Tenchi and Ranma, together forever!?
CH3, Demon and devils, O my.


     Vacation was over, and like fish returning to their birthplace,
students from all over Japan were converging on their schools. 
Traveling down the alleys and lanes, converging on the main streets,
and forming a solid mass, as different in reaction and behavior as
they were similar in appearance.  From above a witness would have
seen many different reactions to the prospect of the first day of
school.  From the students who were eager to renew old
acquaintances, to the students who had 'heard' about their new
teacher, and were not looking forward at all to making their
acquaintance. 
     But even in this mass of humanity moving at different speeds
and with varying degrees of enthusiasm, the casual onlooker would
have found their eyes being drawn to one particular pair of young
people. 
     It was not that the boy was unusual, he was very not unusual,
and in any other company, would have passed without a moments
notice being taken, but his companion, now she drew the eye.  It was
not just her clothing, though that was certainly enough to attract
attention.  The black pants and red shirt were most unusual attire for
a young girl, and despite the looseness of her shirt, it was not
difficult to tell through the thin material that she wore nothing under
it.  Many a boy on their way to school, walked into a lamp post, or if
they were unlucky a fire hydrant, upon noticing the girl, and taking
the time to give her an appreciative glance.
     But even that was not the first thing that drew the eye.  Was it
her hair, a brilliant red, done up in a heavy braid that fell down the
small of her back and reached nearly to her waist.  That braid danced
and swayed as the girl capered with all the appearance of great joy. 
But even that, despite its rich and unusual color was not what first
drew the eye to the girl.  What in the end caused every eye to look
their way was that the girl was doing her capering on the top of a
narrow fence nearly seven feet in height. 

     Tenchi looked up at the small girl dancing along the top of the
fence, and could not help but smile.  Ranma seemed to radiate joy,
and just being in her presence drove some of the dark shadows that
had recently been haunting him away.  He turned his gaze away
from her, and said in a half joking tone.
     "I don't know what you're so happy about.  Missing school is
no big deal to you.  From what you told me, you've missed more
than you've attended.  Aren't you afraid you'll grow up ignorant and
poor?"
     "Don't got to worry about that.  I'm going to marry a sucker,
and he'll support me in comfort.  Ain't that right sucker?  Tenchi
just snorted.
     "Besides, It ain't missing school that's got me so happy, that's
just icing.  It's what your old man did to pop yesterday." Ranma
exuberantly leaped high into the air, and managed two and half
somersaults before landing, one handed, back on the fence.  With a
little shove she flipped back to her feet.  "Yep, your pop got the old
man real good."
     Tenchi's mind wondered back to the day before.  His father had
just returned from work, and over supper, had brought up the subject
of school.
     
     "Nani?  You mean Ranma does not have a single school
uniform.  That's no good, she won't be able to attend till she gets at
least one."
     Genma looked a little embarrassed.  "Well, Masaki, you know
how it is.  We've been on the road for the last ten years, spare money
is hard to come by, all we had went to keeping us fed, and to pay for
transportation.  I don't suppose you could lend us a hand until I get
my feet under me."
     "I can do better then that," Nobuyuki enthused.  "I checked the
notice board at work, and there's a vacancy in the janitorial staff.  I
put in a good word for you, and if you go in with me tomorrow, I can
practically guarantee you'll get it."
     Genma felt a little panicked at the sudden, and unexpected,
prospect of working, but he had long ago learned to keep such things
from showing on his face.  "That's sounds wonderful Masaki," he
said, but then he let his face fall in seeming disappointment, lifting a
finger he shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and said in a
serious voice.  "But alas, I can't afford to be away from my daughter
at this time.  This is a very unsettling point in her life, and I have to
be there for her.  The job plus the commute would mean she would
be alone from the time she got up, till the very late at night.  You
understand don't you?"
     Nobuyuki's face went stiff, and he turned himself away from
the table, and away from Genma.  Crossing his arms over his chest,
he snorted in derision.  "Don't lie to me Genma.  I know exactly why
you don't want to take this job."
     "Cause he's allergic to work." Ranma whispered to Tenchi as
she raised a glass of water to her mouth.
     "It's because you don't trust my Tenchi with your daughter's
virtue."
     Ranma sprayed water all over the table, and her father, who
had facefaulted across the top of it. 
     <That's not it. Ranma would never . . .> Genma hastily
scrawled on a sign, which Nobuyuki did not see, as his back was
turned to Genma.  Ranma, meanwhile, was trying to expel the
several ounces of water that had run down her windpipe.
     Tenchi was big sweating, this was only the second time he had
witnessed Genma's transformation, and it was going to take awhile
to get use to seeing an enormous black panda popping up out of
nowhere.  Then Ranma's distress became apparent, and he swatted
the choking girl on the back in an effort to get her breathing going
again.  His father ignored them and kept on talking to Genma.
     "If you can't trust my only son, my heir, my reason for life, the
last reminder I have of his dear sweet mother.  Well, if you can't
trust him, I don't know how I can continue to support this
marriage." Both Tenchi and Ranma, who had finally recovered her
breath, perked up at this.
     Genma big sweated, then after a minute he wrote, <You say all
I have to do is show up with you, and I have the job?> He held the
sign out in front of Nobuyuki.
     "My friend.  How could I have ever doubted you?" Nobuyuki
cried, spinning around and jumping to his feet, he embraced Genma,
then looking over the shoulder of the seated panda, he winked at
Ranma and Tenchi, who's faces had dropped into expressions that
seemed to say, 'I knew it was to good to be true.' Later on Ranma
had realized just what Nobuyuki had maneuvered her father into,
and had been laughing ever since. 

