Ranma the Tenth Hakkeshu or Ranma’s Cousin Iori (------) Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½. That is property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own The King of Fighters is property of SNK. I do however suggest you look up information on these two properties. You won’t be disappointed. (------) Note: This takes place after the Ranma ½ manga and little while after the King of Fighters ’97. (------) Ranma the Tenth Hakkeshu Chapter 4: Hakkeshu of Fire, Hakkeshu of Water Ranma can hardly believe his luck. He finds out (the hard way) that he’s the Tenth Hakkeshu, and therefore the heir to the Orochi’s goals (Destroying the human race). He walks all over Tokyo for a week finding neither hide nor hair of his cousin, by luck he meets up with a former King of Fighters champion Terry “Lonely Wolf” Bogard, who happens to have a bounty hunter for a girl friend. And to top it all off, she helps him get the first piece of information he needs to find Iori. All he needs to do is go to Brazil to read it. Hell, she even payed for his plane ticket. Thing were Starting to look up for Ranma (------) It was a long 14-hour flight, but finally the plane lands. Ranma steps out of the gate and looks around. He sees a group of three people. They are 2 men and 1 woman. The two men are dressed almost exactly alike with jeans, black boots, white shirt, greenish brown sleeveless jackets, bands in their right wrists, gloves on their left hands, and bullet belts slung over their left shoulders, under their jackets. The only difference was one has blond hair with sunglasses and a blue cap, and the other has long bark brown hair, a red bandana with green splotches, and he is holding a sign with Ranma name spelled on it in English and Japanese upside down. The Blond smacks the Brunette in the back of the head, and the Brunette quickly turns the sign right side up. The woman however, is what catches Ranma’s eye. She has blue hair that falls down to mid-back on her. She is wearing a traditional female military uniform, a pair of triangle earrings, a bead necklace, and she has a pair of green tinted blue eyes. These features however a blocked from Ranma’s mind by her aura. It is similar to Ranma’s is two aspects. One she contains Orochi power herself, and two she has a power that is similar to Ranma’s curse. It is not the same, but he feels she has a connection to water. Ranma (Thinking): Great! Just what I need. I step of the plane for no more than a couple of seconds and I encounter a Hakkeshu already! I hope this doesn’t lead to trouble. The woman walks up. Woman: Excuse me, are you Ranma Saotome? Ranma (Snaps back to reality): Huh? Oh, yes. Yes I am. By the way, are you Leona, by any chance? Woman: Yes I am Leona. Now quickly, get your luggage and follow me to the jeep. We have a long drive ahead of us. (------) Ranma goes and gets his luggage at baggage claim and than has to take it through customs. While they wait in line, The Blond and the Brunette introduce themselves as Clark Steele and Ralf Jones (respectively). As they step out to the jeep, Leona tells Ranma, they can’t allow outsiders to know where the base is. So they put a blindfold over Ranma’s eyes and put handcuffs on his wrist behind his back. Ranma doesn’t like it, but he wants to find out this information so bad he puts up with it. He just hopes it’s worth it. (------) Finally, they reach the Ikari base camp. Leona removes the blindfold and Ranma looks at what appears to be a normal military training facility, but Ranma gets the feeling, in this case looks can be deceiving. Than Leona removes the handcuffs and helps Ranma get put of the jeep. Ranma wastes no time. Ranma: (To Leona): Where do you keep the information? Leona: Slow down Saotome. We still need to check you in. Ranma: Why? This isn’t a hotel. Ralph: No, it’s better. It’s Maison Heidern. (Clark slaps Ralph on the back of the head for the stupid joke). Ow! That hurt Clark! Ranma (To Clark): Thanks. Clark (Smiling): Don’t mention it. (------) Leona explains to Ranma that they check in visitors as a security measure. She takes Ranma to the main office in it is a large man. The man is in his mid-forties; he is easily 6.5’, wearing a blue military general uniform, and an eye patch. The man looks up from his papers at the two when they enter. Man (To Leona): Is this Ranma Saotome? Leona: Yes it is Sir. Man: Doesn’t look like what I was expecting. (To Ranma) You honestly expect me to believe, that you bested Terry Bogard. Ranma: I don’t expect you to believe anything except I’m here to find out information on Iori Yagami. Man: Good choice of words. Ranma: May I ask who you are. Man: I am Commander Heidern. I am the one in charge around here. Leona is my adopted daughter as well as my