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The Kami Realm. The Realm of the Gods, honorable, respectable, and full of dexterity. Many mortals believed that the Kami Realm was unattainable, a myth, or even a figment of a person's imagination. In many modern myths and legends, the kamis lived in a white and bright place, filled with extravagant golden columns.
Of course those were just myths.
The Realm of the Kamis was just like the mortal realm, there were mountains, valleys, and rivers. One noticeable difference - the Palace of Kami-sama located on a floating mountain. The Kami Realm didn't have cities or skyscrapers - no technology whatsoever.
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Her eyes narrowed as she shouted at the creatures swarming out. Swords flashed out of their shealths and rapidly flew through the bodies of the demons. Misao surveyed how her teammates were doing. Her husband flashed her a grin before returning to his usual scowling, no-nonsense self. He confused her greatly. It might have been her death that changed him - he was the most faithful man she knew.
Something was amiss. Her eyes scanned the battle. Worry filled her visage.
"Ryo-kun..."
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He stared at the sky troubled. Worry and confusion filled his mind as he slumped his shoulders. Ryo sighed as his eyes fell on the tranquil lake. "Rei-chan...where are you?"
"Son." Ryo turned and sighed as his eyes met the worried face of his kind mother.
"Found me, huh?" Misao nodded. He turned away and laid back on the grass to stare at the sky again. "Just where could she be? I mean, how far can a female mortal run? She may be a talented martial artist, but that's all she is. A martial artist. She's not a warrior. Not a mage, or a demi-god or demon. She doesn't know a single spell!" He sighed again.
"You've got it bad, son. You skipped a fight just to think about her." Misao's comment was confirmed as Ryo gave her a pained look.
"But why did she leave? I wasn't serious about what I said. So why did she overreact so much?!" His mother's response stopped him cold.
"Maybe because what you said really did happen."
++In the Forbidden Forest++
The various creatures grinned as they fed on another divine creature. Those gods really did taste good. The hundreds of demon globs grotesquely teared apart the weak demi-god. The demon globs were like sickly black globs with several dozen red eyes. Their red eyes glowed as they reared in triumph at their treat.
Most of the demons residing in the Forbidden Forest were magical creatures that turned evil or deformed globs. Only the more powerful minions of Zenki had humanoid features. Some gods had been born with a tainted soul leading them to be expelled ultimately. The demons were all waiting for the day when they could roam the mortal realm. Being expelled into the Forbidden Forest really sucked. The bastard Kami-sama built a powerful barrier surrounding the forest. They couldn't leave, nor could they teleport to the mortal realm. Of course that was until Zenki arrived. Zenki, Kami-sama's evil counterpart. Life was great. With the powers of Zenki they could slip several demons through the barrier with little ease.
Zenki wasn't stupid enough to slip the weaker demons through the barrier. Whenever he had enough energy to send a demon or two the demons happily followed his orders to cause havoc.
Several demons paused in their fun to stare at the newcomer. Zenk smiled as he saw her approach him. "I'm going to send you out to eliminate the intruders." She nodded. "Come back soon, Ryoko-chan."
"I will, Zenki-kun."
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"It can't be." Ryo said, his voice clearly showing he was in denial. "Reiko-chan... how could she have ever been betrayed by any man? She..."
He was interrupted as a loud blast resounded in the air and a charred figure land in front of him. "KAZE!" He yelled as he checked his bird friend. Misao rushed to his unconscious friend's side. She started glowing as she healed him. His mind pushed his worries about Reiko back as he got into an alert stance.
His eyes darted back and forth as he searched for the enemy's location. "Come out here already, or are you just not man enough?"
Laughter filled the air as black swirls appeared before him. He clutched his sword tightly.
The black swirls suddenly disappeared as a feminine figure appeared. The woman's red lips smirked. The woman before him was unidentifiable since she wore black sunglasses that covered her eyes. She wore a black strapless top with blue and yellow triangles on the top. She wore a matching long skirt that did not quite hide her washboard stomach. The woman wore a large black hat and a blue choker.
What made him almost stumble was her long hair. Bright red. "R-reiko?" He whispered.
A confused look replaced the redhead's smirk. "Reiko? Who is Reiko? I'm not Reiko. It's Ryoko, if you must know my name."
"Wha?" He said confused. Could someone look so much like Reiko even though her eyes are covered.
"Oh well, Zenki-kun wants me to make it quick so might as well get started." She seemed to disappear and then appear before him with an evil smirk on her face and a wicked looking katana aimed for his heart. He blocked her attack instinctively.
His eyes glanced briefly to his right. His mother and friends were nowhere to be seen.
"What have you done to them?!" He growled as he started throwing fire balls at her.
Her smirk widened even more. "That is not your concern. Your job is to fight me and lose."
"Not going to happen!" He yelled as they started trading blows.
Ryoko's eyes flashed in anger when one of his attacks nearly touched her. She sped up and started firing energy blasts at Ryo. Her face was grim as she aimed for every deadly point she knew.
Ryo was shocked for a second when Ryoko split into two. Ryoko grinned as she plunged her sword into his chest. Ryo blinked when the redhead's sword stopped several centimeters away from his chest. He stared at her face.
She seemed as shock as he was since she could only stare at her hand. Why had she stopped, he wondered. Could it be, he thought in shock. She was still out of it and he decided to take advantage of that.