     "Man, I never thought I see the day that someone put
something over on the old man like that.  Serves the old fart right.  I
hope he enjoys his days mopping floors and scrubbing toilets."
     
     Tenchi big sweated, and wondered what Ranma would be
saying if she had witnessed Nobuyuki's meeting with Tenchi after
supper.

          After taking a little while to think about the conversation at
dinner, Tenchi had come to realize just how much his father had
praised him.  He had been filled with happiness and pride.  It was
doomed to be short lived however.  Tenchi had been on his way
upstairs to get his books ready for school the next day, when he had
met his father in the hallway.  Looking both ways to make sure he
was not observed, Nobuyuki had sidled over to Tenchi and given him
a small box. 
     "I've done my part son, now make your father proud.  Just be
careful." Nobuyuki had wiped a tear from his eye, turned, and
marched away.  Tenchi had looked after him in puzzlement.  Then
he had looked at the small box in his hand, and seen it was a box of
condoms.  His chin had sunk to his chest, and he had moaned, "He
never changes."

     Tenchi decided it would more then likely be a good idea not to
mention that box to Ranma.
Instead he asked, "So, what do you plan on doing today?"
     "Don't know, just bum around, get to know the area, find out
where the soft touches are, that sort of thing.  You want I should
meet you after school?"
     "That's fine, I need to pick up some food.  Knowing dad, the
only thing in the house is likely old take out."
     Ranma snorted, "Not likely, not with pop there.  There is no
such thing as leftovers when he's around."
     Tenchi wisely kept his mouth shut, not knowing the meaning of
the word leftover must run in the family, if the way Ranma had eaten
last night was any indication.  Just as Tenchi's train of thought
reached that station, the school gates came into sight.  "Well, here
we are.  Enjoy your day."
     "Thanks, I will." Ranma said with grin, and with a final  wave
of her hand, jumped from the top of the fence, to the roof of the
building across the street, and from there, out of sight.  Tenchi
sighed, and for a moment wished he could follow her, in more ways
then one, but then responsibility reared it's ugly head, and head
down, he trudged through the gate, and into the school.


     "Gee, thanks mister, you sure are sweet."
     The boy behind the bakery counter smiled at the bubbly little
red head, and wished his shift was over.  "It's nothing," he said. 
"How could I let a cute girl like you waste away from hunger?" Then
looking around to see where his boss was, he leaned over the
counter, and said.  "If you come back at nine, I'll take you out for a
real meal.  My parents are away, and I happen to know they have a
pair of steaks stashed away in the freezer."
     "Oooo, that's sounds great." The kawaii girl said, but then her
face fell, "but my fiancee can't make it tonight, could we do it some
other night?" 
     The counter boy face faulted.  "Aa, no, I don't think so, my
parents will be back tomorrow."
     "O, too bad, maybe some other time.  Bye."