second in command. She will by the one keeping you under surveillance at all times while you are here. You are to treat her with the same amount of respect you would treat me. Do I make myself clear? Ranma (Slightly afraid): Sir, yes Sir! Heidern (Chuckling): He learns quickly. (------) While on the way to the information tent. Leona takes the time to ask Ranma questions of her own. Leona: Why are you searching for Iori? Ranma: He’s my cousin. Isn’t that reason enough? Leona: No, it’s not. Everyone has an ulterior motive when it comes to doing things. Ranma (Sighing): Promise you won’t tell. Leona: Sorry, but I have to report everything you say and do here. Ranma: Then how about I tell you when we’re not here? Leona: Fair enough. Leona and Ranma finally reach the Information tent. The tent is a covering for an underground bunker filled with computers and many people moving about. Leona signs them in at the front desk and they go to the nearest open computer. Leona pulls up a file they have on Iori Yagami NAME: YAGAMI, IORI BIRTHDATE: MARCH 25, 1976 HAIR: RED EYES: REDDISH BROWN HEIGHT: 1.82 m (6’) WEIGHT: 76 kg (165 lbs) BLOOD TYPE: 0 FAMILY: NONE. ALL DECEASED(?) HOBBIES: BAND FAVORITE FOOD: MEAT FAVORITE SPORT: ALL MOST VALUABLE: BASE GUITAR OF RICKENBACHER HATES THE MOST: VIOLENCE AND KUSANAGI, KYO FIGHTING STYLE: YAGAMI STYLE ANCIENT MARTIAL ARTS AND INSTINCT NOTES: SUPOSSED LAST DECENDANT OF YAGAMI CLAN, PART OF THE CURSED BLOODLINE OF OROCHI. WEILDS MAGATAMA NO OROCHI. CAN GO INTO A PHASE KNOW AS “RIOT OF BLOOD”. CAN BE FOUND TRAVELLING AROUND PARTS OF JAPAN AND ANYWHERE KUSANAGI, KYO MAY GO. PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION WHEN DEALING WITH HIM. HAS AN EFFECTION FOR THE KING OF FIGHTERS TOURNAMENTS, (MOST LIKELY TO FIND AND KILL KUSANAGI, KYO). HAD TEAMED UP WITH KUSANAGI, KYO AND KAGURA, CHIZURU AT LAST TOURNAMENT TO FIGHT ENTITY THAT CALLED ITSELF OROCHI. PRESUMED DEAD FROM BATTLE BUT NOT CONFIRMED. MIA. Ranma is just dumbfounded by what he read. Sure, it gave him some valuable information, but now Ranma doesn’t know what to think. It seems his cousin may be no better than what Blue Mary told him about another Hakkeshu, Ryuji Yamazaki, worse, Iori may be dead; along with Ranma’s hopes of controlling this evil power. Leona stares at Ranma a while before engaging conversation. Leona: What’s wrong Ranma? Ranma (Looks at Leona): I don’t know. I just down know. (Head drops down on the table). Leona: Let’s go somewhere to talk about this. (------) Leona takes Ranma to her room. Being of high ranking allows her to be one of the few people there to have there own room. It is a simply one large room with a bed, a desk, chair, and bookshelf with some books. There is a bathroom connected to it so Leona has her own private bathing facilities. She sets Ranma on the bed and she asks him what’s wrong. Ranma is still unsure of himself, but he feels he can trust her. Ranma: If Iori is dead, my chance at a normal life is over. Leona: Why’s that? Ranma: Look, I know I can’t tell you without this being reported, but here goes. Ranma swallows his pride and concentrates his ki into his hand. It comes out as the purple flames of Orochi. Leona stares awestruck. Until she asks Ranma… Leona: Magatama no Orochi. So, are you a Hakkeshu? Ranma (Looking towards the ground and in a voice barely above a whisper): Yes. Ranma doesn’t know what to say. In his mind he’s screaming at himself for being so careless. They’ll lock him away and treat him like the animal he is. That he is less than human, not deserving of love. Especially the love of Akane. With that thought the tears fall from his eyes. He wants to scream in rage, yet, he can’t seem to make the smallest sound. He curses himself again Ranma (Thinking): Dammit, what’s wrong with me, why the hell am I doing this. Crying isn’t something a man among men would do. (Stops). That’s right, I’m not a man. I’m a Godd*mn monster, a plague among men. Just thinking about what I did to Ryoga… Argh, I’m such a beast. (The tears pour out faster and the purple flame grows bigger and dissipates). All of a sudden, Ranma feels something wrapped around him. He opens his eyes and sees that it’s Leona’s arms. Ranma: L, Leona!? Leona (In soothing tones): Shhhh. It’ll be alright Ranma, it‘ll be alright. (------) For the first time, someone is actually showing Ranma this sort of kindness besides his mother. He always secretly hoped it would be Akane. But those days are gone. Akane will never be able to love him for what he is, considering what he’s done to Ryoga. He admits to himself she always liked him better. They got along much more than him and Akane ever could. Ranma curses Ryoga for being such a b*st*rd. If it weren’t for him, this problem would have never surfaced. Now