desperately as he 
inspected Gosunkugi's wound, fortunately the boy had passed out and could not 
feel anything for the time being.
Tatewaki looked over at them with a dead expression on his face. "The scream we 
heard earlier."
Ranma merely nodded and continued her work. The bleeding had stopped, but she 
would not heal completely. "She's going to live, it's all I can do." With that 
she stepped over to Hikaru's side and grabbed his arm. The boy shot awake and 
started to scream as the flames of Ranma's healing power burned his entire body. 
The girl stood up and looked between the pair, Kuno was hurt as well, but he 
would survive. She fell to the ground in exhaustion and slept.
Akane turned her head and looked at the girl in concern, Ryoga leaned in and 
smiled at her warmly. "Don't worry, she just over did it a bit; she'll be fine." 
A comprehending look crossed the Tendo girl's face as she followed Ranma's 
example and passed out quietly.
Akane woke up in her room at the Tendo house. She staggered to her feet and 
wavered slightly. "Was it a dream?" she asked herself as she looked at her hands 
in shock. Slowly she walked out of her room and into the hallway; idly she ran 
her hand along the back of her neck and froze. Her hair was gone, she reached up 
and felt the short cut of her youth there. For a moment a deep fear rose in her 
heart as she fingered it slowly, but it quickly died away as she turned to see 
the sun shining brightly into the home from the back porch. 
Sitting around the table where her friends. Ranma and Ryoga sat directly across 
from Gosunkugi and Kuno. Her father and sisters were also in the room but 
appeared to be distracted by something slightly.
Akane turned and saw the three Amazon women from the Cat Café emerge from the 
kitchen and move over to the table with a few bowls of ramen in their hands. 
Ryoga looked up at her and stood slowly touching Ranma's shoulder gently.
The pigtailed girl slowly looked up at her and smiled weakly, she didn't look 
well. Akane gasped and stepped back from the scene. Her family looked almost as 
disheveled and tired as Ranma did.
"Ranma? What's going on?" she managed as she made her way down the stairs. Soun 
stood up and rushed her grabbing her in his arms in a rough hug followed by both 
Nabiki and Kasumi. Tears ran down her family's faces as she found herself 
overwhelmed by them.
Ranma stood up and walked behind them with a quiet smile on her face waiting for 
them to finish the reunion. Soun and his daughters had to be pulled away from 
her as she struggled away from them in confusion. Akane glanced around in 
confusion, she noticed Hikaru Gosunkugi stand and walk out of the house, his 
right shirtsleeve on his school uniform was rolled up and pinned just below the 
stump on his shoulder. Kuno nodded to himself and ruffled his wings lazily as he 
followed the boy; neither of them looked interested in the moment. The kendoist 
had a haunted and rather vacant manner about him that got a small sympathetic 
stare from her. He walked by seeming to not notice her and turned up the stairs 
heading for Ranma's room and entering it quietly.
The pigtailed girl walked between them and stopped in front of Akane, she reared 
back her hand and slapped her hard across the face with tears running down her 
cheeks. Akane looked shocked and hurt by the action. 
"I'm sorry," she muttered without looking back at her.
"That isn't going to cut it Akane!" screamed Ranma angrily. "You almost died!"
"But last night you..." stammered the girl in shock.
"Last night?!! Akane you've been halfway dead for two weeks!" screamed the 
pigtailed girl with a sudden rage appearing on her face. "Never ever do that to 
me or your family again!"
"B-but..." Akane a look of terror crossed her face as she stepped back away from 
the girl.
"But nothing! Akane..." Ranma rushed into her arms and sobbed holding her 
tightly. "You idiot," she managed after a moment.
"Ranma?" gasped the girl, she had never seen her act this way before.
The pigtailed girl kissed Akane gently on the lips causing her to freeze up in 
embarrassed shock. "I love you, you stupid girl. Good bye." With that she turned 
and walked out of the Tendo home never looking back once. Akane stepped forward 
and held out her hand in confusion. Ryoga and the Amazons followed her slowly 
out giving Akane sharp and relieved glances as they walked by her.
"Ranma? Wait!" she rushed out of the house after the girl and stopped as she saw 
a large truck vanish around the corner. "What's going on?"
"Ranma felt it would be best to leave Akane," said her father as he took her 
shoulder and pulled her close to him. "Rather than risk something like this 
happening again. She was careless and let you leave the house alone to face the 
sorceress. You almost died."
The girl turned and looked at her father for a moment before hanging her head in 
shame. "But I..."
"You did not listen when Ranma warned you against it," he said simply. Akane had 
never seen her father look this serious before. 
"She left because I..." Akane trailed off and looked down the road. "Where is 
she going?"
"She plans to stay in Nerima for a time, she'll be staying with the Amazons as a 
part of their tribe," Soun turned away and went back into the home. "She spoke 
with us about it the night after you returned."
Akane nodded her head and walked back into the house. "I'll see her again then?"
"I don't know Akane, she may not want to see you," said her father calmly as he 
closed the door behind him.
The girl stood in the street for a long time, her hand went up to her lips and 
she wiped them gently, the kiss was still lingering there and she wasn't sure 
what to say or do. Finally she walked back into the house. 
Kasumi turned and saw her sister walk by the kitchen, she tentatively walked 
over to her and hugged her yet again. "Akane, I'm so sorry."
The girl was still in mild shock and merely shook her head in agreement. She 
brushed her bangs back idly as her mind still felt numb somehow.
"Akane, does it hurt very much?" Kasumi leaned in and looked worried as she 
raised her hand to her sister's face.
"Does what hurt?" asked Akane with a sudden sense of dread creeping into her 
voice.
Kasumi's eyes went wide when she realized that her sister didn't know yet. 
"Akane, I need you to sit down..." The young Tendo girl rushed away passing 
Nabiki and her father in the living room, she slammed open the bathroom door and 
rushed up to the mirror. What met her was more than she could take. The family 
shuddered as a scream erupted from the doorway.
Akane's hand shook as she reached up to touch the black and red mark that took 
up most of the left side of her face. A yellow and hollow looking, pupil-less, 
eye stared back at her from the center of the mark where the strange eyeball 
monsters had burned her face. Her reflection simply looked back in terror and 
she collapsed to her knees holding herself and shivering.
Dr. Ono Tofu walked up to the house and smiled as Soun Tendo met him at the 
door. "She's awake Doctor," he said quietly.
Tofu wondered why he didn't look happy. "Is something wrong Tendo?"
"Yes, but my daughter has her heath again, I can only pray that this is the end 
of this business," said the man with a small sad smile.
"Ranma gave her OK? She's been purified of the blood in her system?" Tofu gave 
the man a hopeful smile.
"She said only time would tell, and that she had done all she could to help 
her," Soun ushered him into the home and had him sit at the table to wait 
patiently.
A few moments later her two sisters carefully led the still shaking form of 
Akane Tendo out of the bathroom. She looked up at the man and smiled weakly. 
"Hello Doctor," she said quietly.
Tofu smiled warmly at her, she was a very brave young girl, despite everything 
that had happened to her over the past few weeks. He could still see the warmth 
in her face as he stood and took her from the two girls. "I need to do a few 
tests Akane, we aren't sure you're completely healed just yet."
She nodded and followed him after taking a moment to regain her composure.
TBC... 
Next time: The Aftermath... Ranma deals with living with the Amazons; Ryoga 
tries to put his feelings in perspective, and Ranma's as well. Plus, find out 
some of the details about what happened to everyone during Akane's recovery. 
 
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