     Ranma walked down the street stuffing her face with the
contents of various boxes.  Buns, cookies, meat pastries, all
disappeared down her throat.  For awhile she had been afraid that
her new neighborhood was going to be a bust in the food scamming
area.  It seemed as if every booth was maned by sour old farts that
never smiled, let alone gave away food to cute little girls.  Then a
couple of hours ago, most every booth had suddenly been maned by
young boys, and ever since Ranma had been making out like a
bandit.  She had made out so well as a matter of fact, that she was
almost full, almost.  Suddenly an  altercation drew her attention. 
     One of the old skinflints that had shooed her away earlier was
yelling at a boy dressed in a yellow shirt with green pants tied tightly
to his legs from the knees down.  He had a shaggy mop of black hair
that was barely controlled by a yellow and black head band.  There
was something about him that seemed familiar, and Ranma moved
closer in an effort to hear what the fight was about.
     "You little punk.  You think it's funny playing stupid jokes on
busy men?  You ask where Nerima is and I tell you go south.  What
do you do?  You go west.  Then you have the nerve to show back up
here fifteen minutes later and ask me the very same question.  Well
boy, why don't I just call an officer?  I'm sure he'd love to help you
go where you need to go.  RIGHT TO THE HOOSGOW!!"
     "Nani?" The black haired boy exclaimed, backing away from
the furious old man. "But I didn't do anything.  All I did was ask for
directions." He looked like he wanted to curl up and die.  His face
was blazing red, and he kept darting looks at all the people the old
mans yelling was attracting.
     "Asking for direction?  Playing jokes on an old man why don't
you say?  Well I can play jokes too boy.  Like the one where I tell the
officer I caught you stealing food from my booth."
     "O dry up you old fart!" Ranma said. Both the old man and the
shaggy haired boy turned in surprise to look at the source of the
interruption.  The old man with anger, the boy with gratitude.  "You
go ahead call the cops and tell a lie like that, and I'll tell them how
you copped a feel while I was in here earlier." While the old man
turned red and began to sputter incoherently, Ranma grabbed the
hand of the black haired boy and dragged him away.

     Several minutes later they arrived at the train station.  "There
you go, you just buy a ticket, and you'll be in Nerima in no time."
     The black haired boy had been silent the whole trip to the train
station, now he tried to thank Ranma for saving him.  Tried, but
without much success, he was mostly incoherent, and did not seem
able to look Ranma in the eye.  Ranma was pleased however to note,
that it was not because he was too busy looking at another portion of
her anatomy.  
     In the last three months she had come to recognize the several
types of boys in her  age bracket.  By far the most common, because
they went out of their way to meet her, were the brash type who hit
on every cute girl they saw.  Ranma enjoyed manipulating them, and
had ended up with many a free meal as a result.  They always had to
push it however, and Ranma almost always ended up breaking
something fragile, which seriously compromised  the prospects for
more free food.  
     Far rarer, because they never approached her, was the
terminally shy types.  Ranma was only aware of them because of the
way they tended to peep at her from around corners and behind
bushes.  They could be distinguished from the common garden
variety peeping tom by the fact that their faces were generally a
bright crimson.  Ranma was very found of them.  They tended to
leave boxes of chocolates and flowers where she would be sure to
find them.  The flowers she trashed, but the chocolates disappeared
rapidly down a completely different disposal system.  The best thing
about these boys was that they never got up the nerve to try anything,
and as such remained a constant source of candy for as long as
Ranma was in their area and gave them the slightest bit of
encouragement. 
     This was obviously a prime example of the species.  Ranma
looked away from him, taking in the sights around her, waiting for
him to get himself together enough to say thank you, and maybe slip
her a little something for her trouble.  There was an ice cream
vendor at the train station, and a cone would hit the spot right about
now.  To bad he was leaving on the train, he looked like he might
have been good for all sorts of no strings attached gifts. Then her
eyes fell on the station clock, and she suddenly realized why the food
booths had suddenly been filled with young guys.  It was six o'clock,
school had been out for two hours. 
     "Sorry, got to go!" she shouted at the black haired boy, already
several feet away and accelerating.  Her sudden hasty retreat jarred
the boy enough that he managed to get out.  "Wait, at least tell me
your name." 
     "Ranma, Ranma Saotome," she called over her shoulder, just
before vanishing around the left hand corner.
     "Ranma, what a sweet name." The rather bemused boy said,
then his eyes flew open and he shouted in shock.  "Ranma
Saotome!?" He took several steps after the departed girl, but then
rationality reared it's head.  "Hold it," he said to himself, "Ranma's
a boy, and that was a girl.  The only way that could be Ranma would
be if . . . he . . . had . . ."  Suddenly the boy's eyes widened again,
"Jusenkyo" he whispered to himself.  Then he screamed, "Curse you
Ranma, how dare you play with me like that!  I will have my
revenge!"
     He rushed off intent on catching the fleeing girl before she got
to far.  Reaching the corner he turned right, and kept going . . . . .
and going . . . . . . . . and going.

     A few hours later filming on a climatic scene in the galaxies
most popular soap opera was interrupted as a strange biped ran
across the set, destroying the main support column as he did so. 
     "I don't believe it, that's the third time this month!!" The
producer, and main sponsor, screamed as he oozed out of the
wreckage.   "Get me the galaxy police, I want that barbarian
caught."

