[Episode 51478] [Episode 51478]But still, no one noticed him, thank God. No one was willing to get close to all this fire just yet, no fireman have gotten to this area. And by sneaking on through destroyed homes, and other areas, Ranma was able to make some good distance. He couldn't face them. Not now. Not like this.
"Not as a monster..."
Ranma stopped in the house. This was one home not on fire, but the whole top floor was gone, leaving the house as just four walls. He saw a mirror and took a good look at himself and what he had become. He didn't know what he was now, but one thing was certainly clear. He was definitely no longer human.
Black and gold fur all about, with mostly black fur all over his body; his backside was covered with golden fur, spotted with black. The only thing breaking the monotony of gold and black were two white stripes of fur over his eyes as eye-stripes.
He sighed. He was definitely a cat-like creature of some sort. Though he didn't know of any that were just black and gold furred. Nor of any that had a HUGE set of incisors like he did now.
Roaring, Ranma punched the mirror, smashing it, and causing his hand to bleed... And like he had seen earlier, simple cuts and bruises like this healed rapidly on him. "It was what had saved me..."
Ranma didn't know what to make of his current situation. Earlier he had been fighting Saffron tooth and nail, and Saffron wasn't falling for any of his tricks. Saffron was just flinging fireball, after fireball at him, and creating waves of fire that engulfed building... And people...
As thoughts of those that died went through his mind, Ranma finally retracted his fist from the mirror, and consequently the wall. All those people, innocents that just had the bad luck of living in Nerima, died because Saffron was after him, and didn't care about who was in the way. Even now the scent of burnt flesh was heavy in the air.
Ranma had tried to lead Saffron away, he really did. But Saffron wasn't one to just budge. He was content blasting at Ranma while the pig-tailed fighter just ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. "I was careless..." Ranma growled.
And then things got worse. There were television and camera crews that were attracted to the scene of destruction like flies to honey, reporting on his fight, the destruction, and death tolls. "And I'm sure they're still here too..." He sighed in frustration. At least it was safer for them to be here now.
Ranma left the building. It wouldn't be safe for him soon. The fire-fighters would work their way down to this area eventually, and then he would be discovered. "And I don't want them to know I live... Then I'll be the one hunted."
Moving out of the place, Ranma kicked down the front door and looked around. Yup. Same hell on earth. Good. It'll give him some cover so he can move around still.
And so, Ranma stuck to alleyways that he could get through, and taking short-cuts through evacuated houses when he had to. The thoughts of families that have lost their homes cuts deep into Ranma's conscience, making him feel like the biggest heel. He had not meant to get Saffron to literally destroy half the district. He was trying to take care of the angry god of Phoenix Mountain. "For all the good that that did..."
Ranma shook his head as he continued to weave about the ruined half of the city. He wasn't sure how it happened when it did. One moment, Ranma himself was burning, and then... This transformation. Ranma still wasn't sure what he was. For all he knew, he was some sort of cat-like monster... "And it was that thought that sent me over the edge... For a bit..."
When he had changed, Ranma knew it was over. He literally felt his mind 'snap'. He could feel as he slide into Neko-Ken, then animal instincts taking over. The only difference this time, was that his 'human' mind was still awake while the feral instincts had taken over. Like a wild-cat, he leapt at Saffron, shrugging off blow after blow of fire.
Ranma had to stop and compose himself. He felt like retching. He still had that horrible, irony taste in his mouth. He didn't know why, but he lunged at Saffron's throat, literally tearing out the Phoenix God's jugular with his powerful jaws. The blood that sprayed about was blazing with Phoenix fire. Ranma still wasnt sure how he survived that one. Probably had to do with him falling in the canal.
"But now what to do?" Ranma wondered. He obviously couldn't go back. He was sure the Japanese reporters would show him to be some sort of evil monster. "Not that I can blame them when I look like this..."
Ranma entertained the thought of finding his mother, but shrugged it off. There was no way she would accept him like this. "There's just no way I can go back to my old life. Period."
He didn't know where to go, or what to do, but Ranma knew one thing. He had to hide. But where could he go. "Hopefully, Nerima will be closed off to the public for awhile. I'll be able to hide in the ruins for at least a little while.
See other episodes by Red Priest of the 17th Order
(Posted Sun, 15 Jun 2003 05:27)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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