he’s won. Ryoga got rid of him, and he probably now has Akane as well. After a while, Ranma finally gains some composure. Leona tells Ranma how she understands him more than he can understand. She confesses to him that she herself is one of the Hakkeshu. Specifically, the Hakkeshu of water. This doesn’t surprise Ranma; it just confirms his earlier suspicions. She begins to tell Ranma of her life. How Goenitz; one of the Four Heavenly Kings ruined it by awakening the riot of blood in her, how Heidern found her, adopted her, and trained her, how she entered the King of Fighters Tournament twice only to go into the riot of blood the last time because the other three Heavenly Kings wanted her to emit enough power along with Iori by fighting the other fighters, so they could awaken Orochi, and how Iori seemed to disappear when Kyo struck Iori in the back while Iori engulfed himself and Orochi in crimson flames. Ranma can hardly believe what he’s hearing her say, but he believes it. After all, Ranma has seen stuff just as strange if not stranger. Ranma has a sudden thought which bring a smile to his face. Ranma: Leona, how much power do you have over water? Leona (Surprised): Not much power. Why do you ask? Ranma: I was hoping you could help me get rid of my curse. Leona: The Orochi blood? Ranma (Shaking his head): No, but something almost as bad. Now it is Ranma’s turn to tell his story. Ranma goes to the bathroom to cup two cups of water one hot, one cold. He explains how his father had taken him from his mother when he was a small kid, to train him how to be “a man among men”. He explained how Pops was (and still is) underhanded, got him engaged to a few girls so he could get some food or money, how his father trained him at Jusenkyo. Ranma does his classic change from boy to girl with cold water and back with hot routine. Leona just stares at him, not believing what she just saw. Ranma continues with how he got in trouble in a Chinese Amazon village, how his Pops took him back to Japan only to give him another fiancée, how everyone there was either trying to kill him, marry him, or both, how he finally went back to Jusenkyo, only to be attacked by an angry Phoenix God Saffron, how he pledged his love to Akane, the failed wedding attempt when they returned, how Akane went back to her old ways and started beating on him again, how Ryoga attacked him again, sending Ranma into the Riot of Blood, almost killing that idiot in the process, how he saw the fear and hatred in Akane’s eyes and ran, How his mother explained to him that he is the Tenth Hakkeshu and a wielder of Magatama no Orochi, How he went around looking for Iori, eventually meeting up with the legendary Lonely Wolf Terry Bogard and his girlfriend Blue Mary, and finally why he’s here now. Leona just stares, dumbfounded by what she just heard. She asks Ranma what he plans to do when he finds Iori. Ranma: I’ll Probably ask him if he’ll take me on as his student, and teach me how to gain better control over my powers, so I don’t become the destroyer of the human race. Leona: You’re joking about all this, right? Ranma: I wish I were. Leona: Damn. I’m sorry: it’s just that… this is so… Ranma (Interrupting): Unbelievable? Leona: Yeah. I’m sorry; I just can’t believe all this. Ranma: Are you going to report what I said and showed you? Leona: No. They’ll think I’m having a mental breakdown. Ranma: Well that’s good, I guess. (Looks down to his stomach) Sorry about that, I’m hungry. What do you do for a meal around here? Leona (Looks at watch): Sorry, we’ve been talking for so long we missed dinner, and now it’s time for curfew. Tell you what, early to bed, early to rise… Ranma (Interrupting): And early to eat! Leona (Stifling a giggle): Exactly. Here you go. (Gives Ranma a pillow and a blanket). Ranma (Confused): What’s this for? Leona (Smirking): For you to sleep. After all, Commander Heidern did say to watch you at all times, didn’t he? Ranma (A bit pale): You want me to sleep in here… with YOU!? Leona: Well… yes and no. I take the bed, you take the desk. Ranma (Color returns to face): Okay, fair enough. (------) Ranma is actually sleeping quite peacefully. (Considering he’s sleeping hunched over on a metal desk). Ranma awakens from sleep by the sound of crying coming from Leona. Leona (Asleep): No, stop it, nooooooo. Ranma (Runs over to her): Leona wake up. (Start to shake her). Wake up. Leona (Snaps back to reality): Wha… (Breaths heavily) oh God… Thank you Ranma for waking me. I can’t stand it. Ranma (Confused): What happened? Leona (Fearful): A nightmare. I see it almost every night. It’s actually a memory that keeps haunting me. I see what I did when I went into the riot of blood for the first time. I see dead bodies everywhere, including my parents. I see