     Ranma heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that Tenchi was
not waiting at the gate.  Tenchi was a nice guy, but he was a little bit
of a pushover.  She'd been afraid he'd have spent the last two hours
waiting for her.  Hopefully he'd seen she was not coming after a
short time and was at home now.  She started in that direction, and
the roof of the school exploded.  She whipped around and stared at
the smoking building in surprise, and then she saw two figures
moving in an unmistakable pattern on the roof.  A grin crossed her
face and she began to race across the yard towards the school.  O
boy, o boy, she thought to herself, just what I need to make this a
perfect day, a fight.

     Up on the roof of the school, Tenchi was running for his life. 
The demon from the cave had followed him, and now in the guise of
a cute girl named Ryouko, was intent on revenging herself on Tenchi
for the crimes of his ancestor Yosho.  He dodged left, just in time to
avoid being fried by a bolt of energy that blew a large hole in the
roof.  Suddenly the steady stream of force bolts stopped, and Tenchi
ducked behind a roof vent to catch his breath, then remembering the
way the demon had cut one of the other vents in half, he rolled out
from behind it, looking frantically for the demons present location. 
What he saw caused him to freeze in shock.
     A small girl with waist length red hair done up in a single
braid was facing off against the demon.
     "Ranma, get out of there!" Tenchi yelled.  "It's the demon from
the cave." 
     "This is the dried up old mummy you told me about?" Ranma
asked in surprise.
     Tenchi big sweated at the look Ryouko shot his way.  "Dried _
Up _ Old _ Mummy!" she hissed from between clenched teeth.  A
ball of energy formed in her hand, and then when she closed her
hand tightly, it extended into a glowing sword.  Once she reached
that point however, Ryouko did not seem to know which person to
attack.  Then Ranma took the decision away from her.
     "Demon?  Then I guess I don't got to worry about hurting you."
Ranma said.  Ryouko looked surprised, then gestured for Ranma to
give it her best shot, smiling a fang filled grin as she did so.  The
smile disappeared quickly however when she only just managed to
fade out of the path of Ranma's kick.  Ranma cursed, and just barely
managed to duck under the glowing bar of Ryouko's energy sword 
as she materialized behind Ranma.  Tenchi watched in amazement
as Ranma and Ryouko proceeded to put on a dazzling display of
agility and speed.  
     The demon would throw a force bolt, and Ranma would be long
gone by the time it got to where she had been.  Ranma would throw a
kick or punch and Ryouko would fly above her attack, or fade from
sight and reappear close behind Ranma.  Ranma soon learned to
move quickly when the demon faded, and was generally no where
near the place that Ryouko appeared, but she kept up the tactic,
trying to guess where Ranma was going to be when she reappeared.

     Ranma stood panting, looking at the figure of the demon who
was leaning against the side of the stairwell, smirking at her.  She
was not even breathing hard.  Ranma on the other hand had to use
all her will power to keep her legs from trembling, she was down to
her last chance, she had strength enough for one more try, and then
she was done for, which meant she had better make it count. Damn
her, she thought, how the hell does she do that disappearing trick? 
Is it an illusion?  Does she have some way to make herself invisible? 
Maybe she's moving so fast I can't see her do it.  Naa, that can't be
it, if she were that fast the fight would already be over.  Ranma
started to replay the fight in her mind, trying to find a solution to the
current deadlock..  
     One of the prime tenets of the Anything goes school of Martial
Arts, was observation.  Ranma could recount move for move, second
by second, a fight she had been in weeks before, now she applied that
ability to her current fight, replaying every move the demon had
made, looking for a weak spot.  Then her eyes widened, and she
called up every instance where the demon had pulled the vanishing
trick.  
     She's not moving her body when she shifts between locations
Ranma thought to herself. What ever position her body is in when
she vanishes, she's in the same position when she reappears.  Right
down to the most miniscule tensing of muscles.  That eliminated the
possibility that she was moving in such a way as to render herself
invisible.  Now the big question was, could she see what was going
on when she was traveling from place to place.  Ranma was pretty
sure she could not, but there was only one way to find out for sure.
     "All right demon, this is where it ends."
     "All rested?" Ryouko said, giving a yawn before moving away
from the stairwell, and towards Ranma.  "Good. I was getting bored. 
Let's finish this so I can go back to playing with Tenchi."
     "O, I'll finish it alright, but the only ones you'll be playing with
are your fellow demons in hell." Ranma said as she started her rush. 
As had already happened many times before, Ryouko vanished just
before Ranma's blow could fall.  
     As soon a she faded Ranma began her windup.  Spinning in
place, she used every muscle in her body, and the last dregs of
energy in them, to accelerate her foot to where she estimated the
demon's head would be when she reappeared.  It was a show boat
move, something Ranma would never use in a fight, it was
impossible to do it without telegraphing your intent well before it
could land.  If the demon could see in her invisible state, then
Ranma was toast, if not, well, she was in for a very rude awakening.
     The demon appeared, bare inches away from where Ranma had
estimated, easily close enough to correct her foots trajectory.  With a
sound audible for several hundred feet Ranma's shoeless foot
crashed into the demons chin, causing her head to whip to the side
and forcing her to take a step backward in order to stay on her feet.  
     Ranma let out an yell of accomplishment as she let the follow
through from her kick carry her around in a circle until she was
again facing the demon.  Her victory cry died in her throat, and her
eyes bugged out as she saw the demon straightening up, to all
appearances non the worse for having been hit by the most powerful
blow Ranma had ever thrown. 
     Lifting a hand to her chin, the demon wiggled it back and forth
slightly, then using her thumb, she wiped the corner of her mouth. 
Holding her thumb in front of her face she looked at the tiny smear
of blood on it.  Then she grinned broadly at Ranma.  "Nice move
red." She said mockingly, then her smile turned sinister, and she
rubbed her fist in the palm of her other hand.  "Now it's my turn."
     Ranma just stood there, unable to move, she had given it
everything she had, had delivered a perfect blow, one that should
have finished the fight, and all she had done was amuse the demon.
What was worse, she had temporally depleted her reserves, the fight
had taken a lot out of her, and the effort she had just expended had
left her utterly drained.  Given a few seconds to rest, she would be
able to recover.  It did not look like the demon was going to give her
those seconds.  She stood there, arms hanging a her side, lacking
even the strength to make a token defense, as the demon drew back
her fist, but before anything could happen, she felt herself being
picked up by the waist and carried into the stairwell.  