Ryoko was startled when the glasses she wore had been broken. Her cerulean eyes narrowed in anger at the gawking man.
"Bastard!" She yelled as she swung her sword at him. She growled when all he did was dodge and continue to stare at her.
She didn't like the emotion she saw in his eyes. Longing and love.
"Reiko!!" She was caught off guard when he tackled her.
Confusion filled her when she didn't push him off of her. She stared at his tear filled eyes. What was happening to her? Why did..why did he make her feel this? She closed her eyes.
Something in her was burning. Something..what? She reopened her eyes. He was the enemy. That's what Zenki said. She could kill him. She had to kill him. But why... couldn't she?
An image of a mistletoe flashed in her mind.
She clutched her head in pain. Ryo stared at her worried as tears started falling. "Reiko, Reiko, are you okay?"
His eyes narrowed when the blue choker around her neck glowed briefly. Ryoko's eyes was frightenly vacant when she stopped clutching her head in pain. She lifted her head to glare at him.
"You're the enemy. I will kill you. Just you watch Ryo Sazaki." She said in a hateful voice.
"REIKO!!!!" He yelled when she disappeared.
He stared at the spot where she had been. He clenched his fist angrily. "Zenki, you bastard. You will pay."
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Ryoko stumbled into her room clutching her chest. She fell down to her knees as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. After several minutes of breathing heavily she finally calmed down.
She stood up shakily and wiped away the cold sweat on her forehead. What was wrong with her, she thought confused.
Nothing like this had ever happened. The way her heart had beated rapidly was both uncomfortable and similar. Something clicked in her mind. It was the way she felt whenever Zenki came close to her but more intense.
She felt that way around Zenki because she loved him. Then why was that feeling more intense around HIM? Could it be..?
No, she didn't even like Ryo, much less love him.
Something about him must have reminded her of Zenki. That was it. It had to be.
Then again...
Why did she feel like her heart had been teared apart when she left him?
She turned around sensing the appearance of her lover. "Zenki-kun.." She gave him a pained smile.
"Ryoko-chan...you didn't finish did you?" She shook her head and lowered it guilty. She blinked when she felt the blonde man wrap his arms around her.
"Zenki-kun..I'm sorry, I promise you that I will get rid of him soon. I-" Her words were cut short when he placed his finger on her mouth.
"Shh.. I know, I know. You know that I can never be angry at you." Ryoko smiled at him grateful.
Her heart started beating faster again as he drew his head closer to hers. Zenki's amethyst eyes were closed but Ryoko's wasn't. His lips came closer and closer and soon there was only a centimeter left before his lips would touch hers.
His lips came closer and.. "I'm sorry Zenki-kun." Ryoko interrupted before disengaging from him.
Zenki's eyes narrowed darkly as she turned and left. He clenched his fist in anger. Why was it that every time he came closer to her she would runaway?
"Ryo Sazaki, you damned god. Even when she has no recollection of the times she spent with you, she is still yours. She's brainwashed for demon's sakes! So why is her heart and body still yours?!!" He roared in anger as he punched through the large tree near him.
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Back in the Mortal Realm..
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Genma Saotome woke up from his sleep startled. His body was drenched with cold sweat as a sense of wrongness filled him. He glanced over to his wife and found that she had also awaken sweating.
"Genma.." Nodoka started trembling. "Something feels wrong..it's the same feeling I had when we lost..Ranma.."
The large martial artist's eyes widened at his wife's trembling confession. "No.."
The redhaired Saotome bit her bottom lip as she recognized his expression. "What are you hiding from me, Genma Saotome?"
"I..I.." He stuttered. "It's about..Ranma.."
"What about Ranma?"
"Ranma was cursed permanently as a woman as you know and..I saw her six months ago at the tournament."
Nodoka's eyes widened. "You saw her but you didn't tell me?!"
He nodded his head. "Yes, but I didn't tell you because she was living a new and happy life. Ranma's name is Reiko Sakura now. I didn't want to ruin our so- daughter's life again..so.."
"I understand."
Genma's eyes hardened. "But what I just felt now..I know for sure that something is wrong. Specifically our daughter, Reiko."
"So she's in danger?"
"Who's in danger?" They turned startled slightly as they suddenly realized that they weren't alone.
A young man stood by their bedroom door confused. His raven hair was tied in a short pigtail and he wore a red Chinese silk shirt and black kung fu pants.
"Is something wrong, father, mother?" His blue eyes was hidden in the darkness of the room.
"Yes there is, Hiro. It's about your sister, Reiko."
Hiro blinked in confusion. "Sister? I have a sister?"
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*CRACK!*
Shampoo and Mousse stared at the Elder in shock when she suddenly dropped her cup of tea.
Cologne narrowed her eyes when her cup broke. "An omen."
"An omen?" Shampoo gasped.
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Ryoko leaped up onto a high branch and sat down. She drew her knees close and wrapped her arms around herself.
"Why did I run again?" She whispered painfully. "I love Zenki. I hate Ryo. So why am I more comfortable with the enemy?"
She shook her head and rested her head on her arms.
"Kami-sama.." She started unconsciously. "Stop the pain...stop it please.."
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End Chapter Eight Part One.
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