blood on my hands, their blood. I look up to see Goenitz, laughing and applauding me for what I did. He puts his hand on my forehead and then… There’s nothing. Leona breaks down, she cries into Ranma’s chest. He embraces her. Now it’s his turn to do the comforting as she tries to get over her own personal demons. Ranma makes soothing sounds to comfort her. Eventually she halls asleep propped up against Ranma. As Ranma holds her he realizes something. He feels something for this woman that he has never felt before. He knows what it is but he doesn’t know if he should admit to it. He feels love for her. (------) Leona wakes up. She feels very warm. She looks up and sees Ranma. There are dark circles under his eyes and his arms are still wrapped around her, yet he has a smile on his face. She realizes what happened Leona (Thinking): He must have watched over me and held me all night. Leona: Um, Ranma. You can let go of me now; I’ll be all right. Ranma (Concerned): Are you sure? Leona: Positive. Now come on, get going to the Mess Hall. If you don’t get there quickly, there won’t be any food left to eat, and I can tell you’re hungry. Ranma looks fearful, but lets Leona go and makes a mad dash towards the Mess Hall saying something along the lines of I’ll get you something to eat too, wait here. Leona heads to her bathroom, washes her face and begins to remember the feel of his arms around her. It makes her feel warm and secure. Leona (Thinking): What is with me? I’ve never felt so dependant on a person in my life. I mean sure, I had Heidern to raise and train me, but I never felt her actually needs me and I never felt that I need him. But Ranma… it’s different. I feel a need in me to be with him. And that he feels he needs me just as much. Can it be I love him? Before Leona can think it through further, Ranma comes into the room. He’s carrying a huge stack of pancakes, toast, eggs (Scrambled and sunny-side up), bacon, sausage, and a pot of coffee and two cups. Leona just stares at all the food. Leona: How were you able to get all this food? Ranma: You’re friends Ralph, Clark, and a whole mess of other guys ganged up on me when I went into the Mess Hall. They were… How shall I put this?… Pissed off royally that I spent the night in your room. They had clubs, knives, guns, muscle, and lots of anger. Leona (Shocked): Are you all right? Ranma: Me? I’m fine. Your friends on the other hand are a different story. There are now about 40 guys in the Infirmary. And that means 40 guys less in the Mess Hall so… Leona: You took their breakfast. Ranma (Smiling): Bingo. I brought this here for you as well Leona. Leona can’t help but blush at that. They sit down and eat breakfast together in Leona’s quarters. (------) In the afternoon Leona goes to Heidern’s office. She makes a request to Heidern that she should travel with Ranma to keep him out of trouble as he searches for Iori. After all, anyone that’s followed Iori has gotten into trouble. Heidern is reluctant, but after all, Heidern saw what Ranma did to about forty of his men, and due to that, it’s now easier for him to believe that Ranma probably had kicked Terry’s ass. So Heidern comes to a conclusion. It’s not wise to mess with someone of Ranma’s skill level and agrees to let Leona accompany him. They get to the airport and board a plane heading for Japan. Of course, not wanting to attract attention, Leona gets them separated seats. (Hers in first class, his in coach of course). As the plane takes off into the sky, Ranma contemplates many things. Ranma (Thinking): I know I care for her, so why can’t I tell her. Argh! Is it too early? That could be it but still, I am Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, I should be able to overcome anything… Yet… I know I can’t handle this power on my own, it’s too dangerous. I have the power to become either Humanity’s savior, or it’s destroyer. Dang! I’ll just leave it at it’s too early to tell her. I just wonder hwy she wanted to go on this journey with me? After all, she was the one who said “Everyone has an ulterior motive when it comes to doing things”. What could her’s be? (------) End Chapter 4 Next Time: Ranma continues the search for his cousin Iori with Leona’s help. Their search will take them to another nightclub. There they meet everybody’s favorite bouncy kunoichi, Mai Shiranui. Mai is having the time of her life. Too bad her boyfriend Andy Bogard (Terry’s younger brother) is having trouble keeping up with her. And what’s this with a man in black watching Ranma from the shadows? Find out in the Next Chapter of Ranma the Tenth Hakkeshu or Ranma’s cousin Iori. Send your questions and comments to either RedPriest17@aol.com or Ryutsurugi@yahoo.com Note: Flames will be read and than used to fuel the Orochi fire.