     Tenchi took the stairs three at a time, barely fazed, thanks to a
healthy jolt of adrenaline, by the hundred and fifteen pounds of
curvy, but very muscular, red head in his arms.  Ranma just hung
there limp, offering no objection to being manhandled.  Suddenly an
explosion at the top of the stairs blew them off the steps and sent
them tumbling head over heels down to the lower hallway.  They
rolled up against the far wall with a thump.  For a moment Tenchi
sat there waiting for his head to stop spinning.  Then a voice from
above galvanized him.

     "Don't hurt yourselves," the demon's voice mocked.  "I want to
do that myself."
     "Still want to stay and fight?" Tenchi asked from his position
on the floor beside Ranma.
Ranma just looked at him blankly.  Tenchi groaned, Looks like it's
up to me, he thought, Ranma's out of it.  Dragging the unresisting
girl to her feet by one hand, he looked around wildly for someplace
to hide.  Spying the open door to the science classroom, he headed
towards it, pulling Ranma along behind him.  

     Tenchi quickly, but quietly, slid the door shut and hunkered
down beside Ranma, below the level of the windows lining the
hallway.  He held his breath as he watched Ryouko's shadow move
across the far wall, and then sighed in relief when she failed to
discover their presence.
     "She playing with us." said a quiet voice beside him.
     "Huu," Tenchi said, turning to look at Ranma.  The vacant look
had disappeared from her face, and had been replaced by an
expression of deep thought, she looked like she was in pain.
     "I said she's playing with us.  I thought she had a few tricks,
but was nothing special.  The way she took that kick . . . she could
take us anytime she wanted.  So, she's playing with us.  But why?" 
     "Maybe she wants to make me suffer, she is out for revenge for
Yosho's locking her away
all those years ago after all."
     "Hmm, maybe, but there might be something else.  Then she
straightened up, her face taking on an excited look. Tenchi!" she
exclaimed, "you said the magic sword was nothing but a mass of
rust, despite the hilt looking good.  Where's the hilt?"
     Tenchi was puzzled, but he answered Ranma's query.  "In my
book bag.  It's probably still in my desk where I left it.  Why?  What
good is it?  The rest of it fell apart back in the cave.  I only kept the
hilt because I was in such a hurry to get out of the cave I forgot to
put it back."
     "Which is probably why the demon is walking the halls right
now.  I bet you anything the magic is in the hilt.  I thought it was
awfully funny when you said it was still in perfect condition after
seven hundred years.  I may not have much education, but I've heard
a lot of stories in the last ten years.  It's sometimes seemed like pop
went out of the way to take me to places where weird stuff happened
a long time ago.  You, the sword, and that demon are classic. 
Descendant of demon killer awakens demons, demons do nasty
things, then just before he gets killed, he discovers his legacy and
destroys demons.  If I've seen it once, I've seen it a million times."
Ranma laughed out loud, "We ain't got a thing to worry about."
     Tenchi laughed along with her, "That's great, you've really
seen this sort of thing before?  I thought that sort of thing only
happened in stories these days."  A sudden explosion caused Tenchi
to revise his statement, "I mean, I didn't think they happened all the
time, so you've seen demons in real life before.  That makes me feel
better."
     "Well, not in real life, but just about every anime I ever saw
always worked that way.  Let's go get that demon!" Ranma started
towards the door, only to be brought up short by Tenchi catching
hold of her arm.
     "You mean to say," Tenchi hissed at her, "you expect me to
risk my life because it always turned out ok in the anime.  Are you
crazy?  Those are real energy blasts she's throwing, not drawing's on
an animation cell! . . ." suddenly Tenchi's eyes glazed over, "the
energy blasts, every time she draws energy, the gem on her wrist
glows.  I forgot about them, their in the legend too.  She gets her
power from them, all we have to do is get them off her, and she's
powerless." Tenchi laughed out loud.  "It's so easy," he enthused.
     "Right, and how do you plan on getting close enough to get a
hold of them." Ranma said in a quelling voice. 
     Tenchi held up a finger, his face radiant, but then he big
sweated and dropped his chin to his chest, "I never thought of that,"
he said.  Then he lifted his head and sniffed the air.  "Do you smell
that?" He said.  Then he pointed frantically at a pile of rubble under
one of the holes Ryouko had blown in the roof.  "Gas, the explosion
has broken one of the gas lines, we have to get out of here.  One little
spark, and we'll be history." Tenchi grabbed one of Ranma's hands
and started to drag her towards the door.  She jerked herself free.  
     "Would you stop doing that!  I ain't a girl! I can look after
myself!" She shouted at Tenchi, then her eyes widened in shock, and
she slapped a hand over her mouth.  It was too little to late. 
     "There you are, you naughty people.  Did you really think you
could hide from me?"
