As many can attest, Saotome Ranma was by no means a serious person. To prove this, he frequently joked and taunted those around him even while fighting.
Of course, this default changed the moment it was demanded of him, such as situations where people's lives depended on his Martial Arts prowess.
That pretty much described his current predicament, as he was quickly descending towards the ground, holding on to a magical weapon and protecting the magically dehydrated doll-like Akane from the veritable sea of flames directed at him by Saffron, the Immortal Phoenix King.
There was nothing he could do to battle the fires threatening to consume him, as the source of the inferno was obscured from view.
Now, as any mage will tell you, every enchanted object, be they rings, weapons or clothing has a connection to the Ether Stream, the source of all magical power.
Supernatural beings, such as dragons, djinni and werecreatures have a natural connection, while mundane beings such as humans need to train in order to get such a connection.
All these facts were about to collide with an unknown event that took place nearly nineteen years prior: The rape and subsequent memory-wipe of Saotome Nodoka, who was home alone during one of Genma's drinking binges.
The crime was never detected, and nine months later, Ranma was born, gaining a vast majority of his physical appearance from his mother's side.
Until now, Ranma's heritage had remained dormant for numerous reasons - which will be ignored until they have a use. But the pressure of the situation, the ambient magic in the air and the metal-cracking grip he had on a magical weapon managed to break Ranma's legacy from its restraints.
Ranma's concentration was broken by a blinding pain erupting from all over.
When he managed to get his act together, Ranma noticed that he was several feet lower than he would be able to recover from with a counter attack. There was only one thing to do, and that was one of the least selfish things he had ever done - he tore Akane from his pocket and lobbed her over the sea of flames in the general direction of the Dragon-Head Tap, knowing that there was a greater chance of her surviving in that area than with him.
Then the flames engulfed him.
Ranma half expected to relive the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken training, but this time having his entire body burnt beyond recognition.
The expected pain never came, but the fire brushed around him like a comfortable breeze on a late spring day. His clothes weren't as fortunate, which he could only watch in confused shock as they burned off him.
Ranma was finally through the blaze, and his surprise vanished in satisfaction at the expression of shock on Saffron's face.
The fire behind Ranma flowed down and enveloped his body tightly, and the wind rushed up to keep him aloft. Nature was on his side - Saffron did not have this advantage, and he seemed to realise this as a spinning drill of wind formed on Ranma's hand, and fire burned in his eyes.
It was time to end the madness.
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(Posted Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:00)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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