     Ranma and Tenchi looked around the room frantically, trying
to find the source of that mocking voice, then they both saw her at
the same time, their hair stood on end, and their eyes bugged out in
shock at the sight of Ryouko's head, sticking out of the wall, for all
the world like some sort of macabre hunting trophy.  Then the head
smiled at them, and with a shudder they watched as her body moved
into the room along with her head, passing through the solid wall
with casual ease. 
     "No way!!" Tenchi moaned, "she can walk through walls."
Then his eyes widened as he saw Ryouko beginning to draw energy
into her hands again.  "Stop, there's gas," he shouted.  To the
apparent bewilderment of Ryouko.

     Tenchi and Ranma raced down the hallway, trying to put as
much distance as possible between them and Ryouko.
     "I can't  believe I used that old gag," Tenchi said.  "Look!  Out
the window."
     "I can't believe she fell for it," Ranma said in return.
     "O shit!!" Ranma cried, looking behind her at a wall of flame
advancing down the hall towards them.  "Run like fuck, she shouted. 
To late as it turned out.  The pressure wave in front of the blast
picked them both up and tossed them like leaves down the length of
the hallway, barely in front of the wall of flames that accompanied it. 
Tenchi did a face plant and slid fifty feet on his chest, Ranma
gracefully turned her body in mid air and tucking herself into a ball,
rolled with the impact, bouncing to her feet as soon as she stopped
moving.
     "Well, that's that," she said.  "One barbecued demon, hold the
sauce." Beside her, Tenchi clapped his hands in prayer, and then
looked sheepishly at Ranma.  
     "Sorry, old shrine habit.  It's too bad, she was sort of cute."
     "Cute!!  Cute!!  Are you crazy.  Cute.  I don't believe it.  Maybe
if you like girls who could wrestle gorillas, who would as soon cut
you in half as look at you.  Cute, for gods sake, I don't believe you,
she just tried to kill you." Unable to continue, Ranma turned her
back on Tenchi in annoyance.  Crossing her arms over her chest, she
glowered at the flickering flames that were illuminating the hallway
with a ruddy glow.  "Cute." she muttered again in disgust, then
"Boys' with all most as much disgust.  
     Ranma's eyes suddenly widened, and spinning in place she
caught Tenchi's arm and dragged him into a mid hall stair well. 
When he would have protested she clapped a hand over his mouth
and gestured towards the hall they had just left.  She mimed fangs,
using her free hand's fingers held over her mouth.
     "Nani, you don't mean?" Tenchi whispered.  Then he big
sweated when he heard coughing coming from the direction of the
flames, followed by a voice yelling out.  "I will never forgive you!!"
     "We're doomed," Tenchi moaned.  But for some reason Ryouko
did not appear immediately  at the head of the stairs, and they were
able to make there way down them and into a lower hallway without
interference.     
     Tenchi led the way towards his home room, and once there, he
found his book bag in his desk, right where he had left it.
     "Great," Ranma said, when Tenchi showed her the hilt of
Yosho's magic sword.  "I was right, look at the condition it's in.  It
could have been made yesterday.  I bet these jewels in the handle are
the source of the magic."
     "Actually, their Ryouko's.  Yosho used the sword to take them
from her, I remember the legend."
     "That must be what she's really after then, we have to keep it
away from her."
     "No!" Tenchi said firmly.  "Not we, it's the sword and me she's
after.  You get out of here, I'll hold her off until you're well away."
     Ranma glowered at Tenchi, then she reached out and grabbed
his collar, and with a yank, pulled his face down level with her. 
"Just what the fuck are you trying to pull here, I say when I go or
stay, what the crap do you think I am, a girl."
     Tenchi blushed, and letting his eyes drop slightly, said.  "Well
actually, it's just, well . . . yes.  But just for a minute!" he hastily
said, "it's just your shirt, it's sort of, well, it made me forget for a
minute."
     "What about my shirt?" Ranma said, looking downward.  Then
she cursed slightly, she had not come through the battle unscathed,
and her shirt was much the worse for wear.  Her breasts were clearly
visible through the various rents.  "Damn it, and I just got this shirt,
shit, that un-cute mummy is going to pay for this." When Ranma
had looked downward, she had retained her grip on Tenchi's collar,
and had inadvertently dragged his face down into close proximity
with her breasts.  When she looked back at Tenchi, he was blushing
heavily, and had a slim streamer of blood trailing down from his
nose.  She looked at Tenchi's face for a second, then followed his
gaze to her chest. 
     "Pervert!" she yelled, in disgust, shoving him up against the
classroom wall, "I told you, I'm a guy, don't go turning weird on me. 
This stupid engagement is bad enough, with out you acting sick.  I
thought you believed me when I said I was really a guy."
     "I did, I did," Tenchi hastily affirmed, "It's just . . ." Anything
else he might have planned on saying was drowned out as the
outside wall of the classroom blew in.
     
     Once again Tenchi and Ranma raced down a hallway, only this
time instead of the blast rolling down the hallway after them, a series
of individual blasts, shattered the exterior wall, one right after the
other.  Each one next to the previous, herding them down the
hallway.
     "Bitch!" Ranma cursed.  "That un-cute mummy is playing
again, she wants us outside where there aren't so many hiding
places.  When we get outside, I'll distract her, you use the sword."
     Tenchi was too winded to reply, but he gripped the bag in his
arms tightly, determined not to lose their last chance at living though
this.  He wished Ranma had listened to him and snuck out the back,
but remembering how well she had fought on the roof, he was
comforted by her presence beside him, and was glad she had stayed. 
They raced out the front door together and managed to make it
through the gate, before Ryouko caught them.
     Tenchi was jerked backward as Ranma grabbed the back of his
uniform and put on the brakes.  Tenchi came to a stop about one foot
in front of Ryouko, who just stood there smiling at him.  Tenchi
frantically scrambled backward, while Ranma took advantage of the
fact that Ryouko was focusing on Tenchi, to sidle out to the side,
trying to move around behind her.  She did not really expect to
succeed, but if she could draw Ryouko's attention, then Tenchi
might have a chance. 
     She was not expecting what happened. 
     "Don't be scared sweety pie.  I won't hurt you." Ryouko said,
totally ignoring Ranma, then with no warning swung her sword full
 at Tenchi. 

     "Nooo!!" Ranma screamed, how could she have been so stupid,
the demon had only wanted them to show her where her jewels were. 
Now that they had recovered the hilt, she had no further use for
them.  Ranma started forward, sick with fear and self loathing. 
There was no way she could get there in time, but she could at least
try to cause the demon some pain before it killed her. 
     She was still several yards away when Ryouko's sword
impacted on the book bag Tenchi held between two hands in a futile
effort of defense.  Then the sword that Ranma had witnessed cutting
through every thing in it's path, stopped.  A brilliant glow of energy
flared up from between Tenchi's hands, and Ryouko was flung
backwards a dozen yards. 
     All three of them watched in amazement as the glowing hilt to
Yosho's legendary sword hovering in mid air.  Ryouko was the first
to recover.  "Impressive," she said, then unleashed a barrage of
energy bolts at Tenchi, all of which flowed around him and the hilt
 doing no harm to either. 
     Ranma's heart, which had been sick with dread, leaped back to
life.  Yes, she thought, I was right, the magic is in the hilt.  She
watched in glee as Ryouko launched an attack at Tenchi, only to be
brought up short when a glowing bar of energy sprang from the hilt
in Tenchi's hand to match the demon's weapon, and parried her
sword.  Then she felt a spurt of admiration as Tenchi launched a
furious counterattack.  It looked chaotic, but Ranma could make out
an underlaying sword style she was not acquainted with.  That
surprised her, "looks like Tenchi has hidden talents," she mused to
herself.  
     Then a scream of fury from Ryouko made her realize that she
had better start to play her part.  Apparently Tenchi had called her a
monster and she had taken grave exception to it.  Well anger bred
carelessness, time to take advantage of that.  Darting forward, her
body low to the ground, she snatched up a rake that some one had
carelessly left laying on the ground.  She whirled the rake in an
intricate pattern around her body in order to attract Ryouko's
attention to herself, when she got it she lashed out with a vicious
blow that Ryouko could not possibly ignore, she hoped. 
     With an angry growl Ryouko knocked it aside with a casual
elbow that bent the heavy iron handle almost in two, and then
snapping a hand out, she fired a force blast at Ranma that picked her
up and smashed her into the nearby fence.  Where she hung limply,
the breath knocked out of her.
     Tenchi felt the sword twist in his hand, and suddenly he was
being pulled along behind it as it dragged him towards Ryouko. 
With a hiss it swung through the air, and cut off the hand Ryouko
still held extended towards the fallen Ranma.  Slicing it cleanly off
her arm just behind the jewel imbedded in her wrist.  Tenchi
watched in horror as the severed hand flew through the air and
vanished in a puff of flame.  The jewel that had been attached to it
bounced several times before exploding in a fierce, but localized
explosion. 
     "Yatta," Ranma yelled from where she was just getting to her
feet.  "Way to go Tenchi."
     Tenchi did not share Ranma's pleasure.  He was looking at
Ryouko who was standing there with a sad look on her face. 
Blowing out a puff of breath she said sadly, "Oh well, another battle
lost.  My miserable lot."  Then she blinked as she noticed for the first
time that she was missing an appendage. 
     Tenchi felt he had to say something, "I'm sorry!  It was the
sword, I didn't mean to cut your hand off." Ryouko blinked at him. 
Then she smiled, and for once, it was not a mocking or derisive
smile.  Holding up her shortened arm she touched a finger, that
trailed sparks as she moved it through the air, to the stump.  Then
pressed the stump to the palm of her remaining hand.  Drawing it
back, she showed that she now had a brand new hand where had
been only a charred ruin. 
     Tenchi applauded enthusiastically, but trailed off sheepishly as
he saw the look Ranma was directing at him.  "Geez Tenchi get a
grip.  She was ready to kill you a minute ago."
     Tenchi held the back of his head with one hand, and laughed
nervously, "But she's helpless now.  Isn't she?"

     Ranma started to tell Tenchi to finish the demon off, but
stopped, now that Tenchi had the sword she was no threat, and she
looked so sad.  It had been a good fight, it would leave a bad taste in
her mouth if they were to end it by killing the demon girl, but what
were they going to do with her if they didn't.  Ranma was not
looking forward to herding her back to the Masaki shrine so Tenchi
could seal her back up in that cave.  But what else were they to do?  
     Ryouko took the decision out of their hands.  She bowed to
them, or rather to Tenchi, said, "Farewell," and sank out of sight
into the ground. 
     Tenchi and Ranma looked at each other.  "Do you suppose
she's gone for good?" Ranma said, a wistful tone in her voice.  
     "I don't know, I'm just glad we all survived." Just then what
remained of the school exploded with a force that almost threw them
to the ground.  Tenchi looked in horror at the remains of his school,
then he started to head for home at a rapid pace.  "Let's get out of
here.  I don't want to be here when the police and fire trucks arrive."
Ranma nodded her agreement, and they both headed for home.

     Ranma sighed in relief as she made her way towards her room,
It had been a good fight, her strategy had worked, it was too bad she
couldn't have thrown the final blow herself, but the sword was
Tenchi's ancestor's, so it was unlikely it would have worked for her,
but at least she had come up with the solution.  Suddenly she heard
Tenchi cry out in shock.  With a groan she turned and started back
towards his room.  What now, she thought.  Then she suddenly
snapped fully awake, the demon, is she back?  She rushed towards
Tenchi room, ready for anything, a smile on her face.


     Whew, well that's another one done.  To think I originally saw
this one ending  after Sasami and Aeka were introduced.  I just can't
seem to compress my stories.  
     Real life has slowed my output down a lot, but I will keep
plugging away at this.  Lots of replies will no doubt encourage me to
write faster^_^ hint, hint.

Many thanks to my Pre-readers.
Tzigane
Wade Tritschler
Jim Nutley
Green Eyes
and Eimii, the lovely Pain Magnet, who had better get going on
SHOTR, if she does not want to find out just how magnetic she
is.^_^

Till the next chapter.
T.H. Tiger